#hey so I cried making this decision goodbye

[gallusneve]

Emmrich Volkarin in Lich's Vestige

The silk and ash stitched into this imposing necromancy set protects any wearer prone to accidental dismemberment or decay.

[writingforcuteppl]

Hopeless

PAIRING: Monkey D. Luffy x Reader

SUMMARY: After Usopp left the crew, you knew Luffy wouldn’t like anyone to disturb him, unless it’s you.

GENRE: Angst and fluff 

WARNINGS: Established relationship. Mentioned of blood.

WORD COUNT: 595 words

A/N: I promised myself I wasn’t going to write about One Piece until I had my AOT series out, but I watched Usopp leave the crew yesterday, and this is my way to cope because that was heartbreaking, so enjoy!!!

“Hey,” you whispered to Luffy, who was leaning on the fence on the rooftop of the hotel you were staying for the night, wanting to get his attention and also trying hard not to start crying again after watching the dreadful fight Luffy and Usopp had not long ago.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Luffy didn’t even look your way, something that wasn’t normal, at least for him. He always greeted you with a bright smile and sparkly eyes. And it hurt you to see him like this.

Also, this was the first time you ever saw him cry, and you couldn’t bear the thought of that happening again.

“I know, but maybe a little company can help.” You made your way next to him. You didn’t really know how Luffy was going to react in this situation. It’s the first time he not only lost a crewmate but also a friend. It felt like a part of all of you was missing.

“Do you think it was a mistake? Choosing to leave the Merry here?“ Luffy asked, wanting to know your opinion. Even if he was the captain, he knew sometimes he needed common sense from anyone in the crew. He knows he can be reckless sometimes.

“It was your decision, Captain.”

“Please, tell me what you really think. Forget just this time, I’m your captain. And tell me what you think as my girlfriend,” you sighed.

“I don’t know much about ships. I do know our ship holds meaning for all of us. And it holds even more meaning to Usopp. After all, Kaya gave us the ship.” Luffy only nodded. “I also think everything has to come to an end, and if this was the end of the Merry, then I would gladly say goodbye to it with a smile. It was the best ship we could’ve asked for.”

“And the fight..?”

“I also believe that was bound to happen. You heard Usopp. The Merry was just the final straw. He already made up his mind even before you told him about the Merry.” 

“I don’t think he’s weaker, that… That’s what he said.”

“ I think-“You stayed in silence before correcting what you were going to say, “No, I’m sure no one thinks like that, Luffy. Which makes me think everything that happened today with the Franky Family made him think so poorly of himself.” Without even realizing it, Luffy wrapped his arms around you, holding you in his warm embrace. You hugged him back, letting him know you were there for him. Your hands made their way to his hair, and you started to caress it. 

As you felt Luffy’s tears wet your shirt, you tried to think of a life where the crew wouldn’t have Usopp, and it made your heart ache. If it hurt you like this, you can’t imagine how bad this affected the others, let alone Luffy.

“I swear I didn’t want it to escalate so quickly,” he cried softly, and you tried to calm him down by patting his head.

“I know that everything seems to be crumbling down, and you feel hopeless. Unfortunately, I believe all of us feel this way. This was a long day. But believe me when I say everything will be alright, Luffy.”

“How?”

“I really don’t know how, but everything seems to resolve somehow. One way or another,” Luffy’s hold became stronger as if he didn’t want you to go. Fearing you would also leave him. “No matter what happens, I will never leave you, Luffy.”

“Promise?”

“Promise”

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

n a v i g a t i o n

[turcott3]

8 letters

brandt clarke x fem! reader

warnings?: cursing, kissing, crying, mild angst

masterlist

-

you slammed your car door shut as you walked inside your house, your thoughts spinning through your mind at a pace you couldn’t comprehend. your manager sent you home early from work, deciding that you “seemed really tired and needed some rest”.

you stopped at your favorite fast food place as a treat, setting it down on the counter as you enter your bedroom to change, your roommates’ dog excited to see you as always.

“i need to call him.” you mumble to yourself as you pet the dog before turning back to your sink, your makeup wipes out on the counter as you press call on your boyfriends contact page.

“hey.” he says, picking up after just one ring.

“hey, i’ve had a really shitty day can you come over?”

“yeah, of course, i’ll be there in five.” he replies without hesitation,

“i left the door unlocked for you.”

“okay, see you in a sec.” he says bidding you goodbye as you hung up the phone. you sighed in relief as you picked up the makeup wipes and began rubbing your face clean of the products.

“HEY!” you say looking over and seeing your roommates mischievous dog licking eyes with you as she pisses all over the clean clothes on your floor.

“hey stop, get the fuck out.” you say shoving her harshly out the door and groaning.

“these were fucking clean.” you whine in frustration, tears threatening to spill. your mind spun once again, anger and sadness filling your body quickly, your fists came loose as you held your face, letting out a heavy broken sigh. it didn’t help that you were incredibly uncertain of your future, no one being of any assistance in letting you figure it out for yourself.

you stood in the same place, your body shaking as sobs left your mouth, tears soaking your cheeks as you hunted for your laundry detergent.

“y/n- y/n?” you hear brandt’s voice from behind your laundry room door, sobs not stopping once you heard him.

“baby, why are you crying? stop, come here.” he says, taking the products from your hands and wrapping you up in his arms, only causing you to cry more. his hands ran soothingly up and down your back, shushing your cries quietly, rocking you back and forth.

“i’m s-sorry.” you sniffle pulling away.

“don’t apologize, what’s wrong? how can i help you?” he asks, wiping your tears.

“well i was already having a bad day, i look fucking terrible, not even makeup could fix it, my hair won’t cooperate, i’m just fucking sad and unsure about my future and then this fucking dog pissed all over a pile of my clean clothes.” you say, sniffling heavily.

“oh honey,” he frowns hugging you again, “go get in comfy in bed okay? i’ll bring you your food and i’ll put all your clothes in the washer. don’t worry about a thing. and don’t ever say you look terrible, you’re so beautiful, even if you don’t see it you are, always.”

“okay.” you reply quietly, the boy pulling you closer to press a kiss to your head before sending you on your way. you watched as he measured the amount of detergent to put in, his tongue poking out lightly.

“i added a little extra to make sure they smell good, is that okay?” he asks, holding the cap up.

“yes baby, that’s perfect. thank you.” you reply with a giggle as he shuts the washer door, picking up your food and bringing it in to you.

“you can have some of my food if you want.” you say, taking a few fries.

“no no it’s okay, enjoy it. you deserve every bite.” he says, relaxing into your mattress. you loved how content and accepted he made you feel. in his eyes, everything you did was right. he worshipped the very ground you walked on, something you never thought you deserved.

as you ate you texted back and forth with your mom about your day, another emotional overflow bound to happen. you finished your burger and crumpled the tin foil as you choked back your tears, your mother almost surprisingly completely on your side with your decision making and expressing to her how hard life has been on you recently, bursting into tears the moment she told you she was proud of you, your head crashing into your pillow, your face back into your hands.

“come here.” he says quietly, rolling you over and pulling you to his chest, his chin rested on top of your head.

“it’s all gonna be okay my love.” he says lowly, his thumb running across the back of your head. you laid together in silence as you cried, growing more and more tired by the moment.

“you wanna go get in the shower honey? i think it’ll make you feel a little bit better.” he offers pulling away slightly, lifting your chin to lock eyes with him.

“okay.” you replied, scooping you up from the bed and carrying you to the bathroom, setting you down on your feet.

“can we just have the candle, i don’t want all the lights.” you ask quietly.

“of course, whatever you want.” he replies, turning the water to warm, the two of you removing your clothes. you lit the candle as he made sure the water was warm, turning the shower head on. you flipped the lights off as he helped you into the shower, the warm water hitting you softly, sighing in relief. you smiled as brandt entered after you, no boy you’ve seen ever as gorgeous as him.

“you look so handsome right now.” you say softly, running your fingers through his now wet hair as you stood under the flow.

“thank you pretty girl.” he giggles in reply, a sound you could never get tired of. it almost scared you how obsessed you were with him. never wanting to part ways for any reason. you were so infatuated with him you couldn’t believe it.

“lemme wash your hair yeah?” he asks, knowing how good his scalp massages were, you instantly nodding in response. he grabbed your shampoo as you turned your back to him as he pulled you a little closer by your ass.

“it’s dark so you gotta be closer to me.”

“i’m not complaining.” you giggle as his hands make contact with your hair, instantly scrubbing your scalp gently, massaging his fingers all around your head. you sighed as he worked the shampoo in, melting completely at his touch.

“that feels so good.” you say, your voice full of bliss.

“mm good.” he replies, pressing a delicate kiss to your shoulder. he tilted your head back to rinse it, the warm water spreading all through your scalp, you left your head leaned back, brandt’s shoulder being the landing spot. his arms wrapped around your torso as he pressed sweet kisses to your neck, your arms wrapped around his.

“i love you.” he mumbles against your skin, his kisses melting deeply into your neck, your heart practically growing in size for the boy.

“i love you.” you reply practically in a whisper.

hearing those 8 letters leave his mouth was something you never took for granted, and absorbed every second of it whenever it left his mouth. he was the only one for you without a doubt, and it was moments like this that made you truly believe it.

[7-wonders]

‘laying wide awake at night after watching a horror movie that left them unnerved’

could you do that prompt with the reader being the one who can’t sleep and Adrian comforting them and promising he’ll keep them safe?

I had two people request this prompt, thank you! Man I've MISSED writing for Adrian, this was so fun.

You've made a lot of dumb decisions in your life, though that's not specific to you. No, being human is about making dumb decisions. What is life if not a string of dumb decisions, one after the other?

Still, letting Harcourt and Economos pick The Exorcist: Believer for a team movie night instead of fighting harder for your and Peacemaker's choice, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, probably ranks up towards the top of your list of dumb decisions.

It probably wouldn't have even been that scary of a movie if you weren't watching it in the movie theater! Yes, The Exorcist scares you (you don't know a person who isn't scared by that movie), but it doesn't terrify you—there is a distinct difference between the two. Watching it in a darkened room, in surround sound, with 100+ other people just as scared as you are? That's terror at its finest.

After the movie was over, every member of The 11th Street Kids excitedly talked about how good it was, how scared they remained. Yet none of them looked affected or like they actually were still scared, so you pushed down your own fear and laughed it off as well. You went out for a couple of after-movie drinks, kissed Adrian goodbye as he went on patrol with Chris, and went home.

Now you're here, lying paralyzed under the covers and staring through the dark room intently as you try to discern if you're actually seeing something lurking in the inky blackness. Are those the yellow eyes of one of the possessed little girls, glowing dimly in the dark? If you strain your ears enough, can you hear the Latin of the exorcism? Your body begins to shake in fear, and you slowly draw the covers up over your head.

So wrapped up in your own mind are you that you miss the quiet sound of the door slowly opening. After having worked at A.R.G.U.S for a few years, it should be second nature to catch on to the feeling of the air shifting outside of your safe haven. But fear is a very powerful thing.

When something grabs the blanket and tugs it down, you scream.

The lights flick on as you do so, blinding you momentarily. When you blink the brightness out of your eyes, you come face-to-face with Adrian, your boyfriend. He's still in his Vigilante costume, which means he's just come back from patrolling. His mask is pulled off, and he's staring at you in bewilderment.

"Hey, I didn't mean to wake you up!" Adrian apologizes profusely.

