#jameson jackson (mentioned) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

absurdthirst · 5 months ago

Text

Safe Haven {Joel Miller x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 17.1k

Warnings: No Outbreak AU, domestic violence, spousal abuse, verbal/emotional abuse, Joel is a protector, oral sex, female receiving, fingering, vaginal sex, brief hair pulling, rough sex, aftercare, death, loss, kidnapping, threats of violence, feral Joel, threats of murder, happy endings. Reader is described as having hair that can be pulled.

Comments: Coming to Jackson had been a last resort, scared of your ex and running for your life. Meeting a cowboy in the bar your aunt owns will change the trajectory of your life, and his.

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

**Follow @absurdthirst-writes and turn on notifications to stay up to date on all new fics.

|| MasterList || Joel Miller MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

Joel groans as he steps out of his truck, the moon shining above and he adjusts his belt after he locks his vehicle. Making his way into the bar, he nods his head at the men who greet him. Locals in Jackson that he has known for years ever since he moved to the area to escape Texas. To escape the memories. He strides up to the bar and sits down on the stool, raising his hand to call over the bartender. He expects to see Jerry come over to give him his usual - beer and a shot of whiskey - but instead, a beautiful woman appears and Joel raises his eyebrows. "What can I get ya?" You ask him, wiping down the counter. "Yuengling...and shot of Jameson." He orders and you nod, walking along the bar to pour his drinks. His eyes dip down to your ass and he wonders where the hell you came from. This town is for rough ranchers, not pretty young things like you. "Here you go. Wanna open a tab or close out?" You ask and he snorts, "tab. Name is Miller. I have an ongoing tab." He says and you nod, having discovered that nearly everyone has an open tab.

You add the drinks to his tab and sigh, leaning against the counter to look at the brooding man who saddled up to your bar. He's gorgeous. A rancher through and through with the hat on his head which he takes off to set down on the counter after taking a sip of his drink. He's the kind of man you'd be flirting with if you had any interest in that. You don't. That's why you moved to Jackson, to get away from men. Well, one man. Your husband. "So, you're new in town?" Joel asks when you refill his beer. "Yeah. Arrived yesterday." You reveal and he hums, "well, welcome to the most boring place in the USA." He snorts and you wince, remembering the fact that your husband called Jackson the exact same thing.

Joel notices the joke falls flat and he taps the bar, looking around the place. It’s pretty quiet for a Friday night, but the night is still young. You wipe down the counters and Joel tosses back the shot, setting the glass down on the counter. “Another?” You ask and he smirks slightly. “Hell, why not?” He shrugs, picking up his beer. “Nowhere else to be tonight.”

You nod, making your way over to the bottles to pour him another whiskey. After you set it down, he says, “you want a drink? I’ll buy you one.” He says and you shake your head, crossing your arms, “no thanks. I don’t drink while I’m working. My aunt owns the place and I don’t think she’d want me drinking on the job.” You reveal and Joel says your aunt’s name, “you’re her niece? She mentioned you’d be coming into town.” He hums and you hate the fact that those dark brown eyes of his are hard to look away from. “Yeah. I, uh, it was last minute. I needed to escape and she helped me.” You confess and Joel tilts his head, “from what? A boring 9-5?” He chuckles and you shake your head, “from my husband.”

Joel’s brow knits, instantly wondering what could have occurred and he stares at you for a moment before he nods. “Understood.” He grunts, taking another sip of his beer and glancing around the room, noticing a few of the other ranch’s hands are here, including his own. “You have a problem, you tell any of the boys from the Triple M to give you a hand.” He tells you, looking back at you. “You have a problem with them, you let me know. I’ll handle them.”

You nod, offering him a slight smile, “thanks.” You get called over to another patron but your eyes drift back over to Joel. He’s handsome. In a slightly depressed way. That’s probably why you can’t stop looking over at him. He’s damaged goods…like you. “Another round?” You ask Joel, someone now sitting next to him. “Yeah. And what do you want, asshole?” He asks the younger man who scoffs, “don’t be mean in front of the pretty lady.” He nudges Joel. You bite your lip at the compliment but you know it would sound better coming from the older man’s lips.

“Where’s your wife?” He looks around, not seeing Maria. His younger brother grins the sappy smile of a man in love, “she’s in the bathroom. Has to pee every time she gets out of the truck.” Joel snorts, although he’s slightly jealous. You walk back over and he jerks his head to the side. “Beer and a shot for this jerk and a ginger ale for his wife, pretty lady.” He smirks slightly, aware of the interest in your eyes and he wouldn’t mind peeling you out of those jeans.

You work fast to get their drinks, setting them down just as the woman you assume is Maria comes to the bar and sits down. “This baby is bouncing on my damn bladder.” She huffs, picking up the ginger ale you set down for her. “Not long now, baby.” Tommy says, leaning in to kiss her cheek and your stomach twists at the obvious love in his eyes for his wife. You set Joel’s beer down, “here you go, handsome.” You flirt back slightly, wanting him to know you find him attractive. You tell yourself it’s to get a bigger tip.

Tommy’s brow wings up, surprised that his brother is flirting with someone but it’s good to see him get back on the horse. “Well, fuck me, tonight’s gonna be a good night!” He slaps the bar top with a grin, making Joel roll his eyes. “Pay attention to your wife.” He grunts, sending you a wink. “Lady’s interested in me.”

Joel’s wink makes your cheeks heat up and you chuckle at the way Tommy rolls his eyes at his brother before he turns to nuzzle his nose against his wife’s cheek. Another customer calls you over and you walk down the bar passing Jerry who is serving someone else. “She’s pretty.” Maria hums, caressing her bump, “you should ask her out.”

“She’s flirtin’ to get a better tip.” Joel dismisses the idea, although he wouldn’t mind taking you out. It’s been a long time since he’s wanted someone. Hell, it was almost surprising that his cock twitches and he’s half hard. “If she wants to go out, she can let me know. I drink here, and I don’t want her aunt poisoning my whiskey.”

You watch Joel from the corner of your eye. It’s wrong to feel attracted to him. You came here to escape, not to get with a local rancher. You need to focus on yourself, not on a handsome man. You find it hard to trust anyone. Your aunt gave you a safe haven from your husband and you need to keep it that way.

****

“You’re a fucking useless slut!” Your husband, Josh, yells at you, throwing the dinner you cooked him across the room. You hadn’t made the meatloaf he didn’t tell you he wanted. Apparently he expected you to be a mind reader and he’s not happy to have fettuccine Alfredo instead. “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You didn’t -” You cut yourself off.

“I didn’t tell you? You should fucking know. You know what I like to eat! Why did I marry you? I could’ve had Shelly from work. At least she sucks cock. Every guy gets a blowjob from her but no, I got stuck with you. You don’t give me shit. I got a useless cunt. All because you got pregnant.” He hisses and you shake your head, tears stinging in your eyes. You lost the baby at five months. It was traumatic for you and your husband seemed to be relieved but didn’t divorce you. You’ve been married for three years. The first year he was perfect. He took you out for dinner, treated you well. After you lost the baby, he changed. You should’ve left him when you lost the baby but you were so distraught and your only family is your aunt. You lost your parents when you were in college to a car accident. You had no one to lean on except Josh.

“I- I’m sorry. I didn’t - I can make you meatloaf.” You choke out and he scoffs, “too fucking late. I’m gonna go to the bar, get some wings. Clean up this goddamn mess.” He points at the dishes he threw on the floor and you nod, your throat closing as your hands shake. He slams the door behind him and you start to sob, sinking down to the floor. You need to get out of here.

****

“Woah, watch you’re doing lady!” One of the ranch hands snaps his fingers in front of your face and you come back to yourself, gasping when you realize the beer you’re pouring hasn’t stopped because you are pulling down on the tap. “Shit.” You hiss, lifting the lever and setting the beer down. “I’m - I’m so sorry.” You choke, reaching for the rags to clean it up. Jerry comes over, his eyes widening at the mess on the floor and he shakes his head, “clean up this goddamn mess.” He hisses, clearly frustrated with you and you gasp, hands shaking as you fumble with the rags. “I- I-” You struggle to breathe, taken back to that night with Josh.

“Jerry, chill the fuck out.” Joel growls, seeing that you are as spooked as an unbroken foal and he immediately senses that you need a moment. He pushes away from the bar and walks over to the mess and takes the rags from you. “Go take a piss or wash your face.” He tells you quietly before looking back at Jerry. “It’s just some fucking beer and it’s not like this place is the goddamn Ritz.” He huffs, folding the rag and wiping up the beer himself as you edge away. Joel’s dark eyes find you watching warily, as if unsure if you should and he nods. “Go on, girl.” He tells you again.

Your hands are shaking as you make your way to the bathroom and you inhale deeply as you push the door open, rushing over to the sink and tears sting in your eyes as you try to control yourself. You are shaking and you’re taken right back to Josh. How he would say you’re a useless whore. You splash water on your face, trying to calm your racing heart. After ten minutes, you gather the strength to go back outside to finish your shift. The beer has been cleaned up and you decide to get Joel a round on you.

Joel watches as you set another beer down in front of him. Tommy and Maria are on the dance floor, holding each other close while the other couples zip around them. “You good?” He asks, watching you close and not liking that you were obviously crying at one point.

“I’m good.” You nod, “this one is on me.” You tell him, wiping your hands on your jeans. “Sorry about that. I- I freaked out and I shouldn’t have.” You confess, “I embarrassed myself.” You shake your head, “all because of pulling a beer.”

“More like a trauma response to some shit from your past.” Joel comments, watching you for a moment before he picks his beer up with a small nod of appreciation. His knuckles are scarred from his own trauma responses, so he knows what you are going through. “Best thing to do is to focus on something good. And talk to someone…..if you’re into that kind of shit.” He doesn’t feel comfortable expressing himself to a lot of people, but he doesn’t look down on those who do.

You stare at him, shocked that he’s read you like a book, and you nod after a few seconds. “I- I’ll try to do that. Thank you. It’s - it’s complicated.” You sigh and lean back against the counter. “I don’t really like talking.”

"Then don't talk." Joel shrugs slightly, knowing that he's the same way. "Better options are to either fuck through your feeling or raise hell." He takes a sip of his beer and eyes you. "Both of them have their merits."

You snort, “sex sounds pretty damn good actually.” You lean against the counter, “I’m not a raise hell kind of girl. More of a book and a coffee kind of girl.” You admit, “what’s your preference?”

Joel’s eyebrow ticks up and he wonders if you are feeling him out. “Fuckin’ wasn’t always an option.” He tosses out casually. “Sometimes you just gotta beat the shit out of someone’s face if you can’t make a woman scream in pleasure.” He shrugs, eyes meeting yours. “But I’d rather fuck, any day of the week.”

You inhale sharply at his words, your stomach twisting with arousal. Josh wouldn’t have sex with you since that night you fucked up his dinner. Deep down, you knew he was fucking someone else and you didn’t care. As long as he wasn’t coming to you for sex. It’s been so long since you’ve been touched with desire and the look in Joel’s eyes tells you he’s capable of making you feel things you’ve never felt before. “Me too. I’m not a fighter.” You confess, snorting at your own joke. You couldn’t fight against your husband when he would scream at you. “I’m guessing the options around here aren’t too plentiful for you. Seems like more ranch hands than anyone else.”

“Nah.” Joel huffs out a smirk. “And they ain’t exactly my type.” His eyes slide up and down your body and he knows you are interested. “Been a long time since I’ve had a pretty little thing like you.” He admits, ignoring the pang of loss from Tess. It’s been a few years and she’s gone.

You bite your lip, stomach twisting with lust at the dark look in his chocolate eyes. His hair is streaked with salt and pepper and his hands are calloused. He looks capable. Like he'd protect you with his entire being or he has the capacity to destroy you. You're not sure if you want to take the risk after escaping from Josh. "Been a long time since a handsome man took any interest in me." You confess, "damaged goods." You shrug, "but you seem to understand that. I'm new here...any tips on places to go, things to do?"

Joel sets his beer down and shrugs, leaning forward. “Ain’t too much to do around here.” He admits, licking his lips before he decides to proposition you. “Best thing is to watch the sun come up off the northern part of my land.” He tells you. “Might have to come stay the night to get there on time.”

“There’s a campfire breakfast option or a regular option with a thermos of coffee to take on horseback.” Joel nods. “Either one. I prefer to sleep under the stars when I get a chance, but you might prefer indoor plumbing.

You chuckle, “I am partial to a toilet but a night under the stars sounds perfect. Exactly what I need after all the shit I’ve gone through.” You confess. “You want another drink? Water?” You ask, “or coffee? Jerry has a pot going in the back.”

“Coffee.” Joel decides, finishing his beer and pushing the glass towards you. “Black. I’m a simple kind of man.”

You nod, taking the glass, and you head into the kitchen to grab him a cup of coffee. You bring it back to him and look over at his brother and his wife. “She’s due soon.” You jerk your chin over to the couple and Joel nods, “yeah. They got all the baby shit ready to go. I had to make up the crib. Good thing I used to be a contractor.” He snorts and you chuckle, “you’re gonna be a good uncle. I can tell. You got kids?” You ask, tilting your head.

Joel frowns, looking down into his coffee. “Got a foster kid.” He tells you, his heart aching when he remembers Sarah and how he had held her in his arms as she took her last breaths. “Pain in my ass.”

You snort, “she’s a teenager?” You assume from the look on his face but his eyes soften when he mentions her. “Well, I don’t work tomorrow night. My aunt wanted me to settle in after a rough first shift so if you’re free…maybe you could show me around town?”

“What time do you get off tonight?” Joel asks, weighing the work that needs to be done with the chance to just blow off some steam.

You look at your watch, “in an hour. Jerry said he’d close out my first night. Let me settle in with the locals first.” You reveal, “so…if you’re free…” You trail off, leaning against the countertop.

“Passenger seat in my truck is empty.” He points out, glancing back at Tommy and Maria, still dancing. “We can split the difference.” He decides. “Indoor sex tonight and outdoor sex tomorrow.” He smirks and winks. “See if you can ride a horse after I ride you all night.”

Your eyes widen and you inhale sharply, liking the cocky look on his face. You’ve been through hell and you want to have fun. You deserve to have fun. “Sure thing, cowboy. You ready? I can settle your tab and tell Jerry that I’m leaving.” You know you should play coy but he doesn’t seem like the kind of man to like being messed around with. He nods, shifting to pull his wallet out of his jeans and he hands you enough bills to cover his tab and his family. “Thanks.” You say, heading over to the cash register. “Keep the change.” He orders when you come back over and you sigh, knowing it’s best to not argue. “I’ll go get my jacket if you still want me to come home with you?”

“I’ll wait.” He’s not the type of man to have you come out of the bar and search for him. Groaning slightly as he stands, he motions. “Go get your shit, I’ll say bye to my brother and hands that are here.” He tells you, turning to head towards the group of Triple M hands playing pool in the back corner.

You walk over to Jerry, telling him you're leaving, and his eyes dart over to Joel, a frown on his face. "I hope you know what you're doing." He clicks his tongue and you nod, "I'm having fun." He snorts, "go. I'll lock up." He orders and you rush into the back room to grab your jacket and your purse, coming out the front to find Joel waiting for you, his hands in his pockets. Your heart thumps in your chest at what you're doing. Both with nerves and excitement. It's been a long time since you felt this way.

He shouldn’t do this. You’ve got trouble written all over you. But it seems like Joel finds nothing but trouble and he’s always been a sucker for a nice ass. “Ready?” He pulls his hand out of his pocket and touches the small of your back as he guides you out of the bar and over to a large 4x4 dually with the Triple M logo on the side. He walks you to the passenger door and opens it for you. “If you’re gonna fuck the shit out of a woman, you can open the door for her.” He grunts when you look at him in surprise.

You are surprised by his actions and his words. “I just - I’m not used to having the door opened for me.” You confess and he shakes his head, “then you’ve been with mannerless assholes.” He scoffs and you chuckle, “that we can agree on.” You get up into the truck and it smells like him. He rounds the front after shutting your door and you inhale sharply, trying to calm your racing heart. “I just realized…I never got your name.” You frown, looking at him after he settles in the driver's seat.

Sliding the key into the ignition, Joel chuckles as he introduces himself. “Joel Miller.” He tells you quietly. “Rancher.” He wonders if you are second guessing yourself. “Own the Triple M spread. My brother Tommy and his wife own the next ranch over. Called it Fresh Start Ranch.” He snorts. “They rehabilitate horses and people.” He tells you. “Gives minors and first time offenders job skills.”

You nod, saying his name. It suits him. “Enough people know you to know that I’m safe.” You declare and he nods, “I ain’t gonna hurt you.” He promises and you smile, telling him your name, “currently on the run from my crazy husband who tried to kill me. I own nothing. Don’t have a dollar. He took control of our joint account and I can’t use it otherwise he will find me.” You confess, revealing your reason for being here.

“Cash is king.” Joel nods, not liking the bastard from what little you’ve told him. “You can always open an account in our local bank.” He tells you. “They don’t ask too many questions. A lot of the hands open accounts.”

"Probably best to stick with cash. I - I barely made it out of there with my life. I can't - I can't risk him finding me." You confess, hands shaking slightly as you lean back in your seat. You close your eyes, remembering the way he held the knife in his hand. "Hey. Hey. Look at me." Joel murmurs and you inhale deeply before you turn to look at him. "I can escort you home. I ain't - you don't seem ready for anything." He observes and you sigh, "it's - I don't want to be alone. Can we go to yours and talk? I want to tell you why I'm like this." You say, voice a little stronger.

He doesn’t need another headache. He doesn’t need another responsibility. He’s got plenty on his plate without your shit added on, but he can’t turn down the naked plea in your eyes. He sighs and nods. “Sure.” He pulls out of the parking lot, resigned to the fact that the sex he had been anticipating is now off the table. “How did your aunt end up in Jackson?” He asks conversationally.

“She was married to a rancher. He died when he was fifty. Heart attack from the stress. So she sold the ranch and bought the bar and the apartment above. She lived there for ten years then decided to move into a home when she got remarried. So, she’s been around town for a while. Doesn’t manage the bar as much and needs a set of hands. She called me to check on me the week before he - she said I was welcome to escape here. Just call her and the apartment and job is mine.” You tell him and he hums, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Did he physically abuse you?” Joel asks, wanting to know what kind of prick you were married to. “Or more emotional and verbal?” He knows that if it’s physical, if the bastard shows up here, no one will even acknowledge that you are here, if you are sitting right in front of them. Everyone protects their own here in Jackson. Joel would be even more brutal. He would just take him out on the ranch and bury him.

“He was emotional and verbal. Everything I did…it was never enough. He would throw things at him but never hit me. Until - until the day he found out I was leaving. He came home early from work. He wanted me to make him lunch and he found my bags in the hall. I was in the shower, about to get dressed and leave before he got home from work and he - he came into the bathroom with the knife. I only managed to escape because I sprayed him with hot water. Ran to the car naked and I- I drove off after grabbing one bag in the hallway. I sold the car the next day, bought another one so he couldn’t track me and drove here to escape.” You reveal, hands shaking at the memory of him pulling back the shower curtain, the knife in his hand.

“Jesus Christ.” Joel hisses, tightening his fist on the steering wheel as he drives. “What a fucking psycho. You don’t need to worry, people around here don’t like fuckers period, but definitely not ones who would threaten someone they are supposed to protect.” He reaches out and offers your leg a light squeeze before he lets go. Remembering you might be skittish.

You feel safe with him. His touch is reassuring and something you haven’t felt in so long. “I- I escaped but he’s looking for me. I know he is. He was yelling at me, telling me he couldn’t let me go. I couldn’t leave. He screamed that he’d kill me before I left.” You choke, “I barely made it but I did and I refuse - I need to start fresh.”

Joel nods, knowing all about fresh starts. “Jackson is a good place for it.” He tells you. “Lots of folks are here because they got something they want to forget. You’ll blend in in no time.” He chuckles. “Then you’ll have half the patrons ready to whoop his ass if he shows his face in town.”

You smile, “thank you.” You reach for his hand, squeezing gently. He seems so capable and you love it. The strength in his touch but you’re not scared of it. You look out of the window, watching the town pass by, and he pulls into an estate with “Triple M” above the sign. “I really want to see the sunrise.” You reveal and you look back at him as he drives down the rubble road to his place. “I really want to see you.” You decide, feeling safe with him after telling him why you're so skittish.

Joel chuckles and he tries to ignore the harsh reality of that lie. He’s let so many women in his life down. His wife, his daughter, his lover. He’s terrified that he might let Ellie down and now you have just thrown him for a loop like he’s breaking a new colt. “You’re seein’ me, ain’t ya?” He asks, flashing you a grin. It takes five minutes to get from the gate of the property to the main house and he nods towards it when it comes into view. “Whaddya think?”

You inhale sharply at the beautiful lodge. Its setting against the mountains that will be seen when the sun rises has you nodding, “it’s beautiful. I see why you like it so much.” You tell him, “you gonna show me the inside?”

“Don’t plan on making you wait in the truck.” He snorts, pulling up to the front yard and parking it. “Come on. I’ll show you around and you can see what you like best.”

