#knowing he alone is providing for his family and putting food on the table

[danlous]

Still reading Vampire Lestat at a glacial pace and i had forgotten that Lestat straight up hits Nicki, twice. Yeah, Nicki isn't Louis but the basis for how Lestat acts in the show is right there in the books despite what some Lestat apologists say

[b0r3dtod3ath]

hi! could i req lando x old money!reader blurb? maybe like meeting her parents, or going to her father’s annual christmas gala together, i dunno..

thanks!!

A/N: Hii! Omg I love this idea. Actually it popped up in my brain last summer but I never really wrote it so big thanks for requesting! Let me know if any of you are interested in a part two!

Word count: ~1.8k

Saint Tropez - one of the most popular places in French Riviera. Known for its beautiful weather, sun-kissed beaches and picturesque landscape. Every summer Y/N's family would spend at least a month there. Cruising on a yacht and resting in a mansion could get quite boring when done alone so last summer Y/N's parents invited the Norisses. The two families had been friends since the early 2000s, famously attending many high-society galas and events. Their kids used to know each other but haven't met in a long time due to their hectic lives. Lando would be a bit ashamed to admit but he was excited to spend his summer break there. Being with his parents made him feel like a teenager again. Not only that but also the fact that he couldn't wait to meet Y/N. He had heard about her from his sisters but in fact, has little to no memories of her.

As the families met at the dock, the yacht swaying in the background, the two couples hugged and laughed leaving the young ones to awkwardly greet each other. Y/N, taking off her sunglasses that protected her eyes from the sun reflecting in the blue water, approached with a subtle smile that held a hint of curiosity. She extended her hand, a gesture in a formal but warm manner. "Lando, isn't it?" her melodic voice hit her companion's ears. Lando, with his easy charm and green-blue eyes that would make most of the ladies lose their minds, clasped her hand in a firm yet gentle handshake. "That's right. A pleasure to finally meet you." His words were accompanied by a genuine smile, a sigh of relief.

The first evening brought the families together for a two-family dinner on the yacht's deck. The air was infused with the scent of sea salt and the warm sun was just to set. The table, covered with crystal and silverware, glowed in the soft light of candles. Y/N and Lando found themselves seated next to each other, their parents subtly orchestrating the arrangement. At first, they didn't talk to each other much - focusing mainly on the food and wine while also encouraging their parents to tell some stories from when they were young. The two of them exchanged glances and smiles still waiting for the other one to make the first move. After the last course, as the dessert and coffee reached its end, Lando found a moment to break away. Leaning towards Y/N, he suggested, "Would you care for a stroll around the yacht? The night is too beautiful to be just sitting here.". With a subtle spark in her eyes, Y/N agreed. The two of them excused themselves as they slipped away from their parents.

Under the moonlit sky, Y/N and Lando strolled along the yacht's deck, the soft glow of the ship's lights casting a warm ambience. The Mediterranean breeze whispered through the night, and the distant sound of the waves provided a soothing backdrop to their conversation. They paused at the railing, the yacht gently rocking beneath them. Y/N leaned on the side, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Lando joined her, the moon casting a silvery glow on his face. As the conversation flowed, they peeled away the layers of their lives, revealing dreams and aspirations. They went from talking about Lando's work to more deep, secret thoughts and feelings. Y/N wanted to avoid the Formula One subject, she knew who he was but didn't want him to think that it was a category she put him in. She spoke about her love for literature, and although Lando didn't have much to say in this field he was more than happy to listen. He found himself getting lost in her beauty as she shared about her passion. The night held an intimacy, a shared exploration of vulnerabilities. Y/N, confessed her love for the quiet moments, the beauty found in simplicity. It was surprising to her when Lando agreed with her "I know I'm rather a fast-paced life guy but I feel like my lifestyle allows me to appreciate moments like this even more". Y/N finally looked up from the shiny waves crashing to the side of the boat to see the man next to her looking at her with admiration. They held eye contact and smiled in silence, the chillness of a summer night ignored. That night they both felt a connection forming between them.

A few days later, as no clouds hung over St. Tropez, Y/N found herself once again on the terrace. Immersed in the embrace of a plush chair, she was captivated by the ending of one of the books she found on a bookshelf. Lando, drawn to the lovely scene, approached with a warm smile. "Mind if I sit here with you?" he asked. "Of course, Lan. Please, join me," Y/N responded, gesturing to the empty chair beside her. As he settled into his chair, warm sunlight washed both of their bodies. Y/N, bookmarking her page, looked up with a soft smile. "Have you read 'The Great Gatsby' before?" Lando shook his head, "No, but I've heard it's a classic. What's it about?". Y/N went on trying not to say too much and Lando listened, captivated by the vivid imagery painted by her descriptions. After a comfortable pause, the girl looked into her companion's eyes "You know, they turned this into a movie. How about we watch it together later?" Lando's grin widened at this idea, "That sounds fantastic. I'd love to.". "Great, meet me in my room at 9pm, I will figure out some snacks." she said, got up and left him alone.

Lando found himself standing outside Y/N's bedroom door at 9 sharp. The air was filled with anticipation as he raised his hand to knock. A soft sound of footsteps and the clinking of plates hinted at Y/N's preparations within. Y/N opened the door, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "Right on time. Come on in," she welcomed. The aroma of the room was very comforting, Lando couldn't explain it but it reminded him of Y/N a lot. He stepped into the dimly lit space, the flickering light from scented candles creating a cozy ambience. The room was decorated with touches of luxury, reflecting the social status of the family. Y/N, wearing comfortable yet stylish pyjamas, gestured towards the plush seating area she had arranged. "Make yourself at home. The movie is all set up," she said, her enthusiasm evident. As they settled in, the glow from the movie screen bathed the room in a soft luminescence. The cinematic adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" unfolded. Y/N and Lando shared the experience, their thoughts and emotions reflected in the glow of the screen. Throughout the movie, their laughter and shared comments added a layer of connection to the evening. The subtle tension between Gatsby and Daisy echoed in the room, mirroring the unspoken bond developing between Y/N and Lando. As the credits rolled, Y/N turned to Lando with a satisfied smile. "What did you think?" she asked, her eyes searching for his reaction. Lando, his gaze lingering on Y/N, grinned. "It was incredible.". To be honest, he didn't remember half of the movie as a beautiful person next to him captivated his attention. Y/N mirrored his smile. After a pause, Lando asked, "Do you think Gatsby's love for Daisy was genuine, or just an illusion he created?". Y/n leaned back, thinking about the question. "It's a bit of both, I think. Gatsby's love was genuine, but the illusions he created were born out of his desperation to recapture a past that had slipped away." Their discussion flowed seamlessly, weaving through literary analysis and personal interpretations. Deep eye contact was comforting and neither of them wanted to end it. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe we can make this a tradition. You should pick the next movie" she suggested, her eyes holding a promise of more shared movie nights.

And the days passed just like that. On the last night, as the clock struck midnight, the yacht sailed under a blanket of stars, the moon casting its silver glow on the deck. Lando, overwhelmed with his thoughts, wandered outside. The night air was infused with a sense of bittersweet anticipation. There, on the deck, he found Y/N, a alone figure under the dark sky. The distant sound of waves protected them from the silence. Y/N sat in contemplation, a cigarette in hand, the soft moonlight illuminating her features. "Mind if I join you?" Lando's voice cut through the serenity, and Y/N looked up, a small laugh escaped her lips as she retrospected on one of their first interactions. She allowed him to, the smoke from her cigarette to twist into the air. Lando sensed a subtle shift in Y/N's demeanour, a quiet sadness that hung in the air like the sea mist. "You seem a bit distant tonight," he remarked, his eyes tried to focus on the horizon but seemed to be too curious of her. Y/N took a drag of her cigarette, exhaling slowly. "I guess I've been thinking about tomorrow," she confessed, her eyes didn't even dare to look at him as it would cause even more pain. Lando nodded, a shared understanding passing between them. The unspoken bond they had formed over the past weeks had transformed the usually boring yacht trip into a place of shared laughter, quiet conversations, and stolen glances, making both of them feel like stupid teenagers who would sneak around behind their parents' backs. The impending departure, however, indicated an end to this state. "I'll miss this," Y/N admitted, her voice carrying the weight of unspoken sentiments. "I don't want this to end just because the trip does," Lando confessed, his voice steady. "Maybe we can explore what this could be beyond St. Tropez. I'd love the chance to continue getting to know you, to see where this could go." Sea, once the witness of shared stories and vulnerability, now observed the promise of possibilities.

Weeks passed since Lando and Y/N parted ways. Mornings felt different for Lando, mainly due to the lack of two things: sun and Y/N. He often catches himself wondering what Y/N could be doing at this very moment. Yes, he could just open Instagram and DM her but he felt like he needed to do something more refined. Although they got to know each other pretty well, he didn't want her to think that he was just a cocky, young fuckboy who wants nothing more than just a body. He had to show her that he truly cared about her. Then, one morning, a letter arrived. The envelope was outstanding, decorated with intricate patterns and sealed with a wax emblem. Lando's heart quickened as he recognized Y/N's handwriting, the anticipation building with each passing moment. As he carefully opened the envelope, Lando realized that their story was far from over. Whatever that envelope contained held the promise of a new beginning, a chance to reignite the spark that had ignited in the hot, summer days. With trembling hands, he opened the letter, his heart racing with anticipation.

my masterlist

here's a fic i wrote last summer that reminds me of this scenario

feb 5 2024

[itsmebytch001]

Yes, here I am asking myself shit beacuse I am loosing my mind.

(Not really)

Yan Dad Miguel X adpoted daughter who trises to keep out Miguel from his overbeaing love so she baracdes the door to her room????

Hello Me!!! (I'm not mad, just odd)

Miguel Had snatched you out your own universe a few months ago, keeping you in his flat, under constant servelince with the only company you had was LYLA, she was fine but you needed somthing more than her, and Miguel.

When Miguel was home he was lovely, truly unsettling but lovely. He brought you presents like clothing, flowers, jewllery and books! He

would kiss you on your cheek (if You'd let him) and hold you tight.

And at this point Miguel had been gone for three days, LYLA had been good company, shown you films, played games with you, done some dress up all that. And to be honest, you dreaded the time Miguel, or Papa (he made you call him) would come back, it was supposed to be this afternoon, you had made dinner for the both of you as knew it was expected, plus he had been out for 3 days doing god knows what and he must have been tired after all that he should't have to cook for himself aswell.

Honestly you are beggining to feel like a platonic house wife.

Why should you cook, really? You don't owe him aything, he put you here! keeps you here like a dog, treats you like your mad whenever you call him out for how absurd this all is!! You are not his daughter, you are not an alt Gabi and yet he behaves as if you, and almost adult are just a quivering little leaf lost in the wind with out his fatherly guidence!!

The heavily secured door opens, and here you start again to grittedly smile at him as he enters, holding is arms out to you, expecting a hug.

Miguel: "Ahh Y/N! Iv'e missed you dear!

Y/N: "Hey Miguel"

He tiredly sighed and wagged his finger in your face.

Miguel: "Y/N we have been over this, It's Papa"

You turnded around back to the stove to pile up his food, rolling your eyes with your back to him.

Y/N: "Yes papa" You said as genuliey as you could, he bought it!

He sits at the table where you bring him his food, then your own as you sit infront of him acroos the small table, sulking to yourself, my god you were lonely, missing friends, work, your Mum. Miguel in the beggining would always press to you that a young girl having a fatherly mentor was good, so it was fine that he would just appear at your work to pick you, show up at your home to scould you for not cleaning your room, throw out your lunches to replace with the ones me had made for you beacuse his were more nutrious, that it was okay when your boss was being a dick that he then turned up at your work to beat his arse, it was all just his fatherly love!

Now you are here, alone, and trapped.

As you pick at your food he notices your unhappy face.

Miguel: "Mija, why the long face?"

Y/N: " I told you to stop calling me that"

Miguel; "Excuse me?"

Y/N: "I'm not your daughter, I'm not an alternative of your daughter, we aren't even blood!"

Miguel: "Y/n, don't be rude now, we may not be blood but we are family, and as your guardian It is my job to look after you"

Y/N: "Two things, My guardian is supposed to be my Mum, and This-*Gestures to sourdings* Is not taking care of me this is holding me hostage!"

Miguel appears irratated.

Migeul: "I put you here beacuse your mother is reckless, you are reckless! I knew That I could provide you with a batter life!"

Y/N: "THIS IS NOT A LIFE!" You yell throwing your hands up!

Y/N: "And how dare you talk about my fucking Mum! she tried, she was there, she supported me, and YOU just swooped me up, disreagted everything she did for me to sooth yourself for what you are now doing to me!"

Miguel: "ENOUGH!" he yelled slamming his hands down on the table, shaking it, though you ratinally knew he wouldn't hit you, that did't stop you being afraid.

Miguel: "Go to your room"

Y/N: "fuck you Miguel"

Miguel: "Go before I drag you!"

Y/N knew he was serious, so she went begrugged.

Slamming the door behind her, she heard Miguel from the bottom floor yell.

Miguel: "Don't you dare slam my doors in my fucking house!"

Y/N: "I AM NOT YOUR FUCKING GABIRELLA!"

You heard a smash...

Then a silence.

You know, ratinally it's out of cheacter for him to hit you he never would really, but your silly institcs come it.

...barracde the door.

so you did, with chair, a book shelf and a chest of draws the door is slealed.

About half a hour later you hear a soft knock, on the other side Miguel is leaning on the door, full of remorse.

Miguel: " Y/n, I'm s-Listen you were very rude down stairs but I shouldn,t have smashed anything, or swore at you"

You don't answer, you are to angry.

Miguel: "...Y/n?"

...

Miguel: "Answer me Mija"

How dare he call you that, again you think. You remain silent and you hear the door hanlde giggle.

Miguel: "ay, Mija open this door!"

Y/N: Please just go away!"

Miguel knew the door had no locking mechanism, you must put somthinh heavy infont of it.

Miguel: "Not before you open this door right now!"

He knows with his strengh he could really just bust though the door right now, but he wants you to open the door, he wants you to let him in, to him its proof you love him enough as your 'father' to allow him in.

Miguel: "Mij-"

Y/N: "Shut The FUCK UP!" You are so tired of that fucking title!

Miguel snaps, and bursts though the door in one fatal swoop.

The rubble of your bookshelf, chair's and other things clatter aroud your room smashed inot little spliters of wood. You cower on your bed, tucking away from him under a blanket like a little girl. As he body relaxes and he stand's all tall and looming like, he intiannly thinks he'll just yell at you, lecture you about rescepct and saftey for awhile and then cuddle you for awhile, hold you like a baby and carry you around.

But once he actually looked at you he saw how you turtled into yourself, shaking and crying, tensing even more as you heard him walk over to you. truly it saddned him to see you vulnarable, but also awoke a real fathery insticnt to comfort you.

laying on the bed with you he pulled you into him, cowering as he wrapped his arms arouund you, pulling you into his chest as he sighed into your hair.

Miguel: "I'm sorry My love, I'm sorry I scared you so, shhhhhh I say, It's okay, papa is sorry"

if it werent for how truly scared you are, you have told to fuck off again, but until then, all you could do is cry into miguels chest terrified as he tenderily stroked your head and back, shushing you ever so slight.

[5eraphim]

Oof sorry for another one but can you do something where engi and you have your first date together at his house, but you have a tiny bit of an odd feeling about him. He's very sweet, but almost overly nice. He offers to make dinner for you and you say yes, but what you don't know is that he put aphrodisiacs in your food.

These prompts were so fire! So freaking fun to write for, thank you for these!!! I feel like ever since I've been writing short stories I've wanted to write a "you don't love me, you love how being loved make you feel" confrontation between reader and their yandere- very cathartic to finally get that scene out of my head and into a finished work!

Title: Birthday Cake

Rating: X (MINORS DNI, YOU KNOW THIS ISNT FOR YOU)

Content Warnings: MAJOR daddy kink, dub-con, spanking, aphrodisiacs, yandere, toxic relationship, forced intimacy, fingering, possessiveness

Word Count: 7k

MASTER LIST

TIP JAR

"In my dreams I am kissing your mouth and you're whispering 'where have you been?' I say, 'I've been lost but I'm here now. You're the only person who has wver been able to find me.'" unknown title, Sue Zhao

You should've known better than to give in to the kindness of strangers. Well, perhaps not strangers, but the excessive displays of affection from your teammate Engie had long since worn out their novelty. You'd only been a member of the team for a few months yet, ever since then, Engie'd taken a certain special liking to you, something which bothered you right away. It wasn't your style to accept being fussed over by anyone, but no matter how you tried to politely push him away, he never seemed to take the hint. 

What really surprised you was his latest act of kindness, inviting you to his place to share a meal together. A birthday dinner, his treat. You knew you never told him your birthday or anyone else for that matter, and you couldn't even guess how he found out or how long he'd known, and honestly, you weren't sure you wanted to know. You initially tried to politely decline, planning to make up some lie about plans to call family after work to celebrate. But he was stubborn, absolutely refusing to take no for an answer.

Something about his forwardness bothered you, but still, there were worse ways to spend a birthday, and you agreed to meet up at his place later that night. Giving you a comfortable amount of time to get cleaned up and changed out of your work clothes before you found yourself at the address he provided you earlier. Knocking at the door, you tried to ignore your rising anxieties and let yourself believe Engie was your friend and you had no reason to be so skittish. Perhaps a little too friendly sometimes, but not someone who would ever hurt you.

Engie held the door open for you as you entered, leading you through the kitchen; the smell of well-seasoned food cooking on the stovetop and roasting in the oven overtook you before you entered. While you'd never actually stepped foot in Engie's home, it looked exactly how you'd imagined. A cozy rustic kitchen with a wood stove, gingham-printed curtains and tablecloth, and a grand wooden table in the center, modestly set for two. You could hear the lazy strumming of some folk song on the small radio on the dark wood of the kitchen counter over the crackling of the low fire burning in the furnace on the other side of the room. Engie lived alone, but you knew he regularly invited family over; the dinner table alone could easily sit 10, but something about the sight of the massive table set for only two made it look so lonely, and you couldn't help but imagine how empty it must look set for only one as Engie was no doubt used to.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Engie's eyes following you as you made your way inside, and you wondered when was the last time he'd had non-blood-related company over. While you were still a bit uncomfortable with his forwardness, you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe he was just nervous, and you had no reason to feel uncomfortable around him. He was your friend, an ally, surely not one who would mean you any harm. 

You sat at one of the seats set for dinner, watching as he prepared two plates. Before he even opened the oven, the smell of Texan comfort food hung heavy in the kitchen and dining room. He kept the dishes he'd made in the oven to keep warm until you showed up, and judging by the considerable pile of dirty bowls and utensils piled by the sink, you reckoned he must've spent hours cooking. Watching from the table, you heard Engie humming as he pulled out a few deep dish bowls, unlidding them before loading up the two plates. He piled on roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and thick cuts of meat you couldn't quite identify coated in a rich dark sauce, which were just the first things you noticed him dishing. 

