#michael panes
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08cjvvman1 · 8 days ago
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stretchmarkedmuscle · 2 years ago
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Michael Pane
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veradragonjedi · 21 days ago
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@many-legged
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Jennifer Crupi’s Unconventional Jewelry Highlights Gesture As Ornament
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badmovieihave · 4 months ago
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Bad movie I have I was a Teenage Zombie 1987
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dark-night-hero · 3 months ago
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Imagine Michael Kaiser who came home with the house looking rather cold and empty.
Imagine Kaiser who just came home after a long season, snow dust all over his shoulder as he relaxed as soon as he steps home only to find the lights turned off, making the evening dark like it already is. In an instant, he turned stiff as his cold palms started to sweat.
Imagine the way he just stood there, bag hanging heavily on his shoulder as he stood there unmoving. Then his eyes lay upon the snow slowly falling outside. He could feel his heart picking up its phase. The way his vision starts to reflect on the window pane and instead of finding his reflect in the mirror, his old, younger, dirty little rat self was the one he saw.
Imagine the way he starts to recall none of his painful childhood but rather the less and less time he get to spend with you. Ever since the season started he was gone most of the time and just recently, he played overseas before coming back and playing within the league once again. He did not fail to notice how you seemed to be hiding something from him nowadays. The way you woukd excuse yourself in the calls earlier than usual.
Imagine the way he starts to panic upon the suddenly realisation that you may have left. Left because he was too busy on everything but you. That you grew tired of him. Well he knew how nasty he could be, how rude and annoyingly aggressive he could be. But you would not leave him right? He could change, he will change, he could be better- woof!
Imagine the way he pause once again. The breath that he did not even notice he was holding finally escape. Did he just hallucinate a dog? "No buddy, be quiet. Der vati would be here in a few moments okay? Hold it in till then." Okay maybe he was not hallucinating. Or maybe he was, maybe you left and he was just fooling himself you didn't. Woof!
Imagine the way he hesitated, the way his hands slowly reach out to touch the switch lights and finally give light into the house. He did not missed the way he heard a gasp coming from the kitchen but even still, that did not make him feel any better, more than ever, it made him nervous. What if his fears come true? What if you are not in there? What if you truly left? What was he supposed to do then?
Imagine upon entering the kitchen area, the first thing he noticed was the presence of people in there and upon looking at the kitchen island. His blue eyes met with a pair of (eye color) ones. There you were, a piece of crisy bread crust rusk in hand as you take a bite only to choke upon making an eye contact with him. With no time to waste, Kaiser hurry up to help up, and as soon as your throat clear up, you burst into laughter.
"Heilige scheiße baby, when I was hoping to surprise you, this was not part of the plan." Kaiser hates surprises. "Nevertheless, happy birthday baby. Take you being born, you're the best gift I could ever have" Michael Kaiser hates surprises, it makes him vulnerable, the way he doesn't know how to react. "I tried my best but this is the best recipe I could make with your favourite food, crispy bread crust rusk." Kaiser hates surprises, makes him look back in the days were he often thought of one only to be hurt and disappointed. "Also." You whistle, then a hurry small steps echoed in the kitchen. "Here." You picked up a familiar dog. The dog the two of you often saw whenever you went out a walk. "I know I could have adopted a new puppy in the shelter but on my way into the shelter I come across him and was like, why no take this one in- baby, are you okay?"
Imagine the way you took a step forward towards him, setting down the dog as he watches you reach out a hand to touch him. Only when you wiped away his tears did he knew he has tears rolling down his cheeks. "Baby- scheiße- sorry, I suck at surprise. I knew it was a bad idea. I'm sorry-" You were cut off when he grab a hold of your hand and gently caresses it.
Imagine, Michael Kaiser hates surprises. It make him feel like a fool know he does not know what to react. At the same time, he realised he was no longer the child who have nothing, have nothing but a stolen ball. "Meine liebe." He do not know the face he was making but he felt bad for making you cry too. Gently, he let go of your hand and gold you on your cheeks before leaning down to have your forehead pressed upon each other. "Danke, Ich liebe dich." Woof! Maybe surprises wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.
[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2024°
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sunkendreams · 1 year ago
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WHAT COULD’VE BEEN.
( michael schmidt x fem!reader. )
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༄ ⠀𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | michael schmidt x [fem!]reader.
༄ ⠀𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 8.8K.
༄ ⠀𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭 | one-shot, not requested. potentially multiple parts.
༄ ⠀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | mentions of past trauma, depression, friends to lovers, confession of feelings, mutual pining, explicit sexual content/smut, virgin!mike, loss of virginity, mike is definitely more submissive here, vaginal sex, riding, making out, dry humping, hair pulling, light dirty talk, cunnilingus, fingering, handjob, unprotected sex (pls wrap it), cum play, mike moans a lot I don’t make the rules !!
༄ ⠀𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 | you guys should’ve seen this coming from a mile away … anyway !! I hope you guys enjoy, I loved the movie & I love Mike even more! If this fic gets good reception, I would like to make a second part or more Mike fics! Please let me know what you think! Thanks so much for your love & support, you guys are just fantastic! ❤️
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❝ “What could’ve been, Mike?” You whispered, absentmindedly rocking closer until your chest nearly bumped into his shoulder.
A saccharine affection glistened within his warm stare, enough to burn a hole right through you as he squeezed your hand. “Us.” ❞
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Sparky’s Diner stands proud alongside the highway, a now-dilapidated fixture of a small town. Your parents used to take you here as a child, and at one point, it was your grandmother’s favorite place to eat. Now, it almost seemed forlorn, with the occasional gaggle of patrons or stragglers, but nothing more. You were seated in one of the creaking booths, slumped forward.
Cars whistle past a smudged window pane, slivers of daylight trickling through as they catch against the ceramic surface of your coffee mug. Your leg bounces — it mirrors that of the man sitting across from you. Silence fills the void between the both of you, a tenuous moment that seems to last an eternity until you hear a brief clearing of a throat.
“How’ve you been?”
You hadn’t seen much of Michael Schmidt since the incident at the mall — it was almost as if he’d become the resident recluse, and part of you couldn’t fault him for that. You were working at Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, now doomed as a paper-pusher at the career center. You’d run into Mike that way days prior.
It was a loaded question — you were unsure of how to proceed. Part of you wanted to inquire about his own wellbeing. Exhaustion glistened on his features as if they were a permanent fixture, from the bags underneath his eyes to the far-off look in his bloodshot gaze.
He kept his hands stuffed into his pockets, his stare momentarily trailing between you and the lukewarm mug of coffee sitting in front of him. Mike recalled the days of working at the mall with you — it almost seemed a little easier back then, when he wasn’t completely weighed-down by nightmares and job instability.
Mike still held this nagging sense of guilt for letting your friendship crumble after the mall. You’d tried to reach out on numerous occasions, even after his arrest for assault and battery — no one else had done the same. It was scorched earth wherever he stood, and there wasn’t a single soul willing to get close.
“I’m doing well enough,” Your answer finally emerged after a near-endless bout of silence. The warmth had drained from your mug, but it gave you something to hold onto. “How’s Abby?” Mike’s younger sister was his entire world — you often commended him for his undying commitment to her.
Gone were the days of you sneaking her free cinnamon-sugar pretzels and delivering the leftovers to Mike once your shifts were through. You missed it — it almost felt like some distant dream, when in reality, it was only a year and a handful of months ago.
Any mention of Abby often struck a chord within Mike, as if an amalgamation of memories had come back to haunt him. His countenance was a reflection of that — still anchored down by the ghosts of the past. His dreams were becoming more vivid — worse, even. A sinking feeling consumed him then, jaw tightening as he fought against the onslaught of emotion.
A grimace flickered across his visage, enough for you to become concerned. Your heart began to beat a little faster — had something happened to her? “Mike?” You prompted, voice dropping an octave, softening up as you tilted forward. The last thing you wanted was to bring up painful memories.
You knew about his brother, Garrett.
“She’s fine,” Mike exhaled, pocketed hands perched atop his lap. He hadn’t intended to sound harsh, gaze apologetic as he looked back at you. “I’m sorry. My Aunt, ah … She’s trying to get sole custody of Abby. It’s been an uphill battle.” He confessed, tone downtrodden.
“Mike,” You murmured, brows knitting together as you abandoned your mug, hands twisting themselves together. The pain etched into his face was unmistakable — and he was holding himself together through it all. “That’s awful. Have you talked to the courts?”
A humorless huff of laughter escaped him, followed by a more indifferent expression. “No,” He leaned back within his seat, hands withdrawing themselves from his pockets, splayed out across his lap, instead. “I’m definitely not fit to be raising a kid, I know that much.” Mike sighed, eyes fluttering in the opposite direction.
Protest formed upon the tip of your tongue, prompting you into action. “That’s not true. She’s been glued to your hip, even when we worked at the mall. I think if a Judge saw how much the two of you mean to one another, they wouldn’t take her away.” You murmured.
This was the you that he’d sorely missed — one full of tenderness and a gentle optimism. Mike wanted to believe you, but given the overwhelming circumstances and his Aunt’s persistence, it felt like a losing situation. At least, for now, he had time to work this new job and gain some rapport in the process.
“I hope so,” Mike folded his hands together, resting them atop the stained, plastic tabletop. He wanted to change the subject — for now, anyway. “Thanks for still sticking with me, even after all this time.” He murmured, a pang of guilt gnawing away at his insides. You were a good person — the best that he knew.
He felt like he’d squandered away your friendship to slip into this veil of reclusiveness, instead of still holding onto you, that little ray of sunshine. Mike wanted to make amends with you, and he wanted to start down that path before he’d inevitably ruin it again.
An empathetic smile crept onto your features, followed by a soft exhale. “I wish that we hung out a little more,” You mused, tucking a fist underneath your chin. “But I understand that you’re busy. Did that job work out with Mr. Raglan?” You inquired, eyes sparkling with intrigue.
Mike’s breath hitched within his throat, a very subtle noise — he missed you terribly. Jeremiah used to tease and torment him about the colossal crush he had on you, but those times were buried within the past. His sentiments hadn’t changed, but he didn’t think he brought anything to the table, admittedly.
The job.
A security gig of an obliterated restaurant franchise where the animatronics were operated by the spirits of dead children — that job? Even after the revelation delivered to him by his own sister days prior, he still felt drawn to that place, as if he needed to be there. Abby had fun whenever he took her there — it was comforting to see her laugh and smile again.
