#i saved $5 so If they want to hunt me down they will only face their own failure

[chronicsyd]

Caitlyn and Ambessa's Game of Cat and Mouse pt 4- The Herald/Bring in Vi

Now, one of the other scenes that I'm bringing up during pt 3 where i believe that Caitlyn's already picked up on Ambessa wanting a weapon is right after the two are done training. In which after Singed says he's "tracked him to Zaun", Ambessa says, "let's hunt a beast" but the thing is is that the camera switches focus from her to Caitlyn when she says this, they Want you to focus on Caitlyn's reaction to this.

Caitlyn's picked up on the inconsistent language that Ambessa's using when she's speaking to Caitlyn, she knows that Ambessa has no interest in hunting the beast, but she doesn't say anything about it.

When Caitlyn's with Ambessa at the Herald's she looks all intense and whatnot, keeping a face for Ambessa that she's still completely by her side.

however when Ambessa sends Rictus over to Huck, Caitlyn's face glosses over with concern before eyeing Ambessa in suspicion AGAIN, concern that a Completely Unarmed man is going to be killed and suspicion that Ambessa has No issue with doing this. Caitlyn completely understands Just how dangerous Ambessa is, and who she's willing to kill to get her way.

And when Ambessa sends Singed to speak to Viktor, they show Caitlyn's face again, eyes following him but her face is still etched with suspicion, she doesn't trust this whatsoever.

Now, bring Vi back into the picture:

(side note: can we bring up the fact that Caitlyn used the Exact move Ambessa used on her earlier in the episode, GENIUSES these writers, Geniuses i tell you!)

I'm presuming that Caitlyn was probably not only left as lookout for Ambessa, but Caitlyn Herself was hiding in the shadows and was going to follow Singed herself. But with Vi following him, she still has to take them out.

When she recognizes that it's Vi, her face is filled with shock and disbelief, "how/why/what is Vi even doing here?". Vi saying "on the job I see," reminds her of Where they are, so she looks back towards the Noxus base before telling Vi, "you can't be here." like i said, Caitlyn's Fully understanding of how dangerous Ambessa is and would have No issue with killing Vi.

Because despite the two leaving things off the way that they did, she'd really rather not have Ambessa kill her.

Vi calling Caitlyn "cupcake" doesn't snap her like "oh Vi called me my pet name, let's just betray Ambessa now!" it's more of a look of "Vi doesn't hate me?", because the way the two left things off back in Ep 3... well... yea I'm sure that's what Caitlyn's probably been thinking this whole time, and I don't blame her, what Caitlyn did Was really bad and would give reason for Vi to hate her.

Caitlyn remains in the shadows watching Rictus give orders, because again, she's been eyeing Ambessa and figuring out her moves on how she's going to get what she wants this whole time.

This is the other scene that makes me believe that Caitlyn picked up on Ambessa's tone in pt 3, her specific wording of "chem weapon." Caitlyn explains to Vi, "We've tracked some sort of new chem weapon down here. A bloodthirsty murderous beast." by using the word "chem weapon" she's fully aware that Ambessa's after it, not to hunt it, to use it. And that's the kind of thing Caitlyn doesn't want Ambessa to have her hands on, because it makes her all the more dangerous.

When Vi says, "Trying to save my dad." it causes her to realize that the "bloodthirsty murderous beast" is who Vi's talking about. That, With the growing suspicions of Ambessa is what causes her to help Vi come up with a plan. Because her trust in Vi, and wanting to Help Vi overshadows her "loyalty" to Ambessa, not that Ambessa had it to begin with.

-cont. in part 5-

[transvisions]

Im a fulltime student with an ID but whenever i check the student concession at the movies I feel like Im lying and theyre going to take me out back and shoot me

[darylmydix]

THE SCARS WE SHARE | daryl dixon - 002

summary: you were the only good thing daryl had in his life. bonded by similar trauma, you suffered abuse at the hands of your stepmother, just as daryl had suffered from his own father. when you finally decide to escape your abusive home life, you're forced to leave behind your best friend in the process. now with the world in an apocalyptic state, you're left wondering if daryl was even alive.

pairings: daryl dixon x f!reader.

warnings: smut, violence, blood and gore, unrequited love, best friends to lovers, mentions of s/a, mentions of abuse, mention of suicidal thoughts/attempts, mention of drug use, use of deadly weapons, fluff, angst, slow burn, strong language, kidnapping, coercion, seasons 5-11, 18+, minors dni.

word count: 1.5k

author’s note: sorry if your name isn’t in the taglist and you asked to be. it wouldn’t let me tag some of you.

You lift your hand, blocking out the sun’s gleaming rays as you watch Daryl mutilate an opossum, removing the poor creature's insides. “Can’t you cook it or something?” You scrunch your face in pure disgust.

Daryl scoffs, eyeing you. “This ain't a damn five star restaurant, princess.” He says as he pops a piece into his mouth. “Well I am not eating that.” You shake your head. Daryl shrugs, making no complaints. “More for me.”

Eating dead animals was a cakewalk for someone like Daryl. He’s had to learn how to survive during times like this when his father would kick him out. At least he knew how to hunt and track thanks to the old man. The one good thing the bastard has done for his son.

You observe in silence while Daryl pigged out like he was enjoying a fine dine meal, even going as far as licking his fingers. “I don’t understand how you can eat raw animal guts. Aren’t you afraid of rabies?”

“It’s survival,” he states. “The world could go to shit one day where we ain’t got a choice but to eat crap like this. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

The thought of that makes you sick to your stomach. You didn’t even wanna imagine a world where you’d have to tear apart defenseless animals to save yourself from hunger. It just wasn’t in your human nature to hurt anything innocent. “I don’t think I could do that no matter the circumstances.” You admit.

“Then you sure as shit better hope the world don’t ever come to an end. You’d be the first to get taken out.” He jokes, but there’s some seriousness to his words. Compared to Daryl’s hardass exterior, you were as soft as a plush toy.

Two different personalities; but that’s why your friendship seemed to work so well. Daryl needed something delicate in his life to take the brute in him down a peg, and you needed a brute to protect you from what you’re too delicate to protect yourself against.

“Maybe you’re right...” You sigh, fiddling with your fingers, well aware of your fragility.

“Best be lucky ya got me then.” He says, standing up, while wiping his bloody hands on his pants. You look up at him, a smile forming your face. Daryl avoids your gaze, which he often does when he says anything remotely soft or caring to you. It was just the brooding man in him wanting to hide any emotional connection, but you knew he cared about you. And he knew you knew.

“I am lucky I have you.” You say softly. His eyes finally lock with yours for a split second before he simply nods and changes the subject. “C’mon, I’ll walk you home.” He holds out his hand for you to take. You bite the inside of your cheek, rejecting the gesture. “I’m not in a rush to go back there.” You glowered.

“I know, but I ain’t tryin’ to get you into trouble again.” Daryl reminds you of the day that not only did you suffer consequences, but he did as well. Last time you avoided going home, you returned only to find cop cars outside of your house and your stepmother pretending to be oh so worried about you.

“Him!” She shouted, pointing to Daryl. “Arrest that inbred thug! He kidnapped my daughter!”

You tried to plead with the officers, telling them that wasn’t true but given the criminal history of the Dixon family it fell upon deaf ears and you had to sadly watch as your best friend was forced into a squad car. Fortunately he didn’t get into much trouble by the police, and was taken home.

His father was another story though.

You sigh, taking his hand and the brunette lifts you off the ground. “For the record, I’m only going because I don’t wanna get you in trouble again.” You inform him. Daryl scoffs. “Yeah whatever.”

“There it is. The house of horrors.” You mumble, staring ahead at the home that no longer brought you joy. “Need me to stick around a bit? Watch over the house?” Daryl suggests, and you look at him with a raised brow. “You’re gonna stakeout my house? What good would that do?” You ask.

“First prick I see walk up there’ll get his ass kicked, that’s what good it’ll do.” He spat. You could feel the anger radiating off of him; you shake your head. “You and Merle got it bad with assault,” Daryl glares at you in response. “If you just a walk up and kick whatever sick fuck comes to my door to get his jollies off then all my stepmom’ll do is call the police and have you arrested for stalking and battery.”

Daryl made a ‘tsk’ sound. “Pigs would be givin’ me a medal if they knew the fuck was goin’ on in there. What those assholes and that bitch was doin’.” He was passionate about your situation, and you appreciated it because you felt the same when it came to him and his own. “Hell am I supposed to do?”

You put your hand on his shoulder, which makes him tense slightly before he’s calm. “Nothing. Like I said, it’s just our reality. Go home, Daryl. Eat a meal better than opossum. For me, please.” You giggle a bit.

“You sure?” He asks.

“That I want you to eat a meal better than opossum? Pretty sure.”

The brunette scowls at your joke. “No. That you want me to go.”

You knew what he meant, but you often deflected questions like that because in the end what you wanted didn’t really matter. Stay or go, your position was all the same. “Yeah. Go home.” You give his shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning to walk away. “Hey,” Daryl calls out, and you look back at him. “I’ll wait out here for a bit.”

You smile, shaking your head. “You’re a stubborn bastard.”

“Yeah, well it takes one to know one.”

You roll your eyes, turning away once again to walk home. You pull your keys from your sweater pockets as you get to the door, but it was suddenly ripped open with your stepmother standing there eyeing daggers at you. “The hell have you been? I almost had to call the law and report you missing again.”

“I’m an adult now, Sandra...”

“Like I give a damn. Get your dumbass in here.” She pointed inside with her thumb. You sigh, stepping into the house. Your stepmom pokes her head out, noticing Daryl standing there on the sidewalk. “What the hell are you doing by my house, you yokel?” She hissed.

“I was walkin’ her home, somebody’s gotta make sure she’s okay.” Daryl spat back. Your stepmother chuckled. “Well, aren't you quite the gentleman.” She snarked. “Well she’s here now, so why don’t you take your hillbilly ass back to the trailer park where you belong and get the hell away from my property before I call the cops.” She slams the door, getting the last word.

You peer at Daryl through the living room window, mouthing for him to ‘just go’. You could see him struggling within himself with the decision before he heads off. Your stepmother shuts the curtains, glaring at you. “Don’t you ever bring that redneck here again or I’ll make you regret it.”

You swallow the lump in your throat, holding back tears. “What do you have against him? He is the only thing in this world that I have that cares about me.”

She laughed mockingly. “You think he cares about you? You’re not even worth a damn to care about. The only thing you’re good for, honey, is making me money to keep this damn roof over our head. And if that little bastard isn’t helping support that, then he has no business here. Next time I see him I’ll get a restraining order and make sure he’ll never step foot here again, do you understand?”

You don’t respond, tears now falling down your face. She roughly grabs your arm, digging her nails into your skin. You yelp in pain. “Do you understand?!” She repeats. “Yes!” You cry out. She lets go of you, throwing your arm from her grasp. “Now go shower. We’ve got a guest coming later tonight.”

You quickly rush to your bedroom, slamming the room door shut. You pace around your room, wiping tears from your eyes. You were full of different emotions. Anger, sadness, sorrow, hate, agony. You wanted to just give up on this life. You had no willingness to live.

You open your drawer, digging through your clothes until you find the razor you keep in your drawer. You eye the tiny blade, twisting it around in your finger. ‘It could just end here’. You thought.

But then the sudden flash of Daryl came into your mind.

Like it always does.

You threw the razor atop of your dresser, the unwillingness fading away. “Daryl Dixon the things I do for you.” You mutter to yourself.

Taglist:

@daryldixmedown, @supernaturalstilinski, @vampiresluv, @myassisasolarsystem, @mosstheshoeshoethemoss, @scripteria, @moonlightreader649, @creepumiku, @filmsbyblair, @ginger-haired-queen, @darylsdollie

[georgiapeach30513]

How I'm Looking At You, Part 5

Summary: It's just you and Ari

Pairings: Ari Levinson X Reader

Rating: explicit

Warnings:  explicit language, explicit sexual content, teasing, dirty talk, oral sex (F receiving), fingering, dry humping, videoing, masturbating (M) in front of another, breeding kink, cum play, 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 4K

Previous

Series Masterlist

You peek over your shoulder, smiling at the giant man that continues to get closer, and taking only one tiny step at a time, to your backside. You’d nearly finished the dishes from breakfast, and the giant form of Ari is stalking towards you. Always. Like a shadow that you didn’t want to get rid of. A playful hunt for his prey. Your talk with him was much needed, and even though there’s a paranoia of someone finding out and this blowing up in your face, you’re enjoying this time.

It’s lighthearted, just like the books say it should be. Well, depending on which type of book you’re reading, but you’ve almost guessed which ones are a bit more dark. Yes, you do judge a book by its cover, but only because there is usually a difference. Not always, but the darker themed stories always had a particular look about them.

You didn’t hate those stories, but they didn’t fit Ari. You liked stories that you could see Ari in. Sometimes he was a hockey player with his fast talking mouth. Sometimes he was a cowboy; sweating and showing off his work made muscles. Other times he was a teacher, and you really liked him being a teacher. Letting him explore your body, and teach you all the ways to sin. It was close to real life.

You finish the last dish right before Ari crowds your body with his own. His heated breath is on your neck, causing your feet to spread apart. His mouth presses up against your heated column, and he chuckles. Giving a nip at your neck before pressing his pelvis into your ass. It’s cruel the images and thoughts that you have running through your mind. You feel him, but not enough at the same time.

Your imagination is running rampant with all the ways he could have you. “Uh uh,” he tsks, rolling his hips into yours, and you mewl out his name, “Don’t go in your head, stay right here with me at this moment. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

That is what you want to do, but he makes it so damn hard, and he’s so hard, pressing into you. And he’s clouding your vision, and your judgment. He rolls his hips into you again, and your knuckles lighten with how hard you’re clinging to the sink. “A-a-are you going to inspect me again?”

“Is that what you’d like?”

“Uh huh,” you want so much more than that. You want to feel him on the inside. You want him crawling into your being, and truly claim you. Ari kisses his way down your body. Starting to sink down to his knees, and he grabs the hem of your dress. Inching higher up your body. Exposing more of your tender flesh.

“My my, this is a pretty pair of panties you have on,” you were a bit bold when you walked up to your room. The lingerie is sheer, and show everything. “And you’re so wet, Darling,” your slick has stained a darkened spot right at the gusset of your panties, and he spreads to your thighs. “I think you’re very frustrated, can I help you with that?”

“Yes, please,” you whisper, unable to raise your voice higher than that. He slowly pulls the fabric down your thighs, stopping at your feet, and he gives them a little tap, and you step out of the underwear. Peering behind you when Ari stuffs them into his pocket.

“I’ll save this for later,” he smirks up at you before looking at your drenched folds. Ari’s tongue flicks over your velvety lips, moaning at the taste of you before he slaps a hand on each cheek, and pulls you apart at the seam. He gawks at your delectable body. Ready to devour you. “Have you had anything inside of you?”

“No. I’m scared.”

“Can I try?” You nod your head, whispering please, and his index finger immediately starts its exploration. He runs the digit up and down your split, gathering up your arousal. Teasing at your entrance before playing with your clit. His mouth hangs open in awe as he fondles you, and then he rubs over your entrance.

Adding enough pressure that a tiny bit pushes through, and you want more. You back your ass up towards him, pushing more of his meaty finger inside of you, and Ari gives a swift bite on your cheek, “You’re impatient today. I’m not working in the field. And I told the idiots to go buy some much needed seeds. Apparently I’ve run out. And right now, I really want to play.”

“And I — I need friction,” he rolls his eyes, looking up at you expectantly, “That’s what the books say.”

“You read trash, you know that?” You push your butt back towards him again, and feel his finger slightly breach through your walls, and a pornographic moan wails out of your lips, “You are a filthy girl. How does this feel?” He sinks his finger fully in. Circling his finger inside of you, and watching your body accommodate him. Your pussy stretches around him, begging for another finger. Holding himself there, while you try and regulate yourself. “Is it that good that you can’t speak?”

You aren’t sure what it is. You just know that even one measly finger has receptors flaring up throughout your body, and you can’t make sense of time. The only thing you recognize is Ari. He is both the beginning and the end.

He plunges himself in and out of you, smiling as your body starts to rock with his rhythm. Pulling his finger fully out, before sliding another with it. “Oh, you look so pretty taking me like this. Stretched out and full.”

You preen at his words. Cheeks heating up from embarrassment and pleasure. Everything is fire as he works your body. Diving in and out of your wetness, and he sticks his tongue out, cleaning your skin of the excess honey. Moaning just as much as you are. His hips buck, mimicking your own movements.

“It’s like you were made for me,” Ari’s thumb starts to circle your clit, and he removes his tongue from you to watch how much your virgin pussy is stretched over his thick fingers. He feels everything. Can feel your walls caving in as he takes you to the edge of pleasure. Damn, you were a minx begging to get out. You were too perfect for this world. Even for him.

“Darling, you’re almost there. Will you let go for me? You’re doing such a beautiful job,” whimpering his name, he drives harder, “There ya go. You’re doing so well. Let go, baby. Just let go,” his words are shattering everything inside you. The buildup isn’t slow it is a crash into whatever sin wagon he is taking you on. “Fuck yeah. Yeah, you’re coating me with your cream. Oh god, this is beautiful.”

His fingers slow, coaxing you through your high, and you look over your shoulders, “Before you take it out, can you show me?” His eye lifts up, and his finger wiggles inside of you. “I mean with your phone.”

“Do I have to delete the picture after?”

“No. I just want to see it. Can…you can video it,” it’s doubly forbidden because there’s not supposed to be photos or videos of you. But the idea of being able to watch Ari from multiple angles, see yourself take him, makes you weak in the knees.

Ari gulps as he reaches for his phone. His fingers press down on it before you feel him push and pull out of you. Hearing the squelching sounds of your pussy before he removes his fingers. Stretching you wide open for the camera, and then zones in on your exposed hole. He clicks on his phone again before he leans forward, sucking and licking around your pussy. Cleaning you up in his way.

“I don’t think you know what you do to me.”

“Can you show me?” He leans back, gazing up at you with such a fascination that it makes you squirm. The intensity in his gaze makes you feel weak in the knees. “I’ve shown you what you do to me,” garnering as much confidence as you can muster, you let your dress fall back down, and turn around. Leaning back on the counter, you look down at Ari. “Ari, you’re not talking. Can I see you? See how you — no, what you do when you think of me like this?”

“You want to see me fuck myself?” You nod enthusiastically. Imagining all the ways that Ari compared to the men in the books, but also how it worked. You’ve never seen a naked man before. Can only imagine what lurks below his swollen pants. “What do the books tell you about that?”

“That,” you inhale deeply, blowing the cold air out. A slow flush of heat runs up your body, and settles in your cheeks where they light on fire. “That you, um — you fist your throbbing cock. I’ve never seen a cock.”

“If I show you, you have to promise to put these panties back on,” you didn’t quite understand. He took them off of you to keep, and now he’s wanting to put them back on you after he’s finished. You don’t want to think too much because there’s an ache inside of you to see him.

“Get on your knees,” you fall to your knees immediately, while he gracefully gets to his feet. Towering over you, and palming his crotch. “All the doors are locked, and the curtains are closed.”

“I don’t care,” at this moment you didn’t. You just want to see Ari’s vulnerability like he’s yours. Your eyes roll up to gaze at him, and his jaw tenses. His Adam’s apple quivers, and with trembling hands he slowly undoes his button. The two of you keep your eyes locked on one another, and you can’t help but wiggle around with anticipation. You are finally going to see what lies beneath his clothes

His fingers grip the zipper, and pull it down ever so slowly. “Darling, you ready to see what you do to me?”

“Yes, sir,” a shiver runs up Ari’s spine, and he plunges his hand into his underwear, and brings out a behemoth of a cock. His hands fall to his sides, and he lets you look at him in all his glory. A steel rod covered in the most beautiful silky skin. Pearls of precum glitter the crown, and you see his heartbeat pulsing in a vein that you very much want to trace with your tongue.

“Can I touch you?”

“You can if you use your mouth. But this is about showing you how I get off when I think about you,” lifting up to your knees, you stand face to face with his beautiful member. Inhaling his aroma while you inspect him before touching him. “Look up at me when you touch me.”

There’s something primal in his voice. The rawness, and yet the almost childish way that he asks you to look up at him empowers you. Inching closer you look up at him through your lashes. Flicking down to his aching cock. You pucker your lips, and glance back up at him. You’re so close, and going even slower. Slower. Until your lips whisper against his mushroom head, and his essence explodes on your tongue.

Your breathing becomes erratic, but you collect yourself enough to flatten out your tongue, and lick his split clean. Moaning at his musk, while his legs tremble. “Ari, I think you should show me how you fuck your fist.”

His movements are harsh as he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out your panties. Leaning forward, he reaches under your dress, and swipes the sheer fabric through your drenched cunt. Soaking the panties in your slick before he wraps it around his cock.

His fist tightens, and he gives his cock a hard pull. Panting as he pumps himself over and over. Keeping his eyes on you. “I’ll never get my fist as tight as you. I can almost feel your walls gripping me so tight. Your juices leaking out around us, while you make the prettiest sounds. No one will ever be closer to you than in those moments. I will be inside of you. Loving every inch and every curve of your body. You’re going to feel me for days. And your cunt will be molded to me. Your body will beg for me, and my body will never get enough of you.”

His hips thrust forward, mimicking the ways he wants to fuck you, “You like that? You like imagining how I’m going to feel stretching out that beautiful pussy? How my tongue is going to paint your body, and I’m going to fill you,” his words clip off immediately. You pout up at him, but he shakes his head. Denying you what you desperately crave.

“I want to know how your cum feels inside me though,” he moans. Eyes rolling in the back of his head before he looks back down at you. “I do. I want to know what it feels like to feel you for the rest of the day.”

“You really are a filthy dirty girl, huh?” He watches. Waits. And you wiggle around. Smiling because he really was talking to you like they do in the books. “You wanna be my little slut?”

“Yes,” his breathing deepens. Every exhale is a growl more than breath, “Yes, please. Sir,” you look down at his length wrapped in your panties. Staring as his balls tighten, and the most beautiful cry of your name echoes into the room. He maneuvers the panties over his tip, and he nearly howls. Heart beating in his chest as he stills his moments.

“Did you come?” You scoot closer to him. Observing his cock, and glancing up at him. Smiling and nodding his head. “Can I see?” His breath huffs out as he opens up your panties, and you peer at the thick creamy essence of Ari. “Can I touch it?”

“You’re going to. Give me a minute.”

“Can I taste it?” He squeaks as he exhales, shaking his head no. “That’s not fair! You get to taste me.”

“Darling, stand up,” keeping your eyes on him, you get to your feet. And he opens up the soiled panties. Holding them out for you. “Step in.”

“They’re dirty.”

“And you’re going to get to feel my cum pressed up against your delicious cunt for the rest of the day,” the hesitation isn’t because you don’t want to feel him. It’s because it is so salacious and wrong, but it’s your little secret. You could go home with your panties soaked with Ari. Nobody would ever know that you have him right at your pussy. That you made him come so hard. You earned his cum.

You stand there staring at the panties, and your mouth turns devilish as you put one foot in. Stepping into the other side. You pull your dress high, letting Ari fully see you pussy as he pulls his mess up your body. His cums touches your heated skin, and you sigh. Whimpering and rolling your hips at the feeling of him. And Ari taps on your pussy twice.

“There’s a good girl. The panties are perfect to see me smeared all over your skin,” he holds up his phone, snapping a photo of your creamy mound, and he holds the contraption up to show you. “You look pretty like this.”

“How would I look if you were leaking out of me?”

“Even better.”

“What about,” you gulp, knowing you could be taking things too far. There’s a power in your words. And yet, it’s something you feel in your core. A desire that’s so deep that you can’t even explain. “How would I look if you really claimed me?”

“How so?” He calmly asks, reaching for you, he pulls you closer to him, and you lift his hand up, placing it on your belly.

“How would I look if I was swollen from your seed?” He growls. A deep rumble moves up his chest, and his fingers pulse on your stomach, “Do you want to fuck a baby in me? Let me walk around always full of you, and everyone would know that you fuck me like your personal breeding slut?”

His pupils blow wide. Black pools replacing the most perfect beautiful cerulean. Ari’s lids close slightly, staying half mast. His fingers tremble on your body, “Have you fuck me so deep that you start growing in me?”

“You can’t say things like that,” he struggles to get out. The timbre of his voice an octave higher. Your hand roams down his front, and you cup his hardening cock. “Darling.”

“Why not?”

Ari spins you around, and pins you to his front. Rocking his hips forward into your ass once, and his mouth attaches to your neck. The heated breath from his mouth sending chills throughout your body, “Because, I want to bend you over that fucking table, and breed you like you’re my personal whore. Fuck you so deep that my seed grows inside of you. Have you walking around all innocent, while you have a secret, and it’s that I’m growing in your belly.”

“I want you to,” your voice chokes out. You tug and pull at his hands and arms. Trying to force his touch where you want it. “Ari, use my body. It’s yours. Fuck your baby in me!”

“My god,” walking you forward, Ari inches you to the counter, slamming you down onto the wood. And his hips buck into your backside. Hunching into your body like a teenage boy with no self control, “You can’t say things like that to me.”

“Why? Ari, I want you to!”

“Because I’ve never made love to you. I’m not going to use you for breeding. I want to. My god, I want to see your belly swelling, and know it was me that did that. I want everyone in this fucking town to see you happy, and glowing. I want to be the one that gives you all your firsts, and take you to heavens you have never been to. But you don’t need that right away. Your books are such glorious beautiful trash, but for the sake of my fucking sanity, quit talking like that.”

“Will you fuck a baby in me one day?” He pistons his hip bones into you harshly. An infuriating way to mimic fucking when you just want him in you.

