#i will have a darts board up with his face on it and gonna throw daggers at it until he gets put in his place

[jokidden]

WHO THE FUCK IS THIS GUY THINK HE IS?? Grabbing Isagi like that, calling him Yoichi and acting all entitled like FUCK HIM. Go away. He gets my blood boiling already and this is like the second page he is in. If i have to choose between him or Shidou i would choose Shidou and thats saying something. I hope Isagi fucking wreacks him soon and spit on his ashes.

[chososcamgirl]

(SHE’S) JUST A PHASE CHAPTER FIVE: moon undah water

masterlist

“FUCK PANDA, WHERE’S MY EYELINER?” Yn yells, her voice echoing through the apartment as she throws open drawers and upends her makeup bag.

Panda, sprawled on the couch with an air of disinterest, doesn’t even look up from his comic. “Girl, I don’t fucking know. Maybe try checking the Bermuda Triangle of your room?”

Nobara, meticulously applying a fresh layer of gloss in the mirror, arches an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t that fussed about your look tonight. Did the ‘low-key’ plan suddenly include a makeover?”

“Yeah, and we all know how committed she is to ‘low-key’,” Maki chimes in, scrolling through her phone with a practiced nonchalance. “Last week, she claimed she’d be fine with a used condom. Look at her now.”

Yn, throwing a dramatic glare at the mirror, retorts, “I’m just trying to avoid looking like I rolled out of bed. And don’t think I don’t see your smug face, Maki. You were ready twenty minutes ago.”

“I’m not saying anything,” Maki says, still smirking. “But let’s be real: you’re going to enjoy this concert way more than you’re letting on. I’ve seen you get excited over far less.”

“Right, like the way you get excited over a text from Yuta,” Yn shoots back, her irritation giving way to a smile. “This is different. I’m in denial. I’d rather stay home, but here we are.”

Panda finally drags himself up from the couch, stretching theatrically. “Alright, alright. Let’s find your eyeliner before you start writing angry letters to the universe and turn to a different religion.”

“Don’t act like you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart,” YN says, rolling her eyes. “You’re just angling for free concert snacks.”

Panda ambles toward the bathroom, mumbling, “Hey, I’m just here to see if you start throwing punches at Megumi. And the if the concert snacks are free, so be it.”

Nobara chuckles as she finishes her gloss. “I swear, you act like finding that eyeliner is the equivalent of defusing a bomb.”

“And if she had to choose between a bomb and missing this concert,” Maki adds, “I bet she’d defuse the bomb.”

Panda returns, holding the eyeliner with a look of triumph. “Victory is mine. Your eyeliner has been rescued from its perilous hiding place. Now, can we please leave before Yn decides she’d rather stay home and have a personal pity party that contains Megumi’s face on a dart board?”

Yn grabs the eyeliner, her irritation melting into reluctant gratitude. “Thanks, Panda. I’ll try to enjoy myself, even if I’m still pretending this is all just a big inconvenience.”

Maki heads for the door, tossing a glance over her shoulder. “Just remember, when we’re at the concert and you’re having the time of your life, we’ll all be here to remind you of this moment.”

Panda pats Yn on the back with mock solemnity. “And I’ll be right there, enjoying the spectacle and making sure you don’t look like a hot mess.”

As they head out, the apartment hums with the low murmur of their laughter and playful banter, with Yn begrudgingly acknowledging that, despite her initial reluctance, she’s in for a night worth experiencing.

The curtains part with a dramatic swoosh, revealing four dark silhouettes against a blazing backdrop of stage lights. The crowd’s collective breath hitches in anticipation, a palpable energy crackling through the air. From her vantage point, she easily picks out Megumi; he’s more attractive in person than she could have imagined. His form, silhouetted against the intense glow, seems to exude a magnetic allure that’s both commanding and captivating.

“Thank you all for coming!” Toge’s voice booms with a rich resonance that reverberates through the venue, igniting a wave of cheers and applause from the throng of fans.

“We’re gonna start tonight off with a special.” Toge’s voice rises, each word dripping with promise.

Yuta’s bass rumbles underfoot, sending ripples of vibration through the audience, heightening the sense of anticipation.

“This is ‘Moon Undah Water’.” Toge declares, his voice imbued with a fierce energy that sets the stage ablaze.

As the first powerful chords of the song blast forth, the stage lights explode into a riot of color. The band is bathed in a kaleidoscope of hues, each member’s movements magnified in the shimmering light. Megumi’s electric guitar sparkles with every strum, his fingers dancing deftly over the frets. Yuji’s drumming pounds like a heartbeat, driving the rhythm forward with relentless intensity.

She finds herself enveloped in the music, each note wrapping around her like a living, breathing entity. The air is thick with the electric charge of the performance, the collective energy of the crowd mingling with the raw, pulsing sound.

Amidst the chaotic symphony of lights and sound, her gaze locks onto Megumi. His focus is intense, his body swaying in perfect harmony with the rhythm. As if drawn by an invisible thread, their eyes meet, and the world narrows to a single, searing point of connection. In that instant, it’s as though the entire venue fades away, leaving only the two of them suspended in a private universe.

Megumi’s lips curl into a slow, knowing smirk, a gesture that speaks of secrets shared and unspoken promises. His eyes glint with an almost predatory intensity, acknowledging the undeniable spark between them. The smirk is laden with confidence and a touch of mischief, as if he’s fully aware of the impact he’s having on her.

She feels a flush of warmth spread through her, her heart pounding in time with the frenetic rhythm of the song. The connection between them crackles with electricity, a silent dialogue that resonates beneath the explosive finale of the music. As the song builds to its triumphant climax, she remains locked in that moment, lost in the intensity of their shared gaze.

extras!

• megumi definitely snitched and asked gojo to put out the no food rule LMFAO

• so now the group just has a bunch of rotting tomato’s in their apartment

• give it 3 days and fruit flies will start invading

• the six shots joke is a big inside joke last year when yuji and yn were taking shots and on their seventh shot they both got really horny and hooked up

• drummer!yuji spinoff when.. looks at ree

• british slander in this sorry uk moots trust i love u all

• you know that one picture of the girl laying on top of the other one applying eyeshadow imagine yn and nobara instead

• no nobara and yn have not hooked up they just used to practice kissing on eachother to see if they were good kissers

• it was platonic idc

• nobara is def a good kisser tho

• megumi was def stressing bc he wanted to make yn eat her words by saying he was not attractive

• definitely worked

• my pussys gone crazy!!!!!!

• megumi smirking knowing yn was not expecting him to look like that omfg okay sjap megumi defenders u win this chapter

• yn def took a picture of him

a/n: i loved this chapter sorry it look so long LMFAO um next chap perhaps wednesday? i’m trying to not make a week long update bc it sucks so i’m trying to post twice a week😭 also moon undah water is a puma blue song! go listen to it here to get the vibe of the concert’s atmosphere or go listen to their set list here !

taglist: @shokosbunny @luvvmae @catobsessedlady @satoryaa @prozacprinc3ss @essjujutsu @therealsatorugojo @yeehawslap @gojodickbig @dawnisatotalqueen @j2upiters @nappingnai @lalalasillybilly3000 @totallytatum @3cst4syy @lysaray @saltypuffin1040 @aozui @noodles-icetea @makeshiftproject @kurtcobaingirlie @kokoiinuts @renbittt @dashingaurries @slvttycorpse @cuupidsss @mochroialainn @tenjikusstuff4 @oroborosttheiii @ichcocat @4ngelfries @drugzforyou @sugurubabe @allthestarsarecloserrrrrrr @tyigerz @yoyo-yui @megoomies @yizmiu @jasminasblog22 @yomamablazeit @marst4rz @guitarstringed-scars @qtnfer @kalulakunundrum @lovefrominaya @beepbopzlorp @iheartlindz @itsdragonius @meguemii @chilichopsticks @7kn0wn @starantulas @1l-ynn @bonitoflakez @rcveriees @solaqes @starrysho @sukunaspillow

*if i can't tag you please change your tag settings otherwise i will remove you from the list!

[simpforrooster]

bullseye.

jake “hangman” seresin x f!reader

summary: you’re tired of waiting for jake to make a move, so you force his hand.

t/w: mentions of alcohol, some kissing

the dart leaves your hand sloppily. if only your dad could see you. he’d be so embarrassed.

you throw another one, no skill or finesse.

you feel his eyes on you.

hangman.

glancing over your shoulder at him, you meet those green eyes. his mouth quirks up in the corner. that damn mouth. he has no idea how distracting that mouth is.

you and jake have been flirty with one another since you met, but he refuses to make a move.

that ends today.

bringing your attention back to the dartboard, faux concentration covers your features. you take a few practice throws, then let the dart sail towards to board.

it misses.

footsteps sound behind you, followed by a beer bottle being set on a table.

“darlin’, you are no good at this,” hangman’s southern drawl heats your insides. all he has to do is call you darlin’ with that accent and you’d do anything for him.

putting a hand on your hip, you turn to look at him. “i know,” you whine, poking out your bottom lip for dramatic effect.

hangman’s eyes fall to your mouth, then back up to your eyes.

jackpot.

“turn around,” he says, nodding toward the board and putting a dart in your hand.

hangman slides up behind you, barely touching you.

“you’re throwing this all willy nilly, there’s a strategy to it,” he tells you in your ear. his hand runs slowly down your right arm, resting on your hand holding the dart. his hot breath against your ear causes your heart to pick up. you pray he doesn’t notice.

he guides your hand up. “loosen your grip,” he murmurs. his other hand comes to your waist. he steps forward closing the little space between you. the feeling of his body against yours is everything. you lean back against him, just slightly.

that hand on your waist slides down to your hip. “the trick is confidence.” hangman pulls your hand back, and your let it go when he guides you forward.

bullseye.

“atta girl.”

the praise makes you want to turn in his arms and kiss him. jake takes a deep breath, his chest pushing into your back. the hand on your hip hasn’t moved.

“wanna play me?” you ask him.

“what’s in it for me?”

“an easy win?” you turn and he looks down at you. you don’t miss his gaze falling to your mouth again.

the two of you could be the only ones in this bar with the tension floating between you. it’s getting harder and harder not to engage in anything inappropriate.

“if you win, i’ll buy you a drink,” you offer. it’s lame, but

he smirks. “i’ll take that. what if you win?”

“if i win,” you pretend to think. his thumb rubs a spot above your shorts, causing goosebumps.

“yeah?” he murmurs.

“i want a date.”

he squeezes your hip. “deal.”

jake steps away from you. “ladies first.”

you turn toward the board. you feign hesitation. you glance over to jake and give him a shrug. “here goes.”

looking toward the board, you throw the dart with perfect form and precision.

bullseye.

jake’s mouth falls open. two more darts follow and land in the center circle.

“well, well, well. did you hustle me, darlin’?” that southern drawl melts your insides. jake steps toward you.

“you gonna throw your darts?” you ask him. he takes another step. he looks from you to the board.

“you and i both know i can land all three of mine in the same circle with my eyes closed.” he smiles down at you.

“we do know that,” you agree. feeling brave, you bring your hand to his waist, knotting your hand in his soft t shirt. his gaze falls to your hand, then back to your face.

he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. “i’ve got to give it to you, i’m impressed.”

“i was tired of you not making a move,” you admit, pulling him closer to you.

“you want me to make a move, huh?” he asks. your bravado leaves you thanks to the way he’s looking at you. his eyes search your face, pupils blown.

“yes, jake,” you breathe. a groan escapes his mouth and he pulls your face toward him. kissing him is like being on fire and he’s the only thing that can put you out. your body arches into his, and your name falls from his lips like a prayer.

“every bit as perfect as i imagined,” he whispers against your mouth.

this time, you close the gap. he takes your lead, fully making out with you in the middle of penny’s bar. luckily, the dart board is situated the in the corner so you’re pretty sure no one is paying y’all any attention.

“psst, hey man,” coyote’s voice pulls the two of you apart. “things appear to be escalating past bar appropriate.” he gestures between the two of you.

jake grins down at you. “wanna get out of here?”

“yes, jake.”

masterlist.

[marvelfanfics1]

Sunburn

Request: The second one would be at the beach!! Brother!jj keeps warning his sister to apply sunscreen but she doesn't want to listen and at the end of the day she got sunburns and cries to her brother and jj would be like "i told you, you ain't listening to me" but somehow will still applying after sunscreen, or a cream to ease her pain <33

Pairing: brother!jj maybank x toddler!sister!reader

Warnings: sunburn, fluff, not proofread cause I'm tired :3

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ♡ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

"We gonna go swim now?" You ask excitedly, holding JJ's hand and skipping by his side.

"Sure thing, squirt." He smiles at her, waiting for Kie to spread out the blanket before placing the cooler onto it together with the bag that was slung over is shoulder that had all necessities for you in it, such as snacks, your floaties, towels, etc.

You quickly get out of your shirt and shorts, revealing your swimsuit that had a turtle printed on the front, a gift you got from Kie on the first day of summer.

As JJ was rummaging through the bag for something specific you already took of running but didn't get far when he circles an arm around your body without even looking.

"Ah, ah, ah. Nice try." He chuckles, pulling out the sunblocker. "Didn't we forget somethin'?"

You make a grimace, shaking your head. "Don't need it! It's stinky."

"Trust me, ya would rather stink than have a sunburn later." He retorts, sighing when you didn't stop wriggling in his hold.

"Don't want it!" You whine loudly, pushing at his face so he would let you go.

He reluctantly let's go of you, dropping the sunblocker onto the blanket. He catches your wrist again as you were about to bolt after John B and Pope who were already jogging towards the water with their boards.

"Floaties." He reminds her, getting them out of the bag.

You huff but let him slid them over your arms, knowing that these are not up for discussion as you still can't swim without them.

"Can I go now?" You ask impatiently.

"Go." He waves you off, shaking his head with a smile as you dart off, shouting after you. "Stay close to JB or Pope!"

Kie had just finished getting out of her own clothes, smirking at the blonde. "She'll have one hell of a sunburn later."

JJ groans, grabbing your discarded clothes and dusting off from the sand before putting them in the bag for later. "Don't remind me but she gotta learn from it somehow."

Kie nods, reaching into her own bag and tossing a bottle of aloe vera at him. "You'll need that later."

"Thanks. You're a lifesaver." He smiles.

After a while of swimming and JJ helping you stand on his board a few times where you fell in the water a few time because he accidently shook the board you were now back on the sand, building castles with Kie while the boys did their thing.

Your sand castle was decorated with all kinds of shells, sticks, and leaves that you both collect from the beach.

Kie grimaces a little when she sees your back already in a light shade of red but continues to help you.

Soon enough the boys came out of the water for a snack and drink break. JJ whistles you over to him, holding out a juice box for you which you happily take. "Thank you."

He ruffles your hair and glances at your self made castle. "Whoa, that's a lit castle, cupcake."

You beam at that, smiling brightly. "You think so?"

"'Course I do. Y'think we can live in there?" He asks and you giggle.

"We too big for that, silly."

Later in the afternoon the pogues were sitting outside the Chateau with a crinkling fire, a few beers and some music while you were inside getting ready for bed.

JJ could hear you crying before you even came out, throwing his head back with a sigh. "There we go."

"Jay..." You sniffle, trotting over to him and tucking yourself into his side.

"What's wrong, hm?" He asks despite knowing the answer not even rubbing your back like he usually does when you're upset, knowing it would only hurt with the possible sunburn you definitely must have.

"It hurts!" You whimper against his bicep.

"What hurts? You gotta be specific, kiddo."

"My back." You mumble and he turns you around, lifting your shirt just enough to see your irritated skin.

"Damn, that's a nasty sunburn." He winces, turning you back around to face him. "I told ya this would happen."

The way you were looking at him with big teary eyes makes him soften and he stands up, picking you he carries you back inside and to the bathroom.

He sets you down on the toilet lid, patting your head. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

He leaves to retrieve the aloe vera cream Kie gave him earlier, rushing back to the bathroom. JJ grabs under your armpits to hoist you into a standing position, pulling your shirt over your head.