"You didn't," you assure him, even as you try to get your heart to stop beating in your throat. "I wasn't able to fall asleep."

"Really? That's weird, you're always asleep by the time I come home." He hits the screen of your phone, lying on the nightstand, to check the time. "Do you know that it's three thirty right now? You're supposed to have a full eight hours of sleep to function healthily, and you're not gonna be able to get that."

Your lips twitch up in a smile. "I know."

"Then why aren't you asleep?"

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise!" His face is so earnest, and you wonder why anybody would think that your open book of a boyfriend didn't have emotions.

"It's because of that stupid fucking movie."

"Which stupid fucking movie?" he asks cluelessly.

"The one that we saw only a few hours ago?"

Clarity dawns on him. "Oh, that stupid fucking movie! I didn't know it scared you that bad, pumpkin!"

You appreciate the seasonal term of endearment, probably one of the more tame ones that he's come up with. "You mean it didn't scare you?"

"It was a little scary, I guess. Maybe I'm just built different."

"You almost cried when we went on 'It's a Small World,'" you remind him, referencing your trip to Disney World.

"Hey, those dolls are fucking scary and definitely have the souls of children trapped in them!" Adrian defends. He must see something in your face that betrays just how scared you've been since you arrived home, because his own softens. "Man, that movie really scared you, huh?"

You nod, and he nods back.

"Alright, then." He sits on the bed abruptly, pulling you into his arms and laying down on the mattress with you.

"What—Adrian, you're all sweaty! You need to go shower!"

"Not until you fall asleep. I'm gonna stay right here and keep you safe."

"You know that I know the movie's not real, right?"

"I know. But your fear is. So I'm gonna make sure that you fall asleep, and then I'll fight off any nightmares if they try to come knocking."

He's so sweet sometimes that it makes your teeth ache. "What about your eight hours of sleep?"

"Screw that, I can catch some zzz's at the office tomorrow."

You laugh. "When you're supposed to be doing the mission paperwork that you've been putting off for over a week now?"

"Pssh, paperwork, shmaperwork."

Your conversation dies down, and Adrian reaches a long arm over to turn the lights off. Despite your best efforts, your eyes close from the heaviness of sleep calling to you, Adrian's humming and his hand rubbing your back helping to get you there. The memory of fear zings through your brain, however, and you jolt with a sharp gasp, feeling like you do when you're about to sleep and have the sensation of falling.

Adrian's immediately holding you tighter, making sure that you feel him with you. "Don't worry, I'm right here."

You nod and settle back into him. "Love you."

"I love you more...my moonlit lake." You chuckle, and that's the last thing you remember before finally falling asleep.

True to his word, Adrian makes sure that no nightmares bother you tonight.

7-wonders Halloween Spooktacular

[ghostfacd]

ANYWAY, DON’T BE A STRANGER. — LUKE HUGHES

— “WILL YOU COME VISIT ME EVERY YEAR?” “OF COURSE I’LL VISIT YOU EVERY YEAR!”

pairing; slytherin!luke x hufflepuff!fem!reader

summary; graduation had finally came for you and luke, which meant closing doors and new beginnings. a summer on his lake house should’ve been fun, right?

genre; fluff, angst, hogwarts!au, one mention of sex but no actual smut, lots of crying, mentions of cheating and insecurities, mentions of past luke x kielle, to sum it all up, ynluke deserves better 🤲

author’s note; im gonna apologize in advance bc this one is gonna HURT.

✸ SLYTHERIN!LUKE MASTERLIST

The day of Grad had finally came. You knew everybody in your year was excited, having spent 7 years at Hogwarts and were ready to move on.

“You look so pretty!” Kielle says as she enters your room, her voice buzzing with joy. She had her graduation gown and cap on, her makeup looked amazing.

“Have you seen yourself Ms. Kiels?”

“Oh stop it,”

You had put your phone on Do Not Disturb, not wanting anything or anyone to interrupt your getting ready process. You had to look perfect, this was the last time you were going to be at Hogwarts.

“Babe, I’ve been calling you.” Mark enters your room along with Luke, who looks absolutely entranced by you.

“Sorry Marky, you know I don’t like distractions when I’m getting ready.”

Over the past year, you and Luke’s relationship had grown greatly, and so has Mark’s and Kielle’s. You four were no longer immature teenagers who couldn’t handle criticism, but now newly blossomed adults.

“Are you guys ready?” Luke comes up from behind you, pulling you into a small back hug.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

When Professor McGonagall all called you up to receive your diploma, you could’ve swore you were gonna breakdown right then and there.

You couldn’t believe you were actually graduating from the one place you had called home to for 7 years.

When you turn around to hug Kielle, you could see tears filling her eyes, something that quickly brought tears to your eyes as well.

Man, you hated this part of graduating. The goodbyes, the crying, and the reminiscing.

“Hey, don’t cry,” Mark says as he takes Kielle away from your arms. She sobs into his shoulders, and Luke is quick to pull you into his arms.

“You okay lovie?” He asks, eyes searching yours for any sign of crying.

“I’m okay Lukey,” you turn around to give him a tight hug.

“Guys! Don’t be so sad!” Luke says when you pull away, arms wrapping themselves around his two best friends, “we four are spending the entire summer together, so quit the crying, alright? You’re gonna make me cry,”

Kielle wipes her tears, giggling at Luke’s words. Him, crying? Never in a million years.

The only time Luke has ever cried was when you two were broken up and he had regretted ever making that decision.

You all waved a final goodbye to your classmates, knowing in the future, you might run into them in the grocery stores with their own families and greet them and laugh back on the days spent at Hogwarts.

Luke even gave a small hug to Teddy Wellings, a boy who had been his partner in Potions prior and whom Luke had scared the complete shit out of.

“Good luck out there Wellings,” Luke says as he gives the boy a small grin.

“Wow, I never thought you would smile at me,” Teddy jokes, “but thank you Luke. My favorite Potions partner.”

“I was your only partner,”

“It’s the thought that counts!”

You silently make your way over to Evermore, one of the first girls you had ever befriended at Hogwarts.

“Hey Morie,” you say, slinging your arms around her shoulders.

She quickly turns around, giving you the brightest smile ever. “YNNN!”

“The one and only,”

She pulls you into a tight hug, chin on your shoulders as she rubs your back in a comforting motion.

“Thank you Morie.”

“For what?”

“For dragging me to the Quidditch match that one day. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve never had the courage to approach Luke, and we probably would’ve never dated.”

Evermore laughs, wiping away a few tears that had came down her cheeks. “Well I’m glad that Luke has such a wonderful and caring girlfriend like you, and I’m grateful that we became friends, YN. You’re always welcome into my life anytime, okay?”

Her words make you let out a sob, nodding as you two hug each other even more tightly.

“Alright, are we ready to go?” Kielle appears from behind you, giving you and Evermore a small smile.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” you give one more hug to Evermore, intertwining your hands with hers one last time before you leave. “I’ll miss you Morie.”

“I’m always just one call away Y/nie,”

- -

You all decided to spend the summer at Luke’s lake house. His brothers weren’t home the entire summer—Jack being with his girlfriend while Quinn was overseas. It was a perfect getaway.

“Hi darling,” Luke takes a seat next to you on the dock, admiring how pretty you looked with your sunkissed skin.

“Lukey,” you pull him into a small hug, one that he doesn’t pull away from until minutes after. He loved being with you in the sun, it was warm and made him feel a million times better just being by your side.

“Cannonball!” The loud voice of Mark runs throughout the entire house. You and Luke quickly part away to make space for the running boy, who, annoyingly so, cannonballs in the water, splashing you and Luke with a bunch of water.

“Mark I’m so gonna kill you!” Luke screams jokingly through soaked eyes.

“Uh huh, come join me in the water Lukey boy, it’s cold!”

You see your boyfriend roll your eyes, but extends his hand towards you so both of you can take a dip in the lake.

“Where’s Kiels?” You ask, wondering where the blonde girl was.

“She’s making BBQ for us right now! Said she didn’t want to get her lash extensions wet, whatever that means.”

Luke and Mark start splashing water on each other, making you laugh silently. Suddenly, Luke gets out of the water, shaking his body of the remaining droplets.

“I’ll be right back,” he says to you and Mark. “Mark, don’t drown my girl.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it Hughes!”

It’s about twenty minutes later when you realize that your boyfriend isn’t back yet. Confused, you dry yourself with a towel before making your way to the backyard, where Kielle was grilling the marinated meats.

“I don’t know Kielle,” you hear Luke say in a hushed tone.

“Lu, you’re gonna have to tell her sooner or later,” Kielle sighs, turning around to place a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “The more you drag it on, the harder it’ll be.”

Your eyebrows furrow. What were they talking about? Was Luke cheating on you?

It couldn’t be. Kielle loved Mark too much to do that—and you know Luke would never do that to you. But the words that came out both of their mouths said something different.

It didn’t help that Luke and Kielle had kissed once at a party during your sixth year at Hogwarts.

You walk quietly back to the dock, not wanting Luke and Kielle to have seen you. Your head was filled with questions that made it difficult for you to think properly.

“Hey, you okay?” Mark leans his chin against the dock, looking up at you. “Did you find Luke?”

“Yep,” you mumble underneath your breath.

Mark raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t further question. He pulls himself out of the lake, “cmon YN, let’s get to eating!”

The lunch was pretty awkward for you, since everybody else was talking while you were sitting in silence. Luke, being the observant boyfriend he is, notices your discomfort and intertwines his hands with yours.

You should feel comforted—you should feel better now that you were holding his hand, but were you the only one that had the privilege of doing so? Or was Kielle another person that also had those rights?

It wasn’t until the sun set and the sky was dark that you and Luke were able to get some alone time at the lake. Mark and Kielle had practically kicked you both out of Luke’s own house, but they said it would only be for an hour.

“They’re totally banging,” Luke says, a grin plastered over his face. If you weren’t so insecure, you would’ve laughed along, but instead you chose to stay silent.

Luke’s smile quickly disappears when he sees this, and he pulls you into a side hug, your bodies now touching. “What’s wrong lovie?”

“Are you cheating on me?”

Those five words make Luke choke, eyes widened and face flushed. “What?!”

“Luke Warren Hughes, are you cheating on me?”

“Of course not!” Luke stands up, flabbergasted at such an accusing question from you, “why—why would you even think that YN?”

“Because I heard you and Kielle talking about how you had to tell me something! I don’t know Luke—you guys are pretty close.”

“Yeah that’s because she’s like my best friend since first year,” Luke brings his hand to his hair, ruffling it in distress. “No YN, I’m not cheating on you.”

“Then what was it that you were gonna tell me that was so hard to say?”

Luke sighs, eyes looking directly into yours. “YN, I’m moving to Michigan.”

You could’ve swore your eyes popped out of your sockets in this very moment.

“Michigan? Why?”

“Well, when we were in our fall semester of our last year, I decided to apply to some muggle universities. I looked at UMich, and I really liked it YN. I want to do something with my life outside of Quidditch. They have this hockey program that is just amazing. So I applied and I got my congratulatory letter back in January. I’m sorry.”

It feels like your brain completely halts, forgetting how to speak or think.

“Lovie, please say something.”

“I don’t know what to say Lu,” your legs almsot give out onto the dock if it weren’t for Luke catching you and gently sitting you down. Even at times like this, Luke always knew how to take care of you. “I’m proud of you—I am. I just always thought we would go to uni in England, you know? Michigan is so far.”