“Darling,” he’s so rough as he pretends to rut into you. Pinning your hands onto the counter. Controlling you in ways that you don’t fully understand, but you want to go to whatever sweet sin he’s taking you to, “I will fuck as many babies in that pretty pussy as you’ll let me. I will own your body, your pleasure, and every one of your disgusting thoughts.”

One more hard push forward, and warmth invades your backside, and you moan at the feeling of his warm cum sullying your dress. If everyone wanted to call you the town dump and a whore, they could. As long as you are Ari’s whore. “But let me first take you on a date or maybe teach you how to kiss. Sex is clouding your brain because you’re so uptight.”

“Then just fuck me,” your words are teasing, but you’re serious. “If you just fuck me then I can focus on everything else.”

“You’re so needy.”

“Fuck me!”

“Not yet, sweetheart,” his lips leave a gentle kiss behind your ear before he stands up. Popping his neck while he checks out his spunk soaking your cotton dress. “You’re beyond frustrated. Why don’t you grind yourself on the arm of my chair? Let me sit on the couch while you give that pussy some much needed friction that you keep talking about.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Spinning around you glare up at him, and he just smirks. of course he’s making fun of you. He’s experienced, and you’re a sniveling child begging for his cock, and he won’t give it to you.

“You’re a grown adult acting like a child because I won’t sink my cock into,” it isn’t fair! The women in the books got the guy so quick. You just want to feel him. “It’s adorable, and I understand your frustrations. There are times I look at you, and just want to swipe everything off the table into the floor, slam you on that wood, and spread your legs while I rail into you. But you’re not ready.”

“How come you’re the only one that gets to decide?”

“Because all you’re focusing on is sex. I’m trying to be an adult because I know that you’re spiraling. I understand it. And I will let you be that way, but know that I am making a hard — very hard. I just came twice, and that’s not easy to do. And I haven’t even been inside of you. You seriously can’t understand what you do to me,” his resolve is failing. If you continue to talk to him like that, he will have his way with you. He’d lick up every tear that spilled out of your beautiful eyes if he had to.

“In time,” your eyes fall to his chest. Staring at a patch of hair that is peeking out of the top. “Would you be willing to do some of the things to me that’s in the books?”

“Like what?” You piqued his interest. His body is practically vibrating with giddiness.

“You said sit on the couch, while I grind on you,” there’s certain things in particular you like in the books. You can’t explain it. Possibly because of your upbringing and the fear and punishment you feel when you’ve done something wrong. You like the bit of humiliation. With boundaries.

“Can — can I be naked?” Ari bites his tongue, groaning again. “I’ve never had someone suck my — my titties. A-a-a-and I want you clothed. And talking dirty to me.”

Your curiosity and willingness to try the things you’ve read about astounds him. It’s like you were this perfect woman that was plucked out of the sky and placed right on his lap. Amazing. Just amazing how filthy you are, and yet there’s an innocence because you don’t understand. From what Ari has gathered, sex is vanilla here. But you want to be naked, while you make yourself get off. You want him to suck your tits. All while you straddle and ride him. Ruining his pants with your juices.

“I like it when you talk dirty to me because I know when we’re not in this space that you would never do that. James told me what you said to Jacob,” his fucking name was James? Just James? “Thank you. I’ll be your darling out there, as long as in here I’m your whore,” the shame of it turned you on. You aren’t even going to try and make sense out of it. You just want Ari to own your body. You want him to destroy it. Use it. Do whatever he wants to do as long as it’s him.

“And I’d like to make us a picnic, and we have our first date by the river. Okay?” His mouth turns up into the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen, and he nods his head.

“How does my cum feel on your pussy?”

“I think it’d feel better in my pussy,” without another word, you turn towards the stairs. You would like a nap, and to read a bit more from a particular book. You didn’t care what Ari said, you want him to fuck you, and fill you up. You’d already made up your mind about this life. And it wasn’t worth living if Ari couldn’t be inside you.

Next

Masterlist

Taglist: @tis-thedamn-season @marveloustaylortot @pono-pura-vida @peaches1958 @seitmai

@smile1318 @andydrysdalerogers @cjand10 @midnightramyeoncravings @kmc1989

@floral-recovery-blog @pandaxnienke @rogersbarber @buckybarnesisdaddy @theinheriteddutchess

@patzammit @steviebbboi @jeremyrennermakesmesmile @kandis-mom

[persevereforahappyending]

A Beacon in the Dark |5|

Pairing: Joey x Reader

Summary: Joey likes helping people, it's what she's best at. Hunting down the monsters of myth and legend might be the best way to save people.

Warnings: Blood, Death, Fighting, Shooting, Stabbing, Murder, Attempted Murder

Word Count: 5.6k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

You smiled and brushed shoulders with people as you weaved your way through the crowd. Your eyes hadn’t left Karoline since you caught sight of her, she was still in the doorway of the room, looking out over everyone. Just standing there she commanded attention, you couldn’t help but look at her, with her blonde hair all done up and the white dress that hung off her, making her look like a Greek goddess.

“Hello,” you greeted, giving her a small bow when you got close enough. She hummed, barely sparing you a glance.

“Would you-”

“I’m not in the mood to dance,” she cut you off.

You couldn’t help but smirk, the woman clearly thought highly of herself. “Good thing I wasn’t going to ask you.”

You turned, watching the crowd dance around. Despite looking at the crowd you never lost sight of Joey in the corner talking to Marcus. She was a natural, pretending to be indifferent so he’d chase her. You tried to contain your smirk as you felt Karoline’s eyes on you.

“If not a dance,” she said, you didn’t miss the hint of curiosity in your voice. “Then what did you want?”

“A toast,” you said. Timing it perfectly as you reached out, grabbing two glasses of Champaign from a waiter as he passed the doorway. You spun around, handing a glass out to her. She glanced down at the glass in your hand but only waited a second to take it from you.

“To an eventful night,” you raised your glass. “May all your desires come true.” She tilted her head at your words but clinked her glass against yours.

“To an eventful night,” she said, bringing the glass to her lips.

You turned back to the crowd, not giving any more attention to Karoline. You could feel Karoline’s eyes on you the entire time. You smirked as you brought the glass of Champaign to your lips. You had her right where you wanted her, it was only a matter of time.

“And what is it you desire?” she asked.

You shrugged. You turned back to face her, taking her empty glass out of her hands and putting it on the tray of another waiter passing by. “Something extraordinary.”

She hummed. “Then why are you wasting time talking to me?” She raised an eyebrow. “You seemed to enjoy dancing around with that girl,” she wrinkled her nose.

“There’s no need to be jealous sweetheart.”

She burst out into a laugh. Most people would probably be offended at being laughed at like that, but not you, it only made you cockier. “You think someone like me gets jealous?”

“No,” you said simply. “I think you’re someone who always gets what she wants.”

“And what do I want?” She turned her entire body to face you, crossing her arms and raising an expectant eyebrow.

You stepped forward, placing your hand on the wall beside her head, partially blocking her in. You stared right into your eyes but then moved closer, bringing your lips close enough that they were just barely brushing against her ear. You couldn’t help but smirk at the way you heard her breath hitch. “A wild, thrilling night, where all your desires come true,” you whispered. “A night to die for.” You knew you were being a little obvious, but you knew you had her right where you wanted her if the look in her eye was anything to go by.

As soon as you leaned back Karoline grabbed you by the hand and led you out of the main room. You smirked, she was either going to attempt to murder you, then you’d know who the killer was, or you’d get to make out with an attractive lady, either way it was a win for you. You let her drag you around, taking note of the various weapons, suits of armor, and old paintings along the way.

When the two of you were far enough away to not hear any of the party going on Karoline whipped around, putting a hand on your chest, and pushed you until your back hit the wall. You smirked, looking down a Karoline’s lips before they were suddenly on yours. You kissed her back just as passionately, raising your hands to rest on her shoulders but almost as soon as you touched her, she pushed your hands way. She didn’t pull away though, she just pressed her body closer to you, pushing you harder against the wall.

You let out a hiss when she bit your lip. When she finally broke the kiss, you couldn’t help but bring a finger to your lip. When you looked up from your bloody finger you noticed the hungry look in her eyes. You narrowed your eyes, she quite literally looked like she was going to eat you, you knew she wasn’t a vampire though, you had pictures of her, taken during the day, outside, in the sun.

She pushed you back against the wall harder, making you let out a groan. Before you could react, her mouth was on yours again. You instantly became breathless but not because she was kissing you. You grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to pry her off you, it was like she was sucking the life out of you.

She pulled away, leaving you gasping for air. She had her eyes closed as she finished breathing in your essence, or life force, or whatever it was called. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled widely at you. “Aren’t you a fascinating specimen,” she whispered mainly to herself. Her eyes raked your body up and down as she licked her lips. “You’re going to make a delicious meal.”

When she leaned in again to continue sucking you dry you used all your force to push her back, sending her stumbling across the room. You stumbled away, feeling lightheaded from whatever she did to you. As you started to tumble to the floor you reached out, grabbing the wall to brace yourself. When you looked up you saw Karoline standing in the middle of the hallway, looking pissed, she was eyeing you like you’d be her last meal.

As soon as she stepped toward you something flew past you, hitting her in the shoulder. She let out an inhuman scream as she brought a hand to her shoulder. You looked back to see Joey with her gun raised, firing off a few more shots, each one finding its home in Karoline. She let out another screech before taking off down the hall.

You leaned back against the wall, sliding down it until you were resting on the ground. “Are you okay?” Joey asked, kneeling down by your side.

You nodded, closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths; it was like she had sucked the energy right out of you. “Thanks,” you rasped out. “How did you find me?”

“You weren’t answering comms.” You let out a light chuckle, Grace had a habit of worrying about you when you didn’t check in, at least with Joey she could now actually send someone to help you.

Joey reached up, tapping her ear bud. “Yeah, I got ‘em.”

You reached up to tap yours. You had turned it off in the car, so Grace didn’t have to hear everything. “What happened?” Grace’s voice crackled through your own ear bud.

“It’s Karoline,” you said.

“What did I tell you about leaving your comms on?”

You let out a sigh, you were never going to hear the end of this. You didn’t miss Joey’s ghost of a smile. “Look, whatever she is, she tried to suck the life out of me.”

Joey furrowed her brow. “What do mean?”

“I mean she leaned in to…” you trailed off, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. “We-we were going to-you see-”

“You hooked up with her,” there was no surprise in Grace’s voice, she knew you too well.

“No!” You instantly defended, you wouldn’t consider it hooking up, you were going to, but it never got that far. So, as far as you were concerned, it didn’t count. “Instead of leaning in to kiss me, she leaned in and began sucking my soul out,” you gestured to your chest and made a movement to represent your soul leaving your body. Joey just tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows at you. “Or my life force, whatever,” you waved it off. “All I know is, I felt like I was dying.”

“That could explain why the victims look the way they do,” Joey said. “No weapons, no claws, no fangs, but the life literally being sucked out of them,” she nodded, and you nodded along with her, it was all making sense.

“I’ll do some research,” Grace said. “See what I can find and get back to you.”

“I shot her,” Joey added. “She was definitely injured but ran off, I don’t think it killed her though.”

“Okay, be on guard.” Joey helped you back to your feet. “Oh, and Y/N, this isn’t over.” With that she ended the conversation. You just sighed, letting your head hang low, you were definitely going to be getting an ear full when you got home.

“How do you want to do this?” Joey asked.

You sighed and pulled out the gun in your waistband. At least the party was fun while it lasted. “We track her down,” you said.

You walked over to where Karoline had been standing, kneeling down when you saw drops of blood. You dabbed two of your fingers onto the droplet and raised them to get a better view.

“Is her blood black?” Joey questioned.

You nodded. “Some monsters have different colored blood,” you explained. “Vampires, werewolves, witches,” Joey raised her eyebrows as you listed creatures off. “And many others have red blood, just like humans. But there’s a few things out there, demons and other things that have a different color.”

“So, could she be a demon?”

You rubbed the blood around your fingers. “I don’t think so,” you shook your head. “Demon blood is black, but it has a different texture. This blood,” you looked from Joey to the blood on your fingers. “Is like normal blood, like mine or yours. Demon’s though, their blood is more like tar, a sticky endless black void,” you wrinkled your nose. “It’s a pain in the ass to get off.”

Joey didn’t say anything else, she just gave a little nod. Vampires were already a lot to take in, you couldn’t imagine what was going through her head as you casually talked about demons and other creatures. You took out your handkerchief and wiped your fingers of the blood, that was the first time one of those had even come in handy for you, though you were sure Grace would also yell at you for the blood all over it.

You stumbled a few steps and stood up. Almost instantly you felt one of Joey’s hands rest on your back while the other loosely gripped your arm. “Are you sure you’re, okay?” She asked.

“Yeah,” you nodded. You tapped your comms. “Grace?”

It took a few seconds but then you heard a groan. “Already?” she sighed.

You silently chuckled. “Whatever this is, it has black blood.”

“Okay, I’ll add it to the search.”

You turned back to Joey, watching as she looked up and down the hall to make sure no one would be coming anytime soon. “Hey,” you said, getting her attention. “Whatever happens, I got your back, okay?” Joey nodded. “Just follow my lead.”

Both of you kept your guns drawn but pointed at the floor as you began making your way down the hall. You had been so distracted at nearly having the life sucked out of you you didn’t pay attention to which way she went. There weren’t many rooms in the hall, and you didn’t hear any doors close, so you figured she most likely didn’t duck into one of the rooms.

When you got near the end of the hall it split left and right and then there was a staircase in the middle. You signaled for Joey to go right, while you took the left. The two of you pressed yourselves against your respective corners and with a single nod you each moved, making your way down your respective halls. There was four rooms down the left hall, you slowly opened the doors and began clearing each of them. You made sure to glance back at Joey every time you entered or exited a room, she was doing fine, her hall seemed to be the same as yours.

The two of you met back up at the bottom of the stairs and slowly made your way up. You pulled your gun, aiming it at the top of the staircase in case Karoline was hiding, waiting to catch either of you off guard. When it seemed clear you continued your way up the rest of the staircase. There was a hall off to the right but didn’t seem to contain any rooms, just a wall of old décor and art. In front of you was a long corridor that seemed to stretch all way back from where you originally came.

You looked back at Joey, silently asking her if she was still good. When she gave you a nod you slowly began inching your way down the corridor. The corridor was dimly lit every few feet, there were shields and suits of armor lining each side of the wall. You passed several doors, turning the knob and letting them swing open as each of you did a quick check.

“I got something,” Grace’s voice crackled through your earpiece, nearly making you jump.

“What’s up?” you whispered back. You weren’t sure if whatever Karoline was included enhanced hearing. For all you knew she was leading you and Joey into a trap, for all you knew, you were right where she wanted you and she was just lying in wait.

“A succubus.” You stopped to look back at Joey who was giving you the most confused look you had seen from her. “Not sure about black blood,” it sounded like Grace was flipping through pages, half distracted from the conversation. “There’s various stories and versions.”

You nodded your head, bobbing it back and forth, that was typical, it seemed every country had a different version of a myth, sometimes multiple. Different cultures had different versions of what they called a vampire or werewolf and many other myths. Some aspects were shared across cultures but then had different names, others were completely different and seemed like a whole other monster all together.

“But to summarize,” Grace continued. “A succubus is a very attractive woman, or demon,” you nodded, that was a fairly accurate description of Karoline. “Who uses sex to feed to feed off their victims.” Ignored the side glance Joey was giving you. “They just suck the life right out of you.”

“Any way to kill them?” you asked. Seemed as though you dodged a bullet. It was a little harder to kill you than a normal human, that was probably the only reason you lasted as long as you did, anyone else probably would have been sucked dry by the time Joey got to them.

“They’re most powerful after feeding.” You rolled your eyes; she might not have killed you but Karoline feeding off you definitely gave her a boost. “A bullet to the head might work.”

“Might?” Joey asked.

“Decapitation seems like the best bet.”

“It’s always decapitation,” you sighed.

“We only have guns,” Joey said slowly. “How the hell are we supposed to decapitate a succubus?”

“I have a hunting knife,” you reached down and grabbed the knife you always kept strapped to your ankle.

Joey gave you a look that was even more murderous than when Karoline was trying to kill you. “Do you have any idea how long it would take for that,” she pointed at your knife. “To saw through bone?” You opened your mouth, but she held up her hand, clearly not actually wanting you to respond. “Besides, we’d have to incapacitate her to even attempt something like that.”

You shrugged, looking around. “This is a mansion,” you gestured around. “There must be something. I mean,” you walked over to a suit of armor. “There’s weapons everywhere.” You ripped out the sword the knight was holding, ignoring the way the arm fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

“There’s no way that’s sharp enough,” Joey gestured at the sword in your hands.

You reached up, tapping the tip of the sword, then ran your hand across the edge of the blade. You brought back your hand, nodding, there wasn’t even a mark. “Well, do you have a better idea?”

Joey rolled her eyes and walked back the you had just come from. You furrowed your brow as she grabbed something off the wall, only to see it was one of the axes that you had passed. She then walked to another suit of armor, and put her gun back in her thigh holster, before grabbing the shield that was in its hands. You raised an eyebrow at her, but she just shrugged. You couldn’t blame her, a shield could come in handy, you weren’t used to protecting yourself, you tended to just get injured, and then Grace would be irritated with your lack of care for your own safety.

You held the sword in your dominant hand, keeping it raised slightly, while you held your gun in your other hand, keeping it raised as you continued on down the hall. You and Joey slowed your movements as you neared the end of the hall. Another hall went off to the right but there was a large set of double doors in front of you. When you glanced down the hall to the right it wasn’t as long, stretching down until there was a matching set of double doors.

You grabbed hold of the door handle, looking back at Joey, who gave you a nod, before pressing down and letting the door open. The two of you made your way into the room, staying close as you entered. Unlike all the other rooms this one was a large grand ballroom. It was the length of the one downstairs that the party was taking place in, though the ceiling was higher, and it was still in its original condition, whereas the one downstairs had been restored, most likely to keep up appearances for hosting parties.

You were taken aback at the sight of Karoline making out with Marcus at the other end of the room. You looked back at Joey; her face told you that you were in fact seeing what you thought you were, and it wasn’t you just suddenly becoming delirious. When Karoline pulled away you could see something with a blueish tint, though she wasn’t sucking it out of Marcus, he was sucking it out of her. She smiled wide as Marcus took a deep breath, inhaling it all in, as a small smile broke out onto his face as well.

“See, honey,” Karoline said, turning to face you and Joey. “I told you so.” When she turned you could see the wound in her shoulder had already healed.

“Honey?” you asked. Your eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. It seemed you were right on Karoline being the killer, Grace was right about the succubus of it all, but you were all wrong about there being only one killer.

“You were right dear,” Marcus said. “Quite the fascinating specimen.” He stepped forward, unbuttoning his jacket.

“They’re married,” Joey said. You whipped your head back to look at her, nothing had indicated they knew each other, let alone that they were married.

“Clever girl,” Marcus pointed a knowing finger at her. “What gave it away?”

Joey blinked, adjusting her shoulders as she tried to appear more confident. “Tan line,” she shrugged.

You continued to look at her, unable to hide how impressed you were. Joey was great at reading people, it was her thing, you knew that, it’s one of the reasons Grace liked her. You never would have guessed Joey was so good that she’d clock Marcus as being married during only one conversation with the guy, when no one else had ever figured it out, not even you or Grace.

Marcus looked down, turning his hand back and forth as he looked at said finger. “We don’t get to wear them often,” he looked back at Karoline with a smile. “So, we take advantage of the alone time.”

“You mean, when you’re not killing people,” you said.

Karoline shrugged. “We are what we are, you know what that’s like,” Karoline said.

Your entire body tensed; you clenched your jaw as you glared at her, ignoring the questioning look Joey shot you. Karoline’s smile only got bigger. “I can’t wait to get my hands back on you,” her entire body shuddered at the idea of having you again. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to kill your girlfriend first.”

“Oh, she’s not-”

“We’re not-” you and Joey spoke at the same time, cutting each other off.

“Whatever,” Marcus snapped. “You got your taste,” he looked back at his wife. “Now, it’s my turn.” Karoline crossed her arms but didn’t move to stop him.

“Guess, I’ll play with the girlfriend,” Karoline sighed.

Neither you nor Joey had time to deny the claim again before the two were moving. You caught Joey swinging her axe to keep Karoline at arm’s length. You swung your sword as Marcus approached but he was quicker, tackling you and slamming you into one of the wood pillars on the wall. You groaned at the impact but when you tried to push back Marcus held you in place.

You moved your arm with the sword, but Marcus was quick to reach up, pinning your wrist high above your head. The weight of the sword and his grip tightening around your wrist made you drop the sword. Marcus leaned in and you instantly started to feel lightheaded as he began to suck the life out of you, just like Karoline had tried to do.

Black spots decorated your vision but through the blurriness you could see Joey pushing Karoline back with the shield. At one point Joey held Karoline back and swung her axe, nailing Karoline in the side. Karoline let out a howl of pain, making Marcus stop sucking out your life so he could look back at his wife.

You gasped for breath, trying to take in as much air as you could get. Them sucking out your life was like being submerged under water, fighting your way to the surface, unable to breathe. Marcus let out what you could only describe as an angry growl, but he didn’t release you, he just turned back, a dark look in his eyes as he leaned in again.

Despite his tight grip on your other arm, you moved it, aiming blindly to the best of your ability, then pulled the trigger. Marcus let out the same screech Karoline did, quickly letting you go and scurrying away as he held his bleeding leg. You collapsed to the ground, feeling around for the sword you dropped as your eyes never left Marcus, your sole focus on the black blood gushing from between his fingers.

Marcus gritted his teeth, taking his hand away from his wound he stumbled forward, his eyes never leaving you. You slid back, trying to get away from him when your pinky brushed against the cool metal of the sword.

Marcus raised his hands as if he was going to jump on you and hold you down as he sucked the rest of the life out of you. As soon as he jumped you tightened your grip on the hilt of the sword and raised it, impaling Marcus straight through the heart. His body slid down the blade, landing on top of you.

You ignored the loud screech of his wife as you kicked his body off of you, ripping the sword out of his chest. As you pulled yourself back to your feet you ignored the black blood that was surely splattered all over you. You tilted your head down at Marcus, watching as he gurgled up black blood. You wrapped both hands around the hilt of the sword, tightening your grip before raising it high above your head then brought it down onto his neck with all your strength. Despite being dull the blade sliced through Marcus’s neck, leaving his head detached from his body and his eyes wide open as they continued to stare up at you.

You held up the sword, looking at the black blood coating the blade as you turned to face Karoline and Joey. Joey stood there, shield and axe raised, her eyes never leaving Karoline. Karoline kept backing up, her eyes darting from you to Joey manically.

Karoline let out another screech and ran towards Joey. Using both hands you raised your sword and ran at Karoline, meeting her before she could get to Joey. You shoved the sword through her chest. You didn’t stop pushing her back until Karoline’s back hit the wall and you heard the crack of wood, indicating the sword was impaled through Karoline and into the wall.

You looked back at Joey, nodding to give her the go ahead. You kept your grip on the hilt, making sure Karoline wouldn’t be able to rip it out. Joey stalked forward, spinning the handle of the axe in her hand before raising it, she swung giving a quick and clean swing through Karoline’s neck. Karoline’s head rolled off to the side and you let go of the sword, letting her body slide to the floor next to her head.

“Are you okay?” you asked, still slightly breathless.

You turned your head when you heard the axe clatter to the floor. “Hey,” you said softly, reaching out to gently brush Joey’s shoulder. As soon as your finger grazed her, she flinched, blinking rapidly as she turned, seeming to forget you were there. “It’s okay,” you spoke calmly, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder. “You’re okay.”

Joey nodded, letting out a shaky breath as she tried to get ahold of herself. “Can we get the hell out of here?” Joey finally asked, her voice quieter than usual.

You nodded. You quickly informed Grace the mission was done and that you would be on your way back shortly. You grabbed the sword, shield, and axe, wiping the blood and any other evidence off them as best as you could. When you were done you reached for Joey’s hand, ignoring the way she flinched by tightening your grip around her hand.

“What about the bodies?” Joey asked as you led her back out of the room.

“There’s too many people here,” you answered. You dragged Joey with you into one of the rooms, ducking into the bathroom. “Grace and I will take care of it later tonight.”

You flipped on the sink and began scrubbing your face and hands clean. “Won’t someone find them?”

You looked at Joey, noticing she got away clean, except a bit of blood splatter on her hands. When you finished up you moved to the side, allowing her access to the sink. “This portion of the house is off limits. No one should be coming over here.”

As Joey scrubbed her hands clean you took a washcloth and began dabbing your suit. Thankfully your suit was black so the black blood blended right in. You were just going to need to make sure to get back outside without drawing too much attention.

When the two of you were acceptably cleaned up you took hold of Joey’s hand again and led her back through the corridors and down the stairs you had originally walked through. When you started to hear the sounds of the party again you adjusted your suit and swung an arm around Joey, leaning in to look like the two of you were whispering. You didn’t bother looking at anyone and made sure to move out of the way, so no one brushed against you as the two of you made your way through the crowd and back to the front door.

You snapped your fingers for the valet. You kept your arm around Joey as you made your way down the steps. By the time the two of you got to the bottom the valet had pulled up your car and was standing in front of it, ready to hand you the keys. You waved him off as you took the keys and opened the passenger door yourself. Joey gave you a kind smile as you closed the door. You tossed the valet guy a small tip as you made your way around the front of the car and got in the driver’s side.

You drove away, not looking at Joey until you were a little ways away from the mansion. “How are you doing?” you asked.

“I’m okay,” Joey said, continuing to stare out the windshield.

“You did good.” You kept flicking a glance at her. Joey just nodded, not saying anything else.

