#leader of the pack: ooc

[samu-sa-no-okami]

omg it's ryu from streets

[muraenide]

Jade-sama saves so much time not needing to dunk his head in ice water. Now he has more time to hover over a pool a water for 4 minutes. Very alpha male 😏

Excuse me??? Kalim is the true alpha male here. His UM is literally creating ice water.

[killerbreed]

gonna give all my pain to oksana the second I get home you just fucking watch

[deathleadsarc]

there are many pieces of lore that go over my head when it comes to folklore. for example; in some pieces of folklore, vampires/witches can control werewolves! so. there's an opportunity that she could have her own lil. . . pack of werewolves. wolf chimera, but people. could be people who tried to invade her, from all over?

[samu-sa-no-okami]

The joys of percussive instruments. Not only can pipes, jugs, bowls, and metal containers be your instrument, but the note of the pipe changes by covering it with another longer pipe AND the acoustics are enhanced by playing in an open area with spots for the sound to bounce off of.

Freaking awesome.

bosohurricane

[warhaeds]

did someone say its luving cros hours!!! cros baby u are the light of my life angel of my heart snake on my plane and i am SO blessed we crossed paths all those years ago bc there is no lore w/o cros I LOVE UUUUU SOOOOO MUUUUCHHHH

WAHHHHHH lore!!!! wash wouldn’t be the same character without you and evie, ur the minyard to my josten and the love of my life!!! i can’t believe we’ve been friends so long 🥺🥺🥺

[draftbeerbibi]

FOR ME, IT WILL ALWAYS BE YOU - Sylus x Non MC!

Summery: you find yourself in lads universe after a particularly close interaction with truck kun. How does life go from here after arriving in the N109 zone leaders backyard when MC hasn’t arrived yet?

Disclaimer, Sylus might be OOC, since i’m not very good at writing so bear with me. This will be multiple parts! Also, this was not proofread, so sorry if there are mistakes!

Masterlist

It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

These past few months you had been working yourself to the absolute bone. Summer had started and the restaurant you worked at was packed every single day.

You worked hard to keep your smile on your face, but there had been an increase of the rudest people to ever grace the planet, and they all simultaneously decided to grace you with their presence.

Every single day was a battle. You didn’t feel like you fit in anymore, colleagues living their lives, while yours felt like it was stuck in place. Every day was the same shit over and over again.

And then it happened.

You were on your way home from a particularly difficult shift, anticipating flopping on the couch to unwind with some love and deepspace. A game you had been playing for over a year now, making everything doable, when out of the blue a truck slams into you at full speed.

You feel all the air get blown out of you, as bones break. You hear people screaming, yelling for an ambulance.

This is it?

After all your hard work, this is how you die?

You scoff as unconsciousness pulls at you.

You awake with a jolt. Artificial grass prickles at your skin as you take in your surroundings.

“Am i dead?” You mumble, looking around in shock. No hospital lights. No pain. No nothing. You’re about to stand up when you feel something around your waist. It tightens as it spins you around hard. A sharp hiss of pain slips out as you are turned to someone.

“Who are you, and how did you get in?” The voice sends a shiver down your spine, as you recognise it immediatly.

Sylus.

How could you not recognise him? You had spent everyday after work with him. Interacting with him in destiny cafe, praying for a day you might get to see him, even just for a second.

You stare at him blankly. How does one even explain this situation? Would he believe you? Why would he? Would you believe someone if they casually dropped that they were from a different universe?

Questions and answers course through your mind till you feel his evol tightening even more.

“I said, who are you, and how did you get in?” His voice was sharp and menacing. His eyes glowing a dark crimson, as the wind softly swayed his hair. He truly looked divine, even when shooting daggers at you with his gaze.

“I-i don’t know how i got here. One moment i was on my way home from work, and now i’m here.” You confess, fear tugging at your heartstrings. You had seen him on your phone screen countless of times, but absolutely nothing could have prepared you for how breathtaking this man was in real life.

His eyes narrowed as a mocking grin spread across his face.

“Right, i’m supposed to believe you just ‘happened’ to land in the most tightly secured backyard of the whole N109 zone.” He scoffed. His eyes roamed your body, his eyebrow slightly tilting as if contemplating. You didn’t look fit enough to pull off a stunt like this. Cuz ur not.

“Trust me, don’t you have camera’s here?” You plead, his evol still tight around your waist. You feel it prickling, almost like electricity. Uncomfortable.

He raises an eyebrow.

The twins emerge from behind him, and even with their masks on, you can feel their curiosity radiate off of every inch of them.

Without a word he steps in the house, with you still tightly bound in his evol. He gracefully steps into his office as he places you not so gently into a chair.

“I’m not really in the mood for ‘games’ right now, so i do truly hope you’re telling me the truth.” He cocks his brow at you as he settles into his chair. You can’t help but be mesmerised by the absolute power and control he radiates just from sitting down.

He knows what he’s doing. Always. Even the smallest things are thought out before they can happen. You look at his face as he checks the footage, and to his surprise which he manages to hide very quickly, you were telling the truth. One moment the backyard looks peaceful, unperturbed, and the next, you’re there. It happens in the blink of an eye. No lights, no fireworks, nothing. Just sudden existence.

He looks at you, almost through you as he contemplates.

"It seems like you were telling the truth, kitten" The way he enunciates the word kitten sends goosebumps flying over your arms. The timbre in his low voice echoes through his office. How on earth were you going to survive this?

"I told you, i mean, who would be foolish enough to break into your territory?" You all but scoff. It's true though. Breaking into his lair, which in and off itself is impossible, would be a death sentence. Sylus was soft and mellow with MC in the game, but he never extended his kindness to anyone else.

It's a war in your head. At least your innocence is proven, but what about the rest? With nowhere to stay, how were you going to convince big bad boss man to keep you alive long enough to look for a way back. Could you even go back? Are you dead in your world?

His voice snaps you out of the war going on in your head.

"Explain"

"Huh?" You look at him sheepishly.

"Explain how you ended up in my backyard. I don't sense that you have an evol, or, anything for that matter, so how on earth did you get here?" His eye softly glows in the dim office. His features sharp, as the moon accentuates every line. Divine.

"Like i said, i was on my way home from work when-" The thought of the truck stops you dead in your tracks. The feeling of your bones crushing and consiousness fading still lingering beneath your flesh.

"When i got in an 'accident', i guess." Your voice got softer with each passing word. It was hard to make sense of what was happening. Though it was a literal answered prayer to be face to face with Sylus, the circumstances were far from ideal.

"Accident?" You could hear the amusement in his tone, he was intrigued. However, the thought of going into the details made you want to throw up, so you decide to change the subject.

"Could i stay here?" You blurt out the question, wincing at the lack of thought. All you could think about was needing a place to stay, but you didn't mean to throw it out there so haphazardly.

He raises his eyebrow, a small smirk appears, so small anyone would have missed it. But not you. You have spent so much time with him, he basically felt like you knew him better then yourself.

"Hmm? Bold aren't we, kitten?" All you can do is stare at him, what else are you supposed to do? You were literally throwing yourself in the dragons lions den.

"Here's an idea, you can work for me, i'll give you a spare bedroom in the eastern wing, close to the twins. If i do manage to find anything on you though, you can count your days."

Your mouth is agape. It's that easy? Suspicion creeps up, how could it not? You knew Sylus, and you also knew you were not MC. What was in this for him? But you were bone dead tired. This whole ordeal had sucked every last ounce out of you, and against better judgement, you nod in agreement.

He smirks.