“Yeah, the security gig.” A lump formed within his throat. He wanted to tell you all about the haunting at Freddy Fazbear’s, but it almost seemed too unbelievable. He didn’t expect you to believe him anymore after he’d grown distant from you. “It’s going. The pay is horrible, but it’s the only place that’ll take me.”
Mr. Raglan was often attempting to lure people into this security position at Freddy Fazbear’s — it must’ve been a profession with an abnormally-high turnover rate. You recalled one instance of him trying to barter with some older man to take the job.
Your memory of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was wonderfully vibrant — some of your favorite memories were spent at that restaurant as a child. Friend’s birthday parties, end-of-school summer celebrations, and your own birthday on a handful of occasions. Though, even with brighter times, there was always a splash of darkness.
One of your childhood friends had gone missing — everyone knew about the tale of the disappearing children. Your parents forbid you from going back to that establishment after law enforcement swarmed the place, with detectives scouring it from top to bottom. With a place as family-friendly as Freddy’s being involved at the center of child disappearances, it shut down.
“Freddy’s?” You asked, shifting within your seat. Mike’s countenance held a little spark of uncertainty intermingled with fear — enough for you to mention something about the restaurant’s gruesome history. “It’s supposedly haunted. You haven’t encountered any paranormal activity at night, have you?” You teased, head canting to one side.
Mike couldn’t help but smile — a sardonic, somewhat bemused expression that happened to evoke your curiosity once more. “Something like that.” It was difficult to discern if he was joking or not, truth be told. “Working the night shift, you think you see things — the mind playing tricks or something.” He was afraid of telling you the whole truth right away.
That explained his haggard, sunken look — the disheveled tresses and forlorn stare. He must’ve been exhausted from working nights. You never had the experience of a third shift, but you didn’t envy him. “You look tired,” You chimed, and then, a proposal came to fruition. “Would you want help with watching Abby?”
Max stopped answering her phone, as if she’d become wholly disinterested in babysitting altogether. He couldn’t really blame her — he hadn’t paid up and Abby could be just as reclusive as he was. “No, no. You don’t have to do that. Between you and me, I’ve been taking her to work with me. She likes it there.”
A gentle smile fluttered across your features. The animatronics were adorable — you imagined that Abby liked them quite a bit. “Sure, Mike. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. I have some downtime with my job, I don’t know if you can say the same.”
Mike’s heart skipped a beat, chocolate hues captivated by your softened visage. Your smile was mesmerizing — that was still a constant about you, it hadn’t changed whatsoever. Those inklings of affection were spiraling into tidal waves, as if he were back at the mall again, fawning over you from afar as you handed out pretzels.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” He chewed at the inside of his cheek, debating on whether or not he should invite you to come with him to the next shift he worked. It wasn’t a good idea — the animatronics were hostile toward adults, he realized. Maybe Abby could remedy that. “So, are you …” He trailed off.
Were you seeing anybody?
Did you enjoy your job?
Did you want to come over to his place for pizza?
Were you still planning on going to university?
Akin to a deer in the headlights, Mike’s fingers curled into the rough fabric of his jeans as he pondered on what exactly to ask you. He wanted to fully catch up, away from the public spotlight of a run-down, dingy diner — not that his house was any better, but he could clean up.
“Are you going to university?” It was a cowardly option — he could’ve chosen the emboldened route, but it felt too soon, inquiring about details of your personal life. You didn’t owe him anything. You’d talked about going to the University of Utah countless times.
Part of you wanted to inquire about the intricacies of his own life — about his Aunt, about Abby, and perhaps delving a little deeper. You really liked Mike, especially when working at the mall together, and after all this time, nothing had changed. A soft burst of laughter escaped you, followed by a wrinkling of your nose.
“No,” You sighed, tapping your fingers against the ceramic mug sitting on your left. “I don’t know if I can go and realistically afford it. I don’t want to run myself into the ground just for school, you know? I’m trying to save up as much as I can.” Your dreams were still present — just seemingly out-of-reach.
Mike could see the flicker of frustration settle into your features, and he felt for you. He’d thought about trying for engineering at one point in time, but with his parents passing away and the weight of responsibility falling upon his shoulders, it all fell through. “I understand,” He scratched at the top of his hand. “You’ve always been too smart for me.” He mused.
“That’s not true,” You protested, playfully rolling your eyes as you nudged at his shin with your foot. “You’re just as intelligent, if not more. Do you remember when you helped me fix the salt dispenser?” A sense of giddiness rippled through you when Mike smiled — nearly tangible, oozing with warmth.
“I remember,” An inkling of humor crept into his tone, accompanied by a fluctuating smile. “I don’t think you knew what the word ‘twist’ meant.” He prodded, dark eyes twinkling with mirth as the two of you engaged in banter about work — back then, at least.
A scoff left you, but your smile remained ever-present, dimples forming at either corner of your mouth. “In my defense, it was needlessly complex. You can agree with me.” You laughed, glancing outside once more. The day was still young, trees swaying with the breeze as patrons came in and out of the diner.
“Sure,” Mike chuckled, pearlescent teeth flashing in the brief hint of a grin before it began to wane. It was a disappointment, really — you would’ve liked to see more of that. “I do miss the free pretzels.” He mused, voice having lowered to a more amiable tone. Part of him yearned for the days back at the mall — it all seemed a little easier, back then. His Aunt wasn’t trying to take his sister away, and the money was better.
The Mike that you knew back during your time in the mall was laced with a wisecrack humor, as smart as a whip, and often full of conversation. You could tell that he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders — it was his eternal burden, it seemed. Selflessness and compassion were ingrained into him, a second nature or instinct, and you admired him all the more for it.
“I missed you, Mike.” You confessed, gaze seemingly forlorn as the two of you lamented about the not-too-distant past.
It was as if you’d stolen the air right from his lungs, ripped it away with your bare hand. Goosebumps formed along the column of his spine, prompting him to shift within the cracking leather of the booth. You’d rendered him speechless, enough to where he felt the need to try and recuperate, lips parting as if to speak — words turned to ash upon his tongue.
Mike missed you more than words could properly describe — he couldn’t convey whatever it was he wanted to say. He’d kick himself knowing that he let this go, let you go, when it could’ve been his all along. A bevy of emotions stirred within his chest, prompting him to dig the heel of his palms into his legs.
Maybe that lifeline, that support — it was something that he sorely needed. That was his justification, his excuse to say he needed you in a roundabout way. Finally, he allowed himself to relax, jaw clenching and unclenching within the same breath.
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, gaining the courage to look you in the eyes this time. “I missed you, too.” His confession hung heavy, like a weight dragging the both of you back into this unspoken sentiment. Whatever courage was instilled in him, he decided to go the extra mile. “You should come over sometime.”
Exhilaration happened to be a mere understatement for whatever it was you felt in that moment — it was borderline ecstasy. You were wholly prepared to launch yourself at the opportunity to spend time with him again, but you composed yourself, keeping any giddiness at bay as you nodded.
“I’d like that — I’d like that a lot, Mike. It’d be nice to see Abby again, too.” You smiled, excitement dancing across your features, barely restrained as you cleared your throat. “I don’t want it to conflict with your work schedule or anything.” You blurted, hoping that he’d be able to keep up with sleep, too.
He couldn’t recall the last time he’d invited someone over, but this was you — Mike had already squandered your friendship once before, and he wasn’t about to repeat the past again. It weighed on his conscience enough. “It won’t. Promise.” He reassured you, unable to keep from smiling this time. “Tomorrow night?”
Heat crawled across your features, sinking into your very bones as you cleared your throat. “Tomorrow night works perfectly.” You checked your watch out of habit, nearly cursing yourself when you realized what time it was. You had fifteen minutes to spare before you were officially late for work. “Shit. I’m going to be late for work.”
“I understand. Walk you to your car?” Mike offered, gesturing toward the weed-laden parking lot as you scrambled to toss a crumpled twenty-dollar bill onto the countertop.
“Of course.” Each night after work, he’d walk you to your beat-down, shitty Acura, making sure that you were safe and sound in the dark parking lot. It was comforting to know that his habit hadn’t changed in the slightest.
Once outside, Mike stuck close to your side, hands slipping back into the pockets of his faded jacket as he walked with you to your car. Trash billowed through the parking lot like a tumbleweed, narrowly missing the front of your Acura. “She’s still running?” He teased, patting the top of your decaying vehicle.
“Hey, don’t be mean to the car. It’s still chugging along. That’s more than you can say about your Accord.” You snickered, tossing your bag inside of the passenger door before turning toward Mike. Awkwardness welled inside of you — it wasn’t like you hadn’t hugged him before, but something nagged away at you this time.
Mike let out a huff of laughter, head canting to one side. “Touché.” He mused, visage softening as he looked you over. You were pretty — too pretty for him, but he decided to skip over the brief bout of self-depreciation. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” His voice trailed off in something of an inquiry.
“Absolutely. I’m excited,” You beamed, and without thinking this time, shuffled closer to give him a hug. Much to your delight, he reciprocated, arms wrapping tightly around you, bringing you in against his chest. You could’ve stayed that way for an eternity — but now, you had ten minutes to spare before work. “Thank you, Mike. For everything.”
He was completely and utterly undeserving of you, but Mike counted his lucky stars that you still wanted to stick around. Instead, he accepted your gratitude, wanting to hold you just a little longer — if only. He reluctantly relinquished his grasp on you, gaze oozing with a saccharine warmth. “Yeah,” He nodded. “Drive safe.”
You smiled, exuberant and chipper before you squeezed his hand. “See you tomorrow.” You mused, hopping into the driver’s seat of your rattling, sputtering Acura as you sluggishly pulled out of the parking lot and out onto the road.
Mike lingered in the lot, glancing toward the fading pavement, and then toward the sky — he had so much cleaning up to do tomorrow.
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“Help me clean up around here, and I’ll buy you new crayons.”
It was the only viable bribing he could do to get Abby to help him with picking up around the house. Given his chaotic work schedule and the newfound circumstances with the haunted animatronics, there was little time to keep the house tidy.
He’d gone to work that night after you’d departed from the parking lot, slept a little bit while Abby entertained herself with her friends, and went home when the sun came up. He was tense after the first few times he’d taken Abby to the Pizzeria — the animatronics were still dangerous, but nothing bad had happened.
Yet, anyway.
“Who’s coming over?” Abby asked, collecting remnants of trash and crayon pieces from around the living room, depositing it all into the trash can. “Why do we have to clean up if it’s Aunt Jane?” She mumbled, somewhat dejected as Mike scrubbed the dishes.