You smile at him as he gets out after killing the engine and rounds the truck to open the door for you. You get out and follow him inside his place, admiring his shoulders and back as he unlocks the door to reveal the comfortable and warm lodge. “Oh it’s gorgeous. I love it.” You exhale in awe, stepping in to admire the manly yet homey decor.

“It’s home.” He grunts, moving over to the bar area of the living room. “Want a drink? Coffee? Whatever you want, we can make it happen.”

“You have any whiskey?” You ask, walking over to the photo frames on the table in the living room. There’s a few different women in the photos. From two young girls to two older women. You can't figure out who is who. You turn to watch Joel pour out two glasses of whiskey, walking over to hand it to you after he’s done. “So who’s who?” You ask, gesturing to the photos.

Joel sighs softly, aware that you would ask about it, although he hadn’t expected it to be tonight. “That’s Ellie and Tess.” He tells you, pointing at one picture with his drink hand before taking a sip. “Foster kid and my late- erm, lover.” He settles on that title for Tess.

Your eyes widen and he continues, “she died a few years ago. It - it was fucking dumb. She was trying to rescue a stray dog on the property and it bit her. She got fucking rabies and - and she died.” He shakes his head, unable to believe it even after all these years. The worst part? She didn’t know that he loved her. “I’m so sorry.” You choke, reaching up to touch his arm.

Joel shakes his head and sighs. "Not a goddamn thing I could do." He admits softly, unsure why he is talking to you about this. He never talks to anyone about losing Tess, not even Tommy dares to bring up her name. Ellie had just been placed with them and it had been a long time before he opened up to the girl at all.

Your heart aches for him, he’s lost so much. “I’m - there’s no words.” You murmur, knowing there’s nothing you can say to remotely make the loss tolerable. He has to heal on his own time. “She has your eyes.” You point to the other teenager and Joel smiles sadly, “my Sarah. She - she was killed when she was thirteen. I used to live in Texas. Austin. She went to go get my watch repaired for my birthday and - and she was shot.” He confesses, “I tried to get there as quick as I could and she - she died in my arms.” He finishes quietly and your eyes widen, glistening with tears from the pain in his voice.

“Joel…I-” You don’t continue, you just spin around and wrap your arms around him.

Joel grunts, absorbing the impact of the hug. You had pushed into him hard, probably trying to reconcile all that he’s endured and he awkwardly wraps his arms around you. It’s not that he doesn’t appreciate the hug, he just doesn’t know how to really handle the softness anymore. “It’s - I’m existing. I’m still here.” He doesn’t mention that his sole reason now is for Ellie, but he rubs your back gently. “If I can make it, you can too, pretty girl.”

You look at him, that small patch in his beard that doesn’t seem to grow, and you lean in to kiss it. “You don’t- we don’t have to do anything.” He reminds you but you kiss his jaw again. “I want to. I want to feel. I want to feel wanted. Desired. Can you do that for me? Can you fuck me like there’s no tomorrow?” You ask, “because that’s what I need right now.”

Joel’s eyes flatten, darkening with desire. “I fuck rough.” He warns you, voice dipping down and taking on a raspy quality. “I’ll make you feel good, but I’ll also make you hurt.” He’s not talking about a slap or any kind of violence, he doesn’t get off on beating women while he fucks them. However, you would feel him tomorrow, every step you take and when you are riding a horse.

You whimper at the gruffness in his voice but it’s arousal. You know he won’t actually harm you. You nod, “I want that. Just- just make me feel something other than what I’ve been feeling.” You demand, wanting to take control of your emotions after such a turbulent escape.

“I can do that.” He promises, lifting his drink. “Finish your whiskey and I’ll make you forget your own name by the time I’m done riding you.” He growls, cock starting to harden again at the thought of laying you out on his bed.

You let go of him, stepping back to grab your glass and you down it, wincing at the sting of the alcohol but you like it. He watches you as he sips, doesn’t down it like you do, and your body tingles from his intense stare.

Joel knows Ellie is in town. It was the entire reason he had gone to the bar. She’s spending the night at Dina’s house and the main house is empty except for you and him. “Take your clothes off.” He orders, leaning back against the bar. “Ex-excuse me?” You huff, making him smirk at you as he continues to drink. “You heard me, girl. Strip.” His eyes drag up and down your form possessively. “I want to see every beautiful inch of your body before I touch you.”

You should say no but the look on his face has you obeying. You shrug off your jacket, letting it fall to the floor before you reach for the hem of your shirt. You lift it over your head and expose your bra. You hear his soft groan and it makes your pussy start to throb with need at the desire. You reach behind you to unclasp it and drag it down your arms, exposing your tits to his hungry gaze as he sips the alcohol. He doesn’t say a word, encouraging you to continue with his silence so you kick off your sneakers and unbutton your jeans, pushing them down your legs until you’re left in your panties and socks. “All of it.” He demands and you nod, lifting your feet to remove your socks then you hook your fingers in your panties, pushing them down your legs until you are standing bare before him.

“Fuck.” Joel growls, draining the rest of his whiskey and slapping the glass down onto the bar before he shoves off of it. His blood is hot, cock aching for you and he’s going to show you exactly what that little show has done for him. Stomping up to you, he grabs your ass and hauls you close, his lips demanding and harsh when they descend on yours.

He tastes like whiskey and something sweet that makes you moan into his mouth. His fingers dig into your flesh and you tangle your fingers in his salt and pepper locks, pressing yourself against him. His hard cock is pressing against your hip and you moan when his tongue pushes into your mouth. He takes what he wants without forgiveness and you love it. You love that he’s taking all the need to think away from you.

Joel is strong, he’s manhandled bull calves and horses, throwing hay and everything else that is needed on a ranch. Grabbing your thighs, he hoists you up into his arms, making you gasp into his mouth. Clinging to him as your legs wrap around his waist. Still kissing you, he starts to carry you towards his bedroom, eager to lay you down.

You gasp when he tosses you down on his bed. Simple comforter and two pillows, you shift back onto them to watch him as he works on unbuttoning his shirt. “I want to do it.” You huff, shifting onto your knees and reaching out to continue removing his clothes. When his shirt is unbuttoned, you push it down his shoulders and caress his chest, admiring the salt and pepper hair there.

Joel groans at the feel of your warm hands on his skin. He hadn’t been lying, it’s been a long time since he’s had someone touch him. Your fingers comb through his chest hair and he leans in to bite your bottom lip. “Open my pants, pretty girl.” He growls, cupping your ass again.

Your hands slide lower to play with the buckle of his belt, working fast to undo it, and you whip it out of the loops, making him chuckle. You toss the belt to the floor and work on unbuttoning his pants, reaching in to pull his hard cock out and you moan at the way your fingers barely touch when you squeeze him. “Holy shit.” You gasp, looking down at his girth.

Joel smirks, watching your eyes widen. “Second thoughts, pretty girl?” He rasps out. “Don’t think you could take me?”

You swallow harshly, "I- I am going to take every inch." Your stomach twists in anticipation. Josh had a small dick and you never complained when he first started fucking you but he was selfish. You wonder if Joel is selfish or not. You lean over to spit onto his length, twisting your wrist to start pumping his cock.

“Un uh.” He almost grabs your face, not wanting you to blow him, but he just grunts in approval when you pump his cock in your fist. “You’re going to cream on every inch.” He warns you, rocking his hips forward into your grip. “Now, tell me right now before we get started.” He huffs. “Anything I can’t do to you?”

You shake your head, "he never - thank God. He didn't abuse me like that. He stopped touching me. We didn't - not for eighteen months." You confess, "I think he was cheating on me." You continue pumping his cock, leaning in to kiss his neck.

Joel grunts. “Then your pussy’s been neglected for far too long.” He grabs your wrist to pull you off his cock, stepping back and kicking off his boots and shucking his jeans. Making sure to pull out his wallet for a condom.

You shift back onto the bed, laying down as you watch him throw his wallet onto his nightstand, his jeans and briefs discarded on the floor. "Fuck, you're so hot." You murmur, eyes drinking in the sight of the strong and capable man.

He chuckles, knowing that he is old and wearing down, but he can still put on a good show for you. Grabbing your ankle, he flips you onto your stomach and ignores your shriek of surprise before his hand comes down on your ass.

You gasp in surprise, your finger curling in the sheets and you moan when he smacks your ass again. "Again." You plead, wanting him to consume you, to make you forget all of the shit you've endured recently.

“That’s a good girl.” He slaps your ass again, a bit harder this time, tempering the slap with a quick rub of the skin with the palm of his hand. Grabbing both globes and pulling them apart to look. “Stared at this ass while you got my beer.” He grunts, leaning in and spitting on the puckered hole. “Knew it would be killer.”

Your eyes roll back in bliss at the way he's manhandling you. "Swayed my hips to make sure you were looking." You confess, "I wanted you to - to want me." You admit, "want you to fuck me hard. Make me forget my own name."

His hand slides through your folds to your clit. “Have to make sure you can take me first.” He hums. “Want you to be sore, not bleeding.”

You rest your cheek on his sheets, moaning when he rubs your clit. You’re already wet for him but his cock is too girthy for you to take him without his fingers stretching you out first. “So good. Joel, baby. Shit. Want your fingers inside of me.”

Joel smirks, pulling his hand away so you whine. He slaps your ass once more and flips you onto your back again. “Want to see your face when you cum.” He slides two thick fingers into your cunt while he dives into your folds with his mouth ravenously.

Your shriek echoes off of his walls as his fingers drive into you, making your back arch and your fingers tangle into his hair as he sucks on your clit like a hard candy. “Fuck.” You gasp, loving the way his thick fingers stretch you out.

Joel groans against your clit, curling his fingers up inside you and scissoring them apart. Wanting to stretch you out. His other hand has your hip in a bruising grip to keep you from bucking up. Sucking on your clit harshly.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” You cry out, back arching as you try to not buck up. His hand squeezes your hip and you moan his name as he laps at your clit, your fingers tugging on his hair and your other hand squeezes your tit.

His dark eyes watch you carefully, tongue flicking over your clit before he sucks on it again. Pulling back his hand in order to push another finger inside you. Wanting to make sure you are going to take him with ease.

You pant as he stretches you out on his thick digits. No one has taken this much care with you. Most men would’ve been trying to stick their dick in you by now. You moan his name again, toes curling when he works you higher and higher until you’re crying out. “Oh fuck!” You squeal, clamping down on his fingers as you fall apart around them.

Joel lightens the pressure of his tongue, but he keeps pumping his fingers into you. Curling them and pushing deeper. Rocketing you higher until his name comes out as a squeak and another rush of liquid splashes his wrist. Your cunt squeezes his fingers like a vice and he knows you are going to feel amazing around his cock. Chuckling, he starts to slow down, letting you ride out your pleasure with a nice languid pace until your body goes boneless. “Now you’re ready.” He hums.

You nod, eyes still closed as he withdraws his digits and you manage to open them to watch him kneel on the bed. He grabs the condom, opening it, and he rolls it down his cock with a hiss from how hard his cock is. He was leaking pre-cum into the sheets while he was working you open. “I’m still not sure that’s gonna fit.” You declare and he chuckles, “it’s gonna.” His face turns serious, “but if it hurts, you tell me and I pull out.” You nod and he shuffles closer, gathering your slick from your folds to coat his length. “You ready?” He asks and you inhale deeply, “yeah. Fuck me.”

Joel hovers over you, flashing you a smirk as he braces one hand on the bed. The other is wrapped around his cock as he guides it to your entrance. “Wrap your legs around me when I push inside you, pretty girl.” He grunts. “And hang on. This ride will last longer than you’re used to.” He promises, snapping his hips forward and burying his length inside you.

You do as he says, wrapping your legs around his waist as he pushes inside of you. “Oh my fucking God!” You cry out, tilting your head back as you take his girth inside of you. He’s stretching you out but the slight hint of pain is delicious. Your mouth falls open and your legs tighten around him while he works himself completely inside of you. “I really didn’t think you’d fit.” You confess, gasping from the intensity and you love it. You feel alive.

He chuckles, leaning in to brush his lips over yours. “Knew it would.” He grunts, twitching when your walls clench down around him. You seem to like the rough rasp of his voice. “Tight little pussy fits like a glove.” He groans. “Now let’s see how you cum on my cock.” He hisses as he pulls his hips back, prepared to slam back into you again.

You wrap your arms around his neck, bringing his lips back to yours, and your tongue slides against his as he starts to move inside of you. He eagerly swallows your moans of pleasure and you tilt your hips up, trying to meet his rhythm. “Fuck. You feel so good.” You pant against his lips, “more. Want you to - to wreck me.” You order, wanting him to make you forget your own name.

He chuckles again at how greedy you are, but his hips snap forward just a little harder on the next thrust. “Gonna wreck you.” He promises, ducking down slightly and starting to bite on your jaw.

You tilt your head to give him more access, your thighs tightening around him as he starts to fuck you hard. "Shit baby. Keep - keep going." You plead, knowing your expectations are low because of your husband who would barely last a couple of minutes.

Joel plants his hands on the bed bedside your head and starts to pound into you. Knowing that his back will start to scream, but he’s not going to let up until you are the one screaming. Hammering into you with rough, quick thrusts before pulling back to do it again.

Your eyes widen when he hammers into you. A squeal escaping your lips and you choke out his name. He steals your breath from you and his cock pushes deep enough that it feels like he's in your stomach. "Ho-holy shit." You moan, your heels pushing into his ass as he grunts above you.

He doesn’t have the breath to chuckle. Just continuing to fuck you like there is no tomorrow. Grunting and hissing every time he buries himself deep and pulls back for another thrust. He curls his hands into fists and he changes the angle of his hips until the pubic hair above his cock rubs against your clit.

“Ohhh myyyyy fuck - fucking Godddd!” You squeal endlessly, breathlessly as he rams into you. He’s rubbing your clit with his pelvis and your eyes squeeze shut. Your breath hitches as your body starts to shake. You moan his name and he rocks into you over and over. “I’m gonna- you’re gonna - shit. Joel. Joel. Jo-” Your voice breaks as you fall apart, clamping down on his cock.

Joel growls, something deep and feral from his being as he rocks into you harder. Watching as your eyes squeeze closed and your back arches. Your cry fills his ears as you cum around him. As soon as your body tenses for the last wave of pleasure, Joel is rearing up, breaking the hold your legs have on him to pull out of you and flip you back over. Wanting to fuck you from behind.

You scramble onto your hands and knees. Your back is arching as you still shake from your previous orgasm. “Fuck baby. I need - fuck me.” You plead, wiggling your ass.

It’s almost amusing how desperate you are for his cock, but he doesn’t chuckle or slap your ass. Just notching his cock and pushing back inside you with a groan of your name as he holds onto your hips.

“Shit. Oh fuck!” You cry out, fingers grabbing at the sheets as he fills you again, stretching you out even more in this position. “Joel!” You gasp, falling forward onto your elbows.

“That’s right.” Now he slaps your flank. “Told you I’d ride you hard.” He grunts, setting a harsh pace as your cunt squelches around him. “Fuck, you’re so goddamn tight, petty girl.”

He practically straddles you, his knees by yours as he bends you over so he can sink even deeper inside of you. “Fuckkkk.” Your voice rattles as he hammers into you. Your eyes close as you struggle to breathe under his weight but you love it.

He presses his weight into you, aware that you love it from the way you moan. He can’t help but hold you tight, pressing closer and his teeth scrape over your shoulder as he surrounds you.

You let him overtake your senses, letting him use your body however he wants. You moan his name loudly as he rams into you over and over. His cock punching your guts and your cries come out soundless as he wrecks your pussy.

Joel loses himself in you. Forgetting everything but the sound your cunt makes and the way it squeezes him. Growling as he feels himself get closer, knowing that you need to cum again before he finishes.

Your eyes roll into the back of your head as he adjusts his hips and hits a spot inside of you that makes your body shake. “Yessss right thereeee.” You hiss and he focuses on that spot, pushing against it time and time again until finally pushes you over the edge. Your cry is soundless as you cum, soaking him and your thighs shake.

Joel’s hand finds your hair, tangling into it as he yanks your head back. “That’s iiiiiiittttt.” He growls. “So good. Gonna cum, pussy’s too good.” He praises, pulling your head back more so he can kiss along your throat as his thrusts stutter. “Fuuuuuuuuck.” He groans your name and pushes deep, spilling into the condom and burying his face against your neck, relaxing his hold on your hair.

You pant as he presses his cheek against your neck, his hot breath fanning over your skin. You let him ride out his high, rocking back against him as he twitches inside of you. “Fuck. That was - " You can’t even finish the words and Joel smiles against your neck. “That’s - that’s what I needed.”

“Me too.” He groans, reaching back to hold the base of the condom as he pulls out of you. When he moves back, you kind of slither forward to lay on the pillows and he chuckles. “Now, pretty girl.” He groans slightly as he climbs off the bed. “Have you had anything to eat? Want some water? Or just a piss and some sleep?”

“Piss. Water. Food - if you have any - sleep. In that order.” You murmur, feeling boneless, “gonna take me a little to be able to move.” You admit, “you fucked my skeleton out of me.” You chuckle softly, enjoying the scent of him on the pillows.

He snorts as he pulls the condom off and ties it closed. Moving to the en-suite door, he shuffles inside and lifts the toilet seat. “Pisser’s in here.” He calls out as he pees. “When you can move. I’ll go make you some food and get you that water.” He flushes and comes back out, smirking as he walks over and presses his lips to yours. “Steak and eggs good?”

“Where have you been all my life?” You tease, groaning as you shift to sit up as he grabs his briefs from the floor. You watch him pull them on and he winks at you. You groan as you shuffle off of the bed, plucking his shirt from the floor before you practically waddle into his bathroom. It’s clean. No decor and only a few towels. Typical man. You pee and wash your hand, splashing your face while Joel heads downstairs.

He’s got the steaks cooking on the grill pan, over the gas flame and he pokes it with his finger before he moves to the fridge to get the eggs out. He practically lives off steak and eggs, the simple, yet delicious meal one that Ellie loves as well. He hears you start to move around upstairs and chuckles to himself as he pours you a glass of water.

You make your way downstairs on shaky legs, finding the kitchen and you swallow when you see Joel's back muscles moving as he cooks. "A girl could get used to this." You tease, walking over to press a kiss to his back, "thank you for taking such good care of me."

Joel snorts, turning around and grabbing your ass as you walk by. “Sit down before you fall down.” He smirks with pride, he nods towards a chair at the bar with a glass of water sitting in front of it. “Steak’s almost done. You like your eggs scrambled or fried?”

"Fried. Over easy." You tell him as you sit down on the chair, wincing slightly, and you pick up the water to take a sip. You should be recoiling from a man but Joel makes you feel safe. After what happened at the bar, you know he understands you and knows how to handle you. You watch him crack the eggs, "you cook a lot?"

“Have to if I want to eat.” Joel snorts, looking over his shoulder at you. “We had a housekeeper, a while back, but she got married to the Rawlings boy a couple of ranches over and is expecting a little one.” He explains as he slides the eggs around the pan. “Ellie burns water, so if we’re gonna eat, I’ve got to cook.”

You chuckle, “sounds like you know what you’re doing.” You down most of the water and watch as he serves up the eggs. You moan when he sets the plate down in front of you before he sits beside you. “Thank you.” You murmur, reaching for his hand to squeeze it before he picks up his fork.

“Think I should be saying that to you.” He hums, nodding to the food. “Now that we’ve pissed and had water, we are on to the food portion of Joel’s after fucking care.” He jokes. “Eat up.”

You giggle, picking up your knife and fork. You dig in and groan at the taste of the steak and perfectly cooked eggs. “Fuck, you are the whole package. Good lay. Good cook. Just need to see if you can kill a spider.” You nudge him playfully and he chuckles, “I even put the seat down.” You smile and he continues eating. You’re quiet but it’s comfortable, something you’re not used to. You used to be on edge when Josh was quiet, wondering when he’d say something bad.

You finish your water and Joel doesn’t say a word. Just getting up with a slight groan and going to refill it. You are happily digging into the food and he wonders if you had a chance to eat at all while you were at work. He brings it back over and nods when you thank him. Finishing up his own food quickly and moving to load the dishwasher with the dirty plates while you eat the last bites of your food.

“I can do that. You don’t have to do that. You cooked. Let me -” You scramble to grab your plate, rushing over to the dishwasher. “Go sit down. I can - let me do it.” You plead, reminded of the way Josh would demand you load the dishwasher before he finished eating. He didn’t want to finish his meal with a dirty kitchen so you’d have to get up to clean it before he finished his food. If you weren’t fast enough, he’d throw his plate at you. He never hit you but you’d be hit with shards of ceramic from it smashing. He would call you a lazy whore and you’d have to clean up the smashed dishes.

Joel frowns at the panicked tone to your voice and he takes the plate from you gently. “Don’t worry about this.” He grumbles. “Just gonna throw it in. The kid can unload it tomorrow.” His brows scrunch when you freeze in confusion. “You’re my guest, pretty girl. Only thing you need to do for me is hop your sweet ass back in my bed to sleep.” He cocks an eyebrow up. “Unless you’ve decided you want to go home?”

