#i made sure she had clean bedding and fresh food and water and talked to her softly and that was it

[thebreakfastgenie]

Please tell us more hamster lore

My hamster Mo, the one who learned how to open his cage, also reliably came when called. So I woke up very early in the morning on Thanksgiving when I was like nine or ten and thought I saw movement so I said "Mo?" and he came running and beamed up at me from the floor next to my bed like "look at me! I'm out!" because he was a little shit.

Mo also knew how to open a hamster ball from the inside. I had another one later who chewed the tabs off the lid so it no longer closed, but Mo didn't do that, he just figured out how to unlatch the lid from the inside and he was a bigger hamster so he could get the job done physically. I kept leaving him in a room in his ball while I was cleaning his cage and coming back to find him running loose unsupervised (which was not safe, even in my room, and he was often in the ball in even less hamster-proofed rooms) and my mom kept chastising me for not latching the ball securely and telling me I had to pay closer attention while I insisted I was. We started having my dad sit in the room while Mo was running in the ball to supervise him so he was getting chastised too for not watching closely. And then finally one night we caught Mo in the act of opening the ball and I had proof he had been framing us. My mom did apologize to me lol and to be fair, it's much more believable that a 10-year-old didn't latch a ball correctly than that a hamster was just routinely opening it.

Mo was a genius but he would periodically go insane and stuff his plastic tubes with tightly packed bedding. He had two habitrail cages connected by a fairly long tube system because the space I had for the cage limited the layout a little bit. The two cages were parallel and thankfully connected by a tube on each side, so he had two routes, but he did periodically stuff both of them at the same time and we'd have to empty them out at 6am before leaving for school. And then one time he somehow managed to Cask of Amontillado himself in the middle of a tube with tightly packed bedding both in front of him and behind him. My mom recently saw an X-ray video online of a hamster turning around in a narrow space and sent it to me like "that's how he did it!!!" Fortunately I noticed what he'd done pretty quickly so we were able to free him before he like got dehydrated.

At the same time as Mo I had Snowball who was pure white and looked exactly like a small Snowball when she was curled up. Mo and Snowball had to be separate because they were a male and female and also because Syrian hamsters are solitary and will be aggressive toward each other. The only reason I had two at the same time is that I had seen both of them at two pet stores and had trouble deciding and when I was looking at Snowball at the worse pet store the employee tried to get her out to show her to me (competent employees always use a box for the smaller animals, she just grabbed her with her hands) and dropped her. Snowball was a teeny tiny baby hamster who fell four feet onto a concrete floor and she was stunned for a bit but alive and started to regain function after a few minutes. The manager (who felt bad about the whole thing and was generally doing her best) didn't want to let me take her but I was insistent and, well, see how well you hold up against a tiny 9-year-old with round glasses and long pigtails lecturing you about how if the hamster is going to die she deserves to die in peace and quiet while the mom just kind of looks at you like 🤷‍♀️

I knew there was a chance Snowball wouldn't make it but I believed in her. My parents were convinced she was going to die so they took me back to the better pet store to take Mo too, since I'd been attached to him too and they figured having another hamster already would be better when Snowball inevitably died. But Snowball was a survivor so I had two hamsters which is twice the work because they needed totally separate habitats but #WorthIt. Snowball grew from teeny tiny to a good sized female Syrian hamster and was the most athletic hamster I ever had. They all climbed the bars on the cages but she literally did pull-ups. I swear she did it on purpose. She was buff. The only lingering physical symptom was that her urine was always weird, but it didn't seem to cause her any pain and she lived to be two years old which is good for a Syrian, the normal lifespan is 18-24 months and 18-20 is really more common. I think she probably had traumatic damage to one kidney from the fall but had enough function to get by. Her traumatic beginning did understandably make her hate most humans. I was very gentle and patient with her and in time socialized her to be a totally friendly pet with me but she never liked anyone else. She tolerated my mom enough that my mom could take care of her if I wasn't there and could pet her when I had her out but she was a one-person rodent because I was the only one who believed in her and saved her life.

A couple weeks after Mo escaped Snowball also popped the cage open. She was smart but I don't think she understood how opening the cage worked quite as well as Mo did but she did it and she got out of her cage, off the dresser it was on, across the room, and somehow climbed up into a child-sized wooden chair and used the (fairly precarious) stack of books and stuff to get onto the table Mo's cage was on and then climbed up the outside of his cage and went to sleep on top of it. I woke up it the wee hours of the morning, saw a blurry (my glasses were not on) white shape on top of my hamster's cage and was so confused. I went over and realized it was Snowball and she was so still I thought she was dead but I touched her and she woke up and I was like hello???? At this point I had been through enough incidents like this that despite being like ten years old and extremely groggy I had the presence of mind to put her in the hamster ball until we could figure out how she got out of the cage in the first place so I did that and went to wake up my parents who didn't believe me and kept asking if I was dreaming. After a few minutes they realized it was real and my mom to this day is like "can you blame us? that was insane" and I'm like can you blame ME for being offended that you thought I was dreaming when I just lived through all that?? Also later I found out Snowball had stolen an entire box of treats while she was out and stashed them in the back of my closet.

We came up with the miniature bungee cords after that lol.

It wouldn't have been good for Snowball's health to breed them and also hamsters have litters of up to ten and finding good homes for them is really hard so it wouldn't have been responsible but I always wanted to breed Mo and Snowball because their offspring would have been super hamsters.

This is already super long but next time I'll tell you about my first hamster Sunny who's the reason I knew how to act in the event of a hamster escape.

[hunted-moth]

Just Like Him Chapter Three: We Ate Some Fish And Things Got Crazy

Wordcount // 7k

Summary //After Jims break down everything goes back to normal. And in the late Georgian night terror strikes when a horde of walkers attack and Y/n sees something amidst the horde.

Warning //Angst, Language, Death, Buarials, Daryl being a dick to everyone, Killing of Walkers, Hunting/*Cleaning Fish(semi-graphic), Typical TWD stuff really

OTHER STUFF// if you see ~this beginning and end~ of something that means you can skip it, its when I write about a fish being cleaned 

A/N //I, had to watch how a fish was clean and watched it. I felt so sick afterward that I had to watch a lady rant about PBS lore lol

***: Major time Skip/scene change

*: small time skip/scene change

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

             You ran down from the hill and into Dale's trailer. You balled yourself up in the bed and cried. What Jim said struck your core. You just left your mother there to die and didn't even try to help her, or even go back to help Jason. God, you couldn't imagine how he must've felt if he saw your mother's corpse after the eaters devoured her poor body.

You wondered if Jason was even alive right now, or if he was by himself alone trying to look for you while you were here safe and sound, being fed fresh food and sleeping in a safe place. With people to watch over you. You were such a terrible person, you should just leave, you thought to yourself. 

Through your crying, you missed the RV door opening, and you felt the bed dip. You look over and see Dale with a saddened look on his face.

“Are you okay kid?” he asked putting a hand on your shoulder. 

You sat up sniffling and tried to wipe your tears away, “ye-yeah” but you just cried again. Dale just pulled you in for a hug. This is the first time you felt like you could outwardly grieve for your family.

Dale rubbed your shoulder comfortably, even rocking you back and forth in a soothing motion. “That's it hon, just cry it out” Your crying slowly died down, and soon you just sniffled and hiccuped “Do you want to talk about?” he asked you in a soft voice.

You wiped your eyes again before you started, “wh-when this all started my family ran to the woods.” you looked at Dale and rubbed your back “And, one ni-night we were just sitting, ea-eating dinner when the ea-” you cleared your throat “the eaters came out of nowhere. My mo-momma took my arm and we ran.” you started to cry again.

“It's okay take your time” Dale comforted you.

“And as we were running eaters came out and started attacking momma. She fell to the ground and I just stood there and watched as more swarmed her body.” you cried harder before you continued 

“And I just left her and my brother” You buried your head in your knees “I just left them, for all I know, Jason could be alive and suffering and here I am having a full belly and sleeping safe and sound!” Dale looked down at you with pity, and pulled you in for another hug. By now his shirt was soaked with your tears.

“It's okay Y/n, it's not your fault.” he rocked you back and forth again “I'm sure they’re very glad you're safe and sound. he rested his chin on your head.

“And you shouldn't feel guilty about being safe,” he pulled you back and looked you in the eye “I’m sure your brother is fine, and I’m sure once we find him he will be overjoyed to see you again” he smiled reassuringly, which made you smile softly.

*

             You left the RV when you calmed down and after dale gave your some water and walked toward Lori and Carol for their lessons. You were surprised to see Jim tied to a tree. You just looked away and walked to the table and sat with Lori. 

“Hey hun, how are you?” she asked with a sympathetic look on her face.

You just shrugged your shoulders and next to her. She was teaching Carl some English stuff, showing him some stuff about a book. You could see both Dale and Shane walking down the hill towards Jim.

They started talking but you couldn't hear them clearly only getting bits and pieces from the conversation.

“How long are ya gonna keep me like this” you heard Jim ask but you couldn't hear Shane. But you could feel eyes on your back and grew uneasy.

“Sorry if I scared your kids and your little girl,” Jim projected his voice to who you assumed was Lori and Carol.

“You had sunstroke. Nobody's blaming you.” Lori said, she had a neutral tone in her voice, but you could tell she didn't want him talking to you guys. You personally tried not to look at him, you were embarrassed by what happened earlier. 

“You're not scared now, are you?” Jim asked, you and Carl shook your heads while Sophia said no. Jim just looked at you all studying, you were getting antsy under his gaze wanting to be anywhere but here. But you noticed his eyes seemed to land on Carl.

“Your mama's right. Sun just cooked my head is all.” Jim tried to joke awkwardly, but you just cracked a small smile out of pity. But something was on Dale's mind that he couldn’t get rid of.

“Jim, do you know why you were digging?” He asked, Jim didn’t answer instead he just looked confused “Can you say?” Dale asked again.

Jim looked to the floor before he answered.

“Had a reason, don’t remember” Dale nodded his head egging him to continue, by this point you were solely focused on Jim and Dale “Something I dreamt last night” he looked over to Carl and you.

“your dad was in it, you guys as well,” he told you, your eyes widened a bit “You were worried about him and you were frozen in place” he paused “Like you saw something, can’t remember the rest.” He paused.

“You worried about your dad?” He asked Carl. He just looked down sadly before he responded.

“They’re not back yet” he looked back up, Lori's jaw clenched from fear or annoyance, you couldn’t tell but you knew she wanted to end it.

“We don’t need to talk about that” She rubbed Carl’s shoulder talking to Jim. But Jim also tried to do damage control, trying to comfort Carl.

“Your dad's a police officer, son. He helps people, probably just came across some folks needing help that’s all” he paused, you could tell that it wasn’t helping, cause the look on Lori's face was still the same.

“That man, he is tough as nails, I don’t know him well but” he paused, finding the words “I could see it in him, am I right” he looked up at Shane with a small grin.

“Oh yeah,” Shane shook his head in agreement. Jim looked at Lori and Carl, studying them almost.

“There ain’t nothing gonna stop him from getting back here to you and your mom, I promise you that” You blinked when he said that, it was heartwarming that a stranger cared that much. You notice Shane bending down and picking up a bucket.

“All right” your attention was drawn to Shane “who wants to help me clean some fish, huh?” You, Carl, and Sophia all got up and chased after Shane. 

Out of earshot, Lori walked up to Jim, she squatted down in front of him to tell him something before Jim looked her in the eyes with deadly seriousness.

“you keep your kids close, don’t ever let them out of your sight” he looked away as Lori walked off shaken by his words, the first thing she went to do was find you and Carl.

*

You were helping Morales build a new fire pit. He was explaining to you how now you can have a bigger fire but it won’t be seen in the distance. You saw him building them by himself and asked what he was doing, he explained and so out of boredom, you started helping him build them. Carl and Sophia were busy. Sophia was with her family while Carl was with shane. 

But it wasn't long before you saw Carl and Shane walking up the trail. You even saw Sophia and Carol, though they seemed to be in small sprites. You ran over to Sophia and Carol concere d for sophia.

“You okay Sophia?” you asked her, she looked at you and smiled. 

“Im fine are you excited for later” You nodded your head as you both walked to where Shane was.

When you both sat down you could see Shane had a bucket of some of the fish. You watched as he handed Carl and Sophia fish before he gave you one. 

They were doing something called a ‘Fish Fry’ it sounded fun. It reminded you of your family cookouts. One year you all went out of state to Oklahoma to visit your dad's family and you had the biggest cookout you’ve ever seen.

“Alright,” Shane said, catching your guy's attention “Who knows how to clean a fish?” He asked, you slowly raised your hand. You didn’t fish much but you knew the very basics of cleaning and gutting fish. 

~~“Alright Y/n would you like to come demonstrate with me?” He asked, you nodded your head and got up to sit next to him. Shane then went on to show Carl and Sophia how to clean the fish, a few scales would hit your face and Shane would chuckle.

But when you got to the actual gutting Sophia and Carl let how ewes and yucks. You had a grossed-out face but it wasn’t anything too bad for you. Shane gilled the fish and had you slice the belly open and clean out the stomach.~~

“Well look at you, see how she does that” Shane went on to explain how you would cook it, while you went to start another one.

*

             hours had passed and the much-awaited fish fry was here. Everyone was sitting around the fire eating the fish Andrea and Amy caught. People were finally relaxing after what happened earlier and having beers. Jim had been untied from the tree and seemed to be back to normal. 

You sat next to Lori as you ate. She seemed to want you and Carl by her all the time, unless you were with Dale you had to be with Lori.

You ate your fish when Morales spoke up after starting at Dale for some reason.

“I’ve gotta ask ya, man, it's been driving me crazy” he finally said, Dale was confused and asked what was wrong “That watch” he pointed to Dale's  wrist. You thought it was an odd thing to wonder about.

“What’s wrong with my watch?” Dale asked confused as he inspected the watch. 

“I see you every day, the same time, winding that thing like a village priest saying mass” he joked as the other chuckled.

“I’ve wondered this myself” Jacqui spoke up next to you. Dale tried to defend himself but Jacqui just rebutted him. 

“Unless I’ve misread the signs the world seems to have come to an end” she gestured around her “At least hit a speed bump for a good long while” she smiled at him.

“But there’s you every day winding that stupid watch” Morales joked again, you didn’t understand why it was a big deal, time was important, and you needed it to know. 

“Time, it's important to keep track, isn’t it? The days at least” he looked around, you nodded your head in agreement, and Dale looked at Andrea “Don’t you think, Andrea? Back me up here” he chuckled as Andrea looked away, saying ‘don’t get me involved’ with her face.

“I like what” he tried to recall, “A father said to his son when he gave him a watch, that had been handed down through generations. He said,

‘I give you the mausoleum of all hopes and desires, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my fathers before me; I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment. Now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it” 

Everyone was quiet as Dale finished his monologue, you thought it was impressive that he remembered that after drinking. After the moment of silence, Amy broke it by teasing Dale. Everyone started laughing at the remark.

“I liked it, it was nice.” You said with a smile as you took a bite of fish. 

“Thank you, it’s uhh” he tried to remember the name “It’s uhh right, it’s Faulkner” he remembered “William Faulkner, maybe my bad paraphrasing.” It got quite again as everyone went back to enjoying their meals. You noticed Amy get up when Andrea asked her where she was going.

“I have to pee” Amy's cheeks were a little red as she told Andrea with an annoyed face “Jeez you trying to be discreet around here” Everyone laughed as she walked off towards Dale’s RV.

A few moments later you heard the RV door square open and you turned your head to see Amy.

“We’re outta toilet paper?” She shouted towards the fire pit. You dropped your plate when you saw the eater take a bite out of Amy's arm. She screamed alerting the rest of the group, as you looked you could see more of them appearing out of nowhere.

Everyone started running away, including you. You could feel Lori try and grab your arm but you were to fast for her to grab you. Shane was shouting before you heard him shooting off his shot gun. 

Everyone was panicking not knowing what to do. You couldn’t do anything since your bow was in Dales RV and eaters were surrounding it right now. So you found a thick branch and started to thought swing it around if they came to close.

Your next course of action was to find somewhere to hide, the tent was too flimsy and the cars were locked, so the best thing you could do was to try and get rotters away from the RV. 

You were about to head to Lori and Shane when you saw her.

She was limping towards you, her long brown hair all matted with blood and twigs. Chunks of skin and meat were missing to the point you could see her bones. 

Her belly was hanging loose and swinging back and forth as she stumbled towards you. You blocked everything out at that moment. You could feel tears welled in your eyes form seeing her. 

                    “Mama?”    BOOM

A bullet shot through her head. Her body fell to the ground limply and you felt someone grab you by the arm. You tried to fight it, trying to go back to your mom. The person dragging you away roughly pulled on your arm.

“Hey! Snap out of it!” Daryl yelled in your face, you looked at him as tears fell down your cheek. you tried to blink them away as you nodded your head.

not too far away you could hear Rick yell for Lori and Carl. obviously, they managed to get the guns with how much gun fire you were hearing.

You could heard Carl yell for Rick. You could hear your name being called out and felt Lori grab you, she hugged you as Rick pulled both of you into a hug.

Lori pulled away and went to look for injuries on both you and Carl, before pulling you into a embrace again. The cries of Andrea caught everyone’s attention, you could feel Lori drop to the ground on her knees, she clutched onto your legs as she looked on in horror.

“I remember my dream now, why I dug the holes” Jim said in a grim tone.

You turned your head to look behind you and you saw your mother's limp body lying on the dirt and the tears just fell from your eyes silently.

                                            ~~~The Day After~~~

             You watched as the sun rose over the trees. It was dead silent, not something you want when in the woods.

Everyone went “to bed” but you don’t think a single person fell asleep. You yourself went into the RV, got your stuff, climbed the ladder, and sat on the RV. 

Everyone was on guard, with people taking watch on all parameters all hours of the night. Some would ask if you wanted sleep but you would just shake your head as you watched the camp, specifically the area she was in.

*

             in the distance, Rick could be seen talking to Shane and Lori. 

“she still won't move?” he asked about Andrea, they all just looked down shanking their heads

“she won’t even talk to us” Lori started “She's been there all night, what do we do?”

“Can't just leave Amy like that, we need to deal with it,” Shane said “Same with the others” he finished. Rick nodded and walked off to talk with Andrea, but he shortly returented after Andrea pointed a gun in his face.

After Rick came back he looked at you with concerned eyes, “Do we know what's up with her yet?” Rick asked as he looked at you. 

“Yeah, she hasn't left that spot since shes sat down” Lori pointed out. Dale sighed sadly before he spoke up.

“That may be her mother” Lori whipped her head around “She told me yesterday that her mother was attacked and bitten, and how she got separated with her brother” Dale informed them.

“and why didn't she say anything?” Shane asked pointedly. Dale just shrugged his shoulders, as he looked at you.

You sat next to your momma's body, and you looked into her now grey eyes. A lot of her face was disfigured because of the gunshot but she still looked like your momma. you wanted to hug her, hold her hand, brush her hair out but you don't think they’d let you touch her.

“Grief is a strange thing,” Dale said, Lori got up and walked over to you.

when you heard footsteps coming and saw Lori you weren't surprise. she sat down with you and pulled you into a side hug.

“she looks beautiful,” she said as she rested her head on yours “How are you feeling” she asked softly. you didn't say anything as you moved closer to her. you were like that for a while before she got up to check on Andrea. She said she'd be right back.

*

in the background, people were already cleaning up camp. moving them away to be buried or burned from what you could guess. Lori hadnt been back yet, you guessed she was checking on Carl. 

Glenn, T-dog, and Morales would help move the bodys. And sometimes you would look up and see Glenn give you a sad face of understanding of some kind. Others would just give a odd face, to them she was just a random ‘walker’.

Behind you, you could hear an argument about what to do with Amy. you could hear Daryl say that they should just shoot Amy from where they were but everyone said no leading him to scoff and walk off. You watched him walk past you with the pix axe in hand, he also scoffed at you but didnt say anything.

You watched as Daryl walked away and helped Morales move a body you vaguely reconized towards a burning pile of dead rotters. You could hear Glenn ask them what they were doing in a tone of dissertation. 

“WE DONT BURN THEM!” he yelled “We bury them, understand?” he finished. Daryl sneered at Glenn before he and Morales picked up the body and began to move it. 

“You reap what you sow” Daryl said under his voice. This pissed off morales, as he told daryl to shut up. Which just made Daryl more pissed off “Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming.” he looked around the camp, his eyes seemed to land on you.

When you heard foot steps again, steps you thought it was Lori, but the fact that they were heavy should have tipped you off. 

You saw Daryls gross boots at the head of your Momma, as he hooked his arms under hers it sent you into a panick since no one knew her, meaning shed be burned. With out thinking you grabbed onto her pulling her back.

“STOP, DON’T TOUCH HER!” you screamed, catching everyones attention. You could tell Daryl was about to argue back but rick stopped him.

“DARYL, leave her be” Rick looked at him with a pointed gaze. Daryl just scoffed again and dropped your Momma on the ground. He walked past you “Whiney bitch” he mutted under his breath. 

You just glared at him as he walked away, Your eyes were wide with hatred and your lips were twisted into a sneer . ‘Im gonna punch him’ you thought, you thought of many things you could do to Daryl when they were interrupted by Jacquis screams.

“A WALKER GOT HIM, A WALKER BIT JIM” she yelled as Jim tried to defend himself. You stood up at the news and walk forward to see what was going on. By the time you got closer everybody was surrounding him. Daryl was demanding him to show the bite.

Feeling scared Jim grabbed a shovel to defend himself but that didnt work as T-dog grabbed him from behind allowing Daryl to lift his shirt revealing the bite on his stomach. Your eyes widend as stepped back away from him

In Jim's delirium, he kept going on and on about how he was “okay”. 

*

             Everyone was now in a circle trying to find out how to help Jim. Some wanted to actually help while others had more barbaric solutions.

“I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it,” Daryl said nonchalantly like he didn't just suggest killing a man.

“Is that what you'd want if it were you?” Shane said to him, you looked at Daryl to see how he responds.

“Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it,” Daryl said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. You rolled your eyes. But looked at Dale when he spoke up.

“I hate to say it, I never thought I would” he paused trying to find the words “but maybe Daryl's right” Your eyes widened while Daryl had a smug look on his face.

“Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog.” Rick shot back with some annoyance in his tone, Dale tried to defend himself but Rick just interjected “He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line” Rick looked around, and again Daryl opened his mouth with an unwanted opinion.

“The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers or them to be” You glared at him but you knew it was kinda true, and if your brother was here he’d probably be agreeing with him. But Rick wasn't satisfied with that answer.

“What if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C. was working on a cure.” He said as he looked around, seeing if people agreed, you nodded your head in agreement. It seemed like a good plan, shelter, medicine, hell maybe food. But Shane countered that as well.

“I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell” Shane said. 

“What if the C.D.C. is still up and running?” Rick argued back at Shane. Rick seemed almost desprete about getting to the c.d.c when arguing with shane. 

“Man, that is a stretch right there.” Shane joked. 

“Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C. at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection” listed off the pros og going to the c.d.c.

“Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning.” Shane argued back, you also thought it was an okay idea. It probably had the things the c.d.c had  plus weapons.

“What if it’s overrun? We’d be sittin’ ducks” You piped up, feeling the need to say something. Lori seemed to want to say something to as well.

“And it’s 100 miles in the opposite direction” She said what was on her mind.

“That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there.” Shane seemed to ignore your point somewhat, you felt like you weren't even there.

“The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C. is our best choice and Jim's only chance.” Rick actually acknowledged what you had to say instead of brushing it off. 

You looked over at Daryl when you saw him turn around and look at Jim. He turned back with a determined look on his face, and with a rough voice he said.

“You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do.” he started to walk away towards Jim, making your eyes go wide as you saw him holding up the Pix axe “Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!” He shouted, and everyone began to run after him to prevent him from harming Jim, Lori grabbed you to stay by her.

 He almost swung it up before Rick ran towards him holding up his gun to Daryl's head. “We don't kill the living,” Rick said in a cool and calm tone. Shan had his shotgun and stood in front of Jim. Daryl just looked him up and down, sizing him up before he spoke.

“That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head.” Daryl retorted back at Rick before Shane said his mind.

“We may disagree on some things, but not on this. You put it down. Go on.” Shane ordered him, Daryl scoffed planting the pix axe in the ground, and stormed off somewhere. You saw Rick talking to Jim helping him up. Rick guided him to the RV where you assumed he laid him down to rest.

While Dale walked up to you and guided you to Andrea. You both walked up to her, she was sadly gazing at her sister, she even brushed a few flyaway hairs behind her ear. 

“We came to pay our respects.” she didn't say anything as you both say down next to her. “Did I ever mention how I lost my wife?” He looked at Amy, you were slightly curious, you didnt even know he had one. Amy finally spoke up at him with a most sad voice.

“Cancer, wasn't it?” her voice almost cracked, Dale nodded as he agreed, he looked at you as you looked at Amy’s body. Her once pink star shirt was covered in blood, same with her blonde hair. Her arm and neck had chunks ripped out of her.

“I-I dragged her to every doctor, every test. And after all the surgeries and the chemos, she was ready. She accepted it, you know?” he paused, his voice started to get that sad crack “But I never could. And I spent the last few years so angry. I felt so cheated.” He stopped to regain himself  “Since she passed, you girls were the first people, That I cared anything for.” He said that looking at you two. You smiled at his words.

With a melancholy smile, Andrea reached into her bag and pulled out a gift wrapped in red tissue paper, she carefully unwrapped it. Dales eyes widened at the sudden realization.

“This is her birthday?” She nodded.

“Her birthday was always like um, like a week-long affair. But I somehow always missed it. I was away at college or too busy for kid's parties.” Andrea smiled to herself.

“She'd call all excited. I always said that I'd make it home and I really always meant to, but I never made it past that phone call” She looked at Dale with guilt in her eyes.

“I know things are hard enough for you without adding guilt into the mix, huh?” Dale said to her, he also looked at you for a split second, before looking back at her. She fully unwrapped the red gift paper and pulled out a mermaid necklace, it was pretty and you were sure Amy would've loved it.

Andrea bent down and put the necklace around her neck. Dale got up and walked away, but you stayed behind with her. 

“Im sorry about her” Andrea looked at you with a soft smile. “She was very kind to me” Andrea had the biggest smile on her face.

“She always was, she’d give you anything you'd want if it’d make you happy” She played with her hair and she held Amy's hands.

“I-I, I lost someone to.” you said “My momma, she's actually in camp.” you opened up, and she looked at you with a sad look. “I- I want to bury her, but her hair is a mess. She hated her hair being messy” You softly smiled. 

“I think there's a comb in the RV, i think your Momma would want to do that before you buried her,” she said as she continued to stare at Amy. you nodded and got up to go into the RV

                                                                *

             You Laided out a white sheet on the ground next to your momma and began to try and move her without much luck. Daryl made it look so easy earlier. Without you noticing, rick walked up to you.

“Need a hand, Y/n?” He asked, you looked at him and nodded your head. You walked up and grabbed her arms and he grabbed her legs and you both moved her on the sheet.

“Ca-can I bury her with the rest?” you asked “Shes my mom, I want to her be at rest” Rick nodded at.

“You can bury her with the others, its very kind of you to do that for her” he gave you a small smile before he walked away.

You closed your momma's eyes and mouth and laid a blanket over her and started picking out all the leaves and other things that made it in her hair. You grabbed the comb beside you and began to comb out her hair gently. 

You had a lot of memories of doing your momma's and dad's hair, they both had long hair that reached their mid-backs. You’d braid your dad's hair and put your momma in crazy elaborate hairstyles. 

You put little braids in her hair before you decided to just grab all her hair and put it in a big braid. You got up and began to position her arms and legs, laying her arms on her chest before you wrapped her body up. Tying it and with a sharpie you found in Dale's RV you wrote on a piece of paper.

“Dawna Myers, 1973-2010, Loving Wife and Mother” 

You placed the note in between the rope and cloth. You looked at her, thinking something was missing, and then you thought of it, flowers! she loved blue flowers.

You looked around trying to see if someone would go with you, when you noticed everyone was alerted, you looked to see what they were looking at. Your eyes landed on the sisters, Amy finally came back. You stopped to stare at her. Andrea seemed to be talking to her, but Amy kept softly clawing at Andrea, she even had a grip on her hair. 

BANG

Amy’s body went limp again as she hit the floor, Andrea had a bittersweet face as she looked at her sister again. Everyone looked at her with sad faces.

                                                               *

             Lori and Carol agreed to join you along with Sophia. You and Sophia picked flowers, her goal was to find yellow flowers for her dad. You brought your Bow and quiver just in case and Lori had a small gun. You weren't sure she knew how to use it though.

Sophia didn't really have a stong look on her face while she looked. It made you curious.

“Are you sad about your dad?” you asked her with a small voice so her mom didn't hear you. She looked up with wide eyes, and looked at her mother before turning to you.

“Im not sure, im sad he’s dead I guess” she shrugged her shoulders “but” she paused before shaking her head and changing the topic “so that walker you sit by is your mom?” She asked.

“Yea, she died a few weeks before Daryl and Merle found me” you picked a Chicory and added it to your small bouquet of different flowers, not all of them were blue, some were yellow, purple, white, and orange. The same went with Sophia.

“Girls, I think it's best to head back now!” Lori shouted back, you both walked up to them with your bouquets in hand. 

When you got back to camp you and Lori walked over to your momma and watched as Glenn and T-Dog hoisted her up and brought her to the bed of Daryl's blue pickup. You watched as it drove off up the hill and soon everyone followed to watch the bodies be buried. 

                                                                                 *

             Daryl drove his pickup and parked it walking towards Shane and Rick. this entire thing bugged the living hell out of him and he had to voice it or he’d go crazy.

“I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?” he looked around as everyone began to appear. Shane somewhat agreed with what he said but still went along with it.

“So what, the Chinaman and kid get all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow ‘em along?” He argued, “These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are.” He pointed out there was no real leader of the group, no real structure.

“There are no rules.” Rick countered but Lori was close enough to argue with Rick on that stance.

“Well, that's a problem. We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves.” She looked around at the three men “We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do.” Lori squeezed your shoulder in support. 

Your mother was one of the first to be buried. Glenn and T-Dog grabbed her body gently and sat her down in a hole, closest to a tree. When she was down you carefully climbed down into the hole with her, you laid the flowers on her chest and kissed her covered forehead.

“Goodbye momma” You whispered before Glenn helped you out the hole.

Then it was everyone else's turn. There were a few who cried, most reminded stoic. Then it was Amy's turn. Andrea wanted to place Amy down, so she dragged her body to the closest hole, she had trouble trying to get her in, Dale tried to help but Andrea just refused and did it herself.

                                                                  *

             You all began to walk down the hill with you walking next to Lori and Carl, and Rick behind you all. 

“Burying other people is bad enough, but the thought of one of us” he whispered harshly in Lori's ear but you could hear what he was saying. Lori just shushed him, but Carl turned around.

“Are we safe now, Dad? Now that we're together?” Carl asked while Rick took a knee to talk to Carl. he looked at you two before he spoke.

“I won't leave again. I promise you that. Not for anything. Now give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom, okay?” He looked at you “Y/n could you take Carl to the tent please?” you nodded your head and you and Carl walked off while Lori and Rick had quite a heated discussion.

You and Carl were walking quietly before he spoke up “Was that your mom?” he asked, you looked at him and nodded your head as you shoved your hands in your pocket. “Was it just you and her?” he asked again.

You shook your head “No, it was us and my brother.” you rolled your eyes a bit “And her husband but he’s an idiot” he giggled a little bit.

“Where’s your brother now?” he asked, you shrugged your shoulders in response.

“I don't know, he’s probably alive, he knows the woods pretty well” you explained “he taught me some stuff, how to hunt, how to sleep in the woods, and other stuff.” but there was something on carls mind that he could’nt get rid of.

“You said your mom's “husband, is that your dad?” he asked, your steps slowed down a bit.

“No, my dad has been dead, for a few years now.” you had a sullen look on your face “I miss him, a lot actually, he died in a crash a few years back.” you looked at Carl and he just said “oh”.

You two walked to the tents in silence not saying anything else. You left when carl went into his tent when rick arrived and you just walked back to the main area and sat down on the makeshift couch. Next to Sophia and Carol. They both smiled at you but said nothing, you didn't mind it though. 

To busy yourself you started drawing in the dirt again. You drew Lori then Carl, Sophia was next, then her mom. Your favorite was Dale and his goofy hat, you'd have to show him later. You heard the RV doors open and saw Lori sitting there, you thought about going to talk to her but her eyes were closed so decided against it, you guess Shane didn't think about that.

From what you could see they were having a heated discussion that Rick walked in on. The three of them talked, you saw Dale walk up then the three men walked away to the woods. You saw Lori walk over to you.

“Hey hun, where's Carl?” she asked.

“He’s in your guy's tent, think he was tired,” you told her, she nodded and walked away. She came back not too long with Carl, and a stick you think.

“Hey Y/n, you know how to widdle?” you nodded your head “Can you show me” she smiled as she pulled out a pocket knife. You shrugged your shoulders and moved closer to her. 

“So ya hold it like this” you took the stick and knife from her “and then like this, kinda at an angle. And push up” You showed her and did it a few times. You handed it to her.

“Like this?” she asks, you nod your head and watch as she carves away. Over time more people came up to the campfire, and Andrea even fell asleep on the chair. 

It wasn't long before you noticed Rick, Shane, and Dale walk over to the Campfire. You smiled at Dale but he had a weird look on his face as he stared at Shane. Said man started to speak up drawing your attention to him.

“I've been, uh, I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no, There are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that.” He paused as he looked around, gathering his words “ I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning.” 

You guessed Shane came to his senses and agreed to go to the C.D.C. Rick looked around and nodded. Everyone nodded and Rick walked off towards the edge of the quarry. 

Lori and Carol made dinner. After everyone ate they all walked away to pack their stuff. You didn't have much besides your Bow stuff and your bag, which was still on top of the RV. 

                                                              *

             After you helped Rick and Lori pack up you decided to sleep on top of the RV, Lori and Rick did offer for you to sleep in the tent but you turned it down. Lori did give you a blanket and a pillow though. 

You climbed the RV sat up in your sleeping area and laid down. You thought the only people who'd go up there would be Shane and Dale but to your surprise, you heard Daryl grunt as he sat down. 

“What are ya doin’ up here?” he asked gruffly, “should you be in bed or somethin’” You wanted to roll your eyes at him but you were too tired.

“Im sleepin’ up here, got the okay from Dale,” you told him while looking at the sky.

“Why ain't cha sleepin’ in a tent with Lori or some shit? Ain't she always motherin’ you or somethin’” You frowned at that.

“Didn't want to intrude on them, and I don't wanna sleep in tha RV cause of Jim” You heard Daryl huff and he didn't say anything for a while.

“Why were ya crowding tha’ walker?” he asked while he lit a cigarette. You looked at what was now a graveyard.

“She was my momma, wanted to bury her,” you said quietly “Jason would kill me if I didn't” You laughed a bit. You couldn't see it but Daryl scrunched his face at the new name.

“Who the hell's Jason?” he asked roughly. 

“He's my older brother, I don't know where he is though” Daryl's eyes softened just a bit and that bit of information.

“He lost too?” he asked, thinking of Merle.

“Yeah, but he knows what he’s doin’ so im not worried” You paused “still, kinda miss him though” He had a hard shell but sometimes he’d be nice. Like how he still made your favorite food on Sundays, watched movies with you, and took you hunting when he didn't have to.

“Was he an ass sometimes?” Daryl asked bluntly. You didn't say anything but you nodded. “Yea mine too, but thats what older brothers are for I guess” It was quiet again as you started to feel tired. 

