#maybe in their cabin on home one soon after they first moved in together

[allatariel]

@spectral-musette, thank you, I love it so much! Stunning work as ever, I absolutely adore your style <3 <3 <3

Some Jyn and Cassian tall and small cuteness for @allatariel

[lucimaaie]

we ✧.* tlou

pairings - santa barbara!ellie x reader

summary - ellie promised herself she wouldn’t get attached to anyone after santa barbara, look how that turned out.

warning - angsty, not proofread cause i wrote this pretty quick, short (as always),

After Santa Barbara, Ellie had no plan for the future. She’d left Dina and JJ and let Abby go. She knew would still have nightmares and the pain wouldn’t leave her. What else was there to do?

Maybe that was the reason she fought you as you tried to take care of her. “Leave me alone!” She said as you’d tried to help her up from the water, raising her arm around your neck. Thinking about it now, the memory of her weak attempt to tussle you made her laugh.

You fought as hard as she did despite being starved and traumatized yourself. She didn’t know your story, just that you were the only one who didn’t want to kill her as soon as you came out of that crowded cell. You knew that she was immune and that was it. Nothing else was important in the moment. Nothing she wanted to tell you anyway.

You took care of her so much she started to feel guilty for not returning the favor. Cleaning her wounds, taking first watch, giving her whatever food you two had left. Ellie questioned whether it was pity or too good to be true, that you’d try something the moment she relaxed. But as she got stronger, nothing bad happened. You cared for her all the same.

So she cared for you. She watched your back and let you sleep a bit longer since she knew her mind wouldn’t let her sleep. She held you the way you held her when she awoke screaming. Gave you light kisses everywhere to distract you (and her) from a haunting past she knew nothing of. Conversations weren’t your speciality. You didn’t know a lot about each other, but you knew each other.

Eventually, you got lucky and found an abandoned cabin far away from Santa Barbara and quickly settled in. It wasn’t big and there was one bed, but it was shelter. Ellie didn’t want to call it home just yet.

“We should move south.” Ellie blurted, shaking the snow off her boots onto the porch. She could already hear your lecture about letting the cold in, but that wasn’t her focus. Did she just say we? “I mean, nevermind. Here’s fine.” It wasn’t. It was cold as hell and she was tired of the cold she’d been in her whole life.

“No, why south?” You said as you adjusted the small sticks that provided at least a little warmth in the small space. Ellie came to sit down next to you, leaving no space between you. She looked at you, admiring how the orange light shone on your face.

“It’s hotter.” She held your gaze as you listened intently. “Probably make hunting easier.” Ellie knocked her shoulder into yours without much force.

“You ever been south?”

She shrugged before shaking her head. “Nope.” She looked at the fire. That might be a downside of south. No more needing to snuggle up to you to not freeze to death. South you probably have to give each other some space to cool off. “Was just a thought.” She scratched her ear. “What’d you do while I was out?”

“Counted our supply. put on the fire. cleaned our clothes. a bunch of nothing.”

“What about eating?”

“uh-no. forgot that part.”

“Course you did.” She sighed, rising to her feet and look around for the bag you two stuff all cans in. All your belongings in the cabin were generally pre-packed in case you had to run, but still the fact that you’d been able to accumulate these things together made her feel something she couldn’t describe. Annoyance was part of it. that she got so attached to you after she promised herself she wouldn’t. that it just complicated things. But that already happened the moment you’d kissed and let things go further.

“here.” She used her knife to open the can of beans and sat back next to you, handing them over.

“you do know we sleep in the same bed, right?” You hesitantly took the can and swished them around with the spoon.

“trust me i know, but i don’t need you losing body fat and clinging to me like a koala.”

“you’ve never even seen a koala.” You said, taking a bite of the beans. not bad but not good and most importantly not expired. You set the can down in the middle of you, signaling that you wanted to share. She shook her head and sighed as you pushed the can closer to her, your eyes saying ‘please.’ She took a small bite just to appease you and shoved it over to you. “just shut up and eat.” she swiped her thumb over the edge of your lip. “and stop eating like that. we’ll get you more food tomorrow.”

Hours later, ellie shot up in the middle of the night, her heart feeling like it would burst out of her chest at any moment. She choked on her own breaths as she buried her head into her knees. “it’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real—“ She mumbled the same words you did when you saw her like this.

“ellie?” You sat up as well, watching her with concerned eyes. She started to sob as she heard your voice, whether out of fear or relief you didn’t know but you didn’t give it much thought as you ran your fingers through her hair, letting her cry in your lap.

Eventually her tears stopped, leaving her with a pounding head and the comforting silence you provided. Her head rose from your lap and she pulled you into her, not willing to let go. Her head rested on your shoulder as her hands roamed under your shirt. There were no words for a while.

When there were words, they came quietly. “el?” you whispered. She didn’t respond for a while, still stuck in her swarming thoughts. “yeah?”

“where are you from?” It felt like a random question to ask, but there was no way you were gonna ask what she dreamed about.

She blinked for a few seconds, surprised. It was a simple question, yeah, but it could lead to other questions. she was scared to answer and ask back. “boston, i guess.”

“oh.”

“why’d you ask?” She let her head fall back on the pillow and tugged on your shoulder, silently asking you to turn around. And you did, facing her.

“i guess i just realized i never knew that stuff about you.” You said, fidgeting with her hands as you awaited her response. It felt like some dangerous territory, you weren’t supposed to cross. That was weird, you already crossed other, farther lines. “should i have not asked?” You whispered, tentatively.

“no, you..” She cleared her throat. “you can ask.” She finally looked at you, eyes soft with fear, pain. “i just..i don’t wanna talk about it all.”And go back there, she wanted to say.

“you don’t have to.” You scooted closer to her, laying your head on her shoulder.

Elie wrapped her arms around your back, her legs around yours, and looked at you. She let out a deep sigh as her heart beat for a different reason this time. “we don’t have to talk about it all. not right now.” we, there was a we. she wasn’t making it up. “okay,” She kissed your forehead.

thank you for reading!

[lucianinsanity]

Happy Christmas to all Stangst lovers, here's a gift for y'all!

Stangst Fanfic list! Trying to make the theme Stan canon injuries. (Warning: read the tags and not only my summaries)

A Tale of Two Stans Retellings:

Bring me Home AU (2 fic series)(18,559 words) What if Stanley actually spoke one of the times he called Ford? (Injured Stan calls Ford and gets some help at some point during college era Ford)

Breathe, Keep Breathing (4,245 words) Stan blacks out while talking to Ford during their reunion.

Fever Dreams and Broken Boats (3,630 words) A few days after Ford falls through the portal, the burnt symbol on Stan’s shoulder remains untreated and infected. Exhausted, guilt-ridden, and a little sick—Stan dreams.

What Was Broken, What Was Mended (5,602 words) Stan Pines answers his brother's post card and goes to see him at his cabin, but perhaps he should've taken a few days to recover from having his kidney stolen first? And maybe he should've eaten in the past week?

Intertwined, Sewn Together (26,988 words) The fight ends with Stan agreeing to take the journal, but his car is not moving any time soon.

Post-ATOTS:

If Home Is Where The Heart Is (Then We’re All Just Fucked) (3,699 words) Ford tells Stan that he needs to be out of his house at the end of summer, Stan…doesn’t take it very well.

Sea Grunkles:

Watching all the Ground Beneath you Drop (8,897 words) Ford stresses out and accidentally trigger Stan's justified claustrophobia.

The Whole Truth (19,909 words) Stanford's health anxiety meets Stanleys fear of abandonment. Missunderstandings, injuries and feelings.

memory smackdown (5,170 words) Stan remembers something painful on the Stan O'War II.

[celestialprincesse]

Could you do a poly 141! If you’re comfortable with it! I’d prefer fluffy poly 141. Or if you’re not comfortable! Maybe Ghoap or just ghost x reader fluff! I’m not that big of a smut fan when it comes to cod, these poor military men just need a hug

with lots of love - 🩰

FERAL FOR POLY 141 FE RAL FERAL FERAL can u tell that I like this dynamic just a lil bit ( a totally normal amount )

You're pottering around the kitchen when the boys come home from the gym, said boys not including a very sullen Johnny who threw his knee out last week leading you to promptly issue a very firm bed rest order, swatting your tea towel at him when he'd attempted to slip out this morning with his gym bag.

Kyle is on you immediately to see what you're whipping up, whilst John goes off to shower and Simon goes to bring in more logs for the slowly dwindling fire. You attempt to shoo Kyle away as he and Johnny sidle up to your back, nipping at your neck or toying with your hair - making your cooking far more difficult. You successfully manage to shoo Johnny away with a spoonful of creme brûlée stuffed into his open mouth, whilst Kyle sticks at your side like a limpet, whinging about how he'd missed you at the gym and that the boys are all so testosterone-y, which you promptly shut up with a gentle kiss to his waiting lips. With the first lot of grumbling military men out of your hair, you seek Simon out where he smokes on the porch, a steaming mug of earl grey in one hand and a brownie in the other. He promptly moves his cigarette to his other hand so that he can scoop you up against his side, resting his chin against the crown of your head, breathing in the smell of your shampoo and perfume appreciatively. You yourself give an appreciative hum at the warmth of his presence, your wellies and pyjama shorts not doing very much against the chilly morning outside the cozy confines of home.

"How's Johnny?" He rumbles into your hair, pulling back momentarily to take a drag from his cigarette before sidling back up to you. "A pain in the ass." You huff fondly back, unable to hide the pity in your voice for the normally eternally energetic Scotsman. "Cabin fever's got him practically bouncing off the walls." "And you? Are you doing okay, birdie?" "M' just happy to have all my boys home and safe." The sound of your voice melts into the quiet birdsong and the eternally soothing sound of Simon's slightly raspy breathing from the deviated septum he'd managed to get after breaking his nose a few years back.

The sound of the door swinging open doesn't disrupt you and Simon from your shared moment of peace, John coming out with one of his cigars hanging between his lips, free hand snaking around your waist as he leans against the porch. Quickly you notice the phone balanced between his ear and shoulder, and his expression focussed intently on what the person on the other end is saying. John puffs away at his cigar, fidgeting absently with the waistband of your shorts whilst you and Simon chat away about nothing, careful not to let your voices be heard by whoever John's on the phone to.

Growing sick of the cold, you give Simon and John kisses respectively before retreating inside where Kyle and Johnny have settled on the couch, playstation controllers in hand and a video game shown on the large flatscreen Johnny'd insisted you all bought when you moved in together. You're quick to shimmy up beside Johnny, settling your head on his lap, soothed by the sound of he and Kyle talking about the game, John and Simon soon joining the three of you. Simon squishes between Kyle and Johnny in order to play with your hair and chat to you about your day, whilst John gathers your legs up and plops them into his lap, tracing patterns across the bare skin of your calves as he reads something on his phone.

You eventually find yourself dozing off in spite of the ruckus around you, only waking at midday when you're coaxed off of the couch by Kyle who carries your tired body to the simple dining room where the others are laying the table, diligently having taken the large piece of meat you'd been slow roasting all morning from the oven, placed in the middle of the table.

The boys thank you as you all tuck into the hearty, late lunch you'd prepared, laughter and chatter filling the cozy room, gratitude palpable amongst you.

[buckevantommy]

alternate 8x06 where Buck doesn't race ahead:

They go to the movie. They share popcorn and hold hands and Buck watches a captivated Tommy more than the screen. He's thinking about date nights where they don't have to worry about two cars or parking. He's thinking about going to sleep next to Tommy and waking up beside him instead of one of them rushing back to their place for clothes or bc they have a shift soon. He's thinking about the drawer he gave Tommy turning into half a closet and all of Tommy's things in his space becoming their space..

..and then he remembers: Tommy has a garage with a carlift and engine parts and a muay thai setup. Tommy has furniture. Tommy has a yard and a garden and trees. Tommy has a house.

Buck turns his attention back to the movie. Now he's thinking about the illogical nature of asking Tommy to move into the loft: it's not fair to Tommy and also it's not the best idea. He doesn't know what the best idea is, yet, and maybe he won't know until he talks to Tommy.

Because that's where he went wrong in the past: moving in with girlfriends without actually talking about it first, it just sort of happened or was expected. and they all left him. He doesn't want Tommy to leave him. They've been together six months and haven't talked about the future. Buck is thinking about the future now so he needs to talk to Tommy - see where he's at and how he feels.

Back at the loft after the movie, in Buck's bed after sex, Tommy can sense Buck's restless mind. He checks in, because he always does, and Buck hesitates. Then asks: "Do you ever think about the future?"

And Tommy says sure, so Buck presses for details, curious, and then it's Tommy's turn to hesitate. But he mentions some stuff about work - flying certain crafts, heading up a training program, a few bucket list items, but all in all just keep doing a job he loves and keep renovating his little house or maybe there's a little holiday cabin that needs some work.

Nothing about Buck. Nothing about a partner or a family. Buck's heart does something funny in his chest, something uncomfortable, and his nerves kick in properly.

"What about you?" Tommy asks, and Buck swears he tenses under him.

"Captaincy, one day, I hope. I travelled a lot in my youth so I don't really have the bug for that anymore, but I was alone then. I think I'd wanna go places if I wasn't alone. And I don't wanna live here forever, obviously." He means the loft, but he's not closed off to the idea of living outside LA. And since he has no self preservation, he adds: "And.. you." He doesn't say mention getting married or being a father, because that feels like too much all at once.

His nerves are having a field day as Tommy remains quiet.