"Turn around. I promise it'll feel better soon." He instructs and starts to apply a good amount aloe vera onto your back, cooing softly when you whimper from the sudden coldness. "I know, I know."

As soon as he was done you turn back around still sniffling, reaching your arms out for him and he instantly scoops you up, swaying with you from side to side.

"Better listen to me next time."

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ♡ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

@chimindity

Taglist

For everything:

@my-river-lilly @pauntedblacknails @fanfictioniseverything @devilslilbabysblog @buckymydarlingangel @hallecarey1 @daybreakwinter @loveshineslikethesky @wandaslittlewhore @vase-of-lilies @white-wolf1940 @simpingbutch @mischiefsemimanaged @alina02 @teddybearsgrr @doozywoozy @angelbabydoll28 @glxwingrxse @lilymurphy03 @veryvaughnny @lokigirlszendaya @youngstarfishdinosaur @little--baby--bear @minideathgoddess @rach2602 @aagn360 @gh0stgurl @flourishandblotts-inc @fluffyblanketgecko @lovelyy-moonlight @yoruse @kissforvoid

For JJ:

@chiaraanatra

[fatecantstopme]

The Wink

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: Bucky reveals how he really feels about you through a series of winks and an answer to a question you never wanted to ask.

Warnings: SMUT, oral (F receiving), unprotected sex (P in V). Aftercare. Small bits of fluff. Slight body issues (Bucky hates his scars). Feelings about being used for sex. Use of pet names.

"You're an idiot," you said with a laugh.

"Maybe, but this was entirely your idea."

You smacked his arm and rolled your eyes. "It was your idea, James."

He cocked his head to the side as if he was deciding if he agreed with you or not. He took another swig of his beer and shrugged. "It's possible that you're right." He held up a dart and shook it in front of you. "So you gonna take the bet or not?"

You grabbed the dart from his hand and grinned. "You're still an idiot." You threw the dart and it hit the board with expert precision. "Are you sure you wanna take the bet?" you teased.

Hr grinned and stepped forward, throwing his own dart at the board. It was an instant bullseye. "Oh doll, I'm gonna win this one." He winked as he teased you.

You groaned, knowing you were probably going to regret this later. You threw the dart again, aim pretty good, but certainly not a bullseye. "Shit."

Bucky threw his bullseye a second time. He turned to look at you, shooting you a wink as he grabbed his drink. "Your turn, doll."

"You can't win, Barnes."

"I'm pretty sure the game is mine, sweets."

You bit your lip and turned to face the board again. You knew that losing wasn't an option. You took a deep breath and threw your last dart, sinking it right in the bullseye. "Yes!!"

Bucky smiled and threw his last dart. "Ooo, bullseye number three, doll. Looks like I win." He winked at you again before setting his drink down and leaning closer to you. "So now you have to answer my question."

"What was your question again?" you asked in a light tone, trying to give yourself more time to formulate a better answer.

"If you could only save one person's life on the team, who would you choose?"

It was the question you never wanted to think about, let alone answer. If it came down to it, who would you pick? Whose life did you value more? Could you even pick between your teammates--your friends? Hell, every single one of them was more like family...how could you pick one family member to save?

The problem is, you knew your answer. You knew it from the moment Bucky had first asked the question 20 minutes prior. You'd refused to answer, thinking he would just let it go, but you should have known better. Instead, he made a wager...putting the answer to his question on a game darts. A game you had lost.

You could answer him honestly, but that terrified you beyond belief. You could lie to him instead, but that had its own risks. It was a rock and a hard place scenario and he knew he had you.

"I can't choose, Buck," you complained.

"It's hypothetical!"

"I know, but I love all of you. How could I possibly choose?"

"I chose," he said simply.

Your mind wandered back to a mission from three weeks before. The mission where Bucky had saved your life...

The room suddenly lit up, the muzzle of a gun flashing brightly as a bullet shot from it. The gun was pointed at you and you knew you were about to die. You could practically feel the end racing towards you at the speed of a bullet. You closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the pain, but it never came. Your eyes opened to a scene you'd never imagined seeing.

Bucky stood in front of you, his gun firing off a round as he dropped to his knees. His bullet hit his target, killing the Hydra agent instantly. When Bucky hit the ground, you hit it with him, coming to his front to assess the damage.

"Bucky!" your eyes scanned his body, panic settling into your chest. He was bleeding, but he looked alright.

"I'm fine, doll. It's just a shoulder wound."

"Why'd you do that? Why'd you jump in front of me?"

"Because you wouldn't have survived it. And I couldn't live with that," he said softly.

He wasn't wrong. That bullet would have killed you. While it only pierced his shoulder, it would have hit you directly in the head, killing you instantly.

"Thank you," you whispered.

"Anything for you, doll," he said with a wink.

Back in the present, you shook your head, clearing the memories from your mind. "That's not the same, Buck. I'd die for any one of you. That's much different than picking which one of you to save."

He shook his head. "You didn't see the whole thing. I didn't just save your life, I chose yours over Sam's."

You froze, trying to picture the moments before the gun went off, but the room had been so dark...you hadn't even seen Sam. "Sam's fine, though."

"Sam was fighting another Hydra agent when that one squared up with you. I saw him raise the gun at the same moment I saw Sam get pulled into a choke hold with a knife to his throat. I chose to save you."

You were silent, allowing his words to sink in. "I--I didn't know that. Sam never said anything."

"Sam got away moments later, so he never had a reason to bring it up."

"You just acted on instinct though."

"Perhaps, but I knew I would save you if it came down to it. I'd always choose you." He smiled and shot you another wink. It was the third one this evening alone and you were starting to wonder if they meant more than you'd originally thought.

Bucky was always winking at you. Sometimes jokingly, sometimes in a flirtatious manner, and sometimes even in a serious moment. They always made your heart flutter, but you didn't think they meant anything to him. Bucky was flirty, but he'd never made a move, so you assumed he wasn't interested.

"You still haven't answered my question, doll, and you do owe me an answer."

You took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine. I'd pick you, alright?" you said with a huff.

He looked surprised, but unconvinced. "Why? Because I picked you?"

You groaned, deciding to lay your cards out on the table, come what may. "No you idiot. Your stupid face popped into my head the moment you asked me the question, okay? I knew I'd pick you."

"Then why didn't you answer it the first time?"

"Because!"

"That's not an answer."

"Ugh!" You sighed again. "I didn't say it because I didn't want to explain why it was you."

Bucky looked at you strangely. "You're not gonna make me ask, are you?"

"Damnit, James," you groaned. "I can't live without you, okay? There's no world worth being in if you're not in it."

You couldn't believe you'd just said that out loud, but here you were, heart laid bare, in the awkwardly quiet compound game room.

Bucky didn't say a word, but he wasn't speechless. He was simply contemplating his next move, weighing the consequences of his actions before he made them.

After a few more painfully silent moments, he grumbled "Fuck it," before crossing the short distance between you two and pressing his lips to yours in a frantic, yet passionate kiss.

You were surprised by the suddenness of his actions, but you melted into him without a second thought. The kiss was infinitely better than you had imagined, and you had done quite a lot of imagining.

When Bucky's lips left yours, you whined slightly, wanting nothing more than for him to kiss you again.

"Sorry, doll. I've wanted to do that for ages."

"Well what you took you so long?" you asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't sure you wanted me to. You never said anything either, you know. At least I dropped hints."

You rolled your eyes. "Can you please just kiss me again?"

He grinned and leaned back into you, mouth encompassing yours instantly. He loved the taste of your lips, the feeling of your tongue fighting against his, the way you gripped his arms like you were terrified he was going to disappear.

Bucky pulled away once more, the action almost painful. "Should we move this to my room? Anyone could see us here."

"Bit presumptuous of you, James," you teased.

He started to back peddle, a look of panic crossing his features. "Oh, I--uh--I didn't mean--"

You laughed. "I was teasing you, handsome. I'd love to move this elsewhere."

He relaxed, exhaling long and slow. "Thank god." He grabbed your hand and practically dragged you towards the elevator. "Come on."

"Buck, my legs are a lot shorter than yours, so can you slow down a little?" you asked as you jogged after him.

"Sorry, sweets." He turned towards you and scooped you up with ease before continuing to the elevator.

"What are you doing?"

"It's faster if I just carry you."

"Are we in a rush?"

He gave you an unreadable look. "Let's just say I've wanted you for so long that I actually might not be able to contain myself for much longer."

You smirked. "So you're gonna take me right here in this elevator?"

His eyes darkened. "Don't tempt me, baby, because I will."

You blushed. "I wouldn't say no..."

He looked like he was considering it for a moment before shaking his head to clear his dirty mind. "No, no. Our first time needs to be in a bed, where I can attend to your every need, not some dirty elevator."

You'd be lying if you said that the idea of him attending to your every need wasn't sexy as hell. The image of him on his knees for you sent a wave of pleasure straight to your core.

Bucky inhaled deeply and a low growl escaped his throat. "Fuck, you smell good."

You gasped, realizing he could actually smell your arousal...freaking super soldier senses.

The elevator door finally opened and Bucky practically ran towards his room. He pushed his door open and kicked it closed behind him before tossing you on the bed. He stepped away from you and took a few deep breaths.

"Bucky? You okay?" you asked in concern.

"I just need a minute, doll. Need to control myself."

"Why? I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be and you know it," he growled. "I could hurt you and I might if I lose control."

You crawled across the bed towards him, hand reaching out to him. "You're not going to hurt me, Buck. Just come here...please..."

His eyes met yours and you were taken aback by how dark they were. The normally bright blue irises were almost entirely hidden by his pupils, an almost feral look in them. It was an expression that might terrify a lesser woman, but you trusted Bucky with your life. That wasn't going to stop in the bedroom.

"Come here, baby," you whispered gently.

He let you take his arm and pull him towards the bed. He stopped when his legs touched the edge of the mattress. "I wanna be gentle with you, doll. Treat you right."

You cocked your head to the side as you took him in. "While I love that sentiment, Bucky, I don't need that. I need you and I'll take you in whatever form you come."

He groaned. "You're amazing."

You grinned. "Oh baby, you ain't seen nothing yet." You shot him a wink to emphasize your statement and he practically jumped on top of you, earning a squeal of delight from you.

He pinned you to the bed and started kissing you again as his hands began to undress you. His hands were fumbling with your shirt and he groaned in frustration before simply ripping it in two.

"Bucky!"

"I'm sorry, I'll buy you three to replace it," he mumbled, reattaching his lips to your skin.

He quickly rid you of your pants, leaving you in nothing but your underwear and a bralette that was arguably a little small for your chest.

Bucky sat back to take you in, eyes hungrily dancing across your body. He tapped the fabric between your breasts, "Is this expensive?"

You shook your head. "I have a couple more like it."

"Good," he said as he pulled a knife from his pants and slid it under the fabric, cutting the bralette in two. He cut the straps and tossed the ruined fabric onto the floor along with his blade.

You stared at him in a shocked silence, wetness seeping into your underwear. "That was hot as hell."

He grinned and inhaled deeply. "I can tell you liked it, pretty girl."

He grabbed your underwear and tugged them harshly down your legs. "Holy shit," he murmured, sliding a finger between your folds to collect your juices. "This all for me?"

"All for you, Bucky."

He licked his finger and groaned loudly. "Fuck, baby, you taste even better than I imagined."

He dropped to his stomach between your thighs, spreading your legs as wide as he could. He didn't bother to tease you, just dove right in, devouring you with a kind of hunger you'd never experienced.

You were a moaning mess in minutes, begging him not to stop, a plea he took to heart. When your orgasm hit, he worked you through it, never stopping to even take a breath.

You tugged on his hair and whimpered, but he kept going, needing to taste you for a little while longer. He wanted to feel you explode on his tongue again and again and again until you couldn't take it anymore.

"Bucky--I'm so close, please," you gasped.

He dug his fingers into your hips and kept your pussy tight to his face, not letting you squirm away.

Moments later you came with a cry of his name, waves of pleasure making your hips buck against his face. He worked you through it, only stopping when you begged him to give you a break.

He lifted his head, giving you a view of his slick covered beard. "I could eat that pretty pussy all day long, baby." He licked his lips. "Tastes so damn good."

You whimpered softly and reached for him, wanting to kiss him again. He wiped his face on his shirt before tugging it off over his head and lowering his body back down to yours. You held him close as you kissed him, fingers lightly tracing the scars on his left shoulder.

You felt his body stiffen under your hands and you pulled away to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he murmured.

"Hey," you said softly, grabbing his chin to force him to look at you. "Talk to me."

He sighed heavily. "I'm just not used to anyone touching my scars."

"Oh," you said in surprise, pulling your hand away from him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Shit--no, that's not what I meant. Most women tend to avoid them. I know they're not pretty to look at."

"I think they're beautiful."

He looked at you as if you were insane.

"I'm serious, Bucky. Each one tells a unique story of your life. They're a part of you and that makes them beautiful to me."

His eyes softened and you could have sworn you saw the ghost of a tear slide down his cheek. "I don't deserve you," he whispered.

"Oh hush. That's not for you to decide." You hooked your leg around his hips and flipped him over with surprising ease. "If we had more time, I'd kiss every single one of your scars until you believed me, but we don't."

His eyes widened. "Are we in a rush, baby?" he teased, echoing your earlier statement.

You grinned. "If I don't get your cock in me soon, I may never recover."

"We can't let that happen, so we better get to it."

He helped you remove his pants, leaving him in just his boxer briefs. His bulge was massive and your mouth was watering in anticipation. You gripped the waistband of his underwear and pulled them down slowly, allowing his cock to spring free.

You inhaled sharply as you took in the massive erection before you, a slight panic settling into your bones at the thought of having something that large inside of you.

As if he sensed your panic, Bucky chuckled lightly and said, "Don't worry, baby. It'll fit."

"I don't think so."

He grinned. "We'll make it fit."

You looked up at him with what you hoped was a neutral expression. Concern immediately clouded his face, so you knew you'd failed miserably.

"Hey doll, it's okay. I'll go nice and slow, alright? I'll be gentle."

You nodded and took a deep breath. You positioned yourself directly above his painfully erect cock and began to lower yourself down very slowly.

Bucky gripped your hips tightly, making sure to guide you as slowly as he could manage. You both moaned as he began to enter you, the stretch causing you to dig your nails into his chest.

"I've got you," he whispered.

You tried to lower yourself further, but Bucky's grip on your hips kept you from moving. He meant it when he said he wanted to be as gentle as possible.

"I can take it, Buck. Let me try," you murmured.

He looked at you and nodded slowly, not looking entirely convinced, but he loosened his grip on your hips, allowing you to take control.

You took a deep breath, deciding to handle this like removing a band-aid--just get it over with. You sat down on top of him, sheathing his entire cock within your tight walls.

You cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain, body stretched in ways it had never been stretched before.

Bucky groaned loudly, almost covering your cry. He looked at you with wide eyes, checking to see if you were okay.

Your body was acclimating to his size and you were becoming desperate the longer he remained still. "Please, Bucky," you whimpered.

"What do you need, baby?"

"I need you to fuck me--please."

He gripped your hips again and started to move slowly, letting you match his pace.

"I'm not made of glass," you grumbled.

He looked up at you in surprise. "What?"

"You're not going to break me, Bucky. I want you to fuck me until I can't walk, understand?"

He nodded rapidly, eyes darkening once more. "Are you sure?"

"Fuck. Me. Now." you demanded.

He wasn't going to deny you such a request. He shifted his body, planted his feet on the bed, and began to piston up into you with speed and force.

"Fuck!" you gasped, the pleasure slamming into you like a freight train.

"You're so tight, doll. Feels so good wrapped around my cock."

Bucky was giving you exactly what you'd asked for and you loved it. The tip of his cock brushed your cervix with every thrust, the whisper of pain only adding to your enjoyment.

"Squeezing me so tight, baby. You gonna cum for me? Gonna make a mess on my cock?"

