#like before the last 2 turns there's a ramp down or something

[robinfrinjs]

The Tokyo circuit has an elevation change??

[guksfairy]

I’m Tired Anyways

Jungkook x bubbly OC

playlist • original scene •

WC: 2K

In which Jungkook shows you he genuinely cares about you in his own way

💗: HEAVILY inspired by that one scene in ‘When I Fly Towards You’! If you want to see the original scene I based this fic off of I linked it above and it starts at minute 19:32 💗 !

note: I wrote this fairly quick so please excuse mistakes 🥲

You wish you could stare at her with a genuine smile but how could you? There she was standing with your Jungkook! Maybe not yours yet but eventually your Jungkook!

You watched as they stood in front of a stand looking at all the souvenirs displayed on the table along with a variety of other objects.

“Are you aware you’re pouting like a kid who was just told no?” You stare back at your best friend of 4 years and let out a breathy sigh.

“Sua, do you think they’re still close?”

“Considering this is their first time seeing one another after 2 years…no,” you begin to smile, “but who says people can’t reconnect,” and it goes away in an instant.

“You’re not helping,” you say fully turning and staring at the variety of sunglasses on the rack in front of you.

“You know I’m only joking! You can’t seriously be this upset because Jungkook and a girl from his old school are catching up,”

You walked out of your English exam tired as fuck. You looked at the other students walking out along with you and every single one looked tired. Your exam group had to get up at 6 AM for your test which would be from 7 AM to 10 AM.

Not all 3 hours were used but if you wanted a good mark than you better use them. As you walked down the ramp to the exit you catch a glimpse of Jungkook walking back and forth clearly waiting for you at the exit.

“Jungkook!” you run to him with a completely different emotion from the prior. His group was slightly luckier with their test only being 2 and a half hours long.

“I thought your test ended a half hour ago. Were you waiting for me?” you liked to tease him. He wasn’t big on emotions but even a smile would do for you.

“Oh- uh I just came out now,” you can tell he was bluffing but let it go realizing your other three friends weren’t with him.

“Have Sua, Jimin, and Minhyuk not finished their tests?” you question as you watch his eyes trail to the left and stared at the three crouching on the floor.

“She’s so in love with him she doesn’t even notice us,” you hear Minhyuk say as you smile shyly at Jungkook as he lets a barely audible laugh.

The three walk towards you and Jungkook.

“Well I need some food in my system. Should we look up places to eat here?” Jimin’s already taking his phone out before you can all agree but all your attention is quickly taken when you hear a voice call Jungkook’s name.

“Jungkook! Is that you? I thought I recognized you!” it was an older man walking towards your group with a girl who looked your age.

“Mr. Fukutomi,” Jungkook turns and greets the elder with a handshake. He wore a green badge signifying he was a teacher.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you! You remember my granddaughter, Tsuki,” she waves at your entire group and you try your best to keep a smile.

He remembers her?

“I’m assuming you came here to take your annual science exam? How was it?”

“I did and it was fine. I enjoy science a lot,” he speaks as the four of you just watch and listen to their interaction.

“Well it’s almost lunch time. Have you all eaten?” he asks and stares at us all.

“We were just on our way sir,” you hear Minhyuk behind you. You could hear the desperation in his voice for this conversation to end so he could finally grab some food.

“You should let Tsuki show you around town and then have lunch together afterward. She practically grew up here,” the elder suggests making a hand movement towards Tsuki who just smiled.

Again. You hear Minhyuk let a quiet sigh at the thought of doing something before eating.

“Oh we wouldn’t want to bothe-” ”Nonsense! I’m sure you two would like to catch up too!” he cuts off Jungkook before wishing you all a great day and walking away.

You all wave goodbye to him and watch Tsuki walk closer to you guys.

“I know this great sight seeing area but we need to walk a bit far for it,” she says.

“You think we can grab some snacks or something first,” Jimin asks.

“Of course. We can stop at the souvenir shop around the corner. They sell tons of snacks from around the world,” she explains.

“Lead the way,” Jimin replies as she lets out a small laugh and you all begin walking.

You walk shoulder to shoulder with Jungkook before realizing Tsuki was on his other side and they were laughing and conversating so you walk slower to be with Sua who was behind you.

“What’s wrong?” she notices your head slightly down as you wrap your arm around hers. You don’t even realize when Jungkook took notice of you leaving his side as he stared back at you.

You looked upset which worried him. Maybe he’ll ask you when you guys arrive at the shop.

“Tsuki’s pretty,”

“So are you, Y/N,” she replies.

“Tsuki seems smart,”

“So are you, Y/N. Stop sulking before I tell Tsuki to leave. Besides you know how head over heels Jungkook is for you,”

No. You don’t. Often times your friend group would tease you and Jungkook and would always say how in love he was with you but you never fully saw it.

Sure he’s defended you multiple times, has come to your rescue on multiple occasions, and always walks you home but maybe that was just him being nice.

He’d have to do much more for you to feel fully confident in his feelings towards you.

“Stop it. You would never,” you say leaning your head on her shoulder following the pace of the group.

“Tsuki!” you hear her call out and immediately panic resulting in you giving her a minor hit on her arm before staring at Tsuki and smiling at her. You end up making eye contact with Jungkook who also turned around.

“Nothing! Are we almost there?” Sua ask.

“We’re here!” she says pointing the bright shop filled with a variety of snacks.

Jimin and Minhyuk run inside grabbing snacks they know your group would enjoy leaving you, Sua, Jungkook, and Tsuki outside to stare at all the keychains, bracelets, and postcards.

Tsuki drags Jungkook over to a table opposite of you and Sua before she begins picking out random items.

“Got them! Let’s go” Jimin and Minhyuk walk out of the store with 1 bag filled to the brim of snacks for the 6 of you.

Tsuki begins to lead the group once more to a different destination in mind.

This time she led you to a steep hill. Not too steep but steep enough. You felt your legs giving out just from looking at it.

“I told you guys it was a bit of a walk but I promise the sights on the way up are so worth it!” she says with desperation in her voice hoping you all wouldn’t mind.

When you got ready this morning you weren’t exactly dressing for a hike.

Tsuki smiles and begins walking up and was followed by Jungkook and wherever Jungkook goes so do Jimin and Minhyuk.

“Let’s go,” Sua says walking a slower pace then the rest yet you still felt the burn after some time.

“Up ahead is a famous landmark if you guys want to go even further. You can see further out and it’s pretty during the day. Besides it’s a weekday and not many people are around if you guys are up for it,” Tsuki told the group.

You had all been walking for about 20 minutes and had finally reached an area with a bench and a sight.

“Is it the same one that people post all over their Instagram accounts to seem adventurous? Because if so, I am in,” Jimin’s eyes light up

“Yeah I mean we’re already here,” Minhyuk says with energy received after eating a bar of chocolate.

The group begins to move again before you interrupt.

“You guys go ahead! I’m going to rest here and wait for you guys. My shoes are making it slightly uncomfortable to walk,” you voice gets audibly quieter as you speak.

You look at Jungkook whose eyes don’t leave yours for a second watching you lift your leg off the ground just slightly to ease the tension in it.

“I’ll stay with you if you want,” Sua says staring at you.

“It’s fine, really, go enjoy the view,” you say looking back at the group and realizing his eyes haven’t left your face at all.

His expression read worried before his attention was pulled by Tsuki, “Jungkook, let’s go?” she begins walking away and Jungkook stares at you one last time before following suit.

You watch as the rest of the group continues walking uphill and sit on the bench staring out.

It had been about half an hour since the group left and you were growing bored.

As you take out your phone a hand reaches in front of your face holding a carton of strawberry milk with a straw poked in.

Jungkook always does it for you.

“You didn’t go with the rest of the group?” you say smiling up at him and take the strawberry milk from his hands.

“I saw a stand of drinks when we were walking and you said strawberry milk always makes you feel better,” you listen to him as you take a sip of the sweet drink and watch him sit next to you.

“Besides, I’m tired anyways,” he looks back up to where the group originally left from before speaking once more, “…they’re probably going to take a while. Do you want to explore?” he says looking at you.

“Explore?” you stare at him as he smiles at you and begins grabbing your bag and placing it over his shoulder and allowing you to get up before walking a bit further down.

“Tsuki failed to mention there’s a cable car that takes you directly to the land mark,” Jungkook says leading you to the cable car waiting for passengers.

“Oh my god if Sua found out about this she would be so annoyed! She was also starting to get irritated with all the walking,” you say taking another sip of your drink.

He’s staring at you like you hung the stars and leads you to the cable car before the two of you sit and watch the trees pass by as the machine gets higher and higher.

“You’re not afraid?” he says looking over at you and you shake your head.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of when I’m with you,” you say with the biggest smile and he stares away before you can watch his face flush

From there you completely forgot about your friends, Tsuki, and time.

Jungkook led you to other areas he thought you’d like. He bought you both ice cream and even bought you a small plushie to put on your bag because you said it reminded you of him. Eventually you two ended up on the beach collecting shells and staring at the sunset. Afterwards you decided to enjoy the view from the pier.

You watched him staring out at the birds flying above the waters and promised yourself you wouldn’t give up. Even if it took you years for him to reciprocate his feelings you would not be giving up.

When he turned to stare at you it caused you to immediately fluster and face the sea pretending you weren’t staring.

He was the one watching you this time. He was thinking about the carnival that’s coming to your city soon. He was thinking about the fireworks they would be releasing at 10 PM sharp. He was thinking about how you would react to him asking you out.

Would you turn him down? Jungkook was well aware your feelings for him were serious but he was never sure how to make it obvious he too had them.

Would you say yes and kiss him like you had in his dreams?

He would just have to wait and hope for it all to workout.

[bluberryfields]

"I want a proper apology."

The dramatic “apology dance”

In the entirety of Season 2, I think the “apology dance” scene is pretty close to my favorite.

The way Crowley walks in like he’s entering a stage in a packed theater.

The way Azi clearly sees him coming and fusses himself up to look extra focused on his work and not at all excited about Crowley’s return.

Crowley, noticing that Azi has yet to look at him, ramps up the drama by:

Whipping off his glasses (taking off his armor)

Response from Azi? Clears his throat and focuses harder on his work.

Time for Level 2 Drama, it seems.

Stalking over to the table (no sauntering here)

Tossing the glasses down (looks casual but absolutely isn’t)

Ringing that little bell (like a ceremonial gong signaling “this is fucking happening”)

Walking back into the rotunda where he has maximum visibility (also maximum vulnerability)

Azi now has no choice but to react, which he does by slowly looking up and over at Crowley, who looks like the human-shaped embodiment of dread.

Finally announcing “I’m back” like the bitchy customer who just yesterday had declared they were never shopping here again

I mean, wow. Amazing. Glorious.

Not to be outcunted, Azi just casually turns back to his work and practically hums, “Yes. I can see that.”

Damn, Aziraphale, did you take lessons in passive aggression from my mother?

Now Crowley groans in a way that I felt to my core and asks, “Do you want a big, ‘I think I said the wrong thing,’ sort of an apology, or can we take that as said?”

He averts his eyes until the last second because this probably feels more demeaning than begging Azi not to do his magic act at Warlock’s birthday part.

Still turned away, Azi replies in a tone that is a mix of hurt and guilt that makes me think this has been coming for awhile. "I'd like the apology actually." I bet you would, Angel.

Back to Crowley, he pauses to assess his options, takes a deep breath, and says the magic words: “You were right.” Also looks like he almost says something else but either doesn’t know what to say or doesn’t want to say it.

Oh wow, so convincing. Bravo.

Finally, Azi puts down his glasses and his work and turns to address Crowley. He is not happy.

“Not good enough. I want a proper apology.” Also, side note, but Michael Sheen’s voice here is just…yum.

Before Azi can finish, Crowley is so quick to reject this idea. “No.” with a shake of the head.

You're not winning this battle, Crowley, and you know it.

“With the little dance.” Azi’s voice perks up and his eyes brighten at the hope this will happen. Seize that opportunity!

Again, Crowley barely let’s the word “dance” come out before he tries to shut it down. “I don’t do the dance.” Nope, no sir, not this demon.

Oh no, now Azi’s anger joins the hurt and guilt for a vicious trifecta. “I did the ‘I was wrong’ dance in 1650, 1793, 1941…” each date being spat out with increasing amounts of venom.

Oh Crowley, you brought this on yourself, girl.

This non-apology combined with his “I'm sorry. I apologize. Whatever I said, I didn’t mean it. Work with me, I’m apologizing here. Yes? Good. Get in the car.” and I can see why Azi reacts to this the way he does.

Crowley knows he’s beaten and concedes with a ���Fine!” that feels the very opposite of the word.

Okay so before the “proper apology” can begin, Azi gets up from his chair, straightens his waistcoat, and stands with his hands grasped in front of him like a proper gentleman. A properly petty gentleman.

Then the main attraction! Crowley, looking completely stone-faced, does “the little dance.”

It’s wonderful. He looks so silly and childish and graceful and mature. And god, that deep knee bend at the end? Amazing.

Also amazing is Crowley’s face when he says "Kay?” while bobbing his head and eyebrows back like a sassy rooster? *chef’s kiss*

For Azi’s part, god it is just a delicious mix of polite poker face and barely concealed thirst. I see your eyes scanning Crowley, drinking in that thin, dark Duke. That little dance will live in his head forever.

And that’s the signal to go back to normal! Crowley regains control and Azi falls back into the supporting role.

Long-term relationships are hard, yo.

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

Puppy Fight: Chaggie ft. Emily

Puppy Love part 3 / Jazzercise part 2

Charlie: (hyping herself up and shadow boxing as she walks into the new hotel gym) Alright! I got this! I've been working on my cardio. Just a few more sessions before- *SCREEEEEEEEEECH!!!!*

Vaggie: (wearing even shorter spandex shorts than last time, wrist wraps, and her sports bra, grunting as she works through a set of Muscle Ups, body absolutely slick with sweat) Eighteen!!!..... Gah, fuck! .......Nineteen!!!

Emily: (hair tied up in a messy bun, powder blue, long sleeve, skin tight exercise shirt, and navy blue shorts that cut off just below her glutes) Come on, Vaggie! You got this! One more!

Vaggie: (takes a deep breath, scowls as she grits her teeth, and nearly roars as she muscles her way up and over the bar into a full extension) Twenty!!!

Emily: (jumps and squeals excitedly) Woohoo! You did it! (makes another check on a whiteboard) That's three rounds of twenty muscle ups, fifty mountain climbers, and 100 jump-ropes!

Vaggie: (drops to the floor with a sigh, wipes her face with her black sweat rag, and takes a drink of water) Thanks for helping me push through, Emily. I was kind of surprised you even showed up. Charlie didn't have another group exercise planned for a couple more days when the next meeting with Heaven came up.

Emily: (staring bashfully at Vaggie's muscles) Oh! Well, you know! I figured it would be good to come down early! You know. Catch up with Charlie. (eyes scour over Vaggie's abs and shoulders) See the sights.

Vaggie: (suddenly feeling a little naked) Riiiiiiiiight.... Well, I'm gonna go hit the showers. Thanks again for the help. (quickly jogs towards the door and stops as she sees Charlie) Hey, Babe! I didn't know you were going to be working out today. You should have said something. I would have waited for you. (shifts her eye back at Emily)

Emily: (awkwardly looks around to make sure she isn't being watched before she sneakily takes the sweat rag Vaggie left behind)

Vaggie: (whispering back to Charlie with a slight blush and a wink) We could have shared a shower after.

Charlie: (heart throbs painfully) Dammit! How did I not think of that before now?!

Vaggie: (chuckles before kissing Charlie lightly on the cheek) Another time. I'll be sure to save you some hot water. Love you. (slips through the door and jogs up to their room)

Charlie: Love you too~ (eyes dart to Emily as soon as the door closes and she zips over to the pull up bars with a smile painfully plastered on her face) Hi, Emily!

Emily: Yipe! (jumps and hides Vaggie's rag behind her back) Oh! H-Hi, Charlie! H-How are you?

Charlie: I'm good. I'm good. (obviously not good as her tail slithers along the floor behind her like a snake ready to strike) I wasn't expecting to see you for a few days.

Emily: Oh! Yeah, well, l-like I told Vaggie. I figured I'd come down a little early so we could catch up!

Charlie: (sickly sweet tone) Well, what better way to catch up and build a bond than by exercising together?! (wraps an arm around Emily's shoulder tightly and leads her over to the treadmills) How about it, Emily? I'm sure you guys up in Heaven exercise all the time!

Emily: (balks) Actually, Charlie, I'm suddenly not feeling the greatest. I think I got teleportation sickness.

Charlie: Then a light jog should help you get that good airflow that you need. (pushes Emily on a treadmill and takes the one right next to her before turning them both on and ramping up the incline and speed to 5/10 and 6/10) This should be a good warmup, right?

Emily: eeep!

-Later-

Charlie: (sitting and soaking her dead legs in an ice bath with a whine-growl)

Vaggie: (brings in a protein shake and hands it to Charlie) And what did we learn?

Charlie: (growling and baring her teeth like an angry puppy as she takes the shake) To mark every last inch of your skin the week Emily arrives. (all sad and sappy) She's still my friend! (back to snarling as she takes a sip of her drink) But she needs to remember that you're MINE!!!

Vaggie: (blushing) ......Did I completely miss something?

-In one of the guest rooms-

Emily: (whimpering as she soaks her noodle legs in a hot bath) Owie.... (stares at the sweat rag on the bathroom sink) ......*sigh* Worth it. I'll have to apologize to Charlie later. I think she liked those rainbow sprinkles back in Heaven.

[reareaotaku]

I Loathe You

Summary: You and Mike have always had this strange disdain feelings for each other, but what if emotions were just misinterpreted Pairings: Yandere! [Aged Up!] Mean! Mike Wheeler x Mean! Reader Tw: Mean! Mike, Mean! Reader, Teenager Mike & Reader [PT 2: I Don't Want to be your Friend, I Want to Kiss your Lips]

"Jump off a cliff, you asshole."

"You first, princess." Mike rolls his eyes, his face detorting in anger.

You didn't know why the zoology teacher had partnered you two together, even though you both were infamous for hating each other. There have been attempts to get the two of you to get along, but it obviously didn't work. People didn't understand why you hated each other, because you shared mutual friend groups and you guys were always around the same people.

"Trust me, everytime I see you I hope to be shot execution style, but I also don't want your face to be the last thing I see."

"Oh, don't worry," He turns to you, looking you dead in the eyes, "The feeling is mutual."

"Oh, isn't that great. For a second there I was worried you liked me."

"In your dreams."

"Only the scary ones."

You are practical nose to nose, as you both glare at each other. Your nose is scrunched up if looks could kill, you would both be dead.

"God, can yall just fuck already and get over with it?"

You both whip around towards Lucas, now glaring at him, instead of each other.

"How about you fall down a case of stairs?"

"And break your arm over the ramps," Mike adds, causing Lucas to put his hands up in defeat.

"Okay- Sorry, damn."

--

The group groaned as you and Mike went on a staring contest, before insulting whoever blinked. It was just another way for you both to not only one up another, but also to insult each other.

You blinked, causing Mike to fist bump the air, before calling you a 'Cockwhore.'

"Again." You straightened your back and you both went back to staring at eachother.

Some would think that one of you would get tired of the game, but you both loved to find any chance to insult each other. But, the group thought that maybe you guys liked looking at each other, especially in the eyes, but didn't want to admit it.

Mike scrunched his eyes and a smirk grew on you. He groaned, before blinking and you cheered, calling him a 'No Pussy Getting Bitch'.

He rolled his eyes, going towards his food and you were willing to take that win.