Buck leans up, terrified and desperate to see Tommy's face. "Do you.. see me in your future?"

They're naked and pressed together under the tangled sheets. Tommy's hand has stilled where it was tracing soothing patterns on Buck's arm. It isn't right. The air feels charged in a bad way, like waiting for lightning to strike.

"Evan.."

"I love you." He doesn't want to say it like this, not for the first time, but it suddenly feels urgent, like tommy has to know right now and maybe it'll change the way he just said his name - like an apology, like a regret.

"You don't love me. You love the idea of me."

And that- that's not true. And it hurts. And Tommy's face has fallen. "No, I-"

Tommy sits up, dislodging Buck, and swings his legs over the side of the bed.

"Wait- where are you going?" Tommy's gathering his things. He's getting dressed. Anxiety and dread swirl in the pit of Buck's stomach.

"I'm going home."

Home. It hurts to hear. "You don't have to leave-" Buck knows he's pleading, he doesn't care. He scrambles off the bed, tugging on his boxers as Tommy reaches for his shirt.

"I think it's for the best."

"No, it's not- we can talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Buck stills. Tommy's holding his jacket, standing at the top of the stairs, trying to school his features to hide his emotions. He does that. He hides things. "What's happening right now?"

For a brief moment, tommy lets devastation show on his face, before it's tucked away behind a mask.

"I thought.." He doesn't know what he thought. He'd hoped Tommy felt the same, that they were on the same page. Six months in and he can already picture a life with Tommy.

"I'm sorry."

Sorry you thought this was more than what it was. Buck feels sick. His heart is stuttering. "Tommy-"

"Goodnight, Evan."

It feels like Goodbye, and Buck can't find the words to make Tommy stay before he's disappearing down the stairs and the loft door is closing behind him.

Sometimes lightning strikes the same place twice. Maybe it's connected to the string of bad luck that's followed him his whole life. Maybe he's jinxed, or cursed. Or maybe it's his own fault, his choices acting as a conductor for the kind of carnage most people only experience once.

[4kingz]

Just for the Summer | Ticci Toby X Reader

Summary : Camp Redwood is just what you needed—free food and a break from everything back home. No signal, no drama, just trees, bug spray, and a summer to reset. The other counselors are easy to get along with, each one bringing their own energy to the group. It’s a peaceful routine—until things start to feel a little less like a break and more like something else. People come and go, and you start to realize there’s more to this place than you first thought. But for now, all you really need to do is enjoy the simple moments. Right?

Warnings : Nothing I can think of yet! There will definitely be some later, I'll update each chapters warnings as they're posted! Word count 2.7k A/N : Hie! I've never posted anything online before, I'm very anxious about this LOL but I hope it's enjoyable regardless! This is for fun right now and I'm unsure of how long it'll be & whatnot. This is going to be a painful-slow burn fic, as they're my favorites :insert evil laugh: anyways, enjoy the first chapter!

divider by @cafekitsune (© 2023-2024)

The bus smells like old leather, sweat, and something vaguely burnt—the way all public transportation does.

I’ve been on it for hours, watching the roads thin out into winding dirt paths, the kind that only lead to places people forget about. The trees are thick and heavy with fog, their branches curling toward the road like fingers stretching for something just out of reach.

The scenery is gorgeous. Creepy, in its own way. But it’s enticing, too.

There hasn’t been much talking. A few of the other counselors murmur to each other here and there, heads bobbing with the movement of the bus, but for the most part, it’s quiet. I figure it won’t be like this for long, so I might as well soak it up while I can.

Shifting in my seat, I adjust my backpack in my lap. At first, I took this job for the paycheck. The job listing made it sound easy—a summer in the woods, good money, free food. But after thinking about it more, I realized I needed something different. Something away from everything. I told myself it’d be fun. Maybe a little nostalgic, even.

Even if the view is a bit eerie and uninviting.

The driver clears his throat.

“Couple more miles,” he grunts, knuckles tight on the wheel. “Once we get past the old bridge, you’ll see the camp soon after.”

No one seems to have the energy to respond.

I don’t either. Instead, I lean my head against the window, watching as the trees blur past.

They’re dense out here, packed so tightly together that the spaces between them seem darker than they should be. Their branches stretch overhead, filtering the daylight until everything has that dim, greenish tint, like the world is underwater. The bus rattles along the uneven road, and for a moment, I just breathe, sinking into the rhythm of the movement, the steady pulse of tires crunching over gravel.

It’s calming.

Just trees, stretching on forever, untouched. I try to picture what the camp will look like—cabins by the lake, a big open field for activities, kids running around in bright-colored shirts. The kind of summer job I can look back on fondly. Maybe even one I’d come back to next year if I like it enough.

The driver flicks on the radio, muttering something about hating the quiet. The speakers crackle, then settle on a warbly folk song.

“There we go,” he mumbles.

The bus jolts as it crosses the bridge, wooden planks creaking under the weight of the tires. The water below is dark, slow-moving. Definitely not the kind of water you’d want to swim in. 

It felt like the whole day had passed by before we finally arrived.

A huge wooden sign hangs above the dirt path in front of us, written in all red paint and welcoming bubble letters.

‘Welcome to Camp Redwood’

The bus slugs along, before we reach what looks like the main campsite.

It’s way bigger than what I could’ve ever imagined. The main lodge stands at the center, an old two-story building with a wraparound porch and a roof that looks like it’s seen better days. The cabins are scattered near the lake, their wooden frames blending into the tree line. A toolshed leans slightly to one side, like it’s trying to back away into the woods.

No lights. No movement. Not even an animal in sight. For a place that’s about to be filled with kids and fun activities in a week, it's oddly... quiet.

The driver clears his throat again like he’s about to say something, but in the end, he just sighs and eases the bus to a stop.

“We’re here.”

As I expected, the silence doesn’t last long. The other counselors immediately burst into conversation, gasping at the sight of the camp and talking over each other as they shuffle down the aisle and off the bus.

I decide to wait, grab my bag and follow as the last person passes me. The driver doesn’t even glance our way, tapping his fingers against the wheel in time with the radio. Some country tune seemed to gain his favor more than we managed to. The moment we’re all off, he pulls onto the roundabout path and drives away without a word.

Wow. The way here was impressive enough but the camp itself is just… wow. 

“Counselors! Glad to see you all made it in one piece!”

Everyone stops short, twisting around to find the source of the voice.

There’s a guy on the porch, leaning casually against one of the wooden beams like he’s been there the whole time. He’s got messy blonde hair and the same Camp Redwood shirt we’re all wearing—an aggressively bright orange with plain black lettering. It clashes horribly. But he’s managed to make his stand out with a few personal touches.

A green beanie. A name tag pinned to his chest, the word BEN scrawled across it in some weird, almost alien-looking font. A few layered bracelets—woven, beaded, maybe even handmade—clink softly as he moves.

He grins, stretching his arms out like he’s welcoming us into his home. “Come on in. There’s plenty of rooms for everyone—first come, first serve.” He winks.

That’s all it takes. The group surges forward, practically tripping over themselves to get inside. I wasn’t too concerned about what room I’d get, but their excitement is contagious, and now I kind of want to check them out, too.

The inside of the lodge is somehow even bigger than the outside. 

It’s one of those places that feels like it was built to be rustic, but maybe just a little too much—like they took the word “charm” and ran with it until the edges started fraying. Wooden beams stretch across the ceiling, and the floors creak underfoot, even though I’m not sure how much traffic this place gets. The furniture's old but stylish, everything in that faded, vintage style—couches that look like they belong in your grandma’s house and coffee tables that probably came with matching coasters back in the day.

I glance around at the others, already getting a feel for the space. Some people are checking out the check-in desk, but there’s no one behind it. A few other counselors are leaning against the wall by the fireplace, casually chatting.

Ben, still hanging by the door, lets the others scramble past him with a casual wave. “The rooms aren’t gonna pick themselves.”

Everyone seems to take that as a challenge. The buzz of excitement builds as counselors crowd toward the stairs, chatting about how nice the place is, how big the rooms must be, and if anyone’s heard the rumors about the lake.

The stairs creak as I make my way up, and the hallway stretches out before me, long and narrow. I let the smell of pine trees and old wood lead me, the smell oddly refreshing. 

As I pass by the rooms, I take note that every single one of them is different. Whether it’s the way they’re arranged or the architecture entirely, none of them were the same. Every door is different, too. Some were engraved with florals, others were boxier and had no markings. The handles were different, too, some more updated than others. 

Whoever built this place must be proud. I couldn’t even imagine how long it must’ve taken to build, let alone to continue updating it. Some pillars were definitely newer than others, showing just how much care was put into this place. 

I pause in front of the last door—a corner room with a direct view of the lake behind us. It’s simple, but smaller than some of the other rooms I passed by. Must be why no one’s claimed it yet. It is a little cramped, but the bed is made with clean sheets, and there’s a small desk with a cute green lamp and a couple of old books stacked neatly beside it. I drop my bag onto the bed and run my hand over the smooth surface of the desk, feeling the faint grooves of wear in the wood. 

It was perfect. 

I set my things down carefully—my jacket draped over the back of the chair, my bag placed neatly by the door. I take a second to unpack just the essentials: my notebook, my charger, the books I’ve been meaning to read. It’s kind of funny how much of your life can be tucked into a bag. I set my phone down on the nightstand, its soft glow a reminder that I’m still tethered to the outside world, even if I’m a few hours away from it now.

I sit on the bed once everything’s to my liking, letting the silence wrap around me like a blanket.

Everything about this cabin was so comforting—the way the wood smelled, the old style of the furniture, like it had stories to tell. It all felt... settled, in a way. Even the soft creaks of the floorboards seemed welcoming, like the place was gently sighing, content to have someone here.

It’s only been maybe fifteen minutes, but I can already tell I’m going to love spending the next few months here. My eyes flutter shut at the thought. It’s strange how quickly the exhaustion hits. I didn’t realize how drained I was until I actually got into bed. I deserve a quick nap. Just a little one. It wouldn’t hurt, right?

“Hey, counselors,” Ben’s voice carries up the stairs, sharp and casual. “Dinner’s ready, and we’re meeting in the dining room. I wanna get everyone settled before we start. You’ve got five minutes.”

Around me, doors creak open as everyone scrambles to put their things away. The walls here are thin—I can hear every shuffle of footsteps and rustle of bags being shoved into corners. 

So much for a nap.

I push myself off the bed, rubbing the tiredness from my eyes. Everything’s already unpacked, so I might as well head down and grab a seat before the ‘good’ spots are taken. 

The floorboards groan beneath me as I make my way out, the sound unnervingly loud in the empty hallway. 

Downstairs, the lobby is just as stunning as before, its large windows framing the darkening sky. I catch myself staring again, drawn to the lounge chairs by the window—faded with time, but still holding onto some quiet character, the geometric patterns barely visible beneath years of wear. I can already picture myself sitting there with a book, the camp buzzing in the background. “Admiring the view?”

I spin around so quickly my heart practically leaps out of my chest. My hands fly up to my chest, a reflex to calm the sudden rush of adrenaline.

When the hell did he get there? 

Ben’s standing in the doorway, watching me with an unreadable expression, though I can tell he’s enjoying this—his eyes twinkling with amusement.

I exhale, forcing my hands to drop from my chest. “I didn’t hear you.”

His grin sharpens. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

I glance toward the dining hall. “Dinner time, right?”

Ben nods, rocking back on his heels. “Unless you wanna skip and live off granola bars for the rest of the summer. No judgment.”

Tempting, but I shake my head. “I’ll pass.”

"Suit yourself." He turns and starts walking, and I fall into step beside him. As we move, I find my eyes drifting to the walls, each one covered in carvings that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. Some are intricate, delicate swirls and symbols, while others are rushed and jagged, like someone had been in a hurry. Initials, strange symbols, even full sentences, as if the lodge has been quietly collecting secrets over the years. I slow my pace just a bit, letting my gaze wander, taking in the little details. There’s a heart carved into the wood, faded names inside it, a date so deep in the grain it almost looks like it could split the wood apart. And near the door, there’s a message so faint it’s nearly illegible: "Don’t look up."

I don’t.

When we step into the dining hall, it’s completely empty.

I slow, taking it in. The space is just as intricately designed and furnished as the rest of the cabin. I’m not sure why I’m surprised. Long wooden tables stretch across the room, set with mismatched plates and silverware. Lantern-style lights hang overhead, casting everything in a soft, golden glow. 

He unlatches a few of the old windows as I take my seat, letting the air breathe through the room. It rolls in slow, like it’s been waiting for someone to open the place up again—cool and woodsy, carrying that sharp pine scent mixed with the damp, earthy smell of lake water. It shouldn’t smell good, not really. But it does. It smells like summer. Like scraped knees and mosquito bites and campfire stories you only half-remember later. 

It settles around me in a weirdly soothing way, like the room just exhaled and said finally.

“So,” Ben says, turning to face me with one eyebrow cocked, “what brings you here, counselor?”

There’s something about him that’s disarming. If I had to guess, it’s probably his carefree attitude. But still, for someone I just met, he’s making it way harder than I expected to not just spill everything.

I shrug, tapping the edge of my fork against the table. “No big reason, really. Saw the listing online, thought it sounded pretty chill. Good pay, free food... hard to pass that up.”

His grin stretches wider, like he’s won something. “I knew that would work. That little incentive combo? Totally my idea. I figured it’d reel in a couple of fun ones.”

“You saying I was lured?” 

“I’m saying it worked,” he replies, his voice full of pride, like he’s been waiting to drop that bomb all night.

