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[narrycherries]

ivy: an incandescent glow

She just wants to have a fun night out, but Harry has a tendency to ruin things..

[part 2]

masterlist // ivy series

word count: 10.9k

warnings/tags: enemies to lovers, harry x fem oc, angst

Although the week had been quite packed with things at work, Ivy had decided that maybe it would be best if she did go out for the night. It would only be for a few hours, and Niall had assured her when he came over the other night for dinner that it would be a good time. Emma begged a few times, of course, and she didn’t want to admit to giving in to her, but she did.. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to go out, it had simply been a while.

“Is Niall riding with us?” She asked Emma when she popped in Ivy’s room to borrow a pair of earrings that would better match her outfit.

“No, he’s going with Zayn. They usually go early to meet with the owner and stuff.” She explained as she looked in the mirror, slipping the earrings into her piercing holes. “He might ride back.. I’m not going to drink very much, probably just one drink when we first get there. He’ll want to celebrate after and you know how he is.”

“He definitely doesn’t need to be in a driver’s seat.”

Emma sighed. “He doesn’t even need to do that when he’s sober. He pays horrible attention to the road.”

“Your dress is cute. I love the red on you.”

“Thanks! I love your skirt.. even though it covers your ass too much.” She joked with a grin.

Ivy rolled her eyes. “I don’t want my ass hanging out all the time.”

“When it looks that good.. you should.”

“Do I need to change?”

Emma smacked her lips and grabbed Ivy’s hand, knocking the makeup brush out of her grip. “Stop! You look perfect, Ivy, I’m only teasing because your ass is nice and mine is nowhere near as big.” A laugh fell from her lips as she wrapped her arms around Ivy. “You’re hot, girl.”

“Am not.” She huffed back, embracing Emma just as tight. “But thanks.”

“The skirt is hot. The style is cute on you, plus the sparkles on your shirt are going to shine so much in the bar. Like a disco ball.. all eyes on you, sugar.”

Ivy chuckled at Emma’s flattering statements. She was glad to have an encouraging friend like her. Before all the joking, she did have a thought or two about the skirt and the bright orange shirt covered in fake rectangular gemstones. The straps were thin, and the necklace was low but straight across, covering any opportunity for cleavage to show. It was definitely not a shirt someone would wear on a daily basis, but it was perfect for going out.

“Are you wearing heels?” Emma asked, looking down to see her shoeless feet.

“Probably the chunky ones with the straps, the black ones. Are you?”

She nodded back. “I’ll make Niall rub my feet tonight.”

Ivy snickered. “I’ll make you rub mine.”

“I mean, I will. You’re my best friend.. as long as you aren’t sweaty.” Emma’s lashes hit her cheek as she winked.

“Don’t you need to finish getting ready?” Ivy said as she turned back towards the mirror to work on her makeup.

Emma was notorious for being late, and it took everything in Ivy to wrangle her up and out of the door when they were going places together. Niall didn’t give them a specific time to be at the bar, but he did say when the band would start. Emma needed to get ready quick if they wanted to make it on time.

The car ride was full of quick conversations with random topics in between their performances of some of their favorite songs. They had hit a karaoke stage as a duo before, plenty of times, so they were confident in their list of songs. In between the belting and off key singing, they had a few longer talks. Emma asked if Ivy was nervous about going to a bar she’d never been to before, in which she said ‘no, I’m excited’ and then let Emma tell her all about the layout of the place.

“You said something about.. Niall celebrating after?”

Emma nodded as she kept her eyes on the road ahead of them. “They don’t play the entire night. Usually have about two afters until closing. Depends on if there’s any requests.”

“Requests?” Ivy lifted her brows, surprised by the seemingly popularity Niall’s crew had. “They must be really good?”

Although she had seen videos of Niall, she hadn’t seen any of his band. Emma didn’t really use social media a lot, so she never posted anything or shared posts about their shows. Ivy was going to be completely surprised by whatever was to come tonight. She knew it would be good though. If they could continue to book the same venue time and time again, then they must bring in a good audience.

When the silence rose between them, Ivy took the opportunity to look at Emma’s outfit. She was humming softly to the song playing on the radio as she drove, her concentration on the road and not on her friend’s gazing eyes. Emma had such pretty dark hair that Ivy thought was perfectly placed strand by stand on her head. It had a natural wave to it that was easy to style, whereas Ivy had to place heated curls into her long, straight hair whenever she wanted it to look cute. Emma had a slimmer build than she did, her legs were longer despite them being a similar height. No matter how hard she tried not to look, her eyes always naturally fell to catch a glimpse at the gap between Emma’s legs. She never looked at it in a weird way, like she was attracted to her, but in an envious way. When she stared down at her own thighs or burned holes through her mirror, she always frowned and swallowed harshly as her skin pressed together - the inside of her thighs always touching. It wasn’t the biggest deal to her, but it was noticeable in her eyes, so she assumed it was.. noticeable for everyone else. Emma had small boobs, but they fit perfectly on her frame. While Ivy had a small cup size, they didn’t necessarily match her body, she believed. Her hips were wider, her ass fuller - as Emma reminded her often - and her stomach was pudgy. She wasn’t skinny, nor tall and lanky. She was short, plump, and her thighs touched.. She never thought she was unattractive but she figured she wasn’t conventionally attractive, she didn’t possess those things that society craved and demanded of women.

Emma’s outfit tonight was perfectly sculpted to her slim body. The red dress had a satin finish to it as it draped carefully over her cleavage, the swell of her breasts peeking out just enough to keep someone guessing. Her tanned skin was littered with delicate gold jewelry - her signature flower ring on her right hand was accompanied by a few random ones, and a ruby necklace hung over her collarbones, Niall gifted that to her for Christmas.

Ivy was confident in her outfit for the night, she was comfortable in the articles of clothing. She was very used to wearing heels when going out, she believed they made the outfits even better, so her feet weren’t going to be hurting that bad later on. She thought her makeup was done nicely, a dark grey smokey eye with a shimmery white covering her lid and a pink nude gloss over her thick lips. Her lips, that was the one thing she was confident in each and every time she looked at her reflection. They were plump, full, and much thicker than the average person’s. She had been told several times that her lips would do wonders - although, she hadn’t gotten to that with anyone yet. She had kissed a few people, though, and they told her it was heavenly. She took the praise to heart and was proud of it. Her thighs might touch and her hair might dry straight, but she had pretty lips.. that would surely be enough to attract someone one of these days, right?

After a couple of minutes of silence, more than Ivy had realized, Emma spoke up. “Are you feeling okay?”

Ivy stuck her tongue out to wet her lips, smearing her lip gloss in the process. “Yeah. Why?”

Emma shrugged. “You’re quiet.. you seem like you’re thinking about something.”

“I’m fine, promise.”

They became quiet again. She knew that sometimes she became mute when she was anxious or thinking thoroughly about something, and she hated when people noticed or pointed it out. She wasn’t intentionally trying to be that way, it just happened. She assumed it was normal, but perhaps she did it too much?

“Ivy, if you’re worrying about your outfit, please don’t. You look hot. You always do.” Emma suddenly said, a smile laced in her words. “There’s gonna be guys dropping to your feet tonight, like they always do.”

“They don’t drop to my feet.” She huffed, pursing her lips at the thought. “They just want to hook up with me.”

Emma smirked. “It’s your ass, I’m telling you. They love it.”

“Emma, please.” Ivy was fighting back a chuckle.

“I promise, swear on every little thing, Ivy, your outfit is perfect and you look perfect.”

A weighted sigh escaped through her lips as she relaxed in the seat, her eyes shifting to look out of the window. “Thanks, Em.”

While Ivy had never been to the establishment they arrived at, she was no stranger to a bar or club setting. Emma no longer seemed to be worried or concerned about any lingering doubts Ivy might have about her outfit or how the night would go. They strolled to the door, hand in hand with giggles pouring from their mouths as Emma joked about how excited she was for what Niall was going to give her after the show. Apparently, performing gave him a boost of confidence, energy, and testosterone. Emma was not shy about telling every detail and making sure Ivy knew all the craziest parts.

“There’s a good bit of people here.” Ivy said as she raised her brows, looking at the good sized line forming to the door.

“Yeah, it’s always packed out. This is one of the best places around. Decent prices, good djs and bands, obviously.” Emma grinned at her own comment. “And the food is actually great. I never came before I got with Niall though.”

“Yeah, I’m kinda surprised we never popped in here during school.”

Emma’s smile turned to a smirk. “They couldn’t handle our karaoke performances.”

Once they paid the cover charge and made a quick trip to the restroom before getting settled anywhere, they headed to the bar, still hand in hand as they weaved through the crowd of people already dancing. Ivy took notice of the interior as they waited for the bartender to come over to them.

The place was pretty big for what it was. The main room had a large dance floor space, a stage lined the back wall. Apparently, the place always had live performers or guest djs. It used to be a small theater that was renovated - the seating ripped out to transform the venue, but the stage remained untouched. Along the left side of the huge open room were tables with booth style benches shaped in half circles. Most of them were already occupied, but she could tell it was more of a casual thing - instead of a ‘being seated and waited on’ space. There was a doorway close to the opposite end of the bar covered with a long, sparkling beaded curtain. The sign next to the door read ‘VIP’. She pursed her lips at the idea of this place being so popular that they had a special seating area. Her eyes darted to the bartender as she heard Emma start saying her order. Ivy ordered a drink consisting of rum and pineapple juice, intending to get something stronger later once the show started.

“Hey there, strangers.” A familiar voice called out over the music.

“Oh, hi, Niall!” Emma was cheerful as he sat down on the stool closest to them. They had been standing, though, not wanting to claim a seat at the bar. “What are you doing out here?”

He shrugged. “We’ve got a few minutes to kill. Getting started?” He nodded his head towards the drink in Emma’s hand.

“Yeah, just having one.. since you’ll be drinking whatever’s left at the bar later.”

Ivy laughed at their banter, which caught Niall’s attention. “I expect you, missy, to have fun tonight. I want everyone to experience how wild you can get.”

“I told her she needs to have fun!” Emma exclaimed, reaching over to grab Ivy’s elbow and give it a squeeze.

“I’ll have a few.. but I’m not going to go crazy.”

They both gave her a dramatic eye roll, Niall adding a huff to his reaction. “C’mon, Ivy, live a little!”

“Yeah, a little, not a lot.” She smiled back, amused by their mix of excitement and disappointment.

“I’ll make sure you have a few rounds of tequila later. On me, of course.” Niall said, looking from her to Emma. “If you don’t drink yours.. then I’ll take it, babe.”

“Are you guys doing requests tonight?” Emma changed the topic after shaking her head at him.

He slowly lifted his head in a nod. “From what I was told. As long as we know it.. we’ll play it.”

“Do my song, okay?” Emma begged with a pout of her lips.

He shaped a grin on his. “It’s on the set list, baby.”

“What kind of music do you play?” Ivy asked, genuinely curious about it. Emma hadn’t really given her much of an idea about what to expect, just a guarantee that she’d love it and have fun.

“Mostly rock.. We do a lot of nineties.. early two thousands songs. Bunch of classic rock, though. Little bit of grunge, dad rock.. if that’s what you wanna call it. Sometimes we branch out.. but mostly stick to that stuff.” Niall said as he stood from the stool, a sigh following his final words as he ran a hand through his puffed up dark hair.

“Time to get ready?” Emma pouted, her free hand slipping onto his waist.

“Yeah, gotta round up the lads.” He breathed out, his eyes focusing on Emma now. “I’ll be watching you, babe. Make sure ya dance for me, yeah?” He teased with a lick of his lips, which clearly fell downward to meet hers.

Ivy swallowed a sip of her drink and let her eyes move to the floor. She wasn’t grossed out by their display of affection, she just felt like she was intruding. Emma was always so open with her about the things she did with Niall and others before he came along, but she never had those kinds of stories to tell back to her. She had been with one person, the summer before university began, and it was terrible. Aside from that, kissing people was the extent of her experience. She enjoyed most of the times she had almost gone far with people, but it never got to that point.

Emma hugged Niall quickly as he said something about needing to go. When he disappeared in the crowd, Emma turned to face Ivy again.

“Niall might stay over tonight.” She said, taking a sip of her drink. “Just to let you know.”

“Alright, that’s fine.”

Emma slid her gaze around the room, taking in the familiar setting, before looking back to Ivy. “I hope you like the music. There’s a bunch of songs you definitely know on the set.”

“M’sure I will.”

“Are you good?” Emma smiled sweetly, not trying to pry or seem too nosy, but she noticed how Ivy had shied away from her and Niall just before he left.

“I’m fine. You worry too much.”

Ivy sighed lightly as Emma took her hand. “Maybe we can find you a hot guy tonight. I know you know how to use those lips.”

“Don’t say it like that!” Ivy laughed, covering her mouth as her cheeks blushed.

“Kissing, I mean! But I’m sure you can do the other stuff, too.” Emma just smirked, knowing that her attempt at making Ivy feel better was working.

They didn’t have to wait too much longer for everything to start. But as they stood next to the bar, partially resting on the stools, the place filled up to more than capacity. It was like a big name musician was in town. Emma told Ivy about the popularity of the bar again and how it was always sold out and packed floor to ceiling with people. She was very impressed by the crowd that had formed around them, and she wondered how much of that was just from the place’s atmosphere and how much was for the live show.

Just as the guy who was normally over the music appeared on the stage to announce that the show was about to begin, Emma grabbed Ivy’s hand and they shoved their way to the front of the crowd, not quite in the center but close enough. Emma wanted to be in front of where Niall would be standing. The lights dimmed, replaced with flashing colorful lights and white strobing flashes. Emma was cheering with the crowd while Ivy waited in anticipation. She was excited to see Niall perform live, but she was more interested in seeing the rest of the band.

A small group flooded the stage suddenly, instruments in a few of their hands, including Niall’s. The lights were purposely not flashing on to the stage yet, so it was too dark for her to tell. She thought she recognized the person getting behind the drum set, but she wasn't sure. Emma let out a piercing squeal as the show finally began.

Ivy happily smiled and started to sway her hips from side to side as a familiar opening instrumental of a song started to fill the room. The lights on the floor of the stage popped on, lighting up the band as the singer started the first verse of “Come As You Are”. She was nodding her head to the music as she watched Niall pluck the strings on the guitar, he was pursing his lips and seeming to be enjoying what he was doing. His eyes shot up and he gave them a quick grin before focusing back on the guitar in his hands and the microphone placed near his mouth. Emma had told her that he sings backup vocals sometimes, depending on the song. She let her eyes roam over the rest of the band. She kept getting a bright red light shot into her eye from one of the stage lights above them, so it was difficult to see at first.

“Oh, Zayn!” She yelled out over the music, hitting Emma on her arm. She hadn’t told her that he was in the band - in fact, she didn’t know much about the band at all.

There were two other people she didn’t recognize, one was a girl playing a keyboard and a guy with dark blond hair playing a bass guitar. Another gasp came from her as she finally got to clearly see the person tightly gripping the microphone. She truly didn’t expect to recognize more than just Niall and Zayn. There stood before her, in the middle of the stage with two big hands wrapped around the microphone and the top of the stand was a third familiar face. Sweat was already rolling down from his hairline, his long curly hair was messy on his head as he jerked around while singing. A white t-shirt hugged his body, sticking to him like glue, and a pair of dark jeans over his legs. The jet black ink of the snake tattoo stood out against his skin as the lights flashed over it, the creature wrapping perfectly around his arm. It was Harry.

The next song started almost immediately and it was another one that she recognized right off the top of the first note played. Ivy’s dad had a thing for rock music, and she knew the start of “Highway to Hell” like the back of her hand. She was impressed by the vocal range Harry was able to belt out into the microphone. Niall and the other guy she didn’t know the name of were singing the chorus with him. Emma was dancing like it was the actual band performing the song, but her behavior made Ivy more comfortable and soon she was doing the same.

Every now and then, Niall would flash them a toothy grin and give them a nod of his head, approving of their performance and dancing. Ivy was on her second drink, this one they grabbed soon after Niall left them and it was stronger than the first. She was feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks, and not from the dancing or close quarters of the crowd. It had been a while since she went out, so she was starting to feel that sensation flood through her - she wanted to have fun tonight.

For almost an hour, Ivy and Emma danced with each other, screaming out the lyrics they knew to different songs. They would do an impersonation of Niall every now and when he'd look towards them, air guitars and rock star head bangs acted out - all of which made him throw his head back and laugh. Like they usually did when they went out together, they’d grab onto each other and hug while singing or playfully run their hands down each other’s sides. It was all in fun, of course, and the alcohol contributed.

They both let go of their embrace as the music dialed down, twisting so they could face the stage. Niall was guzzling a bottle of water as Harry shoved his hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face. The bass player grabbed a stool from the back of the stage and brought it to Harry. Emma was familiar with this portion of the show, so she grabbed Ivy’s forearm to get her attention.

“I’m gonna get some water, do you want another drink?” Emma asked as she took a deep breath, exhausted from trying to outdo the performance on the stage.

“Yeah, get me another one of these.” Ivy nodded as she passed her empty cup, knowing she’d toss in the bin for her. Emma disappeared into the crowd to fight her way to the bar just as Harry adjusted the microphone stand and sat on the stool.

He was holding a bottle of water as he leaned into the microphone. “We’re gone slow it down for a bit.” His deep voice rattled through the speakers, a quick smirk shaping to his lips before he put the bottle to them.

Ivy couldn’t help but watch him as he swallowed half the contents of the bottle. It sloshed out, spilling over the corners of his mouth and running down his chin. Water droplets soaked and trailed down the fabric of his shirt. She was still so shocked by the fact he was the singer in Niall’s band. Maybe Emma just didn’t tell her because she knew they didn’t know each other. They met once, but they were strangers. He tossed the half empty water bottle on the ground, some of it spilled out since the top wasn’t screwed all the way on. His eyes roamed over the crowd as he grabbed the microphone. He glanced over his shoulder towards Niall, who gave him a nod and started up the next song.

Ivy had thoughts spinning in her head, the buzz from her drinks wasn’t helping her concentrate on just one thing. She wondered what songs they would do next. What kind of slower songs did they prefer to do? She figured it would be some of the same artists and bands they had covered thus far. Her eyes were glued to the floor, thoughts circling her mind at a hundred miles an hour. Had that second drink really been that strong or was she dizzy from being so close to the speakers?

She lifted her head the moment she realized what song was being played. She shot her gaze to Niall, then over to the bass guitarist. She knew those chords better than any other song that existed. All those running thoughts vanished in her head as Harry’s voice dropped low with the first verse of the song. The way he sang the words just as slow as they originally were done made her heart skip a beat. This song was special to her. This was something she wasn’t even sure Emma knew. She talked about losing her mom quite often with Emma, but her brother was a different story. And as his favorite song was being sung, she couldn’t help but feel a sadness creep over her joyful mood. All the energy she had jolting through her veins like lightning had slowed to a dull pulse. She gulped as she glanced next to her, Emma hadn’t returned yet. Niall was too busy focusing on the chords he was playing to give her any looks. She felt like she was about to pass out, not from the heat built up from the crowd or the alcohol in her system - but from the overwhelming feelings washing through her. Ivy’s strained blue eyes flicked to Harry, and for just a split second he locked his gaze on her. It was gone before she could understand what was happening. She was sure he didn’t notice her, and if he did then he didn’t recognize her or care to remember the glimpse of her face he got at the tattoo shop.

She thought maybe watching Niall would distract her, but witnessing him playing the music she so easily knew was making it worse. She wasn’t sure how long she had been standing there with her eyes glued to the floor. The song wasn’t over yet, that’s all she was sure of.

“Oh, this is new! They’ve never done this one before!” Emma suddenly appeared next to her, a smile over her lips as she passed Ivy the drink.

She turned her head, glad to see that her friend had returned but sort of upset that she left in the first place. Emma couldn’t have known what song was going to be next, clearly she was unaware of it, and she didn’t know the intense attachment Ivy had to it. She couldn’t blame Emma for anything.

“Thanks. I’m running.. to the restroom!” She yelled over the speaker that was extremely close to them.

Emma gave her a thumbs up and a quick ‘be careful’. Before Emma could drop her arm, Ivy was pushing her way through the crowd towards the restroom, well she actually wasn’t sure where she was heading. She had to get away from that stage. She had to disappear for a few minutes to collect herself. It wasn’t the performance that bothered her - Niall was amazing, as were the others playing instruments, and Harry was doing the song justice. It was just her mind. Sweaty bodies bumped into her as she elbowed through everyone. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of people. It was so loud in the place that her ears were ringing. She couldn’t even hear the music anymore, she was unaware the song had finished and a new one was being played. She broke through the crowd, sucking in a quick breath as she realized she was free of the constraints of people around her.

The restroom was close by, and she stopped just outside the door to chug the alcohol from the cup Emma had just brought her. It was gone within a few seconds. She didn’t care about the sticky drops landing on her chest or the few rolling down her lips, smudging her lip gloss and tracing light lines in her makeup. The bathroom was cold, arctic cold at that. It was a feeling of utter relief to be free of the music, the crowd, the lights.

She stumbled to the sinks, almost forgetting the height of her shoes. Her hands gripped the cold porcelain of the sink in the farthest corner of the bathroom. The fuzzy feeling in her head hadn’t faded yet. She stared at the sink bowl, the silver lined drain gazing back up at her. Ivy spent far longer in the restroom than she meant to.

After ten minutes of her being gone, Emma decided she was going to check on Ivy. She was in still in the restroom, and after Emma asked her several times if she was alright or feeling upset, they chose to return to the front of the crowd. Ivy convinced her friend that she was just having an upset stomach from the drinks, despite them stopping by the bar so she could get another before they got back to the stage. Emma didn’t think anything of it and just assumed that since it had been a while since Ivy had alcohol, maybe she really was just having a stomach ache.

