#if any of my tig mutuals want me to draw for them

[coolguyontheblock]

Art requests? More like fart hehhee

Haven't been feeling the motivation to draw too much; so I wanna do art request again.

Taking anything thsc related as long as it is appropriate and not freaky deaky, but I do want to try and draw mainly characters from the game

[littlegodzilla]

One more chapter from Strangers.

Strangers.

Norman Reedus x Reader.

Part 4.

Warnings: slow burn. Confusing situations. Fluff. Drama and romance.

Words: 3000.

Masterlist

Summary: Andy confenses something that Norman never expected.

Taglist: @green-eyedladywrites @minervadashwood @livingdeadblondequeen

*******

That morning the office is quiet, Jeffrey works at his desk putting the finishing touches on an article he has to add to that week's magazine, Andy does the same with his own section. He looks at his phone and checks the time on his watch.

Norman is late.

He's not seriously concerned, he knows his friend has his own schedule, if he's not there the most obvious explanation might be that he's out on the town looking for new photographs and news to write about, but he usually informs them of his outings so as not to worry them too much.

"Have you heard from Norman?" He asks Jeffrey who lifts his head from what he's doing.

Like Andrew just did, his partner looks at his phone for any notifications from his friend, but nothing. He opens his mouth to respond when he hears the building door open and slam shut followed by a few quickened footsteps down the stairs.

"Sounds to me like here he comes." Jeff scoffs making his friend laugh.

Andrew's smile falters for a second, however, when Norman comes through the newsroom door like a hurricane. He drops his stuff, his helmet, his coat, his backpack. His hands grip tightly on Andy's shoulders and Andy feels his feet float seconds later before his body slams into his own desk. Jeffrey stands up from his own desk at the sight, ready to pull Norman off of their mutual friend.

"You knew that!" Reedus roars and Andrew looks at him confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Her! Your drawing, you knew perfectly well who she was!" Jeffrey holds Norman pulling him away. "Get off me!"

"Calm down, man! What are you talking about, the girl of your dreams again?"

"Of course I knew who she is!" Andy then says. "She's my cousin, how could you not want me to know her?"

He can't give credit, he's panting like a wild animal, even Andy is agitated. Jeffrey feels a little lost because he doesn't know exactly what that's about, it's been a few days since they had talked about it again, after so many years, but now Norman seemed really angry.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why? because I thought you were making fun of me!" He explained and tossed his hair back. "When you came in that day you wanted me to do a portrait of her, every time I was perfecting it I kept realizing it was her. I thought you were joking, that at any moment you would burst out laughing." He explains with a nervous sigh. "I thought you had seen some picture of us together and that you were pulling my leg, but suddenly you stopped talking about her, as if nothing had happened and I let it go. I kept the picture to myself and we carried on like it was nothing."

Norman curses through his teeth and rubs his face with both hands, nerves on edge, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling at full speed. The situation had been so strange.

Flash Back

"Why do you have this picture?" you insist with an increasingly tight frown.

"I-it's a picture of a friend..."

"Do you know Andrew?" you ask again and the name of his best friend surprises him.

"It's... And how do you know him?" He doesn't want to sound abrupt, but his words have come out of his mouth like a bark and he quickly sees your walls go up.

"That's not your problem. But this is me." You insist, setting the phone down on the table. "I'm an idiot, I don't even know what I'm doing here." You say getting up from the table.

"No, no, no, no, no, wait." Norman quickly gets up too.

His body blocks your path, preventing you from leaving. You take a couple of steps back and press your bag against your chest. Norman wants to stop you, to explain what's going on, but you look at him scared, once again, he's managed to anger and frighten you. He takes a step towards you, but then he feels a hand tighten on his arm and pushes him back. Norman wants to fight but discovers that it is one of your companions.

"It looks to me like it's time to leave." He tells you politely. "Your companion, my co-worker, is clearly not comfortable with you, so leave or I'll throw you out myself." Zach makes it clear to him.

Norman can't protest, he grits his teeth hard, looks at you, but you're staring at your feet, trembling. He mumbles a curse, gathers his things and walks out feeling the gaze of the rest of the people in the restaurant on him.

End Flash Back

"Your cousin..." He gasps without taking his eyes off Andy.

"I don't understand, Norman... Why now?"

"Because I always thought she didn't exist, but the other day I found her in a restaurant." He explains.

"Restaurant? You mean the cafeteria?"

"Yes, didn't you know she worked there?"

"Of course, that diner belongs to our family, but she doesn't want to be the manager and they hired Ross." He rubs his face still in disbelief. "How do you know?"

"Never mind." He shakes his head and grabs his things again.

"Norman, wait." Jeffrey asks him but Norman is already out the door slamming the door loudly. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I don't know... but I'll have to talk to him again..."

