#eli sipes x f!mc

[jerzwriter]

This story has been brewing in my head for such a long time I thought it was about time I wrote it down.

Book: Wake the Dead (Choices) Pairing: Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) Characters: Troy Hassan, Minna Arbogast, Georg (OC) Rating: Teen Words: 2,600 Summary: There are still many things that need to be put in place in Olympus. Traditions and rituals that need to be established. When Minna and Georg pay Zoe a visit, this becomes abundantly clear. In the days that follow, there are meaningful conversations and realizations to be had, and in the end, Eli & Zoe see their future in a brand new light.

A/N: Participating in @choicesaugustchallenge (I used August heat instead of Summer heat - but I think that will be OK :) )

The sun had finally begun to set in the sky, ending another long day in the August heat. Summer was beginning to wind down, but drone activity wasn’t, and with much to do before the winter months hit, days started early and ended late at Olympus. As the colony’s leader,  Zoe was working hardest of all, and while others were finishing their dinner and beginning to unwind, Zoe was still toiling away in her small office. There were plans and schedules to be made, and she wasn’t going to rest until she was done.

But Eli had other plans, and when he stuck his head in the door, he was on a mission. Zoe’s face lit up when she saw him.

“Did you bring me dinner?” she smiled.

“No,” he replied. “But I haven’t eaten yet, either; I’m waiting for you. So, let's go. We can eat together.”

“Eli! You shouldn’t wait for me. Go ahead and eat. I’ll be down soon.”

“You’ll be down now," he insisted. "It’s almost eight o’clock.”

Zoe let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped. “I’d love to, but there is still more to be done.”

“Yep. And it will still be here tomorrow.” He stepped behind her and rubbed her shoulders, causing her to sink into her chair. She closed her eyes and swore she was about to fall asleep.

“All right,” she grinned. “You win. Let’s go have dinner.”

Just as she was about to stand, there was a knock on the door, and Minna Arbogast entered, Georg Collins, from Sunflower Creek, behind her.

“Hi,” Minna, typically straightforward, said almost sheepishly. “Could we have a moment with you?”

“No,” Eli scowled. “The office is closed for the day. If it’s anything official, it can wait until tomorrow.”

“Eli!” Zoe scolded. “Minna, Georg, is this something personal? If so, we can discuss it downstairs. But if it’s regarding Olympus, I’m happy to take a few more minutes here.”

Minna and Georg exchanged a glance. “It’s kind of about both,” he said as Zoe motioned to the chairs in front of her desk. Eli, displeased, slumped down on an old couch on the side of the room.

“What can I help you with?” Zoe asked.

“Well, I suppose you know Georg and I are involved,” Minna started. “Romantically involved.”

Eli chuckled loudly, drawing everyone's attention his way. “Yeah, that’s pretty obvious.”

“Hmm,” Zoe snickered. “Laughs the man who thought we were fooling people at one time, too. But yes, I’m aware, and I’m very happy for you! But what does that have to do with your visit?”

“I’ve asked Minna to marry me, and luckily for me, she’s accepted!”

“What! Oh my! Congratulations!” Zoe hollered. “That’s such exciting news!”

“Thank you!” Minna smiled. “We’re so happy! There’s just one problem. How do we get married?”

“Oh,” Zoe chuckled. “You have a point. You’ll be Olympus’s first marriage, but I supposed we need to come up with how to do that here.”

“We had some traditions and rituals at Sunflower Creek,” Georg offered. “Minna says they had similar ones at Skyweld, too.”

“That’s great! I’d like to call our council to discuss this, but it shouldn’t take long. How soon would you like to do this?”

“We’d like to do it soon, before the fall if possible.”

“I think we can manage that. I’ll call for a meeting tomorrow, and then I’ll be in touch.”

“Great!” Minna smiled. The happy couple excitedly thanked Zoe and left. Zoe turned to Eli with a bright smile.

“Well, that was nice! A great reason to work a little later if you ask me!”

The corners of Eli's lips curled slightly as he watched Zoe, so genuinely happy for her friend’s news.

“I’ve got to admit,” he said. “It’s a lot better than issues we usually face around here, but now your day is now done, and you need to eat.” He stood up, extending his hand. “Let’s go!”

“Yes, sir!” she complied with a salute.

As they sat alone in the kitchen, a plate of stew between them, Zoe put a plan into action.

“I have a feeling this is going to be right up Feather’s alley! Some of the other elders, too!”

“I’m sure it is,” Eli said, a bit more reserved than usual. Zoe nudged him and gave a little grin.

“What’s on your mind, Eli? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“Nothing,” he sighed, pushing away his empty plate and stretching his arms over his head. “I was just thinking... we’re not married.”

Zoe barked out a laugh. “No, we’re not. And from what I hear, some in the old world would say we’re ‘living in sin.’ I never exactly understood that concept, but whatever...”

“I don’t get it either. But I was wondering... what are your thoughts on that?”

“On living in sin?” she questioned. “I think it’s ridiculous. What the hell could be sinful about people who love each other sharing their lives together. Like a piece of paper changes anything."

“Not about that,” Eli laughed. “About marriage.” He moved his chair closer to hers, leaning forward; he brushed a strand of hair away from her face and looked at her tenderly. “Have you ever given it any thought?”

Zoe's eyes went wide. “Oh. Oh, I see. I have to admit, I haven’t given it much thought. Formal marriages weren’t really a thing at The Tower. I never thought I’d meet anyone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with, and, let’s face it, the rest of our lives tend to be pretty short in this world, so I never really thought about it. Why?” She asked cautiously. “Have you?”

“For me, personally? No. I hadn't. It’s nothing I ever foresaw for myself, given my circumstances. But marriage in general? Yeah. I have. I still remember the old world, and marriage seemed to be a pretty big deal back then. Plus, my parents were married, and I always thought of marriage as something special, something almost sacred, because the two of them did it so well.”

“It must have been so nice to grow up with them modeling that kind of love,” she smiled.

Eli looked into the distance, but his eyes were warm with reflection. “Yeah, it was.”

“What do you remember about marriage and weddings from the old world?” She asked. “Maybe that can help me decide what we can do at Olympus?”

“I was still young,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But some of the celebrations were over the top. I went to a few family weddings, and they were fun, even if I had to wear a suit. But I remember my parents saying some people went broke just to have a fancy wedding day. My dad said too many were worried about the wedding and not the marriage. That always stuck in my mind.”

“That does sound kind of stupid,” Zoe agreed. “But then it was a different world. I know it was before you were born, but did your parents have a big wedding?”

“Initially, no. They were an interracial couple, and while most of their families supported them, some were real asses. They didn’t want any headaches, so they decided to elope, just the two of them. But when they got back and told everyone, my Mom’s parents insisted they have a wedding. My grandfather said no one was denying his little girl a wedding, and they weren’t going to deny him the chance of walking her down the aisle.”

“That’s sweet. Did they have a big wedding after that?”

“Not big by old world standards. My Mom said they had about fifty of their closest friends and family and that it was a beautiful day. They both said it was a lot of fun. But they kept the focus on the marriage - not the party."

“It sounds like your parents had the right idea. They knew what was important.”

Eli smiled wistfully, his fingers twirling Zoe’s hair. “Yeah, they sure did. But what about your parents? Were they married?”

“I really don’t remember too much, but I know my parents were married – my biological mom and dad, as well as my two dads. Ana told me that our biological parents were married in a big Catholic church wedding. Their families were very strict and wouldn’t have allowed them to live together without it. See,” she smirked. “They wouldn’t have approved of us living in sin.”

“What about your dads?”

“They were married. When my mother left, Dad met Papa, and they had a small wedding. I don’t remember much from my childhood, but I remember the picture of them on the mantle, and they looked so happy. It was on the beach, Ana was holding Dad’s hand, and Papa carried me on his hip.”

A bittersweet look captured Zoe's happiness, recalling the memory but the deep pain of all that she had lost along the way. Her began to quiver. “I wish things could have been different.”

“I know,” Eli said, holding her close. “I know.”

“Can we go up to bed?” She whispered. “I’d really like to just lie in your arms for a while if that's all right."