You continued the drive in a comfortable silence until you were pulling to a stop outside of Joey’s apartment. When the car came to a stop Joey looked around, furrowing her brow. “Why’d you bring be back here?” she questioned.

“You live here?” you said, raising an eyebrow at her.

“But the dress,” she looked down at herself.

“It’s late, figured you could use the rest,” you shrugged. “I’ll pick up the dress next time, unless you aren’t interested in the job anymore?”

Joey sat there silently, looking down at her hands in her lap. “Today was a lot,” she finally whispered. You nodded, looking down as your fingers mindlessly tapped the steering wheel. “It’s certainly going to take some getting used to,” she said more confidently.

Your head instantly snapped up. “Does that mean-”

“Call me when you need me for anything,” Joey smirked. “Whether it’s another case,” she gestured with her hand. “Or to teach me something new.”

You couldn’t help but break out into a smile and quickly nod. You waved her goodbye and as soon as you saw her step foot into her apartment building you sped away. You relaxed your shoulders; you didn’t realize how relieved you would be at Joey officially agreeing to work with you and Grace. You knew she was strong but fighting monsters wasn’t for everyone, you didn’t want this most recent one to scare her off.

Before you knew it you were pulling back up to Grace’s house. You open the garage, gently parking the car back in its spot and putting the keys back in the little key box next to the others. You put your gun and knife away as you walked through the weapons room and staggered into the main portion of the house.

As you walked through the house you noticed the door to Grace’s office was cracked open. You considered going to debrief with her but opted to go to your room instead. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes as you stomped up the steps, it had been a while since a mission exhausted you so much.

You tossed your jacket onto the chest in front of your bed and began undoing your tie when you heard the door creak open. You tossed the tie on top of the jacket, then the vest, and didn’t waste time ripping off your shirt and tossing it into the pile as well.

“Are you okay?” Grace asked softly.

You turned around to face Grace. “Tired,” you answered.

“Any new wounds I need to worry about?” Grace rested a hand on your shoulder to turn you around to get a better view of you. You didn’t miss the way Grace’s fingers grazed over your scars, the wounds she’s seen and had patched up when you originally got them.

You smirked, making Grace roll her eyes. You spun around so she could see all of you. “Injury free,” you said proudly, your arms wide open.

“For once,” she glared at you. “But are you okay, really?” she rested a hand on your cheek, looking deep into your eyes. “You know the only reason neither of them killed you is because-”

“I know,” you cut her off, keeping your voice soft. “I know. I’m okay. Fucking tired,” you chuckled. “But okay.”

Grace stared at you for a second longer, you knew she was searching, making sure you weren’t trying to brush her off. “How’d she do?”

You smiled, silently chuckling to yourself. “She did good,” you nodded. “She’s a total badass.” Grace smiled at your words. “She’s willing to continue working with us.”

Grace gave an approving nod. “Get in the shower and then go to sleep,” she ordered, brushing past you to grab your dirty clothes. “Leave your pants by the door, I’ll grab them once I hear the water running.”

“Thank you.”

She waved you off and gently shoved you towards the bathroom. “I’ll have breakfast ready for you in the morning.”

You nodded and followed her orders. You tilted back your head, letting the water wash over you. You made sure to scrub all the succubus blood off you. Despite wearing a three-piece suit, you still ended up with succubus blood all over. It was gross but it wasn’t sticky like demon blood, this blood just washed right off and down the drain, that was the one plus about it.

You threw on a simple pair of sweatpants and t-shirt and collapsed onto the bed. You groaned as you crawled under the covers. Your last thought was of hoping you didn’t suffer from nightmares for once and got a good night’s sleep, before sleeping consumed you.

Taglist: @thinking1bee @so-to-aqui-pelas-fic @alexkolax @pianogirl2121

[burningcheese-merchant]

Can you do a Yan! Burning Spice x Golden Cheese one-shot?

It's okay if you don't want to.

I was going to save this for a later date (and also direct you to my fics on AO3, there's plenty of Yandere Spice in those lol)... BUT SINCE DEVSISTERS DECIDED TO JUST GO AHEAD AND DUMP SOME QUALITY MATERIAL INTO MY LAP, I'LL TAKE THE COSMIC HINT AND DO IT TODAY! This one's for you, Anon! You can thank that extremely suspicious trailer for this!

"Mine Forever More" - BurningCheese Short Story #5

WARNING: This is one-sided BurningCheese/GoldenSpice, with Obsessive, Possessive, Yandere-esque Burning Spice. This is not like the other wholesome shorts with the budding romance and cute bickering, Burning Spice is a sick and dangerous man in this one. I politely demand that only adults read this one, please and thank you.

Cold... Why is it cold...? Cold and damp... Where...?

Both light and shadow flickered and danced across Golden Cheese's vision as she struggled to remain conscious. She was... being carried. Someone had peeled her off of the ground, plucked her from the blood-soaked dirt in which she lay beaten and broken, and cradled her in their arms as they ventured away from the cliff and off... somewhere. Somewhere... dark. Dark and cold and damp. A far cry from what she'd come to understand this strange place to be.

Someone... No. She knew who it was. She recognized the strong chest her head was being held against. The thick, powerful, tattooed arms enveloping her body, holding her close to his own. Though she couldn't see his face, she nevertheless sensed his fiery eyes staring down at her. Devouring her. Swallowing her whole.

"You disappoint me, little thief," Burning Spice told her. He spoke quietly, with chilling calm; his words were meant for her and no one else. "I expected better from you."

She did not respond. She wouldn't, even if she could. Even if that wretched taste of iron didn't fill her mouth so completely and the skin and flesh of her back weren't on fire.

"I waited for this. For you. For such a long time... You are not weak. You know this, and so do I. Destiny finally arrives for us both... and you choose to turn it away. You devastate me, little thief. Truly."

There was less vitriol in his voice than she imagined there would be. From screaming bloody murder right into her face as she dangled from a cliff, to... murmuring to her with such... disappointment, for lack of a better term. Sadness, even, if she dared to read into it any further. Perhaps she'd underestimated his... investment in their duel, after all.

"You're lucky..." he told her. "You are very lucky I care for you. You were wise to have stolen my heart as well as my Soul Jam all those eons ago. I would have drawn and quartered you otherwise."

"Care... for me?" Her voice came as a pained rasp, rising from an aching throat and forcing itself through bloodied lips. "Stolen... your... what...?"

"Of course I do," Burning Spice said - so simply, as if it was a fundamental truth of the world. "Would I have dedicated so much of myself to you if I did not? To hunting you? To our battle? Do you think you would be here now, safe in my arms as I carry you to your shelter, if I did not care for you?"

"Shelter...?"

At the cost of a worsened migraine, Golden Cheese opened her eyes wider and focused, scanning her surroundings the best she could. Torches hanging on the walls - the only true sources of light, as far as she could tell. A long, dark corridor. Walls of cool, jagged rock, all dyed deep blues and purples and reds. Dark. Cold. Damp.

A cave... No. Worse. A dungeon.

"Of course," Burning Spice said again. "It wouldn't do to leave you by the cliff, now would it?"

"But-" She coughed harshly. Little droplets of blood splattered onto Burning Spice's chest. She felt him tense instantly, his grip on her tightening. He held her up higher, bringer her head closer to his face... and she felt him lean down and... nuzzle his face into her hair...?

"Hush," he murmured. "We're almost there."

She did not hush. "Why..." Another harsh cough. Another tight, instinctive squeeze that accidentally (or was it?) agitated her aching wounds. Something wet and surprisingly soft pressing into her forehead. A gesture she knew of, one meant to be comforting... but how could he give this to her? Why?

"W-why... why didn't you kill me?" she finally managed to get out. "I don't... understand... Not... like you."

"'Not like you'? You claim to know me so well, pretty bird? I'm flattered." She could hear the teasing smile he wore as he spoke. It made her head ache more. "But if that was true, then you would know why I didn't kill you."

She shook her head weakly. He chuckled.

"What would I get out of killing my beloved?" he told her. "You are the woman I've been waiting for. It was you and your image that kept me alive and sane in that prison. That unspoken promise of a great duel, a struggle for power between me and my other half... I am sorely disappointed in your embarrassing loss, my little thief, but not even that is enough to make me want to kill you."

Beloved? Other half? What in the world?

"No... I simply want you, little thief. I wanted our battle. I wanted your eventual defeat. I wanted my Soul Jam... but I want you, too. Desperately."

He was smiling at her. Grinning. Sharp teeth glinting in the torchlight. A starving predator, ogling his captured prey.

"I hunger for you, Golden Cheese," he whispered to her. "I craved you from the moment I laid my eyes upon this pretty face of yours. I waited ages for this moment... for the day we could be together at last." He brought a hand to her pretty face, caressing her cheek with startling gentleness. "And you look so beautiful," he purred. "So stunning, even like this... I can see why they called you 'Your Radiance'."

The words 'Your Radiance' made her suddenly jerk up, eyes wide. "M-my treasures," she stuttered. "My kingdom, my- my p-people- I- I must-"

"Ah ah." The loving hand on her cheek quickly morphed into a punishing one, reaching up and yanking hard on her hair, earning Burning Spice a wince and a soft cry of pain. "No more of that," he growled. "No more of them. No more of your so-called treasures. They're gone. Crumbled to dust. It's time you make peace with that, little bird."

"N-no," she said, turning her head just enough to be able to shoot him a weak glare. "Nonsense. They... they're here. They're mine. I... I'll never let you..."

She paused. Suddenly, her eyes widened again. "Smoked Cheese," she said, her face now frantic. "W-where is he? What did you do- mmph!"

Now that hand was clasped over her mouth, silencing her. Squeezing her face, digging its sharp nails into her cheeks.

"Be quiet," Burning Spice hissed at her. "Your precious little pet is following along behind us, chained up by the spice warriors."

He saw her gaze soften. Felt her shoulders sag, if only the slightest bit. She was relieved.

He hated it.

"Why do you still cling to your little possessions?" he asked. "To these worthless creatures? Those hero friends of yours, where are they now? Where were they, when I took your wings from you? Where were they when your precious kingdom fell? Hm?"

She couldn't answer; not with that large hand still covering her mouth. But the pain and sorrow that briefly flashed in her eyes was answer enough for him.

"I am here," he told her. "I have always been here. Through our Soul Jam in the past, and now standing beside you in the present. In the aftermath of your near-death. Is Smoked Cheese cradling you in his arms while you can't stand on your own? Is Smoked Cheese graciously taking you into his house and home? Is Smoked Cheese willing to look past this act of grand larceny and keep you by his side, for he's come to value you just as much as what you stole from him?"

The visceral hatred that dripped from Smoked Cheese's name made her wince. She tried to lift her head again, aiming to peek over Burning Spice's shoulder and at her old friend - but that hand forced her head back down the moment she did so.

"I will make you see," Burning Spice said. "You're a clever woman. You will understand eventually. None of this matters. None of it! My way is the only way that's fair. That's interesting! You will see it, when I raze this miserable world to the ground."

He stopped walking. He finally pulled his hand away, letting her suck in a breath. The air tasted slightly less stale in this spot. A pale light shone in the corner of her eye- from a hole in the ceiling far above, she eventually saw.

This one beam of light, trapped behind thick, iron bars.

Burning Spice stepped aside and allowed the soldiers behind him to take his place before the cell door. It was open with the swift insertion of a key; the loud, shrill screech that came as it scraped along the ground rang in her ears. She saw Smoked Cheese - hurt, but still alive - being ushered into the cell and forced to the ground wordlessly. His eyes were downcast, his mouth set in a deep, tired frown.

"You look displeased," Burning Spice cooed. "I'm well aware of your high standards, greedy bird, but this nest will have to do for now."

She shot another glare at him. Stronger than the last. Had the sight of her friend invigorated her?

"Don't fret, though," he continued. The corners of his lips curled into a sultry, sinister smile. "It won't always be this way."

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. What he said next nearly stopped her heart.

"When you recover," he whispered, "I'll bring you to my bed."

So hard and frantic was the roar of her pulse in her ears that she hardly even registered when Burning Spice commanded the soldiers to leave. They did so with a bow; and as they disappeared into the shadows, Burning Spice stepped into the cell and knelt down, holding Golden Cheese in his lap.

"Look at me. Hear my words."

Against her better judgment, she did just that.

"When I'm done with you," he said, "I will wipe everything you ever held dear off the face of the earth."

At this, she tensed up (how enticing to his senses it was, to feel her muscles clench in his grasp). She gave him the harshest look she could muster - and he let her do so, offering a look of smug endearment in return.

"You... will not crush MY treasures," she spat out.

He chuckled. "We'll see about that." Then he leaned down and crushed their lips together.

Burning Spice heard a sharp gasp off somewhere beside him; he looked up and saw Smoked Cheese watching them, his eyes wide and mouth agape. Frozen in place, powerless to save his beloved queen. With or without the chains binding him.

Good.

The corners of Burning Spice's mouth once again curled into a dark smile, and he stared right back at the hooded prisoner as he deepened his and Golden Cheese's kiss. The only resistance she offered came in the form of nails digging into his arm and a gasp as he lapped up the blood on her lips and forced his tongue past them, into her warm, sweet mouth. She tasted delicious. Just as he always knew she would.

When he eventually pulled back, a thin rope of bloody saliva still tethered his tongue to hers. How he hated seeing it break when he put enough distance between them... but it was alright. There will be more opportunities. They had so much lost time to make up for, after all.

"Consider that my payment for allowing this worm to live," he said to her, gesturing dismissively at Smoked Cheese. "And know that I will keep tally of every single day that he continues to do so, and celebrate when he no longer does."

At last, he laid her onto the ground. Slowly. Gently. His final act of mercy on her. On his beaten, broken, beloved Soul Jam thief.

"Sleep well, birdie," he said as he rose to his feet. With a quick heel-turn, he was out of the cell and slamming the door shut. Back to the darkness he returned, out of sight of them both.

"Your Majesty!" Smoked Cheese called to her frantically, finally regaining some of his dignity and willpower and rushing towards her. He knelt down beside her, trembling hands hovering just above her shoulders. "Your Majesty, speak to me!"

She did not. She was beginning to struggle to even parse his words. Exhaustion was taking hold of her at long last.

"What was that?! Why- why did he do that to you?! What nonsense is all of this?!"

She used the last of her strength to grasp at her headdress - at her Soul Jam. Gone. The headdress felt dull and cold. The socket was long empty. When had Burning Spice taken it? How could she have not noticed?

"Your Majesty, you must stay awake. We need to plan our escape. The Beast has gotten hold of the Soul Jam, we must take it back immediately!"

The room looked foggy. Smoked Cheese's features blurred. The light shining down on them began to dim.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty! Golden Cheese!"

The pain and exhaustion became too much, and Golden Cheese's eyes closed, her mind giving way to dizzying blackness.

--------------------

Burning Spice threatened to kill Golden Cheese in front of him if Smoked Cheese made the slightest noise while they journeyed to the prison cell. He was bluffing, of course; he'd never allow his precious golden thief to die. But Smoked Cheese didn't know that. Nor did he need to.

[dream-with-a-fever]

harry potter movies and how accurately they portrayed the character of ginevra molly weasley

philosopher’s stone: 8/10 book accuracy bc my girl is barely in this movie but she nailed that 2 seconds of screen time in her cute little pastel coloured outfit! but lost points bc we didn’t get to see her again at the end nor did we see the twins promising to send her a hogwarts toilet seat (comedy GOLD i tell you)

chamber of secrets: 7/10 because yes we got to see a few cute moments where ginny got to shine (like ‘leave him alone!’ ate that) but would’ve loved to see her trying to tell harry about the diary and the running joke about percy and his new girlfriend, and where was the singing valentine???? c’mon??? everyone sing it with me ‘his eyes are as green-’ ALSO when she’s sobbing at the end about how she’ll having to leave hogwarts and she’s just this tiny scared little girl and i just want to hug her like we deserved those scenes!!:!:! and harry not telling anyone the details of what happened to protect her (bc he worries she’ll be blamed entirely for the incident like he’s too pure i swear????)

prisoner of azkaban: 8/10 as ginny is not really featured much in this book at All but was still bummed we didn’t get that scene on the train when she accidentally sits on harry’s lap and we see that she is the only other person as badly affected by the dementors as harry

goblet of fire: 11/10 book ginny energy is STRONGGG in this film even tho she’s barely present in the book! her snarky comments and attitude was Perfect but still bummed we didn’t see the scene where ron almost gets her to go with harry to the yule ball and she refuses (like the angel she is) and sticks w neville

order of the phoenix: 1.5/10 honestly that might even be too high bc literally WHERE WAS SHE??? she gets a couple points for the reducto curse moment but that’s about it. no hint of personality, still openly crushing on harry (even tho she has a boyfriend and is able to be herself around harry now HELLO this was major character development) no ‘lucky you’ scene, no library scene, no ginny stepping in to play seeker for harry and WINNING, no bickering at the DoM, no impressions of umbridge, no joking around with her brothers and harry, like we were ROBBED

half-blood prince: -100/10 because what the FUCK? shoelaces? hidden random kiss in the RoR? zero interactions and suddenly harry is In Love? ginny saying about 5 words in the entire film? ginny is the LIFE of this book, harry spends page after page obsessing over her, where’s them playing quiddich at the burrow, joking around after practise, ginny crashing into the commentator’s booth, ginny defending harry about the potions book, harry KISSING her in front of the entire common room after SHE won the quidditch cup playing his position because his dumbass got detention like?,!:?! harry wanting to save his liquid luck to have a chance with ginny?? ginny and ron’s big argument? harry and ginny’s break up after dumbledore’s funeral?? instead we got ginny being a mute with zero personality, who feeds harry christmas pies, wouldn’t know a joke if it hit her in the face and initiates everything despite harry being the one making the moves in the book?!??!??! just abhorrent. ginny weasley i am so sorry for what they did for her.

deathly hallows part 1: -45/10 okay ginny was done so dirty, ginny kissing harry as a birthday present, like a GOODBYE kiss??? as a i-don’t-know-if-i’ll-ever-see-you-again-but-please-know-that-i-love-you kiss???? harry calling ginny the most real thing in the world? ron snapping at harry for leading ginny on? harry almost accidentally telling ginny his plans for hunting voldemort bc he always lets his guard down around her? harry getting jealous when krum shows interest in ginny at the wedding? harry staring at her dot on the marauders map and making sure she’s safe????? instead we got.. an awkward kitchen kiss with george present (um?), zero interaction at the wedding, neville standing up to deatheaters on the train but ginny sitting pretty next to him and saying nothing when SHE WAS LEADING THE DAMN RESISTANCE???????:?:?:?: give me a fuckin break

deathly hallows part 2: -75/100 so! much! wrong! with her portrayal in this film. not to mention she’s barely in it, but when harry comes back to hogwarts, they have that one moment where they stare at each other and that’s it???? that’s all we get?? the rushed kiss on the staircase was lowkey cute but without all the build up from previous films it was just like..? ok? in the book we get ginny pushing to stay and fight and no one can convince her to do it, except harry. he’s the only one she listens to. we get harry saying ginny has somehow gotten more beautiful since he’s last seen her? we get jealous ginny when cho offers to show harry the diadem? we get harry walking to his death and seeing ginny crouched over an injured child, trying to calm the girl down despite her own world having fallen apart and one of her brothers already being dead, we get harry nearly changing course and going for bellatrix instead of voldemort when he sees ginny in trouble? also the entire epilogue??? basically cut… like that scene was so wholesome and funny, and getting to see harry and ginny as this family unit was so nice?? a ROBBERY i’m telling you.

[shanastoryteller]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to open prompts! Could i ask for some lady mo, or anything with wei wuxian? He’s my fave!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

When one of the servants A-jie had brought with her when she married catches his eye and then disappears, Jiang Cheng’s stomach drops.

He leaves Shuchun to deal with the official mingling, which earns him a dirty look, but he refuses to feel bad about it. Wang Yan is hovering at the edges and either she or Jin Ling will save her from any truly obnoxious conversations.

He makes his way to his sister’s rooms, knocking twice before pushing inside. “What’s going on?”

The first person he sees is Jiang Xingyi, which is never good, but A-jie appears whole and healthy. She grabs his arm with both hands, pulling him close before whispering, “Would you be able to get genkwa before the end of the night hunt?”

“Yes,” he says, even though doing it without getting caught is going to be nearly impossible. What his sister needs, she gets. “How far along?”

She doesn’t look any different to him, but then again she never does. But if she needs it before the end of the night hunt, she must have caught it late this time.

This isn’t the first time he’s needed to do this.

A-jie’s body might not be able to handle another birth. He knows that she wants a big family, but none of them are willing to risk her life for another child.  

Well, he and Jin Zixuan aren’t. Jin Guangshan and Madam Jin would do it gladly, which is why they can never, ever know of the times he’s had to smuggle the crushed purple little flowers into her hands.

“It’s not for me,” she says which leaves him blinking. “Maybe we won’t need it, but she won’t stop crying, and I don’t want to offer her something that I can’t carry through on. You’re sure?”

“Yes,” he says, “but who are we talking about?”

If it’s A-jie, everything has to be handled with the utmost secrecy, only Jiangs, Jin Zixuan, and Jin Guangyao privy to her condition. But a servant girl or even a noble’s daughter doesn’t garner enough attention to warrant their normal subterfuge.

A-jie gives him a look so full of grief that he’s already reaching for her before she turns and crosses over to the entrance to her private bath. She knocks then leans against the door, “Meimei, can you come out? There’s someone else here, he can help you. You can trust him, I promise.”

The endearment tells him nothing beyond it’s a woman younger than A-jie.

The seconds drag on and then the door slowly opens, a women clad only in one damp robe stepping out. He lifts his eyes to her face, red and splotchy from crying and her hair a mess all around her, and feels his mouth drop. “Lady Xuanyu?”

The wife to the second jade of Lan is not some servant girl or even just a noble’s daughter.

She sees him and fresh wave of tears roll down her face, but she’s smiling too, and A-jie is relaxing. “Hi Jiang Cheng.”

“Is it his?” he asks, mind spinning. “Lan Wangji’s?”

A-jie glares at his lack of tact, but he’s trying to make sense of this. If she’s sleeping around on Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng is hardly going to blame her for it, but it’ll explain why she needs to end the pregnancy.

She hiccups, lifting a sleeve to wipe at her cheeks. “Y-yeah.”

On the bright side, it’s not like Lan Wangji can hate him more than he already does.

A second reason for her to be so miserable at the news that she’s carrying her husband’s child occurs to him and the rage that sweeps through him is surprising in its intensity. “Does he hurt you?”

He drank with her the night before her wedding and told her that Lan Wangji wasn’t that awful, that he wouldn’t hurt her. He told her that she’d be safe as his bride.

But now she’s sobbing and pregnant and so clearly terrified.

Xuanyu hesitates.

“I’m going to kill him,” he says. It comes out perfectly calm, none of his normal bluster. Both A-jie and Jiang Xingyi pale.

He turns to leave, already planning on drawing his sword first and explaining after. Lan Wangji has made a liar out of him. Xuanyu is young and didn’t ask for any of this and he has a responsibility to protect his bride and Jiang Cheng told her that he wouldn’t hurt her and now she’s here and she’s hurt and he’s going to rip Lan Wangji’s spine out and shove it down his throat.

People don’t like him, don’t get along with him, generally. But she’d sat with him beneath the light of the moon and drank with him and it had been something warm and familiar that he hasn’t had since before the war. He tells himself that’s why he cares his so much when the truth is he doesn’t know why, it’s just that she feels familiar in a way he can’t explain, not when he the first time they met was that night.

“Jiang Cheng!” She lunges forward, hugging him from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist. He braces for the feeling of discomfort, ready to push back agaisnt the urge to shove her off of him. It doesn’t come. “I didn’t mean like that! We spar, a lot, and I get hurt, but I’m always requesting it. It’s not like that.”

He turns in her arms, gently pushing her back but not letting go of her shoulders. “Then why are you crying? It’s okay, you can tell me the truth. I’m not afraid of Lan Wangji.”

“I just,” she sniffs. “I can’t – he doesn’t like me, you know? And – and I’m better than I was, um, healthier, but what if,” she blinks heavily, “what if I’m not strong enough, or something goes wrong, and then – what if I mess it up? And it’s all my fault, because I was weak, and then I’m a failure and he hates me–”

“Oh, Xuanyu,” A-jie whispers. He knows she had a lot of those same fears when she was pregnant with Jin Ling, and she and Jin Zixuan were in love, and he proposed to her fully knowing the state of her health.

Both Xuanyu and Lan Wangji were forced into this marriage.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he says firmly. “If you don’t want to have this baby, then you don’t have to. Whatever the reason. And if anyone tries to force you to, I’ll stop them. I don’t care who they are. Understand?” He waits until she gives a wide eyed nod. “But I don’t – I don’t think that Lan Wangji will react like how you think he will. And if he disappoints you, then I will help you take care of it. But I don’t think he will.”

Twice now he has vouched for Lan Wangji to Xuanyu, this girl who feels like another sister even though he barely knows her.

If Lan Wangji makes a liar out of him, he will beat him bloody and not even Lan Xichen will be able to hold it against him.

[whimsyfinny]

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Charlie discovers the Winchester boys to be struggling with keeping the bunker tidy, looking after themselves and being able to do their job simultaneously. Luckily she has a friend who’s from a Hunter family that is in need of work and can help them with research. Or so she thought that’s what her job would be. When Dean sees your more domesticated side, his head won’t stop swimming with all the wrong ideas.

