#hbo couldn’t even give them that?

[captainclickycat]

I am hoping, in a vaguely optimistic sort of way, that at least networks might start thinking twice about axing or slashing the budget of shows without letting them pan out in a natural way if they’re facing a lot of backlash for it. Might be a bit of a rose-tinted stance but it would be nice to think that making a fuss could pave the way for future good shows to flourish, even if it doesn’t bring back this one.

I’m going to level with you all and take off my clown wig and nose for a minute. Are the chances slim? Yes. Is it so so easy to lose hope in these conditions? Yes. But if we have even a sliver of a chance I will not stop. This show gave me everything I ever needed. A place to laugh, a community, safety, love, tears, but most of all it gave me love for myself. To see myself on that screen in a romantic way? That changed everything for me. I am lovable, my love is beautiful, this show gave me that. And I will never EVER stop fighting for it to get the ending it deserves.

[shorthairchris]

Bite Me - Chris Sturniolo

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Very kinky vampire Chris smut that I had to write the minute I saw this photo. Partly inspired by hbo’s True Blood so if you liked this def give it a try

Contains: vampire!chris, sub!reader, mentions of blood, no use of y/n (you’re welcome), this is kinky so if you’re sensitive don’t read

Summery: you find your best friend Chris sitting alone in the woods, but you soon learn you didn’t know him quite as well as you thought…

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

7:23pm

“Chris?? Are you okay? What’re you doing here?”

I went on a usual evening stroll not too far from my house. The moon replaced the setting sun as I walked through the woods, and to my surprise I stumbled across my best friend sitting on a bench. I know Chris better than anyone, he’s not the kind of guy to just hang in a forest all alone. Something was off.

Chris immediately looked up at me with a look on his face that I couldn’t quite read. It was like he was looking through me. He was pale, his eyes were dark blue and the subtle dark circles under them had a red-ish tone.

“Uh… no no i’m good ma. I’m just..” he squeezes his arm and runs a thumb along his wrist deep in thought. “Just a bit weak.” He almost whispered and turned his head away from me.

His head is low and he groans in slight pain closing his eyes, as i hear him curse under his breath “fuck…”

“You look pale, you probably just haven’t eaten in a long time, we can go to my place.” I smile and signal for him to take my hand. He raises his head to look at me, then my hand as he takes it and stands up in front of me. “your hands are cold.”

He stares deep into my eyes as a smile forms on his face and he runs a tongue across his bottom lip. “They are? Didn’t notice.” He comes closer to me with a mischievous smirk, eyes going to my lips.

I always found Chris insanely hot but didn’t act on it because I wanted to protect our friendship. But now we were looking at each other in a way friends aren’t supposed to. Something about him was different, it was enchanting.

“Chris we should go, we’re not safe here.” It was dark and it was just the two of us alone in the woods. He chuckles lightly at my innocence, “trust me baby, you’re more safe than you think.”

He runs his finger along my side sending chills all over my body. I feel completely powerless, as if I can’t move any part of my body unless Chris is touching me. Our faces are now inches apart, he breathes me in and lets out a light moan, closing his eyes. “Gosh you smell so fucking good.” I can feel his erection brushing my leg as my heat gets wetter with every word coming out his mouth. “And I bet you taste even better.”

With that he smashes his lips on mine and starts kissing me passionately, we both groan into each other’s mouths as I feel his tongue against mine. Chris pulled me close, running his fingers through my hair and placing his hand on my lower back. I whined into the kiss and ran my hands all over his chest needing him more than anything in the world, my pussy now wet and throbbing.

“Chris please, I’m so sensitive…” I say shyly as I can’t take it any longer. Chris lifts my head to look at him and caresses my cheek with his thumb. He smiles to himself knowing how worked up he got me so fast. “I know angel, I know.” his hand travels to my waist, then lowers itself till it reaches my inner thigh under my skirt. “I got you.”

My whines turn into a gasp when he suddenly moves my panties to the side, finds my wet folds and runs his long fingers through them. He moans as he feels my body shaking reacting to his touch. “Soaking wet… fuck” he laughs under his breath as he lets out a soft moan.

“Chris… mmmm baby..” I whimper as his fingers move excruciatingly slow. My entire body is hot and sweaty as I let small cries escape my mouth, missing where I’m needing him most. “Please, I-I need you..”

“Need what, beautiful?” He teases and continues to spread my wet juices all over my pussy, avoiding my throbbing clit. “need…. your fingers inside me… please..”

Chris smiles and hums in satisfaction. “atta girl.” with no warning he shoves two fingers inside of me as I let out a loud moan. He starts pumping them in and out as I scream in pleasure. “fuckkk yes daddy.. just like that”

He curled his fingers deep inside me hitting my g spot every time turning me into a moaning mess. “You’re just a perfect whore for me aren’t you? Letting me fuck my fingers into you in the middle of the woods…” he keeps going faster and harder as I can barley form words “mmmm y-yeah…”

He forces me to look up at him so he can see the fucked out look on my face, “not a single thought in that brain. so gorgeous like this, makes my dick hard.” He moans and buries himself in the crook of my neck.

“You would let daddy bite your neck right angel?” I hum in response giving him full access to my neck. I’ve gotten hickies multiple times so I was used to it by now. He keeps fingering me at a brutal pace getting me closer.

“I promise I’m gonna make you feel so good.” he whispered in my ear as I keep moaning from the pleasure. Suddenly I feel a sharp bite, my moan turns into a scream from the unexpected pain. My whole body is getting numb and I hear Chris groaning and moaning into my neck continuing to suck and drink my blood. “Fuckkk you taste incredible…”

The only things I can feel is Chris’ mouth on me and his fingers inside of my pussy. All of a sudden the pain turns into pleasure like I’ve never felt before, as if I wanted him to keep sucking me for the rest of time.

He removed his head from my neck and licked my blood from his lips with a cheeky smile. I’m now more whiny and needy than ever, grasping his chest and biceps needing to feel him. He pulls his fingers out and starts to touch my clit ever so gently as he stares at me intensely with dark pupils. “How did that feel baby girl?”

“Y-you’re….. a v-vampire…..” I say whispering with a mix of moans from the circles he’s drawing on my sensitive bud. “Yeah… but it’s okay, don’t be scared. It won’t hurt you as long as I stop in time.” he said softly while holding my head up and stroking my jaw, “I was turned a while ago but the bite won’t turn you. It usually feels a bit weird at first but once you’re past that it’s like a drug. The blood leaves your body and makes you basically powerless, so the only thing you can feel is my fingers, my mouth, my dick…” he smiles to himself noticing how much it turned me on, my cunt getting more wet by the second.

“Felt… felt really good daddy… please bite me again..” I beg and in response he runs his tongue along his teeth with a giant smirk. “God you really are a slut.” his lets his fangs show and goes back to drinking my blood from my neck.

I let out a pornographic moan as my pussy is a goddamn pool at this point, Chris toying with my clit. Something about giving him my blood somehow sharpened all my other senses. Every small touch, every breath on my skin, every time his finger reached my sensitive spot, it was like electricity going through my body. It was truly euphoric.

I feel him twitching on my leg through the fabric of his pants and boxers, moaning loudly. “Your blood is fucking amazing.” He groans into my neck and quickly unbuttons his jeans to pull out his dick. And holy fuck it was huge. “you ever been fucked by a vampire, princess?” He asks and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his beautiful plump lips now a bit more red.

“N-no… does it hurt?” A tear runs down my face from my pussy being edged for so long. “Yeah it does…” he smiles and wipes away my tear, “but you’ll be daddy’s good girl and take it.” He lines himself up with my entrance under my skirt and slams his dick all the way into me.

We both looked into each other’s eyes and let out loud moans. “Fuck baby you’re so tight..” he lifts up my legs to wrap them around him and keeps fucking me with one hand in my hair and the other on my ass slamming my body against him. His pace is relentless. Being a vampire has its strengths, some of them being inhumanly strong and fast.

“Daddy it’s too much, I-I’m gonna-“ suddenly I scream and feel my orgasm washing over me, my cum spilling out of me all over Chris. “Can’t even last 20 seconds with my cock inside you huh? Useless fucking whore.” He slaps my face and continues pushing himself in and out of my tight walls. A smile spreads across my fucked out face as I feel a mix of overstimulation and pain.

For a second I think he might bruise my cunt from how hard he’s fucking me but I don’t care. “Chris I…” Chris notices me struggling to speak and hides a smile raising an eyebrow, “words. Come on angel need to hear your voice.” He lightly chokes me forcing me to look at him. “I want to be used by you, I-I want you to mark me with your bites, I want to give you my body and my blood, I want you to absolutley ruin me.” I managed to blurt out between thrusts.

Chris’ eyes were now dark with lust, each word sent shivers through his body. He wanted nothing more than to own me. To make me his forever. “You don’t know what you’re asking for gorgeous.” He looks into my soul as he now slowed his pace, taking in the beautiful sight in front of him. His best friend, wrapped perfectly around his cock, her nipples hard and showing through her blouse, her hair sticking to her forehead from the sweat, panting and asking him to own her.

“Chris, I would do anything… please.” He stops his thrusts for a moment and stares down at my eyes, then my lips, and my eyes again, thoughts filling his mind.

Suddenly he pulls out his still hard dick and lowers my body to the ground. “Strip.” He orders and I waste no time, first taking off my blouse followed by my skirt and panties. All while never for a second taking my eyes off him. Chris then starts stripping himself of his clothes as well.

“You’re being such a good whore for me, I might go easy on you.” I look up at him innocently, feeling my stomach exploding with butterflies. “Really?” He pulls his long sleeve shirt over his head fluffing out his curls, and comes closer to me, “No. bend over.” His smile now faded and I do as he says, bending over a tree behind me.

His hand strokes my lower back, and I scream as I feel a sharp slap on my ass. Suddenly he pulls me hard by my hair making my eyes tear up and my cunt leak with wetness. “Shut the fuck up. If I hear one more complaint coming out of that pretty little mouth, I’ll be fucking all your holes till the sun rises. s’that clear?” He raised his voice as I feel his massive cock twitching near my heat.

“Mhm” I respond and immediately feel a second harsh slap to my ass, “say yes daddy.” My pussy is now throbbing begging to be filled, “yes daddy.” I say with a slight moan in my voice. “Fucking bitch.” I can hear him smirking as he takes his cock and shoves it deep into me.

“Mmmm fuck I love your cock daddy… i-it’s so big, making me feel so g-good” I moan loudly as my eyes roll to the back of my head. Chris takes both my arms and holds them behind my back with one hand, the other gripping my neck and holding me close to his body as he slams ruthlessly up into me.

“My little personal whore, you were made for me.” He whispers in my ear and covers my mouth to muffle my screams. His dick is now so deep inside of me we’re becoming one.

“This might hurt.” he lifts my arms to his mouth and sticks his fangs into my wrist. I scream into his hand from the sudden pain as he moans drinking every drop of blood coming out of me. “Such a good slut for me. Your pussy feels amazing tightening around my cock.”

I bite my lip as my body goes numb, the pleasure taking over making me high. “Nothing to say? I really fucked you dumb huh? Stupid fucking whore.” He holds me in place now going faster and harder than I’ve ever felt before, our moans mixing together to a beautiful sound.

“Gonna fuck my cum into your pretty cunt, wanna see it filling you while you squirt all over my cock.” I only hum in response unable to speak as he’s holding me close to his chest by my throat. I feel his giant cock slamming inside of me sending me over the edge as I orgasm, my juices spilling out of me onto Chris’ dick, his own orgasm following. “Fuckkk just like that…” he cums deep in my cunt making sure to not waste a drop.

We both catch our breath and he finally pulls out, turning me around to face him. “That was unbelievable.” I say quietly resting my head on his chest, Chris gently stroking my hair. “Really was.” He says and lifts my chin up to kiss me.

The kiss was different this time, my heart felt like it was exploding from the rush, and I could hear his heart beat faster. He moaned into the kiss as he ran his tongue softly along mine, holding my face close. After about a minute we pulled away and I hid my face in the crook of his neck trying to hide my huge smile.

“I love you too.” He says almost whispering, I look at him as we’re both giggling like literal kids. “I didn’t even say anything!” I say smacking his chest as he laughs “you didn’t have to, I can feel it. You’re part of me now angel.” I blush and hide my face in my hands. I’m so in love with this man it’s sickening.

“Come on, let’s get you home baby. It’s not safe here at night.”

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

This was one of my first times writing and english isn’t my first language so let me know what u think and if u wanna be on the tag list. love ya :)

Tag list: @chrisshotdog @chrisgetsmewetterxo @jayz4dayz4

[mads-nixon]

See the Good

Eugene Sledge x Medic!Reader

Masterlist

A/N: Merry Christmas @iceman-kazansky!! I literally squealed when I saw I got you as my giftee! I loved your prompts, and I hope you like what I did with them!! I'm going to post one gift per day so that they'll be a little spaced out! hbo owns the rights, and this is about the fictional portrayal of k company on the show. nothing but love and respect for veterans on this blog!

Prompt: “You always see the good in people. Even me.”

Word Count: 5.7k

Summary: When Gene can only see himself as the terrible things he's done in the war, (y/n) is right there to remind him who he really is.

Warnings: descriptions of dead bodies (non-graphic)

OKINAWA, JAPAN: MAY, 1945:

The ground beneath their boots trembled, and the deafening whistles of mortars filled the air as (y/n) and the rest of K Company ran for cover. They sunk into the muddy sludge below them, turning each step into a battle against the sucking earth. Gripping her corpsman pack with white knuckles, (y/n) followed Gene, not daring to stop in the barrage.

“They have us targeted!” Burgie yelled, hurdling over a giant boulder in his path. “Get to cover!”

Just as (y/n) ran past the remnants of a demolished shed, a sudden blast threw her violently to the ground, sending a cascade of mud in all directions. Her ears rang with disorientation as she blinked slowly, struggling to regain her senses. The ringing faded into a muffled whine and a face appeared in (y/n)‘s vision. Although the figure’s face was blurred, she knew it was Eugene. His mouth moved rapidly, but she couldn’t understand a word he said. Realizing this, he quickly grasped the front of her uniform and hoisted her to her feet, throwing an arm around her waist to keep her upright as they bolted for cover.

Reaching the rocks, (y/n)‘s hearing slowly faded back, and the sounds of booming artillery reached her ears.

Sledge pulled on her arm, helping her over the rugged terrain. “Come on. We’re almost there!”

Finally reaching the safety of cover, the company continued farther into the rocks to escape the barrage. Snafu was in front of them and on the verge of a panicked breakdown.

“This is bullshit!” he cried, plopping down on a rock. “If I ever find the FO that called that arty, I’ll shoot him!”

Gene maintained his hold on (y/n) as he led them toward a big rock, his frustration evident. “They’ll just do it again,” he huffed, gritting his teeth. “All because some asshole officer read a map wrong and nobody gives a shit about us!”

After he sat (y/n) on the boulder beside Snafu, Eugene took a deep breath and sank beside her. He turned to the dazed woman beside him, her once white corpsman armband a brown and muddy mess. “You alright?” he asked her, knowing even he himself wasn’t alright after what happened before the shelling.

The woman and her baby…

(Y/n) nodded slowly, her eyes rising from the ground to meet his. ”Yeah. Just got my bell rung. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Sledge persisted.

“Yes, Gene. I’m okay,” she murmured wearily, rubbing her eyes. “Really.”

Removing her helmet, she threaded her fingers through her (y/h/c) hair, wincing at the dried mud that pulled at the roots. Over their time on the dreadful island, they all discovered that the jungle was just as much an enemy as the Japs.