“I know lovie,” Luke places a few strands of your hair that had gotten in the way behind your ear, “but Umich is a great place. I think I’d really fit in.”

Of course you couldn’t ask Luke to stay in London with you. That would be selfish. Your boyfriend seemed so passionate about going to Michigan that if you had cried at this very moment, you would feel incredible guilt.

“That’s great Lu, that’s great.”

Luke sighs as he watches you fall apart in his arms. Instead of talking more, he decides to rub your back comfortingly, placing tiny kisses on your tanned shoulders.

“We can do long distance can’t we Lu?”

Luke places his hand under your chin, making you look up at him. The sad look on his face already telling you what you didn’t want to hear.

“Lovie. I thought about this for a while, ever since I got my acceptance letter. I love you YN, don’t you ever doubt that, but I think it would be unfair for the both of us to do long distance when our time zones are so different and we have so much going on in our lives,”

You shake your head quickly, your tears making your vision too blurry to even look at Luke clearly. “No Lu, I’m willing to do whatever—”

“But I’m not,” Luke holds the both of your hands in his, eyes glossy and red. “Lovie, I can’t keep the promise that I will have time for you when I go to Umich. I’ll be so busy with hockey and studies and with our time zones, we wouldn’t even be able to call properly. I just can’t have anyone holding me back, and I most certainly don’t want to hold you back either. There’s just no way that I’ll end up being with you.”

“Is this what this is all about?” You scoff, wiping away your tears furiously. “You think I’m going to hold you back Luke?”

“It just wouldn’t work—”

“No Luke, it’s fine.” You pull away from his arms, now standing up. “You’re right. You’re completely right. This long distance thing will just fuck us up in the future, so we might as well end it now right?”

Luke gulps, not expecting you to be so upset with him. This was the last thing he wanted.

“YN,” he practically begs. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“I won’t Luke,” you sigh, “I guess we’re over then. Thank you for everything.”

You walk away that night with your heart broken and tears streaming out of your eyes. This night was the final day before summer was over, and while your original plans were to spend the entire night with Luke by your side, you ended up sleeping in the guest room of his house.

Mark and Kielle were painfully aware of the tension in the room the next day. Both not wanting to add fuel to the fire, Mark decides to take Luke out swimming to calm his nerves while Kielle stayed with you and made fruits for the both of you.

“I take it that he told you he’s going to Umich.” She says, handing you a bowl of cut watermelon.

“Yeah, yesterday night.” You take a bite, too upset to properly enjoy the sweetness of the fruit. “I feel bad, you know? I’m proud of him for getting in—it’s just, I thought we would spend our lives in London together. I never thought he’d go off to the States and we’d break up.”

“I know honey,” Kielle pulls you into her arms, letting your tears soak onto her top. “If it makes you feel better, Umich didn’t only take Luke, but they also took Mark.”

“No way,” you say, “Mark got in too?”

“Yup, our boys are gonna be playing hockey together.”

You wince at her mention of “our boys”, knowing that Luke was no longer yours.

“Oh I’m sorry YN, I mean Luke and Mark are gonna be playing together.”

“It’s fine Kiels,” you reassure her. The bowl of fruits seemed to be more interesting to you than anything else in the world right now. You just wanted to go home and cry it all out.

“I’ll still be in London,” Kielle speaks up after a while. “You’ve still got me,”

You give her a small smile, nodding slowly.

Curse you Michigan, for taking my boyfriend.

- -

The day for Mark’s and Luke’s departure had come quicker than ever, the two boys now standing outside the gate to board for Michigan.

Even though you and Luke were now exes, you couldn’t miss the chance to say your final goodbye to him. If you had stayed home, you knew you would’ve regretted it for the rest of your life.

“Flight 380 now boarding,” the microphone says. “Flight 380.”

It was Luke’s flight. You had memorized the number when Kielle first mentioned it after your breakup with him.

“Hey,” you say as you approach Luke, who’s currently rechecking all his luggage.

“Hey.”

The silence between the two of you is awkward, and filled with so much longing. But neither of you are able to speak up, too afraid to do so.

“I’ll miss you, you know?”

Luke cracks a smile at that, his eyes sad. “I’ll miss you too lovie.”

You swore you almost cried when he had used the pet name that he’s been calling you since the beginning of your relationship.

“Will you come visit me every year?”

“Of course I’ll come visit you every year,”

You couldn’t help but pull the taller boy into a tight hug, not wanting to ever let go. You let your arms wrap themselves tightly around his waist as you bury your head into his chest.

“Don’t be a stranger, alright?” You say, tears rolling down your cheeks.

“How could I ever be?” He sniffles, laughing slightly.

“Alright Luke, we have to head on now,” Mark says, slightly pulling the boy back.

Luke gives you one final smile before leaving, but your eyes never leave him. Not until the gates are fully closed, and the loss of Luke’s presence starts to hit you.

“It’s okay,” Kielle comforts you as the both of you make your way back to her car. “I’ve got you.”

[mountain-in-springtime]

all i ask (a sequel to lying eyes)

pairing: jake kiskza x reader, josh kiskza x reader | word count: 2.7k | warnings: kissing, cursing, p in v sex (pls practice safe sex!!!) | my masterlist | link to part one of this fic (lying eyes)

summary: you make the hardest decision of your life and bid your lover a proper goodbye

author's note: okay hiiii everybody!!! i'm here with a part two of lying eyes, which is probably my favorite fic i've ever written. i'm not sure if this one is as good as the first, but i really do love it. soft and sad shit like this is my fave!! also this isn't proofread (what fics of mine are tbh), and it's based on the song all i ask by adele, which i'll link below.

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

Your bathroom was always too cold. The tiles that pressed against your bare legs were a harsh, uninviting white, and they were icy enough to make you shudder with every movement of your body. You tried to will yourself to remain still as sobs wracked through your body, making you tremble and shake as your eyes screwed shut and your hand clamped against your mouth in an attempt to silence your cries. Your hand gripped your phone so tightly you couldn’t fathom how it didn’t shatter into a million little pieces. Each ring brought a strange mix of relief and dread. You prayed he never answered the phone, but you desperately needed him to. Just when you had decided that it was one ring too many and moved your thumb to hover over the ‘end call’ button, you heard an all-too-familiar voice.

“Hello?” 

Your heart fell to your stomach.

“Jake?” you answered weakly.

You should’ve known that he would notice the tremble in your voice. “What’s wrong?” His concern was as unmasked as ever. He never hid from you. It seemed you had done enough hiding for the both of you. For the three of you, you remind yourself bitterly. 

“I just… I can’t do this, Jake,” you confessed, prompting a new wave of quiet sobs to pour from you. Your hand found its way back to your mouth, and your teeth sunk into your palm and the taste of copper washed over your tongue. It hurt like a bitch, but you couldn’t afford to be heard. Not yet. 

Upon hearing your muffled cries, your lover gently cooed to you. “Hey, hey, baby. It’s alright. I’m listening. I’m here,” he soothed, “What can’t you do anymore, love?” 

You stayed silent for a long while, forcing yourself to steady your breath and find your words before speaking again. “I can’t be away from you. I- I thought that I could do this. That I could go back to him and love him and be everything I was supposed to be, but… fuck, Jake, I just can’t. I can’t lie to him or myself anymore.” Your thoughts poured out of you in one long, pathetic stream of consciousness. 

You heard a long sigh from the other line before Jake gave an answer you never expected: “He loves you.” 

“So do you,” you countered, too broken to ignore what was so glaringly obvious. It was the reason you called, and you both knew it. 

“I know,” was all he said in reply. 

“I love you, too,” you continued. The words stung with every syllable, but they were the truth all the same. 

He only repeated himself. “I know.” 

You felt your patience wear thin as you finally snapped. “Then what should I do? I don’t love him anymore. Not the way I did, at least. I don’t think I can anymore.” 

“I don’t want him to be hurt,” Jake sighed. His resigned voice sounded harsh and metallic as it echoed through your small bathroom. For a moment you thought that he was different, that this wasn’t the same man who held you all those nights and loved you so sweetly, but you knew that wasn’t the truth. You had felt the depth of Jake’s love, and you would be a fool to think that he’d regulate that affection to only one person. He cared for his brother just as strongly as he cared for you and probably stronger than you had ever cared for Josh. 

You wanted to scream at him. You wanted so badly to be angry and lash out, ask him why he didn’t want you anymore, but you knew that doing so would solve nothing and only drive old wounds deeper. Instead, you spoke evenly, trying desperately to make him understand. “Jake, if I stay with him any longer, he’s going to be hurt even more. You know that.”

The line went silent for a long time before he finally answered. “I know. I just… I wish things were different. I wish you had met me first. Things would’ve been so different.”

You nodded silently as if you had forgotten that he wasn’t in the room with you. Your head filled with images of shared beds, wedding bands, and the laughter of children with familiar sets of brown eyes. It was what you should’ve had, what you would’ve had if the timing hadn’t been so cruel. It was then as you mourned the life you never had that you made your final decision. 

“I’m going to leave him, Jake,” you confessed through the tears that began to resurface, “I have to do this. For myself.” You made it a point to add the last part, knowing he’d never forgive himself if he thought you did it all for him. 

“If that’s what you need to do,” he replied, his voice steady and sober. “Can I ask where you’re going to go?” The question hung in the air, answered before it was even asked. 

You nodded and sniffled loudly before answering him. “Can I come home?” 

His answer was immediate. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” you sobbed quietly, “I’ll call you before I go over. I have to go talk to him.” 

“Tonight?” he asked, concern lacing his voice. 

“I have to,” you confirmed solemnly, “I can’t do this to any of us any longer.” 

You heard a sigh echo through your phone’s speaker. “I understand. You’re gonna be okay?”

“Yeah,” you assured him as you wiped stray tears with the heel of your palm.

“Okay,” he answered, though you could still sense the worry in his voice, “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay,” you replied with a deep sigh.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” As you hung up the phone, a wobbly smile crossed your features. You sat on the bathroom floor for a long while, silently holding your knees to your chest as you contemplated what you were going to say to your husband. Your mind seemed emptier and emptier the more you tried to think about it, and you decided that all you could do was tell him the truth. He deserved that much. 

You stood from your place on the ground, walking to the bathroom counter. You ran a hand over your face, which only exaggerated the smears of mascara that lay across your cheeks. Your hands found the taps for the sink, turning them on and splashing cold water onto your face. A loud gasp left your lips at the icy feeling against your skin, but it was what you needed to gather yourself. You grabbed the towel that hung next to the shower and carefully wiped your face and hands with it before moving to the door. Your fingers gripped the handle and you took a deep breath before pulling it open to reveal Josh slouched against the wall across from the room. He wore a solemn look on his face, and it was enough to break your heart. 

“Hey,” you greeted weakly, unsure of what else to say. 

“Hey,” he answered, “Was that Jake?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

“I thought that was over?” he asked, but the resignation was evident in his voice.

“So did I,” you told him honestly, “I tried really hard for it to be.” 

“I know,” he mumbled with a defeated nod, “I knew I could only keep you for so long. I just always wished that I had more time.” 

That statement alone broke your heart. Fresh tears started to pour down in the path of old ones as you broke down before him. “I’m so sorry, Josh,” you cried, “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to do this.” 

He walked forward, pulling you into his arms. “I know,” he cooed, “I know you didn’t. It’s okay. I forgive you.” His kindness alone made you want to rip yourself apart. You didn’t deserve any of this. You had promised to love and cherish each other, and as a cruel reward for him holding up his end of the deal, you fell in love with his brother.