The sight of him looking all pleased sends a shiver down your spine. Excitement? Fear? Both? Who knows. All you knew, was that you were going to do everything you could to prove your worth.

~~~

Part 2!

[luvether]

۫ ꣑ৎ . HIS ULTRAVIOLENT PROSE. mydei

summary, even with half-bitten pomegranates between tongue, teeth and heart, the prince of Kremnos tries to make amends with you.

mydei x gn!reader. mildly lovers to enemies. tension and arguments. hurt with comfort. mentions of arranged marriage and eloping (love this trope with him) soft and gentle mydei, might be ooc. lore-inclined city-state ceremonies. [2.0k wc]

It’s merely an alliance ceremony.

And yet here you were, being dressed in foreign silks and heavy accessories. Compared to your usual attires the fabrics are lightweight, enough for a cold rush to scrape your skin despite the torch lit by the corner of your room.

Your face must’ve betrayed you, for the maidens that attended to you murmured about it being part of Kremnoan traditions and that you had to endure it, only with such a solid statement do you deflate, settling stiffly and defeatedly on the chair, allowing them to continue their decorations on you, to peel you bare of your sea-state city garments and pool Castrum Kremnos‘ silk clothes, sandals and cape over you.

At this very moment, you looked like a raw and beguiling warrior, a far cry of what you truly were, an ignorant coward.

“You look beautiful.” A more elderly woman speaks from behind, you stare at her through the vanity.

“…I look like a fighter.”

“Are you not?”

You hesitate to answer her, biting your lip to prevent yourself from speaking something you might regret.

Are you still labeled a fighter after losing your city to Castrum Kremnos?

You were anything but triumph, you lost your kingdom, your pride, your people—and only this alliance union can salvage whatever scraps of glory you have left, it's the only thing you could do for your folks since you disappointed them as their leader.

The elder woman’s hand lands softly on your shoulder, despite such a gentle manner you cannot help the flinch from echoing through your bones. Your nails bury into your palms.

“I assure you, young one, that shame is the last thing Castrum Kremnos would dare to offer you and your city-state.”

She pauses.

“Our prince would not dare such a thing from you.”

You wanted to laugh, to cry and scream and ruminate frustrations. But you swallow instead, “I see.”

You did not utter another word after that. The maidens have left long ago and you pondered with your own thoughts, recounting the gradual yesterdays you spent mourning over fallen friends and a broken city. You recounted tidbit memories of the remaining council that pushed you for this alliance—forcing you to succumb and kneel towards the very people that took your everything.

After all, as the last remaining royal blood, that’s the least you can do.

The Kremnos’ heavy bells finally billow, and you inhale sharply.

“It’s time for you to step into the ceremony hall, lord.”

And you stand, your heart heavy with pressure. When you followed a counselor towards your destination, the older man gave you a quick rundown of certain rules and traditions you needed to adhere to, you half-listened to the convoluted rules until the very last statement that catches your attention,

“At the end of the blessings, you are to share a cup of pomegranate juice with the one you are to join alliance with.” he starts,

“In this case, you are to drink from the same cup with the representative of our city, Kremnos’ prince Mydeimos.”

His name is an echo through the shell of your ears, leaving a bitter aftertaste between your teeth. You stopped listening after that, until you both faltered at the end of the corridor.

Your heart is pounding in your chest when the large, looming doors split open, by now, the hall is packed and standing at the very front was the ceremony priest and Mydeimos himself, awaiting your arrival. When you step beside him on the podium, your gaze dare not shift towards the prince.

You let the withered voice of the priest wander you through the prayer, he lifts an iron chalice brimming with liquid as red as blood—you watch quietly as he lifts a smaller glass of honey, letting the golden liquid pool into the red cup before blessing the drink.

The priest turns to you, with a nod he beckons you to mirror the oath spoken. With parted lips, you follow along, pledging allegiance and alliance to Castrum Kremnos, “And with the glory of Strife and blood intertwined in allegiance with Castrum Kremnos, I, the succeeding lord of my city shall share the same devotion of valorous death before glorious return.”

You tilt your chin, lips pressed against the iron. The tangy yet thickly sweet taste of pomegranate rinses through your tastebuds. When the red liquid hits the middle line, you retract, turning towards the direction of the prince.

You look at him, only to find his heavy resin eyes already on you.

Mydeimos’ blank stare traces every bare action you do, and for a split moment you try to hold his weighty stare, trying to dissect his expression—trying to see what he thinks of the whole thing, and yet you find none.

You’ve dropped your gaze then, before extending the chalice in his direction. You slightly stir when you feel his fingertips brush your knuckles, you are quick to let go when he grabs ahold of the cup—too quickly.

How audacious, you cannot help but wonder when the priest speaks the same oath to him, Mydeimos recites it but his eyes never stray from you. Truly, he’s like a prowling lion assessing its prey.

There’s a prickling sensation of self-consciousness with such a look pinned on you.

“And with the glory of Strife and blood intertwined in allegiance with Castrum Kremnos, I, Mydeimos the succeeding prince of my city shall share the same devotion of valorous death before glorious return…” he rasps, then he downs the remainder within the chalice, his golden eyes still on you.

You cannot help yourself but settle your gaze on his exposed collarbones, laddering your way up the column of his neck where you watch the way his adam’s apple bobs at the swallow of the juice, a few clumsy droplets run down his jaw before he retreats and wipes it with the back of his hand.

The bells sound once, then twice at the successful union but your mind is a flurry of thoughts, though all of them stop at one concluding statement, you desperately need to get out of the banquet hall.

So when you’re finally released from your duties, instead of lingering and talking with the folks you spin around towards the exit. Nobody seemed to bat an eyelash at your hasty departure, nor was there anyone in the hallway outside which allowed you to break into a sprint—you don’t know where you’re going, quite frankly the layout of the city is still foreign to you, but you needed to get out of there.

At the fall of your impatient footsteps, you barely hear another set chasing after you.

Only until you feel larger hands gripping your waist do you stop.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” You don’t need to turn to know who was speaking, the plates of his half-naked front are pressed hard against your back, it acted like a furnace almost.

“Unhand me.” You try to sound casual but it ends up in a bite. “This instant, Mydeimos—“

“And what?” He challenges back. “Let you run around like a headless goose until one of the counselors finds you? Do you wish for trouble that much?”

Instead of answering, you try to pry his hands around your waist. Your attempts are obviously futile however you are wracked with frustrations, fury and confusion. Your actions only fueled the prince’s impatience.

“Quit squirming—“

“Then let me go!” You try to glare at him. “I wish to be anywhere but in your arms right now—“

That must’ve struck a nerve.

Mydeimos’ grip on you only tightened, he pulls you towards an empty corner between the heavy flaps of curtains and presses you against the wall. His hand grips your jaw—but despite such a harsh action his hold on you remains feather-light, gentle.

His face draws close to your own, until you can feel his raspy voice on your cheek. At this distance, you can smell his scent of bonfire, tender smoke and something sweet, like pomegranates, he smelled awfully fruity.

“Says the one that wishes to marry me, isn’t that what you confessed to me months before?”

The jab brings heat to your cheeks, you lift your hand with the intent to slap him but Mydeimos captures your wrist before your palm could collide with his cheek. His thumb runs up from your wrist to your palm, intertwining your fingers together and laying it on the wall beside your head, his bangs brush your forehead, face so, so close that if you tilted your head your lips would be brushing his own,

“You wanted to elope with me.” Mydei tells you. “Have you forgotten? Or do you wish for me to tell you the exact words you told me that day.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, this was before my city was attacked by your warriors!”

The tension hangs gauche, the silence between the two of you almost unbearable. The man before you sighs heavily, “There are a handful of things that are at my disposal, even with the title of prince—the issues of prophecies is something I cannot control.” Mydei soothes a thumb over the pulse in your wrists.

“You of all people are aware of this fact.” he pauses. “Or maybe you weren’t, after all the sea-side states are nonbelievers, you and your people don’t revere the Titans, only the arithmetics and logarithms of the world.”

“You're right, I wasn’t.” You snap. “I did not know Castrum Kremnos was prophesied to destroy my home, Mydeimos. If I had known, I wouldn’t have uttered such preposterous words to you, I was made out to be an ignorant fool because of it.”

Mydeimos’ whole demeanor takes a polar shift, you’re unsure why those eyes had melted like butter, was it your shaky voice, the pitiful wallow in your tone? Or did he truly feel an ounce of empathy for your situation?

“You're not an ignorant fool.” He lets go of your wrist but his body remains pressed up against your own, despite the position his body heat grounded you, especially with his follow up of, “to me, you’re the wisest person I know. A leader with a heart of gold, I apologize for causing you so much agony and for being unable to aid you when you need it most.”

He takes your hand, smearing his lips against your knuckles. “I wish to make amends with you but if you hold such vengeance in your heart—” he tugs your wrist, digging your fingers to his chest just above his heart. “You can scratch my heart out and kill me, stab me in the back for as long as you want if it means your desires would be satiated, then so be it.“

“…Mydeimos.” To say you were shocked was an understatement.

He softly bumps his forehead with your own. “Do you hate me, kardia mou?”

This was the very reason why you fell for him, the prince from the city of warriors. Despite the harshness of his textures and tones, when it came to you, he was honest and open. Those universal stone-cold expressions fissure as soon as he sees a glimpse of you in the distance. He spoke in uncharacteristic gentleness and his fleeting skinships sent butterflies within your chest. You cannot be angry with him, much less hate when he acts like this.

You feel him interlace your fingers, weaving his own with yours. Then he leans down once again, pressing his lips against the corner of your mouth, the intent of apology willing to spill from the nonexistent gaps between the two of you. “I’m sorry.”

Your eyes turn glassy. Maybe it was due to Mydeimos’ comfort that every drowning pressure that you’ve bottled up comes cracking at the seams.

A sob spills between your lips.

“I don’t hate you, Mydei.” Your voice trembles when he tips your chin towards him, brushing his thumbs over the tear staining down your cheeks. “Truthfully, it is I that I loathe the most, not you—never you.”

“So please, never say that I find thrill in killing you.”

Mydei’s hand comes tangling through your tendrils, you weep on his collarbones, his woody scent engulfing you in comfort.

“I’m so sorry.” He repeats. “I’ll never speak of such a thing to you, so cease your cryings, my love.”

[ryescapades-archived]

hii rye!! happi 1k follows, for the event, can i have prompt 10 (lyhfmb) with a jealous! nrm gen please!! nsfw ofc!!! luv ya soo much <3

→ EVENT OVERVIEW

prompt: 10 - “lift your hips for me, love.” characters: ex!narumi gen (kn8) x afab!reader contents: nsfw mdni !! oral (f! receiving), marking, slight possessive + jealous!nrm, sparring as an euphemism, possibly exes to lovers, implied nrm having past hookups, tiny bit of angst if u squint, ooc i think? somehow ended up being a bit of a character study.. wc ~ 900

a/n: thank you for participating anon !! <3 i’m kinda killing two birds with one stone here bcs there’s an old req in my inbox asking for a nsfw nrm piece (supposedly) inspired by lana’s serene queen :’>

you have absolutely zero idea how you got yourself in this situation.

it was a normal day for you; you woke up, did your morning routine, checked in with your fellow coworkers and spent a whole lot of your time on the training grounds, especially with your closest friends, shinonome and tachibana. everything would’ve been perfectly and routinely mundane, if not for the sudden private invitation to spar, ordered requested by your very own division captain.

the way those roguish hues darken at the sight of you straddling tachibana’s hips during training, the deep frown on his lips, the clear displeasure marring on his face, the scrutinising stare he sent towards his platoon leader… for a second there you would’ve thought that he— you shake your head to disperse the thoughts away.

no way in hell, right?

it feels weird. doing a one-on-one with captain narumi without other people watching really gives you the ick, an irksome itch that you couldn’t quite scratch away. you know full well that you could pack a punch or two, know that your skills are just as good as any officer from the first division, but you are also aware that narumi gen is not just any man.

he’s a man who was born with such exceptional strength and yet had his childhood ripped to shreds by those monstrous kaiju, a man who would occasionally lash out if something ever triggers the fragility of his inner child, a man who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders, a man who was still on pins and needles when it came to affection, a man who is also your ex lover.

but just because you’re exes doesn’t mean he had any reason to pull his punches on you. and because you’re exes it makes no sense that the exchanging blows and jabs would suddenly turn to a different kind of clash altogether.

