#he’s got like 10 miles left but he has a pretty big climb coming up rn

[fatgirlgetsfitatlast]

2022 Year End Summary

What happened this year, hmmm, let's see what I can remember...

April: Mad Max, the Road Warrior Kitten arrived.

There had been a couple of stray cats hanging around the farm for some weeks and we'd been feeding them. The female was beautiful, the male was HUGE. This is the female, who would later be called, 'Mama'.

We were worried she might be pregnant, but turns out she was just putting on weight because of getting fed on the regular. She showed up pretty soon with two kittens...

The kittens would hide under the vehicles and if you looked at them, they would CLIMB UP INTO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I had to scare them out of the motor compartment of my car before I drove it that first week after they showed up. I was so paranoid about one of them still being in there, I stopped several times while driving from the farm to my house to check. My BF was not so thorough before he left to drive to my house, 60 miles away over country roads, interstates through Tampa, and stop-and-go city streets. He got to my house on a Tuesday and on Thursday, when he was getting ready to go back, we heard it. The meow! This kitten had not only survived the ride (that road has some seriously huge bumps! I don't know how he stayed in!), but then STAYED UNDER THE TRUCK FOR TWO DAYS with no food or water! HE WAS TINY. Just over 1 pound...

He's lived with me at the beach, traveling back and forth with me to the farm every week, but always an indoor cat since then. He's grown into a Big Boi ...

After many years of resisting getting another dog, it seems like the universe conspired to place another little life in my home. I'm fine with it.

We got his mom fixed a bit after this. We don't know what happened to the other kitten, but the BF says he saw the other kitten at the farm when he got back that Thursday, so he didn't make the ride.

Here is mama kitty on the way to be spayed. It took us a whole week to trap her -- she's smart! I would've offered her a home indoors, but she went BAT SHIT CRAZY when confined, it just wasn't going to work. She remains living at the farm, free and doing as she pleases.

Also in April: Hit my highest weight in the last SEVERAL YEARS at 331.

September: We sold the farm.

(Don't worry, I made arrangements for mama kitty and her boyfriend, they are still there, being fed and taken care of).

For the last 12 years we have been dividing our time between our 10 acre farm and a house near the beach. They are about 60 miles apart. I would go up there on the weekends, (Friday night-Monday morning), and he would come down to my house during the week (Tuesday morning-Thursday morning). This gave us both some 'me time' and was the best of both worlds -- beach and country. However, the BF has some serious health issues and they have only gotten worse the last couple of years. I was having to pick up more and more of the work and it was just becoming too hard for me to handle it all, so, we made the decision to sell the farm and both live at the beach full time. This happened VERY QUICKLY. Like, he made the call on a Monday and by the next Monday there was a relator out taking pictures and by later that week we had a contract on it. This is all great except for the fact that there was 32 years of JUNK in the house and the outbuildings and barns that had to be dealt with and I was the only one healthy enough to do it.

I ended up working myself into an infected/ulcerated toe, walking 25k steps a day for WEEKS as I cleaned and hauled stuff away, donating, trashing, or moving stuff to my house. Moving stuff to my house meant I had to make room for it, so there was more sorting, trashing, and donating to be done from here to make room for the stuff from the farm. It was a NIGHTMARE and I still don't have everything put away, the garage is stacked with boxes of garage stuff that needs to find a place to be put away.

October: BF needs stent in carotid artery.

Since all his doctors were still 60 miles away, this meant driving those 60 miles up to the hospital there, and then even after he was released, more driving up there for the follow ups. During this time also, his eyesight started to become an issue. Apparently, this is common after having new lenses put in during cataract surgery, which he'd had some years before. But that meant, even when he was cleared to drive, he couldn't, so I was spending hours and hours every week driving him to doctors appointments. At this time I tried to get in to see a doctor of my own about my toe, which was clearly infected, my whole foot was starting to swell up and turn red, but every appointment was weeks out. Finally we got the BF in to see the eye specialist and they lasered this cloudiness away and he could drive again. Thank goodness!

November 15: Got in to see podiatrist about toe

The news was rather alarming, enough so that it scared me into going back on keto, and while I have 'cheated' at Christmas and Thanksgiving, overall I have kept to the low carb lifestyle in an effort to get my undiagnosed diabetes under control. I have neuropathy in both feet; he said I missed being able to feel about half of the little 'pokes' he did with a needle thing. I, of course, knew I had that, but in my defense, I've had numbness in my feet since I was in my 30s, I think brought on by doing high impact aerobics on hard flooring for several years. I simply ignored it when it got worse.

I also made an appointment with a primary care doctor-- the first I've had in about 8 or 9 years. That appointment is January 4th, so we'll see how bad everything is then.

December 31:

I'm down about 10 pounds since November 15th, which I would've hoped for more, but down is better than up, right? I have been staying true to low carb for the most part, trying to heal this toe, which is still not healed. I am not supposed to walk on it at all, but that has never happened. I did stay off it quite a lot at first, but that just isn't sustainable, and I have to workout to lose weight and also help the blood sugar and blood pressure numbers.

Throughout the year, I have been working out 3x a week doing Plyojam and Yoga via Zoom, but have not done much more than that. I know I need to do more, so have committed to a 30 minute workout every day. Thus far I'm on a streak of 12 days; when I workout later today, it will be 13. Hoping to keep this going all through next year and add in more walking as soon as I feel like my toe can handle it.

Here's where I am right now. It pains me to post these, but I want to be honest about my condition and have these for comparison later...

Next jeans goal:

Weight:

So, here we go again. Into a new year, trying to get healthy AGAIN. I don't have specific goals other than that -- work out more as possible, eat keto/low carb, get blood sugar and blood pressure under control, feel better.

[essentiallychaotic]

I have given up on knitting tonight bc I am officially too sleepy to not make mistakes (I’ve actually been going to sleep earlyish lately so 1am my time is very late for me now) BUT I want to see if Versteeg takes first and what his time ends up being and this is the Inaugural Race so it’s a big deaaal but also 😴😴😴

[superhero--imagines]

Part 12

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 Here! / Part 4 Here! / Part 5 Here! / Part 6 Here! / Part 7 Here! / Part 8 Here! / Part 9 Here! / Part 10 Here! / Part 11 Here!

* You stare at the blank ceiling, the smooth unblemished surface like freshly fallen snow

* you should really put some nudie posters up there or something to lighten the mood a little. 

* Light notes from the piano float around your room

* You sigh, so these are the facts as you know them:

* Edward is your best friend who has occasional bouts of brooding and flirtatious behavior.

* Bella is not albino, she has a lovely peach undertone, and a lovely grilled peach scent

* The entire coven has treated your attraction to this young lady’s blood like you got caught masturbating or wetting the bed or something

* “You don’t need to be embarrassed it’s a perfectly natural feeling.” Esme tells you while rubbing your shoulders

* “We’ve all been there” Rosalie reassures

* “Totally not a big deal, it happens to me everyday!” Jasper chimes in

* You wish sunlight hurt you so you could combust into flames on the spot

* The piano notes get louder, and you feel your mouth pinch into a frown.

* “Oh my god Edward! Read the room, I want brooding music!”

* Edward stops, up until then he had been playing a pretty cheerful Mozart piece

* You can tell he wants to ask why, you’ve been radiating joy non-stop since biology. But he decides against it

* “You really shouldn’t eat lying down.” He says as you sip blood while lying flat on your bed.

* “Okay dad.” You snort

* Edward starts to imagine what it would be like if you called him ‘daddy’

* All needy on top of him, your hands curled in fists against his chest, the breathy “daddy please” that leaves your mouth

* All of a sudden he’s ugly turned on

* “Ugh you’re no fun, I’m going to hang out with Rosalie”

* You leave the room and Edward has a total meltdown, is this what a kink is? Is he discovering a kink?!? At 100 years of age?!?!?!?

* Edward.exe is broken

* You don’t even make it to Rosalie’s room, you can smell them a mile away

* Broccoli, sugar and fat, and axe body spray. No peaches you realize with a sigh.

* They’ve only just barely rung the door bell when you open the door

* “Hey what are you guys doing here?”

* Jessica’s standing in front, looking pretty at ease, while Mike and Angela look equally uncomfortable.

* Makes sense, Jessica’s here all the time now either for homework or to watch TV.

* Mike and Angela haven’t been back since your sweet sixteen

* “How did you get down here so fast?”

* “I saw your car from upstairs” you say with a sheepish smile.

* You wish Alice would have given you a heads up, you weren’t planning on pretending to be human right now. Still you probably look raggedy enough right now in sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt

* You can probably pull this sick thing off

* “We just wanted to check up on you, I heard from Mike and Angela you got sick during class.” And then in a more annoyed tone Jessica adds “And I guess you’re too sick to respond to all my texts and calls”

* Oh crap, where is your phone.

* You pat your pockets, and think when you saw it last

* “I left it in my locker” you smack your head. You told Edward to go grab your bag from class but you forgot your phone.

* “Hey don’t worry about it, I can get it for you tomorrow if you want.” Jessica rushes to your side and pats your arm. You shake your head

* “No I can get it myself, I’m fine I just ate something bad.” You mumble.

* You’re not missing school tomorrow. You would literally risk murder to smell Bella again.

* It’s not insatiable thirst like described in the books, more like a craving, like someone might have for nachos.

* It itches at you for a while, but if you just distract yourself long enough you can move on

* “Would you like to come in? I think Esme just baked cookies or scones or something.”

* Esme likes to bake for the smell and donate the food to the local shelter. That, or take it for her employees at her architectural firm in town.

* Firm is a loose word, she has maybe four employees, and they get one job a month, but it seems to make her happy.

* Angela and Mike give each other looks but Jessica perks up

* “Is she making those delicious earl grey scones again?” You sniff the air

* “I think she made some of that orange zest butter too”

* “Omg I am so happy you left your phone at school” Jessica giggles walking inside past you, you hear her greet Esme with a squeal

* “They really are good.” You tell them and your remaining human friends enter the house carefully

* “Soooo where is everyone?” Mike asks taking a look around your living room.

* “Ummm Rosalie’s in the garage, Alice is probably meditating on the roof, Emmett’s at swim practice, and Jasper’s probably at the barn.”

* “What about Edward?” Angela asks before Mike can ask about the barn

* Last you saw him he was playing the piano in your room, but it’s been a while since then

* “He’s probably in his room monologuing about the degradation of the American dream or something.”

* You lead them into the kitchen where Esme and Jessica are already deep in conversation about the wonder of her baking

* “-side is so light and fluffy, how do you get the tea flavor though”

* “Witchcraft.” Esme jokes, giving a full smile before putting another tray in the oven. Only Jessica laughs, the other two are too nervous to even sit down

* “Why don’t I teach you how when you come over next week.”

* Yeah you’re pretty sure Jessica is really only a fan of the “eating” and not of the “baking”

* You’re half surprised when she seems happy at the invitation. 

* “Oh that sounds great, I can’t wait for it!” Jessica’s practically beaming

* Where’s Edward when you need him? You wonder what her motivations are. 

* Jasper is not going to like this. He’s already irritated enough that he’s kicked out of his own house every Friday when Jessica comes over to watch arrested development

* Before you can say anything to Esme the conversation moves forward

* “Did you guys hear about that security guard that died in Mason county?”

* She’s just making small talk, you know that. But you and Esme instantly tense at the mention

* Carlisle had mentioned he thought there was a nomad wandering through, they were still far enough not to cause the coven immediate trouble, but anything that brought more attention to them was a disadvantage

* “My Dad says he heard from Chief Swan it was probably a wild animal attack” Mike mumbles over a bite of scone, you figured he would be the easiest to win over with food

* You hide a smile behind your hand, he really is like a golden retriever

* “What kind of a wild animal climbs stairs into a building” Jessica mumbles over another bite of scone. And maybe to fit in, or maybe because she’s always been a nervous eater, Angela takes a bite too.

* “Oh wow, these are really good” she murmurs

* Esme Cullen ladies and gentleman, winning the hearts of teenagers with baked goods since 19XX

* “Well you kids stay safe, stay together if you can.” She pats your head and you nod.

* You don’t know the details of the attack, you get the feeling Carlisle still see’s you as a kid and he doesn’t want to burden you.

* But assuming the small changes that have happened have nothing to do with the large changes, that means Laurent, James and Victoria will be passing through soon.

* Maybe it’s for the best Bella doesn’t get involved with Edward until later.

* You’d really like to not get all mixed up in the whole “James Thing” if you can help it.

* “Are you staying for dinner? I’m thinking of whipping up some pasta, maybe a chicken?” Esme looks to you, yeah you have no idea how she’s going to manage that. Besides the baking basics there’s no actually food in this kitchen. And the one upstairs is just for your blood bags.

* “(Y/N), do you think...Carlisle would mind if we used one of... his chickens?”

* His chickens? The only chickens in the house-

* “No Esme! My chickens are only for love and chicken snuggles” and their blood which tastes very leans yet rich. “Not to eat!”

* “It would just be one-we’ll eat your least favorite!”

* You’re really hoping this is her way of chasing the humans out because she doesn’t want to cook.

* “No- oh my god- we’re going to the diner come on!” You say tugging Jessica and Angela to stand.

* “It was great seeing you again Mrs. Cullen, see you next week!” Jessica shouts as the three of them follow you out.

* “Going out? Is that such a good idea it’s late and a school night.” Edward says as he descends down the stairs

* “Oh my god, yes Dad I’ll be home before my curfew.” You say before leaving, cue Edward crumbling onto the stairs as he imagines you calling him “daddy” again

* “I’m going to hell, I’m definitely going to hell.” He mumbles, his face in his hand.

* It’s a really short drive to the diner, also known as the only place to eat in Forks in the mid 2000’s. 

*There’s not even a McDonald’s. It’s almost sad

* And when you get there, while everyone moves ahead to the table you see a familiar face.

* “Oh, Hey Bella”

* Your eyes met and you figured it would be rude not to say anything. It looks like she’s here having dinner with her Dad. 

*She really does look like her dad, same eyes, same cheekbones.

* “Nice to see you again Chief Swan”

* “Nice to see you too, how’s Carlisle doing? Heard it’s been busy at the hospital.”

* “Yeah, it’s like he doesn’t sleep anymore.” You grin at your own joke.

* “Are you feeling alright now?” Bella asks, she looks genuinely concerned

* “Yeah, I um, made some questionable food choices at lunch.”

* There’s an awkward moment of silence. You get the impression that Chief Swan and his daughter are both the “strong silent” types.

* It looks like they’ve both finished eating already

* If you had known she was going to be here you would have made Edward come with you. 

* “Oh hey, do you want to join us for dinner?” It just seems like the friendly thing to do for the new girl, something on-brand with human character

* Definitely not because if you get on her good side now, maybe she won’t kick you out once her and Edward get married. 

*Father and daughter exchange a glance and the familiar connection they have makes you nervous. 

*“Of course you don’t have to, I know you’re here with your dad so-“

* “I’m sure Bella would love to join-“ Charlie says at the same time Bella says:

* “Wouldn’t it be kind of weird since I already ate.”

* Ah, so they’re not as in sync as you thought. 

* You give your best “Golden Girl - You can totally trust me with your daughter” smile.

* “I’m actually not eating either,” you place a hand over your stomach like a human might. “The uh, Clam Linguine is still haunting me, so I’m sticking to broth and sprite.”

* Why did you say Clam? You don’t even eat meat, it’s how you’ve been getting away with eating so little at lunch. 

* “not a lot of vegetarian choices” You say to your human friends who nod solemnly. 

* Father and Daughter exchange another look likening telepathic communication and they both move to stand

* “I’m going to finish up some paperwork at the precinct, don’t stay out to late.” Charlie says, leaning down to kiss his daughter on the forehead

* You watch with warm eyes and a small smile twitching onto your lips

* Bella is so loved.

* You can’t believe she’s willing to break her dad’s heart just so she can be 19 forever.

* Which, as you are 19 forever, you can fairly say is overrated

* “Hey guys Bella’s joining us.”

* Your female friends offer her a polite smile, you see Angela gaze flick from the menu to Bella’s face. Silently calculating the worth of this opportunity

* Any intel on this new girl would be pretty valuable

* Same old Angela

* Mike sits up straight so fast that he actually knocks his silverware off the table.

* “H-hey Bella, Hi, w-what, what are you doing here?”

* “Eating.” Bella says it so bluntly that you can’t help but laugh.

* Mike flushes bright red and Jessica and Angela exchange a look before giggling.

* “I thought it would be cool if she came over since I didn’t get to talk to her much.” You take a seat next to Jessica and Bella follows by taking the last seat between you and Mike.

* You still catch whiffs of her scent her and there, especially when she’s sitting so close to you.

* But it’s not so bad, the peachy smell is making you a little lightheaded, but you can handle it.

* At least you’re not fantascizing about killing her and everyone in this room like a certain dork you know.

* “Do you guys want to do that promotion where we get the basket of fries for the table?” Jessica asks

* “I don’t like sharing fries with Mike he eats them all.” Angela mumbles

* Yeah you remember last time when after a football game the three of them actually sat down and divided the plate in three equal portions

* They even measured out each fry dividing up the extra long ones 

* “Says the person who basically eats ketchup with a spoon.” Mike retorts and Angela scoffs

* “It’s America’s best condiment for a reason Mike.” Angela snaps back

* “I think we’re getting off track, I say Mike buys us all french fries to make up for all the times he hogged the joint basket” Jessica’s teasing but Mike takes it seriously

* “What so I’m a French fry monster now?”

* “Yes” Both Angela and Jessica respond in unison without looking up from their menu cards

* “What do you think Bella?” You’re surprised that Jessica’s the one asking. You get the feeling she’s not very happy about Mike’s crush on Bella.

* “I think Mike should buy everyone their own basket since he has such a bad history with sharing.”

* “You traitor!” Mike mocks hurt and you all laugh.

* You look at Bella through the corner of your eye, maybe it’s just the lighting but she looks pinker when she’s laughing.

* She looks happy as she starts contributing to the conversation.

* “I will say the pie here is really good, I wouldn’t share even if someone paid me to.”

* “Omg yes, the cheery icebox pie is out of this world” Jessica responds

* “I’m partial to chess pie” Mike pipes in and Angela laughs

* “You guys are crazy, the fruit custard they make is the best”

* You grin as your four new friends argue about the superior dessert, watching Bella laugh beside you.

* Welcome to team human Bella

Tags:  @moonlights27 @thebluetint @the100thtwilight @awesomebooklover17 @oneofthepotterheads @smileygirl08 @imdoingathingmom @iconicgguk @yrawn @alyciaswhore @little-horror-show @wicked-watering-can @lazydreamers @xxxmuxxx @puritanicalhypocrite

[lovemeleo]

hii! could you write some o'knutzy fluff?

hey anon, hope you’re doing well and hope you enjoy this little bit of o’knutzy fluff! o’knutzy of course belongs to @lumosinlove.

***

Moving to a completely new part of the country is extremely difficult. Not only are you miles and miles from where you called home for so long, but you’re away from your friends and family too. That was so difficult for Leo. Being in a different climate was extremely hard as well. Gryffindor was extremely different from New Orleans, where the lowest they got during winter was the 40s.

One of the biggest struggles Leo had was the lack of plants. This probably sounded weird, coming from a hockey player but ever since he was little, Leo loved growing things. He loved getting to put a little seed in the ground, watch it grow, and take care of it. It was even better when he got to use what he grew afterward. Leo loved growing different types of peppers, tomatoes, but he loved just growing regular plants as well. Whenever he wasn’t working, in school, or practicing, he could be found in the garden, fingers deep in the fresh dirt.

Sadly when he moved to Gryffindor and in with Finn, he had to give up his garden. They didn’t have a yard, and even if they did, it would be hard to have anything outside with the rapidly changing weather. His mom had been taking care of his garden back home, sending pictures but it wasn’t the same.

After showing his boys his garden when they visited his home, the two began formulating a secret plan. It was obvious their boyfriend missed his garden, missed the plants. It started with lots of research and planning. Finn and Logan spent so much time on gardening websites, asking experts questions, months of looking through plants that would be able to live in their area.

“We need to make sure they’re the plants that can live within Gryffindor,” Finn murmured, biting at his thumbnail as they scrolled through a local greenery’s website. 

Logan’s hand came up, pulling the older boy’s hand from his mouth as he looked over the plants, “Stop biting, you’re gonna bleed. And we can do some pepper plants. Tomatoes. Maybe some garlic, that’d be cool.”

Nodding, Finn added the plants to their cart, “The planter we bought has two levels. So we could do one level with like food plants and one with just regular plants? We’ve got that Fiddle Leaf Fig or whatever, and a couple of others. I think that’ll be good.”

“With the food ones, I think we should just buy the seeds and leave spots open. Leo might want to plant them himself.” Logan said, adding some seed packets to their cart before they paid. 

Leo had left to go home that morning for his mom’s birthday, planning to be back Sunday morning. It was now Friday afternoon and the two boys planned to have Leo’s garden ready when he got home. 

Their order wasn’t ready until Saturday, so as soon as the greenery opened the next day, the boys went and picked it all up. After getting all the plants as well as the needed supplies to their apartment, Logan and Finn got to work. They had purchased an indoor garden that stacked with two shelves that were spread enough to let the bottom shelf still grow tall. 

It took them almost all day to get it all set up. For the food shelf, they filled it with dirt but left the seed packets to the side. The other shelf was filled with different plants that had purified the air as well as some that just looked nice. The boys set up next to their balcony window so it could get sunlight.

Finn let out a sigh of relief as they looked over their finished product, “Well, fuck that was a lot. Don’t know how Leo used to do that every day, especially in the heat. Probably all tan… and sweaty.” His face took on a bit of a dreamy look before Logan swatted at him.

“Now is not the time for that, Harz. We still gotta clean up before gets home tomorrow.” 

A whine was Finn’s only reply as they started to clean, getting the extra dirt off the floor and putting away the additional supplies in their storage closet. 

After a quick shower, both boys stumbled to their bedroom, crawling into bed.

“It’s weird sleeping in here when one of us is missing,” Logan mumbled, his face already pressed into Leo’s pillow. Finn nodded into his back, his head resting against the soft skin of Logan’s shoulder as he closed his eyes.

“He’ll be back tomorrow. Then we can show him the surprise,” Finn said softly, pressing a kiss to his neck as he pulled Logan closer. “Sleep now.”

The boys were up early the next morning, getting the house was ready. They had to be at the airport to pick Leo up at 10 am and wanted to make sure everything was in order when he got home.

“I’m gonna throw the laundry in the dryer and then we can head to the airport,” Logan yelled to Finn who was picking up the kitchen. And by picking up, he was mostly tossing out empty to-go containers. Not much cooking got done when Leo was gone.

As soon as the last container was tossed, Finn was pulling on his jacket, “Alright, let’s go. Don’t want our sunshine out in the cold for too long.” Logan was following not long after, grabbing his keys and wallet before they were out the door. 

Luckily for them, traffic wasn’t bad and they made it just in time; Leo walked out the airport doors as they pulled up.

“It’s unfair how fucking tan he is.” Finn huffed, a pout on his face but anyone could tell he loved how tan Leo got, especially when he went home.

A grin lit up Leo’s face as soon as he saw them, quickly walking to the car and climbing in the backseat, “Hello, mes amours. Missed you.” He said, quickly leaning forward to press a kiss to each of their cheeks as Logan headed home.

“We missed you more, mon soleil. How was your mom’s birthday?” Logan asked, unable to stop himself from glancing back at their boyfriend through the rearview mirror. Fuck, he really did look good.

Leo smiled, resting his head back on the headrest, “Good, very good. She sends her love to the both of you.” 

“But more to me, right? I’m her favorite, non?” Logan said with a grin, glancing at the redhead next to him.

Finn shoved him, almost causing Logan to swerve, “That was before she met you. Now she knows what a shit you are.”

The car was filled with the sounds of their scuffle as Logan tried to fight Finn back while also keeping their car on the road. Leo couldn’t help the fond smile that spread on his face as he watched the two of them. Yeah, he had missed this.

When they got home, Logan and Finn turned to look at him as they got to their front door. Leo raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two of them, “What are y’all looking at it? Sorta creepy just staring at me like that…”

“We have a surprise for you,” Finn said, unable to stop the happy bounce as Logan opened the door. And there it was. His new little garden right in front of their big balcony window.

“W-what?” Leo said, eyes wide as he took in the new addition to their apartment.

