#i finally had enough of this damn thing and dumped it on AO3

[volkswagonblues]

(X link to the fic)

[lilac-5ky]

get him back! (ex-boyfriend!Toji x Fem!Reader)

mini kinktober tribute: hate sex

plot: you broke up with toji and he decided to break your friends, until you decide you've had enough.

tags: hate sex, toxic relationship, exes to ???, reader tried to be a good friend, toji is a manipulative asshole, against a door, unprotected sex, spanking, recording, derogatory petnames, slight angst and arguing.

wc: 2.2k

Masterlist | Kinktober Masterlist | AO3

“You fucking asshole! I know you’re holed in there like a damn rat; open up!”

Your fist bangs against his door with abandon. You don’t care that it’s 4 a.m. on a Thursday night or that the neighbors probably think of you as some crazy bitch, which maybe you are. You turned into one the moment your best friend was dumped through a three-word text.

“Saw your clunker out front; open up or the whole block will learn what a prick you are!”

Kimie was in love with him. She was in love with him when she collapsed on your doorstep an hour ago, and she was still in love with him when you left her sleeping soundly in your bed. So were Nanako, Azami, and Rio—the victims before her.

His modus operandi was the same with all four of your friends. He approached them one by one, casting the same spell that enchanted the panties off their thighs, dated them until he got bored, and then broke them into a state beyond repair, leaving you to pick up the pieces.

“I swear, if you don’t open the door right fucking now—” You’re suddenly dragged into his apartment, your wrist pulled against a firm wall of muscle as the door shuts behind you with a thud.

“And they say prayers don’t get answered.” His smile makes your guts churn, pearly white canines beaming below a taut, scarred lip. “Tad late though, aren’t ya? Been—what, two hours since I dumped that b—”

An attempted slap has your hand joining its twin in his grasp. “Call her a bitch again, and the next will be your balls!” You flail, trying to break free.

He doesn’t look disturbed in the slightest. His grin only turns wider at the sheer hatred with which you look at him.

You hate him. You hate Toji with every inch of your being. You hate how he ruined your friends’ lives on a whim; how he poisoned them against you, pointing you out as the reason for each of their breakups. You hate how there’s an ounce of truth in that accusation because, in his twisted brain, he’s doing all that for you. Because his ego can’t stand that you bailed on him first.

“Oh yeah?” He sneers, shoving your hands back against your chest. “Try me, girl. Show me what you got.”

His eyes provoke you, as smug as the rest of his face. You hate to think they were once the most wonderful thing in existence, and you treasured them like pure jade.

Your hands ball into fists, that remain glued to your sides. Your threats are empty, and he knows that. You aren’t there to fight. Just to give him a piece of your mind and hopefully, put an end to this insanity.

“Finally came around?” Toji asks at the lack of reaction.

You sigh. “How long will you keep this up?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Any more cute friends of yours left to fuck?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Your voice climbs a whole octave above his.

“You are.”

“Really? You’re gonna pin all of that on me?” It takes every bit of self-restraint not to pluck the hair out of his stupid head. “Please, enlighten me!”

“I miss you.” He admits, and he sounds earnest, but you aren’t fazed. You’ve heard all of that before; read all about it in the countless texts he’s sent over the past five months. “I miss my pretty baby and all the fun we had together. Miss how we talk, how we laugh, how we fuck.”

You managed to disregard the sculpted muscles decorating his bare chest that had been in plain sight since before you entered his place, yet now you look at them with a stare that is almost nostalgic.

“We were so good together, princess. Why be apart now, mm?” He reaches out to you, his forefinger curling near your cheek. “Don’tcha think your tantrum lasted long enough?”

“My tantrum?” You smack his hand away. “You are the one who had it good, Toji. You are the one who had a maid, a girlfriend, and a wallet all in one. You did nothing, and I did everything! I cleaned for you, I cooked for you—I even tagged along to all your stupid races, and you did what exactly? Fucked all my friends to get back at me for calling things off? If you really think it’s my fault, then you’re sick in the head, though that’s nothing new. You killed us; not me.”

Toji scratches the back of his head uncomfortably. As expected, he has nothing to say in return. He doesn’t miss you; he misses the comfort of you, and you don’t miss him either. You simply miss the way he sometimes held you tight against his chest and whispered he loved you so many times that you were inclined to believe him. You miss the dreams you created—the entire life you’d planned together only for it to be viciously torn apart by his current self.

“Can’t you see it? There’s no ‘we’ anymore. There’s only ‘you’ and ‘I’, and the poison that’s left behind from what we once were. It’s over between us, but ” you take advantage of his silence, “Kimie did nothing wrong. She loves you, so better give her a call, say you got high on some shit—I don’t fucking know—and apologize. Beg if you have to, but get back with her.”

“And why would I do that?” His arms fold over his chest, a thin obsidian brow shaping an arch. “Boring bitch was only good at getting my dick wet. Nothing like you.”

His voice mellows down as he speaks your name, his eyes waning past his eyelids, both soft, unlike the calloused palm that traces the outline of your face. “I was serious about you. Still am. Why else you think I did all that? I love you. Love my baby and her little pussy so much.”

“S-stop that.” Your heart skips a beat as he corners you against the door, your hand searching for the handle behind your back.

“My pussy.” His lips ghost over your neck while his hips buck into you possessively. “C’mon, baby. Be honest with yourself. You don’t really give a shit ‘bout Kimie. You came to me cause ya knew I’d fuck you good. Haven’t let anyone in my pussy since last time, mm?”

“You are wrong.” You breathe out, nails digging sharply into your palm. You don’t want this. You don’t want him. You are here for your friend—the only friend you’ve got left after he turned everyone against you. “You ain’t shit, Toji.”

“Yeah? How many guys have made you scream like I have? How many of ‘em have fucked both your brain and thighs into mush? How many of ‘em you called daddy, hm?” He bites into your shoulder, and an immediate shudder circuits from the point of impact across your body. “Thought so. No one fucks you like I do. No one will ever love you the way I do.”

“Fuck you, Toji.” The way his knee presses between your thighs coaxes a sigh he doesn’t miss. He grinds harder, your heat pulsing below your soaked underwear.

“Yeah? Fuck me?” He’s gone back to facing you, his minty breath tickling your bottom lip right before it follows his tongue into your mouth. Your body doesn’t resist; worse, it reciprocates.

“Yes. F—fuck you,” you mumble, having found a new reason to hate him.

He is right. You never cared that much about Kimie, because if you did, you wouldn’t have sneaked out in the middle of the night in your skimpiest outfit. Avenging your friend was the last thing in your mind, an afterthought drowned by his lips and his hands crawling beneath your dress.

“Why not do it yourself, baby?” Toji nibbles at your lip in the exact way he knows that you like. “Fuck me. Fuck me, and I’ll take that bitch Kirie back ‘f that’s what ya still want after.” His finger curls around the elastic band of your panties, awaiting your answer.

“God, I hate you so fucking much.”

“Hm?”

“It’s Kimie, you asshole.”

In an instant, your arms loop around his neck and your legs around his torso as Toji lifts you up against the door. He grunts into the kiss, teeth and tongues clashing while each tries to gain access to the other’s body. He rips your underwear into a single shred he flings away, giving your ass a rough smack that makes you whine countless little I hate you’s into his mouth.

Fumbling with the laces of his sweatpants, you lower them enough for his cock to spring free, already rock hard even when you’ve done nothing besides arguing. You almost moan at the sight, thinking to yourself there might just be a part of him you actually missed.

“Shoulda wash that potty mouth for all the useless shit it spews,” he murmurs against your skin, sliding your dress’ straps below your breasts and rolling the hem over your stomach. “‘member how much ya loved to suck me off? Gagged on every inch and swallowed every drop like the fucking cockslut that y’are.” His teeth dig in your flesh, coloring a mark right above where his fingers close around your neck. “My cockdrunk whore.”

“Just fuck me and get this over with.”

Your breathing grows strained the more pressure he applies, your walls clenching around his cock as he finally sinks inside. You try not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, pursing your lips together while his thick girth stretches your cunt to its limits. You channel all the miserable memories he left you with, every tear you shed over him seemingly gathering as slick that squelches with each thrust your moans drown out. Oh no.

“Liar,” Toji smiles haughtily, a continuous drum from his hip ruthlessly slamming yours against the wooden door, your back rising higher each time. “Knew ya wanted this as much as I do.”

“N-no,” you pant out, stubbornly holding onto your last vestige of self-respect while the tip of his cock insists to kiss that one spot that has you seeing stars quicker than you can account for.

“Don’t tell me ya still lie to yourself ‘bout doing this to be a good friend.” And when you don’t answer, he reaches into his pocket to dig out his phone, first pointing the camera at your face and then at the point where his cock splits you open. “Wanna make a video and send it to her? See what she makes of you getting railed?”

“You fucking piece of shit!” You slap the phone from his grasp, the entire screen filling up with cracks before going dark.

“That was new.” His tongue clicks against his mouth’s roof. “Guess I’ll have to make you pay for this, hm?”

Both his palms drop to your ass, spanking both cheeks in tandem with his thrusts until tears thread your eyelashes, the intoxicating mix of pain and pleasure speeding up your orgasm.

“A bit louder, baby. Don’t think the neighbors heard ya.”

He bullies his cock faster into you, husky moans complimenting your high-pitched whimpers that fill the space and echo across the halls of his apartment building.

“T-Toji, I—” He finishes you off before you can finish your sentence, your eyes squeezing shut as fireworks blast behind your eyelids.

“That’s my girl.” He praises, laying soft kisses that you reject on your sweat-covered forehead. You don’t want to be fooled again. This is a one time thing.

“‘m not your—ugh, fucking girl.” You hiss, yanking at the frayed tufts of hair your fingers pick from his skull. “Never will be.”

“Sure about that?” A hand sneaks between your bodies and finds your clit. “Bet if I make ya cum ‘nough times, you’ll come crawling back to me.”

“N-not a chance,” quickly shifts into a loud, “Fuck!” when he starts rubbing quick circles around the sensitive nub. You can’t seem to stop moaning for him, feeling your second climax creep up on you at the same time he spills his load, fucking every velvety rope of his cum deep inside your sopping pussy.

You stand on your feet for the first time in a while, your knees trembling as you struggle to keep straight without his aid. Toji looks so smug with his cock still throbbing in his hand, the swollen red tip mocking you and your efforts to resist it.

He pulls his sweats up, and without a warning, the door flies wide open. This is your chance to leave. It’s what he wants. For you to either bear the shame of stumbling back home with his cum staining your legs down to your ankles or stay the night and be tricked into getting back together; humiliation on both ends.

“What’s it gonna be, baby?”

And as the door falls shut behind you, you know you’re going to hate yourself even more after this night than you ever hated him.

a/n: so i planned this waaaay too late, but i still wanted to partake in the madness known as kinktober. i'll be doing some of the days at random, sometimes adding more than one kinks to one one-shot. most will be about toji, unless-

and yes, i'm obsessed with olivia's new album. sue me. masterlist tomorrow, it's 5 am ffs.

[ninadove]

Well, guys, we’re finally doing it. After two years of being subscribed to the newsletter but never actually taking the time to read the god-damned e-mails, I am finally committing to reading Dracula Daily.

So I’m going to dump my thoughts here as if it were the AO3 comment section. Bear with me.

Nina reads Dracula 🦇

May 3rd

We start off very strongly with an excellent instance of food-as-a-metaphor for love:

“(Mem., get recipe for Mina.)” 🥺

From here, it only gets better:

“I did not sleep well, though my bed was comfortable enough, for I had all sorts of queer dreams (me too, Jonathan). There was a dog howling all night under my window, which may have had something to do with it; or it may have been the paprika (!!!), for I had to drink up all the water in my carafe, and was still thirsty. Towards morning I slept and was wakened by the continuous knocking at my door, so I guess I must have been sleeping soundly then.

I had for breakfast MORE PAPRIKA —”

King of not learning from his mistakes!!! Love this for him!!! Also, excellent taste.

I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was "mamaliga," and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call "impletata." (Mem., get recipe for this also.

AU in which Jonathan runs a culinary blog and weird paranormal stuff keeps making its way into his posts 🍝👻

My Friend.--Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well to-night. At three to-morrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.

Your friend,

DRACULA.

Such a friendly gentleman 🥰 You know you can trust him from the way he declares his friendship twice in the same note 🥰 Which is a thing friends do 🥰

I absolutely love that the note starts and ends with these declarations. It feels like a trap… but surely our good friend Dracula could never…

Sleep well tonight… 🦇

Next >

[criminalmindsgonewrong]

alternatively titled; emily prentiss deserves to be a mom.

tw: it is briefly mentioned that the unsub has lost a baby.

(this was supposed to be for @criminalmindsweek but oops guess its early because i'm stupid)

read on ao3, fanfiction.net or under the cut

They bluelighted their way down the street, tires screeching and marking up the road as the wheels bumped up the curb and the car came to a halt. Vaulting from the cars, four sets of feet pounded the pavement, guns at the ready, vests in place as they entered the building, stopping only to clear the area before moving swiftly from room to room.

Their case had taken them to a small town outside of Seattle. Somebody was kidnapping newborns, and nobody could quite figure out how. So while they'd been casing local hospitals, a call had come in that someone was acting suspicious in the neighborhood, carrying a car seat.

The witness had seen the suspect enter this building, but as they cleared room after room, it was evident that whoever it was had disappeared, apparently, into thin air.

"Clear," JJ's voice came over the comms, followed by Derek, mimicking her sentiment. Emily felt her heart beating quickly, as it always did as they cleared a scene, her senses on high alert. Hotch was a step behind her, which was a comfort, since she knew he had her back.

Heading up the stairs, she looked left then right with her torch and gun. Still nobody. Kicking open the only door she found at the end of the corridor, she stepped quickly into the room and the arm holding up her gun faltered.

"Prentiss," Hotch hissed from behind her, reprimanding her, but she shook her head.

"It's fine, Hotch, it's clear, but you've gotta see this."

As he stepped into the room, Aaron saw what had halted Emily, what had caused her to lower her weapon.

"How old do you think she is?" Emily asked, softly, from where she knelt in front of the car seat. The baby was asleep, her head lolling to one side, chubby cheeks pushed against her shoulder. She wasn't unsettled or screaming; in fact, she didn't look as though she'd been harmed at all.

"She looks perfect," Emily spoke aloud what Hotch had been thinking. She skimmed the baby, looked over her shoulder at Hotch, "Should I take her out and check?"

Hotch was frowning, holstering his own weapon as JJ and Morgan cleared the final rooms, and then headed up to them.

"Is that a baby?" Morgan asked from the hallway, "There's never been a baby left behind before."

"Maybe the unsub got spooked, dumped the kid and ran?" JJ suggested, crouching down beside Emily. She reached towards the baby, lowering her blanket, checking, Emily assumed, for any evidence.

"There's nothing," Emily shook her head, tilting it as she studied the baby, "Poor thing."

"Let's get her back to the station and have her looked over by a medic," Hotch said, "And get started on trying to find her parents."

"What the hell, Hotchner?"

From the moment they'd set foot onto the asphalt at the strip, the locals had made it well known how unwelcome they were here. Nevermind that they were only trying to do a job, no, they didn't care about that; as far as the chief of police and his squad were concerned, the BAU weren't just there to step on toes, they were there to trample them.

" Agent Hotchner," Hotch corrected, not for the first time. He stopped dead in his tracks, the car seat held securely in one hand. The glare he fixed the chief of police with was a clear message, but the chief went on glancing between Hotch and the baby, and the rest of the team.

"What the hell do you think I'm running here?" He demanded, his voice loud enough to stir the sleeping child, "A damn daycare?"

"You wanted us to leave the infant at the crime scene, Detective?" Emily raised her eyebrows, and the chief turned his eyes onto her. Emily didn't flinch, even as he stared her down, trying to intimidate her. She even smirked at him.

"You brought it here," He sneered down his nose at Hotch, as though seeing him carrying the car seat was something funny to him, "You take responsibility for it. My officers aren't babysitters."

" Her ," JJ corrected, shortly, as they filed past him and into the small room at the back of the station that they'd begrudgingly been assigned.

"What?" The detective didn't seem to care much for what any of them had to say, but his disdain for the girls was even more evident.

" Her." JJ repeated, unfaltering, "Not 'it '. Her."

"Yeah, whatever," The detective sneered, and turned his back on her. JJ glared at him, and then pulled out her phone, once again trying the social care number she'd dialed twice already in the car.

"Someone really should have a look at her," Emily was saying, her left arm folded tightly across her chest, her right thumb between her teeth as she anxiously gnawed at her skin, "Make sure she's alright."

They were waiting for the medics, and much as Hotch wanted to follow protocol, the baby had woken up and was staring at them all with wide, confused eyes. JJ sat beside her, speaking softly to her, but she wriggled and writhed and arched her back, frustrated by the constriction of the seat.

"Fine," Hotch nodded, and JJ reached for her instantly, pushing in the button to pop up the fastening and slipping the straps off of the baby's little shoulders.

"Come here, darling," The blonde smiled, lifting her out. She had assessed that the baby couldn't be more than six months old. Henry was coming up to eleven months, and was significantly bigger than she was, but she was too big and too wide eyed and alert to be much younger than six months, JJ said. So when she picked her up, the baby held up her own head, craning it to look at them all. Her wide blue eyes were focused and intent on staring at them, as though she were studying each face in turn.

"She's a cutie," Derek grinned, stepping up behind JJ and offering his finger, tapping at the palm of the baby's tiny hand with the tip of his finger. She grabbed it, and held fast, and he beamed at her.

"Yes, but who does she belong to?" Hotch sighed, from where he looked on, his arms folded across his chest.

"Have we considered this might not be related to our unsub at all?" Reid suggested, "Perhaps she was dropped off by her parents and left on purpose?"

"In an abandoned building, Spence?" Emily was shaking her head, "No, there are safe haven laws for a reason."

"While, yes, more than 3500 newborns have been surrendered through safe haven laws nationwide since 1999, over 1400 have also been found abandoned since then, too." Spencer offered up, and Emily grimaced from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Why would somebody do that when there's another option?" She mused, and she was speaking more to herself than to any of the others.

"JJ, try the social again," Hotch told her, and the blonde nodded, looking around the group. She met Derek's eyes and the grin fell from his face. He stepped back, holding up his hands as though in surrender.

"Okay, I'll do that," JJ said through an amused chuckle, "But somebody's gotta take the baby, guys."

To everyone's surprise, Hotch stepped up immediately, offering both of his hands. He and JJ, the only parents in their group, passed the infant easily between the two of them, and the surprise subsided as Hotch settled the little girl easily in his arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her little lips pressed tightly together, as though she wasn't sure whether or not to be afraid of the huge, stoic man into whose arms she had been settled. She gave a little cry, and then another. With the ease that only an experienced parent could muster, Hotch began gently rocking her, and she settled almost immediately.

Hotch, who had been focused on the baby, looked up and found four pairs of eyes fixed on him, their expressions ranging from shocked to impressed to amused.

"What?" He said, slightly defensively, "I'm a dad, remember?"

"I will now," Emily muttered under her breath. JJ laughed, but Hotch chose to ignore her, smirking to himself as he dropped his gaze back to the child.

"This is shaping up to be a very cute 1980s American Family Comedy," Morgan quipped, "but what's this little lady going to eat?" He grimaced, "And what happens when…you know, it comes out the other end?"

It was Hotch who grimaced, then.

"We've hit a dead end with the case," Emily posed, "Unless there's another abduction, we've got no leads besides what Penelope is searching up. We can spare an hour; why don't you and Reid find a department store and buy the supplies we need?"

"Sure." Morgan nodded, "Come on, man."

He and Spencer were halfway to the door when they both turned, quizzical expressions on their faces, and Spencer said, "What exactly do we need to take care of an approximately six month old for an unspecified period of time?"

Closing his eyes for the briefest moment, Hotch sighed. "Take JJ with you, too."

"You really are a natural, you know."

The others had been gone for half an hour and, after fussing for a while, the baby had fallen asleep in Hotch's arms. They were sitting at the table, Hotch leaning back in his chair to rest the baby against his chest. He'd shifted her so that her cheek lay against his shirt, and Emily watched them both with blatant amazement.

Hotch opened his eyes, which had drifted shut in thought and in the strange contentment that had come over him at having a small baby resting on him once again.

"Hm? Oh," he looked down at the small head just below his chin, "I wasn't when Jack was first born. It's something you learn. Parenting is the definition of 'sink or swim'."

Emily smiled at that comment, folding her hands under her chin, unable to take her eyes off of the sweet baby.

"What are we going to call her?" She said, softly, and Hotch gave her a quizzical look. Shrugging, Emily said, "Well, I don't want to keep calling her 'baby', do you?"

"She probably already has a name, Prentiss." Hotch said, but Emily just gave him a blank stare.

"Humour me." She said, and he knew she wasn't about to give him a choice, either way.

"What do you think we should call her?" He asked, certain she'd already come up with at least a few ideas.

"What about Molly?" Hotch scrunched up his nose, shaking his head. "Okay, not Molly. Amber?"

"No, that's not right, either," he shifted his head, tilting it to try and see her face better, and in doing so he missed the warm little smile that appeared on Emily's face; smug that she'd drawn him in, amused by his enthusiasm and glad to see the softer side of him come out. "What about Zoe?"

Emily tilted her head, reaching out with a gentle hand and brushing her fingertips over the downy blonde hair at the base of her neck.

"Zoe is good," she nodded, smiling, "We can call her Zoe until we find out her name."

Zoe didn't stay content for long. She woke up with a vendetta, and began screaming at the top of her lungs. Hotch tried everything that had ever worked with Jack; standing up, bouncing, bobbing, rocking, singing, burping. Nothing worked. He knew why.

"She's hungry," he said, through grit teeth as he gently patted her back over his shoulder, her screams hollering down his ear, "Where the hell are the others?"

