#i've been thinking about what they got up to before they moved to their farm

[saturnvs]

i think western au villaneve live just outside of a town on their own farm and they're a mystery to the townspeople, eve and villanelle are talked about like they're folklore even though they're very real and ride into town like once a month to buy stuff. no one truly knows what the two of them got up to before they settled down on their farm, the stories range from them just being vagabonds who chose to settle down, to robbers, to killers.

when they ride into town everyone backs away out of fear but they're equally curious about them. they're always pleasant with the shopkeepers and smile at the children who want to pet their big horses, but the townspeople claim they see blood on their skin and their clothes. no one knows if they're just mysterious but harmless lesbians or if they're mysterious and harmful lesbians :)

[maskedbyghost]

it’s late, and you’re both curled up in bed, the room completely dark except for the soft glow of the moon peeking through the blinds. you’re lying with your back to simon, his arm draped lazily over your waist, fingers lightly tracing patterns on your skin.

"you ever think about what you’d do if you weren’t a soldier?" you ask, your voice soft in the quiet.

simon doesn’t answer right away, his hand stopping for a moment before continuing its slow, comforting motion. "no," he says finally, his voice a deep rumble in the darkness. "never thought that far ahead."

you smile to yourself, knowing that’s so typically him—always focused on the present, on the mission, never on what comes after. "okay, but what if you had to choose something else? anything at all."

he’s quiet again, like he’s actually considering it, and then he mutters, "maybe a mechanic. or a farmer."

"a farmer?" you ask, trying to hold back a laugh at the thought of simon, the terrifying ghost, tending to crops and chickens.

"yeah," he says, completely serious. "quiet life. away from everything. i’d like that."

you turn to face him now, grinning in the dark. "you? a farmer? with overalls and everything?"

"don’t push it," he grumbles, but you can hear the faint amusement in his tone.

you laugh softly, reaching up to brush your hand across his stubbled jaw. "i think you’d look cute. you’d be grumpy, but in a charming, farmer simon way."

he huffs, but you can feel his body relaxing next to you, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips. "you’d get bored with me in a week."

"never," you say, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "i’d help you with the chickens. we’d live on a cute little farm with a big garden, and we’d sit on the porch every evening and watch the sunset."

"that sounds nice," he admits, his voice softer now, almost wistful.

you snuggle closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body as he pulls you tighter against him. "see? i think you’ve got the right idea. farmer simon. i’d take that over ghost any day."

he chuckles quietly, the sound vibrating against your skin. "you say that now."

you smile, closing your eyes as his hand moves gently through your hair. "yeah, well, i think i’d like you no matter what."

the silence settles again, but this time, it’s filled with a warmth that makes you feel like you could drift off to sleep any second, wrapped in simon’s arms and the thought of a peaceful life somewhere far away.

and just before you drift off, you hear him murmur, "i’d like that too."

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

something short and sweet before i finish this longer fic i've been working on for a few days :) hope you like ittt

@daydreamerwoah @spicyspicyliving

[blackwidownat2814]

Pairing: Tyler Owens x female reader, Tyler Owens x shy!reader, Tyler Owens x insecure!reader

Word Count: 1408

Summary: You begin your new job as a Tornado Wrangler (remotely), and meet most of the team. It isn't until you suffer a little mishap that you meet the man himself.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the wonderful response to the Prologue!!! I didn't think it'd be that much of a hit, so I was surprised with all the love. After finishing this chapter, I feel like it could've been part of the Prologue, but oh well. It's been a while since I've written as well, so bear with me. As always, thanks to my awesome beta, @buckysdollforlife, for their help with this and for creating the header for this story (I LOVE IT!!!!) and bestie, @13braincellsonly, for allowing me the use of their son's name and personality when I needed to come up with a horse. **All descriptions of Ziggy the horse were approved by his momma.** And as always, I will be cross-posting this to AO3. If you see this story anywhere besides AO3 or Tumblr, it's stolen.

City Girl Knows Her Stuff

You became a Wrangler near the end of the season that first year.  Kate picked you up at the airport with two members of the team: Lily and Dani.  Lily immediately pulled you into a hug, chatting a mile a minute about how excited she was to have you on the team.  Dani (perhaps picking up on your shyness) offered a handshake and big smile, welcoming you to Oklahoma.  Kate was more than happy to let Dani and Lily talk your ear off on the drive to Sapulpa, where you’d be staying with Cathy until you found a place.  She knew it was somewhat difficult for you to make friends, so she was happy to see you enjoying a conversation with two new friends.

You got to meet Dexter when he came by in the van to pick up Lily and Dani.  You thought he was funny and enjoyed some very science-centric conversations with him.  Before they all left, Lily let you take her drone for a spin.  You enjoyed it so much that for your birthday later that year, she gifted you a smaller drone that wasn’t quite like hers, but it had a small camera and small, tinny sounding speaker.  She even had it painted in your favorite color.  That would become one of your absolute favorite gifts.  It made you cry.

Like most storm chasers, you had to have a job in the off season, so you got a remote data analyst job with the NOAA offices in Norman and moved out to a place just out of Sapulpa.  This would allow you to visit Cathy at the farm and work on data in the barn workshop the Wranglers had set up.  You even got yourself a cat.  Abandoned due to his looks and runt status (according to the shelter), you snatched him up the first time you saw him.  Black cats didn’t scare you.  Life with Roach (you’d spent quite a bit of time watching The Witcher) was idyllic and you were happy.

By the time you met Boone, the Wranglers felt like family…and Boone felt like the brother you never had.  Like Boone, you were an only child and didn’t have much of an extended family and it was a bit lonely in the beginning.  The difference, however, was that Boone was an outgoing guy and it was easy for him to make friends and talk to people he didn’t know, whereas that scared you half to death most of the time.  You loved his boisterous way of being, but you also appreciated that he (like Dani) could tell when your social battery had run down and turned it down and would sometimes sit with you in a quiet environment.  Sometimes he’d sit and nap while you read or he’d pick up the latest meteorological article (or sometimes the latest comic he picked up at the shop).  He didn’t even make fun of your nickname like others had before, so you trusted him.

The day of Cathy’s pre-tornado season bbq, while cleaning some dishes, you confessed to Boone that you were nervous about meeting the head tornado wrangler himself, Tyler Owens.

“T’s a sweetheart B, you got nothin’ to worry about.  Why are ya nervous?”

“Boone!  He doesn’t know me, what if he doesn’t think I’m a right fit for the team?  What if he doesn’t like how I do work?  Y’all are famous ‘round here, what if he gets irked by the fact that big crowds make me nervous and it takes me forever to become comfortable with people?  You know it’s not easy for me to talk to people I’ve never talked to before”, you cried in exasperation.

“B, imma need you to take a breath, okay?” Boone reassured you as he placed his hands on your shoulders.  “If Ty thought any of those things, I would definitely not be workin’ with ‘em.”

You were so busy trying to get yourself to relax that you missed Kate wandering into the kitchen.

“B, are you freakin’ out about meetin�� Tyler again?” she asked.  You and Boone nodded.  “Well, you don’t have to worry.  He won’t be able to come today, said he had to drive down to Texas to see his parents.”

You breathed out a sigh of relief, sending some of your hair floating up.  “Good, I have time to relax about it.  Thanks Kate.”

“Thank Tyler’s parents.”

“Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Owens!” you said to no one in particular and dried your hands, as you looked over at your friends.  “See you two out there!”

Kate and Boone followed, but stayed on the porch, both taking twin sips from their beers.

“You think either of them has any idea what’s about to happen to ‘em?” Boone asked.

“Meaning that Tyler is going to become enamored the second she opens her mouth?”

“Yup.”

“And that she’s going to have the same thing happen to her the second she comes into contact with that cocky cowboy swagger that he exudes when you meet him the first time?”

“Yup.”

“No, I don’t think either of ‘em knows what’s coming.”

A few days before the chasing season began, you brought Roach down to Cathy’s, where he would be staying while you were out with the Wranglers for your first season on the road.  

While there, you asked Cathy if you could saddle up your favorite of her horses, Zig, nicknamed Ziggy.  He wasn’t the brightest of the bunch; he was the type of horse you’d see in a video because someone thought he was dead but in actuality, he was just sleeping.  You swore that his mother, a horse named KJ, rolled her horse eyes every time someone caught him playing dead.

Ziggy may not have been the sharpest pitchfork in the barn, and may not have enjoyed doing much of anything besides looking dead when he slept, but he enjoyed riding through fields with you.  He knew whenever he saw you approaching with a bowl that he was about to get one of his favorite snacks: ice cubes with apple bits in them.  You put Ziggy’s snack bucket down so he could munch while you brushed him and got him saddled and ready to go for a ride.

When Ziggy let you know that he was done with his snack, you popped in your earbuds and shuffled your favorite classical music playlist on Spotify.  You found it was one of your favorite ways to relax.  After you climbed on Ziggy’s back, and kicked him into gear, you took off for the open fields near the road leading up to the farm.

You’d been out there for a while when you started hearing the faint rumble of an engine, but ignored it because trucks passed near this area all the time.  You probably shouldn’t have ignored it though, because when that modified-to-withstand-tornadoes red Dodge Ram 3500 turned on to the road and took off towards the main house, Ziggy took off after it.  By now, you shouldn’t have been surprised that he recognized the truck or the person in it, but you were…and because you were so thrown off by it, your hands (stupidly) had not been holding the reins.  And because you had not held on, you went flying off Ziggy’s back while he just followed the familiar truck.  Lucky for you, the fall didn’t cause you to go unconscious, but it did knock the wind out of you after you landed hard on your back.

As you attempted to take deep breaths, you heard someone yelling and running towards you, so you tried to sit up.  The voice yelled for you to not move, so you listened and stayed on the ground, with your eyes shut.  You just lay there, waiting.

All of a sudden:

“Are you okay?” the voice asked.  You knew that you knew who the voice belonged to but you were so thrown by being thrown that your brain wasn’t focusing.  You blinked your eyes open, and your vision swam before focusing on the most beautiful face.

“Wha-”

“Are you okay, darlin’?” he asked as he helped you sit up.

“Uh…”

“Did you black out?”

“No.”

“Do you know where you are?”

“Cathy’s farm, in Sapulpa.”

“Do you know your name?”  He smiled when you told him.  “Where’d you come in from?”

“New York City.”

“Why are you here?”

“I’m the new data analyst for the Wranglers.”

“Well…looks like we got another city girl that knows her stuff.”

Tagging: @ladybirdbeetle7 @omgbrianab @itsdesiree86 @avengersfan25 @keyrani @thedonswife13 @lonelyghosts-stuff

DON'T FORGET TO LIKE AND REBLOG!!!!

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[llamagoddessofficial]

📚 pretty please?

I shan't give too many details about this one, because I am pretty dedicated to writing it at this point - but Farmtale Sans is on the cards. Here's a teeny extract from the first chapter I've written out.

---

You sat down at the kitchen table. The chairs smelt of wood varnish. You had no idea what you were going to do for food, the last store you recalled passing on the way here felt like hours ago. You had no heating, no lights. No gas. Almost definitely no hot water. 

You felt like just laying down on the floor and crying forever. 

A knock on the front door. 

You jumped out of your fucking skin. Someone was at the door? Suddenly, a bunch of horrible thoughts started racing through your head. Did you get the wrong house? Was the will wrong? Did the key just happen to fit? Is this someone’s home, and you just came in, kicked their carpet and sat at their table? You scrabbled over to the door, rattling the handle and eventually shoving it open. 

... A massive, lanky skeleton monster stood before you. 

“HELLO THERE!” He spoke extremely cheerfully, but in a volume that made you startle. He was wearing dark blue overalls, heavy black rubber boots, and an orange gingham-patterned top. “WHY, IT’S LOVELY TO FINALLY MEET YOU! I’M PAPYRUS, YOUR NEW NEIGHBOUR!”

He stuck out a huge hand, covered by a garden glove. 

You stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, blinking up at the skeleton. He was... how did he get here so fast? Eventually you snapped yourself out of your rude gawking and took his hand, shaking cautiously.

“... Neighbour?” you managed to say. But there weren’t any houses around for what felt like miles...?

He nodded enthusiastically. “MY BROTHER AND I OWN THE FARM JUST OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN. WE’RE A HALF HOUR DRIVE AWAY.”

You paused. “You came out all that way, just to greet me?”

He seemed confused, for a moment, but quickly smiled again, even breaking into chuckles. “OH! YOU MUST BE FROM THE CITY, RIGHT? NYEHEHEH, YOU MUST THINK HALF AN HOUR IS A LONG DRIVE! NYEHEHEHE!”

... What a strange feeling. You’d never before met someone who could laugh right at you, yet not feel malicious at all. He still made you feel like he was laughing with you. Papyrus’ smile reached his eyes (eyesockets?) so much that he had smile lines in the bone.

You smiled yourself, a little. “Y-yeah, I guess I do think that’s a long way. I’m (y/n). How did you know I’d arrived?”

“TORIEL HAS BEEN LOOKING AFTER THIS HOUSE FOR A FEW YEARS. WHEN I HEARD IT WAS FINALLY GOING TO BE PUT TO USE, I STARTED DRIVING PAST EVERY DAY, TO BE CERTAIN THAT AS SOON AS OUR NEW NEIGHBOUR MOVED IN I’D BE ABLE TO GREET THEM LIKE A PROPER NEIGHBOUR SHOULD.” He spoke so fast, but so confidently. “I’M SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MEET YOU BEFORE I REACHED ONE HUNDRED VISITS!”

You couldn’t help it. You laughed. “Th... thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“ANYWAY. NOW THAT I’VE INTRODUCED MYSELF, I MUST INSIST YOU JOIN US FOR DINNER!”

What? “Huh?”

“OF COURSE!” He nodded again, as if agreeing with himself. “IT IS NOT ONLY THE POLITE THING TO DO, BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT YOU HAVE IMMEDIATE DINNER PLANS THAT ARE HEALTHY OR NUTRITIOUS CONSIDERING YOUR LONG TRIP! I MUST INSIST THAT YOUR FIRST MEAL IN YOUR NEW COMMUNITY IS A GOOD ONE!”

... You could’ve cried. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be as nightmarish as you thought.

“I’d love to. But I’ve really got to unpack everything first, and clean this old place out. We could exchange phone numbers?”

“I’LL HELP YOU UNPACK!”

You stared incredulously at the monster before you. Was he real? “I-I,”

“I’LL CALL MY BROTHER. I CAN’T GUARANTEE HE’LL BE HERE BEFORE WE’RE FINISHED, THOUGH, HE’S SUCH A SLOWPOKE.”

[thebluester2020]

Stardew Bachelors x Rude!Farmer Reader Headcanons

Summary: A new farmer has moved into Stardew Valley and...wait, how come they're always seen with a scowl on their face?! And why are they so mean?!

Warning(s): Fluff, Mean! Farmer, Doesn't contain all the bachelors! (I've only included Elliot and Sebastian since I didn't want things to become too long!), Farmer is low-key more of a tsundere to be honest, Slight favoritism to Sebastion at the end, !not proofread!

Note: As much as I love sweet-hearted farmers. I also love my mean, tsundere-esque farmers as well <3

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ

Elliot

:: Elliot had heard about the rumors a week before you arrived. That the grandchild of the late deceased farmer, who once cared for the old farm a little ways away from town, would be moving in soon. He thought a new face around town would be nice. After all, Elliot was fairly new to the town himself! He thought the two of you could share in your common experience of being new to the environment and possibly build a friendly bond.

At least…until the week you were supposed to arrive rolled around.

The rumors of you being rude. He swore they spread faster than you had actually been here.

First it was from overhearing a conversation between Gus and Lewis on Friday.

The way Lewis described you was like hearing a weary night regale his tale of how he narrowly escaped the fiery breath of a dragon. “They’ve…definitely got an attitude.” Elliot heard Lewis say.

“I’m struggling to find the resemblances. Looks aside, they’re rude! They threatened me the other day when I tried to ask if they could do me a favor!”

Elliot wouldn’t exactly deny that the possibility of you being rude made him nervous. Everyone in town was so nice that having someone mean would be like a black sheep sticking out in the middle of white sheep, you just wouldn’t belong. Yet when he had happened upon you once fateful morning on the beach/

“The hell you lookin’ at Prince Charmin’” You spat in his direction when he stared too long.

His eyes widened. “N-Nothing! Forgive me, I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m new here, that’s why.”

He cleared his throat. “So I see…” He stood in place a little while longer, observing you as you crouched down to collect items from the beach. Your appearance didn’t match your attitude, he thought. Your appearance was like that of nobility to him, graceful with certain details accentuating personality and your life on the farm.

From slightly muddied knees and a few scraps here and there.

But your tongue was like a freshly sharpened knife.

“The fuck?” You hissed at him again, snapping him out of his trance. “Who the hell you looking at? Got a problem?”

“N-No!” You dropped your bag full of items before you walked right up to him, your mouth nearly curling upwards like an angry feline.

“Yeah? You sure? You’re staring mighty hard for someone you A. Don’t know and B. Is just trying to go about their day! So what’s the problem?!”

Elliot chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry once again, it's just- I think you're really gorgeous to look at. The tales of your fiery temper did nothing to speak of your beauty as well." You paused at the compliment, your cheeks beginning to redden as your temper started to ease down considerably.

Besides the compliments towards the farm and your weapon prowess when you first joined the Adventurer's Guild. You didn't hear too many compliments about yourself, the only thing you'd hear was

"That new farmer is scary aren't they? They're completely unlike their grandfather!"

"Why did her grandfather entrust the farm to them? With their attitude, they'll probably soil the crops just from their glare."

To say it didn't hurt from time to time was an understatement. It wasn't your fault that you had a mean scowl on your face 24/7 and sometimes you had a habit of speaking about how you actually felt about someone before thinking about your words!

So, to hear a compliment? You couldn't help the way it made your heart flutter and your chest begin to warm.

Not that you would let this lonely beach writer who talked like some actor from Medieval Kingdom know that.

"...Thank you." You finally mumbled under your breath.

A smile graced Elliot's features. "You're welcome."

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes before you turned around to quickly pick up your backpack before walking off. But, not before Elliot could get another line in. "You should visit my cabin sometime! I love visitors!"

Although there was no response, for the next few months afterward, however, he kept strangely receiving duck feathers and ink bottles at his front door every other day...