You whimpered and nodded rapidly, your third orgasm of the night creeping up on you. "Feels so good, Buck."

"I know, baby. It's like heaven--could stay here forever."

Your fingernails were digging crescent shapes into his chest as you clung to him, unable to do anything more than moan and gasp his name. "Please," you whimpered.

He knew exactly what you were asking for, so he didn't slow down or alter his movements. He continued to pound into you until you came with a cry of his name, pussy pulsating around his cock.

"Fuck!" he gasped. "Fuck--baby--shit, you've gotta stop that or I'm not gonna last."

"Can't help it," you mumbled. "Feels so good."

"I know pretty girl." He pulled you down to his chest and held on tightly as he flipped you onto your back, allowing him to get a better angle.

By this stage, your body was hyper-sensitive and you could feel every single movement he made.

His hips began to move again and his fingers caressed every part of you he could reach. He pinched your nipples, rolling them between his fingers as he fucked you. "Can you give me one more, sweets?"

Your eyes widened and you shook your head.

"You sure, doll? I think my pussy can do it." He changed his angle, giving him the ability to hit your g-spot with each thrust, as if to punctuate his sentence.

You moaned loudly and clenched tightly around him, eliciting a groan from his lips.

"I think she can give me one more, baby. My pussy--treating me so good--gonna make sure she feels good too."

You moaned again, nails clawing at his back as he fucked you.

"Yeah? You like that, huh?" he groaned into your ear. "Who's pussy is this, baby?"

"You--yours," you gasped out.

"That's right, doll. It's mine."

He knew you were getting close, so he slid his left hand down between your bodies, using his finger to gently massage your clit.

"Bucky!" you gasped.

"You gonna cum for me again, sweets?"

"So close," you whispered.

"I know, doll."

Three more thrusts and you were falling into an ocean of pleasure, wave after wave crashing into you. You were barely aware of Bucky chasing his own high, the crest of your pleasure blinding you to anything else.

Bucky came with a low groan of your name, spilling his seed deep within you. When he was spent, he collapsed on top of you, body shaking slightly from the intensity of his orgasm.

You laid like that for several minutes before Bucky finally shifted, rolling off of you and leaving you cold and empty. You reached for him almost instinctively, but he wasn't beside you.

You whimpered softly, looking around the room for him. He appeared from the bathroom holding a washcloth, a look of concern on his face.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I didn't know where you went," you whispered sheepishly.

He looked sad. "Just wanted to get a nice warm washcloth to clean you up with, doll."

"Oh."

He very gently began to clean you up, hands surprisingly soft. "I've got you, doll. I'm here."

You felt kind of foolish...you were simply used to be treated differently by men. You'd always been the girl they'd fuck and leave, none of them ever stayed long enough to even make sure you'd cum, let alone clean you up after. It was wrong of you to assume that Bucky was the same.

When he was done, he tossed the washcloth to the floor and crawled back into the bed, pulling you into his chest. "Wanna tell me what's wrong, sweets?"

"I'm--I'm just not used to aftercare, that's all. I...I thought you left."

"It's my room," he teased softly, laying a kiss on top of your head. "Besides, I'd much rather hold you after sex than lay in an empty bed."

You looked up at him, taking in his disheveled appearance and eyes so full of love it almost hurt to look at them. "Thank you, Bucky."

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For being you," you said simply, placing a soft kiss to the scar on his right shoulder, the one he got from saving your life.

"Anything for you, doll. Anything for you."

[void-wolfie]

Falling Head First

summary: you're a bit clumsy, it's a good thing Jenna's always there to pick you up when you fall. [request]

pairing: Jenna Ortega x gn!Reader

tw: none? terrible writing lol... (let me know if I need to add anything)

words: 2.22k

a/n: hope this is what you were looking for anon. Sorry it took me so long to get to your request.

You skated past that house again, the one where the kids were always outside playing. The one where that pretty girl lived.

Except this time, there weren't any kids outside goofing around. Just her. That pretty girl who was roughly your age, maybe a bit older. She had her headphones in and her nose buried in her phone as she sat on the front porch.

You always rode past her house, hoping maybe one day she'd stop you and say hi. You'd stop yourself, but you just couldn't... Your mother called it being shy, your therapist liked to call it social anxiety. Either way, you couldn't bring yourself to talk to her. Or anyone really. Too many what-ifs... What if she laughed at you? What if you embarrassed yourself? What if she hated you? Or called you stupid? Or-

Lost in your thoughts, you'd completely missed the rock in the road. Your skateboard darted out to the side, throwing you head-first into the pavement.

You rolled over onto your back, trying to brush off the adrenaline pumping through your veins. Everything hurt, but nothing felt broken, right?

"Oh my god, are you ok?" You looked up to notice the girl rushing towards you, looking fairly concerned.

"Uh-" You looked yourself up and down, nothing felt broken, nothing looked broken, "Fine, I think,"

"You're bleeding," She kneeled beside you, softly tilting your chin to get a better look at your head.

She prodded at the corner of your forehead with her finger. You instantly recoiled, hissing at the stinging sensation.

"Sorry, sorry," She backed away, leaving the cut alone. "You're not gonna need stitches, come on, let me get you patched up,"

She stood up and held out her hand, offering to help you up.

Your mind was reeling. Why was she being so nice to you, the two of you were strangers…

"Uh, thanks," You took her hand, letting her help you up. It was either let her help clean you up, or skate home with blood dripping down your face. Might as well pick the option with the pretty girl, you thought to yourself.

You picked up your skateboard and followed the girl into the house, leaving the board by the door so as not to track dirt through the whole place.

"I'm Jenna, by the way,"

"y/n,"

She pointed at the toilet and you sat down, wringing your hands nervously. She dug around underneath the bathroom counter, most likely looking for a first aid kit of some kind.

She set a bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the counter followed up by a washcloth and a box of Band-Aids.

"I've seen you around before, do you live close?"

Oh small talk, why did it have to be small talk? You suck at small talk...

"Uh, yeah. Just a few streets down from here,"

"How old are you?"

You internally cringed, why did this feel so painfully awkward?

"Sixteen, my birthday's in a few months... what about you?"

"Seventeen, my birthday was last week actually,"

"Oh, happy birthday,"

"Thanks,"

The smile she gave you made you feel like you were on cloud nine. Butterflies, fireworks, every other stupid little analogy they talk about in those cheesy romance novels. You'd fall off your skateboard every day if it meant you could see that smile just one more time.

"Stop moving," You hadn't even realized your knee had been bouncing up and down, picking at your fingernails. Bad habits you'd picked up over the years, and ones you generally caught yourself doing when you were nervous.

She grabbed the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and the washcloth, placing herself in between your knees as she stood in front of you. "Alright, hold still. This'll probably sting."

"One, two..."

You waited for her to get to three, but it never came. Instead, you felt her pour the liquid into the cut, burning as it fizzled.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow-" You tried to sit still, but you weren't very good at it. You were squirming like a worm on a hook, eyes closed as a mix of hydrogen peroxide and blood dribbled down the side of your face.

You heard Jenna giggle, followed by the feeling of her hand cupping your cheek, "I said hold still." She wiped off the side of your face with the washcloth, dabbing at the cut slightly to make sure it was all dry.

You felt her leave the spot in front of you. You opened your eyes, watching as she tossed the washcloth into the sink, grabbing the box of Band-Aids from the counter.

"Ok, you have a very important decision to make," you tilted your head, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Jenna had to hold in a laugh at how adorable you looked.

"Scooby-Doo or Spiderman?" She held up two Band-Aids, one with little Scooby-Doo heads and doggy prints, the other with Spiderman doing a bunch of different poses.

She was attempting to look dead serious, a blank stare as she waited for you to answer, but you didn't buy the act for one second.

You scoffed playfully, "Scooby-Doo, of course."

She set the Spiderman Band-Aid back in the box with a smile, "Not a fan of Spiderman, huh?"

"Spiderman is cool, Scooby-Doo is just better,"

She stood back in front of you, nudging your knees further apart so could step between them again. Only so she could get closer to your face for the Band-Aid, no other reason. At least, that's what she told herself.

You watched her as she got closer, getting lost between the freckles that dotted her face like stars in the night sky and those big brown eyes, nearly black as night yet full of so much life and joy.

"You're staring," She smirked, enjoying the blush that spread across your cheeks and up to your ears.

"Sorry," You squeaked out, nervously looking at the ground.

"It's alright,"

She grabbed your chin in her hand, angling your head so you were staring at the wall so she could get a better view of the cut on your head. "Stay,"

You didn't move a muscle. How could you when she said it like that? Like you were some lost little puppy following her every whim… Putting it like that made you feel pathetic, after all, you'd only met the girl today. And yet, part of you knew you'd do whatever she said just to keep seeing that adorable smile.

Five minutes and you were already whipped...

You were so caught up in your thoughts you barely even registered her putting the Band-Aid on. You hadn't realized she was done till her hand was on your chin again. Her hand was still cupping your face as you stared up at her, once again falling prey to those enchanting eyes and countless freckles.

"All better," She took a step back, removing herself from between your legs, much to your disappointment.

"Hi, love," you leaned back, hanging upside down in front of Jenna.

She yelped, jumping back a step out of surprise. She hadn't expected you to be there when she rounded the corner, "Jesus, y/n. You scared the shit outta me."

"Sorry," You gave a sheepish smile, feeling bad for scaring her.

It'd been two years since you met Jenna, and one amazing year since the two of you started dating. Your only regret was not kissing her that first day you met. She was standing right there, right between your knees, and you let the chance slip away... But that was a thing of the past, and now you could kiss her as much as you wanted.

"What are you doing up there? It's starting to rain, baby, we got to go,"

You pouted, a bit childishly at that. Jenna had to fight off the urge to smile at you. She didn't want you to fall and hurt yourself, you were already prone to accidents as is.

The two of you decided to have a day for yourselves, just goofing off and having fun. Somewhere along the way you ended up at the park, walking along the trails and enjoying the peace and quiet. Jenna left you near the playground by yourself while she ran off to the restroom, it was only natural that you decided to goof off and have a little fun. After coming back, Jenna noticed the rain coming in, scaring off what was left of the remaining parents and kids.

It was drizzling as she searched for you. Rounding the corner she found you here, dangling upside-down from the pull-up bars by your knees.

"I wanted to try kissing you upside down, like in the movie last night,"

She couldn't hold back the giggles this time, smiling at your adorable pout, "You mean the Spiderman kiss? The upside-down, kissing in the rain thing?"

"Yes please, kisses now," You made grabby hands at her, which came out a bit awkward and uncoordinated from how you were hanging upside down.

She laughed, showing off that radiant smile that you adored. She grabbed the sides of your face, kissing you as requested. It was soft, simple, and sweet. No different from the dozens of other times she'd kissed you before. But goddamn, that feeling you get every time never seems to go away. Her kisses were addictive, they set your nerves on fire and left you craving more. You felt like you could melt under her touch.

Apparently, you relaxed under her touch a little too much. Your grip on the bar loosened and the bar slipped out from beneath you. Before you knew it Jenna was scrambling back as you tumbled head-first into the uneven ground below.

You knew something was wrong the second you landed, a small crack coming from somewhere.

"Ow..."

Jenna watched you slip from the bar, managing to brace your fall as you stuck out your arms. She heard a yelp, followed by a strained 'ow'. But you didn't get up right away. She watched you curl in on yourself instead, writhing about on the ground in pain.

Shit.

She was down on her knees beside you in the dirt, wanting to help but afraid to touch you and make everything worse, "Hey, what happened? Where's it hurt?"

"My wrist," You managed to get out between gritted teeth, tears already beginning to well up in your eyes from the pain, "I fell on my wrist."

"Ok, let me see,"

You stopped wriggling about long enough for her to look at your arm. It didn't look like it was broken, granted her idea of ‘broken’ entailed bones sticking out of the skin or limbs pointed in funny directions.

Jenna went to gently grab your arm, so she could check the other side, but you quickly pulled back with a little yelp and a rush of tears.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She was starting to panic now, she'd barely even touched you.

The rain was starting to come down harder now, too much longer and the two of you would be soaked to the bone. Far off in the distance, Jenna could just barely make out the rumbling of thunder.

All she had to do was get you to the car. But that was easier said than done. You were still on the ground, wet from the rain, and tensed up in pain.

"Hey, baby, look at me,"

You stopped wriggling around for just a moment, long enough to focus on Jenna. She placed her hands on either side of your face and you closed your eyes, melting into her touch. She placed a kiss on your forehead, then on your nose, and finally on your lips.

"Let's get you home, alright?"

She lied. Well, not technically, but yes.

When Jenna said she was going to take you home, you assumed she meant right away. But that was a lie. Instead, she forced you into going to the ER first to get your wrist checked out.

After hours of waiting, having to endure the stale smell of disinfectant, and medical professionals poking and prodding at your arm, you were finally being sent home.

You flopped down on the sofa the second you got through the door. You were exhausted. You closed your eyes and curled up into the corner of the couch, being careful not to agitate your arm, wishing you could fall asleep right then and there.

You were just about to doze off when you heard footsteps approaching. You didn't bother to look, only one other person was home.

"Scoot over, love,"

You did as you were told, making room for your girlfriend next to you. The second she was comfortable you laid yourself across her lap, finding it a bit awkward to get comfortable with the splint for your wrist.

Your eyes were shut once again as you felt something soft being nudged into your arms. You didn't have to look to know what it was. It was the stuffed animal Jenna bought you for your birthday, the absolute softest plush dinosaur you'd ever seen. You definitely haven't slept with it every night since then.

She draped a blanket over the two of you and by the time she started running her fingers through your hair, you were already asleep. The only sound in the room coming from your soft snores.

[lovelyd0gg]

hiiiiiii beautiful, how are you feeling? Your HCs are very entertaining, so I have an idea.

How would the boys treat you if you were the only girl in the company and they were in love with you? THANK YOU!!!!!😘

Hey gorgeous, I just woke up (MORNING PERSON FRRR) I'm so happy you find them interesting<3 Of course I'd love to do that hc. Enjoy it<3

Warnings: Flirting, eyeing you up and down.

Bull Randleman.

•He was part of the E company so all of them were men, but to be honest, he didn't really care which gender came to the army.

•But one day, Winters brought E company for a quick little meeting for a new recruit and when he saw you, oh boy.

•Some of the other men in E company were already eyeing you up and down and some whispering some catcalls to their pals.

•But Bull was a gentleman and didn't do that.

•When you all were at a bar you noticed some men in E company and Bull were throwing darts at a board

•You asked if you could join and he just smiled and nodded.

•You were really good at the game so when you hit the board really close to the bullseye, a couple of men who weren't even playing started watching.

•Bull knew that you weren't a woman someone could easily mess with. So he was proud of you and knew you were gonna fit in (despite the constant catcalling🙄)

•He counted the points and gave you back the darts.

•"Shit, Y/N. You got more points than the others."

•When the other men had their jaws on the ground Bull smiled at their reactions.

•Who knew such a small woman like you could first join the army and second, beat EVERYONE in darts (honestly-- girlboss)

•Needless to say, Bull thought you were quite pretty and he knew you would fit right in. Hopefully you'd go with the paratroopers like him.

Eugene Roe.

•He felt a little confused when you weren't a nurse, you were a soldier, and the only female soldier in E company.

•Let's just say his head tilted at least 5 times when Winters explained to the company that you were a new recruit.

•Eugene felt disgusted that some of the men were whispering catcalls and whispering some dirty things about you, he felt that you weren't gonna last long here mentally.

•But boy was he wrong.

•Already 1 day in, he heard commotion at the darts are and he noticed you scored the highest than all of them.

•He was impressed.

•He looked down at your little frame and smiled.

•You weren't just adorable, honey.

•Later, you and him were having a chat on why you both were here and what you're gonna do when you go back home, so just a normal chat between you two.

•You both managed to get some flirting in the conversation which made you realize that both you and Eugene, weren't good at receiving flirts from each other.

