#i really feel like my neighbor is gonna witch hunt me

[wittyworm]

i feel so confused and inside out. im hoping tomorrows Adderall adventure is more productive. today it felt like the adderall gave me a chance to relax my brain from the chaos only to realize. things are looking very. bleak. stressful. i dont know what the next few days will bring . for shorty. for me if i dont get these fucking jobs. i cant make art cause i lost all my shit when my ipad broke. i dont feel safe at home. i hoope shortys SS deposit comes through like they said. or else we are gonna have to get like the cops and lawyers involved.........................................................

[scarletqueenx]

chapter seven - dark magic

Dean Winchester x Female Reader

Summary: Dean and you had dated for a few months before his father disappeared and his journey with Sam began. Now, having made a deal to save his brother's life and with only a year to live, Dean considers reconnecting with the only girl he's ever had feelings for. You.

Author’s Note: English is not my first language. This is my first time writing in the readers perspective, as i'm used to write oc´s.

series masterlist

Looking into the book and the knife Maddie had given you was much more difficult with the Winchester brothers constantly at your side. Yes, in some motels you got separate adjoining rooms, which gave you more leeway, but most of the time you were never completely alone.

For the moment, all you had managed to do was confirm that the book was indeed a spell book. All written by a witch named Ophelia, whose name was written on the back cover. But the knife was a complete mystery. None of the symbols written on its blade made any sense to you. Although its balance and weight were perfect for hunting and for fiddling with while doing research.

Talking to Bobby was out of the question. Your father even more so, as you were convinced he was hiding things from you. And Dean and Sam. Well, you had come to the conclusion that they could help you, especially Sam, but after hearing Dean's thoughts about witches while working on your current case, you decided it would be best not to bring it up.

"I hate witches." Dean had said. "They're always spewing their bodily fluids everywhere."

You couldn't help but frown, remembering how you brother had hinted that your mother may have been a witch. And if that was true, either she was a very different one from the ones Dean knew or Dean didn't know what a witch really looked like.

"It's creepy, you know, it's down right unsanitary." He continued.

"Yeah, well someone definitely had it out for Janet Dutton." Sam commented, mentioning the victim, who had died after all her teeth fell out of her mouth due to a hex bag.

"Yeah, someone who snuck into that house and planted the bag. So, what are we thinking, we're uh, looking for some old craggy Blair bitch in the woods?" Dean asked.

"No, it could be anyone. Neighbor, coworker, man, woman—that's the problem, Dean, they're human, they're like everyone else."

"Okay, so how do we find them?"

"This wasn't random; someone in Janet Dutton's life had an ugly axe to grind. We find the motive-"

"We find the murderer." Dean completed his brothers words. Sam nodded.

"Yeah."

Dean nodded slightly, his gaze traveling to you, who had been quiet ever since you'd gone to the victim's house to question the husband. You were sitting on the room's couch, lost in thought as you fiddled with your necklace.

"Are you gonna say something?" He asked. You looked up, watching him in confusion. "Witches."

"Oh. Yeah, right." You nodded nervously. "Uh... I think you guys should handle this case. I'm not feeling very well." You admitted in a lie. This was your perfect opportunity to be alone. "I'll do research if you need me to."

"Are you sure? Do you feel all right?" Sam asked with concern in his voice.

"Oh, yeah, nothing serious." You assured. "You know, menstrual cramps."

"Okay, I didn't need to know that information." Dean complained, looking away.

"It's natural, Dean. No need for that reaction."

"Yeah, no... I know." He replied quickly. "Do... Do you need anything?" He asked hesitantly, to which you couldn't help but smile as Sam let out a small amused chuckle.

"Chocolate would be nice." You admitted. "Thanks, Dean."

"Yeah, whatever." He sighed leaving the motel room.

You and Sam couldn't help but smile and shared an amused look.

"You sure you're okay?" Sam asked as he grabbed his jacket.

"Yeah, I'm fine." You nodded. "Go keep an eye on Janet's husband. If someone wanted to get back at her for something, they might want to hurt him too."

"Yeah, that's possible." He admitted thoughtfully. "Good idea."

"Anytime." You smiled before watching him leave.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

You weren't worried about Sam and Dean, you knew they could deal with it on their own. But you still couldn't help but feel a sense of distress. It had appeared at the very instant you had stepped into that city. As if something was waiting or lurking for you. That provoked an uneasiness in you and it was quite noticeable by how you paced back and forth across the room as you read that spell book in an attempt of finding something that looked familiar to you.

The room was in complete silence, only filled by your footsteps and your breathing. So when your phone rang, you almost jolted. With your heart pounding in your chest, you quickly ran to the bedside table where you had left it and answered it without checking who it was.

"Hello?" You said, clearing you throat at the sound of your tired voice.

"Hey, sweetheart." Your father answered on the other end of the line.

"Dad, what's wrong? Everything okay? Why haven't you gone back home yet?" You asked with concern, since your father had stopped answering your calls and messages for weeks. Even after Christmas.

"I'm going to see Carter."

"What? Why?"

"I can't explain it yet, I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know that I'm okay."

"Great, I'm glad." You replied sarcastically. "I'm fine too, thank you very much for asking. Oh, and the son you left home alone is also perfectly fine. I can see you're really worried about him."

"I..."

"Leave it. I don't want to hear it."

"No, listen... You must be careful..." His voice cut out as the radio on the bedside table suddenly began to play.

"Dad?" Your frowned, looking down at your phone to check if the call was still on. "Dad?"

"Listen..." Henry's voice sounded for a moment before it was cut once again as the song on the radio changed. You quickly recognized it as I Put a Spell on You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins which only made your confusion grow.

What your didn't know was that the same song was also being played on the car radio of Paul Dutton, Janet's husband and the next victim of the witch who had killed her. Fortunately for him Sam and Dean were able to save him as they had been following him.

Alarmed by what had happened and after trying to call your father again, you decided to prepare the room so that nothing supernatural could enter it. Lines of salt, a bottle of holy water in your hand and your gun. You cursed Dean for taking the Colt, although it made sense considering he was in the middle of a hunt.

Just as you finished getting everything ready a message from Dean came through on your phone, asking how you were doing and informing you that he and Sam were on their way to the supposed witch's house. You sighed with relief as you saw his message, a faint smile peeking over your lips at his concern for you. A smile that only grew when Dean added that he had bought the chocolate you had asked for and would bring it to you as soon as they were done.

But again, another noise brought you out of your thoughts and caused your smile to fade. This time it wasn't the radio, which had stopped playing once the song was over. This time it had been two knocks on the motel room door.

"I know you're in there." A woman's voice was heard from the other side of the door. A voice completely unfamiliar to you. "I don't want to do this the hard way, so why don't you come out so we can talk? I promise I come in peace. I just want to chat."

"Who are you?" You asked, pointing your gun at the door.

The mysterious woman left out a sigh before answering. "My name is written in that book you have hidden under the bed and whose location you lied to your brother about. Poor Carter really tried to look for it in that mental institution. He didn't think you were smart enough to lie to him and take it away. Or so stupid. I still can't make up my mind what you are. Although if you listen to me and leave the room maybe you'll clear up that doubt for me."

You looked down for a second at Dean's bed, right where you had hidden the book.

Hesitantly, you decided to open the door and leave the room. Leaning against the wall, a beautiful woman with brown hair and brown eyes was waiting for you. She was dressed completely in black and her face had a smile on it.

"So smart is it." The woman commented as you appeared before her. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ophelia." She stretched out her hand towards you.

"You are the witch who wrote the book." You assumed, ignoring her hand.

"Was." Ophelia corrected. "There is nothing left of the woman I used to be. Not anymore." She explained, showing her dark black eyes which revealed her as a demon. "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you." Ophelia spoke again as she watched you pull out a small bottle from your jacket pocket. A bottle that contained enough holy water to harm her while you locked and protected yourself back in the room.

"I don't like demons, so you'd better talk fast." You threatened, tightening your grip on the bottle, ready to throw it at her.

"Yeah, I know. I'm aware of what happened." Ophelia admitted. "I'm really sorry. But I'm not like them. I'm not like the rest of the demons."

"Why is that? Because before you went to hell you were a witch?" You raised your eyebrows.

"Yes. And no." She answered. "You see, hon, I knew your ancestor. The reason you're in this world is because of me. I'm the one who gave her a potion so she could get pregnant. I am the reason your family is still in this world. And the reason you and your brothers are special."

"What are you talking about?" You frowned.

"Though of course, it was bound to happen. So maybe you're not that special after all. Another woman could have been the one to ask for my help. But it was your ancestor, so here we are." Ophelia sighed.

"Would you care to explain?"

"I don't have time for this. I just want my book."

"Sure you do. You know where it is. Come on in." You stepped aside, leaving the entrance to the room completely clear for her. Ophelia smiled.

"I know there's a demon trap drawn over there. I'm not going in."

"Then you won't get the book." You shrugged.

"You don't want that book, believe me. It will only lead you to want to awaken your powers and that's a lousy idea. You'll put a target on your head, just like your brother did. And your mother before him."

"So it's true, my mother was a witch?" You asked making her sigh.

"When I made the potion so that Melinda could have kids, I used some special ingredients. And when we were burned for witchcraft, I anchored my power to that book and her daughter Sarah." Ophelia explained. "Magic has run through the veins of your maternal family until the birth of Carter, the first son in generations. A prophet wrote that when two boys and a girl were born to this family, the power would be uncontrollable."

"That's why a demon killed my mother and then wanted to kill Peter?"

"With your mother dead there would be no more sons. And as macabre as it sounds, Peter was just a baby. His death would hurt less."

"Sounds like you decided that." You pointed in confusion.

"If one of the males dies your bond with me will die and the magic will disappear. That's what I and all the demons want." Ophelia declared, crossing her arms.

"And the book?"

"It's dangerous if other witches find it."

"I'll make sure it doesn't happen." You assured, going back into the room, but Ophelia grabbed you arm before you could do so.

"I have come in peace. I wouldn't want to have to take it from you the hard way."

"From what you've explained to me, you've already done that once."

"I didn't kill your mother."

"Maybe not, but it was you who sent the demon, wasn't it? You ordered him to kill her."

"No. He killed her because she broke a deal. I told him to kill Peter to break the bond and bring me the book. He did neither. He's useless."

"You also killed Maddie's mother, didn't you?" You assumed without paying much attention to her words.

"I knew she had the book. But she hid it very well and I still don't know how."

You were about to speak but the sound of the Impala's engine caught both your and Ophelia's attention.

"I'll be back." The woman assured. "And when I do, I'll leave with the book." She then released your arm and disappeared into the darkness of the night before Dean and Sam could get out of the car at a much faster speed than usual.

The eldest of the brothers was the first to reach you, his hands gripping your shoulders and his eyes watching your with concern as he searched for any injuries. "Are you all right? Who was that woman?"

"I... She..."

"She's gone." Sam spoke as he reached them after trying to follow Ophelia. His breathing accelerated due to his running.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

After the three of you walked back into the room, you ran to lock yourself in the bathroom without saying a word. Dean insisted that you tell him what had happened, but it was clear to him that you were too shaken to do so.

Sam watched as his brother paced back and forth nervously, running a hand through his hair as he gave quick glances at the bathroom door.

"Do you think it was a witch?" His question broke the silence.

"No. It was a demon." Dean assured. "She lied to us about Salem. And all this... Her traveling with us, it all started because of the demon that kidnapped her. She's hiding something."

"Hiding what?" Sam frowned.

"I don't know, Sam." Dean answered.

"So what do you think? That girl was the demon that kidnapped her back there in San Francisco?"

"I don't know. It could have possessed someone else. But... There's something else. She said she could have stolen the Colt and the car and taken off. But if it was a random demon, she wouldn't be so eager to kill it, would she?"

"An exorcism would be enough." Sam admitted.

"Yeah, and she certainly knows how to do one. Why would she want the Colt?"

Sam remained silent, not knowing what to say. His head spinning with possible explanations.

You still weren't able to process the things Ophelia had told you. She was one of the reasons for all your suffering. She was the cause of much of the pain your family had been exposed to. And your wanted her dead. But you remembered the fear in your father's voice on the call earlier. He had told you to be careful. You knew Ophelia wanted the book and would do anything to get it back. So now there was just one person in your mind. Peter.

"I'm leaving." You declared as you came out of the bathroom. Your voice caught both Winchester brothers' attention, who still hadn't quite processed you words.

"What? No." Dean answered.

"This was a mistake. I should never have left home with you in the first place. I have to go back home."

"No, what you have to do is tell us what the hell is going on." He corrected as he watched you go through her things. He called your name numerous times, but you continued to ignore him. "Talk to us." Dean walked towards you, holding your arms to force you to look him in the eye. "Talk to me." His voice came out pleading. You could see the desperation reflected in his eyes.

You looked at him with hesitation. If you told them the truth, the whole truth, they might reject you because your mother was a witch. Dean had said it himself, he hated witches. And if there was a chance that you were one too, who knew what they would do. You couldn't do it. You couldn't tell them the truth. Right?

Just then the radio started playing once again, the same song as before. But it couldn't be Ophelia causing it, she couldn't have come back yet. It was clear she had left because she was afraid the Winchesters might use the Colt against her. But then again, had it been you who had caused the radio to turn itself on? Had your magic already awakened and you were unable to control it?

"What the hell?" Dean frowned, looking at the radio.

"Isn't that the song that was playing in Paul's car?" Sam asked in confusion. His question brought you out of your thoughts. Your eyes darting quickly away from Dean to travel to Sam.

"What?" You asks, puzzled.

"The song. It's the one that was playing when Paul was attacked." He explained.

"I thought..."

"What?" Dean turned to you. But then the impala's lights began to flicker, attracting his attention. Quickly, Dean released your arms and opened the room's door, finding a woman standing next to his car.

You and Sam were soon on Dean's side, their eyes also on the woman.

"Ruby." Sam murmured as he recognized her. You frowned in confusion.

"Sam, listen to me, there's no time." Ruby spoke looking only at him.

"For what? What are you talking about?" Sam frowned.

"You have to get out of town."

"So this is Ruby, huh?" Dean asked, pulling out the Colt, raising it and aiming it at her. "Never had the pleasure."

"Dean!" Sam warned him.

"I was hoping you'd show up again." Dean watched the blonde-haired woman, ignoring his brother as you remained completely confused by the situation.

"Point that thing somewhere else." She warned him.

"Hahahaha! Right."

"Sam, please. Go. Get in the car and don't look back." Ruby insisted, looking back at the young Winchester.

"Why? I don't understand."

"Hey, hot stuff, we can take care of a few kitchen witches, thanks." Dean said. You looked up at him with a knot of fear in your chest.

"I'm not talking about witches, you jackass. Witches are whores. I'm talking about who they serve." Ruby answered.

Dean and Sam shared a confused look for a second, but you seemed to understand her words pretty quickly.

"Demons." You whispered, but they were able to hear you, their eyes quickly falling on you. "They get their power from demons." You looked up at Ruby.

"Yeah. And there's one here, now."

"Yeah, no shit." You replied with a scoff. "Oh, what, you mean besides you?"

"Sam, it knows you're in town and it's gonna come after you and its way more than you can handle." Ruby insisted, ignoring your and Dean.

"Oh come on, what is this, huh? Please tell me you're not listening to this crap!" Dean looked back to his brother.

"Put a leash on your brother, Sam, if you wanna keep him."

"Try touching him, see how that goes for you." You quickly warned her, clutching the handle of the knife you kept hidden behind your back, attached to your belt. Dean couldn't help but give you a quick glance, surprised at your protectiveness towards him.

"Guys, look, just chill out." Sam asked them.

"No! No!" Dean exclaimed. "She's messing with your head, God knows why, that's who they are!"

"I'm telling you the truth." Ruby assured.

"And I'm telling you to shut up, bitch."

"I'm sorry, why are you even a part of this conversation?!"

"Oh, I don't know maybe because he's my brother, you black-eyed skank!"

"Oh, right, right. You care about your brother so much. That's why you're checking out in a few months, leaving him all alone?"

"Shut up."

"At least let me try and save him, since you won't be here to do it any more."

"I said shut up!"

Dean moved to fire the Colt at Ruby, but Sam pushed his arm away from her as he fired the gun. You staggered as Dean hit your shoulder as he fought against Sam's hold and when you turned your eyes back to Ruby, she was already gone.

"Two demons in one day. Great. That's a new record for me." You commented as you walked back into the room, going back to gather your things.

Dean sighed, giving his brother a disappointed look before following you.

"You're not leaving." He declared.

"I'm a grown-up, Dean. I can make my own decisions. Thank you for your concern." You answered making him roll his eyes.

"I know you don't want to leave."

"That doesn't matter." You assured, turning back to him. "You heard that demon Ruby, there's another one around and I'm pretty sure she wasn't talking about the one who came to visit me." You declared, reaching down to pull the book out from under the bed. Dean frowned as he didn't recognize the cover of it. Reading wasn't his biggest hobby, but he'd noticed the books you and his brother had brought from your family home, and that wasn't one of them. "I have reason to think Peter may be in danger. He's my little brother, Dean, I know you understand that."

"I do. But we can help you." Dean insisted.

You shook your head. "No, you can't. I have to do this alone. I'm sorry."

"At least tell me what's going on. Who was that woman?"

"A demon."

"Yeah, I've got that much, thank you." He scoffed.

You sighed before answering. "She killed my mother. Well, not her personally, but she's one of the reasons she's dead."

Dean frowned at your explanation before sharing a look with his brother. You looked at them in confusion, your attention turned to Sam when he uttered your name.

"This question might seem strange to you, but... how old were you and Peter when it happened?"

You gave him a puzzled look, not quite sure if he was joking. But his serious look assured you that he was completely serious about the question.

"I was ten years old. Peter was just born. I think he was barely six months old." You answered. "Why?"

"Our mother was also killed by a demon when I was just six months old." Sam explained. "Our father spent his life looking for the demon to kill him. Dean shot him with the Colt less than a year ago."

Your eyes traveled to the eldest.

"That wasn't the same demon that killed my mother." You assured them.

"How do you know?" Dean asked. "Was there a fire in your house that night?"

You shook your head with a humorless smile.

"This demon was the one who kidnapped me back in San Francisco. He's still alive." You answered. "I wish it was the one you killed, Dean, everything would be so much easier."

Dean's green eyes watched you closely, catching the pain reflected in them and the tears you fought to hold back. He recognized your pain, it was the same pain he had felt since his mother's death. A pain that had been with him ever since.

"Listen to me." Dean walked towards you, placing his hands on your shoulders. "We finish this case and go back to your house. I promise."

You wanted to accept his offer, you really did. But something in her knew Peter was not safe, an almost maternal instinct. Besides, if you got away from the Winchester brothers, Ophelia wouldn't hurt them when she came back for the book.

"I'm so sorry, Dean." You said sincerely. "I'm not trying to repay the pain I felt when you left. This isn't about you. I wish I could stay, but it's all too complicated. I really hope I get to see you again before..."

You couldn't finish the sentence. The thought of Dean dying and the possibility of never seeing him again was too painful for you. So you just wrapped him in a hug, laying your head on his shoulder. Dean's arms were quick to return the embrace, his head resting on yours as he closed his eyes. Both of you enjoying the intimacy of the moment between you two. It hurt, it hurt a lot, more that you would had thought.

The hug lasted a few seconds, but it felt quite short to both of you. After you pulled apart, you were barely able to look him in the eyes. So you simply gathered your things and said goodbye to Sam with another quick hug.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Leaving without explanation was one of the things you hated most. That's why it had hurt you so much when Dean had done it to you, because you didn't understand how someone could do something like that. You never thought you would. Yes, technically you had said goodbye to them, but you hadn't been entirely honest. And a part of you felt that if you never saw them again, you would always regret that.

Now, sitting in that bus station, you tried to forget about both Winchesters as you reached out to your father and little brother.