“You shouldn’t,” you answered him as you shook your head, “You shouldn’t forgive me. I don’t deserve it.” 

He shushed you and pulled you closer, his hand pressing your head into the comfort of his chest. “I could never be mad at you for loving, baby. That’s what we were made to do. Our time together’s just reached its end. That’s all,” he whispered. It all felt so wrong. How was it that he could comfort you when you were the one that ruined everything?

“I just don’t want you to hurt,” you murmured, your voice muffled by the thick sweater he wore. 

“I know,” he sighed, “And I’m not saying that it won’t hurt me for a long time, but I think we maybe both deserve a shot at being happy, don’t we?” He punctuated his sentence with a firm kiss to the top of your head, which only brought a new wave of sobs from you. You gripped him tightly as you nodded silently, unable to form any kind of coherent sentence. 

You stood there for a long time together, holding each other close as you wept shamelessly and Josh spilled out a few of his own tears. After you eventually both fell into silence, you brought your head up to look at him. His warm eyes studied your face with a mix of love and deep sadness, and you felt terrible knowing that you were responsible for both. His hand came up to the back of your neck, his thumb tracing small circles into your flesh. He wore a melancholy smile on his lips, and before either of you could think to stop it, you slowly closed the gap between you, your lips meeting in a slow, deep kiss. 

A groan rumbled in his chest as his hands found their way to your sides and splayed across your back, pulling you closer to him. You anchored one hand on his shoulder while bringing the other to the nape of his neck, toying gently with the stray curls that fell there. You were absolutely consumed in each other, skin burning hot through clothes as you molded into him. Once you finally pulled apart to catch your breath, you felt a panicked uncertainty wash over you. 

“Josh, we can’t. We shouldn’t,” you sighed, though it was unclear who you were trying to convince at this point. 

In response, he brought his hand up to cup your jaw. “Please,” he begged, his lips millimeters from your own, “One last time.”

You knew you couldn’t deny him. Even if it was over now, he deserved something like this, something to prove that all those years weren’t for nothing, that they weren’t loveless. You nodded softly, your eyes flitting up to his before pulling him in for another kiss. He moaned softly into you, and you felt him push himself against you with gentle need. You held each other close as you stumbled down the hall and into your bedroom. The sheets on the bed were still thrown about and unmade when your back pressed into the mattress. Your mouths stayed connected, afraid of what words would spill out if they parted. The longest you ever broke your kisses was for mere seconds to remove layers of thick sweaters and worn pajamas. His hands traveled across every inch of your body, and yours canvassed his own, knowing each touch would have to last a lifetime. It wasn’t until you felt him slotted against your entrance that either of you dared to speak. 

“I love you,” you whispered feebly, your hand reaching out to hold his. 

He took your hand eagerly and brought it to his mouth, kissing it gently before shaking his head, “No lies, pretty girl. It’s only me.” The sentiment broke your heart, knowing that there was still so much love between you, but not the kind that he needed. It echoed through your mind as he slowly pushed into you, a small gasp leaving his lips at the feeling. You winced softly, feeling the familiar stretch for the last time as you pulled him down onto you, nearly crushing yourself with his body weight. Your face was buried into the crook of his neck as he dragged himself in and out of you, only wanting to be close, not even chasing a high anymore. 

The way Josh loved was heartbreaking. It was so deep and endless and unconditional in a way that you had never understood until this moment. He was all light and good, even when his body and heart were consumed with hurt. It was more than you deserved, and you figured maybe that’s why you couldn’t last, but, in truth, it didn’t matter why anymore. This was the end, and all you could do was make the most of goodbye. 

Silent tears fell from your eyes and onto his shoulder, wetting his bare skin. You could feel his thrusts become sloppier, but they never quickened. He was desperate to memorize every inch of you, to remember how you felt for the rest of his life. It was all very slow and sweet and sad, which made it all the more surprising when the familiar knot in your stomach began to tighten. Soft moans fell from your lips, and you could tell that he sensed your oncoming high. His hand traveled down to where your bodies met, tracing deliberate, drawn-out circles until you both came undone. Your lips connected for one last time as he spilled into you and your body fluttered around him. As your highs faded, you felt him carefully pull out of you, the emptiness you felt seeming more devastating than ever. You moved to sit up, but he held out a hand to stop you. 

“Wait. Let me take care of you one last time, okay?” he pleaded, and by the look in his eye, you knew he needed this, too. If this was it, he needed to know that he had loved you right. Your eyes never left his as you nodded, watching him leave the room. 

When he returned with the damp washcloth, you found his touches to be as gentle as they always were as he carefully wiped between your thighs. He wore a sad smile on his face, which was an expression you were sure mirrored your own. When he finished, he had placed the cloth aside and leaned forward, his lips ghosting against your temple. He brushed a strand of hair away from your face as he pulled away, rising from the bed and getting dressed, allowing you to do the same. You grabbed a bag that you had hastily packed earlier in the night, and he followed you to the door. As you stood there with your things, you felt a strong need to say something, anything to him, but you were at a complete loss. No words could encompass how grateful you were to have loved him or how sad you were that you didn’t anymore, but maybe it was for the best that it was unsaid. Maybe it would only hurt more if the sentiment was shared aloud. 

“I love you,” he told you, his hand taking yours and giving it a final squeeze. 

You smiled weakly and nodded. “I know,” you replied, and somehow, you knew that was the right thing to say. It wasn’t a lie or a brush-off or anything. It was just an acknowledgment.

He returned your shaky smile as you exited your house. His house, now. You gazed back at it as you pulled out of the driveway, marveling at how nice of a home it was. It was funny how inviting everything seemed now that you were leaving, but you guessed that was something to be thankful for. There wasn’t a single bad memory that came from being with Josh, and as you drove away to your home, you silently hoped that he would have no more terrible memories at your hand. As the house left your view, you gave it a final wave goodbye, unaware that your ex-lover stood at the window, doing the very same.

taglist: @westernwoods @sunfl0wer-power @gold-mines-melting @alwaysonthemend @andtherestishistory13 @writingcold @sunandthemoontwinflames @livkiszka (send me an ask or dm if you wanna be added to my taglist!!)

[tickletastic]

The Cure for the Grumpies is a Case of the Giggles

Fandom: 9-1-1

Ship: Buddie :))

Summary: Buck woke up grumpy, and a long, long shift definitely didn’t help his mood. (Inspired by and dedicated to the ever so lovely @orchid-fics)​

Buck hadn’t meant to come off as an asshole, he just wasn’t having a great day, he must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed or something. He had come into the station late and coffee-less in preparation for a 24-hour shift, only to go straight into multiple calls of cats stuck in trees, and Eddie thought it would be funny to make Buck do every single one. 

Then Probie said the q-word, and it was all downhill.

Now, after one of the busiest shifts he’s ever worked, Buck is high-strung and lecturing Ravi on why he made the dumbest decision possible earlier that day. 

At some point, Bobby had come up behind them, hearing Buck’s harsh tone and sensing the stress coming from his surrogate-son from twenty feet away. He puts an inconspicuous arm around Buck’s shoulder, and both Buck and Ravi look his way.

“What’s going on here?”

Buck stops talking, stammering, “n-nothing, Cap.”

Bobby’s fingers slowly start to move back and forth across Buck’s neck, the blonde quickly turning red in his efforts to suppress his giggles. “It better be nothing, I better not hear from Ravi that you’ve been taking out your bad mood on him.”

“O-of course n-not,” Buck says, scrunching his nose when Bobby’s hand grazes his collarbones. 

Ravi looks on at the two, amused by the sight. “He wasn’t bothering you, was he, kid?” Bobby asks, holding Buck tighter so he can’t squirm away. 

“No, no, sir,” Ravi says with a smile. Buck breaks into light giggles when Bobby’s hands massage into his neck, ducking his head to hide his blush. 

“The kid’s had a case of the grumpies all day,” Bobby explains, as if Buck isn’t giggling next to him, “but that’s nothing I can’t fix. Go get changed, Ravi, we’ve had a long day.”

Ravi nods, giggling when Buck lets out a snort and whines a small ‘Bobby stop!’. He says goodbye to the team before heading downstairs to the locker room.

Buck tries to bolt once Ravi is gone, but quickly feels strong arms around his waist. He quickly realizes that they aren’t Bobby’s when he’s thrown over someone’s shoulder, smelling Eddie’s familiar cologne. 

“Got him, Cap,” Eddie says, tossing Buck onto the couch and Bobby is quickly above him, poking all over his ribs as he lets out a surprised shriek. 

“Bohohobby nahahaha! Plehehease!” Buck yells, trying to use his strength to flip the two of them over.

“Sorry, kid. As your captain it is in fact my obligation to cure a case of the grumpies,” Bobby says, smiling down at Buck, “and we’ve talked about scaring the probie, I’m sure he’ll never say the word again after today’s shift.”

“ihihihit- ihihihit’s thehehehe princihihihiple!” Buck laughs, snorting when Bobby knuckles between his ribs. 

“Principle my ass, Buck,” Eddie says from his position at the kitchen’s island, “you just wanted someone to rag on.”

“I’d have to agree with Eddie, Buck,” Bobby says before leaning down to give Buck a giant raspberry to the tummy, Buck screams and arches his back, shaking his head back and forth frantically. “So, we’re gonna cure these grumpies, you’re going to go home with Eddie and sleep, and you’re going to apologize to Ravi on your next shift, capiche?”

“YEHEHES! YEHES YEHES!” Buck screeches, body having gone limp since Bobby decided to get his hips midway through the raspberry. 

“Alright, I believe you, kid,” Bobby says, going up to count Buck’s ribs. 

“WHAHAHAT?” Buck asks, throwing his head back. 

“Hey, you made me lose count!” Bobby feigns annoyance before starting back at the bottom. 

“Bohohohobby! Whyhyhy?” Buck cries out, uselessly batting at Bobby’s hands. 

“Why? Why what?”

“Stahahp! Whyhy are yohohou stihihill gohohohoing?” 

“Well, kid,” Bobby grins mischievously, “I don’t think the grumpies are gone just yet.”

Bobby’s hands quickly dart back down to Buck’s hips, and he starts to raspberry all along Buck’s collarbones, shaking his head to increase the sensation. 

Buck’s laughter goes silent, completely limp as he is made to take the ticklish torture. After a minute or two, when Buck’s smile is splitting his face in half and his blush has run down his neck, Bobby finally thinks that the grumpies are gone for good, and proudly stands up with the confidence of having cured the blonde.

Buck curls up on the couch, giggling madly for a few minutes. Eddie walks over, rubbing his hand through his hair and smiling down at the blonde, “well, now someone’s got a case of the giggles.” 

Buck goes red up to his ears but can’t argue with Eddie’s prognosis, still desperately giggling though the tickling stopped nearly five minutes ago. “Ihihi- Ihihi cahahan’t!”

“Alright, Buckley,” Eddie laughs, “you gotta calm down a little. How am I supposed to get Mr. Giggle Pants to the car?”

“Ihihi-” Buck hiccups, bringing his hands up to cover his face, “Ihihihi’m tryhihihing!”

Eddie can’t help the sickeningly fond look on his face, but tries not to think about it so he doesn’t end up with his own blush. “Cap, I think you broke your kid.”

