#i forgot the fuckin. patch on his back or whatever

[halflinghands]

My interpretation of how this interaction went down in my current playthrough

[voxmortuus]

⇘ PAIRING:⇙ Dom!Benny Cross x Sub!F!Reader

⇘ UNIVERSE:⇙ The Bikeriders

⇘ WORD COUNT:⇙ 3k

⇘ SUMMARY:⇙ Seems you've found yourself in a rather unique situation. You've known Benny for a long while, but you always felt a little out of his league, whatever league that may be, it just didn't feel like you were good enough for him. The thing is, you're just what he's looking for. You've got a lot of love to give, a heart on your sleeve, and a loyalty that is stronger than a dog. He wants you, but he wants you specifically. He wants you to be his old lady, he wants you to be his ride or die. Once he gets you alone though, the patches stay on, and things get a little far from vanilla.

⇘ TRIGGER WARNINGS:⇙ Fluff | Language | Smoking | Smut | Some BDSMesque Scenes | Dom!Benny | Kissing | Face Smacking | Boot on Face | Hair Pulling | Fingering | Hand job | Oral (M) | Face fucking | Guided Masturbation | Benny Masturbating | Begging | Facial | These are in no particular order! PLEASE TELL ME IF I FORGOT ANYTHING!!! I want to make sure readers are fully aware of what they are getting themselves into when they read this…

⇘ NOTES:⇙ I hope this brings you some joy.

⇘ DIVIDER CREDIT:⇙ @nyxvuxoa

⇘ IMAGE CREDIT:⇙ @nyxvuxoa

⇘ My Master Masterlist ⇙

Was it happenstance, or was it planned that he happened to show up today? Handing the beer over the counter, you lean against the bar, and you smile the sweetest smile you've got in you.

"Well shit, if it ain't Benny Cross. How long has it been?" You asked. Benny looked up at you as he walked in, giving you that same crooked grin he always walked around with. He gave a slight chuckle.

"Well, no shit. It's been, what, almost 7 years?" He asked you. You nod your head and chuckle a bit.

"Yeah, somethin' like that." you smirk and look down at the bar top.

It had been what feels like forever. It feels like you haven't seen him in ages, and truth be told, it had been ages. Seven whole ages, as a matter of fact. Smirking, he looks over you as he approaches the bar. Looking over his face, you smile, and a soft blush graces your cheeks, causing you to feel warm. Letting out a soft, shaky breath, you glance around, realizing that no one else was there in the bar, but you knew that wasn't going to last too long. How do you even say what you think you need to say. You groan, and you sigh and decide not to say anything.

As the night went on, the two of you mingled and caught up. He learned quite a bit about you, just as much as you learned about him. You learned quite a bit, and he learned just as much. However, you learned something that he didn't tell you either, he had always liked you. Well fuck. Upon closing up the bar, you look at him and shake your head.

"Benny, I've always had a thing for you. I always thought you were too good for me. Outta my fuckin league." you state honestly.

Benny stopped and stared at you. "Outta my league? No, no. I felt you were outta mine. Let me ask you this... you still want me?"

"I've always wanted you... that never changed, never after all these years." you admit.

He looks at you and runs his hand over his face. Nodding his head, he looks back toward the door. Looking back at you, he walks to the door and locks it. "Come here." he points to the ground in front of him.

Lifting a well-manicured and well-defined brow, you walk to him and stand in front of him. You look over that face, that handsome, perfectly chiseled face, and you lose yourself all over again. Why? Why, when you are around him, he makes you feel so... weak. He makes you feel so... dead-brained.

Walking to you, he sticks a finger under your chin and forces you to look up at him. A thought crosses his mind, an urge.

"I want you to prove to me how much you want me." He tells you, his voice drops an octave as he watches you.

"How do you want me to do that Benny? Just say the word and you got it." You state.

"Strip, then lay flat, face down on the floor." He states.

Okay, so that was NOT what you had expected. Blinking a few times, you don't hesitate, and you do just that. Stripping down, you fold your clothes and place them to the side, and you lower yourself to the floor. Biting your lower lip, you listen as he paces around you, observing you, taking in your figure, your heartbeat picks up in anticipation as you watch his boots come into view, and he stops and looks down at you.

Benny lights a cigarette and takes a long drag from it. Watching you as you lay there, he runs his free hand through his hair and then over his facial hair for a moment. Smirking, he takes a few steps closer to you and kneels down a moment, a hand dangling between his legs.

"So, you've gone this whole time not sayin anything. All because you felt I was out of your league... You know Darlin' if you had said anything, you may have learned a thing or two about how I felt. Maybe you need to be punished for that, huh? Teach you how to speak your mind? Make you beg for my attention now?" he stated.

Why did that make your cunt tingle? Make you hot? And why the fuck did that sound like such a good idea coming from him? You nod softly.

"No, I want you to say it." He stated firmly as he took a drag from his cigarette, letting the smoke bellow above him as he exhaled.

"Yes. Punish me, teach me to speak my mind... make me... beg." You state. Your eyes look at his boots, and your fingers press into the floor as they are stretched out to your sides.

Standing up, he looks ahead of him, out the window of the bar, and smirks. He leans against the pool table, thinking of ways to punish you. Looking at your figure as you are sprawled out against the floor, so many things come to mind.

Standing back up from leaning, he pushes himself from the pool table and walks to you. He places his right boot on the side of your head. Not stepping, but applying just enough pressure for it to feel -- oddly comfortable. Your fingers press into the floor as you gasp. Why are you feeling this right now? Feeling these... feelings push through your thoughts. You bite your lip, and you let out a slow breath.

"Now, I've been thinking, since walking into this place, since we started talking, reminiscing about the past. I have been thinking about how things could go. About how we could have been together this whole time. But now, now I see the kind of girl you really are. I won't lie, Darlin'... kinda revs me up a bit. Eager to please." he mused a moment.

Looking down at you, he tilts his head, a sight for sore eyes, and fuck did he enjoy the view. Licking his lips, he took another drag from his smoke before he reached over to a close by table and tapped the ashes into an ashtray he had. With your head under his boot, he looks over the rest of your body. Leaning over with a smoke between his lips, his fingers run down the length of your spine. Feeling your flesh under his fingers.

"Soft to the touch." he pointed out.

Standing back up, he moved away from you, leaving you to bite your lip and almost ask for more. But instead, he reached down, grabbed your hair, and moved you to a standing position. You guided yourself with ease, and there was this deeper part of you that also enjoyed that. "What is wrong with me?" you asked yourself.

Moving you to sit in a chair, he spreads your legs apart. Looking over you, he licks his lips.

"Hands on your thighs, don't move them." He demands.

You nod in agreement. He wasn't going to demand the 'Sir' word just yet, but holy fuck was he going to enjoy it when it happened.

"Now I'm going to ask you a question, either say yes or say no. It's that simple. Got it?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Good. I'm going to hurt you, but it's not because I want to hurt you, it's because well... I want to see you in a different light, and because I enjoy it. Do you consent?" he looks over your face.

Taking a moment to understand, you've read some raunchy trashy books, so you knew not to compare the two, you weren't that naïve. You draw in a breath and you nod. "Yes. I consent." you finally state.

With a smirk across his lips, he nods. "Good girl. So long I've wanted to do this to you." He stated as he put his smoke out.

Walking behind the bar, he went to wash his hands, took a swig off a whiskey bottle, and made his way back toward you. Standing in front of you, he tilts his head. With a firm hand, he looks at you and throws it across your face. At first, you gasp, you close your eyes, your head whipped to the side. You whimper, not sure how to feel about it. You look to the ground, but he takes your chin and forces you to look back at him, and he smiles. Giving you a wink, and that's when you feel this sense of calm wash over you. It's like this switch was flipped in your mind. Submissive mode on... more so than before.

You didn't dislike the feeling on your skin, a hot sting. He brought his hand back, and it met your face again. Quickly moving to grab your chin, he leaned in and kissed your lips softly.

"Atta girl." he praised.

You felt this bubble of excitement rise inside you. It was this rush that moved through your veins like a hot liquid. Bubbling at the surface, wanting more.

"More, please." You ask.

He was happy to oblige. A little harder, be clipped your lip, but you didn't mind. The coppery taste on your tongue was sort of pleasant, a welcomed gift. You smile looking up at him. He looked at you, almost worried, but yet oddly calm. He smirked, leaning in he kissed you again, nipping at your now swollen lip. You feel your lower lips clench and quiver with want. Your breath was shaky against his lips.

His hand moves down your torso, moving to grip a breast before his hand moves down your apex right to your core. Your breath, staggered, your heart, pounding, your mind, stupid. You clench your lower walls and bite your lip, watching him, feeling him, desiring and needing him. You whimper. His fingers hover, and the heat from his flesh kisses your warm, swollen, needy bud.

When he finally brings his fingers to touch you, you gasp. You lock eyes with him, studying his baby blues as he begins to work your little swollen bundle of nerves. His free hand moves to jerk your head back by pulling your hair, as he hovers over you. His legs pressed against yours spreading your legs further as he worked you, exposing you to the pool table behind him.

But it was when he slid his fingers into you that your mind went more stupid. You let out a heavy moan as your eyes flutter, feeling his fingers work you. Leaning back in the chair, you let him take complete control, as he desired, and your body was no longer your own, and you were far from upset with that idea.

His fingers were like magic, but suddenly that all came to a stop. He looks at you, holding his fingers up as he looks at you. Bringing them to his lips he placed them in his mouth and smirked.

"Finger lickin good... Now... show me what you do with that pussy of yours when you think of me, because let's face it, Darlin, with all you've admitted, I know you've thought about me." He smirked as he moved back to lean against the pool table.

Looking at you he watches intently. Your hand moves to your bud as you slowly begin to work yourself. You watch him, intently, watching how he moves, how he breathes, how his lips curl with that crooked grin of his. You begin to remember how his lips tasted, how they felt against yours, how his fingers felt playing with you. You whimper as you bring your other hand up to grip your breast. Your breathing becomes heavy and you watch as the front of his pants grow tight.

Biting your lip you tasted the blood but your focus was on him.

"Atta girl, slow down, not too fast." he guides.

He readjusts against the pool table as he undoes his pants, freeing himself, he begins to stroke himself slowly. You slow down a bit, your toes curl against the floor as your legs spread even wider giving him a full view as you scoot forward a bit and expose your whole self even more.

"Just like that, keep going. What crosses your mind when you think of me?" he asked you.

Letting out a whimper you look over him as he strokes himself right in front of you. Dear fuck, his cock is god damned perfect.

"What you would feel like inside me." You state honestly with a soft whimper.

"What I'd feel like inside you huh? Well, maybe if you're a good girl, you'll find out." He mused as he moved his hand a little quicker against his cock. "Pick up a little speed." He demanded.

Without a shadow of hesitation, your fingers begin to work yourself quicker. You moan a little louder. His hand works himself faster, a little harder. He grunts, you whimper. It's a tandem of back and forth, a perfect give and take.

It feels like a lifetime, but a lifetime you'd never give back. He sees how wet you are, how you're beginning to drip off the edge of the chair. He snarls and walks to you, taking you by your hair he guides you to the floor and slips his cock between your lips, pressing to the back of your throat. He lets out a heavy groan.

Like a good girl, you take all of his cock, your tongue swirling around as he uses you like a little sex doll, fucking your face. He pulls you back, strings of spit from your mouth to his cock still connected as he slaps you across the face and shoves his cock down your throat again. Your eyes water and your breathing through your nose becomes heavy, and he does it again. Pulls you from his cock, slaps your face and brings your mouth back to his cock, and proceeds to fuck your throat and mouth, his grip on your hair tight it pulls at your scalp. Your moans and whimpers echo and vibrate through him and you as he uses your head to pleasure himself.

"Finger yourself." He snarls

You begin to do just that, your fingers working yourself as your mouth is being used. He smirks looking down at you before he's had enough of using your face he throws you back onto the floor and stands over you.

"Keep going." He demands.

And you do, you don't question him.

"Yes Sir." You state. Again, no question.

He's officially lost all control, at this point you both have. He works his cock faster, and you're watching every bit of it while you're moaning loudly just slightly below him as you work your bud, driving your fingers as deep as you can, feeling your wetness. You want to finish, you're right there, you almost cannot contain that hot explosion between your legs.

"No girl, you gotta beg for that finish." He states.

"Please, please let me cum" You plead.

He shakes his head. "Not yet... keep going... faster." He demands.

A soft whimper escapes your lips as you work yourself faster, you arch slightly your toes curled under you. You're rocking back and forth your hips buckle.

"Please... please Sir... I want to cum. Can I please. Please." You beg.

He looks down at you as he works his cock, and he feels his own eruption on the rise. He looks down at you and smirks.

"Open up." He states.

Opening your mouth, you stick your tongue out flat and you begin to taste those hot wet ribbons as he releases against your tongue, and over your face.

"Come on... Cum for me." He growls as he continues his facial finish.

You let out a heavy moan, a loud breathy gasp as your body begins to tremble. His cock tapped against your tongue as if saying he was finished with his finish. He watches you shake, almost a pleasure convulsion. You begin to giggle, swallowing what was in your mouth, and cleaning up your face. Licking it from your fingers.

"Thank you." you muse.

He looks over you and smiles. "No, thank you." he chuckles as he puts himself away.

Moving toward you, he scoops you up places you on the pool table, and looks over your face. He moves a moment and grabs a bottle of water from the bar fridge, and a clean, rag, getting it cool, he moves back toward you. Wiping your face, and neck, he starts to wipe you off and smiles handing you the water bottle.

"So I have a question." He states.

"Yes Sir?" you ask.

"How about you be my Old Lady... my ride or die... my one and only. My little pet... my little pain slut... my girl." He asked you looking over your face.

You look up at him, and this sense of perfection washes over you as you lean forward and kiss him sweetly. "I've waited a long time for that..."

"So is that a yes?" he asks with a smirk.

Nodding your head you chuckle place your arms around him and pull him in for another kiss. "That's a Yes." you whisper against his lips.

Smirking he presses his lips against yours and wraps his arms around you. Holding you tightly against him he leans back and looks over your face.

"Now, how about I take you back to my place, and show you how I feel inside you..." he smirked.

Nodding your head you chuckle. "Yes please, Sir." you whisper against his lips.

He kisses you again, and helps you get dressed before he takes you to his bike, hands you a helmet, and takes off in the direction of his place.

Everything that happened today, it felt like a dream, but this dream was one you'd remember. Only it wasn't a dream. This was real, and you were about to unlock a new chapter in your life.

[baronessvonglitter]

would you ever consider writing a deeper romantic relationship for the lovely couple from Daddy can fix it??💖 it’s sooo good

I hope you didn’t think I forgot about you 💕 I was so pleased to receive your ask. From one hopeless romantic to another, I hope you enjoy!