The band continued on for a while longer, taking a few breaks here and there to drink water and take requests. Ivy considered submitting a song to Niall, but she was hesitant to. Besides, several other songs had been yelled out from the crowd, along with some people pushing their way to the front to the stage to call out a song title. She assumed this wouldn’t be the last time Emma drug her out to one of Niall’s shows, so she’d just request something next time. Instead of waiting around for the final song, she returned to the bar on her own and ordered a shot. The memories of her brother were faded by now, but she was determined to flood them out with alcohol. Tonight was supposed to be fun anyway, not filled with sadness.

Emma cheered loud for the band as they finished their last song and said a quick thank you to everyone. Ivy was perched on a bar stool, her eyes filling with stars as she stared at the bar, trying to stay awake. The usual dj returned to the stage to get the music going for the patrons of the bar. It was obvious that some people only showed for the live music because a good bit exited out the door once the set was over, but it was still a pretty big crowd in the building.

“Hey! There you are!” Emma shouted as she walked to the bar, her hand reaching out to take Ivy’s. “Feeling okay?”

“Yeah. Just got some water.” She presented a drunken smile as she held up the small cup of ice water.

“Good! You need to take a break.” Emma grinned back, glad to see that Ivy was enjoying herself, but wary of how much she had consumed. “C’mon, Niall and the others are gonna be in the back room for the rest of the night.”

“Okay.” Ivy didn’t really have a choice on what to do as Emma yanked her off the bar stool and towards the beaded curtain she noticed earlier. It was sparkling from the lights reflecting on the crystals. “Where are we going?”

Emma gave her a laugh, amused by her obvious buzzed behavior, and just pulled her through the curtain. Ivy smacked a few strands of beads away from her face as they tried to tangle up in her hair. The same music that was playing in the main room was also playing in this one. She was intrigued by the new setting, curious to know what kind of important people would be filling it. Was it just for the bar’s usual customers or did you have to have some kind of pass? She wasn’t sure, the disco ball hanging from the ceiling distracted her and made the thoughts dissipate. Her eyes shifted around the room as she took in the new sights. Heavy velvet curtains dripped from the ceilings, covering the walls but not actually any windows they were simply decorations. There were three big, fancy leather sectionals placed in the room - two in each corner and one in the middle of the wall. Curtains hung to separate them, but they appeared to be pulled back tonight. Glowing purple lights centered on short tables in the middle of each couch lit up the leather, making everything seem magical and ethereal. She couldn’t miss the stripper’s pole that was in the middle of the small dance floor, elevated a few feet off the ground on an even smaller stage.

“Hi, Emma!” A girl appeared in front of them, and Ivy recognized her as the girl who was playing the keyboard on stage. The girl’s natural red hair was glowing under the mix of lights flashing in the room. “Who’s this beauty?”

Emma grinned, letting go of Ivy’s hand so she could gesture to her. “This is my friend, Ivy. We live together.”

“Oh, nice to meet you!”

Ivy mustered up a polite smile and a small wave. “Hi.”

“This is Michelle.” Emma said, glancing at Ivy to make sure she was okay.

“You were awesome on stage.” She said to the girl who’s eyes she found to be pretty, the piercing icy blue lighting up even in the dark room.

“Thank you!” She nodded towards the table in the back corner. “I think we’ve claimed that one for the night if you girls wanna sit.”

“Sure!” Emma followed behind her, which led Ivy to do the same.

Michelle and Emma plopped down on the leather couch, immediately starting up a conversation as Ivy sat next to them, but not as close as they were together. She let her eyes move around the room again, searching for a familiar face. There were a handful of people already in the room, most of which were talking to a girl to place their drink orders. She moved her head a little, trying to see past someone. In that same moment, a security guard pulled back the beaded strings and let a group of people in. By the way they were dressed and how some of them had a smug look on their faces, she assumed these were the higher paying patrons of the establishment. Emerging from behind that crowd, Ivy saw Niall brush past the beads. His eyes roamed around until he spotted them in the back.

“Oh, there’s the guys.” Michelle nudged Emma to get her attention as she pointed towards them.

“Finally!” Emma jumped up as Niall got closer to them, she was ready to pounce on him. Their eyes met and he put on a big smirk for her, just as excited as she was to finally get his hands on her.

“Have you met everyone else?” Michelle asked as she slid over next to Ivy, their thighs touching as she offered a kind smile.

“I’ve met Zayn.” She said with a soft sigh. “Kinda met Harry, but not really.”

“Oh, well, that’s Cory!” Michelle pointed to the guy that walked past Niall and Emma as they hugged and twirled each other around. “He plays bass.”

Ivy gave her a nod, silently letting her know she was paying attention. The guy approached the couch before Niall did, since Emma was holding things up with her pecks to his cheeks and lips. He gave Michelle a smile and shot his eyes to Ivy His brows furrowed and he held his hand out in a loosely pointing gesture towards her.

“Don’t think we’ve met.” He said, his confused look morphing to a smile as he sat in the spot across from her. “Niall told me Emma had a friend coming. Ivy, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” She turned her lips up, giving him a gentle nod of her head.

“Not drinking tonight?” Michelle asked him with a cock of her brow as she noticed his empty hands.

He laughed back. “Harry’s bringing us a round.”

“Oh, of course he is.”

“Hey, Ivy!” Niall greeted her with a loud voice, happy to see that she was finally apart of their small crew. “How was the show?”

Emma took a seat on the opposite side of the coach, letting Niall claim the place closest to Cory. “I think she loved it!”

“It was so good. You guys are amazing.”

“Saw me shredding the fuck out of that guitar, yeah?” He joked, getting a laugh out as everyone rolled their eyes and smiled at him.

“You killed it, for sure.” ivy took a sip of her water, wishing she had more than that was left in the cup.

“What are you drinking?” Michelle asked curiously.

She pushed out a breath. “Just water right now. I.. had a few already.”

“Your outfit is stunning. I love the top.”

Emma beamed as she heard the compliment. “I told you, Ivy, you look so hot tonight!”

“I’ll say.” Michelle teased just as her phone buzzed in her hand, her eyes falling down to check the message.

Ivy felt a bit of uneasiness building in her stomach as she realized she was feeling out of place all of a sudden. Cory was also focused on his phone while Emma had thrown her leg over Niall’s lap and her arm around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. While she wasn’t with complete strangers, she didn’t really know Michelle and Cory. The only other person she knew hadn’t come over here yet, Zayn wasn’t anywhere near that she could see. Emma was distracted with Niall, leaving Ivy to fend for herself. She swallowed a lump that was forming in her throat and ran her hand over the ends of her skirt, adjusting it on the tops of her thighs. She reverted back to those insecure thoughts she had while on the drive here. Michelle was skinnier than Emma was, leaving her to feel even more vulnerable and uncomfortable. She tried to ignore it by picking up her head, wanting her eyes to catch something interesting to stare at for a bit - but instead she saw someone she recognized coming their way, two people actually.

“The party’s here!” Michelle announced as she, too, looked up and saw what was heading their way.

Everyone looked up to see Zayn walking to them, a girl on his arm, and Harry leading one of the bartenders from the front room to the table. The woman had a tray of beers balanced on her palm. Zayn sat down next to Niall, the woman holding onto his elbow sitting beside him. Ivy figured that was Alyssa - Emma had mentioned her several times while telling stories. The bartender sat the tray down and replied as Niall and Cory both thanked her for bringing them out. She disappeared, leaving them to all to reach for a cup.

“Take one, take one. Drink this damn shit.” Harry yelled with a joyful tone as he grabbed a cup before taking the space next to Michelle.

“Shit, I forgot to tell Harry about Ivy.” Niall said with a groan, glancing at Emma as he got them each a cup.

“What?” Harry smacked his lips as he heard his name, not sure what Niall was referring to.

“My friend, Ivy. She was with me at the shop when I got my tattoo.” Emma said, motioning her hand to where Ivy was sitting.

Harry leaned up to look past Michelle towards the person he had only briefly laid his eyes on before. He shrugged his shoulders, seemingly not concerned with her presence.

“I got the usual number, so she’s shit out of luck.” He casually said the harsh words.

Emma stood up to pass the drink to Ivy. “She can have mine! Here, Ivy, I’m not drinking anything else.”

She gladly took it and brought the cup to her lips, taking just a sip. That caught Zayn’s attention. He jolted up, pointing towards her with a grin on his face.

“Hey! I need to see you chug that since you’re so good at it.”

Emma clapped her hands together, remembering that she’s mentioned Ivy’s secret talent to him before. “C’mon, Ivy! Show ‘em how it’s done.”

“No, no. Not tonight.” Ivy let out a nervous laugh and slowly sipped the beer. It wasn’t her favorite drink, but she wasn’t going to be rude and turn down the offer.

Niall let a smirk grow on his lips. “I need to witness this, too. C’mon, we’ll get ya another one.”

She shook her head again. “I can’t, I might throw up. I’ve had a few.”

“What is it, can she chug quick?” Cory asked, leaning his elbow on his knee as he was now curious with the excitement coming from them.

“Fast as fuck, Cory. I swear, she’s insane.” Emma said with a proud smile.

“She’s exaggerating.” Ivy shook her head, trying to hide her flushing cheeks by turning her head.

Niall stood up, his cup still full, and stepped around the table to where Ivy was sitting. He grabbed her hand and yanked her up to her feet, laughing as she stumbled but quickly caught herself. Emma was cheering her on, knowing that Niall was about to challenge her.

“C’mon! Let’s see who can finish first.” Niall said, hitting his cup against hers, the liquid sloshing around in the clear plastic.

She let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes at them, aware that she wouldn’t hear the end of it if she chose not to do it. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and nodded.

“Fine.”

Niall boasted with excitement, screaming like his favorite team just won a game. Emma watched with a wide grin, her hands clasped together - she hadn’t seen Ivy have this much fun in a while, so she was ecstatic over it. Cory counted them down from three. Ivy relaxed her throat and let the liquid flow into her mouth. She closed her eyes, trying to dissociate herself so that she didn’t think about drinking quickly. The trick was to forget what you were actually doing and just.. do it. She was fairly good at the trick, seeming to perfect it. Niall still had about a third of his beer left when she dropped the cup on the table, not a single drop let.

Michelle jumped up and raised her hands high, screeching loud as she felt like she witnessed a miracle. Emma was laughing hard at the drop of Cory’s jaw and the impressed smirk on Zayn’s face.

“Fuck.” Niall choked out as he finished, his hand covering his stomach as he felt the beer rushing down his body.

“It’s all in the throat.” Ivy joked as she gave him a playful shove.

Niall chuckled, patting her on the back as if she achieved something so great. “M’glad you’re better with your throat than I am with mine.”

“Wait, wait. Now I’m feeling competitive.” Cory said with a laugh, glancing at his own drink that was still full.

“I can do one more, but that’s it.” Ivy said, her stomach bubbling from the contents filling it.

“Here. I barely drank any.” Michelle offered up her beer, more focused on the entertainment than drinking it herself.

“C’mon, let’s do it.” Cory jumped up, ready to put his previous years of being in a fraternity to the test.

Niall led the count this time, and as soon as the word ‘go’ left his mouth, Ivy had her lips on the rim of the cup, tipping it back into her mouth. Everyone watched again with amazement as laughter and cheers filled the space they shared. Well, all but one let out a joyful noise. Harry was sitting against the back of the couch with his arm over his chest, watching but seeming to not be amused by it. He thought Cory was being a flirt and Niall was just weak because he couldn’t get it down quicker than this girl.

“Damn, you’re good.” Cory couldn’t even finish his drink, he just gave up.

Ivy sat back down next to Michelle, who was definitely her newest cheerleader. Michelle had heard some positive things about Ivy, so she was glad she was enjoying her company.

“I told you she was good.” Emma said with a smirk as if she had placed bets and won.

“Got a throat on you, for sure.” Cory sighed out as he fell against the couch, his gut churning.

Harry scoffed to himself. “Throat like a whore.”

Niall heard the comment, but he wasn’t sure who else did. He shot Harry a stern glare, but he obviously didn’t care. Michelle slid her arm around Ivy’s back and tightly gripped her shoulder, pulling them closer together.

“This girl is a champ.” She declared. “Welcome to the group, Ivy. You’re officially one of the girls.”

Cory lifted his hand in a pretend toast. “It was an honor to get my ass kicked.”

“That’s a talent right there.” Zayn added, having not said that much tonight but he was definitely paying attention.

“That’s kind of gross.” Harry added to the conversation, a cocky smirk on his lips as he looked away from Ivy.

She furrowed her brows lightly, catching what he said this time. “You’re probably just scared I’d beat you, too.”

It was most definitely the alcohol that was causing her to speak so freely to the person she knew the least about in the group of people surrounding her. Sure, she was confident in herself when she wasn’t sober and she wouldn’t let a rude comment slide by unnoticed, but she was ready to spit out another line if he tested her patience.

Harry snarled his lip up, not liking that she was speaking to him in that manner. “Please, you wish.”

Michelle was never one to shy away from talking back to Harry, so when she added a few words, Ivy was pleased to know she wasn’t fighting this battle alone. “You’re such a douche. You’d probably cry if she out drank you.”

Harry shot her a glance, but he wasn’t concerned with his friend’s comment. He wasn’t too content with the idea of some random girl he didn’t know coming into his circle of friends and grabbing all the attention. Maybe he was jealous, or maybe he really was just a douche.

“I wouldn’t be braggin’ about a loose throat.” He sat up, his elbows hitting his knees as he eyed Ivy with a cold stare. “Probably take down dicks faster than beer.”

Ivy didn’t feel comfortable with him staring at her like he wanted to throw his fists into her body. She pursed her lips in an effort to let it go, not wanting to start any unwanted drama among her newfound friends - well, some of them were friends. Emma nudged Niall and mumbled to him about controlling his friend, but Niall knew there wasn’t much he could do.

“Give it a rest, Harry.” He sighed out, knowing that if he didn’t at least try then Emma would be upset with him.

Harry let out an unamused laugh. “Truth hurts, Horan.”

“Y’don’t have to be a dick about it, Harry. Give the girl some respect.” Zayn added, taking a sip of his drink after. He was staring at the table, not even wanting to give Harry the extra attention of a spared glance.

“All m’saying is it’s not that impressive.” Harry shrugged, standing up so he could make an exit from the group and go occupy himself with something else. But before he walked away, he stopped in front of Michelle and let his eyes fall down to the girl he knew nothing about. “Does your mother know you drink like a grown man?”

“Har-“ Emma tried to quickly intervene, but it was too late. Ivy was already responding to him.

“My mom’s dead. So, no, probably not.” Her cold tone and narrowed eyes made

Harry gently furrowed his brows. He heard exactly what she said, but he didn’t seem to care. Niall got up to grab his elbow, knowing that he should do something before any more hurtful comments were made.

“C’mon.” He pulled Harry away from the seating area, mumbling something about him needing to relax.

“Sorry about him.” Cory was the first to apologize as Niall and Harry disappeared into the small crowd.

Ivy fell back against the couch, her arms crossing over her chest. She licked her lips and nodded to him, not wanting to talk for fear of losing control of her emotions. Michelle gently rested her hand atop Ivy’s thigh, not wanting to be too overbearing but hoping to give her some comfort.

“I’m sorry, Ivy. I told Niall to make sure he was nice tonight.” Emma frowned, knowing that the comment Harry made would haunt Ivy for the next few days, if not longer.

“Yeah, he’s a bit of a dick.” Michelle said, a disappointment expression covering her features. “He doesn’t do well with change and.. I guess you being here is changing things. But it’s not your fault.”

“It’s fine. I.. I’m just going to ignore it.”

Ivy felt a burn in her chest that wasn’t from the drinks she downed minutes ago. This was a type of feeling erupting from the insults she caught. She was so upset with what was said to her, not just the thing about her mother, but more than that.. she was confused as to what she did that warranted that sort of treatment. Had she been rude to him by not greeting him like she did the others? He was so standoffish though, he didn’t appear to want to be spoken to. He acted like she wasn’t even sitting there when he walked up, even though he looked at her when he saw her next to Michelle. Was something said about her to him from someone else that he didn’t find appealing? Had Zayn not liked her when they met the second time, perhaps he made a comment to Harry? No, she shook that thought off. Zayn seemed to enjoy her company.

Cory mentioned something about getting a few shots, to which Ivy just nodded and agreed that it would be fun. He left the girls and Zayn alone, which made Zayn start up a conversation. Ivy was listening, but she wasn’t contributing. All she could think about was the rude behavior Harry displayed towards her. Surely, there must have been something she did to him. She couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Over towards the beaded curtain that was rattling from the vibrations of the music pounding through the building, Niall stood in front of Harry with a clearly irritated look on his face. Harry leaned against the wall, listening with a blank stare as Niall scolded him.

“Are you fucking serious? Why are you so rude?” Niall spat out, throwing his hands up in the air as the disbelief stuck in his mind. “Emma invited her out, you have no right to be such a dick to her.”

“I don’t fuckin’ know the chick.” Harry shrugged, not caring to listen to Niall’s parenting but he knew he couldn’t escape just yet.

“It doesn’t matter, Harry. I told you she was going to be here tonight and to be fuckin’ polite to her. At least treat her like she’s a person and not a piece of garbage.”

Harry huffed and moved his eyes to Niall’s. “I don’t know her. I don’t care about being polite to her.”

Niall shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. “Get to fuckin’ know her then. She’s not going anywhere, that’s Emma’s friend. Act like you have sense.”

“Look, I didn’t fuckin’ know her mom was dead.”

Niall wanted to wring his neck, he wasn’t getting the point. “It doesn’t matter! Act nice. Pretend to have a fuckin’ heart for once.”

Harry pushed himself off the wall, the conversation now boring him. He gave Niall a wave before deciding it was best if he just found a distraction for the rest of the night. Niall couldn’t quite understand why he was being so rude to Ivy, but there was nothing else that he could say. If his words worked, then that would be a miracle.

Ivy sat there quietly for a handful of minutes, ignoring the small talk that was going on around the table. Her eyes were roaming out through the crowd that had thickened since Niall stormed off with Harry in tow. The pole fixed to the ceiling was now occupied by a dancer in a lace bodysuit, strategically placed rips and holes scattered on the fabric. She seemed to have some of the people’s attention. One person she didn’t have, though, was Harry, and Ivy took notice of that only because she saw him with his forearm secured around some woman’s waist. He had pulled her close to him, smirking and biting his lips as the woman spoke to him.

Ivy wasn’t intending on finding him in the crowd to gaze at him, it just sort of happened. She was unfamiliar with the surroundings, so her eyes fixated on something she recognized - even if it wasn’t the nicest person she’d ever met. He was completely unaware of anything happening around him, all he was concerned with was what lived between that woman’s legs. The sight of him groping her ass and leaning down to whisper things in her ear left a nasty taste in Ivy’s mouth. She found it unpleasant to witness. That sort of thing should be private.

Michelle suddenly interrupted her trance with a pat to her leg before she stood up. “Do you wanna dance?”

Ivy looked up and let out a nervous laugh. “I think I’m okay sitting here for a bit.”

Michelle groaned and grabbed her hand, tugging her up with all her strength. “C’mon! Let’s go have some fun!”

She couldn’t stop Michelle from dragging her into the crowd, so she just let it happen. Emma gave her an encouraging cheer before they vanished from the table. The girls were shoving between people to find a more open spot on the dance floor, and once Michelle was pleased with where they ended up, she turned towards Ivy and grabbed onto her waist. She decided it was best to just let all those thoughts about the things Harry said and the way he acted go. Tonight was meant for fun, not dwelling. She relaxed her body and began swaying to the music with Michelle.

“That ass!” Michelle teased in a loud shout as Ivy shook her hips to the song that was blasting through the ceiling.

All she could do was laugh as a layer of blush covered her cheeks. The music was rattling the building and the alcohol was still cycling through her veins. She was enjoying herself again, no longer fixated on that song or those comments. It wasn’t long until Emma and Niall appeared next to them. Emma turned towards them while Niall placed himself behind her, hands secured on her waist. The three of them danced and sang along with the music while Niall mostly laughed and kept his hands on Emma.

Ivy had been nervous about going out tonight - not only going to a new place, but meeting a group of new people. She was worried that her first impression wouldn’t be good, that they wouldn’t like the energy she brought. It was obvious that all of them, aside from Harry, actually enjoyed her company. Even though she didn’t get a chance to talk to a few of them, like Alyssa, the way she did Michelle, she was confident that her impression was well made. The pulsing of the music through her ears pushed out the thoughts regarding Harry. Maybe he was just in a bad mood, or maybe he was just a bitter person. She didn’t know for sure, and she didn’t care that much anymore.

Niall disappeared to get himself a beer, leaving Emma to take Ivy’s hand and lift it in the air, jumping to the beat of the song and screaming the lyrics. Michelle was thrilled to have another girl to be around, and she hoped that it wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. She knew she’d have to beg Emma to let her and Ivy get together again. Ivy wasn’t surprised by Emma’s energetic, sober performance. She didn’t need alcohol running in her system to enjoy a good song. The night was starting to feel endless and free, in the best way. That wouldn’t last too long, though.

At some point, her eyes were absentmindedly looking over Michelle’s shoulder and were pretty much out of focus until her brain registered that familiar face again. Harry. She tried to look away, but she couldn’t force herself to as she saw that same woman he was with earlier place her lips on his. Something deep inside of her gut churned and she furrowed her brows at her own thoughts. She shook her head lightly and cut her eyes away from them. Almost as if there was a gravitational pull she couldn’t stop, her eyes shifted back to him after a few seconds.

His hair was slick with sweat, his curls shining under the flashing lights. The sweat on his skin shined like diamonds as the woman ran her hand down his forearm. Her nails scratched over the tattoo he showed off at the shop, veins popped out and skin tight around his muscles. It was like she noticed every single thing about him. Someone got in her way, blocking her view entirely. She huffed and looked towards Emma, who was still singing happily to the song playing.

Ivy was genuinely confused as to why she was thinking about him so much. Why did she care what he was doing? Why did she care who he was with? She hardly knew him. She rolled her eyes to herself and lifted her head in time to see Niall walking up, three drinks in his hand. He offered one to her and one to Michelle. They cheered together, laughing as Niall stumbled his way back to Emma. She jumped back into the song and started singing again, enjoying herself for the rest of the night.