She didn’t have to say another word.

~~~~~

The following day, Zoe met with the members of Olympic’s governing council, and a plan was put in place. Later that night, she found an enthusiastic Minna and Georg talking to a too-proud-of-himself Troy, who had several long lists on the table before him. Curiosity got the better of Zoe, and she joined her best friend the second the couple left.

“Whatcha doing?” She grinned.

“Me? Only putting together the most incredible wedding Olympus has ever seen! Well... the only wedding Olympus has seen so far, but there’s more to come.”

“You?” Zoe smirked. “What do you have to do with their wedding?”

“Zoe. Zoe, Zoe, Zoe,” he sighed. “Who better to plan a party than moi? In fact, this whole thing has made me a little nostalgic for the old world. I think I found my calling. I would have been one hell of an event planner.”

“You know,” she laughed. “I can see it!”

“I’m glad Minna and Georg will be my first wedding,” Troy winked. “This way, I’ll have experience when I plan yours.”

Zoe spit out the water she was drinking. “Mine? What do you mean... mine?"

“Zoe, please,” he waved dismissively. “It’s only a matter of time before it’s you and Eli. In fact, I’m shocked you two aren’t the first.”

“Troy! Eli and I haven’t even discussed marriage!”

“Really?” He said, raising a brow. “Why not?”

“I think the idea is sweet and all,” Zoe shrugged. “But it’s not like I need it. I love Eli, and he loves me. That’s all that really matters. Besides, the archaic idea that women lived to get married was one of the better things to die with the outbreak. My wedding,” she scoffed, taking another sip of water. “As if.”

Later that night, Zoe stepped out of the shower and joined Eli, who was already reading in bed. She slipped under the sheets, reveling in the fresh feeling and quiet of the room. Eli smiled at the way she squiggled around like a little child.

“You happy?” he asked, putting his book aside.

“So happy!” she grinned. “This is my favorite part of the day.”

Eli looked at her thoughtfully, then leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead. “Mine, too.”

Zoe closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest, but Eli’s eyes remained open wide. He was quiet, studying every crack on the ceiling, when he woke Zoe with a gentle nudge.

“Zo, zo.”

“Mmmhhhm.”

“You never did answer my question.”

“Oh?” She said, sitting up to look him in the eye. “What question is that?”

“What are your thoughts,” he stalled. “About marriage.”

“I answered you, silly,” she grinned. “We had a whole conversation. Don’t you remember?”

“We had a conversation about your thoughts on marriage in general. You never told me how you felt about marriage... for you.”

Zoe’s heart raced as realization washed over her. He wasn’t talking about a concept; he was talking about.... them.

“For... for me?” she stuttered.

“Yeah, for you,” he smiled, perhaps the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. “And me.”

Zoe leaned back a bit, her hand clutching her nightshirt, as her mind filled with more thoughts than she could handle.

“I... I never really thought about it... have... have you?”

“I have,” he smiled, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I know you think it’s unnecessary, and I understand why, but...” he let out a breath. “But I think you and I have the same kind of love that my parents share. It’s something I never, ever thought I’d get to experience, and now that I am, I know it’s the most precious gift I’ve ever received. So yeah, I’d like to marry you, Zoe. I’d like to stand in front of all the people we love and formally declare my love and devotion to you. Then, I want us to spend the rest of our days living our lives in the manner my parents showed me. You and me, side by side, until the end of time.”

Zoe remained silent when he finished, her hands clasped over her mouth as large tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She didn’t move, and for a moment, Eli’s heart sank; perhaps he had overstepped. The silence lasted only moments, but it felt like an eternity when Zoe answered in a broken voice.

“You, you want that... with me?”

“Of course I do,” he grinned. “Zoe, I love you more than anything else in the world. You have no idea how happy I am that we came into each other’s lives.”

“You almost shot me,” she smirked as Eli’s head fell in his hands.

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“Nope, you’re not,” she beamed, then she took on a more serious tone, her voice, barely a whisper. “Eli... you want to marry me?”

“I do,” he nodded earnestly. “More than anything.”

“Oh, Eli,” she whispered, caressing his cheek. “I would absolutely love to marry you! I love you so much."

He pulled her into his arms, and the two embraced for a long, long while. Neither wanted the precious moment to end. When they pulled away, Zoe looked at him with a coy grin.

“So, does this mean we’re engaged?”

“Well,” he laughed. “I think I should propose first. This was just a discussion, I can do better than that for an official prop...”

“No,” Zoe interrupted. “No, you can't. Eli... you could never do better than that. That was... perfect. Just like the love we share."

“Lettin’ me off the hook?” he snickered, causing her to break into laughter.

“I would never if you didn’t do the job right, but... you did. I love you, Eli, and yes, I’ll marry you.”

They looked at each other with tears in their eyes, an electric current surrounding them when he pulled her into a passionate, emotional kiss.

“We’re going to get married,” he whispered when he pulled away.

No other words were necessary as they lay in each other’s arms. In a world filled with so much sadness and pain, they had found something beautiful and pure. Something that belonged only to them, and it made them cherish it all the more.

They couldn’t wait to share the news with their friends and the rest of Olympus, but that could wait until tomorrow. Somehow, they knew the people closest to them were already aware. As they lay entangled in each other’s arms, they could feel their love surrounding them. Eli’s mother, his father, his brother, David, too; Zoe’s dads, and her beloved sister Ana... they knew. Eli & Zoe were confident that they knew, and as they drifted to sleep in each other’s arms, they knew that they were surrounded by their love and that somewhere, someplace, they were all smiling.

@choicesficwriterscreations

Tagging others separately.

[julia-highstorms]

Eli - short series (Eli x Kiera (F!MC))

Summary: Eli Sipes reflects on the important people of his life.

Author’s note: this is a three part short series in which Eli reminisces about his childhood and adolescence (represented by the figure of Riya, his best friend), his young adult years until he met Kiera and the others (represented by David, his younger brother) and about the present and his future (Kiera).

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios. 

Rating: +18 - mature themes (tw: character death mention, gore)

Pairing: Eli Sipes x Kiera Tomoe (F!MC) - Wake the Dead masterlist

Word count: +2.3K

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Part One: Riya

Eli Sipes was by himself, sitting by the margin of the river, carving from a piece of wood he found nearby. 

He heard steps approaching, and glanced up briefly to see Kiera there. She sat down on the soft grass beside him.

"Whatcha making there?" - she asked, a relaxed smile playing on her lips. Not a vision that he would see often, but that was a special occasion.

They had survived the solstice.

"A bird. It's one of the easier shapes. My Dad taught me. "

He heard her chuckling.

"Shooting, fighting, and now whittling. Is there anything you can't do?"

"Can't draw a picture to save my life." - and that was true. He was terrible at it. His drawings were almost offensive, because of how insufferable they were.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing you met me because I am an excellent artist." - she winked at him, a cocky smirk dancing on her lips. 

He cracked a smile and stopped his whittling to look out at the river. They fell into a comfortable silence for a long moment, just enjoying each other's company, hearing the soft sound of the river, birds chirping nearby, and their friends' laughter. Troy was now the one on the mission to teach Angel and Shannon how to swim. Or, at least, how to not drown. Sledge was still resting her back against a tree, protecting herself from the sun, clearly judging Troy's lack of teaching skills.

He turned his gaze back to Kiera, who was now laying next to him with her eyes closed, a serene expression on her face as she sunbathed.

And he felt… peaceful. For the first time in years.

He returned his gaze at the river and Eli let his mind run… memories of a lifetime ago floating back to his mind.

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"You can't get me!" - the childish voice ringed in his ear, followed by laughter.

"Careful, you two! Don't get too close to the river." - Mom shouted from nearby, as he sprinted after David.

It was summer and the sun was up in the sky. Crickets could be heard chirping around, and the weather was nice, perfect for a picnic.

Which was what the Sipes were having. That was a somewhat tradition they had in summer. Just like going to the amusement park whenever the boys were on holiday.

Still laughing after their little run, Eli and David joined their parents, who had just finished laying out all the contents of their basket. Fresh bread, biscuits, fruits, there was everything there. The boys promptly dug in, starved after having so much fun that morning. They loved going to the woods.

While the family of four ate and talked about school, a single ping could be heard. Dad checked his phone and immediately stopped eating.

"What?" - Mom asked as she saw the frown on her husband's face.

It took a while until the man could speak up.

"...Rahul didn't make it. Samir just texted me."

"Oh no…" - their mother covered her mouth in shock.

"The funeral will be tomorrow morning. He's asking if we'll be there. He'll send the address."

"Of course we will."

Eli immediately thought of his best friend. Riya Patel.

Ever since he could remember, Riya has always been around. The Patels were their neighbors, just living down the street. Eli and Riya went to the same kindergarten and were in the same elementary school, even in the same class, when the first news about this unknown virus broke out. They were just seven years old. 

The girl was the youngest of three. She had two older brothers, Ravi, who was twelve years older, and Rahul, ten years older than her. Unfortunately, Rahul, a senior in high school, was infected around that time and didn't survive the mutation (which they still wasn't aware of the disaster it would cause when people started turning into zombies).

Her parents, Samir and Prisha Patel, were both physicians and they helped their small community be up to date about the new virus as it progressed. Eli and Riya were old enough to be conscious about what was happening, but not old enough to fully understand the impact of it in their lives at first. 

…and it would change everything.

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"Dammit, I lost it! Did you see where it went?" - the girl with long raven hair tied in two braids asked, turning to the two boys behind her.

"Is it just my impression or this was faster than the others? I haven't seen one walk so fast!" - David asked, forcing his vision as he looked through the woods.

Eli stared at the sky, dark clouds looming over her.

"We should get back. It will start raining soon."

"At least the rain will keep these ugly bastards away for a while." - Riya smirked as the three of them returned to their community. - "Anyway, I heard that the experimental drug started being tested. Hopefully we'll have a cure in a couple of years."

Her best friend said nothing; he wasn't as optimistic as her.

Riya was the complete opposite of him: outspoken, fierce and a dreamer. So full of life. Even though all the horrors she and her family had witnessed - her parents were on the front of the research and trying to treat people -, she always firmly believed in a better world, where things would be good again.

Or, at least, free of zombies. 

The virus was long spread now and the whole world was aware of its disastrous consequences. Things turned worse after Rahul's death: more and more people got infected, whole cities got decimated by that horrendous virus. Kids started getting surviving lessons at school, like archery. Eli remembered listening from the adults that he and the other kids were the "warrior generation".

So, at 16, Eli, Riya and David were not common teenagers: the situation built them to be survivors, as that was the only reality they have ever known.

But they were still teenagers at the end of the day, with some teenage topics.

Like crushes.

Recently, Eli noticed that his younger brother liked his best friend more than just a friend. He wasn't one to pay attention to that kind of stuff, so he wasn't aware for how long David had started acting all nervous around Riya. But he indeed noticed.

Growing up the three of them together, Eli always felt that Riya was the sister they never had, even after reaching puberty. And he thought that David shared his sentiment, but apparently something started to change as his little brother hit adolescence.

Eli noticed that David suddenly started acting a bit nervous whenever he was around Riya, but also excited too, always wanting to share something that he had read in those scientific magazines of his to the girl.

And as much as the boy denied it, it was clear that he liked Riya Patel.

The small dialogue they had the week before was still very fresh in Eli's mind.

They had just returned from a food scavenger and were getting themselves ready to help Mom and Dad with dinner, when the oldest smirked.

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"So, you have a crush on her?"

"Who?"

"Riya. Obviously."

David scoffed, an offended mask on his face, but Eli knew his brother and when he was pretending. Especially because David was terrible at it.

"Of course I don't. Why would I?" - the younger said, but his face showed otherwise. - "Besides, she likes you."

"Nonsense."

"What? Don't tell me you haven't noticed it."

"She's just a friend."

"Maybe to you. But to her…"

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Eli was sure that David only said that to get the attention out of himself. There was no way that Riya would be interested in him. They were best friends.

But then, just a couple of months later, Eli Sipes found out the truth.

It was near the end of spring, when Riya showed up one day at the Sipes residence, looking for Eli. That was something very common, as they used to hunt together, but the boy sensed that it was a different occasion.

They decided to check the perimeter together to get the privacy she wanted. The two teenagers walked in silence, following the town borders, keeping an eye to the woods, their arcs in hand - they would often practice archery together - in case a drone showed up.

Riya suddenly stopped and turned to him.

"I'm leaving. I mean, we're leaving. Me and my parents."

Eli needed a few seconds to process that information.

"What?"

"Ravi texted. When he finally got a signal, he texted my dad. He's somewhere safe up in the mountains. Apparently it used to be a military headquarters with bunkers and now has become a 

 colony. They call it the Tower." - she shrugged. - "Apparently, it is big and there are safety in numbers."

"Are you sure? Isn't it safer to stay around here, where you know the ground and the people?"

"Eli, it's just a matter of time until drones come tearing down this place and invade our homes. We see this happening every year; our colony gets smaller day by day and the list of missing persons just gets longer. You know how in the summer it seems that they multiply. Mom and Dad think it's worth the shot going up there. And I think so too. Apparently, they have some kind of lab where they're making experiments to find a cure and it's as safe as possible. So…" - she shrugged again. - "Why not? Better than being here, just waiting for our deaths."

They stared at each other for a few minutes, in silence.

Eli wasn't upset or anything. He didn't have the right to feel so. That was Riya's life and her own decision to make. And she had already done it.