Daddy Does Drilling

Handyman! Joel x fem!plus size!Reader

Word count: 1.3K

Summary: what happens when you and Joel blur the line between business and pleasure..

I invite everyone to also read "Daddy Can Fix It" 🩵

WARNINGS: 18+ Only! Explicit. Reader is plus-size, wears apron and dress. Reader's age not mentioned so there is as much or as little of an age gap as you want. Unprotected piv (Joel is snipped). Oral (f receiving). Sarah and Ellie are mentioned but not named. Divorced Dad!Joel 🤭Slowly falling in love and not realizing it until it's too late. Mention of reader wanting a divorce from her husband. Also catty book club bitches.

"You're crazy, y'know that?" Joel whispers in your ear, his harsh whisper tickling your skin as he guides you up and down on his cock.

You grab the back of the sofa, nails digging into the soft upholstery as he plunges into your soaking wet pussy. "I had to do it," you giggle through your panting. "I couldn't stand my idiot husband doing all the work that you do better."

That earns you a slap on the ass, Joel's large hand giving it a firm grip after. "You're an insatiable lil' thing," he growls in your ear. "'Bout to wear me out."

You smirk up at the patched-up drywall, perfectly smoothed over by Joel's industrious and talented hands. Hands that are now grabbing your curves and molding your body to his. "Can you blame me? I'll never get enough of this cock!" Your sentence ends on a loud moan as he holds your hips steady and thrusts up into you hard and deep so you feel the steady brush of him up close to your cervix.

"Come on sweet thing, ya came twice already, you ready for a third?" Joel rasps in your ear. "Got my lap all fuckin' wet with this juicy pussy."

The moment he'd finished up with the wall you'd pounced on him, crushed your lips and your hips to his, delighted to find him already hard and ready. In the shortest amount of time ever, you both had shoved off and pulled aside whatever clothes were unnecessary and fucked right there on the sofa.

He's working you to your third orgasm, spoiling you, actually, holding back from his own pleasure because it's too much fun giving you yours, watching the beautiful expression on your face, the way your body shakes and trembles.

"There she is," he whispers as your sugar walls convulse around him, rhythmically squeezing his rigid cock, and that's when he lets himself explode, your pussy milking him for every drop he's got.

He's at your house every week, then twice a week, three times a week, until he's just there to fuck you and make you scream his name. No fixing of anything required.

Neither of you notices when things take a turn towards the soft, the sweet. He spends hours between your thighs, tasting and teasing you until you come multiple times, not just trying to get you off but trying to know you. Your time together is marked not by the quick, productive thrusts in positions you haven't tried since college, but in the lingering kisses and knowing stares, the confessions that spill from your lips, the honesty that is born of such intimacy as you've shared.

You find out that he's divorced, has two grown daughters, one married and the other away at university. He loves to work with his hands, that he has a natural knack for figuring out a solution to every problem, and persists until said problem is fixed. That's how he started his company.. and one day the ladies just started coming onto him.

Being older and single, he didn't let those chances pass him. The women he helped were lonely like himself, and if he could give them a bit of something to keep them happy even for a moment, he was glad to do it. It became a well-known secret among the housewives of the community of Royal Hill that he would provide good service at a decent price and give you the fucking of a lifetime if you asked politely.

He liked women, found their husbands to be idiots, more often than not. White collar limp dicks who think a G-spot is street slang for money. Some of them he got to know well: Amirah with the flawless umber skin and always smelled of jasmine; Isabelle who tip-tapped around her tiled home in impossibly high heels with ostentatious feathers on the straps and wore hardly anything under her sheer hot pink robe, also bedecked in feathers; Becky who was quite demanding and rude but submissive once she had a dick inside her.

Then came you. And you threw him for a loop.

You were more than you appeared: sweet, shy, pretty. Once he got you in bed you were a goddess, and the amazing thing was you already knew you were. You gave without asking anything in return.. but how could he ever deny you his strong hands, eager mouth, throbbing cock?

No one else had struck this feeling within him, no matter how many lonely housewives he visited, no matter how hard or rough or passionately he'd fucked any of them, they were just fun. Side quests, as his gamer brother would say.

He liked getting to know you, finding out who was the woman underneath the apron and the rosebud-patterned dress. You told him secrets no one else knew, and he found himself doing the same. You would call each other just to talk, to hear each other's voices when you couldn't be close.

What you didn't know was the impact it would have on the other housewives.

"He doesn't even come over himself anymore. His brother Tommy came by to fix the sink instead."

"Don't get me wrong.. Tommy's cute, but I wanted Joel."

"Daddy Joel."

You ignore the little group that's once again near the dessert table. You grab a couple of cucumber sandwiches and a chocolate-dipped madeleine, oblivious to their prattle.

"I don't know," Becky says pointedly. "His truck has been seen outside a certain someone's house a few days a week." She stops you before you can go back to your seat. "With the amount of time Joel's been at your home, you ought to have the most restored, revamped, upgraded home on the block," she says, brimming over with restrained attitude.

"What's going on?" she asks under her breath.

You can see the others are waiting for you to answer her, but for the first time ever you feel absolutely no need to appease them. You need to win them over like you need a hole in your head. "I don't know what you're talking about," you tell them, lying with ease.

"It's not nice to take up all his time," Becky says with an icy tone, staring you down as if looks could kill.

"Becky, is it just me, or are you jealous over a man you have to pay to fuck you?"

The others are stunned. No one has ever put Bitchy Becky in her place before. Not even she knows what to say.

"I think I'm done with this book club. I can read on my own at my house.. waiting on Daddy to fix whatever I need him to." With an angelic smile you drop the plate of treats back onto the table as you leave.

Walking out into the late afternoon sun you feel more free than you ever have before, as if a whole new chapter has started. The short walk to your house is pleasant, even more so when you see Joel's work truck in your driveway.

"Thought I missed ya," he says, his hands in his pockets as he walks from your front door.

"Fridays are for the book club," you explain, heart racing as you come close to him, and his arms go naturally around your waist. "But I quit. Can't really stand those snobby bitches."

You inhale the clean cotton scent of his red flannel, nuzzling your nose in his shoulder as he kisses the side of your head. "I don't want to do anything ever again that doesn't make me happy."

"So, lil' thing, what's gonna make ya happy right now?" he asks, a small grin playing across his lips.

Looking up at him, you realize Joel is the best choice you could have made. "I think I'm going to leave my husband. No.. I'm definitely going to leave my husband. But there's something else I want right now.."

"Good idea." His arms tighten slightly around you, as if to tether you to him. "And what would that be?"

"I want you to come inside.. you've got some drilling to do," you lead him by the hand and into your home.

dividers by @saradika 👑

[servrz]

patch y9.1.3 today. i do not like this.

first of all, i started playing azami a week or so ago, forgot to mention that lol. i thought the barriers were in a good spot, i didn't think they needed any more adjustments for now, but they decided to increase the damage that bullets do to them. whatever. minute change, it's fuckin annoying but i can live with it.

rip iana, dogshit operator now. that might be a bit of an overreaction but they've been nerfing the poor woman nonstop. first the frags, then the g36 recoil, and now NO MORE STUNS? fuck that, bro. the gemini is good for intel, and the arx is a very solid gun, but i don't wanna play her over most other ops anymore.

why do they keep changing lesion? i mean the impact thing is alright cause he has the super shorty, but there was no real reason to give him the super shorty in the first place when they did...? like, i'm perplexed at how ubi is "balancing" lesion. he was in a great spot months ago, they decided to completely rework his gadget and give him the shorty. then when the changes ended up making him *just oh so slightly better* on the stats chart, they didn't just revert the super shorty change, oh no-- THEY TOOK THE IMPACTS?? idk man, it just seems like ubisoft is always fighting a battle to make lesion "balanced" when he has been for a while, the changes feel so needless and uncalled for.

i'm just gonna say it plain and simple, nokk is still dogshit. it doesn't MATTER if you increase the duration of her gadget, that isn't the problem-- the issue is that THE GADGET SUCKS TO BEGIN WITH. WHY WOULD INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU CAN USE A GADGET HELP, IF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE GADGET ITSELF IS SO BAD THAT NOBODY EVEN WANTS TO USE IT??? give her an assault rifle or buff the fmg, and then revert a lot of the changes you made to the cloak a while back. she was in a fine spot post-frag changes, and even with the stupid fucking fmg nerfs she was still *playable.*

ORYX CAN RUN THROUGH SHIELDS LMAOOOOOO WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN

sens is still kinda crappy. well, i shouldn't say that cause they have their uses, so i guess they're just *super duper, very, incredibly situational and niche.* i mean i guess having an extra projector could help in some *very specific scenarios and strategies* but it fails to make sens better as a whole. the projector at its core needs actual changes to its function, many of which i have seen suggested by the community.

impact changes are weird, but i don't care personally. lower damage just means pokeball kills are gonna be harder now lmao, which is a very strange and silly way to get a kill already so it's all good. and i don't impact trick, so the smaller radius of effect change doesn't really affect me, but i kinda do like that one. forces you to pay more attention as a bandit or kaid player.

and the shield thing, i like very much. that's all i have to say on it.

basically, all in all, this patch sucks. there are very few good implementations here in my opinion, so many of them are useless and don't help with balancing at all. so ubisoft, please for the love of god, get your heads out of your asses and open your ears. come up with more creative solutions to balancing issues. and listen to the community. we're not geniuses, but we ARE the player base, and hearing our thought and ideas should serve to assist you guys in making the game better. even when you guys seem fucking stumped on how to solve the most basic issue, if you would listen to the things that players are saying, they would be solved. the ideas are right in front of you, FOR FREE. <3

[mothticia]

The cafe was, in the most polite way, rather simple- just like Ezreal would find back home. It had the type of vibrancy that you could rarely find in this city, like a patch of grass in a desert- an oasis in the midst of rising heat. It was minimally sweet, a soft place to be when you wanted to end your days. Ezreal had been planning on visiting without bodyguards- without the cameras following, and without the Heartsteel boys.

Of course, it had been so long since Ezreal had visited this quaint little cafe- in fact, if he recalls... It was before fame and the notoriety that was doomed to follow. He had partially hoped no one at home would remember his name nor his face. Seemed like the spells he performed like a mantra hadn't helped, with the way he tries to cover his face from the small but swarming crowd. Timid hands shake as he attempts to shield himself from the onslaught of rabid fans. What the hell did he do now..?

" Hi, I apologize, sincerely, like- " and the man is rambling to who he assumes is the manager, or at least the owner- hopefully someone who would not know his face, covered in bruises.

" I don't know what they put in the water since I was last here, but everyone is way too hype to see me. " He is rightfully embarrassed when he says this, like it's something which happens all the time. Truthfully, not the case- he had been booed off stage before, and this was certainly not as painful on his psyche, but the craziness was far too much for him right now with a headache unlike any other.

An overwhelmed expression covers his face- teeth tucked between his teeth as he tries to explain himself. He hasn't felt so ashamed of being known in so long, he almost forgot what it was like to be hidden in plain sight. " Hate to ask, but can I hide in your break room before you end up closing? I'll pay you whatever you want, I just... "

" I need time to think, that's all. Somewhere not so loud. " Ezreal is tragically aware of how pitiful he must look and sound, but truly, he is hungover and needs a place to relax.

He just wanted some fuckin' coffee.

Modern Au starter: @mothmuses

Gods, what a tiring day. At least her day would soon be over. A few more hours and she could pack up her things and get ready for her other job. While she was concentrating on calculating the month's debts, leaning against the counter, her other coworkers began to get agitated. Some angry, others making an incredible amount of noise. Who the hell had just walked in? The president?

[wittyrosebush]

Dream SMP Reacting to a Witch!Hybrid

Pronouns: they/them

Includes: Dream, Quackity, Wilbur, qnd Tommy (PLATONIC)

Warnings: Meantion of drugs, swearing

A/N: This is based off of the canon characters and is set in the time of the Pogtopia/Manburg war!!! I might write a second part if this goes well. Also, this is the first thing I have written for this fandom, so I hope I get the character personalities correct. This is not beta read, so please don't attack me on my poor grammar skills. 😅

I hope you all enjoy!!! 💙

Dream

He was mining when he first met you

Dream heard a malicious cackle on the dark side of the cave and slowly drew his sword

He decided to charge towards the strange noise and was quickly met with an invisible body under him

He furrowed his brows and felt the body shuffle out from under him

"BEGONE STRANGE MAN"

"... excuse me?"

After a moment, Y/N's potion has worn off

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-"

Dream chuckled and put away his sword, deciding the person in front of him wasn't a threat

After Y/n calmed down, the two had a talk, explaining the situation

Turns out, you had thought of a joke while mining for redstone (hence the laughter)

"So where is your hat and huge nose? You are really attractive for a witch."

"Luckily, I got my attributes from my father. What was that last part?."

"Wait, what about your hat?"

"I haven't done laundry in a few days.... hold up did you just say I was attractive?"

Ever since then Dream has had you by his side partly because he is a little clingy creating potions for him and the rest of the dream team

"How do you feel about cursing children?"

"I'm not that kind of witch, Dream."

"But what if he was being a little blonde bitch?"

"DREAMWASTAKEN I SWEAR TO GOD-"

Loves bringing you stuff to use for your projects

Need blaze rods for a new brewing stand? Done.

Need lapis lazuli so you have a chance for better communication? Done.

Anything you want? Done.

He will literally go to the nether for a few hours and come back with his arms full of whatever you need

And if you don't need anything or just need to take a break, he'll spend the day taking you anywhere that he think you would be happiest

He has you make him a lot of potions, bragging to everyone on the server how much better at creating potions you are

"Y/n's potions last longer, are more effective, prettier-"

"Are you sure? I think-"

"Tell me what you think, I fuckin dare you >:( ."

Overall, he is your #1 supporter

Quackity

The day had been long, dealing with Schlatt definitely tires a guy out after 5 minutes

On his walk on the outskirts of the Manburg wall, he spotted a suspicious row of blaze powder leading to the woods

Dawning his armor and a sword, he followed the trail to a small hut

He could see the outline of someone in the hut nervously pacing around

Deciding what he thought was the best possible option, he knocked on the door of the hut

There was immediately the sound of glass bottles falling on the floor and muffled words

Soon, the door swung open to reveal a disheveled being with a nervous grin

And Quackity went from tough to awkward

"C-Can I help you with something?"

"Uh, do you waNT SOME DRUGS?"

"ExCuSe Me?!"

Everything was going to shit

After a moment of awkward staring, a glass bottle tumbled off the brewing stand

Upon focusing on what was going on behind the two people trying and failing to act normal, they both saw that every brewing stand was on fire

"ARE YOU ACTUALLY MAKING DRUGS?!"

"NO I'M JUST REALLY BAD AT THIS POTION."

Finally putting the fire out together, the two looked at their now soot stained clothes

The witch hybrid ran a hand through their hair and sighed

"Well this is completely ruined."

