#i used to block the second part of the logo when it turned on to maintain my lulu world lol

[missqhughes]

JERSEY GIRL | L. HUGHES43

-> luke hughes x fem!reader

-> includes: fluff, use of y/n, lowercase intended

-> IN WHICH: the same guy, the same time, the same block. weirdly coincidental; a part of her excited for the small portion of the day they get to cross paths. little does she know, her new job is for the very team he plays for.

-> everyone’s favorite lukey pookie 😗 i feel like he’s such a sucker for a crush like this. also got some help from @sweetestdesire ! my girl, thank you! as always, love it as much as i do! 💋 part 1

*fic is not proofread

i’m late, i’m late, i’m SO late. y/n thought to herself, cursing her alarm for not going off at the right time.

the morning was rough enough, unopened boxes still scattered around her new apartment, living in a brand new city across the country from her old one.

she tripped over her packages items in a scramble to get ready, rummaging through them to find any semblance of a professional outfit, one that would be okay to wear for her first day.

if being late wasn’t enough, her new job was with the new jersey devils, and she didn’t know shit about hockey. y/n never cared to watch it, didn’t even know how it was played and god knew she couldn’t pick any of the players on the devils out of a crowd; even if she tried.

to say she was shocked about getting a position with them, that was an understatement.

and here she was, speed walking to get to the prudential center on time; fast enough to where she could have maybe a minute to spare if she was lucky, and slow enough to where she didn’t look like a complete lunatic.

turning a corner with her head down, she comes in full contact with a body in front of her, both stepping back and coming in with quick apologies,

“sorry,”

“shit, sorry”

the guy she had ran into looked about her age, tall with a head full of brown curls and in a neat maroon suit.

the interaction happened so fast that when she turned to look back at him, he was far along in his own path.

guessing he’s also in a rush. maybe he works in the finance part of the city.

she pried him out of her mind as soon as she ran through the doors of the prudential center, finding her way to the devil’s office, thankfully, just in time.

she was greeted with handshakes and smiles, talking to a couple of the team managers,

“welcome to the devils, y/n happy to have you here.” she shook hands with the man, controlling her breath and keeping it down that she almost got on all fours to make it there on time.

“happy to be here, thank you,” she smiled,

“for now you’ll just be doing some of the boring stuff. paper work, legal, social, all that kind. you’ll have your own space but feel free to visit around the arena when you’d like. season starts right around the corner, so we want to make sure we’re on our game.”

she nodded her head, nervous about the expectations set on her. y/n wanted to make a good impression on everyone, and set her best foot forward. thankfully no one had asked her anything about hockey yet.

“absolutely, thank you again,”

y/n was lead to her office space, a desk designated with her name plate and a small devils logo next to it. she sat down and adjusted herself, immediately diving into her work, but in the back of her mind the curly haired guy from around the corner was there.

——————————————————————————

today was a little more sane.

y/n still woke up late, but nonetheless now knew what box she put her nice clothes in, slipping on boots and leaving out the door in a nick of time.

she was now able to take in her new city, actually enjoying her walk to work and the bustle around it. in her awe of her surroundings, she bumped into a stranger for a second time.

god, again?

she looked up, apology ready at the mouth, in a slight disbelief at the person in front of her when he spoke,

“sorry about that… again,”

it was the same guy from yesterday, this time sporting a plain black shirt and pants, much more casual than yesterday. he looked really good, just as good as he did in his suit. y/n was able to actually take in his features; plump lips, she could tell he had a nice smile, and lush green eyes that dived into hers.

out of her trance, she felt her cheeks grow hot realizing that she was staring for far too long,

“it’s okay, um, bye.” she stuttered, moving past him, keeping her head down until the embarrassment she felt had died down inside her.

the curly haired boy turned, watching her disappear out of his sight. she was pretty. really pretty. he almost wish he had said something, anything after knocking into her for a second time.

no chance is happens again.

——————————————————————————

god, how does this keep happening?

y/n was running late. again. more late than yesterday and the day before.

the pile of nice clothing was scattered over her room, a result of her sifting and dismissing outfits even though she knew she didn’t have the time to spare.

with almost tripping out the door, she said fuck it, running and almost getting hit by a not so kind mouthed new jersey driver in an intersection.

in her hot pursuit for work, she slowed down at the corner she saw the same guy in. maybe it was a coincidence, but she didn’t want to make it to a third time running into his chest.

her gut feeling correct; his steps seemingly synchronized to hers, stopping a few feet in front of her.

he was sporting a different suit, a crisp navy blue matched with a perfectly patterned tie. today, with the addition of a backpack and headphones.

“good thing i slowed down,” y/n said in a short breath, his lips curling up into a barely noticeable smile,

“glad you did too,” he said, his voice gentle and sweet.

y/n looked down at her watch, groaning lightly when she was reminded of the time,

“shit i have to go, m’sorry,” she mumbled, picking up her pace once she knew he couldn’t see her anymore. she had already been cutting it close the past two days, not wanting to make today she was officially late.

y/n just kept moving, not stopping her pace until she reached the arena, only slowing down once she knew she could, hurling herself into her small corner desk.

it was unfortunate; the past three consecutive days y/n had run into this cute guy, the first one she’s met in the city and she had to run away from him every time, quite literally.

——————————————————————————

it had been 2 days since she had seen the handsome stranger, and it honestly made y/n a bit disappointed.

she’d put on a cuter, spent a little longer to curl her hair, even setting her alarm extra early to leave on time in hopes of seeing him for just that slim moment; maybe this time she’d actually stop talk to him, maybe even ask to get a coffee with her, if she was feeling bold enough.

maybe he started taking the bus, she thought to herself.

y/n sat at her desk, leg bouncing up and down as she stared blankly at the seemingly endless paperwork in front of her. y/n didn’t even feel like she had a job in pro sports, it all felt like the same office job she had before. all but with a nicer apartment and some eye candy she ran in to.

the day felt extra long, her feet ached when she had to drag herself off her desk and to her walk back to her apartment.

once y/n reached her front door, she sighed in relief in slipping off her heels, tossing them aimlessly into her hallway. her shoulders sinking down once she had dropped her things, eagerly walking over to rest on her new white couch.

she had done a good job unpacking over the couple days, only two partially emptied boxes occupying her living room. she felt satisfied, but not completely settled in.

maybe it’s time to make some friends?

——————————————————————————

she didn’t see him the day after either.

she sighed, head in her hand, trying to squeeze the headache out of her temples, eyes tired from staring at the computer for god knows how long.

y/n’s posture fixed when she heard 3 knocks on the wall, she swiveled her chair, met with the smiling face of the head coach; appropriately wearing a devils jacket and hat to pair.

“y/n, right?”

“hi, yes, that’s me. how are you?” she smiled, standing up to give him a firm handshake.

“doing well, thank you. jus to let you know, the players are doing some media work right now, tom wanted you to introduce yourself to them. get familiar with the team before the first couple games.”

y/n cheered internally, finally something to do other than feel her eyes melt watching a screen all day.

“sounds good, i’ll be down there soon.”

he shook her hand again with a smile before leaving the room. y/n closed up the last bit of work she was doing, and made her way down to the ice.

the players were in their red practice jerseys, some making videos with the media team and others skating around the ice casually, talking amongst each other.

the atmosphere was nice to her, a couple of the players saying hi and introducing themselves. but everything seemed to stop when y/n made eye contact with a familiar face.

no way.

it couldn’t be.

he seemed to have the exact same expression on his face as her, equally in shock and now oblivious to the conversation happening in front of him.

y/n felt like she was dreaming, that she was going to be shaken back into reality, that her brain was just convincing herself that he was there when he actually wasn’t.

but no, no matter how much she blinked, or dug her nails into her palms, there he was.

she felt awkward again, realizing she had been staring at him for the nth time since they’ve crossed paths, spinning to find someone else to converse with instead of peering into his soul.

behind her back, he was still in awe, unable to tear his gaze away from her.

“yeah, and then i was like… luke, dude, are you even listening?”

“what jack? oh, yeah i’m listening,” he said, an obvious lie, not paying any amount of attention to him.

jack looked around to see what could possibly cause luke to be so occupied, and then he saw y/n; sneaking little side glances and lightly eyeing him up and down.

he chuckled, “lukey’s got a crush on the new girl huh? why don’t you go say something instead of staring like a creep.”

“shut up, i was not staring,” luke said, hitting him on the shoulder with a tint of pink brushing on his cheeks with his denial. “it’s just… i saw her at the same time and place like 3 days in a row. it was weird, and she was always in a rush. didn’t know in a rush to come here though.” he kept his voice low, scared she could somehow overhear them.

“then just call it fate and say something, please, i cant keep watching this.”

“no way i’m doing that.”

“okay fine, then i will,”

luke’s eyes went wide for a moment, jack calling out over to where she was heads turning but he was waving y/n over.

she felt her ears ringing, almost feeling embarrassed about the whole thing, like it was some secret they had and now she was exposed to everyone.

y/n stopped in front of them, hands in her pockets to control the shaking, facing the two; one with the biggest smile on his face and the other ready to pass out.

“i’m jack, this is my brother luke,” the smiley one said, his blue eyes shining as he used his thumb to point to luke, the name to the handsome stranger.

jack held out his hand to shake hers, nudging luke slightly to do the same, y/n’s hand lingering on luke’s a little longer, feeling an electricity in her body as soon as their hands touched.

“nice to meet you, i’m y/n.”

luke probably repeated her name about 100 times in his head, everything happening in front of him causing a buzzing in his stomach. he smiled formed lightly, taking all of her in.

“so, two brothers in the nhl, your parents must be really proud,”

“actually our-”

“our older brother plays for as well, so, yeah, there’s three of us, yeah” luke spat out nervously, his sentencing jumbling so fast that the words barely got out.

jack internally face palmed, embarrassed at his brother’s lack of game. he was shocked it was working, y/n keeping the conversation going with him with a grin on her face.

“oh look, curtis is calling me over, don’t wait up you two,” jack pat his brother on the back, giving her a wink before jogging away.

with him gone, they both stood there for a second, swallowed in silence.

“i cant believe you play for the devils,” y/n said breathlessly, before she was able to swallow her shock, but seeing him now wasn’t just a coincidence; it couldn’t be.

“i cant believe you work for us,” luke said, a dopey smile still stuck on his face,

“i didn’t think i’d see you again, i thought those few couple times were just coincidence.”

“i didn’t think so either, but hey look at those odds,”

y/n’s heart kept skipping beat after beat; no one having this kind of effect on her in a long time, but she wasn’t mad about it.

“so, y/n… areyoudoinganythingafterwork?” he mumbled, face turning bright red after his incoherent words.

her brows slightly furrowed in confusion, “am i what?”

he inhaled deeply, green eyes bouncing between her gaze, “are you doing anything… after work? if not it’s totally fine i was just curious,”

y/n couldn’t help but giggle at his rambling, how nervous she didn’t realize she made him and was absolutely loving every second of it.

“i’m not doing anything after work, luke,” y/n smiled, her heart beating at a better rhythm than it had since she’s been in jersey.

“cool, yeah we should definitely do something,”

“show me around the city?”

“you just moved here?” luke was surprised, not expecting someone who just moved to the area to be working for the nhl.

“yes,” y/n scratched the back of her head, “it’s been hectic, still a few boxes left at my apartment to unpack,”

“well then, i’ll show you around the city. can i get your number? how’s 6:00 sound?” luke fidgeted with his fingers, studying her face with his phone in her hand, lighting up when he saw her name saved in his contacts.

“6:00, i’ll text you my address. don’t be late,” she chirped,

“wouldn’t dream of it,” luke smiled, waving her off while shuffling away, his brown curls slightly bouncing with every step, the back of his jersey reading “hughes” with the number 43.

luke hughes. hm. definitely looking him up later.

——————————————————————————

© missqhughes

xoxo, kaia

[sharksnshakes]

Night Out - Tim Drake

image source: batboyblog on tumblr

When out at a dive bar with your friends, you step outside for a breath of fresh air and run into the Red Robin. For some reason, he seems... familiar?

AN; writers block is brutal and disgusting and horrible. also. i am suffering from batfamily brainrot so expect more of this (part two can be found here!)

Wordcount; 787

TW; some cursing, mentions of drinking

It's a damp spring night when you meet the Red Robin. You're out with your friends at some college dive bar on the East Side. The area's a far cry from Gotham U's campus, but with free entry and cheap drinks, it's worth the elevated risk of mugging.

"Besides," one of your friends had declared on the way to the bar, "It just means we're more likely to see Nightwing's hot ass."

You're pretty sure the dark-haired vigilante operates exclusively in Bludhaven these days, but you're not a party pooper.

The music was good, the crowd was fun, but a small room of drunk co-eds had a way of heating up quicker than Firefly's flamethrower, and so you'd retreated out the side door for a breath of fresh air. You weren't stupid; you'd taken your small can of mace with you. This was Gotham, after all.

The alleyway was blissfully empty, save for a dumpster--quite the relief, seeing as the last time you'd been here, you'd stumbled upon a couple deep in the throes of a heated make out session. Taking a breath, you leaned up against the cool bricks in the alleyway and let yourself decompress.

"There's definitely better places to hang out around here than dark alleys," a voice says from somewhere behind you.

Living in the city has taught you many things. Most importantly, how to turn off potential predators by acting downright crazier than they do.

You spin on your heel and hold the mace like it's a pistol, coming face-to-face with none other than--

"Holy shit, you're Robin," you gasp, eyes widening.

Thank god you didn't actually mace him.

"That I am," he says, warily eyeing the can in your hand.

"Like... the Red Robin," you continue. You're blinking at him, openly gaping, and it occurs to you that you should probably stop pointing the can at his eyes. You stow the makeshift weapon in your back pocket. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were a mugger or something!"

"Hey, it's fine," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "If it's any consolation, you definitely would've scared the shit out of a mugger."

You laugh, but it's mostly in disbelief. Red Robin is standing mere feet away from you, domino mask and yellow cloak and green pants and all, and you're suddenly very thankful you'd gotten dressed up to go out tonight. For a split second, you swear you see him give you a quick once over. But no, there's no way Robin's checking you out.

He glances around the alleyway for a moment, almost awkwardly, before speaking again. "...Any reason you're out here?"

"I'm out with my friends," you say, motioning to the building behind you, where the bar's logo is printed in peeling white vinyl. "Needed some air. Somehow, smoke and asthma don't make a good combination," you joke.

"Can't imagine why," he grins, and holy shit Red Robin thinks you're funny.

"You got any fun, exciting plans tonight?"

He hesitates.

"Wait, you don't have to answer. I know, top secret Batman stuff--"

"Nah, not that secret." It's dark in the alleyway so maybe you're not seeing things right, but you swear you can see a hint of color rising to his cheeks. "Just patrolling. Y'know. Keeping an eye out for muggers and mace-wielding asthmatics."

You laugh. "Sounds boring."

"Definitely could use a drink." He glances at the side door with an unreadable expression.

"Rough start to the night?"

"You could say that."

A brief silence stretches between the two of you. Traffic and the faint pounding of the bar's music fill the space, and for some reason, despite never having met Robin and likely never meeting him again, it feels... almost familiar.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one stuck at work tonight. One of my best friends, Tim, had to bail last minute since he's got an exam to study for. So, like, you're not suffering alone!" you add, thinking back to the guy you've kind of been maybe having romantic feelings for lately.

Robin chokes.

"Shit, you okay? Need me to, like, slap you on the back or something?"

"Nope," he says, voice raspy.

"You're sure?"

"Positive." He gives you an awkward thumbs-up.

"I should probably let you get back to work, then," you sigh, turning back to the side door and grasping the handle. "And I should get back in there. Don't need my friends worried about me."

When you turn back around, it's just you and the dumpster.

"Fuckin' impressive," you mutter to nobody but yourself. "See ya, Robin."

You step back inside. The door closes behind you and... fuck.

You forgot to ask for a picture.

[velvetgutz]

Mine and Yours… (Pt. 1)

Leon Kennedy x M!reader

Summary: In what was probably the worse situation of your life, drunk and depressed at a bar with people you hate, a stranger at the bar lends you a hand…

Ao3 Link (More parts to come!)

When I pictured going to college for the first time, I thought It would be paradise compared to the pitiful high school experience I had. Never in a million years did I imagine I would be cramped in a shitty, 3 bedroom apartment with assholes from my high school,who judged me constantly for no real reason.

An ex-crush of mine, his girlfriend, and her best friend. All the same people who berated and humiliated me until graduation… But that’s not important.

I’ve always kept to myself, stayed as far away as I could, and minded my own business within the confines of our tiny apartment, not really ever interacting with them, or wanting to. So when they suddenly invited me to go out with them one night for drinks, dread pooled in my stomach. Even using the most absurd excuses couldn’t shake them from dragging me to whatever local bar they were planning to go to. Before I could protest any further, I was shoved into the back someones car, and on the way to the bar.

~

Screeching tires brought me out of an absent minded daze. I guess we’re here. The bar logo flickered every so often, neon lights disappearing in intervals. The place was fairly busy, a couple cars parked here and there. Stepping out into the crisp fall air, I exhaled deeply as a last ditch effort to rid myself of anxiety.

Generic Tiktok trend garbage floods my ears, and a familiar stench of alcohol sets me a bit at ease. My roommates gather at an already occupied booth. oh fucking great. An audible sigh falls from my lips. The occupants are friends of my roommates, all the more reason to be nervous.

Sitting at that table is not an option.

I begrudgingly walk over to the counter, picking the farthest seat possible. Not paying close attention, I ended up in the second-last seat, empty bar stool to my left and an occupied to my right. Waving over the bartender, my order was placed and shortly 2 shots sat in front of me. The more wasted I get the better I’ll feel. A intricate mixed drink was added to the palate for tonight.

From my peripheral view, the figure to my right stole a quick glance at my drinks and then to me, a look you’d miss if you blinked. Fuck, tonight’s gonna be hard…

~

My whole body burned from the alcohol in me. Even after drinking until I was almost too drunk to stand, the bicker and insults from my roommates couldn’t be blocked out. Could they just fuck off. If it wasn’t already obvious, the slurs thrown my way surely gave away there was a gay guy sat in the bar. The embarrassment enveloping me weighed down my body, almost resting my head on the counter as I swirled around another random cocktail in it’s glass.

Downing the last drops of my drink, I attempted to order another before a hand pushed mine flat to the counter.

“Don’t you think that’s enough for tonight, kid?” A rough, deep voice sounded in my ears. Ever so slightly turning my gaze to my right, my eyes focused on the man next to me. A dirty-blonde, mature looking guy. His hand moved from mine.

“Drinking doesn’t make it feel any better, go home.” He talked sternly. Who’s this guy think he is… My displeasure must’ve been written on my face, he let out a small sigh. “What’s the big deal with them anyways?” He tilted his head in the direction of the table behind us.

