#if you park at a business for too long then they call the cops on you

[rosicheeks]

I will never fucking understand the need to call the cops on someone when they are just CHILLING IN THEIR CAR

[magicswordszin]

You're My Witch

“you’re my witch,” the doll says simply when I ask why it was following me.

“I’m not a witch.” It’s a little sad to see an abandoned doll, but it’s more annoying that it imprinted on me. I finish my coffee and stand up to leave. “I hope you find her.”

It doesn’t answer, just stands up with me and follows, walking a few steps behind down the sidewalk. I sigh, hoping people won’t get the wrong idea. Well, it’s not like anyone else will mistake me for a witch. When I go to work, the doll waits outside. I keep glancing out the window, thinking that it will have gotten bored and left, but it’s probably silly to think that a doll will get bored.

“How long are you going to keep this up?” I ask on my lunch break.

It shrugs at me, then after my shift it follows me home.

“Please leave me alone.”

“sorry,” it says, not sounding sorry at all.

It waits outside my apartment building. I consider calling the cops on it, but then I think about what they might do to it if it doesn’t go away. The doll doesn’t deserve that. It isn’t like it’s dangerous. Just a little annoying. I wake up in the middle of the night and look outside. It’s still there, standing still in the shadow between the garages, where it can be seen from my window. It’s not look toward me, though.

It isn’t trying to peer inside like a stalker; it just wants to make sure I can see it.

I put on clothes and go outside.

“It’s kind of chilly out.”

“don’t worry about me, miss. this one doesn’t feel the cold.”

I suppose that makes sense. It isn’t shivering or anything.

“Can I get you anything? You don’t…eat, right?”

“this one does not. but…if you could wind its key, it would be grateful.”

I’m not totally sure I want its gratitude, but it turns around to show the key on its back. I wind it a few times until it says “thank you, that’s enough.” And then I go back inside.

It follows me around again the next day, too. When I go home, I think about it standing out in the parking lot again and get sad, so I ask “Would you like to come inside?”

“this one has no particular preference.”

“Okay,” I say, “well, it’ll bother me, so if you’re just going to stand out in the cold otherwise, then please come in.”

“yes, miss.”

“Don’t call me miss.”

“oh. would…sir be preferable?”

“Listen, just call me Mike.”

“yes, sir, michael.”

*

Letting the doll in was maybe a mistake. It solved one problem, because the doll no longer follows me around all day long. But now I have a roommate that insists on cleaning up after me.

“You don’t need to do that.”

The doll pauses momentarily in cleaning the oven to shrug.

“Please, stop.”

It looks up at me, blinks, and stops. Just fully freezes in place. I panic, then make sure its key hasn’t wound down. No, it’s fine. It’s pouting because I told it not to clean the stupid oven. Well, that won’t work on me. I pull it out of the way, put away the cleaning supplies, and go about my business. But the next morning when it’s still frozen in place in the kitchen I snap.

“Okay, okay, fine,” I say. It starts moving again as though nothing had happened. It pulls out the cleaning supplies and resumes the job. “I’m sorry.”

“it’s quite alright,” it say, utterly without rancor. “it is difficult to become a witch.”

“I’m not a witch.”

The doll smiles at me.

*

I have to watch what I say around it, because if it sounds like I’m giving it an order, it will do it. I have to watch what I do around it, because if I thoughtlessly make a mess, it will immediately start cleaning it up. It’s stressful. I think about what I’m doing all the time now. I didn’t want to adopt this stupid doll and now my whole damn life is based around it.

It’s better, though. My apartment is so much nicer when it’s clean. And it feels nice to clean up after myself so that the doll doesn’t have to. I’m eating a lot better, too, because I don’t want to just eat frozen pizza when it’s watching and it helps carry the groceries. It makes me tea in the afternoon, which I always thought was something I wouldn’t like but is actually pretty good.

The doll doesn’t talk much, but that’s okay because I don’t either. I used to do a lot of online gaming, but I’ve started preferring the doll’s silent companionship.

I still feel bad, though. It’s expecting something from me.

“I’d like to be a witch for you,” I tell it, “but I don’t know how.”

“a witch is not something you do. it is something you are.” It shrugs. “don’t worry. you don’t need to do anything. you’re my witch.”

I’m not, though.

*

I go to a witch bar. I think, maybe I’ll ask someone about what’s going on. A real witch will know what I should do. But when I walk by the doors and see the witches and dolls inside, I feel like such an impostor that I can’t bring myself to go in. I wish I had the confidence in myself that my doll does.

I do my best to take care of it. I wind its key. I make tea for it. I sit in stillness with it.

When I go out with my friends I find I have little to say. My life has gotten fairly simple. “A doll followed me home a month ago.”

“Have you fucked it?”

I leave.

“It’s not that kind of doll,” I hear myself saying.

“That’s too bad.”

At home, it sees the look on my face and says “do you want to?”

“It wouldn’t be right.”

“you’re my witch. it is perfectly alright.”

“Um. Maybe, when I believe that more. Okay?”

“yes, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir.”

The doll starts sleeping in my bed. I’m cold a lot of the time now, and it doesn’t warm me up, but it’s something. Something is changing. I get a little excited. Maybe this is what it means to become a witch.

I start taking estrogen. Just in case that will help.

*

a year passes. i hardly even realize it.

i'm still not a witch, but it no longer worries me.

i am cool and smooth to the touch. my doll and i go hand in hand to the grocery store. i lost my job and got a new one. i am better at this one, although it pays less. i have fewer friends, but the friends that I have understand me better. i wind my doll’s key and she winds mine.

and finally one day i say “you made a mistake. i was a doll all along.”

my doll smiles at me and says “you still seem like a witch to me.”

[persevereforahappyending]

A Legacies Secret |2|

Pairing: Tara Carpenter x Reader

Summary: You just wanted a happy life with your girlfriend but then Ghostface attacks, revealing long thought to be buried family secrets.

Warnings: None?

Word Count: 2.9k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

You let out a sigh, finally clocking out for the night. It had been a busy night. To some it might seem weird for a bar to be so busy during the week but for some reason Woodsboro had a lot of alcoholics. You weren’t complaining though, they tipped pretty well and were the reason you could afford an apartment. If it weren’t for the tips, you would be living out of your car most likely, or more likely, unofficially, living with Tara when her mom wasn’t home, which was often.

After starting your car, you pulled out your phone, opening your messages with Tara. You hadn’t heard from her since your phone call earlier in the night. Tara knew you were at work, but she still had a habit of messaging you throughout your shift. You furrowed your brow, seeing all the messages you sent still showed that they had been delivered but hadn’t been read yet. You had an uneasy feeling, it wasn’t like Tara to not answer you, she always answered. You weren’t trying to panic though.

Y/N: Still good?

Y/N: Did you already fall asleep?

Y/N: Going to be a little later than expected

Y/N: On my way

You sent one last text, trying to calm your nerves. Everything was probably fine. Tara probably called over Amber or one of the others and they just got caught up watching movies. It wouldn’t be the first time you got to her place, and she was still up with one of her friends or all of them, watching movies. Sometimes you got to her place, and you shook your head at the sight of them all passed on the couch, popcorn bowl tipped over and mouths hung open as the movie continued to play.

Tara’s house wasn’t too far from your place of employment but when you turned down the street you were met with flashing lights and police cars lining the street. There were multiple cop cars parked outside of your girlfriend’s house. You slowly drove up, parking on the side of the street as you watched an officer pull out yellow police tape, taping off the front door.

As soon as you were parked you jumped out of the car, and ran across the yard, not caring about any of the police. You were under the first set of caution tape and halfway across the yard when strong arms wrapped around you, holding you back.

“You can’t be here,” a gruff voice said.

“No!” you screamed. “What happened?” you thrashed against the man, trying to get out of his hold.

“This is an active crime scene,” he said again when he finally put you down, on the other side of the yellow tape.

You stared up at the officer. He had his arms crossed, staring you down to make sure you didn’t try and rush past him again. You huffed, glaring at him. Despite knowing you’d fail you still lunged at the man, trying to get around the tape again. He was quick to grab you and keep you from passing.

“What part of active crime scene do you not understand?” he said, clearly irritated.

“What happened?” you asked again. You peered around the officer, your eyes darting all around the house, searching for any signs of Tara.

“Can’t say, it’s an active investigation.”

“Is Tara alright?”

“Kid, go home before I have you arrested.”

“This is my girlfriend’s house! I have to know if she’s alright. Is she okay?” Your breathing was becoming rapid. You weren’t sure if the fact that you couldn’t see Tara anywhere was a good sign or a bad one.

“Don’t make me arrest you.”

You were about to give the officer a piece of your mind when out of the corner of your eye you saw the sheriff. “Sheriff!” you yelled, directing your full attention to her. “Sheriff! Sheriff Hicks!”

“Kid, get out of here,” the officer got in your line of sight again.

“Sheriff!” You ducked under the police tape, avoiding the officers’ arms as he tried to grab you. “Sheriff!”

“Alright, that’s it.” The officer grabbed you, pushing you into the grass as he yanked your arms behind your back, handcuffing you.

“Sheriff Hicks!” you continued to yell as the officer hauled you to your feet and began to drag you to a cop car as you continued to fight against him. “Judy!” you let out in another desperate scream, finally gaining her attention.

Judy was holding a clipboard, talking to another officer when she finally looked up, looking around to see who was yelling her name until her eyes finally landed on you. You didn’t need to be close to know she had let out a deep sigh and if she didn’t roll her eyes, she was definitely holding one in. Judy made her way across the lawn towards you. The officer was trying to push you in a cop car when she finally got over to you.

“It’s okay deputy,” Judy said. “I got this one.”

“Are you sure?” the deputy questioned. “She’s a wild one sheriff.” He narrowed his eyes at you, and you just scoffed at him.

“Yes, go help the others.” Judy watched as the deputy walked off before facing you again. “Turn around.”

“What happened?” you asked as you did as she asked. “Where’s Tara?” You kept trying to turn around, trying to look at Judy as she took the cuffs off your wrists.

“Where have you been?” Judy asked, ignoring your question.

You quickly turned around when you felt the handcuffs leave your wrists. You started rubbing your wrists, though it had only been a moment the jerk of a deputy had put the cuffs on pretty tight. “Is Tara, okay?” you asked again, searching Judy’s face for any clues. Judy was clearly being kinder, but you could tell she was in full on cop mode, something bad definitely happened.

“Where were you earlier tonight?”

She wasn’t answering your questions, she was actively ignoring all your questions actually. “Is she-” your voice cracked, cutting yourself off by trying to contain a sob, your mind immediately going to the worst.

“She’s alive,” Judy said softly, resting a hand on your shoulder.

You relaxed for the first time since pulling up to the house, letting out a relieved sigh. “What happened? Where is she?”

“She was attacked.” Your breathing started to become rapid, your heartbeat was the only thing you could focus on. “Where were you tonight?”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” your eyes darted around the scene, seeing police tape, officers, red and blue flashing lights, the front door wide open. There was no ambulance but there was also no Tara.

“She’s at the hospital. Probably in surgery by now.” You brought a hand to your mouth, trying to contain your sob. Tara was attacked. Tara was attacked bad enough to be rushed to the hospital and in need of surgery. You couldn’t begin to imagine who would ever even want to attack Tara, if this was some sort of break in gone wrong. “I really need you to answer my questions.”

“Can we do it at the hospital?” you asked, needing to be near her even if you couldn’t see her. “Please? Please?” you begged. Judy looked at you and finally gave a sympathetic nod. “Thank you,” you whispered, before following her to her police cruiser.

The ride to the hospital was the longest of your life even though the hospital was only a few minutes away. When you got there, you trailed behind the sheriff, suddenly nervous, terrified of the news you might be walking into. Judy guided you to a seat in the waiting room while she went to the front desk. Your eyes never left the sheriff, watching as she whispered to the nurse. When Judy finished her conversation, she took the seat across from you.

“She’s still in surgery,” Judy whispered softly. You buried your head in your hands. You should have been there. You should have been there with her. You jumped when you felt a hand rest on your knee. “I need to ask you some questions.” Judy rubbed your knee for comfort. “Okay?”

You nodded, lifting your head from your hands. You wiped at your eyes, wiping away the tears before they could begin to fall. You cleared your throat, straightening your back as you prepared for her questions. You knew she had a job to do. You knew she had to ask you questions simply because you were Tara’s girlfriend and that automatically made you a suspect if anything happened. You decided to focus on helping in any way you could and would try not to be offended or defensive about the questions she may have.

“Where were you between 9pm and 10pm?” Judy asked. She leaned back in her chair, pulling out her notepad but never losing her warmth.

“Work,” you rasped out. “I got there at five and was there until I got to Tara’s.”

“Will others be able to confirm this?”

You nodded. “Yeah, in fact my boss yelled at me for talking to Tara. There were customers throughout the night and some that were there my entire shift.”

Judy nodded, writing everything down in her notepad. “You talked to Tara?” her pen froze mid whatever she was writing.

“Yeah.” You scrunched your eyebrows not sure how that was relevant. “She called.”

“What time was that?”

“We were just starting to get busy so…” you tried to think back to just a few hours ago. You hadn’t really looked at the time and now there were a lot more pressing matters on your mind. “Probably just before nine thirty.” Judy sucked in a breath before dropping her eyes back down to her notepad, quickly scribbling down the new information. “Why?”

“What did you talk about?”

You scrunched your eyebrows again. “She was bored, she wanted me to entertain her.” You smiled thinking back to your conversation, back to when everything was normal. “We discussed the future, and I said I would come over when I got off.”

“Nothing was off?”

“Of course not,” you frowned. “Why? What don’t I know?”

Judy cleared her throat, trying to hide any of the emotions she might be feeling. “It seems Tara was texting Amber.” You tilted your head, you might not have liked Amber, but they were best friends, it wasn’t surprising Tara would text her if you couldn’t come over. “Someone cloned Ambers number to make it seem like Tara was talking to her, but they were using it to distract her. At the same time Tara answered an unknown number on the landline.” You blinked a few times, trying to clear your mind, trying to figure out what Judy was saying. “Based on the timeline it was minutes after you got off the phone with her.”

“What?” you whispered, your heart shattering. When you had talked to Tara, she had been okay, she had been safe. Maybe if you had stayed on the phone with her nothing would have happened, maybe you could have helped.

“What are you saying?” you shot to your feet, beginning to pace back and forth. “You’re saying someone toyed with her? Someone planned this?” you gripped your head, trying to make it make sense. “Why would someone do that? Who would do that? Who would want to hurt Tara?” you looked to Judy for answers, tears already threatening to fall.

“Tara was still conscious when my deputies got there,” Judy said slowly, keeping her voice even. “As she was being loaded into the ambulance, she said the person who attacked her was wearing a Ghostface mask.”

Your face paled. You lived in Woodsboro, of course you knew the story of Ghostface. You believe you saw the first movie a long time ago, but they weren’t really your thing, you honestly only watched horror movies when Tara did, and she wasn’t into Stab. You had never read any of the books either, they didn’t appeal to you. You heard the basics of the attacks though; you remembered seeing the 2011 killings on the news, you had been in sixth grade, and it was pretty big gossip at the time.

Despite your lack of knowledge there were two things you knew about Ghostface, two things all of them had in common. The victims of Ghostface were always connected to whoever was Ghostface or connected to his true target. That’s where you were lost, Tara wasn’t connected to anyone from the previous killings. Tara wasn’t connected to Sidney Prescott in anyway and she wasn’t connected to any of the past killers. Tara was chosen as this Ghostface’s first victim though, there had to be a reason.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” you whispered, slumping back down in the chair.

“I’ve only ever been through this once,” Judy said, pocketing her notepad. “From my experience though, I can say that it rarely does. There’s no logic to people like this.”

Before anything else could be said you caught sight of a white lab coat out of the corner of your eye. You shot to your feet again, turning to face the doctor as he approached. Judy followed, standing behind you and giving a comforting rub to your back as you waited for what the doctor had to say.

“How is she?” Judy asked.

“She lost a lot of blood,” the doctor said. “She was stabbed seven times.” You brought a hand to your mouth, trying to hold back the sob. “Once through the hand.” Your tears finally fell. “She also has a broken leg.”

“Will she be, okay?” you managed to ask, trying to control your sobs.

“It’ll take some time. A lot of rehab. But she’ll live.”

You nodded, letting out a shaky breath. Tara was alive and that’s all that mattered. “Can I see her?”

“Are you family?”

You scoffed. “I’m her girlfriend.” You knew it was hospital policy or whatever, but you would lose it if he didn’t let you in to see Tara for yourself.

“I’m sorry, visiting hours are over and only family is allowed to stay the night.”

You opened your mouth to argue with the man but stopped when you felt Judy’s arm leave your back, she stepped forward, so she was almost between you and the doctor. “Her mother is out of town,” Judy said softly. “She’s the closest thing the girl has. Surely you can make an exception doc.” The doctor didn’t look convinced, he looked like he was about to deny Judy as well. “Look, doctor, I get it’s your policy,” she smiled brightly. “But if you don’t let her into that room, she will be sleeping in your waiting room and harassing the nurses until she can get in.”

The doctor narrowed his eyes at Judy, but she just smiled sweetly at him. The doctor glanced at you, and you could only shrug and nod your head. It was true, you wouldn’t leave the hospital and you wouldn’t sleep until you could see Tara, therefore you would spend time annoying the nurses who probably had better things to do than listening to you.

“Fine,” the doctor said begrudgingly. “I’ll show you to her room.”

“Thank you,” you whispered to Judy.

Judy smiled, giving a small nod in return. “I have a deputy on the way, they’ll be outside Tara’s room until this bastard is caught.” You nodded, knowing that the guy who attacked Tara was still out there and would most likely come back, most Ghostface’s didn’t like when their victims lived. “I know I probably don’t have to say this but, don’t leave town.”

“Don’t worry,” you said. “I don’t intend to leave Tara’s side.”

“I figured,” Judy smiled at you, before taking her a seat again. “I’ll be right here until the deputy arrives.”

You gave her one last nod before following the doctor to Tara’s room. You knew she was alive, and you knew of her injuries, but your leg bounced the entire elevator ride. The doctor didn’t say anything as he led you through the empty halls until he finally came to a stop. He gestured to the door, and you whispered a small thank you to him as you rested your hand on the handle. You took a deep breath before pushing down on the handle and entered the room, quietly closing the door behind you.

Your eyes instantly filled with tears again as you saw the state of Tara. She was asleep, lying in the hospital bed. Her right leg was in a large boot and her left hand was all wrapped up; she even had an oxygen tube in her nose. You slowly moved to her bedside, looking down at your girlfriend, noticing how small she looked in the hospital bed.

You rested a hand on top of her head, running your fingers through her hair as you bent down giving her forehead a kiss. “I’m sorry,” you whispered into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

You quickly wiped away your tears, making your way around to the other side of her bed. You took a seat, moving it closer to her bedside. You were on the side with her injured hand, meaning as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t hold it as you waited for her to wake up, but this side was the only side that gave you a full visual of the door. Tara already got attacked once when you weren’t with her, you wouldn’t let that happen again.

[rowdydevs]

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 - 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟔 𝐨𝐟 𝟔)

+18 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓸𝓻 𝓓𝓝𝓘

𝙾𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚘𝚋𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚛!𝚁𝚊𝚏𝚎 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

📖 𝙻𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚘 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 💕

🪄 Warnings contain spoilers: blood, cheating, swearing, name-calling, threats, soft!rafe, mentions of killing partner, kissing, general violence, guns, fighting, ownership kink, mention of drugs, stabbing, murder, major character trauma, pet names.

Reader’s POV:

You roll into the parking lot, unable to fight back your smile. The week was long, but the phone conversations with Rafe held you over just enough. The jail in Charleston wasn’t as lax as Kildare County. Understandably, Rafe did not want to push his limits, leaving the phone conversations shorter than you’d hoped they’d be. Until Rafe was out and everything was taken care of, he didn’t want you to leave the penthouse, which meant no face-to-face visits, leaving you craving him even.

Rafe ensured you were taken care of: additional security, groceries sent over, dinner brought by every night, fresh-cut flowers when he thought the old ones had wilted. Rafe had the G-Wagon scrubbed and triple-checked for any additional trackers placed or bugs planted.

He paid a hefty fee to have the cops delete a single recorded call between the two of you. Rafe wanted to know what happened the night he had gotten taken away by the officers. He wanted to know what Tony had said in the voicemail, and what happened between the restaurant and the penthouse. Everything was awful, but the voicemail conjured up the most fury. Rafe dissected each word, dragging Tony; your ex’s vile words just added fuel to the fire, like he needed any more. Rafe was very conscious with his words, careful not to incriminate himself further, emphasizing the importance of the business meeting, and that he was looking forward to it even more now.

Of course, given the situation, you couldn’t ask about Tony. His well-being wasn’t the concern, just curiosity. Where was he? Where did Barry take him? It’s been seven days… He must be well-hidden, or his boys would have found him by now. There’s no way he’s dead… Rafe would never allow Barry to take that pleasure away from him.

A conversation— it’s never a conversation with these men, even more satirical after watching how the first one unfolded. If Tony had been there, this would have been over. Maybe this is how it was supposed to happen. I’m sure Rafe has a few things he wants to say to Tony before he pulls the trigger. There are so many things I want to say to him. I wish I could have been strong enough to take the call at the bar. His words have done nothing but haunt me. But maybe I was meant to hear it too… Any fraction of guilt I had about my choices were eliminated in an instant.

The door of the jail fans open, just like it did the week before; Rafe all smiles once again. He bites his lip as he walks to you, taking you in like it's the very first time. Rafe shakes his head in awe as he looks down at you, clearing the space between as you do the same. You jump into his arms, hugging him tightly, burying yourself in his neck. He kisses wherever he can, mumbling against your soft skin about how you're the prettiest thing he's ever seen and feelings mutual. Seeing the beautiful man before you, paired with all the lovely things he did brings nothing but tears and emotion. “I love you, Rafe. I love you so much,” you snivel.

“Mmm…” He hums happily, taking his turn kissing up the column of your neck to your ear. “I love you, princess.”

You pull back and smile, eyes locked. His ocean eyes shimmer with happy tears as well. Rafe’s gaze falls to your lips, his focus like a magnet pulling you in. Your arms wrap loosely around his neck as he cradles you in his embrace. Rafe backs you against the car, deepening the exchange. Your tongue swirls with his, lips moving in perfect harmony. He smiles along your mouth, nuzzling his nose against yours. “Damn, I missed my girl.”

Rafe grips the steering wheel, the other hand resting on your bare thigh. His gold chain twinkles on his athletic chest, poking slightly out of his black fitted polo. It had taken everything in your power not to pull him into the back seat after watching him change out of the button-down he walked in with, still sprinkled with blood from the club. He looks at you with a smirk, catching you gawking, loving every second of your attention. “It’ll be a short meeting. Aight? Think you can wait?” He teases, making your cheeks warm up as you fight back a dizzy laugh.

