#eh closer to 16 but yeah

[nyxypoo]

ITS ALMOST TR SUNDAY RHEMSMA

[chunghasweetie]

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐑 | P.JM

— pairing | collegestudent!oc x collegestudent!pjm

— summary | friend of taehyung and jungkook’s ends up spending more time

with you than he thought he would.

— warning | bad writing (i’m doing my best)

forced proximity, unprotected sex, play fight, light dirty talk, semi public sex, exposed

— word count | 3.3k words

— song suggestion | closer — jihyo

“Alright. Meet up on Saturday right?” Jungkook asked the girls. “Maybe we should go bowling this time.”

“No way. Let’s go shopping again.” Jeonghwa shook her head.

“We just did that today!” Taehyung argued.

“Omg so what? We had fun didn’t we?” Hani shook her head. “It’s not our fault you have to carry the bags. It’s called being a gentleman.”

“Fuck that.” Jungkook shook his head. “We want to go bowling. Even Y/n wants to go!”

“I do.” She spoke up. “Come on. They have good food there too and we can drink. It’ll be fun.”

“You guys should be like Y/n. She always has the best ideas.” Taehyung nodded, making the other two girls roll their eyes.

This was their friend group. Three girls being Hani, Y/n, and Jeonghwa whereas the two boys were Taehyung and Jungkook.

It was their senior year of college and the two had been friends since their high school years. They considered themselves family at that point.

They went out all the time, even with no location in mind.

“Okay fine. We’ll go to stupid bowling.” Jeonghwa agreed, earning a ‘yes’ sound from Jungkook.

“Yay!” Taehyung cheered. “It’ll be fun I promise.”

༊—

Y/n was at the bowling alley with her friends finally after a long week of studying.

“Oh look how pretty you guys look!” Taehyung announced as they all got out of the car together. “And here I was thinking this was a regular hang out.”

“You just have hot friends.” Hani replied.

“Eh, I’ve seen better.” Jungkook mumbled, earning a punch on the arm from Jeonghwa.

“Okay! You guys look cool I guess.” He shook his head, rubbing his arm as the group walked in.

“Oh shit. Jungkook we forgot to tell them.” Taehyung cursed.

“Tell them what?” Jungkook blinked. “Oh yeah, we wanted it to be an even 3v3 so we invited Jimin.”

“That’s fine with us.” Jeonghwa shrugged. “Whatever makes you guys feel better about losing.”

Jimin hung out with the group occasionally. He transferred to their college about a year ago.

He was closer with Jungkook and Taehyung and everyone else. Everytime he was hanging out with them, Y/n seemed to be busy that day so they didn’t ever really cross paths besides a ‘hello’ here and there.

“Like we’re gonna lose.” Taehyung nudged Jungkook before making eye contact with Jimin so was by the shoe rack.

“Yo Jimin!” Hani’s outgoing voice announced, “We’re here!”

It was hard not to notice the group of adults acting like children, pushing each other and bickering on the way in.

Jimin flashed an inviting smile as they made their way over to him.

“Jiminnn” Jungkook cooed, “You cameee”

“Why wouldn’t I? I like hanging out with you guys.” He laughed. “Oh and Taehyung texted like 16 times asking if I was still coming.”

“Goddamnit Taehyung.” Hani glared at him. “That’s why he only hangs out with us ever so often. You’re a fucking weirdo.”

“Dude he likes it. He sent me a heart emoji” Taehyung made a heart shape with his fingers, making everyone gag.

“Yeah because that’s not creepy.” Jeonghwa rolled her eyes. “Jimin do you already have your shoes?”

He nodded. “Nah. I wanted to wait for you guys.” He told her.

The group ordered their shoes to enjoy while they played.

“Aren’t you scared to drink Jeonghwa?” Y/n asked. “You got shit faced last time.”

“Yeah. You fucking threw up all in my car.” Jungkook groaned, reminiscing the brutal moment of his car seats covered in bile.

“Whatever. It’ll be fine this time!” Jeonghwa slipped on her bowling shoes.

“Who has my shoes?” Y/n looked over, not able to find her pair.

“Oh my bad.” Jimin handed her shoes to her, “Wasn’t really thinking, my bad.” He apologized.

“You’re good. I just thought Hani stole them.” Y/n chuckled.

He stared at her as he handed them back, analyzing the girl in front of him.

The two hardly ever interacted up close. Barely ever spoke full sentences to one another.

“Jimin! Y/n! Go get us drinks and snacks yeah?” Jungkook ordered.


The two looked at Jungkook then back at one another, “Oh okay.” Y/n replied.

“What do you think they’ll want?” Jimin walked with her to the snack bar.

“No idea. I’m just ordering what I would get myself.” Y/n shrugged. “Beer and chicken sound okay?”

Jimin nodded in agreement. “That sounds fine to me.” He ordered for them, getting his card out.

“You don’t have to get that. You’re a guest.” Y/n stopped him. “I got it.”

“Not a guest. You’re just never here when I’m around.” Jimin tapped his card on the reader, buying for the group. “I don’t mind.”

“I don’t think that’s fair but— Thanks.” She gave in, not wanting to argue to pay since it was already over and done with.

“Let’s start playing.” Jimin and Y/n came back to the group. “We can take a break to eat once the food gets here.”

The group bowled over and over, doing absolutely terrible.

Everyone was trying to show off for each other but it wasn’t going well.

Hani, Taehyung, and Jeonghwa were incredibly drunk towards the end of the game. They could hardly roll the bowling ball.

“D-Did I win?” Jeonghwa hiccuped.

“Oh my gosh.” Jungkook groaned in irritation, knowing it wasn’t the best idea to get stupidly drunk at the bowling alley.

“Jiminie will you drive us home?” Hani tried to act cute, but ended up looking like a drunken mess. “Pleaseeee”

Y/n looked over to him. “If you could…”

Jungkook drove them all there so at least one of them had to stay sober.

She wasn’t drunk like the rest of them but she was a bit tipsy. She didn’t feel comfy with driving.

After a long exercise of trying to take off their bowling shoes and replace them, the group finally made it to the car.

“Not enough room— Let me sit on your lap.” Jeonghwa whined, sitting on Jungkook’s lap. who happily agreed.

Y/n was buckling up in the front seat.

“You probably don’t want to ever take us out again.”

“No, I like this.” He chuckled. “It’s funny.”

“Are you saying that just because?”

“No.” Jimin began driving Jungkook’s car. “It’s refreshing. Yeah it’s sticky and gross but you guys are actually cool people to be around.”

“I don’t see how you feel that way, but that’s sweet.”

His heart dropped at her reply, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

He wasn’t ill, but he definitely didn’t feel good. Maybe anxious, or some sort of nervous sweat.

How strange.

They pulled up to Y/n’s apartment. The two worked together to get the drunken adults in the car and into the guest rooms in Y/n’s extra bedroom.

“They’re kinda cramped in there.” He eyes the adults.

“Does it matter?” Y/n spoke. “They’ll figure it out.”

“Guess so.”

“Did you want to spend the night too?” She offered. “Your cars still over there. He just take you in the morning to get it.”

“You sure?”

She nodded. “Of course. The least I can do for you helping put up with them.”

“That would be nice yeah.” He smiled. “Are you going to sleep right now?”

“Nah, I’m wide awake honestly.” She shrugged. “Recently I haven’t been sleeping until damn near 4.”

“Same here. Don’t know what it is.” He replied.

“Oh sorry. Jungkook and Taehyung actually have some clothes if you want to borrow them.” She suddenly remembered.

“Yeah I’ll take them. I feel sweaty and gross.” He made a sour face.

“Go shower.” Y/n grabbed him some clothes for him to wear.

“Thank you so much.” He smirked. “You’re actually a really good host.”

“Yeah, that’s only for tonight only. Every time after this you’re on your own.”

“You think I’ll be over again? Nice to know you’ve thought that far ahead about me.” He tilted his head.

“Well— I don’t know. Just go shower.” She shooed him.

She was warming up to him. He could feel it.

He took the clothes and went over to her bathroom.

As he got in her shower he couldn’t help but have a stupid grin on his face, thinking of how cute she looked when he spoke.

He couldn’t help but be nosy. He examined her shower, looking at all the products she had.

“So many vanilla scents.” He mumbled to himself.

He barely knew anything about her. Everything he knew was simply an assumption.

The two spoke rarely ever and a lot of the knowledge he had came from being one of her followers on social media. He wasn’t sure she even followed him back.

Her friends spoke about her a lot. Telling him all sorts of adventures they had.

Her friends cared about her a lot, all four of them spoke so well about her.

It made him grow curious about her.

He finished up his shower, getting out and drying himself off.

He changed into the clothes she provided him.

He smelt just like her. The clothes he was wearing and the scents from the body wash he used.

He didn’t mind at all, he felt so comfortable and relaxed.

He got out of the bathroom, walking out to the living room where Y/n was on the couch.

“Feel better?” She looked over at him.

Her voice was like honey to his ears, even if before it was a few sentences here and there.

He nodded. “Much better. You have so many options to clean my body with.”

“I love vanilla scented anything. So I stocked up.” She laughed. “The boys hate it. They don’t understand how I’d want to smell like something edible.”

“I love it.” Jimin took a seat next to her.

“Oh it smells good.” She got a whiff of him once he sat down on the couch. “I must smell so good.”

“You do. I took a sniff earlier.” He joked.

“Cause that doesn’t sound creepy.” Y/n laughed.

“You’re such a hater.” He shook his head. “It was a compliment.”

“Creepy ass way of complimenting someone.” She giggled.

“Whatever.”

“Yeah, whatever.” She mocked him, “I’m gonna watch something.”

“Oh you’re gonna hang out with me on the couch?”

“You sound so excited.” She teased him. “You thought I’d go to my room and shut the door?”

“Something like that.” He shrugged. “We’re not too close so I figured you’d avoid me.”

“Why would I do that?” She furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re everyone else’s friend. Shouldn’t I get familiar with you too?”

“That’s true.” He agreed.

“Want to build a fort?” She blurted out randomly.

“You can’t be serious. At your big age?” He snapped his head in her direction.

“I’m up, you’re up. Wouldn’t it look suspicious if me and you are on the couch together when they wake up?”

Her logic didn’t make much sense. It’s more difficult to explain the fort.

But who was he to say no to a pretty girl asking him to build a fort?

“Okay fine.”

༊—

“This looks so bad.”

“Well they have all my blankets. What do you expect?”

It was a very sad attempt at a fort. With about 3 blankets a few chairs holding it up, it was the saddest fort she’d made in a while.

“You sounded like you knew what you were doing. I just went along with it.” He shook his head, turning her TV to face the entrance.

“It’s called fake it till you make it.” She told him, tossing some pillows inside. “Clearly that didn’t work out in this case.”

“I think it’s sorta cute. Especially with these pink girlie blankets.” He crawled inside with her, his legs almost sticking out.

“In its own way— sorta.” She agreed, climbing next to him.

“And you said this was better than being seen on the couch.” Jimin mumbled.

They were even closer than they were on the couch.

Their legs were touching and they were forced to be close to one another.

“Mm yeah. But it’s cuter like this no?”

“For us maybe. For them we just look like freaky losers.” Jimin joked, making her laugh.

“Yeah I guess that’s true.” She put on a movie for the two to watch.

The two cuddled under the blanket, finding themselves oddly comfortable with one another.

Jimin kept sneaking glances at Y/n.

She was prettier up close.

And she was actually funny, hilarious even.


The camera didn’t do her enough justice. Sure, she was beautiful on screen but damn she looked even better in real life.

She was cute. Her little giggles made him smile and he was more drawn to her with each sentence.

The two talked for hours, watching multiple movies under the fort together.

He felt like he really got to know her good. The forced proximity made it much easier for him to communicate with her.

She was able to know Jimin for Jimin. Not just her friend’s friend.

She wished she had been around a bit more.

It would be a lie to say she didn’t check him out multiple times during their talks.

She instantly felt comfortable with him, just like how she was with Jungkook and Taehyung.

Except in a slightly different way.

“Damn I wish I went that night. That’s so funny” Y/n’s cheeks hurt from giggling.

“Why didn’t you?” He asked her.

“Studying. Always.” She sighed.

“You can take more study breaks. You’re taking one now aren’t you?”

“I mean yeah.”

“And it feels good huh? Don’t stress yourself out too much or you’re gonna crash out.” He scolded her.

“Yeah okay dad.” She rolled her eyes playfully.

“Awe, why not daddy?”

“You’re gonna make me throw up.” She fake gagged.

“Whatever. You’re no fun.” He pouted cutely.

“Oh I’m plenty fun.”

“Sure you are.”

“I am!” She argued.

“Oh you must be. Cooped up in the house all day and then going out with your friends ever so often to do what? More studying?” He cocked his eyebrow. “So much fun.”

He got here there, making her grumble. “Whatever.”

“Awe her feelings are hurt.” He baby talked her. “Come here baby Y/n.” He opened his arms up to her.

She fell into his embrace, pretending to be hurt.

“Poor Y/n.” He leaned closer, his hand reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face.

She looked up before meeting his eyes with hers.

The two remained eye contact with each other for a minute.

He holds her gaze, his heart pounding in his chest as he feels the tension building between the two.

He leans in closer, his breath hitching as he feels her breath against his lips.

The two naturally collided into a sweet kiss. He closes his eyes as he feels her lips against his, a surge of emotion coursing through him.

His arms wrap around her waist as he deepens the kiss, feeling lost in the moment.

When he finally pulls away, she looks at him. “Jungkook is gonna kill me.” She chuckled.

Jimin couldn’t help but smile into their next kiss before the kiss deepens once again.

His hands wander up her back, pulling her closer to him. He breaks the kiss again, his forehead resting against hers as he catches his breath.

“Goddamn that’s addicting.” Jimin kissed her again, getting rougher with his mouth.

The kisses were now wet and sloppy, demanding more and more.

His tongue slipped into her mouth as he explored every inch of it. His hands wandered down to her ass, squeezing it tightly as he grinds against her.

She could feel herself growing wet from just his kisses alone, whining into his mouth.

He can feel her liquid arousal and it only makes him want her more.

“Fuck, I’m wet.” She whined into his mouth.

He growls, his lips trailing down to her neck as he begins to nibble and suck on it.

He can feel her growing wetter and it only makes him harder. He reaches down, his hand slipping into her pants as he begins to rub her clit.

She knew she had to be quiet because her friends were in the other room but she couldn’t help herself. “J-Jimin.” She whimpered.

He smirks against her neck, his fingers moving faster against her clit. He can hear the desperation in her voice and he loves every second of it.

He sucks on her neck harder, leaving a few marks as he continues to pleasure her. "Shh, we can’t have them wake up? Specially not to their precious Y/n whining like that. Filthy girl.”

His fingers moved faster, feeling how wet and ready she was. He groans, his own desire growing with every whimper and moan that escaped her lips.

"You like that, baby? You like it when I make you cum?" He whispers, his lips trailing down to her ear.

“Mhm.. so good.” She tried her best to stay decently quiet, enough for only Jimin to hear.

He shivers at the feeling of her warm breath against his ear. He can feel his desire building up.

He knows he needs to be inside her soon. "I need to fuck you, baby. I need to feel you around me now already."

He knows he should stop now, but he also knows he won't be able to control himself once he gets inside her.

“Are you on anything? I don’t have a condom” He looked down at her as he laid her on her back.

“On the pill.” She replied, a hint of whining in the tone of her voice.

He slid her panties to the side. He was almost in shambles once he seen her glistening pussy in front of him.

"Fuck... I'll pull out, okay? I need to be inside you." He slid his boxers down. “Can’t wait for this pretty pussy.”

He positions himself at her entrance, his eyes locked onto hers. He can feel the heat radiating off her and it's driving him crazy.

He slowly starts to push inside of her, his breath hitching as he feels her tight walls gripping him. "Fuck... you feel so good Y/n"

He groans at the feeling of her squeezing around him. He starts to move his hips, thrusting in and out of her. "You feel so fucking good, baby. I won't last long."

Took them this long to finally meet, this was definitely the best introduction.

Her pussy was so wet and warm, inviting him in instantly the second he slid inside of her.

Their skin slapping sounds echoed through the living room. It didn’t help that Jimin was picking up the pace.

“Fuck— We’re gonna make them wake up.” She mumbled against his ear, almost dying trying to stay silent.

He smirks against her neck as he continues to thrust into her, the feeling of being so close to the edge only turning him on more.

"It's so hot, knowing we could get caught. You're so fucking hot for this, Y/n.” He leaned forward, kissing on her neck some more.

“Using every excuse in the book not to meet me. Always studying.” He continued. “Now look at you.” He chuckled.

His words went in her ears and straight to her pussy, making her whine.

He groans and thrusts deeper, his hips snapping harder as he feels her start to tremble beneath him. "That's it, Y/n. Cum for me. I want to feel you cum all over my cock."

“Fuck I’m cumming.” She whined out his name multiple times before the two both reached their high.

Jimin pulled out, cumming on her stomach.

“Shit.” He cursed, instantly cleaning her up.

“Wow.” She panted. “That was something.”

“Yeah. I would stay home too if my pussy was that good.” Jimin added, cleaning her up.

“That good?” She rose her eyebrow. Jimin looked up at her seriously.

“That good.”

“Fuck it.” Y/n looked out the window. She could see the sun rise.

“One more round before they get up?”

[cheynovak]

Extra credit  

Reader x Soldier Boy 

Warnings:  Well, it’s soldier boy. Where to start... Smut 16+, Fluff, Alcohol, Cursing, you name it ...  

Side note: English isn’t my first language.  

Words: 4377 

POV: Y/N is supe with the ability to time travel. But doesn't want to show off her powers, so she pretends to be a normal university student major in history. When her professor askes then to write a paper on any superhero in history she decided to write about the infamous Soldier Boy, not to give him more fame, no, to tell his true story and the mistakes that were covered up. But her late nights at the library makes her dream about the man not knowingly sending her back to 1980.  

 

----------------------- 

Y/N didn’t know if her professor would like her paper. He even worships the man he could turn any topic into a soldier boy reference. “I’m curious what you come up with Y/N.” He had said. But she would make sure that he at least would appreciate the effort and time she had put into it. It was 2am and Y/N was still hanging over history books at the library. Not finding a thing she didn’t already know, or at least what Vought wanted the world to know.  

She knew there were stories about covered up murders, racism, mistreating woman, herogasm. But nothing, not a single thing she could find. But Y/N was so tired she decided to pack up the books and go back to her dorm. As she practically fell asleep before hitting her bed. But she didn’t get a peaceful dream.  

“So, you are trying to ruin my legacy, kid?” Y/N heard a voice, looking around her it was pitch black. She started to walk towards the voice, slightly scared. “Can’t find anything?”  But it didn’t seem to get closer. “Must be frustrating.” Y/N stopped walking looking around when all of the sudden the voice sounded right behind her. “Maybe you should let it go.” Within the second she turned around standing toe to toe with Soldier Boy looking up at him, she felt so small.  

Y/N’s dream made her jump up, realising she was still at the university library, she fell asleep on the books. When Y/N looked around she noticed that the students were dressed differently, all of them looking weird at her. She got up returned the books and left, once outside she realised what had happened. “Time jump” She sighted. She would at least have to “recharge” for a couple of hours before she could go back to her own timeline. So, nothing better to do than figure out where she was.  

She left the campus and bought a newspaper at one of the stands, in the street. New York... 1980 Y/N closed the paper, seeing a huge picture of Soldier Boy and Crimson Countess on the cover. “It couple strikes again. America once again safe. Yeah right.” She heard herself mumbling.  

“They’re giving a party tonight.” Said the young woman next to her. “What, sorry?” Y/N said looking up. “Crimson countess and Soldier boy are hosting a party, tonight. We are still looking for, normal, guests.” She said looking her up and down giving her a weird look. “If you want? A few regular people are lucky birds and get invited.” She handed her an invitation. “Yeah, thanks, eh dress code?” She asked with hesitation. - “Dress to impress.”  

Y/N figured there was no better way to get dirt on Soldier Boy than to actually join one of his outraces parties. Maybe even take a picture or two as evidence. But first, she needed to get a place to stay, clothes and make up. She doubted that her skinny jeans, combat boots and flannel would get her into the party. So, she did what she could.  

Y/N was impressed with how large Vought’s building was. The “normal” guest entered via a marble stair with golden rails, an hour after the supes and important people were inside. So that they knew who wasn’t really word their time. The ceiling was sky high. Y/N got nervous when she saw the number of steps she had to take before she entered the room. Besides that, she was the only one without a partner or plus one. She looked around seeing Soldier Boy and Countess greet the guest at the bottom of the stairs. Her heart pounded. She slowly took one step at the time.  

Soldier boy was already bored to dead, he and crimson just had a massive fight and now he needed to pretend he loves her with his life. He looked up to see how many useless people he was forced to greet. But instead, Y/N catches his eye. A blue tight-fitting dress showing of her curses, a colour that perfectly matched her copper hair. Black high heels something she by now probably regrets, looking at how you hold on to the rails. But that made her legs look like a stairway to heaven. Her light copper hair was pinned up, but a few strings hung loose beside her face, hair not as dark as Countess her red locks, to some people she would look a light brunet, but he could see the red shine coming through. He could see her biting the inside of her lip while she was focussed on the steps.  

Crimson Countess caught him staring so she cleared her throat. Getting Y/N out of her focus, looking up and nearly tumbling of the last few steps. She felt a strong hand around her arm and back. Embarrassed she looked up, seeing Soldier Boy holding her at the bottom of the stairs. “You ok?” he asked locking his green eyes with hers. “I, eh Yes, I'm so sorry.” She said while pulling back and straightening her dress. She held out her hand to Countess, who shook it quickly. Then shook Soldier Boy’s hand while he was still staring at her body making her blush. Y/N quickly got some golden courage at the bar.  

Hours past Y/N kept looking around hoping she would see something that made this trip worthed. But so far nothing but boring conversations with people who were over the moon with the supes. Soldier boy noticed Y/N standing at the bar drinking champagne but not really interacting with people. The bartender was gone to long for her liking, so she lifted herself over the bar to get the bottle noticing it was empty she sights. Not noticing that Soldier Boy was standing behind her clearly checking out her ass. When she stood back on the ground he spoke. “Really difficult to get good staff these days.” Y/N got a DeJa'Vu moment and dropped her glass when she heard his voice behind her.  

Y/N cheeks turned red, when she turned around to face him. “How long have you been standing there?” Soldier Boy smirked. “Long enough.” He leaned in against the bar. Whistled at the bartender who came running down towards him. “Yes, sir.” - “The usual and champagne for eh, what is your name sweetheart?” - “Y/N” - “make sure Y/N’s glass doesn’t get empty. Understood.” -”Yes, sir.”   

“Well, being a supe has it’s perks eh” Y/N said to break the awkwardness of that conversation. He only smiled slightly. “What are you doing here Y/N?” He asked taking a sip of his drink. Her stomach turned, he was on to her. “What?” She asked way to fast. “What are you doing here? You clearly seem bored.” He repeated only this time taking a step closer to her, locking eyes again. Even though he hung against the bar he was still taller than her.  

“Honestly...” Y/N got nervous looking down, noticing his large strong hands around his glass. But before she could answer a servant came towards Soldier Boy. “Sir, Crimson Countess would like to speak to you.” He pointed towards her. Soldier Boys eyes followed his directions. She looked pissed. She knew that he normally wouldn’t talk to a normal girl if they didn't have to. Not that she loved him, but people were whispering and that she couldn’t have. So, she played the jealous girlfriend card.  “Tell her” He paused “To stop being a fucking jealous cunt. And to find her a fuck toy for tonight. Because I don’t want her in my bed tonight.” The servant looked scared but delivered the message. You saw Countess her face change, Y/N looked over at Soldier Boys face. He gave her a perky smile while lifting his eyebrows before he turned to Y/N again. Who was watching this all with an open mouth and stunned eyes.  

“Where were we sweetheart.” He said transformed fully in his charming persona. “I think I might head out. I don’t want to cause any trouble.” Nodding towards Countess. “Nonsense, she is all bark but no bite. But I have a better idea. Follow me.” He took your hand in his, you noticed how yours almost completely disappeared. He took you to the room next door, you were really not sure what you were doing here. And he saw it. “Soldier boy, what..” - “Ben he interrupted her. My name is Ben.” - “Ok, Ben, what are we doing here?”  

He didn’t answer he only led her to the couch in the corner making her sit down and poured himself and her a new drink at the mini bar before sitting next to her. The way he stared into her eyes, the way he was checking her out made the heat growing inside her. Unbelievable she thought, I hate this man.  Y/N looked around, “is this an office?” - “Mine” He proudly answered. “Supes have offices?” She laughed a little too loud. “Why is that funny?” He stared at her intrigued. “I thought your skills had to be demonstrated out there in the open. And that paperwork was for the back office.”  

Ben lifted your legs on his lap and slowly started to remove your heels. “Not all skills are to be shown outside these walls.” He said with a flirty sound to it. “Your feet must be so soar in those heels.” He said while massaging one. He noticed Y/N to cramp up and moving back. “Don’t worry sweetheart, if wanted you to force into doing something, I mean I wouldn’t, but physically I could have already.” - ”That really isn’t comforting Ben. It even made you sound like an ass.” She blurred out. The look she had on her face while realizing what she just said to the most powerful supe on the planet made him laugh, not a I'm laughing polite laugh, no, an actual honest reaction. “Now that.” Y/N said with a little more confidence. “That is way more relaxing. Seeing you be honest.”  