Quackity frowned a little hesitant to offer his help

"If you need to you could borrow some brewing stands-"

"Really? *-* "

On the walk back to Manburg, you explained who you were

Quackity was still a little confused

"Wait but what potion were you even brewing?"

"Fire resistance."

He immediately burst out laughing, which ended up with you slapping his arm repeatedly

Eventually, you two became the definition of the "friends to lovers" trope

You often helped him de-stress after stressful days in office with Schlatt

He'd try whatever you recommended

"I'd suggest putting quartz on your nightstand."

"Cool!"

Later that night, you forgot something at his house

Once you walked into his house, you could see stacks of quartz next to his bed.

He really trusted any advice you could give him

And on days where people would criticize you for being part witch?

Big Q will attack anyone

Even if he knows he will lose

And at random parts of the day he'll just tell you oddly inspirational thoughts

"You are a bad bitch, dare I say a bad witch. Own that shit."

"That is oddly motivational, thank you. :) "

Wilbur

The former president was strolling along the side of a river, trying to form a coherent plan of action

Upon noticing a person trudging out of the water fumbling with glass bottles, Wilbur jogged over to them and put a careful hand on their shoulder

"Are you okay?"

The person moved the soggy hat out of their face and smiled

"Yeah, I just fell in the water while trying to fill up some of the bottles, but thanks for checking on me!"

He hummed in response, wondering why he was already so interested in the being before him

"Well I should probably get going, but thank you!"

"Wait! What's you name?"

"It's Y/n, and you are..?"

"Wilbur Soot, it was an honor meeting you, Y/n."

This man spent the rest of the night thinking about you and who the hell you were

He didn't know much about the mysterious person, but he did know that they were one of the most alluring people he had met in a long time

It was weeks since he saw you, Wilbur nearly gave up searching

That was until you walked into him on a rainy day

The brunette immediately went in defensive position and pulled the stranger to his chest, despite the dampened clothes

"Um, Mr. Soot?"

He looked down to see you and his face lit up

"Y/n! It's a pleasure to see you again."

He took a small step back and kissed your hand

No one can convince me that Wilbur "Gentleman" Soot does not flirt by giving hand kisses

The two went into Pogtopia and Wilbur almost immediately wrapped his coat around you

"What were you doing out there? The rain is coming down so hard you must not have been able to see well."

"I was going to ask if I could borrow a few golden carrots for a potion I'm making."

Wilbur nodded and walked towards the stared and whisper shouted down

"TOMMY BRING ME SOME GOLDEN CARROTS!"

"BUT WILBUR, I-"

"PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LOOK BAD IN FRONT OF THE STUNNING WITCH!"

The boy at the bottom of the stairs grumbled and the tall man sat next to you once more

After a few minutes of Wilbur fawning over everything you did, a blonde male walked up the steps and glared at Wilbur as he handed you the carrots

"Simp..."

Wilbur dramatically gasped as you chuckled next to him

You eventually started coming over to Pogtopia practically every day

Most of the time it was to see Wilbur, but the rest of your time was spent creating potions for the war

As the nation grew, you were brought out of your shell more with Wilbur introducing you to everyone

He didn't want you to feel uncomfortable in a new place

You often walked along the same riverbank where you met

You have definitely pushed each other off a few times

He keeps small things that you enjoy on him at all times

He keeps a tiny bottle of sand from the river you met at, a piece of your old robe, and so much more in his pockets

Whenever he feels like he's in a dark place or justneeds to ground himself he takes out one of the items and just holds it close.

Mans is so in love

Tommy

He met you in the nether while you were farming netherwart

The blonde was thrilled to find a new fortress and decided to raid it before reinforcements came

Seeing a sleeping figure next to a bed of sould sand, he took a few congident steps forward

Once close enough, he poked you with the stick

"You good?"

"I was good when I was asleep."

"AYE I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD SO-"

After arguing for what felt like hours, you both stormed off to find both exits being blocked by wither skeletons

Tommy had gotten beaten up pretty bad after the fight so you took him back to your hut to get all patched up

"I didn't even need your help. I'm tougher than I look."

"You legitimately passed out twice on the way here."

"HOW DARE YOU, I WAS RESTING MY EYES!"

After a few hours of healing and a ton of laighter, you two became the most chaotic duo in the smp

This british raccoon child would often steal small potions to pull pranks

But unless they were really important and you needed them back, you'd always join in on the pranks

He tried to get you to make a potion using the 'Tubbo Bath Water' one time

It did not end well

At the point in your friendship where you revealed you were a hybrid, Tommy was so confused

"That makes no sense, witches are still humans, right?"

"Yeah..?"

"So how does that make you a hybrid?"

👁👄👁

"Listen here you little shit-"

He likes to show you off to anyone that can listen

"You think you're special? HA! I have a best friend that is part witch and they will kick your ass. >:)"

He is really interested in everything you do but will never ask

But if you tell him about what you're doing unprovoked?

Tommy would get so happy

He is so excited to learn what you have to teach and would be one of the best friends ever

[emerald-chaos]

Congrats on 500 Sav!! 🥺

In honor of the ✨and they were roommates✨ vine, may I request a FWB situation w/ Roommate!Bucky? 🥰 full free range for you to write whatever you feel inspired with that <33

Lee, I am obsessed with this. Obviously, I had to go rated R because well.....reasons. I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Smut, 18+ (MINORS DNI); oral sex (f receiving), dirty talk, fingering, explicit language, spit kink, praise kink, Bucky Barnes being a cocky bastard.

By clicking "Keep Reading" you agree that you are at least 18 years of age or older.

You sat at the table in your underwear and tanktop, too hungover to even consider putting more clothes on. You were 98% sure your roommate had gone home with someone else last night anyway, so you were free to traipse around the apartment in as little clothing as your heart pleased.

The breakfast you made yourself just wasn't cutting it for you but there were unfortunately no better options because Bucky had forgotten it was his week to get groceries. You should have known that getting into a friends with benefits relationship with your roommate was a piss poor idea, but the man could be quite persuasive. Now, anytime the two of you had an argument, Bucky thought he could just make it better with his tongue.

While he wasn't wrong, it wasn't necessarily the best way of settling arguments or qualms regarding living arrangements and the like. In fact, it was the reason why you were eating dry Cinnamon Toast Crunch right now. Fuckin' Bucky.

The familiar squeak of the front door opening signaled to you that he was home just as you were finishing your dry cereal. Perfect, an opportunity to talk to him about your desperate need for groceries. Bucky came into the kitchen, brunette strands sticking to his forehead with sweat and cheeks flushed with a pink tint. Bucky stopped as soon as he saw you, slowly dragging his eyes along the curve of your breasts and bare thighs.

"Where have you been?" You asked, looking him over. "You know what, I don't want to know. We need to talk about groceries."

It was painfully obvious that Bucky wasn't listening as he simply walked closer, eyes still hungrily drinking you in. He tossed his phone onto the counter top and his tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip.

You crossed your legs one over the other, knowing exactly where his mind was at. The way he looks at you makes the wetness pool between your legs, but you can't give in to him this time. Contrary to what he thinks, you can't survive off pussy alone.

"Bucky, this is serious! We don't have anything to eat!"

A low chuckle came from his chest and you instantly regretted your word choice for this particular moment.

"What are you talking about, peach? M'breakfast's right here." Bucky spoke, finally looking you in the eyes as he sank to his knees one by one, the grin spread across his face was one you wanted to slap right off.

"Bucky." You tried to give him a warning tone but it was useless. Bucky knew exactly what it was he wanted and he knew he was going to get it.

His hands rested on top of your knees as he uncrossed your legs and pushed them apart, once again licking his lips once he spots the wet patch already forming on your underwear.

You huff, exasperated at his inability to think about anything other than sex.

"Fine. If I let you eat me out will you please have a conversation with me about groceries?" You begged, hips sliding forward on the chair as Bucky pulls your them to the edge.

"Whatever you say, peach." Bucky's fingers curl around the waistband of your panties and you lift your hips to help him slide them off.

Curse your stupid libido and Bucky Barnes' stupid handsome face.

Wrapping his arms around your thighs, Bucky spread your legs wide for him as he blew cold air over your glistening cunt. A whine left your lips as you squirmed under his grip.

"I'd say she missed me." Bucky grinned as used two metal fingers to spread you, bottom lip becoming trapped in between his teeth once he saw you on full display for him.

"Christ, Bucky! Just do something alre--oh." Your thought was cut off by the flat of his tongue dragging upwards through your folds. Your hands immediately tethered themselves into his hair.

You could feel Bucky's grin against your core, but you were too blissed out to say anything about it. The man was a smug bastard, but God, did he know what he was doing.

Your head fell back against the chair as his tongue swirled around your bundle of nerves. Bucky worked his tongue skillfully against your cunt, alternating between short licks and full on dipping his tongue into your hole. It was nearly impossible to not rock your hips against his face and whimper.

When the feeling of his tongue left you, so did a whine. You pushed yourself up to see what it was he was doing, only to catch him collecting saliva in his mouth and spitting onto your already soaked core. It felt like all the air had been pushed out of your lungs and you forgot how to speak.

Bucky winked at you and dove back in to your cunt, devouring you like it was his purpose in life. Occasional hums would leave his lips, heightening the sensation you felt. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, Bucky began to shake his head back and forth.

"Fuck!" You screamed out, grabbing onto his head with both hands while you arched your back against him.

Bucky kept a tight hold on your thighs, ensuring that there was no way you could get away from him. While he took your clit into his mouth and sucked on it, he prodded his middle finger against your hole. The man loved nothing more than to tease you and get you worked up for him.

"Please." You whined, grinding against him.

"Such a polite girl for me, peach." Bucky hummed against your clit once more as he slid his middle finger into your tight cunt.

One of your hands went up and behind you to hold on to the chair as the other continued to grip onto Bucky's hair. The feeling was almost unbearable, but only in the best fucking way. The combination of his mouth alternating between suckling and swirling around your clit and the feeling of his finger curling up against your g-spot was pushing you closer and closer to your orgasm.

"Please, oh god Bucky, please! I'm gonna cum!" You cried out, legs beginning to shake.

"You wanna cum on my face, Peach? Hmm? Go ahead, baby. Cum all over my tongue."

His words paired with his skillful assault on your cunt were enough to cause the coil in your abdomen to snap. It felt as though your eyes were going to roll back completely into your head as you squeezed his head between your thighs, continuing to rock your hips against his face as he assisted you through your orgasm.

Your body collapses practically against the chair as Bucky gently lowers your legs back down to the ground. As your vision clears up, all you see is Bucky leaned back on his haunches before you, face glistening with your slick as he grins up at you.

"Alright, peaches. Let's talk."

waegrhetnyrhgn im going to hell.

✨join my sleepover!✨

[princess-of-the-corner]

All things considered, I have to ask what the Winter Solstice 2-parter would look like in the Avatar!Ty Lee AU.

Given the way the Avatar Spirit split, something interesting is bound to happen there.

THis two parter is long so here we go:

The Winter Solstice Part 1:

So Aang is still feelig guilty for everything that went down 100 years ago. He hasn't reached the breaking point yet, but he's mostly just confused on whatever he and Ty Lee have going on. They both went into the Avatar State? But while Ty Lee can clearly at least get a reaction from other Elements, Aang only has Airbending.

And they come across that burned patch of land and yay everyone's fuckin guilty!

They get brought to the village that's being attacked by the Spirit, and are told what's going on. Aang and Ty Lee both have a kind of 'we have no clue what's happening but hey the very least we can do is try and figure it out?". Which does not reassure anyone.

However, when the Spirit does show up, it seems to totally ignore Ty Lee in favor of going after Aang.

Of course other members of the Gaang do the 'well this isn't working let's help!' and we still get Sokka (And maybe someone else but it doesn't matter who) yoinked by the Spirit. Aang and Ty Lee give chase, but the Spirit disappears before they catch it and so they head back.

When they get back, most of the group is like 'hey where's Aang and why is Ty Lee talking to herself?". And Ty Lee is just "He's??? Right there????? Huh?????"

But Aang is currently doing his Spitit Fuckery and Ty Lee can only see him because of their connection. The only other person who can see Aang is Iroh because him being able to see the Spirits is Canon. So he can actually tell them there's some Spirit Fuckery. He starts to explain why but that's when the Dragon shows up.

While both Ty Lee and Iroh can see the Dragon, Aang is the only one who can interact with it rn. So he goes off on his little journey to find that he has to go to that one temple.

Aang comes back and is able to calm the Spirit down and everyone who got kidnapped is returned.

Now we have the reverse of the confusion because Ty Lee had no luck at all with any of the Spirit World stuff this episode. The only thing she could do was see Aang and the Dragon, but the Spirit World didn't react to her.

-

The Winter Solstice Part 2:

Flying past the blockade goes actually a little better. Zuko suggests some kind of camoflauge idea, which has a combination of Air and Water Bending to give them some proper cloud cover. It's not perfect but it does get them past without as much trouble as Canon lmao!

They still get a 'warm' welcome at the Temple, with only one of the sages helping them out while the others are assholes.

Actually getting past that fancy door is a lot easier because they have three extra Firebenders! They do need five but we have options here like 1.) having Sokka's explosion idea actually work, 2.) Ty Lee, while not really trained in anything, is able to produce fire at least, 3.) Honestly? Iroh, Zuko, and Azula are are powerful as hell so they might be able to fake it with a second shot.

Of course that's when the other Sages and also the so are the soldiers that followed them from the blockade!

Aang and Ty Lee manage to jump through the door before it locks everyone out. And while they get to talk to Roku, everyone else gets to deal with Zhao.

Zhao is a cocky motherfucker and is quick to taunt the 'Banished Prince', 'Runaway Princess' and 'Failed General' for having 'fallen so far that they'd join the enemy. This is the first time Katara and Sokka hear about their companions being any kind of 'important' instead of just random Fire Nation citizens and they're like ??????. Which. To be fair, it's not so much that they were hiding that as 1.) they forgot to mention it and 2.) not really important since they're on the other side anyway, old titles don't count.

Meanwhile! Aang and Ty Lee talk to Roku. And yeah it's still Roku guiding them because, while the cycle did get a kickstart and a new host with Ty Lee's reincarnations 1.) Aang is the one more connected to the Spirit shit and 2.) none of the ones inbetween them were Fully Realized Avatars, having only learned at most two Elements and never going into the Avatar State.

Anyway!

On top of what Roku explained in Canon about the Comet, he also gets to give them a basic rundown of how the Split Avatar thing happened and how they have to work together to be 'The Avatar'.

Then, like in Canon, we get them channeling Roku (with it working very 'two kids in a trenchcoat'), and him bringing down the whole temple.

Which, can I just say, is such a badass scene in Canon.