•The whole time you both blushed and stuttered whenever the other said something flirty.

•You swore you could've heard him say "Mon dieu" (my god) when you flirted with him.

•But girl, you have him around your finger so don't worry about him looking at any other girls.

George Luz.

•Unfortunately, he was part of the people who were catcalling you in whispers.

•But he was also the first to shout a catcall to you in the bar.

•You rolled your eyes and ignored him because this isn't the first time someone catcalled you.

•Well a couple days go by and Luz and you got on the same page, he was flirting with you at times but it wasn't anything serious.

•He cracked a ton of jokes with you and you both became friends!

•He was also a little confused as to why you weren't a nurse like the other women at the infirmary.

•Oh well! You're a soldier instead of a nurse, so you couldn't do anything about it! Plus, George wasn't complaining at all😏

•He had you more to himself and he was happy with that.

•I think it's safe to say, he toned down on the catcalls, since you also told him to flirt face to face and not be a wuss.

•"Whatever you say, gorgeous."

Bill Guarnere.

•He saw you enter the barracks with a straight back and chin up, you had an emotionless expression and at first, to him, you didn't look exciting.

•But wait... Is that what he thinks it is?! BOOBS!

•When he was looking st you head to toe, he noticed your chest was more puff than the men in E company.

•So that immediately clicked his brain and he out two and two together and immediately knew you were a woman.

•Crazy right? He had to use his last two braincells for this very hard 'gender mystery'.

•When everyone was at the bar. He noticed you were at the darts board and he looked at the board of darts with his jaw open.

•"What the hell? How the fuck--?!"

•The man was too stunned to speak.

•But he noticed your ecstatic expression and immediately tthought he could beat your highest score.

•"She ain't that special. I could probably beat her."

•He didn't 😄

•But you two did chat the rest of the time, getting to know each other and stuff like that.

•So I think despite all of that, he found you a little cute. (He would never admit it though 🤭)

Lewis Nixon.

•He didn't really mind but he did wonder why Winters would choose you to join E company or the army in general.

•As soon as you walked in, he was sizing you up, almost like he'd start a fight with you or something (smh💀💀)

•But when he got a closer look at you, he thought you'd fit in the company easily.

•He was at the bar and as usual, DRINKING!

•He heard loud gasps and "WADDAFUC" around the darts 'play area' as he called it.

•He rolled his eyes and walked over. He saw the place the darts were in and his jaw dropped.

•"Waddafuc indeed Luz!"

•He was impressed to say the least.

•You and him chatted for a while and he couldn't stop looking at your eyes for some reason.

•You asked him why he was looking at your eyes and he responded with.

•"They're gonna make me hypnotized."

•So that was something--.

•But let's just say he was... What's the word? "In love with you."

Ronald Speirs.

•He wasn't happy.

•The army is for men and men only, and the women were for the infirmary where they could be a nurse.

•So seeing you, a female wanting to be a soldier, was actual DISBELIEF.

•But, he did take a couple more glances at you here and there and started to think that maybe he was a little too harsh on the thoughts of you and maybe he should see what you are like.

•So when he heard shouting and commotion at the board he saw you and you scored the highest.

•He'd be lying if he said he wasn't impressed.

•Then you and him had a conversation of what happened when you both had to leave for the army and your story made him intrigued.

•Well he was more intrigued by your lips moving..

•But girl, it's hard to get a guy like him in love with you. So BE HAPPY.

Joseph Liebgott.

•Like George, he was also whispering some flirts and jokes to his friends.

•You definitely weren't ugly (YOU'RE STUNNING IRL<3) but he didn't know it you were his type.

•But he decided he didn't want to be a douchebag so he gave you a chance to fit in today.

•He saw you scored the highest points at the darts board and he laughed and smiled.

•He hit you on the back as a "good job!" Type of thing.

•Maybe you were gonna fit in after all!

•You and him then took some drinks and talked the whole night about what you wanna do in the future and where you wanna go and see.

•He was actually interested by your stories and the plans for the future!

•He did flirt with you, like a lot. But it was harmless flirting! It didn't make you uncomfortable anyway.

•He definitely found you beautiful too, you were definitely his type in the end.

[boygiwrites]

Harley D. Dixon 36

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📖Chapter List.

"Harley?"

Merle. It's Merle!

My voice comes out as a screeching cry — "Merle!" — like I've just watched him get shot at the climax of some dramatic movie, before I'm breaking free of Glenn and crashing into my Uncle's arms, and he's warm like the Georgia sun around me and he's alive.

"Holy shit," I hear him rasp in my ear as he hugs me tight. I'm thinkin' the exact same thing! Holy shit!

"You're al— You're a—," I blubber, pulling my face away from his neck to look him in the eye. "You're alive!"

It's been a whole year since I last saw him, but almost nothing about him has changed. His face is broad and wrinkled by the sun, nose ugly and crooked from all those bar fights, and he's still got that look of a brute about him that my Dad never quite mastered.

He didn't die in Atlanta. He didn't die anywhere. He weren't layin' out on the concrete roof of a skyscraper, slathered in sweat and blood as the dead tore into him with wet fingers like greedy kids at a barbeque — Not like he was during so many late nights, dyin' over and over again in my nightmares — because he lived. I got no idea how, and I sure don't got no idea how I ever doubted him, neither.

"I sure am," He smirks, his dark blue eyes tinged with adrenaline.

He glances over my shoulder at Dad, chuckling to himself at the sight.

Dad hasn't moved. Not even an inch. He stands there, staring at us with that same look on his face as when he watched me step onto that frozen river last year, afraid for my life but without anything he could do to save me, help me, pull me back into safety.

His gaze darts between Merle's face and mine over and over again, as if he can't decide who to look at.

Why ain't he happy to see him?

Merle's chuckle dies away, leaving us in a terrible silence. I can't figure out what's wrong.

"I asked you nicely to drop yer shit," One of Merle's friends warns them. "Or did you forget?"

Reluctantly, Dad and Glenn throw their weapons aside, lifting their hands in surrender.

"Merle," Dad eventually says in greeting, tense and unfeeling, glancing at me once again. "Long time."

"Forever," He agrees. "And Harley's barely grown a hair's width, haven't ya, princess? Woof. What the Hell happened to yer hair?"

"It got a bunch'a blood in it, so I cut it all off and now I just keep it short. Daddy helps me." I giggle as he ruffles my hair, my gaze dropping down to his other hand — Or, well — Blade. He ain't got no hand at all. I gasp, "What the Hell happened to yer arm?"

"You like it, huh?" He lifts it up, the metal glinting just a few inches from my eye. "Fixed it up myself."

"Woah," I breathe, looking into my own pupil in the reflection.

"You can tell her all about it back in town," His friend with the brown skin angrily butts in. He shoves his gun at Dad and Glenn, his wavy, black hair suckered to his forehead with sweat as he sneers at them. "I know a few guys who'll wanna have a chat with these fucks!"

Merle lowers his blade as he stands to his full height. "Hold up, India. You're really gonna ruin my nice family reuni—?"

"I don't give a shit if it was Christmas, Merle. They gotta pay."

"Arjun's right." The other man steps forward, snatching the gun and knife from my holster and throwing them aside, making Dad and Glenn tense up, relaxing only slightly when he steps back. "They're comin' back with us. Frankly, whether you like it or not."

I don't know why, but I back away from Merle, slowly at first but then I'm running to hide behind my Dad.

What? Coming back with them?

Back, where?

I thought it was all just a big misunderstanding, and that now I got my Uncle here, everything's alright?

Uneasy, I glance at the dead man laying off to the side. His vacant eyes stare at the sky as his blood trickles out from around the bolt lodged between his eyebrows, slowly dripping into a big puddle on the tarmac. Eric, I think they called him.

"Are you serious?" Glenn exclaims in outrage. "We've got a kid! Merle, that's your niece!"

"Wanna tell me where you're holed up?" Merle asks, and when Glenn's stammering is met with a smug look of indifference, almost like he's bored, I realize he's not going to save us from this. This isn't a reunion anymore. "Didn't think so. Wherever you're set up, I'll bet'chu my other arm our place is ten times the fuckin' paradise. Just make this easy for us, man. Harley won't be in no typa trouble."

Peeping around my Dad, I look up at his face. "Daddy, what's goin' on?"

I don't wanna go nowhere with these people when the invite's like this. They're angry with us — Real angry.

Dad looks like he's about to explode. "Merle—"

"It's either that or the Indian and the fat-ass shoot us all in the head right now," He deadpans. "And while I wouldn't be too sad about Glenny here gettin' his shit rocked, I don't fancy it happening to you or Harley. Okay? C'mon. This is a favor, brother."

I look up at Dad again, but he's silent. What's gonna happen to us at Merle's paradise town?

Glenn takes a step forward. "You can't do thi—"

BANG.

His hands fly to his thigh. "Fuck!"

As Dad gasps, I squeal, "Glenn!"

He shot him!

"I'm not messin' around, cowboy," The white man snarls, marching forward and grabbing Glenn's arm. "Get movin'!"

We're leaving with them. We really are.

Dad quickly picks me up and protectively cups my head to his shoulder, his grip on me tight. I wrap my legs around his waist, not realizing how much I'd been wanting to be in his arms. Oh, my God. I know we killed their friend, but can't we just tell them we're sorry? It was in self-defence, and nobody alive this far into the end of the world ain't done it at least once. We were only here for baby formula.

Dad grunts as the Indian man shoves us forwards with his gun, the sound of Glenn struggling to walk behind us.

He needs a doctor. We can't run away even if we wanted to, not when he's like this. That man knew that when he shot him.

Merle's laughing his ass off. "Holy shit, Boyd! Ya ain't have to shoot him!"

"Whatever, Merle. Just get the keys outta my pocket 'fore I shoot you, too. You're drivi— Shit!"

Mouse suddenly lunges at him, biting onto his ankle and shaking his head from side to side, growling nastily.

"Shit! Shit, get him off!" He cries out as Merle rears his leg back and kicks the dog in the face.

Yelping, Mouse backs off before a couple gunshots split the tarmac around him and he turns on his heel, scampering away through the trash and litter. My heart jumps and sinks at the same time, watching him disappear into the trees with his tail tucked.

I feel Dad's muscles tense under me.

Lowering his gun, Merle calls out after him, "Scram, poochie!"

"Shit, that hurts," Boyd winces down at his blood-soaked jeans, shoving Glenn forward. "Hurry it up. I got a date with the med bay."

"It's gonna be okay, chicken," My Dad's mumbling into my ear as we all make our way across the parking lot, fingers squeezing the back of my neck. "I can feel yer little heart racin'. It's gonna be okay. Me and Glenn and Merle ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you."

Merle said this was a favor. If we told them where the prison was, we'd be leading a bunch of angry people right to our family, and they might want to take our food or our beds or even our lives, just like those people that Jim was with who threatened the Greene farm. If we just let them take us to their paradise instead, then maybe— Maybe they can sort this out? They won't shoot us all in the head?

"Where are we goin'?" I mumble into my Dad's shirt, watching the forest shrink behind us. "I don't wanna go."

"I know ya don't, chicky. Me, neither." He steps up onto the curb of the pavement, then back down on the other side and through the main parking lot, approaching their car. The man keeps his gun on us as he pulls the passenger door open. "But it's gon' be okay."

"Shut up and take shotgun," The man nods at the seat. "Your kid can sit in your lap."

Without answering, Dad climbs into the car, door slamming shut behind us. I watch over his shoulder as Glenn is forced into the middle of the back seats, his face wrung in pain, his fingers curled around the blood gushing from his thigh. Arjun and Boyd take a seat on either side of him, the fatter man shoving him upright before pointing his gun at the back of Dad's head, scaring me into looking away.

"We're gonna take a little drive," Merle sighs as he swings into the driver's seat and pulls his door shut.

He twists the keys into the ignition, engine rumbling to life.

As he peels outta the car park, Glenn's pained groans growing louder by the second, I wonder where that beetle went.

We end up at a checkpoint gate.

Merle's got his window rolled down and he's chatting it up with another one of his scary-lookin' friends, who I guess is a guard. They're talking about work schedules and other gossip, until Glenn makes a loud noise and he bothers to ask who we are. Oh, that's the guy from my old group up in Atlanta, he's telling him, And my brother and his daughter. My niece. I told you about her. Can you believe it? I ain't really listenin'. I'm looking out at the tall walls of sheet-metal, the barbed wire curled along the top of it, the people holding big guns up in the tower, spitting on the ground and smoking while they stare down at us with loose smirks. Somehow, it feels a little like the prison.

"No shit?" The guard eventually exclaims with a grin. "Hey, congrats, man. That's some crazy luck you got."

As he looks us over, twiddling his fingers in greeting, I feel my Dad's grip on me tighten before Merle pulls his attention back. "You're tellin' me, man. But listen. We gotta head on down to the blocks — Tell ya about it later — so get Philip for me, will ya?"

"Sure. I'll radio him," He nods. "But, yo? Where's Eric at?"

"Just open the fuckin' gates, Mendoza," Boyd snaps, pressing his gun harder to Glenn's temple. "I'm gettin' impatient."

The guard makes a shrugging gesture before he takes a step back, whistling sharply at somebody. "Open up! They're good!"

"What the Hell are, 'the blocks', Merle?" Dad grits as the guards begin to pull the gate open and Merle drives through. All the barbed wire and metal walls fall away, revealing pretty town houses and flower beds lining the streets. Merle weren't lyin'. This place looks like— Well, it looks like paradise. It feels like we've gone back in time, to before all the blood and death and walkers. "What's the plan?"

"The blocks are where we put the undesirables." We pass a woman and a man walking together with a baby stroller and a cute little dog on a leash, and they're happy and clean, and I wonder if they know what 'the blocks' are. They look like all they gotta worry about is what they're gonna have for lunch. I also wonder where Mouse is right now. Poor little guy. "They're gonna question you and the Asian."

"His name is Glenn," I mumble unhappily, knowing nobody gives a shit. They shot him.

Dad scoffs. "Should'a known you wasn't gonna send him to a doctor. Y'all ain't the special-treatment type, is ya?"

"Fuck you, Merle," Glenn whines from the backseat. "Fuck you."

"W-wait," I frown. "Ya can't leave him like this, Merle. Herschel says it ain't right."

Merle shrugs. "Who's Herschel?"

"He's an animal doctor. And he says you always gotta take the bullet out, or it might not get better. Please?"

"Princess, I think what you're sayin' is adorable," He says as we turn a corner, the streets suddenly becoming a little duller — No flowers, less people, open dumpsters and construction cones lining the curb. "And I get it, but it's outta my hands, okay?"

"Well, can't ya at least give him a bandage?"

"What about Harley?" Dad cuts me off before I can argue any more. "She sure ain't goin' to no, 'block'."

"Hey. I'm stayin' with you," I turn to face him. If that's where he and Glenn are goin', that's where I'm goin'. I'on care if the blocks is where they put their 'undesirables'. I'll be an undesirable with them. I can't be on my own. "Daddy, I gotta stay with you."

He ignores me. "Merle?"

"I know she ain't. Don't worry," He reassures him, pulling in next to a half-built house. "She can stay in my apartment."

"Good," Dad slowly nods, but it's not good at all.

"No. Dad, don't leave m—"

"It's better this way. Okay?" He scolds me, brows raised as he waits for me to answer, but I know that look in his eyes. I know why his fingers are shaking. He's scared. I give nod, before he pulls me in for a hug. "Okay. So, shut up and give yer Dad a hug."

Merle cuts the engine off.

"We're here. Get out." Arjun shoves his door open and climbs out, pulling on Glenn's shirt. "I said, 'Get out'. Come on."

"Fuck you," He whines again.

Dad places a kiss to my hair, pulling away as Boyd rips our door open. "It's gonna be okay. I'mma see you soon."

I shake my head. "How you know?"

"I'mma make 'em."

"What's the matter, asshole?" Boyd taunts as Dad reluctantly climbs out, leaving me in his seat. "Never been to prison before?"