“Honestly, I don’t think I can.” You take his hand in yours, lifting it, kissing his fingers one by one. “I still have to thank you, baby.”

Rafe releases a lusty laugh, relaxing in his leather seat a little more. “Trust me, princess. I have not forgotten. I've thought about it every night. But, a ‘thank you’ is not necessary… I love takin’ care of you, and I always will.” The car speeds past the town’s welcome sign, barreling toward the Atlantic.

“Where are we going?” You ask.

“You’re droppin’ me off at the beach house, baby. You can head over to Tanneyhill. I’ll meet you there when I’m done, and we can get out of here. How does that sound?” He smiles. You clear the lump in your throat, trying to focus on the question Rafe is asking, but your mind is fixated on the rest of his words. Rafe wants me to leave? “Baby?” he asks gently. 

“I’m dropping you off…” You question uneasily. “Don’t you want me to come with you? Don’t you need me close by?”

The muscles in Rafe’s arms flex as he tightens his hand around the steering wheel, shaking his head ‘no’ as he narrows his sights on the road. “I don’t want you to see this, princess,” he responds levelly, his eyes landing on yours.

“Couldn’t Barry take care of him?” You invite without thinking. Rafe’s brows knit tightly, a puzzled look pulling on his beautiful face.

“No… Why, baby?” He asks, trying his best to keep his compass on the road ahead.

“I don’t know,” you answer hastily. “I just don’t - I don’t know.” Your stomach sinks, uneasiness setting in. After everything that Tony has done and said, he’s better off dead, but thinking about him dying at the hands of Rafe mere minutes from now had your heart racing. I can't help but think about the fact that he bamboozled Rafe not once but twice. He would have walked into an ambush at the strip club without me there… He had no clue the drugs were planted in the Mercedes. “I don’t know!”

“What don’t you know, exactly?” He asks as he pulls up to the beach house, sailing into the driveway, pulling between a vintage BMW and the white van that Tony got taken away in. Rafe turns toward you, demanding your attention. “Are you having second thoughts about this?” He questions, his words dripping with accusation.

“No!” You gasp. “I - I just. I don’t know, Rafe. I’m just freaking out. Okay?” You whimper as tears start to cloud your vision, your anxiety about the situation making your mind muddled.

“Do you want him to live?” He asks. It’s hard to place his tone; Rafe at the junctions between perplexed and agitated, his frustration with you clear in his body language alone.

“Of course I don’t. I want this to be over with,” you blubber.

”So do I, princess. And we talked about this before. It’s not going to be me and you if he’s here. Do you want it to be me and you-”

”Yes!” You cry out before he can even finish his sentence.

“Don’t think about it then, Aight? Let me handle business. This is why I don’t want you in there. I don’t want this on your conscience. I want to handle this for you. And we will never talk about this again. Okay?” You nod in silent agreement, but he shakes his head ‘no’. “Words, baby.”

“Okay,” you whisper.

Rafe leans in, kissing you softly. You cup his cheeks in your hands, running your thumbs along the stubble that’s grown on his face since confinement. “I’m sorry for doubting you, Rafe, but things keep goin’ wrong. Tony keeps getting in the way. I don’t want him to hurt you. I don’t wanna lose you.”

He melts into your touch, looking at you with adoring eyes. “You’re not gonna lose me. And he’s not gonna hurt me. All right? He’s strapped to a chair. He has been for a week. This is just a matter of me lookin’ him in the eyes and letting him know that he will never get to hurt you again. Yeah?”

“Okay, baby,” you breathe as Rafe catches your tears with his thumbs.

“I love you, y/n. It’s all going to be okay.”

“Okay… I love you too, baby.”

“I know you do,” he whispers. “Once I close this door, I want you to drive. Understand?” He asks as he opens up the navigation on your phone, pulling up the address to his home in Figure Eight. “Remember what happened last time I told you to leave but you stayed an extra two minutes. You gotta listen to me,” he asserts.

“I’ll listen.”

“Promise?”

“I swear,” you whisper.

Rafe grabs the handle of the driver’s side door, pushing it open before walking around the front, helping you to your feet. His arm wraps around your waist, leading you to the other side. He hugs you tightly, pressing kisses on your forehead and cheeks before landing on your lips, kissing you one last time.

“Just a conversation,” you whisper.

“Nah,” he breathes. “Not this time. I love you, princess.”

“I love you too, Rafe.”

Your hand holds his as he steps away until your fingers lose contact. Rafe reaches behind his back just as he did the night you walked into the club, checking the pistol tucked into his waistband before falling out of sight. You step into the driver’s seat, wrapping your hands around the steering wheel, still warm from Rafe. You grab the shifter, putting it in reverse, fighting against the impulse to wait in the wings ‘til he handles business, just in case he needs to flee. This man gives and gives. He has barely asked me for anything in return. Just leave. You roll out of the drive, pressing down on the gas.

Rafe’s POV:

“Barry?” I bark, my voice bouncing off the walls of the beach house. Rap music swells from the basement, the dank smell of weed hazing the place. My aggravation starts to mount; a SOLO cup crushes under the heel of my dress boot, just one of many. Empty liquor bottles and beer cans litter the counter, takeout food strewn across the tables, thongs, stripper heels, and a few stray lines of coke left cut on the counter. “I’m gonna kill him,” I curse his name under my breath as I bound toward the basement door.

I tug it open, my heart plunging as I see a pool of blood gathered on the floor. Shit. I catch my gun, heart banging as I race down the flight. “Oh, fuck… No. Sh-Shit. Barry?” I stutter as I run toward him, his white tank top drenched crimson red. His dark eyes lift momentarily, falling heavy the next. I catch his shallow breathing, leaning in close as he tries to mumble out a few words, quelled in blood.

“Tony?” I ask, watching as he gives me the slightest nod. This blood is fresh. He’s here.

BANG.

I draw my gun again as the door at the top of the stairs bangs shut. Here we go… I sprint toward the wall, half-hidden, listening to his heavy steps as they move closer and closer.

“You hidin’ from me, Cameron?” Tony’s voice cuts through the hush. “That was an awful lotta coke. You come to pay up? Or, did you just come to take somethin’ else from me?” He booms as he steps out, footing right past me.

He looks like shit. His white button-down shirt tattered and bloodied on his large body; Tony’s donning the same worn-in beard as me after his week of imprisonment in the basement. The fucker got the shorter end of the stick apparently, beaten to the edge of death, Barry doing all but killing the bitch.

I check his hands, breathing a sigh of relief; no gun. I adjust my mine as I see a weapon, however, a large kitchen knife clutched in his massive hand. End this. I find his head in my crosshairs, aiming my pistol at his skull, gritting my teeth, battling with the rational part of my brain that’s tellin’ me to fire. The irrational part of my mind yearning to feed my pride and tell him everything I wanna say for her… Tony bends around, smiling with blood-stained teeth. Shit.

“You gonna shoot, Cameron? Or you gonna just stand there like a pussy,” Tony spits.

“We got some shit we need to talk about first. Hmm?”

“You wanna talk about my girl-“

“My girl,” I stop him as I step a little closer, making him shake his head in disbelief, snickering cruelly as he looks back at me.

“Yours? Your girl? Since when exactly. ‘Cause she never said shit to me. Do you honestly think that she loves you? Are you that fuckin’ stupid?” He asks as he rolls up his sleeves, preparing for a fight.

“I know she loves me,” I grunt as I square up with him.

“You think she’d leave me? It was our plan for you to die at the club. She knew it. I knew it. You were just supposed to walk in.”

”You’re lyin’,” I spit.

“Am I?” He smiles again— that same wicked and crazed smile; punch-drunk after a week of torture. “You know I’m not, Rafe.”

“You are. You think I’m gonna believe that line of shit. ‘Bout her lyin’ to me? About you beating the livin’ shit out of her to throw me off? You think I believe you you’d actually let me fuck-”

”ENOUGH!” He thunders, his loud, deep voice making my muscle tense up. “Don’t finish that FUCKING sentence. Because how hard you make this is how hard she's gonna get it after I KILL you. You understand?”

“You can't even let me finish the sentence, Marietta. You can’t even let the words leave my lips,” I chuckle. “Ya know, about fuckin’ “your” girl, on the couch of your club? That same couch you fucked some stripper on. You think I believe that you’d actually let that happen? She ain’t in on this, Tony. This is you losin’ her and settin’ me up.” He steps closer and so do I, the pair of us level-eyed.

“I’m not lyin’. That women would do anything for me. And, at the end of the day, even if I am lyin’, she’d only want you for your money, Cameron. I’m man enough to admit you got more than me— new money and old money in your pocket. She saw an opportunity and took it. She’s either in on this or in it for the cash.”

“She’s not after my money,” I mumble as I try to keep my emotions at bay. “She’s not in on shit.”

“‘Course she is… Your head is just too far up your ass to see what’s really goin’ on around you. N’let’s just say my baby isn’t in on this with me and she just after your money and she finds someone else with more, buddy, you’re fucked. ‘Cause if you get what you came here for and you kill me, everything in my name goes to her: all of the hard earned money that I made that she loves to spend, the club, the law firm, my cars, my jewelry, my homes. Everything that I have she takes from me. And she knows that. You gotta see what’s goin’ on here. Right?” He asks as he looks back at me like I'm stupid.

“You’re pathetic.”

“I’m pathetic?” He chuckles. “You know before your boys picked me up, I was on the way to fuck my girlfriend in that pretty little penthouse you bought her. She even sent me a few pictures in that pretty pink lingerie. You know, the one she was describin’ for you on the phone? Fuck, Rafe. You should see it on her. My princess doesn’t just talk a big game. She knows how to fuck,” he sneers as he catches me battling my emotions. “Why don’t you go look at my phone. Pretty sure it’s in his pocket. You can see for yourself.”

My stomach falls as I hear the door crack at the top of the stairs—one step then another, as the person at the top creeps down. No. No. Tony hears it as well, the man looking over my shoulder with a smile. “Guess who’s here, Cameron,” he whispers. “Princess?” Tony softens his tone with her, the sound of y/n’s slight feet stopping in a flash.

Was this her plan all along?

I scrunch my nose; eyes burning with tears of deceit and rage. There’s no way the story he’s spinning is true. If he kills me, and he’s lying, what will happen to her? I can’t take that risk.

I shove him hard, making him stumble back, kicking him with the heel of my dress shoe square in the chest before he can rise back up to his feet, sending him and the knife to the ground. I hear her soft gasp; her feet quickly clearing the rest of the steps. “Don’t move, y/n,” I bark back at her.

“Rafe?” She whimpers, making me look over my shoulder. The second I do the air flees my lungs, Tony’s big body tackling me to the floor. My skull ricochetes off the hardwood floor; eyes slamming shut in pain, losing my gun in the process. I overpower him, rolling him to his back, grabbing his shoulders I lift him slightly, bashing his head against the ground again and again making him scream out in pain.

He scratches and claws at my face and shirt as I wrap my hands around his throat, squeezing with all my might. "Not so easy to fight a man. Huh?" I hiss.

"F-Fuck you," he stammers as he throws a rough punch, meeting my jaw. I respond with four of my own. The connections, direct and brutal, the dried blood on his face replaced with fresh blood as his body starts to go limp.

Finally.

I stare down at him, lifeless, one with the floor, his breathing almost nonexistent. I draw my hand back, slapping him across the face, his head snapping to the side; body unresponsive to the pain. I drag myself to my feet, stumbling across the living room for my gun. An execution. This ends right here. Right now.

My chin trembles with adrenaline and emotion as I try to get his words out of my head. There’s no way she was in on this all along. Everything she shared with me, the things she said to me, the things we did… That was real. She's here ‘cause she was worried. She's here ‘cause her intuition was right. She's here for me.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. My heart sinks, the rapid bounding of Tony’s feet stopped almost as soon as it start. It’s quiet, wet gurgling and a soft whimpers are all that remains. I turn around, facing Tony but his eyes aren’t on me. He looks down at his chest, the bloodied tip of carboned steel poking out from his chest. He falls to his knees before me, y/n standing behind him in shock, watching as he tumbles face-first on the floor.

She looks up at me, eyes filled to the brim with tears. I run to her, pulling her into my arms, holding her body close as she clings to me for dear life.

I haven't let her go since. It wouldn't feel right. I hold her, watching as the sun sets in the east; a blood-red sky, painted across the Atlantic. The last sliver of the golden sun dips below the horizon. I kiss her gently on her cheek, down the soft flesh on her neck to the dip on her shoulder before resting my chin on top. “Are you okay, baby,” she whispers. I rest my hands on the top of hers, pressing my chest against her back as we both look over the edge of the yatch, watching the black water swell below.

“M’perfect, princess,” I whisper as I nuzzle into her neck. “Are you okay.”

“I am,” she whispers, “because of you. Thank you...”

“Thank you,” I mumble as she melts into me. “I needed you. I can't believe you did that for me.”

“I’d do anything for you,” she whispers as she turns, resting her hands against my chest, looking up at me with pleading eyes. “I know him. I know Tony probably filled your head with lies but I promise, none of it’s true.”

“I know,” I assure as I cup her cheeks in my hands, guiding her soft lips to mine. “This is almost over and from here on out it’s just you and I.”

“You and I,” she echoes. I kiss her forehead and her lips before pulling away.

“Stay here. M’serious.” She nods submissively, falling back as I move foward. I shuffle across the main deck, grabbing the rail, walking down the small flight of stairs to the carport before raising the hatch. I reach behind my back, pulling out my 9mm, opening the trunk.

There he lies, Tony Marietta. I smile as he lifts his eyes, matching mine; the bloodied knife already laying by his side. I take the gun, pressing it against his temple, tilting my head slightly to keep his eyes on me. “M’so glad you’re alive for this… I could make this fast,” I whisper. “But after all the shit you did, I’m gonna have you dyin’ nice and slow. Too bad I don't get to watch.” He goes to speak but all that comes out is a thick trail of blood. “I know what you're gonna say… Don’t worry. I’m gonna do what you couldn’t. I’m gonna take care of her. And that's a promise.” I toss my gun inside before slamming the trunk.

Moving to the front I step inside, firing up the engine before shifting it into neutral. I give the vintage ride a little push, the pull of the yacht sending the tires rolling. I follow the car as it plunges into the deep, dark waters, the depth snuffing out the headlights ‘til all that’s left is blackness.

Goodbye, Tony.

Epilogue

One year later…

Reader’s POV:

You roll up to Tanneyhill, flooding the big driveway with light after a late night shift at the Country Club. It’s mine now and business is booming; a new staff with increased security. Rafe took it upon himself to turn it from the dive it once was to a luxury experience, all for me. Of course I clean his money, the perfect front. Anything for my man. Stepping out of the car you make your way up the cobblestone walk to the front door, passing the bay window, watching as Rafe shuffles by in a black button down, resting two plates of food down on the table.

“Knock. Knock,” you sing as you open the door with a smile, matching Rafe’s beautiful blue eyes making him return the same.

“Babygirl,” he croons as he walks closer, helping you out of your jacket before, swathing his strong arms around you waist, looking down at you lovingly.

“Welcome home. Happy Anniversary,” you coo as you rise on your tippy toes, pressing a kiss on his lips. “I didn’t think you’d be home ‘til next week.”

He smiles against your lips, recalling his initial plan, the pair of you knowing there was no way he was gonna miss this day, even if it meant flying home from Morocco for one night only. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, you know that, princess,” he mumbles against your mouth between kisses. “I got your favorite.”

Rafe takes your hand, leading you to the dining room, pulling out your chair, directing you to sit. You look across the table seeing all of your favorite things; the meal, the flowers, wine. Little candles glint in the middle of the table, adding to the ambiance as he runs you a glass of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, the first bottle of wine you shared on your very first night together.

"You look stunning," Rafe praises, lifting his glass to his lips, sipping slowly as his eyes drink you in.

"And you look very handsome, Rafe Cameron," you hum, resting your hand on the thigh of his Armani suit.

"You know baby, you’ve been working too hard. Are you free this week?” He asks, knowing the answer is ‘no’, but that’s not the reply he’ll get. If he’s asking you to go somewhere he’s already worked everything out for you.

"I’m always free for you, baby."

"Mhmm… Barry and his girl are gonna watch the club so you can come to Morocco with me. How does that sound?”

“So nice… You’re so good to me,” you sigh blissfully as you grab him by the collar of his jacket, pulling him to your lips. “Fuck, I love you.”

"Mmm… Yeah? Wanna sit on my lap and tell me how much you love me? We can see what happens next,” he chuckles warmly.

“Don’t tempt me, baby. You know I have no problem taking you right here,” you smile, the blonde smirking as he recalls what happened the morning before he left.

“You are so good to me,” he corrects you. "Y/n, I'm so happy you're mine. I hope you feel that.”

"I'm so happy I'm yours," you smile, spreading a little wider. “Of course, I feel that.”

"You deserve to have the very best, sweetheart. You deserve to be happy, and safe, and loved.” He leans in closer to you, his eyes meeting yours.

"I do… You’re perfect, Rafe.”

“I’m not, princess. But I wanna be for you,” he whispers, swallowing thickly. Your brows rumple as his mood shifts from flirty and light-hearted to serious. His eyes always look bluer when he’s on the verge of tears, yet, his smile contradicts it all. "I got you something."

"Yeah?"

“Mhmm,” he hums and nods as he reaches into his suit jacket pocket, pulling out a blue box.

"Oh my gosh! Rafe Cameron,” you gasp. “It's too much.”

"It's not, princess," he smiles softly. You reach for the box, but he keeps it in his hand, using the other to brush the tears out of his eyes.

"Rafe... Are you okay?" You whisper as you cup his cheek in your hand. He shuts his eyes, relishing in your touch, leaning into you slightly. He takes a few deep breaths before opening his eyes again.

"I’m perfect, baby.” He whispers weakly. "Umm... I'm not sure how I'm this in love with you, baby. But I am. And, at this point, I genuinely can't remember a time when I wasn't. Every night since I saw you I fall asleep with you on my mind, and I wonder if you're doing the same. I can't even comprehend losing you, or someone hurting you. I’ve said this once and I’ll say it a million times I don’t trust anyone to protect you but me and that includes your heart too. It's you, princess. It's fucking you. I can't describe it any more than that. You are the only person I want and will ever want. You make me feel safe. You make me feel loved. And since I've met you, sweetheart, you've always been that person. My girl. I can't love anyone else. And, I don't want to. So, with that being said. Y/n, will you marry me?" Rafe moves from the chair, dropping down to one knee, pulling open the box, the Tiffany engagement ring, resting in the center.

Your eyes widen, hand covering your bright, ecstatic smile. "Yes!" You squeal in delight, making Rafe let out a happy chuckle as he glides the jewelry on your finger.

"Yes?"

"Yes! Yes, Rafe! Oh my gosh. I thought it was a necklace," you gasp as you eye the ring on your finger.

"I figured, when you tried to take it from me. I got nervous," he laughs warmly, guiding you to his lips. You smile against his kiss, Rafe doing the same.

"I love you, Princess."

"I love you too, Rafe Cameron.”

[melodyanqel]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 ── ★ h.jh. (003. the encounter)

love at first sight happens between the police officer and a bright, innocent woman. they shared a deep connection that meant they needed each other more than anything, even when they experienced the same nightmare.

⤷ pairing: hwang jun-ho x fem!oc

⤷ genre/tags: fluff, angst, thriller, psychological drama, established relationship, team bonding, financial issues, games, action, betrayal, foreigner!soft!oc, protective!junho

⤷ warnings: slapping

⤷ wc: 3.5k words

⤷ note: even tho i'm always having fun writing these chapters, this one was exciting and i'm glad that i finally reached the canon events. i hope you all enjoy!

⤷ melodyanqel taglist: @hwallazia @rubyredish @analysisiinternet @ilovebtsomgie @aylinbsx @jsprien213

It’s bittersweet to leave each other because Jun-ho has to deal with reckless drivers and motorcyclists but anything to put food in the fridge and have more time to do sailing. Thanks to Captain Park for rescuing and helping him, Jun-ho has someone to trust. 

Again, he not once told his mother and Lily about it. 

Jun-ho feels guilt has weighed more on his shoulders as he keeps lying. But he has no other choice because he wants to protect them. Preventing the secret from slipping out has been torturing Jun-ho for a long time. However, Captain Park is willing to look for the island and he can’t thank him enough. 

The first thing Jun-ho does when arriving at the station is politely greet his chief, and coworkers, and put on his vest and hat in the locker room—like a typical day at work. He is also training a new officer about road safety. They got along very well from the first day. Of course, the rookie, Min Han-gyul, was nervous because Jun-ho has so many years of experience as a cop. But Jun-ho is a considerate and patient man who will have Han-gyul upgrade his position as an officer. 

Soon enough, he shuts the locker and leaves the changing room. Jun-ho goes to the front desk to spot Han-gyul standing by the door and ready for business. The young man in his early twenties sees his superior and greets him. “Oh, hyung, good morning!” He gives a respectful bow. Jun-ho didn’t mind Han-gyul calling him hyung because he is younger than him and they’ve grown a friendship. It also feels nice not being the youngest for once. 

Jun-ho draws a small smile. “Good morning. Ready to go?” He asked the rookie. Like any optimistic youngster, Han-gyul responds pridefully, “Yes, I’ll be learning as you train.” 

He receives a chuckle from Jun-ho. The older one says, “Great because we don’t want the chief to yell at us.” As if he hadn’t before. The chief does want him in the Criminal Division again. However, he insisted being a traffic officer is flexible for his search and less trouble. Jun-ho has his ways and he hopes to succeed. 

Meanwhile, Lily arrives in the streets of Gangnam District. The area is known for the best shops, entertainment, and filming movies and dramas. Lily isn’t sure what So-eun is planning, but she is excited. She does love it whenever her friends show her new places because she is still new to South Korea. Lily has mainly spent more time in Seoul and hasn’t gone to other cities like Busan, Daegu, Incheon, and many more she wants to visit. Maybe when Jun-ho and her get married, they’ll travel together, which she hopes to do. 

In front of the Coex Mall, Lily looks for So-eun, but it’s a bit difficult because so many people are passing by. After trying to get through, she notices a tall, stunning Korean woman standing outside in an emerald green dress. Lily calls out So-eun. Surprisingly, her soft voice is loud enough for So-eun to hear. 

The woman beams when she sees Lily and starts dashing. “Wow! You look cute today! Well, you’re always cute.” So-eun compliments the latter’s appearance. Lily plays a merry smile, “You look great too!” She wraps her arms around So-eun’s waist. The taller woman hugs back, “Appreciated. Let’s go somewhere less busy because I can’t stand it.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. Lily giggles and looks up, “I agree.” She detached herself from her friend. 

