#i love her but none of it makes any sense to me

[xoxo-sarah]

If the Roles Were Reversed

My Wife part 2

Part 1

↝a/n: I have been given so much love for the first part and I can't express how grateful I am for it. It fills me with so much joy when people express how much they like my work. I have been asked to make a part two and who am I to say no?

↝pairing: season 1!Daryl Dixon x wife!reader

↝warning: season 1 episodes 3 & 4, angst, death, arguing, gore, zombies, typical twd stuff, not proofread, Ed

|| Disclaimer: I do not own Daryl Dixon, or any character from The Walking Dead. I only own y/n and any characters I create with my own brain. ||

↝⎙ 1.25.25

Daryl Dixon masterlist

“You can't go, Daryl. Listen to me-” You threw your hands around, watching Daryl pace in front of you. The peaceful expression he once had, when he had reunited with you, was wiped clean off of his face.

He was told the news about Merle and instantly became furious. No matter how much you tried to calm him, it was no use.

His brother was out there. Daryl argued that Merle would be out there looking for him if the roles were reversed.

“Listen, there are too many.” You stepped closer, trying to make him understand, “After the racket everyone made trying to leave, I bet there’s even more now.”

“They left my brother on a roof.” You could tell he was trying his hardest not to yell at you. He was never one to take his anger out on the one person he loves more than anything in the world. He was always gentle with you, just like you deserved.

Sighing, you didn’t know how to counter that. As much as everyone who was waiting on the other side of the R.V wanted you to talk some sense into your husband, Daryl had a point. After all, he had gone out to find you, even against Merle telling him not to.

If it had been Daryl who they had left behind, you would’ve already been in the city, searching. Even if you had to go by yourself, it wouldn’t matter.

None of that changed the fact that it’s dangerous. You couldn’t let him go.

You just got him back.

“He was out of control, you know how he can get. I don’t think they had a choice.” You whispered, trying to convince yourself just as much as him.

Daryl’s nostrils flared, as he tried to calm himself. He didn’t want to lash out on you, he never did. But he was about to break. “Merle is a prick, but he’s my brother.”

With that, Daryl walked around the R.V, shoulder checking Shane, who looked disappointed that you hadn’t helped de-escalate the situation. Daryl was stubborn, there wasn’t much you could do.

Carol quickly went back to what she was doing, not wanting to seem like she was being nosey. Which didn’t do much considering everyone in the camp was waiting. After the brawl that had happened when Daryl was told about Merle, everyone was interested in how this whole situation would turn out. Everyone else tried hiding their obvious interest as Daryl came into view. You walked behind him, head hung low, defeated and slightly scared.

Daryl walked toward the box truck, ready to leave.

Rick walked over to you, “So?”

“You shook your head, “He’s not gonna change his mind. I tried.”

He nodded in understanding. Lori looked on at the interaction. She had been the one to offer Rick showing Daryl the way to Merle. She was adamant on it, but at the same time mad at him for leaving. It was almost like she was testing him, seeing if he would actually leave his family to be the heroic cop from before. She wanted him to choose her and Carl over ‘the right thing to do’.

Rick cleared his throat, “It’ll be alright,” he nodded fiddling with the gun holster before turning back around.

Glenn backed the box truck closer, Daryl impatiently standing in the back. You walked toward him when the vehicle stopped. He squinted down at you against the beating sun, watching as you climbed into the truck.

“What’re you doin’?”

“Going with you.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Four’s enough.”

You didn’t care if Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog were also going. You had stayed in the city for a while, you knew your way around. Plus, you would be going for a different reason than the rest. They were going for Merle, you were going for Daryl.

“Stay here.” His voice was softer now. Truthfully, he didn’t want anything to happen to you. You were safer at the camp, with people you had grown comfortable with in such a short amount of time. “They’ll need somebody who knows how to hunt for somethin’ to eat. Fish is gonna get old fast.” You cracked a smile at his slight humor at the situation. Still, you didn’t want him to leave.

Daryl stepped closer, bringing you into his arms, his head resting on yours. The stench of sweat, dirt, and god knows what else didn’t bother either of you. He didn’t care that you didn’t smell like the sweet shampoo he loved, and you didn’t care that he didn’t smell like the body wash that you had bought him the last time you had gone to the store, or the cologne you loved.

“Keep an eye on everybody,” He kissed your forehead, mumbling against the skin, as he stayed close. “Don’t let anyone mess with ya.”

“When do I ever?” A smile threatened to make an appearance. But it wasn’t the time. He was worried about his brother.

Rick walked by, casting a glance back at the two of you, nodding. Inhaling deeply, you moved away from Daryl, jumping down from the truck. He sent you one more look before pulling the roll-up doors down. You stood there, listening to the box truck’s engine start. You continued to stand there even after the truck faded into the distance.

-

Dale watched as you fiddled with the rag he had given you to wipe the sweat off your brow. You kept fidgeting; ever since Daryl left.

He was quick to offer you to help him keep watch, but you were elsewhere ever since you climbed onto the roof of the R.V. You were trying, Dale could tell. But he saw the gears turning in your head, greased with the terrible thought of what could happen to your husband. The thought of Daryl always overpowered any other thought.

His greyed eyebrows raised as you shot up from your seat.

“Think i’m gonna go help with the laundry. To keep myself busy.” Dale didn’t say anything, only moving out of your way so you could climb down.

Making your way to the quarry, you focused on the voices in the distance and the sharp rocks under your feet. You walked past Ed, who sat comfortably in the back of the car, smoking while keeping an eye on Carol. He glanced up, taking a drag of his cigarette. Ignoring him, you carefully navigate your way down the rocks toward where Carol, Jacqui, Andrea, and Amy sat.

“Can somebody explain to me how the women wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?” Jacqui grumbled, watching Shane and Carl fail at catching frogs, their laughter echoing.

“The world ended. Didn’t you get the memo?” Amy wrung the water out of a shirt, flicking hair out of her face. Carol glanced back, looking at Ed. She saw you walking toward them. Sending you a small smile. “It’s just the way it is.” Her eyes fell back to her husband.

“Care for some help?” You squinted at the group through the sun beating down into your eyes. Jacqui motioned to a turned over bucket, “Please.” Giving a tightlipped smile, you sat down ,grabbing a scrub brush and a piece of clothing.

The way the women conversated put you at ease. It was familiar. People at the office that you worked at, were exactly like them.

“I do miss my Maytag.” Carol said, scrubbing clothes against the old washboard.

“I miss my Benz, my Sat Nav.” Andrea added.

“I miss my coffeemaker with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey.” Jacqui smiled.

Amy pouted, “My computer…and texting.”

“I miss my t.v. And wine. Especially after a long day.” You groaned, remembering the days after work; where you would come home, take your shoes off and get wine and a movie ready. Daryl would come home a little later and join you.

Your reminiscing was cut short by Andrea, “I miss my vibrator.”

Stopping your scrubbing, you looked up at her, a surprised chuckle leaving your lips.

“Ohhhhh.” “Oh my God!”

Carol glanced back at Ed, “Me too.”

You laughed harder, along with the others.

“What’s so funny?”

Just like that, the atmosphere was ruined. Ed walked down, instantly taking the joy out of the air.

“Just swapping war stories, Ed,” Andrea looked back at him, before looking over at Carol. “Yeah.”

Ed walked closer. From your spot beside Carol, you could feel Ed looming behind. Carol instinctively folded in on herself, head sinking into her shoulders.

“Problem, Ed?” Andrea glared at him.

“None that concerns you,” He took another puff of his cigarette, “and you ought to focus on your work. This ain’t no comedy club.”

Andrea huffed, plopping the brush in the tin bucket.

“Just trying to make the best out of a bad situation.” You looked at him, face blank. He stared down at you. You waited for him to say something else. Surprisingly he only blew the smoke out, throwing the butt away. He stepped back, lighting another. Rolling your eyes, you turned back to the laundry. Andrea stood, walking toward him.

