#grab that ass like a lifeline please

[tantumuna]

grab that devil's ass

[inpermanences]

Caryn Pines, whose still alive to witness her little free spirit Stanley miraculously rise from the dead. The Stan twins buy a brand new sofa that extends into a bed just for her, so she doesn’t have to make a treacherous journey up the stairs. It’s her own slice of heaven, seeing her babies get along like they did when they were children. Seeing her grandchildren parallel to their uncles; Dipper, studious and reclusive, Mabel, crafty and eccentric.

It all comes to a head when Caryn wakes up at the witching hour. There’s ruckus being made in the kitchen, pushing herself upright and cursing at everything under the sun as she grabs a broom. She’s ready to beat whatever creature made the mistake of entering her sons home — pausing at the sight of her two sons.

“We need to put a lock on the sugar. I don’t know if my stomach can tolerate another Mabel’s Guide To Cooking experiment.” Ford grumbles. He opens the fridge, taking out a lemonade pitcher and pours out two glasses.

Stan’s chuckles. “Mhm. I know where you could get some sugar.”

Ford rolls his eyes at the cheesy line, having heard it a million times before. Thick fingers hook into the band of Ford’s boxers to reel him close to Stan. Ford narrows his eyes, raising an eyebrow as both his hands are preoccupied with glass, the condensation wetting his palms.

Stan grins, leaning in to steal a kiss.

It lasts for a mere few seconds before Caryn’s screams bloody murder.

The twins pull apart as if they’ve been electrocuted. Lemonade glasses crash into the sticky hardwood flooring, as they both snatch the nearest possible weapon. Stanley, an animal spinal cord with it’s ribs still attached. Stanford, a lamp.

“Mom? Mom, what’s wrong?” Stan asks, putting the bones down and taking a step closer. Caryn clutches the broom like a lifeline. She can only stare at this-this monster that’s inches closers with every step. He holds out his hand, presumably to take away the broom from her clutch. Motherly instinct kicks in, to protect Stanford from his own twin. Her arms rise to strike Stanley down. “Ow! Ow! Mom — that hurts! OW!”

“You freak!” Caryn screeches in agony and anger. Stan goes frigid underneath the safety of his arms from his mother’s blows. He looks down at his mother with her fury in his eyes — Stanley thinks she’s talking about Stanford. “You’re a monster!”

“I know it’s - OW! - the old age talking.” Stanley growls, one hand grabbing the handle of the broomstick. It only infuriates her further. “I don’t care if you’re our mom. I won’t let you talk about Stanford like that.”

“Mom, it’s really early in the morning. I think it’s better if we talk about whatever is bothering you with some breakfast.” Ford tries. They think she’s stupid. She’s known everything about them. How could she miss this? Ford places the lamp down, stepping closer to de-escalate the situation. “Please, stop hitting Stanley.”

“I saw you kissing your brother!” Caryn screams.

The twins freeze.

Caryn turns her focus back to Stanley. There’s no love for him anymore. Not for this depraved abomination corrupting her sons innocence. She tugs at the broom and the handle spilts in two. “How could you do this? After all the pain and misery you put us through, how could you?”

“Mom, I’m sorry—“ Stan starts.

Caryn doesn’t let him finish. She thrusts the broom handle forward like a sword and lets the splintered wood make a flesh wound into his left shoulder. Stan yells in pain, hand coming up to cover the bleeding.

“You ruined your own life! And now you you’re trying to drag your brother down with you!” She tries to strike another blow but misses as he stumbles backward, falling flat on his ass. Ironic, that even as he raises his uninjured arm to protect himself, it’s a strikingly all-to-familiar position. As a child protecting himself Filbrick’s coropal punishment.

Ford steps between them then, using himself as a shield to protect Stan from any further harm. “You’re worse than Filbrick. At least he wasn’t a fucking pervert for his own family! I want you dead, Stanley. DEAD!”

Ford takes the wooden handle out of her hands without a fight, tossing it away. Silence fills the room, none of them knowing what to say.

“Grunkle Stan?” Dipper calls from the kitchen entryway. The three of them snap their heads in his direction. He stands there with a bat in his hands, Mabel tucked safely behind him with her own grappling gun; looking worriedly at their bleeding Grunkle. Stanley scrambles onto his feet then, walking past the younger set of twins.

“Stanley, wait!” Ford calls for him. He raises his hand in a futile attempt to reach him, feet frozen in place as he lets the distance grow further. There’s the sharp sound of a door slamming, followed with a car speeding away from the Mystery Shack.

part two

[blueicequeen19]

Red Flag

Warnings: unprotected forbidden sex with Rafe, oral, choking

My back hits the bed and I momentarily try to remember how we got here. Again. I’m stripped bare and he’s still fully clothed as he comes down on top of me. His lips claim mine in a searing kiss that has me clinging to him like a lifeline, desire flooding my veins. I know I’m drenched between my thighs and he hasn’t even ventured down there yet. That’s just the effect he has on me.

“You drive me insane.” He pants against my lips, securing my wrists with one of his large hands while he begins his worship over my flushed skin. His lips, tongue, and teeth find my neck, my throat, my chest, between my breasts but never my nipples. I arch into him and he chuckles darkly, looking up to flash me that wicked smile of his.

“Patience.” I don’t tell him I don’t have any patience left because the fear of getting caught with him again is strumming through my veins. Especially after everything that’s happened. My brother would never forgive me.

My mind is zapped back to the present when his skilled mouth finally closes around my hardened nipple and I fight the hold he has on my wrists, squirming beneath him.

“T-this is wrong.” I rasp, his dark blue eyes snapping up to find mine even with my flesh in his mouth. “We shouldn’t do this.” My words end on a mewl when his free hand dips between my legs to cup me.

“But it feels so good when we do.” I forget all the reasons why we shouldn’t when his skilled fingers circle my clit, driving me delirious with need. He doesn’t dip inside and I know he’s doing it on purpose, making me chase the high instead of answers.

“Always so goddamn wet for me. You were made for me.” My insides heat with his words as he releases my wrists to move down my body, leaving kisses and marks as he goes. His large shoulders take up the space between my knees as he gets settled. I open my mouth for another protest when he gives me a warning shake of his head before leaning down to lick from my opening to my clit without breaking eye contact.

“Rafe..” I sob, my back arching off his bed.

“That’s right, baby, say my name.” Another expert stroke of his tongue. “Who’s eating this sweet pussy?” He applies suction and I swear I see stars.

I don’t realize he’s waiting for a response until he stops and I’m struggling to catch my breath.

“Answer me. Who owns you and this cunt?”

“You do.” I breathe, sucking in a breath as he quickly devours my soul through my pussy. Why was he so good at that? Who was he practicing on before me?

“Fuck, you taste good. This is all mine.” Rafe yanks me closer with a firm grip on my hips, my legs now over his shoulders. My thighs start to tremble as he rotates between sucking on my clit and plunging his tongue inside me.

Why did he have to say such things? Things made me crave him even more. He knows we can’t be together. Even if he hadn’t got my brother arrested.

“Rafe!” I cry, my body threatening to explode as I fist his hair but he’s quicker, withdrawing his mouth and crawling back up my body to fuse our mouths together. I taste myself on his tongue as I shamelessly grind on the erection in his pants. Nothing else seems to matter but the climax I’m chasing.

“I love it when you use me for your pleasure. You’d get off just like this, wouldn’t you? You don’t even need my cock.”

“No, please, I need it. Rafe, please.” I fist his shirt, feeling him smirk against my lips as he grabs a handful of my ass.

“I love it when you beg.” His voice is lower now, laced with desire and promise to give me what I need. I feel his hands freeing his cock from his pants, then the smooth, velvety length of him is pressing against my thigh, smearing his precum on my skin. I don’t bother to ask about a condom. I know he doesn’t wear them.

“Put me inside you, pretty girl. Take what you need.” His lips are on mine again as I reach between us to wrap my hand around his thick girth. I stoke him a few times but I’m too desperate to torture him the way he has me. I guide him where I’m aching to be filled and he groans when he meets my wet heat.

“Oh, baby, I think I’m in love with you and this pussy.” Rafe moans loudly as he finally sinks inside me, the wind knocked from my lungs as he reaches too deep and I almost miss what he said.

“Wait, what?” I wheeze, my nails biting into his biceps as he starts to move. God, why did he have to feel so good?

“I said I think I’m in love with you.” Rafe rasps in that deep, sex filled voice of his. My legs widen on their own, needing him as close as possible as he starts to pound into me, his balls slapping against me.

“You can’t.. this is not..” I’m trying to clear the fog he’s put me in but I can’t. It was one thing to write this off as sex but how could I play it off when he was declaring love? JJ was going to disown me then kill me.

“I can’t what? I can’t help how I feel about you. I know you feel it too. Well.. you feel something right now. It could be love.” He flashes me that cocky grin just as he angles his hips to reach deeper.

“No.. this isn’t..” I push at his chest but he quickly scoops my legs over his arms, driving into me harder and faster. My eye lids flutter as heat spreads between my legs.

“Cum for me. I know you need it.” His fingers find my clit and I go off like a bomb, his lips silencing my cries as to not disturb his family downstairs. I’m shaking as I come down, the fog starting to clear but not enough. I’m suddenly flipped onto my stomach and he drapes himself over my back, discarding his clothes as he enters me from behind. I moan loudly into the pillow, his lips on my neck as he fucks me into the mattress. I grab the headboard and he wraps his fingers around my throat.

“Your brother is the only reason you’re fighting me.” Rafe growls in my ear, the sound of skin slapping skin echoing in the room. I was so wet I could feel myself dripping between my thighs.

“You’re a w-walking red flag.” I gasp, turning my head when he tries to kiss me. He chuckles, turning my mouth back towards his as he slams into me harder.

“Good thing red is your favorite color.”

[melodic-haze]

Just had the image of having a standing 69 with Arlecchino. Just clutching on dat ass as you suck/eat her out while she sucks/eats you out at the same time while upside down.

Got the idea from a pic I saw (forgot where I found it) but I can remember dat ass grab. Bro was clutching on it like a lifeline.

The core and arm strength must be fucking INSANE dude I could NOT she would have to carry ME❗️❗️

Eating each other out like women starved ohhh yes please 🤤🤤🤤 just imagine feeling Arlecchino's nails DIG INTO your skin and you Don't Care when you're making it your life goal to eat her out right then and there while SHE makes it her current sworn fucking Duty to give as good as she gets, esp since she doesn't just want to experience everything all on her lonesome

Just imagine feeling each other writhe as you get closer, and making it a POINT to cum together and and and when you do you go off-balance HAHAHAHA HELP ME GOD but it's so worth it in the end

Would I attempt it? Not the fuck I am NOT Hercules, but yk. I could eat her out good anyway so idc

[h5llpyre]

〔 𝐀 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘, 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐁𝐎𝐘 〕𓂃 ⟡

subtop!vash x reader

cw: AFTERCARE ONLY, still NSFW

a/n: i gotta be honest i pulled this out of my ass

“i-i can’t! nono no more plea-please! please please please—“ vash gasps out, shaky hands gripping the pillow under his head. watery, translucent cum dripping down the twitching, red tip of his dick, overstimulated and sensitive. he couldn’t even remember how many times you’ve made him cum, it was too many to count.

“shh shh baby, we’re all done now, okay?” you soothe him. you reach to the night stand and grab the towel you placed there many hours ago.

“d-done? we— we’re done n-now?” vash peels his eyes open, tears glistening on his eyelashes. you watch as he tries to lift his head, just barely getting a few centimeters before he gives up. you move down and spread his legs, careful and slow, yet he winces and whines. taking the towel between your fingers, you wipe up the slick mess.

“mhm, we’re done now.” you repeat, hands soothing over his inner thighs as you carefully clean him up. somewhere in his fuzzy mind, vash registers your words and his tight hold on the pillow releases, fingers twitching and sore.

“mmgghf…” vash groans in relief as you finally let him come down. chest rising and falling slower, the throb in his core coming to a stop. you smile to yourself and clean around his softening dick, gentle brushes of the towel on his sensitive skin. and yet he lets out soft mewls in protest, hips trying to wiggle away from your motions.

“i know i know, it’s okay…” you coo softly, pushing his thighs closed and moving up to his chest, wiping the sweat there. eyes focused on his face as your hands work: his eyebrows slightly furrowed and pink lips parted as he breathes. leaning closer, you wipe the drool off his chin and tears off his delicate eyes.

“that was a lot wasn’t it?” you smile softly and lay against his side, heated skin meeting heated skin. you reach up, over his chest and brush the blond hair out of his face. still a little fuzzy, vash nods as he nuzzles into your touch. straining his body, he turns over and faces you, asking for more.

