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cheapshrimpysheep · 9 months

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You Will Stop the Wedding! - Malleus Draconia

SUMMARY: YOU were the one being kidnapped by Princess Eliza to marry her. How would he react and how would he save you? With the aggravation of he already having a crush on you.

CHARACTERS: Malleus Draconia x Reader

TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; Declaration

WORD COUNT: 1.540 words

Riddle Rosehearts / Leona Kingscholar / Azul Ashengrotto / Jamil Viper / Vil Schoenheit / Idia Shroud / Malleus Draconia

Rescuing You - Deuce Spade; Jack Howl; Floyd Leech; Kalim Al-Asim

COMMENTS: What have I done? Why did I commit to writing this? And why did I write so much? Why was I so inspired? There were seven of them! Why do I do this to myself? So yeah, this took me a long time. But I hope it was worth it, for me and for you.

CONTEXT: Someone was kidnapped to marry some ghost princess and might end up turning into a ghost too. And they just found out that someone was you.

Malleus wasn't at the Housewardens meeting, but Lilia was. On the outside, he was surprised and worried. On the inside, he was thinking of a plan to ensure that Malleus wouldn't know about this by any chance!

He tasked Silver and Sebek with ensuring that Malleus remained uninterested in what happened. And if they had to tell him what was going on at school, they could tell him the truth with the exception of the identity of the kidnapped student. They should say it was a random student they didn't know.

But Lilia's plan didn't just include Silver and Sebek, he charged all Diasomnia students to follow the same plan. According to Lilia's orders, there was only one event that would force the students to reveal the identity of the kidnapped student to Malleus: all others failing and he being your only hope.

In this scenario, Lilia would be part of the last group. And while some students tried to rescue you, Malleus was completely indifferent to the situation. After all, it wasn't anything that concerned him much, right?

Knowing that Lilia was part of the volunteers who were trying to save the kidnapped student, he would occasionally ask if anyone knew how things were going. The students told the truth, that it wasn't going very well and they were being petrified one by one. They just couldn't reveal your identity. And Malleus replied that it was a shame, but that he hoped everything would end well, and went back to his tasks and hobbies.

Meanwhile, all the Diasomnia students began to worry more and more, knowing that all the volunteers were failing in your rescue. Sebek complained about how incompetent all the volunteers were, except Lilia. And it would have to be him, in the last group, to solve everything.

But unfortunately, he was wrong. Even Lilia failed and ended up being petrified. Sebek still tried to convince the others to let him try to save you, but there was no time for that. There was only one option, your last hope, and the fear of Dioasmonia at that moment.

Of course, it was Sebek and Silver who were in charge of telling Malleus the truth. Sebek tried to beat around the bushes, even if unconsciously, but Silver knew that would only make things worse, so he simply said:

“I deeply apologize for keeping this information from you from the beginning, but it was father's orders.” The three of them were the only ones in the room, the other students were too scared of Malleus' reaction. “The kidnapped student is not a person we don't know. The truth is that (Y/N) is the kidnapped student. All the volunteers including father failed and you are the only one who can save them now.”

“WE WILL ACCEPT ANY TYPE OF PUNISHMENT IF YOU WISH, MY LIEGE!” Sebek said and the two knelt in forgiveness in front of Malleus.

A very loud thunder was heard outside and everyone inside the castle felt it. “How dare...” Malleus started to say, but remembered that Silver had said that it was Lilia's plan, so that would have to be resolved later. “Very well. Where are they?”

The moment you feared was getting closer and closer. The wedding had already begun when a storm began to approach. At first the princess didn't pay any attention to him, until the rumble of thunder was so loud that people's voices could barely be heard and she began to get really scared.

The entrance doors didn't simply open, they were slam into the wall, and Malleus slowly entered the ceremony hall. Everyone without exception could feel his terrifying aura.

“I apologize for entering this way into a ceremony to which I was not invited.” He was just being polite, he clearly wasn't sorry in the slightest. He stops. “Well, quite a glittering assemblage, Princess Eliza. Royalty, nobility, the gentry. It's a pity there won't be anything to celebrate.”

The princess says, "Of course there will be! Our wedding." pointing at herself and you.

“Truly?” He walks towards you again only to be stopped by the guards who stand in front of him. He looks at you “Tell me, Child of Man, do you wish to marry Princess Eliza?” he was fully confident that he knew your answer.

You frantically shake your head and say no. What increases Malleus's smirk towards the princess and the guards.

“From my understanding, marriage must be unanimously accepted by both people in the couple. So if (Y/N) doesn't want to marry you, there will be no marriage. Correct?”

The princess starts defending herself, saying that you still don't know what you want, but that after you get married you will see that you love her... But her speech is quickly interrupted by the rumble of thunder outside. And by the shudder that the building felt with them.

“With all due respect, princess, but your desires and illusions don't matter to me. You will release (Y/N) and give up on the marriage.” The guards prepare and attack Malleus to defend the princess. “Fools. All of you.”

In an instant, Malleus takes out all the guards with practically no effort. And when the last guard turns into a giant ghost, the same happens to him, defeated by Malleus without much effort.

“Oh no! Noooo!” The princess screams. “No, no, no...”

“You lost all your guards, princess.” Malleus continues. “It pains me to make such a cruel request, but the choice is yours. Either you release (Y/N) peacefully now or...”

“PUFFY!” The princess "runs" towards the ghost that Malleus has just defeated.

Malleus himself is confused, but he lets whatever was going on happen. The rest, you already know, they have a conversation in which they realize that they actually love each other and the princess ends up marrying the guard.

Malleus undid the paralyzing effect of the princess's slap and let the others deal with the rest of the problem, while he took you away from there without anyone noticing. He picked you up bridal style and disappeared with you. You appear in front of the entrance to Ramshackle Dorm. You appear in front of the entrance to Ramshackle Dorm and he sets you down on the ground.

“Are you well, (Y/N)?” Malleus asks you. “Did the princess mistreat you?” You tell him that, other than the kidnapping, she didn't hurt you, and that you're okay, just still a little scared about everything that happened.

“Forgive me for not showing up sooner.” His voice became softer, more apologetically. “I was unaware that the student who had been kidnapped was you. The truth is that Lilia ordered everyone to keep that information from me.” He was a little upset when he said this last part.

You try to reassure him by saying that Lilia certainly had a good reason for doing that and that the others were not to blame, they were just following his orders, believing it would be the best for everyone.

He smiled. “Even after everything that happened to you today, you still want everything to be resolved peacefully. How wonderful.” He looks at you fondly. “You should be more careful. If you continue to show how charming you are, there may be more people who want to kidnap you for marriage. The kidnapping is undoubtedly outrageous, but I cannot blame them for wanting someone like you by their side for the rest of their lives. Or their afterlife.” He sees that you were flattered, maybe you even blushed.

“You look beautiful in those clothes.” He continues. “Would you like to get married in them or would you like something different?” You ask, surprised, why he was asking that. “I like to know more about you. And, who knows..." He smirks "maybe it will be relevant information for the future.”

He returns to a neutral and slightly more serious face. “I should reveal this to you (Y/N). When I found out that the kidnapped student was you, I felt a tightness in my chest. I felt such wrath that I wanted to hit everyone responsible with lightning and blow them off the face of Twisted Wonderland. At first I thought I only felt this way because someone who was very dear to me was kidnapped. But when I saw you at the altar I realized that it wasn't just that. It was also because... I... was jealous. Of the princess, I mean. The voice of whatever was pressing on my heart told me that I was the one who should be there with you! So, I need to know...” He approaches you and looks at you with bright eyes undecided whether they should reflect hope or apprehension. “Could it be that you might feel the same for me?”

You tell him yes and tell him how you feel about him. And once again he shows you that charming smile of his, the kind of smile of absolute joy that he can't hide. He grabs you by the waist and spins you in the air before hugging you with your feet still unable to touch the ground. He wanted to have your face close to his so he could kiss your lips.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

#Twisted Wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #disney twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twst wonderland #twst fluff #Twisted Wonderland Fluff #Ghost Marriage #The Phantom Bride: Love at First Fright #Malleus Draconia #Malleus Draconia x Reader #Malleus x Reader

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shubblelive · 2 years

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— BACKSTAGE PASS

— summary : will has always loved hamilton, but that's definitely not the reason he goes to see it live more than five times.

— genre : fluff

— warnings : barely any dialogue, mentions of a panic attack, food/eating, mentions of character death (reader's on-stage son dies but it's discussed for like one second)

— pairing : cc!wilbur soot x fem!actress reader

— featuring : cc!wilbur soot, cc!tommyinnit, cc!tubbo, cc!nihachu, cc!shubble, cc!jack manifold, cc!philza (with his wife), cc!ranboo (pretty much all just mentioned, will, tommy and niki are the only ones with dialogue)

— pronouns : she/her (used once, but reader does play a female character)

— word count : 1.3k

— note : reader plays eliza in 'hamilton' but you don't have to have seen the show to understand the fic. also ig this is part 2 to my willbur x musical thetre reader but it's not connected in any way to the other one.

it was opening night, and you were resisting a panic attack in your dressing room. one of the stage hands was tugging hopelessly at the skirt of your dress, desperately trying to hide your mic with the skirt. you hadn't had a rehearsal with this exact dress before, since it had had needed alterations, but you had one with a similar one, and none of the costume designers had realised your mic pack would stick out so obviously. curtains were due to open in ten, you could hear people from backstage, and no one wanted you to go onstage with a lump in your costume, which had been fitted to rest perfectly against your skin.

you were scrolling through your phone, trying desperately to calm down. you were trending on twitter along with some of your costars, and you flicked your thumb up and clicked on something random on the trending list, assuming you would just see a bunch of tweets about bitcoin or something that you didn't care about.

instead, the first tweet was from someone you had never heard of. "@ tommyinnit have you seen hamilton?" you clicked out of it, expecting to see the tag was about the show, when in reality it was about the person who tweeted. wilbur was his name, and according to the trending page, he had done a twitch stream and sung one of the songs. you hestitantly went back onto it, slightly curious. you'd never heard of this guy, but from the videos he seemed funny, goofy in a slightly awkward way. one of the responses - the top one - was a reply from tommyinnit himself, though you had no idea who he was either. it was a picture of wilbur with another guy, presumably him, with the hamilton sign in the background, waiting to get in their seats. "no, only lame people go and watch musicals."

"hey," one of the stage hands touched your elbow gently. "we got you another mic set, we got six minutes until curtain, eight 'till you're on. we got this," you helped as she undid your blouse, unhooked the mic, and you spent the next few minutes on a walkie with some of the tech crew making sure it was working properly." you had just done the top of your dress back up when you heard the opening notes play, you taking your position sidestage.

wilbur was wedged into a seat between tommy and jack, wishing he'd accepted niki's option of swapping seats. she was with ranboo, tubbo and shubble over near the aisle, while they were right in the middle. since it was opening night and the show was overwhelmingly popular, they hadn't managed to get seats all together. luckily, they could sit in groups of three, with phil and kristin sitting a few rows back. but unluckily for wilbur, tommy wouldn't shut up.

the lights were dimming, and he had to elbow the blonde boy in the rib and gesture to the stage so he didn't get shushed by someone nearby. the opening notes began and will finally allowed himself to feel excited. he watched as all the familiar characters came on, finally getting the visuals to accompany the soundtrack he fell in love with. burr, laurens, lafayette, mulligan before finally alexander hamilton himself. the only reason he knew who anyone was before their names were said was literally because he had listened to it so much he could tell their voices apart without the visual component.

you glided onstage, beige skirt billowing out as he started singing, and wilbur found his eyes glued to you. you were in the background for most of the opening number, except for when you interacted with hamilton.

tommy jabbed him in the rib, wiggling his eyebrows as he tilted his head towards you. you weren't in the first few songs much, except in the rafters, but wilbur watched you. finally, the first parts of your song came on, and he sat up straighter as he watched you and your two sisters come on.

the show was incredible, he knew it would be. the way you all moved around the stage, with the music vibrating through his hands resting on the armrests. the music, the atmosphere, the acting, they all enhanced the experience of something that already brought wilbur a great amount of joy. but when he watched as the dancers surreptitiously picked up the paper they'd thrown everywhere until the stage was clean except for you, a fake stone bench, a lantern and a bucket. he had goosebumps, watching tears roll down your cheek as the paper in your hand burned, flames slowly growing. you threw the letter down into the bucket, grabbing your long skirt and marching to the front of the stage.

he could even hear tommy and jack's breath hitch in their throats as you belted. it was a sad song, of course, but you made wilbur want to go and punch the guy who played your husband.