“It’s not Aunt Jane,” He cleared his throat, visage swarming with heat as it turned a light shade of pink. “You remember Y/N, right? From the mall — she worked at the pretzel place. She gave you the sugar pretzels.” Mike hoped that his sister would remember you, but there were no guarantees. It’d been awhile.
Abby gasped, realization glittering across her features as she grinned — toothy and mischievous. “You like her,” She prompted, standing by her brother as he tediously made his way through the stack sitting by the sink. “Is she coming over for a date?”
“No, it’s not a date, Abby.” Mike groaned, flicking a wad of soapy bubbles at her. She squealed, smacking at his arm before he gestured toward the closet. “Need you to run the vacuum around, okay?” He sighed, wondering if he’d end up regretting this.
“Okay.” Abby sighed, begrudgingly making her way to the storage closet, haphazardly untangling the cord to the vacuum before plugging it in. “Can we get pizza?” She asked, standing beside the couch, vacuum sitting next to her. “Please, Mike?”
“We’ll get pizza, Abs.” He hesitated, swiveling upon his heel as she sat atop the arm of the couch, watching him finish up the dishes instead of vacuuming. “Does the floor clean itself?” Mike teased with a grin, prompting his sister to hop off of her perch, starting up the vacuum as she began to run it around the living room.
By the time Abby finished vacuuming and he’d gotten the kitchen into a near-spotless state, he focused on tidying up his bedroom and getting the laundry together. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone through the entire house like this on a whirlwind just to make it tidy for you — and he’d do it all again if he needed to.
As he tucked the corner of his blanket underneath the pillow, he heard a knock at the door. Mike assumed that it was the pizza guy — or so he hoped. He wanted everything to be perfect, considering that you hadn’t really hung out together since the mall.
“Mike! Pizza!” Abby called out, sitting at the dining room table with a handful of crayons and sheets of paper. She was drawing another picture for her friends — it was all of them in a field of flowers, accompanied by a bright sun and plenty of birds.
It gave him an opportunity to check over the house as he made his way to the front door, ensuring that everything looked spotless. Admittedly, it was the best the house had looked in several months — a twinge of pride rippled through him as he opened up the door.
After Mike handed him a very weathered twenty, the man reluctantly handed the pizza boxes over before hopping off of the front steps.
The timing was perfect — ten minutes later, and the guttural lurching of your Acura could be heard pulling into the driveway outside. Mike placed the pizza onto the table, tossing a handful of paper plates beside it. Abby leaned over, peering toward the door as he lingered close by.
You were nervous — you couldn’t explain it.
Part of you felt wonderfully ridiculous, having worn something that you considered cute to his house, applied a splash of makeup here and there. As you sluggishly made your way to his front door, you smoothed your hands over your blouse, hands knitting together. You waited a beat, and knocked on the door.
Mike was there instantaneously, as if he’d somehow teleported to that very spot. The door flung open, and you were greeted by his beaming countenance. It was the happiest you’d seen him in some time, which was something of a relief. He looked attractive — the emerald sweater suited him perfectly.
“Hi,” You greeted, offering him a brief wave as you stepped inside, only to be swarmed by Abby in the process. “Abby!” You giggled, stooping down to return the girl’s hug. “You’ve gotten taller, haven’t you? You’re going to beat your brother in no time.” You teased, lips twitching into a grin.
“Did you bring any pretzels?” Abby asked, staring at you with those large, doe-like eyes. A pang of guilt struck at your stomach — you hadn’t worked at Auntie Anne’s for several months now.
“No,” You sighed, shaking your head back and forth. “I don’t make pretzels anymore. I put away lots of paperwork now.” It sounded less appealing when you said it outloud. “I did bring something else for you, though.” You unzipped your bag, revealing a very fuzzy, stuffed rabbit.
Abby gasped, taking ahold of your gift as she squeezed it against her chest. “He’s so cute!” She giggled, showing off the bunny to Mike, who couldn’t help but smile. You’d always been very good to Abby, able to forge a bond with her that he envied on occasion. “Thank you!”
Laughter bubbled forth from your lips, mirth sparkling upon your features. “Of course! I hope he keeps you warm at night.” You mused, glancing towards the pizza boxes organized in a neat row on the dining room table. “You got Greek’s? You’re spoiling me.”
As Abby hopped toward the table to dig into the cheese pizza, Mike gestured at the kitchen. You followed him over, removing your jacket as you hung it on one of the pegs along the wall. “Want something to drink?” He asked, noticing the bemused expression you wore. “I don’t have anything stronger than Dr. Pepper.”
Your nose wrinkled in amusement as you leaned against the countertop, glancing over your shoulder at Abby. The rabbit sat soundly at her side, crayons and paper scattered on the empty side of the table. “I’ll just drink Dr. Pepper.” You chimed, having a gander at your surroundings. You’d been to his place several times before, but it was abnormally spotless.
“Sure,” Mike mused, handing you a can of soda before clearing his throat. “Abby wants to watch Labyrinth, if that’s okay with you.” He’d watched the movie a hundred times before — it was one of her favorites. Unfortunately, he’d memorized most of Bowie’s quotes throughout the film.
“Absolutely,” You chuckled, popping open the drink with a soft hiss. “I wouldn’t say no to that, anyway. It’s a certified classic.” With a bright smile, you and Mike returned to the table, joining Abby as you ate pizza together. The atmosphere was beyond comforting to you — you wondered why you were so anxious to begin with.
It felt like home.
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“You don’t like it, do you?”
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tell that Mike was completely and utterly bored with Labyrinth. The two of you sat a comfortable distance away on the couch, Abby laying on the floor, dozing in and out of slumber. You kept your voice hushed, knees tucked toward your chest as a playful smile tugged at the corners of your mouth.
“Do you know how many times I’ve seen this movie?” Mike whispered, rolling off of the couch as he stooped down to pick up Abby, making sure to grab her rabbit, too. “I’m gonna put her to bed.” He murmured, and you decided to follow, making sure to retrieve her crayons and half-drawn doodles.
As Mike slowly crept into Abby’s room, he tucked his sister into bed, making sure that she had her stuffed animal, blankets neat around her. You stacked the crayons and drawings back onto her desk, standing at the fringes of the doorway.
Crickets chirped outside as dusk settled like a cool blanket, stars spattered across the night sky. It was peaceful, especially as you watched Mike press a kiss against the top of Abby’s head.
Once he closed the door behind him, the two of you returned to the living room. You were more than happy to help him clean up the pizza remnants and any dishes, folding up the boxes to put into the trash until you were both back on the couch again.
“I’ve had a lot of fun tonight, Mike. Thank you for inviting me over — and for buying me dinner, too.” You mused, the two of you a little closer than before. Labyrinth provided a simple background lull, the volume barely above silent. “Do you want me to pay you back?”
“I’m glad we got to do this again,” Mike felt butterflies erupt within the pit of his stomach. The sudden realization of being alone with you was tantalizing, at best. Gooseflesh spread across the back of his neck, one hand poised atop the arm of the sofa. “Don’t worry about dinner. It’s on me.”
“Okay,” A soft huff of laughter left you as you tilted your head back against the plush material, one hand within your lap as the other dangled uselessly at your side. “Could I ask you something?”
Mike nodded, swallowing the growing lump within this throat. A nervous excitement flared up inside of him, as if a match had been struck. A slick perspiration broke out on his palms — he wanted to tell you everything. About the animatronics, about Garrett, about how he felt about you — and yet, he was afraid. “Anything.”
You briefly chewed at the inside of your cheek, adjusting your position to look at him fully. “Did I do something wrong to cause you to pull away from me?” You asked, voice dropping into a soft lull. It was a question that had been on your mind since this whole rekindling.
“Absolutely not,” Mike blurted, and immediately shook his head. “It’s just — after what happened at the mall, I was afraid of what you’d think of me.” He confessed, dark hues echoing with shame. “Legal issues piled up, I was out of a job. It’s been a lot.”
What do you think of him?
Mike Schmidt was the center of your world for the longest time — and now that he was back, it was as if the Moon had come back into orbit, bright and full again. He was perfectly imperfect in your eyes, and you wouldn’t change anything at all. “Mike,” You mumbled, reaching for his hand as your fingers closed around his own. “I don’t think any less of you. I never have.”
Your skin was smooth, velveteen as he adjusted his grip, fingers twining together as you sat on the couch, closer than ever before. The distance between the both of you was steadily declining, and he didn’t mind. “I felt like I ruined things between us before,” He murmured. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”
Your heart thrummed within your chest, beating erratically beneath your breast. A subtle gasp hitched within your throat, producing only a sliver of sound. “You didn’t ruin anything. You’ve been through so much, Mike. I can’t blame you for needing space.”
“I felt like I lost what could have been.” He confessed, voice growing abnormally thick. Mike stared at you with those round, dark eyes of his — they were impossibly beautiful, like an inescapable maze. You wondered what he meant by that — what could have been.
Whatever he meant, you hoped that it meant one thing — something unspoken, the sentiment that lingered between the two of you. It was as if a flame had been stoked, roaring to life again as it steadily consumed the both of you.
“What could’ve been, Mike?” You whispered, absentmindedly rocking closer until your chest nearly bumped into his shoulder.
A saccharine affection glistened within his warm stare, enough to burn a hole right through you as he squeezed your hand. “Us.” He exhaled, jaw clenching and unclenching, a nervous habit of his.
Your lips were melded to his before either of you had a chance to properly absorb the weight of the moment. He was a gentle kisser — so sweet and oozing with compassion that you wanted to drown in it. His week-old stubble scratched against your visage, a sign that this was all very real.
Experience wasn’t a foreign concept for you, but Mike was — he was so tender, as if any movement might break you into pieces. Even his kisses were sluggish, as if he were really taking his time. You couldn’t complain about that whatsoever. You rocked forward, untangling your hands as your digits twisted into his sweater.
“Hey,” Mike breathed, doe-eyed and dazed as he withdrew, mere inches apart from you. “Are you okay with this?” He asked, ensuring that you were comfortable before going any further. He hadn’t had sex — maybe everything before, but nothing further.
“Yeah,” You nodded, keeping your voice low as you felt his arm wrap around you. “Are you? I don’t want you to push anything if you aren’t comfortable.” You murmured, and he shook his head, pressing another soft kiss against your mouth.
His fingers swept across your cheek, caressing along your jaw as he cradled your face within his palm. “I’m fine,” Mike reassured you, but his heartbeat said otherwise. Exhilaration and excitement were mere understatements. Everything else had paled in comparison to you in that moment. “You’re really beautiful.”
