#home security barrie

[hoperays-song]

(drops random rarepair and runs)

[rafesangelita]

♡ breaking the one rule he was always supposed to follow, rafe found himself sitting in the shadows of the gentlemen’s club where bitchy!pogue!reader worked at. imagine your surprise when you find out the person that paid for a private dance with you is your brother’s best friend.. and business partner.

warnings: stripper!reader, brother’s best friend trope, mentions of you and barry arguing, sexual tension, flirty banter, making out, heavy petting

a/n: this is what bitchy!pogue!reader is wearing in this btw.. i watched anora and worked on this right after lol

wc: 1.1k

rafe knew it was wrong the second he got in his truck and drove down to ‘pink sugar’ to see if you were there. he knew it was wrong when he walked in and scanned the room for you, and he knew it was wrong when he took a corner seat furthest from the stage. after overhearing you and barry arguing about what you did for work, rafe couldn’t help himself from seeing what was making you come home with a duffle bag full of cash. his curiosity got the best of him, and when he saw you emerge from behind the curtains, pink lace lingerie hugging the curves of your body, the cutest pair of bunny ears adorning your head, with a little bunny tail on your g-string to match, all the guilt he once felt melted away into nothing.

you were sin with legs. rafe watched you smile at the men in the front, the group of them emptying their wallets when you hadn’t even did anything to make them shower you with cash. then again, rafe felt the urge himself to give you all of his money just because you were so pretty. rafe swallowed thickly when your song started and the lights went low, everyone’s attention zeroing in on you as you lowered yourself to the glossy floor of the stage. he watched you crawl to the center, arching your back as the rhinestones around your eyes sparkled under the club lighting. one of the men reached out, poking the little ball that was your bunny tail, slipping what looked like a hundred dollar bill in the string of your bottoms.

rafe hated the way the men in here were looking at you right now, his fists clenching at his sides as he imagined what kind of thoughts were currently running through their heads. “that’s it, baby!” a drunken holler was shouted, the rest of the club following suit and bursting into a fit of cheers when you managed to spin around the pole in the middle of the stage. rafe watched in awe, deciding he needed to get you to himself, and away from the hungry stares of the crowded club. making his way over to the bouncers that stood outside of a concealed hallway, he handed both of them a few crispy bills. “get the one on stage with me and i’ll double it.” without another word, both of the security guards moved aside, letting rafe through.

you finished the rest of your set, blowing kisses to the men who made it a mission of theirs to spoil you rotten tonight before you made your way to the locker rooms where you refreshed your hair and makeup. “y/n?” nancy, the owner’s right hand woman walked in, “i have a private dance for a younger gentleman in room five.. he requested you specifically.” you smiled at her through the reflection of the mirror. “okay, i’ll be right over.” you nodded, giving yourself one more glance before making your way down the dimly lit hallway. the first private dance of the night always made you a little anxious, but at least you knew you were guaranteed a hundred dollars that you didn’t have to share.

you took a breath, twisting the door knob open before going in, shutting the door closed right after. “i must be special if you chose me..” you placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, walking around him before standing between his legs. looking down, you felt your heart drop to your stomach when he looked up, the face all too familiar to you. “yeah, you are.” you gasped, retreating your hand from him as if he burned you. “what the fuck do you think you’re doing, rafe?!” you nearly lost your footing when you stepped back, suddenly feeling exposed as his eyes trailed down your body. “what? i’m just a paying customer.” he shrugged, tossing back the drink in his hand.

“oh, yeah? tell that to barry. he’ll kill you if he finds out you were here.” you scoffed, your eyes meeting his. rafe stared at you for a moment, motioning for you to get closer to him. you swallowed thickly, the small disco ball in the room illuminating his features. “i’m not gonna do anything to you, i just wanted you away from everyone out there.” he spoke lowly. you took a step, accepting the hand he held out for you before he guided you onto his lap. you wrapped an arm around his shoulders like it was second nature, his large palm running up and down your thigh. “sooo.. you think you’re doing me a favor by pulling me back here so no one else can watch me dance?” your face was just mere inches away from rafe’s.

“i’m losing out on a lot of money, ‘country club..” you whispered, the slow music playing softly in the background. “how much do you want. throw me whatever number you’d like.” you smiled, your fingers slipping underneath the hem of his polo. “two thousand,” you spoke, “with interest.” rafe laughed, nodding his head as he trailed his hand from your thigh to your hip, adjusting the strap of your g-string against your skin. “with interest, huh?” he smirked, eyes falling down to your lips, “..i’d happily give that to you.” you leaned in first, just wanting to feel his lips on yours. rafe stilled for a second, a groan rumbling from his chest when he pulled you closer by your neck, returning your kiss tenfold.

“is barry home?” he was breathless when he pulled away, his hands roaming your body as if he wanted to take you right then and there. at the mention of your brother, reality seemed to grip its claws into you when you realized what you were doing right now. rafe saw the look of confliction pass over your face, his fingers cupping your chin to avert your attention back onto him. “hey..” he whispered, “i won’t tell if you don’t.” his words echoed in your head, his cologne and his proximity overtaking your senses. as if you two were meeting on the same page, rafe watched as your eyes grew dark, a smile gracing your lips. “i don’t kiss and tell, rafe.” as if a flip switched, you two began ravaging each other once more.

time slowed when you two moaned into each other’s mouths, grappling onto one another as if the two of you would disappear if you let go. “barry’s gone for the night.” you managed to speak between kisses, rafe nodding as he cupped you through your bra. just as he was going to tell you to leave with him, the bouncer outside the door yelled that rafe’s thirty minutes were up. “what the fuck, already?” he glanced down at his watch. you sighed, letting rafe pick you up before he kissed you one more time. “get your shit and let’s go, i’ll be waiting at the front door.” he squeezed the globes of your ass, making you gasp as he walked out. and just like that, rafe never let you step foot in that club again.

[fans4wga]

"The studios thought they could handle a strike. They might end up sparking a revolution"

by Mary McNamara

"If you want to start a revolution, tell your workers you’d rather see them lose their homes than offer them fair wages. Then lecture them about how their “unrealistic” demands are “disruptive” to the industry, not to mention disturbing your revels at Versailles, er, Sun Valley.

Honestly, watching the studios turn one strike into two makes you wonder whether any of their executives have ever seen a movie or watched a television show. Scenes of rich overlords sipping Champagne and acting irritated while the crowd howls for bread rarely end well for the Champagne sippers.

This spring, it sometimes seemed like the Hollywood studios represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were actively itching for a writers’ strike. Speculations about why, exactly, ran the gamut: Perhaps it would save a little money in the short run and show the Writers Guild of America (perceived as cocky after its recent ability to force agents out of the packaging business) who’s boss.

More obviously, it might secure the least costly compromise on issues like residuals payments and transparency about viewership.

But the 20,000 members of the WGA are not the only people who, having had their lives and livelihoods upended by the streaming model, want fair pay and assurances about the use of artificial intelligence, among other sticking points. The 160,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists share many of the writers’ concerns. And recent unforced errors by studio executives, named and anonymous, have suddenly transformed a fight the studios were spoiling for into a public relations war they cannot win.

Even as SAG-AFTRA representatives were seeing a majority of their demands rejected despite a nearly unanimous strike vote, a Deadline story quoted unnamed executives detailing a strategy to bleed striking writers until they come crawling back.

Days later, when an actors’ strike seemed imminent, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger took time away from the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho not to offer compromise but to lecture. He told CNBC’s David Faber that the unions’ refusal to help out the studios by taking a lesser deal is “very disturbing to me.”

“There’s a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic,” Iger said. “And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”

If Iger thought his attempt to exec-splain the situation would make actors think twice about walking out, he was very much mistaken. Instead, he handed SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher the perfect opportunity for the kind of speech usually shouted atop the barricades.

“We are the victims here,” she said Thursday, marking the start of the actors’ strike. “We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly: How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right, when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment.”

Cue the cascading strings of “Les Mis,” bolstered by images of the most famous people on the planet walking out in solidarity: the cast of “Oppenheimer” leaving the film’s London premiere; the writers and cast of “The X-Files” reuniting on the picket line.

A few days later, Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group and a former Hollywood studio chief, suggested that studio executives and top-earning actors take a 25% pay cut to bring a quick end to the strikes and help prevent “the collapse of the entire industry.”

When Diller is telling executives to take a pay cut to avoid destroying their industry, it is no longer a strike, or even two strikes. It is a last-ditch attempt to prevent le déluge.

Yes, during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, picketers yelled noncomplimentary things at executives as they entered their respective lots. (“What you earnin’, Chernin?” was popular at Fox, where Peter Chernin was chairman and chief executive.) But that was before social media made everything more immediate, incendiary and personal. (Even if they have never seen a movie or TV show, one would think that people heading up media companies would understand how media actually work.)

Even at the most heated moments of the last writers’ strike, executives like Chernin and Iger were seen as people who could be reasoned with — in part because most of the executives were running studios, not conglomerations, but mostly because the pay gap between executives and workers, in Hollywood and across the country, had not yet widened to the reprehensible chasm it has since.

Now, the massive eight- and nine-figure salaries of studio heads alongside photos of pitiably small residual checks are paraded across legacy and social media like historical illustrations of monarchs growing fat as their people starve. Proof that, no matter how loudly the studios claim otherwise, there is plenty of money to go around.

Topping that list is Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive Davd Zaslav. Having re-named HBO Max just Max and made cuts to the beloved Turner Classic Movies, among other unpopular moves, Zaslav has become a symbol of the cold-hearted, highly compensated executive that the writers and actors are railing against.

The ferocious criticism of individual executives’ salaries has placed Hollywood’s labor conflict at the center of the conversation about growing wealth disparities in the U.S., which stokes, if not causes, much of this country’s political divisions. It also strengthens the solidarity among the WGA and SAG-AFTRA and with other groups, from hotel workers to UPS employees, in the midst of disputes during what’s been called a “hot labor summer.”

Unfortunately, the heightened antagonism between studio executives and union members also appears to leave little room for the kind of one-on-one negotiation that helped end the 2007-08 writers’ strike. Iger’s provocative statement, and the backlash it provoked, would seem to eliminate him as a potential elder statesman who could work with both sides to help broker a deal.

Absent Diller and his “cut your damn salaries” plan, there are few Hollywood figures with the kind of experience, reputation and relationships to fill the vacuum.

At this point, the only real solution has been offered by actor Mark Ruffalo, who recently suggested that workers seize the means of production by getting back into the indie business, which is difficult to imagine and not much help for those working in television.

It’s the AMPTP that needs to heed Iger’s admonishment. At a time when the entertainment industry is going through so much disruption, two strikes is the last thing anyone needs, especially when the solution is so simple. If the studios don’t want a full-blown revolution on their hands, they’d be smart to give members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA contracts they can live with."

[rafescorpsebride]

Perverted

Brothers best friend! Rafe Cameron x fem reader

Your brother Barry doesn’t want to pick you up from Rafe Cameron’s house. The guy you’ve been obsessed with, even doing questionable things about it. But as Rafe drives you home, he decides to go another way and change your relationship.

Reuploaded!

Warnings! Female masturbation! Cum eating! Virgin! Reader! Daddy kink! Oral, female recieving, unprotected sex and overall filth.

Sneaking into Rafe Cameron’s room was probably a bad idea but your brother Barry already told you he wasn’t going to pick you up tonight if you went to this party. So, Rafe offered you a ride home a few minutes ago and you made up an excuse that you needed to powder your nose. When really…you needed a souvenir.

You tip toed around, finding his desk and you took one of his pens. You shoved it in your purse and quickly exited, shutting his door. Rushing out of the house, your short black skirt rode up as you jogged to his car. A spike of adrenaline heat your veins as you opened the passenger door, your heart pounding. It wasn’t the first time you’d taken something of Rafe’s. Not by a long shot. And one time…when you came over, you overheard him jerking off in his room, riding his pillow. When he left, you went inside and licked up his mess.

The collection of pens you took, a shirt and pair of boxers, you used to touch yourself with. Creaming all over anything of his you could get. You slide in the seat, listening to the music coming from Rafe’s radio and glances over to you. You look down, seeing your skirt hiked up so high you can almost see your panties underneath but you leave it.

“You remember my address, right?” You ask and he nods.

“Mhm, been there before remember?” He says and pulls out of the driveway. You’re mindful not to bite your lip not wanting to smear your lipstick but your nerves cause your knee to bounce as he starts to take another way to your house.

“Thought you knew how to get there.” You mumble and look at him. Rafe smirks, his SnapBack secure on his head as his muscular hand grips the steering wheel.

“I do, baby. Don’t play dumb. You know what I’m doin.” He chuckles as your cheeks heat up and you swallow.

With all your dirty thoughts, skilled fingers that knew your body well and foul mouth whenever you imagined this moment, the reality always managed to slip your mind.

You’re a virgin.

No one knew and they wouldn’t believe you if you said. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to fuck anyone rather it was that you wanted to fuck Rafe. And you waited. You gave it time. Made sure to always be around whenever Barry spoke to him, despite your brother’s clear distain for the idea, and you managed to get an invite to this party tonight.

Rafe pulled into an empty parking lot, one not too far away from your neighborhood and he shut off the car. You took a deep breath, mustering the courage to look at him again.

“You went in my room again, didn’t you?” The glint in his eye made you aware that lying wouldn’t work.

“I can explain-“ You stammer but he starts laughing and leans in close.

“Yeah? And how’s that, princess? Why don’t you explain to me what you did with my shit you stole?” Your face burns from getting caught but the way he looks at you, hungrily and bordering on desperate makes you grab the back of his head. You slam your lips to his in a searing, heated kiss and you shove your tongue in his mouth.

Rafe moans before his palm firmly grips your ass, pulling you across the seat and sitting you on top of his lap. He nips your lower lip before smacking your ass, sliding his hand up your back into your hair. “God damn, baby. Didn’t think you’d be so fucking aggressive,” He says against your mouth and you grind down on his covered cock.

Your fingers tangle in his hair and you pull his head back, lips finding his neck. You drag your tongue along his skin before sucking underneath his jaw. Rafe reached underneath your skirt, ripping your panties off and his fingers swirled your swollen pulsing clit. You didn’t expect him to be slow with you and you didn’t want him to. You wanted him and your slick pussy fluttered as he tugged down his pants.

“I want you so fucking bad. Touching myself isn’t enough, baby. I need you-“ You whine as his cock slaps against his thigh and he taps the tip against your clit a few times.

“Yeah? You fuckin needy girl. Need my dick to fill you up and split you in half, baby girl?” With an inhale, you sink down and your eyebrows pinch together from the pressure.

You accidentally make a wincing noise before Rafe’s fingers slip inside your mouth, making you drool on them as your discomfort morphs into pleasure. His dick drives into you, hard and deep as you bounce on him, your ass moving as your hands settle on the seat.

“That’s it, princess. Bounce on daddy’s cock, cream on it. Being such a good little slut for me, huh?” His words make your cunt pulse around him as you rock your hips harder, your clit rubbing against his shaft. You were already getting close.

Your moans shift into whimpers as your eyes squeeze shut, your orgasm hitting you quickly as you shriek and tremble on his dick. Rafe makes a surprised noise but he keeps thrusting upward, his wet fingers wrapping around your neck.

“That good, huh? Cumming already?” Rafe’s movements speed up and soon you feel his creamy substance spill into you, your pussy pooling as you squeal. Your head falls into his neck and your hands find his chest.

You both sit there and breathe heavily for a few seconds before you start to climb off him. But when you glance down, you see a small amount of blood on your inner thighs. Rafe’s eyebrows shoot up. “Are you a virgin? Were you a virgin?”

You swallow and nod making him groan.

“Fuck, baby. Why didn’t you say?”

“Why would it matter? It felt good,” You begin but Rafe makes you stop short by leaning forward, his eyes flickering to your lap.