your unfocused eyes can barely make out your surroundings, but you at least know that it’s already late into the night, long into the after hours. a soft moan breaks free from your lips, eyebrows deeping into a furrow. “we shouldn’t be doing this,” you breathe out.

you wince just as narumi’s teeth nip on the tender flesh on your collarbones, soothing the pain with a swift lick of his broad tongue. the discolouration blooms red on your skin, another mark accompanying the similar ones on the span of your neck.

he doesn’t reply, opting to slide his hands underneath your shirt to trail wet open-mouthed kisses down your stomach. he then starts fidgeting with the hem of your sweats, lifting his head up to look at you.

your body burns at those hooded gaze of his rosy eyes.

the million rational thoughts of denial and object are immediately turfed out, your body going pliant under his familiar touch as you close your eyes in relent. narumi gently slips his fingers beneath your pants and underwear to pull them both down simultaneously. “lift your hips for me, love.” he murmurs, the petname smoothing out of his lips like silk.

a shiver runs through you as you oblige, your lower part now exposed to his wandering eyes. he shifts down, his head now leveling with the space between your thighs.

the first swipe of his tongue against your folds nearly sends you reeling and narumi can feel his pants getting tighter by the second. “god, i missed your taste so bad. no one could ever compare,” he quietly groans before eventually diving in, eating you out like a man starving for days.

“fuckin’ sweet… this pussy’s mine, yeah?” he mutters as his tongue slides into your dripping hole with ease, licking up your arousal as more of it trickles down to your ass. it’s wild, full of hunger and intent as narumi buries his face between your thighs to consume your very essence into his own.

“f-fuck, hah—” your chest stutters as his arms wrap around your quivering thighs to keep you in place, his tongue thrusting in and out of your cunt just as desperately. loud slurping sounds and your moans can be heard throughout the training room, though neither of you have the mind to care about that as narumi intensifies his efforts, sucking on your swollen clit between his lips before dipping down again to your hole. 

he knows you’re close; he’s painfully familiar with the way your legs jerk beside his face, breath whiny and hitching in your throat as you teeter on the brink of ecstasy. narumi laps at you so greedily that it’s becoming messy and wet and rough and downright filthy.

it’s only when he growls against your flesh, the almost possessive sound vibrating against your sodden pussy that it finally pushes you towards the edge, coming undone on his tongue with a lewd cry. narumi hums, eagerly drinking up your slick and eyes closing in content as his face glistens with your sticky wetness. “nngh - gen…” nerves now oversensitized, you let out a whimper and weakly push at his shoulders to get him to stop. “gen!”

the man finally yet reluctantly pulls away from your cunt with a faint pop, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before he languidly plants kisses on your thighs, eyes still hidden by his ashen bangs. the both of you are breathing hard, and somehow the post-orgasm clarity decides to hit you then.

‘seriously, what are you doing?’ you throw your head back against the mat below you and squeeze your eyes shut as those same conflicting thoughts invade your mind again. “gen— narumi, sorry… i-i should—” you try your move your legs away from his shoulders but he cuts you off, leaning his forehead against your stomach as he rubs random figures on the side of your hips.

little do you know he’s actually tracing the kanji of his name on your skin.

“stay,” narumi whispers. with me, he means. “...please.”

and how can you ever say no to that?

thinking abt this nrm the whole time i write this :]

tbh i kind of had a different idea for the song inspo but i don’t think i’d be finishing that anytime soon (i’m just lazy). i could share like a little rough draft of it if anyone wanna tho

©🅁🅈🄴🅂🄲🄰🄿🄰🄳🄴🅂. do not steal, translate or repost my work anywhere else !

[samu-sa-no-okami]

Coinciding with my PMD blog, today is this blog's two year anniversary! This was a blog I was somewhat hesitant to make, since I'd never given my fursona a story or lore until this day two years ago. But I'm super happy with how this blog is running!

And much like my Pokemon blog, I am open for mun specific questions all day!

[allthingsimagines]

State of Grace

“This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right” - State Of Grace by Taylor Swift

Rick Grimes x Pregnant!Reader

Summary: The group is wary of Aaron, until he reveals information that shocks the group to their core.

Takes place in season five at the start of the Alexandria arc!

Word Count: 5k+

Warnings: Swearing, childbirth, fluff, and ooc Rick

a/n: This has been sitting in my drafts for literal years. It’s not great, but I don’t care!! I hope you enjoy! Also, sorry for the formatting I’m on my phone!

—————————————————————————

The group all stood on high alert as they stared Aaron down as he sat tied to the pole. He was an outsider and knew far too much about them for any of them to be comfortable.

Rick was at the edge. He would either fall off and lose himself or pull himself back. The group was doing their best to keep him stable, but after Terminus, the death of Beth, and his own wife being lost after the Prison he was close to being too far gone. The only reason he hadn’t yet was for Carl and Judith. If he hadn’t had them he would’ve been long gone by now.

Aaron was another threat to the group’s safety.

Rick stalked around him as the group watched on. He seemed like a predator about to go in for the kill. Rick had always been an intimidating guy, but after the loss of his wife and the months on the road he wasn’t sure he’d ever fully return to who he had been when she was alive.

When the Prison fell everyone got scattered. Rick had been in the yard, Carl with Daryl, Judith with the kids, and Y/N had been in the sick wing helping Maggie evacuate people. When everyone got separated she’d just disappeared. No one had seen her since that day and there was no indication she was alive. Rick had lost hope a long time ago. She was tough, but it was difficult enough for them to survive as a big group. There was no way she would have made it months on her own.

Aaron gulped as the group discussed what to do, “My job is to convince you to follow me back home.”

Everyone looked around skeptically at his words. Aaron sighed, he knew it would take a lot of convincing, “I know, if I were you, I wouldn’t go either until I knew exactly what I was getting into.”

Aaron looked around at the big group and took a breath to steady himself. He’d been following them for two weeks and still didn’t know half as much as he would’ve liked to about them. He knew Rick was the leader and had two kids. He knew a few others like Maggie, Sasha, and Glenn, but the rest of them were strangers for now. Yet, he knew they’d keep them alive.

Alexandria needed people who knew how to survive and navigate the world they lived in now. The only people in the community who knew how to was himself, Eric, Deanna, Enid, and Y/N. She was the perfect person to teach them, but she wasn’t much help outside the walls since she was pregnant.

“Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack? Front pocket, there's an envelope,” Aaron asked and Sasha complied as she brought it to him.

“There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community. That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality,” Aaron said as Rick pulled them out and looked through them.

“No one gives a shit,” Daryl grumbled out and Aaron nodded quickly.

A few others crowded around Rick to look at the pictures when the baby began crying. The teenager tried his best to calm her, but she just wailed. Rick pinched his brow and sighed, “Carl, will you get Judith the binky in my pack.”

The boy quickly complied as he tried to soothe his sister. Aaron’s eyes widened and he felt his heart jump at his words. He quickly leaned forward, pulling against his binds, “Your son is Carl and your daughter is Judith?”

The group all shared confused looks as Aaron looked like he’d had a world ending revelation. Rick passed the pictures to Glenn as he moved closer to Aaron, “What’s it matter to you?”

He kneeled down in front of Aaron and glared down at him, “Why do you need to know?”

Aaron swallowed, trying to compose himself, before looking up at Rick, “Did you have a wife named Y/N?”

Rick physically recoiled at the question and everyone tensed. How would he know her? Carl stepped closer to them, Judith held firmly at his hip as she was quiet now, “How do you know my mom?”

Aaron looked sympathetically at Carl and Judith before looking back to Rick. He looked as if Aaron had flipped his whole world, “How do you know that name?”

“She’s alive. She’s been living in our community with my husband and I for the past few months. She’s talked about your family endlessly- I just didn’t put it together,” Aaron breathed out and he saw the whole group react to his words.

Rick stumbled back and stood deathly still as he paled. Carl moved forward, his eyes full of hope, “How can we trust you? Where’s my mom!”

Aaron nodded towards his bag, “There’s a picture of her in the inside zipper of my bag.”

Glenn quickly unzipped the pocket before pulling out the picture and passing it to Rick. Rick couldn’t believe his eyes as he stared at it. It was her. She was leaning her head on a man’s shoulder, who he assumed was Aaron’s husband, with a bright smile on her face.

She was alive and happy.

Rick let out a choked sob as Carl tore the picture from his hands and broke down as well as he clutched his sister to him. The whole group was visibly affected by his words as they all had bright looks on their faces. Rick pulled Carl into his side and pressed a kiss to his head, “She’s alive. We’re gonna have your mom back.”

Glenn cut Aaron free and he stood up and rubbed his wrists. Rick released Carl, but when he turned to Aaron to say something he noticed the odd look on his face. Rick moved closer to Aaron and felt his stomach drop, “What’s wrong?”

Aaron looked up at Rick and scratched his neck, “I don’t know how to say it.”

Rick pushed down his fear as he stepped closer to him, “Aaron what’s wrong with my wife?”

Aaron met Rick’s piercing eyes and breathed out, “She’s pregnant.”

Rick swore he’d died. There was no way that she’d lived, but now she was pregnant? She couldn’t be.

Rick grabbed Aaron’s shoulder as leverage as he almost fell over, “What?”

Aaron grabbed Rick’s arm, “My husband and I picked her up on the road five months ago and brought her back. We’ve been taking care of her. The baby is doing great and so is she. She helps our leader, Deanna, out as her advisor so she doesn’t have to leave the walls.”

Rick tried to take in deep breaths, but he could hardly comprehend that his wife was alive and now she was pregnant? Rick grabbed onto Aaron as he fell to his knees. He tried to breathe as everything became too much for him.

His wife was pregnant and she’d been alive this whole time. They were going to have another kid.

Aaron squeezed Rick’s arm and sighed, “Rick, she’s full term now and when I left she was having consistent Braxton Hicks.”

Rick almost fell over from how quickly he shot to his feet. Lori had those during both pregnancies and she’d given birth soon after. He needed to be there for her. Especially considering what had happened to Lori.

“What’s that mean?” Carl asked, quickly wiping any remnants of tears from his face.

“They’re false contractions, but they’re meant to prep your body for labor,” Maggie answered, coming up behind Carl and squeezing his shoulders supportively.

“Take me to her. Please,” Rick pleaded with Aaron and he was quick to nod.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll radio my husband to come get us in our RV. We can all fit, but it’ll be tight,” Aaron said, looking around for approval.

Everyone quickly moved to ready their gear and Aaron took that as his sign to radio Eric. He quickly moved towards his radio that had been tossed out of his bag and picked it up, “Eric, we need you to get us at the barn we scouted. They know Y/N. Her husband and kids are with them.”

“Oh my god. Okay, I’ll be there soon. Be safe,” Eric quickly responded.

Rick held Judith tightly to him as he moved over to Aaron and clapped his hand on his shoulder. Aaron quickly turned to him only to find his demeanor much more relaxed, more like the man Y/N had described. Rick let out a shaky breath and nodded, “Thank you.”

Aaron nodded and sighed, “She’s family to me too now. I’d do anything for her.”

Rick nodded as his nerves began to eat at him. The group packed up quickly and they all anxiously waited in the barn to leave. Twenty minutes passed before Eric pulled up and they all quickly filed in. He seemed stunned by the road hardened people that passed by him to get into the RV. The RV was big, but they had a large group now and they were all crammed in.

They all sat packed into the RV, each having their own quiet conversations for a while until Aaron’s radio went off. The whole group turned to look at him as he quickly fished it out.

“Hey, Aaron, you there?” A female voice said.

“Hey, Denise. What’s up?” Aaron responded.

“Just wanted to check in and give you an update. When are you heading back?” She asked.

Aaron looked around at the group and scratched the back of his neck, “Uh, actually now. I’m bringing back that group I scouted for Deanna. Tell her that we’ll be back in less than an hour and they’ll need to get check ups asap just in case.”

“I’ll let her know, but the doctors office is kinda busy today,” Denise said sounding hesitant.

“What? Did something happen?” Aaron quickly asked, sharing a nervous look with Eric.

“No! No, nothing bad, but we’re about to have a new baby around here soon. She wanted me to let you guys know,” Denise said, with a cheery tone to her voice.

The whole group froze as Aaron looked at Rick in slight horror. Rick kissed Judith’s head and squeezed Carl’s shoulder as he tried to be strong for them. The last time, Carl had to kill Lori after she needed a C-Section. Rick knew Carl wouldn’t survive losing his other mom the same way.

Aaron’s eyes softened as he noticed their family dynamic. He remembered what Y/N had told him about Carl’s mom and he could tell it was causing trauma to resurface for them.

“How is she? Everything going okay?” Aaron asked, nervous himself for his friend.

The radio was silent for a few moments until it crackled again and a new voice came over the radio, “She can speak for herself. I’m in active labor, not dead.”

The whole group shared a look of shock. It was her. Rick quickly moved to the front of the RV to stand next to Aaron, his blue eyes wide and unsure of what to do.