The no sleep from last night was getting to you and before you knew it you fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next // A Mad Scientist Gave Us Pasta

Previous // We Ate Some Fish And Things Got Crazy

Taglist // @your-shifting-gurl, @underrated-jellygirl, feel free to ask about being added to the tag list :D

// Masterlist //

[justhyperfixiating]

Yandere! Polakov x Reader

tw: implied starvation, implied dehydration, death

I don't think Polakov would be the one to initiate the obsession here. I think you'd have to do some legwork to make him endeared to you.

So you buy him from an antique store.

A nice brunette who looks fresh out of college gave you a confused look when you put the little clown doll on the counter.

She turned him around in her hands, "They doesn't have a pricetag." She looks up, "If you want the doll, you can have it. Someone must have left it on the shelves."

You shrugged and gave her 20 bucks anyway. The doll was in her store afterall.

When you got home, you put them on your couch and worked to clean them up as best you could.

Over the next week, you brought them to bed every night, you conversed with them when you sat down to indulge in your hobbies, and you made the clown doll accessories.

It was the week after you got the doll that things started happening around the house. Whenever you set put a cup of water on your bedside, it would get moved. Whenever you set the doll down on your dresser, it would make its way onto the bed somehow.

One time, your table was in front of your refrigerator! That one was a hassle.

And then it happened.

The night was dark, but you were alright with that. You had your clown doll after all. Just as you were about to drift off, the doll started to move. When you shifted, it stopped moving, so you didn't think anything of it.

And then you fell asleep. Polakov was glad that you were such a heavy sleeper. Once he wiggled out from under you, he transformed, getting bigger and bigger, until he almost hit his head on one of your shelves.

You were so small. And taking such terrible care of yourself. He had to do something about it. He was sure you wouldn't mind, afterall you loved and cared for him.

Polakov bent down to gently pick you up, cradling you like a babydoll. And then, after opening a window, the both of you disappeared into the darkness.

And you were alright. Because Polakov had you. And he'd never let you go and ruin yourself again.

That's the tragic part. Polakov isn't familiar with how humans need to eat and drink. He's familiar with how detrimental food and liquid are to toys like him. And he loves you, and cares for you, and he doesn't want you to rot! And he knows best, yes he does, because he's perfect. Because he was made to be perfect.

It's a slow death. He didn't notice how your energy quickly faded, or how you stopped talking because of how painful it became. He only noticed when he couldn't wake you up.

But that was alright. He'd wait for you. His siblings could hibernate, so why couldn't you?

There is a timeline where Yumi has a premonition.

Where Paris comes to save you.

But this one isn't it.

---

Thanks for reading!

I might make a second fic that follows Polakov's pov, but I'm not sure about it yet.

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

Yellow City, Chapter 15 - a Malevolent AU

This happened sometimes, when Parker was working on more than one case. He got so focused on the one in front of him that the other seemed to solve itself. That the other, in fact, fit together like puzzle pieces, and he just hadn't noticed.

Chapter fifteen of Yellow City. Note: this chapter is not explicit, but the fic is.

AO3

-----------

Parker hadn’t really spent much time in places with lots of books. He still recognized the smell.

Weird.

His nerves still buzzed, a deeply unpleasant echo of something bad, but he didn’t feel sick, didn’t feel infected, and the horrible sense (familiar, hated) of his own body putrefying was gone.

Even weirder. He managed to open his glued-shut eyes.

Huh. Some room he’d never seen in his life. Human-sized bed (funny how tiny that felt after all this time). A door. A little dresser. A table by his bedside with a sandwich and a glass of… was that milk?

Tucked just underneath the sandwich’s plate lay a neatly folded piece of paper.

Welcome back, Mister Yang. You are in the Scriptorium. Tabby healed you, and I left you some food on the table. There are fresh clothes in the dresser; I had to guess at your personal style. Please, help yourself. Call out to me when you would like to talk. —The Keeper 

Huh.

Huh.

Being awake and alive was weird enough. Why’d she do all that?

Wouldn’t be the first god who’d done something unasked-for. The Defiler did it to obligate him. Hastur did it to please Arthur. The fuck was this for?

Parker searched his memory. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done that might prompt all… this.

And he knew the feeling of what he’d been hit with. Knew what The Defiler had used. That spell was horrifying, and Y’golonac had never even bothered to clean up after attacking with it, but just rotted Parker to the bone and then dragged him back again from the dead.

Had he died? The note didn’t say he’d died.

Parker salivated. The sandwich looked good. Milk, too. “Fuck it,” he said, and ate. While he did, he studied the note. Yeah… yeah. He wouldn’t like to talk yet. Getting dressed held more appeal.

The clothes—dear gods, clothes. Actual pants. A shirt. Socks. Socks! He almost moaned as he pulled it all on. She’d even included boxers.

For a moment, fully clothed, he lay back on the bed and stretched, just feeling it all and absolutely relishing it. This was nice. Even if it didn’t last, it was nice.

He still didn’t want to talk. Maybe after he got eyes on the place. Yeah.

Arthur’s description of the Lady’s home had made no damn sense. Sounded like black cobwebs the size of buildings all along the walls, and coffin-bookcases, and about six hundred arms reaching around corners. Couldn’t be like that.

Moving very quietly, Parker opened the door and peeked out.

So the good news was it wasn’t a trick, and not Y’golonac’s palace. The bad news was it didn’t look too far off from what Arthur described.

Dark. Kind of drapey. Light way up high, like moonlight peeking through windows too inset to see. Enormous, still shapes that maybe were coffin-bookcases, though coffins for what, he didn’t know. Sure looked to him like a few Hasturs could stand in those things, one on top of the other.

Right. So it was back into the nice, cozy room… or learning the truth of this place.

He was an investigator. He stepped out of the room and quietly closed the door.

It wasn’t quite as dark as Arthur had said, at least. There was a rug under his feet, absorbing sound. He kept to the wall, counting steps. No one bothered him. No acolytes, no guards, no servants. Hastur didn’t have any, either, but this was so much bigger than his temple. Parker could feel it.

He couldn’t resist getting over to one of those coffin-shelves to see what he could see. Books. Just books? None in any language he knew. The letters weren’t even ones he recognized half the time.

They weren’t in the condition Arthur had described, though. Dusty, sure; but Arthur had made it sound like they were water-logged, burned, and ruined.

They were fascinating. He’d honestly never imagined so many books. He wondered what they said. 

He wondered if “Keeper” meant “keeper of books.”

He put the book carefully back and continued exploring.

How the fuck big was this place? A tiny child-like part of him wanted to shout and hear the echoes.

A light ahead. Warm. Flickering firelight, humanly comforting.

Well, that was obviously where they were. And there was no way they didn’t know where he was. Fuck it. Nothing to lose today. “Lady!” he shouted, louder than needed, so he could hear the echoes and get her attention at the same time.

“Hello, Mister Yang.” Her voice was huge in this space, like it was coming from the walls, the ceiling, all around him. “How are you feeling?”

His echo was good. Hers was better. “Okay,” he said, which didn’t mean much, but he wasn’t great with words. “Uh. You?”

“Tabby is safe, my guest has regained his consciousness and his health, and I am well. Thank you.” She let out a low, soft chuckle. “Are you still hungry? I assumed you would prefer me not to hover, so I left something that wouldn’t spoil. Except the milk, I suppose, but I did a tiny enchantment on the glass to keep it cold.”

Was she checking to see how he valued it? What he’d trade for more? “It was good.  Milk was good, too. Haven’t had that in a while. So what do I owe you?” Might as well get to it.

“It was complimentary. I view it to be poor form to charge a guest who had no choice in his visit.” She let out a rumble that he more felt than heard, but it wasn’t a bad noise. “I appreciated your efforts, you know. It was very kind of you, particularly since we had just met.”

Sure. He wasn’t buying this. Why not say it? He’d already faced down one god today. “You’re a god. This shit’s always transactional. You don’t gotta schmooze me.”

“I find transactional relationships distasteful, Mister Yang. Whenever possible, I prefer to avoid them.” She let out a sigh. “I do not need humans the way my cousins do. I like humans, make no mistake; I would not have gotten involved if I did not, regardless of how nicely Arthur Lester asked me. But I need no gratitude from you.”

Okay. There was much to untangle there. Parker chose what thread to pull. “They need humans?”

“Correct.” A creak, and a bookshelf shifted near him, and a long, multi-jointed arm clad in black silk and a lace glove ( holy fuck ) picked through the books and pulled one off the shelf. “The Great Old Ones and the lesser gods are part of the same cosmic ecosystem that humans are. As humans grow, and flourish, and multiply, you create billions of little moments of magic and choice and tenacity; and these are the building blocks of what the Dreamlands used to be.”  

More clues, falling into place. “Sounds like we need each other.”

Another hand folded down from the ceiling, impossibly high, and opened the book; inside, a portrait of a tentacled horror and a human interfacing in what looked like worship decorated the page. “We do. In return for what humans create, we gods help form the world you live in, both metaphysically and literally. We take the threads of reality that Yog-Sothoth wove when he created matter and space and time, and make them habitable. Some are deities of life and growth, like the Great Mother, Shub-Niggurath. Some, like a certain bastard who deserves no further mention, are deities of rot and death. And there are others; deities of music and madness, like Hastur, deities of fire or magic or knowledge or any number of other things. In times before, we co-existed, barely registering one another save for the machinations of certain sects. The Dreamlands was self-sustaining with its own discrete populations of humans, not to mention the incredible variety of minor gods and demigods and half-humans, and all of them a font of creativity, of magic, of will that shaped the Dreamlands and kept it mostly stable, and beautiful, and constantly fueled when a human from one of the other worlds dreamed something totally new into existence.”

Did she always share so much? Was like a year of classes in here. “It ain’t like that now,” he said. “Gods’ve died. I’ve seen the pieces the witches collected. I’ve seen the busted statues in that Contract pavilion. And people… there’s a lot fewer of them, too. So the balance is off, and not just in the Dreamlands.”

“You’re quite discerning,” she said. “The Fires of Y… I don’t know that I can properly express the amount of blood spilled, Mister Yang.” She sighed, heavy. “The ones who died when the bombs fell were lucky; their death was instantaneous. The ones who did not fell to a slower, crueler fate; starvation, disease, their bones decaying within their body from the radiation—think of it like a kind of magic that damaged the fundamental building blocks of your body. And by the time any of us knew about it, it had happened, and…”

She let the word trail off and it was like the spare light in the Scriptorium dimmed, like the bookcases hunched over him. One of the hands, a left one, sagged. There was a ring on it; on its left ring finger, a glittering red jewel set into the silvery band.

“They are lucky the witches begged Shub-Niggurath to intervene. She is the most powerful of us, at least the only one who is willing and able to help; she was able to stop the complete destruction of humanity. But I imagine you know that story already.”

Parker exhaled slowly. “Some of it. Asenath said there were lots of worlds. That somehow this fucking… fire happened in all of them at the same time. That true, too?”

“It is true.” The bookcase shifted again, fanning out, and the ring-bearing hand began to poke through the titles. “When the Dreamlands were still whole, my Scriptorium was based in a place called Leng. It was a crossroad for many worlds, chaotic and dangerous, but it enabled me to gather knowledge from many places and many different universes. Timelines. For whatever reason, somehow, some way… The one who shared the information regarding the Fire of Y did so in every single timeline, and every single timeline had fools arrogant enough to bring about the devastation of those bombs.”

Weird. That made a lot more sense than a lot of the piecemeal versions of this he’d been told. “So they’re all like Cloud City?”

“They’re all gone, Mister Yang. All that remained was gathered to one world, one place and time, and sustaining that stability requires more than we have to give.”

Yeah. That tracked, too. He breathed for a moment, considering. Then he nodded. “Two things.”

“Ask away.”

“So, one. Seems to me like one small population on one Earth can’t sustain you guys forever. Am I right?”

“Correct.”

“Yeah. Two.” He took a slow breath. “I don’t think they all know that, but I think Hastur does.”

“Hastur most certainly knows; I cannot truly speak for the others.” She sighed once more. “Since the Fires, the only god I have spoken to is Shub-Niggurath. The others… Well. I believe you are very familiar with those who approach with empty hands and harsh words.”

“Uh.” Parker stared blankly at the nearest hand. “Nothing… good happens to those guys?”

“Yes.” And this sound was most certainly not a happy one, and the bookcase shifted again; and these books were…

A book shouldn’t have a presence.

“Hm… Ah, yes.” She pulled one off the shelf, one of the dozens that sat in a neat row. It had a beautiful green leather cover, the pages within a gentle cream, and something that looked disturbingly insectoid reinforced the spine. “This, Parker Yang, is what remains of the god H'chtelegoth.”

And the sound that came out when she opened it split the air, split his ears, split worlds—

“Holy shit!” Parker gripped his ears.

She snapped it shut, just as quickly. “H'chtelegoth came to me demanding the Parchments of Pnom, an item that I had in my collection. In exchange, he was ‘willing’ to give me back Sor—one of my acolytes.” The god paused, then, and it was like she was steadying herself. “Something you must understand is that these Parchments… They contain a genealogy, of sorts, for us. On its own, harmless; like how most of my collection is, on its own, harmless.”

One of the hands trembled.

“My acolyte knew better. She knew what he intended to do with them; he intended to use them to gain allies, to form a coup and enable the harvesting of the rest of the humans. Part of what keeps many of the Great Old Ones on a level playing field is not knowing who may or may not be more powerful; it is a risk to enter into a territory war. But enough gods who have been convinced they are descended directly from my ilk stirring the pot, and you may have a problem. She… She died to ensure I knew.”

Holy shit .

So being descended from an Outer God was important. And also, pissing the Keeper off meant getting turned into a screaming book.

Fucking gods.  

He had to keep a grip on himself. Casually, he began to pace.

It felt really good to have his hands in his pockets while he paced. Familiar. Easier to think. “So when the gods finally fuckin’ die out because the Dreamlands go to hell, humans will too, right?”

“It is certain.” She replaced the terrifying book onto the shelf. “If all of us were to fall… well, reality itself will begin to erode. Humanity may crawl onward for a time, but matter itself will fall apart. The protections that were put in place to hold back the radiation would fail, and in time, the last human would breathe their last breath. A slow, sad end to a very sad story.”

Yeah, no shit. “Gimme a minute. Okay?” 

“Take as much time as you need. I can wait.” The shelf of books-that-were-not-books slid upward, away, gone, protected. 

He resumed pacing.

He didn’t want to know this. When a guy knew things, big things, he had to act on them. That’s how it worked. At least, for him.

He knew it wasn’t really on his shoulders. She wasn’t asking for help. Didn’t matter, though. Now, it wasn’t just save the miserable world from the gods. It was fix it or everyone dies. 

It wasn’t fair. His god had betrayed him. Everything he’d believed had been ripped away. Justification for the bad things he’d done had been burned to ash, and now, this. This.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “Fuck,” he said louder. “Fuck!” And he spun and punched the blank wall between shelves. 

“FUCK!” The Keeper howled, rattling distant windows and making those fucked-up person-books shiver.

That was startling as hell. “Whoa, what? What?” His eyes were huge. “You fuckin’ felt that?”

A silhouette appeared at the distant firelight. “Keeps?” Tabby called. “You good?”

“Oh!” The hands jerked backward a bit. “I… Alright, first, yes, I did feel that, but it didn’t hurt, and I didn’t take it as an aggressive action towards me.”

Parker stared at Tabby, his eyes huge. “I punched her! I… I didn’t know she was the wall!”

“Oh, Keeps, you big baby,” Tabby scoffed, jogging over.

“I didn’t swear because of that,” the Keeper protested. “I got caught up in him swearing, because you’re right, Parker: it’s fucked.”

“Sure, sure. Like this wasn’t a ploy for my attention.” Tabby rolled her eyes, patting one of the hanging hands as she walked to the spot of wall. “Here?”

“Stop it.”

“So you don’t want me to kiss it better?” Tabby aimed her gaze somewhere ceiling-wise.

The Keeper paused for a guilty moment. “He is very strong,” she said. “I am terribly wounded.”

“You mean your pride is wounded,” Tabby said, pressing her lips to the spot on the wall.

“I assure you, it is not.”

Tabby snorted. “It should be. This is embarrassing.”

One of the hands reached down and ruffled the girl’s dark hair, and Tabby stuck her tongue out at the other.

Parker did not know how to handle that casual affection. At all. At least the power dynamic and occasional sadism of Hastur and Arthur (even with all the new, weird changes) made sense to him. This did not, was dangerous, and threatened ( Charlie) the comfortable it didn’t happen like you thought story he told himself.

So he shelved it. “I got something to say.”

“It had better be an apology,” Tabby said mock-sternly.

“Be nice to him,” the Keeper said. “Please, Parker—unless you prefer Mister Yang. But please, speak.”

He stared at Tabby for a second. Like hell was he apologizing for a god being the wall . “Look, how long would it take to… no, that’s the wrong way to do this.” He bared his teeth for a moment. “Sorry. I suck at talking. Okay. Hastur’s got this plan. He’s got a plan for Carcosa that includes shrinking it three times and, I think, still working solid. How much time you think that’ll buy everybody?”

“You need not apologize, Parker. I quite like hearing your thought process.”

Sure.

“As for this plan, I haven’t seen it, but…” The god clicked her tongue a few times. “Guessing on what Hastur would do, given the fact he reportedly has a brain… I’d say another two centuries the first downsize, assuming he reduces Carcosa by about a third. If he reduces it up to half, maybe three. Perhaps another century on the second. As for the final… It depends on who is left.”

Parker licked his lips. “I’m goin’ off incomplete information here. All right? So. Bear the fuck with me.” He was back to pacing. “If the gods got… fed better, or whatever the fuck they get outta dealing with people, could that slow down more?”

“In essence. We either need fewer gods or more humans, or a better way to deal with the Contracts.”

Tabby made a face.

“I know.”

“I’m guessing here,” he said. “Contracts. Asenath said the Mother tried to make that fair, but… still… weighted toward humans. Right? Best she could, while still putin’ the squeeze on you assholes. No offense.”

“None taken. I can’t Contract, Parker. Outer God.”

“But he’s right,” Tabby said.

“Can’t Contract,” said Parker. “But you sure as fuck ended up speaking through her out there. Did you get fed by that? Whatever you get through that?”

“I am fed by the natural chaos of the universe, Parker. It is my nature, as it is the nature of my siblings.” Somehow, the hanging hands managed a shrug. “As for our sojourn… That was a necessity, if I am to attend the vote.”

“Keeps can’t leave the Scriptorium.” Tabby leaned against the nearest bookshelf; another arm appeared, pulling a quite-nice armchair out of nowhere and set it next to her, and tapped the girl on the shoulder until she sat in it. “It’s a whole thing. Long story that we don’t know the answers to yet.”

“Your friend asked for my vote,” the Keeper said gently. “I’d spent a long time avoiding getting involved in anything like this. I had never even thought about it. But I decided, since my participation in the vote will bring my cousins’ attention to me whether I desire it or not, it’s time for me to do my part in helping fix things. And that started with getting eyes on what was happening.”

“And testing how much power I could hold until I exploded,” Tabby added, “and monitoring my blood sugar levels so I didn’t pass out, and scribbling down all your observations of how excited you were to be outside, and—”

“Yes, thank you Tabby, I’m sure Parker understands.”

They were getting off track. “I understand more than that,” he said. “Asenath said the Mother helped you do it. Right?” 

“Correct. She provided me with an artifact that allowed me to siphon off most of… I’m not sure how to describe it.” She let out a low, sheepish laugh.

“I can,” Tabby said eagerly.

“Tabby.”

“It won’t even be a truly heinous sex joke, I promise.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You shouldn’t. Anyway. So gods are big—big bodies, big souls, big magic. Keeps especially is huge, because she’s an Outer God and all of them tend to be pretty cosmic in scale. You take something that big and try to put it into something small, something’s going to have to give.” And for a moment, her face flickered, grew grim. “You may recall, uh, what was going to happen to Arthur if Y’golonac’s ritual succeeded.”

“Yeah.” Low. He knew his shame. There was no point in pretending otherwise.

“That is the reason many Great Old Ones can’t Contract, either, and no Outer Gods can; it is rare for a human to possess the power of will to harbor even a piece of them.”

“I know. It’s why I didn’t even consider it might be fucking Hastur calling himself ‘John,’” Parker said. “Assumed a servitor. Never thought it’d be an equal to the Defiler.” He sighed. “If I had… dunno. It would’ve gone down different. But the Defiler didn’t think of it, either, so. There’s that.”

Not much of a comfort.

“The artifact the Great Mother gave me allows me to, in essence, tether myself to Tabby’s soul to enable my consciousness to leave the Scriptorium. It is easily done, given that our mark connects us as it does, and that I am quite motivated to not burn her out; for the vote, I will need to do more, but the artifact should allow me to keep Tabby’s soul tethered to my own while I occupy her body. We just… need a bit more practice.”

“It’s not perfect yet, but I’ve got the smartest and prettiest girl in the whole wide universe on my side,” Tabby said, batting her eyelashes at the ceiling.

Fuck, these two. He stuffed more into that shout about it later box. “Okay. So. So.” He gripped his hair. “Back on track, okay? I know our population’s shrinking. Fucking Wastes take more every year. Arthur’s town—Harper’s Hill—there’s lots like that, that got sort of… eaten. Okay. So. If the gods…” He had to say this right . “If the gods were able to do more, hold back the Wastes, make the Lake and the ocean not just fucking wet death , humans could… make more of us. Right? The population could grow again. And if that could happen, they could feed more fucking gods. And if that happened, the gods could… protect humans more, and we could expand even more. Re-open places like Harper’s Hill, I dunno. Something. Right?”

The two said nothing for a moment, but Tabby was grinning. “I told you, Keeps, he and I are the same person.”

“That is what you said.”

“I can smell it. I'm on some fuckin’ wolf shit right now with how good I sniffed that out.”

“You were right,” the Keeper said primly.

“What?” said Parker, because what?

“What you’ve said is… an idea, yes,” the Keeper said. “A fascinating theory—one that makes sense, but I do not believe I would have reached it quite as quickly.”

“Yeah, well, being mortal makes you skip a few steps,” he muttered. 

This was the kind of reasoning the Defiler had always praised, too, but that… that praise hadn’t been true. It hadn’t been enough for his god to even like him . 

That wasn’t important now. “Pretty sure fucking King in Yellow’s already on board. He likes complicated bullshit.” 

“You seem to know him well.”

“I do.” Parker paced. “K’thanid will be on board. Nath-Horthath wil, too. Those guys are big hitters.” And he sighed. “I fuckin’ hate it. I’m not… into this. Get me? I hate this. But I want us to survive, and we can’t do that without you people . But you can’t survive without us, either. It’s gonna take investment on your parts before we can give back.” And he breathed heavily. He had to get this right. “So if we’re gonna do this, vote first. Then that Contract system’s got to be updated. Fuck. Fuck. Maybe whatever the Mother gave you can work for other gods, too. The rules’ve got to change, don’t they? How the fuck…” He sighed. “Does it make a difference if bigger gods get to do it? Does that… I dunno, help the gods under them? Maybe mean less Contracts needed? I’m gettin’ ahead of myself. Sorry. Words ain’t my strong suit.” He’d talked too much. He knew he had. It never went well when he did. He clenched his jaw, dropped his head, and paced.

“You were utterly wasted on Y'golonac,” the Keeper said, voice low.

“Oh, you’ve got her in a mood now,” Tabby said, and winked at Parker.

Parker closed his eyes tightly for just a moment. “Naw. Got all the blood he wanted spilled. Arthur was just better.”

“He used you as a hammer when you were a surgeon’s blade. That worm-brained fool—did he keep you in the dark? He must have kept you on a very short leash. I imagine you would have been impossible to stop if you'd been allowed to act of your own volition.”  

That was a load of horseshit.

Though she wasn’t completely wrong. There had been no wriggle room, no space for failure. And he’d only failed once.

Once had been enough. He swallowed and didn’t answer.

Her voice was full of wonder. “Gods, I hate him. The petty cruelties are one thing, but to waste such potential. Abhorrent.”

“He—” There wasn’t anything to defend. Nobody had said anything like that before.

Or… maybe they’d said some of it. Asenath (who was biased). Arthur (who was nuts). But this was coming from someone without shared history, who stood to gain nothing from it.

Reality called. Gods didn’t care for him. This praise was suspicious , no matter how… nice… it would be if it were true. “He promised things and did them. Kinda hard to argue with that.” It wasn’t an answer. Too bad. “Just tell me what you want outta this, talking to me, telling me shit. I want it laid out going in. No surprises.”

“From you? Nothing, at least at present; in the future, who knows? I believe you have promise; I believe you’re a wickedly smart man who was willing to sacrifice himself to protect my marked, not to mention bold enough to challenge me, one of the most powerful creatures in the universe, directly to my face when you felt I was speaking out of turn.” She laughed, light and pleasant. “Though I will say, I don’t believe you were aware at the time. At present, Parker Yang, all I can offer is a choice. Once Hastur has finished tearing Y’golonac a new asshole and the riot has dispersed, you may, of course, return to him and to Arthur. Or… If you wish, you may stay.”

Oh, what the fuck was happening now? “Stay?” 

“If you desire, you do not have to go back to Hastur. You could stay here, in the Scriptorium, under my protection; not as a priest, or an acolyte, but merely as yourself. You may dress as you please, spend your days reading or learning or doing nothing at all—you would be able to meet the others who dwell here, under my protection.”

“No more collars,” Tabby said.

Parker stared.

“Consider it thanks for your efforts to ensure my wife was safe when Y’golonac attacked,” the Keeper said, voice gentle. “You need not answer now; you may even change your mind, if you decide to leave, and I will… what’s the metaphor? Put a foot in the door?”

“No. I think you want ‘keep the light on’ or ‘keep the door cracked’, or something like that,” Tabby said.

“I demand no Contracts, no pledging of your soul, no worship. Merely a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’”

“Kind of like it was before,” Tabby said, very quietly.

“Before… My acolytes came and went as they pleased,” the Keeper said quietly. “Perhaps, once things are better, you may as well.”

Parker straight-up didn’t believe this.

Come on. This kindness? This generosity? From a self-proclaimed one of the most powerful beings in the universe? Bullshit.

But he heard her. And the fact that she didn’t demand an answer right now was more important than sandwiches or boxers. “Thanks.” He knew that was abrupt. Not enough. Too bad. He was out of words. “I think I need to go back. Arthur… I wanna see where that’s going.” He needed to see this through.

He needed to see Y’golonac defeated.

He needed to go home.

“I understand,” the Keeper said, and it felt like she knew Parker meant more than he said. “Do you want to leave now? Or… Would you like some time to center yourself? Time will only pass for us.”

He frowned. “How long I been in here?” 

“With us? About… nine hours. Out there? Maybe ten minutes. Long enough for the mayhem to have finished.”  

He stared. He’d been in here nine hours. “Took a while to fix that shit, huh?” he said thickly.

Tabby made a face that said everything Parker needed to know. “Yeah. Had to get some backup from Keeps.”

“Healing is not my forte, but power I have in spades. Tabby was able to channel quite a bit of it, and at last we were able to purge the infection from you.”

“It was worth it, though.” Tabby grinned. “Keeps cried.”

“I did not.”

“You pulled through, though. Might have been through the power of spite, though,  especially since it looks like you shook off whatever lingering hold he had.”

The truth popped out without warning. “He killed me lots of times with that.” Parker found himself shaking a little. “I really didn’t die this time?”

“I was not going to allow that to happen. Anything worth fixing is worth fixing correctly. Would you like to sit down for a bit?”

He would not like that. Maybe needed it, but would not like it. Nope. Limit reached. Feeling red-faced, he said, “Can I go?” Fuck, he wasn’t trying to be rude. 

“As you wish. If you decide you wish to speak to me again, let Hastur know.” She paused. “Actually… Let Arthur know. I have a good feeling he’ll be able to call upon me if he needs to. I would give you a more direct egress, but I would rather avoid Hastur barging in.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. He’s always digging in everybody’s drawers,” said Parker.

“I’ll see you out,” Tabby said, hopping out of her armchair. “Sorry.”

“For?” He tensed.

“It was a lot.” The girl put her hands in her own pockets as she walked, leading him through the bookcases effortlessly.

“Oh.” Maybe his scale for “a lot” was off. “Not really.”

“Nah. I recognized that look on your face; same one I had when I first got shoved in the Scriptorium more than seven hundred years ago.” She shook her head. “Pretty sure, anyway. Didn’t have a mirror at the time.”

“Fuckin’ old for a human.” Said slightly aggressively.

“I know. I look good for my age, huh?” She grinned at him. 

“Yeah. But you didn’t die?”

“No. I was sort of…” She paused, scrunching up her face as she thought. “I guess ‘portaled’ is correct, though it was more of a… I had a friend who, as it turns out, was one of the Mother’s witches, back before the fires. One day she just… She said she hoped I would understand, and gave me a shove, and I ended up in the Woods.” She laughed, low, flat. “It was a pretty big surprise for me. I was a psych major.”

“A witch saved you?” And he took a moment. “What is a ‘sike major?’” 

“Oh, shit, right—you guys don’t really have higher education.” And that made her look sad. “I was in school; I went to a place called Miskatonic University. I studied psychology, which is understanding how the human mind works. I…” She paused. “I wanted to help people. But it wasn’t a discipline that had anything to do with magic. Fuck, I thought magic was pretend, you know? Stuff you read about in books, that didn’t really happen, and though my friend called herself a witch I assumed it was in the sort of ‘let me read your cards’ and ‘this crystal clears negative energy’ sort of way, not a ‘I’m going to portal you to a freaky eldritch forest and see if you’ll worship my god, which by the way is also a real thing you have to contend with.’”

Crystals and cards were tricky magic he went absolutely nowhere near, but it sounded like Tabby hadn’t known they held power.

Or maybe they hadn’t, in her world. She’d lived a life without magic.  She’d known a world without gods… and it had still burned.

He couldn’t go there yet, but chose another thread to pull. “A doctor for the mind?” 

“Yeah. That exactly.” She smiled. “I, uh… I had it really rough as a kid. I wanted to… I wanted to help other kids not end up like me.”

“A head-doctor. Shit. That sounds useful. And yeah. I get that desire. It’s why I became a cop. None of them fuckin’ helped me as a kid, so.”

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions, I suppose,” Tabby sighed. “I… I’m sorry it was so shitty for you. Especially if it was shitty enough that you decided to be a cop, yeesh. No offense.”

He shrugged. “Well, it meant I’d be above the law, too. Needed that, for what I was doing.” And he blurted it: “Beat the fuck out of a few child molesters, though. So that felt pretty good.”

Tabby whipped around at him and beamed. “Fuck yes! That’s the shit cops should do!”

He looked at her. “You too, huh?” he said, getting right to the heart of why someone, an adult, would have such a passion about that particular crime.

For a brief moment, she froze. A series of microexpressions flitted across her face; surprise, confusion, realization. Sympathy. Grief. “Yeah,” she said, flat. “...Yeah.” She started walking again. “Sort of… Sort of hoped the gods had done away with that one. Like they did homophobia and stuff. Cultural bullshit. But… Well, I mean, fuck. Predators everywhere, I guess.”

So many threads to pull. “Predators always think they can get away with shit, human or god.” 

She looked at him. “You aren’t wrong.”

He was too tired to be delicate. “Bet you’re glad that radiation your wife-god mentioned happened to yours.” 

“Sure fucking am. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.” She let out a soft laugh. “...Did you… Were you able to get yours?”

“Some.” Even. Flat. “One died of old age. One was gone, fuck if I know where. One I fucking murdered on the dock, and that’s the one Y’Golonac used to get my attention. I stopped caring after that. Had other things to do.”

“...I haven’t thought about it in a long time. Funny how that sort of happens, huh?” She shrugged. “Is that why you got so prickly at Keeps at the Hall of Contracts?”

“When was I prickly?” he said, prickly.

“When you called her out about that Contract—what’d you say? ‘It’s more than most of these shits will ever do?’” Tabby clicked her tongue.

His shoulders relaxed. “Oh. That. In part, yeah. Just. People like to make noises at things they don’t approve of without fucking offering any other options.” He shrugged. “Dunno. Rubbed me wrong. Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, man. It was deserved. You called her on it, and she admitted it.” Tabby gave him a playful punch in the arm, earning a startled look. “She… It’s kind of different, for them, but she knows… What happened, with me. And she had a similar experience with one of her brothers, though he more wanted to… I dunno. I was trying not to go insane and die at the time.”

Parker stopped dead and stared at her. “That can happen to gods?”

“He wanted control of the Scriptorium.” Her lips pressed into a thin line. “She was barely over a hundred; it was just over a year after the Fires. He was older, thought he was smarter and stronger.” She let out a soft breath. “Might have been outside it, fuck, I dunno. We don’t really know exactly how this place works, just that she’s tied to it.”

“She felt it when I punched the wall. Uh.” He looked a little sick. “We’re—”

“Oh, right, all that. Pfft.” Tabby rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry she freaked you out when she shouted like a lunatic. Just so we’re clear: you absolutely didn’t hurt her. She was being a drama queen. And she gets excited when people yell, and likes to join in, so it was a prime opportunity for her. Yeah?”

Parker stared at her. “We’re inside of your wife-god. Maybe I’m not gonna think too much about that.” 

“Yeah, I don’t recommend it. It’s complicated. But she can also, like…” Tabby stuck out her hands, as if trying to manipulate something Parker couldn’t see. “She can also like… not be in places, in here? She is it, but she isn’t. It’s all deeply within the realm of what she and I both call ‘Outer God bullshit’ and it is also something that I had to deal with when she and I weren’t on the best of terms.” Tabby paused. “Or, well… When I wasn’t on the best of terms with her, I guess. Another long story.”

He had reached his limit and gone beyond it at this point. “I need to go home.”

“Yeah, yeah. Workin’ on it. Need to go just a touch further… there. That’ll do it.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a doorknob. “Hey, just in case you decide not to come back: it was nice to meet you. You’re fun to talk to.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that weirdness. “Sure. Dunno about your wife-god, though. No offense.”

“None taken. I’ve had a long time to get used to her, you know?” She laughed, holding the doorknob out to nothing, and a large set of wooden doors sprouted from the knob’s handle.

Someone on the other side was calling his name. 

That felt weird. So weird. Calling for him, trying to find him, like it mattered he was gone? Really?

For him?

“Sounds like your ride’s here. Y’know… Keeps likes you. Even if you decide not to take her up on the offer, it’d be cool if you visited. You can bring Arthur too, if Goldenrod lets him go.”

“I… yeah. Maybe.” Probably not. Arthur was… one did not bring Arthur places. Arthur went places, very much on his own. 

There was nothing left to say, so Parker gave her a nod, and stepped through.

#

Hastur grabbed him before his feet even touched the churned-up ground.

This place was absolutely fucked. It had been the Contract pavilion. Now, it was rubble. Rot ate the grass and melted the stone; chunks of statuary lay where they’d been exploded, and a black groove in the ground announced where something large had been forcibly pushed right out the entrance.

Hastur was… 

Hastur. 

Was.

Angry.

Hastur was so fucking angry. Parker had never seen him truly angry, and hadn’t realized that until this moment. Petulant, ridiculous, fussy, demanding… but this. This was angry, and Parker suddenly realized that even at their worst moment, he had never gotten Hastur like this.

“You’re okay!” Arthur cried from below, and he sobbed. “Fuck… fuck, I thought he got you.”

“‘Kissinger’ did not win,” said Hastur in a voice like thunderstorms at sea, and any words Parker had left dried up and died like plants never watered.

He trembled. Hastur was so angry.

Hastur picked up Arthur (who reached for Parker, reached, with both hands, and Hastur brought them together without hesitation), and then flew.

From above, it was clear where the fight had happened. It was like some kind of pointed fire, like an aimed explosion, burning the ground and ruining the part of Carcosa that served to give gods access to the human world.

