#in trustin we trust

[chuuowos]

Do you like the most sigma ship ever (it's trustin) #sigmaalert!!!

yes in trustin we trust

[hielloehyy]

trustin doodles yet again

[holdmytesseract]

Dad-to-be!Daryl fighting tooth and nail to keep the reader—who’s water had broken while they were on a walking around in the Hilltop—safe while trying to get her back to Alexandria so that Siddiq and Carol can help with the delivery of their little one. (Plus maybe the post-delivery fluff that ensues when Daryl and reader get their first moments alone with their baby.)

No pressure to write this! I just saw your post asking for dad!Daryl requests and had this idea, and thought I’d throw it your way. Love you whether you write this or not. 💜

In the Eye of the Storm

Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Summary: You go into labor while staying at the renewed Sanctuary. Daryl has to safely get you back home to Alexandria, of course - through a thunderstorm...

Warnings: usual TWD stuff, pregnancy, childbirth, baby things, mentions of blood, weapons, quite a bit angst, fluff, protective!Daryl

I tried to write this as accurate as possible. I'm no expert, heh.

Set in the beginning of season 9!

Word Count: 4,5k (whoops)

a/n: I'm not kidding when I say that I literally pounced that request. Gods, I loved to write this! Thanks for requesting, @dixons-sunshine ! I hope I did this justice! 🥹

EoH Masterlist °☆• Daryl Masterlist °☆• Masterlist

Daryl had a critical gaze directed at the darkening sky above him. The wind had picked up; bringing dark clouds over the Sanctuary. A thunderstorm was approaching - and fast.

Unbeknownst to him, had the archer started to chew on the inside of his bottom lip; causing you to gently squeeze his side. "Earth to Mr. Dixon," you giggled; trying to get his attention. "You okay, Dar?" The archer blinked and lowered his gaze back to you - his wife, who was neatly tucked against his side on a walk through the yard of the renewed Sanctuary; past the not yet growing crops which had been planted. You smiled up at him - slightly grimaced, but you smiled. He shook his head; "I shoulda been askin' you tha', sunshine..." eyes drifting to your prominent baby bump. You took a deep breath, but nodded. "Just Braxton Hicks, you know..."

Daryl's eyes drifted from your eyes to your (yet) unborn baby and back; a mix of worry and fear swimming in his blue-greyish orbs. You could tell. "Ya been havin' them already the whole day... Since we got up this mornin'. Ya sure this ain't the real thing?" Now you were the one shaking your head. "No. I promise, we're okay." "A'righ'." The archer jutted his chin towards the factory and looked back up in the sky. "Let's get ya back inside," he prompted and gave your hip a soft squeeze, before he started to walk; urging you on to follow. You nodded and scrunched your nose. "Yeah... Looks like rain."

With the first roll of thunder, Daryl closed the door behind you and him, without his hand leaving your body for even a second. He was so adamant to always be by your side; steady you and help you walk, it was ridiculously cute. It made you fall in love with the archer even more - not knowing it was even possible.

You giggled; one hand on the small of your back, the other on top of your belly. "Babe, you know I can stand on my own, right?" "Don care. Want ya close. 'Specially round 'ere... Ain't trustin' 'em..." You knew of course what he meant. The smile on your face immediately vanished; replaced by a concerned frown.

You understood Rick's intention; wanting to make Carl's last wish true. You'd do the same for your own child - within a heartbeat. You just didn't understand why Rick had charged Daryl of all people with the supervision of the Sanctuary. Sure, he was his bother, his right-hand-man, the one he possibly trusted most besides Michonne, but... After everything Daryl has been through here? After all the psychological torture? You knew it wasn't easy for your husband to be here. Even though he didn't say anything. You could feel it.

You took a step towards the archer; invading his space. Placing a hand on his chest and the other on his cheek, you scanned his face. "Daryl... You... You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be the one having to do this. I'll have a-" You stopped dead in your sentence; eyes widening and heart leaping into your throat at the feeling you had just experienced. Daryl was immediately on alert; completely ignoring what you had just said. "Y/N?! Wha's goin' on?!" His free hand came to rest on the bump which was his child instantly.

You swallowed hard; taking a step away from him again and looked down yourself. A prominent wet patch was spreading across the crotch and inner thighs of your maternity sweatpants. "I-I think..." Your husband's eyes followed yours quick; realisation dawning on him right away. It could mean only two things...

1) You peed yourself.

Or

2) Your water broke.

The archer begged internally to whatever force above that it was not the latter. "Please tell me ya peed yerself..." Daryl mumbled under his shaky breath; already slightly on edge. It wasn't a fortunate moment for the baby to make their appearance... You were at the Sanctuary, for God's sake! Rosita and Eugene were the only one here you could truly trust. Not much medical supplies and even less people who knew how to birth a baby either.

"I-I'm honestly not sure, Dar..." He nodded; trying to keep his calm. "A'right. Let's, uh, get ya in a fresh pair of pants 'n check?" "Uh.Huh," you answered; nervously nibbling on your lip as well. You actually didn't want to 'do this to Daryl' now, but it wasn't like you could take a pick. It wasn't in your hands... It was in the tiny hands of the peanut living in your belly.

You felt your husband's strong arm around your waist once again; supporting you as best as he could and helping you to walk through the darkish, grey hallways of the 'former' enemies hideout and towards your shared room.

After the sweatpants and your panties were not much longer on your body, you and Daryl realised quickly that you did certainly not pee yourself. It was a different... substance - which meant the one thing the both of you hoped it wouldn't be... Your water broke.

"O-Oh, fuck, that's..." You cut off your own sentence; "W-What are we, uh, going to do now?" swallowing hard and balancing on one foot, while you gripped Daryl's shoulder as he helped you step inside a fresh pair of underwear and sweatpants.

The archer looked up at you; panic swimming in his blue-grey orbs. You could tell that his mind was working on overdrive to find an answer to your question. "I-I dunno, sunshine, I-" He inhaled a deep breath; eyes darting around the room. "Ya can't have the peanut here... 'S no doctor 'round. I ain't risking tha'..." Daryl shook his head and stood up; palms immediately lading on your hips. "W-We gotta get ya back to Alexandria. To Siddiq. Now." You nodded; clenching your jaw at the incoming contraction - and Daryl noticed, of course. "'N we gotta time 'em contractions. C'mon."

Trusting your husband and his decision making blindly, you quickly threw a few things you might needed in Daryl's beige backpack, while he was informing Rosita about the situation you found yourself in.

It didn't take the archer more than a few minutes to return to your side; giving you a helping hand and finally walking you back to the door, which led to the yard - but once he opened it, a harsh breeze hit him (and you) instantly; rain splattering across your faces.

Fuck... The thunderstorm... Daryl had totally forgotten about the weather conditions; too occupied with you and the baby. You did, too.

"Fuckin' shit," the archer cursed under his breath; trying to shield you from the rain with his broad body. "Well, that's gonna be a fun car ride, eh?" You halfway joked; trying to lift the mood, but without success. "I'll get the truck; park as close as somehow possible. No matter wha'... We have ta get ya back home."

The Sanctuary had borrowed a truck from the Hilltop for moving things and other 'heavy' stuff. It was the only car option Daryl got. Of course he couldn't take his bike. Hell no.

"Ya wait inside. Don want ya ta get wet 'n cold." You nodded; bracing yourself beside the door against the wall. "Ya good bein' alone?" Once again you nodded; giving him another half-smile. "Go." He gave you a last once over, before he stepped out in the rain to get the truck.

Soaked to the bones, he helped you down the stairs then and outside; sitting you in the passenger seat of the truck; not letting go of you for even a second. "Y-You're soaked, baby..." You noticed with a furrowed brow; concerned. "You'll catch a cold if you-" Your husband immediately interrupted you; shaking his head and squeezing your hand. "Doesn't matter. This ain't 'bout me. 'S 'bout ya 'n the baby."

You knew that arguing would be just a waste of time. It wouldn't help. And honestly were you way too tensed and stressed to discuss. So you said nothing.

"Ya comfortable, sunshine? Tha' okay fer now?" His voice was on edge. You could see how hard he was trying to not lose it. This spurred you even more on to keep a cool head yourself. After all, this was your first birth. Your first child. You wanted to panic and give into the nervousness, concern and fear, but you knew you couldn't. You had to try at least. For Daryl.

You nodded and gave him a soft smile. "Y-Yeah, I- We're good, I-I think. Thanks, babe." The small smile he gave you was sloshing over with nervosity and concern, but he tried as well.

Daryl quickly rounded the car and got inside the driver's seat; immediately starting the engine. "Let's get ya home." He started to drive, while you tried to focus on your breathing like Carol taught you. Both your hands splayed on your big baby bump; feeling the subtle movements of the child within you.

Some time passed until the next contraction hit you. You breathed through it; grimacing. "Damnit..." You gasped once the waves of pain subsided; noticing how Daryl gazed back and forth between a watch around his wrist you never saw before and the street. "Been 'bout forty minutes since the last one." You swallowed hard. "T-That's already quite close, isn't it?" He shrugged his shoulder. "I dunno, but... Feels like it." You shifted slightly in your seat and placed a hand on Daryl's hand, which was gripping the gear shift for dear life. "We're gonna make it, 'kay? Everything's gonna be okay," you tried to reassure Daryl - and yourself. You could see how he chewed on his bottom lip. "Shouldn't 'ave taken ya with me... Shoulda left ya back home where ya 'n the baby 'r safe 'n taken care of. Hell, I shouldn't 'ave left at all... 'S my fault tha' we gotta do this now."

You immediately shook your head and gave his hand another squeeze. "Dar, this is everything, but your fault. I was the one encouraging you to go... And I practically begged you to take me along, because I can't stand to be away from you - especially now. I knew the risk, but I made the decision. If anyone's to blame, it's me." Your husband just scoffed at your words and just as he actually wanted to answer, the sight of the street a few miles ahead forced him to stop the truck.

The thunderstorm hadn't calmed down in the slightest; was raging on and had caused a tree to fall and land in the middle of the street. "Shit... 'S too big ta move it... We have ta take a different road." His eyes landed on you, just like his hand on your swollen belly. "Can ya both hang on a lil' while longer? 'S a stupid question, ain't it?" You shook your head and gave him the most convincing smile you could muster in that moment. "It's not. I-I'll try... Right, peanut?" You addressed your unborn baby. "We'll try."

Unfortunately wasn't the fallen tree the only obstacle you had to overcome on your rushed journey to Alexandria... The storm was going on and definitely took its toll on the nature. And that wasn't the only problem... The night had settled over the world and the dead weren't exactly a help as well, and at some point were your contractions only fifteen minutes apart... It was a race against the time now - and your upcoming nerves. The closer you got to actually birthing your child, the worse it became. Fifteen minutes apart and you didn't even know if everything was fine and going the way it should down there. It was excruciating.

"Sonofabitch," you suddenly heard Daryl exclaim, which snapped you out of your thoughts. Lifting your gaze, you instantly understood what caused his small outburst... A few walkers were exactly in your way; stuck in the rain soaked, muddy ground. "Have ta get rid of 'em, sunshine," Daryl stated and already moved to unsheathe his knives from their confines; his barely dried clothes about to get soaked all over again. "I-I can help-" "Hell nah," he cut you off immediately; scoffing. "Yer stayin' right here inside the truck where ya 'r safe. I ain't riskin' a damn thing. Gotta keep ya safe." You nodded in defeat; realising once more that arguing wouldn't get you anywhere.

Daryl gave you a stern but loving look, before he took a deep breath and exited the truck. Anxiously, you watched your husband fighting off the undead threat. Sure, most of them were kinda stuck, but the noises had attracted more walkers... The headlights of the truck provided enough light for you to see what was going on in front of you, but not besides and certainly not behind the vehicle. The relentless rain made it difficult to see straight as well, and when another, much worse contraction hit you and the pain managed to blur your vision entirely, you lost sight of Daryl. Sweat was dripping over your brow as you couldn't hold back the scream which wanted to break free from your lips; hands clutching your baby bump. "O-Oh f-fuck..." Your fingers clenched into fists as you tried to breathe through the contraction. Agonisingly slow subsided the pain; leaving you breathless. You looked around through the windows; trying to find your husband. But you couldn't see him. It was quiet. Except for the running engine and the rain drumming down on the truck.

