#gonna scan it/clean up stuff later

[salamispots]

[rafedaddy01]

Daddy pt 6 final part

Warnings: angst, sad

A/n: you guys are gonna hate me 😬

Pt 5

You didn’t mean to eavesdrop. You just happened to be walking by Rafes room when you heard him tell his wife that they should get rid of you “I’m home most days now and since you’re finished with your project maybe we could let her go” you hate to admit it but Rafes words stung. Whatever this was between you two, you knew it couldn’t involve feelings, but he got you pregnant. You’re carrying his child and he’s willing to just toss you aside like trash?

“I’m worried about her rafe” you heard the voice of Rafes wife. Who you’ve grown to like and gotten really close too lately. Shes been talking you through baby stuff and offering to by you new things. You feel bad for fucking her husband, it never should have happened like this. “She doesn’t even know who the baby daddy is”

You hear rafe scoff, “is that what she told you”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” His wife responds, and you’re about ready to walk off when you see rafe standing near the door. His eyes meet yours and you try not to let the tears form but they fight their way through.

You could blame the hormones but it wasn’t just that. Rafe was an asshole. You don’t know what you expected getting entangled with him, but you never thought he could be so ruthless. He would always cuddle you after the two of you fucked, he’d take care of you and clean you up and be so damn sweet. But this was a monster, the look in his eye said enough. He didn’t care that you overheard, he looked smug. You wanted to wipe the smirk off his face and burst in the room and tell his wife everything.

Instead you wiped your tears and pushed past him, leaving the Cameron estate and going back to your studio apartment.

You spent the rest of the night crying. Since Mrs, Cameron was home for a while now she told you, you didn’t have to come in to work but if you’d like you could join them for dinner. You wanted to, you barely had any money to buy groceries and you knew you had to eat because your eating for two now. But the thought of coming face to face with rafe and sitting at one table with him just made you wanna vomit.

-

The next morning you woke up later than usual. Your stomach had been cramping all night and it was hard to fall asleep. You only just started your third trimester so you know it’s too early for the baby, it could be Braxton hicks so you don’t read too much into it. You make yourself some breakfast and sit down to watch some tv while you eat.

“It’s just you and me now, buddy. We don’t need anyone else” you rub your stomach as you talk. Suddenly you hurdle over, your lower stomach causing excruciating pain, you scream out as it feels like something’s trying to tear out of you. “Fuck”

You try to stand up but it only makes it worse. Tears fill your eyes as you look down to see red all over your couch cushions. “What the hell” you reach for your phone on the coffee table, breathing through the pain as you stretch your hand.

“Rafe! I- ah- I need you to come quick. Something’s wrong-“ you mange to say before you pass out on the floor.

-

Your groggy eyes open, scanning the room. Bright lights sting your eyes as you look around the hospital room. “Y/n” Mrs. Cameron’s soft voice speaks. “Hey darling, it’s okay. Don’t try to move. It’s gonna be alright” her eyes are puffy and you can tell she’s been crying for hours. “W-what happened? Where am I?” You look around the room and your eyes land on rafe whose back is too you, staring out the hospital room window, refusing to turn around.

“Rafe?” You clear your dry throat and try to sit up, but when you do you notice your belly isn’t as big. Automatically your hand reachs down, rubbing it and feeling the stitches. “What happened!” You turn your eyes between the two, Mrs. Cameron crying again, you yell out Rafes name but he still refuses to answer.

“I’m sorry, y/n. You’re baby didn’t make it”

The end

I know, I know. I’m sorry 😭 if you guys want an alternate happy ending I will write one for you guys. I just felt this is where the story had to go, pls don’t hate me 🥺

Taglist

@f4ll-for-you @rafeysworldim19 @baby19sthings @sevenwivesofrafecameron @rxfecameronsslut @findapenny @r1vrsefx @spencerreidsrealgf @rafescokenostril @thievin-stealing @rafemotherfuckingcameron @dilvcv @starkeysheart @wearemadeofstardust0

[hyunsvngs]

kinktober !

kink: waxplay

pairing: hwang hyunjin x fem!reader

wc: 2k

waxplay: a form of temperature play in which wax from a candle is dripped onto a person's naked skin

You were incredibly lucky to have a boyfriend like Hyunjin. He was sweet, funny, talented, such a gentleman - and completely and utterly infatuated with you. The two of you could be in a room full of people, and his eyes would be fixated directly on you the whole time. Most of your time together was spent with Hyunjin either attached to your hip, or gazing at you in adoration.

Most of the time.

You were currently lounging on his bed, while he sat across the room from you, painting at his easel. You couldn't complain, really - he gave you almost unlimited amounts of attention. It was okay that he wasn't focused on you at that moment. Or it would be okay, if you weren't unbearably horny.

Just seeing him sitting there, examining his sketch the way he'd examined your naked body so many times before… it did something to you. The room was dimly lit, with a string of fairy lights and a candle providing all of the illumination, save for a lamp pointed directly at a Hyunjin's canvas. The warm light was making him look positively angelic. His skin was glowing. He was shirtless, and you couldn't stop your eyes from exploring the planes of his neck, his shoulders, collarbones, pecs, stomach.

His hair was tied up in a messy bun at the base of his neck, though a few strands had fallen loose, which he'd tucked behind his ears. His eyebrows were furrowed gently, the cogs in his brain whirring away as he worked.

He was so fucking beautiful. You needed him.

"How's it coming along, baby?" you asked.

"Mm," he made a noise of affirmation. "Good so far."

You could usually tell his levels of engagement by how in-depth his responses were. A long ramble about the colour pallette, the shading, the linework? That meant he was still in the realm of the living. "Mm, good so far"? Yeah, he was gone. You might be in his peripheral vision, but on a conscious level, the only things in existence are himself, his paints, and the canvas.

You were going to have to work hard.

Hyunjin's face was barely an inch away from the canvas, and he didn't even look up at the quiet rustling sounds of you removing your clothes. You wondered if he even heard, or if his brain filtered the disturbance out.

"What’s your very favourite thing to paint, Hyunjin?" you asked, settling back on his bed, now naked.

"I like painting lots of things," he murmured, still not looking over at you. "I like painting you."

"You like painting me?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "My beauty."

This made you beam. Disengaged as he was at the moment, you knew he truly meant it.

"Paint me now," you suggested.

"I can do another painting of you next," he compromised.

"Fine. Paint on me now."

Ah. You'd piqued his interest with this line. He turned around, eyebrow raised in question, before he saw you. Completely naked, lounging on his bed, paint me like one of your French girls style. His mouth fell open, his eyes scanning your body.

You waited for him to speak. And waited… and waited.

"I don't know if these paints are skin-friendly."

You snorted. What a Hyunjin response. Your comfort and safety is always paramount with him. "Okay, then. Don't use paint. Use…" You pointed to the candle on the side table. "That."

He looked to the candle. Then back to you. "I don't know if the wax is skin-friendly."

"Hyunjin."

"It could burn you, honey! I don't know much about that stuff-"

"It'll be fine. Promise. Plus, isn't burning me the whole point?"

He looked at you, straightfaced. "A little burn, maybe. Scalding your skin straight off? No."

You rolled your eyes. "C'mon, Hyun. It's gonna be fine. I know you wanna try this - I can see it in your eyes."

Hyunjin sighed. "Fine. Let me get a clean brush, okay?"

"Okay!" you said with a grin, laying on your back and waiting for him to prepare.

Moments later, he climbed onto the bed, straddling you. Hard already, you mused, feeling his bulge press against your crotch. Unsurprising. He always was quick to excite, when you were involved.

He had the candle in one hand, a clean paintbrush in the other, and an excited look in his eye. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

You nodded up at him, almost trembling with anticipation. You could smell the candle, black cherry scented, and could feel the warmth from the flame. Hyunjin dipped the paintbrush into the hot wax, and brought it down to your skin.

Oh. It was hot, but not as scalding as you thought it would be. Not as painful as you had been fearing - or hoping? You felt a slight burn, but nothing that made you leap up in agony. No, it made your skin tingle. It made your clit throb, your pussy tense. It was good.

Hyunjin was looking at you, rather than his artwork, his eyes staring deeply into your own. "That okay?"

You nodded. "More."

He repeated the motion. Dipped the paintbrush into the wax, and smeared it across your skin in one long, delicate brushstroke. You exhaled heavily. The only thing on your mind was the sensation of the wax - the hardening wax, which was beginning to cool, and the fresh, hot, wet wax, melting into your skin, into your very core.

You loved to watch your man paint. You loved it even more when you were acting as his canvas. Having his full attention on you, on your body, was dizzying. You felt electric.

He was clearly working on something, you could tell this from the careful deliberation of his brushstrokes across your stomach. He was getting into the zone, making you his masterpiece. But, in all honesty, you didn't give a fuck about the art. That wasn't something you'd ever thought before, not about Hyunjin's work at least, but the hot wax coating your skin was making you positively delirious with sheer arousal. You wanted more, needed more.

"More?" he asked. Oh. Had you said that out loud?

"Feels so good, Hyune," you whined.

"I don't know how I can give you more - do you want me to pour it straight on? That might hurt…" He frowned, considering this.

"Don't care!" you insisted. "Want it to hurt. Please."

He considered it for a moment. "Alright. But let me know if it's too much, okay? I'll wipe it off straight away." You nodded quickly in agreement.

Slowly, teasingly, Hyunjin titled the candle over your body. The first red drop landed in the centre of your abdomen. It felt white-hot in the best possible way.

Another drop, slightly more substantial. You saw stars behind your eyes.

Another one, a slow pour. The scent was overwhelming your senses now, thick, rich, fruity. It was everywhere, yet you couldn't get enough.

"Hyun-"

"Yeah?" he asked, at attention within an instant.

"Tits - on my tits, please."

Hyunjin followed your command. Slowly, he titled the candle, letting a slow trail of wax dribble across your chest. It felt like molten lava, spilling across your curves, down the slope of your breasts, covering you, painting your skin scarlet.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"More than okay," you confirmed. "Why the fuck did we never think of trying this before?"

Hyunjin smiled down at you sweetly. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, baby."

He was enjoying it too, from what you could feel grinding into your pubic mound. Your fingers went to his waistband, tugging at it, and he followed your cues, knowing exactly what you were after. He reached into his trousers, pulling down the waistband and lifting his dick and balls out over it. You sighed happily, grasping his dick gently and lazily stroking it as you lay beneath him, absorbing the sensation.

The weight of his dick in your hands, the hardened wax pulling at your skin, the heat of the fresh wax. The scent. Your boyfriend above you, looking like an angel. It was all tipping you over the edge. You couldn't help but moan out loud.

Hyunjin was getting distracted, you could tell. His cock was twitching in your grasp repeatedly, his hips stuttering along with your strokes. A lot of the time, he was very good at holding back his own pleasure while he tended to you. Other times, not so much. And who could blame him, with the excitement of trying something so new and sexy?

"Feels so good, Hyunjin," you told him earnestly. "Do you wanna feel too?"

He paused, looking up at you. "Hm? Me?"

"Only if you want to… I'm just thinking about how pretty your dick would look, with wax dripped all over it.

"Oh."

"Oh?" you asked.

"Oh."

He liked that idea.

"Not just yet. Wait til I'm - wait til I'm closer. Wanna see if it can push me over the edge." Hyunjin's cheeks were dusted with pink.

Get Hyunjin closer to the edge? If there was anything you could do, it was that. You swiped your thumb over the tip of his dick, gathering the precum that had leaked out of his slit and using it to slick up his shaft. You stroked with more fervour, quickly, tightening your grasp just the way he liked it.

He sighed, running his spare hand through his hair, casting back the strands that had fallen loose of his hair tie. He bit down on his lip hard, stifling a whimper. If you knew that noise (which you did, quite well) it meant that he wasn't too far off.

"Oh - baby, I'm - hold it for me, yeah?"

You nodded and did as he asked, holding his cock steady. He moved slowly, just as he had with you, allowing just a single droplet of wax drip onto the base of his shaft, letting out a strangled moan as he did so.

"How does it feel?" you asked, captivated by his reactions.

He looked up from his dick to meet your gaze, and you noted the tears in his eyes. "Hot. Good."

"More, baby."

He did so, letting another drop fall. It rolled down the length of his shaft, and he cried out. Another drop, bigger again. Bravely, he made one long, smooth pour, right along his member. He hissed at the feeling, the pace of his breaths picking up.

It was a fucking gorgeous sight. His long, beautiful dick, decorated as always with light purple veins, and tonight with deep red wax. It was hot within your hold, twitching relentlessly at the brand new sensations.

"Doing so well, baby," you coaxed him, giving his dick just the gentlest squeeze in your grasp.

He angled the candle over his tip, letting a single drop fall onto his exposed head. He yelped at this, a sensation so strong you felt you could barely imagine it. Merely a second later, his cock began to pulsate, once, twice, and on the third time, a single rope spurted onto your tummy. He erupted, cumming hard and heavily, painting over the red wax with hot, white cum.

"There you go, baby," you encouraged him through his climax. "So much cum, such a pretty dick."

He sat back with a long exhale, catching his breath. "That was nice."

You giggled at the understatement. "Yeah. Nice."

Hyunjin was grinning, the smile reaching his eyes. "Look at our art. We made that together."

You looked down at your torso. It was lovely, in a strange, artistic way.

"It looks like a sunset," he claimed. You wouldn't go that far - it was more like a red sea splashed with white - but it was very nice.

"Let's clean up, yeah?"

Hyunjin gasped. "No. Let me take some pictures first."

You were very used to this; you knew the drill. Hyunjin had been into erotic photography for a few months now, and it had become a regular aspect of your bedroom activities.

"Okay," he said, sounding satisfied after a few minutes of clicking photographs. "Let's go shower. And then… I'm finished painting for tonight. Back to bed and we can make love some more?"

You beamed up at him. "Sounds good to me."

[mxqdii]

pt 2 to note into you m.s. plsss

can't say im nott into you - m.s (part 2)

pairings: mattheo riddle x nott reader

summary: read part 1 first! you can find that here

warning(s): make outs, mentions of blood and fighting

not proofread

previously...

my hands tangled in his hair, the smell of his cologne and cigarettes filling my senses, everything just feels right.

an abrupt knock interrupts us, mattheos hand covering my mouth

"dude come on, snape is pissed you missed class and his lecture, we gotta go" a voice comes from the other side of the door.

fuck, it's my brother.