“My roommates,” I was slurring my words, the liquor was really hitting me. “thought it would be funny to take me out and announce to the whole world what a ‘disgusting faggot’ I am…” Fuck I sound pathetic. My voice came out low and raspy, alongside the slurring. A scoff sounded from the man as he downed the last of his drink. Slowly he stood up and stretched, reaching for my shoulder with a small tug.

“I’m calling you a cab, c’mon” There was that same tone of voice from before. I wanted to refuse and continue drowning myself in booze, but in the state I was in, refusal was impossible.

“I don’t want to go home…” It came out quiet, almost whining. Now half sat up, I was looking him in his eyes, pouting. He pulled me up from my seat the rest of the way and began to drag me out of the bar, laying a few big bills on the counter before our exit.

“I never said you had to go home.” I would’ve missed what he said if not for the sudden change of scenery. Outside the bar was cold, quiet. So quiet. Letting go of my hand, he grabbed a cellphone from his pocket and began calling someone. My whole body buzzed from how quickly I was brought upright and outdoors. Slowly swaying side to side, feeling the wind brush past me. Turning to the man, I watched him pull out a cigarette and bring it to his lips. A cloud of smoke bloomed shortly after as we stood on the sidewalk outside the bar.

“… cab will be here soon.” I was too focused on the way he looked in the streetlights to fully hear what he said. He was glowing, his features accentuated by the dramatic light shining down on us. “You there kid?” His fingers snapped in my face.

“Yeah, sorry…” Fighting myself not to gawk at him again became a challenge. “Where are you bringing me?” He glanced up the road, blinding headlights coming into sight.

“You can take my couch until you’re coherent,” he tossed the last of his cigarette to the ground, putting out the embers with his boot, “then you can go home in the morning.” The cab was here now, screeching to a halt. Grabbing my shoulder again, he guided me to the back of the vehicle, opening the door and motioning me in. Climbing in was hard, I was disoriented from everything I drank. He quickly joined me in the backseats, murmuring an address to the driver and slouching back into the seat next to me. What the fuck is my life… I relaxed as the cab began its route, my vision getting darker by the minute. As I swayed with the rhythm of the car, sleep took over…

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 7

Part 1 Part 6

Eddie may not have thought this through. The walk to the trailer doesn’t take long, even with the limp Harrington’s trying to hide and the weight of their backpacks.

Eddie wants to stretch out each step to last hours, even as the bottom of his feet ache, and his stomach rumbles its displeasure. But sooner than he’s prepared for, there it is: home sweet home.

Unfortunately, in the light of a red-hellscape day, his trailer looks shittier than usual. It’s sky-blue paneling is blocked out by the vines crawling their way up its sides, coiling atop the windows like it’s a choice. There’s dirt caking it, like the vines dragged up all manner of mud and debris on their trip toward the sky.

It’s a beacon of rural piss-poor American life, and King Steve Harrington had just brushed past him on the doorstep to shove his way inside without even a by your leave.

Eddie’s not embarrassed by his life with Wayne. There’s a light in his heart for him that will never go out. He’s given him so much – a room of his own, consistent meals in his belly, someone to ask him what his plans are for the day over morning coffee. This is the best it’s ever been for Eddie Munson.

But there’s something curdling in his gut that feels an awful lot like shame. He imagines Harrington in there now, perusing Uncle Wayne’s mug collection with a derisive curl to his lip. Judging the way some of their logos are faded, the little chips in the handles and lips. The way none of them match. The way springs stick out in a few places in the pull-out couch. The television that’s at least ten years out of date. The hole in the bathroom door where Eddie’s foot had gone through when he’d been trying to learn how to cartwheel at thirteen.

All the little things he never even thinks about, stacking up in the face of King Steve’s perfect hair and perfect house. It’s curdling his insides, sinking like cement, weighing him to the stoop for a few moments more.

He takes a deep breath, pulls the dangling hem of his vest in tight, and shoves through the door like he hadn’t just been having a stupid breakdown over class warfare while trapped in a hellscape and being hunted by monsters.

Harrington’s not in the living room or the conjoining kitchen. Eddie’s bedroom door is still firmly shut. He follows the rustling sound to the kitchen where he finds Harrington, stooped over and rifling through the cupboard below the sink.

“Whatcha doing in there, big boy?” There’s a curl of satisfaction at the way the other boy jumps, smacking his head against the cupboard door.

He pulls his head out, grimacing up at Eddie and rubbing the back of his head. “Looking for anything useful.” He ducks back under the cupboard. Eddie stands there, listening the rustling of his first aid cabinet as Harrington digs through it. He resists the urge to yank Harrington out by his hair.

Almost as if he heard the though, Harrington bolts upright, narrowly missing hitting his head for a second time as he turns to Eddie, eyes wide. “Shit, sorry. I forgot this was like, your house.” He looks at the window, the light half obscured by the vines crawling over its glass and amends, “well, sort of.”

Eddie can’t help the way he laughs. “You’re good dude,” he says, patting Harrington’s shoulder lightly. “But I don’t think you’ll find anything down there that we didn’t already get from Melvald’s.”

Harrington sighs. “Well, then,” he says, “where are the goods?”

Eddie retrieves Wayne’s shotgun from its place of honor behind his recliner, grabbing a box of extra shells from the little cupboard above the fridge.

The way Harrington grimaces as Eddie hands it over doesn’t inspire confidence, nor does the way he eyes the thing like he’s never seen one before, finger twitching toward the trigger before appearing to think better of it.

“How long ago was that hunting trip, dude?” he asks, trepidation leaking into his tone.

“I was eight,” Steve murmurs, barely audible.

“That was almost ten years ago!” His voice breaks in the middle. A pit has opened up in his stomach, and Harrington is going to throw them both in it and send that thing in after them.

“Do you have a better idea?” he hisses.

The kicker? Eddie really really doesn’t.

Part 8

[e-dubbc11]

Come in Raven, This is Blackbird

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Tattoo Artist Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: None really. Vague mention of Billy’s time overseas, mention of a “gun”

Word Count: 877

Summary: Told from Billy’s POV. He’s being hunted, deep in the forest. He’s trying to be quiet but someone unexpected gives away his position

A/N: Another little idea that popped into my head, inspired this little fic. And I really like the way it turned out. I hope you do too!

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

Walking under a canopy of dense trees, you hoped the crunch of the leaves underneath your feet wouldn’t give away your position. You looked up above at the towering trees as they attempted to block out the bright sunlight and you could clearly see the veins in the leaves mixed with the tree branches that were twisted and knotted like laced fingers.

Your weapon was drawn.

Off in the distance, birds were singing happily when a fresh breeze blew past you, rustling the leaves above and across the damp forest floor. The noise of dry leaves scurried behind you.

Was someone there?

Trekking through the forest was a lot different than the desert of Iraq or Afghanistan. Here, you had plenty of cover from the heat of the summer sun. Over there, there weren’t many places to hide, it was loud with gunfire and hailstorms of bullets.

The forest was the complete opposite. It was quiet and dark with rays from the sun sporadically shining down to the forest floor through thin spots in the large healthy trees.

Narrow twisting paths led you to new sights, no two places in the woods looked the same. There were no paths or beautiful sights in the desert, just sand and spaced out trees as far as the eye could see, with large rocks and caves.

Everyone had always said you were light on your feet, a benefit when you’re trying to walk through the woods without making a lot of noise.

The smell of damp wood floated past your nose in a particularly compact part of the forest where the humidity was jungle-like and under the damp leaves, was the mud that covered the soles of your boots.

You didn’t know where the rest of your team was.

It felt as if you were a little out of practice, being a tattoo artist was a lot different than being a marine. The marine logo was tattooed on the hand that now held your gun instead of a tattoo pen.

The wind picked up again causing the trees to creak and whisper making it easier to move to a different location. Ducking behind the trunk of a large tree, you could have sworn you heard a tiny laugh.

That can’t be right.

After the wind died down, you heard the rustling of leaves. It came from in front of you this time. Fixing your weapon in front of the tree first, you peered out from behind the trunk.

Nothing.

You were trained to not be seen, a master of the element of surprise. But so was your enemy, you taught them to blend in and it sounded like they were getting closer.

They probably thought they were being quiet but your hearing was too acute. If you didn’t act quickly, you’d be pinned down and it would be too late so it was time to use the radio.

“This is Blackbird, this is Blackbird…come in Raven.” You whispered into the radio.

There was silence followed by what sounded like someone pushing the talk button but they weren’t saying anything. There were a few more seconds of silence before you heard.

“Hi Daddy!!” Anna exclaimed.

That was followed by. “Sweetheart, what did we practice?! You’re supposed to say ‘Go for Blackbird.’ Yeah?” Frank said.

But it was too late, she came out from your blind spot and fired her weapon. Water hits you right between the eyes.

“Gotcha, baby.” She said with a laugh.

She had such an infectious laugh, she laughed with her entire body and it was hard to be mad about losing when she made you so happy. Even in all camouflage, she looked beautiful as she came closer to you and gave you a gentle kiss on the lips, taking the radio from your hand at the same time.

“Target eliminated, Frank.” She said. “Or whatever you guys say into these things, I dunno. You find the kids yet? Lunch is probably ready back at the cabin.”

Frank’s voice boomed over the radio. “Negative, but we’ll find them on the way back. Say hi to mommy little Raven.”

“Hi mommy!!” Anna said in a high pitched squeal.

“Hi baby girl! Can you say ‘over and out?’”

You could tell she pushed the talk button a couple more times before she said, “over…out…mommy. Bye daddy!!”

“Bye bye baby.” You said as the radio went silent. “You’re too funny, sweet girl. You got me right between the eyes too, maybe you could be a scout sniper, my little firecracker.” You told her.

She just smiled and snaked her arms around your neck, pulling you in close for a deeper kiss, her tongue pushing against your teeth, and silently asking for hers to twist and knot with yours, while her fingers gently scratched against your scalp.

God, you loved her.

“MAYBE, Big Raven should have told Little Raven to be a little quieter when talking into the radio.” She said with a warm smile. “But she is a toddler so that’s probably asking too much of her.” She chuckled.

You just shook your head at her, smiled, kissed her forehead and said. “Wait til you see what he dressed her in, I didn’t know they made toddler camouflage.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705

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[callmewhateves]

Here is the fic I am working on! Let me know if you like it so far :)

Part 1: Worn Out Places

After a few months in the detention center, the infamous twins Velvet and Veneer were finally released back to the world. As they stepped out of the detention center doors, what was left of their belongings in a duffle bag (which wasn't much more then a few outfits, makeup, bathroom necessities, and some money for food and transportation), the twins couldn't help but wonder what awaited them.

In the neon lights of Upper Rageous, the siblings looked almost as glamorous as they once were. Almost. Now, they wore more casual clothes. Veneer, standing by Velvet's right side, wore a dark purple beanie over his signature green swoop of hair; he loved to wear beanies before all his fame; Velvet hated it and made him stop. The sleeves of a penn blue hoodie were cuffed at his wrists to prevent the sleeves from getting in the way of his hands, the hoodie being a little big on him. Combat boots they had managed to bring with them to the detention center propped him up a few centimeters off the ground, a pair of black pants hanging just below the ankles.

Velvet wore a similar hoodie, letting the sleeves hang over her hand so only an inch of her fingers were showing as she grasped her bag. She wore a matching pair of combat boots and a black skirt that reached about halfway down her thigh. Like Veneer, she had refused to change her hair from her signature high ponytail.

After a few seconds, a black car pulled up in front of them, the trunk popping open in the back. Velvet started in front of her brother, tossing her duffle bag into the trunk of the car without a word. Veneer followed after her, setting his bag beside hers as she got into the car, slamming the door shut behind her. He sighed softly, closing the trunk with their duffle bags in it and walking to the other side of the car.

He opened the car door and slid in next to Velvet, who rested her chin on her hand and crossed her legs, staring intensely out the window. She had no intent of talking to anyone right now, especially Veneer. Ever since Mount Rageous, she had barely said a word to him, if not out of anger. He glanced over at his sister for only a moment, catching her sour expression in the reflection of the window. His shoulders sank and he leaned his forehead against the window, feeling the car lurch and began to move.

Velvet had never been one to compromise. Ever since she was a kid, things always had to be her way or she would throw a fit. Veneer tried his best not to get caught up in her whirlwind of temper tantrums, but as the siblings grew older, he found himself caught in the middle of her tornado of anger and frustration. It never was easy. He wanted to say something to her; to apologize to her for the hundredth time. But she would never listen to anyone when she was upset.

The car drove through the fluorescent neon lit city of Mount Rageous, illuminated words and logos speeding past the window faster then he could read. Slowly, the city of Mount Rageous disappeared behind the vehicle, turning into miles of open valley and ocean. Bergen Town couldn’t be too far from where they were, maybe another hour or so. The uncomfortable silence in the car, interrupted occasionally by someone driving past or blaring music in their car, managed to stretch an hour-long trip to an unbearable eternity.

It was dusk, the sun casting a soft glow over the land that was somewhat similar to the neon lights of the city they were used to. Veneer's lips softly curled upward into a tiny smile. He had never really seen the sunset, the sky-scraping buildings and artificial lights blocking out any good view he could have. The sun continued to set at a snail's pace, and Veneer found himself starting to doze off, the movement of the car combined with the smooth roads lulling him to sleep.

Veneer was woken up by the car jolting violently forward, his body being thrown into the back of the shotgun seat in front of him. He groaned softly, getting back up in his seat. His gaze met Velvet’s agitated glance. “Put on your seatbelt, dumbass.” She mumbled, turning her attention back to the window. He pursed his lips and quickly reached over to put on his seatbelt, silently praying the driver hadn't noticed. He looked out the window to see what had caused him to almost be flung across the car. He noticed a dramatic shift in the smoothly paved road they were on moments ago, to a broken, pothole covered street. The car jerked and bumped over every depression and stone, Veneer locking his seatbelt into place to ensure he didn't go flying again. How long had he been out for? It couldn't have been more then 15 minutes. The sun was now just barely a sliver over the horizon, the last bits of daylight fading quickly. A sign ran up to his window, Veneer barely able to catch what it said. In bold, colorful letters, the sign read ‘Welcome to Bergen Town!’. The sign was made of wood and had obviously been hand painted by big and small hands alike, multiple sizes of handprints around the frame. Old fashioned brick stores and homes began to come into view as they went deeper into the town, apartments and bakeries and small businesses dotting the street.

The detention center had set the twins up to live in Bergen Town temporarily, until they could get back on their feet at least. As run-down and cheesy as the town was, it was better then what could’ve been awaiting them. The car came to a rolling stop in front of a gigantic tree that grew in the middle of the town, the streetlights on the sidewalk casting an eerie glow on its branches.

The sun was now void of the sky, only flicks of stars and a silver moon left in its place. Velvet and Veneer got out of the car, stepping onto firm ground for the first time in hours. The driver got out as well, revealing himself to be a tall, gray, serious looking Bergen. He popped open the trunk, the siblings grabbing their duffle bags from the back. The bergen closed the trunk abruptly as soon as they got their bags out, turning and getting back into the car.

As the Bergen sped away, Velvet scoffed in disgust and turned toward the apartment complex, eyeing it suspiciously. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper with the address of their apartment, squinting to see it in the dim light. Veneer joined her side, looking at the slip of paper and the apartment in front of them. This was it. Velvet held the palm of her hand upright, not tearing her eyes away from the paper. Veneer looked at her hand, confused as to what she wanted him to do. After a few seconds, Velvet glanced at him and rolled her eyes. “Key,” she demanded. Veneer realized what she ment and dug into his pocket, pulling out a silver key and placing it in her hand. She snatched it from his fingers and walked up to the door of their new home, inserting the key and turning it. When she heard a click, she turned the handle and swung the door open, walking inside with her belongings. Veneer quickly followed after her, hurrying inside and shutting the door behind him, setting down his cargo at his feet.

The apartment was bigger on the inside, a doormat that welcomed him under his feet, plain gray carpet, and pale blue walls. To his right was a small living area with a couch, a dark brown coffee table, and a TV mounted on the wall. Just behind the living area was a small kitchen with a fridge, stovetop and oven, microwave, several cupboards and drawers, marble tiles, and an island that had a built-in sink.

He walked in after velvet, taking in the apartment. It reminded him vaguely of his childhood home in the suburbs, back when things were simple. Velvet walked down a hallway to the left of the kitchen, opening each door to see what was inside. Veneer followed, peering inside each room. The first room to the left was a quaint bedroom with a full sized bed, a rug, a bedside table with a lamp, and a closet. Velvet walked in, turning on the light and throwing her bag onto the bed.

She sat down on the bed and said, “I call this one,” as if testing to make sure she got the comfiest bed. Veneer stood in the doorway, a small smile on his face. “Fair enough. You going to bed Vels?” He asked. She got up and gave him a sarcastic smile before slamming the door on him. Veneer’s smile disappeared. She was still mad at him. He sighed softly, muttering “Goodnight, Vels,” before turning and starting further down the hallway.

The room next to Velvet’s was a small but modern bathroom. Not a bedroom. He gently closed the door to the bathroom and went to the next door on his right. He opened it. It was another bedroom, almost exactly the same as Velvet’s. He turned on the light and stood in the doorway for a few moments. His eyes scanned over the plain room; it looked depressing and empty, not like when he was famous. He went back to the front door to retrieve his bag, stopping only momentarily to take off his boots. He didn't want to disturb his sister more then she already was. He set his boots by the front door and grasped his bag, carrying it back to his room and throwing it down by the door. Exhausted, he turned off the light and laid down in the bed. As he did, he heard something crinkle underneath him. He quickly sat up and turned on the lamp, looking at the source of the sound. An envelope that had ‘Veneer’ written in green marker on the front. He carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside it.

‘Dear Veneer,

Hey, it’s Floyd. I know you must be tired, so I’ll try to keep this letter short. It’s been awhile since I’ve last seen you, and I hope you and Velvet have been doing well since then. I hope you guys like your apartment. Clay and Viva tried to pick one you two would be most comfortable in. Anyway, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. I left my phone number on the back. Text me when you guys get settled in.

Sincerely, Floyd.’

Veneer’s eyes would scan the letter slowly, his eyes darting from word to word. He turned the letter around and silently memorized the number scribbled on the back and set the letter back down, slowly getting up and retrieving his phone from his duffle bag. He opened his cell phone to tons of unanswered notifications, but he didn't have the energy to check them. Right now, he had only one priority before he fell asleep. He went into messages and inputted the number on the back of the paper into his phone, adding Floyd as a contact. He typed,

‘Hey Floyd, It’s Veneer. Me n Velvet love the apartment and r settling in nicely.’

He hesitated before hitting send, reading over the message at least ten more times before his exhausted brain told him it was good enough. He hit the arrow then set his phone face-down on top of the letter. He reached over and turned off his lamp, laying his head down and closing his eyes.