As you expected, Henry did not answer any of your three calls. And unlike him, Peter did, almost immediately.

Relief washed over you when you heard your little brother's voice on the other end of the line. You could almost see his face. Just by hearing him you knew he had a smile painted on his lips.

"Hi, buddy. You know what? I'm coming home." You announced with a smile. However, Peter's unexpected reaction formed a frown on your face.

"What? Why? That idiot didn't leave you again, did he? I swear to God..."

"Peter." You cut him off. "It's not because of Dean. I miss you and Dad..."

"Dad can go to hell with him." Peter said. "He won't even answer my calls."

"Peter, don't say that..."

"Why?" He interrupted her. "He hasn't come home yet. He didn't even send a gift. He always sends me a present at Christmas. I'm fine with Maddie, you can stay with the Winchesters idiots."

"Maddie should be free to go. I'm your sister, I should be there." You declared, but Peter didn't answered you this time and soon after you heard a strange bang through the call. "Peter?" When no one answered, you began to feel really worried. You breathing hitching and heart racing. "Peter?"

Maddie's voice came through the phone seconds later.

"Maddie? What's going on?" You asked.

"There's someone in the house." That was all the she could say before she dropped the phone and ran away. The call then ended, leaving you completely panicked and powerless.

"Are you gonna give me the book now?" A familiar voice spoke next to you, making you jolt. You quickly grasped the handle of the knife on your belt, ready to attack. "You don't have the Colt, so don't bother. You can't kill me." Ophelia assured, settling onto the bench next to you. 

You turned to her with a serious expression and without any hint of fear in your eyes. Ophelia smiled. "Now, we are gonna go to your house in San Francisco and when we get there, you will hand over the book or Peter dies." The demon declared. "Got it?"

You couldn't help but clench your jaw in frustration. You wanted to kill her right there and then. Even in front of all those people at the bus station, you didn't care about anything at that moment, just your little brother. But you also knew you couldn't do anything to her. Nothing would work on a demon, not permanently, and that would only lead to Peter and Maddie ending up dead.

"Got it." Freya answered then, trying to remain calm.

"Great." She smiled.

Keep Reading: Chapter Eight

Tag List: @deans-spinster-witch @lmhf1 @mochminnie @helo1281917 @barnes70stark @slyregg

If you'd like to be tagged, drop me a comment

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #19

Riddle's Extremely Specific FOP Problems

Just came from looking at screenshots I'd saved of Dev, like these ones from "A New Dev-elopment":

I don't think I've said this yet, but the funny thing about Dev is that his hair reminds me of how I draw Happy Peppy Gary, who's been one of my main doodle muses since 2016. They both have ginger spikes:

This week I actually redesigned Gary's hair by letting it grow longer and more curly in the back, so I'll keep Dev's short in the back and only spiky in the front.

They have different skin and eye colors, etc., but it is funny that like, 6(?) years ago, I put Gary in a zipper hoodie.

I do a lot of traditional art, and I'm really gonna have to do a sketchpage nailing their designs down so they look different in pencil.

My current Gary design does have a spiral in his hair since I do that for all my witches, and I don't think that'll ever come up for Dev, especially if Dale Dimm really is Dev's ancestor - the one person who's extremely UNlikely to be a witch - so... there's that.

Some old Gary sketches where he IS in his Learnatorium clothes:

I feel like I could redraw any of these poses with Dev, lol. The freckles do a ton of heavy lifting here.

....... I've been writing Ed Leadly and Gary as rivals for YEARS and this is once again adding a cruel layer of irony to my "Ed Leadly as Dev's grandpa" situation.

Every time I see this kid, I see My Boy in him.

They are the same person to me...

The Haunting of Wells House

I like how Marcus keeps calling his daughter Hazelnut. It's cute. I'm glad to see him ready to hunt the "apartment ghost" he's been after since Episode 1.

Hooray for Cosmo and Wanda acting like neighbors!

I feel like they shouldn't be giving a horror movie to a child if they haven't seen it themselves and then walk back to their room, especially since their line of work is about trauma recovery (or at least... helping kids avoid hurt). They should know better than that.

I'm so glad you can see into their apartment from the hall. Literally nothing stops you or hides their magic stuff. You can just do it...

Marcus sniffing the video while fancy dinner music plays is my everything. They're BOTH silly.

I like how Cosmo and Wanda poofed up a TV for the apartment and included cobwebs and spiders on it. I guess that makes sense; they were giving Hazel a horror movie.

Ooh, ghostly lightning spirit of the actress trapped in the video?

Hazel has learned nothing from her last experience of wishing to be part of a TV show. She's 10.

Wait, so... Cosmo and Wanda can hear Hazel's casual wish from across the hall? And poof over?

Uh, maybe we don't tell that to Dev, who just flipped out last episode when Peri didn't show up despite Dev whisper-calling for him when Vicky was putting him to work...

She... Also, I can't believe Marcus left his daughter under a heavy machine for 4 hours.

So far, our only canon fairy death fits the OG series' implied canon that only non-magical items can kill Fairies [i.e. "magic doesn't affect magic" from "Abra-catastrophe"], so I like that.

I don't have much to say. Pepper seems interesting I suppose, and I can probably have her be a friend of Blonda's in 'fic.

I enjoy Jorgen grumpily cleaning up magic messes. That feels right.

... Unclear if Jorgen is keeping a bunch of fairies locked in the basement or if he just has a shelf full of similar-looking items.

[meetmebehindthemall13]

FOLKLORE IS NOT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL, IT’S NOT ABOUT HER! IT’S FROM MADE UP CHARACTERS POVs!1!1!1!

Ok. Sure Jan!

In this essay I will explain why I think it’s quite the opposite. For the record I don’t think there has ever been a more personal, emotionally transparent and intimate album.

The 1

- Lyrical reference to ME! “I never leave well enough alone”

- TIWWCHNT aesthetics (Roaring twenties, jumping in pool from the trampoline, feeling so Gatsby for that whole year).

- Curiously associated to “the 1”, Big Sur highway or the Subway Line in NYC

Cardigan

- Reference to High Line in the West Village. Because when it’s like 10 minutes from Franklin Street or Charles Street, MUST be about other people right?

- Once in 20 lifetimes, 20 is almost the new 13 lately.

- “Loves me like I’m brand new” CIWYW vibes/main concept

The last great American dynasty

- Explicit parallels between Rebekah’s life and Taylor’s and the way the neighbors judged both of them. The parties, loud women, pack bitch friends.

- Interesting St. Louis reference

- Interesting “wedding was charming if a little gauche” (gauche defintion by dictionary.com: lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless) ...........ring any bell?

Exile

- I’m just going to leave these here and not even gonna waist my time explaining

My tears recochet

- Obvious reference to BMR, SBX2

- Very suspicious at the diamond ring but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt

Mirrorball

- On the pressure that the desire to always be liked, appreciated, validated, approved by others please watch Miss Americana.

- On the pressure of double standards in the music industry for women, her words: “Be new to us, be young to us—but only in a new way and only the way we want. Reinvent yourself but only in a way that we find to be equally comforting and a challenge for you. Live out a narrative that we find interesting enough to entertain us, but not so crazy that it makes us uncomfortable. This is probably one of my last opportunities as an artist to grasp on to that kind of success, so I don't know. As I'm reaching 30, I want to work really hard, um, while society is still tolerating me being successful."

Seven

- Chilhood memories in Pennsylvania under her, are there still beautiful things?

- Won’t comment on braids like a pattern or the hide in the closet lines.

August

- Guest starring the recurring theme of hiding and keeping things secret, let’s make it a regular character because it’s here to stay.

- Will you call when you’re back at school. CAN name of someone who was attending school while having a relationship with Taylor. But won’t.

This is me trying

- Pulling car off the road to the lookout. Now there’s some suggestive photo reference for this line. Google it: Taylor Swift Big Sur

- “It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you. You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town.” I’m sure everybody has to live with the face of their ex lover on screens all over your town, especially when the city screams their name. Very common.

Illicit affairs

- “You showed me colors you know I can’t see with anyone else” AND “you taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else” sound very autobiographical but I will give this the benefit of the doubt as well.

- “And you know damn well for you I would ruin myself” is the big sister of “And baby, for you, I would fall from grace just to touch your face”, fight me on that.

Invisible string

- Centennial park in Nashville.

- Bad blood, Yogurt shop.

- Thread of gold.

- Blues and then purple-pink skies.

- Dive bar reference. Dive bar where you at.

Mad woman

- SBX2

- Cannons firing at a yatch. Sure it’s a fictional Betty here talking.

- Witch hunt makes yet another appearance.

Epiphany

- This actually is too personal for the whole world.

Betty

- Wondering if Betty’s garden has a gate you could sneak through.

- Inez and James, Blake and Ryan’s daughters. BOTH female. But sure take only what you need from Taylor’s personal life inspiration.

Peace

- So the person who’s writing is convinced that danger and troubles are always going to come to them and their lover because of their very identity, because of who they are and who they represent. Archer anyone? “Who could ever leave me baby but who could stay”.

- Robbers to the east. Clowns to the West (capitalized).

- Your brother as my brother.

- Love for show and dying for the same love in secret.

Hoax

- My best laid plan....“I am an architect I’m drawing up the plans”

- “You knew the hero died so what's the movie for?” Is “And all of my hero died all alone”‘s cousin. Study that family tree.

- “You know I left a part of me back in New York”

- Your faithless love is the only hoax I believe in. Either you feel this or you don’t. I don’t make the rules.

[kisses-for-cas]

Summary: When a witch hunt forces the Winchesters to go undercover in a suburban neighborhood, Dean finds himself fighting with his upcoming feelings for a certain angel. To be more precise: the angel, who currently pretends to be married to his brother Sam.

Ships: Dean/Castiel

Word Count: 8,200

Read on AO3

Tammy has lived in this neighborhood for almost 30 years – she raised her kids around here and now is enjoying her well-deserved retirement with her husband Harold. And if she knows one thing for certain, then it’s this: there’s something wrong with the new neighbors. It’s not because they are gay, Tammy tells herself. She believes herself to be quite open-minded, one of her nieces is actually a lesbian. It’s something else, but she can’t quite put her finger on it yet.

The men moved in today, only a few days after the last tenants died in a horrible and tragic accident involving the lawnmower and a malfunctioning electric wire. Tammy doesn’t like to admit it, but she always knew those two didn’t fit the neighborhood. Sarah brought it up several times at Sunday Brunch, and as it turned out, the entire neighborhood held a grudge against the deceased couple. At least the house still looked well enough to get sold almost immediately again.

It’s hard to catch glimpses of the movers, but she catches a few sights as she stretches out of her bedroom window. One of them has dark hair and is wearing a tan trenchcoat, the other one seems to be taller and is coated in a flannel shirt. Not really the type to be moving into this street, but they might turn out to be nice. She tries to keep an open mind, she tells herself, even though she doesn’t understand how somebody could possibly move while wearing a trenchcoat.

Shortly after dinner, the doorbell rings, and Tammy almost jumps forward to get it. Sarah told her she’d call once she had a proper talk with the new neighbors, but the phone’s been quiet so far. But to her surprise, it’s not her friend in front of the door, but two handsome men holding a basket with muffins.

“Hello, you must be Mrs. Philipps. We’re the Winchesters,” the taller of both says, as he holds his hand out. Tammy shakes them politely, as she smiles at them.

“Tammy is fine, and my husband Harold is probably already asleep in his lounge seat,” she jokes as she shakes their hands. The man in the trenchcoat seems a bit more reserved, but he still gives her a small smile when she looks at him.

“Nice to meet you, Tammy,” the other man says again. “I’m Sam, and this is my husband Cas.”

5 days earlier

“Lawnmower accident?” Dean laughs, as he re-reads the headline again. “Well, if this isn’t our kind of thing, I really don’t know what is.”

“Exactly what I thought,” Sam replies, turning his laptop back to himself. “Apparently there were several deaths within the last 10 years in this neighborhood, and all of them were classified as accidents.”

“All over the area? So less likely a spirit, and more like –“

“Witches?” Sam finishes his brother’s sentence. “Probably, the victims weren’t exactly popular in the area. One of them had a kid, but the couple wasn’t married. Another person wanted to move in with her wife, but she died before she could. Seems like they are most likely targeting people, who don’t fit the community.”

Witches and conservative suburbs sure aren’t Dean’s favorite things in the world, that much is sure. But if people are in danger, there’s no way he’d let them down. Especially, if he might get to kill some fundamentalist witch.

“Huh, so what we’re thinking? I’d say go undercover, but brothers usually don’t go buying some white picket fence house in a conservative neighborhood,” the older Winchester proposes, while settling back in his seat. He remembers how they tried to infiltrate that neighborhood so many years ago and how the salespeople kept mistaking them for a couple.

“I thought Eileen and I could maybe do it, but her leg isn’t healing as we hoped,” Sam thinks out loud, wincing at the thought of his injured girlfriend. The recent werewolf hunt was tougher than expected and left Eileen’s leg badly hurt. Cas tried his best to heal her, but she was still struggling.

“Maybe one of us could team up with Mom?” Dean suggests but cringes once the words leave his mouth. “Urgh, never mind. I’m not very strong on the Oedipus thing.”

“What about me?” Cas chimes in, all eyes turning to him. Dean didn’t even realize the angel entered the room. “Since we are not related, it might be less awkward to pretend a relationship.”

Dean is left more or less speechless, as he babbles incoherent words. He likes Cas very much; they are best friends for a reason. But pretending to be in a relationship? Heaven and Hell have been teasing them for years about their “profound bond”, so they might even get away with it. But Dean’s stomach twists uncomfortably at the mere thought of calling Cas a pet name or holding his hand in public.

“Uh-Uh, no way I’m getting fake-married to Cas!” Dean protests once he finds the ability to speak again. His reaction was apparently a bit harsh, judging by the looks both Cas and Sam give him.

“Okay…,” Sam sighs, drawing the word out in a long breath. It sounds like he wants to say more but instead turns to face the angel. “Castiel, would you like to pretend-marry me?”

Dean can feel a blush creep up his neck, as he stares at his brother. It’s the reasonable thing to do, but it just feels wrong. Nobody ever questioned their status as friends, and Dean can’t even picture the both of them acting in love. When he thought his stomach felt bad before, he’s now actually feeling sick.

He’s close to suggesting a fake relationship with their mom again when Cas simply nods to answer Sam’s question. “Of course, Sam. I mean, I do.”

The two share a hinted smile as if they are both part of a joke Dean doesn’t get. The sick feeling still doesn’t leave him, as he stands up from his seat. He must have eaten something wrong today, that’s the only logical explanation.

“Well, Mazel Tov to you guys then,” Dean mutters, more to himself than to the other men. They don’t even look at him when he leaves the room behind.

———————————————————————————————–

“I still think this is a stupid idea,” Dean protests, as he puts the meatloaf in the oven. Somewhere behind him, he knows Cas is preparing the salad and Sam is busy fluffing some pillows on the couch.

“We need to connect with all the neighbors, and a housewarming party is the easiest way to do so,” Sam replies annoyed. He and Cas introduced themselves to everyone in the neighborhood, but nobody seemed guilty so far. Cas tried his best to “sniff the witch out” but only found some kitchen herbs in the local gardens and a loud laugh from Dean, when he explained his plan to search for witch-like smells. So far, they had no clue who the responsible party could be.

“Dearest, could you make space in the hallway closet for the coats?” Sam calls out to Cas, and Dean almost burns his hand at the stove. He had a few days to adjust to the idea of Sam and Cas pretending a relationship, but the term of endearment still surprises the hunter.  

“What’s next? You’re gonna kiss goodbye on the porch when Cas drives to work?” Dean snaps at his brother, who seems confused by the sudden anger.

“If the situation needs it, sure…,” Sam replies, but Dean interrupts him before he can continue.

“What the hell, Sammy? Dearest? What kind of weird pet name is that even supposed to be?”

“The one Sam and I agreed to,” Cas replies drily. The look in his blue eyes leaves no space for any further discussion. “This act is completely planned out, and we can’t risk our standing because you are having trouble adjusting, Dean.”

Just as Dean wants to argue again, they are interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. They can only hope nobody heard their yelling, the last thing they need is unnecessary gossip from the neighbors. Cas and Sam waltz towards the front door, while Dean stays a few steps behind them.

“Hello Tammy, Harold. Welcome to our humble home,” Sam greets the guests, as the couple enters their hallway. Cas takes their jackets from them, hanging them in the biggest coat closet Dean’s ever seen. Well, at least the house got some perks. Before he can think more about the architectural features of the house, his brother calls for him.

“This is my brother Dean,” Sam introduces him, and Dean tries his best to give a fake smile and nod politely at the boring stories the neighbors tell him. This is going to be a long evening…

—————————————————————————————-

“Well Ladies, let’s begin Sunday Brunch,” Irene happily pronounces, as she raises her mimosa in the air. The other women do the same, cheering each other. It’s the first Sunday Brunch after the Winchesters moved to the area, leaving more than enough gossip material for the group.

“They seem nice enough, but I heard Sam is unemployed. He just sits around all day at home and waits for his Cassiel to come back home!” Jennifer complains with a deep sigh. It’s no secret she isn’t the biggest fan of the new couple, but even she can’t deny the quality of the served meatloaf at the housewarming.

“His name is Cassiel, dear,” Beth replies, eying the salmon pieces hungrily. “They said Sam’s working in IT and can do it from home. Clearly, an excuse, if you ask me.”

The gossip continues happily: Tammy found out they only have one toothbrush. Irene asked about Cas’s job, and apparently, he’s working in a nearby library. And all of them agree, their marriage is weird. Whenever Sam touched his husband, it felt unnatural, and they didn’t kiss once the whole evening.

“We need to address the elephant in the room,” Sarah sighs, and the group’s attention draws over to her. She’s been quiet so far, which means her news are far bigger than everyone else’s: “The brother.”

“If I were only twenty years younger…,” Beth starts, earning a peal of laughter from the women around her. “He’s very handsome, that’s true.”

“Yes, and I think Castiel would agree with you there,” Sarah speaks, before taking a long sip from her teacup. The reaction is immediate, as all the women start talking at once. The Winchester barely lived a week in the neighborhood, but they already produced the best gossip they had in a while.

“Do you think they are having an affair?” Tammy asks shocked. Of course, she had felt the tension between the family members, but she blamed it on the stress of moving. But now that Sarah suggested it, it seems like a possible explanation.

“We can’t be sure yet, but I bet something is going on. Dean surely looked rather unhappy every time he saw Sam touching his hubby. And Cas got some serious heart-eyes for his brother-in-law.”

“Besides,” Irene steps in “their marriage just seems – off? There’s more sex happening in the way Cas looks at Dean than in his marriage bed with Sam”

“Irene!” The shocked gasp from the elder women makes the other guests laugh, as they refill their mimosas.

“Oh, poor Sam,” Tammy sighs, fiddling with her wedding ring. Being cheated on must be awful on its own, but having your husband fool around with your own brother? That’s a new level of tastelessness.“

“Anyways, have you seen Mrs. Ericson’s new haircut? Just awful…”

——————————————————————————————

Dean excuses himself early from the housewarming party, not knowing how much more of the charade he could have handled. He expected to get some blackmailing material for his brother, it was supposed to be a funny sight after all. What he didn’t expect was the burning sensation on his inside, as he regarded the play right in front of him.

He’s still mad about the whole thing, and how caught up both of them were. It’s one thing to hold hands and present in the couple in front of others. But Sam calling Cas by a pet name in private? That’s just unprofessional, even Dean knows that. And then Sam told him, he would even kiss Cas if the situation needs it…What the hell was that even supposed to mean? Nobody is going to force them to kiss, the party guests are all far too old to play “spin the bottle” anymore.

Would Cas even kiss back, if Sam initiated a kiss? The angel doesn’t seem the type for physical affection; hell, he only lost his virginity a few years ago! The image of Cas pressing Meg against the wall, kissing her passionately, popped back up in Dean’s mind. And then the image changed to Cas and Sam in the same manner…God, Dean’s gonna have to swallow some holy water to get rid of that mental image.