"Okay," Emily stood up, shaking her head, "Give her here."

"What, why?" Hotch's eyes grew slightly wider as she held her hands out, reaching for the baby and wrapping them around her middle. He had no choice but to let Emily gently lift Zoe from his shoulder, tucking her into her own arms.

"Because," the voice that came out of her as she looked down at the baby but spoke to Hotch was not the voice of an impartial FBI agent, but of a soft and gentle maternal figure, "You're getting all ," she even put a sing-song tone on the word, dragging it out as she rocked Zoe back and forth. The baby went on screaming anyway. " All stressed. And Zoe doesn't like that. So you're going to take a break and I'm going to take a turn."

Hotch raised his eyebrows as he watched her, and even though she still fussed, Zoe did actually stop crying long enough to reach a tiny fist into the air. Emily smiled a triumphant smile down at her, not halting in the soothing song she'd begun to sing. At least not until Zoe found what she was looking for; her chubby fingers curled around one of Emily's dark curls and pulled .

"Mother-"

"Emily!"

"-goose." Emily pressed her lips together, closing her eyes as she dislodged one arm from beneath Zoe and detangled the baby's fist from her hair, "What did I ever do to you, huh?" She said, putting on a voice that only babies find amusing. It worked and Zoe's face split into a grin, her hunger momentarily forgotten, "What do you think you're doing?"

The giggle that came from the baby was rapturous and Emily's head shot up, her eyes, when they found Hotch's, full of surprise and pride.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, and he nodded, a small smile on his face.

"I heard it."

"We're back, we're back," JJ said, rushing in, laden down with two bags of shopping, Morgan and Reid following behind her, "I'm so sorry that took so long, it's rush hour. Has she been crying?"

"Yes but, oh my god, Jayje," Emily was saying, excited, "You just missed the most adorable laugh. Wait, let me see if I can get her to do it again. What do you think you're doing?"

But Zoe had been disturbed by the arrival of the others and was screaming again.

JJ disappeared (she had assigned Reid to make the bottle but when he looked at her blankly, she made a quip about him knowing everything except for anything useful, and then headed off to do it herself) and was back moments later, bottle in hand.

"Do you want me to feed her?" She asked, but Emily shook her head.

"Can I?" She asked, "I've never…"

JJ smiled, and nodded, showing her how to hold the bottle, how to keep the teat full to avoid giving the baby gas.

"She's probably old enough to hold her own bottle, but she'll let you know if she wants to do that."

Maybe it was the shock of the day, or maybe she was absolutely starving, but Zoe seemed perfectly content to let Emily feed her and had guzzled down over half of the bottle so quickly Emily was fearful that she might choke.

"She's fine," Hotch reassured her. Morgan and Reid both watched from a short distance away, as fascinated as Emily was by the baby, and JJ and Hotch watched their three colleagues with amusement.

"You have sisters who have kids, Morgan," JJ pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but I'm hardly ever home," he shrugged, "Guess I missed on the baby stage with the kids. Mostly on purpose, probably, babies terrify me."

"They're not so bad," Emily said, softly, staring down at Zoe's face as her eyes began to droop, the tip of her little finger gently stroking her cheek, "She's milk-drunk."

"Oh, they get so cute when they're milk drunk," JJ rushed to her side, peering over Emily's shoulder, and Morgan watched both women with furrowed brows.

"Estrogen, huh, kid?" He joked to Spencer, earning him a glare from both Emily and JJ, but neither of them commented, turning back to the baby, instead.

It was then that Hotch's phone rang.

"Garcia? Uh-huh. Right. Thanks." The others knew what was up before he'd even hung up the phone, "We've had a hit. Attempted abduction of a newborn one town over."

"Attempted?" JJ frowned, and Hotch nodded.

"Security has been increased, someone stopped the unsub, they passed the baby to the guard and made a run for it."

"Guard was holding a newborn," Morgan offered up, "Didn't want to chase-what are you doing?"

Emily had stepped up to him and was gently lowering Zoe into his arms. Before he could protest, Morgan was holding the baby, who had been disturbed from her subdued state and looked up at him, another new face, with wide eyes. "Prentiss?"

"It's your turn to stay with her," she told him, handing the bottle to him, too "You and Reid." Then, with a shrug, as she grabbed her blazer from the back of a chair, she added, "Wouldn't want JJ and I to get too overwhelmed by all that estrogen , would we?"

And she was out of the door after Hotch and JJ before Morgan or Reid could protest.

"It's definitely your turn now, man." Derek insisted, but Reid shook his head.

"Absolutely not," he was pouring over the case files and fooling absolutely nobody.

"Man, I know you memorized those files on the plane. You're not reading anything, you're just avoiding baby duty, now would you please hold Zoe? I have to pee." Reid looked up from the manila file, his eyes narrowed.

"You used the bathroom an hour and twenty minutes ago at the store and I've not see you take a drink since."

"You-you track that sort of-? You know what, I don't even care, Reid, but I need you to take this baby before I smack you upside the head, okay?" He held his arms out, but Spencer hopped down from the table and backed quickly away. "Reid-stop it, take the-" Derek followed him around the table, but with the baby in his arms he couldn't jostle her too quickly, and Reid was quicker as he stepped out of the way each time Morgan approached.

"Derek," he was saying, "Stop it. I don't want to hold the baby. I'm not going to hold her."

"She's just a baby , what's the worst that could happen?"

"Then why do you want to get rid of her so badly?"

"She stinks , man."

Reid paused, then gave a short burst of laughter. "Oh, no, you're not palming that job off on me."

Morgan was scowling, "This is why Emily left." He was grumbling under his breath, turning his face away from Zoe, as though he could avoid the smell coming from her diaper.

"Babies are disgusting," Spencer commented, looking at Zoe, laying on a blanket on the desk, as though she were a bomb about to explode. She was looking up at them, smiling and kicking her feet, like she thought they were playing some kind of game.

"It's okay," Morgan, standing beside him with his hands on his hips, said, "It's gonna be fine. It's just like-it's easier if we take it in steps, right?"

"Right." Spencer nodded. "So you take the first step."

Morgan glared at him, narrowing his eyes, before he sighed and stepped up to the desk, unfastening Zoe's baby grow. The smell, when uncovered, was so much worse.

"Oh, god," Covering his face with his hand, Morgan stepped back a good few paces, "That is just wrong , what have they been feeding this kid?"

"Formula, most likely," Reid was saying, "Usually, a breastfed baby's poop wouldn't smell bad at all. The particles are so tiny that they mostly get absorbed in the gut, and the milk doesn't spend long enough in the gut to develop much of a smell. Formula takes longer to process."

Morgan was staring at him, now, his eyes narrowed with confusion, "See, I- why do you know that, Spence?"

"I know a lot of things," Spencer said, looking at the baby, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"You know what I know?" Morgan posed the question, slapping Spencer on the back.

"What?"

"I know it's your turn, pretty boy."

Somehow, with a lot of argument and retching and crying - and not from Zoe - they managed to clear her up. Sure they went through three diapers and a whole pack of wipes (Reid refused to touch her unless his hands were entirely covered) but, in the end, she was clean and fresh smelling once more.

When Hotch, Emily and JJ returned, it was to Zoe sitting on a blanket on the floor, Spencer and Morgan on chairs in front of her, staring at her intently, as though waiting for her to perform a trick of some sort. She, however, was just looking back at them, frowning as though slightly disturbed by their intent attention.

"What are you guys doing?" Emily said, immediately stepping in and picking her up, "Don't put her on the floor!"

"Hey, we sat her on the blanket!" Morgan defended, hotly.

"It's still filthy in this place," JJ said, grabbing for the wipes to clean her hands, "What-where are all of the wipes?"

"We changed her diaper," Spencer grinned, looking incredibly proud of himself.

"Just one?" JJ asked, incredulously, as she tore open a second packet of wipes and tugged one out, using it to clean off Zoe's hands.

"Did anything useful come up at the hospital?" Reid asked, determined to get back to the case. Hotch nodded.

"The unsub is a woman," he said, and it was something they'd already suggested, but having the concrete information was certainly helpful, "We've got the security guard working with a composite sketch artist now."

"And once they've done that, I'll get her face all over the news," JJ said, "Hopefully if anybody knows her, they'll come forward."

"Hopefully," Emily nodded, "If she did leave Zoe then that's two babies that she's failed at abducting, she might grow more desperate."

"In the meantime," Hotch nodded to the window, where the sky was rapidly darkening to black, "We should try and get some rest."

In Emily's arms, Zoe had already lay her head against her chest and was nodding off to sleep.

"Who's on babysitting duty tonight?" Emily whispered.

"Not it!" The chorus went up, and not one person was left behind. In Emily's arms, Zoe flinched at the noise.

Hotch sighed, watching Emily rock her as Zoe began to cry. "Fine, I guess we all are."

They set up camp in Hotch's room, the logic being that it wasn't fair to load one person with the baby, so they would share the responsibility. There were two double beds and the sofa, which Hotch took, so plenty of room for them all, even though nobody got a good night's sleep in the end. He called down to room service and had a travel crib brought up. Zoe fell asleep almost instantly, but the adults in the room couldn't sleep, no matter how hard they tried. They were all too aware of the baby in the room; the baby that didn't belong to any of them but had somehow become their responsibility.

Zoe was a terrible sleeper, anyway. Clearly the day had exhausted her because she fell asleep almost as soon as JJ changed her into a new baby grow and lay her down in the crib. Hotch played some nursery rhymes on his laptop to soothe her and they watched her fight it for only a few moments before her eyes drifted closed.

An hour later, she woke up screaming and it took twenty minutes of feeding, burping, rocking and a diaper change to calm her down enough to put her back down.

And the cycle repeated all night.

They took it in turns, picking her up, pacing the room with her, patting her on the back and soothing her until she was calm enough to be put back down. But Zoe was persistent, and unsettled, and far from wherever home was.

It was the early hours when JJ woke up yet again, only it wasn't Zoe's screams that woke her this time, but a much gentler noise.

Music. Low, quiet music…humming. She cracked her eyes open a fraction, her vision blurry from sleep, her head aching from the lack of it and the constant reverberation of Zoe's crying in her ears. Beside her, Emily had fallen asleep, just as she had, on top of the comforter. Her hand rested hear to her face, her head tilted in JJ's direction and JJ could tell by the steady rise and fall of her chest that Emily was still fast asleep. She could also see across to the sofa, where Hotch lay on his side. He didn't look comfortable, but he, too, was dreaming away.

Rolling over slowly, gently, so as not to disturb Emily, JJ turned to Morgan and Spencer's bed, and found Spencer laying on his back, Zoe on his chest, humming softly as he patted her back rhythmically.

Hearing the creek of mattress springs as JJ turned, Spencer looked towards her, and his cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment, but JJ just smiled, softly at him, settling into her new position and tucking her hand beneath her cheek on the pillow.

"It didn't seem fair…" Spencer whispered, "You all…she woke up crying again and I just thought I should take a turn."

JJ nodded, looking from his face to Zoe's; in the dim light of the only lamp in the room JJ could see that the baby was fast asleep, her mouth the perfect little pout, her eyelashes occasionally fluttering.

"You've been holding out on us, Reid," JJ smiled. Spencer shook his head, but his lips curled up a little, into a private smile of his own.

"I've never really been around kids, except for Henry." He clarified. JJ knew this already, of course. Even when he was a child, Spencer was never really around other children. He was too mature for them, too intelligent. And his home life required too much of him for him to spend his time doing frivolous things like playing. He had always insisted that those things never appealed to him anyway, but the story was always terribly sad to JJ; everyone deserved to be a kid.

"You'd be a good dad." She told him, and she recalled a similar conversation she'd had a while ago with Emily. Spencer looked at her with much the same expression; he and Emily were cut from the same cloth, really, neither ever having a family they could ever really rely on. Spencer at least knew his mother loved him. Emily had no such comfort.

"Maybe," The younger agent nodded, his hand continuing its rhythmic patting of Zoe's back, "One day."

Come morning, they were all yawning at breakfast.

"Here you go, kid," Morgan said, as JJ sat Zoe in the highchair at the table. He had cut the crusts off of his toast and cut a sliver about an inch wide which he put onto the tray in front of her. JJ opened her mouth, ready to protest, but Zoe's eyes went wide and she reached for it, putting it immediately to her mouth and beginning to suck on the buttery bread.

"Okay, so someone's been weaning this kid." Emily said, raising an eyebrow as she watched Zoe go to town on her breakfast.

"Who do you belong to, little one?" Hotch said, with surprisingly tenderness. He had his hands wrapped around a cup of strong black coffee, and sighed as he put it to his lips.

JJ's phone rang.

"Hopefully we'll get some answers to that today," she said, glancing at the screen. She waved it at the others, "Social Services." Putting it to her ear, she stepped away from the table, "Hello? Yes this is Agent Jareau."

"There've been no abductions through the night," Reid said, passing JJ and returning to the table, slipping his own phone into his pocket as he sat down.

"So we still have nothing?" Emily splayed her hands, feeling helpless, as Morgan dialed Penelope's number.

"Good morning, mama," He said, and they all heard Penelope's grumble on the other end of the phone, smiling fondly at the sound of it. Morgan put her on speaker.

"I do have a lead for you, my loves," she said, to their surprise, "So our unsub has taken five babies in three weeks. That's a lot of formula to go through-"

"Unless she's breastfeeding them." Emily frowned at the phone.

"Exactly what I thought, gumdrop," She could practically hear Penelope nodding on the other end of the phone, "And I know what the profile says. A woman stealing babies has probably…lost a baby," she trailed off, sadly, "So, I revamped my search this morning and there were three women who delivered still borns in the last month, but only one before the abductions started."

"Who is she, Garcia?"

She was Valerie Tierney. 23 years old.

They found her, and four healthy babies, at her grandparents farm an hour outside of town.

Emily watched sadly as they brought her into the station, the chief of police and his officers carrying the babies.

" Not a daycare," JJ quoted, beside her, and she allowed herself a small smirk that turned into a warm and emotional smile as she watched a set of parents be reunited with their son.

"This is about as good of an ending as we get, huh?" Emily mused, as Hotch stepped up beside them.

"We won't see another like it for a while, I expect," he confirmed, "Where's Zoe?"

"Sleeping." Emily turned to JJ, "Social?"

"Coming for her today," the blonde said, and neither of them missed the sadness in her voice, because they felt it, too.

"So we think that she was abandoned?" In his chest, Hotch felt his heart sink.

"She doesn't match any descriptions for missing children," JJ shook her head.

Social services arrived a few hours later and, joyous as they had been watching the babies be reunited with their parents, knowing that Zoe was going not home to an equally loving family, but directly into the system, weighed heavily on all of their hearts.

JJ hugged her tightly to her chest, the scent of babypowder strong in her nose. Turning her around, Zoe's back to her chest, the others approached to say their goodbyes.

"We won't forget you, kid," Morgan told her, letting her hold onto his finger, and grinning when she did so, "So don't forget us, okay?"

Spencer kissed her chubby cheek, and JJ saw the sparkle of unshed tears in his eyes. She pointedly looked away; she didn't want him to feel embarrassed. "Good luck." He whispered, gently, before stepping away and turning his back on them all, staring out of the window. JJ wondered what was going on in his head.

Emily stepped up and offered her hands, a question in her eyes. JJ handed her over without question, and Emily buried her face in Zoe's downy hair.

"I'm going to miss you, baby," she said, lifting Zoe up against her chest. The baby's blue eyes searched over her shoulder, and Hotch stepped up, dropping his own quick kiss onto her head.

"Me too," he said, gruffly.

"We'll make sure she's safe and happy," the social worker said, from where she stood nearby. Exchanging a glance with Hotch, Emily raised an eyebrow.

"You'd better," she muttered, under her breath, earning her a subtle glare from her boss.

She manouvred Zoe, ducking her under the handle of the car seat, and buckled her into it.

"She has blankets and diapers and wipes, bottles, formula and some toys in here." JJ handed the bag over to the social worker, who looked surprised.

"Oh," she said, with an amused little noise, "It's not often people take such…care. Usually we just get a call, pick up the kid and that's it."

"Yeah, well," Morgan said, from where he was leaning against a desk, "We're not most people."

The social worker nodded, agreeing, and, settling the bag in the crook of her arm, she moved forwards to pick up the carseat.

"Wait," Emily said, reaching into her pocket. "If anything…if you find her parents, or a family, or if she's ever in trouble…" she handed over her card, "Just put my name on her file. Please."

The woman met her eyes, saw all of the emotion there, and, pressing her lips together in somewhat of a grim smile, nodded as she took the card from Emily's hand. Then she lifted the carseat, and both she and Zoe walked out of their lives.

"And a year later, that's when you adopted me, right, mom?"

"That's right, baby," Emily smiled, deft fingers winding their way through her daughter's wet hair as she braided it back.

They were sitting in Zoe's bedroom and, as was customary of a Sunday evening, they'd ordered a pizza, Zoe was bathed and cleaned, hair washed, and then had requested a story, as she always did. This story, the story of how they'd met, was a favourite, and Zoe demanded to hear it in full detail once every couple of weeks. So, sitting on her pink comforter, Emily had recounted it - or, at least, the child-friendly version of it.

"And everyone was so happy that I was back!" Zoe always liked this part of the story best, and Emily's smile widened into a grin, fastening a bow into the bottom of the braid.

"So happy." She agreed, winding her arms around Zoe and pulling her back against her chest, in a hug. Zoe's little hands came up to rest on her mothers arm and she sighed, happily.

"I'm glad you're my mom," the six year old said, with a contented sigh. She often made statements like thils; Zoe was much more forthcoming with her emotions than her mother was, and it always caught Emily by surprise. Everytime, she felt a lump rise in her throat, and everytime she couldn't believe how she ever got so lucky.

"Me too, baby," she said, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, "Me too."

[sabbathbloodysabbeth]

Bark at the Moon

Chapter 3

Summary: Without much thought for his own safety Eddie finds himself stuck in the middle of the woods while a bad snow storm hits hawkins. Little does he know that his saving grace comes from a wolf that should not be understanding what he is saying right now. Along with the first day of school, strange questions, and a sick Chrissy, Eddie is starting to realize that a lot more action has been taking place and what ever is causing it is tossing him in the middle of it. Also? Did I mention Wayne Munson breaks a guys nose?

Full fic on Ao3

Protector of the Night; December something 2022

Eddies feet were frozen, but he keeps forcing himself forward. He was in dire need of those stupid berries. The tiny red ones that he could mash up and use as paint. A light watered down version but still useful to him. He was still currently in the process of saving up for new paint, even though he's confident Wayne got him a new set for Christmas. Unlike previous years Eddie did promise not to snoop around the trailer, which he had obviously broken and Wayne seemed to have gotten smarter to his antics and his present somewhere else. The holiday was only a few weeks away and if he waited that long to finish this project then he would never finish the damn thing. That and it was due in two days for his class. He had completely forgotten about it up until he randomly decided he wanted to go on a walk in the middle of the woods. (Not a smart decision)

Now if you knew Eddie for just five seconds, barely even that long you would know that everything he did was a last minute decision. Something that he has been scolded for numerous times by his Uncle. Who has walked in on his nephew doing some form of body modification without any rash decision behind it one to many times (At that thought Eddie chuckles to himself, rubbing at the bats that was on his forearm) or the time he nearly cut all of his hair off just because he couldn't find a hair tie in the middle of the summer. The boy was normally logical in a lot of areas but being rational wasn't in his books. Plus a lot of things he did ran off from his emotions.

After a while of walking his eyes finally land on a tiny bush covered in snow. Though still poking out of the white branches were the exact berries he needed. He didn't know the name for them or what they were for, all he knew was they weren't edible. He learned the hard way. He eagerly moves over from the small path he had been walking on, humming to himself he claps his hands excitedly as he pulls out a plastic sandwich bag that still had some crumbs at the bottom of it. Careful not to rip it, he opens the bag and proceeds to dump out the breadcrumbs into the snow. Not wanting them to get mixed up with the berries. He also didn't feel bad for loitering, some animal would most likely come and snack on the very few crumbs that stuck to the top of the snow. After all it was just bread. Then when he decides that it was cleaned out enough he begins to pick berries taking his time to look at each one. Not wanting to accidentally pick one with some creepy bug inside. His paint would not look good if it had squished up bugs in it.

He was used to doing this by now without the worry of anything around him, so when his hair starts to stick up off his arms and the back of his neck he was a bit concerned. Glancing around he follows his bodies instincts, now feeling like he was being watched. After a minute of glancing around the woods, and seeing nothing in the surrounding area he shakes his head and begins to ignore his gut. Feeling like on of those idiots from a horror movie. He then lets a breathe out nearly going cross eyed as he watches his breathe go up into his face. Relaxing a bit when he realizes he was being paranoid, which is how he begins to hum a random Black Sabbath song instead of keeping an ear out for his surroundings. No animal ever got close to you in these woods, most times they would hear you and take off before you could see them.

A few more minutes pass and he finally has half the bag full. Weighing it in the palm of his hand he holds it up to the light and makes a further inspection. It would hopefully be enough to hold him over, or to finish this art project. Then bringing it back down he begins to make sure the bags sealed before putting it in his coat pocket. Patting it a little to make sure it will stay before standing up with a slight shiver. His breathing was a bit labored from the cold and his hands had started to grow pink from touching so much snow. Moving them carefully up to his mouth he begins to revive his fingers, that were hard to move from how cold they were. He should have brought gloves out.He really needed to get warmer clothes in general, but for now he moves and struggles to zip up the leather coat in hopes of regaining some heat from the old thing. How his Uncle wore it twenty years before him was beyond him. Then again it had been newer then and not so difficult to work with like it was now. He had stolen it from his Uncle a couple of years ago and never really returned it. Not like Wayne minded, it had been a while since he properly wore it.