“mh… ‘m a good boy?” he mumbles, eyes blearily opening, a soft pout taking place on his lips. and the way he looks at you with such hope and dependency makes your heart flutter.

you cup his face and pull him in, pressing your forehead against his. “you’re a very, very good boy,” you say, and vash keens with happiness. soft little whines emitting from his throat as he presses closer to you, your touch his lifeline.

when he finally settles in, you begin to caress his face, soft strokes with your thumb across his cheek. vash responds with reaching up to gently grasp your wrists, content with keeping you there.

“you did such a good job for me.” you praise vash again, watching as his bright eyes flutter open. sparkling softly as he looks at you with such love and trust like you had just fulfilled something in him. vash leans in, brushing his nose against yours, breathing slowly.

“mm kiss…?” vash whispers, his lips turning up in a small smile. his limp hands trying to pull you closer, you easily comply. a smile of your own appearing before you close the space and connect your lips to his. pressing gently into him like he’d shatter, you kiss him slowly. lips moving in sync as vash hums softly in satisfaction.

he pulls away for half of a second before he presses himself into your chest, arms wrapping warmly. around your body. vash sighs contently, finding comfort in your bare skin against his after hours of not being able to touch you. sure you were demanding and rough, but it was exactly how he wanted you to handle him. and of course he knew you would take care of him after, gentle touches and sweet kisses your good boy.

[starlightnorris]

tell me you love me - lando norris

just a short little friends to lovers blurb w lando

wc: 551

lando: where are you?

lando: y/n???

lando: please, y/n you’re scaring me

lando: please pick up the phone

y/n: lan, i’m fine please relax

y/n: i’ll be over in a minute

you stared at the text messages from lando, your heart racing as you tried to figure out how to talk to him. he was your best friend, the person you grew up with, the person who you’d always gone to with all your problems, but now, you knew your feelings for him were progressing way past what was normal. so here you were, hours late from when you said you would be over at his place for the movie night the two of you had planned.

“y/n, what the fuck. where were you?” lando says the moment he opens the door. his arms wrap around you tightly, the contact making you flinch. you’d hugged him countless times before, but you knew that you were about to ruin the friendship that had been a main source of joy for you over the past 15 years. “you scared me, i thought you got in an accident or something. are you okay?”

a soft laugh fell from your lips at his rambling, but your heart was racing as you took in his panicked expression. “i’m fine, i just lost track of time.” lies.

“are you okay? no offense, but you look like hell,” he says, a teasing grin on his face that quickly falls away when he realizes that you’re not laughing.  

“i feel like hell,” you mumble, staring at your hands as you continue to stand in the doorway.

as if he read your mind, he gently grabs your arm, pulling you inside and closing the door behind you. “do you want to talk about it?”

this was your moment to confess your feelings, but as you stepped inside, you wanted nothing more than to just go about your day as if nothing had changed. but that wasn’t fair to either of you. he deserved to know how you felt, even if meant potentially ruining a friendship that had been a lifeline for you.

he continues to look at you, his expression soft as his eyes trace over your features. “what’s wrong?” his voice is so soft that it nearly rips your heart out, the care for you evident in his tone.

“i-“ you start, letting out a nervous laugh. “i’m in love with you lando.” your words are so rushed and you’re not even sure he hears you because he just stares at you, a soft look in his eyes. “i understand if you don’t feel the same way. it’s not really fair for me to spring this on you when-“

“y/n,” he says quickly, cutting off your words. “if you would stop talking for 5 seconds, i could say that i have felt the same way forever.”

“what?”

“i’ve been in love with you for years,” he says, his eyes sparkling as he looks at you.

“lando norris, i swear if you’re lying to me, i am going to kick your ass,” you say, and he just laughs, moving closer to you and resting his hands on your waist.

“no lies here,” he says softly before moving to place his lips over yours. “i have and will always love you.”

[peppermint-cardboard]

hey. hello my friend. i am grabbing you by the shoulders oh so gently. do not become hopeless. that is exactly what they want. blue state governments will give them hell over the next presidential term, and you can rest assured there will absolutely be people in our government fighting for democracy.

the thing we can all do that will have the most direct immediate impact and will lay the groundwork for cultures of help, creativity, and love is to get involved at the local community level.

i’m talking especially to my fellow teens here!!! may not be able to vote but that doesn’t mean we’re not able to help.

for my fellow Angelenos!

Hollywood Food Coalition - free food! you can sign up to volunteer and do meal prep (cooking), meal service (serving food), or help at their food bank. locations are on their website. thanksgiving is coming up and HFC will need volunteers!

My Friend’s Place - free aid for youth homelessness, especially queer youth homelessness. volunteering is for 18 years and older

Los Angeles LGBT Center - exactly what it sounds like. offers a wide range of wonderful services and opportunities for volunteering. also works with school GSAs!

Moonwater Farm - a community farm in Compton with great opportunities for education and sometimes paid fellowships

for people everywhere else! just some general recommendations:

The Trevor Project - queer youth services that have saved my ass a number of times. i don’t know if they call the police as part of their responses or not (offers a single-click-to-leave button in case of emergency)

TrevorSpace - a great queer youth-centered website and a very safe place for queer community and discussion

Debate Me, Bro - a great anarchist newsletter/advice column run by a friend of mine!

The Child And Its Enemies - anarchist child rights-focused podcast also run by that same friend of mine :)

Neocities - make a website! learn some HTML! it’s fun, it’s pretty simple, and it’s a way to get a message out if that’s what you want but it’s also just a great de-stresser

Queer Liberation Library - need i even elaborate on the importance of libraries and access to queer media over the coming few years? (offers a single-click-to-leave button in case of emergency)

American Civil Liberties Union - an activism and aid organization that gave the Republicans absolute hell last time and will continue to do so this time

Blackline (800-604-5841) - a crisis and help hotline prioritizing BI&POC and black queer people. will not call the police!

Trans Lifeline (US: 877-565-8860, Canada: 877-330-6366) - a helpline run by and for trans folks. has a quick escape button and will not call the police!

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line (888-407-4515) - a warmline to chat with trained therapists and professionals. will not call the police!

StrongHearts Native Helpline (844-762-8483) - a domestic and sexual violence helpline prioritizing Native Americans and Alaska Natives. has a quick escape button and will not call the police!

Thrive Lifeline (313-662-8209) - a live crisis warmline prioritizing marginalized people. also offers text messaging! will not call the police!

LGBT National Health Center (888-843-4564) - exactly what it sounds like! warmlines for queer people if you need help. has a quick escape button and will not call the police!

Transfeminine Science - a fantastic resource for... transfeminine science. exactly what it says on the tin.

Planned Parenthood - an incredibly prolific and important organization that offers a very wide array of vastly important services. if you live in an at least semi-urban city in the U.S., Planned Parenthood probably has a clinic near you. you should find out if they do!!!

please feel free to add more resources if you know any!!

other recommendations: say hi to a neighbor. bake someone a pie. start a garden. treat homeless people like your neighbors (because they are). propose a community movie night. have a party in your apartment building. call a friend. text a friend. draw something. cook something good. go to a restaurant you like. buy some DVDs. get a new stuffed animal. compliment a stranger’s shirt. ask for a hug. offer someone a hug. listen to music. KEEP LIVING!!!!!!!!!

don't just survive, keep living <3

[rascalthehamster]

Can I request Yandere glamrock Freddy and Monty x Gregory's older sister please

Like the reader was looking for her brother and broke in and they bump into them and they fall for the reader

Yandere Freddy and Monty x Greg’s Older Sis

You never liked this place. The smell of stale pizza and over priced soda just gave you a headache, and all the screaming children were just the cherry on top.

Your brother, however, loved it. He wanted to be here forever, and that’s why you were currently crawling around in a vent looking for him.

You were given responsibility to make sure he came home safely and when it came close to closing time he was nowhere to be found. You managed to escape the security bots but at the cost of crawling your way through a cramp dusty vent.

When you got to the end of the vent you had to kick the grate off of its hinges, causing a loud sound to echo in the empty hall outside. You cringed at the sound, peaking your head out to find no security bots.

You jumped down, spotting a shoe that you knew belonged to Gregory. You picked it up and followed your only clue as to where he may be, an open security door.

You peered around every corner, always on edge. You gripped Gregory’s shoe like it was your only connection to him. A lifeline that you couldn't afford to lose. The Pizza Plex was surprisingly eerie at night. All of the lights were on yet it was completely empty, the only sound that could be heard was a faint song in the distance and the wheels of robots on the ground.

You walked around long enough to reach the main stage. It was lit up with blinding lights, and giant holograms of the infamous animatronics. They creeped you out the most. They’re lifelike movements and personalities always put you on edge.

The lights had distracted you just long enough for a security bot to find you, setting off the alarm.

You ran, not sure where to. You thought if you got as far away as possible from where you originally got caught then you’d be fine.

It was a great plan, you thought, a fool-proof one even. However you forgot to actually look where you were running to. You were too worried about what would’ve appeared behind you that you completely forgot about in front of you.

You slammed your head against something hard. A loud clang was followed by you falling on the floor. You looked up to see a giant animatronic bear standing in front of you.

“Hello!” It’s ears wiggled as it waved its hand at you. You were stuck, frozen in place on the sticky, gross floor. Your head throbbing from the recent collision and ass sore from slamming on the ground.

Just run, you thought to yourself. If you go now you might still be able to get out of here with your life. Why were you so scared of some stupid robot. It wasn't even a real bear. It had the long claws and sharp teeth of one but its eyes stared into yours, they were all too lifelike. The bright blue led lights illuminated your face. You didn't trust it, even if you could feel no aggression coming from it.

It got down on one of its knees, meeting you at your level. “Your nose is bleeding.” You wiped your hand under your nose, confirming that you were in fact having a nose bleed. “Come on, let’s go to the infirmary and patch you up.” He put out his hand, urging you to grab it.

You instinctively swatted at it and scrambled away. You could feel the blood trickle down from your nose, meeting your lips that also began to bruise. You got a few feet away from it then realized that your hand was absent of a shoe. You turned around to spot that the robot was holding it, placing it inside of its stomach for later use.

"Hey give that back." You started to run to it but the back of your shirt was grabbed, your momentum pulling you back as you were lifted up.

"Well, what do we have here?" A voice said behind you. You thrashed around, not wanting to find out what it was coming from. "Calm down will ya?" It shook you around, still gripping onto your shirt.

The robot bear approached you, causing you to panic even more. "Let me go!" You shouted as you could feel your heart beating in your ears.

"Not until you calm down." Said the voice from behind. Your body began to tire from thrashing so much. Your adrenaline running dry. You could feel yourself succumb to defeat.

You craned your neck to look behind you, seeing that it was the scariest animatronic of them all, and this one you knew by name. It had the worst history of them all and was the most violent. You froze once again, it's eyes catching yours. It gave a toothy grin.

"Come on Monty, we have to take her to the infirmary."

"What because of some nosebleed?"

"Yes, it's the rules."

"What if I don't want to follow the rules, goody two shoes, what if I take her to my room for the rest of the night?" Said the alligator. You could feel yourself get light headed as the conversation continued. You could feel yourself becoming nauseas and tired. Your body couldn't fight anymore. Your throat was dry and your stomach was empty. You were at the mercy of these two animatronics that you despised.

And to top it all off, you failed to find your brother. You couldn't even hold onto his shoe which was currently inside of the orange bear in front of you.

They continued talking between each other. You didn’t care to listen. Your feet dangled as Montgomery continued to hold you.

“Okay fine, we’ll do a check up.”

“Finally, now let me see her-“

“Nuh huh Freddy, I’m holding her.” He scooped you up and held you in a bridal position as the bear just sighed and started his way towards the infirmary. Your nose had stop bleeding but the blood had stained your shirt. The taste of copper on your tongue.

You had just begun to accept your fate when you heard the gator say “I can’t believe that there’s two runts who managed to sneak past security and stay over night.”

“We don’t know where the other is but maybe she does.” Freddy responded with, turning around and flashing a smile at you. “But for now we’ll take care of the one that we found.”

[penvisions]

return the favor {chapter 20}

Pairing: Post-Outbreak! Joel Miller x Smuggler! Reader

Summary: The arrival in the haven of Jackson brings certain things to a head, you find solace in a few people of the settlement after being alone with your thoughts for months.

Word Count: 8.2k

Warnings: canon typical violence, canon typical language, canon typical angst, like MAJOR ANGST, feelings of inadequacy, ptsd, trauma, brief discussion of child loss, grief, argumentative language, yelling, shouting, joel being an ass, reader being an ass, angry emotions, brief suicidal ideation, reference to past self-harm injury, ellie being a little shit, maria's hyper awareness, reference to sexual content

A/N: this came to me very quickly, having had the ending scene written from the get go and the rest of the story was a way to make it make sense. hope this doesn't hurt anyone too bad! please come complain to me (nicely) if you feel the need

ao3 link || series masterlist || main masterlist || ko-fi

The horses were fast, impossibly so after being only on foot for so long. You kept a tight hold on Ellie in front of you, arms around her and holding the reigns of the horse you had been offered. She’d never been on one before but he helped her up all the same, and then you behind her. You knew he was worried about your arm, irritating it with the effort to pull yourself up on your own.