"What about your cousin?"

"Yes, I'll have to talk to her too... come on, let's keep working, let Norman come back when he wants to."

*****************

But Norman doesn't come back to the newsroom all day. His mind is going a mile a minute, he needs to get his thoughts in order, he has too many doubts, he's too confused.

His heart pounding in his ears.

He stops the bike looking at the building he stops at. He knows he is pulling the old couple too much, but it is his only alternative to find answers that might appease his insecurities a little. He gets out of the vehicle by removing his helmet and walks to the entrance, waits to be let in and walks up to the third floor where old Norman is already waiting for him preparing some coffee.

"Sorry to come unannounced." He says as he walks through the door, squeezing the old man's hand affectionately.

"Don't apologize, I understand how you feel and I'm glad I could help." He smiles as the two sit down at the table.

As the coffee begins to bubble, Norman helps his elder with everything, they sit back down and he begins to tell him what has happened to him. He tries not to rush, not to let anxiety and anger get the better of him again. He is nervous, his hands shaking with all the emotions he is holding back. The old man says nothing, just studies his words, letting him vent completely, but he feels some relief and excitement for the young man. The pieces are starting to fit together even if he doesn't know it yet.

"So it's Andy." He says at last when Norman finishes.

"What do you mean?"

"We all have a turning point." He explains to Norman. "For me it was in high school, that coffee shop where your girl works. Others those same dreams reveal important data to you, sometimes it's just a word that gets you both to realize it." he lists him and scratches his wrinkled forehead. "On every occasion there is always someone, or something, that channels our steps to the right place."

"But Andrew never told me she was his cousin. Maybe if I'd known sooner..."

"It doesn't work like that, Norman, everything takes time, everything needs a process. You guys were supposed to meet in that coffee shop. It had to happen that way."

"I don't like it." He protests like a child. "I'm being the bad guy in all this, she thinks I'm stalking her, she thinks I'm crazy, how am I going to make things work?"

"You will, trust yourself, things will find their way on their own."

Norman has always trusted the old man's words, but now he can't help but have some doubts. He acknowledges that things were going well until you found that photo and again thought Norman was a freak, the few steps he had managed to make progress, quickly regressed back to square one. Long sigh rubbing the back of your neck trying to think positive, to hold on to old Norman's words.

"How was it for you?" He asks him and the man smiles excitedly.

"It was for the high school Christmas dance." He explains to her. "My wife loves to dance." He assures him and laughs quietly. "Even now, when her old bones let her, we go dancing." Norman nods remembering that he has accompanied them on occasion. "I took her dancing and then we went to the coffee shop, we talked for hours, always seemed to play the same song, ours..."

"That was your moment?"

"We haven't been apart since that day."

Norman feels a shiver run through him at his words. He feels envious, but with admiration, he'd like to get that too, the old man seems utterly convinced he'll get it. His phone rings in his pocket, he looks at who it is discovering a message from Andy asking him to return to the newsroom. He sighs, he knows he has obligations to attend to, running away from work like that over a tantrum like a toddler, doesn't say anything in his favor.

He thanks the older man again for being patient with him and especially for telling him his story and leaves the house to get back to work.

***************

"I think we should talk about some things, don't you think?" Andrew asks him when he arrives at the newsroom, Jeffrey is no longer there, his schedule is over.

"I'm not in the mood, Andy, besides I doubt you'll believe what I can tell you." He growls low going to his desk.

"We've been friends for many years, Norman, do you really think I have so little confidence in you?"

"You believed it years ago when you thought I was making fun of you."

"What else was I to believe? You came in saying you'd dreamed about her and when I saw who it was about..." He rubs his forehead trying to calm his own nerves. "You understand it's a hard thing to fit in."

"Well, you don't have to over think it, it's none of your business."

"It's not..." he looks at him puzzled and advances toward his desk. "none of my business? She's my cousin, and you're my best friend, my brother, do you really think it's none of my business?"

Norman stops what he's doing, his gaze riveted on his own hands that are now trembling slightly at his friend's words. Of course it is his business, at the end of the day if all went well they would end up being more family than they already feel, but how to explain it to him? Even for him some things are hard to understand. He sighs tossing his hair back, trying to get his thoughts in order before saying anything that would sound too strange.

"Look, I don't know how to explain it without you thinking I'm crazy." He hones in. "I just dreamed about her, and one day I found out she worked at that coffee shop and it turns out she's your cousin." He enumerates with his voice a little shaky. "I'm just trying to fit the pieces together, man."

"You and everyone... Have you talked to her?"

"I haven't been very eloquent, truth be told... every time I try to get close I mess it up more and more." Now he does speak truthfully.