I bite back a laugh, but that eyebrow of his? That does me in. I can’t help it—my laugh spills out before I even realize it.

“Nice to know I’m early!” A new voice cuts through the moment. We both glance toward the entrance, where a taller woman with dark brown braids steps in, all easy smiles and confidence. She moves like she’s done this before—whatever this is. I give her a quick wave as she slides into the seat across from me.

Ben finishes pouring water into the glass beside him and settles in.

“Nice of you to be early,” he says, nodding at her in an approving demeanor. Her face immediately brightens at the clear compliment, and she slides closer to the table, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Before things can stretch on too long, the rest of the counselors start trickling in, each finding their spot around the table. There’s the shuffle of chairs, the soft murmur of greetings, until finally, everyone settles into place.

Ben stands up then, the scrape of his chair loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. He scans the room with that same easy smile, giving a nod of acknowledgment to everyone around the table.

“Welcome to Camp Redwood,” he says, his voice carrying over the soft chatter, drawing everyone’s eyes to him.

The room erupts with cheers. For a group of just nine counselors, it somehow feels a lot louder than it should.

“Alright, alright,” Ben says, waving a hand as the noise starts to die down. He clears his throat, just loud enough to pull everyone’s focus back. “I’m not gonna kick things off with a lecture on rules—you all definitely read the application, right?” He grins, not waiting for an answer. “Tonight’s about us. The counselors. In a week, ���us time’ goes out the window. The kids show up and we’re locked in for three months of chaos. I know I got a name tag, but I’m Ben. I’ve been here since the camps opened up six years ago.”

Ben’s gaze shifts to the redhead sitting to his left, who’s busy shoveling a forkful of chicken into his mouth. The guy pauses mid-chew, his eyes flicking up slowly like he can feel the weight of everyone’s attention on him.

“We’ll kick things off with introductions,” Ben says, “and then we’ll vote on how to wrap up the night.” 

This was proofread by friends and edited over the past few weeks before I finally decided to post it—hopefully it’s up to your guys' standards! If you’ve got any tips or comments, feel free to drop them <3

[blingblong55]

The tiny problems- 141

Based on a request:

I've had this brain worm for the last 2 weeks and I cant get it out. Do you think you could write something with Cod G/t? I'm thinking like a fic with a tiny!y/n, ghost, soap and gaz and giant!price. Maybe something like Price finding little borrowers in his office taking things off his desk? Thank you sm! I love your writing so much!! P.s. I might be sending this same cod g/t kind of prompt to other authors as well. I WILL BE CHANGING THE PROMPT! I just want to see everyone's take on cod g/t. So if you're uncomfortable with multiple authors also writing something maybe similar to this, I understand and you can just ignore this. Thank you🩷🩷 ---- GN!Reader, tiny/giant au, tiny!RN, tiny!Soap, tiny!Gaz, tiny!Ghost, gentle giant!Price, fluff, platonic!relationship ----

A/N: I Fell in love with this idea so…here I am

It is unique, to be Price and live in a comfortable home and have his kind of problems. He lived alone, far from society, and in the woods, it was cosy. Cosy cabin, with delicious food, and a nice fireplace. What more could a man his height need?

Every day, he would sit on his desk, and read the local newspaper and some books. He would laugh or shake his head when he would read some paragraph. Little did he know, he had some of the cutest and tiniest infestations in his home. Ghost, Gaz, Soap and R/N, tiny humans that live in the woods and who have found a home in the Giant Man's home, Price. As the day went on for John, he noticed a few things move around his home. His coffee mug, reading glasses and bonnie hat, all moved around his home.

At night, he heard something move and he rushed to look around his home for any intruder. And then he saw it, his hat moved across his desk and a little foot could still be seen. He sighs, a baseball bat in hand, he lifts the hat and the four tiny humans scream. Price is about to swing the bat when he puts it down, "What the hell-?" he kneels and looks at the tiny humans on his desk. Soap has R/N hidden behind him, Ghost guarding Gaz. "What are you doing here?" Price asks softly. "We needed shelter for the winter." Ghost responds.

"Shelter?"

"Yes, the winter is coming and our home was ruined." Soap says.

"hm, and you have been without a home so…you came to mine?"

"Yes and we are sorry for not saying a word but we didn't expect a.. well-" Ghost replies.

"Giant?"

"Yes, a giant like yourself to live here," Gaz says

"Who is the other little one?" Price asks about you.

"Oh this is R/N, they are a little shy."

From behind Soap, you wave at Price. "Look, you all look old enough to be adults, so we'll make a deal, I let you live here as long as you don't go moving my stuff around or disturbing my peace."

"You got a deal," Ghost took his hand out, Price confused gave his index finger to shake hands with Ghost. "So, what are all of your names?" "I'm Ghost, this is Gaz, Soap and R/N." "Right, well, good night." Price walks back out, probably thinking this was just some weird dream after eating that soup for dinner.

By morning, he woke up to the smell of wood burning and after a rush to the fireplace, he found the four tiny humans all cuddled together near a small fire. He sighs and goes to his room for something to cover them all up with. After looking through clean laundry, he finds an old scarf, which he then places on you all and sighs. He cooked breakfast, went out of his way served a small plate for the four humans to share and then whistled. Soap being the first to get startled wakes the others up. "Oi, I made breakfast, you either come or I give it to the dog." And just like that, he found himself helping the four tiny humans to the table.

Days turned to weeks and months. Price eventually stopped rolling his eyes at Soap's jokes or Gaz's questions and soon found himself making little chairs, spoons, plates, beds, and ladders. He dedicated a room all to the four humans who brought purpose to his life once more. As the harsh January winter arrives, he finds that his little companions begin to sleep in his bed. When asked, R/N responded, "You bring us some comfort and…your bed is the cosiest and warmest of all."

These little friends he created became his lifeline, if he was sick, if he was tired, sad, happy, or emotional, they were there for him and him for them. Soon enough, when Spring arrives, Price lets them know it is okay to stay, that they have become a part of his daily life and he would enjoy their company all year round and when he says it, Ghost appears with an offering.

A handmade scarf, made from the tiny hands of his tiny and funny friends. Now, as he finds new things he is passionate about, he also finds new things to love about the world around him. For example, he loves that now, he doesn't have an empty home, there are people he can finally talk to and even though his problems seem different to theirs, the problems all seem to be equal in some ways.

Tiny problems, now becoming his reason to smile and laugh and even the very reason why he finds himself learning how to cook and wrap birthday or Christmas gifts. In this world, there are many problems and sometimes, if John knows he is looking too deep into them, he can take a step back and look at his four favourite tiny problems.

Tags:

@warenai @liyanahelena @avaleigh16 @the-royal-bee @enarien @johfaam0 @froggy-anon @goldenmclaren @frazie99 @spicypicklesoh @tiredmetalenthusiast @jinxxangel13 @luvecarson @willowaftxn83-87 @saoirse06

[imtrashraccoon]

Ooh could you perhaps write something for cross? Like an X reader? I haven't seen many of those- like- at all, and it's incredibly sad because the boy deserves love :c

Feel free to ignore this if you don't wanna do it <3

I'm so sorry for the wait, Anon! I didn't realize it had been almost a month since I received this! In my defense it took me like two weeks to figure out what I wanted to write in the first place. I hope this doesn't disappoint because it's way longer than I intended it to be...

A Gentle Soldier

Cross!Sans x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 4,875

You were simple person, just doing what you could to get by in the world. It wasn't an easy or comfortable life but you made the best of it.

After your father passed away, you were left with the cabin he'd built that had been your childhood home. It was a small one room building with a loft for sleeping and a fireplace set into one wall, which was especially nice in the Winter when the stone bricks it was built from radiated the heat throughout the entire cabin.

You kept a small vegetable and herb garden out back and regularly hunted or trapped animals for meat year round. You also preserved anything extra for the cold months when you might not be able to leave the cabin during bad storms for several days. Other than the occasional trip into the nearby village for rifle ammo and a few other things that you couldn't make yourself, you were self sufficient and almost never interacted with anyone.

Maybe one day you'd meet someone and start a family, but they'd have to be adaptable because you weren't about to just abandon the life you'd worked so hard to build for yourself. You liked to think that you were a reasonable sort but there were some things that you wouldn't compromise on. Moving back into the village was one of them, so unless you had no other options, you were going to hang on dearly to your little piece of paradise.

Today was a bit of a gloomy one, but despite the heavy rainfall the previous night, many dark clouds still remained overhead. There was a cool breeze as well, but you figured the inclement weather would hold off for a few hours at least, which was enough time to check your traps.

After putting on a thick coat for warmth and in case you were wrong about the rain, you shouldered a rucksack which held extra traps and some small tools. You also slung your father's hunting rifle over your shoulder, which while you didn't think you'd need it, there was always the possibility of running into a hungry bear or wolf this time of year. You were a decent shot, but hopefully if you did end up missing, the loud noise would be enough to scare them away.

While checking each of your traps, you thought it was strange how quiet the forest seemed today. Not even the occasional birdsong interrupted the silence and none of the traps had even been touched. That was disappointing, but you still had some meat you'd smoked previously and you had enough flour to make some bread so you wouldn't go hungry tonight at least.

You were on your way home again when you heard a loud noise.

It was like several trees had been knocked over or like a landslide had been triggered.

That wasn't something an animal could do.

You checked that your rifle was loaded but kept the safety on for now as you carefully made your way towards the strange noise. You only wanted to take a peek, just in case someone had gotten hurt. Although, it soon became apparent that whatever or whomever had caused the disturbance was still in the area and, as you drew closer, you began to hear people shouting as if they were in the middle of a fight.

You stopped at the crest of a hill and peered down into the little valley below.

There were at least four monsters below you, three of which were seemingly working together to attack the fourth. They all looked like skeleton monsters, however there were some anatomical differences between them and human skeletons. They were dressed completely different from both each other and from any monsters you'd ever seen before too.

The first was a skeleton whose outfit was rather intricate but it was also completely black and white. It was hard to describe with all the layers of clothing, but the basics of his outfit seemed to be a white parka with a fluffy hood, a narrow white cape with black edges, and a pair of black shorts with white stripes that were shaped like an X. He had twin bone daggers with hollow blades and even from here you could tell that he was quite experienced with them.

The second skeleton was wearing a metal chestplate, a light blue bandana tied around his neck with matching gloves and boots, and sturdy looking jeans. He kind of looked like a warrior from an RPG to you and the large maul he was wielding only solidified that thought in your mind.

The third skeleton was a bit shorter than the others and he seemingly flitted about like a leprechaun with what looked like a giant paintbrush. His outfit was mostly brown but some of the straps holding it together were bright yellow and green. He also had on a pair of fingerless gloves and sported a very long brown scarf that somehow didn't impede his movements at all.

Their outfit choices seemed to be representative of their personalities since you couldn't think of any other reason for the variety on display. The first struck you as the strong and silent type, with the second seeming like he was dependable, and the third looked almost carefree and yet also rather bubbly at the same time.

Their opponent though, just looking at him seemed to fill you with dread, and while you had limited experience with people, even you knew he was bad news.

He was several inches taller than the three, not counting the numerous black tentacles protruding from his back. His bones and clothing also seemed to be completely black, in such a way that gave him the appearance of having been dipped in ink, except it didn't seem to leave a mess everywhere. Speaking of clothing, while it was hard to differentiate where his bones ended and clothes began, his outfit looked like it consisted of a fancy overcoat and you could see that he was wearing a gold circlet and several rings on his phalanges. He seemed to only have one working eye socket, which had a piercing cyan eyelight, if the way he kept guarding his right side was any indication, but other than the uncountable number of tentacles, he didn't appear to have any weapons of his own, not that it seemed to be a problem for him.

You knew in your heart that you shouldn't be sticking around and risk being caught in the crossfire, but at the same time, you couldn't help but want to continue watching. It was almost mesmerizing with how fluid their movements were and even though each had their own techniques, they all seemed to work flawlessly together. Their opponent seemed frustrated in comparison and yet he was managing to hold his own against all three at once. You didn't know what the stakes were or how the fight had even started, but you couldn't help but silently cheer for the three skeletons to win.

The monochromatic skeleton was suddenly grabbed by a tendril and sent flying until he collided with a nearby tree. You watched in horror as his body slumped to the ground and when he didn't move for several long seconds, you felt the sickly feeling of dread beginning to pool in your stomach.

The other two skeletons were too busy to check on their compatriot and you could tell the nightmarish looking one would send each of them flying as well if they lost focus for even a second.

You had to see if he was hurt and how badly.

Not caring if you were seen anymore, you scrambled down the steep incline, scattering loose stones and dirt under your boots in a mini landslide as you did so. Somehow you didn't lose your footing but it certainly did slow you down.

Although, before you could reach the fallen skeleton, there was a flash of bright light and another one appeared by his side.

This skeleton was a bit taller than the others, but still shorter than the scary one, and you almost had to squint to even look at him. His presence almost seemed to warm up the immediate area and, rather confusingly, just seeing him made you feel calm and like you should be happy. Considering the situation, it also felt unnerving but you couldn't place exactly why that was.

Somehow, he was dressed even more fanciful than any of the others. Over a form fitting black body suit, he had a loose white outfit that kind of resembled a tunic with bright yellow accents. The best way to describe it was like he'd stepped out of an ancient Egyptian mural, only he was somehow more beautiful.

This new skeleton knelt down by the first and placed his gloved hands on his still crumpled form. A soft yellow glow flickered from between his fingers before the monochromatic skeleton's body jolted awake. The bright one then stood up and said something you didn't quite hear, which the other nodded in response to.

