#i did something devious then fell back asleep

[thxnks4themrms]

MOOD GORNING!! HAVE A KITTY

AWWWW GOOD MORNINGGG!!!!!

[xelle-ll]

Some Sick Days

So like I know its been a while but sh and read;;;;; ily ✨

Part 1

After being sick and still somehow having your boyfriend make you feel even worse, you had told him to just give you space for a couple days.

It took some convincing which made you feel like crap because he had ditched you so easily so what was with the need now to be so insistent?

It sucked.

It was always a draining time for you, being away from him. There was so much love in your heart that it was like it would lie dormant when he was near but when he was away, it would expand and hurt you till you found him and brought peace back to yourself.

So after a lot of internal deliberation, a meet up was scheduled.

The day you went to meet him, you were nervous but you were going late to be petty.

While walking to the spot he should be waiting for you in, you watched other people. Other families and couples out on this clear sunny day. The happiness in the air and joy on their faces.

You wanted that. Now. It was time for things to get better and be sweet again.

But of course, for you? That would not happen.

The smile on your face couldn’t have fallen faster.

Why wasn’t he there?

You had turned the corner with so much hope in your heart. Only for everything to be crushed.

You didn’t call him after that. No texts, no replying, no contact.

Maybe you would’ve allowed the delusions to take control if he hadn’t messaged you saying he was with her.

Because she needed him.

Needed him.

She did.

What about you? Did you not need him? Was he not yours?

Every memory of you together flashed through your mind. A time where you were that couple people looked at with jealousy. Envy on everyones faces that brought glee to your heart. It shouldn’t have but you felt so lucky.

Nights where he fell asleep with a head on your shoulder. Days where he made lunch after you burnt every sandwich even though you swore you wouldn’t. Playing video games together. You would suspiciously win a match just as you were giving up. He would have a smile that so obviously gave away his devious little plans but you couldn’t help but not say anything. He was so cute.

He was everything.

His beautiful soul was all yours.

Was.

You would now have to relearn how to navigate life without him.

I know I took a while but I haven’t been well again 🫥

BUT we move on lmao

Please like and repost, it helps me a lot! Send me asks if you would like something written for you ;)

[bekaroth-reads]

Baldur's Gate 3 Characters x Reader/Tav with childcare habits

[ Not sure what to title this. I work with toddlers and very small children, and there are so many habits that leak over into other things I do. Thought that it would be funny if Tav had the same problem. Not necessarily romantic relationships, it can be platonic too. This is written gender neutral so it can be any reader or Tav.]

Gale- There was a general air of exhaustion that hung over the camp. But, on the bright side, at least Gale could rest easy in the knowledge that there was a very powerful, easy to consume artifact in his hands. While he usually liked to go through the whole song and dance of this unfortunate requirement by himself, he didn’t mind if you were there. You had both seen each other in stranger situations by this point. Add to this that you looked like you were about to fall asleep at any moment, there wasn’t much to be self conscious about.

Just as Gale put the artifact to his lips, you suddenly moved his hand away, giving it a few gentle taps.

“Ick, ick! Makes a Gale sick.” You mumbled, not conscious enough to be considered awake before you rolled over and fell asleep proper.

Gale gave a tickled chuckle that was slightly tinged with the bitterness of the truth in the situation.

“Oh, believe me. I know.” He patted your shoulder and got back to the deed at hand.

Halsin- Everyone else had retired to their tents except Halsin and yourself. The both of you had offered to clean up the mess from dinner. You had talked for awhile, but finally got around to actually cleaning. The pot that was used to cook dinner was left too close to the fire, so it was still too hot to touch with your bare hands. You had used a cloth to move it away, and were waiting for it to cool off when Halsin came over to pick it up.

Moving faster than your thoughts, you moved away his hand while instinctively saying.

“Hot, hot for Halsin!”

You were hoping that he somehow didn’t hear what you had said exactly. And, when all he responded was a polite, “Thank you for the warning,” you thought he might have not. However, Halsin was literally biting his tongue to try not to laugh.

A few days later, he teased you by taking a lit torch from you and gently scolding, “Hot, hot for Tav.”

Astarion- Things haven’t been great for him lately. And, by lately, he meant decades. However, he could wallow in self pity later. Right now he needed to feed, and animal blood wasn't cutting it. Lucky that you seemed to put your bed roll a bit farther from the fire than the others in the group.

He quietly sneaked his way over to you, and prepared to strike. However, when his fangs hit your neck, things took an unexpected turn.

"No bites! Not nice!" You scolded in your sleep as your hand moved to rest on his forehead and gently push him away.

You suddenly woke up. The two of you stared at each other, neither saying anything. After an agonizing awkward few minutes, he walked away.

The next morning he pulled you aside from the rest of the party and sternly whispered, "Look- you don't mention that I'm a vampire and I won't tell them about the baby-talk."

Shadowheart- She and Lae'zel had gotten into an argument. Nothing new for either of them. This one really got under Shadowheart's skin this time.

"Can't believe that slimly toad of a woman thought she could pull something like that..." She grumbled as she stomped past you.

"Hey, are you using your kind words?" You asked.

This stopped her in her tracks and she turned to look at you, her anger almost completely replaced by myrth. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?" She questioned, her voice sounding as devious as she felt.

"Are you speaking well about our teammates?" You rephrased.

Raphael- He had insisted that he recite a new poem that he was working on, even if he had to wake you up to do so. Despite trying to stay awake, you couldn't help but doze off on Haarlep's shoulder. They didn't mind as, though they weren't physically tired, they would also rather be anywhere else. The two of you both being Raphael's quite literal captive audience.

"Oh, no. That most certainly is NOT what you asked me." Shadowheart teased. She wouldn't let you live this down for a long time. She's never too hard on you though.

Once the cambion had finished, he looked at the both of you expecting praise for his prose; Haarlep elbowed you just in the nick of time so you could sit up before Raphael noticed.

"Well?" He goaded.

"Truly, you have outdone yourself." Haarlep gave a purposefully unconvincing cheer.

Raphael rolled his eyes before moving his attention to you. "And, you, Tav?"

Still not fully aware of how you sounded or anything in the actual contents of the poem, you said, "Oh, how pretty, Raphael!" like you would have to a child that just gave you a finger painting.

The next thing you knew, Haarlep was rushing down the hall, you slung over their shoulder, their wings hitting your head with every movement, as they were laughing so hard it almost turned into a coughing fit. The quick escape must have been from the vaguely Raphael shaped fire right behind you, snapping and flinging blazes your direction while cursing and yelling about you not knowing what true art is.

Haarlep- They had heard that you had taken a pretty nasty hit to the head. Still, they hadn't quite expected what they were greeted with when they went to take stock of your condition like they were asked to. (Nurse work wasn't usually in their duties, but Raphael couldn't be bothered to do this himself.)

They appeared in your room to see you sitting on your bed, staring at nothing.

"Knock, knock, little mortal." They announced their presence which tore your eyes away from the space you were looking at.

You looked at them for a moment before giving a exasperated sigh.

"Where are your clothes?" You asked.

They blink a few times, not knowing how else to respond. "I beg your pardon?" They eventually asked.

You walked over to your closet and started digging through it. Eventually you walked over with a completely mixed matched set of clothes. "You have to wear something. You can't just run around in your undies!" The last part was very exaggerated as you lightly pinched and wiggled their nose.

They immediately returned to Raphael with you in tow. "It's worse than we thought." Was all they said as they sat you down and walked away.

Gartash- To say that Enver Gortash's work and habits were messy would be an understatement. It was certainly no different tonight. He had gotten blood and viscera all over him. And, seeing as he loved to get a rise out of you, he chose not to wash it off before going to find you.

When he saw you reading, he took a moment to compose himself to seem as though nothing was amiss, and walked calmly up to you.

"Anything interesting in your books today?" He asked, barely holding his excitement to hear you yell at him.

You started to say something, but when you turned to look at him you took a cloth from your pocket. Reaching up, you rubbed the blood from his face; each pass of the cloth was acompanied with a sing-song, "Wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe."

Gortash was baffled and indignant that he didn't get the reaction he wanted. He smacked your hand away and yelled, "What in the hells was that?!"

"Sorry," you offered sheepishly, "force of habit."

[chaos-in-deepspace]

L&DS Xavier: Marker Magic | Drabble

I HIT THE POST BUTTON PREMATURELY. So anyway...comedy fic. With Xavie Baby? More likely than you think.

Pairing: Xavier x Reader Warning: None Disclaimer: This is an original fan work for “Love and Deepspace”. Do not repost on other platforms or plagiarize. All characters shown in this fic is 18+.

Blog Information | Masterlist

Xavier

The rule with dating Xavier is you had to accept that sometimes he was just going to fall asleep and forget about plans you made. You should’ve known when you heard the door to his apartment opening around the time you were waking that he wouldn’t make it. What he always did at night was confusing and he never bothered to tell you that information.

You could only sigh now as you looked at the man sprawled on his bed. In his defense, he did look adorable when he was asleep like this. You were thankful he had put your fingerprint on the lock on his door so you could come and go as you pleased…still….you were a bit spiteful. He could’ve at least sent a message to let you know he was out late and needed to reschedule. 

You then got a devious idea, a smirk etching onto your face as you looked around. You walked to his kitchen, finding a marker that was lovingly placed there for making notes on a pad nearby. You took it, twirling it in your hand as you went back to Xavier’s room. You looked down at his sleeping, peaceful figure and decided to ruin the image.

He normally slept like a rock so you doubted this would wake him. You popped off the top of the marker and began working on your newest art piece. Lines were easily drawn on his smooth skin as you used your hand to adjust his face where you needed and cover as much as you could. His face twitched adorably and it reminded you of a sleeping bunny.  You were almost satisfied when you felt something.

Xavier’s body rolled over, his arm reaching out to the warmest object nearby, you. You got dragged down to his chest, pressed against it as his grip locked you in. For a second you thought you had woken him up, but upon further inspection he was still asleep, the gentle snore was proof of that.

Still, you were fucked if you stayed here. He’d no doubt be annoyed with you drawing on him and would try to take revenge. You wiggled in his grasp, trying to push him away. After a bit of a struggle, you managed to toss yourself out of his arms and onto the floor. You fell with a loud grunt, the sound of your body hitting the ground was enough to finally wake up Xavier.

You saw his silvery blonde hair poke up and look around before he spotted you. He rubbed his eye and noticed how your legs were almost up in the air, knees hooked to the edge of the bed and your upper body lay on your back on the floor. You looked ridiculous right now…but he looked worse.

You couldn’t help but snicker, reaching for the phone in your pocket and snapping a photo. The flash stunned Xavier as he went to rub his eyes and let out a yawn. He called your name gently, “What are you doing down there?” he mumbled tiredly. He could see you laughing on the ground at something and his half-asleep brain registered it had to be his appearance.

In your laughing fit he was easily able to grab your phone and look at himself. The first thing he notices was the giant dick drawing on his cheek, and then the random little doodles and what he assumed was a butt over on his chin. How childish…and of course you’d be laughing on the ground due to it, almost in tears.

Xavier tried to wipe off the marker but noticed it didn’t even smudge. He saw it was still on the bed and looked it over. Both of you read the words at the same time.

Permanent.

Why this fucker had a permanent marker on his fridge was a question you’d ask till the end of time. All you knew was this man wouldn’t be able to go out in public for at least a few days until it rubbed off.

This time when he called your name it was no longer sweet. You cleared your throat, “Xavie baby, don’t do anything rash.” You tried reasoning but it appeared your pleading would get you nowhere.

You let out a blood-curdling scream when he grabbed you by the ankle, dragging you up as you struggled to get away. He got you on your back and pressed down on you with his hips, “I’m not doing anything rash. This is just…returning the favor.” He said, the marker approaching your face. Oh, you were fucked.

Next one will be posted today and it's the NSFW drabble bby, have fun!

[jewbeloved]

hi there, love your writing! would you be willing to write main 4 + clyde, where they’re hanging out with their crush late at night, and their crush falls asleep on them?

Team Stan + Clyde hanging out with their s/o at night🌃😴🌌❤️

Warnings: None

Gender: Neutral

💙 Stan Marsh ❄️

Learning to go on crazy adventures and some mischievous things with the boys, you texted Stan if you both could hang out at midnight.

Stan agreed, quality time is one of his love languages and he wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to spend time with you <3❤️

You both made sure your parents (or siblings) were asleep before you guys started your midnight crazy fun.

You guys played video games down in the basement, tp a teacher's house because she pissed you both off, pillow fights, and etc.

You were having so much fun that you ended up falling asleep while rambling about everything you both did together.

Stan blushed a bit and he didn't know what to do so he just stayed still while you sleep on him before drifting to sleep himself after a while. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

💚 Kyle Broflovski ♻️

He was a bit annoyed and confused on why you called him at midnight. The boy just want his beauty rest >:C

Being stubborn, you climbed up the tree that was near his window and jumped onto his bed because, in south park. The windows are always opened 😋

Kyle made a pouty face while you refuse to get out of his room. But you know that he's secretly happy that you're here, why wouldn't he enjoy your presence?

So you guys ended up doing the fun ideas you had planned for this night.

Even though Kyle was a bit tired, he tried his best to keep his eyes opened as you rambling about something random you thought while you both watch something on your (device).

After another couple of mins, you both fell asleep together at the same time <3.

Ike eavesdropped on you both the whole time 💚💚💚💚

❤️ Eric Cartman 🍓

Being the little devious child he is, he is obviously the one who purposed the idea of doing something mischievous with you after everyone else is asleep.

You basically often follow out with Cartman's plans unless it's something dangerous then no.

You do worry for Cartman's safety even though the stuff he does pisses other people off, you can understand why they would be upset with him. After all, you're friends with/dating a sociopathic racist kid :>

Once your little hangout is over, you both managed to get back to bed without being spotted. I wonder what Cartman did to make you both have such good luck with that :O

You soon realized that this was going to be a daily night routine-❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

🧡 Kenny Mccormick 🎃

You both are always on the same page, you didn't have to tell each other what you were going to do this night.

Oh my god, you both ended up doing 49 activities together in one single whole night! Kenny definitely didn't make any dirty jokes in between.

How did you both managed to not caught? You both placed corks into your parents' ears so they couldn't hear a single thing. (You also did the same to your siblings if you have any).

When you first fell asleep on Kenny after a lot of fun together, he will chill and calm about it. He let you lean on him while he wrapped his parka around you like a blanket so you would get cold.

He secretly likes it whenever you sleep on him, it gives him an excuse to snuggle up close to you🧡🧡🧡🧡

❤️ Clyde Donovan 🔫

He almost pissed himself when you suddenly appeared onto his bed and scared him. (You were hiding in his room while in the dark.

You always liked to tease Clyde playfully and hang out with him, and since your parents are asleep you saw this as a perfect opportunity to bring him over to your house to talk about stupid stuff, play games, and etc together.

You even taught Clyde how to crave a jack-o'-lantern since he wasn't sure how to do it.🎃🎃

Clyde was a complete blushing mess when you fell asleep on him. Like Stan, he wasn't sure what to do besides staying still and letting you sleep on him.

He probably even went through 5 stages of grief at the moment.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Already October? Damn time flies way too fast.🎃🎃🎃

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Delta anon here and I have more sleep-based headcanons:

Delta's startle response is intensely hightened when he's waking up. So let's say, based on the idea that you had, that Delta's sleepy ass is somehow at a cliff. When Epic has to tackle-hug him and Color has to use his Grablings to get him away from the cliff, he's going to wake up and immediately wake up fighting because he has no idea what's going on, all he knows is he's being tackled. So he'd definetly swing, and both Epic and Color would have to dodge very very quickly.

On top of that, he's an incredibly light sleeper. If he's knocked out at his workbench and one of his friends tries to cover him with a blanket to be nice, he'll wake up with a harsh startle instantly.

When he has nightmares, his startle response is the worst. If he wakes up screaming and the first thing he sees is someone's face, he will attack without recognizing who it is.

And because his nightmares are so bad, after a particularly horrible one, they'll do ANYTHING to stay awake for as long as possible. They'll never admit it, but they're scared of the nightmares, and the dark. (Beta keeps a nightlight on in their room. If questioned, Delta says it's to see easier during the night and heavily denies it being for anything else.)

But speaking of the dark, I'd imagine that Delta cannot see very well in the dark. Like can't see 5 feet in front of him in the dark. This is mostly due to Beta's being trapped in a jar in the dark for who-knows-how-long. But they will never admit this (though Color and Epic are able to figure it out pretty quickly).

If one of their other friends is sleeping over, if he doesn't trust them, Delta won't sleep around them. If Killer's in the house and spending the night, you bet his ass is staying up all night with Epic. But if Cross is over, he'll probably sleep, because he knows Cross isn't cruel enough to try to do anything in his sleep (that, and he just trusts Cross more than Killer). If both are over, then he probably won't sleep until at least Killer leaves the house.

