#i cant believe that my birthday is tomorrow

[vyckuke]

cross the dark

[hinamie]

shows up a day early with a nobara birthday tribute

[snow-blower]

Happy New Years Eve lovely!!

Happy new year's eve to you too, Izzy!!

[ghosts-of-love]

:P

[karinyosa]

it my bday today :]

[just-spacetrash]

🤩

[deus-ex-mona]

even the thumbnail for the off-vocal is adorable~~~

[muttsona]

phone calls laced with memories of what will never be

[kai-ni]

Hey guys my birthday's Monday and not to be a ho but my aunt is taking me on the vacation of a lifetime (ima ride the Tron ride, ima do it) and all I want for my birthday is to be able to afford as much merch as will fit in my suitcase bc I will not have this opportunity again !

👉👈

See ya'll next week! I'll try to take pictures especially of the Tron area but I might actually die on the spot :D

[cheeriochat]

ITS MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also happy birthday Childe Genshin Impact

[bleudinosaur]

Guess who got sick the day they're supposed to go back to work 😂

[wheresurboytonighthelookslikeenj]

OMG BESTIES IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN ‼️‼️‼️

HAPPY 2ND ANNIVERSARY NBW!!!!!!!

we've all been so scattered and i don't know what happened to so many of us but

@hadleyfrasergender @cherrypigeon @the-butter-churner @you-are-constance @sidonidoneeey @space-arson @youwillnevverknowmyname @luckysheikah @rev-1832 @butterednuggets17 @permets-tu-means-i-love-you @/the rest of yall wherever yall went!!!

[k-ru-h]

i know i said earlier that my interpretation of curly as a victim of jimmy's manipulation as well wasnt necessarily implied in canon but im gonna double down and say it is. ESPECIALLY with the how fish is made dlc.

curly doesn't only enable jimmys behavior towards anya - he enables jimmys behavior tomwards himself. we know jimmy doesn't fulfill his duties to standard, we know curly was putting up with his shit since day one on the tulpar. curly was the only one implied to also be trained as a pilot, meaning that he took on significantly more work rather than confronting jimmy. he let every awful comment jimmy made towards him slide - he let jimmy put him down and villainise his desire to be happier in life. like, its fucking crazy to get mad at your friend for wanting to change his career to be happier? especially on his birthday?

this isnt to say any of that is as bad as literally being raped like anya was, but what little we know of jimmys and curlys dynamic is that jimmy was bitter and spiteful and would take it out on curly, blaming curly for wanting better for himself. curly never pushes back, implying he's accepted this dynamic - he's accepted jimmys tendency to do awful things and then take no blame (no responsibility) as a quirk, as something entirely acceptable.

if you've ever deeply cared for your abuser, chances are you know that desire to view them as innocent. everything harmful they do to you is fine, and thus everything harmful they do to ofhers has to be fine, because you just cannot reconcile these two ideas in your head. they cant be innocent if theyre harming others, and if theyre harming others, what are they doing to you? curly doesn't behave like an enabler, he behaves like a victim. the men who support rapists everybody labels curly as would push back at their friends actions towards themselves. curly never does this.

as curly is effectively unable to communicate after his injury, we dont get his point of view after being directly violated and forced to acknowledge jimmys abuse within the game itself. the game paints very clear parallels between anya and curly - both pregnancy (especially as a result of rape) and disability (especially as a result of violence) result in a loss of autonomy, unwanted and uncontrollable changes to ones body and in this case- the perpetrator getting away with it. like, the way jimmy twists the tale to make curly out as the bad guy is purposefully reminiscent of men who blame women for "asking for it" when accused of rape. curly caused the accident - jimmy is just an innocent victim of his.

in the last one and then another, curly regrets ever joining the pony express. his thought process sounds a lot like that of an abuse victim (because he and everybody working under pony express is a victim of their abuse, of course): "We're defined by our past, but not slaves to it. We said tomorrow will be different. Today would be the last day. The last one. The last one and then another. And another, and another, and another... " its the cycle of forgiving your abuser because you believe they can change, because you believe you can change and break the pattern, and pushing through day by day, never giving up on them. even if curly wasnt abused by jimmy and jimmy was "just" toxic towards him, its clear he has this pattern of thought deeply engraved in him. we don't know everything jimmy did to him, we barely know of what he did aboard the tulpar, but at the VERY LEAST he exploited curlys trauma for his own benefit. it could be argued curly shouldnt have passed the psych eval, but neither should have jimmy.