---

i pull away from mattheo, my panicked state clear to him

my eyes scream "what do we do" and he knows it

"mattheo?? come on we're gonna be late." theo yells again

i run towards his closet, trying to find a place to hide, accidentally tripping in the process

"fuck!" i yell, immediately using my hand to cover my mouth afterwards

"you got a girl in there, riddle?" theo says from the other side of the door

eventually theo breaks his way inside, letting out a scoff at the sight of mattheo's messy hair and unbuttoned shirt

"so.. where is she?" he says, scanning the room

"uhh she left" mattheo says, unconvincingly

"right, through where? the window??" he says sarcastically, looking out the window, showing nothing but lake far beneath them

"dude just let it go, lets go to class" mattheo says, grabbing theos arm

"no i wanna know who this girl is, you seem a little too secretive over her. what is it pansy or something?" he says laughing, looking under the bed and in the bathroom

"just drop it" mattheo says again, more agressive this time

i have my hand over my mouth, trying to be as quiet as i can.

theo looks around more, gaze shifting towards the floor, seeing my bookbag

he glances back up and mattheo, picking up the bag

"huh.. y'know whats funny is that my sister has this exact same bag... coincidence?" he says sternly

"uh- yeah, i mean its a pretty common bag-" mattheo starts, before the sound of stuff knocking over in the closet interrupts him

"fuck" i mumble, quiet enough for only myself to hear

theo looks at the closet, then mattheo, quickly walking towards it, opening it as fast as he can

his face drops at the sight of me with smudged lipstick and my tie taken off

"oh you're fucking dead" he turns around, punching mattheo

i bolt up, screaming

"theo stop!" i try to pull him away from mattheo, his elbow hitting my eye in the process

fall to the floor, clutching my eye "ow! fuck!" i yell

they both immediately stop, turning to me

"oh shit i'm so sorry" theo says, bending down to my level

"what the fuck did you do?!?" mattheo yells, gently taking my hand off my eye to examine it

theo watches intently, noticing the gentleness and how mattheos gaze instantly sofented

"does this hurt?" he says, pressing down lightly

i wince, not needing to say more

"i have stuff in my bathroom, ill get you cleaned up" he says, grabbing my arm helping me stand up

theo scoffs, walking out of mattheos dorm with his arms crossed

---

"thanks again mattheo, seriously." i say, walking down to the common room with him

"of course lo-" he stops at the sight of theo sitting on the couch staring at us

"sit." he says, causing us to look at eachother

we sit on the couch across from him, the silence filling the room for a few minutes

"listen, i dont care what you do, as long as you dont do that nasty shit around me, but riddle, if you hurt my sister ill actually fucking muder you, got it?" he says sternly and mattheo nods

theo then glances at me "hows the eye?" he asks

"bruised, thanks to your bulky elbows" i say sarcastically and he chuckles

"whatever, see you two later" he says, walking out of the common room

that leaves me and mattheo, alone, and sure we hooked up before getting rudely interrupted. but me and mattheo.. dating? i guess i just didnt think he'd see me that way.. theo sure thinks otherwise

i abruptly stand up, excusing myself and heading back to my dorm

"wait-" mattheo starts, but i rush off

we've been friends for so long, and yes, he's hot as shit.. but in hindsight i cant help but think

what are we?

TAGLIST:

@opheliaofficial07 @stargirlv0id @strniolo @annaisabookworm @theperson-nextdoor  @its-jennarose @thetriplets3 @llama-07 @wietske27 @ye0nvibezzn @sleepygirl45 @itsamusical4lifee @dianalovesm

[innorogers]

Vigil

Steve Rogers x Reader (You / OFC)

Summary: For a man who has faced down gods, monsters, the end of the universe, this kind of fear is new to him. It’s not the enemy outside he fears—it’s the thought of losing you, of failing to protect you. Again.

Warning: Mention of sex / Fluff & Angst / Protective Steve / Jealous Steve /

Characters: OC, Tony Stark, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Sharon Carter, Natasha Romanoff / John Walker

Also: Thanks in advance for repost or any feedback ❤️ Let me know if you want to be included in the taglist (DM, comment, repost and tag, whatever works)❤️ You don't need to read the previous chapters but it will definitely enhance the experience if you do.

1: Insomnia | 2: Lucid | 3: Reverie | 4: Nightmare | 5: Awakening | 6: Dusk | 7: Hypnagogia | 8: Lull

It ended just as expected. Steve cummed twice in the shower—once in your mouth, because, damn, he tasted amazing after cleaning up, and again inside you, because you smelled just as irresistible with that jasmine scent in your hair.

So here you are, three cups of coffee later, and about to nap on your desk. The body Hydra gave you was strong, but you’ve been in a car chase, with the Iron Army hunting you down, fought in a nightclub, and probably had four or five rounds of sex with Steve. You honestly don’t know what was more exhausting. You’d guess the mission that had gone rogue, but honestly, the sex just left you breathless.

"Oh, rough night?" Robert handed you a fourth cup of coffee, eyeing the dark circles under your eyes. "Need the adrenaline shot?"

"Um…" You actually considered it for a moment. Your body metabolized stuff like that too fast, though—it would only last for a couple of hours, tops. "Nah, forget it.” You need your brain clear to process everything that happened. 

“I’ve heard…” Dr. Lin’s voice interrupted your thoughts as he leaned casually on your desk, his eyes scanning the room where your colleagues were clearly whispering about you. “That Captain America had quite the adventure yesterday. Right after leaving the UN, too.”

He tsked and pulled out his phone, showing you a few grainy clips. Footage from CCTVs and some shaky handhelds—probably from people who had their phones out at the right moment. “A broken bridge, streets on fire, and…a fight in a nightclub? You’re gonna need more than coffee to survive this shift, I think.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “Too late for damage control, huh? Is it all over the news?” You could only imagine the hell Steve was going through with Commander Hill: ‘I gave you 1,278 security protocols, and you ignored them all?!’ Yeah, you weren’t setting foot in the command room today.

“Not quite all over the news yet—mostly social media.” Dr. Lin was clearly enjoying the UN’s PR disaster a bit too much. “I think they’re working overtime behind the scenes to sweep it under the rug. Captain America gets attacked his first time outside the compound during ‘The Reconciliation of the Century’? Yeah…someone’s having a bad day in PR.”

“Anyway…as I was saying…You’re gonna need more than coffee, we’ve got company today…”

“What? Company?” You were surprised. “They’re letting people in?!” After yesterday’s security breach?

“Seems the first New Era Project agent that the UN sent was a fraud or didn’t work. And since we visited them yesterday already, today, they’re sending some new guys.” Dr. Lin looked at you, lowering his glasses: “Yikes, right? So for today, we need to pretend we’re working. ‘Cause we’re not sharing our real stuff…which will make this day unbearable.”

Oh. You grimaced after Dr. Lin turned around and began “working.” Yeah, you knew everything about how the last agent went wrong. But actually, this ‘pretend to be working’ thing was good—you needed to analyze everything that had happened.

You opened a document connected to Tony’s hub and started typing, outlining the details for him in your usual style. (It was your private little system—documents stored in The Crib, or what the three of you called the ‘Geniuses’ Sticky Notes.’) You’d barely finished bullet point five when someone in a crisp military uniform appeared beside you, smiling next to your screen.

“Hi, Doctor—whose phone number is still confidential. Nice to see you again.” John Walker said smiling, quoting the line you’d once used to refuse giving him your number.

Oh dear Lord, he really should have taken a nap with you when he had the chance, instead of those three—no, four rounds of sex you had in the dressing room and the shower.

Steve thought after suppressing another yawn, trying to focus on the screen, where Thadeus Ross was losing his temper again, explaining why the UN had nothing to do with the attack he and you got yesterday.

But who was he kidding? Steve almost smiled. Nope, no way he’d have preferred the nap over the sex. That was exactly what he needed after being hard almost the entire afternoon. And four times weren’t enough—he would have gone on if you weren’t in the dressing room.

For fuck’s sake, when is this over? He couldn’t wait to get back to your private lab-slash-home, have a light dinner, and get in bed with you.

Oh, that’s a nice thought: a sex marathon for the weekend is all he needs after this hellish week. He started thinking of your intertwined bodies, your begging moans that sounded like heaven... Yeah, okay, he needs to focus. Maybe listen to what the Secretary has to say instead of thinking about your messy hair, your heavy breath, your skin that felt like silky sweet milk, and your mouth... Yup, stop. Let’s hear Ross, so he doesn’t get hard again in the middle of a full meeting room.

He felt a glare on him, so he looked around and saw Agent Sharon Carter staring with her eyebrows raised, as if saying, “Gotcha, pay attention.” Steve suppressed a smile and looked down. Oh boy, this was going to be a long day.

“I thought your super friends were going to be attending this meeting too.” Once the screen was off, Sharon smiled at him while picking up the folders and files.

“Well... Hill and Sam are still in Fraser’s interrogation. Tony and Bruce are tracking back the security breach. Natasha and Clint took over my place in training since I’m busy with other things. So...”

Basically, what happened was that when Tony asked who would be taking this mission, everyone stepped back, and I was the only idiot at the front. Steve shook his head internally.

“In that case.” Sharon gave him the usual confident wink. “I’m glad. It’s been forever since we shared a mission.” She grinned. “Last time almost cost me my career.”

“Yeah...um...lucky, things sorted out on that one...” He was a little embarrassed but still grateful for Sharon’s help during the Civil War chaos.

“I’m kidding with you, okay?” Sharon teased. “It’s not like I almost got into federal prison or anything.” She sighed a little, lowering her voice: “Although, I wouldn’t have minded if I had to.” She said with a soft voice and a sparkle in her eyes, looking at Steve with sincerity, which made him stiffen.

“So, how have you been?” Steve nodded and asked with a polite smile, pressing the elevator button for her as they headed to the cafeteria floor. “How does it feel to be at the UN? I heard the benefits are better than the CIA, though unfortunately, you’ll need to deal with us again.”

"Ah, I don’t know what you're talking about," Sharon said with a wink, grinning playfully. "Every agent’s dream, right? Dealing with the Avengers, working alongside the great Captain America... even if, well, my boss would rather face another alien army than deal with the politics of this initiative."

“Well, that’d make two of us.” Steve chuckled, and opened the cafeteria door for her.

The hum of chatter and the clinking of dishes filled the air. The compound’s cafeteria was large, efficient, and—much to Steve’s relief—quiet at this time of day. It was near lunchtime, but still a little early for food service, so the air was full of a coffee’s aroma that lingered from breakfast. They got in line for coffee and a quick snack, and Sharon gave him a sideways glance, her expression teasing as she grabbed a sandwich.

“Oh wow, you guys have affogato as dessert? I could consider getting back to work with you guys just for your catering service.” Sharon said, breaking the brief silence as they moved along the counter.

“Well, if you consider that, I could make my best effort to get your agent’s number back.” Steve grinned, grabbing just a cup of coffee.

“Oh yes, lucky number, huh?” She stopped for a second as she laughed and said, “Remember that place we went to… Venice? What was it called, the best affogato in the world.”

“Benicio’s?” Steve nodded. “Yeah… it’s closed now. I mean, gone during the Blip, hopefully reopened now.”

“You didn’t have the affogato, though,” Sharon said with a playful hint in her voice. “Mr. ‘I don’t know how to relax since I got into a fight with Stark and we’re on the run.’”

“Hey, I was the international most wanted. I think it was okay for me just to stay out of the loop. Imagine if I got caught because of ice cream. That would’ve been…”

“Funny? Quite a story to tell? Best date I’ve ever had?” Sharon shrugged.

“...Embarrassing.” Steve said with a smile. “Or awkward, or even humiliating.”

Sharon shook her head and laughed. They found a table by the window, where sunlight poured in, and Steve took a seat across from her. He could see the curiosity in Sharon’s eyes, the slight hesitation before she spoke again.

“It really was, actually. One of my top three dates.” Her smile turned more serious, her voice low enough that only Steve could hear over the ambient noise. “Too bad it ended so… abruptly.”

Steve wanted to say, "We would never have made it too far", but he only sighed.

He didn’t want to dismiss her feelings, and he couldn’t deny that something had existed between them. It was brief, but also real. A shared history they couldn’t quite forget or ignore.

Sharon was strong, smart, and capable—someone he admired deeply and cared about. He appreciated her confidence and her courage, but that connection, though meaningful, was nothing compared to what he felt for you now.

That had been a stream. With you, it was tides, waves, the entire ocean.

“We made a good team.” Steve said with a smile, being honest and looking directly into her eyes.

Something about it made Sharon hold her breath. 

She could remember moments in the past when Steve had the same effect on her. He would just gaze at her, and her heartbeat would skip or beat too fast.

Maybe that’s why she hadn’t pushed harder when it didn’t work. If she had fallen, completely and madly, as she’d wanted to, the power he held over her would have been overwhelming.

She had risked her entire career just to help him, and they were… nothing. Just a kiss, just some kisses or dates. So what would have happened if they’d continued? She couldn’t imagine a life where she had so little discipline about her feelings, mind, or heart.

“I know.” Sharon spoke softly, still holding his gaze. She was taking a leap of faith now. Cause she couldn’t help to wonder—could it have worked?

What if…they gave it another chance? They didn’t have the menace of the universe’s destruction now, the chances of Steve (or her) being a fugitive again were none after Thanos, so what… what if…?

“But…” She began, but Steve suddenly turned as something caught his attention.

It was lunchtime, and the employees began to arrive at the cafeteria, you among them, with Dr. Lin at your right and John Walker at your left.

“Captain Walker, I really don’t need a date. I have a boyfriend, no, um… fiancé.” You said as you picked up a tray and started serving lunch on your plate, remembering how Steve just highlighted this morning that the ring was indeed, a ring.

“It’s John.” Said a very cheerful John Walker, who was not stepping back from asking you out, even though you had been determined and clear about your “NO”s and reasons.

“Well, does this fiancé have a name? And where’s the ring?” he said while picking lunch and placing food, walking backward with a gracious wink.