He just knew things wouldn't be the same without his best friend around.

He frowned.

"I'll miss you."

She smirked.

"I know." - and then, she fished something from her backpack and threw it at him, Eli catching it midair with one hand.

"What's this?" - he asked, arching a brow. She giggled.

"Why don't you just open it up instead of asking me? It's yours."

He gingerly opened the small gift. There was a thin, smooth fabric in it. A blue scarf.

"Figured I could give you something to protect you when you're hunting. And to make you remember me." - she smirked.

"Thank you, Riya. And of course I'll always remember you." - he smiled back at her, sincerity and warmth in his brown eyes.

Their eyes locked for a moment, neither of them really wanting nor ready to say goodbye. They both knew that it probably was the last time they would see each other.

"Eli… Can I kiss you?"

Riya had to bite a laugh when she saw surprise hitting her best friend's face. It was so rare seeing Eli getting caught off guard.

"I didn't know… you…"

"I know. You're a bit slow on this type of thing." - she chuckled. - "But yeah, I like you. I think I've always liked you. Never thought about telling you, though. It didn't seem necessary, plus, we had more things to worry about. Well, until my family decided to leave." - she shrugged again, not looking even the slightest nervous or embarrassed. That was Riya to him. Always confident. - "So? Are you going to grant me this last wish?" - her cocky smirk showed up again.

Even that confession felt so… Riya. She would always be like herself until the end.

Eli shrugged. 

"Okay."

He stepped closer, and the girl's breath hitched, surprised by his sudden closeness, her eyes locking with his.

She gently cupped his chin, her thumb tracing his lips, her black eyes gazing into them. The boy felt his heart leaping in surprise inside his chest by that delicate move. They have always been close, but never that intimate. 

And then, she leaned in, their lips brushing. Eli wasn't sure of what he should do, but he pressed back. Riya's lips were soft.

He felt her hands clutching his shoulders just before she deepened the kiss, her tongue exploring the inside of his mouth and he mirrored her movements, his arms enveloping her and pulling her in.

Eli didn't know for how long they stayed there, but it was long enough to make the sensation of kissing his best friend less strange. He also didn't know how she had learned to kiss like that, but Riya Patel was a good kisser.

"Goodbye, Eli." - she whispered when they finally pulled out. Her dark eyes were glossy, emotion taking over her.

"Goodbye, Riya." - he felt his lips tingling.

"Tell your brother I said goodbye. And to your parents too." - he nodded.

"I will. Good luck."

"Good luck to you too."

And then, she disappeared.

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Just a couple of days later, Eli was out with David and Dad hunting for dinner, when they met with McCain, an older man who had a ranch nearby.

"Have you heard of it, Sipes?"

"About what?" - his father asked.

"The Patels." - he shook his head, a somber look on his face. - "Their van was found just last night during our patrol routine." - Eli felt his heart stopping. - "It was a mess. There was blood everywhere." - he sighed. - "They were already long dead when we found them. All of them, including their girl. They couldn't make it to the mountains."

Eli curled his fists into bawls, feeling the air leaving his lungs.

She was gone.

Riya was gone.

She didn't make it.

He heard David gasping beside him, horror in his face, too shocked to say anything.

Riya was gone.

Just like that. Gone.

That night, as they went to sleep, Eli heard his brother crying himself to sleep.

He felt a gaping hole in his chest too.

She was the first person close to him that he had lost.

Riya was gone.

Goodbye, Riya.

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Tagging: @smetje24689 @gipsydanger17 @calliope-luve @euphorichappiness10 @tinfoilhat2719  @banirareiko @jerzwriter @choicesficwriterscreations - if you’d like to be tagged on or off my upcoming Eli x Kiera fanfics, let me know

[julychallenge]

Masterlist For the July Challenge

Art

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Kieran x Elam by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Artist: Ainna | Setting Sail for Tomorrow (and whatever comes next) | Calli x Flynn by @storyofmychoices

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Zig x Mikaylyn for @choiceswithmika

Artist: @callmebeem Neon Glow | Bryce x Olivia by @storyofmychoices

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Grant Emerson

Artist: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd | Warmth & Security - Martin Vanderweil x Wind Velez

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Naomi Silverhawk

Artist: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd | Charming/Independent - Enid Mendoza x Joaquin Morales

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Kate O’Malley

Artist: @whispersleo | Bryce & Olivia enjoy a quiet moment at an afternoon picnic | Bryce Lahela (M!MC) x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Artist: Ainna Places in Paradise | Thomas Hunt (M!MC) x Alex Spencer (F!OC)

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | King Arthur

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Lancelot

Artist: Ainna | Happy Birthday, Baby! | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x F!MC (Casey Carrick)

Artist: @storyofmychoices | Kate O'Malley for @rosesnink

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Luna Auclair for @peonierose

Fics

Friendship & Fashion by @jerzwriter| Tobias (M!MC) & Merida (F!MC)

Special Delivery by @jerzwriter| Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey Carrick (F!MC)

Movie? What Movie? by @jerzwriter| Tobias Carick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

Summer Haze - @jerzwriter| Tobias Carrick x F!OC

A Place to Stay - by @jerzwriter | Troy Hasan & Eli Sipes

Elmo's Special Visit by @storyofmychoices | Olivia Hadley (F!OC), Tobias Carrick

Beautiful Day by @liaromancewriter | Kyra Santana & F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

Chancing it by @jerzwriter | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

First Impressions by @jerzwriter | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

A Late Night Picnic by @storyofmychoices | Mal Volari (M!MC) x Daenarya (F!OC)

Mine by @liaromancewriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

Mono~poly Chapter 3: Propositions by @jerzwriter | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

Summertime by @jerzwriter | Trystan Thorne (M!MC) x Carolina Rose (F!MC)

Fair Game by @jerzwriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC)

Seeking Shelter by @jerzwriter | Eli Sipes (M!MC) x Zoe Rivera (F!MC)

Of Cloudless Climes and Starry Skies (4/?) | Sebastyan Thorne x Emma Rose (F!MC)

Happy Birthday, Baby! | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x F!MC (Casey Carrick)

A Simple Wish by @jerzwriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC)

His Barbie, Her Ken by @ladylamrian | F!MC × White! NikRyder

Hot Tea by @liaromancewriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Max Valentine

To be a Nighthunter by @ladylamrian | F!MC × NikRyder

Romantic, much? by @liaromancewriter | Sienna Trinh (F!MC) x M!OC (Max Valentine)

Sweet Morning by @ladylamrian | (F!MC × Tobias)

Jun: The Bodyguard by @storyofmychoices | Jun Seong

Paper Hearts by @jerzwriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC)

Shades of Grey by @liaromancewriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

@choicesmonthlychallenge It was my pleasure and honor to host this months challenge, despite the loss I had I still had fun hosting this challenge.

Thank you to everyone who’s participated I hope you enjoyed the July challenge and its prompts. I hope it brought you some joy and some fun.

But the fun is not over. You can head over to choicesaugustchallenge and check out what cool and fun prompts they have 🩷

All the best

- PR 🩷🌸

[february2024choiceschallenge]

Masterlist 2: O - W Open Heart - Wake the Dead Open Heart

Anti-Valentine - TEXT FIC - Open Heart F!MC, M!OC - @liaromancewriter Anti Val-Day/Love Stinks!

Any Other Day - FIC/ART - Open Heart F!MC x F!OC - Fic: @jerzwriter art @callmebeem Eros/Philia

Bacon & Bribery - FIC - Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick - @jerzwriter Philia/Philautia

Beach Cleanup Date - TEXT FIC - Open Heart Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter

A Dinomite Find - TEXT FIC - Bryce Lahela x F!OC - @storyofmychoices

Falling in Love - FIC - Ethan Ramsey x f!mc - @liaromancewriter Eros

Galentine's Day - TEXT FIC - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter Philia

Green-Eyed Girl - TEXT FIC - Open Heart F!MC, M!OC - @liaromancewriter Storge

Happy 40th Tobias! - Part 1 - INSTA EDITS - Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter Philia/Storge/Eros/Ludus

Happy 40th Tobias! - Part 2 - INSTA EDITS - Tobias Carrick x F!MC, OH Gang - @jerzwriter Eros/Philia/Ludus/Storge/Pragma

Just Pretend - TEXT FIC - Sienna Trinh x M!OC - @liaromancewriter Ludus

Love in the Afternoon - ART/FIC - Tobias Carrick x F!MC - art: @liiyaan fic: @storyofmychoices Eros/Philia/Pragma

No Barriers - FIC - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter Eros

Not So Fast - FIC - Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter Eros/Phila/Storge/Pragma

Positive Reaction - FIC - F!MC x F!OC - @jerzwriter Eros

A Romcom Ending - FIC - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jerzwriter Eros

Sweet Stuff - FIC - MC, F!MC, F!OC - @jerzwriter Philia

Tobias x Casey Carrick Fanart - ART - Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @lilyoffandoms Eros

Valentine's Hearts - FIC - Bryce Lahela x F!MC - @storyofmychoices Eros

when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love - FIC - Bryce Lahela x M!MC - @mydemonsdrivealimo Eros/Philia/Storge/Pragma/Philautia

Without Warning (Series) - FIC - Tobias Carrick x f!mc First Shot: Jackie & Bryce Philia/Ludus Part Two: Ethan Ramsey Philia

Red Carpet Diaries

Thomas Hunt x F!OC Fanart by @liiyaan (C: @storyofmychoices) Eros

Wake the Dead

Eli x Zoe x Troy Fanart - ART- @bayleedraws-sometimesx (C: @jerzwriter) Eros/Philia/Pragma

The Morning... - FIC - Eli Sipes x f!mc - @jerzwriter Philia/Ludus

Three of Hearts - FIC - Eli Sipes x F!MC x Troy Hassan - @jerzwriter Eros/Philia/Storge/Pragma

Masterlist - Part 1

[aprilchallenge]

Fics of the Week

Open Heart

Paring: Ethan Ramsey x (MC) Kaycee

Choosing you 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Sienna Trinh x Max Valentine (M!OC)

New York Moment 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee)

A different fate… 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

Worth the wait 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

We’re having a baby… 1/2 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey) Feat: Bryce Lahela

Any day… 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

An early morning 🌺 @storyofmychoices

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Other character: Malia Lahela (F!OC)

Our Future Doctor 🌺 @storyofmychoices

Paring: Ethan Ramsey x f!OC (Tatum Erikson), with special appearances by Tobias Carrick and Julian Santiago (m!OC)

Heads up 🌺 @txemrn

TRR & TRH

Pairing: MC is widowed, Past Pairings Riley x Nico (Riley x M!OC) , Past Pairing of Liam x Riley

Where do we go from here? 🌺 @bebepac

Series: Part 8 of the Cordonian Arrangement.

Pairing: None - mostly Liam and Hakim bonding, mentions of Hakim and Constantine's friendship

Legacies 🌺 @lizzybeth1986

Chapter 1: The Statues

Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi 

Cappadocia 🌺 @tessa-liam

Pairing: Liam x MC (Phoebe Summers)

The Start of Forever 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Wake the dead

Pairing: Eli Sipes; Jim, Florence & David Sipes (his family)

A Mother‘s Journal - Part 4 🌺 @jerzwriter

Red Carpet Diaries

Pairing: Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer (F!OC)

Distraction 🌺 @theartoflovingthomashunt

Edits & Artwork

Olivia Claire Hadley

Yellow 🌺 @storyofmychoices

Characters involved: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Max Valentine

Reminiscing 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Victoria Clarke

Chilled Sundays 🌺 @potionsprefect

Characters involved: Sadie Oakley and Sienna Trinh

Sadie‘s Sunday Self-Care #28 🌺 @peonyblossom

Characters involved: A Picta edit of Aru and her college friend (Monica)'s photo taken by another friend (Apoorva)

Purple Pals 🌺 @choicesfanaf

[choices-november2022]

Masterlist November 7 - November 13

Open Heart

A Halloween Saga | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @choicesfanaf

Neighbours' Complaints | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @headoverheelsforramsey

A New Corner | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @potionsprefect

A New Start | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Nurse Paula | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @lucy-268

Once Upon a Time... | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Sadie's Self Care Sunday #13 | F!MC - @peonyblossom

Wedding Plans Part 1: I'm Not Sure I Can Do This… | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Wake the Dead

A Mother's Journal | Eli Sipes; David Sipes; F!OC; M!OC - @jerzwriter

[jerzwriter]

Count me in love!

Top 3 Books: Open Heart, Wake the Dead, Crimes of Passion Top 3 Pairings: Tobias Carrick x Casey MacTavish (F!MC) (OH) Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) (WTD) Trystan Thorne (M) x Carolina Rose (F!MC) (CoP)

Thanks for doing this!

💖 April Acts of Kindness: April 7-14 🌷

Because spreading kindness is never wasted!

Spread Kindness + Reblog Event

During the dates above, reblog your favorite works by any creator in the Choices fandom and show the creator some love

Reblog creators masterlists

Create a post shouting out creators, friends, readers... anyone you like!

Send encouraging and kind messages to fandom friends, creators, readers, etc.... (or reach out and make a new friend!)

Send someone a shoutout here @choicesfandomappreciation

Look at the prompts from the last kindness event for more ideas

Any posts that tag @choicesfandomappreciation will also be reblogged here for extra exposure

Secret Pal Exchange

Reblog this post stating your interest AND include your top 3 books/characters/pairings to help guide your match on what they should create for you. (reblogs that do not include a top 3 will not be considered entries for participation)

or, message me here or at @lovealexhunt stating your interest and include your top 3 picks

Note: When listing your interests, please include any preferred gender/race characteristics you may have for customizable character. If you have FCs you are welcome to list them as well.

If you want to participate but would rather not create for a particular user, feel free to message me privately and if you get that person, I'll re-spin the Wheel of Names.

Deadline to participate: April 5

Secret Pal Exchange Continued.....

What comes next:

On, or about, April 5 or 6, I will message you with your match and what they listed as their top 3 interests. [I use Wheel of Names to match users so it's random]

You create something for them based on their interests and post it for them on April 13 or 14.

You do NOT have to create for all 3 pairings, one is enough. The 3 is to give you a choice for what you're comfortable with!

It would also be really nice if you could include a brief positive message of encouragement and/or support with your creation for your match

Please tag @choicesfandomappreciation and #ChoicesAprilActsofKindness as well so I can keep track of who posted and who is missing.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

[jerzwriter]

Thank you to @tessa-liam for this request from the "Just one bed" prompt. I missed writing for these two SO MUCH that I want to do more now! 😊 Prompts are bolded in text.

Book: Wake the Dead (Choices) Pairing: Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) Trope: There's just one bed... Rating: Teen Words: 950 Summary: When a storm hits unexpectedly, Eli and Zoe are forced to seek shelter together.