"she's good," tommy commented. all wilbur could do was nod. he was almost relieved when you finished your last note, not wanting to see you so heartbroken. his relief only lasted for one song, before suddenly the lights snapped down and you let out distraught scream, watching as your son died in your arms.

he was crying, jack was crying, even tommy was sniffling. the rest of the show was more political, thankfully. but for the last song, watching you stand centrestage with the entire cast behind you as you sobbed, wilbur was already mentally searching for tickets in his mind.

after that, they went to mcdonalds, tommy's phone sitting on the table vlogging them. "what did you think, will?" niki nudged him gently with her elbow.

"mhm" will looked distractedly into his fries. "good,"

when she didn't reply, his head snapped up. niki sat across from him, eyebrows raised. his cheeks burned as she laughed, not meanly, and he hoped desperately that tom would have the tact not to put that in the video.

he did eventually get three more tickets for two days later, and phil and kristin agreed to go and see the show again with him. this time he was able to focus on you in the background more since he'd already see the show.

your costume, a billowing blue dress, made you look absolutely gorgeous and will couldn't take his eyes off you. your character had one of the saddest arcs and his heart broke whenever tears welled up in your eyes. he was never able to cry on command, and the fact that you could filled him with admiration.

now, you didn't recognise everyone. you'd seen literally thousands of people over the last three days. but you saw wilbur. it helped that you already knew who he was (you'd stalked his instagram after opening night), but you noticed him the second time he came.

and the third time, a week later. it was a big theatre, but somehow your eyes zoned in on him.

perhaps it was wishful thinking on his part, but he'd made eye contact with you twice. he'd followed you on twitter after that third show and almost had a stroke when he saw you follow him back.

over the next month, two things happened:

1. he went and saw you two more times

2. phil tweeted "@ wilbursoot are we streaming tonight or are you going to watch hamilton for a sixth time?"

he'd laughed, scoffing at phil's tweet, ready to type up the site to find tickets and take a photo to continue on with the bit. then he saw your reply.

"@ wilbursoot if you're not already sick of the show, i might be able to get you some free tickets?"

well he would be stupid not to take them.

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burrowbaddie · 1 year

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Your Eyes & Iridescent Moonrise

Joe Burrow x Female Reader

Series Summary: You, one of the top actresses in the world find yourself falling for the unbelievably attractive quarterback, Joe Burrow. But as Joe falls faster he finds that everything isn’t so golden about the world’s golden girl.

Acts: 4/?

Status: Ongoing

Please read the warning careful for this chapter. Proceed with caution; some content could be triggering!

Warnings: female!reader, smut, swearing, oral (m&f receiving), vaginal fingering, unprotected sex, taking plan b, mentions of toxic past relationship, age gap between ex and reader, mentions of past abusive relationship,

Act 4 Summary: You try your best to leave the past.

Word Count: 8.4k

Series Masterlist

You stand in your dressing room with Jackson pacing as his assistant tries to clean his shirt.

"Call the cops and have her arrested."

"Jackson-"

"She threw hot coffee on me! It could have burned my face. My chest!" He shouts.

"I'm sorry. Please, I'm begging you, don't call the cops. She didn't mean to do it."

"Claire, get out!" Jackson snatches the shirt from her, and his assistant scurries out of the room. Jackson steps close to you, and you cower.

"She's going to jail. She is going to pay for what she did to me." He whispers through clenched teeth.

"I'm begging you. I will take responsibility for it."

Jackson chuckles and steps back.

"I don't see you begging." He whispers. You brush your hair off of your face. Jackson's eyes stare at you, then slowly towards the ground, giving you his command without words. You slowly lift your skirt so you get on your knees. Clasping your hands together, you ask him to forgive Eliza.

"I want an apology from that bitch." Jackson sits in your chair as you reach your feet and leave the room to find Eliza with security. You grab her hand and bring her to the room. Jackson sits in your chair like a king, his right leg hanging over his left leg with a wide grin.

"Eliza, apologize to Jack-"

"Oh, he can go to hell. I will never apologize to him." She cuts you off, and you stare at her, stunned. Jackson shrugs.

"Eliza, please just say sorry. He's going to have you arrested." You warn her.

"Beg. She needs to get on her knees and beg for forgiveness. Or be charged with assault." Jackson smirks, and Eliza balls her fist.

"I would rather be in jail. It will be a slap on my wrist."

"You have no idea how many people I have on my payroll. Do you? Are you sure you want to take your chances, E?" Jackson asks. Eliza chews her bottom lip.

"I'll-"

You get back on your knees, begging, shocking Eliza.

"I'll forgive the act because my sunshine is such a pleaser. She knows how to keep me happy. Learn how to do the same, or you will find out how much power I have." Jackson says, standing up and walking out. You start crying as Eliza pulls you to your feet.

"Eliza, you have to stop. I know you want to help, but it will come back on me in the end."

"He assaulted you. Kissing you without permission. No, fuck him! When will it end!"

"Eliza, stop! I told you guys. I told you from the very beginning that he wouldn't stop. He's never going to let me be happy. It's him or no one." You scream. Eliza is silent. She reaches out to you, but you walk away. You return to the set, where everyone whispers about how wild that was. You apologize, saying she must have tripped. Jackson pulls you close and kisses your forehead.

"So, is this a thing?" Your costar asks. You shy away as Jackson pulls you close to his side. You're sick to your stomach and can't pull away.

"God, I knew it! The blue eyes threw me off on that post." Another chimes in. Eliza stands to the side, watching everything. You're so unreachable, and it breaks her heart. If only she met you years ago. Eliza decides to wait in the car and call Joe about what happened.

"He what? I was going to tell her sometime this week before the news broke, but I don't know. Jackson will be a co-owner soon. This is only going to push her further away from me. Every time we take one step forward, he drags us five steps back. I hate this guy." Joe shouts. Eliza leans her head against the window.

"Fill Janet in on everything. We'll fly out to you this weekend." Eliza hangs up as you enter the van.

"Do you want to go stay with Joe for a little?" Eliza asks. You stare out the window, thinking about what the next moves should be. Nodding your head, you grab your phone and book a flight to Cincinnati. Joe welcomes you with open arms. You find yourself lying in bed and melting in his warm embrace.

"I have training in the morning but feel free to lay here until I get back," Joe says, looking at the 5 am on the clock. You snuggle closer to him.

"Do you have to go?" You whisper. Joe thinks hard and sighs. Leaving you alone will kill him, but he can't afford to miss day one. He apologizes and leaves you with a bunch of kisses. You fall back to sleep and wake to the doorbell around 10 am. When you check the door, and see a big bouquet. You open the door and pick up the flowers, reading the note from Joe.

"From your celebrity crush, JB." You read aloud, giggling to yourself. After a fresh shower, Janet calls to let you know she is on her way over. You prepare yourself for the talk you know is coming.

"Eliza filled me in on what happened. I think we present him with a restraining order." Janet says, pushing the paper toward you. You shake your head.

"He knows too many judges. They would never accept it without evidence." You say, feeling defeated.

"No evidence, so everything is he said, she said." Eliza leans back in her seat.

"There's nothing. Any voicemail where he said threats? Have you…ever. Have you ever taken photos of yourself after the assault?" Janet asks. Your eyes stare at the counter top not moving or responding. Janet reaches out to take your hand.

"I think I can find the old voicemails, and there's, umm, there is a USB with stuff on it. But you can't leak it. You can't tell Jackson, and you can never show Joe. Promise me." You whisper, eyes still trained on the table.

"They will never know about it. Whatever you share with me, it will stay between us as long as you want." Janet replies. You tell her you can provide it once you get home. Eliza tells you she will visit her family and will meet you back in Cali in two weeks. You spend the rest of your day looking through Joe's apartment. Joe finds you in the kitchen cooking with only his t-shirt on.

"You look amazing. It smells amazing. I could get used to this." Joe whispers in your ear, kissing your neck. You smile.

"It's just spaghetti and a simple meat sauce." You turn around to give your boyfriend a full-on kiss. He slips his hands under your shirt to cup your ass. You moan into his mouth, and he raises his eyebrow.

"Might have to do dessert first." Joe chuckles. You push him off and turn back to the stove. Joe knows he should tell you about the Jackson thing, but you seem so relaxed, and he doesn't want to kill the mood. So, Joe doesn't mention it. Today, tomorrow, or the week after. He drags it out so long that he forgets about it. And it isn't until he comes home to find you and your things gone. The tv is on ESPN and playing loops about Jackson being an owner. Joe frantically calls you over and over again. You look down at your caller id and decide to answer his 5th attempt.

"Come back. I know I should've told you, but I didn't know when to bring it up. I'm sorry. Don't run."

"I'm in the parking lot." You whisper. Your Lyft driver asks you if he should leave, and you apologize, grabbing your things and exiting the car. He asks for an autograph, and you quickly scribble it onto the paper. Joe meets you in front of his complex. He grabs your bags, and you guys return to his apartment.

"Joey, he's not going to stop." You whisper. Joe hugs you rubbing your back.

"I don't care about this deal. I said I would protect you, and I mean. There's nothing he has against me."

"He has me. And he will use me against you any time he wants. You don't know him as I do. He's dangerous." You pull away from Joe and wipe your eyes.

"Look at me. Whatever he does isn't your fault."

"Joe-"

Joe takes your hands in his and gives you a warm smile.

"Say it. It isn't your fault."

"It's not my fault." You repeat, looking into Joe's eyes. He kisses your forehead once again, easing all of your worries. You stay for a few more days but convince Joe you have to return to California for work. It's a lie, but he doesn't need to know that. Jackson swings his door open, surprised to see you standing there.

"If I come back to you, you'll leave Joe out of it. Right?" You ask, clutching your bag tightly. Jackson reaches down, takes your bag, and nods his head. You follow him in the house. The house you left three years ago. The house you swore you would never return to. Your cage. Your prison.

"Although I'm already part owner, I won't make any drastic changes. He will definitely see a hefty pay increase." Jackson kisses your cheek. His hand holds your face softly, then a little tighter.

"I'm glad you came back to your senses. If you ever leave me again…..I'm not sure what I'll do." He whispers. Jackson walks away, and you feel your knees give out, hitting the ground with a soft thud.

"Oh, and fire that bitch assistant of yours. I don't want her near you ever again." He shouts, making his way up the spiral staircase. Joe's name flashes on your phone, but you can't bring yourself to answer it. You hover over the block button.