Sebastion

:: The first time he had even heard the rumors of a new farmer. He was talking to his mother about her day and also alerting her that he would be out for a while riding his motorcycle. His mother had made sure to tell him to "be safe!" and likes before she told him that someone new would be moving into the old farm a little ways from town.

He hadn't thought much of it.

'Just another face in the crowd' he thought while also wondering why someone would even choose to go to this town where the most interesting thing that happened was when a slime got loose in the middle of town a while ago!

Until...the words of how rude and snappy you were began to pop up.

"That new farmer has no manners!"

"They're so mean..." He also heard Lewis say. "All I asked was for them to retrieve a...special item from Marnie's house and they said 'Get it yourself'"! Sebastion didn't see anything wrong with the supposed 'attitude' you were giving people in town, in his mind? He thought it was about time that someone had tried to bring a different energy to the town besides being yet another happy-go-lucky person who wanted to help everyone and anyone!

And even when he bumped into you one midnight evening...a sword in his hand as he wanted to go exploring the mines in order to try and put himself to sleep, his opinion of your supposed attitude remained the same.

Though, as he saw the piles of dead Shadow Brutes around...he did have a mind to be a little more weary of you. No one had told him that you were capable of slaying multiple Shadow Brutes on your own.

"You lost gloomy?" Were your first words to him as you pushed your hair back out of your face, snapping him back to reality.

He glared at you. "I could ask the same of you. Whose out fighting Shadow Brutes at midnight?"

"Me," You responded. "Something that I wouldn't expect you to do seeing how you're as skinny as a twig."

His mouth dropped a little, his annoyance with you growing as well as his interest of you. You were mean, that was no question but...unless his ears were playing tricks on him due to him not interacting with too many other people besides his friends.

He could've sworn there was a little bit of playfulness in your voice.

"I may be skinny but I've been down these mines before." He said, walking past you with a grumble as he started to look around the area for anything valuable.

As you looked Sebastion over, your mouth cracked upward a little more in an amused smile. You had just arrived at the valley, and joining the Adventurer's Guild was a good way to blow off some steam and clear your mind by fighting mindless monsters. You hadn't really thought about talking to any of the residents besides the essential ones such as Pierre, Robin and sometimes Lewis from time to time.

But, you were beginning to change your mind.

"You managed to make it all the way down to level 100 in the mines gloomy, maybe you wouldn't mind accompanying me to level 120?"

Sebastion looked back at you with a huff. "You probably wouldn't want a 'twig' coming with you."

"Even twigs can have their usefulness, don't be a wuss."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not a wuss."

You stuck your tongue out playfully. "Then prove it! Killing those Squid Kids can be a tricky process at times." As you walked passed him, you playfully shoved him as a cocky laugh escaped you. "Who knows? Maybe you'll even upgrade from a twig to a branch."

He could've ignored you, he wanted to ignore you but...as you sauntered away cockily, climbing down one of the ladders into the next level. He couldn't deny that you were interesting despite your need to tease him despite the two of you just meeting, you may have had an annoyingly high urge to tease but...strangely enough?

He liked it.

[bamsywrites]

And Comes Dawn pt v

Pairing: Sauron/Halbrand x Reader, the love triangles will start showing up here soon

Word count: 2k

Tags/warnings: death mention, mention of miscarriages, angsty, but fluffy, Tolkien lore is mentioned some, reader do be yapping, sauron is unwell and a little obsessed,

Notes: I take some liberty with the elf occupation of the southlands in this one but it's my fanfic and if I wanted to have halbrand wear a pink frilly tutu I could. Keep the feedback coming please. I love all of you.

Series masterlist

You awoke to the soft rocking of the sea, a blanket thrown over your body, and the smell of soup. The smell alone almost made you moan as the emptiness in your stomach ached. The last thing you had remembered was the storm and now you were on a strange ship.

Where were you?

“She wakes,” a deep voice spoke next to you. It almost startled you, but seeing Halbrand and hearing his voice brought a sense of calm over you. He had shown that he had meant his words, that he would protect, but you were still unsure as to what motivated that in him. Surely it had to be something more than he thought you were a good person.

Without thinking, you threw your arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, relaxing into his body. It took a moment, but his strong arms wrapped around you, and he placed a kiss to your hair, “I got you, sweet one,” he whispered softly, resting his chin on your head.

After a moment, you pulled away and looked up at him, “Where are we?”

He looked into your eyes, smiling softly, “A ship captain saw us and rescued us. Looks as if your whole hope thing isn't useless after all.”

You smiled, “Of course it's not. Hope never is.”

This time, it was him that pulled you in for a hug, all but pulling you into his lap. “I swear, sweet one, never scare me like that again. I thought I lost you,” he whispered into your hair.

You didn't make any movements to separate from him, enjoying the feeling. “Is that soup I smell?”

Halbrand laughed softly, pulling away and holding your face in his hands, “You ruined the sentimental moment.”

“Halbrand, I have been stranded at sea for a week, and while I do enjoy you, I am quite hungry.”

He smiles but shakes his head, “I'll go get you a bowl.”

As he leaves to do that, you take in your surroundings. It's a sturdy ship, not like the one you'd left on. It was well kept and clean, and the wood seemed to be of high quality. Your eyes examined the room until they landed on the elf, who was still either unconscious or asleep. Her words to you repeated in your head. She'd revealed your past to Halbrand. It seemed maybe as if he didn't care or notice, but it mattered to you.

You heard his footsteps on the stairs, and you quickly looked away, taking the warm bowl of soup in your hands. “Thank you,” you managed to speak before you started slurping down the liquid. It felt amazing to fill your stomach again. To eat something warm, that wasn't stale bread and dry meat. You had moaned softly the minute it moved down your throat.

Halbrand watched you until you were done, it looked as if he was thinking of something. You put the bowl aside and sat quietly for a moment before he spoke.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

You didn't need him to specify. You knew of what he spoke. You sighed softly and looked at him for a moment. He was leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees and hands clasped together. He looked concerned and curious as he watched you.

“I didn't want you to think differently of me,” you said softly.

“You were not the one who committed the crime. I told you, I've done horrid things. I chose to do those things. You did not choose to have an evil father.”

“That's the other reason why I don't talk about it,” you spoke softly. “He wasn't always that way. He was a good man, and so was my brother and my uncle. They were all good men. They were all hard workers. We had a farm, and they all tended to it from dawn until dusk. And when Papa would come home, no matter how tired he was, he would sweep me into his arms and dance with me around the room. My uncle would put me atop his shoulders and take me with him to town or to pick apples. My brother had the most awful jokes. He'd sneak me seconds of the cake, and he'd teach me how to use a bow. They were not evil, and I hate to talk about them as if they were. As if they were born that way.”

Halbrand wet his lips, “But something must have happened for them to murder an entire village of elves.”

You nodded, looking at your hands as you fought back tears. “My mama was good. She was so good and kind. She had a garden, and she grew herbs that helped people sleep or cleaned minor wounds. She was helpful. Everyone loved her, and my father adored her. She got sick one winter and the medicine she needed was expensive. Everyone worked so hard to save up enough for it, but in the end, we didn't have enough,” You wet your lips with your tongue. “She died. It was…it was awful. She was in pain and didn't go with peace. Father was distraught. Not only had he lost mother, but she had been with child. They had always had trouble with having children. My brother was several years older, and many miscarriages and lost babes were between us. The baby was almost to term.” You shook your head, wiping the few tears that slipped out away.

“I'm so sorry, but what does that have to do with elves? With Sauron?” Halbrand spoke, his hand moving to rest on your knee in a form of comfort.

“Father blamed the elves for mothers' death. I do not know how it is with other villages in the southlands, but for ours we had to give tithes of crops or money to the elves as a form of repentance for our ancestors' allegiance with evil,” you spoke with a hint of annoyance. “A reminder of what we did. Father was forced to give the money that he had saved to the elves. He begged for help for medicine, and it was denied. It changed him. It broke him. My grandfather believed that Sauron would return and bring with him the legacy that was long lost from our people. Father had dismissed that belief, but after mother died, he believed that Sauron would be more benevolent than the elves. That he would be a better leader. All that was needed was a massive blood sacrifice. He radicalized my uncle, my brother. My house went from being filled with love and light to being filled with darkness, with plots for murder. With stories of long ago and Morgoth and Sauron and giant spiders and dragons.”

“That's why you believe that evil is thrust upon people, isn't it?” Halbrand spoke softly.

You nodded. “The grief would destroy me if I believed there was no good in my family.”

Halbrand sat in silence. “And what of a being like Sauron? Do you think he's able to be forgiven? To be good?”

You pressed your tongue into your teeth and furrowed your brow. “I do not know, but I also do not think it is my place to make that decision. It is not my place to forgive my own family for what they did. What they did was horrendous. It was not excusable. I do not want to lessen the severity of their crimes, nor do I think that their punishment was unjust. I do not think it serves anyone well, though, to think that they were evil all along. To think they were without human emotions. Despite the evil they have done, I still love my family.”

You inhaled a deep breath, looking up at him, “I think for him, for Sauron, it could be the same. I do not know much about what created us, but I know that what created me also created him. In that case, he is capable of all the things I am. Love, kindness, empathy. That has to all be there, the good that he hasn't chosen. Perhaps he even has a family who still loves him. But it is not my place to decide if he is forgiven. I am not the one to redeem him.”

~

He sat with his head resting against a beem of wood. Not long after you ate, you'd fallen back asleep. His fingers were lazily running through your hair as he stared at a particular piece of wood.

He was getting more answers to who you were, but the answers he got asked questions themselves. How did you suffer so much and yet still hope? How did you hold such light inside you as well as such grief?

He'd been so full of himself when he learned of your family. To learn, there were those who still waited for him, who would kill for him. It satisfied his ego and fueled his arrogance. It was hard to resist smirking, smugly laughing to himself, or making a comment.

It didn't last long. In his interrogation of you, he asked too many questions and got answers he didn't bargain for. His questions now weren't so much about you, but about him. About his wants, his goals, and his motivations. Instead of asking who you were, your answers made him ask who he was.

He is capable of all the things I am.

…The good he hasn't chosen.

A family who still loves him.

The last one was the worst. Did he have a family who loved him still? Would he ever be able to return to his home? Would he be able to work inside Aulës's workshop? Would his former master have missed him? Would he hear the song of creation once more?

Did he want any of that?

Or did he still want power? Control? To bring peace and order through domination? The temptation was still there. The darkness was ever present inside of him, but perhaps there was some light left.

His eyes drifted to you, picking up a few strands of your hair and then watching them fall back over your face. Part of him still wanted you dead. He wanted you gone. It had been little over a week, and yet it had felt like a lifetime. You were challenging him in ways that he did not want. You were, somehow, single handedly, causing him to second guess everything he knew. That alone was reason enough for him to slit your throat.

Then there was the lust. He'd never lusted after anyone like this. The fact that you were a human felt like an insult. The reactions his body had to you were too human for his liking. He wanted control, but with you, he had none. It was surprising that he hadn't claimed you already. You were his, after all. And that was another reason for him to dispose of you.

There was the stirring deep inside him, the warm feeling that he sometimes could feel spreading. Sometimes, it spilled out of him without even knowing. He dared not name it. He did his best not to feel it. He'd know you little more than a week, and yet it was there, taunting him always at the edge of his mind. That was the biggest reason he wanted you gone. That feeling, he didn't want it, especially not for you. A mere mortal should not make him feel this way.

There were so many times he had raised a blade or had his hands wrapped around your throat, and just before he was about to make the move that would free him from you….

Your eyes, bright and happy, looking up at him.

The crinkles next to your eyes when you smile.

The softness of your skin against his.

The sound of your laugh.

The smell of your hair.

You.

He growled, sending a table flying and sending his fist through the wood of the pillar. He breathed heavily, forehead resting against the splintered wood as he heard you stir in your sleep. His eyes closed. He hated the chaos inside of him.

He hated everything.

He especially hated that he couldn't hate you.

previous

[stark-ironman]

What happens in Vegas... Part 2

18+ No Minors

A/N: guess who finally wrote a long fic!! Well long for me. This was going to be 3 parts but I got carried away. I still could though 😈 also, the Hugh drama with his Broadway costar came back up during this sooooo i wrote it in. Enjoy 😁

Warnings: Accidental marriage, angst, jealously, smut, unprotected sex (wrap it)

Part 1

The next few weeks have flown by quickly as you and Hugh learn more about each other and this new life you both chose to live. The four of you had to leave Vegas early due to the fact someone leaked some pictures from inside the wedding chapel and your hotel was swarmed by paparazzi.

Ryan and Blake reassured you that everything was okay and they was fine going home early because they was ready to see their kids. Even Hugh tried his best to cheer you up but it didn't last long due to the fact your publicists and both of your families were blowing your phones up with questions on your relationship.

As of right now, everybody thinks that the relationship has been under wraps for a while now and you both decided to just elope so until you're ready to discuss it, only Ryan and Blake know the actual details of what happened. Since leaving Vegas, you and Hugh decided it would be a better and safer decision to stay at your house in Colorado instead of his penthouse in New York.

Your place is secluded on a big plot of land and it's been the perfect opportunity for the two of you to get to learn about each other in a more intimate way, minus the kissing and the sex. Don't get it wrong, you want to do those things with him but you both agreed to move slow with this relationship so you're waiting on Hugh to feel comfortable enough to make the first move.

"Y/N, did you hear me?" Hugh asks taping his fork on your plate, snapping you out of your thoughts. "Sorry, I guess I zoned out. What did you say?" You look at him and see a small smile on his face. "I asked what are we going to do when it's time for me to head back to New York since you live here and I live there." He says cutting another piece of steak.

"I've been thinking about that actually and I wanted to talk it over with you. You know how I feel about living in big cities, especially New York.." Hugh nods and you continue, "Would you want to move here and we just keep your place in New York so we could visit? Or we find a house on the outskirts of New York?"

Hugh takes a deep breath and thinks it over for a moment before saying, "You're my home, darling. I will go wherever you go." You feel your heart skip a beat at his words and tears well up in your eyes. "Are you sure? I know how much you love New York." He grabs your hand and nods. "We can visit whenever we want. Since staying here with you, I've become a little spoiled by this secluded farm life you live. I love being here and I love being with you." His voice is sincere and you can't help but feel yourself falling in love with him even more.

"Hugh, I need to tell you something.." You start to say but you're interrupted by his phone going off. Hugh apologizes and answers, standing up and walking away, leaving you with your thoughts.

You almost admitted to this man that you love him and while you're sure he feels the same, you don't know if he's ready to take that step yet. One thing about Hugh Jackman, the man is a flirt with everyone. He's a very smooth talker and he is really easy on the eyes. Would he be willing to give all that up? Would he ever cheat on you when he tires of you?

While you know him as a loyal friend, you don't know him as a partner or a lover. Yes, right now he's saying he's happy with you but what happens once you both go back to work and he has to kiss a girl for a movie? Or do a sex scene with one? You know you're not the best looking woman in Hollywood but you try to at least hold the self confidence of one.

Your eyes search across the room until they land on Hugh and you can't help but admire the way his back muscles look and how his pants fit in just the right places. You need to snap out of this little crush before you wind up hurting yourself and the friendship you two have had for many years.

You're pulled out of your thoughts by Hugh walking back in the dining room, sitting back across from you with a sigh. "That was my agent. They want me to come back to New York and do a Broadway show called The Music Man." He says, looking in your eyes as if trying to see your reaction. "When do they want you to leave?" You ask, trying to be a little nonchalant but you know he can tell you're not happy. "They want me to fly out of here tomorrow and be in rehearsals the next day."

"You should go. It's a great opportunity for you." You say. "Are you sure?" Hugh's eyes widen, shocked at you giving him the opportunity to leave. "I'm not going to stand in the way of this. You love singing and I love seeing you happy. Plus, I can come stay with you once I get things settled here."

Hugh breaks out in a smile, kissing your hand softly before standing up. "Let me go pack and we will spend the rest of the night watching movies and cuddling." He runs off to pack, leaving you sitting at the table by yourself with a heavy heart.

You don't want him to go but you're not the type of person to ruin a great opportunity for anybody, especially Hugh. You just hope he doesn't find somebody else while you're both away from each other.

------

It's been about a month since you've seen Hugh. He had his first show and you was there in the front row happily supporting him but shortly after the show ended, rumors circulated that Hugh was already cheating on you with his co-star, especially after she came out saying they spend a lot of time together in her dressing room. You seen the chemistry on stage between them but you was hoping it was nothing.

Hugh has tried to call and text you for the past couple of weeks but either you've short replied him or just said you was too busy to talk.

You were hurt. You knew it, Hugh knew it, everybody knew it. Ryan and Blake have even tried calling to tell you the rumors weren't true but you just couldn't handle hearing it.

A knock on your door sounds throughout the house and you already know who it is. "Darling, please open the door." Hugh's voice is muffled by the door but you ignore it, feeling the tears well up in your eyes again.

"Baby, please. I promise you nothing happened between me and her. She's just doing it for the publicity." He says, hearing something sliding against the door as he continues, "I know things have been less than ideal with us but the past few months have been the happiest of my life and it's all because of you. I only have eyes for you, even before we got together, it was always you. Ryan used to make fun of me for how in love with you I was and that's never changed. Accidentally marrying you was the best thing I ever did and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I love you, darling and if you don't want me here then at least tell me that you don't."

Hugh goes silent and you can't help but walk towards the window, seeing him sit with his back against the door wiping at his eyes. You open the door slightly, watching as he stands up quickly to look at you.

"I'm sorry," You whisper, looking into his eyes, "I knew this would happen the day you recieved that phone call to go back to New York. I didn't want you to go but I will never stand in the way of your career. I tried to stop myself from being happy with you, from loving you, but no matter what I do I can't help but fall in love with you even more with each passing day. I ignored you because I was scared the rumors were true and I wanted to protect myself. You're a natural flirt, you do it without even knowing majority of the time and I didn't want to make you change anything about yourself. I love you the way you are but Hugh, I don't want you giving other girls the time of day. Call me selfish, call me whatever but I want you to myself. I want to have kids with you and live on a plot of land away from the spotlight. I love you more than I ever loved anybody and it scares the shit out of me."