He summoned a gorgeous longbow with a string made of glowing blue energy. Then, he appeared to notch a similarly glowing arrow and turned as if to join the fight, before his gaze locked with your own.

You were completely awestruck and for a moment you found yourself lost in his golden eyelights. You felt like you should be overjoyed that he'd noticed you but the disinterested look on his skull quickly quelled those thoughts. He looked like he was about to say something to you, when a shout from the nightmarish skeleton interrupted him.

"Dream! So you've resorted to collecting pawns now?!" his voice thundered across the little valley.

The bright skeleton, whose name was apparently Dream, let out a tired sigh and turned to face the antagonizing one. "I'm tired of fighting, brother. So I'm here to finish this once and for all," he responded in a tone that, while much calmer, still held a certain level of venom and he'd notably ignored the accusations.

The two brothers practically leaped at each other and their resounding blows echoed throughout the surrounding area. Dream was far more agile than you'd expected and his arrows seemed to burst like a firecracker as they found their mark. His brother seemed to transform into a form that struck so much more fear into you than his first had, so much so that you couldn't bear to watch them any further.

"hey, are you alright?"

You startled and glanced to your left to find the monochromatic skeleton had hauled himself to his feet and apparently had also noticed you.

He looked rather banged up but fortunately didn't seem to have any broken bones or other obvious injuries. Although, there were several tears in his jacket, which you could now see was actually short sleeved and that he was wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath. The ends of his cape were also frayed but you could tell they were already like that before he'd been whipped into a tree.

However, the most striking details about him were his white eyelights, that almost seemed to have a soft purple glow at the center, and an old jagged red scar under his right eye socket. He seemed genuinely concerned about you too, which was a little odd since you were the one who'd originally been concerned about him.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I think..." you managed to respond.

His bonebrows knit together in a way that seemed to suggest that he didn't fully believe you. He didn't choose to press you further though and instead retrieved his daggers from the ground where he'd dropped them earlier.

"okay then, but you should probably try to get as far away from here as you can. as you can see, things get messy fast when these two meet."

"You don't need to tell me twice."

With one last glance to make sure you really were okay, he charged back into the fray again, leaving you to figure out how you were going to get back up the hill. The rain had left the already steep slope much softer than usual and even if you crawled up on your hands and knees, there was no way you'd make it without sliding back down.

Which meant you'd have to find another way.

While you were trying not to focus on the terrifying fight going on, you couldn't ignore it completely. Still, you did your best to make as little noise as possible and hoped that they were all too occupied to notice you.

Just as you'd found a place with decent looking handholds to haul yourself up, you heard someone shout a warning from behind you.

As you turned to see what was going on, your vision was engulfed in a bright blue light.

You heard something impact the rocks behind you.

Then you heard a crumbling sound and felt some small stones hit your head.

[...]

When you came to, you were lying on your back staring up at the grey sky. You could still hear fighting so you must've only been out for a few minutes. You started to sit up but a firm hand on your shoulder kept you from doing so.

"easy there." The monochromatic skeleton was leaning over you now and he still looked rather concerned. His pale eyelights flitted over your face looking for injuries before focusing on a spot just above your right temple.

Your head was throbbing in such a way that you knew you'd get a headache later and when you gingerly ran your fingers over your scalp, you discovered that you were bleeding. Whatever had knocked you out had apparently been sharp enough to give you what seemed to be a nasty cut.

As soon as you'd registered this, the skeleton quickly tore off a section from his cape and wrapped it around your head to serve as a makeshift bandage. He also applied a firm but gentle pressure in an attempt to stem the bleeding. You couldn't help but admire how calm he was as anyone else would probably be a little panicked in this situation. It was almost like he had done this many times before.

"What happened?" you finally asked.

His cool demeanor faltered for a moment to be replaced with a tight frown. "you were spotted by nightmare and he tried to grab you, but dream stopped him..."

You noticed his phalanges twitch as if he wanted to clench his fists before stopping himself and continuing to try to patch you up. Sensing that there was something else that he wasn't saying out loud, you tried to press him further.

"I'm grateful of course, but what's bothering you about it?"

"he was careless and if his aim had been off just a bit more, he could've actually hit you," he grumbled under his breath.

He closed his eyes and took a long-suffering breath. When he seemed to have calmed down some, he made eye contact with you again.

"are you alright otherwise? does anything else hurt?" he asked.

You took a second to flex each of your limbs, but other than a few aches that would probably just become bruises, you didn't seem to have any other injuries.

"No, I think I'm fine. A bit shaken up but that's pretty normal in these situations, right?"

He raised a bonebrow and was about to respond when a sound that sounded like a mix between a harsh hiss and a deep growl interrupted him. He whirled in the direction it had come from, simultaneously drawing his daggers that he must've sheathed earlier when he had stopped to help you.

Two shadows wielding battleaxes had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and they started advancing on the two of you. With the black armour they were wearing and the way they easily dwarfed everyone else on the battlefield, you knew these guys were bad news. Other than the glow of their cyan eyelights, they were entirely black and while it was hard to tell, save for their sharp teeth and claws, they also appeared to be skeletons.

Your rescuer didn't hesitate for a second before basically launching himself at them. When they responded to his assault by swinging their heavy weapons, you half expected him to get knocked back, but he ducked under one and sidestepped the other.

He moved so quickly that you could barely keep track of him with your eyes but it seemed that he was using his smaller stature to his advantage. He wasn't wearing heavy armour either which meant he could dodge pretty much every blow with relatively little effort.

In the blink of an eye, he sliced clean through one's torso and simultaneously beheaded the other.

The bodies of the shadowy skeletons seemed to flicker before dissolving into thin air.

He'd won!

"Wow..." you gasped. "I could tell you were good but I didn't know you were that good..."

He nodded and took a cursory glance around the area before letting himself relax again. He was breathing quite heavily after all that, but there was a small glimmer of relief in his pale eyelights when he looked back at you.

"thanks." He seemed to study you for a moment before approaching and holding out his hand. "do you think you can walk?"

"Yeah..." As he helped you to your feet, you felt your cheeks grow slightly warm and you were certain that you were blushing.

What was this day? You'd never seen any skeleton monsters before now and when one of them had showed this much concern for your well-being, you were reduced to nothing but a flustered mess, as if you were a grade schooler with a crush all of the sudden.

He held onto your hand for a few seconds longer than he probably should've but when he realized, he quickly dropped it like he'd been burned. Even though he looked away immediately afterwards, you thought you saw a soft purple glow flicker across his cheekbones.

In that moment, you were struck with the realization that he looked kinda cute. Unfortunately, he seemed a bit unsure of himself all of the sudden, despite how confident he'd been fighting moments prior. It was...rather endearing actually.

"Hey, um, thanks for stopping to help and...for just saving my life too."

He smiled and, while it was a small one, you could almost feel how genuinely glad he was. He let out a soft chuckle and fiddled with the wrapped handle of one of his daggers as that same purple glow coloured his zygomatic arch again.

"yeah...of course. i couldn't just ignore you, especially when you had no part in this," he muttered.

You introduced yourself before asking the one question that had been on your mind from the moment you had first seen him. "What's your name?"

He opened his mouth to answer when a bright light from the still ongoing battle grabbed your attention.

While his clothes had been slightly torn and dirtied, Dream stood tall with his bow drawn, ready to fire the notched golden arrow at his brother. He'd only been using blue energy arrows before, but this one seemed much more powerful, if the magic that was pouring from it like a hungry flame was any indication.

In contrast, Nightmare was in a combat ready position with his tentacles poised to strike. His clothing seemed relatively untouched, but the inky substance covering him had either served to protect him or at the very least hide any damage he'd incurred.

While both skeletons were breathing heavily, Nightmare definitely seemed like he was much more worn out than his brother. Which was probably why Dream had brought the others along in the first place now that you thought about it.

Time seemed to stand still as the golden skeleton let the arrow fly.

The world was instantly bathed in an explosion of light.

The nightmarish one let out an anguished scream and clutched his chest as he fell to his knees.

The edges of his form seemed to blur together and for a moment you wondered if he would disappear like the dark skeletons had earlier.

Then the ground suddenly erupted around the golden skeleton.

He was abruptly run through with several black tentacles.

Your hands flew to your mouth in shock as he collapsed as well.

The monochromatic skeleton next to you seemed frozen in shock but in the few seconds that he hesitated, the other two reached Dream first. They seem to briefly examine him before the one in blue gingerly picked up the injured skeleton.

The skeleton in brown swung his large paintbrush which summoned a swirling golden vortex in mid air.

"Cross! We have to go now!" the blue skeleton shouted.

That seemed to spur the skeleton by your side into action and he started to hurry towards them, but stopped himself and glanced back at you. He had a conflicted expression on his skull, as if he knew that he should go with his colleagues but he also looked like he didn't want to leave just yet.

"Cross? Is that your name?" you asked.

He nodded firmly, "yeah..."

"You should probably go with them. I'll be fine, okay?"

He hesitated for a moment longer before his skull took on a determined expression. "stay safe then," he said before sprinting across the valley to the others.

They disappeared into the portal and silence blanketed the forest once more and for the second time today, you shouldered your bag and rifle, neither of which seemed to have been damaged from the debris that had hit you.

Just before you climbed back up the hill, you glanced around the little valley. While a couple of trees had been knocked over, no lasting damage seemed to have been caused by the conflict. There wasn't even any bodies that you'd have to think about burying.

[...]

Time passed as it always did. Summer came and went without anything else out of the ordinary happening and you began preparing for Winter.

You couldn't stop thinking about the kind skeleton that had saved your life. His skills were impressive and you'd never met anyone who actually knew how to fight like he did since it really wasn't necessary nowadays. Oddly enough though, you began to realize that you also found him...handsome.

You'd never heard or met any other skeletons before him and you certainly hadn't since. Maybe they were very rare or maybe there just weren't any living in the area. Either way, it was probably because you'd never found actual skeletons scary. You never would've imagined actually being attracted to one though, monster or not.

You wished you could see him again.

But you didn't know where he was from or really anything else about him besides his name.

So you tried to it put out of your mind and focus on stockpiling food and fuel for Winter.

Today you were chopping up some firewood. You'd been doing a little at a time over the past few weeks so as to not overwork yourself and by now you'd managed to stockpile just about two month's worth. You estimated that you were probably almost halfway done but you wanted to be sure you had enough just in case.

Just as you cleaved yet another log in half, you heard someone approaching from the forest. With your trusty axe still in hand, you turned to see who or what was intruding on your little piece of rustic paradise.

To your shock, Cross was standing only a few paces away from you. He looked much the same as he did before, although his uniform had since been mended.

"uh, hey again," he said in a quiet tone of voice.

For a moment, you were tongue-tied but quickly tried to recover. "H-hey! Um, what...brings you out here in the middle of nowhere?"

A purple glow flickered across his cheekbones and he rubbed the back of his cerebral vertebrae. "i wanted...to come check on you..." he muttered. "i hope this doesn't sound weird, but i just had to see you again..."

You leaned your axe against the chopping block so as to not risk dropping it on your toes. Running a hand over your face, you couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"No, it's not weird. I was actually hoping we'd see each other again."

His eye sockets widened in surprise and his pale eyelights quickly scanned your face as if he didn't believe what he'd heard. After a few moments, he grinned, although his cheekbones were still flushed that beautiful purple which you thought was adorable.

"really? you don't mind that i just showed up? i mean, i would've called first but..." He glanced away from you as he trailed off.

"Well, I don't exactly get cell service out here so you couldn't have anyways," you responded with a chuckle.

Cross chuckled as well as he moved closer to you. "on another note, did you need any help here?" he asked as he motioned to the pile of wood.

"I think I'm done for now but if you don't mind, you could help me carry all this back to the cabin," you suggested and began to scoop up an armful.

He nodded and started to pick up what was left of the pile. You walked around to the front door and propped it open to make it easier to bring the firewood inside. By the time you'd unloaded your armful in the large stack you had been steadily building, Cross appeared in the doorway with a much larger armful of wood. He didn't seem to be struggling with the weight but he also didn't have a free hand to unload.

You couldn't help but smile at the sight of him and wondered how he'd even managed to pick up such a large amount in the first place. Still, you took pity on him and started taking off a couple of the pieces from the top of his armful.

"You didn't just bring all of the firewood in at once, did you?" you teased.

He smirked but shrugged his shoulders as his hands were still occupied. "well, it wouldn't make sense to go back and forth if we didn't have to, right?"

You shook your head and just continued helping him. He was right in a way. If he hadn't offered to help, you would've had to make probably a dozen trips, which would have been pretty tiring.

Your fingers brushed against his hand by accident and you quickly pulled back. Although, Cross didn't seem to notice your embarrassment and he finished stacking the remaining pieces of wood he had been holding.

Clearing your throat, you tried to distract yourself from what had just happened. "So, how are you doing?"

"i'm doing alright, i suppose," he hummed. "what about you? did your injuries heal properly?"

You nodded, "Yeah, I don't even think it left a scar but if it did, my hair covers everything anyways."

His expression turned into one of relief. "that's good, i'm really sorry that i had to leave abruptly like that."

"No, I completely understand!" You hesitated for a second before asking, "Was...Dream okay...?"

His eye sockets narrowed and he seemed to grow more serious for a moment. "yeah, he's fine."

"Oh, that's great to hear."