Carefully, he watched the way his brother and his friend interacted, and the sight made him feel uneasy. He thought it was a stupid idea for them to fake a relationship because it would just be weird. But now that he was watching the way Cas’s hand rested on Sam’s lower back, Dean realized it’s something entirely else: he’s jealous. It’s not a feeling he knows very well; after all, none of his relationships ever lasted long. But as he watched Cas laugh at one of Sam’s stories, their sides pressed together – it’s setting something inside of Dean loose.

If he hadn’t acted like a child, he might have been the one standing beside Cas at that moment. He would have been the one holding his hand, laughing at his jokes, and maybe even pressing soft kisses on Castiel’s cheek. Nobody would even question their act, he’s sure of that. And then his mind kept wandering, back to the memory of Cas showing off his kissing skills. Except now it wasn’t Meg, but himself getting pinned against the wall.

Dean’s not stupid; he knows he likes men the same way he likes women. It’s been a long journey to finally find self-acceptance, but he’s finally contempt with it. That doesn’t mean he’s going to buy pride stickers and tell everyone around him he’s bi. No, it’s his secret and he’s the only one who needs to know about it.

He also knows Cas’s vessel is very attractive. But those two things – his attraction to men and his profound bond with Cas – were never something he considered might be related. But thinking about Cas kissing him – it’s something Dean never knew he wanted that much. When the sight of the happy couple got too much for him to bear, Dean excused himself to get a drink. Only then he remembered they are actually on a job, and he’s supposed to be on the watch out for possible bad guys.

And he’s totally going to do that.

Once he had a proper drink.

——————————————————————————————

“Please tell me your stupid charade is at least getting you somewhere,” Dean groans, once Cas is settled in his seat across from him. They decided to meet up in a close diner to discuss their next steps, while Sam is hacking the public security cameras from their house. Dean refuses to call it their “home”, hating the implication it’s setting.

“There are a few people we can surely rule out,” Cas replies, stirring some sugar into the coffee mug Dean pressed into his hands. “On my drive yesterday, the energetic waves were much stronger at the end of the street.”

“Great, so what’s next? You and Sammy going to play house for some more weeks, until we finally got our suspect?”

Dean can only hope the hunt will be over rather sooner than later. He barely slept the night after the housewarming party, his mind racing with thoughts. Not even liquor helped to drown them out and the night left him feeling not only exhausted but more upset than ever.

Castiel releases an annoyed groan. “Can you just…you’re undermining this plan at every given opportunity, and Sam and I are getting worried you might risk the entire thing.”

“I just want,” Dean starts, the words twisting in his throat. He knows exactly what he wants, ever since seeing Cas and Sam casually holding hands and snuggling on the couch. But at the same time, he knows it’s something he can’t have. Angels aren’t supposed to have emotions, he knows that. But when he catches Castiel’s blue eyes carefully watching him, Dean can’t help but feel a spark of hope.

“Do you ever think things could be, you know, different between you and me? Maybe we could be…more…or…”

“Dean,” Cas replies, his name sounding almost like a prayer from his lips. “Are you saying…”

“Well, hello you handsome fellas,” a sudden voice snaps them back to reality and when they look at its owner, Beth is smiling at them. “I thought it was you, so I just had to pop in and say hello.”

“Hello then,” Dean grumpily answers, his eyes focused on the table before him. Of all possible times, Beth had to disrupt them just now. He remembers the way those nosy neighbors had eyed him at the housewarming party, and how it made him uneasy. But then again, he only had eyes for Cas that evening.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work, Cas?” Beth asks, an obnoxious tone hidden under her sweetly sick smile. Right, Dean remembers, they told everyone Cas works at the library. Good enough of an excuse to spend their time there.

“Uhhh – Lunch break,” Castiel answers stiffly, his eyes shortly glancing over to Dean. The hunter seems to have grown smaller by the second, as he fiddles with the menu.

“Well, tell Sam I said hi,” she comments cheerfully, as she finally leaves them alone again. Silence falls over the table, only disturbed by the noise of the diner around them. Dean can feel Castiel’s watchful eyes on him, but he’s not ready to face them yet. He might not believe in fate or destiny, but the disturbance came just at the right time. A few seconds more and he might have destroyed the best friendship he had his entire life.

“Dean…,” Cas finally breaks the silence, but Dean interrupts him before he can speak more.

“Just forget it, Cas…Let’s focus back on the case.”

They don’t pay any attention to Beth, who silently snaps a picture of them from the outside. It feels like the ultimate proof those two are actually having an affair; why else would they meet up in a diner during Castiel’s work hours? She can’t help but grin, as she sends the picture to her friends.

TO: BRUNCH LADIES

“Look who’s having dinner instead of working….”

——————————————————————————————

“It’s Jennifer,” Cas says, once the image of Dean flashes over the laptop screen. After several neighbors pointed out how attached Dean seems to be to his brother, they decided to stick to virtual conversations for the moment.

“You sure?” Dean asks as he watches his brother and his best friend sit on their couch. He should be glad to once have an entire motel room for himself, but for some strange reason, he misses his family. Okay, he knows exactly why: he hates not knowing what’s happening between his brother and Cas. Sammy isn’t interested in Cas that way, he knows that. But the thought of them holding hands is enough to get Dean bothered.

“Absolutely,” Sam replies. “She was already one of our suspects due to some lucky incidents in the last few years, but when I was at her house, I clearly saw some witch supplies.”

“Her magic doesn’t seem too powerful, destroying her supplies and her altar should be enough to stop her,” Cas adds up, and Dean nods along.

“She’s working from home, right?” Dean asks while trying to remember everything about the suspect. Jennifer didn’t talk to him a lot; she was more of a loner. Apparently, her husband died a few years ago and left her enough money to start her own jewelry company. “How are we going to get her out of the house long enough to take care of the situation?”

“We could throw another party. Maybe celebrate a birthday or a wedding anniversary. And you and Mom could handle the house in the meantime,” Sam suggests.

“She didn’t stay long at the housewarming,” Cas throws in. “We need some more time, there might be warding at her house – maybe we could try a distraction, so she stays longer?”

“You could fake-break-up your fake marriage,” Dean huffs under his breath, knowing already they won’t agree to it. If their plan fails, the entire cover-up story would be blown up. There’s a bottle of beer in Dean’s hands and he takes a deep gulp from it. It may not be noon yet, but he stopped caring about that years ago.

Cas answers once Dean finished drinking. “No, that’s hardly enough to draw her attention.”

“We could call Jack, maybe he can help out. He could be your unknown son from a secret affair,” Dean jokes next. It sounds almost like a cheap plotline from Dr. Sexy – except Dr. Sexy’s secret son actually appeared in season 3 and needed an organ transplant, which could only be donated by his father. While Dean tries to remember how the episode ended, Sam and Cas nod in agreement.

“I’ll call Jack right away,” Cas speaks, his phone already halfway pressed to his ear. A second later, the angel disappears from the couch, leaving only Sam in his view. The younger Winchester seems to wait for Castiel to leave the room before he addresses his brother again.

“Dean, promise me you won’t act up,” Sam tries to reason. “We can’t risk the entire thing because you are getting jealous.”

“Jealous? Don’t be ridiculous, Sammy,” the older Winchester mumbles, trying his best to not sound petty. “Scout’s honor, I’ll be on my best behavior.”

——————————————————————————————-

Dean’s promise lasts around 20 minutes, which is already longer than he honestly would have expected. He and Mary will enter Jennifer’s house at 1800 sharp, leaving them with just enough time to trash her little altar and the supplies. Jack is going to start with his distraction around 10 minutes earlier, giving Dean enough time to slip out quietly. It’s all planned to the minute, which of course means, it’s destined to fall apart.

They invited their neighbors under the premise of Castiel’s birthday, even though the angel technically doesn’t even have a birthday. It doesn’t matter anyway, since Sam promised some BBQ and apparently that’s enough to motivate everyone to show up. Dean watches the spectacle from a distance, occasionally sipping his cold beer. He planned to handle the grill, but some bored husband hushed him away to deal with it instead.

Cas looks beautiful, Dean notices as he watches his best friend talking to his guests. He’s wearing a light blue dress shirt and a pair of dark jeans, and Dean makes a mental note to thank his brother for finally getting Cas out of his usual outfit. Then he remembers it means Sam took Cas shopping at some point, and Dean’s gratitude turns sour in his mouth.

“How long have you two been married?” one of the ladies asks Cas, and Dean tries his best to hide a snickering laugh.

“Too damn long,” Dean jokes under his breath, but loud enough for several heads to turn in his direction. Maybe he had a beer too much, but watching Sam and Cas acting in love isn’t a thing he can handle sober.

“Two years,” Cas replies shortly, shooting angry glances at Dean. A second later, he mumbles to his guests again. “May you excuse me for a moment?”

Dean steps back, ready to hide from Castiel’s anger, but it doesn’t work. Barely a moment later, Cas is already in front of him. His hand closes tightly around Dean’s arm, keeping him from turning away.

“What’s the matter with you, Dean? You’re acting like a child,” Cas hisses when he catches him in the hallway. It’s enough to make Dean angry again, as he pulls his arm away from Castiel’s tight grip.

“The matter with me?” he shoots back. “This is honestly so ridiculous, you’re acting so…”

A middle-aged man bumps into them, and Dean stops talking immediately. There are far too many people around and if he says anything about the case, it could ruin their entire plan. The guests are spread all over the house, leaving no place to talk in private. Well, almost no place…

“We need to talk,” Dean whispers, before dragging the angel into the coat closet. Some curious eyes seem to follow them, but Dean shuts the door before anyone else can spot them. The closet is surprisingly spacious, but the walls seem to suffocate him. There’s a bit of light coming in through the shutters, and he can see the concern written all over Cas’s face.  

“What’s going on? Ever since Sam and I began working this case, you’ve been acting weird,” Cas presses on and Dean knows it’s finally time to come clean about his feelings. He doesn’t want to lose Castiel’s friendship, but he can’t keep lying anymore.

“I wish it were me,” Dean rushes before he can chicken out again. “Instead of Sam. I wish it were me you’re married to. And I know it’s all fake, and you’re just pretending, but it’s driving me insane. Watching him hold you and call you those cheesy pet names. Because - because it’s something I want to do with you…not pretending, but for real.”

Once Dean starts speaking, the words don’t seem to stop rushing from his mouth. Cas just regards him with those hauntingly blue eyes, his head tilted in a way that always makes Dean’s heart melt. When all is said, Dean feels like the air was punched out of his lungs, as he awaits his friend’s answer.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Because I was too stupid to realize it for the longest time. And then I just didn’t know how to say it,” Dean admits. He came close to confessing in the diner, but Beth interrupted them and afterward, Dean felt ashamed and stupid.

“Dean,” Cas whispers. “I want those things too.”

There’s the beginning of a bright smile on Castiel’s face, and Dean swears his heart skips a beat when the words finally dawn on him. Before Dean can overthink the situation, he presses closer to the angel and is relieved when Cas is doing the same. And then their faces meet in the middle. Kissing Cas is the easiest thing in the world, it turns out. Whatever Dean was so afraid of, is right forgotten once their lips slot together.

It starts out innocent and gentle, just like the way relationships start. But then Cas opens his mouth a little bit, letting Dean lick inside and,  oh  – now things are getting heated. Dean presses even closer to Cas, their chests flushing together and their arms holding each other close. Somewhere, Cas’s back hits a wall and Dean pins him against it. The moan that falls from Cas’s lips is almost obscene while motivating Dean only further.

It’s perfect, and amazing, and breathtaking – until the closet door opens and they stumble onto the floor. Tammy’s surprised gasp draws everyone’s attention over to the couple, still entangled on top of each other on the floor. Everyone’s, even Sam’s.

“What the hell do you two think you are doing?” he yells loud enough to attract the entire house to the hallway, where they are watching them closely. Dean and Cas are still on the floor, slowly stumbling back to their feet.

“Sammy, I can explain…,” Dean starts, but now Sam turns his attention to Cas. He steps closer to them, his pointed finger slapping against Castiel’s chest.

“You’ve been screwing my brother?!” he yells, before locking eyes with Dean. “And you! Is this why Fernando broke up with me?”

Dean is taken aback for a second. Who the hell is Fernando? It’s only then when Dean remembers their lesser-used codewords. He can still recall how he wrote it down in his own leatherbound journal:  Fernando – just play along.

“This got nothing to do with Fernando, this is about me and Cas!” Dean replies with an angry voice, before taking Castiel’s palm into his own hands. Cas gives him a quick squeeze, and Dean decides to have at least a little fun with the situation.

“I finally understand now, why I was so against your marriage. Because you two don’t belong together! Your whole marriage is a scam! You act all perfectly happy when in reality, you’re not even sleeping in the same bed anymore.”

Dean can hear the people around them gasp a little. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of the elder people would end up with a heart attack due to all the fake drama being uncovered right now. Besides him, Cas draws in a deep breath, before speaking to his (fake) husband.  

“It’s true, Sam. I’ve been having feelings for your brother for a while now, but I never knew how to address them.”

Sam just looks at them with the biggest puppy eyes Dean’s ever seen. His time in drama club surely played out. “Are you two in love?”

Dean takes a deep breath, looking over to the familiar blue eyes, and the truth slips easily over his tongue.

“I think I love Cas more than I’ve ever loved myself.”

The look on Castiel’s face is everything and without even words, Dean knows he feels the exact same about him. The room is quiet around them, and from the corner of his eye, Dean spots Jennifer amongst the watchers. At least their little distraction worked well enough for her to stay.

“As your brother, I wish you all the happiness in the world,” Sam speaks, his eyes fixed in the distance. When Dean turns his head, he spots their mother coming in through the entrance door, breathing heavily but otherwise seems okay. She gives them both a small nod, signaling them she took care of the altar.

The crowd seems satisfied for the moment, and Dean is about to lead Cas out of the house when a voice stops them midway. It’s Jack, who is shouting loud enough for everyone to hear: “Sam, I am your secret son!”

The drama is enough to make at least one elder lady faint.

——————————————————————————————-

Dean and Cas depart soon enough, leaving Sam to deal with the rest of the concerned neighbors. Everybody seems to be too caught up in the drama to notice their quiet leave. They end up back in the diner, this time holding hands on the table. Surprisingly, everything feels the same and yet, completely different than before. Dean can’t put it in words, but for the first time in years, he knows he’s truly happy.

It takes a bit of time for Sam to finally text him, saying his guests finally left them alone and they can come back to talk about their next steps. When the Impala roars down the road, Dean can feel the eyes of every household staring at them. They are probably wondering why he would be back so soon enough, but Dean doesn’t care. He just holds Cas’ hand on the way to the house, fully knowing he won the grand prize.

Jack and Mary greet them happily, and even Sam can’t hide his grin as he approaches his brother. “Well, if it isn’t the homewrecker himself.”

“Come on, I bet several of your neighbors would have consoled you all night long, if you had asked them,” Dean shoots back, throwing a wink at Sam. He remembers the way one of the ladies had clung to Sam’s arm, trying her best to cheer him up about his failed marriage.

They all settle in the living room: Cas and Dean on the couch, Mary and Sam seated in each of the armchairs, and Jack sitting cross-legged on the floor. It may not be much, but it’s their own little screwed-up family. While Sam gets them beers from the fridge, Dean considers putting his arm around Cas. They haven’t had time to label their relationship yet, but they’re both too old to play games. So, Dean decides to go with his gut and wraps his arm around Castiel’s shoulder. The returned smile lets him know it was a good decision.

“Sorry for the way I acted earlier, it was just for show,” Sam says when he passes the beer over to the couple. “I’m actually glad you two finally figured things out.”

“Me too,” Mary chimes in with a laugh. “Even though I was patiently waiting for your back-up at the house.”

“Bet you still did an amazing job without me,” Dean returns, an honest smile on his lips. He holds his beer towards her, and she clinks it with her own.

Sam fills them in with the details of the last hours, and how he watched Jennifer leave her home in a panicked state. She packed a few bags, before driving away with screeching tires. Well, another case successfully solved. They talk for hours while laughing about stories and eating the leftovers from the party.

“Damn, I could really use some sleep now,” Dean yawns, stretching his arms. A short glance at the clock lets him know it’s almost 2 am and they gotta hit the road early the next day.

“How about you two head to the motel, and Jack and Mom stay here?” Sam proposes. When Dean checks on Jack, the kid is curled up in his seat, snoring quietly. No way they’re going to move him somewhere else, so this plan might be for the best.

“You just want me to stay, so your neighbors see this pretty lady leave your house tomorrow,” Mary jokes, earning some quiet hollering from her elder son and a laugh from Castiel.

“Guess we’re heading back to the motel,” Dean finally decides, before clumsily standing up from the couch. If it weren’t for the awful neighbors, this place might actually be nice. The furniture for one thing is comfortable enough. And the closet sure gave him a few ideas what to do with Cas in the future. He takes a few steps towards the door until he notices something is missing. “Cas, you coming?”

“You want me to come along?” Cas asks, and Dean just nods.

“Of course, would be weird to stay with your husband now that you scored the hotter brother,” Dean replies, pressing a gentle kiss on Castiel’s cheek. He never knew angels could blush, but it’s a sight he will never get enough of.

“We’ll pick you up tomorrow at nine, better be dressed!” Sam shouts after them when Dean is already halfway out of the door.

“You’re such a buzzkill, Sammy. No wonder your husband left you”

“I’m just glad you’re finally out of the closet,” Sam shoots back with a grin. Dean already knows it’s a joke he’ll hear a thousand times in the upcoming years, but when he looks over at Cas, it sure is a price worth paying.

The drive to the motel is rather short, and soon enough, Dean unlocks the door to his room. Luckily, he had booked a room with a king-size bed. He rarely had a room for himself during hunts, so he had decided to enjoy that. Cas closes the door behind them, while Dean strips out of his flannel and his jeans. He’s still wearing a shirt and his boxers, but compared to a fully dressed Castiel, he almost looks naked.

When Dean comes near him, the angel wraps his arms around his torso and pulls him even closer. Once again, their lips meet in a kiss, growing more heated by the second. It’s with a sigh that Dean slowly pulls away again.

“Maybe we should take it slow, honey. How about we just cuddle tonight?” Dean murmurs, pressing gentle kisses along his jaw. The exhaustion of the day lies heavily on Dean’s bones, and all he wants to do is cuddle into bed, his lover beside him.

“Honey?” Cas asks with a raised eyebrow, and Dean feels himself blushing yet again.

“It’s just – every time I see a bee or something, I have to think about you,” he admits. “Remember how you collected honey yourself? Or when you showed up covered in bees?”

Cas smiles at the memory. “Of course, I remember, but why would you bring that up now?”

“It’s just a term of endearment, a pet name. I can stop if you want”

Dean was never a big fan of pet names. He usually called his partners by their names, not some silly phrase. But then again, he was the one who turned  Castiel  to  Cas,  so maybe the angel has always been the exception for him.

“No, I like it,” Cas decides, before pressing another quick peck onto Dean’s lips. “And I am fully contempt with cuddling you.”

After some discussion about clothing choices, Cas also strips down to his underwear. Cuddling in jeans and a dress shirt would have been awful, and Dean luckily managed to convince the angel of it. The bed is more than big enough for the both of them, as they lie facing each other in the dark.

“We should make you a proper Winchester someday,” Dean mutters, gently kissing Cas’s knuckles. He isn’t thinking about marriage, not yet at least. Most marriages he’s seen over the years ended in death: his parents, Bobby and his wife Karen, Ellen and her husband…The list goes on and on, including those couples they couldn’t save during their hunts. When he saw his own father stricken with grief for his lost wife, part of Dean swore he’d never marry. But then again, Dean never would have believed he’d ever live past the age of 30. It’s with a smile upon his lips that he finally falls asleep.

