#i love when they hug each other in death grips

[cubesugarss]

bed head

[sublimitymp3]

Do you, brother?

Pairing ✵ Aegon Targaryen/Younger sister!reader

Warnings ✵ Hotd season 2 spoilers, incest, swearing, smut (Dub-con, p in v, fingering, choking, slight breeding kink), mentions of death, mentions of child loss, descriptions of birth, and heavy themes

Word count ✵ 2.6k

Summary ✵ The death of your son leaves behind a shadow upon everything, and after an overwhelming funeral procession for him, your evasive brother finally comes to you in the night.

Jaehaerys

Your little boy. Jae-hae-rys. The syllables roll off your tongue in a smooth manner, as they always have done. Sweet Jaehaerys. The very thought of the name conjures memories in your mind of the day you labored him and his twin into the world, screaming and writhing in pain as you felt as though you were being torn apart at the seams. He was a small, splotchy babe, who exited you covered in blood and wailing and squirming in the maester's arms. But even through your delirium and searing pain, you knew then what love was.

He was a precocious boy, eager to learn and to explore the world. "He has the makings of a very fine king," you recall your grandfather telling you once. The thought of Jaehaerys on that throne made your stomach feel uneasy, and the words loomed over you, lingering in the back of your mind and refusing to leave.

Even now it still lingers.

The once dreadful notion has been reduced to a silly daydream, for Jaehaerys will never be king. He will never grow, never explore the world, never ride his dragon, and you will never cradle him in your arms again.

It feels wrong to carry on. It feels wrong to do much of anything with the knowledge that your sweet Jaehaerys will exist only in memory now. Your mother tries to console you, to hug you in her cold arms, but you do not want her now. After all, what does she know about losing a child? The funeral procession your grandfather insisted on felt even more wrong than anything else.

Your son, the martyr.

Hundreds of the smallfolk clambered over each other to catch a glimpse of your little boy, and you. Your tears bought their sympathy and a new resentment for Rhaenyra, but it mattered little to you. They had sewn his head back on, you saw. It was an ugly sight, where black thread met severed skin.

Jaehaerys

How you longed to climb over to the cart carrying his body just so you could hold your boy one last time, but your mother's steadying and sobering grip on your knee kept you from doing so. "Deepest sympathies, my queen!" "Curse Rhaenyra!" "We love you, our queen!" Their shouts of support felt more like a ringing in your ear than anything. You didn't want this. You only wanted everything to be quiet.

You had a headache and felt nothing but exhaustion, and you couldn't even bring yourself to weep any longer. It was as if you were wrung dry. You cursed under your breath at the seemingly endless flights of stairs in the Red Keep, for all you wanted to do was to go and lay in bed. But then you saw him. First, you saw his hair, hair much like yours, only it was messily cropped short. Next was his eyes, violet in color and mirrors of your own. The scowl upon his handsome face, well, you didn't care for it, but you couldn't pry your eyes away. You found yourselves gawking at each other on the stairwell, and only then did you remember how much Jaehaerys looked like Aegon.

"Your grace, I-" Is all you can say before Aegon quickly turns away from you and hurries down the steps. You stand there, watching as the head of silver hair swiftly disappears from your line of sight. You snap your mouth close, pressing your lips into a firm line and continuing up the stairs. 'Foolish girl, when has he ever confronted anything in his life?' you cannot help but think.

You don't see your husband for around two weeks. Fleeting glimpses in the hallways, mentions of him from your mother, and murmurs about the king from the courtiers are all you have of him during that time.

As you prepare yourself for bed, you try to banish all thoughts of him from your mind to get some semblance of much-needed sleep. The nights seemed so long and torturous now, and yet you hardly could find sleep no matter what you did. Tonight was the first night in what seemed like centuries that you finally felt tired, and you wasted no time settling into bed to drift into a slumber.

You dream odd things, nonsensical things you'll forget when you wake, mostly. And even more odd, you begin to dream of Aegon. Of his strangely soft hands on you, of him pushing your nightdress up to your hips, and of him maneuvering you onto your back. It feels real, but you know it isn't. He won't come near you, no, not now. But even your mind begins to suggest otherwise.

With an irritated whine, you feel yourself being pulled from your sleep. It is only when you open your eyes to curse at what you assumed was a maid disturbing you, that your assumptions are quickly proven wrong.

Aegon is on top of you, staring unblinkingly into your eyes. Salty, hot tears drip from him onto your face, and his hand clamps down over your mouth before you can question him. You must make a face unwittingly, for he begins to speak,

"Shh, shh, it's alright, it's just me...just me," Aegon soothes, and you smell the wine on his warm breath. He's drunk. Or at the very least near drunk. "I-I am sorry, sorry for you, sorry for our boy. Oh, my poor son," his words are ever so slightly slurred, and he retracts himself to sit on the edge of the bed and weep in his drunken stupor.

You sit up, a bit startled to discover your nightgown bunched up by your hips. Your smallclothes were even pulled down a bit, but not fully. You realize now what he was attempting to do, and you can only sit in a tense silence with him. "He was my son too, you know," he mumbles like a petulant child, once he catches a glimpse of your resentful face.

"I grieve him just as much as you, mayhaps even more. He was my heir, my only heir," his words linger in the stagnant air, not sitting well with you. His gaze unnerves you even more, staring at you expectantly. The implications in his voice are clear to you; he means to beget another heir.

"Take another wife then, I am tired," The brazen words escape you (before you can think) in a whisper, and you lay back down, wasting no time to turn your back to him. "I don't want to again, I can't again. No more, Aegon." and you close your eyes, letting your tears roll down the side of the face.

You refuse to subject yourself to it all over again. To the aches, the uncomfortable swell of your belly, and the terrible pain birth brought. You know what it will all end in. It's a deep knowledge that has burrowed itself between your bones, embedded itself in your brain, and wrapped around your heart.

The Stranger will come for you all, surely.

The bed dips again as he shifts himself closer to you, and he grabs your shoulder in a bruising grip to turn you onto your back. His face gets so close to yours that the tip of his nose nudges your own, and you feel his warm breath fanning against your lips.

"I wasn't asking what you thought of it. You're my wife, my little sister. You were born for me to have. A king needs an heir, surely you understand that? You're not a stupid girl," he brushes his thumb against your bottom lip, mockingly, almost.

He manages to wedge himself between your thighs, and you feel his wandering fingers pull down your smallclothes. "Aegon-" "Don't say a word, don't say a damn thing," he interrupts, irritated by your unwilling mood. "Wouldn't it be nice to have another little babe to rock in your arms? Hm? We'll make more, yes? Enough to fill this fucking castle," Aegon grunts, pushing his fingers past your folds. A whine involuntarily escapes you at the invasive feeling, and even more so as he pumps his fingers in and out.

In and out, in and out, in and out.

You feel your body give into his ministrations and get wet. 'Betrayal,' you think. A pleased hum escapes from him as you leak onto his fingers, and you feel your cheeks burn with shame. This isn't right. No, no after what has happened.

"You weep down here too, did you know, sweet sister?" He mumbles, pulling his fingers out of you just to drag them along your dripping folds. A shiver runs up your spine at his actions, forcing you to bite your tongue to muffle any noises. You don't want him to hear you. You don't want to give him that satisfaction.

He fully retracts his fingers, and you know what is next. He undresses himself quickly, untying his breeches and tunic with a practiced speed before pulling your nightdress off of you, leaving you vulnerable and cold. He chuckles at your little shivers and the way you wrap your arms around yourself protectively. "Shh, do not worry, you'll be warm soon enough," he laughs as if this is a lighthearted moment between two lovers. Your stomach churns slightly.

"You're so beautiful, you know. I've never thought otherwise. So pretty like this, all for me," he whispers against the shell of your ear as he lines himself up with your cunt.

The burning stretch of the intrusion is what you feel first. It has been long since he bedded you, and your body had forgotten the feel of him. "F-Fuck, how are you so tight? Like you're trying to squeeze me to death," he groans against your neck, before suckling bruises into your soft skin. He bottoms out completely, and you feel his tip brushing against your sweet spot.

It's overwhelming for you. It's too much. You close your eyes and let your mind drift to happier days. Days long before you called Aegon husband, days when you would play with your sister by your mother's skirts. Days when the most daunting task was getting out of bed or letting the maids bathe you. It almost brings a smile to your face. Almost.

Your blissful daydreams and nostalgia are interrupted by Aegon gently slapping your cheek repeatedly, rudely reminding you of where you are now. "Hey, hello, where are you? Look at me, for fucks sake," he grumbles, slowing his thrusts you only now are noticing. He grips your face in his hands, forcing you to stare into his familiar violet eyes.

It's cruel to have to stare into your own eyes while this happens, you think.

"Don't do that again. Think of me," he whispers against your lips, his voice a bit shaky and heavy with lust. "Only me, and this."

His thrusts resume, and his lips are soon pressed against yours. He kisses you with a greedy, bruising force as if he's trying to devour you whole.

"Messy girl," he muses as he wipes drool off your chin with his thumb, and the action is oddly tender to you. The tip of his cock keeps brushing against your sweet spot, making your mind turn to mush and your legs turn to jelly.

You hate how Aegon has this talent to make your resolve slip with only a few touches and kisses. You could be upset with him for weeks on end, and yet all he had to do was hold you down and you'd soon forget whatever grievance you held against him.

"A-Aegon, brother, please-" you whine, even more so as he maneuvers your knees to press against your chest. He holds you down like this and the new angle allows him to push further into you. The sound of skin against skin reverberates in your chambers around you as he drives into you at a faster pace.

"Stay still, stay still. Quit squirming, don't you trust me, sweet girl?" He huffed, still irked by your light resistance. His hand reaches back down to your weeping cunt, and his thumb rubs gentle circles into your bud. The added stimulation makes you cry out with overwhelming pleasure, and you feel like your very bones are gyrating.

"There we go," he smirks, dragging out his words. He's found the combination that makes you fall apart around him and he finds it satisfying. "You like that, don't you? 'Course you do, sweet girl. You were made for me, made to take my cock and bear my children. You were born to be mine. Nothing more, nothing less," He groans, his own peak beginning to build up.

His words ignite a fire in your belly, and it feels so wrong. His words are mocking, demeaning even, and on any other given day and situation you'd have retorted and isolated yourself from him until you calmed down. But this night was not simply any other night. His words and his movements bring you closer and closer to the edge, and the coil in your belly tightens up as it prepares to snap.

"Aegon, gods, keep going, please don't stop-" you moan, lost now in the bliss of it all. You selfishly buck your hips against his, desperate for your own impending release.

"I got you, pretty girl. Go on, let go for me, sweet sister," and with his words, the tightly wound coil in you snaps. It is a white-hot pleasure that wracks through your body, and you feel as though you are floating.

You come to when you feel Aegon increasing the pace of his already rough thrusts. He is close, you can tell. You have no strength to tell him to pull out, to beg him not to finish inside. He's fucked you too good for that. Maybe that was his plan after all, you think.

"F-Fuck, I'm so close, sweetling. I'll fill you up, make sure you're nice and full with my seed. In nine moons time, we'll have another little boy, hm? Another silver-haired beauty," he pants, before his grip that still pushes your knees against your chest tightens. He brings one hand to squeeze around your throat, and you feel his fingers dig into the sides of your neck. There will be a bruise there in the morning, no doubt.

His movements are rough and fast as he chases his release, and soon, his steady pace falters and his hips stutter to a halt. "Gods be good," he moans, slumping over to bury his face into the crook of your neck. Spurts of his warm and sticky seed coat your velvety walls, a familiar feeling. Surely you will be with child by the next month.

Exhaustion is what you feel. Exhaustion, and a pang of sadness in your heart. Another babe you will have to labor into the world, another pawn in this war. Another victim of this needless bloodshed, as brother and sister tear each other apart.

Aegon gently kisses your lips, rubbing your stomach with his hand, no doubt imagining you are pregnant already. "I love you, I really do." He whispers, holding you close and breaking you from those thoughts of impending doom.

Violet eyes meet violet eyes, and you gaze upon his features that are not dissimilar to your own. The very same blood that runs through you, runs through him. The same blood that ran through your son, you think. You do not know what to make of his drunken declaration, and it is like your body speaks for you then;

"Do you, brother?"

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[quarterlifekitty]

Just some more thoughts on König with a clingy girl.

He’s not used to physical intimacy by any means. He’s paid for girls plenty of times, have a few flings during different leaves, but never anything sweet. Never a girlfriend.

Before you even get together, you’re clingy. You like hugs. You like leaning on him when you’re sat next to each other, falling asleep on him. Which makes him fall in love so quickly, by the way. He’s addicted to feeling you warm on his skin.

And when he does manage to sweet talk his way into the boyfriend position? He melts under every crumb of affection. Every kiss to the cheek, every nuzzle, every time you park yourself in his lap.

Man is a death grip hand-holder. His height makes him hard to lose in crowds, but he still doesn’t want to be separated. Letting go of your hand is literally like his last resort.

And let it be said. This man wants to fuck you with as much skin to skin contact as possible. Sure, he’ll never say no to a quickie, but his favorite type of sex is when you’re both completely bare and have space to get in every position imaginable. He likes you pressed completely against him— chest to chest if possible, maybe back to chest (especially if a full length mirror is involved).

And then there’s the emotional clinging. He’s very insecure about the idea of wanting you more than you want him, so it always makes him so happy when you’re the one texting, calling, or just coming into the same room as him to hang out. He loves when you contact him for no reason at all— just to check on him. One time when he asked why you called, you said “I just wanted to hear your voice,” and he almost fainted from how giddy it made him. And he doesn’t have so much going on besides work, so he really doesn’t mind if you’re the type to want to spend every hour of every day with him.

The hardest fucking you ever got from König was a few weeks after you first moved in together. He had to be on base for the day, and you had a day off. You meet him at the door— you headed there as soon as you heard the car— and wrap him up in an embrace that he gladly returns.

“So, leibling, what did you do all day today?”

“I waited for you to come home,” you say absentmindedly, just rubbing his back and pressing your cheek to his chest. You don’t notice how he almost starts trembling from your words, his heart feeling like it’s about to burst.

He needs to be inside you— can barely hold it together enough to carry you to bed like a fucking caveman. Starts thinking you need something else to cling to when he’s away… something that can cling to him when he comes home. A baby would suit you both very nicely, yeah?

[riotlain]

How they sleep/cuddle

bigger than normal post but yknow :3

I was gonna do more characters for this so feel free to rq more characters for this

THIS IS A NWLNW BLOG!! WOMEN DNI

(yknow just means to not interact with the post)

Bruce Wayne

Not against cuddling. Will if you ask

He likes being big spoon, especially after a long day... will little spoon if he's particularly tired

Stays still when he's asleep aside from like occasional gripping

Either insanely light or insanely heavy sleeper theres no in between

The type to mumble in his sleep

Dick Grayson

Loves cuddling to the extreme

Spooning is big (He's usually big spoon but he melts if he's the little spoon)

Loves laying on your chest after a long day

He sleeps like a damsel in distress

Moves a lot when he sleeps and its usually gravitating towards you

A snorer

Jason Todd

Either insanely warm or insanely cold no in between

Sleeps like a victorian child on their death bed...

Likes to have an arm wrapped around you when cuddling but like unintentionally curls against your chest when he sleeps

Sleep talker and restless kicking

Wakes up a lot in the middle of the night so you might catch him staring at you or gone to the kitchen

Tim Drake

If its yalls first time he'll be like sorta stiff for a little

If yall dating for a good lil while then he'll be more relaxed

and also take up majority of the bed

He likes laying on your chest and vice versa

Sleep talker.. if he ever sleeps

Watches you sleep in the way where he's a really bored insomniac

Can't lay still at all when he's asleep and always gravitates towards you

Cold feeted mf

Damian Wayne

He's pretty on guard at first

He doesn't initiate the cuddling bc he isn't sure how at the beginning

Unless you start cuddling him he'll just sorta lay there and accept it

Eventually when he's fully comfortable he will still lay there like a plank but he'll have an arm around you

He looks like he's dead when he's asleep

He might like mumble something though

He has many pets so at least one will show up and lay there too

If someone walks in he'll deny everything they ask and tell them to get out (unless its Alfred then he'll nicely tell him to get out)

Clark Kent

Living heater

Loves cuddling and hugging

Coming back home after a real rough day and just hugging you

Laying on each other is his fav

Somewhat heavy sleeper due to him being used to his super hearing and stuff

Krypto is in your bed a lot too

Sleeps soundly as hell like damn!

Plastic Man

Flirty as hell like its crazy

Wraps around you like snake

Can't have a normal cuddle session with him probably bc he's like everywhere

He'll be your blanket if you're cold

In the literal sense he will be your blanket

Insanely warm

Fav position is spooning. He doesn't mind which he is bc either way he's gonna talk to you (will stretch his neck to look at you)

Sleep talker and moves around a lot

Everyday you wake up in a new position

[halcyone-of-the-sea]

Ahhhh I've been waiting for your requests to open, I've been following you since your first Price fic and never had an idea to request until like 2 weeks ago 😫 so, I've been thinking, what about being in a relationship with Keegan but getting separated when ODIN hits the earth and not meeting again until about 5 years later? 👀 Love your writing, hope you have a great day 🩵 :)

For The Weak And Weary

PAIRING: Keegan P. Russ x F!Reader

SYNOPSIS: When ODIN struck you had thought he had died, sky alight with fire. It had taken years to accept it, much less live with it. But after Dallas falls, would you get a glimpse of your Lover's phantom again?

WORDCOUNT: 6.2k

WARNINGS: Angst, depressive thoughts, PTSD insinuations, gore, wounds, blood, death, canon-typical violence, (1) suggestive joke, alcohol, hallucinations, fluffy reunion, tears, verbal arguments, etc.

A/N: Just because I'm a sucker for sticking to the game timeline I made it ten years, lol. Enjoy, Anon! Very fun prompt.

*I do not give others permission to translate and/or re-publish my works on this or any other platform*

You could never make sense of what Keegan went through in 2005 during Operation Sand Viper. It would be pointless to try and wrap your head around it from what little you knew. All that mattered was that when he came back on leave, something in his eyes was…damaged. Hell, he’d only been sixteen—the both of you had known each other since you were kids, you knew when something was wrong.

And this was entirely new to you.

He smiled less and snapped more; got spooked when you dropped something in his family's kitchen like a grenade had gone off. Maybe, you reasoned, he thought one actually had. 

But through it all, you could still see how much he cared about you. When you were old enough you’d both moved into a nice place in the suburbs and started a relationship—a life shared between the two of you. 

You knew he loved you from the way he’d grip you close at night and breathe into your scalp. How when you were sick from the take-out dinner he’d brought home, Keegan would hold back your hair and rub circles into your spine as you threw up. He never shied away from telling you how beautiful you were; prided himself on it. Keegan loved to show you off.

But there were times back then when you wondered if the same Keegan that had been so fulfilled to join Ghosts had died, and, in fact, a phantom was instead puppeting his skin. He was so quiet now.

If you’d known that the world was going to end on July 10th, 2017, you’d have never let him walk out that door angry. You would have grabbed his hand and pressed your lips to his, whispered affirmations into his flesh and sobbed at the cruelty of it all.

“I can’t keep pretending that you’re okay!” You yell, tears in your eyes, at the man standing tense in the kitchen doorway. Blank blue eyes stare lifelessly. “Keegan—this is killing you.” 

It was early morning by then, and the neighborhood was quiet. The house that the both of you had moved into years ago was littered with the remnants of a happy home. Pictures on the walls, dishes in the sink, and freshly baked bread on the counter. All you’d tried to do was give Keegan a hug, slipping your hands around his waist when you’d entered. 

He’d balked back, jerking to the side and nearly elbowed you in the gut before he saw your wide eyes and stopped himself. The way he’d looked at you…how could eyes be so dead?

“You need to talk to someone,” you put your foot down, shaking your head. “I-I don’t know a therapist or…or someone who can get you proper help because I can’t keep acting like I can live like this.” 

Every mission, every time he went away, it always got worse. 

Keegan’s eyes get sharp, hands at his sides clenching. He speaks in a low growl. “I don’t need to talk to a shrink, alright? I’m fine, you just startled me.”

“Bullshit,” your mouth hisses, glaring. “You thought you were back in ‘05.”

The man points at you, strong jaw clenching, “Don’t.”

“Keegan,” you plead, “please, I love you! I don’t care about this, I just want you to be alright. To be able to live your life—”

“What you want is to try and change me!” The black-haired man barks. Your eyes blink in shock. Keegan rarely yelled. “I already told you I was fine, why don’t you get off my back all the time?” His eyes flash, pupils going to slits as his hands shake at his sides. Why did he look scared? Your breath stills, lips slightly open, with tears dripping to the tile. “Fuck, it’s like I can’t come home without you pesterin’ me ‘bout something!” 

A stiff silence falls.

“Kee—” He snaps a hand to his mouth and rubs at his stubble, suddenly unable to look at you.

“...Forget it.” It’s low and shaky how he says it, eyes wide, before he darts into the foyer and slips into his boots. You listen to the sounds of panicked shuffling before the man wrenches open the front door and slams it shut behind him. One of the picture frames falls and hits the ground with a shattering of glass.

You flinch and tense, taking down a terse breath and sniffling tightly. Trying to get your lungs to work properly, your feet take you over to the picture as they feel weak and uneven; a stuttering mess of steps before you bend down. Your fingers bleed as they shift the glass away, taking out the image of you and Keegan on your hike through the mountains. 

Smiling faces mock you, and you break at the bright and open affection Keegan wears as he looks down at you—eyebrows curved up and smirk like a knife to the chest. 

You loved him so much it hurt to breathe when he was away. 

He had needed time, you knew, but what you didn’t know was that time wouldn’t be available. Around noon the world had opened into a ball of fire and death. 27 million dead. Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, and Miami…all gone…at least, that was what everyone in Dallas was telling you. 

When Keegan had been away taking a walk to calm himself, you’d been home alone. The earth caved, the ground shook; houses burst like balloons. By the time you’d crawled from the rubble of your home, all you had was the picture and the clothes on your back. People were screaming—you were screaming. But you knew that you couldn’t stay here if you wanted to survive. 

And then you’d made it to Dallas by sheer luck and the few tricks Keegan had taught you; had thought that he had died in that first strike by the Federation. You carried that guilt and self-hatred for not holding your tongue for a few more hours. 

So much could have been different in these ten years. Better. You never got over him for even a second. 

But the reality was that you couldn’t think about all of that now, because if you didn’t focus on holding your breath you would be dead in the next three seconds. 

Your hand is anchored to the body of your sniper rifle, finger hovering over the trigger as you hide behind the outcropping of rubble in the decimated cityscape; the air is hot and humid despite the weight of the night. It sticks to your skin in a sheen of violent sweat. Yet it’s still not as potent as the blood. 

Teeth gritted, you hold back whimpers as Federation soldiers stalk the grounds, scores of them—legions. An entire army that had breached the walls and executed everyone insight, soldiers, civilians, if it once moved it didn’t anymore. The burning in your shoulder was agonizing, head smashing itself back to the rubble in an attempt to stifle your own ragged need to scream into the night as layers had peeled back to allow a bullet to pass through. 

In the ten years you’d been here, you’d taken up the mantle of quite the sharpshooter; pulling on Keegan’s lessons when he was on leave and wanted to bring you to the firing range. You had even picked a rifle similar to the one back in your destroyed home—held in a plastic case and treated like royalty by your long-deceased lover. It wasn’t the same, but the jet-black Lynx made you steady like the picture in your breast pocket did. 

A reminder of what was lost and why you had picked the knock-off up in the first place.

Footsteps get closer as the sweep of a flashlight cards above your skull, if possible you go even more still, lips pulled in and heart rampaging. There were barked orders and yelling, but no more screaming. 

How long had you been unconscious after taking that shot to the shoulder? Fear was breeding with horror—was…was everyone dead?

Spanish is loudly called not five feet away, and the flashlight leaves as your breath does. You let off a quiet gasp and suck down air greedily. Eyes flashing from one shadow to another, you look for any opportunity to slip away from the city. In the wind, you could smell fire, and taste it on your tongue as you licked your lips. 

All around you can see the limp shadows of bodies and the apartments, large skyscrapers were on fire deep in their frames. The city was entirely lost.

How the federation got into the walls you would never know, though there was concern about the enemy soldiers rounding up civilians outside the walls and executing them. Maybe one cracked before the bullet entered their skull.

You bite hard into your lip to force back your pain. Trying to shoot a rifle would be useless at this point, you might as well have lost the limb. Slinging the gun’s strap over your head, you look back and forth along your visible perimeter, checking for hostiles as you unsheathe your combat knife and cradle your limp arm to your chest. 

If only Keegan could see you now.

Rounds of gunfire make the air burn with urgency, and you take the time to peek out behind as sweat makes a trail down your dirty face, dripping off of your chin as you breathe like a wheezing dog. Your wound needed tending, and you had the med pack on your vest with the supplies, but you can’t do it here.

Where’s safe? If Dallas has fallen…is there anywhere that’s still standing? A location hits your brain as your gaze darts from one abandoned street to another. You take a deep breath and whine as you force your legs to stand and move quickly, feet shifting as quietly as you’re able to make them. 

“Fort Santa Monica.” Now a stronghold, you’d heard US soldiers here talking about the large presence of military power out in California—numbers so great they rivaled those that had lived in Dallas. 

You stumble over a spasming body and slam your uninjured shoulder into the bulk of the building’s wall, groaning loudly like a wounded boar. 

“Fuck!” If you made it out of the city, that would be where you would have to go; to warn them of what was coming. The Federation had found a way inside the Dallas wall, and that meant if they had enough tenacity, they could do it to them too. 

Everything would be done if another city fell.  

Holding your knife tighter, you push off the wall and grit your teeth harder, mind running on that edge of hysteria and forced calm. It’s in these moments where you have to pull on old memories to keep you going—even if they end up hurting more than the open wounds you carry. 

Keegan had his bad moments, but you always got through them together. Years and years of knowing each other inside and out; memorizing bodies and thoughts like they were second nature. He would want you to keep fighting, tell you to get your ass in gear and go…and you would never let him down. 

You owed him that much even if some days you wanted more than anything to join him. 