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, smut

Warnings: Nudity

Chapter Word Count: 2552

—-MDNI—-

A/N: sorry this one took a while! I’ve had so much going on, I’ve struggled to get time to myself. I wrote this over the course of several nights so pls let me know of any errors as it’s only proof read by me

——————————————————————

Please read the below first:

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

I’m Not Your F*cking Maid

Chapter 7

Dean and I stood side by side in the dimly lit parking lot, trying not to make eye contact with each other as Sam stood in front of us; arms folded across his chest with his foot tapping impatiently. He gnawed on his bottom lip, frowning and shaking his head. He was the spitting image of an angry mother.

“You did what?” He asked, disbelief in his voice.

“Look, Sammy,” Dean started and I was unable to tell if he was about to be boastful or apologetic.

“Don’t you ‘look Sammy’ me. We’re on a job Dean, couldn’t you have kept it in your pants a bit longer?”

“Sam I’m so sorry, we didn’t mean for it to happen, it just sort of…did,” I stepped in, embarrassment taking over as I caught sight of my reflection in the Impalas drivers side window. My hair was tousled and my lipstick was almost completely worn off save for a few streaks under my bottom lip. That, and also the fact that my shredded underwear was currently scrunched up in Deans pocket. I couldn’t tell if I was more horrified when I saw him pick them up off the study floor and ‘save them for later’, or the fact that I may have developed a new kink for having my panties sliced off my body with a hunting knife.

“(Y/n),” Sam’s eyes softened, “you have nothing to apologise for; Dean should know better.” His words made Dean scoff.

“She’s not all sunshine and rainbows Sam, she’s the one who started it.”

“I did not! I only told you to kiss me, not fuck me into that desk!”

Sam’s eyes widened and his ears went pink, Dean snapping back at me before the younger brother had a chance to think.

“Yes you did.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Did.”

“Didn’t.”

“Yes, you definitely did. Don’t lie,” he paused, his tone changing, “you can’t deny it sweetheart - you wanted me,” Dean smirked, gesturing to himself.

“Ok, prove it - what did I say?” I crossed my arms across my chest, remembering I wasn’t wearing a bra. His smirk grew, suddenly making me very aware that I was most likely wrong about this and he was going to be obnoxious about the fact that he was right.

“You said - and I quote - ‘are you gonna fuck me or what, Winchester?’ Now to me, that sounds like you instigating this.”

I scowled at him, wanting to slap that lipstick-smeared smirk right off his face.

“Fuck you,” I spat, rapidly having to cross my legs where I stood as I started to feel more ‘essence of Dean’ trickle down my thigh.

“You already did darlin’.”

“Ok ENOUGH!” Sam got between us, putting up his hands, “let’s just finish the job and go home. But just so you know,” he pointed at us, “you are BOTH in VERY big trouble.”

*

The ride back to the bunker was a little awkward. I sat in the back, not wanting to move too much for fear of making a mess on the impeccable upholstery and Sam sat in total silence, giving us both the cold shoulder. Dean however drove the whole way home with the biggest grin on his face, occasionally glancing at me in the rear view mirror. Sam had taken the liberty of packing everyone’s luggage into the Impala before we had even left the auction house, so I wasn’t even granted the simple pleasure of washing Deans intoxicating scent from my hair in the motel shower. I just had to sit there for the next three hours breathing him in and replaying every red hot second of our time together in that study.

*

Dean pulled into the underground garage to the bunker and before he’d even put it in park I’d thrown the door open and jumped out, racing back to my room. I heard Dean shout after me but I had sprinted too far to know what he’d said. I ran through the corridors like a princess in a castle; long dress bunched up in my fists so I didn’t trip, with the rest billowing behind me as I frantically searched for my destination in this labyrinth. Upon reaching my door I flung it open and raced inside, slamming it behind me. I paced into the bathroom, heels clicking on the tiles and flicked on the light before turning the shower on and wincing at the loud clanking still coming from the plumbing in here. As the water began to patter into the shower basin I hurriedly peeled off my shoes and my dress before sticking my toe into the water now pooling in the bottom. The moment it was the perfect temperature I stepped in, sighing as the liquid poured over me and washed away the electric tingle on my skin left behind by the older Winchesters hands. I felt normal again, and much less sticky too as I lathered soap over myself. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as I slid down the tiles and sat down, letting the shower soak my hair. I tried my best to steady my mind and be calm, but all that I could think about was Dean. The way he touched me, running his rough hands over my soft skin. The way said my name; moaning it in a deep breathless voice. And oh boy… the way his mouth felt on mine was like something out of this world, the taste of him alone made me dizzy. I wanted to run to wherever he was right now and press my lips to his - to get high off of him again. It’s a crying shame that he’s such a jackass, so naturally I’m reluctant to give him the satisfaction. He’d be smug for days - or weeks - if I even mentioned that this was how I was feeling, let alone if I was actually acting on the impulses.

I must’ve sat in the bottom of the shower for at least twenty minutes, my brain going over the events on a loop, replaying again and again. In the end I gave up trying to silence my thoughts and turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fuzzy white towel around myself. I grabbed a smaller second towel and dried my hair, leaving it damp but not dripping as I walked into the bedroom. I searched for my duffle for a few minutes before it dawned on me: it was still in the car. ALL of my clothes were in there.

“Shit shit shit shit,” I searched through the wardrobe and dresser in the room, hoping to find something, ANYTHING, that I could wear to go and retrieve my bag but there was nothing to be found. I sat on the edge of the bed contemplating my options as I started to shiver, my damp hair making me cold. I considered wearing the dress again, but the stains on it made me think otherwise as I was now clean and fresh from the shower. My eyes darted to the door. There’s only one option: theft. Deans room was right opposite mine and he didn’t spend much time in there so the chances of me running into him were slim. I stood up, determination coursing through me as I marched to my bedroom door, opened it and quietly stepped into the hallway. I looked left and right, sighing in relief at the emptiness. I quietly padded across to Deans door, incredibly aware of how cold the air was out here. I grasped the handle and twisted, the door opening with a small click.

“Yes!” I whispered to myself, grateful it was already unlocked. Ducking in I closed the door behind me and spun around, pressing my back to the cool wood to observe the room. Eyes widening, my blood ran cold and I dropped to the floor. Dean was asleep - or so he seemed to be - above the covers and still fully dressed in his suit, a nudie mag open and covering his face. He had one hand behind his head and the other rested on his stomach, rising and falling with each breath. FUCK. I looked around whilst on all fours, feeling the dust from the floor sticking to my damp skin. So much for the shower. I spotted Deans dresser off to the side of the room; if he was asleep, I should be able to sneak in, grab a T-shirt and sneak out again with no problem. I crawled over to the drawers and started sliding them open painfully slowly to inspect the contents. It wasn’t until I opened the fourth drawer that I struck gold. Silently cheering to myself I snatched the first T-shirt I saw and pushed the draw closed. As I turned around to leave I near enough jumped out of my skin, shrieking a little. Dean was now laying on his side, head propped up with one hand and he watched me in total silence, the corner of his lips turned up.

“You need any help down there?” His voice was low and gravelly.

“No thank you,” I stood up, clutching his T-shirt in one hand and trying not to let my towel fall with the other, the corner now refusing to tuck in. “I got what I came for.”

“And you need one of my T-shirts because…?”

“None of your business,” I taunted, inching my way towards the door. Dean raised an eyebrow.

“It is if you’re being a little thief.”

“I’m only borrowing it.”

“Sure you are sweetheart,” he grinned, turning to lay on his back again, this time propped up on his pillows against the headboard with his hands behind his head. There was silence for a few moments as he chewed on his bottom lip, eyeing me up and down. He made me feel totally exposed. Out of nowhere he jumped up, reaching me where I stood by the door in one swift movement.

“I tell you what - you can keep the T-shirt for life on one condition,” he stepped closer, those piercing green eyes keeping mine entranced. I swallowed.

“What condition…?” My voice suddenly felt very small and quiet as a result of his close proximity.

“Drop the towel and put it on.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

I wasn’t able to stop the heat rising to my cheeks and I couldn’t tell if it was from frustration at his arrogance or the fact that the low rumble of his voice was making my knees weak. The words bouncing off the walls in my mind failed to leave my lips, and in my silence he spoke up again.

“Or unless you’re happy walking all the way to the garage in nothing but a towel, you still have the option to refuse.” I scowled and smacked his chest.

“You knew?! If you knew I’d left my bag behind, why didn’t you bring it?”

“Because,” he put his hand on the wall beside my head and leaned in a little, “where’s the fun in that?” I tried my best to hold his gaze, fighting every urge to look away as my heart started to beat faster and faster. I’ve already fucked the man so what have I got to lose? I placed my hands firmly on Deans chest and pushed with enough force to knock him back, the backs of his knees hitting the edge of the bed, making him collapse onto it. Leaning back on his hands he looked at me expectantly as I took a step towards him and away from the door. I tried my best to keep a stern expression, refusing to let him know that any of this was affecting me - the last thing I wanted was for smug old Dean Winchester to know that everything he does makes my heart hammer in my chest. I threw the T-shirt at him, hard enough that he was taken aback as he clutched the dark fabric in his large hands. A look of disappointment started to cross his face before I reached up and untucked my towel letting it fall to the floor as I stood in front of him, fighting every urge not to cover myself up. At first I was unable to look him in the eye, scared of what that alluring evergreen stare would do to me if I did. Eventually I caved in, biting my lip as I saw how entranced he was; eyes flitting over every curve on my body, studying me like a work of art. I watched him swallow, throat bobbing as he licked his lips, jaw going slack and his pupils dilating. He was silent. I took another step forward so I was in reach of him and his hand immediately shot out to touch my thigh. Right as his fingers grazed my skin I smacked his hand away, pulling him from his trance.

“Please…” was all he managed to say, all cockiness gone from his attitude. I snatched the T-shirt from his loose grip, pulling it on over my head and down over my body, finally covering myself from his burning hot gaze. Dean was finally pulled from his trance when he could no longer see the curves of my figure, his eyes eventually meeting mine again. He looked a little flustered, his hands now crossed in his lap.

“My clothes look good on you,” he said, an unusual tone to his voice - something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. He eyed my chest, observing the way the loose black fabric fell over the soft curves of my breasts and did little to hide my perky nipples. His eyes travelled south, surveying the rest of me before stopping and lingering at my thighs right where his top ends, hinting at the shape of my ass cheeks hiding underneath. He probably would have sat there all evening and ogled at me, however I could feel the tiredness start to hang heavy in my body and weigh on my eyelids, getting worse as the minutes passed. I groaned internally, remembering I still needed to go and get my duffle. But there was something about the way that Dean was looking at me that was making it hard to leave. I took a few more steps towards him until I was standing between his knees, swatting his hands away as they skimmed the backs of my thighs, sending goosebumps over my skin. I grabbed his chin unexpectedly, making him flinch. However it was only a matter of seconds until he was like putty in my hands. His muscles relaxed and he looked up at me with hooded eyes, mouth agape as I tilted his chin up to face me. I leaned down, our lips millimetres apart as I felt his hot rapid breath fan over my cheeks. I watched his pupils blow wide at the close proximity, a shiver ghosting over his skin as he stared up at me.

“Goodnight Dean,” I hummed, before letting go and standing up straight, turning to leave the room. I picked up my towel and opened the door, looking over my shoulder one last time to witness the starstruck Winchester sitting in a daze right where I left him.

“Thanks for the T-shirt.”

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Up Next:

Chapter 8 part 1

[we-were-beautiful]

The Fox and The Hounds pt.5

A/N: At long last we finally have part 5 for The Fox and The Hounds. I do apologize for those who have waited so long for this part but here it is and I got to give a huge thanks to @loving-and-dreaming for Beta reading this for me. That being said we are all still human and there may be some errors and I apologize in advance. Hope y’all enjoy  

Up next on my writing schedule is Unraveled ends and I already have about 2000 words already written for that so stay tuned.

Summary: Its autumn court tradition to give your mate a fox kit before your ceremony. after years of knowing the Vanserra’s a mating bond snaps between the Autumn Heir and a well known smoke hound breeder

Warning: none that I know of but if you see something please reach out and let me know.

 WC: 4k

As the door shut, I placed my back to it and gently slid down to the floor. I truly had no idea how to interact with this male. The last two months had been a whirlwind and all of Eris' current behaviors contradicts the information that my cousins in the night court have given me.  Gods I can only imagine the fuss that Rhys and Mor are going to kick up when they hear that my parents allowed this little unchaperoned weekend getaway, but in all reality there is not much they could do without inducing the High Lord of Nights anger. We had been invited to a formal dinner at the night court once word of the engagement and mating bond reached my uncles; the High Lord of Night and Keir, the Steward of the Court of Nightmares(who happens to be Mors father), had been overjoyed that The Night Court would now have ties with the Autumn Court. What the two of them had attempted with Mor they would have with me.

While the High Lord of Night doted on his older sister and her husband for the excellent match between Eris and myself; across the table Rhysand and Mor looked horrified. Rhys had pulled me aside after his father bid the residents of the Hewn city to go play. My dearest cousin begged me to call off the whole thing. Told me what had happened to Mor, and he was so worried that I would become the Vanserras next victim. The heartbreak on his face when I told him it was inevitable, this marriage was happening whether we wanted it to or not. There would have been no place for me to run. Uncle would not have sheltered me in the Night Court, and Beron would have me hunted down. The marriage was far too advantageous for him. He hugged me tight afterwards and seemed reluctant to hand me over to Eris when my mate wanted to steal me away to dance. 

That seemed like so long ago but in reality it was three weeks ago. I move over to the bed and take a seat. This weekend was going to be awkward between the two of us. Eris for the most part is trying; he’s gentle with me in a way that I have only seen him be with his mother. Every morning if we don’t have an event together, he sends me a small sweet note and flowers. He sends them often enough that the ones I have in vases barely have had time to wilt. He’s a good male; it's just awkward since we barely know each other. I had always thought that he was attractive, but with him as Beron’s heir I didn’t stand a chance when there were more political matches to be made. I had figured If I were to end up with any of the Vanserra boys it would have been with Ashton, the second brother. Ashton was a carbon copy of his father always aiming to please the male even if it pushed him to act monstrously. But I guess I have to thank Mor for fucking the Illyrian Bastard, it had saved me from potentially being married off to an abusive male and instead with my mate, even if we did not know it at the time.    

I don’t know how long I sat on the bed going over the events of the last two months absentmindedly stroking Paprikas soft fur but a swift knock pulls me out of my thoughts. 

“Excuse me, Lady Y/N.” A melodic voice flows through the door. “I’m here to help you get ready for dinner.” 

Ah so Eris had already secured a ladies maid for me. I let out a soft groan as I moved to stand. That at least saves me the trouble of having to find one myself. I open the door to see a high Fae standing there. She is pretty if not a bit plain. Her brown hair is swept up into a neat bun at the nape of her neck hiding her pointed ears; the simple oxblood dress is a touch big for her frame. The uniforms I have seen on the servants and slaves at the forest house have been expertly tailored to the Fae that wear them, so she must be new.

“Oh” she squeaks before dropping into a curtsy. “Lady Y/N, I am Melonie, Lord Vanserra has hired me to be your ladies maid.” 

“It's a pleasure Melonie, and please it’s just Y/N. If you are to be my ladies maid then we shall be spending quite a significant amount of time together; so we may as well be on a first name basis.” I move aside to let her in.

“Only while we are in private though at the Forest House we need to remain as formal as we can be.” I tack on. There is a rigid hierarchy in the Autumn Court and while we are in a private residence, such as here, we can act as we please; the moment we step into Beron’s halls everything has to be as formal as possible.

“Understood Ma’am.” She nods her head and steps into the room. “Now we must get you ready for dinner.” 

“Of course. Did my mate say what dress is needed.” I’m certain my family's servants packed everything from casual wear to a ball gown for this trip. I honestly don’t know why, as this is an informal trip for me to get to know my mate better. I’m sure he told my father that there wouldn’t be any major formal events that the two of us would need to attend.

“Yes Ma’am, Lord Vanserra said that it was to be a casual dinner.” She tilts her head a bit “I do believe his words to his attendance were that it is just a simple dinner between my mate and I there is no reason for us to don finery.” I let out a small laugh, that does sound like Eris. There had been a few times when we had been in the forest house after dinner that we had gone on an evening stroll and he had expressed his distaste for the show that we had to put on. Having to put on our finest to awkwardly sit at a table under the scrutiny of our families. 

“So a simple dress it is.” I let out a soft sigh. Thank the Mother, I’m so glad he doesn’t want to stand on formalities. I move through the room to the wooden armoire and shift through the dresses my family's servants had picked, settling in on a simple green dress trimmed with a delicate cream lace.

“That will look lovely Y/N” I smile at her statement and take a step back and allow her to help me get ready.

It takes us about 45 minutes to get me ready for dinner. The dress had been easy enough, I Honestly could have gotten myself into it but help is always appreciated. My hair had taken a bit more time, but soon enough I was headed down the stairs to the dining room. We had passed the room briefly on our tour but now I had the time to take it in. It was large enough that we could easily entertain a party of 18 people, but I had a feeling that would be an extremely rare occasion. The table was a smooth walnut wood polished to a near mirror finish. It was large with many elegantly carved chairs pushed under; it is nearly too large for just the two of us. While I haven’t gotten to explore the house I can only hope that there is a smaller informal dining room for us to use. Eris is there when I arrive, dressed in a simple cream colored tunic and brown breeches tucked into dark brown boots. Upon hearing my arrival he jumps to his feet giving me a short bow. 

“My mate you look lovely this evening.” He moves and pulls out a chair next to the head of the table for me. “I apologize for this. The staff had already set this table before I could tell them that it wouldn’t be necessary.” 

“Thank you.” I say as I gently take a seat in the chair that he had pulled out. “There is no need to apologize. There is an informal dining room?” the question hangs in the air.

“Yes, there is a smaller dining room that I use when It’s just me here; I figured that we would use it while we reside here unless we are forced to entertain.” He responds, giving a nod to one of his staff standing beside a door that I think leads to the kitchen. 

“Oh good. This is a lovely dining room but it feels like it might be a bit much if it’s just the two of us.” A plate is soon placed in front of me, I mutter a thanks, and begin to pick up my silverware. 

“It really is.” Eris laughs as he picks up his own silverware and digs in. 

Conversation flows freely between the two of us as we talk about everything and nothing. I take this time to figure out more about the male that I am bound to for the rest of our immortal lives. I find that he adores his mothers baking. He insisted that I should get her apple strudel recipe from her and that I would love it. He likes the spicy foods that are common in the Summer Court, but he cannot stand the Summer Court's tendency for sour things. I also learn that his father has him acting as an emissary for a few courts including Spring, Winter, and Dawn. It is an eye opening conversation as the two of us go back and forth. We sit at the table telling each other our likes and dislikes long past when we finish our meals. At one point after the table had long since been cleared, save for a few bottles of wine and our glasses, Eris dismissed the staff while we continued talking. It takes one of the hounds whining for attention for us to actually leave the table taking our glasses to the living room. Eventually we have to let the hounds and Paprika out one last time before bed. Sadly the rain hadn’t stopped. It seemed to have gotten worse over the last few hours and what once was a nice steady rain is now a downpour. Ever the gentleman, Eris offers to take them out and wait for them to be done. 

I knew that there would be some paw wiping that needed to be done, but what I didn’t expect was for all of the hounds to come back into the house covered in mud.

“Oh no.” I exclaim as Eris carries in a mud covered Paprika, setting her on the floor only after the door is shut and locked.

“I think we are going to have to give them emergency baths.” Eris sighed, running a hand through his damp red hair.

“What happened?” I swear my eyebrows have probably reached my hairline as the hounds continue to play with each other getting mud all over the living room floor. 

“Well I thought that they would do their business, be done, and come back into the house. Apparently I was wrong and they decided that they wanted to play.” I can see the steam rising off of Eris as he uses his powers to dry off. “Paprika on the other hand accidentally landed in a mud puddle. And I already dismissed the staff for the night.” 

“Shit.” It's always nice to have an extra hand on deck when bathing the hounds “Well looks like we are on bath duty then.” 

We had relocated from the living room up to the bedrooms; the click of nails on the floor followed behind us as the dogs followed along behind us. I let him lead me through the halls my arm laced through his taking in the warmth that radiated through his shirt. The Vanserra’s were known for their fire wielding abilities, but it was like fire ran through his blood heating him from the inside out. I didn’t quite want the evening to end. 

“We probably should have kept some of the staff here when we saw that it was going to rain.” Eris laughs. 

“Probably, I’m sure your housekeeper will skin both of us tomorrow when she sees the mess.” I chuckle glancing behind me to see the whisper of smoke hounds trailing along behind us leaving muddy tracks along the wooden floor.

“Our housekeeper.” Eris’ gently corrects “I hate to say that she is almost used to it. She’s not a fan of bathing the hounds though.” 

“I don’t blame her, it’s a task and a half, and with the lot that we have it’s going to take us at least a few hours.” I try not to pay too much attention to the way Eris uses joint ownership. I should be grateful that he has already gotten used to us being a pair although it is a bit harder for me. 

Since the engagement Eris has always referred to us as a unit. It was “our plans for the mating ceremony” and “Of course we will be attending tonight.” It seemed to come easy to him; however, I am still trying to wrap my head around things. For me this is still just Eris’s home and his belongings and employees, not mine. Although in two weeks, I guess it will partially be mine. I need to get used to the fact that we are now a unit and respond as such. This will be our home that we fill with our hounds and if we are lucky enough down the road maybe a few messy haired faelings that we created. 

We make our way to Eris’s room. The room is not what I had thought it would be and vastly different from his rooms in the forest house. His living quarters in the high lords ancestral halls were cold. Deep emerald fabrics were selected and paired with polished dark wood furniture. We had had tea in his sitting room a few days after the bond had snapped and the whole room just felt impersonal. This room however felt warm. The large bed that dominated the middle of the room facing the window, looked like it was crafted with smooth unfinished red wood and decorated with large antlers. The crimson duvet looks soft and inviting and for a male there is a surprising amount of pillows strewn across the top of the bed  A smaller bookshelf resided along the one wall and much like the massive wall of books in the living room this one is packed with books, but these seemed to be much more loved, with signs of wear along the spines. Next to the window there is a small table that appears to just be a log that someone placed a glass top on and called it good and an arm chair that honestly looked like it had seen better days, if the patches on the arms of the chair were anything to go off of. More dog beds were spread along the floor but I had a feeling quite a few of them slept in the actual bed. Smoke hounds while they don’t shed a ton of fur, still shed, and if the short white hairs clinging to the crimson duvet say anything it is that the dogs are on the bed. Which is fine with me since I typically have one or two with me in my bed on any given night and since Paprika came into the picture she’s always cuddling in bed with me. 

“Come on, the bathroom is through here.” He opens the door on the furthest wall to reveal the massive bathing chambers with a large tub.  

“We might want to shut the bedroom door so that they can’t run off.” I quietly mention once I noticed that all of them were in the room. 

“Good idea.“ Eris sidesteps me quickly making his way to the door. Nineteen sets of ears pop up at the sound of the door clicking close. I move to quickly scoop up Paprika before she has the chance to dart under Eris’s Bed. 

“We need to do Paprika first; she’s still getting used to bath time.” Hearing the word ‘bath’ the fox kit starts to squirm. I quickly manure her in my arms and hold her under her front legs; her bottom and tail dangling limply in the air.

 “You are covered in mud, no amount of wiggling will get you out of it.” I speak to the little kit as if she were a naughty child. Her ears flop as if resigning herself to her fate. 

Bath time is eventful to say the least, Paprika gave us hell once we set her in the warm water. She just about screamed the entire time and only calmed down once she was wrapped in one of Eris fluffy towels. Having Eris around for bath time had its perks. Using his fire magic he was able to dry the hounds and Paprika rather faster than having to let them air dry. The hounds were bathed without complaint; but there were some trouble makers. Once we had shut the bathroom door to bathe Paprika, one of Eris’s hounds jumped up onto his bed and proceeded to cover not only the duvet in mud but Eris’s pillows and sheets. Then one of my hounds decided that I needed a bath as well and grabbed my dress and tugged just hard enough to send me sprawling into the tub. By the time the all nineteen of the canines are bathed Eris and I are drenched; the bathroom is soaked and quite frankly there is pathways of muddy paw prints throughout the house. 

“I know I said we don’t need a kennel, but I would like to retract my statement. We need one if only to prevent things like this from happening again.” I slump alongside Eris resting against the side of the tub. 

“Agreed.” Eris runs his hands through his hair. “We still have to get cleaned up ourselves.” 

“And remake your bed; one of the hounds got on it.” Eris lets out a groan at that statement. 

“Let’s get cleaned up first and then we can deal with that later. Worse comes to worse; I can sleep in one of our spare rooms or the couch.” 

“Please don’t sleep on the couch.” I laugh “Especially when there are perfectly good beds in the spare rooms. 

“I will have you know Dear Mate that the couch is one of the best places to sleep in this house. I have spent many nights on it.” 

“Now that's just sad Eris.” We both end up laughing. 

“Come now let's get cleaned up and off to bed. Eris moves to stand offering me one of his hands to help me off the floor. I end up stumbling into Eris’s chest as I am pulled up; he steadies me, one hand on my hip the other not letting go of my hand. I had noticed in the time we have been courting how much bigger his hands are then mine, they almost completely engulf mine whenever we dance, and they are so very warm. My heart races in my chest, being so close to this male without anyone else around. There is an awkward silence that fills the space between the two of us.

“Well I will leave you to it.” He moves to open the door to the room. Immediately dogs start tripping over one another in their attempt to escape the bedroom. Eris meets my gaze and we burst out laughing at the scene. We laugh for a solid few minutes; we would slow down and when we would look at each other we would start laughing again. An endless loop of pulling ourselves together only to fall apart again and again.

“I don’t know why that was so funny.” I hold my side as a wait out the stitch that I had gotten from laughing so hard.    