"Sure," Dad jokes, pinning the man with a unamused look. "I'm gettin' fuckin' deja vu."

The door slams in my face.

"Come along, then, tough guy."

It's gonna be okay, I repeat in my head as he shoves my Dad forward with his gun. I'mma see you soon.

I watch them go. I want so bad to run out and cling to my Dad's leg, so tight they'll have to let me stay with him, but I remember what he's always told me. Sometimes, little girls don't get what they want. It's always for my own good, so I bite my tongue as he and Glenn hobble down the steps of the building's cellar door, a cold sense of grief washing over me as the top of their heads disappear.

It's only now that I realize I don't even know where I am.

"You heard yer old man," Merle says to break the silence. "It's better this way."

It's like I'm back in the parking lot at Arrendale State Prison, sitting on Merle's hip while they take my Daddy away. That jury was just a bunch of pansies, princess, he told me, They don't get what it means to be a Dad. He's innocent.

"They're just gonna ask him a few questions," He tells me now. "Nothin' he can't handle."

"I wanna go with 'em," I murmur to myself, staring longingly at the closed cellar doors.

If it's just questioning, why can't I go, too?

"No, ya don't," He laughs a bit, twisting the keys into the ignition. "C'mon. Let's go kick back at Uncle Merle's place, huh? Like old times?"

I say nothing as he pulls into the street.

"It'll be fun. Ya still like Twinkies?"

The door to Merle's apartment closes behind me.

Dumping his backpack on the floor, Merle stretches his arms over his head, groaning as he meanders up to his kitchen cabinets.

"Got 'em stashed away up here somewhere."

"Woah," I mumble, looking around. "You live here?"

"Welcome to my humble abode," He chuckles to himself. "It ain't too big, but you won't hear me complainin'."

We ain't never had no apartment. Apartments are for hipsters and rich kids, as Dad liked to say, but it looks like Merle's been living it up since the world ended. I'm kinda jealous, but it ain't his fault I sleep in a cell and had to eat mushrooms for four months.

As he paws through his groceries, I head over to the lounge area, picking up the magazine laid out on the coffee table. The shiny lady on the cover smirks at me, and when I notice how she got no clothes on, I quickly drop her back down. The cashews scattered at my feet and the empty bag of crisps shoved under the sofa suddenly seem very interesting, and also the baseball bat laying across the cushions. Merle was never very good at cleaning up after himself. Turning away, I pass the dining table, approaching the open window.

Sunshine sweeps over me as I push the curtains aside. The street below is loud, busy, normal. A pair of ducks wade around in the still, green water of a stagnant fountain in the nearby gardens, one dunking its head under as an armoured truck drives by.

"There they are."

If Dad was here, he'd prolly tell me that joke about ducks I like — What time does a duck wake up? At the quack of dawn. We read that in a fortune cookie when he ordered Chinese food one night. I hope he and Glenn are alright, but I ain't so sure.

Merle drops the box of Twinkies on the table. "Here we go, princess. Sit down."

Turning away from the window, I take a seat opposite of him.

"Are those real?" I ask. "No way."

"You know you sound like some sorta feral animal, askin' all these questions." He throws one to me. "Yeah, they're real."

"Thanks, Uncle Merle."

"We got a lotta catchin' up to do. You gotta be nine by now, right?"

"Yeah, I think so!"

"So, little miss nine-years-old, wanna hear the rest of that story?" He grins, taking a Twinkie for himself.

Tearing the plastic open, I nod, taking a bite. "We all thought you was dead."

"So did I, girl." He jokes, shaking his head. "Oh, man, I thought I was dead. Weren't no way any old Joe was gonna get himself outta that pickle, but I ain't any old Joe, am I? Nah. I thought of you, I thought of yer Daddy, and I cut myself outta them cuffs."

"That's how ya lost yer hand?" I giggle in disbelief, earning myself a nod. "You crazy, Merle. Did it hurt?"

"'Course it hurt. But I got it cauterized, got it all bandaged up with my shirt. You know, y'all was gone, time I got back."

"Wait, what? So, we missed ya?"

"By at least a day, is my guess. Fires were cold. I found one of yer socks on the ground. Kept it with me for weeks."

Oh. My Uncle is a real asshole — He's exactly the typa person he used to pride himself on protecting me from — but I know he loves me. To think, if we'd left just a few days later than we did, he could'a been with us this whole time. I used to think about that every day. Things prolly would'a been worse with him around, sure, but he's family. You're supposed to stick around when things get worse.

"Sorry, Merle," I sigh, fiddling with the crumbs on the table. "We didn't wanna leave. Really. But we had to."

"Yeah," He sneers. "Was it Officer Friendly?"

"Nah, it was me." I admit. "I got real sick. We thought I got scratched by a walker and we went to the CDC."

He deflates a little. "Well, shit, huh? What happened?"

"It was like I was dyin'. Dad was angry at everybody. He broke a walkie. Turns out, I just had food poisonin' from some bad jerky Glenn made. Ain't nobody ever taught him how to cure meat properly, you know. After that, he was kind of our only friend."

"What, y'all like that little twerp, now?" He chuckles awkwardly, taking another bite of his Twinkie.

"Merle," I pause, a little embarrassed I have to say it out loud. "Merle, I like all of 'em, now."

It's been a year — A year.

I like Officer Friendly. His woman, Lori. I like the Asian, and the housewife, Carol. I like all of 'em. I don't know when it happened, or if I really had a choice in it, but everything is different now. Even if some things are still the same, like Merle.

That group is my family, but he don't need to know that. I know he'll just say call me brainwashed.

"And to be real honest," I reluctantly add, "They're prolly wonderin' where we are right now. Y'know?"

This Twinkie is nice and all; I'm finally back with my Uncle again. I even saw a dog on a leash. But I hope he don't think I want to stay here. It ain't really a paradise if my family ain't here with me, or if my Dad and my friend are locked up in a cellar right now, being questioned. I gotta go back to my real home sometime. I don't belong here. Ya don't belong in a place that you got taken to at gunpoint.

Merle looks down at his empty wrapper, wordlessly crumpling it in his hand. I can tell he's pissed off.

"How much do you like it here?" I ask, suggesting, "I know you got new friends and all, but what if you came back with us?"

"Baby, I got an inklin' that's not how any of this is gonna go down," Merle scoffs lightly. "I'm sorry, but it ain't."

"I—? I don't get it. Why not?"

Don't he wanna be with me and Dad?

"Think about what yer Dad said just now." He straightens, his metal blade clanking as he lays his arms on the table. "Things are better this way. We got running water here. Plumbing. Electricity. Hell, girly, I can even get'chu some of them Disney movies you like."

"I don't—"

"What was it again? Fox and the somethin'? Fox and the Hound? I can trade Patty for it. We can watch it tonight."

Swallowing the stale glob of Twinkie in my mouth, feeling it slide down my throat like tacky glue, I leave the last bite on the table.

"I don't know, Merle," I guiltily shrug. After a long, uncomfortable silence, I ask, "Can I have some water?"

He relents, sighing. "Sure, baby. Hang tight."

As he stands up to go back into the kitchen, I forget all about his promises of snacks and movies, thinking of my group back at the prison instead. They don't got no Twinkies, or TV, or my favorite movies, or even electricity, but I would still rather be there than here. There's gotta be some way I can convince Merle to leave this place with us. He must love us more than he loves his apartment.

I begin to wonder when we are actually leaving. They can't make us stay here, can they? This is just a visit?

Dad and Glenn are gonna get questioned for killing that man, Eric, and then Merle will vouch for us?

Either way, everybody must be worried about us. If not now, then definitely in a few hours from now when they realize we ain't came back. That trip never takes more than an hour. They'll wait for us, and then they'll wait just little longer, and then Rick will grab his gun and come looking, but he'll find nothing but mine, Dad, and Glenn's weapons laying next to a body in the abandoned parking lot.

We only drove for about ten minutes to get to this town. We never ran into it, but it can't be so hard to miss.

I really hope we ain't stuck here long enough for it to come to that. I just wanna go home.

BLIP.

The sound of a walkie chiming makes me jump.

Putting the cup down next to the sink, Merle groans to himself and digs into his backpack. "Shit."

"What is it?"

"It's gonna be Mendoza," He complains, before he presses the button down and there's a voice the other end. "Hear that?"

I shake my head. "I can't hear so well, now."

He pulls a face at me. "How ya mean?"

Instead of explaining myself, I just push my hair back from my ear, revealing my hearing aid before smoothing it back down.

"You got a hearin' aid?"

"I got two. Without 'em, I basically can't hear nothin', and with 'em, it's kinda hard to hear fuzzy things, or faraway things, but it's mostly like it was before," I say timidly. "Shane accidently shot my ear off last Fall. Messed me up good and proper."

"Shane," Merle sneers, laughing to himself. "Shane Walsh. I'll kill that motherfuc—"

"Dad already did."

"Oh," He chirps, sounding pleased. "Well, that works out, then, doesn't it? How?

"Beat him and kicked him 'til he ain't never got up again."

"Good to hear yer Daddy's still got his balls intact. What, so you know sign language and shit now?"

"Sure. So, what'd the radio say?"

With a sound of annoyance, he grabs his keys from his backpack and shoves them in his pocket. "I gotta go help out with sum', and I wanna see yer Dad down at the blocks soon, anyway, do some catchin' up. I'll prolly see you in a few hours."

I perk up. "Can I co—"

"No, ya can't come," He deadpans, opening the door. "I'mma lock this behind me. Don't open it for nobody."

"O-okay," I nod, obedient.

"Help yourself to anythin' you want, princess. See ya later."

The door slams shut, the lock clicking loudly — SNAP — before his footsteps retreat down the corridor.

Letting out a breath, I slump against the table.

Old times. 

Lucky me.

Merle's got a big collection of movies.

While the fiery colours of a cool gunfight flash over me, voices shouting war cries, I flip the cover of a different CD over in my hands. I figure I gotta keep myself occupied while Merle's gone, and he did say I could help myself to anything I want.

"Tom and Jerry," I read aloud to myself, smiling at the cartoon animals and shrugging.

The movie cuts out when I press the eject button, and the disc comes sliding out. I take it, replacing it with the new one.

A colourful menu pops up on the screen. Aw, cute!

I find myself grinning up at it like a monkey who's discovered electricity for the first time, pressing play on the remote and absentmindedly watching as the episode plays out in front of me. I'm surprised I even remember how a TV works. It feels like I've snuck outta my bedroom in the middle of the night, snacking on ice cream straight outta the tub while everyone else sleeps. I feel naughty.

I wish I could share this with the rest of the group, especially Carl. Ain't none of us watched TV in forever.

Jerry the mouse is slapping Tom the cat in the face with a banana peel when there's a knock on the door.

Flinching, I turn around.

I wait a moment, watching the door, making sure I really heard it. If it was Merle, he'd probably just open—

"Hello?"

Shit.

That's not Merle.

I press the eject button, and the silly noises and bright colours cut out.

"I don't think you should've done that," The man behind the door muses in the silence that follows, his voice calm, amused, like he's talking to somebody he knows, but I don't recognise the sound of it. "See, now I know you're in there. It was a bad move."

I really wish I had my knife or my gun on me.

Who the Hell is that? Wh— Who would want to talk to me?

"Now I think it would make sense if you would come and open the door for me. No point in hiding, Harley."

I can't help it — A sharp gasp leaves me.

"Yes, that's right. I know your name," He laughs, sounding almost fond, as I slowly rise from my position on the rug and creep over to the door, pressing my ear against the wood to hear him better. "My name is Philip, but people call me the Governor."

Phil. Merle mentioned that name at the gates.

A friend of his?

"Your Uncle Merle probably told you not to open the door for strangers, but we're not strangers any more, are we?"

How do I make him go away?

"I know your name," He muses boredly. "You know mine. If you want, I'll even tell you my favourite colour. It's green."

I don't give a shit what his favourite colour is.

Maybe if I just keep quiet, he'll think the TV is broken, or that he made a mistake — There ain't no little girl named Harley in here. Because there's no way in Hell I'm opening this door for anybody, even if I know their name and their favorite colour.

My heartbeat hammer, hammer, hammers against the door. Please go away. Please.

After a long pause, I hear him laugh to himself again. "You're not going to open the door, are you?"

No, I ain't.

"Smart girl."

Suddenly, I hear the sound of keys jingling.

My blood runs cold.

I jump back as the doorknob rattles in front of my face, watching it turn, gasping as the door opens. He had keys the whole time?

The man lets himself in and closes the door behind him like he owns the place, like I ain't just gave him a very clear message I don't want him in here, walking past me and coming to a stop in the middle of the room with his hands in the pockets of his grey slacks, smiling quaintly at me. He looks like an office worker, a harmless one, his clothes ironed and clean, hair damp and combed to the side.

I stare at the stranger — because that's what he is — horrified, violated, wanting to jump out the window. 

"Who are you?" I frown with my chest puffed out, trying my best to sound confident.

"Well, I just told you," He jokes, nonchalant. "My name is Philip."

"You ain't supposed to be in here, Philip," I warn him. "My Uncle, he's gonna kill you."

"Oh, I doubt that very much," The man chuckles to himself, like I've just made a very funny joke. "Mind if I sit, honey?"

I do, but that don't seem to matter.

He rounds the sofa and carefully dusts the crumbs off the cushions before taking a seat, gesturing for me to do the same.

"Come on," He beckons nicely. "Sit where you like. Don't be scared."

"I really don't think—"

His face hardens. "Don't be rude, either."

Shit, this is bad. What the Hell do I do?

I glance at the front door. I could make a run for it, but it might be better to pretend everything's okay. I don't wanna make him mad, and I definitely don't wanna get lost out there, so I shuffle my way over to the lounge area and sit on the rug again.

When my eyes dart to the baseball bat laying next to him, his smile returns. I think he likes that I'm scared.

"I'm going to confess something," He decides.

Too afraid to speak, I keep my mouth shut.

"Before I came here, I'd planned to promise you I would take you back to wherever your group is. Get you to tell me where they were that way," He explains, lacing his fingers in his lap as if he's in a business meeting. "But I realize you wouldn't fall for that."

He's right. I wouldn't.

I guess that's why he's here. He wants to know where my group is. "You ain't here 'cause you're mad about Eric?"

"Did you kill him?"

I shake my head.

"Then, no," He simply says. "I hope you're good at keeping secrets, because between you and me — I never liked him."

"Well, I sure as Hell ain't tellin' you nothin'," I say bravely, thinking of baby Judith. "I ain't even told my own Uncle."

"I know that." He continues smiling at me in a way that makes me wonder if his face is stuck like that permanently. "I could also tell you that the only reason I'm asking is to help your people out, share our resources. But you wouldn't fall for that, either."

Where is he going with this?

"So," He says patiently, "It turns out I'm not going to do either of those things. Do you know what I do here?"

"You're the president," I guess.

"That's cute." His smile lifts into a smirk for a moment, before he shakes his head. "No. I'm Woodbury's leader. 'Governor', remember? Everything I do is in my people's interests, just like I'm sure your Dad does everything in yours. When I start hearing that there's a new group around, I think of what that might mean for us. Have you ever had something like that happen? A new threat?"

"There were people who wanted our farm," I hesitate to admit. "And no, that ain't where we're livin' now."

"I didn't think so. What did you do about it?"

"We hung one of their guys in a barn. He was our friend, but... Sometimes, you gotta kill yer friends."

Philip is still smiling at me, but his eyes are all empty, like they're not really his. I've seen those eyes on dead people.

"I'm glad we have an understanding," He nods slowly. "In the past, I've had to kill my friends, too."

"Good for you."

For the first time since he opened that door, his smile completely drops. "You know who else I'm prepared to kill?"

My heart beat starts to hammer, hammer, hammer against my ribs again.