Blade in hand, you hear muttered speech from up the alleyway and pause, feet splayed but still swaying as you come to a slow stop. Your ears ring at garbled sentences, foreign words spilling into one another. 

Panting, you listen closely, limbs vibrating. More gunfire echoes over the air, screams and death that get ingrained into your head like a brand into sizzling flesh. Skyscrapers burned and buildings fell with great earthquake booms. Everything is under a sheen of distance.

Get out of the city. Get to Fort Santa Monica.

“Kill who I have to,” you slur out, itching at your neck as you leave a trail of blood behind you. A single pair of footsteps walk quickly forward near your corner and you hold your breath, bringing up your knife as pain pounds in your arm. 

Deep blue eyes sit in the back of your mind, counting you down as they always did.

Keep your arm steady for me, Doll, a phantom tells you. Breathe...

When the first shadow of a Fed soldier graces your eyes, you strike. 

—

It’s roughly nineteen days from Dallas to Santa Monica, and that was if you kept up at a steady walking pace. If the crude sling you’d fashioned from bandages found in your med pack was any indicator, it would be double that. 

On the first day, you had hiked half-dead over the destroyed landscape of what remained of the USA, licking your wounds and counting your losses. You’d had your pick of abandoned houses, taking a red brick one just because it looked nice and you were about to pass out from blood loss. The only reason you’d made it this far was that the bullet had thankfully passed right through you, making sure that if you moved too suddenly no more damage was being done internally. You packed it with a sterile rag.

Sitting in the home, pictures gathering dust on the fireplace mantle, you tipped back a bottle of whisky you’d found in one of the bedrooms, grimacing at the sting. It was better to be drunk for what you were about to do. 

Heating up your combat knife in the fire you had started in the hearth, you watched the metal grow an eye-flinching white as you stared off into nothingness. 

“You remember when you showed me that scar, Keegan?” You always talked to him. Others had given you shit for it, but they knew the purpose. If you didn’t talk to someone, even a ghost, you would give up. 

The guilt was eating you alive, and it would overtake you eventually. Hadn’t in ten years, but it would…you knew it, everyone did. 

Keegan was everything, and nothing looked the same when you lost him.

“The one on your thigh?” Pulling the knife back, you turn to the leaking flesh of your shoulder, gushing blood as black desecrates the sides of your eyes. You’d taken off your vest and shirt. If you tried hard enough you could imagine Keegan standing in the corner, watching. Always watching. “You said you had to dig a bullet out and cauterize the wound—when I asked you said you barely felt it over all the adrenaline.”

The ghost tilts its head, eyes sad and lips pulling taunt. Your lungs take in a shaky inhale and your hand quivers; only you feel how your eyes burn with unshed tears. 

“I never thought about it before,” right as you growl and shove the knife into your skin, you bark out in fear, “But I think you were fucking lying!” 

On day two, you knew you had to avoid the remains of Fort Worth, so you decided to increase your distance and cut that landmark out entirely—too many remnants of Federation. They were everywhere now, and you needed to keep low; get out of Texas. You scavenged properties and took stock. 

Four magazines for your Lynx, a pouch with five protein bars, one bottle of water attached to your belt, and your knife. Normally you’d have a pistol at your thigh, but you’d used it up in the firefight back home. When you’d woken back up, it had been gone.

And, of course, you had the picture. You kissed Keegan’s face and placed it back in your breast pocket, caressing the material softly before clearing your throat and addressing the obvious. 

With what you had getting to California was a pipe dream. 

You’d been on the radio all day, clicking through channels and pleading for anyone alive to reach out. Nothing. Static. 

I’m the only one left. The thought was intoxicating, pounding in your skull like your hangover. Everyone is dead. 

While you had become somewhat of a loner in the last ten years, especially with the few months you’d been by yourself in the beginning, Dallas had given you a chance to build bonds again. Ten years, and in an instant it was all wiped out. 

It rang a devastating bell.

Somehow, you had cheated death where so many others had failed—not only in Texas, but back with ODIN too. You had survived, but somehow Keegan hadn’t. 

Keegan, the one who never spoke about ‘05 and jerked awake from nightmares years later because of it. Keegan, who wanted nothing more than to stay at your side when he was home and keep you on his chest when watching movies. Keegan, the love of your life.

The only love of your life. 

“I really wish you were here,” you mutter, grimacing as your arm gets jostled as you stumble over a piece of rusted metal in the empty street. “Who gave you the right to go away before me, huh? We were supposed to grow old together, Russ. You promised me that.” 

Garbage gets blown over the road when a hot breeze shifts the air, bringing the scent of dirt and the noise of rustling trees. Nature has reclaimed the towns and suburbs—great patches of ivy and long grass that rise to your hips. But the silence was a curse.

The only thing keeping you going is the thought of delivering your warning to Santa Monica, from there…

Your lips thinned. What even was there left? How many times could you go from one place to another, starting over with stories of your past and having to brush the pitying looks off as you fake a smile? 

Shaking your head, you recall memories from the better days as the light gets low in the sky. 

“You’re doin’ too much, Sweet Thing,” Keegan mutters, and you turn from the stove top with a bright smile to face him. 

He had just gotten out of the shower, towel ruffling through his dark hair as he stands in the kitchen entrance and watches you cook for him. The shirt hangs off of his wide shoulders, and gray sweatpants are loose over his formed hips—his strong brow line raises in a casual expression. 

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t like it,” you tease, hearing his low chuckles as you turn back to your pan. “You look good, y’know.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Keegan grunts, smirking, and his feet pad over to you, tossing the towel to the counter as his presence looms over your back. Large hands grab onto your hips and a nose burrows into your hair; inhaling deeply before gradually melting to the curve of your spine. 

You smile and hum, pushing back so you can rest on his chest. A chin sets itself on your head, deep massaging fingers making you pur as they bunch your sleep shorts.

It was late—nearly two in the morning. Keegan had only gotten home a short while ago, but sleep wasn’t going to stop you from spoiling him. A wine bottle was on the island counter, two glasses, and the food was nearly done from what you could scrounge up on short notice.

“...Good to be back,” the man grumbles into you, kissing your head and slowly sweeping his arms around your waist as you sighed softly at the contact. 

Your face gains heat. 

“Well, I’d sure hope so, or else this would be awkward.” You huff to hide the bright smile in your voice. But like a moth to flame, you hear, as well as feel, Keegan chuckle against your spine. His grip squeezes you for a moment. 

“How was it when I was away?” He asks as you move around the contents in the pan, nose brushing your neck as his lips travel to kiss behind your ear. He breathes against the flesh as his low rasp makes you shiver. “Any trouble?”

“Negative, Sergeant,” you raise a brow and smirk over your shoulder at him, seeing his blues spark as he gazes hard into your eyes. A faint twitch to his lips is what you get before his hand captures your cheek; anchoring your face as he descends to connect his mouth to yours.

He sighs into it, arm still around your waist—tight as if you were a pillow. 

“Keep talkin’ like that and we won’t have to wait long for dessert, will we?” 

Days three through seven were uneventful beyond the constant agony of your arm and tired legs, but on day eight amid a waterless walk in the sweltering heat was when the hallucinations began. 

Keegan walks beside you, his footsteps mirroring your own as sweat pools down your forehead and drips off your nose. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t look at you—he just walks, looking exactly like he did the day he died. 

At first, you’d flinched back and blinked wildly at the sight, panting, but then he’d disappeared and your heart had shattered. It worried you with what you were seeing, but it was also a strange comfort to be able to ramble to…something, even if it wasn’t real. Hungry and with a dry tongue, you were on the verge of calling it quits.

So on day eleven, without a wild animal in sight to give you a proper food source and all the water having to be purified, you started talking to him while licking the inside wrapper of your last protein bar. 

“But I never understood why you hated sleeping in shirts,” you licked your lips to get the remnants of granola off of your flesh, pushing away the greasy sheen from your cheeks. Your arm was burning up—every heartbeat was felt as it moved the skin around red and infected flesh up and down. Puss was leaking out from the crude stitches you had made of embroidery thread from that first house you’d found. 

“And you always kept the room freezing.” Continuing, you drop the wrapper to the ground and then take the meat of your fingers and get what little flavor you can off of them, grunting through realization. “That was a ploy to have me use you for heat, wasn’t it? Jesus.” 

The man in the corner of your vision smirks, tilting his head and chuckling from where he leans against a tree trunk. 

“Yeah, that’s right. Knew it.” Glaring at nothing, you stand from your overturned stump and nearly fall right back over, stomach yelling at you as your vision swirls. 

You dig a hand into your hair and grip at the strands, pulling and groaning. “...God.” 

Keegan comes over and stands above you, your eyes staring down at his feet as you get light-headed. You focus on his shoelaces, counting the Xs and taking down shaky breaths. When you blink like a cat with dirt on its face, the shoes are gone entirely and you stand back up to your full height.

“...Keegan?” You ask after a moment, the words disappearing into the trees, but no one’s around. 

Your sight goes to your wound and your jaw tightens, moments of clarity slipping in as a knife would into your consciousness before the curtain settles once more. 

You bend over and vomit what little nutrients you had, spending day twelve sleeping through a fit of nightmares and fever-induced delirium.

Nothing about the remainder of the time you can recall to memory—bits and pieces always flash through on long nights, but they’re only walking montages. Dragging feet, looking at your hand as if it was a foreign object as you turned it back and forth; everything in a sheen of sickness. Days and days and days. Little food. Less water. 

More than one-thousand miles.

But somehow, the Wall peels out in front of you as you crash through the foliage, your body giving out and collapsing down a large decline. Bouncing and getting jostled by rocks, you come to a stop without the strength to get back up, staring blankly ahead as your head connects with concrete. Your mouth is open in broken inhales, pain not even registering. 

Shouts echo, the pound of rapid feet. 

Green eyes meet yours, a youthful face with a beanie and stubble. He’s saying something to you, glancing over your gear and your obvious near-death situation—his hand jostles the side of your face. But your eyes shift behind him gradually, attention falling to someone more important. 

Before you finally let yourself rest, you stare at the smiling face of your steadfast phantom.

—

The doctors and nurses at Fort Santa Monica were nice, if a bit secretive about the entire operation. Seeing as you weren’t an official soldier, no dog tags or patches—no name in the database—everyone was a bit hesitant to tell you anything. 

Until you said you were from Dallas, of course. 

But no one was eager to rush you in your state, even if the information was dire. You had been hooked up to an IV and bedridden for a week straight; talking to nothing on account of the dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Some days you spend unconscious. 

But what really pissed you off when you got back into it, was the fact that they had taken your Lynx and your gear—your picture.

You’d almost grappled onto the first nurse you’d seen when you’d woken without it. It was a beacon, your prized possession of damaged corners and taped tears. Water damage that may or may not have been from sobbing fits in the first five years. 

In fact, that was the entire reason you had snuck out so late in the first place. 

Stalking down the hallway in the white shirt and camo pants that had been given to you on the fifth morning you had woken up here, you pad along with no shoes, only plain gray socks. You limp with bandaged flesh all along your healing shoulder and your feet. 

The doctor had explained that you’d entirely skinned the bottoms and your heels were a mess of blisters and open wounds. 

“Take my property,” you grumble under your breath, shuffling along and rubbing at the back of your neck. “What gives them the right?” 

You weren’t going to stop until you found it. 

Reading the name tags on the walls, you silently wonder where they would have taken your stuff as you slip out of the medical ward, listening to the buzzing of the lights and frowning. As you’re limping along the next hallway, a man suddenly turns the corner on nearly silent feet. 

“Woah!” You halt immediately, heart jumping in your chest. A hand catches your shoulder before you run headlong into him. 

Green eyes lock with your own, wide and blinking quickly. Brows furrow and you’re quickly looked over before a slow, teasing remark enters the air, you listen with a growing heat on your neck.

“Y’know, I could have sworn you were supposed to be in bed, Ma’am. I miss something here?” The man who had found you. 

“Wouldn’t know,” you say blandly, blinking up at him and taking a careful step back. This brunette had a casual air to him—still in his gear despite the time. He folds his arms and tilts his head at you, smirking. “If you’ll excuse me.” 

You begin to walk forward, slipping past him and hoping you won’t get snitched on. Except it seems you’ll be having a shadow, as not a few seconds later a smooth chuckle meets your ears and the man walks beside you. 

“I think I’ll be taggin’ along if you don’t mind. Security and all.” He turns to face you, sticking out his opposite hand. “Hesh.”

“That supposed to be some kind of nickname, Kid?” You raise a stiff brow but participate in the handshake nonetheless. His grip is firm but not hard. 

Hesh blinks at you, eyes swimming with amusement before he shrugs in a boyish way and shakes his head with a laugh. “Hell, you remind me of someone, Ma’am.” A moment passes in silence as you study the area. The man huffs, “Where exactly are we off to?” 

“Wonderland,” your lips grumble, tired and wanting to sleep but not until you find your picture. Hesh sighs but you can still hear the hilarity inside of it. 

“Alright then…don’t know if you’re going to be finding a shrinking potion anytime soon, though. We’re in low stock.”

“Very funny,” your eyes send a dry look, but you relent when he prods you with his eyes, taking a corner. “I’m looking for my vest.” Hesh blinks at you in curiosity, letting you elaborate as you motion to your upper shoulder. “My pouch has some of my personal belongings. I don’t like being away from it.” 

“Oh,” the brunette nods a few times, his beanie jerking along. “Yeah, that’s no problem.” A hand is waved and you stare in confusion as he pivots. “C’mon, I’ll get you there.” 

Your eyes burn into his back before you immediately speed after. 

“Why so eager to help?” Hesh smirks at your question. 

“As I see it, if you went over nineteen days of hard hiking just to get to us, you should at least be able to keep your stuff on you, Ma’am.” Your lips flicker in a smile. 

“You’d be the first.” You tell him your name and miss the slight emotion it provokes in his eyes, head lightly pulling to the side but ultimately saying nothing. Hesh shrugs with a grunt, leading you to a meeting room on the opposite side of the building. 

Yelling is on the other side.

“Elias, how long has this been kept from me?!” The voice makes your head perk, evoking something inside of your chest. Hesh seems taken aback too, holding up a hand to you for momentary silence—not that you had to be told. 

“Keegan, I can’t have that happen. She needs to recover and you being there could jeopardize that. We need what she knows about Dallas.” Your body stills to a near-frozen state, and it’s comedic how your entire face falls to a blank slate. Wait a second.

…Keegan?

“She belongs with me—I thought she fucking died and she’s been here for who knows how long?! Why wasn’t I informed?” Rampaging feet suddenly sound off, going to the door at break-neck speed.

“Son, that’s not a good idea. This is what I was worried would happen if you found out.”

“I didn’t exactly ask, did I? As far as I’m concerned, nothing else matters besides getting back to my Girl,” the bark is ferocious and violent, more of an animal’s than a man’s. “Now where the hell did you put her before I tear this damn fort apart and—” You shove at the door before Hesh can grab you, throwing it open and letting it hit the opposite wall with a great boom of wood. 

Your wild eyes instantaneously lock into sharp blues, pulse pounding in your ears. It’s like all the air is taken from your lungs in a great punch. 

Oh, he’s so similar to how you remembered him to be ten years ago. 

Keegan stands only a few feet away, turned in your direction with his eyes so wide and small you might faint. There’s black face paint in his sockets, making the cerulean all the more bright and shocking to the senses. He’s still tall, still built, if only a bit more rugged than when ODIN struck—there are lines on his forehead and his scars are more faded. Small differences in the way he holds himself like the difference between a rabbit and a hare. Keegan’s black locks are shorter now, but still…his.

Lips part in silent shock, an entire halt of your nervous system. 

The entire universe holds its tongue as you two stare at each other; walls and rooms blur into a mess of matter and reality—this couldn’t be real. 

Keegan’s feet shift for a moment as if to steady himself as his fingers twitch. In his hand, he holds your picture, his body covered in gear and weapons. He blinks as you tell yourself he’s a phantom, simply that same ghost come back to haunt you as tears sting the backs of your eyes. But then he speaks, and it’s the same voice you had slowly lost the ability to remember in year three. 

“...Sweetheart?”

His ghost never spoke. His ghost could not imitate the phonics of his speech or the rhythm of his throat. His ghost could not make you recall the memories you’d long since boxed up.

You jerk forward just as he does, bodies colliding into a feral grip of flesh and fabric, hands latching and faces burying. Sobs rip from you as Keegan’s shaky breath echoes right next to your ear—his chest hitching and arms snatching your waist and lifting you up as easily as he always had. He holds you up without any thought of putting you down, legging your legs dangle as Elias slowly exits the room and corrals a highly confused Hesh with him.

The door shuts, but neither of you notices. 

“Keegan—” Your voice is high with emotion, hardly believing what you're seeing—what you’re touching. “Oh, my God.” 

He had been alive all this time? Ten whole years and you’d thought he was dead. But by the way he was barely letting you breathe from in his iron clutch, you imagined Keegan had thought the same about you. It was…incomprehensible. 

“Shh,” he whispers, his shushes cracking and flinching between broken gasps of your name. “Shh.” He sets you down on the floor only to have his firm hands travel to your cheeks, turning your head to each side in a desperate need to understand if you were really there.

Keegan’s eyes are wet, but no tears let themselves fall quite yet. 

“I’m so sorry!” You hiccup and the man kisses your cheeks—your browline and nose. Every piece of you he can as you both stay so intimate you might melt into one another. “I thought you were gone, I-I should have stayed and looked for you, I didn’t—”

“You’re alive?” Keegan’s hands rub across your body, gripping and tugging you closer and closer. “My Girl’s alive?” 

His tears drip to your face as he hovers above you, and you both shake with the weight of years. 

“Me?” Your chuckle through sobs—you want to scream and wail at the same time. Blue eyes flutter and ragged breaths puff on your forehead. “What about you, you asshole?” 

Keegan shakes his head, and you stare deeply into him, hands coming up to cup his cheeks as he sags forward. He had stubble now, spreading out to grate your flesh. 

The man forces a weak huff. 

“Christ,” is all he mutters before he presses his lips to yours in a kiss so unyielding you expect to have your air stolen. Ten years to feel him kissing you again—to feel his warm flesh under your hands and his heart rampage into you. 

You’d do it all over if it still amounted to this.

Your body shivers and you reciprocate with just as much fervor; this emotion of relief is so overwhelming and all-consuming that it makes your head light. You suck down quick breaths between the sensation of your lips meeting, Keegan doing the same. 

Unconsciousness was better than letting him leave again, your lover sharing that sentiment as chests slid against one another. Soft hair slips through your fingers as you grip Keegan’s hair, cascading through locks as he groans into your lips and tries to hide his tears from you. 

He pulls away and immensely shoves his head into your neck. 

“You’re here,” he whispers quickly. A hand quivers at the back of your head as your tears wet his gear. “You’re right here. You came back to me, didn’t you, Doll?” 

You cry, “I’m here, Keegan.” The man sobs when he hears you say his name, his knees giving out as you both fall to the floor and not letting the other move beyond the caress of skin and lips.

“I missed you,” Keegan gasps, “so much. Don’t you understand? I was nothing without you. You took it all from me, everything. Every damn thing.” 

You press kisses to his neck and racing pulse, healing him inside and out without even realizing it; it was only fair, he was doing the same back to you. 

The picture lays long forgotten on the floor.

“Never let me go,” your voice forces out, as he rocks you back and forth like a child. “Never again, Keegan. Please, I love you too much to go through that again.”

“Never,” he immediately promises, pulling back and kissing your lips again—neither can stop themselves from this. Blues eyes blink quickly, cataloging your face and every little blemish he’d have to relearn and study; to find the story behind. Keegan had never been happier. He felt like he might break from it. “Over my dead body, I’m never lettin’ you out of my sight. You’re stuck with me.”

You laugh genuinely for the first time in ten years and say you’d like nothing better as he pulls you back in and plants his mouth to yours in reverent worship. His arms trapping you to him as yours do just the same.

Not to leave again anytime soon. 

TAGS:

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[rafeandonlyrafe]

never truly gone

words: 2k

alternative universe where rafe was the one to fake his death instead of ward

warnings: funeral, discussions of death and grief, established relationship, murder confession (canon murder), implications of smut (no actual sex)

you are barely tuned in to the words being spoken at the funeral, lost in the haze of grief. dressed in the same outfit you wore for your one year anniversary with rafe. it was his favorite. was. the word hits you like a ton of bricks.

it didn't feel real for the longest time, part of it still doesn't, the feeling in your gut that your boyfriend isn't truly gone, but as you pick your head up and look around, you realize you have to get over the stage of denial.

“are you okay?” your mom whispers, reaching over to squeeze your hand. you rip it immediately out of her grip. of course you're not okay. who could be after their first love, their high school sweetheart, blew up?

“now is the time that we invite anyone who would like to say a few words up to the mic.” the pastor says, looking out into the crowd, members of rafes family having already spoken.

ward turns around to look at you. he invited you to sit in the front row when you first arrived, but you didn't want that kind of attention, your every reaction being scrutinized, if you’re crying too much, or not reacting enough.

“would you like to speak y/n?” 

you look at the crumpled, tear stained piece of paper with some words scribbled on it.

“i-i don't know if i can.” you admit. ward seemed so strong when he spoke, the same pillar of community he seems to be when speaking at town halls or midsummers.

“whatever you say, im sure rafe would appreciate it.”

you nod, take a deep breath, then stand. your mind seems to blur as you walk to the front, the pastor greeting you with a soft hug then leading you to the podium.

you clear your throat before looking down at the paper. 

“i never imagined a life without you. you were the first man i ever loved and i can't… i can't see myself ever having that same love again. we changed each other so much. we went from kids to young adults planning out their life together. i love you so much, rafe. i always will no matter how much time passes.” you vow.

your next words turn robotic, talking about the family he left behind, his accomplishments, things that don't actually matter to you but you know should be said. you recount the five years you were together, knowing someone is no doubt scoffing at how little it is, but it was your whole world.

you manage to hold in your sobs until you sit back down. you spend the rest of the funeral with your head down, unable to look at the pictures hung around the church.

-- 2 months later --

you let out a groan as you turn over in bed, not wanting to wake up, wanting to spend another day rotting under the covers.

“it's almost noon.” your mom says, peaking in to the door.

“yeah.” you say, sniffling as you see the photo on your nightstand when you go to look at your alarm clock. you can't bring yourself to move it, even if it makes you cry every time you see rafes smiling face. “i know.”

“maybe we could go out to dinner. or order some pizza? you need to eat, baby.” you know your mom is just looking out for you, but the thought of food makes you feel sick, eating at this point when your stomach truly needs it.

“yeah, maybe.” you pick your phone up off the nightstand and unplug it. “im gonna take a shower and get dressed.”

“that's good.” your mom says. “i love you, y/n.”

“love you too mama.” you pause for a beat when she doesn't shut your door. “thank you.”

you mom nods before exiting. you open up your phone to the gallery that causes you as much pain as it has joy, flicking through your final photos with rafe before sighing and getting up to shower with him fresh in your mind, determined to not forget a single thing about him.

--

you're about to go to sleep, pass out and hopefully not dream of anything. you went out for dinner like you promised your mom, trying to keep a brave face for her. she didn't even mention anything when you came back from an extended trip to the bathroom with tear stains on your cheeks and red eyes.

you grab your phone, swallowing harshly to stop yourself from crying again as you click on your messages, rafes contact still pinned to the top. 

you click on your messages. the last text was rafe saying he loved you. you never got to text him back, but you know he was aware of how much you loved him.

you scroll back for a bit, smiling at his jokes even with the tears in your eyes.

you lock your phone and place it on your chest, looking up at the glittering stars through your skylight. “i miss you so much, rafe. why'd you have to leave me?”

your phone vibrates. you almost ignore it, not caring who it could be from, you've practically ditched all your friends, hoping they won't hold it against you when you finally feel good enough to hang out again, if that time ever comes.

something in you makes you pause when you go to plug your phone in, makes you hesitate and open up the text.

baby, im so sorry. please meet me outside, im at your dock.

love, rafe

you frown at the text from the unknown number, considering ignoring the obvious prank as you fling off your covers, body now fueled with rafe, but when you look out the window, there is an unfamiliar boat tied to your dock.

you slip on your shoes, not really thinking of a plan as you head outside, rushing through the yard to find out whoever is playing tricks on you.

the moon barely lights your steps as you stomp down the wooden dock until you're close enough from the boat for them to hear you and far enough from your house to not wake up your mom.

“this isn't fucking funny!” you scream. “whoever is pranking me, you're fucked up!”

a figure steps out of the boat and onto your dock. it takes your eyes a second to adjust, to really take in what you're seeing, to know it's reality.

“n-no.” you take a staggering step back. “im-im seeing things.”

“it's really me, baby.” the word hits you like a bullet as you fall to your knees, not caring that they dig into the wood. “i can explain everything but-but can i touch you? ive missed you so goddamn much.”

“this isn't real. you're- you're dead. im dreaming.”

rafe moves closer, dropping to his knees as well and pulling you into a tight hug. it isn't until he touches you that you know that it's not a dream, hes real and warm against you.

“oh, god.” you begin to sob, clutching onto rafe, clambering closer to him, climbing onto his lap and hugging him so tightly it's like your bodies could become one.

“im so fucking sorry baby. i love you. i love you so much.”

“i love you.” you sob, pulling back to look rafe in the eye. “i-i love you and you can never leave me again.”

you'll demand answers later, but now you're just happy your initial gut instinct was right, your boyfriend is right here, alive and well.

“can i kiss you? you're probably pissed at me but-”

you don't wait for rafe to finishing, surging forward and smashing your lips against his, all the passion and feelings of the past two months without him, but also the past five years of love, put into your bodies as you kiss under the moonlight.

“baby-” rafe gasps after a minute. “i-i need to get back on the boat. just in case i’m seen. come with me.”

“okay.” you're not sure what it means, but you're not going to let rafe out of your sight.

rafe climbs onto the boat before helping you, hand carefully stroking over yours as he leads you into the cabin.

“did you tell anyone that i messaged you?” he asks, sitting down on the bed and pulling you to his side.

“no.” you shake your head. “my mom doesn't even know.”

“that's good.” rafe nods. “i faked my death.”

“i can tell.” you giggle, unable to keep away for much longer as you press your lips against his in a quick peck before curiosity has your tongue loosening. “how? why?”