“OH MY GOD!” You and Dr. Lin said at the same time, your eyes widening as you noticed the ring was missing from your finger.

“Where’s the ring? D…did you lose the ring?!” Robert was panicking. Did you just lose the engagement ring Captain America gave you?!

“I don’t know, it was on my finger...” You were looking in your lab coat pockets and in your clothes.

“It’s a tracking device, equipped with the last of Stark technology, how...how can you lose a tracking device?!” Dr. Lin couldn’t believe it. 

“Your boyfriend put a tracking device on you?” John hmph'd with a laugh. “What a douchebag!” He put a hand on his chest. “I promise, I would never do such a manipulative, controlling freak thing to you.” He winked. “I’ll look out for other guys who come close, of course, but that’s another level of jerkiness. Ugh...a tracking device, what is he, a psychopath?”

“It’s an engagement ring,” you replied, frowning, though you didn’t think of giving out too much information to him. You thought back to the last time you saw the ring, which was before you took it off when you entered the UN HQ.

You pulled out your phone, wanting to send a message to Steve just to confirm.

Some strands of hair curved in front of you when you looked down, and John, who was standing in front of you, couldn’t help but stretch out his hand and brush them to your shoulder. His fingers ran through your hair, and his fingertips touched your ear as he accommodated it for you.

Before you could react, a loud crash echoed through the cafeteria, like the sound of a broken cup or mug.

Sharon stood in shock as Steve slammed his cup down so hard the porcelain shattered. His face was livid, veins bulging in his neck, and his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

He abruptly stood, the chair scraping loudly behind him, and stormed in your direction.

"I've got it, babe." Steve said. He didn’t miss a moment of the interaction and was at your side in an instant. He took your hand, his eyes locked on John Walker, and carefully slid the ring back onto your finger. “It was in the pocket of your gear.” 

Both captains exchanged tense, serious looks. You could feel the sparks fly between them as they made eye contact, and after a long moment, Steve finally smiled.

“I’m guessing you're here as a representative of the New Era’s Project, Captain Walker?” He said, placing a firm hand on your waist, his grip tightening slightly.

“Yes.” John replied with a polite but sneering smile.

“The knowledge exchanges from R&D have been…quite enlightening. I can’t wait to see what the best of your team has to offer…to me.” He said as he raised his jaw and tilted his head toward you. You could feel Steve’s body tense, like a bow stretched to its full capacity and ready to snap back.

"Take whatever gear or armory you want, Walker," Steve said in a cold, measured voice, as the entire cafeteria fell silent, all eyes locked on the tension between the two men.

"But the best of this compound is far beyond your reach. And don’t think for a second that you could ever put a finger on that." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, teeth clenched. Touch my girl’s hair again, and I’ll cut your arm off.

"Steve." A calm voice cut through the tension as Commander Hill appeared at the doorway. She walked in with steady confidence. "We’ve got news. I need you and Dr. Lancaster in the Command Room."

Steve didn’t immediately move. His gaze lingered on Walker for a few more seconds, with unspoken warnings in his eyes. Then, without a word, he turned to you, gently taking your hand in his, and led you out of the cafeteria. The weight of Walker’s stare followed behind you both, but your focus stayed fixed on your fiance's figure.

No one spoke in the hallway as you walked toward the Command Room. You could see Steve’s rigid expression. He was pissed, his jaw tight, shoulders tense as if holding back more words.

But you were… well, trying your best to hide the curve of your lips. Just like he had back in the car when you sobbed that you’d go to Wakanda and talk to plants for the rest of your life if he ever left you to go back to his gorgeous ex.

Oh, so he was this jealous? Even a little possessive? He got this mad just because a guy touched your hair? Now, if Steve were any other guy, maybe this would seem like a giant red flag, but this was the love of your life, so…

You slid your hand into his palm, pressing your skin to his, and intertwined your fingers with his. 

Steve’s expression softened, and he looked at you, letting out a quiet sigh. He smiled when you mouthed, I love you.

Commander Hill, however, wasn’t in the mood for your lovebird moments. Her face remained stern as she waited for the door to close behind you, sealing the room.

"Agent Frazer was found dead this morning."

The words hung in the air like a punch to the gut. Steve’s hand tightened around yours as his expression shifted from softened warmth to immediate alertness.

You lowered your sight.

Somehow, you had a feeling this was coming anytime soon. It was weird, though. Agent Frazer was not your brother; he just pretended to be for some time (and then actually tried to brainwash slash attack you). But for a moment, you wished that had been true, that your brother was alive, even if he had been turned against you. So now he is dead, and you feel strangely sad.

Your way of dealing with it? Throw yourself into the facts.

“How?” you asked, almost mechanically. “Was it because… his neural synapses overloaded, triggering an energy surge that short-circuited his cerebral cortex in under a millisecond? Like… like someone or something… wired his brain to self-destruct?”

Maria’s eyes widened, and she gave a quick, silent nod.

Steve’s grip tightened, haunted by your words. At that moment, he panicked, cold sweat through his shirt, fear dominating his senses when the possibility of losing you suddenly struck hard in his mind. So, could anyone do that? Snap their fingers and cause you a brain dead? 

His body was merely processing under this thought. He felt the urge to hug you, to feel your warmth and heartbeat under his skin, to feel you entirely safe in his arms. But you were in the command room, so he didn’t move.

“Can we make sure that…” His voice trembled slightly. “What happened to Frazer…” doesn’t happen to you?

Commander Hill noted his panic, so she gave him some time to process.

“Oh no.” You noticed too, so you reassured him, squeezing his hand back: “That won’t happen to me. I’ve only been through one brainwash. It takes more than that—multiple processes, open surgery. And Hydra… they didn’t have the tech to pull it off. Not back then.”

“But…” Your mind raced ahead, piecing things together. “Whoever did this? They’re desperate.”

You rubbed your forehead, and as your hands dropped, Maria noticed it: that look on your face.

The same intense, calculating look Steve wore when he was seeing things no one else could—analyzing every possibility, tracing out the most brilliant, cunning plan, whether on a battlefield or at a table of white collars and power brokers.

“Jarvis, any chance Bruce and Tony are in the crib?” You needed to process your ideas, but you also needed someone who could remember everything you’d said.

“They are on their way here, Dr. Lancaster.” answered the A.I. “Crossing the elevator’s door at this moment.” said Jarvis as both entered the room.

“Please tell me you already have a preliminary conclusion?” said Tony, stepping into the room.

“Okay…” You stood in the middle, your mind moving faster than words as you started laying out the analysis.

“They have access to Hydra files—there’s no other way to explain it. Clearance levels that aren’t just high for regulars; files that were locked, or used to be locked, behind old S.H.I.E.L.D. encryption. And the remains of my file? Only a few could access those after Hydra was dismantled.”

Tony leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, tracking your every movement. Bruce sat at the edge of a table, hands loosely folded, but his furrowed brow betrayed his concern.

“So, leftover Hydra goons or former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?” Tony asked. He didn't want to say it aloud, but there was also another possibility: a breach, here, inside the Avengers.

“Or both.” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives who went dark when Hydra fell. People who know how to stay hidden but had deep ties to the old Hydra infrastructure.”

“Even if they had the files, they’d need money. A lot of it, if they’re working with the kind of tech that got into Frazer’s head.” Bruce said, swiping through the files on the screen.

“Yeah, this doesn’t sound like some underground merc group.” Maria said, standing beside him as she watched the files on the main screen.

“This is serious, billionaire-level investment. Whoever’s backing them has access to bleeding-edge tech. Retinal implants, memory manipulation… that’s not standard black-market operation. The kind of power they’re throwing around is something only the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. had access to—the old S.H.I.E.L.D. when they were still around.”

“So, they’re gearing up for something big, or they’re hitting a wall. What are they trying to accomplish? Why use Frazer as a puppet?” Tony followed the line of thought.

You hesitated: “I think… They’re close to something. A breakthrough, maybe. Or…” You stopped and narrowed your eyes, thinking aloud. “Or they’re failing. Desperate. They’re making bold moves because they need something critical. And that something is… me.”

Steve’s expression shifted. His fingers locked onto yours, tightly.

“The attack was directed at you. Frazer was pretending to be your brother. And to confirm your existence.” Tony sighed, frustrated and feeling a pang of guilt. He hid you all these years, thinking you would be safe. He should have let you out of the New Eras Project. The Avengers had so many ways of detecting enemies without using your powers. Fuck, he should have listened to Steve when he warned him to let you out of the Project.

“Of the twelve of you, you’re the only one with… those powers.” Steve murmured, almost clenching his teeth. He felt the urge to hug you, as if you were going to disappear or vanish in the next second.

“And a success case.” You said, not wanting to scare him but knowing you all needed the entire picture. “The only survivor, the only… prototype. Still alive. In my body is the source code for why these experiments or creations worked.”

“Wait…” Tony’s glare was fixed on you. “If the endgame is to copy your ability… What could they even use that for?” But it was a self-answering conversation. He was just thinking aloud: “…a soldier who could walk into a building and identify every weak point before the first shot is fired. Or worse, detect something we’ve built to be undetectable.”

“Why stop there, Tony?” Maria’s expression was serious and cold. “Why would there be only one? Hydra made a dozen back then, and they didn’t even have half the tech we have now.”

Bruce frowned deeper, his voice low: “If they’re that close, then we’re on borrowed time. They’ve already brainwashed Frazer, and now they’re playing with neural implants and synaptic overrides.”

“Exactly.” You nodded. “And they are so desperate, they don’t care if we know they’re out there now, because they’re so close they can taste it. Once they succeed, they won’t even fear the Avengers’ powers anymore.”

Tony exhaled sharply, his glare cold. “So, they’re building something. A super soldier, or an army of them—enhanced with tech that would let them see through just about anything.”

“And they’re not far from getting there. But for now, I’m still the key to unlocking that power.”

The room went quiet for a moment as the weight of your words settled in.

“Well, isn’t that just fantastic.” Tony applauded, the whole thing giving him a headache. “We’ve got super soldiers with x-ray vision on the horizon. And they’ve got you in their crosshairs.”

“So basically, we need to see what triggered this sudden desperation.” Bruce leaned forward, and his mind began to analyze: “We could scan for energy centralization around the globe. Human creation needs vast electromagnetic fields to power high-level bioengineering, especially when manipulating neural pathways at this scale. We need to track when or where all this is happening. But…”

His voice was tense.

“I’ve got a feeling they’re at the door already. Because whatever they’re building… they’re almost done.”

The way back home was silent. You could feel the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension. Steve hadn’t said much since you left the command room. His usual warmth and quiet strength seemed overshadowed by something deeper—fear and anxiety, clunging over him like a dark shadow, haunting him at his heels.

You wanted to speak, but your mind was processing too. You were trying to remember everything you knew about yourself and your siblings, every memory, every piece of paper you’d seen in Hydra labs, every layer of analysis they’d made you go through.

The ride home was silent, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on the road, even your house slash lab was after all the securities protocols and protective layers Maria had put, he was still alert, as if there were something in the grass and trees of the compound that would attack anytime. You could feel the weight of his thoughts, pressing down like a storm waiting to break.

"Babe there's no need…" You said as Steve moved around the house once you've arrived.

He checked every window, every door, securing them with an almost obsessive care. He paused at the front door, his hand lingering on the lock as if it was the only thing standing between you and the threat he couldn’t control.

You watched him, knowing that this wasn’t just about protecting you—it was about the fear within him.

"Steve, I'm here." You stopped him. Placing your hand on his back: "I'm here. With you."

He turned to you, his face pale. His eyes were haunted, wide with the kind of fear you rarely saw in him. He’s worried.

No, not worried, he’s terrified.

Without a word, he pulls you into his arms, wrapping them tightly around you like you might disappear if he let go. His grip is firm, desperate, as trying to shield you from an invisible danger that only he can see.

His breath is uneven, and you can feel the tension radiating from him. For a man who has faced down gods, monsters, the end of the universe, this kind of fear is new to him. It’s not the enemy outside he fears—it’s the thought of losing you, of failing to protect you. Again.

You don’t say anything at first. Words won’t soothe him. So you just hold him back, resting your head against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. Slowly, you lifted your hands to gently press them on his neck, cupping his face to make him look at you.

"I'm here. And we will be ok." You say softly.

These words made him tremble. Will you? How can you be sure? How could he know? What if…

He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if he lost you.

“I won’t let them take you.” He said, as a sacred oath, tatooed in his soul. “I’m going to set up more protocols.” He muttered, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes, his expression one of steely resolve beneath the worry. “More security. I’ll have Tony upgrade the system. I’ll have guards outside. I’ll—”

You stayed still in his arms, feeling the rawness of his fear. His body was tense, and you could feel the tremble in his muscles, the weight of his panic pressing against you. He wasn’t just holding you for comfort—he was holding you like you were the last solid thing in a world that was quickly unraveling.

“Steve,” you interrupted softly, placing a hand on his chest. “You can’t protect me from everything.”

His eyes locked onto yours. “I can try. And I will.”

"Babe…this is the Avengers compound. This is…the safest place on earth. Or even the universe."

"It took only one protocol. One permission. Approved by me." He said with teeth clenched. "I gave him clearance. One, to bring Frazer in front of you, I won't ever, ever let that happen again." He said with conviction, his expressions somber as he remembered everything you went through.

But beneath his determination, you could see the cracks: the anxiety gnawing away at him, the overwhelming fear that no matter what he did, it might not be enough.

"Steve…"

“You don’t understand…” His voice is strained, thick with the fear that he hasn’t been able to shake since the moment he realized you were being targeted. “I’ve seen too much. I’ve lost too many. If something happens to you—”

He pauses.

“I can’t lose you.” He whispered, his voice barely audible. He was a man made of iron will and conviction, but here he stood, vulnerable and raw, stripped bare of all his usual defenses.

“Hey, hey, hey…Listen.” You said, holding his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your gaze. “I’m here. Right here. I’m not going anywhere. I'm here, with you, I'm safe.”

He looks at you and feels a pang of pain to your innocent even naive words.

Safe? Were you safe when he was on the other side of the wall and couldn't do anything but watch as you almost fell under Frazer's brainwash? Were you safe when you pressed a tranquilizer to yourself?