Your confession causes the tears to flow as Hugh steps in the house, taking your face in his hands as he wipes the tears away. "I want this. I want you." He whispers, looking down at your lips.

His lips meet yours. Your arms wrapping around his waist to pull him closer, vaguely hearing the door shut as he leads you to the living room, laying you gently on the couch as he slots himself in between your legs.

Your hands find the hem of his shirt, raising it up and over his head as his lips meet yours again, his tongue running across your bottom lip before sliding past and attacking your tongue. A moan escapes your lips,

"Do you want to stop?" He mumbles against your lips. "No." You whisper back and he quickly sits up, removing your clothes before doing the same to his. Your eyes widen, quickly remembering the last time you two had sex was when you both blacked out in Vegas, but Hugh quickly reassures you. "I'll take my time, darling. I'll be easy... today." He smirks, crouching on the ground as he spreads your legs,

Hugh admires your core, as if savoring the whole thing to memory before lowering his head and licking a stripe up your slit, running it over the little nub and teasing it. "Taste so perfect.." He murmmers, wasting no time closing his mouth down and latching onto you as if he's been starved. You gasp as his tongue worked against you with long, calculated strokes, your hand gripping his hair as if your life depended on it as his lips enclose around the sensitive little bud.

You moaned his name loudly, your back arching with each pass of his tongue as the pleasure hits in ways you've never experienced before, your head falling back against the arm of the couch.

His mouth continues it's assault, your legs trembling around him as he pulls you close to your orgasm when you feel two of his fingers slide in, his lips enclosing around your sensitive spot causing you to cry out from the pleasure. He slides a third finger in, pumping his fingers into you as your release rips through you, keeping his mouth on you as he works you through your release.

Your body trembles and you're left breathless, thighs shaking from the intensity of the moment as he sits back to look at you with the most sinister smirk you've ever seen on him. His lips glossy and his hair tousled from what just happened and he leans forward, kissing you deeply to let you taste yourself.

Hugh's hand grabs his base, rubbing the head of his erection against your entrance and you shiver from the sensitivity, moaning softly when he dips his head down towards your breast and takes a nipple in his mouth.

He presses the tip against your wet folds, sliding into you slowly as if to not hurt you. Once he bottoms out, he let's you adjust to his length and when you give him permission to move, he moves slow making each thrust hard and deep. You notice he's holding back though so you decide to remind him not to.

"Hugh," You breathe out, "I won't break.. you can fuck me." Hugh let's out a low growl, placing your legs over his shoulders as he starts pounding into you, the force causing the couch to slightly move and your fingers to dig in his forearms.

His thrusts continue to go deep as you watch his head fall back from the pleasure, his mouth slightly open and low moans fall from within. "Fuck, I knew you were made for me... your pussy was made to be all mine.." He grunts, leaning down to sloppily kiss you, pressing your knees to your chest. "I'm never letting you go after this. You own me now, baby." His voice is full of promise and you kiss him again, holding on tightly to his shoulders while he continues his hard, brutal pace.

"Hugh... I'm close.." You choke out against his lips and he smirks at you. "Come for me baby." He says angling his hips just slightly, memorizing your face as you release all over his cock, moaning softly when he hears his name fall from your lips.

He continues his pace, chasing his own release. You clenching around him pulling him closer and closer, finally releasing deep inside of you and a deep growl erupting from him. Hugh rides out both of your releases, thrusting slowly inside of you for a few minutes before finally pulling out, both of you moaning softly at the feeling.

Hugh grabs you and pulls you on top of him, holding you close as he kisses the top of your head and you play with his chest hair. "I meant it, darling. After today, you own me. I don't want anybody else." He softly says, looking down at you. "I'm all yours too. Especially after that." You say with a chuckle, causing him to chuckle to.

"Will you marry me, again?" Hugh asks and you lift your head up to look at him. "I know it's not the most romantic time but we agreed we would do a ceremony if we chose to be together. I want to marry you and say our vows, this time with us both remembering it."

"I would marry you in every lifetime." You say, kissing him softly.

For the first time since Vegas, you finally feel like everything is falling into place and you are extremely happy for the future with Hugh.

[blakeswritingimagines]

Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

Summary: The farm boy next door can't help but admire you even when it becomes too much.

Warnings: PwP, Nipple play, Eating out reader, Blowjob, Unprotected sex, Overstim, Swallowing cum.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon/Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Word count: 5.3k

Criston Cole was a hardworking ranch hand, waking up every morning before sunrise to tend to the horses, cattle, and other farm animals. His tan muscular body was always covered in dirt and sweat as he carried out his chores. You just happened to be the new neighbor who moved in next door, and Cole couldn't help but notice how beautiful you were. He often found himself watching you from afar as you worked in your own garden, dressed in a flowing sundress

You were unaware of the glances from Criston and continued with your gardening for the day, humming a cheerful tune to yourself. A light breeze tousled your hair, causing a few strands to fall into your face. As you bent down to weed your garden, your sundress clung to your curves, emphasizing your figure. Criston's breath caught in his throat at the sight of your curves accentuated by the clinging dress. He quickly looked away, trying to compose himself. It wasn't right to ogle his new neighbor like that. "Hey there, mind if I lend a hand?" Criston called out, approaching you with a friendly smile. "I've got some experience with gardens. Maybe I could help you get those weeds under control." He hoped his offer would give him an excuse to be closer to you, even if just for a little while. Criston had always been a straightforward guy, but around you, he found himself getting tongue-tied and flustered. You looked up from your gardening, a smile spreading across your face. "Oh, hello there," you said, straightening up. The sun glinted off your hair. "I could definitely use some help," you replied, your eyes dancing with gratitude. "These weeds are relentless. But, really, you don't have to bother. I don't want to take up your time." Criston's heart pounded in his chest, not just from the physical exertion of working in the garden but also from the proximity to you. Your scent - a mix of soil and something sweetly feminine - filled his nostrils, making it difficult to think clearly. "No, no," he stammered, shaking his head. "It's my pleasure. Besides, it gives me a good excuse to spend more time with you." He leaned over, pulling out a stubborn weed with ease, his muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt. "So, what else do you grow here? Just vegetables or… maybe flowers too?" You chuckled, your eyes sparkling with amusement at his eagerness to help. "Thanks," you said, feeling a flutter of butterflies in your stomach at his words. "And yes, I grow flowers too," you replied, gesturing to a patch of vibrant blooms nearby. "But I'm particularly proud of my collection of sunflowers. They've just about finished flowering, but they'll make beautiful cut flowers for the house."

Criston followed your gaze to the sunflowers, admiring their bright yellow petals against the green stems. "They're beautiful," he murmured, feeling a sudden urge to pluck one and present it to you. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, his hands moving deftly through the soil. "Sunflowers are my favorite," he admitted, glancing at you from beneath his lashes. "They remind me of sunshine and happiness." He paused, then added softly, "Kind of like you." Criston blushed at his own boldness, realizing he'd probably said too much. But the words were out now, and he couldn't take them back. Your eyes widened in surprise as he spoke, your heart skipping a beat at his compliment. You had always been reserved and introverted, rarely the target of such ardent attention from the opposite sex. However, you couldn't deny that you secretly relished his compliments. You looked down, a shy smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Thank you," you said softly, feeling a sudden warmth spread through your chest. "That's very sweet of you to say." Criston felt a surge of relief when you smiled at his compliment. He hadn't meant to make you uncomfortable, he simply couldn't help his feelings. You were unlike any woman he'd ever met - kind, gentle, and beautiful. He wanted nothing more than to make you happy. "I mean it," he said earnestly, meeting your gaze once again. "You're special, darlin'. And I hope…" He trailed off, swallowing nervously. This was uncharted territory for him. Normally, he was the confident one, not the stuttering fool. But you brought out a side of him he didn't know existed. "I hope we can be friends," he finally managed to say.

You could sense his nervousness, and it only served to increase your own. Despite your best efforts, you couldn't hide the fact that he had an effect on you, too. The word 'friends' stuck in your throat, but you nodded, pushing past the unexpected disappointment. "Yeah," you said, plastering a smile on your face. "Friends." Even as the word left your lips, you wondered how long you could keep up the pretense of friendship when your heart was begging for more.

As days turned into weeks, you found yourself spending more and more time together. The boundaries of friendship slowly blurred as Cole's compliments turned into lingering touches, his eyes never wavering from yours. Even though you knew it was wrong to encourage his advances, it was becoming increasingly difficult to resist the growing attraction between you. Criston had been hard at work for hours on the ranch, his muscles straining under the weight of the bales of hay he was carrying. Sweat dripped down his face and his back as he moved from one chore to the next. His mind kept drifting to you, your laughter lingering in his ears, your face constantly on his mind. He needed to see you, to talk to you. But he was nervous. He didn't want to come on too strong and ruin the newfound friendship.

Following your interactions with Criston were spent thinking of him more often than you'd ever thought possible. You found yourself looking out of your window frequently to catch a glimpse of him, but not too obviously. One evening, you were sitting on your porch, enjoying the cool breeze, when you heard the sound of approaching footsteps. You looked up to see Criston walking toward you, his hat shading his eyes from the sunset. Criston's heart hammered in his chest as he approached your house. He'd been thinking about you nonstop since that day in the garden, dreaming up scenarios where he could spend more time with you. As he drew near, he noticed you sitting on your porch, and his steps quickened. "Evening," he said, tipping his hat. "Mind if I join you?" He sat down beside you, leaving enough space between you both so as not to crowd you. But close enough that he could smell your soft perfume and hear your breathing. You felt a thrilling race down your spine as he sat down next to you. He was so close that you could almost feel the heat radiating from his body. "No, not at all," you managed to say, your voice coming out a little more breathless than you'd like. You fidgeted with the hem of your dress, trying to keep your thoughts from straying into forbidden territory.

Criston felt your nervous energy and it made him chuckle. He reached over, placing his large, calloused hand over yours, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Relax, darlin'," he said reassuringly. "I ain't gonna bite." He let go of your hand and leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head as he gazed up at the stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky. "Beautiful night," he remarked, hoping to break the tension. Your breath hitched as he took your hand, his touch sending sparks through your skin. You tried to relax, but it was difficult with him so close. You looked up at the night sky, trying to focus on something other than the man next to you. "Yeah," you agreed, your voice a whisper. "It really is." You were acutely aware of the space between you, like an electric current waiting to be bridged. Criston turned his head to look at you, taking in your profile bathed in the moonlight. He'd never seen anything so beautiful. Slowly, carefully, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from your face, letting his fingers linger on your cheek. "Sweetheart," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "I… I need to tell you something." He swallowed hard, gathering his courage. "Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. You've gotten under my skin, darlin'. And I don't want you to leave."

Your heart stopped as he touched your face, your breath catching in your throat. You could see the intensity in his gaze, and the raw emotion behind his words. It took everything in you not to melt right then and there. You'd had your suspicions about his feelings, but hearing him say it out loud was something else entirely. "Criston," you whispered back, your voice filled with hope and uncertainty. "What are you trying to say?" Criston exhaled slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. This was it. There was no turning back now. "I'm saying that I care about you," he confessed, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions within him. "More than I should after knowing you for such a short time. But I can't fight it anymore. I want you to be mine." His confession hung heavy in the air between them, a declaration of love and desire that left him vulnerable and exposed. Your eyes widened at his confession, your heart racing in response. His words stirred up a maelstrom of emotions within you. Part of you wanted to jump into his arms and say yes, but the rational part of your brain held you back. "Criston, I… I don't know what to say," you murmured, a mix of confusion and admiration in your voice. "I care about you too, but we barely know each other. Isn't this a little…fast?"

Criston nodded, understanding your hesitation. But he wasn't about to give up without a fight. "Maybe it is fast," he conceded, reaching out to gently cup your chin. "But I've never been one to play it safe. Life's too damn short for that." He leaned closer, his lips hovering just inches away from yours. "Tell me," he whispered, his breath mingling with yours. "Would it be so wrong if I kissed you?" Your heart hammered in your chest as he inched closer, his words and proximity making it hard to think clearly. You could feel the warmth of his breath on your skin, making you shiver and close your eyes. For a moment, rationality left your brain, replaced by a wave of yearning and desire. "No," you breathed, finally giving in. "It wouldn't be wrong." Slowly, you tilted your face toward his in a silent invitation. Criston watched as you closed your eyes, tilting your face towards him. It was all the encouragement he needed. With a low growl of desire, he moved closer, his lips crashing onto yours in a passionate kiss. His hands moved to cradle your face, holding you firmly as he deepened the kiss. His tongue darted out, exploring the depths of your mouth, tasting every inch of you. His body pressed against yours, the heat between you growing stronger with each passing second.

You melted into his touch, returning his kiss with equal fervor. Your hands grasped at his shoulders, pulling him closer as your lips moved in tandem with his. A soft gasp escaped your lips as his tongue invaded your mouth, sending jolts of pleasure through your body. The feel of his hard body against yours was electrifying, making you cling to him even more. All rationality and hesitation faded away, replaced by a burning need for more of him. Criston groaned softly as he felt your hands grasp at his shoulders, pulling him closer. He loved the way you responded to his kisses, the way you melted into his embrace. His hands slid down to your waist, tugging you flush against him as he deepened the kiss further. He could feel the heat building between you, the desire coursing through his veins. He wanted you, needed you, with a desperation he'd never known before. Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against yours, his breathing ragged. "God," he panted, his voice thick with lust. "You have no idea what you do to me." Your chest rose and fell rapidly, your breathing just as ragged as his. You could feel the heat of his body against yours, the desire in his voice sending shivers down your spine. You looked up at him, your eyes mirroring the same intense need you felt. "I think I have some idea," you murmured, your own voice breathless. "You have the same effect on me, Criston." You ran your fingers through his dark hair, pulling him down for another hungry kiss.

Criston moaned into the kiss, his hands sliding up to grip your hips tightly. He could taste the desire on your lips, feeding his own hunger. He broke off the kiss once again, panting heavily as he stared down at you. "Then let's not waste any more time talking," he growled, his hands moving to lift you effortlessly onto his lap. His arousal was evident, pressing insistently against your thigh. "Let's show each other exactly how much we want each other." A gasp escaped your lips as he lifted you onto his lap, your knees bracketing his hips. You could feel his hard length against your thigh, making your body throb with need. You gripped his shoulders, steadying yourself as you looked down at him. "What did you have in mind?" you whispered, your voice sultry. Criston's eyes burned with desire as he looked up at you, his hands roaming over your curves. "I have a few ideas," he replied, his voice low and husky. "But I want to hear from you, Blake. What turns you on? What makes you lose control?" His hands found the hem of your dress, slipping underneath to caress the soft skin of your thighs. A shiver ran down your spine as his hands glided over your thighs, his touch leaving a trail of heat in its wake. You leaned into him, your lips skimming along his jaw. "You," you whispered, your breath hot against his skin. "You make me lose control." Your hands moved to the buttons of his shirt, deftly undoing them one by one. "Just the sight of you, the sound of your voice… It drives me crazy."

Criston groaned as you undid his buttons, revealing his chiseled chest. He couldn't resist the urge to capture your lips again, kissing you deeply as his hands continued their exploration of your body. He palmed your breasts, thumbs brushing over your nipples through the fabric of your dress. "I want to see you, Sweetheart," he murmured against your mouth. "All of you." With a swift motion, he stood, lifting you with him and carrying you towards the barn. "Let's get you out of these clothes." You gasped as he stood up, lifting you into his arms effortlessly. Your heart thudded in your chest, anticipation building with every step he took towards the barn. "Criston…" you murmured, your hands clutching at his shoulders. The idea of being exposed to him, completely vulnerable and at his mercy, both thrilled and terrified you. But there was no denying that you wanted this, that you wanted him. "Yes," you whispered, your voice hoarse with desire. "Please." Criston carried you into the barn, setting you down gently on a stack of hay bales. He stepped back, his eyes devouring the sight of you standing there, your dress clinging to every curve of your body. He reached out, tracing a finger down the valley between your breasts, watching intently as your nipples hardened under his touch. "You're so beautiful," he breathed, his voice laced with awe and desire. "I want to worship every inch of you."

The air was cool and the hay bales were slightly scratchy against your skin, but you barely noticed. Your body was too focused on the way Criston looked at you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered. His touch sent fire through your veins, making you arch into his hand. "Please," you whimpered, your breathing uneven. "Touch me. I need you." Criston didn't need to be told twice. His hands went to work, peeling the dress from your body until it pooled at your feet. He stepped forward, his gaze locked on your bare flesh. His hands roamed over your breasts, squeezing gently as he lowered his head to take a nipple into his mouth. He sucked and nibbled, his tongue swirling around the sensitive bud. His other hand slid down to your panties, hooking his fingers into the elastic and pulling them down. Your head fell back, a loud moan escaping your lips as he lavished attention on your breasts. The sensation of his warm mouth on your skin was overwhelming, making your legs tremble. As he pulled your panties down, you stepped out of them, kicking them aside. You were now completely naked, exposed to the cool air and to Criston's hungry gaze. "More," you pleaded, your hands finding their way to his hair, urging him closer. Criston's hands explored your naked body, his touch leaving trails of fire in its wake. He kissed his way down your stomach, pausing to dip his tongue into your navel before continuing lower. He knelt before you, his face mere inches from your most intimate area. He inhaled deeply, savoring your scent. "You smell divine," he murmured, his breath ghosting over your folds. Without warning, he leaned in, his tongue delving between your slick folds. He lapped at you hungrily, his hands gripping your thighs to keep you steady. Your knees buckled as his tongue made contact with your sensitive flesh, a cry of pleasure tearing from your throat. Your hands fisted in his hair, holding him close as he ate you out like a man starved. The sensations were almost too much to bear, the pleasure coiling tighter and tighter in your core. "Oh god, Criston!" you gasped, your hips rocking against his face. "Don't stop! Please don't stop!" Criston reveled in the taste of you, the sweet essence of your arousal coating his tongue. He worked his tongue deeper, flicking it inside you as he sucked on your clit. He could hear the pleasure in your voice, the desperate plea for more, and it only fueled his desire to bring you to the brink. His hands tightened on your thighs, holding you open for him as he devoured you.