Logan bit his lip nervously, “So we saw how much you loved your garden in New Orleans, and we wanted you to have one here…”

“So we decided to make your own little garden. The ones that are already planted are just like regular plants? Some of them purify the air, but others we just got cause we thought they looked pretty.” Finn continued, his anxious excitement causing him to ramble a bit. “We left the other shelf empty because we figured you might want to plant the food ones yourself, but we got a bunch of seeds!”

Leo walked forward, his fingers running gently over the edge of the garden shelves, “I can’t believe you guys did this for me...” He felt his vision blur a bit as he looked up at his boys, wiping at the tears that were forming as his face split into a massive grin. “You guys are too good to me.”

Quickly pulling the other two for a group hug, Finn held the two of them close, “Well, Nutter Butter, you deserve all of the good things.”

All of the planning, research, and digging in the dirt was all so worth it to see that blinding smile on Leo’s face. They’d do it million times, again and again, to keep it there. 

[shxllxfx]

Family pt 1 || Daryl Dixon

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Summary: Y/N and her little brother meet Daryl and Rick.

Warnings: none except for language? English is not my mothertounge

A/N: if you wanna be added to my taglist just let me know ;*

Taglist: @browngirldominion​  

"Ty I need you to climb up there and be super duper quiet, can you do that for me?" The y/h/c haired boy in front of you gave you a small nod. You looked around quickly, checking again for any walkers near you. Lifting him up you made sure that he was high enough. High enough to be out of sight of any walkers or people. You couldn't risk him getting seen. "Okay, Ty. Stay there. If anything happens, you yell for me, alright? Other than that stay up there and be quiet." Again he nodded. You gave him a small grin, before heading off. Quietly you made your way through the trees, putting one foot before the other, your bow and arrow raised high, when you heard a noise. A deer. It couldnt be too far away. Slowly you followed the prints on the ground, the bow in your arm ready. Never have you been happier that your dad was obsessed with the end of the world. He taught you everything. You were standing behind a tree and walked around it. There she was standing in the middle of a clearing eating grass. You pointed your bow and arrow at the deer, pulling the string back. Deep breath in and...

"Sophia!" The deer looked up and ran away. "Son of a bitch!" You muttered and tried to shoot your arrow to still hit the deer but it was gone. Rustling behind you made you turn and face two men. "Idiots! 'Cause of you my dinner ran!" One men was wearing a sherrifs uniform, the other one a plain tank top and some pants. They looked at you with surprise, your bow and arrow pointed at them. "Maybe try an' hold tha bow righ' for a start." The one in the tank said and you raised an eyebrow. He had a crossbow, easier than bow and arrow so what's he to judge? "Shut up, dumbass. You have to be nuts to sream some name through the whole forest. Tryna get yourselfs killed?" You lowered you bow and looked at them through squinted eyes. Turning on your heel you tried to make your way back to Tyler. "You all alone out here?" You looked at the sheriff over your shoulder. "Nah, cant you see, sheriff? Got plenty of company."

He followed you. Weirdly enough it didnt make you feel uneasy. At no point either one of them raised their weapons against you. "You gonna buy me dinner now, or why you following me, huh?" He laughed. "No. I'd like to ask you somethin'" You stopped, looked up the tree and to Tyler. "Its okay, you can come down." Both of them looked up. "So what did you want to ask?" You eyes were still on Tyler, making sure he doesnt fall down the tree. He was a good climber, always has been since the day he started to walk. When he jumped from the last branch you catched him. "You seen a little girl?" The one with the crossbow looked at you, eyebrow raised. You sat Tyler on the ground, kneeled down and got a bottle of water out of your backpack. You shook your head as you handed it to your brother. "Cant say I have." Tyler gave you the bottle back and smiled at you. "Have you got one? I am hungry." Shaking your head you searched in you backpack. "Sorry, buddy. Couldnt get a deer. But you want that?" You held out a granola bar. He nodded and took it with a smile. "Just the two of you, huh?" You looked at the sheriff. Giving him a small nod you put your backpack on again. "I am Rick. That's Daryl. You are?" Tyler raised his arms at you and yawned. He was tired. You were too, you hadnt slept in days. Lifting him up he clung to your front like a koala. "Y/N. An' the little koala bear is Tyler." Daryl looked at you. "Dangerous to be out on ya own." You nodded. "Well what am I suppos'd to do? Get me sum walkers as company?" Tyler put his head in the crook of your neck. At least someone can sleep. "You ain't got a group?"

"Doesnt look like it. Only the two of us at this point." Daryl and Rick looked at each other till Daryl nodded. "You could join us. We're a big group. Something like 10 people or so. Got other kids there as well. My sons one of them." You were surprised. Not only that they asked you to join but also that they were that many people left and near you. "I...I dont wanna cause any trouble." Daryl shook his head. "Cant leave you outta here with a kid. You a kid yourself." Your mouth opened and closed again. He was right. Atleast about Ty, you couldnt stay in the forest with a five year old. Not on your own.

You followed them back to the highway, Tyler still clung to your front. It wasn't a long walk, about 5 miles maybe, but having a 5 year old that weighs 18 kilograms on your front and a backpack on your back made things more difficult. You stopped next to a tree, trying to catch your breath. "You a'right?" Darly asked and you looked at him. "Having 'bout 25 kilograms to your torso and walking a steady pace is a bit difficult. Specially cause he feels 2 times heavier when he's sleepin'" He tilted his head. Rick stepped forward and put his arms toward you. "I'll take him for the last couple miles." You nodded and let him take Tyler from you. He immediately clung to Rick and you laughed. "Like I said he's a little koala." You took your bow off your shoulder and one of the arrows out of the side of your backpack, putting it to the string. Rick started to walk in front of you and you followed. "Need ta keep ya elbow lower, makes your shot cleaner." Darly muttered beside you and you side eyed him, lowering you elbow slightly. "Who taught you?" He asked and you turned your head to him. "My dad."

"Did you find her?" A woman with short, grey hair ran towards you, looking at Darly with big eyes. Rick put Tyler on the ground and he walked to you, hiding behind your leg. Daryl shook his head and the woman started sobbing and another one with long brown hair stroked her back. "We will find her tomorrow." Then she looked at you. "Who's that?" You smiled at her. "Hi. I am Y/N, that's my little brother Tyler." Everyone was looking at you now. She smiled but looked st Rick. "Couldn't leave her out in the woods alone with that kid." He shrugged and she looked at you again. "I'm Lori. How old are you?" Daryl was talking to the gray haired woman and Rick to an older man. "He's....he's five. I am nineteen." She introduced you to everyone else. They were nice and welcoming, gave you food and told you about themselves. You sat by the fire, knees pulled to your chest when Rick sat next to you, Daryl standing behind him. "How you feeling?" You stretched out your legs and looked at him. "Havent been around this many people in months. I have food, water, a fire right infront of me and I dont have to look around every second to make sure there ain't one of this things, so pretty good i guess?" You smile and he nods. "I have to ask you some questions, is that alright?" Now you nodded. "You have family except for Tyler?" You took a deep breath. "Another brother and my fathers somewhere out there, but they not together. My father left once all this shit started and Jack is 15 years old and somewhere out there, I lost them." Rick nodded. "Wait, them?" Daryl asked and you looked up. "Yeah. After my father left we...we were 4. Jack, Ty, my ex-boyfriend and me. Ty and I lost them when a group of walkers chased us." Rick put a hand on your shoulder and smiled. "Is Jack dead?" Shocked you turned to Tyler who was sitting next to you. "No, Ty. You know Jack. He's strong, he'll be fine." Tyler gave you a small smile and leaned into you. "I'll go and help Shane look out." Rick got up and left you alone with Daryl and Tyler. "Do you think we will see him again?" Ty muttered and you took a deep breath. "Hey, ya kno' what? My brothers out there too an' ya kno' what they'll be a'right." Tyler looked at him. "Do you think?" Daryl nodded and looked at you. You kissed Tyler's head and ruffled it softly. "Thank you, Daryl."

[apocalypseornaw]

Always be Yours- 8

Word Count: 5,574

Story Summary: Follows Dean x Reader throughout season 9 into season 10

Chapter Summary: Lies come crashing down on you and Dean which results in Kevin's death after discovering that the angel possessing Sam is not who he said he was

Warnings: Cursing, fights, character death, mention of sex

You were still half asleep with your bare leg draped across Dean as his fingers traced patterns on your skin. “I’m worried about Sammy,Y/N”  You kissed his chest right over his tattoo “I know. I am too but what can we do here? Ezekiel says he’s not healed enough to eject him and after what happened with Vesta saying he’s practically dead inside I’m sort of leaning towards the fact that he’s telling the truth on that part” A ghost of a smirk graced his face before he said “Think Jody’s forgave us for missing out on that fight?” you buried your face into his shoulder at the reminder that the two of you had in fact gotten kidnapped by a goddess because Dean had been eager to make sure the two of you got to take each other’s reclaimed “virginity” as soon as possible.

“I think I’d be a little pissed at the fact that I got stabbed because two of my friends and fellow hunters couldn’t resist the urge to have sex in the impala two blocks from the hotel instead of waiting until they got alone” he chuckled then reached down to pull you closer to him for a kiss. “These last few weeks have been good though haven’t they?” You smiled “Yeah they have” since that first night you had started sleeping in Dean’s room because you quickly found out that you both slept better curled up to the other. You could hear someone walking in the hall and strained your ears for a moment “There comes Sam, think it’s a case?”  He shrugged letting his fingers slip under the shirt you had on and you slapped at his hand as Sam knocked on the door “Got a case! Meet me in the library!” Dean smirked at you as Sam walked away “He didn’t say when to meet him” you rolled your eyes and untangled yourself from your boyfriend “I’m fairly certain he didn’t mean have sex then come meet me” he watched you from the bed as you slipped a pair of his sleep pants on under the shirt you slept in then tilted your head towards the door “If we hurry we might have time to grab a shower before we hit the road” That made him get out of the bed a lot faster than he normally would. He grabbed a shirt on the way then grabbed your hand “Let’s go see what he’s got”

------

You were laid back across baby’s backseat as Dean drove towards Fort Collins. The case seemed to be along the angelic line so you were headed to check it out. You weren’t paying too much attention to their conversation as you were attempting to go to sleep until you realized  Sam’s posture had changed and knew that meant Ezekiel was the one talking to Dean. You cut your eyes at Dean as you sat up and caught the fact that he had apparently called Ezekiel out. “So, he’s better?” you looked over at Ezekiel who met your eyes first then slowly nodded to Dean “Yes, Sam is much improved. It shouldn’t be much longer now” “No offense but you told us the same thing last week” you added and Dean nodded in agreement. 

“As I told you both when we met, this will take time” Dean scoffed at that “Well then go, heal. We’d like Sam back now” Ezekiel looked at Dean for a moment then looked at you “I must say Dean, Y/N..I’m very uncomfortable with this whole trip. Investigating crimes involving angels or anything involving angels  puts me and therefore puts Sam at risk” “It’s what we do” you replied and Dean added “Family business Zeke.If we ignored this Sam will think something fishy’s going on”

“Then I trust you will both be discreet” Ezekiel said than a thought occurred to you that must have struck Dean at the same time because he said “Wait, if you know where we’re going that means you’ve been listening in. Are you hearing everything between us and Sam?” you were curious as well but Ezekiel said “No, just a word here and there. I have better things to do with my time than eavesdrop like heal Sam” Dean started to speak “Ok, cause here’s the thing” but since he was looking at the road he missed the change in Sam so you bumped his shoulder to quickly cut him off as Sam picked up the conversation he’d dropped when Ezekiel had taken the wheel “I mean I was gonna say, it seems like it’s getting really quiet out there. Not a peep from the angels, even Buddy Boyle goes off the air and stops recruiting for them” “Obviously a calm before the storm” Dean reasoned and you had to admire the fact that neither of you had gotten whiplash from the change between Sam and Ezekiel and how sudden it was at times.

“Yeah, maybe” Sam replied then glanced out the window. “What’s wrong?” you asked at the expression on his face and he looked a bit surprised to see you sitting up but he explained “That sign said Fort Collins fifty miles, last time I looked like twelve seconds ago it said Fort Collins one hundred miles” “You know Dean’s driving” you teased with a tense smile. Dean shook his head “Since that goddess got her hooks in you..” but Sam cut him off “It’s more than Vesta. I mean, this kind of thing has been happening to me. Like there are chunks of time just missing, like there are times I’m not here” It hurt your heart to hear the distress in Sam’s voice and not be able to comfort him. Dean spoke up “Like I’ve said” 

“Yes the trials,I know I heard you and Y/N last week when you said it and the week before that and the week before that” You leaned up between them and offered “Maybe because damn straight you have reason to be wiped after the trials Sam! They whacked you. You’re not up to warp speed yet but you will be and until you are you have me and Dean to watch your back” He nodded and didn’t look too convinced on yours or Dean's theories but still joked “Unless you get kidnapped by another goddess for shacking up?” you rolled your eyes playfully and said “For that I’m going to sleep” then laid back.

------

The bar where the crime scene was had cops covering nearly every inch. You climbed out of baby and followed Sam across the parking lot. Dean stopped on the steps leading up to the wooden porch and flashed his badge so you and Sam followed suit. The deputy at the door looked over all three of your badges and nodded “One of your guys is already here” another hunter maybe? Dean looked from you to Sam as you walked inside the door but you were just as clueless as they were.

You spotted Cas about the same time he spotted you and told the cop he was currently talking to “There’s my colleagues” The cop walked off so he could catch the three of you up. You shared a smile with Sam when he patted Cas’ shoulder “Agent” “Agents” Cas replied with a little smile. Dean on the other hand looked less than thrilled and while you were happy to see Cas you remembered just how many reasons there were for it being a bad idea that Cas worked this particular scene. “Cas, what the hell are you doing here?” Dean asked and Cas shrugged “I still have the badge that you gave me” Dean nodded “Yeah uh but what the hell are you doing?” Cas’ face fell slightly “The murders were all over the news. I thought I might be of help” Sam cut in by saying “But Cas you know this is an angel situation right? I mean you left that night because the angels were on your ass” Dean’s eyes widened at Sam’s words and you gave him a look silently begging him to steer the conversation a different way so he spoke up “Yeah, and you were living the life, you know? Early retirement, working your way up the gas n sip ladder” at least it got the conversation off things that could trigger Sam figuring out he was missing out on even more time than he realized. Cas glanced towards you as he said “If angels are slaughtering one another, I have to do what I can to help. This is a risk we should be willing to take. Don’t you think?”

Sam smirked slightly and you couldn’t help but grin when Cas said “Hey, Cas is back in town” and Dean shook his head “Seriously did you, did he just say that?” and looked towards you. You shrugged “Leave him be, he wants to help” Cas smiled then opened the file in his hand that held photos of the bodies “These angels were butchered, much more violence than required” Sam took the photos from him so you stepped back next to Sam so you could look at the photos as well. They were pretty gorey.  “Dean it definitely took more than one or two killing to pull this off” you held out one of the photos and he nodded then suggested “Hit squad? Bartholomew’s people?” 

Sam shrugged one shoulder “Well Bartholomew is a faction we know about but this could be somebody else entirely. Someone we don’t know” “Well whoever it is, we’ll find them” Cas confidently said patting all three of your shoulders in turn. Cas walked off and Dean sighed “We’ll find them. That’s great” the moment you looked from Dean to Sam you spotted his posture change as his eyes glowed slightly “Zeke? I thought you didn’t want public appearances?” you whispered and he looked past your shoulder to where Cas stood talking to a deputy “This is a big risk Y/N” Dean stepped closer to you and it shocked you slightly to realize it was a protective stance. Was he worried Ezekiel would hurt you? “We know, now give Sam the driver’s seat back” He nodded and his eyes glowed then the change in posture told you Sam was back.

You shot a look at Dean trying to ask why he was acting weird but he just shook his head “Let’s grab Cas and go get a beer or something. Talk this case over” “Sounds good to me” Sam replied with a smile.

------

All of you were still in your fed suit at a bar a bit further into the nearest town. You sat between Dean and Sam nursing a beer and could feel the tension rolling off of Dean. Why was Ezekiel being weird around Cas? Hell Cas vouched for him. 

“It is so good being together again” Cas said with a smile that softened your mood just seeing it. He was a little tipsy and you could tell when he tilted his beer “You know, this is my first beer as a human” then he looked around the table as a thought occurred to him “I hope it’s ok, me joining all of you” “Of course it is” you assured him with a smile. “Why wouldn’t it be?” Sam added. Dean looked towards Sam then said “Cas are you sure you’re ready to jump back into all this? I mean it seemed to me like you’d actually found some peace” Cas nodded while Dean was talking then said “You once told me that you don’t choose what you do. It chooses you” you bit your lip to hide a smirk at Dean’s confusion. “I’m a part of this, like it or not” Cas added and clinked his beer against Dean’s. 

Sam nodded clearly amused then said “Well in that case,we have to figure out who we are up against, what do they want and how to stop them” “Well Bartholomew wants to reverse Metatron’s spell. Presumably to retake heaven once his following is large enough. That’s according to April” “The reaper you banged?” you asked. Cas nodded “And Dean stabbed” 

Dean nodded “She was hot” so you kicked him under the table which made him add “Not as hot as you Y/N” “You are much lovelier than her” Cas added so you smiled at him “Thank you” Sam laughed “I’m gonna get us another round” Cas stood up first “Naw, I’ll get it”

You watched him stumble off the stool and laughed when Dean scoffed “One beer and he’s hammered” You didn’t clock Sam’s posture changing but when Dean said “Oh boy” you glanced up and knew with one look Sam wasn’t driving. “Well, what are you two going to do about this?” “About Cas?” you questioned and Ezekiel replied “He is a beacon Y/N, pulling every angel from miles down on our heads” You leaned a bit closer to Dean without meaning to as he said “You know what Zeke, level with us. What is it that you’re so afraid of?” his hand reached out to touch your knee and you calmed a bit at the touch. Ezekiel was starting to worry you with his actions more and more, you knew Dean could pick up on that as well.

“I told you both. When I chose to answer Dean’s prayer and heal Sam, I chose sides. That means I’m not in good standing with certain angels” “Well neither is Cas” you bit back and felt Dean’s grip tighten on your knee as he agreed with you “And Cas is here with his ass on the line, fighting the fight. So tell me what makes you so special?” 

Before Ezekiel could answer Cas walked back over “Here we go, four brewskies” “I’m going to get something out of the car” Ezekiel announced. You watched him walk off then looked over at Dean placing your hand over his. You weren’t sure what was coming but something told you it wouldn’t be anything good.

You were being quiet trying to still your mind until Cas cleared his throat “Dean, I um noticed you look kind of uncomfortable when Sam mentions my leaving. If Y/N knows you told me to leave, why doesn’t he?”  you looked between the two of them because you honestly had no response. Dean sighed “Look, here’s the deal when Sam was doing the trials to seal up hell, It messed him up ok? The third one nearly killed him. If I’d let him finish it would have, he’s still messed up bad” Cas looked a bit confused “You said the angel Ezekiel helped heal him” 

You squeezed Dean’s hand that was still on your knee before he said “Look, I got to do anything I can to get him back. Now if that means we keep our distance from you for a little while then I don’t have a choice” You added “You have to know he doesn’t feel good about that choice Cas, neither do I but” “It’s great to have your help Cas but we just can’t work together” Dean finished and you felt your heart drop at how broken Cas looked again. He’d lost the angels that were his family and now you and Dean were turning your backs on him. 

------

“Dean, how long are we supposed to trust Ezekiel? I mean I see how you act every time he comes out. You don’t trust him”  Sam was in the map room last you’d seen him so you cornered Dean in the kitchen both of you whispering so none of the other habitants of the bunker would overhear. “I don’t know Y/N but we can’t risk him leaving and it killing Sam” you nodded and took a deep breath before giving voice to your next thought “What if he’s lying and using Sam and this bunker as a place to hide? I mean if Cas trusted him enough to say we should work with him why doesn’t he want Cas around?” Dean started to talk but was cut off by Sam calling both of your names.

He’d been doing some digging on the bikers that had been slaughtered. Turned out all the vics had been baptized together. A born again biker game and when Sam showed both of you the group photo of the bikers Dean spotted a patch on one of their jackets that read B.B. and underneath it spelled out was Boyle’s boys. “As in Buddy Boyle?” you asked. Sam clicked on another screen “Get this according to this guy’s wife he’d always been a religious man but a week before his death he’d come home from a bible meeting a changed man. Filled with divine glory” “So Boyle’s back at it? Just in smaller groups?” you questioned and Dean nodded “Smaller groups he makes sure it’s the angels Bartholomew wants getting in” “Well you always have said angels are dicks” you groaned at the thought of more innocent people getting slaughtered for Metatron’s actions.

------

With no other place to turn you and Dean decided to rope Kevin into hitting the lore again. Maybe just maybe Crowley had indeed lied.

Dean was on his laptop and you had four different books spread out in front of you while Kevin poured over the angel tablet. “There may be nothing in here. Crowley said the spell that cast down the angels was irreversible” “Since when do we believe that dick?” you replied not glancing up. You didn’t want to mention to Dean that Sam had left a while ago and had yet to return.

Kevin found one spot in the tablet and said it was nearly indecipherable as if when Metatron wrote it down he wanted it hidden from everyone,prophets included. There was another angel kill in Utah and had a connection to the last killing. “Rival angel gangs. Christ Kev, clock’s ticking honey”

------

You had just gotten through making Kevin lunch and he was headed back to the library when Dean walked into the kitchen “Sweetheart have you seen Sam?” you started to shake your head no but Kevin answered “He went out” “Where?” Dean questioned glancing back at you so you shrugged.

“I don’t know either. But have you two noticed he’s doing that a lot recently?” you had in fact noticed it and hoped you were wrong but something told you Ezekiel had grown tired of riding along and wanted to drive full time.”Yeah” Dean replied looking at you. That was enough to tell you he was thinking along the same line as you were. Dean’s phone started ringing so Kevin walked out the kitchen while Dean answered the call.

You glanced at him curiously and he mouthed “Cas” so you stopped cleaning to pay attention. “How do you know that?” then after a moment he asked “How?” You could feel your stomach knotting more and more with every moment “Where is he?” you whispered and he shrugged. “Wait you’re back? You got your mojo?” “He got his grace?” you whispered and Dean nodded then listened to what Cas was saying.

“What?...Yeah..Why?” Dean met your eyes when he said “What?” as soon as he hung up with Cas he grabbed your arm and nearly drug you behind him to the library “What’s going on Dean?” you asked but he shook his head knocking a chair out of your path as he stopped next to Kevin “I need a spell asap” Kevin sighed “Everyone always needs a spell and it’s always asap” you were clueless as to what was going on so you remained silent as Dean spoke “Look, an angel can’t be expelled by another human right? What if there was a way to power down the angel so that it wasn’t in charge for a few seconds?” “What?” you and Kevin both asked.

“Hypothetically if I wanted to speak with the vessel but not have the squatter listen in” you figured out that whatever Cas had to say wasn’t anything good. “Why?” Kevin pushed so you offered “If we have a way to power down angels we can save a lot of lives”  “Find the spell now?” Kevin asked and Dean grabbed your arm again “Yesterday Kevin” then pulled you behind him down the hall.

------

You snatched away from him as soon as you were certain Kevin wouldn’t overhear “Ok baby you’re scaring me. What is going on?” he took a deep breath then said “Whoever is inside of Sam is not Ezekiel. He died in the fall” you ran your hand across your face forcing yourself to take a few deep breaths “What do we do?” “Hope Kevin finds a spell and hope it works”

“And if it doesn’t?” you asked knowing the answer even before Dean said “We may lose Sam”

------

It didn’t take Kevin long to find the sigils that were supposed to hobble an angel long enough to give the vessel control so him and Dean painted it on the wall in the store room while you stood near the entrance trying to keep an eye out for Sam. You could hear Kevin asking Dean what was really going on so you walked towards the sound of their voices “Just trust us Kev, ok?” you said and he looked between you and Dean then slowly nodded “I always trust you two and I always end up screwed” “Not always” you added with a slight smile.

Dean bumped your arm when he heard Sam come in from the garage entrance. You followed him into the kitchen where Sam was putting stuff away in the fridge “Where you been?” Dean asked so Sam turned with a half smile “Beer run” “That was a long beer run” you added as you followed Dean into the room noticing how he was placing himself between you and Sam. If he was that worried it spoke volumes.

“Can we talk?” Dean asked him so he nodded and shoved everything into the fridge “Yeah, sure”

------

Dean led the way to the storage room. He let Sam walk inside but kept you within arm’s reach. “This sounds serious,” Sam said and you saw when Dean sliced his palm and touched the sigil on the door. Sam turned at the sound of the sigil powering up “What’s going on?”