He said to you from over his shoulder, "There's biscuits on the table for you if you need something to nibble while you're waiting." Like you were even that hungry. But if the biscuits were half as appetizing as what he was dishing out, you were certainly tempted. You pulled one from the cloth-covered basket in the center of the table and bit into the still-warm biscuit, watching him approaching with two full plates in hand.

"I made sweet tea fresh this morning; care for a glass?" Before you could say yes, he was already turning back around to fetch the pitcher from the fridge.

"You really pulled out all the stops tonight, huh?" You were joking, though simultaneously were genuinely overwhelmed by his generosity. He just chuckled, and you thought you heard him muttering something under his breath along the lines of, "Anything for you."

For a few minutes, you chatted politely, listening to the radio, enjoying the home-cooked meal, and feeling the stress of the day melting away as you genuinely enjoyed the taste of his cooking. 

"You made this all yourself?"

"Sure did! But it's all mamma's old recipes. You oughtta be thankin' her... How'd I do?" He smiled and tried to look modest, but the look in his eyes said, "I know it's perfect." 

"It's amazing; she must've taught you well." You saw a light blush coloring his cheeks and the tips of his ears as he looked down with a big smile. You hadn't expected he would get so flustered over such a simple statement. Though now that you thought about it, Engie was a bit friendlier this evening than normal, which for him was saying something. Perhaps it was for the best you tried to leave now before he got too carried away. Pulling away from the table slightly, you pushed your plate forward.

"Well, this has been wonderful, but I've had enough. Thank you so much for all this; you're so sweet." To your surprise, Engie's smile faltered for just a moment.

"You didn't finish…" He didn't look mad, but his face didn't entirely mask his disappointment. 

"It's been a long day, Engie, but I'm about ready to crawl into bed… You aren't upset, are you?"

He perked right up after you said, "Aw shucks, of course not! I understand! I'm not upset. I just hoped I'd get the chance to give you one last thing." 

Engie stood from his chair before you could ask what he meant by this, pulling something from the fridge, hiding it close to his chest, and out of sight from you. While you didn't know exactly what he was hiding, you consoled yourself by acknowledging, at least, whatever it was; it must've been quite small. He fidgeted with the thing for a moment before shutting the door to the fridge.

Engie smiled sheepishly, turning around, holding on to a little teacup saucer holding a miniature cupcake so small it could fit in the palm of your hand. A single little yellow birthday candle flickering on top.

"Engie, I can't accept this-'' You forced a nervous laugh while you felt guilty for letting him spoil you with dinner earlier; the cupcake made you feel even worse. 

"Sure I did; it's your birthday, ain't it?" He drew closer, depositing the little treat before you as the candle continued to burn, little trails of wax dripping down the sides. You were conflicted, feeling a combination of obligation to accept the gift he'd been saving for last and not wanting to take anything more from Engie after he'd done so much already. While you admittedly didn't eat too much of the dinner he prepared, just enough to show gratitude for his efforts and to keep him from noticing how you kept cutting up the food into tiny pieces, pushing them around on your plate. While you felt bad about wasting the food, you knew you'd be sick if you tried to force yourself to eat it all. 

There was no way you could get away with doing that with this. But you had to admit, it was pretty cute, and you didn't have the heart to turn him down now that that cupcake was right under your nose. Closing your eyes briefly, you inhaled before blowing out the candle, wishing silently to yourself out of this charmingly claustrophobic kitchen as fast as possible. Pulling the candle from the top of the cupcake, you held it in your hand for a moment before taking a bite.

You could've sworn you felt an oddness in the cake's texture for a split second when you swallowed. The cake was denser than you expected but tasted just as appetizing as it looked; you finished the tiny cake in a few bites. 

Engie smiled warmly, reaching over and squeezing your shoulder, "Happy birthday, buddy'." 

You were about to say something when you felt a bizarre warm feeling in the pit of your stomach, not unpleasant, just a little tingly. You took a deep breath, repositioning yourself in your seat, feeling a bit hot under the collar out of nowhere. Clearing your throat, you thought maybe the cupcake went down wrong, and there was a perfectly valid reason you felt so heated out of nowhere, but internally you felt a twinge of panic. 

If this were a sudden sickness, it was like nothing you'd felt before. You tried your hardest to keep composure, telling yourself this was all in your head, there's no way you were genuinely so suddenly weak out of nowhere, but your body wouldn't listen. Once again, you found yourself fidgeting in your seat, unable to find a comfortable position. So distracted by the warmth spreading from deep in your gut through the rest of your body you almost didn't notice how heavy your head felt or the dryness in your mouth. Placing both elbows on the table, you clasped your hands together, resting your head on top of your fingers to keep yourself from losing balance. 

Fortunately, Engie didn't seem to mind, or maybe didn't even notice, how quiet you were as he cleaned up the kitchen, humming softly to himself along with the radio. You heard his footsteps close behind. 

"I'll get this out of your way."

You cleared your throat again, nodding a silent "thank you" as he took the saucer away. While you knew there was something a little off about the taste of the cake, you couldn't put your finger on what.

Forcing yourself to take another steady breath, you scooted back in your chair a little bit to press your back harder against the back of the chair, rolling out your neck slightly as you started panting. Much to your dismay, however, this did nothing to extinguish the odd warm sensation in your gut, which felt like it was spreading so quickly to spite you. Thankfully, due to the room's low light, there was no way Engie could see the way your face had begun to heat up. You didn't know if you were blushing because of the new found warm feeling between your legs, the strain of trying to appear emotionless and unbothered, or the embarrassment of being caught in such a situation in the first place, or likely an unbearable combination of the three. 

You couldn't stop fidgeting, unclasping your hands to grip the chair's armrests as you backed up a little harder into your seat. Under the table, your legs, already crossed, began to squeeze a little tighter together, and you had to bite the inside of your cheek to suppress a sound of frustration as you felt the skin of your breasts and nipples tingle a little, becoming more sensitive on account of whatever the hell it was going on inside your body."No, no, not the body- just in your head. It's all in your head; just take a few deep breaths, hug him goodbye, and you'll be out in no time. you've got this." You could feel your hands white-knuckling your chair's armrests as your head dipped forwards, eyes shutting as you tried to maintain composure. 

By now, your breathing had become rapid, and while you knew it was best to keep your head back to let in as much oxygen as you could, you no longer had that kind of inner strength. The best you could do now was pant as quietly as possible as that awful warmth intensified deep inside. You were scared, wondering what the hell had gotten into you, but to a lesser extent didn't care and wanted nothing but to grind your legs together even harder or slip a hand between your legs. To do something- anything, to satisfy the awful neediness between your legs. There was no denying it now; you were wet for sure.

This was agony. Your jeans felt a size too tight, the cotton denim like sandpaper against your legs, chafing your poor sensitive skin, to say nothing of the inseam of your jeans you were painfully aware of against your clit. Swallowing hard, had no idea you'd been salivating so notably. While the intensity of your arousal began to plateau, focusing on anything else like this was impossible. 

Before now, you tried to keep your eyes open, spotting against random objects you could see in the room to try and keep yourself grounded, but by now, your eyes were fluttering and shut against your will, and the room seemed to spin when you tried to focus on anything. The feeling of Engie's hand suddenly touching your shoulder, his fingers barely making contact, caused you to jolt fully upright in alarm. 

You had no idea how he got back to you so fast, nor how long he'd been standing over you like that, but you were rendered functionally speechless in surprise, looking up with him wide-eyed, your neck still bent forward slightly, unable to support the full weight of your head, forcing you to turn your face to make eye contact, feeling pathetic as he looked down at you from this position.

"Hey, did ya hear me? Are you feeling alright? You're looking a little, uh… warm." It was hard not to cringe hearing him speak like that. Engie could sense you were extremely uncomfortable, but you silently prayed he just thought you were feeling ill. Trying desperately to convince yourself he couldn't detect your sudden unexplainable arousal. He knew something was happening with you, and it was humiliating to hear him trying to be so polite about it. 

You managed to lean away from his touch; you tried to force yourself to straighten back up in your chair and were about to answer when a spontaneous throb of arousal caused you to tense up and shrink into yourself. Engie had to grab both your shoulders to keep you steady and prevent your head from crashing forward into the table. Despite this, you tried to wriggle away again but couldn't manage to shake his hold on you. 

You can hear him saying your name, his voice heavy with worry, only making you feel sicker. But your head felt too fuzzy to speak, no matter how hard you try to respond. Your mouth won't work, and you were forced to stay held in place until you manage to center yourself well enough to answer. Taking a shaky breath, you speak in a rasp,

"I'll be fine; I just need rest." You hardly sounded like yourself, so trembling and hoarse.

"Honey, c'mon now, you can tell me what's wrong." He tried to squeeze your shoulders a little to relax you, but you only whined slightly at the feeling of his strong fingers, feeling so supportive and stable against your limp, overheated body. You knew if his hands were enough to make your head spin like this, you needed to get out as fast as possible.

"Engie- I'm going home now." Even though your words were slurred, you managed to speak clearly enough to express that much, still fidgeting in your seat to try and break free from his hold on your shoulders. Your eyelids felt so heavy, your face so warm, all you wanted to do was change into your pajamas and get a little sleep. Wanting more than anything to get back in your own bed and get rid of the awful burning inside your body. But thinking like that was dangerous, and you didn't dare let your mind wander while you were already feeling so turned on.

"You can rest upstairs in my room, c'mon lemme help you up."

"No!" Your eyes shot open as you tried to lurch out of his grip like a cornered wild animal; you were already scared, and thinking about what would happen if he brought you up to his room only made things worse. 

"Don't take me up there! Wanna go home- please, please, not upstairs- I don't want to!" It was humiliating to hear yourself begging like a child being sent to bed early, but you couldn't stop. You tried to use your grip on the armrests to pull yourself away from Engie, but he was too strong, and all you would do was tire yourself out fighting like this. You couldn't tell if you were actually crying or if you just felt like you were. Trying to fight against the wicked desire quickly sapped all your inner strength; it hurt to try and keep up like this; you just wanted it all to be over.

"Hey, easy now, I've gotcha. I'm not gonna hurt ya-" Engie spoke to you like he was trying to calm a spooked mare. He let go of one of your shoulders to turn the chair you were sitting in away from the table so you were facing him before returning the hand to your shoulder. You were too embarrassed to look him in the eye, keeping your line of sight straight ahead on the wall behind him. Feel sick listening to him patronizing you like you were his little pet, not another grown adult, much less his own comrade.

"Then let go!" You meant to sound immature, but the meat you could manage was another childish pout. 

"I ain't lettin' go. You're not looking too good there, honey; if I let ya go, you're gonna hurt yourself. I ain't about to let that happen." Despite having to physically wrangle you like this, Engie sounded as calm as ever. You whined as your muscles went limp, as you finally gave in and let him hold you upright.

"Engie, I don't wanna- Please, just take me home…." Surely he could feel how you continued to tremble under his hold, maybe even picking up on how your skin was practically hot to the touch, but you didn't care. 

"Listen, I know you don't feel well, and you're lookin' even worse. My room is right upstairs; I want you to sleep in my bed until you're feeling better." Despite his syrupy-sweet voice, you still felt too disturbed to let your guard down.

"Don't make me go to your bed…" To your surprise, you could hear Engie laughing gently about this before feeling him help you up. You wrapped your arms around his forearms to help brace your weight a little while you struggled to find your footing before wrapping one of your arms around his neck, leaning entirely against him to support yourself. Your face was now painfully close to his, all while he merely regarded you with his easygoing smile.

"Aw honey, I wasn't gonna make us share the bed!" He winked before continuing, "Temptin' offer though it may be." Feeling your body pressed close against him like this was doing nothing to help your situation, you grit your teeth, forcing your face to turn from his to the stairs across the room. Without another word, he helped you make your way to the stairs.

A part of you wondered if he was going so slowly up the stairs to prolong your misery as long as he could; at least, that's what it felt like to you. You used one arm to grab his arm around your shoulders while the other white-knuckled the handrail; not once did his arms budge from either around your waist or from your shoulders, the side of his body crushingly tight up against yours. While the feeling of helplessness and discombobulation was wretched, you hated yourself for clinging so tightly against Engie, letting him lead you upstairs to his bedroom, despite your trepidation. 

When the two of you finally made it to the top of the staircase, you were about to step foot on the second floor when you felt Engie mumble something into your ear as you bit down on your lower lip to keep from moaning at the feeling of his lips grazing against your ear, breath fanning over the side of your face, and tickling your neck without warning. 

"Almost there now, honey. You're doing so good, just a little longer." You nodded, feeling as though your knees were about to give out at any second. 

By the time you reached the doorway of Engie's bedroom, you didn't wait for him to get the door first. You turned the knob yourself and pushed open the door, too blinded by the idea of finally getting to lay down to worry about waiting to be invited in first. Engie helped push the door open wider as the two of you staggered inside. You refused to stop moving until you were in bed, and with almost drunken, unsteady steps, you finally found your respite, crashing into the soft flannel sheets the moment your shin connected with the edge of the bed. 

Finally lying down, you lay, sprawled out on your back for a moment, giving yourself time to catch your breath. At last, you were lying down and in bed; nothing in the world mattered right now except for the cozy cotton sheets that provided you with a little nook to curl up inside of.

For just a moment, you felt better, the burning wasn't gone, but at least now it was a bit less uncomfortable. 

"Usually, I'd make the bed before the company shows up, but you look pretty cozy down there. Are you feeling any better, darlin'?" You didn't answer; rolling onto your side, away from the side of the bed where he stood, you buried your head in the pillows, twisting the sheets and blankets in your hands, pulling them closer. Not exactly to cover yourself with, but just to have something soft and comfortable to grip onto, something much better than the hardwood of your chair's armrest. But it was more than that. Something about being in his bed like this felt so perfect like you were exactly where you needed to be in the universe. You were hyper-aware of Engie's scent trapped in the bedding, shamelessly nestling your face directly into it, wanting to feel it all over you. No matter how embarrassing it was to be watched in a state like this for a moment, you allowed yourself to indulge. Writhing into the blankets, using them to wick the sweat from your forehead and neck, nestling your head into the nook where the pillows met the bed. 

You thought you could hear him chuckling from above, but you weren't sure, but the idea of him getting so much enjoyment watching you nestling into his bed made you self-conscious, making you whine in irritation, the sound almost entirely drowned out by the pillow. Still, the shame wasn't enough to keep you from wrapping both legs around the top blanket of the bed, spooning the fabric, feeling blissful but frustratingly unsatisfying on account of your jeans keeping the blankets from rubbing up against your bare skin. Despite the bed's softness, you somehow couldn't manage to get comfortable and couldn't stop from kicking and thrashing like a fish out of water. The smell of Engie flooding your senses was the only thing going through your mind, but it still didn't feel like enough. You could feel the bed dipping as Engie sat on the side of the bed, his hand against your shoulder, making you shiver and your nails dig into the blankets.

"Can't get comfy down there? You need me to grab you something to drink?" With a snicker, he continued, "Need daddy to read you a bedtime story?"

You frowned, looking up at him over your shoulder, "Don't talk to me like that."

"Aw c'mon, you know I'm only-" He tried to laugh it off, but for some reason, you found yourself more agitated than usual at his ribbing. 

"You know what I mean!"

"Pardon?" He lifted his hand from your shoulder as you rolled from your belly to your side to look at him. Something about the awful heat coursing through you made you more brazen than usual, and you could not stop yourself from acting confrontational.

"I hate when you act like that- When you look at me like you know better than me! You're not responsible for me. I don't need you to take care of me!" His brow creased as he looked at you, hurt, confused, and completely taken aback by your sudden attitude. Your breathing was ragged, and it was hard to keep your voice from rising. You didn't know where this anger was coming from, but it felt as though you were finally telling him how much you hated when he babied you. The suddenness and intensity confused you, but the catharsis was there all the same. Telling him how you really felt. For so long, you'd been forced to be professional and mild-mannered around your comrade while he would condescend and coddle you; to finally bear your emotions like this felt damn good.

Engie tried his best to force a small smile to mask the hurt you could still see in his eyes, "I don't do this because you're weak; I never said you were weak-"

You laughed bitterly, "Right, it's because you're just such a nice guy; how could I forget?"

Engie spoke slowly, "I only do this because I care about you; I only want what's best. You know that."

"You don't love me. You love how being needed makes you feel!" By now, you were certain you were crying and weren't even really talking to Engie; now, you were talking to him. In your heart, you weren't really mad at him, but you hated how weak you felt when he prioritized you over the rest of the team. You slackened a little, pulling the blanket up to bury your head in it, sobbing. After a moment, you felt his hand putting the top of your head.

"Of course I love you-" 

"No, you don't! You just want to protect the weak, isn't that right? That must be why you're always focused on me, right? I'm nothing but the weakest of the team to you! I'm nothing but a charity case; all you care about is making yourself feel better." You were helpless to stop all the awful insecurities you tried so hard to hide from the rest of the world from surfacing now. Engie huffed a little, moving his hand from your hair to your chin, forcing you to turn and look at him.

"So I'm the selfish one, is that it? I spend all this time with you, cook for you, let you sleep in my own bed, and that makes me the selfish one?" You had to bite back a moan at the feeling of his fingers gripping your face so tightly.

"You slipped me something, didn't you?" It was a surprise to hear your voice so level after screaming and crying. Engie looked more surprised than offended by your words but didn't say anything to his defense.

"I bet you did this, didn't you! Fucking hell, you'd do anything to be the hero- to just come to everyone's rescue. You don't care about me; I bet you don't even like any of the rest of us!"

His eyes narrowed. "Don't say that."

"That's the only reason I'm here, isn't it? You wanted to get me all alone, slip me God knows what so you could take me here and wait till it knocked out to start touching yourself over my unconscious body. You've been planning this, haven't you!" Despite your harsh words, Engie didn't look offended. Nothing worked, no matter how you tried to anger or convince him to kick you out. He merely sighed, face softening as his fingers gently caressed the side of your face.

"Let it out, sweetheart; you've had a long day. Just get it out of your system; you'll be alright." You didn't say anything in return, and for a moment, you wondered, "Would it really be so bad to let him have his way?" Your eyes drift shut as you feel Engie's fingers brush away your tears, smoothing back your hair. No matter how you tried to deny it, letting, him treat you like his little girl felt good. Why had you fought him back for so long? Now that you weren't fighting back, his touch no longer felt smothering but soothing. And you felt in that moment that he was the only thing in the world that could satisfy your desire.

"I'm gonna get you a change of clothes, just lay back." The bed creaked a little as he lifted himself from the mattress.

You spoke in a broken, pitifully small voice, "I shouldn't have said that."

"I know you didn't mean it." He was in the same room but sounded so far away you wanted him back in bed.