[y2klostandfound]

Professional special "attack" team - Jet Set Radio on Game Players magazine Vol.132 (Video game magazine)(Hong Kong)(29/07/2000)

Translation in English:

DC Manufacturer: SEGA Price: 5800 Capacity: GD-ROM X 1 Memory: 4 BLOCKS Release date: on sale 1P/ETC/MODEM, VMS, vibration PACK, VGA BOX correspondence

JET SET RADIO

Raiders of the first phase of explosive machine

In the last issue, I introduced the strategy method of the first level of the game, and this issue will continue the rest of the strategy for you (I didn’t lie to you!), and now I won’t say more, let’s start the strategy immediately!

New companions join (1)

There are ten characters that can be used in the game. In addition to the three characters in the player’s hand, there are seven characters that will appear in the game. The method of using them is very simple, as long as you keep passing the level, because every one or two levels of the game, there will be challengers to challenge the player. In the speed race, players must defeat them with strength to become companions; after completing the first level, there will be a challenger EVENT, this challenger is called コ ン ボ (COMBO), he, like Gum and Corn, requires the player to successfully perform three specified actions to become a companion. The three actions that COMBO gives the players are very simple, and it should not be difficult to complete.

First encounter with the Red Heart Party (Love trap)(Stage 2)

After successfully recruiting new companions, you can proceed to the second level, in fact, the second level players can choose on their own, because at this time there are already two logos appearing on the map, the editor's strategy is to first choose the red heart logo of the level, this area with the red heart logo is one of the game groups "Red Heart Party (Love Shockers)" and the other is the Mechanical Corps(Noise Tanks); this Red Heart Party's version of the map is divided into the park, the road and the broken flyover in three parts and the protagonist's starting point is the place where he just competed with COMBO; The editor's strategy is that it is best to complete the six graffiti targets in the park first, and then go to the rear to break the three targets of the bridge, pay attention to the broken bridge that is separated on both sides, one side is easy to reach behind the park, and the other side should use the crane arm or sliding wall on the side of the bridge to fly over the opposite side, when the three targets on the bridge are completed, the remaining four targets on the road can be left, Because when dealing with the two targets beside the road first, there will be traffic police to stop it, The editor thinks that it is not a good idea to use this method of deducting a little physical strength to complete the targets, but if the targets on the park and the broken bridge is processed first, there will inevitably be a group of riot police to cast tear gas on the player, but as long as the park and the rear are processed before dealing with the target on the road, because there is riot police and the target on both sides of the road will not have any obstruction, but a small number of riot police will appear in the two targets under the tunnel to obstruct, as long as the last two graffiti targets in the tunnel will be completed.

Strange Group (The monster of Kogane)(Stage 3)

When you choose the number of levels, you will find that there is an additional skull logo on the map. This is actually the third group in the game, the "Strange group(Poison Jam)", in fact, the strategy at this time is the Mechanical Corps(Noise Tanks), because the editor presses the button more and chooses this action map, so now take this as the second strategy target, the player will start on a wooden bridge, first walk forward to remove the spray paint along the way, and then turn into the house in front and walk all the way forward (help people tear down houses…) Go to the other side, and then walk up the stairs to the concentration of graffiti targets, in fact, this level is easy to pass, Just pay attention that when three to four targets are completed, the Captain Onishima will come out with a group of police dogs, but this is not important, the most important thing is that when the graffiti reaches about six targets, the military helicopter appears, it will launch tracking missiles to attack the player, although the tracking power of the missile is not very strong, but it is best to shoot it down, everyone just need to jump on the railing where you came up the stairs and jump up to spray paint on the helicopter, everyone just need to jump on the bar where you came up the stairs and jump up to spray paint on the helicopter, when the helicopter is sprayed paint, it will no longer attack the player, so that you can continue to complete the remaining objectives, and then you can pass the level.

New companions join (2)

After passing two levels, a challenger will appear on the stage. This person's name is GARAM, The condition for him to join as a companion is still to repeat it once according to his three finger movements, The first one or two movements will not be too difficult, but the third will be a little difficult , in the third move, the player must see the position of the third and fourth jumps, as long as the position is clearly seen, it should not be a problem to attract him.

Fighting the Strange Group (No.540)(Stage 4)

This time, the editor chooses another base of the Strange group, This time, the map is based on a site. The terrain of this site is like a construction site moving down layer by layer, The player will be at the top at the beginning, but there is no spray paint nearby to take, the only place where spray paint is taken is in the workshop at the lowest part of the hillside, all the way down to the workshop to get spray paint should be the same layer of graffiti targets first, after processing, a group of parachute gunners will appear, after replenishing the spray paint, go up to the first floor to process the four targets, at this time there should be a small number of machine gunners attacking the player, but don’t worry about it, as long as you don't stop, you won't be hit at all, when you finish the second layer of four targets, the gunner will disappear and then three helicopters will appear, continue to go to the top of the first appearance to deal with the three targets and then move to the last target, now there should be a lot of time, it is best to solve the three helicopters, because the terrain here is hillside, so as long as you jump up, you can level with the helicopter. It is not a problem to solve them, and finally the level will be over after painting the target on the top of the workshop.

Dueling the Strange Group (Kogane Circus)(Stage 5)

Before you know it, it is the third time to fight with the strange group, and it is also the last time. this time, the player is fighting the boss of the group, but the method is still spray paint as the combat method, the gameplay of this level is that the player has to spray the backs of three strange bosses with spray paint, but not once but spray into a pattern, about six to seven times, the map will be in a sewer that separates the two sides; Many players who play for the first time will just follow one of the bosses until they solve him and then chase the second one, which is a very time-consuming method, in fact, as long as everyone pays attention to it, you will see that the three bosses have a certain walking route, and the three people's walking route will stand still in several places, as long as they clearly know each person's walking route, they can stand near their stopping position in advance and attack (spray paint) to solve the three people. The most important thing to pay attention to is the character's stamina, because there is only one item to replenish stamina in the entire map, so don't often collide with the head or fall into the water and consume stamina.

New companions join (3)

After clearing the level, another challenger will appear when you choose the location of the raid, this time the challenge is a woman named BIS, who also needs to do it again according to the three actions she made, the first and second moves are easy for players who already have some skills, especially the first one who doesn't have to follow her left and right at all, Jump on the right two sides and then spray paint, but the third one is more troublesome. You have to see clearly the position of BIS when it landed at the end, and you must land according to this position, otherwise the action will be judged to be a failure.

First encounter with the Mechanical Corps (Benten Boogie)(Stage 6)

The map of this level is composed of various buildings and a small number of streets, although this level seems to be very complicated, in fact, it is very, very simple, The player will start on the top of a large building. Now the first thing to do is to deal with all the targets on the ground , because there will be police on the ground to obstruct the work, so first solve the targets on the ground, when all four targets on the ground are solved, you can find a way back to the roof, first swallow the four corners of the target and then go to a corner to doodle the last target to complete the level.

New companions join (4)

Another challenger appears, this timem the challenger is also a woman, her name is KIYUGO(CUBE), she still only requires the player to follow her action once again to recruit her, this time in addition to the first specified move is easier, the second one is also starting to have some difficulty, the second is to let the player go through two very thin sliding passages from the top of a large building to the top of another building, because the weather of the map at night so the picture will be darker, the player must see clearly before jumping to another passage; the third action to pay attention to is the problem of sliding up the ramp to the top and then sliding to that foothold, and the player must be very consistent to pass.

Fighting the Mechanical Corps (Graffiti high)(Stage 7)

The map of this operation is the place where the previous competition with KIYUGO(CUBE), at the beginning the player will be on a train (it will not move, please rest assured), jump off the right side to take all the spray paint, and then move forward to the dome square, when you reach the dome square, you see that there are a total of ten graffiti targets here, and the first thing to deal with is the two objectives that can only be completed through the dome, because if these two more troublesome targets are not dealt with first, then it will be difficult to complete when the tank comes out, when the upper two objectives are completed, you can deal with the eight very simple targets below, and a group of machine gunners will appear in the third space-time, don't bother with them and complete the eight objectives as soon as possible, then you can leave the area through a truck and go towards the store area; after reaching the store area, complete two more targets and the opponent's tank car will appear, but you don't need to bother, just complete the remaining objectives and you can pass the version.

The end of the Mechanical Corps (Noise Reduction)(Stage 8)

This is the last battle with the Mechanical corps (Noise Tanks). this time, the mission is also to spray paint the backs of the three bosses of the Corps, This time, the map is there are multiple pedestrian bridges above, and there are cars on the road below, this time, the bosses are much easier to deal with than the bosses of the previous Strange Group (Poison Jam), they will only jump around on the various attack bridges, the player only has to wait a little quietly in front of the bridge ladder for a day, and when there is a boss next to him and start chasing, he slides down the stairs with the player slides down the stairs with him, and at this point, he will be opened wide to let them be killed, and it's not difficult to defeat them in this way.

New companions join (5)

After defeating the mechanical corps (Noise Tanks), there will be a new challenger to challenge the player, this time the editor does not know whether he is male or female, only know his name is YOYO, this time the competition is no longer redone according to the specified action, but a speed race with YOYO, and the player only needs to go faster than YOYO to the doodle point to paint the target to win; At first, both of them are on the train tracks, go straight to the dome square, and then use the truck to go through the passage to the shop area , and then go to another shop area from the sky bridge above the train, pass through the tunnel and then pass a large building and slide along the wooden board to the top of a large building to get the spray paint and complete the goal to win.

The final battle with the Red Heart Party (Love attack)(Stage 9)

Now that only the Red Hearts Party(Love Shockers) have not been solved by the three major gangs, this is the time for them to solve everything, this time it is a head-to-head battle with the Red Hearts, and the backs of the three are also spray-sprayed to pass the level; this time, this is the third head-to-head battle, and I thought they would be more interested than the first two gangs, who didn't know that they turned out to be the weakest! , because they will get together most of the time, only to see the player come and start to leave, and then it is not difficult to catch up with them if they start to leave, but sometimes they run on the hillside at an amazing speed, such a sloping hillside can be so fast and strong, but the player doesn't need to run with them, The player just needs to keep jumping to follow them easily, and after a round of chasing, the three bosses are finally eliminated.

Bomb maniac (Explosion)(Stage 10)

The game is coming to an end, and this is the first meeting with the final boss, this time it is not too difficult, but the territory is huge! Because this time, the territory of the three strongholds of the Red Heart Party (Love Shockers) was merged, so when the player completes the graffiti targets in one area, he has to go to the other area, and the tip is to deal with the graffiti target on the ground before dealing with the target above, because as long as the player completes a certain number of targets, a group of bomb maniacs will appear to block the player, they will not be afraid to sacrifice to rush up and die with the player, the player should be careful of their lifeless combat method, and the editor gives you a hint, that is, each graffiti target is equipped with a bomb, as long as the player gets close will hear a BB sound, at this time everyone should go away as soon as possible, wait for the bomb to explode before going to the graffiti, it is a sure thing, as long as the graffiti targets in the three zones are all completed and you can pass the level.

New companions join (6)

After two battles, another challenger will appear, this time the challenger is a woman, named SIYUGA (SUGAR), and the last woman in his companions, his competition method is also speed race, this time the road should be familiar to everyone, it should not be difficult to complete, the only thing to note is that the operation position will be messed up when passing through the tunnel from the bus stop area at the beginning, so it is best to jump through this blind spot when passing, as long as you spray paint the graffiti target one step faster than SIYUGA(SUGAR) to make her a companion.

Battle of the Flying Forces(Fight or Flight)(Stage 11)

This time the battle map is composed of three bases of the Monster Army (Golden Rhinos), which is also very large, and all the passages are very narrow and complicated, and there are often sudden broken roads, so this level is very testing the player's vigilance; This level starts in a place full of houses, the player is standing on a roof, there are five graffiti points in this roof, four on the roof and one on the ground, first deal with four targets on the roof, and finally deal with one target on the ground, but be careful that the target on the ground is guarded by someone with a gun, so be careful, After solving the target on the ground, you will rush to the back of the house, After rushing, you will go to the second area, this is the first time that there is a helicopter level, all the graffiti targets in this level are on the roof below, and there is only one at the white oil depot, when the six or so targets are completed, a group of gunmen wearing flying equipment will appear, they will continue to shoot at the player, the player has to avoid their bullets while completing the graffiti, when even the objective at the oil depot is completed, you can go to the last area of the construction site through the underground waterway, After entering the sewer, you will go to the place where you fight with the leader of the Monster group(Golden Rhinos), there are also graffiti targets to deal with here, I don't have much trouble here, but the previous flying gunners will follow the same, and they will continue to hinder the player's progress, after processing all the targets in the sewer and then you can jump to the other side through another sewer entrance to leave the construction site, there are not too many tragets on the construction site, there are only four, as long as the last four targets are completed, then this level will be over.

New companions join (7)

The last challenger, named SODO(SLATE), this time the test method is also a speed race, as long as the track is the longest of all the characters, the fastest walk and then the goal can be painted, the editor gives you some tips, you can let the computer start first, and when entering the sewer just use the oblique positions on both sides to throw him away.

The last level of the map for joint supply(Benten Burning)(Stage 12)

This is the last time to combine the three zone maps for the game, and this time I won't introduce it much, because this time is the same as the previous strategy in the same area, except that there will be some enemies with high attack power at the last flyover, but their alertness is very low, as long as they slowly approach the graffiti point they guard, they can complete the goal without anyone noticing.

Flying over the corner (Behind the mask)(Stage 13)

The mission of this level is to fight the three bosses, just by spraying their backs with paint to pass the level, and like the waterway battle, they seem to be walking around, but in fact there are several places where they will stop for a while, and the player only needs to stop at some points to solve them.

The last battle (Final Groove)(Stage 14)

Finally came to the decisive battle site of the final battle, this place can not see the map, but it does not matter if you can't see it, because the whole terrain is clear at a glance, the combat method of this battle is to surround with the four graffiti points around the final boss, as long as the four graffiti points are dealt with, the protective device in the middle will be destroyed, and then the player can use the rails that the protective device flies out to slide up, as long as the successfull slide up and then the last hit (spray paint), the game is officially over, after which the explosion screen is completed. But the last twilight will certainly not be so easy to break, players should pay attention to the following points: the rotation speed of the four discs will be faster every time the middle disc is destroyed, when the player goes to the graffiti point, a big hippopotamus will jump out from a distance to spit fire at the player, but since its attack power is not high, you can ignore it,and finally leave immediately after completing a graffiti point, because the foothold will start to disappear after the graffiti point is completed.

To this end, I have finally completed the simple strategy introduction of the game, but the editor has not yet shown you the location of all 90 JET SET logos in the game. If there is a chance, I will definitely send you the final data set in the next issue.

[jahayla-parker]

Bewitched Love : Peter Parker x Reader

Part 9

Bewitched Love Series Navigation

Desc. & Warnings: 1.5k wc, see navigation for description and warnings

Recap:

“Please, I know you’ll know how to handle this multiverse thing if something goes wrong. I need you away from the fight,” Peter pleaded, staring deeply into her blue eyes.

Y/n sighed. His pleading gaze was hard to resist and ignore, but she had to. “Peter, no. I can sense their energies and I’m not leaving you,” y/n said, eyes zoned in on Osborn. “You can waste time arguing, but I’m coming to help,” she said defiantly.

Peter sighed but nodded reluctantly. “Fine, but if something happens, you go to MJ and Ned to help them with the box. Okay?”

Y/n nodded in agreement to the proposed compromise.

Y/n watched as each of the villains made themselves at home in Happy’s condo. Once they seemed settled, she grabbed Peter’s notebook and pen from the kitchen table. Walking to the kitchen counter, she threw the notebook down and began scribbling down various thoughts on how to fix each problem.

Peter smiled in y/n’s direction before turning to May. He wanted to ask her to leave, but he suspected her reaction would be similar to y/n’s when he’d asked her. Before he could decide how to bring it up, Otto started loudly pacing around the apartment.

“So this is your plan, Peter?” Otto scoffed. “Mmm? No lab, no facilities, just performing miracles in a condominium?” He sighed. “What, you're gonna cook up some cures, some frozen burritos in a microwave?”

Y/n glared over her shoulder at Otto, making Peter feel better about the insult.

Osborn mumbled that he “could go for a burrito”, making Otto even more frustrated. Otto groaned, eyeing Peter up and down. “He's gonna kill us all,” he hissed.

Peter bit his lip anxiously, looking over at y/n. Seeing she shared Peter's apprehension, he took a deep breath. “Well, let's hope not,” Peter said in an attempt to break the tension. “You're up first, Doc,” he encouraged, heading to the attached room.

Otto shot a glare in Peter’s direction. “What?” He raised his voice as Peter continued to head to the other room. “Hey, I told you. I don't need fixing. I don't need fixing! Especially by a teenager using scraps from a bachelor's junk drawer.”

Y/n shot Otto a defensive and irritated look, making May smile softly. Before y/n could comment for Otto to be more respectful to Peter, Electro walked over. She noticed the deep interest he had in seeing inside the other room.

Max looked at y/n and smirked before looking back at the doorway leading to the attached room. “No, no, no, no. He got something back there. I can feel it. Weird energy...” he said excitedly.

Y/n grabbed the notebook, quickly slipping past Electro to get to Peter first. She smiled softly in greeting when Peter turned to her as she entered. Y/n joined Peter beside a covered rectangular box-like object. Even before he removed the sheet to reveal the elaborate device and its logo, y/n could feel the Stark Tech energy flowing through it.

Osborn had followed y/n in to the second room. He walked closer to the kids with a frown. “What the hell is that?” He asked.

While y/n watched Osborn closely, Peter answered him respectfully. “It's a fabricator,” He told him, pressing the button to unfold the device. Peter grinned as the box opened up into a small engineering lab. “It can analyze, design, construct... basically anything,” he explained, glancing at y/n to see if she remembered the one from the plane.

Y/n felt Peter’s gaze and smiled warmly at him. She nodded in silent acknowledgement that she recalled the device.

May laughed lightly. “I thought that was the tanning bed Happy broke,” she admitted.

Suddenly Electro’s eyes flashed yellow again. “Look at that,” Max smirked, his eyes staring intently at the arc reactor on the device.

Y/n shifted her body slightly to block Max from moving closer to the device. Y/n winced as the wall connected to the kitchen cracked due to the expansive size of the unboxed machine now pushing against it. She heard Otto shout once again that he was worried Peter would kill them all.

Y/n rolled her eyes, leaning down to where Peter was sitting as he started working on the device. “You’ve got this one right Peter?” She whispered into his ear, watching him start his work. Y/n smiled as Peter blushed from the closeness and nodded. “Mmm, great, I’ll get started on Electro”.

Peter licked his lips as he focused on the chip he was designing. “So, the chip in the back of Doc's neck was designed to protect his brain from the A.I. system that's controlling these tentacles,” he explained to Osborn who was standing beside him. Peter knew y/n wasn’t a fan of leaning Osborn in the same room with Peter while she was in the other room. So, he figured if he kept talking, it would keep Osborn interested and focused on the future where he would be fixed, and also would soothe Y/N’s worries since she could hear him through the now-cracked wall.