“We need to tell you some stuff fast” Dean said and you added “It’s gonna really piss you off” “Ok” Sam hesitantly responded. Dean unconsciously pushed you behind him as he spoke “Those trials really messed you up” “Yes I know that..” Sam started but Dean but him off “No. You don’t. I mean messed you up like almost dead. No more birthdays, dust to dust. So that messed me up and it messed Y/N up. So I made a move. A tough move about you without talking it over because you were in a coma” Sam looked from you to Dean “What? When?”

“You were in the hospital Sam. Dean called me when they said you weren’t going to make it” “What did you two do?” he asked. “I let an angel in” Dean answered. “In what?” Sam asked and you answered that time “In you”

“He said he could heal you and he is” you added quickly. You saw tears in Sam’s eyes when he asked ���He’s still in me?” Dean nodded then Sam shook his head “That’s impossible. I never invited him in” “I tricked you into saying yes. It seemed like the only way” Dean clarified.

Sam took a shuddering breath “So,again. You thought I couldn’t handle something so you took over and got my best friend to lie to me too!” “He did what he had to do Sam” you weren’t trying to side with either of them but you also knew time was running short. “You never would’ve agreed to it and you would’ve died!” Dean added.

The argument continued between the two of them until you looked at Dean “Enough. Tell him the biggest problem” “Biggest problem?” Sam questioned so Dean nodded “The angel lied to us.He said his name was Ezekiel. Cool guy, according to Cas but it’s not Ezekiel” “Then who is he?” Sam asked and you shook your head “We don’t know”

“Ezekiel is dead and whoever this guy is can end you in a heartbeat so you have to dump him” Dean spoke and you could feel your hands shake slightly. Sam turned to walk past you both so Dean tried to stop him but when he got to the door he swung on Dean and the punch landed solidly knocking Dean out. “Sam!” you screamed and he shook his head at you “Check on him. Don’t follow me”

You went to your knees at Dean’s side “C’mon Dean, wake up god dammit” you shook him roughly and he groaned “Where’d he go?” as you helped him to his feet and explained what Sam had told you.

------

The two of you made it into the map room in enough time to see Ezekiel smite Kevin. “NO!” you screamed and felt Dean’s arm slide around your waist about the time Ezekiel or whoever he was threw the two of you back into a beam holding you there with his powers. Dean was taking the worst of it and using his own body to block yours. 

“Sam?” you both called hoping but that hope was crushed when he said “There is no more Sam” You could feel a weight on your chest from the force of the angel’s powers and knew it was worse on Dean. “But I played him convincingly, I thought” The angel taunted.

You and Dean were both struggling to breathe but Dean managed to ask “How did you” the angel explained he heard the two of you talking with Kevin and had altered the sigil.

You watched helplessly while the angel wearing your best friend’s face packed the angel tablet into a backpack then said “Sorry about Kevin but ultimately it’s for the best.. I did what I had to” He laid a piece of paper with Kevin’s name on his chest then stood and walked out.

The moment his powers released you and Dean you crumpled to the floor but he caught you before you hit hard. You gasped for breath, clinging to Dean’s shirt. You slowly looked at Kevin and felt your heart rip into pieces. He was gone, his eyes burnt from the inside out. “Kevin?” Dean spoke softly, tears falling down his face as you cried into his chest.

------

Minutes passed as the two of you sat with the severity of the situation sinking deeper and deeper. In the span of moments you’d lost Kevin forever and if you couldn’t find some way to get the angel out of Sam there was a high chance of losing him as well.

“We can’t leave him laying there Y/N” Dean spoke slowly getting to his feet and pulling you with him. You slowly sniffling as you said “I’ll get some cloth, then I’ll help you gather the wood” You started to walk off but Dean grabbed your hand “Baby, I did this” you shook your head and squeezed his hand “No you didn’t” then pulled your hand away to go gather the cloth you’d need to wrap Kevin’s body in.

-------

When you walked back into the library Dean was kneeled next to Kevin and held up the sheet of paper the angel had left on his chest “This was a hit. Someone got him to kill the kid” you knew Dean well enough to know that when faced with any intense emotion most of the time he wrapped himself so deep in anger and self hatred no one could get through. You took the paper out of his hand and slipped it into the pocket of your jeans “We’ll find whoever caused this” he nodded then stood up “I’m gonna go get started on the pyre” he kissed your forehead then walked out. You took a deep breath then laid the cloths down on the floor as everything hit you again.

Kevin was a kid, hell he should’ve been enjoying college at his age not laying dead on the floor of a hidden bunker wrapped into the world he’d been dragged into.  Sam, god Sam was locked inside his own head caused by the two people he trusted most in the world.

You started the process of wrapping Kevin’s body, your hands moving more on muscle memory than your own will. You’d done this one too many times. Whether friends, colleagues or family as with Lena. This life was a cruel one. 

------

You’d just finished when Dean walked back in behind you. “I got him” he easily lifted Kevin up so you followed behind him soundlessly.

The two of you walked into the woods just beyond the bunker where there was a clearing. In the middle of the clearing Dean had built a suitable funeral pyre and gently laid Kevin’s lifeless form onto it. He didn’t say a word as he lit the pyre then stepped over next to you. As the flames flickered to life you felt a chill that had nothing to do with the coolness of the night.

Dean pulled you into his side as you both watched the flames claim yet another person that you had called as family.

------

The walk back to the bunker you could tell from how Dean was holding himself that he was barely holding it together. You didn’t try to reach out to him but when he reached out for your hand you slid it into his.

You followed him into the bunker which suddenly felt so much colder than it ever had then followed him into the library. He stopped and picked up Kevin’s phone off the table and you looked to see a photo of Kevin and Ms Tran as the background. 

The sudden movement of Dean throwing the phone made you flinch. You stepped back watching while he finally broke, shoving all of Kevin’s note and the lore books into the floor then he threw the lamp across the room and finally bounced a chair off the same beam you and him had been held against. You were silent while he let it out then when he looked at you different emotions played across his face before he finally said “Y/N, you need to leave too”

“What?” you gasped and he motioned around “I got the kid killed, Sam’s been hijacked and we may not get him back. If..if something happened to you because of me? I can’t even think about that”  You knew he pushed people away, it’s what he’d always done even to Sam at times so you shook your head “Dean I agreed to let Ezekiel or whoever possess Sam too or are you forgetting that? I’m in this dammit and I’m not leaving. I care too much about you and about Sam to walk away now. I’m not Dean like it or not I’m not leaving you” you could see the muscle in his jaw clench as you spoke then he said “Why? I’m poison”

“No, you’re not. We will get Sam back somehow” you stated letting every bit of anger you felt towards whoever was behind Kevin’s death and this angel hijacking Sam seep into the stubbornness in your voice. “What do you suggest we do then cause sweetheart I don’t know how to fix this” he waved his hand around as he spoke but you remained calm “Can we fix Kevin being killed? No. Can we get Sam back and evict that angelic asshole that’s inside of him? Yes. We call Cas, we gear up and we get on that son of a bitch’s trail”

“I’ll call Cas” he finally sighed and you nodded “I’m going to clean this up” and moved to pick up the books off the floor. He reached to help you but you shook your head “It’s ok Dean, I need to keep my hands busy and we can’t leave until Cas gets here so you go make the call” “I still don’t understand why you’re not heading for the hills but I’m glad you’re not” he confessed pressing a kiss to your cheek before walking out of the room.

Tags: @facadeformyrealblog @akshi8278

[stufftippywrote]

prom night

16: Why haven’t you kissed me yet? From this prompt list…

Wei Ying is sitting in the beanbag chair when he mentions it, hunched over forward as he plays Mario Kart solo. Lan Zhan is reading, and trying to keep himself from stealing glances at Wei Ying. It's not easy. Wei Ying's legs are miles long, extended on the carpet. He's got his video game face on -- intense, focused, just barely biting his lower lip.

Lan Zhan has just forced himself to look back down at his book when, in a sweeping motion, Wei Ying throws down his video game controller. His eyes dart Lan Zhan's way. "Hey, want to skip prom with me?"

Lan Zhan blinks. He closes the book and sets it aside. "You're not going to prom?" he asks, trying to tamp down on the throbbing of his heart. He was sure Wei Ying would have two or three dates to prom by now. It was that certainty that kept him from asking Wei Ying himself -- that certainty, and maybe a lack of courage.

Wei Ying blows air through his lips. "Pffft. Who wants to go to prom? All that dolling up." His expression changes, and he flips onto his stomach on the big beanbag chair, legs kicking up in the air. "Why, have you got a hot date for prom already? Who is she? Do I know her? When'd you ask?"

Lan Zhan is actively trying not to stare at Wei Ying's legs. "No."

"No, I don't know her? Or..."

Lan Zhan sighs. "I do not have a date for prom."

Wei Ying claps his hands. "Sweet! Then hang out with me that night. I'll show you a good time."

It feels like a flirt, but Lan Zhan doesn't dare hope it really is. Sometimes Wei Ying's just like this. It's maddening, and he's maddening, but Lan Zhan can't get enough of him. Ever since he walked into history class freshman year with a jumbo-sized cup of Coke and a carefree smile, Lan Zhan's been gone.

Of course he will skip prom with him.

So on the night where giggling girls wear corsages and flirt near the punch bowl somewhere across town, Lan Zhan comes over. For a while it's like every other time they hang out: They go upstairs to the attic den and sit by the big TV shoulder to shoulder. They play Mario Kart without talking and, in Wei Ying's case, without blinking (Lan Zhan's pretty sure). But at about 10 PM, Wei Ying abruptly jumps up and switches off the TV.

"Uncle Jiang has to be asleep by now," he says. "Sweet. Time to go."

"To go?" Lan Zhan's vision is still swimming with red and blue shells.

Wei Ying grins and winks at him. "You didn't think we were going to stay around here all night?"

Which is how Lan Zhan ends up sneaking down the steps and out to the driveway and "borrowing" Jiang Cheng's bicycle. He's not sure how he feels about the ethics of all this, but he'd follow Wei Ying anywhere, any way he can. So they make a beeline through the night and end up in front of the Yunmeng Secondary School building. Wei Ying leads Lan Zhan around the side of the building and tucks their bikes in the shadow of a tree.

"What are we doing at school?" Lan Zhan asks.

"Whatever we want. Come on." Wei Ying heads toward the building.

"You're going to break into school?"

"No." Wei Ying makes a face at him, half-lit by a lamppost ten meters away. "It's not breaking in if I don't go into the building."

"Then what are..."

Wei Ying hefts his backpack on his shoulders and points toward the fire escape. Lan Zhan follows that pointer finger all the way up. "The roof?"

"Well," Wei Ying says too loudly, "I'm going up. You can stay here." He makes another face and trots toward the fire escape, leaping onto the first step with a ridiculous amount of grace for a teenager carting a heavy backpack.

You can stay here, he says, but Wei Ying must know that's impossible. Lan Zhan clenches a fist. "I'm coming," he says.

They scurry up the stairs and across the landings like mice in a maze, and Wei Ying swings himself over the concrete barrier and onto the roof. Lan Zhan follows, cautiously. The roof is plain, ugly even, just concrete and an HVAC unit that gurgles dangerously in the darkness. But the view is all right -- sprawls of suburban houses, vague orange glow above the treetops, bright full moon above. Lan Zhan gets a little lost looking around at it all. Then his eyes fall on Wei Ying and he's even more lost.

Wei Ying's wide-eyed, walking in a circle with his arms outspread. The moonlight and the muddled light from streetlamps join to illuminate him, the sharp curve of his nose and those smiling lips. Lan Zhan has, yet again, the urge to hold him still and kiss him. Wei Ying is always on the move, and all Lan Zhan wants to keep him in one place long enough to make his feelings known. But  that would be so unfair to Wei Ying, who is so beautiful when he's in motion. So all Lan Zhan can do is follow.

After a few excited laps around the roof's perimeter, Wei Ying settles next to him and swings his backpack down from his shoulders. When he unzips it, Lan Zhan can see the plaid peek of a picnic basket and a couple of cans of beer.

Wei Ying takes one can and offers the other to Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan shakes his head. Wei Ying shrugs, then pops his can open and drags out the blanket.

Several minutes later, as they lounge quietly on the blanket with the wide sky above them, Wei Ying mumbles, "Lan Zhan."

"Hm?"

"What are you gonna miss about high school?"

There's color in Wei Ying's cheeks, and Lan Zhan can feel his ears go hot in response. He turns over the question in his mind. There's not much about high school that he won't have in college, and he's looking forward to that more than he's worried about missing high school. He turns the question on Wei Ying. "What will you miss?"

"Oh, man, so much." Wei Ying lies on his back and lifts his arms, pretending to draw a bow and aim it at the moon overhead.  He lets go of the imaginary arrow and snickers. "Those stupid pep rallies we had to go to. Huaisang's locker full of dubious items. Failing math quizzes."

"You've never failed a math quiz in your life," Lan Zhan points out.

"I've tried," Wei Ying says with a laugh. "I'm gonna miss the pool."

"There will be pools at college," Lan Zhan says. "Better ones."

"Yeah, but will they have the charm of our dumb little kiddie pool? Will they have locker rooms that smell like beef for no good reason? Huh, Lan Zhan? Will they have that?" He points his finger at Lan Zhan and closes one eye as though aiming a gun.

Lan Zhan plays along, putting a hand on his chest and looking down as though he's been shot. Wei Ying cackles.

They spend hours up there, talking of this and that. Mr. Wen's hair, whether Jiang Cheng really could shove Wei Ying in a locker like he always threatens to, what they'll major in when they get to university, everything. Wei Ying slings over casual questions and Lan Zhan answers them, calm, looking up at the few visible stars. He'll miss this, he thinks. Even though Wei Ying is going to the same university, it's a big campus, and it won't be like it is now, with Wei Ying a few doors down or a classroom away. And there will be so many new people, and Wei Ying will find a whole other group of friends. Lan Zhan will inevitably be left behind. He wishes he had the courage to tell Wei Ying how he felt. He wishes he had any confidence that Wei Ying feels the same.

So he'll hold on to this night, the two of them alone beneath the canopy of sky, the smell of beer and the sting of insects. He'll hold on to the look on Wei Ying's face now, happy and flushed from alcohol, and the way his hair spills out of his ponytail onto the blanket like a waterfall. He'll hold on, and he'll want, and then when he has to, he'll try to let go.

Lan Zhan doesn't remember when they fall asleep, but when he wakes, the beginnings of dawn are painting the eastern sky pale blue. Wei Ying is curled up, head on Lan Zhan's stomach, and Lan Zhan reaches down to touch his hair, pet him gently. "Wei Ying," he urges.

Wei Ying sits up, blinks, and gives a big yawn as he stretches out his arms. "We slept?" he complains. "I wanted to stay up all night."

"You had to sleep off the beer," Lan Zhan says, kneeling and then standing up. The heat that had been Wei Ying's body is dissipating too fast, and the morning air is chilly against his bare arms. He crosses them over his chest, trying to hold in some warmth.

"I was never drunk," lies Wei Ying. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and unfolds from a crouch to stand with Lan Zhan.

"You'll be unstoppable in college," Lan Zhan says with some consternation.

"You'll be there to keep me under control," Wei Ying replies. Strangely enough, it's the first time he's talked about the two of them still hanging out when they go to school. Lan Zhan's heart twinges with a painful bit of hope.

Wei Ying saunters to the edge of the roof and leans on the barrier. "Well, Lan Zhan, how'd you like prom night?" he asks, offering a winning smile.

Lan Zhan just nods. Wei Ying smiles wider.

"How about a dip before we go home?" he says.

Minutes later, they've shinnied over the fence like a pair of climbing monkeys, and Lan Zhan is standing awkwardly next to the school's outdoor pool. Leaves have fallen in from the tree that arches over the pool area, big maple hands with spread fingers. Wei Ying is stripping somewhere near him. Lan Zhan has the good sense not to look. Instead, he turns his eyes to the western sky, still dark with night. The last remaining star winks at him.

And then he has Wei Ying's arms around his waist. "Take off your clothes," he drawls, trying to ruck up Lan Zhan's sweater from the hem. Lan Zhan shakes out of his grip, but not before Wei Ying has laid a warm hand on his bare side. Heat courses through Lan Zhan even after they've parted, and he fixes Wei Ying with an angry gaze.

"Fine, if you want to wear clothes into the pool, see if I care!" And Wei Ying drops his pants in a rush of motion and cannonballs into the water in just his boxers. Water splashes onto Lan Zhan's slacks, and he looks down in dismay. As he does, Wei Ying sends up another fountain of water, and this time it soaks him up to his sweater. Dismayed, Lan Zhan grumbles and starts to strip.

Wei Ying does the backstroke at a remarkable pace as Lan Zhan eases down the ladder into the pool. The water is cold, not icy but chillier than the mild air around them. Lan Zhan swims a lap or two, then relaxes against the side of the pool and watches Wei Ying horse around. He gets splashed several times. It's fine. He doesn't care. Wei Ying's attention is on him, so he'll take whatever shit he's given.

Wei Ying grabs his hands, pulls him underwater. Lan Zhan opens his eyes and blinks away the sting of chlorine. Wei Ying is a big fish, his whole body one sinuous movement. Lan Zhan could grab his elbow, pull him close. Kiss him under the water like some sort of fantasy. He could. He's strong enough.

But he runs out of air too soon, and comes up sputtering to the surface. Wei Ying surfaces next to him and laughs uproariously.

When he's had his fill of the pool, Wei Ying hoists himself up and out, then pulls two big towels out of his backpack. Lan Zhan marvels that they were able to fit. Wei Ying has thought this through, going so far as to bring spare boxers for the pair of them, and Lan Zhan is impressed. If only this was a date he'd planned out so thoughtfully. Lan Zhan's stomach sinks as he reminds himself that no, it's not.

Wrapped in towels, the two of them lean against the chain link fence and watch the sun come up. The orange-yellow light makes Wei Ying squint and shield his eyes. Lan Zhan can't not look - with the rays of the sun streaming onto him, he's all lit up, his face illuminated planes and long shadows. He's breathtaking, and Lan Zhan indeed forgets to breathe, gulping in a lungful of air like he's just come to the surface after minutes underwater. He forces himself to exhale slowly, normally. Why is Wei Ying so beautiful? It isn't fair.

"We should probably head home soon," he forces himself to stay. "Your uncle will wake up."

Wei Ying affects a labored sigh. "I guess," he says. "I'll be in trouble anyway, but you should probably head home and rest."

"Mn." Lan Zhan turns and walks toward the corner where his clothes are piled up. Or, he starts to walk. He doesn't get much further than an inch. Wei Ying has him by the arm, both hands stopping him.

"Wait," he says. "I have an important question for you."

Lan Zhan can do nothing but give him his full attention. He turns to face him.

Wei Ying flushes. The color in his cheeks rises so suddenly that Lan Zhan worries he's gone feverish from the early-morning swim. His hands are still wrapped around Lan Zhan's bicep, strength and warmth against his skin. "It's a very important question," he says, and there's some tension in his smile.

"Go ahead." Lan Zhan ignores the strange lurching feeling in his chest. The sense that something is happening. "What is it?"

"It's like this." Wei Ying beams at him, hands tight where they tug at Lan Zhan's arm. "Why haven't you kissed me yet?"

Everything stops. Time stops. Breathing stops. Lan Zhan forces out a "What?"

"I mean, I set everything up." Wei Ying says, a whine in his voice. "We spent the whole night together, and now we're watching the sun rise and it's prom night and I'm shirtless. What else is it gonna take?"

Lan Zhan's thoughts have gone so still, he has to kick them back into gear. "For me to kiss you?" He hears the words come out of his mouth and can't believe it. He can't believe this moment is happening.

"Yeah," Wei Ying says. "I thought you would have done it months ago. Unless I'm misreading everything." His hands loosen their grip, then let go, trailing down his arm and away.

There's dismay in his gaze all of a sudden. Lan Zhan can't bear to see it. He lifts a hand to Wei Ying's face, touches where he's dreamed of touching for four years. "Wei Ying ... really wants me to kiss him?"

Wei Ying laughs. "I've made that pretty obvious by now, right? Lan Zhan, don't tell me--"

Lan Zhan muffles any further words with his lips.

Wei Ying is sweet under him, so sweet. Sweet and yielding, and when Lan Zhan licks the seam of his mouth he opens to him, the kiss deepening but still soft, still gentle, still careful. Lan Zhan is aware that his hands are trembling.

They break apart and look at each other in the rising sunlight. Wei Ying's cheeks are rosy, and his lips are wet and shining, slightly parted.

Lan Zhan kisses him again, and this time, he's not careful.

He pushes Wei Ying against the chain link fence, feeling it sway under their combined weight, and drinks from his lips again and again. Wei Ying's arms wind around his neck. A groan breaks free from Lan Zhan's mouth. Wei Ying answers it. Beneath the slanted sun's rays, they kiss and kiss, Lan Zhan sighing, Wei Ying moaning and pushing his body against Lan Zhan's wantonly. Heat fills Lan Zhan's body all the way down to his toes. He licks into Wei Ying's mouth in desperate, powerful sweeps of tongue. The broken noises Wei Ying keeps making are driving him crazy.

He only stops kissing him when he can't kiss anymore. When they're both too out of breath and flushed to continue. They breathe raggedly, as though they've just run a marathon. Wei Ying's hands cling to his back, his head bobbing against Lan Zhan's shoulder.

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan begins, not knowing where he will go from there.

Wei Ying cuts him off with a delirious sigh. "Finally," he murmurs against Lan Zhan's ear. "Finally, finally, Lan Zhan, I've been waiting so long."

"Why didn't you say something?" Lan Zhan asks, truly confused. They could have been doing this years ago.

"You know." Wei Ying's voice drawls, smooth and sweet as honey. "You were Lan Zhan, you didn't worry about things like that. I was just nursing the same crush that every girl in school had on you. Was I so special that I could have what all of them couldn't?"

Lan Zhan holds him close. His heart is thudding with happiness and his mind is singing. "Wei Ying is very special."

"Does that mean we're boyfriends now?" Wei Ying asks, still a shudder of uncertainty in his voice.

It's the silliest question he's ever asked. "Mn."

"And when we head off to college--" Wei Ying wriggles in his arms happily. "I can't wait to tell everyone I'm spoken for."

"Wei Ying. We should go home."

Wei Ying throws himself forward, squeezing Lan Zhan around the waist.

Lan Zhan sighs and tips his chin forward, his lips catching Wei Ying's cheek. Wei Ying makes a happy noise. "Five minutes," he whines. "Give me five more minutes and then we'll go."

A jogger passes on the distant sidewalk. The neighborhood is waking up, and they're still half-naked and damp. Lan Zhan really should urge him to go now, lest they be caught. Instead, he holds Wei Ying close and kisses his hairline. He's waited four years. He can certainly spare five minutes.

They go back to Wei Ying's place, and get in trouble, and pester Jiang Cheng about the prom. He has brought back with him loads of gossip, which he shares over the breakfast table. Wei Ying hooks his foot around Lan Zhan's ankle under the table. It feels like fireworks. Lan Zhan fixes him with an incredulous stare, and Wei Ying just grins.

Wei Ying walks him to his house; they kiss, hot and messy, outside the front door before Lan Zhan walks in to inevitable scolding. It's worth it. He couldn't have imagined a better prom night.