And suddenly, that mattered. Suddenly, that was important, because it wasn’t just what gods wanted to do , but something they needed , and no one was really safe to be around when starving, and if they all fucking killed each other now, there’d be no chance to save anyone, ever.

“Fuck!” Parker said. He couldn’t stop shaking.

Arthur held him.

Tentacles trapped them both, shielded them both, and kept them together.

Arthur’s tears cooled on Parker’s neck. “I thought he fucking got you.”

He couldn’t handle this. No one could handle this. What in fuck was this? “He did get me. Fuckin’ Keeper made it better.”

Hastur growled.

Oh, no, all the other angry sounds had been play growls , nothing serious, nothing like this sound that warped the air and ached like old wounds and made Parker cry out and made his eyes water and—

Arthur raised his face and kissed him. Deep, intimate, without hesitation.

Not expected. Nope. Acceptable response not found. Parker’s gaze rolled to Hastur, who had to react badly to this, who had to respond with crushing rage, who would hurt him so much that he’d wished he had stayed in the spooky library with the crazy ladies.

It did not happen.

That growl happened, low and scary, but not at him . Parker could feel it. Parker knew it. “He will pay for this,” Hastur threatened.

Arthur breathed, forehead against Parker’s, and he was still leaking tears. “Don’t fucking scare me like that again. And sorry. I should’ve asked.”

“I…” He what? He fucking what? “I don’t get it.” 

Arthur met his gaze, and Parker stopped breathing because this man was sane. “You’re an idiot,” Arthur said. “You could’ve just fucking walked over to us, or waved, or anything other than what you did. I thought he fucking killed you.”

Hastur still wasn’t hurting him? “I… no. He didn’t. For once.”

Arthur’s voice shook. “Fucking hell, Parker.”

Carcosa looked fine. Normal. Like it always did: stupid, showy, uneven, pieces given over to other gods with no sense of symmetry. “Where is he? Where’s the Defiler?”

“In his temple,” Hastur said, low, dangerous, “and he will stay there tonight.”

The concept of consequences now—after all this time without, after complete certainty that they could do anything they want at any time—filled Parker with something akin to joy. “He’s… in lockup?”

“He is awaiting trial,” Hastur thundered. “And tomorrow, he will have it. ”

Damn. “Because of the pavilion?”

“Idiot.” Arthur sighed, so close they shared heat. “He attacked someone else’s possession. He attacked a human, and we’re so fucking rare. He fucked up the Contract system for everybody. His fucking… filaments were everywhere, almost fucking invisible. Nobody saw them but you.”

“So it… it’s good?”

“The Contract system is down,” said Hastur, grim. “Firmly down. It will not be easy to repair in a hurry.”

And Parker now understood why that was bad. “Fucking hell.” And he knew how Y’golonac worked, knew exactly what had gone down today: “He wanted you to attack him. He wanted to blame you for it going down because the violence is obvious.”

Hastur’s rumble was…

Oh, the god was still angry, yes, so furious, but that right there was a pleased sound, and it struck Parker as every inch as dangerous as rage. “Yes, little traitor,” Hastur said. “That is correct. It seems your former master had laid a trap.”

“It would’ve been so much worse,” said Arthur. “Hastur was supposed to be weaker when it happened. Thanks to you, it happened early. We can handle this because of you .” And his lips touched Parker’s ear. “He kicked the Defiler’s ass. It was fucking great. ”

They’d clearly been going through a time in the ten minutes since the Defiler tried to kill him. “Uh-huh.”

Arthur rested his forehead on Parker’s shoulder.

It had been ten fucking minutes! Parker looked at Hastur.

That rage still loomed, still bloomed, still blossomed, but it had… gentled. “You no longer smell of rot.”

What? “Sure.” He swallowed. “You gonna kill me? He… Arthur’s touching me.”

“Arthur has done more than that in the past. He has taken you into himself, and amortization is overdue,” said Hastur, amused. “You were attacked. You vanished under a writhing tangle of hideous growth and filthy putrescence. Then… the Keeper responded.”

Amori-fucking-what? “I was gone ten minutes, ” said Parker helplessly.

Arthur met his gaze. He was so close. “I thought we lost you.”

Too close. “You’re gonna get me killed.”

“No,” said Arthur. “You’re our partner.”

“Wait. I…” Puzzle pieces, fitting together just fine, only he hadn’t been paying attention. “Wait. You… but… wait, Hastur is… uh.”

Hastur… laughed. Low.

“You’re our partner, ” said Arthur again.

Had they always meant—

Wait, this wasn’t—

They were at the temple. “Fool,” said Hastur fondly (and still definitely laughing at him), and then they were inside. And the evening was beautiful, and the night was cool, and he slammed the doors behind them. They gonged, loud, metallic, final.

Parker shuddered. He didn’t know where to look.

Hastur was back to growling. It rattled decorative vases and bowls, made incense sticks dance in their basins, sent ripples along the surface of the bath to splash against the far lip. “He will pay.”

“He will.” Arthur stroked his arm. “He will.”

Everyone needed a bath. Hastur was covered in soil and what might be pieces of god-flesh. Arthur was dusty, grass in his hair, smears of mud or something worse. Parker was…

Parker was in clothes Hastur did not like, and Hastur growled as he plucked at them. 

“No!” Parker shouted, clutching his sweater to his chest. “No. A gift. From the Keeper.”

Hastur actually sniffed imperiously. “Remove it. I cannot see your flesh.”

Oh, the fuck was all of this?

“Sorry, again,” said Arthur. “I should’ve asked.”

Whiplash. Talking to any of these guys was whiplash. “What?” said Parker, frozen.

“I kissed you. I don’t think you’re ready yet.” And Arthur unhooked the big (ruined) skirt thing and slipped out of his boots.

Parker stared.

“Off,” Hastur rumbled.

“The fuck do you care?” Parker blurted at him, because Hastur was safe to yell at, because Hastur wouldn’t get sad eyes like Arthur could.

“I want to see you,” said Hastur.

“So it ain’t just putting me in things because I complained, after all?” Parker snapped.

Hastur… froze.

Caught. Caught! He was caught! Parker pointed at him. “You lied to me.”

“I teased you,” said Hastur. “Also, I did not lie. I merely withheld some of the truth.”

“I’d so fucking have you in lockup for a night if you were one of my guys,” Parker found himself saying because he’d apparently gone mad.

Hastur cupped under his chin with a thin and flexile tentacle and raised his face. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Power… over me .”

Oh, dear gods, the way he’d said that —

“Parker. That stuff might not do so well in the water,” Arthur said gently because Parker was still clothed (and Parker was glad he was clothed because things had responded right the fuck away and this was just too much on top of everything with the Keeper and—)

“Yeah,” Parker verbalized, and took off the Keeper’s gifts.

Hastur watched him.

It wasn’t like Hastur ever fucking blinked, but Hastur didn’t fucking blink, and the power and penetration of that gaze was so different from Y’golonac’s and Parker was still stuck on power over me and—

“How did she help you?” said Arthur already in the water.

Focus, Yang, he thought. “She… her, uh. Wife. Healed me, somehow.”

“I will repay her,” Hastur rumbled.

“No. Lady said it’s because I tried to save her wife when the Defiler attacked, so I paid for my own care, apparently,” said Parker who could do nothing about his almost painful arousal, and so just went into the water. 

Arthur went under, scrubbed himself, and straightened, water streaming, puffing, and steaming in the cool night.

Parker stared at him, distractedly washing his arm. “Partner.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean. I mean I’m partner.” He paused. “I sound like a fuckin’ idiot.”

Arthur laughed softly. “Yes. You are partner.”

“You meant…” Parker waved vaguely.

And he could see the strain, see the effort of will to give as clear an answer as possible: “I mean… you’re partner with us. Whatever that looks like. You’re staying. You’re safe. You’re… you’re ours, and we’re yours.”

“Dunno that’s so much of a ‘we’ thing,” Parker muttered, and turned to look at Hastur.

Hastur looked so damned amused.

Parker narrowed his eyes and turned back to Arthur. “What’s all that fucking mean, Lester?”

“Whatever it means as we figure it out.” Arthur squeezed out his hair and headed for the edge of the pool.

“I don’t do so good without fuckin’ boundaries!” Parker shouted after him.

“So we’ll make them. You don’t want to be touched, you don’t get touched. You don’t want to be partners, you can back out.” Arthur looked at him over his shoulder, sane, sober, shockingly steady. “But I don’t want you to. We, you and I, are part of something. Hastur was part of it because he was part of me. It’s all changed, now. It’s a mess. But I think we can… we can fix this, Parker. The three of us.”

Okay, maybe not so sane at all. “Fix this? Fix what? What the fuck?”

“Just think about it.” Arthur grabbed a towel and left.

“Food,” said Hastur.

“Ugh,” said Arthur.

“Food,” said Hastur.

“FIne,” said Arthur, and they were behind the silk screen and out of sight.

Parker sat in the water up to his chin and went quiet for the next hour.

#

They let him. Let him sit in there, stewing, perhaps literally and figuratively. Let him think, let him take his time, and try to find words again now that they’d all gone up like magician’s flash paper.

He could see now that he’d misunderstood… well, a whole fucking lot. That once Arthur was marked (and Hastur was sure he couldn’t be “taken away”), once Parker had apologized (and Hastur had approved), and Arthur continued to heal and they actually talked in the mornings… yes. He could see it so clearly.

This happened sometimes, when Parker was working on more than one case. He got so focused on the one in front of him that the other seemed to solve itself. That the other, in fact, fit together like puzzle pieces, and he just hadn't noticed.

It seemed so obvious now.

And it was terrifying, because it wasn’t how he’d thought… families? Partnerships? The fuck would he call this? Well. This wasn’t how he thought they happened at all.

He’d literally gotten into a fight when he met Charlie the first time at a crime scene, because Charlie was trying to take photos, and Parker thought he’d fuck up evidence. But then Charlie had spoken smart, and spoken soft, and gotten Parker calmed down if not quite laughing, and then taken him out for coffee and pie, and… 

And they kept going out for coffee and pie, and it was really obvious, and Parker knew he wanted that man from the moment Charlie Fucking Dowd stood up to him in front of a dead body.

Charlie had gotten to him, but he’d known Charlie would. Known, because what Charlie said hit home, because when Charlie smiled Parker smiled, when Charlie cried, Parker wanted to kill whatever made him do that.

That wasn’t this.

Parker had always known when he was attracted to people. That part was easy.  He hadn’t expected… this. He hadn’t known he felt like this. None of this.

He wanted to be partners, and it had snuck the fuck up on him like a silent cloud, the kind bringing rain so quiet and light that he didn’t even know it was going to rain until he was in it.

Yeah, he thought. That was the right comparison.

He already was partners here . He didn’t want to live with the Keeper. He wanted to live with them.

He wanted to touch Arthur back.

Fuck, he wanted to see what Hastur would actually let him do, how far he could go.

Parker Yang realized he wanted to stay, and he hadn’t known he did, and now that he knew, had no idea what to do about it.

Just stay, of course, not really being an option. It was too complicated for that. Wasn’t it?

Arthur: complicated. Very complicated, guilt and hope tangled up like some knot that would just have to be cut or it’d always stay tangled. 

Hastur…

Would be his god. Not Arthur’s god. Their god.

Parker realized he was shaking when he noticed the ripples sliding away from him to splash against the sides.

Complicated. And on top of all of this, the Dreamlands were failing, humanity was dying out, and the only way to save anyone was a wild play, a one in a million chance, with everyone working together, and completely reworking the damned Contract system—which had been smashed to shit, so. Maybe they could make it better. 

What would it be to do that with them instead of alone?

He’d assumed alone. Sure, alongside the Keeper, and alongside other gods willing to do shit, and with Arthur peripherally, but this wasn’t that. This was… together.

Side by side, not just facing each other across a room.

Safe. With a god who actually wanted them to live?

Arthur’s kiss lingered, and Parker raised his fingers—soapy and perfumed—to touch his own lips.

He could hear those idiots talking over there. Hastur’s low rumbling and Arthur’s sweet tenor, and he knew he could just walk right over and join them.

But then what? What came after that? 

Parker had no idea how to do this.

Whatever it means as we figure it out, Arthur had said.

Maybe… maybe he didn’t have to know how to do this.

That was a big fucking risk to take. Go into a thing without knowing how and you could blow that whole thing up.

But what if he didn’t?

“I don’t deserve some fucking relationship ,” Parker murmured into the water, and then thought, so? Lots of people got shit they didn’t deserve.

But if this wasn’t going to last… if it was all going to go to hell at once because of this trial, or wasn’t going to survive what came after, was it worth it? He clenched his fists. He didn’t know. Who would know? That was too big a thing to know.

Parker startled badly as Hastur lifted him from the water. 

“You are getting wrinkly, little traitor,” said Hastur, still so damned amused like all of this was funny and not just the craziest shit Parker had ever tried to juggle.

“You don’t say that name the same way no more,” Parker accused. 

“Whom you have betrayed has changed,” Hastur said. “Food.”

Whom he had betrayed had changed. Wow. Wow. “Really don’t wanna eat, big boy.”

“You will eat.”

Parker decided to ask the Keeper if he could have time off from eating, because this was stupid.

He also decided he wouldn’t answer the partners thing tonight. Much as he might like some of the outcome, he wasn’t ready yet. Not yet.

But maybe he’d push a little.

After some spicy soup with bits of egg in it (grudgingly admitted to be delicious), Parker decided he wouldn’t lie on the edge of the bed tonight, which he usually did when Hastur was in it with Arthur. Not tonight.

He glared, daring, challenging , before climbing over this ridiculously huge mattress toward them.

Hastur did nothing.

Parker got up behind Arthur, who smiled at him before lying down.

Hastur did nothing.

Parker lay right behind Arthur, curved against him, and slid one arm around his waist, glaring daggers at the god the whole time.

Hastur… fucking purred . “Yes,” he said.

Arthur made a happy sound and was out. Asleep. Parker would never figure out how in hell he did that so fast every night.

“You have made the wise choice,” said Hastur.

“I ain’t made no choices yet, buddy,” said Parker, daring, pushing.

Hastur chuckled at him, a low sound that pulsed through his purr like some kind of engine.

Fuck, thought Parker. I am in over my head.

But somehow, he fell asleep soon after.

----------

Notes:

Keeper and Tabby cameos thanks to @sepiabandensis, who brought her ladies in for this one.

[xxx-sir-pentious-xxx]

A Watchful Eye

Day 2....

Sir Pentious woke up to the cherub nurse nudging him and coaxing him to go shower, brush his teeth and get dressed in fresh clothes. He was wearing a warm sweater and having his claws dulled while listening to a cheery angel worker in the hall singing.

The tune was something about bacon and pancakes, a cute song that made Pentious think of Angel dusts little sing songy tunes about booze and scrambled eggs.

Breakfast time started once Pentious settled in the dining hall where he was sat with a new keeper. Her name was Molly. Molly was a pretty girl spider that looked like Angel dust. It clicked in his head fast, the connection.

Molly hummed,

"Sooo, how are you feeling friend?"

She was cutting his food before wrapping the butter knife and keeping it under her thigh out of reach.

"Oh... I feel awful.... to be honest... how are you?"

Pentious responded raspy, no doubt from his hours of crying yesterday. He looked at the food somberly feeling sick from the sight. He was hungry but his body wouldnt allow him the chance to have a bite of food without growing ill. It smelled so good though.

However with coaxing from Molly he finally ate his two pancakes and small cup of apple juice.

Molly praised him a lot and held his hand tenderly, it was a bit much but he wouldn't kill her joy just because it was annoying. He wasnt even sure why it annoyed the Hell out of him so much.

Before he knew it he was being lead to a activity, some art thing, it was a symbolic thing. A single hand print on the wall covered by so many others, to show unity. Pentious assumed it was to show you're not the only one, to show people here can understand but they are here for the same reasons. Even if his was unique slightly.

He picked a spot that wasnt totally smothered on the cardboard squared wall.

He kept it simple when he put his name short hand in Sharpie with the others.

He saw how small it looked compared to the others, despite his very large size literally everywhere else. He cleaned his hand watching the prints dry.

The group of residents were chatting and some looking at him and one was ballsy enough to point. It felt hostile and Pentious was immediately closing himself off. That was until the one who pointed said,

"You look so cool! We love your look. Can we touch your scales?"

Pentious perked up some and nodded silently letting the people admire and gently touch his scales, it was oddly relaxing.

The group talked and Sir Pentious felt for once like everyone liked him with no ulterior motives. Because they did. No one was ever going to hurt him, never, the people around him already know what suffering was like. They would never want to put that on someone else if it can be helped.

Lunch came around 3 hours later...

The thing about this type of facility, like most good ones, is often snacks were provided through the day. Pentious had avoided snacks however and was craving something substantial by lunch.

Lunch was a small apple, a plate of some sort of casserole and water. Simple and very all encompassing for the food pyramid.

He picked up the apple and a couple of some strongly religious residents softly snorted, not insultingly, just a bit humored by the irony.

It's almost blissful as he ate, almost.

The rest of the day went by in a blur and Pentious finally got to go back to bed after getting coaxed to brush his teeth and shower.

He coils himself up in his tail to feel safe as he sleeps, he missed his nice warm eggbois heated bodies. He missed his little bois.

In his coils he wept softly mourning again. Hed be mourning for a long long time...

[blooming-violets]

Something Unforgivable || TASM

Prompt suggested by @flower-slut00​​ : “The reader breaks up with Peter cuz he cheated and it’s super angsty“

Summary: Peter’s love language is touch. When he’s gone too long without it, he tries to seek out love in places he shouldn’t. (Peter’s POV x Reader)

Warnings: 18+, bathroom smut (bj, sx), cheating, depression, mention of deceased friend, mention of vomit 

A/N: This isn’t exactly the break up scenes you asked for but it’s whatever I was able to come up during my lunch break. 

Tag List (as usual if I’ve missed someone or you’d like to be added, send me a message!): @anakins-angel​ @rattdonovan​ @ssa-uglywhore27​

“She hasn’t been the same since it happened. All she does is sleep. She doesn’t do anything anymore. I don’t know how I’m supposed to help her if she won’t even talk to me.”

Peter sat on the kitchen counter while his Aunt May worked around him to prepare dinner. It was their Sunday night tradition ever since he had moved out. She insisted she get to see him at least once a week. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Sunday night was for her no matter what. Peter always upheld their bargain. In the past year, he only ever missed dinner once.

“She’s grieving, Peter. Surely you would know a thing or two about that,” Aunt May glanced over her shoulder at him while she dumped a box of pasta into a boiling pot of water.

A pang of guilt shot through his heart. When Gwen died he had locked himself in his room for weeks. Nothing anyone said would console him. He knew she was grieving but it made him feel useless. He was doing his best. Every other night, he would make her a bath, carry her to the bathroom and place her carefully in it. He’d spend time washing her hair, talking to her about his day, and making sure she was clean. Then he’d get her dressed in some fresh pajamas and make her food. She hardly ever ate. Sometimes he’d have to physically feed her himself. Even then, she’d only get through a few bites before closing her eyes and turning away. When she was finished, she would walk like a zombie back into their bed and curl up. She’d stay there until he did it all again tomorrow. It was starting to take a toll on him. The longer her depression latest, the more helpless he felt.

“I don’t know how to help her,” he lamented.

Aunt May sighed. She put down her stirring spoon, wiped her hands on her apron, and went over to her nephew. He closed his eyes when she cupped his cheeks in her hands. “These things take time. It’s only been three months. Her best friend died, Peter. They were always attached at the hip. Something that life changing can’t be healed in just a handful of months. She’ll be okay.”

Peter smiled sadly back at her. This is why he never missed his Sunday’s with her. Not because of the food but because of the talks. “I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right. Keep doing what you’re doing and she’ll slowly start to pull herself out of it. I believe in you,” she pressed a kiss to his forehead then grabbed her spoon again, giving him a swift slap on the arm with it. “Now make yourself useful and start preparing the salad. Make extra. I want to send the leftovers home with you.”

It was cold and dark by the time Peter started his walk home. He dragged his feet and took his time. He hated to admit that he didn’t want to be home tonight. The thought having to care for his girlfriend weighed heavy on his mind. When did he become so selfish? Why was this so difficult for him? He loved her. He never doubted that. But the longer this went on, the more he wanted to run away. What hurt the most was that, if the roles were reversed, she would have never left his side. She would have done everything to make him better. So why couldn’t he do the same?

He had been using Spider-Man as an excuse to get out every night. Sometimes he would spend the entire night out just to avoid having to see her. There was something about her sadness that hit a switch in him. He couldn’t be around it any longer than he had to. Her grief reminded him of his own. And he didn’t want to be reminded. He wanted to forget. He wanted to go back to the way things were before; when loving her was easy. 

Peter stood in front of his apartment building and stared up to the the tenth floor. He could pinpoint their bedroom window exactly. It was probably used as an exit more often than the door. She was up there. Waiting for him. 

His hand hovered over the door handle. He couldn’t bring himself to open it. Part of him longed to crawl into bed beside her and hold her close. The other part longed to run far away. He just couldn’t do it. 

Peter pulled out his phone and sent her a text. He doubted she would reply. He had a months worth of one way messages lined up under her name. Like talking to a wall. 

“Out doing 🕷 stuff tonight. Might be home late.” 

Three dots popped up on screen. Peter stopped to stare at them in shock. 

“Oh. Ok. Be safe.”

His heart rate sped up. She answered. It had been so long since she answered. He should go up to her. He should take care of her. His phone buzzed again. 

“I love you.”

He was an asshole. It was official. Peter Parker was an asshole. The last time he heard those words from her were over three months ago. He had craved them for so long and here they were. In writing. 

Even so, Peter had already made up his mind to stay out. The fresh air relaxed his lungs. He sent one last glance up to the bedroom window and turned around to leave, putting the apartment and his girlfriend behind him. 

The night was still young and Peter felt alive. He had lied about doing Spider-Man duties. His suit was left at home and tucked away in the closet. Hopefully she didn’t notice. He just wanted one night to himself. One night where he could be totally in control. Not as Spider-Man but as Peter. 

As he walked aimlessly through the streets, he turned his eyes to the night sky. There wasn’t much to see up there. New York City didn’t have any stars. There was nothing but a dark, deep blue with light grey clouds to cover the backdrop. The lack of stars never bothered him. The night sky was still comforting to Peter. It gave him the feeling of home. 

The faint sound of distant music reached his ears. He decided to follow the noise. It lead him down a few blocks until he was standing across the street from a night club. Neon Nights, it was called. 

She used to love to go dancing. Every weekend she would drag him kicking and screaming to another club. He would always pretend to complain the whole way there. She would tug him along behind her, trying to convince him he was going to love it. The music would always be too loud and there would be too many people but, the moment she dragged him onto the dance floor, he would forget about all of that. She made him feel like they were the only two people around. Everything would fade into the background and it was just her. She used to be so happy. So free. 

Peter stared at the club now. He wished she was there with him. He imagined her tugging at his hand and pulling him to the entrance. 

“I need you to be my bodyguard and keep all the creeps off me,” she would say to him. Her eyes would sparkle with excitement. Her hips would start to sway the second they passed through the doors. He would give her a little twirl and pull her close. 

He missed her touch. Sometimes, while she was sleeping, he would take her hand and place it on his cheek. All he craved was the feeling of her skin against his. He wanted her to kiss him again. To hold him. To touch him. Run her fingers through his hair. Anything. 

His legs lead him to the entrance before his brain had even caught up. He showed the bouncer his ID and entered. 

Just one drink. 

He would have one drink and then go back home to her. That was it. 

The club was loud. Neon, flashing lights blinded his eyes. He could feel the pounding of the bass vibrating inside his chest. People danced together in a giant mob in the middle of the room. His senses shot into overdrive. There were so many things to look at that they all melted into a single blob of color blurring in front of his eyes. He had to squeeze them shut to try and focus himself. 

Somehow he managed to weave his way over to the bar and order a drink. He squeezed himself onto a stool in the corner and tried to make himself invisible. This was a terrible mistake. He should be home with her or, at the very least, patrolling the neighborhood. Sitting here and drinking was a waste of time. He should be making himself useful somewhere else. 

Yet, something about the disorganized chaos of the club relaxed his anxious mind. Once he became accustomed to all the crazy stimulation, he could dull them back from being too overpowering. Now he was able to fade into the background. He couldn’t overthink if it was too loud for any thinking to take place.

One drink became two.

Two became three. 

Three became four. 

Four to five, six, then seven. 

Despite how skinny and lean he was, it took a good bit of alcohol for Peter to ever feel the effects. His body had an annoying habit of healing itself very quickly. He could only ever get a nice buzz, never anything more. Tonight he was starting to finally reach that head rush he was desperately seeking. 

From the edge of the dance floor, a beautiful woman caught his eye. She had on a short red dress that hugged tightly around her full body. Her long hair waved down her back and flowed around her as she danced. The look on her face reminded him of his girlfriend. There was a carefree, blissful smile on her lips as she swayed to the music. Before he even fully realized what he was doing, Peter was out of his seat and making a direct line to the beauty. 

She gave him a flirty smile when she saw him and pulled him into a dance. His hands found her hips as he did his best to keep up. Peter was no dancer but he could feel the rhythm and lose himself in it. All it took was a little liquid courage to open him up. 

The woman smelled intoxicating. Whenever her hair would flick under his nose, he’d get a whiff of her beautiful aroma. He wanted to hold her closer to him. As if she was reading his mind, she turned her body and pressed her back into his chest. He could tell she was purposely rubbing her ass against him. It was a move his girlfriend used to do as a way to tease him on the dance floor. There was a certain thrill that accompanied the motion. She loved knowing that, in middle of a room full of strangers, she could make him hard. A secret pressed between them. 

Peter closed his eyes and took a shuttered breath. Shit. The grinding of the woman, mixed with the thought of his girlfriend there instead, was enough to feel himself growing harder. It had been so long. At this point, any light bump would have probably set him off. He should stop. He should go home. Instead, his arms snaked around the woman’s torso and kept her pressed against him while they swayed back and forth. In his mind, this was no longer a stranger, this was her. 

He liked the way it felt. He didn’t have to tell her that, it was blatantly obvious. Clearly, she was enjoying herself too. Otherwise, she probably would have called him a creep and fucked off. Her staying gave Peter a confidence he usually lacked. He wanted more. He wanted to feel something. 

The tips of his fingers grazed up and down her bare arms. In a moment of brash boldness, he leaned down and kissed her neck. She shuttered under him. With his eyes closed, he could almost completely imagine his girlfriend there instead. And he kept them closed while she turned around his arms, wrapping herself around his neck, pressing against him, and drawing her lips to his. Their tongues danced around each others. His movements were needy. Craving. Thirsting for anything he could get. 

She was breathing heavily when she finally pulled back, “Bathroom.”

Peter nodded. Yes. Bathroom. He would follow her anywhere at this point. She took his hand and guided him through the crowds of people. The break from her lips should have been enough of a reminder for Peter about what he was doing. He should have been in control. There was so much to lose, so much at stake, by what he was about to do. 

None of it crossed his mind as he was lead across the dance floor. That would be his burden to bear; that he didn’t have a second thought about going into the bathroom of a nightclub with a stranger. 

“Do you have a condom?” She asked as she pushed him into an empty stall. 

The door rattled shut behind them causing the pounding music to become muffled. The dull, flickering lights on the bathroom ceiling broke him out of the bright, neon haze he was in out there. Peter’s heart was beating too fast. It was getting hard to think. He wanted so badly to be touched. He needed attention. 

Not from her. Who was this woman? 

Maybe those drinks were stronger than he thought. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. What was he doing? 

He could feel a bit of panic rise up and grip at his chest. 

She must have taken his head shake as a “no” because she pulled a condom packet out from her cleavage, “That’s alright. I always keep one close to me.” 

He had to get back home. 

This wasn’t right. 

This wasn’t his girlfriend. 

She needed him. He needed to get back. 

“Wait-” His words caught in his throat as his head slumped back against the stall wall. 

The woman had dropped to her knees and tugged down his pants. She was taking him into her mouth before he even had time to finish his thought.  

It felt so good. 

The pleasure that rushed through his veins was staggering. His legs quivered under him. It had been too long. He needed a release. His body took over, telling his anxious mind to sleep. Peter tangled his hand in her beautiful hair, pressing against the back of her head, begging her to take him deeper. She complied. 

A low moan rumbled out of his throat and his entire body sank into the wall. 

“Someone’s excited,” she chucked to herself and ripped open the condom, sliding it onto him. “Careful there, big boy. Don’t blow your load too early. I need something too.” 

The woman lifted herself back to her feet. She hiked her short dress over her alluring, curvy hips. Peter could see she wasn’t wearing any underwear. He got the vibe she was the type of person who did this sort of thing often. He was glad he was wrapped up. Another shot of guilt tugged at his heart. If he ever brought home any sort of disease to his girlfriend...

This was wrong. 

He still had time to stop. 

She placed a leg up on the toilet seat and backed her ass against him. He knew how wrong it was but he just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t walk away. 

An animal instinct took over. He needed to be touched. He needed to feel the closeness to another woman. He needed this.

Peter grabbed at her hips and buried himself inside of her. He kept his eyes closed. It was easier that way. 

She hummed in content while he worked behind her. His body was on autopilot. There was no love here. No need for anything extra. He just needed a release and this woman was going to give it to him. 

It didn’t take long.

Peter was usually good at being able to outlast his girlfriend but this was different. This was only a means to an end. 

With a flood of endorphins, he forced himself to pull out of her, just as his body shook with release. He held his tongue to keep from making any noise, his eyes still squeezed shut, while he finished. A quiet whimper eventually sputtered out of his lips. Tears immediately burned behind his closed eyelids. If he opened them, they would certainly spill out. This was so wrong. He was such a bad person.

He couldn’t look at her. 

With the animal part of his brain now quieted down from his orgasm, the shame washed over him

What had he done?

“Is that it?” He could feel she had turned around and was staring at him. She was angry. “Seriously? That quick? You’re not even going to finish me off?”

Peter shook his head “no” and kept his head down. He didn’t want to be forced to look his shame in the eyes. He wanted her to go away now. 

He slid off the condom and tossed it in the trash beside the toilet. He tugged his pants back up and turned away from the woman. 

“What a waste of a condom,” she muttered before strutting out of the stall and slamming the door behind her. 

The second she was gone, Peter sank onto the toilet and started weeping. Why? Why was he like this? He buried his head in his hands and cried. The image of his girlfriend burned behind his retinas. This would kill her. He was so selfish. So terrible. She deserved so much better than him. 

The sudden urge to vomit hit his stomach. He turned and tossed up his drinks from earlier. His entire body shook after each heaving motion until he was completely empty. The guilt ate away at him until there was nothing left but the feeling of worthlessness. 

Eventually, Peter was able to stagger himself to his feet. He shuffled out of the bathroom stall and over to the sinks. The cold water splashed on his face as he looked up at himself in the grungy mirror. He didn’t recognize the man staring back him. This wasn’t him. Spider-Man doesn’t cheat on his girlfriend suffering with depression after her best friend died. Spider-Man was supposed to be the epitome of goodness in the world. Peter Parker didn’t deserve to have that title.

He cast his eyes to the floor and pushed his way out of the bathroom. 

The sudden lights and music cut through him. People still danced. They didn’t care that his life was over. It was just another Sunday night to them. He felt dizzy. His entire world was spinning too fast. He had to get out of here. This place held nothing for him but regret.

Peter burst out the door and stumbled into the street. 

The cool night air settled on his skin. It cleared the fog from his brain. He could think clearly now. He knew exactly what he had done. There was no one to blame but himself. 

There was no way he could return home after this but his feet seemed to carry him straight back to her anyway. His guilty conscious craved her presence. He wanted her to hold him and tell him it would all be okay. He wanted to erase this night from his memory.

By the time he reached their apartment, Peter was a shell of a man. He unlocked the door and let himself in. All the lights were out. The clock on the kitchen stove read 4:36am. She would be asleep. That was his only comfort now; the thought that he wouldn’t have to look her in the eyes after the sin he committed. 

He kicked off his shoes and brought himself to the shower. He had to wash the night off of him. The strangers perfume still lingered on his skin. He scrubbed it off. His skin red and raw until there was nothing left but his own self hatred. 

The sun was starting to rise by the time Peter finally crawled into bed beside her. She looked so perfect. In her sleep, she couldn’t feel her sadness. She could escape into her dreams. He wished she could stay sleeping forever. When she woke up, her life would be ruined. He would have to break her heart. This wasn’t a secret he would keep. She deserved the truth.

She must have sensed him climb into the bed because the moment he laid down, she rolled over, and snuggled her face against his chest. His arm draped over her and twirled the ends of her hair between his fingers. He could feel the tears burning at his eyes again. How could he have ruined something so perfect? The thought that this might be the last time he would ever get to hold her like this again caused a quiet sob to rack through his body. He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to let her go. 

“Mm,” she stirred. Her hand slipped under his shirt. Her fingers were cold against his skin as she traced little circles on his back. “I love you, Peter.”

Peter did everything he could to keep his sobbing under control. His heart was torn in two. He had been waiting for the moment she would touch him again and say the words he was dying to hear. He had waited so long. Here they were, when he least deserved to hear them. If he had only come home when he was supposed to...

She peeked her head up at him as her eyes fluttered open, “Are you crying?” 

It was like the last three months had only been a bad dream. She sat up in bed with a worried expression when she realized how hard he was weeping. It was the first emotion he had seen on her face in long time. 

She brushed his hair away from his face, “Peter? What happened? Are you hurt?” 

He watched her eyes scan over his body for any obvious injuries. When she found none, she turned them back to his face. He couldn’t speak. 

“Peter? You’re scaring me,” her voice quivered. Tears of her own shone in her eyes. She always cried when he did. She always mourned with him. Why hadn’t he just of been able to do the same? Why had he been so selfish? 

If he was a good person, he would have stopped her when she wrapped him up into a hug and cradled his head in her lap. If he was good, he wouldn’t have let her run her fingers through his hair to comfort him. If he was good, he would have never attempted to replace her with a stranger. 

But he wasn’t good. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered softly to him. 

It was not okay. 

“I wished you had come home earlier, Pete. I know I haven’t been the best girlfriend lately and I’m sorry. I know you’ve been avoiding me. You’re suit is in the closet. I can see it from my spot on the bed. You could have just told me if you needed some time alone,” she sighed. “Or maybe you couldn’t. I guess I wasn’t very easy to talk to. I’m sorry.” 

She was apologizing to him. None of this was helping the crushing guilt. 

“This morning was the first time I woke up and felt like getting ready. I got dressed and cleaned the house. I even went out to the store and bought us ice cream. I knew you had dinner tonight with May but I was hoping when you got home, we could have watched a movie and ate ice cream like we used to...but you weren’t here all day and you never came home. Is May okay?” 

His crying had subsided into a pitiful sniffle with the occasional shutter of his body. He shook his head ‘yes’. No words were still able to leave his mouth. The second they did, the second this would all be over. He wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as he could. 

“Tell me what happened to you, Peter. Please,” she was practically begging him now. 

Peter took a deep, wheezy breath and sat up. He took a moment to study her beautiful face. That woman in the club could never compete with the sight before him. He had to have one last kiss. He had to remember the feeling of her lips on his for the final time. She would leave him when he told her. He knew that. She was no fool. He would have self sabotaged another perfect thing in his life. He was destined to be miserable. 

Peter cupped his hands to her face and kissed her gently. Tears rolled down his cheeks and pooled against their lips. He could taste the saltiness. This would be their final kiss. He didn’t want to say goodbye.

The moment he pulled away, he would tell her.

“I love you. I love you more than anything else in the world but, tonight, I did something terrible. Something unforgivable...”