—•—

When morning rolled over, Ivy didn’t move an inch in her bed until well after eleven o’clock. She knew Emma would sleep in with Niall, so she didn’t bother trying to be up before them. Niall stayed over every now and then, and of course he always requested a meal be made if the girls were up for it. Ivy was put on breakfast duty since Emma said she’s better at it. Niall slurred a quick beg to her last night before Emma drug him to the bedroom to get changed and tucked in. Ivy agreed to it, despite knowing her head would be pounding in the morning.

And it most definitely was. She groaned as she squeezed her eyes shut, the sunlight peeking through the curtains was enough to blind her. There was no point in sleeping any more of the day away, so she reluctantly got out of the bed after taking a few minutes to compose herself. Her arms stretched high above her head, her back popping as she twisted slightly. She sighed in relief, a weight was lifted from her as her body contorted with her stretches and groans.

Her trip to the bathroom presented her with a horrific reflection in the mirror. Her makeup had not been properly removed before she fell into her bed last night, and her hair was a wreck. She debated on taking a shower, but eventually decided it would be best to get it over with. Emma and Niall were still passed out down the hall, so she wasn’t worried about waking anyone or not having the food done in time. Niall would definitely still want breakfast no matter the time.

After her quick shower, she got changed into a set of loungewear and headed to the kitchen. She gathered all the items from the refrigerator and the cabinets, staying mindful of Niall’s large appetite. He did say he would throw in some money on their next grocery run, so she wasn’t concerned with rationing any particular item. She wasn’t in there very long by herself. Emma strolled in after a few minutes, having smelled the food starting to cook.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Ivy smirked as she saw Emma’s tired expression and tangled hair.

“Morning.” She mumbled back. “Niall slept like an animal last night.”

“Did he move around a lot?”

Emma groaned. “A lot? He moved constantly. Usually he doesn’t. I’m so tired.”

Ivy held back a laugh and just smiled. Emma sat down at the dining table, her eyes focused on what Ivy was doing. She just watched in silence for a while, too tired to say anything. They were by themselves for the majority of the cooking process. The bedroom door opened down the hall, but the bathroom door shut moments after. Niall spent a bit of time in the bathroom, which made Emma groan and hope that he wasn’t throwing up or suffering a bad hangover. He had quite a few drinks.

Eventually, almost the same time the food was ready, he walked in the kitchen with a smile on his face. Emma rolled her eyes as he tried to give her a kiss and a hug, and an apology about sleeping so roughly. Ivy let out a chuckle as he threw his hands up in defeat.

“Thanks for cooking, Ivy.” Niall said once he fixed his plate and sat down at the table with them.

“You’re welcome.”

Emma looked up from her plate and gave Niall a stern glare. He was confused at first, but when she shot her gaze to Ivy, he miraculously remembered the conversation they had in the middle of the night when he woke Emma up complaining about his head hurting. It took them a while to fall back asleep, so they just talked for a bit.

He cleared his throat after taking a sip of his water. “Um, Ivy.”

She looked his way. “Yeah?”

Niall took in a deep breath and slowly pushed it out. He seemed a bit hesitant at first, but he was trying to figure out what to say. He licked his lips and leaned back in his chair, forgetting the food for now.

“I want to apologize to you.”

Ivy dropped her brows, spared Emma a glance, then looked back to him. “What?”

He lightly sighed. “Harry.”

She was still unsure what Niall meant for a few moments, but suddenly everything came crashing back into her mind. She adjusted herself in the chair and started picking at the pancake with her fork, not really wanting to bring it back up but knowing she can’t avoid it now.

“It’s fine, Niall.”

“No, it isn’t.” Emma said, just as embarrassed by the situation as Niall was.

“He said some shitty things to you.. and I’m sorry. I.. I didn’t want that to happen, none of us did. Zayn sent me a text this morning telling me to tell you he was sorry, too.”

Ivy a wallowed gently, surprised that someone else had reached out about the situation. She thought what happened was unfortunate, but she didn’t think she’d receive such a reaction from them. Emma had a frown fixed on her lips as she kept her eyes on Niall, waiting for him to continue.

“The last thing Emma and I wanted was for you to think our friends didn’t like you. They do, they really do. I can’t speak for him but.. the rest of us are sorry.”

“Niall, it’s not that big of a deal, I promise.” Ivy tried to sail past it, but it wasn’t going to go down that easy.

“Yes it is, Ivy.” He breathed out. “He’s an ass and he says some messed up things. We’re all used to it.. and you aren’t. You shouldn’t have been spoken to that way.”

For a second, she was just ready to ignore it all again, but she changed her mind. Niall was genuinely upset and trying his best to make up for it, and she could tell Emma felt the same way. She remembered how everyone reacted when Harry said what he said last night. She thought about the way she saw Cory pinch his nose and shake his head in disbelief, and how Alyssa smacked Zayn’s arm in an attempt to get him to intervene. She remembered all the little things each of them did and how they all seemed to be in shock, embarrassed, or annoyed with it.

“Okay.. I accept the apology.” She finally said, trying to give him the best smile she could. “I promise, it’s okay.”

“I’ll beat his ass if he says something like that to you again.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

Niall couldn’t resist laughing at her, and Ivy quickly joined her. Although the previous night had a rollercoaster of events, she was glad that she had this new group of people to consider as her friends. For now, she’d just forget about Harry and focus on the positive memories she was able to create. As far as she was concerned, she would be perfectly fine if she never saw him again.

[a/n: I’ve been very sick these past few days but I wanted to get this out so pls ignore any spelling mistakes and all that, I’ll fix them later. if you want to be on the taglist, let me know! anyways, hope you enjoy this! love uuu! Also just a reminder that while this is lhh, he’s older in this series than actual lhh was]

** if you’re here for a reread, i did change this character to an oc so she has a name now!!

taglist: @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @victoriasigaard @ariiscringe @harlowsgirl l @lomllover @haniaaa04 @sideboobrry11 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @fangirl509east @fruity-harry @sassamanda77 @lizsogolden @prettygurl-2009 @boopookie @mypolicemanharryyy

[boss-poss]

See, Lethal Company's real genius is that it somehow marries two normally opposed genres, those being horror and comedy together into something greater. Mechanically it's a multiplayer looter extraction survival type game. It's designed to create stressful and scary situations by forcing you to speedrun mini randomized dungeons while monsters hunt your character to meet a certain quota (our asses are not making quota). That's not the clever part though, no, that's giving the players the ability to fuck themselves over and the hilarity that comes from it.

Anything you say into your mic is said in the game world and can be heard by certain monsters. Many items, similarly, can be used to make noise and you can bet there is little impulse control when a player finds an air horn or gets a walkie talkie. The sound of a distant honk somewhere out of nowhere is not something most players are prepared for while in a pitch black maze. Sound in this game has a doppler effect, which makes it harder to hear the further away the source is, allowing screams to fade into nothing and unintelligible yelling heard for a second before vanishing. You must rely on your senses but those are, by design, limited and regularly tricked.

Because level layouts, monster locations, and item spawns are all random, it's insanely easy to get lost or lose track of thigs, especially in the dark and especially when panicking. Seeing a bracken for the first time will almost certainly send a player running in the opposite direction and get lost, if they even see it all. No one is prepared to have a hand wrap around their face and snap their neck in an instant. It's utterly shocking and will leave you gasping in surprise to first time you experience it.

Certain weather patterns make levels harder, some even nearly impossible (looking at you eclipse), and sometimes your options are avoiding deadly lightning or not being able to see due to fog. High level moons have excessively valuable loot but also feature the worst foes and cost a fee to access, forcing a compromise between greed, ability, and resources.

Dying, likewise incurs a penalties. Your team is fined for dying and not bringing the bodies back but if you all die, all your collected loot goes poof. Gone. A team wipe can and will effectively end the run in an instant if you do something stupid like stick around when you hear "pop goes the weasel" or try to pick up that funny looking roomba. You can almost feel the pressure weighing down on your shoulders when you realize you're the last one left and you need to get back to the ship or miss the quota.

The monsters likewise, are engines of terror that are comically effective killing machines with no cohesive theme to help anticipate them. The already mentioned bracken is one of the scariest things I've seen in a game, and those technically aren't even that bad. They're completely manageable if you keep your head on a swivel and pay attention to your surroundings. Coilheads are these mannequins with bobble heads that will path to and kill you in a microsecond the moment you aren't looking at them, weeping angel style. There's a thing called the ghost girl that I have yet to see but is apparently one of the most terrifying critters in the menagerie. Forest giants. If you know, you know.

All these little mechanics, these choices that are made by and for the player, create a maelstrom of unpredictable chaos that, like a buxom blond transforming into an orgasming pooltoy, turns what would be strictly serious horror into a unique form of dark comedy that layers over it like jelly on peanut butter. You are scared, you are on edge, and it only gets worse when you know what these things are capable of, but the sheer hopelessness is something you all have in common. It's funny how little hope you have. You will die. A monster will wipe your team. There will eventually come a quota you can't beat. You were doomed from the start.

So why not get silly with it? Why not try to fight that bracken with shovel? Fuck him. Why not just run past a turret and try to nab that fat jar of pickles? Why not wander off from the group? You're just as likely to come back with arms loaded and the quota met as you are likely to not come back at all. You're already dead, so take the gamble, do stupid shit, repeat this hell until you can meet its horrors with grim determination and put in the effort to afford that goddamn boombox. Dance. Just press 1 and dance the fear away.

You are all united in your mortality and duty, fragile sacks of flesh working to break even at the behest of perhaps the greatest horror of all: The company you work for. You are so preposterously fucked beyond all belief from every angle there really isn't enough adjectives to describe it. And that's comedy baby, when things are so bad all you can do is laugh.

[pedroslittlelady]

Just You & Me, Darlin'

joel miller x f!reader (18+)

A/N: OMG Okay, I'm actually doing this! I'm posting something for the first time in over 4 years and I'm super nervous. Pedro Pascal just has me by the titties, and so do all of you wonderful writers and artists I've been so inspired by, so here is my little contribution 🫣💕

You can also read this on my ao3 if you prefer 😊

summary: When Tommy returns to the QZ without you, Joel is both terrified and furious but he’s determined to get you back safe no matter what.

tags/warnings: 18+ Explicit | Minors Do Not Interact Please! no use of y/n, boston qz, fluff, hurt/comfort, mention of suicidal thoughts, slight exhibitionism, explicit smut, unprotected piv, no description of female reader, other than joel can pick you up and kinda implied age gap, squirting, emotional sex, unbeta'd, use of pet names (sweetheart, baby, darlin', baby girl). oh and you're both super in love so :) I think that's it.

word count: 5.9k

Joel’s heart was fluttering within his chest, nerves and excitement flooding him as he made his way up the steps of his apartment building. If all had gone well, you were due back from the week-long smuggling run outside of the QZ today, and he had been stuck on work duty for most of it. 

He hadn’t been able to go with you since someone had needed to stay back and protect their store of goods and ration cards from being stolen in their absence, they’d learned this the hard way. 

And in his mind he’d drawn the short straw.

Joel would much rather be out there with you than stuck here wondering if you were okay. Here, he was unable to do anything if something went wrong but he knew you, the little hell-raiser that you were could definitely handle yourself. 

The both of you had agreed when you first started sleeping together that it shouldn’t mess with the business, it gave you all a more comfortable life in the QZ than most got to have after all. 

Even after falling hard for one another following the sharing of your past within whispered cuddles post sex, you both still tried to keep the business professional and that meant trusting one another to watch your own and your partners’ backs. 

As he entered his apartment he was surprised to see Tommy sitting on his couch with his head in his hands. 

Joel’s stomach dropped at the sight, he already knew something was wrong. Heart breaking into a gallop against his sternum he quickly scanned the apartment, the open layout giving him a view of the whole room and you were nowhere in sight.

Joel's hands tightened into fists, his jaw tensing in anger and fear as he focused his intense gaze on his little brother who was now worrying his lip.

“Where is she,” Joel stated more than questioned in his deep southern timbre, his voice thick with emotion. Anger, fear, anguish and dread were all suddenly clogging up his throat. He swallowed to keep it contained, needing to keep his head on straight right now.

“I don’t know brother,” Tommy responded, guilt and slight fear painted his features as he looked up at his older brother.

“The hell do you mean you don’t know?” Joel growled as he prowled closer to his brother who quickly stood from his slumped position. “I trusted you to watch her back, to keep her safe for me!” Joel couldn’t control himself, the emotions from the thought of losing you, of never seeing you again were too much to handle and he grabbed his brother by the neck of his jacket and shook him.

“The deal went bad! Me and Tess got separated from her!” Tommy quickly explained, his hands gripping onto Joel's shaking wrists. “We tried to find her but… shit man, things are more fucked up out there than ever. We were hoping she’d made it back here.”

Joel pushed his brother away from him, afraid he would start swinging. Rage and fear consumed him, tightening his heaving chest as he ran his hands through his greying hair. He quickly stalked over to his weapons stash beneath the floorboards while vile images of you being scared and hurt, being taken by sex traffickers and all manner of other atrocities he’d seen and heard about over all his years surviving in this hell were flooding his mind.

If it was the last thing he did, he’d find you himself and bring you home. The thought of never finding you was unspeakable and he quickly pushed that horrible scenario out of his mind. But then another took its ugly place as he quickly grabbed his go bag; what if he found you dead or dying?

Well that would be the end, wouldn’t it?

He paused before looking at his little brother, standing before him paler than he’d seen him in a long time. Exhaustion was dragging Tommy down and Joel knew that he and Tess had done the best they could to find you; they loved you too.

“I’ll find her and bring her back,” Joel stated.

“I’ll come with-”

“No… thank you, but no. You're exhausted, you’ll just slow me down. If I don’t come back… then I…,” Joel trailed off as he watched anguish and fear become apparent on his little brother's face.

“Joel. Don’t. Please, brother,” Tommy begged, already knowing where Joel’s head was at.

“I can’t…” Joel felt his voice break as tears flooded his vision, blurring the image of his baby brother walking towards him. 

Next thing Joel knew, his brother's arms were around him and Joel let himself feel the rare embrace for just a moment. He and his brother had never been the most affectionate with each other even before the outbreak, so the fact his brother was hugging him so tightly told him Tommy knew exactly what you meant to him. How could he not, with how blatant the two of you were with your lovesick need for each other. You had become his whole world, a quick spiral into passionate need that seemed to drive the two of you from the very moment you became one when he took you on that dirty warehouse floor three years earlier.

His head dipped to Tommy’s shoulder as silent tears rolled down his cheeks and into his patchy beard, into that place where you always kissed him, as if that spot had been made just for you. A place to kiss and lick and nibble like you loved to do when you both were intimate, which was basically whenever you were in the same room as one another, everyone else be damned.

Would Joel ever feel that again? Had you both made all the memories together that you ever would? The last time he saw you flashed in his mind, replacing the ugly panicked images from before. You’d smiled up at him, arms wrapped around one another, foreheads pressed together as you whispered your ‘see you laters’ - never ‘goodbyes’ - to each other, while Tess and Tommy looked on and rolled their eyes in annoyance at your overt pda.

The Joel of before had never been one for public displays of affection, to the point where one woman had broken things off with him because she’d said he was cold, that he didn’t care enough about her. He’d realised later on that she had probably been right. More conscious of how much affection he was giving in front of others than he should have been.

Now though, with you these last few years? Joel didn’t give a single fuck what people thought of how he held your hand, kissed you, sat you on his lap as he made deals with all kinds of people. He loved when you’d do the same, when you would kiss him in that spot that was surely made purely for your mouth while you rolled your hips against his hardening cock. The greedy eyes of lowlifes watching on in pure jealousy of how unashamed you were with showing everyone how wanton you could get for him. His precious little hell-raiser.

Shit, he’d fucked you outside before and hadn’t cared who’d heard. It had actually turned him on to know the residents had heard your desperate and lustful cries as you let him take you from behind in an alleyway between two apartment buildings. Anyone could’ve looked out and seen how Joel Miller got to have you be his, the most vicious beauty in all of Boston, submitting to him, belonging to him.

Joel quickly pulled away from Tommy before he got too emotional about how this day had turned into a fucking real life nightmare. 

As he strode towards his apartment door with his go bag on his back and his weapons tucked away on his person, he rubbed the tears from his eyes and face. He couldn’t look back at Tommy so he roughly pulled open the door and walked out with a quickly uttered, “see you brother.”

While descending to street level Joel struggled to get his emotions under control. It had been a long time since he had cried, since he had felt this scared and helpless, but he pushed through and began to formulate a plan on how he would get out of the QZ through a smuggler tunnel they had created two years ago. Then he would find you so he could bring you home, safe and sound.

There was no other option he would let himself consider from here on out, he needed to focus on his current mission.

Joel steeled himself as he walked out of the apartment building and turned right to head to the closest smuggling route out of the QZ. As he looked up to assess his surroundings he was stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of you standing in front of him.

His eyes widened in shock as you stood before him, a shaky vulnerable look on your pretty as sin face. Joel choked on your name in disbelief and before he knew it his hands were grasping your cheeks and his lips were crushing against yours in a desperate kiss.

He pulled away from your tight embrace to quickly gasp, “What the hell happened, baby?” Before he kissed you again and again and again. So relieved to feel you alive and whole in his arms once more.

But then worry clouded his mind; the look on your face as you saw him notice you replayed in his mind.

Joel once again pulled away from the desperate kisses you both were sharing to truly look into your wide teary eyes.

“Are… are you okay, sweetheart? Are you hurt? Let me see you,” Joel pleaded in a vulnerable whisper. He reluctantly pulled further away so he could assess you until you spoke for the first time since your reunion.

“I’m okay Joel, baby. I’m okay I promise!” You gasped as Joel began to pull up your sleeves and the hem of your shirt to see your slightly bruised and cut skin, clearly searching for a fatal wound like a bite that he thankfully would not find.

“Joel!” You shouted to get his attention, uncaring of the passers-by on the busy street taking notice of your desperate interaction.

Joel stopped his searching as you placed your hands on his cheeks and gave a soft smile when you saw the fear in his eyes recede into a warm relieved look of love that always made your chest flutter in unbelievable happiness, like butterflies bursting with life within you. You had never expected to get to this point with anyone, let alone the cold standoffish brute Joel Miller who had barely seemed to tolerate you the first few weeks after your initial meeting. 

To have this big, dangerous, sometimes scary but protective man look at you like you were his whole world was intoxicating. No wonder you could never keep your hands off of him. 

It had started after the first time you’d fucked, and that’s all it had been meant to be. A desperate fuck after a near death experience, both of you alone and thankful to be alive. You had exchanged no words but a heady look and before you’d known what was happening he was kissing into your mouth before pinning you onto the hard dirty floor and fucking you silly.

You knew he’d been sleeping with Tess at the time, although it wasn’t serious, and you had slipped into Tommy’s bed once or twice, but for years you had respected Joel’s leadership and strength, and of course enjoyed admiring how handsome he really was, but you both had never been particularly close, until then.

After, you had both agreed it wouldn’t happen again. You reluctantly agreed with him even though your legs had felt like jelly after the best orgasms you’d ever been given, having never before been fucked like Joel Miller liked to fuck. 

It happened again of course, the very next night when you took a chance and slipped into his room and cot. He hadn’t said a thing against it, only a cocky, “can’t get enough huh, hell-raiser?” 

After you sucked him to full hardness he’d let you ride him as fast or slow as you wanted while he just watched you. In the wake of your first orgasm Joel had snapped and took control once more by putting you on your back and practically folding you in half. He’d fucked you so hard you’d screamed your pleasure, so loud you had only realised afterward that Tommy and Tess must have been 100% aware of what was happening. But you’d come so hard you’d squirted all over Joel and made a complete mess, but you had seen in Joel’s eyes how much he’d absolutely loved it.

There was no talk of it never happening again after that, only an acknowledgement that business came first. A few months into your arrangement he began cuddling you after sex, asking you not to leave his bed in the sweetest whisper against the back of your head. You had agreed, threading your fingers through his and nodding with a simple, “yes Joel.”

And you hadn’t left, you both barely let the other out of your lovesick sight as you basically moved in with him. Tess and Tommy quickly moved out so they didn’t have to listen to the both of you ‘fucking every goddamn day.’

“I’m fine baby, I promise. Okay?” You kissed Joel softly bringing you back to the present, his arms tightening around you.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if… fuck, I thought you were-” Joel was crushing you against him, lips brushing yours as he spoke. A tremble was in his voice, one you’ve come to know more over the years as he opened up to you about things from his past.

“I’m right here darlin’, right where I’m supposed to be,” you gently spoke while running your hands through his salt and pepper curls. The action always calmed him down.

“I love you so goddamn much, hell-raiser.” Joel smiled against your lips before kissing you again. You chuckled, feeling tears gather in your eyes at the silly pet name he’d given you after your first chaotic introduction years ago which involved you wielding a couple molotov cocktails. The first of many pet names he graced you with, but definitely your favourite.

“I love you too, big guy.”

Your back gently hit the apartment building as Joel increased the pressure of your kisses, a desperation taking over you both as the feeling of being reunited after a close call washed over you once again.

Joel hiked your leg up and ground his hardened cock against your rapidly soaking pussy making you gasp at the sting of pain the suddenness of your arousal wrought as it travelled deep into your rapidly warming core.

“Joel,” you panted into his mouth as he licked at your tongue before sucking it into his mouth with a growl of need you felt emanating from his belly which was pressed tight against yours.

“Fuck, need inside your tight little cunt right now, darlin’,” Joel rumbled before he hastily began to undo your jeans, his lips carving a wet path across your cheek and down your tilting neck. He bit you quick and hard there, marking you; claiming you. You gasped, your arousal seeping from your desperately empty channel and trickling into your panties as you tilted your hips against his rock hard cock.

Joel slipped his thick fingers into your wet slit making you moan into his mouth.