All his life, he expected monsters in every dark corner, and more than enough times Dean was proven right. He’s been long enough in the business to smell danger from miles away, Dean believes. Which is why he’s surprised to wake up to the sound of Castiel shouting his name.

When he opens his eyes, all he sees is purple. The room seems to be painted in the color, reflecting on every surface possible. And in the middle of it all stands Jessica, glaring at them with violet and angry eyes.

“You! You really thought destroying my altar was enough to stop me?”

Dean’s hand finds its way under his pillow but returns empty-handed. He must have forgotten to place it there, too caught up with his lover. And when he looks around, he can spot his faithful gun sitting on top of a dresser, which is inconveniently placed behind the wrathful witch in the room. Cas is already standing beside the bed, and the sight of a half-dressed angel ready to fight would be hilarious if it weren’t for the mortal danger they’re in.

“You’re an abomination,” Jessica yells again. “Dirty and sinful, and…”

The angel blade hits her right in the chest. Her purple eyes glance downwards, where the blood comes rushing out of her body. Apparently, she was so caught up in looking dangerous, she actually forgot to ward herself. And with Castiel’s heavenly aim, that could only end deadly for her. Jessica sinks to her knees; the purple flashes of lightning slowly disappearing from the room. It’s only then when Dean decides to approach her. Blood is running down her mouth, but she’s still alive, watching the hunter carefully as he kneels down in front of her.

“I’ve had a voice like you in my head my entire life, whispering awful things about myself,” Dean tells her, keeping eye contact as he pulls the angel blade out of her bleeding chest. “But now, that I’m finally happy, do you know what happens to this voice?”

Jessica doesn’t answer, and he doesn’t need her to.

He would have slit her throat either way. 

———————————————————————————————

“Welcome to Sunday Brunch, Agnes,” Sarah announces, as the women settle down at her dinner table. It’s been a while since they had another brunch, but it was long-awaited. Today, a new face sits at the table with them.

“So sad Jennifer decided to move away, but we are glad we got you in the neighborhood now.”

“Thanks for having me,” Agnes replies with a shy smile, as she glances around at the other women. “It’s wonderful to have such nice and caring neighbors, my old neighborhood was so scandalous…”

“Scandalous?” Irene laughs, shaking her head in disbelief. “Oh dear, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

“Are you referring to the Winchester?” Tammy replies while stirring her tea. It’s been weeks since those men came and went, but it’s still everyone’s favorite topic of discussion.

“Don’t be silly, of course I mean the Winchesters!”

Beth releases a deep sigh. “I’ve heard they did it right in Dean’s fancy car after the party.”

“No, they threw Sam out of the house and then had sex in the bed Sam used to sleep in. How tasteless of them,” Sarah corrects her immediately.

“That can’t be.” It’s Tammy’s turn to speak now. “I saw him the next day with a blonde woman in front of the house”

“Guess he got over it quickly then,” some other woman giggles. “Have you seen the kid too? Sam can’t have been older than maybe 25 when he was born”

Agnes just smiles quietly, as she listens to the stories. She may not know the Winchesters, but they sure are entertaining as heck.

———————————————————————————————

Castiel becomes a Winchester on a sunny day in July.

It’s been months since the case that started their relationship, and they never spared another thought to those nosy neighbors. Dean suspects the rumors they started that night, but he couldn’t care less. Once the town disappeared from the Impala’s rearview mirror, none of them ever spared another thought to the neighborhood. Dean and Castiel couldn’t be happier, and that’s all that matters to them.

Jody invited all of them to her cabin at Lake Alvin, just outside of Sioux Falls. They are celebrating Claire’s graduation from college, and Dean couldn’t be prouder of the kid. He talks Cas into buying her the cheesiest greeting card they can find, paired with the most beautiful gun in the entire bunker. It’s got engravings all over and Dean even finds somebody who puts “C.N.” onto the side of it. He would rather have Claire live a normal life, but he knows it’s not going to happen.

It appears like everybody in the hunter community got the invitation: Sam and Eileen, Mary, Donna, the Banes twins, even Garth and Bess together with their kids. It’s not often hunters get to celebrate something, so everybody immediately jumped the opportunity. It’s a beautiful day, and at some point, Dean finds himself standing next to Claire.

“So, when you gonna put a ring on it?” she asks, nodding over to Castiel, who is chasing his little namesake all over the lawn in a playful game. Dean’s heart swells at the thought of this man being his husband. They hunt less and less these days, especially since Sam decided to move in with Eileen. It’s still a secret, but he and Cas recently bought a house in the same street as them. It might finally be time to leave the hunting life behind.

“There’s no rush,” Dean simply answers, trying his best not to settle on the thought. If he’d ever marry someone, it probably would be Cas. His eyes are still fixed on the laughing figure when Claire continues speaking.

“Whatever, old man. But if you ever want to tie the knot, just call me,” she says, shrugging with her shoulder. When Dean looks at her with a raised eyebrow, she continues. “I’m actually a licensed officiant, not that it would matter for you two anyways. Could marry you just like that –“

She snaps her fingers, before taking a gulp of her soda. Dean looks over to Cas again, his thoughts running in his head. What if…? The idea seems insane to him, but Claire seems to catch his thoughts. A smile breaks over her face: “Go ahead, dude. Just ask him.”

“Don’t want to steal your thunder, kid.”

“There would be no thunder without you,” she confesses, and Dean can’t help but pull her into a tight hug. He never expected to have kids, but he loves Claire just like his own blood. Her first weeks in college were rough, he remembers. But every time she came close to quitting, she’d call Dean. At this point, she’s just as much his kid as Jack, and he couldn’t be prouder of the people they’ve become.

When they step apart, Claire pulls a necklace from her neck. Two golden rings are connected on it, and Dean immediately knows who they belonged to.

“Here, this one should fit,” she says and presses the larger ring into his shaking hands. Dean mutters an honest thanks, smacking a gentle kiss on her forehead, before sprinting over the lawn.

“Hey Cas, can we talk for a moment?”

“You’re not dragging me into a closet again, are you?” Castiel laughs, but willingly follows his boyfriend a few feet away from the crowd.

“If I remember correctly, you rather enjoyed that…,” Dean counters with a grin, before kissing the angel gently. Cas is still smiling against his lips, and Dean pulls away with a deep breath.

“I have an idea…well, actually Claire had the idea, but I think it’s kinda awesome. And since everyone we love is already here, it would just be such a good opportunity and…”

“Dean,” Cas simply says, putting a stop to Dean’s blabbering.

“Will you marry me? Tonight? I know, you actually deserve a much better proposal and a wedding that doesn’t take place in flannel, but I love you so very very much”

Dean’s stammered words are silenced by a loving kiss. When they pull apart, Cas is smiling brighter than the sun.

“I’ve adored you ever since the moment I touched your soul in hell, of course, I’ll marry you”

The biggest smile flashes over Dean’s face, and Cas returns it just as much. A moment later, a loud shout draws their attention over to the cabin, where Claire is cheering in a way, that reminds them far too much of Dean. And when they tell everyone else, the mood just keeps going up.

It’s not a traditional wedding, but then again, their whole lives aren’t exactly normal. Jack insists on being the flower girl, even though Dean and Sam try their best to correct it to “flower-boy”. The music comes from a beaten-up boombox, which plays “November Rain” on repeat and the couple agrees not to exchange vows, deciding to wait with them until they can talk privately.

Dean’s hands shake when he slips the ring onto Castiel’s finger. It’s only now that he realizes they only got one ring, but before Dean can freak out, the angel pulls another golden band from his pocket.

“Where did you get that ring from?” Dean asks, and Cas casts a glance over to Jody, who is currently trying to stop crying. They barely knew her husband, and sometimes Dean still feels a pinch of guilt they couldn’t save him. The ring, he knows, is not only a final peace offering but an official invitation to the family. Dean shoots her a thankful smile, and she just nods in return.

“Speak now, or forever hold your peace,” Claire announces from the front, but the crowd remains luckily silent.

“We’ve been waiting for ages, no way we’re going to object now,” Sam shoots from the side, making everybody laugh. If Dean wasn’t close to bawling his eyes out, he’d probably throw a witty remark at his brother.

“Well then,” Claire says, clearly holding tears back herself. “I shall pronounce you officially hitched!”

Everyone cheers when Cas pulls Dean in a kiss, marking the beginning of a new chapter. The rest of the evening passes in a blur: they dance, they sing, Sam proposes to Eileen, Claire and Kaia finally get together, and Dean and Cas once again find themselves fooling around in a closet. But it’s perfect in every way.

Not every family contains of two parents and a bunch of kids. For them, family contains of two washed-up hunters, their time-traveling mom, a badass Irish huntress, a fallen angel, the devil’s son, and dozens of other people they got to know over the years. Bobby once told Dean, family don’t end in blood, but it doesn’t start there either.

And as Dean watches his happy and fucked-up family, his hand tightly holding onto his husband, he just knows truer words were never spoken.

[howlermemes]

                                       𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭                                                l  y  r  i  c    s  t  a  r  t  e  r  s

✽  long post ahead bc i have no self control ! ✽  change pronouns / punctuation as needed . ✽  some lyrics are explicit. ✽  some themes are slightly darker. ✽  alteratively, send    ♫ 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚔𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎    to have a lyric automatically generated & said to your muse instead .

[ track 01 ]   the 1 ❛ I'm doing good! I'm on some new shit. ❜ ❛ I thought I saw you at the bus stop. ❜ ❛ I hit the ground running each night. ❜ ❛ You know, the greatest films of all time were never made. ❜ ❛ If you wanted me, you really should have showed. ❜ ❛ If you never bleed, you're never gonna grow. ❜ ❛ It's alright now. ❜ ❛ We were something, don't you think so? ❜ ❛ If my wishes came true, it would have been you. ❜ ❛ In my defense — I have none for never leaving well enough alone. ❜ ❛ It would have been fun if you would have been the one. ❜ ❛ I had this dream you're doing cool shit, having adventures on your own. ❜ ❛ We never painted by the numbers, baby. ❜ ❛ We were making it count. ❜ ❛ You know the greatest loves of all time are over now. ❜ ❛ I guess you never know. ❜ ❛ It's another day of waking up alone. ❜ ❛ If one thing had been different, would everything be different today? ❜ ❛ It would have been sweet if it could've been me. ❜ ❛ In my defense, I have none for digging up the grave another time. ❜

[ track 02 ]   cardigan ❛ When you are young, they assume you know nothing. ❜ ❛ Baby, kiss it better. ❜ ❛ I was your favorite. ❜ ❛ A friend to all is a friend to none. ❜ ❛ Chase two girls, lose the one. ❜ ❛ To kiss in cars and downtown bars was all we needed. ❜ ❛ You drew stars around my scars and now I'm bleeding. ❜ ❛ I knew you tried to change the ending. ❜ ❛ I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss. ❜ ❛ I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs. ❜ ❛ I knew everything when I was young. ❜ ❛ I knew I'd curse you for the longest time. ❜ ❛ I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired, and you'd be standing in my front porch light. ❜ ❛ I knew you'd come back to me. ❜

[ track 03 ]   the last great american dynasty ❛ How did a middle-class divorcee do it? ❜ ❛ The wedding was a charming, if a little gauche. ❜ ❛ There's only so far new money goes. ❜ ❛ Their parties were tasteful, if a little loud. ❜ ❛ It must have been her fault his heart gave out. ❜ ❛ There goes the last great American dynasty. ❜ ❛ Who knows, if she never showed up, what could have been. ❜ ❛ There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen. ❜ ❛ They say she was seen on occasion, pacing the rocks, staring out the sea. ❜ ❛ In a feud with her neighbor, she stole his dog and dyed it key lime green. ❜ ❛ Fifty years is a long time. ❜ ❛ Who knows, if I never showed up, what could've been. ❜ ❛ I had a marvelous time ruining everything. ❜ ❛ I had a marvelous time. ❜

[ track 04 ]   exile ❛ I can see you standing, honey, with his arms around your body. ❜ ❛ I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending. ❜ ❛ You're not my homeland anymore. ❜ ❛ What am I defending now? ❜ ❛ You were my town. Now I'm in exile, seeing you out. ❜ ❛ I can see you staring, honey, like he's just your understudy, like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me. ❜ ❛ You'd get your knuckles bloody for me. ❜ ❛ Those eyes add insult to injury. ❜ ❛ I'm not your problem anymore. ❜ ❛ Who am I offending now? ❜ ❛ You were my crown. Now I'm in exile, seeing you out. ❜ ❛ I'm leaving out the side door. ❜ ❛ There is no amount of crying I can do for you. ❜ ❛ All this time, we always walked a very thin line. ❜ ❛ You didn't even hear me out. ❜ ❛ You never gave a warning sign. ❜ ❛ I gave so many signs. ❜ ❛ All this time, I never learned to read your mind. ❜ ❛ I couldn't turn things around. ❜ ❛ You never turned things around. ❜ ❛ You didn't even see the signs. ❜

[ track 05 ]   my tears ricochet ❛ If I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes, too. ❜ ❛ Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe — all the hell you gave me? ❜ ❛ I loved you, I swear I loved you, until my dying day. ❜ ❛ I didn't have it in myself to go with grace. ❜ ❛ You're the hero flying around, saving face. ❜ ❛ If I'm dead to you, why were you at the wake? ❜ ❛ Look at how my tears ricochet. ❜ ❛ We gather stones, never knowing what they'll mean. ❜ ❛ You know I didn't want to have to haunt you. ❜ ❛ What a ghostly scene. ❜ ❛ You used to tell me I was brave. ❜ ❛ I can go anywhere I want. Anywhere I want, just not home. ❜ ❛ You can aim for my heart — go for blood. ❜ ❛ You would still miss me in your bones. ❜ ❛ I still talk to you when I'm screaming at the sky. ❜ ❛ You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same. ❜ ❛ You turned into your worst fears. ❜ ❛ You're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain, crossing out the good years. ❜

[ track 06 ]   mirrorball ❛ I'll show you every version of yourself tonight. ❜ ❛ When I break, it's a million pieces. ❜ ❛ Hush. ❜ ❛ You'll find me on my tallest tip-toes, spinning in my highest heels, love — shining just for you. ❜ ❛ I know they said the end is near. ❜ ❛ I can change everything about me to fit in. ❜ ❛ You're not like the regulars. ❜ ❛ I'm still on that tightrope. ❜ ❛ I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me. ❜ ❛ I'm still a believer, but I don't know why. ❜ ❛ I've never been a natural. ❜ ❛ All I do is try, try, try. ❜ ❛ I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me. ❜

[ track 07 ]   seven ❛ Please picture me in the trees. ❜ ❛ I hit my peak at seven, feet in the swing over the creek. ❜ ❛ I was too scared to jump in, but I was high in the sky. ❜ ❛ Are there still beautiful things? ❜ ❛ Cross your heart. ❜ ❛ Though I can't recall your face, I still got love for you. ❜ ❛ Love you to the moon and to Saturn. ❜ ❛ The love lasts so long. ❜ ❛ I've been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted. ❜ ❛ Your dad is always mad. ❜ ❛ I think you should come live with me. ❜ ❛ We can be pirates! ❜ ❛ You won't have to cry or hide in the closet. ❜ ❛ Our love will be passed on. ❜ ❛ I used to scream ferociously any time I wanted. ❜ ❛ Pack your dolls and a sweater. ❜

[ track 08 ]   august ❛ Salt air and the rust on your door — I never needed anything more. ❜ ❛ I can see us lost in the memory. ❜ ❛ August slipped away into a moment in time, because it was never mine. ❜ ❛ I was see us twisted in bedsheets. ❜ ❛ August sipped away like a bottle of wine, because you were never mine. ❜ ❛ Will you call me when you're back at school? ❜ ❛ I remember thinking I had you. ❜ ❛ It was never mine. ❜ ❛ You were never mine. ❜ ❛ For me, it was enough to live for the hope of it all. ❜ ❛ I canceled plans just in case you'd call. ❜ ❛ Meet me behind the mall. ❜ ❛ So much for summer love and saying "us". ❜ ❛ You weren't mine to lose. ❜ ❛ Do you remember? ❜ ❛ Remember when I pulled up and said "Get in the car." ❛ I was living for the hope of it all. ❜

[ track 09 ]   this is me trying ❛ I've been having a hard time adjusting. ❜ ❛ I didn't know if you'd care if I came back. ❜ ❛ I have a lot of regrets about that. ❜ ❛ Maybe I don't quite know what to say. ❜ ❛ I'm here in your doorway. ❜ ❛ I just wanted you to know this is me trying. ❜ ❛ I got wasted like all my potential. ❜ ❛ My words shoot to kill when I'm mad. I have a lot of regrets about that. ❜ ❛ I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere. ❜ ❛ I ended up here, pouring my heart out to a stranger. ❜ ❛ I didn't pour the whiskey. ❜ ❛ At least I'm trying. ❜ ❛ It's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound. ❜ ❛ It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you. ❜ ❛ You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town. ❜

[ track 10 ]   illicit affairs ❛ Make sure nobody sees you leave. ❜ ❛ Tell your friends you're out for a run. ❜ ❛ You'll be flushed when you return. ❜ ❛ Take the road less traveled by. ❜ ❛ Tell yourself you can always stop. ❜ ❛ What started in beautiful rooms, ends with meeting in parking lots. ❜ ❛ That's the thing about illicit affairs — and clandestine meetings and longing stares. ❜ ❛ It's born from just one single glance, but it dies and it dies and it dies a million little times. ❜ ❛ You leave no trace behind. ❜ ❛ Take the words for what they are — a dwindling mercurial high, a drug that only worked the first few hundred times. ❜ ❛ They show their truth one single time, but they lie and they lie and they lie. A million little times. ❜ ❛ Don't call me "kid". ❜ ❛ Don't call me "baby". ❜ ❛ Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me. ❜ ❛ You showed me colors you know I can't see with anyone else. ❜ ❛ Look at this idiotic fool that you made me. ❜ ❛ You taught me a secret language I can't speak with anyone else. ❜ ❛ You know damn well, for you, I would ruin myself a million little times. ❜

[ track 11 ]   invisible string ❛ I used to think I would meet somebody there. ❜ ❛ Teal was the color of your shirt when you were sixteen at the yogurt shop. ❜ ❛ Time, curious time. ❜ ❛ Were there clues I didn't see? ❜ ❛ Isn't it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me? ❜ ❛ You ate at my favorite spot for dinner. ❜ ❛ She said I looked like an American singer. ❜ ❛ Time, mystical time — cutting me open, then healing me fine. ❜ ❛ Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire. ❜ ❛ One single thread of gold tied me to you. ❜ ❛ Gold was the color of the leaves when you around Centennial Park. ❜ ❛ Hell was the journey, but it brought me to heaven. ❜ ❛ Time, wondrous time, gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies. ❜ ❛ It's cool, baby, with me. ❜

[ track 12 ]   mad woman ❛ What did you think I'd say to that? ❜ ❛ Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? ❜ ❛ They strike to kill, and you know I will. ❜ ❛ What do you sing on your drive home? ❜ ❛ Do you see my face in the neighbors lawn? ❜ ❛ Fuck you forever. ❜ ❛ Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy. ❜ ❛ When you say I seem angry, I get more angry. ❜ ❛ There's nothing like a mad woman. ❜ ❛ What a shame she went mad. ❜ ❛ No one likes a mad woman. You made her like that. ❜ ❛ You'll poke that bear 'till her claws come out and you find something to wrap your noose around. ❜ ❛ I breathe flames each time I talk. ❜ ❛ They say "Move On," but you know I won't. ❜ ❛ Women like hunting witches too, doing your dirtiest work for you. ❜ ❛ It's obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together. ❜ ❛ I'm taking my time. ❜ ❛ You took everything from me. ❜ ❛ She should be mad, should be scathing like me. ❜