A soft wisp of air tore past your parted lips, gaze becoming half-lidded as you repositioned your hands, one slipping against the nape of his neck. The other remained stationary atop his chest, and you leaned in again for another passionate kiss.
Mike was warm — he was everything you’d ever wanted.
Distance became slim, next to nothing as you crawled into his lap, slotted atop one of his thighs as you continued to kiss him. It turned sultry, charged with a more intimate element as one hand settled against your hip, digits toying with the hem of your blouse. His scent was that of cologne and fresh linens, perhaps a hint of something sweet.
He switched the television off, holding you close, chest to chest as you broke away from the kiss. The way he looked at you was mesmerizing to behold — Mike stared at you as if you were some diamond in the rough. You pressed your lips against his cheek, reveling in the way he keened into your embrace.
Your mouth peppered a string of kisses along his jaw, tugging some of his sweater down as you made your way along his neck. A soft, simpering groan escaped him when your mouth met his neck, enough for you to shiver with delight. His hands began to skim underneath your shirt, feeling along your curves.
“S’nice.” Mike mumbled, able to feel the tangible imprint of your smile against his jugular. Admittedly, he hadn’t been kissed like that — he nearly asked for you to do it again, tugging you closer as your mouth crept back up, lips seamlessly melding against his.
He was sweet — you thoroughly enjoyed the way he touched you, with a gallant certainty. There wasn’t a singular domineering bone in his body, and you were all the more grateful for it. You nearly flew out of his lap when you heard a noise from the kitchen.
“Bedroom?” You whispered, watching as Mike nodded, moving up from the couch as he reached for your hand this time. It was a very short skip to his room, which happened to be impeccably clean, just like the rest of the house. It was dark and nondescript, but before you could analyze it all, you felt his hands fly back to your blouse.
You lifted your arms, feeling the weight of the fabric leave your body. Goosebumps followed like a tidal wave, scrawled across your flesh as Mike kissed you again. It never lacked passion — it wasn’t rough nor desiring dominance, just complete and utter sweetness.
Mike was hesitant to confess to being a virgin — it didn’t necessarily matter, but it came back to the whole notion of what you would think. He wasn’t clueless in the slightest, but you deserved to know. Maybe you’d be disappointed.
As you sank down onto the edge of the mattress, he followed suit, clamoring with you until the both of you ended up tangled together atop the pillows. Every kiss was heartachingly sweet, fused together with a blistering tenderness. Your heat tilted, deepening your entanglement as your hands clutched at his sweater.
“I’ve never done this before,” He murmured, prompting you to pause, feeling the weight of his body partially draped on top of you. “Does that bother you?” Mike asked, earthen hues scanning your expression for any sign of hesitancy.
“No, it doesn’t bother me.” In fact, you found it to be endearing — it made everything sweeter. “I’ve done this before. Does that bother you?” It wasn’t something that you wore as a badge of honor. He was a shitty guy anyway, but what happened, happened.
Mike gently shook his head, feeling your fingers slip underneath the hem of his sweater. “Not in the slightest.” He replied, voice barely above a whisper. His hands stilled for a moment, stomach sloshing with excitement and a newfound sense of giddiness. “Can I touch you?”
His asking for consent was sweet — perhaps it was the doe-eyed, affectionate look he had or the soft tone of his voice, or both. Nonetheless, you found yourself enticed, feeling his hands dance around the waistband of your jeans. You were the emboldened one, wriggling out of the snug garment without warning.
“Yes,” You uttered, giving his sweater another urgent tug, wanting to feel more of him. Mike obliged, kneeling between your legs as he removed the emerald-colored garment, letting it join the pile amassing at the foot of his bed. “You’re so pretty.” You sighed, and he blushed.
The compliment did wonders for him, and he became visibly smitten by your words. He was all lean muscle, nothing bulky or grotesque, broad shoulders layered in a light smattering of freckles. “Thanks.” It got him to smile again, dutifully returning to you as he swallowed the growing lump within his throat.
Before you had time to conjure up a playful remark, his mouth was against yours, body closer than before as his hands felt across your form. Your arms draped themselves around his neck, fingers roaming through his dark tresses as you gave them a light tug. It elicited a soft noise from the back of his throat.
He kissed you until your lips were swollen, chasing after that sensation. Even kissing you made him aroused, cock pulsating with a dull throbbing as his thigh nudged against your clothed core. It became increasingly hot and less tactful, kisses devolving into a mess of need — teeth, tongue, and want.
It was his turn to layer the column of your throat in a myriad of kisses, stubble tickling the silky flesh of your neck. Your knees squeezed at his hips, feeling one of his hands knead into your clothed chest, gently groping at your breast. A low moan escaped you, and you only wanted more.
“Keep going.” You encouraged, voice breathy and wrought with a sultry tension. You reached back, hastily fiddling with the clasp of your brassiere, flinging the garment aside. Mike’s visage was permanently tinted with a shade of rose, lips parting as he resumed his touching.
Instead, his hand skimmed lower, and he searched your countenance for any signal of disdain as it dipped beneath the waistline of your panties. Mike’s breath hitched within his throat when he touched you, fingers finding your cunt, already slick with arousal. “More?” He asked, seeking a little bit of guidance.
“Yes,” You groaned, hips canting forward into his embrace, desperate for friction. He provided it to you with a swiftness, hunched over you as two digits slipped past your folds, stroking along your slit. “Mike!” Another simpering whine left you, one hand clutching onto his shoulder.
He was so sweet, like sticky, oozing honey as he pressed a string of kisses along the side of your face, pressing himself closer as his fingers found their rhythm. They slid against your aching core, one circling around your clit, causing you to lurch forward.
Mike appeared surprised when you reached for his belt, hastily unclasping it with one hand. Another pang of excitement struck him as you delved beneath his jeans with a neediness that he so desperately craved. He was starved for contact, ministrations slowing when your hand slipped into his boxers.
His cock twitched, bleeding heat into your palm as you felt around, experimenting at first. There was a dazed, needy look in his eyes, chocolate hues glazed-over by a sheen of want. Desperation was a mere understatement — he was starving, needing the contact like he needed air. You provided, amiable as ever.
“You — You don’t have to,” Mike mumbled, attempting to mask the complete and utter bliss he was feeling in that moment. As your soft palm wrapped around his cock, he let out a guttural whine, forehead pressed into yours. “Jesus.” He groaned, trying to keep his volume at a reasonable octave.
“Don’t stop,” You huffed, feeling him sink lower onto you, heat radiating from your entangled bodies. “Mike, please.” Another moan left you when he resumed in full swing, barely able to focus on pleasuring you and his own state of enjoyment.
As his thumb pressed into your clit, his other digits sought to gently prod at your cunt, beginning to work themselves inside of you. It was perfectly in-tandem with the slow strokes of your palm around his erection, pumping at his length with a scorching level of desire. He was panting in your ear, hips snapping forward into your hand.
It was heat and desire and passion that blossomed between the both of you, like a thick, inescapable haze. His flesh felt dewy beneath your fingertips, which found residence against the nape of his neck, grabbing a fistful of his disheveled tresses.
He was borderline rutting into your thigh, lurching forward into your fist, cock throbbing with a dull ache as you continued to stroke him off. Mike wanted to be loud, but there was a risk involved in that. A needy, sonorous moan left him, ghosting above the shell of your ear as his fingers gently pistoned in and out of your tight cunt.
“You’re perfect,” He breathed, mumbling an incoherent string of sweet nothings into your shoulder. Perspiration crept along the column of your spine, knees occasionally squeezing at Mike’s hips as the two of you touched one another as if it were your last time. “Perfect.” Mike mumbled again.
You tugged on his hair, dragging him closer for another sloppy, obliging kiss, to which he happily reciprocated. You could hear another whimper leave him as your lips clashed, causing you to shudder in delight. He was thrusting himself into your palm, tendrils of precum slick against your fingers.
“Want me to stop?” You mumbled, and he nodded against your shoulder. Mike knew that if you kept it up, he wouldn’t last — and it seemed completely and utterly pathetic if he did so this early on. Your grasp began to slack, hand slipping out of his boxers.
A twinge of disappointment ripped through you when his hand ceased, but it dissipated just as soon as it appeared. Mike’s hands curled into the waistband of your panties, gingerly easing them down along the length of your legs, body slipping lower as he did so. His gaze silently begged for your consent, and you weren’t about to refuse him.
“Is this okay?” Mike murmured, shuddering in delight when your head bobbed up and down several times over in an enthusiastic nod. He hadn’t done this before, but thankfully, it wasn’t difficult — and he was a quick learner. He pressed a trail of benevolent kisses along your thigh, stubble tickling your flesh in the process.
Your throat became thick, feeling his broad shoulders push past your legs, keeping them parted. “Mike,” A sigh of passion left you, hand clamoring to grasp at his tresses yet again. One hand kneaded into the pliant flesh of your thigh, the other splayed atop your hip bone until your fingers found his.
Nervousness swelled within him as he inched closer, feeling some nagging pang of hesitation. He was terrified of disappointing you, but he remembered what you’d said earlier — you’d never think less of him. “Tell me if it’s too much.” A soft utterance emerged from him before he dipped inward, breath hot as it fanned across your thighs.
Not in the slightest.
His tongue raked hot embers across your cunt, stoking the flame that burned bright within the pit of your stomach. Mike’s head became foggy with lust, swimming with desire as he kept a more exploratory pace. Your honeyed scent wafted around him, dragging him in again as he laps at your slit.
You were in disbelief — he hadn’t done this before? It almost prompted you to ask, but his mouth happened to rip those thoughts right out of your skull. A soft barrage of licks lashing against your cunt had you squirming, hips rolling forward into his mouth. A low moan left the both of you, fingers perusing through his mop of dark curls.
A myriad of whimpers left your parted lips, causing Mike to shift against the mattress, hips grinding forward to relieve some of the friction. His cock strained against his boxers, finding pleasure just in giving it all to you.
A thin layer of dewy perspiration broke out along your flesh, provided by the continuous wave of heat drifting between the both of you. Your thighs quivered as warmth pooled between your thighs, and Mike was there to kiss it all better, tongue trailing over your cunt again and again, stubble prickling at your soft flesh.
He wanted to be inside of you so bad — there was an ache present, one that only you could cure. Mike wanted to savor you, drunk upon your very being as a soft groan left him. Your digits continued to tug on his tresses, causing him to keen forward, lips pursing around your clit.