A bit of an awkward silence settled between both of you. Since he seemed like he wasn't going to expound on what had happened further, you decided to try to lighten the mood and motioned for him to sit down on the couch by the fireplace. He sat down gratefully but his posture seemed a bit stiff.

"Can I tell you something?"

He tilted his skull and gave you a curious look. "what's up?"

Rather than answer immediately, you reached over and placed your hand on his. He briefly glanced down but when he didn't pull away, you took that as a signal that he was okay with the contact for the time being.

"This sounds weird, but I haven't been able to get you out of my head for months."

One of his bonebrows twitched but his expression otherwise remained neutral.

You took a deep breath and continued. "Cross... I really like you."

He placed his other hand on top of yours and smiled. "well, that does sound weird...but i really like you too." His cheekbones flushed with purple as he spoke but he didn't look away from you this time.

You couldn't help but laugh. This conversation felt like it'd come straight from a fairytale and yet it was real. Your heart swelled with joy and while you were certain your cheeks had turned bright red, you couldn't care less right now.

Cross chuckled softly and, to your surprise, he reached over to wrap an arm around your shoulders. This brought you closer together but not uncomfortably so. Even like this, it seemed he was still being considerate of your feelings.

"does this mean i can come over again to see you?" he asked in a quiet voice.

You nodded vigorously, "For sure!"

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Any fics where one of the boys aren’t taking care of themselves/super busy or stressed and the other steps in to help or take care of themselves?

There's a lot on a03 hurt/comfort tag, including canon fics. We also have a great hurt/comfort tab. Here are a selection. ~Jen

Kind of Magic by @rockitman

Fives times Kurt was there to kiss it better

~~~~~

Sleep Tips for the Chronically Nocturnal by @rockItMan

Kurt can't sleep and Blaine takes that as a personal challenge

~~~~~

Blood and Fire by realmsoffreedom

He doesn’t always know what to say. Sometimes, he tries to string together what he thinks are the right words, the it’ll get better soons and the you aren’t your depressions, but he knows that they rarely help. Sometimes all he can do is sit here and hold Blaine, provide a warm body, a physical manifestation of all of those you’re not alones. If it means staying in bed all weekend, Kurt’s happy to do it. Just as long as it makes Blaine feel like someone is in his corner, even if he himself isn’t.

~~~~~

When you fall by notthetoothfairy

Kurt and Blaine meet at Elliott’s LGBTQ+ support group. Maybe Kurt is exactly the person Blaine needed to talk to about his past. And maybe Blaine can help Kurt get over his trust issues in return. Warnings: Characters talk about bullying, violence, non-supportive parents and death of parents (mostly canon occurrences). One-shot, prompted by anonymous on Tumblr.

~~~~~

Lovely, don’t you ever Change by orphan account

After the premiere of their first Broadway show, Kurt reads some comments online that resurface old insecurities.

~~~~~

The touch of your hand (says you'll catch me) by @cerriddwenluna

The smile on your face let's me know that you need me There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if wherever I fall You say it best when you say nothing at all

~~~~~

Glory by Amberlovesocean

Kurt is assaulted after singing at a school dance and is left for dead, thrown aboard an empty train car at the railroad freight yard to hide the crime. He wakes up to find he’s been tossed off the car somewhere in an Oregon logging camp, 2500 miles from home. A curly-haired kid named Blaine finds Kurt and protects him by hiding him in his cabin and teaching him how to survive.

~~~~~

Hail To Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You by Water_Nix

On the third of August in Blaine Anderson’s ninth year, something momentous happens: he sees a boy crying on the beach and decides to do something about it. What he gets in return is a best friend, a confidant, an ally to help him through the ups and downs. They spend one month together every summer. One perfect month until they are old enough to escape together. Eleven Augusts and the letters in between.

~~~~~

Inevitable by mmerainbows

Kurt thought he had reached the point where he could forgive Blaine, and move on with his own life, keeping Blaine as his best friend and nothing more. However, when the truth comes out about what happened, Kurt returns to Blaine to help him. Trigger warning: rape

~~~~~

The Awakening by @heartsmadeofbooks

Kurt Hummel has put his perfect life together carefully, making sure all the pieces fit exactly how he wanted them to. But all it takes is one name from his past to make all his hard work go to waste - Blaine Anderson.

~~~~~

Coffee, black by @quizasvivamos

Moving through life in survival mode makes stopping to breathe feel like a fatal mistake. Eventually, emotions become alien, and it’s difficult to imagine the capability of ever feeling anything again.

And then one might find himself on a precipice, which is precisely where Blaine found himself: married, thirty, and standing at the edge of Lands End.

[happysparklingshadows]

🐝A Certain Hunger ❀

❀ A03 ❀ wattpad ❀ spotify playlist  ❀

Season 1 plot

Chapter One: Try to have Fun

Summary: After being peer-pressured into going to Randy Marsh’s rush party, you decide to have some long awaited fun. However, that fun you were supposed to have was cut short by an unexcepted plane crash. But don’t worry, you have your friends with you.  

Word count: 14.5k 

Chapter Two: Aftermath 

Summary: Wilderness training and skills your father gave you comes in handy as you wake up from the plane crash. Reflects and Habits come up to plant seeds for the months ahead in the wilderness. You figure out something about yourself you never knew you had or wanted to have: you have to be the leading voice in the chaos and as you have no idea what is going on. Good thing, you have a few people to have your back. 

Word count: 10.7k 

Chapter Three: Dirty Work 

Summary: Everyone is trying their best out in the woods, and it’s paying off with finding the lake and then finding an old cabin. The only problem is that every step you take you are reminded how dire the situation with the sense of dread a mummy in the attic gives. 

Word count: 14.3k

Chapter Four: Casting a Line 

Summary:  It's been a few weeks in this cabin, and thinking about being saved is getting a little bit bleak. So, you have a good idea for everyone to find a job to make things easier for your time being in Canada. You pick up a fishing rod, and everyone else picks up the gun to see who will become the hunter. You reconnect with a childhood friend and start to accept your new home.

Word count:13.4k

Chapter Five: Just A Walk in the Park

Summary: Just a random few days in the first Summer in the wilderness. (Y/n) explore her surroundings and the people around her in the wilderness to find some sense of control and agency. Adult (Y/n) gets an unexpected visitor late at night and has had some deep thoughts about the right move going forward. She also needs to get ready for a romance novel convention, but she just can't catch a break from her pine-scented memories. 

Word Count:16.7k

Chapter Six: Amis de l'autre Côté  

Summary: Passion and Fear go hand and hand. You find yourself stuck in between a rock and a hard place, you might as well enjoy yourself well your here. Playing games and playing with fingers distract you from a a looming dread that everyone and everything is falling apart. 

Word count: 18k

Translation for Amis de l'autre côté

Chapter Seven: A Bird named Nevermore 

Summary:  A heartbroken reader is trying to piece her heart back together as best as she can with all the resources she has available. The reader tries to be a good friend as she tries to find meaning in dreams and maybe helps with an abortion. The adult reader is trying to connect with her own ghosts as she tries to get through another brunch.

Word Count:  15.7k

Chapter Eight:  Creep 

Summary: It is a never-ending night for the reader. She is in the eye of the storm of the drama going on in the wilderness, and fully succumbs to the sexual tension of it all. The adult reader is having a shattering night of confrontation and religious guilt. 

Word Count: 16.3k

Relationship wheel for the mid-season

Chapter Nine:  Prophetic tragedy (Coming Soon!) 

Summary: The Reader's dreams come true before her eyes.  Word Count: 

Chapter Ten:  While You Were Sleeping (Coming Soon!) 

Summary: 

Word Count:

[mrs-heelshire]

“Please, don't die.”

○ Jason Voorhees ○

● Gender neutral reader ● Sad with good ending ● reviews and reblogs appreciated ●

TW : Mentions of death

It had been over a year that the two of you were together, and you never felt happier. Now permanently living with him in a pretty cozy cabin, you spent most of your days taking care of the vegetable garden while he was out hunting, or to monitor the surroundings of what was now your shared property, your land. You liked it that way. It was a lovely life, the kind that made you feel at peace.

That afternoon, you found yourself with your hands in the dirt taking care of your tulip plans when your boyfriend came home. It wasn't uncommon for him to stop by the house to see you throughout the day, to check on you or just to hang out with you, but this time something was wrong. Jason wasn't walking normally, it was almost like he was drunk and if you didn't know him that well, that's what you would have thought. Quickly straightening up to rush towards him, you called his name.

“Jason? Is everything alright?” Putting a hand on his shoulder as you now faced him, he narrowly missed knocking you down by suddenly collapsing with all his weight on top of you.

You didn't even know how you managed to hold him just long enough to help him lie face down, but you did. It wasn't until he was lying down that you noticed in horror that his machete was stuck in his back.

“Oh lord! Jason ?!” You had no idea how that damned machete had gotten so deep into his back, but at this moment, the "how" didn’t matter.

You had to save him, there was no time to waste asking you too many questions. Especially since he couldn't answer you now that he had passed out. The machete seemed to have almost pierced his body, the blade must have passed only a few centimeters from his heart. You suspected that his anatomy must be different from that of a normal human, given all that he had survived, but it still scared you to see him like this.

You weren't a doctor, and you knew you couldn't take him to see one, you had to make the decisions, and the first you took was to remove the blade from his body. Usually, his body healed itself faster than usual, and if that wasn't the case here, it was probably because of the machete. Using your full strength to pull it out of his body, you almost fell backwards as you finally succeeded after quite a lot of trying. Scared that you took too long, you yet didn’t get the time to think, as a spurt of his blood hit your face as soon as the blade was pulled from his body. It gave you chills, he was usually the one that made the others bleed, not the other way around.

“You can’t die, please don’t die.” You begged him, even though you didn't know if he could hear you.

With trembling hands, you took off your jacket to press it against the wound, which was leaking a lot of blood now that it was open. You were shaking with fear that it could be his last moment, and maybe you were over-reacting, but you couldn’t control your own feelings right now. It was too hard, a lot to face.

Thankfully, you did. You over-reacted, it was as bad as you thought it was for a moment. Jason had already seen much worse than that in his whole life, this wasn’t much for him. In fact, he just needed your help to remove the machete to allow him to heal on his own. Yet, the first thing he expressed as he woke up, wasn’t his thankfulness, it was his worry. There was his blood on your face and he instantly felt sorry for it.

A shaking mess, tears silently running down your cheeks as you watched him finally move after half an hour unconscious, it took you time to realize he was out of danger. It was only once he grabbed your hand in his, making you look him in the eye. This time, he now seemed to be fine, like nothing happened. It was unbelievable and yet, here he was, now perfectly fine. It was all thanks to you, and your partner was really grateful to you for that.

“J… Jason…” In a trembling voice, you still had trouble realizing that he was now out of danger.

Wiping away your tears with his thumb, Jason gave you the time you needed to calm down. He didn't want to cause you any more stress and fear than he already seemed to have given you well. It wasn't until you threw yourself into his arms to hug him that he wrapped his arms around you. Lifting his mask slightly, just enough to reveal the lower part of his face, Jason kissed the top of your head, gently stroking your back. Today, he scared you, so tonight and for the rest of the month at least, he was going to be all over you, well taking care of you.

Well… at first, he’d still have to take care of the bodies of the couple responsible for his injuries, and he could never ask for your help with that. Even thought, you’d gladly help him.

[distortionswife]

JonMartin fic: Together is always better

( Part 1 )

-- note before the fic: this is set after 159 but before the hell that is 160. SO SPOILERS FOR MAG 1-160 --

Together is always better.

" That's the thing, isn't it? Ever since that day... The day Jon came for me, the day Jon took me out of the lonely... Ever since then, we've just been happy.

And if I'm honest, I couldn't be happier. I'm glad we aren't in there anymore, in the institute... It feels so free. I've never seen Jon smile as much, he's so excited to move in with me and I feel the same!"

Martin smiled to himself, writing down his many thoughts in his journal, reminiscing on how everything was better now. He had to kill some time while Jon was getting to his cabin.

" Oh, I'm so excited... Jon doesn't know what i have planned for us but I just know he's going to love it! We'll sort out his stuff and settle him in... We'll drink something and then I'll take him to my favorite spot.

I have a backpack ready with everything we could need, including every little thing Jon can worry about; I have a notebook, first aid kit, one of those little fans for food, so that there can't get any bugs into his drink!

Oh I can't wait to write today down, to capture Polaroids of our day together... To hopefully capture that loving smile, the smile that makes me absolutely melt."

And suddenly the bell rang, it was Jon!

Martin had a moment of panic as he didn't know what to do, his hands up as he looked around quickly, closing the journal and putting it away. He yelled a quick "COMING!" before he bolted it for the door, looking as calm as can be.

Which wasn't calm at all, the sweetheart was a nervous wreck and it showed.

"H-Hey Jon! I wasn't expecting you this soon... N-Not that I mind! Gosh no!" Martin rambled, scratching the back of his head as Jon just smiled up at him.

"I'm happy to see you too, Martin..." Jon chuckled so sweetly, looking well taken care of for once. He did that as of late, since Martin seemed to like it. And if he could make Martin happy with those little things... Maybe it was worth it.

Martin let him in and helped carry some stuff to the bedroom. Jon surprisingly didn't have much, just a big suitcase with everything he held dear.

"Do you want anything to drink? Or do you want to unpack first? Anything is fine with me, so please tell me." Martin giggled a little, smiling at Jon, who just seemed at ease, for once.