lastly, anya and curly clearly serve as parallels in the game. anya is an incredibly capable doctor, she wasnt unable to give him medicine because of disgust - she bandaged him herself, thats far more dirty work. she related to him too much. she saw herself in him - somebody who lost their body and their voice. even without knowing the same man did this to both of them. theyre both victims of abuse, of violation, of a man who could never take responsibility, of a sistem that allowed all of this in the first place. curly shouldnt have enabled jimmy, but curly shouldnt have had anything to enable in the first place. jimmy shouldn't have raped anya, he shouldnt have crashed the ship. pony express shouldnt have abused its workers. whichever regime holds power over it shouldnt have allowed it to happen in the first place. you can acknowledge somebody made a mistake, and yet understand they were abused too. jimmy was exploited by the capitalist society he lived in. if he had access to mental health services, he couldve gotten better. everybody in this game is a victim of circumstance, but jimmy hurt people nonetheless. curly hurt anya nonetheless.

anyways im going to set everybody who says curly "deserved it" on fire to prove their point.

[harrysfolklore]

hey could u do masie peters as a face claim with singer yn

i was dying to do tom x singer!yn and i this came up ! i really really hope you like it as much as i do !

AND HAPPY 29TH BIRTHDAY TO THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND TOM BLYTH. ILY

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

liked by rachelzegler, oliviarodrigo and 836,038 others

yourinstagram the good witch as been out for a week and i just want to say thank for all the love 🥹 here’s a pic of me right before recording the saddest song on the album lol

view all 18,037 comments

ynfan1 IM SO PROOOOUD

ynfan2 i love her so bad

troyesivan absolutely obsessed with every track

ynfan3 WE NEED THE DELUXE VERSION

rachelzegler I’m sooo obsessed with this album, I’ve played it on set like a hundred times this week I’m pretty sure all the cast is sick of me lol. LOVE YOU CONGRATS ❤️

↳ yourinstagram rachh 🥹🥹 thank you for your support ! means the world to me and i hope your cast mates don’t hate me lol. good luck on filming and i can’t wait to see the movie !!

↳ ynfan1 QUEENS SUPPORTING EACH OTHER

↳ ynfan3 i love them so much

liked by hunterschafer, yourinstagram and 486,529 others

tomblyth HG film dump. Just some of the many people I love who breathed life into this movie. @songbirdsandsnakes opens tomorrow 🤍

view all 11,160 comments

tomfan1 CRYING

tomfan2 this movie is about to change my life

mtv new crush unlocked

florencepugh ❤️

tomfan3 i love this cast so bad

rachelzegler LOVE YOU ALL 💘

tomfan4 my man my man my man

liked by shawnmendes, tomblyth and 840,726 others

yourinstagram MANCHESTER THAT WAS AWESOME !! and london you’re next 🥹

view all 18,937 comments

ynfan1 BEST SHOW IN THE WORLD

ynfan2 my turn when

madisonbeer superstar 🤍

rachelzegler I can’t wait to see you live !!

↳ tomblyth I’m tagging along

↳ tomfan1 WEEE TOM A YN FAN SO TRUE

↳ yourinstagram you guys are welcome anytime

ynfan3 she’s a celebrity to celebrities omg

mtv yn x tbosas cast? a yes from me

INTERVIEWS FROM TBOSAS PROMO

INSTAGRAM STORIES

//

liked by tomfan1, tomfan2 and 10,837 others

tomupdates TOM ARRIVING TO O2 ARENA IN LONDON TODAY?

view all 943 comments

tomfan1 OMGGG

ynfan1 YN HAS A SHOW THERE LAJSKA

tomfan2 he’s really seeing yn live😭 such a fanboy

ynfan2 that’s it. i ship them

↳ tomfan3 SAMEEEE

ynfan3 MY FAVES

liked by ynfan1, ynfan2 and 13,378 others

ynupdates “Tonight’s show is special. Not only because we’re at the O2 arena which is absolutely freaking cool, but also because we have some friends coming to see us, and it’s always a pleasure to play for old and new friends.” - YN at tonight’s show !

view all 966 comments

ynfan1 OMGGG

ynfan2 I LOVE HER

tomfan1 omfg is this about tom ???