"It was still wrong to say.." As he returned to his perch by your side, you twisted in bed, laying on your side.

He smiled, "I forgive you." You wanted to say you didn't deserve it, but at the moment, you couldn't find the words; all you could manage to do was stare at him with puppy eyes.

"Do you want me to help you out of your clothes?"

At first, you were about to question why he was acting so brazen, but then you realized at some point during your fight you'd started to wriggle in bed nervously, mindlessly pawing at your bottoms, trying to pull them off while your fingers were too numb and awkward to work the buttons or the zipper. Time felt like it slowed down for a moment; the two of your eyes locked as you understood the weight of his question. You nodded. 

"I need to hear you say it." Engie's soft voice is as assuring and gentle as ever, yet unmistakably firm. While you were putting up a fight for a while there, you both knew who was really in charge here. Forcing yourself to keep eye contact, you managed a "yes, I would." Engie's sweet smile betrayed his dirty mind. 

"Roll back over onto your stomach." You didn't understand why he wanted this, but you immediately complied. You bit down on a pillow to muffle the sounds you made when you felt Engie's fingers find your jean's button, undoing it and pulling the zipper all the way down just as easily, while you couldn't help but whine and twitch at the feeling of his fingers brushing against your bare underbelly, and the sensation of his fingers over your clothed pubic mound for just a second as he undid the zipper. You took a deep breath after the zipper was undone, feeling the most relief you'd felt all night. He gave you a moment to breathe deeply before his hands made their way to the waistband of your jeans and, with a few tugs, pulled them past your hips as you kicked your legs to try and help him remove the awful denim from your body. Your thighs spread wider, blessedly now unrestricted against Engie's blankets while he looked down at the beautiful sight. You couldn't help but sigh audibly into the pillow; at long last, you were free.

"Shirt too?" You mumbled, but Engie understood what you wanted, grabbing the bottom hem of your top as he pushed it up and over your head with your bra while you slid your arms through the sleeves. Leaving you stripped down to nothing but your underwear. The feeling of his sheets, his smell now directly below your skin, felt heavenly, your tits perking up a little, still tingling from earlier as you rubbed yourself over the bed, breathing heavily in through your nose and out through your mouth. While Engie was more than excited to finally get a chance to get his hands on you, he wasn't about to rush you here.

You were entirely right to call him out for planning this, and despite a few snags along the way, the evening was shaping up exactly how he hoped it would. And while he expected your hesitation and your near-certain anger when you realized he was responsible for your current situation, Engie had every confidence that in just a bit of time, you would be thanking him for all this. All he had to do was wait, and for you, he'd wait forever if he must.

He trailed his feeling hand down the curve of your ass as you felt the rubber glove brushing against the swell of your hip. His fingers playfully drummed along the flesh of your ass while you shivered and bit down a little harder on the pillow in your mouth.

"I forgive you, and I love you- but you outta know how to watch that mouth of yours." 

" 'M sorry, it won't happen again." You babbled, half talking to him, half speaking into the pillow. You weren't strong enough to look him in the eye, but you were just horny enough to tell him whatever he needed to hear.

"Oh, I'm sure it won't. But someone ought to teach you a lesson." You felt his ungloved fingers squeezing against the flesh of your ass, assuring you of exactly where his attention was. Knowing you had his full attention elicited another stir of excitement inside you.

"Mhm?" He spoke softly, but you could pick up on the dark edge of his words even in such an inebriated state.

"Maybe this is my fault. I've been spoiling you all this time, and I haven't even laid a hand on you." Using his gloved hand, he gave a little testing pat against your rear, not hard at all, but enough to make a sharp smacking sound fill the room. You sighed at the feeling; he was right; he was being too soft, and you needed more. Needed his attention now more than ever before.

You were about to say something, anything to urge him on, but he literally beat you to it, his glove slapping against your ass again, a little bit harder this time, forcing you to bite down onto his pillow to muffle your little shriek of surprise. The residual soreness didn't have time to set in fully before you felt another blow, followed by another and another and another. Not harder or softer, he set a steady rhythm for the two of you. You could feel the blood rushing to the sore area and couldn't imagine how red you must've looked.

It felt good to be used like this. To feel held accountable for taking advantage of "the nice guy" for so long. Now he wasn't going easy on you, and it was exactly what you needed. By accident, his hand struck a little closer to your cunt than he intended; maybe he didn't aim right, or perhaps you accidentally spread your legs too wide. You didn't know. In response to this feeling, you spread your legs even wider.

"Maybe I ought to bring you off the battlefield and back home with me. Set ya to work on the old Conagher farm. I know it'll do ya real good to get outta the city, give ya a 'lil perspective. You'd fit right in; I can see it now." He was mostly rambling to himself than actually speaking to you, but you followed along all the same. In any other situation, you'd never let him get away with implying he could so easily take you home and "tame you," but given how horny you already felt, you were ready to tell him everything he wanted to hear if it meant you would finally get some satisfaction.

"I'll go anywhere with you! Please, Engie, please keep going; I fucking need it! I-I need you so bad, Daddy!" You peeked your head over your shoulder and felt your heartthrob at the sight of his face softened with love and eyes twinkling like little stars. Good Lord, would you give anything to cum on that beautiful face of his. You weren't aware of the wet spot of drool he could see from where you were biting down on the pillow and the mess of spit around your lips. 

He used his thick fingers to brush against the soaked fabric covering your sex; the feeling of at last getting a bit of friction between your legs made your head roll forward, crushing your face into the pillow, mindlessly rocking your hips against his fingers.

"You're gonna be good for me from now on? No more attitude?" He was moving too slow, intentionally shying his fingers away whenever you tried to get closer, mocking your neediness. While you were reduced to a wet, mindless mess sobbing incoherently, "Yes, I will! I promise I'll be good; I promise I'll be good! Please, Daddy, please, Daddy- I need it so bad, please!"

His fingers paused, directly over exactly where you needed them, his glove gripping the curve of your hip, keeping you from grinding against him, forcing you to remain painfully in place, the strain of staying in this position its own hell on Earth. "You promise you'll behave?"

Without missing a beat, you kept, "I promise!" 

You can hear his proud smile without looking back at his face. "All right, darlin', if you promise." He sounded just like a proud father; no wonder he stepped into the role so well. 

He continued to grope at your ass with his gloved hand, pushing your underwear to the side as he finally slipped his fingers inside. By now, you were practically too weak to keep grinding against him, but fortunately, you wouldn't last much longer. You felt like you were on edge for hours, and feeling Engie's fingers working their magic inside your body was that last little push you needed to send you over the edge. His thumb worked in sync with his fingers, a thick coating of your slick messily seeping from inside, helping him to go even faster. 

You wished you didn't have to be on your stomach, Engie sitting off to the side, so far away. You wanted to wrap your arms around him, feel his naked flesh against your body, but inhaling his smell and grinding against his sheets would have to do for now. You spread your thighs wider as you felt yourself clenching against his fingers, your climax so close it hurt. Back arching as you mindlessly pushed yourself even harder against his fingers, the intensity building until you finally came. Seeing all white as relief washed over your entire body, the tension easing up as pleasant little after-shocks began to set in. The awful burning desire inside satisfied as you went limp, settling heavily into his bed with a heavy sigh. 

By now, the sheets were dampened by your sweat, though you were too tired to care much, feeling no real discomfort while laying in a little puddle of your own sweat. While Engie's handiwork had mercifully taken care of the burning inside, you could tell your head wasn't quite clear yet. The loopy, needy feeling now morphed into comfortable drowsiness, making your afterglow feel all the sweeter. You winced a little while Engie withdrew his fingers and the vague sensation of your wetness sloppily trailing his hand. You could hear him wiping the slick off onto the bedsheets before petting the top of your head gently.

"Feelin' better now?" Your tongue felt too heavy in your mouth to formulate any words, but you nodded, making a quiet sound of affirmation while your head remained buried in the pillows. 

"And what do we say when someone does something nice for us?" He sounded easygoing, but you knew he wanted a real answer out of you. Turning your head to rest a cheek on the pillow, you sleepily half-opened one eye to try and focus on him.

"Thank you, Daddy." It was a dull mumble of an answer, but it appeased him well enough. He ruffled your hair before you could hear the sound of Engie undressing, letting his button-up shirt and stiff work pants join your jeans on the floor. By the time he nestled up in bed with you, wrapping your limp body up with his strong arms, you were already more than half-asleep. Maybe the excessive fatigue was a side-effect of whatever slipped earlier. For a moment, you wondered if you would wake up with a hangover or not, but the thought left your head almost as quickly as it came. Even without the mystery drug in your system, it was certainly possible that your brain was better off trying to shut down and try not to think too hard about what just happened and even less about what the morning might bring.

Within your final moments of coherency, you could feel your body pulled against Engie's bare chest until you were close enough to rest your cheek against his flesh. He tucked your head under his chin as he muttered to himself.

"I wasn't lying' when I said I love you, honey. I love you more than anything else; I'd never lie about that." 

[glittter-vamp]

Ohio Is For Lovers | J.B

CHAPTER 15

Joe Burrow x Reader.

Warnings:18+ MDNI. Mention of Pregnancy. Angsty. Mention of Miscarriage. Alcohol. Raunchy jokes.

Word count: 4.7k

6 Months Later:

Getting your luggage at baggage claim in the sea of people at this busy airport, you make your way outside. The freezing cold winter weather smacks you in the face waking you up and sending shivers down your body. You had just flown into Cincinnati from Providence for the holidays. After what happened 6 months ago you got your shit together as quick as you could, stayed at your parents for a few weeks before you left to Providence and left your old life behind. You never found out who set fire to your apartment because the apartments surveillance system wasn't functioning properly and you also never found out who was behind the hit and run but you wanted to move on from that and you did, focusing on your new life in Rhode Island. Things had been going really well for, you loved your new Job, loved the new city and have met some pretty cool and nice people along the way.

You wait for a bit outside in the freezing cold weather, the crazy traffic and honking overstimulating you a bit but you finally spot the familiar car. "Hey bitch!!" Peyton yells and honks not caring about being annoying to those around you as he pulls up with Sasha riding shotgun. They both hop out of the car and hug you tight. "Oh I've missed you so much!!" Sasha says. "Me too bitch! Spending thanksgiving alone this year fucking sucked, I missed out wine and Chinese take out." Peyton says. "I missed you guys too and I told your ass I'd send you a ticket to come to me for that weekend!" You say to Peyton as you guys hop into the warm car, Peyton taking your luggage and putting it in the trunk. "Here, we got you some hot cocoa!" Sasha says passing it to you in the back. "You guys are the best, thanks." You smile taking a sip of the delicious chocolate and milk. "So, how was the plane ride?" Peyton asks as he gets us out of the crazy airport. "It was fine, lots of crying kids on board but thankfully I had my headphones." You nod.

"I hope your mom and dad aren't too upset you didn't go with them to Paris and decided to spend the holidays with us." Sasha says sipping on her own hot beverage. "Nah, my sister and her little family went, so they're enjoying that and have forgotten all about me by now." You shake your head. Your parents were yet another trip for the holidays, this time they invited you but you really didn't feel like traveling far for the holidays and skipped out on it, plus you were spending a lot of money on your new place. "Are you hungry? There's this new Mexican place in downtown where that Thai place was." Peyton asks. "I'm so down for some food, I haven't ate anything since last night." You agree. You guys talk about what you had been up to the last few days and end up at the Mexican restaurant sooner than you'd thought you'd be, which you knew was courtesy of Peyton's speeding. Walking into the restaurant it wasn't too busy, few people every other table. 

After you guys get seated and given menu's Sasha speaks up. "So...meet anyone new?" She wiggles her eyebrows at you. "No, you know I told you I don't want to date anyone for a while." You sigh. "Okay well maybe not date but have you hooked up with anyone? What are the guys like over there?" Peyton grins. "I haven't hooked up with anyone but I have gone to a few gay bars over there and the guys are cute! You're going to have a great time when you go." You smile nodding. "You're hanging out with other gays out there!? Oh, I should of let your ass walk here, how dare you replace me." Peyton scoffs making you and Sasha laugh.

"What about you guys? Anyone you guys are hiding from me?" You ask looking at your two best friends, Peyton shaking is head no. "I've been out with this guy a few times from work...his name is Jason." Sasha smiles. "Oh yeah you mentioned him to me a couple weeks ago, you guys hooked up yet?" You ask and she blushes. "Yeahhhh!" You and Peyton laugh making her blush even more. "Okay... okay! Hush there's people around!" Sasha says getting embarrassed. You guys enjoy your dinner and then head over to their apartment. Sasha and Peyton had moved in together since the whole weird note situation and my place getting burned down. They thought it would be safer for the both of them since they both lived alone. The place was super cute, spacious and just outside of the downtown area with good security.

"So, what do you guys want to do tomorrow?" Sasha asks Peyton and I after we all shower and change into our pajamas. "Wellll, I kind of promised Tee and Ja'Marr I'd hang out with them before they leave for the holidays." You bite your lip. "Wait...you still talk to them?!" Peyton asks as he makes us some drinks from the bar they had near a window. "Yeah...they text me all the time before games and keep tabs on me. We have a group chat & they are always asking when I'm coming to a home game so I thought we can go to one tomorrow if that's okay with you guys."  You say, your friends looking at you weird.

"You're not scared that they're telling Joe about what you're up to and how you're doing?" Peyton asks. "I don't... really care, What are they gonna tell him? That I'm doing good and I'm happy?" You shrug. "What about running into him tomorrow or having to see him?" Sasha asks. "I watch him every week on my tv and I have no issue ignoring him if I have too." You shrug. "Does he know his friends and teammates still talk to you?" Peyton asks. "Probably, Tee posted us on his story, it was a picture from when we volunteered last year, I don't really think they care much for Joe's opinion on this. After I basically told Joe to get out my life...the guys reached out and we had drinks one night before I left Ohio and they heard my point of view of things. They supported my decision, they knew Joe and I weren't compatible no matter how much we all wanted . " You shake you head taking the drink Peyton was making for you out of his hands.

"Do you... like either of them or something? Did you hook up with his teammates?" Sasha asks and you snort rolling your eyes. " Oh bitch, please tell me you did!" Peyton grins. "No! First off, one of them literally dated Mariana... no fucking thanks. Second, I am never ever getting involved with another professional athlete much less another football player that still plays with Joe and are really good friends with him. That's weird." You shake your head. "I mean, you could do the funniest thing ever and hook up with his teammates and kick Joe while he's been down, you know I like supporting women's rights but I also loveeeee supporting women's wrongs." Peyton smirks making Sasha laugh and you roll your eyes at him.

"Like I said, I'm not putting myself through that shit again. Once is enough." You shake your head taking a sip of the drink. "Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer but I'm pretty intrigued to know." Sasha speaks up and you nod. "Do you miss Joe at all?" Sasha asks and Peyton rolls his eyes as her question. "Oh girl c'mon on, let's not ruin Y/N's night here." Peyton scoffs. "What?! It's a valid question! She almost had a baby with the guy! ad everything happened so quick!" Sasha defends herself making you laugh as you sit on their couch.

"I'll be honest, even though he did bring unnecessary drama in my life for a while and things were never perfect between, he was still a very comforting person for me so I miss that, I think that's why I stuck it out so long with him, things felt at ease when  was around him...and maybe I miss the sex." You bite your lip making your friends chuckle. "That makes me sad that you guys ended the way you did and felt like this about him." Sasha pouts. "It is what it is, I'm sure he's moved on plenty since us." You shrug. "I heard he was dating a swimsuit model now, seems like he can't fathom being alone." Sasha snorts. "Can straight men ever?" Peyton laughs. "Good luck to her." You breathe shaking your head. You guys talk a bit more and enjoy your drinks while watching a Christmas movie before you all go to bed, you sleeping in their guest bedroom which was super cute and cozy.

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

In the morning Peyton made you guys a delicious breakfast with French toast, eggs & bacon and you texted the group chat with the guys letting them know you were in town and if it was possible to get three tickets for tonight's game. Tee almost immediately texting back that he would get back to you as as he could about them.

"I say we go ice skating tomorrow." Sasha says as we sit around enjoying our breakfast. "I'm not that type of gay." Peyton says making you and Sasha laugh. "Oh come on! It'll be fun, maybe you can fall into the arms of a big strong guy." Sasha wiggles her eyebrows. "Girl, I'm 6 foot 5, I am the strong the guy?!" Peyton shakes his head making us laugh. We finish our food and as Sasha and I cleaned up since Peyton made breakfast, your phone dings. Drying your hands quickly on a towel nearby, you pick up the phone and see it was the guys, they had gotten tickets for you and your friends for tonight's game.

"The guys got the tickets." You say to your friends as you respond to the guys and thanking them for pulling some strings so last minute. "You know its supposed to be cold as shit tonight right guys?" Peyton says. "That's why whiskey exists!" You smile and he rolls his eyes. "Hey, you don't have to come if you don't want grandpa." Sasha says to Peyton. "Oh, I'm going!  You bitches aren't leaving me behind." Peyton says leaving us in the kitchen in the sassiest manner making you laugh. "You need to have your revenge dress moment tonight." Sasha says to you as you start the dish washer. "What are you talking about?" You chuckle looking at her weird. "In case you run into Joe! Which I'm sure might happen, you need to look good to see what he could of had if he wasn't such a dumbass ad respected you." Sasha nods. "Girl, it's going to be like 15 degree's tonight. I'm gonna be warm, I really don't care about making Joe feel some type of way." You shake your head. "Ugh, have some fun will you!" Sasha scoffs making you laugh.

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

It was afternoon now and you guys had just finished getting ready for the game. As always, you just wore whatever you wanted not really caring too much about team colors. You just wore mostly black layers, cozy boots and some thermal blue jeans wanting to stay as warm as you could tonight. "The uber is here!" Sasha says walking into the living room from her room. We all head out into the cold air and make our way to the car the SUV that was waiting for us. "Do you know who they're playing today?" Sasha asks me as we ride in the back of the car. "Not a damn clue." You shake your head. "Go sports!" Peyton says making you guys laugh. You guys make it to the stadium, happy that you guys left when you did because the place was super packed with people making it hard to find your seats after you got through security.

"I'm getting us drinks!" Peyton says to Sasha and I. You guys not and Peyton leaves to the concession stand which wasn't that far away. "This is exciting!" Sasha smiles. "Last time I was here, it was with Mariana and then Joe and I had fight in the locker room." You snort shaking your head. "Crazy how time flies." Sasha shakes her head. Soon Peyton returns with some strong drinks for everyone and you take a picture of you three posting it on your story. After a bit, the game eventually starts and pretty much you three just cheer when everyone else cheered. It was a bit a weird for you to see Joe playing on the field right now, you guys hadn't talked since the day at the hospital when you lost the baby. 