“But if you look here... The chip is fried. So rather than him being in control of the tentacles, the tentacles are now in control of him. Which, I guess explains why... he is so miserable all the time,” Peter explained, his tongue stuck between his lips as he concentrated on the intricate details of the chip.

As y/n was working in the programming to help Electro, May tried to keep the others occupied. She walked up to Otto and offered him a glass of water, “thirsty?”.

Otto hummed hesitantly. “Well, yes. I am thirsty”.

Y/n continued rapidly typing the programming for Max's solution but watched May and Otto's interaction from her periphery. She had to stifle a laugh as May asked if Otto wanted fresh water or salt. However, when May awkwardly explained the reason she asked was because Otto was an octopus, y/n snorted. She quickly covered her mouth but could hear Peter chuckling from the other room over her reaction.

Otto frowned, looking between May and y/n. “What?”

May paused to ensure she kept her composure. “Fresh water it is,” she nodded.

As he waited for y/n to finish whatever she was doing on Peter’s laptop, Electro stared out the window at the city. “Look at this place. And all the possibilities,” he said dazedly.

Flint placed the framed photo he was examining back down. “What? This condo?” he asked, facing Max.

Max laughed. “Yeah. Yeah, the condo. I love the whole floor plan,” he said sarcastically. “No, man. I'm talking about the world,” Max clarified, stroking his beard. “I kinda like who I am here,” he nodded.

Y/n lifted her eyes off the programming code on Peter’s laptop to analyze Max. She could sense something was off. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long to find out what caused that sensation.

Max looked back at where Peter was. “And all that power back there... I could be so much more,” he hummed. “So why did you come here?” Max asked, shaking his head before turning back towards Flint.

Y/n continued her programming but listened to Flint and Max’s conversation. Mostly so that she could catch any potential signs that Electro was going to resist the solution she was working on. However, she also suspected it might help to know more about them; and hopefully, tailor the solutions even more to the specific problem or cause of their conditions.

Peter rushed back to the main part of the apartment. He proudly held up the neutral inhibitor chip device. Peter smiled at May and Y/N’s attentive gazes. “I got it. I did it. I did it,” he exclaimed.

Peter pointed to the handheld device that was connected to Otto’s metal tentacles. “May, will you send him up?” he requested, running to the staircase.

Once Doctor Octopus was at Peter's level on the mezzanine, May set the device down.

“Oh, will all these humiliations never cease?!” Otto complained, making Peter apologize quietly. “You!” Otto shouted, noticing Peter had moved closer in order to fix him. “Keep your science fair project away from me!”

Y/n rolled her eyes. She watched as Peter slowly moved the chip closer to Otto. Y/n nearly gave herself whiplash when she heard Osborn speak nicely on Peter’s behalf.

“Hey, it will work. Have faith,” Osborn assured Otto.

“Says the reckless fool who turned himself into a monster,” Otto argued rudely.

Y/n watched as Osborn went silent. She could sense his offense and sadness. Evidently what Otto said was true, whatever happened to Osborn had been done by Osborn himself. While this was true of most of the villains she and Peter were working on, this was different.

Osborn had a darkness to him that the others didn’t. He had some corrupted cosmic energy inside him now, and seemingly he’d done that himself. Y/n didn’t know if that was intentional or a known risk of whatever he was trying to do when he became the villain he was. But, she knew it meant there was a chance that Osborn had knowingly inflicted himself with the darkness; only increasing her fears that his cosmic split wouldn’t last and one side would take over.

Peter’s voice drew y/n’s attention back to the current moment. “Please stop. Hold still,” he pleaded.

Otto shook his head. “Don't you dare!”

He squirmed in a desperate attempt to avoid Peter’s corrected chip. "I swear... when I get out of this, we're gonna rip you a...”

Peter’s eyes widened as Otto went silent and limp upon the chip being inserted. “Doc?” He whispered. “Doc?” Peter asked again, his worried eyes looking at y/n for help. When she gave him a reassuring look, he tried again. “Doc? Doctor Octa-“ Peter panicked.

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Taglist:

@justapurrcat @natswife-marvelicious @directioner5life @ell0ra-br3kk3r @galaxyholland @bigbirdstwins @mcushvft @fishingirl12 @raajali3 @theslayerofthevampires

[armpirate]

UNDER YOUR SKIN || JJK || Ch. 17

Pairings: tattoist!jk x fem!reader

Genre: smut, angst, friends to lovers, tattoo au, virgin reader.

Summary: You were awful on anything related to flirting, guys and sex. He was the perfect ladies man. You wanted to get rid of your virginity. And he was there to help you with everything you needed. You didn't have the best start, but that didn't mean you wouldn't have the best of the endings.

Warnings: Mutual masturbation, fingering, handjob, dirty talk

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

I move my thumbs against each other, having a little fight on my lap as I try to hide my nervousness under the table. Her gray eyes keep reading my resume intensely, and the way she slightly curves one side of her lips down just warns me she might've read something she didn't like.

—So you haven't worked in this field?

The second her gaze moves from the sheet of paper to me, I feel small and intimidated.

—I've tried to do some unofficial work for some companies —she keeps her eyes on me, waiting for me to go on and explain what I've just said—. They kept doing contests for people to create new logos or new designs.

—You said you "tried", so that means they didn't pick your designs? —she looks at me over her cat-eye glasses.

Pressing my lips together, I shake my head slowly. She then nods, and that's how I know it's all over for me. It was the only thing I could use to prove I'm more than ready and excited to work on what I've been studying, and she took it down. Clearly, when you have thirty more people waiting in line to get an interview to work for your company, a person with no experience is the least of your problems. Dump one and one hundred more will show up to take the vacancy in their place.

—As you'd understand, we need someone with experience to be part of our marketing team. Doing some designs for fun isn't enough —she places my resume back on the table, and fixes her eyes on me—. I wish you all the best.

Wishing me all the best won't get my ass to work.

I fake a smile, barely curving the corner of my lips up, as I stand up to shake her hand that's hanging in the air.

Leaving the building isn't any better. Although I feel relieved by this moment passing by, I also feel disappointed on how this is the third interview I managed to book in the past six months just for it to turn out on me being rejected again for the exact same reasons.

Asshole: How did it go?

Jungkook sent this a minute after I told him I'd start the interview. Yet he seems to be keeping an eye on his phone. As soon as I reply to the text he sent thirty minutes ago, he shows up with a new text.

Me: Seems like I'll be serving drinks a little longer

Asshole: Their loss

Me: Thats what losers say to comfort themselves

Asshole: I was just tryna be nice 🥺

I try my best to hold in the smile that aims to form on my face as soon as I read his text, and see his emoji.

Me: What is Mr. Nice doing?

Instead of just answering it, Jungkook sends me a pic. He's posing in front of a mirror inside of the studio, and I can see reflected the tattoo chair where I was sitting when we decided to go back in time in my life. Jungkook's pouty lips and wide dow eyes, while he's keeping two fingers up for the pose make me instantly giggle.

And I know it's way too late when I'm aware of what's just happened.

My phone starts shaking in my hand, and when I look at the screen I see his name again. Trying to get back some of my usual self, I take the call.

—I've been tattooing a cobra for almost five hours.

—Cobra as in the tattoo or a body part?

—Oh... Oh —he says lower as soon as he gets the double meaning—. Dirty mind, I see. There's no better way to cope with rejection.

—You know what's better to cope with rejection? Not being reminded you were rejected —I sigh—. But thank you for trying.

I think it's the first time Jungkook doesn't go along and drag the conversation himself. And it's my fault, to be honest. He was trying to cheer me up, and I blocked whatever it was he was trying to do.

—So... are you done? —I finally ask— I mean, do you have more customers?

—Not until four —he groans, and all I can think is that he's stretching out on his seat—. I think I'll go to the gym, grab something for lunch and come back. Mark is here anyway. What about you?

—I'll prepare lunch and get ready for work —I keep looking back while I head to the bus stop, just to make sure it isn't coming yet.

—I thought you were on your off day.

—I wish —an ironic laugh leaves my mouth just with the thought of having to stand assholes after what happened fifteen minutes ago—. Still three days left for my weekend. But it's alright, I could be doing worse.

Jungkook is about to speak, or maybe he does say something. But I stop him the moment I see the bus driving past me and getting nearer to the bus stop.

—Shit —my legs start running before I can even hang up—. I gotta get going. Talk to you later.

And again, he's almost going to say something, but I end the call before he can even say it out loud.

✸ ✸ ✸

And I confirm today hasn't been my day at all. I've been acting like a rabid dog for most of the evening, which scared some customers away. Or, at least, they avoided being attended by me, because at some point Tammy just told me to prepare those drinks while she was the one taking the orders directly from them.

She knew about what happened before we started our service -she insisted too much to get to know what was going on with my face. She knew how I was feeling because she's gone to a lot of castings to get, at least, a secondary role in different plays, but she was always rejected for several reasons. I guess that's why she didn't take my bad mood seriously. She knows it isn't aimed at her, or my job as a bartender. But the fact that I was so close to what I wanted to do, and how I filled my head with possibilities and daydreams at the thought of being chosen, that being back to reality felt like a punch straight to the throat.

It kind of makes me feel like I'm not good at anything. I kept overestimating myself, and now I'm back to reality: It's been four years since I finished the degree, and I've only been able to get booked for a few interviews, when most of the time companies would reject me just by looking at my resume.

It's pathetic.

And that mixed with the fact that today I let Tammy carry with the whole service almost by herself isn't making it any better.

Not only am I pathetic, but also unprofessional and a bad coworker.

My mental rambling gets interrupted by one thought as soon as I reach my floor: What the fuck is he doing here?

—You sounded off on the phone this morning —he starts explaining—. So I bought some sweets —he raises the plastic box filled with striking coloured candy—, and drove here.

The way he's just standing there, looking so small with his baggy clothes, with his black bucket hat and his squared smile, combined with the fact that he drove here so late into the night just to try to cheer me up makes me suddenly forget about everything that's happened today.

I'm unable to say no, although I'm a bit tired.

We don't really do much the moment we get in my apartment. We don't talk about my interview, or how was work. We just sit on the floor, backs resting on my couch, while we watch a movie he chose. I was hoping for a horror movie, I was in the mood to see some gore content, but Jungkook ended up choosing The Ugly Truth.

—Have you come over to do a teaching class?

And that's all I can think about the second Gerard Butler hangs up the phone at the guy Katherine Heigl was trying to win over.

He shushes me without taking his eyes away from my TV, he doesn't even move his eyes away to pick the candies he wants to eat. Honestly, I don't even think he's blinking at this point. Yet the second I pick the last gummy bear, when he's eaten most of them, he holds my wrist and takes it away from my fingers with his teeth.

—I've only eaten two of...

He shuts me up when his lips collide against mine. I feel his tongue exploring my mouth, and just a few seconds after I feel something light and fruity against my inner cheek. It takes me a bit to process what's just happened, and my pussy throbs the moment I do. I always pictured that as something disgusting, yet the way he sneakily moved his tongue and the gummy went from his mouth to mine... It was too hot.

How am I even supposed to focus on the movie now?

But I do the second he acts like nothing has happened. And we move on to the scene where they're both in the club, where Butler confesses why he doesn't believe in relationships and how he's had his heart broken by different girls. My eyes unconsciously move to Jungkook, after my head remembers how he never invites girls over and how he got himself in this deal instead of going after someone he could end up dating. And my gaze doesn't seem to go undetected since he stops the movie and turns to me before I can even move my eyes away.

—You want to know, don't you? —he turns to me with a funny smile.

—No —I lie, of course I want to know. It's just basic curiosity—. But... if you feel like sharing.

He chuckles with my response, and turns his whole body to me. He frowns, and his gaze moves up as he tries to remember and select how much he wants to share with me right now.

—It was just one —he tilts his head as soon as he seems to start remembering things—. And she cheated on me. I loved her more than she loved me. Simple as that. After five years of dating, instead of breaking up with me, she started seeing one of my customers. She only said she didn't want to hurt me, but she wasn't feeling the same way. Living together, working together... It wore her out.

And that was her excuse? So her plan was to cheat on him until she got tired of the other guy and could go back to Jungkook as if nothing happened? I'm not able to understand how someone could do something like that to anyone. But the fact that it happened specifically to Jungkook, makes me feel some type of way.

I'm unaware of the face I must be making until he pats my head and laughs, trying to make that tension disappear.

—Chill, cocktease. Last time I saw that look, you threw a shoe at my head —he clicks his tongue—. And it's not like you have any reasons to be looking this way.

And he's right. At most, we are just two people getting to be friends as a consequence of a weird deal we both came up with. Getting affected by what he's just told me, in the slightest, is the dumbest thing.

—I'm just annoyed. That's it —I shrug—. I can't stand lies, and I always get worked up when something similar happens in movies or shows.

But is that really everything there is to it? I can't dig deeper in this question, because Jungkook's voice interrupts my own answer.

—You look cute when you're annoyed —he moves his thumb across the frowned space between my eyebrows.

—Huh, so that's why you always try to piss me off.

He puckers his lips while he thinks of the answer, and simply nods before his lips cover mine carefully. He tastes so sweet and addictive right now, I can't do anything but pull him closer by sinking my fingers on his locks.

The care and finesse disappears fast the second we start sucking on each other's lips like our lives depend on it. I know he started kissing me because he saw I was starting to overthink about a situation I'm not even directly involved in, he wanted to wash those thoughts away, and it's working.

Jungkook breaks the kiss, and he has the exact same expression he had the first time we made out and he left when things were about to start getting better.

—Can we go to your room? —he asks with a raspy voice.

The second we cross the door to my room, while still holding hands, he makes me turn to him. Jungkook has the same look he's had the other few times we've been in a similar situation, he looks concerned, but so eager for it to happen that he doesn't dare to say a word that could ruin all of this.

I place my hands on his shoulders, looking for support, the second I stand on my tip toes to kiss his neck. I try to remember the way his lips moved on my neck, just to mimic those same kisses on his skin and get a few groans from him. He sounds so good, it only encourages me to keep going while my fingers start unzipping his pants.

I feel the muscles on his back and shoulders tense and move the second he slightly bends, just to take his baggy jeans off. And his gray sweater follows right after. My mouth goes dry the second I see him only wearing a pair of black boxers. And fuck, black has never looked so good on anyone else before.

Jungkook kisses my cheek and jaw, sliding his hands down my black polo shirt just so he moves them back up, taking the fabric with his digits until it's completely off my body. He moves the reverse of his index through my collar bone, down my chest -moving in between my still covered breasts-, and keeps going lower on my body until it reaches the edge of my jeans.

When he leans over me and I feel his warm breath near my earlobe, I try my best to relax and make my heart beat at a normal pace. But I know I failed when his lips curl against my skin as soon as he places them under my jar, just to leave a small kiss.

—Wait —I stop him, the moment the air hits directly against my exposed thighs—. I know it'll sound dumb, but I don't...

—You aren't ready? —he ends for me—. It's okay —he starts to step back.

—It's not that —I hold his arm—. I'm not ready for that —I move my head, and I'm sure he understands what I mean—, but I want to do something else. I want you to touch me —I whisper, unsure of what he'll think—, and I want you to teach me how to touch you.

Jungkook smiles at that, and points with his head towards the bed. Although he still asks a few times if I'm sure of what we are going to do. And honestly, I am. It's not like it's the first time we are in a similar situation, but it is the first time we are going to see each other completely naked.

—If you want to stop, just say it, okay? —he starts speaking the moment I'm lying in the middle of the bed, and he's following me right after.

I take off my bra and panties, under his attentive gaze. It's almost as if he's waiting for the minimum sign that shows that I'm uncomfortable to stop this, but far from that I bite my lip and get even more turned on when his black eyes travel down my body with such admiration and lust I'm starting to feel dizzy. But that feels like nothing the moment he takes his boxers off and leaves his cock in full display.

Sure I've seen a lot on porn sites, and of course I've imagined them while reading spicy books. And while his isn't as big as the ones I pictured, it's just as impressive how thick and hard it already is, while pointing directly at me.

He straddles my right thigh, while pushing the left one away to keep my legs spread for him. And while he holds his shaft with one of his hands, the other gives soft massages on my inner thigh, getting closer to my throbbing core.

—Put your fingers around me.

And just as he told me, I do it. He feels so hard in my hand, but at the same time so soft. He stops me when I'm going to move my hand up to his tip, and lets a string of spit fall from his mouth to his cock. The moment he starts motioning my hand under his on his cock, he lets out a grunt and slides the fingers of his other hand through my folds without a previous warning.

I move my hand on him slowly, up and down, while his fingers spread the wetness all over so he can start teasing my clit in circles.

—Have you ever touched yourself? —I nod, feel my mouth is way to dry to be able to answer with words.

The moan gets stuck in my throat when I feel the tip of his finger teasing my entrance, moving in circles until I unconsciously lift my hips to invite him in. The hold on his dick grows tighter as soon as his finger slips in, making both of us moan.

—You're so tight —he groans, sliding his whole finger in.

Jungkook starts moving in sync with my hand, and at some point I'm feeling tempted to look up to him to make sure whether he's liking it or not. But fuck, when his eyes meet mine, and I see him with that frowned sexy look, lips parted with a smirk I'm totally lost on him. I swirl my hand on his shaft, which causes that smirk to grow even wider.

I whimper when he moves his finger away, but let out a drowned moan when he adds a second finger to stretch me out.

—You're working on my cock so well —but just like the other time, his free hand reaches my face and separates my lips with his fingers so I can't keep my moans to myself—. Let me hear you. Let me know how good I'm being to you.

His fingers curl inside of me, reaching a familiar spot I've wanted to work on the few times I've tried. And he adds his thumb to the game, moving in circles on my clit. And that's when I know he wants to end me somehow. My head falls back, and my legs instantly move to spread wider for him, causing the thigh caged in between his legs to rub and press against his balls. He lets out a cracked moan as soon as the feeling hits him, and it only encourages me to repeat it a few more times.

—Jungkook —the wet sounds of his fingers are just making me go crazier by the minute—. Fuck, you're so good.

The knot in my stomach is about to crash, just a few more moves and I'll get loose right here and now. And of course he knows. He feels my pussy clenching around his fingers, which only makes him move faster on my clit and that particular spot. His hips start working on my hand the second his dick starts to tighten up against my palm.

A pornographic moan comes out of me when Jungkook's finger rub that same spot for the last time, and just a few seconds after I feel something warm falling over my chest and belly.

—Oh fuck —he moans with his eyes still closed—. Oh fuck —he repeats, but now he seems concerned.

When I open my eyes, he's looking at me worried. Carefully, his fingers leave my body and he gets up and heads to my bathroom.

—I'm sorry —he apologizes when he comes back with some toilet paper.

—It's alright —he starts cleaning me up softly, getting rid of the sticky liquid—. It's okay —I say, before he's able to apologize again.

—You were really good —he wipes the toilet paper over my sensitive core, making me whine slightly.

And while he's doing that, I think of that duality he manages to control perfectly. He was looking hot and sexy just a few seconds ago, and right now he's back to his cute self, glancing at me with a warm smile.