"I never cleared out your closet, so go put on something nice we have a dinner to go to," Jackson calls out. You pick yourself up and follow him to the bedroom. While Jackson showers, you walk into your closet. Jackson didn't lie. Everything was left in place since the day you left. Perfect. You push aside the Chanel section, open the small crevasse behind the panel, and pull out the USB drive. With a deep breath, you hurriedly stuff it into your jeans.

"Sweetheart?" Jackson calls from the bathroom, but you're already flying down the stairs out of the house and into your car. You sped all the way home and called Janet.

"I have it. I have the evidence."

"Send me everything!" Janet says excitedly, but you tell her the safest option is face-to-face, so a few days later, you fly back to Ohio. Joe welcomes you with open arms, a little surprised you finished up so quickly. When Janet comes over, you hand the USB to her and watch her plug it in. Joe stands off to the side, watching her. Janet opens the folder and then the file. The file is from the security camera in your shared house with Jackson. She presses play, and you grab Joe's wrist, stopping him from walking over. Eliza stands to the side, reading Janet's face. Your voice and Jackson's voice can be heard coming from the laptop then the audio fades out. Janet closes the laptop.

"We got him. I'll keep this safe but we will use this against him. What would you like him to do?" Janet asks.

"I want him to stay away from me and anyone I'm involved with. And to leave my career alone." You reply. Janet walks over to hug you.

"You leave the rest to us, okay?" Janet rubs your back. Janet and Eliza talk while you pull Joe away.

"I need to go NY for SNL, but-"

"Move in with me." Joe cuts you off, waiting for your response. You nod your head eagerly.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll move in with you." You throw your arms around Joe's neck as he scoops you up, kissing your face. You feel almost relieved with Janet, Alex, Eliza, and Joe in your corner. But your happiness is never long-lived with Jackson blowing up your phone. While in NYC, he flies in to speak with you. Janet and Alex immediately step in.

"I'm glad that you contacted her. Because the NDA you made an 18-year-old girl sign is void. This is the new contract, and you will follow the rules." Alex shoves the contract into Jackson's chest. He snatches it rolling his eyes, reading it over, and chuckling.

"And what makes you think I'll listen to you? Sunshine-"

"Do not talk to her." Janet steps in front of you protectively. Jackson chuckles again, making you feel small in the large hotel room.

"And if I don't listen?" Jackson steps forward, not intimidating the two women in front of him. You, on the other hand, cower away. Janet reaches behind, squeezing your hand. Alex holds up the flash drive.

"Because we have the evidence against you. And I know you know very well what's on this USB." She states, waving it. Jackson eyes the plastic piece, and he looks at you.

"You're blackmailing me. I love the women stand together bit you all have going on, but you have no idea who you're messing with. Release the footage. I dare you." He says, eyes still locked on you. You squeeze Janet's hand. Jackson knows that you would never release it.

"I'll have my lawyer look over this contract. I'm a reasonable guy." Jackson says, leaving with the paper. Alex and Janet turn around to hug you. It's over. Just like that, It's over? You spend the rest of the day getting your mind ready for SNL. It's your first time hosting, and you're super excited. During your opening bit, you wave to your family, who flew in to support you.

"My dad and brothers are the reason I'm able to be here in NYC hosting SNL. Thank you, guys, for all of your love and support. And with that, kick back and enjoy the show!" You shout, smiling. The show ends, and you can't contain the smile on your face. You felt nervous, but the cast made you feel at ease as you closed out and thanked everyone and the musical guest. After chatting with the staff, you go to your dressing room, where you find a bouquet from Joe. You smell them and close your eyes. How did you get so lucky with someone like him? You start to think you don't deserve, but before you can go down that tunnel, Joe calls you. You pick up the Facetime call.

"Hey, handsome. Thanks for the flowers."

"You're welcome, baby. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. You did amazing. You're so funny. I'm glad everyone got to see that side of you. My favorite skit was the cheerleading one." Joe says, sitting up so he can see you better.

"And why's that?"

"Idk; why don't you keep that outfit and come home." He replies, making the heat on your face rise. You unintentionally squeeze your thighs together.

"I'm going to go to California and pack up so we can, umm, move in together." You whisper, feeling excitement come over you. Joe smiles, excited about taking the next steps with you. Within a week, you arrive back in Cincinnati with a suitcase.

"This is all you have?" Joe laughs, picking up your suitcase.

"Yeah. I don't really need a lot, plus I can always shop. Right?"

"Right," Joe nods his head. But he's been in your house and has seen all your rooms, all your clothes, and all of your awards. This can't be the only thing you want to bring to your new place. Joe doesn't push you on the topic for now; instead, he takes your suitcase upstairs and lets you unpack and get comfortable. Joe has training but tells you to pick out any restaurant around, and he will take you when he gets home. While Joe is exercising, you decide to scroll Twitter and reply to some fans. Some fans have been curious about your love, making you giggle; no one knows yet. They still are guessing any blue-eyed actor. Then you see Jackson's name appear a few times because of the onset kiss. You sit up and call Eliza.

"Hey-"

"Jackson must have leaked the story about the onset kiss. He-"

"Rumor. We will say it's a rumor. No worries. Jackson can't do anything to you anymore. You're free from him." Eliza consoles you. The only thing you can do is try to calm your nerves. Janet, Eliza, and Alex have everything handled. The evidence is right there. There's no way Jackson can do anything else. So, when Joe comes home, you agree to dinner at some Italian restaurant. It feels good to be able to step out and not have paparazzi snapping photos of you. Leaving LA was a great move, you think to yourself. A few onlookers snap pictures of you, but it's better than what you usually deal with. The waitress is in awe of you and can't believe her eyes. She's too nervous to ask for an autograph, so you leave it on a napkin with your red lipstick kiss print. Joe takes you for a walk in the park and tells you about a Christmas from his childhood.

"I feel like I always talk about me. Tell me about your childhood." He asks, rubbing your hand. You shrug. For a year, Joe feels like each step he has taken toward you only makes you pull away further. He's been trying to get to know the woman behind the sad smile, but it isn't an easy quest.

"I don't know. My childhood was okay."

Joe stops walking so he can face you. He cups your face and bends down to kiss you. You close your eyes, letting the strawberry chapstick consume your mind.

"It's me, baby. I want you to be yourself." He whispers against your lips. You nod your head.

"My childhood was okay. My brothers and father made sure of it. My mother never wanted a 4th child, so it was hard to reach her. She didn't want another child; if she had to have one, she wanted another boy. So the fact that she had a girl, I think, broke her. She never treated me like she treated them. I actually never heard her say I love you to me once. My mother left us on my 8th birthday. My father had filed for divorce, so she blamed me and left before it got to that point. It was hard on my dad for a while. That was his high school sweetheart, and I ruined it for them."

"Baby." Joe's voice is soft and tender. His heart breaks for you, and the only thing he can do is pull you into a hug.

"So I guess it makes sense that I turned out the way I did." You mumble into his chest.

"There's nothing wrong with you. Your mother made her own choices. She missed out on one hell of a daughter. You're everything to your family and me. Don't let her actions control your decisions in life." Joe says, causing you to smile. He's too perfect, you think to yourself. And when the two of you get home, clothes off, light down, and bodies sharing one space.

"Baby." Joe groans, holding your hips and watching you ride him. You smile down at him placing your hands on his chest.

"You look so pretty under me." You say the line Joe has said to you before, causing him to chuckle. Joe sits up to bounce you on his cock faster to reach his climax. He hates when you tease him, and you've spent the last 5 mins edging him. Now, he's had enough. You squeal, trying to catch yourself, but Joe's thrusting is relentless. You dig your nails into his shoulders every time he lifts you and slams you down. But that isn't enough for him. Joe lays you down on the bed and holds your hips to fuck into you like there's no tomorrow. You squirm and moan as he continues to pound your pussy. You grab his wrist, preparing yourself, expecting another orgasm, but you find yourself squirting. Joe promptly pulls out to watch you unfold under him as he cums all over your stomach. He bends down to kiss your face because you tried to hide it.

"I bet I can make you squirt again."

"No. No." You giggle, feeling his hands already sneaking their way down your thigh.

"Yeah. Yeah." Joe ignores you, spreading your legs, causing your body to arch off the bed. Joe slips two fingers into your drenched cunt, making you bite your bottom lip. You loved the way Joe made you feel outside of the bedroom, but him in the bedroom was an experience you never wanted to give up. The way he has already memorized what your body wants was something to hold on to. Joe knew how to make you twist and turn in all the right ways while reaching his climax effortlessly. Joe knew when you had enough, and that was rare. You wouldn't call yourself an addict but would never turn down sex with Joe. It was just that good. So when the sun's rising and you're climaxing for the umpteenth time of the night, you don't question it. Joe kisses your sweaty forehead whispering how good you look right now.

"Shower or bath?" Joe asks, placing you on the bed as you unwrap your legs from his waist. Throughout your sexcapade, you've squirted numerous times on the bed, causing it to become soaked, so you guys moved to the floor and then, at one point, against the wall and then standing in the middle of the room while Joe bounced your weak body up and down. You try to catch your breath and let your mind think about every position you did with Joe. The guy had stamina like no other, and you're glad you're in relatively good shape to keep up. Joe starts kissing your body, and you lightly play with his hair. Joe kisses on your belly, and you can't help to break out in a smile.

"God, I want to make you a mother so bad." He whispers, making your smile grow. You want to be a mother. Besides becoming an actress, your most prominent dream is to become a mother. One you never had.

"I want to make you a father… someday." You reply. Joe looks up at you with a twinkle in his eyes. He stands up to take you to the shower, where you guys do have another round. Late in the afternoon, you find yourself lying on Joe on the couch, watching Netflix. You can't stop kissing him, and he's not complaining. His hands have found their way under your shirt to grab your ass. It doesn't help you're wearing nothing under his oversized T-shirt. You continue to make out with your boyfriend until his phone starts ringing.

"Hello?" Joe answers after the 2nd attempt. You continue to kiss his neck, making sure to suck another red bruise next to the one from last night.

"Party tonight. Yes, you have to come. It's at my place—just a few people. Bring your girl too. See you there!" Ja'Marr shouts, hanging up. Joe rolls his eyes and puts his phone down. You take this time to sit up and grab your own phone to answer emails and texts. You get a notification from Twitter and open the app. Of course, TMZ is reporting you getting extra cozy with a QB. No name is dropped, and you know that's Jackson's doing. No reports about you get out without his approval. But, of course, the people in the restaurant can say who the QB was. It's what you were hoping for, but Joe's name is not linked to yours at all. You know because you searched. Joe steals a kiss before informing you of the evening plans. You're actually excited to go to a party; even though Joe assures you it's small, you still want to go and meet more of his teammates/friends. But of course, no party Ja'Marr throws is ever small. You make sure to stay glued to your boyfriend most of the night. Some of the other football player girlfriend's pull you away but no longer than 10 mins. They want photos and chats with you. Some even talk you into joining their group chat for football girlfriends.

"Sorry, ladies, I have to steal my girlfriend away." Joe chuckles, pulling your hand. They shout at Joe for stealing you, but you thank him because you are getting overwhelmed. Joe ends up taking you to the basement, away from the crowded area. The basement was Ja'Marr's man cave and off-limits to guests. Joe hasn't seen the newly decorated room and is surprised when he turns on the light, and the stripper pole comes down from the ceiling.

"Wow." Joe laughs, finding a seat as you walk over.

"We can leave whenever you want. Ja'Marr told me this would be a small event for teammates."