Eddie turns on his heel, leaving his hands near his mouth to breathe into them. Slowly walking the way he came. Quickly looking down at his watch he estimates that it took him fifteen minutes to get out here. If he kept the pace up he would be back to the trailer before his Uncle even realized he was gone. Whistling to himself he starts to walk again, lost in his thoughts. Not paying attention to where he was going. Just sticking to the trail of shoe prints that he had created on his way out here. A part of him appreciating the silent nature around him while the other side of him wanted to get home as fast as possible so he could warm up.

He feels and smells the air change fast as clouds started to form above the sky. As if the weather couldn't decide if it wanted to rain or snow. Maybe a mixture or both. The smell of something misty hit him and he starts to grow concerned about getting to shelter. The worst thing that possibly could happen to him was getting stuck in the middle of the woods in a middle of a snow or hail storm. When snow came down closer into town, you could see barely when going down the roads while snow was being carried all over into the woods. Not the path of what was in front of you being concealed by not only snow but trees due to the area not being open. The second worst thing was the fact that if he even got a teeny bit wet or cold, the clothing he was wearing was not going to stop anything.

I'm reaction, he starts to run a bit awkwardly down the path, careful of the random sticks and rocks that snuck out. Feeling like he was in some dramatic show. Groaning loudly, not caring what heard him he comes to the realization that he was not going to make it home without being soaking wet. Though this doesn't stop him from nearly sprinting even harder, which is immediately regretted as he has to stop after a second to keep his lungs from being coughed up. Beads of sweat going down his forehead and the inside of his shirt, feeling over heated even though he was in the cold. Though standing still, or hovering still for a few minutes the air starts to nip at him again. Causing his body to shake and teeth to shatter as he tries to regain the ability to breathe again.

Hands on his knees and crouched forward is how hes notices the white wolf watching him from the trees off to his right. She was gorgeous. All of the process he had made when trying to breathe normally again goes out the window. All of the air gets stuck in his throat, causing his lungs to burn even more then what they had been. He freezes up literally as his brain finally reboots itself trying to think of the smart way to handle this. This was not his territory, he was currently in hers he reminds himself. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Not move right? Stay as still as possible? He really should have paid more attention to the discovery channel growing up so that he didn't make this gorgeous animal think he was trying to hurt her.

The animal creeps forward, her ears down as if she was just as scared about seeing him as he was to see her. His eyes catch the sight of her tail in between her back legs and his assumption is correct. The closer she moves, the more her snout twitches. As if she smelt him all the way over there. She probably did. His heart is beating fast in his throat, and hes in the same spot he was in before when the clouds open up and start to pour snow on both of them. (He isn't sure if clouds actually open up to pour snow) It only takes two seconds for him to be unable to see what was in front of him or even next to him. It was startling how fast a white curtain was put up between the two of them. He wonders if she can see him through it. Glancing down at himself he wouldn't be to shocked, he was wearing almost all black. He stuck out like a sore thumb in the middle of all white.

He's freezing and shaking as he forces himself to move his limbs, if he didn't he wouldn't only be metaphorically frozen but literally as well. He's unable to see the wolf with the amount of white that was now surrounding him, all he hopes is that he spooked her and she ran the opposite direction he was going now. If not then the snow was going to be the least of his worries. Which was definitely not good for him in anyway.

The longer he walks the more snow he can feel going into the back of his coat, sticking to his curls and covering his hands that were held up close to his eyes. In the process of trying to keep snow from going into his eyes he was now putting his fingers and hands at risk. That were now going a even more bright pink colors His heart is still beating rappidly, the tips of his fingers are beginning to ache from the cold biting at them and his teeth were chattering together even harder to the point he was worried about chipping a tooth. He really doesn't know where he was going. He hoped he was still going straight.

He whines as a gust of wind hits him. He's shaking as he has to stop and plant his feet so he doesn't get knocked over. His hair was being whipped behind him as he scrunched his face up. He can't see himself but he already knows his face was bright red from the cold. If he doesn't die out here, he knows that his Uncle would kill him. He shakes even more as he squints catching movement from the corner of his eye. He doesn't have to search to see what it was for long. Not to be the guy to make movie references in the middle of a life or death situation but Eddie feels like Sully and Mike Wazowski in that one snow scene where they were facing the abominable snowman for the first time.

His body is filled with fear once again as he catches the blur again, causing him to freeze in his tracks before his eyes squint a bit looking forward again. The wolf that has been near him before was now in front of him. Less then a few feet away and he was about to make those yellow snow cones in a second for how freaked out he was. The state off isn't as intense as before but it was still tense as she glares a hole into him. Before she's moving out of his sight again. He takes a hesitant step forward before he's jumping startled as he feels a soft bump against his leg again. He felt like he was in the middle of the ocean and a shark just touched his leg out of nowhere. He's never been in large amounts of water only because of that fear, and this situation was not helping him feel any better.

After a moment of him being a deer in headlights the head bump against his leg was harder, and he's being pushed to the side a bit. Now he maybe dumb but he wasn't that dumb to not catch onto what she was trying to do. Without thinking he starts to stumble in the direction. For a second testing what would happen if he didn't listen, earning a small yip from the back of her throat that convinced him to listen to her. Giving into his emotions, he was too scared to think logically which was how he found himself being herded into a sheltered area he didn't know even existed. Then again, the woods ran for acres and there was no way of him knowing everything that was hidden in the trees.

His brain catches up to him as he realizes that this animal just let him to a small little sheltered off area. That looked like it had been made in a similar fashion as a tent but due to it being a large tarp it wasn't completely closed off to the rest of the world. Once again it wasn't the best, but it was better than sitting outside under the snow. It wasn't the worst place Eddie's been in, he's found himself in rockier places then this and he wasn't going to deny a place to stay. He would be a moron to do so. Though another part of him felt stupid for listening to a literal creature that could tear him apart if it so pleased. Honestly at this point he was more then willing to just allow his brain to shut off as he climbs into the area. Quickly moving his eyes around to make sure he wasn't walking in on a homeless person, for all he knew was super violent. Though once again go his luck that wasn't the case. The area looked empty, but not entirely unused.

Someone had obviously been living here before he got here. Who specifically was unknown. It looked like they hadn't been here for a couple of days, which was a bit of a relief to him. Maybe the wolf had scared them off to go into town. But if they were homeless they would most likely be going to the bridge, which meant that they were most likely picked up by an officer and taken in from the cold. But that were all assumptions. For now, he was very fucking grateful to whoever just upped and left this behind. The more he looks the more he realizes how sloppily the shelter had been made, obvious that the person didn't have much experience. The tarp that was above his head was loosely pinned to a tree, but Eddie wasn't too worried about it flying away. His arms were now across himself trying to save body heat as the very few survival instincts he has kicks in.

His eyes glance back to the wolf after a moment as the reality of the situation hits him. Currently, right in front of him was a huge wolf who had just gotten him out from the snow. This has been the closest he has ever been to an animal like this. It was nerve wracking. Though he was very intrigued as the same animal seemed way smarter then all of the other creatures he's interacted with. The raccoons outside of his trailer he would constantly have to help get out of trash can numerous times a week, and even a stray cat the lived in the area wasn't this smart. Constantly getting stuck under someones trailer and having to be pulled out by the owner.

Now seemed like better then never to take his hero in. Her eyes were a dark brown and if he didn't know what a wolf looked like she would have been easily confused for a bigger husky. He doesn't move his eyes away from her, not sure whether or not she wanted to keep him for a snack. Which seemed unlikely as she moves forward, walking slowly as she joins him under the tented area. Still somehow more afraid of him then he was of her.

The closer she got the more details he could see. Such as the huge cut on the side of her face that slightly wrapped itself onto her nose. Now he wasn't good with human emotions so god only knows how well he could read a wolves, but hes quick to assume that she was relaxed. Which was a good sign, for his sake anyway. The more he stares the more he feels about just calling her 'the wild' he's tempted to give her a name but he doesn't know what to call her. Like one of his hero NPC's he has no idea what name fit her. Though he knew that it did name her he would grow attached, which meant getting his ass chewed out by his Uncle who has scolded him numerous times for naming the stray animals near the trailer. But it didn't feel right not giving her a name after all that's she done for him. Normally he would talk to the animals near his trailer and see their reactions to give a name, but right now he didn't want to use his voice and accidentally spook her. Every gust of win that hit the tarp harder then the last was causing her to nearly jump in the air, he could only imagine what his obnoxious voice would do.

He's to focused on her body to notice that his was shaking pretty bad. Though like him, it seemed as if she had been looking him up and down just as much as he had been with her. He's guessing she comes to a good decision about him when she flops down in the dirt. Laying her head on her paws and staring a hole into him. He lets a sigh of releif go, watching it literally float up into the air. Glad to see that she barely even flinches at the noises he makes. He quickly decides that he was now as safe as he could be before glancing around the area once more. In hopes that he didn't miss anything, which he had. In what could be considered the corner of the area was a small had made bed. With no cushion, only a blanket and a pillow.

The area was barely able to fit him and this wolf, so it was hard to move without nearly kicking her in the face. He wanted to grab the blanket knowing that the cover of it would be better then nothing. He reaches out and gets a good hold of the cloth before he's starting to shake it out a bit wary about something being in it. Such as a needle. The short amount of time that he had been homeless in the city with his father had burnt a hesitancy in his brain about using random blankets without checking them first. Which would be all he needed, to get pricked with a needle and catch some disease.

After a moment of squirming around he pulls the blanket closer to himself. Doing another once over before he's pulling it over his body. Not bothering with the pillow, not wanting to catch lice again and have to buzz his head. Now that he knew that the materials he was working with were safe he comes up with a plan of staying warm. Pausing for a moment to think. Ignoring the animal next to him just for a second before scrunching his eyebrows together. He quickly decides the only way to get himself to warm up is to curl up into a ball. Which he does almost immediately after that thought, making eye contact with the Wolf in the process.

He can't help himself and smiles as friendly as possible towards the other. Already growing a bit attached to her but no matter what he did he will not be giving her a name. No matter how much it killed him to just called her Snow or some basic name like that. Instead of over thinking he tries to let his thoughts wander to anything else in hopes to make the time pass by faster. Which isn't too hard to do as he was worried about his Uncle, who had to drive from the shop to the trailer in the middle of this. And the more he thought the more worried he was.

Of course Eddie hadn't thought too hard about what he was doing before taking a single step into the woods. Steve Harrington was currently missing and he was doing something stupid that could very much end up with him getting lost. God only knows what his Uncle was thinking right now, if he has even made it home. Eddie knew that when Wayne did get home he was going to freak out harder then what he normally would. Between the snow storm and Steve missing that was a double whammy that would lead to Eddie getting his ass chewed out or Wayne having a heart attack. Which was why he was currently more worried about his Uncle then himself. Even though he was the one currently freezing his ass off in the middle of the woods. Not only was Eddie very worried about the idea of Wayne driving on the roads. (He knew he wouldn't get in an accident in the middle of a blizzard but the worry was still there.) He was worried that his Uncle would gather a search party, and if Eddie didn't die from hypothermia he was going to die from embarrassment.

Like earlier he moves his hands back up to his mouth. Blowing warm air out into them in hopes that it would get them to warm up. It was starting to get more difficult to sustain warmth as he gives in and wraps the blanket he had found tighter around him instead of having it loosely draped over his body. He's so cold that he doesn't even care what the animal in front of him was doing. Though he was still watching her, there was nothing else he could really do besides stare at her. His eyes watching her every move before she stands carefully slowly walking over the few inches between them and flopping down on top of him.

Causing him to yelp from the body weight and shock of having what was supposed to be a feral animal on top of him, but shit. She was a lot warmer then him and he was willing to take whatever heat he could possibly take. For a second he hesitates as he moves a little to get a bit more comfortable. Taking a moment before he gives in and wraps his hands around her feeling her damp fur with little clumps of snow in random places. His hands shake with anxiety and from the cold as he digs his fingers in more, chasing the warmth that was thawing them out. His breathing picking up a little as he whimpers a little when she moves off from him. Tempted to pull her close and not let her leave, afraid that she was leaving him. But quickly relaxes as she moves laying down on her side, face looking out of the small shelter.

There was nowhere else that his face could possibly go besides the nape of her neck. Nose scrunching up at the smell as he gags a little, unable to help himself. But willing to get used to the stench to stay warm. He hesitates again before he is wrapping his arm around her middle. Hand gently laying on her stomach. Feeling his body gaining warmth, with the exception of his back being a little cold. He sighs as he speaks without thought, "thank you." He says. Voice raspy and cracking, speaking for the first time. And he swears she makes a noise in response as in a way to say 'your welcome'. Her tail starting to wag against him, hitting him in the leg a few times. The cold was making him lose his mind. That was it. The Wolf was not responding to what he was doing, he was simply making it all up in his head. His imagination getting the better of him.

Eddie was still shaking a bit as he carefully starts to pet her, rubbing her stomach in appreciation. Laughing a little when he scratches in a spot causing her leg to kick back and hit him. She was like a oversized dog. After a few more moments the exhaustion starts to kick in and he slowly starts to fall asleep. With his own personal heater he wasn't shocked that he falls asleep wrapped around her.

When he wakes up its much later, and he's a little surprised by the animal still pressing next to him. That and by the amount of fur that made it down his throat causing him to gag a little. Lifting up his head from where he laid eye observes that there was no light. It was pitch black and he can't help but shiver, not from the cold but at the thought of what could possibly be out there. Though he shouldn't be to afraid. He has his own personal guard dog right with him. Hopefully she was willing to protect him from other animals like she had been with the cold.

He frowns as he moves to sit up more, startled when his pillow starts to move. Yelping out loudly, he nearly pulls the make shift tent down on the both of them. The animal lets a high pitched whine as she gets up, stretching with a a loud yawn. Watching him as if none of this wasn't completely abnormal to her. He doesn't know why he acted so surprised by her moving but it did startle him. She hadn't moved once in his sleep, or else he would have woken up from it.

"How are you so normal about this? Do you have other humans?" Eddie rambles out without thinking. With it being so dark he could barely make out the glint of her eyes. He's being dramatic and when he was scared or uncomfortable he made jokes. Even if they were made at the wrong place, wrong time. "Are you cheating on me?" He says in a higher pitch voice, purposely cracking it. Laughing a bit, he was really losing his mind. Though after a moment he just stays crouched as he takes his hands that were starting to shake again and groan loudly into them.

He really needed to get home and fast.

After a moment he moves crawling out from where he had been laying. Pushing past the animal. If she was going to eat him she would have done that when he was sleeping. His knees and hands were met by the snow and he was groaning some more. Shivering as he feels the cold wind hitting him again. Wiping his snowy hands on his pants he squints his eyes, looking around the dark trying to see if he could figure out what direction he should go in. Though he really had no clue. His phone was left at home, lost on the floor somewhere. A common occurence for him, even when his uncle kept chewing him out for doing that especially with everything that was going on. Though he's sure if he had the electronic on him it would still be dead from the cold, and the lack of service would be no help.

He lets a loud shaky breath out before he begins to ramble out to the wolf, acting as if she could understand him. "You know, if I don't die out here my Uncle is going to kill me. He keeps telling me to not come out here by myself and to always have my phone on me so he can reach me. Those are literally his only rules and somehow I always end up messing it up." He laughs bitterly. Feeling the snowy creature leaning against his side. Sitting and looking up at him. She really was gorgeous. He wondered if he could convince Wayne to allow him to get a dog. Probably not.

"And now, I'm stuck in the middle of the woods with no phone! With Steve Harrington missing my Uncle has been a bit more tense about me going places without telling him and oh god this is definetly going to make things worst." Eddie rambles out. Throwing his hands up in the air as he stressfully tugs on his own curls for a second. Then huffs as he moves starting to walk forward. "Now I need to find my way home which is going to be a lot of fun." He bitterly says as he crosses his arms around himself. Once again he regrets not paying attention to the discovery channel.

After a few minutes of aimlessly walking, he feels teeth brushing up against his shin and hes jumping a bit startled. Pulling away, feeling and hearing his pant leg tearing under the wolves teeth. "Damn it, I just got these!" Eddie complains loudly. Stopping himself from moving, a little nervous that the wolf was going to turn on him. Though she acts like she was just hit with the way he raised his tone. Ears falling back with a soft whine as she back tracks to give him a little space, tail between her legs again. "Oh no, don't do that. I didn't mean to snap, you just startled me is all." He says gently. Putting his hands up in the air as if she was the one holding him at gunpoint. "Just you know... not used to wolves being nice to me and then all of a sudden biting at my pants." He chuckles softly.

He watches as her tail slowly picks back up, ears going back to a relaxed state. He was starting to believe that she really understood him. She then proceeds to move, this time gently putting her teeth against the leather of his jacket and pulls him to another direction. Before dropping the clothing and moving away from him. He checks the jacket, and realizes that she was so careful that there was no teeth marks left behind only saliva. He doesn't move, still confused as to what she was trying to get him to do.

She keeps walking in the direction she had tried pulling him in, and there was no way she was leading him back to his trailer right? After a few more few she stops and turns her head towards him. Not moving, and after a moment he finally catches on and starts to walk forward with a playful huff. Letting out a soft and amused, "so bossy." Before following her. After a few minutes of just walking he sighs and begins to kick the snow around, secretly praying for the first time in years that she was actually leading him home. He was really trusting her with his life right now, and it was very intimidating. As time passed he was starting to grow cold again, and he was having a difficult time seeing in the dark which meant he kept on hitting his foot on everything that stuck out in his path and nearly running into trees like a dumbass. His new friend and savior never leaves his side as they walk.

Soon enough their journey comes to a end as a familiar light is seen from the clearing. He gasps, dumbfounded that she actually took him home. He picks up his pace a little bit, unable to help himself. Excited for the warmth of his cabin and comfort of his bed. Though he gets five feet away from the last of the trees before the opening and he stops. Turning his head, about to thank the animal again to only see that she was now gone. Confusion written on his face he sighs. A little disappointed now as well. Before he's moving and starting to run up the path, seeing his Uncles truck in the drive way. Moving his way up the steps, the door opens faster then what he thinks it's ever been capable of doing before.

"Eddie?" Wayne's voice breaks a little, Eddie was so glad to hear it as he moves throwing himself in the others arms again. Already close to tears as he knows he almost just died. It was crazy to think about. If the wolf hadn't been out there with him he currently wouldn't be standing here right now. Shaking in the others mans arms and from all the emotions that he's been holding back. Everything goes by with a blur, his uncle pulling him in and quickly forcing him to change and be piled under a bunch of blankets. Holding the mug of his famous hot chocolate as both of them finally calm down a bit. Enough for Wayne to start on one of his infamous rants about the woods. Every word sticking with Eddie this time. Eyes never leaving him, agreeing with every single one. Not fighting back like he normally would which was probably why the rant only lasted five minutes.

As Wayne moves to the kitchen to start cooking Eddie something to eat, from the corner of the window barely visible Eddie catches sight of his wolf standing between the trees. Watching, as if she was protecting him still out in those woods. He smiles brightly seeing her, moving his hand and waving at her in hopes she understood what the gesture meant.