[Part 1.5] [Part Two]

[Chapter Index]

[i-cant-sing]

Yandere Rei Hurting Reader Pt2

Yes yes. Its out now. I won't delete this one. Enjoy!

Part 1 is here. Part 3 here.

Check out my MASTERLIST for more!

Yandere Todoroki Clan:

It had been so awful at first. So hard for everyone to adjust to the new change. Of course, it was especially difficult for you to adapt to the new circumstances.

When you had first woken up after the unfortunate incident, approximately 3 days later, you didn't expect to be home so soon. You expected- you hoped that you would wake up in the hospital and have them call the authorities. Then again, you also didn't expect never being able to use your eyes again.

Shotou was the first one to notice when you had woken up from your coma. He hadn't left your side since the accident. He jumped from his seat beside you and held the glass of water to your lips when you tried to speak. The family came rushing in when he called for them, announcing that you had woken up. You could hear Fuyumi and her crying tears of joy as Natsuo came to check your vitals. You knew your eyes were bandaged, which was expected because of the hot oil that was poured on them, but when you asked Natsuo when they were coming off, he went silent. Your heart sank when he told you what had happened, how your eyes were fucking fried to the point that the arteries supplying them were also destroyed, which meant they couldn't be replaced, ever.

You screamed a lot that day; you would've cried but you didn't have any tear ducts. You didn't let anyone touch you at first, especially Rei. You would scream, throw yourself away from her if you felt her come near you. Eventually, Natsuo put some sort of tranquilliser into your IV, finally calming you down.

Being blind was hard, you knew that. But you didn't know that it would also be this humiliating. After the accident, they had starting infantalizing you even more, doing the most miniscule things for you.

Shotou would be the first person who greeted you in the morning and usually the last person to put you to bed at night. He would carry you around everywhere you go, telling you its simply unsafe for you to walk on your own. Sure you bumped into the furniture a few times and it was a bit hard maintaining your balance, but that didn't mean you needed him to carry you around everywhere. You had asked him to get you a cane, but he only said "why do you need a stick when you have me? Just tell me where you want to go". 

Each morning, Shotou would take you down the stairs to the toilet and more often than not, have Fuyumi come and help you, even for brushing your teeth. Then he would take you to the dining table where everyone is waiting for you. Fuyumi would give your breakfast to Shotou, who would cut it up and feed you. Once you're done eating, you would wait for Shotou to finish his food. During breakfast, everyone would make small talk while you remained quiet. After everyone's finished eating, Fuyumi and Rei would take dishes to sink. You would've helped, but everyone's pretty much forbidden you from entering the kitchen.

Shotou would then carry you either to his room or the living room, where he would turn on the TV and tell you what's happening. But since this always makes you remember how you don't have eyes, he would usually just read you some book. Somehow, they're always about princesses and fairytales. You were getting sick of hearing them.

Fuyumi would later come and fetch you, and take you to your bath. While you would be cleaning yourself, after politely declining help from Fuyumi each time, she would be out preparing your clothes for the day. She would explain to you what you're wearing and how you look, and how she's going to style your hair. As if any of these things mattered to you. But even if they did, its not like you'd have a say in anything.

You still remember the first time you were taking a bath, after finally convincing Fuyumi to let you have the "luxury" to clean yourself up. You finally had some time for yourself, alone and away from the rest of the house. You sank in the warm water in the tub, allowing yourself to relax. The privacy was comforting, but not long lasting, as you felt cold hands touch your shoulders. In an instant, you jumped away screaming. "GET AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!" Rei tried coming closer to you but you kept on screeching at the top of your lungs, alerting the whole house. "FUYUMI! SHOTOU! GET HER AWAY! SHOTOU GET HER AWAY!" At that point you didn't even care if they saw you nude, they just need to save you from her. The siblings rushed to the bathroom and upon seeing your huddled form in the corner and their mother sobbing, Fuyumi hastily covered you with a towel while Shotou took Rei out of there.

Shotou tried to make you understand that Rei was just trying to help you. That she just missed you and wanted to take care of you. He was basically telling you not to be afraid of her, and that your trauma is not valid. You stopped talking to him after that, only spoke when absolutely necessary.  

Natsuo would pick you up after your bath while Fuyumi went to make lunch. He would check your eyes (or lack there of), put on some ointments and replace the bandages with fresh ones. Fuyumi would come with your lunch and after she'd fed you, Natsuo would give you your medicine. They always make you sleepy, so you'd be put down for a nap.

Dabi wasn't always around, but when he was, he was still the asshole he was before. He would move your things to different places, or place stuff in your way so that'd you'd trip (he always caught you before you face planted), all so that you would ask him for help he could get a rise out of you. But you would just sigh and move on.

Enji liked to take you to the garden and read you books and newspapers. It was alright you guess, but you wanted to do something yourself, especially since they still didn't take you out of the house. You had asked him for a Braille, but he only replied "You don't need to stress yourself with that. I'll always be there to read you whatever you want." 

If Enji's running late, then Shotou would take you to the swings in the garden, pushing you as he tells what happened at school or with friends. After dinner, you’d be forced to spend some more time with your siblings, before you’d be tucked into bed.

That has been the routine for the past 6 months since your accident. And the family really felt like everything was returning to normal. It was, for them. This is how they always wanted things to happen: you, locked up in the house while they stripped you of all autonomy and infantalized you to the point where it was harming you, both physically and mentally. Your body was growing weak, your muscles got easily fatigued from their lack of use. And the pills Natsuo gave you didn't really help the case. They made you sleepy, and you think they even caused hallucinations since you felt like someone was in your room or someone was playing with your hair.

Even though you were stuck at home all day, you still never talked to Rei. Well she tried, but you would be the one to always flinch away. She wouldn't address herself when she entered your room, but you would still feel her lurking around the corners. And why should you acknowledge her? Especially after what she's done? 

Enji wasnt ignorant of your condition. He could see how quiet you had gotten, and how scared you were of Rei. He was getting worried for you. What were you thinking about? Enji knew if he didn't talk to you, things will get worse.

You were sitting by the lounge window with Fuyumi who was telling you about her day. Fuyumi greeted him when he came in the room. "Hey, dad!" Enji nodded. "Fuyumi, would you leave us? I'd like to talk to Y/n." Fuyumi nodded, pressing a kiss to your forehead before she left the room, only Enji noticing how you stiffened at her affection. He sat beside you and cleared his throat. "How are you?" "Fine. You?"you softly asked. "I'm good, too. I wanted to talk to you about something. About...your mom." "My mom's dead." Enji cleared his throat. "I meant Rei." "Oh. What about her?" "Why haven't you been talking to her?" You remained silent. “What happened was an accident-” “It wasnt an accident. An accident is spilling milk. Not pouring hot oil in someone’s eyes.” Enji knew this was coming.“She didn’t do it on purpose-” You cut him off again. “She did! She knew exactly what she was doing.” “Why would she do that?” “I don’t know. She hates me or something.” Enji grabbed your hand gently. “You know that's not true. Rei loves you very much and she cares about you a lot.” You didn't say anything. “Do you remember the day you came to our house?” You nodded. “Yeah. It was a few days after my parents funeral.” “Yes. And do you remember what Rei said to you?” You stiffened before nodding again. “She said that she may not be my real mother, but she’ll love me more than anyone ever has and ever will. Always.” “Yes. And has she not? Has she not loved you more than anyone?” You nodded slowly as Enji continued. “Between you and me, she’s always favoured you among all of your siblings.” You smiled at that. “So, are you willing to give your mother a chance?” You paused for a few minutes. “I- I cant.” Enji sighed. “Look. I know you’re scared. I understand. I know you want to blame Rei for what happened, but believe me when I tell you it wasn't her fault. It was an accident.” You shook your head. “And what if another “accident” like that happens again? And what if I dont survive this time? And what if-” Your voice broke down. Enji pulled you into his lap. “It won't. I promise. And if something like that does occur, I’ll be there to stop it.” Enji pressed a kiss to your hair. “I’ll save you. I promise.”

With Enji's persuasion, you had started mending your relationship with Rei again. Sure, you still flinched when she touched you and you were still hesitant to initiate conversations with her, but none of that bothered Rei. You were trusting her again, and she was more than happy to do more on her part to make you comfortable.

And you won't lie, but life was better with Rei. She knew when Dabi or Shotou were becoming too overbearing, or when Natsuo was fussing over you for no reason. She was there to stop Fuyumi from chatting your ear away, and knew when to stop Enji from feeding you too many sweets.

And Enji could see that Rei was sorry for what she did. He saw how she would often massage ointments on your face, her fingers barely tracing the charred area around your eyes before pulling away quickly. And other times, like today, as he stood by your bedroom door, he saw how gentle she was with you as she tucked you into your bed. He kissed his wife once she had left your room. "How are my girls doing?" Enji asked Rei in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake you up. Rei smiled. "Good." They slowly started walking back to their room. "Shes an angel, Enji. So sweet." Enji hummed in agreement. "Can I tell you something?" Enji stopped and turned to face his wife. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm kind of glad what happened...to her." Rei was smiling. "She's so much better like this. So docile now. I...I don't regret what I did, you know?" Enji's blood ran cold. "Rei... dont tell me- you didn't do that on purpose, did you?" Rei nodded, a bit too eagerly. "I know, I know. It wasn't ethical. And if I could, I would've taken away her pain in a heartbeat. But you must agree that its much better now, right?" Enji couldn't believe what Rei was confessing. "I mean, look at her now. She doesn't even try running away. She knows- she feels safer with us, inside." Rei sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I thought that maybe it wouldn't come to this. I thought that after Touya took care of her parents, she'd be a bit more scared to be outside on her own. That's why we told her they died in a car crash." Rei rested her cheek on his chest. "It scares me what I'm willing to do for her, Enji." Enji knew Dabi had something to do with what happened to your parents, but knowing Rei had a hand in it too, or more precisely, she was the one who told Touya to get rid of them. Enji didn't know what to do with this new side of his wife. But he did know he had to keep her hidden from you, so he ushered his wife to their bedroom, not knowing you had already heard them.

You had realised a couple of things that night. One, Rei and Dabi had murdered your parents. Two, Rei pouring the hot oil in your eyes wasn't some sort of psychotic episode. Three, Enji and the others were going to take Rei's side, no matter what.

A few weeks later, your birthday came around. The siblings had left the house to get some things for your birthday party, leaving you in the care of their parents. Rei was in the kitchen cooking up a whole feast for you, while you sat beside Enji in the lounge as he read the newspaper. Enji had already given you your present. It was giant teddy bear with chocolates from Belgium. They were utterly delicious. When you stood up, he asked you where you were going. You pointed at the box of chocolates in your hand. "I'm going to share them with, mom. Unless, thats not okay?"you asked meekly. Enji still wasn't all that comfortable with letting you and Rei be alone, especially after her confession. But... if he doesn't let you go to her alone, you'll always be afraid of her. And its not like Rei will hurt you again, right? Besides, the kitchen is just down the hallway. He's sure nothing will happen. He nodded. "Okay. Should I walk you there?" "No. Its down the hall. I think I'll be fine on my own." Enji then allowed you to go, telling you to call for him if you need anything.

Rei was chopping up some vegetables when she heard your footsteps. She turned around to find you standing just outside the kitchen. "Hey, angel! What are you doing here?" You remained outside the kitchen as you spoke. "I wanted to share these chocolates dad got for me. W-would you like some?" Oh, you're so kind. Rei quickly wiped her hands on a kitchen towel before walking towards you and leading you to the dining room in front of the kitchen. She helped you sit down before taking a seat next to you. "You want me to have your chocolates? But didn't daddy gift them to you?" You bit your lip as you replied. "Well yes, but I- I wanted to share them with you so that I could- I wanted to thank you for taking care of me. And for loving me. I would've gotten you something else but I'm not allowed to go outside..."you mumbled the last sentence, but that didn't matter as Rei quickly hugged you. "Oh honey! You're so sweet!" Rei took a piece of chocolate from the box that you had extended towards her. "And these chocolates are so delicious! Daddy really loves to spoil you, doesnt he?" Rei pinched your cheek gently. You smiled. "I'm glad you liked them. Especially, after all you've done for me. You deserve them more than I do, honestly." Rei stopped at that. "Honey...what are you talking about?" You smiled. "What? Am I not saying the truth? You deserve these chocolates, and all the sweets and flowers and medals for being the best mother." You popped a chocolate into your mouth before continuing. "After all, the criteria is very high. You need to not only have the intent to kill for your child, but you also have to commit murder. Then kidnap your child and force her to bide to your rules. And if she misbehaves, you must punish her as well, right? Because good behaviour gets chocolate," You popped another chocolate into your mouth. "And bad behaviour gets your eyes fried."

Rei just stared at you in disbelief. H-how did you- you didn't hear them talking last night did you? Or did Dabi tell you? Rei stared at you as you ate another piece of chocolate. "I wonder after you've killed me, will you be given chocolates or flowers?" "D-darling, w-what are you saying? I would never hurt you!" You chuckled darkly. "No no. You've done it before and I know you'll do it again. After all, it scares you what you're willing to do for me." You caressed her cheeks, and when you felt her tears, you wiped them. "I'm not saying you have the intention to kill me. No, you'll just hurt me again, another little accident, but this time I won't survive. I just hope you'll bury me somewhere where there's a lot of fresh air, maybe on a hill with a view?" Rei finally broke down at that, falling to her knees as she clung to your legs. "Please! Y/n please forgive me! Please baby, I- I just wanted the best for you. I don't want you to die, I- I promise I'll never hurt you again! I'm sorry! I'm sorry. Please baby, I'll do anything. Just forgive me!" You sighed. "Anything? I don't think you mean that." Rei nodded her vigorously, tears falling everywhere. "I do! I do! Just tell me what to do!" You tapped your chin, pretending to think. "Bring a knife. A sharp one." Rei's eyes widened. "W-What?" "Well...its only right for you to be punished as well. To atone for your sins, right?" "O-okay." Rei went to the kitchen and brought a big knife with her. "Lock the door." She did as you told her. You extended your palm, waiting for her to place the knife. She did. You stood up, right in front of Rei. You told her to stand against a wall, and she followed. You played with the sharp end if the knife. "I want to hurt you. I want to hurt you so bad. I want you to feel the pain, the hell you've put me through." This is it, Rei thought, you're going to kill her. For some reason, she was okay with that. "I want you to know you failed. I want you to know you're a bad mother. A selfish, bad mother." Rei was full on sobbing now. "Look at me. I want you to remember this." And with that you raised the knife before stabbing yourself in the gut, two screams ripping through the manor. Rei shot towards you, her hands trying to pull the knife away. "What did you do?! What did you do?!" Rei was crying. Enji was banging on the locked door for a few seconds before he burned it down and the sight he was met with...was nothing short of a nightmare.

There you layed on the floor, blood sputtering from your mouth, your shirt stained with blood and Rei. Rei, who was hunched over your body, with a bloody knife in her hand, crying out "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!".

Enji rushed towards you, pushing Rei back roughly. You were coughing up blood, your head turned away from him until you felt him touch your face. "D-daddy..."you whimpered out before your breathing came to a stop.

"No. No." Enji quickly gathered your limp body in his arms, running out of the house towards a hospital. He kept on chanting "no", because he didn't want to believe that he failed to protect you.

That he failed to save his daughter, again.

I had 5 different endings in my mind and Idc if this isn't your preferred ending (the ending I had in my mind was something out of Quentin Tarantino's movie). I'm just glad to be done with it.

Anyways, exams are coming up and I'm not going to be posting a lot.

And ill be taking up your follow up questions/asks for this part! I'll also be answering godfather hawks asks now that this part is out.

[xoxo-teddybear]

He’s Lost - Bakugou Katsuki - Part 2

Bakugou x f!reader

Warnings: angst, slightest fluff, cursing, physical harm mentions, lowkey little yandere obsessive hints, smut, 18+, daddy kink, sad boi Bakugou    :(

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

Summary: Bakugou’s been going through hell ever since the breakup. He’s been so lost without you. But he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win back his Teddy bear. Everything and anything for the love of his life.

*Everyone is of age for legal consent (which is 16 in Japan, if you are uncomfortable with it please move along, thx<3)*

A/N: Bakugou is a little OOC but the main thing in the beginning starts with fixing up Katsuki a little bit. So sorry if you don’t really enjoy it all that much<3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Melancholy music bounces off the walls of the dark room. The river of tears that flow down his once perfect porcelain skin is everlasting. As he lays in the soft bed, staring at the ceiling, he thinks about all he could’ve done better for you. In his hand, the same framed picture of you both that he’s held onto every night ever since the horrible incident. Y/N L/N. Like a song that’s stuck on loop. It’s the only thing that runs through his mind.

The door swiftly opens, and much to his disliking, a massive amount of light now enters the former den of manliness pit of depression.

To show his displeasure, Bakugou rolled himself in the blankets, covering his entire body in them and being the picture inside with him as well. With different circumstances, Y/N would’ve thought it was cute or adorable, but it wasn’t Y/N that opened the door.

“Really Bakubro?” The blonde’s best friend spoke.

Eijirou Kirishima. The best friend of our dearest sad boy. He’s been letting his Bakubro crash in his dorm room because Katsuki refuses to clean his own. It looks exactly the same as it did on Valentine’s Day. Just a little different.

Rose petals were dead and dried up on his floors, candles were nearly melted to the bottom as they lay everywhere in the room, the curry was thankfully thrown out by Kirishima claiming that he could smell the spoiled aroma all the way from his room. But the presents, letter, and new gear stayed in the exact same spots. Bakugou didn’t feel worthy enough to be blessed with all the stuff but he was oh so desperate to be worthy. Worthy of your time, your love, and you in general.

Bakugou let out a grumbled whine of displeasure. He could feel the disappointment and concern radiating off his friend. As Katsuki poked just his face out of the covers, he was met with the expression that represented those two things.

“You can’t keep living like this bro,” Kirishima began, “You can’t keep hallowing in sadness in my room. I wanna help you, but you gotta help yourself too. Ever since you and Y/N split-“ Bakugou quickly interrupted.

“We didn’t split, she left me!” The blonde cried.

“...Right, okay. Well ever since Y/N left you, you’re not the same. You stay in here, playing the same damn sad tunes, covering yourself in my blankets, crying all day, and holding onto that picture! You haven’t even been to class or training! Shit man, you don’t even come out of my room to eat food! I gotta bring your plate here just to make sure that you’re properly fed. You’re a mess Bakugou. And not even the hot kind!” His best friend was right. He was a mess. And not even the hot kind.

“Well what the hell am I supposed to do shitty hair?” Bakugou said while dragging the covers over his face once more. Inside the blanket he held onto the picture as if it were actually you.

The fake red head snatched the covers off of his friend’s body and forced him up.

The said friend didn’t take too kindly to that and growled in displeasure.

“What the fuck Kirishima,” Bakugou said, a little to calm and chilling.

“Dont give me that bull Katsuki. You gotta get her back. I would say move on, but it’s clear you can’t.” Kirishima said while rolling his eyes.

Bakugou mirrored the action and said “yea no shit genius. I can’t and won’t move on.”

“So then go get her man!” Kirishima yelled

“And how the fuck am I supposed to do that? Huh?!” Bakugou was so confused. In what way was it going to be possible to win you back?

“Figure it out! Look Bakugou, I’ll be here to help you along the way, but you gotta figure this shit out on your own. This is your relationship here, if you want it as bad as you claim you do then prove it. You want Y/N back? Then fight for her, idiot!” The blonde’s eyes seemed to go wide.

Two words stuck out to Katsuki during his friend’s little speech. Prove it. Fuck yeah he will! He’ll prove to the whole damn universe how much he wants you back. More importantly, he’ll prove it to you and win you back.

The iconic Bakugou smirk reappeared on Katsuki’s face. Kirishima took it as a good sign. “Alright shitty hair, you want me to prove how badly I want Y/N back. FINE!” The two friends pulled the iconic bro hug to seal the deal.

(You know? That shit that guys do where they high five and pull each other in with that one hand for the quickest hug and pat each other on the back? You know what I’m talking about.)

“Welcome back Katsuki.” Kirishima gladly stated. “Now get the fuck out of my room man, I’m sick of sleeping on the common room couches and you reek. Take a shower. And get your own clothes from your own room.”

As Kirishima pushed him out into the hallway and shut the door, it hit Bakugou like a bus. This would be Katsuki’s first challenge. Going back into the room filled with the torn love.

As Katsuki opened the door holding onto the picture, he felt his heart sink. He saw the damage. Melted candles, dried petals, the gifts and letter. Even the nasty smell of the spoiled curry still remained. As Katsuki gathered the courage to walk in and place the picture on the messy nightstand, it’s like the room was holding onto some sad emotions. Heartache and regret filled Katsuki’s chest. He couldn’t believe how fast it happened. He thought he would at least have a minute or two before he felt the pain again. Man, did it hurt like hell.

Katsuki dashed to his closet grabbing the first things he saw. He grabbed his shower container that held all his soaps and cleaning utensils and ran out the room, shutting the door. Once out, he let out a breath of relief.

“...after I clean myself up, the room’s next.” Katsuki said with determination as he walked towards the boy’s community showers and bath house.

When the hot water hit his skin, he felt a sense of calm. It wasn’t the same as the warmth of Kirishima’s blankets. It was better. The water and hot steam completely engulfed him in relaxation. The water washed away not only the dirt and grime, but also some of the tense feelings. For a moment, he felt at ease.

As Katsuki walked out the bathing area now fully clothed and dried, he made his way back to his room. He stood there, staring at the knob until he felt he was ready. Once he opened the door, the emotions hit him once again. Like a wave of sadness washed over his entire body. Finally, he stepped in.

First things first. Open up these windows. Let out that disgusting air filled with spoiled curry and sad emotions. When Katsuki took a breath a fresh air, he felt so alive. Much better than he has in days.

Now, we gotta move stuff. Katsuki picked up his dirty laundry and put it in his closet to wash later. He moved all his presents up off the floor and onto the bed. He swepted all the dead petals and toss them in his trash can. He threw out all the ruined candles and sprayed the room with air fresheners. He fixed up his bed and placed the picture frame back on his now cleaned nightstand. Next to it, a lit candle that smelled of caramel.

Katsuki took a seat at his desk. He was back to thinking about Y/N and all that he could do to win her back. As he checked his clock, he realized just how late it was. Kirishima came back to him at the end of class and training which was around 6. He spent an hour talking to Katsuki, and then Katsuki spent 4 hours cleaning himself and his room. It was 11:00 now. Way past his usual bed time. He’ll figure things out in the morning.

Katsuki smiled to himself as he layed in his own bed. He was finally on the right track again and one step closer to getting his teddy bear back. He turned to the picture frame, and grabbed onto it, hugging it while he slept. Katsuki was getting better but he wasn’t whole again. He needed Y/N to help him sleep alright, so holding the picture at night will have to do. He couldn’t wait till he woke up in the morning. Tomorrow he had school, he’ll get to see Y/N’s beautiful face for the first time in awhile, but before that, you bet your ass he’s waking up extra early to come up with a plan.

——————————————————————————

The next morning

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *click!*

The blonde smacked his alarm button before he rose up and stretched his body. Today was the day. He’s gets to see Y/N again. Bakugou just sits in place staring at nothing. Just taking 2 minutes to regain full consciousness. Once he’s set, he’s up and getting ready. It’s 4 in the morning now, so he begins to strategize.

Katsuki is pulling out easels and white boards. Pulling out notebooks and writing down facts. What Y/N is interested in, her favorite hobbies and foods, where she likes to spend her time, what she could need help with that Bakugou could assist her with. He’s also writing down the highlights of their relationship and what she seemed to enjoy best about him. He’ll be keeping that as a reference for when he needs to reassess on how he should treat her better. He will do better this time. That’s a promise to himself and you.

After half an hour of slightly struggling, he reaches out for help. Now at 4:30 a.m, here was the blonde knocking at his best friend’s door.

Rock music is blasting, sweat is flying everywhere and punches are being thrown at a hero. Not just any hero, Crimson Riot! As Kirishima continues to spar with his idol, he’s interrupted by a banging sound.

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

“The hell?” The younger red head says. Soon his idol began to fade away.

“Crimson Riot! Hey are you okay sir?!” But it was too late, the man was gone. Now the whole room was waving around. Did Kirishima accidentally mistake his giant jug of water for vodka or something? Soon he was left in nothing but a black abyss. And then....he fell!

“Shitty hair.....Ei....KIRISHIMA!”

“AH!” The red head screamed as he shot up from the bed, head-butting his best friend right then and there. Great, a perfect dream. Ruined.

“Ah, shit!” Bakugou said in pain as he held his now throbbing forehead. “What the fuck?”

“That’s my line Bakugou,” the red head sighed, “Did you break into my room? Jeez man, what the fuck? What are you doing here at.....4:38 a.m?!?!? DUDE!”

“I know, my bad okay? But..I could use some help.” Bakugou whispered the last part so Kirishima had no idea what this man just said.

“What bro?” Kirishima asked.

“I said....I could use some help.” The blonde repeated.

“C’mon man, you’re gonna have to speak u-“

“I need your help, alright?!” Bakugou finally said. Kirishima sighed. His bro really couldn’t wait until later?

“Bakugou, you know I’m always down to help you out but this is too early man. Can we just-“ the blonde quickly added on to what he was previously saying.

“Please.”

Kirishima’s eyes shot open after he closed them to drift off back to sleep. Did the Katsuki Bakugou just ask for help by saying please? This must be extremely important.

“......alright. You got me, I’m up. But if I’m gonna be up at 4 in the morning, others are gonna be helping us too.” Kirishima bargained.

“But-“ Kirishima cut him off

“But nothing. Besides, I’m drowsy in the morning so I wouldn’t really focus all that well. And we’re just going to the people we can trust.” The red head explained.

“Fine.” The blonde gave in. So there they went, gathering the other members of the Bakusquad (minus Y/N) to help Bakugou win back his girl.

As the 4 sleepy heads sat down on Bakugou’s floor infront of the whiteboard he wrote on, The blonde began to explain some of his plans.

“So I was thinking of treating her real nice all day until she takes me back and we become friends again, eventually leading to our relationship, but then I realized she’d be into a fake me and we all know I can’t pull the nice guy act forever. Then I thought I’d spoil her with all of the things she desires, but money can’t buy you love. So I thought I could-“ Katsuki quickly noticed the long period of silence other than his voice.

There, were his 4 friends sleeping in a dog pile in the middle of his dorm room floor, completely ignoring everything he’s been saying.

Bakugou sighed and grabbed a small “heroes weekly” issue sitting on his desk, rolled it up, and wacked his friends in their heads.

“You idiots...WAKE THE FUCK UP!” Ahh, welcome back Gremlin Bakugou.

As his friends came back from the dead, they all complained.

“Aww c’mon Bakugou. We’ve been at this for an hour already, it’s 5:40.” Sero said while yawning.

“I don’t care. You idiots offered to help so here you are.” Bakugou said while turning to face the board again.

“We didn’t offer shit!” The bakusquad simultaneously replied.

Mina let out a groan while rubbing her eyes open, “Look Bakugou. We really want you and Y/N to be happy together, we really do, but maybe it’s for the best if you guys don-“ Mina was cut off by Denki slapping his hand over her mouth.

As she looked at her electric friend, she saw a nervous expression on his face. She followed his gaze and saw the back of an angry and almost insane looking and shaking Bakugou.

Hearing Mina say that he should let Y/N go triggered something in his brain. But hearing her say they wanted the couple back together enlightened him too. His mind got the two mixed up.

‘Everyone wants us back together. Not just me. So...then we are back together. Yeah. Y/N is still mine’ the now insane blonde thought to himself.

“....Ok well, time to go, get some sleep, see you idiots in the morning!” Bakugou said while pushing the group out of his room. Once they made it over the threshold, he slammed the door.

With an insane plan in mind, Bakugou checked the time and saw he could take at least a good hour long nap before he had to get ready to leave for school. And that’s exactly what he did. So he jumped into the covers, grabbing onto the picture and drifted off into sleep.

——————————————————————————

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *click!*

Bakugou’s alarm rang once more, and again, he slammed it shut. He stretched, got up outta bed and changed into his uniform. That power nap really well rested him, but it also must’ve fucked up his brain even more.

‘And now it’s time to go see my beautiful girlfriend,’ he thought to himself.

After Mina’s comments last night, it hit Bakugou with a great realization. Everyone wanted him and Y/N back together. Not just him. So why not give everybody what they want? Sure maybe Y/N might not completely want it but she’ll learn how to love Bakugou again. Everyone’s happy. And so, Bakugou was convinced that him and Y/N were back together.

At breakfast, Bakugou ran down to already see the Squad up and eating.

“Why the hell do you losers look like death?” He asked while grabbing a cup for his orange juice.

“Well we were all trying to sleep, but after what happened this morning, we couldn’t.” Mina explained.

“What happened this morning? There was nothing big except you guys helping me out.” Kirishima really couldn’t believe it. Had his dear friend not even notice his weird ass trigger moment earlier?

“Alright whatever. Anyway, wheres Y/N?” Bakugou asked after he finished his cup.

“Oh, she just left. She had an early breakfast and went for a quick walk.” Mina said.

“You planning on talking to her today Kacchan?” Denki questioned him.

“You damn Spark Plug, of course I’m gonna talk to my girlfriend today. Fucking idiot.” He said as he grabbed his bag and walked out the kitchen.

“.........Huh?” The entire squad was left in confusion.

‘Had they gotten back together this morning? Did she really accept him back that fast? What the fuck is going on?’ They all thought.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?” Kaminari cried out as he pulled at and scruffled his hair in confusion.

Ah Denki. Always saying what everyone is thinking but the only one ballsy enough to idiotically say it aloud.

——————————————————————————

As she walked to class, Y/N hummed a little song to herself. She enjoyed her walk as it helped clear her mind from all the recent events. Her breakup with Bakugou really took a toll on her. They were together for almost 2 years (EVER SINCE JUNIOR HIGH) so of course the split hit her hard. He accused her of cheating and burned her. So much for trust, right? Not only that, but the burn left a tiny scar. Usually, due to you having a regeneration ability as part of your quirk, Phoenix, the scar should’ve healed up. Maybe the emotional damage caused it to permanently mark itself in you. Oh well, whats done is done. And now it’s time for class.

When you walked though the door, you were expecting a normal day. Ever since the split, you usually got their a lot earlier before anyone else so you could sit, do a little reading, sketch out a little drawing, or just rest your eyes until the bell rang. Except this time, when you opened the door, someone jumped on you for a hug.

“Babe! There you are you little dumbass. Jeez, I was looking for you everywhere.” Bakugou said as he let go of the hug. “I’ve missed you, haven’t seen you in a few days.”

“Uhm, you said babe??” You spoke with a confused and shocked voice.

“Yeah, I called you babe? So what? We always call each other that. You are my girlfriend after all.” He said so casually as he walked to his seat.

THISMANSAIDWHAATTT

“Uh, Bakugou-“

“Katsuki.” He deadpanned.

“Bakugou, we broke up.” You stated while walking up to him.

“Mm...no we didn’t.” He once again so casually said.

“Wha- I- we- you-....HUH?!” You stuttered out.

“Y/N-“

“L/N!” You corrected.

“Y/N. We didn’t break up you dummy, we only had a little set back and that’s fine. All couples do. But thankfully you forgave me and we’ve moved past it,” he began as he pulled you into his lap, “besides, everyone wants us back together including us so why not make it easier for everyone.”

You began stuttering out none sense right there on his lap. You were in such shock and utter disbelief that he said all that bullshit. Well maybe he was right about one thing. Everyone did want you guys back together, including you both, but that’s besides the point! Y’all broke up! He needs to accept it.

“Baku- no- I- we-“ and before you knew it, his lips were on yours.

And for some reason, you didn’t push him away. Granted you didn’t accept it either, but you slowly melted into it. The kiss was passionate and slow. It wasn’t sloppy, it was very controlled, but it was just a lotta lip and tongue. The whole thing sent butterflies to your heart and stomach. Oh how you missed moments like these with Katsuki.

He readjusted you on his lap so that you were now straddling him. His hands travelled down to your ass as he gave it a nice squeeze, one that made you moan into the kiss. Your arms went straight to his neck to pull him in for more and he took it as an invitation to start. The kiss began to get a little rougher. More tongue and teeth, both of you extremely desperate for the touch from one another. With your cunt pressed onto his crotch, he slowly thrusted up into you as you grinded down slowly on him. You both started breathing heavier and letting out little whimpers of ecstasy. He could probably feel your now soaked panties. One hand left your ass and came around to the front. He pressed on your soaked pussy through your damp underwear and it caused shutters to go through your entire body.

You began pressing down into his hand, desperate for more friction and Bakugou noticed. He moved your panties to the side and slipped in one finger. This was rewarded with a louder moan that caused Katsuki to smile into the kiss. He knew you and your body so well. He was determined to treat you right and get you to fall for him one more time. As his finger felt around your velvet walls, he slipped in another one, receiving an even louder cry of pleasure. You broke off from the kiss to throw your head back. Katsuki saw this as an opportunity to attack your neck. To mark you up and let everyone know you still belonged to him.

“K-Katsuki. Don’t...don’t stop,” you panted.

“I won’t princess, I’ll take care of you.” He smiled.

Without warning, he shoved in 2 more fingers. You were so loud and Bakugou was so proud. You were gonna let everyone know what’s happening and he was excited.

He lifted his head to whisper into your ear as you continued to moan and sigh.

“Well aren’t you just a little slut. You want everyone to know how well daddy takes care of you? You want them to hear you scream in pleasure?” His words went straight to your cunt that was now welcoming in his 5th and final finger. Completely fisting you now, you let out loud cries.

“S-uki, .....ah, AH YES! Mm, s’too much!” You cried out. You couldn’t help it, you loved him. You knew you did. Even though what he did was wrong, your body took over and your mind turned off. You fully succumbed to his wishes.

You let your feet hit the ground to stand yourself up a little bit and fall down onto his fist, meeting the thrust of his hand moving in and out of you. Watching the show, Katsuki couldn’t help but stare in delight. His hard on growing bigger and bigger each second as he bit his lip to hold back his sounds. Watching you bounce on just his fist did something to him and brought out a feral beast. He snapped.

He pulled his fist out of your aching pussy and sat you down on his desk. He stood up infront of you and tore your delicate panties off.

“Katsuki-“ you were silenced with a smack to your ass

“That’s not my name, teddy bear. C’mon now, you know exactly what I wanna hear.” He said while caressing your thighs.

“..Yes daddy.” You bashfully said.

With a kiss to your cheek he praised you.

“Good girl.” As he began to unbuckle his belt, you looked around the classroom.

“D-daddy. Someone’s gonna see!” You cautiously stated.

Katsuki reassured you with a kiss to your lips, “We’ll be fine princess, I promise,” he said while placing his tip at your entrance. You whimpered at the thought of him inside you again, it’s been so long. You were almost nervous. That is until Katsuki place a finger under your chin so you could face him in his eyes.

“I’m gonna take care of you, so don’t worry.” And with that you slowly nodded. And he finally began to press into you.

With just his tip in, you let out a breathy moan. He was bigger than you remembered. He kept pressing and pressing until he was fully inside your warm and tight hole. You both let out a moan at the feeling of each other.

“Daddy, please move.” And he did as he was told. With a steady pace set, he thrusted himself in and out of you. Both of you moaning louder every second. While you were enveloped in the euphoric feeling, Katsuki was struggling to hold back the beast inside of him. That is until you came up to his ear.

“Fuck me like you mean it, daddy. I won’t break, I promise.” You said in his ear and Katsuki swore he could hear your smirk. Gripping your ass and continuing his pace he spoke.

“Don’t be mad when you can’t walk for the next week,” he smirked. With that, he slammed himself deeper, harder, and faster inside of you. His tip hitting your cervix. You let our screams of pure pleasure and he did the same.