----

You groaned, tearing off the ticket, seeing Mike talking to your mutual friends. It was one thing that you both went to the same school, shared the same friends, but you also worked together. If you didn't make a shit ton in tips, you would have quit the minute you realized he work there.

Though, some might bring up the fact he had been working at the restaurant longer than you, but you did more work than him. He knew he could get away with it, because the regulars loved him, because he was a, in there words, 'Pretty Boy'.

You didn't think he was all that pretty. Sure, he had nice hands with nice long fingers and a sharp face with a defined jawline. Okay, and maybe his hair filled his face in a cute way and maybe his light freckles that covered his face had a nice charm. You shake your head and rid yourself of the thoughts. He was nothing special, he was just a guy. A guy who you guessed you could see the charm of- If he wasn't an asshole.

---

You grabbed your wound from where you had by clawed into by that plant-looking monster. Thankfully, you had gotten out of there, before it could take your head off. Mike was looking through the medicine cabinets, trying to find a first aid kit. It was... well weird.

Having almost died, you realized something. Life was to short for you to be spending it hating a guy who had never really done anything to you. You looked over at him, your nails digging into your skin, he had finally found the First-Aid kit.

He grabbed your hand, putting it on the countertop, before dabbing it with peroxide. You grimaced and he mumbled an apology. You felt strange, just early that day you had both been telling each other to die and now he was tending to your wounds.

"I'm sorry, Mike."

He looks up at you a little confused, "What?"

"I'm sorry," You looked away from him, not wanting to make eye contact with him, "For everything. All the fights, all the arguments, you know-"

"It's fine. I kind of look forward to our fights. You know? It's become routine." He jokes, wrapping your arm up.

You lightly sighed, "Well, I'm sorry and thank you for patching me up."

"It's nothing..."

There's a moment of silence and you don't know what to say. You want to say something, anything, but before you can break the silence, Mike does.

"You know, when I saw you..." He pauses and you're giving him your full attention. He looks at you, his eyes filled with anger and darkness. His eyes were nearly black, "bleeding... I think I died a little when I saw it. Something inside of me- I don't know, but I wanted to kill that stupid Demogorgon."

You're a little taken aback by Mike's confession. He grabs your hand and fiddles with it.

"I don't want to see anything bad to happen to you."

"Wow, Mike. I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"Of course. You're my friend." The word friend comes out like acid from his mouth. He didn't want to be your friend- he wanted to be so much more- but he didn't want to break the already thin ice.

"We're friends?"

He huffs, staring at your hands, "Yeah. At least I think we are."

"Huh, I thought you hated me-"

He looks at you, wide eyed, "Hate you? I thought YOU hated me-"

"You're always hating on me," You say, over exaggerating your non hurt hand.

"What?" He laughs, "I'm only returning your energy!"

You roll your eyes, looking away from him, "Yeah... If we were friends, I think I'd miss our fighting."

"Who says we have to stop fighting?"

[weirdrtvscomments]

I had the weirdest experience with the stream last night. I went to the HLVRAI area in Pony.town (my little pony themed walkable chatroom) to see the chaos go down. It was like going to a cosplay meetup with everybody having HLVRAI or RTVS themed skins. Everybody there was so excited for the new HLV2VR. They were talking about their headcanons. Bad Boe Jamo was there. The stream got delayed twice and you could feel the energy leeching out of the room with each passing minute. Some trolls even showed up to attack someone who was dressed up like Dream from Minecraft YouTube. Then when the stream started everyone's excitement ramped up, it was go time. I felt like the only person there who was in on the joke who wasn't expecting it to actually be HL2VR. Instant despair as it turned into breaking bad. I think half the folks gathered there left in the first 10 minutes. It was silent for a while, everyone AFK just watching the stream with this mix of fascination and horror, and I mean that as in people were genuinely expressing their horror. We managed to get through about an hour or so before the discourse started in earnest. People were talking about their disappointment and I respect their right to feel that emotion, but things started getting nasty when they tried to argue whether or not it was an acceptable prank. Some folks called it mean-spirited and some folks called it actually ableist (still don't know the logic on that one?) And eventually someone slung a slur and they got mobbed for it. As far as I know there wasn't anyone going "Haha serves you babies right for thinking RTVS was going to be serious" but arguments started back up again around the 3 hour mark when fatigue set in for most of the viewers and people were giving up hope of it being HLVRAI 2. I really wasn't expecting people to get so vicious about it, all I knew was that it was gonna be subversive and the reaction chaotic. But I guess that's what stress based on expectations and the idea of moral superiority based on whether or not youre in on a joke does to motherfuckers. Starts up internet slap fights in a virtual horse game. Bad Boe Jamo was a real one he stayed the whole time and tried to keep peoples morale up by saying shit like "The sky is blue and I believe in you" or something and at the end he was like "You people who stayed the longest are the strongest soldiers you are all getting burgers at the gates of heaven"

Bad boe jamo as always stood besides despair and helped those in need, real hero. Thanks fkr the story anon, always great to hear whats going on in places where i dont go.

[queenariesofnarnia]

physical touch 2

the bad batch (pre-echo) x f!medic reader

18+ content! MDNI!

wc: 1,559

part 1

warnings: smut with little plot, unprotected piv, oral f!receiving , tech is recording of course, a little knife use from hunter, and i think that is all

Touch increased on the Marauder after that night, in minor ways. Wrecker enjoys pulling you into his lap while you read in your down time. He’ll rest his head on top of yours as he chats with his vod. If you are ever sitting alone in your bed, Hunter comes to sit with you, taking it upon himself to place his head in your lap. You’ll begin to absentmindedly run your fingers through his soft curls. Crosshair’s hand rests on your lower back whenever you stand near him. When you went to the market his slender fingers made their way around your waist not letting you stray too far. Tech will hold your hand if what he’s working on requires one hand, or when he sits next to you his hand will rest on your thigh causing you to melt into his touch. Everything was going smoothly until the day you chose to test their resolve. The boys decided they were going out for drinks but tonight you chose to stay home. When it was time for them to head out for the night you wished them a goodnight standing in the entrance of the ship in a shirt you took from Wrecker.

This was the first part of your plan, underneath the shirt was a custom lingerie set you ordered in their armor color. A tiny skull gem resting at the center of your cleavage, next one  of your latest tattoos that you’ve hidden since your last leave. Their initials resting along the top curve of your breast, the other being the signature 99 located at the bottom of your spine. The moment they make you aware that they’ve made it to 79’s you’ll start on phase 2 of the plan, you’re going to send them each a picture, with a risky message attached, then get comfortable in your bed before phase 3 can spring into action, hoping it’s them devouring you. Approximately fifteen minutes pass, you have discarded the large shirt and took the raunchy pictures, when you get a message from Tech letting you know that they have made it. Time for your plan to be put into motion. Sending the first picture to Hunter.

*attachment: 1 image*

You can cut this off when you get back

then it’s Wrecker’s turn

*attachment: 1 image*

Waiting for you to wreck me tonight

then Tech

*attachment: 1 image*

I hope I’m the prettiest thing you get to record

and lastly Crosshair

*attachment: 1 image*

 I have something else you can put in your mouth

Making yourself comfortable in your nest of blankets turning on a cheesy holofilm. Knowing that you won’t be watching this for long. Thunderous footsteps made their way up the ramp, you’ve been ignoring their messages, trying to hide the smile on your face as your door swooshed open. You don’t break contact with you screen, only waving at them. The sound of Hunter clearing his throat didn’t even make you look up. Though any other occasion it would have. Crosshair took two long strides, snatching the datapad from your view and tossing it to Tech.

“Looks like you can pay attention now kitten” his coarse voice holding a demeaning tone. Finally looking up at them, taking in each of their reactions. Hunter’s jaw was clenched, his eyes darkened as they graze over your body. Stopping at the tattoo on your breast that was peaking above the lace. Wrecker looked like he just stumbled upon the best meal in the world, rubbing his large hands together as he admired you. Tech has started recording the moment they stepped foot on the ship. His gaze hungry, as he made sure to get every inch of you in the frame for later. If looks could kill, Crosshair’s stare would have you in an early grave.

“Come here mesh’la” Hunter orders patting the edge of your bed. You crawl to the edge, the sniper getting a look at the other tattoo you have been hiding from their view. “Do you want this? Because there’s no going back once you let us get a taste of you” the sergeant’s gravelly voice burning with desire.

“I don’t care if I’m screaming, crying, or begging you to slow down. Shut me up and keep going” your voice airy. Heartbeat accelerating, at the closeness and the situation you have put yourself in. Each of them let out a pleased noise. Grabbing your chin between his thumb and forefinger making you look at him, he leans down capturing your lips in a steamy kiss. Back arching as you release a moan into his mouth before he pulls away.

“Such a shame you’re letting me cut this off” he tuts grabbing his knife.

“I have more” you admit shyly, gaze focused on his blade.

“Lay down and eyes on me” the comes out quickly and firm. Your back hit your soft blankets, Hunter nudging your legs wider as he slots himself between them. The cool blade of the knife sends jolts through your heated skin. Slowly running it up your body until it’s under the band of your bra a quick and careful flick of his wrist your breast spill out the cup. Trailing the blade back down your body he contemplates his next move, does he want to cut off your panties or rip them off. He cuts a slit at the top of them before putting his knife away then tearing the thin material in half. Exposing your soaked cunt to the cool air of the room. Before you could clench your thighs together he keeps them spread.

“Cross I believe she promised you a taste” Hunter moves to your right side, instructing Wrecker to get behind you. Crosshair waits for his large brother to get into his position. The large clone quickly slots himself behind you pulling your back against his chest.

Positioning himself between your thighs he leans forward wrapping his fingers around your throat squeezing lightly pulling you in for a dominating kiss. His other hand acquaints itself with your soaked cunt, his thumb ghosting over your clit as he traces the lips teasingly. Eliciting a gasp from you as he trailed kisses down your body. Stopping with his lips hovering over your clit that was begging for attention. His hands now gripping your soft thighs. He teasingly laps at your folds without breaking eye contact, enjoying every moment your hips bucked towards his mouth. His teeth lightly graze your clit, pulling an almost breathless moan from you.

“You look pretty falling apart for me little tooka” Crosshair praised as he pulls away from your needy cunt. Your body reacts to the praise a new flow of arousal runs through you, Cross notices lapping it up letting his tongue explore your cunt, Wreckers calloused fingers begin to toy with your nipples adding to the pleasure you were receiving. Your moans gradually getting louder as your first orgasm of the night nears. He takes his right hand from your thigh to slip two fingers into you curling them to hit your g-spot. His attack on your clit not slowing down.

“I know you’re close. Go ahead cum on my fingers and give Tech a show” Crosshair’s words were all it took for you to fall apart. Almost screaming his name in pleasure. His fingers continuing to work you through your orgasm before he pulls them out bringing them to your lips. “Go on and taste yourself” he commands. Without breaking eye contact you lick his fingers before taking them in your mouth sucking your juices off them. He gives you another kiss calling you a good girl before he steps to the side.

“My turn” Wrecker booms with laughter easily flipping you over pulling you into his lap. Your arms wrap around his neck.

“You gonna wreck me big guy?” your voice is soft yet sultry. Still recovering from your orgasm, yet you’re ready to take Wrecker. You grind down on his erection while placing kisses along his jaw. With one hand he lifts you up while the other lines himself up with your entrance slipping the head of his cock in with ease. He slowly slid you down his length watching your face contort in pleasure before his lips hungrily attacked yours. His hands stayed on your hips as you begin to ride his cock. Your hands gripping his shoulders, teeth clashing as you kissed. He began thrusting up into you matching your rhythm. Each thrust had echoed in the room, the sound of skin slapping together mixed with the sounds of your arousal. Burying his face in your neck to muffle the sounds of his groans. His thrust began to falter as your walls gripped him tight.

“Mesh’la I’m not going to last much longer” Wrecker grunts out in your ear.

“Fill me up big guy” your words were enough for him, a few more thrusts from him and his cum coated your walls. Triggering you to orgasm over his cock before slumping against his body. “Thank you big guy” you whisper kissing his shoulder. He held you close giving you some time to rest, before slowly slipping out, laying you on your bed.

“Give me 20 minutes” you mumble into your pillow.

“You can have two” Hunter says going to grab warm cloth to clean you up.

Tags: @huntershoe @ooostarwarsfandom501st @techscyarikaa @aynavaano

[toffee4you]

Sleepover Headcanons—--

Second Years

Content: Prefect!reader, platonic, mentions of a bug

Other parts: first years, third years

ROUND 2!! I finally have an excuse to write more for Silver...

Riddle

He arrives early but waits outside until the exact time to come in. It's probably good, because you need to worry about disciplining Grim last-minute before the whole dorm sets on fire when those two break out into a fight.

The refreshments he brought are mostly healthy ones, but Trey had also made him pack one of his cakes beforehand, so you'll be eating pretty good. It goes without saying that he brought tea to drink alongside his snacks.

He doesn't quite understand the concept of sleepover games, so he just brought crossword puzzles. The only person who was having any sort of fun with his old-man taste in games was Silver... Unless you're also willing to participate. Kalim played too, but it was likely out of kindness.

You had to buy a fire extinguisher before the sleepover out of fear that Ruggie, Azul, or Floyd would set Riddle off (emphasis on Floyd). And it almost did happen, had Jamil and Silver not stepped in. You stopped Jade from helping because you honestly just don't want to be in debt.

As far as games, he typically wins first place when it's cards. Also, you don't have to be extra wary about cheaters since Riddle will probably catch them for you. It's just in his nature.

He'll probably demand to play something else if you start with video games. The others will absolutely crush him on this—and by that, I mean full-on last place for almost every game.

It's really no surprise that Riddle sent himself off to sleep early. Floyd attempted to provoke him into staying up, but he didn't fall for it this time. He will come to regret this in the morning when he discovers the dainty, frilly, little bowtie tying his antennas (ahoges) together. Courtesy of Octatrio.

Silver

He planned to come early, but since he fell asleep, he ended up a few minutes late. It's not anything that bad, but he still apologizes for it.

He brings popular snacks and drinks with the help of Lilia's guidance, but... Yeah, he brought protein bars too and basically no one there is eating it except Ruggie and MAYBE Jamil. Kalim will have a singular one if he's offered.

Surprisingly good at online games? He's played enough times with Lilia to the point where he's at least better than most of the traditional game enjoyers there. He can be a bit proud of his wins sometimes, but he's not going to rub it in anyone's faces. In fact, he may go a bit easier some rounds and even give tips if the skill gap is too large.

He's also decent at traditional games, but the others typically win. The most painful part is waiting for him to wake up when it's his turn.

He's probably one of the few people (besides Kalim) that genuinely don't get bothered by Grim, or anyone else for that matter. 0 arguments, 0 property damage, 100% apologies if he causes any issues—even minor ones.

Fell asleep WAY early. He had been constantly nodding in and out of consciousness since the sleepover started, but completely fell asleep around the same time as Riddle. With Riddle unconscious, everyone was much more inclined to start ramping up the pranks, so Silver ended up with dyed hair and a face full of makeup the next morning.

Ruggie

You immediately watch this hyena like a hawk to ensure he's not pocketing anything from Ramshackle and actually eating snacks in moderation, not just downing everything at once for the sake of saving his own food expenses.

His behavior during traditional games can be explained pretty easily. He participates in a few games, gets a competitive streak, tries to cheat, gets caught by Riddle (and forcefully forfeit from the game!), then claims it was boring anyways.

When everyone moved to online games, he was pretty excited since he rarely, if ever, gets the luxury to play such things. As a quick learner, he did much better than most of the others at the very least. He usually ends up in the middle to top place.

Even though he has a knack for teasing others, most of the second years there are either able to brush it off or they're just too oblivious (Silver, Kalim). Besides, he avoids provoking intimidating people like Floyd, so you rarely have to worry about fights occuring because of him. The only “fight” that may happen is with Grim, but that's easy to break up.

He can stay up pretty late, and considering his awareness of the pranks that will be pulled on early sleepers, he's determined to outlast everyone else. Ruggie only allows himself to sleep after seeing everyone else pass out; unbeknownst to you, however, it's also because he wants to pack up all of the leftover snacks and leave with them in the morning.

Kalim

The sweet little ball of sunshine. Yeah, maybe he arrived slightly late, but you can forgive him. He probably would've arrived later if it wasn't for Jamil dragging him there.

Initially, he was going to bring all sorts of trinkets, games, and a whole 5 course meal to the sleepover if Jamil hadn't stopped him. So instead, there's just a wide variety of snacks and a handful of games/movies. Most of his tastes suit the others due to his experience in hosting many, many parties... And having the help of Jamil's advice.

Never fights with the others, and in fact, tries to lighten the mood whenever tension begins to grow (especially after games). No matter if he wins or loses, he will always be just as happy as before.

Even though he's a bit better at traditional games, he's pretty decent with video games too. The most surprising part is that he's not even taking it seriously despite his wins. He's just playing for the fun of it.

He can stay up decently late, but since he's completely fine with getting pranked in his sleep, he doesn't have the urge to force himself awake. Kalim falls asleep after Silver and Riddle, but he's protected from pranks anyways because Azul wants to forge good ties with him (MONEY.) and Jamil has the obligation to do so.

Jamil

Arrives at the same time as Kalim, but only because he has to assist him. He would've been there right on time if it was up to him, mostly because he didn't want to come early in case it would intrude on your preparations. Everything that Jamil brought is combined with Kalim's items since there was a lot to carry as is.

He's constantly babysitting Kalim during the sleepover while keeping his eye out for troublemakers, so thankfully, your workload is lightened by a lot.

All of this immediately goes out the window as soon as he sees a cockroach crawling toward him. Ramshackle is all broken down, so what did he really expect? Remember that fire hydrant you brought in case of Riddle's outbursts? You ended up using it on his fire magic instead. He was about to fire again when he realized that the roach was (somehow) still alive, but fortunately, Ruggie just straight up stomped on it. With his bare feet. Everyone immediately told him to wash it off afterwards (except Silver because that is the same exact person who washes his hair with body soap). At least it was better than the alternative happening, which would be Floyd taking care of it himself. Who knows what would've transpired.

He's one of the top scorers in both traditional games and video games, yet, he doesn't get first place all the time. He's typically unbothered by it, but can get internally competitive. Also, he can be very passive aggressive about others taunting him for his performance. By “others”, it's mostly the Octatrio.

He has the capacity to stay up super late, but due to overexerting himself from babysitting Kalim and trying to decimate that roach, he falls asleep before some of the others. By this time, the only people who are still awake would be Jade and Ruggie, so he's still not safe from pranks. His hair is tied into braided double tails, finished with a frilly pink ribbon weaved between each side. Your ghost camera will probably become a valuable asset for Octavinelle after all of these photos...

Azul

He came slightly early to try negotiating a deal for himself to use Ramshackle again under some very convoluted terms. After everything that happened, though, even Grim was having no part of that. The deal was rejected and everyone went back to casual mode.

He bought menu items from Monstro Lounge for everyone to have, which was obviously just another marketing tactic. Since it wasn't harmful, it wasn't called out at any point in time. He still made sure to cover his expenses by eating enough of everyone else's refreshments, with the assistance of Jade and Floyd of course.

He's a close competitor with Riddle in traditional games and only slightly better than him in video games. He may not be awful with video games, but compared to the others, his skill gap is still very clear.

Losing doesn't bother him too much since there's always something to look forward to at the sleepover. Namely, making himself known to Kalim and Silver. Luckily, Jamil knows how to keep some distance between Kalim and Azul, but you'll have to remind Silver that the octopus may be aiming for a bigger goal when speaking with him. Malleus.

Azul falls asleep only slightly before Jamil, which is both relieving yet terrifying. For once, you no longer have to worry about any underhanded plays from him. At the same time, who's going to control the mushroom maniac Jade now?