"D-Daryl?!" You called out; knowing very well that he couldn't hear you. Uneasiness crept up in you; threatening to cut off your airways and sent your anxiety skyrocketing. It didn't help that you were on edge already... What if something happened to him? What if he got bit? What if he...? Your brain already conjured the worst case scenarios, as suddenly two pale hands slammed against the window pane beside you; the tow curling growl almost giving you a heart attack. "Fucking hell!" You squeaked and clutched your now rapidly beating heart.

The hands clawed and scratched at the wet glass - but to your sheer endless relief didn't they stay long. With a dull thud hit the undead man's skull the window; blood splattering everywhere, before it got slowly washed away. The hands stilled, before they entirely disappeared. Blinking, you watched it happen, still somewhat caught up in your thoughts. But then, the driver's door got opened and slammed quickly shut again. A familiar grunt urged to your ears - and you could've cried of relief and happiness.

"Daryl!" You more or less whimpered; shifting in your seat as good as you could and turned to him; taking in his water and blood soaked appearance. Some blood was on his cheeks and water dripped down his long, brown hair. You reached for him; grabbed onto his wet sweatshirt and slippery vest. "A-Are you okay? I-I lost sight of you a-and..." You hiccuped; taking a deep breath. The archer immediately nodded and leaned in for a sweet, soft kiss; letting you feel that he was alive and well, before he moved to take your hands in his bigger ones. "'M good, sunshine. 'S a'right. 'M here." His blue eyes scanned your body then; lips pressed together in worry. "Wha' 'bout you?"

You swallowed hard. "H-Had another contraction..." His eyes widened. "Darlin', you had one barely ten minutes ago..." "I know." Daryl looked at you a few moments longer, before he gently let go of your hands and gripped the steering wheel instead. "We gotta keep movin'," he mumbled and kept on driving - and you knew he was right.

Luckily the truck didn't get stuck in the muddy mess ahead of you... That would've been the cherry on top.

It took you longer than planned to drive back to Alexandria, but in the end you finally made it - most likely just in time. You swore you were never that happy before to see the familiar gates of the place you called home. Daryl felt the same. You could tell.

The thunder and lighting had ceased by now. It was still raining, but not as bad. Due to the bad weather conditions was nobody on watch, but the archer knew that at least one person was positioned up in the windmill; looking out for threats from up there. So, he gave whoever was up there a sign; flashing the truck head lights three times and signalling that friends were standing in front of the walls and not enemies.

"Jus' a few minutes longer, sunshine. Almost there," Daryl tried to reassure you as he gently squeezed your hand. You just nodded; occupied with taking deep breaths.

Moments later, the gates got opened for Daryl to drive through, which he immediately did and headed straight for the infirmary; parking the car as close as he could get.

The approaching headlights must've caught Siddiq's attention, since the doctor immediately went to the door; trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. He watched the archer quickly rounding the vehicle; getting soaked in the rain a third time. "Daryl?!" Siddiq called out; switching on his porch light. "What-" Daryl didn't let the man finish; cut him off mid sentence as he opened the door and helped you out. "Need yer help! Y/N's in labor!"

Siddiq didn't need more information. He knew and was immediately on high alert. The doctor opened the door and let the both of you in; instantly helping Daryl to steady you. Usually, he would've asked about your condition, but Siddiq knew the moment he saw you. "How far apart are the contractions?" You wanted to answer, but Daryl did for you. "'Bout six minutes." The black haired man nodded, "You got here just in time, I'd say." and helped you sit on the bed inside the room he had led you and Daryl in. "I'm afraid we have to get you out of these..." Siddiq nodded at your sweatpants. "Daryl, would you...?" Your husband's eyes were locked on you as he nodded slowly. "Yeah, I got it. C'mon, sunshine."

While Daryl helped you shimmy down your pants and panties, Siddiq prepared some things he needed in the upcoming hour(s)... Towels, gloves and some other medical stuff.

"Alright. I have to check on you. Is that alright?" Siddiq asked carefully; knowing how... protective and territorial the other present man in the room could get. You nodded; trying your hardest to not scream due to the contraction you were going through. The doctor noticed and placed a reassuring hand on your knee. "Deep breaths, Y/N. We got this, okay?" You gave your friend another nod, before he went to check as soon as your contraction subsided again.

"You're about eight centimetres dilated, I'd say." "'N tha' means?" Daryl spoke up with your hand neatly tucked in his, as he was standing by your side. "Two more and she'll be able to start pushing. Means, your baby will see the light of day in the next one or two hours." The colour visibly drained from the archer's face. He knew that he'd be a dad soon, but... That soon? You, on the contrary just groaned and threw your head against the pillow. "Thank fuck. I want this to be over... Hurts like a bitch - and I finally want to hold my baby."

Siddiq witnessed both very different reactions and tried to hide a smile; quickly deciding to give the soon-to-be-dad a little task to keep him from freaking out.

"Daryl?" The archer's gaze lifted from where he was staring at the floor and gnawing nervously on his thumb. "Could you get Carol? I might need her assistance." Daryl frowned in confusion, but the feeling which started to flood his veins was happiness. "She's here?" Siddiq nodded with a smile. "Yes. She was on the road and decided to stay for a few days. Might as well call it providence." The man nodded; shaking a few bangs of wild brown curls from his face and nibbled on his bottom lip again, but turned to you; needing your permission. "'S a'right if I go 'n get 'er, darlin'?" You nodded; sweat doting your forehead. "As long as you'll come back to me... Go. I'm in good hands." Your husband gave you a loving look and gently squeezed your hand, before he let go to get himself soaked in rain again - for the nth time... Not that he cared, though.

The archer didn't even had to ask where to look for his best friend. He knew. After all has she been sharing a house with the both of you, before she moved to the Kingdom. Where else to look but there

Opening the main door, he stepped inside; calling out for his friend. "Carol?!" It didn't take long for the grey haired woman to peak out from the kitchen in the hallways; frowning. The frown immediately vanished, though, when she saw who the 'intruder' was... "Daryl?" A bright smile darted over her face, as she quickly bridged the distance to hug her best friend. They hadn't seen each other in a while after all.

"Ya good?" He simply asked; definitely enjoying the embrace of the woman he got luckily stuck with since the very beginning of this shit show. "Yeah, I am. What about you? And especially Y/N?" Daryl instantly retreated from the hug; a frightening, but also happy look on his face. "W-Well, uh... S-She's in labor. 'S why I brought 'er back here... Siddiq sent me ta ask for yer help..." Carol's eyes widened, but she immediately scrambled for the kitchen to turn off the stove. "Of course, I'm coming to help! Can't miss my best friend becoming a daddy, can I?"

Daryl blinked. "Best friend? Really?" Carol ignored his sceptical question and grabbed him by the shoulders instead; turning him around and maneuvering him towards the door. There were more important things to do now than discuss that.

Siddiq's predictions had been quite on spot. About one and an half hour, quite a few painful contractions and several tiring and debilitating pushes later, you finally held your baby in your arms. Since the doctor's announcement that you gave birth to a - as far as he could tell, healthy little girl, Daryl's mind had gone blank. He was physically present, but mentally, he was somewhere lost in a haze; trying to process the life-changing information... A girl. His daughter. He was a father now. A father!

Of course, you noticed. Carol and Siddiq did, too and all of you decided to give him the space and time he needed right now; just letting him stare at the white wall across your bed.

Only once the afterbirth was done, you getting cleaned up as well as the baby, the umbilical cord cut by Carol (Daryl would've most likely fainted if he was asked to do it. He already looked as white as a ghost...), a few further instructions and information shared by both your friends, and your newborn daughter wrapped up in a diaper and a slightly too big beige romper suit with cute teddy bears on it, you decided to try to guide your husband out of the haze he still was in. Especially now that you were given some time alone...

"Daryl?" You called out softly; voice barely above a whisper to not startle him. He didn't react, so you tried again... Same result. Freeing a hand from the baby tucked against your chest, you reached out to gently touch his arm. "Babe..." You whispered; letting your palm glide down the length of the limb and brushing the clammy skin of his hand. "Hey..." That seemed to finally do the trick...

The archer blinked and redirected his glance; eyes focusing on you instead. "'M sorry, sunshine, I-" His words quickly died in his throat, when he finally saw his daughter nestled against you; greedily suckling on your exposed right breast and making the cutest little noises he had ever heard. You smiled tiredly and slipped your fingers through his; giving them a soft squeeze. "Your baby girl, Daryl... Your daughter..." He swallowed and lifted his free hand; almost hesitatingly hovering over the infant, before his pointer finger came into contact with her soft cheek.

Daryl gasped; releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding. You watched the interaction with loving eyes; only now noticing that the small girl had stopped nursing and was wriggling around in your hold instead. Her eyes were closed and she had her legs pulled up against her belly; tiny fingers clenching and unclenching.

Your husband had cupped her head now, which was covered in a dark brown fuzz. "She's perfect, darlin'..." Daryl whispered after a long moment; smiling that smile you loved so much.

"Do you want to hold her?"

That question caused Daryl's hand to immediately stop caressing his daughter's head. "I-I..." He stammered; nervous, yet with such a strong urge. "Y-Yeah, I... I wanna hold 'er." You patted the empty space on the bed beside you. "C'mere, then." The archer followed your 'command' and switched from the chair to sit on the bed. Only now did you notice that he hadn't changed yet and that the shirt he wore was still damp. Worry roared to life within you. You didn't want him to catch a cold or even something worse...

"Baby, you should change... I don't want you to get sick..." Daryl shook his head. "Do want ta leave ya..." "I know..." You bit your lip; uncertain if you should propose the suggestion in your mind or not. "Then, uh... How about you take the shirt and vest off? Carol and Siddiq won't be here for at least another hour and skin-on-skin contact with your daughter would be good, too... Helps her bond with you." You gave him a soft smile. "It's your decision, though. I won't force you to do anything."

You could practically see the gears turning in your husband's head, but in the end he nodded and started to peel the damp clothes off his upper body. Once he was shirtless, you started to transfer the little girl over to her father. "Make sure to support her head, Dar," you instructed him; noticing his eager nod, and suddenly was the infant tucked in the crook of his arm. She snuggled against his bare chest; definitely enjoying the warmth of his skin.

And suddenly the world stopped to turn around Daryl.

He gazed down at the tiny human being he helped create - and she was the most wonderful, beautiful creature his eyes had ever seen (besides you, of course). Love flooded his veins; heart threatening to slosh over with the warm feeling.

Yes... He'd rip the world apart to keep her safe. Anything. Just to make sure his girls were protected.

You watched your husband and newborn daughter; a tired, but happy look on your face, and you realised soon, that everything had been worth it... Everything you've gone through. Every obstacle you and Daryl had to overcome, just to get here - to experience this moment. She was worth it.

You smiled. Yeah... You could definitely get used to Daryl being a dad...

Tags: @angelwings-crossbowstrings @belitoxx @lou12346789 @fictive-sl0th @marvelcasey05 @loz-3 @mischief-dream @whore4romance @stitchintimefan @bigbaldheadname @making-the-most-0f-it @erebus-et-eigengrau @km-ffluv @0-aubrie0 @sweetz1919 @mikaela-granger @secretsicanthideanymore @dilfdixon @txtttttttttttttt @dixons-sunshine @stiveroon @cakesandtom @mayday2007

[ladybirdswritings]

Pretty Thing - Cooper Howard (Ghoul) x Reader

Summary: You’re a shiny, pretty prize worth more caps than can be counted on ten hands altogether. There’s something special about you, and the Ghoul is determined to figure out just what it is.

Notes: I’ve been wanting to write for this cowboy for days now and I’ve finally come around to it. Cowboys are my specialty lately <3. Lmk if u love this and I’ll write more (feel free to leave me lots of comments and interactions, I love those!!)

A03 | masterlist | next chap

pretty thing…

“Well lookie here, seems you vaulties ain’t as perfect as you promise to be, huh?”

A furrow of chocolate brows, offense and confusion from sweet Lucy MacLean. This vault promised development in weaponry that the new world had never seen before. It was a thing of storybooks, the kind of thing her dad told her right before her head hit the pillow.

Now, here she was; and it wasn’t a caged weapon she was staring at… no, but rather a caged person.

“This violates all of our policies…” she muttered softly, worry stitched in her soft features as she looked on at the mangled cowboy beside her.

“Tsk tsk, sweetheart. You oughta be more careful with trustin’ these shit-eating freaks. Ain’t you learned your lesson first time round?”