A/N: I imagine this happens in canon after Eli, Zoe & the gang leave the mall, and Eli & Zoe have to take off solo on their newly acquired motorcycle. Instead of making it back to Olympus, a storm hits, and they're forced to spend the night alone elsewhere.

Participating in @julychallenge Pink: Playfulness, Warmth Black: Secrecy

Ask list based on prompts from @creativepromptsforwriting - thank you for the wonderful ideas! The 2 prompts are bolded in the text below.

“Hold on tight,” Eli hollered, and Zoe quickly took his advice.

The sky seemed to darken within minutes, and the ominous sound of thunder in the distance made it clear that a storm was quickly approaching. Eli revved the engine and drove as fast as the rickety, old motorcycle would allow. Their leisurely ride back to Olympus had come to an end; they needed to return to the colony at once.

Zoe squeezed her arms around his waist as a strong gust of wind nearly tipped them over, then Eli turned the bike around.

“Where are you doing?” she yelled, her voice barely audibly over the wind and noise.

“We’ll never make it back to Olympus before the storm,” he replied. “I saw an abandoned cabin a few miles back. We can shelter there until this thing passes.”

A loud clap of thunder boomed, and a lightning strike came far too close to them for Zoe's taste. “Yeah, why don’t you get us there fast!”

A short distance later, Eli brought the motorcycle to a stop when they approached the cabin. They stepped inside just before the heavens opened, and rain seemed to fall in buckets from the sky. The tiny, one-room cabin wasn’t much, but it would serve their needs.

“Looks like we’re going to be awfully cozy tonight,” Zoe winked, trying to make light of things.

Eli rolled his eyes, but there was no missing twitch of a smile on his lips. “Yeah, cozy.”

Zoe found some old candles and matches in a drawer and lit them as the rain was drumming against the roof.

“At least we’re dry,” Eli said, sitting on the edge of the sole piece of furniture in the room, a small mattress on a wooden frame, and removed his boots.

“But for how long,” Zoe fretted. “That's some rain. Do you think the roof will hold up?”

Eli looked up with the emotional detachment Zoe was coming to learn defined him. “It’s a tin roof, but good craftsmanship. Whoever built this place knew what they were doing. It should get us through a few hours until the storm passes.”

Zoe fell onto the bed beside him with a flirtatious grin. “And whatever will we do to pass the time?”

“I suggest you take a nap,” he smirked. “It'll give me a chance for some peace and quiet.”

Zoe waved him off. “Eh, peace and quiet is overrated!” But she took Eli’s advice and got comfortable on the old bed. They sat in comfortable silence as time dragged on and on, with no sign of the storm relenting.

“Eli,” she said, tapping his shoulder. “I think we’ll have to spend the night here.”

“I think you’re right,” he said, running a hand down his face. “Even if it passes soon, it will be too dangerous to be outside in these woods at night.”

“Why don’t you lie down and get some rest, too?"

He turned to her, and even in the dim lighting, she could see a faint trace of a smile on Eli.

“I’ll pass,” he replied. “One bed is one thing, but one pillow and one blanket...”

“What do you think I’m going to do, Eli? Bite you,” She grabbed his arm and made little growling sounds, pretending she was biting him. “I’m not a zombie, you know.”

“No, you’re not,” he smiled, laying on his back beside her. “But you are incorrigible!”

“Some people find that charming!”

As Eli stared at the ceiling, his jaw tight, he did his best to deny that he was among those people. Then an exceptionally loud thunder strike shook the cabin, and Zoe instinctively grabbed onto Eli. He lifted his arm, awkwardly holding it inches away from her body, but when he felt her heart thumping against him, he gently held her. Patting her back with reassurance.

“It’s just thunder, Zoe. We’re safe here.”

He attempted to nudge her off, but Zoe only clung to him tighter. With her head resting against his chest, the warmth of their bodies pressed together was a welcome comfort for both. Eli struggled to resist, but his icy resolve began to melt.

“You know, Eli,” she whispered. “You don’t always have to be tough.”

She felt him swallow as he took his time to answer. “It’s just who I am,” he replied, his voice softer than usual.

“Well,” she replied, holding him tight. “I think there’s more to you than that, and you don’t have to hide it from me.”

Eli's body tensed at first, but within seconds, it relaxed. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, Zoe could hear the smile in his voice.

The storm raged on, and eventually, they both drifted off to sleep. By morning, the world looked much different. Sunlight streamed through the rain-speckled windows, gently waking them. Zoe lay on her side facing the wall, with Eli’s arm encircling her and his head resting on her shoulder. A smile spread across her face, and she gently shifted to wake him.

“Good morning,” she beamed as Eli jerked his arm away. “I never took you for a cuddler,” she teased.

“It was cold!” He insisted, clearing his throat as he jumped to his feet. “We needed to keep warm. Besides, I was asleep. I... I didn’t know what I was doing!”

“Relax,” Zoe chuckled, rising to her feet beside him. “I don't mind. Besides, we can just add this to our list of little secrets... something just for the two of us.”

Eli snorted, stopping himself from a full laugh. “Did I mention you were incorrigible?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she hummed, “luckily for me, you find that charming.”

(I miss Eli x Zoe!!! Thanks for the ask!)

@choicesficwriterscreations

Tagging to others separately.

[julia-highstorms]

Eli - short series (Eli x Kiera (F!MC))

Summary: Eli Sipes reflects on the important people of his life.

Author’s note: this is the Part Two of a three part short series in which Eli reminisces about his childhood and adolescence (represented by the figure of Riya, his best friend), his young adult years until he met Kiera and the others (represented by David, his younger brother) and about the present and his future (Kiera).

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios.

Rating: +18 - mature themes (tw: violence, character death, gore)

Pairing: Eli Sipes x Kiera Tomoe (F!MC) - Wake the Dead masterlist

Word count: +2.1K

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

Part Two: David

A bit after the Patels tried to go to the Tower, the Sipes decided that it was better to find someplace farther from the city. There were just too many zombies everywhere.

So, one day while hunting, Dad found a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. He and the boys looked around the perimeter of the abandoned place. There were no zombies around, nor people. It looked like it had been abandoned way before the breakout even happened.

Maybe it was their lucky day.

Obviously, they would eventually come - they always came -, but the Sipes would be able to prepare themselves better and have a 360º view of the surroundings, with no buildings around. It was easier to spot a zombie through the trees than behind houses.

They came back home to tell Mom and they promptly moved there; it wasn't like anyone was going to miss it.

As soon as things were settled, the woman set a routine: everyday, the boys would wake up just before dawn and secure the perimeter. 

Since the house was old, they would need to reform part of it. So, they would go after materials that the house needed during the day.

In the afternoon, they would train archery and physical fight.

During the evening, the boys would go on a scavenger hunt for food and medicines, while Mom and Dad improved the house.

They would check the perimeter once again before going to sleep, and they would make rounds: while two of them slept, the other two stood guard in case something happened.

And they would all be awake just before dawn.

Eli got used to that routine fairly quickly and, before he realised, years passed like that. He and David became young adults and learned to do practically everything: from fishing to dissection.

Naturally, Mom and Dad were growing older, so they didn't have as much energy or strength to go hunt with them, so Eli and David started doing it by themselves when they were old enough to take care of themselves.

To Eli, that lifestyle was just fine. It was either that or die, in his head. But it hadn't been as simple to David. Whenever he could, he would bury his face in books. Ever since they were kids, Mom and Dad would say that Eli was more practical, while David was more logical. Mom always joked that Eli was more similar to her, while David was just like Dad, personality wise.

Despite the tough life, always trying to survive all the time, the Sipes found safety and happiness - on their own way - amongst chaos, and were always close and tight. 

…Until that fatidical day.

---

They had been living in that cabin for 8 years when tragedy happened.

And, even though it's been years since they had moved in, that place still needed some adjustments. So they decided that David should stay with their parents to help with the roof, while Eli would hunt for food.

Eli saw the relief in his younger brother's face; Dave never really liked wandering into the woods.

As he came back a few hours later with his bag full of cans - as he found an abandoned market miles away -, Eli noticed the smell of blood and rotten flesh becoming stranger as he approached the perimeter of their cabin.

He immediately started running and corpses and corpses of drones started showing everywhere.

"Dave!" - he shouted carelessly as he saw the lone figure of his brother sitting by the porch. The young man looked into him, tears running down his face, his clothes soaked in pitch black blood.

"E-Eli…" - David murmured, with their dad's gun still in his hand.

Eli approached with hurried steps, but before he got any closer, his younger brother stopped him.

"D-don't come near me…" - the eldest noticed how he kept on averting his eyes to his arm, so bloodied that they could hardly see it. But Eli noticed that the spilling blood was deep red.

His heart stopped for a second as he realised that it was his brother's own blood.

"Did you get bit? Where are Mom and Da–"

"I-I can't, Eli, I can't." - David murmured, shaking his head. - "I can't do it by myself. I'm sorry. I can't." - He sobbed so hard that his entire body shaked. - "Please, Eli… he-help me… I can't do it."

They both knew what he meant by his words.

Gulping hard and feeling a hole growing into his chest, Eli gently took the gun from his hand as they both sat on the ground.

"It's okay, Dave…" - He took a deep breath. - "I-I am your big brother and I'll always look out for you. I'm sorry I wasn't around when… everything happened, but I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay. I'll take care of it."

David nodded and hugged Eli tightly, like he would do when they were kids and he would feel scared, whether it was climbing a rolled coaster or watching a horror movie. With a lump in his throat, Eli hugged his little brother back. He felt David's tears wetting his shirt as he buried his face on his shoulder. 

With the gun in high hand weighing a ton, Eli aligned it against his brother's temple.

And pulled the trigger.

He hugged David's corpse for an eternity. He pulled him down to the porch, his empty eyes staring at him. David wasn't shaking anymore.

Eli closed his eyes.

And then, even though his ears were still ringing due to the shot, he heard it. A groan. From inside the cabin.

He slowly raised to his feet and, still armed with Dad's gun, entered the cabin, making no sound. 

It was a mess inside, furniture trashed, shattered objects on the floor along with some drones corpses. A trail of blood leading to the kitchen, where he could hear some noises coming from  there.

As if someone was devouring something. Or someone.

Holding his breath, he approached the room.

He would never forget that scene for as long as he lived. Mom and Dad were there.

The smell of blood hit his nostrils hard and he recognized Dad's shoes underneath a pile of drones as they ate from his flesh. A few feet away, Mom was still barely alive, cornered by two drones, shoving a knife onto their faces. The trail of blood he had seen from the living room was hers, as he noticed blood gushing out from the open wound in her leg. 

Not thinking twice, he shot the two drones nearest her in the head.

"E-Eli!" - she murmured, realising that he was there. 

The drones over Dad turned to him with bared teeth. He shot one of them in the head before it approached him. But the next drone was too close to Eli. He cursed through gritted teeth and hit it with the back of the gun, so hard that a loud crack could be heard as his fist collided with the zombie's skull. It stumbled back, shrieking in pain, but the man was faster, and Eli grabbed one of his spare arrows and dug it into the undead's eye socket.

As soon as the second drone's lifeless body hit the floor, Eli turned around to face the third zombie, but it was already on the floor.

He saw Mom stepping on the drone with one foot, her knife buried into its throat. One last spasm coursed through the drone's body before it stopped moving.

They both panted heavily as silence fell, all drones finally gone. Mom suddenly fell onto the floor, but Eli caught her before she hit her head on the counter.

"Mo–"

"Do it." - she said, her voice weak. Eli felt that same pain from before, when he shot David, coming back in an instant. He looked at his mother's face, who stared back at him. Her skin was covered in sweat. - "You know you have to do it, Eli."

"Mom, please…"

"There's no other way, you know it." - she looked at where her husband's remains were left on the floor, now just a mess on the floor. - "I won't become one of those bastards that did it to your father and brother."

"How do you know that David–"

"I heard the shot from before and then you came in alone." - they were both crying now. - "Hurry up, Eli, we don't have much time. Let's end with this already. I'm a goner, anyway." - she showed him her wounded leg. The skin around the bite was starting to become greyish.

He gulped, but nodded. Mom sat with her back against the wall as he slowly stood up.

"I love you, my son."

"I… I love you too, Mom."

"Promise me you'll survive."

He nodded and then she closed her eyes.

Eli leveled Dad's gun, the tears in his eyes almost making it impossible to see as his vision blurred.

And then, one last shot could be heard.

Mom's dead body plumped to the side, a bullet buried right in the center of her forehead.

Eli Sipes was completely alone.

---

The next few hours were just a blur in his memory. He did everything in autopilot mode. He faintly remembered setting all three drones corpses outside the cabin. At least the fire would prevent new drones from coming nearer.

Then, he took the corpses from inside out and did the same. He watched as the flames engulfed the remains of his parents and his brother. The smell of blood and burning flesh filled the air. The smoke burned in his throat and eyes, but Eli couldn't care less. If the flames wanted to get him too, he wouldn't mind.

His world was over anyway.

He was alone now. Completely alone. It didn't matter if he lived or died. There was no one to come back home to. 

First Riya. And now, Mom, Dad and David. They were all gone.

Eli stayed in a trance, those obsessive thoughts spiralling inside his mind, until all was left was just ashes, the fire long gone.

He reluctantly stood up and returned to his empty, cold home alone.

It didn't matter if he lived or died anyway. But he was alive. Maybe today wasn't his doomsday.

He didn't know why, but life decided to spare him. Or maybe punish him.

Either way, he was the only survivor. He might as well take that as a sign and make the most of it, keep on surviving. For the memory of his late family. For Mom, Dad, David and Riya.

As both a gift and a punishment. 

He had promised Mom that he would survive.

It took days to clean the house from that genocide. It never really felt like a home after it too. Eli might have slowly adjusted to that life all by himself, although he never fully got used to coming back to an empty house. But life went on and he went with it. 