Jon looked around for a moment, admiring the gentle and soft colored interior. The U-Shaped kitchen island, the white countertops with light blue cabinets, the metallic gray fridge, the microwave resting on top of one of the counters... How every cabinet held cups, plates, spices, drinks... He's never felt his at home before and it was... nice.

"Ah- Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment," Jon apologized with a hearty chuckle, "If you don't mind, I'd like to unpack first... It isn't much so I'll be done in a moment."

Martin nodded and brought Jon in for a hug, "I'll see you in a moment, then. I'll go brew the tea and coffee while you unpack."

Jon nodded at Martin, his gaze lingering for a moment as he noticed those tiny details he honestly has grown to love... The freckles on his cheeks or the way his glasses are never on straight.

But that gaze was soon broken, as Martin had let go of Jon to go make tea in the kitchen. And so, Jon set off to the master bedroom they now shared.

Once in there, he opened his big brown suitcase, seeing everything he had packed... Including his favorite photo. He knew how he hated that photo at the time... The very first photo of Jon and Martin together, on the very first work day. Elias had insisted that everyone took pictures together as it would make the team stronger or some workplace bonding type BS.

But... He cherished that photo now, smiling as he saw them still so young and... unharmed. Oh how he longed for those times, no worm scars, no paranoia and most importantly, no eye that was constantly watching and hungering for more.

But Jon didn't adore Martin back then, he wouldn't have what they have now... And that wasn't worth it. Some scars and trauma over Martin?

Martin was his reason for everything... He didn't think he'd still be here if it weren't for him..

But Jon shook off those many thoughts, just happy to finally be somewhere safe... somewhere he's happy. And Martin made him very happy.

Jon continued to unpack, various sweaters, blouses... Some of Martin's hoodies he had stolen... All put away in a second closet, it seemed Martin even did that... After all, the little note on the door said "I got you a closet of your own, so you don't have to panic which clothes are mine and which are yours <;3"

He bumped into the desk by accident, seeing a notebook fall out and looking curiously. Jon saw the words "Jon" and "surprise" and he just closed the book, he didn't wish to know it for once.

He trusted Martin, after all.

It wasn't long before Jon was done, walking to Martin with a gentle smile, he felt relaxed. Part of him wondered how long it would last.

Martin sat him down with a cup of oolong tea, just relaxing for a moment. The two joked a bit about how in the end, it was always going to be them, even if Jon hated him in the beginning.

It was almost time..

"Hey, uhm, Jon? I was wondering something, would you be interested in coming with me somewhere? It's just a beautiful spot I'd like to show you..." Martin spoke, trying to be as confident without leading Jon on to accidentally reveal what he had in mind.

"Oh? Well, I'd love to, actually... But do you have--" Jon started,

Martin immediately cut him off with a chuckle, "Yes, I have everything, including the first aid kit, the tape recorder and a notebook... I've got everything you could ever need, with me."

Jon laughed softly at that, "Well... I guess I'm ready to go then, please lead the way, Martin."

Oh how Jon wasn't used to this, but how he adored it... Martin knew him so well and for once, it wasn't a bad thing.

Martin got up from his seat and walked over to Jon, putting his hand out. Jon immediately took it as he got up, letting go and walking towards the front door.

Both put on their respective coats, it was quite chilly outside and neither of them were in the mood to get sick, even if it'd mean they could cozy up together.

Martin wasn't sure what level of intimacy Jon was comfortable with, of course he was never going to push him on it, that felt unnecessary and wouldn't be good on his part... So he waited until Jon told him or made the move. They hadn't even held hands yet...

Jon stood in front of Martin, noticing him drifting off again, that same misty look in his eyes. "Martin? Martin! Martin come back to me!"

Martin flinched lightly and blinked rapidly, "H-Huh? Oh- Was I drifting off in thought again..? My bad..."

Jon smiled in a reassuring way, taking a hold of Martin's hand, rubbing his thumb over it in an attempt to ease him. Although, both of them blushed very lightly at the gesture. "It's okay, don't worry... I've got you, I won't let you fall back into that place..."

Martin felt himself melt, his heart fluttering with such adoration for the paranoid man before him... He knew he had a heart, just because some eye made him monster-like, didn't mean he wasn't able to care anymore.

"Thank you"

"Of course."

And with that, they left the house, hands intertwined with a gentle almost cautious hold.

Martin lead the way, watching Jon for if he needed to slow down his speed. Whenever Martin got excited, he'd walk faster and talk faster, after all. Not that Jon minded, he always seemed to smile as Martin spoke, it'd fluster the boy whenever he did notice it.

The walk was nice and quiet, going over meadows and through the nearby forest, the lighting of the sun illuminating their path so beautifully and it almost felt... romantic. The golden glow of the low hanging sun, giving them enough warmth to not be too chilly, paired with the gentle rustling noises of leaves in the breeze... It was perfect.

Then they arrived near a big pen, where Martin's favorite cows stood. He let out an excited yelp and ran towards them, many of the cows going towards him as well.

Jon smiled at that alone, bringing out his own camera and taking a few pictures of Martin with the brown highland cows. Oh that smile... What did he do to deserve someone such as Martin?

"Jon! Jon! Come here!! Quick!!" Martin said, seeming even more excited than before.

And Jon, of course, walked over hastily, partially worried something was wrong, probably not reading Martin's tone correctly.

Martin pointed at a calf, it was fluffy and near it's mother.

"Remember that I told you about Bertha being pregnant a few months back? Well... it looks like she had her baby!" Martin explained, squeezing his hands as he held back the excitement that wanted to come out. He couldn't hold it back completely, so his arms waved back in forth in a flapping manner while he watched the new calf.

"That's really exciting, Martin! And it looks so well, too!" Jon replied, happy to see Martin in his true element.

Martin nodded very excitedly, watching as Bertha walked to him with the calf, almost as if to show him off. Martin reached out his hand after the mother gave him permission, the calf sniffed at Martin's hand before pressing his head into the hand.

Jon took a few more pictures, knowing Martin would want this moment captured nonetheless.

After a little more cuddling with the cows, they were back on their way, with Martin's promise that they were "almost there"

Their little walk ended in the beautiful flowery meadow, a beautiful sight of the setting sun and... A picnic cloth and basket..? Oh Martin really did have it all planned out.

Jon felt his own heart flutter a bit at the sight, sitting where Martin told him to, looking over everything in complete awe. Although his heart sank a bit when he felt that damned urge again, looking almost apologetically to his love. "Martin I-"

"No, no, don't worry! I expected it..." Martin smiled, putting down the tape recorder and the notebook with a pen, "I will be a little further away, you can see me if you want to... But wave to me when you're done!"

Jon nodded and watched him leave, before focusing on what kept him alive, recording another statement, about the ones who were once buried down here deep below... And the few that are still breathing.

Martin, in the meantime, was picking flowers, planting a flower seed wherever he picked them. He looked back at Jon, seeing his eyes glow once more, his back hunched.. "Good god Jon has TERRIBLE posture," he thought...

But while he waited, Martin turned the flowers into a flower crown, somehow knowing the dimensions of Jon's head perfectly. A mixture of blue and green flowers to symbolize the two of them.

He watched Jon while he made the statement, from afar so it wouldn't tire him out. Even like this, Martin found a way to adore him.

He waited and waited, how long was this statement? It's taking quite some time.. Oh-! He's done.

Martin giggled a little as he saw Jon waving in an almost exaggerated way, unsure if he'd see a tiny wave.

Either way, Martin made his way back to Jon, sitting on the other side of the picnic basket. He took out some Tupperware boxes with various foods, such as sandwiches and little deserts he had made... the canister with hot tea, some cups... Everything they could need.

"Oh Martin... Did you do all of this for us...?" Jon spoke, practically falling for Martin again.

"Yes! I wanted our first actual date type outing to be special... So... Everything is homemade... It's everything you like, that you told me, I mean... So please, enjoy it.. for me?" Martin explained, a big smile on his face as he offered Jon a cup of tea.

"Thank you... But before we continue this... I have something for you, Martin... And it may be cliche... But I like it." Jon chuckled a little nervously, grabbing something from his pocket and handing it to Martin. It was a small wrapped gift.

Once Martin opened it, it held a locket of some kind, a heart shaped locket with a photo of the two of them.

"I-I know it's nothing grand and as I said, cliche and maybe cheesy... But i wanted to give you something so I'd always be close to you... So you have something to look at if you miss me..." Jon explained, his cheeks red as he did. He was never the one for materialistic gifts, as he was quite bad at figuring out what someone would want as a gift.

Martin teared up, smiling oh so happily at Jon as he held it to his chest, "Oh Jon..."

Jon, however, didn't understand that this was a good type of crying. He immediately cupped Martin's face, his own expression filled with worry. "I-Is it too much? Does it remind you of something you don't like? I-I-I can bring it back and get you something else!"

Martin laughed softly, moving his hands to cup Jon's face as well, "Please don't... I love it..."

"Y-You do..? But- But you're crying!" Jon said feeling confused at the mixed reaction Martin gave off.

"It's a good type of crying, Jon... It's crying out of happiness... I really love it... Thank you." Martin spoke, his love for Jon evident in every way; in his voice, his eyes, his gentle hold.

"I love you, Martin.."

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

And that's the end of part one.

I'd absolutely love to write more but I'm also very sick at the moment so I'm splitting up the story into two parts, I hope you don't mind!

The fluffiness is definitely continuing in part two <3

And sorry if it's a little short, once more, I'm sick so I write what I can! and do tell me if you liked it!

[atleast15lemons]

I like screaming into the void too much to stop. Putting some feelings I'm struggling with under the cut.

Im struck by the duality of feelings. In conflict because the good and the bad are both there. I feel really blessed right now for the people in my life and also struggling a lot with friendships. I have a fantastic wife who helps me navigate food issues in my life, supports me going to therapy and taking a cool art class, and in general makes day to day life easier. We have been friends for 1/3rd of my life. It is hard to imagine a life not full entwined with them. I also have the coolest girlfriend, so while we're long distance, I am fawning over them non-stop. When I visited we went to an emo prom night, went sword fighting, watched their favorite movies. Not to mention they check in with me when I'm having a rough day, make me laugh and have been such a joy to get to know more and more.

At the same time I have no friends of my own irl right now. I have an acquaintance who I do rock climbing with but she's about to move. I have a coworker who we talk about hanging out, but life has prevented it so far. And everyone else is a friend of my wife's first and foremost. And while they’re great and I'm even extremely close to one of them, it's like a close family more than a friend.

Friends and family can be the same, or different. I know this person I am closest to has my back, listens to me with an open heart and shares back with me in the closest of ways. But I struggle with the balance of wanting to spend my time rock climbing and skiing, neither of which this person does. Our interests are often vastly different, and our hobbies don't line up to do them together. We are close and share so much but when I want to spend my time climbing and skiing, it isn't something we can do together.

I spend my time surrounded by love and yet I don't spend time in the mountains the way I did before. My need for the mountains feels like it often outweighs everything in life. They call to me. They bring me peace and comfort. They challenge me and inspire a will to live. Most of all, I don't have to be anything other than me with the mountains. Rock and snow and trees and underbrush are home. They provide a center to my life, and that center became a multi hour drive with friends who either live close but don't recreate the way I do, or live far and are busy still leading their own lives.

In my fantasy I live in a smallish cabin in the mountains. Heated by a wood stove. It has a bedroom overtaken by a large bed, and nightstands that fit books and things for multiple people. There is a small sitting room with a table for breakfast by a window, and walls covered in books. Not a library but a cozy spot to plop down and read. There is a desk for video games that can be hidden away, so the screens can rest and in all goodness we forget about them more than we play them. There is a small but good enough kitchen to make complex meals and breads.

A space for two cats to get along and enjoy, but not so big a mess can form without needing cleaning soon after the mess is made. With smells of the forest wafting in through windows and maybe even a small space for planting wildflowers or food.

My friends live close.... ish. In the middle of nowhere, 30 minutes becomes a neighbor and an hour becomes down the road. Not everyone must be near by but at least a few who want to walk in the woods, swim in the streams, and maybe come over to play a board game over a meal.

My fantasy is not real, and likely never will be because it means giving up some of the nearest dearest people in my life. Spending time away is not bad, but I'm not sure what would drag me away from those woods and the mountains. I'm a lonely person at her core who would struggle in isolation without those close to me.

For now, limbo awaits. I shall continue trying to make friendships happen and making peace with the decisions that have led me here. I will push forward to make the life I lead, one I am content with and even excited about. But half my heart will live in the mountains, waiting to have an adventure.

[lanabeey]

Kylo ren/ reader

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓

A/n: well english is not my first language so if there are any spelling mistakes please let me know, this is the first part of three, I hope you like it 🤍

Summary: Working for The First Order is scary, and your only moment of peace is dinner time, but maybe you need company...

679 words

1/3

Much is said about how it is to work for The First Order, how incredible the power, leadership, victories and how they are conquering colonies are, but it is the dead soldiers, the different families who lose their children, and their homes.

The workers of the smaller classes of the first order, those who build the ships, the weapons, and the workers who clean the floors of those who don't even look at us, but when they do, it's with a look of contempt, as if we were freaks, or like a One of them said to me once: "You, I bet you're one of those savages that came from the colonies, third world beings, dumb by nature." Soon you can hear the laughter of your companions, I still remember your smug smile and that look: "But I think I've seen you in my homeland before the attacks, you have similar traits to mine, sir." It was the first time I responded to a superior, and probably the last because immediately afterwards I was punched in the face, the shock was instantaneous and the blood ran down my nose staining my lips, the punch was corresponding to a warning, because how did he he said" "Because if I wanted to, you'd be dead already, you bitch."