When he comes out of the bathroom, I see him looking around uncomfortably, uneasy. As if he weren't sure of what to do.

—You can stay the night —I assure him.

His eyes look shiny when he looks at me after I say that, but he shakes his head and starts picking up his clothes.

—It'll be better if I sleep back home —I see him dressing up.

Jungkook doesn't say anything else, he just kisses my head and leaves the room. And not too long after I hear the sound of my main door closing.

[sweettoothedtrickster13]

Image ID under the cut

[Image ID: A series of images taken from various media that the OP has curated under the header 'a post about missing home and moving on.'

The first is a tweet by Ashley Perez at ItsAshleyPerez that reads:

One day you're a child and then one day the lyrics to Landslide make sense and you're crying in a car wash.

The second is a portion of Circe by Madeline Miller on some kind of device's screen and reads:

-each other. His wings were lifting. The darkness around us shimmered with clouds of his gilded blood. Beneath my feet were the bones of a thousand years. I thought: I cannot bear this world a moment longer. Then child, make another. He glided off into the dark, trailing a ribbon of gold behind him.

'I cannot bear this world a moment longer. Then child make another.' Is highlighted in blue.

The third is a drawing by spookyrich and is a realistic drawing of a Blockbuster with people milling around inside and walking by it. Above the building in the Blockbuster logo of a torn movie ticket is yellow block text that reads 'I spent the best evenings of my life'

The message continues on the sign on the building. 'Unaware they were significant.'

The next post is a comic by user at ShhItsFine that's four panels.

The first panel is a cat laying on a surface, maybe the floor. The panel has text that reads 'It all seems very mundane.'

The next panel is a drawing on a corner of a ceiling with an air vent and a ceiling fan. The text reads 'But one day'

The third panel is a dresser with a plant on it and a mirror on the wall behind it. The text reads 'You'll miss it'

The fourth panel is the upper part of the wall above a built-in closet with the sliding door pushed aside to reveal clothes on the other side. The text reads 'When you see the photos.'

The next post is a post by tumblr user FairyCosmos that reads:

I don't like how endings in real life come on so suddenly without making much sense, without much warning. One minute you're in the middle of something and the next it's all a very long time ago and you're a different person and none of it is coming back.

The next post is a screenshot of The Office, specifically the twenty-third episode of the ninth season. It depicts a man saying 'I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.'

The next post is a small open lined journal with writing on the right page. The writing reads:

There are days that all I can think is "I want to go home" even as I'm laying in my own bed.

The next post is a picture of a chair against a wall with a line of open books fixed to the wall in a diagonal line from the middle of the left side to the upper right corner. There's a speech bubble like the chair is talking with a review in it, depicting that the writer gave whatever they're reviewing, maybe the chair, four and the majority of the fifth stars. The review reads: You've made me feel loved.

The next post is what looks like a magazine page with bold black text that reads:

There are places you haven't been where you already belong.

The final post is a portion of Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut that reads:

But she did look back, and I love her for that, because it was so human. So she was turned into a pillar of salt. So it goes. People aren't supposed to look back. I'm certainly not going to do it anymore.

End Image ID]

A post about missing home and moving on.

@itsashlyperez post / Circe by Madeline Miller / spookyrich / comic by @shhhitsfine / post by @fairycosmos / The Office S9 Ep 23 / unknown, please tag author / my photo, IKEA review / unknown, please tag author /Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

A post about missing home and moving on.

[thoughts-with-hailey]

My Life in Prythian - Chapter Fifteen

Dreams Do Come True

Summary: after being interrupted mid...something, Azriel sticks around while Feyre and Rhys offer me what I always dreamed of

“Hailey!” Feyre’s excited voice carried through the large space. “I have exciting news! We- Oh!”

“Fuck!” Azriel shouted, spinning me away so his back faced the door and he was blocking me from sight. 

One of his shadows dropped down and grabbed the towel that I had abandoned some time ago, offering it to me with what I was sure was a sly grin if a shadow could grin. Azriel snatched it and wrapped it around me quickly, not even bothering to keep my arms out of it, before he all but shoved me back into the bathroom. 

“Get dressed. Now.”

Behind us I could hear a giggle along with a deep chuckle which caused my cheeks to heat, knowing just who had walked into my room to see…whatever they had seen. Quickly I grabbed the clothes that had magically appeared, thank you House, and tugged them on hastily. I hadn’t washed my hair so I tugged it out of the bun it had been in and finger combed it into loose curls, all the while my heart hammering in my chest. I didn’t even have time to process what had just happened because I could hear Feyre, Rhys, and Azriel outside the bathroom door talking. Cursing silently I tossed my towel over the towel warmer I begged the house for and headed out to face them. 

When I stepped outside the bathroom and into my doom they were all seated around the little table, Feyre and Rhys huddled on the sofa and Azriel lounging in the armchair that I normally sat in. My gaze fell to his lap where his erection was still straining against his pants and my insides did a little flip of excitement that I was the one who did that to him. 

His eyes turned to me, scanning up and down, then heated as he apparently liked what he saw. Glancing down I took in the fact I was dressed in leggings and an oversized tshirt. Noticing the familiar Rita’s logo and the spiced scent that clung to the fabric I had to fight the eye roll towards the ceiling; the house had apparently given me Azriel’s shirt to wear. 

He held out his hand then, inviting me over to him so easily it was like it was second nature for him to do it. As we had an audience I forced a small smile on my lips even through my panic, telling myself that they only saw what they had all assumed was already happening anyways, and headed over towards him. The moment I was in reaching distance he practically scooped me up off the floor and settled me into his lap, like always, and pressed a soft kiss to the tender skin of my neck. 

I gasped, having forgotten about the bite in my haste to get dressed, and saw both Feyre and Rhys’ eyes zero in on what I was certain was a giant bruise. 

“Mother above, Azriel,” Rhys chuckled slightly, shaking his head. “Next time remember she’s human, alright?”

Thought I couldn’t see him I knew he was grinning behind me by the way Rhys and Feyre exchanged pleased glances. 

“Was there a reason you burst into my room?” I asked as mildly as I could, trying not to offend them yet still irritated they had interrupted…whatever had been happening. 

“Oh, yes!” Feyre grinned, clapping her hands together. “I just know you’re going to love this, Hailey. Since the end of the wars and all we have been trying to establish peaceful relations between the courts. It’s taken a lot of work and compromises on everyone’s part to get here, so I’m super excited that we are finally ready to have the first formal gathering between all the courts!”

“Formal gathering?” I repeated slowly. 

“Yes, it’s going to be wonderful. There’s going to be a ball of sorts with dancing and music and food and wine and all of the high lords and lady’s as well as their friends and loved ones are invited!”

Wow, that was just…wow. To think after everything that happened during that high lords meeting, along with everything that had happened between the courts during the war, that they were actually going to unite for one event? That was truly impressive. I could only imagine how much work and trust had gone into that. Smiling over at Feyre with what I hoped was an encouraging smile I said, “That’s truly impressive work, and I have no doubt you had a big hand in making it work. You should be really proud of yourself, Feyre.”

“Thank you,” she beamed, clearly pleased. “I wanted to ask you if you would be willing to-”

“Babysit Nyx?” I grinned, already thinking of the chaos the two of us could cause in one evening left unsupervised. I was absolutely about to show the kid how what mentos and coke would do if I could get the house to give them to me.

“Oh, no! No, Hailey I would never use you as a baby sitter when the rest of us are out on official business. I was wondering if you would want to come to the ball as a our representation from the human realm?”

Shock coursed through me. 

In the weeks that I had been in Prythian I had fallen into an easy going routine, fitting into this niche little space in their lives where I wasn’t really disrupting them while still being apart of it. To be included in something like the ball, though? That was more than I could ever ask for, hope for, and tears started to well in my eyes at the thought. “You want me to come with you guys?”

“Of course! You’re one of us now.”

I blinked away tears, trying to find my voice as it felt like my throat was swollen twice it’s normal size. Between what had just happened between me and Azriel and now this? It was too much to process at once. Thankfully Rhys decided to finally speak, saving me the trouble. 

“We know you’re not technically from the human side here. We do have Jurian and Vassa as the representatives for those humans. With your appearance, and what we think might have been a few other occurrences of humans landing in various parts of Prythian from what I have to assume is your realm based on the technology they had with them, we believe that the walls between our worlds are disintegrating. The potential for more of your humans to arrive here is high so we want to make sure your world is represented, and you being the first as well as the one that seems the most…versed, in our history, you would be the perfect human representative.”

I took the time to let the words sink in, to process the well of information he was providing me. There were more humans from my world in Prythian? How? Why? And more importantly, who? Fuck. What if some weird ass people come through? Like….cannibals or something? Or Disney adults? Not that those equate to the same thing, but still. How would I explain a Disney adult to people who don’t even have television? 

“Hailey?” Azriel nudged, rubbing his hand along my thigh. “You okay, baby?”

I blinked at that. 

The last thing I ever expected was for big bad Azriel the Shadowslinger to call me baby. 

Shaking my head to clear it I looked back over at Rhys. “Is this a one time thing, or are you offering me a job, bat boy?”

Azriel snorted at the term which caused both Feyre to chuckle, and even Rhys smirked slightly even while looking like he might throttle me. “It’s a job, Hailey. A permanent one with a hefty salary split equally among the courts. The idea came up at the last meeting and I suggested you for the position. Everyone agreed since you’ve been here the longest and seem to know the most about Prythian, they just want to meet you first before securing the position. The ball would be the perfect opportunity to meet everyone and confirm what I already told them; you’re perfect for the job.”

Wow. There really wasn’t much else I could think of other than that. This was a big roll, something that wasn’t given lightly, and they were basically just offering it to me. I shifted uncomfortably in Azriel’s lap, aware that they were all waiting for an answer, I felt Azriel shift under me. His strong arms locked around me, turning me to face him so I was full in his embrace and looking into those deep eyes as he spoke. 

“Hey, you don’t need to decide right now. It’s a big decision, especially since it would mean never returning home. Why don’t you take a few days and see how you feel after the ball and meeting everyone, okay?”

All while he spoke one of his big hands rubbed comforting circles over my back and I leaned into him, sighing at the comfort he was offering me even though I knew this was all for show. In that moment I didn’t care, I needed the comfort he was offering. 

“That sounds like a good idea,” I eventually nodded, my fingers tangling in the edge of his shirt. “What exactly would I have to do in this job anyways?”

Rhys started talking then, settling into his more practical no nonsense tone of the high lord that he was, and I leaned my head onto Azriel’s shoulder as I listened. Overall the duties that went along with the position didn’t sound terrible. If and when new humans from my world arrived I would be sent to greet them and alert them to the situation if they didn’t already know about Prythian, then work on finding a good place for them within the world that aligned with the interests and abilities. They still didn’t know for a way to send us back, which was fine by me, but if they did then the new arrivals would also have that option. As far as where they could stay it seemed that was up for discussion once the position was filled and a human representative could talk to the other high lords and lady. 

By the time Rhys was done talking I was nearly ready to accept and I probably would have if I weren't erring on the side of caution for once in my life. Instead I told him I would consider it and provide an answer after the ball, to which he seemed pleased about. 

“When is the ball?” I finally asked as the two of them were looking ready to leave. 

“In two weeks,” Feyre answered, grinning again. “If we go to one of the shops tomorrow I am sure that we can get you a dress made in time.”

Images of Feyre’s stunning dresses flashed through my mind, all sparkling and gorgeous, causing me to smile. If I could get anything near as beautiful as hers I might pee myself out of excitement. “I can get a custom dress?” I asked, the excitement creeping into my voice. 

“Of course,” Rhys laughed, his playful expression back. “We can’t let our little human friend show up to the ball wearing something generic. You won’t be as stunning as my Feyre darling, but I’m sure you’ll turn a few heads.”

“I’ll come by tomorrow after your training,” Feyre grinned, standing from the sofa along with Rhys, obviously ready to go. Then with a cheeky smile she said, “I’ll make sure to knock next time.”

And with that the two of them disappeared out the door.

[fandomcrazy6226]

Whumptober Introduction

Hey, so I'm gonna try to participate and complete Whumptober this year, and I figured I'd make a little opening post so you guys know who the characters I'm writing about are, and some of the backstory that happens.

I'll be using the same characters and world for all of the posts, but it won't be doing a long story. It'll sort of be a series of oneshots that jump around the timeline of the main character, and they're all part of a larger arc but nothing is sequential. This first day post for example happens several months after when the second day post will be set.

The basic premise of this story is that it's in the world of the Spiderverse movies, and all of the characters are spidersonas of me and some of my old friends, and all but one of them were co-created by me and my old best friend. I really wanted the opportunity to use these for something, so I expanded some of the backstories and created a few extra characters, and attempted to tack a plot onto it

Now on to the actual characters!

(none of these characters will have the same names as me or anybody I know in real life. I've changed all of the first names to protect all of our privacy)

The main character, which is inspired by my spidersona, is named Cleo Farah. She's from Earth 28400, and at the start of the timeline she's 16, and turns 17 around the early middle of things. Her spider identity is Spider-Girl, but to her friends she's the Sappy Spider because of her spider logo (the spider body part is two hearts)

She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and her spidersuit is mostly purple, with teal accents. It has a hood, which is lined teal, and there's blocks of teal on the waist and upper arms, a teal ballet slipper design, and a teal skirt attached over the jumpsuit part

The other two primary characters are Tobias and Audrey

Audrey is from Earth 226, and ends up being Cleo's best friend. She's not a spidersona, but becomes a girl in the chair for Cleo as well as being her suit repair person. Audrey throughout the story is 17. She has brown hair and blue eyes

Tobias is also from Earth 226, and he becomes the spiderperson for that dimension, as well as eventually becoming Cleo's love interest. Throughout the story he's 15. He has dark blond hair and gray eyes, and his spidersuit is similar to Red Robin's suit, but minus the cape obviously, and with a rusty red harness, as well as a boot design on the jumpsuit. His spider identity is the Spider Climber

There's five supporting characters that'll pop up occasionally as well.

Neil, spiderperson from Earth 5381. He's got brown-auburn hair and hazel-green eyes, and is 15-16. His spider identity is Akavish-ish, which is Hebrew for Spider-Man (my friend came up with this, and I'm gonna trust his description)

Lillian, spiderperson from Earth 8912. She's black, with a large afro and dark brown eyes, and is 16. Her spider identity is the Sage Spider

Knox, spiderperson from Earth 94263. He has black hair that's dyed partially teal and gray-brown eyes, and is 16. His spider identity is the Spider Dyad, because his partner is the spider that bit him, named Rob

Emily, spiderperson from Earth 7. She has dark brown hair and gray-blue eyes, and is 16. Her spider identity is the Spider Glider because her suit has glider wings, similar to a flying squirrel

Last is Wes, who's from Cleo's Earth 28400. He's got dark blond hair and dark blue-gray eyes, and he is white but his skin is more tan. He's Cleo's first guy in the chair, and was her original love interest before Things Happened. To some characters he's known as "Major Jerk" because he acts like an asshole sometimes, but he isn't actually one

Okay I think that's all the characters that'll be popping up, there's a couple others like a few teachers and Cleo's family, but for the most part that's it.

I'll be uploading both Day 1 and Day 2 tomorrow, and expect my Dracula Daily catchup to slow down a lot during this month. I'm starting college now (first day was today), so I've got a lot going on, but I'm trying to be better at committing to stuff, and I wanna get back into writing

[sogol]

pokemon type themed f/o prompts for loverdie!

[Normal]: Do you and your f/o have any pets together? lf not, do you want any?

reverdie plans to adopt a metal crab from beanstalk whenever she officially gets things going! but otherwise the closest thing is mayb reverdie's familiars, way down the line when they learn how to keep them under control.

[Fire]: Who's the better chef between you and your f/o? Do you ever cook together? If so, what's your favorite dish to make?

reverdie! logos tends to use spells to do stuff like peeling the potatoes, whereas reverdie prefers to manually do each step. if he has time to help, logos usually gets tasked to fetch things or stir the pan/watch the pot, though there are times where he properly sits down to help &learn. reverdie doesn't have any one favorite they like to make, though they do tend to gravitate towards dishes with rice &snacks you can eat without mess or one-handed so the couple can enjoy something homemade while they work overtime Again.

[Water]: What does a beach day with your f/o look like? Do you go swimming or check out the boardwalk?

on paper, logos says he's here bc the doctor needs a bodyguard during vacation &he applied for the job, but their friends know it's cover for a date. reverdie was reluctant to try the stall games because they're designed to make you fail until you've spent more than the prize's worth, even preferring to spend money on the tourist-priced street foods instead, but logos cheats seamlessly scores everything they eyed &the two probably get banned. also reverdie definitely brought a grill with them to bbq it up later &an ample amount of time is spent cuddling on a hammock.

[Grass]: You're going on a picnic with your f/o! What are you packing for the trip and what does the scenery look like?

most likely nighttime flower viewing in a secluded spot. reverdie's bag makes it look like they're going trekking, half full of food &half full of blankets and cushions. the snacks and tea were made with the flowers from the convalesence garden &reverdie dozes off in logos' arms under the stars &petals.

[Electric]: When did you realize that you were in love with your f/o? When did they realize that they were in love with you?

initial moment during babel, reverdie fell in love gradually without even realizing it,, it wasn't until logos realized his own feelings first and started hinting deeper affections/subtle actions that reverdie had an 'oh, heー oh, oh- I love him too,' moment.

logos realized it when he wanted to see reverdie blossom as much as the future he wanted to pave for others &the promises he made to them were declarations of that love portrayed in a way that goes with his belief of words as a banshee

(essentially they were "I want to help bear your burdens so you may flourish" aka "I wish for you to reclaim your name/yourself" -> for the doctor who was struggling to hold onto their core beliefs as a person &ties into the meaning of the word reverdie. the second vow to himself was sm along the lines of "in all the words &languages in the world, yours is most precious to me; I want to understand them so that I may nestle closer to all that you are" -> regarding wanting to decode reverdie's voynich manuscript as an intimate expression of affection)

after chernobog, nothing happened til post-victoria; logos got put on reverdie’s radar &logos himself decided to change the professional distance he'd kept til then. he didn't expect reverdie falling back in love w him over time, struggling on how to respond when he never fell out of love in the first place

[Ice]: It's starting to snow! What do you and your f/o plan on doing? Do you go sledding? Build a snowman? Or do you guys stay inside to keep warm?

logos probably goes sledding on a petty bet between other elite ops. he makes sure reverdie is properly bundled up &they take turns switching who's at the front. sometimes his vision gets blocked by reverdie's fluffy floofers but it's all part of the joy of being with them. reverdie tries to build an igloo at some point, but gets distracted during a break with some hot buttered rum &making christmas crack.