[itsblorbotime]

woohoo finishing heavensward time (actually the first half of the post-patches i'm not doing the second half right now...) you gotta scroll all the way to the bottom to see my real Thoughts :)

ok he kinda foine tho...

i do think nidhogg should have killed all the bystanders at that ceremony lol. or at least let loose ONE breath weapon and killed a bunch of them. it would have raised the stakes a loooot more than just injuring (not even killing...!) a single dragon and then flying off

midgardsormr pulling the "i'm not angry i'm just disappointed" following alphinaud AND aymeric calling hraesvelgr out on his bullshit is [chefs kiss] the new sohr khai is definitely an improvement on the original but it's also really boring lol. aymeric as a tank is fun though :)

val gets new white mage robes :) decided i don't like the orison ones actually lol

that fight with nidhogg and hraesvelg was soooooo cool and badass. ... but did hraesvelgr die there??? he didn't, right? idr when it addresses what happened to him but like my guy got his WHOLE wing torn off.

also, aymeric hot

guh!

so fuckin funny that hraesvelgr fuckin GOT HIS ASS by distracting him while giving us his eye... your ass is TOAST nidhogg

and of course, final steps of faith is a great duty, both normal and extreme.

estinien wresting back control of his arm and nidhogg taking it back to CHOKE HIM OUT UNTIL HE COUGHS UP BLOOD jesus christ

begging the wol to kill him and wol and alphinaud just being like "cool! no :)" and running up to physically RIP THE EYEBALLS OFF HIS ARMOUR aaaaaah

YSAYLE AND HAURCHEFANT COMING TO HELP I FORGOT ABOUT THIS AAHHHHGHGHHHGGGHHH

honestly don't have a ton of commentary at this point just Screaming and Crying

oouuuughhhh

crazy night out in ishgard huh

OH SO THIS WAS AYMERIC'S FAULT!!!!!!!!

yeah... i did that :)

i feel like this whole sequence must have been as hype and emotional as 5.3 back in the day -- tho i think the exarch's character development was handled better than estinien; this was partially bc estinien was intentionally a prickly and mean character (who grew meaner as nidhogg's influence affected him more...) vs the exarch who was like, yes secretive but ultimately VERY supportive and caring towards you in particular and a staunch ally.

i also wish they hadn't waited until patch 3.3 or whatever this is to go into estinien's backstory and his relationship with aymeric like this... i wish this had been part of the main expac.

"Where once I craved vengeance, now I crave rest."

my final thoughts on heavensward? definitely an improvement over a realm reborn, but i think a huuuuuge part of that is because heavensward only had to tell its story over the span of 10 levels rather than 50, so there's much less (but not 0) filler, and it laser-focused on a single city-state and its whole deal. it also had the benefit of going in with an antagonist whose motivations were clearly understood both by the writing team and the playerbase, unlike the ascians, who were written to be vaguely sinister and evil and they were like "uh we'll decide their motivations later."

the main heavensward expac is good, and the final confrontation with nidhogg is really, really good. estinien's body being held hostage made the stakes much more personal than anything else in ishgard; i think if they'd let us get to know the people of ishgard more, PARTICULARLY the lower classes in the brume, the threat of the city's imminent destruction would have carried the same weight as the peril to estinien's soul, but the highborn in ishgard are so fucking annoying i don't care if they die. the patch quests fix this a bit by giving the common folk a face and names, particularly poor little maelie, what a sweetie. the later patches, from what i remember, is where the game loses me a bit... and then stormblood is, um, a lot. we'll go over that when we get there!

i will also say i do not love how heavensward handles female characters. hilda shows up very late in the story and has very little to do -- she definitely makes a strong impression, but then she fucks off and they clearly don't really know what to do with her from there. minfilia is pretty unceremoniously killed off for not real reason except they ran out of stuff to do with her. ysayle is a great character who is ... somewhat randomly killed off and treated kind of weird in the msq; again, i don't really think they knew what to do with her, particularly her shiva summoning. her death is not as impactful as i think it should be. i clearly remember haurchefant's death, but only remembered that ysayle died protecting us, but not much else about her death scene. i don't think she needed to die to be "redeemed," or to progress the story or conclude HER story. i also don't love how characters are CONSTANTLY reminding each other that she was actually like super bad and did terrible terrible things and can probably never be redeemed for them but her heart was in the right place :) like . she was right though??? about everything?? justice for ysayle...

i think the main scenario writer of heavensward has an issue with women and you can see that in his other work, including ff16.

heavensward is good but i do think it's slightly overhyped. there's still a lot of clumsy mechanical things going on with the gameplay, the story's a bit wobbly in places, and the way it starts handling the eorzean/scion part of the xiv story i actually really hate, lol!

continuing my heavensward ng+ replay commentary here on the tumbls bc twitter is a dumpsterfire and this is a better avenue for it anyway...

[alovesongshewrote]

If you’re taking requests, maybe something about Doux finding the reader absolutely delirious from lack of sleep? I may or may not have gotten literally any sleep last night and although I managed to get through my morning routine pretty efficiently I FEEL my body just wiping out. I will be comatose within the hour.

Sleep, Darling | Hisirdoux Casperan x Reader

Plot:  you’ve been awake for too long and it is not doing you any favours.  Thank god for punk wizards who care about your wellbeing, amirite lads?  (Also, the pure Irony that this is getting posted at like, 2:40 am where i am, rip me i guess)

Word Count: 2,292

Warnings:  A bit of blood is mentioned in passing, the reader isn’t human and probably has adhd or smthn.  Also, Friends is mentioned, like, the tv show, so that’s a thing!

A/N:   if you look closely, you can actually see me projecting onto this one.  I hope you got some sleep anon.

Tags:   @furblrwurblr @einahpetsyarcip @sorrels-scribbling @anxious-stitcher @alive-and-afraid @animedweeb333 @douxiesdamsel @saroski05

Time isn’t real.  It’s a social construct made to bring order to the general chaos that is human existence.  That was why you were up at 5 a.m for the second, maybe third, night in a row.  Was it healthy?  Probably not, but you didn’t need sleep, you needed answers.  Answers to what?  Who knows at this point, honestly.

You couldn’t say you were surprised when you finally noticed the late, or early hour.  You just shrugged it off and went “fuck it, all-nighter,” which was fine for the moment.  But time’s a bitch, and that moment was over pretty fast.  By noon, you were ready to collapse.  The three cups of coffee did not help.  Instead, they made you vibrate at a frequency that could quite possibly break glass.  As much as this sucked for you, it was worse for your lovely friend and co-worker, Hisirdoux Casperan.

Now, our boi Douxie was and is madly in love with you, but shhh, it’s a secret.  You also love him, and that’s a secret too.  Neither of these secrets are well kept, and the only reason you aren’t together is general stupidity.  Literally, anyone else who watches the two of you interacting can tell that you're in love.  Hell, half the town assumes you’re together already.  The other half keeps trying to get you together.  It is not working very well.  But that’s all a digression.  What you really need to know is that Douxie loves you and watching you suffer from a lack of sleep was Not A Pleasant Experience.  You were delirious, shaky, and constantly off-balance.  You could work well enough, but it was clear that your health was not in the same zone.

The final straw came when you cut your hand on broken glass.  You’d dropped a cup, and instead of using magic, you’d tried to fix the mess by hand.  That plan did not work, and you received a bloody slash across your palm for your troubles.

“Ah.  Fuck,” you said, thinking you were whispering but instead speaking at a normal volume.

“What’s wrong, love?”

“‘S nothing, I’ve got it,” you did not got it, especially not in this state, and Douxie had the good sense to figure that out.  The blood was a pretty good hint though.

“Oh, fuzzbuckets.”

“I told you, I’m toooootally fine, there is nothing to worry about.”

“Here, (Y/N), let me help you-”

“No, no, this is, this is-” it was then that your sleep-deprived brain decided to cut off your train of thought and replace it with another, more chaotic train.  You stopped talking and just stared at Douxie for a solid minute.  Or at least it felt like a solid minute.  Time isn’t real, remember that.

“(Y-Y/N)?  You alright there, darling?”

“You’re really cute, did you know that?  Like… really cute.  Steve was right, you could be a model.”

“I-”

“Also, just gonna put it out there, I freakin’ love it when you call me darling.  Like, I know you call most people darling, but it makes me feel special.  Don’t ask why, it just does.”

Douxie wasn’t planning on asking why.  He wasn’t really planning on anything.  Your sleep-deprived half-confession had turned him from a capable individual into a blushing mess in less than a second.  You always had that effect on him, but it looked like your exhausted state was giving you a bit of an edge.

“Oh, sorry, I made it weird.  Anyway, do you think if I brewed my next coffee with Monster instead of water it would wake me up?   Because I’m still tired, and it isn’t fun.”

“I- you- I’m-”

“I think I might try it, honestly.”

“Ok, how about you don’t do that,”  Archie said, swooping in, literally and figuratively, to save the day, “Douxie, can you please get (Y/N)’s hand patched up?  It looks quite painful and they’re dripping blood onto the carpet.”

You were, in fact, dripping blood onto the carpet.  That wasn’t good, “Oh, that’s- I’m sorry.”

“Don’t fret, just go do something about that hand,” with that, Archie smacked Douxie upside the head in an attempt to snap him out of his flustered state.  It was super effective!

“Ahh, yeah.   C’mon, (Y/N), let’s,,, go,,, fix,,, that.”

“Ok,”  you stood, too tired to protest, and followed Douxie into the back of the bookstore, which was literally just his apartment.  

It was a nice place.  Very cozy, very him.  It made you want to curl up and take a nap, but to be fair, literally everything made you want to curl up and take a nap at the moment.  Regardless, his home made you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and you never wanted to leave it.  Maybe it was the interior decorating, but you knew it was because your favourite person lived there.  What you didn’t know, or didn’t realize, was that you’d just spoken your entire thought process out loud and Douxie heard every word of it.  Once again, the boy was a blushing mess.  If you were awake enough to process things, you would have found it cute.  Or you’d be dead from embarrassment, that one is a bit of a toss-up.

Fighting through his flustered state, Douxie pulled you into the bathroom and collected a first aid kit from under the counter.  While he focused on getting things done, you curled into a ball in his bathtub.  For some reason, your exhausted brain decided that sitting on the edge of the bathtub simply did not Vibe™ but sitting inside the tub was better than nothing, and so you just,,, curled up there.  Douxie was only a little surprised to see you there.

“(Y/N)?”

“D’you remember that time on Friends when Winona Ryder played a closeted lesbian?  That was a fuckin’ trip, man.”

“(Y/N), darling-”

“That whole episode is just- it’s just strange.”

“(Y/N)-”

“Hehe, Stranger Things.”

“(Y/N), love, I need to see your hand.”

“Oh, fuck, yeah, I forgot.  Here,” you sat up, extending your hand out to the wizard.  He took it, sitting on the edge of the bathtub which was fine for him to do, I guess.  Not you though, you were stuck in bathtub jail for sleep deprivation crimes.

You squinted up at his face as he tended to the nasty scratch you’d given yourself.  You didn’t have the capacity to focus on what he was doing, so instead you focused on him.  He was pretty, as you’d said before, but that was always true.  At that exact moment, his brows were furrowed in concentration, his eyes concerned and his jaw set.  His hands were steadier than yours could ever hope to be, especially since you hadn’t been sleeping.  Overall, he looked kind of mad, so you sunk down into your bath-prison, silent and waiting for him to finish so you could get back to work.

Douxie was not mad at you.  He was upset that you hadn’t been sleeping, but he wasn’t mad.  He was just worried for your health.  Your wizard did not appreciate seeing you shaking and sleep-deprived.  He didn’t appreciate it when your current state led you to injure yourself, either.

He wrapped up your hand and gave it a small pat, “Done.  Now, come on, you’re taking a nap.”

His voice surprised you.  It was gentle, calm, not at all angry like you’d suspected.  You found yourself so lost in it that you didn’t realize what he’d said until he said your name, trying to snap you out of whatever haze you were in.

“Oh, wait, what?  No, shit, I have to get back to work-”

“No, you need sleep.”

“Sleep is for the weak, I need to go-” you stood and almost fell over.  You probably would have broken something if Douxie didn’t catch you.  You hadn’t exactly expected to end up in his arms today, and despite the heat rising in your face and neck, you were not complaining.

“(Y/N)-”

“I’m sorry, Douxie, I-”

“You need to sleep.  Please, (Y/N), don’t make me use a spell on you.”

You froze for a second before a smirk crept onto your face, “You wouldn’t.”

“I-”

“You wouldn’t use a spell on meeeeee-” the smirk grew into a full smile as you let yourself go limp, forcing him to move his hands to support you better and pull you closer to him.  Was that your plan?  Maybe.  Was it part of a second, bigger plan?  Also yes.

“You wanna bet?”

“Sure.”

“I-” and then he went silent.  There was a moment of tension where you just stared into each other’s eyes, holding your breath to see what the other person would do.  Your gaze fell to his lips as his fell to yours.  For that moment, your thoughts began to wander far out of your control.  Douxie’s mind was also running rampant but in a different direction.  You were right, he thought.  He couldn't use magic on you.  As far as he knew, you were a human.  Just a mortal being who crawled their way into his life and stayed there, improving the quality of it greatly.  If there was even the slightest chance that a spell may have negative side effects, which most sleep spells did, he wouldn’t dare risk it, especially not on you.  He sighed, tightening his grip on your waist, “You’re right.”

“What?”  Oop, plan going sideways, PLAN GOING SIDEWAYS!

“I’m- not going to use magic on you,” he helped you to stand, and moved to take a step back before you grabbed his hoodie and pulled him back to you, ignoring the sharp sting in your hand.

“Ok, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on there wizard boy-” you took a moment to pull yourself out of the bathtub entirely, “You can’t give up that easily.”

“Wha-”

“Come onnnnnn, make it fun, make it exciting.  Put a spell on me or whatever, just-” you went quiet for a second, but for once you weren’t distracted.  Just quiet.  You had to face facts.  Your plan had failed, and now you had nothing but the truth.

“(Y/N)?”

“Just make my brain stop.  For just two seconds.”

“What?”

“Please.  I’m running on a motor and I can’t stop myself.  I haven’t slept and I have no choice in the matter.”

“(Y/N)-”

“Look, just, take away my free-will if you have to.  Knock me out, magic or otherwise, I just want five seconds where I’m not on hyperdrive,” you were standing on your own now, though Douxie’s arms were still wrapped around you and you hadn’t let go of his hoodie, “Please.”

The bathroom was silent for a minute.  It took that long for Douxie to process what you’d just said.  You feared, for that moment, that you’d said too much.  You hadn't.  Not to him, anyway.

“Come on.”

“What?”

“Come on,” he said, picking you up, effortlessly sweeping you off your feet.

“Wait, what!?” your voice was slightly more frantic, surprise lacing through your words.

“There’s more than one way to get a person to sleep.”

“Oh-?”