You shake your head, hands shaking slightly, “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t - he used to make me - I had to clean up before he finished eating. He liked a clean house and I- shit. I’m so sorry.” You shake your head, knowing how ridiculous it sounds. “I don’t want to go home.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Joel closes the dishwasher and turns around to face you, leaning back against the counter. “You’ve got shit in your past that affects you, so do I.” He shrugs like it’s nothing too serious. “Just let it out when you need to, you ain’t gonna bother me.”

You walk over to him, cupping his cheeks. “Thank you.” You murmur, leaning in to softly kiss him. “Thank you.” You caress his cheek and you drop your hands, feeling silly for your reaction. “You ready to sleep? I’m exhausted and you promised me a sunrise.” You tap his chest.

Joel grabs your hand and squeezes it. “Sleep sounds good.” It’s late and you need some sleep. He needs some sleep, although he’s accustomed to only a few hours. You smile shyly and he turns to lead you out of the kitchen. “You need me to carry you upstairs?”

You nod, “yeah. I don’t think I’m gonna make it. My legs are like jello.” You confess, “can you- I can make it.” You promise and he nods, reaching down to wrap his arm around your legs, his other arm around your waist. He grunts and he lifts you into his arms and you wrap your arms around his neck.

He chuckles again at the dazed and slightly romanticized look on your face as he hauls you up the stairs. “Just like out of one of those books, huh?” He jokes, smirking at you. “Gotta be willing to carry them after you fuck the life of ‘em.”

You can't believe he carried you up the stairs. He sets you down on his bed and pulls the covers over you. "Let me grab you another water and then it's sleep time, baby." He declares and you nod, covering the yawn that escapes your lips.

By the time he grabs the water and comes back up, you are already passed out. It’s kind of cute how you are curled up in the pillow and he sets the water on the nightstand beside you. Climbing into the bed beside you, he turns off the light and closes his eyes, aware that he will be awake in a couple of hours.

"Sweetheart. Wake up." You wince at the slight nudge to your shoulder. "Wanna see the sunrise?" A gruff voice asks you and you open your eyes to look at Joel. "Thought you were gonna wake me up with oral?" You tease, voice rough with sleep.

“Is that what the sunrise is to you?” Joel smirks slightly and shrugs. “If we do that, you’ll miss the sun coming up as you cum.” He teases back.

You groan and sit up, excited to see the sunrise with a handsome man. You rub your eyes and yawn, “I gotta pee.” You murmur, shifting out of bed and you shuffle into the bathroom. Your body aches from his harsh fucking last night but you love it.

Joel had already gotten up and dressed. Laying out a spare toothbrush for you to use. He throws out a heavier jacket than you had worn last night on the bed for you to wear, not wanting you to get cold when you are riding. “Going downstairs to make coffee.” He calls out.

You gurgle around the toothbrush and you wash your face. Redressing in your clothes and sneakers, shrugging on the heavier jacket, you make your way downstairs to where Joel sets a cup of coffee on the counter. “Not sure if you want cream or sugar. Or that oat milk shit.” He grunts and you chuckle, “just cream.” He nods and grabs the creamer for you.

While you take your first sip, Joel pulls out a thermos and pours the rest of the pot into it. Adding creamer for you since he will drink coffee any kind of way. “You ever ridden before?” He asks, unsure of your skill or id he should just drive the truck.

You chuckle, waggling your eyebrows, “depends on what I’m riding.” He raises his eyebrows, a serious look on your face, and you nod, “yeah. Back when I was a kid. I used to ride a lot on my friend’s horse when I’d visit her.”

He nods, happy that he can get the horses out. “I’ve got a sweet little mare that is itching for some exercise.” He tells you. “We’ll make breakfast over the fire at the ridge.”

You feel like you’re in a dream as Joel gathers the bags and you make your way to the stables, it’s dark out but Joel flicks on the lights and you gasp at the set up he has. “Oh they are gorgeous.” You coo as you walk over to a horse, holding your hand out so you don’t spook them.

There’s something about girls and horses. He smirks as he moves to the tack room and grabs a couple of saddles. It won’t take him long to get the horses saddled and on the way. He’s too used to this kind of work. Even if the boys in the bunkhouse aren’t up yet. He walks back and hears you giggle as the horse, the mare he had wanted you to ride, sniffs your hair and attempts to taste it. “She’s a nibbler.” He warns with a grin.

"Like her daddy." You giggle, winking at Joel before ducking your head away from the horse. "She's beautiful." You murmur, stroking her nose and she nuzzles into your hand. "You wanna ride, sweetheart?" You ask her and she grunts into your palm. "We are gonna see the sunrise, beautiful girl." You coo, enamored with the horse.

Joel saddles his own horse and then moves over to you and Sweet Pea. He tells you her name and rolls his eyes playfully when you coo even more at the sweet name. He ties the bags onto the saddle and pats her flank gently. “Ready to go?”

You nod and he grabs the reins of his horse, making his way out of the stable and into the night. The stars are still shining and you follow Joel's lead as you begin to make your way across his land to the hills in the distance. "It's so peaceful out here." You declare, enjoying the solitude with Joel by your side.

“It is.” Joel agrees. “I feel like I can start over here. Maybe not fuck up this time.” He steers you towards the mountain that he wants to show you and watches out for holes or snakes. “Do right by the kid. Give her a fucking future.”

You smile softly, "you seem to really care about the people you love. You're protective. I understand...after everything. You're a good man, Joel. Even if you don't think so." You know his type, brooding and self loathing but he's shown you nothing but kindness.

“You’ve never seen me at my worst.” He reminds you, aware that the violent, brutal side of him could quickly change your mind on his goodness. A rabbit darts out from a burrow and he instinctively reaches for your horse's bridle as he tries to calm the slightly spooked horses. “Easy, easy there.” He grunts out, happy when they just side step nervously and then settle back down. “Good girl, good boy.” He soothes, patting them on the necks.

Your heart flutters at the way he handles the horses and you continue on your journey, the sky starting to lighten but no sunrise just yet. "Everyone has a bad side. It's about how we handle our demons. You have been nothing but kind to me." You shrug and the cool morning air hits your face.

He admires your positivity, despite the abuse from your ex. You are good to the very marrow of your bones. Ellie would like you. “Demons.” He grunts, “well, most of the time, I just shoot ‘em.” He guides you further onto his property, up the mountain to the little ridge he loves to watch the sunrise from. “Here we are.”

You gasp at the sight in front of you. The sky is brightening up and you see the mountains in the distance. “Wow.” You murmur, staring at the beauty in front of you. Joel dismounts and guides his horse over to the tree to tie him up, patting his side before he comes over to help you off of your horse. “It’s gorgeous.” You murmur when he helps you down and takes the reins.

“It’s my favorite place.” Joel confesses, motioning to the flat rock where he likes to sit. “I’ll get the coffee, and we can sit.” He tosses you a blanket to spread over the cold rock.

You spread the blanket out on the ground and settle down, watching him grab the bags from the saddle and carry them over. You eagerly take the flask of coffee and the two plastic mugs, pouring the hot liquid into them.

“After the sun comes up, I’ll make a fire and we’ll cook some breakfast.” Joel promises. “Bacon, eggs and toast sound good?” He smirks and holds up a can of beans. “Or are you a beans on toast kind of gal?” He tosses the can up and shrugs when he catches it. “It’s actually pretty good.”

“No beans.” You snort, taking a sip of your coffee.

The steaming cup of coffee warms his hand and adds to the beauty of the moment. watching as the pink hues break and the bright sun flashes over the horizon and bathes the valley below in sunlight."Beautiful." Joel whispers softly.

You are silent, just taking in the sunrise and it takes your breath away. When the sun is above the horizon, you lift your cheek from his shoulder and turn to look at him. “Thank you for showing me this. When I - before I escaped, I thought I was destined to die at the hands of my husband - physically or mentally. I never imagined I’d be safe and watching the sunrise. Thank you for bringing me out here.”

"This is a place for new beginnings." He murmurs softly. "Never thought I would get one, but I know you damn sure deserve one." He looks into your eyes seriously. "You'll be safe here. No matter what."

You know he isn’t one for gushing gratitudes so you simply nod and lean in to kiss his cheek. You watch the sky for another few moments before he starts to set up the fire for breakfast. “Where did you learn all of this?” You ask, knowing you wouldn’t have a clue how to start a fire. “My Pa. Taught me and Tommy when we were kids. Used to go camping in the middle of nowhere in Texas.” He confesses, “he taught us how to survive. Figured the world was gonna end one day and we’d all have to fight for our lives.” He snorts at the memory of his father. You hum, “like a zombie apocalypse?” You ask and Joel snorts, “yeah.”

"After Tommy got out of the Army....he helped me for a while. We were contractors. Built houses and shopping malls." It seems like Joel is talking about another life. He is talking about another man. Life had been so simple back then. "Then...after Sarah....Tommy moved out west and when I- I couldn't stay anymore, I followed him. Came out here, started over."

You watch him as he prepares the breakfast, “at least you came out here. Started over. Some people…they wouldn’t survive what you went through.” You tell him and he sighs, “some days it doesn’t feel like it.” You understand that. “But you’re still here. And it takes time.” You tell him and he tuts, “wasn’t time. It was Ellie.” Your heart melts at that and you watch him place the bacon on the now hot pan. “And she’s lucky to have you.”

He doubts that, but he won't let her down. He pokes at the bacon and looks around the valley, the sun clearing the horizon. "Well, she's got me." He snorts, smirking slightly. "Sometimes she hates it. Says I'm too parentified. whatever that means."

You giggle, “maybe you need to loosen up a little. She’s a teenager, right? Just need to let her have a drink now and then and let her date someone stupid.” You tell him, “I know. I was a teenage girl.”

"She tries whiskey every time I drink some at home." Joel glances back over at you and grins. "Hates it every time." HIs grin widens when you laugh and he shrugs. "Hasn't seemed interested in anyone yet."

You shrug, "maybe she will, maybe she won't. You'll be a good father to her whatever happens." You can tell he's a strong character, strong in his resolve to be better. "You just gotta let her make some mistakes. Lord knows my parents let me fuck up...but they would've said no to Josh." You murmur, frowning at the realization that he was never the man you thought he was.

“Everyone needs to make mistakes, although I know she’s going to be making all new ones.” He hums, smirking slightly at the headstrong girl and her convictions. He looks back at the bacon and he frowns slightly. “Did your parents….are they gone?” He asks, understanding that they must be.

You nod, “car accident. I was in college when I got the call. Some asshole drunk driver. I - they never got to see me graduate. I barely did. Got lost in the booze and partying to deal with my grief.” You confess, “nearly fucked everything up but they left me their house in the will. Josh made me sell it. Used half of the money for a down payment on our house and he - he spent the rest of the money. Gambling. He was - I was scared and alone and grieving. I just wanted to belong somewhere and he took advantage.”

Joel frowns, jaw clenched at the idea of you being taken advantage of while you were so vulnerable. While you were trapped in your grief. “Maybe you can find a new home. A new life where you don’t have to worry about being taken advantage of.” He offers quietly. “A life your parents would be proud of. One that you are happy in.”

“That’s why I left. Why I moved here. I can’t touch the account. He’d be able to find me. I need time to figure out what to do next but one day…I’m hoping I find a home. A place I can relax and be happy in.” You confess, watching Joel serve up the food after he fried the eggs.

“You think he will come looking for you here?” Joel asks, sitting down beside you after handing you one of the tin plates the hands take on the trail. “Since your aunt is here? Would he remember?”

You shake your head, “she met him once, when we got married. He didn’t really know about her. Kinda cut me off from her after we got married. Said I was his new family.” You sigh and shake your head, knowing you made mistakes. “I hope he doesn’t find me. I never told him where she was. I - shit - I have been so careful to not let him know where I am.”

“Well, you can get close to her now, repair that relationship.” He points out. “Abusers like to isolate their victims. Make them feel like they have nowhere to turn, no one to talk to about what they are doing.” He’s seen it before.

“I know that now. In the beginning, he made me feel so special. I felt so stupid for believing him. I didn’t - shit. I got away from him and I want to start again. I want to live and not feel like I am constantly triggered by my asshole ex.” You shake your head and take the mess tin from his hand when he offers it to you.

“Look at you, talking shit out.” Joel teases softly, picking up the thermos to refill your coffees. “After fucking it out. You’re on the road to recovery.” He chuckles when you snort and roll your eyes, taking the cup back from him. “Shut up.” You huff and he nods. “When you eat your breakfast.”

You dig into the food, the sun making everything shimmer and it’s like the ushering in of your new life. “Thank you.” You say to him again and he shakes his head, “stop sayin’ thanks.” You chuckle and he winks at you, taking a bite of his eggs.

****

“Thank-” Joel cuts you off with a stare and you close your mouth. You shift over in the cab of his truck, parked outside of the bar where your apartment is, and you reach up to cup his cheek. “If I can’t say it…” You trail off and lean in to kiss him. He cups your cheek, kissing you back, and you pull back after a moment, a smile on your face. “I had a good time. I’ll see you around hopefully?” You ask, tilting your head.

Nodding, Joel leans back. “Of course.” He smirks. “Coldest beer in town is served right under your apartment.” He teases. “And if I’m not showin’ up quick enough, you come out to the ranch. Even if I’m out, one of the boys can find me.”

“I’m sure I’ll see you in the bar.” You smirk and grab your purse to pull your keys out, realizing that you don’t want to wait too long to see Joel again. “Do you maybe want to come for dinner? I’m not working tomorrow night and I need to repay you for being so great.”

“You don’t need to repay me for anything.” Joel huffs. “But dinner sounds good.” He agrees. “Seven sound good?” He figures everyone will be done with the fence lines then and he’s not moving cattle between pastures. Only thing he was thinking about doing was going to an auction to see about some sheep.

You smile, “see you tomorrow at seven, handsome.” You get out of his truck and shut the door, walking up to the door that leads to the apartment above the bar. You turn to see him watching you and you offer him a small wave before unlocking the apartment and disappearing upstairs.

Joel sits in his truck for another minute, ignoring the few cowboys that are milling around in the parking lot before he puts the truck in reverse and backs out. He needs to go talk to Tommy, because he has a feeling that your ex will show up. You’re too good to let go of that easily.

You shower and change, getting ready for the rest of the day. You decide to head out and get some groceries for dinner tomorrow night. You do some laundry and sleep the day away, exhausted after Joel fucking you hard, until you open the bar for the night. It's an uneventful night but Jerry seems to treat you with kid gloves as you serve the locals. The next morning, you are excited to see Joel again and you head downstairs to the bar to clean up and take the cash to the bank. You're mopping the floor when you hear the door open. You could've sworn you locked it. "Hey. We’re closed!" You call out and turn when you don't hear the door close again.

"I think you can make an exception for me, honey." You inhale sharply, spinning around to see Josh. "What - how - you're-?" You choke, heart pounding in your chest as your ex husband stands in front of you. He's found you. You shake your head, dropping the mop, and you run towards the bar to get the phone.

"Ah ah ah. I don't think so. We need to talk." Josh rushes towards you, grabbing your arm, and you cry out. Shouting for help as he tries to physically restrain you. You fight, slapping and scratching him, but he jerks your body. "You stupid bitch. Thought you could run away. You will never be rid of me." He hisses and you scream, spinning around to hit him but he side steps and you fall forward, hitting your head on the bar. You crumble to the floor and your head pounds as Josh stands above you. "You are mine, baby." He reminds you and you wince as your eyes close, wondering what will happen to you now.

It’s not yet seven, but Joel had finished up early and decided that he could stop by and get a bottle of wine to bring, like he had good manners. He had thought that if you were too tired to cook after working, there’s a dinner that has a good meal. Or you order a pizza and call it good. He’s not that picky. Parking around back, he frowns slightly when he notices a van but he doesn’t think twice as he gets out and climbs up the stairs to your apartment to knock.

Your head lolls, pounding from the way you hit the edge of the bar, and you barely register that you have been tied to a chair. A rag wrapped around your head and covering your mouth to stop you from screaming. Your eyes widen when you gain more consciousness when the doorbell rings and you scream against the gag. "Don't be rude, honey. I bet that your auntie coming to say hello. Interfering old cunt will get what's coming to her. She should learn it is wrong to come between a man and his wife. Fucking old hag trying to take you away from me." Josh huffs, walking over to the door to open it and he is shocked when he sees a man, not your dear old aunt.

Joel’s eyes narrow and he tilts his head as he says your aunt’s name. “She’s not here, is she?” He asks, holding up the bottle of wine. “Told her I’d bring her a bottle the next time I was in town.” He’s got a good fucking idea who this bastard is, but he can’t give it away right now. Josh scoffs. “She’s not here.” He rolls his eyes and Joel nods, seeing a leg of a chair and a leg tied to it. He smiles blandly. “Well, I’ll try again next time.” He tells Josh. “Sorry to bother you.” He tips his hat and feigns turning to leave as the bastard closes the door.

Tears stream down your cheeks as you hear Joel leave. Part of you is relieved that he’s not involved in this, the other part feels hopeless as the only person who could save you leaves you. You sob against the gag and Josh comes over to you. “You must think I’m fucking stupid.” Josh hisses, “some guy comes to the apartment with wine and asks for your aunt? Seems too fucking suspicious. He was looking for you, wasn’t he? Goddamn. I turn my back for a minute and you’re already sitting on some other guy's dick. Jesus Christ. I married a whore. A useless fucking whore.” He strides over to you and slaps your cheek, making you gasp against the gag in pain.

Joel stomps down the steps noisily but then he’s creeping back up, trying to look in the window when he hears you cry out and a dark hiss. “I should just fucking kill you, you useless slut. We’re married!” You cry out, the sound muffled, as he hears a sharp slap. Joel clenches his jaw, knowing that he should call the Sheriff, but he would rather deal with this fucker himself. Lowering his shoulder, Joel slams it against the door, breaking through it and launching himself at your estranged husband.

Your eyes widen, full of tears as Joel drags your husband down to the floor. His fists immediately hitting his face and Josh kicks him to try and get him off. “You motherfucker!” Josh growls, “fucked my wife and-” Joel hits his jaw and he cries out in pain.

Joel sees red, looking up and seeing your panicked eyes, the swelling on your face. He climbs on top of Josh and pulls his fist back. Slamming it into the fucker’s nose to break it and from there, it’s just hit after hit. Blow after blow as Joel beat him unconscious.

You can't do anything but watch. Eyes wide as you witness Joel beat your husband to unconsciousness. You cry out against the gag, not wanting Joel to be arrested for killing your husband. He doesn't deserve a prison sentence when he has Ellie.

When you cry out again, you break through the rage fueled haze that Joel is in. Stopping before the last blow is delivered and he pants, dropping Josh back to the floor where he was holding him up by his shirt. The man’s head hits with a thud and he climbs off of him to pull out a knife. “I’m going to cut you out of there.” He promises, not wanting to spook you after you’ve obviously been tormented by your ex. “I’m going to get you out of here, pretty girl.”

You are breathing heavily as he cuts your ties and removes your gag. You swallow, your throat dry, and he helps you stand on shaky legs but you collapse, the fear draining your strength. “I got you.” Joel promises, wrapping his arm around your waist to help you stand up. “I- he - shit.” You finally choke out, “he found me.”

“It’s okay.” Joel promises you. “He’s not gonna hurt you ever again.” You choke out another sound, almost like you don’t believe him but Joel doesn’t say anything. Instead, he helps you towards the door. “Come on, pretty girl, we need to get you out of here.”

You let him guide you down the stairs on your shaky legs and you are struggling to breathe when the cool night air hits your face. “Hey. Hey. It’s okay. It’s me. It’s Joel. Just breathe.” He orders, cupping your cheeks, and you inhale deeply, trying to calm down.

Joel can see that you are trying not to break and he scoops you up, carrying you over to his truck. He opens the door and sets you in the seat. Pulling out his phone, he dials a number. “Tommy.” He grunts when the other end picks up. “Get the boys from my ranch and meet me at the bar.” He tells him. “We’ve got a critter needs disposed of.”

Your hands are shaking as you listen to Joel summon his brother and you aren't sure what to think. Josh threatened to kill you, Joel saved you and nearly beat Josh to death. "Are you - are you going to kill him?" You ask, "he's not worth jail time. I'm not worth jail time."

“Don’t worry about that.” Joel doesn’t want you to worry. He reaches out and cups your cheek. “Listen to me.” He tells you carefully. “He will never bother you again. Ever. You don’t have to look over your shoulder, you don’t have to be scared. You will never see him again.”

You nod, swallowing harshly as he settles you in his truck. "You - shit - you saved me." You murmur, surging forward to wrap your arms around his neck and breathe him in. "You saved me. He - he was gonna kill me."

“It’s okay, pretty girl.” Joel promises, wrapping his arms around you and squeezing gently. “You don’t have to worry any more.”

You breathe him in and relax knowing he's got you. "Your hands." You murmur, bringing his arm from around you so you can inspect the broken skin. "You need to bandage these." You realize that this is what he means by his demons, his method of coping. You want to take care of him like he took care of you.

“It’s okay.” He winces when you press on a knuckle, sure that he’s fractured it. But it’s only a hairline fracture. “I’ll take care of it later.” He’s more worried about you. “Do you need a doctor, pretty girl?”