I think that's where my fear expanded, always being a fearful child, and over the years I only became insecure, after the invasions of the First Order it ended up making everything worse. My father, by a miracle, managed to keep the family together, he started working as a mechanic in one of the facilities, thus pulling me along to work and support the house, sometimes I helped him with repairs on some machines, or carrying parts, as the months went by. I got a job cleaning the ship, that's where my first contact with superiors came from, even seeing the Supreme Leader. It was terrifying, after a long Council meeting, near the cabins you could hear screams and broken machine parts falling to the floor, the noise scared all the employees around.

"Good heavens, not again.." I turn to look at the person responsible for the comment, it was Korys, an old lady who worked with me cleaning this sector: "What... what do you mean again? What's happening in there?". Even before he responded, the doors opened, his furious exit with heavy footsteps disturbing the sound of the environment that was previously calm, now terribly nervous. There he was with his mask, completely distraught, walking with heavy steps, scaring the people around him. Seeing it for the first time gave me a frightening first impression, as if it were death passing in front of me. In addition to the sound of his boots that were loud, my heart accelerated, in my head everyone could hear the sound of him jumping out, I was terrified, I couldn't even move, Korys with her sweet heart, held my hand. When he finally turned to another hallway, I could breathe again: "My dear, you have turned pale, is everything okay?" "I..I'm fine, was that the Supreme Leader?" Tilting his head gently: "That way, who else would be..." "You two, the room is free for cleaning, when you're done, return to your proper duties."

How can I say that the room was completely destroyed, pure fruit of chaos, anger being taken out on machines, at least not on living beings, right? The cleaning took hours, it seemed like it would never end, there were pieces after pieces and there wasn't much to save, everything was in pieces. The window had some scratches as if he had thrown a chair at it, at least it wasn't broken and the view of the starry sky was divine amidst the chaos of this room.

After these terrible episodes, I still stayed in the cleaning sector, I have the choice to leave but I need this job, for my parents, and maybe one day my future family, I think I can get used to it, just stay out of trouble.

[littlegodzilla]

Chapter 17 is coming!

Our Story.

Daryl Dixon x Wife / Daryl Dixon x Reader.

Series. Part 17.

Masterlist.

Warnings: Slow burn. Panic attacks. Feelings.

Words: 3700

Summary: You and Daryl run away together and find a empty cabin.

Taglist: @minervadashwood @green-eyedladywrites @livingdeadblondequeen @phoenixblack89

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

Chapter 17:  Alone.

You keep running, never looking back, your hands clasped together, Daryl squeezing yours so hard you feared he might break your fingers, but at no time did you ask him to stop, or to let go, you just kept running beside him, leaving the prison behind you.

Escaping from your home.

The survival instinct is the first thing that activates in both of you. Especially in him. With his mind on autopilot, he tracks and hunts everything he considers edible; squirrels, birds, even snakes. You've never eaten snake before, and it's certainly a morsel you wish you'd never eat again. Ever since the governor knocked down your defenses and destroyed the prison forcing you to run out of there, Daryl hasn't opened his mouth, always stuck in his head, lips pursed tightly together, face transformed into a grimace you can't read. He's dealing with the situation in his own way, or not dealing, just trying to bury it as deep as he can to forget it. It hurts you, you've both lost a lot of dear people, you wish he'd talk to you about it, but it's clearly not in his plans.

"Daryl..." You say one night, as the two of you stand by a fire you've lit, small and almost lifeless, just enough to warm you. "Maybe we should go back..."

He watches you silently as you chew what's left of the snake, you've finished your share, but it hasn't left a good taste in your stomach. You're still weak from the flu that hit you no more than a few days ago, you're stronger, that's for sure, but you still feel a little strange still. He doesn't say anything, he keeps eating and that bothers you, you feel like he's shutting down on you again.

"Daryl..." You insist. "Our companions may be looking for us..."

"There's nothing anymore, we're not coming back." He cuts you off instantly. 

"You don't know that..."

"Neither do you." He grunts one last time and lies down on the floor to sleep.

For a moment you're tempted to get up and leave him there, if he doesn't want to find the others, you'll go alone, but not far away you hear thunder rumble and you both look up at the sky. At that time, the weather in Georgia is changeable and unstable, so you soon see the clouds begin to gather and darken. Daryl gets up from the campfire without a word, gathering his things to get going.

"Daryl, wait!" You ask him picking up your stuff as well to run after him.

The storm catches the two of you halfway through, walking through the woods to try to avoid it, but each time the rain is getting heavier, Daryl is ahead at a time and you realize you're having a hard time keeping up with him. The curtain of water is so dense that you suddenly feel alone. Your feet stop, panting and nervously, you look around.

"Daryl?"

But Daryl is not there. You are unable to detect him, between the deafening noise and the column of water that keeps falling on you, you feel isolated, lost, alone. Your pulse starts to race, your mind asks you to calm down and start walking again, but you have turned around so many times that you don't know where you have to go. The sky is so black you can't even be guided by the moon or the sun.

"Daryl!" You scream in a desperate attempt to make him hear you.

Your feet start moving with no concrete direction, the only thing in your mind is that you want to find the archer, make sure he's okay and get out of that hellish rain. It's not cold, but staying too long in the rain, even if it only drops the temperature slightly, could make you sick and that would be dangerous. You press your backpack against your body with all your might wanting to keep everything inside from getting wet. Suddenly, a strong grip on your shoulder startles you, out of instinct you grab your knife and turn quickly to face whatever is holding you, but another hand stops your attack, grabbing your wrist.

"Hey, hey, it's me. It's me." The growl of Daryl's voice instantly reassures you, even though it's still raining cats and dogs, you discover his form in front of you, his hair covering most of his face, but he's still managed to find you.

"I thought I'd lost you!" You shout above the noise of the rain and see him shake his head.

"Come on, I found a place." He tells you and takes your hand, guiding you through the trees and the storm.

You have to admit; he never ceases to amaze you, no matter the situation, Daryl always seems to find a solution, be prepared to deal with it and move on. That survival instinct so characteristic of his. Maybe it's the one good thing the Dixon family was able to teach him. Even if it sometimes came to blows. You take a deep breath walking faster to be almost glued to his back, even though you are holding hands, you still fear you might lose sight of him.

You don't know how long you walk or where to, for you the landscape doesn't seem to change, however, Daryl seems totally focused, with this rain the dead are the least threat, they too suffer the consequences on themselves, the hunter's mind is more concerned about yourselves, clothes soaked to the bone, no food, nothing to build a fire with. He fears you may relapse from your flu and now have nothing to save yourself with. He lost you for a few minutes, confident that you were right behind him, he picked up the pace wanting to find a safe place when he came upon that hut. At first his stomach clenched, it reminded him too much of where he came from, but it was all you had now. He turned to tell you that you would hang out there until the storm stopped and then he discovered he was alone.

Panic became a huge stone in his stomach. He looked around expecting to see you appear at any moment, perhaps protesting that he had gone too fast, that you had almost lost track of him.

Nothing.

His pulse quickened suddenly, breathing agitatedly like a cornered animal, trying to see you through the rain. Suddenly the sensation of the water falling on him chilled, even his skin tingled as if touched by acid. He shouted your name several times hoping for an answer not too far away. But you still did not appear.

Without further thought he entered the forest again, following your footsteps, trying to follow them. He felt stupid for a few seconds because he had never had problems in the forest. It was his best ally. Fuck at eight years old he had gotten lost in the woods and he knew how to get back home by himself, no one noticed his absence. The only person who cared was your sister when she came back to school and asked him how he had spent the weekend. Nothing else.

But at that moment he was not able to think clearly, his mind was divided, wanting to remember the way, and on the other hand just screaming at him:

Find her. 

Find her.

Find her.

The anxiety and tension was building by the minute, feeling like he had lost himself.

"Daryl!" 

Your voice sounds in the distance, he raises his head like a coyote in search of its prey, not far away, he distinguishes your silhouette not far from where he is, so he runs and grabs your shoulder. He must admit he feels a certain pang of pride when you turn around with your knife raised and he has to hold you by the wrist.

"Come on, I've found a place." He tells you and holds your hand to lead you back towards the hut.

You enter quietly and carefully, in case there is someone or some Walker inside that might truncate your plans, but you are strong, it is abandoned and there is nothing dangerous in it, except for all the dirt that surrounds it, but you are not going to get fussy about that. Daryl secures the doors and windows so that neither water nor cold can get in, also to protect you in case any Walkers show up. You clean the chimney and light a fire to keep warm as well as being able to dry your clothes.

"Look what I found." You say to him entering back into the hut with a box with several jars in it.

"Alcohol?" he smiles seeing the surprise on your face. "I would have been surprised if this place didn't have an illegal distillery," he says.

"Why do you say that?" You look at him curiously putting the box down on the table.

"This shack is exactly like my old man's. He distilled his own alcohol too, in a place like the shed you found."

"Oh..." You whisper suddenly feeling somewhat uncomfortable and sad to make him remember that. "We can wait out the storm a bit and be on our way."

"Nah, the weather's too rough, we'd better stay here until tomorrow. Make sure the storm passes completely."

You nod, crossing your arms not quite sure what to do. Daryl puts his crossbow aside, no longer worried that something might happen to you, everything is secure, the weather will calm down and the dead aren't going to come in. You see him heading down the corridor, curiously you follow him as he enters the different rooms, he seems to be looking for something, he takes several blankets out of the closets and you understand what he is doing, he is looking for dry clothes and something to cover you both and avoid the cold, so you decide to help him, between the two of you, you take out two thick blankets that will protect you from the change of weather due to the rain and some clothes. It's all men's clothing, but you find something that fits your shape, plus a thick, loose-fitting jacket.

"Do you mind if I keep it?" You say to Daryl showing him the jacket.

"Nah, keep it." He shrugs looking sideways at you.

You nod smiling and grab the rest of your clothes to head back towards the fireplace Daryl has lit and decide to undress before your partner returns so you don't put yourselves in an awkward situation. When Daryl returns to the main room where you are buttoning your temporary pants, he too has changed clothes, he is wearing a somewhat tight shirt over his biceps and jeans ripped at the knees, he walks barefoot, leaves his boots by the fire and sits down next to you.

"Do you want me to trim your sleeves?" you offer grabbing a pair of scissors you've found among the kitchen drawers, seeing that he nods.

You stand next to him giving the fabric a little snip before carefully cutting around his shoulder. Daryl's eyes are fixed on the fire, on the line of rope you've made between two chairs in front of the fireplace to place your clothes there, you've even left a hole for the archer's clothes, but he's left them in the other room. His saliva catches in his throat as his eyes search through all your clothes and discover your bra hanging next to your shirt. He tries to quickly avert his eyes from there, but curiosity gets the better of him; it's a basic, flesh colored, thin strapped bra, nothing flashy, which Daryl wants to understand, you're in the freaking apocalypse, who cares what your bra looks like or what color it is? Possibly your thought in looking for it is for comfort to hold your... he needs a second, he shakes his head wiping those thoughts from his mind because if he's honest, he thinks that bra is small for the size of your....

"Fuck..." He growls low and you jump up beside him.

"I'm sorry, did I cut you?"

"What?" He turns his head to discover you still sitting next to him.

"With the scissors... Did I cut you?" You ask him again pointing to the cut sleeve in your hand and the scissors. You wonder where his mind was to be so distracted.

"N-no... sorry, it wasn't that, just..." He shrugs, not sure what to say, he doesn't want to make you feel uncomfortable or have you think he's a pervert.

"Do you want me to cut your hair too?" you joke hearing him huff and turn away from you.

"Drop those scissors, woman." He warns you and a giggle escapes you.

You sit back down next to him and allow yourself to lean against his shoulder as you pick up two vials of the illegal alcohol and offer him one. Daryl is tempted to turn it down, alcohol has never been his best ally and he can be a real dick sometimes, but after everything that has happened to you guys in the last few days, he definitely needs a drink. You clink your flask against his in a toast and take a long swig.

"Shit..." You gasp grimace and cough a little.

"Too strong for you, princess?" he teases giving you the second swig.

"How can you just drink it like it's nothing?" You protest in a thread of a voice that makes him smile.

"I tell you, this place is like my father's old cabin, I'm used to it."

"Show-off." You stick your tongue out at him and go back to drinking. "God, I think my nose hairs are on fire." You confess after holding back a burp.

Daryl can't contain himself and lets out a long, loud laugh at your comment, you mimic him laughing heartily as well. Your body feels relaxed and your head feels a little dizzy, it's possible that the alcohol is taking its toll on your body. You stay like that for a few minutes, without saying anything, just drinking and eating some cans you found in the house, you leaning on his shoulder, he without moving an inch.

"Do you think we'll find them?" you say suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Who?" he asks, disoriented for a moment.

"Rick and the others..." You shrug. "I'm sure they escaped... I'm sure... maybe they went back to the prison..."

"What for? The Governor destroyed everything, it was full of Walkers, plus you don't know who else got out alive... it's stupid to want to go back..."

"But it was... our home, we can't think there's nothing left..."

"It's that there's nothing left! That...drone showed up with a tank and reduced everything to shit, captured Michonne, and Beth..." He bites his lip clenching the vial in his hand.

Daryl and Beth didn't have a great relationship, like with Carl and Sophia, Daryl cared and looked out for her, like the rest, but they didn't usually engage in great conversation, the archer had always had more affinity with Maggie, more trust with Hershel, but that didn't mean he didn't feel for the young woman's death, at the end of the day she was part of the group, she was family.