“Oh yesss...shit daddy..so big..”

“F-fuck! Oh you like that? Yeah princess? ...oh shit baby your pussy takes me so well. Y-Yeah, your tight little cunt takes this big cock so fucking well,” he moved faster inside, exploring you completely. His hands went straight to your shirt and and ripped it open. You had a few buttons fly everywhere, but you didn’t care. He pushed your bra up and let one of your mounds fall into his hand. He squeezed it tight to release a generous moan from you. He then dove into the valley of breast to mark your chest. You held onto the back of his head and tugged at his hair and he growled at he feeling, enjoying every second of it.

“Oh yess princess just like that. S-shit. Oh fuck yes...oh you’re mine,” he went deeper inside as he spoke.

“Fuck! Daddy yes! Right t-there! Oh my god..yess,” you cried out.

“Can you feel that. Oh fuck, can you feel my dick in your gut?” He moaned out. Katsuki went to grip the edge of his desk as you kept your hold around his neck, causing him to somehow move faster. He went up to taste your lips once more

“I love you....so much princess...you hear me...Mm, your mine,” he said between kisses and ended with a smack to your now red ass.

His words had you squeezing his cock. He knew what was coming.

“Aww, is princess gonna cum? You gonna cum on daddy’s dick?” He teased.

“Mm...p-please daddy. Please let me cum,” you said while throwing your head back. Katsuki only smirked at this.

“Not yet~” he pulled out of you, leaving you a whiny mess.

“N-no! Daddy please! Please let me finish,” you said while holding onto his shoulders, inches away from his face, pressing your chest to his. Your words caused his “little” friend to grow even harder and Katsuki only smirked and looked down at you.

“Dont worry teddy bear, Daddy’s not done with you yet.” He yanked you off the desk and pressed you down onto it, with your chest to the desk. Then he slammed back into you, returning to the fast pace again.

“Fuck yeah..oh god look at this ass. Nice and round, all red for me,” he said while pounding into you.

He gave your ass a good few smacks, countered with a thrust each harder than the last before going to lay his chest on top of you to whisper in your ear.

“You wanna be a good girl for daddy? Huh, teddy bear?” He asked.

“Mmm, yes! Yes I’ll be good, just please!” You cried out. He reached his hand over to rub on your clit. Your body began to shake with pleasure.

“Then cum with me.....NOW,” he said, and that was all it took for you to release the white liquid. As you came you could feel his hot release filling you up to the brim. He cried out in pure pleasure while you did the same.

You both stayed in that position for a bit, and you could feel the mixture of both your release dripping down your inner thighs. Soon, you felt Katsuki lower himself to kiss your neck.

“You did so good princess.” He calmly said to you. It was relieving, and you loved the sound of his voice, but you couldn’t help but feel a little off at this whole ordeal.

Katsuki pulled out of you and watched how his cum covered and filled your entire pussy. He smiled at the sight and went to grabbed some tissue on Aizawa’s desk to clean you and himself up.

He tucked himself back into his pants and you rebuttoned your shirt the best you could and flipped your skirt back down. Since Katsuki tore your panties you’d have to go commando at least until you got back to your room. You watched as Katsuki went to throw away the tissues and your torn underwear into the trash can. When he made his way back to you, he held you in his arms and attempted to kiss you. But you turned away.

“Hey teddy be-“

“No, Katsuki. Please don’t call me that.” You said while looking down. Katsuki felt his heart hurt a little. You’re always gonna be his teddy bear, why would he ever stop calling you that?

“Y/N, what’s wrong?” He asked you.

“Us. This. Katsuki, what happened today should not have happened.” You said

“What?” He was so confused and a little hurt.

As tears start to fill your eyes, you did everything you could to not let them fall. “Suki, we broke up. You accused me of cheating, you burned me! So for us to come in here and just have sex like nothing happened is wrong.”

“Y/N, I’m sorry for what happened. Seriously, after what I did it destroyed me. But please listen, I lov-“ you cut him off again.

“I know!.....I know you do Katsuki.....and I love you too Suki. So much,” this brought a smile to his face. A true, genuine smile that you loved so dearly.

“But I’m scared.” You added on. This made Katsuki’s smile drop, worry and concern fill his eyes.

“Of what exactly?” He asked you while gently holding onto your hand.

“.....You.” This shocked him. His own teddy bear feared him. Heartbreaking.

“I’m scared of the lack of trust that you have for me. And not only that, but your quirk too. Katsuki I know you’re one of the best students here at UA, but I know you’re emotions can get out of hand too. It’s clear that when you’re not in control of your feelings, your quirk can lash out. The evidence is right here,” you turned you arm that he was holding to show him the scar he left on you.

Now this really hurt Katsuki. He loved marking you with his love, not with his anger. The fact that he did that to you sent his mind into a frenzy. Until he felt your touch on his cheek.

Holding onto his cheek with your soft hands, you spoke reassuring words. “Katsuki, you were right about two things. I do want us to be together again and I do forgive you,” and with that, Katsuki leaned into your touch. Holding onto your hand that held his face, he released a single tear he didn’t know he was holding and closed his eyes in relief and satisfaction.

“But I can’t be with you again.” Your words caused him to open his eyes and stare at you in shock and fear. “At least...not yet.”

Whew, his heart rate went back down. Oh the rollar coaster of emotions this poor boy was currently on.

“Yet?” He asked hopefully.

“Suki, I’m still trying to fix myself, and it’s clear that you need to fix yourself too. I really want to be with you, but we both need time to grow for each other. I can’t leave you. I know for sure that in my heart, you’re always gonna be the one I run back to, but I don’t want to run back to someone who could possibly hurt me again. I want to come back to you knowing that when we are together again, our relationship is secured.” You explained.

A silence filled the air. You both stared at each other for what felt like forever. Nobody else in the world. Just you and him. He then pulled you in for a tight hug. As he held onto you, you could feel hot tears hitting your shoulder, and quiet sobs left his voice along with a hitched breath every now and then. Katsuki was crying.

“....I promise you. I’m gonna get better for you. I’m gonna be worthy of you and your love and it’ll stay that way for the rest of our lives. You and me. Together. Im gonna do whatever it takes to get you back and I won’t stop at anything until you’re mine again. I swear I’ll treat you better than I ever did before. As long as I know that you’re coming back to me and me only, I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes teddy bear.” He said into your neck with his arms tightly wrapped around your waist.

“I know you will Suki. And I promise I won’t make you wait too long.” You said while hugging him back.

“You better not.” The blonde said.

“Don’t forget though, I’m always yours. And just yours.” You reassured him.

“......Can we at least make this a little easier for me and say we didn’t split. We’re just on a break. A small break?” He said, now looking directly in your eyes while still holding onto you.

You put his worries at ease with your gentle smile. “The smallest break, Suki.” You softly laughed as you both went back in for another hug.

“........I like it better when you call me daddy,” the damn devil said while smiling.

“Shut up you horny idiot.” You chuckled.

‘I can’t wait to be yours again,’ you both thought

You both stayed there in each other’s embraces until the world faded away. It was just you and him. Together. You were both no longer lost. You weren’t at your destination yet, but you were on the right tracks. One step closer to each other. One step closer to love.

A/N: There’s still a little more I wanna add to the story, so there will be a part 3 to close this little short story. Sorry if there were any spelling mistakes. Thank you guys so much for the love and support. As a new writer I never expected to grow so quickly so I truly love each and every one of you bear cubs! Sorry this was so long, I hope you enjoyed! 💗🧸

[anyoneseenadam]

You write fenrys so well 🥺

Can I request something for him falling in love with a lady who works in a library and is friends with aelin and he keeps finding excuses to visit the library and one day they realize they’re mates ? Can you plz include alot of longing looks & touched and his friends noticing ?

pairing: Fenrys x reader (throne of glass)

warnings: drinking, small argument, mainly fluff

a/n: kay so it's been a hot MINUTE since I've posted and I am sorry my loves, also I comepletely modified this but I hope you still like it, comment and shiz pls it really helps with writers block lol <33

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

You had met Aelin sometime after the war. She had been wandering around town a couple days after the coronation, smiling at children and waving at the elderly, observing the way the town was slowly filling again, people returning home now it was safe. There weren’t many people about however, it just being seven in the morning.

She had walked past a shop then. It was small and rickety, the door barely on its hinges as a girl fought with it, swearing like a sailor.

“Do you need some help?” she asked, moving to stand beside the girl. You screamed instantly, jumping out of your skin at her sudden appearance, having not heard anyone coming due to how absorbed you were in your job. Aelin screamed when you screamed, and it left the two of you staring at each other with wide eyes before you fell apart in fits of laughter.

You stood from where you had bent to clutch your stomach, wiping tears from your eyes as you calmed down.

“Jeez you fucking gave me a heart attack,” you laughed as she apologised, still giggling behind her hand. You then turned, hands on your hips as you glared at the door of your shop.

“Rude men should be put down,” you muttered and Aelin was laughing again.

“That I can get behind,” she said as you opened it, giving up on fixing it completely, Aelin gasping when she saw the inside.

“You have a bookshop!” she exclaimed, and you laughed.

“Had, now I just have dusty books and a broken door. It was my mother’s before…” you trailed off and Aelin put a hand on your shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and you shrugged.

“It’s fine, it was ages ago anyway,” you stepped further into the shop, going to the large window up front and tugging of the white sheet that obscured it from light. “However, this shop isn’t dead yet so might as well get it done.”

Aelin looked around the shop, the paper on the walls was peeling, the paint on the shelves cracked and the books covered in a fine layer of dust. “Damn, where do we start?” she asked, rolling up her sleeves and grinning at you when you whirled around, frowning at her.

“Doesn’t the queen have better things to do?” you asked, and she shrugged, laughing at your bewildered expression.

“I’m sure my husband will cope.” You gave her an unsure look at that, and she laughed, “He’s competent.”

“If you say so.”

“If you knew I was queen you really have no fear of authority do you?” she asked as you started pulling books down and pilling them onto the sheet you just pulled off the window.

“Respect is earned, plus you’re the one who made me shit myself.” She laughed again, smiling widely, and helping you take down more books as she realised this was the most she had laughed since the war ended.

--

The worked all day. First removing the books and putting them upstairs in the rundown apartment you lived in, filled with plants, blankets, and somehow even more books. Next the repainted the shelves, setting them outside to dry while they re-wallpapered the walls and cleaned the floor until it was shining.

When the sky got darker you swore as you realised neither of you had eaten all day, going up to your new friend and asking her what she wanted for dinner.

“I make really good pasta,” you had suggested, and she had nodded enthusiastically as you went upstairs to your apartment, drinking wine as you cooked together. As you ate on the floor, drinking yet another bottle of wine, this time straight from the bottle Aelin asked about your past.

You assured her it was relatively normal, asides from the whole ‘evil tyrant thing’ as you put it. You talked together for hours, going back downstairs, and bringing the now dry, sage green shelves back in and putting all the books away, setting them in categories.

Hours later Aelin decided to go home, not wanting to worry so much and she opened the still broken door, the both of you laughing as you realised you had forgotten a pretty integral part.

“Hey, you could just name the shop, ‘the broken door’,” she suggested, and you smiled.

“That would work.”

--

When Aelin got home she was met with a concerned Rowan, asking where she had been all day.

She smiled at him, pausing before answering, “I think I have a new best friend.”

Rowan frowned at that, “And what brings you to that conclusion?”

“Today was the first time I’ve laughed since…” she trailed off as silence fell at the thought of their past few months, Rowan then bringing her in for a hug.

“You know this means I have to meet her too then,”

“Nope my best friend get your own.” She shoved him playfully, falling asleep next to him that night with a smile on her face.

--

They went to see you the next morning and Aelin laughed when she saw your dishevelled state.

“Did you sleep?” she asked when she walked into the shop and found signs put up and plants dotted around the room as you sat on the floor, drinking a coffee that smelt so strong she almost gagged, much preferring sweeter tastes.

“Sleep is for the weak!” you said, half-heartedly raising your hand.

“And what’s with all the plants?” Rowan asked, frowning as he almost walked into another and you sat up straighter, glaring at him.

“What you too good for plants?” you asked your hands moving over-exaggeratedly as you got to your feet. “Don’t listen to him, he’s just a stinky man,” you whispered to the plants and Aelin laughed at her husbands offended face.

You stood and started walking upstairs, your feet dragging as you went to get breakfast. You heard them follow you and you pushed open the door to your flat.

You had even more plants up here and Rowan rolled his eyes as you moved to open the large windows, letting in fresh air, you then moved about making pancakes, mixing enough for the three of you and adding blueberries when you were finished.

You cooked them up while chatting idly with Aelin and Rowan, only receiving a small amount of judgement when Aelin discovered you didn’t actually have a bed and instead just a mattress on the floor with a sheet for warmth and some soft pillows. Your house was newly decorated, art hung on the walls, plants and candles decorating every surface.

“Tea, coffee, water, vodka?” you offered them drinks and Aelin whined.

“No vodka, we had too much wine last night,” you laughed at that as you served up coffee and pancakes.

“Yeah we’ll have to go properly drinking some night,” you muttered, Rowan chuckling under his breath and nodding in agreement.

The three of you ate the rest of your food, laughing and joking together and Rowan really noticed the difference in Aelin’s manner. She hadn’t been truly comfortable or at ease in months, always looking over her shoulder, but now she sat laughing with her friend and Rowan wanted to thank you a million times over for bringing her back out of her shell.

--

Since you first met Aelin you were meeting up almost every day, discussing books over tea and hanging out at your shop, or drinking from expensive glasses in her castle while trying on elaborate dresses. Soon you were practically apart of the family, but that didn’t stop the confusion Fenrys felt when he walked into the castle and found a young girl sleeping on Aelins’ bed, a book opened but abandoned on her chest.

He tentatively walked forward so he could see her more clearly and felt his heart clench when his eyes fall upon her peaceful face, her eyes closed, and hair spread around her head like a halo. He was about to reach a hand out to brush a strand of hair from her soft hair when he heard the door open, turning to see Aelin run in, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

“Fenrys I didn’t know you were back,” she said when she pulled back, bouncing on the soles of her feet excitedly and he laughed.

“Are you going to explain why there’s a girl in your bed, or do I need to break some news to Rowan,” he joked and she shoved his shoulder before moving to the bed and shaking the girl awake.

“It’s just (y/n),” she explained as the girl huffed and rolled away from Aelin.

“Ah of course this person who I definitely knew existed,” Aelin stuck her finger up at him as he laughed, unable to stop his eyes from trailing back to her.

He watched as she breathed in deeply, her eyes opening slowly as she took him in, before she pulled her covers up to over her chin and frowned at him and Aelin with a small pout.

“I was having the best dream every asshole,” she complained and Fenrys smiled as she sat up on her elbows and reached a hand out to him to shake, introducing herself. He brushed the shake of and instead brought her hand to his mouth pressing a kiss to the back of it as sparks show through her skin at the sensation.

“I’m Fenrys, ambassador of Terrasen,” he smiled cheekily as she shrunk away slightly, nerves taking over her, “hope to see you around more.”

He left, pressing a quick kiss to Aelin’s temple, and winking at you as Aelin moved over to you with wide eyes.

“Aelin…” you started as she squealed.

“He was totally flirting with you! You would be such a cute couple, please, please ask him out I need you two to get married and have to worlds prettiest babies!” she was bouncing in hr seat as you moved to shut her up.

“Okay ONE, I just met him. And TWO, he was far too pretty for me,” you said and Aelin frowned.

“Nope, nope you are incorrect, and he is going to fall in love with you,” she demanded, and you laughed, kicking her with your foot.

“Mhm sure.”

--

The next few days, Fenrys was coming to your shop every day. He would bring chocolates and flowers some days, or coffee and pastries other days. Always dropping them off with a smile, before lounging in the plush, green chair in the corner of the shop and talking to you for hours. He has also started coming to your and Aelin’s weekly cocktail night, wrapping his arm around your shoulder’s and laughing drunkenly into your neck as you told stories.

However, through all this you remained ‘friends’. He would press kisses to your cheek and hands, keep an arm slung around your waist when men came to speak at you at bars and primarily referred to you using pet names and rarely ever your actual name. And it was getting frustrating.

You were having to start putting genuine effort to not kiss him every time you had a drink and he sat extra close to you. Or when you were invited to parties, and he moved smoothly through the countless questions asking if you were dating.

And while you revelled in the attention it was tearing at your heart slightly as insecurities told you that he would never actually be interested in you. You wanted to scream at him every time he kissed you but wanted to melt into him every time he hugged you, your brain constantly at battle with itself when he was near.

You knew you were due to explode any time soon. So when you were out one night and he was holding you extra close, you pulled away, muttering an excuse about getting another drink.

Standing at the bar as you waited you rested you head in your hands for a second before you saw a man begin to approach you. He was attractive, not like Fenrys, but honestly you would take anything to get your mind of him at the moment, so you smiled at him, tilting your head.

“What’s a doll like you doing all alone?” he asked, his voice rough and gravelly, unlike the smooth, deep timbre you were used to, but you just laughed.

“Waiting for a man to not dehumanise me,” you bit back, and he raised his hands sheepishly.

“Sorry about that, what would you prefer?” he flirted, sidling up closer to you as you turned to face him.

“Can’t go wrong with ma’am,” you joked, and he laughed, looking down and shaking his head, only to look back up, his eyes going wide. You felt a familiar hand wrap around your waist and looked up to see Fenrys, resisting the urge to roll your eyes as he glared at the man in front of you.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, his voice deep and full of authority, the man in front of you shrinking under his gaze.

“Shit sorry man, didn’t realise she had a boyfriend,” he apologised and this time you did roll your eyes.

“He’s not my-“ you began but Fenrys cut you off.

“Yeah she does, so back the fuck off.” You looked down as he spoke, shaking your head as tears of frustration built in your eyes. You harshly pulled out of his grip, leaving the bar as quickly as you could, wiping away the escaped tears as you heard Fenrys follow after you, shouting your name.

You whirled around when you got outside, your glare murderous.

“You do not get to do that!” you shouted as he moved closer to you.

“Sweetheart I’m sorry,” he began but you cut him off.

“NO! I am not your girlfriend! You have never once asked me to be so you don’t get to try scare away any guy that might have genuine interest in me!” his shoulders slumped as you spoke. Truthfully, he has been working up the courage to ask you out for months, and while he knew it was unfair how he treated you, he couldn’t help himself. He was addicted. He thought of you constantly, the texture of your skin, the smell of your hair, the way your eyes lit up and the way you moved your hands as you spoke. So when he saw you engage with the man that had the audacity to talk to you, his grip tightened on his glass so much it shattered, ignoring the worried looks from Aelin and Rowan as he stomped over to you.

“(y/n) listen, I’ve been an asshole I know,” he raised his hands, tentatively stepping towards you, “But I really care about you, and I want to be yours.”

You laughed bitterly, “You’re just saying that.”

He shook his head vehemently, stepping closer to you again and wrapping his arms around your shoulders so gently, one would think you were made of glass.

“I love you darling, please be mine,” he said into your hair, and you pulled back, looking up at him through glassy eyes before nodding slightly.

“I love you Fenrys,” he smiled down at you before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss against your mouth, pouring his heart into the action. You gasped slightly as your lips met and he smiled widely against your mouth as the bond clicked into place.

“You know this means I now have an excuse to break the nose of any man that talks to you,” he whispered against your lips, and you giggled, shoving at his shoulder gently.

“I’m still annoyed at you,” you muttered, and his eyes darkened.

“Well I’m sure I can make it up to you.”

[dreamescapeswriting]

The Game ~ LF [M] [Request]

WORD COUNT: 8.3K

PAIRING: Felix x FemReader

GENRE: Angst, AU, post-apocalyptic world, a giant game of truth or dare, kill or be killed world, a little fluff, Smut, slow burn, ANGST

WARNING: Themes of death, blood, jumping from high heights, guns, knives, murder, hurting yourself, falling from heights

 There were only two things in the world that you feared, and that was whatever was controlling the pagers and the dares that came through them. Everything you knew and loved was gone, leaving behind a scary post-apocalyptic world but the scariest part was no one knew how it came to be. One night everything had been as it was and the next...Nothing but vast nothingness, crumbled buildings and small pagers that helped you survive.

"I think I saw someone go this way," You gasps pressing your back against the wall and holding your breath. Voices were never a good sign when you were in an abandoned building looking for supplies. It could have been where someone had set up their life and you were stealing or they could have been dared to find you. 

In this world it was, kill or be killed. Thanks to the machines that were permanently attached to your hips. No one knew what was controlling them and they said what because there was no way whatever it was was human. The dares ranged from something easy to something almost impossible but the incentives were always the selling point. It could be as something simple as a night in a real bed or real food to wake up to in the morning. You weren't sure how it all got to the people that won the dares or if it was safe but it was the first real food anyone had had in a long time. 

Though all of that was rumoured nothing was ever shown to be true to you, all you ever got were small dares in order to find a blanket to keep you warm or some extra clothes.

Edging yourself towards the window of the crumbling museum you debated jumping from the height you were at, it was nothing too large. Just two floors you would be fine but there was a group of guys right beside the entrance, if they saw or heard you there would be no doubt you would be caught. 

"I don't see anyone Soobin." A voice cried out as you kept your back pressed against the outer wall of the building, praying that you wouldn't slip or-

BeepBeepBeepBeep

The loud and irritating pager began to ring on your hip and someone's head snapped out of the window you had crawled from. 

"GOTTCHA!" Screaming at the sudden voice you slipped on the cracked lege slipping down onto the ground and grunting when you felt something stab you in the side. Holding your hand on your right side you saw a small patch of red begin to leak through your shirt, 

"Just got this," You mumbled getting yourself up from the floor, ignoring the group of boys that were starting to rush towards you calling out for you to stop. There was nothing on this planet, not even a dare, that would make you stop and speak to them.

"Leave me alone!" You coughed out as they continued to follow you down the abandoned street you had set yourself up in. A small abandoned store which no one else seemed to be interested in. You'd found it a few weeks ago and set up shop there, a makeshift bed made out of old books you'd found. It wasn't exactly the comfiest thing in the world but it was somewhere to lay your head, somewhere safe.

"We just wanna talk." The one who had caused you to slip cried out but you continued to walk, keeping your hand on the wound you'd gotten so you wouldn't bleed out too much. There was a small first aid kit stashed in one of the drawers of the store you stayed in, it didn't have many supplies left since the last dare you got was to get a pillow for a night. 

"Just leave me alone." You hissed through gritted teeth wanting nothing more than forever it was to leave you alone but a hand grabbed onto your wrist. Before you even had a chance to turn around and smack the culprit they were already on the floor with a bloody nose. 

"She said to leave her alone," A deep voice ordered, towering over the boy who had scared you was a boy. Well, a man. Dressed in all black clothing that looked new, guns in small holsters as he stood looking at the other men that had been bothering you. Had it not been for the guns you didn't think he would have intimidated them that much, he wasn't much taller than you and he seemed rather sweet in the face. 

"Thanks," You uttered as he helped you up from the ground, noticing the wound on your side when a whistling sound sounded in the air. 

"Someone's getting a package," You laughed softly as you looked up in the sky for wherever the package would be coming from but it dropped right into the boy's hands. 

"I was dared to save a stranger." He chuckled as he opened the mental container revealing two chocolate bars. 

"Here," He offered you one and you stared at him, there was no way he could have been serious. 

"You don't know me...Why would you offer me something you worked for?" Leaning back against a rock you tried to steady yourself from fainting. The bleeding was starting to worsen and you knew you were going to end up losing consciousness soon.

"Because that's what decent people do...You should clean yourself up before you get infected..." Spot the obvious sherlock you looked at him before down at your shirt that was starting to turn pink from the blood.

"I'm out of first aid stuff, I think all I have is gauze." You hissed out lifting your shirt up to reveal the small gash on your side. You must have landed on a sharp brick or a twig when you slipped from the museum building. It was a high chance it would become infected if you didn't get something fast.

"Do you have a dare? Maybe you could do something," Staring down at your pager you remembered it had gone off. The whole reason you had gotten into this mess, they should have come with a vibrating setting.

"Kiss a stranger and win a first aid box." You laughed looking at it, the words flashing over and over again as you thought about it.

"It's like whoever controls them knows what's going to happen to us before we do." You spoke looking back up, the boy knelt down in front of you rooting through his bag for something he could use to help you when you grabbed him by the face. 

"Sorry." You mumbled before pushing your lips against his. 

In that moment the kiss was something that felt as close to home as you had been in the longest time. The boy was shocked but pulled you closer to him, moving his lips in time with yours as he wrapped his arms protectively around you. The kiss was warm and inviting, something you hadn't felt in the longest time and you weren't sure you ever wanted it to end.

Neither of you pulled apart until the whistling sound happened and a box landed beside you but it was far too small for a first aid kit. 

"What did they give you?" He frowned as he looked at the box. Unlocking it you popped it open to find a hotel key. The whole time you had been doing these dares you'd never once been given a hotel room, you'd only ever heard stories about it and to be honest. You thought it was all rumours.

"Why would they give me a hotel key when I was promised a first aid kit?" The persistent pain in your side was starting to worsen when another beep signalled from your pager. It wasn't a dare but directions to a building with the words, 

"Take Felix with you." You glanced up at the boy you had just made out with and he seemed to be blushing deeply. It must have been him you were going to take with you to a random location.

"Felix?" He nodded his head as he held out his hand for you to shake which seemed pointless after the make-out session you had both had. 

"Y/n." You smiled before shaking his hand and getting up from the rock you were leaning against. 

"Let's go and find a hotel..." Felix wrapped your arm around his shoulder wanting to help you walk without hurting yourself. 

"I'm sure everything will be explained when we get there." He told you as he began to follow the directions that were now flashing on his pager. 

"Have you ever gotten a hotel for a dare?" You asked, truly interested to hear anything about the boy you had been kissing.

"No. I thought people were lying when they told me they stayed in one." You agreed with him. The stories you heard seemed too good to be true. One hotel building left standing, nothing wrong with it and it worked perfectly. Why would that be the only building left standing?

"I heard they have running water and electricity." He whispered as you continued to walk together but the same question was left. Why? Why would it be there and no one allowed to enter?

The question was answered quickly when you reached the hotel. The entire place was surrounded by large electrical fences as well as men as large as the fences guarding it. 

"They have to be...What? Eight-foot?" You whimpered as you looked up at Felix. The men all had the same faces and as you got close you realised they had no eyes. Just black holes where their eyes should have been and a creepy smile on their face. 

"Just a little creepy," You whispered as you moved towards the gate, one of the men bent down and opened it. Slamming and locking it shut once you were inside the safety of the fences.

"They remind me of Hachishakusama...The old urban legend only male." Felix muttered in your ear as you walked through the doors of the hotel. Suddenly it felt as though you were back in time.

The whole place was crowded with people, dressed in clothing that wasn't ruined or covered in blood. Laughing and joking with one another as they walked around the hotel lobby together.

"AH! Welcome! You must be Y/n and Felix, yes...Yes, we've been waiting for you." A small man said as he came out from behind the counter. Dressed in a fresh suit and he smelt like roses,

"Do you have the key?" Fishing the small key from your pocket you handed it to him and he smiled up at you. 

"I'll have Xavier take your bags," The small man clapped his hands together and you jumped when you saw one of the things from outside coming up to you. It said nothing as it held out its hands to take your bags. 

"You'll be given fresh clothing and don't worry Y/n we have some items in the room for you to clean your cut with. Nasty little gash," You stared back at the small man, how had he seen it when you were still dressed. 

"How did-"

"No time for questions dear, let's go to the elevators." Following behind the man you stared around the hotel. Red carpets, huge chandeliers and working lights, it was all too good to be true. You must have died when you slipped from the ledge there was no way this was real.

"There's always a catch." You laughed when you walked into the hotel room to find one double bed there. The small man, who you eventually learned the name was Wooyoung, gave you a key to the room and left you alone. Your bags were taken away and never seen again and now you knew why. Fresh clothes were hanging on the back of the door with a wardrobe filled with other clothes.

"I think this is for you," Holding up a small tube Felix smiling at you. 

"Healing ointment?" Your heart raced, you'd received it once before for a large gash on your leg. One layer applied to your body and it would fix whatever was wrong, no matter what kind of gash it was.

"I'll use a little and keep the rest." You stated lifting your shirt up to apply the cream but Felix came closer. 

"Let me." He whispered as he took the cream from you, applying a small layer to three of his fingers and adding it to your injury. You cried out clutching onto his hand tightly trying not to cry. You forgot how painful it was to have the ointment applied to an open wound but you knew it would soon feel good.

"Did the guys who were chasing do this?" He questioned when you lowered your shirt back down. 

"No. I fell off the museum ledge and I must have hit myself on a brick." You wanted to laugh at how clumsy you must have been but you were too busy looking around the room. 

"We have running water...Do you want to shower first?" You shook your head, offering him the shower while you could stalk around the room for any sign that this was a dream.

Laying on your back in the bed you stared at the ceiling, your mind was racing too much to comprehend what was happening. You were dressed in brand new clothes instead of something that was covered in wholes, rips and smelt like a sewer. The silk sheets around you felt as though they were something crafted in the heavens and you were laid beside someone you barely knew.

"Have you been alone this whole time?" You questioned randomly knowing that neither of you could sleep. The bed was far too comfy and the room was too quiet, both of you were used to having screams or loud noises happening around you. It felt too peaceful for either of you to find sleep anytime soon.

"No. I was with a group of friends but we got separated." He mumbled thinking back on seven of his friends he hadn't seen in lord knows how long. It was impossible to tell how many days it had been since this whole thing started. 

"What about you?" He turned his head to look at you and you shook your head. There'd been no one for you to attach yourself to, your family was gone and you knew no one in the world you could turn to for help so you went it alone.

"I've been alone the whole time..." Your voice sounded strained, it was the first time admitting it to someone other than yourself. Mostly because you never let anyone get close enough to you to speak. You'd run before they could kill you or take your supplies but with Felix it was different. It felt normal to be around him and it felt safe.

"Family?" You shook your head, everyone you had ever met was someone your age or only a few years older or younger. There was no one older than 30 anywhere to be seen.

"Do you remember what you were doing before all of this?" You shook your head once again, you remembered nothing besides your family and your name.

"I remember going to sleep and waking up to my house falling down around me. You?" He nodded his head, it was almost everything he had remembered from the time before his life here.

"The same. I was asleep in my room with my roommates, then nothing...We were in a crumbling building." Looking at him you could tell the memory of his friends upset him. There was no reason for you to pry besides an interest in getting to know him.

"When did you get separated?" His head turned to look back up at the ceiling. It had been a while since he thought back on what had happened between them.

"Sixteen days ago...We were doing some kind of dare in an abandoned factory and that was it. Never saw them again..." Your heart sank as you realised how scared he must have been after being with them since the start. From having the safety of other people around him to having nothing and no one.

"I waited outside the factory for ten days but then supplies got low and I had to move." He looked down at his hands, it was something he had always regretted. Had they come back while he was gone? Something he constantly thought about. There was only one way in and out of the factory there was nowhere else they could have gone.

"Felix I'm so sorry." You whispered reaching out to place your hand on top of his as you. Felix stared back at you to see your eyes were filled with sympathy for him,

"No...It's not your fault." He looked at you and smiled, a genuine smile something you hadn't seen in a long time. Your eyes flicked down to his lips and all you could think about was inching closer to kiss him again so you did.

Gently pressing your lips against his you sighed as you felt the feeling of home flooding back into you. Felix felt it too and all he wanted to do was never let go of you, to feel it all day every day. 

It was hard to describe it any other way than that. Kissing him felt as though it grounded you and took you out of the crummy world you had. 

"Goodnight Felix," You breathed as you rolled over onto your side, closing your eyes to finally get some rest.

Felix woke up long before you did and found a note on his pager, he hadn't even heard it in the night. 

Stick with her and good things will come. 

No dare. Just some cryptic message that good things would come if he stayed by your side. There was no way he was going to fight something he couldn't see so he stayed, laying beside you reading through a book that was left on the bedside cabinet.

"How long have you been awake?" You whined as you rolled over to see him sitting up in the bed,

"I'm not sure. You looked peaceful so I figured I should let you sleep for a while." He explained as he shut the book he was reading, he was about to mention the pager message when there was a knock at the door. 

"Come in?" You called out to the door, it opened and Xavier walked into the room pushing a small trolley. There was still the empty eyes and creepy smile plastered across its face. Grunting before leaving you alone with the tray of food you exchanged a look with Felix. 

"Creepy even in the morning." He mumbled as he watched you crawling to the end of the bed. The trolley was covered in food, breakfast desserts and a small envelope with your name on the front of it. 

"What does it say?" Felix asked as his mouth watered at the sight of all the food. Something he hadn't seen in however long it had been, frits, baked goods and actual food that wasn't some kind of animal they had to kill in order to eat it.

"Y/n, meet your new teammate. Follow the rules, the dares and you will be greatly rewarded. Enjoy the food and the hotel for as long as we see fit." You stared from the piece of paper and back to Felix who looked almost as confused as you did. 

"Teammate? What is this? Some sort of game?" You scoffed throwing the paper into the bin before grabbing food and handing some to Felix.

"Greatly rewarded? What could they give us?" Felix questioned as he thought back to the message he had gotten that morning. 

"I had a message on my pager. It told me to stay with you and good things would come." The two of you stared back at one another confused as to what everything could mean and why you had to stay together. Was it the same condition everyone was sticking to in the hotel? 

"So we stick together, what does that mean exactly?" He questioned you as he bit down into the croissant he was holding. You wish you had answers but the messages were so vague you didn't have a hint, at least if you were on your own you didn't have to worry about someone else all of the time. 

"We do our dares together? What happened when you were with your friends?" Felix thought back on everything. The first few dares they'd gotten were to receive items they needed by themselves but the rest were together. 

"Chan and I were dared to climb across a rope suspended over 15 floors...We did it to get food for all of us," You nodded trying to think back on some of the things you had to do, most of them not dangerous at all. 

"I had to give myself a tattoo in order to get some blankets." You pulled up the sleeve of your nightshirt to reveal the small circle you had done. 

"It was supposed to be a heart...But it hurt and I just did a circle instead." Felix smiled as he saw the small ink splodge just below the pit of your elbow. 

"Have you gotten anything dangerous before?" You shook your head in the answer to his question. Whoever was giving you dares had been going fairly easy on you which was beginning to worry you know that you heard Felix had hard ones. 

"I just wish we knew who or what was doing it to us." You admitted as you looked over at your pager. There had to be someone controlling them, governments, parents, some other world that had taken over? 

"My friend Jisung had a theory," Felix laughed thinking back on Jisung. He was the one that always made the group laugh, no matter what was going on around him he had to make people laugh.

"Aliens." That was all Felix said as you shook your head, 

"Explain more! How could it just be aliens," You shook your head laughing at the concept though you guessed anything could be possible by the state of the world. 

"Well, he thought that they came one night and decided they wanted to test us...See how far we would go to survive." You shrugged, it wasn't completely impossible. The entire universe was huge no one knew what was out there and if that thing like Xiaver was around who knew what else could be out there.

"I wonder when the next dare will be?" You hated the fact that you were being fed food just for kissing a stranger. There had to be more to it than that, there was always a catch.

But there wasn't. From what you could tell it had been two months since you and Felix moved into the hotel, there were no more dares for you to follow. Just notes every morning with breakfast complimenting how well you and Felix seemed to be getting on well with one another.

"It's starting to freak me out." You told Felix as you sat by the indoor pool one morning, another Xiaver was guarding the room to make sure nothing happened. Since staying in the hotel you learnt that all of the 8-foot-tall beings were called Xiaver, they had no personality and no ability to talk.