[angelsunflowers-fanfics]

Tadashi Hamada x Hacker!reader (A Hacker’s help)

Request: yeahhhhhh!!🎉 can i request a Tadashi Hamada x reader(gender neutral pls?) where the reader is a hacker and a bit younger than Tadashi(like 2 or 3 years)?THANK U SO MUCH!!😭

Fandom: Big hero 6

Genre: Fluff

Linktree

~~~~

Tadashi ran a hand over his face in frustration, staring at his parked moped, trying to piece together a plan to find his little brother, Hiro.

“Tadashi? Is everything alright?” He slowly picked his head up as he heard the voice of Honey Lemon behind him. Should he bother the chemist with his predicament?

“Hiro’s missing, he’s out bot fighting. I have no idea where he could be. What do I do?” Tadashi confessed. 

The tall blonde slowly approached Tadashi, carefully placing a hand on one of his shoulders.

“I know someone that could help. In the computer tech department? Does that help at all?” 

Tadashi slowly turned around and started toward the entrance, Honey Lemon led him to the said department.

“Who’s gonna help me? And how exactly?” 

Honey Lemon smiled to herself, knowing full well of the huge crush that Tadashi had on her secret helper.

“(y/n), they’re a hacker. They should be able to help us. You know them, right? Honestly, I’m kinda surprised, them being a few years younger than you and all,” Honey Lemon explained.  

The blood instantly rushed to Tadashi’s ears and cheeks. He thought he was being discreet with all that staring, nothing gets past Honey Lemon.

“Um, kinda?” 

She opened the door to the lab, nobody was there except for (y/n), typing an endless code onto their computer. They acknowledged a presence as Honey Lemon stepped into the large lab, her heels gave away her position immediately.

“Hey, Honey Lemon. I’ll be with you in a minute, I’m just updating my program,” (y/n) spoke without looking up. Tadashi stepped in beside Honey Lemon, watching (y/n) type for another minute before spinning on their chair to face the two. “What did you need this time?” 

Honey Lemon instantly got a huge smile onto her face before she pushed Tadashi closer to the hacker.

“Actually, Tadashi has a request for you,” Honey Lemon said. 

(y/n) raised an eyebrow and stared at Tadashi, marveling at the amount of red on his face.

“I-I need to track my little brother’s phone because he went to another bot fight…” (y/n) nodded lightly, beckoning him closer.

“Don’t worry, that’s an easy one. Can you give me Hiro’s number?” (y/n) asked.

Tadashi sat next to (y/n), ready to recite the number.  

“(Hiro’s number), will this take long? I don’t know what kind of trouble he could be in by now,” Tadashi worried. 

(y/n) turned to the monitor, typing in the number they were given by Tadashi.

“Okay, got him. He’s in the south side of town, about 10 miles from here. Is that all you need, Tadashi?” The tech student swallowed nervously, Honey Lemon and (y/n) stared at him intensely. The way they said his name was--

“I-” Honey Lemon stepped forward, placing a hand on one of Tadashi’s shoulders.

“--Actually, Tadashi was wondering if you wanted to come with him. You’re all done here aren’t you?” 

Tadashi stared at Honey Lemon in shock, wondering what she was doing. (y/n) took a small peak at her monitor before shutting it down.

“Sure, I’m done, it’s late, and I’m bored… So, why not?” (y/n) reassured.

Tadashi stood still for a few moments, not saying anything until Honey Lemon took a step backward.

“Okay, I have some things of my own to-do. You two have fun!” Honey Lemon yelled out.

Tadashi looked after his friend, not knowing that he was going to be left alone with his crush for an unknown amount of time. Honey Lemon quickly left the lab before Tadashi could call her back in or stop her.

(y/n) grabbed their bag and slung it over their shoulders before they looked at Tadashi expectantly.

“Okay, I’m ready. You coming, or should I just hot wire your bike myself?” His face flared up even more at the statement, if possible. He quickly shot himself out of his chair, keys in hand.

“Y-yeah. Come on,” He cleared his throat, not wanting to look so frazzled in front of someone he liked.

“Does this kind of thing happen often?” (y/n) asked, curious.

Tadashi groaned, climbing onto his moped before urging (y/n) to do the same.

“More than I would like,” Tadashi groaned. 

Tadashi felt his heart flutter and flip as (y/n) hesitantly wrapped their arms around his middle, not quite sure how to hold on to him.

“Is this okay? I’ve never ridden something like this before,” (y/n) asked nervously.  

Tadashi smiled slightly, noting the flustered tone in their voice. He slowly grabbed their hands, locking them into place with each other and tightening their loose grip around his torso.

“Are you okay? You need to be tight against me or else you might go flying off,” Tadashi asked.

Tadashi felt his heart melt as (y/n) slid themself closer to Tadashi to not fly off as he instructed. He started the moped and followed (y/n) directions on the road.

“So why did you ask me to come along? We don’t really talk outside of the school,” (y/n) asked.

The 18-year-old tried to come up with a plausible explanation, “I don’t know, I guess I’ve just been trying to come up with an excuse to talk to you. You’re really intelligent and pretty, and just amazing.” 

The younger student didn’t know what to say, they glanced to the side at all the buildings passing by, all the lights and beautiful colors.

“Take another right, my phone says your brother should be here,” (y/n) instructed. 

Tadashi glanced away from (y/N) to see Hiro running away from some shady looking people.

“Hiro!” 

The younger Hamada jumped onto his brother’s moped, no questions asked. Tadashi rushed away from the scene of the crime, (y/n) gripped onto his waist and Hiro to (y/n)’s shoulders; neither wanting to fly off.

“Hey, (y/n). What are you two doing here?” Hiro directed to (y/n).

(y/n) gave him a small shrug, talking to Hiro instead of Tadashi.

“Your brother asked me to come. Hey, did you understand number 5 for the programming assignment?” (y/n) asked in reply.

“Oh, that one took me a while. I can--” Tadashi took a sharp left turn before appearing in front of the lucky cat café.

“Would you two zip it?! Okay, we’re here,” Tadashi yelled. 

Hiro jumped off with ease, as did Tadashi. But (y/n) almost fell over, but the eldest Hamada caught them luckily.

“Sorry,” They mumbled. He smiled lightly and helped them steady their footing on the ground.

“Jelly legs?” Tadashi teased.

(y/n) only nodded before they took off the helmet, their hair going everywhere. Tadashi stifled a laugh before pulling off his own helmet. Hiro went inside, not wanting to get lectured by his older brother.

“Is it that bad?” They asked.

Tadashi set both helmets to the side before he placed his hands on their head, smoothing their hair back to normal.

“Just a bit,” Tadashi answered, laughing to himself. 

(y/n) turned away from the Lucky cat café, knowing how late it was and that they should head home. Rain slowly started to fall from the sky, drenching (y/n) as they were outside the cover of the bakery. 

“You wanna come in for a bit? Just until the rain stops? And maybe warm you up?” Tadashi offered.

(y/n) wiped the excess water from their skin and smiled up at Tadashi.

“I’d like that.”

[maybe-your-left]

Along the Highway

okay so set the scene... Clyde has a garage where he’s a mechanic.... and he bends ya over to see what’s under the hood n’ gives a the good ol’ southern oil change a yer life darlin’... 😉 you’re welcome for this... saddle up!

Thank you for the request @finn-ray-nal-beads​... I truly hope I delivered. but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed darlin’ 

-----

“Mother fucker,” you cried out when your car stalled on the highway. You were halfway towards your destination. Stuck in an old hick town in Boone County. You had no service and the closest gas station according to the signs was 10 miles down. You pulled off to the shoulder, letting the nonexistent traffic ‘whiz’ past you. 

You climbed out with your purse and phone clutched in your hand, slamming the door shut. “What am I gonna do now?” you whispered. No one had passed you for miles, you weren’t even sure that you could use your emergency AAA button in the car since there was no service. 

Sighing you stared at the highway… there was nothing to do but move forward. You made sure your car was in the park and all your valuables were stowed away in your purse or your trunk and you began your trek. Maybe when you made it to the town there would be cell service and someone could point you in the direction of a mechanic. 

After about 30 minutes you were exhausted, the West Virginia heat beating down on your back. Surely you were getting baked alive, since you decided to wear a summer sundress and sandals. Not prime walking outfit choices… thank god you remembered to pack your water bottle or else you would’ve passed out. 

In the distance, you saw a Chevron, along with a tiny strip mall. There was even a little hair salon, maybe if the mechanic was working on the car you could swing in for a trim? It couldn’t hurt to kill some time. You burst inside the station, sweaty and breathing heavily. Approaching the counter you attempted to catch your breath, “Is-is-there a mechanic nearby?” you wheezed out. 

The attendant was a young man, maybe 18 barely, looking at you like you were a wild animal. He gulped and handed you a water bottle, “Uh, yes ma’am… just down the road. Logan Family Auto… are you alright?” 

He looked at you with big eyes, watching you chug the ice-cold water, “Yes, sorry. My car broke down on the highway…” 

“Ahh,” he exhaled, “Lemme call them and the owner will pick you up and the car.” 

“Thank you,” you made your way outside, taking a seat on the bench. You flicked off one of your shoes and began rubbing the sole. You were already unbelievably sore, probably wouldn’t hurt to get a foot rub when you made it to Virginia. The entrance door dinged, “Ma’am, Mr. Logan is on his way to pick you up.” 

“Thank you so much,” you sighed. 

A few minutes later a tow truck pulled into the gas station, parking in front of the doorway. Someone climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked around the front. You weren’t paying attention, instead trying to work the knots out of your foot.

In front of you two black boots came into view, followed by a clearing of the throat, “Are y’ needin’ a lift?” 

You looked up and instantly your throat went dry… the man in front of you wasn’t a man. Better qualified as a bear, he was huge. Had long black hair tucked under a green John Deer hat, navy coveralls and he had his arms to his side, almost afraid to approach you. His face was pale, but had a few spots of grease on his cheeks, leading into his scruffy facial hair. 

“Yes,” you moaned out.

“Okay, where to?” 

In your fantasy he would’ve asked you to climb him like a tree but instead he was staring at you with pleading eyes. 

You shook your head, “Sorry, uh-yeah my car broke down on the highway… had to walk all the way here.” 

“Mmm,” he nodded. Turning around he opened the passenger door, “Come on in, I’ve got AC. We’ll get ya cooled off.” 

Standing up you stretched out, desperate to cool off inside the truck. You also could use a massage, your feet and legs were aching from the overuse. Sliding in, tucking your purse at your feet. You smoothed down your dress and waited for him to climb in. 

The mechanic hopped in, and started blasting the AC. instantly cooling your skin, you sighed, “That feels so much better.” 

“M sure it does,” he laughed, “My name's Clyde by the way.” 

“Nice to meet you Clyde, I’m (Y/N).” 

Clyde gave you a small smile, “That’s a very pretty name.” 

You blushed, looking away so he wouldn’t see how flustered you were. 

The drive was long, you could barely believe that you walked this. Just imagining it again was making you sweat. You leaned onto the dashboard, desperate for some relief. Deciding to angle the vents towards your legs, you didn’t even notice the Marylin Monroe moment you were having until Clyde cleared his throat. 

“Y’ doin’ okay over there?” 

“What,” you opened your eyes and looked at him. Mistakenly shifting to wear your dress was blown up over your hips. Fully showcasing your bare thighs and sheer panties. “Shit I’m sorry!” 

You rushed to cover yourself, embarrassed of the exposure. “It’s s’okay darlin’ I’m sure you want to relax after the day y’ve had.” 

Glancing back over you noticed Clyde's eyes dart back to the road… no way, you had caught him staring at your legs. He probably got an eyeful earlier, and now he was blushing bright red. Hands gripping the steering wheel tight. You scooted over towards him, deciding to shoot your shot. Grabbing the hem of your dress you slid it back up, revealing yourself again. “Do you want to help me relax Clyde?” 

He looked over at you, eyes practically bulging out of his head. Clearing his throat he placed a hand on your bare knee, “I thought you’d never ask.” 

Tightening his grip on your knee he yanked you over the seat. Pinning your left leg up towards your chest, showcasing the wet spot in your panties. Clyde's eyes darted from your center to the road, trying to not send you both off the highway. 

Bringing his hand to your core, he lightly rubbed his knuckles on the fabric. Groaning as he felt your slick through it, how it was coating your lips. You closed your eyes and let out a sigh, “Please Clyde,” 

“Y’ sure?” 

“Please or I’ll have to do it myself,” you smirked at him. 

Clyde laughs again, pulling your panties to the side and plunging two fingers in. “Fuck,” you squealed. You weren’t ready for two fingers, and they were already fucking you in and out. Dragging against your walls, soaking up in your wetness. His fingers were so long, and fat, better than any cock you had before. Giving you a few more pumps, Clyde moved his hand out, positioning his palm face up. 

“Darlin’ y’ve soaked through these,” he mumbled, eyes darting back and forth from the road and his fingers. Bringing them back to your weeping hole he shoved them in, squelching out more slick onto the seats. His fingers were curling up against your front wall, quick ‘come hither’ motions on your g-spot. 

“Clyde,” you moaned, “That feels so good… can I rub my clit? Please!” 

“Rub it baby, cum all over my fingers.” 

Your hand darted out, furiously rubbing your swollen nub. Clenching around Clyde's fingers as they continued to assault your cunt. You squeezed your eyes shut, succumbing to the blissful fullness his fingers gave you. 

You came with a shout, begging him to keep going. Gushing down his wrist while he slowly pulled off the road. Your chest was heaving, trying to center yourself, overstimulation creeping in from Clydes fingers still stuffed in your cunt. 

“Better?” Clyde asked, pulling his fingers out slowly, “Look at the mess y’ made.” Holding up his slickened hand, admiring the shine coating his middle and ring finger. You laughed as you caught your breath, watching as he brought his fingers up to his mouth. Slipping them inside, his eyes closed as he moaned at your taste coating his tongue. 

“Get outta the truck,” he commanded. Putting it into park, and yanking the keys out. Clyde slammed the door, you just sat there dumbfounded, you were not at your car yet? Why is he pulling over… 

Suddenly your door swung open behind you and Clyde yanked you out, pulling you to the front of the truck. “I thought I asked y’ to get out?” You gave him a devilish smile, leaning against the hood, pressing your tits up to the sky. “I don't know what you’re talking about…” 

Clyde swooped in, pinning you down, lips crashing into yours. Moaning into each other’s mouths, your hands went up to his neck, sliding into his luscious hair. Clyde began to grind against you, pushing your dress back up your hips. He was already so hot and bothered from fingering your, all you wanted was for him to bury his cock inside you. 

Breaking away you looked at him, silently telling him with your begging eyes what you wanted. “Are y’ gonna listen to me now or are you gonna be a troublemaker?” 

You grinned, leaning in and placing a kiss on his Adam's apple, “whatever you want Daddy.” 

He growled and flipped you around, pressing your chest onto the warm hood. His left forearm across your back to keep you from squirming around, and his right pulling up your skirt. “Gotta check an see if every thin’s all good and ready for me.” 

Pressing your ass into his jeans, desperate to feel how wet you were. He thrust forward, repinning your hips. His fingers gripped into your panties and yanked them down. “Please Clyde,” you moaned. The delicious friction making you keen for him even more. 

Clyde quickly disrobed enough to fish his cock out, rubbing it up and down your eager slit. The tip

of him catching just enough to give you a small

stretch, “Y’ think you can take me?” 

“Anything,” you bucked back, “Just fuck me.” 

He shoved inside, completely splitting you on his hard cock. Bottoming out and knocking the wind from your lungs. Both of you cried out at the tension inside you, your walls already clenching from the intrusion. Clyde pulled back, taking himself out and rubbing again before plunging back in. 

“Fuck, y’er choking my cock darlin’,” He moaned, beginning to thrust in and out at a rapid pace, “M not gonna last with y’ doin’ that.” 

You clenched around him again, his words egging you closer towards your release, “Daddy, I wanna cum on you again, please can I?” 

“Yeah baby,” he grunted, “Cum with me.” 

You both cried out, Clyde’s cock knocking into your cervix over and over. Each time shooting a mix of pain and pleasure to your walls, you were clenching all around his length. Desperate to milk all the cum he could give you. 

A few more thrusts and he stilled, forehead coming to rest on your shoulder and his ick twitched inside you. Spitting out rope after rope of his hot sticky cum into your tired pussy. Clyde pulled out, allowing you to sit up again as he steadied himself on the side of the road. You collapsed into him, your legs threatening to give out at any moment. His cum already leaking down your legs to pool inside your pulled down panties. Laughing you hoisted them up, to try and collect the rest of his spend inside you. 

Beside you Clyde was panting, the heat and the power of his thrusting had completely wiped him out. He looked over and you and grinned, “That was,” he leaned against you, “That was great darlin’.” 

You laughed again, “It sure was. Thanks, it really helped me relax.” 

He smiled back at you, “No problem… I guess we better go get yer car now.” 

[absolutepx]

So I've been playing Death Stranding lately. Wait, that's not what this post is about. Well, it kind of is. Hang on. What is Death Stranding about?

A: Norman Reedus getting bare ass naked B. Sneaking around ghosts with the help of your sidekick, an actual baby C: Carrying 50 Amazon packages up a hill while trying to not topple over D: Waking up in the morning and drinking 5 Monster Energy™ for breakfast

For those following along at home, the answer is actually none of the above. Despite the set dressing being bizarre to the point of near absurdity, what the game is actually about, like thematically, is actually really simple.

See, the development of Death Stranding was actually quite a trip. Hideo Kojima is the video game world's equivalent of an auteur director. He has a very recognizable personal style. It's thoroughly horny – he caught a bunch of shit for the design of Quiet in MGSV, but like, a lot of Kojima characters are just -like that-, including the dudes. Also, this is going to possibly be important later.

Anyway, so Kojima was going to do a rebootmakequel of Silent Hill, and the demo actually made it to the PS store and I could actually write a whole side essay about why P.T. (it was called P.T. for some reason btw) was brilliant game design for how it used the same hallway over and over and it was somehow beneficial to the overall feeling of horror. So Konami it turns out kinda sucks nowadays and they like, fired Kojima (they were huge dicks about it behind closed doors, too) and scrapped the project and kicked him out on the street and kept the Metal Gear series which was his baby (literally the baby in the sink in P.T., he snuck a bunch of messaging about the Konami situation into the demo like a breakup album) and Kojima would go on to form his own studio and poach some of the people who worked with him to boot. So the thing about Kojima is this: he's got a reputation for already putting some wild shit in his games, like a ladder that takes like 10 real time minutes to climb in MGS3 for dramatic effect, and a boss in MGS3 that summons the ghosts of all the people you were too lazy to stealth past and killed, or a sniper battle with a really old guy that he wanted to have last two weeks or some shit until he died of old age but he was "told that "this was impossible and not recommended." That is a real quote I just looked up. So he's coming off the heels of making this hugely successful game with MGSV and the hype of the P.T. Demo and he fucking, he like took all the people that were going to be working on P.T. Along like Guillermo Del Toro was going to co-write it and Norman Reedus was going to star in it, and he's like, I'm going to make this game called Death Stranding. And the first trailer comes out for it and it's completely nuts. Norman Reedus wakes up naked on a beach crying with a baby and there are floating people in the sky? So we're all like hooooooly shit, there's no one to tell him "this is impossible and not recommended" anymore. What's he going to make now!?

So the whole time the game is in development I keep seeing these tweets where it'll be like, Kojima and one of his homies smiling with some saccharine message about being spiritual warriors and changing the world. And not just Del Toro and Reedus, there was Mads Mikkelsen (another guy Kojima puts in the game just because he apparently loves him), and the band Chvches, and also like, Keanu Reeves at one point? You know how everyone has just kind of accepted that Keanu is a being of light? Here he was endorsing Kojima. The hype was pretty confused and frantic.

The game eventually comes out. A lot of game journos hate it because I think there was this expectation it was going to be, you know, less weird and have more of the conventional structure of a video game. That's not to say the average gamer wasn't also dismissive of it, but I think on the ground level there was more of an understanding that like, yeah, Kojima just be like that sometimes.

Because the game was a timed console exclusive and your homie don't play like that, I spent the first year or so cautiously viewing Death Stranding from a distance. I wasn't sure I was going to like it – except for being really impressed with P.T., I wasn't actually a big fan of Kojima's games as games – but I -was- sure that I was going to buy it, because of the way Konami fucked him over, just out of support. And the shit I was hearing was really out there. The primary mode of gameplay is just delivery packages. You collect Norman Reedus' bathwater and pee and use it as grenades. You get a motorcycle that looks like the one from AMC's The Ride with Norman Reedus, and when you sit on it, his character in the game says "Wow, this thing is like the one from AMC's The Ride with Norman Reedus!"

But I didn't really want to know that much about it. Something has that much fucking crazy person energy, you want to go in mostly blind, right? So maybe people just weren't talking about this, or maybe I wasn't seeing it, but then I watched Girlfriend Reviews' video about it and they came right out and said it (link provided if you want to hear Shelby say it more articulately than me):

Death Stranding is basically about the exact opposite of Twitter. It's about remembering how to be kind to each other, how to reconnect in a world where people are so often hostile to each other by default. Prophetically, it's about a world where people are afraid to go outside or touch other people and how damaging that is. It's not a game about carrying packages, it's a game about helping people by being brave enough to walk through a wasteland carrying their burdens because they can't. It's about rebuilding the lost connections between people, about restoring roads and giving people hope. I bet, for Kojima and the people close to him, it's about how to answer hostility with compassion. You can't kill people in Death Stranding. You can and are absolutely encouraged to fucking throw hands with people sometimes, but all the tools and weapons are nonlethal. So I think Kojima took all the Twitter heat he got over the Quiet nontroversy, and all the feelings of isolation he had from Konami separating him from his team during the end of the development of MGSV, and all the support and encouragement he got from his bros Del Toro and Mads and the rest, and decided to channel that into making a game that was a statement about all of it. And sure, it's a little heavy handed, and sure, it's a little saccharine, and sure, the gameplay sometimes borders on miserable in service of creating emotional payoffs. For me, especially in 2020, this message is a huge success. Social media should be an opportunity for all of us to feel more connected to each other, yet primarily it feels like one of the main forces driving people apart. Why is that? Why is the internet of today such a hostile place? I'm old enough to remember web 1.0: I can haz cheezburger memes; YTMND; the early wild west days of Youtube... What happened to us? I've thrown the blame at Twitter in the past, and I think the architecture of the user experience on Twitter is absolutely a big piece of the puzzle, because it fosters negative interactions. But in terms of the behavior, people have observed that 2018 Twitter was actually almost exactly like 2014 Tumblr. (For the record, Tumblr is now one of the chillest places left on the internet, because so few fucks are left to give.)

I think part of it is the anonymity. The dehumanizing disconnection of the separation of screens and miles. Louis CK, before he was cancelled, had a great point about cyberbullying, and why it's so much more savage than kids are IRL. When you pick on someone in person and you are confronted with seeing the pain you caused them, for most sane people it causes negative feedback and you become disgusted with your actions and eventually learn to stop being a shithead. Online, at best you can "break the wrist, walk away".

At worst, you can become addicted to "clout chasing" and the psychological thrill of being cheered on by your social ingroup. It's even worse if you feel like it's not bullying and your actions are justified because whoever you've targeted is a bad person so you don't have to feel bad about what you do to them. This is where reductive, unhelpful catchphrases like "punch a nazi" come in. For every argument, one or both sides have convinced themselves that the other side is subhuman because their beliefs are so disgusting. And sometimes it's even true! A lot of times, especially these days, people really are acting like animals or worse online. Entire disinformation engines are roaring day and night, churning out garbage and cluttering the social consciousness. (Kojima talked about this bit, too, way back in MGS2. As if I wasn't already in danger of losing my thread through this.)

The human brain was not built to live like this. You can't wake up every morning, roll over and open your phone, and be immediately faced with a tidal wave of anger and indignity. It wasn't built to be aware of fully how horrible the world is at any moment ALL AT ONCE, ALL THE TIME. And you will be. Because of another way that our brain works – the way we are more likely to share negative opinions. And because of the cottage industry built on farming outrage clicks, and because of constant performative activism.

It's not that I don't agree that being informed is important.

It's not that I don't agree that the causes people get riled up about are important.

They are. They absolutely are.

But we can't keep living like this. The constant, unending flood of tragedy, arguments, and hot takes. How much of the negativity we associate with online culture is the product of this feedback loop? What if the rise of doomer culture has been, if not entirely created by, has been nourished and exacerbated by our hostile attitudes toward each other?  Incels and TERFs, white supremacists, radfems, tankies and Trumpers – it seems like on every side of every issue, there are people simultaneously getting it wrong in multiple directions at once and there are more being radicalized every day. They are the toxic waste left behind by the state of discourse. And any hill is a hill worth dying on.

So what am I actually advocating? I don't know. There are a lot of fights going on right now that are important and we can't just climb into bunkers and ignore our problems hoping that Norman Reedus and his fine ass are going to leave the shit we need on our doorsteps. We need to find the strength to carry those hypothetical packages for ourselves sometimes - and hopefully, for others as well. Humans are social creatures. We need interaction and enrichment.

We need love.

So just try to remember the connections between humanity. Try to put more good stuff into the world when you can. Share more shitposts and memes. Tell your friends and family that you love them. Share good news when you hear it. Go on a weird fucking tangent about Death Stranding. Find a way to "be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes."