The intensity of his oral assault was driving you wild, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. You could feel your orgasm building, a wave about to crash over you. "I'm gonna—oh fuck, Criston!" you cried out, your entire body tensing as you came undone beneath his skilled mouth. Waves of pleasure washed over you, your inner walls clenching and unclenching around nothing as your climax ripped through you. Criston felt your body go rigid and heard your cry of release echo through the barn. He redoubled his efforts, sucking harder on your clit as he thrust his tongue deep inside you, prolonging your ecstasy. Only when your trembling subsided did he slow his ministrations, licking and kissing your sensitive flesh to ease you down from the high. Finally, he pulled back, looking up at you with lust-glazed eyes. "You're breathtaking when you come apart," he said, his voice rough with desire. Panting, you gazed down at Criston, taking in the sight of him kneeling before you, his face glistening with your juices. Your body hummed with satisfaction, but the sight of him, the raw desire in his eyes, reignited the fire within you. "Come here," you demanded, tugging on his hair. "I want to taste you too." He rose to his feet, allowing you to pull him into a searing kiss. You could taste yourself on his lips, and it only heightened your arousal. Your hands fumbled with his belt, desperate to free his straining erection.

Criston broke the kiss, panting heavily as he watched you strip away his belt and unzip his jeans. He kicked off his boots and shoved his pants down, freeing his throbbing member. He was hard and ready, his cock standing proudly at attention. He grabbed your wrist, guiding your hand to wrap around his length. "Feel how much you affect me," he growled, his eyes burning with carnal intent. Your fingers wrapped around his thick shaft, feeling the heat radiating from his skin. You pumped him slowly, marveling at the silky hardness in your grip. "God, Criston," you breathed, "you're so big." You licked your lips, eyeing his impressive size. Dropping to your knees, you leaned in, dragging your tongue along the underside of his cock from base to tip. You swirled your tongue around the swollen head, tasting the salty drops of pre-cum that leaked from the slit. A guttural groan escaped Criston's lips as you lavished attention on his cock. The warmth of your mouth, the wetness of your tongue—it was intoxicating. He threaded his fingers through your hair, guiding you as you took him deeper. "That's it, baby," he encouraged, his voice strained with pleasure. "Take all of me." With a muffled moan, you relaxed your throat, allowing him to slide further in. The stretch was intense, but you reveled in the power it gave you—to make him lose control. You bobbed your head, taking him in and out, savoring the taste of him. Your free hand cupped his balls, gently rolling them as you worked his length. The musky flavor of his arousal filled your senses, spurring you on. You wanted to bring him to the brink, to watch him unravel. Criston's breaths became ragged, his hips instinctively thrusting forward to meet each motion of your head. The sensation of your mouth enveloping him was exquisite, sending waves of pleasure coursing through his body. "Fuck, yes," he hissed, his grip tightening in your hair. He could tell you were enjoying yourself, reveling in the power you held over him. It only added fuel to the fire of his desire. The sound of his approval spurred you on, your movements becoming more urgent. You took him deeper, your throat constricting around him as you swallowed. You could taste the saltiness of his precum, the slight tang of his arousal. It was addictive, and you found yourself craving more. You doubled your efforts, sucking harder, pumping faster.

Criston's control slipped, his hips snapping forward as he chased his release. The sight of you on your knees, worshipping his cock, was almost too much to bear. He could feel the tension coiling in his gut, the familiar pressure building at the base of his spine. "I'm going to come," he warned, his voice tight with impending release. "If you don't want it in your mouth, pull away now." Your eyes locked onto his, a wicked grin spreading across your face. You knew exactly what you were doing, and you relished the power it gave you. You continued to suck him, increasing the suction as you felt his cock throb in your mouth. You wanted every last drop of his release, and you weren't about to let him pull away now. With a final, deep swallow, you took him as far as you could, milking his cock with your throat muscles as he erupted into your mouth. Criston's world narrowed to the sensation of your warm, wet mouth engulfing him. The pressure built to a crescendo, and then he was coming, his release flooding your throat in powerful spurts. He gripped your hair, holding you in place as he rode out the waves of his orgasm. "Fuck...." he panted, his voice hoarse with exertion. Finally, he stilled, his cock softening slightly in your mouth. He looked down at you, his expression a mix of awe and gratitude. "That was incredible," he said, carefully pulling out of your mouth. "You're amazing."

With a satisfied smirk, you stood up, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. You stepped closer, pressing your naked body against Criston's, feeling the lingering hardness of his cock against your belly. "And I haven't even gotten started yet," you teased, reaching down to stroke his softened member once more. Criston chuckled, a low, husky sound. He wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you flush against him. "Oh, I think we've both got plenty left in us," he murmured, nuzzling your neck. His other hand slid down to cup your ass, giving it a firm squeeze. "What do you say we take this to the bed?" He pressed a trail of kisses along your jawline, his breath hot against your skin. "I want to explore every inch of you." A shiver ran down your spine at his words, your body already responding to his touch. "What's wrong with right here?" you whispered, tilting your head to give him better access to your neck. As he guided you towards the hayloft stairs, you couldn't help but wonder what other pleasures awaited you in his arms. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, and you found yourself practically vibrating with excitement by the time you reached the loft. Criston laid you down on the soft pile of hay and blankets, his eyes dark with desire as he loomed over you. Criston stared down at you, his gaze devouring every curve of your body. He bent down, capturing your lips in a fierce kiss, his tongue demanding entry. He explored your mouth with abandon, tasting himself on your tongue. Breaking the kiss, he trailed kisses down your chest, pausing to circle a hardened nipple with his tongue before taking it into his mouth. He sucked gently, teasing the sensitive bud until you arched beneath him, whimpering with need.

The sensations coursing through your body were overwhelming, each kiss, each lick sending jolts of pleasure straight to your core. You threaded your fingers through Criston's hair, urging him on, wanting more. "Please…" you moaned, your hips bucking up toward his, seeking friction. "Don't tease me," you pleaded, your voice laced with desperation. Criston lifted his head, his eyes meeting yours with a smoldering intensity. "Patience," he whispered, his voice a seductive purr. He kissed his way down your stomach, pausing to swirl his tongue around your naval before continuing lower. He spread your thighs wide, exposing your slick, glistening pussy to his hungry gaze. He dipped his finger into your folds, coating it with your arousal before sliding it inside you. A sharp gasp escaped your lips as he penetrated you, stretching your walls deliciously. You bit your lip to stifle another moan, not wanting to alert anyone below to your illicit activities. But the pleasure was too intense to hold back completely. "Criston," you breathed, clutching at the hay beneath you for purchase. "More," you begged, rocking your hips up to meet his finger. He added another finger, scissoring them inside you, stretching you wider. The sounds of your pleasure were music to his ears, driving him to push you higher. Criston watched intently as he fucked you with his fingers, admiring how your body responded to his touch. "You're so fucking tight," he growled, his thumb circling your clit in rhythm with his fingers.

The dual stimulation was almost too much, your body trembling under the onslaught of pleasure. You clamped down on his fingers, your inner walls clenching around him. "Yes, just like that," you cried out, no longer caring if anyone heard you. You needed more and craved the release that was tantalizingly close. With a few more expert strokes, Criston felt you tensing, the signs of your impending orgasm clear. He positioned himself between your legs, aligning his throbbing cock with your dripping entrance. With a single, powerful thrust, he buried himself inside you, filling you completely. The sensation of being stretched and filled by him was overwhelming, pushing you over the edge. The feeling of him entering you sent you spiraling into bliss. Your orgasm hit hard, your pussy clamping down on his cock as waves of pleasure crashed over you. "Criston!" you screamed, your body convulsing in ecstasy. The feeling of your tight heat enveloping him was indescribable. He groaned as your walls pulsed around him, gripping him like a vice. He held still, savoring the sensation of your release, letting you ride out the aftershocks. Once your tremors subsided, he began to move, slowly at first, then picking up speed as he lost himself in the rhythm of your bodies joining together. As Criston picked up the pace, you met him thrust for thrust, your hips rising to meet his downward strokes. Each movement sent sparks of pleasure shooting through your nerves, reigniting the flames of desire within you. You tangled your hands in his hair, pulling him down for a searing kiss as you rocked against him.

The kiss was deep and passionate, fueling the fire burning between you. Criston broke the kiss only to trail his lips down your neck, marking you with his mouth. He leaned forward, bracing his hands on either side of your head as he pounded into you relentlessly. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoed through the loft, punctuating the erotic symphony of your coupling. Your bodies moved together in a dance of passion, your movements synchronized perfectly. Every thrust drove him deeper inside you, hitting all the right spots and sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. You could feel your second orgasm building, spurred on by the relentless pace of his thrusts. Criston could feel your body tightening around him again, signaling your impending third climax. He reached between your bodies, finding your clit and rubbing it firmly with his thumb. "Come for me, Sweetheart," he demanded, his voice strained with effort. "I want to feel you milk my cock." With one final, deep thrust, he pushed you over the edge, his own release following closely behind as he spilled himself inside you. The combination of Criston's relentless thrusts and the pressure on your clit sent you tumbling into another earth-shattering orgasm. Your pussy clenched around his cock, milking him for all he was worth. You cried out his name, your voice hoarse from screaming. The pleasure was so intense, you thought you might pass out from the sheer force of it.

Criston collapsed onto you, panting heavily as he tried to regain his breath. He rolled off you, lying beside you as he caught his breath. He pulled you close, tucking you into his side as he stroked your hair soothingly. "That was… incredible," he murmured, kissing the top of your head. "You're amazing, Darlin'." As your breathing slowed, you snuggled closer to him, basking in the afterglow of your explosive lovemaking session. "You're not so bad yourself," you replied, a satisfied smile on your face. You traced lazy patterns on his chest, enjoying the warmth of his skin against yours. "We should do this more often," you suggested, looking up at him with a mischievous glint in your eye. Criston chuckled, running his fingers through your hair. "I'd like that," he said, leaning down to capture your lips in a gentle kiss. "But we should probably get cleaned up before someone comes looking for us." He sat up, offering you a hand to help you stand. As you made your way towards the bathroom, he wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you close against him. "And don't worry Sweetheart," he whispered in your ear, "we'll find plenty of opportunities to continue our… extracurricular activities."

[itwasthereaminuteago]

|| Authority ||

Shane Walsh x female reader

Tags/warnings: dirty, sweaty, horny, Shane sex cos that's what I want.

Shane can't help chuckling at your stormy expression and demeanour as you pound an angered path towards the garage store where he's working.

“What's grinding your gears this time darlin’?” He asks, but you only shoot him a fierce scowl in answer.

“Aw nah, you been fightin’ with Rick again?” he guesses. You always had something to say about him almost every other day.

You clench your teeth before answering. “He won't let me lead a group to go check out that boarded up farm we passed a week or so ago. I know there must be some good stuff in there, maybe even fuel and tools!” You kick at the door frame in annoyance. “He says he doesn't think it's worth it, that it's too dangerous and that the others wouldn't listen to me or respect my authority on a trip out there anyway. Fuck him!”

Shane watches you winding yourself up in a rage, your fists bunching till your knuckles are showing through your skin.

“He thinks I'm green but I've got skills! I can help! Why does he have to be such a knowitall asshole lording it over all the rest of us? It ain't fair.”

He catches your wrist before you start punching the wall. “Hey, hey now. You gonna calm down before you break somethin’, like your goddamn fingers?”

You scrunch up your face in annoyance. “Depends. You gonna take his side and tell me I'm just a little girl who should shut up cos she doesn't know anything?”

He looks you straight in the eyes. “Nah, I know you're capable. You just gotta give Rick some time to trust you with it, that's all. Hell, I know he's a grouchy sonofabitch but the system's worked alright so far, huh?”

You growl in defeat.

He's got a point you guess, but it still rubs you up the wrong way how Rick seems to see you as nothing more than a nagging pain in his ass. “Would you follow orders from me, Shane?” you challenge.

He gives you that signature self-assured cocky smile of his. “You bet. I trust your judgement, sweetheart.”

You scoff, actually semi surprised by his seemingly honest response.

“Yeah, sure you would. Whatever.”

You watch him in silence as he moves crates of supplies, some full up with cans and other heavy items, stacking them up against the wall. His vest is damp with sweat, beads of moisture roll down his neck to his broad, glistening chest and you can't help licking your lips.

“Doesn't help that it's so fucking hot today,” you muse, tugging your own shirt away from your sticky skin. Then you settle on an idea.

“I'm going down to the lake. Come with me.”

Shane pauses, glances up. “I gotta finish up this shit…”

You plant your hands on your hips. “Come with me. That's an order, Shane.” You smirk and he catches on, putting the crate down and straightening up.

“S’that so?” He responds with an interested look and you nod.

“Y’said you'd follow my lead, so follow.” you quip, walking out into the blazing heat of the yard towards the gate.

“Might be walkers down there.” He says, grabbing his pistol and knife from the shelf and tucking them into the back of his pants.

You wave your hand carelessly back in his direction as you keep walking. You've got your own weapon on you. “I'm capable, remember?”

Shane rolls his eyes as he catches you up. He's not sure what he's letting himself in for but it's not a good idea to let you go off alone, especially if he expects you've got something to prove.

The lake was a godsend. A welcome actual oasis in this rabid and lethal world that you'd all found yourselves trying to survive. A perk of living in the camp and bearing Rick's questionable leadership. It was small, a now undammed creek running in to fill an old quarry, but it was fairly safe and utterly perfect for dip on a day like this.

The side you came in on had a grassy bank and a large tree growing near, giving some much needed shade before the ground turned to gravel and slate near the water. You scoped out the rim and the shimmering, inviting water for any signs of walkers and once satisfied it was clear, you turned to Shane, planting your palm firmly on his damp chest.

“You, stay.” You command, gesturing at him to sit down.

“What the hell? How come I don't get to cool off?” He complains as he reluctantly sits on the baking hot grass. You cross your arms at the hem of your shirt and tug it up over your head.

“You said you'd follow my orders, didn't you? Don't you trust me?” You grin, slinging your top over a low branch of the tree and then starting to unbutton your pants.

Shane watches unashamedly as you undress in front of him. You had brought him here after all, wanted him here for whatever reason, and he sure as hell wasn't about to complain about the current view he's got. His gaze roams over the curves of your near-naked body as you strip to your well-worn underwear. He's never seen this much of you before, and he likes it.

You make your way to the water's edge, shrieking and then humming with relief as the sudden cold hits your heated skin.

“So what the hell am I s’posed to do? It's as hot as all hell, even in the shade!” Shane calls out.

“Watch for walkers, idiot!” You yell back with a laugh, and wade in deeper into the lake until you can swim. It was such a treat to have this space relatively close to the camp, but it wasn't the only thing you had in mind…

Shane watches you enjoying yourself as he sweats under the tree. You had your own watchful eye on him, near salivating as he eventually pulled his vest off to reveal the rest of that deliciously toned torso.

When you're done you walk slowly out of the lake, shaking off your hair and stalking towards where Shane was lying on the bank. He pushes himself up on his hands, surprised as you straddle his hips, grunting as cool droplets of water fall from your body onto his.

“What are ya doin’?” He asks as you push him back down to lie flat on his back.

“Cooling you off.” You reply matter of factly as you rock your hips down on his crotch, feeling his cock beginning to harden rapidly through your wet panties.

“Yeah?” His voice is husky, his hands finally landing at your waist as you lean in close, grinding yourself against his cock again, feeling him twitch.

“When I first came here, Rick told me to stay away from you, y'know? Said you were dangerous…”

“Fuck…” Shane curses, his fingers gripping at your damp skin and eyes flicking between the sight of your hardened nipples poking through your bra and your wiggling hips on his. “You doin’ this to get back at him or somethin’?” He asks with a slight strain in his voice.

“No...”

Your own fingers start to explore and trail over his chest, scratching briefly at his nipples and on down those washboard abs to hook under the waistband of his pants. You can't help yourself, leaning down, your tongue sliding out between your lips to lick up the layer of sweat from between his pecs. You close your eyes as the satisfying taste of his salty musk hits your taste buds and both you and Shane moan. You lick and kiss your way up to the side of his neck and nip at his earlobe, purring out your desire.

“I just wanted you to fuck me.”

His eyes gleam a dark amber in the sun as he looks up at you. “Yeah? Is that an order too?”

“Do you want it to be?”

You teased the question but he wastes no time, scrabbling quickly to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants, pulling his thick cock out of his underwear as you shimmy out of your panties. You'd need to be fast, this was all the foreplay you needed. You couldn't risk any of the others from the camp wandering down here and finding you both.

He was just as big as you had imagined. You weren't at all surprised with the way he would nearly always stride dick first through the camp. When you could, you'd sometimes pass any quiet moments watching him work, whether it was swinging an axe to cut firewood, or patrolling up on the wall. Even if he could be smarmy and bullish he was prime eye candy for sure, and you wanted a taste.

“God… damn.” Shane hisses as you sink down on him, your bodies now as one, feeling your tight, wet heat gripping around his throbbing length. Air leaves your lungs in a gasp as you start to move up and down, and Shane moves his hips upwards in quick, powerful thrusts to meet yours. “Shit… god-fucking-damn!”

“Fuck, Walsh!” You moan as he's stimulating the deepest parts of you, his hands firm on your hips, fingers pressing in harder..

“S'at good?” He grits out, captivated by the feel and look of you moving above him with abandon.

“So good-” you whine. He shifts forward, ducking his head to mouth at the softness of your breasts spilling over your bralet.

“Oh you like that, huh?” he snarls, “yeah, jus’ like that?” He leans back again so he can pound into you even harder, gritting his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his face and neck to pool at his collarbones with the effort. He snatches the cups of your bra down, letting your tits bounce around, squeezing them hard before he drops one hand down to where your bodies meet, his thumb desperately rubbing sloppy circles over your slick, swollen pearl.

The dry grass presses into your knees as you fuck, your pussy starting to flutter as the tightness at the core of you builds so quickly. You haven't had any form of intimacy for so long that everything you're feeling now is intense, sharp, and needed.

“Don't you dare stop!” You threaten, riding his cock even faster as you near your edge.

Shane is panting, hips bucking wildly.

“Shit-shit-shit baby I'm gonna cum, aw fuck I'm gonna-”

You lift up off of him and rapidly switch to frantically rubbing your pussy and clit along the length of his cock, seconds later his mouth is forming a silent ‘o’ and his pulsing dick is shooting stripes of creamy white over his stomach and chest between you as you topple over with him. Shane hooks his hand around the back of your neck, pulling you down and smashing your hot mouths together as you both shudder through your orgasms with a deep shared moan.

