#fanfic: Mending The Tears

[awwyeah107]

Happy 1 year (and 1 month) anniversary to my first-ever published fic, Mending The Tears ❤️ I honestly had never dreamed I would publish any of my writing before this. But over time, as I wrote it, I decided why not share it? The Inkheart fandom is quite small and there's not a lot of fics out there, and I was happy with the quality of my work. The dialogue flowed so naturally when writing, so it was very enjoyable to create. I've since been overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of the comments I've received on it, and I will treasure them always.

[shitsndgiggs]

Maybe arda fanfic where hes just mad at you and at the end of the day you're like on the way to his room in the middle of the night cus you're a bit sensitive and overthought some things(you slept in the guest room) and when youre gonna open the door he just opens the door (he was on the way to ur room too ik ik very cute i am very creative) and they just end up apologizing and cuddling together before falling asleep😎

MENDING HEARTS - ARDA GÜLER

Arda being angry with you is not something you are used to

Arda Güler x fem! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

The day had been tense, to say the least. Arda had been upset with me all afternoon, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had messed up.

I replayed the argument over and over in my head, trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.

Maybe it was the way I had brushed off his concerns earlier when he asked me not to go out with friends, thinking it wasn’t a big deal.

But for some reason, it had really bothered him.

I sighed, lying in the guest bedroom, staring at the ceiling as the hours ticked by. The silence was deafening, and my mind kept spiraling into worst-case scenarios. What if he stayed mad at me? What if this was more serious than I thought?

I was too sensitive for my own good sometimes, overthinking every little thing. I hated sleeping apart, especially when we were upset with each other.

It made everything feel so much worse.

Unable to take it any longer, I decided to swallow my pride and go to him.

I couldn’t bear the distance, both physical and emotional, that had settled between us. Maybe if I could just talk to him, apologize properly, we could fix things.

Slowly, I slipped out of bed, my feet cold against the floor as I padded down the hallway toward the main bedroom.

My heart was pounding in my chest, a mix of nerves and hope that he wouldn’t turn me away.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, the door swung open. I froze, staring up at Arda, who looked just as surprised to see me standing there.

“Arda…” I started, my voice trembling slightly.

“Y/N…” he said at the same time, his tone softening as he realized what was happening.

We both stood there for a moment, neither of us sure what to say. It was clear that we had been on the same wavelength, both feeling the need to make things right but not knowing how to start.

“I was coming to find you,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I didn’t want to go to bed angry.”

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, my eyes filling with tears. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Arda. I just… I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but I see now that it was.”

He shook his head, stepping forward to pull me into his arms. “No, I’m sorry. I overreacted. I was just worried, and I didn’t handle it well. I should have talked to you instead of shutting down like I did.”

I buried my face in his chest, relief washing over me as he held me close. “I hate fighting with you,” I whispered.

“Me too,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Let’s not do this again, okay?”

I nodded, feeling the tension between us finally start to dissipate. “Okay.”

He pulled back slightly, looking down at me with a small smile. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

I smiled back, letting him lead me into the bedroom. The familiar warmth of his embrace as we lay down together was all the comfort I needed.

We didn’t need to say anything else—the apology, the forgiveness, the love, it was all understood in the way we held each other.

As I nestled into his side, his arm wrapped securely around me, I felt the weight of the day’s worries melt away. Whatever had happened, it didn’t matter anymore. We were here, together, and that was enough.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my forehead.

“Goodnight,” I replied softly, closing my eyes as I drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and loved in his arms.

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Between the Ropes… a Jey Uso x Rhea Ripley fanfic.

Chapter 14: I’d Do Anything For You

The following day, Rhea and Jey finally received the all-clear for her discharge from the hospital. The morning light filtered through the hospital windows as Jey listened intently to the nurse’s final instructions.

“Mrs. Adams’ medications are ready for pickup at the CVS near Mr. and Mrs. Fatu’s house,” the nurse said, handing him a packet. “Ensure she follows the dosage precisely. Watch for any signs of pain, fever, or excessive bleeding. If anything seems off, return immediately.”

Jey nodded, gripping the instructions tightly. With the press still lurking outside, their attorney, Julian, led them out through the south entrance. A black SUV waited, and Julian wheeled Rhea to the vehicle, carefully scanning for any photographers.

“Stay by the doors,” Julian instructed Jey. “I’ll make sure Rhea gets out safely first.”

Jey’s heart pounded as he watched Julian and Rhea disappear through the exit. He waited anxiously, his gaze fixed on the chaos outside. When Julian signaled that it was safe, Jey rushed to the SUV, sliding into the back seat just as a few photographers spotted them.

The SUV sped away from the hospital, with Rhea and Jey keeping their heads low to avoid the cameras. However no shots were taken as they managed to evade a full-blown media frenzy. Relief washed over Jey as they made their way to Jonathan and Trinity’s home.

Upon arrival, Jonathan and Trinity greeted them at the door. Jonathan took Jey’s luggage, while Trinity helped Rhea out of the car. Seeing Rhea in her weakened state, struggling with every step, tugged at Jey’s heartstrings. Her face was pale, and her movements were slow and labored.

“Let’s get you inside,” Trinity said gently, guiding Rhea into the house. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Rhea’s eyes lit up as they entered the living room. Her three dogs and one cat rushed forward, their joyful barks and meows filling the space. Despite her exhaustion, Rhea knelt slowly, tears welling up as her pets crowded around her, their affectionate nuzzles bringing her a moment of peace.

Trinity watched with a tender smile. “Jon and I explained to the police that you didn’t have family here and needed your clothes and pets. We managed to get them for you.”

Rhea, overcome with gratitude and emotion, managed to whisper, “Thank you… so much.”

Trinity helped Rhea up the stairs, guiding her carefully to the guest room. “I’ll send Jon to get your medications,” she said. “Are you hungry?”

Rhea shook her head weakly. “No, I just… I just want to rest.”

Trinity nodded, understanding her need for rest, and helped Rhea into bed. “Get some sleep. I’ll take care of everything else.”

Jey peeked into the room shortly after, his heart heavy seeing Rhea so fragile. Trinity left them alone, and Jey climbed into bed beside her, his movements gentle and cautious. “I’m here,” he whispered, brushing a lock of hair from her face. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Rhea looked at him with tired eyes. “I… I need some space right now.”

Jey’s heart ached as he heard her words. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and then reached over to turn off the light. With a final, lingering glance at Rhea, he slipped out of the bed and quietly made his way downstairs.

As he settled in the living room, the weight of the everything settled heavily on him. He watched the clock, reflecting on the challenges ahead and the uncertain path to healing. For now, he took comfort in having Rhea home, surrounded by familiar comforts and her beloved pets, hoping that time and care would begin to mend the emotional and physical wounds they both carried.

Jey and Jonathan sat in the living room, the soft hum of the house almost mocking the gravity of their situation. The weight of recent events pressed down on them, filling the space with an unbearable heaviness. Trinity had retreated to bed, promising to check on Rhea, leaving the two brothers alone in their shared sorrow.

The silence between them was thick and unspoken, each man grappling with their own turmoil. After a few agonizing minutes, Jey finally broke the silence, his voice cracking with raw emotion. “Did they arrest him?”

Jonathan met his brother’s gaze, his own eyes heavy with the weight of what he had to say. “Yes. They arrested him.

Jey’s eyes, already brimming with tears, flared with a mixture of fury and devastation. “Good,” he said, his voice trembling. “I hope they lock him away forever. I hope he suffers.”

But the anger quickly gave way to a deep, uncontainable sorrow. Jey’s face crumpled, and the tears he’d been fighting back streamed down his cheeks. He clutched his chest, gasping for air as the enormity of their loss sank in. The pain was so intense it felt physical, a deep, wrenching agony that twisted inside him.

Jey’s sobs grew louder, more desperate, as if his cries could somehow alter the reality of what had happened. His shoulders shook violently, and he sank into himself, the weight of his grief making him feel small and fragile. His wails filled the room, raw and haunting, each cry a piercing lament for the life they’d lost.

Jonathan’s heart ached as he watched his brother unravel. He moved quickly, wrapping his arms around Jey, pulling him into a fierce, protective embrace. The two men huddled together, their bodies pressed close as if trying to merge their pain and find comfort in their shared grief.

Jey’s cries grew louder, a guttural sound of anguish that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul. “Why, God? Why did You have to take my baby?” he screamed, his voice breaking with each word. “Why did You let this happen? Why did You take away the one thing that mattered most?”

Jonathan held him tightly, his own tears falling freely now, mingling with Jey’s as he whispered soothingly. “I don’t know, Jey. I don’t know why this happened. I wish I could take away the pain. I wish there was something I could do.”

Jey’s cries seemed endless, each one a testament to the unbearable grief of losing a child. His hands clung to Jonathan’s shirt, as if trying to hold on to something solid amidst the overwhelming despair. He felt as though a part of him had been ripped away, leaving an empty void that could never be filled.

The minutes stretched into hours, and the night grew darker around them. The room was filled with the sound of Jey’s heart-wrenching sobs and Jonathan’s quiet attempts to comfort him. Their shared grief was a heavy blanket, wrapping around them both in a suffocating embrace. The intensity of Jey’s loss was palpable, a raw, aching void that words could not begin to describe.

As the night wore on, the two brothers remained entwined in Jey’s grief, Jey’s cries gradually fading into quiet sobs. The weight of his sorrow was immense, but in his twin’s embrace, Jey found a small measure of comfort. For now, the only thing they could hold onto was each other, and the hope that, in time, Jey might find a way to heal from the profound loss he experienced.

Rhea lay in the king bed, her body heavy with exhaustion and grief. The sounds of Jey’s anguished cries from downstairs pierced through the quiet of her room, each wail a gut-wrenching reminder of their shared loss. She wanted desperately to go to him, to offer some words of comfort, but the crushing weight of her own sorrow made her feel helpless.

As she tried to gather the strength to move, her cat, a gentle presence in her turmoil, climbed onto the bed and nestled close to her. Rhea felt the warmth of the small, comforting body and the soft purring that accompanied it. But instead of providing peace, it only deepened her sense of despair. The cat’s presence was a reminder of the emptiness she now felt without their child.

Tears streamed down Rhea’s face as she stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind a chaotic swirl of thoughts and regrets. “Why am I here?” she whispered to the darkness around her. “Why did it have to be this hard?”

She couldn’t shake the memory of her confrontation with Matt, the sharp, painful reality of the choices that led to this point. All she had wanted was to tell him she didn’t love him anymore, to end their relationship and move on with Jey. But Matt’s violent reaction had shattered more than just her plans—it had shattered their future.

She sobbed quietly, her cries muffled by the pillow as she buried her face in it. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she choked out between sobs. “It was just supposed to be a conversation. I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this.”

The room felt oppressive, closing in on her as she wrestled with her guilt and grief. She felt a deep sense of responsibility for the loss of their child, a burden that seemed almost too heavy to bear. The pain of knowing that her actions had contributed to the chain of events that led to their tragedy was overwhelming.

Rhea’s heart ached with the weight of her own regrets and the depth of her sorrow. She lay there, immobilized by her despair, feeling the crushing isolation of her grief. The world outside felt distant and unreachable, and the comfort she so desperately needed seemed just beyond her grasp.

She wished for a way to turn back time, to change the course of events and erase the pain. But all she could do was lie there, enveloped in her grief, while Jey’s cries continued to echo through the house, a haunting reminder of the life they had lost and the heartache that now defined their existence.

—

Thursday, September 19th.

Rhea stirred awake as tried to get comfortable. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was 6:21 a.m. The room was still and quiet, except for the rhythmic sound of Jey’s steady breathing. He lay beside her, seemingly at peace in his slumber, but she knew he was hurting just as much as she was.

She shifted slightly and felt a sharp cramp in her abdomen. The pain was a constant reminder of the trauma her body had endured. Trying to suppress a whimper, she glanced at the dresser where Jey had neatly labeled a few pill bottles—two for pain and one for infection. Her hands trembled as she reached for the bottle of pain pills that didn’t require food. Without hesitating, she dry swallowed the recommended dose, hoping for even a small reprieve from the discomfort.

Rhea walked carefully, careful not to wake Jey, and made her way to the door. Her steps were tentative as she navigated the unfamiliar room. She noticed three doors and, with some effort, discerned that one was slightly ajar. She approached it and realized it led to the bathroom. With a sigh of relief, she closed the door behind her and shuffled inside.

As she relieved herself, the pain intensified, and she noticed something alarming. When she wiped, there were blood clots on the tissue. Her heart sank at the sight, a painful reminder of the loss she was still struggling to accept. The doctor had mentioned the possibility of passing clots, but seeing them firsthand brought a new wave of anguish.

She opened the cabinet above the toilet and found pads. With trembling hands, she applied one, trying to manage the situation as best as she could. After washing her hands thoroughly and flushing away the evidence, she turned her attention back to her reflection.

Rhea placed a hand on her stomach, feeling a deep, aching emptiness. She lifted her shirt to inspect the bandage covering the incision. Gently, she pulled it back slightly and saw the small incision—about the size of her middle finger, but very slightly longer. It was a reminder of the surgical intervention she had undergone.

As she observed the incision, her emotions swirled. The physical pain and the sight of the bandage were a tangible representation of the emotional and physical toll she had endured. The incision was a silent witness to the immense loss and the challenge of recovering from such a profound tragedy. Rhea’s tears fell freely as she grappled with the reality of her situation. The pain, both physical and emotional, was overwhelming, and the quiet of the early morning offered no ease.

Rhea quietly returned to the bedroom, her body heavy with exhaustion and her mind swirling in the remnants of grief. As she opened the door, she noticed Jey lying there, his eyes half-open, watching her with quiet concern.

“You okay, babe?” he asked, his voice raw with tiredness, but laced with something deeper—worry.

She paused, surprised by the tenderness of the pet name. Closing the door softly behind her, she gave him a weak smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Didn’t know we hit the pet names already…”

Jey shifted in bed, sitting up slightly as she climbed in beside him. The moment she was close enough, he pulled her into his arms, holding her as though she might slip away if he didn’t. She felt his warmth surround her as her head found his chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart. For a second, just that simple sound was enough to make her feel safe.

“I think it’s long overdue,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss against her hair, his lips lingering there.

Rhea didn’t respond. The words seemed to catch in her throat. She was so tired—emotionally, physically. It was as if everything around her was collapsing, and all she could do was lie still, hoping the weight of it all wouldn’t crush her.

She felt Jey’s chest rise and fall beneath her head, his heartbeat a steady reminder that he was here, with her. His hand ran gently up and down her back, offering silent comfort.

After a moment, his voice broke the quiet. “Maybe down the line… we can try again,” he said softly, almost as if afraid to say it out loud. “Maybe one day…”

The words stung. Rhea bit her lip, trying to hold back the wave of emotions crashing over her. She couldn’t think about trying again—not now, not with this gaping wound still fresh. The thought of another baby was too much to bear. She didn’t want to cry anymore, but tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them.

She didn’t respond. She just lay there, silent, her heart aching. Her grief felt like an ocean, and she was drowning in it. Jey’s words were like tiny lifeboats, but she wasn’t sure she could reach for them yet.

Sensing her silence, Jey gently lifted her chin with his finger, tilting her face to meet his. His eyes, red from exhaustion and grief, were filled with something deep—something raw. “Rhea… I love you,” he said, his voice trembling, but filled with conviction. “I need you to know that. I love you so damn much. I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.”

His words cut through the haze of her grief, and she blinked up at him, tears spilling over despite her efforts to hold them back.

“I’ll never leave you,” Jey continued, his voice cracking with emotion. “Not now, not ever. I know in Portland… I pushed you. I was a coward. But I’ll never do that again. I swear to you, Rhea. I’m staying. No matter how hard it gets.”

He let out a shaky breath, his eyes pleading with her to understand. “We’ve lost so much… but I won’t lose you. I can’t.”

Rhea felt her heart shatter all over again. His words were breaking down the walls she had tried to build around her grief. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. A sob escaped her lips as she reached for him, clutching his shirt, her body shaking with the force of her emotions.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Jey,” she whispered through her tears, her voice trembling. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

Jey pulled her tighter against him, his own tears mixing with hers. “You don’t have to do it alone,” he whispered back. “We’ll do it together. I promise you.”

She wanted to believe him—wanted so desperately to believe that somehow, together, they could survive this. But the pain was so overwhelming, the grief so unbearable, that all she could do was cry. Her body was weak, her soul even weaker. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. She had imagined a future with their child, a life that was now gone, stolen from them before it even had a chance to begin.

Jey kissed her forehead, then her tear-streaked cheeks, and finally her lips. The kiss was soft, tender, filled with all the love he couldn’t put into words. “I’ll never leave you,” he whispered again, his voice barely audible.

Rhea clung to him, their tears mingling as they held onto each other, as if their love was the only thing keeping them afloat in this sea of grief. In the darkness, in the stillness of the room, they found a sliver of hope in each other’s arms.

It wasn’t enough to erase the pain, but in that moment, it was all they had.

---

9:41 AM Thursday.

As Trinity flipped the last of the turkey bacon onto a plate, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps walking through the living room and without turning around, she called out, “Breakfast is ready, babe.”

But when she glanced over her shoulder, it wasn’t Jon, it was Rhea. Her movements were slow, but the fact that she was out of bed brought a small sense of relief to Trinity.

“Good morning,” Trinity greeted her warmly, trying to keep things light.

Rhea gave a weak smile. “Morning.”

Trinity, not one to pry too much, asked gently, “How are you feeling? Physically, I mean.”

Rhea sat down at the table with a sigh, her exhaustion still evident. “One day at a time, hey where are my babies?” she murmured, her voice soft but steady, concerned for animals.

“Oh I let them roam the backyard but your cat is crazy. The dang thing don’t wanna keep off my plants..” Trinity joked.