[layce2015]

The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 10: I Know You Wish Things Were Different

Chapter 9

*2 Years Earlier*

"She hasn't changed the strings." Joel said as he looks over the guitar. "I'm sure she didn't know." I said as I stir the stew in the pot, keeping it from burning. "Hmm, maybe..." he mutters and I give a small smile at him. 

We were out in a cabin, just for lookout and patrol. It was just me, Joel, Tommy and Ellie out here, Aiden and Ethan were back at Jackson with Maria, who wanted to watch over them. Right now, Tommy took Ellie out to find any infected around while Joel and I got back in the cabin from our patrol and I decided to cook dinner as it seemed we might be out here for awhile.

"I just don't know about her." He said and I look back at him. "It just...it seems she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. Has she talked to you?" Joel asked me. "No, she hasn't. But in all honesty, honey, she's at that age where kids don't want to be around us old people anymore." I explained then we heard some gunshots off in the distance and both of us look out the window, towards the mountain.

"Must've found some infected nearby." I remarked and I lower the heat on the small portable stove and let the stew simmer. I look over at him as he looks a bit sad while he strums his guitar.

I go over to him then placed an arm around his shoulder, lean down and kissed the top of his head. "She'll come around. I promise." I said then he looks up at me and gives me a small smile. I smiled back at him then I lean in and kiss him on the lips, he places his right hand on my neck then he slides it to the back of my head so he could hold my head in place as our kiss became deeper and passionate.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Joel said, softly, once I pull back from the kiss. "Of course I do. I love you as well." I said as I smiled, gently. I stand up and he removes his hand off of me and I make my way over back to the food.

"I mean, who else is gonna deal with your grumpy ass." I said, teasingly, and Joel chuckles as he strums the guitar. I went back to stirring the stew again when Joel starts to play a song that I recognized. A song that I remembered we danced to so many years ago at our wedding.

I turn to him and see him smirking at me as he starts to sing the song.

You may think that I'm talking foolish

You've heard that I'm wild and I'm free

You may wonder how I can promise you now

This love that I feel for you always will be

But you're not just time that I'm killin'

I'm no longer one of those guys

As sure as I live, this love that I give

Is gonna be yours until the day that I die

Oh, baby, I'm gonna love you forever

Forever and ever, amen

As long as old men sit and talk about the weather

As long as old women sit and talk about old men

If you wonder how long I'll be faithful

I'll be happy to tell you again

I'm gonna love you forever and ever

Forever and ever, amen

"Joel..." I said, my eyes tearing up a bit, and his smile grew wider at me when we heard footsteps and voices. I wipe away the oncoming tears, just as Tommy and Ellie come in. "That was y'all shooting out there, right?" Joel asked them. "Oh, just some stragglers. Ellie got to try out my scope." Tommy said as he and Ellie go to sit down at a table near us.

"Really? How'd you like it?" I asked Ellie. "Yeah. Feels good." She said, rushed. She sits there and looks away while Tommy sits down and starts to kick back. 

"I see you, uh...haven't got around changing the strings yet." Joel said as he stands up and walks over to Ellie, still holding the guitar. "I didn't know I was supposed to." Ellie said as she looks up and chuckles, awkwardly. "See? I told ya, Joel." I said. "Well, we'll get you some new ones." Joel said and he leans the guitar against the table and walks over next to me as Tommy picks the guitar up.

"There's that music store down there. I bet they got guitar stuff." Tommy suggests and Joel, Ellie and I all exchange awkward looks. "I mean that area is long overdue for a sweep anyway. I can keep watch." Tommy said as he looks over at us and Joel looks over at Ellie.

"What do you say, kiddo?" He asked her. "Sure." She said, shrugging, then Tommy begins to play the guitar. "And that's our que." I said as Joel and I walk out while Tommy chuckles.

Joel and I go to one horse while Ellie follows us. "Alright. Let's go." She said. "Okay. Follow us, kiddo." I said and Joel gets on his horse and helps me up as I sit behind him and Ellie mounts her horse. Then we began to gallop away. 

"So, you and Tommy cross anything when you was out?" I asked her. "Just a few we saw from the ridge. You?" She said. "Uh, you know....found two runners in a house." Joel said to her then it went silent again.

"Jesse tells us you're handling your own quite well on the group patrol. He's even recommended you for paired patrols." I said. "Though I still think you're a bit young for it." Joel said. "I'm a better shot than almost all of them. And I have more experience than most of the new recruits who've..." Ellie started to argue but Joel talks over her.

"Look...if you think you're ready, (y/n) and I trust you." He said. "Okay. Thanks." Ellie said, a sound of relief in her voice. "Just do us a favor and start with the shorter routes for awhile, Y'know. See how you handle them." I said to her as I turn to her and see her smile. "Alright." She said and we keep trotting on.

"You remember those Savage Starlight comic books that you're into?" Joel asked her. "Yeah?" Ellie said. "Tommy, (y/n) and I found some when we were moving through that school the other day." Joel said. 

"Did you guys like 'em?" Ellie asked us, curiously. "Oh, you know, it's not really my cup of tea. But (y/n) seemed to enjoy them." Joel said and I rolled my eyes. "Hey, what can I say? My inner child came out when I read those books." I said.

"I didn't know you were into that kind've stuff, (y/n)." Ellie  said, shocked. "Oh yeah. When I was a kid, a bit younger than you, I was really into reading comic books, science fiction being the big thing for me." I explained.

"Really? What made you stop reading them?" Ellie asked. "Life, honestly. It just started to get really hectic once I hit 18. Got a job, having to help my mom out while my brother was in the army, trying to decide whether I wanted to go to college or not, went out with a few friends." I explained and Ellie nods.

"Then I met this weird guy, who came in at my workplace one day, fell in love and married him." I said and Ellie chuckles a bit. "Yeah and I married a clumsy waitress that spilled iced tea on me." Joel said and my face heats up in embarrassment. "That was one time!" I exclaimed while Ellie laughs outloud at this and I hear Joel chuckling.

"Anyway...Dr. Daniella Star, I mean, she's pretty..." Joel started to say before Ellie talks over him, after recovering from laughing. "She's a savage." She said. "Yeah, what she does to Captain Ryan in that Death Match..." I said, chuckling, and Joel nods at this.

"Yeah, I mean, he definitely deserved it but..." Ellie started to say but she stops before Joel talks. "Well, it was a nice twist on how they escape, though." He said and Ellie giggles. "You're funny." She said and I smiled at her just as we make up to a fence and the old motel building. 

"Music story's up that way...we're gonna have to leave the horses here." Joel said as we come up to the fence. "Yeah...sounds good." Ellie said and we stopped then got off of the horses and jumped the fence.

"There's that music store." I said, pointing at the tall sign a few miles up ahead. We walk up to two large vehicles blocking the road before Joel turns to Ellie. "Need a boost?" He asked her. "I got it." She said and she climbs up the old moving truck and gets on top of it then gets on the other side.

"Uh, I don't think we can go this way." We hear her say. "What?" We said, confused, and Joel and I climb up on top of the truck and see that the area was dried out and the road was sunken in. "Well, damn. Used to be able to swim across this...." Joel said, disappointed. "So now what?" Ellie asked us and I looked at the motel building next to us.

"Well, if you're up for it, we can try cutting through that hotel." I said and Ellie nods. "I'm up for it." She said as she climbs back up on the truck then we head over to the hotel building.

We make it to the front door and Ellie tries to open it but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it." She grumbles and I sighed. "Of course." I said. "Oh, that might be something." Joel said and we turned and see him staring at a crawlspace under what looks like a collapsed roof.

"Think that you girls could fit in there?" Joel asked as I kneel down to look at it. "Hmmm...maybe. Worth a shot, though. I'll go first and then Ellie can follow me." I said and Joel nods then picks up part of the collapsed rubble and I crawled through into a room then looked around.

"I'm through, come on, Ellie." I said then I hear her crawling through and I turned and hold my hand out to her to help her up. She takes my hand and I help her stand up. "Made it!" She said. "Hang on, big guy. We'll let you in." I called out. "All right." He said and both of us walk out of the room and look around to make sure no infected were nearby then I see the front door.

"Ellie, keep an eye out. I'll go let him in." I tell her and she nods as I head to door and began to unlock it. I open the door to see Joel standing there, leaning to the side as his left hand was braced against the doorframe. "Well, hey there." I say to him and he gives me a small grin. "Howdy." He said, making my heart flutter.

Even after all these years, he still knows how to make me feel this way. Make me feel like that young woman he met all those years ago. Then an old memory came to me and an idea popped in my head and I smiled.

"Damn, if being sexy was a crime, you'd be guilty as charged!" I said and Joel lowered his head and shook it as he chuckles. "Cheesy pick up lines? Really?" He asked me as he raises his head up to me, but with a smile still on his face and his cheeks were turning a bit red.

"Why not? I mean...we used to share cheesy lines when we first got together." I said and he chuckles then he starts to walk pass me. "I'm too old for this cheesy shit..." he mutters and I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh...sure you are." I said, sarcastically, and he chuckles then he pushes a strand of hair away from my face, leans in, then kisses me.

"Hey, guys. I think I've found a way through. But there are spores". Ellie said as Joel and I break the kiss. We smiled then we head over to Ellie as she stands in front of a snack machine, that was covering a giant hole.

"Okay, well girls, put your masks on." Joel said and we started to put ours on but Ellie looks over at us, annoyed. "Do I have to? It's just us." She said. "What if we run into someone?" I pointed out to her and she sighs. "Okay. Fine." She said and she pulls out her mask and puts it in while Joel pushes the machine aside.

He goes through the hole in the wall then me and finally Ellie. "You gotta be smart about this. You stop wearing that mask, kiddo, and eventually you're gonna slip up in front of someone you shouldn't." Joel tells her. "I never slipped." Ellie said, firmly, as we walked through some rooms. "You haven't told anyone new, have you? Like Jesse or Dina or --" Joel started to asked but Ellie shakes her head. "Of course not!" She said. "Okay, good." Joel and I said and we continue on.

"You guys ever been in here before?" Ellie asked us after climbing through a hole and landing into another room. "No. We've just patrolled the streets." I replied. "Feeling like a bit of an oversight now..." Joel said. "Maybe." Ellie mutters and we see a dead Clicker that's stuck to the wall.

"Looks like it was shot here awhile back." Joel pointed out as he looks at the Clicker. "When'd did the last patrol go through here?" Ellie asked us and I shrug as Joel said. "Not sure."

"Is it one of us?" Ellie asked and I sighed. "Only people went missing from Jackson are them teenagers from last year. This one's too old. Probably just roamed in." I pointed out then Joel stands up and we continued through until we come up to these large double doors.

Joel opens the door, slowly, and we could hear some infected and Clickers inside. "We are on patrol, right?" Ellie said and Joel and I share a look before I nod. "Alright. Let's take 'em out." He said and we head in what is the lobby area and, quietly, take out the few infected and Clickers inside.

"Guys, I think we did it." Ellie said after a few moments of silence. "Yeah, I think so, too." I said, breathless, and Joel nods. "Good job, kiddo." Joel congrats and Ellie nods. "Yeah, you too." She said. "So, what do you guys say we give up on those strings for today?"

"Couldn't said it better myself." Joel said as I look around the room. "I think our only way out is forward now." I said and we go through another set of doors then through some more rooms.

"This looks like something." Joel said as he comes up to a crawl space in the walls. "Following you." Ellie said and Joel squeezes throught then me and Ellie. Joel and I duck down under this pipe and kept going when we heard something break. 

We look over and see that the pipe broke and Ellie stared at it for a moment and we stopped moving, looking towards the wall. We could hear a noise and then a roar before there was a crash and a Bloater burst throught the wall and grabs Ellie. "Ellie!" Joel and I screamed and we get out of the crawl space just as the Bloater tossed Ellie on the floor. 

Joel and I pull out our shotguns and fired at the monsters. "Leave her alone, you sonuvabitch!" I shouted and the monster started coming at us but we back away. Ellie threw a molotov at it and it roars in pain then turned to her. The flames died down in it and more infected started coming at us.

I went and shot at them while Joel shot at the Bloater until it grabbed Ellie. It pulled off her mask and tried to grab her face until Joel pulls out his machete and sliced at it's arm, making it let Ellie go, then stabbed it, repeatedly, until it died. I run over to Ellie and help her up to her feet.

"Shit." She whispered, shocked. "You okay?" I asked her and she nods. "That was too close." Joel said. "Sure....but we fucking did it." Ellie said and Joel and I chuckle a bit. "We sure did." Joel said and we started to continue on. "You guys good?" Ellie asked. "Other than being really old, ain't nothing a solid night of sleep won't shake off." I said and Joel nods. "I wanna get outta here." Ellie said, exasperated, and we agreed and continued on.

We make it to another set of doors and Joel and I move the couch that was barricading the door. "Wait, what if there's like two Bloaters on the other side?" Ellie asked, worried. "It'll be fine." Joel assured her as we move the couch out of the way then we opened the door, our guns drawn and we look around to see nothing, not even spores.

"Spores are clear." Joel said and Ellie shuts the door behind us as Joel and I take off our masks. "Quiet the fight we had back there, huh?" Ellie said as we walked down the hallway. "Not often we get a Bloater around these parts." Joel said.

"Yeah. Jesse and Dina are going to lose their shit when they hear about this." Ellie said. "What's the deal with them two, anyway? They're dating, right?" Joel asked her as walked through the old kitchen area. "Uh, on and off. Why?" Ellie asked. "(Y/n) and I hear the way Jesse talks about you." Joel said to her.

"No. Jesse and I are just friends." Ellie said. "Now, now, now, I've got a pretty keen eye for these sort of things." Joel said and I rolled my eyes. "Not so keen with this one." Ellie said and Joel chuckles. "We'll see." He said and I scoff.

"Keen eye, huh? Remind me again, honey, who was the one that took months to ask who out?" I asked him. "Well, I had to make sure...get you warmed up to me and then I'd ask you out." Joel said and I snorted. "Really? That was the plan? And not, Sarah coaxing you to ask me out after you were too nervous to ask?" I asked and I hear Ellie chuckling under her breath. "Yeah, that's exactly right." Joel said and I scoffed. "Mmmhmm, okay....Whatever floats your boat." I said, sarcastically, and we head up to this door and Joel goes to open it but it only opens a few inches.

"Think you can squeeze through there?" Joel asked Ellie and she nods and goes through the door. "See what it is?" I asked her. "Yeah." She said and I hear her move something. "Okay." She said and Joel opens the door wider and we walk into an old coffee shop as Ellie walks to the middle of the room and sees a dead body.

I hear a noise then look over to see a Clicker, with no legs, start crawling towards Ellie. "Ellie!" I shout and I run over to the Clicker, put my foot on it's back and shoot it in the head, killing it. "Thanks." Ellie said and I nod at her as Joel comes up to me. "You okay?" He asked me. "Yeah." I said.

"Hey, guys. I think it's them. The couple that ran away last year." Ellie said as she points at the dead body. Joel and I kneel down to the body and look it over. "Think you're right." Joel said. 

"Jackson is a wonderful place....but we got tired of hearing the stories of people suffering everywhere else..." Ellie said and we look up to her to see her holding a note. "We wanted to save lives, we had good intentions...we didn't make it an hour before running into a horde. Now we're bitten. We've decided we're gonna end our lives instead of turning. Please tell our family and friends that we're sorry. Love Adam and Sidney." Ellie said and I lowered my head, closed my eyes and shook my head at this.

Joel and I stand up and look back at Ellie as she flips the note to the back and reads some more. "I shot her. I can't take my own life I'm a fucking coward. Adam." She reads and I place my hand over my mouth in shock. "Jesus." Joel mutters, horrified. 

"If only they were immune, right?" Ellie said as she sets the note down and looks at the body. I lower my hand and Joel and I exchange a nervous look before Joel clears his throat. "Well, let's...let's go get Tommy, and we can take thse bodies back to Jackson." He said and he pats my arm and we start to walk towards the front door.

"After you guys took me out of the Firefly hospital...you two said that there were dozens of people like me." Ellie said, making us stop in our tracks then turn to her. "Yeah. Yeah, that's what they told us." Joel said to her. "I've never met another immune person before. Have you?" She asked us then Joel and I share a quick look before I turn to Ellie. 

"They could be hiding it. You do." I said, shrugging. "Do you guys believe that?" Ellie asked, questioning, and I raise an eyebrow at her. "Is now really the time for this?" Joel asked her. "We traveled across the entire country to bring me to the Fireflies....I had so many questions for them." She said and I could tell she was getting angry.

"Why did you guys pull me out of there while I was still unconscious?!" She asked, loudly. "Because we let them run their tests, and when (y/n) and I saw that they were useless, both of us got all three of us out of there...." Joel said.

"How do you know they were useless? Maybe if you guys woulda given them more time, they could have figured something out--" Ellie yells as Joel walks over to her and stands in front of her while I was standing behind him.

"Ellie. There was no cure." Joel said to her, firmly. "There's nothing that could've helped these people or anybody else. I know you wish things were different--(y/n) and I--we wish things were different. But they ain't." He said and the two stare at each other, my heart beating like a jackhammer, before Ellie, her eyes welling up, looks away then down.

"We need to get these kids back to their families." I said and they look over at the bodies before Joel looks back at Ellie. "Is there something else you like to rehash?" Joel asked her and Ellie looks back at him. "No." She said. "Good. C'mon." Joel said and we start to head out.

That night, we made it back to Jackson and brought those bodies back for the families, which of course they were sad about, then we made it back home. Ellie was in her little shed in the backyard and I had already tucked Aiden and Ethan into bed for the night.

Joel was already passed out but I couldn't sleep so I sat up on the edge of the bed and ran my hands through my hair.

This lie we keep telling Ellie just tears me up inside the more time goes on and the more times she keeps questioning it; I know she knows that we're lying, she just doesn't know exactly what it is.

"(Y/n), honey?" I hear Joel groan behind me and I turn to him to see him waking up. "Everything okay?" He asked, softly, as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "Yeah...just couldn't sleep." I said and he starts to sit up then sits down next to me and places an arm around me. "What's wrong?" He asked me and I sigh. 

"I'm...I'm just thinking..." I replied. "About what?" He asked and I bite my lips. "This lie we're telling Ellie." I replied and I hear him sigh, heavily, at this. "Oh Lord, not this again." He grumbles. "Joel, she's already questioning our story. Whether you like it or not, she's gonna find out. She's a really smart girl..." I said and Joel looks down.

"She's not gonna find out." He grumbles. "Yes, she will. And that's what's heartbreaking, Joel. Cause I can see this go either way. Either we tell her and she has her heart broken about it, maybe lose her trust or she finds out herself, still has her heart broken and not only we lose her trust, but also we lose her forever." I said.

Joel frowns at this, knowing I'm right about the potential consequences of holding back the truth from Ellie. He sighs and pull me close, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I know honey...but it’s for her own good.” he said and I frown then sigh as he kisses my shoulder.

"I know it's for her own good...it's just...I'm just worried and scared of what's to come. I don't want to lose her." I said. He pulls me closer to him, his arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I place my hands on his arm as tears rolled down my face. "Neither do I." He mutters and we sit like this for awhile before both of us get tired and fall asleep.

@fangirl-inthe-us

[somekindoftuber]

vld youtuber AU (klance, part 6)

Note: The city where Shiro and Keith live is called Springdale. I’d pictured both of these towns being in the Carolinas. Again, there are tense changes everywhere (sorry) but I plan to fix them later.

Thank you for all the great feedback!!

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

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Lance woke up surprisingly early on Saturday. Today they were headed to the fair. He brewed coffee and made a tentative battle plan for the day: walk around, see stalls, a few rides, some games, lunch, maybe renting a scooter to drive up to lookout hill to watch the sunset. It was the perfect opportunity for Lance to stop dancing around the issue and just tell Keith he’s in to him already.

Pidge pokes fun at him through breakfast as Lance makes a group text thread with everyone. They agree to meet up at the south entrance of the fairgrounds at 10:30.

Lance ends up making them late by spending too much time picking out his clothes. Keith and Shiro are both sporting a little pink on their noses and cheekbones from the sun on the beach the day before, but they’re all smiles as they pay for their wrist bands and head into the fair. It’s a typical American county fair ordeal, with rickety rented rides, badly rigged carnival games, and endless booths of cheap nick-nacks and fried foods. But there was always something about the Harborville fair that set it apart. There was an energy here, like the last bang of summer before cool autumn weather swept down the coast.

They buy tokens and move as a group at first, taking a lap around the fair before splitting up. Pidge and Hunk stick together as always, Allura drags Shiro off at a rather brisk pace, and that left Lance and Keith.

“Anything you wanna do?” Lance asks him.

Keith shrugs and smiles. “Anything’s good.”

They walk around for a while, stopping at booths here and there. They run into other members of their group from time to time, and Lance uses his phone to film bits of a vlog for later editing, catching Shiro and Keith in a few bits (“I’m here with my good friends Shiro and Keith! Say hi guys!”). Lance buys an inaugural funnel cake to split with Keith before hitting the prize games. Keith rolls his eyes as Lance goes for the ring toss, a game he swears up and down he’s mastered despite it being horribly rigged.

“Just you watch,” Lance tells Keith as he lines up a ring. “I’m gonna win you the biggest stuffed animal they have, and then you’ll understand my prowess.”

He swears Keith’s cheeks go red as he smiles. “Well, have fun. I’m gonna grab a soda.”

Lance is half disappointed and half relieved that Keith is no longer watching. So of course, when the guy he’s trying to impress leaves, Lance lands all three rings on a pole. He’s carefully eyeing the selection of stuffed prizes when Shiro appears at his left, seemingly out of thin air.

“You know,” he leans in a speaks close to Lance’s ear. “Hippos are Keith’s favorite animal.”

Lance turns to look up at him, confused, before Shiro gives him a knowing smile and walks away. Hippos? Okay, weird, but also kind of cute. When Lance re-examines the prizes, he spots a large pastel blue hippo near the back, with big button eyes, exaggerated stitching, and a white bow around its neck.

“That one,” he tells the game attendant, pointing.

Keith comes trotting back with a soda in each hand a few minutes later. He stops short when Lance comes up to him with the prize hippo in his arms, easily the size of a dog. Keith’s eyes go wide.

“Told you I’d win,” Lance beams, then holds out the stuffed animal. “Here you go.”

There’s an awkward shuffle as Lance takes the sodas so Keith can take the hippo, and Lance absolutely notices how Keith hugs it to his chest.

“Thanks,” Keith tells him, and his cheeks are pink in a way that has nothing to do with his sunburn.

Keith keeps holding the stuffed animal as they walk around, earning him a few stares. Lance has to admit he looks adorable - all sharp and intense, holding a giant fluffy toy like it’s precious treasure. They find the Racho Alegre food truck and Lance buys enough food for five people, setting the trays of empanadas, pork tamales, fried yucca fruit, papas rellenas and fried green plantains. He films a little, too, Keith protesting with a “don’t film me eating!” Lance passes Keith a mate soda and instructs him on how to properly enjoy Cuban food, and is pleased when Keith seems to enjoy all of it.

He might like the guy, a lot, but if Keith had ended up hating the food he grew up with? It might have been a deal breaker.

They chat at the picnic table for a good half hour as they digested, then walk around some more, Lance filming on his phone here and there. He spots the scooter rental place nearby, and eagerly points at it. But when they get closer, he frowns.

“Aw man,” Lance bemoans. “I was thinking it’d be cool to drive up to the hill to watch the air show, but all the scooters are rented out.”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “They’re not? There’s a whole bunch lined up.”

Lance shrugs. “Yeah, but those are the 50cc engine ones. You need a motorcycle license for those.”

“Yeah?” Keith looks unruffled. “I have one.”

Lance hears a record scratch in his brain. “You do?”

With a chuckle, Keith motions him towards the rental desk. “Who do you think test drives the bikes when Shiro’s done with them?”

Lance held the hippo, which he’d dubbed Blue, while Keith filled out paperwork, showing his motorcycle ID and insurance card. Lance caught a glimpse of it, and cooed.

“Aww, short hair!” He smiled at the photo of a younger Keith, scowling at the camera, and noticed two things: first, Keith didn’t have a middle name, and second, there were little tufts of what might be considered a mullet sticking out from behind his neck.

Keith shoved his ID back into his wallet. “Is your photo any better?”

“Actually,” Lance pulled his wallet from his back pocket and produced his driver’s license. “It is.”

Lance was proud of that picture - he was one of the only people he knew that actually took good ID photos. It was like a superpower. Keith was staring at his ID, his eyebrows raised.

“Leandro Sebastian McClain?” He asked.

“Uh.” Lance’s face flushed hot. “Old family name. Lance is kind of a nickname.”

Keith’s smile as he handed the ID back was magical. “Cool.”

Helmets secured, Lance climbed on the back of the dinged-up rental bike behind Keith as he started up the engine, giving him quick directions to the hill that overlooked the bay. Then, with Blue shoved between them, Lance wrapped his arms around Keith’s middle. They took off, and Lance felt a surge of adrenaline as they rode. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d been on a real motorcycle, and it was as scary as it was exhilarating. It was also cold, even the warmth of the sun unable compete with the wind that whipped past them. Lance hugged Keith tighter, wishing there wasn’t a stuffed animal between them.