Bobby laughs, walking back over to them, having gone to the kitchen to put the lasagna in the oven that he had prepared in advance for the new shift. He places a warm hand on Buck’s back, rubbing comfortingly and firmly up and down it. “C’mon kid, it’s time to go.”

Buck giggles for a few more minutes until he’s basically putty, body limp and leaning on Eddie.

“Well,” Eddie laughs, “I guess this hasn’t made it much easier to get him to the car, has it?”

“Oh, not a chance,” Bobby laughs in response. 

Eddie gets up, picking Buck up bridal-style and going towards the stairs. He hears Bobby clear his throat and turns around, looking towards him.

“Take care of him, Eddie. Let me know if he wakes up with another case of the grumpies” 

Eddie grins, nodding, “will do, Cap, will do.”

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Family

You guys know those fanarts of the two halves of the yin tiger tally as Wei Wuxian's little children? Have you ever wondered how destroying the tally would translate in this AU?

I have. Here's the result.

Warnings: infanticide, very dark and heavy

"Baba hasn't been playing with us anymore..." little A-Hei says, a frown on his face as he digs into the earth with his little, ghostly white fingers.

"Maybe he doesn't love us anymore..." A-Sui mumbles, stacking a few small rocks on top of each other in an attempt to build a tower, or perhaps a castle, next to his brother. Unfortunately, the rocks are uneven and the rattling of the Burial Mounds disturbs their fragile balance, so they tumble down, formlessly, as the structure falls.

"Xian-gege's just been really busy." A-Yuan intervenes, reaching to help A-Sui to rebuild his tower, a comforting smile on his lips. "He loves all of us a lot, he's just working on something. I'm sure he's going to come play with us when he's finished!"

"But what if he leaves us...?" A-Hei asks, eyes watering, "...just like auntie Qing and uncle Ning did...?"

"They didn't leave us. Xian-gege said they left on an important journey. They'll be back soon."

"What if they're not?"

"Then we'll just go find them!"

"But-"

Wei Wuxian emerges from his cave, wisps of resentful energy writhing by his feet like affectionate cats. He waves them away, distantly, eyes glowing a faint red on his sunken, colorless face. He does find it in himself to put on a brave face still.

"A-Hei, A-Sui, come. It's time for bed."

"But baba-"

"Now, you two. You need to be asleep by the time the sun sets."

"Why does A-Yuan get to stay up and we don't?!" A-Hei screams, his eyes glowing vibrant red. "Why do you love him more than-"

He's swooped up in Wei Wuxian's arms before he can become any angrier. A kiss lands softly on his forehead. "I love all of you equally. You and your brother must go to bed early because you become fussy at night."

"I want a kiss too!" A-Sui whines, and Wei Wuxian can't help a tired, affectionate smile as he picks the other boy up as well, masking the effort it takes for him to do that. A-Sui giggles as he receives his own forehead kiss before Wei Wuxian puts them both down.

A-Yuan looks on, expectantly, and Wei Wuxian leans to pat his head and kiss his little head too. "Granny's been looking for you. Go find her, dinner should be ready by now."

"You're not eating?"

"No, I'm not hungry. Go now."

A-Yuan nods and waves his friends goodbye, disappearing into one the shabby houses of the Wen settlement.

The twins share a look then they grasp at each of Wei Wuxian's hands. As they all walk inside the cave, he tries not to feel the weight of the decision he's made or the consequences that will follow.

"Baba, will you stay? It gets scary without you here..." A-Sui says as he gets under the tatters he's using for bedding. It makes Wei Wuxian's heart squeeze every time he sees the little ones live in such conditions, be they resentful spirits. They are children still - his children - and he cannot help but feel useless as a parent for being unable to provide better.

This is the most he can do right now - old robes used for blankets, and an old bedsheet torn into two, with tiny pillows for each of his children. They costed...a lot, his meal for two days - but at least they got to sleep comfortably for a couple of weeks.

They'll get to sleep comfortably forever.

Wei Wuxian lays in-between them, shuffling out of his robe to cover the three of them with it. "I'll be here with you so there's nothing to be scared of, okay?"

The boys cheer and launch themselves at Wei Wuxian hugging him tightly as they nestle on his chest. He tries not to let the tears in his eyes fall, and waves a hand so a wisp of resentment puts out the candle light.

The boys press themselves closer to his body, and Wei Wuxian rubs soothing shapes over their backs as he cries silently. He feels the tears fall, hot, down his cold cheeks, and wonders how he's going to live with himself after this.

His boys - his boys that he brought into the world from the depths of darkness and resentment, his boys that he fed with his own blood, clothed in his own robes and loved with his entire heart - he is going to wait for them to fall asleep and then kill them.

The two halves of the yin tiger tally, the powerful spirits behind the bloody victories of the Sunshot Campaign, the reason why he's lost his mind enough to kill Jin Zixuan, the reason why Wen Ning and Wen Qing are gone, the reason why Shijie...

Wei Wuxian begins humming a song - so familiar, though he doesn't remember where he's first heard it - and he can feel the little ones relax in his arms. It won't be long now.

He hopes they won't be hurting, at least. He's been thinking this over for days now, working out the quickest, easiest and most painless method to kill them without alarming them, without awakening the ancient resentment that keeps them alive still.

There are two talismans in his lapels.

He carefully reaches for them and places each in the boys' hands. Tey unconsciously grab at the items - and it's adorable, though it is just as painful. They look so peaceful now, asleep, like real, living children. Will there be anything left of them when he's done?

Wei Wuxian feels every single muscle and organ inside of him tremble in protest, in disgust, in fear, as he carefully nips at each of his pointer fingers and activates the spell on the talismans with a drop of his blood.

There is a faint light emitting from them, just enough so Wei Wuxian can make out what is happening. Resentment crawls over the boys like a dark blanket, tendrils moving to cover their faces like thick smoke.

They whimper, little, punched out sounds leaving them, though they do not wake. Wei Wuxian holds them tighter, whispering soothing words as if they would do anything.

As if it's not him the one that's causing them pain.

Resentful energy wraps more violently around the two boys, howling like wind.

Wei Wuxian wishes he had been brave enough to kill them himself. Cut off their throats, poison them, choke them - he knows how much resentment hurts, it eats at you like an army of fanged beasts... but he's a coward, and he can't imagine the blood of his sons on his hands.

So he closes his eyes as he feels resentment starting to feast on his little ones.

The first to start growing heavy in his hold is A-Sui. He whimpers in pain louder, the feeling becoming overwhelming, clenches his little fists into Wei Wuxian's robe, gargles a few times and calls out, weakly, for "baba... help..." before his body goes entirely rigid.

The corpse dissipates before Wei Wuxian can say a final "I love you" or "I'm sorry".

The commotion wakes A-Hei.

He calls out for baba, panicked, and writhes against the cocoon of resentment when he can't find him or get himself free. He screams and cries for help, tries so very desperately to get Wei Wuxian to save him.

But resentment has already begun devouring him, and he's scream so loud, trying to claw at Wei Wuxian to get himself out, that he tears into clothing, into skin, his fingers desperate to grasp onto his lifeline, his safety, his

"Baba! Why don't - why aren't you - save me!"

"Wei Wuxian!" Granny's shrill voice echoes through the cave. "They're here, they're here! The cultivators! I can't find A-Yuan!"

Wei Wuxian tears himself out of A-Hei's grasp, and swears he sees the boy's face in the mist of resentment, dark and accusing.

You love him more than us. goes unsaid but Wei Wuxian hears it echo in his mind nevertheless.

--

A-Yuan hides deep into the forest behind his house, shaking from fear and the effort it takes not to sob. He doesn't want to make any sounds, doesn't want anybody to know where he's been or what he's seen.

A-Hei and A-Sui... Xian-gege, he... he - they... A-Yuan heard them scream, saw Xian-gege letting them suffer... saw how he didn't help, how it seemed as though he was... hurting them more.

Would he hurt A-Yuan too?

Kill him?

As long as Xian-gege doesn't find him, A-Yuan will be safe. All he'll have to do is hide, and wait until morning, when he'll sneakily return home to granny and they'll both run away together somewhere safe.

It is not safe around Xian-gege. Not anymore.

[twiixr4kidz]

Ell0, here with an oddly spfic request, agian. So basically I want a Matthew Patel x reader one shot but like a r0meo and juliet forbidden romance…. Thankies!! (Also pls make it in da time the rest of ur oneshots is set in) 💀🎀

uhm YES. i kinda went crazy with this so i hope you like it!! also, i can totally make a part two to this because i left it off on a cliffhanger xD

matthew patel x reader: modern romeo and juliet

you and matthew had met under unfortunate circumstances. the night you'd met, the moon was full and beaming in the sky. stars speckled the black night like sprinkles on a cupcake, and you were preparing for your last night out. your family was moving to a foreign country, and you'd barely had the time to ready yourself for it. it was already a lot to handle, on top of having to move from in-person studies to online and leaving all of your friends behind.

despite the fact that you were an adult, your parents were incredibly controlling. it was either you agreed to go, or your parents forced you, and you knew it wasn't worth fighting. so, that night, you'd gotten all dressed up to hit the town once more with your best friends. you'd cried before and you knew you were going to cry saying your goodbyes, but you wanted to live in the moment. you took a deep breath, once more checking your appearance in the mirror. you cleared your throat, and then called to your parents and let them know you'd be back soon. you'd hadn't exactly gotten their permission to go out, but who cares? it was your last little rebellion before your life was changed forever, and you had absolutely nothing to lose.

after blowing way too much money on food and clothes and other material belongings, one of your friends hit you with the idea of going to a bar. you discussed it for a little bit but the ultimate decision was "why not?"

you couldn't remember what you ordered, just that it was disgustingly sweet and a little bit fruity. after a few more drinks, you were approached by someone who looked almost like a pirate. for a bar, he was dressed awfully casually. he was wearing a black and red striped with a brown dress coat and a pair of jeans. you were on the tipsy side, and whenever you squinted at him, you swore you could see an eyepatch over one of his eyes.

"hey," he said, smoothly (not smoothly at all) sliding over to where you were standing. to be honest, he was already a little drunk and he stumbled over to you. but there was something about him that drew you to him. he had a certain glint in his eye, it was almost innocent. he seemed as if he could do no wrong, but you were still cautious.

"hey," you responded. you were a lot smoother than he was, maybe because you'd had less to drink or maybe because you were just more charismatic. whatever. the man was feeling that same pull towards you as you were to him. but the glint in your eye was more... lost. he could almost see something was wrong; you were holding something back.

"my name's matthew." he stuck his hand out, unsure if you were going to accept it.

you did. "i'm y/n."

he cracked a bit of a smile.

"and what's an attractive face like your's doing here by yourself?" you laughed off his words. "oh trust me, i'm not alone. i'm here with my friends-" you cut yourself off, seeing that your friends had dispersed and spread all around. he only nodded.

"so uh, really, what brings you here?" you sighed. you knew if you told him the story, the floodgates would open and you'd lose it.

"oh, yknow, just thought it'd be nice to get out and have some fun." yeah, no way you were telling some stranger your deepest most personal issues.

another nod from matthew.

it was quiet between the two of you, besides the pounding music that was probably damaging your poor eardrums. it wasn't that kind of awkward silence you usually get between two people who'd just met. suddenly, he stretched his arms and threw one of them around you. it was stupid, but it made you laugh. he circled your drink around in your cup and took a little sip. someone came in to the bar, and the sweet evening breeze kissed your skin ever-so-nicely.