Abruptly, So-eun’s eyes widened. “Oh! I bought your favorite.” She starts digging through her purse to take out two brown-colored candies with two different shapes—a star and a heart. Then a gasp escaped from Lily’s lips. “Dalgona! Thank you! I’ll take the heart one.” She happily grabs the candy. So-eun responds with a big smile. “You’re welcome. Now, let’s go before I lose my shit.” Her smile drops and she takes Lily’s free hand to drag her out of the crowded place. 

Once walking into a much quieter atmosphere, the two can talk freely while eating their Dalgona. They reached a park with a green landscape and fewer people around. So-eun tells Lily about a memory. “My appa once told me that he used to play a game with his friends where they tried taking the shapes out of the Dalgonas.” She gets a silent and baffled reaction from the American. 

So-eun chuckles because Lily’s facial expressions are enough to understand without words. “Is that even possible?” Lily is intrigued to know. So-eun shrugs, “I guess. Maybe by licking the candy.” She assumed. Dalgona is sugar and can break easily like glass. 

Lily hums, “I never knew it was a game. Speaking of it, Jun-ho and his omma showed me games they’d played during childhood. Do you know how to play Gonggi?” She asked So-eun a very popular Korean game. The other woman nodded. “Yes, I do. My omma taught me and I suck at it.” She lets out a hearty laugh. “It’s geared towards a female demographic and many girls and women would play it to win something. Have you played it?” She wonders. Lily is a foreigner who is still getting introduced to Korean activities. 

“One time and gave up because Jun-ho’s omma is a master at it,” Lily answered bluntly. So-eun giggles in delight because both elderly women are good at classic games and have an inner child. “Never underestimate the pros or your ass will lose.” So-eun gives a definite statement. Lily delivers a playful response, “I’m always going to be a loser.” She says it with humor and honesty. 

With a shake of the head, So-eun disagrees with her answer. “No, you’re not. I’m sure you’re good at some games. It’s just that Korean games make you think so damn hard that you’ll go insane. And I’m not kidding. My siblings are so competitive that it does get violent.” She expresses her opinions and Lily is enjoying it. The petite beauty knows what it’s like to lose and sometimes win against a family with ambition. But at the end of the day, it’s for fun and bonding with your loved ones. 

Lily says, “My little nephew is close to the age where he’ll get too greedy and think it’s alright.” Her sister sends messages about times when the little one wouldn’t want to share anything. 

So-eun’s heart melts. “Aw, how cute! He’ll learn because he has to go through all the stages.” She has been an elementary teacher for five years and can understand why selflessness must be taught to children. 

Promptly, Lily looks at her left hand and can’t believe So-eun hasn’t noticed it yet. She does something to get her to see the shiny item. She licks on her Dalgona. 

“Oh! It works!” Lily yells. So-eun turns her head to her friend and sees the sugar melting. “Huh. I guess that’s how my appa wins.” She stands corrected by her assumption. But she starts to notice something. So-eun thought her eyes were playing tricks when she spotted the ring. It took her a second to process in her brain.

So-eun screams so loud that even the dead can hear her. Lily stops licking the Dalgona and her left hands get snatched. So-eun eyes the ring. “When did this happen?!” She questions in total shock. It’s a good thing no one is around them, but So-eun wouldn’t care.

Lily simply says, “Last night during Jun-ho’s birthday.” As soon as she announced her engagement, So-eun burst into tears. “Oh my god! Congratulations!” Bringing Lily into a humongous hug without breaking the Dalgona in their hands. 

The smaller woman is smiling with so much joy and gives a promise to So-eun. “Thank you so much. I’ll let you know when the wedding will happen.” 

It becomes early afternoon and the shift has been laidback. Jun-ho and Han-gyul are driving on the highways of Seoul with the windows down, gravitating toward the fresh air. They’ve encountered people who do drive above the speed limit and motorcyclists who would not wear helmets. There was a time when he gave a man a ticket for not wearing a helmet. His supposed girlfriend tried to excuse them because she was wearing safety but it didn’t help when she wooed her way with Jun-ho. The man rode away and left her behind. The woman chased after him and threw the helmet. 

Honestly, it made Jun-ho laugh. There are bizarre people in the world. 

“Hyung. Is it alright with you if I ask about your life as a detective?” Han-gyul questions Jun-ho. The older cop is driving while the younger is watching the cars drive on the roads. He sometimes wonders if it’s too much of a sensitive topic for his trainer. But Jun-ho insisted on going along with his curiosity. “Sure. What do you want to know?” He lets Han-gyul expound his words. 

“Is it more dangerous and worth being one?” The rookie asked. 

Jun-ho sighs, trying to think of an answer. Well, Han-gyul is not prepared for the extreme work of a detective. He does have a lot to learn because it's a demanding job requiring strong analytical skills, keen observation, and the ability to navigate intricate details to solve mysteries. 

The eldest explains to his student. “I’m sure you’ve acknowledged in the police academy that investigative work is not for the faint of heart and you’ll be talking to immoral people. Is it more dangerous? Absolutely. When I first started my detective days, you would’ve expected me to be numb or used to meeting psychopaths and criminals. It was difficult. I had to get into their head so they could bring out answers. And sadly, cases can’t be solved sometimes. Is it worth being one? That depends on you. There are no right or wrong answers. But overall, the goal is to bring justice for the victims."

Jun-ho discloses his response and Han-gyul stares at him with fascination. “Wow, you’re so cool hyung.” He compliments his mentor who chuckles amusingly. Han-gyul turns his head to look at the road up ahead. He speaks sincerely, “I guess it’s all about you. I do believe we can obtain protection for humanity but it does suck when cruelty is part of life. However, I’ll continue to achieve my goal.” His pure and selfless mindset is something Jun-ho adores. 

“Never change yourself, Han-gyul.” The former detective affirmed. 

ִ ࣪𖤐.ᐟ

The two ladies have their arms linked and are having a lovely time in Gangnam District. 

As a kind friend, So-eun allowed Lily to take her wherever she wanted. Usually, she would plan their dates, but instead, So-eun let Lily find places that sparked her interests. There’s a cute stationery shop in a secluded area that has her excited. So-eun too because she loves stickers and journaling. 

“Oh, I forgot to mention. I had a strange encounter at the subway station.” Lily spoke while looking at the frames. The word “strange” made So-eun a bit concerned. “What happened at the subway station?” She asked if her friend was fine and safe. Lily responded, “I saw two guys asking people something and they had Ddakji tiles. I don’t know why but I tried ignoring them.” She has heard the subway station to be a bizarre place like being crowded and impatient people, but playing a game is beyond her expectations. 

So-eun says, “They’re probably high or scamming people and unfortunately it’s common in this country to lure them because we aren’t self-aware enough.” She had read the stories about people’s businesses going bankrupt because they trusted fraudulants. Whenever the topic of money gets brought up it becomes a sin. No one wants to look like they threw their life away, but sometimes it’s their doing. 

Lily lets out a breath. “It could be. Scams are common in America too but mostly are on high alert. Well, I’m glad my day didn’t get ruined.” She switches the tone of the conversation. So-eun stops looking at the items and turns to face Lily. “You know what I would do if they came to me.” She wouldn’t hesitate to beat down the low lives if they tried invading her bank account. 

Her statement has Lily laughing but it’s true. Never let anything bad happen with your money. It then leads to the topic of self-dense. So-eun tells Lily, “Jun-ho should teach me how to fight. I mean, I do know how to punch and kick but not like a badass.” Her cop of her friend can effortlessly fight and it’s insane. With one hit you’re done. 

“He can! He is still teaching me. But it’s unfair how he has more advantages because I am small.” Lily pouts because she’ll look like a rat to her fiance, friends, and sister. So-eun gives a back hug and coos. “Aw, that’s your charm though! Jun-ho told me it melts his heart whenever you try to reach his shoulders.” Indeed, he would admit some things to So-eun without Lily knowing. 

“Who knew he could be a soft teddy bear? My teddy bear.” The petite woman giggles joyously because she’ll now call Jun-ho that. So-eun adds, “You did claim him." She unintentionally has Lily going shy because she is correct in every way. It’s unusual but Lily likes the sound of it. 

She and So-eun then left the shop because it was getting late. Lily bought a small oval-shaped frame to put a picture of Jun-ho from his birthday. His gorgeous smile will add more beauty to her desk. 

At the police station, Jun-ho and Han-gyul are getting ready to clock out. Today was a success without any issues. Han-gyul was also informed about his trainer’s engagement. He congratulated Jun-ho and was super happy for him. 

The young one even got invited to the wedding without an invitation because they created a bond, and Jun-ho would love to see people he is close with celebrating his big day. He imagines himself in a refined suit, a bright, dreamy venue, and he watches the love of his life walk down the aisle in her pure white dress, resembling an angel sent from heaven. 

Jun-ho is looking forward to that day. 

Han-gyul is done packing up his belongings while his superior is still doing his. “Thank you for today, hyung. Can you send my best wishes to Lily noona?” He wants to give her luck, peace, love, and all the great things in the world. Jun-ho draws a grin, “Sure. I’ll let her know.” He’ll mentally remind himself. Han-gyul bids goodbye and exits the locker room. 

After he left, Jun-ho put the last things in his backpack and closed his locker. Then his phone rings. He checks it to see Lily’s message. She told him her girls’ day with So-eun was done and she’ll see him back at the apartment. Jun-ho texts her back that he is on his way. The feeling of returning home is a relief that can heal his corrupted heart. Whether it’s his mother or Lily, he is grateful they’re waiting for him. 

ִ ࣪𖤐.ᐟ

The subway station is quiet with fewer people. 

Lily sits on an empty bench and patiently waits for the next subway. During work days, her legs would be aching from standing and moving to places. Well, that is what hard work is like. Before her job as a teacher, she was a barista with minimum wage. Not to mention, Lily’s old routine was school first, then work, and getting home late. It even made her guilty about not spending time with Jun-ho. 

Despite that, he didn’t mind it at all. He continued to support his love because she was a hard worker. Lily sent Jun-ho a message about going home and put her phone back in her purse.

“Hey, miss. Can I ask you something?”

Suddenly, a male voice speaks to her. Lily looks to the right and notices a man, more like a very handsome man, in formal attire and a briefcase sitting on her right. She fixes her composure and speaks cordially. “Sure. What do you need help with?” Lily asked the man. A chuckle escapes from his lip. The man shakes his head. “No, I’m fine. I want to know if you need my help.” He switches the offer onto her. 

“What kind of help, mister?” She looks at him puzzled. The man reads Lily like an open book and it’s no surprise for him to get skeptical responses from people. 

“Would you like to play a game with me?” He takes out blue and red folded papers from his blazer. Ddakji. The man wants to play Ddakji with her. 

Lily hesitates for a second because that caught her off guard. She thought she wouldn’t be encountering more strangers with Ddakji, but it seems like it’ll be a new thing in subway stations. Her heart tells her not to do it for obvious reasons, and her head tells her yes so he can walk off and leave her alone. 

So, she went with, “Alright.” 

The salesman’s dark eyes spark with excitement. “Perfect! Then play three rounds with me,” he offered with a cheerful smile. “For every round you win, I’ll pay you 100,000 won.” He gives a straightforward instruction. “I’m sorry?” Lily wants to know if she is hearing it correctly. He lets out a small laugh at her shocked face. “You may think I'm scamming, but no. I’ll pay you real 100,000 won.” He clarified her bewilderment.

Lily inquires about the penalty. “What if I lose?” She knows she is entering a dangerous territory. 

The stranger adds, “You must pay back the same amount.” 

He sees her taking a deep breath. She could feel the pressure weighing on her shoulders. “Yes, or no?” The salesman pressed on, almost impatient. His happy smile also dropped. 

With a direct response, “Okay, I’ll play the game.” Lily knows this is foolish. The grown man’s smile returns to his face. “Excellent.” He, on the other hand, is super thrilled. “Which color do you want?” he asked, raising the two tiles. “Blue,” Lily answered.

The salesman handed her the blue tile before placing his red one on the ground. “Ladies first.” He takes a step back.

Lily knows playing Ddakji is difficult but will do her best to beat her opponent. She uses her entire strength and slams the tile as hard as possible onto the red paper. It flips over. As the game went on, Lily won the first two rounds in one go, which was astounding because she had never won in games. But her arm was starting to ache. The man detected her exhaustion and might have the advantage. In the third round, Lily throws down the paper, and it misses. 

Her opponent speaks, “My turn.” He then tossed his red tile with a strong hit and it flipped the blue one. “Looks like you owe me 100,000 won.” He stated nonchalantly. The young woman looks inside her wallet from her purse and realizes she is short on cash. “I don’t have a lot. I’m sorry.” Lily apologizes and hopes there is another way. 

“It’s all good,” The salesman said. However, it didn’t stop there. “You can just pay with your body.” Her opponent watches her pretty brown eyes widen owlishly. “Excuse me?” She questions in shock. What did he mean by that?

Smack!

Lily’s head whipped violently to the side. Her cheek is stinging as she turns her neck to face him. He is unfazed and that smile is still on his lips, as if he has no care or remorse. In other words, physical abuse and not paying with actual money. “Want to play again? If you’re willing to win this last round.” The guy taunts her a little. Lily is starting to feel aggravated by him. She knows his mockery will make her look weak. She musters the courage to say, “I’ll do it.”

Slap after slap after slap, Lily wasn’t giving up, but her face was beginning to swell. 

Then came the moment when she used her remaining energy for this hit. Lily witnesses her world slowing down when the red paper flips over. She hollers an ecstatic scream for her victory. She didn’t care about the people’s judging faces. 

The salesman slowly claps his hands with a calm smile on his handsome face. Lily stops cheering to relieve the tension in her chest. Unexpectedly, her opponent becomes gentle by taking her hand and gives the money.

“Congratulations, miss.” He spoke in a soft voice. He lets go of her hand and Lily sheepishly bows to him with a quiet appreciation.

The sound of a subway has arrived.

Before leaving, he responded, “If you’re interested, you can play games to win loads of money. You have until October 31st or Halloween to decide.” The man grabbed something from the inside of his blazer, a cardboard paper card with shapes on it; circle, square, and triangle. 

Lily kindly takes the card because she has had enough of this man. “I’ll see,” She said in short. The man gives her a pleasant grin and a nod. She scurries to her transportation and stands by the siding doors. Lily moves herself around to face the salesman one last time. “Give me a call,” He says, raising a fist for good luck. As the doors close, Lily watches him wave his hand goodbye. 

She will not tell Jun-ho about this incident. 

series masterlist | four

[goliath-de-senfina-sango]

Mythic Phantom

This is a little something I whipped up over a while thinking about merging the DP and Riordanverse universes together, and I thank @geraldmariaivo for helping me think my way through it. If you want the ao3 version you can find it here, and I hope you enjoy the fic!

Most Underworld Gods felt it when Vlad’s current permanent Portal opened, but they all Felt it when Danny’s accident happened. A child’s death throes is hard to ignore after all. Pantheons world wide decided that was America’s problem, and Hel decided it was Persephone’s problem, and Haides felt it would close on its own. No gate to Khaos can stay open for long after all.

When Ember went globally live, Muses and Music Gods and Hypnos heard the way she sang, called out to the mortals to never be forgotten. Danny and Tucker dealt with her swiftly enough that she was remembered, noted even, but disregarded.

When the Fright Knight’s sword was drawn, many Fear Gods turned toward Amity, but Danny dealt with it swiftly. Most regarded it as an anomaly but Phobos and Deimos sent subordinate spirits to investigate the town and report anything interesting.

Hades and Persephone noted the invasion of Ghost Cops and saw that Danny had it handled in only a few days, which they would count as a quest fulfilled. Clearly, Amity Park was a contained issue, and the Master Bolt had gone missing by now so they have other things to deal with. The House of Life have some reservations but agree.

Then Pariah Dark got out, and the Gods scrambled to do something about that. In only a week however, He was dealt with too.  A closer eye was warranted. By everyone, not just the Observants.

Whoever these agents were, be they half-bloods or spirits or even minor gods, most wouldn’t see Young Blood and thus would fear Danny was losing it too. When he calmed down, they’d sigh in relief. The two future Ghost Villains who show up outside of the do-over would raise alarms at how fast ghosts can progress, but hey, it’s handled.

When the Hellenic spies are pulled back home for safety during the winter solstice, pleasantly surprised by Ghost activity dying down at the same time, Artemis and Luna, Khonshu and more felt something wrong happening as the Ghostwriter possessed the moon to speak.

When Duul Amon returned to the land of the living, the House of Life sent agents to the town, and Tucker Foley was immediately offered magic lessons. His is power over stone and steel, glass and gems, as well as an ear for the voices of machines. Between terrakinesis and technopathy, Tucker’s limits with his staff became only what he understood about technology.

Then entire copies of the Ghost Boy (Prince? King?) appear, attacking him, manipulating him for the elder, but he lets her go free after he’s rescued? Truly fascinating. Psychopomps keep an eye on Elle wherever she goes - she’s always very close to melting after all. The titan army also keep an eye on her, a powerful being both like and unlike the Gods, much the same as a Titan, Giant, or Monster.

Then the Reality Gauntlet is found by a mortal man, a rogue Magician, while the boy is busy trying to stop it and save the world, Lydia is keeping House of Life magicians and even Odin’s Ravens from finding Freakshow, so some Camp Jupiter heroes are being sent on a quest to deal with him. Then he gets the fucking gems and turns the world into a circus for 10 minutes.

Before the Boy tricks him, takes the Gauntlet, resets the world to before his identity was revealed to the world, (though perhaps not quite fooling the memories of Gods, who Are the world) and destroying the Gauntlet and gems in a single blast.

An artifact presumed by the Ghost Investigation Ward to be powerful enough to destroy the Infinite Realms, reduced to molten ash by one burst of power.

What to do about the young Phantom is a matter of discussion during the solstice meeting on Olympus.  Hades is sent to investigate the boy and finds that he is a godling of Kaos Themself, which sparks yet further debate on what to do when Artemis goes missing.

But then the Son of Hades stumbled upon Elmerton and witnessed a duel between Gods firsthand.

Danny Phantom faced off against Vortex, the ghost of all weather and sky and storm gods who had faded over the millennia, all on his own.  Even in defeat, Danny stole half of Vortex’s power, and less than a week later, he defeated the calamity that even two pantheons worth of gods could not.

The Titans would be horrible for humanity as a whole, and the Olympians were bad for half bloods as well.  Danny Phantom, however, could be just what most half bloods were after.  He needed training in mortal form, clearly, but that could be an angle for Nico to use.

[marrrrss]

Hank Voight x reader. A child had come to her and was begging to be saved. She didn't know what to do and contacted Hank. While the team investigates, she and the child bond. Unknowingly, the assailant had eyes on them and kidnapped both of them. Leaving Hank race against time to save them. You decide how it ended. Tag me later! Thanks!!! :))

Against the clock (Pt.1)

Bf! Hank Voight x Gf! Reader x kid

Hell a lot of angst but fluff end

Summary: request

TW : kidnapping, guns, swearing

Words count: 1 735 words

Writer's note: omg anonymous, this is so good!!!!! If you want me to tag your account on the post text me on dm's :))

Took me days to write it 🫣Enjoy!

(gift's not mine)

A cop and a nurse, maybe cliché but You and Hank have been dating for over 3 years. Before the second year mark you had moved in with him and with it came helping kids from Hank cases that had nowhere to go.

You had a day off and as Hank would be the whole day at the station you went to have breakfast with your sister Anna and her husband Parker.

"Plans for tonight?" Anna asks you as the 3 of you leave the diner after having breakfast.

"Take out, beers, and a movie when Hank comes back home," y/n says sipping her coffee.

"pray that he'll be home on time," Parker says with a chuckle

"Watch it Parker. Keep it on and I won't go to your work promotion" you say giving him a smack on the arm and a look that makes him put his hands up in surrender "alright alright I'll stop it"

"You'll never learn babe. Hey, see you later y/n and don't drink too much" Anna says as she hugs you goodbye.

"See you later and I'm not 15"

"Never too late to care about my sister," Anna says as y'all break the hug.

As Anna and Parker leave for their car to go to work, and you wave goodbye you decide to take a walk around the city because you really don't have anything to do (and cleaning the house ain't on the plans at all).

Walking around a park that was quite empty because of work hours, you see in the distance a kid running in your direction. As the kid comes close you notice the dirty clothes and crying and panicked face.

Before you can react the kid is in front of you "I- I- need help. Please help me" he says with a cracking voice hugging your leg.

The kid couldn't be more than 5 years old, he was begging "Please help me"

"Hey, its ok. What's your name?" y/n says kneeling down to be on eye level with the kid rubbing his arm.

"I- I'm Liam..." The kid, Liam, answers cleaning his tearful eyes.

"Alright, I'm Y/n. Are you hurt? Can you tell me what happened?" your eyes are all over the kid seeing if you can spot any injury on Liam

Instead of an answer you receive a hug from the kid. He was seeking comfort desperatly.

You had no idea what was going on or what happened. At least you didn't notice the kid being hurt. As you hug the kid back you call Hank knowing he would help with this weird, freaking, and confusing situation.

"Hey, what's up honey? Everything ok?" it didn't take too long to hear Voight's voice through the phone.

"busy?" "Not really what's up?"

"I- uhm" you take a pause to try to form a phrase with some sense. "Alright I left the coffee shop with Ana and Parker and I went to the park nearby and I saw this kid scared and panicking. He doesn't seem hurt but is panicked. He just told me he needs help, can you uhm... come around an-"

"I'm on my way. Dont move or leave the kid" Voight says over the phone getting up leaving his office and signaling Adam to follow him leaving the rest of the team asking what's going on.

"Thanks. This does feel right Hank. Something is going on" you say rubbing Liam's back, which he keeps sobbing and whispering asking for help.

"I'm on my way with Adam, don't move. I'll be there in 10, ok?" Hank was already in the car on the driver's seat as Adam was on the passager seat.

As Hank hangs up the call and starts driving Adam turns to him "what's going on?"

"y/n found a kid scared and fuckin panicking on the park. She fells something happened before the kid appeared. Let's go there and check it out." Hank asnwes with a sight having no idea what was going on. It was supposed to be a slow day damnit.

"did the kid talk?" Rusek turns his face to look at Hank as he drives.

Voight' sales his head, eyes focused on the Chicago roads. "No he didn't say anything. Y/n said she doesn't see the kid hurt or anything but this doesn't feel alright. A kid doesn't appear around in a park like that for nothing."

When Hank and Adam arrive at the park , they spot you on a bench with Liam on your lap. He's cuddling on you but his dirty clothes are noticeable by far.