“Get a room,” you heard someone mutter as they walked past. Joel growled before pulling away to glare fiercely at the man who suddenly blanched before quickly scurrying away at the sight of Joel hovering over you with a murderous look in his eyes. 

You giggled at the interaction, drawing his attention back to you, his eyes softening at your mischievous smirk.

“Take me to bed, big guy. Remind me who I belong to,” you murmured before biting your lower lip in anticipation as Joel's eyes turned blacker than the deepest cavern within the fathomless ocean.

He grabbed you by the back of the neck and began to steer you back into the apartment building and up the stairs. You could feel his eyes on your ass before a slap landed there making you squeak excitedly. “Hurry the fuck up, darlin’,” Joel growled with a squeeze to your right cheek making you skip up the stairs quicker, panties practically drenched now.

The next second he was pushing open your apartment door, throwing off his bag and flipping you around to face him so he could kiss you hungrily once more. His thick tongue probed every part of your mouth, overwhelming you. You whimpered, your hands caressing through his hair to scratch gently at his scalp.

His grip on your thighs suddenly let you know what he was about to do and you braced your hands on his broad shoulders as he quickly hoisted you up, your legs wrapping around his hips. You both groaned and panted into one another's mouth at the feel of being pressed together.

You stilled when you heard the clearing of a throat. Joel groaned in annoyance as your lips separated wetly.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt,” Tommy said before covering a slight laugh with a cough, Joel glowered. “But I’m really glad you're okay, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, Tommy. I appreciate it.” You smiled, so glad to see him safe and sound too. You told him this and questioned where Tess was and he informed you that she was just fine also.

“I just wanted to say-” Tommy started to speak.

“Enough said,” Joel growled. “Talk later. We're busy, brother.” Joel raised his brows clearly unabashed at being caught in this position by his baby brother.

“Jeez, alright lover boy-” Tommy rolled his eyes.

“I swear to God Tommy if you don’t get the fuck out of here now I’ll-”

“Okay okay! We’ll catch up later, Christ.” Tommy shook his head but you could see he wasn’t truly annoyed by the relieved look on his face.

As Tommy made his way to the door, a smirk was painted on his handsome face. Joel just pierced him with a frustrated and grumpy glare, you couldn’t help but snort softly while still being held up in his strong arms.

“See you later Tommy, and tell Tess thanks as well when you see her,” you quickly uttered before you forgot all about Tess and Tommy in just a few seconds.

“Will do, sweetheart. See you later. You too, Romeo.” Tommy laughed before darting out the door as fast as he could once he’d heard Joel’s growl of annoyance.

“C’mon baby,” you murmured in his ear before sucking the lobe into your mouth bringing his attention back to you, his eyes softening once more. “Need to feel your big cock inside me, I feel so empty.” You pouted playfully even though you could still feel some of the adrenaline and fear from your near miss swarming inside you. 

You had very nearly not made it home to him and that thought made your heart jump and your hold on your lover tighten. You didn’t know if you could hold back on the avalanche of feeling you knew was headed your way.

“Poor baby,” Joel responded as he carried you to your bed and laid you down, his back not being able to hold you up for much longer, not if he was going to fuck you like you both needed after today. “Don’t you worry darlin’, I got you.”

Joel stood before you and began to remove the various weapons from his body, his dark intense gaze never leaving you as you began to writhe in need.

“Hurry Joel,” you whimpered, a desperation taking over now that you weren’t in his arms anymore. You felt tears gather in your eyes at just how lucky you were to be back here with him, safe and sound. You couldn’t hold back a hiccupping sob threatening to escape you.

Joel took notice and quickly hovered over you, one hand on your hip, the other palming your cheek and wiping a tear away. “You're okay now, baby. I got you.” He kissed your forehead and you could hear him inhale your scent as he did.

“Joel.” You murmured, feeling a little overwhelmed. You needed to release these emotions, and Joel was the best at giving you just what you needed, what you both needed.

“I know, sweetheart. I know,” Joel murmured, his own gaze tear filled meeting yours before he pressed his lips to yours for a desperate kiss. You struggled to keep up with his kisses at first but then he was scraping his teeth down your jaw and sucking on your neck.

You bucked your hips up against him, his leg slipping between yours so you could grind on him. You whimpered, needing his bare skin to be slick against yours as you once again fitted together so perfectly. 

You needed the intimacy and the vulnerability of being beneath his broad form as he fucked you deep and hard, imprinting himself within you forever.

As if Joel had read your mind, he pulled back from nuzzling between your breasts, his big strong hands grasped the collar of your shirt and ripped it down the middle in one go.

You gasped at the action, at the grimace of need on his face as he began to manhandle you in a desperate need to get you naked beneath him. You unhooked your bra as he roughly pulled down your jeans and panties in one go, snarling in annoyance when your boots hampered his mission.

As soon as you were bare Joel was back on the bed and spreading your legs up and wide so he could see your perfectly soaked little cunt fluttering needily around nothing. Fuckin’ Heaven right there, he thought to himself as he dragged his eyes up your heaving belly and chest to see you biting your lip, small hands fisting the sheets beneath you.

“Please Joel, want you naked against me,” you practically begged, pupils blown out, eyes still glistening. He knew from your reaction something had scared you, probably a moment of terror in thinking you weren’t going to make it back to him in one piece or at all. The idea of that being a very real possibility that could have happened shook him to his core and he quickly tore off his clothes, not wanting to be away from your touch for longer than necessary.

He began to kiss every scrape and bruise as he made his way up your chest. Soon his eyes were looking deep into your soft gaze, your arms and legs wrapping around him and he knew he was finally home. He brushed his nose along yours, both his hands tunnelling into your pretty hair as he gazed down at you.

“You and me, darlin’, that’s all I need. Just you, I fuckin’ love you, you drive me goddamn insane with it, you know that?” His gaze was soft but intense, his words rumbled out of his pouty lips.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, your own hands rubbing his back soothingly before sliding up his neck and into his hair. “But I feel the same.”

“Don’t be sorry, darlin’. You’re the best thing that's happened to me in a really long time. Just scares the hell outta me,” he nearly choked on his words before burying his face into the sexy slope of your neck, inhaling your heavenly scent. “Can’t lose you, baby.”

“I’m right here, not losing me, Joel,” you responded softly before kissing his scarred temple.

Joel slowly lowered his hips as he lifted his head to kiss you, his weeping cock covering your pussy, soaking him even further. Normally Joel would prepare you, stretch you with his thick fingers and make you come on his tongue but from the way you were mewling and moving against him he knew you both needed to become one right now. Besides, you had told him plenty of times how you liked the slight pain his cock created when it stretched your little hole open, the  girth of him too wide to fit comfortably at first.

You both angled your hips, well versed in the best way to slot together hands free. Your breath hitched when the crown of his twitching cock popped inside you.

“So fuckin’ tight and wet for me, baby girl.”

“Joel,” you whimpered against his lips before your hips pushed against him, sliding more of him within your aching heat.

He stared into your watery eyes as he gripped your hip with a bruising grasp and began to push into your tightness. He loved watching the way your mouth opened into a little ‘o’ shape and the space between your brows creased cutely in pain.

“Takin’ my cock so well, you precious little fuckin’ thing,” Joel growled as he bottomed out causing you to gasp. Your perfect cunt clenching around him was like nothing he’d ever felt before. 

Your breasts heaved against his chest as he let you adjust to the stretch of him for a moment. But he had little patience right now, so he soon pulled back making you whimper sweetly and he kissed into your mouth soothingly before he moved his hand to the back of your neck and held it tightly.

Pulling back from the kiss he quickly punched his hips down and forward, slamming deep inside you and causing your body to jolt from the force, his hands holding you steady. You weren’t going anywhere.

The squeak you let out was choked off when he did it again, and again. The soundtrack to your desperate love making became the wet slapping of skin on skin, the gasps of pleasure and the cries of pain as you melded together as one. Sweaty skin sliding against hardened nipples and harsh gasps were shared as he rhythmically pounded you into the mattress

“Joel, Joel, oh God Joel don’t stop!” you pleaded wide eyes staring up at his fervent expression as he gazed down at you.

“Fuck! That’s it baby, take my cock.” Joel grimaced in pleasure.

“Please, baby. Go faster!” You yelped as his hips smacked against you, his heavy balls soaked from your arousal.

He granted your plea, arching his back so he could suck on your tight nipples, hands grasping under and over your shoulders as he began to piston sharply within you, pulling you onto his thick cock.

“Yes yes yes, gonna come,” you suddenly gasped and Joel knew it was true by how your tight little pussy started fluttering around his shaft, sucking him deep.

“Come all over me, baby girl,” he whispered against your parted lips, sweat building between you as you both moved in sync, chasing that beautiful euphoria he always granted you.

You had been feeling it build within you so deeply, you knew you were about to crest that tremendous wave of pleasure you associated with Joel and how he always spoiled you rotten when you made love. It hit deep and sharp, making you arch your back and cry out against his lips as your pussy clutched so tightly to him, never wanting him to stop or leave your most vulnerable place that he always cherished.

It caught your breath as you ascended into ecstasy, all you could do was whimper against his plush lips as you came. His hips stuttered as you tightened, unable to keep up the pace at how tightly you were grasping at him. Nails scraping his back, legs spreading further, toes curling against his thick thighs.

“Good girl, baby,” he practically whimpered as you came around him. “That’s my good girl. Fuck, I love you,” Joel growled while he quickened his pace again, the ache in his lower back completely ignored. He sat up a bit, lifted your legs so they fell over the bend in his elbows before planting his hands on the bed.

You were practically folded in half, completely dazed from that intense orgasm as he manoeuvred you however he liked. You loved when he treated you like his precious little fuck doll. 

“Oh my God, baby,” you gasped, just watching as his hulking form rose above you, his dark desperate eyes dragging from your own eyes to your bouncing breasts as he started pumping his cock into you once more. The generous crown of his cock repeatedly hit that amorous spot deep inside you that only Joel could locate.

His stare was fixated on where you were joined together as he continued to thrust, slowing a little to admire it. “Sweet little pussy is creaming all over my dick, fuck!” Joel couldn’t take his eyes away from it, your abused hole flushed with arousal and soaked with your mingling desire. “God damn, baby girl. You can really take some cock, huh?”

All you could do was whimper at the vision he made above you, greedy lustful stare focused on your needy hole stretched around the wide circumference of his wet cock pumping inside you. The broad expanse of his tanned slick shoulders, the strength of his hands as they wrapped his calloused fingers around your hips, angling them perfectly. He sat up, his knees bracketing your ass and you quickly pressed your hands up behind you knowing exactly what was coming. Your heart jumped in your chest, you loved to watch him above you like this; using you, loving you so deeply and harshly.

“Gonna cum so deep inside your cunt, baby girl. Never gonna be rid of me,” Joel growled before rolling his hips into you, knowingly hitting that special place inside you that usually had you squirting all over him. 

He never forgot that moment you’d shared with one another. Only your second time together and he had given it to you so good it was probably one of his proudest moments, his ego getting a huge boost that had been well needed at the time. 

You had been so shocked and loud, you’d practically screamed at the sensation, shivering so vulnerably beneath him afterward it had stuck deep inside his chest afterward. It had pushed him to coo to you softly at your little whimpers, telling you that you were okay, that you had been so sexy and beautiful for him.

His hips were rolling and thrusting into you making you moan and stare up at him in awe. This man was all fucking yours.

“Mine, Joel. You’re mine.”

“Yeah, baby. All yours, this cock is all yours. And who does this pussy belong to, hmm?” he questioned with a smirk as he stared down into your wide eyes as his hips picked up the pace, you continuing to reciprocate his movements like a well choreographed dance.

“Yours, my pussy’s all yours. No one else's, baby.”

“Good girl,” Joel praised before leaning over  you, his pretty lips pressing into yours, widening your mouth and swiping his tongue against yours as your pussy flooded his cock and balls creating a slapping sound that made you whimper and blush.

“Always so fuckin’ wet for me. Ain’t ya, sweetheart,” Joel groaned. “Fuckin’ love you.”

“Love you too, now fill me up, baby. Please!” You gasped against him, your foreheads now pressed against one another, mouths sharing harsh breaths. 

You braced against the headboard with one hand while moving the other to his curly hair desperately seeking purchase as your arousal grew once more. Core warming and tightening in an impending orgasm and when he shifted your position so he could press against your clit and urethra with his fingers your stomach jumped, knowing exactly what he wanted from you.

“Oh Joel,” you whined.

“Yeah baby, drench me please,” Joel encouraged and you began to flutter around the precise pumping of his twitching cock within your sensitive walls.

It hit you suddenly, your back arched with a quick scream of pleasure and the overstimulation that you associated with squirting. Joel groaned in pleasure as you burst with feeling.

“Atta fuckin’ girl, baby! That’s it, shit I’m gonna come,” Joel gasped as you soaked him, a vision beneath him, sweat slicked tits bouncing, mouth agape in a shout of intense pleasure and eyes practically rolling into the back of your head.

Joel's hips stuttered, his balls tightening even more as he felt his pleasure travel from deep within his core, up to the swollen tip of his cock. “Fuck, baby,” Joel whimpered into your neck as he began to spurt his come deep into your womb, hips stuttering and grinding against yours with the need to stuff you full of his cum.

“Yes, Joel,” you whimpered as you felt him empty himself within you. You nudged his head as he did, wanting to see his handsome face in pleasure. He lifted and looked down at you, cum still spilling, overflowing you and trickling down your ass. “That’s it, baby. Fill me up good. I want all your cum,” you whispered softly as you gazed up at him. His face was so vulnerable and needy in that moment you couldn’t help but clench around him once more.

His balls had emptied with each ejection of his cum inside you, hips finally stilling as his cock became oversensitized to the stimulation still happening.

“Easy, baby girl. Easy.” Joel chuckled as he fell against you, completely spent before kissing you so softly that your heart jumped. “You think I can go again at my age?”

“You think I can go again after that?” You giggled breathily, completely satisfied. The impending avalanche of emotions purged from you in pleasure by your lover.

“Yeah, baby. Don’t doubt yourself.” Joel rubbed his nose against yours affectionately, a small grin on his face, eyes as soft as chocolate ice-cream.

“Then you don’t doubt yourself either.”

“I know my limits and my back is shot, darlin',” Joel grumbled in annoyance, his softly grinning face turning so grumpily pouty you couldn’t help but melt, you loved that you got to see this side of him that he unveiled to no one else but you. He really was all yours.

“Oh, poor baby,” you whispered to him before nudging him to the side so he could rest flat on the mattress, his softened dick slipping out of you with a flood of his cum which tickled your still trembling thighs. You definitely planned on giving him another back massage as soon as you both got some sleep, he had fucked you so perfectly; hard and loving. He certainly deserved it. “Rest now, we’re together and that’s all that matters.”

Joel sighed as he settled into the admittedly uncomfortable bed, but with you snuggling up against his chest he had no complaints.

“I don’t want you goin’ out there without me anymore, okay? Fuck the business, you’re more important.”

You looked up at him “As long as you don’t go out there without me either, we’re more important,” you agreed with a sigh of relief.

“Just you and me, darlin’. That’s all I need,” Joel assured you.

You snuggled deeper into his strong arms, a warm sense of safety and love blanketing your heart as his arms tightened and his lips kissed the top of your head with a mumbled, “Love you, hell-raiser.”

You kissed his chest before replying, “Love you too, big guy.”

A/N: Thank you to any of you who made it to the end of this, I hope you enjoyed it! Please consider reblogging and/or commenting to help this little story of mine find new readers💕😘

[waterdeep-weavemoss]

Mother

@dansnotavampire inspired this one. Musings on Raphael's mother.

'Do you know I could break beneath the weight of the goodness, love, I still carry for you?'

She has been trying to break in for thousands of years. Other shades wander the wastes of avernus, flickering in and out of its red valleys, the styx cutting like a wound across the heat and dust. She has no mortal weight, no body she can go home to, but cruelty hangs like air in this place; a single moment haunts her. A baby, or what might have been one in another life, drawn from the offal of her body crushed red like pomegranate seeds. The memory is torn at the edges, pain washing her vision in red as magic knits her back together. In the space of a few heartbeats, she sees what has been brought forth from her, the deep brown of her own eyes, the twisted, fanged little mouth.

Taken away.

She might have loved him, had she been allowed. Even with the stories whispered around the boundary of the House of Hope, the horrors on the inside, she might have. Not the devil who begat him. That particular trauma was still knifelike behind her eyes, or where they would’ve been if she weren’t a breath amidst brimstone and flame. She’d dreamed him, the devil, put the night from her mind until she began to change.

And the child looked like her. She’s been haunted since.

So she tries to break in, and fails, and tries again. He doesn’t even know she’s there. Just one of the millions of wretches wilting on a battlefield.

Then one day, a stranger. Mortal, striding into the house like she owns it, unshackling that poor girl bound beneath the sumptuous hall. She knows the layout, even if she cannot enter. She peers in the windows. She knows there is something that looks like him but is not him. He’s never glanced outside. That mortal sets everything on fire. And with the seals broken, whatever magic that kept her out, she sets foot over the threshhold.

He’s coming home. She makes it to the portal and waits, for just a glimpse. He is so angry, the house trembles with it. He materialises from nothing, stride so like his terrible sire.

She sees her son for the second time.

Raphael.

Named for an angel in a story from nowhere, his lips pulled back in an expression of fury and hate. She had hoped, like a fool, that it might fall away when he looked upon her. That he might smile. Instead, his eyes cloud over with something entirely unexpected.

Fear.

‘Not possible,’ he whispers. She can almost sense his human heart.

‘Raphael,’ she says, barely an echo. ‘My son.’

The doors bang open. That mortal girl wielding an infernal hammer, standing in the doorway. She frowns in confusion at the devil trembling before her, cowering under the gaze of a woman who barely reached his shoulder even in human guise.

‘What in the hells is going on?’ A spike of fear. If the devil is afraid…

‘It- my- she’s my-’ Raphael cannot form the words. For the first time in his life, he sounds so, so human.

But the girl can see it. In the set of his jaw, the defiant set to the mouth, the burn of his gaze. And he looks at her now. It might have been with hate, but his mother sees through, even now, even separated from his babyhood she knows.

The girl takes a step back. Her hands tremble; adrenaline is thrumming through her body, sweat on her brow from the heat. She balls her hands into fists.

‘You’ve done terrible things,’ says his mother. ‘The stories about you… I can’t be proud. I wish I could. I wish there could be love in this house. But you have lost your way, or never had it to begin with. But I would’ve loved you, if I was allowed to.’

‘Stop.’ His voice is a knife’s edge.

‘I wanted to. Keep you, I mean. Even though objectively it would’ve been the worst-’

‘That’s enough.’

‘No, child. You will listen. Your nature can be overcome, if you want it enough.’

‘I never stop wanting,’ he replies, voice cracking. ‘Never. And it hurts.’

‘I know.’

The girl is at a loss. Taking a step back, and another. But the woman catches her eye, roots her to the floor. Shakes her head. Save him, she seems to say.

‘Begone,’ says the devil. His mother does not move. He follows her gaze, alights on the mortal fool.

Comprehension in the girl’s face. He is looking at her in desperation. For help.

‘You can be better than this.’ He shudders when his mother takes his hand. Has he ever had a kind touch? He closes his eyes, tries to will her away. But she stays, and he buckles, knees hitting the floor, head bowing. She holds him like she would have done if he were a small boy, and for her of course, he was.

Tags:

@bluerosetarot @dansnotavampire @further-than-forever

@forget-me-maybe @poetryvampire @sasha199 @wandawillow

@boufsy @owlseeyoulaterpal @lanafofana @amorgansgal

@auroraesmeraldarose @aryancunin @miradelletarot @marlowethebard

@netherese0rb @crimson-and-lavender @reeseykins @medra-gonbites

@roguishcat @weaverofnetheril @galedekarioswifey @hyperfixationstation128 @lastlight-inn

@astarryvamp @feedthepheasants @dabigstinky @dreamingofthewild @ladyofcrowsandcoffee

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Teenage Dreams (13 going on 30 AU) - part 2

Eddie Munson x reader

<- Previous part Next Part ->

Word Count:3, 054

SERIES MASTERLIST

Masterlist // Eddie Munson Masterlist

*dividers by @saradika-graphics

You roll around in bed, happily dreaming until you’re rudely awakened with a start as you find yourself slumped on the bedroom floor, realising that you must’ve rolled and fallen out of bed. Groggily you lift your sleep mask from your eyes and stumble around the room until you reach the door-handle.

It’s only when you start to walk through the hallway from your bedroom into the adjoining living space that you suddenly realise that you don’t recognise where you are.This wasn’t your home, the walls were a different colour, and the layout of the rooms were completely different. Actually, come to think of it, even in the dimly lit bedroom, the familiar sight of your Bananarama poster in your bedroom, was nowhere to be seen. 

You continue to stumble further into the living room, catching a look at yourself in the mirror.

With a shrieking scream you stumble back to the floor.

Who was that old woman looking back at you in the mirror? Surely that couldn’t have been your reflection, the last time you checked you were a thirteen year old girl, not a fully grown adult woman. 

You smush your face in your hands, pinching at your cheeks and raising your eyebrows, only for your reflection in the mirror to follow your every move. Your hands move down your body, skimming over the silky material of your slip dress nighty, stopping at the curves of your boobs. Boobs? When did they happen?

“What is happening?” you whisper softly to yourself. Your head was practically spinning with confusion. 

You stumble on unsteady feet to slump down in a nearby sofa chair, holding your head in your hands you try your best to make sense of what you had woken up to.

Finally you clear your head enough to look up, and see the small stack of mail on the coffee table. Picking up each envelope, you see your name printed on them clear as day, one after another you sift through the mail, and sure enough they’re all addressed to you.

“Okay…” you drag out as you talk to yourself, trying to understand what was happening. “So this is my apartment.”

Your eyes scan around the room, finally landing on the phone on the side table. Quickly you reach for it and immediately dial your familiar number of your family home. The phone’s dial tone rings for a few seconds before going to voicemail.