The memory of you in his arms, unconcious and slipping away was so vivid.

His hands tightened around you again at that thought, his grip shaking slightly. “I just... I can’t stop thinking about it.” He admitted, his voice strained. “What if I can’t get to you in time? What if something happens and I’m not there? What if…”

“I can’t take that risk.” He mutters, more to himself than to you. “ I can't. I won’t let anything happen to you. Not again.”

You pull back just enough to look up at him, your hands resting on his chest. His blue eyes are filled with a vulnerability you’ve only seen in rare moments— when the weight of the world is too much, even for him.

“Steve.” You say soft but firmly: “We’ll get through this. Together.”

For a long moment, he just looks at you, his eyes searching yours, as if trying to find reassurance in the depths of your gaze. Slowly, he exhales, but he doesn’t let go. That deep-rooted terror of losing you, isn't going away anytime soon.

His arms remain wrapped around you, protective and unyielding, as though he’s made a silent vow that nothing—no person, no secret organization, no force on Earth or beyond—will ever take you away from him.

If only that could be true.

THE End but TBC

Continue to Chapter 10: Eclipse

Alright I'm SO SORRY I'm late!! 2 Full time jobs really is consuming me!! I hope you enjoyed it!! Sooooo I have a really serious question RN, could you doooo me the favor to lmk your thoughts!!

Tag list: @vioplay19 / @jamneuromain / @steviebbboi / @heletsmelovehim / @otterlycanadian / hisredheadedgoddess28

*can you let me know if I've missed anyone in the taglist? thanks <3

[reallyromealone]

Bonten x bunny male reader

Warning: hybrid au, nsfw, smut, male reader, bottom reader, MLM, gay, diet omegaverse themes (elements of Omegaverse but not quite there)

If you are

Are a fujoshi

Do not interact

I will block you

Those who knew Bonten knew to run for the hills if they enter a room, the predator hybrids weren't to be fucked with by any means.

And whatever they saw, belonged to them.

And currently they couldn't take their eyes off the cutest bunny hybrid with long floppy ears and a fluffy cotton tail to boot.

Said bunny was their beloved mate so why wouldn't they watch him whenever they could?

(Name) was in bunny form curled up against Sanzus fox tail as the pink haired man cleaned his sword calmly, pleased his mate was so relaxed to be in such a vulnerable state with him.

Currently (name) was in preheat, conserving energy for the upcoming heat that Bonten was thankful that they could alternate because bunnies had a reputation for a reason.

"He still sleeping?" Ran asked as he walked in with bags of veggies and fruits, the pink haired man nodded as he glanced down at the bunny who was still snoozing away, the tiny fluff ball stretching out.

"Well enjoy it while you can, because he's not gonna let us go once he starts"

Six hours later was when Mikey fet a hand on his chest push him down from where he was sitting, catching the rest of Bontens attention as (name) made a chirping noise to the wolf who stared at him curiously, charcoal eyes staring into (name)s fully dialated ones "you need a good fuck baby?" Mikey asked, thankfully (name) was only wearing one of their botton up shirts as he began humping at Mikey's jean covered lap "that would be a yes" Koko said teasingly as (name) huffed, leg bouncing which usually indicates one thing.

He wanted a chase.

"Hey baby?" Sanzu said teasingly and (name) turned to look at him "run" he said with a rumble as all the men's eyes flashed to a more primal look and with a pleased shiver (name) bolted down the hall as the others counted to twenty before taking off behind him.

God they loved a good hunt.

Did they purchase a home with this in mind? Oh absolutely and all parties had a grand time with it.

Ran and Rindō worked together to hunt him, the Panthers feral with joy as they scanned the area for any sign of the bunny.

Walking down the hall they saw a flash of an ankle and both men immediately took off after him, almost manic only to see the Jaguar that was Koko pinning the bunny down "get the others" Koko said before looking down at his hunt, shaking and blushing as (name) hooked his ankle behind Kokos neck to pull him close "oh? You ready to be eaten bunny?"

In this relationship there were no rules on who got to fuck the bunny as long as it was mutually consentual.

And Koko was a bit pent up, none of them able to fuck (name) for one week before his heat, knowing to save their energy for when it actually happens.

Koko devoured (name)s mouth, licking anywhere he could as his hands groped around, feeling the others flesh under his skin "so good~"

Koko freed his cock and let (name) wrap his legs around his hips, trapping him successfully as Koko wasted no time pushing into (name), the bunnies biology making him ready anytime "oh!" (Name) gasped out as Koko began thrusting "gonna fuck you real nice angel"

(Name) rolled his hips to try and meet his thrusts as the rest of Bonten gathered around him "open wide babydoll" takeomi said pressing the blunt head of his cock to (name)s lips, the men watching with pure lust as (name) sucked on the tip before slowly taking it in deepee down his throat "so good baby" takeomi said softly, playing with (name)s soft bunny ears as the bunny let the fox and jaguar fuck him silly.

The others jerked off and played with the bunnies body, stroking his cock and playing with his nipples "we should probably head to a bedroom soon" Kakucho said as the snake took (name)s wrist to have (name) stroke one of his cocks.

"Once we stuff him real nice with a few kits" Mikey said having (name) use his other hand to jerk him off.

(Name) was a shaking mess as he let the predators around him use him as they pleased, to heat drunk to even remotely care as the pre-cum leaking from Mikey's cock got all over his hand and wrist.

"Gonna give me cubs baby? A whole litter for me?" Koko hissed as he fucked (name) senseless, enjoying the sight of the bunny full of cock as his hips pistoned into him, the sound of his cock fucking his lovers tight hole echoing along with the sound of his throat being thoroughly fucked.

"Take it baby! Take it!" And with that Koko came hard into (name), the others cuming as well to cover the bunny with cum as the poor prey shook helplessly from his own orgasm.

"Let's clean you up for round too, you got seven more to please angel"

[punkshort]

Chapter warnings: language, violence, angst

A/N: this chapter might be a little slower than the rest, but I felt like it was important to establish how they are surviving. I tried to keep it spicy and interesting but please stay with me, I believe I have some great stuff coming up :)

Chapter Ten

Pairing: Joel x F!Reader, pre-outbreak and post outbreak

AU (the only thing I kept was the outbreak, Joel, and Tommy's characters. Joel's backstory is different, and the way he finds Jackson is different. I may include Ellie one day, I just haven't planned that far)

Fic Summary: You worked for Joel and Tommy a few months before the outbreak. The outbreak happens, and you and Joel get stuck traveling the country and keeping each other safe. Neither of you spoke about the feelings you had for one another pre-outbreak, and in a post-apocalyptic world, it seems like survival should be your only focus. But feelings can't be ignored forever.

Fic tags: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Smut, Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use, Age Difference (Reader is 10 years younger than Joel), slow burn, mutual pining, angst, trauma, SA referencing later but I will put a big warning on those chapters

October 2003

Pittsburgh, PA

It had taken you nearly a full month to make it 400 miles, having to stop frequently and rest for a couple days here and there, but you were halfway to Chicago. Your bodies were not used to the constant exercise, and it required you to rest more than you expected. Joel suspected you were both deficient in some capacity since all you had eaten was canned and processed food for a month and exerting much more energy than normal. You were holed up in a small cabin outside of Pittsburgh, about 10 miles away from reaching the city. Joel had broken into the cabin late last night, and the two of you collapsed into bed once he confirmed the place was empty. He had planned to stay here for a couple days, wanting to make sure you were both as well rested as possible.

The next morning, Joel was looking around the small basement of the cabin, his flashlight bouncing off the dirty concrete walls while you went through the clothes left in the dressers upstairs, determining which ones were suitable to swap out. With winter fast approaching, you both needed to find clothes with longer sleeves and extra layers.

His flashlight scanned over a rusted metal shelving unit in the far corner. He walked over to inspect the items, finding mostly cleaning products, insect repellant, paint, and other chemicals. At the very bottom he found a hunting trap which he picked up to examine, pleasantly surprised to find it was still functional. He took it upstairs and placed it on the small kitchen table, then went to find you in the bedroom, where he heard you opening and shutting the dresser drawers.

The queen bed was covered in clothes, women's clothes on the right and men's on the left. On the floor you had tossed three well-worn hunting jackets, and on the other side of the room was a pile of discarded clothes that looked like they were meant for warmer months.

"Makin’ some progress up here?” he asked, bending down to take a closer look at the jackets and opening the pockets to see what was left behind. He triumphantly pulled out a few batteries and a lighter, shoving them in his jeans pocket. He picked the jacket up and shook the dust off before trying it on.

"Yeah, we got some good options. I think the guy's clothes will fit you, her clothes will be a little baggy on me but that's fine, I can do layers," you said over your shoulder as you scooped up loose socks from the top drawer and tossed them on the bed, getting to work matching and rolling them up. "Did you find anything useful?"

Joel put the jacket back on the floor and picked up a second one, trying that one on before settling on the third, which was a little big on him, but the thick leather kept him well insulated. "Yeah, actually, I found a hunting trap. I'm gonna go out a little ways and see if we can catch somethin', I think we need more protein, we've been needin' to take too many breaks lately."

"You want me to come with you?" you stood up after matching up the last pair of socks.

"Nah, I won't be long, you keep workin' on this stuff here." Joel grabbed his rifle and the trap, closing the front door behind him and setting out into the woods.

The cabin was surrounded by a thick forest but there were a few trails that must have been forged by deer given how tall the grass and narrow the paths were. Joel walked carefully into the trees, staying alert for any threats. Out this far into the wilderness, infected weren't the problem. The pair of you hadn't come across any more people since that night in his apartment a month ago but he made sure you stayed off the roads as much as possible. You weren't as quiet or withdrawn anymore, but he noticed you were becoming hardened by the world you were forced to live in. He had seen the slow progression as you both learned how to take down infected as efficiently as possible. He remembered when you first had to do it: you were so scared he could see the switchblade shaking in your hand as you snuck up behind a dormant runner. As the weeks went on and you practiced more, you became more comfortable taking them down, but he also saw the hardness growing in your eyes. He knew it was just a product of your environment and it was essential in order to survive, but some nights when he was unable to sleep, he laid awake and imagined a world where he could be a shield for you, taking all damage, and you could be your warm and sweet self again, safe under his protection.

Being out in the wild without the comfort of an apartment helped quell his feelings for you a little. He was less distracted when he had to always be on high alert, forcing his thoughts off you and onto survival. But whenever you stayed in a safe spot for a few days, like this cabin, he eventually found his thoughts wandering back to how soft your lips were against his that night, the curve of your hips in your dress, or the way you moaned into his mouth. The forced proximity and the illusion of safety usually meant his body ended up finding yours in the middle of the night and pulled you close to him. You never mentioned it, and neither did he, but he knew it was a byproduct of trying to stamp out his feelings for you. It was almost like his mind was saying one thing, but his body was refusing to obey. So, whenever he woke and found himself tangled in you once again, he didn’t allow himself to savor the moment and quickly removed himself from you before his heart swelled and he would be lost in you all over again.

It was about a ten minute walk from the cabin before Joel found a good spot to place the trap. It was near a big bush that looked to be home to some kind of animal based on the prints in the dirt. He took a pink scarf out of his pocket and ripped a piece off, tying it to the tree branch above the trap. As he followed his footsteps back, every minute or so he tore another piece off and tied it to a branch until he reached the cabin. He pushed the door open and set the rifle down by the door. He heard you singing softly to yourself in the bedroom, completely unaware he had entered the cabin. The first instinct he had was to chastise you for not being more aware of your surroundings, but the part of him that was desperate to protect you ultimately won, and instead he stood in the kitchen to listen.

You left the bedroom with an armful of rags you had made from the summer clothes in the corner, lyrics softly leaving your lips when you saw Joel standing there and yelped out of fright.

“Jesus, Joel, you scared the shit out of me!” you exclaimed before taking your pile of rags to the couch and setting them down. “How long were you standing there?”

“Just walked in a minute ago,” he replied, giving you a small smirk. “Found a good spot for the trap, I’ll check it before sundown. Maybe we’ll get lucky.” He shrugged the hunting jacket off and draped it over a chair.

You nodded and headed over to the cupboard to see what the previous residents left behind.

“Are you hungry? We have some soup here, and some canned stew. What do you want?” You turned to face him with your hand on your hip, but his gaze seemed unfocused and his thoughts far away at your question. Moments like this felt so domestic and it made him ache. What did he want? He wanted everything you had to offer. He wanted to turn back time and take back what he said to you, before he ruined everything. He wanted domestic bliss where you made him dinner and he had you for dessert. He didn’t want to be fighting for your lives while you ate expired Dinty Moore.

His gaze refocused on you and replied, “I’ll take the soup.” He reached into his jeans pocket and found the lighter from earlier and got to work setting up a small fire outside while you rummaged around for pots to heat up the canned delicacies that awaited you.

Joel had just left to check the trap before it got too dark, and you were left scrubbing the pots in the sink until your fingers felt raw. You dreaded any time he left. You hated being away from him, and not because you were scared, it was something more. You figured it out when one morning about a week ago you woke up wrapped in his arms again, for maybe the third time, but that morning was when you realized you only truly slept well when he sought you out in the middle of the night to pull you close and breathe you in. You were always disappointed when he woke up and pulled away from you so fast, leaving you feeling ashamed for being the only one who wanted it to continue. You had to constantly remind yourself it meant nothing, that Joel only had wanted one thing from you by replaying how mad he got for not sleeping with him that night. He never apologized for it, and you know you shouldn’t care anymore, but sometimes when you let your thoughts wander, it bothered you.

You put the pots back in the cupboard and raked your fingers through your hair aggressively, looking out the window to see if you could spot him. You hadn’t had any moments between you like that day in the subway when you saw the heat behind his gaze as you ran your hand up his arm. You convinced yourself afterwards that you had misread the situation, that the look in his eyes was not one of passion, but one of disapproval, and the embarrassment for the way you behaved sat with you for the next week. Eventually, the embarrassment faded when your focus was redirected to surviving in the wild and learning how to take down infected. You were both becoming pretty good at it, so long as you had the upper hand and noticed them first. Only twice did Joel have to use a gun to take one down, so your ammo reserve was still well stocked. But there was something feral that triggered inside you when you watched him kill: the little curl his upper lip made when he made contact, the fire in his eyes when the adrenaline kicked in, the way the muscles in his arms moved from the force of piercing a knife through their skulls. There had to be something wrong with you, nobody should find something like that attractive.