White noise/rain sounds knock them out. Every time. It's the easiest way to get him to fall asleep.

If they become hyperfixated on something, they will literally not allow themselves to sleep or rest until it's done. Like if they get fixated on making something new, they're not taking a break until that thing is finished being made. However, when he's not rested at all, he will be much more irritable and snappy than usual. He will try not to be because he genuinely doesn't want to lash out at people, but he can't really help it. (If Killer tries anything during this time, Delta will 100% lash out.)

Anyways, that's all I got for now. Thoughts?

Delta reminds me of my teacher trying to wake me up in class and all the times I almost fell out of my chair and straight on my ass because I always startled so badly.

And I don’t blame Delta for not sleeping whenever Killer’s in the house 💀. His ass is certainly not above watching someone sleep, even if he doesn’t do anything—mostly because people are vulnerable in sleep and you could learn things like that.

And also he’d enjoy freaking Delta out or making him uncomfortable, like a bit of sadistic validation that he can control his emotions like that. Even when Epic and Delta stay up he’s definitely still gonna watch them. (Insert the “does it do anything else?” meme.)

And the not being able to see well in the dark gave me the idea of like, delta’s leaving his bedroom or his workshop at bumfuck 3 AM for a glass of water—tired, rubbing his eyes, yawning. Going to get a glass of water from the kitchen, when something moves in the corner of his eyes and his exhausted self is tripping over. Falling face first on the thankfully carpeted floor with a loud grunt.

And while he’s groaning, all hears is a devious cackle somewhere in the dark, and he doesn’t see anything when he rolls back over, but he knows deep down in his soul who did this, so he immediately starts cursing out Killer.

[melanieph321]

Gabriel Medina x Untamable Part 6/8

+18

I am aware that I am running out of chapters 😭. I might have to add two or three in order to complete my vision....

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Reader spends the summer with her first love, Gabriel Medina, for him to get a chance to know their three year old son. However, both Reader and Gabriel struggle to keep their feelings at bay.

Enjoy!

You didn't ride shot gun on your way home from the wedding. Rico was more than deserving of the front seat next to Gabriel. Last night, he was forced to babysit Nemo while the two of you were locked in your hotel room upstairs, doing unspeakable things to each other. Unspeakable but also unforgettable.

The way Gabriel eyes kept glancing at you in the rare view mirror told you that last night was still on his mind as well. His devious smile had you melting in your seat, a warmth spreading throughout your body. The best thing was to diverge your attention towards Nemo, whose car seat was facing your way. You pointed out the sightings along the way as the road passed you by. Particularly the birds in the sky. They fascinated Nemo the most. The vivid flapping of their wings made him giggle, resulting in blissful shouts soothing the car ride home.

"We're almost there." Gabriel said, slightly glancing over his shoulder. Rico had been dropped off minutes ago, his house located on the outskirts of Maresias. Although your grandma's house was still a forty-five minute drive away, you and Gabriel both knew that you and Nemo weren't going anywhere.

"Are you hungry? Should I cook something?" Gabriel entered his kitchen and lingered by the stove. He watched you where you stood in his living room, Nemo fast asleep in your arms.

"Maybe we should cook something in case he wakes up hungry." You replied.

"In the middle of the night?"

"Yes, in the middle of the night." You chuckled at the way Gabriel regarded you with a dent between his brow.

"Won't feeding him in the middle of the night make him fat?" He said.

"Not necessarily, at least if he hasn't had anything else to eat for dinner."

"Huh." Gabriel huffed. "My mother used to never let me eat in the middle of the night. Said it would make me fat like my uncle."

"Nor did she let me into your house when we were kids and yet hear I am."

"Well that's different." He smiled.

"Different how?"

"Welp, for starters my mother thought you were crazy."

"I was. At least when I came to you after my parents and brother died. I guess I just thought I would get more sympathy for it."

"Well, you know my mother. Sympathy isn't really her strongest suit."

"Tell me about it."

Gabriel's eyes were bright and glowing, where he watched you from the stove. You were rocking Nemo in your arms, his lips slightly pouted and his face scrunched up in a peacful grimace.

"Go put him to bed and I'll cook us something to eat."

You nodded and went to tuck Nemo into the bed in Gabriel's guest room. Upon your return to the kitchen, you were ambushed by the smell of something lovely.

"What are you making?" You took a seat at the table and watched Gabriel pour you a glass of red wine.

"It's a surprise" He said, handing you the glass.

You rolled your eyes at him but fell back against the chair, watching a man at work. Your man.

The dinner was lovely, with you and Gabriel talking about everything and nothing, sipping red wine well into the night. After his restless attempt to lure you into his bedroom, he eventually gave in to your plead to let you go. "I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?"

"Fine, tomorrow." He sighed but managed to steal a swift kiss, his lips pressing softly against yours. "Goodnight Y/N."

"Goodnight, Gabriel."

You fell asleep dreaming about Gabriel. About sweeping your hands through his dark curls while his head lay buried between your legs. You dreamed about his voice in your ear, low and rough, begging you take him raw, to give him another child. It was a dream from the deepness of your subconscious mind. But that dream was far from over as you woke up to your body being shrugged awake, Gabriel's voice speaking softly in your ear. "Come on, wake up."

"Gabriel?"

The morning sun warmed your face, and as your eyes slowly opened his shirtless silhoutte appeard before you.

"Come on." Gabriel smiled. "Let's go for a surf."

"What?"

He must have taken advantage of your drowsiness. You had no memory of leaving your bed, nor walking with Gabriel towards the water. Nevertheless, there you were, hand in hand, walking up the beach. Gabriel carried your surfboards in on arm, the other one squeezing yours tightly. A swell had come in through the night, leaving the sea with a set off waves waiting to be explored. A couple of surfers were already seen paddling out despite the exceptional time of day. You had left Nemo fast asleep but vowed to return before he even noticed that the two of you were gone.

"Here, you take this one."

"I..."

You eyed the surfboard that Gabriel set in the sand before you. It might have been freed of dust, it's wood polished to perfection, the board as good as new. However, you recognize its distinguished shape from the memories of your past. "My grandads surfboard!" You exclaimed, grabbing the board and laying it flat in the sand. Your hands stroke across the surface, feeling the wood. "Gabriel, how did you—"

"You brought them to me, didn't you?" He stood with his arms crossed, a smug smile on his lips.

"I....I completely forgot." You said, but remember when exactly you had brought the boards over. It was the night Gabriel's sister Sophia and her friend came over. You had stormed off with Nemo that night but truthfully regretet ruining Sophia's movie night.

"I'm...."

"Speatchless and medley impressed my my craftsmanship?"

You looked up, meeting Gabriel's lively eyes. Although you were left guilty for your latest tantrum, it was clear that Gabriel had left it behind him a long time ago.

"Shall we head out?" He said.

"Okay. But w... which one will you take." The surfboard with the pattern of a white lotus used to be your grandmother's, while the surfboard with the painted hill of a volcano used to be your grandfather's. You and your brother had spent hours in the water, learning how to surf those boards. Paulo had gotten so good and you....well you had also picked it up fast.

"I'll take the lotus." Gabriel said and bent down to grab it, tucking the baord under his arm. You did the same with your grandfather's board as the two of you then rushed towards the water.

You were surprised by how much you remembered. How surfing was much like riding a bike. Once you learned it, you simply couldn't unlearn it. You fell into the white wash more than Gabriel, of course. Gabriel, who was simply one with the ocean. Like Poseidon flowing along the rigid tubes of water, never not in control.

Your feet trembled as you returned to the beach. However, your rattling legs had nothing to do with your anxiety. It was simply the rush of adrenaline that had captured you, the fierce sensation flowing through your body and spreading like wildfire.

"You looked good out there." Gabriel said, in an attempt to praise you. It made you blush, his words causing a terrible heat to rise to your cheeks.

"Thanks. I almost forgot what that felt like."

"Well, I'm happy to have reminded you."

You were struck by guilt, your eyes falling to your feet.

"What?" Gabriel chuckled as he caught you mid flush. But as you refused to meet his eyes, he stepped towards you, his hand under your chin raising your head. "What's wrong, baby?"

His brown eyes regarded you with a soft depth, as if whatever had caused your suffering, he was willing to put an end to.

"You should teach him." You mumbled.

Gabriel tilted his head, not quite understanding you.

You bit your lip, heart throbbing in your chest. "Nemo " You nodded. "You should teach him how to surf."

Gabriel's eyes widened, struck by your words. "Really?"

You smiled, a wide smile. "Yes. I think he would—"

You were silenced. Silenced by Gabriel's mouth that pressed against yours. His hands cupped your cheeks while his lips drew you in with the help of his tongue, swiping at your bottom lip.

"Gabriel." You moaned.

He smiled.

"Gabriel, someone might see us."

The surfers out in the water were more than impressed to have Gabriel Medina join their morning session. Then they had spotted you too and didn't quite know what to make of it. The fact was that not many people knew of you. You weren't famous and intended to keep things that way.

"Gabriel." You gasped, a desperate plead for air as you pulled away from his lips.

"Sorry." He wiped his mouth. "I got a bit carried away."

You giggled and bent down to pick up your board. "Let's go back." You said, offering him your hand. Gabriel happily obliged and led the way back to his his house.

It was still early in the morning, Nemo most likely asleep.

"I'll go put these back in the garage. You can rins off around back."

While Gabriel returned the surfboards, you rounded the house until you stumbled upon a shower booth. A cute wooden booth like the one that they had on the beach for people to rins off the salt water from their bodies. What a luxury for Gabriel to have a private one in the middle of his backyard. Then again, he was a professional surfer bound to run in and out of the water several times a day.

"I hope the water is not too cold for—"

"My God, Gabriel!" You winced. He had barged in on you mid shower, your wetsuit hanging off the side of the booth.

"What?" He frowned, and even more so as you watched him step into the booth and out of his boardshorts as if to join you in the shower.

"B...but I'm naked." You said, shivering under the cold water.

"I know." He grinned.

"Hey." You hissed, covering your body with your arms since Gabriel clearly had zero ability to keep his eyes in check.

"Oh come on." He groand. "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before."

"Yes but last night was.....was...."

His grin widened, his hands finding your hips. "It was perfect, wasn't it?"

"No. It was a mistake."

"A mistake?" He laughed.

"Yes, never to happen again."

Something in the way he looked at you softened. "Why?" He asked, with the eyes of a lost puppy. His hair wet and flat again his forhead.

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because, Gabriel. Just because"

He chuckled at your stubbornness. But at the same time, your hands weren't covering your body anymore. Instead, they were pressing against Gabriel's stomach. His abs bumpy underneath your palms. He looked down between your bodies and didn't even blush at the fact that his erection had sprouted, fully fledged, chaving against your belly button.

"Last night was...." He trailed off little, Gabriel's eyes on your breast, admiring the shape of them as if they were more than the average size.

"Gabriel?" You giggled.

"Huh?" He lifted his head, his eyes a bit foggy.

Your hand went to split his hair to avoid water from running down into his eyes. Your arms then rested around his neck, pressing his body and his erection harder against you.

"Fuck." He groaned, as the newfound pressure trailed down his naked spine.

"We don't have to do anything." He coughed. "We could just shower."

"Just shower." You hymned, letting the thought playfully run through your mind.

"Yes, just shower." Gabriel said but couldn't keep his mouth from nibbling your ear.

"That tickles." You giggled and clung to him even more.

Gabriel grunted in response and surprised himself and you by stumbling forward, pressing your back flat against the wall.

You gasped, loud and hot, as his mouth latched onto the skin of your neck, serenading it with soft kisses.

"Fuck, Gabriel."

He responed with a guttural noise, deep down in his throat.

"Fuck, Gabriel, I need...."

"Yes?"

"I need...." Your voice was high-pitched, his knee between your thigh exploiting your desire for his body. "We have to do it fast." You nodded. "Before Nemo wakes up."

It was all Gabriel needed to hear, that you wanted him too. As soon as you gave him your consent, your feet lifted off the ground, your legs wrapping around his waist as he pressed you harder against the shower wall.

"Gabriel, please."

He was a lost cause. A wild man with one desire. Gabriel had a hold of your body, and your legs had already spread before him. The water made it easier for him to enter you, although you were already terribly, terribly wet.

"Have mercy." You moaned, Gabriel's cock entering deep inside of you. He fucked you just like that, standing up. Your body wrapped around him, banging hard against the wall, rattling the booth with his every thrust.

Gabriel grunted and groaned, taking your glistening breast into his mouth. The pleasure was so immense, almost to a point of rapture. And when it came time for you to come you did it together. One collective sigh that was followed by the stillness of bird songs. The water got turned off, but still, Gabriel had you pressed against the wall, his cock still deep inside of you, perhaps where it always belonged.

"I love you." He said, the words spoken drunkenly and exhausted against your mouth.

You tasted him, your tounge swiping timidly across his bottom lip. "I love you too Gaby. I really do. Always have."

His breath was warm against your face. His laugh dark but youthful. "Good. That's good. Now let's go make some breakfast."

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

[vladdyissues]

"Torrent of Terror" ep. is really dumb about Vlad's evil plan but it's also such a HUGE fan service of pompous pep. I mean, they literally went for a date! There are 2 things I'm wondering:

1. How can Vortex problem be re-setted to Vlad stay evil genius, not become a dumb villain?

2. If Danny being only 15 was asking for a foot massage from Vlad in a public place (yea, people left the game centre after an "artificial rain inside", but it's still public place!), what things would he ask for being older? or dating Vlad? I have some smutty thoughts but it isn't me! It's that perverted little badger!

Hnnnn Torrent of Terror and Eye for an Eye are some of the main reasons I voted for Season 3 in that "Which DP Season Is Your Fave" poll that was circulating a while back. So much food for us Pompeppers.

But yeah, Vlad's evil plan was pretty dumb. Here's my response to your first point:

⛔ Vlad going public with his magic weather device that looks like a vintage barn thermometer

✅ Vlad becoming a cult leader by secretly manipulating the weather and therefore obtaining the adoration and respect (and control) of the entire world by solving their climate crises one by one. Hail Vlad, the savior of earth!

And for your second point:

"You never gave me that foot massage, you know."

Vlad lifted his lips from Danny's neck, his eyebrows knitting with confusion. "Foot massage?"

Grinning secretively, Danny pressed his back against Vlad's chest—and his rear against the burgeoning erection in Vlad's pants. "Back when you were mayor. Vortex. I accidentally got the weather tied to my emotions."

"Oh. Oh, that's right. Heavens, Daniel, that was ten years ago."

"I know. Hard to believe it's been that long, huh."

"Mm."

Danny reached behind and urged Vlad to keep rocking against him. Vlad, however, remained preoccupied with the memory.

"You were a devious little brat, humiliating me like that."

"You deserved it."

"Hm, perhaps. You were going to make me massage your feet, but there was something else. Something more to it. A costume?"

Danny grinned. "Yeah. Not much of one."

"Oh. Good Lord, I remember now. It was a loincloth. You wanted me to put on a loincloth and massage your feet and call you 'master'." He narrowed his eyes at the side of Danny's face, smiling fondly. "Quite the fantasy. Are you sure you didn't have a crush on me then, little badger?"

"Oh, I was toast by that point. I guess seeing you naked did something to my brain."

"And just when did you see me naked, young man?"

"Come on, the Regal Hotel? When we were pranking each other and I turned the walls invisible, and the local news crew caught you on camera?"

"Oh. That."

Danny laughed. "I think you need some Centrum Silver, old man. Your memory's starting to slip."

"My memory's fine, Daniel. I just can't think straight with you grinding on me like this."

"Kind of ironic to be thinking straight now, huh?"

Stifling a chuckle, Vlad slid his hands down Danny's waist to grasp his hips. "I never got my revenge for that weekend, you know," he whispered in Danny's ear.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Danny asked, eyebrow arching with interest.

"Oh, it's definitely a threat." He rolled Danny over and began phasing away clothing while Danny laughed and pretended to resist. They scrabbled and grunted, wrestling for dominance, before Danny finally allowed Vlad to pin his wrists. Vlad sneered down at him. "How else did you plan to extort me that day, little badger?"

Danny's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, after my foot massage, I was gonna have you bake a bunch of my favorite cookies, then I was gonna get in your jacuzzi with a bottle of your most expensive wine and make you feed me cookies and refill my glass until I passed out or fell asleep."

"It's a good thing Vortex showed up before then."

"Why? You would've killed me?"

"No. I'd be out an eight-hundred-dollar bottle of Dom Pérignon"—Vlad's mouth twitched coyly—"and likely have a restraining order preventing me from coming within five hundred yards of a minor."

"God, you're such a creep," Danny said, but his eyes—and another part of him, farther down—disclosed his naked excitement.

Vlad basked in the insult as if it were sunshine. "What would you demand of me now?"

"Now?" Danny pursed his lips. "Well, it's a different situation."

"Naturally. But if I had to appease you, if you were under the influence of some terrible, destructive power, how should I keep you happy?"