"Your Daddy," He says with that expressionless look on his face. He don't look so much like an office worker no more. He's a killer in fancy britches, with the blood freshly washed off his forearms. He's a wolf and I'm the little piggy, and I made a mistake when I didn't run away. My fingers tighten around my knees, the sweat hot and slippery on my skin. "If you don't tell me where your group is, I will cut your Daddy's throat open and make my apologies to the unlucky fool who has to clean up all the blood he leaves behind."

I can't speak. I can't. The words are congealed somewhere at the back of my throat, making it very hard to swallow.

"I wouldn't even have to kill the other one," He smirks a little. "I'm sure that gunshot will do it for me. Sepsis is nasty stuff."

Dad and Glenn. Oh, God, I knew it. We didn't question Jim when he was our prisoner, so why would they question them?

Of course Dad didn't want me there with them. They're in danger. They're in danger, and I'm up here in this apartment, eating snacks and watching cartoons and that's all I'll be doing when they cut their throats open or hang them from the ceiling.

"Oh, ple— Please don't," I huff, grabbing my belly so I don't throw up on Merle's rug. "Please don't."

Lifting his hands up, the man makes a gesture of peace, his smirk widening before he drops them in his lap. "Oh, I won't. I haven't exhausted all my options, yet, honey. It wouldn't be wise to kill your Dad right now. This is just something to think about."

I hug myself tighter as he stands from the sofa.

"For when I come back," He adds, staring down his nose at me, cowering at his feet in a ball.

I don't have it in me to glare at him.

All I want is to go home with Dad and Glenn and Mouse and never step foot in another paradise again.

Smiling that stupid, empty smile of his, Philip steps past me and crouches down next to the TV, picking up the Tom and Jerry cover. He chuckles to himself at the picture on it, before putting it back down and pressing the disc back into the player.

On the screen, Jerry starts hitting Tom with the banana peel again, but it's not so funny any more.

"Enjoy your cartoons, honey," He says oddly sincerely.

I watch him stand back up and make his way to the door, not sparing me a backwards glance as he closes it behind him. A grating burst of laughter comes from the TV, and before I can stop myself, I cry out — "Ugh, shut up!" — and punch it hard.

The disc slides back out, silently landing on the rug.

"I wanna go home," I whine to nobody.

Author's Note.

This chapter took a while to come out, but I hope the wait was worth it!

I can't believe I finally get to write Merle! Harley is very glad to see him again, even if she knows he isn't perfect. Meanwhile, Daryl isn't too pleased. Things have definitely changed.

Writing the Governor was SO fun. He's very creepy. Whenever there's I have a character who's really smart or has a way of dictating a conversation, it's always humbling when I remember that means I have to be those things in order to write them lmao. I hope I'm doing him justice.

Also hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you in the next one!

@poetoflawed

[jr-acrux101]

REPLETE

Part 1 of 2

Word Count: 1.2k

Mike × fem! Reader Chubby! (Abby's after-school club teacher)

Summary: You're Abby's afterschool teacher, whom she adores. Mike finally meets you.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Set after FNAF

Mike was relieved. Abby's fit into the age range for an after-school program that was outside and had art time for the kids.

It has been a week and Abby won't stop talking about it. Mike was received again, at Abby keeping up her social skills and having friends and talking to him. And she wouldn't stop talking about her after school “teacher” who was to quote “her favorite teacher ever.”

Mike had yet to see her, she hadn't been on the pick up team or drop off, or maybe she had and Mike wasn't paying attention. He would wake up, still learning to sleep through the night and actually get rest and then be dead tired picking Abby up after stocking up the super stores in town.

It was back breaking work but it for the schedule and sure as hell beat the last job and the almost dying aspect. Plus pay was better for sure.

Friday, he had it off and would seek her teacher out. He was still nervous about Abby and her previous timid and withdrawn personality. He needed to make sure she was breaking out and staying that way.

He walked into the cafeteria and Abby jumped up. “Mike!” He gave a soft smile. She grabbed her paper and two crayons our and dashed towards him.

She jumped in front of him. “Ms. L/N is here!” She bounced on her feet. “Come on, come meet her.”

She dragged him towards a young woman, who was hanging the kids' drawings on a bulletin board. “Ms. L/N! Meet my big brother Mike!” She pinned the last pin for the drawing and turned.

You turned around, a smile on her face. “Oh hi Abby! How was drawing with Mr. Ramirez?”

Abby let go of Mike's hand, completely forgetting his presence. She rambled on and on about the different animals they draw and how they were gonna attempt 3-D drawing. You smiled at her, with a quick look at Mike and a smile at him, you turned back to her. You nodded your head as she finished.

“So this is your brother Mike?”

Abby tilted her head before remembering Mike waa next to her. “Oh yeah. My brother Mike! He works with boxes.”

“Hmm boxes? I'm sure he's super strong. Some of those boxes are heavy.” You gave another smile which Mike gave a small one in return.

“Of course he is. He can pick me up and throw me over his shoulder. He does all the time when I take his things, he-,”

“Okay Abby, go sit over there and finish your drawing. I have to ask Ms. L/N some questions.” She shot Mike a curious gaze but followed his request. Mike blushed in embarrassment, and gave a cough.

You chuckled at their interactions. Abby trudges off, a little miffed at Mike shoo-ing her off.

“What did you need to ask Mr. Schmidt?” You asked, grabbing another child's drawing.

“Oh god. Do I really look that old?” Mike muttered.

You gave a chuckle, “Of course not but a lot of the guardians of the children are um older so they prefer the Mr. Mrs. Ms.” You gave a shrug and turned around to pin the drawing.

“Yeah Mike is fine. Um anyway, how is Abby doing?”

Mike stares at the back of your head. Then down to your shoulders and then down to your hips and then to your ass.

‘Plump,’ Mike thought of the idea to reach out and grab, how it must feel and how soft and good it felt to have his-

You gave a hum breaking Mike out if the not so innocent thought. “She's doing great. Very active and friendly. She loves her drawing time, she does get a little quiet but most of the kids do, concentration and all.” You turned back around missing Mike's eyes darting to your face.

“Oh okay that's good.”

You saw the concern be washed away by relief. You furrowed your brows, “Is there anything I should be aware of right now? Or anything I should watch out for?”

Mike looked away at Abby who was showing her drawing to another little girl.

“It's just before she was really… closed off. And I'm just worried she'll somehow revert back to that.”

You gave a nod. Abby was lucky to have an older brother to care this much. “Okay well I'll keep a lookout in case her behavior changes drastically but for now she's doing good. To be honest, when she comes to talk to me she always brings you up. It's very cute.”

Mike blushed, he could only imagine the type of embarrassing stuff Abby could say to her good-looking teacher. He internally groaned.

You gave a sincere smile. “It's good Abby has a concerned brother. Believe me I've seen some well let's just say uninvolved family members before and it's sad to see.”

Mike nodded. He tries to be involved whenever he can.

“Yeah…” he trailed off not knowing what to say. He was embarrassed, nervous, and so fucking captivated by you and your pretty eyes, lush hair, and full figure. He had to restrain from glancing down.

You glanced at Abby, who was in a new drawing and a concentrated state. You giggled. Mike looked up at your giggle and saw you smiling at Abby.

You turned your attention to him. “Since Abby is still drawing you're more than welcome to stay here so she can finish. Pick up has 20 minutes left and we still have some kids here.”

Mike was going to decline but suddenly an idea popped in his head. “If it's not trouble.”

“Oh not at all.”

“Here let me help.” Mike offered as he grabbed a few thumb tacks and a child's drawing.

“Oh you do-” “It's fine. Nothing much to do while I wait for Abby to finish.”

“Thank you.” He gave a smile in response.

As parents came and the room started to slowly empty, Mike glanced at you. He glanced around the room and found it empty. Only the three of you now.

He glanced at at clock at found it was 5 minutes passed the picking time ending.

“Oh shit sorry.” You looked at the clock, ‘oh wow.’ You pulled out your ohine and saw the the text from your co-workers.

‘hey everythings locked up, we saw u with the dilf and didnt want to interrupt lol. just sweep and lock the main door, give the key to james tomorrow since its his turn.’

You flushed, “Well I guess they finished everything for me, I just need to sweep and lock up.”

Mike nodded. “Hold on.” Mike stole a paper and crayon from Abby, who met him with an indignant ‘hey.’

Mike wrote his name and number. “Here in case anything happens with Abby.”

“Oh okay, just an fyi we do have a roster of the children's parents info.”

“Yeah that makes sense. Well in case you want to go out then.”

“Oh okay, um thank you.” You blushed and looked away as you grabbed the paper.

Mike gave a grin and hurried Abby. The pair left. You dropped your hands in your face and squealed.

‘Holy fuck, that man was hot hell. And he gave me his number fuck yeah!’ You hurriedly swept and cleaned the lunch tables. Excited to go home, you hurriedly left to text your bestie about this and maybe a certain hot guy.

*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*

Im semi back yall for Thanksgiving lol request are open pls feel free to message me!

[honeyhotteok]

nocturnal (johan seong x reader)

details: cw violence, gender neutral reader, strangers to maybe a little something more

summary: two unlikely strangers cross paths in the nighttime.

-

You stare at the clock up on the wall, waiting for its display to turn from 1:59 am to...2:00 am, finally. Freedom at last.

You get ready to clock out of your shift and walk over to the door to flip the sign to Closed, when you see a weird boy with his two dogs standing there, glaring in at the food display. He notices you noticing him and darts his eyes away.

You were used to the occasional weirdo coming by, a given since you started working the late night shift at the convenience store. You had to pay for tuition and rent somehow, and this gig was the only one you could land that would fit your schedule.

You slowly open the glass door with your eyes narrowing at him. “Uh, can I...help you with something?”

“No. You’re closed now anyway.”

You notice him glancing over at the food display again. You walk over to the shelf and grab a cake roll. You take his hand and shove the roll into his hands.

“There. On the house. Now if you don’t mind, I’m closing up.” You close the door on his stunned face.

You count the cash in the register and wrap up inside the store. When you step outside, the weirdo is no longer there. You wait at the bus stop alone, anxious for the bus to come already so you can be back in the safety of your own apartment at this hour.

Once you board, you sit down in an empty window seat. You rest your head on the window in hopes that every bump in the road the bus lurches over vibrating into your cranium will keep you awake until your stop. You suppress the loneliness that always creeps in at this hour, and instead wonder about the strange pretty boy you saw tonight while you watch the empty streets of Gangbuk pass you by.

--

Your elbows dig into the countertop as you look over your lecture notes illuminated by the florescent lighting overhead. It had been another long day of boring law lectures, studying a major you chose solely to appease your parents. And here you were, working again instead of partying the stress away with the rest of your classmates. You sigh as you glance out the window, and you do a double take. There he is again tonight.

The store chimes sound as you step out. “Hey, weirdo.”

“Weirdo...” he mumbles, as if pondering if he should take offense at this new unsolicited nickname from you.

A white dog emerges from behind his legs and immediately starts running circles around you while barking happily, tail wagging.

“Hey buddy,” you laugh as you squat down to pat his head.

Johan can’t do anything but stare as Eden, his extremely shy dog with the tendency of fully trembling around strangers, treats you like an old friend.

--

It’s 12:30 am and you once again spot outside the window the brunette in his usual all-black outfit.

You walk over to the plastic fold-up table he’s sitting at and slide a cream bun over to him.

“Why do you keep giving me food? You know I can’t pay you back, right?” He mutters.

“It’s expiring tomorrow so I was gonna have to throw it out by the end of my shift anyway. Store policy or whatever,” you shrug.

He stares at the bun for a moment while processing your unexpected answer. “Thanks,” he finally mumbles, but you’ve already headed back into the store.

--

Johan sits in one of the lime green plastic chairs outside the store with his headphones on. He notices a trio of teenage delinquents stroll up in front. Johan pulls one ear cup of his headphones behind his ear, staying on alert. The apparent leader of the group snickers, pointing at you from outside.

“Look at that bitch working the register all by theirself. Hey, I dare you to...” he leans over to whisper in one of his lackeys’ ear, followed by shoves and cackling amongst each other.

Meanwhile, you’re standing inside at the cash register with your head buried in your constitutional law textbook and your earphones in, completely oblivious to your surroundings.

Johan silently steps right in front of them before they can enter the store.

The leader scoffs. “Hey, fuckface. Get the fuck out of my way if you value your li-”

Before he can finish his sentence, Johan delivers a swift axe kick to his head. The guy’s other two lackeys cuss and charge at Johan, but he dodges one of them with ease before listlessly elbow striking both of them in the face, one after the other. The leader’s legs wobble as he tries to get back on his feet and he throws his shoulder back to hit Johan, only to be met with Johan’s forearms clinching his head and bringing his knee to his face.

“Now get the fuck out of here. If I see you around here again, next time I’ll actually kill you,” Johan snarls.

The two of them each grab one of their leader’s arms and carry his battered body out of sight.

A few minutes later, you step out of the store holding a triangle gimbap and toss it to Johan.

You give him an awkward but endearing smile and walk back into the store without a word. He looks down at the gimbap and starts peeling off the plastic. A post-fight snack, huh. He could get used to this.

--

You clock out of your shift and notice him waiting outside.

“Oh, you’re still here?”

He nods and shoves his hands into his pockets.

You face him to say good night before heading to the bus stop, but he stops you.

“I wanted to show you something.”

-

The two of you stand on the rooftop of the building overlooking everything north of the Han River.

“Is this your turf or something?” You quip.

“Was. Something like that.”

You rest your arms on the guardrail and take in the view of the residential buildings and skyscrapers sprawled out before you in the night, each one sparsely dabbed with small squares of light.

He turns to you and he sees the night breeze brushing your hair back with its fingertips, reflections of navy light twinkling in your eyes. And for the first time in a long time, he can feel a warm light switch on inside of him. You and Johan gaze at the skyline, both of you thinking maybe you’ve found someone who makes this city feel a little less lonely.

[ravenna222]

Weaving the web

Hanamiya Makoto x Fem!Reader

time skip: hanamiya and reader are in their late 20s; reader has a child

Warnings: smut, post-breakup, dacryphilia, heavy degradation, oral (f!recieving), threatening, edging, physical abuse (reader gets slapped in the face), toxic! hanamiya (lmao what were we expecting), emotional manipulation, reader is implied to have an abusive past, fluff if you squint

P.s. This is my first time writing smut, so the actual nsfw part might not be too satisfying, but I hope the storyline makes up for it, even tho it's kinda rushed

How long has it been? Hanamiya thinks back, reminiscing his relationship with you. It's been 3 years since he's seen you, and god this was not what he was expecting. You sitting by the seaside cradling a baby.

The breakup was messy, whenever you remember it a stench of nausea fills your guts. Makoto was never a nice man, you knew that from the start, everyone knew. From the first time you saw him in highschool you knew he was trouble, gliding down the halls with that unsettling smirk plastered on his face deciding who to taunter next. He waiting the day it was your turn, gosh he was like a flee, trying to mess up your relationships, tearing up your friendships. Yet nothing he ever did seemed to be enough to break you. You were intelligent, sure, he could give you that, but you were no where near his level; however that wit infuriated him to no end, dare he say you're wittier than him. Perhaps it was that that lured him in. He was so endowed into weaving his spider web that he had entangled himself in it. Hara would tease him about it during practise, how he always fixated on you, how out of everyone know one got on his nerves just as much as you did. Soon you both started talking more, less bickering, you were getting closer to eachother. Even if you weren't as intelligent as him, he found your shared conversations the most interesting. He was never bored around you. Sometimes he thinks that his intellect, as much as it is a gift, is his own damnation. School was too easy, apart from ruining basketball as a sport, tormenting people and playing darts nothing was fulfilling. Sure he's an avid reader, but he couldn't always read. With you he felt as if his brain found enough tranquility to switch off all the unending noise.

He remembers the moment you two had sex for the first time: you were both 3rd year students close to graduation, about to write a new chapter of life. You were together studying in the library, or at least supposed to study, when you decided to ditch the boring essay and go to his to play darts. You were surprised, not by the fact that he enjoyed throwing darts but by the fact he was willing to teach you. He was never patient with anyone. During that evening was a complete failure for you, guess the dart board wasn't on your side.