You heard his boots walking up the small porch, but you put your hand on your gun, just in case you were wrong. He opened the door, smiling proudly and holding up a dead rabbit to show you, and set the rifle back down in the corner by the door.

“I’ll go skin it, get it prepped for later. We can finally have a real meal for dinner.” Joel said, still holding the rabbit in his hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his smile faltering a bit when he noticed your expression seemed a little distant. You shook your head and smiled.

“Nothing, I’m fine, just distracted today,” you assured him, then turned around to find a small bag of rice you had seen next to the soup earlier. “I’ll make this to eat with dinner.” You plopped it down on the counter and went back to the bedroom to review the clothes you had set aside. Joel’s eyes followed you until you disappeared around the corner. He could tell something was wrong, but he knew better than to push it.

Joel was right about needing more protein and rest. You both felt recharged after just two nights but allowed yourselves the luxury of one more night indoors before heading off towards Pittsburgh. The morning you planned to leave was when Joel had let his guard down and you awoke entwined with him again. It was early, the sun hadn’t even risen yet. You knew the longer you let him do this, the more hurt you would ultimately inflict upon yourself, but as hard as you tried you just could not bring yourself to be the one to end the embrace. So, you squeezed your eyes shut and willed yourself back to sleep.

Joel stirred when the sun shone into his eyes through the thin curtains, squinting and yawning. As usual, he detached himself from you quickly, frustrated with his subconscious once again. After using the bathroom, he went outside to start a fire. The air was crisp and there was a sharp autumn wind that took his breath away. He huddled in his new jacket and shifted from foot to foot as he waited for the fire to flare up. He looked up into the sky, trying to detect if any rain would be heading your way, but the forest blocked most of his view. He heard the cabin door swing shut and twisted around to watch you walk down the steps wrapped in one of the other hunting jackets and carrying a kettle in one hand and the jar of instant coffee in another. He reached out to take the items from you so you could go back inside and grab two mugs and a spoon. He sat down on one of the thick logs used for stools that were surrounding the firepit and waited for the water to boil. You came back out with the mugs but also had a couple bowls and packets of instant oatmeal.

“’Morning,” you greeted groggily, setting the items down on one of the empty logs and choosing a spot next to him. You yawned, looking around the forest and buried your face in your coat when the wind picked up.

“Sleep ok?” Joel asked you, knowing full well he was setting you up to ask about the way he woke up clutching you, but much to his relief, it seemed as though that topic was never brought up.

You nodded, saying, “Yeah, better than usual.” And left it at that.

Neither of you were morning people and generally didn’t speak much until coffee hit your system. You had been lucky so far and found reserves of it at most of the places you stopped, but you had to dip into the stash from your apartment when you made camp in the forest. You sipped your coffee and ate your oatmeal in silence.

“Next time we find a sporting goods store, we oughta look for a bow and arrow, somethin’ silent,” Joel mused as he scraped his bowl. “We should learn to hunt out here. With winter comin’, it would be a good skill to have.”

You agreed, grabbing both bowls and the kettle while he picked up the mugs and snuffed out the fire. It was probably pointless, but you cleaned your dishes and put them back. It was unlikely the owners of this cabin would find it again, but it just felt wrong to leave things messy. This cabin provided for you both when you needed it and keeping it clean and in its original condition felt like the best way to thank it.

After breakfast, you packed up all your new clothes and replenished any food and rags you could fit in your packs and headed back out on the trail towards Pittsburgh. The forest was thick and lush, and offered a lot of cover, so you were able to make decent time getting to the city, arriving in the early afternoon. You approached a cliffside, stopping there to eat lunch and rest for the first time since you left the cabin. Joel didn’t want to start a fire and attract attention, so you ate some granola bars, peanuts and shared a can of peaches while you surveyed the city in the distance.

“So, what’s the plan?” you asked him, taking a sip from your canteen.

“Well,” he began, shoving the wrappers from the granola bars into his backpack, “I figure we should steer clear of the city proper best we can, especially the QZ. They won’t ask questions; they’ll just shoot on sight if they see anyone.”

You looked up at the sun in the sky, trying to determine the time. “We will have to find somewhere in the city that’s quiet, we won’t make it through before sundown.” You told him, looking back from the sky to meet his gaze. He nodded, impressed.

“Yep, you’re exactly right. Good girl.” he said, the compliment making you flush. “If we stick to the outskirts, maybe we can find a small shop or somethin���. But we’re gonna have to take turns takin’ watch, I don’t trust bein’ this close to soldiers.” he warned you, and you nodded in understanding. After you had spent a few minutes resting, Joel stood up, checking his revolver and tucking it back into his pants and zipping his backpack closed. You followed suit, shoving a rag back into your pack that you used to wipe some sweat off your forehead, and you both soldiered on towards the city.

It was approaching dusk as you and Joel finished clearing out a gas station in a quiet part of the city. There were only three runners inside, and you made quick work of taking them down silently. You helped Joel drag the last body into the men's bathroom, closing the door behind you. Joel wasn't thrilled with the building: it was filled with huge broken windows and left you too exposed for his liking, but the sun was waning, and your choices were limited. There was a small office tucked in the corner that you had emptied of the rolling desk chair and a few boxes of receipts so you could spread out your sleeping bag on the floor. Joel insisted on taking first watch, and you propped the door to the office open with one of the boxes so you could hear if there was any trouble before tucking yourself in.

Joel sat on the rolling chair by the front door, hiding in the darkness behind an aisle, every so often standing in a crouch to glance out the large windows for any movement. He was getting tired, but he still had a couple more hours left on his watch before he woke you. In an effort to keep him awake, he wandered over to the small electronics section behind the cash register, perusing the items on the shelves. His gaze settled on a Timex analog watch. He pried open the package and attached it to his wrist, adjusting the time to match the clock on the wall, assuming it was correct before sitting back down in the chair.

You had about 20 minutes left before he planned to wake you up. Joel was just finishing some beef jerky when he saw flashlights bouncing off a building about a block away. He straightened up in his chair, tossing the bag of jerky to the side, and hoisted the rifle onto his shoulder so he could see through his scope. He watched behind the aisle as a group of four men walked down the street in the direction of the gas station. He could see they were armed, noting knives in their boots, pistols holstered at their hips and two of them held military grade assault rifles. As they came into view, Joel scanned their clothes for any type of military insignia but found none. How did they get those assault rifles?

They were getting closer, but Joel still couldn’t tell if they were planning on entering the gas station or if they were just passing through. His hands began to sweat as he gripped his rifle tighter, his body tense and ready to strike. They were about 50 yards away when one of the men laughed at something one of the others said. The rest immediately shushed him, but it was too late. They froze as an unfamiliar noise echoed through the air from a dumpster they had passed half a block ago. Joel frowned, unable to identify the noise, but based on the reactions of the men, they knew. They whipped around, their backs now to the gas station, all four aiming their guns in the direction of the noise. It sounded like a high-pitched screech mixed with a gasp, then a distinct click, click, click. He heard one of the men swear under his breath, his voice sounding shaky as he shifted his weight back and forth nervously. The one next to him tried to get him to be quiet, but his nerves got the best of him, and a shot rang out, making Joel jump in surprise. In his peripheral, he saw you fly out of your sleeping bag, scrambling for your gun. He crouched as low as he could without sacrificing speed, and made his way over to the office, wrapping his hand over your mouth as you twisted around about to shout out to him. He put a finger against his lips, and only when you hastily nodded did he slowly remove his hand, turning back around to hide behind the front counter with you peeking over his shoulder, watching the scene unfold.

Two infected came ambling towards the group. At first, they stumbled and were slow, but when one of them shifted his weight and slid on some loose asphalt, they both let out a horrific scream unlike anything you had heard before and charged towards the group. Neither of you could understand the creatures you were seeing: they had a fungus growing all over their bodies but primarily on their heads, a mouth was the only facial feature you recognized since the fungus had completely grown over the rest of their faces. Blood had stained their throats and chests, their clothes were ripped and barely hung on, and underneath their skin looked wrinkly, but upon closer inspection, it appeared to be more layers of fungus.

The assault rifles were spitting bullets and bouncing off the clickers, as if the fungus acted like some type of armor. One of the clickers jumped on the man who had slipped, viciously ripping into his throat while its fingers dug animalistically into his chest and blood pooled in the street below him. Another man saw his opportunity and pressed his pistol to the back of the clicker’s head, firing and watching its body drop to the pavement. Then without hesitation, he aimed his gun at his friend’s head and fired, his body jerked once and stilled. In the meantime, the second clicker had made short work of the other two men, one already ripped apart on the ground while it continued its assault on the other. The man did the same thing: walked up and shot the clicker in the back of the head, and for good measure shot the other two men on the ground. He was now the last man standing, panting for breath as he bent over to rest his hands on his knees. That was when he noticed the blood seeping through his jeans and trickling down to his sneakers.

“Fuck,” he whispered to himself, sitting down in the road to lift the pant leg. Joel could see the telltale imprint of teeth and blood when the man aimed his flashlight at his leg. He dropped the pant leg back down and hung his head between his knees. Joel tightened his grip on his rifle, expecting the man to come to the gas station in need of first aid, but before he could blink, the man lifted his pistol up to the side of his head and fired, dropping lifelessly to the side and joining the pile of dead bodies in the road.

Joel twisted around to try to shield your eyes, but it was too late. You let out a shaky breath, one tear sliding down your cheek as you looked up at him, his face full of concern. His eyes traveled down and reached his hand out to cup your face, his thumb gently wiping the tear away. Your eyes fluttered closed, and you had to resist the urge to lean into his touch.

"You alright?" he whispered to you in the dark. You nodded, breaking the contact and standing up.

The whole attack took less than five minutes. Joel approached the broken window and leaned out, listening intently to see if the noise had attracted any more infected or people. You waited as Joel went to each window multiple times to confirm nothing else was around. Satisfied, he turned back to you, your eyes wide and still gripping your gun at your side.

"I don't think anyone else is around," he said, placing the rifle next to the office chair. You nodded, tucking your gun in the back of your jeans.

"What the fuck was that?" you asked, staring at the bodies. "So these things are evolving now?"

"Seems that way," Joel answered, leaning tiredly up against the wall. He fought to keep his eyes open, but you could see he was exhausted.

"Go get some rest, I got this," you told him, "I'll wake you if I hear or see anything at all, I promise."

Joel wanted to resist and tell you he wasn't tired, but a yawn pushed through and gave him away. "You sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead. You need your rest, and we have to get out of this city tomorrow." You waved him off towards the office and went to sit in the chair after you grabbed his rifle, using the scope to get a better look at your surroundings.

Joel didn't bother rolling out his own sleeping bag, he just tucked himself into the one you were using, your scent enveloping him as he drifted off.

The sun rose about an hour ago. You waited as long as you could before deciding to wake Joel. He seemed so tired last night, you wanted him to get as much time as he could, but you knew you needed to leave. Once you got back into the forest, you could rest again. You went to the back office, carrying a to-go container of dry cereal in one hand, and found him snoring on his side with his back to the door. You popped a few pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in your mouth and leaned down to gently shake his shoulder.

Joel whipped around at your touch and grabbed your wrist firmly, his eyes wild. You dropped your cereal in surprise.

"Joel! It's me," you yanked your arm, but he still held your wrist in his grasp and it was starting to hurt. "Joel!" you said again as loud as you dared. He finally realized and let you go, stumbling back a bit as you rubbed your wrist.

"Shit, sorry, must have been havin' a bad dream, you alright?" he asked worriedly, opening the sleeping bag and reaching forward to examine your wrist. He brushed his thumb tenderly over the red mark he left, the gesture making you melt and leaving you with a pang in your stomach.

"I'm fine, it's ok," you said, taking your wrist back and turning away from him, trying to create some space. "We should get going, eat something quick and I'll refill our packs with any supplies I can find."

"You sure you're ok?" he eyed you carefully. He hated how you shied away from his touch. You nodded, opening up another cereal from the shelf and continued to eat while you inventoried the food in your packs.

You shouldered your backpacks and guns after you ate, getting ready to head out. After stepping out onto the road, Joel frisked the dead bodies and picked up some more ammo for your handgun, along with two extra flashlights. He checked the assault rifles, too low on ammo for him to consider taking one, but he did remove two of the knives and sheathes strapped around their ankles, handing a set to you. The roads seemed quiet, so you took advantage and got a move on, silently threading your way through the city.

November 2003

Cleveland, OH

The weather was turning cold and rainy, even a couple nights leaving a dusting of snow that melted early the next morning. You trudged along behind Joel in the pouring rain, trying to stay hidden and dry by walking underneath a raised highway. It was risky, being close to the roads, but Joel didn't see much choice. The weather hasn't been cooperating for a couple days now, and your journey had significantly slowed down. He glanced at his watch, seeing it was around 4pm. It was getting darker earlier now, and the storm clouds just made it worse. He sighed, shaking the water droplets from his curls, and looked around. You were near an exit ramp. He saw it led to a suburban area maybe two miles away, clusters of smaller one story homes that the builders made as close as possible to one another in order to sell more houses.

"C'mon, this way," he said over his shoulder, bringing you out of your reverie. You looked in the direction he was leading you and quietly celebrated to yourself. You were tired and soaked, you didn't want to set up camp outside again and the possibility of sleeping on a mattress gave you a second wind.

The two of you hid in some thick decorative bushes looking down a road called York St. All the houses looked very similar and close together, the biggest differences being the color the owners had chosen for the siding. Joel had kept watch for about an hour in this position, waiting until it got dark so he could see if any of the houses had flashlights or lanterns inside. You were squatting next to him, trying to control your shivering but the rain was pouring down hard, and your clothes were dripping wet, even under your jacket. Your teeth chattered as you inadvertently leaned against him for some warmth. Focused intensely on the homes in front of him, Joel's body tensed at the unexpected contact. He glanced down at you and saw your soaking wet hair and your lips a darker shade than normal.