Jade

Comes with Azul, as expected. He brought his own refreshments in addition to the Monstro Lounge menu items, but... It's just a basketful of mushrooms. He also brought some tea on the side to drink with the mushrooms.

He's decent at traditional games, but mostly scores in the middle of everyone else. Unfortunately for him, most of the second years are aware that he'll pull shady tactics.

In video games, he's also slightly in the middle to low range since he doesn't care too much for them. He's seen Floyd playing them a decent bit, but he doesn't join all the time.

He's very compliant at first. He never rages over games and mostly stands on the sidelines during arguments. The worst he did was add fuel to the fire verbally.

That all ends when the snacks start running low, and the mushrooms start coming out... Obviously, most people didn't take them. Riddle and Jamil were too suspicious of it (so obviously Kalim isn't allowed to have any either). Azul and Floyd are SICK of mushrooms. Ruggie only eats them after identifying them as edible, because there's no way he could let food go to waste. Silver... He's the only person who legitimately enjoyed it. The mushrooms were downed quicker than chips. Never trust risotto enjoyers.

You weren't sure if he was the type to sleep early or late at first, but you eventually realized that he only stayed up for so long to observe the pictures you took of all the pranked sleepers. You better watch your ghost camera from now on, lest it goes missing one day.

Ruggie doesn't really want to deal with the consequences of messing with him, and neither do you, so he's also one of the few people who were saved from pranks.

Floyd

Came with Jade and Azul, didn't bring anything except a giant shrimp plush. He was mostly just gnawing on it and tossing it around for most of the sleepover, leaving you feeling rather uneasy. Who knows how many times that shrimp plushie has needed to be sewed back together.

Overall, he's the #1 fear monger and fight initiator of the sleepover. If anyone has concerns, he's making it worse. If he loses a game, he'll just get bored at best and squeeze someone at worst. For the record, he never let Jamil live down the cockroach incident, and will likely try chasing him down with bugs if he feels like it after the sleepover.

His performance in games is extremely prone to changing, as expected. In video games, he's usually #1—unless he loses motivation midway. In traditional games, he's usually in the middle score when motivated, but tends to get bored faster when he doesn't win.

At the beginning of the sleepover, he claimed he was going to stay awake longer than anyone else, but towards the end, he decides he doesn't really care to stay up and sleeps early instead. His "early" is still decently late, but before Azul and Jamil. Floyd falls asleep still gnawing on the shrimp plush. Maybe it would be best to sleep far away from him.

Only Jade is really daring enough to prank him in his sleep, leaving a mushroom in his mouth so he gnaws on that instead. Floyd will definitely flip out when he wakes up with the taste of mushroom all over his mouth.

Special: Scary Movie

Ft. Grim

Kalim is the one who brought the horror movies, but it was mostly due to Jamil's recommendations.

At first, it really only had an effect on Kalim, Riddle, Grim, and Azul—though Ruggie felt slightly uneasy too. Jamil had already seen this movie before, and Silver had built up tolerance to horror because of Lilia. Jade and Floyd had also watched their fair share of horror movies, so it hardly affected them... especially when they constantly make their targets' lives a horror movie.

You likely weren't too affected by it since Twisted Wonderland residents are afraid of literal marshmallow-looking ghosts, so why not put in your own choice of horror movie once this one's done?

Congratulations, you officially left the boys fearing for their lives. This type of horror doesn't even exist in their world, so you just gave everyone a new fear. Not a singular person was safe from that.

You had to cover Grim's eyes for some parts, leaving everyone else to fend for their selves. It was almost funny seeing how some of them were trying to hide their faces behind each other's backs, or even your's. Especially the taller boys.

It takes everyone a few weeks to readjust with what they just saw. You'll definitely get questioned by some of their peers on occasion, but it was all worth it!

[dotmander]

How To Get Your Character Models Out Of A Game: Tips And Tricks For Bitches That Have Never Used Blender

(it's me, i'm bitches)

(also ignore how messy that lighting is it's 1am and i should have been asleep hours ago. he's there for proof of concept 💕)

a couple people (specifically @forsaken-constellation and @ratasum) asked for a tutorial on how to rip models out of the game. this is not that, but it is a compilation of resources i used to learn about ripping, blender, and 3d modeling in general. i desperately wanted a post like this to exist when i was trying to figure this out, so here we go! all the resources below are completely free, with the exception of a link to the patreon of the person that created ninjaripper.

disclaimers:

there are probably more efficient ways to do the things i am doing. i watched a tutorial to learn shortcuts and then skipped to character models. if you have tips to add, corrections to make, or other thoughts, please feel free to share! i'll link to your post here. ^^

i do not know if any of this will get your account banned. i've ripped several models, so i'm going to assume it's fine as long as you don't try to make money off of it. use your best judgment, be an adult, etc etc etc

last updated: april 2, 2023

PROGRAMS & WEBSITES

ninjaripper 1.7.1 - there's a newer version on the creator's patreon, presumably with support for newer versions of blender and fewer bugs, but i haven't tried that

blender 2.79 - the import addon that comes with ninjaripper 1.7.1 is outdated for the current version of blender (3.5 as of this post), so 2.79 is needed to combine the .RIP files into a .BLEND (blender) file

noesis - ninjaripper saves your textures as .DDS files, noesis lets you view them and export them as .PNGs

blender 3.5 (optional?) - i just like it better than 2.79. if you're completely new it might not matter to you. all of the tutorials linked later are for later versions, though.

mixamo (optional) - rigs your character for you and lets you put them in Situations (like my guy above.) there's a whole library of free animations and poses you can try!

TUTORIALS

how to use ninjaripper - most of what you need to know about actually ripping the files and using ninjaripper is covered here. do not skip this one.

how to use blender 3.5 - full disclosure i haven't finished this series because it's uhhhh many hours long. but if you are a complete newbie to blender, i do recommend at least the first few videos; you'll learn about shortcuts that will make your life easier, how to unfuck your model when it fucks itself for no reason, and different terms that will help you google things you don't know later on. possibly he even covers some of the things i'm about to link! anyway.

what's a uv map?

how to apply textures

how to apply bump maps (note: for our purposes, you wouldn't add a color ramp node, you would add an image node with your bump map, and attach it to the bump node as the person does in the video)

there should be stuff here about weight painting, cloth physics, emission maps (makes your sylvari glow), and other stuff, but um. i haven't figured those out <3  

TIPS

TURN UP YOUR GRAPHICS BEFORE YOU RIP - if you don't, you might end up missing certain textures/glows/etc. HOWEVER, you should turn animations down, because apparently high animation can make your meshes misplace themselves

rip from the character select screen, rather than an instance, because you will have 100 meshes to sort through instead of 1400. i am not exaggerating either of those numbers. if you are new to blender, please love yourself and start with character select.

your textures will be fucked up the first time you try to apply them. this is because the UV maps (the things that tell your textures where to go) of your models are flipped upside down in relation to the texture image. you can flip them back over manually, ooooor you can just flip the entire texture file in something like CSP or photoshop.

for some reason all eyes are red in the texture files. i have not figured out why. i recommend editing the .PNG to have the correct eye color before applying the texture.

mixamo only works for humanoid characters with tight clothing (or without clothing at all). if you try to use it to rig a charr or asura, or someone with a skirt or big sleeves, you will most likely be disappointed.

that's all i can think of for now - if you have other questions, feel free to shoot them my way, although i can't promise i'll have a straight answer ^^;;

information from bookahlogy about character proportions, fixing normals, and other fun tips

[stxrvel]

the outbreak: extra (1.5)

summary: you had a word with bucky on your way to your last mission.

pairing: bucky barnes x f!reader

words: +2.5k

warnings: some bad words and slight angst.

note: hey! this wasn't planned but i wanted to add something else to the story that was surely missing. i hadn't thought about the self destructive behaviors we normalize in our daily lives and sometimes that is reflected in what we write. this conversation was something i had envisioned but hadn't seen possible, but i decided to finish it and post it after a whole day of reflection. this talk was perhaps VERY specific, but i've had conversations like this with my friends, so i hope you understand what i am trying to visualize. you can read it before or after part 2! the feedback is always appreciated! thank u for reading.

part 1

Clint was extremely quiet and curiously attentive. As you prepared everything to enter the Quinjet, you shared a silent moment that was uncharacteristic of him. Generally, he would begin a pleasant and seemingly normal chat, until he would start jabbing at you with his off-hand comments and jokes about anything that came to mind.

The Clint Barton who was with you in the armory room was not your typical Clint. You began to wonder what would have happened to keep him so quiet when you saw out of the corner of your eye that Bucky entered the room.

He hadn't been able to convince Fury to send Steve in his place on the mission, and during that week you had seen him only once, about twenty yards away. You wanted to pretend (as usual) that things hadn't broken down between the two of you. That that argument had never happened and that Bucky had never found out about the real thoughts going around in your head. That everything was just running its normal course and you still considered yourselves co-workers, at least.

But it was just you playing pretend.

Bucky walked past you, grabbed the weapons he needed, the razors and knives he handled so well, a couple of grenades that he carefully stowed in the loop of his suitcase and headed for the exit without a single glance at anyone.

Clint had his back to you, but you could feel his body tense, so still you could barely tell he was breathing, as if moving between you would set off a bomb or something.

“The Quinjet is ready,” Bucky exclaimed as he stopped in front of the door. “Don't be long.”

And he got out without further ado.

The mood didn't change later, when Bucky was piloting the Quinjet having a chance to leave it on automatic and Clint was sitting with you in the back of the ship, as far away from you as possible. You watched his figure in front of you and how he sent you wary glances from time to time. The situation was becoming tedious.

You knew you were pretending not to know what was going on. You were pretending that no one felt the tension that formed when you and Bucky were in the same room, mostly being emitted from your body because the man was like a big ice cube. It was the indifference you had seen so much of him direct at other people, especially those he didn't trust, and you never thought it would be directed at you. It hurt more than you could imagine.

So for that reason you preferred to just keep the image in your head of everything that had happened before that fateful day. Maybe your mind thought it would be easier to deal with the rejection that way, because you did know it would happen, and it had taken time for the moment to arrive, but when it finally had it swept in and took everything with it, leaving you just taking it all in in the deep silence.

When the Quinjet came to a stop at its destination, Bucky walked back between you and Clint to head for the rear ramp of the ship. He quietly grabbed his things and stepped out.

Clint had moved to unbuckle his seat belt when you felt the need to ask the question. You moved to mimic the man in front of you.

“Why are you acting like that?”

“Like what?” Clint turned to look at you in confusion, his brow furrowed, when he had fully risen.

You watched his figure begin to move toward the front of the Quinjet and felt everything inside you strangely stir.

“As if you were afraid someone would suddenly start burning up next to you.”

“Not true.”

You turned to look at the man with an ingrown eyebrow, and Clint only gave you a look of complete naivety as he sat down in front of the ship's controls. You walked over to where you had left your backpack and began putting away the few things you were going to need.

“You're too tense.”

Clint clicked his tongue. His body slumped over the big chair and he shifted his feet on the floor until he was facing you.

“It's just… being around you two is too uncomfortable. In and of itself just seeing Bucky these past few days is scary.”

You frowned as you moved your hands inside your backpack. You picked up one of the pocketknives Natasha had given you, with rose embroidery on the black handle. You saw out of the corner of your eye the pistol you had been given as equipment to use in case of emergencies, and you hesitated whether or not to take it.

“Why is it uncomfortable?”

You heard the man let out a laugh before answering. “Are you kidding me? The atmosphere is so tense that I could jump in the air and get caught in an invisible mesh.”

“Of course not. There's no discomfort at all. We're fine,” you repeated your mantra with an assurance that surprised you.

You took the gun in your hands after observing it for several minutes and felt its weight between your fingers, as if telling a story you didn't want to know. Will you carry it with you or…?

“You seem to have repeated that to yourself too many times to believe it. Cute.”

“It is what it is.”

Clint sighed and watched you carefully. Your gaze on the gun did not allow you to see him examine your figure for a while, and you barely noticed the silence that formed between the two of you. Clint, then, remembered something.

“Do you really think no one heard the argument you two had last week?”

You raised your head. You went blank. You let the gun drop into the backpack again and furrowed your brow, followed by closing it and putting it back where you had initially left it. You watched Clint warily, his serious face giving you to understand that he wasn't playing with you.

“The walls aren't that thick.”

You couldn't help but simply not answer him for several seconds because what were you going to say to him? You couldn't go back to saying that everything was fine between you and Bucky because clearly everyone now knew you had something and that an angry Bucky doesn't listen to any excuses and is unkind in that state.

That explained a lot about the sneaky looks you sometimes felt when you walked around the Complex and the therapist's card Steve had accidentally left at the foot of your bedroom door.

You saw Clint again with the face of someone caught red-handed, and at the same time you felt vulnerable because under no circumstances would that possibility have crossed your mind.

Would Bucky even know?

“Can you pretend with me?”

The man sighed, but seeing your agonized expression he agreed.

And then you had to go out to meet Bucky.

You had landed about a kilometer from the distance of the target, which was a small house in an abandoned industrial town. With the information gathered, you had been able to learn the nearest location of the target within some of the houses that were within a fifty meter radius from the center of the town. Clint, already in charge of the Quinjet, would leave to supervise from the height that everything was in order, and give air support if necessary.

Bucky was a few meters away from the Quinjet, his things arranged in their respective places and with his binoculars he observed the town from his position.

“It looks desolate,” you couldn't help but comment to break the choking silence.

The man hummed in response a nod and lowered the binoculars to pass them to you without turning to look at you.

“Look east from the center. It's the only house that has light.”

You took the object he offered you careful not to brush against his skin, and promptly used them to peer into the distance. In the center of the village there was a fountain that served as a traffic circle to connect the main roads. Looking to the east, even though it was daylight, you could notice electricity highlighting one of the houses.

“It could be the target.”

“Or a trap.”

You lowered the binoculars.

“Do you have to be so gloomy?”

Bucky gave you the first look of the day. His eyes were not rough and his expression was not coarse like the few times you had seen him before, he seemed a little calmer than before, but you tried not to raise your hopes thinking that clearly the man had to maintain professionalism during the mission. And you had to do the same. Starting by stopping over-analyzing him.

He looked like he wanted to answer you, or say something else, but he just turned around and started walking towards the path that led to the village.

You definitely wanted to say something, even though you also wanted to remain professional, because you didn't want to spend the next fifteen or twenty minutes in stony silence and with your thoughts being the only thing that answered the questions in your head.

Instinctively, you kept thinking that you still had that kind of relationship with Bucky. Like you'd ask him a question about anything and he'd answer trivially and then you'd tell him something super curious about the sky and the trees and he'd listen like he was being told the truths of the universe.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Why did everything have to have been complicated like this?

You walked through the dry grass and stones, enduring the silence for several minutes. Every time you looked up to see the town, you felt it receding instead of coming closer. Bucky's body in front of you moved easily through the grass, almost as if he were levitating through nature.

Again, you felt that itch in your mouth with the urge to say something to fill the silence, but your mind suppressed your body's instincts. You hated it when routines disappeared, especially when they involved people who were important to you. You didn't like the sense of loss that came with the truth and that you had thought that by that point you would be more than used to it, but it seemed you had only fooled yourself.

You did it before and you were doing it then. Some things just wouldn't change.

You were seriously thinking about starting to talk to the trees when you heard his voice:

“I'm sorry.”

What?

“What?”

Bucky sighed, and after a few seconds you thought he wouldn't speak again and that he had only, unlike you, let his impulses win the battle, until you heard him again:

“I regret how I acted the last time we spoke.”

His words left you perplexed. You had expected anything less than to start a conversation about it, especially to apologize.

You frowned, not knowing exactly what to say. You weren't used to people showing that kind of remorse after walking away from your life. You suddenly felt uncomfortable, and feared the direction the conversation would take.

“Well, you had your reasons for being angry…”

“Yes, I had reasons to be angry, but all I did when you gave me the truth was walk away. That wasn't the right thing to do.”

“Well, what else were you going to do? If you stayed and hugged me you weren't going to solve anything. It's okay, Bucky, it's not like I was expecting you to do anything different.”

The man stopped his steps, and you would have collided with his back had you not been a safe distance away, your legs trying to match his stride, but failing miserably.

You saw his body turn in your direction with a puzzled expression. You tried to hide in the back of your mind the voice that constantly reminded you not to talk about those subjects. You didn't want to evoke those sensations that kept you religiously away from your feelings, the defensive actions of your own head trying to keep the boat of your sanity afloat. You didn't want Bucky to keep harping on the subject, but you knew he would.

“Are you saying that-?”

Bucky shut his mouth. Before he finished speaking, he pursed his lips into a line and took a deep breath. You could glimpse that he was dealing with his own thoughts at that moment.

“It's not normal, Y/N, nor good for a person to leave you like I did after telling you something with so much meaning to you. And also, that it took me this long to bring it up...”

You hummed in response. He was telling you the same thing that many other people had told you throughout your life, but you didn't know why his were causing your body to react differently. It was like having your chest spread out like the wings of a butterfly. It was such a strange sensation, so foreign to you that you were unconsciously afraid of it. You didn't want to feel it. You wanted it to go away.

“Why did you do it then?”

“Because I was an unconscious idiot. That's why.”

The man resumed his march as he finished speaking, and you had to wiggle quickly to keep up with him. You felt your head moving a thousand miles, as if it could travel a hundred times back and forth the village road without stopping for air once. You couldn't find a way out of the conversation, so you tried to beat around the bush.

“But aren't you a little hard on yourself? You're going to therapy, aren't you? You have things to deal with, too.”

“Maybe you're used to people leaving you, but that doesn't mean it's okay.”

You furrowed your brow, almost stopping your steps and watching his back. It wasn't okay for people to leave you? You'd lost count of all the times you'd asked yourself that question since you'd had the conscience to do it. You didn't want to think that the world was cruel to you, that people were mean to you, but that the world and people didn't have to deal with the shit you carried around.

The words died in your mouth when Bucky stopped again and that time you almost crashed into him.

“I didn't mean it that way. The truth is, people suck, and there will be plenty of fuckers who decide to leave rather than stay and help you grow. Maybe you met a lot of them and started to see them as normal, but that's not the case. That's not usual, much less with someone you consider your friend.”

“Friend?”

Bucky nodded in response.

“As in appreciation and respect?”

“Yes, you couldn't have defined it better.”

You saw him look away, suddenly sinking into his thoughts before resuming his march on his way into town. You followed him, that time more closely thankful that he was no longer jogging like he was in a marathon. There was a contradiction of emotions in your chest and in your head. There was a part of you that liked what Bucky said, that actually rejoiced in his response and appreciated his sincere apology; but there was another part of you that continued to disown his tokens of appreciation, that didn't want him to see you from above as if you were a little ant he could step on with his shoes.

That part of you that wanted to believe his words clashed with the part of you that didn't want to be vulnerable again.

“I was supposed to be that for you. Then I pushed you too hard, didn't know how to talk things out and also didn't know how to deal with the response I got. I was too angry, but that shouldn't have been a justification.”

“You wouldn't have gotten the information out of me any other way, you know that?”

“I don't think so.”

“You would never have gotten it. If you had stopped, I would have put up walls to keep you from ever coming near me again.”

You meant what you said, and Bucky knew you did. Suddenly, you felt as if in that moment you could deploy the walls to stop him from talking.

“I'm not justifying anything I did, Y/N, I also don't want to say that's how it was supposed to happen because I'm sure I would have found another way. If I hadn't let my emotions win…”

“Can we just let it be? I already know you're sorry and I told you everything was okay.”

“But nothing is okay.”

“Yes it is.”

“No, you're trying to avoid the subject.”

You snorted loudly. You hate it. You didn't want to be rude to him, but you were reaching a limit you could barely tolerate when dealing with such topics.