When you're only living in survival mode, time can pass pretty fast, but dreadfully slow too. And when you're all by yourself, being the sole survival of your family, those intrusive thoughts come haunting you every night. What if he stayed home that day? Would they all have survived? Would he have died with them? Why didn't he stay at home that day? Why did he have to go out? Was there any salvation? Would maybe at least one of them be alive now?

And then, three years passed by…

---

Summer was coming in a month. Night had already fallen and Eli was back to his cabin after some food hunting and watched the drones near his property, moving among the trees. He had noticed that, around that time of the years, the number of zombies seemed to multiply and he didn't know why.

And then, faintly he heard a strange noise surging from somewhere behind the trees. The wailing sound turned louder and louder. That certainly was being used to attract drones, as they suddenly started running m, following the alien sound. 

Eli didn't like it not even a bit and left the cabin fully equipped, arc in hand.

As he knew those woods for years, he easily blended behind bushes and disguised in the shadows, avoiding the drones' attention.

After a minute, he saw a small group of people running, coming near, surrounded by a much larger group of zombies. 

The young woman ahead of the group got trapped by one of them. She tried to fight back, but that wicked thing was stronger. 

Eli aimed and shot the arrow. It landed perfectly into the drone's eye socket. Then, with swift and precise moves, he loosen another arrow, taking down another zombie. 

The group of strangers watched in shocked surprise as he fired again and again, until there were no zombies left, half-dozen drones lying in heaps on the ground around them.

"Wow, thank you… That was…" - he heard the strange woman talking to him. 

He turned around to face her, knocking another arrow and aiming it directly at her heart.

"Leave, or the next one's for you."

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Tagging: @smetje24689 @gipsydanger17 @calliope-luve @euphorichappiness10 @tinfoilhat2719  @banirareiko @jerzwriter @choicesficwriterscreations - if you’d like to be tagged on my upcoming Eli x Kiera fanfics, let me know  

[aprilchallenge]

Fics of the week

Open Heart

Characters involved: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Sienna Trinh

Day One (1/?) 🌸 @liaromancewriter

Characters involved: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Sienna Trinh

Day One (2/?) 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee) feat. Tobias Carrick

A Different Fate...Part 2 - Ethan's POV 💐 @jerzwriter

Characters involved: Open Heart // f!MC (Celia Moore), Sienna Trinh

Midnight Talks 🌼 @trappedinfanfiction

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

Beautiful Stranger 🌹 @liaromancewriter

TRR

Pairing: None. Kid!Liam with the head chefs of the palace, really (OCs, though Anais has been mentioned in canon)

B(re)aking Bread 🌼 @lizzybeth1986

Pairing: Queen Eleanor & Prince Leo + Liam (mother-sons/siblings), Leo x Damien (mentioned in RoE) (romantic), Liam & Jason (OC) (platonic).

Eleanor's Kitchen - Chapter 4: Garídes Saganáki 🪷 @lizzybeth1986

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Sophia (Sophie) 

Marabelle 🌻 @tessa-liam

-4- The Beaumont Bash 

- Mature -

Pairing: Liam x Savannah 

Estranged 🥀 @twinkleallnight

Artwork & Edits

Open Heart

Characters involved: Sienna Trinh and Victoria Clarke

In the woods 🌺 @potionsprefect

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

Bubble T 🌼 @jerzwriter

Artwork 🖼️ + fic

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Flipping Love 🌹 @storyofmychoices

Wake the Dead

Artwork 🖼️

Pairing: Eli Sipes x F!MC (Zoe Rivera)

A Capy Ending, indeed 🌷 @jerzwriter

[jerzwriter]

The Morning

I promised myself I'd expand on my Eli x Zoe headcanon as we do the Wake the Dead reread; before too much time slips away, I decided to finally get started. This is an expansion/reimagination of the chat Eli and Zoe had by the fireplace on their first night in the lodge. Some of this dialogue is directly from the story. I hope you enjoy it.

Book: Wake the Dead Pairing: Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) Words: 1,600 Rating: Teen Warnings: Mentions of death, loss Summary: When Zoe can't fall asleep on their first night in the lodge, she joins Eli at the fireplace and realizes he has more than one reason for being awake as well. A/N: @choicesjanuary2024 Day 31 - Beginnings, starting over. Double dipping in @choicesfebruary2024 - Eli & Zoe are at the very early stages of Philia/Friendship love, and they're on their way to Ludus/Flirtatious love, though Zoe will make that journey much quicker than Eli! Pragma (practical love) and Philautia self-love) fit in a little, too, but not as much. :)

Wake the Dead Masterlist | Full Masterlist

She’d blame the wind. The wind whipping against the rickety eaves overhead would be assigned fault if anyone asked why she was awake. But as she gazed blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above, Zoe knew the wind would be falsely accused. Sitting up from the cold, wood floor, she stretched her arms over her head with a soft groan. She’d never thought much of her lumpy mattress back at The Tower, but compared to this, it may as well have been a cloud. She looked around the darkened room, subconsciously counting the bodies sleeping in their makeshift beds one by one, and the pit in her stomach grew when she was done. It wasn’t a nightmare; Ana, the one constant in her life, the person she loved above all else, was really gone. She watched over the others, not with anger, but envy. How did they do it? How could they just fall asleep when nothing in her world would ever be the same again.

A loud pop from a log crackling in the fireplace pulled her gaze in its direction. That’s when she saw Eli staring blankly into the fire, a forlorn look that matched the sentiment in her heart washed over his countenance. He said he’d watch over them as they slept, but it didn’t take much for Zoe to realize that wasn’t the only reason he was awake. Sliding out from under the dusty old quilt she had found, she quietly made her way over and sat across from the relative stranger.

“Hey,” she said with the slightest trace of a grin.

“Hey,” he replied, his eyes never retracting from the dancing flames. “You should be asleep.”

“So should you,” she countered.

The unspoken dare commanded his attention, taking him out of the trance he was in. His eyes lifted toward her, but in a moment, they were back on the ochre flames.

“Someone’s gotta keep watch,” he droned, voice devoid of emotion.

“True, but I’m awake now. So why don’t you get some sleep?”

A tiny smile crept across her face when Eli didn’t budge.  

“Yeah, I thought so,” she replied smugly. “I appreciate you keeping watch, but that’s not the only reason you’re awake. Is it?”

“It’s just...” he sighed wearily. “It’s been a long day.”

Sensing the sadness in his voice, Zoe felt compelled to look away. Gazing down at her hands, she picked at a torn cuticle as the minutes ticked away.

“It sure has,” she whispered. “I’m sorry about your cabin.”

“It had to be done,” he said with a shrug, but the pain in his eyes told another story. “It wasn’t safe there anymore.”

“Still, if you hadn’t helped us, then....”

Eli silenced her with a wave of his hand.

“What’s done is done.”  He closed his eyes, and memories ushered him back in time. Zoe swore she saw a hint of a smile on his lips, but it was gone the moment his eyes opened. “Someone I used to know always said, ‘Don’t’ sit in a pile of should.’ We did what we had to do... all of us. There’s no use lamenting it.”

He reached into his pocket and removed the papers Zoe saved. Unfolding them with care, his face visibly softening as he read.  

“If you don’t mind me asking... what are they?”

“They’re schedules. Lists of chores and when to do them. My parents put them together for me and my brother,” he held a page in her direction. “This is my parent’s handwriting... and those scribbles? That’s where my kid brother tried to cross his chores out, hoping no one would notice.”

“Did it work?” Zoe smiled.

“With my parents? Not a chance! They never missed a thing.” He was silent for a long while. “Seeing their handwriting always brings me back.”

Zoe earnestly studied Eli. “Life must have been so much different for you. Growing up in The Tower, everything was so cold and regimented. I can’t imagine growing up in a home with a family...” Now, it was her words that slipped away.

“Everything has its advantages... and disadvantages, I suppose.”

“Yeah, but I bet your chores were more fun than sifting through moldy garbage searching for scrap metal.”

“Fun’s not the word I’d use. But it kept us alive... kept food on the table.”

“So tell me what it was like,” she asked, unaware of the genuine smile that had come to her face. “What was the first thing you did when you woke up in the morning.”

“Perimeter check. Make sure no drones had broken in during the night.” He chuckled to himself, remembering Zoe’s reaction when he pointed out she didn't know how to clear a room earlier that day. He wasn't making that mistake again. “I suppose I can show you how to do that in the morning.”

“Ha ha,” she replied, shooting him a sarcastic yet warm look. “And after that... what did you do next?”

Eli rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Probably checked the traps to see if we caught anything over night. If we did, it was a good day. Spared us the trouble of hunting.”

“Hunting? Eww,” she flinched. “I’m starting to understand the appeal of ration bars. Less brutality, less work.”

“Yeah,” he said with... was that a smile, “but not nearly as tasty.”

He turned his eyes back to the papers, his calloused fingers tracing the words. As he drifted into another world, Zoe inched closer.

“I’m surprised that’s what you wanted saved. Of all the things in the cabin, that was most important to you.”

“Everything in that cabin was important to me, and there were undoubtedly things that could have been more useful to us. But this... this is a part of them...”

“Is...” she hesitated. “Is your family... gone?”

Her words didn’t register at first, but when they did, he folded the papers and tucked them away in his pocket. Shooting a stern gaze her way.

“You shouldn’t have gone back for this. You put yourself at risk. The place was crawling with zombies; you could have been killed.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t,” Zoe smirked. “And I don’t think we should sit in a pile of “could” any more than we should sit in a pile of “should.”

Eli’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. He laughed, and Zoe couldn’t understand why, but it filled her with warmth. She wasn’t sure of many things at this uncertain time, but she was sure that she wanted to make him laugh again.

“It doesn’t work as well that way,” he sighed. “See, sitting in a pile of should is a play on words... like sitting in a pile of sh.... you know. Never mind. I appreciate you doing this for me. It was very brave and very stupid.”

“And very worth it,” she said, their eyes meeting for a split second. “Now you have something to remember them by. I’d give anything to have something of Ana’s...” her voice cracked.

Eli looked over at Dirk, fast asleep on the couch, Ana’s knapsack serving as a pillow. “There has to be something in there?”

“Yeah,” Zoe whispered sadly. “He doesn't know it, but I’m stealing that fucker back from him.”

“Let me know when,” Eli smiled. “I’ll be happy to help. I really am very sorry about your sister... I... I know how that feels."

“Thanks,” Zoe looked away. “I suppose all our days are numbered, but when I woke yesterday... it was my birthday! It was my first day as a scout; I hadn't been that excited in so long... who knew I'd be running from The Tower that night... who knew I'd lose Ana,” she swallowed hard, doing all in her power to fight back tears. “I don’t know how I will survive without her.”

“Look, I know we just met, but I can tell you’re strong. I can see your resilience. You’ll get through it. It won’t be easy, and the pain will never fully go away. But the days will pass, and little by little, you’ll see...  you’ll survive.”

“Survive,” she scoffed. “Sure, I’ll survive. But I had hoped that someday, I might actually live.”

“Well, that part’s up to you.”  

“Have you lived?” She asked. “Since you lost your family...

“You should probably try to get some sleep, Zoe.”

“Ooorrr... you could just tell me you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Two things can be true at the same time,” he smirked.

“Fine,” she grumbled, heading back to her spot on the floor. She turned around, surprised to find him watching her. “Just one more question.”

Eli looked up with a raised brow.

“Why did you decide to join us?”

“What choice did I have?”

“Oh, you had a choice. You said you’ve been alone for a while; you could have continued and found a place on your own. Something tells me you would have been just fine on your own, Eli Sipes. So why come along with this ragtag bunch?”  

“I figured it would be easier to survive in a group.”

“Survive,” she replied with sarcasm. “How about living, Eli?”

“I haven’t lived in a long, long time.”

“Hmm,” Zoe shrugged. “That could change. I guess that part’s up to you.”

Who was this woman throwing his words back at him... and why did he find it endearing instead of infuriating. A puff of air escaped him as he shook his head. “You know I don’t completely dislike you – why don’t you go to sleep before that changes.”

“Oh, you like me,” she teased. “You may be too stubborn to admit it yet, but you do. And I don’t blame you... I’m adorable!”

“Good night, Zoe.”

“Good night, Eli. I’ll see you in the morning.”

@choicesficwriterscreations @wakethedead-group-re-read

Tagging others separately

[jerzwriter]

A Touch of Magic

The residents of Olympus celebrate their second winter celebration, and there is a bit of disagreement over how to make the day magical.

Book: Wake the Dead Pairing: Eli Sipes x F!MC (Zoe Rivera) Featuring: Troy Hassan Words: 950 Rating: Teen T/W: Some mentions of loss A/N: Participating in @choicesficwriterscreations Holiday Event and @choicesholidays "I'm thankful for you..." and @choicesdecember2023 Winter Solstice (because that's what they're actually celebrating, even though they call it Christmas.)

Thank you to @cariantha for this prompt! :)

Zoe was just running up to her bedroom to get a sweater. That’s all she wanted to do... but leave it to him to stop her in her tracks. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned to her best friend.

“Troy, what are you doing?”

“Making magic! Here,” he yanked a piece of wood from under the fireplace and handed it to Zoe with a grin so joyful it softened Zoe’s heart and probably prevented her from hitting him with the two-by-four. “Hold this, and you can be part of it, too.”

“Troy, No. No... put this back, you’re not taking this...”

She stopped when she heard Eli’s footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Oh, this should be fun,” she said sarcastically when she spotted her boyfriend's scowl.

“Hassan! What the HELL are you doing?”

“I just asked the same thing," Zoe shrugged.

“And he said?”  

“Making... magic,” she sassed.

“Yes! Magic... you’re both familiar with it, no?”

Zoe let out a tiny snicker. “Well, I mean only when we....”

“ZOE!” A mortified Eli interrupted, sending her into a fit of giggles.

“No!” Troy grinned. “Please, continue... I have a feeling this is quite a story.”

“You also think it will distract us from the issue at hand,” Eli stated. “But it won’t. So, I repeat... what are you doing?”

“Didn’t you hear the kids before? They were reading that old book and said there was no way Santa would show up if the chimney was blocked. So, I’m unblocking it.”

“You understand there is no Santa, right Troy?” Eli deadpanned. “The only thing that will crawl down that chimney will be a zombie.”

“It’s the middle of winter,” Troy scoffed. “There is hardly any zombie activity.”

“Hardly doesn’t mean none,” Zoe reminded. “We had two just outside the grounds last week. We can’t risk it.”

“She’s right. The main fireplace stays in use; the others have to stay blocked for our safety.”

“But the kids...” Troy whined.