You shake your head, "no. No. I- he didn't do anything more than bruise me. I'll heal." You promise and Joel nods, "I'll bring you back to my place after my brother arrives." He tells you and you nod, "okay. I- I just want to get away from him."

Joel knows that it won’t take long for Tommy to get there and he pulls out a blanket from the back. It’s an old horse blanket but it’s clean. Draping it over your legs, he pats your knee and sighs. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

You shake your head, "you saved me. If you hadn't - I don't know what he would've done. He wanted to take me home and I think...he would've killed me." You choke, "you arrived just in time."

“I wouldn’t let that happen.” He promises, knowing he would have tracked that motherfucker down. He pulls back when he hears the truck pull up and turns to see Tommy jump out. “Let me go talk to my brother.” He murmurs softly.

You inhale deeply, trying to calm your racing heart. You watch in the wing mirror as Joel speaks to his brother. "What the fuck happened, man?" Tommy asks, seeing the state of his brother's fists.

Joel glances down at his hand and shakes his head. “Her ex found her.” He gestures back towards the truck. “He had her tied up in her apartment. I busted in.” He explains. “He’s unconscious upstairs.”

"You want me to - to get rid of him?" Tommy asks, tilting his head. "Don't - I mean, I nearly fucking killed him but she stopped me. Just get him the fuck out of here. Maybe drop him off at a hospital in Denver?" Joel suggests and Tommy snorts, "away from here. Got it." He nods, whistling to the boys to follow him upstairs. You look up as Joel gets into his truck, starting the engine. "Thank you, baby." You murmur, watching him as he pulls away from the bar.

“They’re going to make sure he knows to never come near you again.” Joel explains. “Next time he comes to Jackson, he will be a dead man walking.” If the man ever showed his face again, Joel would personally put a bullet in his head. “For now, I’m taking you home. You’re staying with me.”

You look out the window as Jackson passes by, the town turning to fields and you try to think about how Joel saved you, not about what he saved you from. When he pulls up outside of his house, you open the door but he's already there to help you out.

“Here we are.” You are shaking slightly and he knows that you are about to freak out. “Get inside and we’ll have a drink. Or three.” He moves you gently and speaks softly. “Get you cleaned up. You want to soak in a bath? Damn tub is good for when you’re sore.”

"A bath sounds amazing." You confess with a soft groan. He escorts you inside and when he shuts the door, you break down. Now that you're safe, you start to sob and wrap your arms around yourself.

Joel panics slightly, shuffling slightly and moving towards you before he stops. “I- I don’t know what you want me to do. Can I touch you?” He asks softly.

You nod, knowing he isn’t Josh. The fact that he asked about touching you makes you calm down a little and his arms immediately engulf you. You nuzzle your face into his chest, breathing him in. He saved you. He’s not Josh. He saved you. This is Joel.

Joel reaches up, caressing your head gently. He doesn’t speak, just holds you close and rocks you gently. Letting you break down like you need to, just keeping you safe while you work through your emotions.

You aren’t sure how long you sob into his chest. His hands caressing your back, and you soak his shirt. “I’m sorry, I - shit. I need - I don’t want to cry about that fucking asshole anymore.” You shake your head, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand.

“You needed to get it out.” Joel grumbles softly. “Now how about that drink and bath?” You nod, sniffling and he nods too. “I’ll get you the drink.”

“As long as you get in the bath with me. You need to soak those fists.” You say and lean in to kiss his cheek, “come sit in the bath with me, baby.” You order, wanting to feel him surrounding you.

“Go start it.” Joel smirks, looking at you softly. “I’ll bring the drinks. We can have a drink in the bath. You relax and then I’ll put you to bed.”

You don’t waste time heading to his bathroom and turning on the water. You are exhausted now after everything that has happened and you pray that Josh will no longer be a problem. You want to file for divorce as soon as possible. Finding the bubble bath shoved deep in the cabinet under the sink, you pour a good amount in and start to strip, ignoring your face in the mirror. You don’t want to see what he did to you.

Joel decides that the night calls for full drinks, getting the juice glasses out of the kitchen and pouring out most of the bottle of whiskey between them. Carrying them upstairs and watching as you sit in the tub. “Here.” He holds one out to you. “Best sleep med I’ve got.”

You take the glass from him, sipping the liquor and you wince at the burn while he sets his drink down and starts to strip. “You wanna get in behind me?” You ask, shifting forward to allow him the room to get in the bath.

Joel grabs two towels and drops them by the tub before he steps in. Hissing slightly at how hot the water is. Apparently you wanted to sit for some time, so he cups his cock and balls before he sits down, needing to protect them from the sudden temperature change. “You like it hot.” He huffs and he settles down and pulls you back against him.

"I do. Sorry." You murmur as you lean back against him, sipping your drink before you set it down on the edge of the tub. You close your eyes as his arm wraps around you. "I can't thank you enough for this. For everything."

“I was going to kill him.” Joel admits quietly. “For hurting you. For fucking touching you.” His arm is draped over your stomach and his thumb brushes your hip gently. “Already alerted the sheriff that I would.” He chuckles quietly. “He told me to just make sure a bear found him before anybody else.”

"Sounds like a good sheriff." You chuckle before you swallow, "you were going to kill him for me? Baby...I- I've never known a man like you. I know we just met but I really like you, Joel. I want to stay in Jackson and I want to get to know you more. Know Ellie. I - I like you a lot." You confess, "I am damaged goods so I'm not sure if you want to deal with all that shit."

“You aren’t any more damaged than me. Than the kid.” Joel snorts. “You stay right here and get to know us. See if we don’t drive you crazy in two days.” He teases. “I’ve got plenty of shit that I’ve dealt with, helping a pretty girl cum and giving her a shoulder to lean on ain’t much of a problem to me.”

You grin, turning your head to kiss his jaw, “thank you. I would love to get to know you both. I want to stick around and make a life here.” You murmur and he turns his head, softly kissing you. “And I wouldn’t mind you making me cum a few more times.”

He hums against your lips, twitching against your back but he doesn’t start touching you. He wants to make sure you are in control of what happens right now. “You just tell me when, pretty girl.”

“Now.” You murmur, wanting to feel him inside of you. You want to make him feel good and you want to know that you’re safe in his arms. His lips meet yours, spurred in by the adrenaline of beating up your husband, and you shift to straddle him after setting your drink down on the ledge.

Joel would never take advantage of you, but he will give you what you need. Squeezing your ass as you grind down against him, “you want to cum, pretty girl?” He asks roughly, kissing down your jaw and pressing his tongue to an abrasion on your neck.

You moan, tilting your head for him, and you reach between you to grip his cock, pumping him between your bellies. “I’m on birth control. IUD. Want you to - want you inside of me. If you want.” You tell him breathlessly, moaning his name as he squeezes your ass.

“Fuuuuck.” Joel groans out, jerking his hips up in your grip. “I don’t mind that.” He murmurs, flicking his tongue against your pulse. “‘m clean. You just take what you want. Sit on my cock if you want it.”

You reach down to position him at your entrance, you slowly sink down onto him and he groans, his hands caressing your waist and back. “Fuck. You feel so good.” You pant, “saved me. Saved my life.” You murmur, starting to rock on top of him.

Joel groans, squeezes and caresses your ass and up your back as you work yourself on his cock. “You’re safe.” He grunts. “Not gonna let anything happen to you.” He doesn’t know why, but he’s attached to you, protective. Perhaps it’s crazy, but he would have killed for you.

His words wash over you, making your heart thump, and you caress his cheeks, leaning in to kiss him. It's crazy but you feel so comfortable and safe with him, like you've known him your entire life. He feels like home. "Baby." You gasp when he thrusts up into you, the water sloshing in the tub.

“It’s okay, baby, I’ve got you.” Joel tightens his hold on you, not hard enough to hurt you but to take over. He takes one arm and slides it down to rub your clit. “You want to cum? You want to cream all over my cock? Feel like you are flying?” He grunts into your skin, face buried against your neck.

You nod, a cry escaping your throat as he rubs your clit, thrusting up into you. “Fuck, Joel. Yes. Yes. Right there.” You choke when he thrusts into the right spot. His hips focus on that angle, making you choke as he pushes you higher and higher until you fall apart with a squeal of his name. The water splashing on the floor as you convulse around him.

Joel groans your name, kissing your neck and along your shoulder as you ride out your high. Slowly rolling his hips as the water settles around you both. “Good, pretty girl?” He asks, smirking slightly when he hears you still panting. “Or you need another one?”

You tangle your fingers in his hair, dragging his face to yours to press your lips against his. Your tongue invades his mouth and he eagerly responds to your invasion, groaning softly. “I want one more. I’m greedy for you.” You confess, rocking down into him.

“Haven’t cum yet.” Joel leans back, cupping your tits in his hands as he squeezes them gently. “Use me, pretty girl.” He commands. “Ride my cock and rub your clit.”

You can’t deny him. You shift back to rock onto his cock, water sloshing as you gasp his name and rub your clit, rocking back onto him a little faster. His dark eyes watch you, flicking between your tits and where his cock disappears inside of you.

“That’s it.” He groans, twitching inside of you. “That’s it, pretty girl. You’re so good to me. Feel so good around my cock.” He praises. “He was a fool,” he grunts, squeezing your tits again. “Shoulda worshiped you. Taken care of you. You’re a prize to appreciate.”

His words wash over you, cleaning off the harsh insults of your husband and replaced by his praises. You clench around him and he groans, leaning in to kiss along your shoulder, and you rub your clit a little faster, wanting to fall apart for him.

Joel groans and hisses your name, feeling his own body start to tense, but he doesn’t want to cum yet. Not before you do again. “So fuckin’ tight.” He moans.

His moan works you up, making you bounce on his cock and the water splashes over the side of the tub. “Fuck. Oh fuck, baby. I’m gonna - you’re gonna make me-” You squeal as you fall apart around his cock, soaking him as you shudder through your orgasm.

Joel doesn’t let up this time, taking over and thrusting up into you. Groaning out your name as he starts to cum, hips stuttering as he gives in and buries himself deep. Painting your walls with hot ropes of his cum.

You whimper at the feel of his hot seed coating your walls and you tangle your fingers in his hair, bringing his mouth back to yours. You’re so thankful he saved you. In more ways than you know right now. He saved you from your husband and he saved you from yourself.

****

“Ellie. Keep up!” Joel yells over his shoulder at the teenager who decides to join you for your sunset ride. After Joel beat your husband up, he brought you home and after you were settled, he left to the place your husband was being kept. You don’t know to this day what he said to Josh but the next thing you knew, your divorce papers were filed. You managed to live in peace in Jackson, getting to know Joel more, getting to know his family. You’ve fallen for the rancher and you moved into his home a month ago, your aunt telling you to go for it. You were wary at first to take such a big step but you are happy you did. You love Joel and Ellie. Your family. The divorce came through last week, so you're officially a single woman.

“She’s fine. She won’t miss it.” You tell Joel as you ride alongside him, trotting down to the river to watch the sunrise and have breakfast.

Joel grunts, shifting in his saddle and glances back at the girl before looking at you again. “She’s a pain in the ass.” He huffs, making you laugh.

“You always say that.” You point out, making him roll his eyes. He’s been looking forward to this for a while. You have been happier, brighter, since the divorce came through. Happy that you can fully move on with your life and not be tied to him in any kind of way. Joel looks over at you with a small smirk. “Still sore, pretty girl?” He asks, thinking about how hard he had fucked you last night.

You chuckle, “nothing I can’t handle, cowboy.” You wink at him, “gotta be able to take what you give me.” You shift on the saddle, loving the slight ache in your body. He makes you feel loved, desired, even if he doesn’t say it often, you know how he feels.

“Good.” Hopefully you mean that. Since you’ve been here in his life, Joel’s been happier. Smiling more. Looking forward to the time where he’s back at the main house and spending time with you and Ellie. Not that he hasn’t enjoyed time with Ellie before, but the three of you feel like a family. He urges his horse faster. “Come on, or we are going to miss it. It’s a special sunrise.”

You follow him, Ellie behind you, and you arrive at the river just as the sun is about to appear over the horizon. Joel dismounts his horse, helping you down and then he helps Ellie down, tying up the horses. You grab the saddle bags and carry them over to the edge of the river to the rocks you usually sit on. Joel comes to sit next to you, opening the saddle bag to pull out the flask of coffee, handing it to you and he hands Ellie her flask of juice. She hates coffee. “I never get tired of this.” You murmur, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Hope not.” Ellie knows what’s coming, he’s talked to her about it. Enduring her teasing and jokes even more than usual in order to make sure that she’s okay with the potential change. Joel sets his hand down on your free one and threads his thick fingers through yours. “Hopin’ you might want to stay.” He confesses quietly and pulls out a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. He had felt like a fool going into the jewelry store, but Willie’s wife had told him that you would love it. “Forever. Watch the sun rise with me until we are too damn old to get up here.” You pull away and look into his eyes in complete shock. “Love you, pretty girl. Will you marry me?”

Your heart pounds in your chest and you swallow harshly, throat suddenly dry but fuck, you are so in love with him. He's proven to be an incredible partner. Treating you as an equal, both of you damaged but understanding of the other. You feel like you're home when you're with him. No matter where you are. "Ye-yes. Yes. Oh my God. Yes." You choke, surging forward to press your lips to his just as the sun rises. His hand cups your cheek until he pulls back, fumbling with his thick fingers to take the delicate ring from the box.

"I hope you like it. Didn't know your style." He confesses as he slides it onto your finger and you stare at the diamond in awe. "It's perfect. This is perfect." You promise and Ellie comes over to hug you, "just make sure you guys don't put me in some frilly dress for the wedding." Ellie jokes and you giggle, tears in your eyes as you pull her close and Joel wraps his arms around you both. Your new family. You never imagined when you were trapped in a loveless marriage that you'd be happy one day yet here you are, engaged to a wonderful man with a step daughter you adore. Just like the sun rising over the horizon, your life is bright and colorful and full of hope.

#pedro pascal #joel miller #joel tlou #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller smut #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller imagine #joel the last of us #the last of us hbo

445 notes · View notes

smoliboops · 7 months ago

Text

JSE Egos x Doctor Who Au - Jameson Jackson as the Eleventh Doctor

finally finished coloring my sketches from April :D! Dont know if i'll go as hard coloring-wise for future sketches lol, but hoping to get around to drawing more ego/doctor combos soon ^-^

(Bonus slight alternative for series7B JJ and bonus info/ramble in the read more:)

JJ with all brown hair since while coloring I forgot that I wanted to still give him his blue hair but more grown out (to kinda show the passage of time for 11! JJ to imply that he retired for a bit like 11 did after TATM/before the Snowmen.) I like how both versions turned out although idk which I like more lol. also i used an online Sherman's Gallifreyan translator for the first pic; it's "Jameson Jackson" in gallifreyan!

also yes i have been thinking about this specifically since i accidentally used Doctor Who to spot that Schneep was studying time travel equations back in 2019 and I went insane xD

also also, shoutout to the discord server im in (ya'll know who you are) who've been seeing me work thru these on and off the last 2 months, genuinely appreciate ya'll <3 :)

and finally if you got here, i have ideas/episode scenes i want to do for either 12! or 15! Marvin, 10! Chase, 9! Schneep, and Master! Anti cos ive wanted to draw him as either Dhawan or one of the classic incarnations 👀 (someone also mentioned Valyard! Anti as well on the sketch post and while i havent gotten around to watching Trial of a Timelord/more classic DW i see your vision 👏). but im very slow at finishing art so pls let me know which ideas yall might want to see next if you like this niche crossover ^-^ ✨

#jacksepticeye #doctor who #fanart #my art #Jameson Jackson #eleven #eleventh doctor #septicart #jse egos

127 notes · View notes

authorscurse · 11 months ago

Text

The Masterlist—

Note: Everything I write is strictly fictional and for entertainment. Any names mentioned that pertain to any person in real life is only coincidental. Read at your own risk! Requests are open!

The Inheritance Games

The Maze Runner

Minho | Newt | Thomas

Percy Jackson and The Olympians

Percy. J | Annabeth. C | Grover. U | Luke. C |Clarisse. LR

Harry Potter

Shatter M

Aaron. W | Kenji. K | Juliette. F | Nazeera. I

Jujutsu Kaisen

225 notes · View notes

summerlycoris · 2 months ago

Text

The facts about Vanessa’s history prior to Security Breach. (And a summary of the different companies involved in AR and HW.)

I won’t lie, this (hopefully!) effortpost was prompted by watching Dual Processes latest video about Vanessa, where they state that ‘In AR, Vanessa pretends to be an IT Rep to trick Silver Parasol Games into giving her full access to the game.’ Which was… interesting, to me. Because it showed Vanessa’s email to Steve Wilson, who works for Anna Kwemto, who works for…

We don’t actually know the company she, or her underlings, work for.

Anyway, this isn’t made to target any specific people- Dual Processes’s video about Vanessa is brilliant (no spoilers- go watch it!) despite my quibbles at the very start. And the corporate chains in HW and AR, are confusing and easily mistaken- to the point the fnaf wikia has a lot of errors I needed to shift through while researching this topic…

I’ll lay all my chips on the table straight up- I had to find out a lot of Vanessa's backstory just before Ruin released, because I wasn’t really following fnaf until after Ruin was announced. I’d dipped around the HW days.

But I’d noticed a fair bit that, because few people played AR, and even those who did play AR likely didn’t see all the emails, that there are a lot of assumptions about who works for who, and who does what. False info that led me into believing a lot of misleading information about Vanessa before I looked into it more.

This misinfo even goes as far back as HW- do you think Vanessa works for Silver Parasol Games in HW? It’s a common belief- but I think it’s a misconception. And I’ve brought proof to the table.

Anyway, the point of this is to lay out anything about who works for who, and where they work. Because corporate chains are complicated, in a series that is already complicated enough!

First things first, what companies are we dealing with?

Well, there’s Silver Parasol Games. Which gets shut down and brought out during HW’s development. (Tape Girls Tapes- 1, 10, 15) I’m not gonna try to put years of operation because… no. But I do need to make it clear it shuts down prior to Vanessa beta testing the game.

People working at this company named in HW include Dale, Jeremy, and Tape Girl. If you go off the scrapped fake website for Silver Parasol Games, then the company also includes Gabriella, Tonya, and Aiden. (One of the two girls is likely Tape Girl.)

There is also Another Potential Development Studio, which is unnamed but suggested to be buying out Silver Parasol Games. (Tapes 10, 15). We don’t know much about this company other than Vanessa must work here during HW. [She never mentions a boss, or coworkers with this company.]

For AR, there is Anna Kwemto’s company, which is a subcontractor working for Fazbear Entertainment. It goes unnamed in AR.

The people working at this company include Anna Kwemto, Daniel Rocha, Raha Salib, Steve Wilson, and Mark Cho.

DLZ Shipping Solutions- a company that shipped animatronics parts to… they don’t say which company. But we at least know which person- Lisa Jameson (regional director of logistics for an unknown company.)

Their employees include Jimmy Hauss, (before getting fired) and James Strand.

Fazbear Entertainment- has a variety of teams and job positions. I’ll try to list them all here, though not in order of operation sorry. Kayla Stringer- Legal. Vanessa A- Security. Luis Cabrera- IT. Shonda Ford- legal. Greg Abernathy- IT. Dan Ximenez- IT. Jerome Khan- Accounting. James Campbell- IT. Todd C- Office Staff. Aiden Jackson- IT. Ivan Gagarin- Accounting. Diannah Larimore- Marketing (laid off). Maria A- Marketing (laid off.). Cheryl M- Office Staff. Anand G- Legal.

All from here on out have unknown job roles- Kenneth Freeman, Christie Buckley, Ben Pulley, Karen Soto, Brenda Tanaka, Stanley Howser, Jack Sims, Jay Murphy, Charles Ramirez. Jim Campbell.

There are also basic login details from some unknown people, from another unnamed company in ‘Security Incident Log- September.’ They are J_B and A_L.

There are also more workers who don’t have a specific company they’re tied to- but are working with the Funtime Service. These include Nora- R&D. Tristan- Compliance. Charles- QA. Isolde- Customer Service.

Okay. So that’s the raw data. Kowalski- analysis!

Jim and James Campbell are… interesting. They could be brothers. They could just have the same last name. They could just be a mistake- someone misspelling a name and accidentally making two characters where there should be one.

Honestly, I’m assuming it’s a mistake. AR was being made in that timeframe where Scott was pretty hands off about the story, and barely communicating with Steel Wool about SB. This is likely just a mistake that no one cared enough about enough to notice or correct. Like Luis being in IT in AR, then in Marketing in SB. Without any foreshadowing that he was transferring.

I wish they’d clarified which company Lisa Jameson, Nora, Tristan, Charles and Isolde worked for- or if they worked together, even. It sounds like they all work with the funtime service, based on the emails. But I can’t be sure of it, because none of the Nora/Tristan/Isolde/Charles emails reference Lisa, and vise versa.

*sighs*

It’d be useful to know if they work for Anna Kwemto’s company, Fazbear Entertainment, or somewhere else entirely. Because that’s the key to figuring out whether Anna Kwemto’s lot were scanning circuit boards for game development (unlikely for the timeline- but as said in the Jim and James rant- Scott wasn’t communicating with his teams. And its unlikely Steel Wool was communicating with Illumix either.) Or whether they were scanning circuit boards to recreate animatronics for the funtime service.