He didn’t respond to your question, instead, he carried you out the door and into what you could only assume was his room.  You had no choice but to wrap your arms around his neck and cling to him for dear life until he set you down on the bed.

“Stay here, okay?  I’m going to make you some tea-”

“Wait!” you stopped him, grabbing his wrist as he turned to leave, “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, my darling,” he sat in front of you on the bed, “You just need to get some sleep, okay?”

“But what about-”

“I’ll cover your shift, you don’t need to worry.”

“I-”

“Just rest, for now, love.  Please.”

“Ok,” your words were a whisper, something that Douxie could only just hear.  The next thing though, he didn’t have to strain to hear at all, “Yeah.  I meant what I said earlier, by the way.  You’re so pretty, it isn’t fair.”

He laughed at this, at you, finally seeing some humour in your shenanigans.  He relaxed now knowing that you may actually get some much-needed rest.  He stood, kissing your forehead and tracing the side of your face with a hand, rough from guitar strings and 900 years of sweeping.

“Worry not, love, you’re pretty too.”

“Hey, wait-”

“Don’t ‘hey, wait,’ me.  You are.  Now lie down, I’ll be back in a second.”

A smile crept onto your face as you followed orders.  Your emo wizard man thought you were pretty.  And he cared enough about you to let you sleep during work hours, in his home, no less.  You let yourself relax into the bed, grinning once again.  It smelled like him, like thyme and peppermint, lemongrass and sleep.  It was nice, comforting.  You could only vaguely think of Douxie as your brain finally took a fuckin breather.  It was everything you needed, honestly.

By the time Douxie came back, you were long gone, lost to your dreams and finally asleep.  He sighed a smile that matched yours on his face.  He placed the cup of tea on the bedside table before grabbing a blanket out of his closet and draping it over you.  You looked so peaceful.  Good.  You deserved some peace every now and then.

He took the cup and left you, brushing a strand of hair out of your eyes as he did.  After making his exit, he placed the still-hot tea on the counter, disregarding it for now before returning to the bookshop.

“How are they?”  his familiar asked, tail twisting in concern.

He gave a final fond look at the door before returning to business, “They’re just resting.”  And for once, you were.

[drabbles-mc]

“I Can’t Lose You”

Johnny “Coco” Cruz x Reader

Request from @loveandglamour26:  Can I get #39 & #50 from Fluff list, with #6 from Angst. Would love this with Coco 🖤 Please and thank you, doll!! 😊 (Prompts are from This Post)

Warnings: language, angst (with a happy ending)

Word Count: 1.1k

A/N: Putting up 2 fics in one day because I’m currently working remotely and I have time to write between meetings haha. I’m not super used to writing Coco, but I’m pretty happy with how this turned out. Enjoy!

Taglist: @mayans-sauce​ @thesandbeneathmytoes​ @paintballkid711​ @tomhardydallasstarsgirl​ @queenbeered​ @sillygoose6969​ @sesamepancakes​ @yourwonkywriter​ @chibsytelford​ @gemini0410​ @multiyfandomgirl40​ (This is literally like my second fic for Coco, so the taglist is just everyone that I could remember that wanted to be tagged in all my Mayans stuff. If I forgot you I’m so sorry! My brain is just bad lmao. Love y’all xoxo)

“You wanna tell me why those fuckin’ guys showed up to my job today?” it was coming out as anger, but really you were just scared.

“I told you,” he shook his head, “you don’t gotta worry ‘bout it. I’ll handle it.”

“That’s not the point, Coco!” tears stung at the edges of your eyes, “There shouldn’t be anything to handle. What you do is not supposed to be bleeding over into what I do. I should at least get to feel safe at work!”

“What do you want me to tell you, huh?”

“I want you to tell me why I got strangers coming to my job asking me about you and the club! That’s not my shit to be handling, so I at least deserve to know why I’m getting caught up in this.”

“It’s old club shit, Ma. Nothing that you need to worry about—it’s not gonna keep being an issue.”

You sighed and shook your head, trying as hard as you could to fight back the tears, “You’re lying to me again. I know that I’m not in the club, and that there’s a lot of things that I don’t get to know. But this involves me directly. And it’s gotta be some kind of big deal if it’s making you want to stay with me for the next few days. Why can’t you just tell me the truth for once?”

That got him to pause his pacing. He looked over at you and the expression on his face was one of pain and anger. You knew that what you said had struck a nerve, and you were just hoping that it was enough to get him to actually open up and be honest with you. He crossed the living room in what seemed like two large steps. He was face to face with you, and you could feel the heat and agitation radiating off of him.

“I don’t tell you the truth ‘cause I know that you won’t be able to handle it,” his voice was low, but harsh, “You think that this shit is scary? Huh? This shit freakin’ you out? Then you don’t wanna know all the things that I don’t tell you. I keep that shit to myself for a fuckin’ reason.”

Your heart felt heavy inside your chest. You tried to blink back the tears but instead they spilled over and ran down your cheeks. You knew that whatever Coco did with the club was way above your paygrade. When he’d come home and you’d have to patch him up, you kept your questions to a minimum for your sake as much as his. But lately it was getting harder and harder to pretend that he could keep that part of his life separate from the part that he shared with you. But you knew that he was right, that there was a lot that would be difficult for you to stomach. Despite that, though, you still wanted to know as much as you could. You couldn’t try to help him, or yourself, if you were kept completely in the dark.

“Please, Coco,” your voice was soft, anger quickly draining out of you as despair took over, “you gotta give me something. I live with the constant fear that one day you’re just…not gonna come home,” you wiped the tears off of your face, “And it’s the worst feeling in the world. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, especially not on you. So please, fucking please just be honest with me.”

He hated seeing you cry, hated it even more when he was the reason for your tears. He felt like he was caught in an impossible situation, though. He didn’t want to burden you with the weight of his life in the club—you had your own shit to worry about. However, it seemed like despite his best efforts it was becoming your burden to bear as well, anyway.

“Hey,” he gently grasped you by your upper-arms, “I’m always gonna make it home, alright? Don’t worry about that.”

“How do you know that, though?” you sniffled.

A smirk passed over his lips for a moment, “I’m too fuckin’ stubborn not to.”

It got you to let out a small laugh. You reached up and wiped the tears from your face, “That’s true.”

He waited for you to meet his eyes again, “And those guys? The ones who showed up at your fuckin’ job? Angel and EZ are already taking care of ‘em. That’s why I wasn’t gonna bother you with any of it.”

“Then why’d you say you need to stay with me for a while?”

He gently cupped your face, “Figured you’d be shaken up. Any reason to stay with you is a good one,” he sighed and stepped back slightly, “But if you’re pissed, I get it. I can go.”

You stepped in and took his hands in yours, “No, don’t. Stay. Please.”

He saw the exhaustion on your face and pulled you into a hug. You leaned your weight onto him as he held you, tears beginning to flow again. You might not be mad at him anymore, but that didn’t make the events of the day any less scary and draining. You felt like you could hardly support your own bodyweight at that point. If Coco let go of you, you were almost certain that you’d crumple to the floor.

He pressed a kiss against the top of your head, “I love you. You know that, right?”

You nodded against his chest, “I know, I love you too.”

“I’m sorry I don’t tell you shit all the time. I’m just tryin’ to protect you.”

You sniffled, holding him tight against you, “I know.”

“C’mon,” he scooped you up and carried you down the hall, “you’re exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”

You didn’t argue with him about it, allowing him to sweep you off down the short hallway to your bedroom. He gently set you down on the mattress. You crawled under the covers as he stripped down to his boxers before getting into bed beside you. He pulled you up against him so that you were laying with your forehead pressed against his. Your hand rested lightly on his chest, focusing on the steadiness of his breathing.

“I can’t lose you,” you whispered.

He kissed your forehead, “You won’t. We’re alright. I’m safe now, you’re safe now. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

You let the comfort of his words wash over you, attempting to loosen the tension you had been carrying in your body the whole day.  His hands ran idly up and down your back, causing you to let out a contented sigh. Regardless of what the future held, for tonight, the two of you were safe. That was good enough for now. You’d face tomorrow when it arrived.

[the-fourth-knower]

Diary of a Lost Doe, Part 2

Part 2 is here! Read part 1 here! Left y'all off on a cliff hanger for part 1, so hopefully this part will be worth the wait.

Part 1 is a bit longer, but the first half's length is mostly spacing. This one has more paragraph format and ideally oomph to it.

Note: All Wheatfields belong to @aquillis-main, Eggman belongs to SEGA, and so on.

Diary 2 Entry 56

Fuck my life.

-

Angelica was gone for most of yesterday, I had to go into the Eggman zone to look for her. When i finally fukin find her she had a fucking mouse with her. Red furred, tan-muzzle/ears. Also tan tuft or fur patch. And I guess a tan tail. Clothes smell a bit like weed.

Angie insists that’s it's Trevor. This time there’s no dissuading her. It might actually be the Wheatfield kid.

-

She says the kid- is he a kid, he’s not that much younger than me? Fuck it, the guy ran into robots and got screwed. Angie saved him but the dude was beaten up bad or something and has barely woken up since

Angie definitely used her power on him. Even though I told her not to use it except for emergencies, multiple fuckin times

Shit i almost went through the page.

-

Angie’s been taking care of the guy all night and today. If I can’t get her to lay down she’ll do it all night tonight too.

Why the hell does she need to have a bleedin heart

-

Also, not sure but I could’ve sworn I saw Guardian guiding me to Angelica...mabye it really is a Guardian Angel for us. maybe

-

I think we may need to move out of here, things are too hot for my liking. I gotta figure out where we could go.

-

A stock of our current supplies

217 dollars and change

Quareter of a pallet of bottled water

Eight cans of food

Two bedrolls

Spade/trowel

Water can (could leave it)

Two backpacks

Duffel bag

Three first aid kits, one partly used

Three journal diaries

Half a case of pens

Three small bags of seeds

Quiver with arrows (Angie’s)

Pa’s gift to Angie (Shortbow)

Steel glove (Mine)

Pistol (Mum’s, technically Angie’s now - no bullets)

-

Haven’t made anything in the past few days. No one wants to hire anyone right now. And I guess I don’t look like bodyguard material. Can’t get a job with that, if I wanted to.

Man I wish Angie thought to grab some of the robo parts, we could have sold them.

-

Got to get Angie to sleep.

Diary 2 Entry 57, apparently.

Been a while. Finally have time to write again. Shit’s been crazy. We’re in an actual house now, or something.

Where to start.

Well first off. The Wheatfield kid finally woke up and stayed up. Freaked out at first before Angie calmed him down. Didn’t know she had it in her - usually she’s the one freaking out over things. But if she can calm down the kid then that’s a thing I don’t have to worry bout.

Turns out the kid has something the robot army dude - Eggman or Robotnik or whatever - wanted, that’s why he got thrashed in the first place. He also seemed embarassed bout his state, that or that we gave him some of our clothes. And by that I mean Angie did.

I’d been preparing to leave when some of the robots showed up. They wanted to grab the Wheatfield, and he looked like he pissed his pants.

Then Angelica got in the way.

Next thing I know there’s vines bursting out of the ground, just like what must have happened when Angie fought the thugs when we first met Guardian. They popped the robots like balloons, and animals jumped out of them. Why the fuck are there animals in there? Who uses animals in their robots???

I broke a few of them too, the ones that Angie didn’t get. Even the mouse got one that was gonna blindside Angie. So he is good for something.

Just one problem; during the fight our house shack got trashed. Or right when it started.

Well after that we obviously couldn’t stay in our place. So Angie had to say goodbye to another garden - she watered them all before setting the water can down. Or did whatever she does.

I think I’m gonna miss that dumb shack.

Wheatfield wanted to go home. So we went with him after getting everything salvageable. Angie grabbed the water can and used it to store stuff - was pretty sure at first she’d leave it, but I forgot she’s quick to adapt.

I wanna think I helped in that.

Dodged more robots to get to the house. Got attacked by one that seemed to be hunting us. That was after we went into sewers to escape them. Or we just got unlucky. So I decided to get to the bottom of why they wanted the Wheatfield kid anyways.

Turns out it was a fucking letter. A letter. All of this mess over a fucking letter.

I wanted to just throw it away there and then. The kid wouldn’t give it to me at first, so I had to get in his face. He gave it to me then. I was gonna drop

Then Angie butted in and told me to give it back. Which. honestly shocked me I think. she didn’t like me ‘bullying Trevor’ like I did.

Didn’t even touch the guy! And I wouldn’t have done it if he just gave it to me right away. I didn’t “bully” him.

whatever. She pointed out that we couldn’t get rid of the letter and get away with it; the letter wasn’t what the animal-bots wanted but the carrier.

Which gave me the idea to change how he looked. I think they thought I was gonna get rid of the kid at first - like I'd do that, sure I get mad easy but I don't just ditch people! Not sure if he liked what I did instead, but coating the guy with mud helped. I think. At least he wasn’t a red mouse sticking out in the crowd anymore.

Things went smoother after that. We managed to avoid the robots for the most part. Had to break a few of them. Saw a green orb a few times that led the robots away - came across some smashed up robots with flowers around. Guardian Angel and all, I guess.

Finally got to where the Wheatfields were living now. Near a park. Dunno why I didn’t think bout that. Then again I didn’t know it existed until the Wheatfield kid led me there.

Took Angie aside while the kid ran off ahead; made sure that she would let me handle all the talking. I wasn’t gonna let someone know bout what happened unless I trusted them, not even mum’s and pa’s old friends. She was still mad at me I think, but she agreed. Not that she’d been talking much to me all day, she was too busy making sure the mouse was okay - I guess it made sense. He was her best friend. Is her best friend? I dunno.

If I was rude then I wish I could have captured a pic of their faces when they figured out we were there. The pa of the family, Jackson, looked like his eyes would bulge out - the mum, Emma, looked only slightly more dignified.

After fussing over their kid, they fussed over us. Asked a bunch of questions. “Where’s your parents, are you okay, were you hurt, why are your clothes filthy, when did you last bathe, why are you both so thin”

I like to think that I did a good job keeping the two of us fed and clean. As best as I could anyways without running water and unreliable income - they may have meant me more than Angie. I made sure she was fed as best I could.

I planned to tell them that we would be fine on our own, that they didn’t need to worry bout us.

Then they offered us baths. And Angie just perked up at it.

I couldn’t disappoint her by telling everyone we’d leave. So I said yes, we’d accept.

And now we’re living in their house.

Fuck me, if it doesn’t feel nice. Angie’s even willing to sit next to me again, but she’s been playing with the Wheatfield kids - there’s a second one, younger brother. Solydaster I think. Kinda cute but also a bit of a pest.

Fuck, this is the longest entry I’ve written. Gotta chill now. We’ve all just laid low. The animal bots left. Guess they had something better to do. Or just got bored watching.

Still dunno bout living with them...but Angie’s happy.

If Angie’s happy I should be happy too. So I’ll try.