"I'm having fun." You sit down on his lap. Joe looks at the pole.

"You know you had that one role in Saints of All Saints. I know it was short, but was that actually you or a stunt double?" Joe asks. You giggle, covering your mouth.

"You're asking if I had a stunt double for my stripper role? Despite what everyone thinks, I normally do my own stunts. And when it comes to that, I was, in fact, on the pole."

"Really? How did you learn that stuff? I know some people have stunt doubles for things like that."

"So when I first get presented with a role, if it's out of my knowledge like any sane person, I study it. I took pole dancing classes and paid women in the field to teach me. I got presented with the role, I studied, and then I auditioned." You say cheerfully, standing up.

"Would you like a private show, Mr.Burrow?" You ask, making your way to the pole. Joe nods his head eagerly. You look at the pole, noticing it is a spin pole. You make your way over to grab the remote to turn it on. Joe sits up, watching you take your position.

"So this was one of the first moves I learned. It's called the Fairy spin." You say, grabbing the pole with one hand above the second hand. Then you swing around, hooking your left ankle on the pole while your right leg propels you around the pole slowly. The next move you do is the chair. Which has you spinning in a sitting position, then you release your legs, lifting one up to parallel the pole before hanging upside down and forming a complete split. You spin around like that letting Joe take in the sight of you.

"If I get one in our house, will you use it?" Joe asks excitedly. You giggle and come down from the pole walking back over to him.

"Of course. I can show you a lot of things." You wink, sitting on his lap.

"We should get home like now." Joe stands up, holding you in his arms. You can't help but laugh because you felt his hard-on as soon as you sat down. When you guys get home, you get right to it. The next morning Joe leaves you for training. Joe does his best to stay focused, but Jackson is at the training center.

"Joe, can I have a word with you?" Brian, Joe's agent, pulls him out of a session.

"What's up?" Joe asks, taking his Bose headphones out.

"Jackson is here, and we've been going back and forth and-"

"Get to the point." Joe cuts him off.

"He wants to do a joint charity with you. This could be huge and-"

"No. Decline." Joe puts his headphones in, ready to walk away, but Brian grabs his arm.

"Are you kidding me? This could be a chance of a lifetime. Think about the revenue that you could bring in and the sponsorships. We're not turning this down." Brian states. Joe breathes through his nose.

"Decline the offer. I don't want to do anything with him."

"He owns your contract. The millions he just donated are for your contract alone. I think you might want to reconsider." Brian says, waiting for Joe to back down. But Joe doesn't.

"I don't want his fucking money."

"For what? This girl you've been seeing? Yeah, Jackson told me that you might be hesitant. Some Hollywood trick shouldn't stand in your way."

"What did you just say?" Joe stands face-to-face with his agent.

"Jackson said she filled your head with lies. Come on, are you really going to believe some girl that's been passed around in Hollywood?" Brian says not intimidated by Joe. Joe balls his fists at his side.

"The next thing that comes out your mouth better be about your resignation." Joe clenches his jaw.

"Excuse me?"

"You're fired." Joe walks away without another word leaving Brian stunned. Ja'Marr follows after Joe to get the whole story.

"Firing Brian? What's wrong with you, bruh-"

"I need an agent that will listen to me and not just be money hungry."

"He's looking out for you. If Jackson offered me this opportunity, I would take it! You're being insane. All this because of what?" Ja'Marr asks. Joe sighs and pulls his best friend to the side.

"It's not my place to go into detail, but Jackson isn't a good guy. The idol fantasy you had for him doesn't exist. Trust me." Joe says, going back to his workout. Ja'Marr doesn't fully understand, but he knows that Joe is a good judge of character. Joe arrives home to a full dinner laid out and scoops you up.

"Smells amazing, baby."

"Thanks. I thought I could keep myself busy." You giggle, kissing his lips. During dinner, you guys can't keep your hands off one another. It gets to the point where you sit on Joe's lap while he finishes his food.

"I have a week off. What do you say we go on a bit of vacation?" Joe asks, snuggling into your neck.

"Where should we go?" You ask, rubbing his back.

"Mexico, The Bahamas, France? Where ever my baby goes, I'll follow."

"Hmm, what if we just stay right here and spend our days together under each other." You whisper into his ear, biting his earlobe. Joe bucks his hips, and you start laughing at the immediate yes. And so, you stay right there in Cincinnati with your boyfriend: at home doing nothing but watching bad flicks, fucking, laughing, and even more fucking. Around day 6, you emerge from the apartment to do some grocery shopping. That's when you get a call from Jackson asking you to meet. He states that his lawyer looked over the contract. You know you should wait for Janet and Alex, but you wanted to hear what he had to say for yourself. But to your surprise, when you walk into the restaurant, you're met with a woman you thought you would never see again.

"Mom? What are you-What are you doing here?" You stutter, almost losing your balance.

"Jackson, umm, he was kind enough to contact me. Well, hire me. I'm representing him until my associate-"

Before your mother can finish, you try to walk away, but Jackson grabs your wrist lightly.

"Talk to your mother. She's been looking for you." Jackson says. You snatch your arm away.

"Why are you doing this to me?" You ask with tears in your eyes. Jackson bends down, kissing your forehead.

"I'm doing what's best for you like I've always had. Give her 10 mins." He states. You take your seat at the table across from your mother. She spends the next 30 mins telling you everything she's been up to since leaving your family. Your blood runs cold as she pushes over a photo of her two daughters.

"My oldest daughter is a huge fan-"

"I'm your oldest daughter." You reply, shaking in your seat.

"You know what I meant. I was working as a lawyer when Jackson came to me and said your name. I thought it would be better if he reached out first. It's the only way I knew you would sit with me. I won't take his case-I can't because of my relationship with you but-"

"We have no relationship. You can do whatever you want." You abruptly stand up, leaving the table with Jackson following you.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" You cry, hitting his chest as he plants himself in front of you. Jackson holds your wrists and pulls you close to him.

"This can all be over if you come back to me. I will make everything bad in your life disappear. I promise."

"You are the bad in my life." You reply, pulling away. Your mother chases after you.

"I'm sorry. At that time, I was going through a lot. I never wanted a child and-"

"Sandra, I know you never wanted me, but you had me. I was a child. All I wanted was my fucking mother. Didn't I deserve that?" You shout, snatching away from her. Your mother wipes her tears, nodding her head.

"You did. And I'm trying to apologize."

"Stay away from me. That's the best thing you can do right now. Go enjoy your happy little life with your new family and stay the fuck away from me." You get into your car and drive off. When you get home, you angrily start slamming things on the counter and putting food away.

"What's wrong?" Joe asks, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"My fucking mother! He hired my mother to represent him. He knew exactly what he was doing."

"What? How did he find your mother?" Joe steps back to let you calm down.

"He knows everything about me. I told you. I told Janet. I told you all he wouldn't stop. And now my estranged mother is in this. I can't win. I want to stop all of it! I don't care anymore!" You storm off to the bedroom, leaving Joe to put away the groceries. Joe lets you cool down alone while he answers a call from Janet.

"Janet, slow down. What's wrong?"

"The USB is gone. I had it in my office, and it's just gone. Only my associates have access to my office. I can't believe this shit!" Janet shouts. Joe can't take any more bad news. He knows he can't tell you what happened, so Joe ends the call to find you. But you can read the expression on his face and know exactly what has happened.

"We can-"

"He's won. I'm not fighting him anymore. I told you guys he would never let me go, and you guys filled my head with all these lies like it was possible to live without Jackson Taylor. Newsflash the world is in the palm of his hands. It's over. Just let me go, Joe. We tried. We tried really hard." You sniffle. But Joe isn't ready to let go and watch you leave. He won't let Jackson win, not like this. So when you're all tucked away next to him for the night, Joe takes matters into his own hand. Everything Jackson has done has been sneaky and behind the scenes. This time Joe will make the first move.

You wake up to texts and emails from everyone under the sun. You jump out of bed and rush downstairs to find Joe making breakfast.

"Joseph. You posted me."

"I did," Joe says, flipping the pancake. You walk over and turn his toward you, showing him the post. It's a photo of you snuggled against Joe with the caption, "Your eyes and iridescent moonrise."

"I-why?" You ask, defeated.

"Because I love you, and it's about time you're put above everyone else. You deserve to be loved too, baby," Joe continues making breakfast as you stand to the side with a big smile on your face. You ignore the texts and emails and run to your IG to post many photos of Joe all over your story. And just like that, your relationship with Joe went public. Everyone became obsessed with the new couple. When you flew back to LA to pack up the rest of the house, paparazzi were all over the place to get a glimpse of the both of you. Joe made sure to keep his hands on you at all times. You couldn't help but indulge in the affection. While Joe loaded things in your truck, you get a text from an unknown number. Your mother is asking to see you again, properly this time. You ignore and block her number as Joe scoops you up.

"Everything is in the truck, and the company will pack the rest. Let's get on the road." He says, kissing your face. You wrap your arms around him as he sets you in the passenger seat. For the next few days, you guys will be on the road to your new home with Joe. And that long road trip has Joe falling deeper in love with you. He loves this brighter, carefree side of you. The way you scream the lyrics to your favorite songs at the top of your lungs, to you giggling fit over how serious he drives, to the kisses you steal when he's not paying attention, he loves it all. And when you arrive at your new home, unpacked, laying in your California King Bed stealing kisses from your boyfriend, you also fall.

"I have training soon. I should get up." Joe says, still kissing your belly. You stretch and roll over, allowing him to give to a soft tap on your ass.

"I will be here when you return." You reassure him. While Joe is away, you take the time to walk around the house. Joe bought a new home for both of you just to ensure you had enough room for all your things. You feel like the luckiest girl alive. Sitting at your piano, you start to think about what life could've been like for you if you met Joe first. Would you be able to say those three words? Could you see marriage in the future? Would the thought of love not scare you so often? Could you truly be loved? Your fingers ghost over the grand piano's keys as tears fall down your face. The truth is you're scared. The move across the country. The commitment. The public knows about your relationship. It scares you so bad. You don't have time to wallow in your fears because Karen is calling you. Her message is simple and straight to the point. You meet her at the hotel she's staying at to discuss your future.

Karen throws a magazine into your lap. It's photos of you and Joe in LA.

"Have you lost your fucking mind? Don't answer; I will. Yes. Do you even want to know what the agency is saying? You are only marketable as a single woman. Once you get into a relationship, your value goes down. You're not desired anymore! Have I not built that into your head? You are getting on the first flight with me back to LA, and we will find a way to spin this. We'll throw that blue-eyed pretty boy under the bus if we have to." Karen starts typing on her phone.

"I'm not leaving. I'm going to stay here with Joe. I'm happy here." You reply, throwing the magazine down. Karen scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"This fantasy that you think you'll be able to live is cute. Even if I allowed you to stay in it…What would Jackson do? Hmm?"

A knock comes to the door, and you freeze up, watching Karen walk away. Of course, when she opens the door, you're not surprised to see Jackson. You immediately stand up from your chair as he makes his way over.

"I tried my best to protect you," Karen whispers. Jackson takes a seat and motions for you to sit down. You shake your head and remain standing.

"I have given you time and time again to come back to me. But this..Ha. This is where I draw the fucking line."

"I don't care about your threats. I will never come back to you. Ruin my career. I don't care anymore. I'm tired of running from you, Jackson. I'm glad that Karen called you here because this will be easier for me to do with both of you here. Come August, I'm retiring. Karen will no longer be my agent, and you will no longer have any say in my career because it's over." You say confidently. Karen stands there in complete shock as Jackson chuckles to himself. He stands up, fixing his suit and laughing to himself. Chills run down your neck, and you look at Karen.