Ben switched foot, while making small talk. ”You still haven’t answered me why you’re here.” He said. Y/N decided not to lie, or at least speak a little of the truth. “Researching, I’m writing a paper.” He looked at her nodded to continue. “I’m a history student.” Now that got his attention. “History, let me guess the subject you are writing about...” He paused “Is you.” Y/N answered honestly. He grinned a little clearly liking the compliment. “What you got so far?” He asked slowly moving his hands from your foot to your ankle. “Nothing, I thought I would find world changing intel, or would hate you or I don’t know, get to know the man behind the mask. So far, I have nothing the media haven’t already told us a hundred times.”  

“Research from today?” He asked changing ankles again. “Other than you giving amazing massages? Nothing. I don’t think I can impresse my professor with that.” she said softy, he chuckled.  

His hand moved up Y/N’s leg, pushing her dress up a bit, bending one knee, he softly kissed her calf. Your other leg still laying still on his legs. “What do you want to know.” He asked looking in her eyes while kissing the inside of her knee. Y/N’s heartbeat just went over the roof. “What?” She asked stunned. “You have the opportunity to ask me anything you want to know. Ask.” He almost ordered her.  

Ben was intrigued by Y/N, student who did her best to get invited to a party just to get to know him. For a paper but that didn’t matter. He wondered if she had known that this outfit would catch his eye. Her skin felt so soft against his lips. If he didn’t want to know more about her, he would have fucked her right then and there and left. But there was something about her, he couldn’t put his finger on it. And when she noticed his real smile, he knew she could see through his persona. He pushed her dress up just enough, to see her thighs and get a glimpse of her panties. While continuing to kiss her legs.  

Y/N was trying to think of a question, but Ben getting closer and closer to her core wasn’t making it easy. “You and Crimson Countess.” She started but stopped holding back a moan when he licked and sucked the inside of her thigh. “Yes..?” He asked innocent. “Is it all real, or just a publicity stunt?” Ben stopped moved your legs and seated himself between your legs. He looked at Y/N before answering. “It started as a stunt, I fell for her, but a month ago I found out that she doesn’t love me. We’ve been fighting since then. She doesn’t know why, she doesn’t know I know, so she pretends to be the jealous girlfriend. But I see through her.” He kissed her other thigh “more questions?” - “You like being a supe?” - ‘It has its pros and cons.” - “Cons?” She asked looking truly interested.  

“I’ve always wanted a family.” He caught himself confessing that to her. “But being a hero. Having a family isn’t something the company agrees to.”  Ben felt her hand against his cheek. Like she was saying your secret is save with me. He noticed her breath was getting heavy and he could hear her heartbeat. “My turn to ask something.” Ben moved Y/N’s dress even more up. Seeing her laced panties were damped. Y/N’s cheeks turned red. “Can I taste you?” He asked licking his lips.  

Y/N nodded without even realizing, “Words sweetheart.” He said while placing his hand over her clothed core feeling the warmth of his big hands. “Yes.” she whined softy. Ben moved her panties aside with a finger and started to lick her folds apart. “Hmm, so sweet.” He hummed against her core when he tastes her. His tongue flat against her stroking up and down. Her moans make him hard in his pants, he noticed her moving looking for more friction. “So needy sweetheart?” He asked while taking her panties off. Ben moves his mouth over her clit while teasing her with his fingers against her wet hole. “Ben...” she moans. “Yes baby, talk to me. Tell me what you want.”  

“More, I need to feel more of you.” She asked whining.  

Ben entered his finger inside her without warning, he felt her tightening around him. “Fuck, you feel so good,” she moans. Moving and curling his finger until he found that one spot inside her.  Y/N is moaning his name like a prayer when he touched it, adding another finger. “Oh Ben, don’t stop, please, oh please don’t stop!!” She screams while moves her hands in his hair holding him closer to her clit. He licks her until she came down from her high. Ben cleaned his lips with the back of his hand looking at her laying there with her hands over her eyes. Y/N opened her eyes looking at him between her legs, waiting for a reaction from her.   

Y/N couldn’t believe what just happened. I just let Soldier Boy between my legs. But it felt oh so good... The heat inside Y/N didn’t go away. She looked at Ben, waiting for her reaction, she crawled up, pushing him back against the couch without breaking eye contact, she could see the fire in his green eyes. She undid his belt, lowered his pants and underwear, he gladly helped her. She was shocked to see that not only his hands were big. She wrapped her hands at his shaft slowly pumping, she kept looking him in the eye. Ben threw his head back and moaned her name while his hand found its way to her hair, she knew what he meant but decided the torture him a little. “Use your words baby.” She said teasingly. Ben looked back at her almost proud of her cockiness. “I’m wondering how sweet those perfect red lips would feel around my cock. What it would feel like if I fuck that dirty little mouth of yours.” He said not even blushing.  

He tried to push her again towards his pulsing dick. “Uh uh uh” Y/N said “I’m in charge now.” She heard him growl of frustration. Instead of taking him in her mouth she got a little lower and sucked softly at his balls while she turned her wrist while pumping harder. “Fuuuck!” He said while his hips bucked up and head fell back again. Without leaving him time to recover she took his cock in her mouth taking him in as far as she could. Making him cling back on to her head and moan again. “Jesus Christ, you really are a dirty little student aren’t you.” That made Y/N moan with his cock in her mouth. With a pop she let go of him straddling him. He took off the rest of his costume before ripping her dress apart from her back. “BEN!” That’s the only thing I have to wear tonight!” He smirked; “you won’t be needing it anymore sweetheart.” 

Y/N held his cock, pushing herself down on it, she could feel the sting but damn it felt so good, she knew from the second he was inside her that she was addicted to him, to them having sex. While she was riding him hard, he was licking and sucking her breasts making sure he left marks. Ben could feel that she was close so he helped her by playing with her clit again. Her nails dug in and pulled his hair while her head found its way to his neck. “Let go Y/N, come on baby ,let me hear how much you like it.” He pushed her to her limits screaming and shaking what seemed for hours. Her legs felt jelly. Ben lifted her up pushed her breast against the back of the couch while she sat on her knees as he stood behind her, pushing in again. He didn’t slow down he pushed her over the edge again, but this time the feeling of her tightening around him and her moans made him come too.  

As he came down from his high, he took a step back and got a couple of tissues for her. “Thanks.” she said while cleaning herself up. “I should have asked this before, but eh, are you eh.” - “No worries, birth control pill.” she answered out of breath. “Ok good.” He sighted. As she sat down on the couch, she looked at her dress. “Well, this one is ripped to pieces. I guess I have spare clothing at the hotel but. I still need to get there, preferably not butt naked.” Y/N said to herself.  

You can stay here for the night, by the morning I can fix you something to wear.” Ben answered. “You want me to stay?” He looked confused. “Is that such a weird question? I just was balls deep in you but staying the night is a strange request?” - “Yes, no, I mean I didn’t figure you as the “let’s actually sleep together” type of guy. “I usually am not.” He answered honestly. “But I own you a couple of more answers for your paper. Especially after what that mouth did to me.” He winked making her blush.  

Ben looked outside in the hallway. “Clear.” He said before he and Y/N walked out. Y/N wore his green shirt, it was long enough to just cover her butt. Ben only in his pants holding his protecting gear and her shoes/dress. After they took the elevator to the top floor, he opened another door to his bedroom. “Wow.” she said looking at the Kingsize bed and the room that could easy be a ballroom. She sees a bathroom “Hey Ben?” She asked. He looked to her while he was pouring another drink. “Would you mind if I take a quick shower?” “Make yourself comfortable, but eh, don’t close the door” He said biting his lip. Y/N shook her head and walked over to the bathroom dropping his shirt halfway to the floor, swaying her hips. Pretending to be overconfident going with her hands through her hair, letting it all down.  

Ben shook his head, this woman was something different he thought. Taking a sip as he watched her getting in the shower. He put on a vinyl with a slow sensual sound to it as he heard her getting out of the shower. He looked in Countess her dresser, she hated this babydoll dress he bought for her a while ago. He placed it on the bed before he got in himself sitting against the board waiting for her.  

Y/N walked out the bathroom with the same confidence. She stood completely naked in front of the bed. “Is this for me?” She asked. “I’m not wearing it.” He smirked “It’s beautiful.” She said while putting it on before getting in the bed with him. He held her close, her head against his muscled body her arm wrapped around his chest. For some reason this felt good. Within seconds she fell asleep.  

Y/N woke up with the feeling of a hangover. “Y/N OMG! You got to get up! You’re missing your history class!” He roommate Ruby yelled. Your eyes flew open you looked at the clock not realising where you were. “Wait, what?” Was it all a dream she thought. But when she got up Ruby looked over at her. “What are you wearing?” - “I, eh I have no idea. ”Y/N answered seeing the babydoll dress in the mirror- “Girl I thought I was a party animal, but your blackouts seen legit! Anyway, got to run. Kiss kiss.” She said. Y/N still felt sore in her legs but managed to get dressed and walked through downtown towards the university head in the clouds.  

Little did she know that Ben had recently escaped Russia. He just got a haircut and was walking on the opposite sidewalk looking around looking for something he could remember. As his eyes fell on Y/N he was stunned. She hasn’t aged a day! He ran acrossed the street trying to follow her but lost Y/N in the crowd.  

Y/N got to her history class 20 minutes late. “I’m so, so sorry sir.” She ran in. He looked at her nodded her to take a seat. Ben was still walking towards the only university he knew in New York. He walked in and started to look around. When he sees the librarian, he asked for history class. Her eyes grew big when she recognised him. 1st floor, 5th door to your right. He thanked her and walked fast. He heard the professor talk. “So that will be all for me today, it’s up to you. I will call out your name and you will all present your papers on famous of non-famous superheroes in our history in front of the class. Miss Y/L/N since you had chosen one of my favourites, please take the stage.” Y/N got up very slowly not noticing Ben looking through the small window. “I chose Soldier boy, but eh, to be honest, I didn’t find enough new material and eh...” “What where recourses?” Your professor asked stern.  “Mostly library, but eh I tried to take an interview, eh..” Y/N could feel her face getting red.  

 

"But she didn’t have enough time to finish it.” A voice behind her said. Y/N’s eyes grew big looking at Ben walking in. “And you are?” Her professor pierced his eyes. But when Ben walked towards the stairs his mannerism made her professor recognising his childhood hero stood in front of him.  

He came running down “S-Soldier Boy, it is an absolute honour to meet you!” He held out his hand and Ben shook, kneading it a little too hard. “Y/N tracked me down, finally found me last night, she begged for an interview.” He smirked, Y/N rolled her eyes. “But you know I got a little... distracted by her beauty.” He whispered to the professor the man smiled nervous. “And by the morning she was gone.” He looked at her. Y/N looked apologetic at Ben.  “Is that why you were late?” The professor looked at you. “Yes sir, I’m sorry, but I wanted an authentic paper, words from the man himself. And it wasn’t easy to find him.” She smiled shyly.  

“Ok, I’ll give you enough credit to pass this test, for now, but I expect a paper by the end of the year. Just make sure it thorough and authentic. See it as extra credit. You are for now dismissed Miss Y/L/N. Soldier Boy, sir.” He shook his hands again. As you and Ben walked out the classroom, he looked at you. “How, who are you?” He asked. You told him everything he wasn’t even surprised. “You know, I looked for you, back in ‘80. I couldn’t wrap my head around why you left.” Y/N gave Ben a confused look. “I thought that we had a... a thing.” He said, this was clearly difficult for him to admit. Y/N stopped walking not really understanding why the oldest supe alive saw something in you. But she held his arm in her hand to make him stop walking. And before she could think twice, she kissed his lips.  

When they separated Y/N said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do from now on, but we’ll figure it out.”  

--

If you liked this, please check out my masterlist for other stories.

[sinner-sunflower]

A HH Lucifer-centric AU 6/?

PART 1 , PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22

So excited!!

If any of ya have any theories, I would love to hear them!

Sorry if it's short. Still in weekend mode heh.

The line for the snippet is an Adventure Time reference. Guess which character said it.

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

Everyone held their breath. Nothing can be heard except for Valentino's angry growls.

After what happened with moth overlord (was he even still an overlord with no souls contracts left? They need to have a meeting about that), none of the remaining overlords spoke up in defiance. They were at least aware that they can't win against the literal King of Hell, more so with the presence of the other Sins and loyal hellborns.

With no more issues, Lucifer dismiss them.

Alastor stands by the door as he grins at the exiting demons. He hums a tune when Vees left.

Alastor: Nature abhors a power vacuum ~

Vox: The fuck did you just say?!

Alastor: Nothing, old friend ~

Rosie says goodbye to Charlie first before giving him a cheek pat as she leaves.

Rosie: Do come by Cannibal Town, my friend. I still have a few angel limbs for a lovely brunch.

Alastor: I wouldn't miss it for the world.

The Radio demon gives a derogatory glance at Valentino and giggles.

Alastor: Though I feel like another one of our speedy overlord meeting is in order.

Rosie laughs and said her final goodbye.

It's only the Sins and the residents left. Lucifer asks Charlie and the others to go up the 2nd floor for a while as he has something to talk about the Sins privately.

Charlie: Okay. But dad.. Are you okay?

Lucifer: Of course, sweetie. Just a bit stressed.

She wasn't satisfied with her dad's answer but she knows she won't be able to get him to admit anything right now.

Charlie joins her friends on the upper floor and hears Angel wolf whistle. He's leaning at the railings and looking down at hell's 7 deadly Sins.

Angel: I know I just saw them down there being the big and the bad, but damn.

Husk: Honestly thought someone was about to get killed today.

Cherri: Eh, I think what happened was worse. For that moth dickhead anyway. Congrats on your freedom Angy! How does it feel?

Angel: Like a million bucks! I still can't believe that happened. I'm free. I'm gonna give short king something later as thanks.

He turns to Charlie.

Angel: You too, Charlie.

Charlie: I didn't do anything.

Angel: I know I never said this before but thank you for believing in me- for still believing in me and this whole redemption shit.

Charlie's about to cry and moves to give Angel a big hug.

The others give the pair a soft look. As the slight crying fest was happening, Alastor moves closer to the balcony with Vaggie to observe.

Vaggie: Can't hear them. Can't even read their lips.

Alastor: His Majesty's work most likely. Or did you think they would let us watch with no precaution?

Vaggie gives him an irritated look but says nothing.

Alastor keeps his sight on Lucifer. The aquatic demon, which he guesses is the Sin of Envy, is touching Lucifer too much for his liking. He tilts his head in response when the king looks up at him suddenly. Lucifer holds his gaze for a bit before shifting slightly.

Alastor turns to see Charlie move beside him looking at her father. His ear twitches.

This is troublesome.

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

Lucifer put his shirt back on as he casts a barrier on the first floor.

Bee: Man, I haven't seen that side of you in years. Hell, I haven't even seen any side of you in years. I was beginning to think you died.

Satan: She's right. You usually at least sent a text once a year or so. And then when you decided to finally show up, you're basically being eaten alive by Roo's remnants! We-

The Sin of Wrath stops and takes deep breaths. No point in getting angry right now.

Mammon: Yeah, mate. Kinda miss the yearly lawsuits you give me business.

Asmodeus: You mean the discount Pride Ring you're tryna do?

Mammon: Fuck ya! Don't think I forgot ya stealing ma star employee!

Asmodeus: Cry me a river, Mam.

Belphegor: Children, please.

Mammon: Don't even start, Belphy. You still haven't explained why ya didn't tell us any of this shit.

Belphegor: What happens in Sloth is my responsibility.

Mammon: Well congrats! It's blowing up in our faces.

While the others were arguing back and forth, Leviathan moves to face Lucifer and put a hand on his.

Leviathan: Luci, I know you're not okay. You gonna tell me what's up with you?

Lucifer: It doesn't matter.

Leviathan: Of course it matters, Luci.

Lucifer: Not now, Levi.

Leviathan: Tsk. Alright then. But we will talk, especially about the look that red demon is giving me.

Lucifer looks up and makes eye contact with Alastor. The deer demon is wearing an expression he can't quite name but then his gaze shifts a bit to the left.

Charlie.

Oh, his lovely daughter. He still can't get what she said earlier out of his head. He knows she'll say she didn't mean it, but if it came out just like that, there has to be a bit of truth deep inside.

Was Charlie right? Would Lilith's presence instead of his really be that much better? Would this whole thing with Roo not even happen in that other timeline?

Lucifer doesn't know. What he knows is that he'll do everything in his power to keep his daughter and hell safe.

He clears his throat to stop the bickering.

Lucifer: Anything related to Roo is not to be undermined. In the meantime, Belphegor will keep a close eye on the anomaly. Bel, please coordinate with the Ars Goetia regarding evacuation of the nearby settlements.

Belphegor: Of course. Already on it.

Asmodeus: Lust will prepare evacuation sites as well.

Lucifer: Thank you. I'd like the other rings to have a few as well.

Satan: How about the ritual?

Lucifer: I would like to start as soon as possible but.. We're strong but we need ancient powers.

Satan: Wait. You don't mean her, do you? Can we even find her?

Lucifer: I'm the one who will be looking for her. She's probably up on Earth. It might take me a while but 'til then, I'll be temporarily handing over the duties of Pride to Charlie in my absence/

Bee: What?! Is she even ready?

Lucifer: You have your own rings to manage. And none of you are familiar with her. She might be the embodiment of good but she's still evil's sister.

Leviathan: And your wound?

Lucifer: I would advise that no one comes in contact with the anomaly. The only thing keeping it at bay in my body is my angelic blood. If I wasn't an angel, I would be dead.

The room just got colder with Lucifer's admission as Belphegor taps aggressively on her tablet.

Lucifer: Be careful all of you.

And with that, the meeting is done.

Lucifer debates talking to his daughter but overall decided to go back to his tower for the time being.

Alastor never took his eyes off the king and disappears in the shadows.

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

What to look forward for in Part 7:

Lucifer: I'm so tired, Alastor. I think I have been for a long time.

[villainsview]

Chapter 16

All Stories End Sometime

<Prev | Masterlist | Next>

It took a couple of days to prepare. I contacted Tito with the offer to sell the house where I stashed my money to him, so I had a small supply of cash again to bridge me over to the next job.

It seemed smart to lay low for a while, but there was just one last thing to do.

I bought the supplies I would need, before stopping at a thrift store to buy a couple extra clothes that seemed big enough to fit Erick. One could only last so long with one set, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to share any of my good clothes.

Ethel had already begun asking if I could take care of a teen, so I quickly told her a couple things are still being settled, which then became my cover to go away for a bit. I told her we had to go back to Arizona to take care of the last things, which wasn’t a lie of course.

“Best of luck with it hun,” Ethel said, insisting we take a food package she made along for the ride, “I hope to see you both back soon. Here, I packed a couple extra of those cookies you liked.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Erick said politely, taking the package from her and putting it in the back of the van with his backpack with new clothes.

“Oh you sweet thing~ You take good care of him now, Chase. If you need anything just call me.”

“Thanks beautiful,” I said, “hopefully we won’t be long. Just today to get there, a day rest, and we should be on our way back already.”

“Oh you flirt,” Ethel said, giving me a push, “get going you two, you don’t want to be late. And if you get car trouble again, call me. I’ll come pick you up.”

“You can’t drive, Ethel.”

“Only on paper.”

She waved us off as we got into the van and pulled into the road. Once she was well out of sight, Erick pulled his backpack closer and pulled out the baseball cap to hide his face.

“What did she mean with ‘only on paper’?” he asked.

“She had her licence taken away after hitting a stoplight one too many times,” I said, “she’s been salty about it ever since.”

“Oh that sucks,” Erick said.

“Mhm…it’s busy on the road today, it’s probably better if you sit in the back.”

“Why are we really going back to Phoenix, sir? You still haven’t told me any details.” Erick said, undoing his seatbelt and moving to sit among the luggage.

“To convince the police they can stop looking for you, we need to give them proof that you’re no longer alive,” I said.

“Um…”

“We’re going to fake your death,” I elaborated.

“How?”

“You see that jerrycan?” I said, “it’s full of benzine. A good enough fire can destroy a lot of evidence, but if we leave enough traces of you they won’t bother to look any deeper into it.”

“So…we’re gonna set something on fire? And close enough to Phoenix so that it’ll be linked to me?”

“Bingo,” I said, “but first…eh, you’ll see when we get there. You might want to get some rest. I wanna get started as soon as we get there, we’ll be able to work under the cover of darkness.”

“Alright,” Erick said, getting a little more comfortable in the back.

Even with the new company, the long trip was still rather boring. Not that either of us were the type for road games or something. Fortunately I’d calculated —or rather, I eyeballed— the amount of breaks and time spent on them enough that we arrived while it was pitch black outside.

Erick was asleep in the back, so he had no idea where we were, which was probably better for the time being. I’d taken him back to the farmhouse. Half of my plan relied on luck and Allard’s tendency to…well, be lazy I suppose.

“Ngh…are we there?” Erick asked, rubbing his eyes as he had just woken up.

“Yeah,” I said, “grab me a flashlight. Come on.”

He got up with a tired groan, searching my bag and pulling out a flashlight while I opened the side door for him. He handed me the flashlight, looking around a bit while I turned it on.

“W-why are we here?” he asked nervously.

“Because I need a car to torch,” I said, “it’s possible Jack’s car is still here somewhere.”

“But…h-he’s dead, right?”

“Without a doubt,” I said, “come on. Watch where you put your feet, there’s rocks everywhere.”

I took him to the barn, noticing he trailed further and further behind, but I could imagine why, so I decided to let it slide for now. I opened the barn door, shining my torch inside, noticing something that seemed like a car, covered by a dark sheet.

“Come on, there’s no one here,” I said, “help me pull this thing off.”

Erick reluctantly came closer, following me into the barn to pull the cover off the car. After doing that I shone the flashlight on the bumper, recognising the obnoxious abundance of stickers.

“Bingo,” I said, trying the door and finding it was unlocked, “open the doors further, I’ll see if she still runs.”

“Okay,” Erick replied, doing as he was told while I found the keys on the sun visor.

I tried starting the engine, and after sputtering a bit I managed to get it running and backed out of the barn. I parked it next to my van, so it would be ready for the next phase. But first…

“One more thing,” I said, getting back into my van and turning it towards another part of the grounds.

I turned on my high beams to light up as much as I could, before handing the torch to Erick.

“Do you remember where the shovels are?”

“...wh-why do we need shovels?” he asked.

“To believe that you’ve died…the police have to find human remains,” I explained, “this was the first place I thought of. I hope you didn’t fill up on snacks yet. The smell is going to be horrible.”

“So…two shovels or just the one?” Erick asked.

“One,” I said, “this is your mess, I can’t be the one doing all the hard work.”

“Man…”

He took the flashlight and headed back to the barn to grab a shovel, while I got out and tried to pinpoint exactly where I made him bury Tracy. It was the only place where the earth was still a bit more loose than around it, and fairly uneven, as if it had caved in a bit, which tends to happen when a body starts decomposing. This wasn’t going to be pretty, but it had to be done.

“Don’t stop now, you almost got it,” I said, lighting maybe a fifth cigarette.

Erick had paused digging to catch his breath, squinting at me as he had to peer against the light since I was leaning against the hood of the van.

“I don’t wanna throw up,” he whined.

“Keep breathing through your nose, you’ll adapt,” I said, “if you breathe through your mouth it’ll get worse.”

“Can’t I take a break?”

“No, keep digging.”

“Hrm…” he groaned again, but continued, slowly and carefully uncovering the corpse, since I told him to keep him in one piece.

After he dug away enough earth, I finally allowed him to stop.

“Okay, I think you can pull him out now.”

“He’s covered in gross stuff,” Erick said.

“Yeah, but enough should hang on to convince this city’s B-rate cops that he died in the fire,” I said, “now stop complaining, you can change clothes when we’re done. I should’ve grabbed overalls…”

“Oh man…”

“Stop whining!” I said, “just get him out the grave and I’ll help you toss him in the trunk of Jack’s car.”

“Why didn’t you park it closer too?”

“I said stop whining!” I repeated, kicking some dirt in his direction.

He coughed a bit, wiping his face with one hand, before taking a deep breath as he began pulling the decomposing corpse from the shallow grave.

I got back into my van, turning it a bit so it lit up the route from the grave to the car, before getting out again and walking over to the car to open the trunk just as Erick finally got that far. I rolled up my sleeves, grabbed the corpse by the ankles and helped him lift it into the trunk.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I said.

“Can we burn this shirt while we’re at it?” Erick asked, looking at the dark staining on his torso.

“Yeah sure,” I said, “but fill up that hole first. No need to get two shirts dirty.”

“...yes, sir.”

He sighed, heading back to begin scooping the small heaps of dirt scattered around back into the hole. After he was finished, I let him change his shirt by the car while I parked the van beside the barn, hiding it from view from the road. As I returned to the car with the jerrycan of benzine, Erick threw his soiled shirt into the trunk with the corpse, before closing it.

“What’s next?” he asked.

“Now we make it look like an accident,” I said, “get in. Put on your seatbelt, it’s gonna be a rough one.”

I put the jerrycan in the backseat and got behind the wheel, before starting the engine and driving off. I didn’t need to go too far, since we’d had to walk back after this, I just needed to find a good spot.

“Oh, that’ll do,” I said, spotting a post on the side of the road.

I slowed down, making a U-turn.

“D-do for what?” Erick asked.

“Cover your head with your arms,” I said, “I’m gonna hit the post.”

“What post—”

CRASH!

It wasn’t that rough in the end. The seatbelts and airbags did their jobs. I didn’t even need my airbag, really.

“Ow…” Erick groaned, rubbing a good burn from his seatbelt as he pulled himself out of his airbag.

“Makes you feel alive, doesn’t it?” I said.

“You could’ve warned me…”

“I did,” I said, “come on, get out.”