Later that night, as he goes into his room. Pulling out the berries that weee very squished now, he starts to get his paints out. Beginning to start his first painting on a canvas that he had gotten over a year ago that had been collecting dust in his corner. Starting the outline of a wolf, staring from the trees of the trailer park.

~~~~~~~~

Were you probed by Aliens? ; September 2023

Eddie stays leaned back in his van seat, feet pressed up on the dashboard of the van as he watches students greeting each other excitedly about the new year. He shouldn't be here. He should be graduated and states away from Hawkins Indiana. Yet here he was, sitting in his beat up van redoing senior year like a dumbass. Though he wasn't the only one who shouldn't be here right now. Across the parking lot, Steve Harrington seemed to be having the same realization as Eddie. His forehead is laying right down on his steering wheel, ignoring all of the eyes that were on him and his mustang, seemingly in existential dread. Or on his way to a existential crisis. Eddie's heart really goes out for the guy. It really does. But if this meant the attention was off from Eddie for once he'll gladly take it.

Pulling the cigeratte from his mouth he puts it out in his ashtray leaving it laying in the ash of past cigarettes. Sniffling a little as he does, trying to wake up for the day. Seven in the morning was way to early for one Eddie Munson to be out of his bed. It definitely went against the Munson Doctrine. Even his Uncle didn't get up this early in the morning to go to work. There should be a law that stated that Eddie shouldn't be up and out of bed before his Uncle.

In a attempt to wake up he turns SlipKnot up. Letting the guitars fill his ear drums and take the attention off Steve for a few seconds. His own personal thank you to the guy. Even if it meant that the bass of the song was moving through him in a way that made him grind his teeth, not enjoying the way the van vibrates with the song. His unplanned plan seems to work as everyones eyes move to the van for maybe ten seconds before they are going back to Steve who was now exiting his car. Pulling up his jeans before he adjusts his shirt, and starts his red carpet walk. Awkwardly smiling people as he walks in. To a few people he would even awkwardly wave to them.

The walk is smooth, and he acts like nothing was out of the ordinary. Steve Harrington was confident in the way he holds himself and it was very strange, compared to the last time Eddie had seen him. Watching the way the other doesn't even hesitate as his eyes meet Billy Hargrove's. Who's sitting in his camaro, lazily leaning his head out of the car with a annoyingly charming smile sent the kings way. From where Eddie was sitting he couldn't see much of the guy, but from what he had seen that morning when the other was yelling at Max to hurry up the guy looked a lot better then he had been for the past couple of weeks. Somehow he looked even scarier and more sturdier in how he carried himself. It was unfair how he came out of being deathly ill looking more attractive. And the asshole knew it.  Flaunting his chest out even more, if that was even possible for the guy to do.

After a moment Eddie pulls his attention away from what was happening ahead of him, quickly captivated by the favorite part of his song. Eddie playfully drums the rythm of the song on his lap, letting the song progress and finish before he's turning the radio off and jumping out of the vehicle. Stumbling on his feet a bit but he didn't mind. Not like anyone was watching. The game plan for today was to show up to every class at least five minutes late instead of twenty. The goal him and Chrissy had come up with the night before. It was a reasonable goal, truly but Eddie really didn't care about the stupid school. The only reason why he was even here was because his Uncle forced him to.

If Steve was confident and smooth with the way he carried himself into the school Eddie was the opposite. He was clumsy, stumbling over himself and his arms were a bit too awkward as he moves under Billy's eyes as well. He's flustered, and not the good kind. He didn't like being on douchbags radars and that was putting it lightly for the male in his obnoxiously gorgeous car. Thankfully he somehow graduated the year before and Hawkins High said good riddance.

"Munson," The way he says his last name makes his stomach twist in a bad way. He rolls his eyes and keeps walking. Simply ignoring him as he makes his way to his first class of the day. Not afraid to do so now as the other didn't really have much say on what happens in the school anymore. His reign of terror ending with flames when Steve returned.

Running a hand through his hair Eddie opens the front door and enters hell.

He did make it to every class on time, for the most part. It was only the first day and Eddie had a study hall and lunch back to back. Which meant he could easily slack off in the back of the large area for over an hour. Humming to himself he has his music blaring in his ears. If anyone were to talk to him he would be unable to hear them. He moves and plops himself in his normal spot. Throwing his feet up on the table, leaning the chair back on two feet as he hums to the song loudly. Fidgeting in one way or another as he scrolls through his phone. Chrissy had lunch next period so he would only have to hold out for forty five minutes, as much as he tried to convince her to skip she would not budge on her decision.

When the bell rings, announcing the end of the period and the warning for the next Eddie's music shuts off randomly. Groaning he gets irrationally agitated as he fights to try and turn his phone on. Realizing that it died after a few more minutes of fighting with it. Huffing he throws himself forward and slams his phone down on the table, pulling his headphones out. He wasn't normally agitated this easily but he really wanted to curl up and listen to Ozzy or Metallica. Maybe a bit of slipknot, korn and Iron Maiden tossed in the mix for a while longer. But no, he had forgotten to plug his phone in the night before which added onto the fact that he drained his battery fast when ever he did use it. Here he was now with no music or phone, though hopefully Chrissy would be coming soon to end his torture. The library was way to silent for his liking he needed something for background noise.

His head is dramaticlly placed on the table when he hears the chair across from him pulling backwards and someone sitting in front of him. "This table is taken." He groans. Not caring to look up already knowing that it wasn't Chrissy. Who always sat next to him, that and she would have been wrapped around him already just from the pathetic sight known as him. He also knew that whoever had the balls to sit next to him would probably lose their nerve at trying to befriend him rather quickly and leave him alone. That's how it normally worked. The success rate of making Eddie Munson your friend was sixty to one. Eddie was the one that had to make you his friend, collecting people like lost sheep and trusting his gut on who to chose. Chrissy was the only exception as she really did have a way with a metal heads heart. What could he say. He was a sucker for the blonde.

"Oh no... " The voice says sarcasticlly. "I can't come by and say hi to my fellow super senior twin." The voice is filled with amusement and Eddie hears the way their fingers start to tap at the table. Sending a thrumming rhythm to his head, not helping with the slight agitated bubble that was living in his chest right now. He was being irrational and a absolute dick but like most times, he doesn't care what other people think about him. It was kind of on brand for him, he was either very nice to the point you liked him or a huge twat who made people run away faster then their legs could carry them. He would like to think he was like Shrek, a man with many layers. But he's already had this conversation with Chrissy and she was convinced he was donkey.

A few seconds of silence pass before Eddie looks up with a bit of a squint. Prepared to chew whoever out before his cheeks go red from embarrassment when he realizes Steve Harrington was currently sitting across from him. Though he quickly acts unbothered as he laughs bitterly, "Oh how the mighty king has fallen, meeting the jester in secret where the kingdom can't see." His smile is sarcastic along with his tone, acting as if he was speaking in rhyme. Moving forward enough to where the table dug into his arms that were currently crossed over his chest in a closed of manner. He was miserable and unfairly taking it out on the other. He knew that, but in the moment he didn't care. He hated highschool with a passion and right in front of him was one of the people who had made high-school so miserable in the first place. Of course the voice in his head was telling him that Steve probably had it worst, but once again he just didn't give a fuck.

This doesn't stop Steve to dramatically gasp back at him with a loud "Oh my god." A tense smile popping up onto his face, his eyes growing dark and a little annoyed but he doesn't let the other effect him to much. Which was probably a rare ability that anyone held.

Steve obviously had much more control then Eddie, who's mouth was like a ticking time bomb. Like Eddie, Steve leans forward as well, their faces only a few inches away from each other now as he speaks lowly "I think the jester needs to find a different title. The crowd doesn't find him all that funny." He sasses back with ease. A challenging look in his eye, daring Eddie to fight back.

Leading into a stare before Eddie finally softens up as he recognizes he was being a douche in this situation. He was definitely being the hugest twat to Steve right now for no reason and if he feels a little guilty about it that was only for him to know.

He huffs a little, trying to still act tough as Steve's eyes land on his phone. "Phone die?" Steve asks amused, which only earns him a nod in response. Steve hums as he moves to stand up, leaving the table without a word. Returning a second later after he went to go talk to the librarian. Who happily let him borrow one of their extra android charges.

"Here, the desk normally has extra chargers." He comments. He runs a hand through his hair as he sits back down across from Eddie. It was growing a bit awkward between the two as Eddie smiles a bit tightly in response.

"So..." Steve says, dragging out the word like he had in the truck. "Are you having fun?" He asks sarcastically. His voice is soft, leaving it in a slight whisper. Eddie doesn't let himself think too much about how hot his voice was as he snorts.

"Not really." He says shaking his head. Moving and tossing his legs up on the table, careful to not hit his phone in the process. He pauses as he decides to toss the word back into the others face. "So... are you enjoying all of the eyes on you?" Eddie teases. The rumors were running rampant and it was honestly concerning with the amount of people currently talking about the boy in front of him. Its been months since the other returned home safe, and everyone was still talking about it like it was yesterday.

Steve laughs as he slouches in his chair a bit as he pauses for a second, a thinking look finding its way on his face as he processes his answer before giving it to Eddie. "No.. not one bit. Which is a bit weird. If you told me last year that I would have almost the entire state's attention I would have been thriving. But no... I hate it. I wish I could go to the grocery store and be able to buy a thing of bananas without someone coming over to 'help' me." He laughs gently, moving his hands up and making quotation marks with his fingers around the word help. "Though, I'm sure even you are probably just as curious as everyone else about the whole disappearing thing." Steve chuckles. His shoulders were now tense as the unspoken thing was finally brought up.

Eddie listens, the other was nothing like he had expected him to be and it was very strange to him. Possibly more strange then the actual disappearance of the guy "Well- i'm sure everyone will stop talking about it.... after a few years." he chuckles, smiling softly at the way Steve's scar stretches against his cheek as he smiles. "And I won't lie. I am a bit intrigued. But I remember how everyone reacted to me coming into town to live with my uncle, and from personal experience I don't want to be one of those people that I hated a lot back then." he hums. Crossing his arms over his chest a bit as he watches Steve carefully. Unsure whether or not he should be getting personal with this guy.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Steve chuckles shaking his head as he smiles, "You had a horrible buzzcut right? And performed something.. I can't remember what at the talent show." He seemed excited and proud that he could remember something that was so significantly smaller to him then Eddie.

"Hey! Don't crap all over my hair, mullet boy." Eddie sasses playfully. He moves a hand up to his hair, fiddling with his curls at the memory of them being gone.

"Not like I had a choice in that hair cut, my Dad thought it would make me look more like a boy." Steve laughs gently.

Eddies nose scrunches up a bit as he shakes his head. "Oh god, that was the exact same reason why mine buzzed my head as well." He huffs out, trying to hide his snort.

The conversation was easy to hold after that for a few minutes before silence falls on them again. Neither of them shared many common interests expect for some of the music they listened to. Eddie looks up at the clock as he groans realizing that they still had twenty minutes before the bell would ring. Though he was frowning a bit, concerned about Chrissy who had told him she would meet him in the library around this time. Though he pushes that worry in the back of his mind, trusting that there was a good reason for her to ditch him.

Tossing his head back dramaticlly he makes a few noises at the idea of staying in the school anymore before he straghtens back up to talk to Steve again. Pretending he didn't just make the strangest noises ever.

Steve had a mischiveous look in his eye as he stares at Eddie. "Lets play a game." Steve says with a grin, one that was charming Eddie into agreeing with whatever he wanted. Ignoring the idea of doing anything for Steve Harrington Eddie raises his eyebrow as Steve continues. "We've both been the middle of the town talk at one point or another, why don't we ask each other the most stupidest questions everyone has come up with surrounding me going AWOL and you moving into town. Or tell each other rumors that we heard about the other." And shit, that sounded like a fun idea.

Eddie pretends to think for a second, before he leans forward onto his arms on the table. "Spill all of your dirty secrets big boy." He jokes. A smile on his face as Steve laughs.

"Well you have to ask me a question first you dork." Steve laughs, moving himself forward, a bit closer to the other. As if there were people surrounding them, when in reality no one was within fifteen feet of their table.

"Oh I suppose." Eddie gasps, dramatically tilting his chair back again and leaning along with it so he could think. Tapping his chin as a grin pops up on his face. "Did you really get abducted by aliens?" He asks.

"Yeah, my prostate still hasn't recovered. God, I don't think I'm going to ever be able to play sports ever again." Steve jokes laughing as he shakes his head amused, only grinning more when he sees he's got the reaction he wanted from the other. Which was amusement.

"Oh... kinky." Eddie teases, moving back onto the table as he waves his hand to gesture for the other to go now. Not allowing much time to talk to much about eat rumor.

"Did you really escape from a cult?" Steve asks.

"Nope, did people really think that?" Eddie asks a bit startled and amused.

"Yeah, I don't know why a lot of people thought that." Steve laughs before gesturing for the other to ask one.

Eddie pauses to think, he squints his eyes as he asks the next question without thinking. "Do you really not remember anything?" He asks curiously. The light energy changes to something dark as Steve stiffens up a bit. Before relaxing as he looks like he's lost in thought or somewhere. Eddie was a little suspicious now, there was no reason to think about something like that. Either you remembered or you didn't, pretty straightforward.

"Kind of? Everything's fuzzy if I'm honest. I remember bits a pieces but not enough." Steve admits, quickly trying to change the the topic as he starts to ask the next question but is interrupted by Chrissy who's pretty much running over.

"Oh my god, Eddie I'm so sorry I got side tracked-" Chrissy freezes when she notices Steve at the table. Though Eddie wasn't worried about him as his eyes land on his friend and she looked like shit. Eye-bags under her eyes, sweat rolling down her face as if she just got done running from somewhere. Hair pulled up but still messy, and she didn't have any make up on. That was a major red flag that something was wrong.

Eddie was so tunnel visioned onto her that he doesn't notice the way Steve reacts to seeing her. His eyes furrowed up a bit as he looks more concerned then Eddie. And he didn't even know her. "Are you okay chris? You don't look to hot?" Eddie asks concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just came from the nurse. I accidentally fell asleep on one of their beds-" she rambles. That was enough for Eddie to stand up, unplugging his phone as he smiles at Steve the best he can.

"Sorry Harrington, but I'm sending her back to the nurse. Don't mean to dip on you like this but-" he gestures at the girl in hopes that he understood what he was trying to say. Steve doesn't waist a second to put a face on as he smiles back at him, moving his hand to gesture for him to go.

"Yeah no worries man, hope you feel better Chrissy." He says with a smile. Already pulling his phone out, Eddie moves and wraps a arm around his friends waist as he starts to lead her back where she came from. Ignoring all of the complaints coming from her. Turning his head to look at Steve, who was now sitting with Robin Buckley who was waving her hands around in the air talking about something. It looked like she was chewing him out. About what, he wasn't sure.

What he was curious about, was how a band geek was friends with a school jock.

~~~~~~~

Old Wounds: September 2023

Tw: mention of a gun shooting and blood (not in great detail)

Eddie sits outside on the porch alongside Wayne. No matter the season they both came out here around the same time just to sit and enjoy the fresh air. During the colder seasons Wayne would make Eddie his famous hot coco, during the hotter seasons it was typically sweet tea or a beer. Tonight they were both drinking sweet tea from their glasses. Lost in their thoughts together. Eddie was worried about Chrissy. She really didn't seem to be acting like herself for the past few days. Something was up and he wasn't sure what. Normally she was energetic and up lifting but lately she looked like she was using all of her energy just to talk. It was alarming and concerning. He was currently trying to figure out a way to cheer her up. Which was why he was currently on the porch with Wayne.

His hair is starting to frizz from the sun. One of the last sunny days they were probably going to be seeing for a while as fall sets in. One of his favorite seasons. He takes a sip of his drink, nearly spitting it out when a loud pop is heard from across the trailer park. Along with a loud pained whine similar to that of a dog. Eddie freezes as he starts to piece what just happened together. Jumping up on his feet along with Wayne who was cursing out whoever shot the gun as it resulted in him dumping his drink all over him. Not showing any concern as to why they shot it. Eddies moving quickly down the steps, trying to see where it came from. Heart stopping as he sees his wolf running in his direction. Though not for his protection as she runs pass him as Wayne's yelling at him to move.

Her fur was whiter then the last time he seen her, though what hits him in the gut with worry is red and matted fur that was on her right side. Where she had been obviously skimmed. He's still frozen there when he hears another loud gun shot, now going past him and hitting a tree on the edge of the woods. The wolf wasn't moving fast, but enough to get away. A blood trail following behind her. Across from them Hargroves trailer door is slamming open. A look in his eye that told Eddie that he was about to go on a rampage. He's already down near Eddie, who was in shock from nearly being shot as well. The shooter; a middle aged man named John, who has been a problem in the trailer park for years stood a couple of feet from Eddie holding a rifle. Everything was happening so fast that he doesn't notice when Wayne came next to him checking him for any wounds as he forces him to look at him. Hands moving all over Eddie's sides, feeling him up in worry.

"Ed's hey hey. Everything's okay, are you okay?" Wayne asks. Worried, along with a hint of rage in his eye. Eddie can't speak, just shakes his head no. Following where the man leads him- setting him down on one of the trailer steps. Letting him know he would be back in a second. Before he's storming to the old man, who was about to face the rath of both Billy and Wayne. Billy was just starting to get in on him.

"What the fucks wrong with you! My sister could have been out here and you could have fucking missed and got her!" Billy yells. Which if Eddie wasn't in shock before he was now. The guy didn't care for his sister. That was obvious. "And-"

Billy's cut off by Wayne soccer punching the man in the face. Eddie could hear crack from where he sat. Eyes going wide as he sees more blood coming now from the man's nose. Wayne moves and takes the rifle from the guys hands. Moving and quickly unloading it with ease. He was silent but he was speaking with his actions and it scared the hell out of Eddie. He's never seen him this mad before. "You nearly fucking shot my nephew John. You're one lucky son of a bitch, if you even grazed my boy you would have a bullet in your skull right now." He snaps. Throwing the now unloaded gun to the side, making sure the safety was on as well. 

There was a growing crowd forming around what was happening. Watching as Wayne turns around going back to Eddie with a look in his eyes that Eddie's only ever seen once. When he had first moved in with him, After he had explained what his dad had been doing. His eyes flicker always from his for a second, meeting Billy's next. Who's eyes held a lot of emotion. Most of it rage. He may not be thinking straight right now but Billy Hargrove was hiding something. And Eddie wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

[ahmementos]

Now You Know This Is What It Feels Like

Febuwhump Day 7 : Made To Watch

Also on Ao3

It felt like forever that all he had to break the monotony of the silence was the shallowness of his breath while he worked through the pain.  In truth, it may have been mere minutes since he’d been dragged from the confines of a metal table he’d been strapped to and bolted into a steel chair in some sort of closed off room that only allowed him a nondescript steel panel on a wall to stare at.  He’d lost track of time since his own government had dragged him to a black ops site, but his best guess was that it had been a week.

The face Leon had been staring at since he managed to rip his stupid covert mask off on the first day still wasn’t ringing any bells to him.  “It seems we aren’t getting anywhere with our current tactics.”  In a week’s time, he still hadn’t managed to figure out who the asshole was that did all the directing of the guards and intelligence agents at his disposal.    

Leon thought he knew every face in the US government, but the team that had been doing their best to work him into a state of compliance was one of their best kept secrets.  “Waterboarding was a nice change of pace.”  He struggled not to cough when he spoke, hair wet and plastered against his face.  “Thought that was reserved for the enemy when not keeping up the lie of it being banned.”

The man in charge motioned in Leon’s direction and the guards double checked the cuffs that held his arms and ankles locked against the metal chair he’d been dumped in.  It, too, was a level of torture in and itself.  He couldn’t control the shivering as his boxer briefs did nothing to prevent the cold steel from sending a chill across his already dampened body.  

“No, after a week of this, it seems we have to play hardball.”

“Shock rods weren’t hardball?”  He hadn’t had a chance to check them out, but the scorch marks on his sides still hurt like a motherfucker.  “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Agent Fuck Around and Find Out didn’t know when to shut up.  “What we want is for the United States to be able to manage compromised organizations that are not upholding the ideals of morality and decency.”  The strange remote in his hand hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“What you want is for me to infiltrate any organization you can’t control and compromise it so everyone has to come to us for aid.”  Leon wasn’t an idiot.  

The agent put his hand on his chest and feigned shock.  “Anything we’ve done has been to stop corruption before it starts, Agent Kennedy.”

“You want to control the cash flow involved in bioterror cleanup.”  The second the betterment of the United States and the world became kidnapping agents already employed to force them into compliance was the second he stopped believing a damn thing any of them said.  “Go fuck yourself.”

The man pulled a chair over and sat it next to Leon.  “I have something that I think will bring you over to our team.”  Finally, he offered Leon the big reveal by pushing one of the buttons on his remote and grabbed him by the hair and made sure his eyes only had the emerging window and to look at.

What Leon had thought was a reinforced wall slid open and revealed an adjacent room with a man seated in a chair.  His eyes narrowed as he focused on the prone man’s form.  Even with a bag over the man’s head, he knew those thighs intimately.

“He’s got nothing to do with this.”  Strength he swore they’d tortured out of him welled to the surface as his hands balled into fists.  Muscles sore from abuse flexed.  His eyes watched men move closer to Chris’ bound form with more of their favorite party favors and he finally was able to focus on the discoloration points that marred Chris’ skin.  “How long has he been here?”

The agent seemed pleased and laughed lightly.  “Long enough to be too sedated to fight back anymore.”

Leon watched the ends of the shock batons light up in preparation for use and tried to look away.  “Let him go.”  He looked down at the binds and tested them reflexively to no avail.  “He’s got nothing to do with this!”

The agent seated next to him gripped his hair tighter and forced him to settle.  “He has everything to do with this.”  His fingers pressed another button on the remote in his hand and the people on the other side of the glass moved in closer.  “He is the one responsible for BSAA’s conception, right?”

Logic told him that Chris, even sedated, could take it.  He’d been taking it for a week and he was still persevering and Chris was better built for the abuse.  The running joke was always that, if it came down to a torture scenario, Chris would be the one who could take it and not break.  

The difference between a drunken hypothesis and a forced recreation of said hypothesis into an actual experiment was the testing process, seeing the test performed live to prove the point.  “Stop!”  Yelling did nothing except earn his hair a yank and his eyes back in the general viewing range of electroshock therapy gone horribly wrong.  

The torture he'd already been put through was nothing compared to being unable to stop it being done to Chris.

“I will… once I’m sure you understand how important it is to cooperate with us.”  The agent used his grip on Leon’s hair to redirect his eye contact to him for a brief moment.   “I want to make sure you understand how much we want you in on this, Agent Kennedy, and I need you to understand Captain Redfield’s eventual release is tied to your cooperation.”

[filthforfriends]

Hi! I recently had a little cold thus a lot of time on my hands. During my many hours rolled around in my bed I decided to download the epub version of GA from AO3 to my phone to have it among all my ebooks. Upon doing so I have found out it is already TWICE as long as some of my fave books. That completely baffled me.

Here are some thoughts from my recent reread that I have decided to dump on you ❤️:

- the fact that both y/n and D have completely different struggles but are so empathetic and understanding towards eachother is beautiful

- y/n and D are so compatible and a real match made in heaven in the sense that they somehow compliment eachothers weak spots (don’t know if you get what I‘m saying hold on…) they are really good at validating the other’s feelings and insecurities while also genuinely loving/adoring what the other is insecure about organically (I hope you get what I mean haha)

- are y/n and D going to go full rabitt/complete horny idiots mode now that they finally figured out how to knot right? if so I am highly looking forward to it they deserve it

- y/n and D need a vreak from all these health issues they got my poor babies

- speaking of that I hope the implant and all of y/n‘s hormones don’t cause any trouble anymore, poor thing that chaoter was heartbreaking (also will we ever see y/n in heat? 🤔🫠)

- also wanted to highlight chapter 7 it’s an actual masterpiece and I will never get over it… the emotions get me every time

- actually the whole AD2 arc is so beautifully written… D‘s character is so deeply nuanced and the smallest details all make sense as you find out more about him and the reality of his life and personality and health it breaks my heart and heals it at the same time

- the deleted scenes are giving me LIFE 🫠 pls keep them coming I am always thirsty for that sweet sweet content 🥹

That’s all! just came here to geek out about this story to you ❤️ you‘re amazing and I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT to find out what happens next

all my love 💧

YES we will see rabid behavior and heat/rut. Chapter 7 took so much time and is so long because I rewrote it a lot so there are more deleted scenes where that came from! I just have to finish those scenes up because when I'd get towards the end and realize it wasn't good enough I'd move on before finishing if that makes sense. Those scenes are typically a few hundred words away from being finished and my brain can only do one thing at a time: write new shit or finish old shit, so if may take a while, but everything will be posted.