"you wanna get some fresh air?" you asked, looking up at matthew. his eyes widened a little bit before he nodded. "it's so hot in here, i just thought it would be nice."

he kept his arm around you as the two of you walked out. before you left, you gave one of your friend the heads up that you were going to step out.

the bar wasn't super fancy, but it did have a pretty nice patio area with a couple chairs and tables. just like you'd predicted, it was cool out. the breeze felt so nice on your skin, and you pulled your hair off of your neck and basked in it. you sat down on a chair, making yourself comfortable. matthew had already done the same. he'd kicked his feet up on to one of the tables.

you looked out into the distance and took in the view. aside from the bustling bar behind you, you could hear the sounds of the city below. people in their cars, honking at other people who can't drive to save their own lives, the sound of rushing water coming from somewhere behind you, the occasional shout and holler. the lights were bright, but the moon was brighter, and the stars dotted the sky in random patterns.

"hey matthew?" you broke the silence, although your voice wouldn't raise above a whisper. "hm?" he responded.

"have you ever just wanted to run away from everything, but no matter what you try to do, you can't? like there's something keeping you from living your life, but all of your attempts to escape it are in vain? cuz you know that you aren't going to be able to?"

woah. heavy question. you cursed yourself out for asking a stranger something so personal, but you felt he was different. he WAS different.

at first, he didn't respond. he sort of looked at you, all speechless. but as he thought about it, he spoke up.

"yeah, i know what you mean. sometimes i feel like everything is kinda pointless," he paused. "is that why you're here tonight?"

you just sighed, before humming a response.

"my parents seem to think they can still control my entire life, and they've decided we're moving out of the country tomorrow. there's nothing i can do to stop them. they won't listen to reason. they want me to come with them, and they're going to stop at absolutely nothing to make it happen." so much for not telling him.

"yeah, i hear you. my parents used to be just like that. i don't really talk to them anymore." he chuckled.

it was silent again. the city lights were burning your eyes, and the bar was much too loud. tears were starting to well up in your eyes, and you tried your best to blink them away. you felt matthew's warm hand reach out for yours. and, to your own surprise, you grabbed it back.

you weren't sure how long you'd been out there for, but it had been long enough. that you knew when the friend from earlier had come to grab you. you and matthew were still sitting there in peace and quiet, holding hands. you let your friend know you'd be ready in 5 minutes, and she went back inside to grab the rest of your group.

you hesitantly let go of matthew's hand before standing up. you didn't want to leave. you didn't want to go home. you wanted to be there, in the moment. you wanted to stay. and matthew could feel how tense you'd gotten. he could tell you weren't just fucking around. he knew. he understood.

"i, uhm," you sighed. "i have to go."

before you could turn to leave, he wrapped his arm around your waist. "just another minute, please?" you looked away, pondering the answer you'd already had. of course you were going to.

"...okay."

he reached his other hand out to caress your face. his thumb rubbed your cheek as he ran his finger down your jaw. he gently held your chin in between is thumb and his pointer before looking into your eyes.

"may i?"

you nodded.

he pressed his lips against yours. his lips were soft, and he was so gentle. your body filled with warmth, tingling from head to toe. you had to hold back your excited giggles, letting him kiss you for longer. eventually, the kiss was broken, and your head rested in the crook of his neck.

"okay, now i REALLY have to go."

"can i at least have your number? so i can talk to you when you're across the country?"

you exchanged contact information and headed out with your friends. it was way later than you wanted it to be, and you were prepared to get an earful from your parents. you were dropped off at your house at about 1:30 AM, and the lights were on. you sighed, opening the front door and walking into the dining room, where your parents were seated and fuming.

they immediately bombarded you with questions. "why were you out so late? why did you leave without our permission? where did you go? who were you with? what did you do?" blah blah.

you sat down across from them, looking them in the eyes with a mixture of pain and anger. "i don't want to leave." your parents were shocked. their eyes widened, and your mother spoke up.

"you don't have a choice. why wouldn't you want to come with your parents, dear?" you rolled your eyes. "im an ADULT, mom. i don't wanna leave my friends, i don't wanna change schools, and i met a boy who-" it was your father's turn now.

"absolutely not. i forbid it. you're not staying here just because you met a boy, y/n! that's absolutely ridiculous. you aren't allowed to date just because you want to!" he was hysterical. your mother grabbed him by the arm and said, "listen, y/n, it's not happening. who even IS this boy?"

"his name is matthew patel, and-" your father cut you off yet again. "...patel? PATEL?" oh no. "no, absolutely not, a million times no! you're ridiculous, y/n. i've heard things about that patel kid. his parents have told me all i need to know. he's a disrespectful, irresponsible heathen of a man. you're not staying with him."

of course, you were distraught. you tried to explain yourself, explain how you felt, but they wouldn't listen. just like you thought. you didn't know what to. your head was swarming with thoughts, and you wanted to fall asleep and pretend none of this was real. you went to your room, slamming the door and burying yourself under the sheets. you cried until your stomach hurt and your eyes burned, and you wouldn't stop crying until nothing came out.

if only mathew were here.

[sparkwrldsz]

love (loss) of my life.

word count: 1.4k

pairings; juliet x Jayb

warnings: angst / break up / suggestion of depression

a/n: my first ""proper"" writing. I wrote this at 1am listening to Back to December by Taylor Swift,, anyway hope you like it. I apologize if there are any mistakes, i'm getting better at this :D

Since last week, Juliet had locked herself up in her room, leaving only when it was strictly necessary and hoping not to meet anyone on the way. She felt that everything around her was collapsing. Had she made the right decision? Had she dodged a bullet or just lost the love of her life? They were questions that wandered in her head all the time.

She never thought the love story they created was about to end, and it was all her fault.

Juliet had arrived in the GOT7 bedrooms with a broken heart and had been reflecting on the decision she was going to make. A while ago Juliet had felt that her relationship was an obstacle to Jaebeom’s career as an artist and the best she could do at this moment was to finish what they had. Even if she broke his heart, she knew it was for the best.

Juliet walked towards the entrance and knocked on the door. Mark welcomed with pleasure. “Hey, Ms. Juliet”.

Juliet gave him her best smile and politely asked if Jayb was home. She already spent enough time with the members, so ending their relationship meant putting friendship on hold.

The girl made her way to the dorms that she knew perfectly well, where she had been through so many things with her boyfriend.

“Hey Pretty" Jayb approached her and wrapped her in his arms, that nickname, the one she loved so much. It felt like a stick in the heart just by hearing it now.

“Get a room, lovebirds,” Mark said, making a face of disgust.

The boy pulled out his tongue playfully and went with Juliet to his room, who had not said a word. That didn’t go unnoticed by his boyfriend, who instantly asked her if something was wrong.

Juliet didn’t know how to do it. It was so hard to break up with him, who had been the first person she loved. Limiting herself to nod slowly and avoid his gaze, she started to play with the edge of the t-shirt she was wearing.

“I need to tell you something,” Juliet murmured. Her heart hurt like hell. A knot formed in her throat. She could feel Jayb’s look, which only expressed love. “Um... we can’t keep doing this” she almost let go in a whisper, like it wouldn’t hurt so much.

For a moment the only thing that was heard was their breathing “W-what? Why?” Jayb barely said “There’s something I did-”

Juliet refused with her head repeatedly, she finally met his eyes full of tears. “It's just- It’s the best for us”

Jayb stared at her, confused, “T-the best? What...?”

Juliet took the boy’s face between her hands and breathed deeply before saying, “I love you, Im Jaebeom, I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before. You went and you will be the first love of my life,” She realized she was crying when the tears soaked her cheeks “B-but you and I have jobs that don’t allow us to be together. I don’t want your career to be affected by our relationship.”

“I-it won’t!, we can make it work”

Choking on a sob, she got up from her position. "Don't make this more hard, i already made a decision" Jaebeom copied her action and before Juliet could say anything, she felt his arms wrap around her, just like he always did. A warm hug like a home, the only difference is that now it felt more like a goodbye “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, I love you with all my heart Sun hee” Juliet just cried, she had tried to act strong but she could no longer pretend.

After a couple of minutes of both sobbing on each other’s shoulders, Juliet decided to talk.

“i...i gotta go now, this isn't a goodbye"

“I know,” he whispered, kissing the temple of her head, staying there for a couple of seconds, and inhaling the girl’s essence. “I love you. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, okay?”

Juliet hummed and separated a little to wipe the tears from the boy’s cheeks. “My heart will always hold love for you, my beautiful boy.”

And with that said, Juliet left the room, with her heart shattered.

Hana carefully entered the eldest’s room and sat on the edge of the bed.

“You have to eat, at least a little. Please unnie” Hana said, almost in a whisper. Watching her with a sad look in her eyes.

The oldest sighed and took off the blankets that covered her to sit down. She looked at Hana and took the tray that the girl had brought her. Juliet couldn’t deny that the soup had a very good smell.

She took it carefully and began to drink from it.

“This is…very good,” she said with a small smile. “Thank you”

Hana smiled back and took Juliet's free hand into hers. “It’s nothing. You know that whatever you need, we are here for you,” she began, “and if you want to...you know, talk about-“

“No, I’m fine,” Juliet interrupted her before she could finish the sentence.

Hana nodded her head and left the room, returning to the living room where Mei and Jeonghan were watching a movie. When they felt the door of the room close, the boy turned to where Hana was.

“How is she?” he wondered

Hana sat on the floor in front of them. “It could be worse, she still doesn’t want to talk about it. But at least she’s eating.”

The members looked at each other with a look that expressed pity for their friend.

“She still thinks it was her fault,” Mei simply said. “I mean, she ended it, right? But it was the best for the two”

“Do you think they’ll get back together?” Jeonghan said, playing with a strand of Mei’s hair.

There was a short silence. Hana was going to speak until the doorbell rang.

Mei gave her roommate a confused look. They weren’t expecting anyone.

Mei got up from her position and went to open the door. A hesitant Jinyoung stood on the other side.

“Hi,” he said with a small smile.

Mei smiled back kindly. “Hey, how are you?” She opened the door wider and let him in.

He walked towards the room where the others were, and greeted them kindly, “I came to see Juliet,” Jinyoung said. “She hasn’t answered any of my messages”

The girls exchanged glances.

“She’s in her room, she hasn’t left in the last 3 days” Mei spoke in a low tone so that Juliet wouldn’t hear.

Jinyoung nodded, imagining the state his friend was in. Since her group mate was having the same or worse time than her.

“Can I go see her?”

Jeonghan laughed a little. “If she doesn’t throw you a pillow the second you walk in, then yes.”

The other boy chuckled a bit and walked towards the door of the room. Jinyoung knocked on the door slowly, waiting for a response from the girl. When it didn’t, he slowly opened the door.

Jinyoung managed to spot Juliet between the blankets that covered her. “who is it?” she muffled.

The eldest closed the door behind him and sat on the bed. “um it’s me” Juliet uncovered her face for a second to look at him, “what do you want?” The answer took the boy by surprise "Can't I come see my best friend?" He raised an eyebrow looking at her.

Juliet glared at him and settled back down. "Well your best friend just broke your other best friend's heart." murmured "You should be mad at me"

The boy looked at her confused "Why would I be mad at you? You broke up with him but I'm still your friend, silly." He stated

The girl looked again, she was afraid of losing the friendship she had with Jinyoung, she knew that he loved his friend very much so she imagined that he would have taken his side and that he would hate her for the rest of her life. Even if she was being a little exaggerated. But now he was here assuring her that everything was fine and the girl couldn't help but tear up a little bit.