"What is?" Felix asked as he swam over to the side of the pool you were sitting at, you looked at him and then around the room. Nothing felt as though it was relaxing to you, couples around the hotel seemed on edge all of the time. No one looked as happy as they did on your first day there.

"This whole place...You don't find it off that there's nothing here, no dares? Just someone telling us how well we get along." The two of you had developed a friendship and budding relationship since being trapped together. Sharing a bed with the same person every night was bound to form some kind of connection. You would spend all day every day together because you were the only ones who know one another. 

"I find it nice, I would like if you stop trying to poke holes into my relaxation," He muttered pulling you into the water with him and wrapping your legs around his waist. 

"But why would they want us to relax? After all of this time why now?" You pouted as Felix held you in his arms staring into your eyes. 

"Maybe whoever it is thought we had enough...That we should enjoy our time together." Even that seemed far fetched to you but you nodded at him. 

"I still don't-" He cut you off by kissing you softly on the lips, smiling as he felt you relax against him. 

"If I rant again will you kiss me?" He shook his head, running his hand over your face and smiling weakly. 

"I don't need you to rant for me to kiss you." He leant down and connected your lips together once again making you sigh happily against his lips.

The two of you would do this a lot too, it was the first real human connection you'd had in a while and you never wanted to lose the feeling.

"Can I tell you something?" Your voice was hoarse as you pressed your forehead against Felix's.

"Sure, We're friends right...You can tell me anything," You smiled weakly as you shook your head,

"That's the problem...I think I'm falling in love with you." 

"Good. Because I think I'm falling in love with you too." You smiled softly smashing your lips together, all of a sudden the kisses were heated and filled with passion. 

From the pool to your room the two of you made out every chance you got, passion building between you whenever you had the chance.

"We don't have to do anything you're not ready for." Felix panted as he pressed you down against the bed, kissing up and down your neck as you shook your head. 

"I'm fine. I-I want you, Felix," You whispered as he began to press his mouth onto yours, pulling off your bikini you had been wearing in the pool and throwing it elsewhere in the room. 

Slowly moving your hands down his body you gripped him in your hand softly pumping him as he let out a choked moan. Thrusting his hips into your hand as he rolled his eyes back. It had been the first time in forever since he'd even thought about touching himself let alone having someone else do it for him. 

"Oh fuck that feels good," He moaned out as his head rolled back, thrust in and out of your hand while you used your thumb to rub the tip.

"Y/n." He whispered as he ran his hands down to your core rubbing your bundle of nerves causing you to whine out his name. Bucking your hips so much that the tip of his cock hit your entrance and you clenched around nothing. 

"Felix please," You whispered as you arched your back of the bed, desperate to have him buried inside of you.

Wrapping your ankles around his waist he pulled you to the edge of the bed running his cock through your folds.

"Lix," You sighed rolling your head back against the mattress as you waited for him. 

"You beg so sweetly," He chuckled before running his cock through your folds and up to your clit making you cry out louder.

Slowly easing into your he moaned out as he felt you clenching around him tightly. Nails digging into his arms you adjusted to the size inside of you, 

"Holy fuck," You moaned out as you could feel your pussy throbbing and clenching just from the first thrust,

"You're so fucking tight," He grunted out as he felt you clench around him once more. 

"M-Move Lix, please." You begged him bucking your hips around him as he slowly began to pull out and bottom back into you. Screaming out his name you rolled your head back against the bed, enjoying the feeling of his full length in you. 

"Faster," You panted as you looked up at him, pulling him down into a deep kiss as your pushed your hands into his hair. 

"Faster? You're sure?" He panted as he looked at you, 

"Make me scream." You smirked as he looked back at you, a smirk covering his face as he began to thrust in and out of you at a fast pace. Pounding in and out of you at a steady rhythm as he grunted loudly. 

"Fuck you feel so good!" He moaned out as he continued to thrust faster into you. Your moans of his name encouraging him as you gripped onto his arms. 

"S-Shit Lix, don't stop." You begged as you could feel your orgasm fast approaching. The feeling felt so foreign to you but so good, your mind was starting to go blank as you cried out nothing but his name. Hips thrusting harder and harder as he began to rub your clit making you scream out his name, by now everyone on your floor knew what you were going to be doing.

"I'm-I'm gonna cum," You warned him as your eye screwed shut, gripping onto the sheets as your back arched away from the bed. 

"Holy fuck! Right there," You begged him as his hips continued to hit you right where you needed it until you came around him. Exploding as you clenched around him, it felt as though your whole body was suddenly on fire as your pussy clenched over and over again. 

Felix's thrusts slowed to a stop as his breathing became ragged and hard.

"Shit." He panted as he kissed your neck, feeling himself twitching inside of you as he came.

Falling down beside you he pulled you into his arms, kissing up and down your shoulder softly.

"Well, that confirmed it," He panted as he placed a kiss on your shoulder, making you giggle at him. 

"Confirmed what?"

"That I am in fact, 100% totally in love with you." He breathed out before leaving a soft and gentle kiss on your lips. 

A loud tannoy began to play in your room startling you and Lix awake as you looked around to see what was going on. 

"Good morning our lovely couple. I'll expect to see you in the lobby in ten minutes!" You frowned hearing Wooyoung's voice coming through the speaker system in your room. In the whole time, you had been staying it had never happened, not once. 

"I wonder what that's about," Felix whispered as he sat up in the bed, looking over at the wardrobe to decide what he was going to wear that day. 

"Probably in trouble for how loud we were." You whined remembering the night before as you pushed yourself off the bed. Not that you were complaining, if that kept happening between you and Felix you were never going to complain about a single thing in the world ever again.

"New pagers?" You frowned as Wooyoung placed a white pager in your hands, smiling up at you as he nodded. 

"You've been chosen. Congratulations." The congratulations didn't make you feel comforted in fact it made you uneasy as you stared at the new pager in your hands. A notification coming through almost right away. 

"To stay one more night we dare you to...Get a new tattoo..." You frowned looking at the words on the screen, Felix frowned as his pager didn't go off yet. 

"Well. That dare seems simple, we have someone on hand if you want to come through." Wooyoung seemed overly chipper as he leads you and Felix over to a set of doors. Pushing them open he smiled when he saw one of the chairs were free, all of the seven others were taken by other people completing the same dare. 

"We have another!" Wooyoung cried out as he handed you a small folder of designs to look through. All of them had the words, "The Game," written somewhere into the design and you stared anxiously at Felix. It wasn't the fear of getting a tattoo but the fear that this was a game to some people, then there was the uneasy feeling that there were only couples in the hotel. Had whoever been creating the dares been waiting for you and Felix to come together?

"What design would you like us to give to her?" The question was directed at Felix who looked at you shocked, 

"I have to decide? But it was her dare..." You looked at the man who shook his head, 

"Her's was to get a tattoo yours should be-" Before he could say coming through now his Felix's pager lit up and the words came across the screen. 

"Two extra nights, you decide what she's branded with," A shiver ran through you. Branded? This had to be some kind of sick game but you never wanted out of the hotel. It had become too good to leave, going back into the world meant sleeping on the floor and not knowing when your next meal was going to come. 

"I trust you," You whispered as you kissed Felix softly, sitting down in the chair and waited for whatever he gave you.

The tattoo he'd given you was no larger than a usually sized post-it note, it was a floral design and besides the words it was perfect.

"At least we have two more nights," He whispered as you got into the elevator again to up to your floor. Another couple joining you as they looked at you, the male had a black eye and his girlfriend had a large cut on her stomach. As soon as they caught you looking at them they stared back at the doors making you stare up at Felix in a panic. The couple looked as though they'd been in a wrestling fight with a bear and lost but Felix just wrapped his arm around your waist protectively and kissed your shoulder. 

Days and weeks began to go by and the dares began to get more and more out of control. It had started with something small as running naked through the halls, jumping into the pool naked or just having a verbal fight with someone. Now it was out of hand. Just last week you had been dared to punch someone in the face while they had been dared to fight someone leaving you bruised eyes and a busted up lip. 

"There's no way." You whimpered as you sat beside Felix in the pool room. The Xavier's were loading the pool up with buckets of fish, you couldn't even tell what they were from this far away.

"Swim with Pirana's for another night's stay. Good things are coming." Felix read the pager to you and you gripped onto his hand, there was no way on the planet that you were even going to allow him of jumping into that pool. 

"You can't...They'll eat you," You panicked as you looked at him, begging him not to do it but he didn't have a choice. 

"Wooyoung said this is the easiest one. All I have to do is not move while I'm in there." You shook your head as he began walking to the edge of the pool, looking over at the fish that were calmly swimming around in the new water. 

"Felix we can go outside, we don't have to keep putting ourselves through this." You begged but he knew neither of you wanted to go outside into the world now so he did it. Climbing down the ladder into the water so he was in the shallow end of the pool, you sat right by the edge ready to yank him out if anything happened. 

"This is too easy Lix." You hissed at him as he just stood there, looking at you as he shook his head. 

"Not everything is going to be as bad as you think." His face dropped and the colour drained as he saw one of the Xiavers coming into the room with another bucket. 

"For an additional month-long stay, stay inside with the Pirarna's for an extra two minutes." You frowned reading the pager out to him not understanding until you saw the look of terror on Felix's face. Xavier had begun to pour fish guts and bones into the water surrounded Felix. 

"Get out." You ordered him as you stared back at Felix,

"Please just get out. It's not worth it." You panicked feeling your heart begin to pound against your chest but he didn't move. He stayed still as a rock as he looked at you, smiling weakly trying not to show how truly terrified he was. 

"Lix." Tears began to pour down your face, one bite was as sharp as a razor and there had to be around 400 Pirana's swimming around him at all times, eating parts of the fish that had been thrown in for them. 

A buzzer sounded and Felix practically jumped out of the water, grabbing you and cradling you in his arms as you sobbed against his chest. 

"Never again!" You yelled at home as you rocked back and forth a little. 

"You can't leave me...I won't lose you." You whimpered over and over again as he kissed the top of your year. Neither of you noticing the cameras capturing every moment you had together in the pool.

The final month had been and gone so quickly, you spent most of your time locked up in the room together trying to convince Felix that you could both make it out there but he dropped a bomb on you. The pagers you originally had were never going to come back and the white ones would only work in the hotel, 

"Once we're out there we're alone. No supplies unless we start stealing." He told you as he tried to convince you everything was going to be okay. That he would take anything too dangerous out of your hands while you told him not to be stupid. 

"Dare time. For one glorious night, stab yourself in the thigh." You read out right before a knock on the door sounded, you sniffled looking at Felix who got up to answer the door. 

"I bring you whatever you want to stab yourself with, we heard they wanted a show from you both. You're the hit of the hotel, everyone keeps talking about the two of you." Staring at the tray he had bought into the room you saw a selection of knifes all waiting for you to take. 

"I can take her dare, right?" Felix questioned but it was too late. You'd already taken one of the steak knives and lodged it into your thigh, holding back a shriek as you felt blood begin to trickle down your leg. 

"A girl that wastes no time, we love it," Wooyoung smirked yanking the knife out and leaving you there to bleed,

"F-Felix." You whispered pointing over at the wardrobe where your things were kept. 

"The ointment is in there," You'd get up yourself but you were busy clutching your thigh to stop the bleeding.

"I would have done it for you," 

"I am capable you know." You laughed as he began to apply the cream to your leg, looking at you and shaking his head as he thought about how bad things were going to get from there. 

"Maybe there will be one big dare we can do...So that we never have to do a dare again?" You hummed, it seemed too good to be true but you had hope that one day it would all end. That the two of you would have done enough dares between you to let you go.

Final dare. Freedom for you. Kill Him. Staring at your pager you frowned. Freedom for you? You glanced over at Felix who was in the middle of an arm wrestle with someone else on your floor. It wasn't a dare just something to do while you waited for the days to pass by faster. You wondered if Felix had gotten the same page but he never flinched or moved to signal that his pager had gone off.

Final dare. Freedom for you. Kill Her. You were in the shower when Felix got his page and panic flooded through him. Kill you? When did this become a game of murder? The water shut off and you came out wrapped in a towel and stared at him. 

"You got it too?" You whispered when you noticed the look on his face, you'd known him so long it was like reading the pages of a magazine with him. 

"You got the same?" He questioned as he sat down on the bed. You were laying there trying to make it look as though you weren't whispering to him. If there were people watching you at all hours of the day to make sure dares were completed there had to be a camera in your room.

"Why would they want us to kill each other?" You whispered as you looked through the book in front of you, Felix frowned as he thought about it more. The two of you sat there together as you read through the book in your hand, exchanging a couple of looks with him every now and again.

"Alien theory still stands. Want to see how far they can push us." You scoffed getting up from the bed and changing into some clothes. Sitting there and doing nothing about the dare was getting you nowhere. You had one more night thanks to a dare you'd completed the other day, a game of Russian roulette which you had clearly won. 

"Well, then I'm going back into the real world...I'm not going to kill you." Felix watched you as you began to pack different items into an overnight bag as if any of it was going to help you in the outside world. None of that was going to help you out there, not anymore.

"I can't go back out there," He told you plainly making you stare over at him waiting for him to tell you that he was joking but he stared at you with a serious look, not once giving you any indication that it was a joke. 

"Lix...I won't kill you," You frowned as you shook your head at him, there was no way you were going to be able to bring yourself to kill someone you loved that deeply.

"Then I guess I'll have to kill you." The breath felt as though it was knocked from your lungs as Felix got up from the bed just staring at you. Slowly beginning to walk towards you with a blank expression on his face as your heart hammered against your chest. 

"You can't! I-I love you, you wouldn't-" You stopped speaking when a knife flew past your head and lodged into the door behind you, staring at the handle you looked back at him. 

"I won't go back out there. I can't." Your heart dropped to the pit of your stomach as you began to realise he was willing to kill you in order to stay there forever. 

The tannoy speakers began to crackle before a song played through them loudly, 

"Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run." As soon as the lyrics played your eyes wandered to Felix who pulled out one of his guns from the wardrobe. 

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Goes the farmer's gun." Throwing the door open you slammed it behind you making a sprint for the elevators but two Xiaver's were guarding the doors and shaking their heads. Hands simply pointing in the direction of the stairs and the song continued to play louder and louder, faster and faster with each second. 

"HELP ME!" You screamed as you banged on different doors hoping that someone would hear your calls and come out to help you but nothing happened. 

"Y/n! Don't run, it spoils my fun!" Felix sang out in a singing voice watching as you walked into the stairwell, down was where Wooyoung would be waiting for you so you rushed up.

"I thought you loved me..." Your voice came out broken as you stood on the roof of the hotel looking at Felix who had followed you up to the top floor.

"I do! I need to do this, if you want to go out there you might as well be dead!" You stepped closer to the edge of the roof as you stared at him, shaking your head over and over again.

"If you truly loved me you wouldn't do this," You panted as he stared at you, 

"Y/n. Get down before you hurt yourself." Wooyoung cried out as he watched you so close to the edge, your eyes darted over to him. Felix watched you as you looked at Wooyoung, 

"If I jump what happens?" You looked over your shoulder, it had to be around a 12 story drop and you looked back at Wooyong. 

"The dare would be cancelled, he would have to do something else..." Eyes darting back at Felix you nodded slowly watching as he shot a bullet at Wooyoung hitting the floor beside him and rushing over to you.

"Then I choose Y/n. I don't want to kill her. I don't want to go out there." His arms wrapped around your waist as you smiled at him, you'd hope this would call someone's bluff, whoever was watching or maybe even Wooyoung but he stared at you both. 

"You think we don't get this all the time? People decided to call out bluff. Do it." He answered coldly as he folded his arms over his chest. 

"I love you," You breathed out to Felix as he held your face in his hands, 

"I love you more." He whispered kissing you softly as you both stepped over the edge.

A gust of wind hit you and then nothing. Just darkness. Your breathing was jagged as you moved around, complete darkness surrounded you until you felt something moving around you. 

"Here," Something was removed from your eyes and you saw Felix standing there perfectly fine as he stared back at you. 

"What- Where-"

"Look," He held up a headset that covered your eyes and you frowned even more. 

"It's all fake...Everything was fake." He whispered as he helped you stand up. Nothing he said was making sense until you looked around you, you were sat in a hospital room with a headset on over your eyes. 

"They've been researching us...Look." He pulled up a chart from the end of your bed to show you. Your name was printed on the front along with everything that had been happening in the world you thought was real.

"We didn't- We're not dead?" You couldn't find the words to speak and it was a wonder Felix was even able to put all of this together as he moved around the room.

"The two best players." A voice you knew cried out as the door opened, standing there was Wooyoung but he looked different somehow. 

"I know, you're thinking about how devilishly handsome I am in this world compared to the alternate one." You blinked at him as he rolled his eyes and came further into the room.

"Congratulations on getting through the game, you have won a quarter of a million dollars." There was no excitement in his voice and you wondered if this was still part of "the game".

"You won when you decided your love with too strong, blah, blah, blah." He grumbled as he looked at you both. 

"You'll get a full health check from a nurse but then you're free to go. Felix, your team are all waiting for you." All of this was beginning to hurt your head but Felix sat down beside you, holding your hand tightly in his. 

"So none of it was real?" You questioned Chan who was sitting in front of you in the dorms. You'd been able to picture them perfectly from all of the stories Felix had told you, 

"Nothing. The pain was all simulated through pads attached to your body and we were all knocked out on so many meds that none of us knew what was real or not real." You blinked once again, all of it had been explained by the nurses. That it was all some competition to win some money during a video game, you couldn't remember anything from before but they said it was normal. It didn't feel right to you, waking up a completely different person because of some video game/alternate universe Wooyoung and a team of scientists had made. 

"How do we know this is real?" You whispered to Felix who gave your hand a squeeze, 

"Because we know this world...We remembered it," You nodded at him laying your head on his shoulder.

"You'll get taken for tests every other week...To make sure you're adjusting back in properly." Hyunjin said as he handed you another plate of food. 

"But this is all real? We're home?" You questioned wanting to make sure that everything was as they said it was. 

"Well...We're home, your home is wherever you came from." Chan explained as he looked over at your phone, you had over 500 missed calls and texts from your family and friends wondering where you had been. 

"I'll call them," You whispered to Felix before getting up from the chair and kissing his forehead. Although everything that had happened in the fake world was fake, your feelings with Felix had been the most real thing you had felt and you were never going to let that go.

Tagline: @minholuvs @taestannie​ @sw33tnight​ @acciocriativity​ @justbangtanthingz​ @taeechwitaa​ @stillwithlix​ 

[maddiwrites]

The Hybrid (I)

Pairing: JJ x Reader

Summary: The Pogues rekindle their friendship with their old childhood best friend and JJ’s first crush, Y/N. Old feelings resurface for JJ and Y/N, possibly leading to a summer neither one of them could ever forget. Due to past trauma, Y/N is reluctant to let anyone into her heart, but JJ never backs down from a challenge, even if he knows it will come back to haunt him in the end.

Note: Thank you for being patient with me as I slowly write this series. I had this idea a long time ago and I’m not finding motivation to write it but the inspiration comes and go. I smile with every comment that is left on my fics and I’m so grateful for this community. Thank you for letting me pursue my creative writing without judgement. Love you guys! (Also, yes. If you didn’t see my last note, I based YN’s family off of the Gilmore Girls characters. That’s who I picture as them.)

Word Count: 8k

 Masterlist   Prologue 

You wake up to someone falling on your bed next to you with a dramatic sigh. Knowing exactly who it is, you choose to ignore her and try getting back to the dreamless sleep you were peacefully having before you woke up.

That is, until she sighs again. 

You flip onto your back and stare up at your ceiling fan that’s quickly spinning above you. “What, Rory?”

“How did it go with Andre and that boy?”

You look at her with one brow raised. “You woke me up to hear about Andre’s love life? That hardly sounds like you. You don’t care about high school drama or hookups.”

“You’re right,” Rory says. “But I thought I would ease you into what I actually need to tell you.”

You turn on right side and look at your sister confused. “What?”

She sighs. “The cafe’s basement flooded last night. Mom needs us there to help her clean up and take inventory on what’s salvageable.”

You turn back on you backside and close your eyes, exhaling a deep sigh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Unfortunately not,” Rory says and pats you twice on your covered thigh as she sits up. “Come on. I made you pre-cafe coffee. It’s sitting in the kitchen.”

You throw your sheets off of you and trudge to the bathroom to brush your teeth and clean your face. It’s about 8 a.m. At least you were able to get about six hours of sleep. 

Last night, it was hard to let your brain rest to fall asleep. You kept tossing and turning, thinking about the blonde Pogue who walked you home. You missed how easy it was to talk to someone who you felt truly knew you. Your banter rolled off your tongue easily and you never had to worry about offending him because you knew him like the back of your hand. You knew what he could take and what he couldn't. 

Talking to him brought back childhood memories you had hidden deep in your mind. How JJ would constantly poke you until you ripped into a smile on days that were grey. How you used to steal John B’s bandanas until he was chasing you around his house to get them back. How you would draw a mustache and a unibrow on Pope’s face when he fell asleep by the water. 

Those days felt like they were decades ago. So far away, you didn’t know if you’d be able to reach for them again. If it was even possible to get back. 

You thought about texting him. Thanks for walking me back. We should all get together soon! You had written out. But then you deleted the whole message, telling yourself it was because you didn’t know if he even had the same number. But deep down, you were just afraid of the rejection. 

Its been about three years since the four of you had been together in one place. You don’t know what they’ve been through or if they’ve changed. They for sure as hell don’t know what you’ve been through. You don’t know if they're dynamic has changed. Clearly you and JJ can still joke with each other but what about John B and Pope? You heard about John B’s father disappearing at sea, most people believing he’s dead, but John B holding onto hope that’s he’s alive. You always thought about calling him to reach out and offer your condolences. But for the same reason you didn’t text JJ, you never called. It didn’t feel like your place. They had Kie for that now. A little part of you felt jealous of her, like she had replaced you and any memory of you. She seemed nice, but she wasn’t you.

“Ready?” Rory pops her head in to your room as you slip on a cropped plain white zip up jacket over your cropped black tank. 

“As I’ll ever be,” You say and snag the car keys out of her hands. “Don’t even think about it. I’m driving.”

Rory rolls her eyes. “I want to get there safely.”

“And I want to get there quickly.”

“Fine. But we’re taking my car. It actually has doors.”

For your sixteenth birthday, your grandparents gifted both you and Rory your own individual cars and even let you pick them out. Rory chose a black 2020 Honda Civic for it’s safety features and reputation for longevity as if she was planning on handing it down to her future kids. And you picked out a white 2020 Jeep Wrangler with a hard top that pops off along with the doors for a very open and thrilling ride. Everyone but you called it a death trap, but you found it to be the perfect summer car. 

You park Rory’s boring Honda Civic in the back of the cafe in a lot used specifically for employees. The cafe is already booming with teens and families, waiting for their morning coffees and fresh pastries. Kids your age are running around behind the counter with sweat dripping down their brow bone to get everyone’s orders out in a timely manner. 

In the back of the store, your mom walks up the steps from the basement with two large trash bags and immediately notices the two of you. “Oh good. You’re here. Rory, help the girls behind the counter. The dishwasher’s broken and poor Hailey is hand washing everything. Y/N, come with me downstairs.”

“Why does Rory get the fun job?” You grumble and follow your mom back downstairs after she tosses the two trash bags. 

“Because she’s actually nice to the customers.”

“Treat others how you would like to be treated. Isn’t that what everyone always says?” You smirk. You never agreed with the phrase ‘the customer is always right.’ It’s complete bullshit and being the employee shouldn’t mean letting yourself getting verbally abused by a ‘Karen’ on the other side of the counter. 

The basement is used for the cafe’s storage, lined with wooden shelves Steve put together that hold to go cups, back up espresso machines, boxes of coffee and food and ingredients, etc. Now all the boxes are dark and sopping, creating puddles on the concrete floor. 

“Oh my god. Mom. How did this happen?”

“Jenky water pipe busted in the middle of the night,” Steve walks down the stairs and passes your mom a knowing look. It didn’t surprise you that he was here. He’s the jack of all trades. Owns his own automotive shop, builds a lot of his own furniture, actually cooks a decent meal, and has the same outlook on customer service as you do. He was probably your mom’s first call. “Talked to the plumber. They can’t get here until at least noon.”

“Noon? We’ll be underwater by noon. I might as well turn all my employees into a swim team,” Your mom says.

Steve shakes his head. “I was able to hold the leak until he gets here. You should be fine.”

Steve was the first person that actually helped your mother out when's she moved to the Cut. Six months pregnant, she pushed her car into his automotive shop after it broke down on the side of the road. Their banter was similar to the one you and JJ have. He helped save your mom money by building yours and Rory’s cribs, changing table, and dressers. And ever since, the two of them had been connected by the hip, although they both refuse to admit it. You think the pair are just trying to deny the love they clearly share for each other. And you think the main reason for that is because of the incident four years ago with your mom’s ex boyfriend. No thanks to you.

 “Look at you constantly building your resume,” You smirk at him. 

Steve scoffs. “It’s more than what you’re doing.”

You roll your eyes. Steve is the closest thing you have to a father. He practically helped raise you with your mom. He’s the one you turn to whenever a fight with your mom goes too far, which isn't too often but it happens. He usually lets you stay at his house for the night to let you cool off. But he’ll never sugar coat his advice when it comes time for him to give it. Even if you don’t ask for it. He knows growing up with Rory has been challenging. She was clearly your mom’s favorite, or at least that’s what you thought. She has a 4.0 GPA with a realistic dream to get into Brown University and study journalism. She played by every rule, never got into trouble, and spent most of her free nights getting ahead of her school work or staying late at the cafe with an open book from the library across the street. She was an absolute angel to everyone else, making you look like her evil twin. 

You glare at him before turning to your mom with crossed arms. “What do you want me to do, Mom?”

“Actually honey. Can you go to Heywards and grab more coffee filters and napkins. The water soaked right through the plastic wrapping on our last box.”

You nod, leaving your mom and Steve to clean up the basement themselves. Before heading out, you sneak behind the counter and make yourself a quick coffee to go.

“Where you going?” Rory asks as she reaches behind you to grab a banana for her customer at the register.

“Heywards to grab a couple things for Mom.”

“Oh. Make sure to grab toilet paper while you’re out. I think we’re almost out of it.”

“Got it.” 

Heywards is only a short drive from your mom’s cafe. It’s the closest convenient store that isn’t crazy pricey. It’s where your mom gets all her supplies whenever she runs out of things before shipment gets there. 

You use to always come here when you were younger with the boys, each of you, even Pope, stealing a small bag of chips or a candy bar here and there. Little did any of you know, Mr. Heyward caught your thieving hands every time but never said anything. 

The bell above the door chimes when you walk into the store. You know this place as well as you know the cafe, finding the toilet paper and coffee filter immediately. 

When Mr. Heyward looks up from the counter, his smile grows. He can pick you out of a crowd anywhere, but he hasn’t seen you in a long time. Last time he saw you, you had braces and overgrown bushy brows. Now you had bushed hair and shaved legs. 

“Hi. Mr. Heyward,” You grin shyly at him. You don’t know how he’s going to react to see you, unsure of what Pope might have told him about you. 

“Little Miss Y/L/N? Is that you?” Heyward smiles widely, pulling your own lips into a wider smile. “I haven’t seen you for a long time.”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy with school and my mom’s cafe...” Both of those things were a lie. You just avoid the Cut to avoid the Pogues. 

“How’s the fam?” 

“They’re good,” You say as Heyward hands you your bags. “Mom says hello by the way. I’m actually taking these to her store now.”

“Well, don’t be a stranger. We miss your smiling face around her. Anette, too.” Heyward says, mentioning his wife. 

“Tell her I said hi.”

“Of course, darling.” 

Heyward and Anette always had a special place in their heart for you and Rory. They’re not one for gossip, but they knew a little bit about what your mom’s been through and have heard plenty of stories about your grandparents. They always thought, despite your mom’s background, that you and your sister were raised impressively. Anette always hoped that one day Pope and Rory would get together. Everyone always wanted their child to be with Rory. 

As your about to leave the store, the bell chimes again with another customer. Only it’s not another customer. It’s Pope and John B. They don’t see you at first, and you wonder if maybe you can sneak out without them seeing you. But something about that felt wrong. Especially because Heyward would more than likely mention to them that you were here. 

Pope sees you first and stops in his tracks. “Y/N?” 

“Hey, guys. Long time no see,” You smile at both of them. You bite down on your lip awkwardly when you meet John B’s stare. You don’t know if you should mention anything about his dad’s disappearance. But what would you say? Sorry? What good would that do?

“How’ve you been?” Pope gives you a small side hug, then John B. 

You shrug. “You know, living the dream.”

“How’s life as a Hybrid?” John B smirks. 

You roll your eyes playfully and groan. “Oh god. Never call me that again.”

You may be considered a Hybrid by everyone else, but you would never put yourself into that category. You grew up a Pogue, the same way everyone else did around you. The only thing tying you to the Kooks are your grandparents. 

“Why?” John B smirks. “I wish I was a Hybrid.”

You smirk back. “Maybe you will be one day. I hear you have a Kook of your own for arm candy.”

You saw a faint hint of blush on John B’s cheek at the mention of his girlfriend but you don’t mention it. “Sarah, yeah. She’s not like the other Kooks.”

“I would hope not. Her brother’s a dick.”

“Yeah,” They laugh. 

“We miss you, you know.” John B says. Pope looks at you, trying to read your expression. John B’s not wrong. They do all miss you, especially Pope. He felt like you were the only one who really understood him. Of course his other friends are great, but you actually took the time to try and understand his passions. Like forensic science. 

“I miss you guys too. It’s been a while.”

“Well, hey. We’re actually all getting together tonight at my place. Nothing big. Just a bonfire and a couple beers. You should stop by,” John B says.

“Yeah,” Pope says, immediately getting hopeful that you’ll show up. 

Your smile falters. The invite makes your heart swell and your lungs contract. It’s an invite you’ve been wanting for three years. And now that you have it, you don’t know what to say. It’d be different if it was just the four of you like old times. But now there’s Kie and Sarah and although you have nothing against them, you’re afraid they won’t accept you. The thought of your boys picking them over you terrifies you. 

“Okay. Yeah, sure. I’ll try to swing by later.” 

Pope smiles wide and looks at his friend to see his reaction. John B grins and nods, almost impressed that you had agreed. But he saw the twitch in your lips when the question was asked. 

“Great. I guess we’ll see you later then.” 

You nod. “Okay. Bye guys.”

You suck in a deep breath when the fresh air outside of Heyward’s store brushes over you. Your heart thumps wildly with both excitement and nerves when you’re finally able to collect your thoughts. You don’t know what you’ll do tonight, but the possibilities can change your entire summer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You spent the rest of the day mopping up the cafe’s basement and rearranging the shelves. You smelled of sweat and coffee grounds by the time you were done and dreamt of the shower you would be taking when you got home. 

Rory drove you home after the two of you closed up the cafe for the day. Neither of you said much. Rory was exhausted from running around behind the counter and you were too busy thinking about whether you’d go back to the place you used to call your second home.

You took a longer shower than usual, still pondering what your night would be like. Your head was telling you to stay home but your heart pulled you in the direction of the Cut. You yearned to hear about what the future held for Pope, and listen to John B retell stories of when you were kids, and be able to stare into JJ’s bright blue eyes without him noticing. 

You changed into a pair of jean shorts and a plain red cropped tank. Rory walks into your room as your brushing out your hair and looks at you as if you lost your mind.

“Are you out of your mind? You can’t wear that,” She says.

You brows scrunch together in confusion. “What are you talking about? I wear shit like this all the time.”

“Not to the Country Club, you don’t.” That’s when it hits you. Today’s been so hectic, you forgot what day it was. “It’s Sunday.”

Sunday dinner at the Country Club is now a weekly commitment forced upon you by your grandparents. Each week, your mom, sister, and you are forced to spend one dinner with your grandma and grandpa. This is basically your mom’s payment back for sending you and Rory to Kook Academy. Only they actually pay for the dinner. It’s usually the longest two hours of your entire week. It’s hard to listen to your grandfather rant about Real Estate and your grandma slyly critique your mother in almost every aspect of her life. 

“Shit. I completely forgot,” You say.

“Well, you better change. We’re leaving in about five minutes,” Rory says then plucks a gold necklace from your dresser. “Oh and can I wear this tonight?”

You sigh. “Sure.”

You change into a baby blue wrap around dress and pin your wet hair into a half up half down due. It’s gonna have to work for the limited time you have to get ready. After applying a thin layer of makeup to look the least bit presentable, you meet your mom and sister by the front door.

“Finally,” Your mom says when she sees you. 

“Sorry. I didn’t realize it was Sunday.”

“It’s okay, honey. I just don’t think I can handle another late remark from Mom today.” She looks you up and down and grins. “You look great.”

Despite the many fiery fights you and your mom can have, she is also your best friend. It’s kind of like a love hate relationship. Steve says it’s because you’re exactly like your mom - almost like a sixteen year old version of her. 

You really hope that isn’t true. You’re not ready to have a kid in two years. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Your grandparents are already sitting at a round table in the corner of the country club by the two tall windows that reach up to the ceiling with a view looking out into the golf course. The best seat in the house for the richest a holes on the island. 

“Lorelai,” Your grandmother grins, but you can instantly tell it’s sarcastic. “Did you have to walk here?”

You speak up before your mom could. “Sorry Grandma. It’s my fault we’re late.”

Your grandparents are hard on your mom but easier on you and Rory, especially Rory.

“Well, you’re here now,” Your grandpa says. He’s usually the mediator between your mom and grandma. Although he’s usually sucks at it. “Sit. Sit.”

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, JJ shuffles through his many coworkers with his apron in one hand and a piece of fried calamari from Miss Carol’s appetizer in the other. 

“JJ -” She scolds and slaps his hand away from going in for a second piece. 

“Good evening Miss Carol,” JJ smirks and makes his way to the area between the kitchen and dining room where most of the servers and bust boys hang out. Some of the boys slap him on the back or shove him by the shoulder, chuckling to themselves. “What’s going on boys? Busy crowd?”

“What are you doing here? You never work Sundays,” His friend, Mitch, says. 

Luke Maybank was behind on several bills - worse than it’s ever been. They already shut off their electricity and JJ wanted to make sure the water wouldn’t be next. 

But JJ shrugs nonchalantly. “Little extra dough can't hurt.”

“Well, you picked a good day,” Raymond walks up to the blonde, rolling his sleeves. “You got Kook Royalty and their Hybrid offsprings in your section.” 

“What?” JJ looks through the small square Plexiglas on the swinging door. He knows exactly where to look and immediately sees you sitting with King and Queen Kook, looking absolutely miserable, pushing around your food with your fork. 

“Damn, Maybank. Almost broke your neck - you turned so fast.”

“Shut up, Easterling. I was just seeing how crowded we were,” JJ lied. He really just wanted to see if you were here. And now that he sees you are, he’s a little nervous to do his own damn job.

Raymond Easterling chuckles. “Yeah, I know what you were looking at. But don’t get your hopes up. There’s a reason Kooks call that girl the Heart Sucker. Not even the high and powerful JJ Maybank could get a piece of that.”

The guys around JJ and Raymond chuckle and nod in agreement, hearing the stories of how you’d reject every single guy that’s ever asked you out. Sometimes you’d go on a few dates, trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but then things would quickly become too much, and you’d get overwhelmed. 

JJ didn’t like the way Raymond talked about you or how the others laughed at your expense. His hands clenched into fists, tempted to throw a punch in Ray’s cocky face.  The guy’s just being a jerk because he’s one of the guys that got rejected by you, he thought. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” JJ shakes his head and ties his apron around his waist to distract his hands.

“No?” Raymond challenges him. “You think I’m wrong? You think you could pull the infamous Hybrid over there?”