“Alright, let’s see if we can get into this one right over here, follow me.” he said, helping you stand into a crouch as you jogged over to the yellow house on the corner. Joel peered inside the windows for a minute while you stood watch with your arms crossed, keeping an eye out for any light or movement on the street or houses. You heard a snap behind you, and you turned to see Joel had used his large hunting knife to break the doorknob. You sighed with relief as you followed him inside, shutting the door behind you.

You swung your flashlights around the room, Joel rushing to the windows and closing all the curtains as you inspected the house. It was small: a living room, kitchen, one bathroom and two bedrooms. Joel went down into the basement to make sure it was clear while you emptied essentials from your pack in one of the bedrooms. You pulled out a somewhat dry set of clothes and tucked them under your arm, heading towards the bathroom. You took your jacket off to hang up on the shower rod to airdry and got to work peeling the soaking wet clothes from your body. You figured you could just toss the shirts you were wearing and pick up new ones here, but you really liked the jeans you had so you did your best to lay them out to dry in the tub.

After you put some dry clothes on, you started to feel a little better, but you still couldn’t shake the shiver in your bones. Joel mirrored your actions after he came up from the basement, changing into fresh clothes and hanging up the wet ones to dry, making sure to take the keychain out of his pants pocket and transferred it to his new ones, and then met you in the kitchen where you were rifling through the cupboards to see if there was anything worth eating. You pulled out a bag of trail mix, some canned tuna, and a few cans of mixed fruit, setting them on the small table while Joel rooted around for some forks.

You were hungrier than you realized and ate quickly, all the miles you walked today catching up with you.  Joel finally broke the silence after he finished a can of fruit.

“Which room did you want to sleep in?” he asked. This was the first time you stayed indoors where there were two sizeable beds. He wanted to give you the option, give you your space. You kept your gaze trained down at the bag of trail mix in front of you, considering his words. You knew he was giving you a choice, and it was completely up to you now on what the sleeping arrangements would be.

“I liked the room I put our backpacks in, why don’t we stay in that one.” you replied, still not looking up. We. Joel’s pulse sped up and he tried to hide his grin. You made the choice to stay the night with him, you wanted to be with him. It was probably just a habit for you, or maybe you were afraid to be on your own, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to be apart from you, either, regardless if his reason differed from yours. 

That night, he heard you softly snoring, laying on your side with your back to him like usual. This time he deliberately turned over and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close to him. He breathed in your scent and nestled his face at the back of your neck as you let out a contented sigh, and small smile played across his lips as he closed his eyes.

Chapter Eleven

Taglist: @chiogarza.

[randomkduck]

Chapter 4: Time With Green

sorry for the delay of this chapter. My original plan was to give each boy time but I'm gonna scrap the Red and Vio 1-on-1 chapters or else this will never get finished lol. Just know that Red gives Shadow a bath and Vio has suspicious 'trying to resurrect Shadow' stuff under his bed.

Anyways on to the chapter!

Shadow already liked Green. The guy was the first to show him genuine kindness, no strings attached, no expectations. He was kind, and he accepted him in his final moments, so Shadow liked him even if he would never admit it to anyone.

But this? This made him like Green even more.

Green and Shadow had been alone in the house that day. Green doing miscellaneous tasks and Shadow messing around in whatever room he was doing chores in to bug him or just to ease his own boredom.

At one point Green was picking up books and things while Shadow was weaving his way between his legs, tripping him up, and Green dropped one of the books on the ground. Shadow, seizing the opportunity to mess with him and his cleaning, took the book and ran away with it.

Green just huffed out a little “hey! Rude.” and went back to putting the rest of what was in his hands away.

Shadow just sighed and stared down at the book. He was hoping for a chase but didn’t get one and was very disappointed. He’d have to try again later, maybe steal one of the books in Vio’s room. Although the book did have a lot of pictures in it. Maybe a sketchbook? Or a picture one considering the words, though Shadow didn’t know how to read he would have no idea which it actually was.

When Green found him later, Shadow had already flipped through most of the book and was turning the next page to look at more of the pretty art.

“Holy shit.” Green breathed, and then chuckled when Shadow whipped his head up and stared wide-eyed, like a chu chu caught on a train track.

Green then decided to dedicate the rest of the day to teaching Shadow how to read. Most teaching him to pick up the books, sit on the couch or on a counter, and then lay down and flip through them.

He also taught him how to open doors, including the ones with the round handle that you’d think somebody without hands wouldn’t be able to open and yet here we are.