Snafu stared wide-eyed at the ground below him, hands on his head as his chest heaved. His expression was the same one that each marine wore as they grappled with the massacre they’d just witnessed.

What country uses its own civilians as shields for a surprise attack?

As a corpsman, (y/n) had seen more death than the average marine, and after the fierce fighting on the islands of Peleliu and Pavuvu, she was struggling to remain afloat in the vast ocean of numbness that threatened to drown her. The only thing keeping her above water were her boys, the men of K Company: Sledge, Snafu, Burgin, and De L’eau, although Jay had been transferred to intelligence. They’d lost so many good men, and it made her even more thankful for the guys who had always been there for her.

“Corpsman up front!”

The call snapped (y/n) from her thoughts, and she quickly rose, momentarily losing her balance until a strong hand grasped her upper arm, holding her steady. She felt the warmth of his hand through her thin ODs as he held her in place, accompanied by a blush creeping up her neck.

“(Y/n)-” Gene started.

Shrugging him off gently, she turned toward the call. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Be careful,” he whispered after her, watching her form disappear into a sea of olive-green uniforms. With another deep breath, Sledge sat back down, trying to calm his still-racing heart. She had been right behind him…until she wasn’t. Panic had gripped him when he saw her motionless figure in the mud as the artillery rained down around them. When she opened her eyes, he felt a weight lift off his chest.

Rain drenched the marines through the night as they held their position looking up to the ridge. Around 2000HRS the next day, (y/n) trudged back to her squad, eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Dried blood clung to her cracked hands, refusing to wash away, no matter how many times she’d scrubbed them raw. The casualties were unending like the rain that constantly poured on them. Luckily, the downpour had come to a stop in the early morning.

She’d been at the BAS since the previous afternoon treating and evacuating wounded marines from the already bloody battle. Continued artillery and fire throughout the day brought a steady stream of bleeding men through the tent’s entrance. One of these men had been Bill Leyden. He wasn’t in good shape, and when (y/n) saw the damage on her friend’s body, the air rushed from her lungs. After pushing away the panic, she quickly helped other corpsmen stabilize him, before sending him off to a hospital ship. As she watched him go, her heart sank at the realization the company had lost another man…another friend.

“Hey Doc,” Snafu called out gently as she approached.

She looked up from her feet at the man with a tired smile. “Hey, Snaf,” she whispered. “You seen Gene?”

Motioning over his shoulder, Snafu replied, “He’s right over there. But, Bill…“

“Yeah,” she sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We got him stabilized. He should make a full recovery. Lost a few fingers, though.”

In a trance-like state, Snafu nodded, his gaze fixed ahead. It was something they all did. A way to escape the horrors they lived through. With a gentle squeeze of his shoulder, (y/n) moved to find Sledge, but the Cajun’s voice stopped her.

“Eugene. He got a letter…his dog died.”

She turned to face him with raised brows. “Deacon?”

“I guess,” the man nodded. “I think he’s bothered more than he’s letting on. You know how Eugene is.”

“Yeah. I’ll talk to him.”

She found him staring into space ahead of him as he sat up against one of the island’s many rocks. Before she approached, (y/n) simply watched the man before her. She could see his growing stubble and the mud that splattered his cheeks, but what worried her was the blank expression on his face. She longed to see the lopsided smile that used to hang from his lips. (Y/n) didn’t know how long it had been since she’d seen that smile…too long.

Pulling her satchel off her shoulder, she quietly approached him and slouched down beside him. They sat silently for a moment, the warmth of their touching shoulders spreading through them. Gene was the first to break the silence.

“Did you see Bill?” he asked quietly, his eyes still glued on the rocks in front of him.

(Y/n) nodded, looking up at him with a small smile. “Yeah, he’s gonna be okay.”

Gene leaned his head back against the ground with a thud, his eyes closed as a shuttering sigh escaped his lips. She sat up off the rock and turned toward him, gently taking his hand.

“I’m sorry about Deacon.”

The second her fingers intertwined with his, Sledge’s heartbeat accelerated, and the man felt heat spread through his body. He took a moment to compose himself before he opened his eyes. He looked down at their intertwined hands before meeting her concerned gaze.

In that moment, Eugene could have sworn she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It didn’t matter that she was coated in blood, mud, and sweat. She was there for him like nobody else had ever been in his whole life. Sure, he was close with his parents, but he felt they never completely understood him.

Who’d have thought that he’d have to travel almost eight thousand miles to find someone who could do so?

Eugene’s eyes flashed down to her lips, unable to control himself as their closeness made him suddenly bold. He always wondered what they’d taste like. How they’d feel against his. They were chapped, just like everyone else's, but that didn’t matter. The young man wanted a way to show her how much she meant to him. Sure, there had been moments where he told himself he was going to kiss her, but the moment ended before he had the opportunity. Something in the moment felt wrong, though, and he decided to wait once more.

“Thank you,” he whispered, swallowing thickly as he tried to regain his composure and keep the memories of his beloved dog at bay. “He was a good dog.”

“How old was he? 10? 11?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “10.”

The woman’s eyes searched his face, trying to get a read of what he needed from her. She saw pain in his hazel eyes. Pain from the loss of Bill. Pain from the loss of Deacon. Pain caused by the war.

She decided he needed some hope. Some laughter.

“Did I tell you about the time Snaf and I almost got caught stealing from an Army captain?”

Later that day, Gene and the rest of his squad sat among the rocks, each lost in their mind. (Y/n) was beside him, writing in her journal, and they were doing the same…all except Peck, who was attempting to dig a foxhole in the soaked ground. Since the day they arrived on the wretched island, Sledge kept up with how many days they spent there with tallies in the back of his Bible. With the days running together, they rarely knew what day it was or how long they’d been there.

“What’s the date?” Burgie asked, putting down his small journal.

The group turned to Gene, who took a deep breath. “June 5th, maybe. Might be the 6th.” He turned to (y/n). “(Y/n/n), which one you got?”

“I have no idea,” she sighed. “I gave up keeping track a while ago.”

Peck decided to chime in as he dug. “We’re never getting off this island.”

Everyone was thinking it, but he was the one person who dared to speak it aloud.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, glancing over at Gene with an annoyed expression. If looks could kill, Peck would be six feet deep from the redhead’s glare. His jaw clenched tightly, and his chest began to heave as he stared at the replacement.

Sensing his rising anger, (y/n) reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. His eyes moved to meet hers, and her (y/e/c) irises seemed to whisper, ”He’s not worth it,” and, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Gene took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Beating the crap out of Peck wouldn’t bring Bill back, and letting anger consume you was a dangerous game. Every time he was tempted to let it in, (y/n) was right there, a soft presence telling him that hate was not the answer. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted daily. Sledge had seen what men could do to each other. He had seen what the Japs did to his friends.

Looking away from Gene, she was met with a strange stare from Snafu, who was smoking a cigarette and sitting on their makeshift toilet. His gaze was questioning, but not criticizing. When the man’s eyes drifted down to her hand, her stomach dropped, and she felt like she was caught red-handed. (Y/n) quickly removed her hand from Gene’s leg and shot to her feet.

“I’m gonna go-uh-do some rounds,” she announced, not daring to look at Gene or Snafu.

A few seconds later, she went treading through the sludge, her corpsman satchel pressed tightly to her side. The men all watched in confusion as she left, unsure what had made her so jumpy all of a sudden.

“She alright?” Hamm asked once she’d disappeared from view.

Burgie, always an observer, glanced over at Sledge to watch his reaction. He looked somewhat like a kicked puppy. Wrapping up his Bible, Gene began to tuck it into his pocket without a word.

“Don’t worry about (y/n), Hamm,” Burgie replied with a nod.

Hamm raised an eyebrow at his sergeant. “But did you see her-”

“She’s fine,” Snafu interrupted, pulling up his pants and rejoining the group. “Besides, she’s already got someone to worry about her.”

At the statement, Eugene froze, a cold chill running through him despite the heat. A million thoughts ran rampant in his mind.

Is there someone else in her life?

Does he know something I don’t?

Does he know how I feel?

Groaning, Burgie smacked the Cajun’s shoulder. “Shut up, Snaf. Don’t go starting crap.”

The sergeant first noticed the bond between Sledge and (y/n) back in training, but especially when the company landed on Peleliu. They always stuck by one another when they could, and she seemed to help calm the Marine amid his anxiety. As time went on and their relationship changed, Romus knew they had feelings for one another, even if they didn’t admit it. He’d never spoken about it to anyone, fearing it could become a rumor that would possibly get the pair in trouble if they ever acted on their feelings. Hearing Snafu insinuate something between them sent a pang of panic through him.

“We all worry about (y/n),” he continued. “But she’s a great corpsman. She can hold her own.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Eugene rose to his feet and went to take a leak. He did have to relieve himself, but he also wanted to get away from the conversation. If Snafu knew about how he felt, the man would never stop tormenting him. Even if it was in a joking way, Gene didn’t want to be the subject of Shelton’s teasing.

Just as he made it to a somewhat secluded spot, he heard Mac’s voice ring out from above him.

“I need a stovepipe boy up top!” he yelled, coming down from the ridge.

Gene slightly ducked his head behind a rock, hoping the lieutenant would miss him. To his dismay, Mac caught his movement in the corner of his eye.

“Sledge, that’s you. Bring some comm wire.”

Sighing when his superior disappeared over the ridge, he muttered, “Yes, sir,” and went to follow his orders.

The stench of excrement and death permeated the air as (y/n) walked through their temporary camp checking on the men. Her eyes watered from the smell, and it took all her willpower not to gag. Even though she’d built a great tolerance to gruesome sights and smells over her time as a corpsman, sometimes it all got to her.

Snafu’s stare replayed in her mind, and she hoped that she didn’t accidentally give herself away to the group. Worry buzzed in her stomach like the disgusting flies that seemed to be ever-present among the mud and filth of Okinawa. (Y/n) tried to busy her mind with the long list of men to check on, but she couldn’t focus more than a few moments before getting lost in her head again.

Spotting a man on her list, she called out to him.

“Hey, James,” she greeted, approaching his muddy foxhole. “How’s the ankle?”

He groaned and shook his head. “As good as it’s gonna be, Doc.”

In the barrage the day prior, the private slipped and rolled his ankle in the mud trying to get to cover. He insisted he was fine, but some of his squadmates sent (y/n) to check on him. Henry James was a stubborn young man who wasn’t even old enough to drink, yet he was on a foreign island in Southeast Asia fighting for his country…fighting to survive. She crouched beside his hole, inspecting the ankle that was elevated above the entrance.

“Were you able to stay off it much?” (y/n) asked, gently prodding the bruised skin.

“A buddy of mine took my OP shift so I didn’t have to walk around on it. It’s more stiff than anything.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “That’s how ankles are. They’re tough-”

Her voice came to a stop as yelling filled the air. It wasn’t cheers of victory or anything of that nature. They were cries of attack…of desperation…of death. The second the sound registered in her mind, she was darting toward the ridge, hoping to get there before the shooting started in case someone got hit. The rapid beating of her heart filled her ears as she ran through the mud and past battle-weary marines. A few of them called out to her, but she didn’t hear them.

The first ping of an M-1 being fired echoed through the air as she made it to the base of the rocky ridge. Cursing under her breath, she quickly began her ascent. Finding the most solid footing, she climbed the hill, using the jagged rocks as handholds. Gunfire filled the air, silencing the screams of the enemy. (Y/n) was out of breath when she made it to the top, but she didn’t stop. Most of the fire had stopped, but a few shots still rang out.

At the moment the corpsman reached the other marines at the top of the ridge, her heart sank at the sight of Eugene unholstering his revolver and aiming at a wounded Jap.

“Cease fire!” Mac cried from the other side of the ridge. “Cease fire!”

Gene didn’t care.

“Damn, Sledge. Leave him,” Hamm muttered to the redhead.

Whipping around to face him, Eugene scowled. “What for? He’s a Jap, ain’t he?”

(Y/n) watched in horror as Gene opened fire on the man already wallowing in the mud. He missed the first two shots, but the third hit its mark, hitting the Jap just above his hip. The soldier sunk into the mud face down, his writhing coming to an end.

“Cease fire!” The Lieutenant repeated as he neared them. “Cease fire, damn it!”

Satisfied with his work, Sledge grabbed his rifle from beside Hamm and turned to descend the ridge. When he noticed (y/n) a few yards away, he froze for a moment, his eyes resembling a dark storm cloud that could start down pouring any second. Guilt seemed to cloud his usual hazel eyes, and he looked away, unable to stay steady beneath her gaze after what he’d just done. He then continued down the ridge.

Mac was quick to confront him, gripping his carbine in one hand with white knuckles.

“I told you to cease fire. What are you doing?”

The private spun to face Mac with gritted teeth.“Killing Japs,” he seethed, turning to go down the hill again.

Before he could get far, the lieutenant spoke again. “You just gave away our position!”

“I think they’ve got a pretty good idea of where we are,” Gene chuckled bitterly.

Mac pointed toward the dead Japs. “I told you to cease fire. You’re supposed to be observing, and then I see you with a damn sidearm!

“We were all sent here to kill Japs, weren’t we?” Sledge screamed, climbing back up to be nose-to-nose with his lieutenant. “So what the hell difference does it make what weapon we use?”

(Y/n) couldn’t help but flinch at Gene’s sudden outburst. She’d never seen him like this before, and she wondered what made him finally break. What was the straw that broke the camel’s back? What had happened in the five minutes she was gone?

A tear streaked down her cheek seeing the man she cared about more than anything giving in to the war. Seeing a man be reduced to a shell of who he once was was always heartbreaking, and (y/n) didn’t realize just how much until she witnessed him finally crack.

“I’d use my damn hands if I had to,” he whispered to a frozen Mac, who clenched his jaw and slowly walked past him. (Y/n) was quick to try and follow Gene once he stormed down the hill, but a gentle hand on her shoulder held her back.

It was Burgin, his face scrunched with concern. “Let ‘em cool off, (y/n/n).”

“Romus, he-”

“I know what he means to you,” he interrupted in a whisper as he glanced around them for any eavesdroppers. “But trust me. You need to leave him be for a little bit. Let him think.”

(Y/n) swallowed thickly. “Please don’t tell anyone, Burgie. I could be-”

“Your secret’s safe with me…He needs you, (y/l/n), but give him a few hours.”

Releasing a shuddering breath, her gaze dropped to the ground. “He was fine when I left. What happened?”

“I don’t know. But we did hear him hollering about something right before he went up top.”

“Thanks for everything, Burg,” she sighed, patting his shoulder softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and the guys.”

A sheepish smile grew on his face, and he chuckled under his breath. “You’d be a lot more ladylike, that’s for sure. The other day, I’m pretty sure I saw you smoking Sledge’s pipe.”

“Whatever,” she groaned, rubbing a hand down her dirty face. “A lot of women actually smoke, ya know?”

The rest of the afternoon did not go according to (y/n)‘s plan, and she was unable to check on Gene after he cooled down. Within an hour of his outburst, she was called back to the field hospital to assist in an all-hands-on-deck emergency following a Jap ambush. The corpsman was up to her elbows in blood, bowels, and every other bodily fluid from vomit to urine. It was a hard night, and it got even worse when a terrible rainstorm moved in, trapping her from returning to her company due to poor visibility.

(Y/n) spent the night, and most of the next day, helping around the hospital. She dressed wounds, administered pain meds, and helped transport men to the hospital ships on a Jeep. A radio call was received that told of the 1st Marine’s plans to take the ridge, and (y/n) knew she needed to be there.

She caught a ride to the ridge just in time for the assault. The men were checking their weapons and quietly conversing with each other as she walked through the various companies. When she reached her squad, however, silence filled the air. They all had thousand-yard stares, and the group was missing two guys who had been there the day before. Her pace slowed as she approached them.