tomfan2 TOM WAS IN THE AUDIENCE

ynfan3 she’s not sneaky

liked by conangray, tomblyth and 845,380 others

yourinstagram LONDON THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS EVER !! thank you to everyone who came 🤍

view all 18,038 comments

ynfan1 I CANT BELIEVE I WAS THERE

ynfan2 POP QUEEN

oliviarodrigo best show ever 💜

tomfan1 i bet tom was fangirling the entire time

hunterschafer I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

tomblyth Amazing show and amazing performer, I'm blown away

↳ tomfan2 AHHHH

↳ tomfan3 i literally ship them so hard

↳ ynfan3 thats a MAN

FANS VIA TWITTER

//

liked by yourinstagram, hunterschafer and 764,093 others

tomblyth Afterparty-ing 🥂

view all 17,394 comments

tomfan1 YEEEEEES

tomfan2 HE WENT TO YN'S AFTERPATY

rachelzegler 👯‍♂️

ynfan1 hes so hooot yn better give him a chance

↳ tomfan3 chill they're just friends

yourinstagram thank you for coming 💕

↳ ynfan2 THE EMOJIII

↳ tomfan2 i'm trying so hard to be normal and not ship them

TEXTS BETWEEN TOM AND YN

//

liked by gracieabrams, lauraharrier and 876,309 others

yourinstagram unfiltered friday dump

view all 18,275 comments

ynfan1 i live for this

ynfan2 her monopoly obsession is still going strong

rachelzegler You sneaky shits! Invite me next time

↳ ynfan3 WHAT DOES SHE MEAN ?

↳ yourinstagram i’ll make sure snow lets you know next time

↳ tomfan1 SNOW ?? TOM??

↳ tomfan2 AHHHHH

tomblyth It was such a pleasure to beat you at Monopoly

↳ tomfan1 AH SO SHE WAS WITH TOM

↳ ynfan3 IM THROWING UP

↳ yourinstagram shhh don’t let everyone know🥲

↳ ynfan3 😭😭😭

liked by yourinstagram, maya_hawke and 630,998 others

tomblyth I made a new friend 😊

view all 18,937 comments

tomfan1 MY HEART

ynfan1 THATS YN’S DOG STFU

rachelzegler I keep getting excluded from this relationship 🥲🥲

↳ tomfan2 RELATIONSHIP???

↳ ynfan2 NOT RACHEL OUTING THEIR BUSINESS

hunterschafer babies

yourinstagram i can’t believe i’ve been replaced

↳ tomblyth Sorry love, I’m just really charming

↳ ynfan1 STOOOOOP

↳ tomfan3 HE’S SHAMELESS

DEUXMOI VIA INSTAGRAM STORIES

//

liked by tomfan1, ynfan1 and 40,826 others

celebrityleaks TOM BLYTH AND YN OUT IN LOS ANGELES TODAY

view all 2,927 comments

tomfan1 LORD

ynfan1 I KNEW IT

tomfan2 THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY

ynfan2 AHHHH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH

tomfan3 the couple we never knew we needed

ynfan3 we literally saw this relationship come to life I LOVE IT

tomfan4 byeee yall already claiming they’re in a relationship when they could be just friends

↳ ynfan1 you’re delulu

↳ tomfan1 the denial stage i see

liked by tomblyth, teddysphotos and 837,937 others

yourinstagram we’re in the middle of a tour but i couldn’t help myself and i got into the studio to pour out my lovey dovey feelings and ‘glue song’ came to life ! it’s going to be available everywhere on feb 2 (💓), i hope you like it 🥹

view all 19,045 comments

ynfan1 OH MY GOD ??

ynfan2 AHHHHHH WE WON

sabrinacarpenter such a sweet song i love it 🥰

tomfan1 IS THIS ABOUT TOM ??? BECAUSE IF IT IS I MIGHT CRY

gracieeabrams in your lover era 🥺

ynfan3 SHES DOWN BADDDDDD

tomfan3 HOLD ON. SHES RELEASING IT ON TOM’S BDAY !!!?