He groaned once more, before undoing his seatbelt and stumbling out of the car. I got out as well, grabbing the jerrycan. But before getting to work, I walked around towards Erick, pulling him a couple feet away from the back of the car.

“Now we leave some traces,” I said, “it’s gonna hurt, but you trust me, don’t you?”

“I…y-yes, sir.”

“Good, give me your arm.”

He hesitated a short second, before holding out his right arm. I grabbed it, before pulling out a knife. He gasped, but before he would try to pull away, I’d already cut a nice, deep gash into it.

“Ah! W-why?”

“DNA,” I said, “let it drip on the ground. We’ll make an obvious trail.”

I used the flashlight to determine when he’d spilled enough. Then I dragged him towards the car, instructing him to really dig his heels into the sand, before I lifted him to sit on top of the trunk while I pulled a package of gauze from my pocket and put pressure on the cut.

“Hold that in place,” I said, “I’m gonna carry you over to the asphalt so there’s only one set of prints from here on.”

“O-okay…”

I waited for him to get a good grip on his arm, before lifting him off the trunk and walking over to the asphalt before putting him down.

“Wait here while I torch the thing,” I said, before heading back, picking up the jerrycan and beginning to douse the insides and outsides of the car.

Then I made a little trail towards the asphalt so I wouldn’t have to be too close for the ignition. I put the can down and lit a cigarette, viewing my work for a second.

“Yeah, that’ll do,” I said, “even if they determine the fire was set on purpose, they’ll think it was done to conceal your death, remove evidence of who done it, yada yada.”

“And they’ll stop looking for me?” Erick asked.

“Yeah, cause they’ll think they’ve found you. Or your corpse at least.”

“...thank you, sir.”

“Whatever,” I said, taking a drag from my cigarette, before offering it to him, “do you wanna do the honour?”

Another second of hesitation, before he took the half-smoked cigarette and dropped it onto the benzine. The fuel immediately ignited, travelling quickly towards the car before nearly blinding us both as it blazed up into a giant ball of fire.

“Whoa,” Erick said.

“Worth it, isn’t it?” I said.

“It’s kinda awesome, yeah…”

“Either way, rest in peace I guess,” I said, “as far as the police and the media are concerned, that’ll be the end of your story.”

“No,” Erick said, “just the end of a chapter I think.”

“Don’t get all poetic on me, that’s my thing,” I said, “come on, let’s head back and get the fuck out of this stupid desert.”

<Prev | Masterlist | Next>

[morgan-va]

Chapter 16: Oil and Optimism (Serial Designation V x Reader)

Masterlist

Balancing precariously on the top rung of a ladder, you twist a fresh bulb into the ceiling fixture, the dull flicker of the dying light replaced by a clean, white glow. You step down a rung, shifting your weight as you pull another bulb from the box resting on the desk below. The mundane rhythm of work keeps your thoughts tethered, a temporary reprieve from the strange undercurrent of unease that's been growing steadily in your mind.

The classroom is eerily silent, the empty desks and chairs giving the room a ghostly atmosphere. You reach up again, fixing your focus on the fixture to avoid getting lost in the labyrinth of your own head.

The sudden, unmistakable sound of the door slamming open almost sends you toppling off the ladder. A loud, familiar voice cuts through the air like a knife.

“Yo, Techy, you die up there or something?”

Your grip tightens on the ladder as you glance down, your pulse quickening. There, leaning casually against the doorframe, is Uzi. Her arms are crossed, her ever-present scowl softened by a flicker of mischief in her eyes.

“Uzi!” you blurt, catching yourself just in time. “You trying to get me killed or what?”

She snickers, stepping into the room and giving the ladder a dubious glance. “Bite me,” she says, rolling her eyes. “You’re the one wobbling around like a baby deer.”

You sigh, carefully replacing another bulb. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re joining the Maintenance Team now.”

“Nah, just checking in on my favorite ladder jockey.” She smirks, pulling out a chair and spinning it backward before sitting down, chin propped on her arms. “Guess you haven’t electrocuted yourself yet. Color me impressed.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” you mutter, stepping down to grab another bulb. “Let me guess, you’re bored?”

“Painfully. Everyone’s too busy pretending to care about bunker duties. Thought I’d annoy you instead.”

You chuckle despite yourself. “Mission accomplished. So, what’s new in Uzi’s world of high-tech carnage?”

She shrugs, glancing around the room. “Eh, nothing exciting. Just tinkering with a few… projects. By the way, if anyone asks about that hole in the wall from yesterday—”

“Didn’t see anything, don’t know anything,” you interrupt, giving her a knowing look.

“Good answer.” She grins, leaning back. “You’re starting to get the hang of this whole bunker politics thing.”

As you finish installing the last bulb, you feel her gaze on you. It's not uncomfortable, just… expectant, like she’s waiting for you to say something. You step down, dusting your hands off.

“So, what brings you to this fine establishment of higher learning? You don’t strike me as the type to come to class when you aren’t forced by Khan.” you ask, gesturing to the empty classroom.

“Thought I’d see what all the hype for after-school clubs is about,” she says dryly. “This is where Dad says we’re raising the next generation of drone geniuses, right? Looks like a bunch of empty chairs to me.”

You chuckle, packing up your tools. “You’re not wrong. I think the hype died about the same time the fluorescent lights did.”

Her expression softens, almost imperceptibly. “You okay?”

You pause, caught off guard. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

She shrugs, standing up and brushing imaginary dust off her sleeves. “Dunno. You look… I don’t know, tired or something.”

You give her a small smile. “Just a long day.”

“You’re a horrible liar if you say that’s all it is,” she retorts, but there’s no bite in her voice this time.

“Thanks for the concern, I guess, but really I’m fine” you reply, letting out a light laugh as you grab your toolbox.

Uzi narrows her eyes, leaning slightly closer. “Hey, can you do me a favor?” she asks casually, though the tone suggests something more devious.

You step down from the ladder, toolbox in hand, and glance at her. “What kind of favor?”

She crosses her arms, glancing toward the door as if to make sure no one’s around. “I need something from my dad, but I don’t want to draw suspicion or anything. And, well… I have no idea where he keeps it.”

You blink at her, deadpan. “Let me guess. You’re looking for his door master key?”

Uzi’s jaw drops slightly, her cheeks puffing out in frustration. “How did you—? I didn’t even—”

“Please.” You smirk, crossing your arms. “You’re predictable once you get to know you.”

Her expression hardens, and she jabs a finger in your direction. “Bite me!”

You laugh, genuinely amused as you tuck the tools back into your box. “Oh, don’t worry, Uzi. That’s why I like you. Anyway, yeah, I know exactly where he keeps it.”

Her glare softens into something more inquisitive. “Okay, spill. Where’s he hiding it?”

You shrug, feigning indifference. “What’s in it for me?”

She groans, rubbing her temples dramatically. “You’re seriously asking for payment now? After all those times I didn’t blow you up?”

“Tempting offer,” you say with a grin. “But I’m curious. Why do you want the master key? What’s this for?”

Uzi waves you off, her tone nonchalant but evasive. “Nothing major. Just… a project.”

“Uh-huh,” you reply, unconvinced. “Well, if you must know, your dad keeps it in his bedroom. Big surprise, right? Along with the rest of his, uh, door memorabilia.”

Uzi tilts her head, looking both intrigued and exasperated. “You’re joking.”

“Nope,” you say, popping the ‘p’ for emphasis. “It’s a little shrine to his one true love—door technology. Pretty sure you’ll find the key in there somewhere.”

She lets out a breath, shaking her head. “Okay, first, that’s embarrassing for me. Second, thanks, I guess. And third—if you tell anyone about this, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“Noted,” you say, mock-saluting her. “Good luck with… whatever this project is.”

As she turns to leave, she stops for a moment and glances over her shoulder. “Seriously though… thanks. Even if you’re an annoying know-it-all.”

“Anytime, Uzi. Anytime.”

She rolls her eyes but doesn’t say anything else, vanishing out the door as quickly as she entered. You shake your head with a chuckle, wondering what sort of chaos she’s about to stir up this time.

.

.

As you settle into your usual spot for lunch, tucked away from the noise of the bunker’s bustling common areas, the solitude is a welcome reprieve. With a sigh, you take a sip from your cup of oil, the smooth texture and faint tang oddly comforting. For a moment, the world feels calm.

But, of course, peace doesn’t last long here.

“Привет. (Hello)”

The sudden voice makes you glance up mid-sip. Standing a few feet away, her expression unreadable as always, is Doll. Her piercing eyes seem to scan you, though her face remains impassive.

You set the cup down slowly, swallowing. “Oh, hey, Doll. Didn’t see you there.”

She doesn’t respond right away, her head tilting slightly as if she’s assessing you. Finally, she speaks again. “Ты другой.” (You are different.)

Her words hang in the air, vague and unsettling.

“Different?” you echo, frowning. “Different how?”

Doll takes a slow, deliberate step closer, her gaze unwavering. “Ты не такой, как они.” (You’re not like them.)

You lean back slightly, confused. “Okay… but could you be a little more specific? I’m kind of running on fumes here.”

Her eyes narrow slightly, and for a moment, it feels like she’s looking through you rather than at you. She finally sits across from you, still silent as her presence weighs on the moment.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re getting at,” you say, trying to ease the tension. “But I’m just... me. Same as I’ve always been.”

“Нет,” (No,) she replies, voice quiet but firm. “Тебе это известно. Внутри.” (You know it. Inside.)

Her words stir something, a faint unease you’ve tried to push down for months. That phantom pain in your chest, the fragmented whispers in the quiet of your mind—it all comes rushing back for a moment.

You force a chuckle, trying to shake the feeling. “Maybe I’m different because I don’t sit around playing cards with Khan and the WDF, well.. most of the time. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

Doll doesn’t laugh, but there’s the faintest twitch of her lips. She stands without another word, as abruptly as she arrived.

“Подумай об этом.” (Think about it,) she says before turning and walking away, her silhouette blending into the crowded corridor.

You sit there, staring after her, your appetite suddenly gone. Different. The word sticks with you, an itch you can’t quite scratch.

With a sigh, you down the rest of your oil in one gulp and try to focus on your next task, hoping to bury the nagging thoughts that have been stirred to life once again.

After finishing your cup of oil and shaking off Doll’s cryptic words, you head out of the lunchroom, toolbox in hand. You’ve got a meeting scheduled with Khan and the Worker Defense Force—something about faulty mechanisms on a few bunker doors. Not exactly thrilling, but it’s all in a day’s work.

The walk to the WDF office is short, the chatter of drones in the halls fading into the background as you focus on the task ahead. By the time you step through the door, the familiar, chaotic energy of the group greets you like a slap to the face.

Khan is at the head of the room, as usual, leaning back in a chair with a self-satisfied grin. Around him, the other WDF members are seated, though none of them seem particularly focused. A stack of cards is suspiciously visible in the middle of the table, and a bag of chips lies half-spilled across the surface.

“Ah, our favorite maintenance drone!” Khan calls out, spreading his arms dramatically as you enter. “You’re here to save the day yet again, eh?”

You can’t help but smirk. “I’m here to keep the place from collapsing on you. Big difference.”

Khan laughs boisterously, slapping the table for effect. “Semantics! Anyway, we’ve got a couple of doors jamming on Deck C. Not great for bunker morale when folks can’t even get to the good vending machines, you know?”

“Right, vending machine access is priority one,” you deadpan, setting your toolbox on the table.

“Exactly! See, you get it.” Khan flashes a grin before gesturing toward the room’s projector screen, which remains resolutely blank.

One of the WDF drones, slouched in a chair, pipes up. “Also, uh, the main storage bay door is stuck halfway open. It’s been like that for three days.”

“Three days?” you echo, incredulous.

“Yeah, but we, uh, put a cone in front of it,” another drone adds, as if that solves the issue.

You pinch the bridge of your nose. “Cones aren’t door repairs, you know that, right?”

Khan waves a hand dismissively. “Details, details. Anyway, that’s why you’re here! Deck C first, then the storage bay. Easy stuff for a pro like you.”

You roll your eyes but grab your notes. As ridiculous as this group can be, you know you’ll get the job done—just another day in the bunker.

“Anything else I should know?” you ask, slinging your toolbox back onto your shoulder.

“Yeah,” Khan says, grinning. “If you’re heading down there, grab some chips from the vending machine for me. The jalapeño ones. You know, as a show of gratitude.”

You shake your head, already heading toward the door. “I’ll see what I can do, Khan. Try not to break anything else while I’m gone.”

Khan’s laughter follows you out into the hall. Another day, another repair job.

You make your way to Deck C, navigating the usual maze of hallways with practiced ease. The hum of the bunker’s machinery fills the air, but there’s an unsettling quiet that seems to settle over you as you approach the vending machine hallway. You’re not sure if it’s the anticipation of dealing with another broken mechanism or something else entirely.

When you reach the entrance to the vending area, the problem is immediately apparent. The door is stuck halfway open, just like Khan said. It’s not the most complicated issue, but it’s a pain when the only thing standing between you and a snack is a stubborn door. You reach down to examine the mechanism and notice the faint squeal of grinding metal when you touch it, telling you exactly what needs fixing.

The jamming is likely caused by something in the track—either debris or a misaligned part. You kneel down, pulling out your toolbox, and start to work. There’s a bit of rust around the edges of the door’s sliding track, and you can feel the tension in the mechanism as you pry it open just enough to slide a wrench into place.

You manage to pop the first panel off, revealing the mess inside. As you work, your mind drifts, not to the task at hand, but to the strange conversation with Doll earlier. You replay her words in your head: “You are different.” The words keep echoing in your mind, and you can’t help but wonder what she meant by that. Was it something she noticed in the way you handled your work? Or maybe it was something more personal, like the ongoing strain of trying to keep your sanity intact in this place.

Shaking your head, you push the thoughts aside. You came here to fix doors, not to unravel your mind.

With a few more twists of the wrench, you’ve loosened the mechanism enough to free the door. It slides open with ease now, and you give it a quick test.

"Perfect," you mutter, wiping your hands on your jumpsuit.

You stand up, stretching your back as you take a moment to survey the vending machines. They’re fully stocked—well, most of them are. It’s easy to imagine Khan’s excitement when he’s eyeing those jalapeño chips.

As you gather your tools and start heading back to the exit, the quiet of the hallway suddenly feels too thick, too oppressive. You can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. You look around, but it’s just the usual dull walls, metal doors, and flickering overhead lights. Nothing unusual.

Just a typical day.

You push the uneasy feeling down, turning to leave. The job’s done. Now, time to move on to the next.

You make your way to the main storage bay, grumbling to yourself about the WDF's antics. The idea that such a critical door had been left malfunctioning for three days—with only a single cone as a warning—was peak WDF. The cone might as well have a little sticky note reading, "Problem solved!"

When you arrive, the sight is exactly as you expected. The massive storage bay door is jammed halfway open, with the solitary orange cone sitting proudly in front of it like a guard on duty.

You can’t help but scoff. “Unbelievable,” you mutter, shaking your head. The cone, predictably, has a comically handwritten label taped to it that reads: CAUTION: DOOR STUCK.

“Yeah, that’ll stop someone,” you add dryly, kicking the cone lightly out of your way as you approach the problem.

The door, which is supposed to slide effortlessly on its heavy-duty tracks, is caught mid-motion, revealing just enough space for someone to crawl through if they dared. It’s probably caused some delays for deliveries and restocking, not to mention the obvious safety hazard. Yet somehow, no one in the WDF had thought it was urgent enough to fix themselves. Typical.

Setting your toolbox down, you step closer and begin inspecting the tracks and the motor above the doorframe. The control panel blinks in a way that immediately spells trouble. A quick diagnostic confirms your suspicion: the sensor alignment is completely out of sync.

“Of course,” you mutter. “Can’t ever just be something simple, can it?”

Grabbing a screwdriver and a diagnostic tool, you start making adjustments to the sensor module. It’s finicky work, requiring you to get up close and personal with the grime-covered machinery, but you fall into your usual rhythm.

The quiet hum of the machinery fills the space as you tighten screws, recalibrate the sensors, and reset the motor's alignment. You even clear some debris lodged in the upper track that was likely contributing to the problem.

As you work, the absurdity of the lone cone comes back to mind, and you let out a chuckle. “I should’ve left a sticky note: ‘Head Tech was here. Fixed your door. You're welcome.’”

Finally, after a few more adjustments, you step back and press the reset button on the control panel. The door groans loudly as the motor engages, but after a tense moment, it begins to slide open and shut smoothly.

“Victory,” you announce to no one in particular.

You pick up your toolbox and glance down at the cone you’d kicked aside earlier. With a smirk, you grab it and place it neatly to the side, right in view of the next WDF member who comes by.

“Your real MVP,” you say, patting the cone sarcastically before heading off to your next task.

Noticing the time on your watch, you realize it’s getting late. Time always seems to slip away when you’re neck-deep in repairs, but it’s not like you have much to do after hours anyway. With a sigh, you gather your larger tools and start the trek back to the workshop, toolbox clanking softly in rhythm with your footsteps.

Once there, you carefully place the tools back in their respective spots on the pegboard, ensuring everything is neat and ready for tomorrow. Your toolbelt, as always, is hung on the hook by the door—a small but comforting ritual. Stepping back to admire the orderliness of the workshop, you allow yourself a faint smile. At least something in this bunker is reliable.

With that done, you make your way back to your room. Opening the door, you’re greeted by the same spartan interior you’ve grown accustomed to. The small couch in the corner, the desk piled with spare parts and unfinished gadgets, and the bed you’ve never bothered to personalize. It’s a far cry from cozy, but it’s yours.

You hang your jacket on the back of the chair and plop down on the couch, letting out a long, tired sigh. Your mind starts to wander to the events of the day—Uzi’s antics, Doll’s cryptic comments, the vending machine door, the ridiculous cone guarding the storage bay. It’s a lot to process, but dwelling on it isn’t going to help.

Looking for a distraction, your eyes land on the stack of old VHS tapes sitting next to your portable player. You’d found them in a dusty storage closet a few weeks ago, half-buried under a pile of forgotten junk. The labels on the cases are faded, and most of the handwriting is illegible, but that only adds to the intrigue.

“Why not?” you murmur, grabbing one of the tapes and sliding it into the player.

The screen flickers to life with the familiar grainy quality of old recordings. A logo for some ancient entertainment company appears, followed by the opening credits of what looks like a cheesy sci-fi movie. You chuckle softly at the retro-futuristic designs, the overly dramatic narration, and the comically bad special effects.

As the movie plays, you let yourself relax, sinking into the worn cushions of the couch. It’s nice to escape, even if just for a while, into a world of laser guns, space pirates, and melodramatic plot twists.

Your mind drifts somewhere between the action on the screen and the hum of the bunker around you. Despite the chaos of the day, for a brief moment, everything feels… still.

And for now, that’s enough.

As you settle into the familiar routine of watching the old movie, your eyelids grow heavy. The nonsensical dialogue, the over-the-top explosions, and the absurdly dramatic soundtrack begin to blur together, forming a haze that wraps around your mind like a blanket. You try to focus, but your brain feels too slow to keep up with the bizarre happenings on-screen. The dim light of the TV flickers in the room, casting strange shadows on the walls.

The film starts to distort in ways you can’t quite explain. The voices on the screen warble, the images jump and shift like a broken signal, and it feels less like you're watching a film and more like you're inside it. Everything feels off.

Then, out of nowhere, a symbol flashes on the screen—sharp, angular, and unsettling. It’s not like anything you’ve seen before, a jagged design that feels both familiar and alien at the same time. Your heart skips a beat as a strange unease settles in your chest. The symbol pulses on the screen, growing larger with every flash, as if it’s trying to pull you in, drag you deeper into its meaning.

A sudden, sharp pain slices through your chest. It’s the same phantom pain you’ve felt before—like something is tearing at you from the inside. Your vision blurs, and the room around you starts to distort, the edges of the walls warping into strange shapes, the air becoming thick and heavy.

You gasp, the pain intensifying, but before you can react, everything fades to black.

.

You sit up, disoriented and groggy, your body feeling strange, like you've been jolted awake from a deep sleep. But the sense of unease is still there, gnawing at the edges of your mind. You’re no longer on the couch, and as you try to gather your bearings, you realize—this isn’t your room.

Instead, you're standing in a desolate, darkened place. The floor beneath you is cracked and uneven, stretching out into an endless abyss. Shadows twist around you, forming shapes that almost seem to move on their own. It’s cold—no, not just cold—empty.

A low hum vibrates through the ground beneath you. The walls are lined with rusted, mechanical structures, like broken machines abandoned long ago. This place—it feels like a dream, a nightmare, but not one you can wake up from.

And then you hear it. That same, robotic voice again. It echoes around you, disembodied, too distorted to understand. The words blur together into something indecipherable, but the tone—the tone is wrong. It’s off.

Your chest tightens with that phantom pain once again, almost like it’s pulling you in, like it’s part of the air, part of the environment here. You can’t escape it, not even if you wanted to.

The voice grows louder, more insistent, and the symbol from the TV flashes again in your mind’s eye—sharp, jagged, familiar—and it pulls at you, drawing you toward it, deeper into the nightmare.

You try to scream, but no sound comes out. All you can do is stand there, helpless, as the world around you shifts and warps even further.

The shadows around you seem to thicken, pulling in closer like a living fog. The low hum grows louder, resonating through your bones as the air seems to buzz with tension. You feel paralyzed, your breath caught in your throat, as a figure emerges from the darkness.

At first, it’s hard to make out the details. The figure’s frame is humanoid, but something about it feels wrong, unsettling. As it steps closer, the dim, flickering light reveals a worker drone. She’s dressed in a pristine maid’s uniform, the lace and frills at odds with the ominous atmosphere surrounding her. Her movements are slow, deliberate, as if she’s completely aware of your presence and savoring every step.

You try to call out, but the words stick in your throat, trapped under the weight of the phantom pain still clawing at your chest. The drone stops a few feet away, tilting her head with an almost childlike curiosity. Her screen flickers, glitching for a moment, before displaying that same jagged, alien symbol that had flashed on the TV.

The whispers in your head, those endless, incomprehensible voices that had haunted you for months, suddenly stop. The silence is deafening, and for a moment, you think it might be over. But then, the drone’s screen flashes again, and a voice—her voice—cuts through the stillness.

“Your time has almost come,” she says, her tone eerily soft, almost gentle, yet dripping with something darker beneath.

Her screen flashes again, and the symbol pulses in time with the words, as if emphasizing their weight.

You manage to force out a shaky, “Who—who are you?”

The drone doesn’t respond right away. Instead, she smiles, a strange, unsettling expression that doesn’t quite reach her glowing eyes. Her body twitches slightly, as if something inside her is struggling for control.

“I’ve been… waiting,” she says, her voice layered with static, the edges of her words fraying into distortion. “You’re so close now. So very close.”

You step back instinctively, your pulse racing as you feel the air around you grow heavier. “What—what do you mean? Close to what?”

The drone takes another step forward, and her head tilts again, almost mockingly. “You’ll see,” she whispers, her tone dropping to something that feels like a mix between a promise and a threat.

And then, without warning, the world around you begins to crack apart. The ground beneath you shatters like glass, and the figure of the drone disappears into the void below, her screen flashing one last time with the symbol as her distorted laugh echoes all around you.

You wake with a start, gasping for air, back on the couch in your room. The TV is off, the VHS tape ejected, sitting innocently on the floor.

But the phantom pain in your chest is still there, lingering like a scar.

You glance at the clock on the wall, its neon digits glowing faintly in the dim room: 3:00 AM. The stillness of the hour wraps around you, suffocating and heavy. The remnants of the nightmare cling to your thoughts like cobwebs, and the confined space of your room suddenly feels unbearable.

Grabbing your jacket, you step out into the hallway. The cold, metallic walls stretch endlessly before you, the faint hum of the bunker’s systems your only company. You try to focus on the rhythmic sound of your footsteps, anything to drown out the phantom pain still echoing in your chest.

As you turn a corner, you stop in your tracks. There, not far ahead, stands Uzi, her silhouette unmistakable. She’s clutching her railgun in one hand, the sleek weapon gleaming faintly in the low light. In her other hand, she holds a floppy disk, the words “DOOR MASTER KEY” scribbled on it in bold, messy handwriting.

For a moment, the two of you just stare at each other.

“…Should I even ask?” you say, your voice breaking the silence.

Uzi jumps slightly, clearly not expecting anyone to be wandering around at this hour. She quickly tries to act casual, stuffing the floppy disk behind her back. “Oh. Uh. Hey,” she stammers, her tone awkward but defensive. “What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” you reply simply, glancing at the floppy disk she’s failing to hide. “What about you? Midnight scheming?”

Her screen narrows into an unimpressed glare. “Bite me,” she snaps, holding the disk up as if daring you to ask more questions. “It’s called strategy, okay? Not that you’d get it.”

You raise your hands in mock surrender, fighting back a smirk. “Fair enough. I didn’t see anything, I swear.”

“Good,” she huffs, stepping around you with a purposeful stride. “You’d better not rat me out, or I swear—”

“Relax,” you cut her off, chuckling softly. “I’m not about to ruin your master plan. You do… whatever it is you’re doing. Just don’t blow anything up, okay?”

She glances back, her screen narrowing again in mock suspicion. “No promises,” she says with a smirk before continuing down the hall, railgun slung over her shoulder and floppy disk in hand.

You watch her disappear around the corner, shaking your head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Classic Uzi,” you mutter to yourself as you continue walking, trying once again to distract yourself from the lingering unease in your chest.

The hum of the fluorescent lights greets you as you step into the empty lunchroom. It’s quiet—eerily so—save for the faint hum of machinery somewhere in the distance. The tables and chairs are neatly arranged, a stark contrast to the cluttered chaos of the workshop or the rest of the bunker’s corridors.