If Lisa was working for Anna- then it’s fairly cut and dry. They’re working in a warehouse storing animatronics, with an office attached for more hands-off staff.

If Lisa was working for Fazbear Entertainment in-house, then that leaves the possibility that Anna Kwemto’s lot weren’t running the Funtime Service. (Since Lisa’s emails imply her warehouse has ‘active animatronics’ too- including Bonnie eating a cat… which… I could’ve done without knowing thanks game.) And the Nora/etc emails explicitely talks about the new animatronics being sent out with the Funtime Service.

Also, sucks not knowing for sure who and where from J_B and A_L are. I’m assuming that they’re unnamed people from Fazbear Entertainment’s IT department- considering when Vanessa hijacks herself an IT email address, it has the same layout (V_A). But it’s not confirmed and no one with these initials is written as working for Fazbear. (Unless I missed something- please let me know!)

With Anna Kwemto’s company- it scans circuit boards of animatronics, which is why people might confuse them with Silver Parasol Games. However, they are never stated to be involved in game development. And by the time Vanessa has left Another Potential Development Studio to join Fazbear Entertainment, Silver Parasol Games should no longer exist as a separate entity. (Considering it was going to be bought out by Another Potential Development Studio while Vanessa was working there.) Timeline-wise, Anna Kwemto being the head of Silver Parasol Games doesn’t add up. And circuit boards could be scanned for a variety of reasons- say, if you’re making replicas of old animatronics for the funtime service.

(But that’s getting into speculation- while it’s implied they’re a subcontractor running the Funtime Service for Fazbear in the emails, there’s no explicit proof. Only the email from Raha Salib to the rest of the crew talking about an unknown user giving commands to all ‘active animatronics’ really gives us a hint to them running the Funtime Service. And that doesn’t neccesarily mean active animatronics are from the Funtime Service.)

‘Where are you getting a timeline from Summerly?’ from the games.

Vanessa gets infected by Glitchtrap, because circuit boards are sent to Silver Parasol Games and scanned into the Freddy Fazbear Virtual Experience. (The in universe VR game Vanessa’s working on) Vanessa can’t start being possessed by Vanny and acting weird around Luis before she get’s possessed- so HW must happen before the storyline events of AR.

During the story of AR, Vanessa (most likely Vanny puppeting her) locks out all of Anna’s workers, including Anna, after they scan some circuit boards and got a virus. Because they’ve been locked out, all ‘active animatronics’ become impossible to control. Around this time, either Vanny or GGY sends out a data package using a new account- ‘_pizzaplex’ that presumably 1. Targets the pizzaplex currently in the process of either being built or operating, and 2. Infects the animatronics there.

(Again- Scott was hands off during this time. I know this contradicts The Storyteller.)

If it was any other way around, Vanessa wouldn’t be infected with Glitchtrap during AR. She’d just be… being extremely weird for no good reason. Doesn’t make sense storywise.

Ultimately, these random companies and workers aren’t important except for acting as reference points- who works where and whos coworkers with who?

The important part is Vanessa. And this post does have something to say about Vanessa. Mainly, what I’ve already included- no, she did not work for Silver Parasol Games. But also something I had falsely believed prior to doing this research- she didn’t work at Fazbear Entertainment before working as a security guard there during AR, either. Or at least, that’s never proven. She works for the company that buys out Silver Parasol Games. Then probably job hops between games, to get into a position that is more useful for Glitchtrap. A position at Fazbear Entertainment.

It’s never explicitly stated that Vanessa (or Vanny) is sending the tutorial emails to customers of the funtime service. But considering the focus on collecting remnant, the sender being ‘FAZ//...AR ENT##AIN_!MENT’, and the repetitions of ‘funFUNFUNfun’ and similar throughout those emails… It’s likely Vanny is sending out those emails after hijacking the funtime service animatronics. (Which would explain why she wanted to work at FazEnt, and why she locked out Anna Kwemto’s lot if they were running the Funtime Service animatronics for FazEnt.) Basically, in order to control the animatronics, she needed to control the subcontractor (s) and have a position in FazEnt to exploit.

Why did she want to control the animatronics? Remnant, probably. The modified emails sent from ‘FAZ//...AR ENT##AIN_!MENT talk about collecting remnant. And some of the animatronics sent out through the Funtime Service emulate the Funtime Animatronics… like Funtime Freddy and Circus Baby. Who would have stomach hatches, if whoever replicated them didn’t think too hard about what they were building.

Basically, Vanny needed remnant. Possibly for rebuilding Afton. Possibly for fixing the Mimic. She could risk herself getting remnant personally… or she could get some machines to do it for her. These machines would also be useful for, say, disposing of some meddling therapists at a later date.

This may even explain what the scooper's there for in Ruin. Vanny may have been using the scooper on the Funtime Service rentals to receive their remnant after they killed someone.

Anyway, that’s all I got for now.

#five nights at freddy's #fnaf vanessa #summerly talks #sorry for the long one but this topic has been running around in my head for a while and I FINALLY decided to do the work for it today

19 notes · View notes

trashyswitch · 1 month ago

Text

Day 29: Magic

Jameson Jackson and Marvin have a little competition. Is magic real? Or is magic just tricks with the audience? Jameson learns the truth the hard way...

And now, some egos content! Hope you all enjoy!

Marvin was sitting on the couch, showing Jamie his magical powers. Now, Jamie knew Marvin had always had these powers. But he had rarely seen them in action. Marvin was moving a deck of cards around with his green magic, showing Jamie how well he could move them around in interesting patterns.

Jamie smiled a bit, enjoying it. But he couldn’t help but make one little comment: ‘That’s not really magic…that’s just telekinesis.’ Jamie signed to him.

“Telekinesis IS magic.” Marvin stated. “Your version of magic is called ‘Movie Magic’.” He mentioned. “Nothing like real magic.”

Jamie smirked and crossed his arms. ‘Magic isn’t real. Magic is just brain tricks.’ Jamie signed.

Marvin smirks and lifts up one of the cards. “Is that so?” He flips the card around, revealing it to be white with the text [Prove it] on it.

Jamie smirked and took half the deck of cards before signing ‘Watch and learn’ with his left hand. Jamie shuffled the deck of cards and spread them out like a fan. ‘Pick a card.’ Jamie signed.

Marvin raised an eyebrow and smirked, taking a card from the deck and looking at it. “Do I put it back?” Marvin asked.

Jamie nodded and showed him the opened deck. After placing the card in, Jamie sandwiched the card and shuffled it in his hands.

Marvin raised an eyebrow. “Damn, mate! You’re not even keeping an eye on where the card is!” Marvin reacted.

Jamie smirked and looked up at him as he kept shuffling. He was determined to prove him wrong, and show him that real magic didn’t exist. Right as Marvin was about to say something else, Jamie put the deck together and hit the bottom of the deck. Suddenly, one single card flew out of the deck about 5 feet above them!

Marvin widened his eyes and dropped his jaw as he watched the card spin down. “Holy shit!” He reacted.

Jamie caught it with two fingers, and flipped it around, showing Marvin while mouthing the words ‘This your card?’.

Marvin covered his mouth. “Holy-” He cleared his throat and pulled himself together. “Yup, it is.” He told him. “Not bad, JJ.” Marvin responded, appreciating the magic trick. “But how does that prove that magic isn’t real?” Marvin asked him next.

Jamie smirked and opened the rest of the deck. There was an elastic around a few cards that crossed in the middle of the deck. He pulled on the elastic, emphasizing its stretchiness. With this, Marvin realized that elastic must’ve provided Jamie the ability to ‘slingshot’ the card out of the deck.

“Okay, okay…fair enough. Magic tricks are just tricks.” Marvin admitted. “But what about this:” Marvin used his green magic to pick up the card that was in his hand. Jamie let go of it, and watched the card levitate. “Does this look like magic?” Marvin asked him.

Jamie raised an eyebrow, and smirked a bit. He grabbed the card and tried to pull it down. But to his surprise, the card didn’t drop. Actually, his hand remained upwards. Jamie’s smirk wiped off his face as he tried to pull it down…but once again, it proved to be pointless. Jamie widened his eyes and pulled one more time…and again, it just wouldn’t budge. His face grew visibly annoyed.

Marvin was just giggling as he watched. “Awww, can’t get the card, JJ?” Marvin teased.

Jamie verbally growled as he started pulling on the card like a cartoon character. This alone made Marvin laugh harder. “Ohoho my god! You’re really heaving on the thing!” He reacted. “You need a little help with that?” Marvin asked him, moving his hand up.

Suddenly, Jamie froze and started kicking the air as he was raised up by the magic of the card. Since Jamie’s hands were gripping the card, he didn’t have any hands to sign! So his visual comedy was the only thing showing Marvin how he was reacting.

And his reactions made Marvin laugh again. “Poor JJ…” Marvin walked closer to Jamie, and watched as he started aiming his kicking feet towards him. “Oh come now, mate.” Marvin caught his foot. “Let’s leave this PG, okay?” Marvin encouraged.

Jamie started pulling on his foot, and managed to pull it out of his grip. “Not bad, JJ. But can you handle THIS?” Marvin started tickling his exposed armpits. This made Jamie throw his head back with a big smile on his face.

“Look at that! Mr. Jackson here appears to be ticklish~” Marvin teased.

Jamie shook his head, kicking his feet almost wildly.

“No?! But I’m tickling you right now, and you’re laughing!” Marvin reacted dramatically. “Either I’ve been living under a rock my whole life, or someone is lying about being ticklish~” Marvin teased.

Jamie shook his head vigorously.

“Aww…What’s wrong, Jamie? Can’t handle the tickle-tickle-tickles?” Marvin asked him.

Jamie attempted to shoot him a glare…but due to how ticklish he was, the glare looked more goofy than threatening.

“Oh my! Was that…a glare? Are you really trying to give me the mom look?!” Marvin asked.

Jamie audibly snorted and hung his head.

“Awww, now you’re getting all shy on me! How cute!” Marvin kept teasing. “What would happen if I just…” Marvin moved his fingers down to his belly, earning another snort from Jamie. “Oooooh! I see someone’s got a ticklish tummy-wummy~” Marvin teased, skittering his fingers on his somewhat visible bare belly.

Marvin could see Jamie trying to yell ‘NO!’, but couldn’t actually voice it. The poor man could only lip sync it.

“Is someone trying to tell me something?” Marvin teased. “Is someone trying to tell me ‘No no no! No tickling! I’m so ticklish! I’m gonna die! Aaah!’? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” Marvin asked him playfully.

Jamie audibly snorted and nodded his head for the first time that afternoon.

“Ooooh! Looks like someone’s admitting it! I’m so proud of you, Jamie! Admitting the truth like a big boy!” Marvin teased rather evilly. “I wonder what else you could admit if I just kept asking you ‘yes or no’ questions…” Marvin teased evilly as he moved his wiggling fingers down to his hips.

Jamie snorted yet again, before slowing down his kicks a little bit. It looked like Jamie’s ‘giggles’ and wiggling were lessening due to the spot change. Marvin could safely guess that Jamie’s hips were a little less ticklish than his armpits, ribs or even his tummy. But of course, he had to ask. Marvin giggled. “Is someone less ticklish on their hips?” Marivn asked.

Jamie nodded his head almost right away.

“Oh wow! Looks like these hips DON’T lie!” Marvin teased. “But are they just as truthful if I dig into your hips?” Marvin asked as he started digging his fingers a little deeper into his hips.

Right away, Jamie threw his head back with an audible wheeze.

“Holy shit!” Marvin reacted. “Is this more ticklish?!” He asked.

Jamie lowered his head down and nodded his head.

“Looks like I was right! Such a ticklish little dapper boy.” Marvin teased, before bringing his hands back and poking his side. By this point, Jamie was contemplating letting go of the card so he could get away. Cause a little reminder: Jamie was STILL holding onto the card with both his hands! And by some god out there, Jamie had not let go of the card yet. He was still holding on for dear life, as if he still had a point to make. But evident by the tickles and his deep red blush, Jamie has most likely lost his point. So…is there really a point in still holding on?

“I’m impressed you’re still holding on! You’ve got some wicked arm stre-” Marvin started to say, before Jamie finally let go and dropped down to the ground. “Oh nevermind.” Marvin finished his sentence, before picking up the card and making the magic go away. “Down he goes.” He added.

Jamie was holding his sides, trying to calm himself down from the tickle attack. He rested on the ground for a few more minutes, before slowly getting himself back up. ‘That was mean.’

Marvin giggled. “But I was right…Do you believe me now?” Marvin asked him with a smirk. Jamie tilted his head. ‘Believe you?’ He looked confused.

Marvin nodded his head. “Yeah! That magic is real!” Marvin responded.

Jamie widened his eyes and nodded his head. ‘Yeah. I believe you.’ He signed back.

Marvin smiled. “Alright, good. Now that THAT’S done…Do you have any questions, Mr. Movie Magic?” Marvin asked him.

Jamie thought for a moment. Gosh…Questions…He had a lot of them. So many questions to ask… He started with one single question: ‘How do you summon the magic?’ Jamie asked him.

Marvin smiled brightly and pulled out his mask. “Good question, JJ.” Marvin put it onto his face and closed his eyes as he used the mask to summon more magic. Jamie watched in awe as a symbol showed up in Marvin’s hands, and lit up Marvin’s body in a greenish majestical glow. Marvin slowly separated his hands, and opened his eyes before removing the mask. “This mask helps me control my magic. But I’ve also been trained to control it without the mask.” Marvin explained.

‘Wow…’ Jamie spelled out, making Marvin laugh in response. ‘Can…Can you lift me up?’ Jamie signed next.

Marvin smiled brightly and shrugged his shoulders. “I think so? I can certainly try.” Marvin admitted as he put his mask back on. Summoning his magic with his hands, Marvin moved his fingers around and covered Jamie in the same greenish glow. With that done, Marvin moved his hands and began to make Jamie’s body levitate. To Jamie’s surprise, he actually started rising up! Holy shit! He was flying! He was actually flying!!!

Jamie’s excitement was super evident on his face. He was throwing his hands in the air, and signing sentences rapidfire.

“Oh my god, you’re excited!” Marvin reacted, laughing. “I’ve never seen you so excited about stuff like this before!” Marvin admitted.

Jamie gasped silently and signed the word ‘Up!’ over and over again.

“Really? You wanna go higher?” Marvin asked. “Okay!” He raised Jamie up a little bit more, making Jamie spin and silently cheer. But Marvin REALLY busted a gut laughing when Jamie started doing backflips while surrounded by the magic. It was honestly super entertaining! He looked so happy! And to think Jamie was only recently trying to prove that magic wasn’t real! Crazy how quickly things change…

#augtickletober2024 #day 29 #magic #movie magic #real magic #competition #teasing #funny #magic tricks #ticklefic #ler!marvin #lee!jamie #fluff

7 notes · View notes

askjamesonjackson · 6 months ago

Text

["Welcome one and all! Welcome!"]

⊱ ───────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ──────── ⊰

This is a Rp/Ask blog of Jameson Jackson from Jackspeticeyes Egos with my own headcanons of JJ since there isn't much on him but I try a follow canon close as possible.

Here's my ref/headcannons for JJ

⊱ ───────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ──────── ⊰

Important information to know:

No nsfw please, mention of gore(images will get you blocked) is fine but I am a minor and nsfw is nsfw for a reason plus JJ is aroace(in my hc)

Don't be a asshole for no reason, jokes are ok but as long as their light jokes. Telling me I'm cringe and stuff isn't fun and this account is suppose to be fun for me and y'all (that also counts towards making fun of my grammer)

I will not take ablist or homophobia kindly, these are my headcanons your free to correct me if I get something wrong but if you go out of you way to shame me for headcannoning a character as aroace I will block you

I do not like Antidapper, if you are a Antidapper shipper I kindly request for you to not interact with me

(Antidapper is the ship between JJ and Anti /info)

Do not demand for your ask to be drawn, drawing can be a stress relief for me but it can also cause me a lot of stress, I draw responses I find cool/interesting and responses that would inform you all more with a funny image paired with it. If you want to request something for me to draw you can ask on my main account or through discord

If you want to rp one on one in dms, my dms are open on discord (discord is maxtrash101) I am also open for just normal rp too as long as your ok with it.

⊱ ───────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ──────── ⊰

Tags

#ask blog - answering a ask

#JJ repost - reposting media/something

#JJ interacting - interacting with no intent to RP

#JJ Interaction - no longer interacting

#JJ Roleplaying - active roleplay going on

#JJ roleplay - a rp that has happened that is no longer happening

#JJ Angst - Angst rp/upset JJ

#JJ fluff - fluff interaction or wholesome content

#JJ Silly - silly rp with little to no canonness/JJ being a goof

#ooc / ooc: out of character meaning your talking to the creator me

(Might be more rp tags in the future if I think of anymore)

#jameson jackson #Ask Jameson Jackson #Ask JJ #ask blog #jacksepticeye #ooc post #ooc

14 notes · View notes

crystalninjaphoenix · 8 months ago

Text

Hollow Leads

A JSE Fanfic

SepticHeroes AU: Part 30

First Part | Previous Part | Read on AO3 at CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Thirty chapters done! Whoo! With every chapter we get closer to a part of this AU that I'm really excited about but that is probably a long, long ways away. But enough about the future, back to the present with this. Jackie continues trying to find Dahlia, to help her and get JJ out of jail. But it's not that easy, as his leads aren't following through. Afterwards, he lets the others know about the little progress he's made, and Schneep has something to tell him, as well. Hope you enjoy this chapter ^-^

===============

“Well, at least you remembered to call the non-emergency line this time, kid.” Ace’s voice said from the other side of the phone line.

“I did say sorry,” Jackie said defensively. It was shortly after dinner, and he was pacing around his room. Loose clothes and paper fluttered as a nervous breeze played around the room. “And you did say to call you back in the evening.”

“I did, I did, that’s fair enough,” Ace said. “So. You want to know about that tape, then.”

“Of course I do!” Jackie barely managed to keep from shouting. “This is crucial information! There could be another villain running around! Someone who, for whatever reason, wanted to spread chaos in the city and control people. We don’t know what they want or when they’ll next attack. We’ll need to investigate!” He held himself back from mentioning getting JJ out of jail again. Anti-Virus could be listening in; he needed to think that Jackie had given up on that particular goal. This was already pushing it enough.

“That’s true enough,” Ace said. “Well. We’ve run it through some tests, and we do think it’s authentic. Other than the fact that it’s a copy you made, I mean. Now, if worse comes to worst, would you be willing to share the original?”

Jackie hesitated. “Y-yeah.” It wouldn’t be his first choice. He wouldn’t want to share Dahlia’s secret while she was still missing, but if it was absolutely necessary, he would do what was needed. Maybe he could just start the tape at Jameson’s section.

“Good. That lends some credibility to this,” Ace said. “I’m sure you’re aware of the contents. Of this Jameson Jackson claiming that someone was blackmailing him for the safety of his sister.”

“Yes.” Jackie nodded, despite knowing Ace couldn’t see him. “Anti-Virus. You saw him call himself that in the texts Jameson filmed.”

Ace snorted. “Super names get stranger and stranger. I guess a ‘virus’ sounds intimidating, but all I can think of are those annoying pop-ups the department computers sometimes get.”

“So the police are going to go look for him, right?” Jackie continued. “This guy is still on the loose.”

“Of course we are. Michaelson and I are already putting together a plan. This guy is a technopath, so we don’t have a paper trail to go off, but he can’t have gotten far. He probably has some interest in this city.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Jackie muttered.

“Windstorm.” Ace’s voice shifted. It was all business before, but now there was a heavier serious tone in his words. “About the Puppeteer. This Jackson guy.”

Jackie’s heart jumped. “Yes?” he asked, trying to sound disinterested.

“They’re probably not going to let him out of the Vault.”

His heart immediately dropped afterwards. “Wh-what do you mean?” he asked. “Clearly, th-this is—if he was being blackmailed, that warrants a trial. To sort out all the legal, uh... a-all the legal stuff. Like, what exactly his crimes would be called.”

“They’ll get to it,” Ace said grimly. “But think about it. Even if the Puppeteer was forced to do this, even if that lessened his charges officially, even if the trial manages to reduce his sentence... he’s still very powerful. And his abilities are the sort that can only be used to hurt people.” Jackie bristled at that, but he had to admit, there was some truth to it. Creating strings that controlled people’s bodies... He couldn’t think of a way to use those that didn’t harm someone. “The Vault is the only place in this country that’s equipped to deal with someone who could control so many people at once.”

“Well, I guess that’s true, but—” Jackie stopped himself from protesting.

“You really think he doesn’t belong there?” Ace asked.

“Y-yeah...” Jackie said slowly. “If a man was being blackmailed, shouldn’t that... absolve him of some of the blame? Enough to get him pulled out of a prison that houses the worst supervillains in this area? Sure, he might be capable of doing terrible things, but... but... that doesn’t mean he will.”