You remember going out for those drinks with Ja'Marr and Tee and them trying to convince you to at least talk to Joe but you knew if you did in that moment, you probably wouldn't have left to Rhode Island and be where you are now. Part of you felt guilty for a bit after that, but it was really the only way for you to get out of every situation that had you unhappy plus, getting threatening notes and your apartment set on fire just wasn't something you wanted to stick around and play with to just attempt to be with Joe.

"I really... don't understand this fucking game, I'mmmm getting us more drinks." Peyton says making you laugh. "Get me vodka this time please!" Sasha says to him before he leaves us. "I don't know much about football but it seems like no one is having a good time out there, people keep getting hurt and they look so cold." Sasha says. "We are so undeserving of these tickets." You laugh shaking your head. All of a sudden you guys then spot Tee and Ja'Marr getting into it with some players of the opposing team on the field after a dirty hit on the field.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Peyton asks handing us drinks. " The other team is playing dirty and the guys aren't having it." You shrug. Taking a sip of the new drink, the game continues until half time. "We should get sushi after this!" Peyton says over the loud music that was playing, Sasha and I nodding in agreement.

You guys talk amongst yourselves and take plenty of pictures during halftime and before you knew it the guys were back on the field. They were pretty much neck in neck with the other team so this game could really still go either way. You spot Joe running on the field getting into position and instead of throwing the ball to one of his teammates he makes a run for it with the ball. "He's really... not that fast. Reminds me the rat from Ice Age with the acorn" Peyton says making your snort. "That's a squirrel not a rat!" You laugh as Joe runs with the ball almost making it to the end zone but out of no where this huge player from the other team tackles him, hard. The hit looked painful and it wasn't long before everyone spotted Joe holding his elbow in pain. "Oh fuck." You stand up feeling your heart sinking in your chest. "That doesn't look good." Sasha shakes her head standing next to you. "Are you fucking kidding me?! That was a baby hit!" You hear some guy behind you angrily yell to which you rolled your eyes at, as did many other fans around him.

Soon you heard the sea of people becoming disappointed and worried over Joe, the medics soon were on the field checking him out and every time they attempted to move his arm Joe would immediately wince in pain. "Oh baby... he's out. There's no way he's gonna keep playing." Peyton shakes his head. They get Joe up from the ground and he walks towards the tunnel looking extremely upset and in pain. The crowd cheers for him but even behind the cheers you could tell they were as upset as he was.

The energy in the stadium after that had did a complete 180. Luckily Joe's injury didn't cost them the game but people were still sad over what happened. As we were leaving two security guards approach us and you already knew the drill. " Y/N Y/L/N?" One of them asks me, Peyton already looking at them weird and getting defensive. "Yeah, let me guess. I gotta follow you." You raise an eyebrow at the man and he nods. "C'mon guys." You tell Sasha and Peyton who look at you weird. "It's the guys sending for us, we're not in trouble." You tell them and they nod still suspicious of this but still following you guys to the golf carts.

"This makes me feel like Beyoncé when she's backstage." Sasha says making you and Peyton look at each other and start laughing. "Humble yourself honey." Peyton snorts, Sasha flicking him off. You guys get taken the room you haven't seen since you had basically hated Joes guts. You all thank the guys and they let you know the drill with snacks and drinks. There was a few women in there probably waiting on their husband or boyfriend but you guys find a spot somewhere and sit down. "This is pretty cool." Sasha looks around. "They said anything was for grabs right?" Peyton says eyeing the snacks. "Go crazy." You chuckle as he gets up and heads over to the snack table.

"You think Joe is okay?" Sasha asks you. "Probably not." You shake your head. After a little while you hear two familiar voices call your name. Smiling you get up from your seat turning around seeing Tee and Ja'Marr. "Hey guys!!" You smile at them giving them each a hug. Sasha and Peyton greet them as well and you guys sit down at an empty table. "So how have you guys been?" Ja'Marr asks us. "Pretty good... Thanks for the tickets, that was quite the game." Sasha smiles. "No problem and yeah, this one's a tough one. Critical timing too since the play offs start very soon." Tee shakes his head. "At least you guys won though! Something good came out of it." You smile trying to lighten their mood. "Yeah but Joes out the rest of the season, he tore his UCL so if we were to make it to the Super Bowl... he can't even play. That's gonna fuck us up so much." Ja'Marr shakes his head. You couldn't help but to feel horrible for everyone especially Joe.

You all catch up for a bit, them asking you a billion questions about Rhode Island and asking if you'd ever return here to Ohio. Ja'Marr had asked you about Mariana, specifically if you've heard anything from her and you'd tell him no which was the truth. You didn't know exactly why he was asking but you didn't really want to ask. That was his business and you weren't getting into anything that had to do with her ever again. "I need to pee." Sasha says to you, Peyton nodding in agreement. "Bathrooms are over there to your right." Tee points. They thank him and they walk off leaving just you, Ja'Marr and Tee.

"So... have you talked to Joe at all?" Ja'Marr asks, both men looking at you for an answer. "No, I debated on reaching out a few times but I heard he was dating someone and I'm not getting into that type of drama again like that. Hell no." You shake your head. The guys look at each other for a moment and then bust out laughing which had you confused. "Dating who?! Dudes only focus has been football and stalking you on social media all these months." Tee laughs. "It was all over social media that he was dating some model & why or how would he be stalking my social media?" You ask confused since it was private. "That was just a stupid rumor started by some dumb gossip website and we've caught him on your Instagram a bunch of times. I think he has a fake profile which we've told him how weird that shit was by the way and his excuse was that he just wanted to make sure you were happy and safe." Ja'Marr shakes his head rolling his eyes.

"Did he leave already?" You ask. "Nah, he's in a medical room dealing with his emotions and shit. He doesn't wanna see anyone, he's going through it." Tee shakes his head with a disappointed look on his face. "Although... maybe he wouldn't mind seeing you." Ja'Marr smirks and your eyes open wide. "Hell no, no way." You shake your head. "No way what?" Sasha asks coming back to us, Peyton following her. "They want me to go talk to Joe." You shake your head. "Oh?" Peyton looks at you and you shake your head no. "He's down this hall to your left. C'mon guys, let's get some snacks and talk about how much Rhode Island sucks." Tee says to your friends and you scoff. "What? Guys! No—assholes." You mutter annoyed at them as they all ignore you and leave you standing out in the hall like an idiot.

Sighing you make your way to the door where Joe was behind, taking a deep breath before knocking and opening the door. Immediately you heard his voice. "Get out." He says in a very monotone way. You peek your head in and see he was laying down on a stretcher facing up in a dimly lit room with his good arm draped over his face. "I guess I deserve that attitude." You nod closing the door behind you. Your stomach flip flopping from nervousness. Joe freezes and peeks under his arm towards you.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Joe asks slowly sitting up. His injured arm in a sling. "I'm in town for the holidays and the guys gave me tickets to the game tonight." You awkwardly say stuffing you hands in your back pockets. He looked like he had been crying. "Of course they did." Joe scoffs. "I know I'm the last person you wanna see right now or ever but I just wanted to check up on you." You bite your lip awkwardly. "Yeah right, like you give a shit about what happens to me." He scoffs, it sucked hearing those words come from his mouth but you couldn't blame him, you weren't the nicest to him the last time you saw him. Plus, he was upset cause of his injury which is understandable.

 "I know I shouldn't have bothered you but I just wanted to apologize on how I left things... and your injury tonight...but I'll uh, leave you be." You nod reaching for the door again awkwardly. "Wait!" You hear Joe say before you could even touch the door. "I...shouldn't have snapped at you like that, I'm sorry. I'm...I'm not even mad at you." He shakes his head as he sits looking down at his dangling feet. He was still in half of his uniform and even though he was a grown ass man well over 6 foot, he looked so small to you in this moment. "You don't have to lie, I know the way I handled things was beyond fucked up." You sigh leaning against the door. "Honestly, you had every right. I was being a stupid jackass, my parents knocked some sense into me after I came clean with everything. You put up with too much shit with me and I was worried too much about myself and not enough about you. I'm surprised you didn't come fined me and ran me over with your car" Joe admits. "Well...to be fair I didn't have one at the time so, maybe that worked in your favor." You tease making him chuckle. 

"Maybe it was just a classic case of right people, wrong time." You shrug. "You really think we could of been right for each other if things weren't so fucked up around us and I wouldn't have fucked up most of it?" Joe asks. "I'd like to think so, we pretty much ignored every red flag between and around us Joe... I think that ultimately fucked everything up because we choose to ignore and ignore." You say, Joe nodding. "How's Rhode Island?" Joe asks and you snort. "You should know...the guys told me about your Instagram stalking." You tease seeing Joe's freeze and his face turn a light shade of pink. "Fucking assholes." Joe mutters shaking his head making you chuckle. "I didn't mean to be weird, I just still feel paranoid about your safety with everything that happened. M=Ja'marr thinks Mariana was behind everything, he found some weird folder with information about us two...I think she was going to try and blackmail us if news hit about the affair she was having on Ja'Marr. She's disappeared. We think she left Ohio." Joe fills you in and you scoff. "That fucking crazy bitch." You shake your head. 

"Things are pretty good, I like the city, co workers are pretty cool." You nod changing the subject. "I'm really happy to hear that." Joe says giving you a small smile. Before you could reply there was a knock on the door followed by the voice of a man you didn't recognize. "Burrow, your parents are looking for you dude, pack it up, get some rest." The guy says. "I should... get back to everyone, I'm sure they're hungry and waiting on me." You say to Joe and he nods looking sad. "I'm really sorry I couldn't be the man you deserved Y/N, I kill myself over it everyday." Joe says somberly. "People aren't perfect Joe, don't beat yourself up over it, but I really do hope you recover as quickly and good as possible. I would tell you to not be too hard on yourself while you recover but I might as well talk to a brick wall for that." You joke making Joe chuckle. "Take care of yourself and you should come to more games, helps motivate the guys." Joe says glossy eyes which almost triggered your own emotions that you were pushing down. " I will take it under consideration, take care of yourself." You smile at him before leaving the room and letting out a deep breath trying to control your emotions before you meet everyone up again. 

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

A month later:

The holidays came and went. You spent time with your best friends and you were now back in Rhode Island in your home. Winter had officially struck the north east as it was snowing today. Cuddled up on your couch with the fire place on and a glass of wine in your hand you were on facetime with your friends. "So, when are you coming back?" Peyton asks you. "Uh! no Sir, it's time you guys come to me. We can do something this summer...I just finished the guest bedrooms and we can hit all the bars out here, maybe even drive to Boston for a weekend." You suggest. "I'm down for some Boston cheeks." Peyton smirks making Sasha roll her eyes and you laugh. "Did you spend the homegoods gift card we got you for Christmas?" Sasha asks changing the subject. "I did! I got stuff for the guest bathroom and a few holiday clearance stuff for next Christmas." You nod. You talk more with your friends about what you guys had planned for the next few weeks until your doorbell rang. It was 7PM on a snowy Friday night and you weren't expecting anyone over. "Uh oh booty call! We'll let you go so you can have your fun." Peyton winks. "It's probably my neighbors stupid doordash again, she keeps putting my door number for some reason, but I'll talk to you guys later." You sigh getting up. You hang up your phone tossing it on the couch and setting down your wine glass on your side table. You go to your door opening just a bit expecting some poor delivery driver in this snow but you almost choke on your own spit when you saw who it was. "Wh-what are you doing here?" You stand there frozen in place. 

"I'm... done ignoring." Joe responds. 

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

A/N: I know I said this last chapter was coming Sunday but I couldn't wait that long lol Ohio Is For Lovers has officially wrapped up and I just want to thank you guys sosososososo much for reading and supporting this series. I haven't written a series in years and the love and support you guys have shown me has meant soooo much! If you haven't checked it out already I have been working on a new Joe Burrow series called Cherry Waves, so check that out if you'd like and if it's not for you I plan on doing a small holiday series in November. Thanks again for the support 🖤🖤🖤

[bobgasm]

kingpin ⦾ thirteen

pairing: robert “bob” floyd x ofc!emery young  word count: 2364  warnings: mentions of loss, grief, feeling lost, lies

summary: in which bob’s apparently not such a bad guy…

twelve | kingpin | fourteen

Emery often found herself wondering what her mother would do or say whenever she found herself in new situations. She wondered if her mom would be comforting or critique her choices. She wondered if she’d be thrilled or disappointed. 

It had been fifteen years since her mother had passed away. Fifteen years since she’d been thrust into the system and bounced around foster homes. She’d met Natasha when she was thirteen and they’d stayed in touch once Nat aged out of foster care. 

Natasha had been kind, compassionate and understanding. She’d helped Emery come out of her shell, told Emery she could come and stay during the weekends. When Natasha decided to go to college, she snuck Emery into her dorm room during the weekends so she still had somewhere to go. 

Natasha became the only true family that Emery had left. 

It sucked, because she remembered her time with Mrs Garcia and her family fondly. They’d been there for her mother’s funeral, hell, she’d been asleep on their couch when the police arrived to tell Emery about her mom’s death. Mrs Garcia had argued with the police to let Emery stay the rest of the night – that she could go with the social worker in the morning. Her world had just been torn apart, surely they had a heart and could see the Garcia’s were practically all she had left. 

She’d continued to go to school with Mickey, the youngest of the Garcia children, until they started high school. Her foster family lived too far away to let her attend the same school as her only friend, and she unfortunately lost contact with Mickey. His family had moved to the city almost a year later, but Emery wasn’t alone for long. Three months later, Natasha came into her life. 

Emery wondered if they were still in the city and how easy it would be to find them now. Now that she was older and had the means to track people down. She wondered if they’d ever tried to find her once they’d moved away. 

She was in her head during the car ride to work. Even if Bob had tried to talk to her, there was no way she’d heard him. 

She didn’t register stopping so he could grab them something to eat, or that they’d made it to work and her food still sat on the dash in front of her. The only thing she wanted right now was a hug from her mom and some words of encouragement, but Emery couldn’t even remember what her voice sounded like. 

Emery’s vision shifted from the empty parking space outside the window to a confused looking Bob. 

“My mom would hate this for me. She told me about the mob growing up. I always suspected that she somehow got involved in something she shouldn’t have and that’s why she died. That diner was always so quiet, you know?” She said, barely registering any hit of recognition on his face. “Her boss was mean, but he let her give me her staff dinner and do my homework at the table until Mrs Garcia picked me up. I just want her to be proud of me.”

She whispered the last part like she was ashamed and Bob reached out to help her from the car. 

“She is proud of you. How could she not be? You’re smart, funny, and determined. You’ve put me in my place more times than anyone has ever dared to. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Emery,” he assured her.

“And yet I’m working for the mob,” she confessed, pulling her hand from his own and immediately missing the warmth and comfort it had provided. “My mother is rolling in her grave.”

She walked ahead of Bob, needing to get away. Needing space. She was glad he gave it to her.

“Emery,” he called after her.

She sighed before turning to look at him. “Yes?”

“Coyote will be here shortly. You need to eat before you join us.” He held out the breakfast sandwich as he closed the gap between them. She took it and let her arm fall to her side. “Please eat. There’s a lot we have to go over, and unfortunately, your expertise means you’ll be able to help things move faster.”

She turned around instead of replying and walked to her office, letting the door slam closed behind her. Ignoring Bob was easier than arguing with him. He always seemed to have an answer, or something to say that eased her conscience. This way, he didn’t have the chance to get in her head.

Emery slumped down at her desk and kicked off her heels. She felt stuffy in the clothes picked out for her by Coyote. They still had the tags on them when she’d changed earlier, and she’d wondered how the hell he knew what size she wore. She quickly changed into a pair of sweats and a loose tee, removing the clip from her hair and redoing it into her usual pony. Feeling slightly more at ease, she begrudgingly grabbed the breakfast sandwich and made her way to Bob’s office. 

She knocked thrice upon hearing chatter behind the closed door. When Bob signaled to come in, she opened the door and found Coyote hunched behind Bob’s chair as they both stared at his computer screen. 

Emery paused with her hand still on the doorknob as Bob gave her a once over, not as subtle as he usually did. He didn’t say anything, but gestured to the seats in front of him. She closed the door for safe measure before taking a seat, pulling her legs underneath her and peeling back the wrapper on the sandwich.

“Do you know much about how overseas bank accounts work?” Bob asked her, his eyes moving back to the screen in front of him. “We’re trying to search through the past transactions but nothing shows up.”

Emery slowly chewed her food, waiting for him to realise how stupid of a question that actually was. She chose not to answer when he looked back at her, instead, making a show of taking another bite of her sandwich. She was answering by not answering – she had no idea how they worked, and up until now, she had no need to learn. 

Coyote clicked on first, mentioning to Bob that she had no reason to know. Bob sighed in response. 

“Can you take a look and try to figure it out?” Bob asked her. It was a much more reasonable request, but also a way of knowing if she would actually cooperate. 

Emery nodded and wrapped her sandwich back up. Setting it on his desk before sitting in the chair he’d just vacated. The two men stood behind her, watching her click away as she tried to navigate the foreign system. It took some work before she found the statements page and ran a statement for the last six months. She downloaded it as a PDF and opened it, using the search function to find the account they were looking for. 

“Bingo,” she said. “There’s the account. Five transactions in the last six months.”

“If there’s been a transaction every month, where’s the latest one?” Bob asked, leaning a little closer to check the dates. 

“I’m assuming it’s not an automatic transfer,” Emery replied. “You should probably change the login password for any of these accounts you have overseas. Just to make sure he doesn’t try to transfer any more money to himself.”

Bob hummed as she slid the keyboard and mouse towards him. Emery slid out of the chair before picking up her sandwich and sitting down in the original chair she occupied. She honestly wasn’t that hungry, but if it got Bob off her back for even two seconds, she’d keep eating. 

Bob looked stressed as the morning wore on. Emery continued to help print statements from their offshore accounts, while Coyote skimmed them to find the account in question. He highlighted every transaction to FBY and tallied up the total, while Bob paced and cursed under his breath. 

“Do you think my father knew?” Bob asked, though Emery wasn’t sure if he was looking for an answer. “I really don’t want to make this call.”

“You have to,” Coyote told him. 

“It’s safer if they stay out of the city,” Bob told him. “Hangman reached out early this morning. Decker’s trying to hire someone to take him out. Rooster’s heard chatter from other channels, too, so I have no idea how many hitmen Decker could’ve hired. If they’re at the farm, mom is safe.”

“Decker knows about the farm,” Coyote reminded him. “They need to be in the city.”

Bob’s jaw ticked as he rubbed his face. “Take Emery for coffee.”

Emery stood without prompting and followed Coyote out of the office. She dipped into her office to change before Coyote led her out of the building.

“How are you handling everything?” Coyote asked. Emery wasn’t sure what to make of the question. Was he genuinely interested, or asking to report back to Bob.

“I haven’t forgiven you for running a background check on me,” she responded, earning a small laugh in response. 

“I don’t expect to be forgiven. It was necessary. Everyone goes through the same process,” he told her. 