“Princess, we can do better than a quickie in my fuckin car. Hold tight, I’m taking you back to my house.” He starts the car and you pull out your phone, seeing texts from Barry.

“And tell Barry you’ll be home tomorrow.”He adds making you smirk as you click off your phone.

When you get to Rafe’s room, he wastes no time lifting you up and tossing you on the bed. You rise to your elbows, skirt riding up to expose your bare cunt. He leans down, resting his hands on your knees, tugging your knee socks. “Fuckin perv. Stealing my shit, riding me in the car only to be a little virgin?” he shakes his head with a dark chuckle before yanking you forward, spreading your legs apart.

“Gonna taste this pussy, princess. Lick up all the cum since you’re being a fuckin slut for me,” He shoves his face in your pussy, tongue flicking against your clit before sucking it between his soft lips. Your head throws back against the bed and your fingers tangle in his hair, pulling hard.

He moans and moves his head around, shoving his tongue inside you before lewdly lapping your swollen center. “You taste so fuckin good, baby. I want you to cum on my face, ride my jaw like the good whore you are,” He offers a slap to the side of your ass.

You hump his face, tits bouncing from how hard you’re moving as he slurps and sucks you. Rafe adds two fingers inside, curling them to hit the sweet spot in you. You cry out, cumming all over his mouth and fingers, giving him more slick as he tongue fucks you through it. “Good fucking girl, Angel.” He praises before pulling away, sucking his fingers clean.

“Fuck me again, daddy. I need you inside me,” You pull him down on top of you, kissing him and tasting the leftover cum. Rafe sucks on your tongue before he presses your knees to your chest and manages to take off his pants.

He smears your arousal with the tip of his dick before he slides it down to your entrance and your cunt takes him in effortlessly.

The angle he has you makes him move so deep inside you, it almost feels like you’ll burst but your eyes roll back as his balls slap against your ass. Rafe’s free hand wraps around your throat as he rocks his pelvis in and out, “shit, princess, you feel so fucking good. Nobody else gets to touch you but me. Say it,”

“No one else,” You whimper as he pounds into you.

Rafe captures your lips in a kiss, sucking your lower lip as you get close to your third release. “Mhm, you’re a freak, huh? I can fuckin tell. I’m gonna make those dirty thoughts come true, baby. You won’t have to sneak in here anymore, just use me whenever you want.”

He cums inside you and your own peak follows almost at the same time. Your sounds mix with his thick moans as he lets go of your throat; moving to squeeze your tit as he pushes his seed deeper in you. “You’re mine now, princess. Gonna fuck you all night. Can’t get enough of this sweet pussy,”

Dividers by @starkeysprincess and @cxrrodedcoffin

Tagging: @bloodibambiidoll @cxrrodedcoffin @starkeysprincess @sturnioloshacker @hornyxdreams @redhead1180 @rafeyscurtainbangs @rafesangelita @cameronsprincess @starkeysbabygirl @stillwjk-channie-lixie @oceanblvd111 @oceandriveab @that-sarcastic-writer @marchsfreakshow

[obxcc]

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ thinking about randomly dropping by poguedealer!rafe’s house because he’s home, cute, and will smoke sweetheart up for free

cw . . . profanity , use of marijuana , sloppy make out sesh , smut 18+ ( technically dubcon as you both are not sober , dry humping , oral fem!rec , fingering , finger sucking , spitting , hint of exhibitionism , one spank )

you were bored. there was nothing to do— just like any other tuesday on kildare island. after enough lollygagging around your own home , you decided to go over to rafe’s. he was your neighbor , plug , crush , and future baby daddy god willing.

every time you made your way out your door , your stomach got warm. not your favorite anxious feeling. it was always worth it though. something about his weed was different than the other obx dealers like barry or jj. so everytime you needed another eighth , you’d take a cute little selfie with your tits pushed out just enough to make them the star of the photo all while not looking too desperate. a quick caption of ‘🥬?’ before sending it off to the man.

but not today.

rafe was a good dealer. he made sure to reply timely to wanting customers , offered deals , always let people know when he was mobile or had new stock. those were just some of the things that made rafe secure his position as your dealer. so when he didn’t post anything on his story about being around the island or pushing new shit in the morning , you realized he’d be at home.

you’d been to his place several times , finding familiarity in the trailer parallel to yours. when you bought from rafe , he offered to bring it to you in a text that read ‘pretty girl like you shouldn’t have to pick up her own bud’. but you insisted ; you liked walking over to grab it yourself , liked being able to talk to the cute dealer for as long as you could.

this would , however , be the first time showing up unannounced. whatever! you brought snacks and incense as party favors in case you intruded.

and it’s like the weed gods were just on your side when your music lulled and siri’s voice came through the bluetooth speaker you were about to turn off. “dealer daddy💦🍃 texted: wyo? come smoke. would you like to rep—“ you didn’t hesitate to heart the message quickly on your phone before rushing out the door.

rafe was rolling up when he heard your knock on the door— he jumped too , not expecting you to show up so fast. “come on in!” he shouted , fingers still expertly rolling a blunt to share. his glossy eyes flickered up when the door creaked open , wanting to get a look at you before finishing up the blunt.

you waltzed into the messy— borderline trap house , rafe resided in , and it brought a dry chuckle out of him. you always looked so out of place coming over. he knew his place wasn’t in tiptop shape. but it was his. and there you appeared.

you were there contrasting everything else rafe owned. your tiny outfit showing off most of your skin playing the part of an obvious reminder. you were beyond out of his league. it didn’t seem like you cared too much though when you plopped down onto the couch next to him , making yourself at home.

you were a pogue too— despite being a little high maintenance , so if you didn’t care that his house was a little shitty and never got picked up because he never had time? well , then rafe had no problem with listening to you blab about your girl friend’s drama or when you get too high and slightly overstay your welcome.

“whatcha got today?” you asked as you scooched closer to rafe , making your knees knock against his. you peered over his shoulder , eyes zoning in on the way his hands delicately fiddled with the wrap and shake.

he peeked over at you , smiling when he saw just how comfortable you made yourself already. he enjoyed when you’d come over to pick up to be honest— liked having someone in the house even if was never for too long. the way there’d be traces of you left around after you went back to your side of the lawn. he knew the plastic bag you set down on the coffee table would have things in it for him to leave about.

“well , sugar. i— uh , i got some real good shit in this morning from my guy , and he was sayin’ how this stuff’s what fuckin’ wet dreams are made of or somethin’. real good. you’ll like,” he babbled , remembering his supplier’s words from earlier. yeah , he couldn’t wait to invite you over.

“mmm,” you hummed in sweet acknowledgment , relaxing and shifting back into the hand-me-down couch, “love this show,” you commented softly when you focused on the lit screen. rafe followed your gaze , seeing some doctor soap was playing.

“a’right , this should make you wanna fuck it then,” he laughed , words jumbled as his lips held onto the blunt. you felt heat rise to your cheeks at rafe’s vulgar words , but you sat up nonetheless while he flicked the lighter and officially started your hangout. “here.”

you smiled when he passed the blunt to you , blowing the smoke from his own hit into the stale living room air. “thank you,” you squeaked back , graciously taking the offering in between your manicured fingers. the blunt just got lit , so you knew the heat building in you wasn’t because the cherry was getting closer to your fingertips. no , it was because rafe’s eyes were boring into you.

he watched every movement in your body. the way your chest rose as you inhaled the soon to be euphoria. the way your eyes closed when you held it in your mouth. the way your lips parted to blow the smoke out in little o’s. “what wet dreams are made of,” you mused with a laugh , lifting the blunt to your lips again before passing it back.

with a moment to collect yourself without rafe’s eyes on you , you reached forward and snagged the sack of goodies. “brought ya some stuff,” you mumbled , digging about.

“y’got lil ol’ me somethin’ , sugar?” rafe feigned surprise as he flicked the ash from the blunt before taking another slow and deep hit. the moment he heard the bag rustle upon your entrance he knew he’d receive something. that was your thing. you called it nesting one time.

“saw ‘em at the store the other day. ‘n i knew you were almost out , so here you go!” you plopped the package into his lap and grabbed the bag of chips, “didn’t know what scent you’d wan’ though , so i just got one i liked,” you explained , switching off the blunt for chips smoothly.

“thanks , sug,” he smiled. it was a softer one than usual. most times his smile would be paired with a dry laugh , but this one was quiet. it was more real. it was the one only really you got. “smells good,” he noted after sniffing at the cellophane casing.

it seemed like hours had passed since you first arrived. you and rafe had managed to smoke through two blunts , and he was packing a bowl as the episode on the tv came to roll the epsiode’s credits.

you hadn’t realized the sun was sinking— far too busy drinking in how particularly good rafe looked today. it was a perfect view with the high you were having. you didn’t mean to ogle , but you couldn’t help it. his longer , shaggier hair peaking out from under his hat was such a welcomed difference than the buzz cut he sported in the spring.

and once you started to look , really look , it was hard to look away. your eyes floated down to how baggy rafe’s shirt sat on his body while still letting you know he was huge. you’d seen one of his shirt tags before. it was an XXL. he did it on purpose.

“y’okay , sugar?”

you snapped your gaze back to rafe’s face , while yours burned with embarrassment. how long did he watch you watch him? “really high,” you answered , shifting from you laying position to sit up again, “you okay?”

rafe chuckled , picking up the loaded bong. “been okay,” he shrugged , handing you the glass. he gave you a look with the gesture. a look that asked if you were okay again.

“i don’t wanna smoke anymore,” you shook your head with a blush , making rafe set the bong back down. he could tell. you didn’t know that , but he could. he could absolutely tell that you’d been eyeing him for the last forty-five minutes.

he simply nodded , settling back into the couch. and like always , you watched him lift his hips up to get comfortable. god , it had to have been on purpose. maybe you were just a horny freak— no , because every once in awhile you’d catch rafe looking at you first. it couldn’t be one sided.

“i can hear you thinkin’ from over here,” he commented , lazily rolling his head to the side to smile at you, “what’s goin’ on in that pretty lil head of yours?”

“nothin’!” you whined , shrinking to your side of the couch a little bit more, “jus’ good weed. that’s all.”

rafe hummed , nodding in acknowledgment before asking, “y’need anything?” he shifted his leg over to nudge you with his knee. it was like there was a literal shock. his eyes clocked the reaction , and a chuckle came through his nose. “y’look real pretty today , sugar.”

the compliment was served with rafe’s hand coming down to your thigh gently. you immediately sat up and forward , neck flushed and stomach churning. “rafey?” he leaned forward , trying to gauge what you were about to say. you forced your eyes to meet , bottom lip coming between your teeth. “why’d you invite me over? is it because you like me?”

“well , ‘course i like ya,” he answered like it was the dumbest question ever. how were you s’pposed to know? rafe had people over all of the time— you saw it. there were pretty girls in the mix , so who were you to assume you’d be special.

“but d’ya like me like me?”

though rafe was an angry , usually distant man— never with you , he couldn’t help but blush. because well , yeah. he did like you like you. “sugar , d’ya see anyone else here right now?” he asked , shifting to face you better, “on my one day off i got this month?”

your eyes darted around the trailer. you knew no one was here. duh , but your eyes still flickered away. “no,” you muttered.

“then i think it’s safe to say that i like ya like ya , hm?” his hand reached out to your thigh again. the rough , warm skin heated yours , but you couldn’t pull away.

because he liked you.

“well , i like you like you too,” you giggled , hand coming down on his, “since we’re puttin’ it out there.”

“since we’re putting things out there… lemme just say i think you’re the prettiest girl on this island too,” rafe smiled , taking his hand that was twisted with yours up to your face. you backed up gently at the touch before leaning into it. “and i really wanna kiss you,” he added , face coming close to yours.

your chest was rising faster than before , and you knew rafe noticed. the only thing you could hear was your breathing. you didn’t know why you were so nervous. you’d kissed boys before. this wasn’t a new thing. so you swallowed down your nerves and smiled. “kiss me then.”

the words barely left your mouth before rafe’s lips were on yours. his hands came up to your cheeks , as he moved his lips against yours. you couldn’t stop the soft whine coming up your throat. your hands came up to rafe’s neck , holding him close to you as you kissed him back. you were in heaven , and you never wanted to not be kissing rafe.

rafe’s hands slid down your sides , trying to feel your body into his memory. he knew you liked him , that much was obvious each time you came over with that big smile of yours. but still , rafe knew that you deserved better and would eventually realize that before leaving him. so he wanted to commit this moment into his brain for the rest of his life.

he yanked you into his lap , a short yelp coming from you before a giggle followed. “hi,” you whispered , hands playing with the shaggy hair in front of you. you’d always wanted to run your hands through his hair. dreamt of it.

“hi , sugar,” rafe whispered back , smiling just as bright as you were. it was your turn to lean in , kissing rafe again to recommence your newfound favorite hobby. he didn’t hesitate to kiss you back , tongues working around each other. you let out a moan when his hands gently guided your forward , and that’s when rafe pulled away , string of your saliva mixed together tying you two to one another.

“sorry,” he chuckled , wiping at your slick lips with his thumb before pecking you shortly to remove the frown you now sported.

“why’d y’stop?” you asked , pawing at his chest and eyeing his lips. you moved forward , going to press your lips against his again when he chuckled and sank back into the couch.

rafe let his hands run up and down your thighs. “jus’ need a minute , sug,” he breathed out , eyes tracing every curve of your body, “got me about to bust in my pants like a kid over some kisses.”

you giggled at that , hand reaching down to his lap. “yeah?” you hummed , cupping around the growing tent in his sweats. your smile widened when rafe groaned , head falling back and hips lifting up. “why don’t you then?” you asked , leaning down to kiss his cheek softly.

a breathy laugh left rafe’s lungs before he forced himself to look at you. and god , you were perfect. red , swollen lips parted as you grinned down at him. “you’d like seeing me like that , wouldn’t you? like gettin’ what you want?” he hummed , reaching up to move the hair that had fallen into your face.

“maybe…” you shrugged , nuzzling into the way his hand covered your cheek, “but you like giving me what i want.”

and in that moment , you didn’t even know if you’d ever want anything else. the blunts helped you feel everything. every little twitch of rafe’s hand as he kneading at your body. every breath you took felt like him. you could practically feel each ridge under his pants as you moved your hips forward again.

“yeah… and you’re gonna get me in some big trouble ‘cause of it,” rafe admitted , hands happily helping you move back and forth over him. you chuckled at that , bringing yourself down on him harder.

“jus’ want you t’cum for me,” you whined , mouthing at his exposed neck with a moan as the tip of him caught on your clothed clit. the skirt you decided to wear that day doing nothing to hold you back as you rubbed your panties against the darkening sweats rafe wore.

his hands came back up , one reaching behind your neck to pull you into him and the other on the small of your back , pushing you closer before letting you move away and repeating. “y’so fuckin’ sexy , sugar,” he groaned against your lips , swirling his tongue in your mouth. he wanted to taste every single part of you— inch by beautiful inch.

your hand trailed down again , not going as far to his bulge , but the hem of rafe’s shirt. “can you take this off?” you asked , voice softer and sweeter than ever , and right then rafe decided he’d do anything for you no matter what it was you asked of him. he yanked the shirt off , flinging it across the room.

you stopped kissing him , letting your hands and nails rake over the ridges of rafe’s abdomen while you grinded into his lap. his eyes fluttered shut , a noise close to a whimper escaping his parted lips. “c’mon…” you whispered , rotating your hips just right enough for rafe’s grip to tighten on your hips, “don’t y’wanna cum for me?” you asked , not stopping your ministrations for a moment.

“fuck!” rafe cursed , a light laugh coming out with it. his hips started lifting to meet yours , helping him get that much closer. it was when your lips tangled with his again that his entire body twitched. his moan floated into your mouth as you sped your hips up.

when rafe realized you weren’t stopping just because he’d cum , his hands lifted you up. “jesus , y’tryin to kill me?” he asked breathlessly as he looked up at you and your innocent smile, “c’mere,” he muttered before manhandling you onto your back.

your eyes fell to the dark patch on rafe’s pants , a mixture of your arousal and his cum. if you weren’t so embarassed by the thought , you were sure you’d like the cloth clean if rafe asked.