You push off of him, laying on your back to his side, both of you panting ragged breaths with the heat and exertion.

“Fuck… oh christ.”

Your satisfied hum turns to laughter when you hear Shane's curses yet again.

“So, do you like a woman that knows what she wants an’ orders you around, Walsh?”

He grumbles, gingerly sitting up and wincing at the sweaty, messy state he's in. “Mm, I guess only when it's me that she wants.”

He gets up and strips off his boots and pants, and you watch as he takes his gorgeous ass into the lake to wash, dunking his entire body and scrubbing his hands over his face and closely shaved head. You soon follow and when you're done you put your now-dry clothes back on in a silence only disturbed by birdsong and the sound of the bubbling creek.

“We should get back.” You say redundantly, breaking the sudden tension that had formed.

“Yeah.” Shane agrees, not meeting your eyes.

You awkwardly part ways back at the gate, and when you're on shift up on the wall later that night you can't help wondering if you miscalculated, made a mistake.

“Hey.”

You almost jump out of your skin as Shane sneaks up behind you.

You calm your racing heart as you move the barrel of the gun away from him. “Jesus christ, don't do that, I could have killed you!”

He just smirks, holding his hands up in surrender. “Well now I wasn't lookin' for that.” He drawls, and you soften.

“So what were you looking for?”

"You had any more run-ins with Rick today?"

"Uh... no? Why?" You reply, slightly confused.

He shrugs, eyes flitting between the gun you're holding and you. “Just been wonderin’, if maybe you wanna order me around some more?”

[bomberqueen17]

don't know where else to put it

I was going to do a big wrap-up of Everything I Learned From The Must Farm Site Report PDFs but then life got super busy. So I only have the things I turned over and over in my mind, just now, and I want to go back and reread but now's not the time, I'll have to do another pass through at a later date.

But the one tiny vivid little factoid I've got in my mind that I just have to write down-- that necklace, with the big amber bead? Some of the glass beads were shattered from the heat but the amber bead was only charred a little on one side. So obviously some of the necklace was closer to the fire than the rest. I had initially connected that it was found near where there was probably a door, and I vaguely imagined someone dropping it as they fled. But now I'm convinced that's not it at all.

It was hanging up. It was hanging on a peg or a hook or a twig or something, right near the door, maybe even on display, and the big heavy amber bead was hanging at the bottom, and the glass beads were hanging at the top, and the fire at that point spread down from the roof and it burned through the string, and the glass beads shattered and the necklace fell down and when the floor collapsed it wound up in the mud.

The other thing I keep thinking is that the fire has to have started while no one was home. And modern people don't think about this, but in a premodern society where you've got a group of people living in a house, where you don't have appliances you can turn on and off, where starting a fire takes serious effort and getting it to a state where you can cook on it takes hours, where the food served at daily meals has to be the full-time job of several people because it's so labor-intensive--

there's never going to be a time where everyone is out of the village. There's going to be a sickly or elderly person who can't really get out of bed or move far, or a new mother who's just given birth and can't travel, and there'll be someone home to tend to whoever that is, and while they're home they're tending the fire and getting dinner started. There's just always someone there. I could see maybe one house being unoccupied for a brief time, but a village, that probably had at least ten houses if not more, and each house had ten people in it? Someone would be home. And those who weren't home wouldn't be far. We know the wheat etc. that the village was eating was grown on dry land, and the flax they were processing into fiber, but it could not have been far away. And the Fenlands are flat. You'd see smoke. Before the first house was even engulfed someone would have noticed the smoke and they'd be hurrying home.

But nobody tried to fight the fire. Nobody spread it, but nobody fought it either. Nobody pulled any timbers out to save them. Nobody threw water on anything.

Nobody was there. The houses were empty. Nobody fled the fire, because they weren't there to see it start, or they would have been able to stop it.

They hadn't been evacuated in any organized way, or surely the bead necklace would have been taken. Even if they were in a hurry, at least the pot full of cooked food would have been taken, or emptied into something more portable to bring along! There was so much prepared food lying around. And the thread bobbins-- bobbins and bobbins of painstakingly-spliced flax they'd grown and rippled and scutched, some of it then painstakingly plied, hours and hours of several people's labor, and it was on little bobbins, you could sweep that into a basket along with your bulkier household goods and barely take up any space at all and save hundreds, maybe thousands of hours of labor later when you needed to weave some new fabric. Thread like that was precious, and it's portable, and I can't believe they'd choose to leave so much of it behind if they had any chance to choose what they brought with them.

As I'd said, it's beyond possibility that everyone had gone out to do some job-- there would be people left behind in the houses for that. Maybe everyone had gone out for some religious observation, maybe. Maybe something was important enough to even haul out the oldsters and the infants, and to put off dinner until late. Maybe. it's possible. But someone (probably in Structure 1) just didn't bank the fire correctly, and it got away and got into the roof beams. A properly-banked fire wouldn't do that, and surely these people, managing cooking fires for their entire lives, would know how to do it. But even then I can't imagine them going that far, and again, they'd see the smoke and hurry home. Even if it was a religious rite they'd still hurry home from it, there's no way they wouldn't have come back.

So it seems to me that they had to have been forced out. No notice, no chance to pack, everything left where it was, last night's supper still in the pot, tonight's bread still rising on the trays, the lambs in their pens and the dog tied up in House 5.

I can't imagine what forced them out. It wouldn't be weather. It could be enemies. There were no weapons found in the houses, but that might mean they'd taken them with them-- except the spears, perhaps they were only hunting spears but you'd think still if everyone ran out to fight they would take them too, the spears and the axes; if it was a situation where they had to last-ditch defend themselves the non-warriors would certainly arm themselves with the wood axes and the hunting spears. But they didn't.

So my conclusion is that they all were forced to leave in a hurry, without banking the fires, without putting anything away, and they were prevented from returning. The cause could be human enemies-- perhaps the warriors of the settlement had gone out to fight and been defeated, and the victors came here and the survivors knew they could not fight and so came out unresisting to meet their fates.

The cause could be something religious or spiritual-- something they believed in made them leave and prevented them from returning. It would have to be incredibly compelling, however, because leaving without their food or their cooking pots or their domestic goods (the little bobbins of thread!!!!! you could easily carry those!!) would make it very hard for them to make their way in the world.

The cause could be-- I really don't know what else. Disease would maybe make them abandon a settlement, maybe leave no trace if they buried their dead on land, but they would pack first. Most things, they would pack first, they wouldn't leave cooked food sitting out, they'd bring the lambs and dog with them. Any orderly evacuation, they'd have brought the lambs and dog with them. They have to have left in a hurry without a chance to prepare. And there was no attempt at salvage afterward, they didn't come back to look for anything they'd left. The ruins of the burned buildings would have stood visible for decades, the ends of roof timbers above the water, much of structure 4 (possibly the gate house entrance) above the water, the palisade probably unburnt for much of its length. It would have been easy to find. There are only a couple of disarranged timbers in Structure 3 to suggest anyone ever poked through the wreckage at all, and that's not much to go on. Certainly nobody dug around in the mud, which would have been quite shallow at some times of year.

And while it's possible the evidence of what happened existed once, somewhere in the long-vanished sections of the village-- perhaps the fire started at that end, perhaps they tried to fight it there, perhaps they tried salvage over there and discovered the fire had burned too hot to make it worthwhile, perhaps the bodies of the villagers were all dumped into the channel over there after whatever battle there was-- perhaps there was all kinds of stuff. But I just think whatever it was left no trace. So many of the possibilities would now be invisible, three thousand years later.

All we have is the facts: They left in a hurry, leaving their lambs in their pens, their food on the table, the dog tied up in the house, the cooking fires not banked.

And whatever made them leave, they never came back.

[garbinge]

But Not Today

Chibs Telford x F!Teller!Reader

Summary: Part 2 from Maybe One Day // Chibs comes to visit you on the farm.

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: Angsty. Mentions of death, murder, emotional distress, emotionally heavy.

SOA Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics

A/N: I've been thinking about these two a lot </3 Part 1

Your chest was rising and falling as you caught your breath and stared at the ceiling. It was the moment where all your wits and sanity came back over you and the thoughts of what just happened came flooding in. The smell of his Scottish cologne and cigarettes filled the empty space on the bed next to you, it was still warm to the touch. You heard the water from the faucet turn off and any thought that was sneaking in your brain was now being rushed out as Chibs reappeared in your room. His hands were tangling through his shirt as he put it back on. Your eyes darted from him to his kutte, waiting to see if he was going to put it on. That’s when your heart began to race even more. The thought of him leaving made you uneasy, he had come all the way up here to the farm to see you and explained nothing. It was partially your fault too, you made pleasantries, some quick small talk but before any explanation was given you were kissing him and dragging him into your room. 

“What’s with the face, love?” Chibs spoke as he grabbed his kutte, your heart sinking with it. 

“Leaving already?” Your eyes moved back to his. 

A smile grew on his face as he shrugged the leather over his shoulders. “You promised me uh tour, didn’ya? If I ‘member correctly you said sum ‘bout chickens?” 

The way the relief washed over you made you sad for a minute. You knew this was a feeling you’d feel again, that it’d be heavy when it happened, but you took a deep breath and tried to stay in the moment. 

“Earl, Tootsie, Olive, and Jameson.” You named them off as you stood up and re-dressed. 

Chibs was now grinning as he waited for you to get ready. “Jameson, huh?” He asked pulling out a cigarette to hang in his mouth, eager to get outside and smoke it. 

“Abel and Thomas named them when they were young kids, but I made sure I suggested one.” 

Chibs was holding out your sweatshirt for you. You approached and grabbed it from him but instead of letting go he pulled you closer. “Not tha only thing you have ‘round here as a reminder of me.” His face was dangerously close to yours as he looked down at the sweatshirt. It was the one item of his you could still wear around. There were no SAMCRO tags, just a black zip-up that barely had his scent left on it. 

“I’ve got pictures too.” You said stealing the zip-up back from him and placing a kiss on the left side of his mouth where the cigarette wasn’t dangling from his lips. Moving past him you made your way to the backdoor, the barn dog you got quickly getting up from her bed and moving to the sliding door just waiting to run around to herd the few goats you had. 

“Where’re the boys?” Chibs asked as he walked behind you. 

“Thomas is with Nero. Tuesdays he picks him up from school and takes him to basketball practice.” You spoke as the door slid open and the door ran past your legs. “Abel is 16— I’m lucky if I know what he’s wearing for the day. I thought Gemma was being exaggerated when she’d talk about the “Teller Terrible Teens” but Abel has made her words an understatement.” 

Chibs looked to you with a frown as you stepped onto the back deck and made your way down to the farmland. 

“It’s not horrible. He’s not a dick to me, he helps out when I ask. He just– he questions everything, he’s asking about Jax, he’s getting into trouble at school.” You shook your head thinking about these last few weeks and how Abel had been acting out.

“The worst part is, he reminds me of him so much. The way he looks, the way he talks.” You laughed as you unlatched the barn fence and moved around it to look at Chibs and invite him in with the sway of your arm.  “Yesterday, we were at the grocery store and he looked at the girl bagging our shit and said, “thanks, darlin’” I swore I was looking at Jax, I froze for a minute and just stared at him.” You laughed again. 

Chibs laughed with you knowing it sounded just like the boy’s father. 

“He’s probably out with his friends on his dirt bikes in the back trails.” You spoke as you walked through the goat pasture. “They probably do real stupid shit but I’d rather them do it on the property than at some random’s house or parking lot downtown. I’ve turned them into real country boys.” You turned back to see Chibs admiring everything around him. He was still listening to you but he was taking in the sight around him. 

“This is the goat pasture, Billie girl, our dog, loves herding them, honestly I got ‘em because I don’t have to mow the lawn as much. We’ve got 1 horse, Delilah, real beauty, she’s back in that red barn over there. Then there’s the chickens. We had more but they aged out, now we’re down to the four. Waiting to get 12 more, can’t go to the Farmer’s market with only 2 dozen eggs, you know?” The words were falling out fast as you spoke, nervous habit, but it didn’t stop you from beaming as you showed Chibs around. 

“You seem happy.” Chibs couldn’t help but smile as he took in every word you said. The both of you approached the back deck and plopped down on the rocking chairs Nero insisted you kept back here for company. It was an argument between you two when you first moved onto the farm. You looked at him like he was crazy when he mentioned company. It was hard to believe a normal life with having people over could exist when you were running from what you were running from. 

You looked over at Chibs as he looked right back at you after making his last comment, the smile on your face wasn’t at his words but at the memory of Nero’s. 

“I don’t know about happy.” You began to shake your head. “But, I don’t know I’m content, I’m…” Your mind wandered to find the right word. 

“At peace.” Chibs nodded as he finished your sentence, not even bothering to look at your eyes to see if his words were correct, he knew they were. 

You would have agreed with a nod but Chibs was looking out at the farm, his fave had fallen into an expression that was hard to read. He seemed…bittersweet. Happy but yet sad. 

As he stared out at the barn he nodded his head and said something under his breath. 

“The Universe will never give you peace in something you were never meant to settle in.” 

“What?” You leaned forward, frown filling your face as the familiar sentiment fell from his lips. It was hard to really pinpoint anything since he spoke it at a mumble. 

“I, uh.” Chibs reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small pocket notebook. “found this. In the garage. S’why I came out here, figured you should have it.” He handed over one of Jax’s notebooks. You knew what it was immediately, it matched the style of the other one you had. 

“I read it.” Chibs said those three words with multiple emotions behind it. Regret and apologies, for intruding on whatever privacy there was there, but also firmness and understanding like something in there just made sense. 

“And?” You rested your elbows on your knees. 

“‘nd, it’s’y I came here and didn’t mail it out.” He looked troubled now. “I wanted to make sure you were settled.” 

Now that statement held more weight knowing what he had just mumbled under his breath. 

“I guess I am.” You hated that the words felt like they were breaking his heart. 

“You are, love.” Chibs spoke with certainty. 

You looked out onto the farm, taking in the life you had. It was different than the life you had been born into, forced into. The life that took pretty much everything away from you. 

“It’s impossible to be at peace in that town.” You said the words outloud. It felt relieving to say it. All this time you had never said it outloud, they were just thoughts that danced around you head. 

“Don’t I know it.” Chibs agreed with you. 

That made your head turn to him, a little shocked. All your conversations when you were together, or involved was probably the better word, back in Charming never were really about the big problem. Sure, you two talked about club stuff, the things members told their ol’ ladies, about your brother, about Jimmy O, about a lot, but never the real source. 

“What are you saying?” You questioned him, more bold than you ever would have before. 

“Things are different. Things are messy.” He wanted to share but you could tell he was hesitant, that he was trying to ease back into your dynamic and add another layer to it. But the loyalty to the club ran deep, that was a multi-decade long habit that he was trying to break for the first time. 

“Doesn’t sound different.” That was the new you coming up to speak. The you that lost your brother, your brother’s best friend, your mother, your father to the club. 

Chibs nodded at that. “We’re getting into it with the Mayans. Other charters, they’re falling apart, it’s bleeding into SAMCRO.” 

“Yea, doesn’t sound different at all.” You crossed your arms and fell back into the rocking chair. 

“Your brother–Jax–Jackie boy,” Chibs went through all the names he’d call Jackson Teller, smiling at the last one before letting his lips fall, “this wasn’t what he wanted, he worked hard to leave everything in a good place and it’s like shit unraveled.” 

You could tell he was venting to you, you could tell he hadn’t been able to do this with anyone else in his life, no one from the club, no one in his love life, it could’ve made you feel special, a characteristic Chibs never failed at with you, but this wasn’t so much of a fail but just not something you could ever feel special about again. 

“As someone who's seen it before, from the outside but up close and personal. This doesn’t seem different at all.” 

It was the same statement you kept repeating, but this time, the way you said this, it made him look at you. His eyes were low, tired, and you could see the gloss and redness in them as he held back tears. Two strands of his long salt and pepper hair escaped from his sunglasses and fell in front of his eyes, oily and dirty you could tell he was going through it. 

He didn’t need to say anything, you knew he was looking at you to elaborate. 

It was mean to laugh, but you felt that you had the right to after everything you’ve been through and talking about it now was bringing that bitterness up. 

“You’re so deep in it, you don’t even see what’s plain in front of your eyes.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath letting the irritation leave your tone for the next sentence out of your mouth. “Your next. Everyone who's held that gavel ends up in the same place, making the same mistakes as the one previous, no matter how hard they try not to.” 

Chibs took in what you said. 

“Jax tried so hard to be JT, then tried so hard not to be him. Both of those things dug that grave for him. He loved the club more than anything and the club couldn’t love him back.” You were saying things that you had locked away in your mind for years, things you thought about as you buried your brother, as you packed your life up and left. “The club will never love you back.” You looked at Chibs. “Those guys might love you, but the club never will.” 

“Do you?” 

You weren’t sure if he was trying to change the subject, at first your head snapped to him with a smirk and a snappy remark to shoot back at him but you saw his face that was looking out at the farm. 

“Never stopped.” 

The words made him look at you and you smiled at him. Your head tilted and lowered to meet him at eye level since he was leaning his elbows on his knees. “Best part is, the farm,” you tilted your head a little more before leveling it out, “it loves you back.” You nodded. “Every animal, every acre of land, the boys even when they fucking hate you for embarrasing them in front of a girl,” you laughed at that one and smiled hoping the last one was going to be enough to convince him, “me.” 

The tear dropped at that one. His eyes shut tight as a couple more fell. 

“Move here. You can open up a garage, we have the buildings for it, Nero would even let you put something up closer to the road, you can come with me to the Farmer’s market, you can drive me to the vet at 2 in the morning when I’m worried that Billie got into something or that one of the chicken’s has a fever,” you chuckled, “you can ride dirt bikes with the boys and tell them about Jax, not SAMCRO president, but your best friend, how you fell in love with your best friend’s sister, you can wake up and feel settled, feel at peace.” 

Chibs wanted to say yes. He wanted to build a fire and burn the kutte right here right now, but he knew it wasn’t that easy. In this moment it was but as the thought settled, as the days would pass, he’d think about it, he’d dwell in it, wonder if he made the right decision, miss the kutte, miss the guys. 