"Stupid, if you keep your arm in that stance you're never gonna hit the center, or the board for that matter."

"Yeah, well maybe if you actually decided to teach me and give me a few tips like you said earlier I wouldn't completely suck!"

"Ugh, you're such a pain you know? Whining all the time. Here, let me show you." Standing right behind you, a hand slip over your waist while his other grabbed your hand to change your position, he guided it to throw the dart.

"Huh, what a suprise, it landed on the board this time." Damn that sarcastic tone of his. If you could you'd throw him out of his own bedroom.

You stayed in that position for a few mere moments before he started kissing your neck, left hand making it un to your breast whilst the other slid down your torso.

You both will never forget that night, he was sure of it, nor will he ever forget the years you spent together in university. He was studying to become a lawyer, more specifically a criminal defence lawyer purely to piss people off. And to no one's suprise, he became a phenomenal one. Criminals from all of Japan, and some overseas, would come searching help from Hanamiya.

Maybe it was the work overload, maybe it was the fact that he refused to admit that it was too much, or perhaps fame. He became even more petty and angry towards everything. You understood it was bad when even his own mother told him to take some time off. But he wouldn't.

The night of the breakup was messy to say the least. "You're a masochist", "seems to me you enjoy the pain I give you."

Done you were, you told yourself, done. You swore to yourself that you'd never speak to him again. Not even holding a positive pregnancy test would make you crawl back to him for support. No, you'll get rid of this baby, you told yourself. But you didn't, you didn't find the courage to do so. You blamed it on the societal expectations of women, that every woman was destined to become a mother, the brainwashing of young girls letting go of their big dreams to settle down and bear children. Not that that automatically ment a big career was over, but it was hard. They made it hard. You didn't have family to turn to, Hanamiya knew that, he knew of your broken family and that's why he was so perplexed to see you by the seaside holding a damn baby in your arms.

Hanamiya chuckled as he watched the horror washed over your face. No, no, please, anyone but him.

"Hey love, longtime no see. Care to explain this nonsense?"

He didn't need an explanation, it was his, how could it not? He could tell by the baby's eyes, they were an exact resemblance of his.

"I don't need to explain anything to you, Hanamiya." You bark back. You said you were done with him, you swore it to yourself, yet here he is standing infront of you with that humouring glare.

Why the hell was he in Okinawa? Shouldn't he be in Tokyo working?

"Oh please Y/n, cut the formalities, it doesn't suit you. You know, I finally listened to ma, took that holiday, and look who we have here. I wondered where you had gone off to, couldn't reach you, didn't try really, but here you are."

God hates you, you're certain of it. God hates you more than he hates Hanamiya.

"This is a suprise, can't say a pleasant one tho."

He sat beside you, taking a closer look at the baby. It was a girl, a baby girl, he had a baby girl. Fuck, he almost couldn't bring himself to believe it. As much as he wanted to hate it he couldn't.

"If you're going to be a bother then leave. Ayame and I are trying to relax. Get your ass away from us."

Ayame huh.

As you were trying to woosh Makoto away Ayame opened her eyes, as her vision landed right onto Hanamiya she clapped her hands. Finally her Daddy's home.

Sometimes you hated Ayame's little brain, if there is one thing certain about her, it's that she inherited her father's high iq. She didn't need you to tell her who he was, one glance is all she needed, one glance, and she knew.

"Dada!" She started to wriggle uncontrollably tempting to get to Hanamiya. Dada Dada Dada, she repeatedly whispered. The one thing you feared happening is happening, and there was nothing you could do about it. Sure, you could run someplace Hanamiya wouldn't reach you, but his image would be engraved into Ayame forever. She would never forget him.

"C'mon, pass her to me." You're reluctant but you do as you're told.

Strange feelings pass over Hanamiya, he wasn't sure what to think of this other than the obvious: He's a father now.

As the sun set, you all went back to your place to have dinner. You agreed that he'd spend the night as he hadn't booked a hotel, or so he told you.

After dinner you put Ayame to sleep, now all that was left was to make a deal with the devil.

Hanamiya is sitting on your couch, watching you unamused as you sit next to him.

"You really expected that I'd have told you about her?"

No, he didn't.

"You're hilarious my dear, you would have saved yourself so much trouble if you just had the courage to pick up the phone."

He's infuriating, you just want to kick him out and leave him on the streets, oh how you'd love to, but you couldn't. You didn't want to.

"Fuck off Hanamiya."

"What did we say about formalities Y/n?"

"Alright, Makoto. You stay the night, but when I wake up I better not see you, otherwise I'll get a fucking restraining order."

"Baby please, I'm a lawyer. You couldn't win a case against me even if you tried. But what would Ayame think? Are you always this inconsiderate about her? As she grows older, what would she think of her lovely Mommy not letting her see her own sweet daddy, hmm? Think carefully Y/n."

"You bastard! How dare you-!"

Before you knew it he pinned you down on the couch under him, his knee between your thighs, rubbing at your core. Fuck, this wasn't supposed to turn you on the way it did, well... fuck him for knowing you too well.

"Not gonna lie, I did miss this."

"Fuck you. Get off me you bastard!"

"Quit the tongue Y/n, it doesn't suit you."

And with that his lips crashed against yours in a heated kiss, all the passion that was sealed throughout the 3 years of not being together bubbled up to the surface. You hated yourself for this. You never wanted to see him again but here you are under him, putty in his hands like you always were. Nothing has changed.

"Quit the lies too, if you didn't want me here tonight, you wouldn't have offered me to stay here, we both know I earn enough money for a decent hotel. You want this, tell yourself all of the above, but you can't deny it, you can't deny me anymore sweetheart, you're not getting rid of me any time soon."

You start to panic, it was true, once he entered your apartment you knew what was going to happen. Pathetically lying to yourself isn't going to make it better.

Slyly he unclips your bra and slides his hands under your shirt, clasping your left breast. He curses to himself, he missed this a bit too much. He tries to convince himself, and you for the sake of his arrogance, that he just missed the sex, but you knew otherwise.

He proceeds to pull your shirt over your head and take off your jeans, leaving you bare only for his eyes to see. Trying to hide yourself by grabbing the closest blanket, you feel a sting on your left cheek. "Nah-ah, you're not getting all shy on me now stupid girl" his whisper sends a chill down your spine,"where'd all that fight go, hmm?" Ending with a lick on your ear he turns to your neck. You knew by the end of this you'll be all bruised up, covered in hickeys. Worry hits you, what if Ayame sees the marks? But it doesn't matter, you like it this way anyway, you like it when it hurts.

"Ah!" He bites down nearly drawing blood. Makoto has always been sadistic, he once told you he started rough play when he was 12, always laughing at the pain of others, you're no exempt. On the contrary, you're his prime victim, your pain tastes like honey to him, sweeter than any he's tasted. As he sucks on your neck his left hand finds its way to your panties, white ones huh, when did you become so pure?

He starts circling your clothed clit slowly it almost hurts. His lips leave your now ruined neck and make their way back to your mouth. You groan into the kiss as he smirks.

"More more Makoto, 'want more!" He lets out a scornful laugh whilst kissing your abdomen. You sound like a bratty child throwing a tantrum, and you know what happens to brats? They need to be disciplined.

"So impatient and we're just getting started, ah~ , how did I find myself such a slutty brat?" You want to protest, but soon you feel a hot breathe graze your damped panties. Hanamiya moves your them aside and gives your clit a quick lick and a delicate suck that makes your legs wriggle in delite. Oh how sweet you can be, forgetting the sour nature of Hanamiya Makoto. Nearly instantly you can feel your panties covering you clit.

"Fuck-ah!-" A slap lands on your pussy, "watch your mouth" he warns you. Ah! Another slap and Makoto wastes no time to dive in and smell the wet heat of your core. He begins to lick your clothed pussy. It's not enough, it's definitely not enough, but when is it ever enough for you. Finally after a few whiny moans he slips you panties off, feeling a tongue beginning to lap around your folds. There was no questioning Hanamiya's oral performance, his silver tongue is able to give you high after high when he's generous.

"Ahh~, Ma-uh~, M-makoto hmm!" You manage to blurt out, hearing the slurps turns you on more and more. You can sense a knot forming inside. Hanamiya grins, he knows your body dangerously well, he's well aware of your upcoming climax. He starts to tongue fuck you as his right hand reaches your chin and plunges two fingers into your mouth making you gag.

"Mm-mmh!" The gagged moans were his favourite, fuck they were so slutty to him. He pulls his fingers out of your mouth and puts his index inside you.

"Cummin' m'koto" you slur out. A few seconds pass, but when you finally are going to release all motions stop, he pulls out his finger and slaps your pussy again. You cry out, how could he deny you?

"I don't think you deserve it. You know you've been such a whiny bitch to me, you don't even deserved to be touched you stupid slut." Another sting, but this time on your right plush cheek. "I find out you had my child and you didn't fucking bother to tell me!" Another slap, this time right across your face.

" I'm sorry I'm sorry! I- I-" tears threaten to fall. You do feel guilty, you kept the father of your child out of her life. Maybe for a good reason? But you can't reason, not when Makoto rams 3 fingers into your aching cunt catching you of guard.

"And you were planning on never telling me, you know you'd be the reason she would have felt empty, pain, asking you where her daddy is? When he doesn't even know she fuckin' exists! You stupid whore, you're a terrible mother."

Hot tears stain your face, this is why you left him, but you can't seem to think straight at the moment, not when you're about to cum all over his fingers.

"C'mon mommy", he taunts, "cum on daddy's fingers." His voice, that's all you need to reach your climax.

Suddenly he flips you over, one foot on the floor for support and the other firm on the side of the couch to reach in deep enough.

"You really thought you could get away with this? You're fucking delusional. Sooner or later I was gonna find you, track you down. I have connections, the ones that wouldn't mind beating up a few dozen people to find a stupid fucking slut. And here you are, safe and sound in Okinawa, and look! I found you! Maybe destiny is real." He knows it's the insanity talking for him. Destiny, fate, none of that shit exists. He was going to find you eventually nonetheless, it was only a matter of time. He's a criminal defence lawyer for fucks sakes, he's made friends here and there who'd gladly repay him with a favor if he'd ask faster than a blink of an eye. Realistically, he doesn't think he would've done such a thing. Or maybe, who knows. But there is something everyone knows, you know it too well: Hanamiya's unpredictable.

[riveatstoes]

the idea of finn wolfhard’s roles being somehow related has been beaten to death already but i do enjoy the concept of richie tozier and mike wheeler being twins separated when they were young, and then being forced to endure their own interdimensional horrors with their groups of Loser Buddies.

i also like the idea of how they’d react to each other’s aforementioned interdimensional horrors. personally i think if richie had to deal with anything remotely upside-down related he’d Flip The Fuck Out and just scream a lot. if he came face to face with a demogorgon he’d try to hit it with a baseball bat or a stick or something, and then max or lucas (or maybe even el) would have to go out of their way to save him from his own dipshit decisions.

alternatively i believe that pennywise would be a cakewalk for mike and the party. mike would simply hit it with the “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls 🙄” and it’d be so confused it would have no choice but to back off. i also am a firm believer that if the losers club had max with them they would’ve fully defeated pennywise in the first movie. she would’ve figured out the “make it small” shit SO FAST.

at her core max mayfield is a Thirteen Year Old Girl and i applaud her for it. i love her.

anyway i’m working on my own twins!richie and mike fanfic so we’ll see how that goes. i don’t want to post it before i have something super solid because i have a tendency to abandon fics if they don’t interest me enough the entire time. we’ll see.

bonus—some stranger things/IT pairings that i want to see more of in crossover fics:

STANLEY AND WILL!!!!!!!!! trust me

bev and el

dustin and richie

if you’re gonna do the bev/max thing i also strongly suggest doing lucas/ben as well because what’s the point of writing the ginger girlbosses without their Stupid Goofy Men?

bill and mike w

idk i just feel like eddie k would just hate eddie munson. crossover where the losers club have to climb through that portal in the munsons’ trailer and eddie k refuses purely because of the state of eddie m’s mattress

i get the feeling that stanley would be the one constantly being stuck with steve and robin and forced into ridiculous tasks. imagine the stranger things 3 russian elevator scene but instead of dustin trying to set up robin and steve it’s just stan uris panic-reciting bird species

stan’s first thought would be “oh she has a bird name :) nice” and then the rest is “what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck”

honestly any pairing other than reddie/byler because even though i love those boys to death it’s just so OBVIOUS atp

and also i can appreciate that they’d relate to each other but mike hanlon and lucas is far from the best mike h pairing. for example imagine him being stuck with (throws dart at board of ST character names) murray

erica sinclair and eddie kaspbrak world domination

adding onto the richie/mike twin thing the idea of nancy having to adjust to +1 brother is both funny and interesting to me. i think she’d lose it one way or another

jonathan byers and bill denbrough guilty older brothers bond

also imagine hopper reacting to a Second Mike being in his general vicinity. i think that would force him off the edge, ESPECIALLY after getting to know richie

[gowonders]

spell it out. ♥ c.sb

notes: HEYYY YALL .. funny seeing you.. erm!!! i know i said i was gonna quit and that writing was inconvenient as hell?? that was a lie.. girl that shit pulled me back like a MAGNET. so ohhh nooo the bitch is back😱😱 anyways this is for @nightlyawnzz event :3 gotta at least do that, hope you all enjoy this !! it’s really short.. but i do hope you’ll enjoy regardless??

warnings: not proofread, english isn’t my first language, fem reader, food is mentioned through pretty much all of this.., soobin is said to be taller than reader, AND soobin in cringy as hell with his flirting im so so sorry, reader is kinda ditzy.. lmk if i missed any ~

“choi soobin i swear to god if you throw that at me, i am going to scream so loud.” you say quietly, backing away from the taller boy with a big spoon of flour in his grasp, a dumb grin on his face. “whaaaat?” he asks, taunting you by pretending to start an attack of flour… but he never fully commits.

“besides, this flour is too expensive, and you’re.. uhhhh…” soobin stalls, eyes darting all over you. he couldn’t really commit to flirting, either.

the thing is, he invited you over for two reasons. fo make cookies, (yay!) and to at least try and flirt with you enough to have you thinking. but so far? he was actually cringing on the inside at the thought of.. well.. being more intimate than usual.

“soobinnnn?” you call out in a singsong tone, waving your hands infront of his face. he snaps out of his trance, and he nods coyly with a smile. “u-uh, what i meant to say was, the flour is too expensive and you’re too scared to get messy.” he didn’t want to say that. he wanted to say that you’re to pretty to get all ruined by some flour, but as soon as the words leave his mouth, his cheeks glow red. what if you thought there was some.. secret meaning behind that whole thing???

but you didn’t. you just let out a quiet “oooooohhhhhhh.” and go back to preparing the dough, just mixing the dough with a spatula a little more before a small chuckle leaves you. “can i get a baking sheet, soobin?” you ask, tilting your head to look at the boy. “uhhhh, yeah!” he says, hand moving to the small of your back, guiding you to the cabinet he keeps them in— which goes unnoticed by you. of course.

“that one right there, ynie.” he says, moving back to the counter he was leaning on, almost analyzing the way you grab the tray, and roll balls of dough to put onto it. maybe it was just so he could think. about anything. because he really didn’t know what to do. you seemed so.. oblivious! not even seemed, hell, you were!

he had no idea how to approach flirting as is, so when youre literally repellent to his advances.. it definitely makes the whole thing a little harder. more like alot harder.

“hey, the cookies are done, and i made the icing.. do you wanna decorate them..?” soobin asks from the kitchen, looking almost defeated. but a small smile is brought to his face when you jump from his couch to walk to the kitchen. you were so.. cute. but he just found that so hard to say.

he hands you a few little bowls of icing and puts some sprinkles near you and sighs out. rolling his eyes. he can’t really focus , and the night definitely wasn’t going as planned. you weren’t picking up on any of his hints, and all of his hints just.. were not enough. there was really only one last way to do this. being the most obvious, bold and out there guy he can be. because his flirting game is straight ass.

soobin nods his head in your direction, smiling at the cookie you had been working on. “that’s cute.” he mutters out, spreading icing onto his own cookie. what he was about to say was going to kill him mentally.. but it was the only way he could think of to try and get you on board with the flirting thing he’s been trying all night.