↳ tomfan1 YOU’RE RIGHT

↳ ynfan2 and just like that im sobbing again

tomfan2 i want to be stuck to tom like glue too

tomblyth ❤️

↳ ynfan3 SOBBING

↳ tomfan3 THIS IS CONFIRMATION

liked by yourinstagram, hunterschafer and 702,825 others

tomblyth What the bracelets say ❤️ @yourinstagram

view all 17,937 comments

tomfan1 STOP IT

ynfan1 i’ve died dead

rachelzegler MY BABIES MY LOVES 😭💘

↳ tomfan2 if you think about it rachel was lowkey the matchmaker here

↳ tomfan1 hunter aswell !

hunterschafer 🥲🥲🥲🤍🤍🤍

ynfan2 SHE DESERVES A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP IM SO HAPPY

tomfan3 couple of the century for real

ynfan3 THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS 😩

yourinstagram love you be stuck 2 u you and your early morning karaoke 💘 happy birthday my love

↳ ynfan1 AHHHH

↳ tomfan3 WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS INFORMATION

[i4kitty]

since quacks birthday is tomorrow, can you do a birthday special? like a part 2 of that virgin!quackity one shot you posted

two posts in a day!!

continuation of this —> ♡ post! you guys really like that one a lot, its the most liked post on my blog. thank you bunches !!

alex helps you to your feet, his eyes still glossed over with a mix of shock and pleasure. you smile up at him, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. you took his hand and lead him to your bedroom, your confidence as palpable as the heat radiating from your body. your bed is neatly made, but the anticipation in the air suggests it won't stay that way for long.

"you don't have to be nervous," you say, voice a soothing balm to his frazzled nerves. you pulled him closer, pressing your body against his. he felt your breasts against his chest, your heart beating fast with excitement. you reach up and kiss him as you remove his shirt. alex's anxiety slowly dissolves as he gives in to the sensations. he's never felt this way before, never been this close to someone he cares about so deeply.

you guide his hands to your skirt, urging him to slip it off. he fumbles a little, his hands shaking, but youre patient. when the fabric falls to the ground you step out of it. hes the center of your attention, the object of your desire, and that makes him feel special, wanted. you pull your top over your head with alexs assistance. youre more beautiful than any painting hes ever seen, your body is a canvas of curves and dips that make his head spin.

you smile and pull him closer to unzip his pants, letting them drop to the floor. you take alexs cock into your hand to stroke it to full hardness. he bites his lip as he watches you jerk him off. he cant believe how good it feels, how right it feels. hes never felt so connected and vulnerable due to another person.

you observe his face. you can tell how tense he is. before he cums you release his erect cock from your grip. you lead him to the bed and gently push him back onto it. you give him a show, seductively stripping yourself of your panties and bra. you climb onto the bed and straddle him, your wet pussy pressing against his tip. “are you ready?” you ask. alex nods, unable to form words.

you slowly lower yourself onto him until hes completely buried inside of you. you throw your head back and moan. alexs eyes widen in amazement as he feels your warm tight walls around him. you start to rock back and forth. setting a rhythm that burns into their very being.

your nails dig into his broad shoulders as you bite down on your lips. you’ve never felt so full. with each movement you bring alex closer and closer to the edge. for him the sensation is overwhelming and he knows he wont last much longer. not knowing what to do with his hands, he reaches up and grabs your breast, kneading them gently.

alexs breaths come in short, sharp gasps as he starts to speak. “y/n,” he whispers, “you feel too good. i cant believe this is happening. i love you so much.” the confession spill out of him in a rush. hes never been this open with anyone in a long time. you make him feel safe and loved.

you hold his face in your hands and bless him with a kiss, hips never stopping their steady rolling motion. alexs hands roam all over your body as if he was worshipping you. hes in awe. the way you move, the sounds you make, the way you look at him.

“holy fucking shit..” he gasps. the feeling of your pussy suddenly tightening around him is too much. he feels his orgasm starting to build. your movements become more erratic as you feel your own climax approaching.

“baby. alex, im gonna-“ you’re interrupted by your own desperate whimper. youre so so close but dont want to finish before him. the effort it takes to hold back is etched onto your face. taking note, alex wraps his arms around your waist and holds you tight as he begins to thrust upwards into you. his movements are clumsy at first, driven by instinct rather than experience. but your moans and cries guide him. not to mention the smell of the freshly baked cookies are still stuck to you, just as he suspected. this only urges him on.

your hands find themselves in his hair, gripping tightly as you eagerly ride him. the room is filled with the sounds of bodies slapping together, the sloppy sound of your wet pussy, and the sounds that leave both of your lips.

“keep going. just keep going.” alex grunts.