[ track 13 ]   epiphany ❛ I think he's bleeding out. ❜ ❛ Some things you just can't speak about. ❜ ❛ With you, I serve. With you, I fall down. ❜ ❛ I think she's crashing out. ❜ ❛ Only twenty minutes to sleep. ❛ You dream of some epiphany — just one single glimpse of relief. ❜

[ track 14 ]   betty ❛ I won't make assumptions. ❜ ❛ I think it's because of me. ❜ ❛ One time, I was riding on my skateboard when I passed your house. ❜ ❛ It's like I couldn't breathe. ❜ ❛ You heard the rumors. ❜ ❛ You can't believe a word she says most times. But this time, it was true. ❜ ❛ The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you. ❜ ❛ If I just showed up at your party, would you have me? ❜ ❛ Would you want me? ❜ ❛ Would you tell me to go fuck myself? ❜ ❛ In the garden, would you trust me if I told you it was a just a summer thing? ❜ ❛ I'm only seventeen. I don't know anything. ❜ ❛ I don't know anything, but I know I miss you. ❜ ❛ I know where it all went wrong. ❜ ❛ I was nowhere to be found. ❜ ❛ I hate crowds. You know that. ❜ ❛ I saw you dance with him. ❜ ❛ I was walking home on broken cobblestones, just thinking of you. ❛ She pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions. ❜ ❛ Get in. Let's drive. ❜ ❛ I dreamt of you all summer long. ❜ ❛ I planned it out for weeks now. ❜ ❛ It's finally sinking in. ❜ ❛ Right now is the last time. ❜ ❛ I can dream about what happens when you can see my face again. ❜ ❛ The only thing I wanna do is make it up to you. ❜ ❛ Will you have me? ❜ ❛ Will you love me? ❜ ❛ Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends? ❜ ❛ If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? ❜ ❛ I don't know anything. ❜

[ track 15 ]   peace ❛ Our coming-of-age has come and gone. ❜ ❛ I never had the courage of my convictions, as long as danger is near. ❜ ❛ It's just around the corner, darlin. ❜ ❛ I could never give you peace. ❜ ❛ I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm. ❜ ❛ All these people think love's for show, but I would die for you in secret. ❜ ❛ The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me. ❜ ❛ Would it be enough if I could never give you peace? ❜ ❛ Your integrity makes me seem small. ❜ ❛ I talk shit with my friends. It's like I'm wasting your honor. ❜ ❛ Is it enough? ❜ ❛ I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best. ❜ ❛ The rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me. ❜

[ track 16 ]   hoax ❛ This has broken me down. ❜ ❛ This has frozen my ground. ❜ ❛ Give me a reason. ❜ ❛ Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in. ❜ ❛ Don't want no other shade of blue, but you. ❜ ❛ No other sadness in the world would do. ❜ ❛ I am ash from your fire. ❜ ❛ You know I left a part of me back in New York. ❜ ❛ You knew the hero died, so what's the movie for? ❜ ❛ You knew it still hurts underneath my scars. ❜ ❛ You knew you won, so what's the point of keeping score? ❜ ❛ It still hurts underneath my scars. ❜ ❛ What you did was just as dark. ❜ ❛ Darling, this was just as hard as when they pulled me apart. ❜

[moonstruckbucky]

Come Over (4/7)

Summary: You’re new to New York City. Fresh out of post-grad and wanting a change of pace, and this change comes in more ways than one.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader. Neighbor AU.

Warnings for Chapter: A lot of cursing, a lot of italics, and a lot of football talk. (Ya girl’s a NE fan so.)

Series Masterlist //  Main Masterlist

“Bucky, Sharon, this is my brother Clint and my best friend, Sam.”

The words are acrid as you say them, your throat constricting as if it wants to choke them back down. But you don’t, and you ignore Sam’s pointed look when you mention the words “Bucky’s girlfriend”.

Following your embarrassing event in the hallway, face aflame, you’d repeated your question, this time directing it at both of them rather than just Bucky. Sharon had agreed, and though you plastered on a smile, there was a sinking feeling in your gut. She’s nice enough, from what you’ve seen so far. But there’s an underlying tension between you.

At Clint’s, she plants herself between you and Bucky every chance she gets—in the kitchen as you socialize and on the couch when the game starts. You’re not dumb; you know she feels some sort of discomfort with you and Bucky being friendly with one another, and you idly wonder if this is who he’s always arguing on the phone with.

At first it’s uncomfortable sitting beside her and not saying a word, but then the beer and the excitement of the game kicks in and you kind of forget she’s there, she's so quiet. You, on the other hand, are on your feet with your brother and Sam and surprisingly Bucky, all yelling obscenities and orders at the players on the screen.

“Where’s the fucking flag?” you holler, gesturing at the TV. When the game continues with no penalty, you and Sam collectively groan. “Helmet to helmet and there’s no goddamn flag? These fucking refs!”

“That’s what you get when you support cheaters,” boasts Clint with a smirk. Bucky whistles lowly as you slowly turn a murderous glare to your brother.

“Careful, brother,” you warn, leaning across Sharon, who leans back as if you have an infectious disease, to point threateningly at Clint. “Don’t start a war you can’t finish.”

Clint cups his hands around his mouth and taunts, “My sister supports the Cheatriots.”

“Listen,” you say, rising from your seat again to tower over the group. Sam has his arms crossed and a look that says you’re gonna get it, Bucky watches on with wide, curious eyes, Sharon looks as if she’d rather be anywhere else, and Clint merely waits with a teasing smirk and his arms crossed. “Spygate? Witch hunt. Honest mistake, whatever. It was bullshit. And goddamn, motherfucking Snowplowgate was a pathetic excuse at cheating. And Deflategate was the biggest crock of shit to ever grace the NFL. Clearly nobody at that piece of shit organization has any idea what a goddamn fucking gas law is or how it even works! “May have been aware”—bullshit! Brady missed four games and they still won the goddamn Super Bowl.  The Patriots haven’t done anything any more sacrilegious than any other team in the NFL. They just get the most shit because they have integrity and they win. Six rings, asshole, count em and eat shit.”

Sam mimes a mic drop and a glance at Bucky shows he’s impressed, eyebrows raised high and icy blue eyes sparkling. Sharon looks between the two of you and you feel your face heat. Clearing your throat, you scoop up your beer, drain it, and step around the couch to head towards the kitchen.

“Excuse me.”

Unsurprisingly, Clint has followed you in; you can hear Sam and Bucky talking and laughing through the entryway. He leans against the counter next to the fridge as you dig around, shove a few chips from the bowl in your mouth.

“So I think Bucky just fell in love.”

You nearly choke on your chip as you sharply inhale. Coughing harshly, you wash it down with your newly opened beer and wait for your eyes to stop watering.

“Excuse me?”

Clint smirks and shrugs. “You heard me. Home boy looked about ready to propose.”

He’s speaking low enough that you won’t be heard, but still you crane your neck to look over his shoulder into the living room. Bucky and Sam are now sitting side by side on the couch, Sharon on the end scrolling through her phone. None of them seem to have heard anything.

You grunt. “You’re full of shit.”

He grins and shakes his head once. “With the way he was looking at you? No way.”

“I think you need your eyes checked, brother.” 

“Oh are we discussing the way Bucky practically undressed Y/N with his eyes after her tirade?” chimes Sam as he enters the kitchen. You hurry to shush him, slapping a hand over his mouth as you cast another look into the living room. Bucky and Sharon sit stiffly on the couch, exchanging hushed but frenzied words if Sharon’s expression is anything to go by. Bucky’s shoulders are tense as he leans his elbows on his knees, the taut muscles straining against his navy long-sleeve. 

What you don’t notice is the look that passes between Sam and Clint, matching smirks curving their mouths as you watch Bucky and Sharon in the midst of an obvious argument. You chew the inside of your cheek as Bucky leans back into the couch, shoulders relaxing, but only slightly. Sighing through your nose, you turn back to your brother and friend.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we were discussing,” Clint finally answers with a cheeky little smile to which you roll your eyes.

“Whatever, guys. You both need your eyes checked. Pronto. Maybe your heads while you’re at it.” Behind you, they scoff, and you lead the way out of the kitchen.

Even without having witnessed an argument between the couple, you can feel the tension. Fortunately, halftime is over and the game resumes, just barely cutting through the negative atmosphere. Soon, you, Sam, Clint, and Bucky are all yelling at the television again.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, it’s a tie game and Sharon’s phone goes off. She checks it and begins to rise from the couch.

“I have some work to do,” she announces, shoving her phone back in her jacket pocket. She turns to Bucky, “We should go.”

He looks imploringly up at her and gestures to the TV with his beer. “There’s only eight minutes left. Can we stay? Or I’ll catch up to you? I just want to stay to the end.”

It unsettles you, the way he asks her, the trepidation in his voice. As if she were a bomb about to go off and not a person. You keep your gaze averted but your ears are open, as are Sam’s and Clint’s.

“I really think it’d be easier if you and I left together, James. I’m sure Y/N will tell you the outcome later.”

Though you can’t pinpoint why, the tone in which she says this has your grip tightening on your bottle. Just a fraction so that it’s unnoticed. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch Bucky stare her down for a few beats too long before he sighs, sets down his beer a little harder than intended on the coffee table, and stands up.

Disappointment floods you, and you hope it doesn’t show on your face when Bucky announces they have to leave. Sharon’s watching him like a hawk when he says goodbye to Clint, Sam, and finally, you, leaning over you to hug you—if you can call it that. He barely touches you, and you know it must be because Sharon’s narrowing her eyes at the two of you. He straightens, shoulders and smile stiff, and then the two of them are gone.

“Aight,” Sam says a few moments later in the quiet of the living room, “I’m just gonna say it, she’s such a bitch.”

“Wow, she sounds like a bitch,” Wanda observes the next day at work. You’re on lunch in the cafe on the bottom floor, and you’d told her all about your interesting weekend. Like your brother and Clint, she’s convinced Bucky has a thing for you despite his...wonderful girlfriend. 

“You’re telling me. Obviously she’s got some insecurity issues going on. She would not let me near him at all. I thought she was going to burn holes in my head when he hugged me goodbye.”

Wanda grimaces and sticks a French fry in her mouth. “Yikes. You said you hear him arguing a lot? You think it’s with her?”

Snorting, you nod with an incredulous expression. “I’m almost positive it’s her. I can never hear exactly what he’s saying, but if yesterday was anything to go by, they fight a lot. Poor Bucky. He’s always so nice. How could he be with someone so...not?”

“Maybe they weren’t always like that, you know? Maybe this is all a recent development.”

You hum thoughtfully, eyes losing focus as you zone out for a few minutes. Your Stark watch beeps, signalling the end of your lunch. Sighing, you stand up from your seat and Wanda follows. After dumping your trash, you head back to the elevator.

Truth is, you feel bad for Bucky. And for Sharon...kind of. But only in the way that something has happened to her to make her see anyone and everyone as a threat to their relationship. It isn’t healthy, and you know Bucky’s smart enough to know it, too. But what could you do? You aren’t close enough with him to advise him to end it, and sitting idly by while she controls him feels wrong.

You think so much and so hard about it you get a headache. Fortunately, you have enough work on your plate to keep yourself occupied.

Later that evening, back in your apartment, you’re about to settle in for the new Dateline episode with a glass of wine when an all-too-recognizable moan is heard through the shared wall of yours and Bucky’s apartments. You grimace at the same time your heart drops, and you pull heavily from the wine glass and turn up the TV.

If at all possible, Sharon seems to get louder, more high-pitched the higher your volume goes. 

Guess they made up, you type bitterly to Sam. Sharon’s wailing like a banshee.

You know it’s another territorial move on her part, and you can’t help but wonder if Bucky knows that as well. He’s far quieter, so much so you can’t even hear him over the whines of Sharon.

Your phone pings.

Awkward, Sam types back, need to escape?

Tempting. But I have an early start tomorrow.

Your date with Dateline gets cut short when they go for round two.

The next morning is...awkward, to say the least. Bucky’s dressed casually, no doubt for work, while Sharon hangs off him in the doorway. She’s giggling, and even Bucky has a grin on his face. When he notices you walking towards them, eyes pointed straight ahead because it’s awkward enough having heard them last night, his face goes bright red. You wait for the elevator, foot tapping and mind silently telling it to hurry the hell up because you really don’t want to be stuck in an elevator with Bucky.

But luck is not on your side and you hear his door close just as the elevator doors slide open. Bucky’s feet thud on the hallway carpet as he jogs to catch the elevator, and you’re almost ashamed to admit you very nearly press the ‘Door Close’ button on him. But he shoves an inked arm through and slides inside, leans against the wall adjacent to you.

He’s still as red as a tomato as he shoves his hands in his pockets and looks down at his boots. The air in the elevator tense and thick and it nearly makes you choke. Your heart thuds in your chest as you shift from foot to foot, even pull out your phone and scroll through social media in order to escape the awkwardness.

“I, uh, want to apologize if you heard us last night,” he stammers, that blush of his creeping down his neck and up to his ears. He’s rubbing the back of his neck when you glance over at him, give a small shrug to play it off like you’re indifferent. “Sharon can be...passionate.”

Internally, you wince. Didn’t really need to know that. But instead you respond with, “Glad you two seemed to work out whatever was up with you on Sunday.”

Bucky flinches and frowns deeply, taking to scratching at the light stubble on his jaw now. “You noticed that huh?”

He sighs when you nod. “Sharon’s…away for work a lot. It kind of puts a strain on things.”

For reasons unknown to you, you feel a small rise of irritation as the elevator touches down on the ground floor, and you sneer, “Well, I’m glad you both have the passion to sort out your issues.”

You can tell Bucky’s watching you wide-eyed and confused as you saunter out of the elevator, and even you can’t quite tell where the urge to snap at him had come from. His ignorance to acknowledge his girlfriend has security issues? The fact that he’d kept his neighbor up until almost midnight sorting out their issues? Or perhaps it’s just your unreasonable, growing jealousy that Sharon gets to know what he sounds like under those particular circumstances. Gets to see every expression that passes over his face or the way his body reacts to minute little teasing.

God, you’re so fucked.

Chapter Five

[fanfic-corner]

Slow Burn

You ever want to read a fic that is probably as long (or longer) than a book series, but not have the main love interests kiss until chapter 300? Then you probably have some issues, but I'm not a therapist, so here we go.

Stand By Me by whelvenwings on AO3. (31,252 words).

Tags: Zombie Apocalypse AU, Post-Apocalypse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bed, Slow Dancing, Smut, First Kiss, Canon-Typical Violence, Touch-Starved Dean, Love Confessions.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: Dean Winchester has been alone for a long, long time. When he and Castiel happen to find each other - a couple of survivors in a world that’s been all but wiped clean - Dean’s looking for his brother; Castiel is looking for something to look for. They stick together, because neither of them much wants to be alone. They hate each other at first, of course. Dean hates Castiel for being weird and quiet and ironic and antagonistic and proud. Castiel hates Dean for being blunt and reckless and coarse, for drinking, for refusing to talk about how he feels and just pretending everything is fine. Most of all, they hate themselves and each other just for being alive. What right do they have to be alive? No one else seems to be. But against his own will, Dean starts to notice things about Castiel that he likes. Starts to hope that Castiel might like him, too. And together, they start to fight for a world where they're both alive - and that's a good thing.

Notes: One of the first fics I ever read, and one of my faves! The ending was slightly unsatisfying, but not so much that I would drop a star.

Angel's Wild by LimonadeGaby and riseofthefallenone on AO3. (389,271 words).

Tags: Alternate Universe, Wingfic, Hurt/Comfort, Wing Kink, Slow Build, Slow Burn.

My Rating: 5 stars. (If I could give it more, I would).

Description: But that’s the whole reason he’s here, isn’t it? He’s not out here hunting Humans. He’s not even hunting deer, or bears, or anything else that featured in Bambi. He’s out here, freezing his nuts off every night, because he’s hunting Angels. Sometimes Dean wishes that Angels were like how they’re described in the Bible. How people from time too old for him to care much about thought Angels were messengers and warriors of God, protectors of Humans. He knows that how they’re really described in the Bible is actually pretty terrifying, but at least they were told by God that they’re supposed to love Humans, right? That’s a thousand times better than what Angels really turned out to be.

Notes: I would be lying if I said I didn’t read all these slow burn fics just so I could rec this. I would also be lying if I said this wasn’t my favourite fic of all time. The pining is so intense it is practically unbearable to read. Honestly, I don’t care if you think it is too long or it isn’t really your thing; I would rec this to anyone with ears. I will still be reccing this in Hell. It is absolutely phenomenal.

a turn of the earth by mishcollin on AO3. (95,274 words).

Tags: Time Travel, Slow Burn, Canon Divergence, POV Dean Winchester, Alteration of s10 lore, Homophobic Language, Smut, Pining Dean, Preseries Dean, Mutual Pining.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: Dean’s your typical half-orphaned, monster-killing 22-year-old until a trenchcoated stranger crashes into his back windshield one September night, claiming he’s an angel that knows him from the future and that he’s on the run. Frigging fantastic.

Notes: An absolutely excellent plot, which is excellently written, and is somehow simultaneously angsty and adorable.

Forget-Me-Not Blues by noangelsinthegarrison on AO3. (68,689 words).

Tags: Romantic Comedy, Firefighter Dean, Professor Castiel, Weddings, Misunderstandings, High School AU, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: Sam and Jess are getting married and Dean couldn’t be any happier for them. Honestly, they’re kind of disgustingly perfect for each other and Dean’s pretty damn excited about staying with them the week before the wedding. He’s Sam’s best man, of course, and he doesn’t even mind that Jess has her own best man to share in all the organisational duties. The more the merrier, right?Except Dean must have done something to epically piss off the universe because Jess’s best man just happens to be Castiel friggin’ Novak. He’s got even hotter since High School, but apparently no friendlier and if Cas wants to spend the week pretending like they’ve never met before? Fine. Two can play at that game.

Notes: Jesus Christ, I have not read a single fic which sums up exactly how stupid Dean and Cas can be sometimes. I loved it.

the cost of a thing by quiettewandering on AO3. (74,198 words).

Tags: Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fake Marriage, Human Castiel, Protective Dean Winchester, Touch-Starved Castiel, Mutual Pining, Jealous Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Depressed Castiel, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Sharing a Bed.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: 16 months ago, Cas became human.12 months ago, Cas left the bunker and a broken-hearted Dean behind. Now they must work a case together, where married couples are dying mysterious deaths and the only way to earn the neighbors' trust is by pretending to be married. Slowly, Dean finds that he loves being in a relationship with Cas, fake or not, and Cas finds his loneliness retreating, despite the harsh reality looming right around the corner. As Dean and Cas navigate this fake, but all too real, relationship, can they find the monster that is on a mysteriously motivated killing spree before it’s too late?

Notes: So cute! All the angst! My favourite trope! (So many exclamation marks!)

In All Your Borrowed Finery by vanishingact on AO3. (67,950 words).

Tags: Winged Dean Winchester, Winged Sam Winchester, Winged Castiel, Winged Gabriel, Spells & Enchantments, Hunters & Hunting, Case Fic, Harpies, Canon-Typical Violence, Major Character Injury, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Fluff and Humor and Smut and Angst, Wingfic, Fanart. My Rating: 5 stars. Description: Dean finds an interesting symbol in Kevin's angel tablet notes and, against Sam's counselling, uses it in the heat of battle with a pair of angelic assassins. Side effects include pain, disorientation, and uncontrollable new appendages for the Winchesters. A disgruntled Castiel and a delighted Gabriel show up to help. Hunting (and life) gets interesting when wings are involved.  Notes: Okay this was literally adorable and you can not convince me otherwise. Every time I read a fic with everyone’s favourite archangel, I miss him just a bit more. (This fic is slightly more Sabriel than Destiel, but only by a little).

In This Secluded Spot I Respond As I Wouldn't Elsewhere by RhymePhile on AO3. (33,953 words).