“Hey, guys,” (y/n) said softly, her eyes flicking from man to man. When none of them acknowledged her, she knew something bad had happened. “Where’s Hamm and Peck?”

Silence.

She took a deep breath, trying not to imagine the worst. “Please, guys, whe-”

“Gone,” Gene interrupted harshly, his gaze snapping to hers. “Hamm's dead and Peck’s gone. He cracked.”

(Y/n) felt the all-too-familiar punch of grief knock the air from her lungs. Eugene’s hazel eyes were dark and stormy, even more so than the previous day. She swallowed thickly, attempting to push down the emotion that clogged her throat.

“What happened?” she asked shakily, her eyes never leaving Gene’s.

Before he could respond, Snafu spoke. “Doesn’t matter. They’re gone.”

“Shelton’s right,” Burgin added. “It’s hard, but we’ve got other things to focus on.”

(Y/n) nodded once and dropped her gaze to the group, blinking away the tears that burned her eyes. Two more of their group were gone. Sure, Peck wasn’t her favorite person by any means, but he was still part of their company….on their side. And Hamm…he was a kid. A kid who deserved better than to die in the mud on some foreign island.

They all deserved better.

“Let’s move out!” Mac announced, waving for them to follow.

Each man followed suit, but Eugene hung back to wait on (y/n). Seeing her tear-filled eyes, he instantly regretted opening his mouth. The anger within him seemed to dissipate momentarily as he joined her side.

“Remember, you’ve got a bullseye on your arm,” he murmured, gesturing to the red and white medic brassard on her arm. “Please be careful.”

“I will.” (Y/n) lifted her helmet to look up at him through her lashes. “You take care of yourself, too, alright?”

“Yes ma’am,” he whispered, admiring her features. His eyes trailed from her eyes down to her nose, and then to her lips before flicking back to her (y/e/c) eyes. They stayed locked in each other’s gaze for a few moments, their eyes seeming to have a silent conversation communicating everything that was left unsaid. Gene slowly reached up to cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. The racing of (y/n)‘s heart wasn’t from the artillery that had begun hammering the ridge, but Eugene’s warm caress against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed at the gentle touch.

They both wished the moment could last forever.

Another yell from Mac shattered the moment, leaving (y/n) missing the tenderness of his hand in its absence.

“I’ll find you after,” he said, turning around and backpedaling to catch up with his squad. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

The corner of her lips quirked into a smirk. “I’ll leave that to you.”

Once the battle had died down and all the remaining Japanese were either killed or taken prisoner, (y/n) went searching for Gene. When the bullets began to fly, she couldn’t get the boy from Mobile off her mind, and anxiety churned in her stomach as she looked for him. The stench of gasoline, blood, and burnt flesh filled the air along her ascent to the ridge. Bodies of both marines and the enemy lined the narrow path up the hill, and her eyes scanned each one, praying that none of them were the men she’d come to love dearly.

“Burgie, you seen Sledgehammer? He was just over here.”

Hearing the familiar Cajun accent, she spun toward the voice and sighed in relief when she saw Snafu atop an old bunker, his legs swinging as he sat on the edge with a cigarette hanging from his lip. Romus was talking to another sergeant a few feet away, his rifle swung around his shoulder.

“There you are!” (Y/n) called out, reaching up and slapping Snafu’s foot. It was all she could reach from his elevated position on the concrete bunker. “You alright?”

He smiled and raised an eyebrow, blowing a puff of smoke into the humid air. “Not a scratch on me,” he mused. “I don’t know where Eugene is, but don’t worry, I just saw him. He’s okay, too.”

With this news, a wave of calm washed over her, and she let out the breath she’d been holding since they parted. “Thanks, Snaf. I’ll find him.”

“Have fun,” he laughed, waving his cigarette around in front of him. “And do me a favor and fuc-”

This caught Burgie's attention. “Hey!” He interrupted, scolding Snafu like he was a parent whose child was acting up in public. “Cut it out.”

Busting out laughing, Snafu winked at (y/n), who could feel the embarrassment creeping up her cheeks at his intended comment. She raised a hand and flipped him off with a grin before continuing her search for Gene.

It took her a few minutes of wandering to spot his familiar frame among the sea of dirty green uniforms, but when she did, a huge smile painted her face. (Y/n) almost called out to him, but something stopped her.

He was sitting alone on the busted remains of a bunker with his helmeted head in his hands, his weapon lying idle in the dirt beside him. She continued toward him slowly, observing the gentle shake of his shoulders that told her he was crying.

“Hey, Gene,” (y/n) murmured with a softness that matched the gravity of the moment, lowering herself onto the earth beside him. He reacted quickly, averting his gaze and hiding his face as he wiped the tears from his dirt-covered cheeks.

Reaching over, she softly turned his face toward her. After a moment of resistance, he gave in to her gentle touch. His eyes, glistening with unshed tears, met hers. (Y/n)‘s fingertips traced the dirt-streaked paths on his cheeks, her touch a soothing escape from the horror they lived in.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, ducking to meet his eyes. “I’m here.”

Gene’s lip began to quiver, and a stifled sob escaped him as he covered his face with trembling hands. “I’m a monster, (y/n). The things I’ve done…” he strained, moving away from her comforting touch.

(Y/n) watched the play of emotions on his face as he stood up abruptly, throwing an arm out to point to a bombed-out building. The skeletal remains of what once was a home loomed in the smoky haze. “There was a family in there. Now a baby with grow up without a family! I called in the mortars up there! I did that! I’m a monster!”

“No,” she shot up, her voice cutting him off. “You are not a monster, Eugene Sledge. We are at war. We’ve all done terrible things here, but it does not make you a monster. The fact that you’re feeling like you are proves you’re not. It means you’re human, Gene.”

Another tear streaked down his cheek as he clenched his teeth. “After Bill and everyone we’ve lost, I wanted to get them back. I wanted to. You saw me yesterday!”

“Eugene! Look at me!” she ordered, cupping his cheeks as she implored his attention. His gaze wandered everywhere but her face until she spoke again, her tone much softer this time. “Hon, please look at me.”

Tear-filled hazel eyes met hers, and she tugged him a little closer, they’re faces only inches apart. “We all want to get them back. You are not a monster.”

“I don’t know who I am anymore,” he croaked, more tears spilling down his cheeks. “What if this is who I am now?”

“I know exactly who you are. You are Eugene Bondurant Sledge. You’re still that same boy from Mobile, Alabama who loved his dog more than anything, the same one who loved to fish with his father, and the very same one who I fell in love with before we even stepped foot on foreign soil.”

A sob escaped his lips, and his eyes squeezed shut, overwhelmed by her words. “There’s no way you can love me like this. You deserve someone else who-”

“I don’t love anyone else, Gene!” she urged, tears stinging her eyes. “I love you, and I’ll say it over and over, every single day, for as long as it takes to make you believe me.”

Shaking his head, he tried to break free from her touch, but she held on. “I’m not a good man.”

“You are good, Eugene. You are a good man. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, but it’s how we respond to them that makes us who we are. This right here? It proves you’re a good man.”

Her words seemed to break through in his mind, and he froze for a moment. Pulling off his helmet, he moved (y/n)‘s hands from his face and cupped her cheeks, his red eyes still glossy. “I love you,” he murmured, voice wavering. “And I will spend the rest of my life working to be worthy of you if you’ll let me.”

The tears (y/n) had been holding back filled her eyes, a few of them trickling from her waterline. She nodded in his gentle hold. “You already are.”

He wiped a few tears away softly, a lopsided smile forming on his lips. “You’re too good for this world, darlin’,” Gene cooed. “You always see the good in people. Even me.”

With utmost care, Gene reached up and removed (y/n)‘s helmet, her tousled (y/h/c) spilling out. The fading sun added a soft glow to their faces, emphasizing the exhaustion etched in their features. As he delicately held the helmet aside, Eugene’s eyes met (y/n)‘s, a silent understanding passing between them. He closed the gap, his breath mixing with hers as his eyes lingered on her face, taking in every detail-the mud smudges, the fatigue-as if memorizing each nuance.

With a gentle touch, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was a tender blend of longing and comfort, a quiet promise to stay by the other’s side. In that moment, the world around them ceased to exist. Time slowed as they embraced, finding solace in the simple act of being together at last. The sounds of war faded into the background, replaced by the gentle symphony of two hearts seeking refuge in the warmth of each other’s touch.

[she-wolf09231982]

Eugene Doc Roe

“Still Falling For You.”

Summary: You did your best to get through the war without getting too attached to anyone. The amount of loss you’ve seen as a combat medic taught you that tomorrow is no guarantee, and that it would be foolish to connect to anyone. That all flew out the window after you met Eugene Roe.

A/N: One shot, EugeneDocRoex!FemMedic, WW2, Female Pronouns, Cursing/Swearing, Military and Medical Terminology, Inappropriate Nicknames, HBO Band of Brothers References, Mentions/Descriptions of Injuries/Wounds, Weaponry, Smoking, Drinking, FOREVER FLUFF/FLUFF AND STUFF

(d)=Dutch

(f)=French

~~~~~~~

October 1944, Holland

You had been assigned to Dog Company while he ran with Easy. You’ve only seen him in passing in Toccoa during training, but it seemed you ran into him quite often in Holland.

This man always had an intense expression. His defined jawline always clenched, and eyebrows usually drawn inward giving his face that constant look of concern.

You had always seen him from distance. The closest you two ever got was when you both reached for the same pack of dressing at med supply at the aid station in Aldbourne. You reached without looking and his hand accidentally grabbed yours. Startled, you pulled your hand back and you heard his honeyed Cajun accent,

“Oh, sorry, go ahead.” He had said with a weak smile, gesturing to the pack on the shelf.

You were almost a puddle at his feet.

Now as cold October nights came in Holland 2 years later, you’re bumping into eachother more than you can count. Not that you were complaining. He was a handsome man, and it warmed you from the inside to see him.

You never really had a reason to talk to him. You tried to not be a distraction or get too involved with people during the war. You made that mistake when one of the soldiers from Dog Company led you to believe he was interested in a longterm romance with you but you caught him with a local blonde bombshell in England before D-Day.

You felt it best to keep to yourself and do your best keeping yourself busy helping the boys stay alive in the field. So, making small talk with this other medic outside duty related reasons was out of the question. But, goodness, he was quite the tall drink of water.

~~~~~~~

One particularly chilly October evening, you both arrived to the aid station with wounded men from the field.

“Nurse! We got a gunshot wound to the right lower quadrant here. One syrette.” You explain as you followed the litter that carried your wounded man in.

“Thank you, Corporal Y/L/N. We got him from here.”

“I got a chest wound here, nurse. Two, possibly three syrettes were used on this man.” The other medic called out.

“Two, possibly three?” The nurse repeated.

“Yes ma’am. The men who applied them couldn’t remember how many they used, unfortunately.” He clarified.

“I see,” the nurse returned, “thanks, Gene.”

A name….Now you have a name to go with the man. You wished you hadn’t heard it, now it made him more real to you. Without a name, he was just considered a living dream with just a job title. Just a face amongst a crowd. Now, you know his name, pushing him into your reality on a whole different level.

You vigorously shake your head to snap out of your intrusive thoughts.

“Get it together, Y/F/N.” You whisper to yourself.

“That’s a pretty name.” You hear a baritone voice from behind you.

Your heart skips as your breathe catches in your chest. You turn slowly and come face to face with Gene.

You swallow hard, “Uh, thank you.” You squeak.

“I’m Eugene. Eugene Roe.” He introduced extending his right hand.

You gingerly take his hand and shake, “Y/F/N Y/L/N.”

“Good to finally meet ya.”

“Ha, yeah.” You utter smiling coyly looking down at your boots.

You were known to be impenetrable under pressure. You could easily find a vein and apply an IV of plasma to a man’s arm in the midst of complete chaos during combat…but this guy had you falling apart inside just by speaking to you.

“You doin’ ok over at Dog Company?” He asked.

“It’s been busy. Mostly men with pneumonia. The guy I came with was on patrol and was shot after they stumbled upon a German outpost.” You explained, “What about you?”

“Steady. Moose over there was shot by one of our own guys. Kid got spooked when our CO and him were doing post checks and he shot him thinking it was a German.”

“That’s awful.”

“Well, the worst part was the officers with him didn’t keep track of how much morphine they gave him. Could’ve killed him.” Gene added.

“The nurses are great here, I’m sure they’ll be able to help him.”

He smirked briefly, “Yeah, well good thing he’s a big man, maybe he’ll have a chance.”

You nod in agreement.

“Well, I should get back. See ya around.” Gene said with a smile before he rushed out the door.

~~~~~~~

November 1944

Throughout the everyday chaos of tending to wounded soldiers, you found peace on your downtime (when you did get days off) reading in your foxhole or going into town to grab a hot shower and have a few drinks at the local pub in town. Two medics were assigned to each company, so on slower days when the Germans weren’t raining hell on Americans, they would rotate out to take a break.

It was your turn to take a break, so you hitched a ride into town and cleaned yourself up donning in your dress uniform. You usually sit tucked away at the end of the bar so you wouldn’t be bothered. As more soldiers and locals started to filter in, you notice Gene breeze through the door with a handful of Easy.

You light a cigarette to calm your nerves.

“Nog eentje, mevrouw? (d)(Another one, Miss)?” The bartender asked.

“Ja, bedankt (d)(Yes, thank you).” You reply drinking down the last of what was left in your bottle.

You glance over by the dart boards and see Gene and his group settled at a table and began ordering their beverages from the barmaid.

“Hey, Doc, ain’t that the Dog Company medic you told us about?” Guarnere asked nudging Gene with his elbow.

Gene looked over his shoulder at the bar.

“Sure is.” He acknowledged simply.

“Pretty girl.” Babe professed.

Gene hummed as he took a gulp of beer from the pint the waitress put in front of him.

“So, you gonna go talk to her?” Perconte prodded.

Gene looked at him inquisitively, “Why?”

“Come on, Doc! We know you got it for her. Whenever we come cross Dog Company you light up like a goddamn Christmas tree.” Guarnere exclaimed.

Gene scoffed, “You know that ain’t true, Bill.” He dismissed as he sipped from his glass.

“My ass, it ain’t!” Bill retorted.

“What if I told you she looked over here a couple of times since we got in here?” Babe revealed.

Gene shrugged while twirling his glass on the table.

As the room started to fill up, the music picked up and before you knew it, couples were tearing up the dance floor. Bill and Babe found ladies to dance with while Frank and Gene watched on from their table. You remained at the bar observing the crowd as they whimsically enjoyed their evening.

“She looks bored.” Frank observed.

“Perhaps.” Gene replied.

Frank rolled his eyes, “Just go to her!”

“I don’t wanna interfere with her personal time, Frank.”

“Well, looks like Guarnere is extending the invite.” Frank pointed out.

Gene quickly turned around to see Bill gesturing for you to join them. You were reluctant at first, not wanting to impose, but Gene can see he was insisting as he ushered you off the barstool and guided you towards their table.

As he approached Gene and Frank, he flashed Doc a mischievous grin.

“This here is Frank Perconte. Frank, Y/F/N.” Bill began.

“Good to meet ya!” Frank waved from his seat. You nod to him.

“And I know you know Doc, over here.” Bill added.

“Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of running into him a few times.” You proclaim.

Gene smiled at you as he stood to pull the chair out next to him for you to sit,

“Always my pleasure, Y/F/N.” He returned politely.

~~~~~~~

The night was filled with laughter at that table. You were starting to like Easy better than Dog Company. These guys had a sense of humor and from the stories they told that evening, the rest of Easy were not far off from them.