“Neither do I” Eris places a hand on my lower back as he leads me towards my room “Here is where I leave you.” 

“Thank you Eris.” I laugh as he takes my hand and places a kiss on the back of it. 

“You are quite welcome.” He releases my hand and steps back.

 “Please let me know if you need anything.” With one last look he walks down the hall presumably towards one of the spare rooms to clean up. 

I turn into my room and see several of my hounds lounging around as if they didn’t just turn bath time into a whole event. I give them a glare before heading into the bathroom to take a bath of my own before getting ready for bed. The Lady of Autumn truly tried to make this suite as comfortable as she could. Various soaps and oils lined the counter and a few small candles decorated the edge of the bathtub. It was a place that one could easily find solace. Maybe tomorrow I will take full advantage and soak in the large tub, but tonight I feel drained. While it wasn’t a super physically taxing day, mentally it was draining. This trip is giving me a golden opportunity to learn just who my mate is. Already had got to see a completely different side of him. 

When we are out on an official engagement or in the forest house Eris has always seemed so cold despite the fire that flows through his veins. He has always seemed closed off to everybody except for his mother and me. I got to hear him laugh for the first time in the 60 or some odd years that I had known him. I move through the motions of bathing and getting ready for bed. By the time I am turning down the bed I am ready to simply relax. Paprika paws at the bed, her way of asking to be picked up and placed on the bed. I grab her and set her down on the sheets. Ramiel and Rosie hop up on the bed unprompted ready to make themselves comfortable on the large bed. My ears twitch as I hear scratching at the door. I quickly glance around the room taking a head count of Hounds that are lazing around the room. All seven of mine are accounted for plus Ichabod who also decided that he wanted to sleep on the bed as well. So one of Eris’s lot wants to stay in here tonight. I move to open the door to let the pup in; my eyes widen once I open the door because not only is there a smoke hound begging to be let in but Eris is standing there with two steaming mugs. The hound darts past me, with the speed that they are famed for, as I continue to stare at Eris. 

“I figured we could have a cup of tea before bed.” I smile widely at him. He had listened when I was rambling shortly after our engagement. I had offhandedly mentioned that I liked to have a nice cup of Herbal tea before bed. And here he stands holding two cups of tea. 

“I would love that,” I step aside and let him walk into the room. He walks towards the bed and takes a seat holding out one of the cups for me to take; I sit down beside him taking the cup from his hand. 

We sit and talk for a long time. Eventually we have drunk our tea, cups sit forgotten on the nightstand, but Eris stayed. We eventually moved from sitting on the edge of the bed to sitting propped up with pillows against the headboard. The last thing I recall before I go to sleep is looking over at Eris who had fallen asleep not ten minutes ago. I don’t have the heart to wake him since he looks so peaceful. I roll over and wrap my arms around Ramiel before letting sleep take over me.  

Tag List @b0xerdancer @imma-too-many-fandoms @judig92 @fall-myriad @j-brielmalfoy @highlady-ofillyria @percyjacksonspeen @nyctophiliiiiaaa @marigold-morelli @azzydaddy @isa1b2h3

[rayisemo]

Webtoon comics I think are underrated.

Now, I just want to make it clear that when I say “underrated” I don’t mean as if it isn’t heard of or been read, just that it’s underrated in the sense that nobody talks about it, makes posts about it, fanfics, fan arts, etc.

…and if you haven’t read these then I highly recommend you do!!! It’s so worth it, trust! I’ll add in a little review too!

1. DEATH: Rescheduled (Thriller)

The story in short is about a world where you have the Kill Law, a law where you are legally allowed to kill one person a year, no consequences. However the “Penny” Kreyul and his friends disagree with the Kill Law and are going to put an end to it no matter what.

Death: rescheduled had me so captivated that I refused to sleep before I finished reading. I even spent money on this shit because it was so entrancing! My favourite episode was by far 66, it was so funny and it builds up ships and just pure wholesomeness of the group.

The characters all have great personalities, the story is amazing and omg the art is so beautiful. You’ll love it.

2. Sable Curse (Fantasy)

This story follows a young girl named Tarron, a girl who is cursed and will die in 6 months. Her (honestly abusive) parents decide to take her and her sister to a holiday retreat. There she ends up finding new friends, herself, potential love, and maybe even a cure for her curse. But as it turns out, she’s not the only one cursed either.

This story is amazing! The art is wonderful, the characters are perfect, some we hate, some we love. We learn throughout the story more about this curse, and even about this special holiday retreat. There is so much mystery to uncover and it is one of my favourite webcomics.

Now, I’ve heard that most people have actually read it, but I encourage that we make a proper fandom for this series!

3. Marionetta (Fantasy)

Two best friends decide to go out and visit the travelling circus. However after a while Julia’s best friend Kamille disappears. Julia is determined to find her again and hunts down the circus, where her best friend is now living. Julia is still going to bring her home and end up losing something very valuable. Her life. For this circus is for the dead. Now Julia has to uncover the true secrets behind the circus whilst still trying to bring her and Kamille home. Will she manage? Or will she have to kill Anthonn Gremminger to save her life?

When I tell you this webcomic is a roller coaster of emotions. There are plenty of ships to chase, characters to stan, and many theories to explore. I love this webcomic so bloody much and I was actually surprised that there wasn’t a lot posted about it.

This is such a cool and dark story, with lovely and cute art. I could talk about it for hours.

4. After School Activities For Unripe Apples (Drama)

A wholesome slow burn between Mi-ae and an old childhood friend, Cheol. When another year starts and Mi-ae needs to take school more seriously the son of the family friends shows up in her class, but now seen as Lucifer, a hostile boy who ends fights - but is that the boy Mi-ae remembers? Who she know knows and loves?

This is a cute, funny and entertaining webcomic. You would think that things would be so simple, however due to school, parents, and other issues the characters face of themselves and others, it is difficult to understand and accept your own feelings. This is exactly why I love this series so much, it’s relatable and adorable. We especially love Mi-ae.

There are a few fanfics out there, but honestly where is the love it deserves??

5. My universe (Romance)

Apart from the normal college life Hayeon lives, she has this special gift.. she can communicate with the universe. She ends up communicating with an alien, who she gives the name Ujun. They want to be able to actually meet each other, but alas that is nearly impossible. But imagine the surprise when Ujun ends up taking over the body of one of Hayeons classmates, and crush, Hyeonsu. Now they must figure out a way to send him back whilst still spending some time together. However the peacefulness and secrets can’t be kept as the aliens are taking over. What will Hayeon do now? And can she even trust Ujun anymore?

Now this story deserves its own universe fr. The art is super cute as is the story, however things get more complicated as the story progresses. When I was still reading this the first thing I would do in the morning is read the next episode as soon as I got the daily pass because it was so good! Obviously I’m not going to spoil the ending, however the waves of emotions this series brings you is inhuman.

All in all it’s a fantastic webcomic that deserves so much love and attention!

6. Stray Souls (Fantasy)

In a world of magic and string weaving, some are fortunate and some are not. Eylin isn’t particularly good at string weaving, however that doesn’t stop her and her friends from stopping the wicked and doomed Amethyst King. Follow along the difficulty journey with friendship, love, and a whole lot of mystery. But what is it all worth in the end?

Holy moly this story is AMAZING. The plot is genius and the art is fantastic, the characters are so original and all have such amazing personalities!! Although, it’s a bit hard to keep track of them all😭 still love them all.

All in all it’s so amazing and has so much potential to be incredibly popular, yet there is no fandom!? Give it attention!!

7. Spirit Fingers (Drama)

Adorable Amy Song is incredibly self conscious and insecure. She has no support and no confidences, however after stumbling upon an art club drawing each other and their wacky poses - she ends up becoming their model too. After meeting a cute guy and getting his number she enters the group herself! This group accepts her with love and so much care, and she finally starts to feel more confident in herself and her art! She might even get a boyfriend!

This is quite literally the cutest and most heartwarming webcomic I’ve read in a while. And there is no one talking about it!!’ It’s been around for sooooo long too!!! When I tell you I cry, and laugh, and smile so hard at every chapter!! If you love a heartwarming, coming of age, and found family comic - then this is perfect!! And the art is beautiful!! It’s a perfect read for artists!!

Miss Amy is literally so relatable for those who don’t feel very pretty or have any sorts of insecurities regarding looks or academics. It’s a beautiful, long, and mostly free (if you’re fine with ads) comic, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever found.

Now! So far this are all the webcomics that come to mind! I think all of these are great and I just know that so many more will enjoy these if they gave them a chance.

I’d love to talk about these with other people, and I’d even love it if others would like to share some webcomics they believe are underrated too.

All of these comics are from Webtoon, and are so worth your time! Please let me know if there was anything I missed.

(I might add more in the future 😉)

Edit: sadly the pictures are now a little awkward and too big for my liking… but I hit the limit of 10 pictures 😔🙏

💗- Anyways lots of love!

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 5 - Never enough

Summary: Y/N goes out with Kyouka for a flat hunt. Izuku gets smacked in the face - Once by a random teen and once by his Sweet Pea.

Warnings: Swear words, mentions of a toxic relationship (in the past).

First Chapter Master List

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Kyouka comes over a few hours after Izuku leaves; he didn’t really say goodbye after your conversation in the bedroom this morning, which was quite surprising and he also left an untouched sandwich on the table, filled with his favorite stuff, which is also… well… really fucking weird, but okay. To be fair, there is so much happening all at once it’s easy to go all silly, especially at 5 AM in the morning. Maybe it took him so long to make his sandwich he ended up being late and instead of bringing it with him he just left it on the table. Even though, Izuku must be aware that he owns a cat so leaving food on the table isn’t the smartest idea. Thankfully, All Meowt is the laziest motherfucker the word has ever seen and jumping on the table to get some nibbles is way too much of a lbother for him, hence why the food is still in tact.

Sometimes you wonder if All Meowt is even a cat; he doesn’t scratch furniture, doesn’t eat anything he needs to work for, barely jumps on anything and he’s just… a part of the furniture. A furry little sofa pillow. He’s also really smart as somehow he knew you are the one who messed with his automatic feeder because to this day, he didn’t even approach you once when Izuku wasn’t around. Except when you sleep. Then he cuddles. He probably hopes you stay that way forever.

“Okay, I managed to get a viewing for flat 2 and flat 4.” Kyouka mumbles to herself after putting her phone down. You look at the girl incredulously. “Don’t look at me like that, I know flat 4 is pricy as fudge, but with my current salary, I can afford it. I won’t have a bunch to spend for a few months but if I make it to the top 10 next year, it won’t be a problem!”

You know Kyouka like you know the back of your hand; there is no reason to even look at flat 2 at this point, this silly woman has already decided to get that fancy ass flat and there is probably an extremely ridiculous reason behind it.

“Be honest with me…” You look at your bestie, trying your best not to look judgmental. “Why do you want that flat?”

Kyouka looks down at her hands, her cheeks ruddy from embarassment. “My favorite rockstar lives in the same building… you know the one with black hair and the sick angel wing tattoo.” Kyouka answers while she plays with her bangs like a stupid school girl.

There it is. There it fucking is.

“So you decided to spend all your life savings for a few minutes of neighborly banter with your Bae.” You really can’t believe this silly woman.

“Oh my god, you are literally dating your favorite hero, sorry if your stupid love story made me believe in fated love!” She yells and you can’t help but laugh at that.

“Hey, it didn’t cost me anything to fall in love with him though! Plus we are not official yet!” Now it’s your turn to be embarrassed.

“Oh fuck off, Izuku wouldn’t even poke you with a foot long pole if he wouldn’t want you to be his fucking wife in the next few years. My bro isn’t playing around. He’s had enough of that shit when he was young.”

Well, that’s a new information.

“What do you mean?”

Kyouka sighs.

“It’s not my place you tell you this and to be honest I don’t know too much about it, Katsuki is probably the best one to ask but… there was this girl, right after high school who was all over Izuku after his first debut. We told him to stay away from her, we warned him that she’s only after the fame and the money but Izuku was so happy to be liked by someone in a romantic way he didn’t fucking listen to any of us…” Kyouka’s eyes look really sad as she continues. “Izuku was always a sweet boy so most people only thought of him just as that; a boy, not a man. This girl was different, I give her that. I fucking hated her. We all did. Except Izuku.” You really don’t like where this story is going. You can feel the betrayal in the air, it makes your stomach upset and your heart bleed. “After a few weeks Izuku couldn’t even wear his own clothes. She started to point out every geeky thing on him, the shirts, the shoes, his hair… she wanted him to change into something he wasn’t. She even made a comment about his baby fat. Katsuki almost exploded her that day and Izuku stopped bringing her over after that. Things got worse after as Katsuki wasn’t there to reprimand her. I don’t want to say more, Y/N. Ask him. It’s not my story to tell.”

You are rendered speechless. There are so many emotions swirling inside you; fury, hatred, sadness, then there is the urge to protect, the urge to call Izuku home so you can tell him how much you love him and his quirkiness… it’s so much to take in, so much to think about…

“Let’s go before we both start crying.” Kyouka ruffles your hair and motions towards the door, ready for the adventure.

You try your best to keep your focus on the beautiful flats. You look around for flaws, ask the right questions but you are not really there; your mind can only think of Izuku, about how alone he must’ve felt while dating that terrible human being, how humiliated he had to feel around his friends in those clothes he was forced to wear… fuck.

“I’ll walk you home then I’ll come back to do the paperwork.”

She doesn’t need to say any more for you to know that all your thoughts are written on your face.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry! You helped a lot. Really.” Kyouka smiles. You are so lucky to have her.

~•🥦•~

Izuku is not with it at work. He makes a lot of mistakes and he gets punched by some “random extra” who shouldn’t even be able to touch him.

There was a group of teens making a ruckus downtown. Izuku and Katsuki were out on patrol when they saw them yelling at a poor old man, asking for money but somehow Izuku managed to get hit by one of the kids while he was too distracted with his own thoughts.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Deku!” Katsuki yells at him with a red face. “You just let that fucking extra have the time of his fucking life! Hitting the number one fucking hero in the face! He probably thinks he’s the coolest fucking dude right now and has zero motherfucking remorse about what he’s done!”

“Because you were any better, you burned that kids face! Do you want to get canceled?!”

Izuku is frustrated. He can’t do this anymore. He can’t just let Katsuki step over him like that, not anymore…

“Someone had to do something about it! I had to clean your fucking mess up because that’s what friends do, you absolute fucking moron!”

“Since when do you consider me as a friend? I thought I’m just a nuisance.”

“Stop with the attitude. I know what you are doing and it’s not going to work. You won’t push me away. Don’t make the same mistakes I’ve made when I was a kid. You know it more than anyone how much it fucking hurts.”

“I’m sorry, Kacchan.” He can’t take it anymore. The tears fall, his body shakes and moves towards Katsuki on his own and Katsuki catches him just in time.

“If you want to talk, I’m here. Eijirou is here too. You are not alone anymore.” Katsuki mutters into his hair, his fingers deep in Izuku’s curls. Katsuki has changed so much in the last few years; if anyone would’ve told him he’s gonna be cuddled by Katsuki while he cries for the stupidest fucking reason he would’ve laughed in their face.

He knows he’s being an idiot. Y/N loves him, he can see it in her eyes when he comes back after a long day of work, he can feel it in her touches, in the food she makes, in the way she smiles when Izuku cuddles her from behind… he also knows his Sweet Pea loves him the way he is and he has no reason to doubt himself with her but Izuku can’t do anything with his insecurities; he’s been told so many times how weird he is, how unattractive his home wear is, how his unruly hair makes him look like a child and he doesn’t even want to start talking about his “annoying” clinginess.

Maybe he should’ve told her to finish that commission instead of asking her to go to bed with him. Maybe he should’ve let her cook the food alone or ask her if she needs help instead of clinging to her back like an oversized koala. Maybe he should’ve slept on his own side of the bed instead of suffocating his Sweet Pea with his heavy arms. He went overboard. Even his perfect Sweet Pea needs some space. Maybe that’s why she wants to move out. She loves Izuku but Izuku is too much as a boyfriend… he’s too much, he’s always too much…

“Go home, Zuku.” Katsuki sighs into his hair. “Go home and sort yourself out. I fucking hate seeing you like this. I want to blow your face up.”

Izuku can’t help but snort at that.

“I love you too, Kacchan.”

“Fuck you.”

~•🥦•~

You get home around 2PM; you managed to find some All Might shaped chicken nuggets in the store which you decided to air fry today with some lovely fresh veggies you found in the little market you love. Oh, and rice. Izuku needs more than a snack when he comes home.

Thankfully you manage to finish cooking by 3 so you decide to sit down and finally start working on your commissions; there isn’t much to do, just a few sketches, so you should be done by the time Izuku gets home. Thank god no one commissioned anything detailed, otherwise you would be fucked; there is no way you can do a full, colored drawing in this mental state.

For your surprise the door opens around 4PM; Izuku is already in his civilian clothes, freshly showered, hair still a bit wet.

There is one thing you realize now that Kyouka told you about his past; Izuku’s civilian clothes are quite plain compared to his usual style. It doesn’t sit right with you but that’s a problem for another day.

Today’s problem is…

“You are really early, did you forget something? Want to eat before you go back? I made you something special!” You jump off the chair right away. Izuku looks at you like this is the last time he sees your face; you have no idea what’s going on but you really hate that look on his face, that’s for sure. “Oh my god, please tell me this is not that part of the fanfiction when the hero comes home and tells his wife that he’s going a year long mission to America. I’m not ready for that yet.”

For some reason, Izuku looks guilty. He lowers his eyes, suddenly finding the design of the floor extremely interesting as he fiddles with the sleeve of his jacket anxiously.

“Just a short day, nothing to worry about.” Izuku smiles but it’s fake. So fucking fake it makes you want to gag. “Were you doing a commission? Don’t worry about me, I’m not even supposed to be here, so just ignore me.”

Red flag. A big, fucking red flag. Something happened and Izuku is not telling you jack shit about it.

“Izu, what the fuck, I’ve been waiting to have a few hours with you for a whole week, I can’t just ignore you. With the amount of hours you work I have all the time to finish this fucking scribble, but I only have a few hours with you.” You reprimand, a little bit offended. Just a little bit. Teeny-tiny bit. “You also left without giving me a kiss. You need to give me double kisses today. Also, look at the food I made for you!” You run into the kitchen and come out with the All Might shaped chicken nuggets. You show them off proudly, jumping up and down with the excitement. “Look! It’s All Might! And chicken! I put the magnet that came with it on the fridge, I hope that’s fine! There are 10 different magnets to collect, I’ll try to get them all!”

Suddenly, a loud sob escapes Izuku’s mouth, but it’s not his usual ‘I’m so happy so I’ll cry a river’ kinda sob, it’s the one full of pain and misery. “Izu.” You put the food down on the table to approach the shaking man now sitting on the floor. “I’m sorry do you not want to eat All Might? That’s okay, Izu!” You mutter but Izuku jumps into your words.

“Y/N, stop.” The sound of your own name sounds so foreign from Izuku’s mouth you almost choke on your words. “Stop. It hurts. It hurts so fucking much, I can’t…” Izuku starts to sob again and you are not too far behind him. Without knowing, your tears start to fall, joining Izuku’s in the puddle of misery on the floor.

“What’s wrong, baby? Please, tell me what did I do wrong. I won’t do it ever again, I swear…”

“I know you want to move out. You don’t need to pretend.” Izuku jumps into your words between two loud sobs. “I know I’m impossible to live with, I know my love is toxic, it’s too much too soon, I’m… aware of it and I can change, I can give you space, fuck, I can sleep in the agency if you want me to, I don’t care, but please, don’t leave me. I can change, I can do anything…”

Instead of words you decide to use your hand to tell him how fucking annoyed you are. Because honest to fuck you thought someone died or Izuku is dying or the world is on fire and these are his last words… the sound of the slap is loud in the quiet room but it makes Izuku listen and hopefully he’ll forgive you when this is over.

“I don’t want you to change, you dumb little… waaah!” Great job, Y/N. You are doing fucking well. You slapped the poor sobbing guy then you called him dumb. Great start indeed. “I fucking love you and your nerdy little ass, I love the way you geek out over the stupidest thing, I love how we are glued to each other when you’re home because that’s what I also want to do, thank you for fucking asking, I love those super silly t-shirts you’re hiding at the back of your drawer and I can’t believe you never wear them by the way, I’m not leaving you, I’m not going anywhere, I want to be here, with you, every single second, I can’t believe you really thought you could get rid of me that easily, Midoriya Izuku!” You have no air left by the time you finish your sentence because you forgot to breathe during your rant. “Don’t you fucking dare to change for me. I fell in love with YOU, not with some impostor. Tell me what you want. Do what you want. Act as silly as you want. I’ll probably only love you more, even though it’s quite impossible.”

The silence is deafening. You can see Izuku’s brain going into overdrive. He looks completely lost.

“The notes on the table…” He mutters as he motions towards the notebook. He looks dumbfounded.

“Kyouka is looking for a new flat. I was helping her.”

“I’m an idiot.” Izuku mumbles, mortified. He even forgets to cry.

“Yeah, you are. My idiot boyfriend who I love so dearly.” The words slip out but it’s too late to take it back; you look at Izuku with a terrified look on your face, ready to be reprimanded but Izuku looks at you with nothing but wonder, eyes shining from tears and finally, from happiness.

“Say it again.”

“What?”

“Say it again.” Izuku’s hand reaches towards you. Needless to say, you take it.

“My weird boyfriend, Midoriya Izuku.” You giggle to yourself. If this would be a fanfiction… ahh, Nevermind.

“I love you, Sweet Pea. Please, never change.” Izuku is all over you, not even caring about the floor being the most uncomfortable surface in the whole entire building. You can’t really hold yourself up with such a heavy weight sitting on your shoulders so you both end up stumbling backwards with a loud yelp followed by a bunch of giggling.

“So what does my boyfriend want to do today?” You mutter into Izuku’s neck between two kisses.

“I want to watch an All Might movie in my silly All Might onesie I’m hiding in my dresser while I eat the silly little all might chicken nuggets my perfect girlfriend made for me.”

Your smile is so big it actually hurts your jaw.

“… Only if I can borrow a silly All Might shirt to match with you.”

Apparently, that was the right thing to say; Izuku is about to combust from the happiness as he attacks your mouth with violent happy kisses.

“Have I told you how much I love you?” He mutters into your lips, already knowing your answer.

“Only a few thousand times but it never gets old.”

“Is that a challenge I hear?” He smirks with such confidence it makes you shiver. You did that. You made him feel that way. Oh fuck, this new Midoriya Izuku is really bad for your heart.

“Might as well be.” You grab Izuku’s hair at the back of his head and yank him forward for a heated, deep kiss. Izuku yelps but he doesn’t let you have all the control; this is Izuku’s day, he’s is completely unhinged and so are you.

The food got cold by the time you managed to untangle from each other.

And fuck, it was so worth it.

… Next Chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Potato ramble:

- Some explanations for the this chapter because I feel like it’s needed:

- 1. Midoriya does wear merch, but mostly black ones with a logo on it instead of the super loud, super colorful ones he would prefer.

- 2. Midoriya’s mum said in one of the chapters that Midoriya has never had a girl over before which is still true; the girl was never officially introduced to Inko as Izuku knew the way the girl was treating him would make his mom really sad. Inko has a slight idea about what happened thanks to Katsuki but she was spared from the gruesome details of it. Izuku doesn’t know his mom knows about it.

- 3. No, they didn’t do anything cheeky on the floor. They were just kissing, you dirty little potato.

- In the next chapter, we are going home to Izuku’s mom! I’m so excited!!!!

- I got a beautiful Deku figurine. I try not to talk about my figurine obsession anymore but I have to show this one off. I genuinely didn’t think I’ll be able to get my hands on this one because it’s an Ichiban Kuji (it’s like a lottery but with anime merch) Last One prize, but here I am, I guess. 😂

TL: @garfieldthomas @porusuniverse @stickygumchewer @sixxze @mily-moo @aei-sedai-moiraine @aymasakusa @kastuari @kenzie-deadly @shiviwrites07 @lukerycyja-reblogs @cloroxisadelectabletreat @coffeent @kisskissshutmydoor @bobcar1 @yazminetrahan @cringefan @ronimacaroni77 @thekookiecorner @dangerousluv1 @emperatris-rinaka @shotos-angelic-whore @angelsdemonsmonsters @norvacaine @rei165 @unofficialmuilover @yao-ai

[roseyhearts5]

I promise

————————————————————————

summary: Owen and reader work together with the velociraptors. When the two find Claire and her nephews in the forest with the van she happens to attract one of them.

Disclaimer: Readers 18 so like 2 years older than Zach, Zach does not have a girlfriend in this so like he’s nawt cheating guys I swear, cursing, gun use, dinosaurs 😋

————————————————————————

“Hoskins you can’t do this! Once Owen finds out what you’re planning he’s gunna get over here and beat your ass, you want that? Huh?” I confront Hoskins with my hands on my hips. He’s got some crazy plan to use the velociraptors to hunt down the escaped dinosaur.

“Sure he will (name), that is, if he gets here. How d’you know that dinosaur hasn’t gotten him already?” He laughed at me.

“Are you kidding me right now? How are you so sure it has?” Then, a jeep pulled up outside of the velociraptors enclosure. Owen stepped out of the drivers side. “Well would you look at that!” I threw my hands in the air and made my way to Owen, Hoskins trailing behind me. “I-I tried to stop him Owen I did, but he wouldn’t listen to me,” I explained frantically, my voice cracking. I already had a rough time with the people seeing me as someone who could be in control one day, and Hoskins will be my breaking point if I waste anymore time talking to him.

“You’re fine (name). I know what happened.” Owen held a hand up at me and I walked beside Claire. I had only met her a few times but I know she had something going on with my boss.