JJ glances back through the window. You’re looking at your grandma with a clearly forced grin. You’re twirling your hair between your fingers, a habit you picked up when you were little to do when you’re bored. JJ would find you doing that in school all the time. 

You’re gorgeous, he thought. It’s no wonder that almost every guy on this island has tried to make a pass on you, including JJ himself, but his remarks always come off as playful, afraid of actually telling you how he feels about you. His fantasies about you went further than just getting you between the sheets. He could picture getting married, having children, and growing old together. Years ago, the two of you would talk about your future. Neither one of you cared about money or fancy jobs. All you wanted was to be free - of this island, of each other’s families, of responsibilities placed on you from birth. You hold the same values as JJ, and he’s never met another person like you. 

But JJ has a hard exterior. No one other than his best friends know his true heart, and he wasn’t going to let someone like Raymond Easterling find out about his soft spot for you. He would never hear the end of it.

JJ looks at you one last time. You’re talking to Rory, your face in his direction. This time you’re smiling, probably discussing something other than your grandparent’s expectations of you. He’d kill to see that smile every single day.

What’s the worst that could happen? You reject him? Yeah, that might kill JJ inside, but maybe you’d still be his friend, or continue to be acquaintances like you are now. As long as he gets to see you, he’d be okay. There was always the future. But who knows? Maybe you’d say yes? He’ll never know unless he tries. Right?

JJ fakes the same cocky grin that Raymond wears. “I haven’t failed yet.”

The guys around him whistle and shake their heads with smiles. 

“All right, Maybank. Let’s make a bet. I’ll give you one hundred dollars to get Y/N Y/L/N in the sack by the fourth of July.”

JJ scoffs. “You like giving away free money?” He ignored his racing heart at the thought of being that intimate with you.

Raymond nods. “Okay. Let’s put your money where your mouth is. Get her to say ‘I love you’ by the end of the season and I’ll raise you an extra hundred and cover all your dishwasher shifts in September.”

JJ raises his brows with surprise. No one offers to take the dishwashing shift. Sometimes the boys are pulled back there when the kitchen is short staffed and it’s easily one of the worst jobs at the Club.

This bet was almost too good of an opportunity to pass up. “Deal.” JJ says.

The boys shake hands on it and the other guys whisper to each other about how intrigued they are to see this play out.

JJ wipes his sweaty palms against his apron and pushes the door open to approach your table, hoping he can hear you over his thudding heart. 

“Good evening folks. May I take those empty plates out of your way?”

You look up at the voice you know so well and a smile raises on your lips. JJ meets your eyes and he winks at you, splattering your heart in flutters. 

“Please.” Your grandmother pushes her plate away from her, stuffed with filet and red wine.

“JJ,” Your mom grins up at him. Growing up, your mom always had a soft spot for the blonde Pogue. She’s heard the stories about his father, mostly from Steve, who actually grew up with Luke Maybank, his cousin. As a child, he was sent to live with Luke Maybank and his single father. Lets just say, he’s not surprised by the way Luke turned out. “Look at you. You’re all grown up now. Last time I saw you, Y/N was still pushing your head in the sand for stealing her popsicle.”

“Yeah. I quickly learned no one should mess with Y/N and her food,” JJ says.

“Never stopped you though,” You smirk at him.

“Lorelai. Who is this?” Your grandma asks, disregarding the boy himself.

“Mom,” Lorelai gives her mom a warning look. “This is JJ Maybank. He went to school with Y/N and Rory.” Lorelai knew to play it safe with her wording. She didn’t know where you and JJ stood. It’s been so long since you’ve seen him and she knew better than to ask. 

“Nice to meet you,” JJ says politely. “I’d shake your hand but mine are kinda full.” He motions to the plates in his hand.

“That’s quite all right.” Your grandma’s smile is so forced, it makes you uncomfortable. 

“I won’t hold you up. Has your server been around with the dessert menu?” JJ looks at you. “We have chocolate cake tonight.”

Heat rushes up your neck. Not because of the cake itself but because JJ remembered your favorite dessert. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles. It was safe to save you were a choco-holic. The boys use to make it for you every year for your birthday. It usually came out burnt, none of them ever remembering how to properly make it. But it was all you needed to feel like a very special girl. 

“Your favorite,” Rory elbows you.

Your grandma cringes. “Sounds like diabetes on a plate.”

“Mom,” Lorelai scolds. 

“What?” She asks, not understanding the concept of a filter.

Now heat rushes to your cheeks for an entire different reason. “He did. We’re not doing dessert tonight. Thank you, though.”

JJ nods but feels disappointed by the way your face flinched at your grandmother’s comment. 

“My pleasure,” He says like he was taught to do and excuses himself to drop the plates off in the back before he can say anything else that would probably get him fired.

Your mom looks at your with raised brows. “He’s cute, honey.”

“Lorelai, please. He’s the busboy,” Your grandma says.

“He’s a good kid, Mom.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” You stand up. “I have to use the restroom.”

Rory gives you a knowing grin as you walk away from the table. When you walk into the hallway between the dining area and the front lobby, you immediately feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Sometimes just the presence of your grandparents and their pompous judgements can be suffocating. You do your best to bite your tongue around them, excusing yourself when you feel yourself getting heated. 

JJ catches a glimpse of your light blue dress out of the corner of his eye when he rounds the corner to collect the plates off a different table. He looks over his shoulder at Raymond, who’s staring at the blonde watching you, and winks.

“Hey, Y/N,” JJ says, walking up to you.

You look up from your phone and immediately smile. “Hey. I was actually hoping I’d catch you out here.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” You nervously tuck a piece of hair behind your ear. “I’m sorry about my grandmother. She can be...”

JJ shakes his head. “Hey. It’s okay. I work for Kooks almost every single day. I’m use to it.”

You sigh. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Don’t apologize for something you can’t control,” JJ says. “Besides, that’s probably the nicest she’s ever been to me.”

You hide your face in your hands. “Stop. You’re making it worse.”

JJ laughs and takes your wrists in his hands, slowly pulling them away from your face. Your eyes shoot up to his, immediately feeling a tingling feeling run through your skin, straight to your heart. 

“It’s okay. I promise,” He says softly. His voice is so sincere that you have no other option but to believe him. It almost makes your feel guiltier, wondering how much bullshit he’s been through with ungrateful Kooks that it’s so easy for him to forgive and forget.

“Okay,” Your voice is a whisper, taken off guard by how close he is to you and how he still hasn't let go of your hands. 

In that same moment, JJ realizes he’s still holding you and gently removes his hands. He coughs awkwardly and scratches the back of his neck, where sweat begins to bubble. Why is he so nervous?

“So um...” You say, suddenly feeling nervous too. “You going to John B’s tonight?”

JJ’s eyes shoot up in surprise. How did you know that? “Yeah. I’m heading over there after work.”

“I saw him and Pope at Heywards earlier today and they invited me over. I wasn’t sure if I should come or not.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Because it’s different now, you wanted to say. But you didn’t because you feel like the elephant in the room would only grow. And you didn’t want to admit you were nervous to meet Kie and Sarah outside of school. 

You shrug. “I don’t know.”

“You should definitely come. The boys miss you.”

You pretend like a little piece of your heart didn’t just break when JJ didn’t say ‘we.’ 

“What time do you get off of work?”

“Around 9ish.”

You nod. “I can pick you up if you’d like and we could go together?”

Your heart races after you suggest it. What if he says no? Why were you feeling this way? This is the same kid you use to make fun of for pouring milk into his bowl before his cereal. 

“Yeah. That’d be perfect.”

“Great!” Your phone pings with a text from Rory, telling you that your grandparents are wondering where you are. “Shit. I have to get back. I’ll see you at nine?”

“See you then,” JJ nods and turns back to the kitchen. When his eyes meet Raymond’s, he’s reminded of what he agreed to. Almost surprised how quickly he forgot about it. You were able to take his mind off of anything without even trying. He clears his throat to get rid of the giddy grin he was wearing after talking to you, wanting to look tough and casual in front of his coworker. “Easy.” He says to him. But that felt anything but easy. He could vomit with nerves.

“There’s still plenty of time for you to screw up, Maybank.”

JJ huffs. He’s not wrong. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

You drive up to the front of the country club and park in front of the main entrance. It’s 8:57. You’re early and will look eager. So you wait until 9:06 to text him that you’re here.

You changed into a pair of dark washed denim shorts, a yellow cropped tube top, a grey flannel, and navy converse. You changed your outfit about four times before deciding on your first one, not wanting to look too casual or too dressed up. 

For the last three years, you wondered when the four of you would get back together as a group. You wondered if it would ever happen. And now that two Kooks are involved, you feel more nervous than excited.

You jump when the passenger seat door opens, lost in the depth of your own head. JJ smiles, not seeing your reaction.”Cool ride,” he says and looks around the interior. 

“Thanks,” you say, pulling out into the road.

“I got you something,” JJ says.

You glance at him with furrowed brows. What could he have possibly gotten you since you saw him last? A book mark from the Country Club’s gift shop?

JJ reaches into his backpack and pulls out a plate with clear wrap around it. Your mouth drops when you see the chocolate cake on a plate in his hands, the smell immediately hitting your nose with pure delight.

“You saved me a piece?” You jump in your seat excitedly.

“Had to hide it good too or else Miss Carol would have had my ass handed to me,” JJ jokes and even pulls out two forks. He undoes the wrapping and cuts off a piece. He waits until you hit a stop sign and says, “Open up.”

You look at him and immediately open your mouth. He gently places the fork between your lips and you take the piece of cake off with your teeth. Like a baby.

Your eyes close with pure pleasure. “Oh my god. That’s amazing.”

“Miss Carol does know how to bake a mean cake,” JJ says and takes a bite of his own.

“Another one,” You say, glancing at the cake again. Like you said, choco-holic. “Please.” You say when JJ teases you by holding the fork away from you.

JJ laughs. “I like hearing you beg.”

You slap him in the arm with the back of your hand. “In your dreams, Maybank.”

“You got that right, Y/L/N.”

The two of you finish the cake with only a few bites each. Small but rich in chocolate that leaves you craving more. You were gonna have to meet this Miss Carol woman. 

After he puts the plate back in his bag, JJ reaches for the aux cord, but you quickly slap his hand away. “Hey. What do you think you’re doing?”

“You’re seriously gonna make me listen to this the entire way to John B’s?”

You scoff. “I’ll have you know Blink-182 is one of my favorite bands.”

“It’s also soccer moms’ favorite band,” JJ laughs at you.

You turn up the volume, blasting ‘All the Small Things’ and point to your ear. “Sorry. Can’t hear you!”

JJ rolls his eyes but laughs along with you, even bopping his head to the beat. You drive with the windows down, dancing and singing along to a bunch of throwback songs with JJ as if the two of you have been doing this forever. 

You pull up to John B’s and park behind his dad’s old van, better known as The Twinkie. When you turn down the music, JJ looks at you with a shake in his head. “Next time, I’m driving.”

“What was wrong with my driving?”

“We’re in the Outer Banks, Sparky, not NASCAR.”

You scoff and follow behind JJ who’s leading the way up John B’s driveway. As you get closer, you smell the smoky scent of a bonfire nearby and eventually hear John B’s laugh mixed in with a female’s. Your smile falters as nerves gather in the pit of your stomach. 

“What’s wrong?” JJ asks.

“Nothing,” You say, but JJ easily catches your lie and gives you a knowing look. “What if they don’t like me?”

“Who? Pope and John B? I’m pretty sure they like you more than me even after three years -”

“Not them, you idiot,” You shove him playfully by the shoulder as you two let yourselves inside. “Sarah and Kie.”

“Don’t you go to school with them?”

“Yeah, but we don’t talk,” You say quietly, not wanting them to hear you.

“Hm.”

“What?” JJ shrugs. “Nothing. I just didn’t think you cared about what other people thought.”

“I don’t,” You say quickly. “But they're your best friends. It’s different.”

“You don’t need their approval. You technically were here first.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been replaced,” You try to say it as a joke and even throw a smirk in there. 

But JJ stops in his track and looks at you seriously. “No one can replace you. Not even if they tried.”

You open your mouth to respond, but you’re at a loss for words. It’s not a common occurrence that JJ gets all serious on you. Warmth covers you like a blanket and the longer he holds your stare, the weaker your knees become. 

“JJ! Is that you?” John B calls out from the backyard.

“Yeah,” JJ yells back. He opens the fridge in John B’s kitchen. “Want a beer?” He offers to you.

You shake your head. “No thanks.”

For the first time, you take in John B’s home. It looks the same as it did three years ago, only a lot messier. The pull out couch looks like its been used recently with blankets and sheets tossed about on it. Empty beer cans and cigarette butts are thrown messily on the coffee tables and the air smells faintly of old marijuana. 

JJ leads you out to the back where four people are gathered around a fire. Three out of the four immediately smile when the two of you approach them, but Kie’s eyes narrow and her head tilts with confusion.

Shit, you think. 

“You came!” Pope laughs and hops up from his beach chair and embraces you in a hug.

You laugh, not expecting the embrace, but welcoming it all the same. John B’s next, giving you a quick hug and shaking his head.

“I gotta say, I didn’t think you were going to come,” John B says.

“You can thank me for that later,” JJ says jokingly.

“Actually when I heard JJ was coming, I almost changed my mind and stayed home,” You joke and smirk JJ’s way.

“Just like old times,” Pope says, looking between you and the blonde. The banter felt like the yall never separated in the first place. 

“Hey, you know Sarah and Kie, right?” John B points to the girls. Sarah stands up to say hi, and eventually Kie follows her, not wanting to look rude, but stays off to the side, keeping her distance.

“Yeah,” You wave awkwardly. 

“Hey!” Sarah says sweetly. “I didn’t realize you guys use to all hang out.”

“Y/N grew up down the street,” JJ explains and sips at his beer. 

“You want a drink or something?” Pope asks you, not knowing JJ already did.

“No thank you,” You say again.

“You don’t drink?” Kie asks. It was the first thing she’s said to you.

“Not usually,” You say and hold her stare. You try to get a read on her, but she’s had to get a tell on. You can’t tell if she just doesn’t like you or just doesn’t know you. Either way, it makes you uneasy. 

“Here, I’ll go grab you a chair,” Pope says and walks to the side of the house to grab another beat up beach chair. 

As the night goes on, you feel the tension in your shoulders loosen and your body feel lighter. Most of the night was spent retelling childhood stories the four of you shared. Sarah would laugh at most of them, occasionally rolling her eyes at her boyfriend from the stupid shit he would do, although it sounds like he’s no different to you now. 

You talked about the time you and JJ stole a golf cart for a joy ride on Figure Eight, or when you and John B pranked Pope by putting a dead fish in his locker, or how you and John B learned how to play guitar from youtube tutorials. 

Midnight came around quickly and exhaustion was slowly taking over your body. It’s been a long day between the cafe flooding, dinner with your grandparents, and now this. 

JJ was the first to notice you slowly fading. 

“You okay?” He asks you quietly as everyone else is caught up in conversation. 

“Yeah,” You say, lazily grinning at him. 

“We can leave if you want,” He says.

“You’re not staying?” You ask. It sounded like everyone was planning to spend the night here. And as much as you wanted to, you just didn’t feel comfortable enough yet. 

JJ shrugs. “My dad’s out of town tonight. It’ll be nice to have the house to myself.” Before you can say anything, he stands and brushes his hands against his pants. “All right, losers. We’re out of here.”

“Aw, you’re leaving?” Sarah pouts.

“Yeah, I’m beat and Y/N’s my ride home,” JJ says.

You were glad he didn’t call you out for being tired. You didn’t want to look lame in front of everybody, especially Kie.

“Thanks for having me,” You say to everyone. It might have been John B’s house, but it was everyone’s night you intruded on.

John B stands up to hug you. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

You nod. “I won’t. I promise.”

Pope hugs you next. “Text me when you get back safe.”

“I will.”

“Bye!” Sarah waves and Kie exhales a ring of smoke from her blunt.

You wave at them before following JJ back to your car. 

“Nuh-uh-uh,” JJ says. You didn’t realize you both walked to the driver’s side.

“What? No.”

JJ nods and holds his hands out for your keys. “I’m not dying tonight.” 

“You’ve been drinking and smoking all night,” You say. You didn’t think JJ was drunk or even that high, but you were not going to let a teenager with an ounce of alcohol in his system get behind the wheel. “Next time. For now, hold on to the cupholder.”

JJ sighs dramatically and goes to the other side of the car and hops in the passenger seat. 

This time you keep the music quiet, listening to the hum of the radio instead of your phone. 

“Take a left,” JJ says.

“JJ, I know where you live. And it’s not left.”

“Don’t you trust me?” 

You snicker. “Not in the slightest.”

JJ rolls his eyes. “Just take the left.”

You hold your hands up in surrender and take the left turn. He directs you for a couple more miles until he has you park in front of a 24 hour diner. 

“What are we doing here?” You ask.

“I’m in the mood for a milkshake.”

“We just had cake!” You say.

“Come on, Sparky. Show me what that mouth can do,” JJ smirks. 

You go to hit him again but he takes off running to the front entrance and pulls the door open. You chase after him, almost running into his back at the front host stand where JJ safely smirks at you in triumph.

“Two please,” He says to the hostess. 

The old cranky woman leads you to a booth off to the side next to a window without a word. 

A couple minutes later, a waitress walks by and asks if you’re ready to order. 

“Yes. One chocolate milkshake and one black and white milkshake,” JJ orders for both of you, already knowing what flavor you’d want.

“And fries, please.” You say. The waitress nods, takes your menus, and walks off. JJ raises his brow at the extra order. “What?” You shrug. “Just showing you what my mouth can do.”

JJ scoffs. “What a tease.” 

You playfully kick his shin under the table.

“Did you have fun tonight?” JJ asks.

“Yeah,” You answer. “Felt like old times. The girls are nice too.”

You were about to only mention Sarah, but you didn’t want to cause any issues with Kie. Not yet at least. Maybe she just needed time to warm up to you.

“See? I told you they wouldn’t bite.”

A couple minutes later, the waitress comes back with your milkshakes and fries. 

“How’s John B doing? You know, with the whole Big John thing?” You ask delicately, unsure of how JJ would react to you pestering about John B’s business. “I didn’t want to ask and bring the mood down,” You explain yourself although you don’t need to.

JJ shrugs. “He’s in denial I think. Won’t sign a death certificate until he sees a body. He could be worse, though.”

“Yeah,” You say softly. You don’t know what you would do if you were in that situation. In a way you felt lucky that you never knew your dad at all. It would be harder to lose him, knowing who he was.

You take a fry and dip it into your milkshake before taking a bite. This makes JJ freeze and look at you like you have two heads. 

“What?” You say with your mouth full.

“I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” You say and give him a look to do it.

JJ reluctantly picks up the fry and dunks it into his milkshake. He looks at the fry questioningly before popping it into his mouth. Somehow the sweetness of the milkshake and the saltiness of the french fry complement each other beautifully and his widen in pleasant surprise. 

“Oh wow,” JJ says.

“Told you,” You smirk.

You spend the next hour catching up, trying to fit the last three years into an hour. JJ does most of the talking because you want to know more about what John B, Pope, and JJ have been up to. Your life was so boring and depressing, you didn’t want to bore JJ with the details.

You drive JJ home and talk for a few minutes more when you park. He seems to be procrastinating getting out of the car, but you don’t mind. You could talk to him all night, suddenly not feeling tired anymore.

“All right. I’ll let you get home before the sun rises,” He says and opens the door. He pauses when his feet hit the ground and he looks back at you. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I have to work at the shop, why?”

“Well, there’s a storm coming in. John B and I might go out to surf the surge before it hits. You still surf?”

You scoff. “Do I still surf?”

JJ holds his hands up in surrender. “Just checking. You think you can handle the surge?”

“Let’s not forget who the better surfer is, JJ.”

“I didn’t. It’s still me.”

“You wish.”

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Now you have a point to prove. You have to show JJ that you’re still the better surfer. 

“I'll see you tomorrow,” You agree. 

“Great, it’s a date.” He winks and shuts the door before you can tell him otherwise. 

You giggle to yourself as JJ walks up the front yard and stay there until he you see he gets in safely. 

You pull out of the driveway, wishing he had asked you out on a real date. One that didn’t involve John B.

Tag list: @super-funky-bisexual​ @sunsetswithjj​ @moniamaybank​ @throwawayfish​ @poguestyle17​ @5am-cigarette​ @jjpouggues​ @fly-away-from-here​ @buckys2thicc​

[ushiwakaout]

can i plsplspls have the things you believe hq boys would say for atsumu 👉👈

yes yes! i love me some atsumu 🥺

Things I believe Atsumu Miya (Timeskip MSBY pro volleyball player) would say if you lived with him (from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep) painter! y/n

“Baby, Baby- come on wake up. I got early practice, you know i don’t know how to cook” (5:00 am)

“Baby come on, I’ll make you breakfast later.”

“No? Oh you’re up.”

“What do you mean you don’t like my breakfast, i thought ya loved my cooking.”

“we’ve been together how long? and ya lied to me?!”

“I’ve been telling eveyone that my cooking is great! This is your fault.”

“No shoo, go make me my breakfast.”

“No you don’t get morning kisses.”

“Will ya stop ya whining if i kiss ya?”

“Alright shut up now and get to cookin”

*Will slap your ass, way too hard for 5:30 in the morning*

“I got early practice tonight, thanks for making me food.”

*will wrap his arms around you as you cook*

“Smells good.”

“No the food, ya smell stinky.”

“I’m kidding, i’m kidding. You smell like you.”

“What’cha mean? ya smell like, soap and a clean bed”

“Yes baby, it’s a good thing.”

“Now give me my food and go back to sleep.”

“I’ll clean up.”

*will let you know when he goes to practice and let’s you sleep again*

“Pst.... baby, wakey wakey. It’s morning.” (10:00 am)

“I got breakfast.... don’t worry ya little head, i got it from the bakery.”

“How’d ya sleep. Good? That’s good baby.”

“You got paintings you gotta finish, get to work.”

“Come on you big baby, get up.”

*Will carry you to the bathroom and will strip you bc he needs to shower too*

“Stop squirmin’ - i’m washing you’re head and i’ll get soap in ya eyes.”

“My turn.”

“Massage my scalp harder, harder- okay chill, that’s good.”

“Now hurry up and dry up, you got work to do.”

* WILL SLAP YOUR BARE ASS and will apologize later bc he left a mark*

“I’ll leave you to it then, i’m gonna be in the room, if you need me.” (11:00 am)

*Will walk in and walk out of your studio just to check up on you*

“Need anything? No? Okay.”

“Just checking in, i got you some water.”

“Hey baby, you hungry yet? Ya want lunch?!”

*Will hold you while you paint*

“What do you want for lunch?”

“You want me to order it or pick up? or do you wanna come with me?”

*will start kissing your neck and get you to face him so he can start making out with you*

*it’s very messy, will put you on a table with FRESH PAINT and get it all over you*

sex in the art studio

red paint hand prints on your ass, hips, neck.

“You should keep working on yer painting, i’ll go get the food.” (12:40 pm)

*will tap your hips/thighs/ass before walking out as if NOTHING HAPPENED*

*meanwhile you’re catching you’re fucking breath bc wow... the stamina that man has*

“I’m back... Feel alright?” (2:00 pm)

“I got you some onigiri.”

“Again? what you mean again? It’s free!”

“Shut it, you love Osamus cookin.”

“What do you love more? Me or Osamu?”

“Did you just say Osamu- REALLY?! Really? after we just made love for hours? You tell me this now?”

“Give me back that Onigiri.”

“Come back here!”

“Did ya really need to lock yourself in the art studio? Let me in” (2:30 pm)

“What art piece are you working on?”

“Ah.... mhm, mhm...”

“No i don’t remember what you just said.”

“Keep on working, i’ll check up on you later.”

“Nevermind, i’m lonely- I’m gonna keep ya company.”

“Give me some paint, i wanna paint.”

“Look! I made a fox.”

“Oh hold on, Bokuto is calling.”

“Do you mind if the guys come over?”

“Yes even Sakusa.”

“You never clean, why you gotta clean for him?” (3:30 pm)

*very jealous of the fact that you and sakusa get along very well*

“Sakusa hands off my partner” (4:30 pm)

“Bokuto you too!”

“Hinata, I’m eyeing ya too.”

“Get over here, and sit next to me.”

“Hold my hand.”

“Because i said so.”

“Shut it, Sakusa!”

“No, no, i’m not drunk.” (6:00 pm)

“What’d you mean they should sleep over.”

“But baby~ Night time is our time.”

“OW! Don’t hit me.”

“Y’all are sleeping in the spare.”

“Stop babying Sakusa he’s a grown man!”

“I said hands off my partner Hinata!”

“Baby~ stop babying my teammates and come here!” (7:30 pm)

“What do you mean i smell.”

“No come here, give me a kiss.”

“No, no, no don’t check up with them, come here.”

“Just come cuddle with me.”

“Hey, am i good enough for ya?”

“You sure? Do i give ya enough love?”

“Don’t shit with me alright, you sure i’m good enough?”

“Come here, give me a kiss.”

“You’re more than good enough for me.”

“Please don’t leave me for Osamu, i know it’s a joke just... I cant imagine my life without ya, ya know?”

“Stupid Osamu, i’m proud of him too. But don’t praise him either!” (9:00 pm)

“Do you wanna get some dessert?”

“So what if it’s late, i’m hungry.”

“Fuck em, i just wanna go with you.”

“Hold my hand.”

“You cold? Here just wear my hoodie. I think i’m still a little tipsy.”

“I swear i’ll fight a kid if he doesn’t hurry up.”

“Hold me back baby, i will fight this kid! he just mouthed piss hair to me!”

“Oh shit it’s the pap, come on hurry up, let’s go.”

“No, no- You got the wrong twin, i’m osamu. Yeah sorry about that.”

“I’m glad i brought a cap”

“Give me some of your dessert.”

“Here have some of mine, say Ah.”

“Don’t be stupid, and hold my hand, we’re crossing the road.”

*Will give you a piggy back ride home*

*you will fall asleep on him*

*wwe match when you guys get home and throws you on the bed to wake you up bc he’s such an asshole*

“It’s your fault you fell asleep on me.”

“Arms up, i’ll put on your pjs.”

“No pjs? Alright, we sleep in the nude tonight.”

*you sleep on his chest*

“God i’m so lucky to have you, you know?”

Extras:

*will fuck you awake and has a hand over your mouth bc he remembers half way that half his team is in the other room*

“Y’all are lucky, y/n has such a talent for cooking”

“Sakusa, you don’t get breakfast.”

“You hear nothing, hinata!”

*pinches your ass in public*

“OSAMU STOP TALKING TO MY S/O”

“Osamu give y/n some onigiri, she’s picking up my lunch.”

“MY BABY IS HERE” *runs to you mid practice*

“No bokuto you don’t get to hug her.”

“Back off Sakusa!”

*will bark*

“Stop telling people i use lemon shampoo bc i have blonde hair.”

“Wait i thought i had a manicure appointment today- did i miss it?”

“Shave down my nails will ya? I always mess up.”

“Get your black nail polish away from me, i want the clear one.”

*will bite you to get your attention*

*will show off his manicure to kageyama if he ever bumps into him*

A/N: Thank you guys for 300 followers 🥺🥳

[cherrycocaineee]

13. Dean Winchester - Confession

    Bobby was sitting at his desk flipping through the millions of dusty, old, torn books he had collected over the years when I came down the stairs, carrying my purse along my shoulder. The sound of my small feet thumping against his creaky wooden floors caused him to look at me. He was already drinking scotch this early in the morning and the tired, purple bags under his eyes proved that he had a restless night just like usual. I smiled sympathetically at him as I approached, getting a large whiff of the liquor he was pouring down his throat. I could hardly count the number of times I’ve warned him and the boys about drinking so much, yet they never listened. Though I didn’t really expect them to, considering all of the things they’ve seen in their lifetime.

  “Where are you off to?” He asked, pouring himself another glass of scotch.

 “We’re low on groceries,” I hummed, “so I’m going down to the market to pick some stuff up. I’ll make breakfast when I come back, okay?”

   “I’ll hold ya to that. You need any money?”

 I shook my head and patted the side of my purse before leaving for the market. It wasn’t a long trip, it was literally a block from where Bobby lived. When I arrived at the small, yet vibrant place, I inhaled the sweet scent of freshly picked produce and other aromas. Inside I pushed the basket around and collected everything we needed for the house: fresh produce, meats, bread, eggs, and much more. Considering how much fast food I use while travelling with the boys, I was happy to find a place that sold freshly grown fruits and vegetables, and freshly cut chops of meat, and more. I spent an hour in total at the market before paying for my groceries and heading back to the house.

  While carrying all of the paper bags inside, I could hear talking going on inside. I shook it off as Bobby being on the phone and continued.

  “Bobby, I’m home,” I called, “I’m about to start breakfast, so why don’t you trade that scotch in for a cup of coffee.”

  The voices from the other room quieted down just as I placed the groceries on the kitchen table. I walked out of the kitchen and saw Bobby standing in the middle of the room with none other than Dean and Sam. My eyes widened at the sight of them. The last time I saw Sam was when he jumped into the cage, holding Lucifer in and knocking Michael inside too. And Dean, well, I hadn’t seen him since he went to live with Lisa and Ben. It had hurt a lot when he left too, not wanting to stay with Bobby. Not wanting to stay with me. But I didn’t make a big deal about it despite being madly in love with him. Though I’d never tell him that since he was in love with Lisa.

  “Hey, Persephone,” Sam and Dean said simultaneously, making my eyes water.

  “Hey,” I whispered, a smile forming on my face.

  I walked over to them and embraced them both, feeling their large, muscular arms wrap around my thin frame as they held me close. As I pulled away from the hug, Lisa popped her head around the corner. My chest was tightening as I saw Dean walk over to her. They went off to speak to one another, I cleared my throat and turned my attention to Sam.

  “When did you get back from hell?” I asked.

  From the look on his face and the way he was rubbing the back of his neck with his rough hands, I knew there was something he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell me. Or at least the truth anyway. But he decided that he’d tell me in the end.

 “A year, actually,” he muttered.

  My forest green eyes widened at his words. I spent the next fifteen minutes tearing a new one into both Sam and Bobby, who had been hiding this from me the entire year, then returned to the kitchen to cook breakfast. There was a mix of frustration, betrayal, and other emotions mixing up inside of me as I started scrambling the eggs and cooking the sausage and bacon. Quiet sizzling could be heard throughout the kitchen, masking the sound of my humming while I cooked. As I was moving on to the coffee, I heard footsteps coming from behind me so I swirled around to see Dean walking in. He didn’t look too happy either.

  “Did you just find out that Sam’s been back for a year too?” I questioned, throwing away the old coffee grounds into the trash.

 “Well yes,” he stated, “but that’s not while I’m upset.”

  I had started plating the food by then, starting off with Ben’s since he was here and was probably hungry.

  “What’s going on?”

  I set a cup of coffee down in front of him.

  “Sam needs my help hunting a Djinn,” he answered, “and I’m worried because the things might come after Lisa and Ben.”

  Honestly, I should have seen that coming. Sam, despite being back from hell, wouldn’t have asked Dean for help if it wasn’t life or death. It made me wonder if they’d only come to drop off Dean's family or to ask me to help. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t jealous of Lisa, in fact, I was happy for her and Dean. It just hurt every time I saw them together.

  “So that’s why you brought them to Bobby’s,” I whispered, buttering some fresh French bread, “so we could watch them while you guys hunted the Djinn?”

  “Well actually,” Dean said, placing his cup on the table, “just for Bobby to watch them. You’re coming with us right?”

  A small, sad smile appeared on my face as I lifted up Bobby’s plate while shaking my head.

 “I don’t hunt anymore, Dean. When Sam jumped into that cage and you left to go live with Lisa and Ben, the two of you left me behind. So I just stopped hunting. Now I just clean up and cook while studying.”

  “Studying?”

  “I started going back to school. Granted it’s online but I figured I might as well get an education.”

  It was silent between us, so I just walked away and headed towards Bobby with his breakfast. He was sitting at his desk once again when I arrived and graciously welcomed the warm food. I went back into the kitchen, where Dean was still sitting, and picked up the plate for Ben then headed upstairs to give it to him.

  Lisa was unpacking their overnight bags when I reached the room they were staying in. Ben was sitting on the bed, playing some video game on his gaming device. Tapping on the door, I caught their attention and smiled welcomingly.

  “Hey,” I said, “I’m Persephone, a friend of Sam and Dean’s. I made your son some breakfast if he’d like to eat.”

  A smile appeared on her face in return, “thank you, Persephone. I’m Lisa and this is Ben.”

  I didn’t tell her that I already knew her name, that would be rude. Instead, I shook her hand and placed Ben’s food down on one of the nightstands. He thanked me and started shoveling food inside his mouth fast. It reminded me of how Dean would eat when he was in a rush. Swallowing the forming lump inside my throat, I left the two of them to finish unpacking. Halfway down the stairs, I froze and gripped the railing tight. My heart felt like it was racing, tears were streaming down my cheek as I tried to collect myself. Wiping away the unwanted water leaks, I sighed softly and went downstairs. Sam and Dean were getting ready to leave when I made it to the main room. The two Winchester brother’s faced me when I entered.

  “You sure you don’t want to come, Perse?” Sam inquired.

 I held up my hands and giggled, “no thanks. You guys be safe.”

  I hugged them tightly, almost relaxing when I felt the safety of their embrace. They said a final goodbye to Bobby and I then left for wherever it was they were going to hunt this monster. Bobby returned to his breakfast and I went into the kitchen to pack up the leftovers and clean up. Once the kitchen was tidied up, I headed back upstairs to my room to get some reading done. I had some homework assignments that were in desperate need of doing before midnight tomorrow and I liked to stay ahead of the clock.

  Hours and hours passed before I finally passed out while reading my book. No dreams occupied my slumber while I napped, however, I was eventually awakened by the sound of someone knocking on my door. Stirring around in my covers, both eyes pried themselves open and stared at the dimly lit ceiling before looking to my right and seeing it was well past three o’clock in the morning. Another knock echoed throughout the room and I finally dragged myself out of the comforting quilt and onto the assaulting, cold floor. I rubbed my eyes to wipe the sleep away and pulled the door open. Lisa was standing on the other side, holding a plate in her hand.

  “Bobby said that you were up here studying, and you missed dinner,” she said, “did I wake you?”

 “Yeah,” I groggily whispered, “but it’s okay.”

  I took the plate from her and saw that she had cooked some chicken noodle soup. It smelled great, reminding me of my early years in life when I still lived with my mom. She followed me inside of the room as I sat criss crossed on my bed with the soup in hand, smelling the melted butter on the toast. My eyes met the clock once again and was astonished to see that I had slept and studied for such a long time. It felt like only seconds ago that it was morning and I had just finished cooking breakfast.

 “Persephone,” Lisa said while I slurped the soup up, “I’m sure you’re aware of the things Sam and Dean do, right?”

  “Of course,” I answered before scooping another spoonful of soup in my mouth.

 “How were you okay with it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Dean and I understand that he’s gotta do what he has to, but sometimes I worry that he’ll come home hurt or something will follow him home.”

   Though there was a ping in my chest when she said she loved Dean, I couldn’t help but smile at how worried she was for him. It was something that he definitely needed since he was always worrying about other people. I placed the plate onto the empty nightstand and scooted closer to the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to me. When Lisa sat down, I took her hands into my own.

  “It’s a lot to process,” I whispered, “when I met Sam and Dean, I was so unsure about leaving everything I knew to travel with them and fight all of those monsters. But I know deep down in my heart that they would never let people they love get hurt and they’ll die trying to protect those they consider family. Especially Dean. What you can do for him, is just be there, even if it’s hard. Because at the end of the day, he needs that most of all.”