Eugene was the strong silent type. Only smiling or chuckling as the boys bantered and laughed and only said anything when they asked him to confirm their anecdotes about being on the front line. He would occasionally make eye contact with you leaving you shyly giggling as you try to maintain your composure.

But as the evening came to a close, you felt a sense of dread that you may not get the opportunity to see him again. At least not under these pleasant circumstances. The boys stood up and filed towards the door. Gene pulled your chair from under you as you stood.

“This turned out to be a wonderful evening, Gene. Your friends are a hoot.”

“They sure are.” He agreed with a laugh.

“Guess I’ll be seeing you out there.” You said as you walk together towards the exit.

“Absolutely.” He confirmed smiling.

~~~~~~~

The following week, the Germans were relentless with artillery attacks causing mass casualties to Easy Company. Your CO approached you with temporary orders to report to Winters over at Easy Company because their back up medic had a minor injury while administering care to another wounded soldier.

Your nerves were a wreck as you looked for Eugene’s foxhole. You peered into each hole to no avail until you finally found a familiar face.

“Hey, do either of you know where Doc Roe is?”

Guarnere’s face met yours, “Hey! Look who it is!”

“Hey, Bill! Good to see ya.”

“Yeah, doll, Doc’s over dat way.” He pointed over to the tree line.

“Thanks, Bill, I’ll see ya.”

You look into the hole and see Gene sitting against the dirt wall fiddling with a rosary in his hands.

“Hey, Eugene.” You greet as you crouch over the opening.

He looked up, a smile stretching across his face.

“Bonjour mon ami (f) (Hello, my friend).”

“You speak French.”

“Oui. I was raised in Louisiana and my grandmother mainly spoke French.” He explained.

You hop into the hole and sit next to him.

“You’ll have to tell me more about home sometime.”

“Gladly.”

Just then, you both hear Lipton’s voice in the distance.

“INCOMING!”

You hear a blast from German artillery nearby. You both stand and peak over the edge. You look around in all directions seeing soldiers running to foxholes manning their positions to prepare to fight back. More attacks from the Germans showered dirt and shrapnel everywhere until you heard that familiar call:

“MEDIC!”

You scurry out of the hole and sprint towards the shout for help.

“Y/F/N! WAIT!” You hear Gene call after you.

You dive behind snow mounds and piles of fallen trees for cover everytime a blast strikes close enough to where you are. You squat behind a pine, straining to hear the call for medic again.

“MEDIC!”

You run in the direction of the voice you can hear closest to you. Weaving and dodging blasts and pings of bullets flying past your head. 

You finally find a soldier laid out on the ground bleeding from his left arm.

“I gotchya.” You say as you land on your knees next to the man.

“You ain’t Doc.” He said through heaves of breath.

“Glad you can tell the difference, corporal.” You say as you tie a tourniquet on his bicep.

You pull a large gauze out, stuffing it down into the wound opening.

“Ack! Why’s it tingling!?”

“There’s sulfur on it to clot the bleeding.” You explain as you push a dressing into his arm to put pressure on the gash.

When the bleeding stops, you securely wrap his arm to keep the pressure on the wound.

“Can you make it to HQ?” You yell out to him while more explosions erupted around you.

He nodded.

“Ok go!”

As he hurried off, you see Gene waving you over to him to take cover with him behind a pile of fallen trees. You take off towards him until a German shell detonated in your path sending you backward onto your back.

“Y/F/N!” Gene’s muffled voice was the last thing you heard before tinnitus set in.

Delirium had you standing looking for safety, not realizing you were in fact putting yourself in more danger. Through the ringing in your ears, you faintly hear Gene calling your name to get down but all you knew was you were out in the open and needed to find cover.

You continued to walk aimlessly, believing you were closer to refuge until you feel yourself once again propelled backwards onto the ground, this time by Gene tackling you as another explosion emitted less than a few feet away from where you were.

Gene sprang to his feet, taking you by the arm and hoisting you over his shoulder carrying you off as fast as he could to the nearest trench. He slid on his rear down into the next hole he found, bringing you in front of him where he could cradle you in his arms. He shielded your face by tucking your head into the crook of his neck.

“I gotchya, mon amour (f) (my love).” He reassured as he rocked you back and forth.

Your eyelids started to feel heavy as tunnel vision began closing in. Gene looked down at you when he felt your body going limp.

“Hey, Y/F/N, stay with me! Stay awake!” He pleaded as he gently shook you.

“I’m so tired-“

“I know, mon amour (f) (my love), but I need you to stay awake.” He implored.

He noticed the right sleeve of your uniform was saturated in red.

“-merde (f)(shit).”He whispered to himself as he unbuttoned your collar to locate the source of the bleeding.

As he pulled the neckline of the shirt off to the side, he discovered you had shards of metal from the German shell spiking out of your shoulder.

“I’m gonna get these out, Y/F/N.” He said as he gently placed you on your back.

He ripped your uniform sleeve to expose your whole right arm, then braced you down with his forearm across your sternum and started pulling them out one by one by hand. You hissed at each extraction, trying not to pass out from the pain. When he finished removing them all, he took a syrette from his pocket and injected it in your tricep.

“You’re gonna be ok, mon amour.” He said softly as he applied a large gauze and wrapped your shoulder.

“Make sure you remember how much morphine you used.” You weakly joked.

His worried features melted into an adoring grin, as he affectionately brushed away loose strands of your hair away from your face.

Last thing you remember was Eugene placing a soft kiss on your forehead before the world around you slipped into darkness.

~~~~~~~

You awoke in a panic two days later, only remembering you had been surrounded by chaos and danger, not realizing you were in the solace of the aid station. A nurse hurried over to calm you when you shot up from the cot alarmed.

“It’s alright, honey, you’re safe. Just breathe for me.” She instructed.

You can’t catch your breath at first, but take a deep breath to slow it down. You suddenly remember the wound on your shoulder and no sooner does the thought cross your mind a sharp pain begins to throb in your entire right arm.

“Son of a bitch!” You bellow as you touch the mummy wrapping across your shoulder.

“Oh my!” The nurse gasped at your language.

You groan, “I’m sorry. Kinda rubs off on ya when you’re surrounded by men all the time.”

“Hm, well let’s get you something for the pain, shall we?” She suggested as she walked off.

~~~~~~~

You hadn’t seen Eugene for days. You began to worry that something might have happened, but according to the nurses, the front lines were quite busy and all medics had their hands full.

“Well, then I need to get back out there.”

“Absolutely not! You’re not even close to a full recovery!” The nurse stated.

“I’m close enough. They need me.” You insisted as you started to put on your uniform.

Against the better judgement of the nurses, you finally left the aid station, hitching a ride to the line to finally see Gene. Before even reporting back to Dog Company, you wander around Easy Company’s camp searching for him.

Not before long, you see a familiar figure with his back facing you. Your heart beats against your ribcage something painful when you see his medic brassard on his left arm.

Your breathe catches in your throat, as a tear escapes the corner of your eye. You want to run to him, but your knees almost give out, so instead you call to him.

“Eugene!” You yell as loud as your lungs would allow.

Gene immediately turned after hearing your voice.

“Y/F/N!?”

You beam at him and quickly walk to him while he trotted towards you to meet you half way. As the gap close between you and Eugene, the concern on his face increased. You each stop less than a foot from eachother.

“Why aren’t you at the aid station??” Gene queried with his eyebrows furrowed from worry.

“I wanted to get back out here to help.” You clarified.

His lips pursed together in disapproval.

“You need to heal. That shell did a number on your shoulder. You lost a lot of blood, too. I know cuz I put the IV in myself to give you plasma.” He declared.

Your heart soars at his confession. You inch so close to him, you feel his breath upon your face.

“You saved my life, Eugene.”

He returned a bashful grin.

“It was nothin’.” He replied simply.

“It must’ve been something. I heard you call me your love a couple of times out there. ‘Mon amor,’ I believe you said?” You presented.

Slightly embarrassed, Gene averted his eyes to the ground.

“I did.” He admitted still avoiding eye contact.

His chest started to palpitate.

“Eugene-“ you began as you slipped your hands into his. He gradually met your gaze.

“Oui?”

You pull him towards you, “I fell for you the first day I saw you. And I’m still falling for you.”

Completely astonished, Gene enveloped you, pulling you against him as he planted kisses on the top of your head, your temple and all over your face. You giggle then look up at him through your lashes. He dreamily looks back at you then leaned in locking his lips onto yours.

He cupped your face, tilting his head to deepen the kiss as you return the intensity. You separate briefly, your mouths hovering over one another as you pant for air.

“Does that mean you feel the same?” You ask playfully.

He rests his forehead against yours, then released an elated exhale.

“With all my heart.” He purred.

~~~~~~~

@mrs-greenside I almost forgot to tag you for this Doc Roe x y/n! Here’s a one shot for you until I write a multiple chapter series with y/n 🪖 ♠️ 🦅❤️

[strniohoeee]

Panic

Pairing: Matt Sturniolo X Female Reader

Synopsis: Y/N is afraid of scary movies, but finally gives into Matt. After watching the movie she’s awoken out of her sleep, and runs to Matt🩶 This is for the request asking for a scared Y/N and cuddles with Matt

Warnings⚠️: This one’s pretty short, but it’s cute

Song for the imagine: Eastside- Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid

“Matt. NO” I said getting annoyed with him

“Why not? It’s literally fall time, you’re supposed to watch scary movies” He said

“I’m really scared of scary movie though” I said kind of pouting

“Stop being a fucking baby, and let’s watch a damn movie” he said rolling his eyes

“Look, we can watch it in the living room, so this way you don’t have to leave my room in the pitch black to go to sleep, and leave the kitchen light on if that helps?” He asked

“Okay fine, but the light has to stay on” I said pointing my finger at him

“I promise” he said saluting me

He grabbed a blanket and a pillow, and we went to the couch which is my bed when I spent the night with them.

Chris and Nick were staying over Madi’s house because Laura had a specific project for them, so it was Matt and I alone.

Matt had made popcorn and gotten us drinks, and then we sat next to each other snuggling up against one another

“What movie are you putting on?” i asked him eating some popcorn

“Evil Dead Rise” he said opening HBO Max up

“Matttt come on that one looks so scary. I could never really watch the trailer” I told him

“I’m right here next to you, and if you get scared you can turn into me and cover your eyes.” He said smiling over at me

“Fine” I said rolling my eyes, and continuing to eat popcorn

We were getting halfway into the movie, and the whole time I was jumping, screaming and turning into Matt. He didn’t really find the movie scary, he found it more interesting.

We got to the part where starts banging her head on the door while looking into the peephole. And my whole body shivered with fear.

“NOO NO NO” I screamed turning into Matt covering my eyes

“It’s not even scary, stop acting like a child” he said laughing at me

“Fuck you Matt. I’m scared” I said, my voice muffled by his hoodie

The movie had finished, and even though it was scary I would say it was actually a pretty decent scary movie.

“Alright what’s next?” i asked him putting the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table

“Uhhh want to watch another scary one?” He asked smirking at me

“Have you lost your mind” I said looking him dead in the eyes

“I’m kidding. We can watch BigMouth till we fall asleep”

He responded. I agreed and he put the show on

At some point Y/N had fallen asleep on Matt’s shoulder, and he started to fall asleep too. He decided to move her back to lay down on her pillow, and covered her with the blanket. He grabbed his pillow and his blanket, and then walked over to the kitchen to turn the light off, and then he shut the tv off, and made his way upstairs to his room

About an hour later Y/N heard a noise. Immediately jumping up. She looked around in the dark searching for the sound.

“Matt! Matt was that you” I asked him reaching my hand out to find him, but only to realize he left me.

Then again I heard the same noise from outside.

“What the fuck is that” I said searching for my phone. Finally I found it, and turned the flash on. And once again I heard the sound. I immediately shot up, and started to run up to Matt’s room

I opened his door, and immediately felt bad when I saw that he was sound asleep, but I was so scared right I couldn’t be alone. I walked over to his side

“Matt! Matt” I said in a whisper shaking him lightly

“Matt!” I said shaking him a little harder, and he jumped up

“WHAT WHAT HAPPENED” he said scared

“Nothing! I heard something outside, and I got scared. Can I sleep with you?” I asked him shyly

“What? Uh yeah yeah of course” he responded still very confused

“Thank you” I said, and walked to the other side and got into his bed. I love laying in his bed they smelt just like Matt, and it made me feel safe and warm

He flipped over to face me while I was facing his wall

“Come here baby, you’re safe I got you” he said pulling me into his chest and snuggling me

“Thank you Matt” I said sinking into his embrace

“Anything for you” he said kissing the back of my head

Matt and I stood in this position the whole night. He was the big spoon and I was the little spoon. With him I felt so safe and content that I immediately drifted off to sleep with his arms wrapped around my torso, and his head at the crook of my neck.

Matt made it impossible not to fall for him.

The End

To whoever requested this I hope you enjoyed🥹❤️ I’m finishing all my stories today, as I’m sick in bed with some stomach bug or something😭😭. I also have a cute Nick imagine, but for some reason those never get as many likes….like don’t do my smoochie Nick like that😭😭

-J💅🏽

[malarkgirlypop]

MEDIC! Part 32 (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)

This chapter is short and sweet! Minus the sweet, whoops.

Based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, not hate to anyone involved.

Tag list: @imusicaddict, @b00ks1ut , @mstiemountainhop, @awaterfalls anyone else please let me know.

Don avoided me like the plague. No one seemed to notice thankfully, they were busy training again, preparing for the warfare they would head over to face in Okinawa. I made myself useful but still there was little for me to do. The injured had been shipped off the aid stations and then home due to it all being finished over here. They kept only the fit young men who they would use again when they went to help the troops in the Pacific. 

When I wasn’t busy stocking medical supplies or treating minor injuries the men sustained in training, I walked aimlessly through Austria. I replayed the scene with Don, thinking about all that was said. I had hoped he would come around soon enough but still, he kept his distance. I also thought about leaving, I kept an eye out for the shimmer. I had made up my mind that if I were to see it, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. I wouldn’t say goodbye, I would leave. That’s why whenever I left the base I packed all of my belongings and brought them along with me. Not that I had much in the first place, most of my possessions already resided in my medic bag. 

After finishing my menial task of stocking shelves I headed for the door, but a voice stopped me in my tracks. 

“Major Winters wants to speak to you Em.” Spiers had caught my elbow as I brushed past him quickly with my head down. I faced away from him, my eyes still glued to the door. I sighed nodding.   

Speirs led the way through the building to Winters’ office. He opened the door greeting the pair that spoke in hushed whispers, they straightened seeing they had been interrupted. Lew and Dick smiled as I stepped into the room. I hadn’t spoken to them in months. I never wanted to bother them, they were always so busy. 

“Thank you Speirs.” Dick dismissed the Captain. He saluted before exiting the room. 

Winters’ eye landed on me, I cast my stare down to the ground, fidgeting with my hands. I felt as if I had been brought into the principal's office. 

“Please take a seat.” Richard gestured to the chair that sat in front of the desk. I shuffled forward, dropping my bag to the ground and sitting.

“How have you been?” Dick asked politely. 

I flicked my eyes towards him, my chin still lowered to the floor.   

“Fine.” 

Lew awkwardly cleared his throat at my rigid response. 

“Well I’m glad to hear it.” Winters’ said after a beat when he realised that was all I was going to say. 

“Emily, I called you in today to talk to you about the future.”

I froze after hearing the words, ‘the future’. I glanced up again, both Lew and Dick stared at me with expecting looks. They wanted me to say something, but I couldn’t get my mouth to work. I nodded my head, encouraging Winters’ to continue. 