It took a good ten minutes to drive up to the hill, and by the time they arrived, the wind had all but chilled Lance to the bone. The weather was beautiful that day, but it was a different story when you were going 45 miles an hour. His t-shirt and loose button up had done nothing to protect him, and as they reached the hill and stepped off the bike and took off their helmets, Lance set Blue on the bike seat and rubbed at his frozen, goosebump covered arms.

“You okay?” Keith asked.

“Yeah,” Lance laughed a little. “Just kinda cold. Wind’s kinda brutal at that speed.”

Keith blinked at him. “Oh.” Then, like they were in a movie, he removed his leather jacket and deftly swung it around Lance’s shoulders, patting it against his arms. “There, that better?”

Lance willed himself not to melt, because holy shit. That was the most suave thing he’d ever seen. Keith was one seriously smooth bastard. He caught of whiff of the scent coming off the warm leather and blushed hard. It smelled so good.

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered, letting his fingers grip the edge of the jacket and pull it close.

They sat on a patch of grass nearby just as the air show was beginning. Keith watched with rapt attention as the jets performed aerial acrobatics, leaving bright trails of colored smoke that twisted through the sky. When it was over, Keith sighed beside him.

“I wanted to be a pilot,” he said, his gaze fixed on the sky where the sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon.

Lance bumped his shoulder. “You still can be,” he said. “A pilot’s license can’t be that hard to get.”

Keith looked at the ground, shaking his head with a wry smile. “No, I mean… I wanted to be a fighter pilot. In the navy, or the air force.” He picked at a blade of grass. “But I wasn’t exactly cut out for it.”

“What do you mean?” Lance asked carefully.

Keith shrugged and leaned back on his hands. “I’m a high school dropout with a juvenile record,” he explained. “I’ve gotten my shit straightened out since then, but… that stuff sticks.”

Lance frowned. He was starting to realize just how little he knew about Keith - they talked a lot, but it was all superficial information. He didn’t know anything about Keith’s past, or his ambitions.

“It’s fine,” Keith said, interrupting Lance’s train of thought. “I can’t really complain about my life. I’ve got Shiro, I like working on bikes, and I enjoy my job. I’ve got it pretty good.”

Lance was glad to hear that, but it made him frown for a different reason. “Sounds like you’ve got it figured out. I have no idea what I’m gonna do.”

Keith hummed in questioning, and Lance let go of where he was clutching the jacket to wave his hand. “I’ve just been sort of… coasting for the last two years. I have no idea what I’m doing.” he chewed his lip. “YouTube is fun and all, but my dad keeps asking me what my career plans are, and I have no clue. I can’t just work cafe jobs forever, and Pidge is probably leaving after she graduates in a few months. I don’t even know where I’m gonna end up living.” He rubbed at his eyes.

Keith was quiet for a long time. “What about music?” he offered. Lance shrugged.

“Dunno if I want to go down that road,” he answered. “Being a musician is really unpredictable, unreliable. I doubt I could swing it.”

If Lance wasn’t spiraling into a pity-party, he would have appreciated how adorable Keith’s little pout was. “Well,” Keith offered. “What about teaching music?”

Lance blinked owlishly at him. “Say what?”

“I mean,” Keith started fidgeting. “You’ve said before that you like working with kids, and you play like four instruments, and you can read music…” He looked at Lance. “Why not combine them?”

Lance heard a record scratch for the second time that day. Holy crap. Holy crap. He’d never even considered it, but a career as a music teacher? That sounded… okay. That sounded good.

“I’d--” he swallowed, feeling his pulse quicken with excitement. “I’d probably need to get a degree in music education. But it’s doable.”

Keith beamed at him. “Yeah! Plus…” His face went pink as he looked to the side. “I was thinking, um. Since Pidge will be leaving and all, and there’s a good school in Springdale, you could..” Keith bit at his lower lip. “You could move there. With m-- with us.”

Lance inhaled softly as he looked at Keith. The sun had turned golden, lighting his face and making him glow, and it took Lance’s breath away.

“Also,” Keith put his hand over Lance’s where it rested on the grass. His fingers were shaking. “I, uh.” His voice dropped, so quiet Lance could barely hear. “I really like you.”

Lance gasped. Keith’s confession was so sincere and scared and it made his heart thump against his ribs, a wide smile cracking his face. Oh god, it was happening. He’d fantasized about this moment more times than he could count and it was happening, up on the hill overlooking the bay, with the beautiful sunset and Keith’s jacket around his shoulders. He had to be dreaming.

“I really like you,” Lance told him, turning his hand to thread their fingers together. “A lot.”

Keith huffed a little laugh and oh, he was so gorgeous, his hold on Lance’s hand tightening. Lance wants so badly to kiss him.

“Go out with me?” Lance asked.

Keith’s face fell, shock replacing the gentle smile he’d been wearing. “Oh. Um.”

It was like a bucket of cold water was dumped on Lance’s head as Keith pulled his hand away. Had he misread everything anyway? Was that too forward?

“I was thinking,” Keith began, his voice shaking a little. “That we could just… get to know each other more first?” He began clasping and unclasping his hands. “I’ve never really been in a relationship, plus we live five hours apart, and…” He pouted. “I mean, I didn’t even know your name wasn’t Lance until twenty minutes ago.”

“Oh.” Oh. Keith… had a point. Lance didn’t even know he had a motorcycle license until today. It was probably a good idea to get to know Keith better before attempting to dive headfirst into romance. Lance felt the relief like a physical weight. “You... wanna take it slow?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Lance could barely believe this was real. He leaned forward until his forehead rested against Keith’s and laughed softly.

“Sounds good to me.”

He thought this would be a good time to kiss, but they didn’t, eventually pulling apart to drive the bike back to the rental shop by the fairgrounds. Lance kept Keith’s jacket, slipping his arms through the sleeves and pressing his chest as close to Keith’s back as he could for the ride.

.

They made a trip to Lance’s car to stash Blue in the trunk for safe keeping, and as the sun was setting, grabbed a couple of beers and headed to the meeting point they’d arranged with everyone to watch the fireworks. Allura and Shiro had already spread a blanket out on the grass and were chatting. Keith and Lance took a seat near them, sitting close together.

Allura laughed, then Lance remembered his promise to Romelle. He whipped out his phone.

(+328) hey ‘melle you wanna come watch the fireworks at the fair??

(+396) Lance I just finished a 10 hour shift, that’s a hell no

He frowned, then discreetly aimed his camera at Allura and snapped a photo just as she was laughing, then sent it.

(+328) but cute girl looks lonely

There’s a long pause.

(+396) BE THERE IN 15

Pidge and Hunk eventually joined them, just as the grassy field was becoming crammed with people wanting the best seat for the fireworks. Beside Lance, Shiro looked a little odd, swaying slightly, his eyes dilated.

“Shiro?” Lance asked, keeping his voice down. “Are… are you high?”

Then Shiro laughed loud, threw his head back and really laughed. “Nah, no. Well, okay, yeah. Kinda.” He shrugs. “Fireworks kinda freak me out, after - y’know. So I took a xanax. They make me loopy as fuck, but I didn’t want to miss this.”

Lance blinked. He didn’t think he’d ever heard Shiro cuss before.

Romelle arrived twenty minutes later, just before the fireworks were scheduled to start. Lance did introductions and was pleased to see Romelle take a seat next to Allura, the two of them immediately striking up a conversation about coffee. Mission accomplished.

When the fireworks started, Lance leaned into Keith, feeling Keith return the motion. It was nice to not have to hide his affection anymore, or stay on guard. And if Lance watched the fireworks from the reflection in Keith’s eyes? Well, that was no one’s business but his.

After the fair, they retreat to Lance’s apartment to hang out and chat. Shiro is coming off his xanax and is having trouble staying awake, perking up only when Keith hands him a glass of water. Romelle and Allura trade social media handles and Lance feels a little smug about getting to play matchmaker for them. But mostly, he’s happy about Keith, who sits so close to him, who let Lance keep wearing his jacket.

It’s late and Allura decides they need to go, so everyone piles out of Lance’s apartment at once. Keith is the last one out, and Lance shyly lets the jacket slip off his shoulders and hands it back.

“Thanks,” He says. Keith grins.

“Anytime. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

Once the door closes, Lance leans his head against it, grinning wide. He gets about sixty seconds of peace before Pidge and Hunk lay into him.

“Please,” Pidge groans, “Please tell me you two are dating now.”

“Nope,” Lance grins wolfishly at her as Pidge flings her body backwards onto the sofa with a howl of frustration. Hunk just smiles knowingly at him.

“But you’re going to. Right?”

Lance toes off his shoes and goes for his room. “Eventually.” From the couch, Pidge yells that she hates him.

.

The next morning they have an early brunch at Lance’s favorite diner on the marina, trading stories of their adventures at the fair. Pidge and Hunk show videos on their phones of the rides and games they played. Lance films again, and takes a group photo of all of them with their mimosas and fancy biscuits.

When Lance sees them off for their drive back to Springdale, Keith pulls him into hug. It’s soft and nice and Keith is so warm, Lance taking a deep breath and inhaling his smell. When they pull apart, Keith’s eyes are glittering.

Lance waves at the car as his three friends drive off, feeling happy and light.

.

Continued in part seven!

[serahsanguine]

What’s left Unsaid, Says It All. Ch. 10

What’s Left Unsaid, Says it all part 10/?

Rating; NC-17, NSFW

This Story can be Found at Ao3

pt 1, pt. 2,  pt 3, pt 4, pt 5, pt 6, pt 7, pt 8, pt 9

Tagging; @skullsmuldon @baronessblixen @today-in-fic

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Chapter 10; Ooh Child

Mulder arrived at his apartment with a smile on his face. The twins were everything he could have imagined. So bright and intelligent: one spitting image of their mother, and one of him. He could not pinpoint a favourite part of the day because the whole day left him speechless. 

He walked in the door and threw his belongings on a nearby table, it was getting late now. He took off his pants and got comfortable on the couch. He switched the tv on and started flicking through the channels quickly before settling on an old Knicks game. He took off his t-shirt and held it in his hands before placing it to his face and smelling it. It smelled like Scully, there was a hint of his detergent and his own smell, but her predominated. He liked it. He missed the smell of them in more ways the one. And he missed her more than anything in the world. He soon fell asleep and dreamt of him, Scully and their family playing under the summer sun together, with nothing breaking them apart. 

*************************

No more than five minutes after closing the front door, Scully's mom was at the end of the hall with a loom of satisfaction on her face. Scully back was still against the front door leaning against it.

"I think tonight went really well, don't you Dana?"

"Yes, Mom. I think it went well."

They both walked through to the living room and started tidying up the mess from today’s activities.

"I think Fox was brilliant with Will and Ellissa today, will he be coming back soon?"

"Yes, he was really good with them. He was oozing life for them."  He's an amazing father. I missed him. "  He said he would be back,"  I hope so, "we are arranging another time and date for tomorrow."

"That's good, it was nice seeing him." 

" Yes it was," she said silently as the last of the toys were put away.

Scully said goodnight to her mother, slipping into her silk PJs before climbing under the bedsheets. In a few hours, she would be up anyway, for the night feed.

3 hours later

Scully woke up to murmuring on the baby monitor. She groggily got up and walked to the twins’ bedroom to find them. She stepped back into the hallway finding a small orange light glowing from the downstairs hallway. She smiled knowing Missy had brought both twins downstairs to help out with the night feed. Carefully and quietly, Scully walked down the stairs and watched the iteration between her sister and her niece. Will was peacefully asleep in the rocking chair. 

"Ooh-ooh child

Things are gonna get easier

Ooh-ooh child

Things'll get brighter

Ooh-ooh child

Things are gonna get easier

Ooh-ooh child

Things'll get brighter..." 

Ellie was gulping away greedily on her bottle, contently listening to her aunt sing away to her whilst rocking her side to side. Scully was always a little jealous of her sister’s singing ability. She didn't want to make a sound so she leaned into the door frame and continued to watch silently. 

"Someday

We'll get it together and we'll get it all done

Some day when your head is much lighter

Some day, yeah

We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun

Some day when the world is much brighter..."

She watched as Ellie finished the bottle and her eyes started to drop. Then, Missy hummed the last bit of the song but that didn't stop the lyrics from appearing into her head

"Ooh-ooh child

Things are gonna get easier

Ooh-ooh child

Things'll get brighter

Ooh-ooh child

Things are gonna get easier

Ooh-ooh child

Things'll get brighter..."

"It has been a while since I have heard someone sing that," Scully whispered.

 Melissa span on the spot and nodded. 

"Dad used to sing it to us all the time," Missy whispered back. 

Scully smiled and watched her daughter fall back to sleep in her sister’s arms. 

“Dana, let me put these back, and we can talk about what happened earlier.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. Because if you don’t, you’re going to avoid it for the next couple of weeks,” Missy sounded aggravated, but she was still sounded calm and she was bouncing Ellie. 

Scully sighed in defeat and silently nodded. Ellie was finally asleep so Missy carried her upstairs. While that was happening, she picked up Will and placed him in the crim, wrapping a blanket around him and turning on the mobile before creeping back downstairs. 

Scully poured herself some juice because making coffee at this time in the morning was ridiculous. She sat down at the kitchen island and within seconds she felt her sister hand float across her shoulder letting her know that she was there. 

“So how do you think it went?”

“It went fine, Missy, why wouldn’t it?”

“Oh, I don't know, maybe he has anger issues?”

Scully sighed, they were both speaking in hushed voices but if this conversation was going to carry on in this tone it could turn ugly real quick.

“That wasn’t him, you know that, don’t you? He was angry and upset. I left him, I ran away, I was scared.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“What if I had done it to you, Missy? One day I just left, no word, nothing,” she spoke a little louder explaining her point. 

“But you wouldn’t do that, I’m your sister.”

“And he's the love of my life.”

As soon as Scully said the words she regretted them. She clamped her hand over her mouth and the tears started to fall. It had been a long time since she had admitted that she still loved him, despite everything. She knew it her heart, she still loved him, and her body still craved his. But speaking the words out loud was something completely different. She left her sister in the kitchen and fled to her bedroom. Her head hit the pillow and the tears began to fall harder. Sleep soon descended upon her as the emotions of the past day had finally caught up with her. 

*****************************************************

He woke up as the sun was just peeking past the windowsill, and went for a 5-mile run. While exercising, he came to the realization that he might need to get his life back on track if he was going to be any kind of father to his kids. Being suspended without pay was no good. The more he thought about it, the more he questioned why he still worked at the FBI. He could never return to the x-files, not without Scully. And he certainly, under no circumstances, would ever go back to profiling on a full-time basis. So the only thing keeping him there was the search for his sister and leaving the FBI would be like betraying that search and the last two and a half decades of his life. He had a lot of thinking to do. 

Mulder got back, his muscles burning for exhaustion. He showered quickly and dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt before making himself a coffee. 

He leaned against the kitchen worktop looking out into his apartment waiting for a machine to be done. As he looked around he soon realized how utterly filthy his apartment was. It had never been this bad, not even when he was a teenager in Oxford. He shook his head and then the machine beeped, telling him his coffee was made. Not long after his coffee was drunk, he decided to clean his apartment for once and for all. 

1 hour later. 

Mulder had just walked through his door after throwing the black bags full of rubbish out when his phone began to ring. 

“Hello?” He answered breathlessly. 

“Mulder, it's me.”

“Hi, Scully, what can I do for you?” he replied happily. 

“Are you ok?” She sounded worried. 

“Yeah, sorry, just got back from a garbage run.”

“Mulder, I was wondering when you were free next?”

“I’m free pretty much every day,” he winced hoping she would not ask why he that was. 

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the park tomorrow with the kids.”

“That sounds like a brilliant idea.”

“Good, umm, meet me at my mom's… say 1 pm? ”

“Great, see ya then!”

“Bye, Mulder," she sounded sad. And he had no idea why.  

“Bye Scully.”

And the dial tone rang in his ears as he placed it back on the holder with a smile on his face. But he was also a little worried and confused at why she sounded sad when she said bye to him.  

12.45 The Next Day.

Mulder had just pulled up outside Maggie Scully's house. He had little butterflies fluttering in his stomach: he was so excited to see the kids, even though he had seen them last in less than 24 hours. He missed them as soon as he had left.  

He promptly got out of the car and walked up the drive. Before he could knock on the door, it swung open. Melissa walked straight into him. 

“Humph. You’re early,” she said.

“I…” 

Before he could get out another word, Melisa pushed his chest out of the door, closing it behind her. 

“Melissa, I’m sorry...”

“And so you should be!” She took a quick look over her shoulder, looking at the front door. “If you hurt her, I will hunt you down and kill you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, I…” 

Melissa tilted her head, waiting for him to finish his sentence but they were soon interrupted by the door opening and Maggie walking out.

“Fox, come in!”

“I’ll be right back, Mom.” Melissa interrupted. “Just going to the grocery store to pick up some milk and fruit.”

Mulder watched Melissa get in the car and drive off. He took that as his cue to walk in, stepping into the hallway looking sheepish.

“She will forgive you in time, Fox. But you hurt her.” He instantly knew Maggie was talking about Melissa.

“Maybe she shouldn’t.”

“Of course she will. You’re family.”

He blushed profusely at Maggie calling him family, maybe one day he would even call her mom. 

“She is in the living room, just placing the twins in the stroller.”

“Thank you.”

He walked down the hallway and there, wearing a white sundress with red roses and an overly big straw hat. Then he looked down at the twins. Ellissa was wearing a yellow skirt and pink top and William was wearing blue shorts and a grey top his little legs kicking wildly. The kid was shaking a rattle in his sister's face who was blissfully ignoring her brother.  

“Beautiful.” 

She turned bright red and he suddenly realized that he had said it out loud.

“I… I meant the kids.”

“Sure you did, Mulder.” Now it was Mulder’s turn to blush. “Let me just grab the picnic basket and then we can get going.”

He nodded and watched her wander into the kitchen. He turned to watch the kids and just as he did Ellie looked up 

“Dada da.”

“Hey, sweetie! You look very pretty. Are you ready to go to the park?.”

She giggled and her big smile she reminded him so much of his sister at that age. He watched as she started pulling at the straps wanting to come out.

“Nah ah, little one. Your mom only just put you in there. We’re going out in a minute.”

She seemed content at the answer and stopped picking at the straps.

“Ready.”

“Always ready for you, Scully.”

She swotted him on the arm and they both headed to the park.

1 hour later 

They all sat down in the shade on a picnic blanket after they had played on everything available. Ellie’s favourite thing was the swings, while her brother’s favourite thing was to go down the slide on his father's lap. Mulder didn’t want it to end but he knew Scully would be going home soon and then he did not know where he would stand. Would she come down to DC? Would he go see her? He certainly didn't want to be an absent father, he had already missed 7 months of his kids’ life. He loved these little ones with all his heart. It would be an awkward conversation and now it was a good time as any.  It's now or never.  

“Scully, when are you going home?”

He could tell he caught her off guard as she had a startled look on her face.

“I go back next week but I have been thinking of buying a place back in Georgetown. I would be close to mom and I would be close to you,” she whispered the last part. She picked up Will and laid him down next to her, lifting her top, unclasping the bra and bringing him to her nipple which he accepted greedily. 

“How long will you be gone?” he picked up Ellie and laid next to Scully with Eliie on his stomach. 

“Not too long, I hope,” she moved her hand to stroke her son’s hair. 

“Does that mean you already have a place here?”

“Well, I have been looking for a while. A 3 bedroom house has just come onto the market. Would you want to go with me to look? It’s tomorrow—,”

“Yes.”

“—I was planning to either go on my own or with Mom if I’m asking too much of you...” she was rambling and he was smiling “Wait, what did you just say?” 

“I said yes Scully, of course, I will go with you.”

He watched her eyes light up and the biggest smile came across her face. Mulder thought there may just be hope for them still. Will finished his feed and it was Ellie’s turn. Since Scully had to swap her breasts he took the opportunity to spoon her, wrapping his arms around all three of them.  

*******************************************************

The Next Day.

Scully had got her sister and her mom to babysit for a few hours so she and Mulder could go to see the property that had come onto the market. As she was driving to his apartment she thought about a few things, mainly how she and Mulder seemed to be getting along and their relationship seemed to be improving. In only three days they were getting back to some sort of normality. He was even flirting with her yesterday and she was flirting back, they were enjoying each other’s company. They were becoming a family. 

She arrived outside his apartment building and he was waiting for her. He looked devilishly handsome in his black slack trousers and a casual polo shirt. He saw her pulling up and waved at her, she pulled the car next to him and he got in. 

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long.”

She pulled away from the curb and drove towards their destination. 

“How long is not long?”

“I was only there for about five minutes, Scully.”

She was keeping her eyes on the road. 

“Thank you for coming with me, Mulder, I appreciate it.”

“Nowhere else I would rather be.” 

She turned quickly to look at his face. He was smiling at her and she smiled back.

30 minutes later 

They had arrived at the house and from the outside, it was everything she could have dreamed of. It had a generous front yard that was fenced off with luscious green grass and a variety of coloured flowers. There was a drive wide enough for two, maybe three, cars and a double garage and the end. She could tell she was smiling from ear to ear but she didn’t care. 

Scully parked the car and Mulder got out first. He stood by her side and, just like old times, he placed his hands on the small of her back and pushed her walking side by side to meet the estate agent. 

“Hello, my name is Mandy and I’m here to show you around. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.” 

Mandy was wearing a blue coral pantsuit which suited her figure tremendously. Her blond hair was in a high ponytail and she looked like she was in her late 30’s. If you let her, she could sell you the world. 

“Mrs Scully, Mr Scully if you follow me...”

“I… We…”

Scully looked at Mulder as he was trying to say something, but he simply smiled and led her forward to follow Mandy. 

She led them up the driveway up to the porch which was beautiful off-peak white with a swinging chair. 

Scully was speechless. They walked into the foray, it was tall and grande with little curved corners. There was a staircase on the left leading up to the second floor, with deep-seated oak wood doors. The walls were splashed with white and gold reflecting the light through the house. 

They both walked forward, following the room through to the living room. It had one corner sofa and a small sofa on one side of the room and on the other. There was a large table with open french patio doors looking out into the massive back garden.  

“This would be a nice play area for the twins,” Scully said and Mulder looked at her and answered honestly.

“Yes, I think it would make a lovely playroom.” Mulder watched as the smile never faded from Scully’s face and she simply nodded in response.

Mandy led them through to the kitchen. It was not overly large but it had seen many meals and still had some left, plenty of family get-together, and children’s parties. 

Mulder chuckled at the thought of Scully hosting a child's party with 10 or 15 children. 

She heard him chuckle and looked at him funny and whispered, “What?”

“Oh, nothing, Scully. Promise.”

They carried on seeing the rest of the house and it was perfect for them. There were 4 bedrooms but one had a desk in it as well as having an actual office in the house. Mandy led them back downstairs now it was time to make or break Scully’s dream.   

They asked Mandy how much the house was and Scully instantly had a sharp intake of breath. The house was completely out of her price range. Mulder could instantly tell Scully was upset and her dream was shattered.  He placed his hand on the small of her back and whispered in her ear. 

“Scully, can I talk to you a minute?” 

She looked at him and nodded. 

“Mandy we will be back in a minute”

“Ok, Mr Scully.”

Mulder led Scully to one side of the room out of earshot of Mandy. 

“What is the matter, Scully?” 

She looked as if to say  ‘As if it wasn’t obvious...’ 

“I….” 

“I can tell you love this house, Scully. With my inheritance, I can buy it for you outright, no string attached. It would be in your name only if you wish.”

“You can’t Mulder, I can’t ask this of you.”

“Scully, look at me,” and she did. “I haven’t been there for the first 6 months of the twins’ life. I want to do this for you and them.”

“That doesn’t matter, I can’t afford it so it’s just a dream” 

Mulder looked away staring into a dark corner of the room thinking, she went to talk away and he grabbed her arms lightly to stop her. She stopped and looked at him questionably. 

“I came up with an idea which should work for both of us”

“Which is?”

“What if we both paid half,” Scully shook her head. “Wait here me out” she looked at him and waited for him to continue. “So if we both paid half for now, and you can pay me back in insultments each month as you would with a bank but without the interest”

She looked at him and smiled.  The warmth, truth, and honesty coming through his words made her heart melt, his eyes shining bright. 

“Ok,”

With this agreement, he was giving her her independence yet letting him in at the same time.   By the end of that day, Scully had a beautiful home signed in her name.

If anything Mulder had signed the house in her name for purely selfish reasons. The twins being closer to Scully’s mom would be good for them. But not only that, he would be closer to them. He hadn’t known them long but they were everything to him. He would also get to see Scully more often. Even after everything, his feelings for her would never change. They may be masked by anger and hurt and pain but his love and adoration for her would always simmer in the background. The trust they once had would need to be rebuilt and she was the only person that he would ever let near him. He watched her drive away as he waited for his cab knowing he would only act on his feelings for her if she wanted it. The ball was completely and utterly in her court.