“And yes, I’m fine. I’m almost fully dilated, so not much to do but have terrible contractions till they come. Baby Grimes would like to make an appearance soon, so I’d appreciate if you hurried back. It’d be nice to have someone who I actually care about to hold my hand. You too Eric. How’d scouting that group go? They convinced yet?” She asked breathlessly as Rick and Aaron shared a look.

Baby Grimes. She hadn’t let go either. Rick had a child and wife waiting for him.

Aaron held the radio out to Rick and he looked at it nervously. What was he even supposed to say? Rick turned as Carl came up behind him and took Judith from his arms so he could hold her. Carl’s eyes were filled with a hope Rick hadn’t seen in years. Rick swallowed his fears and took the radio from Aaron’s hand.

“Darlin?” Rick said, his voice wobbling as he choked out the words.

The radio was silent for a moment before her shaky voice said, “Rick? Is that you?”

Rick fell to his knees at the sound of her voice. It was his wife. She was alive.

“Yeah, baby, it’s me. We’re okay. We’re all on our way,” He breathed out as a hand squeezed his shoulder and he looked behind him to see Daryl behind him.

A loud cry came over the radio and the whole group from the prison visibly reacted with relief of their own as they finally had a family member back.

“Oh my god, I swore I’d never hear your voice again. Is everyone there? Carl? Judith? Please, please, tell me they’re okay,” She sputtered out through sobs.

Carl snatched the radio from his dad’s hands and shakily said, “Mom, mom, it’s me. We’re okay. Judith and I are okay. We miss you.”

“Carl, baby, I-I-,” She started but broke down into tears and the radio went silent for a second.

The whole group went dead silent as the radio cut out, but quickly reacted as she cried out over the radio. Rick rushed to Carl’s side as he stared at the radio in horror.

The radio cut back in and Y/N’s groans could be heard in the background, “She’s okay! Just bad contractions. She’s gonna need to push soon, so hurry if you guys can. I’m sorry I’ve got to go to make sure everything goes okay, but Aaron knows where the delivery room is. Deanna knows and she’ll have Spencer open the gates as soon as you get there and let them through.”

The radio then shut off and Rick looked up at Aaron in abject horror. What if he missed his child’s birth? What if something happened to her? Aaron squeezed his shoulder and shook him a bit to bring him back, “We’ll be back soon. She’s gonna be okay. We have good doctors and medical supplies to make sure of it.”

Rick nodded, seeming like he was off in a different place. Aaron moved back to Eric’s side and helped direct him the quickest way to Alexandria. Rick sat against the door of the RV, his mind running over every worse case scenario.

Nothing ever went right for him.

Right now he could have his wife and a new son or daughter when he arrived to Alexandria. Or he could lose them both, and he was sure that he would never survive that loss again of someone he loved so desperately.

Eric pushed the RV as hard as he possibly could without blowing anything mechanical. A half hour passed before Aaron finally announced that they were there. They all rushed to their feet and looked out the window to find a fenced in town with guard towers at the gates.

The group had been in one place with high fences before, but this place looked untouched from the apocalypse. Aaron turned to the group as Eric slowed as they got closer, “When we get in the gates, you will all have to turn over your weapons. We don’t allow people to have them, unless they’re on patrol or cleared by our leader Deanna or Y/N. You will all be interviewed by Deanna and then get a check up by one of our Doctors.

Rick and Carl, you’ll come with me. The rest of you will wait until I come and get you or you’re showed to a house. This community is pretty sheltered, so please take it easy around them for now. Understood?”

They all shared nervous looks before nodding in agreement. The RV came to a stop and Aaron and Rick shared a look.

They needed to go.

Carl passed Judith off to Carol as Eric quickly turned the car off and opened the doors and Aaron, Rick, and Carl quickly moved out.

The group rushed towards the gate as it slid open for them. Rick and Carl hardly had time to admire the community before Aaron waved his hand at them, “Come on. Medical center is over here.”

They hurriedly followed after Aaron and Eric as they ran towards one of the closest buildings and people stared as they sprinted past. Rick couldn’t have given less of a shit as he just ran after them.

Aaron barreled towards a house and quickly threw the door open. Rick’s eyes widened at the sound of his wife crying out. Rick shoved past Aaron and rushed toward the room. The continuing cries became louder from the door at the end of the hallway.

Rick quickly grabbed the handle and threw the door open and there she was. His wife was laying up against a mountain of pillows with her legs propped up.

Dear god.

Her eyes pooled with tears at the sight of her husband alive and in front of her. She released the sheets from her clutched hands and reached out for Rick, “Rick- oh my god.”

Rick went to rush to her when a woman quickly moved in front of him, “Woah! Okay, I know you want to see her, but you’re gonna put her and the baby at risk if you don’t wash everything off of you.”

Rick hadn’t really considered that it’d been months since he’d showered properly. He looked at his hands and found they were covered with blood and walker remains. He hadn’t even thought about it.

“Denise he can- he can stand up by my head and he won’t touch the baby until he’s clean. Right Rick? I can’t do this without him,” She said squeezing her eyes shut and crying out in pain.

Rick nodded frantically, desperate to touch his wife himself after months apart.

Denise looked hesitant, but let out a frustrated sigh, “At least scrub your arms and hands with soap quickly and put on that surgical gown just in case.”

Rick didn’t say another word as he quickly rushed toward the other room where the woman pointed. He moved to the sink and scrubbed at his hands so hard they felt raw. The sink turned red as his hands were washed clean of all the remnants of the outside world. Carl quickly sprinted in, turned on the sink next to him, and did the same.

Once Rick felt like his hands and forearms were clean of blood and filth, he put the surgical gown on and rushed back into the room.

“You have to push! Come on deep breath and bear down,” Denise said as she stood between her legs.

She breathed heavily as she pushed for ten seconds, before she laid back and let out a groan of pain. Rick moved to her side and quickly took one of her hands in his own and pressed it to his lips. Rick tried to force back his tears and the emotions threatening to overcome him as he finally had his wife right in front of him.

She tiredly smiled up at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears, “Hey Sheriff.”

Rick chuckled before he quickly captured her lips, “Hey darlin.”

Her smile was interrupted as she squeezed her eyes in pain and clutched onto his hand tightly.

“How’s she doin Doc?” Rick asked worriedly, Lori’s death at the front of his mind.

Denise tried to smile comfortingly and said, “She’s doing great, but you’ve got to keep pushing. Baby’s almost here.”

Rick looked down at his wife and squeezed her hand, “You can do it. I’m right here.”

“Me too,” Carl said as he rushed to her other side.

Her eyes brightened at the sight of her son at her side. She took Carl’s hand and nodded as she sat up, “Yeah, I’ve got you two now. I can do this.”

“Fuck yeah you can mom,” Carl said beaming at her.

Rick laughed at his words and she shook her head with a loving smile directed at him, “I missed you, but watch your language baby.”

Carl smirked and he and his dad shared a look as she got ready. Denise smiled at the family before clearing her throat, “Okay, after this next contraction you need to push again. Make it count you’re almost there.”

She nodded and shared a nervous look with Rick. Rick squeezed her hand and quickly kissed her forehead, “You can do this baby. We’re right here.”

She nodded before letting out a shaky breath and squeezing her eyes shut as Denise indicated for her to push. After the seconds of silence she cried out and fell back, but Rick quickly slid his arm around her waist to catch her, “You’re doing great darlin.”

She nodded against his shoulder as she mentally prepared herself to push again.

“I can see the head. One more good push and it’ll be done,” Denise said.

She nodded and she took another deep breath, “That better be a goddamn promise Denise.”

Denise smiled and shook her head, “If it’s not, I’ll give you my bottle of bourbon.”

She let out a shaky laugh and smiled at her, “You’ve got a deal.”

She looked at both of her boys and felt determination swell in her chest. She felt the contraction come on and she pushed with everything she had.

Rick brushed the hair out of her face as she cried out again. Then the room was filled with a sharp cry.

Rick felt his whole body tense as Denise beamed at them as she lifted the baby up, “It’s a girl. She’s beautiful.”

She immediately began to cry as Denise nodded at Rick, “Wanna cut the umbilical cord dad?”

Rick nodded and shared a look with Carl. Carl nodded and quickly moved his arm around his mom to support her sitting up as tears of joy streaked down his face. Rick took the scissors and cut the umbilical cord where she directed as she quickly cleaned his daughter.

Carl helped his mom get more comfortable on the pillows as they waited for Denise. Carl pressed a kiss to her cheek, “I love you mom.”

She smiled up at her oldest boy, “I love you too baby. I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Rick’s eyes were full of tears as he carefully looked over Denise’s shoulder as she checked over his daughter. He hadn’t really felt this way since Carl was born. He felt like he was teetering on an edge as he waited to see his youngest daughter.

Denise turned around and Rick moved to her side. Denise smiled softly as she carefully passed the small bundle to her outstretched arms, “She’s healthy and looks perfect. You did great Y/N.”

She let out a choked sob as she took her daughter into her arms, “Hey sweetheart.”

Rick finally let his tears fall as he looked down at his beautiful daughter. She leaned into Rick’s embrace and gently stroked her baby’s cheek, “You’re so so loved already.”

Carl sniffled as he leaned closer to his mom to get a better look at his youngest sister. She looked up at him and smiled brightly, “This is your big brother, Carl. He’s gonna be the best big brother ever and he’s always gonna be there for you .”

Carl nodded as she lifted her up closer to him so he could see her for a moment. Then she turned and her eyes met Rick’s that were filled with emotion. She moved her daughter now to Rick’s side so he could see his little girl.

“This is your daddy. He looks mean and grumpy, but he’s a softie I promise. He’ll always keep you safe,” She said with a gentle smile as he got to look at his daughter.

Rick brushed his finger over her small cheeks and choked out sob. He pressed a kiss to his wife’s head, “I love you more than anything. Thank you.”

She pulled away from him before she leaned up and kissed him. She pulled away breathlessly and smiled before moving her gaze to her daughter, “You can thank Hope for getting us here. I would have died a long time ago if I hadn’t been fighting for her.”

Rick raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Hope? That’s her name?”

She nodded resolutely and beamed, “Been calling her Hope since I found out I was pregnant. Hope Willow Grimes.”

Rick nodded and smiled down at his daughter, “Hope’s a great name for her.”

She nodded before turning to give her boys a tired look, “As much as I love you both, you reek of blood and sweat. Aaron can take you to one of the empty houses to get cleaned up. Then you can come back and hold her. Okay?”

Rick felt his whole being begging him to stay, but she was right. He pressed a kiss to her head and looked down at his daughter before stepping away, “Kay, but you send someone for us if you need anything.”

She nodded as Rick and Carl moved towards the door, “Got it Sheriff. Will you bring back Judith and the others?”

Rick nodded and smiled, “Promise. Trust me they’ll be begging to come see you as soon as we get there.”

“Well, tell ‘em I’ll give ‘em a pass for not getting a baby gift in time,” She joked as she rocked their daughter gently.

A knock came from the door and they all turned to find Aaron and Eric standing there. They both stepped into the room and Aaron smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, we didn’t wanna intrude, but I overheard you. I’ll take them to the house Deanna is setting them up in. She’s gonna set your group up in three houses. Some of the residents are moving your stuff into a separate house so you guys will be together.”

Y/N smiled and waved them into the room, “You’d never intrude. Come see her.”

Eric moved to her side and smiled down at the baby. Aaron held out his hand for Rick to shake, “Congratulations.”

Rick paused for a moment before pulling Aaron in for a tight hug. Aaron tensed for a moment before clapping Rick on the back. They pulled apart and Rick nodded in thanks, “This is all cause of you. Thank you.”

Aaron smiled at the sight of his husband and friend cooing over the baby, “Come on. I’ll take you guys to get cleaned up.”

The boys hesitantly followed after him and to the house. An hour passed and Y/N fed her daughter as she talked to Eric.

“When you mentioned your husband he wasn’t quite what I pictured,” Eric said as he rocked back in his chair.

She raised an eyebrow at him, “What’s so different?”

Eric rolled his eyes, “Y’know for being in an apocalypse where you don’t have many options you bagged one of the finest men I have ever seen.”

She burst out laughing as she grinned at him, “Oh, I know. Trust me I was fighting off women left and right when we lived at the prison. You better believe if I see Jessie anywhere near him or my kids I’ll throw her out like a farm cat.”

Eric snorted and beamed, “I believe it. I’d love to see you take her down. She’s had it coming for years.”

A soft knock came from the door and Y/N sat up and adjusted her little girl in her arms, “Come in.”

The door slowly opened and her husband came into view and her eyes lit up. Rick came in and walked over to her. Eric smiled at the pair and stood up, “I’m gonna go make sure you guys have everything set up.”

She smiled softly at him as he moved to the doorway, “Thank you.”

Eric nodded and shut the door behind him. Rick had changed into new clothes and cleaned up his beard now. He came and sat at her side on the bed, “You feelin okay darlin?”