You make your way to the small kitchenette, your footsteps echoing faintly. Grabbing a clean mug, you pour yourself a cup of hot oil from the dispenser, the rich, familiar scent filling the air. The warmth of the cup seeps into your hands as you take it to your usual spot near the corner, away from the center of the room.

Sitting down, you lean back in the chair and let out a long sigh. For a few moments, you just sit there, staring into the swirling surface of the oil. The nightmare still lingers in your mind, vivid and unsettling. The drone’s distorted face, that unsettling smile, and her chilling words—all of it feels burned into your thoughts.

"Your time has almost come."

You shake your head, taking a sip of the oil. The warmth helps, but not by much. The pain in your chest has mostly subsided, but the memory of it feels more real than you’d like to admit. Why now? Why after all these months of pushing it to the back of your mind did it feel so immediate, so present?

The symbols, the voices, that drone… none of it made sense. Yet it all felt so deliberate, like you were being pulled toward something you couldn’t understand.

You sigh again, resting your head on your hand. “What the hell is wrong with me?” you mutter under your breath, swirling the mug in your hands.

The lunchroom remains quiet, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. It’s peaceful in its own way, the stillness giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. You don’t know how long you sit there, but the tension in your shoulders begins to ease, your breathing slowing as you focus on the steady rhythm of your heartbeat.

For now, you let yourself be. The questions, the fear, and the confusion can wait. For just a little while longer, you allow yourself this moment of calm.

You sit there for a few minutes longer, savoring the rare, quiet peace. The nightmare still lingers at the edges of your mind, but for the first time in hours, the swirling thoughts seem to quiet. You take another sip of oil, letting the warmth settle into your core.

“Maybe everything’s gonna be okay after all,” you murmur to yourself, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at your lips.

And then, as if the universe itself heard your words and decided to mock you, the lights suddenly shift to an ominous red, bathing the room in a harsh, pulsing glow. A deafening alarm blares through the speakers, echoing throughout the bunker with an urgency that makes your mug rattle on the table.

You freeze, staring at the red-lit walls as the alarm continues to wail.

"...Of course."

[mikaela-granger]

The Long Wait Chapter 16

Movie Night’s and Walks Through the Garden

Fandom: Grimm

Pairing: Sean Renard/OFC

The Long Wait Masterlist

A/N: Since I had this chapter ready to go, I decided to upload it straight after Chapter 16. A night in with Katie, a day out with Sean, and Lorelei receives her first kiss.

After Spring Break, Lorelei got back into her usual routine: classes, studying, work, Fridays hanging out with either Monroe, Rosalee, or both, and Sundays with Nick and Juliette. She also spent more time with Katie, even having the opportunity to meet some of her friends, two of whom were her cousins. They were all eisbibers, having grown up together. They were naturally wary at first, considering the history of Grimms, however they started to warm up to her. Lorelei enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with people her own age. Lorelei also spent time looking into places to live and determining if living alone was something she could afford. Lorelei wasn’t sure she could live with roommates. The only people she had lived with were Nick and Aunt Marie. And, after living on her own for a few months, she realised how much she enjoyed the solitude.

One Friday, instead of meeting up with Monroe, Lorelei met up with Katie. They planned to get takeout and hang out at Lorelei’s as Katie had roommates. It was nearing the time that Katie was supposed to arrive. Lorelei was flitting around her room making sure it was clean and there were no embarrassing items on display. She also kept checking her appearance in the mirror. She had opted for a pair of leggings and a long shirt. Her hair was half up, half down and she had put a little make up on. Not too much. She didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard. Lorelei was just fluffing up the cushions on the sofa for the fifth time when she heard a knock on the door.

“Katie, hey.” Lorelei said, her voice a little breathy.

Katie had a huge smile on her face. “Hey.” She said.

Lorelei stepped aside to let her in. “How was work?” she asked, closing the door behind her.

Katie shrugged. “Eh, not too bad.” She replied, removing her light jacket. “Although I did have at least two people ask for their coffee to be made with half full cream, half skinny. Like, pick one for Christ’s sake.”

Lorelei laughed. “I remember getting those type of people.”

“That’s right, you worked in a café during undergrad right?”

Lorelei nodded. “Yep. I did my time in customer service. Thankfully I don’t have to deal with the public as much anymore.”

“I can’t wait for the day I can put customer service behind me.” Katie said, moving to sit on the sofa. “Don’t get me wrong, you meet some great people. But some people….” She shook her head and Lorelei laughed again.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Lorelei said, joining her on the sofa. “So, what did you feel like for dinner?”

The couple settled on pizza, just so they wouldn’t have to go out. While they waited, they discussed what to watch on TV. “Have you seen The Walking Dead?” Katie asked.

“I think I’ve seen bits and pieces. It looks really good though.” Lorelei replied.

Katie bent down and started riffling through her bag. “I just got the first season on DVD.” She said, holding it up. “Wanna binge watch it?”

They had been about to start the first episode when their pizza arrived. Once they set up their dinner, they sat back to watch the pilot episode. “It does take a little while to get into it, but it is worth it.” Katie told Lorelei, before taking a bite of pizza.

“I’ll take your word for it. But no spoilers.”

“Cross my heart.”

As the evening progressed, Lorelei and Katie both shifted, slowly getting closer and closer to one another. At one point, Katie slung her arm on the back of the sofa, her hand lightly resting on Lorelei’s shoulder. Lorelei tried to stay focused on the TV, but she kept getting distracted as Katie started playing with her hair. The couple hadn’t kissed yet and Lorelei was wondering if it would happen tonight. She was nervous. She had never kissed anyone before. Would they kiss? What if she was bad? Would they do more than kiss?

“Are you alright?” Katie whispered in her ear, her closeness and breath sending a shiver down Lorelei’s back.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Lorelei whispered back, trying to get rid of her nervousness. She turned her attention back to the TV and tried to focus on it.

Eventually the finished the first season. Katie turned to Lorelei. “So, what’d you think?”

“I really liked it. I can’t wait to see the second season.” Lorelei admitted.

Katie smiled. “I think the second season should be out on DVD soon. When it is, we can do another binge sesh.”

Lorelei returned her smile. “I look forward to it.”

They stared at each other in silence, Lorelei becoming aware of just how close Katie was. Katie brought her hand up and brushed a strand of Lorelei’s hair, tucking it behind her ear. “I’d like to kiss you.” She whispered.

Lorelei bit her lip. “I might not be very good. I’ve never kissed anyone before.” She admitted, feeling a little embarrassed.

Katie smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She told Lorelei. And then she leaned in, gently brushing her lips across Lorelei’s.

Lorelei let out a small gasp as their lips met. Katie’s lips were soft and gentle, as was the kiss. After a moment, Lorelei started kissing her back, her hand coming up to rest on Katie’s cheek.  They both pulled back and Katie smiled at Lorelei. “See, not so bad.”

Lorelei gave a small chuckle, before she leaned in to kiss Katie again. This time the kiss was a little harder and lasted longer, as Katie gently pushed Lorelei down, so she was laying on her back. The couple continued making out for some time, before returning to their seated position. The TV was changed, and they cuddled up together, watching the late-night movie that was on. Eventually they both drifted off to sleep, still wrapped in each other’s arms.

It was still early when Lorelei woke up, wrapped in Katie’s arms. At some point they had shifted, Katie was laying back on the sofa with Lorelei on top of her. Lorelei sat up slightly, looking at Katie. She looked so peaceful. Lorelei glanced at the clock above her desk, and saw it was close to 8am. Sean would be arriving soon. Lorelei slowly got up, trying to avoid waking Katie. Moving to the kitchenette, she filled up the kettle and turned it on before heading to the bathroom. By the time she was finished, Katie was awake, sitting up on the sofa rubbing her eyes.

“Morning.” Lorelei said, pulling two mugs down from their shelf. “Coffee?”

Katie stretched. “Morning. And yes please. I can’t believe we fell asleep.” She got up and walked over the Lorelei, wrapping her arms around Lorelei’s waist and resting her chin on Lorelei’s shoulder.

Lorelei smiled. “How do you take your non-espresso coffee?” she asked, reaching for the jar of coffee.

“Mm, white with four sugars.” She replied, stepping away from Lorelei and leaning against the counter beside her, watching as Lorelei made their coffee. “It was nice not being woke up by my roommates. They can be pretty loud in the morning.”

“Perks of a single room.” Lorelei said with a smile. “Do you mind grabbing the milk please?”

Katie moved to the fridge. “What are you up to today? You mentioned something about a friend.” She handed the milk to Lorelei.

“Yeah, my friend Sean and I are going to the Japanese Gardens.” Lorelei told her as she finished up their coffee and handed a mug to Katie.

Katie held her mug and took a sip. “Mmm, coffee.” She said, her eyes closed as she savoured the caffeinated beverage. “The gardens are nice. I’ve been a few times. You are gonna love it.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it. How about you? Any plans?”

Katie shook her head. “I’m just going to relax at home. I might stop in and see my parents later this afternoon.”

Lorelei went to sit on the sofa, holding her coffee. “Have you told them you’re dating a big bad Grimm?”

Katie laughed. “Not yet. I’m planning to do it this afternoon. But be prepared, once they find out I am dating someone you will be expected to come over for dinner.”

Lorelei smiled. “Meeting the parents. I look forward to it.”

After their coffee, Lorelei went to the bathroom for a quick shower, while Katie offered to tidy up their mess from the night before. Lorelei had just finished getting ready when a knock came from the door. Katie opened the door as Lorelei came to stand behind her.

“Hi, you must be Sean.” Katie said, smiling up at him.

“Ah yes. And you are?” he asked, glancing toward Lorelei. She shifted, feeling a little uncomfortable having both her love interests in the same room.

“Oh, I’m Katie. And I was just leaving.” She said before turning to Lorelei. “Have fun. I’ll talk to you later.”

Katie gave Lorelei a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping past Sean out the door. Lorelei felt her cheeks start to warm up and she rested her hand on the cheek Katie had kissed. She was surprised to be so affected, especially since they had spent last night making out. And had fallen asleep together.

“Lorelei?”

Lorelei shook her head slightly “Hey Sean. Sorry, I’m ready to go.” She quickly grabbed her jacket and bag, closing the door behind her as she exited her room.

“New friend?” Sean asked.

Lorelei smiled, as they made their way out of the building. “Ah, kind of.” She said, not sure what she should tell him. Although she was now pretty certain Sean didn’t have any romantic interest in her, she was still unsure if she wanted to burst their little bubble. Furthermore, she was unsure of Sean’s stance on same-sex relationships. She saw Sean raise an eyebrow. Clearly, he picked up on something. “Um…we’re kinda more than friends. It’s all very new.” She laughed awkwardly.

 “I didn’t realise you swung that way.” He stated plainly, giving no indication of what he thought.

Lorelei shrugged. “I swing every way. What’s in someone’s pants doesn’t affect whether I am attracted to them.”

They reached the car and Sean opened the door, allowing Lorelei to slide in before moving to get in on his own side.

“So, how did you meet Katie?” he asked.

 As they left the college, Sean asked some more questions about Katie. It seemed like he was trying to play it cool, but something seemed off. He couldn’t be jealous, could he? No, definitely not. He was probably just being overprotective.  By the time they reached the gardens, the conversation had shifted. As usual, Sean opened the door for Lorelei. However, he surprised her when he offered his arm to her. That was new. She slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, realising this was the closest she had ever been to him. That jolt of electricity she felt whenever they made contact was still there. Lorelei tried to ignore it. The pair purchased their tickets and began to explore the gardens. Halfway through the day, they stopped in at the onsite café, where Sean asked her how the apartment hunting was going.

“I’ve been keeping an eye out, but it is expensive especially if I want to live alone.” Lorelei told him.

“You aren’t interested in roommates.” Sean enquired.

Lorelei shook her head. “Not really. I’ve never really had to share my space with anyone besides Nick and Aunt Marie. Nick left for college and as I got older, Aunt Marie was always out of the house. Plus, I’ve already gotten used to living alone and it’s only been a few months.” Sean nodded. “Nick has offered his and Juliette’s spare room, but I feel like I would be going backwards if I took up his offer.” Lorelei said. “Plus, I don’t really want to live with my brother and his girlfriend. Who knows what I might hear.”

She shuddered and Sean laughed. “Yes, I suppose there are some things you do not want to hear family members do.” He commented and Lorelei laughed as well. Sean was such a serious person, it was nice seeing him laugh and smile. He looked even more handsome when he did so.

“Definitely not.”

“Besides, I still have another month or so before I really need to start considering it. If push comes to shove, I can stay in the dorms.” Lorelei admitted, even though she didn’t really want to. Even though she had a fair bit of freedom, being a grad student, the dorms did still have a lot of rules.

After the café, Sean and Lorelei spent some more time touring the gardens, arm in arm, conversing as they did so. Lorelei felt so comfortable with Sean. They always had something to talk about, which was a surprise considering their age difference.

Eventually their time together came to an end. Sean drove Lorelei home and walked her to her door. Lorelei was incredibly surprised when, as they were saying their goodbyes, Sean bent down and kissed her cheek. It was soft and gentle. He seemed to linger for a moment before pulling away. Lorelei felt her cheeks warm up. She glanced up to see Sean staring at her intently.

“Have a good night, Lorelei.” He said softly.

“Goodnight Sean.” She answered.

Sean left and Lorelei brought her hand up to her cheek. It was like she could still feel his lips there. After a moment, she realised she had been standing in front of her door for longer than necessary. She quickly entered her room and flopped down on the sofa.

Damn it. Just when she had convinced herself Sean’s feelings were platonic, he went and did that. Spending the day with Lorelei on his arm. Now Lorelei was questioning things again. She found herself comparing the kiss she had received from Sean to the one from Katie. Although she had felt a little flustered by Katie’s, it was nothing compared to how she felt from Sean’s.

‘You have a girlfriend.’ She scolded herself. At least, she thought she did. Katie was already talking about introducing Lorelei to her parents. That was the kind of thing you did with a girlfriend, right?

Lorelei groaned and sunk further into the sofa. Why couldn’t things be simple?

Next Part

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[your-divine-ribs]

Red Part 16

Words: 2.6k

Another angsty part // This is the last complete chapter I’ve written for this story but I do want to complete it, I’m just royally stuck // Thanks for reading so far ❤️

Red Masterlist Main Masterlist

You should have left the party there and then. The damage had already been done. It was devastating and irreversible, so what was the point in hanging around and prolonging the agony, caught in some kind of torturous purgatory, awaiting judgement day?

You supposed a twisted part of you welcomed the nauseating feeling of dread that slowly and surely descended with each passing minute, watching on as Larry and Sophie carelessly knocked back shot after shot from across the room. You deserved it after all. You deserved every ounce of guilt and shame and uneasiness and you had no one to blame but yourself and your loose morals.

Van had sloped off for a smoke not long after your chat and now he was back but you were trying your best to keep distance between you both. He reminded you of an animal in a cage, dark hooded eyes darting around the room, restless, nervous energy spurring him on to pace back and forth. It was like you were both suspended there, awaiting your fate, tormenting yourselves.

"Good party eh?"

You don't realise the question's being aimed at you until you feel a large hand coming to rest on your shoulder, stirring you from your anxious thoughts. You look up to see Johnny smiling down on you, his trademark lopsided grin and heavy-lidded dopey expression sparking a tiny bit of warmth into your troubled heart.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess so, but I'm pretty smashed so... you know... my opinion doesn't really count for much."

You shrug lightly, trying for a smile which feels unnatural, feeling Johnny's large hand curl around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him.

"What's up love? I know something's wrong. You've not been yourself all night... and to be completely honest I don't think you've been yourself for weeks now. Don't try to tell me everything's fine, I know you too well. I know that look."

"What look?" You reply, consciously trying to loosen your stiff limbs and iron out the frown that seems to have taken residence on your face of late. You know it's useless playing dumb. Johnny possesses an uncanny knack of working you out.

"You know full well," he answers, expression full of sympathy and eagerness to understand. "Now come on... tell me what's up. You know it'll go no further. You can trust me."

You look up into his warm eyes and consider how it might feel to purge yourself of your troubles. Johnny's such a kind soul and a good friend, always ready to listen to your woes and offer his honest brand of advice, but you wonder how he might react if he learnt the real truth. The fact that two of his best friends have been sneaking around behind everyone's backs, cheating and lying shamelessly, too wrapped up in their own selfish desires to give much thought to the people that love and care about them the most.

"It's nothing... really. I just need to get my head straight about something, that's all."

As you talk you let your gaze wander over to Larry and Sophie again, see her throw her head back in a genuine laugh, a natural effervescence that's been conspicuously absent in your relationship for quite some time now. You quickly look away, but not before Johnny's followed your gaze and turned back to you, eyebrows slightly raised as he scans your face for a tell.

"Look... I might be well out of order saying this so you can tell me to back off and mind me own business, but I reckon I'd also be just as out of order to not say anything considering you're my good mate and I love ya so much..."

"Think you've had way too much to drink you soppy bugger!" You interrupt him quickly, afraid to hear what he's got to say, making to pull away but he holds you still, a firm hand on either shoulder now. He's facing you and there's nowhere to hide.

"Aye, I 'ave had a skinful, but I'm not blind. I know something's happened between you and Larry... something's changed. He's been laughing and drinking with Sophie all night and you've been skulking around getting pissed on yer own..."

"We're not joined at the hip you know!" You blurt defensively with more force than you intend. You check yourself, lowering your voice, catching sight of Van peering at you from his current spot leaning against the far wall. "I'm not that needy girlfriend that gets jealous about her boyfriend having a female friend. I don't need to be with Larry every second of the day..."

"That's just it!" Johnny cuts in. "You and Larry are always together... well you used to be. I'm not just talking about the party tonight either. You've not been round his place for weeks..."

"I was ill!"

Johnny ignores you, speaking in hushed but firm tones, listing his observations. "You're distracted all the time, you never smile any more, you've lost that little... spark you used to have. At the Halloween party you threw it almost felt like you were doing everything to avoid Larry. Christ, you even seem to be favouring Van's company over his these days!"

He chuckles at the absurdity of what he's saying and your heart lurches, a wave of hot guilt washing over you. "That's just ridiculous..."

"Yeah it is," he agrees, his smile quickly fading as the concern pools in his eyes once again. "You know, life has a habit of throwing up shit when you least expect it. People change, feelings change, things you just expect to go on forever end up running their course..."

He trails off, eyeing you warily.

"Quit talking in riddles and just tell me what you mean," you implore. Now you just want to hear Johnny spell it out. You're at your limit and you're tired, the prospect of sharing even a tiny part of your burden so welcoming.

"If things aren't going well you ought to talk about it rather than just ignoring it. Can tear you apart ya know... make you end up resenting the other person. Once you start keeping stuff from each other it's all downhill from there."

You swallow deeply, trying to gather your scattered thoughts. Even by Johnny's standards this seems too insightful. You're positive you've not been acting way out of character but maybe you're not as good an actress as you thought. Maybe your guilt clings to you so stubbornly that it's visible to anyone who cares to look close enough. Unless...

The thought sparks like a flint. "Has Larry said anything... to you... about me and him?"

Now Johnny looks really uncomfortable and you feel something stretch taut inside you. You're instantly transported back to the taxi-ride with Van where you batted away his suspicions about Larry and Sophie like the idea was preposterous. "Johnny... do you know something that I don't?"

"Nothing! It's nothing!" His hands leave your shoulders, flying upwards animatedly. "It's just a feeling, that's all. It's not just you that's been acting differently... it's Larry too. I asked him if everything was okay and he about bit my head off... and it's not like Larry to get all defensive."

You glance across the room again but this time Larry and Sophie have disappeared. Unease stirs inside you and you quickly excuse yourself from Johnny, darting forward, scanning the room as you go.

"Y/N... wait..." Johnny calls after you, but you ignore him and he lets you go, distracted by another party-goer.

You stride over to the far side of the suite where Larry and Sophie had been drinking, turning your head this way and that, trying to catch sight of a familiar face. It's busy over there, small groups gathered closely huddled together, but it doesn't take you long to work out that Larry and Sophie are no longer there. In fact they're nowhere to be seen at all.

You turn around quickly, mind whirring, looking all over but drawing a blank. They can't have gone far... surely?

"What's up Y/N? You look lost." All of a sudden Benji's there, enquiring look on his face as he clutches a can of lager and sways in front of you. "If you're looking for that boyfriend of yours he's just left. Looks in a proper state... can hardly stand up! It's a good job Sophie's strong, she was practically carrying him." He sniggers. "Mind you, she looked wasted too. Proper lightweights, the pair of 'em!"

He laughs heartily but you don't join in, there's a cacophony of alarm bells ringing in your head and your throat feels tight. In your mind you can picture Sophie letting loose and spilling all of your dark and dirty secrets to Larry whilst they're both inebriated... but that's not all. There's a small seed of doubt that's taken root somewhere in the recesses of your brain, an unwelcome thought that asks how far Sophie might go to seek revenge on you and Van, her wounded pride turning itself on you to give you what would surely be a well-deserved taste of your own medicine.

Before you can even think straight about where they might be and what they might be up to, you're reacting, barrelling straight for the main door and wrenching it open, bursting through into the empty corridor beyond. You don't realise that anyone's following you until you feel a large hand wrapping around the crook of your arm, bringing you to a standstill. You whirl around as the hotel room door closes to see Van standing there, eyes red-rimmed and tired looking, face twisted into a deep frown.

"Where ya going? You're not leaving are ya?"

"Where's Larry and Sophie... have you seen them?" You blurt quickly, panic evident in your voice but Van doesn't react to it. He looks resigned as he replies with a dejected shrug.

"Yeah, saw 'em leave through this door just a few minutes ago, dunno where they were going though."

The fact that he's not outwardly displaying any of the anxiety that's gripping you just exacerbates your agitation even further.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" You lash out at him, reaching for his shoulders and pushing him back sharply in frustration. "Don't you care what happens? Sophie's probably telling Larry what we've been up to right this very minute."

Van stumbles back, his body sagging in defeat. "Well, the truth's going to come out sooner or later anyway. May as well get it over and done with."

"You've certainly changed your tune," you hiss, amazed at his change in attitude. "What happened to you trying to persuade Sophie to stay quiet? I thought we were in this together? If this comes out now it'll ruin everything!"

"Everything's already ruined anyway though isn't it?" Van bites back, his expression hardening, his eyes pooling with hurt. "I've as good as lost my best mate. He'll never want to speak to me again after this... and I've gone and lost you too. You said so yourself, there's no us and there never will be. That's it, it's over... for good. Everything's fucked."

His words cleave into your heart like a dagger, your throat thick with emotion as you try to suppress the sob that's building inside. His devastation is clear and you feel it too but you can't address those feelings now. You can't afford to let your guard down and grieve for a relationship that never was. You can do that later when you're alone with your thoughts and your regrets. You can fall apart then. For now there's more pressing matters at hand.

This time when you reach for Van you're gentle, fingers smoothing over the shoulders of his shirt as he looks down at you hopelessly. "Van... please. We can't do this now, I need to find Larry. I can't risk him finding out anything from Sophie, it needs to come from me. I need time... just a little more time. I need to find the right moment."

He sighs deeply, softening at your touch. "You really think there's ever going to be a right moment for something like this?"

"I know it's definitely not here and now while we're all drunk like this, that's for sure. Apparently Larry's a right state, Benji said he could hardly stand up."

You let your eyes dart up and down the corridor, releasing Van and stepping back, unwelcome thoughts still plaguing you. "I mean where the hell did they go? And what are they up to? I was thinking about what you said earlier. They could be... what if they're..."

You come to a stop, unable to formulate the words, guilt choking you up for even considering it after your own appalling actions. Much as you're loathe to admit it there's a tiny twisted part of you that taunts you that you'd be relieved to catch your boyfriend in a compromising position, like somehow it would lessen your own guilt. You quickly bat the thought away, sickened with yourself.

Van looks pained. "I shouldn't have said that, it was wrong of me. I was just being a dick and trying to make myself feel better. Of course I don't think Larry'd do that to you, he loves you too much and he's the most loyal person I know. I'd trust 'im with me life for christ's sake!" He pushes both hands through his hair, his face twisting in anguish as his own words sink in.

"Shit Y/N... what the fuck have we done?" He says quietly.

So much passes between you in that moment, yearning, loss, a realisation that things have shifted irrevocably and will never be the same again. You wish that you could go back to the start and obliterate everything, every lingering glance that you two shared, every whispered temptation, every fleeting touch that led to so much more. You wish you could raze it all to the ground and start over again... but you can't and what's done is done. You have to move forward into whatever direction the future takes you, towed along by the current of fate into whatever uncertain path that's destined for you both.

"I hate seeing you like this love," Van says, his voice barely audible, choked with emotion. "I really wanna hold you... I just wanna hold you and tell you that everything's gonna be okay but I can't."

"I want that too," you croak out, trying to stifle a sob. All you want is to sink into his arms and melt away, feel the steady beat of his heart against your cheek as you burrow into his chest, feel the comforting warmth of his body cocooning you. "I'm so sorry Van."

"I'm sorry too... and I'd take it all back if I could, but it still wouldn't change the way that I feel about you. That won't ever change... no matter what happens."

He stands there forlorn, a shadow of his former self, his shoulders hunched and his head hanging like a wilted flower. You watch as he digs a hand into his back jeans pocket and produces a hotel room key card.

"Here... this is the key to my room," he mumbles. "Me and Sophie booked a room when we arrived earlier today. Larry might be in there. You should go to him."

"Thanks," you mumble, taking it from him, trying to ignore the featherlight touch of your fingers brushing, the electricity it still sparks despite everything.