“S—Shit, Mike!” You mewled, attempting to keep your volume at a hushed octave. It was proving to be increasingly difficult, writhing against him as he hunched inward, nearly forgetting to breathe.
Mike inhaled, kissing the inside of your thigh as he dutifully lapped at your slit again. He alternated between your wet cunt and clit, suckling on the sensitive clutch of nerves. His jaw clenched, hips jolting into the mattress again as he haplessly tried to relieve some of the mounting tension.
Your chest heaved with a myriad of throaty, high-pitched whimpers as he sucked on your clit, stars rippling past your vision. No one had ever gone down on you with such reverence and passion before, but now that you’d gotten a taste, you wanted more.
Jesus — his resolve crumbled with every sound you made, each cant of your hips as you rocked into his mouth. Mike let out a whimper — he almost hoped that you didn’t hear how pathetic it sounded, continuing to lap at your core until you were seeing white.
That coil began to unfurl, blistering heat coursing through you, a white-hot rush of sheer ecstasy that caused you to moan and cry out. Mike continued to sweetly embrace your cunt, lips lightly kissing at your clit. Your body rattled like a leaf, tremors of your orgasm shooting through you.
“I need you,” Mike huffed, his voice strung-out with lust, hoarse and throaty as his fingers clamped into the pliant flesh of your hips. “Please.” You were on the cusp of cumming, hopelessly aroused by his sweet pleas as you lifted his head away, enough for him to look at you.
Those sweet, doe-like eyes of his were dilated with desire, his expression one of sheer desperation, breathing having sped up. You sat up on your elbows, enthralled by the way he hovered between your legs like a ravenous man. “You can have me,” You murmured. “Always.”
Mike sprung into action, hastily tearing his jeans off as he crawled up the length of your body, pressing a string of appreciative kisses against your velveteen skin. “You’ll stop me, right?” He inquired, nearly rendered speechless when you hitched a leg around his waist, fingers grasping at his shoulders.
“Yeah,” You nodded, feeling his fingertips ghost along your hairline, idly pushing disheveled strands aside before he stooped in for a kiss. You had no intention of stopping him whatsoever, reciprocating his affections before you plucked at the waistband of his boxers. “Just go at your own pace, okay?”
He was filled with longing, bursting at the seams as he freed his cock from its confines. He feared that he wouldn’t last long at all if he went this extra mile, but there was no turning back. Mike didn’t want to turn back, either. A moan rippled through him as he dragged the head of his length through your folds.
It reminded you of a feral animal — his countenance glistened with an ardent sensuality, pupils blown-out with lust as he slowly pushed himself inside of you. Admittedly, you loved that Mike was so needy — and he wasn’t ashamed of it, either. He lacked a single ounce of dominance, even if he was on top of you.
“You feel so good,” You moaned, forehead pressed against his own as he began to move, hips awkwardly snapping forward. It was a rocky, unstable rhythm, but you didn’t mind it in the slightest. “Mike,” A wanton sigh left you as your hands found his tresses once more.
Mike’s mouth brushed against yours, thrusting himself inside of you as he gained a rather sluggish pace. His cock throbbed uncomfortably, yearning for a release as he rocked forward again. Another low-pitched whine left him when you tugged on his hair. “I—It’s perfect.” He panted, flesh searing and damp.
His head dropped toward your collarbone, face buried within the crook between your neck and shoulder. A shudder rolled down the length of his spine as you coaxed him close, hips occasionally grinding into his pelvis, creating a friction that he wanted to chase after.
A string of incoherent babbles escaped him, enigmatic and so very breathy, hot skin melding against your own body. His pace became borderline erratic, as if he didn’t know what fit — he just wanted to be inside of you. It felt euphoric, feeling your cunt tighten around his cock as he rutted into you.
Ecstasy blistered through him like a tidal wave, and he almost felt dizzy, fucking into you at a constantly-shifting pace. He alternated from sluggish to swift, unsure of what felt right, but you were mewling into his ear. You showered him with sweetly-spoken praises, mouth seeking his lips for another messy kiss.
Mike’s hips continued to snap forward, cock aching as he neared his release. Your hand snaked between the both of you, thumb circling your clit as he bucked forward again, releasing another groan. “M’close.” Mike huffed, giving you ample forewarning as he kept up the pace.
“Please cum for me,” It was needlessly filthy, the command that tore past your mouth, but it certainly evoked a strong reaction from him. He stammered, letting out a whine as he fucked into you with a lazy passion. “Cum in me, Mike.” You moaned.
He didn’t know if he heard you right, but he rutted into you again and again, cock pulsing with warmth as he came. Mike pulled out halfway through, painting your thigh in hot ropes of his cum, flesh blazing with embarrassment.
Even in the blissful aftermath, he couldn’t help but apologize for the mess. “Sorry,” He was blushing, chest heaving with excitement as he regained his composure, slowly but surely. The rush and exhilarating thrill was still present as he rolled off of the bed, scrambling to retrieve a washcloth from his bathroom. “Here.”
His apology was endearing — sickly-sweet, too. You cleaned yourself off, making sure that the cloth ended up in the dirty laundry. You were sitting up just enough for him to press in behind you, feeling his lips pepper themselves along your spine.
You twisted around, curling into his arms as you draped yourself on top of him, swollen lips coaxing him in for an achingly tender kiss. It was pure bliss — it lacked the crazed desire from earlier, lust dissipating into affection instead. “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?” You mumbled against his mouth.
“Positive,” Mike assured, hiking the sheets up over the both of you, watching as you wormed your way into one of his t-shirts. “You’re really beautiful.” He murmured, digits stroking at your hair, caressing around your temples as you perched your chin atop his chest.
“So are you.” Your smile became saccharine, entranced by your brown-eyed paramour. “Your eyes are pretty,” You uttered, hands splaying themselves out against his chest as he held you close. “So warm.”
Crimson saturated his features as he accepted your doting compliments without question. He wasn’t used to it, but he could adjust. Your lips were swift this time, melding together in a seamless kiss as he took his time, committing every detail of you to memory. “Stay with me?” He murmured, palm lightly caressing at the back of your head.
“Of course.” You settled, limbs tangled together beneath the sheets as you made yourself comfortable within his arms. It was something that you weren’t bound to forget about anytime soon, dozing off to the sound of his steady breathing.
It was the best he’d slept in ages.
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naffeclipse · 1 month ago
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Charm Brought It Back Pt. 3
Reader x Witches!Sun, Moon, & Eclipse
Commission Info
The lovely @pure-plum request a third part to @jackofallrabbits's and my Hocus Pocus AU! I'm so excited to share this next installment. The witch boys are far from done with the little historian and Michael has some explaining to do. Sun needs to share some vows and Eclipse tries to explain some things on the roof of Michael's home. Enjoy!
Content Warning: Suggestive themes, heavy kissing, heavy touching, injury, blood, violence, fire, (temporary) animal death and (temporary) character death.
———
On the outskirts of town, where the buildings and the suburban life thins into winding roads and wild, pale orange and deep red trees, is Michael’s home. He lumbers towards it like a creature from a 1950s movie.
Weaving between your footsteps is Vanessa, the talking rabbit. Her ears stay pricked and her wide, green eyes scan the starry skies constantly—blades of dead grass stick to the legs of your pants. Holes decorate your sweater, and your breathing has yet to level into something less frightening by the night's events.
You close your eyes for a brief moment to contain all the terror within you, but you almost trip on the dark pavement of the road. Michael reaches out to steady you with a rotten hand. Straightening quickly before giving him a glance of reassurance that you're alright, you nod. You stare at the putrid flesh of his fingers. Your stomach twists.
His dark eyes, alit only with twin, pale pricks of light, linger upon you. The weight is unbearable.
You’re not walking much better than the cursed, rotting man with a broken leg. When you asked him if it hurts, he said no. He can’t feel much of anything. You almost burst into tears, but he told you to keep going. It’ll be alright. 
You don’t know what to think anymore.
“There, up ahead,” Michael's voice churns with gravel. He gestures with a putrid arm. “My house. We’ll be safe there.”
It’s a bonte-white structure, a touch old considering the peeling paint on the outside as well as the overflowing garden of lavender—but you understand now why the flora flourishes on the grounds. 
Two stories tall, the roof slants over the attic. On top, a cupola framed in square panes of glass gives a small sense of safety, like a lighthouse on a cliff overlooking a stormy sea. The dark shingles slope down over the upper-level windows. 
“Do you know where Afton’s home is?” Vanessa speaks, and it almost startles you out of your wits. Her small, fuzzy head turns towards him while he reaches the front gate and shoves it open. You follow in afterward.
Your brow crinkles. When Michael first approached you, inquiring history of some genealogy he was doing on his family, you did point out a few historical buildings and locations within town. He said he needed your research for… personal reasons.
“I do, thanks to our friend,” he gestures to you. 
Vanessa flatly says, “The virgin.”
You cringe as the rabbit hops onto the porch. Michael stops before the cement steps with a quiet growl.
“Don’t say that.” He turns to you. “Can you help me up? I’m sorry, I smell like death.”
“It’s okay,” you smile, then immediately grimace at the stretch while you take his arm. “It’s not… going to fall off if I tug you up, right?”
His dark hair falls across his forehead while he shrugs. “I hope not.”
With that cheerful reassurance, you hook his elbow. Shadowing his step, you help him lift his bad leg onto the step, and pull the rest of his body afterward. Repeating the motions, you fall into a natural rhythm by the time you reach the front door. All the while, your mind whirls at Michael’s current condition while the rabbit waits impatiently at the door and the bizarre events since you lit the starry candle. 
“You didn’t tell me…” you say softly but fall short. You don’t want it to be an accusation, but you want to know. “You didn’t tell me about the brothers.”
He turns his face towards you. The clogging scent of decay infiltrates your nostril and you’re forced to cough to clear it away. Spying the yellowed cusps of his molars between threads of his cheek flesh conjures a sickness in your middle. His half-rotten lips press together into a thin line.
“It’s hard to approach someone with ‘Hey, I’m a witch hunter, just like my great ancestor who hung witches.’”
“Michael,” you chide.
“I warned you,” he says.
“I know.” You shake your head. Reaching out, you grab the door handle and push it open. “We need to brace your leg. Just because you don’t feel hurt doesn’t mean you aren’t.”
“Cursed,” he corrects quietly. “Not hurt. It could have been worse.”
His eyes drift to Vanessa, who stands guard for one moment, staring out into the darkness, before he returns his attention to you.
“I can still do things, though I wouldn’t want to be caught by the witches. They would torture me for eternity if they had it their way, I’m certain,” he drips derision.