“Can you blame me? I feel like I've already exhausted all the feelings talk I could possibly have in a year.”

“It's not wrong to talk about these things…”

“And, still, I'd rather not.”

Suddenly, it was like having a rush of adrenaline running through your body. You started to move your legs quickly, and surprisingly you were able to overtake Bucky and start walking ahead of him. Although you looked as if you were not too affected by Bucky being this insistent with your feelings, you actually had your heart beating at an impressive speed. Your chest contracted with every breath and you felt a rock settling in the pit of your stomach. Suddenly it seemed that the temperature had dropped drastically and your hands were breaking out in a cold sweat. A shiver ran through your body and you felt fear at the possibility of Bucky bringing up that subject again.

“You should consider seeing Dr. Green.”

You stopped your steps. You watched Bucky walk toward you and not stop as you asked him, "How do you know about that? Did Steve tell you about the stupid card?"

The man gave you a sidelong glance.

“I gave it to him.” 

[mllemaenad]

The thing about Fallout is ... I don't actually think Bethesda really broke the concept until Fallout 76. I have seen people wring their hands over the Nuclear Option quest in Fallout 4 being incompatible with Fallout's themes, but I don't really agree with that.

There's that tired, defeated sounding voice over at the start of every game, after all: "War, war never changes". And I remember: I remember having to blow up both the Mariposa Base and the Cathedral in the original Fallout; I remember destroying the Enclave oil rig in Fallout 2. That's three whole buildings with people in them, just like the Institute.

While they are role playing games with a lot of choice and consequence built in, the Fallout series does consistently railroad the player in one sense: you are inserted into the narrative at a point where the situation has escalated to the point where you have to go to war. There are many side quests that give you the opportunity to find alternative, peaceful solutions to conflicts – you can fix broken machinery and forge alliances or just shout at people until they calm down, and that all works – but in the main quest, the fight is inevitable.

And that makes sense. The ghost that haunts the narrative of every Fallout game is the morning of the 23rd of October, 2077, when everybody fired on everybody else at once. You ask yourself – "How could they do that?" The scale of the destruction, the sheer number of deaths, the absolute no-win scenario that created for every nation in the world makes it sound utterly unthinkable. But they did it.

You get a lot of historical backstory on how they got there, of course: the over reliance on fossil fuels, culminating in a last minute switch to nuclear power; the collapsing economies and failing institutions; the extreme ideologies embraced by the world's super powers; the horrifying disregard for human life that spread everywhere well before anyone launched those missiles. You see all the off ramps that weren't taken along the way.

But more importantly, you live it, every time. You never set out to fight a war or blow anything up. You're trying to find a damn water chip, a GECK, your father, the guy who fucking shot you, your son. But at the end of the day, you always find yourself recruited, and you always have to destroy something. Then you can see for yourself how it happens. The world had passed its point of no return the day you arrived in it, and you just have to deal with it. War never changes.

But with Fallout 76 ... I mean, it's the problem of a single player narrative in a multiplayer game. The premise is that you are one of many vault dwellers emerging into the world to rebuild, but in practice you are The Chosen One, all over again. The Vault Dweller, singular. If you imagine it as a single player scenario it's not that bad, although it is retreading old ground: the Enclave has another one of their delightful genocidal plans, and in the end you have to turn their weapons on their plague-ridden creations to stop the nightmare from spreading. It's a tragedy, because you are risking this little patch of unpolluted land, where crops can still grow and people can still live – but you're alone with only the resources you've been able to scrape together from the detritus of this fallen society, so what choice do you have?

Except. Well. You are not alone. Not even a little bit. In theory you should have a vault full of fellow geniuses to collaborate with. And unlike other games in the series, your fundamental issue is not that you are dealing with multiple groups of people with such different ideologies that they will never agree. Those people existed, but they are now dead or fled (At least originally; I am aware that expansions have since changed the situation). In theory you are now accompanied by a group of people who should, like you, be focused on doing everything they can not to destroy their new homeland.

And worst of all, because it's a multiplayer game everybody gets a bloody turn. You don't launch your weapons, battle the scorchbeast queen and then fade into a montage describing the literal fallout of what you have done. No, you do the whole thing over again for the XP and the loot. So now you are basically using nuclear weapons for post-apocalyptic big game hunting, and it drives me up the wall.

War never changes. Let's launch the nukes for fun.

[stromy-weather]

My baby my baby....

part 2

Read part one on my page before continuing with this story.

"My beloved baby... your not planing to leave me are you...?"

Au. Dazai Osamu have a younger sibbing. After finding out they got severely hurt. He becomes...different...?

Tw. Toxic/not[ish?] normal family relationship in a way, yandere behavior, manipulation, threats, violences. Non-canon behavior. Kinda dark ark spoilers? Dark ark being just a red flag already. Mention of m-ri.

Dazai sat next to you. Holding onto your hand. The only thing keeping him from sending him insane or leaving you alone in the private hospital room was mori, and the steady heart beats from the montioner. He didn't cry but started with his black eyes at you. How did he let this happen? How did he let the only person he was willing to kill for almost die? How? As he mind ran ramped. He sat with your hand to his head. He felt a small twitch as he looked up. No luck. Still out. Unaware of what actually going on. " fucking do something! Anything don't sit your sorry ass their...." *he shouted be then went to a whisper seeing. Knowing that wouldn't make this situation any better. He didn't leave your side that night. Oda and ango heard some of the news and well came to check up on their friend. They where not aware that dazai had a sibbing. Well everyone have their secrets. And being the Mafia people can be used against you.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Dazai had turned a bit in his chair to look at them when he heard the door open. "We just came to check up on you..." oda spoke first. Not daring to move closer to the younger boy side. A good nodded in agreement. As he stuck near oda side. "What he said we jus-" "shut up and leave. That's what you can for me." Dazaic hissed out. How this took both older men by surprise. They never saw him like this. Always used to the relaxed, chaotic and funny dazai. But the one siting infort of them didn't seem like that boy. Ango sighed and spoke now "Alright, just know we are here for you if you need dazai" ango was the first to turn and leave. Oda have one last glance before nodding and turning away. Dazai turned back to the person he should of been paying attention too. He sighed as he held onto your hand. "Your important right now no one else. But right now I need to do something so don't become the next sleeping beauty." He let go you hand. Rising from his seat and leaving. He needed to do something. He needed someone to pay it blood.

Dazai returned in blood. He moved to sit in the same seat again that he originally sat in. Taking your hand again. He stared with a smile on his face. "My darling baby your dearest brother is back..." he mumbled not knowing if that was to comfort himself or you. He sighed and lowered his head to the bed as he sighed. It was quite for so long..... until his ears caught onto the beeping of the montioner and the quicken breath. A small "where I'm i..." escape your lips. It felt like a heavy weight was lifted off his chest as he quickly shot his head up. "I'm here my baby- I'm here don't move you idiot. Your injured." He hissed out as he stood up from the chair. He took your face looking over the small bandages that rested on the soft surface of you face. His eyes scan over everyone to make sure it was ok. "Dazai...? Where I'm I..?" "Your in the Port Mafia headquarters...my boss patched you up..." He mumbled before pressing a kiss to your forhead. He pulled away to see tears in your eyes. "Osamu...im sorry bug brother I di-" "shut up I don't care for that don't cry I'm here....I be by your side for now on don't worrie...big brother is here for you now" he gently moved to press your sholderes more into the hospital bed seeing that you where trying to get up. "Lay down. Don't you dare try to move to sit up." He spoke once more before holding your face again. His cold door eyes staring into your soft glowing one. He sighed for what felt the million time before moving to sit on the same chair. You seemed unbothered by the blood. Like him. Or it could be for the fact he came home like this on commonly.

It been a couple months since that accident and well dazai wasn't planing to leave your side. He started to become overbearing and overwhelming. "Where are you going." "Let me see what you have." "Who is that your texting?" He could demand to know. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. He wanted an answer every single time. You know how you guys used to sleep? Well not anymore. He needs to have his arm around you in the night. But if you didn't want he wouldn't mind piting his leg on you. This was completely respectful he didn't touch anywhere else he didn't need to touch. He also demanded hugs that he used to reject. Now he hugs and picks you up like nothing. Spinning you around as he giggled slightly. He did get you a new phone after awhile. But he placed a tracker on your phone. He only let you wear his old clothing that wasn't ruined.

With all that it was one of those days you tired to sneak out the house. He sometimes have late night work in the Mafia coming home tired and passing out on the bed. You managed to slip your body away from his hold. Seeking off to the small loving room. The house was small. Only having a bedroom, bathroom and just the living room with a TV and small couch. As you where about to open the door.

"Where are you going." His voice spoke. He may of just woken up and he walked over slumping onto you. His arms handing off your shouldes as you struggled to hold up his weight. He might of been light to other but when you put a 10 year old weight with a 15 year old it going to be hard. "Osamu! Get off me! Your going to crush me-" you whine as he didn't moved. He just let out a yawn as he moved one hand to kinda fixed his bed head and rub his one eye. Before pinching your cheeks. "I didn't was for that where are you going" he mumbled out as he chulked at your whine you let out. "I'm going to get something to ea-" other whine from you. "Be honest with me or your losing your tv time again" he spoke before hugging you. He picked you up and carried you back to bed despite your whines.

"Sleep it still early yet..." he mumbled before dropping you on the bed before laying ontop ot you. "Osamu get off your heavy!" He chuckled and closed his one eyes yawing again. "Na I'm good...." before you can even protest again he was out and sleeping ontop of you. He smelled of rum and blood. you cringed at the smell that hit you at once. "OSAMU-"

It would of been a couple years. Or when Osamu was 18 when oda died. He was a total mess. He didn't take his angry out at you how he did before. He changed man after all. He needed to think. Think of a way to get you both to safety. After all he was the oldest and pretty much an adult. You where now 13. God he keep your safe this long. But can he even do that now? But then when ango reached out to him. He took it immediately geting the two of you to go under the radar for as long as you both needed. After all this could be a way for him to make up from that time lost.

All that time he spent away he promise to make up. To be a better brother. To be worthy of holding that title. To be the only one to hold that title. You where is baby. He darling little sibling. Ever since that day you got hurt he did keep you safe. Killing anyone. Everyone that dare looking to long in a bad way. He would do anything to see you smile at him. See him as the brother disbute his rough attitude towards you.

You where his baby. He didn't want anything else but your safety and for you to be by his side.

Welp I might add more to this but this is all I got T^T

I hope this sound weird how dazai is- I swear it all platonic- and not like those sibbings-

Should I do ADA!dazai now-I mean- eh- mabye. I even toss a bot with that lol. I have to much free time on my hand

Welp I hope you guys enjoyed- sorry if this isn't what you expected 🧍

Proofread- nope not yet

[rorywritesjunk]

Oh, go to sleep, Little Skylark. Fly up past the stars

After breaking your heart, Buggy is cursed to be a kid again. The last thing you want to do is be involved with this.

Rating: PG-13ish. Warning: A crying kid. Reader is not nice to the kid in this chapter, gets fed up, but also owns up to it, so a heads up. Also an adult lying to a kid because what else do you do in a situation like this? This story and how the Reader deals with Kid Buggy is different than the other Kid Buggy story. A/N: Merry Christmas Eve!

Title comes from “Little Skylark (safe at home)” by S.J. Tucker.

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 TAGLIST: @lostfirefly @fluffybunnyu @plethora-of-fickleness @ane5e @valen-yamyam16 @lavanderdreamve

Chapter Four

It was going great until everything came crashing down around you because you couldn’t keep it together any longer.

It was late afternoon when Buggy asked about his captain again and you were not sure how much longer you could keep this up. You swore to yourself that if he started crying again you’d walk off the ship but when he tugged on the hem of your shirt to ask you about when he’d see Roger or Shanks again, his tone broke your heart. If something didn’t happen soon he was going to think he was abandoned by them and that was something you couldn’t deal with. 

“In a few days, remember?” You said to him. “We should get off the ship and stretch our legs, how does that sound?”

Buggy shrugged. It didn’t sound that great to him, but you didn’t wait before walking over to Mohji and Cabaji.

“We’re going for a walk.” You told them. “Mohji, you’re in charge until I come back.”

He nodded while Cabaji glanced over at Buggy. “Is that wise? He’s a kid, he can’t help you if something happens.”

“Nothing’s going to happen.” You told them. “We’re going to go find that witch and get him turned back.”

The two shared a look before looking back at you. Cabaji spoke first. “Cap-, er, I mean… yesterday two of the men heard rumors of a crew of pirates who snatch women and children to sell, so… we don’t think either of you should go out right now.”

You frowned and looked back at Buggy. He was standing at the ramp down to the docks, waiting impatiently for you with his arms crossed and his foot tapping on the wooden boards. It was just a rumor, right? That sort of thing wouldn’t happen to you, would it? Still, it might not be worth the risk. With a sigh, you shook your head and looked at them.

“Well, we gotta do something. He's expecting his Captain to come in a few days.” You told them. “Gotta figure out more excuses the longer this goes on.”

“You think that’s okay to do?” Mohji asked as he looked over at the kid. “Shouldn’t we tell him the truth?”

You were getting frustrated by this conversation already. You didn’t want to be on this ship any longer than you had to be and both of them knew that. This wasn’t something you had asked to do, they asked you for help and you were giving it. If they didn’t like it then the two of them could take over.

“You can but I am done with his crying. If he starts up again you get to deal with it.” You hissed. “You brought me here to help, Mohji, and this is my plan. This can’t last forever, so we just have to carry on until it passes.”

“What if it lasts forever?” Cabaji asked as he looked over at the kid. Buggy was growing impatient and stomped over to the three of you. “Will you stay?”

“Then dump him somewhere. I’m not staying longer than I have to.” You snapped, your answer startling the two of them. It sounded so cruel coming from you. “I don’t care because I’m at my wits end here.” You took a deep breath and turned to look at Buggy; thankfully he didn’t seem to hear the conversation. He just glared at the three of you.

“Are you done talking to your boyfriend? Can we go now?” He asked. You managed not to swat him for that. Both Mohji and Cabaji pointed at each other, looking confused.

“I told you I don’t have a boyfriend.” You hissed. “Say that again and I’ll feed you to a Sea King, got it?”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “Can we go? You said we could get off the ship.”

Cabaji and Mohji both shook their heads. Maybe you should listen to them. If something happened you may not be able to help both yourself and Buggy. With a sigh you shook your head.

“We can’t right now. These two informed me there’s some stuff that needs to get done so we will have to wait.” You lied. Buggy frowned and looked at them.

“Fine, can I help you with it?” He asked as he looked back at you.

No, no, you needed a break from him. You didn’t want the kid around you at that point. You were feeling overwhelmed by his attitude, his demands for his captain, and even the sight of him was starting to get to you. If Buggy as an adult hadn’t dumped you just a week ago, maybe you’d be a little more sympathetic to this, but right then you needed a break from him before you said something you’d regret.

“I have to do it alone.” You told him as you looked away. “You’ll stay with these two.”

“What?!” He exclaimed, catching you off guard. You figured he would want to be away from you for a bit. “Why can’t I stay with you? It’s not fair!!”

The dam finally broke and you glared down at him. He took a small step back from you.

“Why do you want to?!” You snapped. “Are you this clingy with your own captain, Buggy?! I need a damn break from you!” You took a deep breath and muttered, “How does he even put up with this?”

All three of them looked at you in surprise; Mohji and Cabaji had never heard you speak like this before to anyone, and Buggy, well, he was a kid. He didn’t know what you had been going through, or understand what you meant by being clingy. He just… felt safe with you while he was in a new and scary place. If Captain Roger trusted you, then he should as well, but if you didn’t want him around…

Part of you regretted what you just said, and you couldn’t even believe you said it yourself. The other part of you didn’t. The part that was emotionally drained, the part that was angry at the adult Buggy for hurting you, for doing something stupid like getting cursed and getting you pulled back into this chaos. It was the same part of you that was angry at the two idiots staring at you right then, shocked by the words you just spat out at a child. 

It was hard to look at the kid and not feel angry when you thought of the adult he was a few days before.

“Captain-” Mohji started to say but Cabaji cut him off.

“That was mean.”

You didn’t care and walked away from the three of them, leaving the kid in their care.

~

Cabaji and Buggy found you in the kitchen an hour later. You were scrubbing pots and pants, making sure they would be spotless for whoever the next cook would be. You could just be petty and leave them to rust, but that wouldn’t be fair to the new cook, whoever it was. Right now it was you once more, which you weren’t thrilled about.

It also allowed you to take your frustrations out without actually hurting anyone or yourself. You managed to get a stubborn scorch mark off the bottom of one of the pots. The hot water was uncomfortable at first, but you managed to ignore it as you let yourself cry over the sink. You cried because you were grieving for your relationship. You cried because you felt bad for what you said to the kid earlier. And you cried because you didn’t want to be here. You wanted nothing to do with any of them any longer. 

“Er, Captain?” Cabaji asked. You dropped a ladle in the sink and looked over at them. Both looked surprised to see your tear stained face. “You okay?”

You cleared your throat and rinsed your hands of soap before using your apron to dry them and your face. “Yea, yea. I’m fine.” You sniffed a bit. “Cutting onions, that’s all.”

“What onions?” Buggy whispered to Cabaji, though you were able to hear him. He just shrugged.

“Okay, well, we wanted to check on you.” Cabaji said. “Buggy was worried about you.”

You frowned and looked down at the kid. He was worried? Why? That didn’t sound right to you at all, especially how you spoke to him earlier. 

“‘m sorry if I'm clingy.” The kid said as he glanced up at Cabaji with a frown, making sure it was the right word. “I didn't mean to upset you.”

It was a kid saying this to you, not your ex. There was no reason to take your emotions out on a nine year old. You couldn't be upset with him as a kid since he didn't understand what was going on. He should not be apologizing for how you were feeling toward his adult self. 

You felt awful. With a sigh, knelt down in front of him. “Buggy, you don’t need to apologize to me. I’m sorry for how I spoke to you earlier.”

The kid crossed his arms and nodded, looking down at his feet. He seemed to be getting upset which you didn’t want to see. You hesitated but held your arms out to him and he moved closer to you, wrapping his arms around your neck as he let you hug him. You sighed and hugged him, trying to fight the urge to start crying again. 

“I’m sorry this isn’t where you want to be, Buggy.” You told him as he lifted his head to look at you, tears streaming down his little face. “And I’m sorry for getting upset at you. I can’t promise it won’t happen again but I’ll hold myself accountable.”

Cabaji gave you a thumbs up but you just gave him the middle finger. You didn’t need an audience for this.

~

To both of your disappointments, you didn’t make it off the ship that day. Between your meltdown and just everything else that needed to happen to keep the ship running while at the port, there was too much to do. Buggy was glued to your side the entire time and you were mostly okay with it. He didn’t need hand holding or anything but he followed beside you as you helped with inventory, made sure there were no immediate fixes for the ship, and that everything else would run smoothly once Buggy was back to normal. 

If you wanted to be petty you would have said fuck it and let him return to chaos, but you didn’t want to look like too much of an asshole in front of the kid so you kept up appearances of being a captain, even if the captain cooked dinner. 

“Why don’t you have a cook?” Buggy asked as he watched you plate his food and place it in front of him. “Don’t most ships have cooks?”

“Yea, they do, we’re just a bit short staffed.” You told him as you fixed your own plate. “Hopefully we’ll have one soon.” You sat down. “My cooking is okay, right? It doesn’t taste weird?”

“What?” He looked confused by the question as he started to eat, replying with a mouthful of food. “No, it’s great! I love it!”

You stared at him for a moment before taking a bite of the food. Why were you looking for validation from a child? No, the food was fine and it was probably no different than what he would have eaten on the Oro Jackson. 