"You're still hell-bent on meeting her, dating her or whatever." Andy understands as Norman nods his head. "You know, I'd rather you be the one hanging around her than that asshole Zack." Norman raises his head, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Come over this weekend to the house, we're having a potluck, Jeffrey's coming too and her of course." He invites Norman and shrugs. "Maybe you two can talk more calmly if you're somewhere quiet and familiar."

"Really?" Norman is still surprised, but Andrew's smile is sincere and kind, despite the initial anger that morning, they are friends and they are not going to let something like this break so many years of good relationship.

"Sure, I was going to invite you anyway, I have something important to announce, but you won't know until then."

Andrew holds out his hand in a sign of peace, Norman smiles getting up from his table, walks around it and hugs his friend with infinite affection, grateful for the invitation, curious about whatever his friend has to announce, impatient and nervous for the day to come, but most of all to see you again. How will you react to seeing him there?

*************

"Do you think I'm going crazy?" You ask Mandy, looking at her uncertainly.

After everything that is happening to you throughout this week, you needed to talk to someone you felt complete confidence in. All the encounters with Norman are leading you into a situation that you are unable to control. You don't know how it's happening, but the man appears everywhere.

Even in your dreams.

You didn't think anything of it at first, but there was one scene in particular that kept repeating itself, that trip to the beach, the scenery, the feel of the leather of the car, the smell of the sea breeze, it seemed so real that some mornings you would wake up with a strange sense of anguish and emptiness when you realized Norman wasn't there.

"I think you're getting caught up in that guy." She assures you, but her voice doesn't sound comfortable with it. "I don't know what he's done, but he's obviously been following you and spying on you, he had a picture of you on his phone."

"He said Andy showed it to him...that he'd seen it before at college."

"He knows Andy?"

"They work together at the magazine, I didn't think they might know each other, there are more people there..." You try to justify yourself feeling a little nervous.

"Do you think he must have given it to him on purpose?"

"No, no, Andy would never invade my privacy like that, he would always consult me first..." You say confidently, but it's true that you have some doubts.

"Maybe you should talk to your cousin, find out what this guy is all about."

"I'm seeing him this weekend, he says he wants to surprise us..." You shrug. "I'll talk to him there."

"You know if you don't, I will." He assures you and you sigh with a smile.

"I know, but it's not necessary, I trust Andrew, I'm sure there's an explanation for all this."

But Mandy doesn't seem very convinced and you prefer to change the conversation to something more lively. You know your friend cares about you, but you decide to leave the conversation your dreams, maybe for another time. You yourself are not sure how to deal with those images your brain puts up while you sleep, they are always peaceful moments, but when you wake up you are always anxious and uneasy. You really need to talk to your cousin or you'll end up going really crazy as Mandy assures you so much.

"And you say Zack stood up for you the other day in the cafeteria." Your friend's voice reaches your ears snapping you out of your thoughts. You roll your eyes at the memory and nod your head.

"I hate it when he does that, I got all worked up and Norman wanted to talk to me, but I was nervous and he stepped in like he was a guardian angel or something." You snort wearily. "It was totally unnecessary."

"You know Zack likes to lurk around so the customers will leave you alone."

"With Norman he didn't need to, he hunted him down from the get-go." You shrug, remembering that.

"Doesn't it creep you out to think that maybe he knows you too well? And you hadn't seen each other before."

Maybe it does creep you out a little, but at the same time, that's what manages to capture your attention to him more, new questions pop up in your mind wanting to know why and how he knows all that. On the one hand the answer is simple, maybe Andrew has told him about you on some occasion and he has kept that information for himself. On the other hand, your hypothesis is more crazy and stupid; what if he has also dreamt about you? What if he has also shared those moments in his imagination, the beach, the walk, the sea breeze? You remember that night when he showed up at the coffee shop, he seemed so excited and relieved when he told you he had found you.

********

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To be continued...

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Hope you liked it!!

[helianskies]

thanking you, @maivalkov, for tagging me!

“The game is to post a sneak peak from a WIP (favorite/last line/almost abandoned, dealer’s choice lol).”

i'll be tig-tagging: @96moonfairy and @snowshower with ofc, no obligation, and an extra open invitation for any other mutuals who write to jump on (and make yourselves known!)

i've honestly needed an excuse to share part of this work, i've had it in my drafts for a year - another lockdown venture, and another take on omegaverse that i got sucked into. i read back over quite often, and i enjoy the whole first chapter so it was tough to pick just one segment, but i have bit the bullet and this is what we got! so, here we go: a small part of helia's attempt at an action fic about a group of international assassins...