Lucy sighed, falling to her knees and grazing a warm hand against the metal. She looked on at you with pity. Weak, hazy you.

How did you end up in this predicament? You didn’t know. You didn’t remember.

It was as if the entirety of everything you’d ever known was only stitched within your brain in jagged, disorderly flashes. This had to be one too. A flash.

A vault dweller and a ghoul, side by side.

It was most certainly a flash.

“What do we do, coop?” The brunette wondered, doe eyes gazing up at the mangled creature. He only smirked.

“We split. You find your precious tin-man you can’t stop yappin’ bout… and I’ll snatch up this dyin’ cargo. Comprende?”

Lucy had come to trust him, and maybe it was a stupid thing to do. Reality was, though, he’d kept her alive this far. Maybe she owed it to him to follow orders. With a huff, she parted— and then?

It was just you and the ghoul.

Heavy footsteps circled your metal cage, like shark to labored minnow. You were far too exhausted to pick up those pretty eyes of yours from the ground they gazed at.

Chains wrapped round your wrists and ankles, cold metal burned against your spine and cheek. There were two ghouls in your peripheral vision, and each one was the same amount of horrifying.

The footsteps halted, and suddenly the mangled, noseless blur was clear as day before you. Kneeled to your level, observant— cold.

“Well well— look at you, huh? Pretty thing. Now I understand takin’ precautions but damn, sweetie. That’s a lotta chains, hm? What’s so scary bout’ you?” He whispered the last part, thread laced finger lifting to slowly push a loose locket of hair from your dampened face through the cage.

You blinked, forcing your gaze upward so to try and meet his eyes. It was exhausting.

He observed you like you were a foreign object, a diamond in the radiated rough.

“I’d wager to say that you’re just the weapon we was lookin’ for, ain’t you?”

God, he didn’t know just how right he was.

If there was one certain thing you could remember clear as day, laced through the flashes, it was your powers. Each and every one of them, laying dormant now.

You were far too poked and prodded, too drained to even think of lifting a finger.

“Been doin’ this for centuries, pretty thing. Centuries and I ain’t ever seen this kinda experimentation on a little fawn. Hm. Guess you was just unlucky.” His breath was warm as it hit your face. Musing and eyeing your exhausted, slumped figure. Observant, taking his time. Your keepers would be coming soon— he didn’t seem worried.

“Tell you what. You look like you gon’ make me lots of money. So you’re comin’ with me. Don’t you worry, I prefer ropes stead’ of chains, sweetie. You’ll be nice n’ comfortable.”

The more he spoke, the farther away he sounded. You were aware he was a ghoul, that much was certain. Yet even so, no part of his voice, no part of his fading threats were even a little bit startling. No.

His voice was a soft yet strong southern drawl and god— it was far more comforting than the chains and cement floor you’d always known. Perhaps that’s why you let the exhaustion overtake you. Perhaps that’s why you closed your eyes.

Did it matter why? No. All that mattered was that you did.

The rest was a blur. The last thing you remember? Frayed ropes being wrapped round you tight as you were freed from your chains. Mangled, coat covered arms lifting you from the cement and golden teeth pressed against your aching ear to whisper:

“C’mon now, pretty thing…”

Then?

Slumber…

¿to be continued?

[bunniebubbleswrites]

Lil' Killer

Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x F! reader A/N: I'm alive and almost done with school. I've never been more excited for something to be over. Word Count: 966 Warnings/Tags: Establised relationship, blood and murder Summary: While travling with Cooper a group of raiders decide that it would be a good idea to attack the both of you

You should have never left the Vault. 

The Overseer was right. The Wasteland is dangerous, the first time you saw a rad-roach you almost spiraled into a panic attack. 

It’s been a few months since then. You’ve lost the Vault suit and sold your Pip-Boy for caps. You had no need for them anymore, they made you too much of a target. 

Only a few months and you’ve lost count of how many people and creatures you killed. The first time was jarring, being a bounty hunter paid well and it was the only thing that kept you on the move, never in one place for too long. If you were constantly on the move, you were safe. 

The sand crunched under your boots and the gun holstered at your hip jangled as you dragged your bounty behind you, of course the fucker wanted the whole body for his own sick reasons. You learned to stop asking questions a long time ago, that was something you learned when you had lived in the Vault. 

You walked up and into the outpost. You dropped the body down in front of the man standing behind the counter. 

“Caps.” You held out your hand, waiting for your payment. 

“We wanted him alive.” You slammed the bounty request down in front of him. 

“Dead or Alive. Caps. Now,” He looked at the paper you had shown him and raised his eyebrow. The man reached down under the counter, but to your surprise, he pulled out a gun. 

You have got to stop trusting people just to give you payment. You reached for your gun and aimed it at the man in front of you. 

“Now, I suggest you  give the lady her payment.” A man’s voice came from behind you, his chest now flush against your back. 

Thank god.

You lowered your gun, as did the man in front of you. He tossed you the pouch full of caps. You re-holstered your gun and tied the pouch to your belt. 

You walked around the man who stood behind you, as soon as you were outside the sound of a gunshot echoed through the air. 

The sound of spurs came from behind you and your shoulders relaxed as Cooper wrapped his arms around your waist. 

“Miss me darlin’?” 

“Very much so.” You leaned back into him, his head resting on your shoulders. 

“You really should be more careful, I thought I drilled that trustin’ instinct out of ya’ ” 

You smiled at him, gently pushing him off you. 

“Let’s get going pretty boy.” He scoffed at the nickname. 

The two of you trekked through The Wasteland, walking towards Filly. 

“What are we looking for Coop?” You asked as you climbed under a bit of rusted metal after him. 

“A man.” 

“What kind of man?” 

“A wanted one.”  At the sharp tone of his words, you knew to stop asking questions. You both continued walking, and bored with the silence you started to hum a little bit. 

Cooper, only a few feet in front of you, stops dead in his tracks. You, feeling safe enough to be distracted, bumped into his back. 

“Cooper? What’s wrong?” He shushes you and reaches for his gun, you in turn, go for yours. A rustling noise came from behind you, you turned around and your back was now flush against Cooper’s. 

You aimed your gun, towards the source of the noise, ready to shoot at any moment. Your eyes darted around, looking for any sign of danger. You could never be too careful in The Wasteland. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? A ghoul and a vault dweller.” 

How did they know? You had ditched everything weeks ago. 

The sound of the voice came from behind you, which meant they were in front of Cooper. 

Cooper had his gun aimed at the people in front of him, he was more than capable of taking them on himself. 

“Come on out Vaultie, we won’t hurt ya’ “ You took a deep breath and stood tall, don’t show them you're scared. You came out from behind Cooper, your pistol in hand. 

Another noise from the bush, without taking your eyes off the group of men in front of you, you took your shot, a body falling out from the bush. You let your arm fall to the side, finger still on the trigger. 

“If y’ would kindly, move out of our way,” Cooper gestured with his pistol off to the side. The men didn’t move. If they were looking for a fight, they sure found one. 

You let out a sigh as you reload your pistol. 

Let's get this over with. 

You looked at Cooper with a raised eyebrow. A silent question. 

Can I take the first shot?

He nodded

I don’t see why not

You raised your pistol, smiled at the man, and pulled the trigger. The bullet landing right between his eyes.  The other two men came running at you. You holster your gun and grab the hunting knife, you keep strapped to your thigh. 

A manic expression filled your face. It’s been a long time since you’ve done this. The terror in their eyes, you loved it. 

You ran at them, a terrifying smile graced your lips. You skillfully swung the knife in your hands. You knew exactly where to strike to make them bleed. 

As you swiped your knife across one of the men’s neck, Cooper shot the other. Your white top, stained red and your face and hair covered with the same crimson and brain matter. 

“There you are, lil’ killer.” 

You giggled at the nickname. That’s what The Wasteland does to people, it turns people into killers. 

“To Filly.” 

You both continued to Filly, you had a bounty to find and deliver.

[daughterofcain-67]

𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙾𝚞𝚛 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 (𝚙𝚝.1)

(Soldier Boy / Ben x Female Reader)

(masterlist)

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : Butcher, Hughie and their band of vigilantes are dead set on finding the weapon that killed Soldier Boy. With the help of Starlight they find you, a retired supe, and they seek your help although the help isn’t quite what they expected. And this was more than what you had anticipated for an ordinary afternoon on a weekday.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : Minor spoilers to The Boys season three. Nothing major.

Butcher, Hughie, M.M., Frenchie and Kimiko were all waiting on some sort of file that Annie was supposed to get.

They had a new plan after all. Now that they’ve figured that the weapon that killed off the legendary Soldier Boy is still out there, there has to be some way to find out how to obtain it to kill Homelander. One step closer, right?

“I still can’t believe we’re trustin’ ‘her. She’s just another supe. What if she gives us the wrong bloody file?” Butcher asked.

“Really? You’re still caught up on the fact that she’s a supe? She’s helped us through a hell of a lot last year. We couldn’t have done a lot of things without her.” Hughie defended his girlfriend, not much to anyone’s surprise.

“You know the kid’s right, Butcher. We do owe her a lot.” M. M. Stated.

“How do we know that she’ll find anything concrete? Especially since she’s practically in a den of wolves?”

“You’ll just have to trust her, alright?” Hughie reminded the man and that was when he started to hear his phone ringing from his pocket.

“Speaking of…. Hey, Annie.”

Butcher rolled his eyes and he leaned his back against the chair. He was so tired of doing everything by the book like he had been stuck doing for the past year. He was just glad Hughie was finally seeing things his way and realizing that he was right all along. Took him long enough to realize it.

He glanced up at the kid on the phone and he looked like he was in some sort of disbelief.

“Really? And you’ve got her address? H-Holy shit! That’s a lead! You’re coming with us, right?”

“I take it she found something?” Frenchie asked after he made some sort of sandwich.

“Oy! What’s the verdict, Mate?” Butcher said when Hughie finally picked up the phone.

“Well.. Annie said that there’s a file on someone named Y/N L/N. She has a limited history with Vought and evidently Soldier Boy himself even though she wasn’t on his team. Maybe she knows about the weapon that killed him, or at least she might know of some sort of way to weaken him.” The kid said.

“Excellent! Does she know where Y/N lives?” Frenchie asked.

“She’s sending the address as we speak.”

Butcher watched as Kimiko was using her sign language to communicate with Frenchie. She still hadn’t been able to speak but at least Frenchie was learning to communicate with her over this past year, so that made things a hell of a lot easier to figure out what she’s trying to say.

“Kimiko wants to know if Annie is coming with us this time.” Frenchie translated, but Hughie shook his head.

“Not this time. Annie said she has her hands full with some kind of television show to choose the next supe going in the Seven.” He explained and Kimiko nodded in understanding.

“You don’t think we’ll actually need to take any guns or anything like that, do you? She has to be an older supe now right? Retired.” M.M said and Butcher shrugged a little.

“With these guys, it’s hard to be sure of what they’re capable of when they’re older. Supes will keep you on your toes no matter how old they are, Mate.”

“Annie said based on the file she’s neger had a violent history. In fact she’s probably had the least amount of accidental casualties in her career even today.” Hugie explained.

“Yeah.. I guess that’s fair. But let’s be smart about this, yeah? We don’t want to go in guns-blazing or anything like that. At the same time we don’t want to go empty handed either.” M.M reminded and he grabbed whatever he needed. He was always the voice of reason.

And with that, the guys made their way out but Kimiko stayed behind for whatever her reasons were, Butcher didn’t pry when they had bigger matters to deal with.

Then, after several hours of drive time, they finally made it to some cabin in the woods.

“Not bad for a retired supe.” M.M said when he looked at the place and they got out of the van that they all travelled in.

“Do you think she’ll actually know much of anything?” Hughie asked.

“Honestly, who knows. If she does, then great. But if not, then I guess we’re at some kind of loss unless we dig somewhere else.”

The group all made it to the door and Butcher was the one that walked up onto the porch and knocked on the door. They waited a few moments before the door finally opened. What they expected to be a somewhat elderly woman was not what was on the other side of the door. Instead, they saw someone that was quite young for her age, a lot like the Stormfront situation.

It was like you hadn’t aged a day since you retired and you still looked as young as you did as most of your posters.

“Um… can I help you boys?” They heard you ask.