“whatcha doin?” you hummed , watching as rafe’s hands ran up your thighs. his fingers hooked in the lacy panties you wore before yanking them down with a harsh tear ripping through your ears.

“i’m gonna recover while playin’ with this pussy,” he explained like it was the most casual thing for his day off, “s’you just sit back and look pretty , hm?” you nodded meekly at his words , gasp leaving your throat when he pulled at your thighs , moving your hips to the edge of the couch before rafe got to his knees.

his hands pushed your thighs apart , kneading at the skin while he stared at your folds. they were glistening , puffy and just waiting for him. he was leaning in to lick a stripe between them before he even knew it , and he groaned , having never tasted something sweeter than you.

“rafe—“ you sighed , hand coming down to grip at his hair , thankful you’d flicked the hat off the moment you started making out.

rafe didn’t reply , well , not really. he just moaned into you , tongue rolling around your clit. he brought a hand up , blindly looking for one of yours before clamping down on it. and you couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in your eyes. no boy had been nice enough to hold your hand while he went down on you before. no body had been so soft with you.

“y’doing okay?” rafe mumbled , pulling away from you , but not before replacing his tongue with his free hand. his finger slid up and down your folds , pushing slower on your clit. you could hardly nod let alone verbally reply as he twisted his wrist to slip a finger into you. “y’feel amazing,” he chuckled , answering his own question, “taste even better.”

“rafe— will , god , will you fuck me?” you whimpered , relishing in the feel of his finger massaging your walls. you wanted more though. you needed it. “please?”

rafe chuckled , kissing your thigh before sitting up. his hand didn’t move besides adding his ring finger into the mix. “yeah? want me to fuck you , sugar? y’already so fucked out , though.”

you whined when his fingers curled just right , leaking around his hand. “please? please , please , please!” you cried , hips moving in tandem with his hand, “need y’so bad , rafey. wanted this forever!” you’d finally heard yourself and the way you voice was pitchier than usual.

already so fucked out was right.

all you could do was feel rafe’s hand moving in and out of you , thumb moving up to rub at your clit again. “cum on my fingers first , sugar. then i’ll fuck you. please? will ya be a good girl ‘nd cum for me?” he asked , leaning over your body and nipping at your neck while moans freely left you. you nodded quickly , feeling the band in your stomach tighten impossibly more.

“right there! don’t stop!” you were practically screaming as rafe’s hand fucked into you harder and faster until you gushed around him. “rafe , rafe , rafe,” you rushed out , your hands own hand coming to his wrist to stop him from continuing as you caught your breath.

“i could watch you do that all day,” he admitted , bringing his arousal covered fingers into his mouth and sucking them clean. his other hand never left yours , and you were very aware of it. “open,” he muttered , lifting his now clean fingers to your mouth. you happily obliged , wrapping your lips around the digits before sucking.

if you weren’t so desperate— you were trying to grind down onto him now that his hips were closer to yours , you’d have offered to suck his dick , but his fingers would do for now. they left your mouth with a whine and pop. “i think about this all of the time,” rafe admitted , hand that clasped yours squeezing it a few times, “sometimes i think you’re all i think about period.”

rafe’s words left you shocked , not expecting him to get too talkative during this. sure , you knew he thought you were pretty. he’d told you a lot more than needed , and you knew he liked you now. but he’d thought about this? yeah , you never would’ve guessed.

“you could’ve had me forever ago,” you told him , sitting up a little more, “i woulda let you.”

“i di’nt know that , did i?” rafe shook his head with a smile , maneuvering you to his lap again, “otherwise i would’ve already fucked you all over our trailers , maybe even the yard— let everyone know exactly who y’belong to,” he mumbled , brushing your hair from your neck to bite and suck at it. you could feel the bruises start to form , but the words rafe spoke and the weed you smoked earlier left you hazy.

“y’have me now,” you moaned , tilting your head out of the way to give rafe more surface area to work with, “and i’m tellin’ you that you can do whatever you want t’me.”

rafe pulled back at that , a sinister smile overtaking his face. “whatever i want?” he echoed , fingers dancing up your spine. you hummed back , nodding your head far too coy for the context of your conversation. “you’d let me fuck this pussy raw? hm?” he wondered , letting his hand cup you again.

you jolted at the sensitivity but nodded again nonetheless. “whatever you want,” you repeated , grabbing his face and look into rafe’s ocean blue eyes. you’d drown yourself in them if he wanted you to. and he knew it too— he knew it the moment you were begging him to cum in his fucking pants.

“open your mouth,” he instructed , patting your cheek gently. you listened , looking at him through your lashes with your mouth dropped and tongue on display. you hadn’t expected rafe to lean forward a little bit before spitting into your waiting mouth. you lips shut immediately , swallowing the mix of your salivas. “you’re a little slut , aren’t you?” he asked lightly , taking note of the way you took what he gave you so easily , so compliant.

“if y’want me to be,” you assured him , grinding into his still moving hand. the sensitivity subsided , letting the euphoric feeling rush back into you as rafe’s fingers slid slowly through your folds.

“oh…” rafe drew the word out , clicking his tongue and brought a hand down on your ass. the crack bounced around your ears as you jumped and held back a moan , never letting your eyes leave his. “we’re gonna have so much fun.”

[joshdonnas]

"Two divisions, the 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Drum and the 1st Infantry in Germany, have been rated C4. That's the lowest of four possible readiness grades. It means, "Unfit for service"." "No sir. Again, with all respect, I hate to disagree, but it means unfit for service based on the Pentagon's "two war" doctrine. It's based on how fast these divisions would be able to extract themselves from their peacekeeping mission, retrain on home bases, and ship off to a second of two, full-scale Gulf-War-sized conflicts. There are also some both inside and outside the Pentagon who question whether the C4 ratings might not be a political maneuver on the part of the DOD to help Republican allies in Congress secure more defense money."

C.J. CREGG AND GENERAL BARRIE 'AND IT'S SURELY TO THEIR CREDIT' (2x05) THE WEST WING

↪ requested by @klaineharmony

[ahhnini]

pls do a part 2 to real man

yes ofc! thank you for reading!

the way things go - rafe cameron x reader

— he wants you back

warnings - angst, regretful rafe, arguing, happy ending, not proofread!

real man

if you want to read about how reader got her locket check out no one knows!

“y/n, please!” he pleads, eyes red, pupils dilated. he’s high again. “rafe, stop! i’m trying to work! leave me alone or i’ll call security,” you snag your arm away from his grasp, wiping down a table. he scoffs, following you, “rafe, I swear to god—” “how many times do I have to say it?! I’m sorry, okay! please, just—let’s give this—us—another chance, yeah?” “no! how many times do I have to tell you, no!” you argue back, and rafe genuinely looks like he was about to cry. hearing him sniffle, he turns away, not giving you one last glance.

rafe stops coming into the club for a while after that, most likely opting to hang at barry’s instead. you got promoted, no longer working as a beverage cart girl, but as a hostess to the bar. better pay, and you get to stay air conditioned all throughout your shift.

the bike home was the same, passing by figure eight; all the manors and paved roads, a stark contrast to your neighborhood — broken houses and dirt paths. you see a familiar black range rover parked on the side of your house, and you can’t help but scoff.

barging into your room, you find rafe, fidgeting with some of your plushies on your bed. “rafe, what the hell! I told you to stop bothering me—” he stands up from your bed, cornering you to a wall, “i’ve missed you, so much. what I did—hiding our relationship—it was dumb. I just—didn’t want anyone to know I’d been dating a pogue—” you burst out laughing at his words, “rafe, are you kidding me? ‘didn’t want anyone to know i’d been dating a pogue’ then why’d you start dating one anyways?” you chuckle at him. he looks to the side, “b-because, when I laid eyes on you for the first time, I wanted to have you. all to myself. and,” he drags his hands down his face, “I couldn’t let anyone else have you,” you see tears form in his eyes and you sigh. he continues on, “please, i’d do anything to get you back. you were the greatest thing i’ve ever lost, I literally cannot function without you,” you wiggle out of his grasp, shuffling awkwardly to the bed, sitting down. he sits down with you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. you speak up, voice soft and meek, “I hate seeing you like this rafe,” he nods his head, eyes scanning your face intently.

“so…I think…I’ll give you another chance, but we have to be public now, no more hiding,” you look into his eyes. what turned into sadness quickly transformed into a look of surprise, and a smile formed on his gloomy face.

“of course, you have my word. thank you, thank you!” he chuckles, moving his hand down to your waist, pulling you in for a kiss.

taglist - @nemesyaaa @julie123456897 @mfdoomdickrider @grxnde-dwt

[fee224]

real man

Rafe Cameron x Barry’s twin sister

Warnings: possessiveness, defined relationship, public sex, bitchiness??

MASTERLIST

You loved having rafe as your boyfriend. He was like no man ever before. He could be possessive without wreaking of insecurity. He always knew what to say, mean and nice, usually the latter to you and saved his mean behaviours for anybody else.

He never told you he liked you and then tried to mold you into another girl. You were still the same girl and yet his feelings were still growing, amongst other things.

Youre arms were secured tightly around his neck as you straddled him on his balcony furniture. He was man spreading which forces you to be scooted up further onto his pelvic area. You were sharing a blunt and it was currently resting between your lips. He was holding you steady with both hands palming your ass.

The cold evening breeze was settling and you could only smell a mixture of smoke and the sea.

You leaned your elbow on his shoulder to remove the cig with your hand and place it on the coffee table next to sofa.

You exhale into the air slowly bringing your lips to rafes as you hear multiple girl voices below the balcony.

“Cmon! I’m not even sure if he’s home but god I hope so” you pull away at the high pitched voice, your eyebrows raising.

“Oh my god, that fucking whore better not be here, I can’t stand her.” A malicious smile creeps onto your face as you press a finger to rafes lips as he opens them to speak.

“I hope he’s so fucking high he thinks he’s dizzy when he sees two of us” and then it clicked. The chipa twins. you rolled your eyes internally. They were clearly here for sex, be careful what you wish for.

You stand up in between rafes legs as you pull him up of the couch. Your hips sway as he follows you eagerly by hand. You hear knocking on the door below and giggles, while you try to contain yours. You bend yourself over the brick wall and lifted your skirt up to reveal your purple thong, only for rafes eyes, which are greedy.

You turn back to his pretty, amused face “rail me baby” you blink up innocently. As his grin widens he slides your thong down your legs.

“Fuck me real goodd” you tease, dragging out your syllables as you giggle to yourself. Already feeling the urge to moan loudly from simply his presence behind you.

“Pretty fucking pussy” rafe compliments dragging a finger along your entrance before grabbing your hips and sinking deep inside you.

Instead of biting your lips so Barry wouldn’t be able to hear from the next room, or so rafes employees wouldn’t get him fired on the spot from the noises coming from his office, no instead you let a loud whining moan.

“Fuck baby” rafes fingers press deep into your fleshy waist, rolling his head back in pleasure.

“Mmmmm rafe please” you practically scream as he thrashes into your sweet hole repeatedly.

Two angry, greasy haired brunettes come thundering out onto the path leading up to the door, staring up at you getting railed the shit out of, over a balcony.

“You’re such a slut!” Chipa 1 stamps her foot down on the ground, and you giggle as your eyes roll to the back of your head.

“don’t you have a bed?” The other ones hands placed firmly on her hips looking up at the obscene view of rafe loosing control of himself inside you.

“If I didn’t, you’d share yours, very charitable in that respect, or is that to just literally any boy who looks in your direction” you scoff, screaming down at her.

“Whatever we are so going” chika 1 practically drags the other one of the lawn as you smirk content with yourself, pulling yourself out of rafe and turning around towards him.

“let’s go take a shower baby, im all hot and bothered” you smile sweetly up at him.

- fee xxx

[naturesapphic]

Hey, I really enjoyed the last fanfic you did for me and I was wondering if you could do another Rhea Ripley x Reader where they're watching Backlash at home, and when JD and Finn come out to help Damien Reader forgets Rhea's hurt and says something like " where's Rhea" and Rhea's like "Im right here"

Cause I keep forgetting she's hurt and thinking she's gonna show up.

Backlash

Rhea ripley x fem!reader

Warnings: fluff

You were sitting on the couch with your girlfriend Rhea ripley watching backlash. Damien was fighting against jey uso and out of no where Finn came running out and tried to get jey but was kicked in the face by him and landed flat on his back. I don’t think Damien even noticed that he tried to help let alone him being out there.

“Bro what the fuck! Damien! Pay attention!” You huffed out and crossed your arms as you payed close attention to the match. Rhea gave you a side eye and smiled at your behavior. The dogs came over, including Bella, and sat on y’all’s laps. Luna went over to Rhea and barry went over to you, whining for your attention.

You grabbed him in your arms and wrapped your arms around his body as you continued to watch the match. Barry seemed content and stopped whining. A few moments after jey had Damian pinned down and jey was about to win when jd appeared and grabbed damiens foot and put it on the rope to disrupt the countdown.

Everyone screamed and your mouth opened in shock and you were getting anxious but relieved that jd came out to help, even though you don’t like him. Then you realized that Rhea isn’t out yet. “Where’s Rhea?” You said not realizing that your girlfriend was right beside you. “Im right here?” She said and gave you a dumbfounded look. You looked at her sheepishly and blushed from embarrassment.

“Please forget that I said that.” You stated and she smirked. “Not a chance doll.” She said and you groaned in annoyance. “You are never gonna let me live this down are you?” You said and she shook her head now. “Im telling everyone and tweeting about it now. It’s too fucking funny.” She laughed and went on her phone tweeting and making Instagram stories about it as you sat on the side and pouted at her.

“You’re mean.” You said as Rhea pointed the camera towards you and laughed playfully. She scooted closer to you and started peppering your face with kisses to make up for her teasing towards you. You started to giggle and your face flushing red at the kisses and attention she was giving you. She stopped recording and put “she’s my dumbass but she’s my dumbass and I fucking love her.” She said on her story and posted it and tagged you in it.

You continued to blush and Rhea kept smirking at you as y’all continued to watch backlash together. A few more moments later and Damien pinned down jey and kept his belt. Everyone cheered including you and Rhea then groaned when everything went to shit between the judgement day. “They definitely need mami back because what is this shit? They are so childish my gosh.” You said and Rhea laughed, wrapping her arms around you.

“Is that right?” She asked and you nodded. “Mami makes the rules.” You said shrugging, knowing that you were right Rhea nodded her head at you. “Do you want to watch some trash reality tv now?” You asked her and she smiled. “Of course.” She stated and you went onto her lap facing her and snuggled into her strong arms. Barry whining for y’all’s attention so you put him beside the both of you and started petting him. Rhea turned something on and placed the remote down to wrap her arms around you, securing you as you laid your head on her shoulder. Even though it’s sad that Rhea had to be on break because of her injury, you are still glad for this opportunity to spend time with your girlfriend.

A/n: I hope this is what you wanted @drsheperd-bartley18 ! And I hope the rest of y’all enjoyed! Remember that my Melanie martinez, Billie eilish and the rest of my characters requests are still open! And remember to stay hydrated and to rest! I love yall! :)

[thatsnotmygunflash]

“Panic erupted at Central City Hall after unknown gunmen kidnapped Congressman Leonard Snart in broad daylight during his 'Metas are Human' rally. Eyewitnesses to the attack say three of Snart's security guards were killed in their efforts to protect the Congressman and four more were injured. Authorities say they are putting in every effort to recover the Congressman, working around the clock to bring him home safely. If anyone has any information regarding—”

“Hey man, are you watching the news?” Barry didn't bother with a hello when he heard the call connected, his eyes still glued to the footage of the kidnapping replaying on the TV screen. It was the first time since being back in Central that he'd felt the familiar course of adrenaline start to build in his blood. His feet were already vibrating just thinking about running head-first into a new mission. This was a problem he could solve as easily as making a run to the grocery store. He might not be in the military anymore and his whole team may be suspended from using their powers on US soil until the investigation is over, but there wasn't a chance in hell he was going to let that stop him from saving not only his personal hero but the Congressman leading the fight for metahuman rights. If Leonard Snart died, metahumans wouldn’t stand a chance against the discrimination and dehumanization they were up against in Congress. 