Ace sighed. “I get where you’re coming from, kid, I really do. I’m going to work on getting the Puppeteer a proper trial for this whole mess. I just need you to understand this realistically. I doubt there’s a panel of judges who’d be okay with letting him out of the Vault, even if it’s just to another prison. Not to mention the League runs Byrthon Vault.They have the final say on the villains kept there. Even if the courts proved the Puppeteer was being blackmailed, they’d have to appeal to the League to get him transferred.”

“Right. The League runs it.” Jackie sighed.He wasn’t sure what to say. There was a part of him that was simmering with rage—JJ is his friend, he doesn’t deserve this!—and there was a part of him that was just so, so disappointed.“Well... thank you for telling me all this, Ace. You’re... really sure about this?”

“I am,” Ace confirmed. “What about you, Windstorm? Now that we’ve got your evidence verified, you gonna be charging after this Anti-Virus?”

He really wanted to. He really, really wanted to. But he couldn’t go at it from this angle. “Honestly, Ace, I’m not sure I’m capable of tracking him down,” Jackie said slowly. “That’s not really my skill set, you know? I’m sure you guys can handle it.”

“...huh.” Ace paused. “You, uh... you sure, kid? Don’t want to help at all?”

“I mean, this guy’s powers are to spy on people through tech,” Jackie said “Not exactly something my wind powers can fight against. And besides, he’s probably not that tough to take down. Just tough to find. The police can probably handle it.”

Ace was quiet for a moment. “This isn’t like you,” he finally said after a long silence. “And you were just getting all up in arms about getting the Puppeteer some justice and tracking down this guy. Everything okay, kid?”

“Y-yeah,” Jackie said. “I just really think I won’t be much help here.”

“Hmm.” Jackie could hear the suspicion in that single hum. Honestly, he sort of hoped Ace would figure out something was up. The more allies he had with this, the better. “If you’re sure, Windstorm,” Ace finally said. “Call the department back whenever you want for progress. Or stop by. It’s not like we’re going to kick you out.”

Jackie laughed nervously. “Yeah. Not like you’d do that. I’ll stop by the station if I want to. See you later.”

“See you, kid.”

The call ended and Jackie put the phone down on his desk. He wandered over to the window and stared out at the evening sky, its dusky blue lit up by the light from skyscraper windows. His room really did have a good view of the city. He leaned his head against the glass and looked down at the cars moving on the distant street below, thinking.

Was Ace right? Would the League just... leave Jameson in the Vault? A few months ago, he wouldn’t believe it. But now... his whole world had been shaken. His first thought was that they would. After all, wasn’t someone who could mind control a hundred people very dangerous? Weren’t they... still a villain?

...maybe he should go out for a quick fly around the city. Maybe that would clear his head.

He ended up flying around the city for a long time before heading back home to crash. He probably should’ve gone to bed earlier. After all, he’d have to go to the hospital again to talk to Dr. Simmons about Dahlia. To maybe find a lead that way. But... it took a while for his thoughts to settle. Or at least, to be overrun by exhaustion. He barely had time to take off his suit and put on pajamas before tiredness caught up and he fell into bed.

===============

The next morning, Jackie was awoken by the bring bring! of the Red Line. Groaning, he rolled over to check the time and grab it—1:00 pm?! Holy shit, he better wake up and start the day soon! He quickly answered the call without looking at the ID. “Hello?”

“Hello Windstorm.” It was Magnify, his handler. “I have some big news.”

“Huh? Big news?” Jackie forced himself to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

“Kinetics would like to have a word with you.”

...

...Jackie didn’t answer for a solid ten seconds, just processing what Magnify just said.

“Windstorm? Are you still there?”

“When you say Kinetics,” Jackie said slowly, “you don’t mean... one of the Council members... do you?”

“I do indeed,” Magnify said, sounding completely serious.

“...what the fuck?” Jackie whispered.

“Windstorm? Please don’t swear while on the Red Line.”

“I just—Sorry, I—I just don’t—wh-why would—why would a Council member want to see me?” Jackie asked. “I haven’t even been in the League a year yet!”

“It has to do with the Puppeteer,” Magnify said.

“Huh?!”

“Well, the Puppeteer and this possible mastermind villain behind him,” Magnify clarified. “The Daindover police let the League know about the tape you’d found.”

“A-and it traveled all the way up to the Council?” Jackie repeated. He laughed nervously. “Tha-that was fast.”

“The Council takes mind control villains very seriously,” Magnify said.

“Well, uh, Anti-Virus isn’t a mind controller—”

“But they were able to control someone who is,” Magnify interrupted. “And their powers are concerning. The Council is afraid they were behind the data leak.”

Jackie’s stomach dropped. “So... Kinetics herself is coming here... to ask me about this whole case?”

“Precisely.”

“I... didn’t know the Council had... the time for that... I-I thought they were busy,” Jackie stammered.

“The timing must have lined up. Kinetics will come to Daindover early tomorrow morning. She requests that you meet on the rooftop of the East SepTech building at 7:30.”

“I-I’ll be there.” The East SepTech building, huh? The place he’d confronted the Puppeteer. The place his worldview had been shaken for the third time and finally shattered. Seemed... fitting.

“Great. Contact me if you have any further questions.” And with that, Magnify hung up.

Jackie just stared at the Red Line for a solid minute. There was no way this was real. He had to be dreaming. He pinched himself just in case. “Ow!” Nope, it was real.

Kinetics was THE telekinesis Hero. So much so that her name was taken from ‘telekinetic.’ And she wanted to see him? What was next? Him getting called before the whole Council?

Quickly, he ran through the members in his head—partially to make sure he was awake enough to remember details like that. Other than Kinetics, the most powerful and well-known telekinesis Hero in the world, there was Red Huntress, the Shadow, Shockwave, Bolt Runner, and Eagle-Eye. All of them with equally great reputations. All of them well-known anywhere the League of Heroes operated, and even beyond. Were they really so concerned with Daindover? It may have been a big city, but it wasn’t the capital of the country or anything. Surely there were more important cases happening elsewhere in the world.

Well, it didn’t change the fact that the Council was interested, and interested enough for one of them to stop by to talk to him. If someone had told him last year that he’d be meeting one of the Council of Heroes in the next twelve months, he would have laughed in their face.

Jackie shook his head. He has to get up and get ready for the day. He still had that meeting to prepare for. But before that—he grabbed his phone from the dresser and opened up the group chat he had with Chase and Henrik—and Jameson, too, but... well, he didn’t exactly have access to his phone in prison. Jackie typed out a quick message. Hey dyou guys want to meet up at Neun Park later today?

Then he got up and headed into the bathroom. He would get ready and immediately head to the hospital. He had more business to take care of.

===============

St. Ellen’s Hospital was the same as it was yesterday. The waiting room was slightly more empty, but that was it. Ryan was even at the reception desk. “O-oh! Um, hello again, Windstorm!” Ryan said.

“Hello.” Jackie smiled at him reassuringly. Even though they’d spent a lot of time together yesterday in the archives, it seemed the young nurse was still nervous around him. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just here to follow up on some stuff from yesterday. The doctor’s offices are on the fifth floor, right?”

“Y-yeah.” Ryan nodded. “You can go right up.”

“Thank you.” Jackie headed towards the elevators... then thought about riding in one with strangers who would probably stare at him, and changed his mind, shifting his path towards the stairwell. He flew right up the spiral staircases and landed on the fifth floor landing.

He pushed open the door and found himself in a much more comfortable area than the clinical feeling of the lower floors. It had carpet (dark brown with a curling, lighter brown pattern) and wooden doors that were visibly nicer than the ones downstairs. Now, he was looking for a Dr. Eric Simmons, a neurologist. The doors had plaques next to each door with names on them—wooden ones with gold lettering, not the simple plastic ones in Greengate General where Schneep worked. Benefits of being an older hospital, maybe.

There. A plaque with the name he was looking for. Jackie stopped outside Dr. Simmons’ door and knocked. A moment passed. Jackie knocked again. Another moment passed. He knocked again, and finally heard footsteps inside. The door opened, revealing an older man with slicked-back black hair and a pointed goatee lined with gray. “Do you have an ap—Windstorm?!”

“Dr. Eric Simmons, right?” Jackie said. “I need to ask you some questions.”

Dr. Simmons had previously looked strict and slightly annoyed, but the moment he took in who he was talking to, his expression shifted to bewilderment. What was that word Jackie’s mom used sometimes? Oh yeah, gobsmacked. It was actually kind of funny, but Jackie managed to maintain his more serious expression. “O-of course. Come inside.”

“Thank you.” Jackie stepped into the office. It was a bit nicer than Schneep’s with some shelves that had some plants and small statuettes and a red tasseled rug underfoot. Well... Schneep probably didn’t spend as much time in his office, since he moonlighted as a master thief.

“Would you like to take a seat?” Simmons asked.

“No, this shouldn’t take that long,” Jackie said. “I’m going to have to ask you to do something a bit strange, though.” He nodded towards the desk, where there was a computer and monitor. “I need you to shut that down, and also shut off your phone.”

Simmons looked like he wanted to protest, but nodded. “Alright. Give me one moment.” He walked around the desk. Jackie stepped up to the other side of it, leaning over to make sure that Simmons turned the computer off. He did, and his phone as well. “Now... to what do I owe the... honor?”

Jackie laughed a little. “Honor? Um, you don’t need to do that. I’m just... someone trying to do the right thing. You don’t need to be so formal.”

“I... see.” Simmons nodded. “Well... how can I help you, then?”

“I need to know more about a patient you had,” Jackie said. “Over two years ago, there was a super fight that knocked down one of the Septech buildings.”

“Yes, the east location, I remember it clearly,” Simmons said, nodding some more.

“You had a patient who was injured in the collapse,” Jackie said. “Do you remember Dahlia Jackson?”

Simmons’s head tilted back, concentrating. “Dahlia Jackson... Dahlia Jackson... oh yes, that one. The one in the coma.”

“Yes, her.” Jackie narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn’t sure he liked the tone in Simmons’s voice. It was a bit dismissive. “She was supposedly transferred to a hospital in Evoritch.”

“Ah, yes, that.” Simmons’s face scrunched up. “The transfer was done at the request of the patient’s relative. A brother, I believe.”

Jameson? Well that definitely didn't make sense. JJ didn’t know anything about the transfer. More evidence towards it being a trick. “You don’t seem happy about that.”

“Of course not. The transfer order came in without me having any say in it.” Simmons folded his arms. “I tried to protest it—the patient was under my care. But I was directed to go along with it by the head of the department.”

“Why didn’t you want to go through with the transfer?” Jackie asked.

“Because the patient was under my care,” Simmons repeated with more emphasis. “You can’t just take a patient from a doctor.” He sounded strangely... possessive.

Jackie’s eyes narrowed further. Simmons probably couldn’t see that through the white lenses on his mask, but he must have caught onto some sort of vibe Jackie was giving off, because he subtly leaned away from him. “Right,” Jackie said in a dull monotone. “So. Tell me more about this transfer. Was Dahl—Was Miss Jackson picked up by someone for the transfer? Did she leave in an ambulance or some other form of transport?”

“Well, this was a long time ago—”

“It was less than six months ago. Surely a doctor would have a memory capable of remembering something so recent.”

Simmons blinked, taken aback. “That’s a... that’s a fair point. Give me a moment to recall.” He paused. “I believe the patient was transported in a special van from the Overridge Hospital. Not an ambulance, but something more advanced. Able to keep the occupants perfectly steady and stable.”

Jackie nodded. “What did it look like?”

Another pause. “It was white, with the hospital’s name on the side. The interior was padded for comfort. That’s all I can think of.”

“I see...” A van. Jackie knew how easy it was for villains to disguise a regular fan as a commercial van for some business. He’d pursued enough criminals’ getaway vehicles. All you had to do was slap a decal on the side. Hearing that the interior was padded and somehow more advanced did make it a bit more complicated... but it was possible that Anti-Virus had access to resources to make this van look a bit more legitimate. “Was there someone there who helped with the transfer? Maybe multiple people?”

“I insisted on handling it by myself, but... I believe... I believe there was a man,” Simmons said slowly. “From Overridge, he said. He loaded the patient and drove the van.”

Jackie felt his adrenaline spike. “Do you remember what the man looked like?” He asked urgently.

“Hmm... he had brown hair. Maybe lighter-colored eyes. A beard, but not a thick one.”

Jackie blinked. With such a vague description, Simmons could be describing him. Or any of his friends. “Were there any defining characteristics at all?”

“He was a... thinner man, I suppose?” Simmons said. “Average height.”

Great. Very helpful. “Well, thank you for your time, Dr. Simmons,” Jackie said slowly. “One more question. Do you know which direction the van went? Did it look like it was truly going to Evoritch?”

“My sense of direction is not the best,” Simmons admitted, “but I believe so.”

That didn’t mean anything, to be honest. The man could’ve turned around as soon as he was out of sight. Or it could mean that Dahlia really was taken out of the city. There was no way to know for sure just yet. Jackie nodded slowly. “I see. Again, thank you for your time. I’ll be leaving, then.”

“W-well, if you ever have any other questions, I’d be happy to help,” Simmons said. “May I ask why you wanted to know all this?”

Jackie shook his head. “Sorry, but it’s better if you don’t know. This is important Hero business. I can’t share the details.”

“Of course. Of course.” Simmons backed away. “Goodbye, then.”

“Yeah. Goodbye.” Jackie spun around and left the office, closing the door behind him.

That whole conversation had left a vague sour taste in his mouth. Simmons hadn’t made a good first impression. There was this arrogance to him that got on Jackie’s nerves. But he pushed that away, focusing on what he’d learned. So... Anti-Virus must have arranged the transfer through emails or something, pretending that Jameson requested it and that Overridge was going to send someone to get Dahlia. He didn’t know if Anti-Virus would have done that himself or sent a henchman of some kind. Either way, all he had to go off now was this van and a vague description of a man. That... wasn’t a lot. But he would figure something out.

For now, though, he had to go home. He’d left his phone back in the bedroom and was waiting for a reply from Henrik.

It didn’t take long to fly back and check the group chat. Yes, there it was. I can meet around four, Henrik texted. And I will contact Marvin.

Howre you gonna do that? Chase had asked.

I will check his workplace. Not the safest, but I just need to tell him about the meeting.

Sounds good, Jackie replied, his message thirty minutes late to the conversation. We’ll meet up then.

===============

I didn’t see you yesterday. JJ stared across the table at Soren, who was looking down at the tray of food in front of him. He coughed, and Soren looked up. I didn’t see you yesterday, JJ repeated.

“Oh? Were you expecting me?” A hint of a smile traced Soren’s mouth.

I suppose I was, JJ said. Maybe he shouldn’t have expected him. After all, he and Soren hadn’t known each other for that long.

“Hah.” The smile faded. “I’m... sorry. I shouldn’t have...” Soren shook his head. “I just... was tired.”

JJ nodded slowly. I understand. His head had been hurting for the last two days straight. The constant pain was really wearing on him. He was even starting to get a bit nauseous. Instead of eating the mashed potatoes on his tray he just played with them with his spoon, unable to bring himself to eat it. These damn neutrinalin side effects. He was beginning to understand why most of the prisoners here were practically zombies. Is there anything I can do to help?

Soren blinked in surprise. “Ah... Um... Well, I’m not... sure.”

JJ raised an eyebrow. I must have really taken you off guard. You sound so awkward.

Soren laughed. “I suppose I’m just not used to people offering something so earnestly. And I suppose that I wasn’t expecting it from you.”

Why not? Did I give you the impression I didn’t care?

“No, it’s not that.” Soren shook his head. “You just... you’re still adjusting to all this. I didn’t expect you to think about it while you’re in such a fucked situation.”

JJ laughed silently, then became serious again. Everyone in here is in the same situation, though. Shouldn’t that make it easier for me to feel for you all? Shouldn’t I want to help someone through something I’m also suffering in?

“...yeah, I think so,” Soren said quietly. He glanced down at his own tray of food. “Well. Any plans for what you want to do today?”

Go in the courtyard, I suppose, JJ said. If you’re feeling up to it... maybe introduce me to some others?

Soren smiled. “I can do that.”

===============

This time, they met up in front of the concrete sculpture in the middle of the park. Jackie and Chase arrived first. Chase looked up at the sculpture and all its strange angles and curves. “What d’you think it’s supposed to be?” he asked.

“No clue.” Jackie shrugged.

“Didn’t you guys notice the plaque?”

It turned out that Marvin and Schneep were right behind, now approaching the two of them. Jackie turned to Marvin. “No, I didn’t notice the plaque, smartass.”

“Really? You’ve definitely lived here longer than I have, though.” Marvin raised an eyebrow. “And you never looked at it?”

“Maybe I just got used to it!”

While the two of them argued, Schneep and Chase leaned over to look at the plaque in question. “It says that the statue is titled ‘Tenacity,’” Schneep reported. “And it is a monument to how the city of Daindover always bounces back from any obstacles.”

“Huh. Neat,” Chase commented.

Jackie sighed. “Okay, okay, it’s a statue about ‘tenacity,’ I guess. Doesn’t really look like that... but I don’t know what tenacity would look like. Anyway. Are we ready to go?”

“Phones?” Marvin asked.

“Yeah, we left them at home,” Chase said. “Crazy to go out without one in this day and age. I feel... weirdly isolated, I guess. Cause like, what if I need it, y’know?”

Schneep shrugged. “I suppose that could be valid. If you suddenly need to call someone in an emergency.”

“Oh god—what if there’s an emergency?!” Chase gasped.

“Um—d-don’t worry about that, we can—we can... take care of it,” Marvin said slowly. “If something bad happens.”

Jackie stared at him. He would’ve thought it was a brag about how powerful he was, if he hadn’t been so painfully awkward about it. “Did you... just try to reassure Chase?”

Marvin folded his arms defensively. “I can reassure people.”

Chase laughed. “You know what? Thanks, Marvin. That means a lot. I guess I do have three superheroes here. Or uh—a hero and two other people with powers. Villains? Nah, that doesn’t feel right. And I also have Frosty.” He patted Frosty’s head, who was sitting by his side as always, and Frosty’s tail wagged as he smiled. “He’s trained for some emergencies.”

Schneep smiled. “Yes, he is a good boy.” He turned to Jackie, smile fading to a more serious expression. “Now. What did you want to talk to us about?”

“I thought I’d tell you all about everything that happened so far,” Jackie said slowly. “And, um... get your opinion on... some stuff.”

The other three all looked at him seriously.

Jackie quickly explained everything that happened yesterday and today. The visits to the hospital for information about Dahlia, the police verifying the evidence and slowly starting the trial process, and the League scheduling a meeting with Kinetics. The others all reacted to different things in different ways.

“What do you mean they probably won’t let him out of the Vault?!” Schneep repeated, aghast.

Marvin laughed darkly. “Of course they wouldn’t! He’s a villain. It’s totally forbidden for them to show him mercy. Unless, you know, he has something to offer them.” He sighed. “Kinetics, huh? In all my time there, I only saw the Council members once, at a group meeting. Weird that one of them is going to talk to you personally.”

“Kinda cool though,” Chase mulled. “Was that doctor guy as big a jerk as you’re making him sound?”

“I dunno, he was definitely an ass but it maybe wasn’t as big a deal as it felt like at the time,” Jackie said. “That bit about JJ potentially staying in the Vault, though—” He shook his head.

“I cannot believe this,” Schneep said angrily. “Those—those motherfuckers! Jamie isn’t going to harm anyone! Even if he is capable, that does not mean he will!”

“Well, uh... I guess the League wants to be safe?” Chase guessed. “I don’t, uh, think that justifies it, but it explains it.”

Schneep growled and looked to the side.

“The League is always cautious until they’re not,” Marvin said drily.

Jackie sighed. “I never thought about the Super Laws before, really, but uh... If the Laws allow the League to have a prison, and maintain a prison, with complete control over it regardless of a court decision... that’s a bit fucked up.”

“No, really?” Marvin drawled.

Jackie normally would’ve made a snappy comment in response to Marvin’s sarcasm... but... maybe it was justified this time. More than maybe. “Uh, look, I was also wondering,” he said, changing the subject. “Marvin, Schneep, you guys have underworld contacts and stuff. D’you guys think you can find any information on the van that took Dahlia in the fake transfer?”

Schneep raised an eyebrow. “I would love to help, but what do you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. Marvin, Gwen’s related to some tech dealers, right? Maybe they know something about someone who got a bunch of tech for a fake van?”

“Maybe?” Marvin shrugged. “Her father mostly deals in weapons. Especially since Pathos got arrested.”

Jackie blinked. “Uh... I don’t see the connection.”

Marvin hesitated. “Pathos is... Gwen’s uncle, remember? Her mom’s a Moizone. They got support from a lot of Pathos’s crime family. Without it, now that Pathos is gone, they have to move some more expensive items to make up for the lack of funds—and that’s usually weapons.”

“...ah.”

“My point being, Gwen might not be able to help as much,” Marvin continued.

Schneep sighed. “I know some people I can ask about. I was planning to talk to them about... some other things anyway.”

Jackie blinked at him, then narrowed his eyes. “I know you’re my friend and all, but if you’re selling tech on the black market I think I’m obligated as a hero to give you a, uh... at least a stern talking-to about that.”

“Ah, no, I have nothing to sell at the moment,” Schneep said casually. “This is about... other things.” Was it just Jackie’s imagination, or did Schneep’s eyes flick towards Marvin?