“Hey Claire, how you doing?” I looked behind me into the jeep and saw two boys. One that looked like he wasn’t even a teen and the other maybe a year or two younger than me. “They yours?” I looked at her.

“Uh- no,” she stifled a laugh, “ they’re my nephews.”

“Oh, alright,” we then turn around and watch Hoskins make his way up to Owen. Owen barely lets him speak before socking him right in the jaw. I let out a gasp and put my hands up to my mouth.

“Get the hell out of here, and stay away from my animals,” Owen spat at him, a stern look painting his face. He valued the raptors health more than his own sometimes.

“Hoskins you wanted this to happen, you son of a bitch,” Claire stepped in next to Owen, I went on the other side of him.

“Oh, Jesus. How many more people have to die before this mission makes sense to you?” Hoskins looked at all 3 of us, a disgusted look on his face.

Barry came over to us, “it’s not a mission, it’s a field test.”

“This is an InGen situation now. Okay, there are going to be cruise ships, that show up here at first light, everybody’s gunna get off this island, you’re gunna watch a news story tomorrow, about how you all saved lives. No, no, no, better yet, how your animals, saved lives.”

It was my turn to step in now, “Hoskins, letting the raptors out of containment would just put the people in even more danger. They have never, EVER, been let out of there. Letting them free would just be a whole other problem.” Barry looked at me, then Owen.

“She’s right. It’s crazy.” Hoskins then tells his people to move it out. Then he turns back around to Owen.

“This is happening, with or without you.” Owen then looks down at me on his right. I have my moment to think about it, then nod my head.

“Owen with you working with it, the raptors will be more under control than if this lunatic were to do it alone,” I pointed at Hoskins.

“Okay, come on then.” He grabbed my arm and we went with Hoskins and Barry to the tent across from the raptors enclosure. Once we were in there, there was a whole bunch of armed men. I was next to Owen as he pointed at a map, “We know that shes in sector 5, this is a game we call hide-and-seek, it’s a scent drill, we’ve done it about a thousand times with these animals. When they get on target, and they will get on target, wait to engage. Velociraptors are pack hunters.” He nods on to me for me to continue.

“They like to herd the animal into a kill zone, that when we can make our move.” Owen smiled at me then gave me a fist bump.

“That’s right, get a clear shot, wait on my command, and give her everything you got. We got one good target gentlemen,” he turned to me, “and lady,” I give him a cheeky look, bowing my head. “Do not shot my raptors. Please.” We then make our way over to the raptors. I handle Charlie. She had always favored me, just like Delta was fond of Barry, and Blue only really listened to Owen. (A/n I dunno if Charlie’s a girl or boy so I’m just making her a girl sorry if she isn’t 😞)

“Easy babydoll, I got you,” I rubbed under her chin, “settle for me,” I then disconnected her head piece. I cooed at her and scratched her chin, she groaned at me in return, “Good girl! Good job Charlie!” I turned to look at Owen with Blue, “Look Owen!” he smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up.

“Good job kid. I’m lucky you work with me. She’s always been easier when you’re around.” I continued to mess around with her when I heard a voice.

“Owen!” I turned around and it was Claire’s nephews. Owen walked over to them. I felt the older of the twos eyes on me and wagged my fingers at him, and his cheeks dusted a pale pink, slowly waving back. “Are they safe?” The little one asked. I had forgot to get their names from Claire. I walk over alongside Owen, and give a face splitting grin at the boys.

“No, they’re not.” Owen looked at him seriously. The older one then spoke up.

“What are their names?” He looked at Owen, then turned to me. Owen looked at me.

“you can tell them.” He nudged my shoulder, making me laugh.

“That’s Charlie,” Owen cut me off.

“She listens to her the most. Which is surprising honestly. She’s always been more aggressive but when she started working here, Charlie changed her whole attitude around.”

“Well obviously,” I shrugged my shoulders, “anyways, that’s Echo, then Delta, and lastly Blue.” I put my hands in my hips then looked at Owen.

“She’s the beta.” Owen said. The little one spoke again.

“who’s the alpha?”

“You’re lookin’ at him, kid.” This caused them to smile at him. I waved at them both as they went to their aunt Claire. The older one looked at me, as if he were in a daze, and slowly waved back. ————————————————————————

Time goes by and Owen and I took the headgear off of the raptors and put them in their personal cages. Owen holds up a pound or so of meat from the Indominous rex.

“Sooo, do I get a gun?” I leaned on the wall next to Charlie’s cage. Owen looked at me.

“Yeah, probably, go ask them to give you a rifle or something.” I push myself off the wall and go out to the men with guns.

I tap one on the shoulder. He turns around and looks me up and down. “Can I get one of those guns? Maybe an AR or something?” He laughs at me.

“A girl like you? How old even are you?”

“18 and old enough to handle a man-eating dinosaur. I’m sure I can take a gun.” He looks surprised at me. “You gunna give me one or what?” He smiles and nods his head at me then leads me to the guns. “Alright, little girl, take your pick.” I pick up an AR and nod at them, putting it on my back. I leave the tent and see Claires oldest nephew looking at me again.

I smirk at him and wave. He’s cute. I peer from side to side and begin striding over to him. “Hey,” I stop infront of him.

“Hey.. what you do is pretty cool. For the raptors and everything.” He fiddles with his finger for a quick second before looking back up at me.

“Thanks, babe! You gunna make sure your aunts safe without Owen here?” I pop my hip out and tilt my head at him.

“yes, yeah for sure.” He leans back against the van, hands in his pocket.

“Alright, stay safe yourself hun.”

“you too,” he mutters quickly, I lift my chin to him and place my hands behind my back, before going to find Barry in front of the jeep. There was a four wheeler then two motorcycles. I get on one of the motorcycle. Owen comes over not long after and gets on the other. He looks up at the new guy, then nods his head. New guy nodded back, then pressed the button to open the cages and the raptors ran out.

“Aw here we go,” I said and rode right after Owen and Barry. The raptors had night vision cameras on the side of their head that I’m sure Claire and corporate could see.

“(Name)! You follow me alright?” Owen called out to me.

“Gotchu!” I raised a thumb at him, and raced quickly after, separating from Barry and the others. We managed to keep up with the raptors, me riding behind them, Owen between the four of them. ————————————————————————

(Quick) Zach’s POV

Gray and I looked through the window from the back to where Aunt Claire sat in the drivers seat. I looked over her shoulder at the I-pad in her hands where she could see Owen and the other girl riding with the raptors. “Your boyfriend’s a badass, and that girl too. What’s her name?” I reached out and pointed at the girl.

“That’s (name). She’s a few years older than you Zach,” Aunt Claire looked at me and raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah, alright I was just asking.” I held my hands up in defense, she rolled her eyes at me, smiling, but I quickly looked back to the girl, I now knew as (name).

————————————————————————

(Names) POV

I looked ahead at the raptors and Owen. “They’re slowing down.” Barry said. I looked over at him and started coming to a slow myself. Then Owen stops. He holds his hand up in a fist and the soldiers get out of the cars with their weapons up. I get off my motorcycle and take my AR off my back. The soldiers rush ahead of me, Barry, and Owen and I follow quickly after looking around. We hide behind a fallen tree, me between Barry and Owen. I hold my gun up. The raptors wait. I can hear large steps being made and the Rex eventually travels itself from the trees.

“Holy shit-“ I whisper.

“Something’s wrong. They’re communicating.” Barry says as the Rex and Raptors make small roars at each other.

“I know why they wouldn’t tell us what it’s made of,” Owen says as he stares at the Indominous Rex.

“Why?” I say, and look at him.

“That things part raptor,” my eyes widen and I look away from Owen at the Rex. It starts backing up and the raptors turn around and look at us all.

“What are they doing?” I ask. Owen doesn’t respond. A soldier yells after I ask.

“Engage!” We start firing st the Rex and it backs away. A soldier lets off a rocket(I dunno what else to call it 😭) and the Indominous falls over. Everyone stops shooting. I stand up next to Owen. We keep firing and it ends up running away.

“On your six! Raptors got a new alpha!” Owen yells as we follow after the Indominous. I turn, back and forth looking for the raptors. They could come out at anytime. Then a soldier behind me yells, a raptor on top of him. I run close to Owen, soldiers around us getting attacked by the raptors. Owen and I stay quiet and we see a raptor eating someone. Becuase of the darkness I can’t make out which one it is. It looks up and stares at Owen and I. None of us make a move. Behind the raptor though, a rocket comes through the trees, blowing it up. I go flying back from the impact and shout.

We run towards our bikes and I see that the one I rode in was taken by a soldier. “Owen! My bikes gone,” he looks at me and pats the back of his bike. I climb on and we look ahead. I can hear Barry yelling but I can’t see him, he’s in the log I think. Blue is on top of it, trying to get to Barry. Owen starts revving the bike, distracting blue from Barry. He whistles and rides off, Blue filling after us. I hold on tightly to Owen. I turn around a few times. After one I noticed Blue stopped following us. “Blues not behind us anymore!”

“Alright, keep an eye out for her!” I nod my head and look around for her. I never see her but I also don’t see the other raptors. I eventually hear the raptors. The more we go the closer they sound. Then, I see the bright lights of a van, “isn’t that the van Claire and her nephews where in?”

“I think so.” Owen speeds up behind the van.

“Owen!” I hear 2 people yell. I look from behind and wave at them. They wave back and whoop. Owen rides up next to the drivers side.

“We gotta get indoors! Follow me!” He yells to Claire and drives in front of the van. We stop in front of the big volcano building. I get off the back of the bike and take my AR off my back. I run next to Owen and look behind me at the others. We then go inside the Hammond Creation Lab.

“Control room! That way!” Clair shouts as we make our way there. When we get in I stand in front of with Owen. I hold my gun up as we hear glass breaking in one of the lab stations. “They evacuated the lab.” Claire said. I looked at her and stayed behind as they walked forward so we had weapons in the front and back. When we got in the station, we looked at all the small reptiles. Then a door opened and people came out looking something away. “What are you doing?”

“I’m afraid that above your pay grade, honey.” Hoskins stepped out.

“you’ve gotta be kidding me,” I roll my eyes.

“Where’s Henry?” Claire asks as Hoskins walks closer to us.

“Dr. Wu works for us,” he smiles at us.

“That’s not a real dinosaur,” the little boy speaks up as he looks at the monitor screen.

“No, it ain’t kid, but somebody’s gotta make sure this company has a future, imagine: that one, a fraction of the size, deadly, intelligent, able to hide from the most advanced military technology. A living weapon, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. See, millions of years of evolution. Nature is the gift-“ he was cut off by a roar. “Oh shit!” A raptor comes out. “Easy, easy boy! Easy,” Hoskins was backed against a wall. I made sure the boys were behind me as Owen backed us up, away from the scene. “We’re- we’re in the same side, right? Right? Easy, easy, I’m on your side,” he held a hand out to the raptor. Slowly he pushed it forward but the raptor went to bite his hand. I gasped and turned to bring the little boy closer to me. Hoskins let out a bloodcurdling scream.

“Go, go,” I said as I pushed the little boy out from the room. We started running towards the center. The raptor is thrown out of the glass room and blocks our way from getting out. Claire turns us around and we go the other way. The little boy taps a hologram to distract the raptor so we can get out. We manage to get outside again but when we get out there Blue stops us, along with Delta. Then we have all three on each side of us.

“so that’s how it is huh?” Owen asks. He puts down his rifle. He holds his hand out to Blue. “Easy.” He undoes the strap along her head, “that’s it,” I smile. She seems to calm down. I nudge the older boy.

“Think you can do that?” I smile. He skates his head.

“No ma’am.” This caused me to laugh. Then the Indominous comes roaring from behind Blue. Blue looks back at Owen, away from the Indominous and starts chittering, almost as if she were talking to him. She then turns and roars at the Indominous. She roars back, much louder. She slams Blue away and Blue slams against a building. Owen starts backing us up and I grab into the older ones arm. He looks at me l, but quickly looks back ahead. Delta and Echo start roaring at the Indominous. Owen whistles and the raptors start running at the Indominous. They hop on top of her and while they distract her we run around them. Claire and her nephews climb into the window of an item shop while Owen and I stay out to shoot at the Indominous. As I reload my gun I turn around and see Claire running. I look at Owen, who sees her as well. Owen runs towards the boys in the item shop. I run right after him and hop inside. Owen shushes the boys while I reload just in case.

I look up and see the Indominous. She starts slamming against the item shop and breaks one of her arms in, clawing at the little boy. I shoot at its arm while the others go against a wall. It claws at the others and I run out of bullets, “Shit!” One of its claws gets ahold in the little boy. The older one reaches over and uncles his fanny pack and it the claw releases from the little boy. I crawl over to him. “Are you ok? Did it cut you anywhere? What’s your name?” I hold his face, and wipe away his tears.

“Gray, I-I’m okay.” I hics as he speaks.

“Ok, I’m (name). I’m so sorry that happened I promise I’ll try my best to prevent anything from happening to you again alright?” He nods his head. I look at the older one.

“And what’s your name?”

“Zach.” He says.

“Zach. Okay Zach. Great job. I saw you unclip his fanny pack.” I tap his leg. I look at Owen. He nods. He knew I was better at dealing with emotions than him. Then a red flare hits against the Indominous. I look outside the window of the shop. “It’s Claire! She just brought a whole ass T-Rex here!” I said laughing. Owen, Gray, and Zach come up next to me to look out the window. They start fighting and the Indominous slams the T-Rex around. She grabs the T-Rex’s head and slams it into the shop we were in. I hold onto Gray and Owen holds onto Zach. The T-Rex roars into the shop. And bites at us. I let go of Gray and look over at Claire.

“Run!” She shouts at us.

“Go, go, go!” Owen push’s us all out of the shop and we run to Claire. The Indominous holds the T-Rex down and is about to bite its neck before we hear another roar. it was blue. She jumped onto the back of the Indominous and saved enough time for the T-Rex to get up and but the Indominous, ramming it into the building. We ran into another building, the Dino’s fighting close to us. As we run through, the T-Rex and Blue seem to be dominating the Indominous. They get close to the mosasaurus’ enclosure and it flies up out of the water, biting the Indominous, dragging it underwater.

“Oh, shit!” The T-Rex and Bkue remain, staring at each other. We walk out from behind the building and Blue looks at Owen. He shakes his head, and she runs after the T-Rex. We walk out and look around. I walk next to Zach.

“oh, wow.” He says. I look up at him and reach for his arm.

“You alright?” I ask.

“I’m alive,” he chuckled. I smiled up at him.

“Yeah.” I rub his arm then let go, looking at his forehead. I lift his hair up a little bit, “just a little cut right there,” I brush over it and he holds my arm lightly. “Alright I’ll see you later alright?” I then walk over to Owen.

————————————————————————

Claire took Zach and Gray to the shelter where all the visitors were staying. Owen and I worked around the shelter, making sure people got what they needed, be it water, food, bandages, etc. in the morning, Zach and Grays parents showed up. I was with Owen and we were working with an old woman when he looked over at Claire. I noticed him looking. “Let’s go over there,” I say, “I’m sure Zach and Grays parents wanna meet the hero that helped protect their kids the whole night,” I punch his arm lightly.

“Alright, come on,” we head over to their cot. Owen stays behind with Claire and they talk while I go get to Zach and Grays cots.

“Hey,” I say, their parents looking at me. Gray stood up and hugged me tightly.

“(Name)! Mom, dad, this is (name) she helped protect us with Owen and Aunt Claire yesterday. She’s also the one that helped us patch up our injuries,” Gray told them as he continued to hug me. I laughed and looked at Zach

“I didn’t do to much,” I rubbed Grays back and he let go of me.

“Oh my goodness, I can’t thank you enough just for being there with them,” their mom came over and embraced me in a hug, their dad following suit. When they let go I sat next to Zach.

“Hey babe,” I rested my arm on his shoulder.

“Hey (name), uh can I talk to you, somewhere else?” I look up at him.

“yeah sure come on,” we went to a more private place so we could talk. “What’s up?”

“(Name)… I think you’re really cool and I wanna get to know you more so could I uh- could I get your number?” he held my hand while he spoke softly rubbing it. I smiled and bit my lip.

“Yeah sure. I’ll write it down for you.” I pulled out my mini notebook from my shorts and the pen I always have attached to it. I wrote my number and my name down then tore it off and handed it to him. I grabbed his shoulders and stood on my tiptoes giving him a kiss on his cheek. “Bye Zach. Call me when you get the chance alright?” I waved bye to him as he was left with a smitten smile on his face. ————————————————————————

Hi everyone! This took me a day or so cuz like I had to rewatch the movie for it to make more sense like what was happening I was thinking abt a part 2 but idk how to so if yall do want a part to lmk 😊😊😊💕

[corinthianism]

last kiss | sam winchester (1)

pairing: sam winchester/f!reader additional tags: best friends to lovers (?), fluff, angst

summary: you and sam were inseparable; two like-minded souls brought together by a life of saving people and hunting monsters. when the world is about to come to an end, he's forced to make a choice, one that might just haunt you forever. - set in the season 5 finale

masterlist | next chapter | ao3

CHAPTER ONE: SAVIN' ALL MY LOVE

Trusting a demon, especially the king of crossroad demons, was not what you had in your itinerary for saving the world… but perhaps you should’ve known. After all, being a hunter wasn’t exactly a cut-and-dry profession, especially when you’re working with the Winchesters. Still, you were wondering if being left in an abandoned house with Sam, while Dean and Crowley, of all people, tracked down Pestilence’s demon assistant, or as Crowley liked to put it, “the horseman’s stable boy”. Leaving Sam out of such an important mission left a bad taste in your mouth, but you knew that your best friend wasn’t exactly the most trustworthy candidate to save the world right now.

Not after what happened with Ruby. 

You grimaced. Best not to think about that too much, unless you wanted to match Sam with a cranky, scrunched up face of your own.

“Keep an eye on him, would you?” Dean pulled you aside before he left with Crowley. “If I know anything, sweetheart, it’s that he sure as hell listens to you more than he listens to me.”

You let out a long breath through your teeth as you glanced at Sam, who was, unsurprisingly, drinking his feelings by the fireplace. There was only so much to keep you busy in a place like this, so you decided that you might as well join him.

“Got room for one more?” you asked gently, not wanting to irritate him further. He gave you a look, which you had affectionately called “Sam’s kicked puppy look”, and huffed before scooching over to let you sit on the worn-down couch next to him. “This reminds me of Cedar Falls.”

Sam laughed quietly, shaking his head, “This is nothing like Cedar Falls.”

“True, but it made you laugh,” you grinned victoriously at him. “Penny for your thoughts, Sammy?”

He took one big sip from his bottle of whiskey, and turned to face you, his eyes doing that thing where it got bigger and sadder and you couldn’t help but give him whatever he wanted. What an asshole. The corner of his lips turned upward into a tired smile, “You don’t really wanna know that.”

“Actually, yeah, I don’t,” you rolled your eyes. “But I did kinda grow up with you and I’m your only friend besides your brother and an angel, so I’m morally obligated to know.”

That earned you a scoff from him, but he spilled the beans anyway.

“It’s Dean. I mean, I know he’s not exactly wrong for not trusting me right now, but trusting Crowley?” he ranted, his voice growing tighter and louder in frustration. 

“He doesn’t trust Crowley,” you made your point as softly as you could, knowing he was thinking of a million possibilities right now. You didn’t want to add to that. “He just doesn’t have any other option at the moment.”

“He does have an option though, and it’s not working with a demon. Trust me, I know firsthand that it doesn’t end well.”

You probably made a face at the mention of his “firsthand experience”, because he chuckled again and took another swig of his drink. 

“Well, on the bright side, you got me. And that’s about as good as it can get, Winchester,” another small smile from him. “I think we need more drinks. For me, I mean,” you commented, happy with your small victory. You stood up once again to get the mini-cooler in the other room. He nodded in agreement, going back to spacing out as you left. Taking one last look at him, you couldn’t help but imagine the weight he must’ve been carrying. You knew him. You knew him deeply, and that made things suck even more. 

Of course, there was no other solution besides burying the emotional damage every world-ending problem left on you. There was no time for heart-to-hearts in the life of a hunter. For now, the only real help you could give Sam was to lend him an ear and to toss him a few more drinks.

A flash of blue in your peripheral told you that you found what you were looking for. Cold mist pleasantly greeted your skin as you opened the cooler up, finding it full of ice and an assortment of drinks. “Leave it to the Winchesters to save the world but also somehow always be fully stocked up on alcohol,” you smirked, pushing the lid back down and picking it up to bring it to the living room. 

Sam’s voice made you stop in your tracks. He was talking to someone. On the phone, you thought.

“What if you guys lead the devil to the edge… and I jump in?”

What?

You found yourself inching closer, just to see if he would say anything else.

“It’d be just like when you turned the knife around on yourself; just one action, just one leap,” he persisted, voice heavy with desperation.

Everything he said after that was a blur, but you figured he was talking to Bobby. And God, you hoped the old man talked some sense into him.

“Was that Bobby?” you finally walked in, setting the cooler down on the floor. Sam straightened up, shoving his phone back into his pocket as he heard the clipped tone in your voice, no matter how much you tried to sound casual.

“Uh, yeah,” he mumbled before furrowing his brows. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Just enough to call you an idiot,” you crossed your arms, unimpressed.

“You sound like him,” he rolled his eyes, facing away from you and sitting back down on the couch, as if he could avoid your incoming sermon if he wasn’t actively looking at you.

“I damn hope so, because he’s the only one here with any sort of sense! Do you even hear yourself, Sam? We just managed to convince Dean not to say yes to Michael, and now you wanna let the devil ride your meatsuit? What’s wrong with you?!” you yelled at him, setting the cooler down so you could focus all your energy into conveying to him that he was, in fact, an idiot. “No, Sammy. I won’t let you do it. I won’t… I can’t.”

He must’ve noticed the panic in your voice; how the anger melted away into fear. Sam was familiar with that tone. It was what he heard in Dean’s voice nearly every goddamn day for the past two years. He just hadn’t expected to hear it from you. Even when he was sneaking off to meet with Ruby, you stood by him, protecting him from the worst of Dean’s paranoia. When it all came to light and his brother’s fears came true, you still held his hand like he had knocked over a vase instead of starting the apocalypse. He knew he didn’t deserve your kindness, and yet you still gave it to him so freely.

Hearing that desperation from you, it squeezed his heart in a way that made him forget how to breathe. The alcohol was already tearing away at his system, forcing only his most basic instincts to push him forward. Those instincts told him to look at you, to not be a coward and not be the reason for your worry. He hated making you worry.

Something wet trickled down your cheek and as you brought a hand to wipe it away, Sam had already turned around and seen the second tear fall. You hated being seen like this. It was weak, it was juvenile. You kill demons and vampires and shifters, for fuck’s sake. There was no time for crying your heart out.

But the possibility of a world that didn’t have Sam Winchester in it was enough to stop even you, in your tracks.

“Hey,” Sam pulled you out of your thoughts. “Look at me.”

“I don’t want to, asshole.”

He only smiled. Damn him.

Setting down his bottle of whiskey on the floor, he grabbed your shoulders, “I’m not gonna do it, not unless we all agree. It’s like you said, we don’t have a lot of options, so we need to make our own.”

“Why is killing yourself an option?” you argued, struggling to look him in the eye as if he was already dead. Like he was just a figment of your imagination designed to haunt you and taunt you for words left unsaid. He was still here with you but your mind, treacherous as it was, was already imagining his hunter’s funeral. How the wood would burn and how you wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about him in hell. The chance of him dying, of losing him, had always been a real thing but now, more than ever, it felt real. 

“It’s me or 7 billion people,” he pointed out gently, swiping his thumb over your cheek to wipe a tear away. “I’m not that important of a person, but I can make an important decision. That has to count for something, right?”

“We’ll find something,” you promised. “I’ll find something.”

He smiled again at your determination, “That’s my girl.”

He pulled you in close. Underneath the smell of whiskey, you could smell the minty soap he always uses. You breathed it all in, trying to ignore the fact that learning his new plan felt like being splashed with ice cold water. He seemed to notice you tense up, because he spoke up again, “Do you wanna dance with me?”

“What?”

“It’ll be just like Cedar Falls,” he offered teasingly. “And besides, it’s just you and me here anyway.”

The corner of your lips twitched upward at the memory, “We have no music.”

A beat. 

He stood up, making a show of clearing his throat. Liquid courage was truly something else.

“A few stolen moments is all that we share,” he began, grinning stupidly at you. Though Dean was usually the singer between the two (as much as he tried to deny it, him belting out Toni Braxton in the shower told you all otherwise), Sam wasn’t bad at holding a tune. He gave you that look, telling you that what he was doing was just for you, and only you, as he guided your hands to rest on his shoulders, “You’ve got your family and they need you there.”

He started swaying, so you attempted to return the favor by continuing the song, “Though I’ve tried to resist, being last on your list… but no other man’s gonna dooo…”

“So I’m saving all my love for youuu…” you both sang in unison, wide grins on both of your faces at the sheer cheesiness of the situation. You took turns singing the lyrics, dancing slowly by the fireplace. For a moment, you could almost forget that the world was about to end, but you thought maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad if Sam’s face was the last thing you ever saw. Not bad at all.

▼△▼△▼△▼△▼

It was the year 2000. You were comfortably tucked under the cheap motel blanket, watching reruns of the Golden Girls. John had taken Dean out to do a salt and burn somewhere near the outskirts of town, leaving you alone to guard all your belongings as Sam went to his senior prom. Bobby owed him one, but sent you instead since the old man was busy helping other hunters. The room telephone rang a few times, and you had half a mind to answer it, before eventually deciding that it probably wasn’t the best idea to leave it hanging in case the Winchesters needed help. 