“im cumming,” you whisper. you lean into him, breasts pressing against his chest, nipples hard and sensitive. alex feels your pussy clench around him, the muscle contracting in sweet agony. hes so close. so fucking close.

with one final desperate thrust, he feels himself release inside of you. the tension in his body releasing in a torrent of pleasure. he groans, his head falling back as he empties himself into you. you follow him immediately after, your orgasm rips through your body. you collapse onto him, body limp. alex hugs you tightly. he feels your heart hammering against his chest and pussy still spasming around his cock.

you whimper against his neck, “help me take it out.” your voice is hoarse from the loud noises that escaped your lips. alex only nods before lifting your body off of him. his cock slides out of you with a wet sound that makes the both of you wince.

you crawl beside him and look his way. “you okay?” you ask. he doesn’t verbally reply. he just smiles, dazed. you run a hand through his messy hair, combing it out of his face. hes never felt so alive. he reaches out and takes your hand, lacing your fingers together.

you sit up, wincing a bit. you look at him with a playful glint. “wanna shower with me?”alex nods as his cheeks flush a little. hes still a little shy, a little nervous. but hes also excited and very very content.

[modelbus]

Had this one cooking for a while… any other Zach Bryan fans??

Pairing: John Price x Gn!Reader

28

You showed me where your old man stayed Took 28 years to feel loved on my own birthday

“They’re going to love you.” You tell John, grinning at him. “I swear. They’re more excited about meeting you than I am to have you meet them.”

Your Captain—and boyfriend—glances at you, hand tightening on the wheel slightly. Normally he’d have one hand on your thigh, or holding yours, but he insisted on driving with two hands in a new area.

Because you were taking him home. Not to your off-base apartment, but to your childhood home. To your parents, and home-grown memories. To your past.

Was it nerve wracking? Hell yes. But when John told you he didn’t have family to spend his birthday with, you offered up your own. They’d treat him right, and you knew it.

Besides, it was probably time he met your parents anyway.

“And if they don’t?” John asks quietly.

“Then we’ll hit up a hotel. Have a really nice night.” You reach out and squeeze his arm momentarily. “But they will love you. It’ll be the best birthday, I swear.”

“Mm. But if it’s not, I get a really nice night?”

Insatiable, he is.

“You get a really nice night either way.”

And I’s always felt like I’m in between something Like home and somewhere far away

When you first kissed John Price, he had warned you away from him. A misguided sense of morals, maybe.

“I’m not a stationary man, doll.” He had whispered into your hair. “I cant settle down away from the military.”

A military man, through and through. You had curled your fingers into his shirt and met his eyes with steely determination.

“Guess that makes two of us.” You responded, leaning up to kiss him again.

Not a stationary man. Sure, that you could believe. He liked being in the firefight, out there following his own morals and rules. Leading men and coming back with them all in one piece.

But here, your head on his chest, legs tangled together in the sheets of his bed, you can’t help but think he’s a liar. He may not be able to physically settle down, but his heart sure could.

And it settled down right with you.

But Tonight, on the west side, in a bar out in Brooklyn I saw tears outline your face

“This one’s on me!” Soap shouts over the noise of the bar, distributing shots to the team. Well, every team member that drank. Ghost refused to lift his mask in such a crowded place. “Here’s to getting drunk and not training tomorrow!”

“I’m starting to regret this.” John grumbles from your side. His hand rests on your hip, tucking you into him.

“Thanks Cap!” Gaz exclaims, knocking back the shot no problem.

John sighs before drinking his, and you don’t even look at yours. There’s a far better sight in front of you.

Soap, slinging his arm over Ghost’s shoulder, yammering on about some unknown topic. The Scotsman is already slurring his words. Or maybe that’s the accent. Gaz is laughing at him, or maybe at Ghost’s grumpy posture. And then there’s John, your John, warm and alive and breathing with you.

Your team. Your family.

Your heart beats in time to the music of the bar, the voices of everyone except your team fading out. Not that anyone else mattered anyway. You were safe within your team and the table they commandeered through Ghost’s menacing glare.

Warm hands cup your face, turning you slightly. You blink away the lights, looking up at John.

“You okay, sweetheart?” He murmurs, rubbing his thumbs over your cheeks. They smear wetness, and for a second you think he’s got liquid on his fingers. Beer, maybe.