“Did you buy these clothes or break into my apartment?” Emery asked. 

“I bought them.”

Emery hummed as they fell into silence, the road busy as they crossed and entered a coffee shop. 

“How long have you worked for Bob?”

“Not long, in the grand scheme of things,” he told her. “What do you want?”

“Chamomile tea, thank you,” she replied, taking a seat as he ordered. When he joined her, she eyed him cautiously. “Are you always so vague?”

“We’re in public, Emery,” he reminded her with a look. She sighed and stared out the window at the passing cars and foot traffic. “He’s not so bad, you know?”

“How so?”

“I know you think he’s intense, probably overbearing, am I right?” Emery nodded at his questions. “He has to be. Would you take him seriously otherwise?”

“No, probably not.”

Coyote gave her a smile. “Exactly. There’s a lot going on right now, more so than normal. He said you read the email this morning.”

“Yeah, I did,” she confirmed. “I feel like I’m in over my head.”

“The good news is that he doesn’t know who you are, or your sister,” he said, and strangely enough, Emery found comfort in that. “Bob said you recognised him.”

“What does that mean?”

“Hopefully nothing,” he told her. “But I’m going to talk to Bob about some more intensive training for you, just in case. Is that okay?”

Emery nodded, her throat suddenly dry. 

“It’s my job to think about these things,” he explained further. “Prepare for every outcome. If there’s any reason for you to worry, you’ll be told.”

“Okay,” she said quietly. When their drinks were ready, they stood up and made their way back. 

Emery didn’t feel like talking. She’d finished her tea by the time they made it back and threw her cup in the trash, sitting back down in Bob’s office as both she and Coyote waited for him to return. 

“What else do you do for your job?” She asked him. “I know that you do background checks and expect the worst, but is that all?”

He chuckled softly. “I do a lot. Recon is my specialty, especially since joining the Floyd’s. Mostly, I’m here for whatever Bob needs, you know? He calls, I answer.”

Emery nodded. “Yeah, I think I get that.”

Bob chose that moment to rejoin them, blowing out an exasperated breath as he crossed the room and sat down in his chair. 

“Didn’t go well, I suppose?” Coyote asked. 

Bob laughed humourlessly. “Not at all.” He yanked his tie off and dropped it on his desk, unbuttoning the top two buttons on his shirt. “They’re coming back to the city. He wants everyone in town for a meeting tomorrow. Emery, you’ll join us. Daddy dearest wants to meet you.”

By the time Emery made it home, she was exhausted. Grateful that Nat was still at the gym, she took a shower and tried to think of something to tell her about why she didn’t come home last night. Deciding to stick to the truth as much as she could, she took the time to dry her hair and changed into some comfy clothes. 

She was lounging on the couch when Nat finally arrived home and dropped her keys in the bowl by the door.

“Hey,” Emery greeted nonchalantly.

“Don’t ‘hey’ me as if I haven’t sent you multiple texts and tried to call you several times in the last twenty four hours,” Nat told her. “You sounded off on the phone last night. I’ve been worried sick!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Emery apologised sheepishly. “I really did have to stay late last night. I went through some reports with Bob and his sister, Morgan, about their casino and strip club.”

“Okay…and?” She pried. 

“It’s boring shit, honestly. I crashed at Morgan’s. Had a few too many Jack and coke’s, which, I know, is not like me at all. Especially on a Monday. I’ve only just put my phone on charge since I got home. I’m sorry I had you worrying.”

Nat ran her hand through her hair. “I know you had reservations about this job. What you said about their previous accountant retiring out of the blue and then you being weird on the phone…I jumped to conclusions. Then with no texts all day today.” She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought. “It’s odd seeing you let your hair down, even if I didn’t see it, you know?”

Emery grinned. “Yeah, it’s weird for me too,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll be more vigilant about keeping my phone charged in the future, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed. “So, Bob has a sister, huh?”

“I know. It makes him seem kind of normal,” Emery admitted, earning a laugh from Nat. “Less intense, you know?”

author’s note: it really kicks off from the next chapter so i hope y’all are ready 🤭

[thinkingaboutbetterdays]

the boss's wife. ( d.b. russell x reader )

After getting married during your second year at college, you liked to believe you knew your husband more than he knew himself. Whenever he had doubts during cases, or questioned his dedication to his family, you were always there to remind him of the achievements he has made both personally and as a CSI, and how proud you were of him, even if you did worry that he stretched himself a little thin. But that was who Diebenkorn, affectionally called D.B, was to everyone - the person who looked after everyone else without concern for himself.

From experience, you knew that, despite his assurance that he would have dinner, he would become absorbed in the case and forget. One of the perks of moving to Las Vegas was you were closer to the lab than you had been in Seattle, so you decided to surprise the new night shift manager with dinner.

D.B. was surprised when Henry announced that his wife had arrived at the lab, and he could see the immediate intrigue on his team's faces as he stood up from the table where they had spent over an hour reviewing the evidence for what had proved to become a difficult case.

D.B. walked down the hallway to meet you and a smile formed on his lips when he saw the trays of lasagne you had made.

You greeted him with a smile, "I thought I'd bring you all something. I doubt any of you have eaten much today."

"You didn't have to do all this." He took the trays and lowered them before holding them higher again. "Oof, how much did you make?"

"Too much probably." You smiled when he kissed your cheek.

"Are they watching?"

You glanced over at the room he had exited from and hummed as he stepped back. "Come on, I'll introduce you before their heads explode." He nodded to the room and turned, smiling at you as you walked alongside him down the hallway. "So, how is your day goin'?"

"I finally unpacked the photographs. We have officially moved in."

"I thought we moved in a week ago?"

"Yeah, but it's not a home until everything is unpacked and has a place in the house."

D.B. shook his head with a smile, holding the trays higher as he entered the room. "We have food." He set the trays in the middle of the table and stood next to you, placing a hand on your back. "Provided by my lovely, thoughtful, and very, very patient wife. Y/N, this is Catherine, Nick, Greg, Sara, and Morgan."

"Thank you! You are a lifesaver!" Catherine grinned.

"Happy to." You smiled before looking at your husband when he spoke.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your car."

You knew he would be grilled on you when he returned, so after saying goodbye, you both walked slowly, enjoying a moment alone. "They seem nice."

"Yeah, they're a good team."

You looked up at him as you looped your arm with his, "Tough case?"

He nodded, sighing, "Someone went to a lot of effort to make it look like an open and shut case. They left the crime scene too clean."

You rubbed his arm comfortingly, "They always mess up. You just need to find it. Remember that guy that cleaned a mirror with his own breath and left behind saliva?" A giggle left your lips, "That still cracks me up."

He put his arm around you as you walked, smiling down at you when you leaned into him. You turned when he suddenly stopped walking and your eyebrows furrowed when you saw his expression.

"What?"

A grin formed on his lips, "I love you," He cupped your cheeks and kissed your forehead. "Call me when you get home safe."

"I love you too but -" You watched as he rushed back into the lab and realized he was suddenly struck with inspiration and shook your head fondly, getting into your car, knowing when he got home you would hear all about it.

[at1nys-blog]

Hungry and exhausted kids

Pairing: Demigods x diner’s staff

Summary: when the “Regulars” come to eat all injured and bruised is time for something special, and a lot of first AID kits

A/N: this is based on a post I reblogged some time ago(I don’t know when I’m going to post this nor if I can actually. If not just tell me to take it down no hate thanks) also you might read something similar written by @/drberfarious but do not worry people of tumblr I am a good writer so they contacted me and we talked about it so is safe for me to post it.

The 3Heads a diner run by the Pecks was one of the very few diners in the city open 24/7 no matter the weather conditions. The diner was open even under the holidays.

Sylvia, the youngest grand daughter of the owner, was happy about all of that, especially since she was allowed to decorate the space however she liked: on Halloween she gave her best if not more, this one being her favourite and the costumers loved the hanging spiders' webs and the skeletons having a bite with them and the owners loved the masked costumers-the second year since they were out for business they decided to inaugurate a contest for best Halloween costume and everyone loved it so much- the staff came to work dressed up as well; on Thanksgiving the atmosphere was more chill, with less decorations that excpected but the one not used for that holiday were soon going to be put out for Christmas.

Zackary, the older grand son of the owner, and Sylvia's brother, he noticed how many people were alone during Christmas, it was sad to witness young people spending such a jolly holiday, he wished for every single one of them to find a new family to spend that time of the year together. Some did, coming the next year with a partner, or their family; others didn't.

Than it was time for San Valentine, the sweetest holiday of them all, well on an equal footing with Halloween, but still. The diner turned from all green and red to pink. Hearts, flowers and ballons filled the diner and every now and then the owners were able to assist, and record, a couple of proposals.

It was before Easter, a couple of weeks prior to the festivity. A Saturday late night, maybe around 1 am or 2 when Sylvia welcomed inside a boy. The girl noticed he was exhausted, she had a thought that the boy had walked for a long time, how much to be exact she didn't know but again, the phylosophy of the diner was to not ask or assume.

She welcomed him in, a big smile on her face despise the late hour, he looked at her, for a second before turning around and scanning the space as in search of somewhere to hide.

"We have a couple of booths away from the entrance" she explained.

"No windows?" he simply asked.

"No windows" she repeated after him. The boy nodded and she asked him to follow her with a simple movement of her arm. When she had left him take a seat, the boys asked if they had something blue. Sylvia had to ask for some explanation here because what did he meant by something blue?

"I am craving blue food" he answered, which didn't help much but the girl knew how to deal with such reqeusts.

"I see what I can do." this was the magic formula to avoid conflict and with that she left the menu on the table and went straigh into the kitchen. "weird question but, do we have blue food coloring?" her older brother looked at her weird, as if she just asked him to take out from his pocket a monkey or something of that sort. "Ehy don't look at me like that. The kid asked for blue food." she defended herself. Her brother rolled his eyes and went to search for it.

"By the way do you know what he wants?" Sylvia was silent, she didn't ask. I mean the poor girl just got asked if they had blue food, the only think on her mind was if they could provide that for him and gain a new costumer or not a loose a potential costumer. "go ask him."

And so she did, and when she was back to the table he left the guy, she noticed he was sleeping, or on the verge of doing so. She pocked him, carefully, sure he was there to eat but if he fell asleep in the worst position ever that meant he was really worn out (?)

She pocked him again, a little harder this time and the poor kid jumped out of his skin taking out of his pocket a stabilo pen, using the object as a weapon as a fit to cause her arm.

"Sorry, I forgot to ask what would you like to eat."

"I don't really know, I just would like if it was blue."

"Okay, I'll tell that to our chef and see if we can meet your request. Anything to drink while you wait?"

Percy Jackson, Sylvia learned his name, became a regular at The 3Heads and after the second month-he passed by at least every single day to grab his usual to go, and once a week he took his sweet time by sitting and enoying his meal- he came in, the Pecks decided to add a special section of their menu and what best way to show it to him?

Percy walked in, followed by his two friends, Grover and Annabeth, with a quick hello went straight to his usual seat and then relaxed resting his head on the table. Annabeth was fast scolding him, it wasn't very polite to sleep in a diner but before Percy could explain, Sylvia was ready to give Percy that good news.

"Hello." she greeted the two new costumers. "Ohy sleepy head I have some news." she looked at the blonde girl and asked if it was okay for her to seat for a moment, when she nodded Sylvia sat down. "Perseus Jackson listen to me" his head was up in a second, the mention of his real name didn't scare him for once but only put him in listening mode. "I have, I mean the entire family has a surprise for you." Percy looked behind the girl and saw her brother, dad and grand father looking at him with anticipation. "read the menu" and so he did.

The first pages weren't any different, just a couple of new dishes nothing major really but then his eyes widened when he read the title of the section thet added 'Blue Food&Drinks'

"We have to find a new title for the section and we wanted..." she got cut off by the boy.

"Who's idea was that?" she smiled.

"Zachary joked about the fact we had to add it since you are basically living off of our food, dad thought it wasn't such a bad idea. Grandpa was the thoughtes to..." and once again Sylvia couldn't end her speech due to Percy hugging her out of nowhere with a soft thank you.

He then went to hug the rest of the Pecks and thanking them, he couldn't believe it. He never thought that complete strangers were going to do something this nice and sweet for him.

"Okay, why is Percy acting like a kid on Christams?"asked the boy. Sylvia just smiled and told him to check the menu. He started reading under his breath not understanding much about what was happening untill... "wow he comes here this often?"

"What? What is it?" said the blonde girl next to Sylvia and the menu was given to her, she smiled. "He comes here that often for sure. Thank you, you gained a loyal costumer and he is never going to stop talking about it. I am pretty sure the other campers will come here too." The Pecks knew about the summer camp not that away from the city, Percy had talked to them about it some weeks after he discovered the diner.

After that, Percy came in with always new people and the first think he showed them was the section about the blue food, picking for them his favorites and sharing new ideas with the cooks of the diner even because the blue food was becoming to be a trend. Kids asked their parents to take pictures of it; teens loved it and also felt the need to have it to fit into a new society that was head over heals for it; elder people just wanted to have some fun and try something out of the ordinary because who could have thought they could have a smoothie with blue cookies? Not them.

Time passed and The 3Heads had campers from "Camp Half-blood" almost on a daily, they became like a very extended family and good friends. They celebrated their birthdays there, went on dates there or just went and between one bite and the other played Mythomagic, similar to a game of Yu-Gi-Oh! but with mythological creatures. Sylvia did played a couple of rounds while on a break.

Time had passed since that first night when Percy Jackson walked into the diner and since then Sylvia and Zachary made good friends with the campers, everyone had their favorite kid but Percy? He was the number one for them. He was funny, sarcastic, intelligent on his own, witty and so much more. He sure was stubborn but one of the nicest kid the older Pecks have ever met in their life.

It was the day of Percy Jackson's birthday, in 2009, that the Percks closed the doors of The 3Heads for the first time in their life because how can you keep a diner open when a bunch of teens come to you bruised and injured, whith a face that read 'we lost someone' all over their faces?

Sylvia, Zackary, Colto and Taddeus Peck didn't asks question because this was their phylosophy of work, and whoever walked into that doors had a chance to choose either tell their story or not, and that night campers that have seen death, fought her and won decided it wasn't the time to tell the story of what did happen.

[macravishedbymactavish]

Social Butterfly | Antisocial Moth (Keegan Russ x GN! Reader)

TW: A little bit of swearing? Total imposter syndrome for the social butterfly bits as the authors personality aligns closer to Keegan's. Creative liberties taken in backstories as there's next to nothing from the games.

Blog HQ

What do laws of physics and horoscopes have in common? Both say opposites attract.

Which may be the reason why you're sitting at lunch in the mess hall, chatting with the 3rd person that approached your table while your boyfriend sat silently beside you. In the span of 30 minutes.

"No way, of course did." You smiled, laughing at Harper's story about her middle child -- Noah who has been desperately trying to keep up with a girl he likes during gym class. Because if we run together af the same speed, then I get to talk to her more.

"He's gotten better, told me he shaved 5 seconds off his total time last week" the two of you chuckled. Your food barely touched, despite your boyfriend being almost done his. "Oh anyway, I should get going and let you eat. See you, bye Keegan!" He gave a short nod and awkward smile, as you bid your colleague goodbye.

"Oh my gosh, I love her. Her kids are so cute" you smiled over to the quiet man beside you. Like with your past 2 interactions at this lunch alone, Keegan was provided with context and background on all of them. Such as:

Parker - who recently got a new dog named Ranger. 6 month old Husky who argues with him on the daily. The dog is so cute babe, can we get one? Our dog and his dog could be best friends! Then Logan can bring Riley over for a playdate and all the dogs would be so happy. Please!

Then Finn - his girlfriend, Raven (your favourite mechanic on base who he will HAVE to meet) just got home from visiting her friends from back home. He really wants to propose but isn't quite sure if this is a good time for them. I think he should do it because they are literally soulmates.

Did he really care about any of this information? Not overly. Keegan was your opposite. Preferring a smaller, tighter knit social circle than knowing everyone on base. Even if that meant you teasing him about his social circle consisting of his team, even then he didn't know a whole lot of details about them.

"I know plenty about them" He argued one night while getting ready for bed.

"Yeah? Like what?" You challenged, leaning back on the bed, watching your boyfriend roll his eyes. He was the antisocial moth to your social butterfly.

"Uh Merrick started in the seals before he was a Ghost. Knew me since I was 18, so he's pretty much my family. Loves cats, camping and his kids" You raised an eyebrow, internally adding that his wife was the best baker you've met, and that his son played hockey for many years while his daughter played soccer.

"Ajax is the most stubborn, kindest asshole I've had the pleasure of working with. Extremely smart, one of the best mentors and friends I've had" His in-laws also own the local bar downtown and donate meals to the local homeless shelters every week. His partner plans on taking over the buisness one day to continue the good deeds.

"Uh Elias knows his stuff. I couldn't ask for a better commander. Been through hell and back but continues putting the team first, he's also the one who recruited me onto the team". He also lost his wife 8 years after his youngest was born and has been balancing his life between raising 2 sons and commanding a team. He feels bad every so often feeling like he didn't give them a proper childhood, or forcing David to grow up a little too fast to take care of his brother. Even though he loves the bond the two have formed. He is the dad friend of every social circle.

"Logan is good, young and full of potential. Doesn't say much, but knows what he wants out of life and is working his ass off toward getting it. Picks up on things extremely quick, has your back at all times, loves Riley and any other animal he comes across. A bit on the quiet side but that's not a bad thing" You laughed softly, realizing every single description Keegan has given you so far is 95% work related; so continuing in the current format. You bit your lip, in an attempt not to add that Logan was a very sweet kid, of minimal words as your boyfriend pointed out, sure. But he told you once that he hoped to make his family proud with what he was doing. Then got extremely red the day you and his brother told him just how proud everyone is of him.

"What's so funny over there, chuckles?" Keegan smiled at you, walking over to join you in the bed. Opting to lay between your thighs with his head on your stomach. Fingers automatically going to his hair, you felt him relax into your touch.

"I think it's funny that everything was work related. They do lead lives off base, like you and me" you felt him shrug silently. "You forgot about Hesh and Kick". Not bothering to move, he continued.

"Everyone in California knows Hesh's life story, and Kick is just a smartass". He had you there. "And not everyone is as open and talkative as you hun."

--

"Hey, it's been so long I've seen you. How have you been?" Another competitor entered the ring that was your shared table.

"It's been tiring, honestly. Coming back to work from extended leave has killed our motivation" hand finding Keegan's under the table, you were immediately engulfed in conversation with another face he didn't recognize. Lunch forgotten as your interest in the subject grew.

It was when Hesh Walker (the only person on base who held a candle to your social attitude) joined that Keegan decided he was done with lunch. Squeezing your hand 3 times under the table (a silent "I love you") he got up.

"See you guys" he responded to the 3 voices bidding him goodbye, as he went to drop his tray off before leaving.