Jinyoung saw the tears forming in her eyes "C'me here" He opened his arms to wrap her in a warm hug.

Despite being heartbroken, Juliet had not shed a tear in the last few days. But seeing herself wrapped in her friend's arms made her let go of everything she had kept inside hers.

Jinyoung murmured "It's ok" and stroked her hair, after minutes, which to Juliet felt like hours, the crying stopped. The girl separated from her friend

"You look terrible," the boy said with a chuckle, which drew a smile on her friend's face. She smacked his arm playfully.

"Of course I look terrible, I just… broke up with my boyfriend" Juliet responded, rolling her eyes.

The boy looked at her tenderly, "I know, but think about it, you'll have material to write a new hit." Succeeding on making her smile again.

[deldeldel90]

OKAY SO!!! the front bottoms songs and how they are so like?? Lance and Blaine?? it's them, you honor.

"when the flood water comes, it ain't gonna be clear, it's gonna look like mud. But I will help you swim. I will help you swim. I'm gonna help you swim." -- Lance's promise to Blaine after everything goes down :(( him still seeing good in his brother. him wanting to help him.

"this is for the snakes and the people they bite, for the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights. for the warning signs I've completely ignored." -- Lance. just,,, Lance. His doubts about his father. his guilt about what happened with Lorena. him realizing everything.

"it's no big surprise you turned out this way [...] When they cut your hair, and sent you away," -- THEM!!! them sharing their childhood of being Leland's sons and being sent to that academy. them.

"I'm sure we could find something for you to do on stage." -- Lance's optimism <33 him wanting to help Blaine!!

"this is for the lake that me and my friends swim in, naked and dumb on a drunken night." -- Lance's academy days,,

"I wanna contribute to the chaos. I don't wanna watch and then complain, 'cause I am through with finding blame. This is the decision I have made." -- BLAINE. this is so Blaine!!?? bro. BRO.

"goodbye future, once so bright," -- post-canon Blaine. he's still not better from everything. his dad's in jail and the fate of the Plaid Kingdom is aksyakshsjsnb

"she looks me dead in the eyes and says, hey Brian, if you still believe in the Lord above, get on your hands and knees and pray for us,,," --- SHE!!! IS!!! MARIA. Maria to Blaine. omg. the Maria and Blaine confrontation.

"I never cried like that before, I thought my eyes would pop out of my head," -- Blaine isn't used to feeling much emotion before, due to just,, suppressing it and focusing on being the Perfect Plaid Prince.

"'Cause I can leave, so what now what, so where do I go?"-- in the end, there is no more Plaid Kingdom for him to return to. there's no more mountains. for the first time in his life, he is free from everything and, for also the first time, he has no idea what to do and no one to tell him where to go.

" 'Cause I can imagine throwing all my clothes inside a suitcase without bothering to fold them," -- Blaine no longer being expected to be perfect. him wanting to run away from it all. gahhha jgssjns

"I got boulders on my shoulders, collarbones begin to crack; there is very little left of me and it's never coming back," -- GRR!!! the high expectations being placed on Blaine!!! him genuinely being raised to have a mask on, so to speak, at all times. him never quite being allowed to grow on his own.

"there are certain things you ask of me, and there's certain things I lack" -- this could be about Blaine's fall from grace in his father's eyes, frantically trying to defend himself OR it could be Lance, who was never the academic. who was good at sports and fighting and that was it, when it came to their father. he was only seen as being 'good' at one thing.

"in the beginning we were winning, and now I'm just making up facts" -- THE PLAID/PASTEL FAMILY FALLOUT!!! Blaine, even when trying to convince Lance otherwise, knowing it's all gone wrong.

"there's no meaning to the words, but we still sing these songs well." -- the plaid family's facade..., (also, having to do with Blaine's musical past!!! he is playing songs on the piano that he doesn't know the meaning of---and they don't matter, not to Father, not to the judges of his latest competition.)

"but you're a killer, and I'm your best friend," -- OKAY SO. Lance,, to Blaine. them being attached to each other. them understanding what it was like to be under Leland's eye. Blaine potentially getting villianized and Lance being let off lighter?? but Lance stands by him no matter what 'cause that's his brother.

"I try to write you poems but the words, they don't make sense." -- okay. this, in my mind, could be Lance just doing shit for fun?? and he does it for Blaine, giving it to him to judge. they aren't perfect, there's made up words in them and repeating phrases, but Blaine keeps them all. he's just tryna have fun :((

"I try to show emotion, but my eyes won't seem to wet." -- BLAINE. Blaine Blaine Blaine.

"I think you're changing; don't worry, you don't gotta stay the same," -- Lance telling Blaine it's like okay to heal and stuff???

<33

OVERALL. these songs have made me lose my mind they're so good and just??? Them!!

[dixonlvr-online]

You can rest now

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader

Genre: Emotional hurt/comfort

The war with the Saviors was over, but there was still one thing left to do.

Daryl gave your arm a quick squeeze as he stepped into the driver’s seat, preparing to drive Dwight into the woods, away from the communities. What he would do when they got there, he wasn’t quite sure. You saw the hesitation on his face.

“Hey. Whatever you decide, it’ll be the right decision,” you assured him. He lifted his head, eyes searching yours for an answer. All you could do was smile gently, leaning in to place a kiss to his cheek and then his lips. 

Pulling away, you brushed back a piece of his hair and placed a hand on his cheek. He leaned into your touch, craving comfort in this moment of vulnerability. 

“I love you,” you said.

Daryl smiled softly. “Love ya, too.”

A minute later, Dwight was in the truck and they were driving away. You watched them go, thoughts plagued by the pain you held for Daryl in this moment. But you believed your words from earlier; whatever decision he made, you trusted him to make the right one.

–

Hours later, you turned to the sound of the gates opening. In stepped Daryl, crossbow slung over his shoulder and gaze focused on the ground. He walked without pause to your shared trailer. You waved goodbye to the group you were with and went after him, preparing yourself for whatever he told you.

The trailer was quiet when you stepped in, gently shutting the door behind you. You saw the crossbow on the ground, his boots discarded beside it. You walked to the bedroom, hoping to find him there, and there he was. He sat on the bed, eyes still on the ground, posture slumped.

You sat beside him, murmuring a small, “Hey.”

He kept his eyes down when he told you, “He’s still alive.” You nodded, watching the man for further reaction. “Told him to go away and never come back,” he said.

Silence filled the room as his words sunk in. You had a feeling he himself was processing them alongside you. Needing to reach out to him, you placed a hand on his arm.

“I’m proud of you,” you said. He lifted his eyes to meet yours, then. You saw every emotion behind them: disbelief, confusion, regret. You moved your hand up to his face, cupping it. “I’m proud of you,” you repeated.

Something snapped inside him and Daryl leaned forward, throwing himself into your arms. He buried his face into your neck and cried, all the pain, the torment, the memories uncoiling now that it was over. You wrapped your arms around him, one hand stroking his hair and holding him to you. You let him put his full weight against you, his sobs shaking his whole body as they kept coming. You felt tears of your own starting to form, knowing how exhausted he must be.

When the sobs died down to a quiet sniffle, he voiced your thoughts. “I’m so tired,” he said, and your heart broke. Holding him tighter, you rested your chin atop his head and continued to stroke his head.

“You can rest now,” you told him. “You can rest.”

[sticktopia]

Welcome to the Garden (Sanctuary AU)

The Garden. A pocket dimension that sits on the line between life and death. This little world is designed to house and heal broken souls. Those who have died under tragic circumstances, or have many regrets are called to this realm. Once they let go of their trauma and regrets, the soul can pass on to its next life. That is the role of The Garden.

Ajax (Chapter 9)

“Creators, no!!! No!!! Hey!!! Wake up!!! Open your eyes!!! Please!!!” The stick heard a voice. It sounded so familiar, yet he could not remember who the voice belonged to.

“Who are you?” He asked in his head, unable to make a sound with his voice. He wasn't even able to open his eyes and face the person who cried out for him.

“Who are you?” He repeated as he felt himself become weightless. The stick felt as if he were floating. It was strange at first, but it was also quite comforting. He then heard the voice again. But it seemed to be much farther away than before.

“Please!! Don't leave!!! I’m sorry!! You're my only friend!! I cant live without you!!!” The stick began to feel guilty. Whoever was with them sounded so heart broken. He wished he could remember who the other stick was.

“I'm sorry dear stranger. But I hope you know that whatever happened was not your fault.” The stick suddenly felt himself being placed down on a soft surface.

“What a strange feeling.” He thought as he got comfortable. The voice from before was now nothing but a soft whisper.

“I'm sorry, mysterious person, but I can't hear you anymore. I guess that means goodbye.” The stick suddenly felt his consciousness fade.

“Maybe I should just… rest my eyes….”

**********

When the stick came to, his whole body ached. He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He came to regret that decision when he was blinded by a bright light. The stick turned his head away from the light and groaned.

“Where am I?” He wondered aloud. He then heard some footsteps coming his way. The stick squinted and looked up with his eyes. Through his partially blurry vision, he could see a hot pink stick make her way to him.

“Hey! You're awake! Are you feeling better?”  They asked as they kneeled next to the disoriented stick.

“Where.. Am I…?” He asked before coughing.

“Ah, careful, you took a lot of damage.” The hot pink stick suddenly grabbed something and stood. They suddenly lifted the stick’s head and pressed something to his lips.

“Here, drink this. It should help you.” She said as she began tiling the container. The stick did as he was told and drank the sweet substance. Once he drank it all, he was feeling a lot better. As he opened his eyes wider, he could see clearly again. He could finally make out features of the stick that held him closely. The hot pink stick wore a white beanie and a green bandana around her neck. Their short hair hung just over her shoulders. The injured stick blinked in confusion.

“Who are you?” He asked. The hot pink stick placed the bottle on the nightstand next to the bed and carefully laid him back down.

“My name’s Razzberry. But everyone calls me Razz. Now what about you? What’s your name?” Razz asked, crouching black down next to the stick. He stared at Razz blankly. A name, he needed to tell her his name. But… He couldn't remember  his name.

“M-My name… uh, my name is….” The stick looked up at the ceiling and furrowed his brow. What was his name? Did he ever have one? Why couldn't he remember his name? Heck, he couldn't even remember what he looked like!

“Do you not remember your name?” Razz suddenly asked. The stick looked over at Razz with a terrified look. His eyes were glossy from forming tears.

“I-I… I don't remember my name! I-I don't even know what I look like! Who am I?!” He cried as his hands flew up to his head, hands gripping his messy hair. He felt like his mind was going crazy. The poor stick was trying to figure anything out about himself. But he was only drawing blanks.

“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s ok.” Razz said as she carefully removed his hands from his hair.

“It’s ok dude. Calm down.” The confused stick looked over at Razz, tears falling from his eyes.

“What happened to me? Why can't I remember anything?” He cried. Razz sat on their knees and wiped away the stick’s tears.

“Hey, it’s gonna be ok. You’ll remember it eventually. Everyone does.” She said with a comforting smile.

“If it makes you feel better, we can give you a temporary name till you remember your old one.” Razz suggested. The new stick sniffled and looked back up at the ceiling. He thought about it. It was something that he would have to get used to, but it was better than him being nameless.

“What names do you have in mind?” Razz hummed as she rested her chin on the back of her hand.