It was a fun day. Green looking like a little kid in a candy shop the whole time, his cleaning and chores forgotten.

~~~~~~~~~~

Green ran into the living room and looked around for me. Checking under the couch and in the cat tree before finding me on the rafters above.

“There you are! Quick, they’re coming! Just do what we practiced!” Green giggled and ran back out of the room.

I nodded solemnly after him, and jumped down, running to the book shelf and carefully pulling a book down. Set it on the couch. Grabbed a pair of reading glasses I had seen Vio use, and setting them on the couch as well. Curled up and got in position.

Perfect.

I think the reading glasses were a nice touch on Green’s part. Made me look kinda like an old grandma but I didn’t mind one bit.

Green desperately tried to pretend there wasn’t something funny. I could hear him great everyone in the next room with a tight “hi guys, how was your day!”

Great job selling none-chalance Green, you nailed it! (sarcasm)

“Okay, what did you do?” Blue asked, not entertaining ‘whatever this was’ with Green.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Green fought to keep the grin off his face, tipping his nose down in the hopes they wouldn’t see.

Vio gave him a look and scanned the room. Red had already made eye-contact with me and looked like he was trying not to cry.

Vio noticed Red’s vibrating first somehow, following his line of sight until it landed on me.

The look on his face was priceless!

Something between confusion, betrayal, and shock was written on his face.

I made a show of looking at him over the reading glasses, before looking back down at the book and turning a page.

Red let out a noise that had me fearing for his health before a loud “OH MY GODS IT’S SO CUUUUUUUUTEE!!!!” Tore from his throat.

To my credit, I did not run away this time!

Blue jumped and finally tore his eyes from the staring contest him and Green had started, and stared at me, his expression unreadable before he threw his hands into the air.

“Finally! Somebody to do my paperwork for me!” He exclaimed, then walked over the couch and crouched before me. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to write, do you?” He asked.

I shook my head, hearing a noise come from Vio who was so fucking confused by everything that was happening it was delicious.

Blue nodded sadly, “I knew it was too good to be true.” He put his hand on his chest, bowing his head as if in mourning.

I woulda laughed my fur off if I could have!

“...How?????” Vio asked, pointing at me while looking at Green, who shrugged not at all innocently.

“I have no idea where he learned that from.” To his credit, he did pull off a fake perplexed well.

I felt my tail wrap around me as I went back to reading, very pleased with myself.

[holmesillustrations]

hello! first of all, i love the concept of an illustration tournament! all of the illustrations add a more in depth feeling to doyle's stories, and there's something about those crisp lines. it's wonderful good to see there's someone engaging with them and taking the time for this poll! i myself have been looking for different illustrations of hutchinson's and paget's but i haven't found any good scans like the ones you post on your page. i was wondering if they were your scans or perhaps you had found them somewhere? i would love to know where to find them! cheers!

hi! thank you so much!! i really do think the illustrations are such an important element of the stories and it has been so cool to see how much fun people are having with the tournament <3

i definitely dont have any original scans unfortunately (i do have a 1912 strand annual at home but alas, no holmes stories that year 😔) but i have a few sources i got illustrations for the bracket from, plus just editing/cleaning up what i could of the ones that i couldnt find in better quality. i'v said a bit of this before but i havent actually gone through with links/explanations so:

Sources for Holmes Illustrations

Wikisource-UK Strand Holmes Portal - missing most of the Return collection for some reason, but a great source for Adventures, Memoirs, and Casebook, plus HOUN. generally good quality resolution but a bunch are edited to have transparent backgrounds which can be annoying depending on how you're trying to use it. (probably your best bet if you love those crisp-lined paget ones from Memoirs, which are also a lot of my favourites dskfdk)

And then more generally you can find a lot of stuff just clicking around the individual stories' pages on wikisource and wikimedia commons, im not gonna link to all those for the sake of brevity but theyre easy to find

ACD Encyclopedia - im linking directly to STUD so you can see the page format but at the bottom of each story's page is a more or less full list of known illustrations, these are not always great quality but its a good place for reference and there are a few where this was the only source i could find at all (the Steele piece for DYIN comes to mind)

Archive.org: Strand // Collier's // Hearst's Intl etc . The strand scans are pretty comprehensive but vary wildly in quality from some of the best ive found to ones so covered in moiree artifacts that they were not even salvagable. But especially for the later stories with Wiles and Elcock, it was often the only reliable source. Collier's is missing a lot of issues but you can sometimes find things and at least the covers are usually good. Hearst's i can only find for 1923 but its a rly good scan so if anyone can find the 21, 22, and 24 from the same source im 👀.

and I have had no luck at all locating online resources for the other magazines but i love seeing the pages in their original context so im kind of passively looking all the time lmao

I thinkk that covers where i got everything, obviously its been a while since i was doing all this so i might have missed something and there may be other places i never found, but these were the major sources i used at the time. Im not sure if this will help with Hutchinson since i was focusing on first publications only and im pretty sure he was only on book collections iirc? But i think his are on wikimedia at least.

[solradguy]

hello solradguy! as someone who is interested in learning how to translate japanese, i was wondering what your approach was to learning japanese! did you go in knowing you wanted to translate writing, and focus your efforts on reading? or did you try to learn all aspects of it at once (ie audio recognition, speaking, pitch accent, etc)

I started learning it because, at the time (2015), I was still doing art in mostly analog formats and a lot of really good inking supplies came exclusively from Japan with fully Japanese packaging. It was really frustrating having to rely on machine translation to figure out things like replacing pen cartridges or pen nibs upkeep/maintenance. My focus then was reading and I never really shifted from that; I can't verbally speak it and my audio recognition is only marginally better haha

Translating Guilty Gear stuff sort of happened by accident, and improved my Japanese more than anything else I was using to study with (which was mostly Duolingo, Wanikani, and Tofugu articles 😬). I couldn't find anyone else that was actively working on getting stuff into English and there was a massive backlog of official literature that hadn't even been so much as scanned, so I was like "Well, if no one else is gonna do it..." lmao It later turned out that there was stuff that had been translated, it was just kinda stashed away on niche websites or Discord servers.

Artworks of Guilty Gear X 2000-2007 captions were my first non-Japanese workbook translation project and got me to really start taking my Japanese studies seriously. There weren't files of pretty much any of the illustrations in that book online that were in decent quality. It was actually faster/easier just scanning a page (at the time) than manually cleaning and upscaling one.

This was the very first Guilty Gear thing I ever scanned (March '22) and the caption that went with it:

They’re half-realistically drawn here. At the time, I wanted to pursue texture in my drawings and used many thick layers of Copic markers to try to achieve that. I don’t think it was pointless, but if it’s going to take too much time to do such things, acrylic paints would be better. - Cover of the August 2000 issue of Arcadia Monthly.

It's a lot clunkier than how I would translate it now haha I've improved so much since then...

I used to physically write out the captions and translate them in a notebook. Here's how the first pass of this caption went:

They were only half realistically drawn. At that time I wanted to pursue texture in my drawings, so I used a thick coat of Copic marker. I don't think it's "pointless," but if it's going to take too much time to pursue such things, I think acrylic would be better.

It's fun going through this notebook and seeing these old translations. Eventually I got good enough at doing it in my head that I stopped writing them out, but sometimes really long sentences still trip me up. Japanese word order.......

These days I get most of my practice by doing Renshuu flashcards/games and reading posts by my Japanese mutuals over on Twitter. Even though I'm still actively translating GG stuff, the projects have gotten much bigger and there isn't anything left that's like the Artworks 2007 captions that I could whip out in about an hour anymore, it's all long paragraphs or manga dialog.

I still don't have much desire to practice speaking or listening skills because I would never get any use out of them where I live in the Midwest USA—they'd get rusty fast if I didn't practice religiously. But I do handle Japanese text very often and am fine with focusing 100% of my study time on just reading/writing instead.

[windowlessatmosphere]

Thought We’d Get Married and Have Kids and Stuff

Summary: Sky and Prapai get roped into babysitting Prapai's little cousin for a few hours. Predictably, this leads to Sky panicking about the future and hoping nobody notices. Prapai notices.

“Do you think it’s all right with the shoes?”

“It’s fine with the shoes,” Prapai groaned, falling backwards onto the bed with a loud groan.

“P’Sky?”

“I don’t know…” he deliberated, scanning Phan up and down as he thought about it. “What are the other options?”

“Ooh!” She perked up at that, excited. “I have off-white, or cream, or—”

“How are those not the same?” Prapai wondered aloud, staring up at the ceiling. He was ignored.

“Here,” Phan said, shoving a pile of shoes at Sky. He started picking through them, occasionally holding one up against her dress.

“What about these?” He asked, holding out a light-brown, suede, strappy heel.

“Yes,” she hissed immediately, aggressively kicking her shoes off to replace them with the new pair. “Oh, that’s perfect,” she sighed once she had them on, turning to the side as she stared at her reflection. “All good?” she double-checked, turning back to Sky.

“All good,” he confirmed, smiling.

“You’re gonna be late,” Prapai chimed in, propping himself up on his elbows.

“I am not,” she returned crossly, rifling through the mess of clothes on the bed to find her phone. “Shit!” she exclaimed, as soon as she’d picked it up. “I gotta go!”

“Have fun!” Sky called after her as she practically ran out the door.

“Finally,” Prapai sighed happily, shoulders relaxing. “I don’t know how you can stand it.”

“I like spending time with your sister,” Sky said honestly. “It’s nice.”

Prapai shrugged noncommittally, but the corners of his mouth twitched up a bit.

“I’m gonna…” Sky stood up, nodding at the pile of clothes on the bed before he started hanging things back up.

“Skyyyy,” Prapai whined.

“What?” Sky laughed.

“If you clean,” Prapai explained patiently, “then I have to clean.”

“No, you don’t,” Sky dismissed the notion easily, grabbing an armful of empty hangers from the closet.

“Yes, I do,” Prapai argued, finally getting up to help. It was sweet of him, although Sky ended up having to rehang half of what he’d done, and reorganize everything afterwards. Apparently, he hadn’t noticed the color-coding.

Sky was just moving the last couple things to their correct places when one of their phones rang.

“Hello?” Prapai said, sitting on the side of the bed as he answered. “Um…” he trailed off hesitantly, looking at Sky with a questioning look.

“What?” Sky asked, when there wasn’t anything else forthcoming.

“Can we…babysit for a few hours?” Prapai asked, an unsure look on his face.

“What?” Sky asked again, brow furrowing in confusion. “For who?”

“My uncle,” Prapai explained, tilting the phone away from his head. “I watch his kid sometimes. But if you’re not…”

“It’s fine,” Sky told him, shrugging lightly. They’d watch the kid for a few hours, and that would be that. The fact that Prapai apparently watched his cousin regularly was definitely reassuring.

“Yeah, no problem,” Pai said into the phone, smiling widely. “Sure. Yeah. See you then.” He hung up, grinning endearingly at Sky. “This is great!” he enthused. “You get to meet Bee! He’s the cutest thing ever,” he gushed. “Well,” Pai corrected himself, “the second-cutest, anyway.” Sky rolled his eyes and tried to suppress a smile.

Prapai’s uncle showed up twenty minutes later with Bee in tow, looking apologetic. “I’m so sorry,” he told both of them. “It’s his nanny’s day off, and the babysitter canceled last-minute.”

“It’s totally fine, uncle,” Prapai reassured him. “I’m always happy to watch him.”

“Thank you,” Frost stressed again, giving Prapai a quick hug and kissing Bee on the forehead before heading off. He and Sky had nodded at each other, not quite sure of what else to do.

“Uncle Pai?” Bee asked in a small voice. “Can we draw pictures?”

“Of course we can,” Prapai agreed instantly, scooping Bee up and settling him on his hip. Sky did his best not to find that extremely cute, but he was only human. Prapai headed towards the living room, Bee in tow, and Sky followed closely behind them. As soon as Pai set Bee down, he hurried over to one of the bookshelves flanking the TV. He started rummaging in a basket on the lowest shelf before heading back to the couch with his arms full.

“Here you go,” he told Sky, giving him a coloring book. He gave one to Prapai as well, who took it before helping him up onto the couch. “We can share,” he said, settling a truly massive box of crayons on his lap. Prapai plucked out a few colors before offering a random handful to Sky. Bee happily grabbed a fistful as well, and Pai moved the box to the coffee table.

“What are you gonna color?” Pai asked him, looking over his shoulder as he flipped through the pages. Most of the pages were already colored in, some clearly done by adults and some clearly not.

“A tiger!” Bee told him excitedly, proudly brandishing the empty page.

“Cool!” Prapai mirrored his level of enthusiasm, and Sky bit back a smile.

He opened his own book, flipping until he found a fresh page. A dinosaur. All right. He looked at his crayons, putting some back and selecting more appropriate colors. He started shading carefully, realizing he couldn’t remember the last time he’d used crayons.

“What are you doing, Uncle Pai?” Bee asked. Sky looked up to see Prapai showing Bee his drawing, which was a cartoon cat eating a doughnut. Pai had already started to color the cat pink. Outrageous.

Bee didn’t seem to mind, though, happily praising the cat and going back to his own drawing. His method seemed to mostly consist of scribbling green across the entire page, without regard to where any of the lines were. Sky looked down at his own page, briefly considering relaxing a bit before he decided against it.

They colored for a while, which Sky had initially assumed would be a quiet, mostly solitary activity. This was not the case. Not that he particularly minded Bee asking him questions or showing off his drawing or adding a heart on the dinosaur’s stomach. It was all rather cute, actually. He was having fun, he realized. Coloring. With his boyfriend. And a five-year old.

A very cute five-year old, Sky thought fondly, holding back a laugh as he watched Prapai tickle Bee.

Somehow, that turned into Prapai throwing the kid around for a while, which he seemed to enjoy immensely, despite Sky’s anxieties. Once the throwing was over, Sky corralled them both into the kitchen for a snack, fairly certain that it was a necessity.

“I want grapes,” Bee demanded, tugging on Pai’s pant leg.

“Hmmm,” Prapai furrowed his brow, over exaggerating his expression.

“I want grapes please,” Bee corrected himself, still tugging Pai’s pants.

“Okay then,” Prapai acquiesced with a chuckle.

“Do you like grapes?” Bee asked, turning to look at Sky.

“Um, yes,” Sky answered.

“P’Sky wants grapes please,” Bee said, swiveling his head back to Prapai. Sky turned his head away to hide the fact that he was laughing, guessing Prapai was probably at the same point. It looked like it, at least, when Sky finally turned back around, but he never actually broke.

“Okay, then,” Prapai eventually agreed. “Sky can have grapes.”

They sat at the kitchen island to eat their snack, Sky occasionally scolding Prapai for throwing grapes and Prapai pouting when he did so. Somehow, the five-year old was managing not to throw food, which was apparently a task too difficult for his boyfriend.

After their snack, Bee requested a movie. When Sky asked him what he wanted to watch, Prapai laughed loudly enough from the kitchen to be heard in the living room.

“The Lion King!” Bee said excitedly, bouncing a little where he was seated on the couch.

“Okay,” Sky agreed easily, still confused by Pai’s reaction. He sat down and grabbed the remote, trying not to jolt with surprise when Bee cuddled into his side like it was nothing. Prapai emerged from the kitchen and cuddled into his other side, making it difficult to actually start the movie.

“I need my arm,” he insisted.

“It’s my arm now,” Prapai informed him.

“Just for a minute,” he wheedled. Prapai pouted and released him for only as long as it took for the movie to start playing. As soon as it did, he was wrapped around Sky again, his head on Sky’s shoulder.

“Do you know how many times I’ve seen The Lion King?” he whispered into Sky’s neck, vaguely disgruntled. Sky pressed his lips together to hide a smile, now understanding Prapai’s earlier reaction.

Halfway through the movie, Sky realized how quiet Bee was and glanced down, only to find him sound asleep where he was lying on Sky. He elbowed Prapai, nodding towards the sleeping child, but he didn’t get a response.

“P’Pai?” he murmured. He turned his head slightly and was greeted by the sight of a dozing Prapai. Apparently, it ran in the family. Sky shook his head fondly before realizing that this meant he couldn’t move and sighed instead. He looked down at Bee again, marveling at just how much he looked like Pai. It made sense. They were cousins, after all, but he really looked just like a miniature Prapai.

Their kids might look like that.

Whoa.

Where the hell had that come from?

Sky turned his attention back to the television, determined to ignore the mounting panic in his head. They weren’t married, they weren’t even engaged, for God’s sake. It was way too early to be thinking about that kind of thing.

Way too early, Sky repeated mentally, his eyes drifting sideways towards Prapai. He wasn’t even sure if Prapai wanted kids. Although, he might, given how happy he’d been to babysit and how well he took care of Bee. He’d never mentioned anything, though. Not that he should have. Again, way too early.

Bee sighed in his sleep, cuddling further into Sky’s side. Sky tried to focus on the movie, ignoring any thoughts that were trying to creep in.

…

This could be their future.

…

Damn it .

He was immensely relieved when the doorbell rang, hoping with all his heart that it was Frost. His phone chimed with a text. It was Frost. Thank god. Hopefully, this train of thought would end when Bee left. Out of sight, out of mind.

Sky carefully shook Bee by the shoulders until he woke, gently dislodging him.

“Wake up,” he directed at Prapai, shaking his shoulder far more vigorously as he stood up.

“Hi,” he greeted Prapai’s uncle as he opened the door.

“How was he?” Frost asked, looking wary.

“He was great,” Sky reassured him. “He and P’Pai fell asleep watching The Lion King,” he added. Frost nodded knowingly at the mention of the movie, and Sky stifled a laugh.

“Here we go,” Prapai voiced from behind Sky, appearing with an armful of Bee. He was apparently determined to make things very hard for Sky.

“Hey, buddy,” Frost grinned widely as he took Bee from Pai. “Did you have a good time?”

“Mhmm,” Bee confirmed, snuggling into his father’s chest, looking like he was about to fall right back asleep.

“What do you say?” Frost prompted.

“Thank you,” Bee mumbled, eyes fluttering shut. “Bye, Uncle Pai. Bye, P’Sky.”

“Bye,” Prapai swooped in to peck Bee on the forehead, and Sky tried not to picture that scene with their own child. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Bee just hummed at that, and Sky wasn’t sure if he’d actually registered it.

“Bye, Bee,” Sky said softly. He and Prapai waved off Frost and Bee before closing the door.

“That was fun,” Prapai said once they’d left. There was a hint of a question in his voice.

“It was,” Sky agreed, watching as Pai’s shoulders relaxed a bit.

“Maybe a little stressful,” Prapai hedged.

“What?” Sky frowned. “It seemed super easy for you.”

“No, Bee’s great,” Prapai agreed. “Not stressful. But…”

“But what?”

“But you seem a little stressed,” Prapai finally said, raising an eyebrow as he waited for Sky’s response. Honestly, though, what was he supposed to say? Sorry, I freaked out because you look like your cousin and it made me think about what our kids might be like? Yeah, that was so not happening.

“Did you not want to babysit?” Prapai asked. “Or…did I do something?”

Shit.

Apparently, it was happening.

“No,” Sky reassured him, sighing in defeat. “I just…I got in my head about some stuff, and I freaked out a little.” Don’t ask what stuff, don’t ask what stuff, don't ask what stuff…

“What kind of stuff?”

Great.

“I—” Sky started, before cutting himself off. There was really no way this was going to go well. “I guess…you guys look alike,” he said. Prapai nodded, but looked fairly lost. “And…it made me think. I guess. About…our kids. What they might look like,” he clarifies. “And I know that’s crazy, okay? I already know that, which is why it kinda freaked me out, because I don’t know why I’m thinking about that, because it’s way too early to be thinking about that, and I don’t—”