Tags: Modern Setting AU, Teenage AU, High Scool AU, Romance, Best Friends, First Love, First Kiss, Slow Build, Minor Violence, Bullying, Homophobia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Protective Dean Winchester, Texas, Slow Burn, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, No Sex, Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester are Raised Separately, Mary Winchester Lives, Artist Castiel, Nerd Castiel, Grieving Castiel, Jock Dean Winchester.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: It's 1995, and Castiel's high school years are destined to be difficult: home-schooled until eighth grade, he is awkward, shy, and socially inept. The weird kid with the funny name would rather isolate himself and draw in his sketchbook than deal with the constant bullying he faces every day. Things only get worse in his junior year when he excels in home economics class, leading the captain of the baseball team, Alastair, to start taunting him for being gay.Then new student Dean Winchester arrives at Flour Bluff High School, sharing many of Castiel's classes. Castiel has seen his type before -- handsome, athletic, arrogant, and sure to be the most popular kid in school. But Castiel eventually learns that he and Dean have more in common than he thought, and they form an unlikely friendship.

Notes: Pretty cute, and I did enjoy reading it. Not sure why like half the slow burn fics are set in a high school, but hey.

'Star Wars is Overrated' by leftdragonpainter on AO3. (38,186 words).

Tags: Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Pining, Drinking, Writer Castiel, Mechanic Dean, Neighbours, Swearing, Winchester Logic, Big Brother Gabriel, Clueless Dean, College Student Sam, Awkward Dates, Slow Burn, Injured Sam, Emotional Constipation, Angst, Confessions, Smut, Drunk Texting, Love Confessions, Temporary Amnesia, Angst and Humor.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: When Dean Winchester turned sixteen he was disappointed by the words that appeared on his chest. He never expected that it would take so much to find his soulmate. He never expected to not remember meeting them...

Notes: Every time I thought I knew what was gonna happen in this fic, something completely different happened. I think I have whiplash (but I love it!).

The Elysium High by EllenOfOz on AO3. (44,768 words).

Tags: Post-Apocalypse AU, Los Angeles, Dystopia AU, Angels are Dicks, Addict Sam Winchester, Recreational Drug Use, Witch Sam Winchester, Detective AU, Confused Castiel, Drugged Sex, Slow Burn, Cyborg Castiel.

My Rating: 3 stars.

Description: In the not-too-distant future, climate change has wreaked havoc on the city of Los Angeles. When sea levels rose, and the Los Angeles Basin began to flood regularly like many coastal areas around the world, the population of the city moved up, off the ground and into the scrapers. Many years later, the city is divided into three rough zones: the Topzone, where the very wealthy live in the sunlight; the Midzone, where those of the less-well-off population live amid the flying traffic, the smog and their coffee addictions; and the Groundzone, what's left at close to ground level—dim, grimy and occasionally very wet. Sam and Dean Winchester are drug investigators in the LAPD. During a bust, Dean is saved by Castiel, one of the mysterious Angels, the elite fighting unit of the LA City Council. When Castiel insists on taking Dean to Paradise because he says they have work for him, Dean has little choice but to go along. But when a new drug, “Elysium”, hits the scene, people all over the city start dying. The brothers and Castiel must work out where the drug is coming from and stop its spread before it's too late.

Notes: There was nothing wrong about this fic, it just wasn’t really my cup of tea. I found the fic that it reminded me of though; I Know A Place by whelvenwings. It is fairly similar, but in my opinion a tad better.

So there we go: slow burns! And if you’re thinking, ‘Lina, where are all the ridiculously long ones? I want them to have their first kiss 300 chapters in?’ just know that I do not have the patience or the time for that. Mostly the patience. Okay, maybe I avoided them because they make me want to smash my phone. Whatever. Another day, maybe.

[localhorrornerd]

31 Horror Movies for the Halloween Season

Well.. It’s a little bit over 31 bc of sequels and such but it’s a fun title for horror recs! For the record these are in no particular order in like what’s the best or anything! It’s just a list of horror movie recommendations that might get you in the Halloween mood. I tried not to have huge well-known movies on here, but I did throw in a few just because I love them and couldn’t resist. I did try to add small descriptions for each one, but given there’s like 31 movies on here, they are rather short. Either way, hopefully you’ll find one or a couple movies here that you’re interested in!

1. Trick ‘r Treat

A rather well-known one but is it really a list without Trick ‘r Treat? A fun horror anthology with four different stories that connect to each other in some way - including the fact they all take place on Halloween night! A fun one to actually watch on Halloween.

2. Hell House LLC

For the record there are two sequels (Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel & Hell House LLC 3: Lake of Fire), however I have not seen either of them so can’t include them here, but if you want to watch them I’d say go check them out! Basically it’s a documentary style type film that follows what happened up to the days a horrible tragedy took place on the opening night of a haunted house attraction. No one knows exactly what actually went down, so the reason for the documentary is to attempt to figure out what truly happened that night.

3. Repo! The Genetic Opera

A horror musical! It’s set in a future where organ failure is extremely common so naturally a huge company comes along and is like “Okay you can have an organ transplant, but you have a huge payment plan and if you can’t pay then we’re just gonna kill you and take your organs back.” Also it has so many good songs would highly recommend if you haven’t seen it (and you can stomach a bit of gore).

4. The Devil’s Carnival & Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival

Another horror musical! And done by the same people who did Repo! For the record The Devil’s Carnival is only about an hour long but the sequel is a full length movie! A short quick explanation is that it’s set in Hell (unsurprisingly) and follows the people who end up there - also during this the Devil is planning an attack - but I’ll let you find out the rest if you haven’t seen it yet.

5. Ju-On and/or The Grudge (Any Film)

It’s my favorite horror franchise, so of course Ju-On was gonna end up on here! Whether it be the original Japanese films or the American remakes, it follows vengeful spirits who were murdered in their home and are taking revenge on anyone who enters.

6. Sinister & Sinister 2

Okay I know Sinister 2 is one not very well liked, but since I have seen it I decided I might as well include it (though I don’t really remember my thoughts on it it’s been a while). Video tapes that contain children murdering their families and a mysterious being that may be at the center of it is the basic plot for these movies.

7. Tragedy Girls

Basically you got two best friends who capture a serial killer because they themselves want to become serial killers! Don’t wanna say too much outside of that, as that is the basic plot concept honestly, but it’s a really fun movie.

8. The Final Girls

A girl dealing with the anniversary of her mother’s death ends up, with a small group of others, stuck in a horror movie that her mother actually starred in. Okay as much fun as this one is it does pull on the heart strings a bit I gotta admit. But it’s truly great and naturally has a feel of an older slasher movie.

9. You Might be the Killer

Another one that’s got that older slasher movie vibe as it takes place at a camp. One where the counselors are getting picked off one by one by a masked killer. Comes in our protagonist, who is calling his friend, who isn’t at the camp and also is a huge horror enthusiast, for help to figure out what to do and maybe figure out what’s going on/who the killer is.

10. Danur (aka Danur: I Can See Ghosts)

A young girl who just wants friends finds them in the form of three potentially paranormal ones. Though it seemingly being just a childhood thing, it actually becomes of great importance as she gets older. This movie also has a sequel, Danur 2: Maddah.

11. Fright Night

For the record I am talking about the remake here, as I have not seen the original, but if you would prefer to watch that one - or maybe even both - go for it! Basically, teen starts to believe his new neighbor is a vampire after more and more people go missing. Also David Tennant is there if you go with the remake so that’s always fun!

12. Tales of Halloween

Admittedly I wasn’t too into this film, but I know a lot of people like it! Not too much to say, it’s a horror anthology with 10 different segments that take place on Halloween! So you’re bound to find something you enjoy within it, whether it be the paranormal, witches, or even just dumb fun horror comedy antics.

13. The Tag-Along

Based on an urban legend from Taiwan, “The Little Girl in Red”, it focuses on a man and his girlfriend. Of which the man’s grandmother suddenly goes missing one day - eventually leading to him discovering clues of a potential unknown little girl who had began following his grandmother around. There are two sequels to this movie as well that I have not seen yet, that being The Tag-Along 2 & The Tag-Along: The Devil Fish.

14. Three... Extremes

Another anthology film that contains three separate stories, each one coming from a different East Asian country. It also has a prequel, Three (or 3... Extremes II in the U.S.), and a full length film made from one of the stories within it, Dumplings.

15. The Hallow

Really feel like the point of this movie is like ‘Don’t fuck with the woods’. As it basically focuses on a couple and their baby, who seems to be the target for the odd things happening to them that seems rather connected to the woods nearby.

16. The Devil’s Candy

A man moves with his family into a new home, and slowly begins to feel as though something is possessing him in a sense. That and also the potential fact his family is being targeted by the previous resident of the home.

17. Wake Wood

Apparently FMA did not teach us not to fuck with the dead enough, so here’s a movie about a grieving couple that lost their daughter who move into a town that holds the power to bring someone back from the dead for only 3 days. Unfortunately like FMA, things go horribly wrong (just not... in the same way as FMA).

18. The Cabin in the Woods

College students go out to a cabin in the woods in which things quickly take a turn for the worst. Seems simple enough, but it’s so much more complicated than that - however I won’t be sharing any of those details for those who haven’t watched it yet.

19. Prevenge

A pregnant woman who’s husband has recently passed away, believes that her unborn child wants her to track down and kill everyone who was involved in the accident. An extremely wild but honestly rather fun time.

20. You’re Next

Home invasion, baby! In which everything goes to hell for a family and their partners when masked killers start trying to kill everyone there. Though things take a turn quick and you start to wonder who is really the ones being hunted down here. (A fairly well known one, but I had to recommend it given one of my favorite characters in horror is in this movie)

21. Kuronezumi (aka Black Rat)

Not too much to say here basic plot wise. Six students receive texts from their dead classmate, they follow as the texts ask and go to the school at night, and then start getting targeted by a killer wearing a rat mask.

22. Lights Out

A family potentially being haunted by a creature that only appears when the lights go out? Plus a whole lot of family drama? Always fun truly! It’s also somewhat based off a viral short film of the same name that the director had made before he got to make it a full length film.

23. Absentia

Absolutely had to put a Mike Flanagan movie on here. One that focuses on a pregnant woman who’s started towards attempting to move on with her life after her husband disappeared seven years ago. However, as she takes a huge step towards doing so, something rather odd happens - which I’ll let you find out for yourself if you choose to watch it.

24. Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Perhaps it’s because it’s the one Halloween movie without Michael Myers, or perhaps it’s because I was blanking out on movies I watched that aren’t extremely well-known, but I felt the need to add this one on here. It focuses on this man who is out to kill children on Halloween by using a line of Halloween masks. So basically another fun one to watch on Halloween!

25. The Barn

Teenagers go to a barn where there’s a supposed curse that can awaken Halloween-themed monsters on Halloween night. What could possibly go wrong? Honestly another one that would be a lot of fun to actually watch on Halloween.

26. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

A really fun documentary type film where it’s set in a world where iconic horror slashers are actually real! And a documentary crew are out to make a movie centered around Leslie Vernon, who wishes to go down in history as another one of the famous slashers. This one is really just *chef’s kiss* to me, very much recommend if you haven’t seen it.

27. Creep & Creep 2

Found footage type films in which we follow people who are hired by this rather concerning man to film him. That’s really all I can say unfortunately without trying to give away too much.

28. What We Do in the Shadows

Another documentary-style type movie! It tends to be more comedic than it is horror, but it follows  a group of vampires that live together! Sort of documenting their lives and how they survive day by day. Honestly it’s so ridiculous and hilarious, and I know many people have seen it by now but I have to recommend it none the less as it’s one of my favorites. Plus, it also has an equally hilarious tv series now that you can also give a watch!

29. The Banana Splits Movie

Who doesn’t want to see the Banana Splits as animatronics that start randomly slaughtering people after the news that their show is going to be cancelled? Honestly it’s really just a fun, ridiculous movie that isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Perhaps something to watch with friends to get in the mood for Halloween.

30. The Last Exorcism

Another one that has a sequel I have not seen: The Last Exorcism Part II. Another documentary style film (Sorry I added so many of these whoops), that follows a reverend who goes around performing fake exorcisms. Things start getting a bit more complicated though when lines start beginning to blur between what is real and what is fake while doing his current “exorcism” he was asked to perform.

31. V/H/S & V/H/S 2

There is also a third film, V/H/S: Viral, however I have not seen that one. Not too much to say here, they’re basically just an anthology of short horror films that are supposedly being shown from VHS tapes.

[bardic-inspo]

WIP Wednesday

Nobody tagged me but I looked up and realized it was Wednesday, and I always enjoy seeing these go around.

EDIT: The lovely @third-rail-vip tagged me shortly after I posted. Thank you friend💙.

I’m gonna tag @asaara-writes, @randomwordsandstormydays, @slightly-sad-scribe, and @alias-levi if you feel like sharing anything you’ve been working on this week! No pressure if you’d rather not :)

I have been writing a ton lately! And exciting stuff! But almost every inch of it is spoilers. So here’s a really brief exchange of Natasha (SoSu) and Piper from my Fallout WIP, Bring the Gasoline:

“He was a synth?” Nat croaks a whisper.

“Sturges put an end to him before he could hurt anybody else.”

Her heart pummels against her ribcage. Nat grips the damp tangles of her hair for something to clench on to. “But why? What was he looking for?”

“This ain’t that hard of a mystery, Blue.”

Natasha blinks back at her, mind whirring. The roof of her mouth is suddenly dry as a desert, even as the downpour drenches the rest of her.

“Who’s house was he trying to get into?”

“Sturges’.”

They know. The missing piece clicks into place. They know we’re building the relay. 

“When you start scaring the boogeyman back, well, that’s quite an accomplishment.” 

Natasha shoots her a withering look. There’s a glint of victory in Piper’s eyes that Nat can’t find the stomach for. Her mind roils with the revelation. They know. And if the Institute knows, if they made even a half-hearted attempt to try and stop it, then time is running out. Shaun is running out of time. 

They’ll try harder next time. Nat’s fingertips trail over the base of her neck. Her airway grows tight. She knows well enough what a second attempt might bring.

She drags a shaky breath in and out. “Who else knows?”

“A few people. Enough to fuel the fire for the others who are already suspicious. We kept it quiet for now, but they deserve to know the truth. Better to have it come from you.”

“And start a witch hunt? So we can have neighbors shooting each other like those brothers in Diamond City?”

Piper’s lips tug into a scowl. “You don’t seriously think you can put a lid on this?”

“I’m not trying to cover anything up, I just think we need to be careful--”

“Oh, suddenly you think we need to be careful? Great idea, Blue! Might’ve been worth thinking about before you decided to build that thing here!”

“Yeah, well, maybe it’s time to grow the hell up, all right?” Natasha snaps. “I’ll stop being the worst thing that’s ever happened, and you stop being a self-righteous pain in the ass!”

Piper fumes with clenched fists. The rain falls in a torrent between them. Nat holds onto her anger like a hot brand in her chest, but finds her grip growing weary.  She pinches her brow between her fingers, rubbing the painful throb starting in her forehead.

Piper sighs. “This...is all a lot, isn’t it?”

“We’ll figure out what to do next tomorrow,” Natasha concedes. “This is enough to handle for tonight.”

[bangtancentricsblog]

○ souleater ○

➣ he didn’t only eat souls he broke hearts too

❒ pairing: jung hoseok x reader

❒ genre: angst

❒ alternative universe: soul eater (anime), college

❒ rating: NC 17

❒ word count: 2.1 k

warnings/disclosures: meisters yoongi, mc and namjoon, death weapons jungkook, hoseok, jimin and taehyung, meister teacher seokjin, nothing too bad that I can think of but let me know if I missed anything!

monster mash ml • main ml • AO3

some quick vocab for my non anime fans:

kishin - is a human who has hunted too many good souls thus possessing a vast amount of dangerous destructive power

meister (i.e. mc) - essentially the 'hero', the one who fights the battles with their death weapon partners the first half of a weapons meister duo.

death weapon (i.e. hoseok) - a human who can take form of traditional weapons the second half of a weapons meister duo.

DWMA - death weapon meister academy in the soul eater anime is a 'hero' school that teaches it's students how to help keep the world in order.

“Hoseok is such a dick.” the blonde two rows back says.

“For a weapon he’s pretty full of himself. I heard he’s got a crush on his meister.” another adds as heat floods your face. Hoseok in love with you? No you couldn’t believe that, not Hoseok, you were only partners you reasoned. The whispers of that particular group grew louder still as more girls joined in adding to the already ongoing conversation. You had never cared what people thought of you and Hoseok, more so because you were a strong pair, ranked in the top three of the academy. Besides yourself there was Yoongi and Jungkook, followed by Namjoon, Jimin and Taehyung. All of whom were close friends and none that had ever given the vaguest hint that Hoseok had harbored any type of feelings for you.

Though the same couldn't be said for yourself, because how could you not? He was bright and your wavelengths had been so compatible it’d almost been like fate that you two be weapon and meister. In fact he’d been the one to approach you the first day of classes, a decision neither of you had regretted since. And yet you had gone and fallen in love with him like some normal love sick teenager and not one of the top three meisters in the DWMA. You had come to this school to create a death scythe, falling in love had not been in the plan. Yet here you were, Jungkook nudged you a furrow to his brow as he did.

“Do you think Jin will be here today?” he asks.

“Why?”

“I didn't do the homework and I’m thinking of skipping.” you weigh your answer for the briefest of moments before answering.

“I saw him earlier so now would be a great time to leave.” you say with a grin that sets jungkook off, he’s not sure whether to believe you. So he decided he’s going to skip anyway, he’s hopping out of his seat startling a yelp from Yoongi a row behind you as he sees his partner zip down the stairs of the amphitheater.

“Jungkook, thank you for volunteering!” Jin says with a laugh placing both hands on his shoulders and turning him to face the class. The room erupts into snickers, even you laugh at the betrayal etched into his pretty features.

*

You’re studying with Namjoon, Jimin and Taehyung as you’ve been giving study hall now that you have become fourth years. The earlier conversation between those girls plagues your mind, and not for the first time you question your relationship with Hoseok. He’s not a bad guy so you’re not entirely sure what it was those girls were talking about. Maybe it’s because he stuck out, but then they would talk about your whole group because truth be told you eight were an odd bunch. Namjoon and his two weapon partners Jimin and Taehyung, Yoongi the reserved yet overpowered and Jungkook the quirky usually quiet but troublesome and then there was your peculiar relationship with Jin your teacher.

Jimin has been staring at you since you’ve started clicking your pen, the pensive look you have says it all as you continue to do so even as Taehyung calls your name softly. He’s sure your thinking about the conversation between your classmates earlier which to him is dumb because eww Hoseok. But he knows that gross lovesick puppy look that flashes across your eyes is proof that you are indeed still in love with him. He glances at Namjoon who hasn't noticed that the three of you had stopped working, then to Taehyung who meets his gaze eagerly.

“___, honey please stop.” Jimin says an overly sweet tone filling your ears and pulling you from your thoughts.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you.” you mumble tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

“What’s bothering you?” Taehyung chimes in a tone so genuine Jimin wants to gag.

“Nothing, just y'know, the usual.” you laugh softly feeling your stomach drop.

“Is it Hoseok again?” Jimin asks.

“I wouldn’t say it is, but i wouldn't say it isn't either.”

“What about him then?” Taehyung says, taking your hand in his.

“I don't know.”

“We’re not doing that.” Jimin says brows pinched together.

“I’m sorry.” you murmur pulling your hand from Taehyung’s. Jimin can feel his anger build but not at you, never at you because you’re his soft sweet friend that he loves to death. His anger is directed at that idiot hoseok who he knows is a total ass but your poor baby heart can’t help but like. Again eww, Jungkook would be a better candidate for those feelings he thinks staring long and hard as you tuck stray curls behind your ears. God your cute, any stinky boy at your school would be lucky to have you and you want Hoseok of all people.

“Is it because of what those girls said?” Taehyung says reaching for your hands again, an annoying habit of his that you don’t seem to mind too much.