Joel was on his own, right behind the woman who introduced herself as Maria, one of the declared leaders of the council to whatever haven they were now taking you to. She had been curt with her words, saying that Joel’s brother was with them. There had been argument or discussion, Joel asking to see him, be taken to him such weak tone you knew was born of hope and desperation at this point.

A formidable structure was cresting over a hill, giant logs forming a wall with an entrance that you could barely make out adorned with people on watch. Your heart had yet to calm down since the first whiny of a horse, thudding heavily in your chest and almost mirrored in your temple as a headache formed at this drastic chain of events.

It almost seemed too good to be true, like a lifeline that was a trick should you reach out and grab it. But Joel had, he had reached out his aching hands and gripped it tight, refusing to let it go.

As the gates opened you could feel your breath leave you in a puff of steam. It…it was a whole town, revealed behind the gates. A traditional main street lined with maintained buildings, people bustling about and doing so much that it was all so dizzying. You turned to look at Joel, having been corralled in the middle of the group for entrance into their settlement. He could only share your look of disbelief, nodding at you to turn back around and take it all in.

There were elderly people, there were children, there was laughter, there was excitement.

There was life.

Your observations were cut short when Joel’s voice boomed behind you.

“Tommy!”

You turned to look at him, Ellie mirroring you and you followed his gaze toward a man clad in denim who was atop some scaffolding and working with another figure to haul up pillars of wood. Building, they were actively building. Creating something, making something more for this already amazingly impressive place. The man looked up, his focus shattered at a vaguely familiar voice. Dark hair longer and curling at the ends, thick mustache that rivaled Joel’s atop his upper lip. The same kind eyes and similar features telling you that it was indeed his kin if he hadn’t just shouted it for all to hear. Both men rushed toward each other, Joel dismounting his horse and the man stomping down the scaffolding.

They embraced in the middle of the street, boots nearly sliding out from underneath each of them at the collision, Joel’s disbelieving chuckle coloring the air and softening your heart.

Ellie reached for your hand still holding the reigns. So small in your own as you shifted the reigns to one and held her with the other. Her eyes were cast down, watching the scene through her lashes.

“What the fuck ya doing here?”

“I came here to save you.”

They both laughed, embracing again and nearly swaying on the spot. Ellie turned away from the reunion, knowing that her thoughts were much like your own.

Alone.

You were both alone. No family of your own left. You shifted forward and pressed your front to her back and leaned over her a little. Whispering into her ear that she had you, that she wasn’t alone. That you wouldn’t leave her for anything. That she had you.

She didn’t respond, face barely composed as the horses began to move once again. Joel and his brother walking beside them.

Her words of asking you to stay with her echoed in your head.

It felt like a dream, entering the stables and securing the horses. Following behind the small group of Maria, Tommy, Joel, and Ellie through the town. Walking through doors into a large space that was set up like a mess hall.

The plate in your hand heavy as it was handed over to you, filled with steaming food that you couldn’t smell. A cup of coffee and a glass of water are brought to the table once seated. You, Joel, and Ellie on one side while Maria cornered her chair from the head closer to Tommy on the other. Joel and Ellie wasted no time digging in, barely taking a breath as they inhaled their food.

But you were too overwhelmed, too wary. You had come across a place similar to this once, not nearly as large. Only a small collection of houses at the end of a cul-de-sac. But the food had been a ploy to get your guard down. It had been tainted, the drugs making you dizzy enough to become pliant when taken back to a room full of women shackled to the walls.

The fork in your hand felt fake, too light and unlike a weapon that had been become a part of you.

“There’s more if you need it.” Maria’s voice was even, and your eyes shifted to her, she was already watching you. Her eyes moving between your trio in even sweeps, trying to read whatever you were unconsciously telling her. Trying to discern the dynamic and the reason for you sticking together. Worry underlying her gaze as you noticed her leg move to touch against Tommy’s under the tabletop.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Joel took a moment to catch his breath, fork still loaded and hunched over his plate slightly. “Been a while since we’ve had a proper meal.”

“Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had a proper meal.” Ellie quickly tore down his simple statement.

“Now that’s a lie, Bean’s made us plenty of meals with what she could.” He fired back, no real heat behind his words. He looked over to you, but he paused when he realized you had yet to touch your food. The fork in your grip just hovering over the tablecloth laid out beneath it. The steam rising from the mix of different things on the plate not enticing you enough to indulge. You wouldn’t meet his eyes, too busy trained on Maria and having a silent conversation with the woman across from you.

“Okay, maybe one or two. But this is fuckin’ amazing.

Joel’s head whipped back to the teenager whose focus was solely on the food she was hunched over, her arms creating a barrier from the rest of the table.

“Sorry.” He aimed at his brother and the woman beside him, almost sheepish. It was a surprise to both of them that you didn’t admonish her like you had back at the cabin, when she cursed at the elderly couple. You weren’t completely present and it was setting them both on edge a little. You hadn’t been so out of it since the fever that tried to take over you after Salt Lake City. But even then, your eyes were clouded over, instincts taking hold and guiding you. Survival being the only goal right now, despite being in an entirely different climate and environment. “Ellie, let’s mind our manners.”

Tommy’s smile was beautiful, though there was pain behind it. Joel’s too as you realized they were sharing hesitant one. You and Maria shared another look of your own before she reached a hand out for you.

You flinched, the fork clattering to the table as you pulled your hand back. Joel stiffened beside you, his knee pressing to yours underneath the table in a small comfort. But it was fruitless, you were too worked up, too overwhelmed. Too hopeless to salvage or take anything with the man in light of changing circumstances.  

“I promise you the food is safe.” Her eyes softened as she realized what you must’ve been thinking, seeing you too clearly for comfort.

Ellie’s demanding ‘what’ broke the connection, drawing attention to a young girl that scurried away from where she had been observing the table.

“What’s wrong with you?” Joel’s voice was incredulous, unable to process the front she was putting on much like she had done at the older couples’ cabin. He glanced over at you, but you were focused on the food in front of you, not really present. Unable to help him try to get Ellie to behave herself. He huffed, worried for you and exasperated with the teenager, feeling the strain of having to watch over you both even now.

“What about her manners?” Ellie spit back, voice lethal as she tried to defend herself. Too familiar with watching, prying eyes. Scanning her for weakness and then using it against her. This wasn’t the FEDRA school building, this wasn’t a controlled environment like that. This was different, she was different. She wouldn’t let someone get the chance to bully or beat her up just because she was new or different this time around.

“She was just curious.” Maria spoke softly, trying to maintain a calm head in the face of Ellie’s defensive front and your nearly shut down one. “Kids around here don’t usually look or talk like you.”

“Right…well, maybe I’ll teach them.” She held the woman’s gaze, setting your nerves alight, worried she would get herself into a situation she couldn’t get out of, a situation you or even Joel couldn’t help to get her out of. You were paying attention, but everything seemed to be happening behind a thick panel of glass. Like you were there but not, removed and watching as if in another headspace you couldn’t shake off. “And I want my gun back.”

“They also aren’t armed.” Maria’s tone hardened, her frustration showing slightly but trying to keep up appearances, keep her calm in the wake of seeing how your trio was failing to integrate even this early on after being brought in. You were sure if there was no connection to the man beside her, you would’ve been turned away.

“You know what? Uh- I think y’all maybe got off on the wrong foot.”

“She was gonna have her guys kill us.” The silverware in her grip thudded onto the table as she leaned forward, no longer willing to play nice.

“We gotta be real careful about who we let in this place.” Tommy tried to explain, calmly taking over the conversation. He and Joel seemed the most calm, it was you, Maria, and Ellie who were having trouble acting like this wasn’t one of the weirdest fucking interactions of your lives. “But it’s all bark. We’re just tryna scare off those who might wanna try us is all.”

“Well, you got a couple of ninety year olds shitting themselves out there.”

“Ellie.” Joel’s head swiveled heavily as he pinned her with a sharp look for her foul language.

“They say that you leave dead bodies around?” Ellie focused back on Maria, wanting to hear the answer the woman came up with.

“Those are the people who tried us.”

“A bad reputation doesn’t mean you’re bad. Not always, at least.” Maria’s eyes locked on Joel, his chewing stopping as he realized what she was insinuating despite having just met him.

“Ma’am, we’re grateful for your hospitality and all.” He locked eyes with his brother, who suddenly seemed uncomfortable, worried about what was about to be said. “But it’d be nice to have a moment here, maybe just for family.”

“Well, um…” Tommy scrambled for words. But you didn’t hesitate.

Taking that as your queue to leave, you began to move.

"You're okay, darlin’." Joel had turned to face you; you were on his right side out of habit. He was looking down at you, the few inches of space making you dizzy as his eyes were on you. You shook your head slightly, disagreeing quietly to save face, mentally preparing yourself for the rift that was bound to open between you now that he was back with his actual flesh and blood. You had never seen such unadulterated joy on his face as you had seen today, though Ellie would be the first to argue that he looks at you in much the same way.

As if sensing the shift in you, Joel turned his head just enough to keep you in his periphery. Body still taught and on alert despite being behind the walls and in the company of his finally found brother. The room was large, too many people milling about, seated at their own tables. The hum of chatter almost suffocating as it was so different a background noise from the howling of the wind and the rustling of trees that kept you company for months now. The hush of moving fabric a threat more than a comfort, the shadows of people moving about and minding their own business something that set you on edge instead of placated you. But you knew it had to be a good thing, this settlement.

Joel whispered your name, reaching out a hand to grip yours where it was on the table, having put the utensil down at his words and gone to push yourself up from your chair. Ellie watched with caution as he did so, knowing that you were full of emotions she couldn't read, she was feeling some kind of way herself ever since the brothers had hugged so unabashedly in the street. You yanked your hand from him in a moment of self-anger and pity, upset that you had begun to think things were mending between you. But he kept his hold, your clasped hands hanging between where he was still seated and where you stood beside him, chair kicked back a few inches at the motion.

But the truth was that in the light of civilization, in the chance at human connection, you didn't stand a chance. The strain that had been slowly developing between you both would shatter into nothing in the light of finding this haven in the middle of nowhere.

He would find some semblance of his old life here with his brother. You were just someone who he traveled with, shared favors when things got overwhelming and human urges were too strong to quell. You weren’t anything to him, not really, and even if you were naïve enough to think so, it wasn’t real. Whatever you two had wasn’t real, it was a faux creation of comfortability built in the confines of forced close quarters. 

"Let go of me." He pulled his hand back as if burned, he didn't dare step over set boundaries when it came to touch. Your voice had been quiet, just enough to be heard. You nodded at Tommy, at Maria in silent thanks for the untouched meal and then walked away from the table. The door didn’t even get to close behind you completely before Joel was excusing himself and following you.

“Please, just, I can’t pretend like this isn’t all so overwhelming.” You didn’t turn around to look at him but could feel how close he was behind you as you descended the steps leading to the entrance of the building. Snow and rock salt crunched underneath your worn boots and you wanted to continue to hear that sound until you were far away from this place, from this supposed refuge. People were dangerous, perspective having been solidified by nearly every encounter from the last fifteen years accumulating and not changing in the slightest.

“Family includes you.”

“You trekked across the country for him, Joel. Go be with your brother. I’ll give you space or whatever you need, but please don’t make me feel like I’m something I’m not.”

“You are, you are…important.”

“Not now! Not…not since I’ve been so in my head that I can’t distinguish the present from the warped reality in my head. I know it and you know it.”

“Darlin’, c’mon, at least get a warm meal in ya before we do this.” Your features morphed into a deceptive calm. Even he was admitting that this was about to all fall apart, the thin string of connection between your little trio, between you both.  

“Joel-“

“Enough!” His frustrated shout caught the attention of more than a few passerby, craning their necks toward the argument. No longer given the element of privacy behind the walls and in the center of town. “Let’s just go back in there and hear them out, you owe me that much.”

“No!” You shouted back, not caring how it echoed or the people watching on with wide eyes. Not caring how it may look to these people who knew nothing about you or even seemed to be welcoming. Prying eyes be damned, you would not let Joel steam roll you.

“You’re treating me like shit, Joel. And I’m over it. Pinging back and forth so quick I can’t keep up. I don’t care if you don’t want anything from me, but you have to show me some respect. Don’t go acting like this one meal with your real family is going to change anything. You’re going to drop me, and I’d rather know now.”

“I am trying to keep you alive. Yours and Ellie’s lives are in my hands and I am trying my damned best to keep them safe. Between her constant questions and your hovering, it’s nearly impossible to keep a quiet trek. Even now, behind these walls. You’re acting like I’ve betrayed you in some way and throwing up your walls without hearing anything out.”