Your heart's a rock, crashing against your rib cage, desperate to break free and flee your traitorous body. You close your eyes for a second, steeling yourself, and then you're stepping away, closer to your uncertain fate and away from Van.

He lets you go.

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 14: DREAM CATCHER - Episode 16: "Challenges"

Tenma: “If we’re meeting a wizard, he might know something about the legendary phantom Oasis.”

Yuki: “You still haven’t given up on that? I’ve got no choice. As your wife, I’m worried about you. I guess I’ll tag along.”

Misumi: “If you’re going on a journey, I shall come with you. Rather, take me with you.”

[Misumi jumps]

Tenma: “Don’t put yourself in my bag with no notice.”

Izumi: Tenma-kun, could you put a bit more emphasis on that last part?

Tenma: …

Izumi: Tenma-kun?

Tenma: Ah, yeah, sorry.

Izumi: Okay, let’s stop here for today.

Tenma: Yeah… Good work.

Yuki: What’s with him… Is he still jet-lagged?

Muku: I haven’t seen Tenma-kun act like this in a long time.

Kumon: Did something happen?

Kazunari: He was so excited when we got the script~

Misumi: … You know, I saw Tenma talking on the phone last night, and he was acting kind of weird.

Yuki: Geez… We’ve come this far, and he still keeps things to himself.

Kazunari: Hm~ At times like this–

Kumon: What, what?

-

Kazunari: TenTen, come over here!

Tenma: It’s time for practice, isn’t it? We gotta get ready–

Muku: We have today off.

Tenma: Huh?

Yuki: Hurry up.

Kumon: The car’s already here!

Tenma: What car…?

-

Misumi: Over here~! I’ll be driving today~!

Tenma: But where are we going!?

Yuki: Just hurry and get inside!

[Yuki pulls Tenma]

Tenma: –gh

-

Tenma: The sea…?

Kazunari: Correct!

Misumi: Since we’re taking a break today, let’s play with all we’ve got~!

Tenma: … I’m not in the mood for that right now.

Yuki: *sigh*~ … Geez.

[Yuki shoves Tenma]

Tenma: Gwah!?

[Splash!]

Tenma: Bwah, don’t push me so suddenly!

Yuki: If something’s troubling you, you should just come out with it. You’re so irritating.

Yuki: We can practice all we want, we won’t produce any results with you acting like this, Tenma. You really think we can reach the New Fleur Award like this?

Tenma: — —

Kazunari: Yukki, that’s a bit much~

Kumon: Tenma-san, we’re all worried.

Misumi: Cheer up, Tenma~

Muku: It’s true that we have to do our best for the company, as the Summer Troupe…

Muku: But there’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?

Kazunari: … We’re friends before we’re the Summer Troupe, aren’t we?

Kazunari: As your friends, we’ll give you the best advice we can, so vent with no worries~!

Tenma: …

Tenma: … Truth is, I got an offer to star in a movie from the director we met in the US.

Tenma: I’ve gone overseas for filming during performances before, but I’ve got more appearances this time, and the filming period is longer than usual.

Tenma: I’ll need to devote even more time to the movie.

Tenma: But this is an important time when we all need to put the New Fleur Award first…

Tenma: I know I should refuse, but when I think about how this could bring me closer to my dream of winning the Best Actor Award, I can’t help but want to accept it.

Tenma: I’ve failed as the Summer Troupe’s leader. I’m sorry.

Yuki: Apologizing sincerely isn’t like the great Tenma at all. Well, I guess that means you’ve grown.

Misumi: Tenma, you don’t have to apologize. We’re friends, aren’t we?

Misumi: Anyone would want to support their friend’s dream, right?

Kazunari: Right. You don’t have to give up. You can simply do both.

Kazunari: Isn’t that how we do things?

Kumon: Everyone in the company will agree for sure that taking on challenges is what leads to growth!

Tenma: You guys…

Muku: If Tenma-kun does it, how about we all do it? Let’s take on a “challenge”.

Yuki: Eh?

Muku: Actually… There’s something I’ve also been thinking about.

Muku: After seeing so many different actors in the US, I started wanting to act on a bigger stage myself.

Muku: I thought that I wouldn’t be fit for such important roles, and that I’ve still got a long way to go, but…

Muku: I believe that everyone is given the chance and the freedom to take on a challenge.

Muku: I’m scared, and I don’t have much confidence, but I’ve got to start from somewhere.

Muku: Tenma-kun, I think you should also do this “now”, instead of “someday”.

Kumon: … Then, I will too!

Kumon: I was inspired by what we saw in the US, obviously…

Kumon: But after I saw Sumi-san’s performance, I wanted to also improve my skills and get to perform on various stages!

Misumi: If it’s Kumon, I’m sure he can do it!

Kumon: Hehe. Thanks! I want to “challenge” more things, so that I can grow as an actor!

Yuki: … Since the conversation took this turn, my part-time job also offered me a job opportunity.

Yuki: I’ll take on the “challenge” of working with a designer active on a world-scale.

Yuki: I think it's what's best for me right now.  I’ll also be able to put the experience I gain to use for the company, too.

Kazunari: Then, I’ll take on a “challenge” too. I’ll go to Europe, study design all over again, and get inspo’d.

Misumi: I’ll do a “challenge” too! I’ll go to Syu, who made plays together with Grandpa!

Misumi: And I’ll get better and better at acting!

Yuki: This time, we won’t simply wait for you to get back. We’ll also take on our own “challenges”.

Yuki: This way, you won’t be distracted and thinking about unrelated things.

Tenma: … H-Hmph. I guess that means you guys have grown.

Yuki: Hah?

Tenma: I’m repeating the line you said before.

Kazunari: Ibukichi said so too, but you only live once, so you shouldn’t waste a second of it!

Kumon: Yeah, yeah! Let’s do everything we wanna do!

Muku: Right. I’m sure these “challenges” will be useful for the Summer Troupe, and also our company.

Misumi: So, Tenma, let’s all chase our dreams together?

Tenma: … Thanks, guys.

Yuki: Though, we’re not doing it just for you.

Tenma: You keep saying unnecessary things!

[Splash]

Yuki: —Don’t splash me!

Muku: Ahaha!

Misumi: I’ll do it too~!

[Splash]

Kumon: Woah! Here goooes!

[Splash]

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[its-jaytothemee]

Until I Met You - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Whizbangs

Pairings: Halsin x Tav

Word count: 5,236

Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.

Read on AO3

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Summary: Our heroes continue searching Grymforge, hoping to find the enslaved gnomes and the drow Nere. An unexpected complication keeps them from exploring the rest of the ruins. Part 16 of the slow burn fic. Tav and Halsin POVs.

Tags: Slow burn, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual love confessions, eventual smut, angst, implied past rape/non-con and abuse, graphic description of injuries, brief suicidal thoughts.

A/N: Enjoy a more combat-heavy chapter! Only a few more left until the Act 1 story is completed :) I'll hopefully have another chapter ready to go by the weekend. Thanks for continuing to read, and I hope you're still enjoying the story <3

The next room they entered burned as hot as some unholy combination between Avernus and Phlegethos. Pungent aromas of sulfur and ash wafted over them as lava flowed freely on one side of the chamber.

“Soldier.” Karlach nudged Tav with the bottom of her sword. “Another scrying eye.”

The unsettling purple orb floated around the room, whispering screeches rolling off of it. Suddenly, it spun around to face them. The eerie slit in the middle narrowed into a pointed oval, like it was attempting to stare into their souls.

Gods I hope this one wasn’t connected to the goblin camp.

Angry yells mixed with pained cries pulled her attention past the scrying eye. A group of gnomes was chipping away at a large pile of rock. This had to be the cave-in they were warned about.

“Heat up some rocks. Let’s see how the little pricks do when we strap fire to their legs.” The duergar overseeing the digging gnomes spat the words out before turning to face Tav and her companions.

“Move, hoon. I don’t have time for drugnin’ outsiders.”

“Charming.” Gale pursed his lips and glared at the duergar. Upon closer inspection, Tav noticed she wasn’t wearing shoes. Rather inconvenient considering the temperature in the chamber. Her eyes flitted to Karlach’s boots, thinking that this must be the slaver Thulla stole them from.

“You better make time for a True Soul.” Tav commanded, Astarion gave an approving snort at her tone.

The parasite squirmed with anticipation in her mind, but fell still a moment later, disappointed. The duergar was not hosting a mind flayer tadpole.

“A True Soul, eh? Useless lookout could’ve told me. I’m Sergeant Thrinn.” She rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the rockslide before them. “Glad you’re here to take responsibility though. Tunnel’s collapsed with True Soul Nere stuck inside. It’s filled with poisoned geysers. We don’t get him out soon, it’s both our heads.”

“Clearing that rubble will be no easy feat. Any ideas?” Tav didn’t want to give anything away, she had a couple of satchels of smokepowder that they had picked up on their travels. Looking around the chamber, she counted at least eight duergar. If they could get them out of the way, they could deal with Nere much easier.

“Not a one – unless you count tacking aboleth fangs to my whipping cane.”

The other duergar overseers were shouting threats and obscenities at the gnomes.

“Keep crying for your sister, and I’ll personally rip off her head when you dig her out!”

“You fail to get that True Soul out and I’ll have you licking your own blood off my whipping cane!”

Tav heard the crack of a whip, followed by a pained cry from one of the gnomes. Shadowheart let out a shocked gasp at the sound. She heard Karlach snarl beside her as well as huffs from both Gale and Wyll.

“Ngh, it hurts.” Shadowheart hissed behind her.

Eight duergar against the seven of them? She liked those odds.

Tav’s face twisted into a half smile, half snarl.

“Karlach, love?” She never took her eyes off the duergar in front of her.

“Yeah, soldier?” The flames raging around Karlach’s shoulders rose with each syllable. Tav’s lips twitched up further into a smirk.

“Whizbangs.”

Karlach’s foot collided with Sergeant Thrinn’s chest not a moment later, sending her careening into the nearby lava. A fitting move considering she now wore the boots stolen off the duergar. She screamed in agony as the lava melted flesh from bone.

Seven to seven.

The other duergar stood gaping at them for a moment, stunned by the surprise attack from these “True Souls.” Tav and the others wasted no time taking advantage of their shock.

“Karlach!” Tav yelled as she drew her bow. “The scrying eye!”

“On it, soldier!” Karlach grabbed the orb and flung it into the lava next to the duergar. The orb quickly disintegrated, taking away their ability to call reinforcements. Once the scrying eye was taken care of, she turned around to take a swipe at the other duergar overseer. The other duergar at the end of the room still stood in place, shocked by the sudden treachery.

An arrow came whizzing past her shoulder, the feathered end grazed her armor. Her eyes followed its trajectory to find a duergar up on a walkway.

“I need to get up there!” Tav pointed to the balcony where the lone archer was trying to pick them off.

“Tav!” Gale ran up to her side and slapped her on the shoulder. Suddenly, a power was coursing through her legs. She felt like she could leap over the towers of Wyrm’s Crossing. “Jump!”

An excited smile took over her face as she crouched before pushing her body off the ground. She soared through the air to land behind the archer above them.

“Hey there!” She yelled before shooting a thunder arrow at their chest, sending them soaring over the edge. The body landed with a nauseating crack.

Six to seven.

From up above, she would be able to easily help pick off the remaining duergar. Her arrows whistled through the air to find the slats in their armor. One found the husky duergar in the middle of her companions, ensnaring them in a large vine. With him restrained, Lae’zel was able to strike him down with ease.

Five to seven.

The other overseer that was with Sergeant Thrinn muttered an incantation and turned his gaze to Tav. She felt a pull on her mind, the familiar feel of someone trying to gain entry, but not using the tadpole.

Another mind master.

She closed off her mind, blocking his spell.

“Got another charmer!” Tav called on the tadpole to tell her companions as she fired an arrow in his direction, it bounced off the pauldron of his armor before clattering to the floor.

Karlach let out a growling scream as she began to rage. She picked up the mind master duergar and heaved him to the edge of the lava where Gale was recovering from being shot by one of the other archers. He spun around and unleashed a wave of booming energy, hurling the duergar into the lava alongside his ally.

Four to seven.

The remaining duergar rushed at them in a desperate attempt to overwhelm them, but they had the advantage now in both numbers and skill. The duergar made the mistake of grouping up together, making them easy targets.

Tav launched another arrow, one that shattered on impact into a mess of thorns to hit all four of the advancing enemies. Astarion followed up with a series of quick attacks, dropping one of them to the ground.

Three to seven.

Wyll called forth a swirling tornado of magical daggers right in front of them, giving them no time to react as they ran straight through the spell. The churning blades ripped through the duergars’ flesh, felling two more.

One to seven.

The last duergar emerged from Wyll’s attack ragged and barely standing, where Shadowheart was waiting. With one final wallop with her mace, their last enemy collapsed, their blood seeping into the crevices of the chamber floor.

They took a moment to look around, making sure they hadn’t missed any enemies. All Tav saw was a group of terrified gnomes, all huddled in a corner and clutching their mining tools. She clambered down the ladder to rejoin her friends and address the gnomes.

“It’s okay, you’re free now.” Tav’s breathing was heavy. “You need to get out of here.”

“Not without the others trapped in the tunnel.” A white-haired gnome stepped up to tell her.

“But what are we going to do about the drow?” The gnome with a leather hat and a nervous voice asked.

“Leave Nere to us.” Tav turned her attention to the collapsed tunnel.

“I know you.” One of the gnomes in the back walked up to greet her. “The mascot of my misfortunes.” The bald gnome stared up at her with his hands on his hips.

“…Barcus, right?” She recalled meeting him when they saved him from a group of goblins that had tied him to a windmill.

“The very same.” The other gnomes seemed to relax a little during their interaction. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, there are gnomes trapped behind these rocks and we need to free them.”

Tav pulled the pouch of smokepowder from her backpack and held it up in one hand with a smile.

“Good thing you let me take that pack of yours, huh?”

“Oh, yes that should work just fine. Very decent of you.” She set the small pouch close to the pile of collapsed rock. Even contained in the drawstring bag, its ashy, smoky scent filled her nostrils.

“Alright, everyone back.” Tav shooed them away from the tunnel entrance. “Gale? Care to do the honors?”

“It would be my pleasure.” He smiled as the fiery magic danced around his fingertips. “Ignis!”

The thin bolt of fire sailed through the air to ignite the smokepowder, causing a massive explosion and obliterating the rocky obstruction. Not a moment later, they heard coughing and the gut-churning smell of poison wafting out of the tunnel to mingle with the hot, hazy air.

“Beldron!” The gnome with the hat ran out from behind her to greet one of their liberated friends.

The three gnomes that were trapped behind the rubble scrambled out from the poisonous cloud, coughing and stumbling over their own feet. A drow came stomping out behind them, also choking and gagging on the acrid air flowing around him.

Nere.

The three slaves that had emerged cowered at the edge of the lava, nervous eyes darting between her group of adventurers and Nere.

Tav could hear Karlach’s ragged, heavy breathing beside her as she came down from her rage. Shadowheart’s familiar magic swirled around them as she muttered the healing spell under her breath, preparing them for another battle.

“Finally.” Nere hissed once he was able to catch his breath and turned his ire toward the group of trembling gnomes.

“Worthless slaves. Your incompetence has been my ruin.”

Tav took a step forward, ready to start yet another fight.

There’s no reasoning with men like this.

“Nere. Does not. Fail.” He spun around before he threw his hands out in front of him and sent a wave of thunder at one of the slaves. The other gnomes cried out in surprise.

Knocking her into the lava.

“Stop!” Tav screamed as she ran up to him. “No more innocents will die today.”

“You care for the weak? Tell me, True Soul,” he spat the words back at her, “was it you who slayed Nere’s servants? Or is there another sane explanation?”

A familiar squirm in her mind let Astarion commune with her without Nere hearing.

“Play. Along. Tav. He may know how to get us into Moonrise. You’re the one who is desperate to find a way to pass through the shadows. Don’t throw away your chance playing hero to a few slaves.” His judgmental hiss caused her to grit her teeth.

“I can’t.” She whispered the words out loud.

Karlach let out another battle cry, ready to rage once more. The flames rising out of her skin were stronger than Tav had ever seen them. Had she slipped a soul coin in when they weren’t looking?

“Mother. Fucking. WHIZBANGS!” Karlach didn’t wait for the others to join, she made a huge, arcing swipe at the drow. He backed up and avoided the worst of her attack, but she still left a deep gash on his arm.

“So be it.” Nere snarled. He started an incantation as he turned his attention to Astarion.

Lae’zel took a swing at the drow, catching the same arm Karlach had injured previously. Nere cried out in pain, but still finished the incantation.

Astarion grunted behind them as he gripped the sides of his head. A moment later, he stood up straight, his red eyes hollow and unfeeling.

Gale and Wyll started hurling spells at Nere, Eldritch Blasts and Fireballs soared through the air. Yet Nere kept his concentration fixed on their pale friend.

Meanwhile, Astarion lunged at Lae’zel while she still had her back to him.

Gods he’s fast.

Tav heard the squelching sound of his fangs biting into her neck, eliciting an angry growl from her. Lae’zel cracked Astarion over the top of his head with the pommel of her sword. She could hear the smack of the metal against his skull even from across the chamber.

“Lae’zel!” Tav screamed. “Why did you do that?!”

“He bit me!” She yelled back as Astarion staggered back from her in a daze. “I told him what would happen should I find his fangs anywhere near my throat, istik!”

“He’s charmed! Try not to kill him before we can disrupt the spell, will you?” Tav took another shot at Nere whose focus was fixed on Astarion. The arrow sunk into his shoulder, breaking his concentration, and pushing him back a few steps…right into Karlach.

She brought her sword up over her head and drove it down hard, stabbing it into the spot where Nere’s neck met his shoulder. He let out a few more gurgling gasps before collapsing to the floor. Karlach took her sword back with a grunt, the flames around her had grown even taller. Astarion stumbled a bit as he regained control of his mind.

“She hit me!” Astarion shrieked as he rubbed the small knot forming on the back of his head. “Fucking murder hungry gith…didn’t even taste good.” He started muttering under his breath.

“It’s okay, buddy. I’ll take care of it.” Tav smiled fondly as Astarion pouted at Lae’zel. No longer under Nere’s charm, he was back to his snippy self. She cast a quick healing spell to ease the headache, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder when she was done.

“That’ll have to do for now, I’m all out.” Her fingers tingled as she tried to cast another spell but produced no magic.

She was going to inspect Nere’s body when she heard a cry behind her, followed by a loud thud on the floor. When she turned around, Karlach had collapsed and was now writhing in pain.

“Karlach!” Tav yelled and ran over to where she was laying. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Unhh…” Karlach groaned and thrashed as she grasped at her chest, her nails starting to scratch the skin raw. “Too much…”

“What’s happening?” Gale’s voice was ripe with panic.

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Tav hovered protectively over her friend as she tried to find a way to help. The gnome slaves had moved off into a corner, trying to decide whether they were safe.

“…Heat…” Karlach’s tears fell from her eyes to mix with the sweat pooling beneath her face and neck.

Tav looked around frantically, trying to find a way to help move her. Being so close to the lava must have put her engine in overdrive. But how could they help get her out? Another screaming sob from Karlach startled her out of her thoughts.

Oh, fuck it. This is gonna hurt.

Tav took a deep breath and grabbed Karlach’s arm to wrap around her neck. Even through her thick gloves, she could feel the heat pouring from her skin.

“No, Tav…you’ll burn.”

“You’re not dying here, Karlach.” She growled back. “You guys get Nere’s head; I’m getting her out of here.” Gale and Wyll nodded their understanding.

She managed to wrap one arm around her shoulders, her skin met the nape of Tav’s neck causing a grunt of pain from her. But she mustered all of her remaining strength to drag Karlach down the stairs and closer to the docks. The heat coming from her arm was unbearable.

How in the hells does she live like this?

Karlach’s arm continued searing the back of Tav’s neck, leaving the smell of burning flesh in their wake. She felt her skin split as she turned her head which sent a sharp pain down her back. The white-hot burn brought tears to her eyes, but she kept a firm hold on Karlach. Sweat dripped from her face and neck, stinging the wound and causing another cry of pain from Tav. The other hand helping to hold up her torso was starting to burn even over her clothing and through Tav’s gloves. Karlach’s other arm came up to grab Tav’s for support. Once again, the blinding heat cut through armor and clothing alike to meet her skin. Hot enough that she could feel blisters starting to form under her gloves and armor. The sensation could only be compared to being boiled in a pot of oil. Surely the Hells themselves couldn’t even be this hot.

“Almost there, Karlach.” Tav grunted as another spike of pain ripped through her neck and up into her head.

She dropped her at the bottom of the stairs where they had arrived earlier. The sudden motion tore Karlach’s arm from her neck, ripping away part of the skin that had seared to her bicep. Tav screamed as she felt blood start to trickle down her back. Dark spots clouded her vision, and she tasted bile at the back of her throat.

Despite getting away from the lava, Karlach was still spasming on the floor beside her. Deep gashes lined her chest from where she had clawed at the infernal engine below. The glow beneath her skin raged against its fleshy prison – beating and pounding against the walls of her ribcage. Blood streamed from the scratches on the surface, the trickles sizzling and popping along her scalding skin. The heat coming from her body was rising with each passing moment along with Karlach’s cries.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tav saw a bucket. She scrambled over to grab it before filling it up with the lake water. She took the entire bucket and dumped it on Karlach, a satisfying hiss of steam rose up from the flaming tiefling. Just to be sure, she filled it again, and dumped another bucket full of water on her. Afterwards, her breathing seemed to slow, and the flames calmed down to their normal level.

“Better?” Tav asked, out of breath.

“Much Better. Thanks, soldier.” Karlach gasped as she pulled herself up to one knee. Tav nodded in response, causing her to wince. She moved her hair to the side to keep it from brushing against the fresh burn.

“Oh shit…oh fuck…oh shit, Tav.” Karlach puffed. “Oh soldier, that’s a bad burn. I’m so sorry…” Tears started streaming down her face again.

“It’s alright, I’m sure Shadowheart can take care of it. I knew the risks, love.” Tav grunted as she tried to lean back.

The position of the burn made it difficult to move her head or shoulders without searing pain ripping through her upper body. Even when she didn’t move, the edge of her armor sat right over the most painful section. When she took off her gloves, she noticed that her hands were blistered as well.

“I…I need to get this armor off. It’s rubbing the burn and making it worse.” Tav sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth.

“Here, let me.” Wyll had joined them at the docks. He untied the straps holding the armor at her shoulders quickly. Lae’zel came to the other side of her to help him lift it off over her head. They made slow, gentle movements, careful not to bump the burn as they removed it.

“Okay, let me take a look.” Tav heard Shadowheart behind her and felt her small hands brush against her back. “This is bad. I can help alleviate some of the pain, but I really think we should have Halsin look at this. Unless you want some nasty scarring.”

“Do what you can for now, we need to get back across the lake anyway.” Tav took a few steadying breaths to help work through the pain.

Involuntary tears streaked her cheeks as Shadowheart slowly gathered her thin tunic and pulled it over her head, once again taking care to not brush it against the burn. Her healing spell took some of the sting out of the wound, but she could still feel the heat radiating from her neck.

“Where are the gnomes?” Tav asked.

“They’re on their way down. They’ll be heading across the lake as well. A couple of them wanted to speak with you before we part ways.” Gale explained.

“Very well.” Tav breathed the words out. “Can you see if they’ll meet with us at our camp?” Gale nodded before dashing back up the stairs.

“Okay, that’s as far as I dare heal this for now.” Shadowheart stood up and brushed herself off. “We need to get her to Halsin.”

***

Halsin did his best to wait patiently in camp for the others. He took the time to meditate and prepare more potions and elixirs for everyone. Not to mention bond with the small trail of new animal friends he had gained. Today, that included Lunari as Tav had opted to leave her in camp since they were unsure of what dangers the ruins held.

Despite his best efforts, he remained distracted for most of the day. He was anxious to find out if his instincts were right. Hopefully when they returned today, he would know if they had their path to Moonrise Towers.

The familiar shuffle of the group’s footsteps whisked his attention away from the herbs he was grinding. They definitely seemed exhausted. He noticed Karlach was keeping her distance from the others, not walking close by, but keeping a solid four or five paces between her and the nearest person. Her face was stricken with grief, and her chest lined with claw marks caked with dried blood. Tav was leaning on Wyll as they walked, her eyes looked glazed over and her face pale. Half of her armor had been removed so she was currently shirtless. The delicate undergarment she wore was soaked through with blood and sweat. And was that…a gnome with them?

Oak Father preserve me, what happened?

“Welcome back,” Halsin walked up to Tav, “where am I needed?” He offered his arm out to her to give Wyll a break. She winced as she shifted her weight to him, and he caught a glimpse of blackened skin on her neck.

“Tav’s burn is severe enough that I wasn’t comfortable healing it fully.” Shadowheart spoke up, then looked over at Karlach.

“Karlach, those gashes don’t look good.” Halsin could see how her burning skin had already irritated the cuts.

“Me? I…I’m fine. Just take care of Tav, yeah?” Karlach wiped some tears from her face as she turned to walk away.

“Karlach…” Tav reached out toward her and Halsin saw that the palm of her hand was burnt as well, though not nearly as bad as her neck. Additional burns lined her forearms, small white domes dotted along her pink skin. She flinched at the movement. “Please let him take care of you too. It wasn’t your fault, love.”

She stopped and sniffled a few times before she turned back around. Based on the short interaction, Halsin guessed the burns on Tav’s body came from Karlach.

“Please.” Tav pleaded. Karlach nodded and followed them over by the fire where Halsin already had some potions set aside.