“Yeah, crazy right? Can't believe they got the drop on Captain Cold.” Cisco replied readily, the echoing broadcast accompanying his voice. “I mean, we've all heard the stories from General Lance.” 

Leonard Snart hadn’t always been a Congressman, of course. He was the beloved Mayor of Central City before that, and a decorated police officer briefly after being honorably discharged from the military due to an injury in the field. Leonard Snart was the only human to ever Captain the same covert metahuman team Barry had helped lead for the past five years. The original Rogues were legendary, especially their human leader. He may have only been human, but Snart had a genius-level intellect and was an expert tactician, not to mention an exceptional marksman and a bit of a kleptomaniac at the most convenient of times. Captain Cold was a decorated hero who helped turn the Rouges into the military's best secret weapon. The motivational stories that Sara had told them during training and the old missions she would drill them on had fueled Barry's endless quest to be the best operative he could be. Chasing Captain Cold's legacy like it was critical to his career, right up to the point of obsession. It had helped him rank up quickly, religiously studying Snart's tactical strategies, missions, and reports. Barry learned from his mistakes before he could even make them most of the time thanks to Snart’s detailed mission logs and his additional references to counter scenarios that would have been successful. Barry was the man he is today because of Leonard Snart–his hero, his teacher, and his inspiration. He couldn’t stand back on the sidelines and hope someone else was going to put a plan together and save Snart.

He had to do something. 

“Yeah, they would have just shot him in the street if they wanted him dead,” Barry theorized, finally giving in to the restlessness running through his body and taking off into a sprint, barely being able to enjoy the exhilarating feeling of running again before he was across town and right into the middle of Cisco’s underground workshop. “The kidnappers must want something else, but that doesn't mean they won't kill him when they get it.” 

“Is this you trying to ask me to look into where they’re keeping him?” Cisco questioned with a surprised eyebrow raised as he took the phone away from his ear and set it down near the gutted metal tube spilling over with wires sitting in front of the scientist, along with an array of tools and loose equipment. If Barry wasn’t mistaken it was one of Hartley’s sonic grenades he was tinkering with. The same sonic grenades the Miltary had confiscated. Barry knew he couldn't have been the only one going stir-crazy since being discharged, but Cisco had been smart enough not to inform the government about his ability to breach, allowing him easy access to anything he wanted, from this world or another. Cisco always had to be doing something with his hands, anything to keep him busy and his ideas flowing. It was a trait Barry had always admired about his best friend, especially right now.

“Maybe? I don't know. I feel like I should do something, he could die,” Barry replied warily, running a hand through his hair as he considered what would happen if he didn't get involved. “The guys who grabbed him have to be professionals, there's no way of knowing what they'll do if SWAT gets involved. I'm thinking if you can pin down his location I can be in and out with Snart before you finish telling me the address.” 

“I'll let Frosty and Cait know what's up while I track him down, have them set up the med room for him just in case.” Cisco was already abandoning his workbench and moving towards his computer as he spoke, typing out a message to the girls on his phone while he booted up his PC. “Want me to contact his team and let them in on the plan?”

“After. I don't want to take the chance if this is an inside job. I want Snart safe before we bring outsiders in on this.” Barry responded, knowing in his gut that the only thing they could afford to worry about right now was making sure Snart made it out of this alive. 

“Yeah good call, can't have the man spearheading the ��Metas are Human' movement dying before he can get the bill passed.” Cisco agreed with an approving nod, fingers dancing over the keyboard as he pulled up the satellite footage of the kidnapping. 

“Exactly. He's our only chance at keeping our civil rights, Cisco, we gotta save him.” He didn't mention he was their only chance of getting the team back together and their dishonorable discharges dropped. Lance still kept in contact with them all even if it was dangerous for her own career to be mixed up with their disgraced team at such an uneasy time like this. She had risked it though to tell them she had talked to Snart about their situation and he had vowed to do what he could to get them all reinstated and the investigation handled by an unbiased party. 

“I know man, I'm tracking them through CCTV cameras right now, shouldn't be much longer. You should suit up.” Cisco suggested, pressing a button on a small remote while nodding towards the now moving back wall where he kept the team’s secret emergency gear stashed. It seemed like Cisco was keeping a lot of secrets from the government down here. 

“Red or black?” Barry asked the scientist, trying not to get caught up in the nostalgia of seeing his team's suits lined up and on display again. It had only been three months since the team was disbanded but it felt like years to him. This felt like coming home, much more than arriving at Central City airport after 12 years away had. 

“Black. Should probably keep this one stealthy.” Cisco replied, turning his head to the side to meet Barry's eye. “Are we playing this like Karmana or Kota Baharu?” 

“Moscow,” Barry said with a soft hum, trembling fingers reaching for the reinforced tripolymer fabric waiting for him. It really had been too long, the anticipation was almost too much for him to handle. He's missed the comfort of his super suit. Of his team. His life. God, everything had gone to such shit so quickly that he never even got to prepare himself for never suiting up and leading a mission again. It had been stripped from him just like his team, his rank, and his reputation had. 

“Oh really?” Cisco curved his surprise quickly, his worry pushing forward instead. “You think he'll remember the call sign?” 

“He'll remember,” Barry replied confidently, not wasting another second and flashing into his suit. It was even better than he remembered, like a missing limb growing back, or maybe he had missed his old life more than he cared to admit. Now, he felt safe and powerful and needed. Three things that had been severely lacking in his life since being discharged.

“Let's hope you're right,” Cisco muttered before glancing down at his phone and smirking in triumph. “I've got the location and Cait is almost ready. It's showtime, Lieutenant Flash.” 

“Don't call me that man. I'm not your lieutenant anymore.” Barry said with a shake of his head, brushing off Cisco's quick reply. 

“The government may have royally fucked us all over and disbanded the team, but that doesn't mean I lost respect for the rank you earned dude.”

“Whatever, can you just give me the address please? We have a Congressman to save.” Barry pulled his cowl up, letting it settle into place and feeling his shoulders drop down, all the tension he was carrying leaving him at once. There was no better feeling than using his powers to save someone, and now after months of moping around his shoebox apartment and his mind-numbing third-shift security gig, having to refrain from using his speed, he was going to get to use it to save Leonard Snart. He knew the ‘Oh shit, I’m going to meet Leonard Snart!’ freak out he would no doubt have later would be embarrassing and long, but it would mean Snart would be alive and that was more than enough for Barry to look forward to making a fool of himself in the future.  

“Uh, yeah, about that,” Cisco winced at the latest text that popped up, shooting Barry a constipated smile. “Hopefully he's like really grateful you’re risking it all right now to save his ass and can keep you from getting arrested for doing it. Frost says they know you're active. APB is about to go out. Waller is pissed.” 

“Better make this good then, I'm too pretty for prison.” Barry couldn't help the grin that stretched across his face as Cisco finally rattled off the address to him, offering him a lazy salute that a year ago would have gotten him kitchen duty for two weeks. Now it just earned him a good-natured laugh.  

“Good luck, Lieutenant,” Cisco said with an encouraging pat on the back, letting out a small laugh to himself when Barry took off just as quickly as he had appeared. “Something tells me you're going to need it.”

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Sacrifices (Book 2 of 3 BTR Series) a Jhea Fanfic.

Chapter 25: Maybe..

March 1st, 2025 2:11 PM

Jey worked out in his home office, sweat dripping down his back as his feet pounded rhythmically against the treadmill. He’d set the incline high and pushed himself hard, his focus on maintaining his stamina and strength despite his limited in-ring schedule.

Rhea was out with her parents, shopping in Stamford. It wasn’t often her parents visited, so Jey had encouraged her to spend the day with them. Meanwhile, their home buzzed with its usual chaos. Jesse and Jeremy made their rounds outside the property, ensuring everything stayed secure. Jeremiah watched as Bella and Barry, the playful dogs, were running around the yard, occasionally barking at nothing in particular. Storm, the aloof cat, was nowhere to be found—probably off scheming in some hidden corner of the house.

Jey’s focus was abruptly shattered when his phone began to ring on the desk next to the treadmill. He slowed the speed to a walk, breathing heavily as he grabbed a towel to wipe his face before glancing at the caller ID. Jonathan’s name flashed on the screen.

With a sigh, Jey accepted the call. “Hey, bro,” he greeted, his voice still slightly breathless.

“Hey, man,” Jonathan’s voice came through, casual but warm. “We were thinking about coming up to visit for a bit. Trinity said a weekend wasn’t enough time, so we figured we’d come up.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Jey said, stepping off the treadmill and stretching his arms. “I don’t mind. What day you thinking about flying in?”

Jonathan hesitated for a moment, as though gauging Jey’s reaction. “We were thinking Tuesday. Jaciyah’s birthday is Friday, so we figured we’d stay till Sunday.”

Jey froze, the words hitting him like a freight train. “Fuck!” he blurted out, his hand immediately running over his face in frustration.

On the other end of the line, Jonathan’s tone turned incredulous. “Wait, wait, hold up—you forgot your firstborn son’s 18th birthday?”

Jey groaned, pacing the room now, his frustration with himself growing. “Man, it’s been so hectic lately. Between Rhea’s pregnancy, Rhea still not opening up, her parents being in town, and everything else going on, it slipped my mind. Damn, Jon, I feel like shit.”

Jonathan laughed softly, though it carried a tone of disbelief. “I get it. But come on, this is Jaciyah’s 18th. We gotta do something good.”

“I know, I know,” Jey muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll make it up to him. I’ll plan something special.”

“You better,” Jonathan said, his voice lighter now. “We’ll help out when we get there. Trinity’s already thinking about what to buy for him.”

Jey let out a breath, grateful for his brother’s understanding. “Appreciate it, man. I’ll figure out how to make this the best birthday he’s ever had.”

Jonathan chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Definitely.” Jey said, cracking a small smile. “I’ll see you Tuesday.”

After hanging up, Jey leaned against the desk, staring at the blank wall in front of him. Guilt gnawed at him. Jaciyah was his firstborn, his pride and joy, and forgetting his birthday—even amidst all the chaos—was a blow to his own sense of responsibility.

Jey began to pace around his office, phone in hand, as he called his son Jaciyah. The line rang a few times before Jaciyah finally picked up. Jey paused his pacing briefly..

“Hey, Dad,” Jaciyah greeted, his voice casual but warm.

“Hey, son,” Jey replied, his tone light. “How’s everything over at your mom’s?”

Jaciyah chuckled. “It’s going good. Mom made brownies the other day, and man, I had a dang sugar attack. I was bouncing off the walls.”

Jey laughed, the image of his son hyped up on sugar making him smile. “I bet you were. Listen…” Jey hesitated, trying to find the best way to steer the conversation. “So, I hear someone’s got a birthday coming up soon.”

There was a pause before Jaciyah cut straight to the point, his voice brightening with excitement. “I want Rhea to make a triple-layer yellow cake with chocolate icing, I want a BBQ, and I want you to meet Daya.”

Jey blinked. “Hold up—who’s Daya?”

Another pause hung in the air before Jaciyah’s sheepish voice returned. “The girl you caught me with.”

Jey leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow. “Ah, so that’s her name. Alright, alright.” He chuckled softly, but his tone shifted to something more serious. “You sure about introducing her to the family? That’s a big step.”

“Yeah, Dad, I’m sure,” Jaciyah said confidently. “She’s important to me, and I want her to meet everyone.”

Jey nodded, respecting his son’s decision. “Okay, I hear you. So, no big party? Just a BBQ and cake?”

“Yeah,” Jaciyah replied. “Just something small with the family. Nothing too crazy.”

Jey smiled, a wave of relief washing over him. A smaller gathering would make things easier to manage, and he liked the idea of keeping it intimate. “Alright, son. I’ll make it happen. It’s gonna be a birthday to remember.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jaciyah said warmly. “Oh, and tell Rhea I’m counting on that cake.”

Jey chuckled. “I’ll let her know. Love you, kid.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

Hanging up, Jey leaned back in his chair, already making mental notes of what needed to be done. He’d need to talk to Rhea about the cake and reach out to Trinity and Jonathan about the BBQ. And then, of course, there was Daya. Meeting his son’s girlfriend for the first time felt like a milestone of its own.

Jey couldn’t help but smile to himself. This birthday might’ve caught him off guard, but he was determined to make it a special one.

—

Rhea entered her and Jey’s house, bags of baby clothes in tow, her heart light with the excitement of the day’s shopping. The air felt comfortable and familiar, but there was a slight tension in her chest as she walked toward the living room, where Jey was waiting for her. He rose from his seat and kissed her cheek as she handed him the bags. Jey smiled as he saw all of the contents and set the bags gently on the coffee table.

“How was the trip to the mall?” Jey asked, a soft smile on his face.

Before Rhea could answer, her mother interjected, holding up a small onesie with a white and grey dinosaur design. “Oh Joshua, I brought the perfect onesie for my grandbaby.” Rhea’s mom was beaming, her eyes filled with love as she held up the gift, a pair of white booties and a matching beanie in her other hand.

Jey took the items from her mother and examined them with a smile. “It’s cute,” he agreed, his tone affectionate. He put the items into the bag and sat down on his spot on the couch.

Rhea, feeling the weight of the day catching up with her, collapsed onto the couch next to Jey. Her body ached from shopping and the long day, but seeing her parents’ happiness made it worth it. Her mother smiled at them both before excusing herself and Rhea’s dad, taking them to the guest room for some rest. The house settled into a peaceful quiet, just the two of them now.

Jey’s gaze was lingering on her with a mixture of affection and concern. “I forgot Jaciyah’s birthday,” he said, his voice tinged with guilt.

Rhea looked at him, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the underlying frustration. “I know you did, but I didn’t,” she replied softly.

Jey looked at her, confusion flickering across his face. “How?”

“I remember birthdays better than you,” Rhea teased, but the humor didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her tone held a hint of frustration, an emotion she had been carrying for days now.

Jey ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “What would I do without you?” he asked, his voice sincere, though a little playful.

Rhea’s smile faded as she leaned back against the couch. She exhaled deeply, her gaze distant for a moment before she spoke, her voice quiet but steady. “I don’t know… maybe think about that before you say something stupid like what you said to me in Titusville.”

Jey’s expression softened, his eyes searching hers. “Babe, I love you, but you’re still not over it?” His voice held a trace of frustration, but more than that, there was concern. He didn’t understand why this one thing was still lingering in her mind.

Rhea looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Joshua, what you said really hurt me,” she said, her voice steady but thick with emotion. “If you can’t see why I’m not letting this go…” She trailed off, feeling the weight of her words.

There was a long, heavy pause. Jey opened his mouth to say something, but Rhea cut him off, shaking her head. “Forget it,” she muttered under her breath.

Without waiting for his response, she stood up from the couch, her movements brisk as she grabbed the bags and turned away from him, heading toward the stairs.

Jey watched her, his heart sinking as he processed her words. He had hurt her, and despite his love for her, he couldn’t understand the depth of the pain she felt. He heard her footsteps fade as she ascended the stairs, leaving him alone in the quiet of their home.

Rhea, on the other hand, made her way to the bedroom, her thoughts racing. She didn’t want to let the hurt fester between them, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that what Jey had said in Titusville had exposed something deeper. Something he didn’t fully understand about her—about their relationship.

She laid the baby clothes on the bed and sat down beside them, her mind still on the conversation. She needed time. Time to process, to breathe, and to find a way to heal from the hurt.

For a moment, all she could think about was the weight of everything—the baby, her future with Jey, and the small things that seemed to pile up without resolution. Rhea sighed heavily, trying to find a way to center herself.