Cartagena, Colombia

Fun, music, drink, sweat, heat, loud, touch, swig, move, fuck. They were the words that filled what little space was left between dancing, inebriated patrons at the underground club he was sat in. Antonio was at home in such establishments, especially in sweet, sweet Cartagena, and was readily enjoying an array of cocktails, an array of temporary dance partners, an array of tastes left lingering on his lips.

Sometimes, it paid to be a Gamma, a person with all the allure of an Omega, and the confidence of a Beta.

For his current kind of work in particular, it most certainly paid off. A quick wink, a lingering gaze, and he could reel almost anyone he wanted in close enough to finish the hit and claim his prize. There was a magnetism that was only natural, that helped draw them in… Antonio loved what he did, truly. It was a skill.

But, for the time being, he was off work. He had recently completed a job in Argentina that had left him utterly exhausted and with the handsome payout, Antonio had decided to indulge himself for once, rather than others. So, the clubs were his destinations most evenings. It was how he made friends, made contacts, and had a bit of fun on the side.

While standing by the bar, he met gaze with someone who had just entered the small establishment. Aha! A familiar face, a familiar Delta. Perhaps he wouldn't have to do much searching tonight after all...

"I haven't seen you in a while," he remarked, smoothing out the Colombian accent he had developed over time, as the Delta came over. He was a year younger than Antonio, a local guy, a real sweetheart. "How've you been?"

The Delta—Nicolás, Nico—smiled at him with a sunny look (agh, he was adorable!) and gave a light shrug. "Busy times. Lots of work."

"Oh? That's good to hear, in a way," Antonio mused, then paused, then asked: "How's the garden?"

Nicolás set his hand on top of Antonio's, and the Gamma took it properly, holding on. "Peaceful."

"Mm… Just the way we like it..."

"I know. Though, I saw a new bird today."

Antonio raised a brow, questioning, and Nicolás gave a slow nod just to confirm his suspicions. The Delta was one of two people in the area that Antonio had enlisted to help him manage his fake address, see; the garden was the city—Eden, Antonio had once called it, the Paradise. The flora that grew there were the people. The birds that came were notices, invites, mail, work… Everything went to a fake address listed as his own (for safety reasons, of course, because working in Latin America was no mean feat) and Nicolás would check in every other day to see if anything had come.

And this new little birdie got Antonio feeling a little bit excited.

He took the other's hands and led him on through the crowd of people, all hot and sweaty and lost to the world. "Ven conmigo," he said with a grin, a sultry gaze, "we need some privacy."

It was a shame that the only privacy he could get came in the form of a bathroom stall. Oh well. He'd done much, much worse. Antonio pulled Nicolás into one of three empty stalls (playing it up, because there were a couple other patrons there, as high, drunk and horny, and he wanted it to be convincing. Not that it needed much effort) and the Delta locked the door behind them. It was a bit cramped, but it would have to do.

Nicolás pulled an envelope from his jeans and handed it over. He received a thanks in turn, and Antonio studied the writing on it very briefly, before turning his back on the Delta and opening it up to read over the contents. Arms wrapped around his waist and he felt lips appear at the skin of his neck, but he was lost to the letter he had been sent, to its bizarre contents, to the absurd brilliance of what it gave him. A golden opportunity. He couldn't help but smile to himself, laugh in his relief.

"What is it?" Nicolás asked him, pulling away from Antonio's neck again to speak.

"An invitation," Antonio told him as he tilted his head aside to give him room, to give him a reward for his light, simple work. "An invitation home."

"Where?"

"Home."

"Mexico, you mean? You're going to leave me behind to go to Mexico?" It was an accusation from a needy Delta. An adorable but incredibly needy Delta. "What does Mexico have that I don't?"

"I'm not going," the elder assured him patiently, with a laugh. "Not to Mexico—"

"Oh, good!"

"—because Mexico isn't home. Tonto."

"It's… not?" Nicolás queried, and Antonio shook his head. He supposed he had never disclosed this information before, but since it was Nicolás and he could make him forget quite easily, he didn't mind sharing. "Then where is…?"

He glanced back at him over hs shoulder and smiled a sweet, wistful smile. "The Old World, my friend. Europa."

Thank you, @spikeface​, for tagging me! The game is to post a sneak peak from a WIP (favorite/last line/almost abandoned, dealer’s choice lol).

I picked one of my favorite scenes from a mckirk fic where them go back to Riverside and Jim has a bit of an existential crisis. I hit a road block with this one because at the time I didn’t know how to finish it and I wasn’t satisfied with a lot of it, but this is still one of my favorite bits, and the older I got (I started writing this in 2016), the more I related to that feeling of not belonging to a childhood home anymore.

ANYWAY

I tag @rein-ette, @rainbowfruitpastilles and @brazilian-hot-mess but if anyone else wants to do it, please feel free!

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