[Fighting]: What's one thing that you and your f/o can't seem to agree on? Do you often debate the topic or choose avoid it?

they're both reasonable &level-headed, they both spend as long as possible to work out an argument the best they can so there's not really an irreconcilable topic between them, at worst begrudgingly seeing the other's point &conceding. reverdie's actions leading to the fall of babel may be one point of discontent &depending on how the lore reveal goes, they may try to reason to logos or accept the blame without a fight (leaning more towards the latter)

[Flying]: lf you and your f/o had wings, what did they look like? If your f/o already has wings: describe them! Do they let you touch them?

the two of them help each other with their hair/fur/feather care routines; logos rly enjoys having his wings massaged &they're regularly seen fluffed up or flapping in happiness when he's around reverdie.

[Poison]: Who's the better caretaker in your relationship and how do you help each other when one of you is sick?

when it comes to being sick, reverdie knows a bit more abt whipping up herbal remedies/sick day recipes, but the two come rly close in terms of taking care of each other on a normal basis. logos worries he didn't do enough for them in the past, so he tries to make sure reverdie is cared for now. since the two are often saddled with a Lot of work, they seek each other out to get it done side by side esp if it's after hours. reverdie is usually the one who finally calls for bedtime &bc it's reverdie who's asking, logos actually acquiesces every time.

[Ground]: What's your favorite outdoor activity? What about your f/o's?

to outsiders, it looks like reverdie likes shopping, but in actuality they enjoy wandering around &finding hole in the wall gems in the process, be it for food or a knickknacks shop or etc. since reverdie was away for 3 years &logos didn't actively approach them another few years later, he got used to subconsciously filing away places &things he came across as "reverdie might like this" in his mind. it used to make him feel kind of empty, but not anymore!

[Psychic]: Is your f/o good at reading your mood and/or helping you feel better? What about vice versa?

logos Does try to b more attentive to reverdie's feelings, but ultimately coaxes them to communicate with him on their own initiative, hoping they'll choose to rely on him &not repeat the past. he doesn't mince words, but reverdie sees how honestly &patiently he accompanies them. it both warms their heart &makes them want to try all the harder for him

since logos has a stiff face &values logic over acting on emotion, he tends to hide dejection/anxiety, though feelings like annoyance/irritation are more unfiltered. reverdie knows there's a lot he wants to accomplish &has so much he needs to worry about to achieve those things, so they do their best to smooth out the creases for him &support him in the little ways to make each next step a little easier to tread.

in the end, it rounds back to logos worrying if reverdie taking on too much would cause them to close him off again, though this time it ironically leads them to strive to alleviate that worry as well by relying on &being open with logos

[Bug]: How do you comfort one another when you get scared? Is there any teasing involved?

there's not much that can rattle logos to the point of fear/panic, but similarly to above, reverdie tries to soothe his neurotic tendencies from accumulating by being as reliable as they can, including building a stable environment for him. they wrack up the most solid courses of action they can foresee to assure logos there's no need to be afraid/worry for anything bc everyone is steadfast &well.

logos opts to just eliminate the threat, or at least threatens the cause of the scare with a petty curse or two. if the cause is something he can't stop at the source, he'll try things like casting spells or physical/verbal comfort to mitigate what its doing to scare reverdie.

[Rock]: What kinds of gifts do you get each other for your anniversaries/birthdays/etc?

being able to coordinate time off together is one thing. making sure logos isn't away on another field mission is another thing. having the landship docked somewhere they can feasibly go on a date to is yet another thing. most of their special days are unfortunately spent apart or within rhodes island. since they're both busy individuals, being able to freely spend time together without the pretense of work taking priority is a gift in itself.

because of this, the two of them don't restrict "more important" gifts to "special days" &just do it throughout the year. personally handmade crafts are the norm between them, the most monumental gift reverdie has given logos is a custom, glassblown dip pen. they typically try to gift him practical things he could use.

logos vaguely remembers occasions, but has never really celebrated any. by the time he finally got together with reverdie again, his pent up feelings had been so close to bursting that even he had to mark it as a day of remembrance, gifting them the celtic knot from his traditional banshee wear, which is covered in protective spells &now tied around one of their tails. (his banshee's kiss &dreaming essence soon followed afterwards.) although gifts are year-round &his attitude abt celebrating hasn't rly changed, logos reciprocates reverdie's attempts to at least spend some (strictly non-working) time together for these milestone occasions.

[Ghost]: Has your f/o ever helped you get over a fear? Have they ever pushed you out of your comfort zone?

not exactly fear, but more like. their idealogy was being outright stomped on &reverdie didn't know how to overcome it? it was unfortunately one that you couldn't quite soothe, like an overall "life is cruel" kinda thing. since logos couldn't address the problem, all he could do was try to support reverdie through it, but it wasn't enough in the end. he's trying again now, but he isn't reverdie's sole pillar of support anymore, nor is reverdie isolated anymore due to situational complications of the past, so they're able to face up to their fear better now with their new bonds &experienced new viewpoints.

[Dragon]: Does your f/o have a kryptonite? Does your s/i know about it? What about vice versa?

there's no canon info for his weaknesses, so here's one unsurprisingly regarding reverdie instead: he's missed/pined for them too much, becoming a smidge clingy &possessive, as well as even more whipped &smitten than before. he might not actively realize it most of the time, but if reverdie is participating in sm for example, logos either shows up himself or reads up every report of the event afterwards or asks the people involved how it went. it's not exactly a weakness, but it sure is contradictory for someone touting the codename logos. reverdie, missing their memories &unable to compare this behavior with the past, just thinks this is how logos normally shows his love

reverdie's kryptonite is a double edged sword. they firmly hold onto their core beliefs- even if it hurts them. being unable to betray or denounce what they believed in despite everything until it eats away at them. logos of course knew about it, but he's able to worry way less about them falling back into that state nowadays.

[Dark]: Who is more protective of the other? Give us an example of a time one of you protected the other.

logos by a long stretch. he made a promise to protect reverdie &then made another to himself so he could uphold the initial promise better. even after the questionable state of that promise after babel, he still strove to upkeep it when reverdie returned- &now especially because of what happened in babel, he's doubled down his protective behavior. he's like the guardian bird of a tree, sniping nuts at your head from above &dive-bombing the people who walk too close (within reason) (he's logos after all) (ignore him brandishing his bone pen)

[Steel]: Do you have any f/o's who pretend to be tough but are actually softies that are wrapped around your finger?

yeah the great banshee lord, ancient-blooded young spellmaster prodigy prince who speaks in archaic rhetoric has got it down bad horrendous for this space tree fox. astronomically, even

[Fairy]: What kinds of AUs do you imagine you and your f/o in? Are any inspired by classic fairytales?

au where the elite operators survive :)))))

(I don't rly have any aus for them atm) (seaborn ending au is way too dreary for me to b happy or motivated thinking of one) (despite the amazing au fics I have come across, none of them rly inspired me to make my own) (beyond the vaguest idea of a modern au that I hadn't thought any deeper abt in 3000yrs)

[Bonus]: Construct a Pokemon team for you and construct one for your f/o (if they don't already have one!)

assuming it's a pokemon in arknights au &not full on pokemon au- (hash the above prompt, I guess I do have an au now?) (mons r obviously chosen based on vibes &lore/dex entries not actual competitive viability/team synergy idk any of that)

reverdie: their first pokemon is a shaymin who currently has lost its gracidea flower, or rather never had one in the first place. reverdie doesn't rly have a set lead pokemon as battling isn't a priority, but the eevee (now leafeon) that priestess gifted them likes to accompany them wherever they go. it suddenly evolved into a leafeon seemingly on its own after being under reverdie's care for a scant few hours. they befriended a ninetales shortly after settling into a mountainous yan village; reverdie loves to snuggle with it for warmth. during their stay in higashi, they were gifted an egg as a gesture of gratitude. it later hatched into a turtwig (now torterra). reverdie once had a zorua that their ninetales brought them, but it mysteriously disappeared during the incident that caused reverdie to have to recuperate in the sarcophagus for the first time. later when they woke up &resettled elsewhere, a hisuian zorua appeared on their doorstep one day &wouldn't leave. it hasn't evolved despite all this time &it's unclear if it rly just hasn't reached that point yet or if it refuses to. sometime after the reunion incident, logos' decidueye brought reverdie an applin (now appletun) like it was a dead rat. reverdie didn't know whose decidueye it was at the time &didn't see it again until they reacquainted with logos.

misc: xerneas

logos: the rookidee line is common in the banshee valley &logos has had one (now corviknight) since he was a kid. he kept running into an absol repeatedly as he grew up &eventually befriended it. his mother's froslass saw logos grow up &she lent it to him as a sendoff gift, lowkey to also look after him when he left for babel. logos prefers to use his own pokemon to battle, so froslass rly only sees action when he's officially representing the elegiac court. sometime during babel, logos found a rowlet (now decidueye) napping in the bed he hadn't seen for 4 days due to overworking. he kicked it out, but it kept coming back whenever he spent a prolonged period of time away. when logos told reverdie abt it, they said they thought it was his &had even let it into his dorm a few times. logos eventually just kept it. before he officially accepted the rowlet into his team, logos had been looking for a potential messenger bird to raise, since his corviknight was the team lead &often busy along with him. he asked the other elite operators for help as he couldn't devote enough time to find one. scout got him a swablu (now altaria) from heavens knows where, thinking it would b funny to see the banshee lord with a cottonball head. logos taught the swablu perish song on the spot &promptly set it loose on scout. sometime after the victoria incident, reverdie gifted logos an alolan vulpix (now ninetales) that they had been raising for a while.

[brahmsheelshireshusband]

Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire (The Grabber x GN!Reader)

Synopsis: It’s cold, raining, and you’re alone. Scared. Shuffling down a dark street in a Denver suburb at 2am, sometime in early April of 1976. A man inside a black van beckons. You don’t hesitate to thrust your life into this strange man’s hands. He is more than willing to take it. What could possibly go wrong?

Word Count: 2099 words

Warnings: Brief references to previous physical abuse (choking, to be specific) Albert Shaw as his own warning, drugging, currently SFW (if a little suggestive given that it's Albert and a slightly freaky Reader, but subject to change as I see fit), GN!Reader, they/them pronouns used in reference to the reader, Albert also calls you his “little mouse”. MINORS DNI, heed these warnings, he's a fucked up guy and he does fucked up things.

with all that being said, grabber/albert shaw fuckers, come get y'alls juice, i came out of a nearly year long hiatus bc of this freak (affectionate) and i plan to write. so much stuff with him fdhjf

You duck out of the house and into the cold, dark streets of the Denver suburb you’d recently moved to. There’s shouting behind you, sharp and angry even when muffled by the brick walls of the house. That’s fine. That house can stay filled with anger and noise. You just won’t be there anymore. Not after tonight. Your eyes sting while you cut across lawns, your pace quick and unsteady whenever the rain-slick lawns try to trip you up. Each time you catch yourself at the last second. Each time you keep your head down and continue. It’s okay if you fall, you decide, because you’ll just get back up again. That was what you’d always done, what you’d do now, and what you’d do forever. Fuck up, fall down, and haul yourself back to your feet.

Still, you find that your panic eases slightly once you’re back on the smooth concrete of the sidewalks. You shiver before you pull your coat tighter around you. Early April in Denver is cold enough during the daytime, when the sun can shine down unimpeded and bring a little warmth to your skin. At nighttime, when the rain comes down steady like it does now? It’s freezing. You just grit your teeth and soldier on in the downpour. There’s a bus stop a few blocks away from the house. There won’t be a bus for some time, but it’ll be dry and it’ll be a welcome reprieve from the rain. Isn’t that enough? You walk faster, nearly break into a run as thunder rumbles loudly overhead. Lightning cracks through the sky a second later. For a brief moment, night turns into day. You see the houses that line the unfamiliar streets, see the cars and minivans that sit outside them, and wonder if there’s someone else out there that’s like you. Stumbling away from a picturesque house of horrors, unable to cry out for help because they still feel the iron grip of someone else’s hands around their neck, and full of quickly fading adrenaline. These thoughts entrench you while you walk, body shivering and full of aches as your feet pound against the concrete. The night is still and quiet besides the rain, besides the mad person running in the streets, besides the black van that flashes its emergency lights and breaks you from your own trance. 

You skid to a stop on the sidewalk, chest heaving and eyes widening while the van passes you. You don’t know why, but you’re frozen in place while it does a slow, careful U-turn in the empty street. It pulls up to the sidewalk a few moments later. Lightning flashes and you catch the logo on its side. Abracadabra

Entertainment and Supplies

Your breath catches in your aching throat when the driver’s side door opens. A man peers out at you, equal parts confusion and concern written on his face. There is quiet for a moment. You lock eyes with the man, and instinctively stand up taller, square your shoulders, and clench your jaw. “... This is hardly a good time to go for a run, y’know?” the man asks. He offers you this awkward half-smile that you can’t help but return. A laugh bubbles up in your chest and spills from your lips before you can stop it. It isn’t funny, you know it isn’t funny, and yet you laugh in the freezing rain until your voice cracks and the noise turns into bitter sobbing. “Oh!” the man says, and you can’t stop yourself from echoing it back to him. He hesitates, then steps down and out of his van. “Do you… Are you alright?” he asks. Before you can ask if you look alright, you note the way his eyes widen when they land on your neck. “Oh,” he repeats, softly, and there’s a trace of pain in that single syllable that makes it all that much worse for you. “Please,” you finally choke out. Your hands shake terribly when you reach for him. “I-I need help,” you whisper. He looks around. His bottom lip catches between his teeth. “... I have a towel in the back,” he says. He turns away and walks to the back of the van. You follow him after a moment, your legs heavy and leaden now that you’ve finally stopped. The back of his van is a little messy when he throws open the doors. There are black balloons, a few packs of playing cards, and a bright, multi-colored scarf. There’s also the towel, large, fluffy, and blessedly warm on your skin when he wraps it around you. 

You feel weightless for a moment and your stomach drops, only for you to realize it’s because the man’s picked you up. He sits you down inside the back of the van, dim light from the front casting a soft and hazy glow on his face. His eyes are incredibly blue, still full of concern while he begins to dry you off. You feel almost pathetic while he moves, the soft towel coaxing blood back to the surface of your warm, now stinging skin. “I can f-finish drying myself off,” you insist. He looks down at you for a second, something dark and unfamiliar flashing in his eyes before he relents. “Alright. You just sit tight back here, okay?” he asks. You nod, and that’s all it takes for him to shut the back doors. The light fades slowly while he makes his way back to the driver’s side door. You’re fairly certain this exact scenario is something that would be in a horror movie, yet you find you’re too warm and tired to be scared of this helpful stranger. The van lurches forward after a moment. You continue to dry yourself off, the worst of your shivering subsiding while your eyelids grow heavy. Falling asleep right now would be incredibly stupid. 

So that is exactly what you do. Your nap in the back of a stranger’s van is oddly nice. Your body is only mildly sore from the weird position you’d taken in sleep, and the man is gentle when he picks you up again. His hands are warm and his fingers splay out casually on your body while he carries you bridal style. Your left cheek smushes rather comfortably against his chest. The rain’s stopped. He’s dry, smells lovely, and he hums softly to himself. It's enough to almost lull you back to sleep in his arms, but the man jostles you until your eyes crack back open. “C’mon now, little mouse, I can’t exactly get inside with you in my arms,” he teases. You feel blood rush to your cheeks when he sets you down. Your head is still heavy with sleep while he wrestles with the lock for a moment, then wrenches the door open. At his insistence, you walk into the dark house first. “Here. Sit on the couch, I’ll get you some peppermint tea to drink,” he says. You sit down gingerly on the couch. You watch while he hurries off into the kitchen, thoughts lazing around in your head until you hear the whistling of a kettle. There’s the familiar clatter of cabinets opening and closing, of dishes being moved, and a mug hitting the countertop.You can’t help but smile dreamily when you hear him pouring the tea. There’s a beat of silence, he clears his throat loudly, and then you hear him approach. He reappears with a mug of steaming tea a few moments later. “... Thank you,” you murmur, accepting the mug. There’s another one of those half-smiles on his face again when you take that first sip after blowing on it, and he settles into the empty spot next to you on the couch. “Peppermint tea will get you all warmed up. Really great at chasing away those bad days, isn’t it?” he asks. You nod, face warming once more when his voice catches and deepens. You take another drink, not really tasting the peppermint but certainly feeling the warmth when it spreads through your body. You really take him in at that moment. He’s tall. Taller than you, at least, seeing as you still need to crane your head up a bit to make eye contact with him. His eyes are just as blue in this light as they were in the back of his van. Blue and almost mischievous now, almost cat-like in the way light caught in them. He’s older than you, too, with wrinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiles and creases in his forehead. His hair feathers out around his shoulders. It’s somewhere between  grey and blonde, you think, though the lighting makes it a bit difficult to tell. “You like to stare, don’t you?” he asks. You look away quickly, take a deep gulp of the hot tea, and feel your eyelids grow heavy again. “... You still seem a bit cold to me. Bet those clothes don’t help,” he says. Just like that, your eyes dart back to meet his. There’s still a playful gleam to his eyes, a slight curl to his lips, and it very suddenly hits you how dumb it is to be inside this stranger’s home. “My clothes are fine,” you mutter. “Really? Because that white shirt you got on seems pretty sheer, if you ask me,” he says. You pull your coat closer around you, unease itching in your veins when he stands up again. “Give me just a moment. I bet I’ve got something much better in my room,” he says. He pauses in the doorway when you drink the last few dregs of your tea, his smile only widening when you fumble with the mug before setting it down on the coffee table. You really don’t know if he’s gone for a few minutes or a few hours before he shows up again with an armful of clothing. It’s hard to protest when he shepherds you into a bathroom, the bright light stunning you when the door shuts and leaves you alone. 

He’s at least got the decency to let you change in private, you think, rolling your eyes before another shiver wracks your body. Okay. So maybe that towel could only get you so dry, and maybe some of that chill from the rain could really stick to your bones the way your clothes currently stuck to your skin. And maybe changing in a stranger’s bathroom is a bad idea, but so is being uncomfortably cold, you decide, and you strip as quick as your shaking hands allow you to. It’s not the boxers and the sleep pants that trouble you, though they do make you feel a rush of warmth to the face that is highly inappropriate given the situation, but it is the damn green shirt he gives you with an endless amount of small buttons that you struggle with. You’re lucky to have gotten all but a handful of the top buttons done when the bathroom door opens again. “See?” he says, ignoring the embarrassed cry you let out at the sudden intrusion in favor of wrapping an arm around your waist. “Much better, right?” he asks, eyes narrowing on the top buttons. “Y-You should’ve knocked-” you stammer, voice cracking off into silence when he busies himself with the offending buttons. “And you probably shouldn’t drink just anything that anyone offers, but here we are, little mouse,” he retorts. You try to tell him off for the stupid nickname, ask what the hell he means by that, and insist he go fuck himself all in one breath. All you actually manage to do is slur a vague insult at him along with a slightly garbled “fuck you” before you slump forward. It takes longer than you’d ever admit for you to realize something was seriously wrong, and by then, all you can see is the blurry face of the stranger smiling down at you.