"I know, she didn't deserve what happened to her... she still had a lot to live for." You feel your voice shake a little and you sniffle through your nose, you're a little drunk, and the alcohol is making you sensitive. "Hey, did you finally tell them what you were working on?" you ask curiously.

Beth's boyfriend Zach was having a game with several other young men inside the prison, since Daryl didn't talk too much about his past life, they were trying to guess things about him, the last time she was attentive to their speculation, Zach was trying to figure out what the archer had worked on. Daryl smiles and shakes his head.

"There wasn't much to tell, I was never anything." He shrugs.

"That's not true..." You set your flask down on the table, Daryl mimics you and you settle back to look at him, he sits up better too and gives you a sidelong glance.

"Yes it is... my whole life I depended on Merle." He shrugs. "I followed him around like a dog looking for his approval." he sighed, beating and biting his lip. "When I met your sister, you, your family, I thought I could change, that I could leave the Dixon stigma behind and be someone, do something, but... then your sister died and I didn't..." He swallows hard, you continue to stare at him, letting him vent. "So I went back to where I thought I was supposed to be, in that crappy cabin with my dad, with Merle, being a Dixon..."

"Daryl that's not true, you're not...like your father. You never will be." You shake your head. "You're a good man Daryl, just because you're a Dixon doesn't mean you won't be, I think that stigma was lost on your father." Try to make him see. "Even Merle, his last will, although stupid and suicidal, was to take care of you and protect you...I never saw him that way because he always seemed willing to drag you into the bad stuff, but I think Merle always tried to take care of you, in his own way, but...I think he was trying." You try to smile to cheer him up a little more. "We all have our bad moments, our dark side, but the important thing is to come out of it and move on and you've done that, Daryl. You need to be proud of who you are."

Daryl needs a moment to process it, he feels a little overwhelmed by your words, but at the same time he feels his heart pounding, that you think that about him, it makes him feel good about himself, it makes him feel different, like he really is somebody. He smiles and stretches his arms towards you, you accept his invitation instantly and hug him giving you permission to kiss him on the cheek, you can feel his skin stretch under your lips in a smile.

"Zach thought I had been a homicide cop." He tells you again, changing the conversation and a laugh escapes you. "What, you think I don't look like one?"

"Yes, of course." You laugh again. "Homicide cop for squirrels." You joke again.

Daryl opens his eyes wide, pretending to be offended by your words, unfortunately you're unaware of the disadvantage you're at right now until Daryl catches your wrists with one hand and starts tickling you with the other. A squeak escapes your mouth, you squirm in his arms, but it's impossible to let go, the archer's grip is firm, though not intended to hurt you, as his fingers slide and sting across your belly and over your ribs sending cramps throughout your body making you giggle and squirm.

"Daryl, stop!" you laugh smacking yourself against his chest.

"Be a good girl and apologize for what you said." He orders you raising his voice a little over your laughter.

"Come on! I just don't..." But another chuckle nips your words in the bud. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! Zach's right, homicide cop looks good on you!" you laugh and move around trying to run from his hands, Daryl stops his torture and you take a shaky breath.

"Such a good girl." He smiles, voice turning to a growl.

You stare at each other, one hand clinging to your waist as his grip on your wrists loosens. You feel your heart beat a single hard beat before it begins to pound. You see Daryl's eyes dilate but you're sure yours are too. Your hair stands on end as his fingers brush against the bare skin of your waist, his thumb very slowly caressing your side. Daryl releases your wrists completely as he leans into you, you stretch your neck towards him, your noses brushing.

CRACK!

You both jump in place, skin crawling with shock, your eyes looking around you, alert. Daryl gets up like a spring, running away from the situation, making sure everything is all right. You follow shortly after, grabbing his crossbow in case he needs it, using it as a prop to hide the trembling in your knees. Daryl is looking out the window, but seems calm.

"Walkers?" You ask with concern.

"Nah, the storm has increased the wind speed and snapped off a branch, but it didn't break the glass." He shrugs. "The branch strengthens the crystal for us, no problem."

"Well, then..." You rub your lips nervously. "Maybe we should try to sleep?"

"Yes, if the storm has passed tomorrow we'll go out and look for the others." He mutters and you look at him in surprise, then smile.

"Great... good thing we'll be able to sleep in a decent bed for a day." You smile again, but Daryl shakes his head once more.

"Nah, you go and sleep, I'll take first watch."

"But... you said there's no danger... we can both sleep."

"There's no danger, but I don't want to let my guard down either, go and rest." He insists taking his crossbow from between your hands.

"Okay, but let me know to change shifts, you need to sleep too." He warns you. "If you don't wake me up I'll kick you in the balls." You threaten him.

"Okay, now go to bed."

"Well... good night, Daryl."

"Good night, little girl."

You wander down the small hallway to enter one of the bedrooms, the sheets and mattress don't look very hygienic but after spending time sleeping on the floor or in a poorly made tent, that's like heaven. You sigh and lie down on the bed trying to sleep, but your heart is pounding so hard you're afraid you won't be able to fall asleep.

Daryl in the main room sits back down on the floor, leaning against the old worn out couch, closes his eyes and runs a hand over his face. what the hell just happened?

"Shit..." He grunts as he squeezes his crotch with his other hand and feels a cramp of pleasure run up and down his spine.

**

[phanfictioncatalogue]

hiiii hiiii, have any recs for long au one shots? like just them falling in love in a different universe sort of fics.

Here’s some I found! Haven’t read them all, but have read some and can highly recommend. Your job is to guess which one.

A Human Heart (ao3) - andthenshesaid-write (ladyknight1512)

Summary: Phil's mother has always said that there are creatures in the forest and Phil has always thought they were just stories. Then one day he runs into the forest looking for somewhere to hide and meets Dan, a man with antlers and the ability to talk to trees. Phil's world opens up but there are dangers in the forest that he can't even begin to imagine.

but you'll never break (ao3) - dantiloquent

Summary: "Dan knows what he’s doing all too well. In two minutes, Phil’s eyes are startled and intrigued, two bottle caps in the dark with their edges glowing, the gaze of a doe who is enticed by her own death; Dan has him flustered and jealous in five, has the guarantee of a set of emails that are definitely fishy, I tell you in seven; thirty minutes pass and he has Phil taking him home to his flat."

(htgawm au where dan is a (probably demiro) law student with maybe some commitment issues, and phil is a flustered computer nerd who helps said law student break said law)

Cold, Empty Mattresses and Falling Stars (ao3) - conshellation

Summary: 2009 au where phil and his family own a campground/cabins in an area that is known for stargazing and phil has lived his entire life there, therefore knowing a lot about stars. dan and his family come from the city to said campground because dan is a nerd and asked to come there for his birthday.

crimesmas (ao3) - cuddlydreamsonrainydays

Summary: Phil wants to graduate. Phil will graduate. And he'll do well. Whatever it takes. Even if he'll have to be a shell of himself for a while.Then, Dan comes along. Things do not always go according to plan.

or

He's a student first, a criminal next, and somewhere in the attic of himself, he'll find this thing he used to be, this person, too.

everything comes back to you (ao3) - curiosityandrain

Summary: Dan and Phil grew up together in a small town, where they had a secret relationship throughout their last year of school. When it comes time to leave for university, they lose contact. Three years later, they’re both back home for summer break and decide to reconnect. They soon realize how much they missed each other. After a whole summer spent together and a road trip with old friends, Dan and Phil begin to wonder whether or not they should continue what there once was between them.

Feeling Good (ao3) - barboletta

Summary: The life of Dan Howell, British single skater, is separated in two parts - before and after. Now, after two years of hospitals, plaster and no training he tries to prove to everone, and first of all himself, that he's still able to skate and compete on the highest levels. But there are some people in his life, who has known it all along.

Fritillaria meleagris (ao3) - TsingaDark

Summary: So far this whole thing with Phil had felt like a ride on a rollercoaster that would never stop and he had the feeling that he was losing control.

But maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to enjoy the ride, revelling in the exhilarating freedom. And maybe, if Phil was there by his side then they could both be in control, sharing the responsibility of deciding where their journey would take them.

or the one where Tattoo Artist Dan moves and opens up a tattoo parlour opposite Phil's flower shop.

i'm half doomed and you're semi-sweet (ao3) - The_Blonde

Summary: When he was eleven Dan wished for Phil to help with a family curse that there’s no hope of breaking. Fifteen years later he’s stationed in coastal Wales, working the late shift in a supermarket while secretly protecting a whole village from various supernatural beings. Everything is going fine(ish) until Phil, impossibly, shows up.

If You Must Mourn, Don't Do It Alone (ao3) - INeverHadMyInternetPhase (BirbWatcher)

Summary: Phil is a Masters' student just starting at a new uni, and while he should be concerned with getting to grips with his new course, he finds himself more and more caught up with getting to know his quiet, brown-haired housemate who has a habit of disappearing.

Or, Phil goes to uni, Dan goes to uni, Dan is sad, and Phil is there for him.

Let Me Down Gently (ao3) - INeverHadMyInternetPhase (BirbWatcher)

Summary: AU in which Dan is (briefly) a lawyer, until he gets fired and kicked out by his girlfriend. Wandering alone at night looking for a place to stay, he happens across a slightly strange man who introduces himself as Phil and who owns a B&B. Without much choice, Dan takes up the offer to stay there, and quickly grows to have a certain fondness for Phil. There’s only one problem: Phil runs the B&B with his long-term partner Alex.

like a perhaps hand (which comes carefully out of Nowhere) (ao3) - palomeheart

Summary: Dan is in his second year of uni studying law– or he would be if he hadn’t failed his resits. After being talked into a semester-long leave of absence to get his life in order, he takes a job at the café of a local botanic garden through a flatmate’s family connection. Or so he thinks.

Lover Boy (ao3) - cafephan

Summary: Phil is the shy new kid at school, taken under the wing of Dan’s group of friends. The two develop crushes on one another, but a secret from the past threatens to jeopardise everything before it even begins.

make a wish when your childhood dies (ao3) - tinydragon (tiny_dragon)

Summary: Things could be going better for librarian Phil Lester. He’s discontent with his life and his job when an episode of accidental magic lands him in a seemingly different world, which nobody else seems aware of other than the neighbour he never knew he had, Dan Howell. Together, they must find a way to return home to their ordinary cities and lives, but there’s something about Dan that’s strange, in that he seems eerily similar to Phil’s favourite childhood storybook character.

Mirror Mirror (ao3) - dont-tell-them-i-write-phan (QueenJunoTheGreat), QueenJunoTheGreat

Summary: Dan and Phil get invited to stay at a historical castle with Martyn and Cornelia. Contrariwise, Daniel and Philip aren’t invited anywhere, but not many people can say no to a highly trained thief and a dragon. But that’s totally unrelated

Professionally, Yours (ao3) - deletable_bird

Summary: Dan is an overworked, underpaid, very homosexual uni student in need of an easy job. Phil is a successful, rather lonely businessman in need of a housekeeper

Ripple (ao3) - cafephan

Summary: Phil has a cheating boyfriend. Dan is a poet, facing an ultimatum.

super soul (ao3) - waveydnp

Summary: Phil has spent his whole life believing that meeting his soulmate will give his life the meaning he’s been looking for.

Then he meets Dan.

The Act of Recovery (ao3) - TheOrangeAurora

Summary: When Dan arrived at the household of the newest recovering drug addict, he expected it to be the same mundane, but important work that he had committed to a few years back. What he didn't expect was that his whole life would be turned around one tentative step at a time, and what was supposed to be his work would become his own salvation.

the last act of the show (ao3) - vvelna

Summary: Phil has made a living from faking relationships for nearly a decade. His new client is an actor named Dan Howell.

The Prince and the Youtuber (ao3) - koleen

Summary: Dan Howell is the Prince of England and the first grandson of a late King, and Phil Lester is a famous Youtuber who turns out to be the first grandson of a late King’s Hand, the best friend of the late King. On one night of celebration of their daughters’ pregnancies 18 years ago, the best friends made a drunken pact to marry their first grandchildren to each other the year they both turn 18, completely forgetting to consider that their first grandchildren could both be male.

The Wanting Comes In Waves (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: After moving to the tiny Welsh coastal village of Rhagfyr, Phil struggles to find a new way of living, what with his new school and the decision of his future still on the table. Dan is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, but perhaps there’s beauty inside destruction.

to let the light in (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: Searching for a fresh start after a decade of dead ends in London, Dan becomes obsessed with a storytelling show on Rossendale Radio and a voice that hasn't been broadcast in years.

when i sing, you sing harmonies (ao3) - The_Blonde

Summary: "Dan’s two minute sonatas reduce to one minute and then to a sad thirty seconds of something lilting and beautiful. It’s sad in such a way that Phil, having begged Dan to play, actually can’t stand and listen to something so full of longing. Sad in a way that it could have been written for Phil (but not possible. Dan doesn’t even know Phil). Sad in a way that Dan could just walk over, take Phil’s heart from his chest and say can I have this? and Phil would say of course, it’s yours".

Or: Witch Phils and the Piano Playing Dans that they just want to make happy (with a sprinkling of magic).

(TW) You And I Against The World (ao3) - my_happy_little_bean

Summary: Dan and Phil are top MI5 agents, partners, and best friends. But when a party goes wrong and Dan is kidnapped, Phil is thrown into a chaos only he can get out of. Between mysterious clues, vengeful friends, hidden feelings, and sleeping with your bestie, he believes his social life may be harder than his actual job.

-Rae