“It’s not that easy, love.” Chibs tired to level with you. 

“Doesn’t seem like the life you’re living now is either.” You would beg him, it wasn’t below you to beg. “It’s going to kill you.” You were firm in your words, it wasn’t begging but you thought it might have an impact on him. “The club is going to kill you.” 

“A normal life would too.” He answered too quickly and immediately you knew it was a losing argument. 

The sound of an engine and the gravel dirt being stirred up and you knew it was Thomas and Nero coming back home. Chibs looked over and saw them pulling into the driveway when he stood up.

“Was really good seeing you, love.” He put his hand on your cheek and looked down at you. “Really good.” His thumb caressed your cheek and he smiled. 

You nodded in agreement and thanked him for the journal. His hand was still on your cheek when you shut your eyes tight. “Don’t come back here unless the ink is blacked out and the kutte is off.” 

The words broke you to say, but it was more than just you that you had to look out for. You had two boys to think of and the man who was generous enough to give you half of his acreage to live on. 

“Ay.” He agreed with no disdain in his voice, if anything it was littered with understanding and what you hoped was well, hope. 

Your eyelids remained shut as his hand dropped and he walked off the back porch. You heard the car doors close but no words exchanged. If you weren’t dealing with everything that just happened in your head right now you’d be imagining the way Nero was probably lifting his sunglasses while Chibs was lowering his, the nods both would give to eachother, the curious questioning look on Thomas’ face as he tried to place the visitor. 

“You alright?” Nero’s voice was filling your ears and you wished it offered up the level of comfort it normally did. 

The tears were wiped from your face immediately and you stood and smiled. “Yea, I’m good.” 

Nero knew you weren’t but he also knew you weren’t going to share with Thomas two steps from joining you on the porch. 

“Who was that?” Thomas was asking as he looked down at the snack he was fidgeting with to open. 

Your gaze looked at Nero and said so much while not speaking at all. Before you either had a chance to answer, another voice was coming from the other direction as the back door swung open. “Was that guy on the bike here at the farm?” Abel’s voice was like a knife to your heart. 

“Yea, it was someone looking to sell me something.” You lied straight through your teeth to both boys. 

“Oh.” Thomas said as he passed by both you and Nero without second guessing your statement and walked right past his older brother into the house. 

Abel looked like he might need more convincing but you could tell he decided to drop it. “I’m goin’ out later but I picked up the feed order and left it in the ATV wagon.” 

“12AM curfew.” You pointed at him and he waved you off but you knew he’d be back before 1. 

“What was he sellin’?” Nero asked you, the only one besides you who knew exactly who it was that was here. 

You looked at Nero and shook your head at him.

“A dream.”

[djarindroid]

Safety

Pairing: Rick Grimes x Reader

Summary: You spend most of your time trying to figure out your confusing feelings for Rick, could a simple run for supplies unravel your emotions? (Set during the prison era)

Warnings: Brief description of violence (walker attack).

Word Count: 3,633

Comments: This is the first time I've written for Rick, I loved doing it so will probably write some more in the future

As you sat atop the watchtower, looking out over the surrounding woods your mind drifted back to before you arrived here, before he saved you. You’d been so alone, constantly hungry and never knowing where you would be staying next. 

You took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and thought about how lucky you had been for him to have found you out there. He plucked you out of your desperate life and invited you to join his group. Providing you with everything your soul needed, security, companionship and a stable place to lay your head every night. 

The sound of a metal door closing jolted you out of your thoughts, glancing down to see the very man you had just been thinking about walking outside. You watched as he strided down to the farm that had been built, admiring the way his rolled up sleeves hugged his biceps. 

The view completely consumed your attention, watching him get to work, you were filled with feelings of gratitude, admiration and… something more. Over your few months here you couldn’t help but feel drawn to Rick, though you couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

Were you just feeling this way because he’d saved you, or was it in the way he helped and looked out for everyone here, or maybe it was more personal. In the way he listened to what you had to say, the way he made sure you always got something to eat, or maybe it was none of that at all and just that you had been alone for so long.

You’d debated talking to him about it on many occasions, but you never ended up saying anything. Your confusion was nothing compared to the other problems people had. So you were content to just keep whatever it was you were feeling hidden.

You couldn’t stop your face from heating up as you watched him begin to pump water, his muscular arms flexing with each movement. Even from where you were perched, you could see the sheen of sweat that formed on his skin, shining in the early morning sunlight. It was such a simple task but the sight stirred an unexpected warmth within you.

The familiar sound of someone climbing up the metal ladder of the watchtower drew you away from your thoughts. Maggie had come to take over the watch and allow you to get some much needed rest.

‘Ya don’t need to act like ya weren’t just staring at him,’ Maggie joked as she reached the top.

You kept your face away from her to hide the small smile that formed. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ you half joked back.

She laughed as she approached. ‘Keep pretending then, but I see the way ya look, there’s something there,’ she nudged you with her elbow as she finished talking. 

You glanced at her, seeing the knowing smile etched on her face. She looked as if she knew your own feelings better than you did. With a small sigh and a slight shake of your head you opted to not respond, instead simply thanking her before descending the ladder. Little did you know that a certain pair of eyes were now watching your movements.

Rick couldn’t help the way his eyes glanced over your body as you climbed down from the tower. The rising sun casting a golden glow over you. He’d felt like he’d barely taken his eyes off of you since the moment he’d found you. Rick felt as though you were a breath of fresh air to him in this otherwise cruel world. He hadn’t so much as looked at another person since Lori passed and then along you came.

As you reached solid ground again, you chanced taking one final look over to the farm. There your eyes met with Rick’s, who was already looking over to you with a soft gaze. A brief shared moment unfolded, where neither of you made any move to look away, temporarily making you forget about the hell surrounding your safe haven.

The noise of Carl calling for his dads help quickly shattered the moment, drawing Rick’s attention away from you. A slight pang of disappointment rolled through you but you dismissed it and headed inside to grab some food.

Back up in the tower Maggie had watched your little stare off, mumbling ‘idiots,’ under her breath as she reached for her binoculars.

Later that same day, once you’d showered and changed into a different outfit you decided to wander over to the makeshift library, wanting a book to fill your time.

You found the room to be empty when you arrived, deciding to make the most of it you took your time perusing the shelves. Some books were in better condition than others that had been found on runs, but the room still managed to fill you with nostalgia. You found a selection you hadn’t looked at yet and sank to your knees as you began to look through the bottom shelf.

As you reached for a book, a shadow suddenly grew over you, blocking out most of the light. Raising your eyes you found Rick casually leaning against the edge of the bookshelf. You knew you probably shouldn’t but you took your time letting your eyes take in his body, sweat and dirt clung to him from a day of working outside. 

The air seemed to thicken as your eyes finally met his. Rick’s gaze was intense and he held yours as if coaxing you into revealing your confusing feelings towards him. 

‘Going on a run tomorrow,’ if he’d felt the same tension you did, he didn’t show it. ‘Thought you might want to join?’ he added.

‘You want me to come on a run with you?’ You asked, you hadn’t left the prison since he’d first brought you here. Not that anyone was keeping you here, you had just craved the safety the thick walls provided after being exposed for so long.

‘I’ve seen the way you can handle a gun,’ he said with a slight smirk, thinking back to when you’d first met. ‘It’s just a quick run to a pharmacy Glenn found. Figured you might wanna come, enjoy the ride.’ He stayed leaning against the shelf, awaiting your answer.

Unable to form words due to your mind flooding with questions, you replied with a smile and nod of your head. 

Rick returned your smile as he stood at full height, before turning he said ‘6am, we’ll take the truck,’ and with that he walked away. You stayed, almost frozen, in the same spot with your smile lingering. 

Yes, you were going to be briefly leaving the safety you had found here to go back out into the vicious, unpredictable world. But the idea of a drive sounded nice and the one on one time with Rick could help you figure out exactly what your feelings were.

As the rest of the day unfolded, the anticipation of the early morning run settled into your thoughts. Your evening passed by as usual, finishing with you in your bunk reading. Though the book you’d chosen was doing little to calm the restlessness that overtook your mind, willing you to think about unspoken questions.

Why had Rick asked you out of everyone here? Why hadn’t he asked Daryl or Glenn? What if something bad happened? What if you messed up? 

With the weight of the questions bearing down on you, you eventually fell into a fitful sleep. As your eyelids fluttered closed images of the outside world manifested before you, vague images of what was to come. Images of horror slowly changed to thoughts of the man you’d be going with, calming your mind. You’d be safe with Rick, you knew you would be.

6am came around with a light fog rolling across the grounds. You found yourself staring through the prison gates waiting for Rick. You could hear the moans of a few surrounding walkers.

The moans were interrupted by the sound of an engine starting. You turned to find Rick a few feet away sat in the truck. You approached and quickly climbed into the passenger seat.

‘Ready to go?’ He asked as he shifted into drive, looking over to you. Your mind grew foggy as you took in the site of Rick. You guessed he’d had a shower before coming to meet you, his curls were slightly damp and you desperately wanted to run your fingers through them. 

Shaking the thoughts from your head you replied, ‘ready as I’ll ever be,’ and you buckled your seat belt. 

He nodded, and with that he started to drive. As the truck rumbled out of the safety of the prison, you raised your hand to Maggie and Glenn, who opened the gates for your departure. The sound of the gates closing echoed through the quiet morning as your vehicle ventured further away from the compound.

Gazing out of the window, you watched as the rows of trees rolled by, the leaves above filtered the sunlight creating patterns on the ground. It was peaceful, and the quietness that filled the car was far from uncomfortable. You could almost convince yourself it was a normal day, just the two of you going out for a drive on a quiet morning.

You were brought back to reality once the trees cleared and you were surrounded by vast fields, where you could spot the occasional Walker roaming aimlessly. Yet that didn’t even lower your mood, you felt content sat there with Rick, the hum of the engine serving as your backdrop.

You looked over to the man driving, his strong hands gripping the wheel making the veins on his forearms slightly more prominent. You subtly ran your eyes up his arms, where you briefly lingered on his broad shoulders, and then finally settling on his face. Taking the time to admire the salt and pepper stubble framing his jawline. 

Rick could feel your eyes on him, no matter how much you tried to hide it. He fought to keep a smirk from appearing, and let himself enjoy being able to hold your attention without having to do anything. He was happy he’d finally found an excuse to spend some time with just you, sharing a seemingly ordinary drive. 

The sight of buildings arrived far too soon for your liking, wishing this bubble that had enveloped the two of you on this journey could last longer. Rick pulled up to the pharmacy, the windows and door were still intact which served as a good sign that it hadn’t already been completely looted.

Without a word the two of you exited the truck. You were on high alert as you made your way around to the Rick, checking around you for any signs of walkers or people. Though the small town seemed empty, the months you had spent alone had taught you not to let your guard down so easily.

Rick silently motioned for you to follow him as he approached the door, knocking on it in order to find out if any walkers lurked inside. After a minute of nothing Rick pushed the door open, the creaking sound echoing around the small store. You couldn’t help but notice the way he deliberately stepped in front of you, you flushed slightly at the protectiveness of the move. 

Once he deemed it safe you saw his shoulders relax slightly. The shelves weren’t completely barren so you stepped around him and began filling your bag with anything that seemed like it would be of use. You quickly got into a rhythm of checking the items and shoving them in your bag.

Clearly deciding there was no immediate threat Rick split off to the other side of the store and began searching there. You sighed as you reached the end of your shelves, you’d packed a lot but you were sure there was more to find. Leaving your bag on the counter you walked around to the back, searching the shelves that should have only been available to employees. Apparently whoever had passed through before had cleared most of these out.

As you ventured further back you found a door with a ‘Staff Only’ sign on it. Driven by the hope of more supplies you opened the door without thinking. Everything happened so fast, the door had been shut for a good reason. In an instant it swung open to reveal two walkers that had been waiting, as if anticipating an unsuspecting victim to stumble upon them.

With their vacant eyes fixed determinedly on you they lunged forward. They fell over each other as they desperately reached for you. You fumbled for your gun as you backed up on unsteady legs, as you unclipped it from your belt you tripped on a fallen shelf, managing to drop your gun as you fell to the floor. A yelp escaped your lips as one of the walkers toppled on top of you, its gnashing teeth getting dangerously close as you struggled to keep it off of you.

Without hesitation Rick sprinted across the store, his urgency evident as he pulled out his knife. He slid across the counter and swiftly took down the standing walker. Wasting no time he grabbed the walker that was pinning you down and hurled it away from you. His blade sliced through the air once more, finishing it off.

You couldn’t move, remaining on the floor staring at the ceiling as Rick checked through the staff room for any others that may be lurking. You’d had close calls before but this was just careless. Your heart pounded in your chest as the gravity of what just happened surrounded you. You didn’t realise your ears were ringing until Rick reappeared in your vision, his mouth was moving but you couldn’t make out what he was saying.

Rick extended his steady hand to you, instinctually you reached for him and as his warm grip enveloped yours the ringing faded away. His touch grounded you in a way you hadn’t expected. With an effortless strength he helped you to your feet. Once you had steadied yourself, Rick's hands held onto your shoulders, ‘are you okay?’ he asked, a tenderness in his voice you hadn’t heard before.

You nodded slowly ‘it didn’t bite me,’ you managed to get out.

‘I know, but are you okay?’ he said more firmly, his eyes scanned over your face trying to read how you were feeling.

You nodded again, though you averted your eyes away from him. Suddenly feeling embarrassed by what you had done. Rick had trusted you to come out here with him and you couldn’t help but feel that you’d messed up. 

He gently placed his hand on your lower back and guided you out of the store, grabbing your bags as he went. Once you were out in the sunlight he turned you and took a moment to scan your body for any wounds. You still avoided looking at him, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.

If only you did look up, you’d see nothing but care etched on his face. He led you to the truck and opened the door for you to climb in, his eyes not leaving you once no matter how much you avoided looking in his direction.

The ride back was filled with a thick tension. You could feel Rick glancing over to you throughout the journey but you kept your eyes set firmly staring out of the passenger window. Any hope you had of today being the day you finally spoke to Rick to work out your feelings was completely gone. You’d settled with the fact you would now be avoiding him, nothing but embarrassment flowed through you as you thought about what had happened.

Rationally you knew you shouldn’t have felt embarrassed, if anything you should feel relief that everything unfolded as it did. You should be happy that you were still here, still sat in this truck, headed back to the safety of the prison. 

Luckily for you the journey went by without a hitch and before long the prison gates had come back into view. Once the truck was safely parked inside you didn’t waste any time jumping out and rushing inside. You ignored Rick calling your name, needing to put as much distance between yourself and him.

Rick stood beside the truck and watched you disappear inside. He sighed, wishing he knew what words to say to you. The weight of what had happened and whatever was going on between the two of you surrounded him as he thought about the best way to approach you.

You’d somehow managed to avoid talking to anyone for the remainder of the day. You’d made your way out to one of the unused watchtowers, thinking everything over as the sun began to slowly disappear over the treeline. The memory of the walker falling on top of you played over and over in your mind, you’d never come so close to being bitten before.

You sighed, how had you become so careless? Allowing yourself to put your guards down. Your mind, once again, changed to Rick. The man that had been consuming your every thought, distracting you without even trying.

You replayed the moment he came to your aid. You were still battling with your embarrassment but gratitude had mingled into your emotions as well. If anything you were now more embarrassed by your actions following the incident, you hadn’t even thanked Rick for saving your life.

Rick’s protectiveness had struck a chord within you, deep down you knew he wouldn’t be upset with you over what had happened. You knew you should seek him out and apologise for your behaviour. He didn’t deserve to be dismissed the way you had. You decided you’d approach him in the morning, feeling that would be your best chance to get him alone.

Although you wouldn’t have to wait that long, the sound of someone ascending the steps of the watchtower echoed around you. You didn’t move, remaining seated looking out at the horizon. You knew who it was going to be before they even made it to the top, and mentally prepared yourself for the conversation to come.

Rick approached you quietly, taking a seat next to you without saying a word. You were pleased the tension from the truck ride had disappeared. The two of you sat in silence, and you appreciated that Rick wasn’t putting any pressure on you to talk. The evening breeze carried a chill, but the warmth coming from the man beside you wrapped around you. The changing colours of the sky created a peaceful backdrop to your quiet moment.

You chanced looking over to him and found him to already be looking over to you. The fading light cast a subtle glow on his face. His gaze was soft and filled you with comfort.

‘Rick I’m sorr-‘ you began, but he cut you off before you could finish. 

‘That next word had better not be an apology.’ He said firmly, causing you to snap your mouth shut.

‘I should be the one apologising, I should’ve been more careful. We should’ve stayed together and I left you alone, that’s not something I can brush off. It’s on me that things got dicey in there.’ He sighed as his eyes filled with regret before continuing, ‘if you’d of gotten hurt I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.’

How could he be blaming himself for this? Had he been feeling the same as you since that moment? 

‘Rick it wasn’t your fault, you don’t have to blame yourself for my mistake,’ you tried to tell him but he was already shaking his head.

Rick’s eyes bored into yours, showing a vulnerability you’d never seen before. He uttered your name and continued ‘you don’t understand, I was selfish. I just wanted… I wanted to spend time with you. You were out there because of me.’ His words hung in the air, and your mind raced trying to process the weight of what he was saying. Before you could even think of a response he carried on. ‘Earlier when I thought I could lose you... I-I saw you being taken from me and I knew I’d do anything to make sure that didn’t happen.’

The air around you seemed to grow thicker at Rick’s admission. The realisation that he thought he could have lost you cleared any lingering confusion. Everything became clear to you as neither one of you broke eye contact. Any words you’d prepared to say left you in that moment. 

Neither of you could look away even if you wanted to. Slowly he leant forward, and as months of uncertainty faded your lips pressed together. Warmth instantly blossomed in your chest at the feeling of his soft lips. His scent wrapped around you as his stubble tickled your face. You relished in it all, hoping to stay in this moment forever.

You hadn’t even noticed his hands gently holding your face until he pulled back ever so slightly. Not far enough that your lips weren’t touching, just enough to murmur ‘I swear I’ll keep you safe, no matter what. Always.’

‘I am safe Rick,’ you kissed him again before adding ‘with you.’ You brought your hands up to wrap around his neck as you kissed him again, pouring all your unsaid words into it, needing him to understand. 