“Yes Ma’am. You see, we’re a part of the FBI and we’re on an investigation. If you don’t mind, we’d like to ask you a few questions.” Butcher said, which honestly surprised the rest of the group how calm he sounded.

“FBI, huh? Could I see your badges, please?” You asked, quite politely to Butcher’s surprise. He thought you’d be another cocky hero that he’d like to punch.

Still, he’s learned over the years never to trust a supe no matter how friendly they are. Starlight has probably come closest to that exception. But not quite.

When Butcher gave the group the ‘okay’ they all pulled out their badges and showed you what they had. You took a look and then you nodded a little before you opened your door wider and allowed them to come into your home.

Your day had started out quiet, peaceful.

You had your own, nice, little cabin in the woods where you got a beautiful view of the mountains and there was even a creek below you that you would visit once in a while. But then, much to your surprise, you had some unexpected company.

At your door there was a tall, burley man with a beard and an accent. With him, there was a lanky looking man that was clearly trying to prove himself worthy of something, an African American man that you could tell was on the side of good and he just wanted to get back to his family, and finally there was a French man that looked high off his ass but he had good intentions.

Now they were all in your house drinking your coffee, tea for the man with the accent, and they were all in your living room staring at you with some sort of bewilderment in their eyes.

“So… what brings you folks here? I don’t believe I actually got any actual introductions from you other than the fact that you’re FBI and have some questions for me.” You said.

“Actually, Miss, my name’s Billy Butcher. This ‘ere is Hugie, Frenchie, and Marvin - we call ‘im M.M.” Butcher said and you swore you’ve heard that name before. Then it hit you.

“Aren’t you the idiot that blew up Stillwell?” You asked, honestly kind of impressed that he wasn’t still in hiding or something.

“She was already dead when I lit up the joint.”

“Uh huh… Good for you though. She seemed like a bitch on television.” You admitted.

“Wouldn’t know much about that one, Love.” Butcher continued and you shrugged.

“Anyways, an we get on with business? We don’t have a lot of time.” M.M. reminded all of the guys there and you sat down in your recliner and set your coffee mug on the nightstand.

“Well you see, Miss L/N…” Hughie trailed off.

“Ah, don’t make me feel so ancient. Just call me Y/N. For the sake of my own sanity.” You said and Hughie grinned.

“Okay, Y/N. The truth is that we’ve come across your file. And we know of your brief history with Vought, Miss Quake.” The very name of the industry made you feel sick to your stomach because of what the place has become.

Yes, you were a retired supe. You went by the name Quake because of your ability to manipulate the earth, take chunks of the ground up and toss them around, you could cause buildings to fall and well… cause Earthquakes.

You didn’t associate yourself with Vought any longer and you were glad that your numbers weren’t high enough to have that much popularity amongst citizens. That’s all it boiled down to nowadays; popularity and money.

“Yes I have a history but that was literal decades ago. I’m retired now and I like the fact that no one’s found me or knew who I was up until this point. How did you find me?” You began to question.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that we know you had a history with Soldier Boy for a brief moment. We need to know about the weapon that killed him.” Butcher cut in and you looked down at your mug, still sitting on the stand.

“Do you even know what killed him?” You shook your head.

“I was never a part of Soldier Boy’s team. My numbers weren’t high enough to be on the team and they didn’t consider me an asset. Plus I didn’t even want to be on his team. You see what that kind of power does to people. Look at Homelander and the Seven.” You reminded.

“So what was your history with him?”

“A complicated one. He had his relationship with Crimson Countess, and he had his relationships with other girls, whether they were regulars or one-night-stands.” You sighed then you looked at Hughie.

“Never meet your heroes, kid. They’re likely just a bunch of money hungry womanizers with some kind of need of approval because they never got the attention they needed from a certain parent or set of parents.” You rolled your eyes.

“You want to know how he got killed? Ask one of his former team members. There’s Crimson Countess, obviously. Then there’s Black Noir, Mindstorm, Gunpowder, Swatto, and the TnT Twins. You never know, maybe the sidekick will be more than happy to let you know how he died. They never liked their team leader much. Hell, I bet you that lady that formed your little group knows. Oh what’s her name… Malice? Malicious? Oh that’s right, Mallory.”

“Grace? How the bloody Hell do you know her?” Butcher said, and you were finding out quickly that he was sort of the unhinged type of man.

“When I retired from Vought, I gave some information on the super to her. Things she needed before she founded your little group. She knows a Hell of a lot more than she lets on. I’m surprised she’s not dead yet just because of how much she knows and what she keeps tabs on. You admitted.

The group got up and you did as well, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t be more help. I’m honestly glad that you’re doing something about Vought. I wish you all the luck on that because you’re going to need it.” You insisted.

“Why didn’t you want to be more involved with Vought? Didn’t you like the money that came with it and everything?” Frenchie asked and you shrugged.

“Kid, everyone likes money. But what would you do to get it? Are you really going to be so reckless and stupid, kill a few innocents here and there because you know some big corporation will cover your ass on it? It would weigh too much on my conscience. And I never thought a girl like Starlight would be wrapped up in that shit.”

“Well… we’re sorry to bother you, Ma’am. Thank you for talking with us.” Hughie said yet again.

“When you do talk to Grace… ask her about Nicaragua. She’ll know what happened there.” You insisted and you saw a certain look on Butcher’s face. You were shocked that Mallory hadn’t told them anything about this.

Then you looked over at M.M, who had been quiet almost the whole time. You carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m so, so sorry about your family.”

“How did you-“

“You and your little team haven’t exactly been discreet over the past couple of years. You’ve been on the news a couple of times and I got curious about your group. The internet is a really useful place.” You said and he gave a slight grin,

“I know what Soldier Boy did, and I hate that he did it. But I also know that once you jump into this rabbit hole of vengeance, it’s awful hard to climb out and get back to the people that are still alive who love you.”

“Thank you.. But I think I’ve come a little too far to turn around now.” The man said and he started to join his group.

You watched as the band of vigilantes made it to their van while you stood at the front door. As they drove off in the distance, you pulled out a necklace from your shirt and you looked down at. You stared at the pendant and remembered the very day that it was given to you.

1984…

“I’m really getting a bad feeling about this, Ben. Maybe you shouldn’t go.” You said as you looked up into his eyes.

Ben was dressed in his uniform, all but his helmet and shield which were both set beside the door. He caressed your cheek with his gloved hand and he looked down at you.

“Y/N, what kind of a man would I be if I didn’t serve my county. I have to do this, and you know it.”

“You’d be a man taking a stand against some company that’s just in the business for the money rather than actually serving the county. You know that.”

“They’re doing this to show the military that we can be useful in battle. We can give our own troops the advantage here if we get involved. That can change the future of our military, change it for the better. Our country needs us out there.” He said, trying his best to persuade you.

“And what happens if something goes wrong? You know your little team somehow always gets you into some kind of trouble with Edgar.” You said while you looked away from him, the feeling in your stomach clearly not going away anytime soon.

“Hun, I know how to whip my team into shape. They know not to double cross me or to get us in any kind of trouble.” He told you, using his hand to make you look up and face him so he could get a good look at you.

“Now, why don’t you and I have a little quickie before I hit the road, hmm?” He asked with a cheeky grin and you rolled your eyes.

“Ben, I’ve already told you. I’m not doing anything with you until you break things off with Countess. I have some standards, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah… You have to be some kind of goody two-shoes.” He joked.

“Well no, I just don’t want to be just a side hooker. You have plenty of those and you can call me selfish, but I don’t exactly want to share.” You said and placed your hands on your hips.

“Uh huh. I just think you’re playing hard to get.” He smiled down at you and you shrugged a little.

“But you know that I can’t just break things off publicly without Vought’s say so.” He reminded you, causing you to let out a sigh.

“I’m starting to get that picture a little too well.”

Ben frowned when you looked away from him yet again. He knew that if the two of you ever did have a relationship one day, you wanted it to be one where you had him all to yourself. And he wanted that too, more than anything. And he was planning to break things off with Crimson Countess after the trip out of the country. That way the two of you could finally be together the way that you want to be together.

He let go of your face before he reached into one of his pockets and he handed you a little box and placed it in the palm of your hand.

“Just promise me that you’ll wait for me until I come home. This will be that reminder that I’ll always come back to you.”

You looked in the palm of your hand and saw the little box but that was when there was a knocking at your door, it was his teammates calling Soldier Boy.

When you looked up at him, you spoke yet again, “I really don’t think you should do this.”

“I have to go. It’s my job. I’ll be okay and I’ll be back for you.” Ben promised before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. Then you turned around and watched him leave out of your front door.

That was the last time you had ever gotten to see Soldier Boy alive.

You fiddled with the pendant that was around your neck, admiring the fact that it looked exactly like Ben’s shield. You wore that necklace every day since he left and up until he was presumed dead, you held onto the hope that he really would come back to you one day.

You never knew exactly how he felt about you back then because in the public, he would always dote on Countess. He would say how much he loved her and how he’d do anything for you, and you wondered just how much of that was for show. You remembered how many other women that he had on the side as well and back then you wondered if he’d really give all of that up for you when you were just another low class supe.

Yet anytime you would have those doubts, you could still remember the way he would come and visit you after a tough job. There were nights where he would just sit there and hold you while the both of you would just talk. He would talk about the fact that he wanted kids one day, you would point out that he probably already did have a few kids scattered around the states. He would just laugh. But then he would say that if he were to have the family that he always wanted, you would always be in that picture. Not Countess.

Of course, you weren’t totally sure if he meant that. Especially since you saw less and less of him after you retired. But a girl could dream, right?

The day that Vought announced Ben’s death, that was the day your little world shattered. You should have tried harder to convince him to stay behind with you. His team could show the military they could be involved without him. You should have done more when you had those feelings that something would go wrong.

You tucked the necklace back into your shirt and walked away from the door, then you made your way into your little office room. There, you saw a little chest and you pulled it out from under your desk before setting it on the top of your desk. Inside of this chest were envelopes of letters you’ve written over the decades.

Each one of the letters were addressed to Ben. There must’ve been at least two hundred letters that you’ve sent over the years.

You didn’t know why you decided to write letters to a dead man. You knew how morbid it seemed but for some reason, it helped you cope. You would write on the holidays, his birthday, your birthday, and any other moment that you would think about him. You thought about him often over the years.

Since that group of men came to see you, you started thinking about Soldier Boy yet again. So you grabbed your sheets of paper, your ink pen, and an envelope before you set them on the flat surface and took your seat.

My Dearest Ben,

It started off as just another day for me. Then these men came by.

They seemed like an odd bunch of people, not necessarily men by your standards, though you are a bit of a traditionalist, aren’t you? Butcher would probably be the closest to your expectations of a man. But they were looking for the weapon that killed you. I have a hunch that they may want to use it on the hero Homelander. I told them that I wasn’t in Nicaragua. That whatever the weapon was must’ve been in Russia.

I told you that you shouldn’t have gone there. I wish you would have listened and stayed behind with me. We could have gone away and you could have retired from all of the mess Vought insisted you get into. You could have finally broken things off with Countess and you and I could have finally been together…

I miss you every day and I wish things could have been different. I wish that I could see your cocky-ass smile again, tell you to watch your mouth whenever you’d say something wildly inappropriate. I wish that I could hug you again and just be in your arms again.

Ben, sometimes I wonder if there’s any hope that you’re still out there. You’re the strongest man I’ve ever knwon and there’s no way that you could have been killed so easily. I know it’s ridiculous and there’s more than likely no way for you to be alive. Yet I still can’t help but have that hope.

You promised me that you’d always come home. I still wear the necklace you gave me every day. I’ll wear it until the day I die - if that day ever comes.

Always yours…

Y/N

After you folded the paper and put it in the envelope, you wrote the date on the front of the envelope beneath Ben’s name then put the letter in the chest amongst the others. Then you shut the chest and ran your fingers through your hair.

Whatever those men were looking for, you wondered if they would ever find it. You wondered if the weapon that killed Soldier Boy was even real or if those poor guys were just going on some wild, international goose chase if they would really end up going to Russia. You didn’t even know if Homelander would even be killable.

Whatever Butcher and his group of friends were trying to do, you hoped they would be successful. And hopefully they’d find whatever it was they’re looking for.

All you wanted was closure as to how exactly Ben died.