“my dad planned it for me. the boat was rigged to explode and i went and suited up in scuba gear. the why…” rafe hesitates for a moment, and you can read every emotion on his face.

“just tell me.” you say. “you can't hurt me. you can't make me mad at you, not when i just got you back.”

“i killed sheriff peterkin.” rafe swallows harshly. “it was to protect my dad, but of course nobody would believe me.”

“i believe you.” you tell rafe, tucking your head into his neck. “that must have been so scary, but i know how you'd do anything to protect the people you love.”

“my dad didn't want me to tell you at all. i agreed to wait until after it happened, but it all moved so fast, and when i got to where i was supposed to hide out for a while, i realized i had no way of contacting you. i had to steal a phone and this boat and leave the safehouse.”

“what's the plan now then?” you ask.

“have you come back to the safehouse with me. it's in the caribbean, on a gorgeous island. i will provide everything you need, we won't have to hide there.”

“and what will i tell my family? tell everyone?”

“well, your mom loves me.” rafe smiles, knowing he's right. “i think we can trust her to keep the secret. as for everyone else… maybe you just need some time away from the outer banks after what happened. maybe some cousins in michigan or something?”

“whatever.” you shake your head. “i just need to be with you.”

-- one week later --

“when you said safe house…” you look around the mansion. “this is not what i was picturing.”

“the locals here think im a cousin of the cameron family. allows me to stay here without much suspicion. i do keep a low profile and stay out of touristy areas just in case, but we can do whatever you want here. the ocean is right outside our doorstep.”

“and money? do i need to get a job?” you've never worked before, having grown up wealthy, but you're willing to do anything to keep your life going with rafe, having told your mom who didn't believe you until rafe stepped into the room. she saw the spark in your eyes and recognized it as the same one in hers when she looked at your father, and her time was also cut short when he passed young.

she made you promise to call and to let her visit every couple months, just enough to not be suspicious.

“no.” rafe shakes his head. “my dad funnels me money. cash, so no one gets suspicious.”

“honestly, i could just stay forever in the house and in the backyard.” you laugh, wrapping your arms around rafes shoulders, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“my dad will figure something out eventually, i don't expect you to hide for the rest of your life.”

“okay.” you shrug. now that you're with rafe, you don't care. you're going to be happy no matter what after feeling the pain of losing him.

“there is one more room i want to show you…” rafe picks you up, your legs slotting around his waist like nothing ever happened. 

you laugh as you kiss his neck, knowing exactly where he's taking you.

sfw tags: @winterrrnight @bejeweledreverie @ladyinbl00d @ethanthequeefqueen @drewsephrry

[angels-fantasy]

hi! i was wondering if you could do a bakugou x reader where the reader went to the states to visit family and as a surprise the reader came back on an earlier flight but something bad happened to the flight she was supposed to go on but thank god she wasn’t on it and bakugou thought the worst when she wasn’t responding to her texts but it turned out all okay in the end? sorry if that’s vague 😭😭

Flight Frights (Request)

Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader

Details/Warnings: katsuki gets a little emotional in this one, slight talks of death but nothing crazy

Word Count: 1.7k

hello thank you for this request :)) it was enough for me to work with so dont worry! i hope you like it 🩷

"You sure you got everything?" Your boyfriend asked for the millionth time.

You rolled your eyes. "Yes, I have everything. You can even double check my bags!" You insisted.

He squinted and began looking through each of your bags silently. After a few minutes you looked at him smugly, "Are you going to tell me how perfect I am and that I didn't forget a single thing?"

Katsuki smirked, "Nah, I was gonna say you forgot your brain somewhere." He teased and gripped the top of your head lightly.

You smacked his hand away, "You're not funny, Katsuki." You laugh, despite your words.

"Yes I am and you know it."

The two of you continued to spend time together until it was time for you to go to the airport. You were visiting your parents in the states, so Katsuki was going to drive you to the airport and send you off.

When the time to go to the airport came, he drove you there and waited with you until you boarded the plane, which you felt bad about but appreciated a lot.

Some time later, a boarding announcement for your flight rang out loud through the speakers and you frowned at Katsuki.

"I'm gonna miss you." You said and hugged him tightly.

He hugged you back, "Yeah, I know."

"Stop it! Be serious."

He laughed and apologized, "I'll miss you too. Be safe on the plane and everywhere else, and don't talk to any fucking weirdos okay?"

You nodded and gave him a kiss, saying goodbye.

...

The time spent at your parents went well and you called and texted Katsuki as much as you could but it was hard, considering the time difference.

But like always, you managed to make it work.

As your trip neared it's end, your mother asked you if you were going to take the later flight like you planned.

"Jeez Mom. You trying to get rid of me already?" You teased her, making her pout at you.

"Oh stop it. You know that's not what I mean."

You smiled and said, "I know, it's just fun to mess with you," with a laugh, "but nah, I think I'm gonna take the earlier flight actually. I wanna surprise Katsuki, even if it's just a few hours earlier."

Your mom smiled at you, "That's sweet of you. I wish he could've come along with you..." She trailed off, making you a little jealous that your mom was wishing someone else came along too.

You crossed your arms, "Yeah well, he's busy with hero work, so he couldn't." You excused, "And besides, you should be glad it's just me! I missed you and Dad."

She smiled and patted your head. "Well of course I'm glad you're here! But I know you two must miss each other a lot. I know what it's like to be in love." She winked, and coincidentally your father walked in at the same time.

You both greeted him and continued talking about mundane things. You only had two days left with your parents, so you wanted to make them count more than the previous ones.

...

Fast forward to the day of your flight. Your parents took you to the earliest one at 5:00 am and said good bye to you, but not without some tears.

After sending you off with a lot of love, you were now on your way back home. You felt weird not texting your boyfriend about what you were doing, but you were still excited to surprise him. You wondered how he'd react.

You were a little nervous about how he'd react to you not answering his messages, since you wouldn't be able to text him regularly during the whole flight. Maybe he'd think you were sleeping in, since it was a likely scenario.

Ignoring your thoughts, you looked out the window at the raining sky and decided to fall asleep, hoping it would make the trip go by faster and thankfully it did.

...

Back in Japan 5 hours later

Katsuki had been on his phone mindlessly scrolling through his feed when suddenly a video caught his attention. It was a recent news post about a plane crash coming back to Japan from America.

"The flight had taken off at 10:00 am, and an hour into the flight the plane experienced a high amount of turbulence due to the unexpected weather conditions. Suddenly, the plane went crashing down-"

The news now had all of Katsuki's attention. He felt his heart racing in his chest and the world went silent, only the sound of his beating heart now filling his ears.

The plane that had crashed, was the flight you were on.

He felt as if time was slowing down as he watched the news. The news reporters had been describing just how bad the accident was, and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

There was no way you were hurt or even dead, right? You had to come back home to him. He had so many plans for your future. There's no way he'd be able to live life knowing he'd never get to act on them.

He grabbed his phone and clicked on your contact to call you but it went straight to voicemail. It was just because you had it on airplane mode right? They always make people turn that shit on.

He called again and again until he thought he was going to go crazy at the sound of the automated system's voice. He threw his phone across the bedroom and rubbed his hands through his sweaty hair.

After taking a few deep breaths, he got up and walked over to where his phone was and picked it up. Turning it over, he sighed at the large crack on the screen.

"Fuck..." He mumbled. Whatever. His phone didn't matter right now. What mattered was you and your safety. That damn phone was replaceable, but you weren't.

He continued to use his phone to call your mom, who was confused at his phone call.

"Hello Katsuki!" Your mother said.

"Hey, um-" He cut himself off to hold back tears. Fuck did your parents even know about what happened? Your mom sounded so happy, he didn't want to ruin it.

"Katsuki?" Your mother asked in a worried tone, "You okay, dear?"

He nodded, even though she couldn't see him. He wiped his eyes, "I'm fine. I was just calling to ask about Y/n."

"Oh! She should be fine. We dropped her off at the airport a while ago, so she's on her way back to you."

Holy crap. Your mom didn't even know about what happened. He couldn't tell her, there was no way. All he could do was thank her and hang up before he began to cry.

"God dammit." He cried.

Katsuki had never felt so defeated and devastated before. He continued to sit on your shared bed, eventually laying down in it and crying out for you. He didn't know what condition you were in right now, but like he was trained to do, he assumed the worse.

...

Hours later, you were finally off that cramped plane and on your way home. You couldn't wait to see Katsuki and the look on his face when you surprised him.

As you were driven home in an Uber, you were on your phone when a news report popped up. Curious, you clicked on it and found out that it was about the flight you were supposed to be on.

You put a hand over your mouth and thanked every god there was that you ended up on a different plane.

You closed the news article and focused on something else to distract you until you got home.

When you finally did, you giddily ran up the steps to your home and opened the door as quietly as you could. It was pretty early in Japan, so maybe Katsuki was still asleep.

Pulling in your luggage behind you, you took your shoes off and scampered around the house to look for your boyfriend. The house was so quiet, which was strange since his presence was so loud.

Tip-toeing into your bedroom, you awed silently at the sight of him sleeping. You snapped a quick picture and walked over to him, sitting on the bed next to him.

You reached out and stroked the top of his head, lightly scratching his scalp to wake him up. You frowned a bit when you noticed how irritated his eyes seemed. Maybe spring was getting to him already.

"Katsuki, wake up." You whispered.

He grumbled a bit in his sleep, shifting around a bit before finally opening his eyes.

You smiled and held one of his hands in both of yours, "Surprise! I'm home early."

He looked at you with a sleep clouded gaze for a second, and then shot up in bed.

"You're okay?! Oh my fucking god." He said and wrapped his arms around you in a bone crushing hug.

You hugged him back, "Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be?"

He rested his face in the crook of your neck and said, "I-I thought you were hurt. I saw the news about the flight and it crashed!"

You frowned and hugged him tighter, "Oh Katsuki... I'm so sorry I didn't tell you anything." You pulled away slightly and placed your hands on his face, "I wanted to surprise you, so I got on an earlier flight."

He sighed and leaned his forehead onto yours, "Thank fuck you did. I would've brought you back to life and killed you myself if you died." He said, making you laugh now that his personality seemed to be back.

"Now cuddle me." He demanded and wrestled you lightly to lay you down next to him.

You gasped at his words, "Did you just admit you want to cuddle me?" You asked.

"Of course I do, woman. I haven't seen your ass in weeks." He said and laid his head on your chest, wrapping an arm around your waist, lightly stroking the skin there.

You moved around, trying to get into a comfortable position which made Katsuki groan.

He pinched one of your thighs, making you yelp, "Stop squirming. We're going to bed now."

You smiled, "Sorry love," and messed with his hair. "Can I put on a movie Kats?"

"Mmm."

You took that as a yes.

As you watched the movie, you continued massaging Katsuki's scalp and playing with his hair which made him eventually fall asleep. You smiled down at him, happy that he was now at peace compared to earlier.

authors note

thank you for reading <3

btw for people who have sent a request, i'm working on it i promise! it's just happening a little slower since i'm sick lol

love ya 🩷

tags for bakugou fics: @doumadono @shonen-brainrot

[thef1diary]

While It Lasts | L. Norris - 2

Summary: Lando expected nothing more than relaxation and fun for two weeks during his summer break. What he didn’t anticipate was meeting you, someone who felt like a perfect match in every way. As the days quickly passed, he found himself falling deeply for you, only to be confronted with the heart-wrenching reality that your time together was far more limited than he ever imagined.

Part 1

PLEASE READ: This story contains themes of loss, morality, fear, death, relationship strains, mental health struggles, including significant emotional impact related to the reader’s journey with a chronic illness and some scenes are set in hospitals. Reminder that this is simply a work of fiction, please don’t take it to heart.

wc: 16.5k

© thef1diary 2024. all rights reserved. Do not copy, steal, translate or repost any of my work.

You woke up to the faint clattering of dishes in the kitchen. Groggily, you opened your eyes, feeling the stiffness from sleeping awkwardly on the couch. Stretching, you realized Isaac was already up, making breakfast. 

“Isaac,” you called out, your voice hoarse from sleep. 

He didn’t seem to hear you, the noise of the kitchen drowning out your voice. With a sigh, you decided to hobble over to him, each step a reminder of your twisted ankle and the awkward position you’d slept in.

Reaching the kitchen, you leaned against the doorway for support. “Isaac,” you said a bit louder.

He turned, surprise and concern crossing his face. “You should be resting.”

“I know,” you replied, wincing slightly as you moved closer. “But we need to talk.”

Isaac set down the pan he was holding, his expression turning serious. “Alright, let’s talk.”

You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the words you were about to say. “Isaac, I’m sorry for yelling at you yesterday. I know you’re just trying to take care of me.”

He shook his head, his eyes reflecting a mix of frustration and pain. “Every single day for the past four years, I have this fear that you’ll leave me at any moment. Yes, it is selfish, very selfish because I truly don’t know what you’re feeling, what you’re going through. But while you might’ve accepted that you’re dying, I didn’t! I just wanted to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, so you can live another day, so you can see me graduate college, see me – I don’t know – find the love of my life or get married. I’m sorry. You’re my sister, you are the last person I need to act like I’m on eggshells around you.”

Your heart ached at his words, the depth of his fear and love hitting you hard. “Your fear is valid, Isaac. Just because I’ve accepted it, doesn’t mean that I like it. But it won’t change fate, will it? It won’t change the fact that I’ve been dealt a shitty hand at life. All I know is that when I’m taking my last breaths, whenever it is, I don’t want to regret anything. I don’t want to regret not living enough because of the fear of dying. Just because I have a stupid countdown doesn’t mean I should be afraid to live.”

Isaac looked at you, his eyes moist with unshed tears. “I just want you to be here, to live as long as possible.”

“I know,” you whispered, reaching out to engulf him in a hug. “I’ll try to take better care of myself.” 

He nodded slowly, his grip tightening around your body. “And I’ll try to be less overprotective, I promise, I’ll try.”

You smiled, a tear slipping down your cheek. “Thank you, Isaac.”

As you stood there, holding onto each other in the quiet morning light, you felt a sense of peace. When he pulled back, he scrunched up his face. “But it’ll be harder to explain that to mum and dad.” 

You shrugged, “they’ll get it, one day, hopefully.” 

After breakfast, Isaac announced he needed to run some errands in town. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he said, grabbing his keys. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

You nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. Take your time.”

As the door closed behind him, the house fell into a quiet lull. You settled back on the couch, trying to get comfortable and rest your ankle. Just as you were starting to drift off, the doorbell rang.

With a sigh, you swung your legs off the couch and hobbled toward the door, wincing with each step. When you finally reached it and pulled it open, you were greeted by Lando’s mischievous grin that quickly turned into worry.

“Hey,” he said, his brow furrowed as he took in your hobbling form. “You shouldn’t be up and about. How’s the ankle?”

“Hey, Lando,” you replied, leaning against the doorframe for support. “It’s sore but I’ll survive. Come in.”

He stepped inside, immediately reaching out to steady you. “Here, let me help you back to the couch.”

You nodded, grateful for his support. You leaned against him and held his hand as he guided you back to your spot on the couch. You couldn’t help but notice the warmth of his touch and the genuine concern in his eyes. 

“Thanks,” you said once you were settled again. “What brings you here?”

Lando shrugged, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “I wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re not getting into any more trouble.”

You chuckled softly. “Well, I did manage to twist my ankle pretty badly.”

His expression turned serious. “I know. I felt terrible leaving you like that last night.”

“It’s alright, I was already sleeping before you left,” you waved off his concern. 

“Speaking of falling asleep…” Lando began, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I couldn’t resist stopping by the bookstore you mentioned. Figured I’d pick up a couple of books to keep us entertained.”

You grinned, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “You went to the bookstore? You really are determined to explore every corner of this town, aren’t you?”

Lando nodded enthusiastically, pulling the books out of the bag he carried when he entered. “Of course! And since my favorite tour guide is out of commission,” he said, gesturing to your injured ankle, “I had to take matters into my own hands.”

He revealed two identical books, holding them up with a grin. “Thought we could have a reading competition. Winner gets bragging rights.”

You chuckled, shaking your head in amusement. “It’s always a competition with you, isn’t it?”

Lando shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What can I say? I’m a competitive guy. Comes with the territory. Oh, and by the way,” he added casually, “did I mention I’m a Formula 1 driver?”

You blinked, surprised by the revelation. “Wait, seriously?”

Lando grinned, “yeah, been racing for quite a few years now.” 

You nodded, a smile spreading on your face when he delved into the details, and it’s evident that he loves talking about his passion. 

“That actually makes so much sense, that’s how you know the Sainz family, right?” 

Lando’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Yes, but how do you know them?”

You laughed softly, and it quickly became a sound Lando loved hearing. “I live next to the villa, remember?” You teased jokingly. 

A sheepish smile grew on his face, “oh, right. So what, you’ve met Carlos too? And here I thought I was the first F1 driver you’ve met.” 

You nodded. “Yeah, in passing. We never really talked much, but I’ve seen him and his family around often.”

Then you leaned closer and whispered, “but don’t tell him that he may no longer be my favourite.” 

He quirked up an eyebrow, leaning in as well and responding with the same amount of energy. “Then who is?” 

You shrugged, leaning back with a small smile and a faint blush covering your cheeks. “I think I might have to watch a race to decide.” 

As you continued chatting with Lando, the pain in your ankle seemed to fade into the background. His enthusiasm was infectious, and you found yourself drawn into his stories about racing, the thrill of waiting for the lights to go out, and the camaraderie between his fellow drivers. 

Eventually, you decided to start the reading competition. Both of you settled into the couch with your respective books, determined to see who would finish first. But as the minutes ticked by, Lando found it hard to focus on his book. His gaze kept drifting to you, watching the way your eyes moved across the pages and the little expressions that flitted across your face as you read.

He couldn’t help but want to talk to you, to hear more about your thoughts. Finally, he put his book down with a sigh, unable to concentrate any longer.

“So, what’s next on the agenda once your ankle’s better? Something less adventurous, perhaps?”

You placed your book down after marking your page, chuckling as you looked at him. “Can’t focus, can you?” 

“Not with you around,” he shrugged casually. 

Trapping your lip between your teeth to prevent a smile from growing on your face, you chose to focus on the question he asked. 

“There’s this amazing seafood restaurant nearby. It’s a local favorite, and the food is incredible. Fresh catches of the day, and the chef’s specials are to die for. You’ll love it!”

As you spoke, you didn’t notice Lando’s face pale slightly. He wasn’t a fan of seafood, but he couldn’t bring himself to dampen your excitement by telling you the truth. The way your eyes lit up talking about the place made him want to experience it with you, even if he never wanted to be around any sort of fish. 

“Sounds great,” Lando said, forcing a smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

You clapped your hands together, beaming. “You won’t regret it, I promise. The view from the restaurant is amazing too. It’s right by the water, and you can see the boats coming in and out of the harbor. It’s a perfect spot for a relaxing evening.”

Lando nodded, matching your enthusiasm as best he could. “That sounds perfect. I can’t wait.”

“How about we go there for dinner tomorrow?” you suggested, your excitement bubbling over.

“Tomorrow night it is,” Lando agreed, his smile genuine due to your smile despite his seafood reservations. 

The next evening came around too quickly for Lando’s liking. Instead of stressing over what to wear this time, he was worried about the food itself. The prospect of seafood was daunting, but he didn’t want to let you down. As he rummaged through his closet, Max walked into the room with a teasing grin.

“Mate, you like her so much that you’d willingly eat seafood for her?” Max said, leaning against the doorframe.

Lando looked up, a mixture of nerves and amusement on his face. “Yeah, well, it’s not just about the food. It’s about the company.”

He chuckled, “you’re a brave man.” Then he sighed exaggeratedly, “oh the things you do in love.” 

Lando’s back straightened suddenly. “It’s not love… yet. We’re just hanging out.” 

Max’s eyes widened since he didn’t expect such an answer, “wait a second, ‘yet’? Do you actually like her?”

Lando shrugged, trying to play it off, but the slight smile on his face betrayed him. “I don’t know, Max. Maybe. It’s… complicated.”

Max studied him for a moment, then a grin spread across his face. “I should’ve seen it coming, but she’s great! Maybe even a little out of your league,” he spoke with a teasing grin, that only made Lando roll his eyes when he saw his best friend’s face. 

“She’s beautiful,” he said softly, not denying Max’s words.

Max's teasing grin softened into a more serious expression. "Hey, I'm serious though. You don't have to go through with this if you're not comfortable. You shouldn't feel like you have to force yourself to like something just to impress her."

Lando appreciated Max's concern, but he shook his head. "It's not about impressing her. I want to spend time with her, Max. She's... she's different."

Max raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in his eyes. "Different, huh? Well, just be careful, okay?"

Lando nodded, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty and anticipation. "Of course."

As Max left the room, Lando took a moment to collect his thoughts. He knew Max was just looking out for him, but there was something about you that made him want to take the risk. With a determined smile, he finished getting ready and was about to head out to meet you, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement building inside him.

Right as he was leaving the villa, Max’s voice rang out. “If you need an excuse to skip out, I can come up with something. No need to torture yourself over fish.”

Lando shook his head, appreciating the concern. “Thanks, Max, but I’ll be fine. I just… I don’t want to ruin this. She’s really excited about the place.”

A very short drive later, Lando knocked on your door, and when you opened it, his eyes widened appreciatively as they swept over you. You wore a simple yet elegant dress, the color complementing your features perfectly.

“Wow,” he breathed, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You look amazing.”

Blushing slightly at his compliment, you thanked him and closed the door behind you as you left your cottage, walking towards Lando’s car. “Thanks, Lando, you don’t look too bad yourself.”

He fell in step beside you, still admiring your outfit. “So, do you have a hot date or something?”

You chuckled at his question, shaking your head. “Nope, no dates, just going out with some racer guy, not sure if you know him.” 

Sitting in his car, he instantly looked at you with a raised eyebrow and a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “Hmm, sounds like a great guy! Is he interesting?” 

You laughed, nudging him as he drove. “Very.” 

When you arrived at the restaurant, the sun was just starting to set, casting a golden glow over the water. It was nestled right by the harbor, with a perfect view of the boats coming and going. Lando parked the car and helped you out, his hand lingering a moment longer than necessary as he offered support for your still-healing ankle. Even though you could walk without needing support again, you didn’t mind holding onto his hand. 

“Wow, this place is beautiful,” he said, genuinely impressed by the picturesque setting.

“I told you,” you replied with a satisfied smile. “Come on, let’s get a table by the window.”

The interior of the restaurant was cozy, with soft lighting and a gentle murmur of conversation filling the air. A small fish tank adorned one corner of the room, the colorful fish swimming lazily in the water. Lando couldn’t help but chuckle nervously as he glanced at the tank.

“Kinda cruel, isn’t it?” he joked, nodding towards the fish tank. "Having live fish in a seafood restaurant," Lando remarked with a wry smile. 

Still, you laughed, nodding in agreement. "The owners think it adds to the ambiance."

As you were seated and handed the menus, Lando took a deep breath, steeling himself for the seafood-heavy options. But when he looked across the table and saw your excited expression, he hoped it would all be worth it. This evening was about enjoying your company, and he was determined to do just that, and perhaps if everything went very well, he might casually mention that he’d like to take you out on an actual date. 

As the waiter took your orders, you couldn't contain your excitement, eager to indulge in the fresh seafood the restaurant had to offer. Lando, however, seemed a bit hesitant, but he eventually settled on a dish, trying to mask his apprehension with a smile.

Once the food arrived, you dug in eagerly, savoring each bite of the delicious seafood. However, as you glanced over at Lando, you noticed something was off. His attempts to conceal his discomfort were evident, and you could see the struggle on his face as he hesitantly bit into a shrimp, his expression revealing disgust as he tried to swallow it. 

Concerned, you leaned closer to him, your voice soft with worry. "Is everything okay, Lando?"

He hesitated, clearly torn, spitting the piece of shrimp into a tissue before finally admitting, "I'm sorry, I just... I can't do seafood."

Surprised by his confession, you felt a pang of guilt wash over you. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Lando shrugged, looking sheepish. "I didn't want to ruin your plans, you looked so excited to come here and I thought I could handle it, but..."

Without hesitation, you reached out, taking his hand in yours. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Leading him out of the restaurant, you felt a mix of disappointment and concern. Disappointed that he didn’t feel comfortable sharing such a simple detail with you, and concerned that he attempted to eat a shrimp, knowing he disliked it, all for your sake.

But as you walked together, you were determined to salvage the evening because you didn’t want the night to end just yet. "How about we find a burger place? Is that something you'll enjoy."

Lando's gratitude was evident in his smile as he nodded, and together, you set off to find a new spot to continue your evening, determined to make it memorable for all the right reasons.

You and Lando ended up sitting in his car, munching on takeout burgers and fries, the mood was light and laughter filled the air. Lando was in the middle of telling a funny story from his racing season, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he recounted the antics of how multiple of his fellow drivers tried to convince him to try seafood but failed. 

You couldn’t help but laugh along, enjoying the animated way he described each moment. You playfully nudged Lando, a grin spreading across your face. “Well, it seems like all those F1 drivers couldn’t get you to try seafood, but I did, even if it was just a bite!”

Lando leaned back in his seat, a lighthearted smile playing on his lips. “You know, for you, I’d try anything… except seafood.”

As you heard Lando's words, a soft realization came to you that his remark held a hint of flirtation.

“Why don’t you like seafood anyways?” you couldn’t help but ask, especially since this town was full of loads of seafood options and now you had to think of other restaurants for him to try. 

Lando shrugged, taking another bite of his burger before answering. “I guess it’s just not my thing. I’ve never been a fan of the taste or the texture.”

As you indulged in your burger, a smear of sauce found its way to the corner of your lips. Lando's eyes caught the small detail, and with a gentle smile, he pointed it out. "You've got a little something right there."

You chuckled, raising your hand to wipe it away, but before you could, Lando's fingers grazed over the corner of your lips, wiping away the sauce. His touch was gentle, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary as he leaned in close.

A subtle warmth spread through you at the intimacy of the gesture, and for a moment, time seemed to slow as you met his gaze. There was something unspoken between you, a silent acknowledgment of the growing connection that seemed to deepen with each passing moment.

His fingers lingered at the edge of your lips, and you could feel his breath, warm and inviting, mingling with yours. The world around you faded, leaving only the two of you in that fleeting instant.