"She's joking. She-"

Jackson flips the side table over, startling you and Karen.

"I took you from your piss poor fucking life and made you into the star you are today. How fucking dare you? Retire? You have to be joking me!"

"I worked hard for everything I have. I-"

"Because of me! Do you think you would be anywhere without me? Without my support, without me backing you. You ungrateful little bitch!" Jackson storms towards you, and Karen steps in front of his path.

"Jackson. Relax. She can't be serious. She-"

Jackson shoves her to the floor.

"You were supposed to watch her. I gave you this job to fucking watch her. Tell me how she ended up with him. How did she end up so fucking disobedient?" He looms over her, shouting. You stand there too frightened to move.

"I'm not a fucking babysitter! I'm an agent. She's not my only client! I can't follow her 24/7!"

"She is your biggest client. I hand-picked her for you. I set her on your doorstep. She is the only person in this world you should care about." Jackson spits. He turns his glare back to you. You put up your hands, expecting a slap, but Jackson reaches out and grabs your hand softly. Karen stands up, cursing at him.

"Stop. I'm not doing this with you anymore. Your little women group of lawyers, your retirement talk. It stops now, or I promise he will never play football again. I will make sure he can only eat through a fucking straw. Do you understand me?" Jackson whispers against your forehead. He places a soft kiss after those threatening words. Karen can't make eye contact with you. Jackson gives your hair a rough tug.

"Sunshine, I asked you a question."

You nod your head obediently. Jackson kisses the side of your mouth and walks away, leaving you to fall to your knees.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Just do what he says. You're going to ruin so many people's lives over this. It's not worth it."

You return home feeling defeated. You're so lost in your thoughts you don't hear Joe calling you.

"Baby. What's wrong?"

"Jackson-"

"What did he say? Why is he still contacting you?"

"He threatened you. Joe-"

"Whatever he said, it's not going to happen. He wants you to be miserable like him. I'm not letting that happen. We are fine. Look at me?" Joe softly pulls your chin up to look into his ocean eyes. You nod your head. You trust Joe. You know that you can trust him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just used to fighting him alone. I always lose, so I thought-"

"And you're not alone anymore." Joe scoops you up, and you wrap your legs around his waist. You start kissing as he carries you to the bedroom.

The next day Jackson is on sight at training. Joe does his best to ignore him and focus on working, but in the back of his mind, he's dying to hit him.

"Looking good there, buckshot." Jackson slaps Joe on the back. Joe turns around, glaring at him. He gives him a half smile and holds out his hand. Jackson takes it, and Joe squeezes down hard.

"Go near her or speak to her again; I'm not playing nice guy anymore. I will handle things myself. Don't even think about her anymore. That's not a threat. That's a promise." Joe whispered through clenched teeth as the coach made his way around. Joe lets go and slaps Jackson's shoulder extra hard.

"Welcome to the team." He says, walking off. Jackson flexes his hand and takes s a deep breath. Sam catches up with Joe, asking him about that exchange.

"It's nothing."

"Come on. We're like brothers; whatever is bothering you, I want to know."

Joe finally gives in and lets Sam in on some of the things happening. Sam is blown away by everything.

"What the hell? Is she okay?"

"She's okay now," Joe replies, taking a deep breath.

"I'm glad you told me. If you guys need anything, you let me know," Sam pats Joe on the back before walking off. When Joe returns home, he finds you knitting in the living room. He chuckles to himself, making his way over. You lean back as your boyfriend stands behind the couch and bends to kiss you.

"What are you making?" He asks, rubbing your face.

"Mittens. If I'm returning to cold winters, I should prepare myself." You reply, showing off your work.

"Baby, winter is a long time away." Joe laughs. He tells you he will hop in the shower and join you after. While you wait for Joe, Janet calls you with updates about the USB and moving forward. You tell her about Jackson's threats, and she reassures you Joe is safe. Janet tells you that Alex will contact you soon. Joe comes downstairs and joins you. You do your best to teach him, but Joe gives up after a while and watches you.

"What are you going to do about your mother?" Joe asks. You put down your mittens and sigh.

"Nothing. I really don't want anything to do with her. Maybe if this were ten years ago, I would let her in, but I'm trying to heal, and I don't think she can be part of my healing process right now. Is that okay?" You ask, looking to Joe for an answer. Joe grabs your hand and runs his thumbs over your soft skin.

"Whatever you need to do to heal." He says, kissing your hand. You throw yourself onto him, wrapping your arms around his neck. You want to say the words. All you have to do is say those three little words, but they won't come out.

Over the next few days, you meet with Eliza, Alex, and Janet to discuss the next moves.

"I want you and Joe to do whatever you want without restrictions. Jackson doesn't own you, nor can he control everything. He bribed my associate, so the USB is gone, and that's on me. I apologize for being so careless." Janet says.

"It's not your fault. This is how Jackson plays. Dirty. The USB is gone, but I have scars that will last me a lifetime. I didn't want that footage to get out anyways." You reply, leaning back on the couch. Eliza looks at Janet and then Alex.

"The last thing we wanted to mention, umm, have you thought about seeing a therapist," Janet speaks up for the group. You sit up straight and look around at the women in the room.

"I don't need therapy. I'm okay. I-"

"You're not okay, and that's okay. You've been through a lot of trauma, and we think-"

"No therapy. I should get going. I have a doctor's appointment." You stand up and grab your purse and keys, walking the group out. Eliza stops to say something but closes her mouth. You don't know what she wanted to say but leave it alone and head to the office. You've spent the last few weeks getting everything switched over from California to Ohio. It was a grueling process, but you were finally able to find a GYN. You wanted to get your IUD removed for your future with Joe. This was an exciting new chapter in your life, and you didn't want anything to hold you back.

"Your tubes are tied." The doctor looks at the screen as she continues analyzing the screen. You sit up on your elbows, staring at the screen in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" You ask. The doctor points to the screen showing you images of exactly where your tubes are tied off.

"I-How is that possible? I never did anything like that. I-I never had my tubes tied."

"Have you had any medical procedures done to your reproductive system?" She asks. You freeze, and your chest becomes heavy.

"When I was 19, I had an abortion, but that was it. Dr. Han, he performed an abortion and-"

"I need you to tell me the facility, date, and time of this."

"I can't have babies?" Your voice is broken as tears fall down your face. The doctor sighs and moves to comfort you.

"There is a reversal process, but even then, it is only a 30% chance you could become pregnant, given your age and how long your tubes have been tied." She states. You zone out for the rest of the appointment. When you reach the car, you call Dr.Han.

"Why? Why did you do that to me?" You whisper. The line is silent.

"Jackson found out about your abortion. I don't know how. He was upset and threatened my license, and my family. I had no choice. I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it back." Dr. Han replies.

"I was 19 years old. I was terrified. I was alone. I came to you for help! And you took it all away from me! You took the one thing in life away from me!" You scream.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. You know how Jackson can be you-"

"No! You don't get to say that to me!" You shout. Dr.Han is silent as you cry.

"I'm so sorry." He repeats.

You hang up the phone and return home to find Joe working out. As soon as he makes eye contact with you, you break down. Joe turns off the music and stops his activities running over to you.

"Hey? What's wrong? Baby, look at me." Joe wears a look of concern and confusion.

You can't stop the choking sobs that fall from your throat, so Joe holds you until your sobs become silent screams. It takes Joe another 30 mins to get you to calm down. When you are calm, it takes another 10 mins for you to tell Joe. Joe is speechless. Janet, Eliza, and Alex arrive 15 mins later.

"I'll go public. About everything. It's not going to get away with what he did to me." You sniffle. Eliza holds your hand while Joe rubs your back.

"I will formally start the process. Prepare yourself for everything."

Joe stays with you all night, but at 6 he has to go to training. As soon as Joe spots Jackson, he walks up to him, hitting him square in the face. Sam is quick to pull Joe off before he can cause more damage. Jackson gets up, wiping the blood off his nose.

"Dr.Han called me, so I can only guess what this punch was for. She should be thanking me. I saved her from living a miserable life like her mother!" Jackson shouts. Sam holds Joe back because he's ready to punch him again. The coach walks in on the situation, and Joe ends up being suspended for the day. You're shocked when he walks into the house but relieved.

"What can I do for you?" He asks, hugging you. You shrug.

"I have to tell my family about all of this. Before charges are formally filed, I need to explain to my dad that the person he thought was a good person was my living nightmare. It's going to break his heart. He'll blame himself, maybe even me for being so dumb and-"

"Your father will not blame you. I will be right there with you. Lean on me for anything you need." Joe explains. You take a deep breath and make the call inviting your father and brothers over for the weekend.

A/N: I know it has been like a month or something since the update but I'm so busy working and going to school. I hope you enjoyed this update sorry if its ass! It touches on a lot of subjects I hope it wasn't too triggering but soon everything will be out and that asswipe will get his and you can happily move on with Joey! He's so supportive and loves reader so much. So we will see what happens. Omg the next chapter is going to have a small couples GQ interview for reader x Joe so send in some couples question to give me some inspo! Thanks love you guys!!!

#joe burrow x reader #joe burrow #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow x y/n #joe burrow x you #joe burrow fic #joe burrow bengals #joey b #joe burrow smut #joe burrow fluff #joe burrow angst #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow fanfiction

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indigenous-character-tournament · 1 year

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Indigenous Character Tournament

Round 1

The bracket was randomly generated with minor tweaking to balance it out since there are so many characters. Ties are allowed only when there is an exact 50/50 and in that case, the characters will move on as a team. Propaganda is allowed and encouraged! The polls of each bracket will last one week! Below are the match-ups in case it is hard to read the bracket! :)

Voting will start Monday, May 8th at 6:00 P.M. EST! The polls will be released in waves.

Bracket A

Eliza Maza (Gargoyles) vs Willie Jack (Reservation Dogs)

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs Kamakiri (One Piece)

Joseph (Blood Quantum) vs Fuzzy Mac (Grace Beside Me)

John Redcorn (King of the Hill) vs Clinton Skye (FBI: Most Wanted)

Travis Manawa (Fear the Walking Dead) vs Jessica Keynes (Miraculous Ladybug)

Artemy Burakh (Pathologic) vs Nakamura Kotan (Yuusha Dan)

Delsin Rowe (Infamous: Second Son) vs Moana (Moana)

Pike Dexter (Big Eden) vs Naru (Predator)

Victor Joseph (Smoke Signals) vs Volo (Pokemon Legends: Arceus)

Prince Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke) vs Kurapika Kurta (Hunter x Hunter)

Naranpa (Black Sun) vs Kirikou (Kirikou and the Sorceress)

Fredzilla (Big Hero 6) vs Margaret Kohere (Apex Legends)

Wyper (One Piece) vs Jenna Begay (Echo Project)

Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove) vs Rock (Nanbaka)

Ka'kwet (Anne with an E) vs Akita (Ninjago)

Tanis (Letterkenny) vs Caitlin (Mohawk Girls)

Bracket B

Asirpa (Golden Kamuy) vs Asterix (Asterix the Gaul)

Little Strongheart (My Little Pony) vs Atticus O'Sullivan (The Iron Druid)

Makoa Gibraltar (Apex Legends) vs Joss (Blood Quantum)

Kenai (Brother Bear) vs Ratonhnhaké:ton (Assassin’s Creed III)

Miyax/Julie (Julie of the Wolves) vs Massai (Fortnite)

Anna (Mohawk Girls) vs Princess Maya (Maya and the Three)

Izel (Onyx Equinox) vs Mercy Thompson (Mercy Thompson)

Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption 2) vs Dr. Joshua "Strongbear" Sweet (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Lady Silence/Silna (The Terror) vs Dedue (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Koen West (Cleverman) vs Hau (Pokémon Sun and Moon)

Elora Danan Postoak (Reservation Dogs) vs Iduna (Frozen)

Zia (Mysterious Cities of Gold) vs Knuckles Thrash/Harley (Sleepless Domain)

Carlos Oliveira (Resident Evil series) vs Nainoa Flores (Sharks in the Time of Saviors)

Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs Little Creek (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)

Asta Twelvetrees (Resident Alien) vs Hototo (Appare-Ranman!)