Also I actually didn't think Guardian Angel was that long. Most of us have seen those fics on AO3 that are 400k+ words and GA is like 125k words. So gives me some real appreciation for certain fan fic writers because like god damn.

Much love towards you as always <3

[angel-shaw]

Hi y’all! This is the second thing I wrote in my Sam/Darlin/Quinn series! This one is back in time to when Tank and Quinn met!

In Ao3 it will be a different work but in the same series as my other one:) my Ao3 is Sally_Angle

Cw: Implied neglect and feeling left out

Don’t worry it’s fluff:)

Word count: 3320

Hope you enjoy!

“Hay, you look upset. What’s up?” Someone asked as Tank walked down the street. Tank almost didn’t respond, not thinking that the man was talking to them, but they looked up out of habit and saw the supposed owner of the voice walking over to them.

Tank tensed, they could tell he was empowered, “What do you want,” their tone was short and snappy but they couldn’t really care,not with all that's happened today.

“I want to know what’s upsetting someone as pretty as you,” the man said as he drew closer, Tank had stopped walking.

Once the man reached them he held out his hand, “Hi, I’m Quinn, I was just walking around and you looked upset so I wanted to see if you were all right,” he said, a small smile on his face.

Tank looked Quinn up and down, he didn't look too bad, he at least had a charming smile. “Why the hell would I tell you, you're a stranger?”

Quinn didn't look at all discouraged to talking to them by their short and annoyed tone, if anything he looked as if he wouldn't stop till they did say what was wrong. “Well you don't have to of course but you look down in the dumps, talking ‘bout whatevers bothering you might make ya feel better, or maybe i can help?”

Tank laughed shortly. “Help? Ya right, nothing you do can help.”

“Oh ya? Try me,” Quinn said, a smile plastered across his pretty face.

“...my mom promised she would spend today with me but stuff came up so she can’t.” Tank said quietly looking at the ground. God it sounded stupid when they said it out loud.

They could feel him looking at them, when they finally looked back at him he wasn't smiling anymore. He more had a look of pity and curiosity.

“Damn…That sucks. Is today something special or somethin?”

Tank didnt answer for a moment, this guy just walked up to them on the street, did he really have to know…

“It’s my birthday, we haven't been able to spend any time together with her job and my siblings but she said she would come with me to go to the movies and get food after. But uh..something came up with her work and then my little sister wanted to be with her so she gave me like $20 and told me to go have fun.”

“Wait- it’s your birthday and she just-“

“Left me to spend time with my siblings, ya”

“Damn…I’m sorry that’s not ok,” Quinn reached out and put his hand on Tank's shoulder, “All right, instead of spending the day with your deadbeat mom I’ll spend it with ya, head over to the movie and I’ll meet you there. I’m just gonna pick up a few things all right?”

Tank stood there in shock for a second before nodding, who the hell was this guy and why would he want to spend the day with them? He didn’t even know their name, let alone what they were like, they had only been rude and vented about their mom not spending time with them.

Quinn smiled, “Alright then! I’ll see you soon cutie,” He said before he winked and sped off.

Tank stood their for a minute, barely processing what just happened, the only thought they had, “huh, so he’s a vamp-“

Tank walked up to the movie theater, looking around for any sign of the strange man. They didn't see him at all. They even stood out there for 10 minutes before deciding to just go inside. What's even the point, the guy probably just felt awkward and wanted an easy way out when they started telling him to much of their shit.

Well Tank told themself that they didn't care, they did. They hated the small spark of hope they had that not only did someone care enough, even about a stranger to ask them if they were ok, but willing to do something with them. They knew it was stupid but it still stung, why couldn't the guy just walk away or something, even that would hurt less.

As they waited in line to buy the tickets they looked over at the snacks, ‘Maybe I should treat myself a bit…it is my birthday after all and it's not like I have anyone else to pay for,’ They thought to themself.

As they were looking over the options a hand was placed on their shoulder. They immediately turned on their heels and smacked the hand away. They don't know what they were expecting but certainly not the strange man.

‘Wowh, strong smack you got there, damn,” He said with a chuckle, well massaging his wrist.

Tank looked shocked at Quinn.

“What? Weren't expecting me? I told you I'd meet you here,” He said when they just stood there staring at them.

“Well i just-” They started before the concession person called out for the next in line.

Quinn grabbed their wrist loosely and walked up to the counter, “Two tickets for uhh…Which one?”

Tank finally snapped out of their shocked haze and told the worker the name of the movie.

“Awesome! What snacks do ya want?” Quinn asked, looking brightly at them, they felt their faces heat a little. They quietly mumbled the ones they wanted.

Quinn smiled and repeated what they wanted back at the worker, saying what he wanted as well and getting two drinks. Tank reached into their pocket for their wallet but Quinn was already handing the person money when they grabbed it.

“Hey na you're not paying, come on it's your birthday you deserve a treat.” Quinn said when they tried to protest.

The two of them grabbed the snacks, popcorn, and drinks, then headed to the movie room. Quinn pushed it open easily, not that it would have been hard for them to but it was still nice, and they still blushed when he smiled at them as they walked in.

As they walked down the aisle Tank saw some people sitting in about the middle row in the middle of said row. They didn't think much of it at first, it was the movies after all. That was until they heard the voices of said people, carrying though the quiet, mostly empty theater.

It was some of their pack mates. David, a stern annoying kid and their Alfa’s son, Ash, a loud annoying kid who seems to never run out of energy and david's best friend, Milo, a “gentleman” as he put it and their pack healers son, hid dad also worked for the department, and Amanda, tank didn't know much about her but she stuck around the others so they assumed she fit in just well.

Tank froze, Quinn noticed and stopped walking, “Hey what's wrong?” He asked quietly.

Tank shook their head slightly and then nodded towards the group.

Quin looked over, “Who are they? Pack mates of something?”

Tank nodded again, “They don't really like me around.”

Quinn frowned, “Hay,” he whispered, “We aren't here for them, it's your birthday and we're here to have fun. Here, come on, we're going to sit near the front.”

“But the’ll see-”

“Who cares, we’re gonna have fun.”

Quinn walks them both up to one of the closer rows and they sit down. Once they get situated Quinn turns to them, “See, they didn't even notice, it's all right, we can pretend that they aren't even here,” He smiles and pats their hand.

They sit and talk quietly until the movie starts, Quinn shares some of his snacks with them and they toss small popcorn into each other's mouth. Tank was quite good at catching them, Quinn was not.

As the movie played, Tank felt safe, and happy. Things they haven't felt since they were little, it was nice. They felt like they could relax around him, but that still sent off a distant warning bell off in the back of their head, this guy didn't even know their name and he was paying to watch a movie with them on their birthday. For now though, they could just enjoy this.

After the movie, Tank noticed that Quinn clapped quietly, not loud enough for anyone but the people right by him to hear but still, who claps at the end of the movie Tank thought. ‘Ah yes tanker, judge the person who just paid to watch a movie with you cuz you look sad. Ya thats the right move, fucking dumbass’

There weren't many people in the viewing room, just a few, so when they gathered up their trash there wasn’t anyone trying to push their way past them. Quinn and them where talking about the ending when they heard their name be called,

“Hay Tanker!” It was Asher, he had noticed them before he left to meet the rest of the group who was already outside,he walked up to them. “Hay are you here to see the new movie? It was awesome!”

Tank shrugged, “Just finished it, I liked it,’’ They said, not, looking Asher in the eye.

“Oh nice! Did you see us? We were in the middle, you should come and sit with us!”

“Oh, uh no i must have missed you guys,” They lied, “Next time maybe.”

“Ya next time! All right see ya!” He called as he turned and ran out the door to catch up with the others he came with.

Tank let out a sigh, thank the gods that was over. They didn't notice Quinn still standing next to them.

“You all right?” He asked quietly, placing a hand on their shoulder.

Tank looked up and nodded, “Ya im fine, i just really didn't want to talk to them..”

Quinn nodded, “That's fair, I thought you said they didn't want you around?”

Tank looked down at the floor. “They don't, they have to offer cuz one of their dads is our alfa and i'm the “new kid’’ so they have to try and include me in things. But I can tell they don't want to.”

“Ah, I'm sorry that must really suck.”

“It is what it is.”

“Well it shouldn't be, you don't deserve it,” Quinn said matter-OF-factly, “All right to combat this new sadness, pick a place.”

Tank looked confused “Pick a place?”

“Ya! Pick a place. You said you were going to take your mom to dinner, but I'm gonna be taking you out to eat but you need to pick the place!” Quinn said, a huge smile on his face.

Tank felt heat rushing to their face, they took a deep breath, trying to level themselves.

“Why do you care? You don't know me. You don't even know my name yet you paid for the snacks and the movies and now are trying to take me out to dinner,” They questioned him, a part of them felt bad because he had been nothing but nice, but they had to know.

“You know, I was the one that was going to pay for all of the stuff with me and my mom. Not her. So if you're trying to do this because you feel bad I won't be able to because I don't have the money, dont. That's the entire way I got her to agree in the first place! But hell that doesn't even matter because she had more important things to be doing. Things that didn't include me. If your trying to take advantage of me that won't work either i hope you know,” They took a deep breath as they finished, they hadn't meant to say all of that but it just…slipped out.

Quinn just stood there for a moment, not looking shocked but not not looking shocked. Tank thought he would stick his nose up at them or something for being such a dick after he had been nothing but nice, but he didn't. He didn't look upset or angry, instead and pulled them into a hug, a very awkward hug.

“I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to pay to do things or spend time with your mom, let alone on your birthday, and I should have asked. I guess I got too carried away, I'm not the best at introductions, as you see heh, so why don't we try this over ya? Then it can be nice,” Quinn said with a small smile as he pulled away from the hug he pulled them into.

“Hi, I'm Quinn and I want to be your friend. I saw you looking down and I thought that someone as pretty as you shouldnt have to feel bad so i wanted to know what was up, then you told me and i thought you deserved to have fun and stuff so now we're here. Ok! Your turn now,” A smile never leaving his face as he spoke.

Tank smiled slightly, “Hi Quinn, you can call me Tank. I'm sorry for snapping at you, I'm not the best with people,” They felt embarrassed that they snapped at him like they did but he seemed not to mind.

Quinns smile grew, “There we go! Hi Tank, it's amazing to meet you. Now, pick a place for us to go eat,” He said, patting their shoulder.

Tank named a place and the two of them walked out of the theater, as they walked Tank asked a few questions.

“So how old are you? Like in total, cuz im 16 and i don't want this to be a weird thing, no offense.”

“None taken! I get it, I'm 16 too, but I turn 17 in, I think a few months, i dont keep track much.”

“So when were you turned? It can't have been too long ago?”

“Oh umm i think like a year or two ago, i can't really remember much, all my memories are really blurry, both what happened before i turned and after, i remember just waking up and knowing i was a vamp now. I don't really like thinking about it, just because it brings up bad emotions and I can't figure out why.”

“Oh damn, i'm sorry that sounds disorienting”

“Ya but it is what it is i guess, it's not like we can change it now,” Quinn laughed.

Tank noticed how when he walked he swung his arms and he talked with his hands, ‘Cute,’ they thought.

Once they reached the food place of choice they both went in, Quinn did the talking with the person and bowed slightly when he gestured them to their seat in the booth. Tank chuckled as they sat, Quinn smirked and sat across from them.

“So what are you gonna get,” He asked looking over his own menu.

Tank looked over the options, feeling slightly awkward about spending someone else's money, so they said the cheapest option, despite not really liking it.

Quinn must have noticed their hidden disgust when they told him because the next thing he said caught them off guard, “You know you can get what you want right? This is for you, I have the money I promise, hell you could get one of everything and I wouldn't be upset. I would be upset if you got the cheapest thing on the menu when you hate it just because you don't want to be expensive. So go on, what do you really want?”

Quinn spoke softly, he wasn't upset at them, he just wanted them to enjoy the food they wanted. His soft tone made them feel heat rushing back to their face as they buried it back in the menu. Quinn chuckled.

The two of them continued to talk as they ordered and ate, it was calming to Tank. They were used to the craziness of the pack dinners they were forced to go to or the yelling at their own house, so just sitting and talking quietly with quinn was nice.

After they finished eating Quinn paid and they left. Quinn offered to walk them home and they agreed, glad to not part ways with him yet. Even though it had been cloudy all day and the sun had been covered, it was getting darker out as the sun started to set.

As they walked up to their house Tank turned to Quinn, “So umm, thank you for hanging out with me, you didn't have to but it means a lot,” They refused to look away from his silver eyes as his smile widened, no matter how much they hate eye contact with anyone. They can't be rude to him, not after he's been so kind, unprompted.

“Of course! Here, gimme your hand real quick,” He said, holding out his own hand.

Tank puts out their hand and he takes it and pulls out a pen from a pocket, writing something on the palm of their hand. Once he finished he closed the palm of their hand and set it at their side, smirking.

“There you go, I really should be going now but this was really nice, I would love to do this again sometime soon, hopefully in not such a sad circumstance,” He said, bowing slightly before turning and bolting.

Tank standing at the driveway to their house, faces red. They glance at their hand and see a number, Quinns number, he put a smile face too.

‘Cute’

Tank walks into their house, seeing their mom sitting at the kitchen table, glass of something, probably wine or some other alcohol, in her hand. She didn't notice them at first before they said hi.

“Hay kidddd, there you are, was the movie good?”

Tank smiled softly at their mom, walking over to her, “Ya mom, it was good,” They said, putting an arm under her arm.

They had been able to lift her by themselves for years, they got very good at it over said years.

“I think it's time for bed mom,” They said, walking her to the couch and sitting her down.

She slurred out something unintelligible as her child layed her down and put a soft blanket over her. Tank only smiled and turned on the TV, flipping through a few things before turning the volume to just the right volume for their mom.

She would be out in minutes, they knew that, so they didn't bother trying to talk to her anymore, instead walking into the kitchen and putting away her bottle on the counter. They rinse and wash her glass and the few dishes in the sink before flicking off the lights and heading to the hall.

Opening each of their siblings' room, sticking their head in, seeing their siblings each laying in their bed, their TVs on providing quiet background noise as they sleep. They smile and go into their room, turning on their lamp instead of the overhead light.

They sit on their bed and plug in their phone, it was a lot more charged then they thought it would be when they started the day. They were glad though, they had a reason to not use it for the first time since they've moved here. It was nice to feel wanted for once.

They departed whether or not to send Quinn a message then or if it where better to wait. Would it be weird if they did? Would they seem clingy or something? No, no quinn wanted them to text him.

They finally decided to text him

“Hay this is Tank, thank you for today”

“No problem! You should get some sleep though”

“Ya i will night”

“Night :) “

After that they put on some music and layed down, thinking about the day. It sucked that their mom broke her promise and got drunk at the end of the day, but they had a good time anyway. And that made them the happiest they had been in a while, so they would consider today a win.

[simplestarss]

What Died Didn’t Stay Dead

Masterlist

A/N: Hello and welcome to What Died Didn’t Stay Dead! I started working on this fic around the time of TXT’s latest comeback, and after a lot of work (and procrastination) it’s finally ready to be uploaded! I’ll be co-uploading on AO3, so feel free to leave comments and kudos over there as well. Lastly, this is the first long-form fic- or story in general- that I’ve ever written, so my formatting and layout may change. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue

6/13/2013

Jin

I never really liked this place, if I’m being honest.

I’m not sure why. Usually, Universtar is a top destination for kids around here. Ever since I had to attend Jungkook’s 10th birthday party, I’ve felt uneasy whenever I go inside. 

Especially around those freaky ass robots.

Yet here I am, at 18 years old, parked outside the place waiting for the rest of my friends. Typically, a few would be in the backseat; God knows my truck has the space for it. But Yoongi agreed to swing by the dance studio to get Hoseok and Jimin, and Taehyung is helping Jungkook with math. So my backseat wasn’t needed this time around.

I decided to head inside the place. Namjoon gets off his shift in 5 minutes (I have no idea how he can stand working at this dump, but hey, cash is cash) so I can wait around for him. I push open the glass doors and get a blast of noise. It’s a mix of kids screaming, arcade games playing music, and the robots doing their thing on the main stage. They’re supposed to be some sort of band of misfits, all brightly colored to appeal to the kids. They all make me feel uneasy, but there’s one that there’s something really off about. It’s this giant white alpaca. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s 7 feet tall or that its eyes have this weird glow. Whatever it is, I’ve always been pretty creeped out by RJ. 

Eventually, Namjoon emerges from the back. He looks tired, but his eyes brighten when he sees me. 

“God, what a fucking day.” he sighs as he flops into a booth near where I’m standing. “Some kid threw up in the ball pit. Guess who had to clean that shit.”

“Damn. How many kids do you think have done that?”

“I try not to dwell on that. Especially since Jungkook always jumps in there.”

I shudder at the thought. I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t do that this time. Almost on cue, the door swings open, and the other 5 pile in, talking loudly amongst themselves. Once they catch sight of us, they quickly head over.

“Joonie! Jin! There you guys are!”

“The ride here was pure hell. Hobi and Jimin were fighting over the radio the whole damn time.”

“He said he hates Baby One More Time.”

“And I’ll do it again!”

“And I’ll slap you both.”

I can’t help but smile at them. We’re all so different, but we go together like a puzzle. Yoongi’s blunt words, Jimin’s free spirit, Jungkook’s rebellious attitude. I don’t know what I’d do without them.

“Enough arguing! Let’s get a pizza. I’m starving.” Taehyung says as he plops down in the firm booth next to Namjoon. 

“Great, as long as I don’t have to cook it”

Yoongi starts towards the counter to get our usual order of a pepperoni pizza with a side of nachos, and the younger ones hurry towards the arcade. For a split second, I get this weird gut feeling, like something is about to go seriously wrong. 

“Hey JK, don’t get in that ball pit.”

“For the last time, I am not putting my job on the line just so you guys can quote-unquote ‘explore’.”

“Come on Joonie! Please?” Jungkook begs with wide eyes.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun! We promise to be discreet.” Taehyung adds. 

The younger 3 have gotten bored of the arcade, and have decided that it’d be a good idea to sneak around in the back where they keep the spare parts for the robots. Namjoon, however, would prefer to keep his job.

“Absolutely not! Besides, it’s a miracle we even convinced Jin to come through the doors. He’s not gonna want to go back there.”

“I can wait out here if it comes down to it,” I say, which causes Jungkook to look at me with wide, grateful eyes.

“See? He says it’s fine!” 

“You wouldn’t want to say no to your best friend in the whole world, right Joon?”

“No, I’m his best friend!”

Namjoon puts his thumb and pointer finger between his brows. “Fine. You give me a headache, all of you.”

“YES! You’re the best, Joon!” 

I can’t help but laugh to myself. Namjoon may act annoyed, but we all know he can’t say no to the young ones, especially Jungkook. None of us can, honestly. Something about their youthful spirits makes us want to do anything and everything for them.

“You want one of us to wait with you, Jin?” Yoongi asks.

“If you don’t mind, sure. Hobi and Namjoon are in charge.”

“Sweet!” Let’s go then!” Jimin announces, and the 5 of them head off to a door that reads Employees Only in neon yellow letters.

Once they’re out of earshot, Yoongi turns to me. “Wanna smoke?”

“Hey, why not?”

We head outside, and Yoongi grabs a cigarette for us both and his lighter. Namjoon would be throwing a fit if he were here right now. But Yoongi and I are 18 and graduated last week, so we’re in the clear. I light my cigarette and take a drag. It still feels strange going down, and I start hacking my lungs out after a few seconds, which causes Yoongi to chuckle to himself. He lights his and hits it almost perfectly.

“How the fuck are you so good at that already?”

“Shhhhh. Don’t question me, hyung,” he replies with a shit-eating grin. He knows I hate that honorific; it makes me feel like an old man. I hit him in the arm, and he drops his cigarette. He curses, picks it up, and hits it again, which makes me cringe.

“You did not just hit that thing.”

“Hey man, these things are expensive. You’re lucky you’re my friend and gave me rides to work until I got my license.”

I roll my eyes. “And bought you meals. And a new guitar. And concert tickets. And food for your cat.”

“Don’t make me call you hyung again.”

“Asshole.” I turn towards the door. “Doesn’t this place close in, like, 5 minutes?”

“Yeah. Namjoon is usually punctual about time. Huh.” Yoongi puts out his cigarette. “You finish yours. I’ll go hunt them down.” 

“Alright. Hey Yoongi?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

“Yeah, yeah.” And with that, he heads inside, letting the glass doors shut behind him.

I take one last hit, and for once don’t hack myself silly. Take that, Yoongles. I step on the cigarette to put it out and head back inside, expecting to bump into the others. 

Besides the employee who’s wiping down the faux wood tables, the place is empty. Even the animatronics aren’t on stage anymore; they’re probably being repaired in the back. Not a sign of my friends anywhere. 

Looking around the place, I realize that it’s pretty eerie after closing time. All of the arcade games are unplugged, so it’s far darker than usual. The sound of kids and the music is gone. It almost feels like it’s void of life.

I also notice that the door they used to get into the back is still propped open. Maybe they got lost back there. After a bit of pondering, I finally decided to go in and track them down. I’m a grown man, for God’s sake. I can go into the back of a restaurant for kids. I take one last look to make sure no one is watching and slip through the door.

Jesus, it’s dark. 

There’s only a handful of emergency lights still on, so it’s pretty difficult to navigate my way through the hallway and check all of the doors. So far, there are only two: the break room and another door that seems to be closed. 

I decided to start with the break room since that door was open. I can see there’s a worn-down sofa, a cheap coffee maker, and one of those posters that read You Must Wash Your Hands Before Returning To Work by the door. Upon closer inspection, I see a drawer on the table where the coffee maker is. I quietly walk over and open it. Inside is a flashlight and a note that says: In the event you must enter the Backstage area, carry me at all times. 