"hey sweetheart. What's going on" Hank's asks as he gets closer

"hey, I found this little guy Liam. And yeah... Help me out. " Y/n says looking up to Voight and Rusek. "You can tell them Liam. They're friends and they're gonna help" Liam hearing your words slowly peaks up to look at Hank and Adam that give him a simple smile .

"i- uhm... Someone got into my house... There were gun shots..." Liam says in a small voice. Afraid of what could happen .

"do you know where you leave Liam?" *Voight was speaking in a sweet voice. Doing everything to not freak out the kid. Liam nods his head and leaves your lap grabbing your hand so you could follow him.

"oh ok I think we'll follow you Liam" you say getting up starting to walk next to Liam looking back at Hank and Adam with a 'whats going on' look.

As you aproach the house next to Liam, the front door is open and the front window shatered. With one look to Hank you pull Liam back as Voight and Rusek pulled out their guns to expection the house.

The house was clear. A male boddy on the top floor next to the stair case. By the looks a overdose and a gun shot to the chest. A female boddy on the living room with a shot to her head and a bag next to her with guns and a whole bunch of cash.

As Hank and Adam leave the house, Adam is already on the phone to call the rest of the team and patrol as Hank comes up to you.

"This place is a mess, we'll clean it out and see whatever did this and why. You take the kid to MED, check him out and try to get his last name or something, by the looks of this house... his parents might be on our database." hank sights "not the day off you talked about"

"The beers and take out will have to wait i guess" y/n says picking up Liam again. "and not the calm day you talked about. I'll head up to med, when i have something I'll call you"

"Call me when you have updates. I'll do the same"

Leaving med and knowing the kid has no injuries you go over to the district. Arriving you leave Liam with Trudy so you could go upstairs to intelligence.

"Hey" y/n say entering inteligence. "The kid's name is Liam Kennedy. The last thing he did in Med was some blood work. Procedure. His mom is Sabrina Kennedy and his father Joel Kennedy, he had and overdose 5 years ago around when Liam was born and overdosed again 2 years ago"

"and that Joel guy is on our database as a witness of an old case" Kevin says from his desk "and now he's dead. Well killed as forensic says. Like his wife"

"So... Y'all think Liam run away from being... killed?" The thoughts on your mind of a 5 Year old running away from a scene like this were killing you.

"probably. We're still trying to get the footage from the other side of the street" Voight says as he sees you sitting next to him on the desk as everyone was looking at the board with information about the case.

-

During the rest of the day the intelligence team keeps working on the case to find the killer. What no one knew is that he had eyes on everyone all the time .

Liam had stayed the night at your and Hank's place. Because of him you took the day off praying that the case would get closed today.

Leaving home the next day after

making sure Liam had breakfast and was settled with some cartoons, you decided to run a quick errand. Hank had reassured you he’d have a patrol car stationed outside for extra security, but you couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

The errand didn’t take long, but when you returned, the house was eerily quiet. The patrol car outside was empty, and your heart sank as you opened the door.

“Liam?” you called out, stepping into the living room. The TV was still on, but the little boy was nowhere in sight. A muffled sound came from the hallway—quick, heavy footsteps—and before you could react, a figure emerged, shoving you back and clamping a cloth over your mouth. The sharp, chemical smell overtook you as you struggled, and everything went black.

Back in inteligence Hank was going crazy trying to contact you.

“Where are they?” Hank’s voice was sharp, but beneath it, there was a tension that only came when something hit too close to home. Trudy’s voice had been tight when she reported that the patrol unit outside your house hadn’t checked in. When Adam confirmed your phone was going straight to voicemail, Hank’s heart sank.

Arriving at the house, Hank felt the chill run through him. The patrol car was empty, the driver-side door slightly open. Inside the house, the door hung ajar, and the living room bore unmistakable signs of a struggle. A broken coffee mug on the floor. The faint scuff marks of a fight. No sign of you or Liam.

Hank ran a hand over his face, the tension building to a boil. “They were here,” he muttered, voice low and dangerous. His fists clenched as he turned to Jay, who was already scanning the room for anything useful. “Whoever did this… they don’t know who the hell they’re messing with.”

Jay glanced at him, his expression serious but resolute. “We’ll get them, Hank. Kev’s pulling footage from the neighborhood cams. We’ll find the car, and we’ll find them.”

Hank’s jaw tightened, his eyes burning with determination. “Not ‘if.’ We will.”

(PART 2 ⬇️)

[tlouadditc]

screw the cops!!

cop!ellabs x dealer!reader

warnings: 18+, MDNI, smut with plot, mentions of drugs [marijuana], cop!ellabs, dealer!reader, a lil bit of knifeplay, dom!ellabs, sub!reader, use of y/n, reader gets cut a lil bit oops!, probably more but i cant think of it rn

last minute a/n: this was another ask i forgot to put under the question ☹️ anyway thank u for the ask!!

[10:06 pm]

MY FAV ;): heyyy u got an 8th?? i can pick up at the library in 15 :)

you read the text, grumbling as you get up from your couch. you quickly shoot back:

YOU: lmk when ur there

it was supposed to be an off-day; sit in your dorm, watch tv, maybe have someone over, but no. everyone needed your shit at all times. she's lucky she's your favorite -- otherwise you would've told her to fuck off.

locking your door behind you, you get in your car and pull out of your driveway. as you glide through the gentle darkness, you feel random anxiety, like something bad is happening. it could be the lack of sleep. it could be the upcoming deadline you haven't started. it could also be the fact the entire campus is being searched because some dumbass freshman left his- no, sorry, YOUR- weed in his dorm and got the cops called. he didn't snitch luckily; he knows you would've gotten him killed if he did. but now there's a patrol going on until they find who's distributing. it's not like you wanted to live this life- you barely graduated high school, getting a small scholarship to a local college. the debt hit you, parents refused to help you anymore because you're an adult, blah blah blah blah. you ended up here to finally make a stable income and not have to chose between being warm or being fed consistently.

the sob story makes you cringe, snapping back into reality as you park in a spot by the front of the campus library. you pull out your phone and send:

YOU: here. wya

3 bubbles quickly pop up, written with a response:

MY FAV ;): kk coming out now

as you read the text, you hear the front doors swing open and a tall, slim figure gets larger as it comes closer. as she steps into the streetlight, you see her; sophomore dina. her long, onyx hair dances down her back as she comes closer to your car. she rests one arm on your window, other arm reaching into her pocket. she pulls out 35 bucks, tilting her head to the side slightly and smirking. you hand her a small baggie and take the bills out of her hand, shoving it into your pocket. "you're the best," she gushed, taking her arm off your window. she starts to turn to walk back to the library when she says, "oh, by the way, gave my friend your number."

you freeze, looking up at her in pure horror. "you what?"

"okay, chill, she's cool," she quickly explains, putting a hand on her hip in annoyance.

you roll your eyes, "the entire campus is getting fucking raided, for god's sake. cmon, dina."

"so, what? not everyone's a dumbass like that kid was."

you sigh. you guess she's right. plus, more business for you in the long run. she gives some information about this girl; her names ellie. she's a sophomore majoring in astrophysics who transferred from another school in jackson. around 5'5, auburn hair, science nerd. "pretty sure she's gay, too," dina winks.

you roll your eyes once more before pulling out and returning home. as soon as you unlock the door and step in, you check your other phone, an unknown number's texts sitting on the lock screen.

[UNKNOWN NUMBER]: hii this is y/n right?

[UNKNOWN NUMBER]: dina gave me ur number

gotta be ellie, you think to yourself. kinda cute. you don't respond; you hate small talk. no point in trying to get to know each other if you already know what they want. you put your phone down and start to get ready for bed.

an hour later, you get out of your shower and into comfy clothes. as you get into your freshly made bed, your other phone buzzes. you would usually ignore it, but you remember; debate checking the message or leaving it alone until tomorrow. eventually, curiosity gets the best of you and you check your phone. you groan as you read the message:

[11:37pm]

EL: i know its late but can u drop off? i need it :(

goddamnit, leave me alone!

you type up some message along the lines of 'im off today, ask tomorrow bitch,' but decide to be nice. you don't know why, but you only respond with the following:

YOU: off today. ask tmr

3 dots in a bubble move swiftly as a response pops up on your screen:

EL: pleaaaaase itll be quick

you sigh. she's not gonna let up; just like dina.

YOU: fine. ill b at the library.

she hearts your message as you throw on some sweatpants and grab your keys. you go on the same drive but you feel no anxiety this time. it's a newbie, for god's sake- she's the one who's probably nervous. you even put on some music this time, drake lowly lulling in your vehicle. you pull up, same spot as earlier, and you turn down your music. you go to text her, but the doors open before you can press a letter. she's just as dina described- until she gets up to your window. her scattered freckles complimented her bright, emerald eyes. her friendly expression made you soft under her gaze. you didn't realized she was talking for a while until she whispered, "uh... hello?"

"what?" you said, clearly perplexed. she smiled as you remembered what you're there for. she hands you 25 bucks as you place the baggie in her free hand. she lets out a silent "thanks" before you get ready to drive back home.

"uh, actually," she suddenly blurted out, catching your attention. she seemed nervous, like she had something to say, but she was scared of the outcome. "do you mind.. uh.. giving me a ride back home? i mean i walked down here and it's dark so-"

"hop in," you interrupted. it was pretty dark and you wouldn't want patrol on her ass about being out by herself, so you decided to get it over with. she pranced around to the passengers side and practically jumped in.

the ride to her dorm was quiet. ellie was on her phone the entire time; you assumed it was her roommate asking her where she's at. there was a bit of tension you could feel in the air; what type? you couldn't answer that.

coming to a stop at the entrance of her dormitory, she thanked you once again before you prepared to go home yourself.

"you could stay the night," she mumbled, fumbling with the bag in hand.

"what? no- no, i can't do that," you answered. you weren't against staying over, but... going home with someone you literally met an hour ago? absolutely not.

"jus' c'mon. it's late," she insisted, biting her lip anxiously. "plus, i owe you." you sight and give in, turning off the engine and ignition before grabbing your keys and phone and joining her on the walkway. she smiled politely and led you to her dorm.

the entire time you were walking with her, you assessed her appearance in clearer light. her hair was a shaggy cut, parted to the side and tucked behind her ears even though some stray strands still stood. her eyes were welcoming and friendly, giving you a warm feeling of hope. she had a tattoo on her right arm; a fern and a small butterfly. you debate asking her the meaning, but decide against it.

you snap out of your trance when you make it to her door. she unlocks the door and gently pushes it in, leaving room for you to step inside. "come in!"

you take 3 steps inside before you're pushed to the ground and pinned by strong, rough hands. "what the fuc- hey!" you start to shout. you squirm, hopelessly attempting to be freed from the tight grasp of what you thought was a male officer.

"you're under arrest," an unfamiliar, feminine voice states, "for possession and distribution of marijuana. you have the right to remain silent at this time." you see ellie's shoes standing in front of you, silently taunting you as you're handcuffed.

fuck, i should've never trusted her.

you're patted down and escorted to an unmarked car, parked around 30 feet away from your car. the unfamiliar figure is a tall, built woman with a long, blonde braid swinging down her back. her calloused hand grips you tightly as you're being walked. once you reach the vehicle, you're thrown into the back and the door slams in your face. you don't argue or protest; you were caught after one fuck up.

"didn't expect to catch her so easily," ellie brags, slightly looking back at you. you scowl at her, feeling betrayed by not only ellie, but dina, too. she had [hopefully] unknowingly helped them ruin your life. you were for sure not going to be able to finish college now. you wouldn't be able to get a job nice enough to stabilize your life. not to mention the possibility for 5 years of jail time and fees. it all made your head hurt. tears weld up in your eyes as you started to really let reality sink in.

"aw, she's crying," the blonde officer teased, looking at you through the rear-view mirror. you blinked back the tears before spitting out, "fuck you."

"the fuck you just say to me?"

"you heard me; fuck. you."

you could see her jaw clench, her bone well-defined under her skin. "oh, i know you wanna fuck me." a snicker was heard from the auburn girl.

the hell??

it was a weird response, but you decided to play into it. you're already being sent to jail; why not have fun?

"you wouldn't do anything about it if i wanted to anyway."

you saw the blonde's eyes go wide and her jaw drop with disbelief, looking over at her partner. ellie seemed calm, but intrigued by the situation. it was silent, but the way their eyes met was like they were talking through eye contact. ellie tilts her head towards you, signaling something to the other officer. as if she could read her mind, the blonde nods and pulls over to an abandoned alleyway.

"what's going on?" you question, attempting to hide the fear in your voice, but failing miserably. the blonde got out of the car and slammed the door shut as ellie simply answered, "you said we wouldn't do anything, hm?"

a shiver went down your spine as the door to your right opened, the blonde hopping in as you scooted all the way to your left.

"uh-uh, come here," she demanded as her hand wrapped around your neck and dragged you back to her. at this moment, your back rests against her toned thighs, handcuffed hands under your ass, legs laying on the seat.

"you wanna be disrespectful to me and my partner?" she jerks your head up, making you look at her. her sharp features take up your vision as she looks down at you with dark eyes. "you think you were just gonna get away with that? nuh-uh, not on my watch." you take your gaze off her face to read her badge, which reads "ABBY ANDERSON".

you're so focused on abby that you don'r realize ellie is on the other side of you, watching you and abby interact. you feel a sharp object on your jeans, scoring against the material. your head jerks down to see ellie running a pocketknife over your clothed cunt, fear and adrenaline running through you all at once. your breathing picks up speed as she cuts through your jeans, making a hole in the crotch. abby chuckles at your reaction, caressing your face as she coos, "not so tough now, huh?"

you're too caught up in looking at ellie's actions to respond. she puts the knife down, letting a feeling of relief wash over you. she mutters a "fuck it" before placing both hands on either side of the hole she made and ripping your jeans. you gasp, anxiety filling you once more. she smirks up at you, grabbing her knife and running it over your barely covered pussy. she loves the way you try to get away from her knife, silent cries as she gets closer to the meat of your thigh. she slightly cuts into you, small drops of blood racing down your inner thigh. you wince in pain, turning back to abby. "shh, it's okay," she reassures, kissing your sweaty forehead. "just a little cut. you're okay." you feel ellie's warm tongue running over the wound, collecting the red liquid. she kisses near your core, green eyes piercing into you before whispering, "so sweet" and smiling. abby gently kisses you, drawing your attention away from your cut to her and only her. she taps her pointer finger on your chin and whispers "open up", which you obey to. her lips purse together, gathering the liquid in her mouth before a ball of saliva drops into your mouth and onto your tongue. "swallow," she commands, and you close your mouth and swallow it, feeling it slip down your throat. she smiles, tapping your cheek lightly as she praises you. "good girl. she's doing so well, isn't she, el?"

ellie hums, hyper-focused on your pooling pussy. "so wet," she says in awe, "all this gets you off, doesn't it?"

you're oh so needy, cunt begging to be touched in any form. you nod ferociously, whining for any friction on your puffy clit. "you want it, yea? beg for it."

"p-please, ill do anything, just fuck me- ohmygod-" you babble, hips bucking up into ellie's face. she chuckles before looking up to abby, meeting her gaze. "she's been so good for us. give her a lil' reward."

with that, ellie cuts your underwear with one swift movement, completely exposing your pussy to her. she gasps at the sight, glistening skin in the low light. she whispers a spew of curses, spreading you apart as abby kisses you passionately. you moan into the kiss as ellie rubs your bud with her thumb. your noises go straight to her core, making her slightly whimper. she lays a flat tongue on your core, soaking up all of your juices on the pink muscle. abby wraps a firm hand around your throat, restricting airflow enough to make you completely feel ellie on you.

"fuck- oh, my god-" you cry, tears welling up in your eyes once more. the feeling is too much; abby kissing you, ellie eating you out- everything is overstimulating you. ellie smiles against your pussy, sucking on your clit while shoving two fingers in you. you whine and squirm away from her, but her other hand keeps you in place.

"i'm gonna- m'cumming- !!" you breathe, clenching around ellie's long fingers. abby praises you through it; "oh, so good for us, baby." "cum all over her fingers f'me, yes." small kisses are planted on your face once again, soothing you through your orgasm. ellie slowly takes her fingers out with a pop! before shoving one glistening finger into her mouth. she moans at the taste of you, maintaining eye contact with you. "shit, so sweet," she murmurs, looking over at abby. "wanna taste?"

"of course," abby says slyly, glancing over at you before sucking on ellie's middle finger, completely cleaning it off. she moans at the taste, finally letting ellie's middle finger go after a couple of seconds. she pulls you into another sloppy, heated kiss, making you taste yourself on her tongue.

"such a sweet thing," she coos, wiping your face. "too bad we gotta take you in now."

"can't let me off with a warning?"

"we would, but we'd be here for much longer and you'd be more bruised up." abby frowns in a mocking manner.

"so you're taking me in with no pants or underwear?"

"yup. don't underestimate us and, more importantly, don't sell drugs."

a/n: this was so fun to write omg ... part 2 will be coming me thinks

[scorpiorising-swiftie]

hello all!! i just wrote the first chapter of any caitvi fanfic called “illicit affairs”, in which Caitlyn and Vi begin to have an affair while Caitlyn is engaged to Maddie. hope you enjoy!!

Chapter one

Vi huffed angrily at her reflection, tossing her hair this way and that, trying to get it just right. She couldn’t risk looking bad today, not when she was about to see Caitlyn for the first time in nearly five years.

Okay, it wasn’t just about that. She was revisiting her alma mater in honor of today being five years since her class graduated. She was excited to see all of her school friends who she hadn’t seen in years, what with her being so busy with her career as a world-renowned boxer. She hadn’t expected to become so famous, but there was no denying that there would probably be a fleet of paparazzi following her today. She cringed at the thought of that. She would have to wear a hat and glasses in order to obscure herself from the public eye. She looked at herself in the mirror one final time. She looked good enough. Her hair, which was buzzed on one side, has grown out quite a bit, and the long side now reached down to her collarbones. She was wearing a white tank top, black jeans, combat boots, and her favorite red and black leather jacket. The one she’d had since high school. The one she knew Caitlyn adored. God, she needed to stop thinking about her. For all she knew, Caitlyn could’ve moved on and found someone new. The thought of that made Vi’s heart sink, but it had been five years. She had to be open to that possibility. She walked out the door, got in her car and began driving to her old school. Butterflies began to flutter in her gut as she thought of seeing Caitlyn again. Would she be happy to see her? It had been so many years. All Vi knew now was that Caitlyn had just graduated college, and was now working as a police officer in the next town over. She kept thinking about Caitlyn in a cop outfit, and a blush crept across her face. Damn, she would look good dressed like that. She shook those thoughts from her head as she approached the school, her hands shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. She parked, got out of the car, and began walking towards the gym. As soon as she entered, she anxiously looked around, trying to spot a familiar face. She had never been the most popular, but she had a good amount of friends. Standing towards the center of the gym, she spotted two of her old friends, Jayce and Viktor. Jayce was standing with a hand draped around the smaller man’s waist, and Viktor seemed to be looking around the gym for people he knew. As soon as his eyes landed on Vi, his face lit up, and he pointed Jayce towards her. Jayce waved happily to his old friend, and they began to walk over together.

“Look at you two!” Vi gushed, bringing Jayce in for a hug. “You guys look awfully close.” She teased.

Viktor’s face went beet red, and he tried to hide it behind his hands. Jayce just smiled.

“Well, after ignoring our feelings for four years, we finally got our shit together and I asked him out.” He said sheepishly. A small smile crept across Viktor’s face. “Yes, we are quite happy together.” He said, pecking a chaste kiss to Jayce’s cheek.

Vi just beamed at the sight of her two friends, clearly so in love. Speaking of which..

“Hey, have either of you seen Cait yet?” Vi asked casually.

The smile on Jayce’s face disappeared just for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with one that wasn’t as genuine. “Oh! Uh, yeah I think I saw her outside.” He said awkwardly.

“Thanks!” Vi exclaimed, hurriedly rushing out of the gym. Why did Jayce seem so.. off as soon as she brought up Caitlyn? Did he know something she didn't? Never mind that. She was too damn excited to care.

It took a minute for Vi’s eyes to adjust to the sunlight, but once she did, she immediately spotted Caitlyn. Her jaw dropped.

She looked better than she ever had. Her cobalt hair was tied up in a ponytail, a few strands loose in the front. She was wearing a black turtleneck that hugged her figure in all the right places. She also had on a black miniskirt, tights, and boots, that must’ve made her six and a half feet tall. Goddamn. Those familiar butterflies returned to Vi’s gut once again. But wait, she was so distracted by how good Cait looked that she didn’t even notice she was with someone. Another woman. The girl was small, with short ginger hair, and a face full of freckles. Vi felt like crying as she saw Caitlyn tuck a strand of russet hair behind the girl’s ear. It took everything in Vi not to rush to the bathroom and sob. But no, she wasn’t an immature teenager anymore. Cait had moved on, and she just has to come to terms with that. But just how intimate had those two gotten. Had this stranger kissed every crevice of Caitlyn’s body, as Vi had? Had she made her see stars, and scream her name, like she had? Did she know that her favorite flowers were forget-me-not’s? That she secretly yearned to be an actress, but settled for a more reasonable career in order not to disappoint her parents? Vi pushed these thoughts away. She had to be mature about the situation. Even if she wanted to run up to Caitlyn and kiss her pretty face right in front of her new lover. She was about to go inside again, when Caitlyn’s eyes landed on her. Her mouth formed an “o” shape as she eyed Vi up and down, likely staring at her muscles. Vi was certainly ripped in high school, but now being a full-time boxer, her muscles had nearly doubled in size. A hint of pride welled up in her as Cait stared her down. There was no denying that she was still attracted to her, right? No! She couldn’t risk thinking like that. Cait was here with another girl, for God’s sake!

Before Vi could even register what was happening, Caitlyn was walking over to her, her girlfriend reluctantly following behind.

Caitlyn engulfed Vi in a more than friendly hug, and Vi had to pray for the blush to disappear from her cheeks before the other girl saw.

“Vi! I’ve missed you!” Caitlyn explained, her English accent making Vi go weak in the knees. She still smelled like expensive vanilla perfume.

“Hey, cupcake.” Vi replied, staring into those gorgeous cerulean eyes. The two were lost in the moment together, clearing fighting back old feelings that were threatening to resurface. Caitlyn seemed to break from the spell first, as her new lover approached her side.

“Oh! How could I forget! Vi, this is Maddie, she’s my.. uh..” Caitlyn seemed to be at a loss for words, so Maddie chimed in.

“Fiancé! I’m her fiancé!” She chirped in a heavy Scottish accent.

Vi felt the tears prick at her eyes, threatening to spill over. Fiancé? So this wasn’t just a girlfriend, this was the woman Caitlyn was going to marry. She put on her best fake smile, praying that Caitlyn didn’t spot the sadness behind her eyes.

“That’s great. I’m so happy for you guys. When’s the wedding?”