“Lando…” you whispered, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart. The space between you grew smaller, your faces inching closer together.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes flicking down to your lips and back up to your eyes. The anticipation was electric, a charged moment that seemed to stretch on forever.

But then, he pulled back, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. “I don’t want our first kiss to be like this,” he murmured, his voice soft but resolute. “You deserve a proper date first.”

A mix of disappointment and warmth washed over you. His thoughtfulness, his desire to make things right, only made your heart ache more with affection. Amidst the laughter and shared stories, his words hung between you, a promise of something more.

As quickly as the thought arose, the weight of your illness pressed down on you, reminding you of life's fragility and the uncertainty of tomorrow. Your thoughts lingered on wondering if you even had a future in general. To entertain the idea of a future with him would only cause your heart to ache, knowing that you might not live to see those dreams come true. 

The thought of a future, a proper date, a real kiss—all of it seemed so painfully out of reach.

It was a bittersweet realization, knowing that even the simplest of dreams could be overshadowed by the reality of your condition. While he would return back to the fast paced world of racing, you would remain in this small town, wondering how many more dreams you would have to crush because fate decided to take away your life, inch by inch. 

Awkwardness filled the car on your end, your emotions shifting to cold and stoic, like they were before you met him. The warm connection you had felt only moments ago was replaced by a wall you erected to protect your heart. Lando noticed the change, his cheerful demeanor faltering as the silence grew heavy between you.

Soon enough, you both finished your burgers, and Lando started the car to drive you home. The ride was quiet, the earlier laughter and easy conversation now replaced by a tension that neither of you acknowledged. When he pulled up to your house, he turned off the engine and looked at you, a hint of concern in his eyes.

“Do you want me to walk you to the door?” he asked softly.

You shook your head, your voice barely above a whisper. “No, it’s fine. Thanks for the evening, Lando.”

He watched as you climbed out of the car, a confused and worried expression on his face. As you walked to your door, you could feel his eyes on you, but you didn’t look back. You shut the door behind you, leaning against it for a moment as a tear threatened to slip down your cheek.

Lando sat in his car, staring at the closed door, wondering what he had done wrong and why the evening had ended on such a somber note. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something important had changed, but he had no idea what it was or how to fix it.

— 

Over the next couple of days, you don’t acknowledge the thoughts that are bubbling up in your mind, instead choosing to tread carefully and immerse yourself in your daily routine. You’ve lived a lot more than you have over the past couple of months, and felt the joy that it brings. But now, you had to face the consequences causing you to distance yourself away from Lando before you got too attached to the happiness that came with being around him. Once you realized that you truly wanted to kiss him that night, everything changed. You had to take a preemptive measure, a self-imposed boundary designed to shield your heart from potential pain. 

Your health deteriorated significantly. Your energy waned, and simple tasks like walking around the house left you breathless and exhausted. Fortunately, you have a doctor’s appointment scheduled, a simple routine checkup. However, it coincided with plans you made with Lando. Determined to distance yourself from him, you don’t tell him about the change of plans. 

At the doctor’s appointment, you sit in the sterile examination room, the familiar scent of antiseptic mingling with nerves that coil in the pit of your stomach. These appointments, routine yet crucial, serve as a barometer of your ongoing battle against your illness.

As the doctor enters, his expression is professional yet compassionate, his eyes scanning through your medical history with a practiced ease. You recount the recent symptoms you’ve been experiencing, the fatigue that seems to seep into your bones, and the persistent ache that lingers despite treatment.

With a sympathetic nod, the doctor orders a series of tests, his urgency palpable as he reviews your file. The minutes stretch into an eternity as you wait for the results, each passing second filled with a silent plea for a glimmer of hope.

When the test results finally come back, the doctor’s demeanor shifts subtly, his tone measured yet grave. “I’m afraid the results are not as we had hoped,” he begins, his words heavy with significance.

Your heart sinks at the confirmation of your worst fears, the reality of your illness casting a shadow over your hopes for improvement. Despite your best efforts, it seems that the tide of your health is turning against you once again.

A sense of dread fills you as he explains that the illness has advanced more rapidly than expected. “We need to keep you overnight for observation,” he says gently. “Your vitals are unstable, and we need to adjust your treatment plan.” 

You nod, too emotionally tired to object, allowing a nurse to lead you to the hospital room, one that you became too familiar with over the past few years. You would spend yet another night under the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital, experience another round of tests and treatments, and take another uncertain step into the abyss of your illness.

You lie in the hospital bed, hooked up to various machines, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over you like a heavy blanket. The familiar beeps and hums of the medical equipment provide a disconcerting backdrop to your thoughts, each sound a reminder of the precariousness of your health.

As you drift in and out of consciousness, your mind wanders to Lando, the plans you had made together now nothing more than distant dreams. Guilt gnaws at the edges of your consciousness, knowing that he waits for you, unaware of the sudden turn your day has taken.

Just as the shadows of doubt threaten to overwhelm you, a soft knock on the door interrupts your thoughts. Startled, you turn to see Isaac's familiar face framed in the doorway, concern etched into his features.

"Hey," he says softly, crossing the room to sit beside you. "I got your text. Are you okay?"

You manage a weak smile, grateful for his presence amidst the sterile confines of the hospital room. "Yeah, just another setback," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper.

Isaac reaches out to squeeze your hand gently, his touch a comforting anchor in the sea of uncertainty. "You’ll get through this," he says, his voice steady and reassuring.

As Isaac settles into the chair beside your hospital bed, he observes the flurry of activity around you—the nurses bustling about, the doctors conferring in hushed tones, tweaking the machines, their purpose still a mystery to him after all these visits.

When there's a lull in the commotion, Isaac hesitates before speaking, his voice soft with concern. "Hey, I wanted to let you know... Lando stopped by the cottage today."

“What’d he say?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper. 

"He asked about you today," Isaac begins, his tone gentle. "Said you had plans but you didn't show. He mentioned he hasn't seen you in a couple of days. Is everything okay between you two?"

You nod weakly, offering a small smile to reassure Isaac. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just... I don't know, I guess I realized that I've been enjoying his company a lot more than I should, given my condition."

He frowns, “what’s wrong with that? You’re both happy around each other, so why are you distancing yourself away from him?” 

You scoff, “have you seen me?” You raise your arm that has an IV inserted, along with the other wires connected to you. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Isaac insists gently. “He cares about you. You deserve happiness too, regardless of what’s going on with your health.”

You shake your head, a hint of frustration in your voice. “You don’t understand, Isaac. I don’t have a guarantee of how I’m spending the next week, let alone the rest of my life. I don’t want to hurt Lando by snatching away his happiness one day too. I’m just… preventing myself, and him, from getting too attached to each other.”

Isaac sighs, his expression softening with understanding. "You're not scared of getting too attached, are you? You already are, whether you admit it or not. But by staying away, you're only hurting yourself and him more."

You avert your gaze, feeling the weight of his words sinking in. "I know," you admit quietly. "But I don't know what else to do."

"He deserves to know if he's falling in love with you," Isaac says gently, his voice filled with concern. "And you deserve to have someone by your side, especially during the tough times."

You let out a heavy sigh, knowing he's right but still unsure of what to do next. "I guess I did find someone that fate hates more than me."

"So you agree, that he's in love with you?" Isaac probes, searching your eyes for confirmation.

"He's only in love because he barely knows me," you reply, your voice tinged with sadness.

“Maybe you should give him a chance to know you, the real you,” he responds. 

You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. Deep down, you know Isaac is right, but the fear of hurting Lando is overwhelming. Yet, the thought of pushing him away hurts just as much.

Before you can dwell on it further, a nurse enters the room, breaking the momentary silence. Isaac gives you a reassuring smile before standing up to give you some privacy. As he leaves, his words linger in the air, leaving you to contemplate the complexities of your situation.

The next morning, you’re discharged, feeling even more drained. The doctors have adjusted your medications, but the prognosis remains grim. 

You left the hospital, walking in step beside Isaac for a moment until he headed towards the parking lot to bring the car around. As you were blinking in the bright morning sunlight, you nearly collided with Max, who was just outside chatting with someone on his phone.

“Hey there!” Max greets you with a wide grin, sliding his phone into his pocket. However, his expression quickly turns into a frown as he notices the hospital wristband adorning your wrist. “Wait, were you in there?” he asks, concern lacing his words. “Is everything okay?”

You take a moment to gather your thoughts, not wanting to worry him unnecessarily or dive into the complexities of your recent hospital stay. “Oh, it was just a routine checkup, some bloodwork, you know how that goes, nothing to worry about,” you assure him with a tight-lipped smile.

Max’s eyes narrow slightly, clearly not entirely convinced by your explanation, but he decides not to press further. 

He glances over his shoulder, then back at you. “I was just at the café right down the street.” 

You nod, “good choice, they make the best coffee in town.” 

He smiled as his choice was approved by you. “Do you need a ride? I’m heading back to the villa.”

You shook your head, “no it’s alright, Isaac’s bringing the car around.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll see you around, only a few more days left before we leave this paradise,” he reminds you. 

You offer him a grateful nod. “Yeah, time flies, doesn’t it?” you reply with a forced smile since you were hoping to return home soon. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

As Max nods in agreement and starts to walk away, you can’t shake the feeling that he suspects something isn’t quite right. But you push the thought aside, determined to focus on the present moment and put on a brave face as you step away from the hospital and back into the world outside.

As Isaac parks in the driveway, you notice Lando pacing back and forth by the front door, his brows furrowed in concern. The sight of him fills you with a tumult of conflicting emotions. Isaac’s words echo in your mind, urging you to be honest with Lando, to tell him how much you care about him, to share the burden of your illness. But fear gnaws at your insides, whispering that revealing the truth will only drive him away. 

His expression changes from relief to frustration as he sees you approaching.

“Where were you?” he demanded, his voice tinged with worry. “I’ve been trying to reach you.” 

As you and Lando stand in front of each other, locked in a tense silence, Isaac takes a step back, sensing the need for privacy between you two. With a subtle nod, he heads inside the cottage, leaving you and Lando alone on the doorstep.

The weight of unspoken words hangs heavy in the air, suffocating you both with its palpable intensity. You struggle to find the right words to break the silence, to bridge the growing chasm between you, but fear and uncertainty grip you like a vice, paralyzing your tongue.

Lando shifts uncomfortably, his gaze flickering between you as if searching for answers in the depths of your eyes. His expression is a mix of hurt and confusion, mirroring the tumultuous storm raging within your own heart.

You want to tell Lando the truth, to let him in, but the thought of exposing your vulnerabilities terrifies you. You can’t bear the idea of him seeing you as fragile, of pitying you. So, holding your head up high, you decide to make him hate you before he realizes that he loves you. 

You force a nonchalant shrug, trying to play it off. “I had some errands to run, and I forgot we had plans.”

“Forgot?” he repeats, incredulous. “We made those plans a while ago. Forget that, I haven’t seen you for days. What’s really going on?”

Annoyed, and wanting to distance yourself from him before your feelings grow even stronger, you let a hint of irritation seep into your voice. “I don’t owe you an explanation for everything I do, Lando. It’s not a big deal.”

He’s taken aback by your rudeness, his face falling slightly. “Not a big deal? I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“Well, you don’t need to be,” you say curtly, avoiding his eyes. “I can take care of myself.”

An awkward silence falls between you two, the tension palpable. Lando’s expression shifts from hurt to confusion. He takes a step back, clearly stung by your words.

“Fine,” he says quietly, his voice pained. “If that’s how you want it.”

You nod, turning away from him and heading inside, each step feeling heavier than the last. Lando stands outside for a moment longer, staring at the closed door. He can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to your abrupt change in behavior, but he respects your wish for distance. With a heavy heart, he turns and walks away, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the echo of the door closing between you

You lean against the door, quickly sliding down and sitting on the floor as you cover your face with your hands, fighting back tears. 

Pushing him away is probably the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but you convince yourself it’s for the best.

Isaac spots you sitting on the floor, and quickly rushes towards you. Moving your hands away from your face, he notices the tears staining your cheeks and has an idea of how the conversation went with Lando. 

"You're still as stubborn as ever, aren't you?" he remarked rhetorically, but then he enveloped you in his arms, holding you close as you trembled with sobs. 

You pulled back slightly, sniffling as you tried to compose yourself. "I can't tell him," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the rush of emotions.

Meanwhile, Lando trudged back to the villa, his mind heavy with thoughts and his heart weighed down by the encounter with you. When he arrived, Max was idly sitting around. 

“Hey, mate,” Max greeted but his expression turned serious as he observed Lando’s demeanour. “You okay?” 

Lando shrugged, sitting next to Max as he tried to brush off the weight of his emotions. “I saw her today.” 

He nodded, “how’d it go?” 

Lando frowned, furrowing his brows. “I don’t know, Max. That’s the thing. It’s like I saw a completely different person today. Someone I thought I knew, but now… she’s like a stranger.”

Max furrowed his brow, concerned. “What do you mean?”

Lando shook his head, struggling to find the right words. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like she was pushing me away, Max. Acting cold and distant, like she didn’t want anything to do with me.”

Max nodded in understanding. “Well, mate, maybe she’s just having a rough day. I mean, she was at the hospital earlier.” 

His words caught Lando off guard. He blinked in surprise, his brows furrowing as he processed the information. “Wait, she was at the hospital?” he asked, a note of concern creeping into his voice.

Max nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I saw her leaving earlier today. Said it wasn’t serious, just a routine check up but she looked very tired, like she hadn’t slept properly in days.”

Lando’s concern deepened as he absorbed Max’s words. “Why didn’t she tell me?” he murmured, a mix of worry and frustration evident in his voice.

Max placed a comforting hand on Lando’s shoulder. “Maybe she just needs some space, mate. It’s not easy opening up about personal stuff, especially to someone you care about a lot.”

“You think she cares about me?” Lando asked, his tone almost a mumbling mess. 

Max scoffed, “see I knew you were an idiot but not to this extent that you don’t even see the obvious. Of course she cares about you, mate!” 

“Well I know that, it’s just I don’t wanna read into something that’s not there, you know?” 

Max squeezed Lando’s shoulder reassuringly. “Trust me, mate, it’s there. Sometimes, we just need a little nudge to see what’s right in front of us.”

Lando nodded slowly, his mind still swirling with doubts and questions. “I guess you’re right,” he conceded, a faint glimmer of hope starting to flicker within him.

Max grinned, clapping him on the back. “That’s the spirit! Just give her some time, and I’m sure things will sort themselves out.”

The cottage exudes a somber atmosphere, suffused with memories of those initial days when you sought refuge from your parents' house, just across town. After your diagnosis, living with your parents became unbearable, evoking memories of your tumultuous teenage years, always feeling scolded and misunderstood. With persuasion and determination, you relocated to the cottage, that has always acted as a second childhood home, with your brother, longing for respite from the tumult of your parents' home. Eventually, your parents themselves moved to the next town over, seeking their own fresh start, leaving you and your brother to navigate the challenges of your illness in your quiet abode.

Now, as you sit in the same kitchen where you once grappled with the harsh reality of your illness, the mood is eerily similar. A strange sense of déjà vu washes over you as the silence in the cottage seems to press down, a stark contrast to the vibrant conversations and laughter that once echoed within these walls during your childhood summers. Even more palpably, you recall the warmth of recent memories, the shared laughter with Lando when you had twisted your ankle, filling the space with a joy that now feels distant and elusive. The air is thick with unspoken words, the tension palpable as if one wrong move could shatter the fragile peace you carefully built. 

Isaac sits across from you, his presence comforting amidst the somber atmosphere. He watches you closely, his gaze filled with concern and understanding.

“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking the silence that hangs heavy between you.

You force a smile, but it feels hollow on your lips. “Just tired,” you reply, the words barely audible over the quiet hum of the refrigerator.

While Isaac may be aware of some of the pain you feel, he doesn’t know the full extent of what you’re enduring. You want to shield him from the worst, hiding just how much it hurts. The pain has been relentless, gnawing at you day and night, with only a brief sense of comfort for a few hours after taking your medication. Every movement feels like a struggle, every breath a reminder of the fragility of your condition.

Isaac studies your face, his eyes narrowing with concern. “You should call Mom and Dad,” he says softly, breaking the silence. “They need to know what’s going on. Your health is getting worse.”

You shake your head, the thought of burdening your parents with more bad news twisting your stomach into knots. “They’ve been hoping I’m getting better.”

Isaac sighs, reaching across the table to take your hand. “They’re gonna find out soon enough and they’ll want to be here for you, to support you. It’s better they hear it from you than from anyone else.”

You look down at your hands, Isaac’s warmth a stark contrast to the cold dread settling in your bones. “I just… I don’t want to shatter their hope again.”

Isaac squeezes your hand gently. “They love you. They’re not going to be disappointed in you. They’ll be worried, sure, but they need to know. You need all the support you can get.”

You nod slowly, feeling the weight of his words settle over you. “Okay,” you whisper, your voice trembling. “I’ll call them.”

Isaac gives you a reassuring smile, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “Good. We’ll get through this together. You’re not alone.”

You manage a hint of a smile, looking at Isaac. “You know,” you say softly, “you’re such a good older brother especially for someone who’s younger than me.”

Isaac chuckles, a warm, comforting sound in the quiet room. “Age is just a number,” he says, squeezing your hand gently. “Besides, someone has to keep you in line.”

“Keep me in line? I think we’ve switched roles, remember how I used to keep you out of trouble?” You remark. 

You can feel the tension ease in the room as Isaac laughs at the memory before standing up to prepare dinner, allowing you to pick up your phone. 

The thought of hearing your parents’ voices fills you with a mixture of fear and relief. You know Isaac is right, but the conversation ahead feels like another mountain to climb. Taking a deep breath, you dial the familiar number, bracing yourself for what’s to come. The phone rings, and with each passing moment, you feel the weight of the upcoming conversation pressing down on you.

Finally, your mother answers, her voice warm and familiar. “Hello, sweetie. It’s been a while since you called. How are you?”

You hesitate for a moment, trying to keep your voice steady. “Hi, Mom. I… I need to talk to you about something.”

There’s a pause, and you can hear the concern in her voice. “What is it, honey? Is everything alright?”

Before you can respond, she quickly switches to a video call. Her face appears on the screen, eyes wide with worry. “Tell me what’s going on,” she says, her voice trembling slightly.

Seeing her face makes it harder to hold back your emotions. You take a deep breath, trying to gather your thoughts. “Mom, I’ve been trying to stay strong and not worry you and Dad, but… my health has been getting worse.”

Her expression shifts from concern to fear and then to a hint of anger masking hurt. “Worse? How worse, dear? Are you not taking care of yourself properly?”

You wince at her words, knowing they come from a place of worry. “I stayed a night at the hospital,” you continue. “They said if it doesn’t get better with the new medication, I’ll have to go back. The pain has been relentless. I can barely move without feeling it, and the medication only helps for a few hours.”

Your mother’s face pales, her eyes filling with tears. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner? We’ve been hoping you were getting better.”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” you admit, your voice cracking. “I wanted to protect you from the worst of it.”

Your mother shakes her head, wiping away a tear. “We’re your parents. We want to be there for you, no matter what. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

“I know,” you say, your own tears starting to fall. “It’s just so hard. Every day feels like a struggle, and I didn’t want to burden you.”

Isaac rounds the kitchen table and speaks up, his voice steady and supportive. “We’re all in this together, Mom. We need your support now more than ever.”

Your mother nods, her expression determined, though the hurt still lingers in her eyes. “We’ll be there for you, sweetheart. Every step of the way.”

Just then, she turns her head and calls out, “Honey, come here. It’s important.”

A moment later, your father appears on the screen, his face etched with concern. “What’s going on?”

Your mother explains quickly, her voice trembling. “She’s not doing well. She had to stay overnight at the hospital, and she might have to go back soon. We need to be there for her.”

Your father’s expression hardens with resolve. “We’ll come over soon. Don’t worry, just be careful.”

Hearing his firm, supportive words, you feel a sense of relief and hope. “I will, thank you, Dad. I love you both.”

“We love you too,” he replies, his voice full of emotion. “We’re here for you, no matter what.”

After exchanging goodbyes and promising to see each other soon, you hang up the phone, feeling a slight sense of relief wash over you. Though it's only temporary, the weight on your shoulders lifts ever so slightly.

As Isaac reveals dinner, the aroma of his culinary creation fills the air, tempting your senses with its savory goodness. But as you take a closer look at your own plate, disappointment washes over you. The food in front of you is bland and uninspiring, reminiscent of the tasteless hospital meals you’ve grown accustomed to.

You poke at your food with little enthusiasm, knowing that the increased dosage of medication has left your taste buds dulled and unresponsive. “I can’t eat this,” you mutter, pushing the plate away with a sigh.

Isaac looks up from his own meal, concern creasing his eyebrow. “Come on, you need to eat something,” he urges, his voice gentle but firm. “It’s important for your recovery.”

You shake your head, frustration bubbling up inside you. “But it tastes like nothing,” you protest, the monotony of the hospital diet weighing heavily on your spirit.

Isaac nods sympathetically, understanding your struggle. “I know it’s tough,” he says softly. “But remember what the doctor said about avoiding spice. It’s all part of the plan to help you get better.”

Reluctantly, you take a small bite, forcing yourself to chew and swallow despite the lack of flavor. The effort feels futile, but you know Isaac is right. You need to keep up your strength, even if it means enduring tasteless meals for the time being.

As you pick at your food, Isaac’s voice breaks through your thoughts, his tone lighthearted but determined. “Hey, once you’re feeling better, we’ll have a hot chicken wing contest,” he suggests, a playful twinkle in his eye. “Just like old times. And I promise, I’ll make them so spicy, you won’t be able to taste anything for a week.”

Despite yourself, a small smile tugs at the corners of your lips. The idea of a hot chicken wing contest brings back memories of happier times, when your biggest worry was who would win the next round.

“Deal,” you agree, the idea of better days ahead spurring you on. But deep down, you know the truth that you can’t bring yourself to voice aloud in front of him again. You’re not getting better, no matter how much you wish you could.

The next day, you wake up with a sense of urgency gnawing at your insides, an inexplicable feeling pulling you towards the lighthouse. It’s as if an invisible force is guiding you, compelling you to make this journey one last time.

As you slip out of bed and prepare to leave the house, a mixture of determination and trepidation fills your heart. You know deep down that this might be the last opportunity you have to climb those stairs, to feel the wind on your face as you stand at the top and gaze out at the vast expanse of the ocean.

Isaac notices your movements and steps forward, concern etched into his features.

“Hey, where are you off to?” he asks, his voice gentle yet probing.

You hesitate for a moment, unsure if you should share your intentions. But then, you meet his gaze and find solace in his familiar eyes.

“I’m going to the lighthouse,” you reply, your voice steady despite the weight of your words. “I just… need some time alone.”

Isaac’s expression softens, understanding dawning in his eyes. He reaches out to squeeze your shoulder gently, offering silent support.

“Take all the time you need,” he says softly. “And if you need anything, call me.”

With a grateful nod, you offer him a small smile before turning to leave, the weight of your decision heavy on your heart.

You make your way up the stairs to the lighthouse, each step feeling heavier than the last. The climb feels like an uphill battle, and you find yourself pausing every few steps to catch your breath.

Your chest heaves with the effort, and a wave of dizziness washes over you as you reach the halfway point. You lean against the railing, willing yourself to continue despite the fatigue that threatens to overwhelm you.

With each step, the distance between you and the top of the lighthouse seems to stretch on forever. Your muscles ache with exertion, and your breath comes in ragged gasps.

But you refuse to give up. You grit your teeth and push through the pain, focusing all your energy on reaching the summit. With each step, you draw closer to your goal, fueled by the determination to see the view from the top one last time.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, you reach the top of the lighthouse, gasping for air, only to find Lando already there, leaning against the railing and gazing out at the horizon. He turns as he hears your footsteps and ragged breaths, surprise flickering across his face. 

He takes a step back, clearly intending to give you some space. “I’ll go down,” he mutters awkwardly, gesturing towards the stairs. “This place is your spot.”

But before he can move away, you reach out and grab his hand, stopping him in his tracks. “No,” you say firmly, your voice stronger than you feel. “Stay.”

He hesitates for a moment, uncertainty flickering in his eyes, but then he nods and settles back against the railing, his gaze fixed on you with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your racing heart as you lean against the railing beside him. Despite the exhaustion that weighs heavily on you, being close to him brings a sense of comfort that you can’t quite explain.

“Thanks,” you murmur, grateful for his presence beside you.

He offers you a small, tentative smile in return, his hand tightening around yours in a silent gesture of support.

Taking a moment to gather your thoughts, you turn to Lando, feeling the weight of the unspoken tension between you two like a heavy blanket.

"Listen, I owe you an apology," you begin, your voice soft but sincere. "I've been acting... differently lately, and I want you to know that it's not because of anything you did. That day, I was at the hospital for a routine checkup, and it just tired me out more than I expected. I’m sorry about ditching our plans."

You technically didn’t lie, but also didn’t tell him the whole truth either. You pause, searching his face for any sign of understanding or acceptance. His expression softens, and you feel a flicker of relief.

"I shouldn't have been so rude to you," you continue, your tone earnest. "I appreciate your patience, and I'm sorry if I made you feel unwelcome."

Lando nods, his eyes reflecting empathy. "It's okay," he says gently, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. "I understand. And I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by showing up here."

You shake your head, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "No, you don't need to apologize. I'm glad you're here."

With that, the tension between you starts to dissolve, replaced by a sense of mutual understanding and acceptance as you stand side by side, watching the waves crash against the shore below.

Taking a moment to admire the breathtaking view from the top of the lighthouse, you feel a sense of peace wash over you. But as the adrenaline of the climb begins to wear off, your legs start to tremble beneath you, threatening to give out at any moment.

Recognizing the warning signs of exhaustion, you carefully lower yourself to the ground, your muscles protesting with each movement. Sitting down with a heavy sigh of relief, you lean back against the cool stone wall of the lighthouse, grateful for the brief respite from the physical strain.

Lando joined you as well, sitting side by side on the floor of the lighthouse. You continue to hold onto his hand, your fingers tracing patterns absentmindedly. However, despite your attempt to clear the air, he still seems hesitant, his brows furrowed with confusion. 