“Sorry I had to bombard you with them..” Rhea replied.

“Think of it as a fair trade, I get to see different animals instead of Jon and mine.. plus I think Tank and Marley really enjoy the company..” Trinity joked as she looked out to see the storm of dogs roam her backyard.

“Fair enough,” Rhea responded and Trinity turning back to the stove for a moment. “Want a plate?”

Rhea hesitated for just a second before nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

Trinity quickly brought over a plate and placed it in front of her, taking a seat across the table. The kitchen felt quieter than usual, but the silence between them was comfortable—filled with understanding rather than awkwardness.

As they both ate, Trinity decided to break the quiet with a gentle suggestion. “Would you like to do anything today?” she asked, keeping her tone light and open.

Rhea paused mid-chew, then shrugged. “I don’t know… I still feel like I’m imposing here.”

Trinity’s face softened with a reassuring smile. “You’re not imposing, Rhea. I get it… yes it is weird how quickly things changed but I love my husband and I stand by whatever he does. Look Rhea… how about we get your mind of things and start this relationship off right. How about we do something easy—maybe a barbecue?”

At the mention of BBQ, Rhea’s face brightened slightly, and she managed a genuine smile. “I do love BBQ,” she admitted, her voice a little brighter.

Trinity grinned back, happy to see Rhea light up, even if it was just for a moment. “Perfect! I’ll head out and grab some meat, and maybe you can help with the sides? Something easy, nothing too stressful.”

Rhea nodded, looking relieved to have a small task, something to focus on. “I can do that.”

Just as they were finishing up their breakfast, the garage door creaked open, and Jey and Jimmy walked into the kitchen. Jey’s face lit up when he saw Rhea. He immediately made his way over to her, leaning down to give her a soft kiss on the forehead. “Morning, babe,” he whispered.

Jimmy, ever the mirror image of his brother, followed suit, leaning down to kiss Trinity. “Morning,” he echoed with a grin.

Trinity chuckled at the synchronization, playfully shaking her head at the twins. “Y’all are ridiculous,” she teased.

Turning back to the room, Trinity explained the plans. “We’re thinking of doing a BBQ today. It’ll be low-key, just to get Rhea out of her head a bit.”

Jimmy smirked at Jey, “Uce, it’s your turn to clean the grill.”

Jey scoffed and shook his head. “Nah, I did the cooking and the cleaning last time. It’s your turn to actually do some work around here.

Jimmy held up his hands in mock protest. “Bro, I was supervising last time. Totally different.”

Trinity rolled her eyes playfully. “Yeah, well, whoever cleans it better do it fast because I’m about to head out for the groceries.”

As Jey and Jimmy bantered, Rhea leaned back in her chair, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. For the first time in what felt like forever, the lightness of normalcy began to creep back into the house. It wasn’t much, but it was something. A start.

—

Rhea sat at the vanity, carefully applying her eyeliner, the soft hum of The Great Gatsby playing in the background. The movie had become her strange form of comfort, a familiar backdrop to the emotional chaos she was navigating. Wrapped in her towel, she stared at her reflection, trying to pull herself together. Just for today, she needed to forget everything—her grief, her exhaustion, the overwhelming weight of reality—and just pretend like things were okay, even if they weren’t.

She sighed, memories of that lonely breakfast in the Portland hotel suite creeping into her mind. It felt like a lifetime ago now, yet the isolation and uncertainty still gnawed at her. With a small shake of her head, she brushed the thoughts away and reached for her mascara, focusing on the present moment.

Jey walked in quietly, moving with a kind of reverence as he approached her. “Hey, beautiful,” he murmured, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. Rhea looked up, meeting his gaze through the mirror, offering a small, grateful smile. She kissed him back briefly before he made his way to the duffle bag in the corner of the room.

As she rummaged through her makeup bag for lipstick, she heard him mention his plans. “I’m gonna get a haircut and go see my dad for a bit,” Jey said, pulling out some clothes. Rhea nodded in acknowledgment, still focused on her makeup, though the thought of him spending time with his dad made her heart feel a little warmer. She wasn’t a family destroyer …

Rhea found the soft pink lipstick she was searching for and began applying it when Jey’s voice interrupted her thoughts again. “Is that what you’re wearing?” he asked, eyeing her outfit laid out on the bed—a blue Polo shirt with a pink logo, black biker shorts, and pink platform Vans.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong with it?” she challenged, her voice light but curious.

Jey grinned, shaking his head. “Nothing. I’d love it if you wore my shirts all the time, though,” he said, crossing the room and giving her another kiss, this time on her temple.

Rhea rolled her eyes, but a smile played on her lips. “You’re such a dork,” she teased.

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug, heading toward the door. “One day I’ll take you to Foot Locker, get you some proper shoes to go with these Polos if you are going to be wearing them tho’. You’ll look even better.”

She couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking her head at him. “You and your sneaker obsession.”

Jey chuckled, giving her one last glance before stepping out. As the door closed behind him, Rhea stared at her reflection again, her smile fading slightly. The playful banter had momentarily lightened her heart, but the heaviness never really left. Still, she was grateful for these moments, for Jey’s love and the normalcy he was trying to bring back into their lives.

Rhea felt the familiar sharp pain grip her stomach, a wave of discomfort that made her wince. She could tell it was another blood clot, and the reminder of everything her body had been through sent a shiver of frustration through her. Standing up slowly, she walked over to the dresser, her eyes landing on the pain pill bottle. The warning, "NOT TO EXCEED TWO EVERY 24 HOURS," glared at her in bold letters. She’d already taken two that morning, but in her current state, she couldn’t care less about the instructions. With a resigned roll of her eyes, she shook out two more pills and swallowed them dry.

Dressing herself in the outfit she’d set aside, Rhea felt a small semblance of happiness return as the fabric brushed against her skin. She sighed, heading downstairs to the now empty kitchen. Jey was off getting his haircut, and Jon and Trinity had mentioned something about going to the grocery store. The house, usually filled with noise and conversation, felt eerily quiet.

Rhea opened the fridge, scanning the shelves for something that could work for the barbecue later. Trinity had told her there were healthy sides in the fridge, and as she looked around, she found some leftover turkey bacon, asparagus, bell peppers, and a medley of other vegetables. A small smile tugged at her lips as she muttered, "They really love their turkey bacon around here."

Deciding on her menu, she thought to herself: turkey bacon-wrapped asparagus, vegetable skewers, and turkey bacon jalapeño cream cheese poppers. Simple but satisfying.

Before she started, Rhea glanced around and noticed the stereo remote sitting on the counter, labeled with all kinds of buttons. She picked it up, scrolling through the controls until she spotted the Bluetooth option. A smirk formed on her lips as the idea of playing some music popped into her mind. It might help her get through the day, or at least through the cooking.

She connected her phone to the stereo, scrolling through her playlists until one caught her eye: “The Yeetman’s Jams,” a collection of over 500 songs Jey had sent her over time. It was a little tribute she’d made to all the tracks he loved, and it always brought a smile to her face.

Rhea hit shuffle, and soon enough, Alicia Keys’ You Don’t Know My Name filled the kitchen, the soulful tune drifting through the air. It was an odd juxtaposition—Rhea Ripley, the fierce, tattooed wrestler, cooking in a quiet kitchen with R&B serenading her. It wasn’t what most people would expect from her, but here she was, letting the soothing melody take her mind off things for just a little while.

She smiled to herself, humming softly as she began prepping the vegetables, letting the music guide her hands and her thoughts, if only for a brief escape. For a moment, it felt like she could breathe again.

—

After Jey finished his haircut, he drove Jon’s car to his father’s vacation home forty six minutes away in Titusville, Florida. The house, nestled among palm trees with the distant sound of waves crashing, seemed both inviting and imposing. Solofa stood outside, his presence a mix of authority and reassurance.

Jey parked the car and approached, feeling the crunch of gravel underfoot. Solofa greeted him with a firm handshake, followed by a long, heartfelt embrace. “Good to see you, son,” Solofa said, his voice rich with unspoken emotion.

“Hey, Dad,” Jey replied, his voice wavering slightly as he stepped back. He moved to his mother, who was seated on the porch, and gently kissed her cheek. “Hi, Ma.”

She looked up, her eyes reflecting both concern and warmth. “Hi, Jey. How are you holding up?”

Jey managed a weak smile. “I’m managing,” he said, his voice betraying the fatigue and sorrow that lay beneath the surface.

Solofa led Jey to the back patio, a tranquil spot where the sound of the ocean mixed with the rustling of palm leaves. They settled into comfortable chairs, the serenity of the setting contrasting sharply with the gravity of their conversation.

Solofa’s gaze was steady, his concern palpable. “So, how’s Rhea?” he asked, his tone imbued with deep empathy.

Jey took a deep breath, the weight of his father’s scrutiny heavy on him. “She’s struggling,” he admitted. “Her body is healing, but her heart is broken. Losing the baby has been devastating. It’s like we’re both trapped in this darkness, trying to find our way out. I’m doing everything I can to support her, but it feels like nothing I do can truly help.”

Solofa nodded slowly, his face reflecting the gravity of Jey’s words. “Losing a child is a pain that runs deep, cutting through the very core of our being. It’s a wound that doesn’t easily heal. No parent should have to endure such sorrow.”

Jey’s shoulders sagged under the weight of his father’s understanding. “Yeah, it’s been incredibly hard. But we’re trying to keep going, to find some semblance of normalcy.”

Solofa’s expression shifted to one of solemnity, a shadow of past judgments clouding his eyes. “When I first learned about what happened with Takecia, I said you were dead to me.”

Jey’s heart clenched at the harsh reality of his father’s words. The pain was immediate and raw, his eyes brimming with tears he fought to control. “I know, Dad. I made mistakes. I understand that.”

Solofa’s gaze softened, though it remained resolute. “No one deserves to be beaten for loving someone. Rhea didn’t deserve that. She doesn’t deserve the pain she’s been through. I’m not angry with Jonathan for stepping up as he did. He did what he felt was necessary, even though it was difficult.”

Jey’s voice cracked as he tried to express his feelings. “I love Rhea more than anything in this world. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m doing everything I can to make things right. The thought of losing her is unbearable. She’s everything to me.”

Solofa’s eyes held a mix of sternness and compassion, his understanding evident in his gaze. “Then you must honor her, Jey. You must be the man she needs, not just in words but through your actions. Don’t let your past define you. Learn from it, grow, and show her that love and strength can prevail even in the darkest times.”

Jey’s eyes filled with tears, his emotions spilling over. “I will, Dad. I promise I will.”

Solofa placed a firm, comforting hand on Jey’s shoulder, his touch both grounding and reassuring. “Good. You have an opportunity to make things right. Don’t squander it. Be the man who supports and loves her through this, and take care of yourself too. Strength comes not from never falling but from rising every time we fall.”

As they sat together, the rhythmic sound of the ocean served as a soothing backdrop to their conversation. Jey felt a flicker of hope amid the overwhelming sorrow, a small light suggesting that maybe, just maybe, they could navigate through this darkness and find their way back to a place of healing and hope.

—

Jon and Trinity pulled up to their house, unloading groceries from the trunk of the car. Jon furrowed his brows as he heard the unmistakable beats of a hip-hop track echoing from inside. “Is that Fabulous?” he asked, squinting toward the open garage.

Trinity shrugged, puzzled. “Sounds like it.”

As they entered through the garage, the source of the music became clear. There was Rhea, in the kitchen, swaying her hips and bobbing her head to “So Into You” by Fabulous. She was engrossed in wrapping jalapeño poppers, her mood visibly lifted despite everything. When she noticed Jon and Trinity, she quickly lowered the volume, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Sorry,” she said, a sheepish smile on her face.

Jon dropped the grocery bags onto the counter, his eyes widening in mock disbelief. “Now wait a damn minute, who in the hell showed you that song?” he asked with a grin.

Rhea chuckled. “I’ve got this playlist of music Jey has sent me. It’s a mix of everything he’s into.”

Jon’s eyes widened even further, his surprise palpable. “I need to see this playlist. This is our kind of music. You should be sticking to heavy metal or something.”

Rhea laughed, her spirits lifting as Jon teased her. “Hey, I’m just enjoying the variety. It’s kind of nice to step outside my usual genres.”

Just as the conversation wrapped up, the song changed to “Dilemma” by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland. Trinity’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh girl, this is my shit!” she exclaimed, breaking into song with a playful enthusiasm. She started singing along to Jon, who couldn’t help but smile at his wife’s impromptu performance.

As Trinity belted out the lyrics, Jon joined in with a grin, and Rhea watched them, a genuine smile on her face. The unexpected moment of joy and secureness spreading through her body.

—

Jey pulled up to Jon and Trinity’s house, still feeling the weight of the earlier conversation with his father. The music blared from inside the house, growing louder as he approached. Curious and somewhat amused, he pressed the garage door opener and drove in, following the sound of the beats that led him through the garage and into the kitchen.

The upbeat track continued to echo as Jey headed towards the backyard, where he was greeted by a scene that took him by surprise. The song “Promise” by Ciara was playing, its rhythm setting a mellow, yet hopeful tone. Jon was busy flipping meat on the grill, his concentration evident as he worked. Trinity, holding a glass of champagne, was singing along, her voice vibrant and carefree. She moved gracefully, dancing in sync with Rhea, who was attempting to follow along despite her discomfort.

Seeing Rhea, who had been through so much recently, engaged in such a moment of normalcy and joy struck Jey deeply. He noticed how carefully Trinity and Jon were moving, their actions mindful of Rhea’s condition. Trinity’s gentle sway and Jon’s focused grilling created a balance between maintaining the cheerfulness of the BBQ and respecting Rhea’s physical state.

Rhea, visibly enjoying the moment despite her pain, caught Jey’s eye. Her face lit up with a radiant smile as she began singing to him, her voice filled with a mix of vulnerability and warmth. “There’s nothing I won’t do, to spend my life with you…” she sang, her eyes locked onto his.

Jey’s heart swelled with a profound mix of emotions. The sight of Rhea, who had been struggling so much, finding relief in this small, joyful moment was deeply moving. He could see how much effort she was putting into staying present and making the best of their situation, and it made him feel a pang of both admiration and sadness. Her song, her smile, and her willingness to connect with him through the music brought him to the brink of tears..

With a tenderness that reflected his internal struggle, Jey walked over to Rhea, unable to keep the emotion from his voice. He pulled her close, their foreheads touching as he gently kissed her, their lips meeting in a kiss that spoke of both their shared grief and their enduring love. The kiss was soft, laden with unspoken promises and the shared pain of their loss, yet it also carried a glimmer of hope and a reaffirmation of their bond.

As they parted, Jey’s eyes were filled with a mix of gratitude and sorrow. The small, intimate moment with Rhea amidst the upbeat surroundings reminded him of their strength together and the deep love they shared, despite the trials they had faced. The music, the dancing, and the simple act of being together felt like a fragile but beautiful testament to their resilience.

Jon, noticing the tender moment between Rhea and Jey, couldn’t resist teasing them. “You know, you two could always get a room,” he said with a grin, playfully nudging them.

Jey rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips. He glanced around the backyard, taking in the casual, comfortable scene. Jon had a cold beer in hand, and Trinity was sipping on a glass of champagne. Jey turned to Rhea and asked if she was joining in on the drinks. Rhea shook her head, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Can’t drink with the pills..” she said softly.

Rhea reached out and gently ruffled Jey’s hair, her fingers running through his curls. “The mullets always get me,” she said with a light laugh, a spark of her old self shining through despite the pain. Jey chuckled and leaned in to kiss her cheek, feeling a mix of relief and warmth at seeing her laugh.

Trinity, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the activity, lowered the music and made her way to the patio furniture. “All this moving around is making me feel like I’m going to throw up,” she said, playfully lamenting her predicament. Rhea, noticing Trinity’s discomfort, offered to get Jey a beer, but he declined with a wave. “I’ll get it myself,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Rhea joined Trinity at the patio furniture, and the two began chatting about lighter, random topics—everything from favorite movies to silly memories she had shared with Jonathan. Their conversation was a pleasant distraction, easing the tension in the air.

Jey returned from the kitchen with his beer in hand and approached Jon. He raised his beer for a toast. “To family and good times,” he said, his voice carrying a note of sincerity.

Jon clinked his bottle against Jey’s with a grin. “To family and good times,” he echoed. As they took their sips, Jon gave Jey a knowing look. “You know, I’m glad Dad was able to come through.”

Jey nodded, his eyes meeting Jon’s with a mixture of gratitude and relief. “Me too. Hey.. real quick Uce’?”

“Yessss..” Jimmy said playfully.

“Did you tell Matt?” The question got serious just for a moment there. Jimmy looked at Jey and he sighed, “I get it… despite all the shit I said in Portland I get it. Nah’ Uce, at the end of that day I just decided it wasn’t my place to say. On god.” Jimmy said pledging his loyalty. Jey smiled and gave him a quick hug.

As Jey and Jon continued to chat by the grill, the conversation flowing easily between them, Jey suddenly stopped mid-sentence. His ears picked up on a familiar tune, the beats unmistakably resonating with him. He glanced towards the patio where Rhea sat with Trinity, her laughter mingling with the sounds of the evening.

A smile spread across Jey’s face as he recognized the song. It was “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, a song that had become a poignant part of their shared journey. The lyrics began to play, and Jey felt a surge of emotion.

I, I just woke up from a dream

Where you and I had to say goodbye

And I don't know what it all means

But since I survived, I realized

Wherever you go, that's where I'll follow

He quickly chugged his beer, his heart racing with a mixture of anticipation and nostalgia. He made his way over to Rhea, who was chatting with Trinity. As he approached, he extended his hand to her with a warm smile. Rhea looked up, her eyes meeting his. She smiled softly, a flicker of recognition passing over her face as she took his hand.