Jackie narrowed his eyes further. “What other things?”

Schneep hesitated, then sighed. “Yes, I suppose I should tell you. But do not get mad, okay?”

“That’s not a good sign.”

Schneep stared at him silently.

“Fine, I’ll try not to get mad,” Jackie said. “What is it?”

“I snuck into SepTech last night.”

“You wha—?!” Jackie cut himself off mid-angry-shout. He cleared his throat. “Why... would you do that?”

“I can explain that later, this is more important,” Schneep dismissed. “In the North location, there is an underground lab belonging to Dr. McLoughlin. I believe you have been there before? Did you know that in one of the side rooms off the main laboratory there are a bunch of SAMs equipped with weaponized attachments?”

“...huh?” Jackie stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that they had guns and other such objects that would pop out from the sides,” Schneep explained. “Many of which I did recognize as being from the black market.”

“What?! Why the hell would something like that be in McLoughlin’s lab?!”

“That’s a good question, isn’t it?” Marvin muttered.

Jackie turned to glare at him. “I know what you’re going to say. This is not proof that McLoughlin purposefully messed up the scan of the Puppeteer mask.”

“Oh come on!” Marvin threw his hands up in the air. “The guy has fucking flying machines with guns! You can’t deny that that’s a bad fucking sign! What possible reason could he have for making those?!”

“You don’t know he’s making them,” Jackie insisted. “Maybe he confiscated them from criminals? And is taking off the attachments?”

“For fuck’s sake, Jackie!” Marvin looked at him intently. “I know you want to think the best of him, but this is just getting ridiculous! You can’t blindly deny proof that something fishy is going on!”

“I—” Jackie hesitated. He took a deep breath. “I’m not blindly denying it. I just want to have a chance to check it out for myself. McLoughlin said I could stop by whenever I wanted. I could just head in and check out the room. Give him a chance to explain himself.”

“Give him a chance to lie,” Marvin grumbled. “And manipulate you.”

“Uh...” Chase cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him for the first time in a while. “Marvin, you’re making some good points. And, uh, I do agree that having weapon SAMs in his lab is pretty fucking suspicious. But... don’t you think you’re being a little... Are you projecting a little?”

Marvin blinked. “H-huh?”

“I mean... you’ve clearly been lied to in the past,” Chase said. “I don’t remember the details of it, but I know it’s why you don’t trust the League. And I remember you said you’ve never gotten proper, uh... help with that. With... how much that hurt. So... you’ve never looked too deeply at that. But... you might be so insistent that McLoughlin is up to something because you don’t trust that anyone is genuine.”

Marvin stared at him, completely shocked. Jackie and Schneep also stared at Chase, only slightly less shocked. “That is... very insightful, Chase,” Schneep said slowly.

Chase shrugged. “Just something I thought about.”

“W-well—” Marvin stammered for a moment, then straightened. “It doesn’t matter how I feel about it. What matters is being safe. This McLoughlin guy might not be involved with the Puppeteer shit, whatever. He still has weapons in his lab that seemingly no one knows about. And if I had weapons in my lab that nobody knows about, and a Hero asked about them, I would say anything to make sure they didn’t investigate further.”

Jackie hesitated. “That’s true... but... I-I can’t do that. I can’t do that. I refuse to judge this man before I even know what the full story is.”

Marvin stared at him with a slightly softer expression than usual. “I just... don’t want... you to...” He shook his head. “Be careful, Windstorm.”

“I will be, I promise,” Jackie said. He took a deep breath. “Now. Any other advice? Or sudden revelations?”

The other three were silent.

“Great.” Jackie nodded. “Well... if we need to meet up again, we’ll just... do the same thing we did today?”

“Sounds good,” Chase said, making an OK sign with his hand. Schneep and Marvin nodded silently.

“So... let’s just... go, then,” Jackie said slowly.

The four of them unceremoniously parted ways—though, of course, Chase and Jackie headed in the same direction. As soon as they left Neun Park and were on the way to the train station, Chase nudged Jackie. “You okay?”

“Hmm? Yeah, I guess.” Jackie shrugged. “I just... I dunno. It really shook me to hear that Jameson might not have a chance to get out of there.”

“Well you can’t give up on him now!” Chase said.

“I’m not going to!” Jackie formed a fist and punched his open palm. “It’s not right. And I-I wanted to become a Hero to do the right thing. Hell, before I even joined the League, that’s why I started out on all this.” He paused. “Though... you know, sometimes I wonder. Did I really think that joining the League would help me help people? Or... did I just think it was cool?”

“It could be both,” Chase said quietly. “You’re a good person, Jackie. You really want to help people.”

Jackie was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. “You’re right. R-regardless of, uh, what the League is like, it’s not gonna stop me from... from trying to help.”

Chase smiled. “There we are! That’s the Jackie I know.” He patted his shoulder. “Now—can we talk about dinner?”

Jackie burst into laughter. “That’s still at least two hours away, man.”

“I like to be prepared when it comes to food.”

Down the street, Schneep and Marvin were walking together. They hadn’t meant to, they were simply just also walking that way. Schneep didn’t even seem to notice that Marvin was next to him. He was staring down at the sidewalk, glaring with fists clenched. After a while, Marvin cleared his throat. “You seem angry.”

“Oh, do I? Upon hearing that my cousin is probably going to rot in maximum security prison for something he was forced to do?” Schneep drawled. “And that my other cousin is still missing and the only lead is a flimsy fucking description?”

Marvin blinked. “That description, by the way—do you think it sounds familiar?”

“What? Are you saying it was McLoughlin who took Dahlia?” Schneep rolled his eyes. “With the broad characteristics that doctor described, you could have taken Dahlia.” He paused. “Wait, do you know—”

“Fuck, man. I know you’re upset—and for good reason, your fucking family got kidnapped—but you can’t seriously believe I know anything.”

Schneep sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But you see the problem of going off something that vague.”

“I guess.” Marvin nodded.

They walked in silence for a while. Schneep was heading to the farther train station—the one where the yellow line stopped, which was the train line that ran to the edge of the city where Schneep lived. He wasn’t sure where Marvin was going, though. And he didn’t ask. His thoughts were spinning in circles around one subject: Jameson. He really didn’t deserve to be stuck in the Vault. Schneep knew he was already doing something to try and get him out. Finding out if McLoughlin was linked to Anti-Virus, and from there, stopping Anti-Virus altogether. But—none of that would matter if the courts or the League or whoever just didn’t let Jameson out. What if this was for nothing?

“Marvin,” Schneep said slowly. “You know how I am helping you with this McLoughlin thing? What if I wanted your help with something in return?”

“Hmm?” Marvin blinked. “Like what?”

“What if—and I know how impossible this sounds—what if we broke JJ out of Byrthon Vault?”

Marvin stopped walking. “What.”

“I know, I know, it sounds insane,” Schneep said. “But—I—” He shook his head. “N-nevermind. It is stupid. I was just thinking, there are so many different types of superhumans out there. Surely, surely some combination of powers—Forget it.”

Marvin stared at him. “It’s not... a bad idea,” he said slowly. “Just... very, very dangerous. And something you’d need to thoroughly plan. Very, very thoroughly.”

Schneep nodded. “Yes... i-it is not something I... need to do. Not something I need to plan for. But... if the trail goes cold...”

Marvin leaned closer. “If the trail goes cold, we’ll do what we have to.” He grinned wickedly.

After a moment, Schneep grinned back, with a similar sharp edge. “We’ll do what we have to.”

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye au #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jackieboy man #jameson jackson #chase brody #marvin the magnificent #dr schneeplestein #brigid writes fanfiction #septicheroesau

11 notes · View notes

kangelmybeloved · 1 year ago

Text

TW: Shawn, Racism, Ableism, Manipulation

Hello everyone. I didn't want to make this post, but I feel like it's finally time i speak out about this horrible person. They go by @shawnthevampire on here. She is very popular within the Jacksepticeye community and she is a horrible person. She is Racist, Ableist, narcissistic and manipulative. This is gonna take a while..

Shawn is manipulative. She lies and gaslights people to get her own way. She once lied about one of my friends to try to convince me that he didn't care about me, saying things like "He's a rich shit" and "Why would a rich shit care about a couple of poor, mentally disabled biological females?" She did this a lot. She manipulates and lies, and then deletes all evidence of it every happening. Not to mention if your trauma is not the exact same as hers, she will invalidate it either to your face or behind your back. Personal experience: I was having a panic attack and she said it was amusing.

She silences anyone who disagrees with her. On Discord, if you say something she doesn't like? Timeout. Try to diffuse an argument? Timeout. I once got timed out for a week because I was defending my brother from her bullying. But she got rid of it a few hours later. You cannot say ANYTHING to her that she doesn't like, or.. doesn't have. If there is something she doesn't/can't have or something she just doesn't like, You can't talk about it. One time me and my friends were talking about "Amanda the Adventurer" and she banned us from talking about it all together because she didn't like it! She abused her power so much, and the changed the rules to her own server so it was convenient for her. For example, She could talk about politics but if you tried to it was against the rules and you weren't allowed.

She's abelist. Shawn will probably deny this as she is autistic, but being autistic does not give you an excuse to being abelist. I had one person tell me how she made fun of them for being hard of hearing. And there is a whole tumblr thread where she got involved in an argument over the Jacksepticeye ego character, Jameson Jackson. She says she hates her brother all because he's more autistic than her so he needs to be taken care of a little more. She went on a whole rant about how much she hates her brother and her parents, who bend over backwards to her will and anything she wants. She treats the people close to her like shit and with disrespect with no regard to the fact that they are human and have feelings too.

She is racist. Oh ho ho ho. Shawn is racist. Because why wouldn't she stop at being abelist? I have a couple of examples. On roblox she said to someone "Bro is black Irl" because they were apparently harassing her. Then she tried to defend it when called out by saying that "History is built up on racism" and that people should be used to racsim by now. The second example is she defends the infamous app "Temu" like she is the creator herself. After me and my friends sent her multiple piece of evidence that Temu still people's data, she just turns a blind eye and has blocked people over it. When defending the app she said, and I quote, "Also, if the USA truly cared about our Internet safety, they'd stop allowing apps from other countries to be approved onto the app store". And that this was all because Temu is a Chinese company, and that all the products are cheap and "suspicious" is because its a Chinese company.

Boundaries aren't a thing to her. If you are uncomfortable by a joke she's making and you tell her, she just thinks it's funny and does it more. These mainly include sexu@l jokes. And uh, here's a personal experience. I had a crush on a friend and I told her about it, she proceeded to give me a deadline to tell them my feelings and then decided to tell them behind my back anyway.

This is just on Discord and a couple things on Tumblr. She also caused things on Wattpad but I don't have the patience or energy to get into that.

Please do not go and bully Shawn or anyone involved in this situation. If people need proof, I'll post it on Twitter. Thank you everyone.

#shawnthevampire #blocked #personal bullshit

23 notes · View notes

bookwormscififan · 1 year ago

Text

Papa JJ - Bullies

Read on AO3!

A/N: Another one for the Papa JJ AU I'm starting! This one's a little wholesome, and I gave JJ's kid a name!

Warnings: there are mentions of bullying and death in this one, be careful!

JJ was humming to himself, making cookies, when the front door slammed shut.

He waited to see his son walk into the kitchen, frowning when he instead heard footsteps ascend the stairs followed by the slamming of the boy’s room door.

Ensuring the oven was turned off, JJ headed to his son’s room, knocking on the door before stepping in.

“Go away,” his son grumbled into his pillow, rolling over with a groan when JJ didn’t move, looking at his father through teary eyes.

George, JJ signed, sitting on the end of the boy’s bed with concern on his face. What’s wrong? George sighed, sitting up in his bed and looking at JJ.

“The other kids at school are being mean,” he began, continuing when his father furrowed his brow. “I know I shouldn’t take it personally, but… still hurts.” He sniffled, wrapping his arms around himself.

What are they saying?

“Dumb things,” George replied, rolling his eyes at JJ’s stern look. “They’re saying I’m nothing because I don’t have a mama. That nobody loves me, and that you only look after me because you have to.”

JJ cupped George’s cheek, using his thumb to brush a silent tear away.

Your mama died, JJ signed, tears in his own eyes. She died, and all I had was you. And you were so small, and I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to raise you. So scared that I wouldn’t be enough to give you all you needed. Never once did I think of giving you away. Do you know why?

George shook his head, looking at JJ with big blue eyes.

Because you are my son, and I love you. He huffed when George pulled him into a tight hug, returning the embrace before pulling away to sign again.

Don’t let those bullies put other thoughts into your head. I love you, and Uncle Shawn loves you, and that’s all that matters.

“I love you too, papa,” George whispered. JJ smiled, patting his son’s knee.

Come, let’s have some cookies and do your homework.

#writing #fanfiction #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticeye #jse egos #jameson jackson #George Jackson (OC)#shawn flynn (mentioned)#Papa JJ #bullying mention #mention of death

6 notes · View notes

kalcifers-blog · 10 months ago

Note

TMA *EGOS*

PLEASE EXPLAIN MORE

Okay I'm assuming that you're asking me to give what TMA Avatar each of the Egos would be which I'll go into detail here!!! With!!!! Some bonus Picrews!! If you have any further questions don't be afraid to reach out in the ask box xxx

Before I begin I do want to mention that these are just my own thoughts!!! I would absolutely love to hear what everyone thinks/if you have alternative ideas to suggest as well :DDD

(For starters I think all of the Egos have elements of The Lonely to them- they all feel isolated in their lives for whatever reason)

Chase Brody (The Eye) - I think Chase is so unbelievably Eye coded and he's VERY Archivist coded in my brain, giving off Season 4 Jonathan Sims if you get me. The Beholding is all about paranoia, feeling like your being watched and this insatiable need to know more- which Chase pretty much checks every box in my brain (especially after Anomaly Found). Chase does have elements of The Corruption and The Buried which I think would mostly just because of The Eyes effects of his life.

Marvin The Magnificent (The Desolation) - to me I've always gotten the impression that Marvin's magic reflects his mental wellbeing and he didn't gain it naturally- a younger Marvin to me has always read as a Carrie White or a Sydney Novak type character- someone with such intensely strong powers that its only a matter of time before he destroys something- i think the thing it destroys the most is Marvin himself though, its harmed everything around him and has probably left him isolated and alone. The Desolation isn't just fire it's the destruction of everything it doesn't care for death it just drives to squeeze the pain out of you. Which for me is exactly how I've always imagined Marvin, the fact that he doesn't want to hurt others would only feed into it more.

JackieBoy Man (The Vast) - Now with Jackie he's always seemed to be the hardest character to pinpoint for me personally. But at the end I thought The Vast was the only appropriate entity for him, he's an odd mix of Crew and Fairchild where he's constantly chasing down the thrill of open air, of falling into nothingness. He also to me seems like he'd be the one Ego who'd be the most aware of how insignificant their lives are in the grand scheme of the entirety of the universe (plus as a bonus his comic is the only one this far to reference the grand universe and the sheer scale of everything.

Jameson Jackson (The Web) - JJ is so interesting to me because to me he's both puppet and puppet master. He's a people pleaser and I would go as far to say that he takes it the point no one ever truly knows who he really is, like Martin Blackwood, he's all smiles and kind gestures but he treats everyone the same, it's only when you take a step back do you realise just how surface level his gestures are. I don't think he's a bad person however, I just think he pretends to care a lot more than he actually does. He's manipulated but he knows it, hes the quickest to spot the signs of manipulation because he's seen it and he's played with the same strings- that doesn't make him immune to manipulation and I think part of him is aware of just how caught up he is in the web himself.

Henrik Von Schneeplestien (The End/The Spiral) - Henrik was almost impossible for me to settle on because there's quite a few he could fall into (I could even make an argument he'd also belong in The Eye or Corruption) but I think his true calling is The End. I see him carry death unknowingly to the people around him, he spends so much time saving lives to counter act it somehow, he can't save everyone but if he can help people just as much as he accidentally kills others then maybe he can live with himself- it obviously takes a hold of him and he's eventually unable to keep operating in this way which is where The Spiral comes in, I think the constant death surrounding him will eventually break him and unknown to him and everyone around him- the signs for this were all clear as day.

Antisepticeye (The Stranger) - Anti is not human, anti has never been human and him trying to convince you that he is one is nothing short of uncanny. He's not had the life experiences to know how humans are supposed to move, his body consists of that which is important for a human to survive but none of it works right. He kills people and robs their lives and their faces and mocks you with them. He sends people into paranoia because they know that something is wrong but they just can't tell what. He is a mask of humanity worn by a thing that doesn't know how to be human.

BONUS: Robbie The Zombie (The Corruption) - Robbie was the easiest BC yk, zombie. But I would like to think that he didn't die and come back. His zombification was slow and it started when he was alive, watching and feeling his body begin the decomposition process while he was still very much alive and aware and feeling. It slowly but surely robbed him of not just his life but his identity and he slowly started to lose himself within the rot of The Corruption as he progressed.

PICREW LINK

#jacksepticeye #jse egos #jse #jacksepticeye egos #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #chase brody #henrik von schneeplestein #robbie the zombie #Antisepticeye #jameson jackson #the magnus archives #tma #tma avatars #kal rambles #kal writes #kalcifers blog

16 notes · View notes

star-kissed583 · 3 months ago

Text

Met in kindergarten | Antisepticeye x Jameson Jackson

Summary: Anti and JJ met in kindergarten and their friendship has fallen apart before it has flourished once again. JJ is a cross dresser who’s had a struggling life, while Anti has been there to help. Yet they can’t help fall for each other, especially even more after they fixed things between them.

Trigger warning!! There is mentions of Rape, and abuse. Also bullying is shown in the story!

^ 3rd person POV ^

Kindergarten:

The kids entered the classroom. Excitedly starting their first day.

Anti entered his class, looking around curiously. Wanting to make some friends.

He spotted a group of kids that were fooling around.

Anti walks over with a smile as he waves, "Hey! I'm Anti!" He chirps. Having a kinda strong Irish accent.

One of the kids, Leroy, looks over and giggles, "You talk funny!" He laughs. His friends laughing as well.

Anti shrugs as he nods, "Me family is from Ireland! You speak funn' to me!" He says.

Leroy tilts his head as he looked confused, "what's Ireland??" He asked.

"Where I'm from! Ireland! We moved here 'cause mama got a job!"

"Well, you seem pretty cool. Join us! We were gonna play thieves!!" Leroy says while patting Anti on the back.

Anti smiles as he nods and follows them.

Then there was JJ. He entered the class as he looks around nervously and shyly. Dressed in a cute little white dress with sunflowers.

Jay was pretty short for his age, 5 years old. Along with loving to dress in dresses and more girly clothes, he was also mute.

JJ heads over to the teacher quietly, knowing he was supposed to give her the note his mother made. He looks down shyly as he tugs on the teacher's pant leg and then holds the note out. Avoiding looking up.

"Oh? Hello...is this for me??.." Mr. Charlie says as he grabs the note and reads it over.

He looks down at the kid, seeing how he's dressed as he smiles, "Well thank you little one. Why don't you go sit down while we wait for everyone to arrive." He says, patting his shoulder softly.

Jamie nods before walking off to sit down at the back. Though he gasped silently as he accidentally bumped into another kid. The child was taller, and Jay tumbled back, falling as he tears up a bit.

The kid he had bumped into was non-other than Leroy.

He looks down as he makes a disgusted face, "watch it tiny!! What are you? A girl??" He says as he snickers.

His other friends also laugh. But Anti. Anti just look at Jay with a curious look.

Jamie trembles as he shakes his head. He goes to stand up, only to be pushed down.

"Yes, you are! Only girls use girl clothes! You gonna cry, girly girl??" Leroy teases as he laughs.

"Look at him! He's gonna cry!" Ronny, a friend of Leroy says as he points.

"Crybaby! Crybaby!!"

Jamie starts to cry silently. As he tries sitting up again. Only to be pushed down again by Ronny.

"Leave him alone!! You guys are meanies!" Anti burst as he pushed Leroy back.

Getting the other boys to be quiet as he stands in front of Jay.

Anti glares at them with a hateful look before he looks over at Jay. Helping the boy up. He didn't care about how he was dressed, finding it to be quite adorable.

"Oh, so you're with him now huh?? And I was starting to like you!" Leroy huffs as he glares at Anti.

"Yeah well, I don't wanna be with meanies!" Anti snapped.

"He's weird! And ugly!! You have to be with us! Look at him!! Mama says boys shouldn't wear girls stuff!" Leroy snaps.

Jamie looks down. He tears up more as he starts to cry. Leaving the room quickly. Making sure the teacher didn't see him as he runs out.

He didn't expect kids to be cruel about his looks. He thought it was okay.

Anti frowns as he crosses his small arms. He glares at Leroy and the friend group, "I'm no longer yer fwiend." He snaps before running off to follow JJ to the bathroom. Also making sure that the teacher doesn't see him as he sneaks his way to the bathroom.

Walking inside, he heard sniffles from a corner of the bathroom. Walking over, he spots the small boy in his sunflower dress. Anti frowns softly, walking to the shorter kid. He sits down beside him, "Hey...I'm Anti! I'm sorry those boys were mean ta ya...I think your dress looks cute!" Anti chirps. Smiling at the smaller one.