“Hello?” you rolled over to answer the phone.

“Hey,” came Sam’s voice, sounding smaller than you were used to.

“Sammy,” you sat upright, now holding the phone with both hands, as if you could reach through and pull him next to you. “Are you okay?”

He let out a deep sigh, “I, uh… yeah, I’m okay. I’m coming back to the motel though, I think.”

“What do you mean? I thought prom didn’t end until 10? It’s only 8:45, Sam.”

“So, my date kind of, um, ditched me, I guess?” he replied meekly, drawing breaths between each heavy word. “You know, it’s fine. I should’ve known.”

“No.”

“What?”

“You give me 20 minutes, Sammy. Just stay where you are.”

In less than a fraction of a second, you were up and scouring through your duffle bags in search of something that would resemble a prom dress. Hunting required you to own a small collection of various clothes and finally, you managed to pull out a dress that wasn’t marred in some way. It was deep blue satin, and it wasn’t until a year ago that you were able to grow into it. Feeling the smooth fabric in your hands, you thought of the one time you got to wear it, posing as a lawyer’s (played by John) spoiled daughter. Shockingly, Dean had thrifted it somewhere, somehow not opting to choose the most hideous frilly dress for you. He argued he liked the color, and he didn’t really want to think about what your bust size was, so it stayed unused for a fair while because it didn’t fit you well enough to be convincing.

You slid the dress carefully over your head, and decided that perhaps a little bit of color to your face was needed, lest Sam mistook you for a vengeful spirit. Once again, you dug through the endless pockets of your duffle bag to grab the old red lipstick you had quietly nicked from a witness’ house. It was old, probably expired, but you dabbed the rouge on your cheeks and lips anyway. Ultimately, you decided your hair was better off as it was. You slipped your feet into the uncomfortable and only pair of heels you owned. Even with the dull ache already forming in the balls of your feet, you smiled to yourself.  For once, you weren’t a dirty, bloody, beaten hunter. Tonight, you were just a girl. And even if you weren’t doing this for Sam, it felt wonderful to have a taste of normal.

The motel you stayed at was a short motorcycle ride from the Cedar Falls High School, so you opted to carry a silver dagger and a silver bullet-loaded gun with you for protection. Underneath the dress, of course. Without even stepping foot onto the school property itself, you could already see the familiar silhouette of Sam sitting by himself on the steps of the entrance. The stairs weren’t high at all, and it emphasized how tall he’d gotten in the last couple of months. He hugged himself, hunched over with his eyes closed as he inhaled and exhaled slowly.

Taking in a few breaths of anticipation yourself, you awkwardly walked over to him, steps wobbly and unsure. He looked up at the sound of heels meeting concrete, and you froze. He was wide-eyed, and looking at you. God knows you never thought he’d be able to look at you like that. For a moment, it was like time itself had stopped. The dust floating in the air stilled and butterflies stopped flapping their wings. Sam Winchester, in the suit that was much too big for him, in leather shoes beat up by hours of running around and chasing monsters, sat on the concrete stairs of his school and stared at you like you were the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

“Hey,” you were the first to break the silence. 

“Hey,’’ a small smile appeared on his face. He pat the space next to him, taking your hand so you could sit down without falling over. “I like the dress. Isn’t this the one you wore last year? When we did that shifter case in Oklahoma?”

You chuckled, “Yeah. I’m surprised you remember.”

“Of course I’d remember.”

Heat blossomed in your cheeks at how casually he said it, and suddenly a random streetlight was the most interesting thing to stare at. Anything was more interesting to look at than his stupidly beautiful and kind eyes.

Sam spoke up again, “You didn’t have to come here, you know. I could’ve just gone back to the motel.”

“And waste this outfit?” you gestured to his ill-fitting suit, grinning wide. “I don’t think so.” 

He laughed, and somehow you think this was the first real laugh he’d let out in the past week. He was less tense now, more open. This was the Sammy you knew. This was the joy you wanted him to feel for as long as you were around. 

“Dance with me,” you stood up, offering your hand to him. “That’s what you’re supposed to do at prom, right?”

His eyes widened, his back slouching as if he was trying to hide from you, “Uh, no.”

“Come onnn, Sammy!”

“No!” he laughed, trying to scoot away from you. You tried to grab his wrist, but his sudden movement threw you off balance, causing you to nearly fall over... but Sam caught you. He held a firm grip on your arm, forcing you to notice just how much he’s grown up. His arms were strong; toned from years of John’s training in addition to hunting. Now standing, he was taller than both his father and brother, yet he felt uncomfortable in his body. Like he didn’t know what to do with all of it. Like he was still just awkward, nerdy Sam. But he wasn’t. Not anymore. You didn’t really know how to feel about that.

“Thanks,” you said breathlessly, trying to come back to reality. “Dance with me? I can hear your school’s speakers all the way from here. Let’s make the most of it, hm?”

“Okay,” he agreed, finally, looking a little awestruck by what just happened. Gently, he placed his hands, which were much larger than yours, on your waist as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. The muffled sound of Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You” echoed from inside the school. The two of you started swaying slowly to the music, just enjoying each other’s company. There were no monsters here tonight, and there was no hunting to be done.

Your eyes flickered upwards to look at Sam, his own eyes closed and his lips pressed into a peaceful smile. For once, he looked 17. For once, he was just a boy.

Resting your head on his chest as the music swept you away into another world, there was one thought that lingered in your mind: this was how things should be.

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 59 ~ The Priest

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 5.9k

In this chapter ~ When the group continues to move with no real destination in mind, they're suddenly thrown off course as shouts for help could be heard in the distance. It turns out it was some kind of pastor, offering his church as sanctuary for those who saved him from the clutches of evil. Though it was no secret that a few members didn't trust his intentions.

AN ~ It's officially been a year since I started writing this story and uploading it to wattpad. And though I started posting chapters here a few months later, I still just wanted to say thank you for all the love and support! It truly means the world to me, and I can't wait for you guys to read what else I have planned for the many chapters to come:))

We all woke up fairly early the next morning, merely minutes after the sun began to rise to keep on moving. Rick made it very clear that he wanted us as far away from Terminus as possible, though he didn't really have a clear destination in mind. It gave me that same familiar feeling of when we lost the farm, not knowing where to turn to next or where to go when there weren't many options to begin with.

Subconsciously I think we all wanted to find a safe place we could build up again like the prison, although that was a long shot. But the truth was, I didn't really care if we had a plan or not. I hadn't felt this positive in a very long time, and to me it didn't matter where we were going, as long as we all stayed together.

We all formed some kind of line as we walked towards who knows where, leaving me next to Carl as we talked casually while he held Judith in his arms. Our conversation was hushed, unheard from the people walking a little ways ahead of us as we smiled and laughed quietly together for the first time in a while. I ravished in the feeling, loving to see the kid actually relax as he felt safe and hopeful after everything we went through.

Though a gentle touch on my shoulder seemed to stop me in my tracks, turning to see Daryl looking down at me with a small smile, "Was bout to go hunt. Ya wanna come with me?" he asked.

I nodded as I glanced back to Carl, "Let your dad know. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"I will." he said. 

With that, I followed Daryl deeper into the woods so we could try and find more food to bring back. I stayed pretty quiet as I looked for any tracks in the dirt, but of course it was pretty slim to none, our luck not being on our sides with finding something to eat. Let alone enough to feed the whole group. All I could manage to see were old walker footprints, settling with looking up in the trees instead to try and maybe spot a few squirrels. 

My eyes scanned around the branches as I tried to pinpoint some nests built up high in the trees, but it was hard to focus on that when all I could feel was Daryl's eyes burning into me. I tried to ignore it for the few silent minutes we spent out there, but my annoyance only grew as I was the only one attempting to find food when it was his idea in the first place.

A sigh left my lips as I finally turned around to face him, watching as he immediately looked down towards the ground acting as if he hadn't been caught.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked.

His lowered eyes slowly traveled up to reach my own, "Like what?" he asked, as if he didn't already know what I was referring to.

I huffed as my arms crossed over my chest, "Like...I'm going to break or something." I clarified.

He shrugged, "Just worried about ya."

"I'm fine." I assured in a much calmer tone, not wanting to start something, but also not wanting to be seen as someone weak. 

His eyes held nothing but sadness and concern when he looked towards me, silently telling me he didn't believe a word coming out of my mouth. To be completely honest, I don't even know why I lie to him anymore, because one way or another he's going to know.

"Okay," I confessed, "I'm not fine...but I will be." His face didn't falter, as if waiting for me to continue, "I just need some time." I finished.

This caused him to nod with a small, reluctant smile on his face, now moving to walk right beside me, searching the trees as well. I didn't want to wander too far from the others, but so far, we weren't having much luck finding any animals to bring back. Everything seemed empty, like even the wildlife knew to stay far away from the place we too were trying desperately to get away from.

The silence that fell between us was nice, comfortable, though I missed hearing his voice. But as if he read my mind, he opened his mouth to fill the quiet.

"Talk to me about somethin." he said.

I felt my face scrunch, "What do you mean?"

"Anythin," he said simply, "Just wanna hear yer voice. Tell me somethin I might not know bout cha."

I faltered for a moment as we seemed to have the same damn mind, but laughed quietly to myself at his request, "Well you're my husband, you know pretty much everything...but let me think."

I began to rack my brain for something that he had yet to find out about me but nothing instantly came to mind. On the farm, we spent most of the time talking nonstop, getting to know every single detail about the other before we even got together. So, there was truly not much that he didn't already know. In fact, he probably knew me better than anyone else.

 "Why don't you go first?" I suggested when I couldn't think of anything good, "Gives me more time to come up with something."

"Alright." he huffed, growing silent as he picked through his mind as well. I then looked back towards him a moment later when he let out a quiet gasp, watching as the corners of his mouth tilted up as he nodded, "I got one."

"Go ahead." I said softly.

He grinned at me, "So, before all this...whenever I went huntin, I would always bring back at least one rock I found in the woods. I ended up havin a lil collection by the end."

My heart swelled, "That's adorable. You're so cute."

"Pfft." he scoffed, "I ain't cute." he said defensively, although I could see a little blush appear on his cheeks at the compliment.

"Well, I think you're pretty cute...you're just going to have to deal with it." I said sweetly, reaching out to gently boop his nose.

He rolled his eyes, "Woman, I swear-"

But I stopped him before he could say anything else by kissing him softly. I pulled his frame closer to mine and parted my lips a little so he could easily slip in his tongue. He quietly groaned in response, causing me to smile against his mouth as my hands trailed down to give his big arms a gentle squeeze.

I pulled away after a few seconds to see his eyes open slowly, having a hazy look to them which made me smile brightly as he tried to collect his thoughts.

"Alright...I'll be cute for ya."

I smirked, "You're whipped." I teased.

"Aw, well can ya blame me?" he asked before leaning in to peck my lips once, twice, before finally breaking apart, "Yer turn." 

"Oh yeah," I said, "Well, the only thing I could think of that's kind of interesting is that I know another language."

His eyes widened a little, "Really?"

I nodded my head, "Mhm, I took French throughout high school, and I can still speak it somewhat. I'm a little rusty though."

"Say somethin." he said a bit excitedly.

I thought for a moment before smiling softly, "Je t'aime beaucoup chéri."

His eyes lit up at the phrase, but I thought it was even sweeter that he didn't even know what I said, he just loved the sound of it. "What'd ya say?" he asked.

"I said, I love you very much honey."

He then asked me to repeat it, surprising me a little when he tried to say it himself, nailing it almost right away. I didn't think I could fall anymore in love with his voice, but when he spoke French, I think I could've melted into a puddle if he didn't have his arm placed around my waist.

"You sound sexy." I complimented.

He raised his eyebrows, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." I confirmed.

He smiled and kissed me once more before we were off again to try and actually find something to bring back. Once we ventured further out, by the grace of God we finally found a handful of squirrels, Daryl pulling out a thick string from his bag so we were able to carry them back. To my surprise, we actually got more than what I was expecting, but it still didn't seem like much considering the number of mouths we now had to feed.

After being away from the others for far too long, we decided to head back towards their path to catch up with them, seeing as though we had something that would last us a little while. Though I couldn't help but notice that Daryl was a little more on edge as we walked back, trying his best to hide his anxious feeling, but I caught on almost immediately. His eyes scanned around the area rapidly, almost as if he was keeping an eye out expectantly for something lurking by. But I didn't linger on it for very long when I noticed the group beginning to come into view.

They didn't see us however, and once they heard a stick snap from underneath my foot, they all raised their weapons in our direction. My eyebrows raised a little as Daryl and I coincidentally raised our hands at the same time in a joking matter.

"We surrender." Daryl muttered sarcastically.

I laughed and nudged his shoulder lightly, seeing the rest of them visibly relax as we kept moving forward. Though Rick seemed to make a beeline over to us instead of leading the group like he once was, not saying a word as he looked at Daryl expectantly.

"Nothin." was all he said, and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Nothing?" I asked, watching as the both of them tried desperately not to let me in on the private discussion, "Guys, come on. Secrets don't make friends." I reminded with raised brows as I stared at them expectantly.

Daryl let out a sigh before he finally caved, "Last night I had this feelin that someone coulda been watchin us. But when we went out, I didn't see no tracks. Just me bein paranoid."

I let out a breath, "Okay, good. But please just tell me the next time you think there's a psychopath following us." I joked.

"Yes ma'am." he nodded, and I rolled my eyes at the famous phrase he loved to use to get a reaction out of me. And clearly it worked just as well this time as it did the last, seeing him chuckle to himself.

"So, whatever you heard last night-" Rick stepped in.

"It's more what I felt. But if someone's followin us, there woulda been somethin." Daryl confirmed.

Rick nodded, relief filling him momentarily before he looked back towards me, "You doing okay?"

I knew he meant his question with the best intentions, but the annoyance I was feeling only started to bubble over. To everyone else, I had apparently grown fragile after what happened to me when I was out there on my own, but that was far from the truth. It was just a minor bump in the road, one that I had taken care of myself, it was as simple as that. But I could see almost everyone was walking on eggshells around me now that they had an idea of what went down without knowing the whole story, and it was starting to get to me.

"Jesus, I'm fine." I snapped slightly, turning on my heel to walk away without another word.

When my back was turned and I had created some distance, I heard them begin to talk quietly with each other as I only got further away, but I just kept going. Blowing off some steam as I finally caught up with the others, falling in line near the back as I took out my bow to hold in my grasp in case of any danger that passed by.

But as it turns out, I had unknowingly planted myself right next to the new girl, Tara, without even realizing it at first. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she scanned the side of my face, clearly trying to come up with something to say.

"We didn't uh...we didn't get to officially meet." she said after a few seconds, "I'm Tara." she introduced, holding out a hand for me to shake.

I glanced over at her before panning down towards her extended hand, reaching down to grasp it lightly, "Rose."

She smiled with a nod as our hands eventually parted, "Listen, uh...Glenn told me about how you almost...tore my head off last night."

I chuckled sarcastically to myself, "Oh, I'm sure he did." I muttered, not surprised in the slightest, "Him and his big mouth have been nothing but a pain in my ass since the beginning."

She laughed a little before her smile faded once more, "My point is...I'm not trying to cause any trouble. It's just-"

"I know," I interrupted as my face softened, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. Glenn gave me the gist and...I trust him. So, I guess that means I trust you too. You're good."

She let out a relieved sigh, "Good...cause I'm not gonna lie, you kinda scare me a little."

"Good." I said simply, sending her a wink to show that I was joking.

She smiled slightly and held out her hand again, this time in a fist. Her smile seemed to be contagious as my lip quirked up as well, knocking her knuckles lightly with my own before we continued walking in comfortable silence. 

That is until we all suddenly heard a man began to scream and cry for help, his voice echoing through the forest though he didn't seem too far away from the path we were taking. Everyone stopped in their tracks as our ears perked up, our weapons clutched tightly in our hands as we tried to listen and pinpoint where the sound was coming from. But the last thing I wanted or needed right now was to cross paths with someone that we didn't know, and didn't trust.

"Dad, come on!" Carl tried.

I shook my head as I made a beeline towards the front of the group, "Hell no, we keep moving. No more strangers."

"Rose please, he needs help." Carl begged, his eyes darting from Rick to me to see who would make the first move, the decision the others were anticipating for.

I could easily see how anxious the kid grew, wanting to help someone who was clearly about to lose his life, but I didn't know if we should risk it. It could be some kind of trap, the unknown scaring me much more than anything else seemed to as I had an inner debate with myself.

But I eventually closed my eyes as I made up my mind, groaning a little in irritation before running in the direction of all the noise, hearing everyone else following my lead to have my back. As we weaved through the many trees and different obstacles, it wasn't long before we came across the man who was making all the noise amongst the quiet.

He was stuck up on a giant rock as a few walkers surrounded him, some grabbing at his feet while the others reached from different angles. He was now crying as he desperately tried to fight back, wearing to what looked to be a priest collar and all black clothing.

A gunshot was fired from just behind me, watching as one of the walkers went down instantly as the bullet shot through its skull. I grabbed one of my knives and quickly stabbed the nearest corpse in the head, Rick coming up beside me and doing the same thing from my left as we got the ones that clung onto the man's limbs.

The rest dropped like flies as we took care of them with ease, our attention now on the man still somewhat frozen on top of the giant rock in shock. He continued to cry breathlessly as his hands clung to the top for dear life, he didn't look like a threat. But looks could be deceiving, and I was far from ready to trust him just yet.

"Come on down." Rick said to the man.

He scanned the ground below him uneasily to make sure it was safe, before slowly sliding down the side and landing firmly on his feet. He looked to be in pain as his wide eyes scanned all of us, Rick asking if he was alright as he tried to break him out of his little trance.

The man held up a finger to tell us to wait before leaning over and suddenly throwing up everything that remained in his stomach. I cringed at the sound and turned my head away slightly, trying not to laugh at everyone's faces as they watched the man in disgust.

"Sorry," he whispered as he wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve, standing back up to his full height to face us again, "Yes, thank you. I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked cautiously.

Gabriel chuckled and looked around nervously, "Do I look like I would have any weapons?" he asked.

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham said.

I blinked a few times as I glanced back to the man in confusion, trying not to laugh at the same time with the random, out of pocket comment he just made. I thought back to what Glenn said just last night about him, and low and behold, he was right.

"I have no weapons of any kind. The word of God is the only protection I need." Gabriel assured.

Daryl scoffed from beside me, "Sure didn't look like it."

Gabriel only smiled, "I called for help. Help came."

My eyes scanned the man for a moment as I thought about what he meant. I was the one who took off running first, but I sure as hell knew it wasn't God that compelled me to rush towards the complete stranger. It was just...well I actually didn't know what it was. Pity maybe? Or the desperate look in Carl's eyes? Hormones? Who fucking knows.

"Do you- do you have any food?" he suddenly asked, "Whatever I had left just hit the ground."

Carl almost instantly reached inside his jacket pocket, pulling something out to offer it to him with an extended hand, "We have some pecans." 

The man smiled, muttering a small "Thank you." as he took a few from his hand and placed them in his mouth. He began to glance around at all of us again in clear nervousness, his eyes lingering on Judith as she began to coo in Tyreese's arms.

"That's a beautiful child." he complimented.

My eyes narrowed dangerously as I glared daggers at the man, instinctively stepping in front of Tyreese to block the baby from his view. I watched his eyes widen as he instantly looked somewhere other than my intense stare, settling with looking to my left back towards Rick.

"Do you have a camp?" he asked.

"No," Rick said immediately, "Do you?"

"I have a church." he said simply. Shocker.

Rick thought for a second before speaking again, "Hold your hands above your head." When Gabriel did as he asked, Rick moved over towards him, starting to pat him down as he questioned him. "How many walkers have you killed?"

I stepped in quickly, "Rick no. Not this guy." I said sternly.

He looked back at me, "He has a church."

"Woohoo," I cheered sarcastically, "I don't give a shit. I'm not doing this again...I can't."

The last part of my sentence came out quieter than I had intended it too, but I wasn't going to lie; I was scared. After everything that happened to us recently, I thought that the others might agree that going with this stranger wasn't a good idea. He could have more people waiting for us back at his sanctuary and attack us all. I didn't want to risk that. Risk anyone else's lives.

Rick turned to face me fully upon hearing my plea, placing a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze as he wanted me to really hear him, "Trust me." he whispered.

I stared at him for a few seconds before looking back to the priest, watching as he smiled nervously at me. I turned my attention back to Rick and reluctantly nodded, knowing that I only agreed because I did truly trust him. Not because of the pity I felt for the man.

Rick nodded back to me in return, before turning to face Gabriel who raised his arms up again, "How many walkers?" he repeated.

"Not any actually." he confessed.

"How many people have you killed?"

His eyes widened, his mouth slightly parting in shock as he was blown away he was even accused of such a thing, "None."

"Why?"

"Because the Lord abhors violence." he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, the Lord also wanted that one guy to kill his own son as a sacrifice instead of a goat." I stated, pointing out that God wasn't necessarily a splendid guy, before walking up closer so we were face to face. "What have you done? We've all done something." I questioned in a dangerously low tone.

He looked nervous once again as swallowed harshly, beginning to stutter over his words, "I'm a sinner. I sin almost every day...but those sins, I confess them to God. Not strangers." 

I couldn't help but scoff as I ran my tongue over my teeth, "And I only save my family from danger. Not strangers. Today's just full of surprises, huh?"

He truly didn't know how to answer me, beginning to stammer over his words as he realized I wasn't backing down. That is until Michonne spoke up from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder for me to back off, mentioning the church he brought up originally. The man then didn't hesitate as he began to lead us in the opposite direction of where we were headed, the group following close behind as he ducked through the many branches in his way.

I still didn't know if I fully trusted this guy, even before we were being leaded blindly through the forest. He was definitely hiding something, but then again maybe his sin was something like he forgot to pray before bed one night or some shit. However, I had grown to read people pretty well, and watching him get a little too nervous at the simple question I asked him, caused a red flag to pop up in my mind.

"Hey earlier, were you watching us?" Rick suddenly asked Gabriel.

"I keep to myself. Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead don't you think?" he asked.

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, people are worse."

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today." he informed.

Everyone nodded in silent agreement, moving along right behind him, "Or maybe I'm lying." Gabriel suddenly spoke again, "Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels."

We all seemed to stop walking at the same time as he attempted to joke around, but it only caused all of us to become a little more on edge. Everyone clutched their weapons on instict a little bit tighter as he slowly turned back around to face us the moment he heard we had stopped.

His mouth parted as he noticed we didn't understand the joking manner, watching out of the corner of my eye as Daryl moved his squirrels behind his back protectively so they would be out of view.

Gabriel looked apologetic, "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to me desired."

"Yeah, hilarious." I deadpanned.

He just nodded his head and didn't say another word, knowing that at this point he was just digging himself deeper into a hole. We walked only a little further before a simple white church started to come into view, surrounded by a quiet beautiful greenery. It kind of reminded me of the church we thought Sophia was hiding in way back when this all started, everything about it seemed almost exactly the same. 

Gabriel walked up the few steps towards the giant double doors, pulling out a key to unlock the handle, but Rick stopped him. "Hold up," he said and held his hand out for the keys, "Can we take a look around first? We just want to hold onto our squirrels."

I snorted as I watched Gabriel visibly hesitate to hand the keys over, but eventually complied so we could scope the place out before him. Rick was the first to walk in with his gun raised and we all followed cautiously to see if there was any type of threat waiting for us inside. It was dark and completely silent in the space, the only light coming from a quite beautiful stained-glass window in the very front of the structure.

I stood tall in the back, lingering by the entrance as the other scoped out every inch of the place, focusing more on the doors toward the right and left at the end of the room. But it didn't take long before I saw Rick coming back out, giving me a nod that it was clear before I turned to exit the place along with the rest of them. He was telling the truth.

Gabriel looked a little relieved as we walked back outside, nodding towards the place, "I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well it would've been surprising." he said.

"Thanks for this." Carl said gratefully.

I looked down towards him with softened eyes, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and giving his arm a soft squeeze. This kid had been through hell and back but was still so thankful for everything he had. I swear most of the time he was more mature than I was.

"We found a short bus out back, it don't run but I bet we could fix that in a day or two. Father here says he don't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport." Abraham announced as he made his way back from around the building.

Rick only nodded as he spoke again, "You know what's at stake here, right?" the burly man asked.

"Yeah, I do." Rick said.

"We can take a breath-" Michonne began to say.

But Abraham was quick to interrupt her, "We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down."

"We need supplies no matter what we do next." I stepped in, "And if I remember right, you said it would take a day or two to fix that bus. That gives the rest of us a break we need, and we have shelter right here." I gestured to the church.

He clicked his tongue, wanting to protest but I spoke again before he got a chance, "I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass, okay? But you can't look me in the eye and tell me with a straight face that we haven't been through hell the past few hours. Just a day or two...and then we can go on your little field trip."

He huffed, "Ain't no field trip, missy. It's a mission that's going to save everyone's asses. It's gonna save the world." he stated confidently.

I nodded my head slowly, "Yeah, let me know how that works out in the end." I muttered before glancing back at Eugene. I gave him a subtle look that he would be able to read, telling him silently that I knew his little secret. Everything clicked together when he shifted slightly under my gaze; he was lying.

After seeing enough to only confirm my suspicions, I moved to head back into the church, following behind everyone else except the small trio who lingered outside as they now didn't know what to do.

I slowly walked right up to the very front as everyone else seemed to fan out from around me, though I couldn't pull my eyes away from the giant window. It was mesmerizing, the beautiful colors flowing out of the glass only illuminated everything else so beautifully. They were so bright and vibrant, something I hadn't seen in a long time, it practically hypnotized me.