Bracket C

Nate Kinski (Neighbours) vs Usui Horokeu/Horohoro (Shaman King)

Reki Kyan (SK8 the Infinity) vs Waruu West (Cleverman)

Mugen (Samurai Champloo) vs Sitka (Brother Bear)

Samantha Black Crow (American Gods) vs Sasappis (Ghosts CBS)

Nina Aroyo (A Snake Falls to Earth) vs Malakai Mitchell (Heartbreak High)

Echo Reverie (Friends at the Table) vs Nuna (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa)

Margu (Klaus) vs Raúl Cocolotl (Wendell & Wild)

Huā Chéng (Heaven Official's Blessing) vs Leilani (Indivisible)

Elatsoe Bride (Elatsoe) vs Tao (Mysterious Cities of Gold)

Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs Jesse Cosay (Infinity Train)

Kalgara (One Piece) vs Molly Mabray (Molly of Denali)

Miko Kalani (Barbie) vs Tom Evans (Captain Canuck)

Nani Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch) vs Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)

Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Smoke Signals) vs Fiza (Daevabad Trilogy)

Tikal the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs Greiger (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Maya Lopez/Echo (Marvel comics) vs Bear Smallhill (Reservation Dogs)

Bracket D

Chakotay (Star Trek: Voyager) vs Piper McLean (Heroes of Olympus)

Emperor Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove) vs Denahi (Brother Bear)

Ricky Baker (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) vs Kristoff (Frozen)

Serapio (Black Sun) vs Boy (Boy - 2010 film)

Inkarmat (Golden Kamuy) vs Geronimo Jr. (Cyborg 009)

Tanigaki Genjirō (Golden Kamuy) vs Betty (Infamous: Second Son)

Pacha (The Emperor's New Groove) vs JJ Jacobs (DImension 20)

Kaya'aton'my (American Girl) vs Danielle Moonstar/Mirage (Marvel comics)

Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs Sacagawea (Night at the Museum)

Débora (Cidade Invisível) vs Matthew Carver (Kagagi)

Papa-Capim (Turma da Mônica) vs Professor Kukui (Pokémon Sun and Moon)

Tainá (Tainá uma aventura na Amazônia) vs Nuna (Indivisible)

Ken Hotate (Parks and Recreation) vs Nizhoni (Race to the Sun)

Revali (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) vs Daunis Fontaine (Firekeeper's Daughter)

Korra (The Legend of Korra) vs Ch'ah Toh Almehen/Namor the Submariner (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

Tye Longshadow (Young Justice) vs Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch)

#indigenous character tournament #tumblr polls #ict round 1 #ict brackets

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softrozene · 1 year

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Arthur Turns into a Parent

Anon asked: Howdy:)! I'm loving your blog so far, as new as it is. I was wondering if you could write HC's on a new addition to camp who's a kid--maybe around 11 or 12 and she always follows around Arthur cos he saved her or something, and all the gang members tease him about it, but she evntially grows on him and sticks with him to the very end :'( Idk, hopefully something fluffy and father daughter sort of thing:) Only if you're okay with it!!

rdr2 masterlist

This is my type of thing. We love a wholesome father figure Arthur in this house! Thanks for the request Lovely!

Originally published on January 28, 2020

(Father-Daughter relationship) Arthur Morgan x Kid!reader

Warnings: Fluff, spoilers?

Words: ~700

Arthur would be so angry that you chose him, out of the damn people here at camp, to follow around

He would be very annoyed, all huffy puffy, but wouldn’t say a dang word about it

The annoyance is obvious especially if Hosea or Dutch tease him about it, but he keeps his lips tight with them

If it’s another member making fun of him he will tell them to “Shut up”

Despite his behavior, he never ever tells you to go away

Give it a few days and he’ll cave in

He’ll turn into the mama bear he’s meant to be eventually

Since you are technically glued to him, he has to promise to come back a few times in order for you to stay with Abigail or someone else, while he goes on a mission

Eventually, he’ll embrace the father role that you had forced upon him (thanks to Hosea and Dutch probably)

He’ll teach you everything he knows

If you’re his daughter now he wants you to be able to protect yourself

He doesn’t want you to end up like his baby mama Eliza and his son Isaac

Eventually, you’ll be like Jack and call everyone Uncle or Auntie

The second you call Arthur Daddy or Papa his heart will literally melt

He’ll finally see this as the second chance he doesn’t deserve but will embrace it

Arthur probably has a sixth sense so if Micah comes near you, you bet Arthur will be there making sure that Micah will not interact with you

He ain’t afraid to shoot him if he tries to talk to you

If you ever see Mary and become mean or jealous of her, Arthur will think it’s the cutest thing in the world

Mary will be slightly upset wishing that she was your mother after seeing how loving Arthur is towards you

Get out of here mary

When he realizes he has TB you are the only one he will tell because he doesn’t want you to be devastated when it’s too late

He might try to distance himself but if it hurts you more he would stop immediately

You would be entrusted to John and Abigail and when the time comes you don’t put up a fight- You don’t want to break his heart more and he definitely doesn’t want to see you witness his death

You’ll stay as long as you can but he’ll make you leave with Abigail when she leaves with Sadie

Jack calls you his big sister

John may have Arthur’s stuff but when the time comes you’ll get the notebook

You’ll probably join John, Charles, and Sadie to get revenge for Arthur (since 8 years pass reader would be 19/20) so Abigail can’t control you lmao

Small Bonus Scenario:

“Hey Kid, wake up,” Arthur’s voice is surprisingly gentle as he shakes you gently.

Your eyes open real wide and you are breathing with panic. Upon seeing Arthur’s face you feel better immediately. You hug him.

“I know, Kid. It was just a dream. You’re safe now. See? You’re home with us,” Arthur says murmuring these lines of comfort for you.

He holds you gently for a bit before he pulls away. “You good now?”

You shake your head and he smiles, “See. Nothing is ever gonna hurt you again. Not that you have me and all of us to protect you. Uncle Charles and Javier wish to train you tomorrow if you’d like.”

Seeing your eyes light up like that makes him chuckle. Despite not being his real flesh and blood, you sure are his daughter with that behavior and enthusiasm for wanting to learn this type of thing.

“Sadie wants to take ya shopping too. Said you’d been bothering her for pants,” Arthur says softly.

You nod your head eagerly and he laughs. “Fine. Fine. Probably suit you better than those dresses. She’s gonna be proud that you’re taking her new style. Anyway- Go back to sleep. I’m here to protect ya now.”

“Will you stay until I fall asleep?” You ask softly immediately clutching his hand.

He huffs just slightly before saying, “Sure, Kid.”

#softrozene writes #rdr2 x reader #arthur morgan #female reader #pure fluff #smidge of angst

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imwall-e · 1 year

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Until we meet again : Chapter 1

Pairing : TB!Arthur Morgan x Reader

Warning : MAJOR SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAY THE GAME, major character dea•th, tuberculosis, angst, (tell me if I forgot some), reader but external POV

A/N : I wrote this a few months ago and finally decided to post it. I'm really proud of this chapter, my best work so far (imo). I first wrote it in French and mostly used Deepl to translate the text, and even if I re-read it, they may be some mistake so don't hesitate to tell me! This is not beta read. This is my first work for the Red Dead fandom and I hope it's good. Consider liking, rebloging or commenting if you like my work (and feel comfortable with that of course).

The atmosphere of Beaver Hollow was already being felt long before we arrived at the new camp. The area was dark, damp, stinking. It was as if it were haunted. Cursed. As for the cave, it was a concentration of all that, only worse. Once home to a local gang nicknamed The Rejects of Murfree, it bore indelible traces of the horrors it had harbored. The smell outside was unbearable, but inside was a vision of dread. Blood was visible from floor to ceiling, pieces of decomposing corpses smeared all the way down to its entrails. Impossible to settle inside.

Where just a few weeks earlier the gang had been celebrating their exit from the snowy mountains, and everyone was ready to give their all to make a new place a comfortable place to live, now there was no laughter to be heard. Not a smile was to be seen on any of the faces. Only whispers, distrust, fear and death reigned.

And Arthur… his coughing fits were becoming more violent, and more frequent. His skin was pale, contrasting with the blue of his eyes, which betrayed his illness and fatigue.

Outlawed, hunted by the Pinkertons or opposing gangs like the O'Driscolls, he'd been shot at many times. And yet, he was dying of tuberculosis. A fucking disease. After all, he'd probably earned it with the life he was leading… had led. His punishment for beating up Mr Downes. A good man, always ready to help others even though he didn't have much.

Arthur, who'd never done anything right. Or so he thought, but she was always there to remind him otherwise. After Mary, after Eliza, he never thought he'd fall in love again. Then she'd come along, and offered him more than he thought he deserved.

Arthur had met her while hunting. She was wearing a long white dress. At first, he thought he saw an angel. Then their eyes met. He saw the fear in her eyes and decided to put down his bow. He introduced himself and she gradually seemed to calm down. After a few minutes' silence, she finally told him her name. Her voice trembled, but she'd asked for his help: she was supposed to be getting married that very day to a man she'd never met. But what she was looking for was freedom.

She wanted to travel. To discover. To live. And Arthur had offered her all that. For five years, they'd been happy together. Arthur had even proposed to her while they were still in Blackwater. But they'd kept it a secret until things got better.

Unfortunately, the moment never arrived.

Micah was a traitor. And Dutch had blindly followed him, going so far as to question the words of John and Arthur. He'd rather believe a dangerous madman than those he considered his own sons.

Arthur should have left after the Blackwater massacre. Hosea had tried to warn him when they'd all fled to Colter. Or he should have let Micah hang at Strawberry. If only he'd been willing to open his eyes to what Dutch had become. To his true nature. If only.

But it was too late now, and there was no point in dwelling on the past. Now he had t o protect those who remained. Tilly had already taken Jack to safety. Abigail was safe thanks to him and Sadie, and the two women had left to join Tilly. Mary-Beth and Karen had probably escaped too. She was the only one left. And he knew exactly where she'd be safe.

He helped his young fiancée onto her mare, then settled down behind her. He wanted to smell her hair while he still could. He wanted to hold her close. However, time was running out and lingering was a luxury they couldn't afford. The person he was looking for was passing through the Annesburg area, but they'd better get moving fast. He nudged the horse's flank to move it forward, and whistled for the stallion carrying the young woman's belongings to follow.

The journey wasn't long, but it went by faster than he would have liked. A dilapidated house appeared in the distance. Arthur had exchanged a few letters with the man who had taken an interest in his bleak landscape, a man he had helped not long ago. He was standing outside, setting up his camera. His gaze wandered to them, and he soon recognized Arthur.