If the world was ending

I'd wanna be next to you

If the party was over

And our time on Earth was through

I'd wanna hold you just for a while

And die with a smile

If the world was ending

I'd wanna be next to you

Without a word, Jey gently pulled her towards him, leading her to the center of the patio. The song’s lyrics began to fill the space around them as Jey whispered the lyrics softly in Rhea’s ear, the words carrying a deep, emotional weight. As they moved together, their bodies swaying in sync with the rhythm, Jey felt a profound connection with Rhea. This was the song that had come to symbolize their tumultuous affair, their deep love, and now, it marked the beginning of their new chapter.

Nobody's promised tomorrow

So I'ma love you every night like it's the last night

Like it's the last night

The music enveloped them, creating a cocoon of intimacy amid the surrounding activity. Jey’s hand rested on Rhea’s lower back, his touch gentle and reassuring. He gazed into her eyes, seeing the depth of her pain and the flicker of hope that had been rekindled.

Right next to you

Next to you

Right next to you

Oh-oh

As the Bruno Mars’ high note soared, Rhea leaned in closer, her head resting on Jey’s shoulder. The warmth of his body against hers was a balm to her aching heart. They moved together slowly, the world outside fading away as they found love in each other’s arms. The song’s message of enduring love and resilience resonated deeply with both of them.

If the world was ending

I'd wanna be next to you

If the party was over

The lyrics spoke to their shared struggles, their unbreakable bond, and their determination to face whatever came next. Each note, each word seemed to cement their commitment to each other, transforming their past pain into a hopeful promise for the future.

And our time on Earth was through

I'd wanna hold you just for a while

And die with a smile

Jey held Rhea close, his heart full of emotion. The song was a testament to their journey, a beautiful reminder of the love that had endured through trials and heartache. In that moment, as they danced together, Jey felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and hope. The song was more than just a melody; it was a reflection of their love.

He could still feel the way her fingers traced the edges of his shirt, her touch both gentle and electric. Every inch of him was attuned to her, the way her body pressed against his, the warmth of her skin, the softness of her breath. As he held her, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him—flashes of stolen kisses, secret looks, and nights where time didn’t exist.

As the song came to a finish, a new one played on, the connection between Jey and Rhea deepened with every sway. ‘Until the end of Time’ by Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé engulfed their ears and Jey's mind wandered back to the countless memories they shared, moments when the world seemed simpler, before the complications. The song wasn't just a melody to him-it was a promise, a vow that echoed everything he wished he could say out loud.

Jey’s eyes fell shut for a moment, as if capturing this second in time. He could feel his heart beating in rhythm with the song, but more so, it was in rhythm with hers. It was in these moments that he felt something he had rarely allowed himself to admit—this wasn’t just lust, or fleeting attraction. He was in love with Rhea, deeply and truly. She wasn’t just a passing chapter in his life. She was the one, the woman he couldn’t shake, the woman who made him feel more alive than anyone else ever could.

But as much as his heart soared, his mind was a whirlwind of conflict. He knew this wasn’t supposed to be. They weren’t supposed to be dancing like this, lost in each other, not after everything that had happened. Not after the betrayal, the chaos, the fallout with his family. And yet, here they were, drawn to each other like magnets, unable to stop.

Rhea shifted in his arms, her hand rising slowly to the side of his face, her fingertips brushing his jawline. Her eyes met his—there was something in them, a deep well of emotions she hadn’t spoken aloud. But Jey could feel it. The way she looked at him now wasn’t the way she looked at anyone else. In this moment, there was no hesitation, no holding back.

"Jey..." She didn’t need to finish her sentence, didn’t need to say anything more. He knew. He could hear everything she wasn’t saying. The unspoken feelings, the longing, the uncertainty. It was all there, hanging in the space between them.

His hands moved up, his fingers gently grazing her back, tracing familiar lines along her spine. He leaned down slightly, his lips hovering near her ear, his voice low and thick with emotion. “I love you, Rhea.."

Rhea’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes flickering with something he hadn’t seen in a while—pure and undeniable vulnerability. She wasn’t the strong, untouchable woman everyone saw her as in the ring. Not with him. Not here. With Jey, she let down her guard, and in this moment, she was as fragile as the love they both knew was now complete.

For a split second, she closed her eyes, leaning into his words, letting them wash over her. But when she opened them again, there was not one shadow of doubt. As she stayed there, in this moment, with Jey holding her like this, she no longer felt reality was creeping in. The world outside this dance was no longer complicated, messy, or unforgiving. It was now heading in the right direction..

“I love you Joshua..” Her words stung but a good kind of sting and Jey understood it. Right now, the pull between them was stronger than anything. He will never be ready to let her go. Not when it felt this right.

Slowly, she leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, their breath mingling as the song carried them along, binding them tighter. She didn’t say anything, didn’t need to. Her silence spoke volumes.

As the last notes of the song drifted into the air, Jey tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. He wasn’t sure how long they had, how much time they could steal before the world came crashing back in. But for now, in this fleeting moment, it was just them.

Before either of them could say another word, the sound of footsteps broke through their moment. Trinity approached with a soft smile, her eyes full of understanding.

“Food’s ready,” she announced, though her tone was gentle. She could sense the heaviness between them, the emotions that still hung in the air from the dance.

Rhea stepped back from Jey, giving him a small, bittersweet smile before turning to Trinity. “Thanks, Trin. I’ll be there in a minute.”

As Trinity walked away, Jey’s hand slid down Rhea’s arm, lingering at her fingertips. He didn’t want to let go, but he knew they couldn’t stay like this forever. Reality was already creeping back in.

“You okay?” Jey asked quietly.

Rhea nodded, though her heart wasn’t fully convinced. “Yeah… just need a minute.”

Jey squeezed her hand one last time before stepping back, heading toward the grill where Jon was waiting. Rhea watched him go, her chest tightening as the weight of everything came crashing back in. The pain, the loss, the uncertainty—it all hit her at once, and she could feel the pull of the pills in still on the dresser, tempting her with the promise of another escape.

But not yet.

She straightened herself, taking a deep breath before walking inside.

—

“Pay me, bitches!” Rhea declared with a triumphant flourish, holding up a Monopoly card for everyone to see. The game had picked up pace after the BBQ, and now the living room was filled with the sounds of laughter and competitive banter. The music played softly in the background, setting a mellow tone to the evening.

Jon and Trinity were both visibly hammered, but they were still managing to keep their wits about them enough to stay in the game. Jon’s attempts to strategize were increasingly slurred, and Trinity kept giggling at every little thing, her hand occasionally bumping into Jon’s as they both reached for the same properties. They were clearly having a great time, oblivious to the more subtle shifts in Rhea’s demeanor.

Jey, on his fourth beer, was feeling the effects but was still sharp enough to notice the slight change in Rhea’s behavior. Her movements were a touch slower, and her laughter seemed a little forced. The carefree attitude she was trying to project didn’t quite align with the distant look in her eyes. He remembered her going to the bathroom earlier, but the way she had reappeared, a bit too cheerfully, set off a small alarm in his mind.

Earlier while everyone was getting set up in the game, Rhea had excused herself to the bathroom under the guise of needing a quick break. In reality, she had slipped away to take two more pain pills. The earlier dose had worn off, and the anxiety and discomfort from the evening were starting to creep back in. The pills provided a temporary escape, a way to numb the sharp edges of her emotions.

Now, sitting around the game board, she was trying to maintain her façade of being in control. Her speech was slightly slurred, and her movements a bit less precise, but she played it off with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Look at all this cash!” she said, waving her Monopoly money around. “You guys are going to be broke before you know it!”

Jon and Trinity laughed, their intoxicated state making the game even more entertaining. Jey watched Rhea closely, his concern growing. He had noticed her taking the pills before but hadn’t said anything. Now, seeing her attempt to mask her impairment with forced cheerfulness, he couldn’t help but worry.

“Rhea, are you okay?” Jey asked, his voice low enough that only she could hear. He leaned in slightly, trying to catch her eye.

Rhea turned to him, offering a bright smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m fine, Jey. Just having fun. Can’t you tell?”

Jey didn’t push further, but he wasn’t convinced. He could see the struggle in her eyes, the way she was trying to keep it together. He decided to keep an eye on her, knowing that whatever was going on, he needed to be there for her.

As the game continued, the atmosphere remained light and carefree, but the underlying tension between Rhea’s facade and her true feelings lingered. Jey’s mind raced with concern, but for now, he focused on the game, trying to stay present in the moment, even as his thoughts kept drifting back to Rhea’s well-being.

Trinity finished her final glass of champagne and announced her departure, she swayed slightly. “I’m heading to bed,” she said, her words a bit slurred. “Got an early flight tomorrow.” Jon, barely keeping his eyes open, mumbled an agreement and stumbled to his feet, following her toward the stairs.

With them gone, the living room fell into a quiet hush, only the low volume of the music providing any background noise. Jey and Rhea remained, trying to finish cleaning up after the game. Rhea’s movements were increasingly slow and uncoordinated. She struggled with the Monopoly pieces, her fingers fumbling and her eyes losing focus.

Jey, who had been sipping on his fourth beer, was becoming more concerned by the minute. It was clear that Rhea wasn’t her usual self. Her smile was forced, and her attempts to keep up with the game were becoming increasingly strained. Jey tried to rationalize it, attributing it to tiredness, but a gnawing worry lingered.

“Rhea, maybe we should head to bed,” Jey suggested gently, his concern seeping into his voice. “You look pretty wiped out.”

Rhea nodded, her head bobbing slightly. “Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea.” She gave him a sluggish smile, but it did little to reassure him.

Jey went upstairs, mentally preparing for the night, but he stopped in his tracks at the top of the stairs. Looking back, he saw Rhea still seated on the couch, her posture drooping and her movements lethargic. The sight didn’t sit right with him. He turned and headed back downstairs, his heart pounding.

“What’s up?” Jey asked softly as he approached Rhea, trying to keep his voice calm. “You okay?”

Rhea blinked slowly, as if trying to clear a fog from her mind. “Oh, I forgot you walked upstairs,” she said, her voice trailing off. She made an attempt to stand but wobbled on her feet, clearly struggling.

Jey’s concern spiked. He reached out, taking her hand, but it felt unnervingly limp and cold. His mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. “Rhea, your hand is really cold. Are you feeling alright? This doesn’t seem like just fatigue.”

Rhea brushed off his concern with a wave. “Let’s just go upstairs,” she insisted, her voice carrying an air of forced nonchalance. “I’m ready for bed.”

Jey was torn between wanting to press the issue and respecting her apparent wish to avoid confrontation. He helped her up, noticing how unsteady she was. Her steps were uneven, and she leaned heavily on him as they made their way up the stairs. Every few steps, he glanced at her, his worry deepening.

Once they reached the bedroom, Jey guided her to the bed. Rhea sank down with a sigh, her earlier energy completely gone. She looked pale, and her eyes struggled to stay open. Jey sat on the edge of the bed, his concern grew.

“Rhea,” he said softly, trying to keep his tone gentle but firm, “we need to talk about what’s going on. This isn’t just about being tired. You’ve been acting really off tonight.”

Rhea tried to focus on him but her eyes kept drifting. She yawned widely, then looked at him with a half-hearted smile. “It’s nothing, Jey. I’m just—” She trailed off again, struggling to find the words. “Just tired. It’s no big deal.”

Jey wasn’t convinced. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his touch gentle but filled with concern. “Rhea, I care about you. I don’t want to ignore something if it’s serious. You’ve been acting like this for a while now. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Rhea looked at him, her gaze heavy with fatigue. “It’s really nothing,” she insisted, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I promise. Just need some rest.”

Jey sat there, watching as Rhea’s eyelids grew heavy. He could see the exhaustion etched on her face and felt a profound sadness. He wanted to be there for her, to support her in whatever she was going through, but he felt helpless.

As Rhea finally closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, Jey remained awake, his thoughts consumed by worry. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioner, and the weight of unspoken concerns hung heavily in the air. Jey’s mind raced with questions and fears, unable to shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.

With Rhea asleep, Jey continued to sit beside her, his eyes searching her peaceful face for answers that were just out of reach. He knew that the coming days would bring more challenges, but for now, he resolved to be there for Rhea, to offer comfort and support in any way he could. The night stretched on, filled with uncertainty and a longing for answers.

Despite seeming fine, her sleeping soon turned into restlessness and then escalated into violent tossing and turning, her features contorting with fear. He watched her with mounting worry, his mind racing with concern. The serene face he had come to know was now twisted in a silent struggle against unseen demons.

Her whimpers grew more intense, her sleep fractured by intermittent cries. Jey’s hand gently touched her shoulder, hoping to rouse her from the nightmare that had gripped her so fiercely. “Rhea, wake up,” he said softly, his voice thick with worry. But his words seemed to pass through her dream world, barely making an impact.

Rhea’s mutterings became more desperate. “Matt don’t… stop… don’t hit me…” Her voice, laced with fear, was barely audible but unmistakably pained. Jey felt his heart break at the realization that the nightmare was a vivid echo of past traumas.

The situation worsened as Rhea’s movements became more frantic. Her breathing grew irregular, and her body tensed up, reacting to the terror in her dream. Jey felt a surge of panic, unsure of how to help her out of this nightmare. He continued to gently shake her shoulder, his voice firm yet soothing. “Rhea, it’s okay. You’re safe. Wake up.”

Without warning, Rhea’s eyes snapped open, wide and filled with raw fear. She let out a gut-wrenching scream, “STOP!” Her voice was filled with an anguish that pierced the quiet of the night. Her body jerked upright, her chest heaving with rapid, shallow breaths. Her eyes darted around the room as if trying to escape from invisible threats.

Jey’s heart pounded in his chest, mirroring the frantic pace of Rhea’s. He moved quickly, pulling her into his arms with a sense of urgency. His embrace was firm but gentle, as though he hoped to shield her from whatever had gripped her so tightly. “Rhea, you’re okay. It’s just a nightmare. You’re with me,” he said, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination.

Rhea’s body shook violently in his arms, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Her fingers clutched at Jey’s arms as if trying to anchor herself to reality. The terror in her eyes slowly began to soften as she focused on Jey’s face. “It’s just a dream. Nothing can hurt you now,” he repeated, his voice a steadying force in the midst of her chaos.

Gradually, Rhea’s breathing began to slow, her heartbeat calming as she clung to Jey. Her grip on him, once frantic, eased into a more desperate, yet comforting hold. “I’m here,” Jey whispered, his voice a constant thread of reassurance. “You’re safe. I’m not going anywhere.”

Rhea’s eyes, though still troubled, began to regain their focus. She looked up at Jey, the vulnerability and fear etched deeply in her expression. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to…”

Jey shook his head gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from her damp forehead. “You don’t have to apologize,” he said softly. “You were scared. It’s okay.”

He continued to hold her close, his heart aching for her. He could feel the weight of her fear, the depth of her pain, and it was clear that the nightmare was only a glimpse into the larger struggles she faced. For now, all he could offer was his unwavering support and presence.

As the minutes ticked by, the room began to settle into a fragile calm. Jey remained by her side, his hand resting comfortingly on her back, his breaths steady and calm. The immediate danger had passed, but the emotional scars remained, a reminder of the battles Rhea was fighting internally.

Rhea’s breathing gradually returned to a more regular rhythm, though the tension in her body was still evident. Jey continued to murmur soothing words, his touch gentle and reassuring. He watched over her as she tried to drift back to sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of how to help her heal from the traumas that seemed to haunt her.

The night wore on, and Jey stayed vigilant, a silent guardian in the dark. He knew that the journey ahead would be challenging, but for now, he was determined to be the rock Rhea needed. The nightmare was a harsh reminder of the pain she carried, and Jey was committed to helping her through it, one step at a time.

—

Rhea stirred awake to the sound of Jey’s loud snoring, a deep, rhythmic noise that filled the room. Their comforter had been pushed off them slightly in the night, and as she glanced over at him, she couldn’t help but smile. He looked peaceful, his face relaxed in sleep, a nice view to the emotional whirlwind of the past few days.

Her smile faltered slightly when she glanced down, her eyes widening at what she saw—Jey was very much “awake” from the waist down. Careful not to disturb him, Rhea slowly slid off the bed, her movements cautious. She headed to the bathroom, clutching her bottle of pain pills.

Once inside, she took a deep breath and checked herself. She hadn’t passed any clots, a small comfort in the midst of everything she was dealing with. After freshening up, she dry swallowed two more pain pills, the familiar bitterness sliding down her throat. She grimaced slightly at the taste before setting the bottle back on the counter.

As Rhea walked back to the room, she noticed Jey was still snoring softly. She slid carefully into bed beside him, moving as gently as she could to avoid waking him. But Jey stirred, feeling her presence, and opened his eyes groggily. His expression softened as he smiled at her, planting a quick kiss on her lips.

He followed her gaze down and noticed his situation, his face flushing slightly in embarrassment. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled, clearly caught off guard.

Rhea shook her head with a small smile, “It’s fine.” There was a pause before she added, a little more hesitantly, “Do you need help with that?”

Jey blinked, taken aback by the offer. He stared at her, unsure if she was serious. The vulnerability in her voice and the way she looked at him told him she was. His breath caught in his throat as a mix of emotions surged through him—confusion, longing, and concern.

Rhea looked at him, her expression unreadable, though her eyes held a quiet intensity. “I want to,” she said softly, her voice carrying a mix of desire and something else—something deeper. It wasn’t just about the physical, it was about finding some kind of normalcy, some comfort in each other.

But Jey shook his head gently, his hand finding hers. “I… I don’t think we should,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “Not right now.”

Rhea’s brow furrowed, her hand tightening around his as she searched his face. “Why not?”

Jey sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It just doesn’t feel right, not after everything that’s happened. After what you’ve been through…” His voice trailed off, but his meaning was clear. He wasn’t just thinking about her physical pain, but the emotional scars, the trauma she was still healing from.