I can manage it. I gotta manage it. For her.

So why don’t I feel happy

[twistedsinews]

'Neath Neon Blue Clouds

Cyberpunk 2077; Jackie/V/Misty; PG-13 (AO3 Flavor)

“And what is this?”

“This is me, taking you for a ride.”

“A ride to where?”

Propping an elbow on his knee, Jackie leaned forward to meet her gaze at eye level, over the rim of his sunglasses.

“It’s a surprise,” he told her, “C’mon.”

V hesitated, but curiosity itself won her over, and she slid onto the back of the motorcycle behind him.

 The city passed them by in a blur, growing brighter as the sun fell low in the sky behind them and the skyscrapers cast deeper shadows over the streets.  It wasn’t until they turned off the city freeway that V fidgeted behind him, all at once sharply attentive to their surroundings as the steel and concrete turned to sand.

Her hold on him tightened when they veered off the main road and into the brush, but whatever her suspicions were, she didn’t pry.

Not then and there.

Jackie didn’t even know what he was looking for until he found a sandy patch of desert, a stones throw or three from a craggy outcropping jutting into the sky, which seemed as good a place as any.

V slid off the bike before he’d even killed the engine.  Jackie followed at his leisure, packing away his sunglasses and falling to watching her.  She cased their surroundings, then turned back to him; her hair was still tousled from the ride, and her eyebrows scrunched, one quirked just a little higher than the other, as she tried to puzzle him out.

“What is all this?” she finally asked.

Jackie forced an easy smile.

“I... um...”  He scratched his neck.  “I thought maybe you and me, we could use some you and me time.  Just the two of us.”

Shrugging one shoulder in response to her bewildered expression, he lost the smile and opted to avoid her discerning stare by digging around for the blanket he’d packed instead.

V grabbed a handful of it as it unraveled, and before he could throw it down.

“Look... it’s...”  She sighed, glancing across the desert wasteland, and back to him.  “We’re ‘onna be exposed here.”

Jackie frowned in thought.  They hadn’t seen anyone for miles.

“Where’s better?”

V scraped her lip between her teeth, and glanced back towards the city.  Even if the set of her shoulders suggested she thought maybe he wouldn’t, he trusted her to know what she was talking about.

Still, there was a worry in his mind that she’d tell him they ought to go back.

Instead, her gaze fell on the worn little mountain of rock nearby and she angled her head that way, and moved to collect the motorcycle.  Folding the blanket and draping it over his shoulder, Jackie stepped up to take over from her as she passed him.  He rolled along behind, and watched her dart ahead to lead the way.

Closer to the rock, the desert flora had grown in thicker and were thriving, to even a few stunted trees.  An oasis, with no water.

Maybe a little rain now and again.

Too small to be a proper mesa, far too big to be a boulder, it offered cover and, as V found them, a small, flat little terrace of stone and sand and clumps of desert sage – big enough for the blanket and the bike both.  The sun had set, bleeding color into the clouds above, while Night City glittered on the horizon.

Jackie threw the blanket down, and eased down after it with a sigh.

For a few long seconds, V paced as though hesitant to follow.  Then she dropped down at the edge of the blanket, kicking off her shoes, she sent her socks flying right along after them.  Draping her arms loosely around her knees, she shoved her bare toes into the warm desert sand.  The faint, nostalgic little smile that touched her mouth was tinged with something else.

Melancholy, maybe.

Misty might’ve been right.

“So...” Jackie picked at a loose thread sticking out of the canvas of his pants.  “Misty and I were having this talk, and... we agreed, kind of...”

Sighing, he scratched the back of his head.  Like that would help make his thoughts work.  “Misty was thinkin’ you might be having second thoughts, or... maybe somethin’.  And I was thinkin’... well, I been thinkin’.”

A part of him wished Misty were here, because she was better at these kinds of things, but she’d insisted that V might open up to him more readily.

“Oh,” V remarked.

“You wanna elaborate on that?”

She shrugged.  “Guess I’ve been feeling a little inadequate lately, okay?”

“Not to me it isn’t.” When she didn’t answer, Jackie prodded, “Inadequate, how?”

“Inadequate as in, it’s hard to live up to perfect.”

Oh.

Shit.

Just like that, it clicked into place.  For a moment or two, Jackie full on forgot to breathe.  And the absolute worst part was, she didn’t even sound angry about it.

She sounded resigned.

Jackie swallowed.

“And...” he ventured, “Misty is perfect.  She’s cute, she’s smart, she’s clever, and she’s got this... amazing perspective on everything, and she’s so full of love it’s unreal.”

“Thing is, thing you gotta understand is... hardly no one walks out of Heywood, and if they do, they don’t get to do it without having blood on their hands.  She did – I don’t know how, and I’m not about to ask, but it’s... she fuckin’ did it, like some kind of miracle.  She got out and she’s clean.  She’s pure.  She’s... she’s damn near divine, is what she is.”

“By rights, she should never have even looked twice at a guy like me, let alone been interested...  And if it wasn’t for you, making it happen, I... I still don’t know...”

Sure, Jackie knew a thing or two about inadequate.

“But V, I gotta tell you – you’re the one on the ground with me carving out a living every single damn day.”  He chuckled.  “You, you came crashing into my life, and when the dust settled... it wasn’t my life anymore.  It was ours.  Us.”

“You understand me in a way she never could – a way I hope to God she never does.  And I... you know, I feel selfish even being grateful for that, because maybe I oughta be wishing you didn’t either, but you do and I am.  Not like I ever claimed to be a good guy or anything.”

“And V?  I am running my mouth over here, do you think you could say something?  ...please?”

Her arms were still wrapped about her knees, and she was staring at the sky.  The color was gone from the darkened clouds, which only served to obscure her guarded expression further.

“I wish the stars were out,” she remarked at last.

“Brightest one’s already down here, sittin’ right in front of me.”

V’s gaze fell to the sand beneath her feet.

“You know, I thought at first you were trying to say you....”  she struggled with the words.  “That you....  That this... isn’t what you wanted... Anymore.”

Ah.

Jackie winced.

He sidled over to her side of the blanket.

“That’s not what I promised you,” he reminded her.

“Forever is a long fucking time, Jackie.  Not like I’d hold it against you if you changed your mind.”

Jackie paused, his hand hovering over her back.

Thinking better of it, he dipped his head close to her ear.

“I didn’t.  So there.”

She didn’t answer.  For a handful of moments, he loomed behind her, and nothing seemed to move.

Tentatively, Jackie reached to draw her hair back behind her ear.  She followed the sensation, ever slightly towards him, and he blew a soft puff of air across her skin.  Drawn that much further, she peered up at him over her shoulder.

His fingers brushed her arm, and he froze.

“Christ,” he swore under his breath.

Where was his head even at?

Sitting up straight, Jackie shrugged off his jacket.  He’d dragged her out into the badlands on a motorcycle with her wearing nothing but jeans and a tanktop, of course she’d be cold.

And say not so much as a word.

He offered her the jacket.  V blinked, then huffed, then – at his solemn, determined insistence – twisted into it.

It left her with a little less cover than she’d had a moment ago, but she didn’t seem to mind.  Rather, she beat him to it; her fingers skimmed his skin, settling over the back of his neck, and she tried to pull him down toward her.

Tried to.

He put up just enough resistance to tease her; not enough for any doubt.  Just close to almost touch, but not quite.  Just until...

She breathed his name, softer than any prayer on Earth.

Jackie groaned, nuzzling her jaw.

With a startled gasp, V flinched and glanced down.  Following her gaze, without so much as a second thought, Jackie shot a hand out to cover hers.  The sting grazed him, and with a twist of his hand, Jackie caught the scorpion by its tail.

It dangled, practically helpless, as Jackie leaned back onto his other hand.  Squinting at it incredulously, he scoffed.

“...can you believe the brass on this guy?”

V followed him to his feet, but she lingered behind, glancing down and around the blanket.  Far enough away, Jackie found  a decent growth of cover that followed the incline further upwards.

“Off you go, amigo,” he told the scorpion, tossing it into the brush.  “Go show ‘em off somewhere else.”

Brushing off his hands, Jackie returned to the blanket. 

“You alright?”

He reached for V’s hand, raising it between them and turning it this way and that. 

“I-...” V sighed, but admitted, “Only that I feel like maybe I’ve spent too much time in the city, and that I-... you-... Yeah.  Fine.”

Not finding even so much as a scratch, he ran his thumb over her knuckles.  She twisted her hand in his, wincing at his marred skin under her fingertips.  She looked up, thinly-veiled alarm kept in barest check, and Jackie smiled back, calm and confident.

“Toxin screen’ll filter it out.”

“...you’re sure?”

“Mhhm.”

Sure, he’d had it installed for hangovers and it’d never actually worked for those, but it’d caught everything else so far.

He brushed her hair behind her ear.

“Where were we?”

V laughed.  Almost.  It was a raspy little sound, torn around the edges.

“Are we going to skip right over the you just saved my life part?” she asked, raising his thumb to her mouth.

“Tch.  Happens every other day, doesn’t it?  Gotta be a fact of living by now.”

Between two in particular of the soft little kisses she was pressing to the pads of his fingers, V rolled her eyes.  Even in the dim light, he caught that much.

Jackie fought back a wry smile.

“Or if you wanna get into it, sure, but how about we also go over all the ways you save my soul?”

Her movements slowed, and he reclaimed his hand to brush his thumb along her jaw.  His fingers slid behind her neck, and V swallowed.

“Is that... what you want?”

“V, dulzura, right now all what I want is to throw you over the back of the bike and do things my mamá wouldn’t approve of.”

There was a soft, lurid sound in her throat.

Jackie’s smirk faded as she fell into his arms; he caught her in a tight hug, and sighed deeply.

“I’m trying,” she told him.

“I know, chica.”

The tension in her shoulders eased, and he pulled back just far enough to kiss her cheek; only on his retreat, V captured his mouth, insistent and determined, and dragging him right back down into the thick of it.

Not that he was complaining.

Not in the least.

[albatris]

ok ok alriiiight ok so the plot of ATDAO

this post is not, like........... well, it’s not gonna be a blurb or a summary or a nice neat synopsis, this is not Professional Writeblr Business, this is, this is, uhhhh

this is like drunk house party logan rambles

works best if you imagine ur just like “hey man how’s it going” super casual and I grasp you firmly by the shoulders and look you dead in the eye and just ramble all of this without taking a single breath

could I have explained in a nice neat concise "elevator pitch" sort of way? probably. mind ur business. that’s not how we do things here at albatris.org

anyway the purpose of this post is “hey people seem to know a lot about the characters and the worldbuilding and the premise but have no clue what happens in the actual story” so I’m not going to be talking about said characters and worldbuilding and premise in depth

in terms of rambles, that stuff’s been covered! this post assumes you know what Ports are, n what the nature of the ATDAO apocalypse is, vaguely what the MCs are like as people......... though I can fetch this info for you if you like

but yeah if you are coming into this post with zero prior ATDAO knowledge........... deeply deeply from the bottom of my heart: sorry

also if this is your first time experiencing One Of These Rambles

also @safe-in-the-steep-cliffs​ and @siarven​ I am tagging you because you said you would like to be tagged and also hi and also I hope y’all knew what you were in for

anyway without further ado

(visual representation of my approach to this rant, not of how complicated my plot actually is)

(my plot is not that complicated)

ALRIGHT

there are two viewpoint characters! and two plotlines which converge near the end of the story, but honestly there’s a very real possibility I will decide these are two separate books meant as companion stories to each other because I love making things difficult for myself yeehaw

ATDAO’s co-protags are Tris and Noa, best buds four years and counting. their friendship is one of the single most important aspects of the story, n the ongoing love and trust they have for each other despite the way unfolding events force their relationship to change is integral to the themes and making the heart of the story what it is. I will now proceed to not mention this friendship for the entire remainder of this post. they’re bros. that’s all u need to know. listen. listen. I have a lot to cover

so yeah, ur first key player is Tris Greer, whose parents are dicks but whose siblings are chill. most notably of said siblings there is Jacob, older brother by thirteen years, whom Tris believes is just about the coolest person on the entire planet. this plotline kicks off when Jacob gets caught in the midst of a freak car accident that kills a dude and wrecks a street corner and also somehow causes Jacob to just kind of................. blip out of existence entirely and without a trace?

n Tris is understandably horrified and distressed by Very Much All Of This, but hey, at least there are responsible adults who can look into this obviously Port-related weird disappearance and figure this mess out, right?

INCORRECT

the relevant interdimensional authorities are brought in to suss out the situation and these authorities are kind of like “hmmmm idk about this” but are all set to take Tris at least somewhat seriously until they learn the following:

that Jacob had already been reported missing to police in his home state three days earlier

that Jacob was in the midst of several ongoing personal crises and at least one nervous breakdown

that Jacob was allegedly tangled up in some real weird shit that would more than account for a disappearance under suspicious circumstances

that Tris is schizophrenic, prone to hallucinations, confusion, memory issues and quote unquote “letting his imagination and anxiety get the better of him”, and precisely zero people can actually corroborate his story that Jacob was even there are the time of the accident to begin with

and after some back-and-forth and Looking Into The Evidence pretty much everyone in any position of authority comes to the conclusion that this is just Ordinary Regular People Crimes and whatever happened to Jacob had nothing to do with weird apocalyptic energies, and that Tris is (at best) stressed out and delusional or (at worst) lying through his teeth because he knows more than he’s letting on

so Tris is forced to hop pretty quick from “I’m sure someone will handle this” to “no one believes me but I’m sure if I can find some concrete proof they’ll listen and someone will handle it” to Well Fuck I Guess That Someone Is Me

cue bizarre reality-hopping fantasy quest, which is ten times easier said than done when most of the time Tris is terrified enough just, like, going to the supermarket

he enlists the help of his new classmate Shara, amateur paranormal investigator and professional weird-bullshit enthusiast, who agrees to help him puzzle out what the fuck happened to Jacob in exchange for his assistance in mapping out Adelaide’s interdimensional “fault lines” as part of her ongoing quest to track down the source of the apocalypse

she’s got big fuckin dreams, ok, go hard or go home

slso worth noting at this point that there HAS been an uptick in Ports and their related reality-bending strangeness in Adelaide recently which is why this is of particular interest to her currently. gotta find out What Makes The Weirdness Tick, gotta find out Why The Sudden Extra Weirdness