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of this story! I’m not sure how long it will be but this first part was definitely enjoyable to write and I hope that the rest of this story will turn out to be good! I’m glad to finally start writing about Soldier Boy 😁

Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @roseblue373 @fanfic-n-tabulous @chriszgirl92 @hobby27 @nancymcl @globetrotter28 @jackles010378

[janeyseymour]

La Cosa Nostra- pt 11

cowritten with @schemmentis

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10.

Summary: Melissa's pissed with recent news, the Feds are back at it, and you go to a place and person to find some comfort.

WC: ~2.05k

At this news, Melissa quickly slips into the seat on the other side of Dom's table. “Are ya crazy? I told you they've already torn this place to shreds, and you want to bring the money in through here?” She hisses as she leans more into the middle of the table. “Listen, losin’ the salon is already bad enough. You know what it did to Y/N when you took her off it.”

“That didn't come from me, Mel. I just had to deliver the message. You know that.”

“I don't care who it came from. You knew, and you did it just the same. Now you have the coglioni to sit here and say we should run it through here. I already ain't gonna forget the slightin’ of my wife, youse know that- the lot of you. You wanna tell me I gotta run this shit through my restaurant? Then tell me. Don't act like this is some proposition, Dominic. Tell me what to do, and I'll handle it. ‘Cause you and I both know how this shit works, but I am tellin’ you,” Melissa points an index finger at the man across from her sternly. “Right here, right now, I am tellin’ you; this fucks up my restaurant and youse all are gonna have a much bigger problem than the fuckin’ Feds, capisce?”

Dominic's face remains neutral, though there is an amused glint to his eyes as his palm shifts along the head of his cane. He nods quickly and respectfully to Melissa. “We want things to go well even more than you do, kid.” He says softly.

Melissa leans back in chair, arms crossing over her chest. She raises an eyebrow, silently urging him to say what he needs to say. 

“We'll work out the details on our end. You only have to make sure you're here when the money comes through. Simple as that.” Dom says. He sighs when Melissa still merely stares at him expectantly. “Sí, sí. We're telling you this is how it's gonna work from now on. Clear out a spot in the office in the back. Nobody else needs to know it's anythin’ different than a regular shipment comin’ once in a while. None of it happens if you ain't here. This is big, Lissa. They're trustin’ you.”

“Like they trusted my wife?” Melissa spits out as she pushes herself out of the chair. “Texts only. They call and wake up my girls while they’re sleepin’, I'll take one of my bats to their kneecaps.” She adds on her way past Dom in his seat to storm back toward the kitchen.

You raise a brow as you watch your wife storm into the back and Dominic starts to slowly make his way out. You grab one of the other servers milling about, silently asking them to keep an eye on your girls while you go check on the redhead.

When you get into the back, she’s slamming her fist into the linoleum counter where they prep the food. Her hand is already bruising, and you take her fist gently into your own.

“My love,” you whisper as you hold her hand in yours.

“Let me go,” she hisses.

You shake your head, refuting her request. “You’re hurting yourself. You know I can’t let you do that.”

“I don’t give a shit,” she grumbles as she starts to curl her other hand into a fist. You grab the other one before she can even think about causing damage to that hand.

“Melissa.”

“They’re usin’ the restaurant as their new front,” your wife tells you quietly. “Said that it’s what we have to do, and they trust me… that we’re in the clear because the feds saw how busy we are and that we bring the girls around here, so it has to be safe.”

“I’m not letting you do this,” you tell her. “And I’m not letting them put the girls in danger.”

“We don’t got an option, Y/N. I told Dom I would handle it,” Melissa sighs as she leans against you. “And I will. You just… take care of the girls. No matter what happens.”

“Melissa, don’t talk like that- like you’re gonna die.”

“I’m just being realistic. You did the same when they were using the salon,” your wife says softly. “We both knew that if something happened, I’d have to keep the girls safe. But now, it’s on me, and I know that you’d do the same if something were to happen. We don’t have a choice.”

“Fuck,” you whisper again. “Shit.”

“Get… get the girls out of here, and tell them that I’ll be home late tonight,” your wife runs a hand over her face. “I have to make it work here.”

“No,” you say softly. “I’ll… I’ll get someone to come pick them up so I can help you.”

“Y/N,” Melissa grits out. “Go. I can handle this.”

You give her a look, one that tells her she doesn’t have to do this- that you’ll handle it. You don’t want to have her be the one in danger.

But she just shakes her head and insists you get the girls out of here- just in case Dom did give the two of you up, and he’s setting you up for failure. The girls cannot watch their mother(s) go down.

You cradle her face in your hands, kissing her a few times. “No more punchin’ things, hey? Can't have you bustin’ up those pretty fingers more than you already do.” You whisper. “I'll take care of the girls. You do what you gotta do.” When she nods, just a little, you kiss her one more time before finally turning away.

You gather your girls with a thank you to the server watching them for you. 

“Mam! We have to wait for Mommy!” Cat is insisting as you walk with both your girls out the front door.

“Auntie Val needs Mommy's help tonight, sweetheart. So, we're gonna go home and make sure everything is cleaned up and nice for her, okay?” You speak to your girls though you're glancing around the parking lot on the way to your car.

You take note of Dom's car pulling out but don't see any cars with sirens or lights careening into the lot afterward. You carefully buckle your girls into the backseat. When you're shutting the back door after making sure they're both safe, you look around again on the walk around to the drivers side. There's nothing different or out of the ordinary. No sign of agents or officers. Which means Dom has only done exactly as he said he did.

You slip into the driver's seat, throwing your seatbelt on. You swallow as you carefully pull out of the spot and towards home. Dom telling the truth is maybe worse than if he had flipped. They're really putting this on Melissa and Twelve Tables. Part of you despises it. The amount of risk it puts on your wife. You know it intimately. The other part, the part that grew up in all this and doesn't know anything else, that part is proud as hell. It isn't anything to turn your nose up at to be entrusted with the process of mafia money. It speaks volumes. Volumes that equally excite and terrify you.

Danik and Shaw are back at the precinct, contemplating everything that Dominic told them- that you and your wife had nothing to do with the murder of Bobby. He told them that even if you did have something against the man, you could never do anything- you rescue wasps because you don’t have the heart to kill them despite the fact that your wife is always screaming at you to kill the damned demons. They go over the fact that you bring your twins into your restaurant, you take the girls to church with you, you always are on time to get the girls to and from school. If you were a part of the mafia and mob that dealt with things pertaining to ordering hits and murder, you wouldn’t be such dutiful mothers.

But they also know that you never brought the girls into the salon- they’ve only ever seen the two girls with you at the restaurant. And that is a bit suspicious in their eyes. So, they plan to head back to the salon the following day.

When they get there, you aren’t there- which is unusual. You’re almost always there, and they know that. Instead, Tony is out on the floor with the other stylists. But you are nowhere to be seen; your car isn’t even in the lot. And it isn’t in the lot because you’re somewhere else.

You’re sitting in the sanctuary of your church. After dropping the girls off at school and leaving your wife to her restaurant turned mafia front, you go to the one place where you can find some sort of solitude- because even now your home reminds you of everything happening in your world.

There’s no service today, so you find yourself sitting in the back pew by yourself, looking up at the ceiling. You’re speaking silently to whatever God is out there to please spare your family from all of the heartache that you can only imagine is in your inevitable future. Finally, you bow your head, and you begin to weep silently. 

You’re shaken out of your thoughts when you feel someone slide into the pew next to you and wrap an arm around your shoulder. Your eyes pop open in surprise, and when you look next to you, Barbara is sitting there.

She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t ask why you’re here and not at the salon or at the restaurant. She doesn’t mention that she knows what the two of you do outside of your legal businesses. No- she sits in complete and utter silence as she holds you gently. And you can’t do anything about it. You can’t explain why you’re here in a puddle of your own tears, not without giving away what she already knows to be true. So you don’t say anything. You just continue to cry out your fears and worries over everything while clinging to the shawl that Barbara has draped over her shoulders. And when you pull away, you let out an ugly, choked out laugh.

“You probably think I’m crazy.”

“Crazy? For coming to the one safe little corner of the earth where you can feel anything and do anything and not be judged for it?” the woman asks you. She shakes her head silently. She takes your hand in her own, and together the two of you pray. You don’t realize that she is praying for the same thing that you are, but she is. The two of you silently pray that you’ll somehow get yourself out of this mess- that your family will be able to return to some sort of normalcy- or better yet turn a new leaf and start a new life where there is no mafia or mob, no illegal businesses that put everyone in harm’s way.

And when you lift your head, hers is still bowed for a few seconds before she lifts it with a quiet, “Thank you, God.” And then, as if nothing happened, she pats your hands gently with her own and goes on her way. 

You take a few deep breaths once Barb is gone. Carefully trying to get yourself together. You wipe at your cheeks and eyes, focusing on the distant altar at the pulpit. You sit in the last pew, breathing deep and slow. Staring at the large depiction of Jesus on the cross behind the altar. Slowly, you feel the serenity you were hoping to. You don't know that praying will do anything, actually change anything, but it's at least felt like getting it off your chest. In a way that doesn't jeopardize your family or anyone else. You suddenly understand Barbara's devout faith. You can't say that will ever be you but you get it. You make the sign of the cross over your head and chest as you finally rise from the pew and slowly make your way out of the quiet church.

TAGS (and let me know if you want to be added!): @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson @dvrkhcld

[fizzyxunknownx]

IN TRUSTIN WE TRUST 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Got it colored 🔥🔥🔥

Also i used to not like trustin lmao but now i do =3

[lucky-luci4n0oo]

in trustin we trust!!!!!!

i love these sillies, the amount of love i have for them is weiufnweifiwuenfijoefijmwoeimd i love them

[sshewonders]

WARM BODIES

Chapter 08: Bit of Banter

chapter synopsis: You and Daryl share banter as he carries you through the woods back to camp. Despite his stoicism, your camaraderie grows. As evening nears, Daryl suggests a rest, and you promise not to fall asleep, leaving the both of you with a sense of trust and companionship between you two.

chapter warnings: The chapter contains mild language, emotional discussions, physical injury, carrying scenes, humor, character development, and survival themes in a woodland setting.

word count: 1.9k words

author's note: Okay, I seriously hope that this is not cringe, and I had written it as I'd imagined it in my mind. And oh, by the way, don't be too comfortable and wishing for a softer Daryl; you know the saying, "be careful what you wish for." Anyway, enjoy reading.

MASTERLIST

NEXT CHAPTER >>

You nervously gnawed on your lip as he persistently attended to your ankle with a massage. Occasionally, you couldn't help but emit either a contented sigh or an exaggerated groan, prompting him to shoot you a disapproving look and simultaneously cease his ministrations on your mildly sore ankle. To be brutally frank, your ankle wasn't in agonizing pain, but who in their right mind would turn down his, albeit somewhat coerced, offer to play ankle masseuse? It's like refusing a free ticket to the foot massage carnival.

"Why were you looking for me, anyway?" You began, "So much for the 'Ain't nobody got time to babysit you.'" You echoed his words, reminiscent of a little over a month ago.

Daryl halted the ankle massage, releasing a sigh as he nibbled on his bottom lip. "Knew you were gonna be here, deep in them forest."

"Really?" You shot him a puzzled look, your nose scrunching up a bit. Daryl nodded before resuming the ankle massage. "How did you know?"

Daryl paused the ankle massage and, with a gruff sincerity, said, "You're the type who'd rather spill your guts to the trees than start a conversation with someone, even if you know 'em pretty well." He continued massaging again.

“Oh.” You could feel your cheeks warming up with embarrassment. Were you really that obvious or was he really that observant?

"No need to be embarrassed. I'd do the same. Nowadays, it ain't easy trustin' folks, even if you think you know 'em well enough."

After a few minutes of quiet, only the serene sounds of the river, splashing fish, and birds' melodies surrounding the both of you, Daryl completed the ankle massage and settled down beside you. You both found yourselves captivated by the picturesque view of the river.

"Thanks, Daryl," You broke the silence. "For the ankle massage and for wandering through the woods to find me. I know I can be a real pain in your ass sometimes."

Daryl grunted, a nonchalant acknowledgment. "Ain't nothin'".

A pause lingered before Daryl cautiously broached a different topic, "Didn't mean to make you cry tha' night, back when we first talked."

You furrowed your brow, puzzled. "How'd you know I cried?"