Albert Shaw hums to himself while he hauls his new pet up into his arms. 

Oh, he’s got some marvelous plans for you.

“Isn’t this just peachy keen?” he asks, giggling when all you do is moan in response. He wonders briefly how you’ll react when you first wake up downstairs, how quickly the confusion in your eyes will turn into terror, and just how much it will take to break you down once you’re in the basement. Well, Albert’s got all the time in the world to get those questions answered. 

After all, he’d given you quite the dose of ketamine in that mug of peppermint tea…

[buckys-black-dress]

see through

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

a/n: i dont have much to say other than that it's 1 am and i needed to get this out of my system. chapter 4 of play the game is underway, i promise. also, there will be a pov switch in this fic!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. = POV change!

wc: 4.1k words

[ neighbor!bucky barnes x fem!reader ]

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

-

Every Friday night, without fail, you saw the light filter into your apartment.

Notice how you said night?

Yeah, it was almost two in the morning, by the way.

And why was there light coming through the chiffon curtains you had hanging on the rod above your window?

(Great choice on your part, by the way.)

Well, because of your neighbor.

You've seen him a few times, actually. Usually on the street outside your buildings, or just out and about. Never spoke to him, though. He was quiet, kept to himself. Didn't seem very friendly or willing to exchange a greeting if he ever saw you.

But you never took it personally. Maybe he was having a bad day. Every time you saw him.

But that's besides the point. The point right now is that you can see the lights blaring in your room. From the apartment across from yours.

Should it even be possible for light to travel that far? I mean, we don't even live in the same building. You think to yourself as you watch the colors dance in the dark.

You debate getting up and yelling out your window to tell him to shut that shit off or to invest in some blackout curtains. You were tired of sacrificing your sleep every week.

But then you decided against it, because you quite frankly could not be bothered to get up from the warmth of your bed. You'd tough it out for the night, but the next time you saw him, you'd have a few words for him.

-

The next morning, it was almost ten when you woke up. You didn't have your shift at the coffee shop you worked at until three, so you took your time in making your way out of bed.

You noticed the curtains of your neighbor's apartment were still open, but you could see his figure moving across the room. He was clearly on the phone with someone, and he didn't look too happy. You wondered what could have him so angry at such an early time of the morning. He seemed like a person who could use someone to talk to, someone who he could vent to.

But before you let your thoughts get ahead of you, you turn away from the window, heading back into your kitchen to eat breakfast and get ready for the long day ahead of you.

-

"Hi, what can I get started for you today?" You ask as brightly as you can muster at the moment. You were halfway through your shift, another three hours until close.

"Uh, just a large black coffee." The gruff voice says, and it takes you a second until you look up and look closely.

It was him.

"O-okay, that'll be $3.27." You say, and he hands you a five dollar note before grumbling,

"Keep the change."

"Thanks, and your name?"

He gives you a look that's asking, 'what the fuck do you need my name for?'

"For the order." You try and salvage your dignity, because it feels like the stare shrunk you to a speck of dust.

"James."

That's all he all but growls before turning back to find a seat.

As your coworker takes over the cash register, you grab the biggest cup and fill it with his desired coffee.

You try to not think about it too much, but the anxiety you feel rising up inside you and just calling his name to give him his coffee feels absolutely ridiculous.

"Are you just gonna stare at the cup or give it to the customer?" The voice of your coworker, Jenna, rings in your ears and you look up at her, snapping out of the trance you were in.

"Sorry, I'm just a little out of it today, I guess."

"Everything alright?" She asks, and you nod.

"I'm fine, it's just... that's my neighbor." You nod your head towards where James is sat, in the corner by the window as he watches the raindrops run down the expanse of the glass.

"The one who doesn't let you sleep?"

"Yeah, but I don't think he'd take it too kindly if I tell him about that. He seems to have a lot on his own plate anyways," You explain, and she just nods.

"Well, that sucks, but you still need ta' give the guy his coffee." Jenna smiles and walks back to what she was doing before.

You gently slide out from your spot behind the counter and walk to his table.

"Here's your coffee, James. Enjoy, and- uh, let me know if you'd like anything else." You tell him while placing the steaming cup in front of him.

He murmurs a thank you that you barely catch, but you don't quite have the time to sit and wait for more of a reaction.

For the next several hours, James sits right where he was. He doesn't do anything in particular, either. He just watches outside, as the rain continues to pelt down on New York City, and as people come and go from where they were.

Eventually, about an hour left until close, you offer another cup of coffee.

"Do you want a refill? On the house." You ask gently, waiting to see if you'll get brushed off again.

"Uh... are you allowed to do stuff like that?" He asks, and you're a bit taken aback at the sudden concern.

"I don't think you should worry yourself too much, James. Free coffee's free coffee." You smile lightly, and grab the cup before filling it up without his confirmation. You could tell he wanted to say yes but didn't want to seem rude.

"You didn't have to..." He grumbles, and you simply shake your head.

"I know, but you've been here a while, and what kind of employee would I be if I let a customer sit here without any sustenance?" Your lips ply into a tiny smirk, trying to get him to loosen up a bit.

He seems so guarded, defensive. Like any moment, he's ready to run if need be, you inspect to yourself.

"You'd just be a regular employee, Y/N." He says, but the way he says your name makes a shiver run down your spine; and you can't tell if it's a good or bad one.

You unconsciously look down at your name tag, pinned to your black apron that's branded with the café's logo.

"Well, I felt like being nice. I hope you can deal." Your voice comes out short, but he knows you mean no harm.

As you walk back to the counter, you see a small smile playing on his lips, but he doesn't allow it to manifest on his face. You take that as a small victory for your last hour of work.

(bucky's pov).・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The girl who works at this café is annoying.

But she's got a nice smile. And she's nice to me, Bucky thinks to himself.

He sips on the new coffee you'd just poured for him, without his consent, he thinks bitterly.

But it was a nice gesture.

Why can't you just take a nice gesture?

Because your brain's been scrambled eggs for 70 years. You don't know what to think about anything these days.

He watches you fiddle with the espresso maker, cleaning it with a rag, which you then dip into a bucket.

You look extremely familiar to him, but he can't exactly pin where he's seen you before.

Bucky closes his eyes for a moment, trying to recall where he'd seen you, but for a moment, he comes up with nothing.

Ever since he's been living back in the real world, he hasn't been outside too much.

He goes on the occasional walk, or goes to the tower to see Steve and Sam.

But other than that, he spends a lot of time in his Brooklyn apartment. He watches movies that Steve suggests, or he invites Steve and Sam over to have beer and watch TV with him.

He hates how lonely it gets, though.

Bucky wishes that he had someone.

Someone who could understand.

And don't get him wrong, he loves Sam and Steve. They fill in the gaps in his days, and they make them better.

Sometimes, thinking about having something to do that day is what makes it. He likes having something to do, something to plan for for when his friends come over.

But it feels like a teeny, tiny part of his life is missing. A person shaped-hole in his heart.

But Bucky doesn't spend too long thinking about it, or it'll send him into a spiral about failure and how he needs to 'push himself to get out there more.'

Or that's what his therapist says.

"Hey, we're about to close, and we usually throw the pastries out at the end of the day. Do you wanna take these home, by any chance?" Your voice rings in his ears, snapping him out of the impending slippery slope of his lack of love life.

He hesitates to answer for a second, looking at the brown paper bag pinched between your fingers.

Bucky can tell you were nervous when you spoke to him. He knew he made you uneasy, and it killed him inside.

He hated that. He just wanted to have a normal conversation with someone. But everyone seems to know who he is.

Who he was.

"Uh, what is it?" He croaks, unsure of what to say at your gesture.

"It's a few cookies and a chocolate croissant."

"Sure, I'll take 'em." Bucky simply answers, watching as you hand the bag over with a soft smile and watches you walk back.

You sweep up the floor and put up all the chairs, except for the one Bucky's sitting on. You leave his table alone, and bid farewell to your coworker who was scheduled to close with you.

Bucky doesn't know what drives him to do it, but he gets up after he sees you walk out the door, and follows you home.

Damn, if you like a girl, you usually ask for her number or somethin'. Not follow her home to make sure she's safe, you idiot. Bucky's inner voice speaks and sometimes, he wishes it would just shut up because he knows he has no game nowadays, but this is all he knows to do.

He realizes the way you're walking is familiar, and not at all of the way he was supposed to be going. That made him feel a little better, less like a creep. He's about half a block behind you, and when you turn onto the same street he lives on, he's really confused.

Did you know he was behind you? Are you trying to play a trick on him?

But before Bucky can speak up or say something, you walk right past his building, and into the one right next to it.

All of a sudden, images of you right on the street in front of your buildings flash through his head. He's seen you because you're his neighbor. Bucky's seen you right there, getting ready to start your run through the neighborhood, or probably on your way to work, now that he's seen where you work.

But he feels like there's somewhere else he's seen you; somewhere familiar.

He shakes his head, wondering why he's so caught up in you. He thought you were beautiful, but he feels a pull to you that he's never felt with anyone else before.

Bucky's hands move to unlock his door, sliding the key in and twisting the lock open.

He enters, staring at his dark apartment. It's moments like this, when he spends a long day alone, that he wishes there was someone.

Someone to come home to, to hug, to kiss, to share dinner with.

Some to fall asleep with at night. Someone to keep the terrors of the dark away.

But there was no one.

And then his mind thought back to you. Your hair, your face, your warm hands that touched his while you passed him the brown paper bag of treats.

Bucky wishes he was man enough to ask you out. Not even that, just to talk to you. Have a normal conversation, to get to know you.

But that wasn't in the cards for him anytime soon, he thinks.

For now, he focuses on taking things one at a time. And right now, all he wanted was a nice, warm shower and to get at least three hours of sleep tonight.

He's in his room, forgoing the lights for now, before he looks out his window.

For a moment, he believes his eyes are playing tricks on him.

There's absolutely no way that you are standing right there, right outside his window.

Well, in your own apartment, of course.

And there's absolutely no way in hell that Bucky is watching you undress right now.

As soon as you pull off your top, Bucky turns around before he could get more than a peek of your black lace bra, and he feels a burn in the pit of his stomach.

He can't tell if it's shame, guilt, or arousal.

(y/n's pov).・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You couldn't stop thinking about James all day.

After yesterday, you wondered why you couldn't shake this feeling about him.

He'd made it quite clear that he's not a people person. Or maybe he just wasn't a you person.

But again, you tried to not take things too personally these days.

Sometimes, you wondered, though, as you looked through your bedroom window to his some nights.

You imagined what it would be like, watching one of those movies with him at night. Making dinner with him. Having coffee in the mornings before work, wondering what he did for a living.

You chastise yourself for your thoughts, thinking that you were crazy for these ideas you were coming up with out of nowhere.

As you pull off your clothes to get ready for bed, you feel the same emptiness fill your heart when your head hits the pillow, and another day has gone by where you're all alone.

-

The next day, your shift was at ten in the morning so you were up early.

You took your time in rolling out of bed. The warmth of your duvet was holding you down, and you couldn't help take a peek out your window.

You see that the room facing yours is finally housing a body in the bed. In all the time you'd been living across him, you've only seen him on the floor.

You feel a warm flutter at that. Whatever reason led him to actually sleep in the bed last night was, you hope you played a role in it.

-

You make your way to the café, and although walking in the rain wasn't ideal, you made it, somehow.

You clock in and head to the register, ready to take the millions of orders that come in through the day.

"Hi- oh! Welcome back. What can I get you?" Your tone of voice made it clear you were surprised, but was trying to not let it show.

"Uhm, just the same as yesterday, and... Can I get a chocolate croissant?" Bucky's gruff voice tells you.

You ring him up, wondering if you should say something about him being your neighbor. Although, he didn't seem too keen on looking you in the eye right now, and you wonder if you did something to make him uncomfortable yet again.

He seems to have this issue quite often.

Little do you know, this time, it isn't because of you or anything you did.

Well, nothing you did on purpose.

Nothing you were aware of at the time.

Anyways, you tell James to go take a seat and that you'd be right out with his order.

"Here you go, James," you place the plate and mug on the table, and this time, when you hear him say something, you turn around with furrowed brows.

"Sorry, I didn't catch what you said." You apologize, waiting for him to repeat himself.

"I- nevermind, it was stupid anyways. You probably have to get back to work." He mumbles while looking back down at his pastry.

"James, whatever it is, you can tell me." You offer with a kind smile. "I can come sit with you during my break, if you don't mind?" A hopeful smile crosses your face.

"Uh, I- yes, yeah, that would be nice." He struggles for a moment, but finally nods his head in confirmation along with his words.

"Alright, James. I get off in an hour for my break." You simply tell him with a soft grin, and you can practically feel his eyes burning into you as you walk away.

The blush creeping up your cheeks also stays there until the remainder of your shift.

-

As you plop in the chair across from James, you inspect him for a moment.

He was attractive, you'll admit.

Okay, he was more than attractive.

"So, James, where are you from?" You ask, your own cup of coffee in front of you on the table.

"Well, I'm Brooklyn born 'nd raised. Never was a time I didn't live here. You?" His lip twitches, looking out the window fondly.

"That's nice. I moved here when I was nine, so I guess I've been here a while. But no matter where I go, there's nowhere like home." You smile.

"There really isn't, huh? This place is irreplaceable." He gives you a crack of another smile, and you find yourself yearning for more from him. Just a tooth, something.

"Well, do you live around here?" You ask, deciding to play coy. You wanted to see what he'd say.

"Uh, yeah, actually. Over on DeKalb and Clinton." He clears his throat, the hint of a smile on his face melting right off.

"Huh, that's so funny. I live on those streets too." You grin, waiting to see his reaction.

"O-Oh really?" James doesn't really know what to say without giving away that he knows where you fucking live.

"Yeah, isn't that funny? Which building?" You're pressing, and you know he knows, but you're having your fun right now.

"T-the uhm... I live in the Washington." He's now making zero eye contact with you, and you're close to breaking.

"What a coincidence! I live in the Oakley!" You're in a fit of giggles when his face drops, you just can't help it anymore.

"James, can I tell you something?" You ask in a coquettish manner.

"Yeah, I suppose you'll tell me even if I say no." He gives a tight smile as a joke.

"I don't wanna sound like a creep, but I knew you lived in the Washington."

"Oh," James releases a breath of relief, "thank God. I knew you lived in the Oakley, but I didn't wanna sound like a stalker either." He says.

You laugh, sliding a hand on top of his resting on the table.

"Y'know, you do this really annoying thing where you leave your movies running on full brightness on your TV, and I can see it through my windows at night." You laugh at the incredulity of the situation.

"Oh... I never even thought of that. I'm sorry, Y/N." He looks genuinely remorseful, and now you feel bad for any bad thought you've had about the man that lives across from you.

"It's alright. No big deal." Your smile does a good job of convincing Bucky that you truly weren't bothered by his actions, but he still felt bad.

"Y'know, maybe I could make it up to you?" He asks, and you feel a blush moving up your chest. "Like, maybe over dinner?" His voice is timid, you can tell by the way he tilts his head down while speaking.

"James," you slide your hand into his this time, your smaller one resting in his large metal one. "I'd love to go out with you sometime."

Before he could react, you stood up from the chair.

"My break's over, but I get off at 3." You lean down and pull a pen from your apron, scribbling your number onto a napkin. "Here."

You walk away before he could say anything, but there's something about him this time that you notice.

He's blushing, too. And he's smiling. A bright, white, blinding smile.

You think of that smile throughout your whole shift, until you see he's still waiting for you when it's time to go.

"So, do you like Chinese or Italian better?" He asks with a crooked smile.

-

bonus scene:

six months later

You and Bucky are laid across your bed, the TV blaring a movie that neither of you are paying attention to. Your head is resting on his shoulder, leg thrown over both of his, and his hand running through your hair.

"You wanna know somethin' doll?" Bucky asks, and you feel his chest rumble under your head.

"Yeah, everything okay?" You ask while leaning up on your elbow to get a good look at him, trying to gauge his mood.

"Everything's okay, just remembered something." He laughs, his hand moving to hold your jaw in it. You shivered at the touch, but smiled fondly at the action.

"When I first saw you at the coffee shop, that first day when you gave the free coffee and pastries... I followed you home."

Your brows furrow and it's clear that you were confused as to why.

"I wanted to make sure you got home safe, and then it turned out that you lived right next to me. So I went up to my apartment and wondered what I'd done right in a past life to have you live right next to me, and then I saw you lived right across from me." His face was tipped upwards, like he was replaying that night in his head.

"You followed me home just to make sure I was safe?" You asked in disbelief that he did something so nice for you, when at the time you thought he hated you.

"Of course, sweetheart. It was dark out and there 're some real jerks out there, y'know." One corner of his mouth lifts up in a soft smirk. "Didn't want anything to happen to ya."

You lean down and press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, appreciating his gesture.

"I really thought you didn't like me back then, so this is a nice little secret you've been hiding from me." You giggle when he pulls you back in for a real kiss.

"Yeah, well, I don't think I could'a hated you if I tried, baby. You're too sweet. And at the time, I was still getting used to being out in the open without being a national security threat." You both laugh lightly, dropping your head down.

A moment passes where you bask in his words, letting them soak in. And then a thought hits you, and you can't help but become more curious. Now you need to know the answer.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, hon." Now Bucky's brows are pulled together, and you reach up and smooth out the wrinkle with your thumb.

"Did you ever... see me doing anything in here? Like, I usually keep the curtains open, and even if they're closed, they're pretty see-through..." You trail off, giving him time to craft his response.

You have a feeling you know the answer, considering how he turns red like a tomato in an instant as words leave your lips.

"I... there was this one time, but I swear, I wasn't trying to peep on you or anything, it was the same day I followed you and I just so happened to look into your window, and you were getting undressed, but I swear, I turned away as soon as I saw what you were doing, baby-" He was rambling, trying to save himself from sounding like a complete creep after all he's just told you.

"Did you like it?" You ask, innocently, but he knew what you were trying to do.

"I-I- You were getting undressed, sweetheart, of course I liked it... are you kidding me?" Bucky's grasping for the words, trying to make you understand.

"Well... we could always recreate it, but maybe in the same apartment this time?" You cock your head to the side, your doe eyes stirring a feeling in his abdomen.

"I think that's an excellent idea, honey." Bucky's hands grasp your waist as you slide on top of his lap. "After all, I am a hands on learner."

-

fin. i hope you enjoyed!

[tomtenadia]

A Little Braver - 65

So... with this chapter we are officially at t minus 10. There will be an epilogue too, but There are only ten chapters left and I am already crying. It will be very hard to write the word end for this fic. I hope you will enjoy the last chapter. There’s a lot of fluff and alas, the last smidge of angst.

Well, for now enjoy Rowan on his first day as paramedic.

Aelin’s next shift finally came and by consequence also Rowan’s.

She had woken him up in a special way to celebrate his first day as paramedic and he had appreciated the surprise.

Because of their morning tumble in the sheets they were now both running around the house gathering their stuff.