“You should cook for my captain. Bet he’d love it.” He said with a grin. 

“Yea? Ask if he’s hiring.” You chuckled as you ate. Buggy looked at you funny. “It’s a joke, I’m not looking for a new job.”

“That doesn’t seem like a funny joke.” Buggy muttered as he ate. 

“It’s… well, no, you’re right, not funny.” You said. “But don’t worry. In a few days we’ll see your captain and your friend Shanks and everything will be back to normal.”

“Yea! I miss’em.” He said. “I mean, it’s not so bad here, but it’s not home. I want to be home.”

“I know you do, Buggy.” You smiled slightly, hoping you didn’t sound too sad about it. You didn’t know what to expect in the coming days but you didn’t plan to be around for it. You were giving yourself a few days before you left. The crew could handle him. You didn’t want to stick around if this was somehow permanent. Why should you have to take this on? Mohji was honest when he agreed with you that he only got you because you were a woman, you could handle a kid. It was stupid, you thought, because you had no idea how to handle kids. You were making it up as you went along with this emotional little kid. 

Just a few more days then you would leave for good.

[definitelynotstable]

Camomile pt. 13 [Ghost x gn!Reader]

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6, pt. 7, pt. 8, pt. 9, pt. 10, pt. 11, pt. 12, pt. 13, pt. 14

AN: Here's an extra chapter because I have a busy few days ahead – it's a bit of a filler before more action but at least you have something to look forward to!

Synopsis: Closely follows the “Cartel Protection” mission from mw2 (reboot). Rights to the game developers <;3 Word count: 1.2k Warnings: canon divergence, canon typical violence, guns, wounds, swearing etc Ghost x gn!Reader (Callsign: Rags)

✧˚ · .

The so called “break” lasted 48hrs. Though, all things considered, it could’ve been worse. Laswell kept you, Ghost and Soap stationed in the foreign base a few klicks north of Al Mazrah while awaiting the intel Price and Gaz had been sent after. 

The mission was lingering in the back of your mind. The face of the young marine, Red, slumped dead in the wreckage of the heli; the taunting voice of Makarov and anxiety surrounding the missiles all mixed together in horrible ways – swirling inside your dreams. 

A hand brushes your forehead and you wake up, sweaty and shaky on a threadbare couch. Your lashes stick together as you blink awake and Ghost comes into view. He’s sitting on the couch, causing quite a dip in the middle, and rests a hand on your forehead. You brush it away, suddenly realising just how sweaty you are.

“Don’t, I’m all sweaty and gross.” You grumble, muscles aching as you push yourself up. 

“Fever?” He asks, narrowing his eyes at you as though he can scan you with them like a thermometer. “Your shoulder could be infected.”

“Nah, just need a shower.” You stretch your arms above you before bring them down and cracking your neck. He watches you carefully, looking for any sign of pain. 

Finally he sighs, “No time for that, Laswell just called.” 

He lifts himself from the couch and suddenly you realise he’s in full uniform, vest strapped and ready. You feel like you’re slacking in your standard issue tee and cargo pants.

“When do we leave?”

“As soon as you’re ready.”

✧˚ · .

“Hassan was taken back into cartel protection in Las Alamos. Mexican special forces confirmed. Hassan is moving something sizeable towards the US.”

“Fuckin’ missiles,” Soap murmurs angrily to your left.

Laswell nods, continuing. “We don’t know how many and we don’t know the targets.” 

“To find out, we need to capture Hassan and bring him in for interrogation,” Shepherd’s gravelly voice cuts in, “We’re sending you three with the Mexican Special Forces in country along with all the man power they need.”

“We can’t start a war in Mexico,” you blurt out and Soap elbow you. “With all due respect, General.” You hastily correct yourself.

“Certainly not.“ He drawls back, unimpressed and Ghost casts you a warning look. “I’ve tasked Philip Graves and his Shadow Company PMCs to assist. Their rules of engagement can help us cut some red tape and get this done.”

The call ends and you turn to your lieutenant. 

“PMCs?” You’ve got a funny feeling about this. “Are we sure that’s a good idea?”

Soap nods in agreement. “They must be desperate.”

“We’ve got our orders.” Ghost responds immediately, thumbs hooked at the top of his vest. “You heard the General, let’s get this done.”

✧˚ · .

It’s early morning when you touch down in Las Alamas, the whine of the plane still loud as you follow Soap down the lowered ramp.

“Alejandro!” Soap calls out, arm outstretched towards the man who comes to greet you. He’s tall with dark hair and golden skin.

“Sergeant MacTavish.” He greets, shaking the offered hand.

“Call me Soap.”

He nods, gaze shifting to Ghost. “Lieutenant, Laswell says they call you Ghost.”

“Actually, I believe he prefers to be called –“

–“That’ll do.” Ghost barks, cutting off the Sergeant who shuts his mouth immediately, a cheeky glint in his eye. 

“And I’m Rags.” You say, stepping forwards to shake the mans hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you.” 

Alejandro looks between the three of you for a moment before stepping back with a nod. “Welcome to the ‘City of Souls.’”

“I’ve never been to Mexico,” Soap says, stepping in line with the Colonel.

“Me either.” You pipe up, matching pace with Ghost as you cross the tarmac towards a convoy of trucks.

Alejandro flicks you a glance, “This isn’t México, this is Las Almas.”

“Shepherd’s contractors are inbound to reinforce.” Ghost cuts in, never one for small talk. “They’re bringing hardware, they’ll need room.”

“My base is your base.”

“Good.” Ghost replies firmly, “now, where’s Hassan?”

✧˚ · .

According to intel the cartel safehouse Hassan is being kept is not ten klicks from the Mexican Special Forces base. You load into the trucks, squished between Soap and Ghost in the back, where Alejandro introduces his second in command, a man called Sergeant Major Rodolfo Parra. He greets you in Spanish before the vehicle rumbles to life and your driving through the streets.

Though it’s early, the streets are busy and cluttered. Children run about and men walk the streets armed with assault rifles. You grip your own weapon tighter as a white truck speeds past; four men, armed and masked, sit in the back.

“Hey –” Alejandro turns in his seat, palm raised, noticing the way all three of you have tensed up in the back, –“tranquilo. Easy – that’s normal here.”

You raise an eyebrow, not feeling any safer. 

“Guns on the street is jurisdiction of the Police.”

“And where are the police?” Ghost implores with a tilt of his head.

Alejandro turns back to the front, clicking his teeth. “Well, Las Almas has a very serious problem.” He glances at you through the rearview mirror, “there are few here to uphold the law. And many of those who resist corruption …”

He trails off.

“Disappear.” You finish for him, under your breath. 

He nods. 

“What about the military?”

Alejandro flicks his gaze to Soap in the mirror. “Well, because we are well trained, soldiers are recruited by the narcos.”

“Why not you?” Ghost questions roughly, eyes hard and suspicious. You watch him carefully but his eyes are locked on the Colonel in the front seat.

Alejandro narrows his eyes with a smile and a tilt of his head. He’d expected that question. 

“We grew up here,” he answers, nodding at Rodolfo who nods back, hands firm on the steering wheel. “They call us Los Vaqueros – cowboys.” He turns to watch the street through the window, wistful. “We love this place and we will die fighting for it.”

✧˚ · .

The rest of the ride is mostly silent though Alejandro explains the deep roots the cartel has within the city, pointing out the murals of ‘El Sin Nombre’ and an alleyway where bodies have been covered in cartel cloths to mark territory. 

Intel has placed Hassan at a small village across the river which runs parallel to the city and the sun is higher in the sky when the convoy arrives, picking up dust as the vehicles come to a rolling stop. The area is rocky and buildings lie within a scarce spattering of trees. 

You pile out of the truck, following Soap and Alejandro as they rally the men. 

“Where are they holding Hassan?” You ask, gun locked and loaded. 

Alejandro turns to the three of you, “White two-story building, back of town.”

That’s all you need to know. 

“All Victors standby,” Alejandro says, gripping the radio on his tactical vest, “3, 2, 1 – execute, execute!”

✧˚ · .

AN 2.0: I know these recent chapters may have been a bit soulless and I'm sorry! Uni is really busy atm and I'm studying law so I should probably be putting more effort into that than writing fanfiction but yolo. I thought I'd let you in on my big plan!

Basically I'm gonna turn this fic into a story with an OC fic because I really struggle to add personality to y/n or reader characters. BUT that'll be on AO3 – this tumblr fic will still be ongoing. Consider this a first draft! Anyway, if that interests you please let me know – it's always good to gauge interest before embarking on something like that.

Love you loads and cheers for all your support so far – it's been years since i've written fanfics or been apart of the fanfic community as a writer and I feel the love.

✧˚ · .

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[wardenparker]

Down the Rabbit Hole - ch 15

Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

When Jack accidentally shoots a civilian on a mission he takes on not only the guilt of the man’s death, but inherits his soulmate as well. To you, it’s a dream job with more perks than you can imagine - but for Jack it’s a nightmarish complication. Even more so when he starts to develop feelings.  

Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+   Word Count: 14k   Warnings: *Blanket warnings - mentions of deceased spouse, a lot of food and alcohol consumption, family recipes, age gap, cursing.* Flirty and somewhat explicit banter, pregnancy, discussion of symptoms, mood swings, cemetery/deceased loved ones, speaking to deceased loved ones.  Summary: A bittersweet return home to Montana brings mixed emotions for Jack, while you get some insight into the young man that he used to be via some unexpected new friends.  Notes: Sincerest apologies for any typos/mistakes I missed in editing this week, my loves. Chronic illness has reared its ugly head again. Next week’s epilogue will be the final installment of this beautiful rollercoaster ride, and I am so, so grateful to all of you for sticking with us on this adventure! Though I’m absolutely heartbroken to see it end, when one door closes another opens, and I know that we’ll have just as much fun with the next story as we’ve had with Jack and Sugar. 🧡🤠

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Epilogue

The last step off the jet's ramp makes him pause. One little step between him and the ground. Staring at it for a second before Jack Daniels steps foot back in Montana again officially. It's been a long time. Boot hits the tarmac and Jack turns, holding out his hand to help you down even though he's well aware you don't need it. He had decided to bring the jet, the smaller one. Needing the expedience of the private plane if something that required his attention happened, it also allowed him this moment without prying eyes. Swallowing slightly as he offers you a nervous smile. "Welcome to my home state, sugar."

"Looks a lot like every place else so far," you squeeze his hand gently and smile, knowing that this trip has been causing him a lot of apprehension in the weeks leading up to it. He had even called up the board overseeing the ranch to have the main house cleaned up for the two of you to stay in. It was still his house, after all. "I'm sure the rest of the state is lovely beyond this little airport."

"Hell, this airport wasn't even here the last time I was here." He had been shocked when he learned there was an airport within an hour of the ranch. He had purposefully ignored anything about the entire state while he had been an agent and Champ had not given him any missions that would taken him there.

"It's been a long time." With your suitcase in one hand you reach for Jack with the other. He might need an extra bit of grounding on this trip and you're happy to provide it. Especially with the added weight of things sitting on your shoulders. Happy, of course, but still heavy. "Let's find our ride and head for the ranch? I'm excited to see where you grew up."

The ranch. Jack nods, gripping your hand tightly in appreciation before he lets go so he can grab your suitcase from you. His own bag is sitting beside him right as two dually trucks pulls up, both with the emblem of a beautifully scrawled 'D' emblazoned on the side with the Daniels Ranch est. 1851 written underneath. The director of the ranch had told him he would have a truck from the ranch dropped off at the airport for his use. A younger man, obviously a cowboy, hops out from behind the wheel and dashes back behind him to the truck following to climb inside and the second truck takes off.

"I guess that's us." There's no mistaking the yellow logo on the side of the black trucks, and Jack loads your bags in the back before helping you up into the cab where the keys have been left in the ignition.

"Been a long damn time since I've been in a ranch truck." It's obvious that the truck has been cleaned and polished up, but it's a working truck. The toolbox in the back held plenty of tools and ropes for any issues they could run into. "You ready, sugar?"

"Ready as ever." It's a beautiful day and the flight was easy. There's no reason that this drive should be difficult at all beyond the emotional weight that it holds for Jack, and you turn on the radio to see what the ranch hands had been listening to on their way to drop off the truck. Classic rock pours through the speakers - currently a song by the little-appreciated band Little Feat that has you turning up the sound with a gleeful cackle. "This is my mom's favourite song," you explain, when Jack raises an eyebrow at you over the lyrics 'If you'll be my Dixie Chicken, I'll be your Tennessee Lamb'.

He grins, relaxing slightly at the way you start singing the song. Off key and not even trying, but he thinks that might be on purpose. “Should be at the ranch in no time.”

It's a beautiful drive. The Montana countryside is in full bloom as the end of the summer starts to just barely wave at autumn, and there are as many folks out on horses as there are in trucks or in cars. The rolling hills and striking distant mountains remind you of home much more than you had expected, lending a sort of calm to the whole thing. By the time the big iron main gate of the Daniels Ranch comes into view, you're nearly sighing. "I know we just got here, but I kind of love it," you tell him honestly.

Montana does have a sense of magic. At one point in time, Jack would have been content to spend his entire life here. “Wait until you see the main house.” He chuckles. “The master suite is the original log cabin, the rest of the house was expanded over the years.”

"1851." The year is on the gate as you pass under it just like it's on the side of the truck you're in. "That's before statehood, right? I barely remember all those dates from history class. But does that mean your family were early settlers or something?"

“I guess you could say that. Montana became a state in 1889. My family decided to move to the territory because a change of heart.” Jack explains. “The way I understand it, the first Daniels here wanted to go to Oregon in the ‘40s, but didn’t manage to convince his wife until ‘49. Then there was some kind of dispute on the trail and they turned north.”

"Sounds like it took a whole lot of convincing." You laugh, imagining the conversations that must have happened over the course of almost ten years. As he drives further onto the property it's apparent that his family's land is as productive as it is vast. There are fields as far as the eye can see and plenty of activity to boot. "Well you really are a cowboy, aren't you?" Past one pasture, you can see a heard of maybe two dozen head of cattle being inspected by a pair of men on horseback. "Right down to your bones."

“Born on this ranch.” Jack chuckles. “In the same bed we are sleepin’ in.” He breaks away from looking at the activity to wink at you. “New mattress though.”

“That’s a good thing.” Though you’re practically hanging out the windows for a better look at the ranch, you tangle your fingers through his on top of the gear shift. “Hope the bed frame isn’t as old as the ranch, either. Or we might break it.”

“Don’t think you’re gunna break that frame.” Jack hums, wondering what you will think of the rough hew timber bed frame that is polished smooth after over a hundred years of use.

“Maybe not.” Turning to flash him a mischievous grin, you also leave a kiss on the palm of his hand that you’re holding for good measure. “But we could sure give it a good try.”

Humming quietly, he smirks as he pulls your hand across his body to hold it against his heart. “We’ll give it a good try. I know you’ll like the tub that my momma had daddy put in.”

More than anything you just want this trip to be good for him. He has avoided coming back here for decades with good reason but you want this week to give him some new, positive memories to associate with the family ranch. “I’ll love every inch of it. Especially if there’s a good tub.”

“It’s big enough that I used to swim in it when I was younger.” Jack throws you a grin. “It was my swimmin’ hole when I couldn’t get out to go to the real one.”

“I like your parents’ style.” A swimming hole sized bathtub sounds like perfection to you. “We’ll have to have at least one bath while we’re here.”

“Oh yeah. I told them to make sure that we could use it.” He doesn’t mention Abigail. His daddy had still been in that bedroom when she had lived here.

“My back aches from hunching over the line at the restaurant thank you.” There’s been other aches lately, back and hips and those sorts of things, but it doesn’t matter. Life is good these days. Better than good.

“Well then, we’re going to get you set up with a Jack Daniels specialty massage.” He winks over at you and then nods as he spots the main house. “There she is. The old homestead.”

The ranch house is on top of a small hill, sprawling out against the late-summer sun like it’s welcoming Jack back with open arms. “She’s fantastic,” your eyes light up at the sight, already falling in love with every inch of Montana that unfurls around you.

“Lot of memories here.” They aren’t as bitter as much as bittersweet these days. “Most of them good. Unless you count the first time I broke my arm when I got bucked off my horse.”

"First time?" You raise an eyebrow at him as he pulls the truck up the driveway and parks in front of the garage. "What was the second time you broke your arm?"

Jack grins. “Uh…might have been jumpin’ off the roof.” He admits with a chuckle. “Thought I was bulletproof back then.”

"Of course you did." Despite huffing and rolling your eyes heavily, you just chuckle until your breath.

Snorting, Jack pulls up to the house and lets go of your hand so he can put the truck in park.

"Mr. Daniels." There's a man in a suit and bolo tie with a crisp Stetson on his head coming out of the house when Jack comes around to help you out of the passenger side of the truck. "Ma'am," he nods to you and tips his hat. "Hope your flight was alright. Did you find the place okay?"

“Like ridin’ a bike.” Jack keeps his eyes away from the northwest corner of the property. The iron fence is small and neat but he doesn’t want this to crumble now. “You always know your way back home.” He holds his hand out to shake the director’s hand. “Everything ready for our visit?”

"Yes, sir. Neat as a pin and fully stocked with essentials. I think you'll find everything in order, and of course you have my number if you need anything additional." Since it was the first time ever that the owner had asked to come out to the property, the director and his team had gone slightly overboard in making sure that everything was here that could possibly be needed.

“Place looks good.” Jack looks out over the front pastures with a hum. “I’ve been looking over the reports and it seems like the ranch is doing well.” Since Champ had retired, Jack had to take over his own oversight of the board for the ranch.

"Very well. Blue ribbons and record profits, actually." And clearly the director credits himself with that, from how puffed up his chest is. "Can I ask, sir...what prompted this visit? It's been a mighty long time since we've seen you. Not that we're not glad you're here, of course."

“My soulmate wanted to see the place.” He’s aware the director has been informed of the circumstances that had caused Jack to leave the ranch. Reaching back, he draws you forward and into his side to hug you to him. “It’s time to put old ghosts to rest.”

"Sounds like a very good reason for a visit." The director commends. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Anythin' you need, you give me a call. The crew knows not to use the main house this week while you're here but they'll be going about their duties as usual."

Jack nods. “Thank you. I’m sure we will enjoy ourselves. Thank you for having the truck brought to the airport.”

"Of course." With one more tip of his hat and another, "ma'am" to you, he gets in his car and heads off for the main road.

“Well, that went well.” Jack blows out a breath and grins at you. “Ready to go inside? I’m not sure if the house has been redecorated or not in the last…well, since I left. So, wanna find out?”

"Let's go find out." He earns a pout from you when he won't even let you carry your own suitcase, but you follow just behind him as he heads into the house with curiosity. It's a comfy little place - even though it looks small it seems to sprawl on forever as you step inside. One room after another with a long hallway and a carved stairwell leading to the small second floor. Everything looks hand hewn even though it couldn't possibly have been, and it seems as though the dormer dining room downstairs has been transformed into a working office. Other than that? You could trick pretty much anyone into thinking that a family still lived here every day.

“Damn.” The place is immaculate, telling Jack that they probably keep a housekeeper on. He doesn’t mind that, the old place deserves the respect. “Bedroom we are staying in is through here.” He nods down a hallway that connects the original cabin to the rest of the house.

"So upstairs was your room?" You guess, glancing up the stairs as you follow him down the hall. There's a little bathroom at the top of the stairs and another closed door. "At some point the attic got turned into a second bedroom?"

“Yeah.” Jack sighs. “Momma and daddy were tryin’ for another. When they remodeled that area last.” She had gotten sick and passed, making his daddy concentrate on the ranch.