“Ed, tell you what, you don’t like how your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself. Here,” She threw the soaking wet piece of clothing in her hands at him.

He threw it back. Andrea gasped. “Ain't my job, missy.”

Amy stood, wanting to de-escalate the situation. She touched Andrea’s arm, “Andrea, don’t.”

“What is your job, Ed? Sitting on your ass, smoking cigarettes?”

You glanced at Carol, who sat quietly, still working.

“Well, it sure as hell ain’t listening to some uppity smart-mouthed bitch. Tell you what,” He motioned for Carol, who was out of her seat in a second. You grabbed her arm before she could fully stand up. You could see the fear and timidness in her eyes.

“C’mon, let’s go.” He continued to beckon her.

You stood, keeping a soft but comforting grip on her arm.

“I don’t think she needs to go anywhere with you, Ed.” Andrea continued.

Carol glanced up from the ground for a split second, meeting your eyes. She didn’t want to cause any more trouble. She would be dragged back to camp by Ed if that meant nothing else would happen. She knew Ed, what he was capable of.

“And I say that’s none of your business.” Ed beckoned for Carol again. “Come on, now. You heard me.”

Carol moved away from your grip. Andrea turned to her, “Carol,”

“Andrea, please. It doesn’t matter.”

Ed glared at the interaction, “Hey, don’t think I won't knock you on your ass, just ‘cause you some college-educated cooze, alright?”

Andrea scoffed at the audacity of the male in front of her. You stepped forward, grabbing Carol by the shoulder. You weren’t about to let her go with him when he was clearly becoming hostile.

“Now you come on now or you gonna regret it later.”

You softly said her name, ignoring her husband’s glare, and stepped closer to her in a protective manner.

“So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?” Jacqui piped up for the first time since Ed walked over. “Yeah, we’ve seen them.”

Ed chuckled, “Stay out of this,” his harsh gaze pierced through his wife. “Now come on! You know what, this is none of y’all’s business. You don’t want to keep prodding the bull here, okay? Now I am done talkin’. Come on!”

You cringed at his words, moving in front of Carol as he walked closer. He ignored you, reaching around to grab at her arm with a harsh grip. The embarrassment was clear on her face. He pulled, knocking your balance slightly off as he yanked Carol from behind you. Her shoulder crashed into yours, feet moving in a jumble over your own.

“No. No, Carol. You don’t have-”

Carol muttered something under her breath, ignoring Andrea.

Ed swung around, spitting in Carol’s face. “You don’t tell me what! I tell you what!” His grip tightened, jagged nails biting into the soft skin of her upper arm. She whimpered quietly at the force. He raised his hand, striking her against the face. Gasping, you caught her as she fell back, grabbing her reddening cheek.

Everyone clamoured; Andrea hitting and pushing him away, you cursing him as Carol started crying. She fell further into you, as you held her protectively, hauling her away from him.

Ed was pulled back and thrown to the ground, before being dragged by the back of his shirt. Shane threw him further into to the ground, before throwing a punch, and another straight after.

“No!” Carol cried, trying to get away. Shane kept throwing punches, more skin breaking every time his fist hit Ed’s face. Carol covered her mouth, body swaying.

“Shane, stop!” “Enough! Enough!” “Just stop!”

Shane stopped, pointing a finger in Ed’s swollen and bloodied face. “You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, or anybody else in this camp one more time, I will not stop next time. Do you hear me?” He grabbed Ed’s face, squishing it in the process. “Do you hear me?!”

Ed slurred, “Yes.”

Shane let go, pointing again. “I’ll beat you to death, Ed.” With one final punch, he stood, kicking the man on the ground and walking away.

“God!” Carol cried, using strength you had never seen from her before, to break from you, running over to her husband.

-

The tension in the camp was suffocating after that. There was a tiny victory after Andrea and Amy went fishing and brought back dinner, but it was short lived. Jim had been found digging graves, which disturbed a lot of you.

Night fell and everyone began eating the fish-fry.

You smiled at Sophia as she passed the pan of fish. She was well-mannered; all thanks to Carol. She was a shy girl, but became a seemingly different kid when she was around other kids. She found friends in a world that would probably take them away before you could blink. She, along with the other kids, didn’t understand what was out there, all of the bad. They held an innocence that would be demolished in front of your eyes.

“I gotta ask you, man. It’s been driving me crazy.” One of the men that you met in the city, Morales, spoke up, directing it at Dale.

“What?”

“That watch,” he pointed at the watch on Dale’s wrist.

Dale smiled, “What’s wrong with my watch?”

Morales continued, “I see you everyday, the same time, winding that thing like a village priest saying mass.”

“I’ve wondered this myself.” Jacqui smiled.

Dale threw his hands up playfully, “I’m missing the point.”

You looked between him and his watch, the fire casting a warm gleam over it, brightening the brown leather.

“Unless I've misread the signs, the world seems to have come to an end. At least hit a speed bump for a good long while.” Jacqui shrugged her shoulders.

“But there’s you, everyday, winding that stupid watch.” Morales raised his eyebrows at the old man.

“Time- it’s important to keep track, isn’t it? The days, at least. Don’t you think, Andrea? Back me up here.”

They shared a knowing look, their faces glowing in the fire from where you sat. She sent him a seemingly warning glare, but his smile didn’t falter.

“I like- I like what, um, a father said to son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations. He said “I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father’s before me; I give it to you not that you may remember time, not that you may forget it for a moment now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it.””

Huh,” Morales nodded at the answer, not really expecting it.

Everyone sat in silence around the fire, before Amy broke it, “You are so weird.”

Laughter echoed as you took a swig of beer. It wasn’t wine, but it wasn’t pure water so it would do.

“It’s not me. It’s Faulkner, William Faulkner.”

Amy rolled her eyes at Dale.

The older man chuckled, “Maybe my bad paraphrasing.”

Amy stood, walking away from the fire. Andrea stopped her, “Where are you going?”

“I have to pee.” The younger sister raised her brows, “Jeez, you try to be discreet around here.” She quickly walked off, toward the R.V.

Dale turned to you, “What about you? You fiddle with that on your wrist.” You looked down at the bulky thing around your wrist. “Was my dog’s collar.” Dale’s smile turned sad. While rushing out of your house, you had grabbed the collar from the leash you would walk her around the block with. Her name was embroidered; a gift from Daryl when he first surprised you with a puppy.

You tightened it into a bracelet, holding her memory close. Truthfully, you had forgotten about it being on your wrist. You didn’t notice how much you fidgeted with it. Dale did, when you were on watch with him.

You didn’t think about the dog for long.

The R.V door opened, and Amy stepped out. “We’re out of toilet paper?” She yelled. Before she could get an answer, a hand grabbed her forearm from behind the other side of the door. She stood in shock as a walker moved closer to her. She screamed, feeling the walker bite down.

Your head instantly snapped up, eyes growing wide at the sight. More walkers came from each direction, limping forward. Everyone screamed, jumping up. Parents grabbed their kids, others grabbed weapons. Gunshots echoed, making your ears ring. You were quick to instinctively reach for your gun. Unfortunately, that gun was still in Glenn’s bag with no bullets.

A hand on your shoulder had you swiveling around, pushing the walker that simply snarled at you. Pushing with all your strength, you didn’t wait for it to hit the ground before you were running.

Another walker stumbled toward you from behind, dirty nails digging into your skin. This walker was closer, a stench wafting into your nose before you could push it away. You tried, but from the angle in which the walker had grabbed you, you could only push its head away, fingers avoiding its snipping teeth.

You screamed, still hearing Shane unload his gun in the distance.

Andrea wailed, watching another walker bite a gash out of Amy’s shoulder, right where her neck meets it.

The grip tightened on you, making you hiss. Their nails were long and had the bite to prove it. One final hit had the walker staggering back, grip falling off. You turned, running toward the R.V, where Shane, Lori, Carol, Morales, and their families were. More gunfire rang out.