"Mr. Morgan! I'm so happy to see you again! As you may have noticed, I've given up taking pictures of wildlife. I'm now content with the magnificent landscapes" exclaimed Albert, warmly greeting the man who had helped and saved him on numerous occasions. But his familiar enthusiasm soon disappeared when he saw the young woman's tears and Arthur's sickly pallor. "What's the matter?" he asked worriedly, abandoning his camera.

"Mr. Mason, I need you to…" but Arthur was interrupted by a coughing fit causing him to cough up blood as he stepped to the ground. "I'm dying and I'd like you to take care of my fiancée."

The young woman tried to smile at Albert, but knowing that the man she loved would soon be leaving her was too much to bear. It dashed all memories, all hopes of a better life with her cowboy.

"I'm sorry I haven't written to inform you, but recent events haven't given me the opportunity," Arthur resumed after helping his beloved off his horse.

The tears continued to roll silently down the cheeks of the woman who was to become Mrs Morgan. She was silent now, staring into space.

"Mr Morgan…", Albert didn't know what to say. This kind man, who had come to his aid so many times, was going to die. He could see the sadness in the lovers' eyes. And Albert saw only one way he could do something for them: "Don't worry, I'll take care of mademoiselle."

Arthur was relieved: she would be safe. She would live. He turned to her: she seemed no more than a ghost. But she had to fight. For him. For her. For them.

"I love you, Princess," he began, taking her in his arms. "More than you can imagine. I wish I'd said it more often. I regret so many things. But I promise we'll meet again. Not in this life, unfortunately, but in another. I'll find you again."

"We… we… we didn't even have time to get married," she managed to articulate between sobs, the crying resuming in earnest following Arthur's words.

"It wasn't our time. Now you must stay with Albert. Live, princess. Do it for me. I'll always watch over you, but promise me you won't let yourself die."

"I… I promise, Arthur."

That was all he needed to hear. He had to go now. He had unfinished business with Micah, but also with Dutch.

The sun was setting as he rested his forehead against hers. His way of kissing her for the last time, wanting to avoid her contracting tuberculosis too. He squeezed her hands and heard her whisper "I love you, Arthur".

He gently let go of her hands and she kept her eyes closed, not wishing to watch him go. To tell the truth, she was so focused on remembering his scent, his laugh, his voice, that she didn't even hear him mount his mare and gallop away.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky had darkened. A storm was approaching. Arthur was gone. Only Albert remained, looking after the stallion carrying the young woman's belongings. He knew she wouldn't move immediately, but it was time to go. He'd better get back to the cabin he'd rented before nightfall.

"Mademoiselle, I'm sorry but we must leave now. Tomorrow we'll go to Rhodes, my house is close to the city."

"Of course," was all she could reply, her gaze fixed on the mountains.

The journey to the cabin Albert had reserved was silent. The storm was roaring in the distance. She held back from joining Arthur. But she had to keep her promise.

Without Arthur, life would be difficult. Her heart would be broken forever, but she had to try. And one day, they would be reunited. She had to believe that.

The rain finally came, falling on her cheeks and mingling with her tears. She couldn't stop thinking about all those mornings she'd wake up alone. She couldn't accept that he wasn't coming back. Ever.

"Mademoiselle?" Albert's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "We've arrived. You should try to eat something and get some sleep." He didn't know what to do or say.

She followed him silently. Inside, she sat by the window, where she could see the mountains near Beaver Hollow. Soon, she closed her eyes, tears still flowing.

Her mind took her to a river in the middle of the woods. The light wind gently moved the leaves on the trees. She was wearing a long white dress. A branch cracked, startling her. But it was only Arthur, wearing the hat he always wore and the blue shirt she loved so much.

"You're beautiful," he said, and she threw her arms around his neck. "Dance with me?" Was there an answer other than "yes"?

And, each immersed in the other's gaze, they danced. Without stopping, they talked about their future: having a ranch, raising horses, starting a family. A quiet life away from traitors and the Pinkertons. Just them.

"I love you, Arthur."

"I love you too, princesses," he replied, kissing her tenderly. A deer passed by them. Then nothing.

When she opened her eyes again, she knew Arthur was gone.

It was nearly nine o'clock when Albert and the young woman began their journey to Rhodes.

"I think you'll like Rhodes very much, mademoiselle. It's much quieter and warmer since the Gray and Braithwaite families, two rival families, entered… well, since they left."

The young woman smiled at the mention. It brought back memories that were certainly recent, but seemed so long ago. But her smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared as she recalled Sean's death.

Then came Kieran's turn. Hosea. Lenny. Eagle Flies. John. And Arthur.

Sensing that she wouldn't talk any more than she had the day before, Albert decided to talk to her about anything and everything, in the hope of distracting her from the sadness that overwhelmed her, even if only for a few minutes.

"The landscape is also much brighter. Annesburg offers beautiful scenery, but it's a very dark, eerie area. Rhodes is nicer, warmer."

Albert was right: the further they got from Annesburg, the fresher the air seemed, the more colorful and welcoming the surroundings.

She glanced back one last time, to where Arthur had remained. Her heart sank. She felt she was abandoning him. But she had to stay strong.

Finally, Rhodes appeared before them as the sun tinted the sky orange, ready to give way to the moon.

"Miss, look!"

A majestic deer had stopped in the middle of the road, staring at them with its big dark eyes.

"It's the first time I've seen one approach like that. They're usually very frightened," Albert continued.

The deer approached the young woman and rested its muzzle against her leg. She gently touched its large antlers, then the animal moved away, disappearing among the trees.

"Goodbye, Arthur."

I hope you liked this first chapter!

#red dead redemption fanfiction #red dead 2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 arthur #arthur morgan #first red dead redemption fanfiction #angst #red dead redemption two #red dead redemption angst #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #fanfic #dutch van der linde #sadie adler #micah bell #john marston #charles smith #albert mason

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sequinsmile-x · 10 months

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Backfire

Three Thanksgivings in the lives of the Hotchner family.

-x-

Hi friends, this is the third and final (for now) part of my Thanksgiving fic Backfire.

This got a little sadder than I initially intended, but I don't think that will surprise anyone.

This week has been...rough. But as ever I am grateful for this community and the distraction it provides from real life <3

-x-

Words: 3.7k

Warnings: Grief/Loss of a parent

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

Somewhere along the way, Thanksgiving had become her least favourite holiday.

She’d felt the tension it brought the moment she woke up, torn from sleep by her hungry one-month-old, the baby girl demanding her attention almost constantly. Eliza was a clingier baby than Zachary had ever been, something that Emily would have once called impossible, and she was exhausted.

She yawns as she lays Eliza down on the changing table, a smile flitting across her face at the sight of the outfit, that had been bought by Penelope, that she was about to dress her daughter in. The swirling writing and cartoon turkey on the onesie so cute it made her ache.

Mommy & Daddy’s Little Turkey.

“You’re going to hate me when I show you these pictures in about 14 years, sweet girl,” she says as she picks up the outfit, rubbing the soft material between her fingers, “But you’re going to look so damn cute I don’t care.” She feels a rush of love sweep through her as she slips Eliza’s arms into the onesie, her heart aching at how cute her daughter looks. She picks her up and rests her against her chest, “You are the fucking cutest baby on the whole planet.”

“Don’t curse in front of the baby.”

She turns to look at her husband and smiles, rolling her eyes at him before she adjusts her hold on Eliza so he can see her outfit, “Am I wrong?”

He chuckles as he walks over, his hand on Emily’s lower back as he leans in to kiss her. He then stamps a kiss against Eliza’s head before he pulls back to look at them.

“I stand corrected, she is the fucking cutest.”

Emily mock gasps, “Don’t curse in front of the baby.”

Aaron shakes his head at his wife, but his response is cut off as the doorbell rings, quickly followed by Jack’s voice, the 11-year-old’s excitement clear.

“Mom, Dad, Aunt Jessie and Grandpa are here!”

She hears two sets of feet thundering down the hallway downstairs, Zachary always on the heels of his older brother, the 4-year-old always copying his every move.

Aaron feels Emily tense in his arms, her shoulders tight as she holds Eliza impossibly closer. He kisses her forehead and cups her cheek to make him look up at her.

“Remember sweetheart, we don’t have to do this. We can just send him home.”

She found Thanksgiving challenging when she was at her best, something that she definitely did not currently feel. It was the only holiday when they got together with Roy, who still tried to undermine her or make comments towards Aaron at every opportunity. Emily hated it, the tension the man brought into her home enough to make her skin crawl, but she put up with it. Her love for Jack and her desire for him to be happy and surrounded by family who loved him far outweighing her own dislike for a man who made a point of being actively rude to her husband.

Aaron had checked more than once if she still wanted to go ahead with Thanksgiving as planned. He’d even asked her that morning, his arm around her shoulder as she fed Eliza whilst it was still dark outside, a serious look in his eyes as he said he’d uninvite Roy at any time, right up to the moment he stepped foot on the porch. She’d insisted she was fine, that she wanted things to be as normal as they possibly could, but as she watches the clock tick closer to the time Jess was supposed to arrive with Roy, she wonders if she had made the right decision.

Not only was Emily only a month post-partum and still getting used to having a newborn again, the four years since she’d done all of this with Zachary feeling like both a lifetime and a blur all at once, but it was the first holiday since her mother had died.

Emily was working when it happened. Regulated to the office at almost 8 months pregnant, her bump pressed against her desk as she looked over paperwork she was struggling to focus on. Her phone screen lit up with an unknown number, and dread she still didn’t understand flooded her veins. Her instincts that something was wrong kicking in before she even answered the call and listened as a stranger whose voice she’d never forget told her that Elizabeth was critically ill.

Aaron had been away on a case at the time, something she knew he still felt guilty about as if him being at home would have changed anything. He’d flown back to her as soon as he could, putting her and their family above his job, a lesson he’d learnt the hard way with spilt blood and tears. He’d held her hand as she made the decision to take her mother off life support, the roll of her baby girl in her stomach feeling displaced against the repetitive beeps of the machines around them, and her mother’s cold hand.

Emily wondered if things would feel different if her relationship with her mother had been a good one. If they’d had the type of relationship she knew she had with her children whether she’d feel different. Grief was complicated, she knew that, it wasn’t linear or easy. But she sometimes thought her chest wouldn’t feel like it was hollowed out if she had more good memories of her mother to fall back on, if all of her favourite moments with her hadn’t all happened since she’d become a mother herself. Elizabeth may never have been the mother Emily wanted or deserved, but she was an excellent grandmother.

On some level, she was jealous of the relationship the boys had with Elizabeth, an emotion that made her feel so guilty it made her feel sick. She wished that she could miss her like Jack and Zachary did. They had no complication in their grief, no caveats. They just missed her.

Emily was angry. Furious that her mother had been capable of being the person she’d needed all along, and sad that Elizabeth had never chosen to be like that for her. She missed both who her mother was and who she could have been, the old adage that ‘two things can be right at once’ as infuriating as it was correct.

She sighs as she shakes her head, “No, we can’t send him home, honey. He’s Jack’s grandfather, it’s Thanksgiving,” she turns her head to kiss his palm, “We can’t send him home. Plus, that would mean Jess would have to leave too and I love spending time with her, and so do the boys. And she cooked the turkey this year so we’d have no food.”

He smiles at her and leans in to kiss her softly. He knew that she was making the decision she thought was right for everyone other than herself, her own comfort was always her last priority. He doesn’t want to argue with her though, and doesn’t want to push her when he knows she’s already more delicate than usual, something she wouldn’t thank him for pointing out. So he steps away.