..........and also Kai is there

Kai has no nice neat reason to get involved with the plot, Kai just likes drama and being all up in people’s personal business. Tris brings them on board for one single afternoon like “hey I will pay you some money to come to my house and fix my fucked up phone so I can listen to an interdimensional voicemail” but forgot the apparently key addendum “and then leave”

their first three chapters of knowing each other is basically Tris being like “stop inviting yourself into my house we are not friends” and Kai being like “that’s a rude thing to say to your friend. also your sister gave me the netflix password and I used your kitchen to bake pastries feel free to help yourself”

but yeah so Tris’s story mostly focuses on his quest to figure out where Jacob got yeeted to and how to get him safely home (y’all probably know a bit about The Unreality already maybe?), whilst also dealing with rising family tensions, whatever shifty stuff Jacob was involved with prior to his disappearance, and his own creeping doubts about his perceptions of reality

n I’m also saying flat out it’s not a plot that’s going the “oh the whole thing was just a delusion all along” route because ew

his psychosis is a fairly involved part of his character but the explorations around it are more to do with, like......... the difficulties he has in trusting himself and whether he has the luxury of letting himself get swept into some Big Weird Implausible Adventure when this has extremely different implications for him than it would someone else. n eventually to how his success and survival is not ~in spite of~ but specifically because of the different way he understands and interprets the world and the skills he’s developed

THAT TANGENT WAS A PERSONAL RANT IT WAS NOT RELEVANT I just have words to say on the subject of how psychosis is treated in fiction and didn’t want people jumping to the “none of it is real” conclusion anyway ok moving on

ur SECOND key player is Noa Yun, who has rather a lot on her plate right now. she’s broke as fuck and her mum is sick and her car is making Noises and she’s not getting enough hours at her job at Not-IKEA and everyone is on her back about her failing studies as if that’s a thing she has the energy to care about. feeling rather backed into a corner by life’s bullshit and her financial situation, she blatantly lies her way into a field job at the Department of Interdimensional Instabilities, because A) surely it can’t be THAT bad, and B) what does she have to lose?

so more or less what she’s doing is the equivalent of emergency services for Port-related weirdness, it’s going out and dealing with highly unstable otherworldly energies head on, navigating Weird Phenomena and bendy patches in reality......... it is, among other things, a job that’s relatively easy to get into because no one wants to touch it with a ten foot pole unless they absolutely have to

n the DII is a whole other post, this shit has lots of different functions and levels and branches and corruption and secrets and a tendency to view workers who have to go out and deal with the brunt of the apocalypse head-on as vaguely expendable and I’ve talked about it a bit before and in more Serious Words

things kinda kick off for her when in true Noa fashion she hurls herself into a dangerous situation to help out a coworker, n enters a pretty standard issue “overlap” where the barriers between universes are a little fucky, but hey, she seems to come out of it with nary a scratch, so it’s reasonable to assume everything is fine, right?

INCORRECT AGAIN

she basically gets some whacked-out otherworldly energies latched onto her that are now following her through her everyday life, and it turns out she’s starting to bend the reality around her the way certain types of Ports do, which is! obviously not ideal! she’s not exactly a Port herself, because she’s pretty sure that’s impossible, but it’s clear capital s Something happened to her in that overlap, and she doubts it’s good news. and to make matters even more disconcerting, she’s now being dogged at every step by strange visions of a child who speaks in an unfamiliar language and who seems Real Fuckin Pissed at her

so her thing is basically “I acquired fucked up reality-bending powers against my will and they might be lowkey killing me ‘cause Ports are notoriously unstable like that and also I’m haunted for some godforsaken reason” which all somehow ended up being, like, the least interesting part of her plotline for me lmao

oh and Noa also enlists the help of Shara, Because Ghosts

anyway yeah so her search to find out what’s happening to her re: Weird Children, being a Port-adjacent something-or-other, and whether there’s a way to stop her own unravelling leads her to (rogue computer programmer? mad scientist? general shifty bastard?) Laurence Marrick Thiele, who claims to have suffered a similar affliction in the past and now does some real interesting research on the subject. n this guy. well. he’s got some fuckin stuff going on

he definitely knows more about the nature of Ports than he should. also is he actually researching what he says he’s researching? also what’s with all the weird tech? also did he just straight up murder that guy Avery? all will be revealed later, maybe, if I feel like it

but yeah at about the same time as Noa goes “actually fuck this you’re shady as hell I’m out” she stumbles into, like, The Actual Reality of what Marrick is up to re: manipulating Ports and interdimensional doorways for his own gain, and the various ways this spells bad news not only for her but potentially for the entire city and anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire, and she shifts gear to “actually you know what I’m gonna kick your ass”

there are various reasons for this, but first and foremosterly you have to understand that Noa’s got a fuckload of pent-up rage and she will bring it in full force the moment you say some stupid shit like “some people are expendable” or “it’s inevitable for the greater good”

(there’s also a fun ongoing subplot with her work at the DII where she and her team are investigating a string of strange illnesses with bizarre symptoms that appear to be spreading via obscure radio stations so that’s. happening. I guess?)

but yeah the main story here mostly follows Noa’s attempts to undermine Marrick, bastard supreme, and find a way to fuck him up before he goes, like, Full Cartoon Supervillain, n also like........... her attempts to keep up her work at the DII despite her rising paranoia that the teammates she’s growing to care about will notice her increasingly unstable state and the fact that she’s all tangled up with the very forces they’re meant to be thwarting. n along the way discovering the reality of what happened to her in The Aforementioned Overlap Incident and about her visions and such

so that’s all that. did that make sense

n she’s got a whole arc going on about trust and learning to lean on others, like, she comes into this story as a very standoffish person with lots of paranoia, she’s spent much of her life feeling like she can only rely on herself, n she’s. well. yeah, like I said, she’s got a lot of anger at the world and at the various systems that have failed her and her loved ones, n the story puts her in a position to become even more isolated

and her plotline isn’t so much “you have no reason to be angry or afraid” or her learning to Not Be, It’s more, like........... yeah you have every fucking right to be furious and of course you’re afraid! but there are people around you who love you and who will jump at the chance to defend you and who will help you carry the weight of your anger and grief and none of this needs to be yours to bear alone which is extremely cheesy

which applies to both her Weird Supernatural Goings-On as well as her regular ordinary life goings-on

I feel like Alice and Jet deserve a mention for Noa’s plotline but also this went on and on too long already so. well. Alice and Jet exist! yep. they work with Noa at the DII. I have things to say about them. I will not be saying them today

and uhhhhhh

in general, for Tris, his plotline, you wanna think, like, fantasy/adventure vibes which veer pretty sharply into horror, and for Noa you wanna think...... kinda, sci-fi mystery conspiracy vibes with a dash of some superhero bullshit maybe except not really

and that

pretty much is it I think

also the fact that Kai just invites themself into the plot for funsies and then is dragged kicking and screaming into caring about themself and making positive changes in their life means there was no convenient place in this post to be like

"oh there's also a whole major subplot about a time loop"

but there's also a whole major subplot about a time loop

goodnight! thanks for coming to....................... whatever this was! have a nice saturday everyone

[anime-alyssa]

my ghost - dabi x hawks

Not a day passed by where Keigo Takami didn’t think of Toya Todoroki - his best friend that he fell in love with. One day, he swears he’s seeing a ghost - but it's not a ghost at all. 

i posted this on ao3 last night but forgot to cross post here cause it was late - my bad. 

smut below the cut - if you enjoyed consider a lil tippy tip

He remembered it like it was yesterday. 

The teacher coming in with a somber look on her face, eyes slightly glazed over as she told his class that one of their classmates had passed away. She had looked to Keigo sympathetically as he sat in shock - the news not quite hitting him until much later in the day, when the P.E teacher found him in the locker room crying.

Not a day passed when Keigo Takami didn’t think of Toya Todoroki - his best friend that he fell in love with. At the time of his death they were only teenagers, new to the idea of love and romance and not even sure what they liked. As the years went on and more people tried to advance on him, Keigo couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to Toya - making him realize that he was in love with his deceased best friend.

The publicists at his agency thought it would be best if he kept his sexuality a secret. Part of his attraction as Hawks was his looks, he knew that - imagine how much his attractiveness as a hero would go down if society found out he was gay. He always fought with them and told them that they could shove it - but he knew that they were right. There would always be one asshole who would try to tank him for it. 

Everything he did to become the number two hero, he had done with Toya in mind. They had always said they would become heroes together, run their own agency to protect the world from villains. But now here he was, standing on the stage next to the new number one, the person who could no doubtedly be blamed for the death of his best friend - Endeavor. 

Toya hadn’t said much to Keigo about his father - but the scars and bruises were enough to prove to him that the hero wasn’t all he was cracked up to be. But even now, what could he do about it? He had to just smile and put on the show for the cameras - something he was good at. He had been hiding his sexuality all these years, he could pretend to like Endeavor. 

Keigo couldn’t get out of there fast enough - answering the absolute bare minimum of questions that would get the publicists off his back before flying out to his patrol post. The sun was setting by now - the ranking announcement taking way longer than it should have. As much as he wanted to fly back to his penthouse and drink away some of his feelings, he had a job to do - the job that he and Toya always said they’d do together. He wondered how much things would be different if Toya was here - would they be heroes together? Would they be together? Keigo ached to know, even though he would never find out. 

Shouts of commotion from below got his attention as he sighed, standing up and flying downwards. There was a group of thugs confronting a singular villain - trying to go after him. One of them looked up wide eyed, dropping his weapon and dashing away. 

“Oh shit - it’s Hawks!” With a snap of his fingers, Keigo let his feathers fly free, injuring the thugs and letting them fall to the ground. Hawks pressed the police button on his costume to alert the police of the incident before turning his attention to the villain. He landed himself in the middle of them before turning around to face the villain that was causing all the trouble in the first place. 

“Well, well - if it isn’t the number two hero himself. Hawks, right?” he asked. Keigo turned around and his eyes grew wide, meeting the gaze of the villain. No, it can’t be - “What’s the matter, number two? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” the patch work cremator said with a smirk. Keigo knew the blue of those eyes anywhere - the snarky attitude, that face, despite all the staples and burns - he dreamt about it for years. Police sirens started to get closer and closer to the duo before he sighed. “Good talk. I’m gonna take my leave now - thanks for disposing of these worthless thugs for me. Using my quirk is a real pain.” with that, he turned on his heel and started walking away. 

“Toya!” Keigo shouted before he could stop himself. He saw the man stop for the briefest of seconds, turning back towards him. Keigo felt his breath get stuck in his throat - it couldn’t be him, could it? Icy blue eyes locked back on his, a small smile turning his cheeks upwards. 

It was him.

“The name is Dabi now, Keigo. I’ll be seeing you real soon.” Dabi rose his hand and within seconds, Keigo was up in the air avoiding the blue flames. The screams of the captured thugs echoed off the walls as the police arrived on the scene, calling in for back up. By the time some of the smoke and flames cleared, there was absolutely no sign of him. 

Toya’s alive. After all this time, Toya’s alive - 

“Hawks, thank you for calling this in. Where did the flames come from?” a police officer asked the number two. Snapping out of his trance, Keigo turned around to face the police officers, seeing the medical team retrieving the charred bodies of the thugs behind them. With a sigh, he answered.

“Dabi, from the League. Unfortunately, he got away this time. Flames were too quick.” He said back. The police officers looked at him with unease - Hawks was the quickest one around, too fast for his own good, but they didn’t question his answer. For whatever reason, today Hawks wasn’t quick enough to get Dabi. 

After cooperating with the police, he decided he was done for the day. He sent his sidekicks out to patrol some areas while he flew back to his penthouse, landing on the balcony outside the living room and strolling in. He shrugged off his jacket and threw it over a chair before walking over to his bar and pouring himself a drink. 

Keigo had spent the better part of his life trying to deal with Toya being gone - trying to deal with being in love with him - but he had been alive all along? To make matters worse - he was with the League? What the hell had actually happened that night? To his knowledge, Toya had gone up to the mountains to practice using his quirk, and just never came back - burning to death. There hadn’t even been a body found - so how in the hell was he here now?

“You should really have better security up here. Anyone could just… walk in.” Keigo’s feathers acted quicker than he did, several flying out and landing just inches before Dabi’s - Toya’s body. He let out a laugh as Keigo turned around to meet his gaze.

“How?” Keigo asked, voice cracking. He inwardly cringed at himself - if only the public could see him now. Hawks, the number two hero, a bloody mess because his best friend and love was back from the dead. 

“I lived. Clearly - but look at you! Number two hero, all buddy-buddy with Endeavor today. It made me sick.” Dabi said, walking over to Keigo and helping himself to his own drink at the bar. Keigo let out a snort as he refilled his own cup. 

“I meant how did you live. See your attitude is still the same.” Keigo said back to him, turning around to face him sideways. 

“Well, God didn’t want me and Hell didn’t either, so here I am.” Dabi retorted, drinking while eyeing the number two.  “So? Are you now best of buds with dear ‘ol dad?” he asked him. 

“I’d rather tell him to go kick rocks - but unfortunately, I need to pretend to like him. For the public’s sake.” Keigo admitted to Dabi, who hummed in acknowledgment. He watched the scar tissue on his neck bulge as he drank, clearing his throat as he put the glass down after drinking. 

“Yeah, that’d look real fuckin’ bad, right? I hear you’re great at pretending, anyway. If you can pretend to be straight, then I guess you can pretend to like my shithead dad.” Keigo almost spat out his drink at the comment, earning a raised eyebrow from the villain. “Something I said, Kei?” he asked, the two of them putting their glasses down and now looking at each other. 

“How did you find that out?” Keigo asked through gritted teeth. 

“Come on, like it wasn’t already obvious when we were teenagers. Every stupid 13 year old girl in our class threw themselves at you and you could have given a shit.” Dabi said to him smuggly, taking a step closer to the winged hero. “You know, back then - I knew I was too, you know. At first, it was going to just be spite to my old man - imagine him knowing his oldest son was not only a failed experiment, but also gay.” he said with a chuckle. 

“Oh really? Just spite?” Keigo asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

“Well at first - until after I ‘died’, when I started watching you from the shadows. Saw how bent out of shape you were, really, you were a mess. It actually hurt my heart a little, not gonna lie.” Dabi was walking closer and closer to Keigo slowly but surely, almost on top of him. Keigo made no sign that he was going to move, or was displeased, so he kept going. 

“Huh, so you still have a heart.” he said back with a smirk. Keigo tried to mask how Dabi’s close proximity was affecting him - his heart racing a mile a minute. “What do I have to do with this little story of yours? What, took one look at me and realized you liked men more?” he asked, keeping up the smirk. 

“And if I did? What would you do then?” he asked, voice gravelly as their chests were nearly touching. He could feel the heat coming off of him - body warm from his quirk, that’s how close Dabi was to Keigo. The tension could be cut with a knife, the air thick with it and surrounding the two men. 

“I’d tell you that you were my reason too.” Keigo said honestly, quietly. 

“Well, ain’t that a relief.” Dabi said back to him. Without a second thought, Keigo grabbed Dabi by the shoulders and closed the gap between them, the villain letting out a grunt as their lips met each other. Keigo’s hand went around the back of Dabi’s neck, pushing their mouths impossibly closer together as Dabi’s went around Keigo’s back to crash their bodies together. They both moaned into the mouth of the other as their hips met, each of their bulges harshly pushing against the other. “Where the fuck’s the bedroom, Kei?” Dabi hissed out in Keigo’s mouth. 