“Next spring!” Maddie gushed. “It’s going to be in my hometown, in Edinburgh!” Vi couldn’t help but think Maddie was much more excited about the whole ordeal than Caitlyn.

“You’ve got to come, Vi!” Caitlyn finally said. “If you’re not busy, that is.”

“Oh! I would love to.” Vi replied, though the thought of witnessing Caitlyn get married to another woman made her want to throw up.

“How’s the career going? Maddie and I watch you all the time.” Caitlyn changed the subject, and Vi could swear she saw the slightest bit of blush creeping across her cheeks.

“It’s good! Had to wear a disguise here, just to make sure the paparazzi wouldn’t see me, but other than that it’s great.” Vi stated casually.

“You’re so incredible! I knew you were strong, but watching you in the ring is.. well, it’s invigorating.” Okay, Cait was definitely blushing now. Vi just chuckled.

“Thanks, how’s your job going? Heard you’re a cop now.”

“It’s great! It’s how Maddie and I met, actually..” She stated, her voice laced with awkwardness.

“That’s great! Hey, wanna head inside? Jayce and Viktor are already in there, and they’re all over each other.” Vi giggled mischievously.

“Oh, let’s!” Caitlyn exclaimed, grabbing Maddie’s hand and heading towards the gym.

Vi trailed behind them and watched them, hand in hand. She had to fight back tears as she thought of Caitlyn making love to this woman. What did Maddie have that Vi didn’t? A cute accent, red hair, and she was probably rich, too. Maybe that’s what it was. Though Caitlyn never cared that Vi came from a low income home, that was more her parents.

Vi watched from a distance as Caitlyn and Jayce shared a warm embrace, and Cait introduced Jayce and Viktor to Maddie. She suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to leave, and this time she couldn’t stop it. She rushed out to her car, and swung open the door, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice call out to her.

“Vi, wait!” Caitlyn exclaimed. Vi turned around to find her ex- lover just inches away from her face. She grabbed her arm and stared into her eyes.

“I hope you’re not too upset about Maddie, it all happened so suddenly. You see, my parents set us up..”

That made Vi feel a little better. Maybe Caitlyn didn’t really love Maddie like she thought she did.

“No, I’m happy for you, Cait.” Vi responded, her voice devoid of any emotion.

“Can we go out sometime? Let me take you for coffee.” Caitlyn nearly pleaded.

“You think that’s appropriate? You’re engaged, Caitlyn.” Vi replied.

“No! I didn’t mean a date.. we just haven’t really caught up since..”

“Since you dumped me.” Vi interjected.

Caitlyn looked hurt, and Vi instantly regretted the jab. “You know I didn’t want to. It was my parents.” Caitlyn lamented. Vi just sighed.

“I know. Coffee sounds great, I have Sundays off, so how about tomorrow?”

Caitlyn’s face lit up, and for a moment, Vi swore she saw the lovesick teenager she fell in love with.

“Yes! Tomorrow would be excellent!” She rejoiced.

Vi just smiled, and tucked a strand of hair behind Caitlyn’s ears.

“Great. See you tomorrow, cupcake.”

[reindeerswillsavethisworld]

Corpse au case fic where the trio decided to try cracking a murder mystery, except instead of angst it's a comedy of errors where they make everything worse.

Like. Danny comes out of a portal dead and translucent and glowing, and there's charred remains of a human body on the floor. So now all three of them are freaking out, and instead of asking for help, or finding an adult, or telling literally ANYONE, they decide to just. Get rid of the body. As one does.

So that's what they do: they break out Tucker's nice shovels (because god forbid Sam's family owned something as pheasant as a shovel, and Danny's too afraid of touching their family's Patented Fenton ShovelsTM for... reasons), they find a nice desolate clearing in the woods, and then they bury Danny's body like one would a very unfortunate hamster who met their demise too soon under very suspicious circumstances. They even stay at the new "grave" in silence for a minute or five in respect and DEFINITELY nothing else, you know. And so, they bury the body, and then they (try to) forget the experience as some horrific nightmare.

And then, a year later, there's an uproar: the Amity Park's police department found the child's remains in the woods! And you see, Amity Park is not THAT big of a town, and the police estimated that the body belonged to a 14-15 year old child, and, look, there's only so many schools in a small town, alright. Obviously, the rumours start very soon in Casper High: about how the kid could've gone to their school, about how they could've died, about whether or not anybody was missing them, about their identity, and some definitely-truthworthy-would-I-lie-to-you-bro-come-on sources insist that the kid was murdered around a year ago, around the time ghosts started showing up. And these rumours obviously reach the ears of Sam, Danny and Tucker.

Now, you would've thought that their first thought would be something like "oh no, they found Danny's body", or "oh no, they know", or even simply "we're sooo fucked". Except. You see, the night they buried the body? It was really cloudy. And dark. And, y'know, it's very easy to get lost in a forest. And they were too high-strung, you see, they completely forgot to leave some sort of a marker or anything. And also like, it was so long ago, you know? A lot have happened, they were sooo busy and the likes, you can't really blame them for forgetting some things.

And here's lies the problem: all three of them just fucking forgot that there was a body left to bury at all.

And then it gets out that the police can't even conduct any sort of DNA test because it became corrupted to the point of being absolutely unrecognisable due to exposure to a large amount of ecto-energy.

It's now looks like a bad set up for a joke: an identifiable body of a child, cause of death unknown; the probable involvement of ghosts or at the very least a very large quantity of ecto-energy; a probable murderer on the loose, which naturally breeds suspicion and speculation; a town full of all kinds of rumours; and a trio of absolute dumbasses, who after hearing that ghosts were involved immediately went to stick their noses where they don't belong.

Rejoice, Amity Park! Sam, Danny and Tucker are now on the case! Except they are all teenagers, and nobody in their right mind will allow teenagers to solve a murder case. Plus, them poking around would be highly suspicious, but Phantom, on the other hand?

(people seeing Phantom helping solve this case and coming to the conclusion that the ghosts were definitely involved was not on their bingo card, but oh well)

They don't go to the cops, obviously: Danny at least in part because he's worried they will call GIW on his ass or try to arrest him, and Sam and Tucker simply because fuck the cops (one because the police is involved in a militaristic, capitalistic corrupted system that breeds injustice and furthers the divide between average people and the wealthy, and the other because cops suck and will probably call GIW on his friend's ass). They also can't go to any other authorities: cops are out of the question, as is the mayor; laboratory personnel will most likely just throw them out; and there're no witnesses or known relatives, so they're stuck.

Therefore they decide that desperate times need desperate measures, and so they enlist all of their ghost allies on a quest, hoping to find the ghost of the kid. Considering the amount of ecto-energy they were subjected to, they MUST have formed a ghost, they only need to find them.

Except. The Ghost Zone is a big place, and they only have so many allies, even if some of them are a queen and a god. So Danny bites the bullet and does the most stupid (debatable) thing he has ever done: he goes to his enemies for help. They're surprisingly understanding and willing to help, even if some of their reasons are a little... strange (Skulker and Johnny entered some sort of competition on who finds the ghost first, Box Ghost starts to seek out coffins (??) and Youngblood is not above to start torturing people to finally have a friend that is not either an adult or a complete stick in the mud). And even then they still can't find the ghost.

In the end Danny goes to Clockwork in a desperate hope that he will be able to glimpse at least a little of what had transpired on the night of the murder, and to Danny's annoyance Clockwork laughs so hard he almost pops a ghost equivalent of a blood vessel.

A few weeks down the line Sam hesitantly brings up Danny's buried corpse ("MY WHAT" "Your corpse which we buried in the woods, Danny, don't you remember?" "Yeah, bro, I think you dissociated the whole time we were digging the hole and carrying your dead body" "WE DID WHAT-"), reasonably saying that, you know, they ALSO technically buried a body in the woods. On that Tucker just shrugs because obviously it was not Danny's body, the place of the burial was way off, he remembers that there was a really big stone to the left of the grave (he doesn't and there wasn't), so they are in the clear. During that exchange Danny's sitting on the floor and having a panic attack, because he really did dissociate the whole time and afterwards legitimately forgot that there was a body to bury at all.

After that conversation all three of them leave with a certainty that Danny's body is still there where they left it, whenever it was. And so the shenanigans continue.

[hbyrde36]

Caught in the Undertow

Hi, 👋 Welcome to another old fic made new again! I promise this is my last re-write, but in similar fashion to Times Like These I found myself fixated recently on giving this fic the more practiced hand it deserves. I hadn't planned on posting much about it until the full re-write was done, but with the Steddie big bang deadline rapidly approaching, it's going to take a little longer than I thought. (And being a slut for encouragement, I figured why not start sharing the first 5 redone chapters now while I work on the rest, in hopes someone will enjoy it.)

Summary:

Against all odds, Steve Harrington saved Eddie Munson from certain death. And Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive him for it.

Chapter One

WC: 1980 | R: Explicit | TW: Suicidal ideation/depression | Ch 1/10 | AO3

On some level, Eddie had always sort-of wanted to die. 

He never planned it out, and he wouldn’t actually do anything about it—probably—but he fantasized about it a lot. 

Which was maybe something he should unpack with a therapist at some point, but that type of thing wasn’t really in the budget for a kid who lived in a trailer park and sold a little weed on the side for extra cash.

Sometimes, on the really bad nights just before falling asleep, he found himself wishing, praying even, not that he really believed in such things, to just not wake up again. And deep down he knew that if he were ever faced with the opportunity to bow out, so to speak, especially in a way that wouldn’t burden anyone—bonus points for a blaze of glory—he’d take it.

The idea came to him as he was helping Dustin to climb up the sheet rope and into the safety of the right-side-up, the thumping sound of the bats throwing themselves into the sides of the trailer, trying so desperately to get in, grating on his already frayed nerves.

It had truly been the week from hell. 

He was cold, dirty, and scared. Overwhelmed with the new reality he’d been forced to accept with exactly zero time to process, and having to come to terms with the fact that there’d been a whole other world existing right under his feet for fucking years, all while on the run from the cops, as well as a community calling for his head on a pike. 

It left him with that all too familiar feeling—weary down to his bones in a way that no nap or good night’s sleep could ever cure.

It wasn’t even a debate in his mind.

Eddie pulled his switchblade out from one of the many pockets on the snazzy green vest Harrington had picked up for him from The Warzone, and slashed the rope, ensuring that Dustin couldn’t follow him—ensuring the kid’s safety before rushing out into the dark to lead the bats away.

Life sure was funny, he thought wryly as he mounted one of the bikes they’d left behind during their last jaunt into the Upside Down, it can take you to places you never even dreamed of, and yet you’ll still wind up exactly where you’re meant to be. 

He peddled as fast as he could, trying to get the bats as far away from the gate as possible.

This was it, the chance he’d always longed for, and at least this way he could leave knowing his life meant something. His sacrifice would keep Dustin safe, keep the demobats out of their world, and buy more time for Harrington and the girls to kill Vecna.

It was a win-win.

And really, what sort of life would he be going back to anyway?

Devil worshiper, cult leader, freak, murderer. It was too many labels, too many things to overcome, just too much, the way he’d always been too much. Too loud, too different, too broken for anyone to want to get too close. 

Worse—when he wasn’t busy being too much, he wasn't enough. Not smart enough, clearly. Who takes this many tries to graduate high school? Not a good enough son, if his parents dumping him on Wayne’s doorstep and never looking back was any indication.

Wayne.

Thinking of the older man caused a brief stab of guilt. Uncle Wayne would be sad when he was gone, no question. The old man wasn’t shy about his love for his only nephew, but honestly this was for the best for him too. One less thing to worry about, and one less mouth to feed. It couldn’t have been easy on his uncle all these years. Raising a kid was never easy, surely, let alone raising someone else’s, but Eddie had no doubt that he’d posed an especially unique challenge.

It wasn’t long before Eddie’s legs failed him, exhaustion making them feel like lead, slowing his pace to the point that the bats were right on his tail, the bulk of the swarm a swirling black cloud above him. One of the little fuckers peeled away from the group, swooping down to knock him from the bike. He flew over the handlebars, hitting the dirt hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop and scrambling back to his feet. 

Eddie screamed his pain at the advancing hoard, banging his shield and raising it against the onslaught of gnashing teeth and beating wings. 

He stood his ground. 

He didn’t give up.

He fought to the very end, until he was overtaken and brought to the ground, laid out like a feast for his unsightly foe.

Later—minutes or hours he had no sense of time anymore, as he lay there dying, soaking the ground beneath him as he bled out, Eddie wondered at his own actions. It must have been a reflex, some long dormant base instinct to survive popping up at the last second, because why else would he fight so hard when it would have made more sense to not? When the writing was on the wall, when this was what he wanted?

Eddie had wanted this.

Hadn’t he?

Steve was soaring. 

He was fucking ecstatic. 

They did it, they’d killed Vecna. 

They fucking won for once, their years-long nightmare finally over for good. 

He, Nancy, and Robin smiled at each other, laughing in hysterical relief as they bounded down the crumbling old steps of the Creel house, the criss-crossing vines that decorated nearly every surface laying dead and dormant. 

The walk back to Forest Hills was spent recounting every detail of their battle. Each one of Nancy’s expert shots, and every molotov cocktail that Steve and Robin had thrown. So sure he was that their little group had had the most dangerous job, save for maybe Max, it didn’t even cross Steve’s mind to worry about the others just yet. He couldn't wait to see Dustin's face, to celebrate this victory with him and the rest of the twerps. 

It wasn’t until they were nearly back to the trailer that he realized something had gone terribly, horribly wrong.

He heard Dustin’s cries long before he saw him, and Steve didn’t hesitate to take off running as fast as his legs would carry him in the direction of the sound, trusting that the girls would follow. 

Steve’s heart dropped when the scene finally came into view—Dustin with his head bowed, sobbing as he knelt over the lifeless body of Eddie Munson.

“What happened?” Steve asked, skidding to a stop at their side, dropping to his knees next to the younger boy.

“H-he said he was gonna buy more time. The bats started getting into the trailer and he made me go through the gate first—he made me—and then he cut the rope and then he—” Dustin's voice shook, his eyes shining and red rimmed as he raised his head to meet Steve’s gaze. “He’s gone.”

Those two words broke something inside Steve. 

He couldn't allow this, wouldn’t accept it. They fucking won goddamn it. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. If any one of them wasn’t going to make it out of this place alive, it should have been him, not Eddie.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Steve bent over the prone figure, listening closely for any signs of breathing while pressing his fingers to Eddie’s neck to check for a pulse. He found neither at first but didn’t let that deter him. Eddie’s skin was still warm and Steve's hands were shaking, his own heartbeat pounding so loudly in his head that it could feasibly be drowning out signs of life.

He gently nudged a still silently weeping Dustin aside and began CPR. 

“What can I do?” Robin asked from his left. She and Nancy must have finally caught up, he hadn’t even heard their approach. 

Steve kept an even rhythm, concentrating all his effort on his compressions as he replied. “Find something to wrap his side, I think that’s where most of the blood is coming from. Then take Dustin back through the gate and call an ambulance. I want them waiting on the other side before I try to move him.”

Robin quickly jumped into action, slipping her jacket off to remove her button down, and with Dustin’s help began working it around Eddie’s middle.

“Steve," Nancy whispered his name, carefully, gently. She was kneeling down on Eddie’s other side, her ear practically pressed to his mouth. "He’s not breathing and he’s lost a lot of blood. I’m sorry, but did he even have a pulse when you got here?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said immediately.

“Steve–”

“Just go! Please, Nance.”

Steve wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Robin finally came back, and if Dustin had put up a fuss at being made to leave, he hadn’t heard any of it. His entire focus narrowed down to his hands on Eddie’s chest, pumping, his eyes locked on Eddie’s face as he counted to thirty, the taste of blood on his lips as he administered rescue breaths. 

Lather, rinse, repeat… 

“The ambulance is five minutes out, how do you want to do this?”

He could have kissed her in that moment—in the most sisterly way of course. 

She didn’t waste any time questioning if they should be doing this, or if Eddie’s condition had improved. Accepting that Steve had made up his mind and she was going to do everything in her power to help him make it happen. 

The thing was, Steve had felt a faint tap against his fingers the last time he’d checked, and he was 99% sure Eddie did have a pulse now, even if he hadn’t before, and it could have been his imagination but he could have sworn he heard the other boy take a few shallow breaths on his own too.

Together, he and Robin hauled over a piece of discarded corrugated metal, moving Eddie onto it as gently as possible, using it like a stretcher to carry him back to the trailer. 

Getting him through the gate was a bit trickier. Even more-so with the rope being cut, but Robin and Nancy had shoved a bunch of furniture under the hole in the ceiling, and Steve somehow managed to climb up the precarious tower one-handed while balancing their unconscious friend on his back.

When they made it to the other side, Steve carried Eddie in his arms all the way to the ambulance doors, insisting on riding along with them to the hospital. He must have been a sight, sweaty and out of breath, covered head to toe in muck and the other boy’s blood. The EMTs didn't even argue, except to insist Dustin come along too once they noticed his limp. 

Robin and Nancy followed behind in the RV, promising to pick up the others on their way so everyone could regroup at the hospital.

Things changed drastically once they arrived at Hawkins General, and the staff realized just who their patient was. Thankfully the paramedic in the ambulance had managed to stabilize Eddie before he was recognized. Steve shuddered to think about what might have happened otherwise.

Though unconscious and in critical condition, Eddie was treated like the dangerous criminal the whole town thought he was—handcuffed to his hospital bed, and an officer posted up at his door. 

No visitors allowed. 

Once Dustin was released, ankle wrapped and with orders to take it easy for a few weeks, their group was asked in no uncertain terms to leave. Told that no updates would be given on the suspect's condition.

Suspect. 

Steve wanted to throw up, but at least Eddie was alive. 

Chapter 2

Thanks and love to @penny00dreadful and @pearynice for all your help and encouragement with this.

Permanent taglist(open): @penny00dreadful @pearynice @hitlikehammers @bookworm0690 @wonderland-girl143-blog 

@goodolefashionedloverboi @themagicalari @awkwardgravity1 @rocknrollsalad

P.S. Taglist friends, I know this one might not be for everyone, if you'd prefer I not tag you in this fic pls let me know, I totally understand 💜

[urfavouritegirlie]

An old fling

(Jeff Morales x Platonic!Ex!reader x Miles)

AN - TBH there are not enough fics about Jeff. I get it. He's a married man and Rio and a lovely woman but I used my imagination here.

Word Count: 1,385 words

*KNOCK*

"Miles get up! Get ready for school!"

Miles had never sat up in his bed so quickly in such a panic. Was he late? Did he oversleep? He glances at his digital clock and its 6:00 am on a Monday morning. Why was he being woken up so early? He had a whole 45 minutes of sleep left before he had to get ready for school and go to his dorm.

After forcing himself out of the comfort of his bed, he goes to open his door to see his dad already dressed in his uniform.

"Why are we up so early for?"

"Because I thought we could grab breakfast before you go to school. Besides it will be the last time I see you until Friday."

This is those 'father-son' times that he wanted to spend with Miles before he was gone for almost a week. He's been doing this since Miles was a baby. As a toddler he would take him to the park despite the weather and gets scolded at by Rio if he catches a cold.

As Miles grew up to be a teen, if became less often that they would spend time together. Teens want to be alone. Jeff simply wants to rekindle those with his son again.

Miles didn't argue and just went to get ready despite wanting to crawl back into bed. Bag suitcase was ready and they where both out in the car.

"Shall we go to Foam Party?"

"NO! Uhh...... I mean no thanks."

Miles was bound to see a few friends if they had gone there. They opted to go to a different place. A cafe further away from their area. A new place for the both of them. This place looked likes it serves both savoury and sweet items. They both ordered and waited for their breakfast.

"You look really tired this morning son. I hope you didn't stay up late drawing at your desk again."

Miles was not in fact drawing last night, he was out being Spiderman. Literally the moment he came back into his room through his window and laid his head on his pillow, his dad started calling. So he basically had no sleep. He needed that coffee.

Their order was called and Jeff walks forward to get it an he bumps into someone.

"Sorry ma'am I didn't-"

"Oh no it's my fault I wasn't-"

They both manage to get a good look at each other and silence catches them for a second. A second to process if this is really true.

"Jeff? No way."

"Y/n. Wha- umm uhh...."

She flashed her pearly whites in a quiet laugh.

"It's been a while huh?"

"Umm yeah, it has."

"And you're a cop. That's cool."

Miles comes from the other side of his dad to see who he was talking to. It was a lady. A very pretty lady. She was wearing a business looking suit with her hair in a slicked back puff. Make up was done on point with an expensive bag on her arm and glasses that fit her face shape so well. She looked sophisticated.

(Reader POV)

I notice a person standing next to Jeff. A boy in school uniform. He has a confused look on his face as he glances between me and Jeff.

"And who might you be?"

He looks at his dad like waiting for him to answer for him. Miles knows majority of his dads friends. Either from work or around the neighbourhood but he's never seen or hear about this lady from. So where do they know each other from seeing as 'its been a while'.

"This is my son, Miles."

"Oh my goodness. You have a kid. A teen too. It really has been long."

"Y'all know each other? From where?"

I look at Jeff before answering and he seem pretty hesitant, scratching the back of his neck as if to figure out what to say. It's obvious he hasn't mentioned me to him. I want to answer with a simple lie like 'we're old friends' but he beats me to answering.

"Miles this is an old friend....... and ex."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise that he actually said that but it was the truth. Jeff and I used to date but that was a whole while ago. Miles' eyes widen as he glances back and forth between us.

"That was a long time ago. Clearly. We were in college."

"Excuse me. Could you get your orders please. You're holding up the line."

"Oh sorry. Thanks"

I get my drink a food. I find a clean empty table and sit to eat. As I was walking, I could hear the father son duo whisper yelling but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I don't think I want to after that awkwardish meeting.

"Mind if we sit here?"

I look up and its the two of them with their own food. The place was busy, shocking for how early it was. I didn't want to make this any more awkward so I let them sit with me.

"Soooo how are you?" Jeff was the first to attempt to break the silence which worked.

"I'm doing good. Busy with work but going good. You?'

"Yeah I'm good too."

"So how did you two meet?" Miles but in. Damn, straight to the point.

"Miles!" Jeff tries to shush him which is a bit funny to watch.

"No it's fine, unless you don't want him to know."

He looks to the side, particularly looking at nothing so I proceed.

"We met in our first year of college at a house party."

He looked at his dad as if he was a different person. "Him? Party?"

"Oh yeahhh. I'm pretty sure he was the one who organised it with his friends. He approached me with a drink and we started talking from there."

It was a good conversation. Mainly talking about the past and the shenanigans of his father. Miles was surprised about some facts about his father. The late parties, staying out spray painting and other things.