The irony of his words must’ve sunk in because he stepped back with a deep inhale, his expression steeling as if freezing over in the cold air.

“No one said it was just your responsibility. I’m here too, Joel, you have to let me carry some of the weight. I’m here, I’ve done nothing but follow your lead and I am glad to, but you have to respect me. Do not treat me like a burden because I’m not one. Don’t pretend like you’re not about to cut your losses and move on.”

The words seemed to ignite him further, no longer willing to hold back all of the emotions he had been feeling and still felt despite the temporary reprieve. A glint shone in his eyes as he stepped toward you, his height allowing him the display of power as he glared down at you. You tried not to let the flash of fear show, but you know it passed over your face as he got closer. He had paused for the fraction of a second, seeing it and hating that it had happened but sticking to his guns all the same. Despite the knowledge that he wouldn’t hurt you, the thought was so palpable as he loomed over you. Your hands twitched but there were no weapons to reach for, having been taken at the gate upon entrance.

“Oh yeah? Is that why every god damn set back, every break we’ve had to take was because of you? If you’re so capable then why are you constantly injured, huh? First the broken arm, then the fever, then the god damn bear, and the lake. Hell, the first day we came across you and cleared the city limits, you fell, knocked your head and twisted your god damn ankle. What do all of those have in common? You. It’s because you’re weak, darlin’.”

“Fuck you.” You spat, taken aback by the way he was speaking to you. The way he was deciding to do this. Putting the blame for his inability to face reality on you, with you.

“My arm got broken because I was protecting Ellie on the ground while you were up in that house! The fever was because of my broken arm. The bear? The goddamn bear, Joel? You mean the one you couldn’t hear coming up from behind? And the lake? You were the one taken hostage, not me. I was the one that got you untied, I was the one that’s been getting the shit end of the stick this whole journey, but guess what, I’ve also been the one healing everyone! Been cooking whatever we hunt and forage, been the one to help bridge the gap between you and teenage girl you’re afraid of!”

“I am not afraid of that little girl.” He hissed, teeth clenched tight as he bared them at you.

“You are. And you’re afraid of me. Because it’s more than making sure we stay alive. It’s because you care.”

“I don’t care. Only doing this to get-“

“Oh shut the fuck up, you repressed asshole.”

You stalked away from him, done with the conversation before it blew up even more. But not before he saw the tears overflow and begin to race down your cheeks. Shoving through the people that had loosely gathered around you both, pretending not to listen in but failing at being discreet. Perfect, the first impression you were both making was terrible. A heated, boisterous argument right in the middle of the densest part of the whole town.

Joel called your name, but you ignored it. Done with the conversation, done with him. Your ears were ringing, your body was tingling as if numb, that staticky feeling when a limb fell asleep and blood flow was blocked. Your throat was tight, face hot with emotions. Family. The word echoed in your head over and over again, too much, too defining. Too much of a lie. Reality be damned, you’d rather be alone than force a connection with someone who deemed you a proverbial punching bag because they couldn’t handle their emotions. The street blurred by as you stalked off, pace fast.

You physically reeled when a hand closed around your upper arm. You startled so badly at the touch that you tripped, body falling with the sudden loss of balance and stability.

“Don’t touch me!” You shrieked, not willing to play nice any longer. You swung a clenched fist around too quick for the person to dodge and a woman fell to the ground with a shout just as you landed on your own ass. Both arms going out to try and catch yourself, but when the contact of your left arm was made you shouted out. Tingles sprouted up and down the entire length and all you could do was grip it right with your right and look up through your tears. The woman who had approached you was cradling her face, a pink blossom sprouting from where you had landed the punch. But you didn’t move even as you distantly heard the click of a gun’s safety.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you, I’m a nurse! I just wanted to help, you’re obviously distressed.”

Ellie sat there and stabbed at her food, taking too big a mouthful to cover her discomfort at being left at the table with these strangers alone.

“They do that a lot?” Maria asked, trying to comb over the obvious awkward tension in the air as the girl was left beside two people she didn’t know anything about. It didn’t seem to matter that it was a safe environment, Ellie was on edge and it was obvious.

“What, act like dumbasses who don’t know the other likes them?” Ellie swallowed her food, stabbing another large bite. Trying to act like she wasn’t brimming with anxiety while you and Joel were separated from each other. Maria and Tommy shared a look, not sure what to do other than wait for one or both of you to return to the table. “All the time, it’s exhausting.”

Joel ambled back in and Ellie perked up slightly until she realized you weren’t behind him. He just shook his head slightly at her, letting her know that you had walked off to cool down or gather yourself or whatever. But he was sure the sharp cuts of words you both shouted at each other had been audible from outside.

“Maria is family.” Tommy declared, shaking their held hands atop the table.

“Oh shit,” Ellie shifted from their linked hands to each of their faces. “Congrats.”

“Joel, say congrats.” The teenager calmly prompted, taking enjoyment out of the turn of roles to mind manners. Shifting in the seat he had taken back him, he locked eyes with his brother and congratulated them in a flat tone. The hits of the day continued to land as he realized his place in this world.

As the group stepped out from the mess hall, a woman came up to Maria and whispered something to her. With a nod she sent her off and turned to Joel.

“Your girl is at the infirmary, the nurse we have is tending to her arm. It was broken recently?”

“Three months ago, broke clean through the skin. She tended to it herself as best she could.” He was sure you wouldn’t mind the information being shared, most likely the exact thing you were telling the people at the infirmary to get a better understanding of how your attempts had done and able to determine how well it had healed.  

“Bean can take care of herself, she went to school for, what was it Joel?” Ellie turned to him, not wanting to say the wrong thing. But wanting the woman to know who she was messing with, know who she almost killed. Spiteful tendencies not falling off in the face of authority.

“EMT, medical anthropology. She’s got degrees under her belt and certifications.” Joel felt pride flare up in his chest as he spoke, wanting Tommy and Maria to know that you were capable, just as he was. That you had been holding your own out there in the wilderness, that it hadn’t been easy but you managed between here and Boston just fine.

“A smart woman, we need someone with that kind of knowledge. Our last doctor that taken out by a nasty strain of the flu last season.” Tommy tried to bridge the gap of conversation. Trying to understand exactly what happened to his brother from the moment he left Boston with the Fireflies to now, without being too direct. Knowing focused questions would warrant Joel to close oof or fabricated lies that were only hints of what actually happened. The girl and you being the biggest questions he has by far. But he let it rest for now, hoping they could have a moment alone soon enough. Hoping that by some miracle his brother would plan on staying here, safe. With him.

Joel listened as Maria began her informative tour, explaining the basics of things here in Jackson for him and Ellie to learn. To get familiar with. But he wasn’t sure what to do now, what the right choice to make was.

Remain here and integrate. Make some semblance of like all together. Or simply use it as a place to recharge and then get back on the road, use it as a place to gather information and supplies before picking up where they left off. The Fireflies, Ellie being immune, you needing rest, Joel needing rest…all of it factors in a decision he needed to talk over with you. After he apologized for the way he spoke to you earlier, for the things he blamed on you that he was at war within himself over. He was bonded to you all and that was the problem, he had gotten too close in the months of travel. Come to instinctually seek you both out as soon as his eyes opened after sleep, needing to protect you both at any cost.

Something Maria said brought him out of his spiraling thoughts, and he turned his attention to her with a furrowed brow. None of this made any sense, too many generators that would fail out in cycles between fixes and scavenging for parts or batteries. A light pole stood proud in the center of the street, thick cables running off of it an toward the tops of the surrounding buildings.

“You draw power from the dam.”

“Got that working a few years ago.” She agreed, slight confusion coloring her features as he pointed it out. She hadn’t said so, but she continues talking, finding it a good thing that he was asking questions and engaging rather than shutting down and running off like you had been. Though she wished you were within her sights, just to make sure you were okay.

“Bean was right.” Ellie pinned Joel with a mild glare. Aware of the growing tension between the two of you as the days bled together.

The stables were loud, now in the later hour.  The bustle of horses being lead around large pens, sheep being herded from one to another, people tending to the animals keeping his thoughts at bay. He felt a glimmer of something as he watched the sheep move about with trotting steps and comforting noises, the conversation from the night before sprouting to the front of his mind.  

“Hey Joel, check it.” Ellie smiled, imitating them as she looked over her shoulder at the man. Tommy looked between them, brows raised in a silent question that Joel waved off with a slight nod of his head.

“Soooo are you like, in charge?” Ellie askes, hands weakly clapping together from where she had them buried deep in her jacket pockets. Nervous energy filling her up the longer she was away from you, but hoping you would join back up with them soon.

“No one person’s in charge.” “I’m on the council. Democratically elected, serving three hundred people, including children. Everyone pitches in. We rotate patrols, food prep, repairs, hunting, harvesting.

“Everything you see in our town: greenhouses, livestock, all shared. Collective ownership.

“So, un, communism.” Joel spoke up, taking it all in. Thoughts racing as he wondered if you were getting the same information at the infirmary.

“Nah.” Tommy scoffed, not agreeing with the rather simple way that Joel summarized everything. “Nah, it ain’t like that.”

“It is that. Literally.” Maria burst her husband’s naïve bubble, though there was no heat behind her words as she glanced back at him. It simply was the most accurate way to describe what they had established here in Jackson. “This is a commune. We’re communists.”

Joel tossed Tommy a smug look over his shoulder as he rubbed his aching hands together and followed after the girls. Tommy hung back for a moment, soaking in the realization.

“No way!” Excitement colored Ellie’s tone when she spotted the mare and her foal peeking out from within a stable close by.

“That’s our newest one. Couple months old, wanna pet her?” The offer was genuine as the group approached the opening and Ellie reached out to baby talk and caress the foal’s fur.

“Yeah, what’s her name?” Joel ambled close to her, sticking by her side even with the relative safety of the place, not taking any chances with the bustle of people everywhere. She was distracted, the sights and phenomena garnering her attention. She wasn’t on alert, but he remained so for her sake. For his.

“Shimmer.”

“Well, I’m sure they’d like a shower. Some new clothes. We can put them in the empty house across the street from us.”

“Yeah,” Tommy looked to his brother, hoping they weren’t overstepping anything by offering without all three of your trio present. “Decent place, pretty much untouched since ’03, but it’s got the heat goin’ in it. Could do worse.”

“Oh, trust me, we have been.”

“We’ve been doin’ fine. Don’t disrespect Bean like that.” Joel defended, not wanting them to know just how bad it had been getting before they found you. Feeling self-righteous in the face of finding out his brother had been experiencing old world comforts while he slept on the frozen ground and ate whatever could be scrounged up day after day. That he had barely been able to provide for you and Ellie despite his efforts.

“Oh, like you did, yelling at her in the middle of the street and running her off?” The teenager fired back, not taking Joel’s attempt at corralling her in that instance.

“Ellie-“ Joel hung his head, shoulders inching up as he realized this was only the first of many comments the teenager was going to make.

“Well, I’ll take Ellie over there. Track down…Bean was it you’re calling her? Let you two catch up.”

Joel gave them your real name them, not sure if you’d want strangers you didn’t know calling you by the fond nickname Ellie had graced you with before him and his brother broke off to have a moment alone.

It was night when you returned to the center of town, the main street lit up with fairy lights and burn barrels. It was pretty, you had to admit as you walked around looking for the movie gathering that Maria had marked on a note for you back at the house assigned to you for the night. It had been empty when you arrived. Lights and heat on for when one or all three of you retired for the night.

“Maria, can I…have a word with you?”

“Of course,” The woman lead you out of the crowded room and onto the street. She opened the door to a front further down the street. You settled up on a stool at the bar while she rounded the long counter and poured you a drink. Eyes trained on the bottle she replaced back on the shelve, not pouring one of her own.

You gripped the lowball glass in steady hands.

“I know you what you must think of me…of Joel. But we did right by that little girl and we’ve been doing our best to keep her alive. But…it’s not been easy, I won’t lie to you.”

“That argument was pretty heated, seems like things haven’t been easy in the slightest.”

“It’s…unforgiving out there. Thought I had enough trouble traveling alone, but with people you feel responsible for, that look to you for guidance, it’s far worse.”

“She’s not yours.” Maria realized, putting the words to fruition, seeing you and making it known. She could recognize it in you, just like you could in her. Mirrors of each other, though one had safety and community while one did not. Mothers who have lost, women who have survived. You met her eyes and showed even more of yourself to her, feeling like she was trustworthy to know. To be privy to what drove you and made you who you were. That you were willing to be a part of this should they allow you to stay, with or without Joel.

“No, mine was lost before the pregnancy could come to term. Ambushed. Lost my husband and my home, nearly lost myself too.” Honesty seemed to be the best course of action, the right thing to do in face of all this woman had offered you so far. Despite the way in which the initial greeting had played out. You understood the need to protect, the need to threaten. You’ve had to do it before and you would do it again in a heartbeat.