"I dunno. Blowjobs on demand?"

"You can do better than that."

A minute passed before the pensive frown lifted from Danny's face. "Okay, a bath. A fancy bath. You'd have to wash every inch of me and rinse me and shampoo my hair and condition it, all in a huge tub with loads of bubbles and nice scented oils and stuff."

"Very good. Please continue."

"And then I'd have you dry me off and rub lotion on me and powder me, then dress me in a silk robe and feed me chocolate-covered strawberries."

"Is that all?"

"No." Danny smirked, his eyes drifting downward. "You would have to keep me satisfied. All I'd have to do is snap my fingers and you'd get on your knees for me, at any time. I could fuck you whenever I wanted, anywhere I wanted. Over your desk. In the kitchen, the shower. And I'd always get to come first. In fact, you wouldn't be able to come at all unless I gave you permission."

"That's very wicked of you."

"Hey, I learned it from the best."

They shared a brief chuckle before Vlad spoke again. "I was going to let you choose your punishment, but I'm afraid that's too generous. I think I'll just torture you."

"Oh, please," Danny scoffed. "You're too impatient for tor—" He choked on the rest of his words as Vlad's hand went intangible, sinking through Danny's erection and into his belly. "Oh—ohh." He felt Vlad's energy move inside him, spectral fingers curving downward until they wrapped around his prostate. "Oh, God, you're serious."

Laughter rumbled in Vlad's chest. He gave the gland a gentle squeeze, and a moan escaped Danny's lips.

"An eye for an eye, little badger. Though I think you'll enjoy this much more than a foot massage." He leaned down and sealed his mouth to Danny's. His arm, intangible to his elbow, glowed in vague blue-white outlines as it moved, slowly and rhythmically, his buried hand beginning the process of milking Danny's prostate from every imaginable angle.

"You're evil," Danny gasped.

"And yet you love me."

"I can't help it."

Vlad smiled. "Shh, now. No more talking."

And apart from the pleasure-stricken cries that came much later, Danny didn't say another coherent word for the rest of the night.

[imaginidol]

Soobin: Too Sleepy

The quiet sounds of Soobin's steady breathing accompany the ceiling fan's cooling breeze. There is no sun outside, only thick clouds dropping half-mist and half-snow.

Even when it was chilly outside, Soobin wouldn't sleep without his fan.

You're lying down on one wing of your L-shaped couch while Soobin sleeps on the other wing. Your faces meet in the middle, both meant to be watching a TV show before he fell into a deep slumber.

You didn't mind spending your only free Thursday evenings with Soobin, only to have him sleep on you -- you took it as a compliment. He felt safe enough to sleep at your place.

Or maybe he's just tired from work.

You had turned off the television by now and had turned your attention towards him, watching him as he gently slept away the minutes of the otherwise gloomy afternoon. His bangs had fallen over his eyes, his left cheek was completely squished under his face as soft snores escaped his nose.

You gently run your fingers through your friend's hair, moving the thick locks away from his eyes.

I could get used to this, you thought to yourself.

After a few minutes, he shifts in his sleep, and he brings his arm up towards his face. He rubs his eyes as he groggily tries to wake up.

"Mmm," he smiles at the feel of your hand against his hair, and he reaches to take your hand in his.

He wraps his fingers together with yours, bringing them to his lips.

Then, he does the unthinkable.

He falls back to sleep.

Oh, you thought, now studying the new position of your hands intertwined with his.

Is this... is this platonic or something...?

Soobin, you knew, could be a heavy sleeper when he was terribly exhausted. It was especially busying nowadays, with all the preparations for their upcoming comeback taking up most of his schedule.

But what was this? Was he awake?

People can sleepwalk. People sleep-talk all the time. And even hug in their sleep, too.

I guess people can sleep-handhold now...?

You're all too squeamish on the inside for your own good, probably blushing like crazy on the outside. There's no way he's awake. There's no way he knows what he just did!

Does this mean... he likes me back!?

You smiled at the devious thought crawling through your mind, that your friends-to-lovers arc was finally about to set off with Soobin. So much so, you started daydreaming about him. Eventually, you fall asleep, too.

--

An hour or so later, Soobin groggily wakes in mere confusion as to where he's at. Then it all comes back to him: he's at your place.

We were watching a movie. Or a show. Did I fall asleep..?

He begins to pull his fingers up to his eyes to rub them, then suddenly feels his hand wrapped around something.

Wait, not something.

But someone.

His eyes trace his fingers to yours and then back to where you are now, snoring fast asleep from the other wing of the L-couch.

Shit, he thinks, unsure of what to do.

You grabbed my hand while I was asleep!

He smiled at the thought of you sneaking your hand into his, thinking it could have only meant one thing: you most definitely liked him back.

He smiled and blushed at the sight of you, thinking about whether this was the first time you'd ever grabbed his hand in his sleep or not.

He excitedly pulls his phone from deep within his pocket and snaps a picture to ask about it later.

Smugly, he pulls your hand just a bit closer to his chest, and patiently waits for you to wake up. This wasn't a very good plan, because five minutes later he's back on cloud 9 dreaming away with you.

If only you knew that in fifteen minutes or so, you'd both wake up together and smile at each other at the feeling of your hands cutely intertwined against his chest.

If only Soobin knew that accusatory fingerpointing as to who-grabbed-whose-hand-first would follow suit.

If only you knew the face he'd make in disbelief when you told him he was actually the one who did it first in his sleep, only to be met with a pillow thrown at you and an accusation that you were lying and trying to blame it on him.

The laughter would soon turn to a throw-pillow fight.

All the pillows are gone, and he jumps the couch to tackle you and say, "You held my hand first!"

You stand your ground, laughing and squealing, "I'm not lying!"

He'd pull out his phone and proudly say, "I took a picture first!"

You'd grab the phone and throw it onto the rug under the coffee table.

He'd pin you down against the couch to get you back.

The laughing would fade to smiles.

Your smiles would endearingly invite each other closer.

Your lips would gently touch.

He's then yours to have, to keep, and to love...

finally as more than just a friend.

[girlnextmorgue]

Helen Otis x Reader: All Good Things To Those Who Wait

Guess who's back with another Helen fic ... Hi. Sorry I couldn't help myself and had to write another one sooo thar she blows. This is part 3 of a series that I may or may not continue ... you can find the previous parts here (1 and 2) and you can find the postings I have on AO3 here!! That's all enjoy ok

-

It was late, one o’clock, maybe one thirty in the morning. The vast majority of those that had been occupying the living room had long since retired to their rooms, choosing the comfort of their own beds over restless sleep and neck pain in the morning. The real movie night was long over, but two remained, nestled in opposite corners of the loveseat. 

The movie of choice was The Silence of the Lambs, per (Y/N)’s request. It’d been fourth on the roster (watch order warfare was not something that (Y/N) was going to willingly involve themselves with) and they were determined to see it through. 

Helen was half asleep on his side of the couch. He’d meant to stay awake for the whole movie, he really had, but spending time in a roomful of idiots had sapped all of his energy. So he dozed off, his elbow propped on the armrest to keep his head from dropping. 

(Y/N), however, was awake and alert as Buffalo Bill shouted down at his captive, though they were not paying much attention to the screen at all. How could they, with Helen next to them? They’d already seen the movie anyhow, and despite it being one of their favorites it’d really just become more of an excuse to spend some time with him. 

But now he was basically asleep, which would not do at all. 

“Helen.” (Y/N) called quietly, a halfhearted attempt at rousing him. He didn’t stir. They tried again.

“Helen.” Still nothing.

They gave up on trying for a bit, opting to just stare at him before trying to wake him up again. Helen was one of the most gorgeous people (Y/N) had ever laid eyes on; this was something they had been sure of since the day they’d met him. But he looked a little different when he was asleep. When he was awake, his eyebrows were usually furrowed in anger or annoyance (or sometimes concern) and his mouth was usually turned downwards in a pout. Now, he looked relaxed and at peace, a blanket tossed over his shoulders to keep him warm. (Y/N) wondered what he might be dreaming about.

Suddenly, they had an idea. A devious grin spread across (Y/N)’s face as they scooted as close to Helen as possible without disturbing him. They leaned over him carefully, trying not to get distracted by just how close their face was to his face. Placing their lips near his ear, (Y/N) blew.

Helen jolted up in surprise, the side of his head smacking (Y/N) square in the nose. They fell onto their back dramatically, laughing as they held their nose with one hand. 

“Sorry! Sorry… Are you okay?” They asked from where they lay, still in a fit of giggles. 

Helen glared daggers at them, blue eyes narrowed and lips drawn in a taught frown. If only he knew the things that look did to (Y/N)... 

“What the hell did you do that for?” He spat, rubbing the side of his head as he kept eye contact with them. 

(Y/N)’s grin turned from cheeky to sheepish. They felt small under his gaze, but not really in a bad way. Something in their chest fluttered. “You fell asleep…”

“And you couldn’t have woken me up in a normal way?”

“I tried…!” They said defensively, still avoiding eye contact and mumbling the next part so that they wouldn’t be heard, “You just look really hot when you’re all mad at me…”

Helen’s angry expression morphed into a confused one. “What’d you say?”

“Nothing! Nothing.” (Y/N) sat upright, scrambling to change the subject. “Your head. Does it still hurt? Let me see.” They shifted closer to him again, gently grabbing his wrist so they could move it from where he still held his head. 

“It’s-” Helen was about to protest (he had no idea what they’d be able to do about a bruise on his head) until he felt (Y/N)’s fingers in his hair, lightly touching the spot where he’d hit their nose. His breath hitched.

“Does that hurt?” They asked quietly, looking him in the eye. 

Helen struggled to find words for a moment. When he finally did, his voice cracked. “N-no.” 

“M’kay…” (Y/N) hummed, their eyes flitting back to where their hand sat in his hair. They ran their fingers through his hair for real, and he had to restrain himself from leaning into their touch.

“You have really nice hair, y’know. It’s soft.” They complimented, retracting their hand and looking at him again. Their faces were close, and Helen swallowed thickly at the proximity. “Real pretty, too.”

“You think my hair’s… pretty?” Helen asked, his face burning. He silently thanked whatever god there was that the only light in the room came from the long forgotten TV. The last thing he wanted was for (Y/N) to see the kind of effect they were having on him. 

“I think you’re pretty, dumbass.” (Y/N) responded matter-of-factly. 

Helen let out a choked noise, taken aback by the sudden confession. “What.”

(Y/N) furrowed their eyebrows, seemingly unphased by their own admission. “Dude. Do you not see yourself?”

“You…? You think I’m pretty?” Helen was dumbfounded. It felt like all of his wildest dreams were coming true and that he was going to die at the same time. He’d never been called pretty before; maybe only as an insult from an old school bully or even Jeff, but the way (Y/N) said it made his heart flutter and his head feel light.

“Um, yes?” (Y/N) answered like it was obvious. “I mean, come on, you’ve got this gorgeous hair, the loveliest eyes I’ve ever looked into, and uh, your lips, well, uh…” (Y/N) trailed off, eyes trained on Helen’s lips. They reached up to graze his jaw with their fingers lightly, looking into his eyes again. There was no going back now. “Uh, this is stupid, probably, but, can I?”

Helen sucked in a shaky breath, something that was not lost on (Y/N). “Look, we don’t have to, if-”

“I want you to.” He cut them off hastily, a hint of desperation in his voice. (Y/N) would have kissed him stupid right then if they hadn’t felt the need to tease him about it. They smiled mischievously. “Want me to what?”

“(Y/N)-”

“I won’t do it unless you say what you want.”

And Helen really must’ve been desperate, because he conceded almost immediately. “Kiss me. Please.” 

“Fuck. I guess I will, then.” (Y/N) mumbled, leaning in carefully. Their lips brushed his for a moment before they kissed him for real, one hand cupping his face and the other moving to rest at his waist. 

Helen’s eyes fluttered shut as he felt their lips on his, hands hovering nervously at their hips. (Y/N)’s lips were slightly chapped (probably because they chewed at them all the time). Helen didn’t mind. The kiss was a chaste one, but to him it was magical, and before he knew it (Y/N) was pulling away, beaming at him.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that.” They breathed, their thumb rubbing circles into his jaw. 

“How long?” Helen asked dumbly, brain preoccupied with they’re touching me and oh my god we just kissed and holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck. 

(Y/N) looked bashful. “Um, since I first saw you, I guess. You looked at me like you wanted to kill me and I think that was what did me in.” They laughed, the hand that was resting on Helen’s cheek moving to scratch the back of their neck. 

“Oh.” Helen breathed. So they had liked him all this time and he hadn’t noticed? At all? Maybe he was just really bad at differentiating platonic affection from romantic interest… man, he needed to make more friends. Helen brushed off those thoughts before they could get overwhelming.

 “So, what, you like it when I’m mad at you? You’re weird.” He said instead, a small smile betraying his teasing. 

“Oh, shaddap.” (Y/N) rolled their eyes, the TV screen catching their attention as they averted their gaze. “Shit. This is where it starts to get good.” 

Helen followed their eyes back to the screen. Hannibal Lecter was strapped into something that looked like a cross between a stretcher and a hand truck. He was talking to an important looking woman that Helen didn’t know the name of. This is what he got for falling asleep during the movie. 

He was too preoccupied with trying to figure out what was happening when (Y/N) tugged him into their side, a surprised “oof!” leaving him at the contact. Their arm snaked around his waist and even though they had just kissed Helen could still feel his heart going into overdrive. He looked up at them, eyes wide. 

“What?” (Y/N) questioned, cocking an eyebrow at him. “If you’re gonna fall asleep again, you’ll be a little bit more comfortable, at least.”

Helen couldn’t (or didn’t want to) argue with that, so he let his head loll onto their shoulder as he dozed, the smell of lavender lulling him back to sleep.

[aladaylessecondblog]

fire in his touch (gortash x tav pt. 18)

Author's Note: Fluff, oral, edging, orgasm delay

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

She was thinking he'd want to bed her, but Tav had ended up taking a nap beside Gortash, who remarked he had nothing that could not be delayed a few hours. He'd curled up with his head on her chest and gone right to sleep with her stroking his hair.

He was snoring like hell, but he was deeply, deeply asleep.

And Tav had stared up at the ceiling, wondering how she had gotten to this point, as she had the tendency to do now and then. How had things gone so wrong...or rather, so right?

That first night, maybe, telling him she intended to honor her vows. She'd been in so much pain she just wanted to forget...and he had been a good lover, at least. It was easy to simply take direction and not think, because thinking meant being alone with her thoughts, and...

...and then he'd kept right on being smarmy and charming and doing nothing she had expected him to. A whisper in the ear at dinner when everyone could see them, being asked to dance a few times so their marriage looked the happy one--and so many false looks of longing that she'd begun to wish he'd stop so she didn't begin to fall for the act. But she had. The others were beginning to write more often, and she'd even seen Shadowheart on a recent trip, but...it felt almost too late. The divide caused by their early absence couldn't be fixed so quickly.

But the thing that had begun to grow between her and Gortash - it hadn't been much early, just...animal attraction, in a way. Despite his claim he didn't have the typical man's need for frequent sex it had increased in frequency when she fell pregnant, and only got better over time. He seemed to revel in her cries of passion, in the fact that he was the one wringing them from her. Perhaps some notion about having the nauseatingly good-hearted hero of Baldur's Gate screaming for him...

And for her, maybe it'd been that he was good and kept BEING good, at least to her...once they'd smoothed over their divide after Cald, it had all just seemed to fall into place. He was a terrible man, but a good husband and a good father, and to see it all just...

There was joy in being the only one to see this. It was like a gift from above, that she did this to him...for him.

Gortash shifted slightly, and one arm shifted up and over her belly. He sighed softly, and she felt her heart flutter again.

Perhaps she could not fix him, exactly, but she could soften him. To tame him entirely would remove half the appeal, after all. Gortash would not be the same man were he a beacon of light and kindness. The edges were blunted, and that was enough, to know they wouldn't harm her. That he was choosing not to.

She lay back and fell into her trance, still pondering.

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

A couple hours later, Tav felt Gortash waking, and she lifted her head to look as he seemed to be wiping the side of his face.

"Something wrong?"

"You're leaking."

"I'm still nursing your son, my lord," she joked, "I have the wet nurse, but...there's nothing that makes me feel quite as motherly as feeding him myself."

Frankly, she hadn't expected to enjoy the act so much. The soft contentment that resulted when she held Cald and fed him herself, rocking in the chair and watched that dear little face as she nourished him.

Him, her son, the dearest little thing that she could see

"And when will this stop?" Gortash didn't sound upset, more curious. He was now sitting up and looking over her breasts as he slipped on his rings.

"When I stop nursing him. Well not right away...but..."

She petered out when she saw the devious look he was giving her chest.

"Is it just that you like staring at my tits, or..."

"Well that, yes, and..." Gortash reached down to grope at one of her breasts, seeming amused by the slight dampness that resulted. He pulled his hand up to his lips and gave the milk a slight taste. "You're sweet, if you wanted to know."