Jamie sniffles as he looks up at the boy. He smiles softly. Nodding a bit before looking down.

Anti sees this, growing confused he tilts his head, "Can you not talk? Ma says some people can't talk." He asked softly.

Jamie nods gently. Looking ashamed of himself. Anti though, he just smiles widely, "That's alright!! We can still be friends! We can be best friends!!" He piped. Smiling more as he sees Jamie smile back. With a small nod, Jay then hugs Anti.

That day, when they both went home, Anti had begun to beg his mom to teach him sign language to communicate better with his friend.

All the while JJ, he went home with a smile. Knowing he made at least one best friend-someone who would be there with him.

2nd grade:

A squeak left JJ as he was pushed to the ground harshly by Leroy and his friends. Jay was wearing a cute, pastel blue checkered dress. His hair had a baby blue bow on both sides of his hair.

Jamie looks up with teary eyes as he looks at Leroy and the bully's 3 best friends. Trying to seem strong, Jay glares at them-trying to stand up. Only to be shoved back down into the muddy grass, "Lil' freak! You needa wear boy clothes!" Johnson says.

"HEY!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" A shout sounded from the side. Anti's class was always late to recess. And as Anti rushed over, he harshly pushed Leroy down in the muddy dirt as well, "You don't mess wit' my friend!!" He snapped.

Leroy growls, getting up and pulling Anti down to him. They both started to wrestle, all while Jamie tried to break them apart. Yet with any attempts, he was ignored.

Until a teacher rushed over and broke them apart. Before he could lecture the two boys, Anti rushed to JJ, hugging the boy tightly, "Hey, you alright? Those meanies didn't do much right?" He asked the smaller one.

All while JJ just clings to Anti. Shutting his eyes tightly as he just shakes his head.

"Anti Mcloughlin! And Leroy Finland, go to the office! You boys are in big trouble!" The teacher says. Scolding the two boys.

Jamie frowns as he felt Anti pat his back gently. He lets go of Anti, watching the two walk off back inside.

Anti glared at Leroy, giving him a side-eye.

When it came to the end of the day, Jamie rushed outside. Seeing Anti waiting out there with his mom.

Jamie walks over happily, before hugging Anti happily, "thank you thank you!" He signs on Anti's arm.

Anti giggles as he hugs Jamie. He didn't even realize the pink flush on his cheeks as he smiles. He petted Jay's hair, "Of course! I won't let meanies hurt you! Oh-and tis my mum!" He says excitedly.

Jamie looks up, smiling as he waves happily. The woman smiles back and waves softly. Before the three hear a man's voice calling Jay's name.

JJ looks over and sees his father. With a smile, he waves at Anti and his mom one last time before heading to his dad.

3rd grade:

Splash!!

Jay struggles against the grip of the boys around him. His head had been shoved in the toilet once again.

The smaller one squeezed his eyes shut while trying to get out. A gasp left him when he was pulled up.

"Look at you! You're pathetic!! Not even your friend can help you!" Jonah says before shoving Jay back into the toilet.

When he was pulled out once again. Jay glares up at the boys as he struggled again.

"He shouldn't even be your friend! He should be with us! You should stop talking with him! Not like he cares about you anyways!!" Leroy says.

Jamie squeaks softly as he was pushed to the ground harshly. Before hearing the boys leave, laughing as they made their way out of the bathroom.

Jay sighs as he shakily gets up. Tearing up a bit as he looks down at himself. His pastel pink skirt was all dirty and a bit wet, and his white shirt had a teddy bear picture on it. He had now soaked, bows on his hair.

Anti meanwhile, he was searching for Jay. It was lunchtime and they usually ate together....but he couldn't find the boy.

Though once he saw a group of boys leave the bathroom, he rushed over inside, "Jam-Jam??? Are you in here???" Anti asked.

One of the stall doors opens as JJ walks out. Tears roll down his face as he looks down. His hair was all soaked.

Anti gasped, rushing over and checking for any wounds, "Omg! I'm sorry I wasn't there!! Are you okay?? Did they hurt you somewhere else??" He asked urgently. Pulling Jay to get paper towels.

Jameson just shakes his head, not looking up. He just stayed silent as he thought of what the boys said.

"...Anti...do you hate being friends with me???"

Anti looked at Jay with a confused but hurt look, "What? No! Of course not! You're my best friend I could ever have!" He says- pulling Jay into a hug.

Jamie nods softly as he hugs Anti back. Crying quietly.

"We're best friends. And no one can change that. Forever and ever-I'll never leave you!" Anti says.

Jay smiles, he could trust Anti. He knew he can.

5th grade:

The class was in a middle of a lesson until one of the office staff rushed inside. Looking to be in a rush. He looked around before seeing Jameson.

"Mr. Zolatof, Jameson needs to go. There has been an emergency," The office staff, Harper, says as he looks at JJ, "c'mon Jameson. You need to go now."

Jamie, feeling confused-looks at Anti a bit. Before getting up and grabbing his backpack. Following behind Harper.

Anti was left in the classroom. Staring at the door. Wondering what had happened.

Jameson didn't come back to class for weeks. No one exactly knew why—only Anti did.

Anti had gone to the funeral. The funeral for Mrs. Jackson...Jay's mother.

Jamie couldn't stop crying. His mother. The one who helped and encouraged JJ to dress how he liked...gone.

His father had resulted in drinking. Not taking good care of JJ. Even not support his son's style.

And his bullies weren't any better. Making fun of him. How he had no mother. How Jay might as well be an orphan.

All the mute kid could do was cry. Cry at home. He'd head to Anti's house and stay for a bit.

Though Jamie couldn't help but wonder...

Why him? What did he do to deserve this?

To deserve all this misfortune? The struggle?

To deserve his best friend, Anti?

7th grade:

Jay sat in his music class. A violin in hand. He had been playing the violin since he was 4. His mother introduced him to it.

Jamie was playing a song while the other kids were practicing as well. The choir class was there as well.

Though as he played, a boy from the choir group was looking at him. Seeing JJ, in a pastel yellow skirt, with a white shirt and the same pastel yellow beret hat.

Once the class was given a break. Jay sat in the corner, pulling his phone out as he started to text Anti. Though he was stopped by a voice.

"Hey! I wanna say you're outfit is cute! What's your name?"

Jamie looks up, seeing the boy. He had an accent. It sounded French mixed with American.

Jamie tilts his head as he pulls out a piece of paper, "Thanks...I'm Jameson. I'm mute, sorry. Didn't wanna be rude." He wrote before showing Marvin.

Marvin's smile didn't falter or anything. He just smiles and sits down beside Jay, "it's alright! I don't know sign though, sorry. But you seem nice! Maybe I'm lunch I can introduce you to my friends!" He happily chirps.

Jamie thinks a bit, before thinking of Anti, "I usually sit with my best friend Anti... is it alright if he comes as well??" He asked.

Marvin nodded, continuing to talk with the mute boy.

During lunch, Anti was with JJ, looking around for Marvin. Though they were called over by Marvin.

Jay gullies as he saw the type of friend group Marvin had...most were popular.

Anti saw how nervous Jay looked. Seeing his friend's signature nervous move of scratching his sleeves-covered arm. Anti takes Jay's hand and smiles at him.

Sure, Anti's style had changed to more of an Emo/goth look. But that didn't stop or embarrass him from being around JJ, who dressed the opposite of his style.

Anti squeezed Jay's hand softly, before leading him over, "C'mon, I'll be with you the whole way." He says softly.

Jay nodded, walking with Anti as they sit down with the group. Everyone introduced themselves. Anti helped introduce Jay, before introducing himself.

The whole lunch, Jay mostly talked with Anti, while Marvin would occasionally speak to them, to include them in the conversation.

10th grade:

Jamie still wore pastel clothes, though he slowly started wearing fewer skirts and dresses. It wasn't because he wanted to...it was because of the situation at home. If he were to wear a skirt-he'd wear leggings underneath. Though, he started wearing makeup now.

Jay started to realize he began to like Anti

But Anti started to hang out with some other friends. And they weren't even nice friends. Growing more and more distant from JJ.

Marvin occasionally talked with Jay whenever he could- but overall, JJ wasn't close to anyone anymore. Especially now with Anti practically ignoring him again.

His bullying situation became worse. Even some of Anti's friends, like Wilford, began to bully and make fun of him. Not only that—but they're bullying was worse on JJ.

Anti never even did anything, to Jay, it seemed like he was ignoring it. Not knowing Anti didn't know.

Today, wasn't any different.

Jameson arrived at school, having a skirt with mesh leggings underneath. And a long-sleeved shirt. The mute boy was walking down the halls, hearing the class bell ring. As Jay made his way to the bathroom, he passed by Anti with his group of friends.

The boy only glanced at JJ, before laughing at a thing a friend, Dark, said. Walking with his group to the class.

Never seeing Wilford depart from the group.

Jamie enters the bathroom. Going to check on his makeup, making sure it covered well his bruises as well.

It wasn't until he heard the bathroom door shut and lock.

"Well, look what little darling is doing! You just wanted to get my attention, huh baby?" Wilford chuckles. Walking over and trapping JJ between the counter, "well now you have my attention~" he hummed.

Jamie looks at Wilford through the mirror. He tried not to show fear as he softly glared at him. Though the fear started to show as soon as JJ felt Wilford's hands start to wander around his body.

"You know, Anti never liked you. He even told us, how he was annoyed being around you. You were such a mistake in his life-he even mentioned how he regretted meeting you." Wilford says as he kept touching the boy.

Jay listened as he frowns. Tearing up more as he tried fighting back.

"you were nothing but a toy for him...just something for him to enjoy being broken." Wilford hummed, "Now it's my turn to play with the broken toy in my way." He hummed.

After, JJ was fixing himself, trying not to cry as he heard Wilford leave. When he finally got himself readied up, makeup hiding everything, he looks down as he exits the bathroom.

Only to bump into someone. Before JJ could fall, an arm wrapped around his waist prevented him to hit the floor.

When Jay looked up, he saw it was Anti...his old friend. Thoughts about what Wilford said began to bubble in sadness and rage.

"Hey—oh, JJ! How are yo-" he starts, only to get slapped and then pushed off harshly.

Before Anti could even say a thing, Jay took off running. Tears ran down the boy's face. Anti stood there, confused while holding his cheek.

Later on in the day, it was lunchtime. Jamie sat by himself, like usual, unless Marvin ever chooses to sit with him.

Jamie just sat by himself at a table. By a window as he sighs. Looking through his phone. It wasn't until he suddenly felt someone dump their food on him, did he look up. Seeing Dark laughing with Wilford by his side.

"Look at you. You made a mess. Lil' twink." Wilford giggles, knocking the boy out of the chair.

Jay feels himself being pushed off. He falls to the floor and looks up at the two, before standing up, about to get his backpack-only for Dark to take it first.

Dark began to look inside-finding the little sketchbook. With a giggle, he starts to look through it.

A gasp left Dark as he sees a drawing of Anti, alongside it, poems of love. He grins as he chucked the book at JJ. Hitting the boy in the head, "you're in love with MY best friend?! Damn you are a mistake!! Well, guess what sweetheart, it's not gonna happen. Anti has a girlfriend and there is no way in hell he'll ever get with you. You're worthless to him." He grins. Seeing the heartbroken look of the boy.

Jamie stares at them, before grabbing his things and quickly walking out. He tried heading to a bathroom until he bumped into Anti again.

Once again, his old best friend managed to catch him before the smaller could fall...yet he saw how messy he seemed. He was crying.

Anti felt the flinch before he was pushed back again, "wait—Jameson!?" He tried calling, but only JJ didn't look back. The mute just kept running.

11th grade:

JJ's situation at home was getting worse. His father was starting to grow sick, but it didn't stop him though from hitting his son.

Jay, he'd only cover up any markings on him. Whether it was from his father, Wilford using him, or from Dark's beatings.

Now, every time JJ would pass Anti, the smaller one never looked at him. He just kept his head down.

Anti, on the other hand, was starting to notice strange things from his friends. Yes, he would still hang out with Marvin occasionally, but he was mainly around Dark and Wilford. There were times they just suddenly disappeared, before coming back with a sly grin. Yet, he never knew why. And today, he was determined to find out.

As Anti was walking around, he briefly saw both Dark and Wilford enter a bathroom, though looking suspicious.

Without being noticed, Anti sneaks inside, shutting the bathroom door silently in order not to be seen.

Hidden behind the wall, Anti watches quietly as JJ got out of a stall.

As JJ went to go wash his hands, he saw Dark and Wilford in the mirror. He gulped, trying to be quick to get out. Yet as he went to go dry his hands, JJ was pinned once again, against the wall.

Wilford grinned, leaning down to him as he placed a kiss on his neck, "hey sugarplum. We just want some fun okay?"

Jameson tried protesting, trying to push Wilford off, only for Dark to come over and pin his arms up. Now only squirming, he shuts his eyes tightly, flinching at every touch.

Anti could only watch in shock. Rage slowly started to build up, especially when he started seeing Wilford take Jay's clothes off-revealing not only the boy's soft pudgy skin but also all the bruises underneath.

That's when he snapped.

"Hey!! What the hell are you guys doing?!" Anti snapped. Walking over to them.

Jay opens his eyes and sees Anti. He felt Wilford and Dark let go of him as their attention went to Anti. So quickly, JJ got changed once more. Before dashing out of the bathroom.

He ignored Anti or what the boy was saying. He needed somewhere quiet.

During lunchtime, JJ was sitting by himself in the school's stage/auditorium. He had dreams of being an actor...a performer. Yet it seemed impossible with his disabilities. So he has found a place to sit and eat, knowing no one came there for lunch. And he was happy there. Even if he was there alone.

"Jamie? Darling, what are you doing here alone?!" He heard the voice of Marvin.

Jay quickly looks over, before seeing Marvin...with a group of people. And one of those people included Anti.

Jay stood up quickly. He looks at them as if he looked scared.

Marvin walked over, smiling softly, "Hey, sorry-I brought my group of friends. But there ain't no way we're gonna just leave you here all alone." He hums.

Jamie just stares at them a bit. Seeing the other 4 walking over while they talk with each other.

Though his gaze was fixated on Anti for a bit. Before he nodded and looked down.

Marvin smiles at that, he stood beside JJ, "Alright, the one with glasses over there is Henrik. He's a huge nerd. Then the one with a cap is Chase, he's really sweet, like a dad. And the red one is Jackie, he's an idiot but we love him-"

"HEY! I'm not an idiot! I know things!" Jackie's voice. Getting giggles from the others in the group.

"- Sure darling. And you already know Anti!" Marvin continued.

Jay looks at all of them, and waves softly. He now completely avoided looking at Anti. Not seeing the frown on the man's face.

"you are quite a silent one. Do you prefer not zalking?" Henrik asked curiously.

"Now Hen, he's mute. He can speak sign though!" Anti piped in before JJ.

Jay looked at him a bit before he just goes over to sit by his food again.

"So...you wanna talk about it?" Marvin asked quietly to Jay. Seeing how the others were now distracted with their things.

Well except Anti. Anti only kept looking at JJ.

Just when JJ was gonna answer Marvin, Anti walked over. Having a solemn look, one of pity.

"Why didn't you tell me?? I could've done something if you told me before!" Anti says. Staring straight at his old friend.

Jay looks over with a glare. He made the obvious distance between them, "Like you didn't know. By the way, why aren't you with your little buds now?"

Marvin pursed his lips a bit as he could sense the tension, "Guys look, whatever happens between you two-we can fix it!" He tried helping.

"No-I rather not be friends again with him! I'm sick of the damn lies! You know what-I'll just go." Jay signs before standing up.

Jay only managed one step before Anti shot up and grabbed JJ's hand.

That only earned him a flinch, and then a harsh slap across his face. The sound echoed in the room.

The others froze and looked over shocked. Seeing Anti holding his cheek with teary eyes...while JJ looked back at Anti with sad yet hateful eyes.

"You DON'T get to touch me! Don't even come near me!!" Jay's angry signs showed just how he felt, rage and betrayal.

"James please, I didn't know! I swear! I'm sorry they did that, but I'm not friends with them anymore!"

"Bull-fucking-shit!! Stop lying to me! They always said how you told them to fucking rape me! That you were the one that told them to bully me! You left me to dust! You stopped talking to me! You weren't there when I needed you, and you expect me to just suddenly come back to you after the shit you did!? Forget it Anti. Even you told them I was-was a mistake."

Anti stayed quiet when he saw JJ sign this. He looks at his old friend, seeing him crying. That caused him to cry too, "Jay...I didn't tell them to do any of that. Nor did I say you were a mistake. Please you need to trust me. Look—I...I'm sorry! I'm sorry I left you. I stopped talking suddenly. That was on me...but it wasn't because I was sick of you. I got so caught up with getting that group of friends, that I never noticed...but you're the best thing that happened to me. I wouldn't trade it for the world! Please, we can be friends again. I regret leaving you for that stupid group of friends, for not realizing sooner and being there to stop them."

At that point, Anti stood in front of Jay. Holding his hands softly. He gently brought a hand up and wiped the boy's tears, "Please give me another chance. To prove myself..." Anti mumbles.

Jay looks up at Anti. He missed being friends with him. No matter how many times he tried convincing himself otherwise. After a while, Jay hugged the taller. Hiding his face in his chest, "My makeup is getting ruined..."

That caused Anti to giggle, feeling JJ sign that against his back. He wraps his arms gently around Jay, "We'll get it fixed. Don't worry." He says.

"So...like are you two together or something??? Not like I don't accept! I do!! But-just curious." Chase asked. Looking at them, his cap was now on Henrik's head. The small German was fixing the hat on his head.

Jay looked over and blushed. He shakes his head, smiling nervously.

Anti blushes as well, looking down as he holds JJ close. Happy to at least have recovered JJ again.

12th grade:

Finally, things seemed to come up for JJ and Anti again.

Not only was Jackie, like Marvin said, a himbo of the group. But both Jackie (who played football and basketball as a sport) and Anti were the strongest of the group.

The two of them would help JJ whenever someone went after him.

Jay meanwhile, his crush on Anti had only grown. And he didn't even know that Anti had a crush on him back. Although, he did tell Anti about his father and his behavior. They did anything they could to avoid JJ being in danger. Constantly staying the night with Anti or the others.

Currently, in the middle of sewing class, JJ gets a text from Anti. He knew that Anti had English with Chase at the moment. So he smiles a bit as he sets the project he's working on down and looks at the message.

Big bug💚: hey! Meet me in the back of the school for lunch!

Jay was confused but he responded with an 'okidokie!'

Although, it left him blushing softly and wondering what Anti had wanted.

Once lunch came around, JJ grabbed his things and began rushing through the halls, heading to the back of the school. Once outside, he looks around a bit, trying to see where Anti could be.

Jay never saw Anti walking—well more like being pushed by Chase towards him with a bouquet of hydrangeas and bell flowers.

Anti was blushing and hid the bouquet behind his back as he walks over to his crush, "Uh Jay..."

Jamie looked back and saw Anti. He smiles and walks to him, "hey! What was it you needed to talk about??"

Anti stares at JJ for a bit. He smiles softly, "look, we've known each other for a long time. And we've gone through so much...yet I wanna be there for you. I wanna be with you. So Jameson. Will you be my boyfriend??" He asked softly, showing and offering the flowers.

Jay looks at Anti shocked. He looks up at the taller. Before pulling him down and kissing his cheek, "Of course!" He taps softly on Anti's arm.

Anti beamed, before gently pulling his new boyfriend into a soft kiss.

After college —> 27 years old

Now the group lives in a shared house. Jay and Anti stayed together. And they've never been happier.

Even Henrik and Chase had started to have an eye for each other. And began to date.

Jackie started to work as a hero. And he began to date Marvin, even though his personality from before never changed. He was happy being with Marvin.

Though, Anti had some plans. He asked JJ out for another date night. Though tonight was gonna be different.

As they finished up their dinner at the decent-looking restaurant (Jay worked as an actor and was slowly getting known, while Anti worked in computer science) they started to make their way back home.

Jay was holding one of Anti's hands as he looked outside. He had noticed how nervous Anti seemed, yet he never questioned it.

As they pulled up to the house, Anti cleared his throat, "uh Jay. Can we talk???" He asked softly.

JJ looks over and smiles softly. Giving a small nod.

Anti smiles as he makes a 'follow me motion. Leading JJ inside and back to their room.

Anti had JJ sit on the bed as he stood in front of him. Slowly but surely, he went down on one knee and pulled out a ring box.

Jay covered his mouth, as he began to tear up.

Anti smiles softly, "we've been together for a while. We've gone through so much. And I'm willing to be there for you for the rest of my life. I wanna wake up by your side, bluebell. So will you give me the best honor and marry me?"

Jamie could only nod frantically before yanking Anti up and pulling him into a passionate kiss. Tears gently ran down his face. Both of them accidentally fall back on the bed. Yet they only giggled. Both are happy with their new adventure together.

#spaceywrites #antidapper #septic egos #antisepticeye #jse jj #jameson jackson #jsegos #jackieboy man #chase bro average #henrik von schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent

2 notes · View notes