“Yeah.” You confirm quietly.

“You sure? You’re crying.” Oh. So there’s where the wetness came from.

You nod, leaning into one of his hands. “Promise.” He’s still looking down at you with that concerned look, so you add, “just happy.”

John switches into a smile, and you know he gets it. Everyone in this damn team does; that’s what he gets for building a team of fuck-ups.

“With these lunatics, that’s a miracle.” He jokes, leaning down to press his lips to yours.

You barely get to savor the taste of him before you’re being rudely interrupted.

“Oi! Lovebirds! Someone didn’t drink!” Soap yells, making the two of you break apart.

“And we all know what happens to the first to stop drinking…” Gaz trails off, and your eyes go wide as you grab your shot.

“I’m not done!” You promise, knocking it back. You will not be the first to stop drinking, even with these idiots.

You can feel John’s laugh against your body.

There’s smoke seeping out of your bloody teeth But you're home somehow

Smoke swirls up into the night air, vanishing as quick as it has appeared. You don’t watch it vanish, keeping your eyes fixed on your Captain’s mouth and the cigar his lips wrap around.

You knew you had fucked up. Nobody else had chewed you out or shouted at you, knowing damn well Price would do it enough for the whole team. And maybe you deserved it, but you wouldn’t change what you did.

Going back inside the building filled with enemies for the intel was a bad idea. But the intel you had grabbed could (and would) save thousands of lives. That made it worth it to you.

Only when the cigar is done does he speak.

“I gave you direct orders not to go back in.” Price says. Not John, because this isn’t your boyfriend speaking. It’s your Captain. “I directly told you to stay the fuck out. And what did you do? Disobey them.”

“The mission was the intel. I made a risk for the success of the mission.” You argue, crossing your arms over your chest.

“And disobeyed a direct order from your Captain in the process!” He returns just as quickly. “I should have your ass written up for it.”

He won’t, and you both know it.

“Never do that again, you hear me?” He asks, fixing you with a stern look.

Even so, you don’t falter under it. “If it meant saving lives, I will.”

“The fuck you will.” He damn near snarls. Price straightens, stepping closer to you. “Your life is more important. The team needs you—“

“The team is capable of succeeding without me—“ you interrupt, but he slams his hand against the wall next to your head.

“I need you!” He shouts, chest heaving, and you see it in his eyes. The fear.

Your hands creep up his chest until you can cradle the back of his neck. His drop to your waist.

“I need you.” John repeats lowly. “Alive. Damn the mission, damn the intel, damn everyone else. You come home alive, no matter the cost.”

“I did.” You murmur. “I came back to you. In one piece, see?”

“But you could’ve not.” He stares at you, imploring you to agree with him. “I cannot live without you. So you fucking come home, and stop being reckless. I tell you to back off, you back off.”

You can smell the smoke on his breath. If he were to kiss you, the taste would invade your mouth. His taste.

“I’ll come home. Every time.” You promise him, knowing damn well you can’t make that promise.

He presses his forehead against yours, your breaths mingling in the space between your mouths.

“Swear it to me, doll.”

You swallow back the taste of the lie. “I swear.”

I lost my mind on the streets of the city Maybe I lost all hope too Took twenty-eight years of blood pumping through me To get to this evening with you

“She’s a real-estate mogul.” You tell John, chin in your hand and elbow on the white-cloth table as you stare at the blond woman in question.

This is your favorite game: the guessing game. When the two of you are out, you sometimes make up life stories for people you see. John always decides they’re some tragedy. You always decide they’re secret millionaires. Or royalty.

“A mogul?” John repeats, amused as he cuts into his steak.

“And she’s thinking about starting her own firm. It’ll succeed, obviously. And the man across from her is her… best friend. They’ve been friends for years, ever since he babysat her as a kid.” You continue, examining the blond woman and the man at the table across the room from yours.

Was it rude to stare at people during a fancy dinner? Probably. But nobody was going to stop you. And if they tried, all you’d have to do is flash your credentials of being a 141 operative at them. It tended to make people stumble over their words.

“He’s definitely her sugar daddy.” John argues, motioning at them. “Look, he’s greying.”

“Just because someone’s greying doesn’t mean they’re a sugar daddy. You’re greying.”

“Exactly.”

You roll your eyes, and he smiles at you. “Well he can’t be a sugar daddy if she’s already rich.”