A dark fist squeezes your heart. Heavy and pained, you guide Michael into his home. You’ve been in here once or twice, advising him in his research since he asked for your help. It was fun. You like talking about the town’s history how many historical homes are still maintained in the area and what significant events took place on what are now random fields or paved parking lots.
“Do you have some wood boards or planks we can use for a splint?” You ease Michael onto a blue couch, ripping slightly at the seams along the arms. The pale wood coffee table is overrun with books, an assortment of old and dark pages worn by time. You’re tempted to flip through titles, but fear keeps you on track. Michael might dissolve into dust and bones right before your eyes. 
“Yeah, under the sink. I have medical supplies in there.” Michael nonchalantly grabs his ripped jeans leg by the knee and hauls his broken leg up to prop it across the coffee table. A part of you squirms to see the unnatural bend in his shin bone, the leg all but collapsing. He continues without missing a beat, “Don’t worry about cleaning the wound or painkillers.”
“O-okay.” You sound far away. Those aspects are important to treating any injured person but what rules apply to a cursed man? Dizziness circles your skull as you stumble into the kitchen. A few dirty mugs are left in the sink. Rummaging underneath it, you find a black tote filled with medical supplies, a suspiciously, well-prepared assortment from bandages to antibacterial ointments. Needles for sutures wink up at you. Wooden stints wait as if expecting you.
Why does Michael have so much emergency aid prepared? It would be nice to think of Michael as simply a man who is well-prepared for the worst, but after tonight, how can you believe that? He’s a witch hunter in the modern day. 
There’s so much you don’t understand. 
Picking up the entire tote, your questions follow you back into the living room. Vanessa sits on her haunches on the coffee table, her fur still caked with streaks of dirt as she examines Michael’s broken leg. He straightens on the couch as best as he can when you kneel beside his wounded leg.
Following Michael’s instructions, you set the splints around the limb, up his knee, and over the top of his shoes. 
“Ties,” Michael says, “right here.” He leans over and fishes through the tote until he finds dark cords. 
You tie it carefully. You don’t want it too tight or else it could cut off blood circulation—if that is still functioning within his walking corpse. Dismissing the idea, you shudder and finish off the knot. 
“Do you have salt? More charms?” Vanessa asks, her attention upon Michael.
“I do. Weapons too,” he says.
“Wait.” You straighten, stepping back to gaze at both of them. This is not a normal conversation. This is not a normal get-together with a zombie and a rabbit—you need answers. Now.
“What is it?” Vanessa asks, her little rabbit face perturbed by your behavior.
“What is going on? No one has given me a straight answer all night.” You cross your arms, clutching at the torn sleeves of your sweaters. 
Michael and Vanessa share a glance as if they’ve known each other far longer than just this evening. Isolation settles upon you.
Michael faces you, testing the splints to see how well they hold. They remain rigid around the broken limb.
“The brothers are witches. They’re very real, and they’re very dangerous,” he says, his dark, sunken eyes holding your gaze. “My ancestor, William Afton, was a witch hunter. He hanged them for their crimes.”
“They were supposed to stay dead.” Vanessa’s voice lowers. Shame and hatred mingle into a chord under her tone. “I was there the day the brothers were hanged. I was the one who led Afton, my master, right to their home. For that, the brothers cursed me with immortality and this wretched body.”
Her ears flick. A heaviness settles over your chest, and your breath quickens into a shallow, desperate rhythm.
“You mean… all this time?” you whisper. 
Vanessa stares at you. Her green eyes are unreadable.
“All this time, I guarded the starry candle. Until you came along,” she seethes for one brief moment.
“Vanessa,” Michael’s voice cuts over her. “Don’t… I shouldn’t have let anyone go there, much less alone.”
“There’s the ceremony we must worry about,” she jumps in place, twisting to face him. “We must only wait them out until dawn, and they will return to their graves.”
Your head spins. The witches who spun you around and purred in your ear have wrecked so much havoc, even after their demises. You turn away.
Michael calls out your name.
“Do you have a shirt I can borrow?” you ask, not looking back at him. Your fingers knot ceaselessly into the fabric of your sweater, widening the holes further. 
“Of course.” Michaels’ voice softens. “Up the stairs, in the attic. Take whatever shirt you want. There’s something else we need to tell you, though. Can you wait a moment?”
“No,” you whisper, then shake your head, “Just… Just give me one minute, okay?”
You don’t wait for an answer as you step out of the room. Hurrying up the stairway that leads to the attic, you hear a hushed exchange. The rabbit harshly wonders if it’s wise to let you leave. You hurry up the steps.
The landing is open, sprawling with chests shoved against walls and a dusty desk left beside a window overlooking the garden sprawling with lavenders down below. A sack of wooden and leather charms sits near the top of the stairs. Across the room, a bed sits with a thick, brown quilt depicting yellow and orange flowers in geometric patterns over the cover. Does Michael sleep up here?
You venture forward, finding a closet with bi-folding doors. You nervously touch your fingers to the handle. Michael said it was alright, but somehow, this feels like an invasion of privacy. A little funny, considering you don’t know as much about your friend as you thought. 
Sliding one open, you find a few shirts hanging. Plaids and button-ups and pullovers, all with the faint hint of Michael’s musky, woody scent. You reach for a fisherman’s sweater, green and thickly textured. Lifting the hook off of the rack, you gingerly handle it with grimy fingers. You make a quiet sound of equal disgust and annoyance at yourself.
Look at you. You’re a mess. You went to explore a historical home and brought three witches back to life. Michael and Vanessa know who the brothers are and the brothers have seemingly claimed you as an intricate piece in a ceremony you have yet to understand.
You should listen to what the witch hunter and cursed rabbit woman have to say. Learning more and diving deep into the past has never been a feat you’ve shrunk away from, but you feel so strange. Confused. 
Phantoms of Eclipse’s hands slip underneath your sweater. Moon’s vows circle your head in a chant, spell-binding and complete. Your stomach burns with the memory of Sun pulling you onto his lap and flying off. 
This should be simple, like a fable. The witches must be defeated and the village saved. Historically, however, witches were only innocents. They were victims of powerful people and scapegoats for natural disasters and widespread sickness. They weren’t luring children away into the house of candy. They were simply practicing an art or culture that so few understood.
A gentle stroke of pity fills you when you think of the brothers and their hangings. Were they truly so evil they deserved to die?
You hear a soft creak of wood just above your head. Your eyes lift to the ceiling. The home is old. It’s bound to groan and settle in around you. Though your heart briefly knocks against your ribs, you clutch at your holey sweater and remember what you’re doing.
Michael and Vanessa are waiting for you. There’s more you don’t understand, and you have to face it. You lower your shoulders and close your eyes, then shiver.
A cool draft ghosts through the room. You turn, dropping the red sweater on the bed. Curiously, your eyes roam the windows, searching for which one hangs open—and why you didn’t feel a breeze before.
A spiral staircase leads up into the cupola. You peer skyward into the black, starry darkness through frames of wood. One of the glass panes is slightly ajar, pushed in, and left precariously loose. A chill slips against your skin through the holes of your sweater.
Was that always open?
Your spine tingles; the sensation of no longer being alone. 
“Hello, sunshine,” a cheerful, dripping voice slips into your ear from behind you.
Sun.
You inhale sharply. Before you can scream, a hand clamps over your mouth. An arm, lithe and solid as iron, wraps around your waist. The witch lifts you off your feet. Struggling, you claw at the hands holding you. Panic surges into your veins as you’re carried across the room and then twisted around to face your abductor. Without his warm, dark palm leaving your lips, Sun pins you onto the bed. You gaze up at him, eyes wide as he grins devilishly. He immediately slots his knees on the other side of your legs, hovering above you like a dark red sunrise, securing you in place.
A quiver runs through you. Your middle returns with a familiar warmth while you roam over his visage. His wide, pale eyes greedily devour you. His other hand softly pets your collarbone, hooking the collar of your shirt to expose more skin.
“There you are.” His thumb softly swipes your cheek without giving you room to speak. “I feared the fool rabbit and the rotten witch hunter spirited you away from us. No need to fear, my darling. We’ve come back for you.”
You whine underneath his palm. His grin widens as if he finds your little muffled sounds adorable. Sharp teeth glint in the near darkness of the attic.
Squirming, you grab at the edge of the bed and attempt to pull yourself out from under him. Sun clicks his tongue in disapproval.
“Ah, ah, ah, my dove! I haven’t gotten a kiss from you yet.” He shakes his head with great sorrow. “Don’t you want to hear my vows?”
He snatches your wrists, one by one, and shackles them in his one fist. He lifts them over your head and holds them against the headboard. Your heart thunders at how easily he contains you. Yet, you twist and flutter at him so close. A scent of honey and wildflowers falls from his cloak, sweet and intimate. You gaze up at him, little more than a fly caught in a spider’s web.
“It’s truly breaking my heart,” he feigns dramatically slumping. “My eldest brother has the pleasure of knowing the taste of your lips, and my twin has spoken his vows to you, but what of me? What am I supposed to do but die of heartbreak?”
He leans closer. Your eyes dart to his mouth and back to his gaze, holding you in a feverish, boiling want. A swipe of his tongue wets his teeth. A heat floods your cheeks.
“Shhh, sunshine. I’ll remove my hand so long as you’re good.”
You weakly nod. Your jaw trembles under his palm before the witch spears you with one last warning. His grin, however, grows. His hand lifts away and frees your mouth. Nervously, you lick at your lips while he studies the movement with pleasure staining his expression.
His hand falls, his dark satin fingertips flowing down your chin before ghosting over the sensitive cords of your throat. As if painting with his hands, he follows the curve of your collarbones. You wince when his claws cut through your poor sweater as he warms your chilled body with his palm pressed against your shoulder.
“Will you allow me the honor of becoming your husband?” He holds your gaze. 
Your breath slows as his hand falls to your side and begins softly caressing you through a notable tear in the knitwear of your shirt. A shiver spreads across your body from his touch. He tilts his head, his sun rays cutting through the darkness in a peacock-like twirl.
“Will you allow me to worship you endlessly, to be at your beck and call, to endure curses and terrors, and to witness blooming gardens and bright days by your side?” He sighs so sweetly as if he can’t stand the thought of stalling a moment more. “I’m afraid you are simply too lovely. Let me show you my devotion, then you may say ‘I do.’”
A tender pang in your heart ripples through you. Gazing into his pale, wide eyes, you fall into them. Would someone so evil have so much good to say? Would he ask for your hand in marriage if he truly meant harm?