“I noticed that you never registered. We never officially offered a contract, but we assumed you would at least ask to be compensated.” 

“No, sir. I don’t want any money. I’m a volunteer.” I shook my head. There would be no use for the money I received. I didn’t have a bank account to hold it, people would ask too many questions. It was better just to remain undetected. 

“Yes, but even volunteer’s get paid.” Dick clarified.

“You can give my earnings to the other’s, or donate it to charity. But I do not want that money.” I stated firmly. 

Both Lew and Dick looked perplexed. I’m sure they wondered why on earth I was turning down a decent pay. 

“Is that all?” I asked rather impatiently. This meeting was making me even more anxious than I already was. 

“No. We wanted to discuss other things as well.” Dick stuck out his hand ushering me to sit back down in the seat I had started to rise out of. 

“The fighting in the Pacific is brutal. More cruel than what we have experienced. I just wanted to inform you that you do not need to go.” Winters’ face was pale, his expression sour. 

I knew of the brutality of the Pacific. The Japanese were ruthless, they didn’t care about their own survival, only the triumph of their country. It was an honour for them to die for their nation. A heroic death to be killed in action, they would rather die than go home injured, or pull back. 

“They have enough medic’s over there.” He pulled me from my thoughts. 

“But aren’t we sending men, sir?” 

“Yes-”

“Then you will need more medic’s to care for those who will be travelling over there, am I wrong?” I challenged the Major. 

He sighed. 

“I’m going to be honest, Emily. I don’t particularly want to send any of the men over there, but they don’t really have a say. However, like I said before, you aren’t registered, and I don’t want you to go over there, not if we have a choice.” His brow furrowed in concern. For his men, for me. 

“Thank you for your consideration, but I will be going if need be.” I gave a tight smile. 

The men shifted awkwardly in their seats. I know I was being difficult, but there was no point putting on a show, and pretending I was fine. It didn’t matter in the end.

“What are your plans for after the war? Are you returning home?” Lew asked, trying to ease the tension in the room. 

“No, I don’t intend to return back to America.” I shook my head, keeping my eyes trained to the floor. Even though I couldn’t see the men I knew they were exchanging glances. 

“What is your plan?” Dick asked hesitantly.

“I’m not sure. Maybe I will stay in Austria if we don’t leave, or somewhere else. I haven’t planned anything. But that’s fine no one is waiting for me back home, so I’m free to do as I please.” 

“Have you spoken to Malarkey about this?” Winters’ asked. 

The mention of his name made me snap my head up to stare at Dick. 

“Why would I need to speak to Don about this?” I questioned, venom laced in my tone. 

“Oh, well.” Winters’ stumbled over his words. 

“You two are together are you not?” Nixon finished Dick’s ramblings. 

“No offence, Sir. But I’m not sure how that’s any of your business?” 

My retort left the pair with their mouths hung open. I didn’t mean to be so bitter, but I couldn’t stop it. I was hurting. I knew they were only asking because they cared for me. But I wanted to cut ties and just flee. 

“I’m sorry. I think I should go.” I stood from my seat before they dismissed me, giving a half-hearted salute before rushing out the door. 

My breaths left me in short gasps as I tried to control the sobs that desperately wanted to escape my mouth. Hot tears streamed down my face, as I put my head down and made my way out of the building. I crashed into several shoulders, mumbling quiet apologies, never lifting my head to see who I was saying sorry to. 

I stumbled outside, gasping for air in between my sobs. I covered my mouth trying to muffle the awful sounds. 

“Emily?” I heard from behind me. I turned away from the voice, hiding my face from view. 

“”Em?” Speirs asked again, walking closer. 

I rushed away, but I could hear his footsteps following after me. I headed towards the forest, I wanted to be out of sight. 

Choking and spluttering I lent against one of the trees for support as I cried. 

Speirs moved me away from the trunk I clung to, pulling me into his arms. 

“I fucked up.” I blubbed out. 

“Shhhhh.” Speirs hushed, pressing me into his chest. His hand cradled my head, his fingers tangling in my hair in a soothing manner. 

His chin rested on top of my head, he held me until my crying stopped. By then I had crumpled to the ground in a heap as Speirs hugged me close. 

“What’s going on?” Ron asked as I finally pulled away. His thumbs caught the stray tears that streaked down my cheeks. 

“I’m not going home.” I told him. His brows furrowed in concern. 

“Is this about not having anywhere to go? Cause if that’s it, you can come with me.” 

I shook my head. 

“I can’t stay. I don’t want to burden anyone.” My heart hurt. I didn’t want to be a sad reminder of the war, like some stray dog someone brought home because they felt bad for it.

“I can’t ask that of anyone. That’s cruel. People have families they actually need to care for.” I crumpled a dry leaf in my hand watching its shattered remains scatter to the floor. 

“We love you, why can’t you ask that of us?” Speirs asked, his head dipping down to try and meet my eyeline. 

“I’m used to being alone. It’s my normal niche. This isn’t normal for me to be surrounded by so many people. I think I need my space.” I didn’t truly mean those words that left my mouth, but I needed to convince myself that I couldn’t stay. The more I believed it, the better. I couldn’t have any doubts when leaving.

“Do you really mean that?” Spiers asked. 

Ron knew me well. Which pulled a bitter laugh from my throat. This universe was cruel, giving me everything I ever wanted and then snatching it all away.   

“I have no place here.” I muttered. 

“What about Malarkey?” Speirs asked.

“What about him?” I snapped.

“I thought you two were in love?” Speirs asked tentatively. 

“Yeah, well things change!” I huffed. “But what does it matter? It still doesn’t change the fact, I’m not going home. I will serve until everyone else leaves, and then I will make my own way. That was always my plan, I look after me, cause no one else will! I will not be someone’s responsibility! I don’t want the charity, someone to take me home and then regret it. I can’t ask that of strangers.” 

“You think we’re strangers?” Speirs sounded hurt. 

I lifted my head to look at him. “Yes, we are. We aren’t a family, you do not carry the responsibility of an older brother, I am not yours to try and take care of! You have family, people who need you. I am not one of those people. I don’t want your pity.” The words felt like acid in my mouth. Seeing Speirs’ mask slip slightly and crack at my harsh words, sent pain shooting through my chest. He quickly regained his composure, taking a deep breath. Ron rose to his feet, a tight smile graced his features. 

“If you say so, Lane.”

That was all he said before we strided away. I had done it once a-fucking-gain. Pushed all those who cared for me away. God I was good at ruining everything.  

------------------------------------

Chapter 33

[deakyjoe]

There Are No Words Left To Speak

Pairing: Joel Miller x Reader (no pronouns used)

Category: unspecified

Summary: Joel watches you from afar and decides he needs to invite you in closer.

Warnings: they’re awkward but none (I think but correct me if I’m wrong)

Word count: 1k (short and sweet)

A/N: Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us has consumed by brain and now every thought is about him. I wrote this with Pedro Pascal’s portrayal in mind but obviously feel free to think about Joel from the game if you prefer that!

Consider buying me a coffee :)

You were quiet, reserved, kept mostly to yourself. But you were never unwilling to help people out if they needed it, you just refused the assistance of others and didn't let conversations last for too long. Joel liked that about you.

You sent kind smiles to people, that were convincing to most but not Joel. He could tell that they were forced, good intentions behind them, but forced nonetheless. It didn't help that whenever you thought no one was looking, the smiles immediately dropped from your face.

When you’d arrived a few months before, no one paid much attention to you - Joel included. You’d stumbled in weak with the plan of leaving again once you’d regained some strength. You were just like many others around these parts, you all came and went. Nothing special. But once you were offered a role in the community, a place to live, guaranteed supplies and a job as a scout, it was hard to refuse.

So you stayed.

But still, people didn’t think much of you. It was difficult to make friends with a group of people who had clearly been through so much together and had trouble trusting outsiders. Because of this, you stayed to yourself.

That’s when Joel started to notice you more. Despite having no one close, no one who really cared for you, you seemed to care for the community as a whole. You always tried to give people your best, even if they didn’t return it. You helped people with repairs, with moving, farming, caring for young children, teaching - whatever was possibly asked of you.

And when you disappeared for hours, on rare occasions days, to outside the community in order to keep everyone safe by keeping an eye out for trouble, Joel couldn’t help but notice your absence. It just appeared that no one else did.

And when Joel asked his kind-of daughter, Ellie, about you to get her opinion, he couldn’t help but be slightly saddened when he was only offered back a “who?”

Joel Miller wasn’t good at expressing his feelings, so he had no plan for this, but he couldn’t stand by and watch you be excluded from a community that was so heavily focused on family. He knew what it felt like to be lost and he’d been lucky enough to find himself again in Ellie, discovering a new purpose for himself as a father figure for her. So, he figured that’s what you needed - a purpose with people. He just didn’t know what that would be yet.

When you returned from your most recent scouting assignment, reporting back that you’d found traces of a group of people a few miles out but no signs of life, Joel approached you. Still, he had no plan.

“Yes?” You’d looked up at him curiously as he stood in front of you but had said nothing. It was clear you wanted to go home, you were probably tired from the last couple days.

He looked at you, his ever permanent frown not shifting. “You should probably get a partner for scouting. It’s not safe out there.”

You’d scoffed and pushed past him, not unfriendly but not nice either. “I work better alone. I can handle myself.”

He didn’t doubt that. “I’m sure you can.”

You rounded on him, scowling. It felt clear that he had some other intentions here but you weren’t sure what exactly. “What do you want, Joel?”

The expression on his face didn’t move, like he expected the slight hostility. “Nothing.”

You didn’t believe him. So you told him. “I don’t believe you.”

“Why?”

“People don’t talk to me unless they want something.” You adjusted the bag you had slung over one shoulder, shifting from foot to foot as you grew anxious to go home. The confession was painful to admit but it was true, you both knew it.

“I don’t want anything.” He reaffirmed, noticing you take another step away from him.

You still weren’t entirely sure you bought it, but you wouldn’t question him further if he was going to insist there was nothing. “Then what?”

“Conversation.”

You laughed sarcastically, making Joel note he’d never heard you laugh genuinely. Although that wasn’t unusual around here.

“Conversation?” You repeated in a questioning tone. “I’m not much of a conversationalist.”

Something the two of you could relate on, he realised. “Neither am I.”

“We make a great pair then.” The corners of your mouth curled up and your feet stopped moving.

Joel said nothing more, confirming his statement of not being a conversationalist. You wanted to smile more widely at that but refrained - the man had struck up a conversation with you but was unable to carry it.

“Ellie’s your daughter, right?” You offered, seeing him straighten up at the young girl’s name. If he was going to try then maybe you could too.

“Yeah.” He’d explain the complicated relationship with the teenager to you another time. For now, he was glad you were talking.

“Bright kid.” You commented. “How old is she?”

“Fourteen.”

You nodded, lost for what else to say. “Listen, I should probably be going home…”

“Right, yeah.” He said, watching you take cautious steps away as if awaiting his permission to leave. “I’ll see you around.”

“Sure. Bye, Joel.” You averted your eyes to the ground and went to turn away from him.

“Bye.” He replied, keeping his eyes on your form as you scurried away back to your house and disappeared from his view.

He had no idea what his next move was but he supposed this was a step in the right direction. Maybe he’d ask Ellie to start talking to you. He just knew that he wanted you more involved in the community, this is what the place was for after all. You, on the other hand, were trying to figure out Joel’s game as you rushed back home. Why had he suddenly started talking to you out of nowhere? You vowed to find out.

So that left the two of you - one satisfied with his minute progress and the other confused at the strange event. But both of you determined.

A/N: Joel Miller makes brain go brrrrr

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

why do you call her that?

plum, chapter three

warnings: Joel Miller x reader, MILD SPOILERS for the last of us (both games and the hbo series), slow burn, age gap (20 years), timeline wise this is set in between the first and second game (so when they live in jackson)

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

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masterlist | join my taglist

Since your old home here in Jackson had long been occupied by somebody else, Tommy had insisted that you stay at his and Maria’s house, just till you got back on your feet, and they could find you somewhere more permanent to live. 

It took a bit, but eventually, Tommy managed to twist his big brother’s arm and get him to reluctantly give a hand at setting a room up for you. 

Ever since you’d gotten back, Joel had assumed that he had now understandably become a foe in your eyes with the less then pleasant way your first meeting had transpired, so he just tried his best to stay far away from where he knew you were, figured from the little he had heard through the grapevine that you’d been through enough and didn’t need to also deal with his old mug in the foreseeable future. 

But still, after finally setting down the hefty mattress the two brothers had hauled halfway through town, Joel couldn’t help but let some of his curiosity slip out, “why do you call her that anyway?”

“Huh?” Tommy cocked an eyebrow as he passed Joel the bottle of water he had just taken a healthy swig from.  

“Plum,” he accepted the much-needed drink, “why do you call her plum?”

“Oh, it’s kinda a funny story actually,” Tommy smiled, leaning back against the windowsill, “back in the beginning, not too long after I had joined the fireflies, she just showed up one day. Couldn’t have been more than-, hell, she couldn’t have been more than Ellie's age back then. She just waltzed right up and demanded to speak to Marlene. And as a way to get her foot in the door, sweeten the deal a bit, her pockets were filled to the brim with plums. Fucking plums. Like, where the fuck did she even get them?” he laughed, finding the memory too entertaining for his own good, “so that’s how we introduced her, told Marlene that a little plum was here to speak to her. I guess the nickname just kinda stuck after that…”

“She was a firefly with you?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “we even quit at the same time and travelled out here to Wyoming together.”

“So, you two really go way back then?” the older man commented, still oozing with mistrust.

“Joel,” Tommy caught his brother’s eye, “she was the best man at me and Maria’s wedding. Yeah, we go way back,” a protectiveness glistened over him, “she’s like my little sister. She is my little sister.”

© 2023 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[pixeldistractions]

previously on boxes and squares…

The following chapters or scenes will be relevant to chapter #5.2. Recap, shall we?

Colette will absolutely tell Jordan to leave, and then also tell him where he can’t go.

“I’m leaving.” “Damn right you are. And don’t let the door hit you on the—” “I mean, I’m leaving. I told the boys already, we talked about it. I’m moving out west.” “What? Where?” “Nevada, probably. It’s not definite yet.” “Like hell you are!” “Colette, you can’t tell me to leave, then tell me where I can’t go.”

Maria has a little bit of money stashed away.

“He’s paying for this one, I’ll pay for the next. It’s even. It should be, right? Aren’t you a feminist?” Lou gave her sister a disapproving stare. “I don’t know, equality and all that, but… that money is for you and JoJo. That’s why Joseph left it to you, so you’d be taken care of. Not to spend on your boyfriend.” “I know,” Maria said. “But anyway, he’s never asked me for money. He’s not like that. He’s not materialistic at all.” “Does he know you have it?” “Uh, no, he probably doesn’t.”

Everything you need to know about Maria’s relationship with her parents.

“Please don’t tell Mom and Dad yet,” Maria begged. “Give me a week or two?” “Don’t you think they’ll notice when you don’t need them to watch JoJo while you work?” “I was going to bring JoJo out to see Jordan next month,” Maria said. “I’ll just say we went early.” “They’re going to miss her. They’ll be sad.” “I don’t know about sad,” Maria said. “Mom thinks I’m a burden.” “She never said that.” “She doesn’t have to say it. She would never. Joseph died a war hero, so she so can’t say it because she doesn’t want to look bad. But I know she wished I never got married and knocked up and widowed at twenty-one in the first place, then she wouldn’t be honor-bound to help me. She thinks I’m a wreck. She already raised her children, and she never wanted to help raise a grandchild, too. Well, now she doesn’t have to worry about us anymore.”