Until there was a sudden presence at my side, gently placing a hand on the small of my back to turn me around to face them. My eyes then met with Daryl's as he smiled at me softly, though I frowned a little to myself at the black eye he still had.

"It'll be nice to sleep somewhere with a roof for a little while." I commented.

He nodded, "Yeah, tell me bout it."

I tilted my head, "But you love being outside."

"M' just happy to sleep somewhere other than the ground," he said, nodding to the many pews behind us, "Ain't gettin any younger you know."

"Yeah, that's fair..." I trailed off as I ran my hands gently up and down his arms.

I then slowly realized the position we were in, facing each other with our arms tangled together in the front of an altar, only causing me to wonder what it would be like to get married in a place like this. We obviously never had an official wedding, but being in an actual church made me think more about it, especially with the beautiful window illuminating the space. 

He caught my mind wandering almost instantly, placing his finger under my chin to get me to look back up at him, "Whacha thinkin bout?" he asked.

I shrugged, "Nothing. Just...did you ever think about getting married somewhere like this?"

He hummed as he thought for a moment, "With you? Or just in general?"

"In general."

"Pfft." he scoffed, "No."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Cause I never thought I would ever get married." he said simply before a slow smile spread across his face, "But then I met a real pretty girl, and somehow convinced her to like me enough to put a ring on her finger." he said as he ran his thumb over the diamond on my left hand.

I smiled a bit sheepishly, "Well, first of all, you got her to love you. Second, any woman would be insanely lucky to have you, leaving me the luckiest girl on the planet." I winked, "And third...I don't have a third, but you get it."

He chuckled, "Alright, yeah, I get it. Why are ya thinkin bout gettin married anyway?"

"I don't know...I guess I always wanted to get married in a pretty church like this one. But it's the end of the world so it doesn't really matter anymore. Just a thought." I said, brushing the topic off completely.

He hummed a response before he grew quiet for a long moment, chewing his bottom lip as he thought hard about something. I watched in amusement as he almost forgot I was standing right in front of him, witnessing him deep in his own little world.

"You still with me?" I finally spoke.

His eyes snapped back to me, "Uh yeah...sorry, darlin. Just thinkin."

"Care to share?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nah, nothin important. M' gonna...talk to Rick figure out a gameplan bout those supplies."

I nodded, "Okay, love."

He glanced around quickly to see if anyone was watching us before kissing my cheek, turning to make his way towards Rick who was talking quietly to Gabriel further down towards the aisle. I watched for a moment as the three men were having a serious conversation, but then Daryl seemed to say something that made Gabriel look directly at me, and I turned my head away abruptly. 

That was awkward. 

With the silence consuming me once again, I decided to walk around the place a little more until I spotted Maggie and Glenn in the back, having a hushed discussion side by side. "Hey lovebirds." I greeted them.

They both looked up at me and smiled, "Hey," they said in unison.

"So," I started, taking a seat next to Maggie as they looked towards me expectantly, "What do you think about this whole saving the world bullshit?" I asked.

She looked confused, "What do you mean?"

Glenn chimed in from her left, "Ro doesn't think Eugene actually knows the cure."

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know, he just doesn't seem very confident, and I can just feel his guilt from here. He just looks like he doesn't know shit, and now it's catching up to him."

They both looked at me with raised eyebrows, "Wow." Maggie muttered.

"It's just an observation, I obviously don't know for sure...but I guess we're going find out one way or another." I said as I gestured to the three now entering the building.

They both nodded in silent agreement as our eyes followed them for a moment, "Should we bet on it?" Glenn suggested, a mischievous smirk coming onto his face.

I blinked, "We don't have anything."

"Oh yeah." he muttered in slight defeat, placing his head in his hands as Maggie chuckled softly, rubbing his back in reassurance.

But before any of us could say anything else, Carol walked up hesitantly, "Sorry, I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

I shook my head, "Nope, just talking about how much of a big fat liar Eugene might be, what's up?"

She looked confused for a second before shaking her head a little at my humor, excitement suddenly filling her features, "I was just wondering if you would like to look for some water with me." she said as she looked directly at me.

"Oh sure, let me just tell Daryl where I'm going-"

"He already knows, Rick's sending out a few different groups to look for some things. Water, food, ammo, all that." she listed.

I furrowed my brows in confusion, "Oh...okay. Then let's go."

She smiled and gestured for me to get up with her hand. I went to grab my bow and arrows from where I left them by my backpack before heading to follow her out the front doors. Though I glanced over my shoulder one last time towards the group before actually leaving, a few people watching my movements as they waved goodbye with the same excitement that Carol seemed to carry.

Confusion crossed my face again, waving back to the rest of them awkwardly before I shut the giant door behind me with a slam. My frame turned back around slowly as I tired to figure out what the hell I missed, jogging a little to catch up with the woman who was already on the move.

"So, did you guys find some special brownies or something? What's up?" I asked in slight amusement.

She looked over with furrowed brows, "What do you mean?"

"Everyone just waved at me before I left like they were suddenly excited to be in God's house or something."

Her eyes flickered with a little bit of an oh shit emotion, but she quickly smiled to cover it up, "I wouldn't know anything about that. Probably just happy we're all together again." she said with a shrug.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Yeah...probably."

Bullshit. This woman was hiding something. Maybe she was luring me out into the woods to kill me, but then again, I'm always paranoid about that sort of thing. I watched way too many crime shows before the world ended. 

After I eliminated the possibility of her trying to kill me, I dropped the topic completely. Whatever it was, I was either going to find out eventually or there truly wasn't anything suspicious to begin with. For now, we were just two lovely ladies getting some water for the rest of our group. Or at least that's what I assumed.

~ Thanks for reading!

Taglist - @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering98

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A Beacon in the Dark |7|

Pairing: Joey x Reader

Summary: Joey likes helping people, it's what she's best at. Hunting down the monsters of myth and legend might be the best way to save people.

Warnings: Death, Murder, Fighting, Blood, Shooting, Stabbing

Word Count: 4.7k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

Your eyes were closed as your head was leaned back against the headrest. You had turned the car off as you waited for Joey to be ready. She had given you the location of an apartment complex. She said the mom of one of Caleb’s friends agreed to let them stay the night, that the woman was happy Joey had found a job and was actually working. You were well aware of who’s apartment you were at though, it said enough that Joey would rather leave Caleb with a woman who barely seemed to like her, than with his own father. As much as you wanted to, you wouldn’t press her about it, it was none of your business anyway.

You opened your eyes, turning your head to the right when you heard the passenger door open. You watched Joey hop into the Jeep and instantly begin ringing her hands together. “You don’t have to do this,” you said softly, you should definitely have backup when going siren hunting, but you never wanted Joey to feel like she was obligated to join you.

“It’s fine,” she said. “This is just the first time it’s effected our time together,” she whispered, looking up at the apartment complex. “I don’t want him to think I’m falling back into old habits.”

You nodded. “I can make sure you get back here before school; you can still walk him.”

She shook her head, finally turning to face you for the first time since she got in the car. “No, Mrs. Johnson is going to drop him off when she takes her son. I just need to be there to pick him up.”

“Of course.”

Joey gave you genuine smile and you finally turned the key and pulled away. You still had to run over some things with Grace, make sure Joey knew what she’d be up against, and get to the boat before you could actually face the sirens. You began the drive to Grace’s; it was going by much quicker given how late it was and the lack of traffic. You couldn’t help but admire the scenery as you passed by, the half-moon illuminating the woods perfectly.

“So,” Joey said, breaking the comfortable silence. “Sirens?” You nodded. “They’re like mermaids, right?”

You bobbed your head back and forth. “Sort of,” you said slowly. “They both live in the ocean, they’re both half human half fish, I guess is the best way to describe them. Mermaids are a little more easy going though, they like to keep to themselves and not interact with us surface dwellers,” you chuckled at your own joke. “But sirens, they’re the exact opposite, they pretend to be shy, luring you in with their song only to drag you under.”

“What’s their goal, drowning people?” You turned to her, giving her a questioning look. “I know I don’t have as much experience as you with all this,” she gestured with her hand. “But me and the crew I worked with were setup by a vampire because we had each betrayed her father in some way. Then those succubi, though they seemed to enjoy the killing.” You nodded; they really did seem to take pleasure in it. “They did that to feed, to sustain themselves and survive. So, what’s the goal of a siren? Why do they do what they do?”

You couldn’t help but smirk, she really was picking things up quick. There were times where a monster did just mindlessly kill people, or do it for fun, but most of them time there was a reason for it. Whether the reason was logical was up for debate, sometimes the monster just did it to survive, other times it was a ritual, a rite of passage, or some sort of game. That’s how it was for Grace, based on the way she talked about it, which was rarely, it didn’t seem like the Le Domas family enjoyed the killing, but they had to do it, if they didn’t then they would all die. Of course, they made a deal with a demon so they could become rich, so it was really all their fault to begin with, but that was beside the point.

“Sirens are very territorial,” you said. “They don’t like humans coming into their waters. They also tend to feed on or use them for mating.”

“You’re joking?” You glanced at Joey to see her looking at you, as if she was expecting you to say you were joking and laugh it off. You just shook your head and watched as Joey’s face morphed into one of horror. “If they hate humans, why mate with them?”

“So, they can keep their population growing. There are no male sirens, which is why in all the stories they’re luring men to their deaths. They use men to procreate.” You didn’t realize you were at the mansion until you were turning down Grace’s driveway. “Then they kill them. They only leave them alive long enough to get what they want.”

You parked and ran around the side of the car to open Joeys door for her. You offered her a smile, but she just rolled her eyes, though you were pretty sure it was more of a playful eye roll than an annoyed one, you considered that progress. You led her to the front door and opened it with a small bow. She just pushed past you and began making the now familiar way towards Grace’s office. She could ignore you and deny it all she wanted but you didn’t miss the way Joey’s lips twitched slightly up.

“So, what are the odds they try and kill us?” Joey asked as you pushed open the door to Grace’s office.

“High,” Grace answered before you could even open your mouth. “Very high.”

You rested a hand on Joey’s shoulder as she came to a stop directly in front of you. “Nothing’s going to happen to you,” you whispered.

She glanced at you. You could see the way her eyes darted around, searching for any reason not to believe you. You wouldn’t give her a reason though, you didn’t care how dangerous sirens were you would make sure Joey made it back home, even if she was the only one to do so, you refused to let her son grow up without her.

When you looked back up at Grace she was giving you a knowing look. You shifted your eyes to the rest of the room. Grace could think whatever she wanted; you didn’t care if she assumed you were protective due to your developing feelings. Grace was only partially right in that regard anyway, you might not have ever met Caleb, but you knew he deserved to not have his mom around, he deserved to get to know her.

“We need to make this quick,” Grace said, moving through her office. “You need to get there and out on the water as soon as possible.”

You glanced around the room while Joey followed Grace. Grace was giving her a quick run down of sirens and what to expect while gathering her supplies. You noticed since the last time you had been in the office there were more papers scattered about. The growing stack of papers on the victim’s pile did nothing to ease your worries. You were confident in saying Joey would make it back alive but if you were looking at things realistically it wouldn’t be good, you would be on the water at night, no one besides Grace knowing where you were going, and you’d be going to face with you didn’t even know how many sirens.

“These,” Grace said, holding up a little black box. “Are the most important.”

Joey took the box from her with a furrowed brow and flipped the lid open. “Ear plugs?” she questioned.

“Made of wax.” Grace continued to dig around her desk for what else she was looking for.

“Just like in the Odyssey,” you added. Joey’s head snapped to you, you couldn’t help but smirk and give a little shrug at her impressed look.

“Put them in as soon as you get out on the water,” Grace continued, ignoring your comment. “They’re the only thing that will keep you from falling under the sirens spell.”

“Got it,” Joey nodded and put the box in her jacket pocket.

“For the captain,” Grace handed you an envelope. You shoved it in your jacket pocket as well, tucking it away without looking at it. You didn’t need to look at it, you could tell by the weight that Grace was paying him a substantial amount.

“How do we kill these things?” You and Grace gave each other a look as Joey looked between the two of you.

“They’re only mortal,” Grace said softly. “It doesn’t take anything special to kill them but-”

“The key is hitting them,” you finished for her. “They hide under the water, under the cover of night, and if you hear their song,” you shook your head. “You might as well be lost already.”

“So, we’ll have actual weapons this time?” Joey asked. You couldn’t blame her, both of you had been caught off guard by the succubi. You had gotten lucky that the party had been thrown in an old mansion with weapons strewn throughout the place.

“Yes,” Grace assured, resting a comforting hand on Joey’s shoulder. “I already have a bag made up,” she nodded at you. “It’s in the weapons room.”

You nodded and walked off to grab the bag. As soon as you got to the weapons room you saw the black duffle bag sitting on the table. You unzipped it a little to get a sneak peak as to what Grace picked out for you. You couldn’t help but smirk when you saw the silver tip of a spear. Guns were fun, they were easier to aim but they weren’t your first choice of weapon when going after a siren, part of you was silently hoping the boat would have a harpoon on it.

Before zipping the bag back up you caught the glint of a small explosive charge. You sucked in a breath, Grace had really thought of everything, not that you were surprised. When you knew what you were dealing with Grace was always prepared. Grace would have the basics laid out for you while also preparing for the worst. There had been one too many times when the two of you would go off on a mission thinking you were dealing with a lone vampire or something only to be led back to an entire den. It was always better to be overprepared in Grace’s eyes and you weren’t one to complain, her methods were what had kept you alive this long.

You finished zipping up the bag then swung it over your shoulder and made your way back to the front door. As you approached the foyer you saw Joey and Grace already there. You opened the front door, allowing Joey to go first.

Before you could follow though Grace rested a hand on your arm, making you turn to face her. She pulled you into a hug and you instantly wrapped your free arm around her like you had done many times. “Before careful,” she whispered.

“Always,” you whispered back. You could feel Grace suppress a sigh, but she didn’t say whatever she clearly wanted to.

You made your way out of the mansion and towards your car. You gave a thankful smile as Joey opened the trunk, allowing you to toss the duffle bag of weapons in the back. You gave Grace one last wave goodbye as you and Joey hopped back in the car. You tapped your phone, seeing Grace had already sent the location to you.

You groaned when you saw it was almost an hour drive away, it was no wonder Grace was rushing around. You guys needed to get out on the water before sunrise if you had any hope of finding the sirens. You turned the volume of the radio down low enough that you could talk to Joey if she wanted but it was loud enough to hear so you weren’t sitting in complete silence.

After leaving the mansion and a few turns you were finally on the main road, and it was mostly a straight shot until you got closer. “So, what do you know about sirens?” Joey asked. “You and Grace don’t seem to be messing around with this one.”

“Grace never messes around when it comes to a job,” you replied.

“You know what I mean,” she rolled her eyes. “She seemed more intense with this one.” You felt Joey’s gaze on you, but you kept your eyes on the road. “So do you.”

“We’ve known each other less than a month and you think you know me?” You joked, lightly chuckling to make sure Joey knew you weren’t serious.

“I’m good at reading people.” You could practically hear Joey smirking. “You can’t be serious,” she admitted. “When you want to be.” You smiled to yourself. “But this is different.”

You sighed and let one of your hands fall off the steering wheel as you got more relaxed. “This isn’t our first time dealing with sirens as you’ve probably gathered.” Joey nodded. “We were so in over our heads that first time,” you shook your head at the memory. “We got lucky it was only a handful. It didn’t matter what we did, people just kept dying.” You cleared your throat when you realized you were getting emotional. You didn’t think about it often but when you did, images of the carnage left behind played through your mind on repeat. “Our mistakes then, is what made it so we could be prepared today.”

Joey didn’t say anything at first, she just nodded. You had been on a boat filled with people, just you, Grace, and the crew, but it had been a big crew. People were picked off left and right, people flung themselves off the side of the boat, only to be yanked down under the water, never to resurface. You hadn’t known what you were dealing with at the time, you almost lost Grace, you almost lost yourself, it wasn’t until you found a way to plug your ears that you finally were able to fight back. Despite how hard you tried, you and Grace were the only ones to walk away that day, the boat sank, and a couple days later the coast guard found you. It was one of the only times neither of you had to come up with a story, just a boating accident with no survivors.

“And I assume they don’t just go after men?” Joey asked, breaking the silence again.

You shook your head. “That’s just the stories,” you said. “Most sailors are men; it makes sense why that myth got started. Men are more useful for them.” Joey nodded, probably remembering what you had told her about sirens needing men to reproduce. “They have nothing against going after women though, there’s no ulterior motive for keeping them alive, so,” you shook your head as you stared at the dark road ahead of you. “You’d be lucky if you drown before they start ripping you apart.”

You drove in silence the rest of the way. You wouldn’t call it uncomfortable, just that there was a more somber mood throughout the rest of the drive. You didn’t want to scare Joey by any means, but she needed to know what she was getting into. When you got there it would just be you, her, and the captain, she needed to know what to expect. You were going to do everything in your power to protect her, but anything could go wrong.

Before you knew it you were pulling into a parking space near the docks. You looked out the windshield, there was absolutely no life to be seen, except for the one boat with lights on. “Guess that’s our ride,” you mumbled.

You and Joey both got out of the car and went around back to grab the duffle bag. You led the way down the dock and towards the boat. The captain was waiting in front of the boat as the two of you approached. “Got the rest of my money?” he asked in greeting.

You had to contain your eyeroll and remind yourself he was doing you a favor, even if it was just for money. You reached into your jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope, opening it just enough for him to see the cash inside. The captain stepped forward, but you tucked the envelope back into your jacket. “When we’re on the water,” you said, your voice leaving no room for argument.

The captain grumbled something as he turned around to board the boat. You waited a second before he got up on the deck and gestured for you to follow. You looked back at Joey who raised her eyebrows and walked past you to climb aboard. You jumped onto the boat and handed the duffle bag up to Joey so you could climb up the rest of the way.

Once the boat was untied and the anchor raised the captain set sail. You and Joey moved to the front of the boat, dropping the duffle on one of the boxes close by, and occasionally glancing at your own GPS to make sure the captain was headed to the right area. You were at least half an hour out from the place you suspected the sirens to be, but you kept your eyes peeled anyway, making sure to follow the light from the ship as it swung around.

You glanced at the GPS again to see you were almost there. You furrowed your brow when a sizeable rock formation appeared. “What?” Joey asked.

“Seems there’s rocks or an island of some sort,” you answered.

“Is that bad?”

You clenched the GPS just a bit tighter. “Possibly.”

“Why?”

You looked back up, scanning the water, you could just make out the outline of the rocks. “We should put in the ear plugs,” is all you said.

Joey gave you a look but pulled out the little box, flipping the lid open for you. You grabbed a pair and popped them in your ears, everything instantly becoming muffled. You looked over to see Joey doing the same. The two of you wouldn’t be able to talk well unless you were close and yelling at each other, but it was better safe than sorry.

Your head snapped to the side when you saw something making a splash. You leaned over the railing and stared down into the water, seeing nothing but darkness. You leaned back, about to turn and call to Joey when something shot out of the water and slammed into you.

You slid across the deck until you slammed into a metal bin. When you opened your eyes, they instantly went wide and your hands shot out, holding the siren back. She had long black hair, her eyes were a milky grey and her skin pale grey, she snapped her razor sharp teeth at your neck. You could feel her tail flopping around as you held her off.

The next thing you knew, a gun fired, and blood splattered across your face. You tossed the body off you, seeing she had been shot through the neck. You looked over to see Joey still holding the gun out.

Your eyes widened as you saw another one jump out of the water, aiming directly for Joey. Joey whipped around, firing three in the chest. She stepped back, letting the body land at her feet.

You scrambled to your feet and rushed to the duffle, ripping it all the way open and pulling out a spear gun. You got the gun loaded as you ran to the edge of the boat, whipping it around as you scanned the water for another one. As soon as one popped her head out of the water you fired, sending the spear right through her heart.

When you looked up you saw several pairs of eyes shining in the light as it passed by. “Fuck,” you whispered.

You ran back to the duffle and started loading up on all the explosives and grabbed another spear to reload. Just as you turned around you saw another siren jump out of the water and knock Joey overboard. “No!” you didn’t hesitate to rush across the deck and dive over the railing and into the water.

Your eyes landed on Joey being dragged deeper and you loaded the spear in the gun. You continued to swim after them as you took aim, sending the spear sailing right past Joey and into the eye of the siren. When Joey broke free of the sirens gripped, she swam to you, and you helped her back to the surface.

She began whipping her head around as the two of you tried to keep your heads above the waves. You looked at her questioningly then you saw her raise a hand to her ear.

You instantly took out your ear plug. “What are you doing?” Joey snapped, making sure your hand stayed closed around them.

“Take mine,” you said. Joey shook her head. “Now,” you ordered, leaving no room for argument.

“What are you going to do?” she asked as she popped one ear plug in.

You looked to the side as your mind started to be flooded with a sweet hum. “It’s mating season,” you said, trying to shake your mind clear. Joey raised a questioning brow at you. “Get back on the boat, hold them off as best as you can, I need to blow the nest.”

“Be careful,” Joey said as she popped the other ear plug in.

You nodded and swam towards the rocks. You should have known the spike in deaths was because of mating season. You really wished you could get in contact with Grace. During mating season, a pack of sirens gathered and lured multiple victims to their doom. You had never faced one directly, only read about them or found abandoned ones. If you blew up the nest though, you’d prevent any sirens coming back in future years.

You felt something grab your ankle and yank you under the waves. You kicked and thrashed around, trying to break free of its grip. You finally felt it release you but then next thing you knew it was in front of you. All your thrashing around suddenly stopped, and you just floated there, staring at the gorgeous woman in front of you.

She reached out and ran her hand across the back of your neck, sending a chill down your spine. You didn’t fight as she pulled you forward by the back of the neck, leading you deeper into the water. You closed your eyes, and your mind was flooded with the most beautiful song.

When you opened your eyes again you were met with the gorgeous woman, but you couldn’t help the way your mind drifted back to Joey. You reached out to touch the woman’s face, watching her smile as you caressed her cheek. You guided your hands down as she leaned forward; you leaned in as well. Right before your lips touched you gave a quick twist of your hands, snapping her neck.

You blinked rapidly, trying to come back to yourself. You looked down to no longer see a beautiful woman but a siren, her head nearly twisted all the way around. You looked around, smiling as you realized you were in a cave, the siren brought you directly into the nest.

You got to work, quickly placing the charges underwater and on the little bit of land in the cave. You were in the middle of placing the last charge when something jumped on your back, digging it’s claws into your shoulder and pulling you back under water. You thrashed around in its grasp, forcing it to redirect as it tried to drown you. It didn’t let you go until you hit the bottom of the cave.

You reached down and grabbed the knife you always had strapped to your ankle. You whipped around, slashing the knife at the siren only to meet water. The siren shot forward, grabbing you by the shoulders and slamming you into the ground again. You brought the knife up, stabbing the siren on the side of her tail. She instantly released you with a shriek. While she was distracted you brought the knife down onto her fin, impaling the knife through her and into the cave floor.

She thrashed around, shrieking in pain. You smiled as you swam back. She let out another shriek, it was only a matter of time before the others came. You swam back out of the cave, barely escaping it as three more sirens came darting past you. You were almost clear of the blast range when a siren came from the dark depths, ripping into your leg and dragging you down.

You groaned as you fumbled for the detonator and pressed the button. A second later there was an explosion, sending dirt and debris towards you and the siren. You pushed the siren off you, watching as she was crushed by tumbling rocks. You swam through the murky water, your head finally breaking through the waves.

You swam back to the boat and Joey was there to help pull you back aboard. “Holy shit,” she whispered. “You’re hurt,” she began feeling around your shoulder where the siren had dug her claws into you.

“It’s fine,” you waved her off.

“Let me look at it.”

“It’s-It’s not as bad as it looks.” You rested a hand on hers, getting her to pause her movements. “Please,” you stared into her eyes, silently pleading with her to drop it. She reluctantly nodded.

Joey got you back up to the deck and went to tell the captain to head home and hand him the rest of his money as well. You remained on the deck, wrapped in a towel as you tried to dry off. You peeled back your shirt, getting a glance at the claw marks to see the bleeding had already stopped. You let out a shaky breath and quickly covered the wounds again when Joey came back outside.

The boat ride back was silent, even with you and Joey sitting side by side. Joey would occasionally get up and grab you a dry towel to wrap yourself in. You appreciated the gesture and were mostly dry by the time the boat docked again. You attempted to thank the captain, but he just yelled at you and Joey to get off his ship. He hadn’t left the wheel so you weren’t sure how much he saw but you were confident he wouldn’t say anything about you, the sirens, or the explosion he most likely witnessed.

When you got back to your car you tossed the weapons bag in the back and then slid behind the wheel. As soon as you started the car you let out a scoff, it was almost four in the morning. You started the drive back home in silence, Joey resting her head against the window the entire time, you weren’t sure if she had fallen asleep or what. It had been a long night, you couldn’t blame her if she did fall asleep, she earned it.

It was nearly five when you pulled up outside Joey’s apartment. You looked over to see her still with her head against the window. You couldn’t help but smile as you rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light rub to wake her up. “Hey,” you whispered.

She let out a hum as she slowly came to. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she looked around. “You got just enough time to get some sleep before you got to pick up your kid,” you whispered.

Joey looked at you, resting her head on the back of the seat. “Thank you,” she whispered.

You gave her a nod and watched as she slipped out of the car. “Make sure you get that looked at,” she added, nodding to your shoulder. “Since you won’t let me do it.”

You chuckled but nodded anyway. “Always a doctor,” you mumbled. She gave you a pointed look before turning and heading to her building. You watched and waited until you knew she was safely in her apartment complex. You shook your head, trying to get rid of the sleepiness as you pulled out onto the street to begin making your way back to Graces.

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