“Sky,” Prapai cut him off softly, curling his hands gently around Sky’s wrists, which he hadn’t realized he’d raised defensively. “You were thinking about our kids?”

Sky blushed furiously at that, hurrying to explain further, “No, I know it’s too early, I was just telling you what I was thinking, but it’s not like I was really considering it, or anything, or—”

“Sky,” Prapai cut him off again, an amused smile on his face this time. “It’s okay,” he reassured, pulling Sky in by the hold he had on his wrists.

“But…” Sky trailed off, not sure what he wanted to say.

“I’ve thought about it,” Prapai admitted. Some sort of explosion went off in Sky’s brain, and he did his best to keep a straight face. What.

“What?” Sky demanded to know.

“I think about everything with you,” Prapai said, easily. Like it was obvious. Like there was no other option. Another explosion went off in Sky’s mind. “I love you,” Prapai told him, and that was also easy. Sky looked at him for a moment.

“I love you, too.”

[jaimistoryteller]

Hello! This is your friendly inquiry to answer this ask with whatever you'd like to talk about right now! Whether that be a story you're working on, something you're excited or worried about, or just something random you happen to know.

All the love,

~ toribookworm ❤️

*smiles* it was a pleasant surprise to see the notification for this in my email.

It got a bit long, so I put it under a read more

*blinks* An invite to babble about what I want to talk about, hmmm, *head tips* well. Lately there's a been a lot of stuff going on. Most of which hasn't been good. I've been trying not to stress, but it isn't exactly working the way I want. My insomnia has been flaring up cause of pain *sighs*.

I've been working on coloring pages for my patreon. Here's the free ones I did for Valentine's Day, the rest I've done so far are part of the $1 a month tier. Haven't had anyone sign up in a long while, but hey, I am working on getting my patreon active and stable around my health hating me.

I've also done a little bit of digital art, Stiles/Bucky for Inell's birthday and her series In the Shadows. With it, I used a few new brushes I downloaded, and some new styles I have been trying out. There's been a lot of downloading and sorting of brushes to play with.

I've also made some gimp brushes of my own, which will get added to patreon as well, depending on the brush set, they'll either be early release for my patreons and then public for free fourteen days later. Most were created to make things easier when doing art for the coloring pages.

When I have the energy, I'm gonna test all my Sims4 CC for putting on there as well. I made a lot last year for that purpose, but then couldn't figure out how to clean copy test it. I was doing some cleaning when I remembered I have my old laptop, which does run Sims4 and I can use it. I had gotten it fixed last year, after it sat dead for a long while, in case this laptop goes down again, as it has done that twice due to life going wrong.

Writing has been hard. Well, maybe hard is the wrong word. I open up a doc on the computer or touchpad to write, and the words run the hell away *grumbles and shakes head*. Yet I can hand write plenty. Just means I will have to scan it in.

My muse has been focused on a Peter/Stiles unexpected pregnancy fic *grumbles like frustrated cat*.

I have all these other projects I want to work on, but no *side eyes writing notebook and the muse*. That's the one my muse likes, to the tune of more than 30 front/back hand written college rule paper.

Then when I can physically handle it, I do little things around my house. At least they feel little over all, even if they are huge as far as my body cares. So much pain caused, but I love the progress. I'm slowly getting my house repaired and rebuilt. I hate that every little repair ends up physically costing me hours where I am passed out cause pain, or wishing I was. *sighs*.

I get tired of having to beg for help, yet that is sadly a regular thing in my world. I'm sure others get tired of seeing it. It's sadly part of since commissions and my limited amount from patreon doesn't always cover the bills. I apply for small jobs where I can, but alas, due to health, that rarely works either.

I really appreciate the message and offer to babble. Apologies if it ended up being a bit more than expected, or wanted.

How is everything for you? anything you'd like to babble on?

[the-firebird69]

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

He says that there are grandfather not grandpa I agree too is there Stephanie says this is top of the line stuff. In the thrift shop we think it's the max insulting people and they are. But really a lot of these things are very cool and they don't come up with stuff like this mac daddy did a few but really they say it's them having it done and this kid does a lot of stuff because he wants to and we could be in actual trouble but let's face it these people were very wealthy they had a huge network down below and the max were not winning and we're hiding and for good reason. And they did not do massively well until recently when the clans left and we don't know what they're doing and they could kick our **** or they could be covered because they were right on them and we see what happens to people but yeah this is some **** **** stuff OK it's in the thrift shop and everything goes down to the bottom or what appears to be the bottom the in our area but what's for sale is ridiculous. There's boxes that are thousands of years old and they look like they're only 20 or 30 or 50 years old and they're made out of Entwood and it's it's illegal to have it as illegal to have it's not made out of people but you don't understand that these things are all heirlooms and hallmarks and just massively important he came up with all sorts of things designs and they are incredible things and some of them are in there I went in and I said I know what this is and this I started looking I said This is the real thing and I bought a whole bunch of stuff and I'm happy with it and I tell you what I'm cleaning it up and I'm storing it right and I might even display a lot of it in a mansion or two of mine. And put it in a case that's indestructible it's a good suggestion that way I can get away with it. It's hard to take. I like what he's saying what he's saying is we're all gonna kind of be building it and we're all gonna build our own we don't get along at all that will each have a part and that part will be sent to a warehouse and we'll be running the warehouse and it's how dumb it is and we have to get these cars out there because the Max will go after them because he's gonna redesign it and it's gonna be close to what the real thing is and whether or not it is they don't care they go after our vader cars like the plague and we're using them and they work this will be a West Coast car and the West Coast is not as easy as you think we think it works though and you look at the videos and there's some odd people and if you blink you miss it we think there's a car in the background in in Tommy FA video and it looks wicked. Let's get together and try and figure out what to do and he says that the design you might have to try and get to someone it's going to be different he says and we do understand that is it take too long it takes him a year and a half wasn't very. And this is awkward but weird and strange but terrific. It will be their design they're going to hand us a design and they never do that but it's really from him so we have to try and figure out if it's from others he knows maybe even Ken

the todd

You see what those triggers and we know how it is you feel they go to New Hampshire first no they put in New Hampshire later because he's not possessed like that until later and much later. Not trying to say that'll happen that way they're not saying that'll happen that way and nothing else or it's just what it logic says about the movie and the max might make it happen that way because of it this is an awesome time an awesome video this is helpful and we're going to look at the other one and we're going to get this going and we do know how to handle design off it'll be like ripped off

There are rumors that the design was found at the cia and it's because they took it from will and bill and they got an image and they scanned that's a different story.

Frank Castle hard castle

 Actually happened it's actually the story

Duke Nukem blockbuster

Olympus

[on-my-way-to-the-woods]

F's week of medical adventures:

TL;DR: F got prescribed a medication that we had concerns about because of her reactions to a similar medication, had concerning symptoms directly after taking that med for the first time, doctor doesn't think it was medication related, doctor changes medication anyway, two days later doctor orders a CT scan (probably to cover their ass if there was a problem). Also F's GP is moving to California and we're heartbroken 😭

F's GP's office sent a referral to a pulmonologist (which isn't strictly necessary because we have a PPO, but it was super helpful because it meant they were checking the insurance stuff because our company still hasn't fixed our website access). She's still struggling despite being on the upper end of what the GP can provide so the pulmonologist approved her for an urgent appointment. We had that appointment this week.

Monday At the appointment they did 0 testing, said that the maintenance medication that F was on was rather lightweight (disagree, but I assume they meant that it didn't contain a Long-Acting Beta-Antagonist, F assumes they didn't read the medication correctly), said that the current rescue inhaler F is on is a "red flag" for not responding well to LABAs but that most people are completely fine so they're gonna go ahead and prescribe one anyway, did not ask further about why F is on that med, listened to her lungs a little and then sent her off with a follow up appointment in two months. We had specifically asked F's GP to avoid LABAs because of other health concerns and her reaction to Abuterol (a Short-Acting Beta-Antagonist).

I clearly need to read about medical communication because we keep telling nurses/etc. that she has bad reactions to Abuterol and they keep going "oh! Does it make you jittery?" 🤦 No. Her heart rate goes way up, she feels like shit, and she has to lie down for 2 hours so she doesn't fall over.

Tuesday The new prescription comes in, F takes it that evening (her regular time and we'd picked it up <1hr beforehand). Surprise, surprise, she feels like shit. It's a different flavor of feels like shit though. Pros: her heart rate didn't shoot up like it does for Abuterol and she is more capable of standing. Cons: nausea, dizziness, palpitations, high blood pressure, feeling jittery, and a sense that something is wrong. Just what you want out of a medication you have to take twice a day, right? /s. So she finishes up her bedtime routine and goes to bed. Then, in the middle of the night, F is woken up by very bad chest pain.

Wednesday We call the office in the morning to ask if she should take the morning dose or discontinue the medication. The answer we got was roughly 'well, those aren't listed side effects so I don't think it's related, but I'll ask the doctor.' The answer relayed to us was also that the doctor doesn't think it is related, but if we want we can change to a different medication without a LABA. (What we'd like is medical advice, thank you 🙄). We eventually pick trying a new medication because, if the chest pain is unrelated to the LABA, then it's probably pretty urgent that we figure that out now and go seek care for the chest pain problem. The nurse says they'll get the prescription sent in and we will have a nebulizer delivered to our doorstep. We're a little surprised, but whatever.

Thursday The medical equipment company calls F a few times to sort out insurance & billing stuff (unfortunately mostly during times F is having asthma issues). Then after that's all set, the equipment company's respiratory therapist calls to schedule a time to come set up the machine and show F how to use it. That's somewhat different than just delivering it to our doorstep....

Anyway, since we're supposed to leave early on Saturday for a road trip, we schedule the set-up for late Friday morning and then rushed around trying to clean the house.

After that, F gets a call directly from the doctor effectively saying 'sooo I have been thinking and I am going to order an urgent CT scan (if you want, but I'm ordering it anyway) to make sure nothing is drastically wrong but I'm sure it's (most likely) fine, but maybe you might want to do it just in case. Anyway, I won't be able to look at it until Monday. Also, you'll be fine once you get on [medication you potentially have bad reactions to]' We're presuming it's a cover-their-ass call, and at this point F feels ridiculous and like she's wasting everyone's time and overblowing things, but we talk through it together and she's convinced to go get the imaging done because it'll be good to have on hand and we're very likely to hit the deductible/out-of-pocket limit this year anyway. So, yes, imaging to check for dangerous and urgent condition, but it's fine if the images aren't reviewed until the next week 🙄

We schedule that for Friday afternoon and I spend the rest of the evening alternating calls between the insurance company and the hospital to make sure everything is in order. And then I stay up late cleaning.

Friday (F's birthday - I'd taken the day off work to surprise F, I guess that was a good decision 😅 ) I finish up CT phone calls and confirm that the CT pre-auth went through then call the medical equipment place to clarify some things since it's going very differently than we had thought

Her appointment with the equipment company's respiratory therapist went well, they seemed more concerned about F's symptoms than the doctor did - but that's our usual luck, anyone who is not an MD is worried about F. The machine is >$350, but the inhalers she's been using are mostly >$200, so this should be cheaper overall as long as she keeps using it and isn't swapped directly back to the other med. (We certainly could have bought one cheaper by ourselves, but it's better for us to go through insurance in this case).

Had lunch then ran off to the CT scan which itself was pretty quick, but it's a decently long drive so it took up the rest of the day. The CT technician was also very much 'no, don't worry, you definitely should have come in for this based on your symptoms' which helped reassure F somewhat. Then we both go home and crash (instead of packing)

Saturday We pack and leave and are very tired etc. etc. but at least there are no medical phone calls involved

Sunday Telehealth appointment with F's GP (who is amazing) and he shares that he's taking a job in California that's exactly what he wants to be doing. We're thrilled for him, but so so sad that he will be leaving 😭😭😭 Working with him has been great and he has improved F's life so much.

Monday The pulmonologist's office calls as we're driving back from the eclipse. The CT scan only showed a nodule in the lung - which they gave no information on and said they'd talk about it at her follow up appointment (in two months 🙃)

Tuesday We drove all the way back to the hospital (after driving a ton yesterday to get home) to pick up a copy of the CT scan so we can share it with other doctors as needed.

I guess we can't be 100% confident yet, but I think F is getting worse on this new medication instead of better. I can't find information on what an equivalent dose would be with the meds her GP had her on, but I suspect the dose for this new stuff is too low 😕

After writing all that up, no wonder why we're exhausted. This is the gist of it, but I definitely skipped over a number of smaller problems (e.g. the office sent the prescription in with incorrect patient details so F had to sort that out with the pharmacy, etc.). I need a vacation

[essenceofelegance]

Poseidon’s (pt. 1)

Luke Castellan x poseidon!reader, Percy Jackson x halfsister!reader

m.list

pt. 2, pt. 3

warnings: none

You ran up to Luke from behind, wrapping your arms around his neck, “Hey, hero,” you greeted, kissing his neck with a smile.

You were a daughter of Poseidon, you’ve been dating Luke Castellan for four years now, you arrived at camp a couple months later than Luke.

“Who’s this?” you said, directing your gaze at the unclaimed Percy.

“Percy, he’s the one who killed the Minotaur,” Luke said as he leaned his face into your forehead, “Be nice, it’s his first day.”

You smiled, unwrapping your hand from his neck, “I’m always nice, that’s why everybody loves me,” you joked, as you walked in front of Luke to shake Percy’s hands.

“I’m Y/n, Poseidon’s,” you held out your hand with a warm smile.

“Percy,” Percy said as he shook your hand.

“What do you think?” Luke asked as he wrapped his arms around your waist, kissing your hair.

You and Luke have a tradition of guessing the Godly heritage of new  campers, and so far, you were always right.

“Hm,” you said, “Has your mom ever said anything about your dad?” you asked Percy, “Hey, you can’t ask,” Luke said.

“Uh- No, I don’t think so.” Percy said.

“I say Poseidon,” you whispered in Luke’s ear as you sent him a wink and walked away.

-

“Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God,” Chiron said.

You rushed up to where everything was happening, just in time to catch the fading trident above Percy’s head.

You quickly scanned the crowd for Luke, just to find that his eyes were already on yours. You sent  him a victorious smirk.

You walked over to Percy.

“Well, I guess you have a sister now,” you said with a smile. “Yeah,” Percy flashed you a polite smile.

“Welcome to the family!” you patted Percy on the back, “Thanks,” Percy said, a genuine tone in his voice.

You were about to go clean up and make some space in the cabin for Percy, when you saw Luke coming over, “You owe me two days of dessert, Castellan,” you smiled.

“You win, again,” he sighed with a smile, “I really thought I would in this time.”

“Were you guys placing bets on me?” Percy asked.

You smiled, “Mhm. Tradition,” you sent another smirk at Luke, “And so far, I’ve won almost every single time.”

“You knew I was a Poseidon kid?” Percy frowned.

“You have dad’s eyes,” you gave him a smile.

“Come on,” you gestured for Percy to follow you, “Luke will help you with your stuff, I’ll go clean up the cabin.”

pt. 2

author: okay since a lot of you didn’t like sand on cheeks (series), i’m working on more luke stuff to keep you all happy. please tell me you like this- PART TWO IS GONNA BREAK SOME HEARTS.

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[otterish]

TW medical trauma, gonna put it under a read more:

My husband had this surgery a year before we met, and it's almost killed him multiple times. He did it because he was a fat person with diabetes, and his doctor pushed really hard for it. The first ER visit was a week after we had started dating, and it's because his intestines had literally tied themselves in a knot. He was sobbing in pain and kept vomiting uncontrollably, the poor thing… Turns out the rapid weight loss made it difficult for his organs to situate themselves, and the bypassed stuff that was left in made it worse. He was in the hospital for two weeks, having to endure multiple scans and a tube down his nose so he wouldn't vomit up bile and saliva every 10 minutes or so. He ended up getting two surgeries; one laparoscopic when they thought he just had a blockage, and then when that didn't help, they had to cut him open from his diaphragm to his pubic bone (it's called a laparotomy). It was an absolute mess in there, the doctor showed me photos and everything. Needless to say, it gave my husband PTSD. The smell of certain cleaning products, the noise of machines that measure vitals, and even just being in hospitals still trigger panic attacks. I wish that was the only time he had to deal with all this. A year later he ended up having a blockage, and had to go to the ER again. He had laparoscopic surgery again, but less than a few hours after being discharged, he was in excruciating pain again and had to return to the ER. Another laparoscopy, another discharge, another bout of pain that sent him back. They ended up doing a laparotomy, and they ended up finding massive amounts of scar tissue called adhesions. They were the cause of all the recent blockages, and they are made worse by stress and surgeries. I was given another photo from the new surgeon and it looked like a spider had made tons of webs in the abdominal cavity, it was that bad. After that, every 3 or so months, my husband would end up in the ER with the same symptoms and had to have even more adhesions surgically removed. This went on for a couple more years until we had a bit of luck and finally got my husband's original bariatric surgeon to take a look. After another laparotomy, the surgeon found a distended and damaged part of his intestines that was gathering waste. It would fill up, cause a partial blockage, and make my husband very sick when the waste just sat there and rotted. The doctor ended up removing several inches of his colon, and he was also diagnosed with IBD due to all the damage. All of this was because a doctor saw a fat person with diabetes that could be treated with medication, and he decided that the easier way would be to preform a very risky operation. Almost all the weight my husband lost has come back, but he no longer has diabetes. World's smallest consolation prize right there. He now has panic attacks whenever his stomach hurts or he's constipated, and his PTSD is now CPTSD. I also have trauma from it all, but it feels wrong to me since I didn't have to go through the hell he did. This surgery ruins lives, and any "cure" that comes from it is like removing a leg to fix an ingrown toenail.

Theres something really insidious about how gastric bypass advocates deny that essential organ mutilation is unhealthy.

"I've lost so much weight I'm so healthy" your stomach is mutilated.

"My doctor is praising my progress" your stomach is mutilated.

"I fit in so many more clothes now"

Because an essential, life sustaining organ in your body was cut up and your digestive system rerouted.

Health isn't the end all be all of value, humanity or importance but I feel like there is a huge lie here when this is "healthy" and it's just ignored.

Sorry to just bring this up out of no where but I was reminded of how little this is really talked about in bypass circles. Like, no matter what, you are now unhealthy. The spector of health continues. The Ouroboros is unbroken. Only this time it's doctor approved.

-mod squirrel