Meanwhile, Damian descended the stairs, his casual demeanor slightly dampened by the weight of the conversation he knew was coming. He took one look at Jey and, with a shrug, said, “What’s up?”

Jey sighed, his frustration clear. “Rhea again.”

Damian couldn’t help but laugh, more out of disbelief than amusement, as he grabbed a Sprite from the fridge. He sat down on the loveseat across from Jey and took a sip. “You really pushed her with that shit you said,” Damian remarked, his tone more serious now. “And you know what? I don’t blame her.”

Jey ran a hand through his hair. “I fucked up,” he admitted, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “I know that. I’ve admitted that. But why can’t she just forgive me and love me?”

Damian set his drink down, the weight of his words catching Jey’s full attention. “You do realize this is like the fourth time you kinda fucked up, right?” he said, his voice even but firm.

Jey shot him a confused glance. “What the hell do you mean?”

Damian leaned forward, his gaze sharp. “Well, first there was Portland, where you pushed her. Don’t even try to deny that one. Then there was keeping Jeyce from her after Takecia threatened you. She almost killed herself, Jey. She nearly ended it all because she thought she’d never have a chance to be your wife or be a mother to Jeyce. That’s not just a fuck-up. That’s something you need to really own. Thirdly, there was that argument back in January, when you called her out… if I remember correctly she needed to learn how to stop running away from shit.” Damian paused, his eyes narrowing. “Fourthly… Titusville.”

Jey looked down, guilt washing over him as each instance rolled off Damian’s tongue. But Damian wasn’t done. “And that’s not even mentioning the shit you did when you two weren’t together,” he added. “Like asking her to leave Matt while you stayed with Takecia. That shit? Took the cake. It was messed up.”

Jey winced, his chest tightening as the full weight of his mistakes hit him. “Okay,” he said quietly, trying to process everything.

Damian sat back, his tone softening. “Man, I get it. You love her. I can see it, but the way you’ve been treating her—it’s been a lot. And she’s been through enough shit already. She doesn’t deserve to keep dealing with your mistakes. You have to show her, not just tell her, that you’ve changed. That you’re not going to keep repeating the same shit over and over.”

Jey didn’t respond immediately. The silence between them was heavy, filled with the weight of everything Damian had just said. He wanted to argue, wanted to justify his actions, but he knew Damian was right. Every word cut deep, and he couldn’t pretend that things were as simple as just saying “sorry” and hoping things would go back to normal.

Finally, Jey spoke, his voice hoarse. “I just want her to forgive me, man. I don’t know how much more I can do.”

Damian sighed, his expression a mixture of frustration and sympathy. “You can’t just expect her to forgive you because you say sorry. You have to prove it. You’ve hurt her in so many ways, and she’s been loyal to you through it all. But now, she’s at a point where she’s probably wondering if you’re ever going to change. If you’re going to keep breaking her heart.”

Jey slumped further into the couch, the weight of it all bearing down on him. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I love her, but… I don’t want to lose her.”

Damian gave him a stern look. “Then stop making excuses. Stop taking her for granted. You’ve got to show her that she’s your priority. And more importantly, you’ve got to show her that you’ve learned from all this.”

Jey nodded slowly, taking in the advice. He knew deep down that Damian was right. He had taken Rhea for granted more times than he could count, and now it was time to prove that he was capable of doing better. If he didn’t, he feared he might lose her for good.

“I’ll do better,” Jey muttered, more to himself than to Damian. “I just need a chance to show her.”

Damian stood up, stretching out his arms. “Well, it starts with not making the same mistakes again. She deserves better than that, and if you really love her, you’ll show her that.”

—

Later on in the day, Jey gently tended to the roses in the greenhouse, carefully trimming away the dead petals, when he heard the familiar creak of the door opening behind him. He turned around to see Rhea’s father stepping inside, a look of quiet admiration on his face as he gazed at the barely-blooming sunflowers.

“I hear from my daughter that you have a green thumb,” Rhea’s father said, a slight smile on his lips as he took in the rows of plants.

Jey chuckled softly, wiping his hands on his jeans before straightening up. “Yeah, my mother was the gardener. Had me and my twin helping her every weekend morning growing up. It’s a bit of an inherited skill, I guess.”

Rhea’s father nodded, a look of understanding crossing his face. “Where’s your father in all of this? Was he around to help?”

Jey’s expression shifted as he thought back to his childhood. “My father was having a wrestling career,” he said, his voice quieter now. “I only saw him about two months out of the year. So it was mostly my mom, us kids, and the garden.”

Rhea’s father frowned sympathetically. “I can imagine how that must have been tormenting.”

Jey shrugged slightly, trying to push the old memories aside. “I managed,” he said simply.

The two stood there for a moment, the peaceful hum of the greenhouse filling the air as Rhea’s father moved to admire more of the plants. After a beat, he looked at Jey again, his tone a little more somber. “I believe you are the one for my daughter.”

Jey froze, a curious but cautious look in his eyes. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Rhea’s father glanced over at him, his eyes softening. “A few years ago, Rhea took care of her mom by paying for her entire cancer treatment,” he said quietly. “That woman was on her last leg, and Rhea… she did everything she could. Every month, without fail, she sent money for everything. I couldn’t afford it on my own because my retirement wasn’t enough to cover the medical bills. But Rhea, she kept us afloat. She did all of that without ever asking for anything in return.”

Jey’s expression turned somber, his gaze shifting to the ground for a moment as the weight of the conversation sank in. He hadn’t known. He hadn’t realized how much Rhea had been shouldering on her own, all the while dealing with everything in her life.

“I didn’t know Mrs. Bennett had cancer,” Jey said quietly, his voice full of genuine surprise and sorrow.

Rhea’s father looked at him, his eyes distant for a moment as he remembered the hardship. “Breast cancer. Almost took the love of my life away,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Rhea’s father sighed, taking a step back to admire the plants again, as though the memories were easier to face this way. “My memory does serve me right.. yup.. for about four years, every month, Rhea would send money. We couldn’t have made it without her. She worked harder than anyone I’ve ever known, and she never let us feel like a burden. Even when it was hard for her, she never let it show.”

Jey stood quietly for a moment, processing the gravity of what he was hearing. Rhea’s strength, her loyalty, the burden she carried all on her own for so long—it made everything that much more profound.

“She’s in remission now?” Jey asked softly, almost afraid of the answer but needing to hear it.

Rhea’s father smiled, though it was a bittersweet smile. “As of April 2022. Thank God,” he said, his voice heavy with relief.

Jey let out a soft breath, the weight of it all sinking in. “Thank God,” he repeated, as if to himself. He could hardly imagine the pain Rhea had gone through, and now it made so much more sense why she was the way she was, so fiercely independent, always carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“She’s a hell of a woman,” Jey said quietly, his voice filled with admiration.

Rhea’s father looked at him, nodding slowly. “That’s why I trust you with her,” he said, his voice firm but kind. “You love her. And I can see it, Jey. But you have to understand, there’s a lot of hurt she’s carried. She’ll never show it, but it’s there.”

Jey met his gaze, understanding the silent warning. “I know,” he said softly, his voice determined. “I won’t let her down again.”

Rhea’s father studied him for a moment longer before giving a slow nod. “Good. She deserves everything, Jey. Don’t forget that.”

Jey nodded back, his heart heavy with both the responsibility and the love he felt for Rhea. This was his chance, not just to prove himself to her, but to truly understand what she had been through—and do whatever it took to make things right.

Jey stood there, the weight of the conversation pressing deeper into him. Despite hearing the story of Rhea’s strength, something still gnawed at him—something he couldn’t quite shake.

“Did Rhea ever speak of me when she was with Matthew?” Jey asked quietly, his voice filled with curiosity and a hint of lingering doubt.

Rhea’s father paused for a moment, his gaze distant as he seemed to search through his memories. Then, with a slow nod, he responded, his tone thoughtful.

“She did,” Rhea’s father said, his voice laced with a heaviness Jey hadn’t expected. “I didn’t know this at the time, but at their wedding, my daughter asked us if she chose the wrong person.”

Jey’s breath caught, his heart tightening as he processed the words. He could almost hear Rhea’s voice asking those questions, torn and uncertain, just like the woman he knew.

Rhea’s father let out a long sigh, his expression softening. “I didn’t have it in my heart to tell her yes,” he continued. “So, I just told her that whatever she decided, we would be beside her.”

Jey swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in his chest.

Rhea’s father walked over to one of the sunflowers in the greenhouse, absentmindedly brushing his hand over the petals as he spoke again, his voice low and reflective.

“On her 27th birthday, I tried to talk to her about Matt’s behavior. I tried to tell her she deserved better, but she didn’t listen. She was stubborn, as always,” he said, a slight chuckle escaping his lips despite the seriousness of the conversation. “I love my daughter, I do, but sometimes she has to make a mistake in order to learn. And when she falls, I’ll always be here to help her get up, to help her learn from it.”

Jey absorbed the words carefully, understanding the deep care and frustration in Rhea’s father’s voice. It was a painful reality—that Rhea had to go through that period of uncertainty and heartache on her own, trying to find answers, trying to make it work with someone who wasn’t right for her.

Jey’s heart began to sink further. He had always believed in Rhea’s strength, but hearing how her family had witnessed her struggle, her father’s silent support, it hit him harder than he had expected.

“You did the right thing,” Jey said quietly, his voice full of sincerity. “Sometimes we have to let them make their own mistakes.”

Rhea’s father turned to face him, his gaze hardening slightly but filled with understanding. “I believe that, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I could see it in her eyes when she married him. She wasn’t fully sure. She was still running from the choices she had made, even though she was trying to convince herself she wasn’t.”

Jey nodded, the truth sinking in deeper. The guilt of not being there for Rhea when she needed him was still a heavy burden, but he knew now more than ever that he couldn’t dwell on the past.

“I’ll make sure she never has to feel that way again,” Jey promised, his voice firm.

Rhea’s father studied him for a moment, then gave a slow nod of approval. “I hope you do, Jey. But remember, it’s not just about the promises you make now. It’s about showing her every day that she can trust you, that she can count on you when it matters most.”

Jey’s chest tightened with resolve. “I understand.”

Rhea’s father gave him a nod of approval, then returned his attention to the flowers in front of him. “Good. I can see she’s in good hands. Just don’t break her heart, Jey. I’ve seen her hurt enough.”

Jey stood still for a moment, reflecting on the weight of his words. He knew what he had to do now, not just to make things right with Rhea, but to prove to her family, especially her father, that he was the one she deserved.

—

Later on in the night, Jey was searching for a good birthday gift for Jaciyah when he heard laughter. He put his iPad down and got up, heading down the hallway. He spotted a room door ajar and quietly peered inside. He could hear Damian and Rhea talking, and although he didn’t want to eavesdrop, the soft sound of Rhea’s voice made him stop in his tracks.

“That little thunderstorm you have brewing in your stomach is going to be in style,” Damian said, his voice playful.

Rhea’s laughter echoed through the hallway, and Jey smiled to himself. “You would get my baby a Judas Priest onesie,” she responded, amusement in her tone.

Damian chuckled. “Have you thought at all about who would be the godparents?”

Rhea sighed. “I wanted you and Kayden, but more than likely Jey is going to convince me for Jon and Trinity.”

Damian’s voice grew softer, and Jey’s curiosity deepened. “You have a say in this, you know. It’s not just Jey’s kid, it’s your baby too.”

Rhea’s response was filled with an unspoken sadness, and Jey felt his chest tighten. “I know, but I might as well just do what Jey says. Don’t want to get him angry.”

Damian’s tone became more serious, concerned. “Rhea… mamas’, you have to start caring about yourself.”

Jey stood frozen in place, listening intently, unable to tear himself away. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do with the thoughts racing through his mind.

Rhea sighed deeply before replying, her voice quieter now. “I know, I know… but it’s not just about me. It’s about Jey and his kids.”

Damian’s response was firm, a steady reassurance in his voice. “They are your kids too, Rhea.”

Jey felt the weight of those words. His kids. He hadn’t realized that Rhea might still feel like an outsider, even now. The thought of her doubting herself hit him harder than he expected.

Rhea’s voice broke through the silence, her vulnerability more apparent now. “I just don’t feel enough anymore. I honestly think my hormones are getting to me… everything makes me feel sad.”

Damian’s voice softened, a comforting presence. “Don’t blame your doubts on your hormones, Rhea. You’re allowed to feel what you’re feeling. But you have to start listening to yourself too. You’ve been so focused on everyone else—maybe it’s time you focused on you for once.”

Jey’s heart ached hearing that. He could feel his own guilt gnawing at him. He truly hadn’t realized how much Rhea was carrying on her own.

Just as he was about to step into the room, he stopped and Damian’s voice grew more distant as Rhea responded.

“I don’t know, Damian. I just… I can’t seem to get it right. It’s like everything is slipping away from me, and I’m just trying to hold on.”

Jey closed his eyes for a moment, pain and concern flooding him. Maybe today was the wake-up call he needed. Maybe he’d been so focused on his own guilt, on his own issues, that he hadn’t truly seen what Rhea was going through. He knew he had to make things right, and that started with understanding her—truly understanding her.

“Thank you for the gift, Damian, honestly,” Rhea said, her voice still carrying the warmth of their earlier conversation.

Jey quickly ducked back into the bedroom, hearing Rhea’s footsteps approach. He scrambled back onto the bed, grabbing his iPad, trying to act casual. He could hear her moving down the hallway, but didn’t know how much time he had before she’d come back.

A few moments later, the door creaked open, and Rhea stepped inside, holding the onesie in her hands. She walked to the dresser and gently laid it down without saying a word. Jey could see her silhouette in the soft light from the hallway, her movements deliberate but quiet.

She didn’t glance his way as she undressed, changing into her pajamas with the practiced ease of someone who had done it a thousand times. Jey watched, his heart aching as he realized just how distant she seemed in that moment. She climbed into bed on her side and immediately reached to turn off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness. The space between them felt suffocating.

Jey set his iPad down, staring at the back of her head as he lay beside her. He reached out tentatively, his hand moving toward her shoulder, hoping to pull her close. But just as his fingers brushed against her, Rhea’s voice cut through the stillness.

“Not tonight.”

Jey froze, his hand hovering in the air. His throat tightened, but he swallowed, trying to fight back the hurt. “I need my button nose back…” he murmured, trying to make light of the situation, hoping she’d soften.

But Rhea didn’t respond with the usual warmth. Instead, she swatted his hand away, her voice cold. “Jey, I’m not in the mood right now at all. Just don’t touch me.”

Jey felt a sharp pang in his chest, the weight of her words settling heavy in his stomach. “Rhea, please,” he pleaded softly, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m trying here. I just… I miss you.”

Rhea didn’t move, her body still facing away from him, the space between them growing. She exhaled deeply, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with something raw. “I don’t have the strength right now, Jey. Just please… leave me alone.”

Jey’s chest tightened, but he couldn’t let it end like this. He needed to hold her, needed her to know how much he loved her, even if she couldn’t feel it right now. He reached out once more, but the distance between them felt so insurmountable. “I love you, Rhea,” he whispered, his voice thick with vulnerability. “I love you so much.”

Rhea’s voice came out sharp, a small quiver of emotion beneath the anger. “I love you too, Jey, but don’t fucking touch me right now.”

Jey pulled his hand back slowly, his heart sinking. He wanted to respect her space, to give her what she needed, but the ache inside of him was unbearable. With a deep sigh, he turned over onto his side, his back to her, and let the silence fill the room.

Both of them were there—physically, at least—but emotionally, they felt a world apart.

—

The next day, Rhea said her final goodbyes to her parents at the airport, hugging them both tightly. “I’ll send pictures of the bump soon,” she promised, her voice thick with emotion. Her mom kissed her forehead, telling her how proud they were, while her dad gave her a final piece of advice to take care of herself.