She nodded and leaned against his shoulder, “About as good as you can be after pushing a baby out of you.”

Rick chuckled in response and she met his eyes. Rick cupped her face as her eyes lit up teasingly, “Lookin good Sherriff.”

Rick pulled her in and pressed a firm kiss against her lips. After a moment passed they pulled apart and she muttered, “I love you.”

Rick kissed her quickly again and moved back, “I love you too.”

“Wanna hold her?” She asked gently holding her out to Rick.

Rick swallowed nervously and held out his arms and she passed Hope into his arms. Rick let out a shaky laugh as he finally got to hold her. He shared a look of awe with Y/N as he gently rocked her.

She pressed a kiss to Rick’s jaw with a smile, “You’re a natural.”

Rick smiled, his eyes staying on his youngest, “Comes with practice.”

The pair were silent for awhile as they watched their daughter. Y/N let out a shaky breath and leaned her head on Rick’s shoulder, “Who isn’t here?”

The silence was palpable between them as she pressed a kiss to Rick’s shoulder, “I- I just need to know, please.”

Rick nodded, keeping his eyes on their youngest, “Beth. She escaped with Daryl, but she got kidnapped by a group in Atlanta. We almost got her back, but she got killed before we could leave.”

Y/N swallowed back her tears and pressed her head into his shoulder and squeezed his arm, “Y’know no one would ever blame you for that, right? You tried your best and that’s all you can do sometimes.”

Rick nodded silently before pressing a kiss to her head. Y/N reached out to brush her finger over Hope’s soft cheek. Rick leaned back and wrapped an arm around Y/N’s shoulders and held his daughter with the other, “Anything we need to know about here?”

Y/N sighed heavily, “They’re weak. These people never learned how to survive outside the walls, because they never had to. Deanna understands what the world is and usually lets me call the shots when it comes to anything outside the walls.”

“Any pushback?” Rick said as he gently rocked Hope.

Y/N scoffed at his words, “Yeah, just a bit.”

“Anyone I need to kill?” Rick joked dryly, his arm tightening around her.

“Not yet. Deanna’s son, Spencer, is a liability. He doesn’t appreciate that I completely changed their tactics for runs, even if it was getting people killed. Spencer and his friend Nicholas are pretty much all talk, but they’re not shy about opposing anything I say. Oh, and watch out for Jessie,” She said leaning further into Rick’s chest, annoyance filling her while thinking about the town home wrecker.

Rick narrowed his eyes at her change in demeanor. He gently lifted her chin so she would meet his gaze. Despite having just given birth to their child, she still felt a pang of insecurity claw at her heart. Rick held her chin gently in his hand as his intense blue eyes met hers, “I have killed people to protect you. I would kill anyone to keep this family safe. You are the only woman I will ever want. Tell me you know that.”

Y/N smiled somewhat bashfully at his words. Those words would have terrified her in the world before it fell, but now it was a declaration of the highest love. She nodded and pressed her lips to his. It was almost as if no time had ever passed as they fell back into a routine with one another.

She pulled away breathlessly and met Rick’s expectant gaze. She let out a breath, “I know.”

Rick nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Hope cooed and stretched her arms out with a yawn. A knock sounded out and Rick moved the the door, his youngest cradled securely in his arms. He opened the door and then Carl stepped in with Judith on his hip. Y/N burst into tears at the sight of her daughter. Judith reached out her arms as she saw her, “Momma.”

Carl came over and sat next to his mom and Y/N was quick to take her into her arms. She pressed a kiss to Judith’s head, “Oh, babygirl I missed you so much.”

Judith clutched onto her shirt and snuggled into her mom. Y/N rubbed Judith’s back with one hand and reached over and pulled Carl into a tight hug. Carl sighed and leaned into his mom’s embrace. She pressed a kiss to the side of Carl’s head, “Thank you for keeping him alive.”

She and Carl shared a look of understanding as they pulled away. Rick came over, looking like a true dad with Hope in one arm and his other hand tucked in his jean pocket. Y/N wiped her tears and sat Judith on her lap as Rick came and sat next to her. She looked around at her family and smiled, “I don’t believe in god, but thank whoever the hell is in charge up there that brought y’all back to me.”

Rick smiled and kissed the side of her head, “Damn right.”

Then a knock came from the door and Maggie popped her head in. Maggie rushed over to Y/N as the rest of the group followed in. Y/N swore she’d cried all of her tears, but each hug she gave to the members of the group brought on a new onslaught.

After each member of the group had been properly introduced to their daughter Rick stood off in the corner. He looked around the room, Hope settled safely in the crook of his arm. This was the happiest he’d seen the group in years.

Carl had yet to move from Y/N’ side, as Judith happily sat on his lap playing with her mom’s hand. Rick was certain he had never seen Y/N look so beautiful. She was beaming as she talked to Glenn and Maggie, despite the fact that she’d given birth hours earlier.

“She’s just like Lil Ass Kicker.”

Rick chuckled as Daryl came to his side. He looked down at his daughter lovingly and sighed, “This is what we fight for. Everythin we do is for everyone in this room.”

Daryl made a noise in agreement, “We keep going for shit like this.”

Rick met his wife’s eyes and she was quick to shoot him a wink, before she turned and pulled Carl closer to her into a hug. He sighed, his heart feeling full for the first time in months. Herschel had told him years ago that every day was a choice.

He would choose to keep his family in the room safe everyday for the rest of his life. No matter what it cost.

[thealtoduck]

Dream of You

Bodyguard!Reggie Mantle x Idol!Male Reader

Kpop Idol AU (Idol x Bodyguard)

Y/g/n = Your Group’s Name

Y/c/n = Your Company’s name

Warnings: Smut, bottom!Reader, top!Reggie, bick dick!Reggie, secret relationship, anal sex, unprotected sex, rough sex, age difference (Reggie is a couple of years older than you), blowjob, cum in ass, maybe ooc!Reggie (idk i haven’t watched Riverdale since Season 3), motel sex…

Summary: You’re a famous idol from a beloved kpop boy group and after a night of winning an award at music show you meet up with your secret boyfriend Reggie…

(A/n: Hi… )

(Special thanks to @roses-r-rosie3 for pre-reading this a while back 🫶)

——

You were a member of a six membered group called Y/g/n under the relatively unknown company Y/c/n. Just last year your group had started gaining traction for your amazing skills in singing and dancing as well as your lighthearted but loud dance music.

You even managed to get your first win on a music show a couple of months ago. Leading to most of you crying as you accepted your first trophy and sang your encore stage. Now you were back with a new mini album, which sales numbers had steadily gone up since your last comeback. And as you attended another music show to promote.

”And the winner is Y/G/N!!! Congrats!” The music shows M/C announced as confetti cannons went of making you and your members jump in both fright and excitement. The six of you now had 3 wins on your comeback title track.

You excitedly sang your encore stage and waved to your fans as you held up the trophy. Once you finished you went backstage towards your dressing room. Once you got there you were met with your security team waiting inside to escort you out.

You went to walk past one of your guards to go change but he grabbed your arm making you turn to him. It was Reggie. ”You were great out there” he said softly with a smile. ”Thanks” you said as his comment gave you butterflies.

You and Reggie had been secretly dating for a couple of months, ever since a passionate night a couple of days after your first win where he had ended up taking your virginity. The two of you would often go on sneaky dates together at night to draw attention.

You and the others went and changed out of your stage outfits and got ready to go home. Security grouped up around you as you prepared to leave, Reggie standing himself next to you, you’re hands sligtly grazing each other.

They escorted you past the fans and to a minibus that would take you home from the music show venue. You smiled for the pictures the fans took and blew them a kiss. Reggie smirked at your antics.

Reggie was quite popular within your group fandom because they thought he was very handsome and also because of his close friendship with you and your members. He always seemed extra protective of the six of you when he was on duty compared to the other guards.

You entered the minibus along with your members and sat down in one of the seats putting on your seatbelt. The others were excitedly talking about your win as your driver drove you back towards your dorms.

Your phone lit up as you got a text notification from Reggie, you opened your phone and read:

Reggie: I’ll pick you up in an hour

Y/n: Okay, i’ll wait outside the dorm building

Once the minibus stopped outside your dorm building you followed your members inside. When you got to your shared apartment the others didn’t waste anytime before collapsing on the couch and turning on the tv.

You went in to the room you shared with your group leader ”Hye”. You changed in to a black hoodie and a pair of dark jeans to not draw attention, you also packed a change of clothes in a backpack. You joined your members in front of the tv for a while.

They were watching a new popular drama about a female idol dating her bodyguard and you couldn’t help but avoiding looking dircetly at the screen the context of the show making you feel awkward. The ficitional idol’s relationship with the bodyguard had been revealed to the public causing huge scandal.

Her and the bodyguard were now arguing about the strain their relationship took on her career and if their relationship was even worth continuing. You frowned at the scene playing out on the tv and distracted yourself with your phone.

You looked at the time, wanting to get away from watching the drama. You saw that it was finally time to meet up with Reggie. ”Guys, i’m gonna go sleep over at a friend’s house, i’ll see you at practice tommorow” you told them. They all each gave you a goodbye hug before you got up and you walked out the door.

It was nice feeling as the cool air hit your face when you stepped out of the building. You didn’t have to wait long until Reggie’s car pulled up beside you. You opened the door and sat down next to him and as soon as you closed the door you immediately felt his soft lips press against yours.

You kissed back passionately and once you both pulled back for air he uttered a ”I’ve missed you”. ”We were together a little more than an hour ago” you commeted. ”I meant i missed being able to kiss you” he corrected as he started the car and drove in to traffic. One hand on the steering wheel and one softly holding your thigh.

As he drove you through nightime Seoul you told Reggie the plot of the drama the others had watched but you intentionally left out the part where everything went wrong for the couple.

He was driving towards the outskirts of town where you had managed to find a good subtle rendezvous spot that gave the two of you the privacy you wanted. It was a sleazy motel. No one would expect to find an Idol there.

Reggie pulled in to it’s parking lot and parked the car outside the small motel. The two of you got out and made your way in to the building and walked to the front desk that was being run by a middle aged man. Reggie asked him for a room for two with one bed, which caught the man off guard at first but he handed Reggie a key.

As you both turned to leave the man called out ”Hey!”. Making both you and Reggie turn back, the man was now focusing his attention at you, studying your features. ”Are you somekind of celebrity? I feel like i’ve seen you somewhere” he asked.

You shook your head and lied casually ”No, i just have a recognisable face”. Before the man could get another glace you and Reggie made your way out and towards your room.

You entered the small motel room and kicked of your shoes and threw your backpack on to an empty chair. You went and laid down on the soft bed spreading yourself out. Meanwhile Reggie closed the door and checked that the curtains were fully covering the windows so no one could spy in on you.

”Come on Reggie, i’m waiting” you said needily. Reggie then turned to you and came over and layed down on the bed next to you. You quickly engaged in a hungry kiss, lusting for the other. You climbed on top of Reggie and stradled him as you made out.

Reggie’s hand slipped down to your ass, squeezing it through your pants. You let out a soft moan against his lips making him smirk, he moved his hand to your front and started palming at your crotch, making you grow hard from the pressure he applied.

You touched Reggie’s large pecs over his shirt feeling them up. Reggie liked the feeling and started unbuttoning you pants, as if you were in competition to see who could make the other moan the most.

Reggie slipped his large hand inside your underwear taking your dick in his firm grasp. You groaned quietly from his grip of your cock as he slowly moved his hand up and down your shaft. While Reggie touched you, you started unbuckling his belt and unbutton his pants, wanting to make him feel good.

You climbed between Reggie’s legs and started pulling off his pants, you pulled them all the way down and pulled them off, throwing them aside. There was a huge tent in Reggie’s underwear, thin fabric concealing his throbbing manhood.

You layed between his legs your face hovering his awaiting dick, you pulled down Reggie’s underwear setting his thick cock free in front of you. You gave a lick up his shaft making Reggie’s bite his lip at the touch of your warm wet tongue.

When you got to the tip you teased him by putting your lips around it, giving small licks on it but not fully going down on him. Reggie made an awating groan, trying not to give you the satisfaction of giving in to your teasing.

Once you realised he wouldn’t budge you took more of his manhood in to your mouth, your mouth felt stretched out as you tried to take his fat cock. Reggie reaching down putting his hands on the side of your head as you accepted more of him.

Reggie moaned in low tone, as the warmness of your mouth felt amazing around him as your saliva coated his dick. ”Fuck” Reggie swore quietly in pleasure as you took as much of him in your mouth as it would allow you.