One hand rests on his back gently in support, but when you follow him into the master bedroom you end up sighing a little. One entire cabin was now just a room - but what a gorgeous room. Carefully crafted and lovingly done, it's obvious that the whole rest of the house was done to try to mimic the style of the original little cabin and no one could come close to the beauty of the original craftsmanship. "Oh..." You breathe out, looking around as Jack sets the suitcases on the bed. "Jack, it's beautiful."

“The bed is original.” Jack reminds you, showing you the large bed in the middle of the room. “Mattress has to be special made.”

"This bed is from 1851?" You raise an eyebrow at him again, though this time it's in surprise. "That is some damn good craftsmanship."

“Solid.” Jack chuckles. “Hundred-year-old oak.” He sets the bags down and slaps one of the solid wood posts.

"Alriiight," you relent like it pains you. "We won't try to break the antique bed. But we will damn well enjoy having it all to ourselves."

“Oh yeah we will.” Jack smirks as he takes your hand and pulls you through to the bathroom. “Just like you will live in here.”

"Oh yes, yes I absolutely will." The bathroom isn't overly large but it is dominated by an enormous tub that fits neatly into the far corner of the room.

“Told you that you would like it.” He chuckles quietly.

"I'm gonna live in this room every night," you promise him with a grin. "We are going to live in this room every night. Long, indulgent baths after walking around town or the ranch all day."

“That sounds good. That tub has seen many nights of soaking aching muscles.” Jack tells you, smirking slightly.

"You trying to tell me you were conceived in that tub?" The smirk on your lips is barely holding back a giggle, and you lean in to kiss Jack in the doorway. "Let's unpack, baby. I want to drive around town and have you point out all the places that you used to hang out as a teenager that are different now."

“We can do that.” Jack stops you from moving, pulling you close and cupping your cheeks as he stares into your eyes seriously. “A lot of those stories include Abigail, baby.” He reminds you softly. “But I want you to know that I love you.”

"I especially want to hear the ones that have to do with Abigail," you promise him. To you, that really is part of the whole point of this trip. To give him the opportunity and the freedom to tell you those stories about how he came to be the man he was when you met him. The man who was very much formed by his experiences with his first soulmate. "I love you more than anything, Jack. All of you."

Closing his eyes, Jack leans forward and presses his lips to your forehead and then your lips. “Let’s get this trip started then.”

******

The day really is mostly spent in that truck driving around. For as small as Lloyd is, it holds a lot of memories and that means Jack has a lot of stories to tell. It's past dusk when he parks the truck on Main Street and helps you out, intending to walk down the main drag of town and pick out someplace to eat before heading back to the ranch for the night.

“So that little candy show used to be an ice cream shop. Or soda shop.” Jack points out, holding your hand as he slowly reacquaints himself with the little square. “They made the best floats.”

"I can see little Jack pulled up to the counter at the soda shop for a root beer float." The visual makes you grin, picturing a glass as big as his head and how big it would make his eyes with anticipation while he watched it being made. "I can't believe you still had a soda shop growing up. That's positively picturesque."

“The little old man who ran it, Mr. Johnson, he met his soulmate there. So he couldn’t bear to let it go.” He explains with a small smile. “Nearly all of our dates where there.”

"That's pretty much the perfect date place if you're a teenager." You can acknowledge that wholeheartedly. "That, and Lover's Lane." A place which he had already pointed out to you with an especially sly smirk on your drive earlier.

“Remember, nothing too bad happened on Lovers Lane.” He hums. “We were good and waited until our wedding night for the full experience.

"Definitely not something you and I can say." With the wedding still nine months away, you almost have to laugh at the irony of the amount of time you have left.

“No way I could wait with you, sugar.” Jack smirks, sliding a gaze down to your lips. “Not when you look like a sin wrapped angel.”

"Oooo, that's a good one." You crack a grin, beaming at him as you hold hands and stroll down the street. "You should remember that one. It's guaranteed to get a reaction out of me."

“It was good, wasn’t it?” He’s proud of that one. “Maybe you’ll ride me in that bathtub tonight. I did bring a bottle of whiskey with me for tub drinks.”

"Nobody's gonna make a noise complaint on that big ranch when it's just you and me at night." The smile on your face gets a little wider. "So I can all but promise I'll be taking my cowboy for a ride tonight."

“That’s - are you ready to go back now?” He waggles his brows playfully just to get you to laugh. He won’t cut this short, enjoying watching you experience it too much. It solidifies his theory that you and Abigail would have been good friends.

"You promised to take me to dinner on our first night here," you remind him with as pretty a pout as you can manage. It's not that the little town has anything grand to offer in the way of restaurants, it's just that you're enjoying seeing where he came from. The kind of place that brought your Jack into the world is exactly the kind of place you want to explore.

“Anything you want, you know you’re gunna get when you poke that lip out.” He groans, shaking his head even though he’s grinning.

"How about a kiss and whatever they serve at..." Arbitrarily looking around, you blindly point at a store front about a block in front of you that has a big bear's claw on the sign and not much else. "The Bear Claw," you read the name off the sign with a shrug. "If there's not one single thing on the menu containing bear, I'm gonna be disappointed."

“Done.” Jack pulls you close and doesn’t hesitate to cover your lips with his own. Groaning slightly at the way your arms immediately curl around him and hold him to you. There’s a sense of deja vu, he had kissed Abigail here a hundred times before on a rare night in town. Because of the Rollins bullshit, most often they were at the ranch, but on the nights that they ventured into town, it had been just as sweet as this moment.

The enthusiasm and sweetness of the moment has you giggling in his arms, loving how relaxed he is so far. It’s a little bit of a surprise - I had thought he would be more serious or more guarded - but this stroll down memory lane seems to have been a wonderful idea for him. Being wrapped up in each other on the little Main Street without a care in the world is a very good look for both of you.

“Are you hungry, sugar?” Jack pulls away and grins at you. “Might need your strength for later.”

“Let’s get some dinner.” Your nose wrinkles as your smile grows, not wanting to let go of him even for one second. “I’m suddenly ravenous.”

“For food, sugar.” Jack hums playfully, letting you turn and tuck yourself into his side. The lights that are strung over the street come on, giving the Main Street a very quaint and homely glow. Obviously set up for the festival, or maybe the town has them year round now.

“Yup. For food.” Deciding to go see what The Bear Claw is all about, you and Jack walk down the next block and find yourselves in a homey little restaurant-and-bar with a dance floor and pool tables not unlike Shootouts back in Louisville - but definitely more family oriented. There are kids at tables and some arcade cabinets lining one wall, giving you the impression that the place has put more of an emphasis on family dining than being a bar over the years.

“Have to admit, this place wasn’t around when I was here.” Jack tells you as you both walk up to the host stand. “This building used to be an old office humoring for lawyers.”

"I like it." Even at first glance it's homey and welcoming. Exactly the kind of place where you can imagine the owner knows every single regular's name without hesitation. You stay tucked into the side while Jack chats politely to the teenaged hostess and she brings you to a booth along the windows before retreating again. There's a sizeable drink menu, which makes sense, but you spot a section of the drinks list marked Homebrewed Iced Tea with raspberry listed as a flavour and hum happily.

“The menu looks good and I spy something….” Jack taps the menu where it says that all beef is provided by the Daniels Ranch. “Looks like I’m getting the largest damn steak they have.”

"Sounds like I'm going to satisfy my burger craving after all." If you've maybe been having more burgers than usual lately it is probably a complete coincidence, but you've definitely been on a kick lately. "So..." you venture quietly, reaching your hand across the table for his. "How has your first day back been so far?"

“It’s….” Jack pauses and tilts his head. “It’s not as painful as I thought it would be.” He admits quietly. “I thought I would be a mess. I probably would be if it weren’t for you.”

"Then I'm very glad to be here with you." Not that you wouldn't be glad to be with him anywhere, but it seems like it's especially important right now. "I love you, honey. And I'm so glad that this has been easier than you expected."

“I’m sure there will be some moments where it’s not easy.” Sunrise will be one of them. Abigail had loved sunrise on the ranch, often sitting with her tea or coffee on the front porch and soaking it in. “But just bear with me, sugar, and I’ll get through it. I love you so much.”

"I love you, too." You squeeze his hand gently as the waitress comes over, smiling sunnily when she greets you and takes your drink order.

Jack hums when you order the raspberry sweet tea, ordering a plain Arnold Palmer for himself and grinning when you impulsively order the Korean BBQ sliders as an appetizer.

"So the festival starts tomorrow." The little town seems to be booming with excitement - decorations are up and the streets are bustling. Tomorrow morning the town square will be transformed and there will be booths, competitions, and from the flier you saw there's even a beauty queen to be crowned. "Is there anything in particular you want to check out? I know you were peaking at the town website."

“There’s a roping competition.” Jack chuckles, smirking slightly at you. “Thought I might throw my hat in the ring.”

"You gonna show off a little?" It's definitely not something you're going to discourage him from, and you shoot him a sly grin. "You know...they're handing out a blue ribbon for a few categories of baked goods on the second day." The page dedicated to the rules on the town's website had caught your attention and you had wiped away the thought of showing off in your own right, but if Jack is going to throw his hat in literally, you could do it figuratively.

“You gunna make your coconut cupcakes?” Jack chuckles, sending you a wink. “Or that lemon tiramisu you made and nearly sent the restaurant into a frenzy?”

"That tiramisu is incredible." It was the final result of all of your experiments with lemon curd and the combination of the tart fruit with fresh basil had resulted in a new permanent menu item from how popular it was. "They have categories for cake, pie, and cookies. I bet if we took a spin around the nearest grocery store after dinner to look for ingredients, I could find everything I need for the coconut whiskey cake I made back when Champ first brought me to Louisville. Bring a little Statesman spirit into things?"

“I knew you weren’t gunna be able to resist.” He leans back on the booth, grinning. “Tequila owes me a hundred bucks.”

"I wasn't going to!" You groan playfully, sitting back at the table and pouting at him pathetically to keep yourself from laughing. "I was going to resist! I was! And then you said you might try your hand so I figured it was okay."

“Never make excuses for making me money.” Jack teases. “Even better than the hundred bucks is the braggin’ rights.”

“How do you know you’ll get to brag? Maybe someone here is a much better baker than me.” You pause for a moment to thank the waitress when she brings your drinks and appetizer, and you and Jack order dinner at the same time. “It’s not impossible.”

“Pretty damn near.” Jack snorts. “Face it sugar, you’re gunna win that competition.” He winks again. “Just like I’m gunna win mine.”

“I see we’ve come home to show the old town a thing or two about who Jack Daniels grew up to be.” There’s pride in your voice, and you don’t bother to hide it for even a second as you sip your tea. “Sounds like maybe you should get some kind of extra prize if you win.”

“What kind of prize are we talkin’ ‘bout?” His brow arches and he leans in, real interested in hearing a hit this secondary prize he could be winning.

“Let’s see…” His attention is piqued and you grin, always loving the slightly hungry look in his eyes. “The first thing that comes to mind is an extremely sensual massage from your devoted fiancée, but I’m open to requests.”

“Depends on if this massage comes while you are sitting naked, on my cock.” Jack leans in and murmurs the last part quietly.

The corner of your mouth twitches into a smirk. “You don’t want me to do your back first? Weird choice, but alright. It’s your massage,” you tease him, throwing a wink his way when you pick up a slider to have your first bite of dinner.

“How is that slider, baby?” Jack asks, watching as you moan softly after you bite in. “Is that what you wanted?”

“I guess I was hungrier than I thought.” He hasn’t remarked at all if he’s noticed your appetite increasing, but you know it has. He’s fired up the grill every time you’ve asked and let you call the shots when you had something in mind for a meal. “They’re crazy good. Try one.”

Jack does take one, taking a bite of it and then eyeing it. Humming in appreciation as he chews. “That’s really good.”

“No wonder,” you grin, inspecting the shredded beef in the sandwich before taking another divine bite. “I hear the ranch they use is excellent.”

“It’s an old operation.” Jack hasn’t had anything to do with the ranch in forever, but he’s damn proud of the quality. “What else are you getting to eat? Might want to try that too.”

“They have a burger with bacon, onion straws, sharp cheddar, and a barbecue sauce they mark as award winning.” The look on your face makes it clear that it’s as close to heaven as you could get right now. “With fried pickles and tater tots on the side, apparently. It’s called The Hot Mess on the menu.”

“Hot Mess sounds appropriate.” He chuckles. “All it’s missing is a fried egg.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to remake it at home.” The quiet moment between you is so welcome, even with the music playing through the restaurant and the sound of families all around you - and therefore of kids. This is just your personal little bubble of happiness and you couldn’t ask for more. “What did you decide on with your steak?”

“Sautéed mushrooms, onions with potatoes and red eye gravy.” The rolls that it comes with sound heavenly, although he had a feeling he would lose one of them to you. Not that he minded at all.

You moan softly at the choices, any and all god sounding amazing to you right now. “Sounds like we’re going to eat amazingly tonight.”

He chuckles, fully aware that you are going to be stealing some of his meal. That’s perfectly okay to him. “We will.” He nods. “Especially because we are going to be picking up something to snack on later if I’m knowing you.”

“We have to go to the grocery store to get cake ingredients,” you defend, those it’s half-assed.

“Oh, I know. And then we’ll find some shredded beef ‘n jalapeño cheddar dip.” Jack predicts. “Or you’ll get a hankerin’ for some cheeseburger dip. And then we gotta have some of that smoked Gouda.”

“You’re teasing me.” The wry observation comes with a little flustering in your part, and you bite your lip before sitting back in your seat. For a week now you’ve been walking around with something zipped into the pocket of your leather jacket or sitting in your bedside drawer, and not found the right time to give it to him. You feel like it’s finally crept up on you - finally - and swallow down your nerves. “I have something for you,” you tell him finally, reaching into the interior pocket of your jacket. “I haven’t…really…been sure of how to do this. But I feel like it’s time.” Here, in this little booth in this little restaurant in his hometown - a place that didn’t exist when he was growing up here seems to be an appropriate choice. It’s a new memory, just for the two of you.

Jack frowns slightly at the box that you set down in front of him. Reaching for it and watching you squirm in your seat. Happy or anxious, maybe both. He shakes his head as he flips the lid open and sees a gorgeous watch, butter leather band and gold trim. Obviously an antique that has been lovingly kept, gorgeous and expensive. “Sugar, you shouldn’t have.” He huffs, even as he is already moving to pull his Statesman watch off, so he can try on your gift.

“I know you like the one you were issued, but this one is…special.” It’s not even a birthday present, since you had abided by his wishes and not celebrated it this year. The Statesman watch, thankfully, is just for show and not a necessary gadget now that he’s out of the field. Otherwise you would never think to replace it.

“Special how?” Jack quizzes you, rubbing his thumb over the leather grain of the band and then there is a tiny imperfection on the back. His brows knitting together as he turns it over. Frowning as he reads a date on the back.

March 21, 2019 the date reads. It’s this coming spring but it’s not your chosen wedding date. Not a birthday. Not an anniversary. You exhale carefully when he looks up at you again, and find yourself beaming through the nerves. “I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you,” you murmur softly, keeping the moment just between the two of you. “I—I’m pregnant, Jack. For certain, this time. That’s our due date.”

Jack’s lips part, his tongue running out to wet them as he absorbs your news. Thumb rubbing over the date again and he swallows harshly. “Pregnant.” The sheen to his eyes is nearly instantaneous and his gaze flickers between you and the watch. “Sugar, I—” he chokes out and slides out of the booth to join you on your side.

“I know it’s not exactly what we planned.” As soon as he slides onto the bench beside you, you feel like you’re going to start crying instantly. “But I think it’s right. You’re out of the field and the restaurant is doing so well. We have plenty of room in the new house to start decorating a nursery whenever we want and…” It feels like you’ve been rambling since your last breath when you finally stop and smile. “Do you want to see them? Ginger sent the last sonogram to my phone.”

“Yes.” Jack breathes before his eyes widen. “Them? Are— are there two?” He asks, breathless at the idea. You could just be using them as ambiguous terms or there could be two babies in your womb.

“Just one this time.” You could melt at how excited he sounds, though. It had worried you that you hadn’t exactly planned the timing. “We just can’t tell the sex yet. It’ll be a couple more weeks.” Digging into your pocket again, you come out with your cell phone and open the message from Ginger that has the picture from your last appointment. “Look…”

“Jesus.” Jack nearly sobs the word as he looks at the tiny little nugget that is in the middle of the sonogram. “I— sugar, you’re pregnant. With our baby.”

"Definitely ours." There's no way it couldn't be, this time. All doubts have been erased from your mind. "I love you so much, honey. I wanted to find some way to tell you that you could always remember."

“I’ll never forget.” Jack promises, lingering gaze on the photo before he reaches out and cups your cheeks to kiss you passionately.

It's a beautiful moment to get lost in, and you don't even hear the waitress come or go but when you part again your dinners have magically appeared on the table. "Ginger thinks she got the due date pretty dead on," you murmur, looking down at his watch and momentarily ignoring your plate even though it smells amazing. "She, um...when she took out my IUD it was crooked. So she asked if there was any particularly active night in the last few months that I could remember."

Jack frowns, trying to remember before his face clears and a slow smirk rides over his features. “You mean the night of Tex and Sophia’s wedding?” He asks smugly. “Where you could barely walk for the entire next day?”

"That's the one." You cover your face with one hand to smother the giggle that bubbles out of you. "If that's the right date, then I'm ten weeks along already."

“Almost through the first trimester.” Jack murmurs in awe. “I can’t- sugar, this is amazing.”

"I'm so glad you're excited." Of course there will always be worry, but seeing how happy he is - how the happiness completely overtakes everything else - makes this moment so worthwhile. "I've been bursting at the seams to tell you but just couldn't pinpoint the right moment."

“I— it’s perfect.” The urge to bundle you up and keep you locked inside a bullet proof room is there, crawling under the surface, but he tamps it down. “I— love you so much. A week? You’ve known for that long and kept it a secret? I don’t know how you did it.”

"I've known a little longer than a week," you admit. "But I wanted to find you exactly the right gift and find exactly the right time to give it to you. I swear it's all I've talked to Ginger about since I went to her for a test. If I didn't have her I would have broken and told you immediately."

Jack grins and shakes his head. “I would have been just as happy, but—” he looks down at the watch again. “I love this. I love you and I love our little nugget.”

******

You knew that after you told him that he would start pampering you immediately, but everything from the gentle way he washed every inch of your skin and caressed your belly in the bath to the slow and gorgeous way he made love to you last night has been amazing. This morning he had caressed you all over again before dragging himself out of bed to make you both breakfast and now he's being as gentle as a breeze in helping you out of the truck when you arrive for the festival.

He knows you won’t put up with him being too protective, but he manages to caress your belly gently only once before he is pulling away to gather your baked treats for the competition. “I’ve got all this, sugar.”

"You're not going to let me carry anything for the next seven months, are you?" You tease, shooting him a grin and sliding the strap of your purse over your shoulder. The little town square is already full to bursting with people even though the festival supposedly only started a half hour ago, and you're excited to see what sort of booths will be around.

“I can’t carry cupcakes for my soulmate?” He pouts, his own grin matching yours. Of course you will carry things, but he was going to dote more than usual. You deserve it.

"Of course you can." It's sweet, the way he has already jumped into high gear to take care of you. "I'm just teasing you, baby."

“I know you are.” Jack doesn’t want you to think he’s upset at you. “Helping mitigates the fear.” He leans in and kisses your cheek.

"Then help as much as your heart desires." That one little explanation is all you need to be nodding and letting him take over completely - leading the way with his hand on your back and a proud smile on his face. If helping is what lets him adjust and be less afraid, then you'll welcome every second of it.