[let-it-raines]

BotB prompt: After the last chapter, I’m definitely going to need a flashback to when Emma told Killian that she was pregnant. Please and thank you!!

@onceuponaprincessworld: After that prompt in botb I would love to see how Killian has to travel for work to promote a movie and Emma finds out that she is pregnant or already know it and how they deal with the distance in that plan. Thank you!

It’s funny because before I got your prompt @onceuponaprincessworld I already had this prompt written this way, so great minds must think alike😘

AO3: Beginning | Current

Tumblr: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

-/-

When Emma wakes up, her neck aches, some of the muscles very obviously pulled, and tentatively, she stretches out a bit, lifting her head off of her pillow and reaching over to her left to feel the cold sheets next to her. It’s a habit, one that she isn’t really fond of, but she does it nearly every morning. It’s almost like she’s forgotten that Killian isn’t home, forgotten that he’s not going to be next to her when she wakes up in the mornings. For at least those first fifteen seconds of waking, the light coming back to her eyes, she thinks that she’s going to see the rise and fall of his chest, the soft smile that graces his lips when he sleeps, the long, dark lashes landing against his cheeks.

But he’s not there.

And she knows she’s being dramatic. She really does. Going into this relationship, she never quite knew what to expect, but once she was in, she was all in. And if being in meant having to be separated from her husband so that he could be happy with his career, she was fine with that. She is fine with that.

It doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss Killian.

He’s her best friend, the person she trusts most in life, and he’s currently in Prague filming. Prague is decidedly not Santa Monica, and she wishes it was.

Two more weeks.

She can wait two more weeks until he’s home for a long, long time, and then she is not letting him out of her sight for, like, a month. She has work. He has obligations. They have friends and family. That’s never going to happen, but she can at least have him all to herself for a weekend. They deserve that.

For all the talking and video chatting they can do, there’s nothing quite like being able to feel the strength and warmth of his arms around her before she goes to bed or in the evenings when they’re cooking dinner and Killian tries to distract her by running his lips across her jaw and coaxing her out of making whatever it is that she’s making…as if she’s the one who makes dinner most often when that’s usually Killian.

So two more weeks.

They can do two more weeks.

After running her hand over the sheets and the comforter one more time, she rolls over to her nightstand to unplug her phone, turning the brightness down, and pressing her thumb down to open up her notifications.

Ruby: What was the nail polish that I let you borrow? I can’t remember the name, and Dorothy wants to use it.

Mary Margaret: Do you have any time off this month? I was thinking about the boys and I coming to visit?

David: lol.

She fires off responses to all of them except for David’s text, not having anything else to add to him laughing at a joke about detectives that she sent him last night while she was wide awake and he was fast asleep. Half of the people she talks to are in different time zones, and it can get the tiniest bit confusing.

Seriously. Killian is nine hours ahead of her.

Killian: Good morning, darling. I hope you slept well. I have a pretty normal filming schedule today, so I’ll call you before I go to bed, yeah? I love you.

Emma: I love you too. I hope you’re having a good day!

Turning some music on her phone and connecting it to the speakers installed throughout the house, she slowly climbs out of bed, her head a bit groggy this morning, and tries to make quick work of taking a shower. But she stays under the warm spray for much longer than she should, letting the water work out the aches in her shoulders and the still tense pinch in her neck. Damn, did she sleep on it wrong. Obviously her bed is not her friend lately, and that’s her favorite place in the world.

Talk about betrayal.

Eventually she turns the water off and gets out of the shower, moving the soft towel over her legs and her body before grabbing another one and wrapping her hair on top of her head. She has absolutely no idea where her robe is, probably in the laundry room somewhere, so she grabs Killian’s off of his hook and wraps it around her, tying it at the waist to combat some of the chill from the air conditioning blowing on full blast. She doesn’t even want to think about their power bill for this month, but honestly, it’s worth it for how warm it’s been this summer.

Seriously. It’s been miserably hot. She misses winter, which is something she never would have said living in Boston.

(She misses Boston too, but this move was the right decision. She doesn’t regret it.)

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she grabs her phone and walks downstairs, opening the curtains and blinds as she goes to let in some natural light, the sound of the ocean coming through the open back doors that lead out to the deck. She’s not really feeling like eating, but she knows that she needs to. She’ll forget otherwise, and then when she goes to Liam and Elsa’s for dinner tonight, she’ll go through their entire pantry, which is much less acceptable to do than gorging out on her own food. But nothing seems good, the cereal and bagels unappealing, the eggs and anything she has to cook even more so, and the only thing that she will even consider is a grapefruit…which may or may not be rotting.

It’s fine. She’ll go grocery shopping tomorrow…and also pick up all of the clothes and glasses that she has scattered throughout the house. It’s not that messy, something she’s worked on since messes drive Killian crazy, but if she knows her husband at all, he’ll come home, take her to bed, and then wake up to go and clean the house. So obviously she needs to clean up a little bit more, maybe break out a duster.

Dusting is the worst.

This view of the beach, though, is the best.

She and Killian have found that most of their time since they moved back (well, since Killian moved back and she moved for the first time) has been spent out on the covered deck or in their bedroom with the doors leading out to the balcony wide open. The sound of the ocean is a background noise she always wants, so she turns off the music on her phone, the guitars fading from the speakers, and sits on the cushioned swing, slightly swaying back and forth while she sips on her water and watches the shoreline. Their neighbor has her dog running through the water, the golden retriever leaping into the air to catch its toy, and Emma wonders if they should get a pet. She’s not sure how that would work during the times when they’re both gone, but it’d probably be nice to have a dog or a cat around when it’s just her, at least so there’s more noise than the air conditioning and the televisions that she leaves on at night.

But then again, Killian is coming home soon and she’ll have no need to replace him with a cat.

Wait. That sounds weird. She’s not replacing him with a cat, though they probably have the same amount of hair.

Whatever. She’ll think about it and bring it up with Killian sometime soon.

Her phone dings next to her, and she looks down expecting a text back from Killian or Mary Margaret only to see a notification that makes her stop breathing.

Seriously. Her breath hitches, her stomach rolls, and her mind starts running a marathon when she hasn’t gotten the chance to even lace up her sneakers.

You haven’t tracked your period lately! Make sure to update all information so we can monitor your cycles as accurately as possible.

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Holy freaking shit.

(Why did she just censor herself in the middle of a curse?)

While her heart decides to drop to her stomach and beat at what has to be an unhealthy amount of beats per minute, she clumsily attempts to unlock her phone, her thumb not being recognized so that she has to type in her wedding date for her screen to open up to her period tracker app. Her mind is so frazzled that nothing is really clear to her, not even the screen in front of her, and it’s because she’s trying to remember the last time she had her period. Her app says she hasn’t logged it since May, which means she didn’t do that in June or when her period was supposed to start two days ago.

And that’s fine. It really is. Two days is nothing. Two days is barely anything. And so what that she didn’t track anything last month. It’s an app. She forgot. Plus, she very well could have had her period last month without typing it into her phone. That’s possible. Not everything has to be logged into her phone to be real.

But did she have her period?

She honestly can’t remember. And it’s not like she can ask Killian. He hasn’t been here. He’s been thousands of miles away.

Shit.

Killian totally would have noticed, and he definitely can’t help her figure this out. Because she definitely can’t tell Killian that she’s trying to figure out if she missed her period…which means she’s trying to figure out if she’s –

Pregnant.

Well, there’s a word that she didn’t think she’d be thinking for a solid few months, maybe a year. Maybe even two.

Woah.

It’s not that they haven’t talked about it. They have. Killian is very big on talking things out even when she isn’t quite ready. They’ve talked about kids before, talked about the fact that they both want one, maybe two if the first one doesn’t kill them, but then back in March they’d been sitting in bed sharing a bag of chips while watching Stranger Things and Killian brought it up. It made sense. It really did. It’d been a gradually growing conversation, the lead up building, but when her face was stuffed with several salt and vinegar chips, she wasn’t really expecting to have to talk about the reality of what it would be like to have a baby and know that there’s the possibility of her having to raise the baby by herself if Killian is away. And then also how that can impact their future, impact their kid’s future. She knows that Killian wants to work less, or work closer to home more frequently, once they start their family, and that’s something they were talking about.

They were talking about trying when he got home.

It might be a little late for that.

Or early, really. She could be ahead of the game.

When in the world did she miss a pill?

Taking a deep breath, she tries to turn her mind off but can’t. She really is ahead of herself. She has no idea if she’s even pregnant yet, and she needs to take a test. But she most definitely does not want to take a test by herself, does not want to be sitting in the bathroom all alone when she finds out if her jeans aren’t about to fit in a few months (because that’s obviously the most important thing) and have no one know this secret but her, so she needs to shut this thought process down until Killian gets home.

Two weeks.

She can do two weeks.

By the time two o’clock rolls around, she’s spent the entire morning deep cleaning the house, deciding to take her worries and frustrations out on the things she needs to do, and she almost completely forgets that she could have an entire human being inside of her uterus.

(She’s a liar. She definitely doesn’t come anywhere near to forgetting.)

But then her phone rings, Killian’s face popping up on the screen from his contact, and she nearly vomits with nerves over the fact that she’s about to not tell him the reason she’s having a meltdown.

The vomiting thing is probably a sign, which is really a horrible symptom, and there should definitely be some kind of solution to that.

“Hello, beautiful,” Killian sighs, and she can practically feel his smile on the other end of the line, thousands of miles away in a hotel bed that’s not theirs. “How’s your Saturday?”

“It’s good.” That may be a lie. That may be the truth. She has no idea. “I slept in, cleaned a bit. I’m going to go to your brother’s for dinner later.”

“Emma Jones, you cleaned?” he gasps, and she rolls her eyes imagining him sitting shirtless in his room with his hand dramatically thrown over his heart. “Are you dying? Is there something you need to tell me?”

“No,” she blurts out, definitely too quickly before she scrambles to cover that up, “I just knew that if I didn’t clean now, I’d never have it up to your standards by the time you got home.”

“Love, all I care about when I get home is the fact that you’re going to be there.”

“Charmer.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“You’re definitely going to care about how clean the house is.”

“Eh.”

“Babe.”

“Love of my life.”

“Oh my God,” she groans, tossing the wipe she was cleaning the bookshelves with in the bin and walking toward the couch, falling back against the cushions and turning the phone on speaker before placing it on her chest, “you can’t just say things like that.”

“I can’t say the truth?”

“Not when you know you’re going to get me all flustered with it.”

“To be fair, love, you already seemed pretty flustered. You are cleaning, after all.”

“Hey, again. I clean.”

“Debatable.”

“KJ, I can change the locks on the house.”

“There’s always the windows. Hell, I’ll climb the damn balcony.”

She laughs despite herself and reaches down to tug at the robe she’s still wearing, pulling on the string before running her hand over her stomach, almost unconsciously. The words are on the tip of her tongue ready to be spilled, but she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know if she’s right, if the words are true, but the one thing that she does know is that if she tells Killian she thinks she’s pregnant now, he won’t stop worrying about her until his feet step inside of this house.

And there’s still the fact that she doesn’t want to take the test alone.

Pushing it all aside. That’s what she’s going to do.

“You’ll climb the balcony to get to me?” she asks instead, going along with the conversation.

“I’ll climb the balcony to get to my bed. If you happen to be in it, so be it.”

“There you go charming me again.”

“I try.”

She and Killian talk until his words are a little slurred, sleep calling him more than she is, so she tells him goodbye and that she loves him, chanting that two more weeks mantra to him before she, too, falls asleep, waking hours later with pillow marks on her face and her phone flashing five seventeen, a little under an hour until she’s supposed to be at Liam’s.

She hasn’t even put on underwear yet. That’s probably something she should do. They’re family, but there are some things that family does not need to see. Her vagina is one of those.

Her thoughts get weirder every day.

Thirty minutes later she’s dressed in a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt, her hair underneath a baseball hat, and letting herself into Elsa’s house after knocking on the door, which is really only a courtesy since Liam tends to barge into their house…still. After one too many times walking in on she and Killian, she really figured he’d learn to wait for them to answer the door.

“Hey,” Elsa calls over her shoulder when Emma walks into the kitchen, “how are you?”

“Um, good,” she mumbles, sitting down at a barstool and tapping her fingers against the countertop, wishing she had something to settle her stomach and all of the unease that she’s going through. Her mind will not calm down, and she really needs to calm down. “How are you?”

“Great. It’s so hot, isn’t it? Liam is outside on the playset with Aiden, and they’re both going to be drenched when they come in. But Aiden insisted, you know?”

“Yeah.”

She taps her fingers again, thinking about Aiden and Liam and the bond that they have. If she and Killian have a son, will they have a bond like Aiden and Liam? Would it even matter if it was a boy? Killian would have a bond with a daughter too. So would she. But there’s something so cute about watching Liam with Aiden even if Aiden is the spitting image of Elsa.

Genetics and all that.

How would that work for her kid?

Her hypothetical kid.

“Emma?”

“Uh huh?”

“You want to stop playing an entire piano concert on my counter and tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“There’s nothing,” she lies, her voice a squeak as she looks up at Elsa and smiles, hoping that it’s a normal smile. “I have nothing on my mind except for how good that pasta smells. And the bread. I love your garlic bread.”

Elsa raises a perfectly groomed brow and flicks her braid over her shoulder, leaning forward and propping her elbows up on the island. “Emma, you can talk to me. You know that, right? You’re kind of going through a lot right now, and you can’t pretend that you’re not. You stay with us too often for me to not know how hard Killian being away is for you.”

“I’m fine.”

Elsa nods her head up and down once, twice, three times before tilting it back to her cabinets. “Do you want something to drink? I bought this new wine that I – ”

“No, I’m good,” she blurts out, completely and totally ready to bury her face in this granite. “I’ve got to drive home, and I really don’t think I want anything to drink.”

“Mmm, okay. Do you want to go to lunch this week? I think there’s this really great sushi place downtown that just opened.”

“Sure. I lo – oh, um, can we get something other than sushi? I think I’m going to give up fish.”

“Why?”

“A new diet or whatever. I’ve gained a few pounds.”

Lie.

They’re all lies.

When did she turn into such a bad liar?

“Ah,” Elsa sighs, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, “I get it. I, too, gained weight when I was pregnant. Though, I don’t think it was when I was as early on as you. Maybe you’re having twins.”

Every word that she knows flees from her brain. Every single one. She’s not sure if it’s the thought of her having twins or if Elsa has caught her in her lies, but honestly, it’s mostly the fact that she was caught that quickly.

Damn.

Elsa really is some kind of magical being who can read she and Killian far too well. It’s creepy and wonderful and terrifying all at once.

And she could most definitely cry right now simply because she is feeling all kinds of overwhelmed.

Emma leans forward to rest her face in her hands on the countertop, the cool marble refreshing. “How did you know?” she mumbles into her skin. “I don’t even know for sure.”

“It was a guess, but the no to wine and no to sushi, two things that you love, were a pretty big clue. Plus, you’re acting like a strung-out maniac.” She feels Elsa’s hand on her back, and when she opens her eyes, she can see that she’s moved to the other side of the counter to sit on the barstool next to her. “Have you taken a test?”

“I just realized I’d missed my period today. And I may have missed last month’s too. But, like, I haven’t been nauseous or anything, so I didn’t think about it. I honestly figured it was stress related.”

Elsa nods her head up and down, a soft smile on her face as she continues to rub Emma’s back. “I have some tests upstairs – no, I am not pregnant, but I had a scare a few weeks ago and bought, like, every test in the CVS I went to. Why don’t you go take one, just so you have a bit more peace of mind about it? And then when Killian comes home, you’ll either have some really great news to share or you can tell him about the time that you peed on a stick in his brother’s house with absolutely no context.”

She huffs, unable to stop herself or the twisting feeling inside of her, before leaning over on the stool and hugging Elsa, wanting all of the comfort and support that she can get since the rest of her support system are scattered across the country.

And the world.

Elsa asks if Emma wants her to come with to take the test, but she says that it’s alright, that she’d kind of like to do this part alone if she can’t have Killian with her. Even opening the box is nerve-wracking, but the worst part is definitely the waiting two minutes to find out if she’s going to be a mom a little bit sooner than she was expecting.

The phrase what to expect when you’re expecting comes to mind, and she feels like that can’t even really encompass everything.

How in the world do people do this every day?

It’s like a mixture of excitement and terror, and the only other place she’s ever felt like this is a rollercoaster.

That’s actually a pretty good metaphor for having a baby.

And according to the positive sign on the test, she is having one.

Wow.

It’s a lot to take in, but over the next two weeks, she becomes more accustomed to the fact. It helps that she makes a doctor’s appointment, gets it confirmed, finds out that her due date is February fifteenth, and that she is definitely not having twins.

She’s been secretly worried about that ever since Elsa made the joke.

That would be…overwhelming.

Mostly, though, as much as she’s gotten used to the idea, gotten excited about the idea, all she’s wanted to do was share it with Killian. And she’s not about to tell him he’s going to be a dad without him being in the same place as her. This is too big of a thing for her not to be able to hug him afterwards.

But he’s in the taxi on the way to the house right now, and she could throw up out of excitement. And the morning sickness that finally hit her, but that’s not what she wants to think about right now.

She’s definitely wearing down a hole into their hardwood from all of her pacing.

Her phone dings with an alert that there’s movement at the gate to the house, and her stomach does this actual swooping thing that should not at all be possible. It very apparently is, though. And while she’s never been a woman to want to run into someone’s arms out of excitement, that’s changed ever since she met Killian. When they were dating and had been apart for awhile, getting to see his face, even if it was for a day, was the greatest day. Now that she’s living apart from her friends, when she gets to go to Boston to see them, she most definitely runs into Ruby’s arms to hug the living daylights out of her. The same with David and Mary Margaret and their kids. And now that Killian’s been gone for months, she pretty much feels like her legs are going to launch her over the fence instead of into his arms.

Who knew it was possible to miss someone this much?

She guesses she did.

Instead of waiting inside like a sane person, she tosses her phone down onto the couch, and quickly walks outside, not even bothering to put shoes on. Her throat closes for a moment when she sees him, her eyes trying to take him in and catalog all of the differences and similarities all at once as he unloads his bags from the back of the car.

“Hey, Jones,” she calls out, running down the steps as he turns around, his hair flipping with the movement.

“Emma,” he laughs, his smile practically taking up his entire face.

God, she missed that smile.

It’s all a blur as she runs forward, her body colliding with his as her arms wrap around his neck and his arms wrap around her shoulders, tugging her closer so that she’s fully pressed against him. He’s solid, just like always, and his heat overwhelms her as she smells the slightest bit of his cologne mixing in with that awful airplane smell that seems to happen whenever anyone so much as steps into an airport.

He’s home.

“I missed you, Swan,” he murmurs into her ear, rubbing his hand up and down her back as he starts trailing his lips along her jawline, electric sparks spreading across every nerve ending that she has, some of them probably twice.

“I missed you, KJ.” She pulls back to look at him, her hands moving up his neck to cup his cheeks, thumbs tracing over his scruff and his freckles and everything as she looks at the blue eyes that she loves so much but has only been able to see through a video screen. And then she presses up on her toes and kisses him, kisses him like a woman who hasn’t been able to kiss her husband in months, a woman starved of the love and compassion that she’s been without for far too long. It’s all like coming to that safe comfort of home, which is perfect since he’s back and everything is in its right place.

“Hey, man, I need you to get your bags so I can go,” the taxi driver calls out at them, the displeasure in his voice obvious, and she and Killian break apart with blush on both of their cheeks.

“Sorry about that,” Killian grumbles, very obviously not too sorry about it, before he turns around to grab his backpack out of the backseat, handing the driver some cash, and closing the trunk before he drives off. “I don’t think that man liked watching you make out with me, Swan.”

“What’s not to like about it?”

“Exactly,” he winks, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer so that he can softly glide his lips over hers, his tongue quickly licking into her mouth in a burst of heat and pleasure before he’s retreating. “Darling, will you grab the black bag? I have no idea how I managed to pack so much stuff.”

“Sounds like a plan, Stan.”

Killian reaches forward and slaps her ass, making her jump. “I missed that idiotic phrase.”

“As you should have.”

She picks up the black bag off the ground as Killian takes his others, the two of them carry them to the front door and placing them inside before Killian closes the front door and pushes her against it, her back hitting the wood as his hand snakes up underneath her shirt, warm flesh against her skin, and his lips start working at her neck, vibrations trembling down her spine.

“I have thought of you every day.” He punctuates each word with a kiss or a teasing of her skin with teeth, and she nearly melts right then and there at the deep rumble of his accent. “I’m not sure if I’m ever going to be able to do something like that again.”

“I love you,” she gasps out as his hand starts to fumble with the waistband of her leggings, yanking them down as heat curls between her thighs. But it’s then that she remembers that she has something kind of big to tell him. How could she possibly forget? “Wait, wait. Killian, wait.”

He pulls back, his head retreating into his neck as his brows raise and his eyes scan her face, typical Killian 101 trying to figure out what exactly is going on with her even as his hands still run across her stomach, itching to go beneath her leggings once more.

“What’s wrong, love?”

“Nothing, nothing,” she promises, swiping her thumb across the apple of his cheek as her stomach does that twisting thing again. She needs it to stop. “It’s just that, well, I’m pregnant.”

It’s not the smoothest way to tell her husband that they’re going to be parents, but when has she even been smooth and graceful and perfect with her words? Never. He blinks a few times, his lashes landing against his cheeks, and when his lips part, she expects some kind of word, but it’s really more of a…squawk? Is that the right word? She has no idea.

“KJ?”

He blinks once more before leaning forward to press his forehead against hers, his nose pressing into her cheek and his lips lightly brushing over hers as he speaks. “You’re pregnant? We’re having a baby?”

“I mean, technically I am the one having a baby, but you helped us get there.”

“Thank goodness I’m the father. I was unsure for a minute.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” she laughs, shoving at his chest to move him away only for him to pull her closer.

“I may be an idiot, but I’m the father of your baby. You can’t change that.”

“This is not how you were supposed to react.”

“How was I supposed to react?”

“I don’t know. With affection or something?”

“Me teasing you about the paternity of our baby isn’t affection?”

“Eh, maybe.”

“If it’s a boy, we should name it Stan.”

She barks out a laugh, her head falling backwards, and everything in her life rights itself. Killian is home, he’s teasing her, and he’s so unbelievably happy that her stomach finally settles.

This is perfect.

“I am not doing that.”

“I was kidding,” he teases, pressing his lips against hers once, twice, three times.

“Were you though?”

“Possibly.” He fumbles around under her shirt until he’s pulling his hand out and grabbing onto her left wrist, brushing his lips on her wrist dot in the way that she’s missed, the romantic fool. “I love you, and this is by far the best welcome home I’ve ever received.”

“I know. I’ll probably never be able to live up to it.”

“You can always try.”

“Eh, too much effort.”

Killian chuckles before kissing her wrist again, holding it to his lips as his eyes close and a soft smile forms on his face. “My love, I will always be happy to see you, both of you.”

-/-

@ultraluckycatnd @nikkiemms @resident-of-storybrooke @wellhellotragic @onceuponaprincessworld @jennjenn615 @mayquita @captainsjedi @teamhook @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @branlovesouat @dreadpirateemma @kmomof4 @ekr032-blog-blog  @andiirivera   @superchocovian @cs-forlife @qualitycoffeethings  @notoriouscs @mariakov81  @jonirobinson64  @ultimiflos @idristardis @galaxyzxstark @thejollyroger-writer @lifeinahole27 @bmbbcs4evr

[the-blind-assassin-12]

for Billy (YOU KNOW THE ONE) P. 7 & 8 (before IT happened) 14, 21, P&F. 4, 5, 7 (apart from what happened with Frank)12, 16, 18, L. 3, 5, 7 C. 1 (before & after pls), 2, 3, 4, 11 W,E &H 4 (before) 6 F. 2, 3, 4, 7 P. 1, 2, 5, 7 S. 4 & 5 (before and after pls) V. 1, 3, 5, 6 DL. 5, 6, 7 (before IT happned)

Oh man. You went there. Okay. Okay, fine. Just know that this took a lot out of me emotionally. (and also moved Red up on my to-write list.) Okay. here we go. Jigsaw//Blue Billy: 