Okay…? That’s not creepy at all. I grab the flashlight and check if it works, and it does. After doing a 360 around the room with this newfound light, I come to the conclusion they’re not here and leave the room, closing the door behind me. 

That leaves the room with the closed door. As I get closer to it, I realize it isn’t closed; rather, it’s open just a crack. I slowly push it open and shine the light inside. 

At first, I couldn’t see anything. Once my eyes adjust, I conclude that this is where they repair the robots. There were spare heads, some gears, and various tools scattered around. It was a bit surreal; these things are just robots. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I see something shiny on the floor. I shine the light onto it and immediately register what it is. 

Yoongi’s lighter. Must’ve fallen out of his pocket. Carefully, I reach over and pick it up. He’ll thank me a thousand times over; he just bought this one.

As I’m inspecting the lighter for damage, I see something strange in my peripheral vision. It almost looks like a puddle, but it’s too dark to be water or even oil from the bots. I make my way closer, and the realization of what it is makes my heart stop.

Blood.

I cautiously make my way towards it, a sense of dread washing over me. Once I round the corner that the puddle is coming from, what I see makes my stomach turn over on itself.

My friends are right here before me, but in a way that I’ve never even begun to picture seeing them. Their bodies sprawled about; evidence of struggle on Jimin, Namjoon, and Yoongi. Their eyes staring at me, glazed over and lifeless. Their blood mixing to form a massive puddle that covered everything. On the wall above them, written in this very blood, was a single sentence.

We Are Not Seven With You

Jungkook was closest to me. I knelt over his lifeless form and carefully closed his eyes. It wasn’t until now that I felt the hot tears running down my face, and what had happened to the people I loved more than anything in the entire world finally dawned on me. My whole body seemed to give out, my chest wracking with loud sobs. They’re gone. It’s all over. It’s my fault. It’smyfaultit’smyfaultit’smyfaultit’smy-

A sound behind me brings me back to reality. I wipe my eyes and instantly register a shadow to my right. I turn and see a pair of large white feet standing right in the middle of the puddle. My eyes follow the figure upwards to a red bandana and a pair of glowing eyes.

It’s the fucking RJ bot. 

And it has a chef’s knife from the kitchen. 

I must’ve blacked out at the sight of it because the next thing I knew I was outside and gasping for air in an alley. I look down and see a deep, bloody gash on my arm. Almost instantly, the pain hits, and I see stars, a whole galaxy behind my eyes. 

And everything goes dark.

[blackkatmagic]

Prompt! Mace is stuck in a time loop of evening he fought Palpatine. He’s a little surprised at first at how willing the CG commanders are to help him commit murder, but he appreciates it

Mace is scorched, bleeding heavily, and missing a hand, still out of breath from his last fall before the section of looped time reset, when he staggers in the Coruscant Guard’s main office, then locks the door behind him.

Halfway out of his chair, Fox freezes, eyes widening. “General Windu!” he says sharply, and reaches for his comm. “Thire, go get Medical—”

“Only a Guard medic,” Mace says, and Fox goes still, Thire frozen halfway to his feet on the other side of the room. Mace meets Fox’s narrowing eyes, feeling the wash of suspicion rising, and can't even manage to hide the exhaustion in his voice when he says, “I don’t trust anyone else.”

He’s failed to kill Palpatine four times now. Four betrayals, four falls out the wide window, four times surviving just to watch the Jedi Order fall right alongside the Republic. Exhaustion is the very lightest word for what Mace feels right now.

Fox glances from Mace to the door to the other commanders, then deliberately reaches over, switches off the comm, and engages the privacy lock on the office. “We have an hour before the shift change,” he says.

Stone rises, pushing past Thire, to approach with quick steps. “I've got bacta,” he offers.

The best possible outcome. Mace tries not to stagger as he heads across the office, but he must look bad enough that Thire meets him halfway, grabbing Mace's arm and supporting him right to the empty chair across his desk. It’s a familiar seat, and Mace collapses into it with a sound that might be a groan, tipping his head back. thinks, a little grimly, of how he’s going to get Fox to agree to what he needs help with, but—Fox is the best shot in the Guard, the most fearless man Mace has ever met. If he can't do it, no one can. And all of his commanders are intensely loyal and well-trained and brave. They’re necessary, too.

All Mace needs is to not sound like he’s gone mad for the next hour.

“No caf this time?” he asks, then sets his teeth against a gasp as Fox pulls his robe away from the long, jagged slash that’s sheeting blood down his side. The third fall, Mace thinks. He wasn’t able to stop all of the glass as it fell after him.

There's a pause, careful, and then Fox snorts quietly. “You didn’t even call ahead this time,” he says, and from the tone of his voice Mace might almost believe it’s one of their weekly meetings, nominally to discuss security but more often to drink caf and complain about the idiocy of senators. “Not a Jedi. Don’t expect me to read your mind.” With a quick, ruthless jerk, Fox pulls a shard of glass free, then catches Mace's shoulder before he can do more than cry out and slaps a bacta patch over the spot, sealing the edges.

When the world stops lurching like one of Anakin's crashing ships, Mace opens his eyes, and finds himself pressed face-first to hard plastoid, as red as blood.

“My apologies, Commander,” he manages, though picking up his head feels like rather too much effort right now. “I would have called if I could have.”

Above him, there’s a quiet breath, and Stone sets a hand on his shoulder. “Sir,” he says quietly. “What happened to you?”

Fox’s hand curls around the back of his skull, holding him carefully in place, and—after three years of war, trooper armor feels like safety. Even seeing what the 501st was forced to do, all Mace can feel right now is a deep, desperate sense of shelter, like finally finding a light in a storm.

“We’ll murder them for you,” Thire says on Mace's other side, conversational and easy, like it’s the predetermined outcome, without question and entirely within their ability. “Just give us the name, General.”

Mace opens his eyes, staring at red and white plastoid, and takes a breath. “The Sith Lord,” he says. “I found him.”

Fox’s indrawn breath is a vicious hiss. “Thire,” he says without hesitation. “Those slugthrowers we seized the other day, in the lockup, and the ammunition—”

“On it,” Thire says grimly, and then he’s gone, across the office and into another room. Fox himself doesn’t move, and Stone’s hand curls more tightly around Mace's shoulder, holding him steady.

“General Windu,” Fox says, quiet. “Just give us the name and we’ll take care of it.”

They will, Mace thinks, and it’s almost astonishing. Within ten seconds, Fox had a plan, and that’s—well. Precisely why this is where Mace came when he’d run through all other options and was on the verge of collapse.

“I need to come,” he says, though when he goes to lever himself to his feet, Stone gently pushes him back down. “You may hesitate, and I need to guard you if you do. He’s powerful—”

“Hesitate,” Fox repeats, frowning. He glances up as Thire returns, carrying two locked boxes. “Why the kriff would we hesitate? He’s a Sith Lord. He did this to you. He’s the one behind this whole karking war.”

Right. The difficult part. Mace takes a breath, carefully pushing himself upright, and says, “His identity. You might think I'm lying.”

There's a pause, and then Thire snorts, thumping the boxes down on top of Fox’s desk. “With all due respect, sir,” he says. “I can't even pictureyou lying to a clone.”

Stone makes a sound of quiet amusement. “What he said.”

Mace glances up, meets Fox’s eyes. “I'm going to ask you to help me murder someone very important and highly-placed,” he say quietly. “With no proof but my word.”

“And your injuries,” Fox says ruthlessly, though his hand is careful on Mace's throat. Mace should likely be thinking of troopers in the Temple, executing children, but all he can picture is Ponds on his left, Razor on his right, Stak asleep against his knees in front of the fire. It makes him close his eyes again for just a second, leaning into Fox’s touch.

“It’s Chancellor Palpatine,” he says clearly, as steadily as he’s able to. “Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord. I need your help to kill him.”

There's one beat of stunned, frozen silence. Then, careful, Thire clears his throat. “You want us to kill the Supreme Chancellor?” he asks.

“Yes,” Mace says, and when he sits back, all three commanders are staring at him. Something in his chest sinks, grim and resigned. “I can't—”

“Thire, get those damn boxes open,” Fox orders. “Stone, we need some kind of distraction. Grab some detonators.”

“Sir yes sir,” Stone says, and scrambles to obey as Thire lunges for the lock boxes. “That rotary blaster—”

“No blasters, just slugs,” Fox says firmly. “General Windu, if he sees you—”

“He won't remember my attempt to kill him,” Mace says automatically, though he can't quite get his brain to click over and accept that he can see in front of him. “I—Commanders—”

“No backing out!” Thire says over his shoulder. “It came from a Jedi, it’s an order, just let us do it this one time—”

“No take-backs,” Stone agrees, dumping a bandolier full of grenades over his head and settling it quickly. He also grabs for a very large vibrosword that’s leaning against the wall. “Even if you’re wrong, sir, we’d better just check, right?”

Fox snorts, and as soon as Thire gets the box open, he reaches for one of the slugthrowers. “Call it a birthday present,” he agrees, and glances at Mace, considering. “Sir, if you stay here—”

“I'm not staying,” Mace says firmly, and pushes to his feet, just managing to catch himself as he sways. “Use me as a distraction. Put me in cuffs and tell Palpatine that you found me trying to sabotage the power grid.”

That, of all things, makes Fox hesitate, but after a moment he nods. “After that, we’re taking you somewhere secure and dumping you into the softest bed I can find,” he promises. “Sir.”

Mace won't object. He might even drag the three of them down with him, just for that little bit of extra safety. If they manage to kill Sidious, they’ll all deserve every bit of rest and safety they can get.

[On AO3]

[bottoms-movie]

SAMBUCKY FIC RECS

so a lot of people seemed interested this so here it is! if ya’ll like this, i can make more parts! this is split into three categories: based on tfatws, canon divergence, and au. all fics are on ao3. all of the fics are complete. some fics do include smut, but i included the ratings, so make sure to check for that based on preferences!

also, feel free to send me asks on your thoughts on any fics or if you’re interested in another sambucky fic rec post!

BASED ON TFATWS

Fill the Hole in my Heart | Not Rated | 4,848 words

Bucky dives into the world of online dating. The girls are nice, but there seems to be something missing. When he goes to Louisiana to meet Sam and his family, he realizes what that something was.

Skip, Reverse | Explicit | 7,945 words

Sam stood in the middle of their local Target with a throw pillow in each hand. The one in his left hand was butter-soft and matched the drapes in the living room, but Bucky had walked by five seconds ago and declared the one on the right “absolutely fucking hideous,” and so now Sam kind of wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything.

Sometimes romance is just bickering with your superhero partner/roommate at several different Target locations.

just won’t do right | General | 7,524 words

Sam's eyebrows go up, impressed, and he reaches over to squeeze Torres' shoulder, "This is amazing, kid. Thanks, really."

Bucky sits and watches in utter horror as the pink darkens on Torres' cheeks.

Oh, he realizes. Oh. Fuck.

body language will do the trick | Explicit | 12,598 words

“There’s no way you’re going to win this,” Bucky tells Sam. “I am going to love language the shit out of you.”

Sam gives him a considering look. “You do seem like you’d be really good at that.”

Bucky’s cheeks flush with heat. “Thanks, pal, I—”

Sam smirks, and Bucky’s eyes narrow. He shoves his elbow into Sam’s side and stalks off, leaving Sam cackling behind him.

“Your ass looks great today!” Sam yells.

Bucky reaches up to flip Sam the bird, and he definitely does not feel grateful that he wore his good jeans today. Bucky’s ass looks great every day.

checklist | General | 4,716 words

Bucky Barnes keeps a mental checklist of things he knows to be true at any given moment. Sometimes the checklist changes, because he's learned something else about himself. It changes, for example, when he starts realizing that maybe he would like to kiss Sam Wilson. Maybe.

best laid plans | 3 parts | 26,808 words

part 1: baby you’re the wave and I’m ready for the crash | Explicit | 6,616 words

Nah, my plan’s better,” Sam declares, before clapping Bucky on the shoulder.

“I’m sorry, what plan? Was that a plan? It didn’t sound like a plan to me, it sounded like a vague intention,” says Bucky, still scowling, and Sam grins.

“We’re winging it, the plan is a work in progress! Now c’mon, we gotta make some wardrobe adjustments if we’re gonna get into that club.”

Sam and Bucky have some unorthodox methods of going undercover in a club.

He Doesn’t Deserve You! | Teen | 5,154 words

Sam and Bucky have an argument that results in Bucky being left at the bar. A group of drunk strangers assumes Bucky just got dumped and quickly adopt him for the night to make him feel better.

Reconstitution | Not Rated | 10,228 words

“I didn’t back Steve on the Sokovia Accords,” Sam says unprompted one day. They’re so close to apprehending the Flagsmashers and wrapping up this ridiculous saga.

“I don’t follow,” Bucky says.

“I was the one who refused to sign it first. Not Steve.”

Sam says it so softly that Bucky has to strain to hear him. Sam is loud and chatty and half the time he keeps up a constant stream of chatter just to get on Bucky’s nerves, but Bucky’s coming to realize that when he really wants to make himself heard, he’s soft spoken and mild. Bucky doesn’t entirely follow his train of thought, though.

Or: a breaking down, remaking, and coming back stronger than ever before

Stuck On You (You Suez, You Luez) | Explicit | 10,136 words

Sam and Bucky’s mission was simple: stowaway on a ship suspected of weapons-smuggling in the Suez, gather enough intel to report back, and hop off again in Port Said. Something gets in the way, and a day-long recon session turns into a week of chess, bickering, semi-successful movie references, and trying not to go slowly insane.

His Touch | Mature | 1,006 words

When Baron Zemo touched Bucky’s face, Sam Wilson saw red.

Bucky just wants Sam to comfort him.

rusted | Teen | 2,358 words

Bucky doesn’t grace him with a sound of acknowledgement. He’s been quiet, ever since that night with Zemo. Well. Quieter. It’s almost like. Every time he opens his mouth, he’s half-expecting the Winter Soldier to come out.

He hasn’t, yet. Won’t, ever again. Not unbidden. Sam’s sure of that. Bucky, not so much.

‘You busy?’

‘’m scouring the—’

‘Good,’ Sam cuts the idiot off, ‘I need you to help me shave.’

advanced therapy methods for large adult men | 2 parts | 11,717 words

part 1: The Gottman Method for Dealing with Conflict | Mature | 4,187 words

Bucky and Dr. Raynor have a follow-up session and two entirely different conversations about his relationship status.

Or: Let's do more couples therapy, James.

it’s always Bucky’s Fault | 3 parts | 20,089 words

part 1: Did you see it? | Explicit | 3,905 words

In which there's supposedly a viral video of the Winter Soldier on his knees sucking off Captain America.

Everything is, like always, completely Bucky's fault.

CANON DIVERGENCE

Even in the Present (I Am Living in the Past) | Teen | 16,977 words

Sometimes Sam still questions everything about his ability to shoulder the 80-year legacy he now bears. His history, and the history of his loss, sticks with him and even in healing he doubts whether or not he is able to fulfil his purpose, and whether he may find lasting peace and happiness.

Told in fluid-fragments, the story moves between his therapy sessions after his return from active duty and the post-Endgame present.

You never forget your first | Teen | 3,650 words

The story of Bucky and Sam getting together in a series of firsts.

leftovers | Mature | 19,249 words

With the New Avengers up and running, Sam finally has time to start dating again. Unfortunately, it's not going as well as he'd hoped.

Partners | Explicit | 7,235 words

Sam's not sure if he can be Captain America. He's not a supersoldier. He can't throw the shield. He's just a dude.

And Bucky Barnes is just a nuisance, albeit a pretty good-looking one.

I’ll explain everything to the geese | Explicit | 50,949 words

Bucky is so competent that it hurts my feelings is not a rational complaint to have about a person, and yet, after a year of being Captain America and partnering up with Bucky for the new and improved, post-Blip Avengers, that’s kinda how Sam’s feeling.

It’s not great. It maybe leads to Sam making some rash, ill-advised decisions like claiming he has a previously undisclosed superpower, and then getting caught in a web of lies when he ends up actually developing that surprisingly inconvenient superpower. Talking to birds had seemed like a harmless superpower, but it turns out that birds have a lot of opinions, and they don’t hesitate to tell Sam about them, especially when it comes to his supposedly subpar courting skills. Which is ridiculous, because Sam isn’t courting Bucky. Right?

Night Swimming | Teen | 2,056 words

“Come on. The princess has a new arm for you and I gotta see if there’s a barber around here willing to tackle your…” Sam waved a hand at Bucky’s face.

“I don’t want a new arm,” Bucky immediately bit out.

And then -

“I can cut my own damn hair.”

Sam just raised both eyebrows. Crossed his arms over his chest again.

Dared Bucky to prove him wrong.

AU

Cpvert Coffee & Flirtation Specialist | General | 5,542 words

The reporter says "—for Captain America to—"

And Bucky rolls his eyes. "Oh, here we go."

Sam looks at him then tips his head sideways, got a weird grin on his face. "Not a fan?"

"Not that. Just… the guy seems too good to be true, right? Wings and a shield?? Come on."

"Uh, is that why your eyes are like glued to the screen whenever he's on?" Kate says. "Is that why you call him Captain Tight Ass?"

"He's a goddamn show-off, and you know it. Tight ass or not."

Just then Sam snorts, real loud, grabs his coffee and suffers a horribly controlled laugh on his way out the door.

Stolen Moments | Teen | 98,767 words

“No,” Sam said, chuckling. “I don’t cheat,” he swept his gaze up and down James’ body, “even with guys who look like you. But, I’m bored and a little pissed, so if you wanna sit here and shoot the shit ‘til my man shows back up, I’m game.”

Never one to back to back down from a challenge - especially a challenge who looked like Sam Wilson - Bucky took another swig from his bottle and replied, “Sure, doll. I’ve got nothing but time.”

Steve has Sam. Bucky wants Sam. Sam wasn’t expecting any of this.

Such a Whirlwind Since I Saw You | Teen | 10,871 words

The Men of Letters turned Bucky Barnes into a weapon. Hunters Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanov are determined to save him, but they're going to need Sam Wilson's help.

“So you want me to ditch work, drive across America with you until you find your friend, who you thought was dead - all while avoiding some high-tech hunters who are out for blood?” Sam is asking.

Steve shrugs a shoulder, looking a little sheepish. Natasha almost laughs at the dry tone of Sam’s voice, but he's not wrong.

You Got What I Need? | Explicit | 37,588 words

Sam and Bucky are both in a bind, professionally. Nat points out a solution that neither men like. To save their careers they play along or rather, stop playing all together.

[agentwhiskeysdarlin]

One Night Surprise

Pairing: Jack Whiskey Daniels x F!Reader

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: nsfw below the cut, alcohol consumption, Jack himself, smutty good times, p in v sex, unprotected sex (wrap it up kids), (y/n) is mentioned twice?, a nice surprise

Word Count: 2,904

Summary: A one night stand turns into a surprise when reader starts her new job.

Author’s Notes: This is probably one of my favorite fics I've written with the cowboy. It’s smutty but fun and I really hope everyone loves it. Big thanks to @clint-aww-no-barton​ as always. Enjoy and feedback is welcomed!

ao3 link 

  The brown liquor slipped past your lips burning on its way down. You looked down into the glass, letting your fingers fumble along the condensation that slipped its way down to the brown bar. You couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at the corner of your lips. You sat here drinking the liquor made by the company you were about to go work for, Statesman. Little did people in town know, it was just a simple front for a secret agency. Both your parents had been Statesman agents and years ago were killed in the line of duty, which only pushed you further to become what they once were.

  You had gotten the call earlier that day that you had passed everything needed, with flying colors, and you were officially the newest agent. You would start small, which you didn’t mind, mostly staying behind while the older agents went on missions but you would still know every last bit of inner workings going on and that was enough for you. You had decided you would go out and celebrate a little, maybe find you a good lay for the night, to knock off the last of the nerves the alcohol wasn’t reaching.

  You suddenly felt the presence of someone else slip into the stool next to you. You glanced over and were met with probably the best looking man who had walked in the place all damn night. He was tall and lean, slightly built, with brown hair that almost matched the liquor in your glass. He wore jeans and a t-shirt topped with a leather jacket and cowboy boots, and he was mouth watering. You licked your lips before drinking the rest of your drink. You raised your hand for the bartender, who came over, but before you could even get a chance to speak, the man next to you spoke up.

  “I got her next drink,” the southern drawl that came deep from his throat made you cross your legs tightly.

  “Thank you,” you smirked as you turned slightly to him in your seat.

  “I can’t let a beautiful woman buy all her drinks,” he smirked, his tone flirtatious.

  The bartender sat both drinks down in front of you and you took yours, noticing he seemed to me drinking the same thing you were.

  “Celebrating anything tonight?”

  “How did you know?”

  “You’re too happy sitting up here all alone, so it’s either a celebration or you just dumped some guys ass,” the man chuckled and you couldn’t help joining him.

  “Definitely celebrating. I got a new job, start tomorrow.”

  “Well let’s cheer to that shall we? To your new job and to all the luck with it,” he raised his glass and so did you.

  Your clinked your glass against his and you both downed your drinks, before empty glasses hit the bar. You knew in that moment that tonight was going to be one hell of a good night. You smirked at the stranger seeing a light dance in his eyes like he was thinking just the same thing.

  You knew that he couldn’t drive any faster than he was now, but you swear it was taking years to reach his place. The two of you had hit it off after the cheers, drinking and dancing way too close to each other. He was driving you wild and making you more dizzy than the alcohol was. He finally asked you if you wanted to get out of the crowded bar, and you thought you were pathetic with how quickly you agreed. The breeze that whipped through his old Bronco was sobering you up slightly and making your need for the man driving, worse.