   The two of us shared a hug before she agreed she would do her best to make Dean feel loved and secure. After saying goodnight to me, she retreated back to her room, closing the door behind her. When she was out of sight, I grabbed my soup again and slowly started slurping it up again. It was comforting knowing that she would be taking care of Dean. Once he came back, I’d persuade him to go back with Lisa, telling him that he deserved to be with someone that made him happy.

   The next day came quickly and I hadn’t fallen back asleep after my conversation with Lisa, so I spent the rest of the entire night reading. Soft, illuminating rays of sunshine burst through the clear, white curtains in my room as I finished throwing on a short-sleeve, white, shirt that only tied close. Running my fingers through my brushed hair, I fixed up any lumps that were visible.

  Bobby was asleep at his desk when I reached downstairs, so I went over to him and wrapped a blanket around his snoring body. Picking up his almost empty bottle of scotch, I carried it back to the kitchen to put it away and make a new pot of coffee. Wanting nothing more than to sit outside with a non-school book and my delicious morning nectar, reading as the sun played against my pale skin. There was no telling when Sam and Dean would be home, along with there being no way of knowing when they would wake up. So I wanted to get in as much peace and quiet as possible before the day began.

  With the coffee cup in my right hand and a good book in the other, I sat on the back of one of Bobby’s rundown cars and started reading. Four chapters in and I was already getting up to make myself a second cup of joe. Just as I slipped off the back of the rusted car, Dean and Sam pulled up. The sun was only just inching towards the middle of the sky when they arrived. Both climbing out of their seats, I noticed that they were not only tired but relieved.

  “How’d it go?” I inquired, “seemed pretty quick.”

 “It went fine,” Sam replied, “except Dean’s got a big slash on his arm. They came right at us.”

   I went over to Dean and saw that he had wrapped his cut in a cloth but the blood was still leaking through. Clicking my tongue, I shook my head while leading the two of them inside. Sam explained on the way that they had figured that the Djinn were targeting both of them, so they went back to Dean’s home and waited there. When Dean noticed that his friends and neighbors were being killed, he ran to help and ended up almost dying. But Sam helped him. The fight raged on but in the end, the Winchester boys came out on top. Sam went to wash up while I started taking care of Dean’s wound.

  With the First Aid Kit laying beside me on the kitchen table, I unwrapped his wound and gulped at the sight of it. Dean chuckled.

  “Makes you miss the old days, huh?” He laughed.

 “Not really,” I giggled, “a lot of it may have been great but watching the two people I cared the most about get injured was never easy.”

  “It was never easy watching you get hurt either.”

 I cleaned up the wound and sprayed some of the cleaning solution on it causing Dean to wince. It made me laugh because of how soft he had become in the last year. After rewrapping the wound in a proper bandage, I threw everything else away and put the first aid kit back in its rightful spot. When I looked back at him, I saw that he was staring at his hands.

  “Are you thinking about leaving Lisa and Ben?” I asked, returning to the table.

  “I’m not sure,” he stated, “if I leave them, more monsters could show up looking for me and hurt them, but if I stay then even more monsters will show up and hurt them to get to me.”

  “But at least you’d be there to protect them.”

 His perfect, bright green eyes met my own darker, emerald ones.

  “If you left Lisa and Ben today, then you would never be able to forgive yourself if they got hurt without you being there. However, I know, and Lisa knows, that you would do anything for the people you love. So maybe you being there is what’s best right now.”

   The words seemed to sink in before he nodded in agreement.

 “Then it’s settled. I’ll be going back with Lisa and Ben when they wake up.”

   I squeezed his shoulder and sat down at the table. Running a shaking hand through my hair as a soft sigh left my lips. I don’t know what came over me, all of a sudden I felt that maybe I should say something to him if this was the last time I’d see him. I had no intention of breaking him and Lisa up but I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. It was practically tearing me up inside.

  “Dean, there’s something I need to tell you before you go,” I whispered.

 “What is it?” He asked, his eyes never wavering away from me.

  My palms felt sweaty and my throat felt drier than I had ever felt before. Taking a deep breath, I faced him and smiled. I chickened out.

  “I’m going to miss you.”

  I went to go back to my room, but Dean grabbed my wrist stopping me from leaving. I clenched my fist tight and turned around, not ready to face him because I knew he could read my face like a book. He stood there holding my arm, not tight but not lightly so I would stay there.

  “That’s definitely not what you were going to say,” he said, “tell me.”

  With a final deep breath, I nodded my head, “I love you.”

  His eyes widened and he dropped my hand, letting it drop to my side. I felt it sway before coming to a slow stop. Then I held it to defend myself.

  “I’m not saying this to break you and Lisa up,” I said, “I want you to go with her and be there for Ben. But I also wanted to let you know, in case we never saw each other again.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He croaked, and I thought that I could see tears in his eyes.

 I could only shrug my shoulders, “with everything going on, it just didn’t feel right. And then you wanted to go live with Lisa after Sam was gone so I just never told you.”

   Our conversation was interrupted by Ben and Lisa running into the kitchen, Bobby walking behind them, and embracing Dean. They were happy that he had come home with hardly any injuries. Dean wrapped his arms around them both but he was staring at me. I smiled sweetly, holding my hands in front of me while watching them be reunited. Lisa and Ben were ready to go home with Dean, and even though I knew Dean wanted to stay and talk more about what I had just confessed, I helped push him out the door. If he stayed any longer, I was definitely going to want him to stay forever. But I couldn’t be selfish. Sam, Bobby, and I stood at the front door and waved as the three of them drove off. When they were out of sight, my hand dropped. I felt Bobby place his hand on my shoulder and look at me with understanding.

  I wasn’t sure when the next time I would see Dean again, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be any time soon. And if I was being honest, I didn’t want to see him again. He needed to be with Lisa.

[theres-an-impulstor-among-us]

I know you haven't really done many prompts for Empire SMP, but having seen Jimmy's perspective today, I really want to see him just talk about everything that's against him and I think it would be really fun to see him just breakdown with Pixl.

Lore-wise, Jimmy really has gone through the ringer.

he really has T_T someone pls save him

...

Pixlriffs is working on setting up some more candles around the vigil when he hears a noise from behind him. Immediately alert, he spins round, already pulling out his sword, but he freezes when he spots a figure half-limping towards him.

As he rushes towards the figure, he realises with a jerk that it’s his closest ally. “J-Jimmy?!”

The ruler of the Cod Empire is dishevelled and clearly exhausted, and instead of his normal cod mask, he’s wearing the brown llama mask that Pixl remembers giving him a few weeks ago.

Pixl reaches out to steady his friend, holding him by the arms. “Jimmy, what on earth-?!”

“Gosh, your empire is… is really out there,” Jimmy murmurs, his words slightly slurred. “In the middle of a desert. I’m so hot…”

With that, he collapses against Pixl.

“Jimmy!” he gasps, propping his unconscious friend up.

He manages to lift Jimmy onto his back and hurriedly carries him over to his home. He lays Jimmy down on his bed and hesitantly removes his friend’s mask.

He’s shocked to see a fairly fresh cut on Jimmy’s face from his left temple to the corner of his left eye. It’s not still bleeding but it looks untreated. Maybe from the last day or so.

Forcing himself to ignore that for now, Pixl fetches some water and an ice pack, the latter of which he applies to Jimmy’s forehead. Immediately, Jimmy lets out a quiet sigh and stirs slightly, though he doesn’t wake.

After about ten minutes of gently tipping sips of water down Jimmy’s throat, Jimmy’s eyelids flutter.

“Hey,” says Pixl quietly, giving his friend a soft smile. “Can you hear me?”

Blinking groggily, Jimmy frowns. “What happened? Where am I?”

“In my empire,” says Pixl. “Do you not remember?”

Jimmy lifts a hand to his forehead. “My head’s a little fuzzy.”

“I’m not surprised; you were pretty dehydrated. Do you have any idea how long you were wandering around in the desert?”

“No, not really.”

“Well if you walked all the way here from your kingdom, it’s a wonder you didn’t parch to death,” Pixl responds. “Why didn’t you use your elytra?”

“I wanted to walk as long as possible and then when I eventually tried to take off, I realised I didn’t have any rockets,” says Jimmy sheepishly.

Pixl chuckles. That’s so Jimmy. “Right, I see. Why would you want to walk all the way here, anyway? We didn’t have a meeting or anything, did we?”

“No, I…” Jimmy hesitates. “I just needed a break. And I wanted to see you. And I needed to be several thousand blocks away from everyone else.”

“Really?” Pixl frowns. “Are you okay?”

Jimmy hesitates again, before deciding to tell the truth. “Um… no. I’m not okay. A lot of stuff happened yesterday and I’d really like to curl up and cry right now.”

Pixl gives his friend a sympathetic look. “Tell me about what happened.”

“W-Well…” Jimmy sits up in the bed, taking a deep breath. “fWhip covered my nether portal in cobblestone so I told him to come over and clear it up but he used tnt to blow it up and then when I told him to fix the hole in the ground, he blew a bigger hole under the first one and then Scott and Gem showed up and I was hoping they might be on my side but apparently Scott actually helped fWhip make the cobblestone thingy so then I got really mad and hit fWhip with my sword but then he killed me and stole my Codfather mask and I begged him to give it back but he just flew off with it a-and I don’t know how to get it back now cuz Scott said I keep starting things I can’t finish and that even with my allies, I couldn’t hope to beat fWhip but I need that mask back Pixl I can’t-.”

Sensing Jimmy’s rising panic, Pixl quickly grabs Jimmy’s shoulders to stop his friend. “Hey hey hey, shh. It’s okay, Jimmy. Shh.”

Jimmy lets his breathing settle, clearing his throat as his voice cracks. “Wh-What’s wrong with me, Pixl…?” he whispers. “Why am I such an easy target? Is this all because I stole stuff from Sausage so early on? Do I deserve all this?”

“No, Jimmy,” replies Pixl immediately. “fWhip is being a bully, and bullies always have their buddies backing them up so they feel stronger. First it was Sausage, now it’s Scott.”

“I just… I just don’t understand. I thought Gem and Katherine were my allies but Gem is now fully on fWhip’s side and Katherine pretends she’s on everyone’s side but she always seems to back up the person who isn’t me. Who do I have on my side?”

“You’ve got me, you’ve got Joel, you’ve got Lizzie.”

“I do trust Joel and Lizzie, and you of course, but… I-I’m just kinda expecting everyone to leave me if another alliance offers something better. And I wouldn’t even blame them.”

Pixl pauses, casting a brief look at the walls surrounding him. “...well, I’ll never leave you.”

“I-I don’t think you can realistically promise that,” Jimmy responds dejectedly.

This reinforces Pixl’s resolve. “I’m doing it anyway. You need an ally you can always count on, and I will be that ally. No matter what, Jimmy, I’ll stick by you. I know my empire is a long way from yours but if you ever need backup again, send me a message and I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and fly straight over.”

“Really…?” Jimmy stares at him with hopeful eyes. “Wh-Why would you do that for me? Aren’t there better, stronger empires out there you can ally with?”

“Frankly, yeah, there are. But I don’t care. It’s not all about power.”

Jimmy scoffs.

“It’s not,” Pixl repeats. “Power gets you through a war, sure, but wars aren’t the only things empires have to deal with. You’re a kind and fair ruler to your subjects, Jimmy. Villagers, animals, everything. You always go the extra mile to ensure their comfort and safety, and in this world, that’s a rarity. Power really isn’t the only thing that matters. It’s one of the biggest, but that doesn’t mean you should be counted out just on lack of power. That’s why you find yourself a powerful ally, right? And I like to flatter myself that I’ve built up a pretty powerful empire here. Maybe not fWhip-level powerful, but strong enough to defend us both if a certain tnt-crazed empire comes calling.”

Jimmy gazes at him. “Would you really put your empire on the line for my fights?”

“Of course.” Pixl gives him a kind smile. “That’s what allies do.”

“...Pixl, I…” Jimmy can hardly muster any words to express his emotions. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. All we need to do is take care of each other and we’ll be okay.”

“Pix…” Jimmy is almost completely lost for words. He’s never had someone show this level of dedication towards him before, especially considering they haven’t known each other very long. “A-Anything you need, Pix, anything at all, just ask.”

Pixl’s smile falls as his eyes flicker up to the scar on Jimmy’s face. “Actually… I do have a question. How did you get that scar on your face?”

“Huh?” Jimmy’s hand automatically moves to touch the jagged line on his forehead. “Oh. This. A, um… a piece of debris from fWhip’s second tnt explosion got me. Nearly got my eye, actually.”

“It looks bad. Untreated.”

“Yeah, I… I’m not so good at first aid and I did ask Scott and Gem if one of them could help me clean it but they refused.”

Pixl’s eyes widen. “They what?!”

Jimmy nods sadly. “They made some excuses and left. Scott said it didn’t look that bad and I could deal with it myself. I looked at it in the river and I also didn’t think it looked that bad.”

“Gosh.” Pixl shakes his head disapprovingly, a deep frown on his face. “That’s… That’s so terrible.”

“I-I’m sorry,” whispers Jimmy.

“What? No, not you. I can’t believe Scott and Gem would leave you when you were clearly hurt. Do you have a first aid kit back in your base? And your food situation: do you have enough food? What’s your diet like?”

A little taken aback by the sudden questions, Jimmy hesitates. “I’ve, uh… been eating fish, mostly. Cod Empire, you know.”

“Any potatoes? Carrots?”

Jimmy shakes his head.

Pixl scrutinises him. “Right, okay. Jimmy, you’re gonna stay with me here for a while.”

“A-A while?”

“A few days. You’ve been through a lot lately; you need someone to take care of you. I’ll get that wound treated for you, show you around my empire, and make sure you get some nutrients in your diet. Do you have a potato farm?” Before Jimmy can reply, Pixl continues, “Nevermind, I’ll get you enough potatoes to either get started or improve it, whichever. You need to keep drinking water, though; you’ll get dehydrated really fast in the desert.”

He pauses as he registers the smile on Jimmy’s face. “What?” he chuckles.

“Nothing.” Jimmy averts his gaze, though his smile remains. “Just… thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have you on my side.”

Pixl smiles back and squeezes Jimmy’s shoulder.

“I’ll always be on your side, Jimmy. Always.”

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 123

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Chapter 123: The Second Sacrifice

What happened the night before, nobody knew—except for Jian Qianyuan and that unfortunate dead partner of hers.

Lin Qiushi remembered that yesterday, Jian Qianyuan had also been one of the people eschewing the unpleasant taste of lunch. But sat before the same nauseating and flavored dead-fish lunch today, her odd behavior gave Lin Qiushi an unfortunate supposition. Could Jian Qianyuan have been affected by that monster as well…

Jian Qianyuan didn't care at all what the others thought. Once she finished eating, she left the dining room with a satisfied pat of her slightly distended belly. On her way out she seemed to have noticed the shocked looks everyone was sending her, and answered with a cold smile.

"The taste is actually pretty good. If you like, you should all go give it a try," she mumbled to herself.

Nobody answered her, and she shrugged in disinterest before leaving.

Lin Qiushi watched her enter a room. And when the rooms changed, Jian Qianyuan disappeared before the crowd.

The locations of the rooms kept changing; every few minutes, a new room appeared in front of the deck.

Some were lucky—people found their stuff inside the rooms and brought them out. Others not so much, never managing to find their original rooms.

Lin Qiushi, on the other hand, made a new discovery. While they were perusing the hallways, they were fortunate enough to see once more that locked room they'd discovered the day before. Only, something had changed about it. The door to that room now stood wide open, and the chain that had locked it from the inside was scattered in broken pieces all over the ground. It seemed to have been violently broken off.

"I remember this room," Lin Qiushi said. "Room 201." He looked at the door plate, thinking of the room number they'd seen yesterday. "Is there anything inside it now?"

Ruan Nanzhu stood in the doorway staring into the dark interior.

"You don't hear anything inside?" he asked.

"No," Lin Qiushi shook his head after listening for a while. He was sure he could hear nothing moving about.

"Then that thing probably left." Ruan Nanzhu approached and took a step inside, casually turning on a kerosene lamp on the table beside him.

The dim light illuminated what wasn't a terribly large room, and they got a good look at what was inside.

The room was both normal and abnormal. Normal was its furnishings, which were identical to where Lin Qiushi's group slept. Abnormal was the additional things inside the room: a bunch of fish scales.

These scales were scattered throughout the entire room, filling the space with a disgusting fishy stench. Lin Qiushi also noticed that on the floors, there was a sort of liquid—like water, but a bit more viscous—smeared all over. It was discomforting to look at.

And on the walls and furniture all around them, there were marks made by sharp claws, telling them that this indeed was the room that once held that monster prisoner.

Lin Qiushi inspected these claw marks and found them extremely deep; if those claws could do this much to hardwood flooring, then it was easy to surmise that a fragile human body for them wouldn't stand a single blow.

Gu Longming was gagging out of disgust, but Ruan Nanzhu took a napkin from his shirt and collected a few of the scales.

Though at present, they didn't know what the fish scales were for, it was better to be prepared just in case.

Lin Qiushi searched the rest of the room for other clues. Quickly, he found a man's shoe in the corner. It made Lin Qiushi think of the man who'd been eaten yesterday. Did the monster drag its prey back to its room?

As Lin Qiushi was contemplating this, Gu Longming said: "Time's almost up." The moment they came in, he'd started counting down, and there were still around ten seconds before five minutes were up.

"Let's get out of here," Ruan Nanzhu said. "This place doesn't seem to be of any more use."

Lin Qiushi agreed.

Not long after the three left that room, its location changed into another room. Lin Qiushi's expression was a bit downcast.

Ruan Nanzhu asked what was on his mind.

Lin Qiushi: "I think things might be worse than we thought."

"What do you mean?" Gu Longming asked in doubt.

"Is the monster's position truly fixed?" Lin Qiushi asked. "Or can it move around?"

Before he'd seen that room, he thought the monster's position was fixed. But upon seeing that ruined chain, he'd formulated an unfortunate hypothesis: the monster could move, and it could move throughout the entire labyrinth. Though, like the humans, it could not find the exit, all the people lost in the maze were just like food to it.

"Your guess is likely correct." Ruan Nanzhu glanced at his watch. "There are still thirteen people. That's enough to feed him for ten days."

Gu Longming forced out a laugh: "You guys are joking, right?"

Ruan Nanzhu shrugged.

"Only if you like this sort of humor."

At dinner, Lin Qiushi had thought he'd be able to see that bug-covered NPC. But the NPC didn't show. It seemed he only appeared in the dining room at lunch, and had its role refreshed consistently…

Everybody except Jian Qianyuan still ate their dinners listlessly.

When Jian Qianyuan appeared in the dining hall once more, she continued scarfing down the fish placed before her. Her unrestrained way of eating left the crowd with even less of an appetite, and they all dispersed after swallowing down some noodles.

Lin Qiushi's group was the same. Only, before leaving, Lin Qiushi took a closer look at Jian Qianyuan, wanting to see if there were any changes on her body.

To his puzzlement, Jian Qianyuan was still currently a simple human. Beyond suddenly loving fish, there was nothing odd about her.

"I'm really scared to see her become one of those things tomorrow." Gu Longming's current feelings about Jian Qianyuan were complex; he and Lin Qiushi were thinking of the same thing.

Neither Lin Qiushi nor Ruan Nanzhu spoke.

That night, Lin Qiushi wasn't getting much sleep. His mind was filled with thoughts of Jian Qianyuan, the way she was changing, and connections between all the clues.

As for Ruan Nanzhu, he'd taken out the fish scales from his pocket, set them on the table, and was currently scrutinizing them closely.

It wasn't raining tonight, and a clean bright moon hung in the sky, casting a silver glow down onto the ship deck and ocean surface. The sea wind brought with it salt and heat through the window, and the beds beneath them were lightly swaying. Had they not been in a door, the atmosphere here actually seemed a tad like a leisurely vacation.

Lin Qiushi looked out to his side. The scenery outside the window changed every five minutes.

Sometimes he could see the deck, and sometimes the stern. Sometimes it was just a black wall. The two people lying behind him seemed to be asleep already, their breathing going even. But just before Lin Qiushi fell asleep as well, he heard a peculiar sound—something was moving across the floorboards. The thing was heavy, enough to press soft creaks from the wooden planks, and it didn't seem to be wearing shoes. Lin Qiushi could even hear the quiet stick of flesh to wood.

This sound was getting closer, finally coming to a stop near their window.

Lin Qiushi held his breath. Through half-closed eyes he saw a gigantic shadow blocking the light from his window. …And Lin Qiushi smelled a wave of familiar fish rot—he knew exactly what the thing standing backlit before him was.

That giant fish-headed monster they saw last night.

It stood right outside Lin Qiushi's window, its nose twitching like it was in search of a specific scent. Lin Qiushi held his breath and didn't dare move an inch.

By moonlight, Lin Qiushi saw that thing slowly place its hands on their window, and then begin to shake the frame with those web-linked fingers.

The window wasn't strong, crunching loudly with the push. Ruan Nanzhu and Gu Longming too woke instantly from their sleep, and the first thing they saw was the giant silhouette standing outside. They could also hear that low, animalistic roaring.

Lin Qiushi thought at first that Gu Longming, fresh from a dream, would scream at the sight of this, but instead he only shuddered before pressing his voice low: "Fuck me, am I having a nightmare right now? Why is this thing at our door—"

Ruan Nanzhu was also calm, pulling out a dinner knife from his pocket that he'd stolen from the dining room.

"Maybe it discovered how tasty we looked?" he said.

Gu Longming patted at his own face and said in a tone of disbelief: "…do I look tasty?"

Ruan Nanzhu looked at him with sympathy: "I guess some monsters like extreme flavors."

Meanwhile, Lin Qiushi thoroughly applauded the enormous nerves on these two people.

The monster broke a hole in the window with a single shove, all the glass on it shattering and raining onto the floor. Then it started trying to climb in. Upon discovering the window was too small, those lumpy white eyes gave a twist, gaze falling sideways onto the wooden door.

"Fuck," Gu Longming swore. "It's not really trying to get in, is it?!"

"Looks that way." Ruan Nanzhu frowned. "Is death random then? No…No way! There’s something we’ve missed!"

As they spoke, the fishman began slamming into the door, and the already-flimsy wood quickly began to topple under its barrage. Lin Qiushi could even hear the wood beginning to splinter.

"When it rushes in, I'll hold it back while you guys escape through the window." Ruan Nanzhu's voice rang clear and calm still. "Got it, Linlin?"

"No," Lin Qiushi said. "I'm not leaving you here alone. Do not make the same mistake."

He frowned, looking very unhappy.

Ruan Nanzhu fell silent, and then sighed like he was giving up something.

"Alright, as you wish."

He handed Lin Qiushi a dinner knife.

"I'm not leaving either," Gu Longming added beside them, jittery.

Though he looked exasperated, Ruan Nanzhu didn't try to talk them out of it. He looked at his watch and said, "thirty seconds. Just hold out for thirty seconds and keep it outside—"

Lin Qiushi and Gu Longming instantly understood—after thirty seconds, the rooms would change, and once the rooms changed they would be able to leave the room, losing the monster behind them.

But these thirty seconds weren't so easy to obtain, because the fishman had already used those sharp claws of his to tear away half of the planks on the door. It seemed moments away from squeezing that scale-covered body through the crack.

Gu Longming turned around and fetched a table to blockade the door with. Ruan Nanzhu dragged the bed over as well to add to the barricade.

Watching Ruan Nanzhu, however, suddenly reminded Lin Qiushi of something. He remembered that the first thing the fishman did when it got to their window was twitch its nose, sniffing—

"Give me the scales you collected today!" Lin Qiushi yelled.

"What?" Ruan Nanzhu startled.

"The scales that you found inside the monster's room—" Lin Qiushi began to repeat loudly once more.

But luckily, Ruan Nanzhu reacted swiftly. The moment he understood Lin Qiushi's meaning he pulled a small paper pouch from his pockets and tossed it outside through a break in the window.

The scales wrapped up in the paper pouch scattered all over the hallway outside. The fishman, once intent on breaking the door down, paused with it, before going over to where the pouch was and bending down as if to pick up the scales.

Seeing this, Lin Qiushi felt some tension release. But the very next moment, once it discovered that there were only scales in the paper, the fishman let out an infuriated roar. It turned around and lunged again for where they were.

All this moving around, however, was enough to last those long thirty seconds. The fishman lunged for them, and just before it would shatter the door, their room switched position, and the fishman disappeared from in front of them.

Lin Qiushi opened the broken door in a hurry and, after making sure the fishman wasn't outside, switched into another room with Ruan Nanzhu and Gu Longming.

His worry soon became reality, because about two minutes later, that fishman once again found their room. It completely obliterated the door before throwing itself inside.

At that moment, Lin Qiushi's group was hidden in a room not far from that one, watching everything go down from the window.

The endless sounds of destruction floated over. After it was sure that its prey had gotten away, the fishman left, heavily panting. It looked as if it had a new target though—that huge mouth of its was slightly open, revealing the sharp thin teeth all crammed inside and the saliva dripping out of a corner.

The three humans hiding in the room didn't dare to make a sound, not until the fishman had gone. Then, Gu Longming let out a long exhale of relief.

"Fuck me, it was following the smell of the fish?! I really thought we were dead there!"

None of them had thought that the fish would come into such effect here. Had Lin Qiushi not reacted so quickly, the three of them might have suffered a casualty among them.

Though the fishman was gone, Ruan Nanzhu's expression had not relaxed. His solemn eyes seemed to make Gu Longming uneasy, and Gu Longming asked, "what is it? Zhu Meng?"

"I think Jian Qianyuan is about to die," Ruan Nanzhu said.

Just as Gu Longming was about to ask why, he remembered the odd developments around Jian Qianyuan during the day. She seemed to have eaten a lot of fish, enough that when she left the dining room, they could all smell that hefty rotten scent on her. If even they could smell the scent, then undoubtedly that monster could easily sniff her out too.

Sure enough, not long after the fishman left, Lin Qiushi's sharp hearing caught a woman's scream. The scream sounded quite far from then, and Lin Qiushi could only vaguely hear it. As for Gu Longming and Ruan Nanzhu, they couldn't hear it at all.

The screaming continued, accompanied by sobbing and wailing, and in the end, it petered off, leaving only hair-raising bellows and sounds of chewing.

Those sounds came from the deck. Lin Qiushi didn't want to know at all what they would find up there the next day.

Of course it would be yet another scooped-clean body, with all its innards gone, leaving only an empty skeletal frame.

It seemed that Ruan Nanzhu could tell Lin Qiushi was having a hard time sleeping. He sat down at the side of Lin Qiushi's bed and lied down with Lin Qiushi, tucking his chin against the top of Lin Qiushi's head. He kissed the strands of hair gently.

The warmth of a body against his back gave Lin Qiushi's frozen voice box a little bit of comfort, but that terrifying sound still seemed to be echoing in between Lin Qiushi's ears. He felt like he could still hear Jian Qianyuan's wailing…

"She's dead," Lin Qiushi said.

"Mh," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Go to sleep. This is normal."

"Maybe I could've figured out a way to save her," Lin Qiushi sighed.

"But you had to save yourself first." Ruan Nanzhu's fingers traversed paths through Lin Qiushi's hair. "We're still short a long sword to kill it with."

In the myth, the weapon that Theseus used to kill the Minotaur was a long sword. But they hadn't seen any weapon on the ship  that could damage the fishman—dinner knives were surely a no-go.

"We found the string," Lin Qiushi said, "and we also found the aperitif." When Jian Qianyuan died, he understood what aperitif actually meant.

Ruan Nanzhu kissed the tip of Lin Qiushi's ear.

"Sleep already. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

Lin Qiushi made a noise of agreement and closed his eyes.

He tried, but he didn't actually manage to sleep so well, only waited blearily until morning.

The weather wasn't good today. That thick cloud layer once again enveloped the entire sky, dim enough to scare people with.

Lin Qiushi got up early and went out onto the deck with Ruan Nanzhu and Gu Longming. None of them were surprised by the additional corpse there. Though its face was no longer discernible, the clothes told them that it was indeed Jian Qianyuan.

Her stomach had been torn open, and all the fish she'd eaten the day before was nowhere to be seen. Also gone were all her innards.

Shen Juexin, who'd already been seasick, vomited once more. Vomiting with him were a few of the weaker girls with a lower threshold of tolerance.

Lin Qiushi also spotted the girl who'd given him a heads up the other day, Xiao Mo. The erratic vibe of a newcomer had faded for her, and her expression was a lot number now, like she was already able to accept the horrifying scene before her.

Two days had passed. Jian Qianyuan was the second sacrifice to be eaten.

The group quickly took care of Jian Qianyuan's body, if "taking care" meant tossing it into the ocean and watching the fish take apart what was left of her.

"I saw that monster yesterday too." The number of people who'd seen the monster had increased, and someone was tremulously describing what happened the night before. "It passed by my door and walked to Jian Qianyuan's room. It split the door open and dragged Jian Qianyuan out…"

"It was too scary," that person said. "I couldn't help her. I'm no match for that monster."

Nobody could defeat a two-meter-tall monster. If they had some firearms, maybe they'd be able to put up a fight, but under these circumstances with only dinner knives at their disposal, nobody wanted to put their lives on the line.

Lin Qiushi was a bit tired. He found a place to sit down in the dining room and pushed the peas in his plate around.

The NPC who gave them food had also appeared, and he looked exactly the same as he did the first day Lin Qiushi saw him. Even his expression was unchanged.

Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu exchanged a look. Then Ruan Nanzhu got up first, walking toward that NPC.

"Hello sir," Ruan Nanzhu greeted him.

The NPC didn't speak, just stared coldly at Ruan Nanzhu. It was like he was a robot, and what to do when greeted by someone wasn't programmed into his system at all.

"Hello sir," Ruan Nanzhu said to him a second time.

The man still didn't respond.

With a tilt of his head, Ruan Nanzhu pushed the plate of food in front of them right to the ground. The fish inside the plates scattered all over, breaking into pieces.

"What are you doing?" the man finally spoke, sounding quite unhappy.

"I just wanted to ask," Ruan Nanzhu said, "when you're making the food, do you always bring so many insects along with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

A casual swipe got Ruan Nanzhu one of the human-faced insects buzzing in circles around the man.

"You don't?"

Seeing this, the man set down the ladle for food preparation in his hand and made to leave. But Ruan Nanzhu caught him by a shoulder.

"And where are you going?"

The man began to shake violently.

Watching from afar, Lin Qiushi first thought the man was afraid of maybe angry, but very quickly he discovered that it was neither—the man was melting.

His body was rapidly shrinking, turning from head to toe into a mass of black. This lump dispersed in the dining room with a buzz—it was a hoard of flying insects.

Everybody in the dining room was stunned by this scene, before smacking at them like crazy.

But the insects came and went quickly, disappearing from the dining room just like that. And the NPC who had been right in front of them was now only a set of empty clothing.

"Motherfucker." Gu Longming hadn't seen this coming at all, and said blankly: "This brother was a mosquito demon?"

Lin Qiushi: "…" He didn't know what to say either.

Ruan Nanzhu scratched his head and peeked at Lin Qiushi. "Does this mean there's nobody to feed us fish from now on?"

Lin Qiushi: "…seems that way."

Ruan Nanzhu lifted his palms with an innocent expression. Everybody else in the dining room however—their expressions grew complicated. Who knew what came to mind.

Ruan Nanzhu: "That's a bit of a shame, isn't it."

The group: "…" Not a shame at all, thank you.

Translator’s Note

RNZ speaks to the NPC in the polite register of “you,” lmfao

[Ch. 122] | [Ch. 124]

[ecclais-fouoras]

Strawberry blonde

Chapter one: "pull me away at our doorstep"

Warning ⚠️ ahs 10 spoiler

⚠️ ahs 10 spoiler

"NO PLEASE I DON'T WANNA DIE ! MICKYYYY"

Karen had backed away as much as she had been able to into the door, pill in her hand she was acting on pure instinct, the desision was meer seconds to be made when she felt something pull her backwards and a loud slam, in panic she didn't even know if she was already dead. "WHAT TH- ?!"  "Shh" she was met by a hand on her mouth but somehow something in her told her that it was not a threat, she took some time to examine it, the hand was soft yet strong, masculine but in a woman's way.

"If you're quiet these dumbasses will forget you're there." She said as you let her face go.

A while passed before the woman made sure they were no longer on wondering around at your porch.

"Come on, let's get you up" Karen was pulled up to her feet by the strangers arm. "What were you doing out there I'm sure you know it's dangerous to be out with these creatures."

"Who...who are you ??"

"Oh right ! I'm y/n, y/l/n. What about you ?"

"Y..you want to know ?"

"Well sure ! I had you pined against my door usually I know the girl's name before I do that."

Karen was absolutely speechless, and even started blushing at your words.

"Relax that was a joke, you look like you just had the worst night of your life I thought it might cheer you up"

"Why would you want that ?"

"Why wouldn't I ?"

"Well look at me do you know how many people care about a homeless junky ? That's right zero"

"Well you can count one now"

"Oh please like that's true"

"Believe me or don't then but I'd still like to know who I'm talking to"

"I'm Karen, but everyone calls me TB karen"

You said as you went further in your kitchen.

"Would you like some tea ? Or coffee ?"

"No please don't waist your drinks on me"

"Water ? Juice ? I think I might even have a beer"

"But it's very late, I should just go find mickey"

"You mean the guy who left you to die on the porch ?"

"..H..he didn't...he gave...gave me this"

Karen showed you the little brown crumpled up in her hand. Suddenly you backed away and took the pill before throwing it in your fireplace.

"Have you ever taken one of these ??"

"No..I always refused who do you think I am ?!"

"Well I just know there are tones of people who get started with it now"

"I'm not like them, I don't wanna be like them"

"Good"

"I should really get going then"

"...oh absolutely not, you'll sleep here for the night don't worry"

".. I really shouldn't"

"Don't be silly I'm not going to send you outside with these monsters"

You walked in your house and opened a door before turning the lights on

"Here, you can set your things and take a shower. You're probably hungry I'll make you something real quick anything you'd like ?"

"I don't know when's the last time I had a shower honestly, I don't want to stain you're furniture."

"Come on it's a shower the whole point is to get in dirty and end up clean. Stay here I'll hand you a towel real quick"

"..well...thank you"

"No problem sweetie"

You came back with a few things, fresh underwear, a set of pijamas, a brush and toothbrush.

"Here, I'll get started on the food you must be starving"

"You didn't have to give me nightwear, I'm used to sleeping in this, it's good for the cold"

"Don't worry you won't need that here we have covers, and I'll wash your clothes too"

"You don't need to do that"

"I know but it's counterproductive to wear dirty clothes if you just took a shower don't you agree ?"

Karen nodded and slightly blushed.

"Come on, hop in the shower, oh also to get warmer water turn left, and colder one the other side."

She did what you suggested, taken the items from you hands, while you went back and started cooking, about half and hour later you heard Karen push the door to the kitchen, in the nightgown and pants you'd gave her, her hair was brushed, her face looked less pale than when she arrived, her red marks had faded a little, and only then did you notice how beautiful she was.

"Hey there, you can sit at the table I'll bring you your plate in a minute.

"Thanks again Ms y/l/n"

"Oh no honey call me y/n"

You come back with her meal, getting her a glass of water.

Immediately after Karen started eating, "oh...y/n you're a wonderful cook this is so good.."

"It's not much Karen but I'm glad you're enjoying it"

After ten minutes she was done eating, and offered to wash the dishes in return for your kindness, you said there she didn't own you anything and hospitality and care s was important to you. She nodded acknowledging your words.

When it was finally time to go to sleep you told her you were in your room if she needed anything and tl have a good night.

You laid in bed and couldn't stop thinking about the strawberry blonde head.

God what was happening to you ?