"Tell me, how is it that the quietest soldier ended up dating the one of the loudest ones?" He heard Kick ask from behind him, walking alongside Elias and Merrick. "Your person could talk to a brick wall and become best friends with it in under 5 minutes". Keegan shrugged, falling in step with the group.

"They bring out the best side of our dear old Keegan though" Merrick clapped him on the shoulder with a mischievous grin. He found it rather comical watching you and Keegan out in a social atmosphere.

You working the room, chatting with anyone and everyone. Remembering random details about most people you've talked to. Him quietly watching you from across the room, or by your side nodding along to conversation. Things none of the senior team would've expected from their sniper 3 years ago, before he met you.

"Yeah. They're pretty great" Keegan smiled, allowing himself to fade into the background and listen to the conversation in front of him turn to whatever sports game the guys watched last night.

Your personalities may be day and night from one another, but he wouldn't give it up for th-

"Keeg! We aren't done talking about the dog we're going to adopt" he heard you yell from somewhere behind him. Causing him to freeze in place as the men in front of him began laughing. Feeling his face burn, knowing all passing eyes were now on either him or his ball of energy jogging up behind him.

But what can he say, opposites clearly attract.

Taglist: @bloodonmyhands-1221 @ai-luni

[shy-urban-hobbit]

For day 3 of Whumptober - journal.

(CW canon character death).

Lambert placed the empty box on the bed as he took in the room he hadn't entered in over a year. It used to be their room, but after Aiden....he just hadn't been able to stand sleeping alone in there and had enlisted his brothers help in moving his stuff into the guest room, requesting that they leave anything of Aiden's exactly where it was. This time though, he'd kept his plans for the day to himself and purposely silenced his phone as an extra precaution. One or more of his family would only insist on coming over, or drop by on some flimsy pretence (last time it has been Jaskier asking to borrow a cook book when everyone knew the man could burn water) and whilst it was something he usually loved them for, this was something he needed to do alone.

The sweater hanging off the back of the chair was just as soft as he remembered, although he couldn't decide whether he was relieved or sad that it's owners scent had long faded. The shirts in the wardrobe were still hanging in the very specific order that made no sense to Lambert but Aiden insisted on, as were the t-shirts and trousers. He should probably donate these to somebody at some points but right now it was a small victory getting them packed away in a box to be stored away. Baby steps, that's what the grief counselor had said.

Aiden's bedside table was next. An amalgamation of organised clutter. The second hand paperback he'd been reading, alongside his reading glasses. A strip of the painkillers for the frequent headaches he suffered from (ironically, usually caused by trying to read without his glasses. Something Lambert would tease him about endlessly). The wallet one of the siblings Aiden had still been in touch with had gifted him one Christmas, alongside a bunch of expired bank cards, store cards and receipts that he put to one side to go in the trash.

A familiar book bound in blue leather tucked to the back of the drawer caught his attention. Not a day had gone by where he hadn't seen Aiden scribbling in that. He'd never been precious about keeping it hidden, telling Lambert he was free to look although most of it was probably just lists and doodles. Half joking that if he had any earth shattering secrets, he wouldn't be writing them down considering that one of the first things that got drilled into him when he got involved with Dyn Marv as an angry, confused pre teen was "'Never write anything down that could be used as evidence". Lambert had never taken him up on it before, out of respect for Aiden's privacy even though he'd said it was fine. Now though...who knows? Maybe there was something in here that could provide answers to questions he wasn't even sure why he was still asking.

He flicked it open at a random page. Aiden's hand writing stated back at him in a sparkly green pen. The list made absolutely no sense without any context, a list of foods all beginning with the letter C. The following pages were much the same until he came across a note written in what appeared to be Sharpie of a time and place Lambert knew very well. The time and place of their first official date. Lambert flicked further, Aiden's random notes to himself becoming more frequently interspersed with actual entries. A couple of paragraphs of Aiden gushing like a lovesick teen the morning after he'd first spent the night, even though they'd done nothing more than sleep. A drawing of a coffee cup accompanied only by the words "He remembers my order!!!". An entire page devoted to how nervous Aiden was about meeting Lambert's family. Anecdotes were now accompanied by matching doodles. A roughly drawn penguin alongside a story about a zoo trip that has Lambert smiling at the memory. A sudden return to less frequent entries, back to the original lists and the writing borderline sloppy, reminding Lambert of a period he'd rather forget. The fight and consequent break up that had followed. The tentative influx of entries hinting at when they'd decided to give it another go. Pages full of furniture lists and budgets from when they'd decided to move in together. A childishly drawn sun from when Ciri had gotten hold of it that one time. Instead of getting mad, Aiden had laughed and asked her to sign it, hence the big "C" in crayon in one corner ("A Ciri original. Could be worth a bit someday.").

Lambert felt tears gathering in his eyes. For all Aiden's talk of leaving no evidence, what was this if not evidence of how happy he'd been with Lambert, of their lives together, the life they'd hoped to build written down plain as day?

"Lambert?" Eskel called out as he opened the door to Lambert's house using his spare key, Geralt following close behind flicking on the lights as he headed to the kitchen.

"Lambert, you in?" The larger of the two called out as he made his way upstairs, "Nobody's heard from you all day, we were getting worried. Geralt bought food if you're hungry!"

It was then he noticed the door to Lambert's old bedroom was slightly ajar, "Lambert?" He called softly, slowly swinging the door fully open and flicking the bedside lamp on.

His little brother was sat on the floor by what was once Aiden's side of the bed, tears falling freely as he quietly cried, an open book on the floor in front of him.

"Oh, Lam." Eskel cooed, dropping to his knees and gently pulling him into a hug. A hug which turned even tighter when he caught the words written on the page in Aiden's writing. Something about how he'd accidentally found the ring a week ago and couldn't wait for Lambert to pluck up enough courage to ask.

[lambtotheslaughterr]

The Agenda Today

A Lloyd Hansen Mini Series

PART SEVEN

[THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN THEMES OF NON-CON/DUB-CON, MENTAL-EMOTIONAL-PHYSICAL ABUSE, ETC. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. 18+. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT]

WC: 3.2k

Dividers provided by @firefly-graphics

PART SIX | MASTERLIST | PART EIGHT

12:08 PM

            It had been three days since Lloyd had his way with you. And surprisingly enough, he hadn’t followed through on his end of the deal thus far. The end where after you’re done with Gracie you go to ‘take care of him’, as he so pridefully put. You were relieved that you were spending your days with Gracie, well into the night as well since you would sometimes fall asleep with her. But you never evaded that overwhelming sense that Lloyd would be making up for time lost. Still though, you tried not to think about it too often, instead focusing on Gracie.

            Currently, the two of you were in the kitchenette hut. Another surprise of yours was that Lloyd allowed you a lot of freedom when it came to Gracie. He had Doherty take down a list of items you would need for her: from educational supplies to food to things she could do for fun. For Gracie’s sake you couldn’t have been more happier considering the circumstance. You only hoped that there was an end to it.

            Lunch for today was a salad, strawberries, & grilled salmon. Gracie sat at the table, reading out loud a book from the Magic Tree House series. You listened intently to her sounding out the words as you prepped lunch. Wanda would be proud. Though you weren’t nearly as much of a cook as she had been, you had learned a thing or two in the years you spent working alongside one another. Your heart fell at her memory. You hoped to escape so you could give her son & his family the closure you imagine they were looking for.

            You finished lunch, placing the salmon on a bed of spinach before bringing it all to Gracie. She smiled gratefully, sliding her book away from her, “Ooh.” She giggled, hungrily jabbing a fork into the salmon. You chuckled at her actions.

            When you sat down next to her, staring absent-mindedly at the table, Gracie frowned, swallowing her food before talking, “What’s wrong, _____? Aren’t you hungry?”

            Truth is, you were. Very hungry. But you had no appetite. You knew you should be forcing yourself to eat so you could have strength & energy, & most of the time you did, but in that moment, you couldn’t stomach anything that you made.

            You shrugged, “I’ll eat later. Not very hungry right now.”

            Gracie clearly wanted to say more but left it alone, focusing on her own food. You glanced around then, of course spotting Doherty nearby as he patrolled around the perimeter of the hut. You could see the outline of a gun tucked under his shirt in the back of his pants. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he walked but you could sense that he was watching the both of you in his peripheral. Always.

            You contemplated how you could get him to talk. You had seen very little of Lloyd’s other men, Doherty being pretty much the only man you ever saw. And unfortunately for you, he appeared very tough, strict, dedicated. You recalled how Lloyd told you that his men never did anything without his say. The likelihood that you could win Doherty over was non-existent, that much you knew. Which made your planning for escape that much harder.

            Any plan you had developed anyway had quickly fallen apart. You didn’t know the area, you didn’t have a mode of transportation or a means to contact someone on the outside. It wasn’t like you were trained for anything like this. The only thing you could do was keep you & Gracie alive while being held hostage, & hope an opportunity to escape presented itself.

            A sudden shout of frustration sounded behind you. Both you & Gracie turned to face the appearance of Lloyd as he came stomping out from a nearby tree-line. He wore a tight black top, tucked into cream-colored pants. The way he dressed you could picture him more at a tropical resort rather than a tropical forest. You hoped he was uncomfortable with his choice of attire.

            “Doherty!” He called to the tall blond man.

            You watched as Doherty & Lloyd met halfway in the opening between huts & trees. Doherty never had his back to the two of you as he spoke to Lloyd. From where they stood you couldn’t make anything out. Gracie was watching too. You turned to her, smiling so she wouldn’t worry like you were. You gestured to her plate, “You have eat up as much as you can.”

            She frowned, looking once more at the men, before turning her attention back to her plate. You sighed softly, watching the men in the corner of your eye. Lloyd was angry. Real angry. He spoke in a hushed tone but his face was growing red. Doherty expressionlessly nodded to whatever he was saying. Then Lloyd gestured in your direction. You felt your heart stumble. That couldn’t be a good sign…

            Doherty looked past him, meeting your eyes briefly. Then Lloyd reached into his pants pocket, pulling out what looked to be a set of keys. He then went to walk away before returning back to Doherty, saying something once more. Finally he slipped a large pair of shades onto his face & disappeared in the direction he came from.

            Your stomach churned at what the keys may lead to. And the fact that he gestured to you & Gracie before handing them to Doherty. You had a bad feeling…

            Doherty suddenly appeared to your left, quiet & nimble as always. He stared down at you, cocking his head for you to stand up. You felt your brows furrow, but didn’t dare question him.

            “Gracie.” You announced, gently touching her shoulder, “Bring your food, honey. We’re going back to your hut.”

            Of course, Doherty said nothing as he led the two of you through the trees. It was at the same time that Gracie said something that you noticed it as well.

             “_____, this isn’t the way to my hut.”

            You felt your heart stammer within your chest. But you couldn’t show any fear, not with Gracie depending on you. You swallowed a dry lump, giving her a reassuring smile, one that you knew even she wouldn’t buy, “It’s okay. It’s probably just another hut for the two of us.”

            A minute later, you were unsure if you should’ve been worried or relieved that you had been right. Indeed it was another hut, but unlike the others, this one was much more isolated. The surrounding bush life & trees were much thicker, & further away from the other huts. Doherty stepped up onto the porch, producing the keys he had been given by Lloyd. He unlocked the double doors before stepping to the side.

            “What’s going on?” You questioned, not quite ready to step inside the hut with Gracie without knowing more.

Doherty met your eyes but said nothing, his face remaining the same stoic expression it always carried. You quickly surmised you would get nothing from him.

“Just tell me everything is okay.” You lowered your voice, not wanting Gracie to hear. But your attention was quickly taken over with Gracie racing forward into the hut.

“_____, _____! There’s a swing!”

Forgetting your attempt of getting an answer out of Doherty, you hurriedly followed behind her. Stepping inside, it was clear that this hut was bigger than yours & Gracie’s combined. The bottom floor was black tiled, with a single full size bed in the corner. Around to the right was a small kitchen along the wall & a small table with two chairs. Beyond the kitchen was a set of doors that led to an enclosed opening. It was there that you found Gracie lying happily on a hammock tied between two trees.

“Gracie!” You hissed worriedly, “You cannot run off like that, okay? We’re still not entirely safe.”

She frowned, but nodded, “I know. I just miss playing like this.”

You sighed, mustering a weak smile. As she swung lazily in the hammock, you walked along the edge of the enclosure. The wall was just slightly taller than you, the trees on the other side quite a bit more so. It was eerily private. Even Doherty didn’t follow the two of you in. Peering back inside, you notes the doors to the hut were closed.

“Where’s your food?” You questioned, suddenly realizing that Gracie didn’t have her plate of food anymore, “You need to eat it all.”

“I did.” She responded.

“I’ll be right back.” You told her, “Hollar if you need me, alright?”

Gracie hummed to herself as you went back inside. Just pass the entry doors, you observed her plate of mostly eaten food on the kitchen counter. You opened the fridge, surprised to see plenty of food stocked within. But you wondered just why? A new hut, completely removed from the other huts, plenty of food. It all led you to believe you would be here for quite some time.

Checking on Gracie once more, you ventured through the hut. In your race to follow behind Gracie, you had completely missed a staircase that led to a second floor. Ascending it slowly, you were slightly taken aback to find that it was only an open air balcony, much like the one you had woken up on when you first arrived here. But this one was much smaller. And unlike the other one, you couldn’t see much in any direction. Plant life was much too thick, not allowing you to assess where exactly you were.

Back on the main floor, Gracie still lied on the hammock. You recalled her book, knowing it must have been left behind. Something innate told you that you’d be here for some time & wanted to ensure that Gracie had her things to keep her schedule as on track as possible. Though this was a nightmarish reality, you wanted her to pretend that it was just a temporary home away from home. She needed regularity.

You approached the front doors, going to pull them open when they jolted stiffly. You tried once more. They were locked. You knocked on them loudly.

“Doherty.” You called through the door, knowing he wouldn’t have just left. He was yours & Gracie’s eagle-eyed guard after all. “Doherty, we need Gracie’s things.”

No sound came from the other side, not even a shoe scuffle to signify that he was indeed there. You pressed your ear to the door, listening intently, but still nothing. You groaned softly. Absolutely nothing about the predicament you were in had been ideal in the last couple weeks but being completely isolated, even from the bad guys, didn’t make you feel any better.

Unfortunately, there were no windows that faced the front to aid you in seeing where Doherty was, if he was even nearby. But you couldn’t imagine he had wandered far…

Outside, Gracie was now sitting up in the hammock, a forlorn look on her face.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You asked, placing a comforting hand on her back.

“I miss dad.” She spoke softly, “He hasn’t called.”

“I know, I know.” You agreed, “This isn’t like normal, like what we’re used to. But I’ve spoken to him.”

Gracie glanced up at you wide-eyed, hopeful, “You have?!”

“Yeah.” You smiled softly, trying to forget the last time you had actually seen him over the laptop screen in Lloyd’s bunker, “He’s okay.”

Gracie sniffled, rubbing at her eyes to prevent herself from crying.

“It’s okay, Gracie.” You reminded her, “I know this is scary & you want your dad but this will soon be over. You’ll see him real soon.”

“You promise?” Her voice quivered.

“I promise.” You offered your pinky, which she took, tightening her own small finger around it. “Before you know it, we’ll be back home, & your dad will read to you every night before bed.”

Gracie hugged you then. You wrapped your arms around her, feeling her body shake. You fluttered your eyes closed, picturing the two of you seeing Raj again. How happy Gracie will be, how relieved Raj would be.

You pulled her tighter against, afraid that if you let go too soon, then the dream would disappear, too.

6:48 PM

            It was almost Gracie’s bed time when you heard the creak of the front doors. The bed in the corner was just out of sight. You were sitting on it, waiting for Gracie to finish up in the bathroom off to the right. When the doors creaked open, you stood, automatically standing between the bathroom door & whoever was coming through. But you already had an idea of who it would be…

            As you suspected, Lloyd appeared. But unlike other times he always appeared before you, there was no smile on his face. No, this Lloyd was royally pissed, & it was clear he intended to take it out on you.

            Immediately, you took a step back, “What’s going on?”

            He cocked his head, fast approaching you, a mirthful displeased smirk gracing his lips, “Where’s the brat?”

            You braced yourself against the door, blocking him, though you knew it would likely be futile, “Why?”

            Lloyd easily shoved you out of the way, but not without you yanking on his arms to deter him. He shoved you harder, forcing you to land ungracefully against the side of the bed. The wind had been knocked briefly from you. You stood on shaky legs as he swung the bathroom door open.

            Gracie stood at the sink, her finger in her mouth since there had not been a toothbrush waiting for her. She stared wide-eyed & scared at Lloyd as his large figure filled the doorframe.

            “Lloyd!” Your voice uneven. What was he doing?

            You attempted to squeeze into the bathroom but he held you back with his arm, easily blocking you.

            “Come with me, kid.”

            “What? No!”

            Lloyd harshly grabbed Gracie by the upper arm, dragging her from the bathroom. She began to cry, resisting his pull. When you reached for her, & her you, he threw Gracie over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes.

            “Lloyd, goddamnit!” You screamed after him, “You swore you wouldn’t hurt her!”

            You grabbed the closest thing you could find, which happened to be a candlestick holder on a table at the foot of the bed. Without thought or concern, you chucked it at his back. With a solid thud & clank, it hit Lloyd in the center between his shoulder blades. The candlestick was much heavier than you had anticipated.

            Following your assault though, Lloyd hissed, spinning around quickly. Gracie was like a non-threatening fly on his shoulder, punching him with her little fists as he fast approached you. In a second, he had a vice-like hold on your throat, throwing you up against the nearest wall. You clawed at his hand, feeling the air in your lungs get blocked right away.

            Lloyd glared hotly down at you, “One more fucking thing like that & I’ll break every single one of her fingers.”

            You winced, pleading with your eyes, but you saw that there was no reasoning with his man.

            “Don’t—hurt her.” You managed to force out. Lloyd seethed at you through gritted teeth, “Then don’t make me.”

            With that, he tossed you to the side. You landed painfully on your knees. When he turned on you once again, Gracie stared at you with tear-filled eyes. You nodded at her once, “You’ll be okay, I promise, Gracie!”

            Then Lloyd disappeared with her, the doors slamming shut behind them. And suddenly you were alone, feeling nauseous & helpless.

7:06 AM

            You fought sleep all night, but eventually succumbed to it. It wasn’t until the alarm on your watch that Lloyd had granted you disturbed you, waking you from a deep sleep. You were on the bed, & as your eyes blearily took in your surroundings, you realized Gracie hadn’t come back.

            You quickly rose from the bed, speed-walking to the front doors. You pulled on them, but again they did not give. You knocked endlessly. Pounding & screaming against the doors. Every horror-story scenario flashed through your mind. Gracie trapped in a chair in a bunker. Her body buried in some shallow grave in the forest. Every possible horrible thing that could happen to her flooded your thoughts. You wouldn’t stop pounding on the door until you saw her again.