Rhea’s lips parted as if she was going to argue, but she stopped herself. Instead, she nodded slowly, understanding but still feeling the weight of his rejection. “I get it,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jey pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, wanting her to know that his denial wasn’t about pushing her away. “It’s not about not wanting you,” he whispered into her hair. “I do trust me. But… we need to heal first. Together.”

Rhea exhaled softly, burying her face into his chest, feeling his warmth envelop her. She knew he was right. It didn’t make it any easier to accept, but she trusted him. Trusted that he was thinking of what was best for both of them.

They lay there in silence, Jey holding her tightly, both of them feeling the unspoken weight of everything they had been through. The room was quiet except for their soft breathing, the silence speaking louder than any words could.

Jey finally decided to get up, stretching and glancing at Rhea, who was still scrolling through her phone. “I’m heading out now,” he said as he pulled on his shoes. “Gotta pick up my Footlocker order and meet the lawyer. I’ll bring us some lunch when I get back.”

Rhea looked up, the thought of being alone making her anxious. “Can I come with you? I could use some fresh air.”

Jey paused, his hesitation clear. “I don’t know, babe. You should probably just stay here and rest.”

Rhea sighed, not ready to give in so easily. “I’ll dress all in black, wear a mask. No one will even recognize me.”

He gave her a reluctant glance. “It’s not about that. I just… don’t want to complicate things today. I need to be quick.”

“But I’ll stay low-key. I promise.”

Feeling cornered, Jey scrambled for an excuse. “Look, I’m bringing Jon with me, and we’ve got stuff to handle. It’s just easier if you stay back.”

Rhea crossed her arms, giving him a skeptical look. “Jon, huh? You didn’t mention him earlier.”

“Yeah,” Jey lied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Jon’s gonna help me out with a few things.”

She gave him a knowing smirk, sensing his weak attempt to keep her at home. “Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Go have your fun.”

Jey chuckled, grateful for the out. “You make it hard for me, you know that?” He flashed a playful grin before heading to the bathroom to fix his hair.

Rhea watched him disappear, her smile fading as she sat there, her mind wandering. Something about his reluctance bothered her, like there was more to it than just wanting to be quick. But instead of dwelling on it, she pulled out her phone and distracted herself with TikTok, though her mind wasn’t really in it. Each clip scrolled by in a blur, failing to provide the distraction she needed.

When Jey finally emerged from the bathroom, freshly groomed and ready to head out, Rhea was still glued to her phone. “I’ll be back soon,” he said, grabbing his keys. “Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”

She glanced up with a teasing smirk. “I make no promises.”

Jey grinned and leaned down to kiss her and before heading out the door he let in her babies. “Be good,” he said with a wink, and then he was gone and soon Rhea both heard both twins leave the house.

The house felt much quieter without him. As the silence settled in, Rhea’s mind raced. She’d been trying so hard to maintain some sense of normalcy, but deep down, she felt everything slipping away. Her life, her body, her control—it was all unraveling, and she didn’t know how to stop it.

After a few minutes of scrolling, Rhea decided she might as well shower and get herself together. She stood up, stretching her sore muscles, and made her way to the bathroom. The hot water was soothing against her skin, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to forget everything—Jey, the pills, the loss, all of it. Just her and the warmth of the shower.

Once she was done, she threw on a black t-shirt and joggers, something casual and comfortable. Sitting at her vanity, she started applying her makeup, her hands working on autopilot as her mind drifted. As she finished her eyeliner, a thought struck her—Damian. She hadn’t talked to him in a couple of days, not since the hospital.

With a smile, she grabbed her phone and hit FaceTime. The phone rang twice before Damian’s familiar face appeared, grinning as always.

“Hey girl!” Damian greeted, his voice full of cheer. He was lounging somewhere, looking as relaxed as ever.

“Hello, Bisexual Undertaker,” Rhea teased with a smirk, leaning back in her chair.

Damian let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re never going to let that one go, huh?”

Rhea laughed, shaking her head. “Never. What are you up to?”

“Just chilling. What about you? Last I heard, you were in the hospital. What’s been going on?”

Rhea sighed, the weight of the last few days flooding back as she thought about it. “It’s been a lot,” she admitted. “Jey’s been here with me, which is nice, but it’s also… complicated.”

Damian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Complicated how?”

Rhea hesitated, not wanting to get into the darker parts of her mental state or the pills she had started taking. Instead, she focused on the relationship with Jey, how things felt both closer and further apart. “I mean, we’ve been having these moments, right? Like, really intimate ones. But then… he turns me down, Damian. Like, for real, what guy turns down head? Who does that?”

Damian burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief. “Girl, you’re too much. Maybe he’s just trying to be respectful, you know? It’s been a rough time for both of you.”

Rhea frowned, leaning in closer to the camera. “Yeah, but when I saw him this morning… you know, I was like, ‘let’s go.’” She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Damian’s eyes widened in horror. “I really don’t need to know!”

“But for real,” Rhea continued, ignoring his discomfort, “our sex is like—”

“NO NO NO NO!” Damian interrupted, throwing his hands over his ears and dramatically shouting, “LALALALALALA!” He rocked back and forth, as if physically trying to block out her words.

Rhea burst out laughing, her spirits finally lifting. “You’re such a baby!”

Damian groaned, still holding his hands over his ears. “I do not need to hear about your bedroom life with Jey. That’s like, a sacred place, and I’m not going in there!”

Rhea rolled her eyes, shaking her head in amusement. “Okay, fine. I’ll spare you the details. But it’s not just that—it’s everything. It feels like he’s pulling away now, and I don’t know why.”

Damian lowered his hands, his expression softening. “Maybe he’s scared. After everything that’s happened, maybe he’s just trying to be careful. You’ve both been through a lot, and it’s probably weighing on him more than he’s letting on.”

Rhea sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Yeah… you’re probably right. It’s just hard to deal with sometimes. I don’t know what to do.”

Damian gave her a sympathetic look. “You’re stronger than you think, Rhea. You’ll figure it out, just like you always do.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Thanks, Damian. You always know what to say.”

“Anytime, Rhea. Anytime.”

[codfanficedits]

Before the mask - Part thirteen

Pairing: Simon Riley x Fem!Reader

Summary: Because Simon wasn’t born as Ghost.

Wordcount: 2050| Rating: E! (18+ only!)

Warnings: mentioning of childhood abuse, an attempt at a decent conversation

A/N: As a true fanfic writer, I have been scheduled to a surgery and I'll be most likely to go MIA for a few weeks while I recover, I'm sorry!

Simon knew it wasn’t fair to take it out on you. He knew it wasn’t your fault, he knew you didn’t raise him to be like this. But in that split second, he couldn’t stop it, his mind was so overwhelmed that he had lashed out.

‘I’m not a violent dog, I don’t know why I bite.’ The quote he had once heard fills his mind, Simon didn’t want to be a violent dog, never wanted to be one, he saw what had happened to violent dogs. But if you mistreat a dog long enough, if you beat a dog long enough. It will only know violence.

His mind is running wild and once more Simon doesn’t know what to do, he could feel you freeze up in his lap, and he doesn’t know if he should wrap his arms around you, beg you for forgiveness, tell you he didn’t mean to, but that he panicked? Or should he keep true to his word, really kick you out and deal with the consequences, he could always make it up to you later.

And oh God. Dear fucking God.

What if you get tired of this? What if he is more broken than you though he would be and what if you grow sick of it? What if you see him for who he really is? A broken boy, with no clue who he really is, just trying to mend his personality to the people he deemed special, so they won’t leave him? A broken boy, who has been hurt so many times before, that he felt as if he wasn’t worthy of attention ever again, especially yours.

A broken boy, who is so angry at the world, because everybody saw what was happening, and nobody tried to stop it.

And those boys live together, making Simon who he is in this moment. All of them together are trying to fight to keep him as safe as they can. And you. You’re dangerously close, you can make him feel vulnerable and that is something Simon struggles with. It goes against who he thought he was.

But maybe, just maybe, he could allow himself to tear those walls down a little bit, to let you in a little bit. Maybe he could allow you to be the guiding moon in the darkness of his mind.

For Simon, this feels like an eternity, while in reality, his little snapping wasn’t more than a few seconds ago.

You blink, once, twice. What the fuck just happened? How did he go from being so.. so.. happy to whatever the fuck this was?

You’re stunned, the way he switched up so fast wasn’t something you were used to.

And his eyes betrayed him. They betrayed how he really felt, they betrayed the turmoil of emotions within. They couldn’t hide the storm that he felt, and you noticed, you could see right through those eyes.

But you weren’t put on this earth to change him, to fix him, to pick up the pieces others had caused and glued them back on. That wasn’t what you were made for, no matter what you had been told.

Of course you felt sympathy for what had happened, of course no one should’ve been raised the way he had been raised, but it was a reason for his behaviour, not an excuse.

“What the fuck, Simon.”

And Simon winces from your harsh words, a sinking feeling in his gut when he realizes he might not get away with this type of behaviour. He wants to open his mouth, to come up with a thousand different excuses as to why he had acted the way he did. But he gets shushed by you.

“No, you listen.” You say, warning him. “We just agreed we have to communicate more, we just agreed to let each other in, and here you are, shutting me out again. You can’t demand that I share my feelings with you, that I share my thoughts with you when things get me overwhelmed, only for you to shut me out.” You get off his lap, feeling that your words don’t have as much power when you’re sitting down. And maybe going for the attack wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but you were only human too.

“You don’t know how it is.” Simon muttered.

“Then tell me how it is!” You didn’t want to raise your voice, but it happened anyway, the frustration getting the best of you.

Simon shuts down again, how could he possible explain what is going on inside of him, when he himself doesn’t fully understand what is happening? And on top of that, how is he supposed to share his feelings. He is a man, and men are not supposed to be soft, to be caring, to be sweet, that is not what he has been taught. And how could one man go against the generational trauma that has bestowed upon him?

“Simon.” You sigh his name and it sounds so sweet to him. “I will never be able to fully understand what you went through, I will never be able to say that I get how you feel, because my upbringing has been so different than yours. But, if you shut me out completely, I will never understand even the slightest part of you, and we can’t have that, not if we want to make us work. So please, for the love of God, don’t shut me out.”

His mind is running, and he is unable to fully comprehend what is happening, his mind is screaming one thing, to brush this off, to snap at you again, to tell you to shut up, but the other part, the part that wants to heal, is begging him to let you in.

The difficult thing about healing, is that it takes place outside of someone’s comfort zone.

And being abused means that Simon has been out of his comfort zone for most of his life, and it’s a battle, a struggle, to give up that comfort zone again, now that he has finally found it. His throat feels dry, no matter how often he swallows, he has to make a choice and he hates that he can’t have a little preview about the outcome of his choice would be, and that alone makes him doubt it all even more.

“I..” His voice drowns out, how should he phrase this? Hell, he doesn’t even know what he wants to say himself. “Scared.”

It seems like you would have to lead this conversation.

You lean against his dresser, trying to let your rational side speak and not your heart. “What are you scared of?”

What was he scared of? Losing you, losing himself, being himself, not being himself. Existing while others had made sure he was broken.

“I.. It’s a conflict.” He eventually managed to say, and he is silently pleading for you to be content with this information.

“A conflict between what?” You try not to let your patience wear thin, you know he can’t help it, you know it isn’t his fault, although you still feel as if his reaction is his responsibility.

Simon fidgets with his hands, cursing himself that a simple morning of crafting, of making the mask he wanted to wear for Halloween had ended up with this. If only he had behaved himself better, if only he had just shut up when he got overwhelmed.

“I have been taught to be violent.” He admitted quietly. “And doing this.” He pauses to gesture to the paper mâché. “This is not violent.”

That was something you could work with, that was something a conversation could be build on.

“What is it about violence, that brings you peace?”

His blood runs cold, his stomach churns and he has to swallow the lump in his throat. He hadn’t told you he found peace in the violence, yet you hit the hammer on the head while you looked right through him.

“It’s all I’ve known.” He muttered. “It’s what I’ve been raised with. It’s what comes naturally.”

It’s saddening to see, really. He hides it so well during the day, when he is out with others, yet right now his childhood takes over, the trauma fronting, taking over his personality, and he could be so much more than just his trauma.

“Is it what makes you happy?” You ask, maintaining eye contact, no matter how invasive it might feel.

Simon shakes his head, while it brought him a sense of peace, a sense of comfort, a sense of familiarity, it didn’t make him happy, he had tasted life without violence, and he craved the sweetness of it.

See, your first reaction was to ask him why he did it anyway, but you knew he didn’t know, it was a habit, reacting out of anger, reacting in a violent matter, it is what his father had taught him was right, and it was what the army had praised him for.

“What did you feel when we were done mask making?” A new question to snap him out of it.

Should he tell you? What if you find him to be weird? What if you think he shouldn’t feel like this? But the gentle look in your eyes makes him believe that you won’t judge him, that you would at least try to understand him.

“At first I was proud.” He admitted with a sheepish smile. “I never really did this type of stuff growing up. And then I felt fear. Fear that I was becoming too soft, and all of the sudden I feel this random wave of sadness coming over me. And that was too much.”

Oh, his words tug on your heart string, he sounds so sweet, so vulnerable, so human.

“What’s wrong with feeling sad, with feeling fear or pride?” It is a genuine question, as you really try to understand what he is going through.

“I am not supposed to feel these things!”

“Why not? You’re only human.”

Only human.

Only human.

He was allowed to be only human.

You could see it in his face, his eyes getting a little bloodshot, a little bit of moisture starting to collect at the bottom lid of his eyes, the soft trembling of his bottom lip, the sharp intake of air when he tries to fight it. A little sniffle, and finally a tear.

Simon Riley was allowed to be human.

Your first instinct would be to hug him, coddle him. Tell him everything will be alright. But you also know that not everyone feels the same way, and the last thing you want to do, is to push his boundaries, especially at times like these.

“What do you need from me?” You ask, your voice soft. “Do you want a hug? Do you want to be left alone? Do I need to get you some water?”

Simon just looks up at you, the tears in his eyelashes makes it hard to see, and while he opens his mouth to talk, no sound comes out, instead he holds out his arms, an universal sign that he needed you.

The moment you’re within his reach, his arms wrap around your waist and he buries himself into you, years of build up rage, build up frustration, build up fear, and sadness, they all leave him through his sobs. His shoulders shake after each cry, and all you can do is stroke his hair, murmur sweet nothings, so he knows it is okay to let go like this.

Although for Simon, it does feel pathetic, it feels wrong to let go like this. He shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t cry like he is, he should hold it in.

But fuck does it feel amazing to let go, to let the floodgates open and just let everything out.

Your nails gently scratch the skin on his scalp. “You’re only human, Si.” You whisper, barely being heard over his sobs. “And I’m really proud of you for not shutting me out.”

He looks up at you, red, puffy eyes, wet cheeks, but the sobs had stopped. “Fuck.” Was all he could muster. “I have no idea how to feel, what to feel, how to describe it.”

“Then just feel.”

[ddagent]

A D4, please - I really can't get over these adorable nerds finding love later in life but then not being allowed to live it.

YES! These two should have been able to just love each other. I hope you enjoy this! Fanfic Menu Challenge

Margo Madison was not impulsive by nature. She worked the problem, evaluated potential solutions, calculated the most suitable outcome. As Sergei Nikulov walked out of her office, out of her life, for what could be the very last time, the last thing Margo was thinking about was solutions, outcomes. She simply allowed herself a moment to grieve. Let tears overwhelm her; let herself scream and cry into a seat cushion to conceal that her heart had just split open, unable to be mended or repaired. She had tried not to entertain thoughts of a future with Sergei after his defection. A future where Aleida stopped questioning the engine designs and the NASA team found water on Mars and she and Sergei could get a drink in a hotel room without the KGB listening next door.

She gave herself a moment to grieve. Just a moment. Only then was she able to work the problem.

Sergei couldn't get on that plane. The moment he stepped foot on Soviet soil, he would be back in prison. He might not even survive – his lungs were in poor shape; the few weeks in Houston had not helped him gain any of the weight he'd lost while incarcerated, tortured. Margo wouldn't be surprised if they shot him in the head before he even got on the plane. No, Sergei could not be allowed to leave the States. Not even reach the airport, leave the building. JSC was her territory. She knew every corridor, every person. She could control everything in this building. The moment Sergei left, he was out of her control. Out of reach.

Reaching for the phone, Margo called the head of security for JSC. "Cooper, I need you to run an emergency lockdown drill in—" She checked her phone. It had been ninety seconds since he'd left. Three minutes to make it to the nearest elevator. She would have to run. "—Two minutes and thirty seconds. And hold all the elevators on my floor for two minutes."

"Yes ma'am."

Margo checked her watch, then threw herself out of her office door. Nuri made a move to question whether she was okay; Emma held her back. Margo didn't examine the knowing glances of her assistant; all she could think about was Sergei. She had bought two minutes to get to the bank of elevators. She just had to hold onto him for thirty seconds. Her heartbeat seemed to sync with the tick tick of her watch hand as she sprinted through the corridor towards the elevators. One of the KGB babysitters was violently stabbing the buttons. One minute fifty seven, fifty eight, fifty nine—

The elevator dinged. "Doctor Nikulov!" Sergei turned at the sound of her voice. "I just need thirty seconds of your time to go over some calculations." The KGB agent began to protest. She cut him off with a hand. "It will only take thirty seconds. I am more than happy to register a complaint with Director Catiche."

Margo knew that card was no longer one for a strong hand, but still she played it. She wore her feelings on her face – damp eyes, a quivering lip – in the hope that they would just give her thirty fucking seconds to talk to the man she loved. But they wouldn't. Fine. She only needed fifteen anyway. The two KGB agents stepped on board the elevator, one of them taking Sergei's arm. Ten. Margo dragged him away, dragged him outside the elevator. Five.