“I’ve lost a child too. It’s not something you can come back from without weight.”

“No, it’s not. Even after fifteen years. Twenty years.”

“But Joel-“

“He’s a good man, but I know he’s done some things. Things that weren’t necessary but were easier for him to do in his own grief. I think he’s carried it heavier than all of us combined. But please, don’t mistake me, I am not making excuses for the man, hell, we ain’t even friends. Not really. Just happened across each other and stuck together, for Ellie.”

“But you love him. I can see it. Despite everything.”

“It’s those damn Miller genes, gotta hand it to them.” Your lips pulled up at one corner before you sobered, mood not picking up completely in wake of the day. “He doesn’t return those feelings, or he does and can’t stomach the thought, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve been a fool to think that this journey changed him in that regard.”

“But the journey isn’t over.” She was smart, reading you like you were one and the same. You wondered if for all your combined hardness, if preserving softness was how you truly survived. Her with helping to keep this commune running, you with protecting a little girl with everything you had. Both the same, both trying to heal with world in what little ways you could with dual swords gripped tight in each hand.

“All I ask for is supplies and a horse, I’ll take Ellie on from here. But please, give him the same curtesy if he decided to stay or not or y’all vote against him stayin’. Please.” You gazed out at the smoke wafting from one of the burn barrels, hoping to be emersed in a hot shower after being out in the cold so long. You hadn’t sat still for more than a moment since entering the town, doing rounds and talking with the nurse who had been kind enough to help you despite blindly attacking her.

She was nice, if a little misguided. Working off of notations and medical books that wouldn’t help her to truly understand the gravity of certain injuries unless she had dealt with them before. You left your own journal for her, some of the books you had kept with you. You hadn’t asked for anything in return but she made you a plate of food in her home, her wife kind enough clean your coat while you all talked.

“She’s all I got now, and she needs me. We can finish our travels from here on out alone, and don’t want to be a burden to someone who is still dealing with their own internal demons. But he’s right, I am weak. Been injured more than whole the past three months, but if it means I could get her to where she needs to be, then I’ll risk my death.”

“I’ll get you what you need but…know there’s a place here for you both- all if you…don’t find what you’re looking for.”

“You’re just saying that because I’m medically trained.”

“I mean it, you deserve a chance too, even if you’ve already given up.”

She reached out to take your hand and this time you didn’t flinch.

You didn’t greet Joel as he entered the home, the shine of tears long past still evident on his face in other ways. His shoulders were slumped, exhaustion plain in his every movement. He walks past you and toward the staircase, his path toward Ellie up in one of the rooms.

“Don’t,” You stepped away from the bottom of the stairs the second he appeared at the top of them. The soft light of the lamps lit up around the living room bathing you in half shadows. But they didn’t hide the hard focus of your features. You heard everything that reverberated down the stairs. He had broken Ellie’s trust in him, her faith in him, just like he was about to do with you.

Tension was a thick wight over the room, your body tense and Joel’s shoulders slumped as he leaned his knees against the side of the couch. The argument from earlier floating between you both as you were standing by an armchair across the room.

“We…we can still get her there.”

“We’re both too weak.”

“Not-not if we rest for a few days, get some decent meals in us. Water that we aren’t rationing to only what we can carry.”

“No, not even then. I’m too old, too worn down. You’re too injured, prone to get more so. We aren’t strong enough.”

“Joel-“ You pinched the bridge of your nose, head throbbing with the cold still waning from your trek to find Maria.

“You deserve better, dammit! Not some old fuck who can’t handle anything anymore!” His voice was loud, booming around the dusty living room and you jumped, not expecting it. You were sure Ellie could hear the hollering just as you had heard her a few moments before. Your hands were fisted at your sides, nails digging into the skin of your palms at the action. “You’re so insistent on keeping on with me when there’s no fucking reason! Like a damn thorn in my side, no matter how hard I dig I can’t get you out!”

“It’s not about what I deserve, you fucking idiot! It’s about what I want. And you’re it, Joel Miller.”

“Well, sometimes we don’t get what we want. I’m not your shot at a second chance to start a family. I’m too damn old for this shit. Playing pretend and ignoring the reality of the situation. We shouldn’t have started what we did, it just made things complicated. We were both weak, to give into that. Too stupid to see that it wasn’t moments of peace, it was damnation.”

“I don’t regret being that way with you.”

“Well I do. It wasn’t right, we were fools to think there weren’t strings attached to it. You have enough trauma with that kind of stuff for there not to be. With how you came onto me, propositioned me, I shoulda known you would get attached.” The words tumbled out of his mouth without a thought. The heat of the moment and the emotions swirling in him too much for common sense and decency to play a part.

All of the emotions of seeing his brother after so long, having been living in a safe and protected place while he had suddenly come into the care of someone he hadn’t had room in his stone cold heart to deal with. Losing the one person he had come to trust in his life, suddenly shackled with another woman who reminded him of her so much. Suddenly a father again and faced with a familiar silhouette that sparked too many hurtful memories.

“Oh.” Your face fell, no longer firm with determination as you fired shouts at him as fast as he had been doing to you. A heaviness settled in your chest as you schooled your expression into a blank one. You didn’t want Joel to see you cry, even as you felt the tears begin to well up, your face heated up as they did so. Your hands were still at your sides, when not two seconds ago your fists were clenched as you pleaded with the man to understand. But it was too late, he set fire to the bridge you two had cautiously and carefully built over the last four months with one breath.

“Shit, that-“

“No, no. I get it, I’m damaged goods. Too impure for you in your fuckin’ set southern ways. I guess we don’t owe each other anymore favors. I felt safe with you, I let my guard down with you, but I’m seeing it for what it was now. I was nothing more than an easy fuck to you. That’s all I’ve ever been to people in this damn forsaken world. God forbid I think I’m anything of substance, of anything more than that. I haven’t felt wanted since before my husband got slaughtered.”

You didn’t care how hoarse your voice was, the volume diminished now that your heart felt like it had been stabbed, wounded beyond repair.

The scar on your left arm was throbbing. The sensation to tear the skin open fleeting in your mind just as was the bloodied body of a past lover, of the men you had taken out after finding them retreating in deep snow, of your legs scratched and bruised from fighting one of them off to no avail. You opted to reach for your pack where you had set it beside an armchair. Joel was silent as he watched you try to pick it up, his fingers curling into his palm over and over again in that obvious nervous twitch of his. But you were too overcome with the situation to lift it, the weight of it too much for you. You crumbled to the ground, knees digging into the hardwood of the floor, your hands gripped tight on the fabric of the pack, knuckles white with the pressure. Tears rolled down your face, heavy and hot as your chest ached.

“At least everyone else had the decency to demand what they wanted from me, not play tricks in order to get it. I was honest with you, I meant what I said. But, maybe I should’ve been honest when it developed past that and that’s on me. Played me like a damn fool.” Your words wavered as they fell from your lips, no more fight to your voice. He had broken you, like he did everything he ever touched. “Savior complex rewarded by helping out someone in their time of need and then getting the reward. Should’ve seen it for what it was this whole time.”

No words came from him, no defense against himself, no admonishments for you and what you were thinking. All of the embraces, all of the reaching hands, all of the shared looks, tainted now. And there was no going back. He just watched the way you clung to your pack, crumbled down on the ground.

You didn’t say anything, head bowed over your hands still tangled in the handle of your pack. The tears were rolling down your cheeks, hiccups lofting into the air on every other intake of shuddering breath. You tried to tamp it down, not wanting the man to see you break down and continue to see you as weak, but being too overcome to realize it would make a lasting impression on him for the days to come either way.

“Tommy is going to take my post, he’ll help get you both to where you need to be. Dawn, it’s his call.”

His steps were heavy as he thudded past you, crossing the room. His coat being tugged on over his taut shoulders, entire body tense as he worried you would suddenly find a second wind. But you didn’t and he made it to the door. The sound of it closing behind him, the click of the handle sounding with a note of finality. Joel rubbed hard at his face, hand smearing the tears that had fallen from his own eyes over his heated skin. He looked up to see Tommy standing on the steps to the porch, frozen mid-step between two of them, gloved hand on the railing.

“Don’t.”

“Joel…”

“I said don’t, Tommy.” He clenched his eyes shut as the muffled sound of your cries sounded through the door. He didn’t think his heart could ever feel so heavy again, but he was proven wrong as he walked away from the house that was supposed to be some sort of future for all three of you. He was a damn fool too.

It could’ve been minutes; it could’ve been hours; you weren’t sure how much time had passed but eventually you made it upstairs and in a bedroom. You felt numb, body on autopilot as you undressed and regarded yourself in the vanity mirror. Steam filled the bathroom, swirling around you as you took in the state you had been left in, gutted.

The hits he had thrown at you weren’t physical, but you could feel them coloring your skin, tightening it around your ribcage, your knuckles, your temples. Weakening you beyond anything someone else could manage to do. Your eyes stung, dried out from the tears before you managed to detangle yourself from the pack and get up off the heap you had made on the ground down in the living room.

Hot water cascaded down your body, hurting when it made contact with the back of your neck, burning your skin pink. You choked on a sudden sob, bursting from your chest as you had the fleeting, naïve thought of sharing a shower with the man who had made it his mission to tear you apart.

Instead of sharing in your body in this way, he had taken chunks of it for himself with his teeth. Carrying you around with him as the blood stained around his biting mouth and underneath his clawing nails. Not in the way you had wanted, not in the way of a bruise sucked into his neck or scratches down his back, the phantom feeling of you wrapped around him or phantom whines in his ear. But this far more sinister way, where you got nothing in return.

The bed was a freezing contrast when you collapsed into it, though sleep didn’t come.

previous chapter || next chapter

dividers by the lovely @saradika-graphics

taglist: (trying to link everyone who's asked) @sawymredfox @narcissa-anastasia @ayamenimthiriel @rosaaeles @littlemisspascal @oscarissac2099

[kookieswan]

Through Dying Stars - Genesis

Alien!BountyHunter!Jimin x DeliveryGirl!Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

Genre: Alien AU, BountyHunter AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Nonsexual NSFW/18+, Angsty, Slow Burn.

Warnings: MC gets roughed up a little but nothing too bad/descriptive. Jimin isn’t a nice guy, neither are Bangtan. Use of weapons (guns). Many of the characters are morally gray in this story. Please be warned!

Summary: It takes everything in you not to curse your crew mates to hell as the annoyingly large man smashes you into the wall. You can only begin to guess what you did to get Bangtan on your ass. Fuck.

Notes: SO. A new series is born and I’m very excited about it. I hope you all like it. I’ll be doing a taglist for it I think; all I ask is that you have your age indicated somewhere on your blog. I listened to Rosemary by Deftones while writing this chapter ⭐️

This Part I of the Through Dying Stars series. Find the Masterlist here ⭐️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What the fuck?!”

You’re awoken with a start, body violently tossed out of the plushness of your bed like a sack of potatoes. It takes a minute to grasp the situation, brain still clutching onto sleep like a lifeline after the night you’ve had. It doesn’t matter now though; you’re on the floor and definitely pissed off even if you can barely function. You thought that it had been agreed on that Tae would never man the ship again but apparently people want to play games.

Blinking slowly, the events slowly come back to you, a frown etching itself onto your face. You’re not sure what it’s been lately but Namjoons been taking on some more high profile jobs for Stellar Delivery Co. and it’s been taking its toll. Your body feels heavy, your mind scrambled as you roll to get up. Another day, another delivery you guess.

Standing up from the cold ground, you halt as the ship shakes again and the lights flicker in and out sporadically. Squinting your eyes, you grab for your bedside table, quickly pulling the communicator close to your lips. Something clearly isn’t right here, and as much as you’d rather be sleeping, you have to make sure it’s being taken care of lest you all die in a terrible explosion or something. That would be tragic and a little lame.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Speaking into the communicator gets you absolutely nothing in response, meaning that the ships in autopilot right now most likely. Had the others really managed to sleep through that jolt…? There’s no way. Changing the signal, you decide to call for Joon first since he’ll likely have the most answers.

“Joon…? Joon, come in.” Again, there’s no response, but that doesn’t necessarily worry you. Perhaps he’s actually decided to rest, it’s been days since he last slept if you’re remembering correctly. The man sleeps like a log, you had mistaken him for dead the first time you experienced it which is still traumatic to think about. Grumbling a bit, you try for Tae since Yoongi is likely actually dead to the world if it really is that late.

“Tae…? What the hell is happening right now…” Deciding it’s in your best interest to just go check after more radio silence. You pull on your cargo jacket over the little clothes you’ve worn to bed along with your communicator, feeling intensely wary was the lights continue to struggle to stay on.