“Really?” Zoe asked with a raised brow. “Why do I feel like we’re not talking about the kids anymore.”

Eli nodded in agreement. “So, I reiterate. You realize there is no such thing as Santa, right, Hassan?”

Disappointed, Troy sat down in front of the fireplace and sulked.

“I’m aware, but I wish there was.”

The sad tone of his voice was impossible to miss, and a concerned Zoe was quickly at his side. “What’s going on, Troy?” She asked, placing a comforting arm around his shoulder. “You can talk to me.”

“I just... I wish the world was better for them, that’s all. I hardly remember my life before the outbreak anymore, but I have flickers of memories from Christmas. My parents took me to the mall to have my picture taken with Santa... all the presents when I woke up on Christmas morning. These kids... they’ll never know that.”

“That’s true,” Eli acknowledged, his voice much more supportive. “But on an up note, unlike us, they have no memory of it. You can’t miss what you never had.”

“He’s right,” Zoe agreed. “And we do all we can to bring some joy to their lives. Look at the beautiful tree we decorated together. When we sit around it at night and Eli plays the guitar and all of us sing together, I can see the wonder on their faces. And you help to bring that to them, Troy. You're their big, goofy uncle."

“They do look happy, don't they?" He smiled. " And it beats anything we had growing up at The Tower."

“We're baking cookies tomorrow night, and Zoe and Shannon were able to make little gifts for each child. It may not be the way we see in old books and movies, but the kids of Olympus probably have it better than any other kids living post-outbreak.”

“You’re right,” Troy smiled sadly. “Sometimes I just wish....”

“We all wish,” Zoe replied shakily. “I wish Anna was here to see what we created every day of my life.”

Troy clasped his friend’s hand as she fought back tears. 

“And I wish my family would have met all of you. They would have loved this place. My dad would have dressed up as Santa, no question. And Ma would have been so happy. She would have been blubbering half the month of December. And David,” Eli's voice cracked. “David would have loved this... and he would have loved you... they all would have.”

Zoe waved Eli over, and he sat on her other side. Then, the three huddled together in silence for a brief moment.

“We’ve all lost so much, but we have to focus on how blessed we are,” Zoe stated. “Because we really are so fortunate.”

“We are,” Troy agreed. “And we’re all family now.”

“Damn straight we are,” Eli said with a half-smile.

“OK,” Zoe said, wiping tears from her cheeks. “As lovely as this is... let’s repair this damage here, Troy... before a drone gets in and really steals our magic.”

“Let them fucking try,” Troy smirked. He lifted a hammer and turned to his friends. “Why don’t you two go. I’m the one who did the damage. I’ll fix it up. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

“Nope,” Eli said, placing the wood back in place. “This is what family does, Hassan. We help each other out, and when we’re done, we’ll all go do something fun together.”

“I still can’t get over it,” Troy laughed. “Eli Sipes has a heart and he likes fun! I will never get over this softer side of you, pal.”

“Troy,” Eli grumbled. “I have a hammer in my hand, too... don’t push your luck.”

“OK, boys!” Zoe clapped. “If you can’t finish your chores without fighting, there will be no cookies for you tomorrow.”

“And there goes the magic,” Troy smiled.

“Yeah,” Eli agreed. “We better get to work because I'm not missing out on this."

Tagging separately.

A/N 2: For those of you who are familiar with HBO's The Last of US, I really imagine Olympus to be similar to Jackson. They've built a little community that is far from perfect, and they still face plenty of challenges, but it's a little slice of normalcy in a world filled with horror.

Thanks for reading!

[jerzwriter]

Honestly, you're an absolute pleasure to work with, and I will let the work speak for itself.

Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) / Wake the Dead - for my fic Comfort and Joy. You perfectly captured a very poignant moment!

Eli Sipes & Family (OCs: David, James, and Florence Sipes) / Wake the Dead - This will forever be a favorite of mine! (And I should let you know, @lilyoffandoms DM'd me for days gushing over this, so it's not just me!) I remember explaining Eli's family met a tragic end. He had no one and now has almost nothing to remember them by. Zoe is an excellent artist, just like his brother was. She listen when Eli talks and drew this based on his descriptions. This was his Christmas gift in the fic Comfort & Joy. So this was a picture of a picture, and - God - you just blew this away!

Eli and David Sipes - Wake the Dead - This is from canon - David (and his parents) are attacked by zombies, and when Eli comes home to find them, he has to kill them before they begin turning. It's an act of mercy, but can you imagine? I wrote the backstory and wanted someone to capture Eli and David's tragic last moments together, and you were the only one I wanted to do it - and look what you did! This is painful - but it's supposed to be. You captured the pain, the horror, and the love. <3

Olivia Hadley (F!OC) and Casey MacTavish (F!MC) - Open Heart

Lastly, this was commissioned by @storyofmychoices for a fandom event - it's her beautiful OC Olivia Hadley and my MC Casey MacTavish - we have several AU fics where these two are buddies, and look how perfectly precious this is!

So, my feedback? You are incredible, and I can't wait to work with you again soon!

Hello my dears ❤️

Hope you're having a great day and you'll have a wonderful week!

I'm still having troubles with notifications, especially tags. So please, forgive me if I didn't reply to you or didn't see your posts at all 😭 hope it will get better soon...

But I'm here to ask you for a favour: if you see this and you had a commission by me, I would appreciate SO MUCH to have a feedback. It can be about my work, the way I menage the commission or anything you could possibly think 🥰

It doesn't have to be positive, it just has to be true so I can get better and change what doesn't work for you!

Thanks again for all your support, love you ✨

[jerzwriter]

Tension

This magnificent artwork was a commission from the incredible @/artbyainna. This left me breathless! Look at that lighting! Look at them! I love seeing my little people come to life!

I hope you enjoy this beautiful piece, and the accompanying story too! It's nice to take a little break from the angst in my WTD World.

Book:                Wake the Dead

Pairing:            Eli Sipes x F!MC (Zoe Rivera); feat. Troy Hassan

Rating:             Teen

Category:        Fluff / Friends to lovers / Pining

Summary:       On a rare afternoon of respite, the colonists all find a way to unwind... except for Eli and Zoe. Taking the opportunity to perfect their skills leaves them anything but relaxed.

Words:             2035

A/N:   I imagine this scene to take place just before the trip to the amusement park in Chapter 10. These two are fighting a hell of a lot more than zombies. :) Participating in @choicesjanuarychallenge - Day 17 - Relax

WTD Masterlist Full Masterlist

It was an unusually quiet afternoon at the lodge. The colonist’s hard work had paid off: fortifications and watch crews were keeping the drones at bay, and the gardens and livestock left the pantry full. With daily chores out of the way,  most were free to enjoy a rare afternoon of tranquility.

Troy reclined on one of the couches, humming quietly as he took in the scene around him. Shannon sat nearby, gripping an old magazine she had found as if it were the holy grail. Published around the time of the outbreak’s start, she was adamant it could contain something to help her research. In a distant corner, Minna was setting up a table with May, who was eagerly prepping a tea party for her stuffed animals. Seeing his friends relaxed and experiencing joy… just as he was… brought a smile to his face. And then… there was Eli….

Troy fully expected to find him crouched in front of the fireplace, working on his bow or doing something else… productive. To Troy’s dismay, that’s how Eli defined “resting.” But today, Troy was amused, watching his friend surreptitiously as he hurriedly walked in and out of the room at least half a dozen times. Stretching his neck in every direction, Eli was definitely searching for something. Troy could have asked what he was looking for… as if he didn’t already know… but this was much more fun. Entertainment like this didn’t come along daily, and Troy wasn’t about to let it end too quickly. But on Eli’s sixth go-round, Troy took pity on him.

“Looking for something, Eli?”

Eli turned gruffly in his direction. “What makes you say that?”

“You’ve been in and out of here six times… you’re either looking for something or working up the nerve to ask me to take my night watch shift tonight… any chance on that?” Troy begged, using his best puppy-dog eyes. They might have worked on half of the colonists in Olympus but on Eli… not a chance.

“Keep dreaming, Hassan.”

“So then you are looking for something….” Troy winked. “Or better yet, someone….”

“I didn’t say I was. I….”

“She went outside… mentioned something about going to the range for target practice on the one afternoon we get some downtime!”  Troy shook his head with disgust and pointed a finger Eli’s way. “I hold you responsible for this! She used to be fun. Now, look at her!”

Eli did his best to suppress a smirk. Shrugging his shoulders, he strode past his lounging friend.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he replied straight-faced.

“Yeah, my ass,” Troy yelled after him. 

“Troy… I will never be looking for your ass,” he mocked before heading out the front door.

The moment the fresh air hit him, his feet carried him swiftly in the direction of the range. He was moving at twice his normal speed, though there was no need to rush. No drones were on the property, and no one needed immediate protection. His chores were done, so he wasn’t completing a task. Still, just the slightest bit faster, the man would have been running. Even the elders from Sunflower Creek seated on the porch commented on it. Eli couldn’t help but overhear… then his mind went into overdrive.

This is just how he walked, he tried to convince himself. There was nothing suspicious about it. He was headed to practice himself and wanted to get there before the sun went down. Of course, the sun wasn’t setting for another five hours… but still. There was no reason to be suspect. None at all.

As he neared the range, he could hear the twang of her bow as an arrow released, then seconds later, the dull thud of a target being hit. He waited patiently for the next sound; there could only be one of two outcomes… and a smile crossed his lips when it was the one he had hoped for.

“Yes!” Zoe cheered. Followed but a string of happy little noises Eli couldn’t describe if he tried.

But another sound broadened his smile and made his heart race…. silence. She was alone, and while he’d reprimand her for being unsafe later, for now, he was delighted… Zoe all to himself. He almost surrendered to the rush that washed over him, but without warning, that voice was back in his head. 

What does it matter if she’s alone? She’s not why I’m here. I’m going to practice. Zoe being here is good because we can offer each other tips. If someone else was there, that would just be more input. This means nothing. Nothing at all. His head may have listened, but his heart hadn’t heard a word, and Eli cursed it for continuing to hammer in his chest. This. Meant. Nothing.

Zoe was startled when she heard footsteps approaching through the brush, raising her bow in preparation.

“It’s me,” Eli hollered, “Don’t shoot.”

Her bright smile appeared naturally when she saw who it was, but she quickly turned it into a coy little smirk by her own design.

“Not so much fun to be on the other side. Is it, Mr. Sipes?”

“Are we ever going to stop talking about that?” he deadpanned, but Zoe was astute, and she didn’t miss the smile in his eyes.

“Absolutely never!”

He walked blithely past her and settled down on a large rock to prepare his bow. Zoe’s eyes trailed his every move, returning to shooting? It wasn’t even a thought. She didn’t flinch when he looked up, catching her in the act, and only a slight blush rose to her cheeks when he raised his eyebrows in question.

“Yes? Do you need something?”

“Oh… so, so many things,” she chirped, not missing a beat.

His lips twitched as he turned back to his bow, looking anyplace but at her. He tested the strings before standing.

“It sounded like you had a good shoot when I was walking down here.”

“Of course I did! I’m good!” she boasted, chest sticking out with pride… how he tried not to notice.

“Yes,” he chuckled, and now her heart was racing. She couldn’t describe how she felt when she made Mr. Grumpy laugh or smile, breaking that cold façade. All she knew was it was intoxicating, and each time it happened, she desperately craved more. “You are good,” he continued. “Very good. One day, you may even be great.”

“Oh,” she teased, slinking over in his direction. “And what’s standing between me and greatness?”

He all but lost his ability to think, though he knew he needed to come up with a response. He could just turn around and aim for the target, ignoring what she had just said, but at the moment… he had forgotten how.

“I.. uh… I mean… you…”

“Don’t worry,” Zoe laughed. “I know what I need… even if you don’t.”

“Oh, and what is it that you need?”

“I need to perfect my shot with a standard bow,” she offered immediately, “That’s why I’m here. Most of my training back at the tower was with a crossbow, and I rock the crossbow. But there are differences, and I want to improve there.”

“There are differences. And lucky for you, the traditional bow is my specialty.”

“Oh, I know,” she winked. “That’s why this is my lucky day.”

Her heart fluttered when he smiled again, she could tell he was trying to fight it, but he didn’t stand a chance. Again, she was left yearning.

“Come over here,” he demanded, and she quickly complied. “Now, get into stance. Remember, your feet need to be parallel to the shooting line.”

Zoe glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “I’m not a complete idiot, Eli.”

“I didn’t suggest… I’m just taking it from the top!”

“And I’m just teasing you,” she giggled.

“Zoe, if you want to perfect your shot, you should take it more seriously.”

For a split second, she almost felt embarrassed, but only for a second. Her sass was quick to return.

“And if you want me to perfect my shot, perhaps you should show me and just bark orders,” she goaded.

“Fine!”

She assumed he’d get into position, raise his bow, and pull the string with godlike precision. They’d watch his arrow fly through the air like the work of art it was until it hit his desired target… dead on. That’s what she thought would happen. Instead, she gasped silently when she felt his hands on her waist.

“Get into position,” he commanded, and her mind went numb.

Somehow, she managed to raise her bow. Her shirt rose a bit when she lifted her arms. Suddenly the sensation of the rough pads of his fingers brushing against the delicate skin took her breath away.

“Now, turn a little more. Just like this,” he instructed, twisting her the slightest bit to the side.

She wondered if he felt like she did right now, and if her heart wasn’t thumping, she would have felt his pounding against her back. For his part, being this close to her was doing things he hadn’t fully expected; the feeling was overwhelming. But Eli’s game face was unrivaled, and, despite the longing of every fiber of his being, he presented a somber, almost stone-like effect.

“Now, relax your knees….”

Was he kidding? If she relaxed her knees, she was quite confident she’d dissolve into a puddle at his feet.

“Right… relax…” she muttered. 

She was flustered, and he saw it. A chill ran throughout his body, and Eli was uncertain. Was he winning or losing?  

“Your shoulders should be a little more in line with your bow arm,” he began, “and you want to use your back muscles to aim….”

He hadn’t finished his sentence when her back muscles aimed for their intended target, lying flush against his chest. Neither of them could breathe, and if not for the sould of the gentle breeze rustling through the trees, they would have believed that time stood still. Each waiting, in silence….