It could have been hours you stayed up there kissing, lost in each other's embrace. Time completely faded away as you kissed under the moonlight sky. The world may have fallen to utter chaos, but at least you’d found everything you could ever want in Rick Grimes.

[blueraineshadows]

Mechanic!Garreth Weasley

Weasley Wednesday just got greasy and dirty

This week's Garreth's Groupies Discord Prompt is: Alternative Universe

Mechanic!Garreth x F!MC 🔥 NSFW 🔞

Long fic under the cut ❤️

With the last box loaded into the back of her little van, MC checked her clipboard one last time before giving a wave to Ben in stores. "I'll catch you in a bit, Ben," she said. "Thanks for helping me load up."

"No worries, MC," he said. "And don't let them give you any crap today, okay?"

MC grinned and waved her hand in dismissal. "Ah thanks, but I'm tougher than I look. I'll be fine."

Climbing into the driver's seat, she checked her delivery round list and entered the first address into her SatNav. Sunglasses on, radio turned up, MC put the van into gear and set off.

It was summer, the sky a gorgeous blue with little puffs of cloud drifting lazily by. MC sang along to the radio, thinking about Ben's concerns, but MC could handle the banter. She had been delivering to the local motor garages for about 6 months now and learned to let the comments from the techs bounce off her skin. Their cheeky remarks about her bending over to pick things up, asking if her uniform came in a lower or tighter fit, were just lads getting through their working day. She wasn't against a bit of flirting, and most of the time, that's all it was.

MC laughed it off or quipped back with a little comment of her own. Most of them were harmless, and the odd creep was easily handled with a firm look and a few choice words. Her Dad hadn't raised a fool. Working in the trade himself, she was well used to being around a working garage, having spent her Saturday mornings helping her Dad as a kid.

Her first drop went without a hitch, and then she was back in the van checking her clipboard for the next drop. A small smile curved her lips. She recognised the address and didn't need the SatNav. Weasley's Motors was a regular client and she definitely didn't mind if he wanted to flirt with her, that was for sure.

Nestled out of town down a country road, Weasley's Motors was a garage that worked out of an old lock up on a farm. Her van made the turn into the driveway, bouncing along the potholes in the gravel track until she pulled up outside the entrance. MC turned off the ignition, and the quiet surroundings were pierced by the sound of a heavy-duty tool from inside the workshop, the distant sound of a radio playing the only other noise.

She climbed out with her clipboard, lifting her sunglasses on top of her head as she peered into the gloom of the workshop. There was no sign of the owner, Garreth, but his work mate, Ryan, was bent over an engine, his overalls pulled down and tied at his waist. He stood and turned to look at her, a slimy grin spreading across his face.

"Here she is," he said. He grabbed a rag and wiped at his filthy hands, wandering towards her. "What you got for us today then, love?"

MC moved to the rear of the van, opening the doors and checking the deliveries in the back. If it was just Ryan, then she wanted to get this over with. He was one of those that bordered on creep territory.

"Service parts and brakes, I think," she said. She spotted the service parts order in a bag and grabbed it, checking the invoice. She patted a cardboard box marked heavy. "Would you mind grabbing the brake discs for me?"

Ryan gave her a slow look up and down as he approached the back of the van, and MC pretended not to notice. He bent to pick up the brake discs, the smooth toned muscle of his arms flexing at the weight of them. "Anything for you, love," he said.

MC flashed a polite smile and carried the bag towards the workshop, Ryan following close behind. She glanced around. "Is Garreth about? I need a signature, and I've got some old invoices that need checking."

Ryan nodded as he put the brake discs down on his tool trolley. "Garreth!" He yelled. Ryan moved towards the back, waving for MC to follow as he disappeared through a door. His voice carried out to her. "That bird with the nice arse is here from AutoParts."

MC rolled her eyes, hanging back in the workshop in case Garreth wasn't actually in there. She did not want to be alone in the back room with Ryan, and she clutched her clipboard a little tighter, fantasising about whacking it around Ryan's head.

Ryan appeared, grin still in place. "He's just coming, love."

MC tensed as he passed her, his eyes roving over her as he went back to work on his car. He was one of the creeps that she would rather avoid, and it was a shame because Garreth was lovely.

MC let some of her tension go as Garreth appeared in the doorway, his wavy red hair tumbling across his forehead, his smile wide as he saw her waiting for him. He had gorgeous green eyes and a smattering of freckles over his face. Today he was wearing dark grey overalls, pulled down and tied at his waist as Ryan's were, revealing a black, sleeveless top that showed off toned arms covered in tattoos.

MC felt her cheeks warming up as she tried not to oogle him. To do so would make her no better than Ryan, but it was hard not to. Garreth was bloody gorgeous and she gave him a shy smile, feeling like a frump in her steel toe caps, jeans, and checked shirt. Over her shirt, she was wearing her work high-vis vest, and her hair was thrown up in a messy bun. It was not her best look, but it was only work after all. Right now, though, she was wishing she had made more of an effort this morning when she crawled out of bed.

"Hey, how's it going?" Garreth said. He was always cheerful, his smile welcoming and you couldn't help but smile back.

"Not bad," MC said. She held up her clipboard. "I've got some paperwork that needs signing and some invoices to double check."

"No problem. Do you want to come through to the office?" Garreth pointed his thumb back through the door, and this time MC nodded, more than willing to follow him.

As she followed Garreth through the doorway, Ryan shouted across the workshop. "Get her number this time!"

Garreth huffed a laugh and shook his head. He gave MC a sheepish look. "Sorry about him, he can be a bit of a knob."

MC laughed. "I noticed."

The office was tiny, the desk a chaotic jumble of paperwork, dirty tea mugs, and random tools. The wall was covered in planners, posters of cars, notices, and a calendar of topless models hung from a rusty nail. Garreth filled the space and MC hovered near the door, clutching her clipboard a little nervously.

Garreth grabbed a box of donuts from the desk and held it out to her. "Would you like one?"

MC eyed the sugar-coated delights, but the black finger marks around the box made her nose wrinkle. "I'm all good, cheers."

Garreth shrugged and dropped the box back down before rubbing his hands together, his grin playful. "Come on, then. Where do I need to sign my life away?"

MC held out her clipboard and pointed to the box where he needed to sign. Garreth grabbed a pen from the pot on his desk and leaned in to sign his name, his hair falling across his forehead, while she held the clipboard for him. He was left-handed, and his arm brushed against her hand as he signed. His skin was warm, the hairs tickled against the backs of her fingers, and she almost shivered. His male scent surrounded her, the clean aroma of his shower gel and his aftershave mingled with the underlying tang of oil and grease.

His eyes lifted to hers, and she stared at him, a nervous smile lifting the corners of her mouth. The soft green of his eyes was just so lovely, framed with thick copper lashes, and they sparkled with a hidden mischievousness and warmth. Being this close to him had her heart pounding and she wondered if he could tell.

"Thanks," she murmured. She mentally shook herself, reminding herself that she was supposed to be working here, and lifted the signing sheet to pull out the invoice file. "Erm, this is for you. Outstanding invoices. My supervisor wanted me to get you to check them and give the office a call."

Garreth took the paper, leaning his hips back against the desk as he quickly checked it. He nodded and grabbed up a small box from the desk, pulling out a handful of business cards. "Before I forget, would you mind putting some of these on your shop counter? I've just had them made up and I thought I would be cheeky and ask."

MC took the cards, her fingers brushing against his as she did so, the contact adding to the gentle swirl of heat building inside of her. She looked at the cards, quickly reading the details.

"I've started doing a call-out service out of hours. The number is on the card," he said. "Another way to earn a few pennies."

She smiled and tucked the cards into her pocket, wondering if this was a subtle way of giving her his number. Ryan certainly kept hinting at him getting hers. "I'll put them on the counter myself," she promised.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," he grinned. His eyes glanced over her, not as obvious as Ryan, but there was a glimmer of interest all the same that stoked her hope. "Been up to much lately?"

"Oh, you know, working, the usual. I tried that new bar in town last weekend," she replied.

He looked up with interest. "I know the one. Wasn't there a band playing?"

She nodded. "Yes, they were really good."

He smiled. "I should check it out sometime."

"You should."

The air hung thickly between them, both of them eyeing the other. MC bit her lip, her mind going blank as she tried to think of something to say. She had noted a while ago that there was no wedding ring on his left hand, but then in his trade, that wasn't unusual. It was too dangerous to wear rings. You could lose a finger if it got caught up at the wrong time. She wondered if he had a wife or girlfriend waiting for him at home. She wouldn't be surprised if he did. It made her hesitate to say much more, the words suggesting that they should go to the bar together dancing on the tip of her tongue.

"Are you going this weekend?" He asked. Was that a glimmer of hope in his eyes?

MC felt her cheeks grow warm again, and she fiddled with the hem of her work vest. Her tummy flipped at the idea of going with him. "I might," she said.

The phone rang on his desk behind him, and they both turned to look at it. He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'd better get this," he said regretfully.

MC nodded. She should really be getting on with her delivery round, the taco in the van would be timing her and she shouldn't really be lingering. "Sure. I'll erm... I'd best get going. See you next time."

"Take care," he said. His smile was soft as he looked at her, reaching out to pick up the phone. It made her far too reluctant to leave his office, but he held the phone to his ear and he was back into work mode. "Weasley's Motors, how can I help?"

MC backed out of the office, a little regretful that their conversation had been interrupted. She sighed and tapped her clipboard against her thigh as she crossed the workshop, her thoughts still on Garreth and his smile.

"Alright, love?" Ryan said. He ducked out from under the bonnet of the car he was working on and her soft, warm feelings over Garreth plummeted into mild disgust. "Did we get your number this time?"

MC looked at him and rolled her eyes. "You want a number?" She tore a sheet out from under the delivery list on her clipboard and shoved it into his hand. She pointed at the headed paper for the company she worked for and smiled sweetly. "Contact details right there. Have a nice day."

Ryan laughed as she turned away, completely unperturbed by her sass. She ignored him. "Maybe next time then, yeah?" He called out.

She strode out of the workshop and out into the sunlight, irritated as she threw the clipboard into the passenger seat of the van, and fired the ignition.

....*....

The late summer sun was sinking below the horizon as MC dropped her friend, Poppy, off at her home. They had been down to the sea front for a walk on the beach and a cheeky ice cream. It had been nice to catch up with her. She had been full of stories about her boyfriend, Sebastian, and MC felt a twinge of envy.

Why couldn't she keep hold of a bloke? Her luck was terrible. She always seemed to end up with the Ryan's of the world and longed for a Sebastian of her own, a bloke who would treat her properly, as well as ruin her in the bedroom. Maybe a bloke like Garreth. The thought made her smile. Bloody hell, she fancied him.

MC took the turn out of Poppy's apartment block car park and turned the radio up a bit, singing along to the song playing as she drove towards home. As she was moving along the dual carriage way, a strange clunking sound came from under the car, and she frowned, turning the radio volume back down again. Her eyes quickly scanned the dash for any warning lights, but there was none. She slowed down, her ears pricked up in case it happened again. It did. A clunk and then the car seemed to dip in speed on its own, the engine power dying.

"No, no, no," she groaned. She gripped the steering wheel, a look of misery on her face as she pulled to the side of the road and rolled to a stop. She leant her head against the steering wheel and sighed. "Shit!"

Unbuckling her seat belt, she pulled the bonnet catch and got out. The road was quiet, the sky a deep blue that was quickly turning into the black of night. She lifted the bonnet and squinted in the dying light, pulling out her phone to turn the torch light on. She shone it over the engine bay but couldn't see anything obvious.

The oil and water were good. She checked it regularly as her Dad had taught her. The only thing she had not done was get her service yet. Money had been tight, and she had been holding off. She bit her lip, knowing her Dad was going to lecture her for not doing it, but that wasn't going to help her now. Perhaps she had blown a filter or something and she rubbed her face with her hand.

Glancing down at her phone, she debated calling her Dad. He was away on holiday, but it wouldn't be the first time he had tried to diagnose a problem over the phone. Then, a flash of inspiration struck her. Her heart pounded as she hurried back around to the car door, climbing in on her knees to fumble around on the back seat for her work vest. Out of the pocket, she pulled the business cards that Garreth had given her earlier. Thank goodness she hadn't put them in the shop yet.

Her fingers trembled as she keyed in the phone number for out of hours, hoping that it wasn't going to put her through to Ryan. The dialling tone sounded and was answered quickly.

"Hello?"

MC took a breath. "Hi, erm...is that Garreth?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "Who is this?"

"Hi, it's MC. I deliver to you, you know, AutoParts? I was there today."

"MC?...Wow, erm...what can I do for you?"

She cringed. "I've broken down, and I still had your card in my pocket...you said were doing call outs now?"

"Oh, right, so you need my services? Where are you?"

MC told him the road she was on and roughly how far along from the nearest junction she was.

"Are you alone?" He asked. She told him she was. "Hang tight, darling. I'm on my way."

MC felt a flood of warmth at the endearment and bit her lip at the concern in his voice. She gazed around at the isolated surroundings of where she had stopped and appreciated his promise of being on his way.

The road was quiet, the odd vehicle rushing past, the headlights growing brighter and then fading off in to the distance. MC had locked the car and moved into the grass verge to sit and wait. She knew never to sit in the car and wait in case you get slammed from behind by a truck that didn't see you parked up. She had the hazard lights on, but it wasn't worth the risk. Even though the creepy darkness was starting to put her on edge, she stayed put.

Now that the sun was gone, the air had cooled, and MC hugged her arms about herself. She was only wearing a thin vest top, and tiny denim shorts and goosebumps covered her arms. She played about on her phone, scrolling aimlessly as she waited for Garreth, a little flutter of anticipation her chest at the thought of seeing him again.

When a pickup truck slowed to a stop behind her car, MC hesitated, eyeing the driver as he climbed out, relief washing over her when she saw Garreth's unruly mop of red hair. She stood, brushing loose grass from her bare legs. "Sorry to call you out so late, Garreth," she said, approaching him.

He smiled that gorgeous smile. Tonight he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, with a lightweight dark jacket. "Not at all, I was just watching TV. Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm alright, but my car not so much."

He came closer and held out a bottle of water and a big share bag of crisps towards her. She eyed them with confusion. "You brought snacks?" She asked, amused.

He shrugged. "I'm always prepared, and I thought you might be hungry."

She giggled. "Do you do this for all your customers?"

"Only the pretty ones." His wink made her tummy flutter, and she took the offered treats with a shy smile, thanking him.

She explained what had happened, and he had a quick look under the bonnet. "You're probably right about it being a filter but I won't know for sure until I get a proper look at it. It's too dark to see out here, but I can tow your car back to the garage and check it out tomorrow if you like."

"That would be great, thank you. I will call a taxi or something to get myself home." She smiled, rubbing her arm with her hand against the chill as she unlocked her phone.

"Don't be daft. I'll give you a lift home," he offered.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Of course," he said. He studied her a moment and then slipped his jacket off and held it out to her. "You're cold. Here, put this on. I'll get the tow rope fixed up and you can go sit in the truck and warm up."

MC blushed. "Oh, you don't have to give me your jacket."

He sighed and moved around her to drop the jacket over her shoulders, smoothing his hands over them as he did so. MC shivered, but not from the cold, her breath hitching at the solid feel of his hands on her. The jacket was warm from his body heat and smelled of him. It was doing torturously wonderful things to her insides. She wondered what else those strong hands could do as he held her.

"No arguments," he said. Still holding her shoulders, he guided her towards the truck and opened the passenger door. He nodded inside. "In you get. I won't be long."

The truck was warmer than being outside, despite the mess and the lingering odour of oil and men, and MC hugged his jacket around her as she watched Garreth fix up the ropes. He was adorably sweet, bringing her snacks and giving her his jacket, but right now she was shamelessly gawping at his arms in the glow of the headlights as he pulled the rope tight.

Once the car was roped up and ready, MC got back out of the truck.

"Have you ever been towed before?" He asked.

She nodded. "My Dad was a tech. I've done this plenty of times."

Garreth's smile was warm. He caught her under her chin with a calloused finger, the touch light, there and then gone. The burn his touch left behind tingled down her neck and spread all over her.

"Full of surprises, aren't you? Jump in your car then, and we'll get going. I will go to the garage first and then I'll take you home. I won't go to fast, we'll take it easy."

They took a careful trip to his garage with no incident, pulling up outside, and then he unhitched her car, pushing it inside the workshop where it would be safe.

"I can't thank you enough for this," she said. Garreth checked the workshop and was pulling the huge doors closed. He grinned at her. "Maybe you can buy me a beer in that new bar to say thank you."

Her heart leapt. "Sure! I mean, yeah, I could do that," she said, blushing. She hesitated. "You've not got a girlfriend or anything have you?"

He paused to look at her, his hands on the other door, and shook his head. "No. What about you? No boyfriend at home waiting for you?"

She shook her head. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then pulled the garage door closed, locking it up securely. He walked towards her slowly and reached out to slip the keys into his jacket pocket, the jacket she was still wearing. She was reluctant to take it off, not ready to lose the warmth and his scent.

His eyes met hers, his gaze glittering in the darkness, the glow of the security light reflecting in the green depths. He reached up and gently brushed her hair back with a finger, the callused tip grazing against her temple.

"How is it possible that a girl as beautiful as you has no man waiting for her at home?" He asked softly.

"I'm just not that lucky," she whispered. His touch was stoking the aching burn between her thighs, his eyes deep pools of temptation that she would happily drown in.

He trailed that finger down her cheek, waking up her goosebumps as he continued along her jaw, his thumb brushing against her lips. She parted them, her breathing picking up the pace, her heart thudding against her ribs and she couldn't tear her gaze away.

He bent down and brushed his lips against hers, a teasing kiss, a gentle taste, before pulling back a little. His eyes burned into hers, and she grabbed the front of his t-shirt, her mouth claiming his for another kiss because one just wasn't enough. He moaned against her lips, his hands sliding up over her waist, gripping at her vest top and pulling it up so he could smooth his palms over her skin.