Making it to the vehicle, you turned back, seeing Daryl and the others coming out of the woods. He was the first out, head snapping in ebery direction. The other were soon to follow.

Daryl spotted you. He looked around, making sure no more walkers were around, before running toward you. Your bodies collided, knocking the breath out of your lungs.

He pulled back, “You hurt?”

“No, i don’t think- I don’t know.”

You were in shock, your jumbled words and wide eyes proving it. You couldn’t think. You rubbed where you were scratched.

In your time since the world ended, you had hidden in the top floor of a building. If you were ever met with danger, you always had a gun or knife handy.

Tonight, you were completely unprepared.

In the dark, you couldn't tell if the skin of your arm was broken. Clinging back to Daryl, you turned your head to where Andrea laid beside Amy. Blood pooled around them. Amy’s body went limp, sending Andrea to sobs. Closing your eyes tightly, you turned back to Daryl, pushing your face into his neck. He held you close, hiding the shake in his hands.

He had heard your scream.

That’s what had him running through the woods with only you in mind, leaving the other behind.

•2021-2025 by xoxo-sarah on Tumblr•

•My work is not to be translated, copied, modified, and/or reposted on any other site without my permission. [I don't give permission!]

Tags from the last chapter who wanted part 2: @notmirnda @vomiting-blood @i93jjk @multifandomfan @gaudesstuff @cymbalta-slut

[silenzahra]

Me walking in to receive my anniversary gift 👆🤭 (Just had to use this gif, I love it 😂)

Okay, I'd be lying if I said I'm not curious about this other idea that you had 😂 But of course there wasn't any rush! You had already told me you'd probably be late, and I wasn't even around for the anniversary, so really, it's more than okay, dear friend. I really appreciate you taking the time to draw this beautiful piece as I love it SO MUCH, as you can see 🥰

Ooohh I see! So she wasn't sleepy but a little bit concerned, actually 🤭 I love it! It fits her since she and Dreambert weren't affected by the Dreambeats, so it definitely makes more sense than my interpretation 😂 Thanks for letting me know! And I'm glad you like my analysis, just more evidence that our souls are deeply linked 💖

Thank *you* for blessing me with your art! My collection of Mugi art keeps growing and I'm the happiest woman on earth 😁💖 Also how could it not be my phone wallpaper?? It belongs in a freaking museum, my friend!!! 👏😄

I'm more than ready from a Mugi hug attack!! 😁💖

I know you're not made of paper and none of us is crying but the feeling is there 😂💖

Happy (belated) anniversary to Keeping you warm!

Yesterday was the first anniversary of my amazing friend @silenzahra's Mario & Luigi fanfic Keeping you warm, based on Dream Team. Since this story means a lot to me, I wanted to draw fanart in its honor, even if it's not much.

Happy anniversary, Zahra! Hope you enjoy my little present once you're back from your trip🙂

[last-herondale]

You Are Enough Pt. 2

Astarion x fem!Tav

Warnings: Mention of blood, blood drinking

Fluff and angst are the name of this game

AN: I love Astarion. That is all.

Part 1

Enjoy 🤘🏼

Gale blasted a fireball at a shadow creature, missing Karlach’s head by mere inches as she swung down her axe into another cursed corpse. You gave out a cry of alarm as a tall slender shadow sliced its claws at you, grazing the front of your armor as it growled menacingly.

Before you could return an attack, a flash of steel bore through its chest with a terrible shriek. The creature erupted into a mass of shadows, exposing a wild eyes Astarion with his dagger in hand.

“Damn these blasted shadows!” He growled as he took your flank, preparing himself for another fight.

“Tell me about it,” you panted, locking your eyes on a shadow creeping closer to Gale. You readied an arrow of guiding bolt and fired it square in its back. It shrieked and shriveled up slightly before disappearing.

“Retreat to the Inn!” You yelled out to Gale and Karlach, “the shadows can’t reach us there!”

Even now, you could see the faint glow from the last light inn. It was only a mile away. If you could just make it back…

“Look out!” Karlach bellowed out a warning.

You turned to see a large shadow loom in front of you, catching you by surprise. Its dark claws were poised for the attack as you were frozen in fear. Then you felt the wind get knocked out of you as you were knocked to the floor. You felt a familiar weight on top of you as a cold wind seemed to envelope your senses.

Astarion cried out in pain, and he winced as he protected your body from the talons of the monster. You heard Gale say an incantation as a burst of light erupted from his hands.

Karlach was before you now, helping Astarion to his feet as Gale helped you up from the ground.

“Hurry soldier, this way!” Karlach yelled, nearly carrying Astarion towards the safety of the inn. You could hear the screams from the shadow creatures behind you, but you booked it for the armored gates.

As soon as you crossed the threshold into the inn, you felt your body relax as you panted from the exhaustion.

“Is everyone okay?” You asked, looking around to your companions.

Karlach seemed no worse for wear, only slightly banged up from her fight. Gale seemed drained from the battle, his brow sweaty and clothes rumpled. It was Astarion now, who looked hunched over in pain.

“Astarion!” You said, running up to him to examine his injuries. “Oh, your back!”

“It’s nothing,” Astarion assured, “Just a scratch is all. It’ll heal up on its own.”

He straightened up his stance, rolling his shoulders nonchalantly as if it was just a mere discomfort. “Now, I think I may see what wine Jahiera has to offer. I think I’ve earned myself a bottle or two.”

He sauntered off towards the inn, seemingly fine and relaxed, however you noticed a slight hitch in his step as he walked. You narrowed your eyes.

It had been a week since that night in the woods. The night he relinquished you from your obligation to satiate his hunger. He no longer fed from you. It was his choice and you honored it. You didn’t expect to feel so… mournful over this decision.

If he had been feeding from someone else in the party, you couldn’t pinpoint who. You looked for any signs of newly formed connection between Astarion and any of your companions, but found none that would be willing to share their blood with a vampire. The thought of him feeding with someone else made your chest ache in an odd way.

Astarion seemed himself enough, until three days ago when you and your party entered the shadow cursed lands. You thought maybe the loss of the sun had changed his moods, but now you had a new theory. And you planned on testing it.

After dinner, you watched Astarion attend to his bottle of wine as he hurried back to his quarters. He still held a limp in his step as he walked up the stairs. You followed behind him, knocking on the door a few moments after he closed them.

“I have no need of company,” he said flatly.

“I wasn’t asking,” you said smugly on the other end of the door. For a moment you thought you could hear a faint laugh.

The door opened slightly, his tousled white hair curled around his cheekbones, making him look like a god in the moonlight. There was a playful grin on his lips as his eyes raked over you. You noted faint dark circles under his eyes.

“Hello darling,” he mused, “I’m afraid I was just about to turn in—“

“Before a nightcap?” You asked playfully, holding up two glasses in your hands. “After that battle I think we deserve a toast.” You pushed yourself into his room, setting the glasses on a table as you sat down in a chair to pour the wine.

Astarion sighed and closed the door, joining you at the table. You noticed he winced as he sat down, being careful not to touch his back to the chair. You handed him his glass, your eyes watching him cautiously. He met your gaze, but he seemed to exhausted to notice your curious stare.

You raised your glass. “To your health, Astarion,” you said with a soft smile. Astarion looked pleasantly surprised at your toast. He smiled, clinking his glass to yours.

“And to yours, my sweet.”

The two of you took a drink. You stopped after a sip, but Astarion down the glass, savoring every bit of the drink. His eyes flickered to you a moment, a flash of emotion crossed his face before he quickly returned his eyes to his glass.

Your chest ached when you looked at him. He was keeping something from you, keeping something vital from himself.

“Astarion,” you said ever so tenderly.

He looked up at you again, his curiosity peaked with your emotional call of his name. There was a small smile on his lips as he waited for you to continue.