            You weren’t pounding for much longer when you finally heard distant footfalls. They grew closer, foliage crunching under the steps. You jumped back, blindly finding the candlestick you had thrown at Lloyd the previous night. Raising it to just beside your head, holding it like a baseball bat, you left enough room between yourself & the doors. You didn’t believe in a god, but you prayed mercilessly that Gracie would walk through the door.

            Unfortunately, it was the last person you wanted to see.

            Doherty stood just ahead of you, staring fearlessly at you. Your eyes fell to his hands. He carried no weapon, except for the one you knew to be in the back of his pants.

            “Where’s Gracie?” You questioned, your voice as exhausted as you felt. You held the candlestick tightly, never lowering it.

            Doherty glared at the object before narrowing his eyes at you.

            “I swear I’ll bash your head in. Tell me where she is!”         

            He cocked his head at that, blatantly unperturbed by your threat. But ultimately, he turned his back on you, slowly descending the porch steps, leaving the doors wide open. You frowned. Slowly, you approached. You watched as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs, clearly waiting for you. You held your breath, warily stepping through the threshold.

            There was no one else in sight. Just you & the unsettlingly quiet man.

            You ended up lowering the candlestick, but still held it tightly.

            Following behind Doherty, he began to lead you through the forest. The pit in your stomach continue to churn. It was beginning to become a normal feeling. One that you hoped you would never feel again. But until then…

            As Doherty led you, you began to recognize the surroundings. It wasn’t outright familiar, but you had definitely been there before. It was just before you got to the opening that you knew exactly where you were heading. As Doherty breached the tree-line, you paused in your movement, shaking your head.

            “Tell me where Gracie is or I run off in the trees. I’m fast, & you’ll lose me.”

            Doherty looked at you, shaking his head, “You’re no faster than a bullet.” It was your first time ever hearing his voice, & it was as deeply disturbing as he carried himself to be. His Irish accent was thick, but full of promise.     

            “And we both know you won’t leave without the little girl.”

            You swallowed. He was right. You bit your lip in frustration.

            “Bring the candlestick if you want. Whatever makes you feel safest.”

            With that, he approached the mound you had entered once before. Doherty unlatched the door, swinging it open. You stayed standing still, your breathing coming in uneven pants.

            “Just tell me she’s okay…” You couldn’t help the fearful tears that watered your vision.

            Doherty held the door open wider, his face expressionless.

            And without saying another word, you knew what he was saying—

            There is only one way to find out.

Sorry for the wait, ya'll. I ended up writing a whole ass poetry collection completed with art by moi & am looking to get it published. My sister & her family also surprised everyone by showing up to town for a week so that has kept me busy as well.

Now that I'm back, I hope you enjoy this filler chapter. Honestly, I'm not much feeling The Agenda Today anymore. I've kind of lost inspiration for it. However, I'll still be finishing as I don't like to leave anything unfinished, but I did want to warn that it may not be my best work.

Anyway, as always, please share with me your thoughts! Asks, reblogs, comments are always much appreciated. Perhaps someone on here can convince me why this story deserves my best?

Thank you for reading!

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[maremartinelli]

WE HAVE TO CHANGE BAKERS

Edmund Pevensie X Fem!reader

Summary: In which Y/n prepares a picnic for her boyfriend and bakes a cake. But let's just say she's not good in the kitchen.

Words: 1.3K+

Warnings: Mentions of crying, spoiled food, but still very cute and a loving Ed.

Author: Always saying, English is not my first language!! I apologize for the silly and weird mistakes. But still, I hope you like it. (If there were any Brazilians here!! Go to my Wattpad and see my books @ma_pavlikovsky)

MASTERLIST

4 years ago, Y/n became one of the queens of Narnia, but unlike the others, she was not a Pevensie. But it was in the family, as she and Edmund had started dating since they became kings and queens.

At the moment, Queen Y/n - the supportive one, was in the castle kitchen making a cake to share at the picnic she would have later with Ed.

The woman loved cooking and decorating food for them, but there was one catch: everything or almost everything she made wasn't as edible. She always excitedly asked if the food was good because she made it, and they always said yes, so as not to discourage the girl.

There was even one time when Lucy felt so sorry that she started crying while she had a bad piece of Y/n's cake in her mouth. "Guys, poor thing. She makes it with so much care, but it's never edible. I feel like I could cry all night"

Let go of her because Y/n wasn't around, because Susan spent hours trying to calm her down.

The cake was already cold on the table while Y/n finished making the frosting. Some castle servants even offered to help her, so that perhaps this time they could taste the food. But the woman gently denied it, saying she would do it alone and it had to be special, as she and Edmund were celebrating 4 years of dating that week.

Queen Y/n moved to the kitchen table and began decorating the cake, while quickly looking out the window and noticing that it was almost time to go meet Ed in the castle garden.

Once she was done, she looked for a picnic basket and put out everything she thought they had a right to eat. The baked cake she made, the fruit from the orchard behind the castle, a good sweet bread from the village baker, cheeses and cold cuts that Ed brought from his last trip and a good wine that Susan gave her on her last birthday.

After putting everything into the basket, she ran to the meeting point. While Edmund was already waiting for his beloved.

"Sorry for the delay, I took too long in the kitchen preparing the basket" She walks up to her boyfriend and he kisses the tip of her nose.

"It's okay, I just got here too" he said sweetly and helped Y/n with the basket, while the woman placed the towel on the floor, so they could sit down.

The view they had was incredible, it looked directly onto the beach in front of the castle and the trees around it provided delicious shade, while the sweet smell of flowers wafted through the air in the wind.

Y/n and Edmund had been talking and drinking wine for some time, when the boy decided he would eat a piece of the cake. At first, Queen Y/n didn't say that she was the one who made the food, she was anxiously waiting to hear what Ed would say.

When the King put a piece in his mouth, Y/n looked at him in hope as his eyebrows adjusted upwards, but Ed's expression quickly changed as he swallowed the piece and dropped the rest into the basket.

"Honestly. We have to change bakers, I don't know what happened to that cake, but it's definitely not good" He said taking a sip of the wine, to see if the horrible taste left his mouth.

Y/n stared at him in disbelief. I didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

But let's be honest, there have been a few times when Y/n has tried her own food and wanted to vomit. So well, she was holding herself back from laughing instead of crying.

"Y/n, please. Don't buy from this cake baker anymore." Ed says again, while there are still remnants of cake in his mouth. "And don't eat that. I got some cheese" he holds up a piece of cheese and puts it in Y/n's mouth. As she chewed slowly and looked at him. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Edmund asks as he saw his girlfriend look at him with a look of disbelief and someone who was trying not to laugh.

"It wasn't the baker who made it" she begins and Ed looks at her, his expression changing. "It was me..." Y/n looks into her boyfriend's eyes and then takes another sip of the wine that was in her glass.

Edmund opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out but murmurs.

"I-I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said, I-I thought..." Y/n definitely left Ed speechless.

But clearly the Queen wasn't mad at him.

"It's okay, Ed. It happens." She starts to laugh and then Ed's expression softens.

"No, you made this cake with love and dedication and I delivered it saying it was bad" Ed was remorseful.

Y/n laughs at her boyfriend's despair.

"Hey, hey. It's okay," she laughs. "I'm not mad, and well, this cake is probably really bad. Let's be honest, I know when you, Peter, Susan and Lucy are lying to me. And I also know that my food is bad, I just tried to make it last time today. But it clearly didn't work out." Y/n laughs again, placing a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Ed shakes his head and laughs a little.

"I'm sorry" he says again and Y/n looks at him smiling. "It was really bad"

Y/n laughs and Ed smiles looking at his girlfriend.

"Okay. Let me see" she removes her hand from her boyfriend's shoulder and Ed takes the glass from her so he can cut the cake.

As soon as she cuts and eats a piece, she grimaces and swallows it in disgust.

"Ok Eds, this is TERRIBLE" Y/n says as she picked up her glass from Edmund again and took a large sip of the wine. "How come I didn't kill you with those foods?" She asks and Ed laughs, approaching her and leaving a long kiss on her temple.

"You try hard, we didn't want to discourage you" he smiles watching his girlfriend eat some cheese, to see if the bad taste in her mouth disappears.

Author: I confess that in my 18 years I had never watched Narnia, I went to see it a short time ago and fell in love with another one (or two)

[venisontransmission]

So! Alastor's past!

Béatrice and Samuel did not marry because they were in love. They married because after a few nights together, Béatrice was with child. While they were a mixed race couple, Béatrice was Hatian, and Samuel was white - deep traditions in the South were rather firm about the idea of a man marrying the woman carrying his child.

Béatrice was distraught about marrying a man she did not love and feared the ostracization she would face over marrying a white man. But she wanted this child - she already loved them and knew she could not provide for her baby alone.

January 3rd, 1898, Alfred Jadou Foster was born. He has his mother's dark hair and eyes, but his facial features and body type are entirely his father's. His skin was tanned, but Béatrice was hopeful that her baby would not experience the harsh discrimination that she did.

Béatrice doted on her son. Alfred was a quiet boy who was deeply attached to his mother. It was rare to see him not clinging to her skirt up until the age of six. He didn't have much of a relationship with his father. He knew Samuel worked a job at a factory nearby and came home late, so they had very little moments together.

Just as well - his father held little to no affection for his son.

When Béatrice went out or was busy, she left Alfred with his maternal grandmother. She adored her grandson and wanted him to know about that side of his heritage (she had fought with her daughter in regards to her keeping that side of his family a secret from him). In reality, it was Samuel who forbade her from teaching Alfred Hatian Creole or introducing him to traditions.

His grandmother taught Alfred a lot of the basics of Hatian Creole and traditions - eventually, his mother would relent and secretly teach him the language as well as their traditions. Notably, mother and son bonded deeply through cooking.

Alfred, noticeably, did not emote much. This concerned Béatrice and agitated Samuel, who had recently lost his job due to the economy crashing. He started spending more time at home - drinking more after getting a job as a butcher.

Samuel is verbally abusive to Alfred, but rarely is it physical. He is physical with his wife, something that Alfred would constantly try to prevent to no success. Alfred learns to pretend to emote. Real emotions don't come to him normally. He doesn't understand why, but he feels disconnected from the world and calls these 'in-between' moments 'static'.

The only time his head feels clear is when he starts trapping and killing small animals in the woods by his home. He becomes an expert at tracking and goes hunting as he gets older to put food on the table.

As Alfred ages, his father's frustration and physical aggression turn to him - which is exactly what he wants. He protects his mother at all costs, eventually being injured by Samuel smashing a bottle on his head and damaging the vision in his right eye.

His mother uses all her savings to buy him a radio for his thirteenth birthday, knowing how much he loved them. When he is sixteen, he starts working for a local radio show to earn extra money.

At eighteen, he's kicked out of the house by his father. Alfred makes plans to buy an apartment, get a good job, and take his mother out of that house.

When Alfred is nineteen, his mother dies due to bleeding in the brain caused by multiple head injuries.

A few days later, Alfred takes his hunting rifle, kills his father, then eats him, and scatters his remains in the forest.

[shegatsby]

The Last of Us

Warnings; Post apocalyptic world. SMUT! P in v, unprotected sex, don't be silly wrap your willy. Angst, slow burn.

Will the reader go with Joel and Ellie or stay at Jackson?

Words; 3.107K

A/N; Hi guys! Smut is here but its kinda sad. English isn't my native language so apologies on advance. Enjoy.

TAG LIST IS OPEN!

Summary; Ever since childhood you had to survive, you were born before the disease so you kinda remembered what was it like, to have a hot shower, clean food etc. You didn’t know what happened to your parents because they were on a vacation and left you with your grandma who passed away during the chaos. You were 10 when it happened, a child who had to be a woman over night. What happens when you are a brink from killing yourself and find purpose again?

Chapter Seven- One Night

‘’We settled here about 7 years ago.’’ Maria was giving the history of the town which called Jackson, as they were walking Y/N noticed that people were looking at them with curiosity in their eyes. They had school, laundry, gardens to grow fruit and vegetables, maybe her dream was becoming true, she liked teaching back at Boston QZ until FEDRA stopped her. She had this stupid idea that Maria and other people in Jackson would want them there, well, what’s humanity without hope persevering.

They had a barn for the horses they ride and the sheep they have, ‘’Hey Joel, check it.’’

Maybe the universe was finally granting their wishes. As Ellie was petting the baby horse Shimmer, Y/N was listening to Maria explaining how things run here,  Maria turned to her husband Tommy ‘’Well, I’m sure they would like a shower, some new clothes. We can put them in the empty house cross the street from us.’’

Joel seemed uncomfortable with things being given to him freely, he wasn’t use to that.

‘’Yeah. It’s a decent place. Pretty much untouched since ’03, but it’s got heat goin’ in it. Could do worse.’’ With the news of heat in a house Y/N was over the moon, so many things she used to have were now luxury.

‘’Trust me, we have been.’’ Ellie said looking at Joel and Y/N for support, ‘’We’ve been doin’ fine.’’ Joel immediately responded, it had been months ever since she met him and she was figuring him out, Joel was a father back then, and being a parent stuck to him, he enjoyed protecting his clan and providing, taking care of things and Jackson represented all the things he couldn’t give to them, to his new found family. He felt little in front of his baby brother, ‘’Yes, we’ve been doing fine but thank you again, for the hospitality.’’ Y/N had this instinct to be on Joel’s side all the time even if he was wrong.

Maria took Y/N and Ellie to their new house while Joel and Tommy went to talk. The house looked normal, two stores, as soon as they walked in they were welcomed by the heat, Maria left them alone to settle, she said they should visit her when they were done. Tommy was true, the house was untouched since forever, it looked cozy with comfortable chairs and yellow light, ‘’Let’s find the kid’s bedroom and you can shower there.’’ Y/N said as they climbed the stairs, ‘’And you’ll shower at parents’ bedroom with Joel.’’ Ellie said with a sarcastic tone and a smirk on her thin lips, she wasn’t stupid. ‘’Ha ha very funny.’’ They found the room, Maria’s people placed clothes for Ellie on the bed, ‘’See you in a bit.’’ And Y/N left her to find the parents’ bedroom, it was normal, big bed with two side tables that had lamps, a brown wardrobe, she found new clothes on the bed. A red sweater, jeans, new boots, underwear etc. She hit the shower immediately, the last time she got a hot shower was at Bill and Frank’s house and that was months ago. Her body welcomed the heat willingly, there were several choices of shampoo and body conditioners and thanks the gods above she found razors! Maybe the night they talked about what they would do manifested itself. As she covered herself with a brown towel and leaving the shower she heard some footsteps but thought it was Ellie. Her hair was damp and loose, her body smelled like the rose scented body wash and she walked into the bedroom finding Joel sitting at the edge of the bed, looking defeated. It was obvious that something was bothering him as soon as they stepped foot on the Jackson. ‘’Hi!’’ she said with a nervous tone, ‘’I’m-‘’ he looked to meet her eyes, ‘’I’m sorry, I was waiting for you to finish-‘’ he was mumbling, she could see the blush creeping on his beautiful face, ‘’Its okay.’’ She was holding the towel she was in with one hand, ‘’Look, they left clothes for us. No offence but please throw the old ones away.’’ She smiled gently and Joel stood up, almost crashing his lips onto hers, the thought of it made his heart beat faster, ‘’I should take a shower.’’ He said and walked past her, smelling the rose scent on her, his mind went to the roses he had in his garden back at Austin Texas, Sarah loved growing flowers.

When Y/N heard the water she got dressed and left the bedroom, found Ellie to visit Maria and Tommy’s place. Their house was right across and the white door was unlocked so they walked in. The fire place was lit, there were books and candles on the coffee table, blankets on the couch, Y/N imagined the happy couple curling up with their books by the fire place, she wondered if she could experience that kind of love.  There was a memorial on top of the fire place for two people called Kevin and Sarah, they thought those were Maria’s children, how they were wrong.

Maria came through the kitchen door which led to their back yard. She brought two coats for Ellie and Y/N, she wasn’t sure if Maria was doing this because she was a kind woman or because of Tommy, either way Y/N was over the moon. As Maria was cutting Ellie’s hair they were talking. They learned that Sarah was Joel’s daughter, it broke Y/N’s heart because she looked at when the day Sarah died, it was on the outbreak, she probably got bit or someone killed her, death of his daughter explained why he was like this. So many questions on her mind were answered.

Maria didn’t forget to warn them about Joel but Y/N and Ellie already heard his reputation back at the QZ, they went to the movies together. At first Y/N thought that Maria was joking, there wasn’t a movie theater but they made place for people to watch movies, they had a white screen and a projector, Y/N was with the adults at the back watching while Ellie was with the kids, sitting. Ellie kept looking at her back to see Y/N, every time she smiled and waved at her, clearly she had trust issues and Y/N was there to make sure that Ellie was heard and seen. Later Ellie said she wanted to explore, at first Y/N wasn’t sure but Maria reassured her, ‘’I’ll be at home, if anything goes bad just ran home and find me okay?’’ Y/N whispered in her ear so that Maria wouldn’t hear. Ellie nodded and left, later Y/N excused herself and walked to her new home. After living in that disastrous apartment this was a palace, whenever she remembered the QZ she had to relive her last day there, she almost killed herself and ready to leave this world, if it wasn’t for Joel she wouldn’t be here, of course coming here wasn’t an easy trip but Y/N, after years of solitude she felt like she had a purpose, keeping Ellie safe and taking care of two people who became so close to her that lately she couldn2t imagine a world without them.

It was a tiring day so climbed the stairs to bedroom to sleep, she didn’t forget to leave few lights on for Joel and Ellie, she found a long t-shirt in that wardrobe and wore it as a pj and carried her tired body to bed, as soon as her head hit the soft pillow she fell asleep.

What woke her up was the loud noises coming from Ellie’s bedroom, she woke up with a rush of adrenalin and run out of the bedroom, Ellie’s room was close to the stairs and hers was down the hall, just few steps. She didn’t have to walk in because she heard only Joel and Ellie, no one else so they weren’t under attack. 

‘’You’ll be way better off with Tommy.’’ Joel was explaining his decision and Y/N was silent, listening to them.

‘’Do you give a shit about me and Y/N or not?!’’ Ellie didn’t forget to include her too, ‘’Of course I do.’’ They were yelling at this point, she wanted to barge in and stop it but it wasn’t her place, they had to figure this out on their own. ‘’Then what are you so afraid of? I’m not her you know?!’’

Y/N’s hand went to cover her mouth, Ellie shouldn’t have brought Sarah into this, ‘’I’m sorry about your daughter Joel, but I’ve lost people too.’’

‘’You have no idea what loss is.’’ Joel’s unusual tone sent icy shivers to her spine, Ellie was on thin ice, ‘’Everybody I have cared for has either died or left me. Everybody, fucking except for you and Y/N!’’