“Sunshine?” Sun purrs gently. “It’s alright. You can speak your vows later.”
“Wait,” you whisper. Your gut twists as you think of Michael and Vanessa. Your friends are cursed, and they have the power to undo it. “Michael and Vanessa are suffering. Can’t you remove the curse placed upon them?”
Sun’s mouth pulls taut into a razor-sharp grin, but he doesn’t truly smile. Your stomach clenches with dread.
“How sweet to think the enemies of my brothers and I deserve mercy.” He withdraws his hand from the hole in your sweater and slips down to the hem slipping up your waist. His thumb slides over your hip bone. Softly, he begins circling it and you must bite your bottom lip to keep from gasping at how gentle his touch is. 
“Please,” you say quietly. You curl your fingers, still trapped under Sun’s grip. “I can’t say what you want me to say until Michael and Vanessa are free.”
“Hm,” he hums, the sound rolling deep in his chest, “A great gift to demand as our bride. Why don’t we speak of something else? Something more delicious.”
Your lips part as he leans down. His face is mere inches from your own, and you feel a buzz upon your mouth in anticipation. Shyly, a pink blush fills your face.
He draws his hand from your hip and takes your chin in his hand. His thumb gently brushes your bottom lip, holding you in place.
“You have the most beautiful freckles,” he murmurs, eyes half-lidded and sultry. “Your lips are like roses. Won’t you let me stain myself in them?”
“Sun.” You want to turn your face away, but he’s so close. You can smell the sweetness of his person, and your core becomes molten. 
His mouth finds yours, and heated light falls over you. You fall utterly still under his gentle and smooth, practiced motion. Pushing and pulling, like steps to a dance, he kisses you. His tongue softly swipes at the seam of your lips, asking for entry. A mewl catches in the back of your throat. Insistent but gentle, Sun’s tongue finds its way past your teeth. The molten heat within you becomes lava, volcanic, and you are filled with his feverish desire to love you.
His grip softly flexes against your waist and wrists. Your back arches slightly, and his hand slips underneath you to support your spine. He draws you flush against him. Your sweater rides up, and you feel the soft fabric of his billowy shirt and the smooth, marbledness of his torso. A great fluttering erupts within your chest. Dizzy and struck by his full attention, you are molded by the sheer heat of his affection.
You’ve never felt such love before.
His tongue caresses your own before he draws it slowly out of your mouth. A stretch of spit follows before it snaps. He breaks the kiss, leaving you cold. You whine, afraid to never have such a connection again. You fall back to the mattress but Sun’s hand splayed over your back refuses to let you go, and you remain fast against his body.
He chuckles. “You are so sweet and precious. I have had lovers before, but you are the one who will stay with me. You are mine.”
You breathe out heavily. Your chest is gooey and warm, and your heart beats to a fiery tempo. 
“It’s alright,” he speaks in a low growl, passionate and terrifying, “Accept my vows, and I will love you for eternity. I will give you my heart on a silver platter. I will be your undying servant. I will dance with you every dawn. Sunshine, say ‘I do.’”
It’s on the tip of your wet lips. The words. The one phrase that will somehow evoke magic and time and fate, and make you entirely his.
“Oh, Sun,” you breathe, shaking your head.
Would it be wrong? Couldn’t you show him that he has too many curses? There are other ways he and his brothers can use their magic, right? They don’t have to be like this again.
“One more kiss,” he breathes against your cheek, fingers curling against the dimples of your spine before he bows over you. Your breath catches at the touch of his lips—
Footsteps thunk, slow and uneven, up the stairs. Michael's voice calls out to you, gently, but the undertone of concern does not miss your ears. The splint is working. The quick scurry of little claws scrabbling upwards echoes towards you and the witch about to kiss you.
Sun snarls silently. 
You clench your hands.
“Don’t hurt them,” you whisper, “Please.”
He levels you with a look, a glint of a blade-like calculation.
Rising, Sun pulls you after him in a whisking motion. Your vision spins as your hands fly down to cling to his shoulders. Taking your hips, Sun secures you against him, glaring daggers at the steps leading into the attic room before Michael’s purple face emerges, then widens in alarm and fury. Vanessa bound inwards and jerks to a stop, stunned. 
Sun cackles as he skips you backward in a dizzying, near glide upwards to the cupola. 
“Go and rot elsewhere, witch hunter!” he calls out. You clutch at his arms as he pulls you towards the askew window pane. The night breeze causes your hair to flutter around you. Sun grips you tighter, bowing close and protective over you. “It’s a beautiful night for a wedding, don’t you think?”
“No!” Michael shouts your name, stumbling forward at a break-neck speed. Vanessa scrambles up the thin, narrow steps with bounding legs.
Before you can cry out, Sun bends in half, forcing you down with him as he sticks one leg out of the window, and in one smooth motion, taking you in his arms like it’s your wedding night, he slides you out of the window and onto the roof of Michael’s home. You catch the last fleeting glimpses of Michael and Vanessa, both slapped with horror.
Sun extends his hand. With a hushed but fierce chant, magic heats the air. The little hairs on your arms prickle with a sizzling sensation as Sun casts a spell from his lips. The glass becomes molten, shining orange and taffy-like as it remains stuck within its frames, and then with one more word, Sun changes the glass once more. It warps and expands, becoming almost triple in thickness. 
You catch the sight of Michael throwing himself up the stairs. A warning flies from your lips. Whether he can’t hear you or he can’t stop himself if he wants to or not, he flies into the glass. He bounces off of it as if it were a steel wall. He hits the other end of the cupola, almost falling down the steps before he catches himself.
You gasp sharply. Clinging to the shoulders of Sun’s cloak, he purrs in delight as he slips carefully down the old, faded shingles.
“It’s alright, sunshine.” He pecks your cheek as the sloped roof descends to a dangerous lip with only the gutter acting as a barrier between you and a 20-foot drop. “Eclipse should have cursed the witch hunter into a rabbit. A yellow one with purple eyes. I would have let you keep him as a pet. Vanessa, too, if you ask nicely.”
“Don’t drop me!” your voice rises shrilly as you tuck your face against his neck. “Please.”
“Oh, I’ve received enough lectures from my brothers,” he laughs, then presses close to your cheek, contrite. “Please, forgive me, my darling. My excitement overtook me. I merely had to have you—and our vows still haven’t been exchanged!”
He steps over one of the windows, taking you to the south-facing side of the house, away from the window you both emerged from. Sun is light and graceful as he crosses the dizzying slopes of the roof. 
“The bride returns,” a familiar voice crones. Eclipse.
Lifting your head, you start as Sun slips towards the very lip of the roof. There, floating right in the open air, dozens of feet above the lavender garden, is Eclipse. Moon perches on an arch upon the roof with a disgruntled expression twisting his face while he strokes the warm, honeyed wood of Sun’s broom.
“I’m surprised you didn’t drop our bride once more,” Moon drips with venom. You gaze at him, remembering how he pinned you to the mausoleum wall. A bubbling roil returns to your middle.
“Silence, brother,” Sun growls, “You had your chance to exchange vows and you lost it to a fool imp and a vermin!”
Moon’s red eyes soften upon you when your gazes meet.
“Hello, little mouse. We almost lost you.”
“Moon,” you say softly, blinking against the starlight.
“Come here, little comet.” Eclipse opens his arms out to you. You openly stare. With ease, he balances upon the slender reddish-brown wood of his broom, his cape descending around him like wings. His grin is sharp and earnest, all at once. “We must make haste.”
“Wait, wait,” you try to shake your head but Sun passes you easily onto Eclipse’s lap as if you were mere feathers. 
“Sun?” Eclipse looks to his brother.
“No, I didn’t get vows in return,” he huffs, “the nasty witch hunter has a habit of interrupting private engagements.”
“I thought so.” Eclipse faces you. You sit securely upon his lap. His black cloak drapes slightly over your legs in the manner of a warm blanket. He gently takes your chin in his hand. You are still at the slight trace of his other circling your waist and securing you close. “You need to perform the ceremony with us.”
“Why? Why is it so important I perform the ceremony with you?” you ask softly. The cool air sends a chill down your back. Eclipse frowns before he hugs you close to his chest, sheltering you from the elements.
For a beat, he is silent. He strokes your arm with the back of his hand in slow, tender motions. Your eyelids flutter under such gentleness.
The sound of glass cracking jabs into the air, muffled but distant. A sharp growl echoes from Moon and Sun. You try to twist back to see if Michael is emerging onto the roof but Eclipse hums sharply, regaining your attention.
“It’s important because of you,” he answers gravely but with no less affection. “I have waited a whole life and death for you. As have my dear brothers. Sunrise will be here soon.”
“Sunrise?” you ask, confused. You’ve heard them tell of the bells ringing for them at dawn. “What does that mean then?”
Eclipse cups your face, forcing your attention upon him despite the rush of footsteps scrambling over the roof, and the harsh breaths and sharp curses.
“You love us, don’t you?”
Your lips part breathlessly. His eyes hold you in molten gold, and you become unbalanced once more.
Do you?
Can you marry these strange and handsome witches the very night you brought them back from their graves?
He drops his touch from your mouth and softly caresses the back of your hand. He looks down at it, admiring the small hills of your knuckles and the softness of your skin.
“We don’t have long,” he says. “We have already devoted our hearts to you, little comet. You have the power to—”
“LET THEM GO!” Michael shouts.
Eclipse’s head snaps back to the roof. Sun and Moon are clawing over the singles, the former giving chase after Michael. Shards of glass stick out of the sleeve of his torn shirt, embedded into his flesh; he seems to ignore the wounds entirely. Moon snatches a white rabbit rushing over the arch of the roof with a swipe of his claws. A sharp squeak of pain echoes from Vanessa. Holding up his catch like a fox with his meal, the witch cackles. 
You startle and start to wiggle desperately off of Eclipse’s lap. 
“Please!” You extend a hand towards Sun and Moon. “Don’t hurt them!”
Eclipse begins to wrap both arms tight around you, despite your struggle. Michael recklessly charges down the slope of the roof and reaches deep into his pocket. Producing pale lavender petals, he tosses them like confetti into the air just as Eclipse curses, then shrieks as the petals fall over you both like rice at a wedding.
“No! We’re running out of time!” Eclipse shrieks as he rapidly swipes at his person, removing the petals with a pained expression, but his golden eyes hold you captive. “My bride.”
You sadly shake your head. A dark mouth swallows your heart in a twisting torment: to stay or to leave. To forsake your friends or to give in to your suitors. 