Finally, unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, Lando breaks the silence. “Hey, can I ask you something?” he begins, his voice tentative. 

You turn to him, meeting his gaze with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. “Of course,” you reply, trying to keep your tone light despite the weight of the conversation.

He hesitates for a moment before plunging ahead. “Did something happen the night we went for burgers?” he asks, his words carefully measured. “I mean, you seemed off after… and I’ve been wondering if I did something wrong.”

Realization dawns on you that he’s talking about the almost kiss. The memory of that night floods back, the charged moment in his car when he had pulled back. You had admired his restraint, his desire to do things right, but it also made your heart ache with longing.

Your heart sinks at his words, the guilt weighing heavy on your chest. “No, Lando,” you assure him, squeezing his hand gently. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

You glance at him, seeing the earnest concern in his eyes. How you wish you had the courage to pull him in by his collar and kiss him then, to let him know just how much he meant to you despite everything. 

But he doesn’t seem convinced, his gaze searching yours for any sign of dishonesty. “Don’t lie,” he says softly, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

You hesitate, grappling with the weight of your own emotions and the truth you’re desperate to conceal. Part of you wants to tell him how much his presence means to you, how his laughter lights up even the darkest corners of your world. But fear holds you back, whispering cruel reminders of the inevitability of heartbreak both of you will experience. 

Instead of answering his question, you take a deep breath and change the subject. “So, when are you leaving?” you ask, trying to divert his attention away from your own turmoil.

He furrows his brow, clearly surprised by the sudden shift in conversation but decides not to push for an answer. “Tomorrow,” he replies, a hint of sadness in his voice.

You offer him a small smile, “well, I hope you had a good time despite my lackluster tour guide skills,” you quip, attempting to lighten the mood.

He chuckles softly, the sound warm and genuine. “Meeting you was my favorite part,” he admits, his gaze unwavering as he meets your eyes. “Spending time with you, even if it wasn’t every day, made this trip unforgettable.”

You feel a blush creeping up your cheeks at his admission, the warmth of his gaze sending a shiver down your spine. There’s a playful glint in his eyes that ignites a natural spark of flirtation between you. 

In the quiet solitude of the lighthouse, you find yourself caught up in the moment with Lando, the days missed due to your own fear melting away with each shared smile and genuine laugh. Despite the lingering weight of your illness and the uncertainty that shadows your future, you're finally able to let go of the constant worry and embrace the present.

You realize that constantly dwelling on the unknown, on whether you'll have more time together or not, only serves to rob you of the joy of the moment. So instead, you allow yourself to be fully present with Lando, savoring each precious second together.

Yet, beneath the surface of your newfound acceptance, there still lingers a trace of fear. You know that distancing yourself from Lando won't protect either of you from the inevitable pain that lies ahead. His genuine smile, the way his eyes light up when he's with you, speaks volumes, and you can't deny the pull you feel toward him.

Despite the uncertainty of what the future holds, you're willing to take the risk, to open your heart to the possibility of love, even if it means facing the inevitable heartache that may follow. Because in the end, the fleeting moments of happiness you share with Lando are worth every ounce of pain.

Lando straightens up, his movements fluid and confident, as he leans in closer, a playful glint dancing in his eyes. "Hey, do you mind giving me your number and surname?" he asks casually, but there's a hint of mischief in his tone.

You raise an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corners of your lips. "What are you going to do with that information?" you inquire, your curiosity piqued.

His smile widens, a charming grin that could melt anyone's heart. "Well, first so we can still stay in touch even if I’m on the other side of the world, and second so I can send you a pass for one of my races," he replies smoothly, his voice laced with playful charm.

You can't help but chuckle at his response, shaking your head in amusement. "And why would I come to your race?" you tease, enjoying the banter between you.

Lando's gaze softens, a warmth in his eyes that catches you off guard. "I think you might be my lucky charm," he admits, his tone sincere.

You pause, feeling a flutter of excitement mixed with uncertainty. "You believe in lucky charms?" you ask, a hint of skepticism in your voice.

He nods, his smile unwavering. "I didn't," he confesses, "but now it seems like a good time to start believing. Why are you asking so many questions?" he adds playfully, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

You can't help but smile at his lighthearted demeanor, appreciating the way he effortlessly lightens the mood. "You don't want me as a lucky charm," you reply, a touch of self-doubt creeping into your voice.

Lando's expression softens, his gaze filled with genuine warmth. "Why not?" he counters, his tone gentle yet determined.

"It won't last long," you murmur, a pang of sadness tugging at your heart as you glance away.

He reaches out, gently tilting your chin to meet his gaze. "It'll last as long as you're by my side," he insists, his voice sincere and unwavering. "That is up to you, don't you think so?"

His words catch you off guard, stirring something deep within you. "Now who's asking lots of questions?" you tease, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Still you," he replies with a chuckle, his eyes twinkling with affection.

You shake your head, feeling a surge of warmth at his playful banter. "You're something else, Lando."

"So are you," he replies, his smile soft and genuine. "In the best way possible."

You oblige Lando’s request, typing your phone number into his phone and saving your full name in his contacts. It’s a small gesture, but one that feels significant in the moment, despite the fact that you know you’ll never take him up on the offer for a pass to his race.

As the sun casts its golden glow across the rugged coastline, you and Lando sit side by side, taking in the breathtaking view from the top of the lighthouse. The air is filled with the sounds of seagulls circling overhead and the distant rumble of waves crashing against the shore below.

Lando’s arm around your shoulders feels like a lifeline, grounding you in the present moment amidst the tumult of your thoughts and emotions. You find solace in his presence, a sense of calm washing over you as you soak in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

The playful banter and teasing remarks give way to a comfortable silence, allowing you both to simply be in each other’s company without the need for words. It’s a moment of quiet intimacy, where the weight of the world fades away and all that matters is the connection between you and Lando.

You lean into his embrace, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing and the reassuring strength of his arm around you. In this moment, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the warmth of Lando’s presence, you feel a sense of peace wash over you, knowing that whatever the future may hold, you’re grateful for this moment of shared serenity.

As you both prepare to descend the stairs, Lando pauses, noticing your reluctance to leave the view behind. "Shouldn't I be the one lingering back to admire the horizon? After all, I'm the one leaving, not you," he quips with a playful smirk.

You chuckle at his remark, shaking your head in amusement. "Come on, Lando, don't act like you're the only one who appreciates a good view," you tease back, nudging him lightly.

He grins, his gaze lingering on you for a moment before turning back to the scenery. "Fair point," he concedes, his tone light and playful. “I’ll wait for you downstairs then.” 

You nod, watching him make his way down the stairs. The gentle breeze ruffles your hair, and you take a deep breath, committing the scene to memory.

With a sense of purpose, you scan the area, searching for the perfect spot to leave your message. Your eyes alight on a small alcove tucked away in a corner, sheltered from the wind and hidden from plain sight. It’s a secluded nook, easily overlooked by passersby, but will be found if it’s searched for. 

Slipping something into the alcove, you ensure it’s nestled securely among the shadows, a subtle gesture meant for only the most observant of visitors. With a satisfied nod, you turn to follow Lando down the stairs. 

—

The following day is a whirlwind of activity as your parents arrive at the cottage. They come bearing an array of supplies and comforts, ready to pamper you with their love and attention.

"Sweetheart, we brought some of your favorite homemade meals," your mom chirps, bustling into the kitchen with bags of groceries in tow.

Your dad follows closely behind, a stack of freshly laundered blankets in his arms. "And I made sure to pack extra blankets in case you get chilly," he adds with a warm smile.

Isaac turns to your mother, his expression gentle yet concerned. “Just a heads up, she can’t have any spicy food because of the doctor’s orders,” he explains, hoping to avoid any culinary mishaps.

“Isaac, don’t ruin it,” you mutter, holding the tupperware filled with your favourite dishes. 

Your dad, overhearing the conversation, interjects with a reassuring pat on Isaac’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, son. Your mother has spent many hours in the kitchen cooking up a storm for our girl here,” he says with a fond smile. “A little taste of home can work wonders for the soul.”

You can't help but smile at their fussing, feeling a mixture of gratitude and guilt at their doting gestures. "How long are you planning to stay?" you inquire, trying to gauge the extent of their visit.

"Until you're better, of course," your mom replies without hesitation, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Throughout the day, your parents dote on you, attending to your every need with unwavering devotion. They fluff pillows, brew tea, and fuss over you as if you were a child again, and despite the sadness that tugs at your heart, you find solace in their presence.

As evening falls and the cottage is filled with the aroma of home-cooked meals, you can't help but feel a pang of bittersweet nostalgia. These moments of familial closeness are precious, and you savor each one, knowing deep down that they may be fleeting.

Amidst the cozy atmosphere that had filled your cottage, a sudden realization dawns on you. Today is the day Lando is leaving, and with the flurry of activity happening throughout the day, you had almost forgotten. 

Abandoning your dinner mid-bite, you quickly put on a pair of shoes, your heart pounding with urgency. As you rush towards the door, your parents pause in their fussing, exchanging puzzled glances as they notice your abrupt departure.

“Where are you going?” your mom asks, concern etched in her voice.

You pause in the doorway, a sense of determination driving you forward. “I have to see Lando,” you reply, your words rushed and breathless.

As you disappear out the door, your parents turn to your brother, confusion evident in their expressions. “Who’s Lando?” your dad asks, his brow furrowed in bewilderment.

Isaac sighs, shaking his head as he meets their gaze. “He’s the one she’s in love with,” he explains softly, a hint of sadness in his voice. “But I’m not sure if she’s ready to accept it yet.” 

As you reach the villa, your breath comes in ragged gasps, each inhale becoming a struggle. Pain pulses through your chest with every heartbeat, but you refuse to let it slow you down. Adrenaline surges through your veins, driving you forward with an urgency born of raw emotion.

Your eyes scan the scene before you, taking in the sight of Max hurriedly loading the car with his and Lando’s bags. The trunk is nearly full, a testament to the impending departure that looms over you like a storm cloud. You feel a knot form in your stomach, a sense of panic seizing hold of you as you realize that time is slipping away.

Then, amidst the chaos, you spot Lando emerging from the villa, his expression one of surprise and concern as he catches sight of you. His brow furrows in confusion, his eyes searching yours for an explanation.

Without hesitation, you push yourself forward, your feet carrying you towards him with a desperate urgency. With trembling hands, you reach out to him, your fingers brushing against his arm before wrapping around him in a tight embrace. His warmth envelops you, a comforting anchor amidst the storm raging within you. For a fleeting moment, the pain in your chest eases, replaced by a sense of peace that only he can provide.

For a long moment, you simply hold onto each other, the world around you fading into insignificance as you find solace in each other’s arms. The weight of unspoken words hangs heavy between you, the truth lingering on the tip of your tongue, waiting to be unleashed.

As you finally pull away, a silent understanding passes between you, a shared acknowledgment of the depth of your connection. Lando’s gaze searches yours, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and affection, silently asking if you’re okay.

You manage a faint smile, though it feels fragile on your lips. “I just had to see you before you left,” you confess softly, your voice barely above a whisper.

His expression softens, a warmth in his eyes that speaks volumes. “I’m glad you came,” he replies, his voice gentle and reassuring.

You linger for a moment longer, drinking in the sight of him, committing every detail to memory. Then, with a heavy heart, you reluctantly release him, knowing that time is running short.

As Lando returns to help Max with the bags, you watch him go, a sense of longing tugging at your heart. 

Once everything was packed up, Lando and Max walked towards you, their footsteps echoing on the gravel driveway. Max reaches you first, his face lit with a warm smile. Without hesitation, he pulls you into a brief, friendly hug. 

“Thanks for the good company,” Max says, his voice full of genuine gratitude. “And for keeping Lando’s mood up throughout this trip. You’ve been a real lifesaver.” He chuckles, the sound infectious, and you can’t help but laugh along with him.

“Anytime,” you reply, your smile widening. “It’s been fun having you both around.”

Max steps back, giving Lando space to step forward. Lando’s eyes meet yours, and there’s a depth of emotion there that makes your heart skip a beat. He takes your hands in his, holding them gently as if afraid you might disappear.

“This isn’t goodbye,” Lando says softly, his tone filled with a mixture of hope and determination. “Just a ‘see you later,’ alright?”

You nod, the lump in your throat making it hard to speak. “See you later,” you manage to whisper, your voice trembling with emotion.

Lando pulls you into a tight embrace this time, his arms wrapping around you protectively. You breathe in his familiar scent, the comfort of his presence grounding you in the moment.

He pulls back slightly, his hands resting on your shoulders as he searches your face. “Don’t think I forgot about giving you a pass,” he says with a small, teasing smile. “I’ll be waiting for you at the race.”

You smile through the tears that threaten to spill over. “We’ll see.” 

Max claps Lando on the back, breaking the emotional moment. “Come on, mate, we’ve got a plane to catch.”

With one last look, Lando releases you and heads towards the car. You watch them drive away, a mix of sadness and hope swirling within you. The ache in your chest grows, but you try to push it aside, focusing on ways to fulfill the promise of seeing him again.

As you start walking back home, the exertion from earlier catches up to you. Your breath becomes labored, each step feeling heavier than the last. A sharp pain radiates through your chest, and you find yourself struggling to stay upright. Determined to make it back to the cottage, you push on, but every movement is a reminder of your body’s limitations.

By the time you reach the door, you’re barely holding on. You collapse onto the porch steps, gasping for breath, the world around you blurring as you fight to stay conscious. Moments later, the door swings open, and Isaac is there, his face pale with worry.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, rushing to your side. His voice sounds distant, echoing in your ears.

You try to speak, but the words get caught in your throat. Instead, you manage a weak nod, though it’s clear you’re far from okay.

Isaac doesn’t waste another second. He scoops you up in his arms, carrying you inside. “Mom! Dad!” he calls out, his voice frantic. “Something’s wrong. We need to get her to the hospital.”

Your parents appear almost instantly, their faces a mixture of fear and determination. Your dad grabs the car keys while your mom hurries to gather your things, her hands shaking.

In the car, you drift in and out of consciousness, the pain and exhaustion overwhelming you. Your mom holds your hand tightly, whispering soothing words that barely register. Isaac drives with a grim focus, the worry in his eyes reflected in the rearview mirror.

At the hospital, the staff quickly takes over, whisking you away on a stretcher. Your family is left in the waiting room, their anxious faces a blur as you’re rushed through the halls.

As the doctors and nurses work to stabilize you, you catch fleeting thoughts of Lando, Max, and the brief, bright moments you shared. The reality of your condition settles in, and you realize just how fragile your hope had been.

The doctors stabilize you for now, but you wake to the sound of your mother's soft cries in the room. Her face is buried in your father's shoulder, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. Your father is holding her close, his eyes red and puffy, a grim expression etched on his face. Isaac stands nearby, his jaw clenched, trying to hold himself together.

You blink, the fluorescent lights above casting a harsh glow on the stark white walls. A doctor stands at the foot of your bed, looking somber. You catch bits and pieces of his words, the clinical detachment in his voice contrasting sharply with the raw emotion in the room.

"...best if she doesn’t return home... too weak... last days in the hospital..."

The full weight of the words crashes over you, and a sense of helplessness fills your heart. You try to speak, but your throat is dry, and the words come out as a rasp. "Mom? Dad?"

Your mother's head snaps up at the sound of your voice, and she rushes to your side, taking your hand in hers. "Oh, sweetheart," she whispers, tears streaming down her face. "We're here. We're right here."

Your father moves closer, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. "We won't leave your side," he promises, his voice steady despite the tears in his eyes.

Isaac approaches the bed, his usual bravado stripped away. "Hey," he says softly, trying to muster a smile. "We’re all here for you."

You swallow hard, trying to process the reality of the situation. "How long?" you manage to ask, your voice barely a whisper.

The doctor steps forward, his expression compassionate. "It’s hard to say for certain," he admits gently. "But we’ll do everything we can to keep you comfortable."

You nod, a mixture of fear and resignation settling over you. Your mother's sobs have quieted, but the sorrow in her eyes is unmistakable. "I’m so sorry," you whisper, feeling a pang of guilt for putting them through this.

"No, don’t apologize," your father says firmly, squeezing your shoulder. "This isn’t your fault. We’re just grateful to be here with you."

Your family’s presence brings a small measure of comfort, but the reality of your condition is a heavy burden. You look around at their faces, trying to memorize every detail, every expression. The room feels both claustrophobic and infinite, the moments stretching out like a fragile thread.

As the night wears on, you find solace in their presence. Your mother hums softly, stroking your hair, while your father reads to you from a book you loved as a child. Isaac sits by the window, watching the night sky, his expression pensive.

You know that the days ahead will be difficult, but for now, you take comfort in the love that surrounds you. The hospital room, with its sterile walls and beeping machines, becomes a sanctuary of sorts, a place where you can hold on to the precious moments with your family, no matter how fleeting they may be.

—

The sterile scent of the hospital room is overwhelming, the beeping of the machines a constant reminder of the deteriorating state of your health. The wires and tubes attached to your body are a constant presence, their weight both physical and symbolic. The medication dulls the pain, but it also leaves you in a fog, half-aware of the world around you.

Isaac sits by your bedside, his expression a mix of forced cheerfulness and hidden sorrow. He tries to make you laugh, telling stories and cracking jokes, but there’s an underlying tension in his voice.

You take a shaky breath and glance at Isaac. “So, this is it, huh?” you say with a dry laugh, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the sadness in your voice.

He looks at you, the forced cheerfulness slipping from his face. “Still laughing?” he asks, his voice quivering.

“If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry,” you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. “And I don’t want that to be the last expression you remember me by.”

Isaac’s eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Remember when you said that you weren’t able to be a proper older sister to me ever since you got diagnosed?” he asks softly. “That’s wrong. You still were because you powered through every moment of pain on your own. Even now, you’re as selfless as ever.”

Tears prick at the corners of your eyes, and you swallow hard. “I got a taste of how it feels to be selfish recently,” you confess, your voice trembling. “To see what you want right there in front of you, waiting for you to take it, but I almost got too attached to it that fate had to rip it away from me again.”

“Are you talking about Lando?” Isaac asks gently, his eyes searching yours.

You nod, the memories of your brief time with Lando flooding back, a bittersweet ache in your chest. “Life is so cruel, so fickle,” you say, your voice barely audible. “When I finally accepted my fate, it flipped and gave me a chance to be happy, to fall in love, to live like I’ve never done before. When I experienced it all, it just made me greedy. I wanted to keep living like that. But I won’t be able to because in a moment, it’s taken away again.”

Isaac squeezes your hand, his grip warm and reassuring. “You deserved every moment of happiness,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “And you brought happiness to those around you, too. Remember that.”

The days pass in a blur of medical checks, whispered conversations, and the quiet hum of machines. Your parents come and go, their faces lined with worry but always offering words of comfort and love.

Then comes Sunday, one that’s special for you because it’s also race day. 

The hospital room is dim, illuminated only by the soft glow of the television screen mounted on the wall. The muted hum of machines and the occasional beep provide a constant backdrop to your labored breathing. Your family surrounds you, their presence a source of comfort even as your strength wanes. The room is filled with an unspoken tension, a fragile hope that somehow, you might find the strength to hold on a little longer.

Earlier in the day, you had pleaded with the nurses to let you watch the race. “Please,” you whispered, your voice weak but determined. “I just want to see him race one last time.”

The nurses had exchanged glances, their expressions softening. “Alright,” one of them had said gently. “We’ll make sure you can watch it.”

Now, the vibrant colors of the Formula 1 race contrast sharply with the sterile white of the hospital room. Lando’s car, resplendent in its sleek orange design, zips around the track with an elegance and speed that seems almost otherworldly. The commentator’s voice crackles with excitement as they describe the race in vivid detail.

“And Lando Norris takes the lead! He’s showing incredible skill out there today, really pushing the limits of his car and his own abilities. The crowd is going wild!”

You try to focus on the race, on the laps ticking by, the thrill of each turn, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult. Your vision blurs, the lines between the real and the surreal beginning to merge. Every breath is a struggle, each one more labored than the last.

Your mother sits by your side, her hand gently stroking your hair, her eyes red-rimmed but determined to stay strong. Your father stands at the foot of the bed, his face etched with lines of worry and sorrow. Isaac holds your hand, his grip firm and reassuring, his eyes never leaving your face.

You gather your remaining strength, turning your head slightly to look at Isaac. “Can you give him a message for me?” you ask, your voice barely more than a whisper, each word a struggle.

Isaac leans closer, his face etched with concern and determination. “What do you want to say?” he asks gently, his eyes locked onto yours, ready to carry your words to Lando.

You pause, the weight of the moment settling over you. With great effort, you manage to form the words that have been in your heart. “Tell him… tell him that he made me believe in living life again. That he gave me something beautiful in my last days. And… and that I’ll always be cheering for him, even if I’m not there.”

Isaac’s eyes glisten with unshed tears, and he nods, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes. “I will. I promise.”

On the television, Lando navigates the sharp turns of the track with precision and grace. The roar of the engines and the thrill of the race create a stark contrast to the quiet, somber atmosphere of your room. The commentator’s voice booms with excitement.

“Norris is extending his lead! This could be his race if he keeps up this pace. The team must be thrilled with his performance!”

On the Formula 1 track, the atmosphere is electric. Lando sits in his car, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He can feel every vibration of the engine, every nuance of the track. The pit crew buzzes with activity, their movements synchronized and efficient. Over the radio, his engineer’s voice provides updates and encouragement.

“You’re doing great, Lando. Keep this up and the win is yours.”

Lando nods inside his helmet, his focus razor-sharp. The crowd’s cheers blend into a singular wave of energy that propels him forward. He pushes the car to its limits, every fiber of his being dedicated to the race.

Back in the hospital, your breathing becomes more labored, and your family’s concern deepens. Your mother’s voice breaks as she hums softly, a lullaby from your childhood. Isaac squeezes your hand, his own tears finally breaking free.

“I love you,” you whisper, the words a final, heartfelt goodbye.

“We love you too,” Isaac responds, his voice choked with emotion. “More than anything.”

On the track, Lando crosses the finish line, the checkered flag waving triumphantly. The crowd erupts into a frenzy of cheers and applause. The commentator’s voice is almost drowned out by the noise.

“Lando Norris wins the race! What an incredible performance!”

In the paddock, Lando is overwhelmed with joy, the culmination of his efforts and dedication. He pulls off his helmet, his face breaking into a wide smile as he celebrates with his team. He can’t wait to share the victory, to tell you about the race, to see the look of pride in your eyes.

You watch from the hospital room, as Lando stands on the podium, lifting the trophy high, a sense of accomplishment filling him. A smile graces your lips, noticing the pure joy on his face. Then, you close your eyes, the vision of Lando’s smile still fresh in your mind. 

Time stands still. As the world fades around you, your family holds you close, their whispered goodbyes blending into a chorus of love and sorrow. The light in your eyes dims, and with one last, labored breath, you slip away into a place beyond suffering.

As soon as the machine flatlines, the piercing sound of the monitor cuts through the room, signaling the end. Your mother's cries shatter the silence, raw and heart-wrenching. She grips your hand with desperate strength, her knuckles turning white, as if her hold on you could somehow bring you back. 

"No, no, please!" she sobs, her voice cracking with each word. Tears stream down her face, her body trembling with the force of her grief. She shakes you gently at first, then more insistently, refusing to accept the finality of it. "Wake up, please wake up!"

Your father stands by her side, his own face etched with anguish. He places a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer support, but his own tears betray his stoic exterior. Isaac, standing a little apart, is frozen in shock, his eyes wide and uncomprehending as he watches the scene unfold. 

The room is filled with the oppressive weight of sorrow, the air heavy with the collective grief of your family. The nurses, having done all they could, step back to give your family space, their own expressions somber and respectful. 

Your mother’s cries grow louder, a desperate plea to a reality that feels too cruel to be true. She holds your hand to her cheek, her tears wetting your skin as she rocks back and forth. "Please, don’t leave us," she whispers, her voice breaking. "We need you."

The doctor steps forward, his face grave, and gently places a hand on your mother’s arm. "I’m so sorry for your loss," he says quietly, his words sincere but powerless against the tidal wave of their grief.

The only reality that matters is the unbearable pain of losing you, and the impossible task of trying to say goodbye.

On the top step of the podium, Lando basks in the glow of victory, the thrill of the race still pulsing through him. But amidst the celebration, a nagging feeling tugs at him, a sense that something is missing. A bittersweet undercurrent flows through his triumph.

Unbeknownst to him, a message of love and gratitude is on its way, bridging the distance between the track and the hospital room, connecting two hearts in a moment that transcends time and space.

Suddenly, your phone rings, the shrill sound cutting through the flatline beeping on the monitor. Each ring echoes through the room like a mournful dirge. Isaac’s hand hovers over the device, his heart pounding in his chest as he hesitates to answer. But when the call comes again, he knows there’s no escaping the inevitable.

With trembling fingers, he accepts the call, the voice on the other end sending a shiver down his spine. “Were you watching the race? I told you that you are my lucky charm.”

Isaac’s breath catches in his throat, his eyes welling with tears at the bitter irony of Lando’s words. He struggles to find the strength to respond, his voice choked with emotion. “Lando… it’s Isaac.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line, followed by a tremor of uncertainty in Lando’s voice. “Isaac? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

Isaac’s heart clenches at the desperation in Lando’s voice, his own grief threatening to consume him. “She’s gone, Lando,” he manages to choke out, his voice breaking with sorrow. “My sister… she’s gone.”

The words hang heavy in the air, a painful reminder of the cruel twist of fate that has robbed them of their happiness. Lando’s breath hitches, his voice barely a whisper as he responds. “No… no, that can’t be true. Tell me you’re lying, tell me this is some sick joke please”

Isaac’s heart aches as he hears the disbelief and anguish in Lando’s voice. He wishes he could erase the truth, to shield Lando from the devastating reality they now face. But there’s no escaping it, no denying the painful truth that hangs between them like a heavy shroud.

“I wish I could, Lando,” Isaac murmurs, his own voice choked with sorrow. “I wish this was just a sick joke, but… but she’s really gone.”

There’s a long, agonizing pause, broken only by the sound of Lando’s ragged breathing on the other end of the line. Isaac can imagine the turmoil raging within him, the crushing weight of grief threatening to overwhelm him entirely. He relays the message that you had for him, only hearing Lando breathing heavily in response. 