Jordan’s climb club family.

Jordan was perplexed at how he ended up here, part of all this, especially since he’d spent the better part of his twenties alienating himself and pushing people away. Now his family was part of all this, too, before they even got here. These people hadn’t met Maria yet, but already they loved her. They hadn’t met his boys yet, but already they were expected to share a bunk room with the other children in Japan next winter. These people were warm and welcoming. No one was left uninvited. No one was left behind. No one was allowed to give up. These people were wild and brave and unstoppable, and Jordan hadn’t met so many people like this in his whole life. They understood each other. They didn’t question each other’s priorities or ambitions. Nobody thought of him as frivolous or irresponsible for wanting to do this. You want to climb mountains? Well, of course you do! Let’s go do it! Jordan wasn’t looking to find his tribe here, but they scooped him up, folded him into their world, and adopted him anyway. It was everything. Almost.

Jordan said he was going to take Maria to his favorite spot in the climbing park.

“It looks better in person. Can’t wait to show you this.” “How will I get up there?” “I’m gonna carry you up the wall under one arm like I’m King Kong,” he said. “What!?” she squealed happily. “Just kidding, there’s stairs, too.”

Before we get into #5.2. Because I know this story is LONG, and I’ve noticed a few new faces around here lately joining us in book 5! (Hi, new friends!) Let’s pretend we’re one of those dramatic HBO series on a Sunday night and do little recaps before new chapters start.

And the youngins around here won’t even understand why I said “Sunday night,” from back in the day when you couldn’t just binge-watch an entire season whenever you wanted. All the most moody and dramatic TV shows were on Sunday nights. Deeper comedies and light dramas were always on Thursdays. Sitcoms were Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. Saturday night was nothing except reruns and SNL. Anyone else old enough to remember??? Somebody hand me my cane, lol! 👵

[wildlife4life]

At this point I think I’m not even delulu talked to a film bro who’s 40 and do video theories of marvel and dude thinks buddie is gonna be canon so if he says so believe it no jokes aside we were taking that abc really don’t like Tommy I feel like it cause like you know how he doesn’t make effort to dress up for the party the way he almost outed Buck to Eddie also their closeness wasn’t even on screen and we got Eddie and Buck on screen so we are like I guess trust the process for me is giving our flag means death like everyone quite of knew the pirates were pirating but I was like do I believe it or no cause I was like hbo hard to believe they go with queer characters sometimes you just never know and like I could trust Taika with queer characters but not the creator of the show so I was like in that debate and I’m quite with that debate but like you know they did made Buck said how both Tommy and Eddie are similar and then with the party they show well but one of them care enough to do what makes Buck happy like really Tommy is bad written for me and like I can give it to the Bucktommy shippers we can get buddie next season or season 10 but like Tommy is bad written abc really said we hate Tommy and the actor is so good and makes his acting look bad also I think they made Lou and Ryan have a chemistry test but because they couldn’t have two off screens break up but they didn’t like let Oliver and Lou have like the chemistry test and Tommy sometimes look weird and I was rooting for them cause they are just like the opening for Buddie

Okay anon that was long lol. But sounds like you needed to get that off your chest. But I think I get the gist of it all and I’m agreeing with most of it.

I’m not entirely sure about abc hating on the actor/character. But how his relationship with Buck has been written with the closet joke, not dressing up, and the very limited scenes they’ve had together alone (seriously bucktaylor had more build up than them), it sus. Though deliberate I believe too. Tommy is a plot device, stepping stone, buddie eye opener, whatever you want to call him and he will show us (I hope) the true route to buddie.

I really don’t think we’ll have to wait till season 10 for buddie. (That’s the wedding, Oliver said so lol). I agree the delulu is not so delulu. Keep the faith anon. Buddie will be upon soon….

[mrryckman]

Stop making 8-episode seasons

When you look at why people complain about shows in recent years, so much of it boils down to a couple of issues issues:

- The pacing was inconsistent/the pacing lot felt rushed

- The audience couldn’t connect enough with the characters to care about what was happening

Why is this?

It’s because when a show has only 8 episodes, there isn’t enough wiggle-room to properly flesh out ideas and characters.

Take Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix. Only 8 episodes! The first season of the animated series had 20.

But MrRyckman, the animated show’s episodes were much shorter!

Timewise, the animated show’s first season came to a runtime of about 7 hours and 34 minutes, compared with the live-action’s 6 hours and 22 minutes, a difference of over an hour in runtime. That is not inconsequential, even if you cut the plot of a few episodes (which they did).

The other issue is that, whereas animated shows tend to dive right into the action (because animation allows for unique character designs and bright colors that makes it easier to distinguish things), live action shows tend to take their time. They introduce characters more slowly, take time to introduce more intricate plots, and use a fair bit of time to wrap things up. That results in a *lot* less time to replicate the same elements without just doing a 1:1 adaptation (which in this case would be extra-weird).

What makes shows memorable?

Shows become memorable when audiences connect with the characters, and this cannot happen when every season of your show has to be intensely plot-focused. Look at popular shows like Supernatural - each season of that show had between 16-23 episodes, most of which were around 40 minutes long.

Because each season had approximately 800 minutes to tell a season-long arc, Supernatural was able to have character-focused episodes where little plot happened. As a result, audiences connected with Sam and Dean (and Castiel. And Bobby. And others!) more!

This isn’t to say that all shows with shorter seasons are terrible. In fact, when the writers know what they are doing (or are adapting a work that can fit nicely into that timeframe), shorter-seasoned shows can become popular, too!

For the first 4-5 seasons of Game of Thrones, the showrunners were very adept at balancing plot and character moments. Heck, there were *tons* of characters that audiences connected with, far more than other shows with longer seasons, and yet audiences had no trouble connecting with them because the show was well-written. It gave us time to know the characters and understand more than just their basic motivations, and kept putting different characters together to show unique interactions that contributed to the show’s popularity.

Then the showrunners decided they were tired of GoT and cut it short. Despite the fact that HBO was more than happy to give them several more 10-episode seasons, they ended it at Season 8 and cut the final two seasons to just 7 and 6 episodes. Because they had to get to a predetermined ending, they rushed the plot, resulting in character assassinations and fast-travel of a sort that even the Dragonborn would be jealous of. And all at once, the collective consciousness of the Internet doomed the show to die just about as soon as it had finished airing. The shortened seasons didn’t help it - they actively hurt a show that had taken the attention of millions of people.

Why the shorter seasons now?

So if we have examples of long-running shows with huge fandoms (meaning more people willing to spend money on products related to said fandom) and an example of a show that ruined its reputation with two shorter seasons, why are 8-episode seasons suddenly the norm?

It’s a combination of multiple factors. For starters, networks are trying to make higher-quality shows to capitalize off what they saw as the successes of shows like Game of Thrones. Bigger set pieces, more CGI elements, big-name actors, all of which means more money. Instead of many low-budget shows, we now have a case of several big-budget shows. But in order to maintain that level of quality throughout, there have to be fewer episodes.

There are other factors as well (the popularity of binge-streaming, the fact that networks no longer have to care about syndication and reaching 100 episodes, to name a few), but overall, it is clear that networks seem to think that 8-episode seasons are the way to go.

Do I hope that the rise in negative reviews with shows like The Acolyte or the last two seasons of GoT will maybe force networks to reconsider this model and give us longer, better-developed shows? Absolutely. But I’m also cynical enough not to think they will.

[gingerwerk]

happy thursday/friday. heres (perhaps? the first bit i've ever posted on here?) an excerpt from my upcoming hbo war vietnam era/post vietnam au series

i literally laid down on my bed and whipped this up in less than an hour and i fuck with it and im in a giving mood so please enjoy :)

_-_-_-_-_-_

Cradling the cool, hard plastic of the payphone in between his cheek and his shoulder, Eugene pulled a few loose coins from his pants pocket and slipped them into the lot on the machine. It was getting late here but over on the West coast it was just around dinner time and hopefully he could catch him at home. He easily recalled the number and after only two rings, the line clicked.

“Hello?” the familiar, soft voice came through the phone line. 

“Jay, it’s Eugene,” he said, as a faint smile naturally appeared on his face.

“Gene, hey!” Jay responded, voice sounding more excited now that he knew it wasn’t some prank call or a wrong number. “What’s going on?”

What was going on? Eugene couldn’t help but wonder as he glanced around at the brightly lit up truck stop, everything slightly out of focus due to the combination of wear and dirt on the phone booth glass. 

He glanced at the gas station parking lot and still saw Snafu’s rusting blue pickup with the giant chrome Airstream attached. He didn’t seriously think Snafu would leave him in the middle of nowhere but Eugene couldn’t help the small bout of anxiety he got when he went too long without seeing Snafu or his- their -temporary home. All of a sudden he felt like he might as well have been five instead of twenty-five and he just lost sight of his mother at the market in town.  

“So, funny story…” Eugene started slowly, still processing how he would explain the situation he had willingly walked himself into.

“An actually funny story or funny like you need bail money- I assume not for you though, because this call isn’t coming from a police station,” Jay asked easily, tone even like he really wouldn’t have minded either scenario.

“Funny like Snafu showed up at my door Wednesday night,” Eugene stated, deciding to simply bite the bullet. “And I am calling you from a payphone outside Dayton, Ohio because he asked me to go on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and for some crazy reason I said yes. And I figured someone besides Bill and Faye should know so, yeah. That’s what’s going on with me right now.” 

For a long moment all Eugene could hear was the slight crackle of Jay’s breath as he slowly processed the news. While he waited, Eugene glanced over his shoulder again; still no sign of Snafu but the truck was still there. 

“That is a pretty funny situation you’ve got yourself in,” Jay decided after a long moment. “Now, I know you said you agreed to go with him but did you? Is this a willing trip or are you actually kidnapped and you’re calling for help. Cough twice if you’re in danger.”

“Jay,” Eugene sighed exasperatedly. “I’m really okay. I promise.”

“You sure?” his friend asked, the dry, sarcastic tone from before gone now and in its place was something more genuine, more concerned. 

Eugene frowned as he fidgeted with the phone cord for a moment. He had wanted to call Jay for several reasons. Firstly, he and Jay regularly communicated, via letters and occasional phone calls, if they wanted to swing the long-distance fee for something that couldn’t be held up by the U.S. postal service, and Eugene didn’t want to be thought of as rude if a letter went unanswered for longer than usual. He also wanted to let Jay know that Snafu was not only alive but seemingly okay, as he was one of approximately four people who would like to know that information. Lastly, however, Eugene wanted to call Jay because he was the only person alive who knew what the fuck had actually gone on between the two of them while in Vietnam. Perhaps Eugene should have called him back when he was weighing the pros and cons of traveling across the country with the man and none of his friends seemed to understand why he was so hesitant to go along with the man who, to the rest of the world, was just one of his closest war buddies, but that ship had long since sailed. At the very least he could let someone know his situation in case things blew up later and he needed an ally to help pick up his pieces. 

“I’m sure,” Eugene said definitively. “I promise.”

As Eugene picked his head up, he watched as Snafu exited the gas station with a mildly irritated expression on his face and a paper bag in hand. He watched for a long moment as Snafu’s eyes scanned the parking lot before they finally landed on him in the booth. Ignoring how his stomach lurched in a not-totally-uncomfortable way as Snafu put him in his sights, Eugene simply raised his hand to let the man know he saw him before Eugene turned his back to him so he could finish his phone call.

“If you’re sure, Eugene,” Jay decided quietly. “You say you’re gonna see the Canyon?”

“Yeah, finally,” Eugene huffed with a small, sad smile.

“Well, make sure you take some good pictures to send to me,” Jay responded, the slightly stilted tone in his voice let Eugene know Jay remembered what the Grand Canyon really meant to him.

“I will. Faye let me borrow her camera.” 

Faye’s beloved Kodak was currently nestled away in a storage compartment in Snafu’s Airstream. Eugene didn’t want to risk damaging or even losing such a beloved possession on the trip but Faye would not hear of it. She not only wanted pictures of the Grand Canyon but also told Eugene to take as many pictures as he could to remember the trip. 

“Hey, so, I gotta run, Snafu’s looking at me all pissed from across the parking lot and I think he’s beginning to scare off the patrons of the gas station,” Eugene said as he looked over his shoulder and watched for a moment as Snafu lit himself a new cigarette before he began to shuffle back to his truck. 

“Thanks for calling and letting me know,” Jay said. “Feel free to call again when you can or if Snafu wants, you can give him my information. It’d be nice to hear from him.”

“Be careful, he might show up at your door next and ask to go on a trip to Canada.”

“Can’t say I’ve been up north before so I might go if he asked,” Jay said easily. “But I’ll let you go.”

“Bye, Jay.”

“Bye, Gene.”

Hanging the phone back on its cradle, Eugene pushed out of the slightly claustrophobic booth and quickly crossed the parking lot until he reached where Snafu was casually leaning against the side of his truck, his cigarette half smoked as it hung out of the corner of his mouth. Once Snafu’s pale eyes landed on him, he pushed off the side of the truck and climbed back into the cab of his truck.

“Who’d you call?” he grunted as Eugene climbed into the passengers side of the cab.

“Jay,” Eugene answered, deciding to go for the truth.

“De L’Eau?” Snafu asked, a hint of surprise in his voice as he started up the truck and slowly pulled out of the parking lot, the large airstream towed behind them making it a bigger production than usual..

“You know any other Jays?”

“Damn, there anybody from over there who you haven’t kept in touch with?” 

“Yeah, you,” Eugene responded shortly as he continued to stare straight ahead through the windshield. 

Instead responding, Snafu simply flipped on the car radio and let the twangy tones of Creedence Clearwater Revival fill up the space of the cab as they drove down the dark, semi-deserted road in search of somewhere out of the way to park the Airstream for the night.

[next-autopsy]

A/N: Well, hi there! I hope you like the confession twist in this chapter! Please lmk what you think!

Based on the actors portrayal/hbo show and written with no disrespect to the real life veterans. Also all images found on Pinterest.

TW: None? Dm me if I need to add anything here...

Tags: @malarkgirlypop, @panzershrike-pretz

Made of Glass

Chapter sixteen: A Hangover and a Confession

The building Easy company was celebrating in, roared to life with chatter and music. Light seeped out from every window, illuminating Joe’s surroundings enough that he could see a few feet in front of him. 

After walking back from the women's barracks alone and in silence, Joe looked up to the stars once more. He usually didn’t stop and take the time to stare so intently at something so trivial but Bernadette’s amazement in the inky black sky filled with twinkling lights had ignited something in him. 

As he gazed upwards trying to recall where she had pointed out that belt, he found himself distracted, only able to picture her face, the sweet smile she sent him, her round eyes and the musical lilt of her laugh. 

A particularly loud bout of cheers broke Joe from his stargazing. He didn’t want to go back into the party, but what else was he going to do? Return to his barracks and sleep? No way, not while beer was flowing and cigarettes needed smoking. Sobel very rarely allowed merriment and fun so Joe would take the chance to do so while he could. The idea of walking back and finding Birdie for some conversation or another stargazing lesson popped into his head, instead Joe swung open the door and walked into the celebration.

Immediately his attention was pulled to a boisterous group of men he called friends, they each had a drink in their hands and were enthralled by the gripping chit-chats they exchanged. He smiled and grabbed a drink for himself before joining them, pushing aside his thoughts of the girl from Mississippi.

Not even a full minute later and he had heard her name. 

Across the table, Malark had spoken of her and Joe’s ears instinctively perked up. The redhead was talking to Sergeant Lipton worriedly, he was sharing his concern for the girl. Apparently she had promised to ask Lipton for an escort to her barracks and now the man thought she was missing, as Lipton said he hadn’t seen her for at least an hour. 