“We already have a crimson here…. And red is too basic…” Razz muttered to themself. The stick sniffled as he waited in anticipation. Razz then snapped her fingers.

“I got it! How’s the name Ajax? Does that sound good to you?” Razz asked him. The stick thought about the name.

“Ajax. That has a nice ring to it. Yeah, I like that! My name is Ajax!” Ajax said excitedly, a smile growing on his lips. Razz smiled back.

“Welcome to the garden Ajax!”

**********

Once Ajax had the strength to walk around on his own, Razz led him out of the med bay.

“And you're absolutely sure that you’ll be fine?” Razz asked. The red stick nodded a bit.

“Yeah. That drink you gave me really helped me out! I feel quite energetic!” Ajax said as he placed his hands on his hips. “I feel much better than I did earlier.”

“Well that’s a good sign.” Razz said as she walked by an open door. As Ajax followed, he caught a glimpse of something moving in the bathroom. Curious, he paused and turned back to see who or what was in the bathroom.

“Hello?” He said as he opened the door wider. As he did, he found that the room was completely empty.

“Huh. That’s weird.” Razz then came up behind Ajax.

“What is it?” They asked as they looked into the bathroom as well.

“I thought I saw something moving around in here.” Ajax mentioned as he glanced up. He then saw another stick behind a window.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude on you.” As Ajax said this, he noticed that the stick on the other side of the window was mimicking his every movement and every word.

“Why are you copying me?”

“Stop copying me!”

“I said it first!”

Ajax suddenly heard laughing behind him. Turning around, He could see Razz fall to the floor, her whole body quaking.

“A-are you ok?! You're not hurt are you?!” Ajax asked as he kneeled to help Razz up. As Ajax helped Razz up, he realized that she was laughing hysterically. The red stick figure furrowed his brow as he helped her stand.

“Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?” Ajax half demanded. Once razz caught her breath, she looked up at the very confused stick.

“A-ajax-Haha!! D-do you r-remember what a mirror is?” Razz giggled to themself. Ajax paused as he thought about her question. He then looked back at what he thought was the window. It was in fact a mirror. He blushed as he realized he had made a fool of himself.

“Haha, yeah keep laughing.” Ajax huffed as he shoved Razz, who was still giggling. As Razz was busy struggling to collect themself, Ajax turned back to the mirror and studied themself. His hair really was quite messy. He also noticed that his face didn't look quite like Razz’s. Instead of the solid circle, he had a ring. He wondered why his head was shaped so differently from Razz’s. Razz then caught their breath and rested a hand on Ajax’s shoulder.

“A-alright buddy. Let's get you fixed up to meet everyone else.”  Razz said as she led Ajax out of the bathroom and took him to his room.

**********

As Razz finished fixing Ajax up, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” Razz called as she brushed out the last bits of Ajax’s hair. As the door opened, Ajax looked over with his eyes. He saw a pastel yellow stick walk into the room.

“Is he ready?” She asked as she walked up to the duo.

“Just about.” Razz said as they placed the brush down. “What do you think Ajax?”

Ajax looked at himself in the mirror. Razz had cut his hair short and styled it into a sort of fade. Ajax couldn't help but to smile at his new look.

“Wow, you did really good Razz.” Ajax said as he turned his head to see the back of his head. Razz smirked and twirled the scissors on her finger,

“Hell yeah I did.” Razz said. The yellow stick chuckled, gaining Ajax’s attention once more.

“Well Ajax, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dandi. And I am the master of the garden. I wanted to welcome you here personally before you went to introduce yourself to everyone else here.” Dandi said with a bow. Ajax smiled and bowed his head as well.

“It’s nice to meet you Dandi. Um, thank you for welcoming me.” Ajax said as he stood. Dandi nodded.

“Come now, everyone’s been quite curious about you.”

Chapter 8-(Chapter 9)-Chapter 10

[toribookworm22]

Hey, guys.

Tomorrow will be two weeks.

And I've just reached a point where I really want to share what's happened. And I trust you guys.

This is a long emotional journal-entry of a post. I'm hiding it under the cut. Love you guys.

So here goes:

I've had the same best friend for seven years. Which is incredibly impressive, especially for someone like me who moved around a lot-- particularly in her youth. I don't normally get to keep friends very long. But I got to keep him.

For seven years, I got to keep him. I got to keep him when I didn't love myself. I got to keep him when other people broke my heart and my trust. I got to keep him in dark times and in light. I got to keep him even when I broke his heart-- several times might I add-- because I was just so confused. I got to keep him through endings and beginnings. I got to keep him even when I gave him a clean out. I got to keep him when I finally got answers about myself.

I got to keep him.

Things were messy between us sometimes, convulted and strange and hard to explain.

He liked me and I confused myself into thinking I liked him back and then realized that wasn't true more than once. But we aired everything out. And then I figured out I was aro and we were perhaps the healthiest and happiest we'd been in five years.

He met a girl. I could tell how much he liked her, how happy she made me. I told him to just ask her out already. He did and they started dating.

And everything was fine. They were happy. I talked to the girl a couple times, but that didn't even matter, because he was just happy.

I didn't hear from him for a few months, but no big deal, because that's how we were sometimes. But I reached out. Because I was supposed to see him this summer.

I was supposed to see him for the first time in five years.

He said we needed to talk.

And I. Just knew.

I just knew.

His girlfriend had asked him to stop talking to me. And he had. Until now. Until this singular time that he went behind her back to talk to me and used it to ask what he was supposed to do.

So I called him.

And I cried over the phone for almost an hour.

He wanted to just keep going behind her back and talking to me. He wanted us both in his life. He didn't want to have to make a decision.

And because I refuse to be the bad guy, to be the villain in his story ever again, I told him no. I told him that wasn't an option. I told him,

I'm going to hang up now.

Goodbye.

This boy who helped me love myself. This boy who picked up my pieces after they were broken. This boy who has a damn acknowledgment in my very first novel. This boy who I believed to be one of the best people that I have ever known and who I will forever love no matter what.

He made me break my own heart.

He made me make the decision.

He made me hang up.

I will forever and always wish him the best. Sincerely, I hope he's happy. I hope he gets everything he could ever hope for and the life he's always wanted. I do. I really do.

If he returns to my life, I'll forgive him.

But with two weeks of pain and seven years of hindsight just building, I can't help but think that I'm getting to a point where I may not let him back in. I may not be able to.

I may have to decide that I get to be selfish and think of myself and my own heart for once.

And choose me.

[aajjks]

TPOL!JK

“c’mon jungkook! think about it” tina tries to reason with jungkook before he completely gives up on the idea. “you’re a self made billionaire who became what your father thought you couldn’t be. you’re a family man, a husband, and went against all odds to be where you are now. a story like this is relatable, inspirational, and is bound to generate millions. i already asked idols like mingyu, g-dragon, and even suga but my company sees you as a better fit for the line and i agree too. if you won’t be the global ambassador can you model some of the clothing instead? please?”

“i get it. i’m a mom too, y’know? well you probably don’t know but i became a mom last year and i miss my daughter everyday but jackson is very supportive and i’m sure y/n will support you. just…just give it some thought okay? tell her about it and then have your team reach out to me about your final decision” tina says as her manager packs her briefcase before they’re both bidding jungkook goodbye to think about what was discussed.

“that was so goooood!!!” jorja says.

“i know right” alina chimes in. “i thought the movie was really cute and meaningful”

“only cause you cried during that feel scene”

“hey!!! it was really emotional! how about you y/n? did you like it?”

“i loved it! i wish jia was old enough cause i’d love to watch this with her but then again i don’t want my babies to grow up” you pout.

yeah, the movie was really enjoyable and if it wasn’t for jorja making you go back and change into something more barbie-like, you would’ve been on time but overall it was fun.

you love bonding with your two friends and after the movies, you all head to a local ice cream parlor for a sweet treat, talk some more, and around 10:30-ish you all say goodbye and head home.

you arrive at the house by 10:50 and jungkook still has yet to be home which causes a bit of concern because just how long is this supposed meeting supposed to be, huh?

“hi sweetheart, how was your mom’s club night?”

“haha, it was fun. went to see barbie, had some ice cream, it was fun all-around” you laugh as you give ji-ae a hug.

“well i have to hurry home. i have a guest to tend to”

“is it him?” you smirk “when are you gonna tell jungkook?”

“when we make it official i’ll tell him. until then promise you won’t say anything?”

“i promise. you enjoy yourself and thank you for watching the kids”

“of course, sweetheart. they’re are asleep in their bedrooms so hopefully they won’t cause any trouble” ji-ae says before giving you a hug and heading out the door to head back home.

of course as soon as ji-ae leaves you’re jump scared by your three year old asking to cuddle with you and who are you to deny your little one cuddles? instead of sleeping in bed, you patiently wait for jungkook downstairs on the couch with jaemin fast asleep on your lap with his favorite blanket and spider-man stuffy.

it’s now 12:53 in the morning and finally after nearly three hours of waiting, jungkook is back home and is shocked to see you wide awake but with a suspicious look on your face.

“you’re home late” you say “i mean, i knew you’d be home later but it’s almost 1AM jungkook. what were you and tina even talking about?”

As much as he’s glad to be finally home back to you, you look a little pissed off. “ princess… I’m so sorry but I didn’t know it would take up this much time…” he says while, taking off his shoes, and he makes sure to whisper because he knows that Jaemin is sleeping right onto your lap.

The sight makes him smile a lot, “ we were talking about the clothing Line obviously yn.” He laughs, approaching you on the couch, he sits beside you. His eyebrow raises, “uh we were talking about the clothing line, yn. And then she asked me a question.- and then she started to talk about her daughter!” he tells you and he makes sure to add the daughter bit so you can calm down a little, “I didn’t even know that she had a kid with some Jackson guy.” He smiles.

He had a nice time with her and the assistant as well, and it was really refreshing that she was really professional, and she didn’t even make it obvious that she was his ex.

“it was like we were friends as compared to exes or business partners, you know?” He tells you everything. “And her daughter is pretty cute.” He coos, children make him soft now, which is weird.

Jungkook goes in to pull you in for a kiss on the lips, before he tells you about the whole ambassador thing. “and right, she asked me to be the global ambassador for the line.. and asked me to model the clothes too?!” He scoffs.

He’s got his hands around your shoulders, and he feels really good right now. “Tell me, what should I do? and did you have fun today? Sorry I couldn’t really call you.” He sighs.

“also are the twins asleep? And did ma already already go home?” He asks but you look distracted, you don’t look at him, which is concerning.

“Wait are you going to punish me yn?” He jokes, laughing.

[marchingatmidnight]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tag last week @welcometololaland! I, once again, have no zoo au to share. But I do have this fragment from yet another episode coda I have failed to finished, this time from 3.04.

TK might not be running on borrowed time anymore. He might not need anyone to make hard decisions while he lies unconscious. Owen doesn’t need to say goodbye to his son today. But Tommy has learned a lot of things since joining the 126, and the one that’s come back to her at this moment is the one that Gwyn told her about when Owen first learned he was in remission:

Sometimes the good news is just as hard to swallow as the bad news.

So she gently guides him into TK’s room, and leans against the door frame when TK rasps out a quiet “hey Dad”, and Owen cries into his son’s hair for a different reason than he was a few hours ago.

Someone has to do the hard thing.

I’d like to tag @welcometololaland @tailoredshirt @iboatedhere @paperstorm and @singerofsimplesongs -- although I think a lot of you have already done it since I’m posting pretty late -- and anyone else who wants to share!