"I can think of something sweeter," Tav gave what she hoped was an enticing grin, and parted her legs just slightly.

"Wicked woman," he joked, and leaned down to plant a brief kiss on her lips, "If I let myself give in to your temptations, we'll have quite a few people wondering why we wasted all day in bed."

"Since when do kings care about those beneath them?"

She'd moved up just enough to whisper the words in his ear. The slightest shiver that resulted had her grinning.

"Go about your business, your grace. But remember that your queen needs tending too."

She turned away, thinking to get dressed, but no sooner had she swung her legs over the side of the bed than Gortash had pulled her back and into his lap.

"This is the disadvantage, I see," he said, "Of getting to know one's wife. She knows exactly which switches to pull."

"And how is that a disadvantage exactly?" Tav spoke as innocently as she could manage. "It makes finding pleasure between us much easier. Perhaps next time we shall pretend you have captured the do-gooding leader of some ragtag band of adventurers."

"Now that I like the sound of." There was a nip at her ear, and a slight clench of his hands as they moved down to keep her legs open. "And this leader has been quite a thorn in my side...or could be."

"And what shall you do with her, now you have trapped her in your bed?"

Gods, it was so easy to please this man. Banites had such simple pleasures.

One hand moved gently up to a breast, while the other dipped lower.

"Indulge, of course, as I've wanted to since laying eyes on her. So decent, so heroic...SOMEONE must ruin her, and apparently that duty falls to me."

"She is far from maiden, you know." Tav took in a sharp breath when two of Gortash's fingers spread and then started to probe at her cunt. "Thinking she may lose herself to the tadpole at any moment...has...has made her rather...open..."

"Did she hope for this, then?" his voice growled in her ear.

"She enjoys the touch of a man who knows what he wants...and what to do with what he's got."

It was firm and still tender, the way his hands moved over her, and gods how she was enjoying it.

"But perhaps the archduke is not so eager to use what he has?"

"The archduke merely wishes to have this hero writhing in his arms...and to remind her that the practiced hand can be just as pleasurable as a cock."

His left hand moved back up, and the gauntleted right one went down to take its place. Cool metal traced around her damp center, moved up, pressed down--

Another sharp breath.

"He has never been the sort of man to have much of a carnal appetite...he has more important things to do than indulge such base urges." The tip of one of those metal claws toyed briefly with her clit in an exploratory way before settling into a slow but mercilessly steady pace. "But the hero has...awakened the beast, we might say."

"Why the hero? Why not some noble maiden--who I am sure would have happily signed up to be ruined?"

"Empty-headed fools, the lot of them." There was a smirk when she stifled a moan. "But this hero..."

He was silent for anther minute or two, hand moving steadily, pressing, pinching, stroking, but never quite letting Tav reach climax.

When he drew his hand back it was all she could do not to pull it back.

"I do have to ensure that pesky do-gooders don't retain too much power over me, you know."

She was about to speak--to say something playfully cutting about how he couldn't expect her to go untended, or something more wanton, begging him to stop teasing...

But she didn't have time. Gortash's gauntleted hand grabbed hold of one of her own and moved it down, between her legs. His voice was a growl against her jaw, and only made it all worse when he began to stroke her again. This time with her own hand, held tightly beneath his own.

"This hero craves a strong master, and that is exactly what she shall get."

He pressed two of her fingers lower, then brought them back up to circle around her clit again. There was a brief moan--and then his other hand raised, pushing her head forward to let him swallow her moans in a kiss.

His hand pushed hers faster, and for a moment he let her lean back--presumably to see the hazy, pleasured look in her eyes. The one she saw in return was clear - he was smug, utterly satisfied at how thoroughly she was coming apart under his hands.

And then, just as suddenly, he stopped.

"What happened to not having all day to lay about?" Tav finally broke character. Another denial, ANOTHER ONE, why did he have to do this? She was squirming in his arms but it did her no good. "At this rate--"

"On the bed," Gortash whispered in her ear, and then in a firmer voice added, "On your back. Now."

She obeyed, bringing her knees up, spreading them when he gestured. She thought this might finally be the moment he ended the game--she could see his cock there before her, within reach, hard and ready. But he didn't, though he did tease her a bit by grinding it over her clit.

"Enver, you--"

A deep kiss silenced her protest. But after indulging it only a few seconds he drew back and kissed his way down her neck. Then her chest, stopping briefly to lap at one of her nipples, to tease a bit of milk from it. Then lower, over her belly, and her legs were moved over his shoulders.

"You will finish only when I allow it. Do you understand?"

"I--"

"DO you?"

"Y-yes," Tav squirmed. "Just--please--"

It would be well worth it, she knew it would be, but in the moment it was always a heavenly agony. To be so close...so achingly close, and to be denied...

In the same way as he seemed to joke that she knew what levers to pull for him, the same was true in turn. He knew just what she wanted, and just how to give it.

That mop of dark hair settled between her legs and a moment later ecstasy leaped in her gut as Gortash's eager tongue flicked over her clit. He moved down, pressing it inside her--she could feel the smirk when a wanton moan tore from her lips--and then moved back up again.

Just the slightest bit of suction, and climax was on the edge again.

"Enver, please..." she begged, "Please, let me..."

She knew he wanted to hear it, knew he wanted her begging until he'd decided she'd been a good little hero and deserved to finish. Or some rot like that.

But he lifted his head, moved up, and let her see what she'd been unable to before.

That he was stroking himself.

"You--"

"You would dearly love to be on it, wouldn't you?" That roguish, easy smile spread across his face, and his hand moved over his cock more and more quickly. "Stay down and I'll let you."

His gauntleted hand moved down, toying with her only long enough to keep her fire stoked, but not to satisfy it entirely. A strangled groan--she could tell he was close, and spread her legs a bit more, inviting him closer.

It didn't work.

Gortash's expression was steady, focused--until she reached up to touch him. Another groan and his expression shifted into one far more maniacal...

The second her hand touched his cock he peaked. His seed spilled right into her hand, covering her palm in its sticky whiteness. She grumbled, wiped it off on the blanket beneath her, and looked back up.

"I told you, Tav, but you didn't listen. Now you'll have to wait even longer." To his credit Gortash kept the other hand moving. But now it was much, much slower.

Ten minutes elapsed in this manner--the slow stroke of his cool gauntlet over her soaked heat, the sight of his softened cock gradually rising to hardness again. The low burning ember of desire that he never let go completely out.

"Just look at you," he teased, "My dear Tav, writhing, desperate..."

"What do you want?" she asked, gyrating her hips up when his fingers dipped down. "Just tell me. Tell me, and I'll give it to you, just let me--"

"What do I want?"

His hand moved back, but he went down, his cock hard again, its tip just barely pressing into her cunt. It was worse than not having it at all.

"Nothing you haven't already given me, my queen."

And with a kiss that had her sampling the sweet tang of her cunt along with Gortash's own taste, he thrust forward and finally filled her. He braced himself on his elbows, pulling back just enough to let their eyes meet again. This time he said nothing when she moved, in fact he seemed to welcome the clench of her hands on his side, the rake of her nails down his back.

"If you leave me hanging again--" She half-snarled and wrapped her legs around him, struck suddenly wordless by another moan.

"That's what I like to hear," Gortash grinned, "I love the sound of your pleading, but threats work too. In fact...I find them rather exciting."

Her nail clenched against his shoulderblades, and feeling the familiar climb in her gut again, Tav growled out, "Finish me--breed me--or I'm going to strangle you."

It came from nowhere and for just a moment she worried it might be too much.

It wasn't.

Far from thinking it too violent, it seemed to excite Gortash. His thrusts were harder, faster, deeper, and she wondered for a brief moment where exactly he got the liking for threats from.

"I could never deny such an eager request."

Another thrust, another burst of lusty heat.

"Enver," she called out breathlessly, "Enver..."

The pleasure plateaued, and the first wave crested, broke--"ENVER, YES--"

She shattered beneath him, screamed out her pleasure as ecstasy burned through her body and left her shaking.

"Now," his stubbled cheek scratched briefly against her smooth one as he whispered, "I believe...you asked for..."

A loud groan right in her ear, a pulse, and this time that wet heat spilled inside her.

"There," Gortash spoke breathlessly as the afterglow rose to claim them, "I've done my job. Are you satisfied, or shall we have to be even more late?"

"Get off me, you big lug," she gave a little laugh, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "You did this all on your own."

"You know you love it."

"I do," she said, wrapping him in a brief hug.

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

Tav supposed it was inevitable...she was honestly surprised that it had taken this long. A few weeks had passed since she and Gortash had made their quiet declarations to one another, and despite that those weeks were blissful...disapproval lingered in the back of her mind.

You cannot serve two masters.

She had never received pushback from Ilmater about Silvanus - their spheres might be different, but were not altogether incompatible, and her ability to produce food and clean water served his purpose of aiding the sick and hungry well.

But Bane was a different beast altogether. All the Dead Three were his enemies, their values stood in opposition to his own.

It was unavoidable, this moment. This day.

You claim to be of my ilk and you serve now the worst of the lot.

Tav knelt before the altar, for once alone in the room, and for a moment could not figure out what to say. She finally settled for, "Why have you allowed me to continue to work in your name despite this? Why have you not shown me your anger?"

She knew she deserved it, frankly. In the beginning it was one thing--

No, the voice said, The beginning was no different than now. You linked yourself to a tyrant, to a doer of evil. The desire to do good does not override the evil done around it. The suffering Bane's Chosen endured in his youth does not discharge your duty to banish evil in all its forms.

There was a pause.

But you have before you now an opportunity.

"An opportunity, my lord?"

Two gods, two mutually exclusive goals. That part was easy to figure out.

"I can try to shift his view, but...he is more inclined to his aims now than he ever has been before. But--"

What wasn't so simple was how horribly things could go if Bane got the idea that she was no longer so dedicated.

And my doting husband, Tav thought, would become rapidly less so. That she did not doubt, and a sting soon followed. It would be so easy to lose what she had only just found.

"It is good to see the archduchess at prayer." A voice spoke suddenly behind her, and she turned to see--Sister Rose. "Though you clothe yourself in silk and pearls at least you know you cannot dress so before the altar of the God on the Rack."

Tav stiffened. She had never quite gotten on well with Sister Rose, certainly not after all the blame laid on the refugees for the murders. And the woman had not much liked the ease with which she had been accepted into the temple.

But she'd never been too outwardly rude.

"It is only at the my lord husband's request that I dress with any sort of finery," she replied. "I would prefer to be plain, but he wishes me to look my rank."

Rose walked up and stood, though did not kneel, before the altar.

"Hence the crown."

Then she moved away, into the back room where Father Lorgan's body had once lay.

No sooner had that door closed, than the front one opened.

Tav stayed on her knees, trying to regain the attention that had been on her. How could she change Gortash's mind?

"Were we not in a temple," her husband's voice sounded off, "I would show you exactly how pleased I am to find you on your knees."

"Behave, love," she returned with a slight bit of humor in her voice.

"Why? You follow him no more than I do."

She opened her eyes. A shadow, raised, was being cast on the altar--

Tav whipped around and got to her feet just in time to avoid the strike of the knife in Enver's hands.

No.

No, she knew--

The mad wide grin stayed even as her husband's features faded into those of a changeling.

[headhedgehog]

Don't try to protect me

Barou finds out his girlfriend was assaulted in the past. She doesn't let him make it about himself.

Barou Shouei x fem oc.

CW: r*pe/non-con (does not happen in the story but is a central plot point), sexual situations

Aged up characters/pro-player era. Everyone is over 21. MDNI, duh.

"Shouei, quit," she giggled, snuggled back against him.

"You really want me to quit?" he whispered in her ear, his bassy voice sending a shiver down her spine. He was spooning his girlfriend, holding her tight under the covers of their shared bed, his fingers teasing the waistband of her underwear. "'Cause I can feel how you're grinding your ass into me, babes, and it sure doesn't seem like you want me to stop."

She turned her head so she could look up at him, her brown eyes meeting his red. A devious smile crossed her face.

"Mmm, you might be right."

Barou grinned at her, moved to nip her ear. His fingers slipped under her panties, the tip of his middle finger finding her wet core. He whined quietly as he entered her, his lips ghosting across her neck.

"C'mere babygirl," he growled, pulling his hand back to grab her hip and roll her onto her back.

Almost instantly, her demeanor changed. She seemed to shrink underneath him, her expression blank and far away. Surprised, Barou pulled his hand away and moved to brush her hair away from her face, but she recoiled from his touch.

"Hey, hey what's going on? Did I hurt you?" Barou knew he was a big man, but he was careful with his woman, always worried about accidentally hurting her. Once, after pinning her hands above her head during sex, he saw bruises on her wrists and nearly wept. He was a monster on the field, sure, but with his girlfriend Barou was exceedingly gentle, almost to a fault.

"No, Sho, I'm okay. I just...can we stop?" her voice was choked with tears.

"Yeah, of course we can. Can I do anything?"

"Just hold me. Please."

Barou gathered her to his chest and ran his hand over her hair until her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.

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

She woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast. When she padded out to the kitchen in her robe, she found Shouei by the stove, flipping pancakes.

"Morning, Sho."

He kissed the top of her head and slid the final pancakes onto a plate, handed it to her. They sat at the kitchen table, Barou staring intensely at her, she carefully avoiding his gaze.

"Can we talk about what happened last night?" Barou asked, finally.

"I'm sorry, Sho, I just overreacted to something, you didn't do anything wrong."

"It's not an overreaction if it bothered you that much."

She blinked rapidly, looked away. He reached across the table and took her hand.

"I don't want to make you talk about it if you don't want to, but I also don't want to make you feel like that again. Can you at least tell me what not to do?"

She took a shaky breath, still looking away from him. "When I was a teenager, I let my boyfriend stay the night when my parents weren't home. We went to sleep, but I woke up in the middle of the night and he was having sex with me. I woke up when he rolled me over like you did last night. You didn't do anything wrong, I just...I dunno, had a flashback? It made me feel like I was under my ex again, confused and like I couldn't move."

Barou felt her body start to shake from across the table. He felt like he'd taken a cleat to the gut.

"Did you ever tell anyone?"

She shook her head. "I would've had to tell my parents I had a boy over, and I wasn't even sure it was really rape until a lot later."

"I wish you'd told me, I could've been more careful --"

She half-smiled at him, her eyes wet. "Sho, I know you, you would've tried to find him or decided that it was an insult to your ego, or something, and that just wasn't something I wanted."

Barou opened his mouth to argue but shut it again. He knew she was right. Even as they sat there, he was running through the ways he could find and murder the man who'd hurt his beautiful girlfriend, thinking that scum like that didn't deserve to share a planet with her -- or him.

"He'd deserve it," Barou muttered. She gave a wet, teary laugh.

"Wouldn't take away the fact that he raped me, Sho. I'd just also have a boyfriend who was in jail."

Barou set his jaw, flexed his fingers. He was going to be a menace at practice later, he could tell already.

"You're right, I'm just not happy you're right," he said after a long moment. She sighed, gave him a sad smile. When she stood to get more coffee, she kissed his temple.

"Just try not to make it about how upset you are, yeah?" she asked. Barou nodded. As he watched her refill her mug, he did his best to breathe and remember that protecting his woman didn't always look the way he wanted it to.

[buckysgrace]

Fifteen

When Kim awoke it was still dark. The moon was reflecting off of the floorboards, still high in the sky as a gentle breeze swept through the room. She felt a pinch of discomfort up her back so she went to turn on her side but was unable to do so. She furrowed her eyebrows together, her pulse beginning to quicken as she realized she couldn’t move anything but her eyes.

Her breathing began to come out quicker as an uneasy feeling spread through her tummy. She felt like something was pressing down on her chest, pushing down as hard as they could while she gasped for breath. 

She clenched her eyes tightly, trying to remind herself that this was just a dream like she had the other night. She was dreaming, that was it. She did her best to ignore the anxiety in her veins and the crushing weight on her chest as she kept her eyes closed and counted to ten. She took a shaky breath and opened her eyes again, willing her limbs to move.

She froze. Her breath of fresh air paused on her tongue as she stared ahead at the doorway. It was still shut, securely locked in place, but something new grew from the side of the room. Her heart sped up quicker, her mind beginning to race as she urged for her body to work again. No matter how hard she tried to move her arms or kick her legs nothing happened.

Her breath became uneven again as the shadowy figure crept closer, prowling with the night air. Her eyes slowly rose up the billowing shape until she was met with familiar eyes and a sinister smile. Her body began working overtime; her heart was pounding so harshly it hurt and her limbs were doing little twitches but not nearly enough to get her out of here.

She felt a scream forming on her lips but it only came out as little whimpers and whines as the figure began to slither onto the edge of the bed. It’s smile never broke, still staring at her like it was about to do the most devious thing.