“Okay, first let’s get you two cleaned up.” He guided Tav down to the ground so she could sit comfortably. Karlach sat across from them, head hung low.

He grabbed some cloth from his bag and some carafes of water from their supplies.

“I’m sorry, Karlach. You’ll have to do this part yourself.” He felt guilty making her clean the wounds on her own, they looked painful. But seeing the burns her skin inflicted on Tav, he knew it would be safer this way.

“It’s okay. Thanks.” She took the damp cloth from him and slowly cleaned the excess blood from her chest. When had he ever heard Karlach’s voice sound so small? While she worked on her wounds, he turned his attention back to Tav. Lunari had wandered over and curled up next to her.

“Alright Tav, this will sting a bit.” He placed one hand on her shoulder as he pressed another cool cloth to the burn on her neck. The small cry that escaped her lips was like a dagger in his heart. One of her blistered hands shot up to grip his hand on her shoulder, causing another gasp from the pain as she yanked it back down to her lap.

He heard another couple of sniffles from Karlach.

“Here, let me see those hands.” Halsin left the cloth on her neck as he moved around to kneel in front of her. He held them gingerly in both of his, muttering the simple incantation to heal the burns. As he watched the blisters fade, he thought back to that first morning in camp when he did the same. The pull in his chest threatened to come back and overwhelm him, but he couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to focus on their wounds.

He was careful to concentrate on the palms for now, he would worry about the burn on her neck once she could use her hands more comfortably.

“Thanks, that helps.” Tav relaxed a little as he started on her neck again.

Once he removed the cloth, he was able to inspect the mess of blackened skin just below her hairline. As his hands moved across her back and shoulders, he remembered their first time in the Underdark, and how embarrassed she was by her lack of clothing.

“Tav, did you want me to find you a blanket or shirt to cover up with?” He asked.

“No, that’s okay. I’m still burning up from our time at the fortress.” Her drenched skin confirmed that.

“Very well, let me know if you change your mind.” He finished cleaning the wound before going to check on Karlach. The gashes in her chest looked a little better now that the blood had been wiped away. He looked over the wounds, careful not to touch her.

“Now that these are cleaned up, I think a simple potion will be sufficient.” He grabbed one of the fresh potions he brewed this morning to hand her.

“I’m fine.” Karlach sniffled again as she snatched the potion from him. “Just…just help Tav. Please…”

“She’ll be fine, Karlach.” A poorly timed sharp breath from Tav undercut his assurance. “I’ll get her patched up in no time.” She nodded and stood up to go to her tent.

“Karlach!” Tav called out but then hissed again.

“Easy…” Halsin jumped back over to her. “Try not to move much, Tav. It’ll split the skin further. Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take too long.” She let out a resigned sigh.

He examined the area one more time before starting any spells. Her shoulders and back were streaked with blood and pus from the wound splitting and blisters bursting. He grabbed another cloth to clean her up some more. With every pass, her skin seemed to cool. She stopped sweating profusely and seemed to relax a bit. For a burn this severe, Karlach’s skin must have been in prolonged contact with hers.

“Okay, Tav. Take a deep breath…” Halsin brought his hands closer to the worst of the burns at her neck. He felt her take a long inhale as he started the spell. She pushed the air back out of her mouth with a forceful exhale. For some reason, healing burns always seemed to be a more painful process. The skin beneath his hands started to slowly lighten from a black color to a deep red.

“Good lass, that’s the first one finished. Another deep breath…” He squeezed her shoulder, but her breath caught this time. “Are you alright?”

“Yesyesi’mdefinitelyfine.” The words shot out of her mouth and ran together, he could barely make them out. Once she finished talking though, she was able to get another deep breath in. He noticed the faintest flush flowing across her chest.

They repeated those steps two more times before Tav was able to relax, her breaths no longer a sharp gasp as the wound healed further. The skin was now a light shade of pink, and most of her blisters were gone.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” He asked as the familiar hum of magic flowed from his hands into Tav for another pass.

“There was a lot of lava around the fortress.” Tav started with a sigh. “Coupled with the fighting, the heat must have been too much for her engine…” She trailed off as she looked back at Karlach’s tent.

“And the burns?” He prompted.

“She was in too much pain to move on her own. I had to drag her away.” Tav shuddered. “I really thought she was going to die, Halsin.” She tried to hide a quiet sniffle with a cough.

“Tav, that’s…” He sighed as tears stung his eyes, her boundless loyalty to her friends still caught him off guard. No wonder Karlach felt so guilty. “That was an incredibly brave and selfless decision.”

“It was nothing.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Yes…yes, I’m sure you would.” He said softly. She had proven time and time again her willingness to put herself in danger to help others. Who else did he know that would burn their skin almost beyond repair to drag a new friend to safety?

They sat in silence for a while as he finished mending the burn. Tav’s breathing was relaxed and her skin unburnt after a couple more spells.

“There we are my friend. How does it feel?” Halsin asked.

“Much better. Thank you.” She reached back to rub her neck.

“Anytime.” He took a seat next to her.

“We definitely found the stronghold you were looking for.” Tav smiled lightly as he whipped around to face her.

“Truly?!” He couldn’t hide his eagerness as he grabbed one of her hands. She squeezed his back in response.

“Yes…it’s a huge Sharran fortress.” She turned to look at him, a pained look on her face. “Grymforge.”

Grymforge…

“You mean it was real?” He asked. “I remember hearing stories, but I never made the connection that it would be the hidden stronghold we sought.”

“Neither did I.”

“Does that mean…” Halsin swallowed hard before continuing. “Does that mean we’ll be leaving for Moonrise tomorrow?”

“Not yet, we still need to explore the ruins a bit. We still don’t know how the cult has managed to pass through the shadows. Plus, the others really want to go look for this adamantine forge.” Her attention was pulled back to Karlach’s tent.

“Go ahead, Tav.” He nodded toward the tent. “You can always catch me up later, I think Karlach needs you right now.” A relieved smile spread over her face.

“Thanks, Halsin.” She stood up and her hand slipped from his as that endearing blush came back over her face. “I guess I should probably put some other clothes on…”

He had almost forgotten she was shirtless. Now he strained himself to keep his eyes from wandering as she walked away from him.

Yesyesi’mdefinitelyfine.

What in the hells was that all about?

[goodoldfashionedengineer]

The Guardians Shall Rise

Summary:

A world in which Hunter instead of Luz is sent to summer camp by his 16 older brothers and learns what it means to have friends while also getting a new mentor figure. And there's the Empress who despises humans for some reasons, but he'll be fine. Based on @sergeantsporks Guardian Family AU

Warnings: Mentions of (Parental) Death and Belos being creepy

Ao3

Chapter 1

Finally, the bell rang and they were dismissed. Rapidly he packed his stuff to get out into the hallway before the flood of students could set in. 

Almost tripping over himself, he ran to his locker. Hunter exhaled a sigh of relief as he arrived with no other soul in sight. That's when he threw his backpack off his shoulders, only for it to land onto the floor. 

“Damnit!” Promptly he kneeled to pick it up, but a foot from his left kicked it away. “Hey, watch out, man!” he exclaimed. 

“And why should I? Will you send one of your brothers after me?” Brian said with a smile, a stupid classmate who has a new target every other day. Today that seemed to be him. 

In the blink of an eye, Hunter got up again, balling his hands into fists. “Give it back!” Out of the blue, another classmate, Rich, came to his aid by taking the bag from the bully. “Come on, don't be mean. Here,” he threw it back at Hunter, who wrapped his arms around said item and shielded it protectively. 

He turned away to inspect if any damage had been done to one of its contents. Luckily, it seemed to be intact. A chuckle escaped from the other student, “Besides, it's probably infested with rabies anyway.” 

All remaining calm was swept away in an instant. With one quick move, he saw that self-righteous smirk. Cautiously, he secured the backpack in the locker before moving on with pure instincts. Hot rage blurred his vision as he threw himself onto him. 

A few shrieks were heard from the crowd that had gathered around them. He didn’t hear what was said, all he focused on was getting a few hits. Rich was pushing Hunter’s face away with his hand, but growing up with brothers gave him the advantage. 

Out of a sudden, someone grabbed his shoulders, trying to tear him away. Hunter punched whoever it was, not done yet with his current target, who still used his flat hands to defend himself. The person he just hit didn’t stop. 

“You’re so crazy!” “You’re crazy!” “Boys, stop immediately!” “Ow! Did you just bite me?!” “That’s enough!” Another teacher had arrived at the scene and the both of them were finally able to get Hunter off of Rich. “You are going to the principal’s office!”, one of the P.E. teachers said as he guided Hunter the way. 

Around him, the students looked at him with fear, anger and annoyance. As if he had personally wronged them. The whispering ensued and he knew that this would be the gossip for the weekend. 

Not everything was understood but here and there it was just clear enough. Some didn’t even try to hide their comments at all. “That’s what happens when you get raised by your siblings.” “Yeah, I think he finally snapped.” “I heard the last set was full of troublemakers.” “Seems to run in the family, then.” 

Nothing he hadn’t heard but that didn’t make his urge to free himself and go on a second round any less apparent. “Jay-eh, Finn- Wittebane, stay still and let’s get this over with. What is up with you today?!”, the teacher said. Hunter couldn’t suppress the grunt, “My name is Hunter.”

And that's how he got himself landed in the principal's office. One might say he overreacted. He, however, thought that his reaction was totally justified in this case. What was he supposed to do, not doing anything?

“Mr. Wittebane, why did you bite Richard Lewis?”

Hunter sat closer to the edge of his seat, “He insulted my family! He-”

“Mr. Wittebane, I am asking you to calm down. This conversation could go a lot smoother if-”

“If what? I had just gone away like nothing happened? That’s what you want, right?!”

The principal sighed and rubbed his temples. He was obviously used to this situation and losing his last bits of energy. With a defeated expression, not even looking up from the ground, he suggested, “Let’s just wait until your brother arrives, Mr. Wittebane.” And leaned back in his chair.

The teenager with overcrossed arms grumbled before leaning back. In an effort to distance himself from the adult, he took the chair and brought it awfully close to the door. The angry glare he shot at the principal went unnoticed and instead asked him another question, “Do you regret your action even in the slightest?”

“No!”, he spouted, “The only thing I regret is not biting hard enough.”

The principal raised an eyebrow, “Is everything okay at home?”

Hunter had to grip both of his chair arms, so he wouldn't fall out of it as he leaned forward. The audacity of that question left his mouth open. “Of course! Why wouldn't it be?!”

The other gave him a sympathetic smile, looking kind of sad. “Grief comes in different forms. I knew your brothers and how they acted-”

“Well, Mr. Shepherd, I am not my brothers.”

Hunter wasn't set on answering another question. Not until Jasper would arrive at least. He avoided each and every one. 

School was long over when the door finally opened, hitting the back of Hunter's chair. “Jasper, thank God, you're finally here!”

Hunter stood up to move his chair, but when he looked up, it wasn't Jasper's face he saw. It was Caleb's. 

That's when he knew: He fucked up.

“Caleb Wittebane! Pleasure to see you again, I wished we had better reasons to meet but it can't be helped”, the principal said with a grin, “Usually I have a lot of positive stuff to say about Hunter. However, today he was involved in a fight that he initiated. He refuses to answer me, the only thing I know is that I was very surprised when I first heard it.”

Caleb kept a neutral expression and hadn't even looked at Hunter once the whole time. The ride home would be unpleasant for sure. 

The teacher looked at him pitifully. “As you know, I don't allow violence at my school. For nobody. That's why Hunter will be suspended for the next three school days.”

Hunter felt like he got hit right in the gut. The silence which followed after was awfully loud. “No, please! Don't suspend me!”

“I am sorry, but-” “No, give me janitor work or detention for I don't care how long, just please!”

He must have looked absolutely pathetic. Begging with wide-opened eyes to not be suspended for three days. He couldn't help it. 

Hunter would have continued his rant if not for Caleb, who put a hand on his shoulder, still not looking at him.

The principal took a breath before explaining himself more, “Hunter, you fought a student over a comment. You punched a teacher. When I asked you why, you refused to answer. What's more, you only feel bad now because it affects you negatively. I am sorry, but your actions have consequences, Hunter.”

He had been robbed of all words and was too stunned to speak. It didn't quite feel real. The walk to his locker to retrieve his bag seemed like a distant dream. Getting into the car happened without him even noticing, as if he was just a spectator in a video game.

A few minutes ago, he thought this would be the worst moment of it. But he had been quickly proven to be wrong. 

The oldest brother turned on the engine and began to speak shortly after, “You know, if you were being bullied, you could have just told us. We would have taken care of it without you getting in trouble.”

Hunter got a feeling that he wouldn't like the truth. “It's not just me. It's not even primarily me. Most of the time, I am not even visible to them. They just took my bag, which annoyed me and then they insulted our family.”

“This again?!”, he sounded clearly upset. “I have to talk with the others about this.”

“You mean with the First Council?”, Hunter said apathetically while looking out of the window.

That seemed to bring the driver over the edge, “Hunter, quit joking, this is a serious matter!”

Hunter had known the lecture would come but the suddenness of it still was unexpected. At least Caleb had the manners to look apologetic. “I know you care about our family. I do too, that's why I am trying to keep it together but we all have to work together for that. Hey, Hunter. Look at me.”

His head shot up and he finally made eye contact through the rearview mirror for a few seconds. He had that stern gaze he used when he was going to say something important. “Uncle Philip tricked the new police officer already. That guy totally trusts him.” 

How anyone could fall for that was beyond Hunter's understanding. But hey, maybe he only knows that it's all a facade because he had people telling him about it for as long as he could remember. 

“You remember when your brothers acted out?” Hunter pretended to be brooding, “Which ones?” 

Caleb didn't say anything but his head movement exposed his eye-rolling. “You know which ones. The ones who destroyed school property and some people complained and said we should have our custody removed because 'children can't raise children'.”

The air seemed to thicken. He was still rather young when that happened but he could still remember the hectic atmosphere and bustle that went around the house. Nobody told him what was going on at that time, of course, but it still had an impression on him. 

“I assume that's a yes,” Caleb said. He continued, “He has a big advantage now. If he does it right and acts like he is a reliable adult who just wants the best for his 'poor nephew', he could actually have a chance this time.”

Something about that gave him chills. He never thought of this possibility because their uncle was universally shunned by the town as being kind of weird and creepy, but looking back on it, he did try his best to improve his image in the last few years. Sometimes he still thought it's Uncle Philip he saw in the bushes he passed. That man knew how to spike up paranoia and fear while also making his targets feel completely helpless. 

None of them knew why he wanted custody of them. It's not like he ever cared about them in particular, he often avoided going to their house even before their parents' death. 

It was bad to think about their death in the very vehicle they died in. Not the same, but still a car. But he had already started to think about them and Uncle and what did he do, he ruined everything, he is going to-

“Hunter? Hunter? We'll be home soon, okay? Should I pull over?” Caleb's voice said, the sternness all gone and replaced by gentleness. 

Rapidly he shook his head. He knew how to calm himself down. They all did. Just take deep breaths, hold, exhale, repeat. Simple, really. 

Not long after, Caleb emerged again, “I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you so worried. We will figure something out, okay?” The remorse was thick. 

Evening set in and Caleb left Hunter alone for the rest of the day. But what was even more strange was that no one else had come to check on Hunter. The only thing unusual at dinner time was some glances that were exchanged between the brothers during dinner time, thinking they were stealthy. 

When Hunter was finished, he tried to sneak back to their room. Emphasis on tried. He was stopped before he could even go through the doorway by Liam. The firefighter had his arms crossed and had a questioning look on his face. “Where do you think you’re going?”

He tried to squeeze past him, but of course, his scheme was hindered before he could have tried. “Ahem,” Caleb cleared his throat, “I think we need to talk.” 

All eyes were on him. What would follow would come with mixed feelings, as some looked nervous, like Monty and Nathan. Others just looked defeated. The rest seemed totally self-assured. 

He has never felt this exposed when surrounded by his brothers. To be frank, interrogations like these were uncommon, especially for Hunter. But it still was enough for his shoulders to tense. 

“Hunter, take a seat. Don’t worry, we aren't angry at you” Caleb ordered. “Liam, no reason to play bouncer.”

Hyper-aware of every movement, Hunter made his way to the couch and sat down. Caleb took a few seconds to collect his thoughts, but Adam forestalled him, “First off, we want you to know that we love you, and we always will.”

These words weren’t encouraging. At all.

“Secondly, you probably won’t understand our actions or reasoning, but we have been thinking about it for some time and we will explain our side,” Adam continued. 

A bad feeling overcame Hunter as he stared at the floor, taking a deep breath. They all seemed to have something planned out and he didn't like that.  

“What is it, then?” He blurted out. 

Instead of responding, the oldest set, or the First Council as they like to call them, looked at each other, before Caleb finally pulled out what looked like a pamphlet and gave it to Hunter.

Cautiously, he eyed it, as if just the bare touch could hurt him. Upon taking it, he noticed the smiling children, assumingly having fun, on the cover, the headline being “The Great Gatherer Summer Camp”.

“What…What’s this?” he asked full of confusion, despite the title being pretty obvious. The looks on the siblings' faces showed visible uncomfortableness, but they were still determined to continue. “A Summer Camp. To which you will go to.”

It hit differently when spoken aloud. He still didn't understand why they would do this. “But… summer is one of the only times we are all together.”

“And you can make up all that time during Fall and Winter Break,” Caleb said with little emotion. 

Thoughts were rushing through his head but no correct sentence could be formed. He wanted to say 'Why don't you understand that it's not the same', wanted to say 'Why are you doing this to me', wanted to say 'Why are you hurting me this way'. He wanted to say so many things. But he said nothing.

Instead, he jumped up and ran to his - their room, with Liam now out of the way and nobody expecting his sudden reaction. They would be even more mad now probably, as their calls and footsteps were already shaking the house. But surely he could not sink deeper than this. 

Hunter moped to his bed and embraced the cushion that he fell onto. Oh, what he would give so that he could rot here for all eternity. 

The noises outside the door became louder but Hunter had no intent to open it. Their fault if they want to send him away. 

However, it did move his focus toward his school bag, which gave him the motivation to get up after all. When he unzipped it, the item already greeted him with its sight. Carefully he held it in his hands to sit on his bed again.

It was a wooden carving of a cardinal with a scar across its left eye, beautifully painted and still shining bright after decades of being in family possession. He couldn't look long at it before he became nostalgic but in a good and familiar way. 

Instinctively, he opened the drawer of his nightstand to pull out a drawing of said cardinal. Next to it was written “From Dad + Mom, For Hunter”, all of it in pencil, except the '+ Mom', which was written in red. 

The memory of the making of this picture has gone blurry over the years, but he could still remember their smiles as Dad drew the sketch and Mom colored it. And the birds were chirping. They loved birds. They loved birds so much, so much that a lot of decoration in their house is bird themed and they have like five different bird houses. 

His hands were shaking as he finally turned the picture around to read the words “Love you, Little Prince”. 

When he first read this after it happened, he was sobbing on the floor for the rest of the day, mourning to be hugged one last time. Now it's like balm for the soul. The wish to be held by them remained. 

The end of the school year and with it the start of summer break came. This year, however, he wasn't excited about it. Because instead of goofing around with his siblings, he was supposed to go kayaking and group hiking with people he didn't know. Why couldn't he have done this with his family?

The days leading up to it were filled with encouragement and promises that felt shallow. Nobody seemed to listen to him and his complaints of not wanting to go were ignored or downplayed. What's worse, Hunter was sure that they think what they are doing is the right thing. They did a good job raising him until now, why did they suddenly change their stance? 

“You know that we love you?” Jasper asked, who stepped into his room and sat down next to Hunter on his bed. 

Hunter stared at his shoes as he grumbled, “Doesn't feel like it.” 

The silence between them stretched on until Jasper laid an arm around his shoulder. “We do. You might not understand it, but we are just looking out for you.”

“Then why are you pushing me away?!” Hunter shot back, now looking directly at the older brother, who had the means of looking sympathetic.

“It's not our intention, it's just a result to keep you close to us, okay? This is not your fault, it's ours. We did what we could do with our parenting skills but now we need a little extra help and there is nothing wrong with it," he said. 

Hot, bubbling rage filled up inside Hunter's very being as he lashed out. “Do you know what you sound like?! It sounds like-” 

'I am a burden on you which you now shove to someone else', he wanted to say. But he chose not to and instead stormed out of his room with his backpack. 

Outside, his suitcase was already waiting, with Adam and William standing next to it. The two of them were engaging in conversation. Upon joining them, they stopped and resorted to smiling at him, as that would make this situation any better. 

They didn't even stay and instead excused themselves by saying that they had to have a word with Caleb. 

So here he was, waiting for the bus that will take him to the worst three months in quite some time, completely alone. If not for the feeling of being watched, despite the streets being completely empty. Hunter looked back at the house and nope - nobody was standing at the window. He looked to his left, then his right, until his eyes caught something. He has to blink multiple times to make sure it was truly the person he believed it to be. But there he was.

Philip Wittebane aka. his uncle. Not 20 feet away from him, standing next to a street pole. The man smiled, but the kindness did not reflect in his eyes, nor did the small wave. A shiver ran down his spine and without thinking twice, he dashed inside to find someone. 

The oldest set was standing right in the kitchen. “Guys, guys, you must look! There's Uncle Philip outside!” Hunter said as he tried to catch his breath. His brothers looked at each other with puzzling looks, both eyebrows raised. Hesitantly William stepped forward and placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder to guide him outside. 

William stretched his neck to search the area. “Hunter, I don't want to be mean but there is no one.”

He was right because the street pole was just as lonely as the rest of the neighborhood. “But-But he was right there! He must still be around!”

William's right corner of his mouth dropped. “Look, I know summer camp is against your plans but you don't have to lie to us.”

Hunter froze.

“Besides, Uncle hasn't shown up in months, why would he come back now? He doesn't know about the summer camp.”

Hunter stayed silent and hoped his brother would pick up on his wide-opened eyes and struggle to say anything. 

But he continued, “It's scary, but you'll have fun, just you see. You're so smart and intuitive. Wait here.”

Hunter watched as William walked back to the house, baffled by the course of their conversation that just took place. 

“Hello, Hunter,” a voice behind him said, causing Hunter to turn around and jump back. 

“Haha, you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm your uncle,” Philip said with a smirk, standing ominously just a few inches afar. 

Hunter clenched his jaw. “There is nothing to discuss.”

“Oh, but there is,” his uncle continued, “you seem troubled. But who wouldn't be upset in your position? They don't understand you and don't know what to do. And their best solution is sending you away.”

The boy's brows furrowed further. “You don't know what you're talking about.”

The smile didn't vanish, but his stare switched from Hunter to the other side of the street. “It's such a shame that your dad isn't here. He was a truly kind and gentle man. I bet he wouldn't approve of this.”

Hunter took a step back, which the adult ignored and continued on. “You look so much like him. Every time I look at you, all these memories about your father come back.” 

Another step back. He looked back at Hunter with his grin growing larger. “I'll make you an offer. You stay with me for the summer and I'll tell you everything I know about him. Of course, you can return whenever you want and I'll take full responsibility. But something tells me that you'll see how great you would have it if you lived with me instead of your brothers.”

The man's arm rose, aiming to land on his nephew's shoulder. 

Hunter bolted straight into the forest. The trees rushed by at light speed but he knew he was not fast enough, he had to run faster and faster if he wanted to get away. He finally dared to open his eyes again when he heard a breaking twig and knew he had to hide. 

The trees were pretty thick in this part, so it wasn't a hard decision to make. He tried to control his breathing so that his panting wouldn't rat him out. But panic shot up when he realized that his bag felt much lighter. He hoped that it wasn't the thing he thinks it was that he lost. However, as he looked inside, his wooden cardinal was nowhere to find. 

“There you are.”

This must be a nightmare.

Uncle Philip sneaked around the tree into Hunter's field of view. “Stop following me!” Hunter screamed, feeling unwell at how close the man had gotten. 

“Oh, but I am only looking out for you. Who knows what you could have gotten yourself into? You could have tripped and broken a leg without anyone noticing,” the relative responded with the same smirk. 

Hunter closed his eyes. “Stop lying to me! I don't want to see you!” 

“I am just worried about my poor nephew,” he said, voice coming closer and closer, “I wouldn't send you away.”

He could feel the man's breath near his ear, which caused him to open his eyes again. And he was staring directly at the man's face. 

“They are getting rid of you.”

His heart skipped a beat. He tried to look anywhere but at his uncle. That's when he noticed a white bird hopping on the ground with a bag in its beak. And he could have sworn that a carved object was sticking out.

He pushed his uncle aside, ran off, and screamed over his shoulder, “No, they aren't!” while following the strange raven into the deserted house it was headed to.

[goodfish-bowl]

Saving Throw

Ectoberhaunt 2023 Day 6: Tabletop

AO3 Link

Summary: Danny invites Sam and Tucker over to play D&D, asking Spike for a favor to DM the game for them.

Warnings: minor character death, only dialog

Words: 829

“Okay, I’m going to enter the dungeon.”

“I follow into the dungeon.”

“I…  also follow into the dungeon.”

“Okay… so what do we see?”

“It seems to be some sort of laboratory, with metal tables lined up against the walls, open chests full of vials and potions all this bright green color. There are all sorts of tools, journals, and pieces of… something, lying on the tables, and it’s decently cold down here. And, taking up the entire back wall is a cavern, circled by runes, that the entire laboratory seems centered around. What do you do?”

“Oh! The artificer in me loves this place already! I go and investigate the things on the table! Gotta start with the small stuff before looking at the big picture.”

“Yeah, have fun with that. I go and investigate the big hole in the wall.” 