“Sure he can. All of her money’s going toward her failing real estate agency—“

“It’s not failing!”

“—so he has to pay for everything else. Like this dinner.”

You turn to stare at him. “I’m paying for tonight!” You say, knowing he’s talking about you two and not the strangers anymore.

“Bullshit.”

“I can!”

He reaches out, taking your hand. There’s a light in his eyes that you love to see, a teasing sparkle you adore.

“Doll, I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying I’d never let you.”

There’s smoke seepin’ out of the bar down the street But we're home somehow

Smoke swirls up into the night air, but it doesn’t vanish. You watch as it plumes in the sky, creeping over the night sky. It’s all you can see, directly above you.

Your shoulder aches with every inhale and exhale, and you know if you touched it your fingers would come away red. Your leg hurts too, although less. That one’s barely a graze. That’s not the one to worry about.

Splayed on your back on the ground, you stare up at the few stars you can see. The smoke from the building will block it out soon, and then you’ll be left here.

Surrounded by broken glass from the window, a gunshot wound in your shoulder, and alone. Dying, you know. That’s not giving up — that’s fact.

Your breathing is labored, each breath a struggle, but all you can think about is your team and your heart. Did John make it out? He better have. The man with an angel’s heart, who saw a tragedy and a way out for everyone. Who became the way out for many.

He’d survive. He was too good not to. And then maybe he would finally settle down. Stop going to the bar with the team, choose to stay in for a quiet night.

Breathe on and have his heart beat every moment.

Something crunches, but you can’t be bothered to strain to look in the direction. If it’s an enemy, maybe they’ll put you out of your misery.

The footsteps pick up into a run, and when they’re close enough you roll your head to the side to make eye contact with the person.

John drops to his knees next to you, his gun falling to the ground. “You’re meant to be inside. Fuck. Fuck, baby, you’re okay.”

“‘M okay.” You croak out agreeably. “Gotta go.”

“Not leaving you. I’m staying right here till evac gets here. You and me.”

You shake your head, but he holds your head still. His expression is so concerned that you can even muster a glare.

“Christ. What happened? Your shoulders all torn up.” Panic lines his every word, especially as he starts ripping clothes to press the cloth to your shoulder. It hurts, but when you try to squirm away in pain he holds you right there. “Shh, shh, you’re fine, you’ll be fine.”

“You have to go.” You repeat, blinking away the tears in your eyes. He can’t die here too.

“I’m not going anywhere without you, doll. Just us. I told you I can live without you, and you’re not allowed to die.” His hand finds yours, squeezing it.

It’s not too bad of a way to die.

“Love you.”

“You know I love you too. But no talking like you’re dying, got that?”

You look at the sky past his face, stars clouded by smoke. It reminds you of his cigars, and your eyes flutter shut with a smile on your face.

“Doll? …Fuck!”

How lucky are we? It's been a hell of a week

The beeping of machines greets you when you wake, and you groan at the noise. Stupid fucking alarms.

But when you go to slap at your alarm clock, your hand fumbles in the air. Something tugs at the back of your hand, so you open your eyes.

The room is dark, but it’s definitely not yours.

It takes a few more minutes for you to recognize the room as a hospital room, and the pounding in your head as a fierce headache. One of your shoulders is bandaged up, and you can feel gauze on your thigh too. You’re pretty sure there’s something on your ribs too.

“Hey sweetheart.” Someone murmurs. “Woah, no sitting up.”

You abandon your attempts at movement, turning your head to find John there with his hands clasped around one of yours. His hat is gone, and his hair is unruly. So are his clothes, which are wrinkled and stained.

“Doctors are stichin’ ya back together.” He tells you, thumb rubbing along your hand. “Evac got to us. Ghost helped me haul you along.”

“Am I dead?” You ask hoarsely.

John sits up, grabbing a cup of water with a straw for you to drink. You empty the entire thing within a minute, and still feel thirsty. And hungry. And cold. And in pain.

Everything fucking hurts.

“No. Not for a lack of trying, though.” He answers, and you startle at the tears you find on his cheeks.

Why is he crying?

You reach a hand up, patting his face because it’s all you can reach. He laughs wetly, lowering your hand again.

“Am I dying?” It sure feels like it.

He glances at the heart rate monitor, then over you slowly. Not hungrily, but assessing. Lovingly, too.

“Not tonight, doll. Not tonight.”