"Margo—"

"It's okay."

Just as the KGB agent was about to reach for him, pull him out of her grasp, the lockdown drill came into place. The lights dimmed red; the siren began to whine. The elevator doors drew shut with an audible thud, quicker than the KGB agent could register. Every elevator in JSC was now locked down – and would only work again with a manual override. There were grumbles from the engineers and astronaut candidates in the corridor as they moved into empty work spaces and offices, barricading doors and just waiting for the all clear.

Sergei merely stared at her. "Margo. What have you done?"

"I've bought us fifteen minutes." She closed the gap between them, now. Didn't put distance between them like she had in her office. Didn't hide behind platitudes and false hopes. "I have fifteen minutes to convince you to ask me to defect so I can keep you."

Sergei did not say anything. There would be time for him to argue, to debate. But right now he just held her face in his hands, rested his forehead against hers, and breathed in fresh, free air for the first time since 1992.

[icarusmonsoon]

healed wounds, mended hearts pt II - rafe cameron

rafe cameron x reader, enemies x lovers, a lot of fluffs and angst between the characters and Y/n, hurt-comfort, a short fanfic series

Part I

___________________________________________

PART II

Rafe

A soft thud was heard from his back, he wasn't sure what made him turn in the middle of preventing Pope from dumping the cross into the ocean but he did. They both did. Rafe can see a familiar figure laying on the floor, blood soaking their side with one of his dad's man looming over them. His heart stopped when he realized who that was, anger spiking up at the thought of what just happened.

He stepped away from Pope, with him doing the same as he just now realized what had happened. Rafe thought he was supposed to be bright. How come Pope didn't realize his best friend was hurt and just now noticing because he stopped coming after him?

"Y/n" he mumbled to himself as he strode past containers, urging himself to get to that man as fast as possible. Anger washed over him with the thought of her being hurt. "Bos i-" There was no time for the man to finish his sentance because the minute Rafe got to the smirking man, he pulled his collar upward, his other hand strangling the man's neck from the side. "You did that huh? You fucking stabbed her?"

"Yeah Bos said to-"

"It doesn't matter what my dad said because i am your bos too, no? Besides he ordered you all to make them leave! And you fucking stabbed her." He spat, his blood ran hot through his whole body.

Rafe punched his face, again, and again, and again. All he see was red, his hands, his vision, the man's face.

"Y/n! Stay with me okay? You stay awake. Fuck! Y/n?" He heard a voice called out in the back and it pulled him out of his mind. Y/n.

Rafe let go of the pathetic man, throwing his body intentionally harsher to the wet side of the floor. He turned his body to face her frail figure with her head leaning against Pope. Her eyes was closed, and he knew. He knew there was not much of an option. And at that exact moment he doesn't care if her friends don't agree, he doesn't care if she'll hate him the next time she sees him. Pope looked forward, their gaze locking, realization so prominent in Pope's pleading gaze as it filled with panic and desperation.

They both realized it was the only way to save her. They have a doctor onboard, whereas if she goes with the rest of the pogues, no one exactly knew where they'll lay ashore, if they'll find any land at all. They were all in the middle of nowhere, that was the only thing they were sure about.

"She has to stay"  Rafe said to him, and though they both knew it, the boy shook his head. Denial clouding his senses as he wrap protective arm around Y/n's limp body, preventing Rafe to go near her. "No there must be another-"

Rafe stepped forward, his arms flying to his sides with frustration. "For fuck sake Heyward you do realize we have a doctor here? And what are you freaks planning to do to her? Huh? Stitch her wounds with what Kiara's hair tye? In the middle of the fucking oce-"

"Just- shut up! Cameron. I get it, okay? But I don't trust you people to just leave her here. That is way out of the option"

"So i guess you have a better idea, yeah? Look, I don't give a single shit if anything happens to you all, but you have to trust me when i say this Heyward. I'd rather that" he pointed at her wound "I'd rather be the one got wounded than seeing her like this. Please, I cant live witho-" he stopped himself.

"I can't live knowing i didn't do anything to save her Pope, and i think you do too" he said, his eyes gleaming with frustration and a desperate need to do something. Pope saw something he had never ever seen before, a side so out of character for the Cameron boy. God, a boy like Rafe wouldn't ever say the word please to anyone, let alone someone who is both a pogue and his enemy. Pope literally saw tears on his eyes through his own blurry vision.

Cleo was the one to act out, grabbing Pope by the shoulder whispering things as a sign to leave. They all knew the consequences that could occur if they dont act fast. And right now all of them were distracted enough to not cause any more trouble for both sides. It was a free pass for the pogues, and a guarantee for the cross's safety for Rafe.

"Just go, before i make the call. I don't care, use the lifeboat if you want." Rafe said before he knelt down, his hands hovering over Y/n's body for a second as if he were contemplating whether or not to touch her without any consent. He was a terrible human being, a mess, but not ever a person to take advantage of a woman. His mind flashed to the day he almost drowned Sarah, the guilt taking control of his emotion. He knew he was wrong, but it wasnt like he can control himself. He really needs help.

But he realized this was an urgent call as he decided to do it nonetheless. He scooped her up, trying to be as gentle as possible whilst holding her close to his chest as he stood up, his one hand opening his phone to call for backup bellow Y/n's body.

Both Pope and Cleo looked at him as they slowly walked backwards. "Just take care of her, if anything happens to her i swear to god we'll get you Rafe" and with that, Cleo pulled him further away from them and left, trying to find the others with hearts as heavy as stones.

To be continued...

Part III

NO SMUT YET BUT I PROMISE YALL ITS HAPPENING SOON

[nervoushottee]

IMPORTANT: This blog is 18+ MDNI!! If you don’t have age on your blog then I will block it.

*Inbox and messages are always open!*

Joel Miller

Series:

Flaws and All: You and Joel get caught in a blizzard while traveling. Cooped up in a cabin that is a bit of a fixer upper, the two of you learn how to grow with one another. In the process of waiting out the blizzard, you both have no choice but to accept each other, flaws and all. And maybe, just maybe find more in each other than just a travel partner. Will be Explicit in future chapters

A Solemn Promise: Joel thought he had lost it all. That the cruel bitter world had taken away his heart and soul piece by piece until there was nothing left. Everything he cared so deeply for gone. Turning him into a complicated man with a complicated heart. But when he has to travel across the country with a young girl and his girlfriend that he thought was dead. Maybe, just maybe his broken heart and soul can mend.

Oneshot

A Shot of Whiskey: (Explicit) You didn't think Joel would take you up on your offer. But here you were getting fucked in the bathroom stall of the bar.

Lucien Flores

Oneshot:

Kill the Lights: (Explicit) Lucien Flores is your older brother's bestfriend and to you he was always off limits and vice versa. Until one night that changes... (insipred by the song "De Selby part 2 by Hozier")

Triple Frontier

Frankie "Catfish" Morales

Series:

Good Trouble: You and the Miller brothers have known each other since childhood. But the years go by and time moves on and the three of you are grown up. But what happens when they come home to visit and the two friends they bring along with them catch your eye?? (Frankie/Santiago/Reader)

Santiago "Pope" Garcia

Series:

Good Trouble: You and the Miller brothers have known each other since childhood. But the years go by and time moves on and the three of you are grown up. But what happens when they come home to visit and the two friends they bring along with them catch your eye?? (Frankie/Santiago/Reader)

Stranger Things

Steve Harrington

Series:

The Summer Before: You and the gang decide to take a trip together before you all go your separate ways after summer is over. You’re excited for a reset away from Hawkins. Away from your problems and responsibilities. But one of the problems that you can’t seem to find the answer to went with you and it’s Steve Harrington. Conversations about old times and second chances wasn’t something you really planned on doing but here you are.  The days will be light and warm. Trips to the lake and burgers on the grill. The nights will feel long filled with laughter, beers, unwanted truths and tattoos you won’t remember getting the next day. Secrets will be spilled and tears will be shed.  A last hooray at the end of the summer while everyone was still together.  This should be fun. Right?

Oneshot:

Take Care: Steve wakes up from a nightmare that scares him a lot more than usual. The two of you frantically decide in the middle of night to get out of Hawkins. Even if it’s just for a little while.

Go For It: Steve has been your “movie guy” at Family Video for a while now. Little does he know that the main reason you’ve been buying these movies is to flirt with him and just maybe ask him out…

Illicit Affairs: You wish you were enough for Steve, but he will always want Nancy. (inspired by "Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift")

My pretty girl: (Explicit) you can’t help but beg for more of steve

Eddie Munson

Oneshot:

• never like this: your house never feels like home, but Eddie does.

Steddie

Oneshot:

This or That: (Explicit) You can't seem to figure out what you like better between Steve and Eddie.

MISCELLANEOUS

Series

Folklore: In which nervoushottee creates a series of fanfics insipred by the songs from Folklore by Taylor Swift

Oneshot

Paul Atreides

With Want: (Explicit) Paul Atreides always had dreams. But from the very beginning, there was an invisible string pulling him to you.

COD MW11

Captain John Price:

More: (Explicit) You’re stressed out of your mind and John knows exactly what you need to relax

141:

Just thinking about you doing the “Sorry, I’m not into short guys” Tiktok trend with The 141 boys

House of the Dragon

Alicent Hightower

Series:

Queen Alicent’s Maid: In which Alicent gets a maid after becoming the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms…

Masterlist header and dividers by @saradika

[buddiesmutslut]

Hoping to get my presumed dead Eddie fic finished tonight so I can start posting it tomorrow or so, so I can get back to writing other fic & get the Buddie fanfic stats back up to where they should be lol. Until then, please, enjoy a little snippet 🫶

 “But having Chris is probably the only thing that kept me from joining you in an early grave. Did you know that, Eddie? Did you have any idea how much I loved you, how losing you felt like someone tore my heart from my chest and wrapped steel bands around my lungs?” He asks, and then hums doubtfully. “Probably not, since you were dating that teacher. Or, maybe you did, and you just didn’t care how much it hurt me. Did you know, Eddie?” He asks casually, eyes tracking the way tears fall over Eddie’s lash line, a look of heartbreak on his face. 

He doesn’t like that at all, so he lurches forward, clumsily wiping at Eddie’s face with unsteady fingers. “Oh no, no, don’t cry, baby. I hate to see you cry. I want you to be happy, always. I hope you’re happy wherever you are. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for my Diaz boys.” He whispers achingly soft, pressing a messy, lingering kiss to Eddie’s forehead. 

He can almost feel him again, the weight of heavy hands on his waist, of hot breath and wet tears against his chest. It’s almost enough to mend his shattered heart, getting to be here with Eddie like this, even if it is only a dream. 

Almost.

@steadfastsaturnsrings

[florencemtrash]

The Wisp Between Worlds

CHAPTER THREE: OVER THE WALL

Acotar fanfic/rewrite. Inner Circle x OC. Eventual Azriel x OC.

Summary: Have you ever wondered what you would do (and do differently) if you found yourself trapped in the fantasy world of your dreams? For Nora, this fantasy of hers is about to play out when she finds herself portaled away to the Moral Lands south of Prythian. But all is not as it seems. Feyre Archeron is missing and the deadline to break Amarantha’s curse draws near. Who will save Prythian now?

Warnings: None for this chapter 

Masterlist

*Let me know if you would like to join the taglist*

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Dinah made good money that day, haggling at the market to sell the deer meat for a higher price than it was worth. They’d even cooked a few cuts for dinner in the fire, filling the house with the heady scent of meat that lasted long after they’d finished tearing into the food with reckless abandon. After nearly a week of surviving on stale bread, tea, and water it felt like they were doing something wrong. But after leaning back in her chair, stomach full and comfortably stretching the waistband of her pants, Nora wondered if it was the guilt eating away at her instead. If she was right about this, about everything, then she’d just killed a faerie today and the High Lord of the Spring Court would be coming for her.

Nora crawled into bed, bones weary and begging for rest. But her mind would not let her forget the glint of the steel tipped ashwood arrow sticking out of the beautiful wolf’s skull. Dinah and Jaskiel whispered to one another from their shared bed across the room. During the winter months they needed to crowd into the living room by the fire to escape the cold that seeped in through the floor and walls. Sleeping on opposite ends of the room was as much privacy as any of them would get. The beds themselves were little more than sheets stuffed with hay and scraps of wool from Dinah’s mending projects and just barely kept you from freezing on the ground. 

Before Nora had met them, and before Jaskiel had fallen ill, him and Dinah had lived comfortable lives in this little cottage. Jaskiel was once a small-time merchant and craftsperson, making frequent travels to the Continent to trade his wooden trinkets for spices and silks to sell to nearby villages. Dinah stayed home, tending to the house and the now dead garden of roses in the backyard. Whatever comforts Jaskiel had brought back for Dinah had long since been sold to the highest bidder. The only pieces left from that previous life were the books tucked away in the corner shelf of the living room, swollen and yellowed from the many times they’d all run their fingers through the pages, and Dinah’s wedding ring.

“It was the first thing I bought on the Continent.” Jaskiel told her, smiling at the strange girl who sat on the floor by his feet, bright eyes staring at him with curiosity. After a bath and a dinner of boiled katniss she was looking better, less like a frightened bird with its wings clipped.

“My first successful trip, and certainly not my last! And I knew the first thing I needed to do when I came home was marry Dinah.” She smiled from her seat next to him, abandoning her sewing project for a moment to rub his knee. She was thinner now than when they’d gotten married, gray hair sprouting from her temples and framing the crows feet that grew from her eyes whenever she was happy. Her hands were stronger too, more calloused and accustomed to hard work after Jaskiel had gotten sick. By pure force of will she’d carried the two of them through life since then and she vowed to continue doing so. 

Perhaps it was because they’d known a kinder life that they took Nora in, patiently allowing her to learn the skill of survival. 

I don’t want to leave. Nora thought tearfully, praying to whatever gods existed in this world that she wouldn’t be swept away in the night. She’d dreamed of Prythian every day, dreamed of being able to go home. Part of her still wanted that, the other part simply wanted to make peace with the life she knew now. No more change, no more being taken to new places and forced to learn everything all over again. 

Her prayer was not answered.

Dinah and Jaskiel had been asleep for hours now, unaware of the doom that had slipped through the wall and was now lurking outside their home. Nora lay awake, holding a knife close to her chest and continuing to murmur her pleas and prayers.

The front door blew open, shattering into a million pieces and raining down over their heads with sharp stabs. Nora immediately jumped to her feet, throwing her blanket around her to protect from the wood that continued to strike her as the creature clawed at the ruined door frame. 

Dinah was screaming. Jaskiel shouted Nora’s name as he threw his body over his wife, grabbing his cane. His lame legs cried out in protest when he tried to stand, brandishing the glorified stick as a weapon.

Nora sprained across the room, heart pounding and vision a blur as she barely dodged the next spray of wood that came crashing down. 

The beast had ripped the walls and part of the ceiling into ribbons with one angry swipe of his claws.

Well that was fucking rude. Nora thought, trying to quell the shaking of her hands as she stepped in front of Jaskiel and Dinah, holding her knife out towards the beast as he finally made his way into the room.

Every step shook the ground more powerfully than an earthquake. The little moonlight spilling through the cracks in the ceiling were snuffed out by his enormous frame. Standing taller than a fully grown man was a creature with the body of a bear, head of a wolf, and horns extending so far out from his skull it was a miracle they didn’t catch on the wooden beams. Pure muscle rippled underneath fur that glowed with a golden light, illuminating the mouth of jet black teeth that were bared as he roared, “MURDERERS!” 

Nora cringed, clapping a hand over her ear. Don’t drop the knife. Don’t you dare drop the knife.

“MURDERERS!” he screamed again. The foundations of the house shook with his power. Dinah’s screams died into quiet whimpers. Jaskiel crumpled to the ground, legs folding like paper beneath his rickety frame.

“WHO KILLED HIM?!”

The house remained silent. Only Dinah’s choked sobs punctured the stillness of the night. Nora tried not to faint, her mind fracturing into a million pieces as she tried to think of what to do next.

Do I tell him I killed the faerie? Do I tell him I killed Andras? Was that even the faerie’s name? But he hasn’t told me who I killed. I know who I killed. Am I supposed to know who I killed? Am I supposed to know I killed a faerie at all? What will happen to Dinah and Jaskiel?

Infuriated by the silence he lifted one arm, slamming his paw into the ground so hard that it broke through the wooden floors. Nora could feel the heat of his breath as he drew near, shoving his face right up against hers. “WHO KILLED HIM?!” 

Nora refused to falter, irritation slowly beginning to overtake her fear.

His breath smells like roses. How ridiculous. 

“We didn’t kill anyone!” Dinah sobbed, clutching her husband's shaking arm. The beast took one step backward and Nora let out a breath of relief. They were still alive. Dinah must have caught onto that string of hope because she began to regain her composure. Her blubbering might do nothing more than enrage the beast enough to slaughter them all.

“Please we didn’t-” Jaskiel’s feeble words were cut off by a growl. The beast’s eyes were still fixated on Nora, filled with even more fury for the fact that she remained standing - standing with a weapon brandished in her hand. The gall of the girl. He ripped it out of her hand as easily as one swatted a fly. Nora was too shocked to register the pain in her forearm as she stumbled backward, blood dripping down her hand and landing with a rhythmic thump thump thump onto the floor. 

If he regretted hurting her he didn’t show it. As if to make a further point that he could kill them all in an instant, he whirled around towards the dining table. It exploded without so much as a whisper from him, taking out a chunk of the wall in the process.

His horns threw shadows against what remained, twisting and turning like a pair of skeletal hands. Jade green eyes glared out, filled with fury and some small seed of grief. “Who killed him?”

“We didn’t kill anyone.” Nora said. Her pain made her angry. 

“LIAR! THE WOLF! Who killed the wolf?” 

Jaskiel and Dinah shared a look. Nora hadn’t said anything about a wolf.