“When is the last time you fed?”

His smile fell away. “Just yesterday.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Really?”

Astarion frowned. “Yes, really. I drank more than enough. That’s why I was so daring on the battle field today. Couldn’t you tell?”

He was trying to play up the show, but you knew him well enough now to know when he was lying. He stood up from the table, put his back to you to save face but the sight of him made you suck in a breath.

“Astarion!” You gasped. You were up from your chair and to him in the next moment. Blood was seeping through his white shirt in three harsh lines. He wasn’t healing as he should be, and you knew this to be from one thing.

“It’s fine, darling. Just a scratch.”

You ran your hands gently over his shoulders, trying not to touch his wounds.

“Remove your shirt,” you demanded, lifting the fabric off of his shoulders.

“Darling I’m fine,” he complained, but he didn’t shrug you away as you removed his shirt from his skin. The three jagged marks on his pale skin stood out horridly to your eye. You winced at the sight of them, your fingertips brushing the old scars on his back.

“Oh Astarion, you’re starving yourself,” you whispered, “Why?”

He turned to face you slowly, his bare chest rising and falling slowly. His eyes raked over your face, and he looked pained.

“I—“ it wasn’t often that Astarion was at a loss for words. You placed a gentle hand on his chest, your eyes searching his. It had been a while since you were this close to him, and you reveled in the smell of him.

“Talk to me,” you begged, “please… I don’t understand.”

Astarion sighed, letting his hand graze your face, his fingertips brushing your cheek. Your eyes fluttered a moment as his breath hit your face.

“I don’t want you to feel obligated to me anymore…” he started. You opened your mouth to speak but he put a finger to your lips. “At first I thought you were an easy target. Someone I could lure into an alliance and use to my survival. I thought it was working fine. You were willing enough to let me feed from you, willing enough to let me close to you— but when I tried to seduce you at the Tiefling party, you refused me.”

You remembered that night well. A proposition for some late night fun. And while you were feeling the high of the party and a few glasses of mead, you were shocked with yourself when you denied Astarion’s invitation to bed. It wasn’t because you weren’t attracted to him, quite the opposite was true in fact. However, you could sense some hesitation from him that night. As if he had done this dance before, as if it was a second nature to him.

You had smiled, kissed his cheek and said, “Not tonight.”

He had seemed almost… pleased with the result.

“You are not at all what I expected,” he murmured, caressing your face, “An unexpected complication in my plan. I never intended… to feel the way I do now… to care about someone’s wellbeing other than my own. And I find that I care about yours very much.”

His words made your heart flutter. You felt tears well up in your eyes and he quickly wiped them away. “I don’t want to take from you anymore. You’re too important to me…” he whispered as if it was painful to admit.

“You’re important to me too,” you replied, “I am not doing this out of obligation, Astarion… I’m doing this out of lo—“

“Don’t say it—“ he begged, “please. I don’t know if I can say it back… I don’t know how to feel what I’m feeling for you.”

His breathing was ragged as his eyes searched yours. You understood then, that saying what you knew to be true was not what he needed. He was trapped in a world where words and declarations were thrown around, painted pretty lies. You needed to show him.

Your hand drifted down his chest, your eyes still locked with his. You swiped the dagger from his belt before he could realize what you were doing. With a quick motion of the dagger, you cut into the soft part of your wrist. His eyes immediately went to your wrist in a throw of wild hunger. He bared his fangs as his hand gripped your wrist.

He growled at you, his face a mixture of emotions. “Darling— no…” he said in an agonizing tone. “I can’t…”

“Drink,” you murmured, feeling the slight sting from the cut, “Please. What beats inside of me— beats for you.”

His lips were to your skin the next moment. You felt the familiar prick of his teeth and the instant cooling sensation made you sigh. He drank deeply, making soft noises as the two of you knelt on the floor wrapped up in each other. You stroked his hair gently as he fed, feeling the slight euphoria from his mouth.

“You could never hurt me,” you whispered.

Astarion continued to drink, to the point where your vision was seeing stars. You had no fear. You believed he would stop when he needed to. You trusted him with your life. With all of your heart. You lay your head on his shoulder as the world enveloped into darkness.

[crescenthistory]

Omg Carina hi!!! Congrats on 2k!!! It’s 🧸 anon here (she/her) and you’re so cool for doing this event for us🫶🏻

Like you I’m also studying, last year of nursing if it matters lol, so I completely forgot to check if you answered my request and I just now saw that you did so I’m gonna go read it now! I’m so excited to get my Carina fix🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

I’ll add to the celebration - comment on “You occupy my every thought”? Don’t have anything specific I’m just such a sucker for sunshine/grumpy tropes hehe

Also if you’d like maybe comment on the 14k Remus fic? I forgot its name I’m so sorry but the way you wrote Remus made my heart swoon and it was the first ever fic I read of yours so it’s kind of sentimental too🙃

Side note thank you for sharing so much of your personal life with us it makes me personally feel really connected to the writer and it makes sense why your writing really is poetry🥰 again thank you!!

hi my darling! no, thank YOU for participating in my event<33 and for actually enjoying my yapping lmao, i appreciate you sm! last year of nursing is roughhhh, so feel free to just drop by whenever you're free. my blog will always be here for when you need it 🫂 now, i have already more or less commented on "you occupy my every thought" with these headcanons, but i would love to do the remus one!

✶・•・✦・•・✶・✶・•・✦・•・✶

i will COMMENT on "It's Nice To Have A Friend" with remus lupin

carina's 2k celebration

✶・•・✦・•・✶・✶・•・✦・•・✶

In this fic, you're Remus' childhood best friend, his favourite person on the planet, and your romance reads very much like two people who are perfectly intertwined and destined for each other

So, after the fic fades to black, I can't really see anything but an endgame fairytale ending

Remus writing home to Hope and Lyall, who have known you since you were a kid and befriended Remus despite his obvious differences:

Dear Mam and Tad,

This may not come as a surprise to you – as it seems it has not been for anyone but me – but if it does, I sincerely hope it is a pleasant one.

I am writing to let you know that Y/N and I's friendship has officially become something more and I am happy to call her my partner.

You remained attached at each other's side for the precious few months you had left at Hogwarts – this time without a spec of anxiety or guilt

I will say, it took a while for you to school all guilt out of Remus though, as his former guilt for daring fall in love with you occasionally transformed into guilt for "letting you love a halfbreed"

But you did what you did best – you kissed it away

You were far from above cradling Remus in your arms until he melted into you, whispering sweet nothings into his hairline

There was a lot of:

"I have loved you unequivocally more or less my whole life, cariad. I am not about to change that now."

"Would you love me any less if I changed? If I became a lycanthrope or a vampire or sick or poor?" "You know I wouldn't."

"Shhh, none of that. None of that, my sweet boy."

"You're just Remus to me."

Because of his particular situation, Remus had to become closer with certain members of Hogwarts staff than most other students would – particularly Pomfrey, Dumbledore and McGonagall

And I believe all of them would often share looks at how obvious the love blooming between these young students was

I have always had a particular moment in mind for when Pomfrey first noticed your connection in second year

It was the first time Remus got injured enough during a full moon to stay at the infirmary overnight, at a time where none of his dormmates knew

You, on the other hand...

Pomfrey opened the door to her office chambers right by the entrance to the infirmary at the frantic knocking. A sigh was already brewing on her lips at whatever piece of work must be waiting for her outside the wooden door this early.

She flung it open only to nearly hit your reddened, almost teary face.

"Madam Pomfrey," you squeaked in that youngin voice it seems all students spouted at that age. "Is Remus here?"

The concern was evident on your face, etched into your every furrow that were much deeper than a child should have. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that, Miss L/N," she said, not without sympathy. Patient confidentiality and all.

"Please," you whispered. "I know he's here, it was a full moon. Please can I go see him."