"It sounded like you guys had lots of fun. Why ain't you fun anymore dad?"

"Because I grew up Miles. We was young and dumb. Anyway do you have any kids."

"No kids here. My life is too busy for one. Besides dating is hard as a lawyer. Guys complain that I care about my cases more than them. Which is true sometimes."

"Lawyer. That's also cool. We both working with the law."

"I'm surprised that you became a cop. Don't you have a degree in business? I remember you saying you was gonna start a business with your brother, Aaron. Oh gosh how is he?"

Both their face dropped into sadness.

"Aaron died lat year."

"Oh God. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine."

Time was going and I need to go to court and meet my client. Miles gets up and offers to throw that rubbish away.

"So your married and have a kid. Wow. I would have never thought back then."

Jeff looks at me with a questioning look. "Why?"

I make sure that Miles is not around to hear what I'm about to say.

"Because you, Jeff. You were such a player. Shoot you played with my heart. Hope you treating your wife right or I'll beat you up."

"I wasn't that bad right?"

"Mhmmm I'm pretty sure you broke a girl's heart almost every week. You show interest and ghost them a week later."

"I know it sounds bad but what we had was different. I really thought we could last."

"Main thing that broke us up was the stress of university and keeping each other happy. At least our break up was civil."

Miles comes back and we leave the cafe and go our separate ways. Jeff drives Miles to school. Before he could leave the car.

"Not a word about this to your mother ok?"

"Only if I can hang a couple of my art up."

"Fine."

The past is in the past now. He was happy to have that conversation with you but ultimately Jeff loves Rio. She was his everything and is happy with her and Miles. He wouldn't change anything about it.

[escapingrealtiylovinginsanity]

Rewind, Remix, Replay Jay & Kim 5x20

You can find the rest of the series here

I have been waiting (impatiently) to be able to do this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Would love your feedback on this chapter- (if you have to pick a chapter to leave a comment on- please let this be one of them.)

Hey, if anyone wants to help me out. I spend so much time looking for good GIFs for the beginning of the chapters. So, shoot me any if you find good ones. 

Jay holds the door open as Zoey quietly walks outside the police station. Her blue eyes are on the floor, her posture slumped and dejected as she trails after him towards the parking lot. Jay is walking with purpose to where he had parked his truck. He had still been on shift looking for a teenage girl who may have been kidnapped when he got the call. The woman on the other line called about his niece who had been picked up for trespassing and truancy.

But Jay didn’t have a niece.

He had started to tell them at the other station that there must be a mix-up- until she recited his badge number 51163. That was when he started listening. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out who his “niece” was. Jay had slipped Zoey one of his business cards at one of the first movie nights he had spent with her and Kim. A backup, he had told her, just in case she ever got into trouble and couldn’t reach Kim. He was just a phone call away. He knew that Zoey had been struggling and wanted her to know she had an extra layer of support.

She had eyed the card uncertainly when he had given it to her. It was before their friendship had really cemented. She had taken it and put it in her backpack, but hadn’t entered the number into her cellphone. Jay could sense her lack of faith and didn’t blame her. Her strong support system had been leveled by her parents' divorce, her mother’s rape, and her father’s instability in her life. It was a lot to go through at thirteen when she should have been worried about school dances and middle school crushes.

Zoey felt awful, emotions churning painfully in her stomach and pushing up into her chest restricting her air. She felt like she was heading to face a firing squad. When she had been arrested it had freaked her out, she had never been in trouble. While the others had tried to leave, she had frozen in place when the cops started shouting orders. In the end, it hadn’t mattered, even those who had tried to flee had been caught.

When she'd sat down at the station and asked for her parents' phone numbers she hadn’t answered right away. She knew her dad was away on a “business trip” with his new girlfriend and her mom wasn’t even leaving the house for groceries she doubted she would be able to handle it to leave to come pick her up from the precinct. The desk sergeant had been irritable, thinking she was just being difficult. She knew that if she gave her aunt Kim’s number, she would drop everything and come pick her up. She told herself that she didn’t because she knew her aunt was already stressed with trying to help her mother come to terms with her trauma. But it didn’t make the fact that she was embarrassed and didn’t want her to know any less true.

It had been impulsive to give Jay’s number. She had told the woman that he was her uncle knowing that she couldn’t be released to anyone but family because she was a minor. The woman had looked skeptical, so she had rattled off his badge number too. Zoey had felt like it had been a pretty solid decision until he walked in the door. He didn’t look like Jay who came over and watched movies and made specialty popcorn. The guy who curled up with her aunt and made sassy commentary about what they watched with a smirk on his lips.

No, it was Detective Halstead. He was dressed in street clothes but with a badge hanging around his neck and a gun strapped to his hip. His face was stoic, but his jaw was clenched, his eyebrows furrowed, a hint of tension in his posture. Zoey had gotten used to reading body language in the last year when her parents had started fighting, it was easier to know what was in store for her that day. It had only gotten more finely tuned this year.

Jay's sharp eyes had roved over her analyzing her as he walked in. She had shifted in her seat eyes barely looking up from her sneakers. He hadn’t said anything to her as he had disappeared into another room with the desk sergeant. The minutes he was gone felt like hours, anxiety making her heart race. When they had come back, the two had split off with Jay heading towards her. He had gestured for her to pick up her bag nodding towards the door. He opened the front door for her to leave as they headed across the parking lot in silence.

Zoey stopped a few feet from his truck. “I’m sorry,” Her voice was quiet but clear, “I know you must be really angry…But thank you-for coming to get me.” Jay paused, keys in hand, and turned back to look at her.

“Zoey, I’m not angry-I'm worried.” Zoey dared a glance up at him because it wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. “What were you thinking? Ditching school to trespassing at a building that’s under construction with a bunch of older kids who are drinking? Do you know how dangerous that is?”

“I do know how dangerous it is!” Zoey shot back, “And I wasn’t drinking,” Jay’s face softens, his head cocking to the side as he watches tears shine in her eyes. Her thoughts of her mom were written all over her face. “After everything-I'm not that stupid!”

“Zoey,” Jay watched her body roll with the different emotions boiling up, guilt to anger to frustration and back again. He takes a step towards her and she takes one back.

“I didn’t even know there was going to be alcohol there. I knew it was wrong to skip school, but I was invited to go somewhere for the first time since I’ve been back in Chicago. I didn’t want to break into that building or drink. I just wanted to be around people, make friends, and be accepted. Not be trapped in my house. I just wanted to feel normal.” Hot tears finally broke free sliding down her cheeks. Zoey wiped at them in frustration. “But I’m sorry. I know I messed up. I know I made you leave work and look bad. I promise I won’t call you again.”

“Whoa, whoa, hold on.” Jay's voice rose, “I never said that.” He heard the sharpness of his tone and took a breath to calm himself. “First off, of course, I want you to call me if you are in trouble. I meant it when I gave you my number Zoey, I’m here for you. And I don’t know who made you feel like you couldn’t make mistakes-ask for help, your dad maybe?” He tried to control the emotion on his face as Zoey looked away and he knew he had hit the mark and it made him itch to talk to Jordan more than ever. “But I remember being thirteen and doing some stupid things to fit in. And I didn’t have half the stuff going on that you do right now.”

Zoey bit her bottom lip, shifting awkwardly, more tears falling. Jay closed the distance between them, hand going to the back of her head urging her forward. Zoey fell into his embrace wrapping her arms around his waist as he tucked her under his chin. “I’m here for you kid. But I’d rather not have to spend time with you by picking you up from the station. I’m more of a milkshake and fries kind of guy.” He teases, kissing the top of her head.

“Are you going to tell Aunt Kim?” Jay eased her back wiping the leftover tears off her cheeks. Zoey could already see the answer in his sympathetic blue eyes.

“You know I have to, right?” Zoey looks up trying to twist away from him. “This isn’t something I can keep from her.” Zoey let out a shaky breath before shaking her head and then nodding.

“I know,” She agreed, “But I want to tell her. Will you just… be there while I do?”

Jay lingers on the outskirts of the conversation, and when the tears start up again and Kim pulls Zoey into a tight embrace, he steps away letting them have privacy. He goes to the kitchen and absently starts busying himself with cleaning Kim’s kitchen. He just needs something to do because he can’t fix this. He declutters the countertops before wiping them down, does the dishes, and is in the middle of sweeping the floor when Kim walks in.

Kim walks into the kitchen and stops abruptly when she sees Jay cleaning. He glances up feeling her enter. Her face was unreadable, “Everything okay, sweetheart?” He dumps the dirt into the trash.

“Yeah, I mean as okay as it can be right now. Zoey is still a mess but she agreed to go back to counseling.” Zoey had done a few appointments when she first got back to Chicago but it hadn’t stuck.

“That’s good, I told her it helped me sort out my head when I was struggling.” Jay clipped the dustpan back to the broom and set it back in the closet. “She said that didn’t think it helped last time, but I told her you get out of it what you put in. I’m glad she decided to give it another go.” Kim pressed her lips together watching him. The whirlwind that she had brought him into.

“Thank you for picking Zoey up.” Jay gave her a supportive smile. Kim looked wrung out and frazzled. “Is there anything I need to follow up with at the station? Are there any statements that need to be made or fines or-”

“No, I smoothed out all of it with Sargent Hicks.” Jay soothed, “Zoey’s breathalyzer test came back clean so it didn’t take much to convince him to let her go. I told him she was a good kid just was having a rough time and that if he let her off, he would never see her come through his doors again.” Kim let out a relieved breath tension releasing from her body. Jay’s grin turned sheepish, “Well that and I promised him Salmon.” At Kim’s confused look, he explained, “Hick’s is a fisher but hasn’t been able to go himself the last few years. I’ll be bringing him fish back from the cabin for the foreseeable future. It’s worth it though, he promised me they would leave Zoey’s name out of all the paperwork.”

“Jay, I don’t know what to say. How to thank you.” Kim is floored by his simple response.

“You just did.” Kim could see it in his eyes, that was it. He didn’t need anything else. He wasn’t expecting anything from her. No conditions or strings attached. It was the moment Kim realized she had more than just friendly feelings or lust for Jay Halstead. They were strong and deep and she had no idea what to do with them. He cocked his head to the side in question and she registered that she had just been staring into his soft blue eyes.

For a second, she thought those perceptive eyes had seen right through her. “C’here,” He reached to cup her cheek and pulled her in for a tender lingering kiss to her lips. When their eyes met again his were playful, “Yeah,” he nodded to himself definitively, “That’s more than enough.”

[worldly-fluster]

100 Followers Special

Love and Deepspace Countryside

Country AU

All x Non-MC! Reader

*Mostly the first main 4/Sylus and Xavier in this part-Zayne and Rafayel in the next but there are still moments with them to introduce them.

Holy chit this got long...imma make it into two parts yeah?

Part 1 of 2

---

Summary:

MC was a smart timid city girl, came from a private school. Her friends were her twin sister- a popular girl training to be a cop(16)(not on friendly terms tho), Caleb- football star but always remains sweet(18), and Zayne-who is learning to be a doctor and moved away to further his education(17)(honestly the only one in this story that stays closer to Canon lol he shows up later in story, when MC is 18 and he is 19).

She got bullied so much she was sent away to an old family friends in the country. She was 16. Their son is named Sylus, aged 18.

There, she met Xavier(17 when we meet), the Rodeo star, and Rafayel, the fancy photographer and artist from Australia(we are both 18 when we meet so...two years after living in the country).

---

I watched out of the window as our car drove by empty fields that seemed to stretch on forever. I still couldn't believe he convinced them to let me leave...maybe he bribed them with money. Definitely.

"Hey, we're almost there. The house is just up there...it's huge."

Caleb was the one who drove me, as no one else in my family could. Too busy they said.

I looked forward, to see this huge house and he was not wrong. The mansion was gigantic! I'll be living here for how long?!

My jaw practically hit the floor, I turned to Caleb and his eyes were wide, a big smile on his face.

"Think they got room for one more?"

"I think they have room for the whole city!"

Caleb laughed as he pulled into the main driveway, I could feel my nerves start to get to me. Especially as I saw a few people walk out of the house. There were two men that sat on the porch, and one that stood leaning in the doorway. A kind looking older lady walked out from the porch to greet us.

When the car was in park, the kind looking older lady waved with a smile and as we got out she smiled bigger.

"Oh would you look at you two!"

I hid a little behind Caleb, getting a little overwhelmed. Caleb stepped forward a little and greeted her.

"Hello Ma'am! I'm Caleb, a friend of hers," he pointed behind himself towards me, "and this is MC. She's the one that will be staying here."

"Ma'am? Oh just call me Darla Hun! Come in, come in! We got some fresh fritters that just came outta the oven, must of been a long ride from the city..." She leaned a little closer to me after pushing Caleb to walk towards the house, she whispered, "you don't have to worry darlin' we're all family here. I heard from Franklin about what's goin' on, you can stay here as long as you like."

She pulled me forward, her arm around my shoulders squeezing me close as she led me towards the house.

"Hey Sylus, be a dear and grab her things!" She called to the young man in the doorway, who immediately moved to do as told.

Darla chuckled while he passed us, "I'll tell him to help you out with whatever you need while you're here."

The older men on the porch heard and laughed.

"Hear that Sy?!" One of them called, "You're gonna be on babysitting duty!"

"Fine by me!" 'Sy' called back.

"Already whipped son?" Another called.

I didn't get to hear 'Sy's reply as I was led through the foyer. I looked up at Darla and she just smiled and shook her head.

"You'll get used to them darlin', they're good people."

As we made it to the kitchen area, we saw Caleb who was already eating a fritter.

"Hope you don't mind! I followed the smell and found myself here... couldn't help myself."

"It's alright Hun, they're meant to be eaten." Darla chuckled.

We stood in the kitchen, eating a few fritters as the two talked a bit. I heard someone walk by the kitchen, turning towards the sound I saw 'Sy' walk by with my things. He winked when we made eye contact, making me look away quickly. He chuckled as he continued on towards the stairwell.

"You're really shy, aren't ya?"

Darla sipped her sweet tea as she watched that go down, a smile on her face.

"...I guess."

"Don't worry about it, it's cute." She winked too.

"Isn't she though?" Caleb jumped in, "She's always been downright adorable. Hard to believe she hasn't been whisked away yet right?"

Darla nodded, "So there's no special boy waiting for her back home? A shame...maybe she'll find herself a nice country boy while you're here."

They both laughed, Caleb looking a little glum.

After talking for a bit more, 'Sy' appeared in the doorway once again, empty handed.

"Got it Ma."

"Thank you Sylus, oh! This is MC, and her friend Caleb."

Sylus nodded towards Caleb and smiled at me, "Nice meeting you both."

Caleb clapped his hands gently as he took a few steps, "Like wise, take care of Pipsqueak while she's here alright?"

Sylus nodded as Caleb then turned towards Darla, "Thank you for the fritters but I'll have to take my leave now."

"Oh alright, drive safe you hear?"

"I will!" Caleb turned to me, "behave yourself, make some friends yeah?"

"...do you have to go?" My voice was small as I reached for his hand, he squeezed my hand a bit before pulling me in for a hug.

"I'll visit every week to see how things are going," he sighed, "I'll even bring the others if they're free."

"Really?"

"Yep. So, look forward to it."

We separated after a second and I waved to him as I watched him leave.

I startled as I felt a hand fall onto my shoulder, turning my head I saw Darla.

"I'll show you where you'll be staying."

Sylus moved from the doorway as we walked by towards the stairs leading up. He stayed there for a moment, watching us as we disappeared round the corner upstairs before turning into the kitchen to grab himself a fritter.

Darla led me to a room at the end of the hallway. Opening the door, she showed me a room larger than mine at home.

"Sorry if it's a little cramped in here, this was the guest room or a storage room for the boys gear." Darla fluffed one of the pillows on the bed, "I made them build a shed outside for their stuff when I heard you'd be staying with us. So you'll have this room all to yourself."

"This is...more than enough..." My eyes watered a bit, "I've never had my own room before..."

Darla paused for a moment before turning towards me and pulling me into a hug, "oh sweetheart... I'll make sure you get everything you need and want, just name it alright?"

I stood stiff in her arms for a moment before melting into her hug, "Okay..."

-**

Later that night, as MC slept in her new room, Darla went to sit on the porch. Her husband- Tyler, her Son- Sylus, and the farmhands- Luke and Kieran joined her after a while.

"When Frankie told me about her...I thought he was talking outta his ass, ain't no way a family would treat their daughter like that..." Darla spoke softly, "but seeing how she acts...I don't think he was bluffin'."

"What did he tell ya Ma?" Sylus spoke up.

Darla shook her head, "That's not important, what I need you to do Sylus, is make sure she feels comfortable. If Frankie was telling the truth, she needs a few good friends out here."

"You got it Ma."

Darla smiles before turning towards her husband with a look, but before she can say anything Tyler interrupted, "We'll see about it Dear."

He knew what she was thinking, knowing that she already has a soft spot for the timid city girl.

-**

I woke up the next day, before the sun even peaked out of the night sky. My anxiety about being in a new place without anyone I actually knew getting the best of me.

I looked around my new room, putting away some of my things. It was different, not having to share. Having my own space. After I was done putting what little I had away, I sat on my bed to read a book I brought from home.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when there was a knock on the door.

"Up and attem City Girl," I heard Sylus' voice through the door, "Breakfast is almost ready."

I looked out of the large window in the room to see the sun was starting to rise. It looked like I lost track of time...

"... coming!"

I was already dressed and ready for the day, so I stepped out of bed after I placed my book on the nightstand. I opened the door to Sylus still standing there.

"Morning."

I looked up at him, finally noticing how tall and big he was.

"... morning." I greeted quietly, looking down at my feet.

We stood like this in the doorway for a bit before Sylus took a step to the side.

"Foods gonna get cold."

I nodded as I stepped out of the room and made my way quickly down to the kitchen, missing how his eyes narrowed with a frown on his face. He grunted before following me.

As I entered the kitchen, the heavenly smell of a home cooked breakfast hit my nose, making my mouth water.

Darla stood at the stove, humming a tune and flipping pancakes.

When she heard the heavy steps of her son coming in behind me she turned, a look of surprise on her face as she saw me.

"Oh! I didn't hear you come in Darlin'! Come grab a plate and fill 'er up!"

Sylus stood behind me, peering over my head. "Ladies first."

I walked fully into the kitchen, grabbed a plate and put a biscuit, two pieces of bacon and a pancake on it.

As I sat at the kitchen table and started eating, I didn't notice Darla and Sylus share a look, both frowning. Sylus filled his plate up with two biscuits covered in gravy, multiple pieces of bacon, two scoops of scrambled eggs and three pancakes. As he sat down he looked at my plate.

"Aren't ya gonna get some more?"

I shook my head as I nibbled on the biscuit. He furrowed his brows at my response, but continued to eat his own food.

"So Sylus," Darla placed the big stack of pancakes in the middle of the table, "what's the plan for today?"

"I was thinkin' about goin' out for a ride around the pasture. Check on the cattle and make sure we have no summer calves this year."

"Last year was a doozy...hey MC, do you know how to ride a horse?" Darla looked towards me.

I swallowed the food in my mouth, before nodding my head.

"I have rode before...but it's been a while."

"Great! Do you wanna join Sylus then? I'm sure he'd like the company."

Sylus glanced up from his plate to see my response.

"um...I think I want to finish unpacking, if that's okay with you?"

Darla smiled and nodded, "That's alright, maybe another time then."

I nodded, then quickly finished my plate. I cleaned my dirty dishes in the sink before turning to Darla.

"Thank you for the food Ms.Darla."

I rushed out before she could respond so I could go back to the room, not noticing them both frown and Darla turn towards Sylus with a look of worry.

When I made it to my room, I sat on my bed and continued to read my book. I was just trying to get comfortable with my surroundings...but it was hard to break these habits of hiding myself away.

---

It went on like this for a few days.

Sylus would be at your bedroom door in the morning to tell you breakfast was ready, you would have a too small breakfast to their liking, spend the day in your room watching everyone outside the window. Everytime it was time to eat, Sylus would be at your door.

But one day...

---

I was watching the clouds today...the big cumulonimbus in the distance and the wind blown wheat fields telling me a storm was coming, and fast.

I watched as the men were getting ready to go take care of the cattle, but what they were wearing would not be suitable for this storm.

Without much thought I ran out of the room and down through the kitchen, startling Darla, and out the front door.

I stopped suddenly at the porch, a little nervous to be approaching them.

Darla came walking out behind me, drying her hands on her pale apron.

"What's wrong Darlin'?"

"...it's going to rain."

"Really? How can you tell?

I pointed out at the big clouds, much closer than before already.

"There's a big cumulonimbus pushing it's way towards us, you can tell it's coming in fast by the way the wheat is blowing."

Darla let out a hum, as she nodded.

"Then we need to let the boys know, right?"

"...yeah."

Darla lifted two fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle, getting their attention.

Tyler called to Sylus and nodded towards us, saying something I couldn't quite hear, before Sylus jogged over.

"Yes Ma?"

Darla nodded towards me while saying, "MC told me that it's gonna start raining, think you boys are well equipped fur it?"

Sylus tilted his head and lifted his brow, "I wouldn't quite say we are...I'll go get the ponchos then."

"Good boy. Tell your father no dawdling. Don't want any of my boys sick."

"Yes Ma."

Sylus walked back to Tyler and they spoke for a bit before Sylus went to one of the sheds, bringing out a few ponchos.

Darla and I sat on the covered porch, watching as the boys rode off on their horses, not a minute later the sky got a bit darker and it started to pour.

Darla smiled.

"Good call there Sweetie."

"...it's not a big deal."

Darla nodded before turning to head inside, "It's pretty big out here. Not a lot of us folk are good at tellin' the weather. Changes too quick."

I watched as she went inside before I turned back to watch the rain. I felt... pretty good that I was able to help, even a little bit.

By the time they got back, the rain seemed to be pouring down more and there was some lightning cracking across the dark cloudy sky. They were only out there for a few minutes.

I watched as they came through the fence before I headed inside.

I would have went back up to my room but Darla invited me down for some warm tea. I sat at the bar in the kitchen drinking the warm sweet honey tea.

Tyler was the first to walk in, wet but not as soaked as he could have been. He sat down at the kitchen table with a towel over his shoulder. Darla walked over to him with his own mug of warm sweet honey tea. As he sipped his tea he let out a sigh and relaxed into the cushioned wooden chair.

All three of us sat in silence for a moment before Darla turned to Tyler and coughed an ahem, motioning towards me with her eyes.

He grunted, "Oh, right...thank you for the warnin'."

I paused, not having actually heard his voice before. It was deep with a thicker country twang.

I looked into my mug of tea, "...you're welcome sir."

"Call me Ty."

We sat in silence for barely a second when there was a ruckus at the front door.