She was hoisted forward suddenly, her head moving positions so fast that it hurt. She felt a louder whimper coming from her chest as she panicked as she knew the figure had finally gripped her, until she was met with an empty wall. Her back fell back against a firm, warm surface as she stiffly laid there. 

“Hey, hey,” Billy was gently prying her fingers apart from the blankets. She hadn’t realized she was gripping them before, but it had been so tight that her knuckles ached as he released them. She was mumbling frantically, her eyes darting around as she tried to speak, so she could explain what was happening, “It’s alright. You’re just asleep still. Relax.” He tried to reassure her, but it was hard to do as her heart was thrashing inside of her chest. 

He squeezed his fingers around her hand, inhaling deeply at the same time she did. She exhaled just as deep, slowly beginning to twist her fingers against his as she followed his breathing patterns. The more she focused on what he was doing and not what was happening inside of her mind and body, the more that she awoke.

Her jaw ached from how tightly she had been clenching it, her whole body still feeling tense as she soon laid limp against Billy. She breathed in harshly, her chest burning as she felt a lump growing in the back of her throat. She blinked rapidly, looking away from Billy’s concerned eye. 

“I don’t know what that was,” She spit out quickly, still alarmed and fearful as she finally came to, “That’s never happened before.” She could move now, but all she did was sink further into Billy’s warm arms. He held her softly, pulling her closer as she rested her head against the crook of his neck. She still felt a chill in the room, an uneasy feeling deep inside of her.

“It was just a nightmare,” He reassured her as he pushed her messy hair from her face, “You’re safe, nothings wrong. You should try and sleep.” He said gently, his voice still raspy from being awoken so suddenly. She shook her head, knowing that she wouldn’t be sleeping the rest of the night. 

“I’m too freaked out,” She replied, sounding more scared than she meant to, “I can’t sleep after that.” She shook her head, still feeling anxious. Billy’s fingertips pressed into her skin softly, rubbing gentle circles into her back. She inhaled sharply, feeling bad for waking him up in such a manner. He had to work too.

“Alright,” He drew out softly, “What do you want to do?” His question surprised her. She sat up a bit, her heart still thumping roughly inside of her as she looked at him. She could clearly still see the hazy, tired look in his eyes.

“You need to sleep,” She said quickly, dismissing him, “You work tomorrow.” She’d be fine on her own. She was shaken up, but that didn’t mean he had to be worried too. “I can’t,” He admitted as he held his fingers together over his stomach, “Seeing you like that freaks me out too. Do you want to talk about it?” He asked her, sounding cautious as he spoke. She gulped hard, just feeling a little ridiculous over how she’d acted.

“I don’t know what I saw.” She said softly as she pulled her legs towards her chest. She still felt a little shaky as she thought about the figure that had been in the room. Her breath felt cold again. “Was it Logan again?” Billy’s eyes were soft as she met them again. She began to shake her head and then paused, sure that it was Logan’s eyes and his smile. She was truly beginning to feel haunted by him. 

“Partially,” She said, sounding even more unsure as she spoke. The shadow had no face, but somehow it did seem to be Logan. She was truly beginning to believe that she was losing her mind, “It won’t make sense if I describe it.” She said truthfully, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. 

“Can you draw it?” He asked gently, nudging her softly as his voice cleared out the negative thoughts that were beginning to grow again. He shifted back on the mattress, leaning over so he could turn the lamp on. She stared, following the shadow it casted until she was met with the wall again. She stared for the longest time, almost begging something to come forth. She felt like monsters would be better than imagining them. 

“Yeah,” She said at last, shifting a bit off of the bed. She moved just enough to tug her backpack towards her. She paused as her feet dangled off the bed, quickly moving them underneath her just in case something was lurking underneath. She pulled forth one of her notebooks and searched for a pencil for a moment, “It’s dumb.” She said, furrowing her eyebrows together. Billy looked at her curiously.

“I don’t think it’s dumb,” Billy said softly, “I just want to see what we’re dealing with.” She observed his relaxed features for a moment, her heart thumping a different rhythm as she repeated the word we in her mind. It sounded nice, it made her remember that she didn’t have to be alone.

She paused for a second before she nodded and turned to her paper. She pressed the tip of her pencil against the paper, trying to think of the best way to begin. Her chest still ached as she began to sketch it out to the best of her ability. She paused around the eyes, her chest growing tighter at how realistic they seemed to be. 

“Like that,” She said softly, feeling anxious at the way the eyes seemed to follow her, “It doesn’t make any sense.” She said at last, realizing that she had probably just seen a shadow from the moonlight. Billy observed the page before he turned towards her, his features soft. 

“No more scary movies,” He said at last as he gently flipped the notebook shut, “I’m sorry you keep having bad dreams.” Billy’s eyes were soft as he pulled her closer to him. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of his musk. He was warm as always and it sent a sense of comfort through her. 

“It’s not your fault,” Kim replied quickly as she laid her head against his shoulder, “I don’t know why my mind is being like, like this.” She gestured up towards her head, really not knowing how to finish her thoughts. Billy tilted her chin up towards him, a frown forming on his lips. 

“I don’t think it’s anything like that,” Billy reassured her, his eyes glancing over her features. He observed her for a long time, like he was trying to memorize the curve of her face, “It’s just night terrors, don’t worry.” His voice was softer as he spoke. She blinked for a moment, wondering if he even believed his own words. 

She breathed in deeply as she looked away, letting her long legs stretch out against the mattress. Her mind felt like it was racing still, unable to shut off as her heart continued to pound inside of her chest. She winced as she rubbed at her collarbone as another idea slid into her thoughts. 

“I don’t suppose you have anything to drink?” She whispered underneath her breath, staring straight towards the wall. She felt ashamed as she asked the question, even though she knew there was nothing to be ashamed of. She barely drank anyways. There was no problem with indulging every once in a while. 

“No,” Billy chuckled softly, “I haven’t had anything since your dad has been here. Do you want some weed?” He asked her, sounding a little more serious as she held onto him. She breathed in deeply, hoping that she was hiding her disappointment. She felt an itch forming against her tongue. 

“I better not,” She shrugged her shoulders, feeling like weed would only make her tired, “Thank you though.” She looked up at him, smiling as he brought his lips down against her forehead. He hummed against her skin for a second before he pulled away. 

“Do you want to make cookies?” His question took her by surprise as she looked towards him curiously. His eyes were softly, full of admiration as he watched her. She breathed in deeply, surprised at how relaxed he seemed to be. She thought that there was once a time where he wouldn’t have been happy about being woken up in such a manner. Perhaps she was wrong. 

“What?” She asked curiously, seeking clarity as she was sure that she had heard him wrong. Baking cookies seemed like such an odd thing for him to suggest, although the idea sounded nice. 

“You like sweets,” He grinned softly as he pushed the short strands of hair from her face, “Let’s make cookies. It’ll get your mind off of things.” He told her gently, his fingertip very slowly sliding down her forehead. He traced her eyebrows softly, sending shivers up her back as he drew lines underneath her eyes next. 

“It’s late,” She glanced at the clock behind him. She wrinkled her nose as he pressed down against the tip of it, “What if we wake someone up?” She asked him seriously, feeling like it wasn’t that fair to wake up Max or Sam. Billy shook his head, like she had nothing to worry about. 

“We won’t,” He promised her, already shifting off the bed to pull a pair of sweats over his feet, “Cookies sound good anyways.” She slowly slid off of the bed, shifting her nightgown down lower over her thighs. She stood up quickly, liking the idea of keeping her mind active instead of pouring over what she had imagined. 

“Okay,” She giggled as she followed him out into the room, holding onto his hand tightly. She felt herself stiffen at how dark it was, but quickly relaxed as Billy flicked one of the lights on. She looked ahead, feeling a bit relieved to see the door to the other room shut, “I don’t think we have chocolate chips.”

“Sugar cookies sound good,” He assured her quietly as he pulled one of the large bowls from the cupboards. She wondered what would happen to everything once they left, if Susan would try and keep the house, “Don’t you think?”

“I like sugar cookies,” She said gently as she stepped up behind him, “Those sound really good.” She added, thinking that they had powdered sugar too. She could make icing as well. The thought about it nearly made her stomach growl as she worked on mixing the ingredients up with him.

He flicked a gust of flour over her nose, smiling at the way she wrinkled in protest, “Cute.” She grinned as she wiped at her nose. She shook her head, wondering how offended he’d be if she pushed her floury hands through his hair.

“You’re funny,” She said instead, knocking her hip against his. He jolted back in surprise, his eyebrows raising as he looked at her, “Do you think this looks like a spider?” She asked him seriously, referencing the cookie she had been working on.

“Pretty damn close,” Billy said as he looked over her shoulder, “Halloween themed?” He questioned as he observed her cookies. Her pumpkins looked fairly good, but her ghost seemed to be a little lopsided. 

“I like Halloween.” She said simply. Where Billy seemed to struggle with this time of the year, Kim loved it. Not that she enjoyed the cold, but she did enjoy all of the holidays. They were fun, exciting. She wondered what the holidays were like for Billy. He never seemed too involved with the few that they’d spent together. 

“It’s not for another month,” He laughed softly, “It might be too spooky for you now.” He said gently, truly looking like he was concerned for her. She put on a happy face, knowing that there was nothing that could come between her and Halloween. 

“Oh please,” She shook her head, dismissing his claims, “Halloween has nothing to do with it. Oh, we should dress up this year.” She said slyly as she slid a pan of cookies into the oven. Billy had an eyebrow cocked, looking anything but impressed. 

“What?” He looked at her, a bit of disgust written on his features, “I don’t dress up.” He dismissed her statement completely. She parted her lips in surprise, feeling like he’d said the opposite not too long ago when she’d accused him of not dressing up.

“You did for Tina’s party,” She reminded him, narrowing her eyes playfully as she watched a hint of a smile form on his lips, “And Max said that mask was yours.” She said even more pointedly, feeling like he was hiding his enjoyment. 

“I’m not dressing up.” He said simply as he leaned against the counter. He crosses his arms, his muscular arms bulging. She thought that once he would’ve intimidated her, but she felt jittery feelings as she leaned over him. 

“I’ll think of something,” She said as she raked through her own thoughts. She pressed her fingers against his biceps, “Something cute that we can match as.” She said eagerly, feeling a little excited at the thought. She wondered what she’d have to do to convince Billy to dress up as a prince while she dressed as a princess. She doubted he’d go for that. 

“Halloween is for children.” He said as he tried to dismiss her idea. She furrowed her eyebrows together, not really thinking that he meant that. She wondered if he was beginning to get cranky from the lack of sleep he’d gotten.

“No it’s not,” She protested quickly, “We don’t have to go trick or treating. We can do whatever you want, just as long as we’re dressed up.” She giggled softly as she took in the way his features were contorted in dismay. She wrapped her arms around his thick waist, grinning as she pressed her nose up against his. 

“Mhm,” He sighed deeply as he rubbed his fingers along her soft skin, “I’ll think about it.” He promised her softly as he brushed his warm nose against her cold one again. She grinned in response, leaning forward enough so she could lightly ghost a kiss along his lips. 

“You don’t even have to wear a shirt,” She grinned again, dangling that fact over his head like it may work. He scoffed and shook his head, “I think it’ll be fun.” She nodded her head in confirmation, hoping that he really would think it over. He licked his bottom lip as he watched her, his irritation seeming to slide away within seconds. 

“Right,” He chuckled as he handed her the oven mitts, “Sounds very amusing.” He drew out his words slowly as he watched her with a certain fondness. She smiled as she took the oven mitts, thinking that he was surely agreeing to her plan. 

Kim searched through the cabinets for a while but was disappointed to figure out that they had no food coloring. Her cookies were forced to be a plain white color, but she thought that the design had still turned out nicely. She had munched on them, a book in her other hand while Billy sprawled out across the couch. He had fallen asleep sometime around two in the morning, but she remained wide awake.

She thought that the dark house might scare her, but Billy left her feeling comforted even though he had passed out when he had promised not to. She didn’t feel bitter or upset; she was rather happy that he had stayed up with her at all. 

When the sun began to rise she slowly slid off of the chair, gripping a pillow as she quickly placed it underneath Billy’s head. He rolled onto his side, still snoring as the sun began to peak through the treeline. She went to the room and dressed herself, trying to find something that she felt comfortable in. She had extra time to work on her makeup and her hair, but still struggled to find a style that fit her short cut.

She decided she may as well make breakfast and hoped that they would go through whatever groceries they had before they left. She didn’t think Sam had any plans to bring anything from the trailer. She hated to throw away food and felt even worse to think about it rotting in the house when it could go to someone in need. 

She decided on corn beef hash and was careful to leave a portion of it aside that didn’t include any eggs for Billy. She checked the time before she began to make some toast, figuring that everyone would begin waking shortly.

Billy was the first one to stir, and he grumbled something out before he was dragging himself to the room and then to the bathroom. Max was dragging herself out next, but was quickly angered by the fact that Billy was in the bathroom. It was almost like a routine with them. She would knock loudly and arrogantly until he was finished, and he would take even longer because she was knocking in such a manner.

“Smells good,” Sam was the last one up, but looked already dressed and cleaned. He placed a kiss against the top of her forehead as he pulled her in for a side hug, “How did you sleep?” He asked kindly. She tried to smile but all her lips did was twitch.

“Fine,” She lied as she shuffled on her feet, “I made cookies too.” She said softly as she gestured towards them. Sam didn’t question it, only smiled as he grabbed one that was supposed to be shaped like a witches hat. 

“You’ll get along with your stepmom,” He said softly, “She owns a bakery.” She felt her eyebrows curling in surprise, but couldn’t find the means to question him about it. She was still partially hurt, feeling like her and Max had been pushed to the side for someone else. 

“That’s good,” She nodded her head softly, no longer feeling hungry as she stared at her full plate of food, “I can’t wait.” She said, wishing her tone wasn’t as dry as what it sounded. She breathed in deeply as she reached up to play with the ends of her hair. She wished that it was longer, that Jason hadn’t put gum in it.

“Hey,” Billy grumbled, looking very tired as he stepped into the kitchen with his uniform on. His hair was tied back messily, the tops of his curls framing his head nicely, “Thanks.” He mumbled as she passed him his own plate. She nodded her head, feeling bad as she was sure the bags underneath his eyes were from her. 

“No problem,” She stabbed at her food, although her stomach was twisting in a way that made her keep it away from her mouth. She was beginning to grow nervous about going back to school. She was sure that Jason would be ten times worse than usual. She was beginning to accept that she should’ve just kept her mouth shut. She only had a few more days left regardless, “You’re going to have to find a new mechanic job.” She said softly, wondering if he would miss where he worked. He shrugged his shoulders as he scooped a large amount of food into his mouth.

“It’s all the same,” He dismissed any of her worries for him, “Anyways, Tommy will be there. I figured we could surprise him.” He kept his eyes to the plate, still eating as his shoulders tensed up. He had a hard time relaxing anytime Sam was near. It made Kim a little nervous to think about how they’d be living with an entirely different family and atmosphere. She wasn’t sure how Billy would react.

“Who's Tommy?” Sam looked over curiously as he nursed his coffee mug. Kim chewed on her bottom lip, ignoring the way Billy began to grumble and sink even further into his chair. 

“A friend,” Kim said gently, “He’s in college in San Diego right now.” She explained softly as she glanced towards Billy again. She thought that he was excited to see Tommy again, but was keeping it buried deep down. 

“Oh,” Sam smiled, looking quite happy, “See. Things usually work out for a reason.” He grinned as he drank his coffee. He walked around the counter, gripping the newspaper as he headed towards the couch. 

Kim met Billy’s eye, giving him a reassuring smile as she leaned her hand across the counter to grip his. He squeezed it softly, a look of content crossing his features. They inhaled at the same time and she wondered if they were sharing the same worries. 

//////////////

Kim waited for Jason to bump into her chair, for him to pretend to accidentally knock his bag against the back of her head and to call her a brother fucker. Nothing came forth. He ignored her completely, sitting in the back of the class far away from her. 

She was pleasantly surprised, taken aback even by how everyone seemed to be ignoring her now. She hadn’t been pushed or shoved today, nor had any group of girls laughed as she walked past them. She breathed in for the first time, feeling a certain relief that she hadn’t felt in weeks. She was glad for sticking up for herself. It sent a giddy feeling through her chest, made her a little happier. 

By second period Kim’s head was beginning to drop. She kept blinking her eyes hard and dramatically, trying to keep herself awake as they continued to discuss poetry. Usually she was fairly interested in English, but she felt like she was seconds from dozing off and knocking her head against her desk. 

“Rough night?” Robin whispered, leaning forward over her desk. Kim wiped at her mouth, realizing that she’d been drooling. She felt heat rushing forward to her cheeks as she nodded her head quickly, noticing the sly grin on Robin’s lips.

“Yeah,” She muttered in embarrassment as she tucked her hair behind her ear, “You could say that.” She shook at the memory of waking up. She still felt dumb, embarrassed over how easily she had freaked out. She felt an uneasy feeling spread through her as she rubbed the back of her neck. 