You then started moving up and down on his cock. You set a steady pace that drove Reggie crazy as you worked his length. After a couple of minutes Reggie felt himself getting close, but he didn’t want to cum yet.

”Stop” Reggie said lightly lifting your head as you brought your mouth off him. ”My turn” he said sittng up in the bed. You laid down on the bed a Reggie’s body hovered over you. He stripped you both of your shirts. Revealing his own meaty muscles to you.

As you made out Reggie started pulling your pants down, once he got them off you were naked beneath him, your own cock hard in anticipation. ”So beautiful” Reggie uttered stroking your thigh. He stood up and went to his own bag and picked up a bottle of lube, spreading some on his fingers.

He got back on the bed and spread your legs to give him access to your tight awaiting hole. Reggie started teasing his fingers over your enterance just like you had done to him. ”Reggie, please” you said in a lustful begging tone.

That was all Reggie needed to start pushing a finger in to you, prepping you for his thick length. He added another finger to stretch you out further, and then another. Once he had loosened you up he slowly pulled out his fingers.

Reggie fully took of his underwear and smeared more lube on his monster length and positioned himself at your enterance and started pushing himself in to your ass. You moaned loudly as Reggie’s huge cock split you open. ”Taking me so well” he said comfortingly had he held your legs spread.

Reggie only just managed to fit his whole manhood in your tightness. You gripped the sheets in a sensation of pain and pleasure as you tried to adjust to his large size. ”Reggie, you’re so big” you whined making him smirk.

”That’s right, and you look so beautiful taking me” Reggie gloated to himself. Once you were adjusted to his size he slowly started moving in and out of you with a slow pace. Reggie loved how warm and tight your hole felt around him.

As Reggie moved inside you, you let out breathy moan as he took your ass. You gripped at Reggie strong chiseled body, squeezing his big juicy chest. ”I love seeing you like this” he said lustfully.

”Your fans could never see you the way i see you” he bragged to himself as he started rolling his faster as he plowed your hole, making you moan even louder. You swore in pleasure as you felt Reggie’s cock deep inside you.

Your bodies glistened with sweat as Reggie powerfully thrusted in to your heat toching against your prostate making your mouth gape in bliss. Reggie placed kisses to your neck as he whispered praises in your ear.

Reggie then swiftly pulled out of you and flipped you on to your stomach with your ass in the air, showing your loose gaping hole. He gripped your hips and thrust his cock back in your ass as you moaned Reggie’s name loudy in to the matress.

”That’s good baby, such a nice warm hole ” he said as pounded his hips against your beautiful round ass. In your bliss you felt your climax getting close as Reggie monster cock pummeled your prostate.

”Reggie- I’m gonna-” you said breatily but was unable to finish as shot ropes of cum on to sheets below you. The sight of you so undone and sweaty made Reggie long for his own release.

He grabbed you around the chest and pulled your upper body towards him, your back against his chest as his meaty cock fucked into you, leaking his pre-cum inside you close to his release.

”I’m close” Reggie said as he relentlessly took you. ”Cum inside me” you told him needily and with a only few rough thrusts in between Reggie buried his manhood inside you, flooding your insides with his cum.

You both panted heavily in exhaustion. Reggie slowly pulled out of you and let you lay down on the bed. Then he went to the bathroom where he wet a towel in the sink and came back and started cleaning your leaking hole. He then layed down next to you and pulled the covers over the two of you.

He pulled you close to him and you cuddled. ”I don’t know how i’m supposed to be albe to walk tommorow, much less dance” you said as you both let out a small chuckle. ”Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out” Reggie said with a smile.

He then held you close as you both drifted off to sleep…

[skye-obsolete]

Hello, first of all I want to thank you for the amazing scenes with Sylus. Thank you a lot 🥰

I would like to make a request IF you have the time and energy for it...

Would it be possible to write a scene with Sylus and Caleb (the supposed dead childhood friend)?

I read somewhere that both of them are 190 cm and big in every sense of word...

Maybe Caleb finds out about Sylus being mcs love interest and is not that happy about it? Or something like that. Oh and don't forget the smut or fluff - anything that works for you.

Thank you again ☺️

Crow's Gaze

sʏʟᴜs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ synopsis┆ : An unexpected encounter with the famous leader of the Onychinus- though of course, only you knew that, but Caleb isn't sure what to make of it.

ᯓ❅ ┆ tags┆ : fiction, fluff & possible OOC

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You and Caleb were out fetching groceries for your grandmother’s house. The marketplace bustled with its usual energy, though it wasn’t overly crowded today, making it easier to navigate. As you wandered between the stalls, you and Caleb exchanged stories about your daily lives, the rare time together making the moment all the more enjoyable. After all, with your hectic schedules, holidays were the only chances to catch up like this.

Usually, you handled errands like these on your own. You didn’t mind—it was part of your routine. Caleb, being busier than you, rarely had the time. And yet, here he was now, proving you wrong.

"Ahha, what’s wrong with helping out?" he said when you’d expressed surprise at his presence. "Coming back early to spend time with you and Gran feels like a win to me."

That cheeky, sheepish grin of his left you sighing in mock defeat. Caleb always had a way of disarming you, leaving little room for argument.

At the counter, you reached for your card to pay for the groceries, but Caleb was faster. His card swiped through effortlessly, his grin triumphant.

"Seriously?" you muttered, shaking your head as you turned toward the bags the cashier was packing.

The bags weren’t heavy, and you reached to grab them, only for Caleb to intercept again.

“I can carry those, Caleb,” you protested, giving him a pointed look.

“I know, pipsqueak, but remember the time the bottom ripped and all the groceries went flying?” His teasing smirk was impossible to ignore.

“That wasn’t my fault! The bag was overloaded—”

“Uh-uh,” he interrupted, hoisting the bags with ease. “Safety measures, remember?”

Obviously, you weren’t winning this one.

As you and Caleb made your way out of the marketplace, chatting and laughing about past mishaps, the bustling environment seemed to shift. The lively chatter and hum of merchants became distant, replaced by a curious lull. Your steps slowed, and instinctively, you looked around.

That’s when you saw him—Sylus.

Dressed in his usual sharp, all-black ensemble, the man looked impossibly out of place in the rustic charm of the marketplace. His presence was magnetic yet foreboding. His striking features—sharp jawline, piercing red eyes that seemed to see too much, and the faint smirk that hinted at both arrogance and danger—commanded attention. Even standing still, he exuded confidence like a coiled serpent, aware of its lethal potential but patient enough to strike only when necessary.

You instinctively stiffened. Though you knew Sylus from past, shall we say, unconventional encounters, it was never easy being in his proximity. Caleb noticed your shift and followed your gaze, his cheerful expression quickly replaced by suspicion.

"Who’s that?" Caleb asked, voice low and taut.

You opened your mouth to respond, but Sylus noticed you both. His smirk widened ever so slightly, and before you could decide whether to walk away or wave, he was moving toward you, his gait casual but purposeful.

“Well, fancy seeing you here,” Sylus drawled, his voice smooth, almost mocking. His gaze flickered to Caleb, scanning him like he was a trivial detail in a much larger picture, before settling on you. "And with company, no less. How... quaint."

Caleb stepped a little closer to you, shoulders squared. “Can we help you with something?” he asked, his tone polite but firm, though his unease was palpable.

Sylus turned his attention fully to Caleb now, as if noticing him for the first time. His smirk turned sharper, a predator recognizing a challenge it didn’t take seriously. "Help? From you? I doubt it, but the offer’s adorable." He then shifted back to you, his tone softening to something almost conversational. "Running errands, are we? Never pictured you as the domestic type."

"Sylus," you interjected, trying to steer the interaction. "We’re just here for groceries. Nothing... noteworthy."

He tilted his head a bit, clearly entertained. "Oh, but you see, everything you do is noteworthy for me."

Caleb’s patience visibly frayed. "What’s your deal, man? You just wander around making people uncomfortable for fun?"

Sylus chuckled, low and dark. "Only when they’re worth my time." He stepped closer—not enough to invade your space, but enough to make his presence loom. "Relax, kid. I’m merely catching up with an old... acquaintance."

Caleb frowned, glancing between you and Sylus. “Acquaintance? You never mentioned this guy before.”

“It’s... complicated,” you muttered, not wanting to dig into the gritty details of how you knew Sylus, or why his interest in you felt more like a game than genuine connection.

Sylus raised a brow, clearly enjoying the tension he’d stirred. "Complicated. Now there’s an understatement." His gaze lingered on Caleb, as if deciding whether to entertain the conversation. "But don’t worry, I have no intention of spoiling your errand run. Today."

There was an unspoken weight to the last word, one Caleb didn’t miss. His jaw tightened, and you could feel the tension radiating off him.

"Come on, Caleb," you said quickly, grabbing his arm and tugging him toward the exit. "We should get back to Gran."

Sylus didn’t move to stop you, but his voice followed as you walked away. "See you around, sweetie.”

The casual arrogance in his tone made your skin prickle. You didn’t have to look back to know his smirk was still there, etched with the promise of future encounters.

As soon as you were out of earshot, Caleb exhaled sharply. “Who the hell is that guy? And why does he talk like he’s in some kind of mob movie?”

You forced a chuckle, though your grip on the grocery bags tightened. “Just... someone from the past. Don’t let him get to you. He thrives on that.”

Caleb frowned but said nothing, though you knew this wouldn’t be the last you’d hear about it. And deep down, you couldn’t shake the feeling Sylus’s appearance wasn’t just a coincidence—it rarely ever was.

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╰｡ Author's Note: I am not gonna lie, this took me a while to formulate and think about, I haven't written anything regarding the dead childhood friend-- So, I'm unsure if I did him justice. Hope I did.

Thank you for requesting the idea! Another request that took me a while to complete- spare me. I hope you'll like it as well~

╰｡ Tagging: . ݁˖ .@slitheringwaves

[nyc-tophile]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 | Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier x fem!reader

After a desperate fight for your life in the snow, Steve rescues you and Bucky, bringing you both back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Steve explains that you and Bucky need to go into hiding before Hydra finds you again. Now, as you’re sent to a safe house in the mountains, you have to sit down with Bucky and explain everything.

Warnings: OOC Winter Soldier, fluff, kind of sad coming down to the end, reader comforting Bucky, mentions of torture.

Author’s Note: I'm not sure how I feel about this, as I wrote it while half asleep. I love you all, though, so I managed to finish it. ENJOYYYYY <3<3<3

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟒 | 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟔

Morning came quietly. Soft light slipped through the small window of the med room, painting pale stripes across the walls. You stirred, the unfamiliar smell of antiseptic and clean sheets reminding you that you weren’t in your bed. The ache in your leg was still there, but duller now.

The room was still except for the soft hum of machinery and the faint creak of a chair. You turned your head and spotted Bucky, seated near the door. He hadn’t moved; his posture was rigid, eyes fixed on the floor like he was lost in thought, or lost somewhere far beyond the walls of the base.

Before you could say anything, the door opened quietly. Steve stepped in, the smell of coffee and something warm trailing in with him. He looked tired, but there was a small smile on his face when he saw you awake.

“Hey,” he said softly, crossing the room. “You’re up. How’re you feeling?”

You shifted, testing the stiffness in your leg. “Sore. But better.”

Steve handed you a steaming cup and set a tray with food on the bedside table, simple, but it smelled better than anything you’d had in days. He passed another cup to Bucky, who took it slowly, his fingers curling around it like it was an anchor.

“Figured you could both use this,” Steve said, sitting down at the foot of your bed. His voice was calm, but you could hear the worry just beneath it. “We’ve got time to breathe now. Just for a little while.”

The room settled into a quiet stillness again. The kind that felt like the eye of a storm, peaceful, but not for long.

Steve took a sip of his coffee, his gaze shifting between you and Bucky. His expression softened, but there was a seriousness behind his eyes that made your chest tighten.

“We’ve got to be careful,” he began, voice low. “You and Bucky need to lay low for a while. Hydra’s not done coming after either of you. We’re setting up a safe house, somewhere quiet. Somewhere off the grid. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be close enough to help if anything goes south, but not so close that it draws attention.”

You nodded slowly, glancing at Bucky. He hadn’t said much, but his grip on the coffee cup had tightened. His knuckles had gone white.

Steve noticed it too. His gaze softened as he looked at Bucky, the weight of everything they’d been through etched in the lines around his eyes.

“We’ll figure this out,” you said, eyes looking at Bucky, “But you need to trust us.”

Bucky finally spoke, his voice rough like he hadn’t used it in days. “Where?”

“There’s a cabin,” Steve said. “Up in the mountains. An old friend of mine used to use it for missions that went off the books. It’s stocked, isolated. No one’s gonna find you there.”