"I saw you jump! You're scared of thunder."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

I recognized the voices of the two young men that were on the porch when I arrived here, I don't think I got their names.

"Both of you jumped and yelped like scared puppies. Now grab a towel and dry off before Ma skins you alive for tracking water."

I heard Sylus' voice with them.

"Yes Boss."

I stood, with my now empty mug and washed it before placing it on the towel by the sink.

"Thank you..."

I smiled at Darla and Ty before heading to the stairs to go back to my room.

I walk across the hall towards the stairs when I'm stopped by Sylus' voice.

"That was pretty cool what you did," Sylus stood with a cream colored towel over his head, "How were you able to tell it was gonna rain?"

One of the young men beside him jumped up from taking off his boots, "Yeah!"

The other slightly taller boy spoke up after, "The sun was shining and everything."

The two of them looked similar, twins I think, other than the small hight difference and light scarring on the taller of the two's lower face and down his neck which was covered in a red bandana.

I paused in my walking, looking at the three of them before awkwardly coughing, "...I just looked at the cloud in the distance and the wind blowing the wheat..."

The slightly smaller twin widened his eyes, "Woah..."

I raised my shoulders a little and blushed, "Anyone can do it..."

"Not just anyone," Sylus takes a few steps towards me and I instinctively take a step back, he frowns slightly and stops walking, "None of us knew to pay attention to the clouds in the distance, let alone the way the wheat was blowing."

"Well uh..." My voice went up in pitch but before i could finish my thought, Sylus interrupted me.

"The county Fair is gonna be in town this week. Let's all go together."

"Yeah!"

"That would be fun, think Boss Lady will give us those days off?"

Sylus turned to them, "If we ask real nice...or," He turns towards me and smiles, "we can have this sweetheart ask for us?"

"I...don't know."

"Ah, come on," the smaller twin takes a step forward, "Please? We'll make sure you have fun when you come with us!"

"I don't even know who you are..."

"Oh! Right, I'm Luke!" The shorter of the two taps his chest, a proud smile on his face.

"And I'm Kieran," The taller one nods his head with a smile.

Luke lifts his leg to get a sock off his foot, jumping a bit before he puts a hand on Kieran's shoulder. While he does so he pipes up, "You don't have to tell us your name though, Sylus won't stop talking abou-"

Sylus interrupts him with a tap to the back of his leg making him practically fold in half.

I couldn't help but let out a short laugh as I watched him panic and almost bring Kieran down with him. Sylus smiled wide when he heard me laugh for the first time since I got here, happy to have been the one to cause it.

I raise my hand to my mouth and clear my throat, "I'll...ask her later."

I then, without looking back, practically run up the stairs, missing the look on Sylus' face.

"Oh your down bad."

"Shut up Luke."

The twins both giggle as they walk to the kitchen to get their own warm honey tea, leaving Sylus alone with his thoughts.

"...maybe." He mumbled while looking up the staircase then turning to get his own tea before Darla decides she doesn't want to make more.

---

"You have fun at the Fair you hear? Don't lose each other or no Fritters for a week!" Darla and Ty agreed to let the four of us have the next week off to have fun at the Fair. Only because it would be my first actual Fair and Darla wanted me to experience all of it.

"We will Ma! Be back late!"

"Make sure to be back though!"

Darla waved us off as we took the family truck down the long driveway, towards where they said the Fair was taking place.

We drove for around 30 minutes until we finally made it to the Fair grounds.

"You ready?" Sylus turns to me as Kieran parked the truck in the first open spot he saw.

I nodded as I looked out at the large amount of people walking in and out of the Fair.

That's...a lot of people.

Luke and Kieran jumped out of the truck first, Sylus following shortly after. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I opened the door and slid out, catching up to them quickly.

So many people...what could go wrong?

---

Everything.

Not even ten minutes into being here and all three of them ran off...to be honest I think Luke was the one to run off and Kieran just kept on walking, while Sylus ran after Luke to make sure he didn't spend all of our money in one go.

Before I could follow either one, I was knocked onto the ground by a kid who bodied me in order to get to a ride before his friends, I don't think he even realised.

When I stood up, I looked around and couldn't find them.

I was lost. At the Fair. In a place I'm unfamiliar in.

I kept walking straight, hoping to run into at least Kieran, but I ended up by the Rodeo Entrance somehow. I was going to turn around when I heard a horse whinney.

I found myself curious, and wanting to get out of the buzz of the croud, so I entered the Horse barn. I figured I could since many people were walking in and out with their kids.

When I entered I looked at the many stalls full of Horses, but I kept hearing the whinnies coming from a stall farther in so I followed it.

I found myself at the stall of the culprit, a beautiful gray spotted stud who was pacing his stall. There was a little placue hanging off the side of the stall with the name Pluto on it.

"Pluto, huh." I stood near the stall, looking in at a safe distance.

It seemed Pluto heard me as his ears swiveled towards me and he walked closer, calming down a bit but I could still see him breathing heavy. He stretched his head as far as he could go towards me, giving short puffs and grunts as if wanting attention.

I smiled as I held my hand out for him to sniff. After a sniff or two he pushed his head down so my hand would scratch along his long head, making me giggle as I brought both of my hands up to scratch his head.

Pluto made a noise of approval as he blinked his eyes slowly, wiggling his upper lip. I kept one hand stratching his head and moved the other to behind his ears and down his neck.

I heard footsteps stop behind me but I was too preoccupied with petting Pluto that I didn't think much on it.

"I was wondering why he went quiet," I was slightly startled when I heard a soft voice behind me.

Turning my head to look at who spoke, I saw a tall young man, maybe my age. He had soft silver locks and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. He was wearing a cream colored buttoned shirt with dark blue Levi's and a pair of slightly dirty leather boots.

I looked towards him then back at Pluto who was moving his head up and down, trying to get me to continue giving him scratches. I giggled and did as I was 'told'.

"Pluto doesn't normally let anyone but me get near him," The blue eyed man stepped up next to me and ran his hand down Pluto's neck, "but he seems to like you."

We stood in silence for a moment before he turned to me with his hand out, "I'm Xavier."

I awkwardly took his hand and we shook once in greeting.

"...I'm MC."

"I don't think I've seen you around here before MC."

"Yeah, I just moved here..."

"Where are you from?"

I continued to pet Pluto, who seemed very happy with that.

"I'm from Bloomshore..."

"That's a long way from Linkon."

"About, I think, an 8 hour drive," I nodded.

He let out a low whistle, causing me to smile a bit.

"What do you even do for 8 hours? Count trees?"

I giggled, "We listened to music, some advice?"

He nodded.

"Never ride with someone for 8 hours if they can't sing."

We both chuckled.

We ended up talking for a while, it made me forget I was lost in the first place. He told me how he was going to be in the Rodeo later in the night, ropping cattle and barrels. He said he was even going to help with the Bullriding.

Before either of us realized, it was getting dark and the Rodeo was going to begin soon.

Xavier invited me to watch him, I agreed thinking maybe I'll be able to find Sylus, Luke or Kieran there while also being able to hang out with my new friend.

Xavier introduced me to a few more people, a nice guy named Jeremiah, a bubbly girl named Tara, and a kind older girl named Jenna.

They made me feel welcome and I couldn't help but laugh along with them as I almost completely forgot about finding the others.

The Rodeo was in full swing now, Xavier got first in roping, showing off a bit afterwards with a few tricks, and Tara got first in barrels. Jenna and Jeremiah stayed back to watch them with me from the barred fence.

Tara came back with her 1st place ribbon while Xavier went to go help the other men with getting ready for the bullriding.

Right before the first rider sat on the bull, I heard my name being called from behind us.

"MC! There you are."

Sylus came up to us, Jenna standing a little closer to me as Tara crossed her arms.

"Who are you?" Tara sassed.

"Names Sylus, and I would 'preciate it if I could talk to MC here."

Jenna turned to me, "You know him?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "He's one of the guys I came here with."

Jenna nodded, "Ah, the friends you got seperated from right?"

Tara seemed to deflate with a sigh, "Awe man, does that mean you gotta go now?"

"Yes, we are goin' home." Sylus cut in, his shoulders tense with stress from trying to find you for hours.

I looked at Sylus then turned to my new friends with a smile, "Well, I guess I'll see you guys around?"

"Wait, you haven't said bye to Xavier," Jeremiah cut in before we could walk away.

"Yeah," Tara smiled, "He would be wondering where you went if he came back to you bein' gone."

Jenna lifted up her phone, "I'll call him now, he should be here in a jiffy."

"No, no," Sylus placed his hand on my shoulder, "Ma called and said we should head home when we find her. Sorry to bother you."

I looked from Sylus to my new friends a few times as he pulled me away towards the exit.

"You have our numbers! If you're ever in town just give us a holler!" Tara waved me off as Jenna finished the call.

I gave her a smile and a small wave back as we exited.

I missed it when Xavier ran up to them, looking around and out of breath. A look of disappointment on his face after they explained what happened.

---

The ride back home, Sylus was silent as the twins asked about what I did and I told them about Pluto and how I made some nice friends.

The twins congratulated me on getting out there and making friends.

"Maybe next time though, don't disappear on us yeah?"

"Boss was worried sick."

"Shoulda seen his face..."

Sylus grunted as he continued to drive, not really in the talkative mood after seeing you more friendly with a bunch of strangers than you have been with him since you moved in.

"Oh...Sorry, I tripped when Luke went to the food stalls, when I looked up you guys were gone."

"Well...did you have fun at least?"

"Yeah," I smiled, "Thank you for taking me."

---

The next day, Sylus came up to my room and told me to get dressed.

"You didn't get to ride any of the rides yesterday right? So let's go today."

"Okay, let me get ready."

"Alright, I'll be at the truck."

When I made it downstairs I ran into Darla.

She smiled and told me, "Have fun Dear, and don't get lost this time."

I smiled back with a nod and walked out to the truck only to see just Sylus.

"Where are the other two?" I asked as I hopped into the passenger side.

Sylus smirked, "They got roped into more chores so it's just us today."

"Oh," I blinked in surprise before having an idea, "Can I invite my friends?"

Sylus strained a smile, "Sure, we can hang out with your new friends."

I smiled excitedly as I pulled my phone from my pocket and went to Tara's contact.

MC: Hey Tara, this is MC

Tara: Hey girl! We missed you after you left last night, especially Xavier 👀

Tara: Anyway what's up?

MC: Sylus and I are heading back to the Fair grounds to go ride the rides, do you guys want to join us?

MC: You don't have to if you don't want to

Tara: Of course! I'll text the others, we need a break from the Rodeo stuff anyway

MC: Awesome!

Tara: Meet you at the Rodeo Entrance?

MC: Yes! We're almost to the Fair grounds, Sylus says 5 more minutes

Tara: See you then!

I smiled wide as I put my phone down.

Sylus couldn't help the smile that painted his face at seeing you so happy, but a little tug at his heart that he wasn't the only reason.

---

"MC! Over here!"

I saw Tara waving her hand from her spot at the Rodeo Entrance.

I waved back as I moved just a little faster out of excitement, Sylus following closely behind with his hands in his pockets and posture relaxed.

He was a little nervous because he didn't want to ruin your new friendships, he kinda likes that you're excited and being out of that room. He was honestly worried he wouldn't be able to get you out and about, so when he remembered the Fair, he really wanted to take you. So he can hopefully get you to experience something good while here, and it seemed he got his wish.

"Hey so, I haven't actually told Xavier you were here yet."

Tara started as we got to her. She had a wide smile on her face.

"He's been brushing Pluto before the sun rose this morning."

Jeremiah leaned out from his hiding spot on the other side of the entrance.

"I think he was pretty bummed out when he wasn't able to say bye last night."

"How long have you been there?!" Tara screeched.

"He has been in Pluto's stall even before I got up this morning," Jenna walked by carrying a jug of her sweet tea, "and I get up at 6 every morning."

Tara looked bewildered, "He usually sleeps till late durring the Fair."

I furrowed my brows in concern as we all started walking towards the Horse Barn.

We all joked around, Sylus mingling perfectly with them with his charm.

As we made it close to Pluto's stall Tara stopped me before I could walk closer and put a finger to her lips.

"Oh Xavier~"

"I told you, Tara, let me finish this."

"Just give me a second, remember MC?"

"Yeah. Why? Is she okay? Is she here?"

Jeremiah chuckled as he leaned on the stall door, "Why don't you come out here and see for yourself cowboy."

Xavier came up to the stall door, practically shoving Jeremiah to the side. Tara and Jenna laughed as Xavier looked around for a moment before spotting me to the side.

I smiled and waved awkwardly, a smile spreading over Xavier's face as he took a few steps closer. He looked so happy that if he could have glowed, he would.

He stopped short though, as Sylus took a step closer to me from behind. They both locked eyes for a moment before Xavier decided to completely ignore him in favor of talking to me.

"Here to see Pluto?"

My eyes light up with excitement as I nod quickly and walk around him to see Pluto, who was throwing his head up and down while huffing, trying to get our attention.

When I get close enough, he meets my hand halfway with gusto.

I giggle, not even noticing the stare off happening behind me.

---

"So MC, which ride first?" Sylus asked as we all were walking through the less crowded Fairgrounds, "How about The Zipper?"

I look to where he is pointing to see a ride...that looks so unsafe. It had cages on two sides that spun around like if a Farriswheel was on crack. My face went a bit pale.

Before I could say anything though, Xavier spoke up from next to me, his hand on my shoulder.

"Nah, how about the bumper cars?"

I turned to Xavier and nodded so fast that I thought I was going to break something. Xavier smiled triumphantly as he led us away from The Zipper while Sylus crossed his arms and frowned before following slowly.

---

As we got into our own bumper cars, I got in a white one, Sylus in a red, Xavier in a silver, Tara in a pink, Jenna and Jeremiah stayed to the side both agreeing that four people is enough.

Sylus and Xavier seemed to take it as a challenge and immediately went after each other, almost to the point of breaking the bumper cars, while Tara and I were off to the side lightly bumping each other while giggling.

Jenna and Jeremiah watched on as the two boys attacked each other, then looking over to see two girls having the time of their lives. The two shared a look before making bets.

Who's gonna get hurt first, and will she notice?

---

By the end of the day, Xavier won a few suffies from game stalls- a star plush and a big plush banana, Sylus won one huge stuffie Crow- could honestly almost pass for a bean bag.

While the two were busy trying to one up each other, Tara and Jeremiah watching for the drama, Jenna and I spotted a stand that had someone showcasing an older man doing tricks with a laso.

---

Luke and Kieran were showing me a few of their favorite spots to go riding when they came up with a prank to get back at Sylus.

"Hey MC, wanna help us with this prank?" Luke was the one to ask, Kieran nodding next to him.

"Yeah, we wanna get Boss back for making us do his chores so he could run around at the Fair...and this will only work if you agree. Please?"

"I don't know guys..."

Luke put his hands on my shoulders pushing me to sit on a log.

"Come on," Luke started.

"All you have to do is sit all pretty, right here," Kieran finished.

"...fine. But if this goes wrong, it's all on you guys."

"Yes, yes."

"We know the drill."

They ran off before I could say much else, let alone ask what the prank was. So I just sat there like they said, but I didn't have to wait long.

Just barely 5 minutes later and I heard the thundering of horse hooves pounding the dirt.

"MC?!"

I heard Sylus' yell before I saw him riding his stallion at almost full sprint towards my location. When he spotted me sitting on the log he rode up near me, barely getting the horse to stop before he jumped off, stumbling a little bit on the way.

"MC! Are you okay?!"

He practically threw himself on the ground in front of me, eyes searching frantically for something before settling on my face.

"I'm okay Sylus, what happened?"

"You sure? Luke and Kieran told me that while y'all were walking, you got bit by something?"

"No?"

"..." Sylus' shoulders sagged as he let out a sigh. "This was a prank, wasn't it."

"...yeah, they told me to just sit here. Didn't actually tell me what it was."

He ran a hand over his face before getting up. He held his hand out to help me stand and then led me over to his horse.

"Well, while I'm here I'll ride you back home."

He paused in his step before correcting himself.

"I'll give you a ride home. Give."

I giggled as he helped me onto his saddle.

"Whatever you say..."

He scowled as he saddled up behind me. I couldn't see his red face and ears behind me, but I could hear it in his voice.

"You know what I mean."

---

It's been about a year now, Caleb visits every other week as he gets busier with his school and job. He just started actually flying planes, those small ones with the blades on the front. He's slowly working his way up to the big planes and becoming a pilot that takes everyone, everywhere.

Xavier, Tara, Jenna and Jeremiah have visited the Qin Farm a few times, especially when it was my birthday, in which I was gifted with my own horse thanks to Sylus and Xavier- apparently the horse I was gifted is Pluto's twin brother and Sylus came up with the idea when he heard about Xavier's family wanting to sell him. He was named Hermes because he was quick, and a 'ladies man'. Darla and Ty love these new friends of mine and Xavier gained Ty's respect when he helped wrangle a runaway calf that didn't want to get caught. He lassoed it's legs as it ran and immediately turned a few minutes chase into a few seconds.

I actually asked Xavier if he could teach me how to use a lasso and I took to it like a bird in the sky. Xavier would even say I was getting better than him.

By the time the County Fair came around again, I was confident in my skills enough to show off. I pulled off many cool tricks and wrangled many calves and cattle, impressing many people to the point I made it onto the local newspaper by the end of the Fair. The photo was of me on Hermes back lassoing a calf mid jump.

Slowly but surely I was feeling more myself, more free, than I ever felt before. All thanks to my new friends, the family I found here.

After the Fair, Ty has appointed me as the official calf wrangler and now whenever a calf is loose or they need one caught, they send me and Hermes out with Sylus and Mephisto- the black stallion that Sylus owns, as my backup in case the mamma gets pissed.

The next year until the county Fair, I started to visit the old family friend that sent me to the Qin's Farm, to say thank you, and apparently he is Sylus' great Uncle. His name is Jun 'Franklin' Qin, he came to the country from China when he was barely 10 years old with his older sister and grandparents.

The interesting stories he told kept me coming back and soon I was close enough to him I would forget he wasn't actually family, he even let me call him gramps.

Soon the year was up and it was time for the County Fair once again, and I was looking forward to it.

---

"...Zayne?"

"MC? What are you doing here?"

We smiled as we both went in for a hug long over due. He was as warm as I remembered.

"I'm here because my friend here," I gestured to Tara who awkwardly waved with her sprained wrist, "Decided to try fighting a pole."

"Really?"

"She lost." Me and Zayne laughed as Tara whined out a 'Hey!'.

"Well, I'll make sure to patch up your friend here so she can live to fight poles another day."

After Zayne fixed up Tara he turned to me, "You were only a year younger than me correct?"

"Yep! I'm, what, 18 now?"

Tara jumped in with excitement, "Yeah! Remember how we all went noodling in the river out by the Fair grounds last year?"

"Oh yeah! I caught a pretty big one," I smiled, not missing the way Zayne's eyes widened.

"Sylus and Xavier were catching them left and right, it was pretty funny. Especially when one of them popped up with smaller ones, very underwhelming."

"I see."

I laughed as I watched Zayne try to keep a soft smile on his face but his scrunched eyebrows and barely wobbly smile gave him away.

I decided to spare him and let him continue his job, saying a quick goodbye and leaving my new phone number with him.

As I walked away, Tara making a beeline to one of the many food trucks, I was approached by a young man, possibly my age, with wavey violet hair and an expensive looking camera hanging from his neck.

"Hey um, can you help me? I'm a little lost." His voice was masculine and he had a bit of an accent to him.

I smiled as I turned fully to him, noticing his brightly colored eyes, "Yeah, sure where you goin'?"

He smiled in relief, "I'm looking for the 'Stables', I'm here to take pictures and I really wanted to get some shots of horses."

I nodded as I motioned for him to follow me, "Really? That explains the camera, the horse stables are this way if you want to follow me. I was gonna go check on Hermes anyway."

He smiled as he walked next to me, his hand reaching up to hold his camera so it doesn't bounce around as we walk, "Thank you, really. Do you own a horse then?"

I nodded again, "Yeah, he's a sweetheart really. I got him from a friend of mine that didn't have anymore room at his own Stables. He actually still owns the twin brother to Hermes, named Pluto."

"That's actually really neat, I feel like everyone here owns horses but me." He jokes.

I smile as I continue leading him closer to the Stables, "Oh, before I forget. My name's MC."

I hold out my hand to shake his, he takes it gently and gives a light shake.

"Rafayel," He smiles, "now that I think about it, your name sounds familiar...you look familiar too."

"Ah, I was in the newspaper last year- 'City girl goes country' I think was the title."

Rafayel's eyes light up in recognition, "Oh yeah! A friend of mine, Thomas, was here last year and sent me that newspaper. The photography of the horses got me inspired to try to capture more of the majestic beauty of them."

He smiled as he continued, his excitement bubbling up to the point he was almost skipping, "In Australia they don't have many opportunities to ride horses, so I figured why not come down here to see what I could find."

My eyes widened and shone with excitement that could rival his own, "You're from Australia?! I always wanted to go there!"

He smiled and equaled my excitement, "If you ever end up going, there are many places I could show you! Think of it as a thank you for helping me!"

I giggled excitedly as I nodded quickly, "That would be so fun! It would probably be a few years but I can't wait until then!"

"Yeah! And-"

Rafayel was cut off as a familiar voice cut through with a cough. We both looked forward, noticing we made it to the stables and we were just standing in the large doorway, Sylus stood there leaning on the side.

"What's this I hear about fun? Without me?"

---

***imma end it right here so I can move on to part 2- this one got long lol but I'm proud of it***

**started rushing a bit but that's fine ig, more details in part 2 then**

[whiskyanndboots]

Brutal

Summary - "Dean, I care about our relationship way too much just to be your South Dakota good time while you're in town"

Pairing - DeanxReader - Platonic!BobbyxReader

Warnings -Angst, infodump for upcoming series, tension, no editing once again

Slight continuation of SNAP

Meeting Bobby Singer had changed your life entirely, he and Rufus had saved you and two co-workers from a vampire attack after several Friday night margaritas. Your co-workers were happy to forget it had ever happened, even denied it after awhile, you however couldn't let it go. You'd researched every single thing you could about vampires, your brief encounter helped you weed out the impossible from the highly probable. 

You call it some kind of early midlife crisis, you had regularly taken time off your job to track down victims of possible vampire attacks. You are well aware how unhinged that was, you even had the crazy person map on the wall with thread attached to markers detailing all the possible vampire attacks in the area you'd been able to find, colour coded and everything. 

You decided since you weren't actively looking to interact with any vampires, just gathering information tor curiosities sake that you were safe. 

The next 4 months you were practically obsessed and while on one of your solo road trips you found a lead in Colorado that lead you to another in New York. You had stopped in the small town of Sioux Falls for the day to rest before driving more. Seeing one of the men that had saved you in the aisle of a grocery store buying beer and hamburger helper was so unexpected you almost ran into a coca cola display. 