After parting with her parents, Rhea hugged Damian, wishing him well on his return to RAW. “Take care of yourself, D. I’m proud of you.” Damian smiled, patting her shoulder. “I’ll see you soon, and I’ll be keeping an eye on that baby bump.”

With the goodbyes said, Rhea made her way to the entrance of the airport, ready to head home. She walked out into the crisp air, spotting Jeremiah pulling in with her plum-colored Tahoe. She got into the passenger seat, offering him a tired but grateful smile. “Let’s go to Trader Joe’s,” she said, her mind already thinking of what she needed. Jeremiah nodded and quickly set the address into the GPS, pulling away from the curb.

Meanwhile, back at home, Jeyce and Jaciyah were glued to the PS5, completely absorbed in their game. Jey, on the other hand, was outside, making his way through the greenhouse, carefully tending to the roses. He wasn’t sure why, but he found comfort in the act of nurturing something. Maybe it was because it was something he could control in a time where everything else felt so uncertain.

As he focused on the roses, he heard small footsteps approaching. Turning around, he saw Barry, Rhea’s dog, trotting over to him with his tail wagging. Jey bent down, offering the dog a smile and a pat on the head. “I hope your mom forgives me soon,” he murmured to the dog, his heart heavy with the weight of his unresolved tension with Rhea. Barry let out a soft bark, as if in agreement, and Jey couldn’t help but smile.

Shaking his head, he returned to trimming the roses, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a text message from Jon. It read: “Hey, we’ll be flying in on Tuesday. Our plane lands at 9 pm.”

Jey quickly typed back, offering his help: “I’ll pick you guys up at the airport. See you then.” After sending the message, he sighed, wishing he could find a way to make things right with Rhea. But for now, he focused on getting ready for Jon and Trinity’s arrival.

He glanced back at the roses, hoping that one day things would bloom again between him and Rhea.

—

Flashback: August 9, 2018 - 11:57 PM

The air in the hallway was thick with tension as Morris opened the door to the dimly lit room. Inside, the fiery redhead, Valerie, was lounging on a bed, her legs crossed and her attention focused on her phone. She didn’t look up immediately but continued texting as if the world around her didn’t exist.

Morris stepped into the room, his presence commanding attention, and the moment Valerie glanced up, her sharp green eyes locked onto his. “Why do you have so much regard for Black Mamba?” she asked, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and something else, something dangerous.

Morris chuckled, a low, dangerous sound, and leaned against the doorframe, his eyes narrowing as he regarded her. “When did you think it was okay to start asking questions?” His tone was casual, but the edge in his voice was unmistakable.

Valerie shrugged nonchalantly, though her eyes flickered with the same intensity she had in her earlier question. “I’m just saying… my sister knows her, and she isn’t all that great in the—”

Before she could finish, Morris moved with lightning speed. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back, pulling her face dangerously close to his. His breath was hot on her skin, and his grip tightened painfully.

“No one speaks about Mamba,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice low and threatening, the weight of his words hanging in the air like an iron chain. “Am I clear?”

Valerie froze for a moment, her eyes wide with the realization of just how serious he was. She swallowed hard, her defiance fading as fear crept into her chest. “Yes, sir,” she whispered, her voice strained but obedient.

Morris held her gaze for a beat longer, then slowly released her hair, stepping back as if nothing had happened. Valerie, still shaken but attempting to maintain her composure, quickly looked away, her phone now forgotten in her hands.

Morris gave a nod, his smirk returning as if nothing had transpired. “Good,” he said, turning to leave the room. “Remember, Valerie… some things are better left unsaid.”

As the door clicked shut behind him, the room was left in silence, the air heavy with unspoken tension.

[digenerate-trash]

Outta town freaks just as promised!!! Yandare head cannons. (Blackwolf and great hawk be harder to write for because animals are weird and obsessive anyway)

amab. again. Easier to write for

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Eden:

Eden is definitely one of those mother fuckers whose whole thing is "If I can't have you no one can".

big possessive man with an insecurity complex the size of the moon

but since no one can get to you Eden feels pretty secure in you loving him back eventually

if you're sold to him by Bailey a couple weeks in eden tells Bailey you died. You couldn't handle the cold out in the woods.

if he captures you there's no need for him to lie to anyone. He keeps you trapped in the cabin till you love him back.

prefers to use leashes cages and locks to keep you in place. He's very realistic about you not wanting to be there at first but he thinks with training and a strict routine you'll just fall in line. No matter how defiant.

will absolutely Break your leg to keep you in the cabin.

is fine with blood. But doesn't want to cut off your leg or arms to keep you in place because he's not confident you'll stay alive. He's a butcher, not a surgeon.

really wants you to fall in line. He gets desperate the more defiant you stay as the weeks go on. Harsher punishments, more broken bones. Starvation. Anything to keep you down and weak.

if you give In to the hunter immediately he's suspicious but happy. He watches you carefully. Every movement you make is watched carefully. You can tell he's studying you.

once Eden is fully comfortable with you being in his home he really starts to get possessive. Spouses are supposed to stay home after all. Take care of things for him while he works out in the dangerous woods

you're not allowed past the clearing. Even washing clothes in the spring isn't supposed to be done when Eden isn't home.

absolutely no going to town. The town is dangerous and dirty and gross. Freaks live there. Freaks that could hurt his spouse and it's his job to keep you safe.

he brings you gifts from the woods. Sometimes they're things that remind him of you and sometimes it's barries or flowers. Something he thinks you'll like. He never offers an explanation he just thrusts it in your hands.

when wolves (or even people) get too close to the cabin it's shoot first for Eden. He'll drag the carcass on the porch if you're still defiant when this happens. He might even brag about how he's a perfect shot. So it's just best for everyone if you listen.

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Remy:

Remy honestly would rather not have feelings for you but now they can't stop it. You're their favorite little riding student after all.

Remy is pretty body-focused and that's mainly what he likes about you. He thinks your body is perfect.

very touchy, Feels you up as he rides with you on horseback. He digs his nails into your wrist when you tell him you have to leave.

he's enamored with you. The only problem is when you start to talk with Alex you get it in your head that he's the enemy.

he knows he could just convince you otherwise but it's much more fun to watch you fight with him. (He knows you're not serious you're just playing)

talking with Remy is like talking to a brick folksy wall. Witty banter. Coy remarks. He takes all your insults with a smug grin.

getting on his bad side is a hell of its own making though because no questions asked you're going to the underground farm.

You are separate from the other animals though. Too precious to Remy to be with the others. But he makes sure you understand what kind of person he can be when you refuse to behave.

you will absolutely never meet harper even if Remey has subjected you to living as livestock. Remy knows how much of a freak that dude is.

he still loves you and your body even though the changes it goes through. When you can't speak words anymore he sees it as a win. He doesn't need to have an intelligent partner. He just needs you to be here. Under his control. That way he can at least convince himself that you're happy here.

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Alex:

He is mostly just a big puppy. He wants you around always and will never take no for an answer.

the only dude who's more family-focused than Alex is probably Kylar.

determined to breed you. Dude will never quit. Wants a picture-perfect household and a barefoot spouse to boot

wants to lay in bed all day with you but since he's got work to do he's dragging you along with him.

will never leave your side. He's keeping you company always. Dude is clingy.

obsessed with making you. Bites hickies bruises. Whatever he can get away with. Even when you tell him it's too much hell always say next time he'll be more careful. But he isn't.

it only gets bad when you say you don't love him or that you can't be with him. sends him into hysterics.

he says it's fine. It's not. The first few days apart from you are fine. But eventually, he gets too worked up.

hell track you down. Whether you are in serious danger or just returned to town. He'll tell you all about how he misses you and he can't take it and how his heart breaks when you're not there.

guilt trip to the extreme until you come back home with him.

if that doesn't work hell just overpower you. Hell, justify it by telling himself it's just a temporary measure. That you really want a life with him but other people are holding you back. And once you are back at the farm Alex is happy to dote on you again. More than before. He is extra sweet as well. Your favorite meals are served up he lets you take breaks from farm work when you like. He carves you little trinkets and gifts. Anything to make you forget about a life outside of him.

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Blackwolf:

an actual dog. Separation anxiety to the max.

bites, marks, saliva, blood, piss, he marks you with everything he can. He needs you to smell like him so much that you two are inseparable

not gonna tolerate you leaving. Grabs you by the scruff and drags you back to the cave.

hunts with Blackwolf are the most annoying because he's too focused on you staying safe than hunting and the pack blames you for Meger return and distracting the best hunter. (Blackwolf prefers you stay back in the cave anyway. Safer there)

has killed other wolves for sniffing around you.

will absolutely start fights for no reason if you've been away or not giving him enough attention.

will always bring you the best parts of the carcass for you to gnaw on. (He doesn't know or care if it's bad for people)

constantly licking you everywhere he can spend hours doing it.

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Great hawk:

is so spouse-focused but doesn't know what it means in human terms.

birds get jealous and crazy so easily so probably that as well.

puffs up feathers and chest when he sees a "threat" could be anything from a small animal to an actual monster.

will bite. Doesn't mean to hurt you it's just to get your attention

wants to make you happy performs mating dances then gets frustrated when you don't seem to reciprocate.

takes his time grabbing shiny things that you'll like. Gets way more frustrated and bird-like when you refuse his gifts.

prefers to hunt at dusk and dawn so that the days are spent nesting and the nights are spent sleeping

all food he brings you is either shredded terribly or is coughed up for you.

he's a little gross but he's got the spirit.

trying to escape Great Hawk is..... difficult. You'll need some help

[storytellerslense]

JJ Maybank character analysis

Luke Maybank and the unhealthy dynamics of parentification

What is parentification?

Parentification is a role reversal where parents are emotionally unavailable to provide support to the child typically due to their own problems often caused by alcohol or drug addiction or a mental illness. The child is forced to take care of themselves and take responsibility of the parent. Parents who are emotionally unavailable might also put down their children, contributing to a lack of self-esteem and increased stress for the child. This unavailability leaves the child without the necessary emotional guidance and stability.

The relationship between JJ and Luke Maybank

Luke is a single father. He is drinking and addicted to the prescribtion drug "Ambien", also known as a Z-drug. He is neglectful and abusive, failing to offer the emotional backing that JJ needs.

Luke Maybank is addicted to sedatives

Until about the third episode of the first season, we don't learn much about JJ Maybank's abusive family background. The first time we get a glimpse of his father is when Luke Maybank is exiting Barry's house, where he possibly went to get drugs or being involved in other shady activities. We also learn, that Luke Maybank lost his job at the salvage yard because he turned up drunk for work.

In Season 1, Episode 3, JJ Maybank and his friends visit the salvage yard to steal an underwater drone. During this scene, JJ concocts a lie about his father to distract the security guard, crying that his father "was gonna hit him again" if he wouldn't finish a certain task for him. The viewer is left wondering if there is some truth in his lie.

In Episode 5, father and son are on screen together for the first time in a dramatic scene, which intensity shocked many viewers. Beforehand, JJ Maybank was portrayed as funny, reckless and rebellious. There were no actual signs that he could have really been the victim of such vicious domestic violence as portrayed in this Episode.

In the scene Luke Maybank picks up his son JJ from the police station. As soon as they got into the car, Luke's entire rage is suddenly unleashed on JJ as he brutally beats him up. The mistreatment continues at home, where Luke verbally abuses his son mercilessly, possibly being under the influence of prescribtion drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile JJ locks himself in his bedroom. He is badly bruised and anxious, visibly traumatized and shaken by his father's actions.

"How you gonna get that money back, huh? By sittin' around doin' nothin'? I'm gonna tell you right now, you are a worthless piece of shit! Your Momma knew." (Luke Maybank, Season 1, Episode 5).

But physical abuse only being one possible hallmark of parentification. Parentification mainly involves overstimulation in parent-child interaction, where the focus is strongly on the parent's emotional needs. A strong indicator for JJ being parentified is, that he only feels valuable when fulfilling his father's needs. He really tries to please his father, desperately longing to "earn" just a small moment of parental kindness.

When he steals money from Barry's drug shack to pay for his restitution, he is even willing to jeopardize his friendship with the Pogues, just to fix things with his father.

At first, Luke gratefully accepts the money. JJ is shown beaming with relief and happiness over his father's praise and appreciation. But soon after Luke makes it clear that he doesn't want to use it for the restitution to help his son. He argues that the money was his to spend because JJ had already "cost him so much".

Luke instills guilt in JJ by blaming him for his misery (Season 1, Episode 7)

With that being said, Luke twists the fact that it is actually his paternal duty to provide for JJ's basic needs. Instead, he manipulates JJ by making him feel responsible for financial burdens, further solidifying JJ's role as a caregiver.

When JJ objects and takes his money back, his father beats him again. This time, JJ fights back, ultimately overpowering his father, pinning him to the ground. JJ is about to possibly hit and kill him with an object, but at the sight of his father being defeated he breaks down in tears, heartbroken and frustrated about his father's repeated rejection towards him and possibly feeling guilty and ashamed about having to defend himself like that against his own father. As JJ realizes how weak his father is, he might have also felt uncomfortable and confused with the sudden power he has over him. Notably, that particular scene also visualizes the unhealthy role reversal between father and son.

"You gave me nothing. You gave me nothing but a shitty life. All you ever did was try to scare me. But guess what? I am not scared of you anymore!" (JJ Maybank, Season 1, Episode 7)

The internal struggle between longing for parental affection and dealing with the reality of his father's behavior becomes clearer in Episode 10 when JJ tries to steal the key to Luke's boat, the "Phantom".

As JJ is about to take the key off his sleeping father, Luke surprisingly wakes up in a changed demeanor. He apologizes to his son, not without shifting part of the blame onto JJ, saying: "You remind me of your mother".

"I know I'm hard on you sometimes. But sometimes I see your mother in you. And it get's me a little tweaked, you know?" (Luke Maybank, Season 1, Episode 10)

Although Luke comes across sincere and apologetic in this moment, he actually refuses to take any responsibility for mistreating his son. Worse than that, he shifts the blame onto JJ's mere existence and heritage. This justification for his anger issues is another form of abuse and emotional manipulation.

Additionally to that, Luke Maybank repeatedly brings up JJ's missing mother and his frustration about her, with complete disregard for his son's feelings for her. He never considers whether JJ loved his mother, if he misses her, or if JJ himself is hurt or confused by her disappearance. He focuses only on his own pain and frustration, completely ignoring his sons feelings who must navigate complex emotions and family dynamics all by himself.

JJ finally accepts his father's attempt to hug him because he deeply craves for his approval and love. In doing so you can see him desperately trying to push down his emotions and unsuccessfully holding back his tears. The intimate moment is interrupted when Luke, under the influence of his drugs, collapses back on the couch sleeping, allowing JJ to think clearly again and finalise his mission of taking the key of his father.

Another instance where the role reversal becomes very clear is when Luke JJ helps his dad to escape to Yucatan in Season 2, Episode 8. After they share an emotional farewell on the boat, JJ gives his father some money for the journey and secretly disposes the pills fueling Luke's addiction. These actions are another example of JJ routinely stepping into a caretaker role, which traditionally belongs to the parent.

Luke Maybank pressures his son into helping him for the last time (Season 2, Episode 8)

JJ stays behind, relieved that his father cannot harm and manipulate him anymore. But his hopes are fading that he will ever change. JJ is left with the growing certainty that he will, despite his relentless efforts, never be able to have the unconditional love and acceptance he craves for. It is questionable if JJ will ever give up seeking his father's love and acceptance, but due to his personal growth in the last three season it becomes clear that he will no longer fight for it to the point of self-sacrifice.

Luke Maybank leaves his son (supposedly) for good in Season 2, Episode 8

[anistarrose]

taz balance one-shot recs!

I've been meaning to make this post for a while now, so here we are! The majority of these are from the past three years or so, because I love a fandom classic as much as anyone, but I particularly want to shine a light on some gems from after the peak of traffic in the fandom tags! There are of course also exceptions that are older, though.