Another grunt from Daryl, "Stood outside your tent. Was gonna apologize, heard you sniffle and sketch. Just stood there 'til I heard you crumblin' papers. Then, I left."

The revelation left you surprised and contemplative. "You...you were outside my tent that night?"

Daryl affirmed with a nod, his gaze still fixed on the river. "Yeah, I was."

There was a silence before you spoke up, "Sorry for asking about stuff I shouldn't have, Daryl."

Daryl stayed silent, letting you continue.

"I just... I wanted to learn how to be useful, y'know? Before all this happened, I felt useless. Still feel pretty much useless in this new world of ours." You took a deep breath. "I gotta figure things out for myself now. My brother's gone, and I can't trust anyone these days."

Daryl listened, his gaze fixed on the river.

"But when Glenn and I found you, everything sorta settled for me. It felt like I had a plan for my future." You paused, looking at Daryl. "And now, I don't even know where to start."

Daryl asked, "Why me?"

You shrugged, "I don't really know why. Just seemed right, I guess."

"Your brother, what was his name?"

You replied, "Rick Grimes. He was a sheriff's deputy, like Shane."

Daryl nodded, "Dipshit told you he's dead, didn't he?"

You smiled, although sad, and nodded back, "Yeah, he did."

Daryl leaned in a bit, "You don't really believe that, do you?"

You kept your sad smile, "Nope, not really. Wouldn't believe he's dead unless I see his body with my own eyes."

"Tell me about 'im."

You rambled on about your brother, "My brother was...well, he used to think he was some kind of superhero, always trying to save the day. Sheriff's deputy, he was. I swear, he thought he could rescue the world from bad hair days or something. Used to bug the hell outta me, but now I'd give anything to hear him ramble about his 'heroic' escapades again."

You chuckled, catching Daryl's eye, "And you'd think being a deputy, he'd have some epic stories. Nope. Most exciting thing was probably catching Mrs. Henderson's cat stuck up a tree. He'd go on and on about it like it was a damn mountain rescue."

You continued to talk about your brother, your words weaving through memories like a melancholy tapestry. "You know, Rick used to tell me stories when we were kids. Silly tales about superheroes and brave knights. He'd promise that as long as he was around, nothing bad would happen to me."

Your voice carried a weight of nostalgia and sorrow as you shared these fragments of the past with Daryl. "He became a sheriff's deputy, because he wanted to be like our Dad who was the previous Sheriff. Always looked out for people. But now... now it feels like he's gone, and I can't shake this feeling of being lost."

Unexpectedly, Daryl offered you his crossbow without saying a word, leaving you confused.

"What're you doing?" You asked.

Daryl replied, "First part of hunting is knowin' how to properly hold a weapon."

You chuckled, "Excuse me, I'm an archer too. I know how to use a bow."

Annoyed, Daryl retorted, "You want me to teach you or not?"

You grabbed the crossbow, admiring it, and teased, "Do I need to ask your beloved crossbow for permission before I press the trigger?" You laughed.

Daryl kept a straight face. "Shut up," he said, proceeding to instruct you on how to use the crossbow.

Daryl began instructing you, "Alright, listen up. First, you gotta have a steady grip. Hold it firm but not too tight. Feel the weight of it."

You followed his lead, adjusting your grip on the crossbow.

"Good. Now, your posture. Sit comfortably, back straight. Gotta be steady, or you'll miss your shot."

You nodded, ensuring your sitting position was solid. Daryl continued, "Next, line up the sights. You see those notches? Align 'em with your target. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly. And when you're ready, squeeze the trigger, don't jerk it."

You focused on the sights, taking a deep breath as Daryl had instructed. "Like this?"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, that's it. Practice it a few times. Get the feel of it."

As you practiced, Daryl observed, occasionally giving pointers on your form and aiming. After a few tries, he suddenly said, "Hold up. Don't press the trigger just yet."

Confused, you looked at him. "Why not?"

Daryl explained, "If you're practicin' your aim at prey, it should be moving. Let's simulate that. Track something with your sights, follow its movement. Don't press the trigger till you get a feel for aimin' at a moving target."

After a session of aiming practice that left you feeling tired as hell, the sun began its descent, casting an orange hue across the horizon. It dawned on you that you and Daryl needed to make your way back to camp before darkness settled in. Daryl, always practical, stood up, collected his belongings, and suggested to head back.

Nodding in agreement, you decided to rise to your feet, only to end up sitting back down with a thud. The pain from your sprained ankle made standing an impossible feat. Daryl, observing your attempts with hands on his hips, witnessed the struggle. Sitting on the ground, you sighed, admitting defeat. "I can't stand," you acknowledged.

Expressing his annoyance, Daryl rolled his eyes, pivoted to face away from you, and knelt on the ground, patting his back as an invitation. "Come on," he urged.

Your curious "What?" prompted Daryl to respond, "Can't carry ya. Got things to carry. And don't get any ideas; didn't say you're heavy." He quickly countered your gasp, playfully insinuating the thought you were heavy.

Rolling your eyes at his teasing, you retorted, "You better not be calling me fat."

Daryl smirked, "Nope, not at all. Just practical. We both got stuff to carry. But since you can't walk, piggyback's the most sensible way to get ya back to camp."

Worried about being a burden, you hesitated, "I'll try to stand and walk."

Annoyed, Daryl glanced over his shoulder, muttering, "Get on my back before I decide to leave ya alone in these damn woods." Gulping, you secured your bag and bow on your back before gently climbing onto Daryl's back. As he rose to his feet with you securely on his back, he grunted, signaling the start of the walk back to camp.

As Daryl trekked through the woods, carrying you on his back, the unexpected conversation unfolded. Out of the blue, you proposed the idea of serenading him with a song. Daryl, in his usual straightforward manner, swiftly shut down the notion with a simple "Nope."

Unfazed, you shifted gears and suggested sharing a joke, earning nothing more than a grunt from the taciturn hunter.

Undeterred, you playfully remarked, "Must be tough for you, not being able to crack a smile."

Daryl, ever the stoic one, coolly replied, "I got a sense of humor, you know."

You, feigning skepticism, shot back, "Really? I don't see any evidence of it."

Daryl, with a hint of amusement, retorted, "You haven't said somethin' funny." Quick on your thinking, you teased, "Your face is funny." Daryl, surprisingly, looked over his shoulder, your faces in close proximity, and he maintained a deadpan expression.

"Hey, Daryl, ever hear the one about the squirrel who took up acting?"

Daryl, with a raised eyebrow, grunted, "Nope."

You chuckled and said, "He was a real nut case!"

Daryl's deadpan expression remained unchanged, prompting you to add, "You know, for a tough guy, you could use a laugh or two."

Daryl, without missing a beat, retorted, "Your jokes need some work."

Pouting playfully, you shot back, "Oh, come on! I bet even the geeks would crack up at that one!"

As Daryl trudged through the dense woods, you, still reveling in your own humor, couldn't resist another attempt at cracking a joke.

"Alright, Daryl, one more for you," you grinned. "Why did the geek join a gym?"

Daryl, in his usual monotone, replied, "I don't know."

"Because he wanted to improve his dead-lift!" You burst into laughter at your own joke.

Daryl, not sharing the same enthusiasm, simply grunted in response. You, wiping away tears of laughter, decided to shift the conversation.

"Hey, Daryl, do you think we'll run into any geek stand-up comedians out here?"

Daryl raised an eyebrow but offered no verbal response. You, however, continued your comedic musings.

"Maybe they'll have a killer routine!" You added, chuckling at your own pun.

Daryl, looking ahead, remarked, "You sure have a way with words." You beamed at the back of his head, proud of your comedic prowess.

As you both continued the journey, Daryl broke the silence, suggesting, "You might wanna rest for a bit. It's gonna be a long walk."

You, with a touch of pride, declared, "I won't fall asleep, promise."

( divider by @cafekitsune )

@celtic-crossbow @maackiimoo @duckmania127 @xmaeyonaiise @richardsamboramylove55 @snailss

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Twelve

"He's not here!" I called. They came down the steps from the little walkway to the stairs and looked at me. Rick came over and knelt down in front of me. "Are you alright?" He asked. "Yeah. I think u might have a concussion, though," I said. Daryl stormed over and pointed his crossbow in my face. "What the fuck did ya do to him?!" He yelled. I looked up at him with a blank expression. "Either shoot me or get that fucking thing out of my face." Rick stepped between us and looked at him. "We don't kill the living," he said.

Daryl lowered the bow and walked over to T-Dog. "You got a durag or something?" He asked. T looked at him, pulled out a bandanna, and handed it to him. Daryl bent down in front of Merle's severed hand, picked it up, placed it on the bandanna, and then stood up and put it in Glenn's backpack. "What happened?" Rick asked me.

"Well, after you guys left, walkers started to push against the door, so I killed as many as I could while trying to get Merle to calm down. I didn't have my cuffs on me, so I told him I was going to go to the precinct, which is only like six blocks away. I told him to just sit tight and to try and keep quiet and out of sight as much as possible. Then I left out that other door." I gestured to the other door on the other side.

"I did as I said I was going to do. I made it to the precinct and found a pair of handcuff keys. Then I gathered what I could that was still there from when Glenn found me. We weren't able to take it all, so we left it there. It was just starting to get dark, so I decided to risk it and started making my way back. I had to fight a little more than I did on the way, but nothing I couldn't handle. I wasn't gone for more than maybe four or five hours. When I got back and opened the door, Merle rushed me. Slammed me into the wall, then proceeded to knock my head against it a few times until I blacked out."

I looked up at Daryl, who was glaring at me. "I tried to save your worthless ass brother. Won't make that mistake again. Now I have a concussion, accompanied by a pounding headache, nausea, and dizziness. Oh, and my head was fucking bleeding too. So fuck him, I hope he dies out there" I told him. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, opting to just glare at me through squinted eyes. "Don't blame 'em for not trustin' ya! You turned on us before!"

I rolled my eyes and slowly stood up with Rick's help. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just need to get off this damn roof." We followed the blood trail that Merle left in his wake. Rick was going on how there was a lot of blood, and Daryl went on saying how Merle was tough and nothing could kill him. "He's not wrong. Merle is a stubborn asshole. He used his belt as a tourniquet. Which means that it helped slow the blood down some. He could have gotten out of here if he found something to press against the wound."

"Even the strongest man can die from blood loss," Rick said. I nodded, "You're right. But trust me, Rick, Merle Dixon is not one of those men. I've seen him survive a hell of a lot worse." We followed the blood through the building. He had gone the way I went but then turned, which led us into a kitchen area.

His belt was on the counter, and one of those flatteners that you used to push down on a burger was laying there with burners still on. "What is that burned stuff?" Glenn asked. "Skin," Rick and I said simultaneously. "He craterized the wound," Rick told him. Daryl was standing by the window. "Told ya my brother was tough. He was able to get out of this death trap." Looking over at him, I saw that the window was broken. Merle had gone down the fire escape and out into the infested city.

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't drip the damn key!" Daryl yells, pointing a finger at T-Dog. Then he turns to me, face screwed up in anger. "Don't even think about blaming me, Dixon! None of us are at fault. If your brother wasn't so out of fucking control all the damn time, then we wouldn't be in this situation. I stayed back for you! I stayed back with that asshole because I know what he means to you! Because I still fucking care for some God only knows why reason!" His face softens just the tiniest bit and doesn't say anything.

Then Rick offers him a deal. We would look for Merle, but he needed to be quiet and corporate. T-Dog said he would help only if we got the bag of guns Rick had dropped by the tank when he came into the city. Daryl agreed, and we were now in one of the offices. Glenn was on the floor. He had drawn a map of the block, with a marker on the floor. He used an eraser, a clip, and I balled up post-it to show where everything was.

Rick and T-Dog would be in an alley a block or two away just in case he needed to change directions; he was going to be the one running for the bag. Daryl and I would be in the alley closest to where the tank is. Daryl had a crossbow. It was silent. Glenn trusted that I would have his back if need be. We all went to our assigned spots and got ready. Glenn was with Daryl and I, hiding behind a dumpster. "Got some balls for a chinaman," Daryl said. I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "He's Korean."

"Whatever." Glenn nodded to be before he left the alley to go after the bag. Daryl and I stood in silence. I had taken my t-shirt off and shoved it in my bag, so now I was only wearing a tank-top. Daryl kept glancing at my right shoulder. I knew he was looking at the scar that was there. There was one in the front and the back.