“I did.” The young girl didn’t flinch, although her throat tightened from the admission like someone had a hand around her neck. “I killed a wolf. This morning in the woods.”

“Hush, child.” Dinah hissed. She tore a strip of fabric from her dress and tried to stem the flow of blood from Nora’s arm.

“And did you know?” The High Lord growled out, barely concealing the threat of death in his voice, “Did you know he was faerie?”

The color drained from Nora’s face. 

This is it. Two choices: lie and say you didn’t know and maybe he’ll let you live. Or… tell the truth. Tell him you knew the wolf was a faerie. Tell him you killed him out of hatred. Go to Prythian… try and get home.

The beast caught the flicker of recognition in Nora’s eyes, caught the narrowing of her inky black eyes in a look of hatred. 

“You did know.” he seethed. He pulled away from her, disgust in his eyes at the feeble human girl before him. This was the girl who’d killed Andras. Some pathetic little human had slaughtered his trusted friend. “Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy it when you slaughtered my friend.” He prowled about the room, never taking his eyes off the three of them still huddled in the corner by the cinders.

“Better him than me.” Nora held her head up, glaring at him.

“No.” Jaskiel breathed out, grabbing at her uninjured hand. “Please,” he begged the beast, “She’s my daughter. She’s young. She didn’t know any better. She was afraid.” 

“Is that true?” the beast hissed, baring his fangs, “Did he attack you?”

She squared her shoulders. “No.” 

“So you slaughtered him. Unprovoked. You murdered him.”

Nora barked out a laugh, “And how many humans have you murdered? How many will you continue to murder? How many homes will you break into? How many lives will you threaten?” her voice was filled with venom as she spit out the words, “I hope your friend is suffering right now in the afterlife. I wasn’t certain at the time, but now that I know he’s faerie I don’t regret it at all. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

She ignored his deep growl and dealt a final blow, “It was a quicker death than he deserved.” 

With a roar he brought his claw down on the bookshelf next to him, shattering it completely. The beloved tomes tumbled onto the floor, half shredded and dusty from their fall.

If you were really going to kill me, you would’ve done it by now. 

The fear of a painful death with Tamlin sinking his teeth into her throat and thrashing her around had made Nora forget one key fact: she knew this story. She knew about the curse that hung over his head - that hung over Prythian - and like it or not, he needed her.

The realization gave her power. She stood up again, ignoring Dinah’s desperate hands as she tried to force her daughter to kneel again, “What do you want?”

“What do I want? I want justice for what you did. I want you to pay.”

“We’ll pay the cost.” Dinah said frantically, “Name your price.” 

Nora’s heart broke. Please don’t. 

They had no money to spare. Dinah worked hard enough as it was, coming home every night with bleeding and cracked hands, and Jaskiel could do little more than beg for scraps of work. The wealthy in the village would offer them no respite, no mercy. They were too comfortable behind their iron gates and towering walls. Nora didn’t want to see Dinah beg too.

“And what is the price you’d lay on your daughter’s head?” the beast asked, stepping off the ruined shelf. Dinah stilled. “Whatever pathetic sum you offer won’t be enough. Andras was worth more than one-hundred of you.”

“Then what would be enough?” Tell us and be done with it already. “What do you want?” 

“A life for a life. That’s what I want.”

“I’ll pay it.” Jaskiel said, voice even and strong. Dinah swore at him as he struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane. 

“What the hell are you doing, Jaskiel?” Nora hissed, turning around and stepping directly between him and Tamlin. 

His kind face, weathered and leathery after decades of sea travel, softened when Nora’s face blocked the terrifying beast. She knew he liked her. He’d treated her with the love and kindness he would have shown his own daughter if he and Dinah had ever been blessed in that way. But the fact remained that Nora wasn’t theirs. She owed them a debt that could never be repaid and she wouldn’t forgive herself if anything happened to them.

“I’ll pay the price.” He said again, stepping to the side. Nora stepped with him, refusing to let Tamlin get close to Jaskiel.

“No he won’t.” Nora commanded, swinging back to Tamlin. The beast’s eyes flickered for a brief moment with something like surprise.

“As touching as the offer is,” he drawled, “I want the actual murderer.”

“Take me outside then. Don’t do it here.” 

Again, that flicker of surprise, “You dare ask for such a thing?” He scoffed, eyes narrowing.

“I wasn’t asking. You already ruined half the house and left a hole in the floor, you don’t need to fill it with blood either.” Nora spit out. 

He snarled, “For having the gall to ask me for such a thing, I’ll clarify something: I want your life. Prythian wants a life for the one you stole. So either you come with me across the wall to live out the rest of your days, or I take you outside and tear you to pieces as you so kindly told me to do.” His lips pulled back in a threatening smile. 

“So either you kill me here and now, or some other beast over the wall kills me in a few days time. Tell me, Beast, which would be quicker?”

He cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowed. There was something in the way he moved, cat-like and predatory. Doubt flickered within her. What if I’m wrong? What if he kills me?

“I have lands,” Tamlin said carefully after some consideration, “So long as you don’t leave those lands you will be safe.”

“And what about Dinah and Jaskiel?” His eyes flickered over to the pair. Dinah’s eyes were trained on him, fear and fury simmering under the surface of her now composed face. 

“What about them?” 

“They’ll die without me. You only asked for one life. What fairness in ‘a life for a life’ is there if my absence leads to their deaths.” 

Dinah and Jaskiel both tugged harshly at the back of her sleep shirt, begging her to control her boldness. 

If a wolf could frown, it would look like the annoyance that crossed Tamlin’s face. “They’ll be taken care of.” 

Nora’s breath caught in her throat. Did he mean it? He must mean it. I’ll give him hell if he doesn’t help them.

“You swear it?” 

Tamlin’s eyes passed through each of them in turn. Nora, the girl’s name was. He tested the name out in his mind finding it agreeable enough. And he had to admit, some small piece of him was impressed - if not annoyed - by her boldness. The couple would surely die without her, already their frames were too thin and delicate to support their aging souls. 

“I swear it.” He said, and found it a very easy promise to make, “But, you must promise to never leave Prythian. The moment you step foot back in the Human Lands, the deal is off, and I can’t promise what will become of your precious little family.”

“Take the offer.” Dinah said, turning Nora around and grasping her too-thin face. Tears welled up in her amber eyes and Nora did all she could to stop the rising emotions in her chest. “Take the offer. You’re a survivor, child. You’ll make it. You’ll make something of yourself.”

Jaskiel said nothing, face falling and aging twenty years in a few mere seconds.

“When does she leave?” Dinah said with a sniffle, wiping her tears away and taking a deep, shuddering breath.

“Now.” 

“Now?!” Nora wanted more time with them. She wanted one more night.

“Now.” The decision was not up for discussion.

Dinah grabbed Nora’s shoulders, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. “Don’t worry about us,” she whispered, burying her face into Nora’s dark hair, “Just worry about taking care of yourself, alright? You know how.” She kissed Nora’s cheeks, wiping her hands on her nightdress as Jaskiel took his turn. 

Nora braced her legs, feeling the weight of Jaskiel in her arms as he held her close. His legs may have been weak and broken, but his arms were strong. He brushed the hair back from her face with a calloused hand, stormy gray eyes expressing all he could not say. Goodbye. You will always be a daughter to me. Until we meet again.

Dinah grabbed her thickest cloak from the back of Jaskiel’s chair and threw it over Nora’s shoulders. Somehow the most important piece of furniture had managed to survive Tamlin’s rage. Final whispers of encouragement escaped Dinah’s lips before the beast snapped at them to leave, maneuvering through the wreckage he’d created with grace and power. 

Nora could do nothing but allow her hand to slip through Dinah’s and quietly trail after the beast.

He led her to a beautiful mare that had been waiting obediently for them by the treeline. Her coat was as silky and pristine as a polished pearl. Nora hesitated. She’d never ridden a horse before, but Tamlin was in no mood to wait any longer. He grabbed her roughly by the waist with one paw and dumped her unceremoniously onto the mare’s back.

Asshole. She glared at the back of his horns as he led them into the night.

When Nora looked behind her she found Dinah and Jaskiel standing together in the gaping hole of their now ruined house. She didn’t stop looking until the woods closed around her and her home disappeared from sight.

>>>

They traveled for hours through the woods, the sun slowly sliding into place over the horizon and transforming the frost-bitten forest into the world’s largest chandelier. The constant rocking of the pearl-coated horse beneath her made Nora’s stomach turn and her thighs ached from the effort of staying upright. Tamlin’s utter silence didn’t make matters any better as he traced some secret path through the woods. Over time the rhythmic crunch of snow breaking beneath the mare’s hooves began to drive Nora to insanity.

You’re supposed to be getting me to fall in love with you, you know? Fucking idiot. 

The more and more Nora thought about the events from last night, the more irate she grew. He’d crashed into her house in the middle of the night in his beast form, scared them nearly to death, demanded Nora leave her home, and now wasn’t even putting in the effort to speak to her. It was deathly silent in these woods, as if even the squirrels and birds knew that royalty walked among them.

Nora huffed. Tamlin continued to walk unbothered. 

“You didn’t need to break into my house like that.” She said pointedly, breaking the silence. 

Tamlin’s left ear twitched. “What did you say?”

Nora rolled her eyes. With his fae senses there was no way he hadn’t heard her.

“I said you didn’t need to break into my house like that.”

He ignored her, which only fueled her desire to speak her mind out loud.

“You could have stolen me away in the night without bothering them. You could have waited until daylight when we weren’t sleeping.”

“You’re upset because my timing wasn’t convenient enough for you?”

Nora frowned. When he put it that way her words sounded quite childish. “What I’m saying is that you barged into my home with more pomp and circumstance and-and drama than you needed to.”

“You killed my friend.”

Nora stilled. She wanted to apologize for it. As much as she didn’t like Tamlin she regretted what she did. Part of the reason she hadn’t been able to fall asleep the night before was because she kept seeing the light leave Andras’s eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from hearing the pitiful whine that had escaped his throat as he finally stilled. She’d dared to touch his body to close his eyes. But as quickly as she’d laid her hands on him she’d reeled back. In the time it had taken her to gut the deer and bind it to the sled, his body had turned cold and rigid.

“You threatened to kill my family.” She said lamely.

“And yet they’re still alive, aren’t they?” “How can I trust you? How do I know you won’t just send someone else to kill them after we’re beyond the wall?” “I promised you they would be taken care of. I keep my promises. The question is whether you’ll keep yours.” His voice was gentler, more tired the further and further they got from Nora’s village. She thought his power would be tied to Prythian in some way - that he would gain strength as they neared the wall. Instead he was dragging his feet, limbs landing on the ground with heavier steps as they went along. She made note of every change in his body, storing the information away to mull over later.

“If it means they’re safe you can be sure I’ll keep true to my side of things.” She replied.

He’d been walking ahead of her the entire time, forcing the mare into a brisk pace that had Nora jolting in her seat, but after a few moments of cautious thinking he slowed down to walk beside her. Even while atop a horse, Tamlin stood taller than Nora, his horns dangling over her head like the swaying branches of a tree. She looked at them for a long while, tracing the grooves in the bone all the way down to where they connected to Tamlin’s skull. He stared at her the whole time.

“You don’t look like your parents.” Tamlin said carefully, catching her eye.

Nora snorted. With her dark hair and darker eyes and… well the rest of her, she was well aware that no piece of her looked like it came from Dinah or Jaskiel. 

“They’re not my parents.”

She flung her arm out, grasping at Tamlin’s horn for support when the mare took a quick jump over a fallen log. Her thighs were burning now, holding onto the lean body beneath her like a lifeline.

“Sorry.” Nora muttered, jerking her hand back to her body and cradling it beneath the folds of her cloak. She flexed it uncomfortably. 

She’d just touched the High Lord of the Spring Court. 

Suppressing a shiver she instead focused her attention on the strip of fabric still wrapped expertly around her forearm, running her fingers over the material and ignoring where it dried stiff with blood. It reminded her painfully of Dinah. She would have to mend the rest of her nightgown now. Nora hoped she hadn’t stained it too badly with any blood.

“What happened to your real parents?” Again he asked the question carefully, like she was a flight risk he couldn’t afford to scare off… which she very much was.

“They’re alive… or dead… I don’t know.” A truth. “I was stolen from them too and brought here from the Continent to be sold by slavers.” A lie.

“But you escaped.” He almost sounded impressed.

“Obviously.” 

And one day I’ll escape from you too. 

The words hung unspoken between the two of them like a spider’s web between two branches, delicate and complex. They descended into silence once more. 

“I’ll need to bind your eyes when we cross the wall.”

“What? Why?” Nora snapped her eyes to Tamlin and she forgot about the raven in the sky she’d been examining for the last twenty minutes.

“I cannot risk you seeing my lands.” His back tightened and he held his head up high.

“You said I would be safe in your lands.” 

“You will be. That doesn’t mean I want you to see all of them.”

Because you don’t want me to know how to run away. 

“Fine.”

A black silk sash appeared in Nora’s hands, cool as water and weightless as she obediently tied it tightly around her eyes. He must have enchanted the fabric because when she tugged at the knot she made it would not budge. She tested the blindfold but as much as she tried to pull it off it would not give. She huffed as she gave up, turning her head towards where she imagined Tamlin still was. He may be taller than a man and ten times heavier but his footsteps were imperceptible.

Blindness forced her to see with her ears, straining to identify every flutter of wings and rustle of snow falling onto the ground from a disturbed branch. She was just about to ask when they’d reach the wall when the world went still. 

All the sounds of the forest she’d been analyzing died out. Magic rippled through the air, humid and all consuming as it reached out for her. 

Her face paled. Suddenly she was back in the sea, screaming underwater as salt water filled her lungs and magic dragged her from her world to this one. Her reigns on the horse tightened, knuckles losing all their color. 

“Take off your cloak.” Tamlin said tightly. “You won’t need it anymore.” 

Nora only gripped the cloak tighter as though it would keep out the magic that threatened to consume her.

Tamlin said nothing, but he must have continued forward because despite Nora’s protests, the mare passed through the break in the wall. 

They passed through like they were passing through a waterfall. Magic rushed over Nora’s body, slick and alien, but it was quickly replaced by the comfortable heat of spring. The heady scent of flowers filled her nose, clouding her mind with their fragrance. While the oppressing winter in the Mortal Lands had driven all but the scavenger birds into their homes, here they fluttered about seeking companions with whom to live out the eternal spring. The subtle morning sun blanketed Nora’s shoulders, heating her up beneath her clothes. Still she refused to give up the last piece of her home. 

Tamlin let out a sigh of relief or despair - Nora couldn’t tell - as he felt his bond to Prythian grow once more. His magic would always run through his veins as intrinsically as blood - being in the Human Lands had done nothing to diminish that power - but he could not deny his connection to the magic that ran through Prythian, a magic that was beyond himself and to which he was only a borrower. These were the lands to which he would be tied until the end of his days. 

“Welcome to the Spring Court, Nora.” 

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Author’s Note: Hope you all enjoyed! Apologies it ended up a lot longer than I was expecting... whoops 😅. I have a masterlist up and am also starting a taglist so if you want to be added just let me know! 

Taglist: @myheartfollower​ @impossibelle

[yufloria]

The Pain of Regret

CHEATER?!Soap X Fem!Reader 

A/N: Hey! Thank you so much for the support on my first fanfic it gave me motivation to finish this one faster (because the first one took me almost half a month to complete) I hope you enjoy this just as much as the first one.  

Warnings: it's my 2nd fanfic but first shot on Angst and Pain no Comfort, I guess some sexual themes? If you squint (Only once mention condom) Soap is a complete asshole in this and you kill a bunch of kids (unintentionally) 

Also: Feedback would be appreciated :3

Word Count: 3.2k

The relationship you had with Soap was … confusing to say the least. Confusing because both of you were always dancing between the line of being a couple or just friends. You always waited to see if Soap wanted anything with you, but he always seemed to keep you guessing, by spending nights together even though it was forebitten in the barracks, cracking jokes together while mending yourselves or some lingering touches that seem to drag a few seconds longer than necessary. But he never made the move towards anything else. Now it has been almost half a year in this guessing game, and you finally gathered your courage enough for you to confess to him. Convincing yourself that it is better for you to have a solid answer than always seem to walk on eggshells around him. You settled into giving him a rose and tell him verbally. You knew it was a bit cliché, but you decided to pair it with a small meaningful gift. It was a black switchblade with a small Scottish flag stud on the bottom of the handle with your initials right below it. A little too much? Maybe? But you knew his love for his country was great and you hope it was the same for you too. You wrapped the knife with some black paper and tied it with a silver cord and attached a small piece of paper simply stating, ‘I love you, Johnny’  

The reason was that one time, as you were the recently added recruit and you got captured during a mission and Soap was the first one to find you. You were about to get thrown out of a 15-story building. You were tied up in the rope that you desperately struggle

c d to get out of, but your hands were tied up behind you. Soap made the stupid mistake of shooting the enemy that was the only thing keeping you from plummeting to your death. As you were falling, Soap managed to throw himself to get the spare rope, struggled to stop the force pulling him down with you. He managed to flip himself over onto his back and press the soles of his boots against the wall and grunting in pain has he strained both of his arms to hold you steady before slowly starting to pull you up. Once he managed to see your head coming up from the floor, he managed to sit up and pull from the rope across your chest and pulled you into a bear hug after seeing your eyes rimmed with tears. Once he dragged both of you away from the broken window. He took out his black switchblade to furiously cut you out of your bindings. But on the last rope, he used more force than necessary, and it slipped from his hand off and out the window. “Ah, and that was my favorite one,” was the only thing he said before holding your head between his hands and looking at your face. He now noticed a cut on your eyebrow that caused blood to cover your right eye. “That bastard nicked you, didn’t he? Good thing he is dead now” he laughed. “Come on let's get you home and patched up,” he said before sending you a smile that made your stomach butterflies flutter. You touch over the scar that rested a little above your eyebrow. The damaged skin felt soft against your fingers smiling fondly at the memory. Content with your work, you carefully picked up the gift and placed it in your secret drawer. Before you could even think when you should give the present to Soap. Everyone in the Task Force was called out to carry out a mission on getting some information on an important cargo from the cartel.   