Also, April 19th-21st are Just Leave a Comment Fest, so please show these authors some love!! They're all so deserving!

a recipe for home by @journalofimprobablethings: Taako tries to cook for the first time since Glamour Springs. When things go awry, Lucretia is there to lend a hand.

Gen (Taako & Lucretia), 3.5k. Early B.O.B. era hurt/comfort centered around cooking, with a delicious dollop of sentimentality and dramatic irony on top.

Seven Times Magnus Burnsides Gave Someone A Hug + One Time He Received One by @barry-j-blupjeans: Magnus wasn't really any good at— at words. He was more of an action man. Or, y'know, a "I'll take this hit so you don't have to" man. Talking to someone about their feelings was all kinds of weird, so usually he just left the space for someone else to talk. And, well... Magnus wasn't good at words. But there's a few different ways to get his support across.

Mostly gen with some Magnulia, 8.6k. You've all heard of the classic 5 Plus 1, but obviously Magnus deserves a 7 Plus 1! I don't know how to describe it without spoilers other than being full of incredibly sweet, gentle takes on so many fraught or bittersweet moments. Super underrated, do give it a read.

Embrace the Dark by @ceilingfan5: Bookstore coworkers Kravitz and Taako get more than they bargained for when Taako tries to use his powers to fix Kravitz's migraine. But it's okay--it's an excuse for them to spend time together until one of them can nut up and ask the other out.

Taakitz, 8.9k. Modern with Superpowers AU! Super sweet interactions between Kravitz and Taako, paired with lots of fun background worldbuilding. And, of course, a very special grilled cheese sandwich.

Break This Heavy Chain by Punka_Writes: In the immediate aftermath of Story and Song, Barry Bluejeans could really use a hug.

Blupjeans and misc. platonic interactions, 2.3k. The absolute epitome of comfort food in written form, with excellent Barry characterization (and of course, he does get that hug)!

birds of a feather steal sweaters together by @holdmecloser-gandydancer: When you're a big, burly guy it seems that your clothes just become free reign for all your friends. Normally Magnus is a reasonable guy, but everyone has their limits.

Gen (IPRE crew), 1.9k. Starblaster era fluff! Everyone is written absolutely delightfully, and every time I read it I snort out loud at least twice.

Security by @ceilingfan5: Barry has finally made it--his incredible scientific discovery has landed him a huge fortune...and a lot of problems. The only good thing that's come of it, honestly, has been his bodyguard, Lup. (And the science. That's good also.) He's just gotta stay normal about how nice it is to have someone like Lup around, and also not perish by way of press circuit, and everything will be fine.

Blupjeans, 6k. Modern with magic AU from Barry's POV, featuring equal parts anxiety and pining. Also, it's straight-up extremely funny.

Lonesome Dreams by @jerreeeeeee: Taako wakes up one morning from a nightmare, fast fading. There was a guy in glasses, and they were… somewhere high up? Something terrible happened, but he doesn’t remember. He wakes up in a wagon he’s never seen before, but it has his name on it. There’s tons of food inside, more than he’d be able to afford. And he’s alone. Thinking back to the last thing he remembers is difficult. College? No, he’d graduated. Top of his class, obviously, he remembers that. But what- what happened after? Where is Lup?

Gen (Taako & Lup), 10.2k. Everything starts out the same, except Taako remembers Lup, even if not how she went missing, and it's incredibly underrated and full of phenomenal characterization. I won't spoil how things shake out, but it's a great emotional ride and I genuinely reread it all the time.

it's my party and I'll mope if I want to by @holdmecloser-gandydancer: Taako's birthday is just another Thursday. A detective and an old friend have a different idea.

Gen (Taako & Lucretia & Angus), 2.1k. Short and so sweet! Fics about voidfished!Taako's birthday never get old, and this is one of my absolute favorites. Nailing the angst-to-wholesome ratio.

Tedious Familiarity by @barry-j-blupjeans: Déjà vu. Noun. A feeling of having already experienced the present situation. A tedious familiarity. Barry Bluejeans woke up in a cave, fresh out of a pod filled with green goop, and saddled with an unsettling feeling that he had been here before. If you had asked forty-year-old Barry if he would follow instructions left by a talking coin, he probably would have asked you what type of drugs you were on. But, y’know, fifty… two? Fifty-one? How old was he? Fifty-two sounded right. But, y’know, fifty-two years old Barry didn’t really have that many other places to turn, so this couldn't be all that bad.

Gen, 4.1k. Missing scenes based off Barry's decade alone, written in such an effective style, where all the little details truly make it. Mandatory reading for fellow Barry angst enjoyers.

Angus McDonald and the Wonderland Escape Rooms by coppersunshine: When Angus gets grounded from detecting, to keep his skills sharp he becomes a patron of the Wonderland Escape rooms, run by Edward and Lydia, who quickly decide he's their new nemesis. To their surprise, Angus and the collection of weird adults he's accompanied by decide otherwise.

Gen (Angus & Edward & Lydia), 7k. Modern with magic AU, putting Edward and Lydia in the absolute funniest possible job, at which a little boy detective torments... and maybe, even gives them a chance to turn over a new leaf. I am of the opinion that Angus and the Wonderland twins have a criminally underexplored dynamic, and this fic gave me everything I wanted.

If the Sun and Moon Should Doubt by Punka_Writes: Merle Highchurch, on the brink of a bad decision.

Gen, 1.6k. Merle character study immediately before running out on his marriage. Truly the incredible characterization that Merle deserves; this was a fic that really ignited my love for him.

Greensleeves by @sgrumby: Kravitz has never seen a lich like this before, and he's seen a lot of liches. Merle is just trying to save the universe, thanks very much.

Gen (Kravitz & Merle), 2.2k. A unique and also absolutely genius Lich!Merle AU where Kravitz inevitably comes after him, and Merle is... well, the Peacemaker, of course!

[charliedawn]

Hey! Would you mind doing slashers catching Y/N in the act of Cvtting or SHing??

I understand if not but I’m really struggling with my mental health right now 🥲😅

Warning : The main subject involves scarification and self-harm. I also really tried to stick to the characters. So, some of their answers might be triggering to some. Beware.

Jason wasn't supposed to come home for a couple of hours. So, you decided to take the opportunity to relieve yourself and took a knife from the kitchen.

You had promised him not to do it again, but it was too much. Life was too much right now, and you needed something to focus the pain elsewhere.

However, before you could do it...Jason came back.

He entered the house and saw the knife in your hand. He understood pretty fast and eagerly reached for it—but fell face forward to the floor.

You knew you shouldn't...but it was just beyond you. You laughed. You held your ribs and started laughing.

However, he quickly came back up and crawled to you—desperately trying to speak and reach out for the knife still in your hand.

"N...N...N..."

But he couldn't. He wanted to say no. He wanted to stop you and finally crawled on top of you to get the knife out of your hand.

Once he was sure you wouldn't be able to retrieve it, he held you close to his chest and refused to let go.

"Jason ! I'm fine ! It was just...I just wanted to...", you tried to explain—but he shook his head vividly and held you closer.

"No.", he finally managed to say and his breathing was hectic as he realized what could have happened if he hadn't came back early.

You tried to speak again, but couldn't.

You had never seen Jason so panicked before. He seemed so...scared.

"Jason ?"

He didn't answer. He only pressed you closer against his chest and almost crushed you in his arms.

You then understood how scared he list have been. You were the only other human being other than his mother that he had ever gotten attached too.

And his mother was dead.

He didn't want to lose someone else.

You closed your eyes and tried not to cry as you wordlessly held him tight. He seemed to breathe back normally when he felt the way you seemed to silently be apologizing to him.

You didn't need words to communicate.

But, he would still keep a closer eye on you from now on.

The Beast smelt the blood and ran faster than the wind to get back home—throwing the gift Barry had chose for you to the floor.

He ran and almost burst the door open.

His eyes widened as he saw you holding up your wrist and crying.

He immediately gathered you in his arms and for once, let Kevin take control of his thoughts. He was the one with the most medical experience, as he had been in and out of hospitals since he was 9.

As soon as he was in the hospital, he told the beast to go look for a nurse and the beast obeyed.

He was the most athletic, and soon found one and growled out.

"FIX IT !"

He then put you in her arms and the nurse was left frozen as the beast seemed on the verge of tearing her head off.

She first took care of you, but found it difficult when the beast was loudly breathing at the back of her neck.

Finally, she called security. They tried to take him away, but he roared at them—refusing to leave you again.

"RELEASE ME ! THEY NEED ME ! I'LL KILL YOU ALL !"

He threatened, but one look from you and he immediately calmed down. You seemed so calm...How could you be so calm ?

You slowly raised your hand and smiled.

You wanted to tell him that everything would be alright—reassure him. But, you both knew it was a lie. You had no clue if it would be alright, but the Horde decided to trust you.

Slowly, Kevin took back control and let himself be dragged away. You followed him with your eyes until he was out of sight and took a deep breath—forcing yourself not to cry.

You had worried them. You had almost died, and the notion left a sour taste in your mouth.

Once she was finished, the nurse allowed you to visit them.

You found them locked up in another room and Hedwig smiled widely as he saw you.

"Y/N ! YOU'RE ALRIGHT !" *runs to hug you*

Suddenly, his whole demeanor changed as his hold tightened and the man before you slowly retrieved his glasses from his breast pocket.

You instantly know who it was. Dennis.

"Dennis...I..."

You wanted to say you were sorry, but he shook his head.

"No need. We know. It's hard. But, we want you to try. Keep trying, Y/N. And know that...The Horde will always protect you."

Your eyes watered and you quickly wiped your tears away to smile at him.

"Thank you...Thank you all."

For a quick moment, you noticed the same scars marring his wrists and your hold on them tightened.

Yeah...They understood.

Michael came back home and froze instantly at the sight of you, your sleeve pulled up to your elbow and one of his knives in your hand.

You both stared at each other in shock for a few seconds before he suddenly surged forward and attempted to grab the knife out of your hands.

You battled for it, but he was the one who won at the end.

He threw the knife across the room and you burst into tears.

"Michael...Please. Just...Just let me go."

He didn't. He held you and refused to let go. His grip neared painful as images of a life without you kept repeating in his mind.

Dull. Boring. Lonely...

Suddenly, his breath became hectic and you could feel drops of water falling on top of your head.

When you looked up, you were surprised to find that Michael was crying.

He was the composed one. The rock. You had never seen him cry before...

It made you cry as well and tighten your grip as you finally sobbed.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm here."

He didn't reply, he only looked at your wrist where multiple of your old scars were showing. Had he...Had he done something to make you want to do it again ?

"Did...Was it...me ?", he spelled each word with difficulty and his voice was rough and deep. He didn't like talking, but he needed to know.

He eyed your old scars and you sighed before shaking your head.

"No. Never. It's just...me. I'm the problem. I just feel really bad sometimes, and old habits die hard..."

He listened and slowly raised his hand to slowly move your wild strands/curls away from your face to look you in the eyes.

"Don't. Promise. Never again.", he told you and your eyes watered again.

"Michael...I can't...I..."

"PROMISE !", he cut you off and his eyes were blown wide in concern—pleading. "Please...Promise. Never again."

You smiled weakly and finally nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Never again. I promise."

He seemed to relax at your words and embraced you once more.

He wouldn't let you do this ever again. And if he had to stay awake and watch you 24/7 ? He would.

You wouldn't slip away from him.

"What are you doing, human ?"

You turned around swiftly and saw Penny standing there—his eyes staring at the red substance slowly dripping down your wrist.

You opened your mouth to answer, but no sound came out.

Penny looked...hurt.

"You...You were trying to leave ?", he asked and you could hear how broken he was at the notion.

In a matter of second, he was next to you.

He threw the knife away and examined the wound closely. It wasn't too deep, but he wouldn't take any chance.

He opened his mouth unnaturally wide and drool started dripping down and landed on your scar.

Slowly, the scar started closing and you eyes widened in astonishment.

"Penny...How did you...?"

He didn't let you finish before glaring up at you.

"I don't like using the children...They're not to be used. Their souls are mine...They are not to be shared."

You frowned in incomprehension until your eyes widened at the realization.

His healing abilities...They came from...Oh.

You looked at your closed scar and somehow, it felt odd. It felt...wrong.

You slowly lowered your arm and Penny could tell that you were disturbed. He crouched in front of you and tilted his head.

"I don't want you to leave just yet, little human...It is not your time."

You shivered as Penny looked at you with a twisted smile. There was something wrong with the whole ordeal.

"You said it wasn't my time yet...Why ?", you asked and Penny giggled.

"Silly human. Our game isn't over yet. You can't just leave. It is not how you are supposed to play."

Your eyes watered and you blinked several times before asking, already dreading his answer.

"Penny...What did you do ?"

Penny's expression slowly changed as he leaned forward and grabbed your scarred arm—his touch almost burning your skin.

"You die. When I say you die, little human. Not before. Your life is mine. Your death is mine. Your whole existence is MINE."

There was a certain possessiveness to his words that made you shiver at the realization. It didn't matter how many times you would try to scar yourself. Penny would never let you go.

And it wasn't because he particularly cared.

It was all a game to him.

Your life was a game.

But, a game he would end on his own terms. Not yours.

And for the first time, your heart pounded in your chest. You didn't think it was possible for you to fear Penny, but low and behold...He had succeeded.

He giggled and his eyes gleamed with a yellow streak as he crept closer and clicked his tongue.

"Let's play a little longer, alright little human ?"

Norman made sure to get all of the sharp objects out of your reach when he heard of your precedent "accidents".

However, he couldn't control you when you had to dine with the other residents, even though his eyes were always on you—watching your every move.

So, when you "accidentally" knocked over a glass that smashed on the floor and grabbed one of the pieces, he didn't miss a beat before following you.

He trapped you as soon as you were alone in the corridor and raised his hand significantly.

"Give it. Now."

You took a deep breath before indulging and giving him the piece of glass you had succeeded in picking up. Of course. Of course he would notice.

"Listen, Norman...I...", you tried to talk—but realized you had nothing to say. It wasn't something you could explain.

And he seemed to understand as he sighed and took a step back.

"My door is always open, Y/N. Talk to me. Do not try to harm yourself. It doesn't make the pain go away, alright darling ?"

He stroked your cheek with his thumb and you couldn't look away. His eyes were hypnotic and when he leaned forward—your breath hitched.

"...Y/N. Please. Don't make me send you away."

Your eyes widened at the threat. You remembered the long hours spent in that empty hospital room...You couldn't go back.

"No...Please. I'll be good. Just...Don't make me go." You balled your fists into the fabric of his shirt and your tears coated his collar—but he didn't mind.

He held you closer and kissed your forehead lovingly. He couldn't deny you, no matter how much he knew it would cost him.

Your love was addictive, and he would be caught dead before letting it be taken away from him.

"...Alright. Just, no more of this.", he finally indulged and you nodded half-heartedly. He seemed to recognise the fear in your eyes and held you closer.

"I'm doing this because I love you. You know that, right ?", he told you and you closed your eyes—inhaling his soothing scent.

"Yes...I know."

"HONEY ! I'M HOME !", Freddy announced with a large smile on his face. He had bought you a gift and hoped you would like the flowers he had picked out for you...But then, he saw the blood and froze.

No...

The flowers fell to the floor and the blood coated some of the petals.

Shit. Shit Shit Shit...

He ran inside the bathroom and found you, your eyes barely open and staring at nothing. Your wrists open and blood dripping down the bath tub and mixing with the water.

He desperately tried to stop the bleeding and gritted his teeth as the blood kept flowing.

"HEY ! STAY WITH ME, SWEETHEART ! COME ON ! FUCK ! SAY SOMETHING !"

He shook you and felt panic taking over him as you slowly closed your eyes.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE CLOSE YOUR EYES ! COME ON !"

But, you didn't. You didn't, and he could only watch as your pulse slowly came to a halt.

"No...Nononononono..." He broke into tears and held you in his arms before screaming loudly in pain.