Walking over to your door and peeking out of your room, a quick look down the hallway gives no indication of what’s happened. There’s not a soul in sight, your three other crew members apparently absent from the bunk area. Glancing down at your wrist as you rub away the remainder of sleep in your eyes, you note that it’s nearly 4am which makes the terrible feeling in your stomach grow worse. You knew it was late but not that damn late…

Stepping out, you hiss quietly as your bare feet are met with the cool ground of the ship. These assholes are really going to owe you after this; you had mentioned getting carpets but no. Maybe with some whining and pouts Joon will take you back to Ecalaxar for a shopping spree if you save everyone from a terrible fate. The thought makes you smile just barely, and with that, you start down the hall toward the cockpit.

Sadly, you don’t manage to get more than three steps down the corridor before you hear him.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” The man’s accented voice is unfamiliar and much too excited. Much too fucking giddy to be normal, and it’s the final red flag the goes off in your head to piece everything together.

Someone’s broken into the damn ship.

Someone got past all the security. Someone got past all three of your crew members. And now, that someone is coming to get you as well.

Thanking the stars that you chose not to wear any shoes, you slip down the hallway away from the voice, your feet barely making a sound as you do. The ship has multiple small closets scattered about for storage, and even if they’re not meant for it they’ll make a wonderful hiding spot. You could fight, sure, but you don’t have your blaster and who knows what this man can do. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll also give you time to figure out a plan.

Sliding your hand against the walls as you walk, you try not to panic as you hear heavy footsteps approaching the bunk area. It takes everything in you not to gasp in relief as you arrive at the closet, turning the handle as slowly as possible. Just as you slip in, the voice calls out again.

“I know you’re around here somewhere, little girl. If you come out, I won’t hurt you too bad. If you keep hiding, well…” It’s gross how it’s strangely soft, almost teasing in nature, but the sinister tone doesn’t escape you. The closet is pitch black, a mind is cute amount of light coming through the cracks from the hallway.

Had the others got away? Had they been captured? Are they alright? Too many questions race through your mind as you hold your breath, the footsteps outside of the door echoing like space storm. You hear doors open and close, the man checking each of your rooms to see if anyone’s around. Maybe being thrown out of your bed was a blessing in disguise.

Blessings don’t last forever though. They never do. No, not for you.

“_____, you need to fucking hide right this very instant, fucking Bangtan of all people are-“ The panicked voice of Yoongi cracks through your communicator and then abruptly cuts off. Bangtan…? Fuck. Fuck. The footsteps have stopped and everything is silent before you burst out of the closet in a sad attempt to save yourself. You can see him out of the corner of your eye, an apparent member of fucking Bangtan, as you sprint out. He’s tall and dressed in black, body covered head to toe in it, gun held easily at his side. A fucking nightmare walking.

“AH, there you are!” The footsteps are thunderous again, loud as he chases you down, your thoughts much too scattered to come up with a solid escape plan. A scream bubbles in your throat just as you try to round the corner at the end of the hall which quickly turns into a choked sound as he slams his body into yours, effectively smooshing you between the wall and himself. You swear you hear something crack and you wouldn’t be surprised if it was one or six of your ribs.

Struggling against him as his hand wraps tightly around your wrists, you whine as he draws in closer, your cheek smashed into the wall. Trying to kick back is futile, his own legs locking your into place as you buck back against him which makes him fucking laugh. It’s only when you feel the cold tip of his gun caress your temple that you finally stop struggling. You’ve been bested. Fuck.

“Caught you.”

[bigoltrashpile]

Hello I really love the ask you did with 140 hound I was wondering if you could continue it?? Like ad a part two?

I'm guessing you're talking about this imagine here, if it's not, please tell me and I'll redo it! But hell yeah, it's a good ass scenario, what a way to meet someone asdfkjoiuqe

You slowly drifted into consciousness. Stubbornly, you kept your eyes closed, wishing you could fall back asleep, and go back to that strange dream. You were...cuddling with someone, in the dream. Someone who had been shot, and you had taken home. He had refused to let you go, no matter how hard you tried, and...

Wait.

That wasn't a dream.

Your eyes snapped open. Sure enough, you were wrapped tightly in the arms of a skeleton. Hound, he had told you last night. You glanced down at his ribs. Sure enough, they were wrapped in gauze, covering the bullet wound. You could see a dark stain where he had bled (did skeletons bleed? Or skeleton monsters??) through the bandages.

It had all actually happened. You had taken home a strange, potentially dangerous monster home and treated his bullet wound. Internally, you cursed yourself. What the hell was wrong with you? You really needed to think about self-preservation more.

Your thoughts died as your eyes moved to Hound's face. He looked much more relaxed than he had last night. His eyes were shut peacefully, instead of screwed tight in pain. His teeth were slightly parted, and his gold tooth glinted in the early morning sunlight.

Shit, why was your face warm?

You needed to get out of bed. Call...someone. He said no ambulances, but maybe a monster healer? The police?? There was a chance that he would hurt you, now that he wasn't on death's door. Either way, you needed to get up.

Slowly, without taking your eyes off him, you tried to move Hound's arms off of you. It was hard. He was like clinging ivy, holding on to you like a lifeline. Mumbling in his sleep, he tugged you closer.

You were now pressed against right against his ribs. Despite yourself, you blushed. Despite his thin frame, Hound was surprisingly strong, and his ribs moved up and down with his breath.

Wait, why does a skeleton need to breathe??

No, that's not important now.

You grabbed his wrist and slowly moved it off of your shoulder. While you were working, you didn't notice Hound's eyes flutter open.

"oh...g'mornin', angel." Hound's voice, raspy from sleep, almost made you jump out of your skin.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up!" You whispered frantically. "J-just go back to sleep!"

Hound yawned. "mm, can't sleep when there's a dream right in front of me~"

If you thought you had been flustered before, it was nothing on you now. His voice whispering right in your ear while pressed against his chest, and in your bed no less!

Immediately, you stiffened and tugged yourself away. "H-how's your chest feeling?" you practically squeaked. Super smooth change of subject, great job.

Hound's now-empty hand touched his side. "ngh, still hurts, but i've had worse." He slowly sat up, wincing as he did.

"N-no, you don't have to get up!" You gently pushed him back down to the mattress. "I was just going to make breakfast, and call someone who actually knows how to help you. Is there anybody you want me to call?"

Hound smiled up at you. You weren't sure if he had fully recovered from his loopiness last night, he was looking up at you like you were a vision from the heavens. "um...my bro, i guess. he's probably worried about me."

You nodded. "You can use my phone. I'll get some breakfast started. Do you like pancakes?"

"i ain't heartless. of course i like pancakes."

You laughed. "Pancakes it is then!"

You gave Hound your phone to call his brother, then retreated to the kitchen to make food. Shit, why was he getting to you?? He was some skeleton monster who got shot last night, why was he having such a strong effect on you? Your heart beat a bit faster as you remembered looking up at him while he held you in his arms.

As if he heard your thoughts, you heard Hound yell to ask your address. You gave it to him, then turned back to the food.

No sooner had you finished the batter than you heard a loud knock on the front door. Was that Hound's brother? He had gotten here surprisingly quickly!

You opened the door. Sure enough, there was another skeleton there. He was shorter and stockier than Hound, but still plenty intimidating. His teeth were just as sharp as Hound's, and he had a jagged scar stretching over one eye. "WHERE IS MY BROTHER?" he growled.

Wow, polite.

"Um, h-he's in the bedroom." You let him in, and the skeleton examined your apartment. "You got here super fast." You tried to fight your disappointment. That means that Hound would have to leave now.

"I WAS...IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD." Hound's brother rushed past you and into the bedroom. You glanced in, noting how Hound seemed to light up, and the other skeleton's entire posture seemed to relax. Probably relieved his brother was okay. You decided to leave them be.

You returned to the kitchen. Faint conversation came from the bedroom, but you couldn't quite hear what they were saying.

After a few minutes, the two of them entered the room. Hound was leaning against his brother, limping, but not nearly as much as the night before. "HUMAN," Hound's brother announced. "WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY." He looked away, seemingly a bit embarrassed. "YOU SAVED MY BROTHER'S LIFE. FOR THAT I AM FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT."

"Oh, uh, you don't have to," you said awkwardly. "It's really not a big deal."

"kind of is. ya pulled a bullet out of a stranger's ribs," Hound chuckled. "and i totally ruined your couch. i'll buy ya a new one, don't worry."

"No! It's okay, really, it's not like I have company over often!"

"too bad, i'm gonna." Hound smiled, still a bit weak. "guess we better get going."

"Do you want to take some pancakes with you?"

"hell yeah!" Hound exclaimed, much to his brother's chagrin. "we'll go couch shoppin' tomorrow."

"Really? I guess I'm free but-"

"then it's a date." Hound winked at you.

His brother groaned. "CAN YOU NOT FLIRT FOR TEN MINUTES?? COME ON, WE NEED TO LEAVE, RIGHT NOW, IMMEDIATELY."

He dragged his brother out the door. Hound winked at you as he left. "see ya tomorrow angel~" And with that, the door slammed shut behind him.

You stood in the middle of your kitchen, still holding the spatula you had been using. This had easily been the weirdest twenty-four hours of your life. With a sigh, you went back to the bedroom.

There, on the bed, was a business card. It was black, and there was what seemed like a dog skull or something on the front. On the back, a handwritten phone number had been scribbled, along with a winky face.

Your face felt warm again. That skeleton was smooth! You picked up the card, staring at the phone number. As you held the card close to you, you couldn't help but feel excited about seeing Hound again tomorrow.

[purdledooturt]

songs to break your back to (respectfully)

Ignore the title - this is my first attempt at writing smut and I'm just snowballing ideas at the moment for a multi-chapter fic I want to write. There is a bit of context missing to this, but take it as PWP for the time being.

I did write this with old Heisy in mind, but realistically you can probably sub in anyone else - it's not like I go into detail describing him, but he does get mentioned by name every once in a while.

Uh. This is written in second person POV (self-indulgent). There is daddy-kink (which is abandoned midway), and a breeding-kink (which the reader questions themself about). Please practice safe sex, I'm begging you - condoms do prevent more than just pregnancies.

I wrote the entirety of this on my phone, because apparently the Notes app just gets them creative juices flowing. Apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors - I tried really hard to keep my tenses straight. Trying to copy and paste from Word to tumblr is a pain - sorry for any formatting mishaps as well.

I hope this is as hot as the stories that inspired it.

❤

You never quite understood ‘backbreaking’ until you met Karl Heisenberg.

Not until you found yourself laying prone on the bed that you swear is the epicentre of a magnitude 7 earthquake, with his delicious weight on your thighs, pounding into you like there was no tomorrow. You can’t match his pace, no matter how hard you tried. You are nothing but a doll made to be used. He has such a firm grip on your hips you swear you’ll be bruised for weeks, and his breath comes out in pants that made you wetter with every sound. At one point he gathered your hair like reins and force you to arch your back, but his ministrations have made your arms weak and unable to hold you up for long. Mercifully, he let you go, but you committed the action to your memory, to ask him to try again later, in a different position.

You can do nothing but lay there as he fucked noises out of you — your knuckles have cramped closed gripping on the sheets like a lifeline but he refused to let up. You’ve tried to hold your head up but could barely manage, as every thrust knocked you back down again.

Simply put, he was a man starved, and you were all too happy to provide.

He leans down on you, slowing to a roll. He grabs at your hair at the nape of your neck and twists your head sideways as he gives the corner of your mouth a breathy lick, and you moan at the intimacy of it. You try to catch his tongue with yours. “You like that?” He asks, tucking his lips close to your ear in a growl, “your cunt just gave me a little squeeze.”

You try to nod, but he keeps your head still, continuing with his slowed assault of your poor, bruised cunt. What he now lacked in speed he made up for with raw force. “Yes,” you gasp out when he hummed.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, daddy.”

He moans, leaning his head against the back of your right shoulder blade as he gave you a particularly hard thrust to punctuate the erotic sentence he was writing. “Good girl,” you hear him mutter, as he pulls back upright. You feel him spread your ass cheeks to get a better look at where you’re joined. He massages the flesh as he does so, “look how well you take me.”

You look at him over your shoulder, throwing your hair out of the way. All the other guys you’d been with always loved this angle and Karl was not immune. He slows to a halt, raising an eyebrow at you. You muster up your best innocent smile, batting your lashes at him. “Thank you, daddy,” you say, and he rolls his eyes at you with a shake of his head. He gives your ass a slap. The move didn’t have the effect you wanted but you didn’t mind — you love that he called you out on the cheesiness of it. You laugh.

He gasps, pulling out of you roughly. He is crouched over your legs, breathing heavy and giving you an amused and lopsided smile. “Geez, buttercup — warn a guy, won’t you?”

You roll over quickly — surely he hasn’t…? “What’s wrong?”