As Lando stands there, clutching the phone that brought him devastating news, the world around him seems to blur into a haze of incomprehensible grief. The congratulations from his fellow drivers fall on deaf ears, their voices distant and muffled as if coming from a far-off place. Daniel, Carlos, George—all of them offer their heartfelt congratulations, their smiles genuine, but Lando can't bring himself to respond. 

He feels disconnected, as if he's merely a spectator watching his own life unfold from a distance. The cameras flash around him, capturing the jubilant celebrations of victory, but Lando feels nothing but a hollow emptiness gnawing at his soul.

Unable to bear the facade any longer, Lando excuses himself from the crowd, retreating to the sanctuary of his driver's room. Once alone, the weight of his grief crashes over him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in its depths.

With a gut-wrenching scream, Lando releases the pent-up anguish that has been building inside him since the moment he received that fateful call. He falls to his knees, his body racked with sobs as he grapples with the cruel twist of fate that has torn his world apart.

In that moment of agonizing despair, Lando feels utterly alone, lost in a sea of grief with no shore in sight. The victory he had worked so hard for feels meaningless now, a hollow triumph overshadowed by the devastating loss of someone he held dear.

As the echoes of his cries fade into the silence of the empty room, Lando finds himself consumed by a profound sense of despair. In the midst of his greatest triumph, he is confronted with the harsh reality of mortality, and it is a bitter pill to swallow.

Alone in his hotel room, Lando’s victory feels hollow amidst the empty silence that surrounds him. Instead of celebrating with the fanfare of music, alcohol, and camaraderie that would be expected after such a result, he finds himself throwing his belongings haphazardly into his suitcase, his movements mechanical and devoid of purpose. 

The room feels suffocating, the weight of grief pressing down on him like a physical force. With a sense of urgency, Lando hastily gathers his things, his hands trembling as he zips up his suitcase. 

As he exits the hotel, he fires off a text to his manager, explaining the situation briefly, typing through his clouded vision full of more unshed tears. 

Lando chooses not to drive, the mere thought of operating a vehicle feeling like an insurmountable task. Instead, he hails a taxi, his mind consumed by thoughts of you and the gaping void left in your absence.

The taxi driver casts him a curious glance as he climbs into the backseat, his tear-streaked face a stark contrast to the typical fare. But Lando pays no mind to the stares, his thoughts consumed by the overwhelming grief that threatens to consume him.

Throughout the journey to the airport, Lando’s tears continue to flow unabated, his heart weighed down by the magnitude of his loss. He feels adrift, lost in a sea of pain and sorrow, unsure of how to navigate the tumultuous waters of his emotions.

Lando finds himself grappling with conflicting emotions as he boards the plane back to the town filled with memories of you. Despite the overwhelming pain of revisiting every corner suffused with reminders of your presence, he knows deep down that he cannot stay away.

The thought of pretending that everything is fine when it's not feels like a betrayal of the love you shared, a denial of the profound impact you had on his life. And so, with a heavy heart and a mind clouded by grief, Lando embarks on the journey back to the place where his heart still lingers, knowing that he must confront the pain head-on in order to find a semblance of peace.

Lando’s return to town is marked by exhaustion and dishevelment, the toll of a sleepless night evident in the shadows beneath his eyes and the weariness etched into his features. He barely manages to greet Isaac before retreating to the solitude of the lighthouse, seeking solace in the familiar embrace of its quiet sanctuary.

As Lando stands at the top of the lighthouse, his gaze fixed on the horizon, he can't shake the feeling of déjà vu that washes over him. The flickering beam of the lighthouse casts eerie shadows against the walls, the only sound the mournful cry of seagulls in the distance. It's as if he's been transported back in time, to a moment frozen in history, when tragedy and loss hung heavy in the air.

Tears stream down his cheeks, his sobs echoing in the empty space around him as he allows himself to surrender to the overwhelming tide of emotion.

In the stillness of the lighthouse, Lando is consumed by a sense of profound loss, his heart aching with the absence of the one he longs for. He sits there for hours, his thoughts consumed by memories of you, his soul yearning for the warmth of your presence.

In the dim light, Lando recalls the story you once shared with him, of the tragic love that had unfolded within these very walls decades ago. A woman, waiting faithfully for her lover's return, had spent countless nights standing vigil at the top of the lighthouse, her heart filled with hope and longing. But as the years passed and her lover failed to return, her hope turned to despair, her love transformed into bitter regret.

Now, as Lando stands in the same spot, he can't help but draw parallels between that long-ago tragedy and his own situation. Like the woman of the story, he finds himself clinging to a glimmer of hope, praying for a miracle that may never come. In his heart, he still holds onto the belief that you'll come back to him, that the news of your loss is just a bad dream from which he'll soon awaken.

With each passing moment, however, the harsh reality of your absence becomes more pronounced, the weight of grief bearing down on him like a leaden cloak. Yet, despite the pain that threatens to consume him, Lando refuses to give up hope. He remains steadfast in his vigil, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of your return, his heart yearning for the moment when he'll finally see you again.

His gaze sweeps over every corner of the lighthouse, wanting to etch every detail into his memory. The soft glow of the fading sunlight filters through the windows, casting a warm golden hue over the space. He takes a deep breath, trying to imprint the scent of saltwater and sea breeze into his mind.

As he moves around, his eyes fall upon a small alcove tucked away in a corner, hidden from plain sight. Something tugs at his instincts, urging him to investigate further. With cautious curiosity, he steps closer, his heart pounding in anticipation.

Reaching into the alcove, his fingers brush against something smooth and delicate. He pulls out a folded piece of paper, his breath catching in his throat as he realizes what it is. With trembling hands, he unfolds the note, his eyes scanning the words written in your handwriting.

Lando, I hope this note finds its way to you. It's strange how emotions can turn even the fearless into cowards. I couldn't bring myself to give you this letter in person, so I'm leaving it here, hoping it reaches you. I'm guessing you already know the truth, and that I'm no longer here by your side.

As he reads those words, he can hear your voice in his mind. The acknowledgment that you couldn't face him in person fills him with a mix of sadness and understanding. He feels a pang of guilt, wondering if there was something he could have done differently to make you feel more comfortable sharing your feelings with him. 

I don’t think a mere ‘I’m sorry’ is enough for keeping the truth from you. The reason why I did is because every moment with you felt like a dream, and in my dreams, my illness never existed. I’ve always cursed fate for the shitty hand it dealt me but I never would’ve gotten a chance to live something close to the perfect life if it wasn’t for fate. 

A melancholic smile tugs at his lips as he reflects on the sentiment expressed in your words. Each moment spent with you had indeed felt like a dream, a precious respite from the relentless demands of the racing world.

Before you came to town, I felt like a living corpse, waiting for my illness to take me under, but when I met you, it gave me a purpose to look forward to the next day. Being your tour guide, although I think it was because you just wanted to spend time with me, was probably the most I’ve lived ever since I was diagnosed. While I used your presence as an excuse to live like I used to, I didn’t ever imagine falling in love with anyone, much less a British racing driver. 

A wave of emotions wash over him as he reads your heartfelt confession, his own heart aching with a mixture of sadness and longing. Tears blur his vision as he continues reading, slightly tracing over your words with his finger. 

I wish I had the courage to say this to you face to face, to witness your reaction and perhaps hear you say the words back. But one thing I admire about you is your ability to live in the moment. So, in this moment, I want to tell you that I love you, Lando Norris, even though I'm no longer by your side. I hope our memories bring a smile to your face, just as they did to mine. 

Please, don’t blame yourself for any of this. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. You're the reason I found joy again, laughter again. Lando, you brought me back to life. Thank you. I'll love you always.

- Your favourite tour guide

As he reaches the final words of the note, he clutches it to his chest, feeling your presence close to him. In that moment, amidst the quiet solitude of the lighthouse, Lando finds a fleeting sense of peace amidst the storm of his emotions. He knows that no matter what the future holds, your love will always remain a guiding light in his heart.

With tears streaming down his cheeks, he whispers a silent promise to you, his beloved tour guide, into the salty breeze surrounding your favourite place. “I’ll never forget you. I’ll carry your love with me, always.” 

Then he adds with a sob wracking through his body, “I love you too.” 

As he sits in the lighthouse, Lando no longer waits for your return. Yet, he feels your love enveloping him, every word of the note etched into his heart. Though you may be gone, your presence lingers, filling the space around him with warmth and tenderness. In that moment, he finds solace in the memories of your love, knowing that you'll always be with him, no matter where life takes him.

Taglist: @lochnoch @llando4norris @monsieurbacteria6 @namgification @lilymurphy03 @sargeantdumbass @hiireadstuff @racingheartsposts @d3kstar @xjval @namjoonswaifu @isabellewinchester @thedecalcomania-blog @casperlikej @khaylin27 @mlioravanfleet @mehrmonga @nikfigueiredo @wonnou @jointhehunt67 @sya-skies @dreamingonbed @oliviah-25 @heylookwhoitis @unabashedkoalawasteland @inejghafawifesblog @poppyflower-22 @charizznorizz @booksandflowrs @f1ln4dr3cl16mv33 @randomnessis-mine-me @whatever7justchillin @kagome45 @doofenshmirtzevil-inc @timmy-wife1 @writtenbykirs @lew444 @kansas-kisses @barackosteaa @hellof-1 @itsbwokenln4 @nixily @reengard @candyeollies @customsbyjcg-blog @heeseungthel0ml @sweate-r-weathe-r @mattymybeloved @saturnbloom77 @ltotheucyy @ironmaiden1313

[byunpum]

Back to you | Part 3(final)

Pair: Jake(human and avatar) x Neytiri x Human reader (trio couple)

Warning: i think kinda sad. soft moments, mmm more neytiri and reader, mention of death, mates.

Note: It's been almost a month now, I'm so sorry. I still have no excuse. I tried to write the story, but I feel that in the end… I didn't like it. I think it could have another ending. But still…I'm going to leave it like this. I hope you like it very much! And thanks for your patience! I hope you enjoy this part a lot. Love ya <3

+Read 'Mama's boy' HERE+

AVATAR MASTERLIST | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3(final)

Everything was supposed to be fine, the meetings Grace had had with the RDA investigation team were supposed to have understood her claims. It was assumed that they would not continue with the massacre they were committing in other clans, it was assumed that no one would have been harmed… it was assumed. That day promised to be a quiet one, neytiri and you were sitting on the stairs of the school, which grace had built. In order to have a better contact with the Omaticaya clan. Although the atmosphere felt a little heavy, the last few weeks you had learned that the clan was planning something against the humans. The mistreatment had led them to make the worst decisions, that's why you had stayed away from the clan. It was not for your liking, you loved being in the clan. But Mo'at insisted that you stay with your people. So you could only see neytiri when they were at school.

They were playing with their hands, and telling whatever gossip you had missed in the last 2 weeks. Until you hear some noises coming from the jungle, you can see how a group of RDA men arrive, some in their robotic suits and others normal. But with weapons in their hands, Neytiri quickly rises up, taking your arm to drag you towards her. Walking away closer to the jungle behind you. Not five minutes had passed since his appearance, which is when the chaos began. The screams of desperation, the sounds of gunshots and grace's voice trying to explain, was the only thing you could hear. Neytiri and you had hidden under the stairs. You were both scared, and were waiting for help. But everything gets worse, when you feel someone grabbing you by your hair.

Lifting you off the ground with force, you scream in pain and twist in the air. You can feel Neytiri trying to hold you up, but it was useless. You see that it was some RDA soldier, indicating to take you with them. "This girl should not be here…. take her to the base" says the man. "Leave her please!!!" shouts grace, the woman was gagging on the ground. Her only hope was that you would escape with the clan, there you would be safe. You hear a scream from far away, and see how sylwanin jumps to a great height, attacking the man. "Let go of my sister!!!" shouts the girl, knocking the man down, leaving you free for her to help you. She held your hand tightly, both of you running into the jungle. When the sound of a gun is heard and everything goes silent.

Sylwanin stayed still in her place, her eyes wide open. While your gaze looked at his chest. Shot straight through the heart, your eyes met hers. Feeling her swoon over you, you try to handle her weights. "Sylwanin no…please don't. Let's go home" you cry, hugging her tightly. But you watch as that same man reaches over and grabs you by the arm again. Now with more strength, pulling you away from Sylwanin. Pulling you away from what you considered your family. You try to scream, but it was impossible to get out of his grip. You watch as neytiri tries to keep up with the group, shouting your name. "Y/N!!! NOOOO, COME BACK!!!" shouts neytiri, while you can only watch as she gets smaller the farther away you get.

present time*

Jake didn't know how to act, and what to do. He felt like he was in trouble, but at the same time he was not. You two were there just looking at each other, the looks on your faces were calm and nostalgic. There was no hate or anger…it was as if you had been waiting for this moment for years. You dared to take the first step, approaching quickly, hugging neytiri tightly. Your head resting on her lower belly. As tears began to flow from your eyes. You were afraid she would pull away and reject you. But your heart calmed down when you felt hands on your back, and felt someone slide off. Neytiri had lowered herself to your level, so she could hug you better. Wrapping her long arms around your body. "I've missed you…Y/N" neytiri says, pulling away a little. You can see how she has tears in her eyes. You wipe some of them away. "Me too" you speak, neytiri takes your hands.

Both smiling softly, while just letting time pass. Until jake makes a noise with his throat. both of you look at him and laugh. "I think I have a lot to ask," says Jake. And yes, he had a lot of questions, but you guys weren't going to let him worry. Just at that moment it had started to rain, there was a beautiful sun and a soft, cool rain. Everything looked like new changes… The three of you decided to be in a more comfortable area. Up a tree, not far from the laboratory. The three of you had sat down, while neytiri and you explained everything to jake. Even you were able to talk about the terrifying things he had experienced in the RDA all those years ago.

Time had passed, and the evening was showing. Jake can see you take a few glances at the view of the sunset. "Too bad…it's dark already," you complain, the night idicating that you had to go back to the lab. "We can meet again tomorrow, right?" asks Jake, looking at Neytiri. With very big eyes, you look at her too. This made neytiri a little nervous, having two people she cared about looking at her straight on. And waiting for her response, as if it was a law. "Well…I don't see why, besides…" neytiri pauses, moving closer to your side. "Y/N and I have a lot to talk about, how about tomorrow you go to the clan" neytiri says. You are a little surprised, but lower your face in embarrassment.

After all that had happened, they might hate you. They would still accept you?, you were afraid. "I'm not sure…I" you are interrupted, by neytiri. "I'm sure our parents would be happy to see you," says Neytiri. You swear you almost cry, hearing that they still considered you as a daughter. You agree. After a couple of minutes, Jake leaves you at the entrance of the lab. And neytiri says goodbye to you, anxious that it's already the next day. "See you later…ok" says jake, giving you a quick kiss on the crown of your head. Running back to his ikran, jake needed to drop his avatar off somewhere safe.

You watch as they walk away, if you hear a celebratory shout from neytiri. You enter the lab, with a big smile on your face. This was like a dream… you couldn't believe it.

On the other hand, Neytiri and Jake arrived at the big tree. Jake was getting down from his ikran, when he felt how neytiri hugged him, and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek of his face. "Thank you…" says the woman, jake shakes his head to the side. Laughing a little. "Why?" asks jake. Neytiri pulls away, and nudges him a little playfully. "For helping me find her," she says. Walking away from jake, to go rest. She was looking forward to the other day. She wanted to spend the whole day with you, to go back to the way she was before. And you were the same, but even more anxious, you hadn't left the connection machine, waiting for Jake to open the lid. The strange noise of the machine alarmed you, and you see how a hand lifts the machine. "H-hello" jake was just sitting up, when he feels you hug him. "Thank you!!!" you say almost shouting. " I know…she's just as excited too" jake says.

"Jake…you don't understand, this is so important to me, I'm looking forward to seeing my family" you are on the point of crying. Jake tries to calm you down. You had to, because Grace was already noticing, if not already did. She had stayed close and could hear everything. Something in her chest tightened. She felt happy but afraid at the same time, this could be dangerous for both of them. But she couldn't deny that seeing you this happy was what she wanted. Grace was like a mother to you, your happiness was also hers. She comes out from the other room, watching as you turn and get up from your chair and run to her. Jumping up and down and telling her everything that had happened. That same night, grace approached jake, still very tired jake. Touching his shoulder. "Please don't do anything stupid with those two girls…just, take care of them" says grace, pulling away from jake. She had to rest, she sensed something big was going to happen. "Don't worry, I'll take care of them," says Jake. Hearing a small laugh from grace, "Thank you" says grace, leaving jake alone in the room.

The morning came quickly, and you hadn't slept at all. Only about 2 hours, you were so anxious. You had already picked up jake, telling him to join his avatar as quickly as possible. The plan was for Jake to come get you in his ikran, and that you were all going to meet near the big tree. Jake still had a slice of bread in his mouth, when you help him into the machine. "Wait!!!" jake complains, but laughing at the same time. "Come on!!! You're taking too long!!!" you hit the buttons as fast as you can. "I'll be here in about 30 minutes, wait for me outside" jake speaks, as the door to the machine closes. You quickly, go get your oxygen mask, and a small bag you put on your hip. Grace just looked at you with a warm smile, while Norm was complaining. Saying how bad this could be. And he was partially right, this reunion could go wrong.

You come out of the lab, sitting on the same rock as the day before, waiting for Jake. You were getting anxious, because the minutes were passing and nothing. But you calm down when you hear the ikran's scream, and see him approaching. Landing nearby, only for you to approach carefully. "Come… hurry up, neytiri is super anxious" says jake, offering his hand, for you to come up with him. You get a little scared, because of the ikran. But you climb in front of him and jake wraps one of his hands around your waist. "Ready?" jake asks, noticing the big smile on your face.

The ride was scary and yet so slow at the same time. You wanted to get there already, you wanted to know how everyone was doing. What things had changed? Everything was still the same. You had so many questions. But you were interrupted by the sudden change of light when Jake started to descend, seeing a Neytiri in the distance. Greeting you and giving some jumping up and down in joy. "Y/N!!!" says neytiri, running towards the ikran, helping you down from it. " I'm glad you're home, ma y/n. Come!!!" neytiri is so excited that she almost forgets that you that you were not her own size. You stumble into a large branch, feeling jake hold you by the forearm. "Hey…watch out," says jake, watching as neytiri turns and apologizes to you, giggling. They both had big smiles on their faces, it was beautiful. They seemed genuinely happy, and something in him felt satisfied. That he had managed to get the two of them together.

The closer they got to the big tree, the more nervous you got. You could see some na'vi watching you with fear and curiosity. Some of them did not even remember your presence, you were strange to them. But they could not say anything, since neytiri had you close to her. "Are you sure they will accept me?" you ask, waiting for an answer from neytiri. "Sure…I know they will" says neytiri, she kept walking. Leading you to where her parents were. Neytiri had informed them that she had found you. Her parents' reaction was one of happiness but also concern, what if you came with bad intentions. Mo'at had to make sure that you were still… you.

You can see Mo'at and Neytiri's father. You were getting even more nervous, looking back to see jake. Making sure he was still there, if anything happened you knew Jake would protect you. The three of you arrive in front of the leaders, and you can already feel their eyes on you.

"Mother… here is Y/N" neytiri pushes you forward a little. The whole clan is around you, making you more nervous. Mo'at approaches you carefully, keeping eye contact with you. Lowering herself to your level, to be very close to you. She observes how you have changed, you are big and your appearance is not the same. Moving her hand to your chest, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. She breathed a few words, which you understood very well. It was a prayer to eywa, asking for wisdom and understanding of the unknown. Meanwhile neytiri was next to jake, waiting for her mother's approval, for her it was important for her mother to accept you back into the clan.

Mo'at opens her eyes, and can see that you are still looking at her with great concern. She moves her hand from your chest to the side of your skull. As a smile spreads across her face. "Oh my child…how we have missed you" says mo'at, as she wraps you in a big hug. "One of our own has returned home" shouts neytiri's father. Also happy for your return. Mo'at pulls away, leaving neytiri now to be the one to hug. "Eywa has answered me…our sister is pure of heart, as she has always been" shouts mo'at, as shouts of celebration are heard high up in the great tree. The clan was filled with joy and celebration. Jake still couldn't understand how you were part of the clan, you were supposed to go through a whole process to be part of it. But he could see how some na'vi came to greet you and welcome you. As if your presence was something normal for them.

It was decided that your arrival would be celebrated that night, after all this was a cause for celebration for the whole clan. Of course, some were still suspicious of your presence as tsu'tey, but that did not matter to you. You were so happy, you had to catch up with neytiri. And so you did, you spent the whole day together.

Neytiri forced you to change your clothes, and adjust one of hers, just for you. "Ney I think this…" you laugh, while the top didn't want to adjust. "Let me help you" neytiri laughs. Coming closer to you, and helping you. Admiring you for a moment, this seemed so unreal. Neytiri could hate all humans, but you. You and she had a different connection. She loved you and she felt you loved her back. "That's it!!! Now you do look beautiful" says neytiri, watching you try to cover yourself up. "Jake look!!!" shouts neytiri, inviting jake to join you. The poor man had stayed behind you, it seemed like he didn't exist between the two of you. "Doesn't she look beautiful?" asks neytiri. Watching as jake's ears perk up as well as his tail, from excitement. "Y-yes…pretty" says jake trying not to look at you too much. "Don't look at me!!!" you moan, it was the first time jake had seen you naked like that. Of course, neytiri didn't understand what was going on between you and just laughed.

The day went on as normal, neytiri and you continued to do your thing, while jake followed and tried to join in. You included him, but sometimes forgot about him. The night came quickly, and the celebration began. Everyone was dancing, singing, eating. And they were eating a very special game, neytiri's father himself had hunted for you. Everyone was happy, even grace and norm had joined in. Already consumed by alcohol, saying stupid things. While you were sitting on a log watching how cozy everything felt, like it used to. It finally felt like home. You watch as neytiri is dancing with jake, flirting and having a good time. You had a soft smile on your face, until neytiri makes eye contact with you. Causing you to blush a little, changing your gaze.

You hear her approach, and she plops down next to you. You knew she'd had a bit to drink, so it was all laughs for her. "Do you want to dance, with me?" neytiri speaks, silly in her movements. "I don't think so…I'm fine here" you speak, still a little shy. "If you want you can dance with jake, he would like that" neytiri says as she laughs. You look at her for a moment, you knew the tone she was talking in. "If you want we can both dance with him…share him" says neytiri, saying the last word more slowly. Waiting for a response from you, you stare at her for a moment. Bursting out laughing with her. "Well… if you insist, but first I want to dance with you" you get up from the floor and take her hand to take neytiri with you. After dancing with her, after a while Jake joined you.

After the party, Neytiri insisted that you sleep over with her. No one could stop them, they both wanted to be together all the time. And no one refused the request. So now you were both lying in neytiri's hammock, laughing and talking about anything. "Excuse me ladies…" speaks Jake, from his hammock. You both look at him at the same time. "Hope you get some rest" jake says, listening as you two also wish him goodnight, but quickly ignore him to keep talking. Jake chuckles to himself, and settles down to sleep. After all he needed to rest, soon it would be his initiation ceremony into the clan, so he had to be in perfect condition.

"When will be jake's ceremony?" you ask neytiri, she was next to you. "In the next few days, you will be there, right?" asks neytiri. You settle more on top of her, looking warmer. The nights could be cold in Pandora, colder than usual. "I'll try to be there…but I don't know" you say, shifting your gaze a little. There is a silence between the two of you, until Neytiri laughs to herself. "What do you think?" you speak. "After the ceremony…Jake will be able to choose a partner, a partner who is from the clan," says Neytiri. "Are you thinking of proposing?" you joke a little, but you see that neytiri falls down. "I thought about proposing but for both of us…" says neytiri, looking down to see you. "Both of us, us sharing Jake?" you think for a moment. You had so many doubts.

"I think we have to ask jake first" you speak, hearing neytiri laugh. " Don't worry, I'm going to make him" neytiri says joking with you. "You know… I'm glad we're back together" you hug neytiri. "Yes, I hope we will never be separated again, never again" neytiri hugs you tighter. And the idea of you and her and Jake being a couple, she was excited. She was already planning everything, she already had more or less an idea.

(I'm going to try to summarize the battle part as much as I can, because it doesn't go very much with the plot of the story)

But neytiri wished these moments had lasted longer. After jake's initiation ceremony. She kept her word, neytiri took jake to the spirit tree, declaring herself and also declaring your feelings for him. Telling him the plan that you and she had, trios were a normal thing between them. Jake didn't hesitate to accept, it was a shame that you weren't there with them to join them in eywa's eyes. Neytiri wished you would stay, but the chaos that was going on in the lab was different. The RDA had already sent their warnings, and grace was trying to calm the waters, but all to no avail. The next morning the chaos broke out, and harmony was exhausted.

After jake told the truth, and everything that was going on. There was a moment of doubt towards you, on neytiri's part. You hadn't had a chance to talk to her. To tell her that you didn't know anything about it. Jake and the team, including you, were able to escape from the RDA and do something for the Omaticaya clan. It was not after jake became toruk makto, that you were able to see neytiri.

The humans who were in favor of the na'vi, and the omaticaya had to unite to save pandora. So you were finally able to meet with her. Jake explained to Neytiri that you had nothing to do with this…you were so innocent about it. Neytiri knew that you were not capable of betraying her like that, neither her nor the clan. The fight was tough, and left many fallen in battle. But it was worth it… now they were free. At least for a while, everyone knew it wasn't over.

(end of summary <3)

After the first battle, and the humans went back to earth. That was when neytiri felt some stability again. Things were slowly calming down. She just needed something… and it was you. She needed you to accept to be in her family…she needed you to be her partner. Both hers and Jake's. But she didn't know how to do it, she was already by jake's side. But she was noticing since the humans left, you were distancing yourself from her. Keeping your distance and this did not please her. She could understand that you were analyzing everything that had happened, you had lost grace, all the chaos of the RDA. But now…now she could be a little happy.