“that cookies cute, just like you..” he says under his breath, putting some sprinkles on the iced cookie. “hm? what was that?” you ask, putting your treat down as you look at your friend.

oh. he really couldn’t take it anymore. he had taken multiple swipes that were somewhat hidden, and he was fed up with trying to get you to understand his sly advances. it was now or never.

“yn. i’m being so for real when i say this, you’re like the prettiest girl i know, and i know i don’t ever say it but that’s because i can’t? and every time i do try and hint how much i like you, you’re too oblivious to see anything! and it’s so hard to call you what you are, when you make me so flustered all the time, okay?! i- i think.. no! i like you!” soobin spits, rocking on his feet as he rambles.

“oh!” is all you have to say for a second. he was right. you really had no idea he had been hitting on you for a bit, you just thought he was being extra nice.

“so.. you’re saying you wanna be with me? like. couple?” you ask, taking a bite of your cookie. “yes, yn! do i need to spell it out for you?!” soobin asks in a raised tone, crossing his arms.

“yeah you do. i’m stupid.” you mumble. “not stupid enough to reject my crush though.” you say with nonchalance, holding out the cookie you just took a bite of. “you want some? it tastes good!” like nothing even happened.

“uhhhh.. w-what about something more than cookies?? like a kiss?” soobin says as a last attempt at flirting.

at least he won you over.

[ohtobeleah]

Now I can’t stop thinking about Chaos being in a frustrated mood because she’s just so pregnant and so emotional and exhausted and her belly is heavy and Rooster just holds her belly up from behind her whenever he see the opportunity.

Chaos Masterlist

Oh he does. He most definitely does. And Rooster knows just how much you're struggling with this pregnancy too.

You can't sleep, can't stomach your favorite foods, can’t do your damn job so they’ve shoved you on admin and you fucking hate administration work. You can't stand the smell of Bradleys normal cologne because it makes your stomach queasy and your temples throb. And You can't for the life of you stand for more then five minutes without wanting to just die on the stop because your feet ache and the shift in centre of gravity just makes you want to topple over.

“So how far along are you now Chaos?” Bob’s beaming, he'd just gotten back from a detachment that sent him all the way to Melbourne Australia for a few months on a contract that saw him supporting new recruits with the Australian Navy. “I can't remember if you said seven or eight.”

“God I wish, I'm only six and a half–” You’re sighing in defeat as you throw your dart towards the darf board and almost take out Hangman in the process. “Fuck, sorry Jake!”

“You're usually so good at this, what's gotten into you Kazansky?” Hangman taunted as he picked up the dart that had bounced off the wall beside where he’d been standing and made his way over to you with a beer in his hand and a grin plastered across his face. Although you and Bradley had been married for just a little under a year, everyone still called you Kazansky from time to time. It was a homage to your dad.

“Probably the two Bradhsaw Brats kicking my goddamn blatter like a soccer ball Seresin that's what.”

“Are you badmouthing our children already?” Two hands are coming around you from behind, slipping under your enlarged stomached and taking all the weight. Propping up your belly for you, Bradley is kissing your cheek softly– whispering in your ear. “You doing alright mama?”

“God, now that I don't feel like I'm carrying two bowling balls around, I'm doing just fine.” You sigh as you let your head fall back against Roosters shoulder. “Never let go–”

“Okay, everyone clear out–” Jakes announced. “Sooner or later man you're gonna have to let go and I don't wanna be around when you do.” Rooster holds you for as long as he can withstand the weight of your stomach. He stands behind you while you both talk with Bob, with Jake and even while you catch up with Hawk. Like Bob she’d just come back from another deployment–it wasn't hard to tell Jake Seresin enjoyed it when his wife was stateside. He had a different kind of glow about him.

Rooster did however have to let go and when he did you hated it. But later that same night while you were showering, he did the same thing. Slipping in behind you while you washed your hair to hold your stomach up as the stream of steady hot water washed away the day.

“You are so amazing, Mrs Bradshaw.” Rooster cooed as he kissed the spot behind your ear, avoiding the small little Hangman tattoo behind you had behind your ear because to kiss that would be a little weird and you were already a little sus on the bromance that had recently formed between Hangman and your husband. “Can't believe you look so good carrying our children.”

“Hmm–” You hummed in response. “Just can't wait for them to be earthside, I feel like I'll enjoy motherhood a lot more when they aren't using my internal organs as play things.”

[girl4music]

*Doc throws his knife into a dart board. A bullseye*

DOLLS:

*whistles*

“That new demon's a nasty piece of work. We're regrouping at BBD in an hour. You were late to the party last night.”

DOC: “Yep.”

DOLLS: “Wanna talk about it?”

DOC: “Nope.”

DOLLS: “OK... So it's not baby Alice?”

DOC:

*retrieves his knife from the dart board*

“No, she is safe. That is all I can ask for. No, I am angry because the fight has been fixed.”

DOLLS: “What fight?”

DOC:

*gets up in his face*

“The fight. Between the living and the dying. When the Iron Witch made her wish and made Wynonna pop, disappear... you and me, we were enemies. You killed me. And I died.”

DOLLS: “Remind me who shot first.”

DOC: “Dolls... I went to hell. The same place Wynonna sends her demons. That is my reward... for all this?”

DOLLS: “You know, listen, you got time.”

DOC: “Time for what? To replace my bad deeds with good ones? No, that is the rub, Dolls. That is what they do not tell you about turning the hero. It turns you into a killer, too. So you face it, Xavier. We are murderers, you and I. Destined for the dark.”

DOLLS:

*makes eye contact, says calmly but sternly*

“We're not the same. ‘Cause I don't need a threat of damnation to fight for the right side.

*walks away, turns back to him*

We're gonna be alright.”

Some powerful dialogue here between these two characters. Especially considering what happens to Dolls. He knows what his endgame is and he isn’t afraid in the slightest regardless of where he ends up. But what Doc says about how whether you’re the hero or villain - you’re still made into a killer. A murderer. That cannot be overlooked because it is very true.

I love that this show and its writers refuse to play good VS evil, peace VS war, right VS wrong, love VS hate, black VS white, light VS dark. Refuse to play duality.

They keep the GREY approach all throughout. They don’t contradict themselves for even one second. What they’re teaching is much more the truth than the classic fairytales and legends would have you believe.

That it’s either one or the other. It isn’t. It is BOTH. And that anyone can be both simultaneously and it does not damn them. It does not break or ruin their character. It does not make them better or worse.

And if they should fall like Lucifer fell and end up in hell. Well, that’s just the way it is. It shouldn’t stop them from trying to do good or trying to be good.

So Dolls is right. It doesn’t matter about the destination or the outcome. The result of your deeds. You do good now and you are good regardless of what evil that you have done. It isn’t a case of whether you have a soul or not or whether you are a demon or not.

It’s a case that you choose to do what you do now. How you’re treated for it either now or later isn’t something you can control. So it isn’t something that you should concern yourself with. Just do good now because that’s all that matters when nothing matters.

Give up trying to search for a redemption or a reward because if you truly want to do good,… then you do it.

Because even the Garden of Eden itself is treacherous.

R.I.P. Deputy Marshall Xavier Dolls.

And thank you.

[h4zardousch3micals]

Performance Of A Lifetime - 1

Previous • First • Next

Alright, so:

1) I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG STUFF HAPPENED

2) I SWEAR THIS STORY ISN'T 90% DUDES LOL THIS WAS JUST A WEIRD COINCIDENCE

3) Despite the Fallen Stars inspiration, Loodvigg is not evil. He is baby. (Spoiler alert I guess but all the Celestials will be sympathetic in this bc I do not have the heart to make any of them evil, whether I have the heart to traumatize them is a different story...)

4) Yes I'm going to be throwing a bunch of oc's in because I can >:3

That's all I think

——

A warm sunset spilled lazily from the horizon, dyeing the usually blue waters of the Living Ocean a deep, honey-like amber. On the South-east coast of Plant Island, a hive of activity began to materialise as monsters of all shapes and sizes were drawn in by gleam of flickering red and yellow lights and the sound of carnival music. The excitement was far from unwarranted: it's not every day that the circus comes to town, especially not the renowned, voyaging Audrey's Intrepid.

Backstage, however, beyond the hypnotizing spiral of ducks swirling in a little pool and the dizzying dances of eye-bleeding colours, was alive with a different kind of anticipation - thrilling, exhilarating, tension as a dozen little monsters prepared for the most nerve-wracking hour-or-so of their lives, just a few days away.

Or, that was how it was supposed to go.

"This is ridiculous. I'm not doing this." Loodvigg snarled, the feathers around his neck bristling like an agitated cat. He wobbled on unsteady legs: the diving board felt so flimsy beneath his feet and the bucket he was supposed to land in looked as though it were miles away. He wouldn't dare admit it, but something about the incredible drop made his entire body shake with fear.

"Awww, come on 'Vigg! It'll be fun!" Glaishur called out, having to raise his soft voice to be heard from all the way down there. He stood next to the comically shallow pail with a big, goofy grin plastered on his face, apparently oblivious to Loodvigg's distain for the current situation.

"If you aren't gonna do it, why'd you climb all the way up there?" Attmoz added, jabbing an accusing finger in his direction.

"Uh," Oops. Probably should've thought about that. Loodvigg desperately dodged the question with a question of his own, "Why do I have to be the one to do this, anyway? Surely this is more Hornacle's thing?"

Attmoz rolled his eye, "Fennec wants us to learn what its like to do eachother's acts so we know what they're thinking during the performance."

"Yeah! So get on with it..." A voice came from the nearby rows upon rows of almost entirely empty seats. Oh, right, their trainer was so quiet and pathetic that Loodvigg had almost forgotten he was there at all. The Sox's dark blue ears were pinned back and his vermilion eyes darted nervously around the empty circus tent. If he was trying to sound commanding; it wasn't working.

Loodvigg peered down again and felt an involuntary shudder creep up his spine.

"It's not that bad!" Glaishur explained, "Just close your eyes and pretend you're just walking down some stairs."

"If you're scared we can help get you down—" Attmoz added with an almost smug smirk."I AM NOT SCARED!" Loodvigg snarled, feathers puffing up from humiliation disguised as rage and causing both monsters to flinch. Almost immediately, he felt a pang of guilt strike his heart. He wanted to apologise, but a growing sense of shame made the words catch in his throat.

"Prove it then!"

Glaishur elbow nudged the air monster disapprovingly, "Attmoz, don't be mean!"

"Ugh, fine!" Loodvigg put his hands up surrender, "Whatever, I'll do it!"

There was probably a better way to word that - one that didn't involve taking the plunge both literally and figuratively - but it was too late for that now. Attmoz leans back slightly and folds his arms; Glaishur give him a reassuring thumbs up.

"Well, here goes nothing..." Loodvigg whimpered, taking a step forward and letting gravity do the rest of the work.

SPLASH!

For a moment, everything seemed almost peaceful. Loodvigg could hear sounds, but the rippling and bubbling of the water made everything distant and fuzzy. His stomach stung where he'd directly struck the surface of the pool, but the cool water was almost soothing against it. It was comforting, in a strange backwards sort of way.

And then, in an instant, it was over. he felt two sets of arms plunge into the oversized pail and drag him out with terrifying efficiency. He coughed and spluttered; his lungs burned from the cold water that intruded into his throat and his feathers clung awkwardly to his skull, making him feel small and weak. He was about to crawl away, to go find a nice dark corner to hide in and sulk, when an unexpectedly joyful voice caught him off guard:

"Woah! That was awesome!" Glaishur cheered. When Loodvigg blinked the water away from his eyes, he could see that the cold monster grinning from ear to ear; eyes wide and sparkling from admiration and excitement.

"...It was?" He wheezed between hacking up blobs of water.

"Yeah! You hardly moved a muscle the whole way down; you looked so badass!" Attmoz clarified.

It was probably best to just let them believe that was intentional, "Oh, yeah. It was."

"Good job, kid. I'll let Audrey know about this." Fennec approached them and said with a happy saxophone noise, well, that and an odd whistling from the cracked key on his back.

"Audrey?" He echoed, eyes lighting up at the possibility. Though neither him nor his friends had ever met the elusive ringmaster, the other performers described her as a powerful, almost otherworldly figure. To be specifically pointed out to her as special - what an honour!

"Yes, she'll be very pleased to know everything is going smoothly." He replied, his gaze was still flickering towards every little noise but now his lower eyelids were creased upwards in a slight smile.

"Wow... Lucky you!" Glaishur squealed excitedly.

Loodvigg was just about ready to slink into a cave and sleep for an entire century but, as usual, Attmoz just had to have the last laugh, "But can you do it again?"

"OH, COME ON!"

—

At the edge of the moving island the circus resided on, Scaratar studied the ripples of the water as the sun finally disappeared into the sea. A ladybird landed beside her, skittling and scuttling on its search for food, and she took the time to gently pet its smooth little wing cases before it flew away.

This serene moment was promptly interrupt by Loodvigg storming in - muttering something about how annoying a certain air monster was - and flopping down beside her. He resembled a cat that had gone outside during a thunderstorm: his expression was downtrodden and furious and his hair (normally painstakingly slicked back into place) was wild and a little frizzy.

"Woah, you alright?" She asked, unable to contain a few giggles, "You look a little... drenched?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He grumbled and covered his face with his webbed talons.

"Sheesh, okay."

Neither said a word in response and they stayed like that for quite some time: Loodvigg was too worked up to be interested in conversation and Scaratar knew to give her friend space. Eventually, Scaratar picked up one of the Circus' promotional posters and inspected it carefully. Loodvigg opened one eye, curious but not having the patience or energy to move much else.

"Why do you have that?" He eventually asked, "Where did you even get one of those? Didn't they all get sent out?"

"Uh, I got it from the pile before Fennec and Copper went to put them up around the Island. I don't know why, it just felt right."

"Oh," Loodvigg hoisted himself up by his arms and peered over at the poster, reading it out loud in an unamused tone, "New from Audrey's Intrepid, sixteen years in the making, marvel at the all new: CELESTIALS - A dramatic retelling of our world's most ancient history!"

"Well, you sure look like you need some Chapstick, don't ya?" Scaratar chuckled, pointing to a monster which resembled Loodvigg - only much older, much uglier and (as she described) much more dehydrated.

"I know, right?" Despite his exhaustion and grumpiness, Loodvigg couldn't help but crack a small smile, "And what's this? I don't exactly recall you having giant butterfly wings for ears."

"Actually, those are moth wings." She corrected.

"Close enough!" He rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance.

"Seriously though, wonder why they can never get the posters to look right."

He shrugged, "Maybe it's to make us look cooler?"

"...Because this looks cool!" Scaratar chirped sarcastically, shoving the poster in his face again which caused them to laugh out loud all over again.

"You have a point. Maybe we should ask Fennec, or one of the other performers..."

"Yeah, we should." She agreed, but the idea would soon be given up on as Scaratar's gaze shifted back to the distant sea. She suddenly asked, "Do you think there's more out there?"

Loodvigg blinked in suprise, "Of course there is. You've seen the other islands when we've landed there, even if they didn't let us put on the show 'cause we weren't ready yet, you must've at least gotten a glimpse?"

"Yes, I know. I meant... Do you think there's more out there - for us?"

Loodvigg considered the idea, "Well, if there was, surely Fennec would've told us?" Practice, practice, practice was all they'd ever really known, surely it was important if their trainer put that much focus on it?

"I suppose..."

"Do you... not like what we do?" He asked hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer, "Cause if you don't I can ask Fennec to change—"

"No, it's not that! I just...

I just wonder sometimes..."