Before Don could panic too much, Joe butted in, “I walked her back.” He spoke the words so casually that both Don and Carwood second guessed themselves. Had they heard him correctly? 

“You?” Donald pointed at Liebgott, double checking the meaning of his shocking words. Joe nodded as he sipped his beer, suspiciously nonchalant. Lip and Malarkey shared a look, eyes widening at the implication. 

“And she’s….” Carwood began, fading out as he couldn’t find the words to finish his thought.

“Alive?” Don called out brashly, shrugging when Lipton threw him a disapproving look. That wasn’t exactly what he meant but it was close enough. Both men turned to Liebgott, curious about his response. 

“She’s fine.” The San Fran man shot them both a strange look, tilting his head slightly. Did they really think he would hurt her?  “She was drunk.” Don laughed and Lipton rolled his eyes and muttered, “She only had one drink.” 

Now it was Don and Joe’s turn to give each other knowing looks, they had both seen her sneaking alcoholic beverages all night, unbeknownst to Carwood. He caught on quick to the unspoken insinuation and gave an exasperated sigh, of course she had more than one drink. 

Carwood strolled away, leaving Liebgott to chug the remains of his drink in an attempt to keep the woman out of his mind, which was easier said than done. The entire rest of the night he kept tuning in to any conversation that mentioned her. Every time he caught himself eavesdropping he skulled whatever was left in his glass immediately and stomped off to get another drink.That night was, without a doubt, the drunkest Joe had ever been in his life.

The next morning was a nightmare. Joe was so used to waking up at the crack of dawn, that his body did this for him automatically. He wanted to pull the blankets over his head and curl into a ball but that wouldn’t help now that Joe was awake and he highly doubted he’d be able to get back to sleep. He lay on his cot listening to the men in his shared barracks snoring away, peacefully unaware of his torture. Every snort felt like it was getting louder, splitting Lieb’s skull, so eventually he got up, unable to endure it any longer. 

Luckily, Easy was given the day off to recover from the previous night, which meant no early morning exercises or dull lectures to sit through. Liebgott changed into his OD’s and made his way to the mess hall, some coffee would do him good and knowing what shenanigans his friends got up to the previous night, he suspected not many would be there, that equalled silence.   

He was right, of course. Most of the easy company men were sleeping off the night of drinking and the ones who were here, sat quietly most likely nursing throbbing heads and queasy stomachs. 

Joe headed straight for the caffeinated drink, poured himself straight black coffee, no sugar and sat down to sip away at it. As he sat there, inhaling the strands of steam rising out of his cup, a melodic voice infiltrated his ears.

Bernadette’s tawny brown hair came into his view, followed by Bull’s large frame, the two walking side by side looked funny. Birdie seemed shorter than usual and Bull looked like a giant next to her. 

The pair of southerners found seating next to each other and chatted happily, at one point Birdie playfully slapped a hand onto Bull’s shoulder while laughing. Joe narrowed his eyes, what could Bull being saying this early in the morning that warranted that reaction from her. Surely he wasn’t that funny at 0600. 

Liebgott turned his attention away from them, trying to ignore their endless communication. Every time they shared giggles, he shrunk closer to his cup of coffee, glowering at their joyful mood. 

After what felt like hours to Joe, but was really only ten minutes, Bull excused himself and left the mess hall. Birdie glanced around at the other inhabitants of the room and her eyes fell on Joe, hunched over his drink, sulking. She imagined he’d enjoyed himself at the party and was more than a little hungover. She honestly hadn’t expected to see him up this early, so she just about skipped over to the table he occupied. 

“Morin’ ” Bernadette sang, sitting across from him with her own cup of coffee, hers was almost entirely milky white and loaded with sugar. Joe glared up at her, unimpressed, he hummed at her gloomily. 

“You drink a lot last night?” She was enjoying this too much, smiling at him with that bright cheery look. Ugh, he couldn’t stand that delighted expression on her face. He didn’t even know why he was so mad about it, it was probably the hangover. Definitely not the fact that he had been listening to her all but flirt with another man for the past twenty minutes. Not that he cared who she flirted with. 

“I’ll take that as a-”

“Jesus! What do you want, Coldwell?” He spat the words out quickly, cutting her off and stunning her into silence. She didn’t answer him, she just sat there blinking at him. Studying his features, trying to understand his attitude change from the night before. She had hoped they could start being more friendly with one another but obviously she was mistaken. 

George Luz walked in and she decided to make conversation elsewhere, somewhere she knew she was wanted. Birdie stood and left without another word; Joe, quite plainly didn't want her to speak to him so why should she put the effort in? 

“Hey, Luz.” The woman chirped.   

“Birdie.” He greeted in return. She went with him as he collected his breakfast and sat at an empty table. George filled her in on the highlights of the party after her departure, he let her know that Malarkey had freaked out when she left without telling anyone and gone to Lipton. So she expected someone to tell her off later today, most likely the Sergeant. 

She pretended not to notice when Joe glared daggers her way, she brushed it off with a joke to George who laughed heartily. For some unknown reason, the happiness coming from the pair pissed Joe off to the point that he stomped out of the mess hall, huffing and growling words under his breath. 

“So, what are your plans for today?” Birdie asked her friend, choosing to ignore Liebgott’s temper tantrum. She was confused about him On the two occasions they had been alone together, he was surprisingly nice to her. He had told her she’d belonged in Easy just as much as everyone else and even complimented her, and then last night he took interest in her stories of the stars. 

Birdie had noticed his way of thinking was similar to her own about the tiny scorpion, even her own brothers thought she was weird for siding with an arachnid. She assumed that maybe they could drop the animosity act and start forming a friendship but the way he snapped at her made her rethink that. 

Then again, he could be really hungover and she was being loud very early in the morning so perhaps she should let that one slide? 

It registered that George had been talking to her while she zoned out thinking about a certain Californian man. She caught the tail end of what he was saying and pieced together that his plans were to lounge around and enjoy the time off. 

“You have any time for me today? I wanted to talk to you about something.” Bernadette and George were close, not as close as her and Toye or Guarnere but still very good friends. She liked spending time with him, he was funny and they got along easily. He agreed to hang out with her for a bit after breakfast as some basketball games were penciled in for the afternoon. 

The pair walked around camp for a bit trading stories of their hometowns. Birdie spoke about life on a ranch while George countered with his suburban childhood. They had a fair amount in common, coming from large families with almost twenty siblings between them, so both Birdie and George had countless memories to share.

Eventually, they found themselves settling in the shade of an oak tree at the edge of the training fields. 

“I have something I wanted to ask you.” Bernadette suddenly went serious. She adored George and wanted to let him know that she would always adore him, no matter what. 

“Ah, is this your ulterior motive? Get me out here by myself and take advantage?” He gave a nervous laugh, trying to ease the tension that built between them. Birdie noticed his somewhat shaky laugh and lack of eye contact and her hand shot out to his bicep, soothing her friend as she squeezed his arm reassuringly.

“We’re friends, right?”

“You're being weird, Birdie.” He was smiling but his hands began busying themselves, plucking strands of grass and twirling them round. Bernadette kept her voice quiet and calm, hoping this might ease him. 

She had a suspicion about the man in front of her and how he was hiding his infatuation for a certain someone. Birdie may have been way off base confronting him, it wasn’t really her place to bring this up, she knew that. But she cared about George and needed him to know she was understanding of his repressed feelings and would be on his side at any cost. 

She had been through a similar situation before and missed her chance to show her support to someone important to her. Maybe this was her way of rectifying the lost opportunity.  

“I just want you to know… you can tell me stuff. And I would never think of you any different…” The woman didn’t want to say the word, in case she was wrong and he got offended, the last thing she wanted was to upset the ray of sunshine.

His face dropped. “You know, don’t you?” It was whispered, like a shameful secret he didn't want to speak any louder, just in case.

“I think I do… you don’t have to say it.” He had all but confirmed what she thought she knew, but she recognized he wasn't exactly jumping to discuss it. “I just want you to know, I’m on your side. Always.”

“You can’t say anything.” He paused, “To anyone. Ever.” Seeing the jokester so serious and solemn was spine chilling. 

Bernadette saw a flurry of emotions in his eyes, fear, nerves and a small twinkle of appreciation. He hadn’t ever said it aloud and he was glad that he wouldn’t have to, George could go on being George and he knew if he did want to share things with someone, Bernadette would be right there, waiting for him.  

“I won’t. I wouldn’t do that to you, Georgie. Not ever.” 

A/N: Birdie and Georgie friendship is everything to me! How do y'all feel about it?

~ next-autopsy ~

Chapter seventeen

[malarkgirlypop]

Green-eyed Monster (Ron Speirs x GN!Reader)

HEY! HEY! Sorry for this taking so long, she's a busy gal. But this is for @kafka-ohdear who asked for a jealousy story, and boy oh boy he was a bit jealous. This was so fun to write. I thought it would be the most fun to make Mr. Speirs jealous. Cause he just wears jealousy so well. It got a bit steamy, so I hope you like it. Anyway as per usual this is based off the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, no hate to the men who served.

Ronald Speirs was a calm man. He thought of himself as composed and coolheaded. These traits made him a good leader. He was able to handle any situation thrown at him. Like in Foy when he had been made to take over the assault that Lieutenant Dike had been butchering to then be made CO. But one person made his calmness dissipate. Ron couldn’t put his finger on why the private had wound him up so much. Maybe it was their carefree attitude, they were in the middle of the war but still found a way to be chipper and brighten up the rest of the men. Or maybe it was the way they carelessly flirted with every soldier they came across, did they know they were doing it or was it unconscious. Maybe he was jealous at how easily they talked to everyone and opened up to them with their infectious personality. Everyone seemed to hang off their every word. Now as they sat in Hitler’s Eagles Nest Ron watched Y/N entertain the men with their stories. 

“And then she dropped it and it went everywhere!” Y/N finishes their story as the soldier’s roared with laughter. “Thank you, thank you I will be here all week.” Y/N bows, pretending to receive applause. Y/N reaches forward picking up the bottle of wine they had placed on the floor before they had stood up to give a dramatic reenactment of the story. Y/N sips from the wine, still standing, their eyes scanning over the room. Y/N’s eyes fall on the soldier sitting in the corner of the hall, Winters and Nixon sitting close to the men but he doesn’t involve himself in their conversation. Ron’s eyes are fixed on Y/N, not averting his gaze. They seem to stare at each other, waiting for the other to pull their focus. Y/N tilts their head as they regard the man as he mirrors their actions. They sip from their wine, finally turning their attention back to the group of rowdy Easy company men that sat in front of them. Y/N sat next to George trying to focus on the conversation he was having with Lieb but their mind wandered to the solitary soldier drinking across the room from them.

Ron had only become CO a couple months prior, but he had been around before that. Ron was in Dog company originally. Y/N had only seen him a handful of times but had heard many things about the infamous Captain Speirs. Ronald had quite the reputation, many soldiers in the company being scared shitless of the ruthless man. A rumour or two had spread at the beginning of the war right after D-day, that Speirs had given a group of POW’s cigarettes only to shoot them all dead after they had lit them. However this was just gossip, only one person had claimed to see the event, and from there the story had become more exaggerated. People said he shot 8 and then the next Y/N had heard the story Ron had killed 20 odd men. Y/N didn’t believe all the tall tales told about the Captain but had kept him at arm's length. Though he was stunningly handsome, he was cold and calculated. He was curt and stubborn, all the things that Y/N was not. Known in Easy company as the flirt and entertainment along with Luz. Luz and Y/N had clicked right from the beginning getting on like a house on fire. The two were notorious for playing pranks and causing havoc. They were referred to lovingly as Easy companies trouble-makers. Y/N loved Luz like a brother and they were attached at the hip, never far from each other. It kept them sane, amidst all the chaos and heartbreak of war. They had each other and were able to make each other laugh, even when they were having the toughest of days. But they also were able to console each other, knowing what to say when the jokes weren’t feeling the most appropriate. George and Y/N had had a hard time after they had found the camp when doing a search of the perimeter. Neither of them had seen anything like it before and it broke them. It was different to the casualties they had experienced in war, this situation seemed more cruel. The men in the war signed up knowing the sacrifice they might have to make, knowing they might not make it back alive. But this camp they had found, the people were innocent. They weren’t even being treated like humans, they were inferior in Hitler’s eyes, cast aside to be exterminated like cockroaches in a house. That was cruel, the most awful thing that Y/N would ever see. George and Y/N weren’t the same after that, but none of the men were. In that moment they saw the real horror of what was happening and how blindsided they had all been to the reign of Hitler. So when they had stumbled across his Eagle’s nest they were more than happy to loot and steal whatever they wanted, that man deserved no respect. George knocked his elbow into Y/N pulling them from their thoughts. 

“Huh?” Y/N asked. 

“Were you not listening at all?” George rolled his eyes at his friend. 

“Nope, but you know what? I am super drunk.” Y/N slurs in George’s face. George laughs, as Y/N tries to get the room to stop spinning. Y/N spots Winters and Nixon laughing across the room. Y/N gets to their feet, steadying themself before sauntering over to the men. 

“Hello handsome!” Y/N says to Nixon swaying over him. 

“Hello you!” Nixon equally as drunk smirks at Y/N. They take a step forward to sexily whisper in his ear, stumbling over Nixon’s feet landing on his lap. 

“Woooh, steady on Y/N!” Nixon laughs as Y/N gets comfortable. Wrapping their arms around his neck. 

“You love it!” Y/N teases. Nixon wraps his arms around their waist steadying them on his lap. Y/N stays in that position flirting with Nixon as they chat. Y/N feels a shiver run up their spine, glancing around finding the icy stare of Ron trained on them. Shaking off the feeling they turned their focus back to Nixon. Y/N couldn’t seem to pay attention to Nix, the weight of Ron’s gaze distracting them too much. 

“I have to pee.” Y/N announces wiggling off of Nixon’s lap. Y/N scurried out of the hall they occupy into one of the long hallways. Feeling more sober now thanks to the glare of the stoic Captain.

Y/N turns in a circle, where am I? The Eagle’s nest is huge. All the hallways looking the same turns it into a never ending maze. I swear I just walked past that panting. Y/N groans turning around to try and find their way back to the hall. After making more turns left and right trying to remember the way they had come originally, Y/N was once again lost. OMG I WILL NEVER ESCAPE THIS HALLWAY! Y/N presses their back to the wall, sliding down it to sit. Hiding their head in their knees sighing. A pair of black boots stepped into Y/N’s eyeline. They take a moment to regard the shoes, slowly trailing their eyes up the figure looming above them. They gape at their Captain who stands over them.

“Oh, Captain!” Y/N sputtered. Ron didn’t speak, only extending his hand to help Y/N to their feet. Reaching out Y/N clasps the outstretched hand, as he helped haul them to their feet. Once standing they noticed the closeness of the Captain. Ron stood toe to toe with Y/N, caging them into the wall with his body. Shyly Y/N glanced up at Ron who looked down his nose at them. 

Ron leaned forward into Y/N’s space, prompting Y/N to take a step back only to be stopped by the wall. The Captain’s breath fanned onto their face, only inches between them, one small movement would cause their lips to touch. A blush rose to Y/N’s cheeks thinking about them sharing a kiss with Speirs, shaking the thought from their head. Their eyes finally glanced up to hold his gaze. 

“Is there something on my face?” Y/N asked, turning on their signature charm. 

“No.” Speirs said curtly. 

“Then why do you keep staring at me?” Y/N questions the man tilting their head in a coy manner. 

“I don’t like people touching what’s mine.” Ron spoke in a low voice. Y/N blinked at the man confused at what he meant. 