“Eh, why not? I follow… Raven to the back.” 

“Okay, Swave, let’s start with you. I need you to roll both an arcana and… eh, an investigation check works.”

“Cool, okay… that’s a… 7 for arcana and 16 for investigation.”

“So, on the table, you can definitely tell whoever lives here was tinkering with something magic, but you can’t tell what kind other than green and glowy. It’s just a bit too far removed from your area of expertise. Whatever it is, they don’t seem to be getting the results they want, judging from the notes. But, they’ve definitely accomplished something recently.”

“Damn, really wish I rolled higher on that arcana.”

“It is what it is. So, with Raven and Orion. Now that you’re closer, you notice that there are runes inscribed around the cavern, roll an Arcana.”

“Nice, 18 plus 3, 21.”

“I rolled an 8.”

“Okay, well, Raven, you completely recognize these runes, you even notice some blatant errors in some of them. They seem to be an activation sequence of some kind, a gate, even. Orion, you know what a small handful of the runes mean, but nothing coherent.”

“Okay… I uh… go inside the cavern.”

“Eh! I dunno dude, I don’t think it’s a good idea to walk into the giant magic gate in the underground lab.”

“Nah, let him, I’m curious.”

“It’s too late to take it back now. Raven, what are you doing while he’s walking inside?”

“Hmmm, do I notice Orion walking inside?”

“Roll a perception.”

“… that’s a solid 3.”

“Then no.”

“Okay, I’m going to fix the runes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Hey! Don’t do that! I’m literally walking inside of it right now! Can’t you wait until I’m out?”

“First off, I didn’t notice you go inside, second, the runes are wrong, of course I’m going to fix them. It’s what my character would do!”

“Oh no…” 

“Swave, I want you to also roll a perception check.”

“… Sorry dude, that’s a 5 at best.”

“Ughhhh.”

“Raven, roll an arcana again to correct the runes.”

“17.”

“Congrats, you’ve fixed the runes. Orion, roll a dex save.”

“NO!”

“AH!”

“Oops.”

“… a 2.”

“Ouch, man. Okay, so Raven and Swave. As Orion enters the cavern, and Raven fixes the runes, they start glowing, and there’s a tearing sound as green pours out from the hole in the wall.”

“NOooOooo…”

“Hmm, just for kicks, Orion, roll a con save.”

“Okay… man, this sucks, first session and I’m already… that’s a nat 20.”

“Seriously?!”

“Wow, this will be interesting. So, Orion, as you enter the cavern, now known to be a portal, it lights up with green magic, and races through you, like it’s cooking you alive. But due to the force, it launches you out, and you land in the middle of the laboratory floor… Lower your hp to 1, and use up two death saves. Also, change your race to tiefling. I’ll send you the rest of the stuff when I figure it out.”

“YOOO!”

“Haha… yeah… wow.”

“Hey, Spike, thanks for coming over to DM today.”

“No problem. It’s good to help a friend's sibling with something I’m good at. Especially when he’s trying to make new friends, and it’s not like Jazz was ever going to call in that favor.”

“Yeah, it was really cool. Thank you, but wasn’t it a bit ‘on the nose’ to use my parent’s basement as a reference?”

“Hey, it’s a good inspiration. Besides, you’re the one who walked into it, prior knowledge or not.” 

“Haha… yeah that’s on me… didn’t think it was actually going to do anything until Sam decided to fix the runes.” 

“Yeah, not the best move from a group perspective. But… Jazz said they’re expecting to finish it within the next year.”

“Yeah… maybe. Most of their stuff just covers us in goo. I just hope they finish it soon… they’ve been down there a lot, ya know?”

“Yeah… I do.”

“Anyways, I’m sure I’ll see you around. I’ll tell Jazz you said ‘hi’ whenever she gets home from tutoring.”

“Thanks, little dude. See you around.”

“Later.”

Ectoberhaunt 2023 Master Post

[kyeop-tato]

A Knock on My Heart — 김선우

summary : one of your bestfriend, yeri, just got dumped by her boyfriend so in order to cheer her up, you and your friends decides to go on girls trip together during your school term break, promising to forget any boys that come between you and your friends. however, certain someone (or might i say a few) came into your life and the promise yall vow to not break, might actually crumble any moment. would you go back home solo or would sunwoo managed to steal your heart?

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

CHAPTER 16 : Why do you think?

The night had crept up with an unexpected chill, and you clutched Sunwoo's jacket closer, silently grateful for his gesture. Your breath fogged the air with each exhale, and you couldn't stop shivering. The two of you had tucked yourselves into a quiet corner of the park, and now Sunwoo had gone to grab refreshments. Your phone buzzed incessantly, a flurry of notifications from the girls—and of course, Yunho. You sighed and powered it off. The last thing you needed was to break down again seeing his meaningless messages.

In the distance, you spotted Sunwoo skipping back, arms full of snacks: cans of soda, bottles of water, steaming tteokbokki that looked freshly made, and a couple of cup noodles waiting to be opened. "You could have told me you were getting this much," you scolded lightly, feeling guilty. "I would've helped."

"Eh, no biggie!" he replied with a grin, setting everything down. "Besides, I'm sure all that crying made you hungry, right?"

You shot him a playful glare. "Are you seriously making fun of me?"

His eyes widened in horror. "W-what? No! Oh my God, no, that's not what I meant!" He waved his hands in the air, frantically trying to backpedal, and you couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Sunwoo sank down beside you, diving into his ramen, mixing it together with the tteokbokki. "Looks like you're hungrier than I am," you teased again.

He nearly choked on his mouthful. "Well, I was waiting for you forever back at the lockers" he shot back between coughs, his cheeks flushed.

Your face warmed with embarrassment, and you looked down at your noodles. "Pfft, I never asked you to wait for me, though."

"Yeah, well, your friend kinda told me to" Sunwoo mumbled, trying to play it cool, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. You narrowed your eyes, but his expression didn’t give much away.

There was a moment of silence, the kind where you feel the weight of something unsaid. You twirled your noodles on your chopsticks, then spoke softly. "It’s kind of embarrassing that you saw me cry... twice today. But I’m glad it was you and not some stranger."

Sunwoo paused, glancing at you as you avoided his eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

You shrugged, taking a sip of your drink. "Sure."

"That guy..." Sunwoo hesitated, then asked quietly, "Is he your boyfriend? Or an ex?"

You exhaled, not realizing you'd been holding your breath. "Neither. Just someone I wish I never knew. He’s not important to me anymore."

Sunwoo’s brow furrowed. "Yet you cried for him. Doesn’t sound like someone unimportant."

His words struck deeper than you’d expected, and you felt the burn of tears welling up again. But before they could fall, Sunwoo handed you a napkin. "You’re right," you whispered, wiping your eyes. "Why did I bother crying for him? Such a waste of energy." You forced a laugh, but he saw right through it.

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

The rain began falling as you two stood by the bus stop, waiting. Sunwoo shuffled anxiously beside you, lost in thought. You busied yourself replying to your friends when it suddenly hit you—Mission : Get Sunwoo and Natty together. You then leaned in, gesturing for him to come closer. "They’re done with dinner," you whispered like it was some clandestine mission. "You should hurry over. There’s still time to catch up with Natty."

Sunwoo sighed heavily, looking at you as though you’d just said something absurd. "Are you... trying to set me up with her?"

Confusion clouded your face. "Uh, yeah? You told me you liked her, remember? When we were in Japan."

He bit his lip, his eyes searching yours. "And didn’t you tell me that if I wasn’t serious about her, I should be upfront about it?"

You stared at him, slowly piecing it together but not fully understanding why he was bringing this up now. "I did say that," you admitted, still feeling out of place in the conversation. "But what does that have to do with—"

"I did exactly that. Why do you think?"

You blinked, lost. "Sunwoo, how am I supposed to know?"

Without thinking, you slipped off the jacket he’d draped over you and handed it back, retreating behind a wall of awkwardness. "Look, if you’re telling me you don’t like Natty, fine. I’m sorry for misreading everything." You held up your hands in a half-hearted surrender.

Just then, the bus rolled up, its headlights cutting through the misty rain. You gave him a quick, apologetic bow and stepped toward it, eager for an escape. But as you moved, Sunwoo reached out, gently tugging at your sleeve. His expression softened, the look in his eyes almost... pleading. He looked like he had something important to say, but the words refused to come.

You hesitated, staring at his hand, but the urgency of the arriving bus pulled you away. You stepped on, the doors hissing shut behind you. Sunwoo stood frozen at the curb, watching as you disappeared into the night.

And Sunwoo found himself wanting to cry. But this time, it wasn’t over some unspoken words—it was because you had never really understood what he had been trying to tell you all along.

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[bexreadstoomuch]

Magic Man - Chapter 16

NSFW — slow burn, fluff, flirting, reader has weight/image issues light angst, 18+ overall for eventual smut, drug/alcohol abuse mention/use/language, EddiemunsonxFemReaderHenderson

Masterlist

Part 16/? [wc 4k] a/n - some questions are answered - t.w drug and alcohol abuse

I know Dial tone is a new song but i felt it worked so well with the story so please imagine Eddie wrote it. please please like, share and comment, your comments make me so happy and encourage me to write more! thank you <3

songs included in this chapter Cinderella - Dont Know What You Got Van Halen - Hot For Teacher Catch Your Breath - Dial Tone

A few days and a few shows have passed since you and Eddie had agreed on your song for the duet. But not everyone was happy. Mainly kelly.

Everyone was on board with the idea of both bands performing together to celebrate Paradox joining the label. But she seemed to want to put a downer on everything. Not turning up on time for rehearsals, making comments about the song choice, just overall annoyance.

After some rehearsals you would see Eddie in heated conversations with her on the back steps of whichever venue you were performing in that night. Smoke billowing around him as he frantically waved his arms around trying to make his point, but then throwing the cigarette down with force, and storming away.

Since then, Eddie had taken to travelling with you on Bertha rather than his own bus, claiming it was more rehearsal time for them, but you could tell he was keeping his distance from Kelly. Keeping up the pretence that nothing was happening between you both, he would sleep on the bunk above you, which used to be Lulas, but she was spending most of her time now cozying up next to Gareth in his bunk on the bigger bus.

It was approaching the end of January, and another new state. Pennsylvania.

Empire Rock Club, in Philadelphia was your location for tonight's show, and Eddie was giving you a run down of the place as you disembarked the buses and made your way to the venue's front doors. “Apparently this place is closing soon, no longer going to be a music venue, gonna have to give them a show eh? Sweetheart?” Eddie was way ahead of you, hair bouncing with every excitable step he took.

You were a few steps behind him, looking around yourself rooted to the spot. Everything suddenly hit you. You were here for two nights. Play a show tonight then two days later you will be your duet, in New York.

Thoughts wouldn't leave your head, You couldn't do this.Your gonna forget the lyrics, the notes, everyone is going to laugh at you for trying to be alongside the great Eddie Munson of Corroded Coffin.

“Y/N is everything ok?” Eddie's voice was quiet, sounding distant. You came back to reality at the feeling of his hands on your face, thumb stroking your cheek.

“Oh yeah, hi, yeah i'm ok, just tired” you said inconceivably. 

Leaning closer to you Eddie whispers so only you can hear “Are you sure sweetheart?” 

“Yeah I'm sure, come on what else are you gonna tell me about this place?” You tried your best to sound ok, but you could tell he wasn’t having any of it. But instead of pushing you he carried on.

“Ok pop quiz, let’s see if you remember this, which band hailed from Philadelphia, and even performed here many times?” Eddie asked, putting on his best game show host voice!

“Oh I know!” Jeff shouts over 

“Shut up Jeff! This isn’t for you!” Eddie doesn’t stop looking at you but his arm flies up to shush Jeff.

“Oh erm, oh my god I can’t remember” you pause dramatically bringing your hand to your chin rubbing pulling your face as though you were concentrating hard.

“Does she need a clue? A glass slipper perhaps?” Eddie was bouncing on the spot.

“I know who it is, Ed's…. Cinderella!” You answer him by pushing your hand against his shoulder walking past him towards the entrance.

“Oh come on sweetheart! You only got that because of the clue!” He shouts from behind you, doing a little jog to catch up with you, get ahead of you and open the door for you in a most dramatic fashion.

“Come on boys! Don't know what you got, till it's gone!” Eddie shouted over his shoulder at Gareth and Jeff who started singing with him.

“Don't know what it is I did so wrong, Now I know what I got, Just this song, And it ain't easy to get back, Takes so long”

Turning around to see what's going on, you see Lula with tears of laughter rolling down her face at Gareth who is now on the floor on his knees in front of her dramatically singing along, arms outstretched.

“Gare, stop it, get up you fool!” Lula laughs at him, swatting at his shoulders as he shimmy’s closer still on his knees.

Rolling your eyes at your friends' antics you carry on up to the venue, and catch a glimpse of Kelly in your peripheral vision, getting off the larger bus lighting a cigarette as she goes. You watch as she keeps her head down making her way to where you were standing by the entrance doors, when Jack suddenly appears next to her trying to get her attention but Kelly dismisses her by throwing her arm in the arm jerking it away from your friend.

Making your way back down away from the entrance past Eddie and the boys still serenading Lula, you cross the sidewalk towards Jack, who is now leaning against the wall, hand rubbing the back of her neck.

“Hey, what was that all about J?” you ask concerned as you've never seen Jack look as distressed and distant as she did now.

“Oh, hey, no it was, er, nothing, truely, hey come on we best get inside and get sorted for tonight” Jack answered you, quickly pushing off the wall, walking past you.

“Hey doll, everything ok?” the feeling of his hand on your shoulder made you jump.

“I just dont know whats going on Eds” you explain turning to face him.

“I've never seen Jack like that before, she seems really jumpy”

Eddie looked down at you with a furrowed brow. “Hmm, I dont know y/n/n, maybe leave her for a bit and ask her later?” Looking around he added “No-ones outside anymore, no one can see us” before you could respond he dipped his head to yours, hands capturing your face, kissing you.

The sudden feeling makes you seize up, remember you were outside in public. Anyone could see you.

Pulling back he looked down at you, resting his forehead against yours. You melted under his gaze, full brown eyes staring deep into your, as though he was trying to communicate something deep within to you.

“Come on doll, let's get inside” His voice was soft and low, pulling you along with him across the sidewalk, up the steps and into the venue.

The show that night went without a hitch. No missed notes, no failing equipment. Looking to the side of the stage, you could see the boys looking on. Gareth turns into Lula’s personal cheerleader as you finish your set with one of your favourite songs to cover. Van Halen's Hot For Teacher.

Throwing her sticks into the end as you finish you can't help but smile. The song brought you so much joy to play, and Jack got to show off her amazing guitar skills. Even though she loved Joan Jett, she wouldn't admit it to anyone else but you and Lula knew she admired Eddie Van Halen, and his skill. Not wanting anyone to know she favoured a male guitarist as thought to diminish her feminist ideals. 

Looking across to the boys in the wing, you spotted your own Eddie Van Halen. Making a mental note to tell him that later. 

Blushing at the thought you went back to the mic and introduced the boys to the awaiting crowd. 

As they walked on the cheer was thundering. Girls rushing to the front of the stage to get closer and maybe a touch of their favourite rock star.

Meeting you halfway across the stage, Eddie quickly took hold of your wrist giving it a tight squeeze, flashing you a wink. In complete contrast, Lula dove into Gareth's arms, nearly knocking over the whole drum kit.

Watching Eddie perform has become one of your favourite things to do. The way he commanded the stage. He was born to be a performer. Even in school you could tell he would be destined for big things.

Later that evening you were all huddled into a booth at one end of a local diner, laughing, joking, sharing in the delight of the show that evening. You’d steal glances every now and again towards Eddie who was sitting opposite you, trying not to blush too hard to make it obvious.

Out of the corner of your eye outside the window you saw a frustrated looking Jack, arms animated, talking with someone you couldn't see. Jack was always the level headed one in the group. Yes she was fiercely loyal, but you'd never seen her so distraught before. 

Feeling a nudge on your lower leg under the table, you snapped your head around from the window to see Eddie's brow furrowed looking at you in a silent question of “what's the matter?”

Shaking your head quickly you came back to the conversion at the other end of the table headed by Lula and Gareth, discussing the plans for the last group rehearsal before the duet. Lula sitting on Gareth's knees, her arms draped around his neck. You loved seeing your friend so happy. 

THE NEXT DAY

One more night here, then it was onto New York. One more full day of rehearsals before you would be performing with Eddie. 

To say you were nervous was an understatement. You barely slept, tossing and turning on your bunk, all scenarios running through your head. You’d lose your voice. You'd lose your nerve. The crowd would hate you. Eddie could change his mind?

Your mood did not improve, when walking onto the venue for practice, you saw everyone congregating together chatting animatedly. Wyatts white stetson standing out amongst a sea of black, leather and plaid.

“Ah y/n! Come on over and see! The announcement has been printed in the papers and we have a copy!” Wyatt sounded overjoyed but you dreaded looking at the pictures.

Making your way over, leaning your bass case against one of the amps, you slowly saw the papers come into view.

Eddie beckons you over to his side, a huge grin on his face. “Check these out! Big article about the tour and us extending it. Plus some great photos of us all” Eddies excitement was adamant. Leaning in close to you so only you could hear, he turned the page of the paper, to see a larger photo of the pair of you. “This is my favourite” His arm creeping around your back, placing his hand on the small of your back, tracing little patterns with his fingers on the cotton of your oversize tee.

Looking down at the picture you could see you and Eddie. Both with huge smiles on your faces. His arm flung around your shoulders, and your hand rested on his chest.

You surprise yourself and actually love the photo. You've never liked photos of yourself before. Here you look happy and carefree. Your mood dramatically improved, you felt you could take on the world. Nothing was going to get you down. 

Or so you thought.

Later that day, you all wanted to get a full run through of the duet rehearsed in preparation for the New York show the next day.

Everything was going to plan. You didn't mess up on the piano, Eddie’s  choreographed moves went smoothly, his solo was perfect, Gareth and Lula worked so well together on their timing. 

Everything was perfect. But you could sense something was off.

Turning on the piano stool you see Jack packing away her guitar, having a hushed heated conversion with Kelly. You couldn't make out what was being said but you could tell by the look on Jack's face she was getting more and more frustrated.

“You know what Kelly? FUCK YOU! KEEP YOUR FUCKING OPINIONS ON OTHER PEOPLE TO YOUR SELF!” Jack's voice started quiet then fully erupted, echoing around the stage.

Everything went quiet. Everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing to look over at your friend.

“Jack, come on, you agreed with me the other night, you can't deny that!” Kelly's voice was pleading.

“Yes, NO! NO! I did not agree to this! Not this!” pointing over to you, you suddenly felt your face heat up.

“She is my best friend! I will no longer stand around and listen to you berate her! Either tell her yourself why you're being such a bitch or I will!”

Jack's voice was breaking, you'd never seen her so hurt and betrayed. 

You rushed over to your friend, who was now physically shaking, her guitar case in hand. Tentatively moving towards her you reached your hand out for the case handle. 

“Jack, hey it's ok, come on - let me take this from you” your hand now lightly over hers.

Jack jumped at the feeling of your hand. She snapped her head to face you, taken aback by what you saw. Her eyes were huge, and full of regret.

“Im so sorry y/n/n, Im sorry but you need to know” Jacks tells you in a voice thick with sorrow.

“And you!” she was now pointing to Eddie.

Turning you see Eddie’s face full of concern. Sheepishly his hand comes to the back of his neck, rubbing his neck, his eyes darting to the ground.

What was going on?

What did you need to know?  

What was Eddie hiding? Wait! Was there something between Kelly and Eddie? 

Did he lie to me?

Letting go of her hand you slowly stumble back from Jack. Your head was rushing with question after question. Looking over towards Eddie, hoping to see him there to tell you it wasn't true, but all you could see was a shell of himself. He was silent, eyes to the ground, the only movement you could see was from the slow shallow rise and drop of his shoulders as he breathed.

You suddenly feel like there are a hundred sets of eyes on you, your breathing hitching, getting faster, immense pressure begins behind your eyes. You feel the room start to spin, your vision blurring, the sound of rushing water in your ears. Suddenly everything goes black.

“Y/n? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?” Eddie's voice sounded so far away.

Your eyes flutter slowly open, squinting at the bright lights above you as you try and take in where you were.

“Eddie? What happened?” you ask, trying to sit up.

“No sweetheart please lay back down. You errrm, you fainted” His hand gentle on your shoulder, pushing you back down on to what you can now make out as one of the leather sofas in the backstage rooms of the venue. Taking a deep breath, you let out a loud sigh. “Eddie? I can't take anymore lies, I need to know what's going on” your lower lip started to wobble, you felt the burning behind your eyes. Shutting your eyes tight trying to stop the oncoming tears you knew were going to fall.

“I think I need to explain” This was a voice you were not expecting. Kelly. “No, no! What the fuck are you doing here? Don't you think you've done enough?” you shoot up, you can't stop the words from coming. You've been holding this back for so long.

“What's going on with you two? Eddie? Kelly? Are you going to explain to me? Anymore care to tell me?” you spin between the two of them, not getting the response you wanted.

“Y/n, please sit down, let me explain. I didn't want it to get this far.” Kelly was quiet, trying to calm you, but you were having none of it. “Get this far? What's that supposed to mean?” you spin to face her, face raw with tears running down your face.

“y/n, please, please sit down here and we’ll explain everything” Eddies voice came out small, and quiet behind you. Turning you see him sitting down on the leather sofa. His hands together, twisting the rings around his fingers. A trait you have picked up from him as nerves.

You fall quiet, looking down at the man whom you have come to care so much for these past few months, broken.

“Eddie?” your voice whispers. Moving cautiously forward you try again. “Eddie?”

“Y/n, sit down, I’ll explain everything.” Kellys hand was now on your shoulder, shrugging it away from you, you make your way to the sofa, sitting down leaving a gap between yourself and Eddie. Looking over at him, wanting to hold him, but you couldn't bring yourself to. 

You didn't trust him.

You hear a chair being dragged closer, and see in your peripherals Kelly taking a seat and reaching out towards Eddie's hands.

“Ed’s? You ok?” she asks in a tone as though she was approaching a baby animal not wanting to spook them. You noted the way his hands quickly would pull away from her reach, continuing to spin his rings around his fingers.

“Ok, look, y/n I just want to say I'm so sorry, for everything” you take your eyes off Eddie to look at her, your anger rising at her audacity to say this.

“You're sorry? YOUR SORRY?! HA! I have only tried to be nice to everyone, I have done nothing to you! So why? Why are you so mean to me? Degrade me? Make fun of how I look? Always making comments about how me and Eddie would never work’? What is it? You want him for yourself? You're already with him? What is it?” Your questions just rolled after one another, you could sense Eddie flinching beside you at each question.

“Those were cheap shots and I am truly truely sorry. Please, I understand if you don't want to believe me right now, but please please let me explain my actions”  Kellys face showed no ill intentions, but you had a gut feeling of distrust.

Simply nodding your head you let her continue. “Me and Eddie, there's nothing going on, we are just friends, I promise, really good friends. He's err, not my type” Kelly laughs at that bit but when she looks at your face she stops.

“So yeah, how much do you know about what happened after you left Hawkins? Eddies told me what happened that night. He, well, he was a mess y/n”

You slowly look over at Eddie sitting next to you, his hands now covering his face, elbows resting on his knees.

“I first met him when the boys held an open audition for a bassist, there was no band name, just a location and a phone number. Not many people turned up, but later I found out it was you he was waiting for. He had set this whole thing up in hopes to see you again. I know this because, well … Ed’s? Do you want me to tell the story?” Kelly's question aimed at the man next to you. His head nodded quickly, letting some of his curls fall.

“After joining the band, I got to know everyone better. Finding out they all knew each other in school, a big group of nerds, but fierce and loyal friends. After a night of drinking and smoking, we all played a game of truth. This is where I found out about you. The one who got away. The one he thought hated him, the one who never returned his calls, his messages”

“Messages?” you were now questioning Eddie. He still wouldn't look at you.

“Yeah, he would leave messages at your house, both phone messages with your mom and also notes written to you. He was broken y/n. You know our song ‘Dial Tone’ right?” Kelly asks - you nod.

“It's about you y/n. I came back from a date one night and found him flat out on our living room floor, empty vodka bottles strewn across the room, pill bottles empty, a needle sticking out of his arm. He scared the shit out of me that day. We got an ambulance to him just in time, we didn't know it had gotten this bad, we didn't....” Kelly's voice trails off thick with emotion, her head falling, fighting back tears of her own.

You try to remember some of the lyrics and it suddenly comes to you, realisation hitting you.

You disappeared without a trace

You never bothered to explain

You just walked away

All I wanted was an answer

All I needed was to know

Give me a reason

I need a reason

All those messages I left you

All those nights I spent alone

Give me a reason

Cause all that I hear is

A dial tone

“Kels, it's ok I got it” Eddie's voice gave you a shock next to you. Your head whipping sound to see him looking at you. You see Kelly stand from her seat, making her way over to the work bench wall, mirrors above, strewn with your bags and makeup for the show tonight.

“I was a complete idiot. Kels is right, I was a mess. I would call your house nearly everyday, leaving messages with your mom. I'd ask if you were there, she would say no, I asked to know where you were, I wanted to see you. You know now I spoke with Dustin during that time. He was the one who told me you went to california. As soon as I graduated I packed my bags, picked up the boys and we drove across the country. I needed to find you.”  Eddie's voice was calm, but you could tell there was something underneath trying to get out.

“I wrote that song when I came out of hospital. I was angry, but it helped me. I thought it would have helped me get over you, but I knew that would never happen” He reaches his hands over to you which are now tightly held together in your lap. You're hesitant at first to take them, but you slowly melt and the feeling of his warm hands, allowing him to entangle them together. 