"It's a bullet wound. I was shot two years ago by some drug addict, who murdered his girlfriend. He kept saying it wasn't her. That it was a demon that took over her body. He shot me because he saw the demon when he looked at me. Fucker was high out of his damn mind. I got lucky that it went all the way through, but I had to do physical therapy for six months."

He didn't say anything. He didn't have the chance because someone was yelling. Daryl stepped out and slammed him against the brick wall. He continued to yell someone's name, and Daryl covered his mouth. Glenn came running back into the alley when two guys came running up on us. We tried to fight them off, Daryl shooting an arrow into one of the guys' ass before they took off, taking Glenn with them and leaving their guy with us.

[real-total-drama-takes]

in trustin we trust

.

[hielloehyy]

this is so drama brothers core

i know the quality on my phone sucks ass but i swear it looks better in real life

i might remakw this digitally 🤷‍♀️ idk should i

update: i did

[coleskingdom]

Mine Pt 7

The Match

The final chapter, no smut just a Forbidden Door face off the final chapter

Jay White x reader

The weeks leading up to forbidden door had been tense. The stipulations added to the match between Jay and Finlay were that there would be no ref stoppage and that if I threw in the towel Jay would lose Bullet Club Gold. I didn’t like the idea, I didn’t like any of it, it seemed too close to an organized shoot fight. Gabe and Adam decided on a Texas death match, and the Bucks put up their AEW titles against Drilla and Clark the event had been sold out for months.

Laying in bed with Jay the with match looming the next day, “it’s going to be fine, no matter how it goes it’s going to be fine.” I didn’t know if my words were for me or for him. “ I’m going to ask you to do one thing, and if you love me the way you say you’ll do this for me. Don’t throw in the towel, no matter what, you can’t throw it in.” His hands playing in my hair my head nestled into his chest I felt a tear come down my cheek. “Shhh… the boys will be down there with you, trust me, trust them. If I lose, it has to be an honorable loss. I have to have a way forward.” my single tear had turned into sobs, “Get it out sweetheart, get it out now. I need you to be strong tomorrow, we all do. I’m not going to lose bullet club, the only thing that means more to me than it is you. You’ve got to breathe and you’ve got to get some sleep.”He said gently, putting his arms around me.

The morning of the ppv came to early, I woke Jay up with a cup of coffee and a confident smile. “ Feeling better?” he asked eyeing me carefully, I could tell he was trying to assess how I was doing. “ I am, I’m sorry about last night. I guess it feels different now. I knew regardless I’d be emotional but not scared.” I said “ Hey now it’s okay, you don’t trust Finlay that’s what it is, just trust me. That’s all you’ve got to do today is trust me.” He squeezed my hand.

“ I don’t feel like doing glam today, give me an hour and I’ll be ready." heading into the bathroom. I emerged war ready, the heels had been traded for a pair of combat boots, the sexy tank in for a black t shirt, the over done make up gone and replaced with my traditional day to day make up and my hair slicked into a tight pony tail, and the diamonds changed to small gold studs. I took off my engagement ring and left just my wedding band and put the golden switchblade around my neck. “ There’s my girl” he said smiling, “You don’t miss the glammed up version.” I asked, “ Not one bit, she’s kind of a character that one, super kicking people, using a heel as a weapon.” He winked “Today I’m glad it’s you by my side. I love you.” Taking my hand . The car was already downstairs. The ride to the arena was quick, we walked into the Gold locker room, everyone had decided to share. I think it was for my benefit but they said it was what they wanted.

“ You okay?” Matt asked, “ Yeah I think so.” A half hearted smile crossing my face. “You switched up your look I like it. It’s more you anyway.” I smiled “Jay said the same thing to, I think he thought the other was a little unhinged.” That got a chuckle out of Matt. “ She was a monster that we designed and you executed. Don’t get me wrong we love her, but she could’ve over thrown Jay and we would’ve said yes ma’am .”

“ Who’s overthrowing me? “ Jay asked from across the room. “ Your beautiful wife, when she shows up in spike heels and an attitude.” Jay laughed a deep real laugh, his eyes crinkling. “ I’ll step down gracefully, if she wants to be leader. I know when I’m beat, I don’t need a shoe mark on my cheek.” Now laughing myself “Stop, I wasn’t that bad” I said “ That’s the problem you were that good, too good.” Matt said. “You were that bad” Jay said with a wink, my face turning pink.

“Okay, okay with all of that having been said , I need the four of you out there with her for the main. I need you to make sure she doesn’t throw in the towel. Matt , I’m trusting you with her, Page you’re his back up. No disrespect to either of you Cole and Nick, she will just listen to the other two better.” he said “Matt I’m going to go over the planned finish with you. You know Finlay though, he doesn’t always stick with it, just so someone out there knows. Alright boys, this is it, it’s time to put the dogs down once and for all.”

Page went out for his match with Gabe. I’d never seen Page have to go the level of violence he went to. On the monitors it showed the live feed, the punches started stiff and only got stiffer as the match went on. Page clearly having taken a page from Calihan pouring lemon juice in Gabe’s open cuts. We all gasped there was no way around that pain, “Where the hell did he get lemon juice?” Jay asked, I told him I did an Instacart order, and I thought it was for water. Page got Gabe to tap with the chain around his neck, reviving his hangman move. He came back into the locker room. “Lemon juice really? “ Matt asked , “Tony said I couldn’t do the everclear, so I had to get creative, it was either that or Jalapeno juice, but milk stops that burn.” he shrugged, blood staining his upper body. “Are you okay?” I asked putting him in a chair going over his cuts, “ This was nothing compared to Swerve, Kidd just thought he was a tough guy. I’m gonna go shower I’ll be ready for the main. “

Matt and Nick went out against Maloney and Connor’s, the bucks new harder hitting style surprised the war dogs , but just as they adapted, they switched to the fast paced, style they’re known for. I popped for the superkick party, and the EVP trigger. The match ended in a DQ when Coughlin got involved, hitting Nick with a chair. Matt and Nick came back through , both swearing they were fine and took the least amount of damage.

The rest of the matches clicked off the card, “ How are you doing?” Page asked, “I’m okay, I think. You’d let me know if it gets too bad out there, right? I know he told me no matter what not to throw in the towel but you’d tell me right? “ my voice pleading with him. He looked around before answering “Yes , because it’s you, yes I would. He knows I would tell you, as a way to protect you. It’s the reason he went over the finish with Matt. I’m okay with that, Matt’s slightly stronger when it comes to you but Jay knows he’d crack to.” He smiled “ Then I’m good, I trust you and Matt only second to Jay..”I hugged him.

“Ready?” Jay asked I nodded the most confident I’d felt in weeks. We all walked down together, I was so glad this was my last walk down, I got into the ring to take his jacket instead he slipped it on me. The ref handed me the white towel, and I stepped out of the ring. The war dogs were ringside as well, just jawing.

I stepped back beside Matt and Page. Jay slid out of the ring early his mind games messing with Finlay. He winked at me, Jay got back in and fell into his rhythm, his fluidity has always been a thing of beauty. The knife edge chops ringing through out the arena , out of the corner of my eye I saw Kidd start to move, “what’s Kidd up to?” I said , “On it “ Page said. Page went and pulled him off the apron, the others quickly backing him . Provided enough distraction for Finlay to get Jay in the corner, with chops of his own , switching to kicks has Jay slumped in the corner. Maloney grabbed Jays arm and cuffed it to the top rope. Kidd slid a chair into the ring. I’m looking at Matt “ Shit” he said, Finlay putting the chair in front of Jay saying something I couldn’t hear, but the pointing indicating it was about me. Jay spit on him, Finlay slapped him, Jay back on his feet landed a punch. “ Conners has the key around his neck” Page said, “ Fuck this shit” Cole said headed towards Conners, Nick followed Cole Matt chasing Nick,” Stay here “he barked I saw that Coughlin power slammed Cole, “Adam go help them I’m fine”. Once he was out of range I jumped up on the apron, making sure that the towel was out of grasp of Finlay. “ Finlay, You’re still a bitch.” That got his attention, “ Hi, Princess, how do you like my handy work?” he sneered, “ It’s a little uninspired kind of like your leadership.” My tone casual I saw Matt uncuff Jay , and I jumped down. Jay coming at Finlay with the chair. I saw the schlalee bent down and put it in the back of my pants covered by Jays Jacket.

“ He’s going to kill you” Matt said “ I’ll deal with it. I had to do something, besides I got the schlalee” I smiled. “ what are you going to do with that” he asked “ I’m going to give it to one of you to get it to him. He needs to beat the shit out of Finlay with it, it’s what started this whole fucking thing” I seethed “ Calm down, calm down” Page stepped in “they’re watching, act upset about the match.” The match had been going back and forth each man alternating having the upper hand. Just then Finlay hit a nasty version of the overkill. The dogs started to get in the ring and Finlay called them off, he went and put his foot on Jays back, and threw up the too sweet. The boos that rained down, Finlay picked Jay up and did the in to oblivion.

“ Is he out?” I asked page, “ hold on give him a minute. “ his eyes meeting Matt’s. “ Hey hey it’s okay, do you want to give me the towel, one of us can walk you to the back.” Matt said I shook my head no. Finlay started taking chair shots to Jays back. “ You’ve got to let him get back up, I know you want to yell, but I’m going to need you not to. You’re stronger than this , this is what Finlay wants you upset. It’s about you as much as it is the match. Now set your fucking jaw, and deal with it, bite your tongue, break my hand I don’t give a shit but don’t you fucking cry right now. You’re a damn member of this club and this family so man the fuck up.” Matt said I looked at him seeing red.

Matt left to go to the ring side , Jays hand moved and Matt nodded. Jay got up slowly, in a daze, but Finlay was in the corner and didn’t see Jay coming and drop kicked him from behind, Finlays face hit the turn buckle , and busted him open. He dragged David and got him into position for the blade runner, Jay pinned David 1-2-3 . It was over, Jay went to the corner and slumped down, his hands on his knees, “ Get him an ice pack and water.” Matt yelled at ring side, he threw both items at me.

“ Go on get in there. Ice on the back of his neck. “ I got into the ring and knelt down beside him, putting the ice on the back of his neck, reaching around for the damn schlaee that was poking me. I laid it in front of Jay, “ I’m not going to lie, you had the chance to make the biggest heel turn in history if you hit me with that thing.” he said a twinkle in his eye. “ How bad is it?” I asked watching him wince “ It’s not the worst that I’ve been but it’s not great. You’re gonna need that nurses outfit. Help me stand” he asked I helped him to his feet. The crowd waiting for his decision on what he was going to do.

“ By the order of the Bang Bang Gang, the War Dogs have been put to sleep. Your club is no more, House of Torture your Club is no more, G.O.D. You are reinstated, Owens, Kenta you are able to remain, the ABC you are recognized. Now what to do with these poor puppies, eyeing the remaining war dogs, do whatever the hell you want your just not Bullet Club material. Finlay I think I’ve got something you want.” Raising the Schlalee Jay threw the thing up the ramp, and Finlay knelt down to pick it up and from behind Ospreay hit Finlay with a hidden blade, Akira, Cobb TJP and Henare were on the rest of the dogs at ring side, once the dogs were down. The United Empire came in the ring and stood across from us, Will took the mic, “Pleasure Doing Business with you Bruv. However, as much fun as this was, I’ll be seeing you in AEW. Come on boys.” His music hit and they walked out of the ring. Then the Bullet Club Gold music hit, the guys all took their corners and hit the Gunns up.

“ I’m proud of you” Jay said once we were in the back. “ I’m gonna kill Matt, when I see him.” I said. “ Why? What happened? He told me I couldn’t cry and to man the fuck up.” I said still furious. Jay started laughing, “ He pissed you off on purpose, I told him to. I told him if you started to get worried to either let you come back here or to piss you off. It’d change your focus and you’d be fine. Come on Sweetheart it’s time to celebrate.” Kissing me on the side of the head. “ What’s next and what’s the thing with Will?” I asked “ Will , that’s an interesting one , I like the guy, it works in Kayfabe we share a history, there’s guys for Colton and Austin to work with it made the most sense. Finlay and Gedo are going to work for your dad. You are going to settle into your new job and retire Queen Switch. I’ll miss her I think. Then I believe you owe me the honeymoon of my dreams if I remember correctly.” He smiled as he lead me into the rest of the party.