“We’re not here at the moment, but be sure to leave your message at the tone and we’ll get back to you when we can!” comes your mother’s chirpy message recording.

“This is a dream, this has to be a dream. It’s all just a very weird, very strange dream.”

You get up from your seat, thinking it might be a good idea to tentatively walk around your new dwellings, at least to see what kind of place you were now living in.

You make your way back down the hallway towards the bedroom in which you had previously stumbled out of, when the sound of running water and the faint low rumblings of someone singing was coming from the room opposite. Suddenly your heart-rate spikes when you realise that you’re not alone in your apartment. There is someone in your bathroom, and judging by the singing, it’s a guy. A man. A man in your shower. Presumably a naked man in your shower.

The bathroom door opens up, swirling streams of steam billow out to reveal some guy that you have never seen before. He was tall and toned, the water droplets cascading down his chiselled chest, down to where his towel was slung low on his hip.

“Oh hey, sweetcheeks, I was just finishing up in there, unless…you want to join me for a little early morning action?” he smirks, wiggling his eyebrows at you and dropping his towel.

You let out a yelp as you quickly cover your eyes. You most certainly did not want to join him, not one little bit. Hastily you run back to grab, presumably your, coat that’s hanging off the peg on the wall and slip on the pair of shoes set down by the door. You didn’t know where, but you had to get away, just anywhere but here.

The man calls out after you, hollering that nickname once more.

“Sweetcheeks! Where are you running off too?”

You sprint out of your front door, getting in the elevator and making your way out of your apartment block’s revolving door.

And there, on the curb stood next to a dark car with its back door open, is a woman. She’s got a mobile phone in one hand pressed against her ear as she talks rapidly to the person on the other end of the line, and in her other hand she’s got a steaming cup of coffee. 

“I don’t care if you have to drag him by his ballsack, I want him in New York in 12 hours, you hear me? He needs to be at the party.” she shouts before pulling away from the phone to look at you. “There you are! Can you hurry up and get in the car already, we’re going to be late.” she snaps, handing the cup of coffee over to you.

You shake your head, your parents always told you to never get into a stranger’s vehicle, and that rule had served you pretty well until now.

“I’m not supposed to get into the car with strangers!” you fluster.

“Come on, stop messing around, I really don’t have time for this, just get into the car.” she pleads between talking to the person on the phone. “Just tell him because Nancy Wheeler said so, that should get him off his ass.” she rolls her eyes, as if annoyed at the response the other person gives her. 

Wait, Nancy Wheeler? Was this Nancy Wheeler all grown up? 

“Hey, Honey-Bunches!” comes the voice of the strange man you had woken up to in your apartment. You look up and see that he’s leaning out of your apartment’s window. “Have a good day at work! I love you!”

Between the still unnamed, strange man in your apartment, and this lady who was increasingly trying to usher you into the back of the car, you weigh up your options. Taking the chance you slip into the back seat of the car.

Now you find yourself sitting next to Nancy in the back of the car, hurtling down the busy streets, although wherever she was taking you was anybody’s guess. 

“Look I know I’m your best friend, but the slip dress is a bit more sleep-wear than office-wear, don’t you think?” she says

“Are you really my best friend?” you ask, turning to look at her.

“Oh my god, don’t tell me you’re pregnant, aren’t you?” 

“No! Oh no! God no!” you splutter.

“That’s a relief, you had me worried there. What did you get up to last night?” she asks, her eyebrows raising as she takes a sip from her coffee cup.

“See, that’s the thing, I’ve just had a really weird morning. I woke up in an apartment I’ve never seen before, and there was a naked man in my shower!” then you lean in closer to Nancy, letting your voice drop to a whisper. “I even saw his…you know what..” you flush,

“Ooh scandalous!” she giggles, before turning to the driver in the front. “You can just drop us out here thank you.” 

She opens her door and starts to walk towards the tall high rise building, with you desperately trailing behind her, frantically babbling your worries.

“Wait! Wait up! You don’t understand! Listen to me! I’m thirteen!”

“Look, if you’re going to start lying about your age, I go with 27, it’s a lot more believable.” Nancy shakes her head with a scoff.

“No, really! I know it sounds strange but I had this really weird dream…and what is that noise?” you swirl around on your toes trying to figure out where the sound is coming from.

“It’s your phone.” she says bluntly, reaching into your bag to pull out your mobile that was ringing incessantly. “It’s probably just Michael”

“Who’s Micheal” 

“God how much did you have to drink last night, huh? Michael, you know, your boss. Tall, dark hair, kind of stuck up and arrogant” Nancy says, handing you your mobile phone.

You take your mobile off her, and press it to your ear, only to hear the now familiar voice of the guy from your apartment.

“Hey, cutie-pie..” he starts but you cut him off.

“You! Put on your pants and get out of my apartment! And stop it with all these stupid pet names!” you shout down the line, before snapping your phone shut.

“Ooh who was that?” Nancy giggles, as if she’s caught you in the middle of some scandalous bit of gossip.

“I have no idea.” you say bluntly. “I don’t know what’s happening, and I don’t know what to do.” you pout.

Nancy stops you in the middle of the street and grabs you by your shoulders.

“Look, I don’t know what’s up with you today, but you have got to get a grip on things. We have a meeting in 10 minutes!” she says, locking eyes with you as she lightly shakes you by the shoulders. “Repeat after me: I am Y/n. I’m a big-time magazine editor..”

“I am?”

“Yes. You’re a big-time magazine editor, and you are a tough bitch.” she nods, looking for you to repeat her words back to her.

“I am Y/n. I’m a big-time magazine editor..and I’m..” you mumble before dropping your voice to a shy whisper “a tough bitch.”

“And you are going to walk into that office, and you are not going to let anybody know that you’re hungover..”

“But I’m not hungover.” you try to correct her, but Nancy raises her eyebrows in suspicion.

“Good, you just keep telling yourself that, because the future of Star Magazine depends on you.”

“Star Magazine?” you stutter out. Star Magazine was the holy bible for every young woman going, you had spent many hours pouring over every article and picture, following their fashion and beauty advice like it was gospel, and always making sure to read your horoscope.

“Oh boy, this is going to be a long day.” Nancy shakes her head at you with a huff.

As you walk into the office space of the building, you're immediately bombarded with your assumed work colleagues who are looking to you for your opinion.

“We need to decide on a layout for this article before we go to print” says one guy, holding up two different images of magazine covers.

“Just pick any one, it’s not like it hardly matters.” Nancy says, leaning into your ear.

“Oh, um.. That one!” you smile and as quick as a flash the guy is gone.

You proceed to walk down the bustling space following Nancy’s every step. 

“There you two are! The dream team!” A tall man with dark hair comes strolling up to you. “I’m going to assume that my executive editors are late again because they were terribly busy promoting us at all of this city’s hottest parties.”

“You got it, Michael.” Nancy says, slyly rolling her eyes behind his back.

Okay, so this guy was your boss, best not to get on his bad side.

 You sit yourself down at the large table in the office’s meeting room, dutifully writing your name in a swirling script at the top of the page of blank notebook paper in front of you. Everyone else is settling themselves into their seats as Michael takes up his space standing at the head of the board-room’s table, awaiting everyone’s attention with a quietly commanding presence.

As you settle yourself down in your seat, an older woman pops her head over your shoulder.

“Is there anything you need from me, Miss L/n?” she asks sweetly

“You mean like a favour?” 

“Sure, if you want.” she nods slowly.

“I really need to find this guy, I’m not sure where he’s living but I can give you his number.” you say, hastily scribbling down Eddie’s name with his uncle Wayne’s phone number on to the paper, before tearing it off and handing it to the lady. It was unlikely that he was probably still living there, but it’s the only number you had to go off.

“Uh, if you could leave us please, so we can get the meeting started.” Quickly, the sweet older lady scurries off, under Michael’s intense stare.

Michael claps his hands together to get everyone’s attention on him. Without a word he pins a print of last month’s front cover of Star Magazine to the corkboard behind him, the print of the magazine sits next to a print of last month’s magazine from Diamond Magazine. Both magazine covers bear a lot of similarities, almost to the point of them being near-on identical.

“For the past six months, Diamond magazine has been one step-ahead of us, giving their readers the latest scoops in celebrity gossip and fashion tips, and we have been trailing behind them, falling out of popularity. We need to prove to everyone that Star Magazine is still hot and happening, and very much relevant.  Our party tonight is going to be huge, so we need to do everything we can to make sure that we come out on top for once, and steal back our lost readership.” he rattles off his concerns. “Y/N, what do you think?” he asks and suddenly everyone in the meeting turns their eyes to you, waiting for your reply.

“Uhh..Yeah, sounds good. Definitely sounds like you got a plan there, boss.” you nod, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

You trudge your feet out of the meeting room and down the hallway, when your eyes land on a door that has a small metal plate with your name on it.

“I guess this must be my office?” you say to yourself as you push through the door.

Once inside the room, you cast your eyes over the numerous fashion drawings, articles, and sticky post-it notes tacked on to the walls. Then your eyes see a small framed picture on your desk, it’s a photo of the strange naked man you had seen in your apartment, only this time he was wearing clothes. His arm was slung around your shoulder and he was planting a kiss on your cheek, and to your surprise there was a bright and beaming smile on your face.

You square your eyes, pointing to the picture.

“You can’t fool me, mister. I’m on to your games.” you scowl at the photo, but a sudden knock at your door startles you with a jump. 

“Good afternoon, Miss L/n, I have your messages, and I also have the information you asked for.” She smiles before continuing. “I called the number you gave me, the guy on the other end of the line seemed a bit stand-offish..” Yup, that was Wayne Munson, alright. “..But once I told him you were looking for Edward, he was only too happy to help. He’s living downtown, on 213 Park Street, apartment 2A” she says, handing you over a piece of paper with all the information on it.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name earlier?” 

“Uh, it’s Patricia, Ma’am.”

“Patricia, you’re an absolute angel.” you bring her into a tight hug. “And please, don’t call me ma’am, it makes me feel as old as my mother.” and with that you were rushing out the door and making your way out of the building.

“Wait! Should I cancel your 3.00 meeting?” Patricia calls after you, but she goes unanswered because nothing else mattered to you. You were going to meet Eddie and everything would be alright.

You flag down a taxi and ask them to take you to Park Street. You arrive at the address that Patricia had given you, and you stand outside the door, frantically buzzing the call button to be let into the building.

“Uh, hello, who is this?”

“Hi, this is Y/n and I’m looking for Eddie. And I don’t know if you’re the same Eddie but if you used to live in Roane county trailer park with your uncle Wayne, and your favourite band is Metallica then I need to speak to you right now.” you babble nervously into the speaker.

“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that..” comes the voice through the other end of the speaker.

“Eddie..please..it’s me.” you plead in a last effort to  speak to your friend.

You wait a second and the door unlocks for you. Quickly you go up to the floor where Eddie’s apartment hopefully is, and you locate his front door. You knock your fist against the wood, steadying your nerves with a breath hoping to any god that was listening that this was your Eddie.

The door opens up a peek, with the lock still bolted shut. 

“Um..Hello..?” Says the man from behind the door.

“Eddie?” you ask hopefully.

“Yeah…That’s me.”

He was taller, the shorter mess of dark curls that you remember were longer, falling down around his shoulders in a shaggy mess. Those familiar chubby cheeks of the boy you remember were nowhere to be seen, but those big brown eyes and button nose were unmistakable. This was your Eddie, all grown up.

“You look so different..” you sigh.

“Uh..okay?”

“You don’t know me?” trying to hide the hurt in your voice that even your best friend didn’t recognise you. “It’s so funny because I saw you yesterday, only it wasn’t yesterday, because we were both thirteen and now we’re not, because I’m here talking to you.” you ramble quietly.

“Y/n?” Eddie asks. “Is it really you?”

“Yeah it’s me, Eddie.” a wave of relief washes over you once more as Eddie unbolts the door to open it up for you.

You fling your arms around him in a tight hug, happy to have him back in your life. His arm snakes around your body, giving you a friendly one-armed hug.

“Why don’t you come in?” he smiles, pulling away from the hug.

@paybacksawitch @penguinsandpotterheads @ali-r3n @aphrogeneias @eddiesxangel @mrsjellymunson @munsonology @onegirlmanytales @xxbimbobunnyxx @optimisticallygarbage @nailbatanddungeon

[gingerjolover]

Julien with the prompt "I can't risk losing you again." <3

hi baby! i combined this with 2 other #30 w julien asks as well as two asks that requested a haunted house mini fic (i hope that's ok mwah)

wc: somewhere around 775 (short king!)

julien baker x fem!reader - #30 "I can't risk losing you again."

The orange and green strobe lights do nothing to help pave your way through the dark hallway, the panic rising in your chest as actors in horrifying makeup jump out, just barely grazing your shoulders and hips. This was not how the night was supposed to go.

5 minutes ago, Julien's hands were on your hips, your fingers interlocked with Phoebe's as she walked in front of you; Lucy in front of Phoebe, Billie behind Julien, your other friends scattered sporadically, effectively sandwiching you between them as you walked through the haunted house.

Signing a release was the first sign that this was not a good idea.

The second was the orange wristband Julien insisted you ask for as a precaution. “Do not separate," stamped on the outside.

Yet here you were, like a mouse in a maze, trying to maneuver through the twisting hallways, the exit nowhere in sight.

You swear you can hear Lucy's scream, but she doesn't sound near or far. The best thing you can do is hide in the corner, recalling the moment an actor with "melting skin" popped up out of the floor, your entire group scattering in different directions; you felt Phoebe's hand slip from yours, Julien getting pushed into a different direction behind you.

It feels like there's no way out; your breathing gets heavier, and the corner comforts you with promises that nothing can come up behind you. Your back slides down the wall, eyes squeezing shut, hands to your ears to drown out the screams and cackling.

You don't know how long you sit there before two cold hands grab your body, one on your ankle and the other near your cheek. You're instantly screaming, kicking, and pushing the hands away.

"Baby... hey, hey! Babe! Hey! It's me, It's Jule...ow don't kick me," Julien says loudly, grabbing your wrists. Your eyes try to focus on her face, the strobe lights behind her washing her out. You instantly wrap your arms around her shoulders, small sobs leaking out of your eyes, her hands moving to support your lower back. "Shh, sweet girl, I know, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry baby..." your tears soaking into her flannel jacket. She pushes you away softly so she can see your face, wiping your eyes as she presses apologetic kisses to your cheeks.

"You left me," you say softly, voice thick with emotion. Julien's heart cracks; your wobbly tone and slight rasp fill her with guilt, even if it was an accident. "I would never leave you on purpose, princess. I got shoved to the left, and when I turned around, you were gone..." Julien says sympathetically, the music getting louder, groups of screaming teens and young adults passing you where you're both hidden in the corner of a long hallway.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," Julien says, cradling your arms and helping lift you up. Julien aggressively grabs your belt loops, tugging you to her front, your back hitting her chest harshly, "Ow, don't be so rough," you grumble, already feeling anxious.

"I can't risk losing you again," Julien says, leaning close to your ear. She places a few kisses on your hair before you start to walk through. You've walked for a few minutes when Julien pushes herself in front of you, choosing to lead you, facing whatever is ahead of you first. She has you grab her belt as an anchor, walking quickly, telling you to keep your head down. It was like Julien had gotten familiar with the layout while you were separated, reaching the exit easily and with only 12 panicked screams from you.

As soon as you get out, Julien's face goes from determined to pissed, her eyebrows furrowing as she steps away and puts her hands on her face. "You have a fucking wristband, how did none of the actors attempt to-"

"Julien, please just... can you just hold me for a sec?" you ask, slightly panting, the adrenaline coursing through your body quickly.

Julien's eyes soften instantly, moving back towards you, "Yeah pretty girl, I- I'm sorry," before wrapping you up in a hug.

Phoebe comes rushing out, face flushed and eyes wide, a small smile lifting on her face in relief when she’s the two of you.

"Thank fuck, there you are," Phoebe says, moving to you quickly. Julien steps back and allows Phoebe to pull you into a bone-crushing hug. "I went back in because when we all got separated, I couldn't find you or Julien. Billie and Lucy got out but went over to ask the worker to find you because of the wristband and-"

"Pheebs I'm fine," you breathe out, a little overwhelmed at Phoebe's out-of-character quick and panicked speech. "Julien found me," you say softly.

"She kicked me," Julien says deadpan.

"Why did you kick her?"

"Phoebe, I couldn't fuckin see anything!”

[madhatterbri]

Birthday Surprise | C.C.

Summary: Y/N finds out she drank a little too much last night. 18+.

Author's Note: Happy birthday to everyone's favorite Patriarch. It was between this or Professor Cage AU and honestly this came to me so quickly. ❤️

Happy Collision Saturday, babes. 🫶

Christian Cage Masterlist

AEW Masterlist

Taglist: @theworldofotps @smallestsnarkestgirl @surdelcielo @magicalbuttertarts

The sound of a shower running slowly stirred Y/N from her slumber. She blinked a few times to adjust her vision. The plain white ceiling above slowly comes into view. She rubbed her eyes slowly. Her hand reached out to the nightstand. With cell phone in hand, she frowned at the low battery percentage.

How could it possibly be so low? Wasn't it charging all night?

The wrestler reasoned that her cellphone charger must have fallen out over night. She rolled over to grab the cord, but noticed it was nowhere in sight. Maybe Kris stole it. She had been complaining about it lately.

Now that she thought about it. The layout of the room was different than the room she checked into yesterday. The other room had two queen beds. This one currently seemed to have one king-sized bed. Her bra and underwear were lying on the floor. Y/N always proud herself in being neat and putting all her dirty clothes in the luggage. A sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks. The blankets around her weren't hitting her clothes. They were hitting her skin.

You aren't naked.

She repeated this in her head like a mantra. Maybe if she repeated it one hundred times, this would be true. When she was mentally ready, she raised the covers that shielded her from the world. In her shock and horror, she was as naked as the day she was born.

Her clothes weren't far from her. They laid just a few feet away. The shower in the bathroom was still running. Maybe she could get dressed quickly and run out of here like the building was on fire.

After gathering enough belief in herself, she kicked off the covers over her body. The white sheets bunched at the foot of her bed. She ran to the first item of clothing she could grab: her bra.

"Come on, come on, Y/N, faster," she told herself. Her arms were the first through the bra, followed by her head. Her fingers fiddled with the bra until it clung to her body just as she wanted. Before she could reach the rest of her clothes, the shower turned off.

The bathroom door opened, and the smell of a man's cologne filled the room. It smelled expensive. Maybe she didn't completely screw this all up. At least he had money.

Y/N cursed under her breath and made her way back to the bed. The presumed man walked out of the bathroom wearing a polo with jeans. A tattoo stuck out underneath one of the sleeves. He was muscular. A mister blonde hair and light eyes hottie. Okay, she definitely didn't screw this up. Until she noticed who was standing in front of her. Christian Cage.

She gasped and placed the blankets higher to cover her bra.

He chuckled at her sudden movement. "Don't be shy. I saw it all last night,"

She glared at him. "You didn't see anything, and we are not talking about this.... How did I get here?"

"I thought we weren't talking about this,"

"Answer the question, Cage,"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic, Y/N. We drank too much and had sex,"

Impossible. She wasn't that type of girl. There must be some sort of mistake. Maybe she poured some food on her clothes or something. Y/N looked at the dress she wore last night. There was not a single blemish or stain on it.

They stared at each other momentarily. "Aren't you going to look away? I need to get dressed,"

"I literally saw everything last night," he interjected.

In true gentleman fashion, Christian started to list off of every birthmark and scar on her body. Some definitely couldn't be seen unless her clothes were off.

"Just turn around so I can get dressed," she groaned.

Christian muttered under his breath. He stomped his feet to turn around. Arms crossed over his chest. A loud sigh heaved from him like this was the biggest inconvenience in his perfect life.

Y/N dashed out of the bed. She slipped on her underwear first and then her dress.

"Can I organize my room now?" Christian asked impatiently.

Y/N answered a yes with attitude. She pinched the bridge of her nose. A headache started to form. Years must have been taken off her life by now from him increasing her blood pressure.

"There are literally housekeepers here that'll tidy up your room,"

Christian turned around. He rubbed his face in frustration. Oh, yeah, like she's the problem in this situation.

"Yeah, and I would greatly appreciate it if they didn't see the open condom wrapper on my nightstand,"

To make a point, he grabbed the condom wrapper from the table. The wrapper crinkled loudly in his fingers. Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. The indisputable evidence in the biggest pain of the ass' fingers.

Oh my God, they did have sex.

Well, at least it was protected, right?

"We aren't saying a word to anyone. You stick with the weird little family you have, and I stick with my totally cool and amazing friends," Y/N told him. She grabbed her shoes by the couch and slipped them on.

Kris was going to bombard her with questions. Questions she didn't exactly feel like answering now or ever.

"Don't worry I won't tell Kip,"

Y/N tensed at her ex-boyfriend's name. They only broke up about a month ago, and it was still so fresh. Well, to her it was. The healing was taking longer than she anticipated. One of the drawbacks of having to work close to her ex.

"I am leaving," she announced to no one in particular. Her feet started to carry her towards the door.

"Hey, wait!" He exclaimed. Christian walked to her. The condom wrapper was still in his hand. "Don't you want a souvenir to remember the best lay of your entire life?"

She glared at him, but continued to walk away.

"Can I at least get a happy birthday?"

She stopped at the door. Her hand reated securely on the door handle. Before she left, she only had three little words for him.

"Go fuck yourself,"

[ripdragonbeans]

Do You Believe In Fate? // Part 6 // Aegon II x Reader

Summary: You spend the night with Aegon.

Warnings: smut, unprotected sex

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6

You couldn't help the blush that stained your cheeks the entire drive back to his house. It was a dream come true, and hopefully it will stay that way. By the time you arrived, everyone was asleep and Cassandra was out of the house. Good riddance. You despised the girl. It would've been one thing to ask for money for fake dating but to force Aegon to have sex with her was horrific. No one should be used like that. Just thinking about it made you clench your knuckles until they were white.