“Your hair looks pretty,” Robin offered gently, “I like it like that.” She said with a smile that reached her eyes. The blue was bright and dazzling; pretty. However, none seemed to be as pretty as Billy’s.

“Yeah,” Kim nodded her head, smiling gently, “Chrissy did a really good job with it.” She glanced up towards their teacher, making sure that their conversation hadn’t gone noticed. She looked back towards Robin, breathing in deeply at the curious expression that crossed Robin’s features.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” Robin said softly, her eyes soft as she glanced towards Kim. She quickly averted her eyes, like she was afraid of finding out the answer. Kim felt ashamed suddenly, thinking about her conversation with Steve yesterday. She wondered if he had spoken to her at all. 

“We were on a break for a while,” Kim muttered, feeling guilty as she looked towards Robin, “During Tommy’s party. We got back together after.” It wasn’t really a lie, even though Billy didn’t really think of them as being a couple before the party. She rubbed her hands over her elbows. 

“Oh.” Robin looked despondent as she spoke, her tone softer and lower than usual. Kim felt sickness spreading through her gut, unsure of how she could make things better for Robin. She felt like she had led her on in some sick and twisted way. 

“I’m sorry,” She said at last as she knitted her eyebrows together, “I should’ve been more clear from the beginning.” She spit out quickly, still whispering so no one else around them could hear. She didn’t want anyone to catch onto Robin, to treat her differently. Robin was kind and sweet. 

“You were really drunk,” Robin said softly, “It’s fine. It was just an experiment anyways.” She shrugged her shoulders, a half smile on her lips. Kim felt her own shoulders sagging, unsure of how she could make things better for Robin before she was gone for good. 

//////////////

“Are you hungry?” Kim asked as she approached Addi in the hallway. Addi shut her locker and ensured that it was locked before she turned to face Kim. Kim thought that she looked really pretty today in her blue dress and matching makeup.

Addi glanced towards the schedule on the wall, “Mhm, meatloaf. No, no I think I’m going to pass on lunch today.” Kim felt a smile tugging towards her lips, thinking about how horrid some of their food items were. Kim didn’t mind meatloaf, but the one that they served here was questionable. Not that it really mattered, her stomach was so twisted and tight that she couldn’t eat anyways. 

“Wanna sit in the library with me?” She asked, wondering if she they should talk in the bathroom instead. It would be easier to reach the toilet in case she started vomiting everywhere. She could feel the anxiety buzzing inside of her so greatly that she feared she may pass out. 

“Sounds perfect,” Addi grinned as they headed that way, “Lots of memories here.” Addi said again as they walked inside the double doors. It was quiet, the whole room empty besides the two of them. 

“Yeah,” Kim crooked her lips into a smile, “It’s where you first suggested that we work on losing our virginities.” She bit her lip after she spoke, still keeping her tone quiet in case anyone was around. She placed her bag in the spare chair and began to root through to search for her homework. She wasn’t sure why she was even doing it, as the likelihood of it being graded by tomorrow was slim. 

“Ooh scandalous,” Addi laughed as she plopped down loudly into her chair. She sighed as she swung her legs over the side of the chair, dangling them dramatically as she tried to get comfortable, “Don’t need to worry about that anymore.” She snorted softly, referencing what had happened since then. They fell into a comfortable silence as Kim began to rake through her mind, wondering what would be the best way to break the news. 

“So,” Kim started slowly as she bent the pages of her notebook, “You know how my dad came to visit?” She stared down at her notebook paper, too afraid to really make eye contact with Addi. She chewed on her bottom lip, already fearing how she was going to state the news. 

“Yeah?” Addi looked up from her homework, “How’s that going?” She asked, sounding a little cautious as she spoke. Addi didn’t know as much as Billy knew, but she knew enough. Kim shrugged her shoulders as she thought about it. It wasn’t going bad, but not necessarily good either. She supposed his visit fell somewhere in between. “He’s moving us,” She said at last, once she found her confidence, “Back to San Diego. He’s the legal guardian for Max.” She added a little explanation as to why they would have to go. Max had agreed to it, everything other than that didn’t matter. 

“What?” Addi’s dark eyes went wide in disbelief, “No, you can’t move. Tell him to go back, you guys are fine here.” She said quickly, kicking her feet back onto the floor so she was facing Kim this time. Kim sighed deeply as she glanced back at the table. 

“I wish it was that easy,” Kim said over the lump that was forming in the back of her throat, “I can’t leave Max behind.” She said at last, knowing that there was no way she’d keep such a great distance between her and Max. Not to mention, she feared that she may never see Max again if she did head out to California. 

“Your mom won’t be in jail that long,” Addi said quickly, “You’ll be back.” She said sternly, nodding her head like there was no room to disagree. Kim felt a light smile press onto her lips. She had been mulling it over the past few days, unsure of how that would even work. Susan had no money. How would she keep the trailer? How would she afford to get to California? Kim had a feeling she’d be graduating in San Diego. 

“Maybe,” Kim said instead. She wanted to stay optimistic. She was sure that if she kept thinking negatively, then her experience would be negative. She would be fine. Max would be fine. Billy would be fine, “I hope it won’t be that long.” She said honestly, but didn’t really know if she would stay in Hawkins past graduation anyways. 

“I feel so shitty,” Addi admitted, her shoulders slumping forward as she looked at Kim, “I shouldn’t have acted how I did.” She said softly, her features contorting into grief. Kim felt terrible suddenly, not wanting her friend to feel in such a manner.

“I would’ve done the same thing,” Kim admitted bitterly as she thought about if Billy had been in the opposite situation, “It’s all in the past now.” She linked her fingers together, meaning it as Addi stared ahead with soft eyes. She looked as if she was going to say something, before she ultimately decided against it. 

“Kim,” Addi was cautious for a moment, “I think I’m the reason all those rumors were spread. The ones about you and Billy.” She drew her sentence out slowly, her eyes dropping to the table as she did her best to avoid Kim’s gaze.

“What?” Kim’s word became broken up as she spoke. She felt like she had a dagger placed in her heart. She waited for Addi to continue before she let the dagger fully pierce her heart. 

“I didn’t tell anyone,” She defended herself quickly, “The night you wanted to key Billy’s car, Eddie was questioning why you were acting so weird and I said you guys were close. I didn���t mean it in that sense but I think he caught on.” She explained quickly, moving her hands around wildly as she spoke. Kim knitted her eyebrows together. 

“Did you outright tell him?” She asked Addi curiously, feeling a little confused as to why Addi thought that was her starting rumors. Unless she was admitting that Eddie had done it, but it didn’t sound to be that way. 

“No,” Addi said quickly, “All I said was that you guys were close and you didn’t like his new girlfriend.” She mumbled as she pressed her fingers together. Kim looked at her for a long moment, thinking about that night once again. Kim had acted fairly obvious, the more that she thought about it. 

“Then why are you apologizing?” Kim asked her seriously, unsure of Addi’s actions. She thought it was fairly silly for Addi to blame herself when it didn’t sound like she’d done anything at all. 

“Because I feel terrible,” Addi admitted, “I shouldn’t have even said anything.” She mumbled underneath her breath, looking as if she’d just been kicked. Kim’s eyebrows slowly released.

“It’s kinda funny,” Kim said at last, her lips curling up into a grin, “I mean it’s not funny. I just can’t see anything wrong with what you said.” She told Addi honestly. She hadn’t mentioned anything about Billy and her being together. There was nothing else to the situation. She was sure the rumor was started by Carol or Jason, someone else who had been at the party and watched Billy escort her out. Perhaps it had been before that, when she had to drag a drunken Billy back to the car.

“I’m going to miss you.” Addi said at last, her dark eyes wide and remorseful. Kim felt a sickening feeling growing inside of her chest, knowing how badly she’d be missing Addi too. She would take her too, if she was allowed to do so. The more Kim thought about it, the more she was unsure if Addi would go anyways. She seemed too attached to Eddie, so much that she may grow old in Hawkins. 

“I’m going to miss you too,” Kim said truthfully, unsure of how she was supposed to get by with the one true friend that she’d made, “Maybe you could come and visit.” She suggested instead, thinking that visitations could work for the two of them. 

“Maybe you’ll be back before then,” Addi said hopefully, “You have to call me everyday or at least write to me.” She said eagerly, the look in her eye told Kim that there was no way to protest against it. Not that Kim would. She wanted to keep in touch with Addi. 

“Of course I will,” Kim grinned at her friend, “I’ll keep you updated on everything.” She promised her as she continued to fumble with the papers from her notebook. Addi nodded her head, still looking a little remorseful. 

“I’ll keep you updated on all the good gossip,” Addi promised as she reached forward to grip Kim’s hands, “Although, I’m sure you’ll have much more interesting things to tell me.” She said softly, her dark eyes flashing with amusement. 

“I doubt it,” Kim said honestly as she squeezed Addi’s hands against her own, “I’ll probably eat lunch in the bathroom.” She said truthfully, thinking about how hard it would be to make friends again. She was sure she had been long forgotten with the previous group that she had. Not that she really wanted to go crawling back to them. 

“Don’t say that,” Addi said softly, “You have such a good heart. Someone will see that and want to be your friend. Not your best friend though. That’s reserved.” Addi told her seriously, sounding a little stern as she spoke. Kim giggled in response, nodding her head in a silent promise. 

“Solely for you,” Kim promised with a half smile, “I really hate to go.” She admitted slowly as she twisted her fingers together again. She breathed in deeply. She’d miss Addi, but most of all she was going to miss Susan. Susan had worked a lot before, but she would always come home. Kim didn’t want to leave her behind, especially knowing that she would be all alone. 

“It’s for your dad though,” Addi smiled gently, “It sounds like he really wants to try.” She offered up sweetly. Kim bit her lip and nodded her head, wishing that it was that easy to believe. 

“I guess,” Kim shrugged her shoulders, “It’ll be fine as long as he stays sober.” She muttered as she tucked her short hair behind her ears. She still felt bad talking about Sam in such a manner, but tried to remind herself that she was correct. Sam had been a drunk before and an absent father. She only hoped that he really would change his behavior. 

///////////////

“Lucas has a game,” Max said, sounding slightly withdrawn, “I’m going to miss it.” She was sitting on the opposite side of the couch, but her legs were mingled with Kim’s. Sam was putting the few bags that had been packed away in his car. He had been rambling about the different places he wanted to stop on the way there, but Kim had full plans to ride with Billy. 

“Maybe we could still go,” Kim said softly, noticing how the top of her hair was growing out to be the same length as the bottom part, “I’m sure he’d like that.” She said quickly, thinking that it would be fun to watch him play anyways. 

“I don’t want to go,” She said suddenly, “I don’t want to say goodbye.” She admitted as she rested her cheek against the side of the chair. Kim felt bad for Max the most out of all of them. She was so young and had moved back and forth so many times. She’d gone through so much at such a young age. 

“Leaving without saying anything is worse,” She told Max gently, knowing that it would break Lucas’s little heart to find out she was just gone, “I’ll go with you.” She nodded her head, thinking that it would be good for Max to have someone else be with her. 

“You hate basketball.” Max furrowed her eyebrows together as she leaned away from the couch. She looked towards Kim in disbelief, like it was a crazy thought. Kim felt her lips pulling into a smile. 

“I used to go to Billy’s games,” She said honestly as she thought about it. She never knew much about the points or well, why they were actually playing but she did like watching Billy perform, “I have no idea what is happening but it’s good for support.” She nodded her head softly, thinking about how Neil never went to any of the games. 

“You really care for him.” Max said at last, her tone gentle and calm. She held Kim’s eyes for a moment and Kim could see a soft and serene look to them. Kim tilted her head, unsure of why Max would question it. 

“Of course,” Kim said quickly, looking at Max a little confused, “When did I make you think otherwise?” She asked, feeling a little worried. She hoped that she hadn’t done anything wrong. She glanced over her shoulder, looking down the hallway where Billy had collapsed onto the bed as soon as he’d gotten home. Kim, per her new usual, was still wide awake. 

“You didn’t,” Max said, “It’s just weird thinking about how long ago that was and you weren’t even together yet.” She said, a soft laugh coming forth as if she had missed many signs along the way. Kim blinked, unsure of how to answer for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she had longed for Billy for that long, but perhaps she had just buried the feelings far down. 

“Oh,” Kim nodded her head, “I guess that is a little odd.” She said as she finally found the words to speak. She wasn’t sure if they were the right ones to say, but it was true. She began to overthink, wondering if she had truly missed little details through their journey. 

Her thoughts were interrupted as Sam walked back into the house. He glanced at them as he rubbed his palms against his jeans and stepped forward. He looked between the two of them, a soft smile on his lips. 

“Max, do you care if I talk to Kim alone for a minute?” He asked as he pushed his fingers through Max’s short hair. Kim thought that her and Max looked fairly similar now with their short haircuts. Max knitted her eyebrows together but nodded her head regardless.

“Sure,” She untangled her shorter legs from Kim’s long ones as she nodded her head. She glanced between them, a sense of concern crossing her features for just a split moment, “I’ll just be in the room.” Max gestured that way as she walked slowly, letting Kim know that she’d have her ear pressed against the door the whole time. 

“So,” Sam drew out as he rubbed his palms against his jeans again. He glanced around before he ultimately decided to join her on the couch. She kicked her feet off, sitting up a bit to adjust herself, “Who said I love you first?” He finally asked. She stared at him confused, wondering why he’d kicked Max out for this question. 

“Um, I did,” She stopped for a moment to think her answer over, “Well, I guess technically he did.” She piped up quickly, feeling a little embarrassed as she remembered how she had stalled when he’d told her that for the first time. She tucked her hair behind her ears, darting her eyes away from Sam’s inquisitive ones. 

“Smart guy,” Sam smiled softly, “When is your anniversary?” Kim paused, her eyes widening as she was reminded that she had no idea when it was. Her lips parted then shut as she was unable to come up with a lie quick enough. Sam was making her nervous, but she quickly reminded herself that he inquired a lot anyways. He liked knowing about things and people. There was nothing wrong with him asking about her love life. 

“I don’t know,” She laughed nervously as she tucked her hair behind her ears, “I’m so terrible with dates. Billy knows.” She played it off, blinking rapidly as she tried to control the racing in her chest. Her heart was still sore from the attack that she’d faced this morning. She didn’t understand why Sam needed to ask all of this in private.

He was quiet for a moment and she was sure that when he spoke again he was going to reveal the truth. She’d already decided that they’d make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. Susan and Neil were no longer married, so Kim and Billy were no longer classified as siblings. It would be fine. 

“You don’t seem happy,” Sam said at last, “I just want to know what I can do to make it better.” His tone was gentle and his words were even softer as he spoke. She stared at him, feeling in disbelief as she watched him. She didn’t think there was any way for him to make it better. He had been lying from the moment he’d arrived. He had plans to whisk them away from day one and he didn’t even have the decency to admit that he had another full family without them. 

“Whose Russell?” She demanded Sam, feeling a flame beginning to lick at the inside of her chest, “And why would you keep him a secret?” She asked even harsher as all of her feelings began to bubble up at once. Sam glanced away as he kept his hands locked together. 

“It’s not a secret,” Sam sighed deeply, looking a little taken aback by Kim’s behavior, “He’s my stepson. I just didn’t want to overwhelm you two.” He said quietly and Kim felt even more confused. Not saying anything was easier than showing up in California to realize he had a new family?

“I don’t get it.” She said softly, a lump forming in the back of her throat. 

“Don’t get what?” He sounded concerned as he turned towards her. She stared up at his brown eyes, finding no comfort in them this time. She felt like she was speaking to a stranger, someone she didn’t really know. She wondered if she had ever known Sam anyways. This version of him was different, one that she had craved for such a long time. Now that she had him, she didn’t know what to do. 

“How you can sit there and act like everything is fine, like everything will be fine when you left us. You left us behind and you’ve been raising someone else’s kid when we’ve been right here.” She said harshly, her voice cracking as she thought about the statement more and more. She didn’t understand how he could be there for someone else when he couldn’t be there for his own flesh and blood. 

“Your mother ran before I could do anything,” Sam looked at her pleadingly, “I want to make it up to the both of you.” He was begging her, sounding desperate. She wanted to retort back that it didn’t matter. She was going with him regardless. She wouldn’t leave Max behind, that wasn’t an option. She didn’t have to be happy about it. 

“But before mom took us?” She asked him, “What about when she was working and you were drinking yourself stupid? You weren’t there either.” She gestured out towards him, knowing that her words were hurtful but true. Sam’s eyes turned downcast. 

“I know, I know I wasn’t,” Sam scooted forward a bit, like he wanted to reach for Kim’s hands. She didn’t want to touch him, not now, “But I’m here now.” He said quickly, acting like he really could make it better for her. She didn’t want it to be too late, but she was too hurt to think rationally at the moment. 