Unable to do anything else in the face of such youthful misery, and having heard in passing from Dumbledore before that "the Ravenclaw girl knows", she merely gestured in the direction of Remus' overnight bed.

A "thank you!" had barely made it past your lips before you walked away so quickly it could rival someone running – a loophole you had already found to the "no running in the halls" rule, surely.

Pomfrey followed to see you fling yourself to the floor beside Remus' bed, not even sparing the time to drag one of the nearby chairs closer to sit more comfortably. Your knees were on the cold floor, your hands scrambling to find his laying limp and bandaged on the white linen, but when you did, your touch turned almost painfully gentle.

"Rem? Remmy, cariad, it's me. Hi, hi, it's me." Your voice was soft, a gentle waking of the boy who should technically still be sleeping. It was clear you couldn't help yourself.

Remus' heavy eyelids fluttered open and the look in them once they found you, soft and at home, a stark contrast to how she found him the night before, struck Pomfrey right in the chest.

Oh, she had thought. This is going to be one of the lovestories I remember.

Thus, when she saw you two walking hand in hand as you passed the infirmary one of the last month of your 7th year, smiling widely and waving at her, she felt nothing short of contentment and warmth

Finally

Similarly with McGonagall and Dumbledore:

At the end of breakfast, there was nothing left to do but discreetly watch the students as they began preparing for the rest of their days, gaining an overview of what the dynamics were like at the moment and if they were all alright.

McGonagall's eyes were gliding over the Gryffindor table, not at all deterred by the splotch of blue that represented you in the midst of Potter and Co. She had grown more than used to you as an honorary member.

What did catch her attention, though, was when you got up and out of your seat, hoisting your bag over your shoulder to head off to a class you didn't share with the rest of them – right before you left, Remus caught your hand and pulled you down to him for a sweet kiss.

Not the forehead kisses she had seen before, not to the hand. No, he was smiling against your lips.

She arched an amused brow at the scene, glancing sideways to look at Dumbledore who was smiling into his plate.

"Yes," he said simply. "I saw."

She had to hide her smile behind her glass as she brought it up to drink. A silent toast.

All three of them would be invited to the wedding – which I don't think would be too far off after graduation

I imagine you got married the same year as Marlene and Dorcas; a big year of love for your friendgroup

Make no mistake, Sirius would be officiating it

This moment is definitely referenced in Remus' vows to you during the wedding:

“Should I ask you formally to be my girlfriend, or are we just skipping straight to marriage?” he whispered against your lips.

Remus felt almost wolfish when you barked a loud laugh, throwing your head back and tightening your hold on him instinctively. “I think girlfriend’s enough for now, yeah cariad?”

“If you insist.” He kissed you through his grin, realising that this was all he wanted to do now.

"I suggested it already the first day we became official, and even that was too late – I have always been yours and it is my utmost honour to have you always be mine."

Not a single dry eye in the room

James would specifically be crying into Hope's arms

Which Sirius would laugh at until he was a few more drinks in, at which point he would do the same with Effie

(Lily took pictures of both instances with her muggle camera, and they were some of the first in the wedding album)

Should there be an Order of the Phoenix (with a happy ending for all), you and Remus would act as the parental couple beside James, Sirius and Lily

And if you eventually make Remus secure enough in himself and his lycanthropy that he would dare have some puppies? Well, the more the merrier with this lot

The cheesiest, loveliest happily ever after you could desire 🤍

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

Can I make a angsty hurt/comfort request ?

Okay, so it’s like male!reader who’s a father to a kid, and he has the team over for dinner after a case.

Then his kid decides to come out to him by saying like “I’m gay, I like the same gender” or whatever (but obviously not like that but similar??)

And then reader goes like “you’re not gay, silly! Everyone likes the same gender a little bit! Maybe even more than the opposite gender!” But could you please add this dialogue in because I think it would be funny!! And he’s like: “I sometimes fantasise about being in a relationship/having sex (whichever you want to write) with your friend’s dad, but that doesn’t mean I’m gay!”

And the team and his kid look at him with shock/horror/confusion and he’s just standing there like… “what..? 😅” because he actually thinks this (his parents were homophobic and took him to conversion therapy when he asked if everyone like the same gender in that way)

Then someone from the team takes his kid out of the room to tell them that they’re valid and stuff and the rest of the team explain to reader that no, not everyone likes the same gender and that he might need to try and discover himself.

Plus whatever else you want!! Happy or sad ending is up to you!! (I think happy would be nice but maybe it can be a sad ending and a part two ??)

No pressure!! This is all up to you and you don’t even have to write it!!!

Love you !!!

- 🎀

Hiya, thank you for sending this in, this is an amazing idea! I hope I've done it justice (and sorry it's taken me so long)

Warnings: homophobia, internal homophobia (saying these just in case)

"I, um, I wanted to tell you all something." You watched as your son, Ethan shifts nervously for a moment. "I'm gay."

You shake your head, "No, you're not." And just like that, everyone around you freezes. "Everyone has a crush on the same gender." You wave your hand, dismissing him.

Ethan's face drops slightly, pushing the food on his plate around with his fork. "Look, I'm just saying it's normal to like the same gender, even more than the opposite gender. Take me, for example, I have crushes on men all the time. Like your friend Nathan, his dad? I have thoughts all the time about how I'd want to be in a relationship with him. That doesn't make me gay."

You look around, sensing everyone's eyes on you. A variety of different emotions are going around the table, shock, horror, disbelief, hurt.

"What?" You ask, taking another bite of pasta.

Garcia looks at Ethan, "Come on, let's step out for a minute," She gives him a kind smile and they both leave the room, Reid following them.

You look at the remaining members of the team, "What?"

"You know that's not true, right?"

"What's not true?"

"Not everyone is attracted to the same sex," Morgan said, you rolled your eyes.

"Yes, Morgan, they are." You shrugged, "Ethan's just confused. He'll come to terms with it."

"I don't think Ethan's the one who's confused." Prentiss chimed.

"What do you mean?" You ask, giving a soft scoff. "Of course he is."

"I think you're confused." Reid spoke up.

"Everyone has those thoughts." You stated.

"No, they haven't." Morgan argued, "I have never once found another man attractive."

"Not one?" You asked, finding that hard to believe.

"No."

You blinked. None of thise made any sense. "You're joking, you've got to be."

"What makes you think it's normal?"

"When I told my parents about it, that's what they said."

"They told you that?" Prentiss asked, sharing a look with Morgan.

"Yeah," You nodded. "So, I carried on with my life. And Ethan will do the same."

Morgan frowned, before sighing. "It's not something everyone thinks or feels, (Y/N)." He paused.

"Wait. No, hold on." You said, rubbing a hand over your face. "Does that mean that-?"

When you don't finish the sentence, Prentiss does for you. "That you like men?"

"Yeah." You said awkwardly at the question.

"Probably." Was her response.

You frowned. That quite literally went against everything you thought you knew about yourself. Your relationship with Ethan's mum before you separated, as well as every relationship with a woman ever. As well as the bond you had felt growing up with your best friend.

"That changes things." You said, blinking slowly. "I should probably go speak to Ethan."

The team gave soft nods and you headed out into the lounge, where Ethan was, leaning against Garcia, eyes red with Reid on his left. Your heart sank, you looked a lot like that after the conversation with your parents actually. You swallowed, trying to ignore the twinge in your stomach at the thought of passing this confusion onto your son as your parents had you.

"Ethan?" You asked softly, he looked up, quick to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Can I speak to you quickly?"

He only nods when Penelope squeezes his hand in reassurance. "We can stay here, if you want." She says to him softly, and he nods again.

You swallow heavily once again. "I'm sorry." You stated, carefully sitting in the seat opposite him. "I... I wasn't aware that it wasn't something everyone experienced. I repeated what my parents told me and in doing so, I hurt you."

Ethan watches you for a second. "It's not your fault-"

"You don't need to try to make me feel better kid." You said, "I told you what they told me, and in doing so, I invalidated you and your feelings. I dismissed you, and that's not okay."