Aegon held your hand as you crossed the threshold into the house. He held on tight as though he was afraid to lose you. All the lights were off so you trusted Aegon’s knowledge of the layout to get to his room. Granted, you knew the layout, too, but you let him take the lead.

By the tone he had when he made his request, you know he didn't expect anything to happen tonight but spending time together but you wanted more. More of his kisses, more of his touch, more of him. Heat pooled in your core just thinking about what “more” could imply. The two of you turned the corner that led to his room. Before he opened the door, however, you stopped and pulled him to you.

“I'm not against anything tonight,” you whispered. “I know you don't expect anything to happen but I'm more than willing.” You pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

Aegon groaned when you pulled away. “Shit, I really wasn't expecting anything but now you have me rethinking everything. What do you want, baby?”

You opened the door. “You.”

Immediately, Aegon pushed you into his room. Closing the door without looking behind him, he turned you around so you were pressed against a wall. He captured your lips in a heated kiss. His arm caged you between him and that wall. There was nowhere to go; not that you’d want to go anywhere else. There was fire and passion between you two. All of the unsaid words, all of the emotions built up over the years, were finally released.

You ran your hand over his chest and rocked your hips forward. Aegon quickly realized what you were doing and wedged his leg between yours so you could grind on him. The heat that pooled in your stomach intensified, building. You wanted more and you were going to take it. Taking one of Aegon’s hands, you guided it over your breast and leaned into his touch. The kiss grew hotter as he began to let his hands wander. You were practically sitting on his knee, grinding against him. The thin fabric of your panties were quickly getting wet and you loved it. Aegon pulled away from the kiss briefly to watch you. His eyes were glazed over with lust.

“Ride my leg, babe.” His voice was raspy.

Hooking your arms around his neck, you began to grind faster. Aegon was holding you up; one hand around your waist and the other cupping your ass. He gave your butt a squeeze, making you moan and throw your head back.

“Gods, you’re sexy. I’ve wanted this for so long,” he said as he moved both hands to your waist.

Aegon stopped your ministrations, much to your dismay, but distracted you by picking you up bridal style and carrying you to his bed. He threw you onto the bed with little grace and quickly climbed on top of you. Nudging your head to the side, he kissed up your neck and nibbled on your earlobe. The sensation had you lifting up your hips to meet his.

Aegon whispered, “Patience.”

You groaned in response, wanting more touches, more friction, more everything.

One of his hands slowly made its way down your body, teasing your nipples through the dress then dragging its way down to your core. You gasped when you felt his touch on your inner thigh. The heat that had relaxed a bit made its way back to your stomach as he ghosted his fingers over your panties. He teased you. Aegon’s gentle circles over your clothed clit had you groaning. You pulled him closer to you so you could nuzzle your face into his neck.

“More, please,” you said.

He stopped his circling. “Since you asked so nicely.”

In one swift movement, Aegon pulled down your panties and rubbed his fingers against you. “Fuck, you’re so wet already, baby.”

“Mmhm,” was the only way you could reply.

You moved your hips to match his rhythm but caught you off guard when he plunged a finger into your core. You moaned loudly but Aegon covered your mouth with his before you could make any more noise.

He stilled his hand. “As much as I want to hear all those sweet sounds, you have to be quiet for me, okay?”

After nodding your head in acknowledgement, he began pumping his finger in and out. Soon, he added in a second. Curving his fingers perfectly, he hit that special spot inside you that had made you putty in his hands. On top of that, he used his other hand to circle your clit. It felt so good. You were almost at your peak and Aegon could tell.

“Fuck, are you gonna cum? Gonna make my pretty girl cum all over my hands then I’ll taste you,” he said as he moved faster.

White hot pleasure ran over you, your whole body tensing as Aegon helped you ride out your orgasm. When he slowly stopped moving, your mind cleared ever so slightly. As soon as you were able to, you pulled him down into a searing kiss. When Aegon broke the kiss you made a noise of complaint, but shut your mouth when he lifted up your dress to take it off of you. He was about to go in for another kiss when you stopped him.

“If you get to see all of me then I get to see all of you,” you whispered against his lips. One of your hands began palming him over his pants. “I want to see that thick cock of yours.”

“Fuck,” he said as he began to peel off his clothes. “I can’t deny you anything anymore.”

Soon, both of you were completely bare. For a moment you just stayed there on the bed, kneeling and facing each other as you ran your hands over each other’s bodies. When Aegon cupped your tits, you caught him licking his lips.

“Do it,” you told him.

Aegon swooped his head down and began to kiss his way to your nipple. You moaned and threw your head back as you held his head close to your chest. He was so close to your nipple, you arched forward, but instead, he decided to tease you. Slowly, he ran his tongue around your nipple, getting close but not too close. You tried pushing his head but refused to give in to you. After what felt like hours, he gave in and took a nipple into his mouth. After all the teasing, you couldn’t help but moan. Aegon gave you a look but kept going all the same. Tongue swirling over one taught peak, he released it with an obscene pop then moved to the next one. He didn’t bother with the teasing this time; he went straight for it.

When he was done he pushed you on your back and spread your legs. “I still haven’t tasted you, yet.” That was all he said before he moved down your body and ducked his head between your legs.

You felt Aegon lick a strip up the center of your pussy and it immediately had you wanting more. As he played with your clit, he brought his fingers into the mix and began fucking you. You met his thrusts with your hips the best you could but it was hard to focus. All you could think about was Aegon. After a moment or two he switched it up. He fucked you with his tongue and used his fingers to mess with your clit. The sensations were too good, it felt like heaven. Soon, you reached your peak and screamed out his name. As soon as his name left your lips, however, he shut you up with another kiss.

When you broke apart, you told him, “It’s my turn to taste you.”

Aegon visibly swallowed. “You don’t have to if -”

“- I want to, Aeg.”

It was your turn to climb on top of him and move your way down his body. His cock was thick and hard. Your mouth watered at the sight of it. Testing the water, you kept your eyes on Aegon as you licked the tip. He bit his fist to keep from moaning out loud and threw his head back. Feeling energized, you began to lick more and more of his length. Once you licked the length of him twice, you took him into your mouth.

“Fucking hell,” Aegon rasped out.

Looking up at him, you gave him a wink before bobbing your head up and down. His eyes went wide as he watched you take all of him. He was hitting the back of your throat and it made your eyes water but you didn’t care. All you cared about was making him feel good. As you took him, one of your hands moved down to play with yourself. You hallowed out your throat and kept at it, taking him over and over again. His precum was salty on your tongue and you wanted all of it. Aegon, however, pulled out before he could finish.

“When I cum, it’s gonna be in that pretty pussy, not your mouth,” he growled.

He grabbed you by the waist and flipped you over so he was on top. Lining himself up with your entrance, he slowly pushed himself in. He was so big, you had to take a moment to adjust for his size.

You took a deep breath. “Fuck me.”

As soon as you said those words, Aegon moved his hips. It was complete bliss. He filled you up so good. Picking up the pace, he caged you in his arms. Every now and then he would lean down to kiss you. Quickly, he gave up on holding himself up and instead embraced you as he fucked you into the mattress.

“More, more, please,” you begged.

Aegon got up, causing you to groan at the loss of him inside you, but flipped you over so you were on your stomach.

“Ass up, baby,” Aegon instructed.

Following his orders, you got on your hands and knees and wiggled your ass teasingly. A sharp smack hit you but was quickly soothed by a kiss and a squeeze. Using both hands, Aegon spread your cheeks and licked you from your pussy to your puckered hole. You pushed into his face, wanting more. He gave you one last smack on the butt before plunging his cock back into your pussy.

Aegon didn’t take his time. He fucked you like tonight was the last night you’d ever be together. You rocked your hips back and forth, trying to keep up with him, but he was going so hard and so fast it was difficult to keep up. Not only that, but you were dazed from the amount of pleasure you’ve been receiving. Aegon’s cock was hitting the right spot over and over again. You were tightening around him.

“Fuck, cum with me,” he ordered.

He picked up his pace and soon there was no rhythm or rhyme with his thrusts, only pure desire. With three last deep thrusts, both you and Aegon hit your peaks together.

Aegon collapsed on you but did his best to catch himself.

“You can lay on me, it’s okay,” you murmured.

“Give me a few moments and I promise I’ll clean you up,” he murmured back.

You smiled and tried to turn to kiss his cheek but failed.

“Okay, time to get up.” Aegon groaned as he pulled himself out of you and hobbled to his bathroom.

While he was getting the wash rag, you rolled over and took in what had just happened. Exhaling deeply, you felt a blush beginning to creep up once again.

“Oh, no, don’t tell me you regret this,” Aegon said, spotting the blush on your cheeks.

You shook your head. “I don’t regret this at all, I’m just happy.”

“Happy, you say?” Aegon sat on the bed and began to gently clean you up.

“Yeah, happy.”

“For the record, I’m happy, too.” He smiled at you.

When he finished cleaning you off, he tossed the rag into the hamper and layed down next to you. You cuddled close to him, wanting to feel as much of him as possible.

“So…” you started.

“So…”

“This is happening, huh? Us?” you asked.

“Fuck yeah, there is.”

You smiled and nuzzled in closer to Aegon. “And to think you were avoiding me these last few years.”

“What can I say, I’m drawn to you. No matter how hard I fought it, I always found myself thinking of you.”

“Same.”

There was a comfortable silence. All you cared about was listening to his heartbeat and his breathing.

“I was wrong at the party. Cregan’s party. You were right. There is something more between us. I was just scared and didn’t want to face it head on.”

“It’s almost like fate was telling you to suck it up,” you laughed.

“And now I see why.”

Aegon captured your lips in one last kiss before getting both of you under the blankets to fall asleep.

[ipkkndlovescenes]

Gadbad...or attraction/P4

Nothing will be the same...

Read Part 3 Here

“There is a strange feeling concerning you. As if I had a string under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you. And if you were to leave, I’m afraid that cord of communion would snap. As for me, I’d take to bleeding inwardly. As for you, you won't forget me either and bleed with me.” ~Mysticaldivine~

Khushi came to pick up her DeviMaiya yet after feeling his presence near her heart changed everything in her. Her mind and heart were not listening to her, which was the scariest thing ever. She had no idea why she was feeling the way she was. A girl with a sheltered lifestyle and with a certain layout of life, where marriage was the one that could bond two people together with love and all those sacred relationships. There was no space for the unfathomable emotions she was feeling right now in front of this man. This was not right, not pure, it was a sin, a man in her thoughts, dreams, her words, in her life by all means so far, from the moment she met him. He was creating havoc in her, bringing out the woman she was unfamiliar with.

No, this wasn't right at all. He was an arrogant, khadoos, money-oriented, stubborn, rich, powerful man who didn't even believe in DeviMaiya, but today he saved her from falling as well.

Who really he is?

The one who can put her life in danger without putting two cents on it or the one who brought her home safely. All of these contradict her mind because midst of all, she thinks of him all the time, dreams of him talks about him, her heart wants to see him, and beats erratically near him. All of this was enough to enrage her as a woman; a commanding woman in her is tired of these unfamiliar emotions, and at the top of his temper, echoes in her crazily.

Her voice started rising, and her nerves started shaking, but Khushi had to be in command. The duel of mind and heart was dancing its own tune lyrically with the fire of passion and essence of desired need.

And her need to be out of there, away from him as soon as possible and at any cost. "pehle aap darwaza khol dijiye. [first, you open the door.]

In her heart, she knew he would open the door, and he won't hurt her...

They backfired by testing each other's limits, waiting for the other to give in. Arnav was losing his grip every moment his voice raised, but something snapped too in him, finding her eyes wide open, a bit scared, and that feeling made him retreat... . she was in command until the very end. He stormed to the door and started kicking it vigorously until he kicked it down. Violent yet in control with one mission in his head...to make her listen to him.

ab sunogi? will you hear me out now?

Then she throws a neat surprise to his dazzled state of mind. She gives him a baffled and strange scared look, closes her lips for not uttering anything to make it worse, rushes to pick up her things, and then stands just in front of him to deliver her last word, a last piece of her mind to make peace with her. The final blow, if you say doubt, is She was tired of the duelling with him, with herself, with these feelings, the constant feeling of heightened emotions… she is frazzled and wants to get out of there, get away from him.

"Hamain aapki koi baat nahin sunani, nafrat hai na aapko hamse, hamari aukat se, hamari shakal dekhna nahin chahte na app? to khush hogaiye, kyun keh hum aapki nazron se hamesha ke liye door ja rahe hain Lucknow jaa rahe hai hum, hamesha ke liye."(I don't want to listen to you. You hate my face and my status, so be happy I am going to Lucknow forever).

hamesha ke liye door ja rahein hain... lucknow ja rahein hain hum... hamesha ke liye.

Words are nowhere to be found for Arnav as he looks at her lifeless after hearing all of this; he felt the same after her resignation, but worse than that. He gives her an incredulous look as if he has been struck. Her words are like a blow to his mind. All the frustration and the desperation are forgotten, and he looks at her, totally unconvinced.

She waits to see his reaction and leaves as she can't take this pain any more and can't give him the time he can come up with something new either.

Arnav"Tum aise nahin jaa saktin

Khushi' KHUSHI !

(You can't go like this Khushi) He wants to say, Don't go to Lucknow Khushi.., don't'.

I feel so much pain here, bringing tears to my eyes as his mother left him, and he is hiding this pain behind his rage and confusion because he could not stop her. And here Khushi'...at this moment only'

Khushi, indeed has left an enormous impact on him...

Part 1,2, & 3

[galacticspaceguy]

Here is the writing snippit I did for @ezras-left-thumb for this years secret ninja!

——

Destiny.

In Imperium, destiny is a fantasy—destiny isn’t real. The Empire decided its fate for its citizens; Picking whatever was suitable for each and every one of its people.

Including her.

Rayne, the girl that came from nowhere. Rayne, loyal guard dog to the Empire. Rayne with no memories or past. Rayne, the soldier with nothing.

Rayne didn’t know about her life before the merge. In fact, she had no clue who or what she was before. Only small things, like dark brown hair and red eyes—that had much kindness in them. And the smell of old libraries and the feeling of book pages. Lastly, a little boy who she can only regard as somebody important. Beyond that, nothing. Her mind goes blank when she tries to think too hard.

It’s like—she was born without glasses, and they were broken. Like she was scrambling on the floor, searching for them.

It’s been years since the Merge, and everything changed. At least, everyone who remembered what life was like before the Merge knew about the change, but for Rayne; this isn’t new. To her, this is how it has always been.

She’s angry, and from what she remembers since she woke up; she’d always been angry—And her anger has turned into hate. She’s known hate for so long. That's what makes her a good soldier.

It’s why the merciful Empress Beatrix took her in with open arms, taking her to Imperium and giving her a life.

Rayne is pretty sure she owes the Empress her life—that’s what everyone wants her to think. She had been told if she hadn’t been ‘saved’ she would have been eaten by dragons!

Since when were dragons monsters? Why? Why did they need a whole guard to fight them? And if they were so dangerous, why bring them to the kingdom just to put them in labs.

She wasn’t allowed in the labs. They didn’t trust her. Nobody in the castle trusted her. Even if they pretended too, she knew the truth. Whispers had began to surface, rumors running wild about her and her silly little moments of derealization. It didn’t help her reputation. As if being a soldier with no memories or purpose didn’t already help with that.

It reminded her of a young girl, walking down the halls of a school that hated her. That dream escaped from her fingers before she could even comprehend what was going on.

—And when she woke up that morning, all those dreams had escaped her once again. She forces herself to roll out of bed and leave her dark and empty quarters. She was met with a wave of familiarity as she closed her door, and threw her hair into a ponytail, having done this hundreds of times.

She’s familiarized herself with the layout of the Imperium Castle. Every hall, every room—the only home she’s ever known. Though, sometimes when she walks into a room, it’s like she is expecting to see something else. Someone else.

On some days—slowly becoming every day—she thinks about the past, what she used to have. Today was one of those days.

It comes in flashes. Small, tiny little snippets of what she used to be—what she used to have.

‘They’re just dreams.’ She tells herself. It’s what she’s been repeating in her head since the dream first started. But she’s not sure if she can keep that facade up any longer. A stone cold soldier only can for so long.

The days were slowly merging together like the realms, and creating memories that stood out was getting harder and harder, and she was good at remembering things in detail. But now, everything was like a blurry painting, a mix of colors and undefined.

But as the morning bled into the afternoon, she found herself patrolling the castle grounds, periodically glancing at those walking around, not being able to help but think of a life that will never be hers.

There was a growing sensation in her chest that felt like something was trying to tell her something. She couldn’t say what, but she could feel something was about to happen, a slight rumble in the ground, and that something would change everything again.

She wasn’t going to let that happen again. She can’t lose everything again.

Suddenly, red lights began to blare, and an alarm sounded off—alerting every guard in the castle, perhaps every soldier in Imperium.

Rayne grabbed hold of one of the soldiers who was running towards the castle; “What’s going on?”

“Someone’s broken into the dungeons! They’re breaking out the dragons!” They told her.

The sirens kept blazing, and an automated audio of their Empress alerting the empire filled their ears, but Raine could hardly mind it—Flashes of blonde hair and green—she didn’t even realize she had started to run with the rest of the guards.

If only she knew destiny had found her once again.

——

[the-face-in-the-mirror]

I cannot express how LOUD I squealed the moment I scrolled down and saw Zeldris' rewrite after months of being away from Tumblr and I legit cannot praise you enough for the absolutely delicious serving. You did that man justice in the best ways possible!

And of course, I LOVED what you did with Margaret and Veronica along with Gilthunder, Guila, and Jericho! They're absolutely stunning and love the more roles they play in here.

And Helbrim- (I cannot for the life of me remember how the hell to spell this guy's name, he always eludes me. So I just spell it however it sounds like to me) -and his added lore actually brings home the angst! And adds more world building. I love it!

Zedris and Guila have to be my favorite rewrites, I love their designs that I just stared at them for a good solid 30 minutes just taking it all in!

Now then, for me questions in this rather jumbled up and messy ask; Is the Boar Hat changed at all? What kind of role does Hawk and his mom have in this rewrite, is it roughly the same? Or are they taken out completely?

Apologies for the rather jumbled writing, I don't have time to edit it all neatly so sorry if something doesn't quite make sense.

OMG, it's so good to hear from you again! :DDDDD I'm so glad you like the redesigns I've done since you've last been on here. I do pride myself on Zeldris' and Guila's redesigns if I do say so myself... I have a knack for creating people, what can I say? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As for your questions: yes! Hawk and his mama will still be in the rewrite, because they are simply perfect. I love them with everything I have. Although, Hawk might be a girl this time just because it feels right for some reason. Either way, we all know Hawk transcends gender.

I think they'll roughly have the same rolls as they do in canon, with slightly adjusted designs just to account for art style. Hawk's abilities may be changed a bit as well because they always just seemed kind of random and out-of-nowhere when they showed up in season 2. I also think that Mama, this giant pig that just wanders and chills, being the original prison of Chaos and essentially one of the most powerful beings in all of Britannia, is absolutely hilarious, so of course I'm keeping that. And, because I loved seeing the little bits of her own personality in canon, I hope to convey her as more of a character rather than just the vehicle that takes us from place to place. (Love you, Hawk Mama, they could never make me hate you)

And the Boar Hat will have minimal changes; the layout was always a little bit unclear to me so I'll be adjusting it a bit. Since Mama Hawk is technically "hollow," since she's basically a moss shell, there may be a basement for cold storage, and more rooms for the Sins to stay in since it's never fully established what upstairs looks like outside of a few scenes - Meliodas made the Boar Hat to stealthily look for the Sins, after all, and even if he didn't have the expectation that they would travel with him I think he would still have set up the place with them in mind. And, slightly unrelated, but Elizabeth actually gets her own room this time instead of just sharing one with Meliodas since it seemed a bit weird to me that she was sharing a room and a bed with the guy when she only just met him. But that's just a side note.

Thanks so much for asking, I love your questions!! XDDD

[fedoraspooky]

I haven’t been here long. What irritating changes have been made?

Credit where it's due, some changes have been good, like polls and stuff! But the big recent changes thus far that I would classify as irritating are:

- The UI change. This one may be less irritating for newcomers because it's basically the same layout as twitter and instagram, but for a lot of folks who've been here a long time, it feels cramped and like a loss of identity for the site. For many, the appeal of tumblr is that it ISN'T an algorithm hell like twitter or insta. Also, there's the annoyance of having to relearn where everything is, because it all got moved around.

- The users being lab rats for various tests the devs wanna pull out of nowhere without consenting to beta testing new site features- like the one that took away user icons on the dash for like half the site. They finally put them back after getting enough feedback that said NO, but users were so used to their feedback being disregarded that they were half expecting the change to be pushed through anyway.

- The Netflix tie-in advertising being pushed even to people who had PAID tumblr for a no-ads experience. Complete with them somehow thinking it would be a good idea to put an unescapable-by-scrolling spooky clown on peoples' dashboards that u had to use ublock to get rid of. While I'm not scared of clowns and often find them quite charming, it sucks that staff didn't take coulrophobia being a common fear into account.

- A wave of fully sfw trans posts being wrongfully marked Mature and staff doing little to nothing about it. Not sure if this is still ongoing, but it destroyed a lot of trust and good will. (LGBT+ users have been having to fight a constant war against censorship ever since the adult content ban on tumblr, so yeah... Nevar 4get the list of banned search words that would bring back no results, like 'girl')

- The site gradually moving away from customization. Tumblr is a BLOGGING site. But it seems to have lost sight of that fact, because most new users don't even know you can fully customize your blogs with css and stuff (an option that is now off by default for new accounts!), because of the in-dash viewer giving you only how blogs look on mobile, which is a lot more uniform. There, it's more like every other site- you get a banner and icon. Oh, but you can change colors and fonts from a drop-down list too, that's cool I guess. Though they recently took away custom color schemes on Message windows, just another little bit of personalization taken away.