So, here you are, sitting perched on a church tower in the bell chamber in the dead of night. It had started to rain and become windy, both of them slowly started picking up and soon enough it felt like you were right in the middle of a hurricane. Static was the only thing that could be heard from the radio until the gruff voice of Price spoke through the noise, “Scorpion, once you see the cargo truck heading up north to the bridge. You need to take the driver out before it even gets close to the bridge. If not, we will lose track of it, and it will take weeks to relocate again, and we don’t know what’s inside. So, I advise you to take the shot once you feel it is appropriate.” “Copy that Price, I just wanted you to know that the weather is cutting communication through the radio,” you replied. Static arose again and you were the one to speak this time. “Do you copy? Price? Captain? Anyone?’’ Without hearing a response back, you started tinkering with your radio trying to get a better connection before the tell-tale sign of an engine rumbling in the distance brought you back to stay focused on the mission at hand. You faintly started to see the headlights in the distance, and you guessed that you have around 2 minutes in aligning your shot before your target gets to the bridge. “Price, do you copy? Do I take the shot?” You asked one last time into the static to confirm. You knew that the time was running out and without confirmation, you decided to take your shot.   

Everything went in slow motion as you were pulling the trigger the static cleared out just enough for you to hear, “--kids inside.” You tried to stop your actions and recollect your thoughts, but it was too late, your bullet was now on course toward its destination. The realization that they might be children inside the truck made your blood run cold. You watched in desperation as the truck tipped over the road and down the mountain side and every time you saw the truck flip over it felt like someone had punched and stabbed you in the heart. Once the truck hit rock bottom, you snapped from your frozen state and you jumped off the church tower onto the lower roof, slid down the building's side, landed on the grass with a grunt, and you sprinted towards the edge of the mountain where the team was standing. Once you ran enough to stand next to them you watched in shock as the truck exploded; the explosion was big enough for you to see and feel the small shockwave it had induced. You screamed and cried out as you fell onto your knees as you realized that there probably were children with their mothers inside the truck and instead of saving them you killed them.   

“You killed them.” Soap accused you.  

“Huh?” you looked up in pain at him.  

“Are you deaf? You fucking killed them!” he yelled louder pressing up to you.  

Hearing that the person you love the most in this world just laid all the blame of the situation on you and only you made your blood boil. You stood up and closed in up to his face.  

“Don't you fucking dare blame this all on me.” you bite out.  

“Oh yeah? And who just shot the focken driver eh?”  

“Price told me- actually ordered me that I could take the shot whenever I felt it was appropriate and that is what I did!” You emphasize by pushing him away.  

“No, you didn’t do focken anything-.”  

“Quit it you two! The damage has already been done. We need to go down there and see if there's any survivors left and return back to the base.” Price ordered by stepping between both of you sensing a fight boiling inside both of you. Then, all of you went to see if there were any survivors, but much to your despair they were none. Everything after that passed in a blur, it felt that you were viewing your vision in 3rd person as you frantically checked the countless burned bodies for a pulse. You all returned to the base in silence as you were merely a shell of yourself and went to your room to try to rest. Keyword? Tried. After what felt hours of trying, you frustrated sit up from your bed and decided to see Soap and talk to him hoping to make him see and understand your side of the story, so he doesn’t view you as the cause of the death of innocent kids and their mothers.  

You hurriedly and quietly make your way towards Soap’s room, and you faintly see an orange light seep out from the bottom of Soap’s door at the end of the hallway meaning he was still awake and hopefully it gives you the opportunity to clear the misconceptions. Once you reached the door you rapidly knocked on the door and waited. Upon knocking at the door, you hear a commotion go inside his room thinking he might have fallen you swing open the door and your eyes land on Soap’s bed, and he was naked with another woman. You stood there shocked, and they also froze into place while your eyes quickly glanced around the room. Different clothing and undergarments were spread across the room. But the last straw was when your eyes landed on a tied used condom on the floor. It triggered a huge turmoil within you and your heart shattered into a million pieces and your blood started to burn through your veins. But after a few seconds in silence, the other woman was the first one to react to cover herself and try her best to quickly change and bolt out the door. Soap did the same and right before he could chase after her he stopped in front of you. “Why are you so pissed off that I am enjoying MY free time with other women, huh? You know damn well that you and I aren't a thing and especially after the bullshit you pulled today, you are worthless to this team, and you are nothing to me. You can’t do anything that you are told, and it is basically taking care of a fucking child. I also do not understand why are you crying if you were the cause of their deaths. You are responsible for them and all the emotions you are feeling right now it is all thanks to you.” The moment those words reached your ears it felt like someone had crushed and crumbled your soul. Once you saw Soap sidestepping to leave you standing at his door you weakly grabbed his forearm and quietly whispering “I thought we had something.” He scoffs and nonchalantly said “Really? With you? Pfft! You really thought we had something? Well, let me be clear with you. Whatever you thought we had it is just work-related and nothing more.” “Then what about those nights that we spent together? Does that also mean nothing to you?” “A man can get bored every once and a while and you seem to alleviate that feeling just for a bit and that's it. Pitiful that you actually thought we were going to have something.” He simply stated while getting your hand on his arm and threw it back at you. That was the last nail into the coffin, and you don’t even bother to call him when he passes you to go after the other woman.   

Once you returned to your room you let all the tears fall like a broken dam. Your mind kept on replaying all the soul-crushing words that Soap carelessly threw at you. All the things that you thought were him giving you hints were nothing? Everything you did for him was for nothing? With that thought, new tears sprouted in your eyes, and from your bed, you saw the now dead rose and the black wrapped present teasingly looking back at you taunting you on how you were stupid enough not to see he was just using you for his mere entertainment. You got up from your bed to hold the present in your hands and that warm feeling you had every time you thought of giving it to him and accepting your advances now are completely gone. You rolled your eyes at it, ripped the note, rose apart, and threw it into the trash next to your desk. You quietly chuckled as you reminded yourself ‘It was really nothing for him huh?’ You head back to your bed sitting at the edge, the tears have long stopped but your heart still cries out in pain. So, with a heavy heart, you got yourself your secret stash of alcohol. After picking it up you put on your jacket and walk outside to the nearby forest. As you pushed open the doors, the icy freezing wind bit your nose and cheeks, and you left the walls for the night without looking back.   

“Has anyone seen Scorpion?” a voice called out in the bustling walls as Soap makes his way to the cafeteria “Ugh, what a waste of time she is,” he muttered to himself. ‘Why couldn’t Price choose a better candidate and just replace her,’ he thought. Once he got his breakfast he sat down and realized that the table seemed emptier and colder, but he couldn’t lay his finger on it. After scarfing down his food he went to the lounge room to find the Task Force acting weird and tension arose once he stepped into the room. Price was the first one to break the silence and informed him,  

“Soap, do you have any idea where Scorpion is?”  

“No sir, why?”  

“She didn’t report this morning, and no one seems to find her, and I thought you may have known something and her whereabouts.’’  

“Have you checked her room? Most of the time she is in her room after a mission so it is understandable, she might be holed up in there after her fuck up yesterday.”  

“Don't talk to her like that! Go to her room and check on her.”  

“But why me huh? You could have asked anyone before me, and you chose me?!’  

“That’s an order! Now go!”  

Soap stood in silence and stared back at Price, who just raised his eyebrows as a warning. Grumbling, Soap turned around and made his way towards your room, a path he quite remembered as muscle memory. Once at your door he knocked and called out to you, and he started to grow frustrated with the lack of response. After knocking and calling out for you the 3rd time he tried the doorknob to his surprise to know that it was unlocked. He knew you so well that you never went to bed without locking the door due to your paranoia. With the conclusion that something might have happened to you, he opened the door just to find your room empty. He steps into your room to find everything was disarranged which made his heart pump a bit faster. He started to clean up to get clues on what happened to you or where you could have gone. Then he picked up your knocked-down trash can and saw the ripped note and rose which picked on his curiosity. He then started to find the hidden message in the jigsaw puzzle of the torn paper which caused his heart to skip a beat once he read the ‘I love you, Johnny’ written in your handwriting. The lump on the bottom of the trashcan grabbed his attention which he picked up with both hands and noticed how heavy it was and ripped it apart just to see almost the same replica of his favorite switchblade that he thought was gone forever and no longer in production. He painfully started to smile as he saw the small Scottish flag and your initial on the bottom of the handle. A huge wave of sorrow washed over him as he recalled the anguished face you had when he told you all those terrible words. He remembered those huge eyes rimmed with tears and they were the same eyes you had when he saved you on your first mission, but this time, he was the cause of them, and he didn’t wipe them away.  

“Ever heard of privacy?” Your voice startled him, and he looked over your bed and see you standing at the door. You approached him with red eyes and dark circles around your eyes. He looked up at you in fear as he sees you as a grim reaper that came down to earth to collect his soul due to his sins. He quickly tried to apologize, stumbling on his words trying to find the correct words to soothe the pain he made you feel last night. You just hold your hand up to his face and told him in a voice so cold that he has never heard before,  

“Get out.” You simply told him, motioning him to leave your room  

“Wait, hold on, let’s talk about it,’’ he tried to reason with you.  

“Talk about what? You made it clear yesterday that you never wanted anything with me. Now get out!” you yelled. 

“What? I never said that and even if I did, I didn’t mean it I was drunk and couldn’t think straight. You have to understand that.”  

“Understand what?! That you got your dick wet with another woman the moment you got bored of me? And Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare. To make the excuse that you were just “drunk” and that you couldn’t think straight. Wanna know why? Hmm? Because the only people that don’t lie in this world are the kids and the drunk.” You seethe out with so much venom laced into your words so much to the point you started tearing up and your voice cracking, but you couldn’t let him see the damage he has done to you. You promised yourself yesterday to never cry in front of him ever again. With that, you closed your eyes, took a deep breath, controlled yourself, and left without saying anything.  

But to him, every word you muttered to him felt like a knife was being stabbed into his heart. He didn’t even realize he started crying as he felt his hand claw into his chest as he hoped that it could go through his skin to comfort his aching heart. He tried reaching his hand onto yours to stop you from leaving but once you flinched your hand away from his touch, he retracted back his hand.   

“Don't ever fucking touch me.” That was the last thing you told him before walking away. 

A/N: HAHAaaaa! Bet you didn’t expect that did you huh? I hope you didn’t because most of the angst fanfic I have read usually when the “cheater” says that he was drunk reader just forgives him and boom happy ending. I think it is a whole bag of bull. 

A small continuation at the timeskip

[kyleoreillylover]

Undisputed Era x Fem Reader

Summary: Reader lost their championship to Shayna Baszler, and the Undisputed Era comfort a very angry and stubborn reader and shows her she’s worth more than a title belt.

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of typical wrestling violence, stuff being thrown (from the reader being angry), etc.

A/N: Like I said in my previous post, I am obsessed with the Undisputed Era, so these fanfics are just a way to curb that obsession lol. Hope you guys enjoy this fanfic!

The air in the locker room was thick with tension as the Undisputed Era gathered around you. You had just lost your hard-earned title in a grueling street fight match against Shayna Baszler. The match had lasted almost an hour and had been the main event of NXT Takeover, leaving you battered and bruised.

Kyle reached out to touch your shoulder, but you pushed him away with a snarl. "Don't touch me.” You growled, your eyes blazing with anger.

Adam stepped forward, his expression sympathetic. "Hey, it's okay. You gave it your all out there. No one could have done better."

What was supposed to sound comforting sounded condescending to you, and you lashed out, knocking over a nearby chair and sending it crashing to the ground in response. “Don't patronize me," you snapped. "I lost, plain and simple. I let everyone down."

Roderick placed a calming hand on your back, giving you a comforting look. “Hey, it’s just one match. You’ll bounce back. You always do.”

You shook off his hand and turned to leave, but Bobby grabbed your arm. "Come on, talk to us. We're your friends. We want to help."

You scoffed. "Friends? You guys are not gonna need me anymore now that I don't add to our little gold collection. The only reason you cared about me is cause I had a title."

"That's not true," Kyle said sharply, giving you a pointed look and stepping in front of you. "We care about you a lot. With or without the title. You're a huge part of this team and a great wrestler and we will always need you. Losing one match will never change that."

You glared at him, your fists clenched. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who just lost everything."

"Actually, we all lost something tonight," Adam said softly. "We lost our chance to celebrate another victory with you.” Your gaze silently softened at this, his uncharacteristically sweet words breaking through your haze of anger. “That doesn't mean we're giving up on you. We're here for you, no matter what."

Your shoulders sagged as you let out a deep sigh. "I don't know if I can do this anymore," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper as the anger faded away & turned into the sadness you were trying to push away. "I just... I can't believe I lost. I was so sure I could beat her, that I had this in the bag. Then I lose like this. It's embarrassing." You turn the other way not wanting to see the concerned looks of your friends, that would just make you feel worse. "I'm embarrassing."

Kyle placed a hand on your shoulder, and this time you don’t shrug the touch off and let him turn you back around. "You're not embarrassing. You’re amazing. And we all have bad days."

"And even if you lose every match from here on out, we'll still have your back." Bobby piped up, his comforting words quieting your racing mind. "You're part of the Undisputed Era. That means something."

You looked up at him, tears glistening in your eyes. "Thank you," you whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

“Probably crash and burn.” Adam joked as he pulled you into a hug, making you giggle. The rest of the group followed suit, hugging you. “You don't have to go through this alone," he said, wiping your tears as everyone pulled away. “We’re here for you, always."

You smiled weakly at him, relishing in his touch and the sweet side of him that rarely was shown to anyone but you guys. "Thanks, guys. I'm sorry I was such a mess."

"Don't be sorry," Roderick said, handing you an ice pack to mend your bruises. In your angered state, you didn't realize the boys had brought in some medical supplies to help you heal from your bruises and bumps. "Just remember that we're a team. We'll always have your back, no matter what."

And as the boys sat you on a chair and helped you treat your wounds and cuts, you knew those words were true, and that meant more to you than any championship.

[axailslink]

I just realized I forgot to add the character lol

“There was love”- Alex Isley

And the character is riri

Is there still love?

Riri Williams x poc FEM reader

Summary: a fanfic based on the song "There was love" by Alex Isley in which Riri and the reader have recently broken up and they're acting as if they don't know each other but it's really hard when Riri and the reader know just how much they loved each other.

As you're in bed all your mind can do is replay the events of last week the yelling, the pushing and the cursing it was one hell of an event. You remember it a bit too well you want to forget and just remember the good moments of eating ramen because that's all you could afford or dancing with her mom because you were the only girl she liked. You can't deal with this but you can't sulk either you have class in fifteen and you're still in your pajamas. Even as you shower and get dressed all you can think of is her and how you wish you could mend the relationship but it's been a week you're long past mending and healing. When you arrive at your lecture you don't even bother to look in her direction because why would you? It's over you both are better off this way heartbroken and wishing for what you had in the past.

The lecture seems as if it's half the day when it's finally finished you grab your things only to see Riri standing right behind you with the bracelet you bought for her "I'm not taking that" you grab your bag and she sighs "please I can't keep it it's a reminder of you" "Riri I'm not taking back the gift I gave you I want you to have it even if we aren't together." She sighs again but this one is shaky as she breathes out and you can tell she's on the verge of tears. "Take the fucking bracelet" she adverts her gaze to your hands and shoves it in them when she looks back up at you her eyes are glassy and you almost break right there. She doesn't give you enough time to have a reaction as she hurriedly walks away. She'd given you back everything your hoodies your gifts but this one hurt the most. She never took this bracelet off she loved this bracelet it meant so much to her and this was the end you knew this was the end. She wouldn't have given this bracelet up if it was the last thing that could save her life in an apocalypse.

You can't. You just can't let her block you out completely like she did everyone else you can't become a nobody in her eyes not when you've seen all of her and loved all of her you wouldn't dare go back to being a nobody. You grab your things and follow her to her dorm before she can close the door you push past and close it for her "no Riri hell no! Okay I fucked up I did I lied I admit that but you can't just forget me you can't lock those feelings away" you grab her hand and she glares at your hand but she doesn't move "I only asked one thing of you and it was to never lie to me and you did it anyways! You lied to me!" You grab both hands now "I lied for your safety I knew you'd hate me but I lied for your safety! People want you dead...People want Ironheart dead and honestly truth be told fuck Ironheart but I love my girlfriend more anything in this world and if she is Ironheart I damn sure wouldn't let the world know it. I'd lie millions of times for you." She gasps at these words "you know?" You shrug "do you think I'm stupid? I can recognize you from your choice of words Riri you stopped showing up at a certain time, you came to your dorm tired, you had bruises, when Ironheart was being spotted you were gone it wasn't that hard to put 2 and 2 together. I lied to you for you! So hate me so fucking be it but I lied I ruined us for your safety. So keep the damn bracelet because you will not forget me or the love we shared. I love you and I will never stop loving you." You let your hands embrace her face as you stare at her tear stricken face you know better but you can't help yourself as you plant a kiss on her lips she kisses back immediately missing your touch. "I'm sorry I'm so sorry baby I would never lie to you if I didn't have to" she nods "I know." When you both pull apart you both have tears in your eyes "I know there was love once but is there still love?" You let your hand gently keep her near you as it holds her securely close to you as it lays on her lower back. "I don't know." It's a heartbreak but you understand as you nod and pull away. "Don't leave me..." You nod "I would never" you sit on her bed and pat the empty space beside you. "I would never."