“Does Hoseok, I mean do you think h-he might like me?”

“Don’t worry about trivial things like that, Hoseok is your friend.” Namjoon adds scaring Jimin who had forgotten he was there.

“So you don't think so? Should I ask him out or something?”

“Definitely not, Hoseok is weird about things like that. Just stick to the norm if Hoseok likes you, he’ll tell you.” Namjoon says calmly flashing you a smile as he picks up.

“Okay, thanks Joonie. Where are you going?”

“I’m done studying, so I’m going home. I expect you two to actually finish your work before you do the same.”

“Don’t say it like that, if anything Taehyung is the one who should get the warning!” Jimin says with a huff. You laugh as the two boys argue amongst themselves over who is most likely to take the class over again. All thoughts of Hoseok gone for the time being.

*

It’s been weeks of Hoseok literally avoiding you at every possible turn. He skips class, eats lunch at odd times, he doesn’t come home till you’re asleep, and only talks to your friends when you’re not around. It’s annoying to say the least, mostly because he’s never acted this way before. But on the other hand he’s been the talk of the school girl giggling amongst themselves, boys sneering at the mere mention of him, even teachers have his name on their lips. You’ve reached your limit and no amount of Jimin and Taehyung talking you down can stop you. You’re hurt, mostly because Hoseok was your friend, and you can't think of a reason that he’d do something like this.

Unfortunately you don’t have the luxury to confront him as easily as you had hoped. This weird phase between you lasts another couple of weeks because try as you might Hoseok is really good at hiding. Something you ever thought you’d have to learn because he’d never hidden from you, from the boys maybe but not you. So imagine your surprise when you get the chance to hunt down another keishan, making it his 87th keishan soul only 12 away from a witch’s. Thirteen in total till he could become a death scythe, only thirteen till you’d have to say goodbye to him forever. Just because you wouldn’t be partners anymore didn’t mean you couldn’t be friends, you reasoned, shaking the thoughts from your mind as you walked along the lone path through the forest of a neighboring town.

The moon shone down on you eerily, casting shadows across the dirt, almost like little pockets of light to show you the way. The silence was unsettling, the thicker of leaves and branches that hung overhead enough of a sign that this forest should’ve been filled with wildlife. And yet not a single sound, not an owl's hoot, not a crickets chirp, not even the slight breeze made a sound. A chill raced up your spine as you stopped catching Hoseok’s attention as he moved to stand beside you.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something is off, I’m not sure but I don’t like this Hobi.” You murmured, taking his hand. To anyone else you’d seem like any normal young adult, you, a frightened little thing while your boyfriend reassured you that everything was okay, only you weren’t. You were holding Hoseok’s hand not for reassurance but to better your chances of not missing your target when they appeared, and if you were right then they’d be coming at you any second now.

As if on queue they come barreling at you from above, a manic look in their eyes. You’d called Hoseok’s name softly, calmly, while dodging the first few swipes of their long arms. Hoseok had taken the queue easily transforming to his weapon form, the rapier now sat perfectly in your palm. Hoseok was a beautiful specimen in human form but his weapon form was just as beautiful. A sleek silver blade, with an intricately detailed golden hilt, the weight rested comfortably in your palm.

You sighed as the keishan stood and watched as you stood stock still a little miffed that it caught the corner of your duster cardigan, because it was new! The boots you wore were caked in mud but that could be washed out you supposed.

“Hey are you gonna do something about that thing or what?”

“Shut up Hoseok.” You sighed again because you really didn’t wanna be here right now. But a job was a job you guessed as you planted your feet firmly on the ground narrowing your gaze as it sprinted towards you. You hated these things especially when they moved this fast, this was gonna be a mess you thought finally pushing off the ground and charging towards it.

*

Hoseok is pleased he didn’t really have to get too involved in this job because as strong as you were you could be really clumsy. But he liked how efficient you were when taking down your foe. The soul of the keishan sat there waiting for him to eat it, and he usually wouldn’t hesitate but there was something bothering him about this, mostly you. You’d been unusually quiet this hunt, almost pensive if he had to say so. So he wanted to know what it was that was bothering you, he reasoned grasping the soul while turning to look at you.

You were crouched over some wild mushroom, back facing him because you claimed it grossed you out to see him eat the souls. He agreed because not all of them tasted great, but he digressed.

“What’s wrong?” He starts just to break the ice.

“Nothing why? Are you done yet, cause I wanna go home I’m tired.” You mutter, pulling up the mushrooms trying to recall if they were edible or not.

“Yeah.” He sighs, quickly shoving the soul into his mouth, chewing once, then twice before swallowing. This one hadn’t been as gross as the last one. The texture was nice, almost as good as a medium rare steak he thought as he waits for you to stand. Except you don’t, you’ve stopped playing with the mushrooms and just sit quietly.

“Hoseok, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you like me?” He’s frozen, his head quirked slightly really letting your question settle in.

“Of course I like you, we’re partners.” He says, wetting his lips.

“No, I mean more than friends. Do you like, like me?”

“Why does that matter? We’re partners and I like you but, but not like that.” You say nothing, finally standing to your full height. His hands are clammy as you turn to look at him, eyes wide and glassy. He can see the tears that pool at your lash line, your lip trembles as you let out a choked half sob half laugh. He feels bad, because he didn't want to do this to you. Had never meant to break your poor loved up heart this way, because Hoseok loved you like a friend and would rather hurt himself than hurt you.

“I knew that, I mean it’s obvious why would you like me right?”

“I never said that.”

“It’s okay Hoseok I understand, you don’t need to explain.” you say and he wants to hug you close and make sure you understand that it’s really not you but him. He steps closer ready to embrace you, but you step back hands out to keep him from coming any closer.

“Let’s go home.” you mutter with a watery smile turning on your heel and making your trek back to your dorm with the broken pieces of your heart in hand.

[italianfish]

Here’s some things that I’ve overheard recently

- Michael Jackson part 1, before he came around

- That’s a sexy gauge

- We have cones in our eyes??? *Turns to friend* Show me your eyes.

- What’s ROYGBIV? Is that a person?

- I put the jewish inside of him

- The air in my house is polluted with sleeping pills

- One day someone will react to my gay jokes

- One day someone brought a tub of ice cream out of their backpack in the middle of class

- Hey Francis (Talking to a blow up alien)

- Why do you like assholes

- Aladdin doesn’t have nipples

- Support your own god damn neck!

- I saw my friend in the bathroom and he gave me orange juice

- FORM THE EQUATOR!!!

- Yes, indeed my good sir

- Sharing your wealth is the way to become poor

- I’m sorry I don’t have calcium in my body

- Why the pancreas?!

- I watched this show and these characters exploded and it was my favorite show

- Someone is going to lose a pancreas

- A: Don’t lose your pancreas B: I’ll try to hold onto it

- She knew how to multiply! And I was like “You’re only three!”

- Come on Moser, hitting the nut won’t do anything

- I work with a prostitute

- I love crunchy pancakes

- You are a big neon doof

- Look I can spit, I’m cool now

- ‘Ay! Trout!

- In her free time she did her taxes

- Hey! You like Raisin Bran?

- If you get a rooster you’ll be hungry, unless you eat him

- It smells like Hawaii

- If A claims he’s a god and Jesus says he’s the son of god... Does that mean Jesus is A’s son?

- We managed to convince our sub that this was a film and lit class so we watched infinity war all period

- A- So let’s keep the duck B- It’s a vulture...

- Did you just call me fuzzy?

- I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on

- He looks like a punk rock jazz drummer

- A- British! British! B- I HAVE A NAME!

- Stop putting your dog in the oven!

- Did you expect it to be that good of a cactus?

- I relate to Squidward so much

- He was like the dad that left to get cigarettes and never came back

- We’re literally following Marty Mcfly

- My elbows are funky fresh

- A- You shank em’ B- No! That is the exact opposite of a solution!

- Unicorns caused global warming

- A- No balls in class! B- But we’re in health

- The crazy chellos are back

- See! I do have friends!

- It’s a train, a train of love

- A- Why do they keep getting rid of the babies? B- I don’t know, abortion

- You have to earn the bucket hat

- My friend brought in 7 bucket hats

- Hide the forks!

- The turtles tried to cross the road once

- I’m scared of turtles

- So does everyone just carry a sword around in their back pocket?

- When you’re fishing, anyone in a bucket hat has authority

- She has cheese on her hook!

- Are your knee pits moist?

- Why are you molesting me with water

- I was born vaccinated

- I was born to be a little spoon

- Why do I look like a hispanic man

- Can I tickle your knee pits?

- You’re going to get eaten by the ocean

- A- You’re a hot mess B- Hey! At least I’m hot!

- They’ve developed a handshake! Isn’t this a problem?!

- We’re in the OG thirteen colonies

- A- I’m not used to seeing those big grassy structures B- You mean trees?!

- My name is bagged milk

- You only drink bagged milk once, in Canada

- It’s not expensive, you’re just poor

- I forgot I’m a lady

- That’s you after I poop

- I want to be Brazilian

- I figured out what the voice was! They’re playing Bingo

- A- Do “coo coo” B- CAW

- It’s probably in a nice aisle, aisle 9

- So inside the bag there are 3 more bags full of milk

- Mom we got the bagged milk

- He told me I looked like Nicholas Cage

- Her bio says inhale the kale

- I feel like an easy bake oven

- The bags just like, left

- But what about the unicorns

- Look at that potato! That looks free!

- Everyone! Find a piece of metal and lick it

- I’m the toilet man

- Go fetch me grapes

- All girls want to molest this

- He ate a whole pancake out of an Applebee’s dumpster

- Why did he eat turf

- I’m on a mission to find dairy products

- I was going to go to school and pretend to be a witch

- Remember when you put the lotion in my mouth and I drank it?

- We’re playing quarter baseball

- Pretend you’re sleeping

- The ultimate frisbee association

- My mom picked me up from school so I could go to ultimate frisbee practice

- They got a $2000 grant for a barely existing ultimate frisbee team

- She’s ultra mom

- The dodgeball guy called my friend a walrus

- We did a dramatic reading of an adult novel

- He was buying materials to make a whip

- Grate her down like a piece of cheese

- We sat in a circle and named our most Jewish quality

- 4 is the cosmic number

- I hate being a fertile woman

- Excuse me I’m Jewish

- Surprise disco duet

- I shook like 7 tents

- She’s the strings teacher, we keep her in the basement

- Whenever we finished a test and we said “I’m done” he would say “I’m done! You’re finished!” his last name was Done

- I thought the fire hydrant was a turkey

- I asked him if his password was like an anniversary or something and he said “It’s the date of my grandparents death”

- He gives us weekly quantum physics lectures

- Bruh! That looks like a lunchbox!

- No offense but this guy would make out with a floorboard

- You seem like the kind of person to kiss a floorboard

- You sound exactly like my pediatrician

- Lots of poop, no sock

- She’s not doing her work, she’s looking at Peppa pig

- Yo neighbor, I need some sugar

- White moms are really easy to scare

- Even though it’s part of Asia, ITS NOT

- Why was there a hanging waffle?!

- I got complimented on my croissant

- You can sell your liver

- Bernie Sanders reminds me of a muppet

- WHY IS THERE A HELICOPTER IN THE KITCHEN!!!!

- What are you going to do? Hunt squirrels?

- *A bunch of AP students shouting “Linguini”*

- I got bitten by an iguana in Aruba

- We got an actor to join the hammock group chat

- Say goodbye to your ovaries

- I’m half a butt cheek away from death

- Are you one of those people who puts ice cream and pop tarts in a blender

- Yo! You got any shoes I can eat???

- That’s how you segregate your trail mix???

- He has a six pack of ribs

- I’m so done with books about African children

- Do homies kiss

- I’m here for the num nums

- Don’t touch my pizza you savage!!!

- HURRY UP AND MEDITATE

- What are you for Halloween? Jewish?

- Do ducks have tails

- He was the one that broke the constitution

- Oh god now there’s Hitler on my paper

- God given right of ruling... Manifest destiny in China

- Do you shampoo your eyebrows

- This isn’t Bayblade!

- Bob Ross wasn’t an artist, he was an art therapist

- If anyone on the team is a jellyfish, it’s definitely Brandon

- It’s your fault that I’m not going to college!

- I’m having spinach for dinner! I’m so excited!

- I locked him in his toolbox

- Let’s rent a midget for a day and we can throw him against a wall

- I know how to utilize money, but do I know how to utilize it well, that’s another question

- Man, that place needs a Chick-fil-a, and I’m going to make it

- We should have the purge in school one day

- If you’re weird enough, people won’t want to rape you

- Flex seal it with tape

- Oh yeah, I got vinegar all over my sweatshirt

- Don’t say “Have a good day”, because I’m not having a good day

- Well maybe someday you’ll have cancer

- What’s up guys, I’m from Richie’s pizza, and today I’ll be showing you my body count

- An obo sounds like a clarinet with Down syndrome

- I DONT HAVE ANY MARINARA SAUSCE ON ME RIGHT NOW

- WE WILL SMUGGLE OUR KIDS TO AMERICA

- I’m the jolly black giant

- You pissed off a priest

- If we get a lot of money, I can take her boyfriend to prom

- Ted Bundy would share a lot of ideas with you

- They’re doing a milk experiment... But with marinara

- A- That’s not a color! B- But it’s on a crayon!

- Hey what’s up cheese goblin

- I’m letting my toes breathe

- I’m just saying, tinfoil doesn’t taste that bad

- YOURE EATING IT YOU UNGRATEFUL SWINE

- When I was away were you in my house? Because it’s happened before

- How do you say I have scoliosis in Italian?

- I’m gonna give give birth to a duck, right here, right now

- Are you comparing a 3D printed violin to genocide

- I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE

- Brother from another mother, TELL ME ABOUT THAT

- I’m a vulture, just vulturing

- I’m going on a field trip to the sewage treatment plant on my birthday

- You’re making my vagina angry

- Competitive Just Dance team

- Oh no there’s spaghetti falling out of my pockets!

- (Yoda impression) Take anger out on minorities I must

- I can turn off the lights and you’d still be white

[lilithsgayadoptednephew]

Holy Hands

Fandoms: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!   Not Rated Graphic Depictions Of Violence F/M, Other Complete Work

Chapter List

Chapter 12

House arrest was a nightmare, and it didn't go without protest. One look at Lucifer's face, however, and all arguments died on their tongues. It wasn't so bad, the house was big and they could still open windows and stuff. Levi didn't even notice anything had changed.

Lucifer still went to RAD every day to retrieve their assignments and attend to student council responsibilities. Outside of those circumstances he tried to stay indoors as well out of solidarity.

Meanwhile Acacias news app was spelling out only bad news as the days went by. The death toll finally crossed one million. People were so afraid of the demonic attacks they were turning to all sorts of religions for help. Mass prayers and saiances were being held. People accused of being satanists or witches were being arrested in the best cases.

Hunted down by neighbors in the worst.

It was grim, but the humans kept their spirits up as they lived out the long days locked in the house of Lamentation. The brothers were not doing quite as well.

Mixing rising tensions with close quarters and no means of escape was not a good recipe. They were like feral dogs snapping at each other whenever they crossed each other's path. Beel and Belphie had the kitchen under lockdown, making sure they saw exactly what everyone took and how much. Levi's room was now without a door handle, 'can't get in if there's nothing to open the door with' was his logic.

Asmo was slowly healing from his attack, but he'd seemed to have fallen into a depression since the lockdown. He never left his room, hardly even got out of bed. He was always on his phone texting or calling someone. That or he was sleeping, but on his stomach to avoid aggravating his injury.

Satan had gone completely cold. He spoke to no one, looked at no one, and read like stopping would mean his death. They suspected he was stressed and angry as well, but he showed no outside signs. He showed no emotion at all.

Acacia and MC had escaped the terror on Earth by moving to the Devildom, but they'd also trapped themselves in a stress-fueled house of abject misery. MC often fiddled with the bow shaped earring they were given. Wondering if and when they would have to use it. They loved the brothers, they really did, but they knew all to well how unpredictable they could be under pressure.

They stuck close to Acacia at all times.

That is until they started to notice a change in the boys.

"They were all so high strung before, now we hardly see them at all."

"Maybe they're finally relaxing?" Acacia suggested.

"I don't think so" MC confessed. "I think they just...gave up"

Acacia glanced around the room. Breakfast had started a while ago and still they were the only ones there. She looked fearfully at their older sibling.

"MC...are we gonna die?"

"What? Of course not." They waved her off.

"But everything’s so dangerous now, if the most powerful demons in the Devildom can't deal with it then what chance do we have?" Her voice got high with anxiety as she spoke.

"Hey hey stop that" they placated. "We've pulled through way worse than this, remember Mom?"

"...yeah" Acacia flinched and MC instantly felt bad about using such a drastic example.

"All I'm saying is... we're not powerful demons like them. We're human . We were born to survive. We can make it through this, we always do."

Acacia seemed comforted by MCs confidence.

0Simon was walking on a razors' edge. He knew what Michael was planning, and while it was a good plan, there was no good ending for the friends he'd made in the Devildom. Once upon a time he'd looked up to Lucifer as a superior and a friend. It was hard to truly accept they were on different sides.

He couldn't outright disobey Michael, but he could try and help in other ways. All he'd done up until now was healing some human victims and relaying false messages.

Now he was doing something drastic. He shivered as he waited for the man to arrive, the one he had to go to Earth to meet with. He wanted more than anything to go back and forget this had ever happened, but there were innocents on the line. MC and their sister lived in the Devildom now and no matter what his orders were he would not let them be caught in the crossfire. He couldn't.

"Hello birdie" a voice drawled from the shadows.

"I am Simon, is that you...Abaddon?"

The man stepped into the light. Long black hair framed around a sickly grey face. Large orange eyes with rectangular pupils bore into the angel, sizing him up like a wolf would a wounded rabbit.

"That I am, and you have word of my stolen plague?"

"Y-yes" he hoped his voice wouldn't shake but he could feel the evil radiating off the angel of the abyss. "They have been used to set in motion a plot, one I wish to stop."

"Ah that is a dangerous game you play birdie." He smiled from ear to ear. "Talk like that reveals a high confidence, and I think we all know how the fall can be from such a stature."

Simon shut his eyes and braced against the memory of an old friend. Fallen for a youthful mistake. His resolve only strengthened.

"I accept the risk, will you help me?"

Abaddon narrowed his eyes at the angel, grin still in place.

"Alright." He spoke softly. From his head he took one of his horns, the appendage separating from his skull like pulling the leg off a cockroach. "Blow the narrow end and my plague will follow you. Blow the other and I will come. Be careful, if you show me any disloyalty my locusts will only leave bones of you."

"Okay" Simon shivered as he took the horn from the demon. "So I return them to you here?" He asked, but when he looked up the demon was nowhere in sight.

[thornheartcat]

Quarantine NOT Anime Reviews!

So obviously I’ve been watching a lot of anime but I’ve ALSO been watching a lot of live action stuff, mostly on Netflix with my mom and sister. So here’s some reviews of stuff we’ve seen.

Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (on Freeform/Hulu): Fucking hilarious and has some of the best, realest autistic characters I’ve ever seen. If it doesn’t get renewed I’ll be fucking pissed.

Motherland: Fort Salem (on Freeform/Hulu): this one’s not done airing yet but I am already a full fan! What if there really were witches in Salem, and they made a deal to work in the United States military? This leads us to a world where the American military, and subsequently most militaries, are witch-based, but some witches aren’t exactly hot on the idea that their bodies are basically state property from the time they turn 18, and as such have created a terrorist group known as the Spree to fight this. Our heroines are three young witches who have answered the call: Abigail Bellweather, the descendant of a long line of powerful and decorated witch soldiers who is determined to prove her own ability; Tally Craven, the optimistic, wide-eyed descendant of a dying line exempt from the draft who answers the call anyway out of a genuine desire to help others; and Raelle Collar, who is dealing with her grief over the fairly recent death of her mother, a prominent military healer, but starts to warm up to fellow recruit Scylla Ramshorn, the daughter of conscientious objectors who hides a dark secret: she is a member of the Spree. You can tell a lot of thought was put into the world and the alternate history (the show even has its own conlang), the magic system is unique and interesting, and I’m super invested in the characters and their relationships. I really hope this one gets renewed as well, as the creator has said he’s got enough ideas for four or five seasons at least, and I’m really interested in how they’ll play out!