“We are having breakfast at the firehouse, you need to get accustomed to our life soon.”

“I am bringing my biscuits.” He had baked the night before.

“We will not stop you.”

Aelin grabbed her bag and threw Rowan’s at him “do you have everything?”

Rowan nodded eagerly.

Twenty minutes later they were in front of the firehouse. Aelin took his hand “welcome to east, captain.”

He grinned and kissed her then together they entered the apparatus floor and the common room.

A loud chorus of cheers erupted and a big banner was hanging reading Welcome Rowan.

“Thank you everyone. I am so happy to be here today. Also,” he showed them his box “I brought biscuits.”

“Well, now you are even more welcome,” joked Nox.

Aelin took his hand “I am showing him the firehouse and give him his uniform.” She turned to Manon “are the morning task all set?”

“Yes ma’am. After breakfast. They all have their duties.”

Aelin nodded “Let’s go.”

“I already know the firehouse.”

“Shush.”

Once in the locker room Aelin opened an empty one “you can use this one,” she threw him some paper tape “write your name on this and get changed.”

“You are bossy.”

Aelin leaned against her locker and stared at him undressing, he had his back at her “and you love it.”

Rowan laughed and grabbed the uniform she had passed him. Wore his blue cargo pants, his polo shirt bearing the logo of the TFD on one side and the one for the paramedic corps on the other and finally his fleece with his name on.

Aelin moved up to him “you look perfect,” she adjusted the collar of his polo. The uniform suited him perfectly.

Aelin then pulled out two more items “This is a warm jacket, is waterproof and windproof for winter.” Then she grabbed the second item “this is you bunker jacket. In situations where you need to come close to the scene like a car pile up you’ll need to wear it.” She turned it and Rowan noticed it had Paramedic Whitethorn written at the bottom “You keep the bunker jacket in the ambulance. Lys and Elide will show you where. Lys said you can have your cane too in case you need it.”

She took him around the firehouse “we have a laundry room to wash clothes,” Aelin opened a door “this big room is where were hang our stuff. Bunker gear takes up most of the space.”

They left the laundry room and walked to the shower block and bathrooms “this you know already.

The next stop was the dorm “there are spare beds, you can claim yours. You can come to my quarters from time to time but every night is quite cramped and I want you to sleep.”

Rowan circled his arms around her waist “I am okay sharing the dorm.”

She then took him to the gym “we use this a lot. Manon does kickboxing and she loves to come in here.”

“There are a couple of room that are for the ambulance and I will leave Lys to show you. Then we have the gear room that you know already really well and finally…” they walked to a corner of the apparatus floor and opened another door “cleaning closet. We all live here, so the cleaning is everyone’s job. We take turns and Manon has the schedule printed out and in the common room’s notice board.”

“That is fine.”

“Upstair is mostly meeting rooms and storage.” Aelin took his hand “now we can have breakfast.”

When they re entered the common room the female part stopped and stared at him.

“I have a feeling that soon everyone will be begging to have the ambulance from east station to help them,” confessed Asterin.

Rowan laughed hard and Brullo passed him a mug of coffee.

“So, did our captain gave you the tour?”

“Yes, I have a locker and a bed. I am officially settled in.”

Once breakfast was over and done with, the firefighters went all about their businesses, Aelin disappeared in the office and he followed Lysandra and Elide.

“Ro, welcome to our team. Elide and I are really excited to have you.”

“I am honoured too.”

“Now, while I do some paperwork, you can help Elide restock. We have received supplies. You will go through our setup. As I said in school, every ambulance has its own setup according to the paramedics.”

She turned to Elide “I am in the common room if you need me.”

Lys walked away and Elide clapped her hands “First of all, supply closet.”

Rowan followed her through the equipment room and a set of stairs then Elide unlocked a door “this is it. We used to have a small room before and it was a mess. So now we have this massive room and everything is perfectly organised.”

Rowan looked around the room and was impressed. It was tidy and very neat and all the shelves were labelled.

“Lys and I spent hours organising it. We are both a bit of tidy freaks.”

Rowan laughed hard “Then I will fit in perfectly. I am one too.”

“So living with Aelin must drive you crazy.”

“She is learning…”

“So, I have a list of what we need. You will not find medicines here. We only have gauzes, tubes, IVs and all of that stuff. The medicines are stored in the ambulance and you know our reorder process.”

Rowan nodded “For non controlled drugs you just submit a form to the hospital even on the day is fine. For controlled drugs you send the request to Aelin who will then log it in the system for the hospital and you collect it at the next run.”

“That is absolutely correct.”

Elide pulled out two plastic grocery baskets “fill them in.”

Rowan moved around and started collecting everything on his list. Then he walked to the big window and saw the external stairs and beside the pole “do they ever use the pole?”

“I have seen Aelin and Aedion use it a couple of times. They were having a meeting up here and just went down on it. It was cool.”

Once they were both done they waked back down and through the gear room and saw some team members doing all of their checks.

He smiled. Aelin’s world was finally his world too and he loved to be privy to all the back stage moment of a firehouse. It was fascinating.

Elide and Rowan got back to the ambulance and deposited the baskets on the floor and Elide opened the doors.

It was real. He had made it. He was a paramedic.

“Do you want to do the honours?”

Rowan nodded and climbed inside and looked around “I still can’t believe that this is happening.”

Elide chuckled “you have done really well, Rowan.”

He opened all the compartments and started to fill up what Elide was passing him.

“That one at the bottom is the safe, it was installed during Erawan, we keep controlled drugs in there and Lys will give you the access code.”

It was a good half an hour later once they were done and Rowan sat on the seat when Elide came back to him with a bag. Not just any bag though. A jump bag.

“Now you are officially one of us.”

Rowan took it in a daze.

“It’s all good to go. Lys prepared it for you.” She jumped back down and took him to a compartment on the side “we store them here and below,” she pointed at the lower shel “this are our bunker jackets. I assume Aelin gave you yours.”

Rowan went to grab his and stored it with the others.

In that instant dispatch alarm went off and called for ambulance only. Lysandra reappeared in a flash and went to the driver’s seat, Elide at her side and Rowan rode at the back.

His heart was racing in excitement.

Aelin rolled out on the floor to watch the ambulance go.

“The baptism of fire,” added Manon at her side.

Rowan peeked through the window.

“Woman in distress,” announced Lysandra “I want you to run this. Elide and I are at your side if it’s above your skills.”

Rowan nodded and sat back down.

They arrived at the house and all got off and Rowan grabbed his jump bag. Once on the right floor they were met by a distressed teenager “it’s my mum, she can’t breath.”

The three paramedics ran in the flat and the young girl started crying. Elide walked to the girl and tried to calm her down.

Rowan examined the woman while he put a mask on her face, she was struggling to breath.

“Her lips are swollen,” he said, and kept checking her body “Hives. She might be having an allergic reaction.”

He turned to the daughter “Is your mum allergic to some foods?”

“Nuts,” replied the girl panicking “It’s my fault I gave her biscuits without checking.”

Elide took the girl a bit away while Rowan grabbed an epi pen from his bag and injected her.

Lys nodded at him in approval “well done.”

He then stood and went to the daughter “your mum will be fine, but we have to take her to the hospital. You can come too and keep her company.”

The girl hugged Rowan “thank you so much.”

He went back to the woman, placed an IV and then he and Lys lifted her in their evac chair and carried her downstairs and eventually on the gurney.

Rowan climbed at the back with the patient and the daughter.

“Do you have someone that you can call?”

“Dad.”

“Good,” he told her “when we are at the hospital you can give his number to the nurses and they can call him for you.”

“Will my mom be okay?”

Rowan nodded “she will. I gave her a magic medicine.” He grabbed an epi pen from his bag “this is called a epi pen. Your mum should always have a few in the house. And you can learn how to use it.”

The girls face lit u in joy “I can help mum?”

“Definitely.”

“I always check before I gave her a present…”

Rowan took the girl’s hand and they rode in silence to the hospital.

Once there Lys opened the back doors and Elide grabbed the daughter.

“Rowan, you do the transfer too.”

He pushed the gurney through the A&E and a doctor met him. He rattled out all the info about the patient and told them that there was the daughter too. A nurse took the girl aside and Rowan followed her with his gaze.

Lys pulled him to the counter and they filled the paperwork for the call “that was really good. Spotting the hives was a good catch.”

Once all the paperwork was done, the three walked out “So, your first call, how do you feel?”

“Amazing.” 

Ten minutes later they were rolling back into the firehouse and Rowan climbed down with a big smile on his face.

The rest of east team stopped what they were doing and waited for Lys to speak.

“He is a natural.”

Aelin looked at him from a corner and blew him a kiss and Rowan smiled back.

“Ok guys, the show is over. Back to your jobs.” Shouted Aelin walking to the ambulance.

Elide patted Rowan’s shoulder “he ran the call all by himself until drop off.”

Aelin kissed his cheek and walked away.

While Elide spent the rest of the morning with the team once they were free again, Lysandra kept on training Rowan until Brullo called them all inside for lunch.

Rowan spotted Aelin already seated and she patted the space at her side and he joined her.

Aelin then filled her glass with coke and stood “today we welcome a new member to east station. A new family member, so please join me in raising your glass to Rowan. Welcome to the madhouse.”

They all clinked glasses in celebration.

“Now food everyone, before we get interrupted.”

Rowan smiled, he knew from his days spent as a guest that finishing a meal uninterrupted was a blessing for all of them. He had also learned not to jink it anymore after the Solstice incident.

They were almost done eating when dispatch alarm went off again. At least they had managed to get some food in.

Aelin ran for the engine and truck followed.

“A car down a ravine. Apparently it was the passenger herself who called.”

“Ok, this is going to be interesting.” The three vehicles reached the side of the road where the car was meant to have gone down.

The crews descended and started walking along the pavement to spot the car.

“The vegetation is too thick,” Rowan pointed at dislodged soil “but went down this way. These are tyres marks.”

“Manon, you me and Ress are climbing down.” The three grabbed their ropes and carabiner and tied themselves to the hooks on the bumper of the engine.

“Let me come too,” said Rowan to Aelin “I know how move around this type of environment.”

Aelin looked at Lysandra and her friend nodded. They both knew that Rowan also had very special medical training from the airforce and wilderness training..

Rowan turned to Lys “I will keep you updated with the radio.” He told her while donning his harness and getting all roped up.

Aelin had ordered him to wear his bunker jacket too. 

He went down first and started to descend skilfully snapping the branches and making the path easier for the others.

“I still can’t see the car.”

Manon swore in the distance. 

It took them fifteen minutes to reach the car.

“Let’s all check for fuel leaks. Rowan, stay behind.” He did as ordered and waited until Aelin shouted the all clear. He dropped his jump bag on the ground and went to assess the victim.

“She is alert,” he looked at the woman “Hi, I am Rowan, what’s your name?”

“I am…” a deep breath “I am Sam. My body hurts.”

“Ok, my colleagues here will get you out as quickly as they can.”

He grabbed an IV from his bag and tried to squeeze through the smashed window and roof but the metal was bent so badly that he could not fit both arms in to insert the IV.

“I am a doctor,” said the woman “I can do it.”

Rowan passed her all the parts and saw the woman place her own IV then she placed her own c-collar “It’s protocol, you know.”

Nox, Borte and Luca joined the rest of the team and they started working on the metal.

“Ro, it’s gonna get really loud here.”

“Sam, it’s going to get really loud in here,” the woman nodded “Where do you work?” He asked the doctor to distract her.

“Med. I am an orthopaedic surgeon.” A weak chuckle left her lips “I will definitely need one after this. I can feel my bone.”

“Do you have feeling in your legs?”

“Yes, and it hurts like hell,” she groaned.

Rowan looked at the situation and saw that the team was slowly removing parts of metal to allow more access. 

“I was in an accident not long ago. I crashed landed my plane after it malfunctioned. I destroyed my right knee. Busted the kneecap and the ligaments.” He told to try and distract her.

“Ouch, that must have been a bitch.”

“It was, but I had an amazing physiotherapist who made miracles.”

“I can see. You are here and climbed down the ravine.”

Lys voice came on the radio.

“Patient is stable and alert. C-collar in place and IV too. Exposed fracture on her leg.”

“Good job.”

“It’s my first day as a paramedic,” confessed Rowan proudly “I was in the airforce before.”

“A military brat,” she chuckled “3rd battalion of Terrasen army. I was a medical officer for ten years.”

“So this is a pic-nic.”

The woman laughed and Aelin gave him the nod.

“Sam, they are going to remove the roof now.”

Aelin called for a stoke basket to be pulled down with the aerial.

Once the roof was all off, he climbed in and kneeled at her side and started to bandage her leg wound, then placed a few pads on her head to stop the bleeding “Do you feel dizziness, nausea, headaches?”

“No sign of concussion,”

“Well, that will be the hospital’s decision. The fact that you are lucid and stable is a great sign.”

Manon helped him detach the woman safely from the car seat and then slid the two halves of the back board under the woman.

“Have you ever been air rescued, Sam?”

“No, but I saw many soldiers being rescued that way.”

“Well, we will ask our pilots to be gentle.”

Aelin heard him from her position while waiting to catch the basket being lowered by Nox and almost laughed. Rowan was good with people. He really was perfect for the job.

“Ok, Sam, you lift is here.” He took the backboard with Manon and carried the victim to the stoke basket and secured her tightly.

“Go with her,” said Aelin.

Rowan nodded and clipped his carabiner to the hook.

“Nox, lift it up and gently.”

Rowan kept an eye on Sam the whole time they were airborne, then they finally got out of the vegetation and saw the fire trucks and the ambulance “ready for landing, soldier?”

“Thank you, Rowan.”

His feet touched the ground and unhooked himself then helped Lys and Elide recovering the basket. They lifted the backboard and placed the woman on a gurney.

“This is Sam.”

“Hi Sam, I’ll just give you a quick check then we’ll take you to Med.”

“She works there. She is a doctor,” explained Rowan “GCS 15, she has been alert and lucid the whole time. Her vitals have been good, lacerations on the head but she has not exhibited signs of concussion, the seat belts did their job. The leg has an exposed fracture and I treated it on site.”

“He is good,” added Sam, before being lifted in the ambulance.

“That he is.” Lysandra smiled at him.

He climbed on the back with the patient and Lys and Elide went at the front. Ren closed the doors and they drove away.

“I assume it’s military training. You can’t be that good after having just graduated.”

Rowan nodded “It is. It was very advanced. Safe from surgery we have been trained for a lot. It helped a lot during training.”

Sam smiled “I used to train army soldiers, I have an idea of the level of skills you need.”

Eventually they arrived at Med.

“Your colleagues better look after you.”

Rowan did the drop off since he was the one who had been with the patient the whole time.

While walking out he caught a glimpse of his face and saw a lot of small cuts from the vegetation.

“We should get you patched up.”

Rowan shook his head “I just need to wash my face.”

Lysandra patted his back “let’s go back to quarters.”

Once they arrived back at the station they noticed the truck from south station parked on the apron.

Lysandra smiled happily.

Someone opened the rolling doors for them and she parked the ambulance in its spot.

Rowan appeared from the back and saw Fenrys waiting for him, his arms folded at his chest “Paramedic for a day and he already plays big damn hero.”

Rowan laughed and gave a rude gesture to Fen.

The man roared with laughter “Aelin, are you teaching him such gestures?”

“And that was me thinking that the posh boys had manners,” chimed in Aedion smiling brightly.

“I rescued an ex army doctor, Aedion.”

Fen made a gagging sound “do you need to go through decontamination?”

Aedion slapped the youngster on the nape of his neck.

Lys moved near her husband “leave the kid alone.” And gently patted him “what are you doing here?”

“Fen wanted to see Rowan in full paramedic attire and be his usual wicked self.”

“I behaved,” shouted Fenrys.

“I can imagine all the ladies flocking to him soon.”

Rowan huffed a puff “why everyone keep saying that?”

“With all due respect, captain,” added Asterin “you are quite the eye candy.” And at those words all the ladies nodded while Aelin giggled.

Fen then walked to Rowan and patted him in a manly fashion “it’s good to see you finally in the TFD. You look great.”

Rowan nodded. He had talked with Fenrys and they had shared their experiences with ptsd and the young man had been an amazing extra help. He could not believe that man once was the young brash and prone to rule breaking lieutenant that had served under him.

“Come on Fen, we have to take the truck back.”

Lysandra went to kiss her husband and then the two men disappeared away in their vehicle.

She then grabbed Rowan “let’s go.”

“Am I in trouble?”

Lys laughed “not at all.”

They entered the back of the ambulance and they sat down “no other newbie would have been allowed to pull the rescue you did toady, but I trusted you because I am aware of the skills you have.” She told him gently “I heard you in the ambulance talk to her and that’s another gift, just as you did this morning with that girl and her mother.” Lys looked at him and green met green “I have worked with partners who were good medically but could not reassure the patient or even talk to them.” Lys took his hand “I read you right from the beginning. You will do very well.”

“Thanks, Lys. It feels… amazing. I needed this.” He paused “I assume Aelin told you about what I went through.”

“In passing, she gave a very quickly overview without going into details, but yes, she mentioned your ptsd.”

Rowan nodded “It happened after Gavriel…” he let the sentence fall knowing full well that Lys had been close to her father in law “It was bad, but becoming a paramedic was my goal and kept me going on the bad days. This job allows me to help people and the feeling is incredible.”

“I wish more of my students shared your passion.”

Lys patted his leg “Let’s get out, you might want to get cleaned up and inaugurate the washing machine. You have blood on your polo shirt.”

Rowan climbed off the ambulance and went for the toilets, removed his polo shirt and washed neck and face, then with the kit Elide had given him, he medicated his face.

He was treating a cut on his nose when Borte and Asterin entered the bathrooms and the two women stopped. He was bare-chested, the polo abandoned near the sink.

He turned and both women were beetroot red “Sorry ladies, I was just getting cleaned up.”

They both ran away and he laughed.

Aelin arrived two minutes later and leaned against the doorframe “so that’s why Borte and Asterin are all flustered.”

He turned and faced her “I am just getting cleaned up and my shirt is a mess.”

Aelin walked to him and gently grabbed his face tilting up to the light. Then took a swab and coated it in antiseptic and methodically treated the cuts “It looks like you had a battle with a cat.” A kiss on  his nose “you were amazing today. Lys told me to keep an eye on you, but you held your own beautifully,” she treated the last cut and disposed of the swabs “I called the hospital and I was told that she is fine and has surgery planned soon.”

“Thank you.”

Aelin went away and came back a moment later and threw him a t-shirt “put this one on before you knock out my team.”

He grabbed his dirty polo shirt “this needs washing already.”

“It’s okay,” said Aelin grabbing it “I have a load ready, I can add it to my stuff.”

“Go and play with the guys, Ress is starting a video game tournament.” Rowan stooped and kissed her and gently he pushed against the sink “Come and watch me loose.”

Aelin kissed him again and brushed his hair “I am so proud of you. So damn proud.”

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