He had ducked his head when he'd recognised you, he had rushed the cashier when you'd gone to talk to him anyway and he'd started speed walking to his car when you dumped your things and followed him out. 

Bobby Singer was not happy when you told him what you'd been doing if the "Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" was anything to go by. 

You'd told Bobby you weren't hunting, god no, you just wanted to know about this hidden world inside the one you thought you knew. You'd showed him the journal of vampire facts you'd written, which he immediately pointed out two wrong things you'd thought were correct.

He'd rubbed a hand down his face and stared for a moment. Then he asked how old you were, what you did and if you were married, children, basically everything about your life. He'd quickly realised you weren't going to be convinced into going home or letting this go so he begrudgingly told you his address. 

Right there in a Sioux Falls grocery store parking lot started your unlikely friendship.

You turned up at Bobby's the next morning and he grumpily educated you on vampires and let you have free rein of his extensive library so you'd go and leave him "the hell alone". Three weeks later, you'd quit your job and moved to Sioux Falls, you got a job at a tavern and rented a room nearby, you'd visit Bobby on weekends, sometimes even weekday afternoons. 

You'd never said you weren't impulsive or that you weren't escaping your old life. 

Around six weeks later you were living in Bobby's spare room, he'd said "Why are you wasting money on that shithole, I've got a room upstairs as along as you don't plan on annoyin' the crap outta me", you moved in and realised Singer Salvage was a mess on the business front. You'd spent your days researching monsters, trying to learn ancient languages which was as hard as it sounds, and organising Singer Salvage's inventory and sales. You'd quit your bar job when you'd started making Bobby money and he decided you were now his receptionist, both for hunters and the junk yard. It made it all more believable when you picked up and 'transferred' calls to your boss when cops called.

You'd later learn why Bobby was so willing to take you in. 

One night in late July, not long after you'd moved in, you'd both had a bit to drink and you built up the courage to finally ask Bobby about an old polaroid you'd found of himself and two young men. He'd told you about Dean and hell, how Sam's been of the grid ever since he died. Bobby had lost the two men he'd considered sons and you were filling some kind of void for him though he'd never admitted it, he wanted some companionship.

It was for the first time you really understood the sadness and loss that came with hunting, Bobby had many friends, not many close, but no family. 

The more time you spent with Bobby the soft spot you immediately had for him became ten times it's size. You learnt to cook more, he complained about the healthier things, but the guy had to watch his chloestrol. You cleaned when he was away and catlogued his never ending junk yard of parts and cars to sell. You still remembered the look on his face when you pulled out $2500 in cash you'd gotten on a day trip you'd taken to sell his stuff after he'd told you this 'junk wasn't worth that much". Problem was Bobby knew where every artififact, weapon, rare herbs and weird stuff was in his house, but he couldn't remember all the things he had buried out back amoungst the rusted out steel. 

Google had turned you into a parts expert, the only rule he had was to make sure he didn't need it and not to let any buyers here, public exchange only. 

It was an oddly simple life considering Bobby's profession. You became receptioinist for Singer Salvage by day and various FBI and Department of whatevers assistants in the shadows,he'd taught you how to answer phones while he was gone, what to say to keep the hunters out there covered and what kills what so you could help any hunter who called when he wasn't around. You were no Bobby, but you were getting better. 

Bobby had decided a beat up 1970 Chevy Chevelle was going to teach you all things cars, told you that you should know how to do things on your own, this one wasn't going so well, honestly Bobby had done most of it while you watched and admittedly zoned out for majority of it. 

The only thing Bobby wouldn't do was let you hunt. That was a hard, solid line and you did not mind in the slightest, you'd had to help on one salt and burn once when Bobby needed and that was enough. Monsters, ghosts and demons in theory were interesting, the reality of it you could miss. 

Bobby's drinking had you more worried than any supernatural creature did, you enjoyed the occasional alcoholic beverage, but the empty bottles you'd fine some mornings that weren't there when you went to bed worried you, but he would snap if you ever pushed. You were planning on a more subtle intervention.

You'd gone to a friends wedding in September and returned to absolute chaos of a resurection and an apocalypse. Bobby wanted you to pack your things and leave, you refused. You now wondered if that choice was a huge mistake. 

That was the first time you'd met Sam and Dean Winchester. 

It felt like a lifetime ago. 

It was February now and they'd missed both Christmas and New Years, you'd forced Bobby into swapping gifts on Christmas and by gifts you meant a bottle of scotch and some skincare gift pack Bobby must have grabbed at the grocery store, which strangely made you feel warm inside. 


You, Sam, Dean and Bobby were now sitting on Bobby's front porch and had been for the last few hours, just talking, it was nice considering how intense things had been for the last few months.


Sam and Dean had been through alot with the snippets Bobby had told you, despite how very much involved you were Bobby was still keeping it vague with what was going on out there. You'd heard them talking about a demon named Alistair, Lilith, Angels and Seals when you had turned on the shower and snuck out to listen to what they were talking about when they thought you couldn't hear.

Lilith. 

She hadn't come for you, it'd been months. Your rescue from her demon minions was miraculous and you'd been living on the edge ever since, Lilith had said she needed you for something, you have no idea what. 

You laughed loudly with everyone at Bobby's story about a hunt with Rufus, you were pleasantly buzzed after a few vodka limes on this particularly hot afternoon. You liked when Dean and Sam came, especially when you had moments like this, moments when you could pretend the apocalypse wasn't looming over you all. 

You stood up asking if anyone else wanted another drink with an all around yes. You said you'd get some snacks too.

Three days ago when Sam and Dean arrived was the first time you'd seen Dean since the motel room incident two months ago. Some nights you couldn't sleep thinking about that night, just rolling around unable to get comfortable or relaxed because you couldn't stop relieving the way Dean's hands felt on your skin, how his mouth felt against yours. 

Neither of you had brought it up again, just like you'd asked. 

You opened the refrigerator pulling out some cheese, dip and salami and crackers. The first time you'd made a glorified cheese platter for Bobby he'd scrunched his face up at 'this fancy crap' you'd stared at him incredulously, 'fancy? It's lazy dinner'

Now he's a cheese platter fiend, not that he'd admit it. You regularly drink beer on a Saturday afternoon eating too much cheese and breadsticks while watching football or reality TV.

"Want some help?" Dean's voice startled you, you turned around from cutting salami to see him leaning in the door way. 

"No, I'm nearly done, do you want your beer?" You asked grabbing a bottle from there fridge and holding it out towards him to quick not to be obviously nervous. 

Dean pushed off the doorway, his eyes moved down your body as he crossed the room, so brazenly, you were immediately off kilter. The tank top and denim shorts suddenly made you feel suddenly bare.

You wouldn't let him know, you wouldn't show him how much he rattled you. You were an adult for god sake, why did he make you so nervous and stupid? he never used to. 

You'd been lulled into a false sense of security, you weren't sure if it was going to be awkward when you watched the Impala roll up the driveway, but to your great relief Dean was completely normal, he was even back to his old self and wasn't treating you like you were cotton wool.

The blatant way he was checking you out caught you off guard, It had to be the alcohol you'd all consumed.


He took the bottle from your hand and you quickly turned back to the food you were getting ready, you took a swig of the vodka you'd made yourself to calm down.

You had to get a grip on yourself. 

"I'll be out soon" You said without turning around. You just had to get this ready and go back out and continue drinking, eating and laughing, no issues.

"You been doing ok, feel like we haven't talked?" Dean asked from behind, damnit he wasn't leaving.

He was right, you'd found yourself alone with him two days ago while you were making some tweaks to the Chevelle, you were about to get Bobby to check it over, you weren't an overly confident home mechanic without him yet. 

"She not running?" Dean's voice made you jump. 

"Jesus, Dean" You huffed holding your chest.

"Bit on edge there (Y/N)" He laughed "What's going on?" He peered under the hood beside you. 

"Making a weird noise, I think something is loose and vibrating on the engine, I'm pretty sure it's here" You pointed, looking at Dean for assurance.

“Can I have a look?" Dean questioned raising his eyebrows. 

"Sure" You smiled easily moving out of his way.

Dean leant under the hood and peered into your engine bay "Can you turn her on?" 

You moved to the front seat and turned the key until you heard Dean yell to stop. You jumped out and came back to stand beside him.

"Very close, looks like that one, but it's further back" He strained leaning further in and gestured "Over here" you peered over his shoulder. 

"We can get this apart and tighten it up this afternoon, won't take long" He smiled widely. 

So you did, well mostly Dean did while you watched.

"There' Dean grunted twisting the wrench into place. 

You were suddenly very distracted by Dean's arms, he was pulling on the wrench, tan skin bulging as he pulled it tighter, his grey t-shirt was straining against the size of his arm, Dean was talking and you realised you weren't listening when he raised his eyebrow. 

"Sorry, what?" Pull yourself together 

Dean repeated himself looking at you and the car to make sure you understood. He was so unaffected, ofcourse he was, Dean would've been with plenty of women on the road since you last seen him, you're such an idiot. You just needed to avoid direct eye contact and get through the next few days. 

"Should be good as new" Dean said as he finished putting everything back together "Start her up" 

You did as he said and naturally there was no more weird noise. 

'Thanks, Dean " You smiled genuinely "saved me alot of time and taught me something new"

"It's all good, I needed to get out of the house, there's only so much Sam and Bobby talkin' ancient languages and lore I can take" He wiped his hands off with a rag, once again the movement made his arms bulge, all that thick muscle not from a gym, from hunting because he was strong, you knew first hand how firm he was. 

You glanced up and see Dean looking straight at you, you felt your cheeks heat up from embarrassment and swallowed quickly moving to shut the hood of the car, Dean was still watching you with an unreadable look on his face. 

Suddenly that familiar feeling of being too close came over you, you could feel the warmth of his skin and you weren't even touching.

"Should get back inside" You said quickly.

"Yeah' He answered, his voice suddenly deeper. You looked back at him and you did not like the change in demeanour at all.

You really wish you never opened this can of worms. 

"Yeah there's been alot going on, I've been good, Bobby and i have had a couple of hunts, he wants to lay low for the most part" You answered. 

Dean leaned onto the counter beside you, his posture was relaxed, but his brow was pinched. You turned to look at him, you nervously licked your lips, Dean's eyes shot down to the movement, copying it himself. You knew if there was any shot of forgiveness with Jo, you could never ever do what you did again, you hadn't meant to the first time.

"You? Alot more going on out there than here, I'm sure" You tried to keep it light while you distracted yourself with placing cheese cubes.


"Nothing new so far, just your regular end of the world stuff" he'd answered with a tired sigh, a pained look flashed across his eyes which was gone just as quickly. 

You smiled weakly with the corner of your mouth and opened a pack of crackers. You were sure it was much more complicated.

"So tell me" He began fake casually after a short silence, your body tensed at his tone.

"You going to be weird around me all the time now?" He continued. 

"I'm not being weird" You replied quickly. 

"You're being weird right now" Dean's grin was teasing, definitely beer spearheading this conversation. He was also right, You and Dean had an easy connection that had been strained since that night in the motel. 

"I'm fine Dean, really" You answered, probably a little too reassuringly. 

"You won't even look at me anymore" 

You sighed deeply and tilted your head to meet his gaze raising your eyebrow. You had never let any man make you feel this jittery, you weren't going to start now. He's just Dean, a man.

You turned back to finish what you were doing, Dean chuckled, you could feel his eyes on you, this had to stop now.

if Dean wanted to talk then you'd talk.

"What are you doing, Dean?" You turned to face him fully trying to keep your voice casual.

"What are you doing, (Y/N)?" He countered grinning, like this was a game.


You frowned confused, you were ignoring this thing exactly like you were supposed to. Dean chuckled looking down for a second shaking his head.

"You tell me you want to forget what happened and then you keep looking at me like you want to jump my bones" He stared at you, you were making a huge bold mental note not to be alone with Dean when he's been drinking all day because apparently his already huge balls got even bigger.

"I do not" You whispered, eyes wide, looking at the door making sure no one was there "I meant what I said" you insisted.

"Why?" He asked suddenly serious. 

"Why?" You repeated incredulously 

"You want to" He stated. You could tell Dean Winchester didn't get rejected very often, you could see why too. That cocky grin, that handsome face and playfulness that you knew would show you a good time. 

"Really, cause it sounds like you're trying to convince me" You raised an eyebrow keeping your tone just as playful. He laughed sliding closer to you.

“Dean, we had a fight, that got out of control, thats all" You continued. 

"Sweetheart, I have fights with people all the time and they don't end like that, unless they started like that" Your heart was thumping in your chest, it hadn't started like that though, it really did catch you off guard. You and Jo were on shaky ground as it was, but almost back to normal after months of trying to fix what happened. 

"Look Dean we work together, we're friends, Jo is my best friend, there's a whole apocalypse, it's just messy" You finished making your snack platter intent on leaving this kitchen. 

"Jo?" He questioned, in your panic you'd slipped up. 

"Is that what this is about?" He leaned in closer towards you.

"No" You said quickly. 

"(Y/N), Jo is like a little sister to me, nothing's going on with us, nothing has even been going on" His face was full on reassurance, but you felt none of it. Your heart broke for Jo, little sister, ouch. 

You crossed your arms with a sigh and turned to face Dean, your face hard you needed a final blow. 

"You know Dean, I really didn't take you for a guy who needed to be told no twice" Even as it left your mouth your stomach was turning in knots. 

Dean's face feel and all playfulness and flirting was gone. 

"(Y/N) I didn't-" He looked so upset with himself.

"It's fine, really" you interupted "Dean, I care about our relationship way too much just to be your South Dakota good time while you're in town" You tried to make light of the situation.

"You're not just a good time" Dean looked insulted.

"Yeah, I'm a pain in the ass too, I know" You smiled trying desperately to get this conversation over.


"Right" He ran a hand over his mouth clearing his throat and looked away. A heavy silence fell over the kitchen.

You felt awful, but you were honest, you didn't want to be another notch in Dean Winchesters bed post. 

"You two good?" Bobby’s gruff voice startled the both of you. 

"Yeah" You both said unconvincingly at the same time. 

"Here, I'll take that for you" Dean grabbed the platter and his beer and disappeared through the doorway. 

"Should I be worried about that?" Bobby asked from behind you as you were gathering the beer for the rest of you from the fridge. 

"No" You scoffed, guilt still churning in your stomach.


"Dean's a good man, you know I love him like a son" Bobby continued.

"God, Bobby i'm not trying anything on Dean" You pleaded.

"Dean isn't the kind of guy for you (Y/N)" Bobby took his beer from your hand. 

You were surprised, that wasn't what you were expecting. 

"A hunter isn't the kind of man you should be going after" he clarified "It'll be nothing, but heartbreak or death at the end of that road"

"It's ok, Bobby. Don't worry, we're just friends" You patted his shoulder.

There was very little chance of Dean ever making a move on you again, so you weren't worried either.



[kissorkill16]

How I Got My Golden Stone: A Hello Neighbor Fanfic

By JJ

Summary: The gang talks about how they got their stones.

It had been weeks after Trinity was in a sugar coma, and she hadn't seen or been able to get a hold of her friends. She left probably dozens of texts in their group chat, but no one answered.

As she waited for at least one of them to respond to her, she had been getting better at controlling her powers. She learned how to make things float by just waving her hands, she learned how to make a forcefield, and she had learned what other spells she could do.

She kept track of all of the spells she learned in one of her school notebooks that she didn't really use.

She still waited for her friends to respond to her texts, but still no one answered.

Then one day, she saw Enzo in the hallway. She ran to him, grabbed him by the shirt collar and kissed him, long and deep. When she pulled away, he was a red, stuttering mess.

"T-Trinity?"

"Golden Apple Amusement Park, 8:00 sharp. Tell the gang, don't be late."

She let him go and walked away from him, leaving her boyfriend standing in the middle of the hallway, still a mess.

8:00, the gang was waiting at the front entrance of the park. Maritza stood against the fence, Enzo paced around in circles, Ivan kept peeking through the fence, and Delroy also leaned against the fence like Maritza.

"Man, can we not meet at the mall or something?", said Delroy.

"Too many watchers."

Ivan jumped up and hid behind Delroy.

"At least here, only one freak might be spying.", said a voice, and when the one talking stepped through the fence, they all saw that it was Trinity. "Crowface."

Ivan smiled at her, "I knew it! You believed it, don't you?"

Trinity nodded.

Delroy pushed Ivan away, nearly making him fall over.

"So glad you're okay, babe!", said Enzo. "We were worried that -"

"You were worried, Romeo.", said Maritza. Her brother shushed her as she laughed.

Trinity looked around, "Did you guys bring Nicky?", she asked.

The gang looked at her, everyone's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Maritza rolled her eyes, "Oh don't worry about us! We're all just freaked out and under attack, but thanks for not asking.", she sarcastically said.

Trinity sighed, "Sorry, Mari.", she said. "What happened back that week?"

"Right after you said "I ain't afraid of this Crowface guy!", you ate floor in a sugar coma.", said Maritza. "And we got a call from the cops saying our parents got straight up -"

"Animal attacked!", said Enzo, interrupting his sister.

He began to explain how their parents told him and Maritza that they were just trying to have a nice walk together in the park, and then they just got attacked by squirrels.

"Evidently, the local wildlife is...really wild.", said Enzo.

"Police called it a random animal incident.", said Maritza, "Y'know, a totally random squirrel massacre."

"Mom and Dad had to get rabies shots."

Maritza held up 4 fingers and pointed to her side, "4 shots, right in the gut.", she said.

Trinity looked at her in confusion, "Really? I don't think -"

Then Enzo showed her something he took out of his pocket, "And that creepy cop, Kornwell, gave them a ticket for feeding them too."

Trinity tapped her chin as she thought, "Kornwell?", she asked. "The same cop who stole coins from Mr. Peterson's house?"

Enzo shrugged, "I guess so. Yeah, I think that's the same cop. But those coins don't really feel as important as the stone Crowface gave you.", he said. "No offense."

Trinity pulled the stone from her pocket and gave it a close look, then she looked back at Enzo and Maritza. "Did you see any of those coins or stones on your parents?", she asked.

Maritza pointed at her brother, who was as red as a tomato. "He was too busy freaking out.", she said. Then she took out something from her pocket, "But I found this in our dad's fanny pack!"

"Ha! She said fanny.", said Delroy, Ivan elbowed him in the stomach.

"And when I touched it, I suddenly felt a weird, awesome rush of adrenaline. Me and Enzo were the first ones to get here!", said Maritza. She handed the stone to her brother and began to run circles around her brother, and the trail she left started to catch fire, making Enzo jump back.

Wherever there was fire, Enzo jumped and twisted out of the way super fast.

Trinity just watched the show before her.

Maritza stood triumphantly when she was done running, and Enzo landed on his feet with his hands in the air when he was done flipping. Then the extinguished.

"That was extraordinary.", said Trinity.

"Yeah, and as an added bonus power, I got this weird tingling in my head that warns me of danger before it even strikes me. Like, Maritza tried to trip me with her speed on the way here, but I dodged every single time.", said Enzo, dusting himself off. "We're sorry we ignored your messages, Trinity. But we were just trying to get used to these weird new powers, and trying to take care of our parents."

Delroy stood forward, getting a closer look at the stone Enzo held in his hands, and his eyes widened.

"Hold up!", he said. "That right there is some freaky ass -"

He paused for a moment before he continued, looking at Enzo and Maritza.

"Same time your phones rang, I got a call from my auntie.", he said. "My dog, Dog, broke his chain and was running around the neighborhood."

"You named your dog Dog?", asked Ivan.

"Yeah, he don't care.", said Delroy. He continued telling his story. "Somebody said they saw something on Mulberry street,...it was a dead dog. Literally."

Trinity's eyes widened. She felt so sorry for Delroy now that she knew why he hadn't been responding to the group chat texts she's been leaving. And her heart practically jumped out of her body when he said that the old taxidermist, Mr. Kinander picked up his dead dog.

"Animal control took the body, but I knew it was him.", then he took out a shiny, gold stone with a chain attached to it. "Because I gave this to him last week."

Trinity looked closer at the stone in Delroy's hands.

"If you're about to ask how I got my powers, I bought this chain off of him a few years ago, and when I touched it, I could lift more than I weigh.", said Delroy.

To prove it, he gave his stone to Ivan and picked him, Trinity, Enzo and Maritza up by their waists and held them on either sides of his shoulders.

"Holy crap!", said Enzo. "You have super strength?! All thanks to the creepy taxidermist?"

"Yeah.", said Delroy. "And are you saying my dog's getting stuffed?"

As he put everyone down, Trinity came to a realization as she pulled out her phone. "So you've had these powers for a while now?", she asked. Delroy nodded.

Trinity pulled up an old photo of Mr. Peterson's map, and zoomed in on Otto Kinander's photo.

"He's on Peterson's map.", she said. "Maybe he has something to do with the stones and the coins, and that's why Peterson attacked him!"

"Your theory is intriguing, but...", said Ivan as he turned to look at his friends, "The disaster that befell me tops all the others."

The gang listened intently.

"I got called into the Inventor's Club by Mr. Murtaugh, to take down my can lid launcher due to a...small safety issue.", he said. "Of course, I obliged. But then Principal Abanate came to check on the smoke, and when she opened the door, whammo!"

Trinity's eyes widened.

"Murtaugh thought I set up some booby trap to stop snoopers, but I told him I would never! I'm a straight A student, not like some...Nicky or something!", he said.

Trinity rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"They wanted to know who else in the club could've done it since, y'know, Trinity was in a sugar coma and everyone else was gone.", he said. "I didn't blame Nicky, but I think they wanted me to."

Then Ivan pulled out a shiny gold stone. It looked the same as the rest of the gang's.

"I saw this embedded into the chalkboard, and when I pulled it out, I felt my IQ getting higher and higher, and I could suddenly hear what everyone was thinking.", he said, "Enzo and Maritza, you two have super speed and enhanced senses and agility, Delroy has super strength, and I have enhanced intelligence and telepathic abilities."

"Wow.", said Trinity.

Delroy rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, that's cool and all, but back to your story.", he started. "Sounds like Abanate got pained. How's that bad for you?"

Ivan stormed up to him and yelled in his face. "She suspended me until they could conduct a full investigation!", he said. "Do you know how bad that looks?!"

"Oh no, not your permanent record!", Maritza sarcastically said, putting her arms in the air.

"Our parents nearly got -"

"Nibbled to death?"

"THERE ARE NO ANTIBIOTICS FOR MY REPORT CARD!"

As the rest of the gang bickered, Trinity just stood to the side, thinking about all of this. Her and her friends all had superpowers now, all thanks to the one touch of a golden stone they kept finding in random places.

But why did they find them?

How did they get there?

What could they mean?