It’s not that you are pregnant, per se, it’s that you’re pregnant here. If he had sat down with the doctor - which he had, but he didn’t know you were pregnant - before coming; he might have cancelled the trip. But you were right to do it this way. He knows the circumstances are completely different and he needs to work through the fear. This is a healthy coping mechanism and if you get to benefit from him pampering you, that was just fine with him.

The tent where they are accepting submissions for the baking and cooking competitions is bustling this morning. Everyone is supposed to drop their items off with a sheet of information and then show up for judging at various points during the weekend. It’s a nice and tidy way of doing things and you step into the line of folks dropping off submissions with Jack easily enough.

“Now that our mission is accomplished…” Jack takes your hand in his hand tucks it around his elbow, resting his hand on top of it. “What do you want to do first?”

“How about we take a walk and see what catches our eye?” There’s plenty here, of course, and you know that at some point this weekend you’ll get sucked into the game booths and the flower displays, but right now the bright excitement of everything is just the right way to begin your day.

“That sounds good to me.” Jack murmurs quietly. “Let me know when you need to rest or a drink.”

“I’m okay, honey. I promise.” Of course he’ll worry, but you’re feeling pretty good about the fact that you’ve made it through most of your first trimester with so few symptoms that you found out about the little nugget from being concerned over missing periods again and not from being sick in any way. The two of you start to walk through the maze of booths, tents, and stands in the town square. Some are new and flashy with colourful printed signs while others are old fashioned and folksy with handwritten and hand painted materials, but either way the effect is always welcoming. The town library has an Adopt-A-Book drive open at their booth and you can’t resist, nudging Jack toward the crowded tables with glee. Each volume with wrapped in brown paper and tied up with twine, with a one or two sentence description of the plot, setting, and characters written out on the paper. “They’re all duplicates,” the young librarian is explaining to the people gathered around. “Books that the library has more than two of, and we want them to go to a good home instead of sitting unread on the shelf.”

“That’s pretty good.” Jack nods. “You guys still have the Book-Mobile?” He asks, turning towards you. “Back when I was a kid, because we were so far out of town, they had this old van that would come and bring books to the ranch.” He explains. “All the kids on the ranches loved it because we didn’t have time to run to town to check out a book.”

“Yes sir, we do.” The young woman beams happily, obviously proud of that particular program. “Where’d you grow up, if you don’t mind my asking? I thought I knew just about everyone in town.”

“Daniels Ranch.” Before you or Jack can answer, a deep, smooth voice answers for you. Been a long time since we saw Jack Daniels’ face around here,” the man tells the librarian. “You were probably still in diapers back then.”

Jack stiffens slightly, wary, but not upset about hearing that voice. It’s been a long goddamn time though. Turning, he finds his former brother-in-law watching him with the same sense of appraisal. “Aiden.” Jack murmurs quietly, nodding his head towards the man. “Good to see you.”

“Surprised to see you.” There’s a ghost of a laugh in the imposing man’s voice, and he nods to you politely but without bothering to mask his curiosity. “What brings you back to town?”

He probably should have called the man. Warned him, but there’s nothing for it now. “It was time.” Jack admits quietly. “Past time. We’ve come to visit ‘em. Pay respects.” Jack subtly takes your hand and displays where the tiny bull’s eye tattoo rests on each of your left hands. “Finally got the sons of bitches that killed her, Aiden.” He manages, emotions and sorrow thick in his voice.

“You said you would.” Aiden nods solemnly, remembering the way Jack had railed about it years ago. How nearly unhinged it had made the man. He shakes his head, banishing the anger that he’s worked so hard to be rid of, and levels his eyes on you again. “I take it this is the second Mrs. Daniels?” He asks, not meaning to be unkind but able to read the situation easily enough.

“Not yet.” Despite that, you offer to shake his hand and smile warmly. “You must be Abigail’s brother?” The name does ring a bell, after all, and Jack has told you a little bit about her and her family over your time together. “I’ve heard some very nice things about you.”

Jack knows that this is going better than he would have ever expected, but Aiden knows how he had grieved Abigail, there has been no question of his devotion to his first soulmate.

Aiden accepts the handshake and you chat for a moment, mostly with him asking polite questions like what you do for work and if you’ve chosen a wedding date yet. The kind of low key chit chat one would expect to make with a new acquaintance or friend of a friend. “I have to be getting back,” he tells you both after a time, looking curiously once more between you and Jack. “You should stop by the farm’s stand later. We went all out this year.” He wants to say more - the urge to reconnect for Abigail’s sake is strong - but he doesn’t know how you would feel about it. “I’ll…I’ll put together a basket for you?”

Grinning, Jack shakes his head. “You’ve done it now.” He warns his former brother-in-law. “She’ll be askin’ for shipments to Kentucky.” He laughs. “Aiden’s place produces the best damn fruit and vegetables in the state.”

“Then we will definitely be stopping by.” Your eyes light up with possibilities, thinking of autumn and winter menu specials. When Aiden’s hand extends to you again you shake it warmly and offer him a smile. “I’m very glad I got to meet you. We’ll be sure to stop by the farm stand this afternoon.” Aiden finds himself chuckling, moving to shake Jack’s hand after yours. While he had first felt a twist of sadness to see his late sister’s husband with a new woman, even he had to admit that it wouldn’t be healthy to cling to old memories. Abby wouldn’t have wanted Jack to be miserable. “I’ll save you a bottle of cherry blossom honey to take home,” he promises. “It goes fast and it’s too good to pass up.”

Jack chuckles at the way you gasp in excitement, squeezing Aiden’s hand slightly. “You still visit ‘em?” He asks quietly. The Daniels cemetery still hadn’t been visited, although that will be something that is done soon.

“Every month.” The way Aiden nods is solemn, but not sad. He’s grown accustomed to the loss, as all survivors must after losing someone. “I planted some flowers. Keep their headstone clean. Nothing fancy, but I like to talk to her from time to time.”

“If you’ve not visited this month….” Jack shrugs, trying to extend the invite as casually as he can. “I’m plannin’ on visiting day after tomorrow. Properly introducin’ ‘em.” He licks his lips and looks up at the older man who had once kept him from doing something extremely stupid. “If you’re wanting to visit with us some more?”

“That…” For a moment the older man hesitates, but it’s a mixture of surprise and perhaps gratitude. The idea that Jack is remarrying but hasn’t pretended that Abby never existed is comforting in an unexpected way. “I’d like that,” he says finally, looking between you. We’ll have lunch? I—” He shrugs and grins slightly. “If you’re alright with it, I’ll bring Sheila? You guys always got along well, if I remember right.”

“Sugar?” Jack turns towards you, wanting to confirm that you are okay with the idea. “Sheila is the sweetest little spitfire you ever did meet.” He promises. “She runs that farm, truth be told and shame the devil. Always had since she came into the picture.”

"I think it sounds wonderful." Which isn't even an exaggeration, or an attempt at being polite. For you, this was part of the hope for this trip. A glimpse into Jack's past and the young man that he was before he grew into the man you fell in love with. "But you won't be able to stop me from cooking if we're having company. Consider yourselves warned."

“I know.” Jack sighs softly and shakes his head. “That’s why I was askin’.”

"He's making noise, but he likes to be kept on his toes." Aiden shakes his head and chuckles under his breath. "I really do have to get back, but come by the stand later and we're figure out what time we're doing this." "He's nice." When Aiden is out of sight again, you snuggle into Jack's side and leave a kiss on his cheek. "and obviously still thinks well of you."

“I’m glad that he does.” Jack admits with a loud, exaggerated exhale. He had been worried about what the man would think about him having a new soulmate.

"We'll talk to him more in a few days. But I'm glad we ran into him." Both of your arms rope around Jack to give him a squeezing hug. "Now I have someone I can ask for stories of when you were a kid."

“Great.” Jack rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning at you. “You know he was the one who convinced me to jump off the roof, right?” Jack chuckles. “I was in Abigail’s room and he had told me that his daddy was gunna stomp me. We weren’t doing nothing but kissin’.”

"Oh, I am going to enjoy this lunch." You practically cackle as you give him another kiss. "I can't wait to hear every single story."

Jack pouts at you, knowing that Aiden will tell you everything. “Well then don’t be surprised when you learn I ran down Main Street in my birthday suit.” He grunts, shaking his head.

"You did what?" The shock and glee on your face are joined by an absolutely delighted peel of laughter. "I have to know. I have to know why."

“I’ll let Aiden tell you that story.” Jack grumbles, smirking slightly. “Again, that was his fault.”

******

When the time for that lunch comes just two days later, Jack has resigned himself to the fact that there is nothing he can do to calm the whirlwind of you in a kitchen. The lemon tiramisu was made last night and will be the perfect thing to cool off after the enormous platter of spicy, smoky steak tacos with plenty of sides that you went overboard in spending all morning preparing. You've been perfectly honest about wanting everything to be perfect for Aiden and Sheila's visit, and since you're hosting in a house that is technically Jack's but he hasn't lived in in decades, you don't truly feel that comfortable. It will all be okay, of course, but it has you a little more jittery than normal.

“I put a gallon of that raspberry tea you liked in the fridge.” Jack murmurs, watching as you scrub the same spot on the counter for the millionth time. “There’s some coolers, I put some waters and beer in them.” Anything he can do to help calm your nerves, he will. “Anything else you need, sugar?”

“No…I’m just nervous.” Finally realizing that the spot you’ve been trying to clean is a natural dark spot in the granite countertop, you sigh and force yourself to step away from the counter. “I’m sorry. I just…Aiden seems like a very nice man, but I don’t want him to think you’ve picked some inferior after his sister. That’s probably stupid, but I can’t help it.”

“You are not inferior.” Jack frowns and steps in front of you, wrapping his arms around you to pull you into his embrace. “Sugar, Aiden will love you. Shelia will too. He knows you aren’t Abigail, and he doesn’t resent you for that.”

“I’m just glad the baby’s not making me feel sick during all this.” Although you do reach over and rap your knuckles on the wooden dining table just so you don’t jinx yourself. Your morning sickness has been next to non-existent so far. Hopefully that doesn’t mean it will come back with a vengeance in the second trimester.

“Come sit down with me, sugar.” His hand immediately goes to your stomach and he caresses it gently. Marveling at the still fresh news that you are carrying his baby. “Take a little rest.”

The love seat in the living room is where you’ve taken to sitting, and you relished the stories from Jack on the first night about how it was his mother’s favorite place to sit. Now you let Jack lead you over and plop down in his lap with your arms around each other. “Sorry if I’m a tornado,” you murmur near his ear.

“In a trailer park.” Jack jokes, squeezing you tight. “I know that you’re nervous, but you don’t need to be. I’ve known them both my entire life, and despite Aiden being Abby’s brother, he wants me to be to happy.”

“I think I’m nervous because of that,” you admit, laying your head on his shoulder. “Like somehow…” A sigh escapes you, resigned and acknowledging. “Like I know I’ll never have Abigail’s approval to be with you and make you happy. Her brother’s approval is the next best thing.”

“She would have loved you.” He promises, turning his head to kiss your forehead. “I know she would have, sugar. Aiden is going to love you.”

“I know it’s silly to worry.” Sniffling slightly, you snuggle deeper against Jack and huff softly. “Maybe I’m having my first overly-emotional-pregnant-lady moment.”

“Might be.” He honestly thinks it’s more to do with wanting approval by his original soulmate’s family, but he doesn’t say that. “And you are completely justified in feeling that way.” His hands slide up and down your back soothingly. “No matter what sugar, I’m going to be right here with you. Your backup.” He teases playfully.

"Thank you, honey." He's damn good at not making you feel like an idiot when you're being emotional, which you appreciate, and you trail your fingers through his hair softly while you sit firmly in his lap. "I love you so much."

“I love you too, sugar.” Jack hums, closing his eyes and smiling softly. “It’s good to be back.” He admits. “To see them. It doesn’t hurt like I expected it to.”

"If you still feel that way when we leave in two days, we'll have to see about making the trip more often." It will always be up to him whether or not he wants to come back to the place he called home for the first part of his life, but you've thoroughly enjoyed spending time here. It's quiet and homey, and feels like a world away from Louisville just for the slower pace of life. "It might be nice to have family vacations out here."

“I can see your family gettin’ a kick out of the place.” There’s plenty of room and it might be fun to see your dad on a working ranch. “The kids would shit themselves over the horses.”

"By the time we do another family vacation, we'll have another family member." Your hand drifts fondly over your belly. "I can't wait."

“Yes we will.” Jack nods. “Maybe we can figure out how to do some kind of reveal or somethin’ for your folks.”

"Yeah?" You had just figured on FaceTiming with your parents to let them know, but they would adore a reveal. It would be fun to see your father a blubbering, excited mess again like he was when he found out about both of your sister's kids.

“Maybe we should fly up there? Bring them some baby themed gifts?” Jack offers, wanting to make it special.

"They would lose their minds." It's such a sweet thought, and absolutely characteristic of Jack. "Do you think there's a store for baby things around here that we could go poke around this afternoon or tomorrow?" Without knowing how long Jack's former brother-in-law and his wife will be comfortable staying or how emotionally taxed you'll both be after the visit, it's good to be flexible.

“Whatever you want to do.” Jack smiles, happy you liked his idea. “We can do that for sure.”

"Let's see how we feel tonight." Like a cue in a play, the doorbell rings just as you're tipping your head back to kiss Jack's cheek.

Patting your thigh, Jack gets up after you do and throws you a smile. “It’s going be a good visit, sugar. You’ll see.” He promises, walking towards the door to let his brother-in-law and his wife in.

"Jack!" Sheila is an energetic woman with a personality as strong as she is physically, so when she opens her arms to hug Jack after crossing the threshold of the house she means business. "I'm so sorry I missed you at the festival! Heard you took home a shiny prize though, good for you."

“Hey Sheila.” Jack allows the other woman to scoop him up into a hug that would crush a lesser man’s ribs. “It’s so good to see you. How have you been?”

"Good!" Her exuberance is shining through at seeing an old friend again, and her head bobbles on a nod. "Really good. Farm is doing great and the kids are grown so the house is mostly quiet these days."

“That’s good.” Sheila had just found out she was pregnant with their second when Abigail had been killed. Their oldest boy had just been a year old, so the idea of the cousins growing up together had been very real. “Real good.”

"Let the man breathe before you start giving him the whole rundown." Aiden chuckles softly, obviously used to his wife's boundless energy. He pats Jack's shoulder but steps past him with a basket in hand to offer you a warm, if polite, hug. "Brought you something, hon. As promised."

"That's so sweet of you. Thank you, Aiden." You easily accept the small embrace as well as the basket, looking inside eagerly. There are all kinds of jars and a few fresh things as well as a bottle of the first batch of cider of the season.

“He was eager to show off.” Sheila appraises you with unabashed interest as she walks over towards you. “Something about you being a professional chef and wanting to show you farm to table.”

“That’s true, I do have restaurant.” Something about the way she’s looking you over makes you hesitate self-consciously, but you still put your hand out to her to shake. “You must be Sheila. It’s really nice to be able to meet some of Jack’s old friends.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Sheila shakes your hand heartily and pulls you towards her. “I can see why Jack likes you. Besides the obvious part of being soulmates.” One arm goes around you in a quick, half hug.

"It was...a surprise. To say the least." When you and Jack had gone to get your playing card put back on your arm he had also gotten a bullseye on your hands, and Sheila smiles softly at the mark now before letting you go. "Who knew that kind of thing actually happened in real life?"

“I know that it’s not something to be taken lightly and it looks like you aren’t.” She sends you a devilish grin. “So what embarrassing stories do you want to know about Jacky? He used to get so mad about being called that, but it was that or Jackson.”

"I want to hear everything." You return her grin with glee, already feeling much more relaxed than you had been a second ago. Maybe it was just a mood swing after all. "Why don't you both come in? We can have lunch before we go up and make our visit, if you want?"

“I wish you hadn’t gone through the trouble.” Sheila huffs, shaking her head. “We could have brought something from town. But I have a feeling it’s hard to keep you out of a kitchen.”

Jack snorts and nods. “Yeah it is. Practically impossible. Swear that’s why she moved in with me, I’m convinced. For the kitchen that I had.”

"And then we moved and now our kitchen is even bigger." That grin is now flashed at Jack, and you reach out to squeeze his shoulder gently as he and Aiden trail behind you and Sheila through the living room and into the kitchen. The basket sits neatly on the corner of the counter while you go about checking on the food that you have cooking, and Jack starts pulling out drinks from the cooler before pouring you a glass of tea. It's the small amount of caffeine that you're allowed each day and you relish it, hating having to give up coffee.

“Really thought you would have brought a bottle of that Statesman.” Aiden chuckles, lifting the tea. “Since you run the company.” Shrugging, Jack grins. “We aren’t big on drinking whiskey right now.” He admits, glancing at you before he decides to go ahead and break that other news when you give him a subtle nod. “Don’t think it’s quite fair for me to drink when she can’t.”

"Well damn." Aiden looks between you with dawning realizing. "I, uh...congratulations. That's real good news." It stings a little, in that deep part of his heart that misses his sister most, but this isn't about him. Feeling jealous on Abby's behalf isn't going to bring her baby boy back.

“It’s not something that we— well, it’s a little earlier than we planned but I am trying not to smother her.” Jack huffs with a slight grin. “It don’t replace Timmy in my heart one bit, just like Abby’s still there too.”

"We only just found out." As you bustle around the kitchen, it's easy to see how comfortable you are in this particular room versus every other. "And I mean just. I only told Jack a few days ago."

“That’s wonderful.” Aiden watches Jack, wondering if the other man is worried about the loss of another child. He knows he would have many sleepless nights. “I mean that.”

"Do you know what you're having yet?" Not willing to be impolite and assume she can tell how far along you are by your figure - something that the mother of three knows is pretty impossible to do anyway - Sheila just offers you a soft smile with the question.

"Not yet. It's a little too early." It comes with a shake of your head and you step back from the counter to go to the fridge for all the accoutrement you made. "It's a little nerve wracking, but we're excited. Everything right now is...it's really going pretty perfectly."

“I swear I almost didn’t believe it.” Jack admits, glancing down at his watch that you had given him. “But we are going to be good parents.”

"So your fiancée has a restaurant," Aiden sips the beer that Jack handed him as he sits down at the table with his former brother-in-law. "And you work for Statesman?" He hadn't been clear about it during their quick conversation during the festival. "What is it you're doing there?"

“I’m the Director of the distillery.” Jack admits, taking a sip of his tea. “I own the operation.” He doesn’t tell Aiden about the other side of Statesman, but he shouldn’t have to.

"Damn, Jacky!" Sheila spins around to face him with an impressed look of surprise on her face. "That's a pretty huge company, isn't it? I heard they - you - have an operation in Europe somewhere now?"

“We’ve partnered with a company called Kingsman in the UK.” Jack leans back and smooths his mustache down. “They make tailored suits. All keys to being a gentleman. It actually has been a very profitable venture.”

"So it's what..." Aiden tilts his head curiously. "Scotch and fancy suits?" That's a hell of a long way from the little town he grew up in, yet somehow he still fits here as much as he ever did.

“Pretty much.” Jack chuckles and pushes back from the table. “I’ll get that bottle for you to take home and try.” He offers.

"Sounds like you've been doing damn well for yourself," Sheila commends, offering him a genuine smile. "Running a bit company like that isn't easy." When she thinks about it, her smile softens a little. "Good job, happy wife, and a kid on the way. Sounds like you're settling down again. That's...that's really good, Jack. I'm happy for you."

“Peace only came after getting the men who killed Abby.” Jack can admit that. He glances over to you with a wry smile. “Fought the idea for awhile, make her and myself miserable until that happened.”

"It wasn't always smooth sailing, but it's good now. Everything is so good now." You step back, setting the tray of things on the table so you can leave a kiss on Jack's cheek. You're not going to be overly physically affectionate in front of his first wife's family, but you are so fucking happy. It's worth showing it just a little.