...Until you woke up that is.

You looked around and blinked several times before realizing you were in your bed—safely tucked in. You let out a relieved sigh and closed your eyes. That really felt too real...

But then, you felt a sharp blade against your face and someone breathing heavily above you. Your eyes snapped open and you saw Freddy with rage in his eyes and his ragged breath hit your face as he spat.

"You try that sh*t again, and I'll show you real pain. You don't get to leave. You don't get to leave me, got it ?!"

You frowned and even though you knew you should apologize, you decided to yell back instead.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ! YOU NEVER WILL !"

He gritted his teeth and pinned you to your bed before huffing a humorless laugh.

"Oh yeah ? I don't ?", he said with a weak smile. "Ya think I don't understand, do ya ?! Let me tell you sumthin', sweetheart...It's the story of a little boy. Lonely. No family. No friends. No fuckin' dreams. So, he tried to get the pain to stop. He'd come home every single day and try to sleep. Sleep so profoundly that he'd finally dream. He'd cut deeper every single night...Dya know what happened to him ?"

"...W...What happened ?", you asked and Freddy's smile dropped.

He then showed you his wrists where deeps scars covered his wrists and forearms.

"...Nothin'. Because no one tried to saved him. No one came.", he then looked up at you and there was determination in his eyes. "So...If ya think I'm just gonna let the only person that ever gave a rat's ass about me do the same stupid shit than I did ? Ya dead wrong."

Your eyes watered as you understood and slowly wrapped your arms around his neck.

"Shit. Sorry, Freddy. I'm sorry."

Freddy took a deep breath and slowly returned your embrace. He didn't care about his old life, but he did care about yours.

He wouldn't let you make the same mistake.

"Go on.", Jack said without lifting his gaze from his newspapers and your eyes widened in shock.

"What ?"

"Do it.", he repeated before finally looking up at you—his eyes expressionless. "I saw you hide that knife in your pocket. I'm not stupid. You wanna become an old ghost like me ? Fine. Have fun with that."

"Jack. I...", you tried to speak—but he cut you off. He suddenly stood up and shouted.

"...Do you know what happens after death, Y/N ?! I'll tell you. It's dark. Cold. And lonely. Terribly lonely."

He suddenly raised himself on his feet and you go couldn't help but shiver.

"Jack. I don't want to die. I just...I just want the pain to go away.", you tried to explain and Jack's eyes softened for a moment. But, it quickly disappeared as he saw the knife in your hand.

"...Pain ? I'll tell you about pain. I'm dead, Y/N. But, I would give everything...everything...to get another chance at life. Make it all right. Tell my wife that I'm sorry. See my little boy grow up. All those things I missed..."

He sighed before huffing a humorless laugh.

"I was an asshole, but truth is ? Life is fuckin' hard. But, it's also great...And you got quite the long road ahead of you. It'd be a shame to waste it."

You shook your head and sat down next to him—staring at the knife in your hands. You were hesitating.

"...What if my life is shitty ? What if the pain ends up not being worth it ?", you asked and Jack sighed.

"...Then I guess I was wrong. But, take it from an old ghost who saw a lot of people try to off themselves ? They usually all regret it so..."

He extended his hand towards you—silently asking for the knife.

"Please...Don't try to end your life. Believe me. It ain't worth it."

You stared at his hand for a few seconds before finally sighing in defeat and indulged.

You placed the knife in his hand and he smiled weakly at you. He then grabbed your arm and pulled you in his arms.

"Come on. You're not stupid like me. You'll have a great life. I'm sure of it."

You were stunned for a while, but you finally wrapped your arms around his waist and ignored the way he felt cold...so cold.

You smiled and replied instead.

"Alright. Let's see how it'll turn out."

Jack nodded before staring at an invisible shadow behind you—glaring at it. He then tightened his grip on you.

Not today, Death.

Not today...

Bo was tending to one of the cars in the garage when he heard a loud curse and ran inside to find quite the show.

You were on the floor with a knife next to you as you were desperately trying to stop the blood flow with a paper tissue...

You had cut too deep and looked up at Bo with tears in your eyes.

"I'm sorry...I..."

"Shut up.", Bo cut you off before running to the bathroom and came back with bandages and a sewing kit. He then put himself to work.

He stitched your wound and carefully wrapped the bandage around it. He was uncharacteristically quiet, and it bothered you. You started to hum—hopping for a reaction...But, nothing.

Once it was finished, he put his material aside and when you wanted to retrieve your hand...He refused to let go.

And when his eyes met yours, a sense of dread washed over you.

"...Bo ?"

He didn't reply.

Instead, he pulled you up roughly and brought you to your room before tying you up to the bed. You started to cry out that he didn't need to do that, but he wasn't having it.

"Ssh...It's for your own safety, darlin'. We wouldn't want ya to have another accident."

Bo had warned you that he wouldn't accept any more of this. He had tried to be soft, gentle and understanding.

But...since nothing seemed to work, he would take things into his own hands. He wouldn't let you cut yourself again.

He refused to give your body to Vince and love you as a wax statue forever. He wanted you alive.

He didn't want you dead. It wasn't an option.

"Listen to me, darlin'. I really wanna trust ya. But, ya gotta make me trust ya. And if I can't trust ya with yourself ? Then, I have no choice but leave ya tied up. It ain't fun for either of us. But, I needya to learn."

You tried to protest, but he shook his head and sighed before pulling out some tape.

"I'm sorry it gotta be this way, beautiful. But, I ain't taking no risk."

Pennywise opened the bathroom and found you sitting on the toilet seat with a pair of scissors in your hand.

He stayed still for a moment before his jaw twitched and he closed the door behind him.

He then crouched in front of you and decided to teach you a lesson—a lesson that would stick.

"Go ahead. I won't tell anyone."

He told you and your eyes widened in shock at his words.

"W...What ?"

His eyes glowed orange and he suddenly grabbed your arm and the pair of scissors. But, instead of taking it away—he pressed the sharp edge against your skin and raised his voice.

"Is that really what you want ?! Fine by me. Want me to do it for you ? Want me to unalive you ? Sure. But, just so you know ?"

He showed you his sharp teeth and showed you his lights.

"I'll devour your soul and make you live your life again and again...Endlessly. So, you better be damn sure. Because if you think your life is bad ? Then, remember that I can make it a thousand times worse !"

You tried to get away from his grip—but he didn't release you. He leaned forward and growled out.

"Oh no, you don't ! We told you a million times. We don't want you to do this. But, since you won't listen to any of the others' advice ? Fine."

He made sure you couldn't escape his gaze as he showed you all of the lives he had taken, children that would never see another day, that would never grow up...

"You want to end up like them ? I'd be more than happy to make it easy for you. Just say the word. And I'd put you to sleep forever..."

You broke into sobs as you cried out.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS ?!"

Pennywise gave you a cruel grin.

"...I'm a monster, remember ? Monsters aren't nice. I feed on fear. And I know what you're afraid of, bucko. You're afraid of life. And this is why you want to escape it...Because it's too hard. And you want to give up...Poor little human wants to die."

"LET GO !", you finally screamed and used the scissors to stab him in the eye.

Pennywise stayed silent for a moment and then slowly took the scissors out with a sickening squelching sound before throwing them away. He then forced you to look at him.

"LOOK AT ME, Y/N !", he shouted.

Your eyes snapped open and you felt tears running down your cheeks. He wiped them away with his gloved thumbs and tried to smile—but it looked like a grimace.

"Look at me and remember, remember that you fought for your life. Remember that you're strong. You're a fighter. And you'll fight through life."

Your eyes widened and suddenly, you understood what he was saying, why he was acting like this...You stood up and wiped your tears away. There was determination in your eyes.

You wordlessly took the medical kit and started bandaging his eye. You both knew he'd recover quickly, but he still let you.

You *mumble after a while* : "...You're shitty at comfort."

Him *chuckles* : "Yeah...I know."

Brahms startled you by suddenly coming at you from behind. You barely had the time to turn around and then, he ran into your knife.

You looked at the blood on your hands and felt tears running down your cheeks as the knife clattered to the floor.

"No. I didn't...I didn't mean...Brahms. I'm sorry."

He fell to the floor and you quickly dropped to your knees to apply pressure on the wound.

"No no no...HELP ! HELP !", you shouted and nurses came to your aid as they brought him to another room.

You knew he would recover, but you refused to leave his side.

"Brahms...", you whispered while holding his hand and repeated the earlier events on loop in your mind.

You hadn't meant to hurt him. It wasn't intentional—but the guilt caged you in its tight grip.

Brahms' eyelids fluttered as he slowly woke up and felt you beside him. He turned his eyes towards you and he saw that you were crying.

"Y...Y/N ?", he called you and you looked up with widened eyes.

You jumped to your feet and were about to call a nurse—but Brahms was quicker.

He embraced you and cried out.

"Y/N ! YOU STAY WITH BRAHMS ! DON'T YOU LEAVE ME ! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO LEAVE ME AGAIN !"

He seemed so desperate. You had almost killed him, but he didn't seem to care. He held you tight and refused to let go—sobbing loudly like a child.

It made you cry as well and hug back the slasher as you sobbed.

"Okay. I'm sorry, Brahms. I won't try to leave again. I promise."

You spent the next few days with Brahms until his full recovery and decided to get rid of all your sharp objects.

It was time to heal. And you knew where to begin...

Brahms hugged you from behind and gave you a flower.

"Brahms will make Y/N love themselves again...He promises."

You smiled and nodded.

"And Y/N promises to never leave Brahms."

You smiled at each other and even though Brahms still had his doubts, he would make sure that you'd never think of harming yourself again. Because he'd hate to lose his best friend.

[goaliekisses]

woof juicy news day for us pens fans. not only do we have sidney crosby’s Seduction of kyle dubas, now we have this article on Why Hextall Sucks (and how he pissed off even sidney crosby) + some angsty Geno details that i will only relish now that he’s still with us:

Early last summer, at his spacious home in Montreal, Kris Letang finally saw the document that secured his future in Pittsburgh.

No stranger to the multi-page, standard player contract, this one was particularly special. It was his fourth, and probably his last. It contained specific elements Letang and his agent required. One line read “six years.” Another read “$36.6 million.” The line that Letang really loved?: “full no-movement clause.”

Together, those words recommitted Letang and the Penguins, the only NHL franchise he had ever known. At 35, he would finish his career in Pittsburgh.

As word spread last July 7, Letang’s phone blew up. The flood of well-wishers included teammates past and present, various Penguins personnel he’d befriended over his previous 16 seasons, and family and friends. He took only a few calls. Among them: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, his oldest and dearest teammates in Pittsburgh, who were thrilled for him.

Crosby, the Penguins captain and franchise icon, had made it clear to general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke as far back as the 2021 offseason that he wanted the team to re-sign impending free agents Letang and Malkin so the three veterans and lifetime Penguins could take another shot at a Stanley Cup together.

Would Crosby pressure ownership to sign Malkin and Letang? “I’ve never wanted to be GM,” Crosby said. “I think they know how I feel.”

While the negotiations with Letang took longer and were more difficult than expected, Hextall’s discussions with Malkin had turned dark. Only days before the start of free agency last summer, Letang, Crosby and coach Mike Sullivan worked overtime trying to calm Malkin, who was stewing over lowball early contract offers, limited communication with Hextall and veiled public shots from Burke.

“How bad is it?” Letang asked Crosby about the state of Malkin’s emotions and the negotiations.

“Pretty bad,” Crosby said.

Hextall first irritated Malkin late in the 2021-22 season by offering a short-term contract extension to his agent, J.P. Barry. In the offseason that animosity built as weeks passed without a follow-up conversation from Hextall. On June 17, Hextall told Barry that the team’s offer was “take-it-or-leave-it,” and the next day Burke used those words to characterize the negotiations during multiple media interviews. Not surprisingly, Malkin, a sure Hall-of-Famer, went from annoyed to insulted.

For weeks leading up to and after Letang’s deal was finalized, Malkin stewed at home while Crosby, Letang and Sullivan checked in with him from afar. With no deal in sight, Malkin began speaking to his small inner circle as if his time with the Penguins was concluding.

Hextall fielded daily questions from Fenway Sports Group brass about why Malkin hadn’t yet been re-signed. Hextall was also taken aback by the barrage of calls and texts — from Penguins alternate governor Dave Beeston, from Crosby and Sullivan, from president of business operations Kevin Acklin — after reports surfaced that Malkin would test free agency. He told his agent he wanted to “show Hextall and Burke” by trying the open market.

Malkin had joked during the ’21-22 season that he was “a rich guy,” insisting he didn’t need to worry about money on his next contract. He was having a laugh, but was also somewhat serious. He had taken less than market value on two previous deals with the Penguins and expected that trend to continue on his final NHL contract.

He was about to turn 36. He wanted to play until he was 40. He sought a contract with a no-trade clause. But more than money, he needed the Penguins to show they really wanted him, something he felt was lacking, especially from Hextall. By July 11, 2022, Malkin was convinced he’d already practiced in Cranberry for the last time.

After tucking in their son, Nikita, Malkin and his wife, Anna, sat on their leather couch and looked at a summary sheet of Hextall’s latest offer: four seasons, $24.4 million total, a full no-movement clause.

Malkin was fine with what he read. The sticking point was his bruised feelings.

“They not think I good player,” Malkin wrote in a text message to Crosby.

“They not want me,” Malkin texted to Letang, who had stepped up efforts to console Malkin after signing his deal.

Malkin wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, but he no longer trusted either Hextall or Burke. Crosby and Sullivan intervened. Each spent hours on the phone with Malkin as July 11 became July 12. Careful not to tell him what to do, Crosby and Sullivan implored Malkin to “not worry about those guys” — Hextall and Burke — when making a final decision. Letang, too, jumped into the mix. Together, two-thirds of the Big Three and their coach brought up every special moment, funny story and great time they could remember to remind Malkin what they had built in Pittsburgh. Malkin paced from room to room at his condo in Fisher Island, finally beginning to feel wanted again.

As early morning shifted to late afternoon, Malkin had heard enough to make a decision. He called his agent, Barry, with instructions to re-engage with Hextall and take the offer. Upon calling, Barry was surprised to find a receptive Hextall.

After hanging up with Barry, Hextall bragged to his assistant GM, Chris Pryor, and a handful of staffers, that he “got him on my terms — that’s how you negotiate.” Malkin informed Crosby, Letang and Sullivan that he was staying. When talking to Crosby and Letang, Malkin sounded happy for the first time in a long time.

“We win next year,” Malkin told his friends. “Big year get back Cup.”

also these bits 🥺

After McGinn was put on waivers, he played a memorable final game with the Penguins, blocking shots and setting up Crosby for a dramatic tying goal in the third period. In the locker room afterward, his soon-to-be-former teammates named him player of the game, eliciting a massive roar from the group that could be heard through closed doors.

Hextall traded Teddy Blueger during the same trip. In the middle of a dinner with the players’ fathers, arranged by Crosby at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, Blueger learned via social media that he had been dealt to Vegas. He and his dad abruptly left the restaurant. Crosby rushed to console his now former teammate and after a few minutes returned to the dinner. “That’s not how we do things in Pittsburgh,” he said. Crosby remained mostly quiet the rest of the night.

…Long after most of their teammates had left the locker room after the demoralizing 5-2 defeat, the Big Three remained.

Malkin was emotional, his voice rising as he spoke. He had been dreaming of his beloved parents, Natalia and Vladimir, returning to Pittsburgh for another postseason run. Instead, they’d stay in Russia.

Letang, in the adjacent corner of the room, spoke thoughtfully and contemplatively. He had been through hell and back all season, and the Penguins’ loss was another blow.

Then there was Crosby, who sits at the center of an arc of connected lockers. The Penguins captain, with gray hairs that seemed to grow more plentiful throughout the season, sat stoically. After finishing interviews, Crosby sat by himself, staring straight ahead before slowly walking out of the locker room.

sorry need to add the header too because i would totally watch this telenovella