“I had to wake Max up every morning and get her ready for school. And I had to start her baths and figure out what to do for dinner. I had to hide money in my room away from you. I had to listen to mom complain about you and I wasn’t allowed to cry because you left,” She spit out harshly, blinking away her own tears, “I get that you’re here now, but I don’t need you now. I needed you then.” She said at last, feeling like that tied all of her feelings up into a neat little bow. Sam stared at her, looking remorseful and like he was seconds from breaking down into his own tears. 

“I know, Kim,” Sam’s voice shook, “I’m sorry.” He apologized at last. She was sure that it was the first time that she’d ever heard those words come from his lips. 

“That’s the first time you’ve told me that,” She wiped her eyes as she laughed, her heart feeling bruised and broken, “I can’t pretend to be happy with your new wife and son.” She spit out quickly, feeling like her world was slowly falling apart. She wondered if this is how Billy felt when he’d found out Neil was marrying someone else. 

“Who said anything about pretending to be happy?” He looked at her seriously, “They have a complicated past too. We’re all broken, but we’ll be a family.” He reasoned with her, like it was something easy to say. She shook her head, feeling like he wasn’t even listening to her. 

“I thought we already were.” She mumbled, wiping at her eyes. She felt ridiculous for crying. There was no reason to cry at all. 

“Give it a chance,” Sam said seriously, “If things don’t work out, I’ll help you get an apartment with Billy.” He offered her, taking her by surprise. She paused mid sniffle as she turned to stare at him, sure that he was lying. He looked towards her truthfully, nodding his head like he completely supported his decision. 

“What?” She searched for clarity, still sure that she had heard him wrong. He had gone from no money and now he could support a house and an apartment for her and Billy? She didn’t get it. She breathed in deeply as she waited for him to say that it was all some joke. 

“I messed up a lot of things for you, I just want you to be happy,” Sam said gently, “And he makes you happy. We can work through this.” He said slowly, calmly as he waited for her to absorb all of the new information. She felt her hands falling limp on her lap as she tried to sort through everything. She wondered what Max would say if she moved out with Billy. 

“Does your new family know about us?” She asked at last, feeling like it wasn’t fair for them to be blindsided either. She wondered what lies Sam had spoken to them in order to make his way out here. 

“Of course and they knew I was going to do whatever I could to bring you both back,” Sam’s lips curled up into a partial smile, “I guess luck was on my side this time.” He said gently and she suddenly felt weak all over again. Sam was happy, he was moving on. And he would continue to move on whether or not she was involved with him. It was her decision. 

“What are they like?” She asked softly as she crossed her arms over her stomach. She felt nauseous, sick as she thought about him being happy with his new family without her. She still didn’t think that any of this was fair. 

“Well,” Sam smiled gently, “Like I said, we have a bakery. She’s really good at cooking and with kids. She used to be a babysitter, ya know? Russell is just a handful at times, but in a good way. I think he and Max would get along really well.” He rambled on, his eyes looking bright and happy. She wondered if he got that same look when he talked about them. She was certain he didn’t look that happy when he spoke of Susan. 

“That’s good,” She said softly, briefly, “Fun.” She nodded her head, wishing that things wouldn’t be so tense between them. She breathed in deep and slow, knowing that it was immature to hold a grudge. Sam deserved to be happy too. She could forgive him; she would forgive him. 

“I wish I had been a better father towards you,” Sam admitted, “I’m hoping I can make that up.” He added again as his hand brushed against hers. She paused for a long time before she linked their fingers together. She felt like breaking down into tears but wouldn’t do that. She didn’t want to seem childish. She was eighteen, she was an adult now and there was no point in crying. 

“I do too.” She said, although part of her was wondering if it was too late. 

She had busied herself after that, pretending like she was working on homework although her mind was really just racing. She had so many different thoughts and questions and had no idea how to process any of them. 

“Billy,” Sam looked over at him once he’d entered the room, “When is your anniversary? Kim said to ask you.” She felt her face flush and her eyes widen again as she snapped her head back towards him. She felt mortified, completely humiliated from being thrown under the bus. 

“Uh,” Billy stalled, the cigarette nearly dropping from his lips as he turned towards her. She shrunk down in her chair, fearing what his answer might be, “June twenty third. Although, I liked her a long time before that.” She furrowed her eyebrows together, taking the date into mind until she realized it was when they’d agreed to stop seeing other people. She felt a warmth spreading through her chest as she stared at him, her heart beating to the rhythm of his words. 

///////////////

“You know,” Billy rolled over to face her, a mischievous look painted in his eyes, “When I pick you up tomorrow, I could give ya a fat kiss in front of everyone.” He grinned as he ran his thick fingers against her soft sides. She felt her eyes widening in shock. 

“Oh gosh,” She blushed, shaking her head to hide her own giggles, “Let’s not do that.” She said quickly, feeling like she may die from embarrassment from just the thought. She couldn’t imagine actually kissing him in front of people that thought of them as siblings. 

“Why?” He was still grinning but sounded a bit serious, “Chances are you’ll never see anyone again.” He reminded her as he leaned a little closer. She raised her eyebrows wide, feeling like he was missing the point. 

“So,” She giggled softly, “That would only prove the rumors as being true.” She reminded him this time, feeling like Jason would get a kick out of being right. She didn’t want that to be true, even if she was happy with Billy. Jason didn’t deserve to have that satisfaction. 

“They are true,” He chuckled, “You’re a brother fucker.” His tone was slightly less playful, more lustful as he stared at her. She wrinkled her nose as she shook her head, ignoring the feelings that were bubbling inside of her chest. 

“Gross,” She groaned as she covered her face with her hands, “Why do you have to say it like that?” She asked playfully, feeling like that term shouldn’t be used when they weren’t fucking. He laughed. 

“You were just moaning for your brothers not too long ago.” He said, pretending to sound confused as if he was thinking about it. She gasped as she sat up, looking up at him to see if he was being serious. He cracked a grin at her. 

“Oh my god,” She breathed out quickly, pushing against his chest, “You’re so embarrassing.” She told him quickly, although she was smiling too. She was still partially embarrassed but she was sure he was enjoying it. He enjoyed teasing her as much as he could. 

“Am I?” He asked seriously, leaning over her to press kisses against her forehead and cheek. He lightly dug his fingertips into her soft ribs, pressing his digits into her flesh gently. She giggled loudly, trying to move away, “You know we’re not siblings anymore, right?” He questioned her softly. 

“Mhm,” She nodded her head in agreement, “I don’t think that matters to anyone else.” She said at last, thinking that this town would still talk about them. She didn’t like the fact that people would whisper even when they were gone. 

“Fuck everyone else,” Billy said, cupping her chin softly, “You’re all that matters.”

[luckyshotwrites]

Ch. 41 // Then Starve // Day 26

Contents (Warnings): Pretty peaceful...ain't it? (safe soft vore mentions, small cute bobean moments, some teasing, intense stuff to come, and as always character/monster info).

Wordcount: 4015

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(Oct. 13th, Thursday)

I groaned aloud, hearing my alarm going off, or what I thought was my alarm until my half-asleep brain put it together. Someone's calling me. I answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, hey! Guess what I have for you!” Claudia’s voice pattered excitedly on the speaker.

I pulled back the phone, looking at the time that flashed on the screen. It was 3 in the morning. I should have gotten at least thirty more minutes of sleep.

“Why do you make it sound like you’re right outside my apartment?”

“Because I am!” She cheered.

I jumped out of bed, “YOU’RE NOT!” I scrambled over in my hoodie to my room door and stopped as she was laughing.

“I’m kidding; you know we can’t find your house unless you take us there yourself,” Claudia said.

“Right...” I grumbled. I'm mad I fell for her scare. I lowered my voice to listen to Wick's side of the wall and see if I woke him. My ear pressed on it. “So why are you calling me at 3 in the morning?”

“The bet we made, remember, I have something I want you to try.”

I pushed the phone closer to my mouth and whispered, “oh, come on, I-I know what everyone is now. I didn’t fail the bet.” I didn't hear anything, so I walked back to my bed.

A suspicious hum raised in her voice. “I did say until Saturday night, but I didn’t ask you at the end, so go ahead, tell me!”

I sat down on the covers and felt the motor in my head trying to turn. I yawned and spoke, “Tila’s a fairy, Beatrice-” I didn’t like saying her name. “She’s a beast…variation insect?” 

I waited, and Claudia told me to go on,

“Drake’s a vampire beast, Xander’s a wendigo and magus, Zilla and Zane are both nagas mixed with mimic….” She didn’t stop me. “Elliot’s a werewolf, June’s a slime, Tristan’s a slime, Sandra’s a Magus, Viola’s a siren, Lev’s a Dragon, You’re a Fae, and Edgar is a vampire beast.”

Claudia chuckled, “More than I thought you’d get right, but before I point out the one you got wrong, what kind of dragon is Lev, and what kind of Fae am I?”

I searched my thoughts. I got one wrong? Who? And shoot, I don;' then I realized Drake never told me what Dragon Lev was and what Fae Claudia was. I wanted to call Drake and ask him, yet I didn’t think Claudia would buy the "my signal dropped, but I know the answer" excuse.

I let my shoulders drop, “I don’t know.”

She clapped over the receiver. “That’s fine, I don’t know what Dragon Lev is either, so you could have said anything, and I would have believed you.” She laughed so innocently. “And myself, I’m a Sunless Fae. You can tell by the faintness of my colors and the lack of vegetation over my body like other Sun-graced Fae.” She seemed more than happy to share it with me. 

Maybe that’s an excellent way to distract her in the future? “And who did I get wrong?”

“Edgar, he’s a vampire, not a vampire beast like Drake. I think that’s from his mom's side.”

“So even if I found out what you were and Lev, I would have failed because I assumed he was the same as Drake.”

“Well. I’ll give you a good job in person on Saturday for the handwork you did asking everyone!”

I muttered with guilt, “y-yeah.” Then realized it was Thursday. “You don’t even work today! Why did you say it like you were coming to give it to me today!”

I could hear her giggles, “sorry! I’m super excited and wanted to tell you a little about it!”

“Okay…”

There was a devious “hue, hue” from beyond the receiver. She was like a cutesy anime villain. “It’s another potion that’ll shrink you, but instead of four inches tall, you’ll be half your size this time!”

“No!” I exclaimed and heard her laugh again.

“I’m kidding~ It’s to allow you to breathe underwater.” 

“Oh…? Why?”

“Why? Don’t humans dream of breathing underwater? Or did that movie lie to me?”

It would be cool. Sandra’s warning entered my head again. What’s the catch? What would- My panic increased. “What is it going to do to me, Claudia? It-IT’S NOT GOING TO TURN ME INTO A FISH, IS IT?!?”

Claudia laughed, “it’ll be okay, Lynette.”

“YOU DIDN’T-” I lowered my volume. “You can’t just- it’ll be okay me, and not answer whether it will or not.”

I couldn’t tell whether she was joking, “if you’re a fish, Alexander won’t want to eat you."

“But, I’ll be a Fish!!!” I mumbled, “please, do not turn me into a fish.”

“I think you’ll look cute!”

“Claudia, I’m begging you! Anything else, ANYTHING.”

Claudia sighed, “well, I did say it’d get you…so…I guess I could just do what everyone else does and eat you.”

Disgust stabbed my gut. “You don’t sound like you want that….” And I really don’t either. 

“I’d rather try the potion.” She pouted. “I think you’ll really like it.”

I groaned out aloud. Do I want to be a fish or get eaten…ahhhh! I hate having to make this choice. I could die as a fish-I COULD DIE GETTING EATEN. 

“I-I’ll think about it.”

I could hear her a "harumph" over the speaker, “Lynette, I want the answer now!”

“I don’t want either option!”

“You gotta pick one, or let me pick the potion!”

“Fine-Claudia-I'll pick” What happened to me yesterday played in my head. “potion...as long as I'll be 100% safe.”

“Wait, really?! Yes! Thank you! It’ll be so much fun! Promise!!” She squealed with glee, “have a great day then!” She hung up after, and I banged the phone on my head.

“Would I rather be a fish than a snack?" I looked at the time, sighing. I didn't see a point in trying to rest anymore. "Life does sound simpler, and at least none of them would eat a fish.”

…

I didn’t get to work at the same time as June today. Instead, it was Alexander. His gaze at least looked a lot tamer, though it still made me feel uncomfortable.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked, out of instinct to take the attention off myself.

The question looked to piss him off, but he stopped before he replied and smirked, “yeah, but I’ll be feeling even better tonight.”

“Yeah?” It took me a second to realize what he meant. “Come on! Xander, I HAVE TWO LUNCH PERIODS. TWO!” I exclaimed. “Can’t you give me-”

He stopped me at the door, “you had four days where I DID nothing to you. That’s plenty.” His eyes fixated deeply on me.

I couldn’t meet hungry cloud blue hue nor look at any other part of him, “I was attacked twice yesterday! By Beatrice and Lev!”

“Tsk.” He grumbled, “don’t remind me.” He stepped out of the way and opened the door. He let me pass him. “You could have avoided both of them if you let me eat you every time.”

I whined out, putting my hands to my face, “it’s like you ignore me when I try to explain; I DO NOT WANT TO BE EATEN BY ANYONE-” Why can’t they be normal?! I tried to hurry ahead.

“And you ignore me when I say you’re what I EAT.”

My feet didn't let me move anymore. My body refused to run. I flipped back and faced Alexander. He stopped walking. I shouted weakly, “TH-En STarVE!”

…

Alexander

Her unexpected yet scared declaration made him smile. Primarily due to the crack in her voice. 

She pulled back, “I-I don’t mean die-I meant not-” She fumbled, losing her ground.

He took a step forward, "you know I was starting to pity you just a bit.” He showed her his fingers close together, “but after that, I think I’m fully justified.”

The panic worked up in her eyes, “Wha-no-” He started to laugh and passed her. She called out from behind him, “oh, you jerk, you're lying!”

He felt well enough to talk to her, but his hunger was getting stronger. At least I know it hasn’t affected my Appetite. 

He thought to himself. He got to the time clock. Everyone had already started. As he scanned in, he felt more of what was to come. If I get Lynette for lunch during this shift...win the game later... He tried to contain his smile. And keep her into the night. I won't have to feel hungry for the rest of the day.

…

Lynette

What am I going to do? We’re not playing a game during this first shift. I didn’t want to be inside him. And even if I don’t get put in the same lunch bracket as him, I still have to avoid him by running away. 

“Morning.”

I clutched the spray bottle and rag when I jumped.

It was Drake.

“Mo-morning!” I said, followed by a weak smile. I tried to meet his eyes, but his bangs hid them as usual.

He held up some supplies. “We’re both cleaning today.”

“Twinsies.” I gave a light cheer. I don’t hate him. He’s helped me a lot since I’ve been here. 

“I’ll get the boy's bathroom if you get the girl's.” He walked with me to them.

I nodded, “sounds like a plan.” Maybe I should ask...no. Remember Lynette, Alexander is his best friend. He’s not going to say anything about him... My lip quivered with desperation, and against my thoughts, I called out.

“Drake!”

He flinched and flicked back, “uh-huh? Is everything okay? Did you want the guys' bathroom-”

I put my hands together, clapping the rag to the bottle. “What can I do about Xander?” 

“Him?” Drake let out a handful of chuckles, all very light and weighed with nervousness. “What do you mean?” He played dumb.

“Please!” I moved closer. “I got eaten twice yesterday, and he doesn’t even care-” I exhaled, “I don't even want one time, but I REALLY don’t want twice.”

“You’d have to be something different than a human for him to lose interest.” Drake shrugged, “other than that, I can’t help.” he looked to burden a thought in his head. “-he has to finish off that deal with you. And after that, who knows, he might relax.”

I dropped my arms. It's not that easy. “Thanks anyway.” 

Drake reached out to me when I tried to get to work. He tapped my shoulder and brought his hand back quickly after. He got the attention he wanted.

“I didn’t mention the game to him, but it involves you getting to a goal and the others trying to take you to their goal, like football, except you’re the ball.” Drake pointed his pointer finger from each hand up, “I picked it because I know Lev and Alexander would fight amongst themselves.” Drake gestured to his own body, “and if I won today, I would just want your blood, not eating you.”

“The needle or-” I hesitated, my hand with the rag going to my neck unconsciously. “Biting?”

Drake combed his bangs over his face with a slight huff, “needle, or were you offering...” He stiffened up and shook his head. He turned around with his hands up. “No. It'll be the needle. It’s not a crescent moon yet.”

He walked into the respective bathroom after I said thank you.

I entered mine, and it generally wasn’t too dirty. Viola cleaned them throughout the day, so they were much better than most I've been in. 

I looked into the last mirror I passed. Why do they think of food when they look at a human? I went to the last stall. I wouldn’t want to eat anyone, especially if they didn’t want me to. I felt hurt by my own hypothetical. What if they started crying? I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone. 