Y/N was waiting impatiently for Joel to break his silence, she knew he was a stubborn man who would never back off from his decision, ‘’Now, come dawn we’re goin’ our separate ways.’’

Y/N was standing there, shocked to hear his words as Joel left Ellie’s room and slammed the door shut, she flinched, Joel saw her standing there, hair loose and in a long t-shirt, he quickly regret what just happened, he didn’t want her to see him like this but he couldn’t undo it, the damage was done. He walked to their shared bedroom, what surprised her was that he didn’t close the door, was this an invitation? Y/N hesitated at first but she had to talk to him, he couldn’t just treat Ellie like this. She walked to the bedroom, closed the door behind her, ‘’Care to explain your decision with me too or am I suppose to find out myself?’’ this was the first time she was confronting him, he was standing, back facing her, ‘’You heard.’’ His answer angered her even more, ‘’So you’re gonna ditch us. Perfect.’’ She kept her voice low so that Ellie wouldn’t hear her. Joel turned to face her, a deep frown, a sudden light in his eyes, a light that Y/N couldn’t put a finger on, ‘’I have to leave you. This is for your own good.’’ He was speaking as if he rehearsed his speech, ‘’And why is that Miller?!’’ he couldn’t believe the fire she had, usually she was so calm and gentle, seeing her like this.. he liked it. He took a step closer to her, ‘’Why can’t you understand woman?! I’m not capable of protecting you any longer, I can’t.’’ he paused to say something, thought better and stopped, he wanted to scream at her ‘’I cannot afford to lose you!’’ but he couldn’t do it, unbidden tears came to her all at once, there were mere inches between them so with all the force she had she pushed him with both hands, well, it didn’t make him move but the point was made, she turned to leave but Joel found himself grabbing her arm to stop her. She frowned, questioning him, ‘’Don’t’’ he whispered gently, ‘’Don’t go.’’ He pulled her towards his torso, ‘’Give us a one good night.’’ He was begging. Ever since he saw her for the first time at the QZ he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She kept consuming his thoughts and spending months together, sleeping close to each other, watching her take care of them didn’t help at all. He had to have her all for himself tonight, he only wished for his feelings to be mutual. Her head pressed his torso, she could feel how frantic his breathing was, his big hands went to her back, hugging her. She lifted her gaze to meet his dark ones, there was a silent agreement, tonight was theirs and tomorrow he was leaving her, with a broken heart she lifted herself to match his height to kiss him.

The kiss was a relief, all those lost opportunities during the time they spent together came crushing down, Joel eagerly kissed her back, his hands went to her ass cheeks and he cupped them with a sudden force which made Y/N to open her mouth and moan in pleasure, it drove him crazy. He just wanted to slam her against the wall and take her but he wanted to savor her, he wanted to remember this for the rest of his life. Her hands went to his face, gently caressing, his beard tickling her palms, their bodies seemed glued to each other, she pulled back to breath, it was too much. She thought she would see regret in his dark eyes but all she found was desire, she was glad. ‘’Do you want this?’’ Joel asked, his forehead against hers, ‘’Yes, please-‘’ the way she begged triggered something in him and his hands went to lift her oversized t-shirt, she was naked underneath, he liked what he saw. Y/N could feel a sudden shyness creeping to her face but she kept calm, let him look at her up and down, he was a man starved, her hands went to her green plaid shirt, their movements got quicker the seconds past by.

She traced her fingers to the old scars on his broad chest, she wanted to ask him the story of his scars but the desire consumed them together, he stopped her hands when she reached to his jeans, she looked puzzled but Joel guided her to the bed, gently laid her to watch him get undress for her.

It was a sight sore eyes, he was completely naked and she could see how thick he was, should she be nervous?

‘’Spread your legs for me.’’ He said with a low baritone, he spit into his palm and his hand went to his cock, stroking as she spread her legs for him, she was getting wetter and wetter, ‘’Touch yourself.’’ In one of his fantasies Y/N was touching herself like this, Y/N’s one hand went to her slick folds and other to her tit, squeezing, she arched her back with the sensation, Joel was hard as a rock and couldn’t take it any longer. He knelt on the bed between her legs, heavy breaths filled the room, anticipation killed Y/N, she had dreams of this moment for months, Joel rubbed the tip of cock to her wet core, she shuddered in agony, she wanted him inside and quick, ‘’We have to be quiet, can you do that for me darlin’? Can you be a good girl and take it?’’ this new side of Joel surprised her in a good way, she nodded but it wasn’t enough for him. ‘’Use your words sugar.’’ He was still rubbing the tip of his cock and driving her mad with the sensation, ‘’Yes, I’ll do what you say please just fuck me please.’’ Joel was also surprised to see this side of her, chasing after what she demanded, ‘’Good girl.’’ He praised her, ‘’I have to open you up first.’’ He announced and opened her up with his two thick fingers, she had to shut her mouth with her palm to stop herself from moaning loud but the muffled voices made his cock jump in excitement. He fingered her slowly, it had been a while for them since their last sexual encounters, probably years, so Joel was taking it slow, they had the night for themselves.

The wet sounds of her soaked cunt made pumped blood to his cock, his fingers were merciless, giving her pleasure but not there yet. He curled his two fingers and her legs started to shake, she leaned her weight on her elbows so that she could kiss him passionately, ‘’Joel,’’ she said out of breath, ‘’please, I can’t take it any longer..’’

She was ready, more than ready in fact, Joel removed his thick fingers and tasted his fingers, her juice was divine, he wanted to taste her but there was no time. He had to be up and leaving in 5 hours, he shook that thought away. Joel kissed her back and with one of his hand he choked her gently, guided her to lay on her back again, he gently pushed in, tip first, her mouth opened in the shape of O, obviously trying to control herself. He pushed his length fully and this time she couldn’t hold her scream. Joel immediately kissed her swollen lips, Y/N kissed him back her hands scratching his back. Once he was fully in her he let her adjust to his thickness and length, Y/N didn’t want to admit to him but he was the biggest of all the suitors she had. He pulled back and slammed into her again, now she was more comfortable, ‘’You want me to-‘’ Joel again wanted her consent to keep going, ‘’Just fuck me please.’’ Her reply gave him confidence. Her legs hugged his hips, with every thrust her nails digging into his back, he didn’t forget to give her multiple hickies so that she would remember him for a while, maybe it was selfish but he didn’t care. Skin slapping to each other and their moans added to their pleasure, Joel almost came when he hit a spot in her, it was spongy and both of them could feel the effect on each other, she knew that the next few days her body would be sour. His head was at the crook of her neck, sucking the skin, her hand was pulling his gorgeous hair. ‘’Fuck-‘’ Joel cursed, ‘’I’m gonna come.’’ He said, ‘’Your pussy is so tight, milkin’ me so good.’’ He just wanted to came in her, in his sick fantasies he was having kids with Y/N and living together for the rest of his life, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad… he pulled out before he came and jerked himself off on her stomach. Their bodies covered in sweat, chests raising and falling. Joel knew she didn’t came so he did something he desperately wanted to do. He went down on her. Since she was already close it was short but he get to eat that pussy like a man starved. Her soft lips and sticky juice drove him mad, his tongue hitting all the right spots, at first she was going to stop him from doing it but once he licked her pussy her eyes rolled back at her skull and she could swear that she saw galaxies when she came undone.

They laid next to each other, panting heavily. ‘’Y/N-‘’ Joel wanted to talk to her but she stopped him, ‘’Don’t.’’ she turned to him, ‘’Let’s just sleep. We have only one night.’’

Tag list;

@psychomanias

@stitchattacks

@anxiousbeech

@elmontsmile

@cheyxfu

@mushroomelephant

@avengersheart

Thank you for reading. :) 💜

[shamrockqueen]

Wasteland paradise

Chapter 1

Pairing : Boyka X Reader (Post Apocalyptic AU/ inspired by but not in the universe of Fallout new Vegas)

Warnings : R18, human trafficking, purchased reader, eventual Smut, rough smut, eroticism (not every chapter has smut), death of minor characters.

Word count : 1498

Scott Adkins Masterlist

They say that the decay was gradual, overtaking humanity like a spiderweb of cancer and bleeding into the very bones of modern society. The elite sat comfortably on their pedestals as the earth below them crumbled—that is, until the rot reached them too. They say that when the tallest tower finally fell, it was already too late.

The underbelly was all that survived, becoming this new aristocracy within what once were major cities. Those who fled were left with the scorched landscape they had left barren. Some founded small communes; others formed almost farel gangs that roamed further out into the wasteland. Some settlements fizzled easily; some were attacked and picked clean by invaders; but a few seemed to live long enough to spawn other generations.

You’d never know what that modern world was truly like, and sometimes you’d find yourself wondering how your life would have been if the older generations had ensured a better future. It wasn’t worth thinking about anymore. No, living through the week has greatly outweighed depressive fantasies.

You found yourself alone—finally and horribly alone.

You tried your best to wash the blood stain out, but no amount of scrubbing could make the dress clean again. It felt low, repurposing the very clothes your mother died in while she lay naked in a shallow grave, but you couldn’t afford to waste the fabric. The dress would never come clean, but the pattern was a beautiful yet slightly faded floral blue, so the cleanest part of the fabric had to have been worth something. Anything to put some food on that empty table now that you’d be the only one left to provide for it.

Almost all of your time had been spent taking care of your mother until her slow demise, which had her coughing up most of her own blood. It was always hard to look at her while she was in that state, and the only hope now was that she would be at peace.

You looked at the once-beautiful dress you had bundled in your hands. It had been her favorite, but it was too late to bury her with it now. You pulled the small switchblade from your pocket and began cutting off the stained portion of the fabric. You didn’t bother to cut the seams, as whoever bought it off of the trader once it left your hands would just do it themselves.

You bundled the dress under your arm and left your little home. You had shared this poorly constructed, one-room shanty house with what was left of your family. The small shanty village wasn’t very big and didn’t yield very much production, but the few traders that came through were often a godsend as they brought in many much-needed supplies. A tiny smudge on their map, and they still remembered to visit all of you.

You hoped to get there early so as not to be stuck in the hot sun for most of your day. The caravan was normally parked over by the moonshiners shack, an old man who made a pretty good hootch and would sell a lot to the passing traders.

It was the main reason the caravan came at all and often a great reprieve from everyday life since he’d let the townsfolk get drunk at a hefty discount.

He was nice enough for an old coot, and more often than not, he could be seen sitting in front of his home with his dog Trixie, waiting for the traders to show up.

Old Trixie was sweet and would wonder over and nuzzle up to passersby in search of extra affection and maybe a bit of food. She usually rushed the hill when anyone got close, but when you rounded towards the shack, she wasn’t anywhere in sight.

You crested over the hill and looked down at the lonely little shack at the bottom. There were vehicles all around the house, alongside the trader’s trucks, but you didn’t see any people. You used your hand as a visor to shield your vision from the bright sun overhead to get a better look at the scene before you.

A mound of fluff lay motionless next to the door. Trixie’s telltale brown and white spots were stained in a deep, terrifying red splattered along her small body.

More bodies, larger and human, came into view, all of which lay slain by the side of the caravan. You stopped walking, shaking in your boots at the prospect of getting caught by whatever had caused this entire scene. You nearly pissed your pants off when the mirador walked out of the shack with a jug of hooch in each hand. He wore a torn armored vest doused in a fair amount of blood that most likely wasn’t his.

He turns back towards the house as if to talk to someone behind him, and you take this chance to turn tail and run back the way you came. The fabric was let loose from where you’d clutched it under your arm, kicked away by the dusty wind in exchange for your meager life. The desecration, the sacrifice, the loss—none of it was worth anything now, and all was forgotten in the wake of a possible bullet to the teeth.

The only sound you could hear was the crunch of dirt under your boots as the blood rushed to your ears. You sprint off as fast as you can, propelling yourself down the hill almost faster than your legs can keep up with.

You barely caught the sound of someone shouting after you with a jovial “Woah, where’s the fire?”

All were silenced after a loud bang of gunshots went off not far behind you. Everyone scattered like ants as more shots rang through the air.

You make the mistake of turning back to look at the whirring of a spiked vehicle as it rounds over the hill. You tried to run as fast and as far as your feet could carry you until you could find ample cover from the impending doom.

The flicker of the blue plastic tarp as it got caught up in the breeze stole your sight as you switched your direction towards possible safety. Your boots nearly slid out from under you as you dove towards the tarp. It proved to be a small, unused alcove between two shanty houses, with the plastic cover leftover from a collapsed partial roof.

You kick yourself underneath it and fling the tarp back over your body. You had to squeeze in among the long-forgotten junk as you tried to steady your heart.

You watched as the shadows flickered from the outside of your small cover; many were from those running away just as you had, but others were larger with more sharp edges. Your stomach ached as the shrill and broken voices of your neighbors disappeared into the distance, but it would be the first crack of gunfire that made your guts drop entirely. The cries of the fallen were quickly devoured by the roar of scrap metal against the rough terrain vehicles that rolled by.

You held your breath to keep from hyperventilating, digging your teeth into your bottom lip as tears dribbled tracks down your dirtied cheeks.

You hear heavier, slower footsteps that clinked as they hit the dirt. The sound of it was horribly clear as they got closer and closer to you, hidden only by a tattered blue tarp. When the cracked leather of the side of a boot came into view, you had to choke down every ounce of fear that wanted to burst forth, practically forcing it back down into your lungs as it twisted your face in horror.

You wait just as they wait. The boots don’t move for however long it takes to make your heart nearly beat out of your chest. Then they started to turn towards you.

The next sound is deafening as bits of rusted metal go flying as the blue sheet is ripped right off of it. Old car parts clunk and scrape together, and you have to cover your head with your hands as the small avalanche of junk falls over you.

As the hot sun hit your body once again, there was no use in staying quiet, and a scream finally forced its way out of your body.

To your dismay, you weren’t shot; you were only dragged out by the roots of your hair as the raider dug his fingers into your scalp. You're barely kicking as your legs fight, only to wiggle out from under the junk pile.

He pulls you out onto the road before giving you a kick and a quick order of “get up, off the fuckin ground.”

You scramble up, hands over your head, his rusted gun pointed to your face. He barked out “walk” through his broken teeth, pointing ahead of you with his weapon before kicking the back of your knee when you didn’t already turn and start moving. Your leg buckled but kept you upright as you limped ahead of him towards the chaos they had created.

Shanty houses were lit on fire after being looted and knocked over. A few children were being pulled away from the corpses of their parents left laying in the street; some were caught in the crossfire and laid not far from their fallen family.

“There’s almost nothing here aside from the hooch and the cargo from the caravan!” One man shouted out to the one following not far behind you, his gun still pointed to your back.

“Grab some survivors and load'em into one of the empty wagons. We can sell them off at the trade center for good money.” The voice behind you called back. “If they try to fight you, just shoot’um.”

When your knees shook, it slowed your pace, and you heard him yell at you, “Move, damn it.” And you picked your feet up as quickly as you could towards the caravan.

True to their word, anyone who fought back was shot immediately. They would say that they could still get plenty of money for a few of you, so losing 1, 2, or maybe 5 wouldn’t be an issue.

When everyone was loaded into the wagon, it pulled off with a kick of dust. You watched your old town smolder and smoke in the distance until it disappeared into the wasteland. You’d never see the shanty town again, not that there would ever be anything left to look for.

Chapter 2

Tags : @annwoods91 @jasminrt1

[hmshermitcraft]

Hello! As a new anon, I have come to provide some headcanons for poly TIES with regards to the theme for this week! Hopefully it's okay that I put this headcanon through a story even if it's past trafficshipping takeover week. This one is like a pre-relationship headcanon (for Etho though), that would eventually begin his part in the loving polyamory set upon by the other three.

Etho is a wolf hybrid who has been leaving his former family's den (his former family being the Clockers) a lot for his own travels and adventures throughout the land. He never was someone to settle down and stay permanently in one place. And with his wanderlust heart, he left the den yet again but this time it seemed much more permanent, much to the dismay of his former family.

In his travels, he played the role of a solitary wolf. Solitude gave him comforts none would understand and he liked it. And yet he found himself with a guilt and a pain of never having a home anymore, never having a family to be with, giving his restless exploration a heart tired and heavy, but he was still determined to see through to the end of his travels. At one point in time, after going through terrible storms, raging blizzards, demanding heatwaves, and mysterious fogs, he just slumped to the ground, tired and worn in every aspect. He never knew if he did get through and finished his travels. He slept, exhausted from it all.

Then during the rise of the sun, he woke up. He was on a bed, someone's bed, a bed he certainly has never been on. He has no clue of how he got here, but given his weak state, he can't do much. Then the door to the room he was in opened, and there was Impulse, a brown bear hybrid, who just came to give him breakfast, a tray that holds a hot bowl of beef stew and some sliced bread and carrots on the side. The two looked at each other and Impulse just left the tray on the table nearby Etho's bed and he left.

Etho, not knowing who this man is but is surprised by the hospitality of a stranger, took in the meal with respect. And there he ate at bed, as the sun shines through the window. Time passed and he finished his food and put the tray on the bedside table. Having regained a bit of strength from the hearty food, he stood up and walked around. He explored with curiosity this house that his kind host and at the porch of the house he sees Impulse again, with two other people, talking and holding hands as they watch the sun go through the sky. Tango, a raccoon hybrid, and Skizz, a lion hybrid, look at their wolfy guest and proceeded to take care of him more, telling him to not have gone up from bed and that he should've just stayed there and more nags and doting that brings out a giggle from Impulse. It's going to be interesting what this wolf would be doing now, especially since he is so far away from the place he once called home, surrounded by three others that have taken care of him for days.

-signing off as the 💙 anon

It's a strange dynamic to adjust to. He's not well enough to head out alone, so he's stuck with them for a few days. They don't pressure him into hanging out with them, but it's hard to avoid them in such a modest space.

Tango explains that they're hibernating for the cooler months, because Impulse gets grumpy in the cold. Etho is more than welcome to join them, they've got plenty of food stored in their ice cave (hand built by Tango, naturally.)

Etho never intended to stay as long as he did, but something about the three pulls him in. It feels a bit too much like the family he left. The easy touches, gentle kisses. The way Skizz will sit and brush through Etho's hair without question. So, he does what he's good at.

He runs.

He didn't expect them to follow.

They don't take long to catch up with him. Maybe part of him didn't want to get away, because he could've run much faster. They ask why he felt like running, and Etho tries to explain. The way he can't stay in one place, always feeling the need to move.

And... They're okay with that. They tell Etho that he always has a home with them. Etho finds himself coming back. He even finds he doesn't mind when they tag along on the journey if Etho's nearby.

He's surprised by how he doesn't feel trapped. It's nice to come back when he wants, without feeling obligated to. He even connects with his family again, apologising for leaving them and making amends. He still won't stay with them, but they talk about it this time. With his partners' support.

For the first time, he feels content.