"Today is your transfer ceremony…I will ask Y/N, do you think she will accept?" neytiri asks jake. "Didn't she already accept?" jake laughs a little. consoling neytiri. "Yes…but now it would be formal. You and I are already bonded…it would be our turn to bond with her. That makes me nervous" neytiri brings her hand to her chest, and tries to reassure herself. "Everything will be fine." jake also has his doubts. A human being paired with two na'vi, that's strange. Even for him. Sure, he wants you to accept his proposal, both he and neytiri want the same. But what will it be like, what will the others think. How this was going to work.

Jake's ceremony went perfectly. Jake left his human body, to now be a permanent part of his na'vi body. And of course, everyone was there to see this happen. You were right next to Jake's human body and Neytiri next to his avatar. "See you later" you say to Jake, watching as he smiles at you and closes his eyes. You couldn't help but feel a little sad, you had gotten used to seeing this jake, human jake. But you also knew it was the best thing for him…now he would be better off. He would have a better life. You could see jake's last sigh leave his body, and watch as all the attention turned to his avatar. Picking yourself up off the ground, and walking away a bit. You settle into a corner of the group that was helping Jake welcome his new body. You felt like you didn't belong there… you were no longer important. Or so you thought…

After a while, the ceremony was winding down, and everything began to get quieter. Less people, more privacy. Jake still felt a little strange, but it was great. Neytiri was by his side, happy but with her head busy. She was looking for you, but couldn't find you. You were supposed to be by her side, but out of nowhere you disappeared. "I don't see her…where is she?" says jake, looking around. "Y/N? I saw her walking towards the jungle, I guess she's heading to the lab" says norm and max. Jake and neytiri give each other a look, before getting up from the ground and going to look for you.

On the other hand, you were steps away from the lab. Thinking to yourself, well this was the end of it. After all, it's all calmed down. It didn't happen what you expected, but at least they are… a noise interrupts you. You hear voices calling your name. You turn to see two large silhouettes approaching. "Y/N wait!!!" says neytiri. Approaching you, you smile a little. "Why are you gone?" asks jake approaching you. Both na'vi kneel down to your level, so they can talk to you better. "Well…just, I thought it would be better if I walked away." You speak, watching as neytiri's gaze falls. "Why would you think that…we don't want you to walk away" the woman says somewhat agitated. "I…I don't want to" you start to speak, but neytiri interrupts.

"We had already talked about this…and maybe you thought it was a joke. But, what about us. I thought we were going to be a couple…the two of us, jake and…" neytiri pauses for a moment. "Were you really talking?" you ask, as your eyes widen. Jake laughs, and moves closer to you. Taking your hands, he also takes neytiri's hands. Just for the three of you to be together. "Since you are part of the clan…and I am aware that there are other couples that would be better than us, but…would you like to be our mate?" asks jake, neytiri looks at him for a moment, only to stare at you.

You didn't know what to answer. Never in a million years, you thought you would be in this position, you were well aware that you were a human, and no na'vi could find you attractive. Even when you began to have feelings for Jake, you found it hard to think that his na'vi side would find you attractive. But neytiri…like her who hated humans so much. "You don't want to be with us?" neytiri breaks the silence, you had been silent in thought for a few minutes. "It's not that…but it scares me a little" you speak. Watching as neytiri moves closer to you. "Afraid…you shouldn't be afraid of us" says neytiri. "We will never hurt you," says Jake. Joining neytiri.

"And if you start to hate me…and get tired of me" you begin to stutter a little. "Y/N…we want you to be our mate, and it's because we both love you. We want to have a family with you, please" jake speaks, now he was holding your hands tighter. You look at both of them for a moment, smiling at them and shaking your head. "Yes…I accept" you speak, neytiri comes over to hug you and pull you to her. She was so excited. She tries to find some space so she can give you a kiss, but she stopped for a moment. "How? Ahhh?" she sounded a little confused. That damn glass you had on your face, it had never bothered her as much as it did now. Jake reaches over and gives you a kiss on the hundred. "I think if you hold your breath…" jake looks at you shaking his head to the side along with his little ears.

The three of you hadn't noticed, but you're so close together, so tight. You could barely see. Norm just happened to be arriving at the lab, coming upon the scene. He sensed something was up but decided to ask. "Is something going on or what's happening?" speaks Norm, from the distance. You both look at him at the same time, separating. Neytiri and Jake get up from the ground. "It's nothing…we were just looking for Y/N, we were just leaving right?" says jake, taking neytiri's hand. "Yes, we were just leaving" neytiri speaks. You feel jake tap you on your shoulder, offering you his hand. You make eye contact for a moment with neytiri and then with jake. You were aware that as soon as you took jake's hand. Your life as a regular human was going to end.

It wasn't like living in pandora was normal, but you knew you had to leave everything you knew so far. Accepting to be neytiri and jake's mate, implied living like them, living like na'vi. And you were willing to do it, holding tightly Jake's hand. "Norm… later I'm going to get more oxygen supply" you speak, leaving a confused norm. But he was going to be okay, eventually he was going to know what was going on. Neytiri approached the other side of Jake, taking his other free hand. This was going to be a great adventure for the three of them. And she couldn't wait for it to begin.

And it didn't take long, weeks after the three of them settled into their new home. A nice hut up in the trees, perfect for a big family. Neytiri became pregnant with neteyam, this was just the beginning of your family's expansion. Soon after neteyam was born, grace's avatar body showed signs of pregnancy. And so kiri came into your family. Neteyam was a year old, and kiri was a couple of months old when your pregnancy came as a surprise to the entire clan. You were the only human who was able to become pregnant by a na'vi. Norm and Max came to the conclusion that as Jake's avatar, he had DNA in his system. There might have been a possibility. And that's how lo'ak came into your life. Your handsome prince, your precious angel. Even though all the children in the family were equal siblings and you were his parents regardless of who his mother was, you had a special attachment to lo'ak. You never thought you could get pregnant, so you cared for him a lot.

Present, location: Metcayina clan (read mama boy's "here")

You had been in the clan for a long time already, and after all the problems that had happened. Between being accepted into the clan, the problems between your children and their father and not to mention how insecure you had felt. The same doubts were beginning to consume you. The little akira was already quite big, so watching her run around the marui was your new activity. It had been 14 years since you had your last baby, so you felt like a first time mom.

"Tuk keeps insisting that she wants to make a new outfit for akira" says neytiri. She was sitting next to you, preparing the food. Her voice brought you back to reality. "Ah?" you speak, looking at neytiri, with a blank stare. "Ma y/n, is something wrong with you?" neytiri pauses, putting the knife aside. She had already spent so much with you, she could read you with her eyes closed. "No…I'm just a little tired. akira didn't sleep very well" you speak, Neytiri arranges your hair a little, she knew you weren't feeling well. "This fish is gigantic!!!" jake speaks as he enters the marui. "akira look who's here!!!" you speak, catching the little girl's attention. Who saw her father enter, and ran as fast as she could to greet him. Jake grabbed her with one hand and held her in his arms. Giving her many kisses on her cheeks. Neytiri laughs a little, and looks back at you.

After preparing the food, you had gone for a walk with tuk and the baby of the family. Leaving Neytiri and Jake alone. Neytiri thought this was the perfect time to talk to one of her partners. She was worried about you. "Do you think something is wrong with Y/N?" asks neytiri. "Well…I've seen her a little distant from us" said jake. Neytiri thinks a little, she wanted to do something to cheer you up. "How about we take a walk along the coast, she likes to do that since she came here and since akira was born, we haven't had a date" says jake. Watching neytiri get excited, she thought jake's idea was great. "Perfect, I'll tell neteyam and kiri to take care of the kids and we'll take a night for ourselves" speaks neytiri, excited.

That same night, Neteyam was left in charge of his younger siblings. Something that you doubt a little, because akira was still very small, but Neytiri manages to calm you down. She knows that you need your space and to clear your mind. The three of you leave the marui, taking the ilus to one of the nearest islands. Luckily for you, the island was lonely, and the marine life was so active.

Everything was so peaceful and calm. just what you needed, neytiri was in the water swimming while you and jake were on the sand watching her. "Hey!!! Come here" neytiri shouts, watching as you quickly get up and join her. Laughing as you feel the temperature difference in the water. Neytiri catches up to you, you quickly wrap your arms around her neck. You were both laughing, and swimming together. "Hey?" you speak, looking at neytiri. They were so close, one to the other. "I'm afraid we'll get separated…like we did before. That's why I'm like this," you speak. Neytiri just keeps silent, and comes closer to kiss you on the lips. ( Y/N is wearing "THIS" oxygen mask) "I think that after everything we have been through…nothing will separate us again" says neytiri.

"Hey…would you guys like me to join you?" jokes jake from the edge. He had already started to enter the water. Reaching out, he reached out for your hand so he could take it. Jake was big enough to be able to hold you both in the same embrace. Pulling them to his chest, he stretched up so he could kiss them both. "It's been a long time since we were like this…" jake speaks softly. Close to your ear, you were in between the two of them, both cuddling in the embrace. "Yeah…so that's how I got pregnant for the second time" you joke, hearing neytiri laugh. "well…I guess we could try again…don't you think" you feel jake's hand run up your thigh under the water, giving it a little squeeze.

"Hey…that's my thigh!!!" says neytiri, giggling. You had your legs around her waist, and were quite high up on the surface. "Here…here" you take jake's hand and guide it, feeling neytiri take your face in her hands and give you another kiss. As you feel jake's lips on your shoulder, closing your eyes.

What a fool you were, it had been so long, they had been through so much…and yet they had found each other.

Tag List <3

@mimisweetz @crazytacokoala @waywardobjectfun @baybaybear1 @papichulo120627 @katch2020 @anxious-fern @carip-09 @nonamevenus @linaaa15 @screechingenemy18 @crazytacokoala @kiaralee25 @ikeyniofthetayrangi

[aouiaa]

Loser!Ellie Hcs

Imagining Loser! Ellie who makes fart noises with her mouth when you bend down to pick up something, and makes fun of you for “farting.”

“Ewww, that one was nasty!”

A scoff leaves your mouth as you stand up, looking back to send a death stare her way to which makes her walk over to you, giggling.

“It’s okay, everyone farts.” she says with a cheeky grin.

An eye roll from you further causes Ellie to full on laugh and wrap her arms around your waist, pressing kisses to your neck.

She would be so silly with it too. Finding different ways to comment on you “farting.”

“That’s some narly tooting there, babe.”

“Woof, another left the cannon!” she says, pinching her nose while actually fanning the air to shooing away the smell as if it was real.

“A bomb just dropped, take cover!”

Imagining Loser! Ellie who invites you over to her house when you first started dating to review her concerningly large comic book collection.

“How many do you have?!” you exclaim, looking over the many boxes filled with comics.

“I had to do some things to acquire such items that I rather not corrupt your mind with.” she says in a rather poor attempt of sounding suspicious and menacing.

“God, you’re such a loser! you laugh, and watch as Ellie immediately drops the act and turns into a big giant tomato.

A little shy “no” leaves her lips to which makes you smile and lean over to kiss her, “It’s okay, you’re my loser.”

Imagining Loser! Ellie who also has a smaller collection of space related books than the rather getting out-of-hand comic collection.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who has the deadliest grip over the last chicken while sending a death stare your way when you do that one trend on her to see if she’d grab her phone instead.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who’s laughing to the point there’s tears in her eyes when she suggested the both of you paint each other. And when revealed, hers was very detailed and while yours…’was insteresting.’ Ellie’s words…

Imagining Loser! Ellie who makes fun of people who dress “cringe”, but also wears this.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who write love songs for you in her little journal of hers and even plays them on her guitar. You’ve even caught her once.

Upon walking into your home, you hear muffled talking or singing. Presuming it’s Ellie, you walk into the room to see her with gutiar in hand. Immediately when she sees you she stops what she’s doing and look up, her face turning red.

“Oh—shit, you’re home early…” she says, laughing nervously, settling her guitar aside and greeting you with a hug and kiss as usual.

A little laugh leaves your lips as you reciprocate the greeting and ask, “What were you doing?”

She pulls away from the embrace and looks down upon hearing the question. Playing with her pinky and ring finger, she responds, “Oh, ya’ know—just…playing.”

“Just playing? But I heard you singing.”

An audible gulp is heard from the nervous girl as she looks up at you, “I was writing a song.” she finally admits.

A wave of surprise washed over you, “Oh—wow. Can…I hear it?”

“Uhh, maybe later..”

You chuckle and nod, “Alright then, my little musician. You can work on!” you quip.

A nervous smile presents itself on Ellie’s lips, “Shut up.”

Loser! Ellie who does let you listen to the song, but is stuttering and messing up the whole time!—Poor girl, you make her nervous :(—To which earns her a kiss on the cheek and a “You got this, baby. Just relax” To which she actually does! She Some might say it was the kiss that did it.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who has a special spot in her journal filled with doodles of you.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who has multiple unfinished paintings of you that with time will be finished, just has to find time in her super busy schedule—that consists of sleeping and bothering you—to finish them.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who sleeps with stuffed animals.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who HAS to absolutely listen to music when doing anything, literally doesn’t matter it could be showering, dishes, getting ready, etc. There’s music playing.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who’s a big ‘Savage Starlight’ nerd and actually at some point sent in one of her best fanart to the official insta page, but never got a response. :(

But the girl can’t take failure as an option and is still hopeful saying, “They’ll open my message…eventually.” with a sad little huff.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who’s screaming from the bathroom when she actually gets a response back!

You knock frantically on the door to startled by the screaming and when she does finally open the door you’re met with her phone being shoved into your face, “Look, Look, Look!”

A slightly irritated sigh leaves your lips as you look at Ellies phone—which has mysterious residue stains on it—and see the instagram post.

Once reading the caption praising Ellie for her work, you look up from the phone and at her, “I thought you were getting killed, Ellie! God…”

“Aweeee, you care about me?” she says, putting her hands on her chest.

“No, I came to make sure they finished the job.” you reply with a cheeky grin.

“Oh wow…well in that case, gimme my phone and get out!” she frowns.

You roll my eyes playfully and chuckle, giving back her phone, “Make sure to flush.” you say, closing the door.

“That was one time!” you hear a muffled shout.

Imagining Loser! Ellie whose phone is filled with multiple pictures of you. Some of you, sleeping, doing chores around the house, cooking—and some with you seeming to be yelling at her in the photo for not helping, and terrible pictures of you that you beg her to delete, but she protests saying they’re “beautiful” to her.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who steals your chapstick since she always loses her’s within a few days of having it.

“Ellie?” you call out, searching in your nightstand for your chapstick.

“Yeah, babe?” you hear her voice become more clearly as she walks into the bedroom.

“Have you seen my chapstick? My lips are terribly dry…” you huff, unable to find it in your clutter.

“Uhh, no.”

*Imagine her in the background, sneakily swiping your chapstick back and forth on her lips as you annoyedly rummage through your stuff for it.* LMAOOO

Imagining Loser! Ellie who does feel bad and buys you a ten pack of chapstick, stealing one of course for herself.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who buys those princess or even soda chapstick ones.

(Okay i’ll stop talking about chapsticks…😭)

Imagining Loser! Ellie who seems to never drink water, but instead drinks like Arizona, Dr. Pepper, or Canada-dry, etc.

Imagining Loser! Ellie who’s rather disgusting when eating. Having dried up residue on the side of her mouth from dinner which was hours ago only to lick it off.

“Mmm, that burger was good.”

“You’re disgusting.”

Imagining Loser! Ellie who sometimes, but not all the time, thinks about how lucky she is/was to get—or “pull” as she says to her friends—someone like you.

Loser! Ellie who loves you for loving her despite her quirks!

How you can help Palestine, Why you shouldn’t support tlou/ buy the remastered, Educate yourself, #FREEPALESTINE.

a/n; Who wants Dina or Abby hcs? 🤭

Perm taglist: @elliesprettygirl, @dyk3ang3l, @ellies2fingers, @r3starttt, @slut4mascss, @k1ssesworld

Ellie Only fics: @herelieskrisy, @mikellie , @slaysksmska, @mina-281, @teawithnosugar, @kitkatkittycat111

[milfloveer]

Premonition 🦋

Pairing: Lilia Calderu x fem!reader

Plot: You have a terrible premonition about the person you love

Warnings: angst maybe but comfort and some fluff wins hihi; premonition of Lilia's death

A/n: Alright fam I'm currently in grief for my wife Lilia and I need some comfort and this was what came to my mind, so please enjoy as much as I do

I woke up frantically gasping for air "LILIA! NO!" I scream from the top of my lungs, tears staining my cheeks. The contact of someone's hands— No, not someone's, Lilia's hands, grabbing my face make me look at her face and the world falls on me.

Sobbing my heart out I lounge my body to hers and hug her tightly, crying my soul out as she says sweet nothing against my ear. Our bodies rock back and forward into a comforting movement, one of her hands holding the back of my head and the other on my lower back, pushing me even closer to her, her face nuzzled into the crook of my neck as mine is against her chest.

As I calm down I slightly pull away and look her in the eyes, ignoring the other members of the coven, probably in distress for seeing the scene before them "Lilia, please don't do it..." I sob with tears still in my eyes.

Lilia looks at me confused with her eyebrows furrowed "Do what?" she asks "Please, I'm begging you- I- I need you." I say between sobs, Lilia seems surprised by my words and so seems the rest of the coven "y/n what's going on? What did you see?" Agatha asks a little frightened cause she knows my premonitions weren't a good thing.

The premonition flashes through my mind again and I tightly close my eyes as I shake my head "No- NO! Please, make it stop!" I sob gripping Lilia's hands which were now on my face trying to stop my movements "Guys what do we do?" Alice asks, concern evident in her tone and her question directed more specifically to Agatha and Lilia than to the whole coven.

Lilia looks at Alice and then at Agatha, the later masking her distress and concern by shrugging her shoulders "We can't do anything about it. So we wait." she says, making the others groan and sigh as Lilia refocus on me again. She leans in and lays her forehead against mine making me open my frantic eyes and look at her concerned ones "Please, please, don't do it- don't leave me. I need you." I whisper, barely audible at the end "Why are you saying this, darling. What did you see?" she asks softly and carefully, I take a deep shaky breath before answering "I saw you falling... Sacrificing yourself..." my voice trembles as I try to say what I saw, she frowns "Please, don't do it, Lilia. Please." I beg her, fear evident in my voice and posture.

Lilia still doesn't understand why I'm begging her, why all the fear, the crying and concern from my side about her, we're good friends, but we knew what the road was when persuaded to go by Agatha, to join her coven "But darling, why are you so afraid of losing me?" she asks "Because I love you." I blurted out making her gasp softly with the impact of the words "Y-you do?" she stutters and I realise what I've just said and try to move away from her, but she won't let me "I'm sorry, Lilia." I say trying to contain the tears of embarrassment and rejection "I hope you're apologising for not telling me that sooner, darling." she says, her voice soft, dripping with tenderness and... Love?

My eyes lock with hers as searching for the answer, then I feel her soft and delicate lips against mine. The whole world disappears and it's only me and Lilia at this moment, our lips move delicately, lovingly, like sharing all the feelings for each other without words, it's... Magic. She pulls away and rests her forehead against mine once again "I love you too and I promise I won't leave you, my darling." she breathes out, brushing against my lips and in that precise moment I knew I didn't need to end the road, my heart was complete, bursting with love for the witch in front of me.

[brittle-doughie]

Britttlleeee

Since your hc for Y/N Cookie is that they lost a partner long ago in the storyline's you create. Which I love btw. Do you think the Beasts would exploit this or use this in some way to try and sway Y/N Cookie to join/be with them? They've been through a lot and appear to have little to no therapy. So I could see the Beasts taking advantage of this vulnerability.

The Fool (Shadow Milk Cookie)

Oof, the decease spouse multiplier?

It’s going to be Shadow Milk’s doing, he’s the one most suited for trickery and striking you while you’re at your most vulnerable state of mind.

The mist envelopes you, the shouts of PV and WL calling out to you slowly fade away as you look all around, trying to answer them but never seeming to get a response back. You ready your weapon, you were not letting anything this Beast says or does get to you.

???: “Hello…?”

You gasped as your pupils shrunk, heading perking up as you looked around the place.

That voice, it couldn’t be….

???: “My beloved, are you there…?”

No way…she/he was dead….

???: “Oh, how I missed you so much…”

SVTFOE, anyone? Feels bad about the finale though. Just picture it being a puppet of the spouse cookie, you get the idea.

You saw her/him, a puppet of your lost flame, alive and well….all the fight in you suddenly extinguishes as you drop your weapon, your hand shaking as emotions rise.

You: “H-hey….”

Spouse Cookie: “Bless the witches that you’re here with me at last….”

You: “I thought I’d never see you again…but what are you doing here? It’s not safe, let me take you somewhere safe first!”

Spouse Cookie: “It’s okay. We are with each other again, that’s all that matters now…”

You: “B-but, I…”

Spouse Cookie: “Isn’t this why you pulled through for so many years? To be with me again…?”

You: “I…I never gave up on you. So many times, I thought if I had just let you go, it would’ve been for the best. But that little part of me j-just couldn’t. A p-part of me w-wanted to maintain hope that y-you…*sniffle*”

Spouse Cookie: “My cherished, please do not cry. Why are you crying? I’m here now, please come into my arms…”

You didn’t hesitate and ran into his/her arms as you weeped silently. All the memories, the trading words of love to one another, you missed it. All of it.

You: “I-I love you…..”

Spouse Cookie: “It’s okay, I love you too, my sweetest cookie….”

You kept hugging her, unaware that her the puppet’s hold was getting tighter around you, her hands gripping your form more firmly, almost in a death grip….

You kept hugging…though, you furrow your eyebrows when you hear something distant in the mist, it sounded like…voices..?

???: “….Y/N….don’t….trust….!”

You listen more intently, was that…Pure Vanilla Cookie?

Pure Vanilla Cookie: “Shadow…Milk….tricks…your head…!”

You pieced together his words and gasped, but by then, it was already too late….

Spouse Cookie: “My dearest lover, what is the problem? Always know that I will take care of it…”

That last part was a malicious croak as you hesitantly look up to face your love(?)

The strings, the segmented limbs, hollow eyes and grin that harbor many blue colored eyes staring right back at you….

This was NOT your love….

It was a bastardization of him/her….

By the Beast….Shadow Milk Cookie…

False Spouse Cookie: “I love you, Y/N Cookie. And I’m never LETTING YOU GO!”

The puppet held onto you even tighter and started to rapidly drag you into the corrupted forest as you cry out in fear and despair!

False Spouse Cookie: “Don’t be so scared, ya silly willy! Just think about how happy you’ll be full of deceit and chaos! How happy you and him/her will be! Well, as best as I can imitate him/her at least!”

Shadow Milk Cookie wasn’t even trying to keep up the facade anymore, his voice coming through the puppet instead.

False Spouse Cookie: “THIS IS IT! LET ME INTO YOUR MIND AND DROWN IN DECEIT-WHAT?!”

You were suddenly dropped to the ground, rolling forward a bit before coming to a stop. You hastily get up to see the puppet dangling on only one string, the rest of the body limp.

False Spouse Cookie: “Hey, watch the puppet! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it right?!”

Gingerbrave: “Y/N Cookie, are you okay?! That was quite the fall.”

Yeah, you told him you were alright. You soon see that he didn’t come alone as Pure Vanilla and White Lily Cookie had come to you, White Lily tending to your side.

Pure Vanilla Cookie: “We have made it just in time. I am glad you are alright, Y/N Cookie.”

White Lily Cookie: “They’re shaking. They’ve been..disturbed….”

Shadow Milk’s puppet was soon replaced by the Beast himself, who was anything but happy.

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Why do you PESTS always meddle in my script?! It was simple enough, I win Y/N’s mind over and I get to taint them with deceit to become a deliverer of deceit and lies! This was not how this was supposed to go!”

White Lily Cookie: “Leave them alone! You’ve already done too much damage to them! You’ll have to go through us to get them first!”

Pure Vanilla Cookie: “So true. We won’t let you bring further torment to them!”

Gingerbrave: “Yeah, Y/N Cookie is our friend and if you mess with them, you mess with all of us!”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Fine! Have it your way! I’ll get my hands on them in the end! Just you wait!”

You were curled up near a tree as the cookies fought, shaking with a thousand yard stare.

Was it..all a lie? He talked just like your partner, behaved just like them….

What was even true about that anymore….

[justasecretflower]

🥀- Dating Jeff! The killer before he became a proxy!

- fluff.

‼️swearing! its jeff obviously…

_______________________________

- Liu was 100% the more popular brother, he was more gentle, more kind, had more looks and friends.

- so naturally, Jeff didn’t even believe you when you said you liked him, like Toby.

- he thought you were just trying to get close to his “better” younger brother.

- you have to keep trying for him to actually believe you. You kept asking him out, telling him he looked nice, or complimenting him for getting a good score.

-he finally believes you after like a month of this and he went out to the park as a date. You brought some snacks and stuff to drink.

- You both hid in the slide. Lying right next to each other in the plastic red slide away from everyone else, talking for just hours straight. He knew he had to go home, but he didn’t care. This was his first ever date.

- “where’s my hug at?” Btw.

- “guess who?” While closing your eyes

- acts like a super senior without the pedophilia

- holds stuff above your head too.

- the first time you kissed he was fed up of procrastination. You sat next to him under the bleachers late at night, then randomly got grabbed by your cheeks and kissed roughly.

- it was a long, deep, rough kiss. He put all of his passion and love for you in that kiss.

- he didn’t apologize for how rough he grabbed you, or how sudden it was, he only went in for a second kiss.

- late night walks>>>>>>

- him giving you that dirty white hoodie he always wears when you get cold.

- makes little notes for you in class, forms a paper airplane and aims straight for your head. Then snickers about it.

- he bites. Not as something sexual just a little sign of affection. Your arm, shoulder, and jaw have become a constant place for him to bite.

-no, he will never do it hard; ever.

- can’t afford flowers, picks up weeds while walking and gives them to you.

- if you’re eating something, he snatches it up and takes a bite.

-same goes for if you’re drinking something, don’t mind him just taking a little swig.

- writes his initial and hearts on your hand all the time

-writes YOUR initial and hearts on his converse

- has a picture of you in his hoodie pocket, sure it’s a little dirt and crumpled but it’s something.

- neck kisses, on the back of the neck :(

- doesn’t know how to express his love, so he does tiny things like picking up cool trinkets he finds on the ground, helping you with a problem in school, and drawing tiny hearts everywhere (on you and your paper)

- has a tiny version of your purfume that he keeps to spray his pillows when he wants to pretend like he’s holding you.