She gasped at the feel of those calloused hands on her midriff, her mouth opening to welcome the taste of him, his tongue gliding smoothly against hers as he backed her up. Her Converse scraped against the gravel, legs stumbling backwards until she collided with his truck, his kiss deepening with desperate hunger. She shoved a hand into that glorious hair, fingers sliding through soft locks as he reached around to grab her arse, groaning as he moulded it with his hands.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he breathed. He pinned her against the truck, hips grinding, and she whimpered. She could feel how hard he was, and she ached for more, arching her back, greedy for his touch.

MC slid her hands under his t-shirt, sighing at the delicious ripple of firm muscle, the soft hair on his stomach, and achingly smooth skin. She teased his lips with tongue and teeth, drawing soft sounds from his throat, he was very vocal and it spurred her on. His hands moved to her thighs, sliding upwards, fingers delving under the hem of her tiny shorts. They were short enough for him to grab the flesh of her arse and he hummed in approval.

"I've been wanting to get my hands on your arse for bloody weeks," he murmured. He bent to mouth at her neck, his hands groping and moulding her flesh. "So fucking sexy."

MC tilted her head back, a soft groan leaving her mouth as he sucked at her neck, tongue sliding over her hot skin. "Keep groping me like that and I won't be responsible for my actions," she teased.

"Hmm, is that right?" He squeezed her arse even harder with a growl, before sliding his hands up and around, pushing them up under her vest to cup her breasts, his fingers sliding over the lace of her bra. "Oops, more groping. What are you gonna do?"

She chuckled and slid her hand down to cup him through his jeans, palming along his length with slow deliberate strokes. He groaned and rutted against her hand. "Fuck, yes..."

"You like that, huh?" She whispered.

He pressed his forehead to hers, eyes looking down at her hand as she rubbed, his hips rocking. He bit his lower lip, moaning. "Your place or mine?" He asked. "I need to get you somewhere, and fast, before I fuck you against my truck."

Hunger, hot and feverish swept over her, an ache so fierce she was panting with it. Her fingers fumbled at his jeans, tugging at the buttons. "Do it," she begged. "Fuck me."

A shocked sound left his mouth, his eyes wide as he looked at her. She stared back at him, breathing hard, her body begging for him to take her.

"What...are you sure?"

She had his jeans open now, and she kept her eyes on his as she slid a hand inside, her fingers sliding over the hot, silky skin of his hard cock. She felt it twitch under her touch, a low moan coming from him, his eyes hooded and glazed over as she began to stroke him. "I want it," she whispered.

Utterly gorgeous, sexy and adorably cute. Oh, she was sure.

Garreth groaned and kissed her, his mouth devouring her as he made quick work of her shorts, shoving them downwards to expose the pretty lace of her knickers. Impatient fingers tugged that lace aside, sliding eagerly down and delving into her waiting slick. MC moaned, lips parting as Garreth skilfully swept finger tips over her opening, soaking his fingers with an appreciative groan before sliding two deep inside of her.

"All this for me," he said. He pumped his fingers, twisting them slightly. "Fuck, MC, you're perfect."

MC whimpered and rocked her hips, clinging to him as the pad of his thumb sought out her clit and rubbed in torturous, slow circles. "Garreth..."

"Tell me," he whispered. His mouth moved to her ear, nipping and kissing along the shell of it. He moaned into her ear, his fingers curling and rubbing her into a panting, moaning mess. "That's it, fucking moan for me. I want to hear you."

His filthy talk was so hot, adding to the desperate ache. Her thighs trembled and her back arched, her head tilted back and rolled in ecstasy against the window of his truck as he sucked bright blooms of red down her neck. She could feel the building pressure of her climax, each firm, deliberate thrust of his fingers driving her faster and faster towards it. She didn't care that they were outside and someone could come along and catch them at any moment. All that mattered was his smouldering green eyes and the way his fingers were driving her crazy.

"Garreth," she cried. Her nails dug into the flesh of his arm, the muscle beneath her grip flexing as he fucked her with his hand. Her climax hit, and she clenched around his fingers, a cry leaving her lips, splitting the quiet darkness of the night around them.

Garreth whispered words of praise into her ear, his fingers easing gently, stroking her in teasing slow circles as she shuddered with little after shocks, overly sensitive and throbbing. "Such a good girl," he whispered. "I'm gonna fuck you now. Is that what you want?"

"Yes," she whispered, biting her lower lip. "Please..."

Garreth slipped the jacket from her shoulders, opening the truck door and throwing it inside. He slid both hands up her body, pushing up her vest top to expose her bra. He hummed in appreciation, his thumbs hooking back the lace.

"I need to see these," he murmured. He tugged back the lace and bent to lick across her breasts, moaning against her flesh as he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked, his tongue rolling over her hardened peak. "Delicious," he whispered.

He kissed up over her collar bone and throat, finding her mouth, and he kissed her deeply. His hands reached around to grab her arse again. He moaned and pulled his mouth away. "I'm gonna turn you around, alright?"

MC nodded. "Okay."

He smiled and kissed her nose, his hands gently turning her, shuffling them along a bit until they were at the open passenger door of the truck. He pushed her forward and bent her in over the seat, her legs trembling as he slid her knickers down over her hips, letting them pool at her ankles with her shorts. He smoothed his hands over her arse and hips, dipping between her legs to tease her with gentle fingers before pressing her thighs open a little more. "Fucking hell," he groaned. "That looks so perfect."

MC felt a blush heat her face as he caressed and teased her from behind, her breasts squished against the seat, her hands gripping the edge as he slid fingers inside of her again. He worked her open, soft moans leaving her lips as she felt the brush of his cock against her thigh.

"Please..." She whimpered. She rocked her hips eagerly. She felt the pressure of his tip as he rubbed it teasingly against her slick heat. She rocked her hips again, and he moaned.

"So greedy for my cock," he whispered. He guided himself inside of her, both of them moaning at the intrusion. He filled her up so perfectly, and as he began to move, MC buried her face into the seat. Her hands grappled for purchase against the leather, bracing against the centre console of the truck as he began to fuck her hard.

A cry left her mouth, his skin slapping against her arse in a punishing rhythm, the truck rocking on its wheels as he braced one arm against the top of the door frame. His other hand gripped her hip, breathless grunts, and moans spilling from his mouth as he pounded relentlessly. The angle was utter bliss, each thrust hitting that sweet spot until she saw white spots in front of her eyes. Her climax came swift, ripping through her with blazing heat, her walls clenching tightly around him.

Garreth swore viciously, grinding against her tight and hard with a growl before pulling out. MC whimpered at the sudden emptiness, gasping as his cock slapped against her arse, sliding upwards, hot and throbbing as his cum splattered up her sweaty back.

All she could hear were their tortured breaths in the silence as they took a moment to recover. And then the truck dipped, and he leaned in over her. She smiled as she felt his lips soft and teasing against her shoulder blade.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded. "That was so good," she said.

She heard him fumbling about and turned her head. He grinned as he pulled a rag out of the door compartment and wiped the cum from her back. He chuckled. "Apologies, I made a bit of a mess."

"We made a mess," she chuckled.

He helped her out of the truck, and as she adjusted her bra and vest top, he bent to slide her knickers and shorts up her legs. She smiled at him, appreciating the way he was taking care of her. One minute, he was banging her within an inch of her life. The next, he was sweetly tugging up her knickers and pressing soft kisses on her thighs. What more could she ask for?

When he stood up, she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him in close. She stared up into those pretty green eyes of his. For so long, she had met them with shy smiles. Now she had seen them burn with desire, and for her no less. The smile she gave him now was one of intimacy, appreciating the fucked out daze of his eyes knowing that she had put it there.

She liked that look. She could get used to seeing it all too easily. She cupped his face and pressed a slow kiss to his lips.

"You know we are doing that again, right?"

His eyebrows lifted, his eyes pleased, eager. "We are?"

She smirked and nodded. "Your place or mine?"

"Mine," he said. Then he tilted his head thoughtfully. "Might have to stop at McDonald's drive-through on the way, though. I'm fucking starving."

MC giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Deal. And it's my treat seeing as you came to my rescue this evening."

He kissed her nose, his hands roaming around to cup her backside again. He was definitely an arse man. "Sex and a burger. Best night ever," he grinned.

[madamemiz]

MILD SPOILERS! impressions from the votv 0.8.1 update (day 2)

KEL WALK CYCLE REAL even if it's a bit janky. feels almost strange to see moving feet when i look down. got peakaboo'd by this character model while climbing the tower too, i didn't realize the little rectangle on his beanie is the aso logo, that's a nice touch! (if i saw that correctly that is)

i love the glasses as an equipable item, velma mode is unnecessary but funny 10/10 just like me fr

tf you mean burgers cost 95???? and pizza so expensive?? hello???

flour?? cooking?! ok now that's a fun prospect, i'm getting the cookbook as soon as i can

on that note i've heard berry bushes are a thing now, but i've yet to come across any and i've been actively looking while out and about

aww kel's tummy growls when he's hungry now, that's cute. mfer got a hell of an appetite for someone so picky. also just like me fr

they changed the eating sound and i'm sad, i liked the original ;w; it was oddly satisfying

has the vending machine always had a nice glass texture?

that's it for now, so far so good. i've seen the stuff about kerfur, as well as more farming integration. the farming bit sounds fun, as for the kerfur crafting changes:

hoo boy. i like the idea of needing to get a few more things, it makes sense in-universe. they do most of your job for you, it's fine to make the requirements a bit more difficult, but... i'm gonna level with you, the recipe i've seen and what you need to do for it seems overboard for a casual player. keyword casual. it almost feels like the difficulty spike was created with youtubers and streamers in mind--yknow, people who are professional gamers, or at the very least people who look up hacks to speedrun their kerfurs, because several of them made it seem very easy. i don't think the vast majority of people playing the game play it that way though; i didn't have omega kerfur until a couple of weeks in-game time, and i've seen a lot of people say the same or later. these changes could potentially push kerfur to closer to endgame for a good chunk of players, which seems like a bad move to me for a few reasons--

firstly, i'd imagine this change is in part to encourage players to get out of the base more instead of relying on kerfur for the hashcodes, but having an omega greatly opens up how much free time you have, which allows you more time to explore and make your base cozy. i never had time before i had them, i was too busy running around getting hashcodes and scrounging up money

secondly, late game has quite a few enemies that can instakill kerfur, which makes sending them out for codes and repairs kind of pointless. at that point you may as well keep your base kerfur as-is instead of spending the time and resources to upgrade. not to mention that one of the items requires mining in the cave which... personal note, i never found the pickaxe or stepped foot in the cave in 0.8.0, and frankly never planned to. guess i have to now!

thirdly, like... people get attached to their kerfurs. a lot of returning players i've seen discussing the update are upset they won't have their wife/husband/partner/child/roomate etc back until later in their run unless they mail them over. why would you wanna separate the players from one of their favorite aspects of the game? hell, i've contemplated mailing my 0.8.0 kerfur over not bc of the difficulty spike, but bc i feel bad leaving them behind in my old save

maybe i'm just overthinking and it won't be as bad once i do it, but i've just been puzzling over the changes. what do y'all think?? are the changes justified, or nah?

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Hey do you think ya can explain Barnaby and his illusion smoke a bit? It seems really cool and I don't remember if ya talked about it in depth before

sure! this got a bit longer than i expected!

so i was thinking that Barnaby seems like more of a hands-off kinda guy when it comes to altercations. would rather sit back and make funny commentary! so if he Had to get involved, i imagine it would be from a distance and still in an Entertaining Way!

thus - illusion magic! for this au i've been picturing that he got his paws on some illusionary herb in his early teens. for making people laugh, you know! and help out with the farm - illusions could distract animals, convince them to move on to different pastures, calm the chickens for egg-collecting, etc!

Ms. Beagle didn't really approve, since smoking is harmful, but lucky for the both of them this particular plant doesn't deal as much damage when smoked as normal smoking materials would - like tobacco! something to do with the magic properties! so Barnaby mostly used it for chores (when his mama wasn't paying attention, ofc - it's still a bad habit in her eyes) and entertainment purposes.

how it works: on its own, it doesn't do much when burned. it's not like illusions will waft out of the pipe's bowl, or that sniffing it will give someone hallucinations. in order for it to work properly, the user has to inhale properly, form the Intent of what the illusion should be / look like / behave, then purposefully blow the smoke out with that thought firmly in mind. the reach of the smoke depends on the force of Intent, and the intensity depends on the amount inhaled. those that breathe it in / are surrounded by it will see hallucinations of whatever Barnaby - or whoever the user is - wants them to! it can be literally anything! whether or not the target is fooled depends entirely on the individual, but the herb is potent enough that most are convinced that what they "see" is real (auditory hallucinations only occur if the target breathes in the smoke)

upsides: this form of magic is great for distractions, cover, deescalation, and that kind of thing. if needed, Barnaby could stop a fight with one exhale! it's a pretty powerful trick! it also means that Barnaby has built up a tolerance to illusion magic over the years, so where most of the party would be tricked, Barnaby would be unfazed. the only one with total immunity to the form of magic is Wally!

downsides: if Barnaby uses too much in too short of a time, it will get to him. and since he breathes in the largest amount - undiluted at that - it can fuck him up! using it sparingly / using repeated small amounts doesn't do anything. the most it will do is make him feel slightly untethered, but he has an easy time ignoring it / shaking it off.

in mild cases of the magic getting to him, it's like a bad trip. his proprioception is messed with (basically he gets uncharacteristically clumsy & off-balance), he feels like he's falling, anxiety spikes, and his vision is just... off! there are blind spots (im talking actual blind spots, not spots of black), things are moving in ways that they shouldn't, he has mild auditory hallucinations. the others can help ground him by talking to him, touching him, and confirming what's real and what isn't.

in bad cases, it's like that but 10 times worse. on top of all of the previous symptoms being worsened, he gets extremely vivid hallucinations, and they're very often not fun! it's a simultaneous feeling of dying, going insane, and not knowing what the fuck is going on. Barnaby loses sense of where he is, who's where, what's happening. he can get lost in the hallucinations - he has no way to know that they aren't real. in these terrible trips, no one can really help him. they can't get through the hallucinations, and if they do, the magic morphs Barnaby's perception of them and they end up adding to the effects. honestly the best thing for him is to let him rest somewhere with as little sensory input as possible & leave him be until he starts to come down. physical contact does help, since Barnaby understands on an instinctive level that illusions can't touch him, but it doesn't help half as much as it does w/ the mild trips. and again, the presence of someone can make the hallucinations worse.

so! suffice to say! he doesn't like using the herb all that often, and it's why he Stays Out Of It unless absolutely needed. he has two pouches of the herb - one with the strong stuff, reserved for emergencies / one with just a tiny bit of it mixed in with Barnaby's own personal blend for recreational/everyday use. (he also has an emergency tobacco stash in his pack, but that's only for when he's completely out of his usual blend <3)

extra lil scribble that didn't make it into the lil doodle post... i broke his wrist...

[themutantninja]

Tired

2012 TMNT Raph x reader

A/N : this one is based of S3E1, when everyone had to leave NYC because the Kraangs invaded the city.

Word count: 784

Raphxfem!reader

............................................................................... It's been a week since the Kraangs invaded NYC. Everything has been crazy ever since, Leo was hurt, master Splinter was gone and our families were mutated.

I didn't have any family out there, I actually grew up with Splinter and the guys. But over time, as we all grew up together, the feelings started shaping and I fell in love with Raphael.

Something about his fierce personality made me see him different from the others. As the time went by, I was the one to confess my feelings towards him and it actually worked out between us.

That's why I became really worried about him. Ever since we came to the farm, he became quiet. He stayed by Leo's side all the time, barely sleeping and eating.

I decided to go and talk to him, since we pretty much haven't talked ever since everything went downhill.

"Raph?" I said as I knocked on the door of the bathroom. There was no answer, but I opened the door anyways, inviting myself in.

It was a very sad view. Leo lying in the bath. He didn't have his mask, his body all wounded. And Raph sitting by his side, it felt like he didn't even move an inch since the last time I saw him sitting here.

"Hey love," I said almost as quiet as whisper, while gently putting my hand on his shoulder, to which he reacted by slightly jumping, not expecting for someone to be awake this late. Other than him.

"Hey." he said, smiling ever so slightly. A sad expression in his eyes. My heart cracked a little at this sight.

"How do you feel?" it seemed as a stupid question, but I want him to talk to me about his feelings. Raph is not a very communicative once the conversation is about expressing feelings. It took him 2 months to figure out how to tell me he likes me back.

Even tho, I was the second option in expressing his feelings about his brothers when they made him mad. The first one was Spike of course, before he got mutated.

"Hopeless? I think. What if he doesn't wake up Y/N?" he looked at me with the saddest expression. I've never seen him like this before.

"I'm sure he will, we just have to wait. Be patient. That's what Leo would want from us." I didn't really know what to tell him, I was honestly scared myself Leo wouldn't wake up, but I have to be here for Raph.

"I just wish I could help him somehow." he looked down at the ground, sadness covering his voice.

"I know," I had to help Raph sometimes. It breaks me to see him like this. "You know what? Why don't you go lay down? Sleep for some time, you really beed it Raph." I know this would give him a bit of hope.

"I can't, I have to stay by Leo's side in case he wakes up." he told me while pinching the bridge of his nose, obviously feeling frustrated.

"Give me your hand." I said, sticking out my own hand. As he put his hand in mine, I helped him to stand up.

I wrapped my hands around his neck staring into his tired eyes. He immediately wrapping his hands around my waist.

"Why don't you lay down, and in the meantime, I will stay by Leo's side." I told him, my words caring and as gentle as possible. I saw him open his mouth, probably about to complain against my idea.

I didn't let him talk, instead, I connected my lips with him, immediately shutting him up. The kiss was sweet and slow.

I gently put my hand on Raph's cheeks, making him pull away from the kiss.

"Just go, I will take care of Leo. And if he wakes up, I will go for you first. I will take good care of him, I promise." i gently smiled at him wholeheartedly.

"Okay." he said softly, his eyeslids slowly closing, indicating his tiredness. He gave me a sweet kiss on my forehead and then on my lips.

He hugged me for the last time, while whispering a quiet "Thank you." in my ear before leaving the bathroom, going to our shared bedroom in the old farm house.

I soflty smiled at him before he closed the door, getting a very tired smile back while the door closed.

I then turned to watch Leo, taking the sponge, soaking it in the cold water and gently pressing it to Leo's forehead.