Personality 

7-What makes them laugh out loud? (before)

Not much, he’s pretty reserved in the way that he expresses his feelings and reactions. But when he’s happy, really happy, he can’t hold it in. His smiles get so big that they turn into laughter, like all the leftover laughs that he didn’t let out finally shook loose. Very few people in the world have heard him laugh out loud, but you’re the one who has heard it the most. 

8-How do they display affection? (before) 

Billy was a big hand holder with his girl- but not the typical fingers laced together hand hold. He liked the way his whole hand felt wrapped around yours. It was how he said “I’ll protect you” without actually saying it. He’d drape an arm around you while walking together and pull you just a little closer. It was how he said “I’m so lucky you’re mine” without opening his mouth. Occasionally he’d plant a slow, lazy kiss on your lips in the middle of a crowd. It was how he said “I’d choose you every time.” Without ever having to work himself up to say it out loud. Billy knows that actions speak louder than words, and he knew that you understood what he wasn’t saying. 

14-What is their greatest fear?

Failure. Because no matter how high you climb, if you fall off the ladder you’re going to be forgotten. No one remembers #2. And failing you? That’s the worst thing he could do. 

21-What sense do they most rely on?

Hearing. A lot of missions and jobs occur in pitch black locations, but things sound the same no matter how dark it gets. 

Past & Future

4-What is the most offensive thing they ever said?

It wasn’t something he said out loud. It was what he sent to you in that email when he said it would be better if we don’t see each other for a while. Because he could picture you reading it, alone in your apartment, absolutely heartbroken and blindsided. 

Sure, there were probably a lot of way more offensive things he’s said to people. But they don’t register with him because he didn’t care about them like he cared about you. 

5-What is their greatest achievement?

He holds a few records with the USMC that he’s proud of. Longest sniper kill shot and fastest three mile are the ones that mean the most to him. 

7-What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? (apart from what he did to Frank) 

At the very beginning of your relationship, when he first realized that he felt differently about you than he’d felt about any other woman he’s been with, when he realized that he in fact loved you...it scared the daylights out of him. He had no idea what to do with love. He’d never been given it and had certainly never felt it before, and he didn’t know if he was capable of living up to what those four letters meant. So instead of trying and failing, he broke it off with you. Told you that he’d had his fun but that things were getting boring, predictable. (he actually liked that- the predictable part, and that’s what really scared him. He was getting used to having you around, and the thought that it would hurt him if you weren’t made him feel weak and that scared him.) He left you crying in your kitchen. 

Two days later he showed up at your door with flowers. “I’m sorry,” was all he’d said, but you could see in his eyes and in the way his chest was moving with every breath that he was feeling a lot more than those two words. The note on the flowers said “I love you”, and it was the first time he’d told you that.

12-What is their best childhood memory?

Once his class took a field trip to the Bronx Zoo and he got separated from his group but he wasn’t scared and he didn’t try to find a chaperone or staff member right away. He hung out with the chimps for a while before taking his time to visit the reptiles and then the big cats. For an hour or two he didn’t have anyone telling him what to do and he enjoyed it. When he finally found his teacher she was livid but Billy just shrugged and said he was in the bathroom.

16-What past act are they most ashamed of?

One of the assassination missions Rawlins had them on had Billy, Frank and the others torturing this “enemy soldier” before murdering the guy in front of his wife and kid. Billy would never forget the look in that little boy’s eye, and of all the dirty missions he was a part of, that was the one that stuck with him, giving him real shame and regret over. 

18-has anyone ever saved their life?

Yup. On his first deployment, Frank saved Billy’s ass after he got shot . (The one near his hip) It was a nasty one, a real bleeder. But the most dangerous part was that Billy couldn’t put any pressure on his left side, even after they got the wound packed and wrapped. Fowler, one of the guys in their unit suggested that they leave Billy in the blown out building they’d sheltered in to tend to the wounded (one more soldier- Ziegler or Z for for- took a bullet in the shoulder. Couldn’t carry a rifle but he could walk just fine) until they could get help and send an Evan team in for Billy. But Frank ADAMANTLY refused to leave anyone behind (especially Billy who he’d come to see as a younger brother). He told Fowler to fuck right off, that there was no way in desert Hell that he was walking out of that building without Russo. Billy tried to protest. “Just leave my back to the wall and gimme a gun, Frankie, these fuckers ain’t gonna get me twice.” 

“Shut your goddamn mouth, Bill, and put your goddamn arm around my neck.” Was his answer. Billy listened, and Frank essentially carried him out of the shell of the hotel lobby. Billy had a pistol in his free hand and Frank managed to keep his rifle up even bearing most of Billy’s weight, and together they got back to the rendezvous point. Less than 10 minutes after they got to safety they got word that the building they’d been in had been leveled, and if they’d have followed Fowler’s instruction, Billy would have gotten buried in the rubble. 

Love

3-how do they behave in a relationship?

After that 2 day breakup bonanza, Billy took the relationship very seriously. He was never over the top about displaying affection, but he found ways to make it clear that he was yours. He’d meet you for lunch on Tuesdays when you had an extended break, and if the weather was nice you’d grab a hotdog from the cart on the corner and find a table in the small park near your office. Since neither of you were well off, dates usually consisted of take out on the couch, but that was just fine with you and with Billy- he’d never kiss sauce from your face in public, but at home it was a different story and if the corner of your lips caught a little pizza sauce, his lips wouldn’t be far behind to remove it and swallow your giggles. He even met your sister when she was in town once, not shying away from her questions and engaging her in conversation, clearly trying to show her how much you meant to him. 

He doubted himself a lot, about not knowing if what he was doing for you was enough, about whether or not he’s the kind of man you deserve, about why in hell you’d want to be with him when you were clearly head and shoulders better than him. But he always tried his best not to show those insecurities, and you’d put them to rest without ever really knowing the extent of them. 

In a nutshell, Billy is a dedicated, loyal partner in a relationship. He would never cheat on someone that he had real feelings for or someone who loved him like you did, because he knows that it’s pointless. Lots of the women he slept with back in the day were cheating on their significant others with him, so he saw a lot of relationships in their final stages, and it's never something he’d put you through.  

5-what sort of sex do they have?

The extremely thorough kind that doesn’t require a mattress. The couch, kitchen counter, shower stall or a sturdy wall, door, window or banister will do. His mouth and hands are constantly on you and constantly moving, and you both know you’re going to have little marks from his teeth and little bruises from his fingertips...but that’s just fine because he’s going to be equally marked up from your fingernails and the hungry kisses you sucked onto his shoulders and collarbone. It’s Billy’s goal for you to know and feel exactly what he’s thinking and feeling, whether it’s jealousy because some schmuck had the balls to flirt with you in front of him, or need and ache after a fight or after a rough day, or raw unfiltered desire from that tight dress you’d worn for your birthday dinner. 

But when it’s love that he’s feeling? When his thoughts are consumed with you and how you’ve changed his life for the better, how you showed him that he was capable and worthy of love? That’s when he takes his time the most, and that’s when no matter where it starts, it always ends in bed, even when he has to carry you because he’s already rendered your thighs into jello. He keeps his eyes on you, even when you close yours, and the bites get lighter until they dissolve into gentle brushes of his lips. He loves when you’re on top so that he can look up at the only woman to ever hold his heart and drink up your perfection, but he loves feeling you under him, chest to chest and hips glued together even more. 

After these times he always leads you into the shower and helps you clean up, running his soapy hands over every inch of your still tingling skin before bringing you back to bed where you both fall asleep loosely tangled together.   

7-Have they ever had their heart broken?

Twice. Once in real time when he lost you right in front of his eyes, and the second time when that memory cut through the clouds and he was forced to relive it a second time. 

Conflict 

1-How do they respond to a threat?

Before: If someone threatened him or you in anyway, he’d square up instantly. Billy’s not afraid of a fight. He’s confident in his ability to keep you both safe under pretty much any circumstances, and while he always carries a knife for protection (and out of habit) he knows that he wouldn’t really have to use it. He can take on up to three attackers at a time if they’re unarmed, and he can handle disarming two aggressors before he had a problem. He knows how to end a fight without killing someone, but if he had to, he would. 

After: Well you saw what he did to Krista. More of that. 

2-Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue?

Both, words first and fists to follow. Billy’s not one to start fights with random punks on the street or d-bags in a bar, but he’s sure as hell going to finish something that gets started on him. He’s not even much of a striker, but he’s good at using things to his advantage: he’ll bash someone’s head off of a bartop or use their own sweatshirt hood to choke them out. His hands he likes to keep clean and unbroken, so he can wrap them around yours without the juxtaposition of bloody bruises. 

3-What is your character’s kryptonite?

It’s you. It’s just you. If he didn’t have to watch you get shot on that carousel things may have turned out differently in that fight. If he didn’t have to relive that moment in his sessions with Dumont, she might still be alive and he might still be handcuffed to that bed. He might not be on a mission for revenge. 

4-If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be?

Now? Well now he doesn’t have a place per say… I mean… he’s got somewhere to go but the only possessions he has right now are the contents of that folder that he took from Krista. But in that folder are the three photos of you and him together. And he’d walk through a burning warehouse for those. 

11-where do they go when they’re angry?

He used to go to Central Park when he was angry. There’s a big boulder overlooking the fields and he’d just sit there quietly until the anger passed, especially if he was angry with you over something, because he knew that you were likely right and that getting his anger away from you was the best course of action. 

Work, Education & Hobbies 

4-What are their hobbies?

Billy was an avid reader. He liked autobiographies of war heroes and historical fiction novels. Sometimes he meets up with some guys to shoot hoops but it’s really just an excuse to get one hour of physical activity in before heading to a bar to shoot the shit over a couple beers. 

6-Do they have a natural talent for something?

Billy’s a great whistler. He has a very talented tongue. 

Favorite?

2- what place would they most like to visit?

Billy would love to see the Grand Canyon. He’d never told anyone this, but the reason is because the Grand Canyon is a giant crack in the Earth. It’s a flaw. But it’s beautiful and inspiring. Even before his flaws are advertised on his face, he’s felt flawed and imperfect in a lot of ways in his life- no one wanted him as a kid, the abuse he’d been through, the things that have happened overseas that he’d never be able to get out of his head. 

3-What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen?

That dress he dreamed about you wearing to the ball? You wore it to your sister’s wedding and you sent him a picture of you all dolled up before the ceremony. The two of you had just started dating at the time, so you hadn’t asked him to come with you. It was before that scared shitless breakup happened, so if you would have asked him to come with you it may have spooked him a little too much. But damn. When that picture came through he nearly dropped his phone on his face. 

4-What is their favourite song?

I’m not sure, but I can tell you who he’s listening to. Billy was a teen in the 90s, so he listened to a lot of Soundgarden, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and TOOL. 

7-What is their password? (on his phone) 

3-17-01

It’s the date he turned 18 and got out of the group home. 

Possessions

1-what is in their fridge:

We’ll go with before because he does not have a fridge currently. So he spent most nights with you, either grabbing take out or you doing most of the cooking, but on the rare ocassion that you had plans or were out of town, or if he had plans to go out with the guys and needed to eat when he got home, he’d keep the essentials stocked. Eggs, milk bread. Most of his food was in the pantry because it was stuff like cans and pastas and rice- non perishables since it was more likely than not that he wouldn’t be cooking often.  

2-What is on their bedside table?

You gave him a framed photo of the two of you that he kept on his bedside table. It wasn’t one of the three that he currently has, it was from your first Thanksgiving together, and you’d told your family that you had to go on a business trip so that it could just be the two of you. You cooked a whole damn turkey, and the two of you were eating leftovers for a week and a half. Every surface in your small kitchen was covered in pies and side dishes, and he told you later that night when you were on the fringes of a tryptophan coma that it was the best Thanksgiving he’d ever had, that he was more thankful for you than he could put into words. 

“A picture’s worth a thousand words,” you mumbled sleepily, not making much sense from the cider and the long day of cooking and eating. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” he grabbed your phone from the coffee table and snapped a picture; you tucked up against him on the couch and an orange and brown afghan thrown over both of you. 

You had no recollection of the photo until the next day when you tried to take a picture of all the leftovers to show your sister when you finally came clean that you just wanted a quiet holiday with Billy, and when you saw it you knew you wanted to give it to him.  

5-What is in their purse or wallet?

The bare minimum. I.D., one credit card and some cash. A punch card from a local pizza joint. (at last notice he was three punches away from a free slice) But no pictures or personal information. 

7-What is their most treasured possession?

Now its those three pictures of the two of you from the file. They’re going to be on him at all times. 

Spirituality

4-What do they think heaven is?

He doesn’t believe in heaven, and if he did he wouldn’t think it was a place meant for him. But he believes in souls, so I suppose his perception of heaven would be a place where he can be with you again someday. 

5-what do they think hell is?

He’s in it right now. The realization that he watched you die and  couldn’t do anything about it and now has to carry that around for however long he got left? That’s hell. There’s nothing worse. Nothing. 

Values 

1-What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person?

They can be torn down to nothing and left alone. Like he did to Frank, and like Frank did to him. 

3-when did they last lie?

When he told Frank that he had nothing to do with killing his family. He didn’t pull the trigger, but he had a hand in it in other ways. 

5-When did they last make a promise?

Ugh. When he promised that he would come home to you in front of the Alice sculpture. And then he didn’t. Ever again. 

6-Did they keep or break their last promise?

...you know the answer to this. 

Daily Life (all before) 

5-What do they do first thing on a weekday morning?

First thing on the Russo daily checklist is 50 pushups and 100 crunches. Then it’s right into the shower, and then and only then does he get his first cup of coffee. He drinks two in the morning and one around midday. 

6-What do they do on a Sunday afternoon?

Sunday afternoon is YOUR day to be together. If you haven’t come up with something to do- there are always tons of street festivals, food truck events, seasonal stuff to do- then the two of you would have a lazy day, likely staying in bed until at least noon. Eventually you’d move to the living room after a shower, and you’d likely much on coffee and bagels before taking up opposite ends of the couch with your books. Billy with his war stories and you with something from your book club. After an hour or so you’d find that you’d made your way into his lap and after trying to earnestly recount for one another what you’d just read, he’d end up scooping you into his arms and dumping you back in bed. 

7-What do they do on a Friday night?

Friday is your late night, because that’s the night you’d volunteer as a tutor. (You worked with kids who were in danger of failing and therefore wouldn’t be able to graduate, and the program you volunteered with was in Brownsville- not the nicest section of the city) Billy would come pick you up so you wouldn’t have to take the subway alone, and then you’d see what your or his friends were up to, maybe meet up with Curt and his girl, or if Frank and Maria were lucky enough to get a sitter, the six of you would meet up for drinks. If nothing was going on, and he had a little extra cash that week, he’d take you out for dinner with a promise of dessert once he got you alone. If going out wasn’t on the docket then he’d come back to your place and you’d end up with desert before dinner.

[freshneverfrozen]

Running Time

You know how much I know about Resident Evil? Enough to get my ass smacked by a jacked Nick Valentine, that’s how much.

This is horrible, by the way. I started it and barely knew enough about Leon to get through it. This is worst thing I’ve written in 10 years and there’s not even any porn. Can you say porn on tumblr now? Porn. Huh. Porn porn porn. Also, uh, not proofread.

Five Times You Meet Leon Kennedy

1.

The first time you met Leon Kennedy, the world had already ended. The wind through Raccoon City smelled of decay and bodies and you were used to it now. When people realized what was happening, that they were dying or going to die, they swept en masse towards strategic points. The police station was closest to you - but the gates were shut and the doors barricaded before you ever got through. The ones who stayed to beat at the entrance were still there now. They moved slower and smelled of blood and carnage.

You had not stayed; you determined you would wait it out - two weeks - and then you would make your way out of the city. You’re scavenging near the police station when you hear the shots ring out. The place has been dead - literally - for days. Lights out, only the streets around the building breathing with the infected. Those streets pulse and sway as you maneuver through store fronts, your head low, always low. You can’t get into the station, but the nearer you get, the clearer the shots echo.

The front would be suicide, but there’s a gate around the back, one guarded by tall, iron fencing that you have tried before to climb over. You ignore it. You ignore the front. Instead, you climb up a fire escape on the building next door and you stay there until you are positive that someone is alive on the second floor of the station. Once or twice, you think you see a flash from the windows, but the rain comes down harder and in the minutes that follow, darkness screeches below.

And then you see him - his shadow passing smoothly down the second-story hall - and your heart snares in your throat until you can’t breathe or speak. Lightning flashes, frightens the both of you, and he, him, the man in the window, turns by chance to look at the rusted platform across the alley.

He sees you, his silhouette hesitating, and you know he thinks that you’re one of them, that you’re a dead thing.

But you aren’t. And your arms wave frantically through the rain. He sees you because he lunges for the window and forces it open. The beam from a flashlight shines across the way and you wince against it but you don’t avert your eyes.

“You’re alive!”

His voice is young and his words bring a stinging heat to your eyes.

“So are you,” you call back, imagining a smile on that face you can’t quite see.

“What’s your name?” His voice is a kind one, you think, one that sounds like trust. You wonder what he hears in yours when you answer him.

He tells you that he’s Leon and that he’s with the RPD. You want to ask how many survivors there are, but you don’t, because you know the answer already. There’s only him, alone in all that building. The space between you feels like a universe; it’s going to swallow one or both of you in a cataclysm.

“I can’t get to you,” you call to him, and you wish immediately that you had lied, because what you’ve just said is a cruelty the stranger - Leon - with the young voice and the gun doesn’t deserve.

“You’ll have to be careful,” you continue in a voice that is both loud and soft, “Be careful. I - I can’t get to you.”

Leon hesitates. You notice his shadow sway behind the light.

“There’s a gate in the back -”

I know. You do know. You heard it rattle, can hear it rattle.

“ - I can’t unlock it. Don’t try to come that way.” His tone steadies, stronger now, and before the outbreak, you don’t recall recognizing resolve in a stranger’s voice. “I’m going to open the garage. I’ll find a way through.”

He can’t stay there, in the police station, he means.

“Good luck,” you tell him. You mean it.

“If you can get to that side of the street…I’ll find you.”

He sounds like a promise.

2.

The second time you met Leon, he kept his promise. He found you and you want to cry because he looks like an angel with his pale hair and eyes. There’s kindness in his face, even when kindness stopped belonging weeks ago. He hasn’t forgotten your name in the hours since you first saw him.

You cry when he touches your shoulder.

There’s a woman with him who sneers when the tears roll down your cheeks, but Leon feels the relief like you do. The pads of his fingers curl into your shoulder; he’s not trying to calm you, you realize as you swallow down the emotions that are strangling you, he’s steadying himself.

“Do you have a gun?” the woman with Leon asks you.

You don’t, but you have a knife and a heavy metal pipe that has left an ache down one of your arms.

“Where are you going to go?” you ask. You’re talking to Leon and it’s just as well, because the woman has gone to the windows to peer out into the street.

“Following her,” he replies.

That’s the decision then. You’ll follow her too.

3.

The third time you meet Leon, he’s staggering across a scaffold that is going to collapse beneath him. You cry out for him; you reach out but your shoulder has a bullet wound to match his. Ada had put it there and called it a favor when she left you dying on the tram.

But you didn’t die. You clawed and you kicked and followed the gunshots until there was too much blood leaking out of you. Then you had crawled.

“Ada,” your voice cracks, weak, and you’re not sure if Leon can hear you over the fires burning behind him, “Ada, she - “

“Dead,” he breathes down from the ledge above you. He had heard you after all - somehow, by chance, between the explosions and splitting steel.

The ground rocks and spills you onto your knees as Leon clambers down a latter towards you. You find your feet before he can reach you, but his arm goes around you anyway. This time you need it - you think you’ll die without it.

“Want to stay here?” There’s a smile on your lips as your fingers close over the top edge of his vest to keep yourself on your feet. “Enjoy the view and die?”

Blond hair that has gone orange in the firelight falls over one eye as Leon shakes his head. He’s delirious, because he smiles back before dragging you along, one arm snug around your back.

4.

You don’t think there will be a fourth time.

They take Leon and the little girl, Sherry, and you don’t expect to see him again. Your heart breaks over a stranger. Losing a man you’ve known only a few days is like losing an arm or organ - you’re bleeding out slowly in the middle of military tents and a quarantine zone. They tell you they’ll let you go, but you stop believing them after a week.

But Leon…Leon keeps his promise.

He finds you.

With your head tucked over a packet of field rations, he pushes through a passing throng of soldiers and calls your name. You choke on a mouthful of rice and kidney beans and shove the packet to the nearest survivor - there are only a few and they are all hungry - and you run to him.

Your arms wrap around this man you barely know, but he holds you tight, like he’s grateful, and you both rock on your feet there in the middle of camp.

“Where did they take you?” you ask.

“They…wanted to talk to me about Sherry.” His hands are on your bare arms for the first time, hot-palmed on the raw-scrubbed skin beneath the sleeves of your t-shirt. He says, “They may want to talk to you, too.”

Leon on sees the hesitation on your face before even you know it’s there. “Come on,” he smiles, the edges of it broken, “Don’t worry about it now. Let’s take a walk.”

You walk for minutes, tens of them, and every few steps his arm brushes yours.

“They want you to stay with them, don’t they?”

You say it so that he doesn’t have to. He nods, slowly, and your hand finds his. This time, the pair are you aren’t dragging one another out of danger, this time you can squeeze just enough to feel the grooves of Leon’s palm.

He squeezes back.

5.

When Leon finds you for the fifth time, a badge hangs from the lanyard around your neck. Your suit is as black as the 9mm holstered at his thigh. He’s harder now than he was two years ago, healed over and tougher like the scar on your shoulder.

The debriefing hurts you - you watch his face and feel cold when it looks like the others of the men with whom he marched in. One of the suits - one of your people - introduces you to him as another survivor from Raccoon City and you haven’t known fear like you do in that moment for the last two years. Because Leon’s mouth is a straight, firm line and his eyes spark with nothing. He waits until the officers are gone to remember you.

“You stayed,” he says, filling up the doorway to your office like a shadow. His clothes are dark, his arms scarred. His eyes are liars eyes - you see that now as you look up from your desk. They hadn’t given away the truth to the anyone else in the meeting; they had fooled you, too.

Standing from your chair, you move around to his side of the your desk.

“So did you,” you say.

The words sound like accusations - yours and his.

“How…how have you been?”

“Alive,” you reply, “Safe.”

His mouth quirks at one corner and he lifts one arm carelessly in your direction. “Care to share any pointers?”

“Find some rookie cop you can reliably outrun and who shoots better than you.”

Leon smiles, suddenly young like you remember, and you return it. It grows, mutates until it’s too big and laughter interrupts the quiet of the office. When it tapers off, dying like everything inevitably does, you are left nodding.

“I missed you, Leon.”

He laughs a half-breath, glancing at the floor and then back to you.

“Missed you first,” he says, “Nothing’s gone the way -”

“The way it should have? The pretty way?” you supply.

“Yeah,” he seems satisfied, “the pretty way.”

He takes a step closer, more in your office than out of it, and you’re glad the space between you is closing. A mile is better than a universe. Beneath his body armor, his steps are timid, inch by inch, and you meet him halfway.

“You can’t stay, can you?”

You know the answer.

“They won’t let me.”

You knew it.

Two years feel suddenly short as you dip your head forward to rest your forehead beneath his chin. You don’t expect his arms to go around you, don’t need them to, but they do and he presses you to his chest as though he is the one who needs it this time.

Your words are muffled by his nearness.

“Be safe wherever you go, Leon.”

He nods - you feel the rise and fall of his chin against your hair followed by the burn of his lips at your temple. Red-hot, there just long to brand you.

“When I get back,” he says - promises, “I’ll find you.”