[r4bidcherry]

Thoughts on Trustin?

in trustin we trust (i like it)

[imagi77]

Snow White with a Twist~

What would happen if Snow White was never alone at the Cottage on that Fateful morning? I do this to myself all the time~ thinking of different paths a story could take... but this one is special to keep for me, because its based on a dream I once had. Trust me, an actual dream... if the boulder had fallen the OTHER direction. I do hope you enjoy~ :)

There was a supposedly timid knock on the door upon a sudden. 

“Is anyone home?” came an all new, cracked voice.

Snow White instantly startles at the sound. “Oh dear!” she gasped, alerting Grumpy nearby, who was carving.

“I knew my corns were right~” he grumbled, instantly dropping the block, going straight to the girl’s side. “Get away from the window~”

“Grumpy, no... it is only an old lady~” Snow White remarked, dearly confused.

“I have some apples, that would make the menfolks mouths waterrrrr~” cooed this old, strange voice.

“Old lady, gah! You, a princess, had told us that she were lookin' for ya, I sure ain't lettin' up. Under the stair, get - Now…"

“Oh Grumpy~ I-... I trust you, but please please, do be careful~”

“Whatever ye might hear, do not come out -- ye hear me?”

“I do~ please come back.” the sweet Princess cooed.

To his surprise, she softly took his hand. It was an action that melted his old heart, just like before from that mere peck on the head.

“I -- aye -- I will, Princess…” he promised her, gruff and sincere to the lady before he went through the back way with his pickaxe.

“Sellin' apples, what do ya take us fer? There ain't no orchard 'round here on the seventh…"  

He silently sneaked along the side of the cottage, peeks to see this hunched over hag in a black robe.* As wrinkled as an old boot, I see...

Some of the birds who felt the danger to all softly twittered at him from the pines. “Ah, yer onto her too, heh? Figures. Knew those fools be too trustin' for leavin'... The mine can wait, but egh~!”

Looking over, he saw a bucket of water and fair few pine cones...

The Hag seemed to believe that the princess was all alone but apparently the cottage was quiet. The girl was smarter than she thought. Although smarter than those men who left her alone for her picking... or so she thought.

Something sharp hit her right on the head, that was so sharp that it made her drop of her basket of apples. They all rolled about on the ground in different directions... the one she favored rolled at the feet of one lone Dwarf…

The Hag looked stunned to see one of the Little Men, when she thought they all had left for that Mine. But one did not… 

“Oh, it is a little man. A beastly little man~” she seethed with hatred and disappointment. 

Grumpy’s eye caught onto the blood red apple that rolled close to him. Something about it roused the worry in the birds and the squirrels, warning him to not touch it. The hag seemed to be unhinged, eyeing the specific fruit, trying to look kindly and sweet. Grumpy sharply winked, a sign that he was on edge. He had his pickaxe set and held tight.

“Yer trespassin’.” he warned.

“N-now be kind to ol’ granny. I-I was just seeing if you wanted to try one of my apples. Would you like one?”

“I ain’t that stupid.” he snapped. “Yer on Dwarven land, and ye need to leave. Don’t care what you mean by it, we want nothin’ — Git! Or meet my pick!”

The Hag seemed to snarl, eyeing the red apple near him and he picked up on that right away. He took the back end of his pick and smashed the red fruit into pieces. The Hag screamed out in rage. As he feared, there was green slime slipping out of the pieces of white apple. Slime leaked around on the grass, killing a patch instantly. Grumpy jumped at the sight, realizing fully.

“Poison!”

Inside the cottage, the poor sweet Princess, Snow White listened to what was going on outside. Covering her mouth, tears welled up in her eyes… yet she had to keep quiet for Grumpy… He was so brave. He truly did care for her. Just as brave as the Huntsman who told her to run into the woods… Where she was protected… 

“So smart, aren’t you, little Dwarf~?” she heard a change in the Hag’s voice. It sounded deranged. “I know you are hiding her. You do not know who you are dealing with, you little fool!”

“Ye want her, come get her…” she heard Grumpy’s threat. His voice was different too. Somehow, it felt like the Huntsman had returned.

There was a thrash when the old Hag attempted to throw a stone at him; one he easily dodged before she tried to run. Foolhardy, he charged after her as soon as there came the chorus of charging fellow Dwarfs coming from the glen, among a herd of deer and those birds, and squirrels. 

Doc, Happy and Bashful were first to charge out, seeing their comrade take first charge before they all clambered to follow. Chasing after the terrible disguised Hag toward this barren mountain side. As the sun became hidden behind darkened clouds, there came a mighty bellow of thunder. Doc and Happy saw their dear charge open the door in fear…

“Princess!” they cried out to her, running up in tears of relief that she was unharmed.

“Oh, Happy! Doc! Oh!” Snow White wept, embracing the two in sobs.

“Are you ha-harmed, my dear!? Doc’s voice naturally trembled in her ear.

“No~ no, I am not! Grumpy, he-he chased the old woman away~ He told me to stay inside…”

“And inside, you will say-stay! Happy, guard her well~”

“Not movin’ an inch, Doc~” Happy nodded.

As for the rest of the Dwarfs, they were not letting this go. As Grumpy was first on the climb, his brethren followed quick, throwing whatever they could find at the fleeing Hag. She tried to climb, higher and higher, even as the rain fell harsh and sharp upon the rocks. 

“There she goes! Don’t let her get away, men!” Grumpy cried out as they soon reached the nearest peak where she found herself trapped by a tight ledge looking over the valley below.

“Watch out for that rock!!” Doc cried, just in time for them to duck and cover as rocks began to roll down.

“She’s pushing them all on us, get aside - Aside!” Sneezy cried.

“Surround her, surround her!”

“You insufferable little fools!!” they heard that Hag seeth at them from above. “You think you can catch me! The Fairest in the Land! You cannot protect her forever, None of you! Follow me, if you dare!” this crazed Witch kept cackling to the point that she could easily fall.

Grumpy, being the farthest ahead, had his eyes set on the mighty boulder that was beginning to teeter over them… Her shadow could be seen as lightning began to threaten the ledge. He was determined, seeing her distracted.

“I’ll get ya! I’ll get ya! I will crush your bones!” she cackled, as Grumpy was first to reach the highest rock.

To the horror of the five other little men, there was a flash of lightning that struck at the feet of the Hag. All it took was a blink… A single moment passed and there came a shrill scream that faded into the billowing thunder’s roll… 

The Dwarfs were all too frazzled for a moment as the massive stone at the peak was teetering dangerously over them. All it took was a moment until it began to roll down the mountain side. Doc lost sight of Grumpy, however~

“Aside, men! Aside!” he cried as the boulder rolled quick. 

Sneezy, Bashful, Sleepy bounded to the safest spots they could find aside to get out of the way. Dopey dove between two rocks as the thing sped down in a tumble all the way to the bottom.

There was a bone chilling sound that Happy and the Princess could plainly hear from the cottage… A crumbling roar as the boulder landed deep into the mossy ground, that was so heavy that the ground shook from its might… Soon, all there could be was the sound of drumming rain…

Among the rocks, the four all cautiously climbed from their hiding, breathless. Doc had to shove some rocks in order to free himself… His spectacles were missing but other than that, he was only fairly bruised. 

“Men? Men! All right?” he called up to them. “Bound - Sound off~ Dopey, where are ya?” he feared but was glad to see the mute youngin’ gladly climb his way down with a plop beside him.

“Can’t believe she tried to smash us like grapes…” Sneezy panted, sniffling.

“She fell~ Could hear her scream all the way down…” Bashful shivered. “She’s gone…”

“Fool- Good riddance~” Doc gave a curt nod. “Never mess with the likes of us, I say… Right, Grumpy?”

There was no response. There was no sign or sight of Grumpy… Not even close to them.

“Grumpy?” Doc began to feel frantic.

The others gasped.

“Thought he’d be~ He was at the top…” Sleepy uttered, sputtering.

“At the — No no, it can’t be… C-come on, come~!”

After hearing that terrible collision, Snow White could not bear it any longer and ran out into the rain, quick.

“Please, keep my friends safe — They are so kind and so good, please let no bad happen…” she prayed, tearfully aloud despite Happy’s protests.

“My lady! Princess! Please, come back~”

When they reached the bottom of the mountain side, Doc and Bashful returned up to the top where Grumpy was last seen, frightened that he may have taken the fall with the Hag as well. There was a small flat stone that they almost missed where a crimson tunic caught their gaze. Bashful gasped so loud that he had to cover his mouth to keep from crying out… “D-d-d-Doc?” he stammered… heartbreak was evident.

Doc was speechless when there, before them, was Grumpy, lain in the rain on that flat rock… as still as stone and doused. His cap was gone, he was so laxed with a sort of rare, cold calm over his face… it was enough to chill the two down to their core.

“Grumpy!” Doc sobbed, immediately jumping down to his side. “… grumpy?” he softened then, gently nudging Grumpy’s shoulders. With care too… because there was a deep cut that he could see now that he was close… on Grumpy’s right arm. “It’s me, Grumpy… please, speak to me…” Doc trembled. 

It was like a spring song to them when Grumpy’s face soon tensed up after an eternal minute, and moaned~ waking up to one of the worst headaches known.

“y’mind? Ah~ stop pettin’ me. I ain’t a shot doe…” he weakly snapped at Doc.

“… you kinda look like one…” Bashful laughed through his tears.

Grumpy sharply winked as he tried to rise up, against their wishes.

“Ray - I mean stay down, stay down, you took quite the blow from that boulder.” Doc advised.

“I can talk, can’t I? And-and Snow… Snow White. Is-is she?”

“She’s all right~ Safe a-and - and sound. Thanks to you.”

Upon hearing that, Grumpy’s knees buckled and he had to lean down again, clutching his right arm, tight. “…a fine kettle of fish~!”

“Just sit down, you warthog.” Doc scoffed. “Bashful… Go and fetch the men. Tell em’ all’s well. Might need some help to get down.”

Snow White was relieved to have four of the Seven Dwarfs all come to her side, all shocked and tired, of course. Three were missing… 

“Where are they? What’s happened to them…?” she asked, emotional.

“That old witch is gone, good lady~ She took a long fall…”

“… Grumpy. He knew something would go wrong today.” she feared.

“Sure glad he stayed behind… If somethin’ to ya, we~ we wouldn’t know what to do. We all love ya.” Sneezy got all misty as he spoke, rubbing his eyes. Dopey tried to hug him only to get batted away. “Oh stop it, it’s just my hayfever!”

“I prayed for all of you yesterday… that you’ve been so kind to me. And it all came true… All of you are the best I’ve ever had.”

One appeared from above, climbing down with care and haste that sent chills of anticipation to the group. It did not look good…

“Bashful! Doc and Grumpy… where are they?” Happy worried.

“At the top! Grumpy got hit somethin’ fierce, but he roused up.” Bashful explained, and the Princess shuddered. “He got hurt mighty bad~ We need some help to get him down…”

“This is my specialty~!” Happy piped up, determined. “Lead me to ‘em!” 

“Oh! Oh Grumpy! Do be careful, please!” Snow White stammered.

She did not dare to go back to the cottage just yet because she had to be sure all of the Dwarfs were back, safe. Her little warm heart calmed when she saw Happy and Doc help Grumpy down to them… She ran to him as he was helped down and took her own red cloak off and covered him with it.

“… I- - don’t~ don’t cover me with that~” he tried to retort, but he was too weak to press it again. “ — f’rget it…”

“You are cold as ice…” her sweet voice was an honest relief. “… you saved me, Grumpy…”

“Told ya to stay inside the house. ‘Course y’didn’t~fine by me…”

“… you did promise me you will come back. I wanted to make sure you did.”

“Well. Aye, I ain’t agin that…” Grumpy’s voice laxed more, as he felt warm in her embrace with his fellows gathered around him.

He felt a strange dizziness as his arm sharpened with a stabbing pain — Dizzy and worn, Grumpy rested in the Princess’s warm, gentle arms. Everyone’s voices faded from him, as did the thunder. 

Inside the dry, warm cottage of the Seven Dwarfs, with the Wicked Queen gone and done for… there was a quiet that came over the sweet little home in the Glen. There, the Princess Snow White took it on herself to stay at her friend’s side as he regained his strength, along with the six other little men who sought it important to keep sharp guard over the Glen. Never had there ever been a safer place since…