- TUMBLR. LIVE. Basically tumblr teamed up with a skeevy dating app partner to allow for livestreams- but not the cool kinda livestreams like on twitch where you can draw or play games, no- to a site full of people who value anonymity, they decided to push phone cam only livestreams. Not only that but by agreeing to the terms, you're giving out tons of personal data including your location to said skeevy dating app partner and all of THEIR third-party ad partners. Needless to say, most people didn't wanna use it, so instead of users it's flooded by p*rn bots (which is ANOTHER issue we've been dealing with for a long time and have been getting an even bigger influx of FROM tumblr live) and scammers. And thus, since tumblr likes to put a carousel of current streams on people's dashes, you often get softcore p*rn thumbnails from the bot streams with no way to avoid it except for toggling off tumblr live entirely.

- Oh wait. That's right. You CAN'T toggle it off. Because you can only snooze it for a while until BAM, you're jumpscared by a carousel of ladies licking your screen again! But hey, at least they made the snooze 30 days instead of the 7 it used to be, right? Yeah, except for the fact that you can't get rid of the tumblr live button itself on the app anymore, and now it's front and center with a NEW notification tag on it, overlapping your dash and cramming useful stuff like the search button out of the way.

NOW- A lot of this stuff CAN be at least mostly fixed on desktop by installing ublock and xkit and tampermonkey + dashboard unfucker... But that's a lot of stuff just to make the site usable, you know?

[rebelscums]

You Drew Stars (Hunter x Jedi reader)

Ratings: Angst

Summary: Mess around and find out.

Pt 10 to You Drew Stars

“We’re almost there.” Tech’s voice rang out through the otherwise silent cockpit as he exited hyperspace.

Hunter glanced up from sharpening his knife and took in the view of the large planet. The world seemed flush with life as mountains rose and trees filled the land. You wouldn’t think that this world would have a secret lab conducting unlawful experiments with kidnapped clone troopers… Clearly the perfect choice for the empire to set up such a dangerous operation.

“We will have approximately three minutes when I land to get inside without being detected by security.” Tech stated once again.

“Got it.” Hunter put the storm trooper helmet on that Rex obtained for them.

He already didn’t like the way the suit fit him or how it was a lot less mobile then the uniform he used to wear when he was fighting for the republic… How times have changed.

“Wrecker, make sure you get the ship somewhere inconspicuous and wait for our signal… And it all else fails… Do what you do best.” Tech stated.

He then motioned for Wrecker to take the controls as soon as he landed the ship near one of the secret entrances to the mountain.

“Let’s go.” Hunter stated.

Echo and Tech followed behind him, each wearing an identical storm trooper outfit to Hunter���s. They remained quiet and vigilant as they entered the mountain and made their way up one of the ventilation shafts.

When Echo peaked his head out and saw that the coast was clear, they exited the vent and began pretending as if they belonged there.

The three stayed clear of any suspicious personnel that could blow their cover as they made their way to the level that they were keeping clone troopers.

“Up ahead and to the right.” Tech voice spoke through their personal comms.

They entered the room and was met by rows of multiple clone troopers being held against their will.

“He should be in one of these cells.” Echo said as they began their search.

Each cell was met by another familiar face, but none with the signature crosshair tattoo and permanent scowl.

…

“Can I come with you? Please? I can’t just sit here waiting a moment longer. I’ll go crazy.” Omega pleaded with Phee as she was boarding her ship.

“I know, but your brothers insisted that you stay here and I didn’t expect an urgent call from Sid. It should only take half a day tops and I’ll be back for dinner alright?” Phee tried to say.

“See! You said it yourself. Only half a day tops which means I should be able to go with you!” Omega begged and the look in her big eyes that quickly made Phee fold.

With a sigh, Phee motioned for the young girl to follow her, “Alright, but you have to listen to everything I say. Promise?”

Omega nodded eagerly as she strapped herself in the copilots seat, “Promise.”

“And I expect to get one of those smoothies that you and Wrecker have been making.” Phee said with a small grin.

Omega crossed her heart, “As soon as we get back I promise to make you one.”

…

“Do you think he might be on another level? Did we miss something?” Hunter asked as he looked into another cell.

Each cell they past left an empty feeling in each of their hearts. One, that their clone brethren were locked up and two, because their brother was nowhere to be found. The image of what has become of their brothers in arms have left a permanent scar in their minds.

Tech shook his head, “Negative. All clones have been stationed here in this cell block.”

“But he’s not just any type of clone.” Hunter shook his head, “They could have transferred him somewhere else.”

“I highly doubt that. He has to be here. There is no other place where he could be.” Tech urged as they moved forward.

“I’m going to check the layout and see if there’s a turn up ahead.” Tech looked at his data pad following behind Echo and Hunter.

“Let’s not give up just yet. We’ll keep searching until we find him.” Echo said with certainty laced in his voice.

…

“What did Sid say that she needs to talk about anyways?” Omega wondered as she swung her legs.

“Don’t know.” Phee shrugged, keeping her eyes on the stars while she flew her ship, “She just said that it was important. Maybe if we’re lucky enough, it’ll be another treasure hunt.”

“Oo!” Omega’s eyes lit up, “We haven’t gone in one of those in a while! That would be fun and I’m sure my mo-” Omega suddenly stopped swinging her feet as her happy expression fell realizing she caught herself forgetting again.

“I lost my mom when I was young too.” Phee mentioned when the silence grew heavy, “She was an amazing women. The best treasure hunter in the entire galaxy and one day… Something went wrong and I never saw her again.” Phee spoke gently, “It’s the memories that you have that counts so don’t be sad. Be proud.”

Omega nodded, “I just… I feel that she’s still here with us somehow.”

“I feel like that about my mom too.” Phee said.

Omega fell back into her seat, leaning her head against the headrest, “She would have liked a treasure hunt.”

Phee smiled softly, “I’m sure she would have.”

…

They were cutting it close as their pace quickened with each turn. They knew that it was only a matter of time before storm troopers will be poking their heads around the corner and figuring out they weren’t actually one of them.

This whole mission was dangerous and yet none of them would turn back. Not if it meant saving their brother.

“There!” Echo quickly pointed towards one of the last few cells.

Hunter let out a breath of relief as the three of them ran up to the cell.

There they found Crosshair, barely moving on the ground with bruises swelling over his skin. It looked like he had been through hell…

What happened to him? Hunter thought as Tech quickly got to work on disarming the cell shield.

“None of the others look as bad as he does.” Echo mentioned what Hunter was just thinking, “They wouldn’t have done this to just any clone… There must have been a reason…”

Hunter and Tech both nodded in agreement.

“Maybe because of Omega?” Hunter questioned.

“That is highly plausible. The cell should be open… Now.” Tech stated and suddenly the shield vanished.

Hunter and Tech quickly made their way to help their brother up as Echo stood guard.

“Crosshair.” Tech gently shook his brothers arm and doing a quick scan to check his vitals.

To that touch, Crosshair reached up and held his brother’s arm in his own death grip.

“Don’t touch her.” Crosshair growled before he fell unconscious again.

“Her?” Tech furrowed his brows underneath the helmet, “Crosshair, who are you talking about?”

“What does he mean by her?” Echo asked as he glanced towards the three in the cell.

“I don’t know, but we have to go. We’ll ask him later.” Hunter shook his head before helping Tech lift their brother in their arms.

“Echo, we need to get to a database. Rex requested we obtain all information about Project Light.” Hunter ordered and as quickly as he was trained to do, Echo tracked down where they needed to be.

“You need… Go…” Crosshair was once again fading in and out of consciousness as he muttered each word, “In… Trouble…”

“We’ll go soon, brother.” Hunter tried to console his brother as they entered a room filled with computer systems, “Just hold on a bit longer.”

Echo quickly inserted himself into the data base and began searching for the proper file that he needed.

Suddenly they were sealed shut inside the room as red lights and a loud alarm started blaring throughout the base.

“I think they suspect we are here.” Tech stated as a matter of fact.

Echo, Tech, and Hunter took off their helmets.

Hunter sighed, “Didn’t notice.”

Hunter looked to Echo with urgency, “Echo where are we at with those files?”

“Almost there.” Echo muttered without looking away from the screen, “You just need to buy me some time.”

…

“Come on. Up out of your seat little copilot.” Phee patted Omega’s shoulder as soon as she landed the ship.

The two were off the ramp and heading towards Sid’s bar without a worry in their mind, save for the boys of course. They both only wished that they would come back safe and sound with Crosshair.

“Oddly quiet tonight.” Phee remarked as she noticed the streets were pretty bare, unlike what she was used to seeing.

“I’m going to head to Sol and grab some cakes for my brothers if that’s okay?” Omega asked.

Phee nodded her head, not seeing the harm in it, “Sure thing. Grab me a snack while your at it too. Something fruity.” Phee smiled as she pulled out some credits and handed them to the girl.

Omega nodded her head and took off, leaving Phee to continue the rest of the way to Sid’s.

“Hey Sid!” Phee called out the the older woman as soon as she stepped into the bar.

It only occurred to her then that the place was empty also and a unwanted feeling began to make its way through her chest, sending pulses to her brain that told her to run.

“I’m sorry, but I need to know where the kid is Phee.” Sid appeared from her office, followed by two storm troopers, a short man in a coat and…

“You…” Phee’s eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

The cloaked woman’s body was covered by a black coat with a hood to conceal her face.

Phee held her breath as she waited for the mysterious form to reveal themselves. Slowly, the figure pulled the hood down with a metal arm to reveal a face that confirmed Phee’s gut feeling.

Phee breathed out in disbelief and happiness, “You’re alive.”

It was the man in the coat that spoke next.

“My name is Dr. Hemlock. Sid here told us all about you and how much you love treasure.” He threw a bag onto a nearby bar table and the remnants inside revealed jewels that she has never even seen before, “I know you are a smart woman and you don’t want to be caught up in this mess so be a dear and tell us where Omega is.”

Phee glanced at the bag intently. She slowly looked at the Jedi who had a glazed look over her eyes as if she wasn’t even present.

“What did you do to her?” Phee glared at the doctor.

“Don’t mind your friend, she wouldn’t even remember you even if you tried to tell her.” Hemlock waved his arm and without a second thought, the General ignited her lightsaber.

“Now. I am pretty sure I have made us a fair trade here.” Hemlock said and this time his voice was far from kind, “Tell me where the girl is.”

…

Hunter could hear footsteps quickly approaching them. He placed the rest of Crosshair’s weight to Tech before he smashed the key code to enter the room.

“That should buy us some time, but not a lot.” Hunter stated, but with a less than confident look as the banging continued outside of the door.

“Hunter…” Echo’s voice was oddly quiet as he stared at the screen in front of him.

“What?” Hunter turned to look in Echo’s direction.

He didn’t like the way that Echo looked up as if he had just seen a ghost.

“What is it?” Hunter repeated, his voice snipped as he waited for Echo to give him an answer.

“It’s.. It’s the general…” Echo took a pause to collect himself, “She’s still alive.”

…

Omega felt herself slow her run as she reached the Sol cafe. The lights had been shattered inside, leaving the cafe as dark as the street outside.

“Omega?” A familiar voice called out to her.

She hasn’t heard it in quite a while, but the waiter poked his head out from behind a booth with wide blue eyes, “What are you doing here?” Indul asked.

Omega rushed to him, wincing as she saw the deep gash that scarred his right leg.

“Are you alright? What happened to you?” She asked as she looked around at the destroyed restaurant.

“I don’t know who they are… There was one one… Black robe, they wore a hood and wielded a lightsaber. They killed Jun.” He pointed shakily to the kitchen.

He looked up panicked and scared, “They came in here looking for you Omega… You need to run. Get away as far from here as you can.” He struggled to talk through the steering pain, but the urgency was president in his voice.

Her hands hovered over his wound, not sure of what to do, “I can find Phee and she can help you.” Omega said as she stood.

“I don’t need any help.” Indul shook his head with a sigh, “But you can’t go out there by yourself.” Indul struggled to stand, “I’ll go with you.”

Omega immediately shook her head and gently sat him back down, “I’ll be fine, you need to stay still.”

“Mary is grabbing some medical supplies for my leg.” Indul assured as he placed his hand on top of hers, “Go… And may the force be with you.”

…

“Tick tok.” Dr. Hemlock spoke in a bored tone as he glanced at his watch.

“I won’t.” Phee shook her head as she took a step back and crossed her arms, “I don’t know how many pirates you’ve come across, but I ain’t one of them.”

Hemlock sighed, “I really hoped that you would have been more easily suaded like your dear friend Sid here, but I suppose it can never be that easy twice, can it?” Hemlock motioned to his new toy, “Kill her and find the girl.”

The Jedi stepped forward, a murderous look in her gaze as she lifted her lightsaber.

Phee raised her hands up, “You don’t have to do this. Please.” She said as she took a few steps back, the jedi matching with a step of her own.

Suddenly the doors to the cantina swung open and two cans of smoke rolled through the doors.

“Hurry!” Omega shouted to Phee who took no time in following the young girl out the door.

The two bolted down the street as they headed straight for their ship.

“How did they find us?” Omega asked.

“Sid sold you out kid!” Phee said as they ran.

“What? No. That can’t be!” Omega yelled shocked.

“We’ll talk about it later, this way!” Phee yelled as they took a right.

They were almost to their ship when suddenly large rubble and stone broke from a building, sealing their path shut. As they turned they could see the glowing purple from a lightsaber.

“Who is that?” Omega asked as she squinted at the cloaked figure.

“It’s…” Before Phee could answer, Omega was falling to the ground in a heavy sleep.

As Phee looked up in shock, she watched her old friend wave her hand and in a second she was out like a light.

…

“What do you mean?” Hunter’s voice was cold.

He could quiet literally hear his heart beat loudly in his eardrums blocking out the banging on the locked door as he stared at the screen that showed the very being he couldn’t live without.

He could see her face, void of any emotion as she stared at whoever had taken the photo. Her scanner showed active on the screen with the word successful project written in the top right corner of her file. His mind was racing with confusion as he tried to piece together what could have happened to her during these last few months…

The pain she must have endured. That thought alone sent a knife through his heart.

“She must have been alive when… They took her.” Echo muttered as he glanced at his brother’s reaction, “She must be who Crosshair was trying to protect…”

“Alive?” Tech echoed the word as Crosshair leaned into his side. He kept a tight grip on his brother to keep him balanced, but that didn’t stop the lump that formed in his throat, “She was alive and I left her.”

Hunter’s fury laced in his bones as he ripped the frame piece from piece. His voice roared through the sealed room as he ripped through everything he could find. Echo, Tech and Crosshair stood against one of the walls as they watched Hunter mentally loose himself. They listened to the sound of the shields disappearing in the next room, letting them know that Hunter had just inadvertently released the clones being held hostage.

“We left her.” Hunter’s voice was barely a whisper.

He headed straight to the sealed door that now opened up to the stormtroopers on the other side. Each swift movement, each yell gave way to a storm trooper falling to the ground until Hunter stood above them remaining victorious and blinded by rage.

His brothers slowed stepped to the entrance of the room, watching their brother with concern.

Hunter stood there, unmoving as each clone warily stepped out of their cells.

“Burn this place to the ground.” Venom laced his voice and fire filled his eyes as the sirens blared and the battle cries of his brethren rang out through the halls.

“We’re bringing her home.” Was Hunter’s final words as he grabbed his blaster and led his brother’s back to the Marauder.

Just hold out for me a little longer mesh’la, I’m coming for you.

[retrospect1003]

Calling All Skeletons | Chapter 5: Decommissioned Views

Notes: Ngl, there's a lot in this one. It was fun though! A lot of building trust. Enjoy!

Word Count: ~5.7k words

Banner by: @blackseafoam

Cid’s parlor was now being used for target practice. Echo stood with Omega, guiding her on how to use her energy bow. Hunter was practically monitoring them by standing directly behind the two. Tech tinkered with something, occasionally getting up to see Omega’s progress. Doc and Wrecker sat together on one of the holochess tables.

Doc winced at Omega’s latest miss, nearly hitting an entering customer, “A little too close for comfort there.”

“Sorry!” Omega shouted aloud, both to the now fleeing customer and Doc.

Echo knelt down to the young clone’s level, helping her focus back on the target for practice. While doing this, the annoying duo of Bolo and Ketch was placing bets. Doc, trying to be subtle, cleared her throat loudly at them. They either didn’t get the hint or didn’t care.

Zing!

“Ah! got it!” Omega cheered as she turned to Echo.

Echo gave her a smile, “Good,” he ushered her to face the target, “Again.”

Omega scoffed, “But I already hit the target three times.”

“Out of twelve. That’s luck, Omega, not skill,” Echo placed a hand on her shoulder, “Soldiers need to be consistent.” Omega just turned with a sigh, getting her bow ready. Bolo and Ketch were back to cackling and betting.

Doc raised a brow at Echo’s words, “Last time I checked, Omega isn’t a soldier like us.”

Echo turned his attention to Doc, “It was just a figure of speech-”

Omega’s bolt blasted through and knocked a holochess table’s power. She groaned, frustrated, as she faced the squad, “I was doing better until those two showed up!” Referring to Bolo and Ketch.

“Hey, don’t sweat it, kid,” Doc assured, shooting a glare over at the two annoying Omega.

Echo put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “You have to learn to tune out distractions, which comes with practice.” He turned her around as he stood, pointing towards the target with his scomp, “Again.”

Omega readied her energy bow once again. She whiffed her shot, hitting nowhere near the target.

Wrecker leaned towards Hunter and Doc in a whisper, “Not exactly a natural, is she?” The medic rolled her eyes as she shoved Wrecker’s shoulder to knock him off the table. “Hey!” He blurted as he caught himself from fully tipping over, turning to Doc with his arms crossed.

“What?” Doc shrugged, feigning innocence in her expression. It didn’t stop the mischievous grin curling her lips as they held their gaze with one another.

“Okay, playtime’s over,” Cid butted in, walking over to stand in between Doc and Wrecker, “We need to talk.” She ushered Ketch and Bolo out before she continued with her proposal.

Doc and Wrecker held eye contact for a moment longer. Doc hopped off of the table as she faced Cid, her glance locked with Wrecker’s until she finally broke it. Wrecker blinked rapidly, not realizing he had been staring until that moment and shaking himself out of it.

As she walked back over, Cid placed her hands on her hips while asking her question, “I’m assuming you boys know what a tactical droid is?” After a very short period of silence, she started to give the details, “They were the op-”

Tech couldn’t stop himself from interrupting, “The operational brains of the Separatist military-”

“Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba! This is my briefing, Goggles,” Cid stopped him while he was ahead just so she could get her intel out. She turned to the holotable and pressed a few buttons to project a tactical droid, “Tactical droid intel has tremendous value. Which is why you’re going to break into this decommissioning factory on Corellia,” she practically ordered as she switched to a layout of the facility, “And retrieve one before they’re all destroyed.”

Hunter glanced away from the hologram in thought. He focused back on Cid, “We haven’t decided if we’re going to work for you or not.”

Cid wasn’t going to take no for an answer, shutting off the hologram as she spoke, “Allow me to decide for you. You’re in!”

The older squad members shared some glances between each other as Cid continued, “I’m talking a mutually beneficial arrangement. You make money, I make money, and I watch your back.”

Doc’s brows furrowed while her lips scrunched into a frown. The others looked hesitantly between each other.

“With the heat on you, it’s the best option you’ve got,” Cid finished.

With a sigh, Hunter reluctantly gave in, “I guess we’re in.”

“I know you’re in. I just told you you’re in!” She replied nonchalantly, walking over to Omega, “And you! You’re releasing too soon because of those weak noodle arms.” Cid took one of Omega’s hands and waved her arm before she took her energy bow, “Build up your strength.” She proceeded to shoot three swift shots directly in the middle of the target before handing the bow back to the girl, “Lesson over.” With that, Cid walked away from the group.

Doc didn’t realize she was holding her breath as she finally released a long sigh, mumbling under her breath, “I don’t like her.”

On the Marauder, Doc was glued to her data pad. The blue light reflected onto her face as she scrolled in a corner of the front cabin. The trip would be short, but she took whatever down time she could get to-

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Wrecker squatted in front of the medic as she scrambled to shut off her data pad.

She sucked in a breath through her nose before sighing, “Geez, you came out of nowhere,” Doc set her data pad in one of her pouches, “It wasn’t anything important.”

Wrecker sheepishly smiled, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“No worries,” She wrapped her arm around the knee to her chest as she tilted her head, “Did you need anything?”

“Actually,” He started as he rubbed the back of his head, “Did ya have anymore of that stuff?”

She raised a brow, “You mean the tea I gave you?”

Wrecker’s smile widened, “Yeah! The sweet stuff you gave me for my headache.”

“You had the last of it,” Doc answered with a sideways smile.

Disappointed, he groaned as he rolled his head, “Aw man.”

“Another headache?”

“Yeah. I thought since the tea helped last time that I could drink some before it got bad.”

Doc hummed in response as she thought of a solution. She picked herself up off the ground and dusted off her legs as she spoke, “Go back to the bunks and close your eyes for a bit. The lights from hyperspace and computers could be irritating your eyes and, in turn, your head.”

From the copilot seat, Echo took a chance to glance back at the two. His brow barely twitched in intrigue at Wrecker’s request for some kind of medical attention. He took a mental note of this as he shared a similar look with Tech.

“Oh, uh,” Wrecker darted his eyes away from Doc, “I don’t really have a headache right now. I just- uh, wanted to have that tea just in case.”

The medic stared at the large clone for a moment with her eyes slightly narrowed, “Right…” There was a brief moment of silence before the large clone crumbled under his white lie, “I just wanted more tea.”

“Thought so,” she crossed her arms as she shook her head playfully at him, “I don’t blame you. It’s good stuff.”

“Better than the rations we have,” Wrecker replied with a chuckle. Doc couldn’t stop herself from chuckling softly with him.

“What’s funny?” Hunter asked as he stepped into the front cabin with Omega, looking between the two. He seemed genuinely curious.