“Try shooting,” he blurted. He had to say something.

And she did… instantly… without a single thought. The ping of her bow was followed by silence as her arrow flew through the air, ultimately falling to the ground. But Eli hadn’t moved at all, and neither had she.

“Well…” she stammered.  “That totally sucked.”

The two broke out into a fit of nervous laughter, still leaning in closer to one another when interrupted by an approaching voice.

“Eli! Zoe!” Angel called.

“Over here,” Zoe shot back. “What’s going on.”

“There’s a brawl breaking out in the kitchen,” Angel said breathlessly. “I don’t even know what it’s about. All I know is even Feather looked like he was ready to flip out.”

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Zoe chuckled.

“It’s not. That’s why Troy said I should go get you….”

“Oh, Troy sent you,” Eli sneered.

Angel scrunched her brow in confusion, “Uh.. yeah… I mean, is that a problem… or….”

“No, it’s not a problem at all,” Zoe said, gathering her things. “Let’s head back now.”

“Yeah,” Eli scoffed. “I’ll handle Troy later.”

The three made their way back to the lodge, with Angel running ahead. Trailing behind, Zoe looked up at Eli with a coquettish grin.

“Yes?” Eli acknowledged with a raised brow.

“I just think I was really getting it back there,” she grinned. “We’ll need to do it again soon. I think I’m perfecting my shot.”

“Really? I wouldn’t say that based on your last one,” he half-smiled.

“I don’t know,” she said, starting up the steps. “I think certain good things could be said about it.”

“Like what?

“Like….” Zoe opened the door, and they could hear the clamoring and chaos at once. “Oh, my….” She sighed.

“It’s probably best you tell me some other time…” he smiled. “It looks like you’re needed in the kitchen.”

“Me… needed in the kitchen,” she laughed. “Words I never thought I’d hear!”

“I’ve gotta admit,” he smirked. “Neither did I.  Perhaps I should join you.”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want any cooking breaking out with me unattended.”

“Lead the way,” he grinned, “then when I’m done… I’ll handle Troy.”

Permatags: @a-crepusculo @animesuck3r @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @fayeswiftie @differenttyphoonwerewolf @doriopenheart @genevievemd @gryffindordaughterofathena @inlocusmads @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lucy-268 @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @choicesficwriterscreations

WTD: @cariantha @kyra75 @lilyoffandoms @missameliep

[jerzwriter]

With a care in this world...

Based on this ask ("sleeping in a hammock together") from @annoyingmillenialnewbie. As with all my requests, I apologize for being so late! I was really missing Eli and Zoe, so I was so happy to have this little fic to do. I hope you enjoy it!

Book:                   Wake the Dead

Pairing:                Eli Sipes x F!MC (Zoe Rivera)

Rating:                 General

Category:            Fluff with a little angst

Summary:           The summer heat is taking its toll on the colonists, and Zoe is no exception. Delighted when a cooler day arrives, Zoe decides to enjoy a little time outdoors, but Eli isn't pleased.

Words:   1044

A/N: Participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge - but I improvised a little - instead of stargazing, it's skygazing. If Dani will alow it. :)

Summer had become Zoe’s least favorite season. If the increased zombie activity wasn’t bad enough, merely surviving in the oppressive heat made every day more of a challenge. The past week had been so brutal that Shannon advised only essential duties could be performed outdoors. Heat exhaustion at Olympus was becoming prevalent, and she didn’t want to see it elevate to heat stroke.

When they woke up to cooler temperatures this morning, the colonists rejoiced. Everyone except Troy that is. Zoe attempted to wake him up at the crack of dawn. The two of them were scavaging for supplies today, and as she told her immovable friend, the sooner they left, the sooner they’d be home. Then he’d have the first crack at the showers and the vanilla pudding the Angel planned on making today. 

True to her word, they were home early, and Troy rushed inside to claim his rewards. But Zoe was in no hurry. She had been cooped up for too many days, and the shaded hammock Minna had recently built was calling her name.

She hopped in, stretched her arms above her head, then laid back and peered at the perfect blue sky peeking through the lush green leaves. After a cleansing breath, she gently rocked herself back and forth. She wouldn’t dislike summer so much if it were always like this, she thought as she fell half-asleep.

While Zoe enjoyed her rest, Eli was busy collecting water from the stream behind the compound. With two large buckets filled, it was time to head back, and he couldn’t be happier. This marked his fifth and, thankfully, final trip of the day. Even though it was cooler, it was still too warm for backbreaking work like this. A small smile formed on his lips when he saw the lodge in the distance, but that smile faltered as soon as he spotted Zoe alone on the hammock. He called a young colonist over and handed him the buckets, then rushed in her direction.

She looked so peaceful and adorable that he almost considered letting her sleep. But not when her safety was an issue. She was obviously safe, but his mind couldn’t stop racing as he approached her, and his heartbeat quickly followed.  

“Zoe! Wake up!”

Zoe’s eyes remained shut, though an impish little grin spread on her face. 

“Mmm... jealous?” she yawned. “You could have signed up for scavaging first thing in the morning, then you’d already be taking a nap, too.”

“Zoe! I’m serious,” he said, shaking the hammock. “What are you thinking sleeping out here alone!! You know better than that!”

“Relax,” she replied, sitting upright. “I do know better. But it’s the middle of the afternoon, and the perimeter is being guarded.”

“Yes, on the perimeter... but you’re not on the perimeter.”

“I’m not exactly alone. Shanon has the children on a nature hunt right over there,” she pointed a short distance away. “I’m sure I would have heard the screams if we had any drone activity.”

“They’re still too far away!”

To make a final point, Zoe pulled her hunting knife from her hip pocket in two seconds flat. “I also have this.”

“Which would have been very helpful after a drone already attacked you.”

Zoe Rivera was nothing if not stubborn, and under normal circumstances, she would have defended her point all day. But she also knew Eli better than anyone, and she noticed the terror in his eyes.

“Baby, I’m OK,” she whispered, patting the space beside her. “Come, sit by me.”

Eli settled next to her, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and gently kissed his cheek.

“I know you worry about me, hon. But look, I’m OK. I’m right here.”

Eli’s eyes stayed focused on the ground as he tried to center himself, pushing memories from the past out of his mind. 

“I know,” he said with a pained voice. “But it takes just a minute, Zoe, and I can’t bear to think...”

“Hey,” she held him closer. “I’m sorry for worrying you, Eli. I understand, I really do. While we face a certain amount of risk daily... you’re right... We don’t have to invite more. If it makes you feel better, I won’t nap outside alone anymore.”

Eli turned to her, his rough hand pushing her hair gently behind her ear, then cupping her cheek in his palm. “I hate to ask that of you. I know how much you enjoy it... and it’s not as if we have a lot of things that bring us joy...”

“That’s not true,” she smiled. “As long as we have each other, I have all the joy I need.”

He leaned in and closed the space between them, his lips meeting hers with a soft, tender kiss. His arms encircled her so tight Zoe nearly lost her breath.

“Uh, Baby. If you want me around, you probably shouldn’t asphyxiate me,” she teased.

Eli loosened his grip. “I’m sorry for overreacting, but I can’t imagine losing you, Zo.”

“I know,” she grinned. “Why don’t we go inside? We can both take a nap in our bed.”

“I’m really not that tired,” he said, to her great disappointment. “But, how about I lay on the hammock with you. I’ll stay awake while you get a little rest in.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Lying here holding you isn’t exactly a sacrifice,” he chuckled.

“Then fine,” she said, pushing him back and nearly causing the hammock to topple. As Zoe’s laughter filled the air, Eli steadied them with an exasperated sigh. 

“Stop pretending you’re mad at me,” she said, snuggling into him. 

Eli kissed the top of her head. “You know I can’t stay mad at you for long. Now, close your eyes and get some rest. I’ll make sure you’re up in time to get ready for dinner.”

“That sounds like a plan,” she said with a yawn. 

Then Zoe drifted off into a peaceful sleep; Eli peered at the bright blue sky, peeking through the lunch leaves above, and he smiled. Loving someone always comes with the risk of loss and pain; it’s unavoidable. But at long last, he had something that made it all worthwhile, and he knew just how lucky he was.

@choicesmonthlychallenge @openheartfanfics

Tagging in seperate blog

[jerzwriter]

A Capy Ending

Book:                Wake the Dead

Pairing:            Eli Sipes x F!MC (Zoe Rivera), with Troy Hassan

Rating:             Teen

Category:        Fun Fluff

Summary:       Eli, Zoe & Troy set off for an afternoon of hunting and make a most unusual discovery. As the day continues, Troy reveals he's made some discoveries of his own.

Words:             1,677

A/N:   A while back, @missameliep and I were having a conversation about our mutual love of capybaras. It's not the most common obsession, so we were delighted that someone else shared it. As we were talking, this silly little idea was born. When I got this ask from @cariantha, I just knew how I wanted to use it. I hope you enjoy this! I write a lot of heavy stuff for WTD, so I love when I can give them little moments of levity too!

@choicesmonthlychallenge Propmts: Being Outside, Ferris Wheel, Friends, Slow Burn, Smile (Take your pick lol)

Despite their best attempts to keep quiet as they hunted one late afternoon, two things kept betraying Eli and Zoe. One: The massive amount of twigs that had fallen during a recent storm. No matter how much they watched where they walked, they still managed to crunch under their boots. 

But the second was the bigger offender, and it was becoming increasingly annoying to boot. The second thing? Troy Hassan.

Another loud sigh echoed from behind them. It had to be his tenth in as many minutes, and even though Zoe was walking behind Eli, she could feel him bristle each time the noise escaped her childhood friend. She looked haggardly between the two, knowing she’d be forced to mediate at any moment now. 

Troy was unamused. His feet were becoming more tender with each step. When he let out a groan of disapproval, Eli had reached his limit. He swiftly turned around with a scowl.

“Troy, I’m sorry. Are we keeping you from something important?”

And there it was...

“No. But I do think it's time we head back. We’ve been out here forever, and we’re coming up empty.”

“We’ve been out here for less than an hour!” Eli insisted.

“Yeah, but it’s a thirty-minute walk back to Olympus. So, we should get started!”

Zoe hated getting between the two when they bickered, but she had to agree with Eli this time. She gently tapped Troy’s shoulder, hoping she could talk some sense into him.

“Troy, Eli’s right. We need to give it a little longer.”

“Hunting sucks!” Troy whined.

“But you like eating?” Eli rebuked.

“And we will be eating! We have plenty of rations right now!”

“Right now,” Zoe stressed. “You know as well as I do that can change quickly, Troy.”

“But nothing’s biting today, Zo! And if we stay out here much longer, it will be the zombies biting us. Come on!” He smiled sweetly, employing his best puppy dog eyes to attempt to sway Zoe to his side. “Make it two out of three, and we can head back?”

“No,” she stated firmly. “You should know by now I’m immune to your tactics, my friend! We’re staying out here for at least another half hour.”

She caught the little smirk Eli shot in Troy’s direction from the corner of her eye, Troy sticking his tongue out at him in quick succession. Zoe rolled her eyes. Some days she felt more like the Colony’s preschool teacher than its leader.

About ten minutes later, they all heard rustling in the leaves, and their feet were not the culprits this time. They pointed their weapons in the direction of the noise, hoping that evening’s dinner would appear, and not a drone. That’s when the tuft of golden brown fur lurched out from behind the bushes. It stood in the center of a clearing, appearing to have a death wish or a desire to perform; either argument could be made.

“Quiet,” Eli whispered, barely audible. “I’ve got this one.”

But Troy ignored that directive entirely.

“Is that a freaking…” he exclaimed, compelling the creature to hop back into the bushes.

“What was that?” Zoe asked, perplexed. “It was too big to be a rat, but I’ve never seen anything like it?”

“It will be dinner if I can get it,” Eli stated bluntly. He nocked an arrow as the creature stepped out again. “Now, just be quiet while I….”

“STOP!” Zoe yelled as Eli dropped his bow.

“Zoe! What the…”

“Look at him!” She squealed. “He’s standing on his back legs! It almost looked like he was waving to us! Troy, do you know what kind of animal that is?”   

“It looks like a capybara,” he shrugged. “At least based on what I’ve seen in books.”

“A capybara?” Eli ridiculed. “I remember studying about them in school, but they’re not exactly native to this region.”

“You know, Eli, I bet when you were in school, undead creatures that wanted to eat your face off weren’t indigenous to these parts either… but shit happens.”  

For once, Zoe ignored squabbling. Instead, she tiptoed over to the furry creature, who didn’t seem frightened by her approach.

“Hey, little guy,” she whispered in a sing-song voice. “I’m Zoe; what’s your name.”

“If he answers you, I’m shooting it!” Eli yelled, and Zoe promptly shushed him.

The animal let Zoe rub his damp fur when she got closer, even rolling to his side with delight as she patted away.

“Oh my God, he’s so cute!” she beamed. “Carlos!”

“What?” Troy asked.

“His name is Carlos!”

“He told you that?” Eli asked with a raised brow.

“Of course not!” She laughed, “But that’s what I’m naming him.”

“Zoe…” Eli questioned. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you? It’s not a good idea to name your dinner.”

“I know that! But Carlos is not dinner!”

“That’s right, he’s not!” Troy agreed as he played with the animal by Zoe’s side. “He’s our new friend!”

Eli shut his eyes and shook his head. Zoe, too?

“Zoe,” he tried to reason. “We’re supposed to be hunting, and….”

“Eli! We have plenty of rations right now,” she insisted while Troy shot a smug grin Eli's way. “And he’s far too cute to be dinner! He’s not dinner… he’s… he’s our… our….”

“Our mascot!” Troy shouted.

“Our what?”

“Our mascot!” Troy repeated. “We can bring him back to Olympus, maybe make him some clothes! The kids will love him! He will help with morale.”

“Clo… clothes?” Eli astounded. “Did you say make him clothes?”

“I did,” Troy nodded.

“That mouth of yours does nothing but talk dumb shit, does it?” Eli asked.

“Eli!” Zoe scolded. “Be nice! You’re going to hurt Carlos’s feelings!”

Eli dragged a hand down the front of his face. “Not you too, Zoe?”

But he knew fighting this was futile; Zoe had already scooped the animal up in her arms, he was coming home with them, and not as supper. 

“Hunting’s over!” She announced. “Let’s return to Olympus and bathe Carlos before introducing him to everyone.”

“This isn’t happening….” Eli groaned. 

“Oh,” Troy smiled as he clapped his friend on the back. “It most certainly is.”

“We should have brought  Angel and Shannon along,” Eli lamented. “We need other opinions!”

“Oh, sure!” Troy laughed. “They would have been on your side! Angel would already be teaching it tricks, and Shannon would have burst into tears at the mere suggestion of making Carlos dinner.”

“He’s making sense,” Zoe shrugged.

“And that alone should convince you this is a bad idea!” Eli groaned, but he just followed behind in defeat.