“Fucking vice grip,” he mutters as he crawls back over you, retaking his position between your legs. You can feel a slight burn in your thighs as you spread your legs wider than you’re used to in order to accommodate him, but the burn only adds to the excitement of it all. You watch him hook one of your legs up with his, in a move that got your brain short circuiting. “When you giggled.”

“Sorry?”

He takes his cock in hand, giving it slow strokes. “Don’t be,” he says, as he holds the base and slaps the head against your clit. You jump at the motion, and he chuckles. God — the sound of his chuckle, in the situation, is somehow hotter than the grunts and pants and dirty talking. You’ve never had so much fun during sex before, often feeling more like there was a role you were meant to play and you were gunning for best performance. “Was good.”

He rubs the head of his cock up and down against your dripping, slick slit, teasing you with a knowing grin that looked a little sharper than what you’re used to. Occasionally the head catches on your entrance and threatens to slip, but he coaxes it out to continue the slow teasing. He’s using your wetness to lubricate himself. You whine and try to wiggle to catch him but he is far too good at anticipating your moves. 

Finally, when he’s had enough, he keeps his eyes on you as he slides back in, slowly and tantalisingly. You moan as you are filled again, and your walls are stretched around his thick cock. As he bottoms out in you with a low groan, your eyes flutter close and your head tilts back. Your legs jerk — your knees dig as best as they could to his sides, and your ankles try to find each other behind him. Your left hand finds his thigh, nails digging in to the bulk of his muscle, not to push him but to anchor yourself before you float away. “So big,” you gasp out, as your lower back lifts off the bed, and he takes the opportunity to slide his arm underneath to support you, providing you with a lovely, lovely angle. With his other arm, he supports himself, leaning over you.

Given his height, he is bent over you, caging you. The idea excites you, and makes you feel oddly safe. Protected. You’ll unpack what this means later. He presses his forehead against yours. “Only the best for my baby girl.”

Your eyes flutter back open and you giggle once again, and he groans at the action but stays in you. Your right hand finds his cheek, and you cup it with a gentle smile as you give him an Eskimo kiss. You take the moment to catch his lips in a quick, cheeky kiss, which he smiles into, returning the gesture with his own light kiss back. It was a quick, tender moment, like the eye of a storm passing over and enveloping you in a peaceful silence. Slowly, he rolls his hips and the dance begins again, but this time you are more familiar with the steps as you push back. For such a well built man, Karl is so fluid, and you were enamoured with the way he moves, looking down between your bodies and watching him undulate.

Your hands travel to the base of his ribcage, sliding over his wide chest, scratching upwards before you wrap your arms around his neck. Your breaths mingle as you keep your foreheads connected, staring deep into each other’s eyes. His pupils are blown wide, and your eyes flicker between his steely greys. It hardly registers in your head that he is asking you if you’re liking it, and your mind is blank as you agree, your voice disembodied and far away: Yes. Yes. Keep going, please. Harder, please, please, please —

He’s slowly building up to his brutal pace again, and like a roller coaster your core tightens in anticipation of the heights you’re about to be taken to. He slams into you, over and over, until the room is filled with the obscene noises of your slick union and the sound of skin slapping against skin, mingled with your panting and the punctuated gasps he thrusts out of you. He breaks eye contact when he nudges your head to the side to start whispering praises in your ear — oh, how tight you are. How well you take him. How your cunt was made for his cock, and how he was going to absolutely ruin you. You feel the familiar ache in your lower belly — you’re close. So, so close. And you can’t get enough of him, grasping at what you can with clawing hands and desperate legs. Like a mantra you plead, fervently praying to the shrine you built in your mind for this man you met while on this whirlwind holiday.

The angle at which he holds you has you seeing stars soon enough — he continually hits a spot that makes you spasm, and he grins proudly. “That good?” He asks, as you come down from the soundless scream from your climax. He hardly slowed to accomodate you and let you ride out your release.

"Oh, yeah,” you reply mindlessly, voice hoarse, and as revenge for his cockiness you let out a breathless giggle, followed by a kegel.

“Little bitch,” he swears, but there is no venom at all. He sounds so amused, so enamoured. Like he was having so much fun, too.

You poke your tongue out at him, scrunching your nose in the process. You were feeling carefree and playful in his presence. The arm that was supporting your back slides out from under you, and he uses his hand to grasp your face roughly, his thumb on your cheek and the rest of his hand wrapped across your neck and around your jaw, locking you in place. He takes the opportunity to lick your from your chin to your lips. You stick your tongue out again, less playful now and more desperate. He sucks on your tongue to punish you. He pulls away but you remain connected with a thin trail of saliva. His hips never slow. Oh God — everything he does is hot.

He’s made you cum at least four times since the night started and as much as you enjoy the treatment you were hitting your limit. You notice his pace stutter — he was close, and chasing the high he’s put you on four times tonight. He starts roughly pawing and kneading at your tit. You cover his hand with one of you own, squeezing along. Your other hand takes care of what he couldn’t. You try to encourage him.

“Karl—“

“Where do you want me?” He asks, sounding breathless and strained, and in a moment of sheer stupidity and fuckdrunk horniness, you gawk at him.

“Inside. Oh, god — inside.”

He groans, his head buried now in the crook of your neck. The hand that was massaging you is now on the bed, and he has now enveloped you. His lips are at your collarbone, leaving ghost kisses with his breath. He alternates between biting what he can reach and muttering “oh, baby” and “please” over and over.

“Fuck,” he pushes himself up slightly and catches your ear again, licking the shell of it. He growls, the timbre of his voice sending a shock down your spine all the way to your tailbone. “You horny little bitch. I’m going to fucking fill you until you’re dripping. I’m going to fucking breed you.”

You moan. ‘Do I have a breeding kink?’, you wonder. Who fucking knows. Who fucking cares? Your mind is blank, and you damn the consequences, begging senselessly.

He moans and stills to a jittery stop after a final hard push, and you can feel the heat of his release inside you. He pauses, his breathing intense. “Fuck. Holy fuck.”

"Holy shit,” was your reply, and he is catching his breath as he pulls out of you. You shift to lean on your elbows, keeping him in your sight as he gets up. He stands at the foot of the bed, taking deep breaths to fill his lungs not unlike an athlete who has just finished their event, and you do the same, involuntarily trying to match his breathing. You watch as he steps away, disappearing into the ensuite. You can feel his spend start dripping towards your ass, and without the added weight of him on your pelvis you take stock of the state of your body more clearly, and you swear you’ve broken something, somehow. As his figure reappears, you declare, “I’m going to keep you.”

He laughs as he approaches with a small towel. He begins to wipe your thighs with the damp cloth with a gentleness that was the stark opposite of the assault he’d mounted against your body previously. God — he helps with clean up too? Heaven help you. “Are you?” He croons.

“Are you kidding?” You ask, as you sit upright with weak, shaky arms and take the towel from him with a smile and a bright ‘thank you’, taking over the wiping. You watch as he wanders over to the kitchenette, still fully nude, now to grab two glasses of water. You could marry him for this alone. “Where have you been all my fucking life?”

He gulps down his drink. “Romania.”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

“That good, huh?” He asks, with a wolfish grin, as he passes you a glass of water and he sits at the bed again with his back to you.  He leans with his elbows on his knees.

You shuffle towards him on your knees, making the bed springs complain. He tilts his head towards you. With your free hand, you brush his hair behind one ear, parting the curtain which hid his face from view. You place your chin on his shoulder and beam. “That good. I think you’ve pulverised my pelvis but give me a few hours and I can go again.”

He throws his head back in a rakish laugh, and you find yourself wishing you could bottle the sound. He’s rearranged your insides, surely — you’ve never felt so many butterflies in your stomach before. You wrap your left arm around his waist, sliding over to the edge of the bed to sit to his right. You spill a bit of water as you move.

“God, I could use a smoke right now.”

“I have never once smoked in my life,” you reveal, unsure of why you couldn’t seem to stop your mouth from running, “but I could also use a smoke right now, too.”

He wraps his arm around your shoulders, and the two of you are oddly tender and soft in the afterglow. You knew of happy drunks — you didn’t realise something similar could apply to this. You were feeling… cuddly. Your cheeks hurt from beaming. “Have I reset your programming? You’re doing wonders to my damn ego, buttercup.”

You take a sip of the water and let silence fall over you. Suddenly the weight of exhaustion bears down on your shoulders, heavy and cloying. You yawn.

“Go wash up,” he says, giving you a slight shove with the arm still wrapped around you. “Don’t want you getting an infection.”

Romantic — not. But very caring. Karl Heisenberg was ticking the boxes swiftly and convincingly, getting closer and closer to your idea of perfection. A voice in your head chastises you for the irrationality of your thoughts, chastises you for hearing wedding bells after three fun-filled days and one passionate night together. Sure, it was out of character, but then again you’d never had anyone fuck your brains out like he just did. “Yes, yes,” you bat his concerns away with a wave of your hand. You try to stand but find your legs stiff and uncooperative. You’re like a newborn foal.

“You sure you only need a few hours to recover?”

You flip him off as you hobble to the ensuite, and he lets out another laugh, flopping on to the bed as he does so. You turn your attention back to your own care, and wash up as you normally do.

You hobble towards your suitcase to look for new underwear. You’ll forgo the sleep shirt tonight, wanting to feel your partner’s skin.

You look up to find him watching you, pillows propped up behind him as he leaned against the headboard. There is something missing in the picture — a cigar. He strikes you as a cigar person. “You need help?”

“No; thank you though,” you say, as you pull your underwear on. You wander back to the bed and take the free spot, sliding into the covers.

“Do you need me to get you anything for the, uh…” he’s at a loss for words for once. Your eyebrows rise as you try to decode what he’s trying to say. “Well, I’m not really keen on little Karls running around, despite what I said.”

“All good,” you say, as you reach to the inside of your left forearm, feeling around for the familiar stick that is your birth control implant. You pinch the ends of it to make it stick out, and he observes it closer. “Birth control.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

You pull the covers up to your chin. You turn to lay on your side to watch him. He brushes your hair back.

“How long is a few hours?” He teases. You slap his hand away, and with an exaggerated huff you turn away from him, and the pettiness of it all makes him laugh. It makes you laugh too, unable to maintain the facade. “Goodnight, doll.”

“Goodnight. Don’t disappear on me or I’ll hunt you down.”

You fall asleep to the sound of his laughter.

[marsbar17]

I'm just thinkin about the different legends finding out that you are into a lil bit of pain during ✨️sexy time✨️

This is only the base game characters (minus pathfinder) but please comment if you want me to do a part 2, I probably will anyways but the encouragement is always nice :)

The first couple are very harsh so be warned

CONTAINS: blood, gore, spanking, slapping, face-fucking, degrading, not enough prep, but also a very good amount of prep

• Bloodhound

They'd be into it, they'd do almost anything to please their partner. It probably comes out during a match where you're against eachother. As you're downed in a corner with them holding their ravens bite axe to your throat to finish you, a moan manages to slip past your lips as the blade digs into your skin. Bloodhound tilts their head, silently questioning you, and as your face goes red with embarrassment they lean in, pressing the blade harder.

"You love it when I hurt you. Don't you, elskan?"

Your brain is so foggy from blood loss that you can't answer other than weak groans and whimpers. Finally, they drag the blade against your neck harshly, and you die choking on your own blood. As shameful as it is, you can't help that your pants are damp with your own slick. They will get into spanking, maybe even using a paddle, and choking using hands, their dick/strap, or by pressing the handle of their axe against your throat.

• Bangalore

You can't tell me this woman isn't into face-fucking you on her cock, whether it's real or a strap. And as she pulls you off her dick, spit and tears running down your face, she asks you how much you love taking her like this. With your sore used throat all you can do is rasp out a "I love it so much ma'am" before she's shoving you back down on her. You love that way she hits the back of your throat with every thrust, and by the time she's done using your throat you're shaky and coughing from gagging so much. All she does is hold your head up by your jaw and spit in your face.

"Pathetic little slut. You want me to hurt you, don't you?"

As you nod your head desperately, she laughs before letting go of your face and slapping you. Hard. You swear you could've cum right then and there, untouched. She's definitely into spanking, slapping, grabbing you, and using you so roughly it hurts. The punishment this woman gives is harsh, but the aftercare is good.

• Wraith

I feel like she's a softer lover, but when you quietly ask her to spank you when she's fucking into you from behind, she can't deny her lover. As her hand claps against your ass and you moan out, tightening around her, how can she not admit it's one of the hottest things she's seen. She does it again, surprising you and as you yell out a smirk grows on her face.

"You really like that, doll? Wow, what a whore you are."

You squirm under her, desperately fucking yourself back on her cock as she continues to give you sharp spanks on your ass. She becomes infatuated with the way the flesh on your ass ripples with every hit, and how your skin becomes increasingly more red and sensitive. She's not too rough, but she will spank you till you can't sit down without being in pain because she loves the way it looks.