“I’ll go let them in,” he says, his smile so loving it warms her from the inside out, “You come down when you’re ready.”

She nods and smiles gratefully, turning all of her attention back to Eliza the moment they are alone. She smiles at her little girl.

It may be her first holiday without her mother, but it was also her first with her daughter and she wanted to enjoy it as much as she could.

“Come on Eliza,” she says, kissing her temple, “Let’s go see the grumpiest man to ever exist,” she pauses, smiling to herself as she kisses her daughter again, “And before you ask,” she says as she starts to walk out of the nursery, “I don’t mean Daddy.”

___

“That was the best Thanksgiving meal I’ve eaten in years,” Roy says as he sets his knife and fork down on his plate, turning his attention to Jessica, “That was delicious, Jess.”

“It was so good Aunt Jessie,” Zachary says, smiling as he sinks back into his chair, making his parents laugh as he rubs his belly, something he’d clearly picked up on someone else doing.

“Thanks, Zach,” she says, smiling at the young boy she considered her nephew just as much as Jack before she turns to Roy, “And thanks Dad, I’ve never cooked a whole turkey before so it was quite the learning curve.”

Aaron smiles as he puts his arm around the back of Emily’s chair, taking a quick peak at Eliza who was fast asleep against her mother’s chest, “We really appreciate you cooking, Jess,” he says, “I don’t think we could have managed it.”

“Oh don’t worry,” she replies, “You have a new baby and have to chase my nephews around, I can handle doing the cooking.”

Roy mutters something under his breath, but Emily doesn’t quite catch it because Eliza starts to cry, the brief reprieve she’d given them so Emily could eat, all be it one-handed whilst she held her daughter, is already over.

“Oh sweetheart,” she says, already moving to stand up so she pace, the movement one of the few things that soothed her, “You’re okay.”

Jack stands up too, beating Aaron to it, as he offers help, always keen to be the best big brother he could be, “Do you need me to go get one of her pacifiers, Mom?”

She sees a flash of something across Roy’s face. It’s an echo of a moment a few years ago when it was Zachary’s first Thanksgiving, his tiny face covered in mashed potato as she tried to wipe him clean, and Jack’s innocent comment aimed at his younger brother, the name Momma slipping past his lips without real meaning. He’d still called her Emily back then, the use of the moniker for his little brother’s benefit more than anything, the then baby on the brink of saying his first word.

Jack had switched to calling her Mom a year ago. It felt like it had happened overnight, something that felt natural and wonderful all at once. He still called her Emily in front of Roy, something she knew he did to prevent his grandfather from getting upset, all of the comments he’d made over the years always lingering in the back of his mind. The empathy her eldest was capable of never failed to blow her away, his kindness so much a part of him that she sometimes worried one day it would be something that people would take advantage of. It’s a slip-up Jack doesn’t even seem aware of, his smile soft as he looks at her.

She looks back at Roy, and watches as Jessica stares at her father, a fierce look in her eyes that has almost no effect.

“That would be lovely, Jack,” Emily says, turning her attention back to her eldest son, wanting him out of the room before anything was said, “The clean ones are in the kitchen,” she says, and Jack nods before he runs out of the room. Emily looks at Zachary. Usually, the frown on his face, the one that made him look identical to Aaron, would make her smile, but it makes her chest get tight, the thought that her son was picking up on the tension in the room enough to make her cry, “Zach-”

Her attempt to get him out of the room, to distract him by suggesting he go to the den and played with his toys, is cut off by Roy.

“What did he call you?” He asks, his jaw tight as he glares at her, and any usual defiance she has against the man is nowhere to be found, the crying of her baby in her arms, the absence of her mother and the usual jibes she’d throw at the man, setting her on edge. “How many times do I have to remind you that you’re not his mother?”

It was something that had come up time and time again over the years. Roy’s desire to keep his daughter's memory alive so misguided he didn’t realise he was going against what she’d wanted - for her son to have exactly what he had now.

“Roy,” Aaron starts, his protective instincts kicking in, but he isn’t given the chance when Emily cuts over him

“You know what, Roy,” Emily says, shaking her head at him, a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob catching in her chest, “I don’t have the energy for this. I need to go feed my baby,” she softens when she smiles at Zachary, “Want to come with me to go feed your sister?”

Zach nods, slipping out of his chair and walking over to his mother, avoiding eye contact with everyone else as he reaches her side. Emily adjusts her hold on Eliza to make sure she’s secure against her with one arm and she reaches down to hold Zachary’s hand. She leads him out of the room and she doesn’t look back.

Aaron wants to follow her, but he knows she wouldn’t want him to, instead, he folds his hands together in his lap and looks at his ex-father-in-law, anger he hasn’t let himself feel in years bubbling in his stomach.

“You couldn’t just leave it alone this year?” Aaron asks, his eyes stern as he stares at Roy, “She lost her mother a couple of months ago.”

“How long has Jack been calling her mom?” Roy asks as if Aaron hasn’t spoken, staring him down. It reminds Aaron of when he was a teenager and accidentally got Haley home after her curfew, the traffic on the way back from the concert they had been to worse than he’d anticipated. Roy was furious, yelling at Aaron for making his daughter late, for making him worry about her, and Aaron had promised it would never happen again, and that he’d always keep Haley safe.

It was a promise he’d broken without meaning to, the shattered pieces of his already tenuous relationship with his once father-in-law destroyed beyond repair.

“For a long time, Dad,” Jessica answers, sighing as Roy turns to look at her, “He’s called Emily his Mom for over a year.”

Roy frowns at his daughter, “You knew?”

She scoffs, “Of course I did,” she says, shaking her head, “I babysit all the kids, I love them all. And unlike you, I can see past my own grief over Haley to see how happy Jack is.”

Aaron smiles gratefully at Jessica and then he sighs as he turns back to Roy, “I know it’s difficult for you. But Jack came to this decision himself, he also wanted to make sure he did his best not to call Emily ‘Mom’ in front of you so he didn’t upset you.”

Roy all but growls, his frustration clear, “She is not his-”

“She is my mom.”

They all turn to look at Jack, the pre-teen standing in the doorway with a pacifier in his hand, his grip on it tight. Aaron stands and steps towards his son.

“Jack-”

“Mom was my mom too,” he says, cutting off his father as he crosses his arms over his chest, “But so is she,” he adds, pointing towards the stairs, “I don’t remember Mom, Grandad,” Jack says, shrugging his shoulders, “I miss her but the only things I know are what you and Dad and Aunt Jess tell me. Emily…Mom is the one I remember. She’s looked after me and she loves me. And that’s what a mom does,” he frowns, seemingly unable to stop now he’s started, the words he’d wanted to say since he was too young to understand them spilling out, “And you have to be nice to her, and to Dad, and to my brother and sister or I don’t want to see you anymore.”

His words settle around them and Roy sighs, “Jack, I’m just trying to make sure no one forgets your mother.”

“But no one has,” he says, furrowing his brow, looking so much like Haley that it makes the three adults in the room ache, “Dad is always telling me about her and you are. And even Mom does even though she only met her a couple of times,” he adds, watching as shock washes over his grandfathers face and he sighs, feeling some of the anger in his chest go away, “She asks Aunt Jess and Dad for stories so she can talk to me about her too.”

Roy looks at Jessica who nods, her lips pressed together, “It’s true.”

He sighs as he shakes his head, “I’m sorry,” he says as he looks at his grandson, “I didn’t know.”

“You never asked,” Aaron says firmly and Roy nods, clearing his throat as he avoids eye contact. Aaron looks at Jack and smiles at him, “Why don’t you go find everyone else? They’re probably in the nursery.”

Jack hesitates for a moment, but he nods, turning and leaving the room as quickly as he’d entered it. Aaron looks over at Roy and sighs, his hands on his hips as he looks him up and down. He’d always allowed his anger when it was aimed towards him, partially because it felt like a punishment he deserved. A penance for failing Haley and by extension Roy, But he also allowed it because he knew Roy was grieving, that he’d lost his daughter in a horrific way.

It didn’t take an FBI profiler to realise he was overcompensating to make sure he didn’t lose anyone else, his anger and his short temper were side effects of so desperately trying to cling on to what he had left of his daughter.

Her memory and her son.

“Look, Roy,” Aaron says carefully, “I can’t imagine how difficult it is, and I know we don’t particularly like each other,” he looks over at Jessica who smothers a chuckle with a fake cough, her eyes on the ceiling as she avoids looking at him, “But we both loved Haley, and we both love Jack. Surely the fact he’s happy, which is what she wanted, should be enough.”

Roy is quiet for a moment before he stands up, blowing out a steady breath as he nods slowly, “You’re right,” he says, clearing his throat, “It should be. And I’ll try to make sure it is going forward.”

Aaron smiles and relaxes a little, some of the tension in his shoulders finally easing, “Thank you.”

Jessica laughs again and shakes her head at herself when both men look at her, their eyebrows furrowed, “I’m so sorry,” she says, clearing her throat, “It’s just…wherever Haley and Elizabeth are right now, I know they would have got such a kick out of Jack telling you off, Dad.”

___

Aaron sighs as he closes the door behind Roy and Jess, briefly leaning his head against it before he makes sure the locks are in place.

“Long day, huh?”

He turns to look at his wife and smiles at her, opening his arms for her to slip into his embrace, “Long day,” he repeats, kissing the top of her head, “Where are the kids?”

“Eliza is sleeping, and Jack is reading Zach a book,” she says, smiling up at him, “So we might have 5 whole uninterrupted minutes to ourselves,” she says with enthusiasm as if she was talking about a lottery win or a luxury cruise, “Want to snuggle until someone needs us for something?”

“With you? Always,” he says, cupping her cheek and leaning in to kiss her before he leads her to the living room. They sit on the couch together and she settles into his side, breathing him in and letting his comfort wash over her, “You ok, sweetheart?”

She shrugs, because she’s really not sure how to answer the question, “I guess. I don’t know. She would have loved watching Jack tell Roy off.”

He chuckles, “Jess said the same thing,” he tilts his head to look at her, “You heard everything?”

She nods, her smile turning sad, “It was sweet. Zach heard too, and he asked me if it meant Jack was his real brother,” she says, her heart aching when Aaron sighs, his eyes closing as he shakes his head, “But I reminded him about Haley, how she was Jack’s first mom. He understands it all as best as he can.”

“I wish it was simpler sometimes,” Aaron says as he opens his eyes to look at her.

“I know,” she replies, reaching up and pushing his hair out of his eyes, “But if it was simpler, it wouldn’t be our family.” There’s a cry from upstairs and Emily groans, leaning forward to press her forehead into Aaron’s chest. “That girl is relentless.”

“Wonder where she got that from,” Aaron mutters and Emily pulls back to look at him, her eyes narrowed.

“What did you say?”

“I said, you stay here, I’ll go get her,” he says quickly, kissing her forehead and standing up.

She shakes her head at him as he leaves the room and sinks back onto the couch. She sighs as she looks around the room, her gaze locking on a picture from when Zachary was a baby that is framed and on the coffee table. In it, Elizabeth is sitting down with Jack on her left and Emily on her right, and a tiny little Zachary in her arms.

Emily picks it up and she traces her finger over the edge of it, smiling sadly at her own reflection that she can partially see in the glass. She looks at her mother, at the joy in her eyes, the happiness she would have once joked the woman was incapable of and she chuckles, her vision going blurry as tears gather in her eyes. When she speaks, it’s quiet, a secret just between herself and someone she isn’t even entirely sure is watching.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Mom.”

-x-

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