~~~~~ 

Several hours later, Eli sat in the corner of the great room, still shaking his head in astonishment. The rest of the colonists had gathered, and it seemed everyone was fussing and cooing over Carlos. What's worse, the rodent simply reveled in the adoration. He returned to repairing his bow, muttering unintelligible words under his breath. But when the crowd thinned as people began to retire for the evening, Eli addressed Zoe.

“Where is that thing going to sleep?” he asked.

“Carlos is going to sleep in my room tonight,” Zoe replied, snuggling beside the little guy on the couch. “Walt and Mina said they’d build him a new pen in the morning, but he’ll be with me tonight.”

Troy, who had since joined Eli in the corner, made a poor attempt to conceal his amusement.

“I’d try to make friends with Carlos if I were you, Eli,” he jibed. “Because it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere.”

Troy's laughter intensified as more garbled words fell from his friend's lips, but that didn’t mean he was about to let up on him.

“It’s OK, Eli,” he needled. “I understand. I’d be pissed if that cute little guy was getting all the cuddle time with my girlfriend, too!”

Eli turned to him slackjawed, with his eyes bulged wide.

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

“Riiiiight,” Troy hummed. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“Troy! How many times have I told you….”

“What? She’s your friend? Right? And she’s a girl? So…..”

“Does that make her your girlfriend, too?” Eli shot back.

“No, because I don’t get that stupid look that you do whenever she walks in the room. Also, I’ve never been spotted sucking face with her on top of a Ferris wheel.”

“TROY!” Eli hollered, causing the others to turn their way.

“Is everything OK?” Zoe asked.

“Peachy!” Troy saluted before smirking at Eli. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” he whispered, “but I’m not above bribery. So, get over there and introduce yourself to Carlos properly.”

“Troy… are you freaking kidding me?”

“Come on, Eli,” Troy winked. “It’s for the good of the colony.”

“Oh, for Christ's sake!” Eli stood up and walked to the couch, where Zoe remained snuggled with their new mascot.

“Yes,” she beamed at Eli.

He wouldn’t admit it, even to himself, but seeing her so happy filled him with a warmth he didn’t quite understand, and it took all he had to keep from grinning.

“I’ve been advised that Carlos is probably staying.”

“He most certainly is.”

“Then I guess we should become better acquainted.”

“Yey!!!” Zoe enthused, gently clapping her hands. She sat up straight and held Carlos out to Eli. “Come! Sit with us.”

“You’re not going to make me hold him, are you?” Eli groaned. 

“Mmmm… we’ll build up to it,” she smiled, “baby steps.”

Eli patted the capybara’s head, and a trace of a smile appeared on his lips when the creature nuzzled against his hand. 

“See!” Zoe squealed. “He likes you!”

“He… he is kind of cute,” Eli surrendered.

“Hmph! And you wanted to make him dinner!”

“Zo!” Eli quickly covered Carlos’s ears. “You shouldn’t talk like that in front of him.”

Zoe chuckled as the most enchanting grin appeared on her face. 

“Did he win you over?” She asked. “Or are you afraid he’ll come for you in your sleep if you aren’t nice to him?”

Eli was about to answer when a hand clapped him on the shoulder. “None of the above,” Troy laughed, then quickly headed toward the door. "Option number three. It’s definitely option three.”

Permatags: @a-crepusculo @animesuck3r @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @differenttyphoonwerewolf @doriopenheart @fayeswiftie @gryffindordaughterofathena @genevievemd @inlocusmads @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lucy-268 @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @secretaryunpaid @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @choicesficwriterscreations

WTD Only: @kyra75 @cariantha @lilyoffandoms @missameliep