The Half of It (movie, Netflix): You’ve probably already heard about this Love, Simon-esque story of a Chinese-American girl finding herself and her sexuality in a rural town while trying to act as wingman for a dumb but kind and lovable jock, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a single film and you DEFINITELY have the time, so give it a watch.

Never Have I Ever (Netflix): ohhhhhhhhhhhh my god y’all have GOTTA give this one a watch! It is one of the funniest fucking things I’ve seen in AGES! The story of a desperately awkward Indian-American teen dealing with grief over the death of her father while trying to become cool and get laid somehow provides all the laughs you need right now, and some feels as well. My sister and I both CANNOT decide if we want Devi to end up with Ben or Paxton, because they’re both very flawed people, but also good and they clearly both really like and care about Devi! I cannot WAIT for the hopefully inevitable season 2!

Sex Education (Netflix): Holy shit this show. Asa Butterfield’s mom, Agent Scully, is a well-known sex therapist, and this (as well as other things) has led him to simultaneously have a plethora of knowledge about sex while having a weird relationship with it personally. After he ends up giving good advice to the school bully regarding performance issues, he and the trailer caravan trash school slut Maeve decide to open up their own secret sex therapy clinic to give advice to the student body. The show tackles nearly every sex and relationship related subject one could imagine, from gay kids uncertain about how to go about it to vaginismus to asexuality to realizing you’re pan or bi to sexual assault, all with a central theme of the importance of open and honest communication. It also touches on other aspects of life like race, religion, class, drugs, abusive families, divorce, disability, the whole gamut. I’m eagerly awaiting the confirmed but definitely postponed production of season 3 and I’m curious to see what else the show will touch on as it goes.

Outer Banks (Netflix): A show that could, in some senses, be described as “what if Riverdale was actually GOOD?” Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we follow a group of poor teens (Pogues) and their struggles against the rich kids of a neighboring island (Kooks) as the Pogues try to find a lost treasure of a fuckton of gold with the help of one good Kook. In most ways it’s a typical teen drama with 25 year olds saying they’re 16 and silly relationship drama and little subtlety, but the central mystery really ties it all together and the second half is actually nail-bitingly intense as things go from treasure hunt mystery to "oh shit I’ve been framed for murder and the cops are all after me” and the season ends setting up for more, so I really hope Netflix chooses to renew because I HAVE to know what happens to all our heroes after this!

Felicity: Felicity is an ancient show created by JJ Abrams?????? about a boring girl who moves to New York to go to college and find herself and shit. My mom is making me and my sister watch it because it is one of her favorites of all time and I am just not digging it. We are watching it on DVD so I don’t know where it’s streaming but also I don’t care because I don’t really recommend it.

Expect more reviews as I watch more stuff!

[ythmir-writes]

If you’re still looking for prompt, Kennyo and window. Thank you.

fandom: Ikemen Sengokucharacter: Kennyo

a/n: alrightey im gonna be upfront and say that Kennyo is a character i am not entirely familiar with. i read through all of my saved up stories of him and still felt wanting of information and characterization so please be gentle with me. Also, i tried something new with my storytelling so if anyone has any thoughts on how… chatty… this one is, hook me up. :>

also, crossing my fingers that mobile won’t fuck up this time.edit: mobile version looks effed on my phone:/

last, well, this one has no warnings. Please enjoy!

Window

The first time he had chanced upon the Oda Princess by the river bank, she had been crying.

Kennyo had not bothered to approach her. He recognized those tears; the quiet kind of fierce bawling that no amount of comforting words or presence could dispel. That, and Kennyo knew from experience those tears were better shed than left to dry from within.So he had kept just out of sight, making sure she had a good cry undisturbed. He left only when the Princess was later on found and picked up by a man who seemed to be Mitsunari Ishida.

The second time Kennyo saw the Princess along the same spot, she was alone again but at least calmer somehow. She was no longer bawling her eyes out though the occasional sniffling told him he had just missed it. Most of the time however, she simply sat and stared at the sky until the blue became red and orange. He had just made up his mind to tell her to go home when all of a sudden she had stood up herself and made her way back towards the castle.

As he had watched her disappear into the forest, Kennyo wondered what could possibly be suffered by an Oda Princess that would make her cry so often as she did.

The question ate at him more than he had anticipated and made him feel restless enough that in next few days, he purposely passed by the same spot by the river bank in the (unspoken) hopes of seeing her somehow. A quiet vigil in the hopes she would come back. But the Princess did not return.

Perhaps she was feeling better? Perhaps whatever was causing her sorrow had been removed? Thatwas a good thought to entertain, wasn’t it? That the Princess had found her happiness or whatever it was that made her so sad had already been resolved.

Or perhaps, the worst had come to pass. And it was the Princess that was gone.

The thought saddened him more than he had thought it could. He had never really spoken to her, much less had any kind of interaction with her that could spark the empathy he reserved for his friends. His only interaction with her after all had been to warn her of monsters in the dark. But that had been months ago. She might not even remember.

No, he told himself. What he was feeling was simply unsatisfied curiosity. He stumbled upon her, distraught and wailing, and had been curious. That she would no longer return left that curiosity without conclusion, which would explain why he kept returning to the spot he had seen her in an attempt to fill-in his thoughts.

Thoughts, he mused, as he passed the river bank for the umpteenth time, that he needed to bury. Because even if she was still alive, the chances of meeting the famous Oda Princess were far and few in-between. It was not like either of them were living under similar circumstances to casually and unintentionally see each other as if they were normal neighbors.

And bury them he almost did.

He was passing by that spot again, thoughts of the Princess replaced by hunting he needed to do to fill in his stock for the week. Out of habit, he turned his head to look at the river and saw the same shock of golden hair.

And the same set of trembling shoulders.

And heard the same near-desperate howl of her anguish.

The curiosity that ate at him grew tenfold that he had to stop himself just short of bursting out of the thicket to ask if she was all right. He had to calm down. After not seeing her for so long, he now doubted if asking was the correct thing to do.

He should not tangle with Oda business, even if the Princess was nothing more than a titleholder than a true blood relation. He was an enemy of the Oda, blood or not. Besides, what good would it do him if he knew the troubles of one of the Oda.

Then again –

One talk was all he needed, he told himself. A simple conversation, is all. If he made her feel better, then that was a good enough end in itself to aim for. It would finally put his own anxiety to rest.

However, if aside from making her feel better she somehow told him a detail or two about the Devil King, then it would be worth more than all the time he had wasted feeling sorry for her at a distance.

With that in mind, Kennyo mustered enough courage (and alibis) to convince himself he could not leave her alone.

He made his way towards her, making as much noise as possible so she could raise her guard. Sure enough, just as he was within earshot, the Princess had jumped from where she sat, and spun around to face him. Though her eyes and cheeks were red, there was steel and a readiness in her that told him she had been waiting. That fact surprised him and made him consider the situation seriously.

There was also the matter of the pistol in her hands.

“I mean no harm.” Kennyo said, raising his arms and opening his hands to show her the kerchief he had meant to give her. “I heard someone crying and decided to approach. I did not know it was going to be you, Azuchi’s chatelaine.”

“How did you…?” Then, she recognized him; no doubt from the wanted posters her clan had circulated. And she raised the pistol higher aiming for his chest. “What are you doing here?” She asked, hastily wiping at her tears. “You shouldn’t be here. These are Oda lands. If he finds you, he will kill you.”

“If he finds me.”

“He could.” She replied. “He knows how to find what he wants.”

“Then if he does, he would have to try really reallyhard for me to not kill him first.” The all-too familiar anger coiled inside him at the mere mention of Nobunaga Oda and he found himself half snarling at the thought. He caught himself just in time – or had it been the look of panic on the Princess’ face – and then he sighed, putting a lid on his emotions. “But I take it you are opposed to the idea of him killing me?”

The Princess opened her mouth and then closed it before looking away. “Not particularly.”

“Not good for you to look away from a man you’ve aimed your weapon at.” He cautioned.

The Princess rolled her eyes, and steadied her aim. “Why are you here, really?”

Kennyo sifted through the dozen of excuses he had on the tip of his tongue, but found he could only tell the truth. “I told you. I could not leave you crying alone.”

That took her by surprise as much as it did him. And this time it was his turn to look away, embarrassed. He hastily put down his arms and attempted a lazy shrug as he pocketed his kerchief. “It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to leave a woman in distress.”

“The stories I have heard about the monk named Kennyo never included that he had a soft spot for women’s tears.” She said.

Kennyo scoffed. “The rumors about Azuchi’s witch have not been kind either.”

She grimaced and Kennyo wondered if he had hit a sore spot. “Then it seems neither of us have very good reputations.”

“Evidently.”

The Princess shook her head, extinguishing the pistol and tucking it away. Or rather, putting it roughly in her obi, the weapon plainly in sight and within her reach. Then, as if resigned, she picked up a rock and threw it at the river. It bounced twice before falling into the water.

Kennyo watched quietly as she repeated the same action over and over again, choosing pebbles carefully before throwing them into the water. However, despite her repeated attempts, her stones bounced no more than three times before sinking. And each time, she only grew more and more frustrated until she dropped all sense of subtlety,hurtling a rock in a throw, screaming. The stone flew silently in the air, to be swallowed by the river with nothing more than a sigh.

Kennyo wondered why his feet remained rooted where he stood.

He could turn and leave anytime. He had been dismissed, after all. And the Princess had made her unspoken promise not to tell her liege lord of the rat in his hunting grounds. As a matter of fact, he should be packing up his things in his makeshift cabin at that very moment, moving his location somewhere deeper into the forest. But instead of doing every practical thing he had planned in case he had been found by the Oda, he stood there watching their treasured Princess skip pebbles in the river.

“I’m not a witch.” She finally said, not looking at him but at her hands, dirtied with mud and grass. “And even if I was, it wouldn’t be that kind of witch.”

When he did not respond, the Princess turned towards him. “Are the rumors they tell about you true, then?”

“Yes.” He answered. “All of it.”

“Even the ones that say you swindle money from the poor?”

Kennyo frowned.

“Thought so.” She flashed him a quick smile and Kennyo felt as if he had somehow lost a bet. “This might sound repetitive but why are you still here?”

Kennyo wondered about that himself. Slowly, he approached her but kept a safe distance. “When I was young, I remember being told a story about skipping stones in the river.”

The Princess remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“They say that if you manage to have your stone reach the other end, all your worries will disappear and your heart’s desire could be granted.”

“Isn’t that convenient.” She muttered. “Throw a stone hard enough and everything will be all right in the world.”

“Wasn’t that what you were doing?”

A faint blush colored her cheeks. “I was practicing my aim.”

“Well it was a very random aim.” Kennyo picked up a stone and tried it himself. It managed five skips before disappearing into the water.

“Yours ain’t so grand either.” She huffed. And then, with just the barest hints of excitement, asked him, “How did you manage five?”

Kennyo could only barely contain a laugh. “It’s in the wrist.”

“That doesn’t seem right! You barely flicked it!”

“You also need to choose a flatter pebble.” Kennyo crouched down, selected a stone, and repeated his movements. Again the pebble bounced five times before sinking.

He grinned. The Princess clicked her tongue but crouched down anyway and began to search.

“Have this one.” Kennyo offered to her before he realized what he had just done. However, just as he was about to pull back his hand, the Princess took the stone from him, running her fingers around it, oblivious to his discomfort.

“Oh these are smoother.” She said. “And you said it was in the wrist?”

Kennyo nodded, not trusting his mouth.

The Princess practiced the motion slowly several times before letting the stone go. Kennyo wished it would go farther than his. Unfortunately, it bounced only three times before sinking yet again.

“This is rigged.” The Princess kicked at the grass.

“You just need more practice.” Kennyo said. “Try again.”

Despite her complaints,the Princess did crouch down and dutifully selected several stones.

How his plan to weasel information from the Princess managed to end up with them spending time looking for smooth pebbles and throwing them into the water, Kennyo was not sure. He had not dropped his guard the moment he was within range of her pistol. He was sympathizing but he was not stupid. He tensed whenever she picked up a new stone and aimed for the river, knowing that she could easily hurl it at him and then shoot him in the chest.

But then, somehow in the back of his mind, he knew she would not do it. She did not seem to be the type. And even if there was no telling either that any of the Oda would suddenly burst from the bushes to apprehend him, the same sense of peacefulness managed to smooth every anxiety, and assured him that it would not happen.

At least, not today.

“Looks like neither of our problems are going away.” The Princess said, watching the ripples her last throw made until it disappeared.

“Not any time soon, yes.” Kennyo answered after a while. “But I think the moral of it isn’t that there is anything magical in the act. Only that you need to try it again.”

“And if trying and trying doesn’t work?”

“Then it simply means you haven’t tried hard enough.” Kennyo replied.

“We’ve been throwing stones the entire afternoon.”

“Some of us spend lifetimes just trying to reach one dream.”

“That’s bleak.”

“Life has never been fair.”

“That’s…” The Princess fell silent and said after some time. “That’s true.”

They fell silent again, watching the river, listening to the waters lap and gush by. Kennyo glanced at the Princess from the corner of his eyes, watched her hair dance softly in the wind. Her face no longer held any traces of her tears but neither was she any less sad than when they had started.

He wanted to ask what could possibly be wanting from an Oda Princess to have such a desolate look on her face. And more importantly, he wanted to ask what she desperately wanted granted to rely on superstitious beliefs, when she had all of Azuchi’s powers in the palm of her hands.

The quiet moment seemed to be the window of opportunity he had been waiting for. If he could not physically help her, at the very least he could offer some words of comfort.

She was not of Oda blood, right? It would be all right for him to drop the façade just this once, right?

But before he could ask, she had spoken up again. “Let’s pretend we never saw each other today, all right?”

Kennyo felt surprised at the sudden sinking sensation in his stomach at her words. “I was going to suggest the same thing.”

“And you never saw me crying.”

“All I saw was a woman failing at skipping stones that a toddler could beat her at it.”

“Hey! Not fair!” the Princess laughed despite the indignation in her tone. “Well, if you’re going to be like that then I saw a monk with a soft spot for women in distress!”

“You lose. No one would ever believe it was me.”

“Well, nobody would ever believe you either. My aim is amazing!”

“Of course it was.”

The Princess laughed again, turning around without another word and running back to wherever direction it was that she came from. Just before she was swallowed by the forest, she turned back to look at him and waved.

Kennyo waved back before he could stop himself, and half balked half pretended to scratch at his head.

That earned him another wide grin and laughter that seemed to never end. And Kennyo found himself staring far too long when she finally disappeared into the forest.

Thinking that he wanted to see that smile again.

21/182

[kyluxnichekinks]

Kylux Werewolves and Shapeshifters Rec List

Ah yes, two of my favorite themes: Werewolves and shapeshifters. Those who know me in this fandom know me for being a complete and utter monsterfucker. I was very excited to do this rec list and could hardly wait until the end of the month to finally post this. But we’re here, so let’s get started!

The Smoke Before The Flames by @solohux​ Words: 7234 Completed Armitage Hux is the sacrfice to be made to keep the dragon from burning down his village, but the dragon is not what he expected.

Starting off with the general shapeshifter category is this lovely gem! Dragon!Kylo and not so virginal!Hux! This was a very fun and enjoyable read for me, so I advise you check it out.

Witchfeather by Whatever21ism  Words: 16015 WIP Armitage Hux is a new witch trying to establish himself in a new town. One day he goes out seeking a familiar, particularly a cat, somehow instead he ends up with a raven who is much more than they appear to be.

Witch Hux and raven!Kylo. It’s been a fresh second since I’ve read this fic but it was very enjoyable from what I remember. I may have to give it another reread sometime soon.

Shiver The Whole Night Through by @theweddingofthefoxes​ Words: 7977 Completed Ren's always loved hunting, so when he's told his paid time off won't roll over into the next year, he decides to take a week, get his gun and rent a cabin in the woods. But it takes no time at all for the hunter to become the hunted.

This one is a perfect Halloween fic honestly. I remember the atmosphere was very spooky and intrigueing to read. Mind the tags of course but give it a read if you can!

Dark Side of the Moon by @furrygeneralhux Words: 7906 WIP This was not happening to Hux. He was not shifting into a giant maned wolf on the night of his date with Kylo Ren. Absolutely not, this was some sort of terrible dream. But why did it feel so real?

A shameless self rec, but it’s a werewolf Hux fanfic! Specifically he’s a Maned Wolf, aka a long leggy boy. I just posted Chapter 2 for this, so if you can tolerate the tags, give it a read!

Twenty-Six Weeks by @vmprsm​ Works: 4 Completed: Says no but I’m pretty sure it is Two mature adults need to do two things: live an a house with a stranger for six months, and keep their secrets to themselves. How hard could that be? Apparently very.

Yes I’m gonna rec this again, I very much enjoyed this series from vmp (along with everything she generally writes). Give it a read if you haven’t yet!

You Big Bad Wolf by @insanitysqueen Words: 12780 Completed Hux meets an interesting person online. They chat, having the same kind of kinks and this 'REN' has a truly artful way of composing dirty messages, but never lets go of that werewolf-persona from when they first began to talk. Though Hux doesn't feel intimidated enough to turn down the invitation to this gorgeous strangers home. Especially during a weekend where the full moon will be shining.

I absolutely loved this fic. I can see it happening so easily, and honestly Hux is such a mood.

Dream-Maker by @unicornsandbutane Words: 7979 Completed Response to this kyluxhardkinks prompt: “Modern AU, Hux has just found out that werewolves are a real thing and that his boyfriend, Kylo, is one of them. Having a sexual attraction to monsters, Hux is all for this and practically begs Kylo to fuck and knot him on that huge werewolf dick. Bonus points if Ren comes buckets in his werewolf form and involves breeding.”

This hardkinks prompt was a godsend I swear, I was so thrilled when a bunch of fics came out all around the same time and were all unique in their own ways. This one like the rest on this list was amazing and I highly suggest you give it a read!

Silent in the Trees by @werewolf-kylo-ren​ Words: 33291 WIP Hux has inherited one of his late father's estates, way out in the country. He's going through all of the organizing, contemplating what the hell to do with all of the mess, contemplating if he even WANTS the estate... It's hard enough as it is, without a lonely and very childish werewolf venturing out of the nearby woods, his backstory a mystery to be solved. A story of love, murder, werewolves, and ANGST.

Ah yes, one of the first examples of werewolf sex that I can recall occurring in Kylux (I could be wrong but this left an impression on my furry heart ok). Do mind the tags on this one, but its defs worth the read!

Fang & Bang by @sparrowlicious​ Words: 10680 Completed Armitage Hux is an ancient vampire who tries to live his life as a good citizen. Kylo Ren is his werewolf neighbor who caught his eye shortly after he moved in two months ago.

One night during a full moon Kylo Ren ends up on Hux's couch uninvited. Hux sees it as an opportunity to get to know him better...

Something about werewolfKylo and vampireHux fics get me. This one is really cute and enjoyable, give it a read!

Pounded in the Butt by My Gay Werewolf Boyfriend by @aiambia Words: 5553 Completed Hux can hardly believe it: His boyfriend is a werewolf. He should be afraid or concerned at the very least...but all he can think about is getting fucked by that thick werewolf dick.

Look you can’t read the title of this fic and not read it. Honestly I’m a big fan of aiambia’s writing, its so enjoyable to read. This one was particularly delicious to read, thanks for posting it aiambia!

If there’s a fic I didn’t include that you think I should include, let me know!