  You finally came to a stop at a long dirt road and he threw it in park in front of a ranch home. Your were shocked that this single man lived in a place like this. He was out and opening your door moving as quickly as you were. He fumbled with his keys letting out a curse before unlocking the door. You didn’t even get a chance to see the house you stepped in. The door not even shut behind you by the time he had you slammed against it. His lips attacked yours hungry and wanting, setting your entire body ablaze. You kissed him back with just as much hunger, your fingers lacing through his liquor brown hair, pulling just ever so slightly. This earned a soft moan from him and only pushed the two of you forward. His arms had caged you but now they fell and wondered across your body, making feather light touches above the fabric of your clothes. His lips descended down to your neck and you let your head fall back, eyes still closed and mouth agape, panting at the heat that surrounded you.

  “The name is Jack,” he spoke when his lips reached your ear.

  “You tell me this now,” you giggled looking down at him.

  “I gotta give you a name to scream darlin’,” he smirked up at you and you let out a desperate moan.

  “Then take me to bed Jack and make me scream.”

  He let out a slight growl before skillfully picking you up by your ass. You were quick to wrap your legs around his waist, your arms around his neck and your lips crashing back to his as he carried you through the home, to his bedroom. You were ripped from him suddenly as he playfully tossed you on his bed and a giggle slipped past your lips.

  “The names (y/n) by the way,” you smirked up at him and soon he was over you encasing you with his body.

  “Good now I have something to moan,” he smirked before once again he pulled you into him.

The man was a force of nature and you knew that the second he spoke to you. Now that he had you in his bed, it was even more evident. He demanded control and you gave yourself away to him gladly. He seemed to battle himself as he pulled his lips from yours and let them scatter across what skin was visible, before he was working at removing the fabric that stood in his way. His hands travelled up your sides so feather light it sent goosebumps across every inch of you. He slid your shit off tossing it away before quickly adding your bra to the pile. You almost wished the foreplay would end and the man would just take, your body aching in a certain place. He didn’t seem to be in such a hurry. He took his time on each breast kissing, sucking, biting, licking at every little spot being sure to pay extra attention to your already erect nipples. Your fingers had found home in his hair again and he was pulling soft moans from you.

  “Jack please,” you didn’t even mean to say the words out loud, and you sounded so desperate it made you want to slap yourself.

  He looked up at you under his lashes a smirk playing on his features.

  “What’s the matter darlin’?” He spoke teasingly.

  “Just please get inside me,” you whined bucking your hips up against his.

  “Well now I am a gentleman and I tend to do what a pretty lady asks,” he chuckled at your desperate nature, before he finished stripping you and standing.

  He stood on the edge of the bed so slowly stripping from his clothes on purpose. You sat up on your elbows, watching, your eyes taking in every single new patch of skin he uncovered. The man was ridiculous, he hadn’t even started touching you again, and you could feel yourself soaking between your legs. He finally crawled back up you, taking his place above you once again. He didn’t waste much more time, guiding the tip of his cock up and down your slit, before slipping inside of you.

  “Fuck,” you both gasped the word simultaneously at the feeling.

  He settled in you as deep as he could go, letting you adjust for a few moments. It was the most delicious feeling you had ever felt and a whole new set of goosebumps scattered across your skin.

  “Jack move and don’t hold back,” you whined.

  He smirked and his eyes locked with yours as he moved fully out and back in with a snap. Your head threw back, your mouth open, and you let out a loud moan. You thanked the heavens above that he had decided to bring you back to his place instead of yours, because your neighbors would definitely be able to hear the noises this man was going to pull from you. He pressed on, pulling his hips all the way back and snapping them in a few more times before he quickened his pace. His lips crashed back down to yours and everything in that moment became him. This complete stranger was fucking you in a way no man ever had before and you prayed in that moment it wouldn’t be the last time you graced his bed. He pounded into you, pulling himself away from your lips to watch the faces you made. He grabbed at your breasts kneading them roughly as he kept going, pulling more amazing noises from you.

  “I’m close,” you panted out and Jack knew just how he was going to help you along.

  His hands slipped down your stomach and settled on your clit, moving the bundle of nerves in quick circles. You snapped within seconds. Your body tensed, back arched, head thrown back and eyes screwed shut.

  “Jack!” You screamed his name like a prayer as your orgasm crashed over you like a tidal wave.

  “That’s it darlin’ scream my name,” he never let up continuing to pound into you pushing you through the intense high.

  Your body started to shake as the pleasure kept coursing through you, never once in your life had you ever cum this hard. You felt his hips get sloppy and his hand moved from your clit, before caging you back in under him. His head fell to your shoulder and he moaned out as he finally hit his own high. He slowed his rhythm, working himself in you until he had filled you. He moved, his forehead touching yours, both of you panting desperately for air, trying to come back down to earth and reality. He finally pulled from you, both of you making noises of loss, before he settled on the bed next to you. Both of you laid on your backs, still panting, before looking at each other.

  “That was amazing,” he spoke first and you smiled.

  “Honestly I’m going to feed your ego here but that was the best orgasm I’ve ever had,” you turned on your side.

  “Well I feel honored,” he smirked after making a proud face and you couldn’t help the laugh.

  You didn’t want to leave, and something in the man’s brown eyes told you he didn’t want you to either, but this was how these things worked.

  “Let me give you my number,” Jack finally broke the small moment of silence.

  “That would be great,” you smiled a too big of a smile as you stood up, still shaky, and retrieved your phone.

  You both settled back to the bed before exchanging numbers. Then you looked back up at him catching his eyes already watching you.

  “I seriously had a good time tonight all the way around,” you spoke first this time.

  “I did too darlin’. If I have anything to do with it it won’t be the last time,” he smirked and gave you a wink.

  You couldn’t help the blush that crept up. You let out a sigh and slipped, once again, from his bed pulling on your clothes slowly trying to stay as long as you could.

  “Do you really have to go?” Jack spoke as he too slid off bed and retrieved his clothes.

  “Yeah I do need to get some sleep before tomorrow. I would hate to show up at work on my first day too tired to function,” you chuckled as he gathered the last of your clothes and finished dressing.

  Jack finished and then pulled you to him quickly. He dipped his head and this time when his lips met yours it was gentle and welcoming. You smiled after he pulled away and looked up at him.

  “Let me take you home.”

  You gave him a nod and he grabbed his keys before the two of you were back in his old Bronco. He drove at a much slower pace this time until he reached your apartment and shut the car off. You both sat for a moment before he reached over and once again landed a gentle kiss against your lips. Your hand came around his neck and you took the chance to deepen it for a few moments before reluctantly pulling away.

  “I’ll call you okay?” Jack gave you a smile as you climbed out.

  “Sounds perfect. Be safe going home,” you gave him a soft smile before finally turning and heading into your apartment.

  You couldn’t help the giddy feeling you had when you walked inside and backed yourself against your door smiling like an idiot. You kept repeating that it was just a one night stand as you got ready for bed and glided under the covers. Something in the back of your mind told you that there was more to this story, as you slipped to dreamland hoping you would dream about Jack.

~the next day~

  You took a deep breath, closing your eyes and trying to ease your pounding heartbeat. You still sat in your car, several minutes early to your new job. You ran through the instructions of how to get in the place, and to the conference room where you would be meeting all of your new co workers, one more time before finally getting out. You stood in your open door of your car brushing at the dress you had decided to wear, hoping the choice was okay, before grabbing your things and heading inside. You did everything Champ, who was now your boss, had told you to do before you were turning corners and going down a long hallway. One more stop and one more deep breath before you started for the door you were told to find. It was already wide open when you stopped in front of it, and several sets of eyes turned to you, but only one stare held your attention. You had to hide the expression of shock that was too clear on his face as you walked in the doors.

  There he sat, in a suit and cowboy hat, much different than the outfit he had sported the night before. You had graced his bed, hell you could still feel him, sore from the night before and now you would be working with him. Your mind was rushing but you had to put it away for now and what it might mean going forward. You put on your best smile and scanned over the people in the room.

  “Welcome to Statesman. Get in here and let me introduce you to everyone,” Champ motioned you inside.

  You walked into the room and Champ motioned for you to take a seat. You sat and Champ stood.

  “Everyone this is (y/n). She will start off doing things around here before hopefully training to become an agent. This is Agent Whiskey, Agent Tequila and Ginger,” Champ pointed to each member. “Agent Whiskey is our senior agent and will be training you after hours when he is not on mission.”

  You could have choked then and there. You couldn’t keep away the red heat that appeared on your face, if you wanted to, when you met his eyes. His hand was up running across his lips which were formed in a smirk. Champ dismissed the room and the other two agents came up to you, shaking your hand and pulling you in for a hug. They were sweet and you felt right at home but the shock was still settled in your stomach. Finally after a few minutes of chatting everyone cleared the room but you and him. There was silence for a while before he let out a chuckle.

  “Well this makes things a lot more interesting,” he stood and came over to you where you stood.

  “Yeah it really does. What exactly does it mean for us?”

  “Well normally they are pretty tough about agents seeing each other but I could care less about that. Champ will get over it,” he moved closer his arm coming around your waist.

  His hand came up to your chin and he dipped his lips met yours and you felt that all too familiar pull, you felt all night the night before. You smirked against his lips before pulling away and letting out a laugh.

  “You get to train me too, that will be interesting,” his fingers brushed a piece of hair behind your ear as you spoke.

  “Oh yeah and I don’t plan to go easy on you darlin’,” he smirked.

  “I didn’t want you to Agent Whiskey,” you mocked before his lips were reattached to yours.

Your new job just a lot more interesting and a hell of a lot more fun.

Tagged: @jimmythegirl​ @arcadianempress​ @discogrrl​ @immundusspiritu​ @someplace-darker​ @thisis-theway​ @ohpedromypedro​ @scribbledghost​ @fioccodineveautunnale​ @princess-and-pedro​ @phoenixhalliwell​ @littlevodka​ @all-hallows-evie​ @mack4676​ @perropascal​ @audreyshepbvrn​ @mswarriorbabe80​ @kaqua​ @novemberrain221​ @mishasminion360

[backpocketkazoo]

🌼Honeybee [Cagney Carnation x Reader]🌼

[Summary: When your absent father comes back from the casino in crippling debt it is up to you, his adult child to dig him out of his own grave. Seriously, screw him.]

[Word count: 1,587]

[angst w/ a happy ending; hurt/comfort]

Story can also be found here on Ao3.

Context: (Y/n) is a journalist, writing their own newspaper rather than continuing the family fishing business. It's finally starting to kick off then ding dong! Guess who's back and ready to make their life a living hell!] i wrote this so long ago but every time i read it i go insane

🌼🌱🌼🌱🌼🌱🌼

It was an oven even at 8 in the morning, even with the sea's salty breeze leaving kisses on my cheeks, even with being drenched in sweat. I'm so greasy I'm surprised I haven't started frying yet. I collapsed in my pathetic, wooden rowboat; groaning in exasperation. The waves gently rock my boat, almost pitying me. "God, why me of all people have to end up like this? What exactly have I done to deserve this? Being born?", I scoffed and closed my eyes; head resting on my folded arms.

My semi-peacefulness was interrupted by the voice I least wanted to hear.

"(Y/N)!! I'm back!! You best not've slacked off!", my dad yells from back on shore. I groaned and called back, then heard loud slam of the front door. I sigh and roll my eyes. I sat back up and grab the sun-bleached wooden oars. I held onto them tight enough to make my knuckles turn white. With that I hauled me and the fish back to the pier.

I tied the boat to its post and struggled as I heaved the fishing net (fish and all) onto the pier. I put a foot onto the dock as extra leverage. Geez, who woulda thought fish would weigh so damn much? I dropped the net onto a tarp I previously sat out, and finally climbed onto the dock myself. I wobbled about on my two feet, not used to the stability of land.

Once regaining my land legs, I tug on the end of the tarp, dragging it to the fishes's final resting place. I lead them to a large metal tub, it had been sitting out in the sun. It was probably hot enough to fry an egg, let alone a fish.

I dumped the fish into the tub and watched as they pathetically flopped about. I shivered and the stench alone was enough to make me gag. I sigh and wipe my sweaty brow with the back of my hand. God, glad that's over with.

I'm still immensely pissed that I have to pay off my father's debt. I have to fish to pay it off at that. AND I haven't been associated with the bastard since he left! Then whenever his irresponsible ass gets into trouble he comes crawling back and forces me to do his dirty work! And why am I complying??

I guess I'm scared.

What if he takes the house back?

What will happen after that? Where will I go?? I shakily sigh, anxiety curdling in my stomach like spoiled milk. I stroll over to my little garden, it wasn't much but I loved it. I put my whole heart into making sure each leaf, each petal, didn't go untended to. I squatted down closer to the flower's height. "Just when things were starting to get good, lil buddy."

"(Y/n)..?" My head snapped and I jolted at the voice, partially fearing it was my deadbeat dad. My racing heart calmed a bit when I saw the familiar face of my friend. I give a weak smile towards Cagney. "What're you doing? I just saw you fishing,, you despise fishing. W-what's goin' on?"

"Ohh—" I scratch the back of my neck, I could feel the sweat get scraped up under my nails. "About thaatt.." I fumbled with my words. "Dear Ol' Dad's back from gambling his life away, and making it his eldest (and only) kin's responsibility...hehrng.."

I could feel the vibe change from perplexity to something more anger filled. I could feel it in the air, see it in his facial expression, and hear it in the tone of his voice. "Is that so..." His voice softens in the next line, "Do you need any help?" Cagney's voice was filled with concern.

"Nah,, it's okay. I just finished anyways. Thank you though, Cagney. It's sweet of you to offer."

The day carried on like it would if my absent father wasn't present. As soon as he got home he passed out on the couch. I would like to also mention how much of a wreck the house had gotten since he came back. Granted I wasn't the most tidy person, but this was outrageous.

I had managed to clean up a bit while he was sleeping because god, I couldn't stand it. Later on, I went back to tending to my garden. It was the typical time I would normally take care of them, and I'm used to the routine. I had almost forgotten how my life was currently in shambles.

Almost.

"(Y/N) (M/N) (L/N) WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" I jumped and saw dad pointing towards the silver tub of fish, just beyond yonder.

"T-the fish from today??" What the hell was his damage? I did what he demanded.

"YOU DIDN'T CATCH NEARLY ENOUGH, WHAT? DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS IS GONNA MAKE ENOUGH TO PAY OFF MY DEBT? DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO LOSE MY SOUL TO THE DEVIL? HUH, (Y/N)?" He interrogated me. He was degrading me, trying to guilt trip me. Playing the victim card, but even the devil himself knew he was god awful at card games.

I stood up. I was pissed.

"And you're acting like I care. You're acting like you haven't been gone for the past SEVEN years of my life. Sorry I don't care about the stupid family business. Sorry YOU screwed over YOUR life. Not mine, YOURS. If you want something done right, do it yourself. It's not my goddamn problem."

"What did ya just say to me?", his voice was low and dangerous. It was arsenic and I was merely foxglove.

"You heard them!", a voice backs me up. My eyes widen and I turn around, almost forgetting how angry I was. I look up and see Cagney looking almost as pissed as I am. Wonder how much he heard.

"And who might YOU be?"

Before I could say anything Cagney spoke, "Cagney Carnation, whatzzittoya?" He growled.

"He's a friend of mine—", I quickly explained. Not that it mattered, neither were paying attention. They were too busy glaring daggers at each other.

"I think this pansy needs to say out of other peoples business, don'tcha think?" I was getting murderous intent from Cagney. I grabbed his hand in attempt to tell him 'don't'. Being honest, it's a bit difficult to actually grab Cagney's hand. Mine was far too small to wrap around his, but it was still effective, methinks.

"I believe the well-being of my friend IS my business. And that you, as a father, should NOT be forcing your adult child to get you out of the grave you dug."

"I believe you should get off my property." I absolutely hated being caught in the middle of this.

"No Drew, you forfeit this place as soon as you were 6 feet under. And I suggest you get off MY property before you start poppin' up daisies."

He tried to retaliate but I didn't let him, "Leave. Now." His blood boiled and he marched up to me. I prepared for the worst. He looked to have hesitated, as he kicked the dirt ground in front of me and hastily left, muttering curses under his breath. The two of us watched him until he was a mere speck.

The adrenaline wore off and my heart dropped to my stomach. The reality hit me like a freight train. "Oh my god." Was all I could squeak out. I was at a loss for words. And like that, hot tears poured from the faucets of my eyes. I fell to my knees, I had never felt so weak before. My silent tears turned into choked sobs. I tightly grip onto my trousers. My head hung low and I violently shook. The raw emotion was too much for my small, restless form to handle. What the fuck had I done?

Cagney instantly panicked. He was never too good at handling other's emotions, let alone his own. Nevertheless, his sunshine needed him. He carefully scooped me up, sweetly shushing me as he did so. "Cmon doll, let's get you inside." He carried me inside and set me on the couch, he grabbed some nearby blankets and wrapped me in them. My sobs were hiccups at this point and I was gasping for air. Cagney grabbed my hand and rubbed it while going through some breathing exercises.

I clung tightly to him, not quite like a moth to a flame. This was sweet and comforting, something I needed. Perhaps a better example would be a bee to a flower. I mean he is a flower after all, maybe I can be his honeybee.

"I hate seeing you upset," he murmured.

"I know this all sucks.. but it'll be okay, especially since I have you, Cagney." My drained eyes were fighting the weight of sleep, but I still look up at Cagney, eyes with a glint of melancholy, and give him a bittersweet smile. "Promise I'll always have you?"

"Promise." Cagney squirmed a bit, not that he didn't mean his words. He meant everything, just as you mean everything to him. But you make him feel things like he hadn't before. You make his stomach flutter at your touch. Your smile. Your laughter. He felt so vulnerable around you. He wasn't sure how you got it, but you stole the key to his heart. His hold on you tightened, and by this point you had succumbed to sweet sleep.

[ronanceisintheair]

self rec game(damn look at the self love in the chat): Thank you @el-fandom-birb and @lavenderlevetan for the tag

rules: recommend three of your own fics (1 most popular, two hidden gems) and then tag some people!

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Most Popular:

Warm Hands Meet At The End Of Every Trail

(It’s technically not the most popular-it lost by 4 hits, but it has a better kudos ratio so i’m using it-sue me)

Chapters: 1 - Word Count:  1462

Summary: Robin wouldn't necessarily define herself as self conscious when it came to her own body hair, except 'hair on a guy was one thing, but hair on a girl? Double standards that sometimes even the most open minded people fell victim to' if they weren't careful.

I actually love this one so much, so I'm not disappointed that it is most popular. Like soft angst with comfort, love to see it!

+

Hidden Gems:

(im not choosing the most recent fic because well, it hasn’t had much time to ferment in the Ao3 trenches)

Make Me Feel Like Somebody, Even If It's Just Tonight

Chapters: 1 - Word Count:  1653

Summary:  Robin gets invited to a Christmas party, finally their chance to talk to the person-Nancy-they've had their eyes on all semester. Or Robin is more keen on playing with the pet than interacting with anyone; find's it's actually a perfect wingman. Not much plot just them interacting.

Actually disappointed in y’all for not really popping off on this one. But it’s okay, I still love this one so much. I'll love it enough for all of us.

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I Couldn't Soon Forget The Pain I Felt That Night

Chapters: 1 - Word Count: 1067

Summary: Nancy Returns to Hawkins during Thanksgiving break to visit Barb's grave, with Robin by her side through it all. It's basically just an emotion dump.

I can understand why it's a hidden gem. The grief aspect and what not. But I actually really enjoy this.

Idk who to tag because idk who's already been tagged at this point. Also don't know if it's strictly like people who write in ao3 but(also idk how many fics yall have so bare with me)

@sleepy-princ3ss @reesesfastbreak @disorientedrabbit @suwunnysideup @regalkn1ght @idyllghost @ronancebuckley

Also @ anyone who sees and wants to please go ahead, would love to see what you got in your arsenal!

[pikapelt]

Old Tigers Can’t Learn New Tricks

Summary: Kotetsu’s tired of being teased about only being able to cook fried rice.  He’s prepared to prove them all wrong.  No, really.

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AN:  This takes place somewhere between The Rising and T&B2.  Kotetsu and Barnaby are too much of a married couple in the new season that I suspect something finally happened during that time-lapse. 

I also just wanna caveat that I haven’t written fanfics in nearly a decade, so I’m really sorry if this is a bit rusty.  But these characters have been living rent-free in my brain for nearly a year now and after royally screwing up dinner the other night I felt inspired to write something.  That something ended up being 2k words on Kotetsu being the dork we know and love. Hope you all enjoy this!

I don’t have an AO3 account so decided to just post this here.

Shitty title is shitty.

Pao-Lin’s birthday was tomorrow, and the heroes had decided to do a potluck at the work to celebrate. Karina was the main organizer and made sure to stress that there was one rule:  it had to be homemade.  Something about it being more heartfelt.  Which Kotetsu was totally fine with.  He was a great cook, ask anyone! 

Or at least, he was totally fine with it until Antonio and Nathan both turned to him and ordered him not to make fried rice.  Oh come on! He complains to his friend a couple times about all the flack his mom gives him and now it’s a thing? And then Barnaby, his own Bunny, had the audacity to also comment on him not making fried rice for tomorrow. But Pao-Lin loved it when Kotetsu brought them all his signature dish for the babysitting gig!  

So, he grumbled an agreement, because lord help him, he was going to prove to everyone that he does in fact know how to cook more than one dish!  And it’ll be so damn good it’ll knock the grumpiness right out of those new rookies.

The recipe seemed easy enough.  Basically, just some cheesy pasta with broccoli.  And hey, Bunny and Kaede kept insisting he needed more vegetables, so look, go him.  The ingredients called for stuff Kotetsu had never even heard of before, but that didn’t deter him in the least.  When he couldn’t find whatever the hell boursin cheese and malfadine pasta was, he figured gouda and angel hair would be good enough.  The picture on the recipe looked like long noodles, and hey, angel hair was long.  And who doesn’t love gouda?  