The other monsters don’t seem to care about that. “I don’t see a point playing catch up with you. A year is nothing to me.” I scrubbed a little faster. It’s not like I’m asking to be friends, Lev. I’m just asking for you to have some consideration. At least Xander- 

No, I am not going to justify either of them. Xander’s a jerk, too. He always acts like I’ve said something wrong or goes straight to eating me. There’s no in-between with him…I reached behind the toilet. I guess I did tell him to starve earlier, didn’t I? I groaned. BUT WHEN I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS OKAY, HE TURNED IT INTO SOMETHING ABOUT EATING ME! He could eat anyone, any other human. But no. 

I got up after scrubbing the first one. Alexander probably does it for the same reason Lev does, because I hate it. 

I slapped my cheeks. Focus on the good stuff, Lynette. I reminded myself. My vacation's coming up in a week or two.

... 

Drake and I walked to the kitchen together and met with June, who patted his clothes, brushing off some frost.

“Hey guys, sorry I missed you coming in. I arrived early to help count the delivery and put everything in the freezer. How are you both?”

“Tired,” Drake said.

“Fine, thanks. How are you?” 

“A little chilly,” he said with a shiver. “I think I’m gonna make some tea during break,” he tweeted, “did you guys want some?” 

“Sure,” Drake said.

“Please.” I suspiciously glanced at Drake, “you drink tea?”

“It doesn’t do anything for me, but I like the heat.” He tapped at his abdomen, “liquids are the only thing my body can process.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink anything but blood. I thought before looking back at June, “and are slimes not hurt by the cold?”

June laughed, “I can regulate my body’s temperature,” he did a triumphant pose. “You are right though, extreme cold will turn me into a” he paused, then frantically looked at Drake and me. “What are those things called. They’re a human thing, frozen sticks.”

“Frozen sticks?” Drake pulled back in thought.

“Popsicles?”

June jumped up, “yes! That-I’d be one of those!”

“awh! No!” I squeaked.

June assured me with a few pats, “it’s okay. I can recover from being too cold.” He added, “not extreme heat; I’ll melt if there’s too much.”

“Then don’t drink tea! It’s hot!” My voice rushed out once we got to break room 3, across from one.

“As long as I don’t fall into a giant teacup of boiling tea and simmer in it for an hour or two, I’ll be okay!”

Oddly specific. Too specific. HAS SOMEONE TRIED TO HURT YOU?! I yelled in my head. I might have asked to switch to this shift if it wasn't for Beatrice. 

Everyone was at the table toward the back center, and chairs pulled up for us. Beatrice was not here today, luckily. Instead, Zane was here. And Elliot was on one of the couches, sleeping.

He sleeps a lot. I thought as June leaned over the table.

“I’m gonna make some peppermint tea. Anyone want some?” 

Alexander said no, while Tila and Zane said yes. 

“Hey, Len,” Zane said to me. Charletta used to call me that, and then Wicks, to be different, turned the nickname into a bean name. The thought made me smile.

His gaze pricked at my neck when I opened my mouth to say hi back. It left when Tila told me hello as well. What happened? I sat in my seat, and Zane's smile returned.

Then, June looped an arm under mine and got me up.

“You were worried about the tea, so come check this out!”

June tugged me along to the kitchen portion of the room. I helped him boil some water for the tea. And when it was done, he got a cup and lifted it to his lips.

“Look at this!” He lifted up his shirt with his free hand and drank it.

His abdomen started to change from a normal skin color to the faint baby blue like the other day, and I saw the liquid he drank through him. My eyes were fixated on the marvel as he exhaled, finishing it off. And after a few more seconds, the tea started to lose its color and disappear.

“Isn’t that cool!”

“What happened to it?”

June let his shirt fall, “so if I drink liquids, I can make them into goo.”

“Does that happen with solids too?” I asked quietly.

He gave a shake of his head. “No. It takes a while for my body to deplete solid stuff of all the energy and then get rid of it.” He then turned to get out some mugs before the tea got cold. “And it’s really gentle with living things I eat.”

“Oh,” I keep forgetting, “so you eat people too?”

June nodded, “sometimes. It’s usually if someone asks.” He hugged his body with a big grin, “I’ve had a lot of people tell me it’s very comfy and calming inside me.” He’d blush if he could. “They’re so nice.”

He seems way too innocent to be a monster. I said to myself. Not that I assumed monsters were bad, but he was just one of the nicest I’ve met besides Viola and Drake.

I helped June carry the mugs back.

I sat next to Drake, and the extra mug we brought, June, took it to Elliot. Elliot woke up and growled but saw the drink and groggily came over. He brought over a chair and put it in between the space June, and I had.

He didn’t quite hold the same intimidation as the others. His was a silent judgment. Which still bothered me.

“Who wanted the first half of lunch break?” Elliot asked after his first sip.

Alexander and I looked at each other, sitting on opposite sides of the table. I pulled away first. If I end up at the same time as him, I’m really screwed.

First, Tila spoke, then June and Drake. So before Zane could, I yelped.

“ME too!”

Alexander had his arms over his chest and scoffed but didn’t say anything about it.

Elliot nodded, “Fine, Zane, Alexander, and I will join in the second half.” His hand waved in front of me lazily, then pointed to Zane, who sat next to Alexander. “I didn’t mention it earlier, but you’ll be cashiering with Zane today.” He then pointed at Tila, “since she’s going to run a few errands, Alexander, you’ll be staying in the kitchen instead of cleaning up.”

Is he the manager over the first shift? I asked myself. Elliot put his mug to his lips, “did you want to work something different?”

I didn’t think he was talking to me until he turned his body, awaiting my answer.

“Oh-no-” Lynette, why do you stare at people!? “I wondering if you were the manager of the first shift.” I hope he doesn’t take that the wrong way. I realized the way I said it sounded a little rude.

The shrug rolled off, “mhm. Same as Drake over the night shift.” He pointed over my head at him.

Drake was pulled from the conversation when the hand was in his direction.

“What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t know you were a manager.”

“When my Dad’s not here, yeah,” Drake said.

And before I could question anymore, some of the people that got to break earlier were heading back and chugging their tea.

...

I met at the counter with Zane after helping June wash the mugs. Maybe I need a tension breaker? 

“Hey, Zane?” I put my hands up with a plea.

“Yeah?” He looked softly amused. 

“I don’t know who you usually eat, but I know your sister likes to eat Alexander…so if-”

Zane held a hand, “let me stop you right there. My sister and I have VERY different eating habits. I don’t eat monsters. Hybrids like Alexander… I’d make an exception if I thought I could fight him. I do not.” 

“You eat…humans?”

He nodded, “I eat them and magus’s.” He smiled at me and leaned over, and I readied a threat, especially seeing his narrow eyes. “But don’t worry, you’re a dear friend of my sisters, so I’d never eat you.” I could hear the harshness of the word, eat. 

“G-great.”

He kept his angle. “Since we’re on the question topic. Can I ask you something back?”

“Su-sure?”

His words whispered, like a threat, “what’s your last name?”

Why would he want that? “Wayland, why?”

He lingered for a second longer, and his serious look broke with his laughter, “oh! Okay! Yeah, I’m sorry. You have a similar feel to an old friend, and I wondered if you were the same person.”

The tension inched off.

“Did you meet them in a human school or-?”

Zane shook his head as our first customer came in. “no. But, Goodluck with Alexander later, though.”

I guess that means question time is over. I fixed my hat on my head as they went to him. I wonder what that “friend” did to him.

…

We sat at the table near the kitchen. Tila went to heat up some of her food; June waited with his but leaned over the table at Drake and me. I ate my PB & J while Drake had blood.

“What’s wrong?” June asked. 

I took another bite slowly, “Xander.” 

“Is he mad at you? Oh no, did you get into a fight?!”

“She doesn’t want Alexander to eat her,” Drake said.

“OH!” June understood for a second, then his face held confusion. He pressed up the glasses that fell down his nose when he lay across the table. “Why not?”

I looked at him and then back to my sandwich. My Appetite is lost again. 

“Some beings aren’t interested in being eaten, June,” Tila spoke up, bringing her piping hot flowers to the table. “I know I’d take down anyone who tried to eat me.”

“But it’s not that bad.” He said, lifting himself up and putting his food in the microwave.

Drake shivered, “you haven’t been eaten by Zilla.”

I peered up, “Zilla’s attacked you?”

“Very, very rarely. She likes to eat Alexander and Lev more, especially Alexander, because even if his size shifts, “he’s the perfect size to fill her up,” her words, not mine.” Drake let his chin lean on his hand, “I don’t size shift or go into my other form, so she doesn’t like to attack me unless she can’t get Lev.”

If only Zilla was here. “Does anyone else here eat other monsters, Tila?”

She poked at June, who stood by her, listening, “he eats anyone or anything-” then she sighed, “Elliot too, he’s eaten Beatrice before. But he’s the most docile and won’t do anything to anyone unless they bother him enough.”

I sighed. “Ah…”

June tapped at his chest, “if you don’t want Alexander to eat you, I can keep you safe instead.”

I felt a flicker of hope, “you can, really?”

Drake burst it, “he’s talking about eating you.”

“June!” I whimpered, “I trusted you!”

“Huh!” He ignored the ding of the microwave. “But you said you don’t want to be eaten by Alexander, and he’ll attack you if you’re not protected by someone else, right? So I can protect you for the rest of lunch, then let you out after it.”

“I-no offense if it is offensive, but I don’t want to be eaten by anyone, ever again, if I can prevent it.” After I said it, I flinched, awaiting the worst. Some kind of backlash, threat, or him jumping over the table to attack me.

“Okay! I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable, friend.” June hummed, getting out his food. He placed the leftover taco’s down and started to eat them.

He didn’t even look the least bit angry or upset. I didn’t even know how to react.

“Is something wrong?” June asked again.

“No...” I exhaled. “thank you.”

...

Thank you for reading! :D Have a gouda day! (Nonnegotiable, if you're lactose intolerant, you're about to be in a lot of pain, sorry, not sorry. Lol).

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What I’d do for a Livable Income (Synopsis/Chapter - List)

[rain-candles-jazz]

whumpcember day 19: electricity tw: body control, humiliation

Feeling returned to her before anything else.  She felt her arms, her legs.  She felt an odd humming feeling in the back of her neck... or was it her head.  Sari sat up straighter from her hunched position in the chair; had she really fallen asleep this way?  She reached behind her head, feeling around for the origin of the strange sound? feeling?  Her fingers touched an odd section of skin that felt numb and raised.

"Hey! Don't mess with that!" came a loud, stern voice.  Before she could even register the meaning of the sentence, a jolt of what felt like electricity surged out from the base of her skull.  Everything seemed briefly numb, but her arm moved automatically away from her neck.

Sari sat up, her back ramrod straight.  She stared straight ahead to see Itchy, staring back at her with a hint of surprise.

"Oh!"  He clasped his hands in front of himself and smiled wide.  "That counted!  Oh my god I was afraid it wouldn't work on someone with..." he frowned, searching for the word to describe the opposite of Maddie.  "A brain," he decided.  "Cool!  Try something else!"  He put his hands on his thighs, bending down to look at her as though she were a dog doing tricks for his amusement.

Sari was bewildered.  What had just happened?  What was going on?  She pulled her hands up and stared at them.  These... were *her* hands... weren't they?  Wait... she suddenly noticed that for the first time since meeting Itchy, she was unbound... unrestrained!

She balled her hands into tight fists and clenched her teeth, glaring back up at Itchy with murderous intent.  Pushing herself from the chair with such force that it fell clattering backward, Sari darted forward, reaching for Itchy's scrawny neck.

To her surprise, Itchy smiled just before she froze in her tracks.  The feeling was back: a harsh buzzing that radiated outward from her spine, seeming to make her muscles stop completely.  Just then, she remembered feeling acute pain in that area.  She remembered Itchy tampering with her, digging into her spine.  Recalling this only made her hate Itchy more, and still glowering at him, Sari tried to power through the feeling, wanting more than anything to rip him apart.  She pushed, and the buzzing became pinpricks.  She pushed  harder, and the pinpricks became continuous jolts.

Sari squeezed her eyes shut and silently stood.  Her body was nothing but pain, and yet, she couldn't even seem to fall to the ground.

Itchy laughed and clapped his hands like a child.  "Hahaa!  Wow, you must really wanna hurt me, huh?"  He struck a dramatic thinking pose.  "What now, what now?"  He looked up with another devious smile, and placing a hand on his hips and an outstretched arm's finger pointing downward, he demanded, "Kneel before me!" in a faux commanding voice.

Sari barely consciously registered the command but inwardly scoffed: she would rather die than bow to this heathen.  Before another thought could enter her mind however, the prickling pain in her spine returned, although this time, instead of keeping her prone and in place, her limbs moved.  She felt the movement, she saw it happening.  The feeling was painful if she tried to resist, which she did, but the moment her will backed off - even a little - the feeling subsided by that much.  Knowing this, she resisted as hard as she could.  Regardless and without her consent, her knees bent, her arms folded, and her head bowed.

Itchy laughed again, and Sari stared straight at the floor with a feeling of revulsion and something else... she wasn't familiar with fear.... but she was sure this was what it felt like.

[shoot-of-corruption]

Mariku smirked as he felt Ryou growing heavier on him. He felt how Ryou's consciousness gave out and placed a hand on his head as he chuckled lowly.

"Sleep well~"

The other was out like a light, breath heavey, body lax..... he hadn't seen the other this relaxed, EVER. The relief flooded him and even though he couldn't sleep himself, he decided to meditate for a while, holding the other tightly to his body, while replenishing some energy and checking his reserves, plus feeling out the room around him.

Ryou was sleeping like a corpse, so he projected the body beneath him, when he hadn't woken up in 5 hours and decided to look around the house, after taking in the sight of them together... on the bed for roundabout 15 minutes, grinning like the happiest madman on earth.

Firstly he let his eyes take in this room, which was practically sterile, take out the mess they had caused with the bed, but nothing noteworthy, likely stuffed to the brim with interesting things. His eyes straved on a pair of plushies, he hadn't noticed before and smiled lifting them up.

They were both squishy mirrors of their cards and he smirked, staring in red, intense eyes... He placed them beside them, to ask about, when the other woke up.

With another look at Ryou, he slipped in between the doors of his dresser, feeling only slightly bad, before he halted completely, twisting through the place to read several tags pinned to pullovers, shirts, jackets....

'violet 2' 'turquoise light' 'eggshell' 'purple 5'

He slipped out as quickly as he had entered, staring back at Ryou, towards the plushies.

'....?'

He slipped out of the room, a new mystery to uncover and noticed that the flat around him was alltogether completely sterile. There was nothing out of place, even on top of the shelves, he couldn't see a speck of dust...

Moving on through a spotless kitchen and a bathroom that almost erradicated him with cleanliness, he finally entered something like a hobby room. Something was covered with a sheet (could have been a table) and multiple showcases were put up with figurines in them, plus a desk that looked like it could be used for any kind of creative work.

He found some organized binders labeled with colors, not a-z but 'reds', 'purples', 'greens'....

Opening them and going through them would cause him to lose a lot more power, so he refrained, but stared at them longingly for a second, before slipping back towards Ryou's room and straight back into his effigy.

He sighed lowly, he could almost imagine how warm this had to be... and decided to get one of his books from his storage. Slipping his hand beneath the cape, he pulled it out smirking.

'Edwardian inventions' a classic.

He had slipped in and out of conscious thought for a while, when Ryou stirred and almost jumped up like he was stung by a bee.

He smirked lightly and replied. "I never left, do you remember? You fell asleep on me." He put his book aside. "And then you proceeded to sleep for... fifteen hours like a corpse. I was debating, if it were smart to turn you, so your skin wouldn't bloom necrosis."

He put his arms backwards beneath his head and grinned. "You did nothing but sleep. No devious escapades, no tries to leave this room. You were completely out cold."

Mariku laid his arm easily around Ryou's middle.

"I know you are." He said lowly. "I would be as well." He would not comment on the tears, sometimes it's just better to let them cry it out.

Yet the next thing Ryou said caused him to snort. "That mongrel couldn'tvlift a finger to me. I know he kept you hostage to his lies and manipulations for long enough to make you believe you can never be yourself... but sasly enough, he's never going to be able to do that again, if he still were around... you know why?"

His grip grew just a facette stronger. "I'd rather tie you to a chair than let you run rampage. And sure, he might be able to hurt me, but he can't kill me. I have put him into timeout before, when he was acting like an asshole and I can do it again."

He grinned cockily, before the expression dimmed again. "Of us both, you have been hurt so much more by him and, sorry to tell you this, but you simply don't get to decide what I do. If I want to, I can throw myself in front of you at any given moment to take the damage... and you can't do anything about it." He smirked lightly.

"Companionship is such a sick experience, hm?"

He arrived at the last part now and sighed.

"The most important part is that you can't go on living like this. It all amounts to the step of acceptance or fight... and you are in the hellspace in between. Some day, you'll need to decide."