When he opens his mouth to argue, you give him a firm look and he sighs slightly. "But you also didn't know any better."

"I should have." You reminded, "But I do now. So, I'm so sorry for how I reacted. And I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to talk to me about it, and I'm sorry my original reaction wasn't what you were expecting, or what you deserved."

"That's okay dad," Ethan smiled, a split second passed. "So, Nathan's dad, huh?"

"I will ground you."

"That's a hate crime."

[imnyt]

i’m the anon from the man purse but i’m not gonna lie i love jude down ive been a fan of his for a while and ive always kind of clocked he gave sassy man apocalypse but if you brought it up then you were labeled being weird when that documentary dropped it made me think his image was a little too perfect yk like obviously im not saying he should’ve put bad things in there but i definitely think he has a different persona when he’s on cam vs his real life character especially when it came to his tt reposts or even the people he works/hangs out i feel like people just kind of swept it under the rug to make him out to be this “ideal bachelor” and im not like other guys front

he isn’t so dumb and naive person he just knows how to work an audience and boy did he work tf outta yall thinking he wanted someone else when in reality that boy was just like any other 21 yo baller i also think ya jumped the gun way too quick on this ashlyn is not new to the game either she been trying to break into the WAG life its just no one took her seriously outside terrance and now jude she use to get dogged out by these ball players but i guess she found a home 🤷‍♀️

I know Ashlyn very well, and I know she gets dogged out by them. THREE of my favorite hoopers did it to her. None of them had a “clean boy” image like Jude; they were all much MESSIER, so I expected Jude to keep her relegated to the shadows… if he was having her in his bed. The same way they did. Clearly not.

Hence, no matter what your perception may have been about him prior… him doing this doesn’t make sense on any front.

[naomihatake]

I love you just as much as I hate you

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ pairing: caleb x fem reader / love and deepspace

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ tags: angst, hurt (with too little comfort), slight smut at the end, are they enemies or are they lovers? (I don't know)

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ summary: She took revenge on his behalf; however, that doesn't mean she hates him any less.

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ content warnings: it contains spoilers (even in the author's note), tension, toxic relationship, manipulation, descriptions of torture and violence, they match each other's freak

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ word count: 2.4k

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ theme song: "See You Bleed" by Ramsey

⠀⠀⠀⠀➺ A/N: I don't know how I ended up writing for Caleb out of pure spite and the burning need to get this toxic idea out of my head. Imagine that this isn't the first time they kiss or have sex. At the end, I'll explain a few details that mean a lot to me because they were intentional. Their relationship is toxic and if there's softness portrayed, that's just a glimpse of their complex feelings. I wanted her to mirror his behavior, and no, she doesn't have a chip. I fully believe she has the potential to turn twisted because of the events she went through. What she does isn't moral and I give zero fucks — I like it only when they're both twisted for each other. If you've watched the main story and Caleb's myth, the fact that she killed several people will make more sense to you. If you didn't read them, however, there are only small hints as to why she's done it.

There was a faint scent of something in the apartment. Familiar and metallic, it had Caleb scrunch his nose as he frowned deeply. 

Then, his eyes widened in pure horror and he sucked in a quick breath. Boots and uniform still on, he rushed to her room, fingers gripping at the knob as he pushed the door open in a hurry. The door hit the wall, getting the attention of the young woman who just took off her shirt, exposing her back and the straps of her bra. 

The pristine, white shirt was stained in red, in blood. Curtains drawn open, the moonlight fell in eerie waves over her figure, accentuating the soft lines of her body. Soft, except for the unusually sharp gaze she shot Caleb. Dangerous, murderous even. A pair of dark eyes, cold and unforgiving. Splatters of blood on her face — on her beautiful face, on the mesmerizing face of his very obsession. 

“Is there an issue?” she arched her eyebrow at him. 

He doesn't even remember a time when she acted like this with him. So unforgiving, just like her gaze, her tone sent a shiver down his spine. It was unsettling. 

“What's with the blood, pip-squeak?” he almost growled. “What happened? Who did this?” 

Coming closer, boots hitting harshly against the floor, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a cruel smile curl her lips up. 

“You're so stupid sometimes,” she shook her head, chastising him in a soft tone. 

She threw the bloodstained shirt on the chair at the desk and turned to him. 

His gentle fingers gripped at her shoulders firmly — what a contrast — as he raked his gaze over her body. Dry blood, but no wounds and no bruises except for some old ones. A greenish bruise on her ribs, a fading scar from her side running down under her jeans. After spending so much time training and fighting, he recognized each and every kind of injury and none of the ones on her body was new. 

“Enlighten me, then,” but his tone turned to a whisper as he realized she wasn't, in fact, hurt. 

It was someone else's, then. 

“You're an idiot for thinking of me as naive, gege.”

Oh, the light and almost scary chuckle that left her lips, the way she looked at him with some kind of pity, like he had been wrong about her this entire time. As if the view he had of her was wrong, so inaccurate. 

And she was glad. More than that, even. She was delighted to watch the confused and worried look on his face, to watch her gege recognize nothing of the woman he once knew. 

It's because of you. You did this to me. You ruined me, you turned me like this. 

And I kind of like it. 

The young hunter stepped closer to him, pressing her own hands on his shoulders as she made him step back in sync with her. Until his legs hit the bed and she pushed him harder. He relented and the mattress dipped under his weight. 

She harshly gripped at his jaw with one of her hands, thumb and pointer finger pressing against his face with force. Pulling, she tilted his head towards her. 

Caleb could only see the crazy look on her face as she leaned over, covering his view with the strands of hair falling in a curtain around their faces. He curled his own hand on her wrist, applying the same amount of pressure. Just to test her resolve, to see if he could put a stop to her tantrum. 

“I hate you,” she murmured. 

Crazy eyes locked on each other, harsh grips of their fingers on each other's bodies. Her blunt nails dug into his face and he was left breathless. 

Did it arouse him or did it scare him? Did it worry him? 

A mixture of feelings swirled in his purple eyes, intense as they clouded his judgment. Those words shot like an arrow through his already broken heart and some shards scattered around at their feet. But none of the sharp shards seem to touch her, because she didn't move an inch. 

His hurt gaze didn't move her. 

“But you can't hate me with every fiber of your being,” he whispered softly, like a snake promising her eternal knowledge with a beautiful, red apple caught in his fangs. “Right?” 

“That's one thing you're right about,” she hummed lowly, counting his promises and words, the pros and cons. 

At the end of the day, she was not an ordinary civilian anymore, hasn't been for years. She hadn't become a hunter just to be underestimated, she hadn't become a weapon for others to treat her like a soft little thing. A hunter who's seen blood and death, who had almost died, who had cut her own body while trying to save another's. It all had led to the person she was at that very moment. 

But they all made that mistake lately — of acting like a human couldn't do horrifying things out of rage, out of hatred. Everyone thought there was sanity left within her, but she knew they weren't right, not anymore at least. 

They thought of her as weak, as frail and fragile. The only fragile thing within her was her sanity, and Caleb pulled at the last string in the past days. 

“Because I hate them more, Caleb. And their biggest mistake was choosing you as their lab rat. They thought they did something, he believed he had finally found the perfect person to put to test. But they were so, so wrong, gege.” Such a sweet voice, such a soft and mellow tone, dipped in secrets and crimes. 

She ran her thumb over his jaw, leaning in closer, so close their noses almost touched. 

Tilting her head, she whispered softly at his ear, like a little devil wrapped up in silk. 

“Because they all screamed when I ripped off their limbs. Because they all begged when I cut their fingers, one by one.” 

He gulped, eyes widening slightly at the information. The actions in itself didn't sound scary, no, but the fact that she was the one doing it all, the fact that she was most probably not lying. The scent of blood filled his lungs in a disgusting manner, despite how many times he's felt it. 