Once home, Kotetsu tied on his apron, mentally preparing himself for the amazing dish he was about to make.  Glancing down at his phone, he noted that the recipe called for “shaved” broccoli. Pursing his lips, he looked back over to the bag of greens he got and shrugged.  Eh, fuck it.  Florets were good enough.  It was still the same damn broccoli.  

Grabbing the two pots he had in the cupboard, Kotetsu filled one with water and the other with broccoli. As he worked on stirring the greens, he noticed the other pot begin to boil, and he quickly added the pasta.  Or.  He tried to. Attempting to dump half the box into the pot lead to a vast majority of the pasta scattering across the stovetop. Cursing, Kotetsu scrambled to pick up as much of the stringy pasta as he could before he could smell burning. Aaaand now his broccoli was burning. Just great.

Tossing as much of the pasta as he could into the pot, Kotetsu frantically stirred the broccoli to try to salvage what he could.  It was going decently, until stray bits of pasta began to catch on fire from the stove’s lit gas.  Shit shit shit shit.  One hand continuing to stir, Kotetsu grabbed what he could with the other and tossed the flaming bits of pasta into the boiling pot.  He prayed to whoever would listen that the flames didn’t decide gluten wasn’t enough and needed to feast on his very exposed wrist.  

Fire mostly put out, Kotetsu decided to go ahead and add the cheese to the broccoli.  The taste would mask any burnt crisps, probably. Except…ten minutes into letting the cheese sit on the hot pan and the little pieces of shit still weren’t melting. Frowning, Kotetsu turned off all the burners, wiped his hands on the apron, and searched on his phone for the best way to melt gouda.  Huh, microwave it is.  

Scooping the clumps of cheese out of the pan and into a bowl, Kotetsu shoved them into the microwave and stood as patiently as he could for the next 15 seconds.  He cleaned up what he could, tapping his foot anxiously against the tile as he waited for this damn cheese to melt.  It would be the only saving grace to this disaster of a meal.  

As soon as the ding popped up, he opened the door with a semi-hopeful expression, only for it to drop immediately to see the still solid-looking clumps of gouda.  Cursing, he slammed the microwave door shut and nuked them again.  And again. And again.  By this point it wasn’t so much melted cheese as weird lumpy bits of goo.  Having a feeling that this was about as good as it was going to get, Kotetsu groaned and reached for the bowl, only to yelp in pain as the porcelain was significantly hotter than he anticipated.  With barely suppressed frustration he yanked a towel off the oven handle and wrapped it around the bowl before grabbing it and dumping the cheese goop onto the pasta.  

Mixing everything together as best he could, Kotetsu had his doubts about the food.  It….didn’t look appetizing.  But hey, looks can be deceiving.  Don’t judge a book by its cover.  All that jazz.  Filling up a small bowl for a test run, Kotetsu took one bite before glaring with pure hatred at the remainder of the pasta.  It was fucking disgusting.  

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Kotetsu grabbed a beer from the fridge and huffed his way to the living room, not even bothering to clean up the mess he had just made in the kitchen.  Pouting as he plopped himself on the couch and cracked open the drink, he took a long hearty swig of the bitter ale as he considered his options.  It was too late, and he was too damn frustrated to start over, but maybe he could call Barnaby and help out with his dish?  Then he could claim it was a team effort.  Kind of a cop-out, but hey, Karina never said it was a rule that he couldn’t.  

With a sigh, Kotetsu got back up from his couch to retrieve his phone from the war zone of a kitchen. Barnaby was never gonna let him live this down and he knew it.  Hesitating for a moment longer, he let himself call his partner.  

It took longer for the line to pick up than he expected, but as soon as he heard a weary hello, Kotetsu felt his lips finally turn up into a smile.  “Bunny!  Hey, want any help with your potluck dish?  You know I’d be more than happy to come over and lend a hand.”  There was a brief pause as if Barnaby was taking his time to consider his answer.  

“Sorry Kotetsu, I’m just about done here.  I mostly need to clean up and then was going to take care of my plants for the rest of the night.”  God damn it. There went that plan.  Although….

“You, uh, want any help cleaning?”  This time, Barnaby did not hesitate to respond with a swift no.  Well, guess he was still holding a grudge from last month.

“Aw, c’mon Bunny!  You know it was an accident!  How was I supposed to know you kept your dish soap and dishwasher gel right next to each other?”  There was a bit of a plea in his voice.  If he contributed at least something, then he could get away with “helping” make the dish.  

“Old man, it took two weeks for the new parts to come in for the repairs.  You are never touching my washer again; do you hear me?” An argument was on the tip of his tongue when Barnaby cut him off with a sharp “Do you hear me, Kotetsu?” 

Rolling his eyes at his partner, the older man gave a nod.  Remembering Barnaby couldn’t see him he quipped “yeah yeah Bunny, I hear ya. I’m old, not senile.”  

“Good.  Now, is there anything else you needed?”  Kotetsu could just hear the smugness in the other man’s voice.  God, why did Barnaby have the most punchable yet kissable face?  It really gives a guy emotional whiplash.  

“Nah, think I’m just gonna watch some tv and call it a night.  See ya tomorrow Bunny.”  He almost added a ‘love you,’ but knew Barnaby wasn’t quite ready for that kind of send-off.  They were taking it slow, and Kotetsu could respect that.  Trauma was a bitch.

“Good night Kotetsu,” his partner said softly, before hanging up.

Sighing, Kotetsu placed his phone on the coffee table and glanced over to the kitchen.  He was going to need a few more beers before he tackled that mess.

---

Juggling four boxes of pizza in one hand as he swiped his badge on the turnstile, Kotetsu looked around nervously.  He knew he was going to get flack for not bringing something homemade, but he’d rather deal with that after at least one cup of coffee.  Resigning himself to his fate, he headed for the elevators.

And sure enough, one rallying cup of coffee later, Kotetsu’s ass was called out the moment he walked through the sliding door of the gym.  All eyes were on him, at least of the heroes who had shown up so far, and Subaru, of course being him, was the first to say something.  “Hey!  That’s cheating!  It was supposed to be homemade, Tiger!”

Sighing, he placed the pizzas on the table where other food was spread out, dividing the boxes in stacks of two for pepperoni and cheese.  “Yeah, yeah, I know.  But…” He’d been thinking about his excuse since last night.  Kotetsu really didn’t want to be the butt end of a joke for the next week because he really can’t make anything besides fried rice.  And he sure as shit wasn’t going to admit as much. “Well, something came up with my daughter last night so I kinda ran out of time.”

The annoyed expression on Karina’s face quickly turned into one of panic.  “What’s going on with Kaede?”

Shit.  Okay, using his daughter as a scapegoat was not a great idea. Eyes wide, he turned to his younger coworker with hands held up.  “Oh, no! Nothing’s wrong!  She just uh…needed help.  With homework.”  

The look of panic on the girl’s face slowly transformed into confusion.  “Huh?  Homework? But usually, she calls me if she’s stuck with something?”  Damn it, he forgot Karina was bit of a mentor to his little girl after they met.  C’mon Tiger, think of something.

“O-oh, well, it was Japanese homework.”  There. That was a safe option.  No one would question him on that.

Sure enough, Karina nodded, concern gone.  Before Kotetsu could say anything else that could have potentially dug his grave deeper, a hand tightly clamped onto his shoulders.  Startled, he looked over to see Keith with his typical million-watt smile. “C’mon guys, let’s not give Mr. Tiger a hard time.  I for one love pizza!”  

Goddess bless Keith and his overflowing well of optimism.  The heroes that were around murmured their agreements and carried on with decorating the gym for Pao-Lin’s birthday.

---

Kotetsu had been deep in a conversation with Pao-Lin, Laura, and Ivan when he spotted Barnaby walking through the gym door with a tote bag.  Waving excitedly to his partner, he excused himself from the others so he could greet him.  The blonde looked around at the table, eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Kotetsu, where’s your pa-“

Kotetsu quickly cut him off, “pizza?  Oh, right here Bunny!  I know you prefer the one with veggies, but figured I’d play it safe and get the basics for everyone.”  Damn it, he forgot he’d showed Barnaby the recipe he found while scrolling through his computer at work.  Absolutely avoiding paperwork.

Barnaby raised a brow, quietly commenting, “that bad huh?” before opening his tote and pulling out a large, ceramic serving dish.  

Placing it on the table with the rest of the food, the blonde had a small smirk on his lips as he lifted the lid to reveal an entire platter of fried rice.  Glancing over to his partner, his smile became more apologetic. “I only told you not to make fried rice so I could surprise you with mine.  I think I finally got the recipe right this time.”  Kotetsu’s heart swelled at the gesture, wishing he could kiss his Bunny right then and there.  Instead, he settled for a gentle hip-check.  A silent I love you too embedded in those actions.  

“Hey Kid, come try this rice and tell me if it’s any better than mine!  I know it’s been a while, but Bunny over here had to steal my thunder, so we need an unbiased judge!”  

AN: I imagine Keith bringing in cupcakes with little icing pawprint decorations.  Because of course he would.

[redrobin-detective]

The 101 Deaths of Danny Phantom

AO3 link

One of the first things people learned about dealing with ghosts, other than not to try and date them, is to never asks about their death or obsessions. That doesn’t mean the citizens of Amity Park aren’t curious though, especially about their resident ghostly hero and the confusing and concerning comments he sometimes makes.

“Are you okay?” Phantom asked Maisie as she shook and tried to hold back tears after that car had almost slammed into her. She sometimes joked about getting hit crossing the street of her college campus to pay her obnoxious loans but it was another thing entirely to almost experience it herself. Maisie was nearly twenty, she shouldn’t be comforted by someone younger than her little step sister but here she was, shaking like a lead and leaning into Phantom’s comforting, chilly touch. 

“Sorry,” she stuttered, “thank you, I’m sorry I’m just-”

“Hey, it’s okay to be upset that was very scary. The thought of dying is very scary.” Through her adrenaline and her tears, she took in the ghost’s unnatural glow, his faded, barely visible appearance and the fact that he was floating a foot off the ground. Maisie knows this ghost, this boy, knows more than she ever could about death. 

“And getting run over by a car sure is a bad way to go,” the ghost kid chuckled awkwardly, taking his cold hand off her shoulder to scratch at the back of his neck. “You should see how my dad drives or my mom or my sister if she’s running late enough,” Phantom paused in thought. “No one in my family should have a license now that I think about it. Anyway,” he dismissed with a wave. 

“My sister and I were getting ready to head out to school and my dad was backing out of driveway too fast and didn’t see us and uh, luckily I got my sister out of the way in time haha,” Phantom trailed off awkwardly. Was it because of the uncomfortable conversation or because he noticed her dawning horror.

Her best friend ran the community college’s Phan club so Maisie was a member by default. Phantom’s death was sometimes talked about late at night, everything from wrongful murder to a freak accident. She never in her worst nightmares imagined being him being runover in front of his own house by parental ignorance. It was so normal, a quick mistake and a life lost.

“Oh my god,” he said with an adorable little green blush. “Why am I babbling about that? You almost got hit by a car, I’m probably retraumatizing you or something. I should probably go get the jerk who almost hit you,” he said before disappearing into thin air. 

“Tia is not going to believe this,” she whispered to no one. All she knew is that for the rest of her damned life she was going to look both ways when crossing the street. She’d seen first hand what a single moment of reckless driving could cause.

XxX

Matthew, not Matt or Matty or Hughie, Matthew shivered from the cold. He was only in his boxers with little Pacman on them. It had been fine when he’d gone to bed considering it was mid-August but Phantom and this stupid flaming mecha ghost had tussled outside the summer camp he was working at. He could see some of the kids snickering at his state of undress though he was just extremely glad they were alive enough to disrespect him like this.

“Oh man, I’m sorry,” the ghost kid said with big, sad eyes that looked so human despite the fact that they were literally glowing. He looked around at all the snow and ice left over from his fight. “Jeez you guys must be freezing, I wish I could warm you all up but all I can do is make things colder.”

“S’okay,” Matthew said through his chattering teeth. “Teaching the kids how to start a fire was supposed to be next week but we can get a jump on it.” That got a smile out of the ghost and within a half hour, the other counselors were distributing blankets and hot beverages to the kids clustered around multiple fires. They didn’t seem particularly upset by the potentially fatal attack, Matthew will breakdown about that at a later time when he was alone. For now, he just smiled as the children chattered happily with the ghost while he cleaned up as much of the damage as possible.

“So you spend all day fighting ghosts?” Zoe asked with stars in her eyes.

“A lot of the nights too,” Phantom nodded, “I do other stuff but yeah it seems ghost fighting takes up most of my time.”

“Where’d you learn those cool powers?” Zuri asked, miming a punch.

“Comes with being a ghost,” Phantom shrugged, “my ice powers came in later though so I still struggle a bit with them but I’m getting better every day.”

“Why ice though?” Morris said with his cocked curiously to the side. “I see some ghosts use fire or shadows, why do you have ice?”

“Ah that’s a little personal,” Phantom chuckled but his posture was easy despite the invasive question. “Specialty powers like my ice require special circumstances and a certain uh connection to the ghost. Someone like me couldn’t use fire or electricity or plants, ice is in my soul, it’s who I am.”

Matthew paused in drinking his lukewarm coffee as a horrible thought came to mind. He’s been an outdoorsman all his life, practically from the time he could walk. He’d been a deep woods camping guide for a decade before switching to working at summer camps. But the years working in the relative comfort of a stable camp didn’t erase his knowledge of how unforgiving and deadly the woods in the winter could be. A grown man, much less a young teen, would freeze to death in 20 minutes if it was cold enough. 

It made sense for ghosts to develop powers related to their deaths. Had Phantom been one of the dozens of unfortunate kids he read about every year who ran away in the middle of winter only to found later as a frozen corpse. He eyed the boy’s snow white hair and frigid aura he exuded with mournful trepidation. God, what a horrible way to die. 

“I’d get chilly with ice powers,” Tabby said with a shudder, she held out her cup of cocoa. “You want some of my cocoa to warm you up?”

“No thanks,” Phantom said with a soft smile that was warm despite everything. “The cold hasn’t bothered me for a while.”

XxX

Ghost attacks may be the norm but, if there was one good thing that came out of whole mess it was the fact that violent human crimes went down drastically. So when the rare murder did happen, the shock and fear rippled through the whole town. 

Stanford Newton had only been sheriff of Amity Park for eight months after the last guy had gone gray overnight and moved to Florida the next day. It was a daunting position but one he bore proudly. This wouldn’t be his first murder investigation having initially cut his teeth as a beat cop in Chicago but it would be the first in Amity. And it certainly was the first in which the dead served in an active capacity.

“Amanda Chastain, 27. Officially she was a waitress down at Spengler’s Diner but she’s been picked up for prostitution twice in the last year,” Stan said calmly, ignoring the cold, angry presence over his shoulder. “History of polysubstance abuse as well, not that either of those things mean she deserved this.” Used, beaten to death and then dumped in the trash like yesterday’s paper. 

He wondered if she’d come back a ghost or if she’d finally get some peace this world hadn’t offered her. “We don’t have many leads right now, I’m afraid. Acting illegally as they are, there’s not a lot of resources these poor girls have to turn to.”

“I’ll find them,” The Phantom said with blazing conviction, his voice thick and sharp as ice. “I’ll find and bring them to justice and make sure no one else is hurt again.”

“I believe you,” Stan nodded, shutting his notebook as he finally turned to face the teenage superhero haunting his town. He can’t say he liked what he saw. The Phantom looked even less human than usual, his aura flaring and flickering like the foggy mist before a heavy snowstorm. His unnatural green eyes glowered, painting his too young face in a terrifying light. 

The kid looked furious, clearly taking this death to heart. He’d read the Fenton’s memos about obsessions and such but this seemed beyond that. “But don’t hurt anyone to do it, or yourself while you’re at it.”

“I won’t, I’ll make sure they’ll face human justice and don’t worry,” Phantom gave a snarling smile. “No mortal can hurt me, not like this,” he growled causing the hairs on Stan’s arms and neck to stand on end. He flew off after that, presumably to track down Amanda’s killer.

“Not like this,” Stan mumbled to him, pulling out his handkerchief and wiping his brow where a cold sweat had broken out. “Jesus Christ that poor kid.” Stan had seen plenty of murdered and mutilated bodies in his lifetime, some of them even kids. He just never got to talk to them after they’d had their life forcibly snatched away. It would explain the ghost’s near fanatical determination to save others, why he took a stranger’s murder so personally. 

“I hope your own murderer is behind bars,” Stan said as he tucked his handkerchief back into his coat pocket. “Or even six feet under, for killing a good kid like you.” Stan made his way back to his squad car so he could head back to the station and move forward with the official investigation. But he’d eat his hat if there wasn’t a stammering lowlife there by tomorrow ready to turn themselves in.

 Maybe after all this was settled down, he’d delve into some of the cold cases stacked in the cellar. Maybe in there he’ll find a picture of a smiling, carefree teen who’d disappeared and returned with the power now to ensure no one else suffered as he had.

XxX

“Yes, I know about the Phantom,” Luis Oliveira will say to anyone who so much as brings up the ghost kid. Locals know better by now but the tourists eat it up every time. He twists his finely combed mustache and gestures to the floor where his audience is standing. “He died right there oh ten or eleven years ago.”

Luis has worked his way all across the the United States since he emigrated from Brazil in the 70s. He finally settled in Amity Park about twelve years ago. He’d never intended to stay in the small Midwest town but the fatal shooting of a young customer kept his little corner market open.

“He was a nice kid, always said hi to me and paid in exact change. Was big fan of the snacks I made, would stop by after school and take half my inventory. He had big brown eyes and a crooked nose,” Luis would smile at the memory before closing his eyes and frowning sadly. “One day, he came late. His teacher made him stay after to go over a failed test, I remember he complained. He was pulling out his money when robber burst in, demanding my money. I fumbled for the register key, dropped it. I bent down to grab it and I hear shots going off. Two over my head, another right into the boy’s throat.”

Luis will hear the sound of that sweet boy’s guttural choking sounds as he drowned in his own blood until the day he himself died. The robber left after the shot, Luis called the police and held the young man’s hand as he died. The would be thief were never found and Luis never did learn anything about the boy who’d died on his floor for getting hungry after school.

“As soon as I saw Phantom on the TV,” Luis would say, perking up after his moment of somber grief, “I knew it was that boy come back. Those kind eyes, I’d recognize them anywhere. He’s never come here but one day he will and I will be able to pass on my regret on not being able to save his life that day.”

XxX

“I think he killed himself,” Mikey whispered to Lester during lunch period, angling his voice low. “The jocks may love Phantom for his powers but I just know he was one of us, an unwanted nerd. I’ve seen him chatting up a ghost I’m pretty sure is Poindexter, Casper’s suicide kid. They’re probably bonding over their similar deaths and the circumstances that led to it.”

“That’s pretty dark,” Lester whispered back. “I also get unpopular vibes from him but I don’t think he’s the time do uh do that to himself; he’s too stubborn and protective. But I bet he was the victim of a prank gone wrong. Dash locked Fenton in the Janitor’s closet last Wednesday, he got out okay somehow but maybe something like that happened to Phantom. He always looks kind of annoyed at the A-listers, maybe they remind him of old bullies.”

“Nuh-uh,” Clara said, pushing up her glasses with her middle finger. “The ghost kid totally got electrocuted or something. He was fighting that weather ghost and he sent lightning bolts his way and Phantom flinched. He fought the Ghost King and yet a little electricity scares him? It might not’ve even been a lightning strike but something manmade like a machine backfiring or something.”

“Get real,” Mikey scoffed, sipping his milk with an eyeroll. “I’m sure we’d have heard about some poor kid getting zapped to death; this town isn’t that big.”

“We’d have heard about a suicide too,” Lester noted with a wry grin.

“Shut up Mr. I base my theories around Fenton who’s a known weirdo”.

XxX

“I’m telling you, the ghost kid died of some debilitating illness,” Abbie McMillian, retired school teacher and three year reigning champ at the Tristate area’s Daylily Competition. She sipped her tea and spoke with as much confidence as she had back in the day wrangling Amity’s impressionable youths. “The superhero thing is clear wish childhood fulfillment, a chance to live and be free like he never got to in life. You see how happy and carefree that young man looks while flying? Clearly he spent his formative years sick and weak.”

“No way,” Greta von Martin frowned as she aggressively stirred her own tea to show her displeasure. “I worked in a hospital for close to 30 years and I know what chronically sick kids look like and Phantom doesn’t fit the bill. I will agree he’s carefree when he’s not battling spooks but he acts like a stupid teen. I’m telling you, the boy got into his parent’s liquor cabinet or took a few too many of whatever pill was going around his school. Tragic but something that happens every day.”

“Greta, dearie,” Abbie said with a pinched frown. “We’ve been friends since grade school and I love you like a sister but you are wrong and until you admit it, I won’t share anymore of my recipes.”

“You’re just being stubborn because you can’t see what’s right in front of you even after working with kids half of your life, Abbie, love,” Greta sniffed. “And you can kiss my grandson’s help weeding you garden goodbye until you relent.”

XxX

Perhaps one of the most human traits is curiosity, especially about what comes after death. Now the good people of Amity Park know a great deal about the dead so the lives before is what attracts their attention and none so more than the ghost boy. Maybe it’s because he’s their hero or maybe it’s because he’s so young. Or perhaps it’s because Phantom is such a mess of contradictions that it’s very hard to guess how the unfortunate boy met his end. But everyone has their own theories, from the mundane to the fantastic, some with evidence backing them up and others pure poppycock. 

But for all their curiosity, as much as it burns them to know, they’ll never ask. They don’t want to risk the powerful ghost’s wrath but, moreover, it seemed in poor taste. The boy risked his afterlife to keep them safe, they couldn’t ask what traumatic and miserable circumstances had led to this point.

And besides, it was so much more fun to look up at ghostly figure as he sped through the skies and wonder.