You swallowed hard, the reality of it sinking in. The running, the hiding. The fact that Hydra wasn’t going to give up. Not this time.

Bucky set his cup down, his eyes meeting yours for the briefest moment. There was fear there, but also determination.

“When do we leave?” you asked.

Steve didn’t hesitate. “Tonight.”

The three of you sat in heavy silence for a beat longer, the sound of the wind outside filling the space where words failed. Then, with a nod, Steve rose, the leader again, ready to do whatever it took to protect the people he cared about.

“Pack light, only what you need. I’ll handle the rest.” Steve finished.

The room remained quiet except for the soft sounds of distant footsteps, the murmur of voices, and the low hum of equipment coming to life for the day. Morning light spilled across the floor, warmer now, but the tension between the three of you kept the air heavy.

Steve glanced toward the window, as if gauging how much time you had before leaving. “We’ve got a few hours before we move,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “We’ll leave tonight, when it’s safer. Less chance of being spotted.”

You nodded, the thought of waiting both a relief and a weight. The idea of one last day in relative safety was comforting, but it also gave your mind time to race, to worry about what came next.

Bucky stayed by the wall, silent, but his eyes were sharper now, more present. He seemed to sense your unease and crossed the room to stand closer, not saying anything — just there. It helped.

Steve set his empty cup down, his expression softening as he looked at the two of you. “Get some rest while you can. Eat something. We’ll need to be ready tonight.”

He hesitated for a beat, like there was more he wanted to say, but instead he gave a small, reassuring nod and turned for the door. “I’ll check in on transport and supplies. We’ll be ready.”

The door clicked quietly shut behind him, leaving you and Bucky in the soft, quiet hush of morning. He glanced at you but didn’t say anything.

A sigh escaped you as you lay back down, your eyes fixed on the ceiling’s dull, cracked paint. The ache in your leg pulsed beneath the sheets, a dull reminder of how close you’d come to losing everything. The quiet in the room was heavy, almost too heavy, like the calm before a storm no one could stop.

Your eyes found Bucky, his eyes flicked up, meeting yours for just a moment, tired, guarded, but maybe a little hopeful. No words came, but that small connection was enough to steady your racing heart.

-----

The day stretched ahead, slow and heavy with waiting. Around lunchtime, Steve returned quietly, carrying a bag with food for both you and Bucky. Alongside it, he set down two packed duffel bags carefully on the floor beside your bed.

“These are packed with everything you’ll need for the safe house,” he said, his eyes shifting between you and Bucky.

Your eyes met Bucky’s. He didn’t say anything, just glanced down at the bag by his feet. “I’ll be driving you guys, but I won’t be able to stay,” Steve said.

“How are we supposed to contact you if something happens?” you asked, reaching for the fork beside the bowl of mac and cheese.

“Burner phones,” Steve replied, pulling his phone from his pocket. “There’s one in each bag. You can use them anytime, just be careful with them.”

You nodded, mentally kicking yourself, you should have known that.

“Since it’s already four, I’ll come back around eight-thirty for you guys,” Steve said, standing up and stretching his legs.

He lingered for a second, like he wanted to say more but decided against it. Then he gave a small nod, more to Bucky than to you, and walked out without another word. The door clicked shut behind him.

The room fell silent again, save for the quiet hum of the air conditioner and the clink of your fork against the bowl. Bucky hadn’t touched his food. You glanced at him, he was still staring at the floor, knuckles resting on his knees, his jaw set like he was bracing for impact.

“You okay?” you asked softly.

He didn’t answer right away. Then he nodded. You let the silence stretch, not wanting to push.

-----

Before you knew it, it was already eight. You glanced at the clock, then leaned over to grab the duffle bag at the edge of the bed. Bucky was sitting in the corner, eyes closed, completely still.

You moved as quietly as possible, swinging your legs off the bed and setting the bag beside you. Unzipping it, you rummaged through until you found some sweats and a plain t-shirt.

As you stood up, a soft groan escaped your lips. You couldn't help but glance back at Bucky, his eyes were still shut, head down, hair falling over his face.

You moved slowly, opening the door, moving to close it behind you as you looked around before walking down the hallway looking for a bathroom.

The hallway was dim and quiet, lit only by the sterile glow of overhead lights. You walked slowly, muscles stiff, leg aching more than you let on.

You found the bathroom at the end of the hall, slipping inside and locking the door behind you. For a moment, you just stood there, gripping the edge of the sink, staring at your reflection.

The person in the mirror looked like you, but worn down, eyes tired, skin pale under the harsh fluorescent lights. The bruises had started to fade, but the tiredness behind your eyes hadn’t. You splashed cold water on your face, the coldness of it grounding you, reminding you that you were still here. Still alive.

You took your time getting dressed, pulling on the sweats and shirt. Tonight, everything would change again, a new place, a new routine, and a fragile, unspoken partnership with someone who barely seemed to recognize himself.

When you returned to the room, Bucky was standing now, duffel bag slung over his shoulder, staring out the small window. He didn’t turn when you came in.

“Nice view?” you asked lightly, closing the door behind you.

His shoulders tensed slightly, then relaxed. “Just clouds,” he said, voice quiet. “But... yeah.”

You sat back on the edge of the bed, watching him. The light caught the edge of his metal arm, dim but reflective, like a weapon waiting to be drawn. 

A knock sounded at the door.

Steve’s voice came through. “It’s time.”

You both stood in silence, grabbing your bags. The air in the room felt heavier now, but not with dread. With the possibility.

The walk through the base was silent.

You, Bucky, and Steve moved silently, heads down, footsteps quiet. There was a tension in Steve’s jaw, in the way his eyes kept scanning every hallway like he expected something to go wrong. You understood.

When you reached the garage, Steve typed in a code, and the heavy metal doors groaned open, revealing a plain black truck tucked into the shadows. No markings. No weapons in view. Just a plain vehicle that could camouflage in a sea of vehicles.

Steve opened the back door and looked at Bucky first. “You good to ride up front?”

Bucky gave the faintest nod and slid in without a word. His duffel sat in his lap, like it was something precious. You climbed into the back, settling in with a sharp inhale as your injured leg stretched out along the seat. Steve shut the doors and walked around to the driver’s side.

The engine started quietly. No roar, no drama. Just a low, steady hum.

As you pulled out of the compound, no one spoke. You watched trees blur past in the dark, frost glinting off their branches like tiny daggers. The farther you got from S.H.I.E.L.D., the quieter the world became, and the city faded behind you.

-----

As the hours passed in near silence, occasionally broken by the soft shuffle of Bucky adjusting his seat and the occasional sigh from Steve, Steve said quietly, “You’re not alone up there. Not really. There’s a contact nearby, an old S.H.I.E.L.D. safe route through the woods. If something happens, follow the river downstream. It'll lead you to a logging road. Someone will be watching it.”

You nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. In front of you, Bucky didn’t react.

Eventually, Steve pulled off onto an unmarked trail that twisted up into the mountains. The road narrowed, the trees crowding close on either side. When the truck finally rolled to a stop, the cabin appeared like a ghost out of the dark, a simple, wooden structure tucked deep in the trees.

“This is it,” Steve said quietly.

You all got out without a word. The cold bit hard, and your limp had returned, worse now after sitting so long. Bucky grabbed both bags before you could reach for yours and started toward the door. He didn’t say anything, but you caught the smallest glance back.

Steve followed you up the steps. The porch creaked under your weight. The cabin was silent, dark, but remote.

Steve unlocked the door and flicked on the lights.

It was simple. One main room with a small couch, a fireplace, and a tiny kitchen. One door to the bedroom. Another to the bath. Wood walls, worn furniture, and the scent of dust and pine.

You stepped inside, letting the warmth of the space chase the cold from your skin. Bucky stood near the fireplace, scanning the room like it might still be a trap.

Steve lingered at the doorway, his face unreadable.

“I’ll check the surroundings. You’ve got about two weeks’ worth of supplies here: food, medicine, basic gear. There’s a satellite radio, but don’t use it unless it’s life or death. I’ll check in when I can.”

You nodded. “Thank you.”

Steve hesitated again, then his eyes settled on Bucky.

“Take care of each other,” he said, and you knew he meant more than just survival.

He stepped back into the dark and shut the door behind him. A moment later, the truck pulled away, its headlights disappearing into the trees. You were alone now.

-----

You sat on the couch, your eyes fixed on the fire flickering in front of you, your hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea. Across from you, Bucky sat quietly, his gaze distant and lost in thought.

“Hey,” you said softly, setting your cup down on the side table. “You okay?”

His voice came out low, uncertain. “I don’t know.”

You gave a small nod. “Fair.”

Shifting slightly, you turned fully toward him. “Do you… Remember anything? About your past? Anything at all?”

Bucky’s voice was hesitant, almost fragile. “Sometimes. Bits and pieces. It’s all… jumbled.”

You took a steadying breath, keeping your voice gentle but clear. “After the train… after Hydra found you, things got dark. They experimented on you, tried to erase who you were, and turned you into the Winter Soldier. A weapon.”

Your mind flashed to the videos you’d seen, him strapped down, screaming in pain as they whipped his mind.

Leaning forward slightly, you spoke gently. “Steve was your best friend. More than that, he was family. He never stopped looking for you. Never stopped believing you could come back.”

For a moment, a flicker of something passed through Bucky’s eyes, hope, maybe, or the distant echo of a memory.

“He talked about you all the time,” you added softly. “Every chance he got, it was always about you.”

You met his eyes, steady and calm. “It’s okay to be scared, Bucky. What they did to you was cruel. But that’s not who you are anymore. You’re here now, with us. And you’re safe.”

He swallowed hard, his eyes searching yours as if trying to find solid ground. “I don’t know who I am,” he admitted quietly.

You shook your head softly, a sad smile tugging at your lips. “You’re Bucky Barnes. Steve’s best friend, a good man who’s been through hell but is still fighting to come back. And you’re not alone in this. We’re going to figure it out together.”

“Steve won’t let you down. He’ll be with you through everything, me too. Just trust us. We’ll help you find your memories again. We’ll get you back to being Bucky Barnes, not the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky’s gaze dropped, his fingers tightening around the edge of the couch cushion. The weight of your words seemed to settle over him, a fragile hope threading through the uncertainty.

“I want to believe that,” he said softly, voice rough like it hadn’t been used in a long time. “But it’s hard. Feels like I’m lost and I don’t know if I’ll ever find my way.”

You nodded slowly, understanding all too well the battle raging inside him. “It’s okay to feel that way. You’re not expected to have all the answers right now. What matters is that you’re here with us. And every day, little by little, things will get better.”

He looked up, eyes searching yours again. “And if I can’t?”

You gave him a steady look, soft but firm. “Then we’ll keep trying. Together. You’re not alone anymore, Bucky.”

The fire crackled beside you, the room warm despite the chill outside. In that quiet moment, you could almost feel the weight on his shoulders lighten, just a little.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

You smiled gently. “No need to thank me. Just focus on being here now. We’ve got a long road ahead, but we’ll be with you all the way.”

He nodded once, slowly, and for the first time in a while, there was something like peace in his eyes.

join my тαgℓιѕт -

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[leighsartworks216]

Migraine Pain

Astarion x gn!Tav/Reader

Wrote this for me bc I have a migraine rn and I want Astarion to act as my personal cold pack. Beginning of Astarion's dialogue taken from the vid Neil did of an Astarion wake up call lol

Not proofread bc brain hurts

Warnings: migraine descriptions, pain, light angst if you squint, swearing, OOC Shadowheart

Word Count: 1,839

Main Masterlist

First Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist - Second Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist

AO3

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The two knocks at the door split your skull. Each one like an iron spike hammered into your temples. All you could do was hide deeper under the covers, hoping they would muffle the sound enough to stop hurting.

“Darling, get up,” Astarion called through the wood. Two more knocks accentuated his annoyance. He groaned when he didn’t hear any movement. “Get the fuck up!”

You wished you could tell him what was going on - really you did. But the slightest twitch from your tadpole was enough to have you wishing for death. Hells, you’d make a deal with Raphael with unbalanced terms just so it would go away! Instead, all you could do was wait it out. It would be a long wait indeed.

With another irritated sigh, you could hear the familiar scrape of his lockpicking tools working at the lock. Even the quiet metal-on-metal grated right against your eardrums. Fortunately, he was exceptionally skilled, because with a click the door was swinging open.

He rolled his eyes when he saw the lump of your body underneath the blankets. “My gods, you’re so lazy. Just like Gale.” His footsteps, even as an elven rogue, were too damn loud. You pressed your nose into the mattress, willing the thumping pulse in your head to stop. It thudded behind your eyes with each step.