“Someone told me at some point,” she started off as a sweet, loving story of a long time ago, “that the best revenge was to keep someone alive, because one can only feel pain when they're alive. And I followed that advice. I kept them alive for as long as I could and they were in pain the entire time. I woke them up every single time and I ruined their bodies, until they died of pain.” 

He felt hot underneath those clothes, like fire was licking at his spine, at every inch of his skin and flesh. 

However, no matter how insane and almost good it felt to hear those words, Caleb didn't believe it. Not fully, no, because she wouldn't do that, she was not the type to—

“Do you want to see their fingers arranged like beads on a necklace? You look at me like you don't believe a thing I've said.”

The next thing that slipped from her mouth was a sweet laughter, filled with joy and amusement. 

“I can't fucking believe you either, gege,” she spoke through chuckled, eyes sparkling. “I can't believe you're so dumb when it comes to me. I can't believe you refuse to see what's in front of your eyes.” 

Just like that, she put one knee on the bed, next to his thigh. Doing the same with her other knee, she straddled him as she caressed his cheeks with the back of her fingers. So gentle, contrasting with her gaze, with her words and behavior. His gloved hands curled into her bare waist, settling on her body. Somewhere in a corner of his mind, he thought he felt her warmth seep through the leather material. 

Leaning in, she pressed her nose against his cheek. All he had to do for her body to soften just slightly was to wrap an arm around her waist. 

“Only I can hurt you, Caleb. I deserve to do that. You've put me through so much pain and yet—” she scoffed darkly. “They dared to touch you. They had it coming. This entire time, they should've known. Their idiocy was their own decision.”

Breathless, wordless, and so confused. That's how he felt at that moment. 

“I told you not to stick your nose into it.” Of course. Her ever-loving, overprotective, gege. 

“Do not order me around,” her fingers slipped to his neck, pressing lightly. “I am not your subordinate. You are not my Colonel. They are the dogs following you around, not me.”

“You've never been a dog—”

“Oh, you are wrong,” and she let out a nervous laugh, gulping. 

Intense feelings crawled up her throat, cutting her breath as they clouded her mind. Wrath bubbled to the surface once again. 

“I was a dog, Caleb. I was a dog every single time I weeped at your grave, I was a dog every single time I thought of you while I thought you were gone for good.”

She pressed her fingers against his neck a little tighter, a little more. 

“I was a dog when I felt my world crumble every time I looked at our photos together. But not anymore.”

The grip on his neck loosened up and she took in quick breaths, eyes a little hazy as the adrenaline washed over her. 

Still, he dared to regard her with that loving and worried look in his eyes. 

“But you don't hate me.” A plea. “Right?” So pitiful. 

“I do,” she shook her head softly. 

Softening in his hold once again, she looped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face into his neck. The dry blood on her cheeks was uncomfortable against his skin, but she didn't move just yet, especially when he wrapped his other arm around her, pressing her closer to him. 

“But if I tell you that I also care about you, it'll get to your head. You'll ignore the other side of the coin like the idiot man that you are. I love you just as much as I hate you, and my hatred is nothing kind of shallow.” 

Behind her back, he peeled off his gloves and placed his bare hands on her body. With something akin to a whimper, she melted further into his body. Lava licked at her chest, falling like hot droplets into her stomach. 

Caleb whispered her name, but she refused to hear him out any further. With a press of her palm over his lips, she regarded him with her dark gaze. 

“You'll dig yourself a deeper grave if you continue talking. So be a good boy for once, darling.”

He parted his lips against her palm and nibbled at the skin, gaze mirroring hers. With a gulp, he pulled her hand down and pressed their mouths together. Heavy breaths and heated kisses, his warm hands and her cold touch. Languid and hot, deep and hungry for each other. 

A groan escaped him when she bit at his lower lip hard enough to draw blood and she licked at it, pulling him further into that burning ocean of passion. Her kisses didn't soothe the pain in his lip as it only worsened, but he's already grown addicted to the drug that stole her name. 

“Say my name again, Caleb,” she ordered him in a soft tone, pressing her thumb against his pulse. 

The beats of his heart right under her fingertip. And like the idiot that he was, instead of moving away, he let his head fall back and exposed more of his neck to her. 

“I could kill you right now,” a breathless whisper left her lips. 

“But you won't.” Such a defiant man he was. Putting so much trust in her hands it was hard not to give in, not to give him exactly what he wanted. 

She intended to take just as much. To take his kisses, his conscience and his sanity, to occupy his every thought and steal his freedom. Just like he had stolen her soul when he left, when he supposedly died. 

Hips pressed together and clothes thrown onto the floor. Bodies glistening with sweat and wanton moans. Soft curves and harsh bites on their skin. They gripped onto each other and took. 

Drinking up her pleasure, he lifted his hips and she threw her head back. Caleb took the opportunity to leave hickeys on her neck and chest as he pressed her down on him, drawing more sounds from her lips. A sweet melody dipped in sin, a few hushed whispers of ‘I need you’ and ‘you feel so good’.  But she never said anything, simply listening to the endearing pet names, the way he desperately tried to get a word out of her. It was with no avail. 

They took and took from each other until there was nothing left. Until she fell limp on top of him and curled her fingers beneath his shoulders, gripping onto his body. In utter silence, they both looked at the night sky outside the window. 

His fingers curled tighter into her as he pressed her body against his, chests glued together. Caleb found himself in a strange position; almost vulnerable. She gave no signs of love and something within him broke. From the high he's been through a minute ago, he felt himself spiraling into the abyss. 

“This is how my pain felt like,” she whispered softly as she drew circles on his bare shoulder. As if she knew what he was thinking, like she willingly chose not to call his name when their highs reached their peak. 

He couldn't find it within himself to argue. He accepted the pain just like a dog, until she decided it was enough. 

With a lift of her head, she cupped his face in her palms and kissed his forehead. A tender gesture that he gripped onto with his teeth, closing his glossy eyes.

Caleb knew what she was doing and he let her. Just like she's known how she was manipulated and had let him do it. 

rant warning! so. why is he vulnerable at the end? she did just use sex as a way to make him feel bad; that thing where you feel emotionally exposed after orgasms is a thing and I wanted to show that. she uses it, but in the end, she relents - she still cares about him.

they're both very self aware individuals and know what the other is doing, but they just let it happen. when they're stubborn, they're stubborn at the same time. she gives him a taste of his own medicine.

if you wonder who exactly is the man she killed; well, it's Professor Lucius. just because that man is dead, doesn't mean there's a happy ending.

also, I called him a 'dog' at the end because I used the same word in her speech when she talked about how she felt - it was intentional. I showed more of her twisted behavior (instead of adding his own crazy shit) because that was the detail I wanted to portray in this oneshot.

I hate a lot of thoughts about him, ngl. anyways, I'd appreciate opinions and criticism. have a great day! <333

[httpuckdrop]

ashes – day 101

"i can't believe you, jack."

several weeks had passed since you last saw him. it had taken you a few days to even answer his texts; you refused to reply whenever he brought up this thing going on between you two or wanted to meet you, but you felt too guilty not to answer him when he asked how you were doing and how school was going. you knew he genuinely cared for you, and even if you wanted to just disappear into thin air, you felt too bad to do it.

you told him when you aced your recent exam, and he told you about how bad his games had gone. the conversations were never long, nor filled with much emotion, but at least it was something to jack. he missed you like crazy, and of course you missed him, too. and you felt horrible for pulling away, but this was how it had to be.

it hurt so much – but that pain was nowhere near what you felt when you got sent that video yesterday.

a video filmed by a friend of yours at a night club in town, of a girl and a boy dancing – well, of a girl rubbing her ass up against a boy's crotch, with the boy's hands on her hips holding her close. when the video zoomed in, and the couple turned around a little, the face of the boy was suddenly clear as day.

of course it was jack, and of course he looked like he was having the time of his life. of course you'd never even seen this girl before, and of course she looked hotter than supermodel.