• Lifeline

When you sit her down and tell her about being a masochist, you thought at first that she was upset with you with how silent she was. She's a very protective and caring lover, so she doesn't necessarily want to hurt you during sex, but she has ideas. Next time you're getting spicy, she gently lays you down on the bed and positions herself at your hole. As you stumble over your words trying to remind her that she hasn't prepped you yet, she just rubs your thighs and smiles warmly.

"Oh I know. Ya said you wanted a bit o' pain, didn't ya, baby?"

And even though it's not what you were expecting when you asked for pain, the sting of her stretching you out on her dick still makes your eyes roll back and your hands grasp at her desperately. She coos at you as you've lost your ability to speak, petting your hair as she starts to thrust without giving you time to adjust. She may not want to leave marks on your skin, but she'll bruise your insides and make your hole burn with the stretch, maybe even buy bigger toys on purpose just to stretch you with them.

• Gibraltar

This man is HUNG, no one can fight me on this cuz I will win. This one's similar to Lifeline but I believe he doesn't want to purposefully hurt his lover. You tell him about your fantasies of being manhandled and railed to the point of bruises and he just laughs.

"I don't already stretch you enough?"

Even after finding out, he never skips foreplay and prep. You can whine all you want about how you need him to just fuck you and the sting will add to the pleasure but he will not stop until you're loose and a lot of lube is used. The closest you're getting to this man intentionally hurting you is the death grip he has on your hips and thighs while he fucks you, cuz god damn look at those hands. He tries his best to control himself and not hurt you too bad though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading! Please tell me if you want more, and requests are always welcome!

[eashmo]

7 minutes in hell, or is it heaven? Part 4

-Your Eyes Didn't Lie-

Warnings: eventual smut, fluff, and lots of angst. Billy is extremely soft to y/n it's ugh.

Short chapter also I don't believe in forgiveness when it comes to any form of abuse friend/relationship. They would have to work very hard to regain any sort of trust back from me if they truly didn't mean it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

*y/n pov*

Watching him cry before me was a bit shocking. I never thought to see the baddest boy in town be completely broken at my feet, gripping me like I was his lifeline to this universe.

"Hargrove, please get up." I say.

"Billy, please call me Billy for once." He pleaded as he hugged my thighs, practically suffocating himself into my stomach, blood and tears getting on my shirt. I grimaced a little.

Placing my hands on his head. "Billy, can you please get up and talk to me? Let me help you." I plead while threading my fingers through his sweaty blonde curls. If someone stumbled upon us, it would look like an affectionate position between two lovers.

He looked up with such guilt that it started to make me nauseous.

"I'm so sorry, darlin, I just hurt the most precious thing to me. You would be better off scared of me...... but please let me hold you for a bit before you completely push me away." His eyes red from tears.

For some reason, I refused to believe that he actually cares for me. But his eyes didn't lie.

If someone cared for someone, they wouldn't have hurt them in many ways. Right? So I must be insane because I really do love this boy no matter what he does to me.

Slowly, I got down on my knees and took him into a proper hug. His face in the crook of my neck. "Billy, please tell me what happened."

*Billy's POV*

She is suddenly down on the ground with me and holding me despite hurting her earlier. This makes cry again. She took my hand and placed it over her heart. She's tells me to follow her breathing. Slowly calming down, I notice her neck and shirt were covered in my blood.

Letting out a small "sorry for that." She shook her head and held my face. Her gorgeous e/c eyes are filled with concern and a bit of forgiveness. No, she can't forgive me.

I decide to tell her what had happened.

"My father tends to use me as a punching bag at times, more so since we moved here."

"So all those scars and bruises weren't all just from Steve or from other people at school?" She asks.

Shaking my head "no", I hear her take a sharp breath. "If I had known, I would have beaten his ass a year ago." She says angrily.

Laughing a little, I can imagine her beating the hell out of my father with her textbooks or something.

"You think it's funny Hargrove?, you don't think I can do it?" She got Angrier.

"No, no, sweetheart, I know you can handle your own now." I say as I point to my now throbbing nose.

"Sorry not sorry, if you ever lay your hands on me again, I will not hesitate to hurt little billy Hargrove again." She says as she pointed down to my crotch.

"Y-yes ma'am." I gulped.

We started to get up from the ground, she stuck out her hand "friends?" She asks.

Taking her hand in mine. "Friends," I say.

"Let's get you to the nurse, but first, let me clean up and change." She says as she points to her shirt. Grabbing my arm, we walk back into an empty gym.

*Y/N POV*

Taking home to the nurse was a fiasco in itself, with students gossiping in the hallways and him being a total big baby about how it hurt. Good, I thought, I'm glad it hurt because he won't pull that shit with you again.

"Finally, we are here. Oh, would you get over here and stop messing with it!" I snapped.

"Darlin, you wounded me, I'm trying to fix it myself."

"Well, don't forget who started that." I soon regretted saying when I saw him going through another guilty episode.

"Look, Hargrove, I'm sorry, but you scared me. I didn't know what else to do."

"No, it's okay, I'm glad you did. I never want to do that to you ever again, I'm just thankful I didn't actually leave bruises. You are the person in my life who keeps me grounded. Also, please just call me Billy, hearing my name from you has a nice sound to it." He blushs.

"Did Billy Hargrove just blush?!" I start to laugh.

"Oh, shut the hell up and go back to being timid and quiet nerd." He says with little bite to his words as he walks into the nurses office.

Laughing so hard, I had to wipe the tears away while I follow right behind him.

Previous chapter

Part 5

Masterlist

2023

[mamawasatesttube]

Can I request konbart and 86 please?

86. "Don't be scared; I'm right here."

"You're doing it again," Bart complains.

On the big common room TV, a zombie looms out of the darkness and slams into the hallway window—classic jumpscare. Bart doesn't flinch; he just opens his inventory, grabs the wooden planks, and boards up the window just as the zombie crashes through. Then he sticks his tongue out at it, for good measure.

The TTK holding his waist in a vice-grip, however...

"Kooooon." Bart reaches over and smacks one rock-hard (ow!) shoulder. "You're squishing me!"

The TTK loosens immediately, and Kon lifts his head from the pillow he's been hiding his face in with a sheepish look. "Sorry. It's just—that's so creepy, dude! How do you not freak playing it?!"

"You're scared of the zombies?" Bart can't help it; he laughs. "The zombies are the least scary thing in this whole game! Just wait 'til you see Mr. X."

"What the fuck is Mr. X?" Kon grips the pillow tighter, his eyes wide. Bart wonders just how much superstrength its seams can take before they give. "Bart. Who or what is Mr. X?"

"You giant baby." Bart grins. Leon keeps traipsing down the corridor; the unfortunately-bisected body of Officer Elliot lunges at him from the floor, and Kon yelps, clutching at Bart's shoulder again. In any other circumstance, it'd be cute; as is, Bart has to laugh at him. "Aw, don't be scared. I'm right here."

His distraction costs him; another zombie looms out of the shadows, and on the screen, Leon cries out as it sinks its teeth into his neck. Aw, grifenuggets. Bart's trying to go for that good good Hardcore mode S rank; he can't afford to waste heals on these chumps!

"This hallway sucks ass," he moans, knifing two of the zombies to death (redeath?) and then booking it outta there, pronto. "It gets worse once Mr. X is in here, though."

Kon stares at the screen with deep, deep suspicion. Bart can't wait to see him jump when Mr. X finally shows up in the station. "Bart. Who the fuck is Mr. X?"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Bart sing-songs cheerily. The funniest part of this is, Kon was nowhere near this freaked out when they all ended up in that haunted house that was like actually full of malicious ghosts last week (...long story), but the scary video game? Ohhh, noooo. Superboy can't handle that.

It's like when he makes fun of Krypto for being scared of the vacuum cleaner, Bart thinks with glee.

Guess what, Kon? Mr. X is the vacuum cleaner now.

"I'm very worried about it!" Kon huffs. His TTK tightens a little around Bart's ribs again, and then Kon tips over into his side, rigid as can be. He's still clutching his pillow like a lifeline—better it get crushed than Bart's organs, though.

How indignant would he get if Bart told him he's being really cute right now? Like, in a really stupid way, but still. Cute.

"Sounds like a personal problem," Bart says instead, and keeps playing with a grin as Kon splutters at his side.

♥ angst/fluff prompts ♥

[accihoe]

I have a headache that hurts like ass. Only thing that helps is the RHCP. So here's my first publicly posted Anthony fic.

Pairing: Anthony Kiedis x fem!reader

Summary: She helps him through a migraine.

Warnings: throwing up. Swearing

A/n: my account died overnight, like some posts get zero likes. So I'm positive this won't reach anyone, and ik the tumblr writers aren't too fond of writing for Anthony.

Xxxx

When he woke up that morning, the telltale signs were screaming. His neck ached, his skin felt uncomfortable, and his head throbbed with a dull ache. Did I drink? He thought, sitting up. The movement caused a wave of nausea to rush through him.

Anthony looked around the apartment room, desperate for any trashcan or bowl or anything. The stupid apartment floor had one bathroom for 5 people to share. The nausea slowly calmed down. His hair clung to his forehead, which was drenched in sweat. He brought a palm to his forehead, wiping the hair away from his hot skin. Bad move.

His forehead felt like it had been hit with a numbing and uncomfortable sensation across the sensitive skin, and another wave of nausea arose. He decided he'd have to make his way to the bathroom. The walk there was painful.

The light hurt his eyes, and every noise was too loud. With every step he took, the nausea became worse. Eventually, he was dragging himself along the wall. Where is Flea? Where is Flea? Where is Flea? He thought to himself. A door opened, and his heart sped up. Please don't let it be her. Pleas-

"Anthony?"

He heard her angelic voice call. The magnitude of it sent a pang through his head, and he curled deeper into himself, on the verge of bringing up whatever was in his stomach.

"Tony, hey, you alright?"

She crept closer. The thud of her bare feet against the carpeted floors hit his head like a hammer, and the nausea became unbearable. He was so close to the bathroom. His voice strained as he tried to speak, and every gross thing he ever ate came to mind. He doubled over, arms crossed over his stomach as he retched.

"O-oh-"

Was all Y/N managed to get out. Her heart pounded as her brain shut down for a moment. She shook her head, jogging to the bathroom. The door was locked. She tugged on it, banging the door.

"What!? I'm in here!"

Arnold, the divorced 55 year old called.

"Arnie please just hand me the bin! Please, its an emergency!"

"What you gonna be sick or something?"

She heard the water shut off.

"Yes- well, not me... just give me the bin!"

The door opened moments later, and a hand stuck out, holding out an old plastic bin that's color had worn out. Y/N took it, muttering a rushed thanks as she ran to her friend, who was kneeling on the carpet. He grabbed the bin from her just in time, hiding his face in it as he brought up what was in his stomach.

Y/N kneeled next to him, moving his hair away and stroking his back. She sent a nervous smile to the traumatized old lady who walked by.

"Ant, baby, lets get you out of the passage huh?"

He shook his head as another wave of nausea wrecked through his body.

"Tastes fuckin' awful..."

He mumbled. Y/N chuckled, shifting so that she was sitting down.

"Too much to drink?"

"No, wasn't even drinkin' las' night.."

She tilted her head, concerned.

"Ant come. Let's go to your room."

She urged, having to have given yet another awkward smile to someone who passed the corridor. Arnold, who lived for drama, burst out of the door as soon as he could, shirt on back to front and his jeans inside out. Y/N suppressed a giggle.

"Poor kid." He tutted.

Arnold gathered his things and walked past them. Finally, she was able to help her singer friend to his feet. He clung to the bin like a lifeline as she guided him to his room, hand on the small of his back. The light hurt.

Once inside, she hung towels over the light curtains, shoving some at the bottom of the door in an attempt to drain out any sound.

"You've probably got a migraine."

She noted as he got onto the bed. He hummed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Fuck. Everything hurts."

She sat at the side of the bed, sympathetically stroking his arm.

"I'll be here if you need me."

"What 'bout work?"

"It's my day off."

Though a pang of guilt swarmed in his chest, his selfishness was grateful that he had her a whole day to himself. With a squeeze to his wrist, she got up, going to the tiny kitchen.

"Ant, baby, block your ears. I'm going to boil the kettle."

"Are you fucking nuts?"

"I read in a health magazine that coffee helps with migraines."

"Oh..."

He plugged his ears with his middle fingers, biting down on his teeth, even that hurt. A few minutes later, she arrived with coffee and a warm cloth.

She laid it under his neck, dabbing the sides of his neck. She helped him to take a few sips of the coffee.

"'M good for it.."

He mumbled.

"Yeah, cowboy."

She spoke softly.

"Get some shut eye. I'll be here."

He did as told, his eyes fluttering shut. Within moments, he was out cold.