__________________________________________

“Hmmm…a doctor?” You ask, this was the 5th thing you’ve asked him what he wants to be when he grows up, so far he’s said no to everything and it’s been getting progressively harder to think of more careers. The chill of the autumn air dances between the strands of mine and Jeff’s hair, lightly kissing my cheek and making my cheeks and tip of my nose red. He was climbing up towards the monkey bars. Hopping to one of them he thrusts an arm out to reach for the other bar. “Fuck no. Too much work” Jeff huffs a laugh. Lifting his body up to curl his legs on one of the bars, leaving him hanging upside down. I walk towards him, putting my hands on his cheeks. “I give up, what do you wanna be when you grow up.” He looks at me, eyes getting softer, lighter. “With you.” He says, smashing our lips together, like he always does, but pulling away quickly. “Don’t tell anyone I said that corny shit..” he mumbles, hopping down from the bars and rubbing his hands together. I just smile brightly.

________________________________________

- all of his movements seem like he’s scared of losing you, like you’re gonna disappear within seconds.

- grips your hand with a death grip, kisses you rough and fast, hugs you so tight you can’t breathe.

- it’s only in the quiet of the night when he stays over, spooning you does he gently hold your hand and softly kiss your face.

Pt 2. Meeting Jeff! The killer again after dating him before he was a proxy

Tags

[twistersobsessed]

I love that you write for Scott there isnt enough for him❤️ could you write something where the reader and Scott are in a secret relationship bc she is part of Tyler's team. Noone sees the side of Scott that the reader sees and they are just so in love with each other and hes so protectiveof her. The reader was in the movie theater tornado and instead of Lilly being the one Tyler holds on to its the reader and after everything Scott makes it to the town and finds out what happened and without thinking he kisses the reader in front of everyone and gets emotional that she's ok.Everyone's shocked but they finally see the side of Scott he only shows the reader. Later that night they are in the hotel and they have sweet romantic sex and he ask her to marry him!

Sorry it's so long I suck at summarizing lol

Soft Side | Scott x Reader

A/N: To make it make sense, Scott and Javi weren’t in the same truck when the El Reno hit. Javi went to help but Scott stayed back with the team until he realized you were there.

You and Scott had been dating for six months now, and absolutely no one in your lives knew about it. It takes a special connection to be able to make a relationship work with your jobs, especially to make that relationship work in secret.

You were Tyler Owens’ little sister, he was your senior by eight years. He’d finally let you join the Wranglers nine months ago, with a warning to stay away from Storm Par; they were a bunch of dicks with fancy degrees.

You were never one to listen though. Besides, you thought Javi was a lovely person, and from recognizing his last name, you knew he had been through hell.

His partner, Scott, was something else. Tall, dark, handsome, and mean. Just your type. Javi was easy being nice to, you enjoyed talking to him, but Scott – Scott was a challenge. You liked a challenge.

As soon as you met him you were determined to break through his hard exterior. It took four weeks. Four weeks before you were able to bound up to Scott and hold a solid conversation without him giving you attitude or looking down on you, while your brother and friends watched on dumbfounded.

For the next two months, Javi would always joke about Scott’s soft spot for you. Scott would deny it with a scowl, but it was true. He was slowly falling for you.

Three months after you met him, Scott asked you out. Your first “date” was sharing drinks in your motel room after a day of chasing, because Storm Par was staying at the same motel as your group; of course they were.

You both agreed it was best to keep the relationship secret for the sake’s of both your jobs and your teams.

Honestly, as much as you wanted to be able to be public with your boyfriend, it wasn’t all bad. You almost felt like a high schooler sneaking around with your crush. It was lingering glances, “accidental” touches, and a lot of late nights in motel rooms.

Scott was at the forefront of your thoughts constantly.

But not right now.

Right now, your imminent death was at the forefront of your thoughts as the El Reno tornado tried to suck you right out of the movie theater.

Your grip on the chairs slipped and you screamed, your body being pulled into the air. Before you could get too far, Tyler caught both your hands in his, keeping himself anchored by hooking his ankle around the base of a chair.

You were fully off the ground as the angry, swirling winds tried to claim you, but your brother wouldn’t let go. He thought he’d already lost Kate, he wouldn’t lose you too.

“Please, don’t let me go!” You begged. “I’ve got you!” Tyler yelled over the noise.

You closed your eyes, and then suddenly, your body hit the ground, hard. The noise, the wind, it all stopped. You opened your eyes and looked at Tyler before rolling over to look behind you. The tornado was gone.

You sighed, tears welling in your eyes from the adrenaline pumping through your veins. Boone helped you up. “You alright?” You nodded, hugging him tightly. Tyler approached the gaping hole in the building, looking out into the field.

You stepped up next to him. “What is it?” “Kate,” he answered, then he and Javi were running towards his mangled truck off in the distance. You rallied the rest of the Wranglers before following your brother and Javi.

You all swarmed Kate, praising her and celebrating that she was alright when suddenly a familiar voice rang through the air. “(NAME)!”

You turned to see Scott, sprinting over to you. As soon as he reached you, he picked you up in his arms, holding you tight. You wrapped your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck, burying your face in his shoulder.

Neither of you paid any mind to the stunned looks from your audience.

“I was so worried.” Scott’s voice cracked. “God, you stress me out. Throwing yourself in the path of that monster just to help people.” He put you down, hands on your waist while his blue eyes scanned you for injuries.

His face was contorted in worry and he frowned at the bruises and cuts you’d collected from debris. “It almost got me,” you muttered. “I would have been gone if Tyler didn’t catch me.” Scott let out a shaky breath, before he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours desperately.

The tears that had been building fell down your cheeks. Scott kissed them away.

“What the hell?”

You were pulled back to the reality of where you were and who your audience was when Tyler spoke. You and Scott looked at the group. They were all watching you with surprise written all over their faces.

“Guess we’re public now,” you murmured to Scott. “Sorry,” you said to Tyler. “I know I should have told you but…” There was nothing you could really say.

Tyler looked conflicted. “Him, (Name)?”

Scott kept you pressed against his side protectively.

“He’s good to me, Tyler.”

“Are you happy?”

You looked up at Scott with a small smile. “Very.”

Tyler sighed. “Alright then.” He stepped forward and extended his hand to Scott. Scott shook it. “If you hurt her…” Tyler warned.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Owens.”

Boone whistled. “(Name) and Clipboard. Who knew?”

“I did,” Javi grinned. “I knew there was something going on there. You two are cute.”

The exposure of your relationship went over better than you thought it would, and you were grateful, because after the day’s events, you didn’t want to leave Scott’s protective hold.

That night you and Scott booked your first motel room together. You bid your brother and the Wranglers goodnight before Scott took your hand and led you off to your room. Once inside, he pulled you into his chest.

“I was so scared I’d lost you,” he admitted quietly. You shuddered, remembering the feeling of your body fully off the ground as the tornado tried to take you. “You almost did,” you admitted. Scott pulled you over to the bed, sitting down on the edge and pulling you into his lap.

You sat in his lap hugging him, and you stayed like that for a while, until you pulled back slightly to look Scott in the eyes. His eyes searched yours before his gaze dropped to your lips. He leaned forward and gently kissed you.

But you needed more.

You kissed him back eagerly, grinding down in his lap. You felt Scott grow hard beneath you. He pulled back from your heated kiss. “Baby, are you sure? After the day you’ve had–” “After the day I’ve had, all I need is you,” you whispered.

That was all Scott needed to hear.

He captured your lips with his again, his hands moving down to massage your ass. His tongue slid into your mouth and you moaned. You ran your fingers through his soft dark hair. Scott suddenly stood up, carrying you with him with his hands under your ass, and turned to gently lay you down on the bed.

Usually he would throw you, but he was extra mindful of your injuries tonight. He took off his shirt and unbuckled his belt, sliding it off before kicking off his pants. He crawled onto the bed and on top of you, lowering himself over your body to gently reconnect your lips.

You wrapped your legs around his hips to pull his crotch flush against yours, elicitng a moan from him. Deciding there was still way too much material between the two of you, Scott pulled back and sat back on his legs to remove your shorts. You removed your shirt while he did so. Leaving you in your panties, Scott bent back over you and began to grind his hips into yours.

The friction of his hard dick against your pussy was immaculate, even with the material of your panties and his boxers seperating the two of you.

You were satiated for about two minutes while you made out and dry humped, before getting impatient and whimpering, “Off, please.”

Scott wasn’t about to refuse you, sliding off the bed to kick off his boxers. You stared at his dick in eager anticipation. Scott pulled your panties down your legs while he was standing, discarding them to the floor with the rest of both of your clothes. He stared at you, with your legs wide open, on display just for him, and his eyes swirled with both love and lust.

He crawled back onto the bed and you, resuming your makeout session. His dick slid through your wet folds, driving you insane, and you moaned against his mouth. “Put it in, Scottie.”

He’d never admit it, but Scott melted at the nickname.

“Are you sure, baby? I haven’t even fingered you.”

“Please,” you begged. “Trust me, I’m wet enough. I need you inside me.”

Scott groaned. Maybe being buried in your heat, connected as intimately as two people can be, would wash away the anxiety and fear that the day had brought.

He lined himself up before intertwining his fingers with yours, gently pinning your hands to the sides of your head. He kissed you sweetly as he pushed into you, and you gasped at the stretch as your body accommodated his size.

“I love you,” he murmured against your lips when he bottomed out. You stayed like that, flush against each other for a moment.

Scott deepened the kiss when he began moving, his thrusts slow, but hard and deliberate, hitting you just right. He let go of one of your hands to reach between your bodies and circle your clit in time with his thrusts.

“Fuck, Scott, faster,” you begged.

Scott didn’t respond, but did pick up the pace of his thrusts. You gasped and moaned as he pounded into you, squeezing the life out of the hand that was holding yours. Scott pulled back to attack your neck instead, sucking and biting, making sure to leave his mark.

“I love you so much,” Scott murmured against your neck. “You’re here. You’re safe.” You were pretty sure he was talking to himself more than you.

He let go of your hand to bring his hand to your chest, squeezing and groping your breast, deliberately brushing his thumb across your nipple. You reached up to embrace him, raking your nails down his back in pleasure. He secretly loved when you did that.

Scott pulled back to look at your face. Your eyes were closed, your face contorted in concentrated pleasure. You were flushed and slightly sweaty, as Scott could feel he was too. Scott almost came from the sight. Instead he worked his hips to hit a new angle that had you gasping. Then he was focused on hitting that spot repeatedly.

“Oh, fuck, Scottie~” you moaned. “Fuck… I’m so close.”

Scott kept his rhythm but picked up the pace just a little, and soon you were crying out as you came. He muffled your cries of pleasure with his mouth on yours. Kissing you deeply as you clenched around him, impossibly tight.

It was enough to send Scott over the edge. He thrust as deeply into you as he could, cumming inside of you. Your stomach warmed, you loved when he finished inside of you. It was hot and intimate. Scott didn’t even bother with condoms anymore.

But in the throes of his pleasure, Scott muttered something he never had before. “Fuck, gonna get you pregnant.”

It sent an aftershock of pleasure through you.

When Scott came down from his high, you broached the subject. “Gonna get me pregnant, huh?”

Scott smirked, kissing your lips. “Yeah, I am.”

You blushed.

Scott stayed inside you for another three minutes as you lazily made out. When he finally did pull out, he sat back on his heels to watch his cum slowly drip out of you. He frowned, and before you could prepare for what he was about to do, he slid two fingers into you, pushing his cum back inside.

You gasped from overstimulation. “Fuck, Scottie.”

“I told you I’m gonna get you pregnant,” Scott murmured, finger fucking his cum back into you slowly.

Mercifully, he didn’t do it for long, and you sighed contently when he removed his fingers.

“Are you okay?” Scott suddenly looked concerned, his hands roaming your body gently. “I didn’t hurt you did I? I wasn’t too rough? How are you feeling?”

You chuckled. “I feel great, Scott. I’m fine. That was just what I needed after today.”

Scott smiled and laid down next to you, pulling you into his arms. He held you tightly, like you might fly away. You relaxed in his hold, loose and comfortable. Your mind was finally silenced after the day’s events.

“I love you, (Name).”

“I love you more, Scottie.”

But Scott became unusually antsy over the next ten minutes, and it was starting to make you nervous. “Scott, what’s up?”

“Just–” Scott let go of you, sitting up and sliding off the bed. “Hold on, princess.” He found his pants and began fishing in the pocket. He found what he was looking for and quickly hid it behind his back.

You were sitting up in bed at this point, watching him. “Scott?”

“(Name).” Scott approached the bed. “This isn’t how I wanted to do this. I mean we’re both still naked and there are definately more romantic ways I could do this but I couldn’t wait anymore. Not after today.”

He got down on one knee.

Your jaw dropped.

Scott presented a ring box from behind his back. “(Name), will you marry me?”

You shot off the bed and into his arms faster than he could blink, knocking you both over.

“YES!”

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

You will not headcanon Charlie as wearing tap dancing shoes by default- yes I will

Fine. you are not imagining Vaggie the dancer being light on her feet and almost soundless when she prowls around in her flats- yes I am

The hotel guests are NOT being simultaneously tormented by the constant clicking of Charlie being heard clear across the hotel, and on the flips side, the constant jump scares of suddenly finding a glowering woman with a spear coming up noiselessly behind them-Yeasss the are~

Ok. so what does a hotel menaced by tap step charlie and soundless step vaggie LOOK like???

Alastor's the best at hiding how freaked out or annoyed he is, but not enough to keep HIMSELF from noticing how he clutches his microphone in a death grip whenever Vaggie suddenly slips silently past him spear first- Charlie's tapping is worse tho, hours later he'll be up in his BLESSEDLY sound proof radio tower and somehow STILL hear that INFERNAL tapping again anyway, and then he looks down, and it's own hand tapping on his sound board, and for the one millionth time he wonders if this is all really worth slowly losing his sanity over

Niffty times her kills to the sound of Charlie's distant tapping and when she gleefully tells Charlie about this at some point Charlie almost starts crying over the dead bugs. A few times Niffty's caught sight of completely noiseless Vaggie out of the corner of her eye (heh) and the two ended up crossing spear / needle point on reflex. It becomes a kind of friendly greeting for them after a while. Sometimes they even fence each other for a bit while parkouring / scuttling over the furniture. Charlie caught them doing this once and was Not Pleased (but it's for FRIENDSHIP so...)

Pentious likes Charlie's tapping and clickedy clicking. He hums and bobs his head along to it while working on his next totally not a destructive weapon machine, sometimes while the egg boiz do a little dancing the background between handing him things. Vaggie's silent patrols left him literally scared stiff at first but then they started to feel reassuring and by the end he's reaction to getting jump scared by her is to snap into a crisp salute and stay like that until she moves on

Angel Dust pretends to like Charlie's tapping just to annoy Husk. Husk knows it's bullshit but is usually too run down from his current hangover to really argue effectively, and for all that yelling at his dumbass crush hurts his head it at least downs out the damned tapping- which is what Angel was aiming for anyway. Neither of them EVER get used to Vaggie haunting the hotel like a silent spear carrying ghost. Swearing or shrieking are how they handle Vaggie encounters when alone- mutual clinging and terrified hugging is what happens if she spooks them when they're in glomping distance of each other. Vaggie will never let them see how she smirks as she slips away afterwards. Vaggie might be hunting them specifically, on purpose, just to trigger more vaguely romantic haunted house huskerdust moments. it's solidarity. probably. partly, anyway

Charlie does get jump scared by Vaggie sometimes (re: ep 1) but the switch from "heart pounding due to shock" and "heart pounding bc she looking at her gf <3" is very smooth and Charlie kinda loves the happy adrenaline rush of sudden girlfriend appearances, which is why Vaggie never tied noise makers or bells to herself, which she offered to do once after spooking Charlie but no, Charlie thinks being gf haunted is cool and FUN

Vaggie loves that Charlie's shoes make the tapping sounds. She loves being able to stop whenever she wants and listen and either know exactly where Charlie is in the hotel and her current mood (stiff anxious pacing / happy skipping / thoughtful foot tapping / actual excited dancing / literal giddy tap dancing), or, if things are too quiet, that's Vaggie cue to pause what she's doing and go check on her suspiciously silent gf (just in case charlie is Sad)

Cherri Bomb's reaction to all this is explosive. as in, she mistakes charlie's tapping for the ticking of one of her bombs and runs around trying to find it while it seemingly also runs around the hotel just head of her, usually ending in Cherri throwing a bomb in frustration (she was just trying to make a short cut she SWEARS), or Vaggie surprises her at just the wrong time while she's working on a bomb in the hotel lobby (it's a communal area ok she should be allowed to do her hobbies there as long as she cleans up afterwards- plus there's more room in case of a blast radius) and yes, if Vaggie startles her, there usually IS. A blast. Radius. along with quite a bit less lobby left over afterwards

[thehorrorgirlstyles]

Tainted Love

Ethan Landry x fem!reader

Summary: You meet Ethan at a Halloween party Chad invited you to and start to become close to him, when the truth is later then revealed of his family’s plan. Was your relationship ever real or was it all a lie?

Warnings: Mature themes and language, mentions of sex, death, non-con, sub and dom trope, sexual scenes

18+ is recommend for this story, read at your own risk ⚠️

Songs for reading: All Mine;Brent Faiyaz, The Devil in I;Slipknot, Heartless;The Weeknd, Change;Deftones, Often;The Weeknd, Daddy Issues;The Neighbourhood

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

You were on your way to a Halloween party that one of your best friends, Chad, invited you to. At first you were hesitant due to it being almost 11pm at night and you had class in the morning at 9, but you decided you would go because you haven’t seen Chad and Mindy since they moved away almost 2 years ago. Since you weren’t planning on doing anything for Halloween, you didn’t have a costume and thanks to chad telling you last minute about the party, you didn’t have time to buy anything. You decide you would just put on your old cheer costume from high school and add some fake blood, to make it more Halloween like.

When you arrived at the party, Mindy introduced you to her friend Tara and girlfriend Ankia. You were happy she finally was able to settle down with someone. You took a couple shots after and made you way over to Chad who you spotted talking to someone in a knight costume.

“Hey Chad, long time no see” you said to him, catching the attention of both him and the cute guy next to him you realized.

“Y/n, omg you actually came”

“Of course, anything to see my best friend, I’m still mad at you guys for leaving me, high school sucked without you”.

Chad gave you a long awaited hug and you tilted your head up to see the guy looking at you. “Who’s this?" you asked.

Chad looked back, “oh yeah this is Ethan my roommate”, he looked over at Ethan, “and this is y/n, my best friend, we grew up with each other before we moved away”

“Hey it’s nice to met you, Ethan” you smiled at him

“Uh- yeah you too” he scratched his head and held out his hand to you. You shook it and looked into his eyes.

“Shy?” You asked, he blushed and quietly laughed, while looking at his feet.

After the three of you talked for a while, Tara stole Chad away, leaving you and Ethan alone. You took the chance to get to know him a little better, when someone bumped into you spilling their drink all over you,

“Hey what the fuck!” you groan out, “I’m gonna head to the bathroom and try to get some of this off” you told Ethan,

“Yeah of course, uh- did you need some help”

You smiled at him, “No I should be ok, I’ll be right back”

You finished in the bathroom and just as you were about to leave you ran straight into your ex.

“Y/n, what are you doing here?” He asked.

“None of your business”, you went to walked around him, but he pushed you back into the bathroom against the wall.

“What are you doing, let me go Leon?!”

He responded by lifting your skirt up, “Aw but baby I missed you so much, let’s just have a little fun”, he smirked at you.

“This doesn’t sound fun to me” you replied glaring at him.

“Why do you always have to be such a bitch Y/n, just be the good little whore that you are, and take this fucking dick”, he said gripping you hair as he slammed you back against the wall

Tears started to form in your eyes. Was your ex boyfriend, someone that you use to love and care for, really about to rape you in some bathroom at a party?

You tried to get out of his grasp, but he was too strong and no one could help you, everyone here was either to drunk to notice or high to care. You stood there, starting to accept your fate, when a person in a ghost face mask busted through the room, stabbing Leon in the back, you screamed out, Leon falling to the floor, while the killer started to repeatedly stab him over and over again, not knowing what to do, your flight or fight took in and you darted down the hall, not looking back.

You ran all the way back to your dorm and locked the door, you started to think that maybe you had too many drinks, this couldn’t be real, could it??

A week later, there was news of the recent ghost face killings, you met up with the group on campus and told them everything. Mindy was explaining who it could be, when you caught Ethan looking at you. He turned his head quickly, saying something about "dying a virgin". You were surprised at this considering how good looking he was.

After the meeting, Sam ordered that everyone stay at her apartment. You were on the couch next to Ankia, when you heard a bang coming from Quinn’s room. Everyone got up, when the door was shot open and Quinn fell out, ghost face was right behind her. He went after Ankia and stabbed her in the side, so you took the nearest item and hit him in the head. He fell back, which gave you time to get Ankia to safety. You accidentally tripped when getting to the room, ghost face right behind you. He caught up to you, tackling you down to the ground.

He got on top of you, straddling you. He didn’t do anything, just stared at you, was this the same ghost face that killed Leon? After a moment, he got up off you and ran to get the others, you laid there in shock, why didn’t he kill you?

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

It had been a week since Ankia was killed by ghost face, since then you and Ethan started seeing each other more and more, you started to really like him and tonight you wanted to take things further.

When you arrived to his dorm, Chad was already gone, perfect you thought.

You closed the door behind you, and wasted no time, kissing him. He was surprised but returned the kiss. You lead him over to the couch and push him on it, getting on top of him and straddling him. You trailed your hand up his chest, stopping your hands when they got to his neck. You wrapped your hands around his neck and started to grind on him, you could feel him starting to get hard, turning you on even more.

“Y/n” he rasped out, “I really like were this is going and I really like you obviously,” he pointed to his boner, “but I need to ask you something before we start anything” he looked at you.

“Your right I’m sorry I kinda just busted in here and took action, I’ve been really stressed out lately, with the deaths and everything” you paused, “and I know that you never done this before and I would love to be your first if you want... so you don’t have to die a virgin” you added.

He laughed, “of course I want to, it’s just-” he paused, getting nervous, “I- I really like you and I just- I mean- will you be my girlfriend?” he asked.

You smiled at him, “I really like you too, of course I’ll be your girlfriend” you kissed him. “So can I ride you now?” You asked.

He blushed, “yea-yes”

You trail you hands down to his pants, starting to unzip his jeans. He shudders watching your moments.

“Don’t worry about anything Ethan, let me take care of you” you told him. You freed him from his jeans and moan at the sight of him, he was so big, you dropped to your knees and looked at him,

“I want you to fuck my mouth, he groan, and does as you asked, putting his dick in your mouth.

“fuck your mouth feels so good” he moans out, “y/n, I can’t- I’m gonna- please mommy”.

You look up at him..did this man just call you mommy? Not that you were complaining.

You get off the floor and straddle him again. You lower yourself on top of him, adjusting to his size, starting to move, he grabs a hold of your hips.

“Wait, please fuck- I just need a minute, because if you start moving again, I’m going to cum right now”

You laugh at him, “Do I make you feel that good baby?”

“So much better than good, your so fucking hot”

You start to move again after a minute, ridding him like your life depends on it. Ethan is moaning and groaning under you, his hands never leaving your ass.

You can tell he’s getting close, “I want you to cum in me, I’m on the pill” you tell him.

He grabs your throat pulling you closer and kisses you hard, you moan into the kiss.

Ethan then flips you over on the couch and starts fucking into you, “Ethan” you cry out. Where did he gain this confidence all of a sudden?

He fucks into you faster, “Tell me your mine Y/n, all fucking mine”

“Im yours Ethan” you cry out.

“No one, will ever fuck you as good as I can, you're all mine baby, all fucking mine” he slaps your ass, making you jolt upwards.

After a while you both reach your climax.

You both lay there when you're done, him holding you like you're going to leave him. He looks up at you, “I think I’m falling in love with you Y/n”.

You smile at him, “So do I”.

After cuddling for a little longer, you both get up and put your clothes back on. Ethan tells you he is going to take a shower, so you head to his bedroom, thinking you will just lay on his bed and wait for him. When you go inside you find a duffel bag on his bed, a mask peaking out of it, you look closer and start to make it out, you gasped..it was the ghost face mask.

You go closer and open the bag finding the outfit and a knife, with a list of your friend's names.

Ethan was ghost face, he killed Ankia and Leon. This was why the ghost face didn’t hurt you cause it was him the whole time.

You pull out your phone, deciding to call the cops, when Ethan appears in the doorway.

“Y/n?” You look at him, as he looks over your shoulder, seeing the bag. Fuck what were you going to do?

“Did you look through my bag?” He asks.

You lie, “No, I just came in here”

He steps closer to you and wraps his arms around your waist, “I know you saw, you know the truth now” he continues, “so what are you going to do about it?”

You look at him “Ethan, you-.., why are you doing this? Please just stop this now and we can forget about it”.

“But I can’t stop, it’s in my blood”... He explains..

“You don’t understand, I have to do this for my family, you're either with me or against me”

“And what if I’m against you, are you going to kill me?” You ask him.

“Of course not baby, I love you. I’ll just have to tie you up and keep you here, if I can’t trust you to keep this a secret” he looks at you.

This isn’t the Ethan you knew, the shy, goofy, nerd that just asked you to be his girlfriend.

“You're my girlfriend now, you can’t leave me..you said you were all mine Y/n”. He adds.

“That was before I knew you were killing my fucking friends Ethan!” You yell at him.

He grabs you, throwing you on the bed. He takes your hands, pinning them against the headboard.

“Like I said Y/n your either with me or against me and right now, it seem like your against me, so I hate to do this, but your not leaving me” he ties your hands to the headboard.

“Ethan please, you don’t have to do this, you said you love me, this is not what you do to people you love!” You cry out.

“Sometimes you hurt the ones you love, in order to keep them safe” he says starting to get up.

“Wait, Ethan you can’t just leave me here..Ethan please” You beg tears starting to fall onto your cheeks.

He comes over to you and kisses you on your lips.

“It will all be over soon Y/n” he says, grabbing his duffel bag and leaving to finish his duties.