“Hold on to me.” Keigo said back, using both his hands to slightly lift Dabi off the ground and fly across the penthouse and into the bedroom. Their lips met once more after Dabi’s back hit the mattress, Keigo moaning as Dabi’s hips bucked upwards to meet his. Dabi used all the force in his body to turn Keigo over, flipping him on his back and panting for breath. His pupils were blown out, barely any blue left to his eyes as they stared down at Keigo’s, in a similar state. 

“Looks like you have a problem there, number two.” Dabi said, voice low and deep as his hand cupped the tent in Keigo’s pants. He let out a pitiful moan as the villain chuckled above him. “Allow me.” 

With that, Dabi unbuckled Keigo’s belt and started to unzip his pants. Once he had those shrugged down enough, his hand went under the waistband of Keigo’s boxers and pulled out his hard cock. Keigo let out a moan as he squeezed it gently, thumb gliding over the slit at the head and spreading the precum that had leaked out. Keigo tried to keep his eyes on Dabi, before they rolled back into his head as the villain’s tongue licked up the underside of his shaft. 

“Fuck…” Keigo moaned, feeling Dabi’s smirk as he took his cock in his mouth. Warmth encased his member as Dabi began to suck his cock, taking as much of his lengthy member into his mouth as he could before his staples started to pain him. What he couldn’t fit in his mouth he wrapped a hand around, starting to pump him. His tongue flicked over Keigo’s head with every bob as his hand pumped him and let out gentle squeezes to his balls, sending jolts of pleasure up his body. Every muscle in Keigo’s body simultaneously tensed up as he felt his cock harden more in Dabi’s mouth. “T - Toya - ” he stuttered as he started to twitch in Dabi’s mouth. 

“Cum, Keigo.” the villain said from below. Keigo let out a guttural moan as he felt himself release inside of Dabi’s mouth. The villain swallowed all of it as Keigo panted and moaned his way through his release, death gripping onto the sheets below him as he felt himself relax. When Dabi stood back up, he shrugged his jacket off and let it fall to the floor, bringing his lips back up to meet Keigo’s. They kissed with a sense of urgency, Dabi’s rock hard erection pressing into Keigo’s still hard cock. “Need you.” Dabi panted as their lips parted, the two men pulling each other’s shirts over their heads. 

“Then come and get me.” Keigo said back as he now tried to unbuckle Dabi’s belt, managing to get it completely undone and pushing his pants down and off. Dabi let out a moan at the actions as he pulled Keigo’s pants the rest of the way off as well and shoved him backward against the mattress once more. Their lips met again as the two were now naked, bodies pressed together and sweating as Keigo felt Dabi’s cock prod at his hole. Dabi guided himself in, pressing into Keigo gently as the latter hissed at the sensation. 

“Relax, Kei - fuck…” Dabi breathed as he continued to settle in. Dabi was losing himself in the feeling - Keigo was so deliciously tight around him and he had been waiting for so long to finally be able to fuck him right. He was inserting himself slowly, savoring the moment as he finally bottomed out.

“I’m not made of glass Toya, so how about you start - fucking shit - ” Keigo was cut short as Dabi started to thrust, a moan falling off his lips as the villain’s pace started out quick and deep. Dabi let out a chuckle as he pounded into him.

“What were you saying?” he asked, a moan of his own falling out of his mouth as Keigo squeezed down on him. “Shit Kei - you do that again and I’ll - ” Dabi moaned again as he felt himself harden inside Keigo, the other man’s cock twitching between their bodies. Keigo was still sensitive from his last orgasm, a moaning and desperate mess for the man above him. Dabi’s pace increased once more as he thrust into Keigo so deeply the hero was seeing stars above him, feeling his second orgasm starting to come up and almost at the bursting point. 

“Toya - I’m gonna - gonna cum - ” Keigo said. Dabi let out a loud moan as his hips kept slapping against Keigo’s ass, the sound of his name coming off the hero’s lips like music to his ears. Dabi’s cock started to twitch inside him and he knew that he was not far behind.

“Cum - cum with me, Kei - fuck!” Dabi cursed, bringing his lips down to meet Keigo’s. Keigo let out a loud moan into the villain’s mouth as he came over his stomach, Dabi moaning back as his hips stuttered into Keigo once more before releasing inside him. They moaned into each other as their releases continued, eventually kissing as Dabi slipped out of Keigo. After a few minutes, they laid next to each other in the bed, Keigo finally speaking up to cut the silence. 

“So, now you gonna disappear on me until you need a fuck again?” he asked the villain. Dabi scoffed as he rolled to face him, eyes narrowing. 

“You want the world to know you just fucked a villain?” Dabi asked back. Keigo humed in agreement as Dabi pressed a kiss to his lips again. He did have a point - obviously, no one could know. 

But even if it was just for a night, for that moment, everything felt… right to Keigo. 

[tartrazeen]

Starlight

Hank wants to see the stars. Connor tries his best. Some post-revolution, Rated-PG-13, pre-HankCon fluff as they figure this out. (Rough draft, reader beware.)

This is an idea I had, but since I don’t have time to write as its own fic, I thought I’d share it by describing what would happen: Picture Hank, some time before he and Connor get together. Imagine the two of them in the same house after Connor’s deviancy. Everything’s following the canon. The revolution came, the fear is there, and silence always feels like the calm before another storm. It’s tense for everyone, and Hank and Connor have quietly agreed to make their home some sort of escape: they don’t talk about it. It works about as well as any of Hank’s ways to cope. Not talking means it isn’t getting worse, even if those thoughts are looming in his mind. He’s curious – he wouldn’t mind knowing what Connor’s take is on the situation, if Connor sees light at the end of a long tunnel, or if Connor’s only going through the motions – but he isn’t going to ask. That might break something. He’s perfectly aware he can’t lose Connor over this, even if the ‘why’ hiding underneath is part of the tension he can’t touch. There’s nothing special about the night that it happens. Maybe it was on Hank’s mind those last few nights they were walking Sumo – Connor wants to be outside as often as he can, as if he’s overcompensating. Hank doesn’t mind the air and Sumo could sure as hell use the exercise. It’s a different escape. It takes a minute, but once they’re outside, the silence just becomes… … peaceful. He can see the stars. Hank notices Connor looking around at the other houses and streets. Never up. Just around. He didn’t realize he’d been paying attention to where Connor wasn’t looking before then. They’d made it to the park and the sky was clear, but Connor seemed calmly focused on the trees. So he asks. Well. Almost. He asked about as well as he ever asks anything.  “Nice sky,” he says. Then he waits for Connor to give his take. Connor agrees. That’s all Hank needed to hear.

He brought it up again the next time. It wasn’t a lie; it was another nice night. Connor picked up on that enough to offer to stay. And they do for a little while. It’s Connor who brings it up the third time. It’s Connor who takes it further. They’re almost home again – after they’d again agreed it was a nice night – when Connor asks him if he’d like to go another walk once Sumo’s inside. They can look at the sky. That seemed harmless. It wasn’t as peaceful as before, but it was close enough. The tension wasn’t the same as the kind he’d been shrugging off from the weight of the revolution. They looked at the sky. Hank saw the stars. That was it. He doesn’t mean to shuffle back inside the house as quickly as he does, but he wants that escape from talking again. He gets braver for the time after that. Hank outright asks if Connor wants to look at the stars that night. No Sumo this time either. Connor gives his almost-smile and assumes the sky must be nice. And it is. Sorta. Some clouds, but they aren’t too in the way. He strikes up a conversation. “Very nice.” He forgot that he’s an idiot. Luckily Connor was more of an idiot, because he asked, “The clouds?” The stars. An almost-smile. The tension turned awkward. Then uncomfortable. Hank asks if Connor wants to go in and Connor agrees to whatever Hank wants to do, and they’re outside. Their agreement was for inside. “I thought the point of being deviant was doing what you wanted,” he says. Too much bite. Less of a smile than almost one. They could go back in and leave it there. “I’m out here because I want to be,” Connor replies, not leaving it. “The rest was for your benefit.” Tension turned awkward turned uncomfortable turned bitter. But Hank knows how to cope with that. They escape inside the house and Connor agrees to leave him to it. That should be a bad sign. Instead, Hank appreciates the time it gives him to think. He’s not far into his second drink before he feels brave. “Think the clouds are done. Or – gone or… whatever.” Fourth drink, then. That was usually Hank got bad at math. And apparently bad at the weather, because when they’re outside, there aren’t any stars to be seen. He’s pissed and ready to turn around. Connor’s looking at the sky. “What are you doing?” It’s a gray mass up there. Hank checks again in case he’s a bigger idiot than he thought. No stars. “I’m watching the satellites,” Connor reports. Less bite. More awkward. “I’m sorry. We can go if you want.” Hank’s not angry – despite what’s probably still on his face – and he says as much, then asking, “You can see those?” Yes. “How many?” A lot. “Is that interesting?” Connor gives an almost-smile – more awkward, no bite – and says, “I like to track their patterns.” The patterns tell each satellite’s age and purpose, even its origin. When they stutter, it can mean they’ve hit trash. The newest ones make corrections around that. They’re ‘elegant’, apparently, and Connor likes to analyze whether each correction had to do with the amount of debris floating up there or the equipment’s sophistication. He’s named what he thinks are the trash piles – based on how many satellites have stuttered or curved around – after the problems they are. Three got named after Gavin. Connor’s been doing this for more than a night. “I meant to just keep busy while you were looking,” Connor admits. Embarrassed. “It got fun.” Relaxed. “I think I can understand why humans do it.” Hank points out that he’s been looking at stars. Humans can’t see satellites. Embarrassed. Connor offers to go. He must’ve really been on his fifth drink, because he stays. It’s not cold out, and maybe it’s a crappy night for him, but if Connor’s enjoying it, who’s Hank to take that away? “Would you like to see?” Connor takes Hank’s phone. The screen changes to black, with a series of lines streaking across in a dozen directions. Connor explains that’s from tonight. The screen changes, and Connor talks about the time they ran out of creamer in the breakroom and Gavin threw a fuckin’ fit for twenty minutes. Eight lines veer deliberately around some sight unseen – except for one, which plows through. Connor’s named the satellites too, of course, and that one’s Ben. When the screen changes for a fourth time, that’s Hank finally looks up from his phone to see Connor still staring up. Hank’s curious. He reaches out. He grabs Connor by the jaw and points his head a different way. The screen changes. A live-stream. Then Hank sees himself. “Sorry you didn’t get to see anything,” Connor says, watching him. The stream ends. His phone goes back to its default wallpaper. Hank deliberately waits for another crappy night. “Figured… th’screen – y’know…” Five drinks out of the gate. “S’bigger.” Connor streams the satellites on Hank’s TV, since Hank took the effort to haul it outside. They name a few other trash piles, since Hank’s also a fountain of knowledge on Gavin’s fuckin’ tantrums. He’s so involved that he almost forgets to check the sky himself. Stars. Patches of them. It’s clearing up again. “Guess we’re not gonna see as much now.” Not that he doesn’t like stars. They were why he’d stayed out with Connor in the first place. He’d just been enjoying their time as it was. “You can look at them,” Connor offers. “I’ll let you know if Jeff and Tina survive.” Someone took Gavin’s ‘best’ mug from the kitchen. Good luck to Jeff and Tina – Jeff was apparently set to plow through. “When it’s a nicer night, we’ll rename some normal constellations,” Hank says. Connor almost-smiles. Hank notices Connor had been smiling. “I can load a reference,” Connor reports. “If we put it on the TV, I can map the satellites against a star chart.” “Or we can point at ‘em.” More awkward. Tense. Hank’s uncomfortable. “Just figured I’d save you some work.” “We can try that,” Connor says. “You’d be doing the pointing.” Hank’s an idiot. “All that CyberLife tech and you can’t point?” Uncomfortable. Bitter. “I’m not exactly designed for stargazing.” And they were outside. “I can work with a chart.” The stream had ended, but the sky had been clearing up before that. There weren’t any stars while Hank had been watching. “Oh.” Connor helps him inside. It’s a different kind of embarrassed. “Why not?” He’d been feeling particularly brave the next morning. “It takes a certain sensitivity and steadiness to capture objects that faint. Some androids might be designed for it. Most can’t since it’s not necessary. I was built with other targets in mind.” Oh. “Pretty sure my phone can –” Connor wasn’t a phone. He reminded Hank of this as frankly as he could, considering their no-talking rule. There weren’t many other nights he could wait for. Finding a ‘good’ one seemed… bad. They just took Sumo for his walk and occasionally lingered outside of the house until it got too tense. He thought he could pick a day and surprise Connor – surprising Connor seemed to be a thing for Hank lately – but it went about as well as any other surprise. In that it didn’t. Connor, for his part, kept to their unspoken agreement. Hank didn’t pry even if he’d wanted to. It seemed uncomfortable. Things didn’t change until a sunny afternoon, when Connor announced that Ben had died. That stupid almost-smile was practically a grin as Hank twisted to find the context. “When’d that happen?” Today. “You get a newsletter or something?” Connor saw it at lunch. That’s what he looks at lately. It’s not as if he can eat, and Hank – oddly enough – doesn’t appreciate the cholesterol updates. He doesn’t mean to drive home as quickly as he does. He just reminds himself that he’s an idiot. Sumo gets all of two minutes of their time before Hank throws Connor back in the car. They don’t talk about it, even as the tension gets awkward. Even as it gets uncomfortable. Even as it gets bitter. By then, any questions that Connor could’ve asked were answered by the planetarium itself. So Hank asks his own. “You wanna… see?” They go back to awkward. Connor agrees. That’s all Hank needed to hear. The tour was kinda hokey. It was informative in that pity-for-the-parents way. But the star projections were why they were here. Everything should’ve bright enough for an android to see, including one that was built with other targets in mind. Sure, it wasn’t the same but… Close enough. “We should get a dome,” Connor says. Relaxed. “Sumo might like it.” ‘We’. “Where exactly do you think we’d get a dome?” “We could take their dome,” Connor suggests. They’re outside. They could talk about it. “Pretty sure that’s illegal,” Hank says in the meantime. “What are you, a cop?” “Sometimes.” He’s on the edge of breaking something. It feels tense, suddenly. Awkwardly. “I could quit, you know. I’ve got that option. If I wanted it.” Uncomfortable. “Just because I’ve been one way, it doesn’t mean I can’t be something else. That’s… free will for you.” He’s an idiot. Hank’s trying, but he’s an idiot. “You’re sweet.” Oh. More of a smile than not this time. “We’re still taking their dome.” “… Now?” No. It could wait, according to Connor. The forecast said it’d be clear tonight and that had usually set their plans. They could relax together. In their own way.