The bottle is retrieved from the side board, and set down in front of the couple. “Want you to know that it’s my involvement with Abigail that got her killed.” He murmurs quietly. “It’s not my fault, but she died because of me.”

"What happened?" Aiden hadn't wanted to sully the good atmosphere of the lunch with the question, but he needs to know. He has to know who the bastard was that killed his baby sister and unborn nephew.

“Rollins.” Jack grunts, still of a mind to go by that spread and burn it to the fucking ground. “Crazy ass Rollins killed her because he couldn’t have her.”

"Jesus." Aiden and Sheila exhale in unison, shaking their heads as their eyes cast down to the floor. The five of them - Aiden, Sheila, Jack, Abby, and Hank Rollins - had all been in the same class at school together. Grown up together. They had watched Rollins' madness grow over the years without understanding more than the fact that he was crazy. Dangerously so, apparently. "How did you find out?" Aiden asks, shaky breath hovering just below the surface.

Jack moves over to you, wrapping his arm around you protectively. “He kidnapped her.” Held her so I would sign over the ranch to him and let him kill me.” You shudder and his hold on you tightens, reassuring you. A lot has healed since that time, but he knows you still think about it sometimes. “He confessed everything. I have a video of it.”

"I—Jesus H. Christ." Sheila shakes her head with one hand clutched to her heart. "I don't think I need to see that." The shudder Aiden gives could be discomfort or disgust, it's hard to tell, but either way he shakes his head along with his wife. "Whole goddamn family needed help. They haven't been back to the valley in years. Bank repossessed the ranch near a decade ago."

“None of them will be back…ever.” Jack promises ominously.

“Just glad you’re both okay.” What else can Aiden say, really? He’s not glad to know that men have died - though the death of his sister’s murderer doesn’t pain him at all. It’s just not as comforting as he thought it would be during the many years he imagined it.

“Appreciate that.” Jack leans in and kisses you again before he lets you get back to finishing up and walk back over to slap Aiden on the back. “Tell me about the kids.”

“Tyler’s married.” Immediately, Aiden is reaching for his wallet to pull out family photos. “Actually…he and Faith just made us grandparents.” He beams when he holds out the photo. “Kayce is seven months old. Happiest little baby boy in the world.”

“Jesus.” Jack’s eyes wide dramatically. “I can’t believe Tyler is a daddy.” He looks over at you. “Last time I saw that boy was right before his second birthday.”

“He keeps talkin’ about wanting to move out and see the whole country,” Sheila shakes her head and laughs. “I told him it’s gonna be mighty hard with that little baby to think of.”

“Yeah it will be.” Jack smirks slightly and looks over at you. “Only reason we are as travel ready as we are is the company jet.”

Aiden whistles, making you grin as you finish putting lunch on the table. “Company jet, huh? That’s a pretty perk of being the big man in the building.”

“Sometimes it’s good to be the boss.” He agrees, winking at Aiden and Shelia and standing to get your tea from on the counter. “Sit down, sugar. I’ve got it.”

“Everybody dig in,” you encourage, knowing that you made something social and familiar on purpose. Tacos aren’t exactly a formal meal and that’s what you like about them.

“Tacos.” Aiden chuckles. “I’m guessin’ the beef is straight from the freezers in the big barn?” He asks, knowing that Daniels Ranch produces top quality beef.

“It’s been sort of a craving lately,” you admit, knowing that you’ve been eating a lot of beef than usual lately. “But how could we pass up such quality ingredients?”

“I see now why you wanted cilantro.” Jack teases, well aware of your cravings and completely okay with that. “We’ll see about having some beef shipped home with us.”

Settling himself across the table, Aiden slides another photo over to Jack for him to see - the other two of his grown children, the photo looking to be just a few months old if the little bundle they’re holding is indeed their nephew Kayce. “That’s Wayne,” he explains, indicating the boy on the left. “And our youngest is Abby. After her aunt, of course.”

Covering his mouth with his hand, Jack studies the photo, staring at his first soulmate’s namesake. “You— you named her Abigail.” He breathes out quietly, watery smile on his face.

“They have the same birthday,” Sheila explains, a little teary eyed. “It seemed like a sign.”

“That does seem like a sign.” Jack nods, handing the photo back to Aiden. “Beautiful family, brother. I’m happy you have that.”

“You will too.” The smile Aiden offers is to you this time as he tucks the photo away. “You’re already on your way there. Abby would… she’d be glad to see you happy.”

“If they knew each other…” Jack points at you. “I would never know peace.” He jokes, laughing at himself.

“Not in your whole damn life,” Sheila agrees with a chuckle. “And you wouldn’t ever mind.”

“Not a lick.” Jack winks at you again. “Not one damn lick.” He picks up a taco and takes a bite, moaning at the perfect balance of spices.

“Please tell me you have tacos on your restaurant menu.” The twin groans from Aiden and Sheila are music to your ears, and she looks up at you immediately.

“It’s a family favourite.” The compliment has you beaming, though, and you have to admit this is a particularly good batch. “The restaurant menu is a little different. But I made one of our specials for dessert.”

“This woman makes a crawfish salad that would make you slap your momma for another bite.” Jack promises, grinning at you. “Her cooking won me over slowly. I couldn’t stay away.” It’s a lot more than that, but it’s an easy, playful tease.

“Oh, wait a minute.” Like she’s just remembered an amazing fact, Sheila smacks her hand in the table and points at you. “You ran away with a baking prize this weekend, didn’t you?”

“Yes she did.” Jack puffs up proudly. “Just like I knew she would.”

“That cake recipe means a whole lot to my family, so I’m glad it went over well.” Jack looks as proud as a peacock beside you, and you can’t help but be pleased by it. It doesn’t matter that Tex will tease you mercilessly when he finds out you couldn’t resist entering. It just matters that it made one more happy memory.

“So you feel Jack’s sweet tooth?” Aiden grins. “He would bring candy out onto the ranch. Can’t imagine he’s gotten better.”

“Oh no, he hasn’t.” That makes you laugh, conjuring the image of young Jack on the ranch with a pocketful of sweets. “His desk has a secret candy drawer he thinks nobody knows about, and he’s my taste tester for all my desserts.”

“Hey.” Jack pouts. “You said you liked me trying your desserts.” Just because he’s had to start using the treadmill in his office doesn’t mean he’s eating too many sweets. He’s not running around on missions like before.

“I do!” His little pout makes you laugh, delighted that this meal is going so much easier than you expected. “It’s sweet, pun very much intended. And you’ve given me some great ideas.”

“What can I say? I know my sugar, sugar.” Jack smirks when Shelia and Aiden laugh, happy that this is going well. He hadn’t anticipated them not liking her, but it has to be odd to see Jack happy with a woman who is not Abigail.

******

The rest of the lunch goes about the same way, small jokes and stories shared as the four of you graze the taco platter and eventually break out the lemon tiramisu to have a sweet ending to the meal. It's midafternoon by the time you get up from the table, and though the mood shifts it doesn't become uncomfortable. It's easiest to bring both trucks up to the family cemetery on the east side of the property, and you climb into the vehicle that you and Jack are borrowing from the ranch beside Jack with a look on quiet concern on your face. "I was thinking," you turn completely to face him in the cab of the truck. "If you wanted to spend some time alone with them - with Abigail and Timmy, I mean – I can go for a walk so you can have some privacy after Aiden and Sheila leave. I wouldn't mind at all."

“Sugar…” Jack picks up your hand and kisses it. “I appreciate that, but I would like you to be there. If you’d rather not, that’s one thing.” He wanted to share this with you, but not if you didn’t want to.

"I absolutely want to." Originally, of course, it was the entire reason for the trip. "I just wanted you to know that if you want privacy, I totally understand."

“I’ve got nothin’ to hide.” Jack promises. “I might cry, but don’t blame me for that.”

"I would honestly be surprised if you didn't." He might not cry in front of many others, but you certainly have shared your fair share of tears between the two of you.

“It’ll be okay, sugar.” He kisses your hands again and he squeezes it slightly. “Let’s go introduce you to Abby.”

The drive up to the site doesn't take long. Maybe twenty minutes of driving total, and that is filled with quiet music pouring from the truck's speakers as Jack steers down the long ranch trails. When you pull up beside Aiden and Sheia's truck, Jack hustles around to help you out and you give his hand a squeeze before lacing your fingers together. A hundred and fifty years of his ancestors are buried up on this hill, and there are plenty of headstones to prove it.

Jack’s stomach flips and rolls as he holds on to you. His momma and daddy are buried here. Along with every other Daniels. In the newer potion of the cemetery, there’s a large angel rising up from the ground, standing guard over two headstones that are covered in colorful blooms.

The tulips all around the headstone have been planted in every color imaginable, and it's obvious that the other buds of flowers you don't recognize as easily have been very carefully tended to over the years. Aiden's expression is set in pride and sorrow and Sheila swallows a lump in her throat, but you hold on to Jack like a pillar. His need to do this is very different than yours, and you won't let go of him for a second unless he makes the move to let go of your hand first.

Abigail Monique Daniels April 24, 1976 - August 12, 1998 Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Wife A Light from Our Life is Gone

Timothy Charles Daniels Too Precious for This World

The two headstones stand side by side, and the fact that Abigail's can't even credit her as a mother breaks your heart. Tim's stone doesn't even have a birth date listed. It's agonizing in a way you truly didn't expect, and you can feel the tears pushing at your eyes immediately trying to imagine what kind of agony losing your baby before you ever got to hold them would be.

“Hello sweetheart.” Jack’s voice catches and he has to clear his throat. “It been a long time since I’ve been to see you. I’m sorry, I couldn’t do it before now.” In his minds eye, he still sees the raw ground, broken open as they lower the caskets in the ground. No one would dare interrupt Jack in this moment but the wind, a gentle breeze picking up and making the tulips wave in their own little hello. “There’s so much I want to say, that I should have said.” Jack stares at the dates on the stone and his heart aches but it’s not the bleeding agony that he had thought. “I got ‘em baby.” He manages first. “I got the bastard that took you and our little boy away.” Your hand tightens in his slightly, always the silent 'thank you' for keeping you safe. “I know you’ve been watchin’ from up there, shaking your head and chewing me a new one, so I won’t tell you about the last twenty years. But I—” he brings you up closer. “The universe gave me something special, sweetheart. I have another soulmate.”

“I wanted to come and meet you.” Unlike Jack, you kneel down beside the stone, instinctively feeling closer this way. It’s also so you can take the daisy blossom out of your jacket’s lapel that you’ve been saving there since you bought it from a florist at the festival. Jack has shared some wedding pictures with you and you had loved Abigail’s bouquet of daisies. “And to say how sorry I am we didn’t get to meet. Jack seems to think we would’ve made the best of friends,” you tell her softly, laying the daisy in the grass.

Jack’s lip trembles and he bites it to keep from crying already. Listening to your compassion, the flower, it makes him see that you are just too damn good for this place - for him. The universe has messed up, but it was to his benefit.

“I know you’ve been watching us, like Jack said, but just…please know that he’s loved. And taken care of. And that he thinks about you and Timmy every day.” There’s no denying it, and you never would, but as you stand back up with Jacks hand still in yours, you wipe away a few tears with your free hand. Saying goodbye is never easy, but sometimes saying hello can be just as emotional.

“I do think about you two all the time. You’re always in my heart, sweetheart. You and our baby boy.” Jack rasps out. “I’m not ever gunna forget you.”

“He’s going to have a brother or sister in about seven months.” You place a hand on your belly and try to bite back tears. “Not sure which yet, but the next time we come back, they’ll be with us.”

“I’ll protect them this time, Timmy.” Jack promise, his choked sob muffled by his hand. “I p-promise.”

Your arms come around Jack quickly and without hesitation, letting him bury his face in your shoulder to cry as much as he needs. There’s no reason to be ashamed of this moment of emotion, or to leave or anything like that, but you want him to feel safe and supported.

Jack knows that Shelia and Aiden are there, witness to this, although he feels no shame. They have seen him at his lowest, prevented him from destroying the place after coming home that first night. Stayed with him so he didn’t do anything stupid. They know how he has grieved Abigail. So he feels no shame in sobbing into your shoulder in front of them, letting the anger, sorrow and rage flow out of him cathartically.

“We are safe,” you remind him quietly, knowing that while there is nothing in the world that can bring back his first family, his second is going to love them with everything you’ve got. “We’re safe and no one’s ever going to hurt us again, because you saved us.”

“I know, sugar.” Jack clings to that fact and to you as the tears start to ebb. “I know. I know.”

Nothing will change what happened before, all of you know that. But even Aiden’s shoulders slump a little knowing Hank Rollins won’t be hurting anyone else ever again. “You’d like her, Abby,” he murmurs to his sister when he steps forward to lay his hand on the top of her headstone in an old, accustomed gesture. “I’m sure you’ve been watchin’ and shaking your head at Jack like always. But I promise I won’t lose track of them this time.”

That vote of confidence means the world to Jack. He knows you have been worried about what Abigail’s family would think, if they would accept this. He pulls away from your shoulder and kisses your forehead softly. “Thank you, sugar.”

“I love you.” Small words, just on a whisper, but right now they mean more than anything. Your arms around Jack are tight and sure and you know in your heart that this trip needs to happen more often from here on out. Coming home has been good for him. Not running from his past has lifted something almost visible from his shoulders.

“I love you too, sugar.” Jack stands in front of the graves of his first soulmate, his love, and the sweet baby boy he never got to meet. For the first time since that horrible day years ago, his soul is completely peaceful and at rest. His heart open to the future and what is to come with you, the other third of his soul. “What a journey.” Jack murmurs quietly, turning you in his arms and tipping your chin up slightly. “Thank you.” He whispers. “Thank you for going down the rabbit hole with me.”

“Any time, my love.” The shared ink on your skin, the twists and turns in the beginning, the ups and downs and in-betweens; all of it has brought you here to his arms. And from now on, that’s the only place you ever want to be. “Any time.”

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[apocalypseornaw]

Truths

You and Dean finally tell Sam the entire truth.

Part 2 to Secrets

Warnings: cursing, mention of ending a pregnancy. Yall this is Angsty

Everything had calmed down, for the moment anyways. Gadreel as it turns out had been the angel's name had been evicted from Sam's head thanks to Crowley of all people. The hunt for a way to kill Abaddon was ramping up but that was a worry for a different day. You'd take the wins you could.

You weren't surprised to find the other side of your bed empty. You suspected Sam hadn't even been sleeping in the same room with you at all. It hardly felt like you were a couple any more. You wanted to talk to him, to be completely honest but how the hell did you approach the subject?

Sam stopped at the lake that was about five miles from the bunker. He'd gone out on an early morning run, not sleeping next to you meant he barely slept anymore.

You had stayed through what happened with Gadreel, losing Kevin... when he pushed you away you stayed. He still wasn't sure what was going on between the two of you. It had been weeks since you let him touch you, he missed you. He missed having you in his arms. He missed you talking to him about little things. He missed the way things were before he tackled the trials.

---------

The problem? He didn't know how to get it back. The bond between you and Dean hadn't faltered any. There were still times he'd walk into a room to you and Dean cutting off mid conversation. The two of you had even gone on a few solo hunts. Dean citing you needed to clear your head and he didn't want you alone.

He loved Dean. He'd been a mother and a father to him despite there only being a four year age difference. He owed a lot to Dean but you were his heart. He'd never loved anyone the way he loved you.

The day he realized he had fallen in love with you a part of him had felt guilty thinking of Jess but Dean had been the one to remind him she'd want him to be happy and loved.

He didn't hate either of you for what was clearly going on. How could he? You were the most important people on earth to him and it would hurt like hell but he'd prefer the truth to whatever was going on. The problem remained if you would barely talk to him how could he ask you something as heavy as he needed to? How could he ask when you'd fallen out of love with him and in love with Dean?

You sat across from Dean staring down at the coffee cup in your hand. "How did the doctor appointment go?:" he asked and you nodded slightly "She said it all looked good. I'm thankful to Bess for getting me in with her doctor"

He cut his eyes up then glanced down towards your stomach "So the healing process?" You shrugged one shoulder "She was amazed at how fast I healed and the minimal scarring. Amazing what having an angel and the king of hell on your side can do for a girl"

He laughed slightly then his face sobered "How are you doing? The last few months have been a lot for us all, you and Sam especially" you shrugged "Some days are better than others. I want to talk to him so bad and tell him what happened but how do I tell the man I love that?"

"I'm sorry again sweetheart. I never for something like that to happen" you reached across to take Dean's hand "Wasn't like you're the only one who was there to make that choice"

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A sound in the hallway made you both jump up, Dean instinctively stepping in front of you until Sam walked in "Sammy? What's wrong?"

The first thing you noticed beyond the anger simmering off of Sam was the tears in his eyes. He looked from Dean to you "How long?" You and Dean exchanged a look of confusion "How long what baby?" You asked and he laughed humorlessly "How long have you two been sleeping together?"

"What?" "Oh C'mon man!" You and Dean were speaking over each other. Anger at the accusation mixed with the guilt of what the two of you had kept from him.

"The dropped conversations. The solo hunts. The spending time together then Dean not meaning for something to happen and you saying he didn't make that choice alone?" Sam's eyes were on you. "Sam it's not like that" Dean tried, reaching out for Sam's arm and having to duck when Sam swung on him.

"I'm not a fucking idiot Dean!" You jumped between the two of them without thinking. Yeah standing between two men with tempers like theirs and as strong as they were both was probably a dumb idea but no matter the accusations swarming you were confident neither would ever intentionally hurt you.

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You cut your eyes up at Dean when he spoke your name "It's time to tell him" you nodded. "Tell me what?" Sam asked and you saw the slightly tremor to his hand.

You took a deep breath "We've been hiding something Sam. Well the two of us and Cas, Crowley, Garth and Bess" he laughed "So damn near everyone we know besides me, the man you claim to love?"

"Ease up on her Sam" Dean warned stepping closer to your back. Sam watched the movment with hurt in his eyes "I'm sorry Y/N. I shouldn't have said that but for I've watched the woman I love get closer and closer to my brother. You barely let me touch you anymore I just want to know the truth, please"

You took another deep breath "I had to have an abortion Sam"

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He felt all the air leave his lungs like if he'd gotten punched in the chest. You'd been pregnant. "Was it mine?" He asked and when you shook your head he felt his heart crumble "Was it yours?" He asked Dean who shook his head "God no. She'd never cheat on you and I'd never hurt you like that"

Sam's head was spinning. If it wasn't his and you weren't sleeping with Dean and hadn't cheated on him...it was a Nephilim. "It was Gadreel's" he spoke in all but a whisper. You nodded feeling tears spring from your eyes. "Crowley and Cas helped heal her up" Dean explained but Sam's eyes were solely on you. That was why you'd pulled away, why you'd been leaning so heavily on Dean. You hadn't wanted to put anymore on him.

"C'mere baby. I am so sorry" he pulled you into his arms and for once you let him. You laid your head over on his chest "I love you Sam with all my heart" "I know baby I know. I love you too" he wrapped both arms around you. Dean motioned to the doorway before walking out to give the two of you alone time.

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"What now?" You and Sam had ended up taking a walk through the woods that surrounded the bunker. He turned to face you "I wish you would've told me. I would've been there for you" "I had hoped it was yours" you whispered looking up at him. He pushed your hair back from your eyes "I never should've doubted you"

"Are you mad at Dean?" You asked and he shook his head "For protecting you? Never" you pulled him into a hug and he wrapped his arms around you tightly. It wouldn't be easy, there'd been a lot of secrets being hidden amongst the three of you but maybe now all of you could truly start to heal before the next catastrophe landed.