you never before thought you'd be capable of yelling at him. you usually were never one to raise your voice, and jack was such a kindhearted soul that even when you'd had little arguments before, everything had always been calm. but now, it was all just too much, and all of your emotions from the past months – screw that, years – came crashing down at once.

jack leaned back against the counter behind him, his hands digging deep into his pockets. "what is it you can't believe? why are you so worked up over this?" he asked. "i'm not even your boyfriend."

you shook your head. "still, jack. it hurts. we spend so much time together, we kiss and we fuck and-"

"and i'm still not your boyfriend!" he exclaims at this, followed by a groan. "i'm sorry if i sound harsh, but it's the truth, isn't it? besides, you haven't wanted to see me in weeks. don't go around acting like i can't do what i want to do."

you paused, having no idea what to answer. he was right, you knew he was – so why was it so painful?

jack spoke up again. "i think it's great that it hurts, because it shows that you care." your eyebrows shot up. "i want you to care. because i care about you." he stepped forward to where you were sitting on the chair by his kitchen island; a big, warm hand landing on your shoulder. "you know i what more than what he had. i want to be your boyfriend, there's never been a doubt in my mind about that."

you looked down at your feet dangling past the footrest, a deep sigh leaving your lips. "i… i can't."

"please, just give me a chance. i won't disappoint you."

you never thought you'd have someone like jack hughes – the tall, rough, muscular sports type of man – holding you by your shoulders and begging for you to love him. maybe that was a part of why you felt this way? because it all felt too surreal, too good to be true? because you knew there was something else lurking in the shadows?

"it doesn't work like that." moments ago, you were practically bursting with emotions, yelling at him and cursing him out in your mind. but now, you felt empty. your voice was so quiet he could barely hear you. "i've been with guys who made promises to me, who still hurt me and broke me, and-"

jack couldn't help but cut you off again. "but none of those guys were me! haven't i proved to you what kind of man i am?" he sighs – he's worked up, too, but he tries his best not to let his feelings take over. "it doesn't make any sense."

it wasn't until his hand landed on your cheek and he tilted your face up to look at him that you snapped. "i know it doesn't make any sense, and i know it's not rational, but it's who i am." a tear slipped down your cheek before you could even register that your eyes had started welling up. "i'm sorry but i can't control it, and i hate it. i hate how every time i get close to someone, i pull away. i hate how every time you look at me with that lovestruck expression, i feel like i don't deserve it. i hate…"

jack's thumb brushed away a few of your tears and traced along your features, and the action had you falling even further apart.

"i want to do it. i want to just dive straight into it, head first," you took a deep breath. "but it's so scary."

"well, shit, i'm scared too! it's not like i'm some super experienced relationship expert. but we'll have each other." now his other hand reached for your face too, cradling you as he stared deep into your soul. it was like he wanted to convince you, like he wanted to prove to you that everything will be fine.

but despite all of his efforts, you still couldn't find it in yourself to promise him anything. you weren't sure if you could stay true to your word if you said that you could give him what he needed, what he wanted, what he deserved. "jack, i-" the pain crashed through your body in yet another heartbreaking wave as you pulled your face away, slipping out of his grasp. "i can't."

he didn't bother following after you when you retreated to the hallway; he knew it was to no avail. he hadn't moved a single inch when you looked back into the kitchen after having slipped into your coat and shoes, and you couldn't find it in your heart to say anything. no apologize or consolation could be enough to soothe the burning sensation in his chest.

[judesbelligoal]

I’ve already accepted this relationship. It hasn’t affected me, and I don’t want to seem like an obsessed fan who thought she had a chance with him. That was never the case—I have my own standards and would never have been involved with him in that way. I’ve always reserved myself for someone truly worthy.That being said, I still find it strange how this relationship was sold to us in just three days, how they exposed themselves to so much hate, and how their team failed to build a proper narrative to clean up his image before making everything public. It doesn’t make sense that she was at the match with his parents, yet there were no photos, no real indications—just rumors. Then suddenly, on Friday night, photos of her in the VIP box with his parents, along with paparazzi shots, are released, and The Sun has the exclusive. On Saturday, nothing happened due to the match, and then on Sunday, she posts that childish and nonsensical statement that neither confirms nor denies anything, he follows her, and just like that, they confirm what we already knew.I understand they don’t care about public opinion, but why expose themselves like this? If their PR team had handled this better, they could have avoided so much hate and harassment. A more credible and structured narrative could have been built, but instead, they just dropped everything suddenly.Maybe he really loves her or loves the idea of her, but I don’t understand why he would expose someone he supposedly values in such a reckless and rushed way. Her statement is immature and vague—it neither confirms nor denies anything, only fueling more rumors. Now, the entire internet is talking about her reputation, and everything is blowing up.It doesn’t matter if their relationship started in December, November, or even earlier—none of this makes sense. His team could have handled this better, cleaned up his image, and created a more believable story, but instead, everything feels rushed, poorly managed, and completely unstrategic.

I agree. Its two things that i dont get, what the timeline of all of this is and why those pictures dropped two days after they were taken? Ive been at the bernabeu in that same exact lounge a few months ago and its not just exclusives, its a vip lounge where everyone who has the money for it can sit, so how has no one who was sat there recorded anything. They were out and about according to those pictures of the sun but no one recorded that either and there were only a few pictures they showed.

Secondly, we know by know that jude’s team is just him and his parents, we know from the laura drama that they dont have any tactics like that, they probably advise him to say nothing about it and to just focus on football so maybe they haven’t thought this through, if anything they went into this maybe a little bit naively? Before this i imagined jude would keep his future relationship as lowkey as possible so thats why in gagged

[wild-at-mind]

Had a really stupid conversation via minor emotional breakdown with a queer friend about what makes an LGBTQ person 'assimilist'. From what she said I'm kind of forced to draw the conclusion 'if you say you're not assimilist, then you're not'.

[gelphiegifs]

"Come with me!"

[firebirdsdaughter]

Rewatching again, and…

… There's no denying that 'Eliot, Parker, and Hardison' are a 'trio' w/in the team, but I'm also subject to an ongoingly increasing appreciation for the 'Nate, Sophie, and Eliot' trio.

[wickmitz]

was once again glancing at the lackadaisy reddit and i genuinely feel a little crazy about how people perceive the wick and mitzi arc from retinue to sneakthief? or, honestly, their arc in general. to act as though wick is some patron saint greatly amuses me when it’s implied by mitzi and the comic that wick had either proposed a business deal himself or had been very amendable to talk about it after their kiss and / or other intimate acts last night … mitzi didn’t pull this out of her ass! she did not put this upon wick randomly. it was something they mutually agreed to do, and given how hard wick tries to wiggle away from the conversation without outright saying no ( aka giving excuses to stall ) i would even guess he essentially already agreed to such a deal, in the throes of passion, only for him to not fully mean it later. this doesn’t mean it was right at all for her to then steal from wick! this isn’t me excusing that! but wick isn’t some poor meow meow either in this scenario, even if he is the ‘lesser’ evil overall.

and tbh i also think the conversation was doomed from the start : wick was horrifically exhausted and was still too shaken up by rocky’s ‘joke’ to fully engage with mitzi, as well as finally having church’s warning start to weigh on him … and then there’s mitzi, who wasn’t faring any better! what with viktor out of commission, asa turning on her, mordecai threatening her, and then having spent most of the afternoon hearing her dead husband’s name be thrown around. in order to hurt her and scare her into obedience, mind you. like, neither were in any state to discuss business or romance!! so it’s no surprise it went poorly. especially when both of them were equally sore and testy during their date.

[arolesbianism]

Yet another beautiful day to have the Maxwel tag blocked (can't see half of the posts in the Wendy tags)

[stopaskingmetocreateanaccount]

AUGH. GEGE WHEN I CATCH YOU GEGE

[waywardsalt]

:3