In one swift motion, the blankets that provided the small mercy of darkness were whipped off of you. You curled as tightly into yourself as possible, covering your head with your arms to block out the sunlight streaming into your room. Astarion scoffed.

“Get out of bed and get up!” He gestured to the window. Even though you couldn’t see it, you could hear the rustling of his shirt. “It’s the morning. Listen, I might be a vampire that’s been away from the sun for 200 years, and I can actually now walk in it thanks to a tadpole that’s induced my mind,” he rambled, before huffing indignantly, “but even I don’t rest in!”

Now was the worst time for his dramatics. You usually adored how sassy and silly he could be, but now it just drove a stake through your brain. Even the Absolute couldn’t cause a pain this agonizing.

You whimpered, reaching out with one arm to swat him away. You missed. “Please, stop,” you whined. “Head hurts.”

He clicked his tongue. “Nothing the cleric can’t fix. C’mon, she can do whatever it is she does on our way out of here.”

You shook your head slowly, burying your face further and further into the bed. Gods, why did it have to hurt so fucking bad? Your chest tightened as the burn of tears stung at your eyes. Even crying hurt. Your body trembled and shook, your hands tangling into your hair to press at your affliction, as choked sobs suffocated you. Each gasp for air felt like a vice gripping your brain.

“Darling?” Astarion spoke, much softer. You couldn’t answer. He sighed softly, no longer annoyed. Well, a little annoyed. He dragged the blankets back up to your shoulders. “I’ll get Shadowheart.”

His footsteps were much lighter as he rushed out of your room. Was… this the work of the tadpoles? But wouldn’t they be affected, too? Ugh, why couldn’t anything be simple in this damn group of weirdos?

Shadowheart rushed in a moment later, remembering to keep her steps light halfway to you. She knelt down, frowning at the sight of the group’s leader so shaken. “Is it a migraine?” she whispered.

A sharp pain bolted through your temples as you nodded. You whimpered.

She sighed quietly. There was nothing her magic could do; migraines weren’t something she could just heal. “I’ll tell the others and whip up some tea, alright?”

She didn’t wait for your answer and set to work closing the curtains over the windows. Astarion frowned, missing the golden light already. “What’s wrong with them?”

Shadowheart put a finger over her lips with a glare. He scowled, but didn’t say anything. She only spoke when she was right next to him in the doorway. “They have a migraine. They’re extremely sensitive to light and sound right now.”

“Can’t you do something?” He glared impatiently at her, crossing his arms.

“There’s nothing for it. All we can do is wait. I suggest getting comfortable - we’re not leaving today.” She slipped past him, back down the stairs to the rest of your anxious companions.

He tapped his arm as he watched the lump under the blankets shift slowly as you finally uncovered your head. Baldur’s Gate was so close. Cazador was so close. They couldn’t deal with these delays when he was so damn close to being honestly, truly free.

He hadn’t moved from his post by the door when Shadowheart returned with a steaming cup of tea. She placed it carefully on your bedside table. “Drink this,” she whispered. “It should help with the pain.”

You nodded slightly, wiping at your face. She offered a little sympathetic smile. She gave Astarion a stern look as she passed. “Don’t try taking a nibble, vampire.”

He forced a sweet smile. “Offering yourself up instead?”

She scoffed, scrunching her nose up at the mere thought. “They need rest. And you leering over them isn’t going to help.” She left once more, with a last cursory glance over her shoulder to see if he’d leave.

Once she was out of sight, Astarion stepped into the room, softly closing the door behind him. His feet barely made a sound as he found his way back to your side. At least you weren’t curled up into a little ball anymore. Or crying. Small mercies, he supposed. He had no idea how to deal with someone being sick, let alone someone crying.

You looked at the cup on the table. Liquid salvation. The real trick was being able to drink it.

With a deep breath, you forced yourself to sit up, wincing and whimpering with every jerky motion. He was honestly shocked you didn’t jump when he grabbed your arm to help, but perhaps you really were that out of it. Or you knew he was there. Either way, you thank him in the smallest, most pathetic voice he’s ever heard.

Comfortably propped up on a stack of pillows against the headboard, you reached over to try grabbing the cup. He caught your hand just before you knocked the cup over.

“Careful, darling,” he chastised quietly. With a put-out sigh, he sat down at the edge of the bed and picked up the cup. He brought the rim to your lips. “Since you’re so incapable…”

You carefully took a sip. Your whole face relaxed at the warmth, and the soothing herbs mixed in. It wouldn’t be an immediate remedy, but it was a very pleasant one. After you eagerly drained half the cup, he set it back on the table. You sighed with relief, content in the knowledge even a single percentile of your pain could be eased away.

“You don’t have to stay,” you mumbled, watching him through squinted eyes. Even the dimness of the room was too bright for you.

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Least I could do after such a rude awakening.”

You chuckled, but the sound was cut short with a strong wince. You sat there for a moment, face pinched and brow tight as you waited for the sting to pass. Once it did, your face softened once more.

“How bad is it?”

“Like Dwarves are taking pickaxes to my temples in search of gold.” You took a breath. “And like an ogre is sitting on my head.”

He huffed a laugh. “Not much I can do to help with that, love.”

You hummed, shaking your head ever so slightly. You didn’t want to go jostling the miners when they were so damned hard at work.

With a small gesture toward the cup, Astarion helped you finish off the last half of the tea. A small dribble fell from the corner of your mouth down your chin. He caught it with his thumb quickly, the knuckles of his closed hand brushing your cheek. You leaned into the touch immediately, without even thinking about it. You sighed with relief.

“You’re cold.”

“Mm. Comes with being undead.” He set the cup aside, but allowed his hand to linger. In fact, he opened it up so he cupped your cheek with his palm. A sharp chill raced down your spine, but you didn’t pull away.

It was curious, how easily you placed yourself in his care. Watching as your eyes shut in easy tranquility as you indulged in the coolness of his hand, how relaxed you became - it surprised him. You always found new ways to amaze him.

Slowly, not wishing to jostle you, he moved to press his hand to your temple. If he thought you were relaxed before, this was utter bliss. “Gods, don’t stop,” you begged.

He glanced at the door, half expecting Shadowheart to burst in and yell at him for disturbing you. But nothing happened. Still, it would be better to avoid being told off. He pulled away, but kept a hand on your arm. “Lay down, dove.”

Whether out of desperation to have him acting as a cold compress once more or just to take the pressure off your brain, you complied in a heartbeat. Slowly, you shimmied back down into the covers, head situated on a pillow once more.

Astarion thought for a moment. Did he really want to keep sitting here, back tiring out, arms reaching for hours? You whined, placing a hand over his on your arm, asking without words for relief. He hushed you.

As quickly as he could without shaking the bed, he stood, rounded it, and slipped in under the covers beside you. You gravitated toward him immediately, even as you winced. Head on his chest, arms clinging to him like a babe holding onto its mother, you relaxed into the natural chill he offered. He rested a hand back on your cheek, but slid the other to the back of your neck. That was the sweet spot, it seemed; you practically melted in his arms.

It wasn’t long before you were fast asleep, lulled into peace with the aid of the tea. He stared at the dark curtains blocking out the sun. One more day couldn’t hurt, surely. Not that they really had a choice, but…

You stirred in your sleep, turning your head to press your nose further into the ruffles of his shirt. Like this - bags under your eyes, hair a mess, a bit pallid - he was sure. He would Ascend. You’d never have to suffer like this again. Neither of you would. He’d be the most powerful man in the lands, with you at his side. Never again would he have to live in fear, bound in chains to someone else.

He sighed and rested his cheek lightly on your head. Gods. Just a few days now.

---

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[count-thotticus]

Night Whispers

Pairing: Sylus x MC (she/her pronouns used)

Rating: G

Word count: 1k

Summary: Instead of a day at the park, MC takes Sylus out for a meteor shower for his birthday.

Hey everypony it's April again and that means it's Anime STL FicFest time. This year's theme was "anniversary", so since our boy's birthday just passed, I elected to write about him. It's my first time writing about sylus and tbh I'm not actually that far in the story so apologies if he's ooc.

“April 18th,” he’d said, when she had done little more prying than sit in his lap and bat her eyelashes. “That’s my birthday.”

Sylus, the big bad boss, untouchable dragon-hearted leader of Onychinus, had cracked and told MC information previously unknown to even those closest to him without her even finishing the question.

“My, my,” Luke and Kieran would say later, “Bossman must really like you. He doesn’t tell that sort of thing to anyone!” And she would blush and look away, but never tell them the date he’d given her. No, that tidbit of information would remain a whispered promise kept behind her sealed lips.

MC spent the next few days endlessly thinking about how best to celebrate this man who’d done so much for her. What did you even get a man who had everything he wanted at the snap of his fingers or a tap of his card? She couldn’t just get him a gift - no, it had to be something memorable, an experience maybe.

MC spent hours searching the internet for events coming up either in Linkon or in the N109 Zone, weighing the times, crowd levels, and Sylus’s potential enjoyment of the activity, and came up with nothing. Every time she would find something with potential, she remembered: one, Sylus is nocturnal and prefers to go out at night, and two, he’s a wanted criminal. This of course didn’t stop him from indulging her at the arcade once a week, but she didn’t want to be the one to put him in a risky situation.

It was on a sleepless night, just a couple days before his birthday, when inspiration struck her like a bolt of lightning. Or, well, more like a shooting star.

MC had tossed and turned so much that she finally decided to just get up and make a cup of tea. As she sipped, she gazed out the window of her apartment and a light in the sky caught her attention. Of course, she thought. Tara had sent her a link to the Deepspace Tunnel website announcing the meteor shower that was to take place this week. A quick search told her peak visibility was in just 2 days - April 18th, just after midnight.

How lucky.

MC stopped by his base that morning and dropped off a small note, detailing a time and place to meet her the following night. Sylus called her immediately, of course, but she refused to divulge any information. He did love the chase, after all.

~*~

The evening of the 17th came and MC packed a basket with all the supplies she'd gathered. Sylus, ever craving her nearness, insisted on picking her up on his motorcycle. Basket strapped behind her, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as he sped toward the park.

“So are you going to tell me what this mystery outing is all about, kitten?” Sylus asked as they walked off the path, deeper into the field of spring wildflowers. MC carried the cake, delicately packaged in the bakery box, but Sylus had insisted on carrying the heavier basket and rested his other hand lightly on the small of her back.

“Patience, Sy. We're almost there.”

They crested a small hill to see a soft glow emitting from the meadow clearing and MC said a silent thank you to Luke and Kieran who'd agreed to help her set up. They'd laid out an ornate blanket and weighed it down with protocore powered pillar candles at the corners. As an added touch, she noticed, they'd laid out a small radio already playing one of Sylus’s favorite albums. It was one that he'd gifted her shortly after they'd first met, and she was touched by the twins’ thoughtfulness.

Sylus’s hand snaked further around her waist and he pulled her close to his side when he saw the scene. “All this for me?”

MC turned to see him smiling tenderly at her, his eyes softening from his usual aloof demeanor. “I'd move the stars for you, Sylus,” she responded, shutting her eyes and leaning into him as he leaned down to kiss the crown of her head.

She stepped out of his hold and trailed her open hand along his to gently tug him to sit on the blanket. He let her unpack the basket and arrange the dishes how she liked before pouring them each a glass of wine. Just as they settled in, the first meteor shot across the sky, drawing both of their attention.

He let out a gravelly chuckle. “You weren't kidding about those stars, huh, kitten?”

“Anything for you, birthday boy.” Just then, MC’s watch dinged with the stroke of midnight. She held out her glass in front of her. Sylus’s eyes never left her as he tapped his glass to hers. “To you, on your birthday. Thank you for telling me so we could celebrate.”

He hummed in appreciation and added, “And to us. May this be only one of many celebrations we share.”

Without breaking eye contact, MC took a sip of the dry red and couldn't help but giggle at the love struck look Sylus was giving her.

“What's so funny, kitten?”

“Nothing, Sy. It's just silly to me how the walls of the big strong leader of Onychinus crumble at the smile of a pretty girl.”

He let out a deep chuckle of his own. “Not just any pretty girl,” he growled, “my pretty girl.”

He brought his hand to cup her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips. His warmth melted her but as much as she wanted to give in immediately, she had one more surprise for him.

MC reached behind her for the bakery box and set it in Sylus’s lap. His large hands lifted the lid of the box to reveal the ornate cake within. He let out a surprised hum as she lit the candle and watched the flame dance in his garnet eyes with fondness.

“Happy birthday, Sylus.”