The larger clone shrugged as he turned his attention to Hunter with a smile, “Nothin’. Just joking about the tea Doc gave me.”

Hunter’s brows scrunched, “Tea?”

“It was an herbal remedy,” Doc butted in before any other conclusions could be made.

Before anything else could be debated, Tech maneuvered the Marauder under a cargo hold as soon as they left hyperspace. He flips the ship upside down and attaches to the bottom of the base.

“This old trick?” Echo turned to the pilot in question.

“It gets us past the planetary sensors every time,” Tech defended before turning his attention back to navigation and pressing a few buttons on the console.

Doc leaned forward beside Tech’s chair to get a better look out the viewport, “Never would have thought this would work.”

Omega was studying a hologram of a tactical droid, scrunching her brows as she tried to figure it out, “Why is a tactical droid more important than the other droids?” She turned to Echo.

Echo shifted his chair towards the girl, “The more tactical droids fought, the more they learned,” he stopped for a moment as Omega looked back to the hologram, “And won.”

“Yeah, except against us!” Wrecker boasted and followed with a hearty chuckle.

Tech answered Omega’s question further, “With clones now serving the Empire, knowing how to defeat them just went up in value.”

“We’re approaching the decommissioning site,” Echo quickly pointed out, getting everyone back on track, “We can land at the industrial dockyard and go in on foot.”

After landing and ducking through dark corners, the squad finds themselves just outside the factory. Not only that, but they discover the presence of more than just some factory workers.

“Cid didn’t mention this place was guarded by police droids,” Hunter passively complained to the leading Tech.

Using his visor to scan and identify the droids’ programming, Tech reassures, “They’re operating on a rotating quadrant scan. If timed correctly, there’s an entry point in their blind spot.” He focuses on the latter and up to the possible entrance they can use, “Follow me.”

They follow each other in a line and gather around the base of the latter. At the sight, Wrecker’s gaze trails up the latter in dread, “Uh-oh…”

Doc tilts her head at his remark, “What?”

“He’s got a thing with heights,” Echo elaborated before following Tech up the latter.

“Oh,” She looks between Wrecker and the latter as Omega starts her climb. Doc gave the large clone an awkward pat on the arm before starting to go up the ladder herself.

With a groan and slight shake of the head, Wrecker follows the rest of the squad carefully up. Once at the top after everyone, he heaves a sigh of relief before going into the dingy factory.

The squad piled outside of the next door with Hunter listening closely for anyone to pass by. He readied his blaster as he heard footsteps, turning to Wrecker and giving him a nod as the footsteps grew closer. Wrecker walked up to the door, readying himself to grab and subdue whoever was on the other side. Hunter pressed the control panel by the door and it flew open as a factory worker walked by. Unfortunate for that guy, Wrecker snatched him back real quick in a headlock.

“Nighty night,” Wrecker sang as he moved back with the worker, tossing him to the side once he’s unconscious.

One by one, The Bad Batch moves out into the scaffolding and gets a better look of the facility with blasters at the ready. Hunter starts to lay out the plan while they’re ducked behind railings, “Echo, Tech. We’ll locate and retrieve the droid.” He turns towards Wrecker, Omega, and Doc, “Wrecker. Cover us up top-”

“But,” Wrecker sighs in hesitance, “Being the lookout was Crosshair’s job.”

“That wasn’t a request,” Hunter retorted firmly before continuing his plan, “Omega, Doc. Stay here and keep your eyes peeled for the target. Let’s move!”

Before any other arguments could be made, Hunter was on the move with Tech and Echo following closely behind him. Wrecker started to follow to find higher ground, nervously groaning before he continued down the path. Doc and Omega watched the men go off before looking at each other.

“If you asked me, I would’ve made us the lookouts,” Doc dryly joked as she pulled out a visor from her pack. Omega just shrugged as she moved further along the scaffolding, finding a good spot to peek through with her own visor. Awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand, Doc moved in the opposite direction of Omega and scanned the conveyor belts of droid parts.

The separate trio relayed information about the tactical droid as the others searched for any remnants of it. Zooming in on one of the conveyor belts, Omega managed to find exactly what they’re looking for, “Found it. Sort of…” She comms in, “The droid’s already in pieces.”

Tech comes in over comms, “Is the head in tact?”

“Affirmative- Wait! Someone just ran off with the droid head!” Omega relayed, moving her visor away in shock.

Doc and Wrecker quickly brought up their visors and looked in the direction Omega originally found the droid. “I see ‘em!” Wrecker confirmed, “One of the workers is stealing our target.”

Omega kept an eye on the worker as she stood up, “I’m on it!”

“Negative!” Hunter warned, “You stay out of sight. Doc, go for the droid.”

Before Doc could copy back to Hunter, she turned towards Omega and saw a worker trap her way out. The medic kept quiet with her blaster at the ready, slowly starting to approach them.

“Stay,” Omega started to warn as she armed herself with her energy bow, arms unsteady, “Back!”

The worker lifted up her mask while gesturing Omega to lower her weapon, “Whoa whoa. Take it easy, kid.” She softened her look, “I don’t wanna hurt you, but I can’t have you getting in the way.”

Doc continued to slowly approach the stranger from behind, keeping her steps light and putting her finger to where her mouth would be to keep Omega from alerting the stranger.

“You’re the one in my way,” Omega retorted with a furrowed brow.

“Rafa, I’ve got the target. Where are you?” An unknown voice relayed to the stranger, presumably Rafa.

Omega lifted her bow up, “Don’t answer that.” She glanced past Rafa to see Doc, but quickly brought her focus back to the woman in front of her. More comm chatter rang from her device, but Rafa complied and ignored it.

“Your arms look a little shaky there,” She pointed out to Omega, trying to get her to budge but having no luck. “Okay, you win,” Rafa said in Omega’s favor, “Why don’t you ease up on that thing and we can talk about this?”

Doc could see Omega considering the woman’s offer. Without a moment to waste as Omega started to lower her weapon, Doc lunged forward to grapple Rafa just as she started to reach for the girl. Out of shock, Omega stubbled back as she fired her bow, falling to the ground. Her energy bow just slipped from her hands and down onto the lower floors.

Doc and Rafa wrestled with each other before hearing the bolt’s impact with a pipe and steam to flood through. In an instant, alarms started blaring.

“Ugh. Nice going, kid,” Rafa scoffed at Omega.

“Me?!” Omega started to argue.

Doc shoved Rafa away from Omega, standing between them with a growl at the woman, “You started this.”

Police droids started to flood in immediately. Each of them turned towards the droids, Doc starting to fire at them one by one.

“Don’t just stand there,” Rafa pulled out her blaster as she glanced back at Omega, “Grab a weapon!”

“I had one,” Omega grumbled, narrowing her eyes at Rafa.

Just as Doc was firing, Wrecker joined in to help slow down the droids. “Get moving!” Wrecker called out to the two. “Working on it!” Doc quickly responded as she ducked to avoid a bolt.

Rafa started to run away, but not without Omega right on her tail as she spoke into her comm, “There’s a second person after the tactical droid! Don’t worry, I’m in pursuit.” By the time Doc got a chance to turn around, Omega had already started down the latter.

“No, stay put. We already have the droid head-”

“I’m after Omega!” Doc interrupted Hunter as she followed the young clone’s path.

Walking down the next platform, Rafa finally got a chance to use her comm, “Trace! Where are you?”

“Down here!” A younger girl looking to be Rafa’s sister called out from a set of stairs just below the platform. Just as quickly as she appeared, Hunter was bounding up the stairs after her. Not knowing what else to do, she calls out to Rafa, “Catch!” As she throws the droid head to her. Rafa manages to catch it with ease, “Got it! Come on!” She starts a run down the platform, not paying any attention as she collides with a police droid. The droid head is knocked out of her hand and falls back onto the conveyor belt.

“I’ve got it!” Trace and Omega simultaneously said, sending a determined glare at each other before going off in separate directions.

“Omega-” Doc started to call out to her before more blaster bolts were fired.

Hunter covered Rafa, shooting the droid she ran into. She turned to Hunter, “Hope you’re not expecting gratitude.”

Hunter lowered her blasters, mildly frustrated, “Should I have let the droids shoot you?”

Doc shot at a police droid from behind, turning her head over her shoulder briefly, “Is a debate necessary right now?” Police droids started to surround them, each of them firing their blasters in every direction to hold them off.

Amidst the blaster fire, Omega finally gave an update, “I have the droid head!”

“Nice work. Now hang tight,” Echo relayed over comms, still trying to override the security system.

Doc, Hunter, and Rafa kept each other covered for a good bit before noticing that the conveyors stopped. The medic immediately commed in while firing, “Echo, what happened?”

There was a short silence before Echo commed in, “Wrecker, get to the main control panel.”

“Doc, let them handle it. Focus on the droids,” Hunter called out, shooting a bolt past her head to hit a police droid coming up on her.

“Right,” She simply responded, ignoring the further comm chatter about the reboot. The amount of police droids moving in was starting to get overwhelming. Once they could, the three of them ducked behind an offshoot between the railings to try and recover.

Hunter watched Rafa as they got into cover, “Why are you after the tactical droid?”

“That’s not your business, clone,” She replied with spite in her words.

“It is today,” He pressed, trying to get an answer.

Standing back up from cover, Doc and Rafa shot at the approaching droids.

“I didn’t know there were female clones,” Rafa said aloud to Doc.

“Not a clone, but that’s not your business,” Doc sarcastically replied, shooting just past Rafa’s shoulder and nailing a droid in the head.

“Rafa, I’ve got the target,” Trace’s voice rang through Rafa’s comm, “Meet me at the north exit.”

Ducking under cover once again, Rafa grabbed her comm to respond, “Little busy right now!”

More blaster fire and dodging, yet the police droids kept coming and coming. Amidst it all, Omega’s terrified voice rings through comms, “Hunter, I’m stuck on the conveyor. I need help.”

Hunter and Doc look between each other before looking around to see what they could do to buy more time. “I’m on my way,” Hunter calls out as he grabs his grappling hook. Doc didn’t need an order to know that she had to cover Hunter and let him go through with his idea.

Rafa furrows her brows in confusion at Hunter, “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking down the support posts,” He answered firmly, “Follow me!” Without further question, Doc is right behind Hunter, leaping after him onto the conveyor belt.

“Who put you in charge?” Rafa questioned from the scaffolding.

“Does it matter?” Doc called out, starting to get frustrated. She turns to the end of the conveyor belt and has eyes on Omega. Instinctively, she starts running in that direction, “Hunter, cover me!”

The conveyor belt jerks, Hunter’s plan to take out the posts working as the wire tugs on the supports. In a moment, it all starts to crash down, Rafa taking a last minute jump onto the belt.

“Hunter!” Omega calls out in desperation as she tries to pull herself out from under the droid.

“Hang on, Omega!” Hunter calls out as he jumps and climbs over the varying droid parts. Doc and Hunter were both rushing to get to Omega, hearing Rafa complaining about something but not caring to listen.

Doc was a few feet ahead of Hunter, shooting at the police droids from above but still moving closer to Omega. “Hold on, hold on!” She called out to her. She was just about to grab her to keep Omega from falling in, but was a hair too late. Without thinking, Doc jumped into the pit after the girl. “I’m gonna get you out,” She reassured just before hearing a voice from behind them.

“Hey! Over here! Hurry!”

Trace had some back to help by some miracle. Doc didn’t waste any time as she helped Omega to her feet and hurried her towards the edge to meet Trace. Seeing that Omega couldn’t reach, the medic did the only thing she could think to do. Just as the pit started to open up, Doc knelt by the edge and turned her head to look at Omega, “Climb me!”

“What? But Doc-”

“Go, Omega!”

She wanted to protest, but did as the medic told her, climbing onto her shoulders. As soon as Doc felt Omega’s feet on her shoulders, she stood up to let Trace pull her up out of the pit. Doc could feel the parts falling beneath her feet before she jumped to grab the edge. Her fingers gripped at the metal as hard as they could as she started to pull herself up.

Doc could see the police droids moving in from above, and she was about to risk everything to get her blaster out and cover the girls until she watched a bolt fly through a droid. Hunter grunts loudly as he shoots at the droids before jumping down to the edge of the pit. He grabs Doc by the wrists and pulls her out.

Hunter turns to both of his squad members, “Are you both okay?”

“Yeah,” Omega breathes out with a smile, still trying to calm down after that scare.

Doc heaves a breath of relief, “Still breathing.”

Hunter turns to Trace after they all take a moment to catch their breath, “Thank you.”

“I think I’d be cooked if you weren’t there to get Omega,” Doc expressed as she started to get up from laying on the ground.

Trace smiles warmly at him, “You’re welcome.”

Just as they started to stand up and get their bearings, Rafa can be heard yelling before crashing down beside them. She stands up and looks at the four staring at her, dusting herself off, “Oh, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me or anything.” Doc shoots a droid behind her before placing a hand on her hip. Rafa rolls her eyes, “Well, this has been a real treat, but as you can see, the tactical droid is ours.” She gestures to the droid head in Trace’s hands.

“Still on about that?” Doc commented with a groan.

“We can debate this later,” Hunter pulled out his blasters, “If we wanna get out of her, we need to work together.”

Rafa huffed, “Fine, but I still don’t like you.”

“I’m used to it!”

With that, they all turned and bounded down the pathway, turning to shoot incoming droids over their shoulders. As they ran, they could overhear Tech’s calls for Wrecker over comms. Doc couldn’t ignore it any longer and sighed heavily before turning and running in the direction they came from.

“I’m going to find Wrecker,” She spoke quickly into comms as she continued on.

She shot at oncoming droids and she climbed the destroyed scaffolding. She flung herself onto bits of metal that was still intact and came across the tower Wrecker originally climbed. As she started to climb the latter, she whipped herself around a few times to shoot at any droids that were on her. Stepping onto the platform, she rounded the tower and saw Wrecker laid out on the floor of the tower across the way. “Oh no,” She mumbled to herself before calling out to him, “Wrecker!”

With no response, she looked down at the pit between them and groaned, “I get the fear of heights now.” She took a few steps back before running and grabbing onto the claw, swinging herself onto the ledge. In an instant, she tried to shake him to get a response, “Wrecker. Wrecker, are you with me?” A groan was all she needed to know that he was still alive as she opened one of her pouches to pull out a stimpack. Right as she started to prepare it, Omega’s comm came through.

“Wrecker, do you copy?” She starts, and like clockwork Wrecker starts to rise.

Doc scooted back to give him some space, breathing out heavily in relief as she started to tuck the stimpack away.

“Wrecker, where are you? We need your help?” Omega called out again.

“Found him,” Doc quickly responded in comms as she stood up with Wrecker. “You good, man?”

Wrecker shakes his head with a grumble, getting himself out of the daze he was in. He turns to Doc and gives her a nod, “Let’s go.”

“Great, this way-”

“Oh, no. I am NOT jumping over that again,” Wrecker firmly argued.

Doc sighed and started to look around, “Okay, well, what do you suggest we do then?”

The two started looking around as they headed down the scaffolding on the opposite side of the tower. Wrecker suddenly stopped when he looked over the railing and saw blaster fire. That’s when it hit him.

“You’re gonna get on my shoulders and we’re gonna jump down,” Wrecker looked over at Doc as he squatted down for her to climb on.

Doc looked over the edge and then back at Wrecker, “You’re joking! I thought you were scared of heights.” They stared at each other for a second before the medic sighed, “You’re not joking… Okay.” She moved behind Wrecker and climbed to sit on his shoulders, locking her legs around them to keep herself in place. With her blaster ready, she gave him a signal to go for the jump.

Wrecker laughed in excitement as he picked up a dead police droid on the ground, lugging it over the railing to get the attention of the droids below as he stepped onto the railing. He then jumped off with an enthusiastic yell as they plummeted to the ground below, Doc shouting more out of fear until they landed.

Both of them began to blast at the police droids, Wrecker letting out another hearty laugh as he slings a police droid into the others. “Yeah! I got tired of you guys having all the fun!” He exclaimed as he knelt down to shoot and also let Doc get off his shoulders.

Doc swung her legs off of Wrecker and slid off his back, turning to the droids again to keep shooting. “I’m never doing that again,” she huffed with a slight laugh, a bit of thrill rushing through her.

“Haha! That laugh says otherwise!” Wrecker pointed out as he picked up a droid to use as cover.

Another chuckle escaped Doc’s mouth as they kept shooting, the medic now behind Wrecker as he shielded them. More police droids started to flood in to the point where the squad was severely overwhelmed. Wrecker nudged Doc into cover before the droid he was using as a shield took a few hits, causing him to fall back and slide into cover with her.

“Hang on. The data exchange is nearly complete,” Tech advised as he types away on his data pad, “Done!” He pulled the data rod from the droid head as it activated.

Trace turns the head around and gives a command, “Activate battle droids. Command them to attack all police droids.”

The lights on the tactical droid’s face shine as he speaks, “Affirmative.” Each droid hanging and on a conveyor belt starts to activate and moves in on the police droids when commanded.

Echo turned, ready to shoot at a nearby droid before it turned away to go after the police droids. “Never thought I’d see battle droids helping us,” He turned to Hunter and the others.

“That’s our cue,” Hunter calls out, “Move out!”

As the squad begins to roll out, Tech walks by Hunter with the data rod and hands it to him, “Mission accomplished.”

Hunter tucks it away, “Nice work,”

Trace pulls out her comm as they run down the corridor, “R7, we’re ready for pickup.”

Continuing down the hall, Omega smiles wide as she finds her lost energy bow. She scoops it off the ground as they all continue down the way to the exit.

Trace keeps R7 updated on their position up until they’re blocked by police droids. To avoid getting shot, she lifts the tactical droid head to her chest and it gets knocked out of her hand by a blast, effectively destroying it.

In a moment of rush, Omega readies her bow and takes a shot at the droid approaching them. After nailing the hit and finding her rhythm, she smiles wide, “Yeah!” She continues her fire as Trace moves behind her with a compliment, “Nice shot.”

“It’s all about tuning out distractions,” Omega explained as she steadily continued her fire.

A ship came into view and docked near the entrance they were heading for. “He’s here! Let’s go!” Trace calls out to everyone as she runs ahead to the ship. Doc and Wrecker brought up the rear as everyone loaded onto the ship, turning towards the open hanger with blasters at the ready as it closed and the ship took off.

Doc turned to Wrecker as she took her helmet off and holstered her blaster. Just as he was taking his helmet off, the medic scrunched her brows as she pointed at the blast mark on his armor.

“I didn’t even notice that you were shot,” She first commented with a huff following, “I have to run a diagnostic on you when we get back on the Marauder. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Wrecker started as they walked up the front cabin, “But I’m fine. Just hit my head really hard-”

“Still running it. Protocol.”

“Who’s protocol?”

“Mine,” Doc firmly stated as they found two seats up front.

Rafa turned towards the two, “Hey, cut him a break. You did some cool stuff out there, big guy,” She smiled at Wrecker as she patted his shoulder, turning to the ones in the walkway.

Trace frowned, looking to the ground, “All that work for nothing…”

“Whoever Cid’s buyer is isn’t gonna be happy,” Omega added as she looked at Hunter with a frown.

Rafa looked between them all, furrowing her brows in anger, “Let me get this straight. You know how dangerous the information on the tactical droid is, but you didn’t know who you were giving it to?”

Hunter crosses his arms, “We’re being paid to acquire and deliver, not ask questions.”

“Our contact needed that information to fight back against the Empire,” Trace explained with concern over her face, “They’re trying to help people and make things better.”

Tech and Hunter share a similar look between each other, as if coming to a silent agreement.

“Why aren’t you fighting with the Empire? Isn’t that what you clones do now?” Rafa further questioned.

“Not all of us,” Hunter answered, “We’re different.”

“Yeah,” Rafa rolls her eyes as she turns away to the front cabin, “I’ve heard that before.”

Once the Marauder has taken off back to Ord Mantell, Doc started the process of a diagnostic on Wrecker. As she stuck him with a device to scan his condition, Hunter approached her. Without looking up from her data pad, Doc spoke, “Can I help you?”

Hunter crossed his arms as he leaned against the adjacent wall, “No. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Doc stopped as the data loaded onto her pad, looking to Hunter, “For what exactly?”

“Just… Everything today. Risking your life for Omega and Wrecker. I don’t know what could’ve happened today if you weren’t there,” Hunter explained honestly as he gave her a sincere look.

“I couldn’t just stand by,” Doc started with a small smile as she turned back to her data pad, “Don’t thank me. Go relax, Hunter.” With an understanding nod, Hunter got up and left Doc to examine Wrecker’s results.

Her brows furrowed as she examined the data. The blast only caused some minor bruising, but there was a major red flag when looking at his head. She presumes this would be where the chip she heard about it, and it looks to be gradually causing more irritation. “No wonder you’re always getting headaches,” She commented as she grabbed a bacta patch.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Somethin’ wrong?” Wrecker’s brows upturned with concern.

“Not necessarily,” Doc explained as she carefully placed the patch on his head, “I believe your chip is causing your head pain. Might be flaring up from previous head injuries. You need to be more careful.”

Wrecker laughed, “Careful? Me?”

Doc crossed her arms after placing the patch, raising a brow at Wrecker, “Do you want to have a headache for the rest of your life or not?”

Wrecker turned to look at Doc and felt that heat rise to his cheeks again. This was a new kind of sass he was seeing. “Uh, no. You’re right,” He eventually agreed as he got up and cleared his throat, “Thank ya, Doc.”

“Anytime, Wrecker,” Doc finally shared a smile with him as she patted his shoulder, going up to the front cabin to join everyone else.

Wrecker rubbed the bacta patch on his head for a moment as he watched her walk away. It took Echo coughing near him with a stern look to make the large clone stop staring, shaking his head with a groan. “What is wrong with me?”

Notes: YAY I DID IT!!! HOORAY! Honestly, writing this chapter made me appreciate s1:e6 even more. Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be working on the next chapter soon and get some more one on one character interactions between Doc and the other squad members! Hooray! See y'all next time!