A/n: this got a bit sad 😭 sorry

[theleslistuff]

Day 3 of OC/Alternative versions

Andy- Tears and blood au

(Alternative universe of the fanfic: My brother is a ghost by DarkFoxKit)

In this dimension the ancients decide how the world should be shaped, what beings are worth their time, 4 are essential; Life, Death, Destiny and Time.

But one that is many will be always above them;

The observants

And they heard a mare mortal and for more humiliation... A mortal child was the champion to take away their power, so they did what was forbidden:

They cheated

They destroyed the original story to make the ancients cease and desist from their foolish plan of getting rid of them, Time had faith in his champion but as the years pass by, he knows they completely broke him, this version is just a hollow shell of what his champion should have been...

So Clockwork will no longer waste time with this version of Andy, he just looks at him sometimes because he feels pity, it's not like he can hurt anyone like this...

He doesn't know I can destroy them all!.

Description;

-The smallest twin by seconds away, the tallest twin, he's the smallest brother

-In this dimension both Andy and Danny have a mid name; Andrew Alexander Fenton and Daniel James Fenton

-Andy in this dimension has paranoid schizophrenia but has this symptoms: anhedonia, delirious ideas of persecution, auditive hallucinations, isolation, delirious ideas of damage.

-Tendency to overreact, hates to be dismissed because of his condition

-Negates he has this condition and tries to be functional but without a proper help other than his father giving him the medicine, he struggles to socialize and focus

-For practical/illustrative effects auditive hallucinations/episodes of delirious ideas will be represented by this creature;

-in the meantime it will mean something else

Relationships;

Danny: The most significant one in his life, he's his anchor, he's his best friend and confident, he feels comfort, he feels save... Or so it was until his parents told them about his sickness, since then he feels Danny treated him differently... More than love, it feels like he has pity for him and treats him like a dumb child, this escalated so much that when Danny began to drift away because of his ghost powers... He no longer feels sorrow..., he feels... Anger and wants to prove himself he should still be important to Danny..., that he is not a burden and can still be trusted, because he feels... Despite his denial... The sickness is getting worse and he believes Danny when he tells him he is hallucinating Phantom.

Sam: A former A Lister that turned into his brother's friend because "he's cute", he knows this version of Sam is still an A Lister and is on both sides, also that she finds entertaining his brother's ways to impress her, she admitted her true nature to Andy, no one believes him on this...

Tucker: You don't mess with me, I don't mess with you relationship, but he's kinda jealous Danny likes to hang out more with him than Andy since both knew about the sickness.

Jazz: He used to admire her and look up on her, but since he broke her favorite plush in an incident, he knows she hates him for this, he wants to mend that toy, but that plush provoked his phobia to plushies.

Jack: He avoids him like the plague, Andy feels he's scared of him (or who he reminds him of).

Maddie: He liked to hang out with Danny and her but since his diagnosis in the incident... He feels more than her pet rather than her son, she's the one that dismisses everything he says the most..., sometimes feeling like he talks to a wall when he talks to her...

Wes: Getting to know each other, he doesn't understand why an A Lister wants to hang out with him he doesn't mind since Wes is quickly becoming a friend since they support each other's ideas, it feels almost like he doesn't look at him as a sickness but more than a real person.

Other people: doesn't know, doesn't care

The incident

Jack, Maddie, Danny and Jazz had to leave the house for a couple of hours to get Danny for a dentist appointment and Jazz to finish a homework in the library, Andy could not leave the house because he had a flu.

In the time he was alone a strange intruder invaded their home... It was his uncle Liam.

The toddler has never seen or heard anything about this man, naturally he was scared when he saw the man approach him with a butcher's knife in his hand.

He rushed to hide away in his bedroom but the man could not be stopped as he grabbed the boy by his neck and was about to stab him as he repeatedly called him hurtful things.

"Monster", " Beast", "I will not let you harm my family", " Let the blood of other's damn you sadistic king"

Andy could not comprehend what was even happening and something inside his little brain tried to scape by looking away and accepting his fate... His sight just registered one thing...

Jazz's favorite toy Bearbert Einstein...

He didn't registered when his father came to save him or his mother reassuring him.

His mind distorted the memory into a killer teddy bear with a chainsaw trying to kill him, he cried and screamed as his mind failed to register what happened and made him go straight to thorn that toy with his bare hands, a childish way to claim a victory over his aggressor...

Jazz was broken, a 10 year old girl watching her most precious possession thorn into pieces in front of her by her little brother presenting an almost animal-like behavior..., and when their parents explained what happened as Andy could not snap out of his shock and uncle Liam was being taken away snarling and struggling to get free and finish what he came for like a savage beast, Jazz doesn't want to have anything to do with psychology... Never again.

Jack didn't want to take Andy to a doctor, his brother Liam never recovered with a proper treatment..., so, why would Andy be any different?...

They just medicated him with his uncle's medicine as they try to accept their son will be gone soon.

[edwinspaynes]

What is ur personal favourite, hands down recommended reading order? The way you like most, the way that's the most optimal way of reading it? According to you of course (and maybe including extra chapters) ? :))

Key:

Cassie Clare Canon -> If a short story is listed by name, it means I recommend you read it there rather than where I list the rest of the story collection. Or, you know, you could reread the story and have fun ;)

My fanfic

NOT PUBLISHED YET. Indicates a WIP that I am actively working on. I did not list WIPs that I am not actively working on.

My fanfic, but NSFW

@vwritesaus fanfic because I accept all her works as canon and also we share almost every headcanon so they fit in with all the other stuff on this list.

W/T -> Wessa

M -> Matthew

EIR -> Expert in Romantics Series

T/A -> Thomastair

TWLTB -> Together We'll Learn to Breathe Series

J/C -> Herondaisy

Note: I have only included fanfics that are fully canon compliant. I have others as does V, and you should read those too :P But these are just canon and bonus chapters.

TID

When Our Eyes Meet, Darling, I Fancy You

Have I Known You Twenty Seconds or Twenty Years? W/T

Leaves, Cider Donuts, and William Herondale W/T

Happy Birthday, My Tess W/T

Tale as Old as Time W/T

The Howling Wind W/T

My Hips and Thighs and Whispered Sighs (Oh Lord) W/T

The Whitechapel Fiend

A Tale of a Great Behemoth W/T

Nothing But Shadows

Cast Long Shadows

Come Feel This Magic I've Been Feeling Since I Met You T/A

Every Exquisite Thing

A Combination of Shock and Awe M

The Midnight Heir

The Penultimate Hours

Chain of Gold

Empty Bottles, Heavy Hearts, the Memories of Broken Dreams T & Lily

The Letter Game

Part-Time Soulmate, Full-Time Problem T/A

Chain of Iron

Chain of Thorns

Daisy, My Daisy... J/C

breathe T/A

Enouement J/C

Chrysalism T/A

Can We Dance Through an Avalanche? T/A

Serindipity Ari/Anna NOT PUBLISHED YET.

Adronitis NOT PUBLISHED YET.

A Therapeutic Chain of Events T/A TWLTB

The Closet Game A & C

The Golden Age of Something Good and Right and Real T/A

Butterflies J/C

Prices & Vices (I End Up in Crisis) M & A

Your Flower's Filled With Vitriol M & A

In the Gutter, Looking at the Stars M & A

The Name We Give Our Mistakes M

Summer Went Away (Still the Yearning Stays) M

Love Thorns All Over This Rose J/C

You Drew Scars Around My Stars T/A TWLTB

Passed Down Like Folk Songs (The Love Lasts So Long) T/A

Taffy Stuck and Tongue Tied A & Grace

It's a Love Story (Baby Just Say Yes) J/C

Soul to the Universe (Wings to the Mind) J/C, T/A, M

I Can See You (Up Against a Wall With Me) J/C

Across our Great Divide There Is a Glorious Sunrise M

Fourty-Eight M

Dreamscapes on the Wall T/A

I'm a Fire and I'll Keep Your Brittle Heart Warm T/A

The Diaries of Sir Thomas Lightwood, Age 14 T/A

what's in a kiss (by any other touch would feel just as sweet) T/A

A Troublesome Tale of Truffles & Trifles T/A

Religion in Your Lips (the Altar Is My Hips) T/A

A Dazzling Haze, A Mysterious Way About You T/A

Seeking Lapsang Souchang J/C

The Crown You Never Take Off T/A

Closets of Backlogged Dreams T/A

dear christopher T/A

Life Is Not Complex (We Are Complex) M EIR Eugenia/OC

The Cheap Severity of Abstract Ethics M & T/A

Walk, Walk, Fashion Baby M & T

Got Me Right Where You Want Me, Baby (Could I Be More Obvious?) T/A

More Than Anything: A Thomas and Alastair Drabble Collection T/A

The Besotted Couple's Guide to Half-Baked Mistakes J/C

Privacy Sign on the Whole World J/C

Until the Stars Burn Out: A James and Cordelia Drabble Collection J/C

Flying in a Dream, Stars By the Pocketful T/A

Twenty Minutes T/A

hygge T/A

Like a Candle You Burnt Out T/A

Christmas on the Balcony W/T

The Surprise T/A & C

i'm only me when i'm with you J/C

Every Tear's a Rain Parade From Hell T/A TWLTB

A Dwindling Mercurial High T/A TWLTB

Bloodsucker, Famefucker T/A TWLTB

Baby You Got Lucky Cause You're Rockin With the Best T/A

Is This the End of All the Endings? (My Broken Bones Are Mending) T/A

Dinner in the Dark T/A

For One Moment, Our Lives Met (Our Souls Touched) M EIR Ragnor/Catarina

Fashion Is Ephemeral (Art Is Eternal) Matthew EIR T/A

A Little Sincerity (A Dangerous Thing) M EIR Risa/OC

The Moon in Her Chariot of Pearl M EIR T/A

Days Future: Paris 1912 T/A

A Ribbon of Dream T/A

Kaleidoscope of Loud Heartbeats Under Coats T/A

Moonlight Sonata and I T/A

Connecting the Tide to the Sand That Was Dry T/A

Love on Ice T/A

portrait of a dissipated parisian T/A

Time, Mystical Time M

TMI 1-4

The Red Scrolls of Magic

TMI 5-6

Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy

The Bane Chronicles

TDA, if you absolutely must, but I usually recommend people don't waste their time.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market

The Lost Book of the White

Sentimental Boy Is My Nom de Plume W/T

This Beautiful Beast M T/A and Kit H

TWP

[londonspirit]

You know what I love (and fear) the most???

ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is possible. As in any fic I've read in the past 500 sth days (and even before that in other fandoms): IT COULD JUST HAPPEN!!!

DJ's brain is just wired like that - and im pretty damn sure the rest of the writers are vibing just the same.

So any trope, any cliché, anything we could've thought of, has the OPTION to happen ON SCREEN!!! FOR US!!! OTP, OT3, orgies (I mean i wouldnt put it past them if HBO lets them...)- it's POSSIBLE!!

WHEN DID THAT EVER HAPPEN???

Normally I read (and write) to get what *I* want to happen, knowing full well it'll NEVER happen but with OFMD EVERY DAMN THING is fair game!!!

And i would not be surprised if there's some fics that predicted it!!!! This fandom is sooo fucking smart and talented - and DJ is just one of us!!! It's shit like that that makes me love the show and everyone working on it sooo much more.

Because they KNOW!!!! They just cannot disappoint us!!!

They can torture us, they can rip our hearts out and they can go and mend them just as easily but it's all from the same fucking place where all the FANart and FANfic and everyone FANmade comes from: LOVE!!! Plain and simple.

And understanding what we want and need!!! Representation for everyone. Queerness as the most normal thing in a world where people are assholes if you're not straight, white, cis... Just giving us the things everyone else has been getting for decades and making it the most natural thing!

And now im making myself tear up and wished i had people here I could hug and share this with in person. So yeah, much much love to the OFMD cast and crew for being a fucking rainbow and our North Star in the darkest of times!!!!

For doing things RIGHT!!!

[regulusttars]

Family is what you make it

I wrote a fanfic of Regulus having dysphoria because i was dysphoric and posted it on AO3 but i'll post it here too

TW: Mentions of Walburga and Orion's A+ parenting (child abuse)

Fuck fuck fuck. I look like shit. I look like a girl.

Slow tears fell from Regulus’ eyes as he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He and Sirius had run away to the Potter’s last year and were lovingly accepted into the home. Sirius had come out to Walburga and Orion who did not take kindly to having “mentally ill” transgender children. They had barely made it to the Potter’s before they passed out. 

Over the year,  Regulus and Sirius mended their relationship. Both very happy to know their sibling was going to be safe at home, Regulus drifted towards Fleamont both being on the quiet side, preferring to observe from a distance then being there head first and Sirius to Effie, loving the energy she brought to the home with her smile and cooking.

I need Monty or Remus or someone. Fuck. 

“Amor, you ok in there ?” 

Shit I forgot about James

“I’m fine, J”

“Ok, you ran out the bedroom”

“I’m sorry if I scared you but, um, could you get Remus for me please ? Tell him that it’s an emergency”

“Sure,  Reg, um I know it not the best time to say this but, I love you”

Regulus could hear the smile in James’ voice

“I love you too James, please go now”

Hearing his steps get farther away from the bathroom Regulus let out a heavy sigh, sniffling slightly, he looked into the mirror, only to immediately regret it and look away, trying to control his tears. 

After a minute or 2 a new voice called out from behind the door. 

“Reg ?” 

“Come in, Remus” 

“Hey. I brought your binder and one of James’ massive shirts”

“Thanks Remus, I just. I don’t even know how to describe it. Like, one minute James and I were cuddling, then he wrapped his arm around me and I guess my chest just decided to appear, and then- fuck” 

 Regulus swallowed a sob. 

James probably thinks that I hate him

“I’m sorry for stealing you from Sirius, you can go back now Remus. He’s probably confused”

“Are you sure Reg ? I mean I get it. Before top surgery I got dysphoric all the time. Shit Reg. Some time I still get dysphoric, I’m here for you if you need me” Remus softly smiled as Regulus nodded his head 

As he slipped out of the bathroom Remus poked his head back in “Oh and Sirius said that they wanted me to tell you that he loves you”

“Tell him I love them back”

“Will do.”  and with that Remus was gone.

Slipping onto the clothes Remus gave him, Regulus felt a sense of familiarity as the binder compressed his chest.

Allowing himself to breathe, (as much as the binder allowed him too)  Regulus washed his face and walked out of the bathroom and into the Monty’s lab, which was really just the basement that Monty used for potions

“Monty ? are you done here?”

“Over here kiddo !”

As Regulus’ eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the basement he could make out ingredients. 

“What are you making ?”

“Pain and sleeping potions for Sirius once he gets his top surgery done soon. They are wonderfully excited about it” 

“They’ll be excited under their hormones are outta wack”

Monty let out a chuckle. “What are you down here for, anywho Regulus ? Not to say that you can’t just be down here, to be down here but you did call out for me while walking down.”

“I just wanted to sit with someone and didn’t want to steal Remus away from Sirius”

“Well you’ve come to the right place my boy, Sit, read, study, try to make a new potion, this is your space.” 

“Thank you, Monty.”

“You’re welcome Regulus”

~~~~~~~About 45 minutes later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fleamont!!” Effie’s voice rang through the basement

“YES, LOVE ??”

“DONDE ESTA JAMES” 

“UMMMMM I DON’T KNOW BUT REGULUS IS WITH ME”

“ALRIGHT, BUT IT’S TIME FOR DINNER” 

“WE'RE COMING UPSTAIRS NOW LOVE”

With a gentle flick of his wand the ingredients went back into their respective places with the books stacked neatly in the corner of the room.

“Alrighty then. You coming Regulus ?”

“I'll be there in a little bit, Thanks for letting me hangout with you.”

“Anytime Kiddo.”

And with that the basement was empty of people, bar Regulus. 

Shit, I left James all alone, no explanation, nothing. He’s probably worried. Ahh I should apologize. I didn't mean to. It just happened. 

Breathing in Regulus began to climb up the stair only to be met with a face full of James Potter

“Shit!”

“JAMES” 

“SORRY MAMA, Hey Reg. Are you ok?” 

Instead of responding with words Regulus, buried his face in his boyfriend's chest breathing him in, slowly nodding. 

“I’m glad you’re ok” James' voice had dropped to a soft whisper. “I’m sorry by the way. You need me to stay-

“James, it’s ok. Things just happen. It’s ok.”

James audibly breathed out. “Merlin, I thought you hated me for a second” 

“I could never sunshine, I could never”  Regulus smiled softly, wrapping his arms around James

“I know, but I worry sometimes.” James softly pressed a kiss into Regulus’ hair 

“James,the day I hate you is the day the world ends, I love everything about you” he said with a smile “from your messy hair, to your stupid glasses, your somehow incredibly hot deep morning voice, I love you”  he pulled James into a tighter hug resting his head on his chest “I even love when you tease me for being short” he chuckled.

“I love you too, starshine. Even when you fight with Sirius over who's taller when you're both the same height, I love when you yell at me in French cause you forgot what language you’re speaking in. I love your stupid friends and your gray eyes, that you use to get me in trouble with your brother, the bastard doesn't know when to shut up” 

“James, not the time, not the point” he murmured, leaning back to look up at James.

“Whatever, I love you.”  

“STOP BEING SO FUCKING MUSHY” Sirius’ voice called from done the hall “YOU’RE MY BROTHERS, IT’S BASICLLY INCEST” 

“Toujours pur?” 

“James, shut the fuck up” pulling away from the hug, Regulus began walking toward the kitchen. 

“LANGUAGE THE THREE OFF YOU” 

“Sorry, Mum”

“Sorry Effie”

“I’ll probably cuss again, but sorry Effie.” 

“Come on Reg, let’s get to dinner”  

And with that Regulus kissed James one last time, pulling his hand walking to join his family at the dinner table. 

My AO3 is regulusttars