“I’m sorry Sir, I’m confused? Do I have something of yours?” Y/N asked. The man didn’t answer immediately, scanning his eyes over their face, lingering on their lips before dragging back up to meet their gaze again. A shiver ran up Y/N’s spine. The intensity at which Ron was looking at them almost had them in a puddle on the floor. 

Ron took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of Y/N. The smell of wine and something almost sweet lingered around them. The smell alone was addicting. Ron had never felt like this before about anyone. When Y/N had sat on Nixon’s lap he saw red, the way they smiled at each other. Draped over each other, the way Nixon’s arm looped around their waist. His head swirled with jealousy. Ron didn’t think he liked the Private much, he thought he disliked them. Watching them flirt with people, he just assumed he was annoyed at how they weren’t focussing on the task at hand. But after he saw them in Nixon’s lap, he had soon figured out that he felt quite the opposite about Y/N. He had wanted to be the one they were draped over, laughing carelessly, whispering to each other. It had taken quite some control to stop himself from marching over and plucking Y/N out of Nixon’s lap to find somewhere more private. Ron had taken the other option of sending the most deadly glare in their direction instead. When Y/N had scurried out of the room he was quick to slip out as well, following them from a distance. He could tell when Y/N had taken multiple wrong turns they had been lost. He kept his distance though, planning to only be a spectator to it all. When Y/N had sighed loudly and sunk to the floor, he thought it would be the right time to intervene. His plan at first was just to help Y/N back to the hall they were so desperately trying to find. But after he had helped them to their feet he couldn’t help but close the distance between them. They had tried to charm Ron but he had other motives. 

“Sir?” Y/N questioned again when the Captain didn’t answer. The man seemed to snap out of his trance, taking a step back from Y/N. 

“Do you want me to show you back to the hall?” Ron asked. Y/N felt like they had whiplash, one moment it seemed like Ron was about to confess something, the next he was offering to show them back to the hall. 

Y/N still feeling a bit tipsy felt a surge of confidence, taking a step forward into Ron’s personal space. Lightly brushing their fingertips down Ron’s arm. The man stood still, watching Y/N fingers trace down his sleeve, his jaw clenched. 

“Careful Y/N, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Ron growled. 

Y/N smirked, “Oh like this?” dragging their fingers across Ron’s chest teasingly. In a sharp movement Ron captured Y/N’s hand in his, causing a gasp to leave their lips. Pulling them in even closer to whisper in their ear. “You’re playing with fire.” Ron let Y/N’s hand go as it dropped back to their side. 

Something switched in Y/N. An anger bubbled in their chest. Yes they had noticed Ron’s glares on occasion, only thinking it was because the Captain disliked them. Y/N was fine with that, not everyone had to like them, but from his actions tonight it seemed like it was the opposite. Which ticked them off, if Ron liked them why treat Y/N so coldly. Why did he always send a dirty look, never talk to them. Whenever they talked in the past it was short and sweet, no small talk. Orders and go. Now Ron wanted to claim them. A huff left Y/N lips. 

“Do you have a problem with me Sir?” Y/N demanded. Ron seemed taken aback from the sudden outburst of Y/N, not often were they mad and showed it. Ron opened his mouth to answer the soldier standing in front of him only to be cut off. 

“You can’t just treat me like you hate me and then tell me that I am yours!” Y/N spat harshly at the man. 

“I didn’t know.” Ron said calmly, trying to defuse the situation. 

“You didn’t know what?” Y/N challenged the man, fist clenching at their sides to try and restrain themselves from doing something they would regret. 

“I didn’t know that I liked you.” Ron confessed sheepishly. The statement had shocked Y/N causing a blush to rise on their cheeks. They opened and closed their mouth, unable to form a sentence. 

“I’m sorry for treating you poorly in the past. You just….you just made me so angry. I couldn’t put my finger on why. But now I can. Seeing you tonight with Nixon, it just hit a nerve. Then I realised that I was jealous.” Ron blurted trying to fill the silence, as Y/N stared stunned at him. 

“I wanted you to look at me how you were looking at him.” Ron breathed. The pair still standing toe to toe stared at each other as their breaths filled the silence. The tension between them was thick with need. So close, their faces only inches apart, breaths mingling with each other. Ron’s eyes searched between Y/N’s for an answer, a signal, anything. Ron’s hands moved from his side reaching Y/N’s face cupping around their jaw. 

“Is this ok?” He hummed lowly. Y/N’s lips parted as a soft yes fell from their mouth. Ron’s thumb moved, stroking Y/N’s jaw. The movement causes Y/N’s eyes to flutter closed, enjoying the gentle touches. 

“What about this?” Ron breathed, running his thumb down Y/N’s neck. A sigh left their lips, letting their head fall back so the man had better access to their skin. Ron came closer, tucking his face into the open space that Y/N had created. 

“This?” He said, deliberately dragging his lips over the soft flesh as he spoke. Causing a moan to sound from Y/N. The man stepped back letting all contact cease. A whimper came from Y/N from the sudden loss. Y/N head swum, desperately wanting to be back in Ron’s arms and pissed at him for teasing them so. 

“That’s not very nice of you Ron.” They panted, a smug smirk formed on the Captain's lips. 

“Well now you know how it feels.” He teased Y/N. Y/N scoffed at the man. 

“Fine then! I will find someone else to satisfy my needs.” Y/N exclaimed, turning on their heel back to the direction of the hall. I mean if it’s that way, I am still lost. Not making it two steps before their waist was grabbed by Ron. Who turned them back to face him. 

“There is no need for that.” Ron asserted. Before Y/N could come back with a snarky reply Ron pressed his lips to theirs. His lips were surprisingly soft and full. The kiss at first was gentle. Ron’s hand gripped at Y/N’s hips pulling them closer. A contented sigh leaving Y/N’s lips. Sliding their hands up Ron’s arms to rest on his shoulders, pulling him further down to deepen their kiss. Ron’s grip on their body grew possessive, his kisses becoming more fervent. His hands running up their spine, stopping at the base of Y/N’s neck, his fingers playing with the hair there. A soft moan falls from Y/N’s lips. Taking the opportunity of their open mouth Ron teasingly running his tongue along their bottom lip. Y/N presses their body further into Ron’s needing to be as close as they could to the man. Ron allowed his tongue to find its way into Y/N mouth. The sounds of soft whimpers and groans filled the empty hallway as the pair became hungrier with lust. Ron moved Y/N swiftly, grabbing under their legs to lift them off the ground. Y/N wrapped their legs around Ron’s waist. Ron pushes Y/N against the wall pressing their back against its surface. With his hands wrapping fully around their body Ron passionately kisses Y/N, his hands gliding up their figure as his lips continue to explore theirs. With Y/N pressed against the wall Ron leaned into the kiss more heavily, his tongue exploring Y/N mouth, as their hands roamed around Ron’s body. Slipping their fingers into his hair tugging gently causing the man to groan, the sensual sound causing goosebumps to arise over their skin. Y/N pulls back to admire the man, his blue eyes full of lust, his swollen pink lips parted slightly as he pants. 

“I think we should take it slow.” Y/N whispers to the man still being held in his arms.

“God you’re killing me Y/N.” Ron growled, but in the same breath gently placing them back on the ground but still holding them close. A small smile formed on Y/N’s lip, giving the man a gentle peck. Grabbing his hand Y/N starts to lead him back to the hall. He smiles and walks after them. 

“Y/N, the hall is this way.” He chuckled, pulling them back. Continuing to hold hands they walked down the corridor back to the hall where the rest of Easy company resided.            

[eugeneroehoe]

Hi, @mylastresortiswriting! I was your short story gifter for HBO War Daily’s short story event! Thanks for your help in letting me know what you wanted from my anon ask. It was VERY difficult for me to write something within the word count, but I hope you enjoy what I came up with :)

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Edward ‘Babe’ Heffron & Eugene Roe

Babe can’t figure out how to deal with the after effects of war, and goes to the only person he knows can help.

Word count: 994

Going home was harder than Babe could’ve ever expected, somehow. War seemed like hell, but it wasn’t until it was over that he realized how used to it he’d become. And he wasn’t even one of the guys who had been in it from the start.

He thought about how this was the last time he’d have any reason to wear this uniform on the train home. Unless Hitler had a brother he didn’t know about, or something.

No more uniform, no more explosions, no more death. That should be a comforting thought. But when he laid back down on his real bed at home the first night, he didn’t sleep at all. He got up and went for a walk around his neighborhood as though floating, just a presence rather than a person. It was his home, and somehow he felt like he no longer belonged to it.

His family wanted to celebrate his safe return, but it only reminded him of Bill’s not-so-safe return, and made him upset. They opted for a special dinner of all of Babe’s favorite foods, but resisted inviting the entirety of Pennsylvania over and kept it to close family only. It was nice, but Babe was mostly quiet.

Anytime someone asked him a question about what he saw while he was gone, he just shook his head. There was no way he was going to ruin the innocence of his loved ones by giving them even a hint of what it really was to feed their imaginations. Imaginations were usually worse than reality when it came to thinking of horrors, but Babe thought this might be the only exception. What he saw was worse than anything a mind could conjure up.

Days turned into weeks, then months, and eventually his family gave up on asking him if he was okay. They knew the answer would always be the same lie.

Working a regular job was weird. He woke up to his mother’s soft voice calling to him instead of screaming or explosions. He’d go in, talk to his coworkers, many of whom were in the exact same situation as him, and pretend like nothing was wrong.

He visited Bill a lot after work, so much so that Bill’s ma stopped asking who was at the door when he knocked, instead just opening it for him with a smile.

Sometimes he and Bill talked, other times they said not much at all. This time had been different, though. Bill wasn’t exactly the most intuitive guy, but even he could tell something was on Babe’s mind.

“What’s wrong, kid?”

“Have you talked to any of the guys? Since?” Babe mumbled, fumbling with his sleeve to get some of his nervous energy out. He kept his eyes downcast, but he could feel Bill staring holes into his face.

“A little,” Bill answered with a small shrug that Babe couldn’t see. “Mostly Toye. I thought about writing to Winters just to say…well, I don’t know what. Somethin’. But I haven’t yet. Why?”

“I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout them. A lot. ‘Specially Gene,” Babe admits quietly, glancing up and then back down quickly, as though afraid of what Bill’s reaction would be.

Bill nodded slowly, rubbing his chin with his hand. “Hard not to. You took a liking to him, I seem to remember.”

Babe doesn’t deny it.

“Well? Didya write to him?”

“No. I don’t know what to say.”

“Then go see him.”

“What?” Babe exclaims, eyes wide. “Unannounced? That’s kinda rude…”

“Oh, Christ, Heffron. I can’t believe you of all people are worryin’ about manners.” Bill rolls his eyes and shifts on his bed.

“But if I don’t know what to say now, how the hell will I when I’m standin’ right in front of him?”

“If you really miss him, you’ll have something to say,” Bill says simply, almost dismissively. Babe knew then that he’d lost.

Then he was on the front steps of Eugene’s house, taking it in as if it were something more grand than it really was. When he’d gotten off his bus and asked the first person he saw for directions, he immediately recognized the accent and only then did he truly know how much he’d wanted to hear it again.

He’d much prefer it coming from the mouth of his friend, which would come true if he could bring himself to knock on the damn door. He sits down on the steps instead.

“Edward.”

Babe nearly jumps out of his skin and turns to look over his shoulder. After the war, he’d been so sensitized to sound, but he hadn’t even heard the door open. Gene was always like that, silent.

“How did you know I was out here?” Babe asks dumbly, too stunned to think of anything a little more touching. He quickly takes in the sight of Gene in civilian clothes, almost stunned by it. Like he’d been expecting him to open the door to his home with that same red cross on his arm.

Gene’s lips pull into one of his almost-smiles, small and subtle, and Babe feels like he might cry. “I saw your shadow through the window. Thought maybe you were a ghost.”

“Funny, I kind of feel like I am.”

“Is that why you’re here? I can’t bring back a dead person.” It’s meant to be a joke, but Gene’s eyes are empty as he says it.

“Gene, I-” Babe’s own throat won’t let him speak, and his eyes burn.

Eugene tilts his head a little, gently closes the door behind him and approaches Babe. When Babe continues to say nothing, he sits down on the step beside him. Babe just looks at him.

Babe inhales sharply. “I thought I’d know what to say.”

“Then maybe you don’t need to say anything at all.”

Babe’s shoulders drop, then he pulls the man into a hug. They stay like that, and for the first time in months, Babe feels okay.

[westadventure24]

Day 4 - That’s history!!!

Hello all! I apologize for such a late update. I had my usual morning post all done and ready to go and then no service when I went to post.

The chilly temperature this morning in Custer woke me up early so I decided to take Lily for a walk around the lake as the sun came up. Lily enjoyed all the strange smells and I think she was trying her best to hunt down that bison who was in camp the night before. (Side note, when we pulled out this morning the behemoth beast was standing right at the edge of the road. I guess he likes camping!) taking that lake walk this morning was contagious. Everyone went walking by the lake in their own time, but Todd was the only one lucky enough to see any horned wildlife. Well, I guess Mom saw some too since she went with Dad. 😊

After walking and organizing, we headed towards Mountain Rushmore. A dear friend of mine, Joanie, told me once “It is like nothing you have ever seen. Indescribable.” She was not wrong!

As Todd maneuvered the camper van through the S curves and beautiful mountains, there it was. The feeling brought me back to that same excitement when I was a kid screaming, “I see the Eiffel Tower!!!” as we neared King’s Island. But this…WOW! To see one and only completed, hand carved, rock sculpture of the faces of four of the most influential presidents U.S. history is truly unbelievable. Seeing it in books and pictures just doesn’t do it justice. Even Lily stopped to look!!! I asked Mom if she ever thought she would see it in person…her response was nothing short of what anyone reading this would expect, “No, I did not.” I am so thankful that she was able to see what some might call the 8th Wonder of the World. (I don’t know if anyone actually calls it that except the guy I heard say it while we were there, but it sounded feasible to me!)

After our visit to Mount Rushmore, we made our way to Deadwood, SD, where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are laid to rest. After watching, the HBO series of the same name a few years back, I couldn’t wait to visit the famous western gold mining town. I have to say, I was highly disappointed in the town as it was not the original or even the close reproduction that I had expected, but much more commercialized with casinos and souvenir shops being nearly every establishment on Main Street. We didn’t let that ruin our fun! Todd’s hopes were deflated when he discovered the brothel had been shut down by the FBI over 40 years ago. Just kidding….he had no idea…didn’t even know the sign was there when I took his picture!! 😂

While Calamity Jane always raised a ruckus, I knew Dad would give her a run for her money. A local bartender recommended the Oyster Bay restaurant for the best pizza in town, so off we went. Like everywhere else, they had slot machines. What we learned is that not only Dad, but Mom, had missed their calling….millwright and customer service worker, pfft! They should have moved west and became gamblers! We gave them each $2 and Todd showed them how the penny slot worked. Mom won $9.64 and Dad won $7.35! They nearly won enough to pay for their lunch AND were smart enough to cash out and be done!

After making a brief stop at the Bar where Wild Bill Hickok was shot while holding a hand of Aces and Eights, we decided to head out of town after making one last stop at Mt. Moriah cemetery where Bill, Jane and the town’s first sheriff, Seth Bullock, were buried. I mean, we were there, right? Why not?

On the road again, Wyoming brings a different kind of terrain….many meadows of antelope, but coolest of all was seeing Devil’s Tower in the distance as we made our way to our campground in Moorcroft. I guess I have been doing this way too long both Mom and Todd just asked if I had posted. Until tomorrow family and friends! ❤️