“Y/n, I care about Ed’s, but not the same way as you do. I just didn't want to see him like that again. It scared me so much when I saw you two become close, I only knew his side of the story and i didnt want you to hurt him again. But, please don't be mad at her, but Jack told me your side. And y/n, please forgive me. I've never seen Eds this happy, and I just, just didn't want to potentially lose him again” Kellys face was flushed, using the sleeve of her cardigan to rub away tears that were slowly falling.

Trying to take in everything you've been told your brain felt like it was going to explode. 

“Kelly, I can't forgive you straight away, you really hurt me. I went through enough of this in high school. But i will talk to Jack - I think you should too” your voice a lot calmer that you felt.

“Eddie, I care about you so much, why didn't you tell me this before?” You free one of your hands from his clutches reaching over to stroke his cheek, catching a tear falling from his lashes with your thumb, bringing his eyes to meet yours.

“I'm so sorry y/n, please forgive me?” Eddie eyes, big and brown pleading with you.

“Eddie, you're a fool, but you're my fool” leaning forward to close the gap between you bring your lips to his in a gentle kiss. 

You hear the door open and close, noticing Kelly had left the room. 

“Eddie, I can't just forgive her for what she said. But tell me, please, nothing is going on between you?”

“I promise you sweetheart, nothing.Nothing is going on between us, but she's right though, you need to talk to Jack” Eddie's forehead now resting against yours, your noses brushing against each other. 

You spend the rest of the afternoon, wrapped in each other's arms on that sofa, filling in the gaps between Hawkins and California. Sharing laughs, tears and small sweet kisses.

Tomorrow, you will talk to Jack. Tomorrow you sing in front of a large crowd with Eddie. 

You didn't know what made you more nervous.

taglist - @corrodedcoffincumslut @bohemianrhapsody86 @themrsmunson @emmalee-01  @jennk182 @whoahoney @eddiemunsonsgf2 @strangerthingsstories5255

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

By the very scientific method of "flip a coin", it was ultimately decided that today would be another Splinter Cell follow-up

Sig strode through the makeshift mess hall in the weapons factory with a confidence that drew eyes to him immediately. He swung himself up onto a chair and placed two fingers in his mouth to shatter the quiet with a piercing whistle. Instantly, he had everyone's attention.

"Listen up, rebels!" Sig barked, "There's been a change in operations! Jak’s just secured the backing of the Wastelander nation in this war."

A foreign ally? The motley gathering began to whisper amongst themselves. The majority had never even heard of Wastelanders having an entire nation. But they did know that Wastelanders had a reputation for finding rare treasures and selling them to the highest bidder. Having them fund the war against Praxis could either spell victory or trouble, depending on what they wanted in return.

"What's this gang-"

"Nation," Sig corrected.

"Yeah, that. What's their angle?" A woman named Kloe demanded.

Sig's eye glinted dangerously. "Payback. Praxis thought he could kidnap Wasteland kids and let the Marauders take the fall for it."

He slammed a fist into his palm.

"They're gonna help you shape up into a real fighting force. We Wastelanders will take point in any heavy firefights and strategic planning. You'll be crucial for intel and evacuation routes. We work together, maybe we'll bring down the Baron before he gets half the city killed with his stupidity."

Bran, a barrel-chested tailor, folded his thick arms and scowled. "And what happens when the war is over, eh? These Wastelanders planning to leave peacefully?"

"Fair enough," a youngster agreed from across the table. "That's how we ended up with Praxis in the first place, right? How do we know these people don't want to take over?"

From the side of the room, a new voice scoffed, "Oh you need not worry. I have no desire to rule this city again."

A grizzled man sat in the corner, arms folded across his chest. Half in shadow, he observed them all with keen eyes. On the scaffold above him, others in the garb of Wastelanders stood, feigning disinterest. Jak, Daxter, and Tess leaned against the railing, watching the man below with curiosity.

"I may not respect the choices you've all made in my absence, but I'll respect your rejection of the House of Mar."

He raised one brow.

"Personally, I disagree with the notion that a bloodline is what gives someone the right to rule."

Damas leaned back and let his eyes wander over the twenty or thirty individuals at the fold-out tables. The younger rebels seemed confused by his appearance. Those closer to his own age sat frozen, shock coloring their faces. They remembered him. They recognized him, even after 16 years of change. It was gratifying, in a way.

"If you mean to ask whether there is a "catch" to my aid, I will not lie to you," he said. "We are not helping you for free. But when the Baron’s head has been freed from his shoulders, you will all do with the city as you see fit, and we will return home."

One of the older members of Daxter's "Fight United" division stood up. Her eyes weren't what they used to be, but she could still operate a Titan Suit with deadly efficiency. Now she squinted across the tables to the corner.

"It really is you, isn't it?" she asked, "King Damas? Most of us were afraid Praxis had murdered you in secret."

"He would have," Damas answered bluntly, "but the Precursors have always taken a bizarre and not entirely welcome interest in the fate of my House, to the point of several Council members deeming it blasphemy to kill an Heir of Mar before the Precursors can do something absolutely ridiculous to them."

Above him, Jak choked on a laugh and hastily pulled away from the rail to hide his smirk. He knew there were enough devotees of the Precursors in the Factory Cell that laughing could step on some toes. Normally, that wouldn't have mattered to him. But since most of the devout were in Daxter's Titan Suit squad, he didn't want to make his best friend's life any harder than necessary.

Kloe leaned out from her seat, as little less confident now that she knew the leader of this foreign ally was the lost king of her own city. Among her generation, there were still a lot of mixed feelings about his reign. Most agreed that he'd been a failure as a leader during the Metalhead War, but sixteen years had softened blame into an acknowledgment that he'd come to the throne a boy, forced into manhood too soon. To throw the weight of an entire city of innocents onto such young shoulders without offering a hand in support had led to catastrophe. He hadn't been ready to rule, but after seeing the alternative, the older generation didn't blame him anymore.

"King- King Damas." Kloe swallowed her nerves. "You didn't answer my question. What's your angle? Can't just be payback, or you'd probably have assassinated Praxis by now. What is it you want from us?"

Damas didn’t take his eyes off the gathered crowd. He pointed upward, right to where Jak stood with Tess above them.

"Him," he answered bluntly. "I'm taking Jak."

The room burst into an uproar.

"You can't just "take" Jak! He's our best fighter!"

"Jak?! Why the heck would you want him?!"

"King or no king, we don't trade kids for favors!"

"What do you even want him for?"

"Dude, that's a bad idea! Have you seen what that guy is like?!"

"Sig, you're not letting him take our tank, right?"

Sig cut through the protests with another sharp whistle.

"Everybody zip it!" he shouted.

When the room had quieted, he stepped down from the chair and walked between the tables.

"I understand your concern. Nice to see y'all showing more concern for Jak than some cells. But let me remind you that, like a couple others of you here, Jak’s a kid. Not a soldier. When this whole mess is done, you rugrats deserve the chance to go where you want. See the world. Don't you think?"

Some of the younger members exchanged glances. Well. That was different, wasn't it?

Jinx ground his unlit cigar into the tabletop. "Bull. Prettyboy, you ain't cut out for the wastes, believe me. You really gonna go with them when this is all over?"

The boy looked away.

"Yes."

"Jak?" A round-faced teen from the Scout Flies division frowned up at him. "Are you...are you really okay with this?"

Jak was quiet for a moment, like he wasn't sure what to say. Then he raised his eyes, and with an almost guilty expression, he croaked,

"Yes."

"Jak, you can't-"

"Yes I can!"

The sharpness in his words caught them all off guard, himself included. He winced slightly.

"Look- I can take care of myself, okay? It's fine. We get the numbers and firepower to take down Praxis, they get me, and I get to go as far away from the Baron's labs as possible. Everybody wins."

It seemed selfish to tell them that he had always planned to leave once the Baron was dead. Not everyone in the Factory Cell liked him, or saw him as more than a walking weapon of mass destruction. But four weeks of operating as a splinter cell was enough to forge at least a sense of camaraderie. They were all wary of him, even the ones that liked him -- except for a couple senseless kids who looked up to him for some godforsaken reason -- but they depended on him. They had expectations of him, and knowing that he couldn't fulfill them turned Jak's stomach and tightened his chest.

He pushed off of the rail and swallowed.

"I'll um. I'll see you at the next briefing."

Phobos turned and followed him up the scaffolding, through a short antechamber covered in buttons and dials to what used to be a testing room. She wasn't wearing her wrap in her hair anymore: currently it was functioning as a sling to hold Mar on her back. Bored by the adults talking and talking and talking, Mar had fallen asleep until the shouting started. He blinked sleepily over his mother's shoulder at Jak, then dropped his head back down with a tired grumble.

"So you've decided for sure?"

Phobos frowned at Jak.

"I don't want you to feel that our help is dependent on you coming home with us."

Jak tilted his head. "Would you still help if I didn't?"

"We wouldn't wait for your cell to be ready." Phobos bounced Mar a little higher on her back and glanced back towards the hall.

"If this was the city you'd chosen to live in, Da- your- your father would already be on his way to kill Praxis without you, to make the city safe for you."

"Why?"

The boy spun on his heel and forced himself to look this Other Mother -- as if he'd even known one mother -- in the eye.

"You don't know me."

"Not yet, no. Is that a requirement for wanting you to be safe?" asked Phobos, with a hint of a wry smile.

Jak shut his mouth quickly. That was a hard question to answer. Usually, knowing him meant people started throwing him toward danger. Made sense that the strangers were the ones being protective if they just saw some random teenager playing soldier. Once they saw him in action, they'd change their tune.

"But Jak-" Phobos seemed to glide forward, reaching up to tuck a loose curl behind Jak's ear. "Do you actually want to come to Spargus with us?"

He leaned into her touch the slightest bit, like a skittish crocadog. If Sig was right, Phobos realized, he was likely starved for affection. What kind of life had this Other Mar led? What, exactly, had the Baron done? The boy had mentioned laboratories. The very word made Phobos's blood curdle.

What have they done to you, child?

She eased closer.

Jak's eyes darted this way and that. He opened his mouth, but the words faltered on his tongue. After a few false starts, at last he gathered himself and looked up. His resolve broke the instant he glimpsed Mar's curls over Phobos's shoulder.

Mar was safe now. But what about him?

"I have to get out of this city," he whispered, as if afraid of being overheard. "I have- I have to- to see the sky again. The real sky."

The words spilled out despite his attempts to stop them.

"I'm not- I'm not going to leave Mar. Where he goes, I go. Please- please don't leave me here."

What a pathetic plea. Jak cringed internally. Two years -- two and a half, now -- he'd managed without ever begging for escape. Not from his captors, not from his abusers, not even from the Underground. But after the glimpse of the Wastes Sig had shown him, after the possibility of freedom had been dangled before him, how could Jak ever go back?

He couldn't quite interpret the emotion in Phobos's eyes. But she opened her arms and held her hands palm up, where he could see them. She made no moves towards him, instead asking, "Jak, may I?"

No one had ever asked him that before. He either got hugged, or he didn't. Usually, with the dark eco running under his skin, he didn't like hugs. He was wary of sudden movement, and even when it was telegraphed, the eco made his skin so much more sensitive than it would be otherwise. Which often made tight squeezes unbearable. But ever since Mar's father had used the light eco on him, things felt more...more settled. Restrained.

Did he want a hug?

He wasn't a baby, or some helpless victim. He was a monster. A survivor. An ex-hero.

....a kid.

Just a kid.

"I...uh, okay."

Jak grimaced and sternly told himself not to look desperate.

The embrace lasted for only a moment or two, but for those brief heartbeats Jak wondered at how safe he felt. Was this how Mar felt when he carried him around after nightmares? How Keira felt whenever Samos used to hug her when they were kids?

Jak had told himself often that he had plenty of human contact in the form of Daxter. But now he wondered if Tess was right about that "touch-starved" thing she was talking about the other week.

Phobos released him gently and stepped back to hoist Mar higher on her back again. Sympathy lined her eyes, but Jak didn't feel pitied. He felt seen.

Mar yawned and Phobos clicked her tongue and hummed quietly. Nine notes, rising and falling, only a snatch of a tune, but it was familiar to Jak.

Stay with me, the seas are dark and wild-

"Mar hums that, too," he said.

Phobos looked up. "He remembers?"

There was just a hint of a tremor in her voice, but her eyes lit up.

"Er...I think so. I don't think he knows the words though." Jak shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Well." Phobos bit the inside of her cheek and reached back to run her fingers through Mar's hair. "I didn't always sing the words to him."

A gage on the wall began to click rapidly, startling them both. Jak banged a fist against the panel and a jet of steam burst out from the seams.

Phobos jumped back and raised her eyebrows.

"Is it supposed to do that?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. But it stopped clicking, right?"

That earned him a snort. Phobos shook her head.

"Oh dear. You really are just like Damas, aren't you?"

Wary curiosity crept into Jak's eyes. "Am I?"

It was something he'd always wondered about. Did he get his eyes from a parent, or share their need to explore? Was he an outlier, a freak even as a child? Or would he have been enough like a parent for people to know who he was?

Did it even apply when those parents came from a completely different timeline?

"Ohhh yes." Phobos chuckled and tapped experimentally on the gage. "Your father has a lifetime ban from the mechanics' corner of the city garages."

"What did he do?" Jak breathed.

The slight awe in his voice and eyes suggested that he found the idea at least somewhat inspiring. That was...mildly concerning. But at the same time it was a little poignant. In the two days since their meeting, Jak had been holding back around the Spargans, like he was afraid to let them close. This was the first time the lonely boy had asked them a question. He sounded tentatively hopeful, like he was desperately looking for some kind of connection to make between them. Phobos could empathize with that.

"I'll tell you what," she said, glancing around conspiratorially, "Why don't you help me get Mar settled for a nap, and that way I can tell you the whole embarrassing story without Damas stopping me."

A shy, crooked smile peeked out from under the boy’s tough facade.

"Fine. You, uh, you want me to carry him?"

"No, that's alright. I'm...I'm not ready to let go yet. Thank you, though."

Phobos nudged his arm.

"Not that I doubt you could carry him easier than me. Huh. That friend of yours is as big as Mar and you just carry him around on your shoulder!"

She strolled out of the corridor with a mischievous look. "Let's pretend you got that from my side of the family, for the sake of my pride."

[aliypop]

That's Alright for Such a Night Part 2

Word Count: 1,967

Writers Note: This is a Prequel to the series Anyway You Do, I didn't think this would be a series either

Warning: mostly fluff

Pairing: OC x Elvis

Plot: During the Louisiana Hayride two breakout stars meet in a rush only to learn they've dealt their cards in the hands of fate

Taglist:

@darkmoviesquotespizza

@sissylittlefeather

@richardslady121

@thegettingbyp2

@presleyenterprise

@sissylittlefeather

@dkayfixates

@rjmartin11

 October 16, 1954, Lousiana

"Say you wanna join my friends and me. We're going to a diner just up the street,"

"I... Don't know-"

"CECELIA!" her mother shouted,

"On second thought, I change my mind."

"So you'll come with us," Elvis asked, a grin on his face as Cecelia nodded. Cecelia, Elvis, and The Blue Moon boys had made their escape. They were walking down the brisk streets of Louisiana. Cecelia had begun to shiver a bit, forgetting her cardigan sweater back at the theater. Elvis had taken off his suit jacket and wrapped it over her shoulders, "You didn't have to do that,"

"Eh, wouldn't want you gettin sick there." he winked as she giggled. 

"Well, thank you kindly, Mr. Presley." 

"Anytime, Ms. Valmos." 

"CECELIA!!! CECELIA!!! IS THAT YOU!!!" Everyone, including Cecelia, had turned around when they heard the yelling from behind getting closer to them,

 "Sounds like you got fans."Scotty smiled,

"Rosa Calhoun!!!!" Cecelia ran to Rosa Calhoun, who had been Cecelia's best friend since Cecelia and her mother moved to Georgia when Cecelia was sixteen years old. Rosa was now a budding movie star, 

"What're you doing in Louisiana."

"Well, I was in town shooting a movie, heard you were performing, and- Are you okay?" she whispered, taking notice of the guys around her, 

"I'm fine, Rosa. These are actually my friends Elvis Presley and the Bluemoon Boys." Cecelia smiled

"Cece... the curl is drivin' me insane..." Rosa blushed, staring at Elvis' cowlick. 

"Mind your P's and Q's, will ya." 

"Say you should join us..." Scotty winked as Rosa could feel her heart rate going faster,

 "Where you fella's going?"

"To the first Lunch Car, we see..."

"But it's dinner time, isn't it," Rosa questioned, 

arriving at the diner. They had taken their seats in a booth. Cecelia sat next to Elvis, and Rosa sat between Scotty and Bill. While Sam had pulled up a chair to the table. 

"This may be the first integrated place I've been in," Cecelia mumbled as Elvis nodded, 

"I'd have to agree on that."

"California is pretty spiffy on it," Rosa shrugged, "But uh, what're we orderin'..."

"A celebration feast!" Scotty and the boys shouted,

"Why not! On me, my treat." Elvis smiled, 

"Are you sure? " Cecelia asked as Elvis looked into her brown doe eyes. She really was being sincere, "You don't have to spend your 18 bucks, I-"

"Cecelia..." his blue eyes looking deep into her soul, "Allow me to treat the soon legendary rock n roller to a meal." Cecelia nodded as he hugged her, 

"Alright, so everyone knows what they're orderin?" the waitress asked, 

"6 of everything," Elvis winked as Rosa and Cecelia laughed. Sometimes, he swore he was so charming. 

"Alright,"

The food had come, and they had all eaten everything. Rosa and Scotty had taken it upon themselves to share a Milkshake. Bill and Sam were by the phone, and then Elvis and Cecelia danced by the Jukebox. He was mesmerized by her, and she felt the same way as him. 

Earth angel, Earth angel, will you be mine?

My darling dear, love you all the time.

I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.

Earth angel, Earth angel, the one I adore

Love you forever. And evermore.

I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.

The two swayed to the lyrics as she looked up at him. He was tall and handsome, but she wasn't his, and he couldn't be hers, and it pained her heart already that she knew this. "Practicing for Prom, huh?" Cecelia said, her head on his chest, 

"Oh uh yeah ... yeah." he had damn near forgotten about Prom, "And you, you must got a slew of guys just uh waitin to ask you."

"Actually, I don't," 

"Why's that..." The two kept dancing. 

"Picky with love, I guess," she glanced at his lips. Those beautiful pillowy pouty lips that she just wanted to, 

"You deserve to be picky,"

"Whys that Presley."

"Well, Valmos, You're pretty, an you got talent. I'm sure you got a great brain in that head of yours and..." he was lost in her eyes again. And the light reflected on her brown skin, enamored by her very features that he wanted to kiss so much, but damn, he had a girl back home. 

"And what..."

"Nothin', I forgot." 

Oh, oh, oh, Earth angel, Earth angel, please be mine.

My darling dear, love you for all time.

I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.

"There you are!" Midge and Cheryl burst through the door. She was still in his arms as Midge groaned, "Denise is going to murder me..."

"Midge... Chery. Hi, have you met Elvis..." she introduced him as he waved, "Your mothers looking for you, and she's pleased and pissed at you,"

"Oh great..." 

"See you around, Cecelia."

"If I'm not dead, Presley." she winked.

Midge took her back to her mother's car. Cecelia could feel the glare coming from her mother through the automobile. 

"Where were you..."

"I went to go eat with some friends I made..."

" Cecelia, something could've happened to you."

"Rosa was there!"

"Hiya, Mrs. D," she giggled as she made a phone motion towards Scotty.

"Once again, something could have happened to you both..." she sighed, 

"Sorry, Mam-" Denise glanced at her, "Mother,"

"It's okay, now you two get in. I have news." 

Rosa sat in the back as Cecelia smiled, 

"Lousiana Hayride wants you to perform every Saturday Night starting next year." Cecelia smiled, "But they were going to pay you less, so...I pulled a few strings..." 

"Like what..." Rosa said, 

"Well... If we moved to Nashville, cut you a country blues hit before the Hayride and its sales, you'll get the same pay." 

"Well, how soon can we move..."

Nashville Tennessee, August 1955

"That's all of it." Denise sighed, "Here we are back in the country..." she groaned as Cecelia grinned, sitting in a tree branch. Denise could take the girl out of the country, but never the country out of the girl. 

"Hey, Cece!"

"Rosa!"

"Oh, Jesus..." Denise laughed,

"Seems we're neighbors!" 

"Seems so!" 

"You going to the concert tonight!" Rosa nearly shouted as Cecelia looked at her mother, 

"You have a record to cut..."

"For research..." Cecelia cheesed as her mother shook her head. 

"Oh, alright, but I'm coming with you girls."

Cecelia silently groaned, 

"Who's the headliner?"

"I don't know, it's like a bunch, but Scotty is gonna be there and Elvis Presley is goin-"

"Elvis..." Cecelia gasped, "I'll get dressed right now!"

"Where's she going..." Midge asked as she walked out of the house, "Is she testing her lipstick again?"

Clothes were thrown in her room as she tried to pick the perfect outfit. She hadn't seen her friend Elvis in a while since 1954. They wrote to each other, but now he was near where she lived! Picking out a vibrant pink pencil skirt dress and her scarf around her neck to match, Cecelia had put on her iconic red lipstick and her hair in an updo. 

But before she left her bedroom, she kissed her Elvis poster and her Frank Sinatra Poster that was next to it, 

"I can see all of your imagination in that dress ..." Denise sighed,

"Perfect!" she giggled. Rosa walked in with her black and white Polka dot dress on, waiting for Denise to go upstairs to show her it had shorts underneath, 

"It's cute, why the shorts?"

"In case Scotty wants to pick up where we left off,"

"You and Scotty are boiling the cabbage."

"Yeah,"

"Lucky..." 

"You could boil yours too, kid. If you put down the comic books once in a while."

"I'm savin myself for someone special."

"Like who Elvis Aaron Presley~" she teased, "You wanna pull his cowlick, don'tcha." 

"I wanna do more than just that, I wanna-"

"Want to what..." 

"Uh, go to the concert." Cecelia smiled as Denise pulled the top of her dress up.

"That's what I thought."

Overton Park Shell Memphis Tennessee 

"Oh, he looks furious..." Rosa mumbled, watching Elvis Perform.

"The guitar isn't his, and it's missing two strings... " she sighed. She knew how that felt. She lost her Falcon once during a performance. And it threw her off. Elvis had tried his hardest to focus on the slightly crappy night he was having until his eyes saw, "Cecelia," he mouthed as she waved. Scotty shook his head playfully as Rosa waved,

"People can see you two..." she hit her playfully as Rosa laughed.

"That's the point." 

"I'd uh like to invite a friend up, if that's okay..." Elvis said as Cecelia playfully frowned, "Don't know if I can find her, she's, uh, in pink and... Oh, found her!"

Helping her up on the stage, Cecelia took his hand. A silence filled the crowd, a few cheers, mostly deathly glares. Denise and Midge were worried, and so was Cecelia, 

"Don't worry about them..."

"Presley..."

"Do you trust me," he whispered,

"I don't know if I should."

"Good."

"I don't have a guitar."

"Use mine." another man said, giving him her guitar.

"Thanks?!"

"Ready when you are." Elvis smiled,

"Lovesick blues boys." she said as the song started, "I'm gonna sing you, lovely folks, a song about heartache, it's got pain and misery written all in it. So pitch an ear an listen," she said as the band played. 

"By the way, I'm Cecelia Valmos."

I got a feeling called the blues, oh Lord

Since my baby said goodbye

Lord, I don't know what I'll do

All I do is sit and sigh, "Oh Lord"

The last long day he said goodbye

Well, Lord, I thought I would cry

He'll do me, He'll do you, he's got that kind of loving

Cecelia grinned as she danced a little, Elvis following her steps. The crowd was wild. As Cecelia looked back at Elvis, she had asked him to join her in the last part of the song.

"Lord, I love to hear her when she calls me sweet daddy

Such a beautiful dream. " Elvis leaned into the microphone as Cecelia watched him sing,

"I hate to think it's all over; I've lost my heart it seems

I've grown so used to you somehow." Cecelia joined back in and played along with him,

But I'm nobody's sugar daddy now

And I'm lonesome, I got the lovesick blues. 

When the song was over, they went backstage, the two making jokes. Denise was in the corner with Hank Snow, talking business. She supposed, 

"Oh, uh, sir, your guitar." Cecelia tapped him on the shoulder, 

"Call me Johnny Cash." he winked,

"You can call me any time..." Rosa mumbled as Scotty looked at her.

"Don't mind her. You were amazing out there." Cecelia smiled, 

"Me, no, you and him, that was amazing. I would've thought it wasn't rehearsed the way you came up there. You two fooled us."

"You gonna tell him,"

"Nah," Cecelia laughed, "So you're touring in Memphis?"

"Could ask you the same?"

"I live in Nashville," 

"You moved here!" he grinned as she smiled at him, 

"Yeah, we settled in today!"

"So we could go out?" he mumbled,

"I wouldn't mind. It gets lonely, and I'm usually just makin records under my mama's label. I haven't even any friends but Rosa..."

"Scotty darlin! I'm just messin with you!" 

"Are you really."

"I wouldn't leave you for that glass of country singin water." 

"Promise?" 

As the two began to walk off, Hank and Denise both walked down towards the two, 

"That don't look good..." 

"How'd you like to headline For Elvis Presley in Texas?" Hank asked.

"Sounds fine. Why do you ask?"Cecelia questioned,

"Cause you're going on tour, course you'll need a band and all that,"