On a nameless fear, you turn back to the roof and fling yourself off of Eclipse’s lap. His claws swipe at your sweater, ripping a tear into the back of it but you managed to land on the lip of the roof. The gutter buckles. You scream. Michael yanks you by the collar of your almost-ruined shirt and drags you up the roof. Sun cuts into his path.
“Nasty little corpse,” Sun snarls, “I’ll teach you to stay dead.”
“Sun, don’t!” Your eyes widen.
His pale eyes flash to you, his wicked grin easing. In the brief moment of Sun’s distraction, Michael squeezes several petals and a charm in his fist. The lethal design flashes in the starlight. Michael hurls the charm and the few petals left. When the charm hits Sun’s chest, a sharp sizzle echoes. The witch yelps, writhing as you fear a searing of flesh before he manages to fling it off of him. Sun is left clawing at where a mark burns through the fabric of his shirt.
Up the roof, Michael scrambles, towing you after him, trying as you might to look back at Sun in your worry. You reach a hand out towards the witch. He stops in his writhing to look back, but Michael pulls you faster until your feet almost give out from underneath you. Across a peak in the roof, Michael zeros in on Sun’s broom.
“Michael,” you say, but he is already striding towards it. Using his un-splinted leg, he brings his boot down hard on the broom until it snaps and cracks in half.
“Afton!” Sun howls, “I’ll make you pay!”
You hear a sharp snarl from across the roof. You face Moon clutching Vanessa as he begins the mutterings of a curse. Vanessa is kicking with her hind legs and writhing. His black claws wrap around her dirty white fur before she manages to twist and sink her teeth into his hand. A growl, pain-filled and brimming with loathing, echoes before he hurls her away from him. Vanessa falls down the roof and over the edge.
“Vanessa!” you scream out.
“She’s fine, she’s fine,” Michael utters, dragging you back to the cupola. “Go, go, she’ll be outside on the grass, and then we’ll run.”
“No, no, no!” you half-sob. You lock eyes with Moon, his expression unreadable. His eyes are red like blood but he makes no more to stalk after you as Michael shoves you through the shattered window. Thick shards of glass lie upon the steps of the narrow staircase and the wood frame is splintered. 
“Hurry,” Michael urges. He pulls you rapidly through the attic room. He stops only to snatch a leather bag and throw it over his shoulder. “It’s not safe here anymore. They’ll curse it. We have to get to town, shake them off our trail.”
“But Michael, Vanessa,” you sob and realize how stupid you are to trust the witches. They are violent. They are wicked.
You wanted so badly to kiss them.
“Focus up,” he says firmly. “Stay with me.”
You catch a whiff of smoke. You and Michael both pause on the top of the staircase leading to the ground floor, and peer up to find flames licking at the wood of the cupola greedily, and descending further, and further down.
“Fire. Of course,” Michael mutters. “Let’s go.”
He yanks on your arm and you both fly down the steps. Out of the door, you scramble over the porch and onto the lawn, finding the still form of Vanessa on the grass. Just like Michael said. You tear away from Michael to snatch up the rabbit’s body in your arms. You turn her head and find blood splattering the side of her face. Her poor, broken body hangs limp in your hands.
“Vanessa,” you wail.
“Run. It will be okay.” Michael pulls you after him. He races down the lone road, towards the light of the town. 
Twisting back once to stare up at Michael’s home now descending in rapid, unnatural flames of bright orange, you almost fall at the sight of it becoming ash. Upon the roof sit three witches, watching you race away. Their stillness pierces your heart. You sob once more and kiss Vanessa’s head in apology. You didn’t mean for her to die.
Why would they do that? You begged them not to.
Michael keeps running an awkward gait with his splinted leg and his rotten flesh. You keep pace, shoes slapping on the pavement, hugging a dead rabbit to your heart with tears spilling down your face.
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blossomingmoonlight · 1 month ago
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⭑ Separate Worlds, Chapter One ⭑
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Series Masterlist
Pairing: Michael Gavey x Popular!rich!reader
A/N: It took a while as I wanted to write some chapters ahead but the first part of my first longer fanfiction is here! Please give me feedback I need to know if it's any good :)
Summary: Living two completely separate lives you and Michael had never really crossed paths and you’ve never really looked at him before. But when your worlds collide, affections arise.
Word count: 1.8k
Wednesday, October 12th 2006
The sound of rain hitting your thin single paned window woke you from your usual noon nap. Waking up with a groan, you checked your watch. A beautiful watch from Cartier, one you’ve always wanted. Another gift from your beloved father, who would rather send you gifts to apologise than actually say the words. He would once again miss your birthday, this year he would fly to Turkey, for a 'very important business trip'. 
You didn’t even care where the fucker would run away to this time, he’d do anything to get away from your mum, and from your family. Anytime you would meet someone and tell them your name they’d immediately perk up, your family was quite an old one and when the first cars were invented your ancestor was there, right with Benz himself. In current day your father ran the family company, manufacturing and transporting cars all over the world, and soon your brother would join him.
You never had much of a thing for cars, but luckily for you your older brother did. He wasn’t going to be there either though. He was accepted into Harvard, and was currently studying abroad in America. A loud knock fully awakened you and you rose from your bed, you were so tired you didn’t even change into comfier clothes, you just napped in your cute fall outfit of the day instead. 
Opening the door, Farleigh almost immediately bursted into your room. He seemed angry, but he usually was. You met him in your first year, of course upon hearing your name called on in a lecture, he partnered up with you after class. So your first project was with him, he was nice enough but sometimes he could be really annoying and above himself. 
You took a deep breath as Farleigh made himself comfortable in your bed, you did not have the energy to tell him to sit on the couch instead so you silently joined him, waiting for him to start his rant. “So? What happened?” You asked, since he was still moping on your bed in silence. “That fucking rat Oliver! He lends his bike to Felix ONCE and now they’re besties! He is literally a dirt poor cunt that has no personality or anything interesting about him!” 
Great so that’s what this was going to be. “Christ Far, what did he do?” You had to hold back a chuckle, you felt bad for him but when Farleigh was mad he made this really funny face. “Don’t fucking laugh! It’s not funny! You know how Felix and I were going to go to that new coffee place that just opened, and you and Eloise were going to join us after your maths class? Well fuck that apparently! Because Felix just messaged me that Oliver and him are doing an assignment together and he had to cancel!”
“Don’t get me wrong Far, that really sucks but if it’s for school I don’t really-” He cut you off before you could even explain yourself. “The fucking assignment is not until next monday! It’s wednesday for fucks sake!” You so did not have energy for this. “Okay Far, please calm down, if you do think that Oliver is doing it on purpose the last thing you want is to give him the satisfaction of pissing you off. Just stay calm about this and we’ll ask if Maisie is free this afternoon to join us.” 
Farleigh seemed to cool off and now instead looked a bit embarrassed. “Yeah, yeah you’re right. Sorry for barging in like this, didn’t mean to wake you. I’ll message Maisie then, grab a coffee with me? As an apology for waking you up?” You gave him a smile and nodded. “Let’s drink it in the library, it’ll be so cosy with the rain and I need to finish some homework really quick before maths today. Should I message Eloise if she wants in?”
“Yeah sounds good, put on your shoes and let's go!” Farleigh was all back to his normal energised self again and you did as he said. Eloise replied that she would join you later. You and Farleigh jogged to the library, him with your coffee’s and you trying to hold the umbrella over both of your heads. Both of you couldn’t help but giggle as Farleigh almost spilled the coffee at the entrance, while you shook off the umbrella. 
You both strolled in and walked over to a free table in the back, with a big beautiful window that showed the autumn weather outside. Farleigh slid over your iced coffee to you while he drank his hot cappuccino with way too much sugar. Farleigh grabbed his laptop to work on some essay he had due tonight and you grabbed your maths homework. After about thirty minutes of work, you both couldn’t help but talk about Eloise’s new boyfriend. 
A loud snort accidently left your lips when Farleigh imitated the poor boy's smile, which was all teeth and kind of creepy, when you flinched at the sight of a guy peering at the two of you behind a bookshelf. Farleigh’s brow furrowed and he turned to see what you were looking at behind him. Once he saw the guy he turned back to you and mouthed ‘what the fuck?’ which made you laugh again.
This seemed to be the final straw for the guy and he walked over. “Could the two of you shut up. You do realise that this is a library? People are trying to actually study.” The guy sneered. You looked at him with wide eyes, where had you seen him before? He didn’t seem like the guy to take literature…also not any of your other classes- oh… Maths. You definitely saw him there. 
You’ve never really looked at him before. He was quite handsome if you took away the classes, khaki pants, tucked in blouse and the keys hanging from his belt, not bad. Farleigh spoke up before you could apologise. “Aren't you the guy who screamed at Oliver during O week?” He looked at the guy with an expression you knew all too well, he was about to rip this guy a new one. And of course the poor guy’s face goes red as a tomato. 
You felt bad and gave Farleigh a look, anything to stop this awful moment. Luckily Farleigh gave it a rest and the guy opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. He walked away instead. “What the actual fuck was that.” You laughed, the whole interaction was absurd. “I have no idea- Oh, El just messaged me. She is… on her way and will be here soon.” Farleigh read as he scanned his eyes over his phone. 
“Good, but don’t make that face again in front of her. It’ll only start something between the two of you." Then your eyes noticed something, the guy from just now, sitting all alone, fervently writing down notes. Hm, kind of sad. Only five minutes later did Eloise stumble into the library, dripping wet, with her books under her coat. “Fuck me, that rain is just getting worse.” She said a little loudly as she dropped her books on the table. Earning a look from that guy from before.
“You don’t have an umbrella?” Farleigh chuckled. “No I don’t, who remembers to bring an umbrella to uni?” She scoffed. You raised your brows and smiled at Farleigh. He laughed and Eloise sat down, copying some of your already finished homework. “Hurry up, we only have ten minutes until maths start.” 
“Yeah yeah I’ll be quick. I can easily do this in five and then we be there ‘bout three minutes before, that’s plenty of time.” You rolled your eyes and watched as Eloise hurriedly scrabbled on the paper. When she was done, Farleigh went back to his dorm to watch a movie, while you and Eloise headed the other way to maths, laughing when she saw you open the umbrella for the two of you. 
Eloise always preferred to sit in the back, so that’s where you went. Felix and Oliver were already there. To be honest you didn’t know if you liked Oliver just yet, he hadn’t been around for long but you just got weird vibes from him. But if Felix liked you that’s all it takes to ‘get in’. You hadn’t realised when you were walking in front of Eloise that you would be seated right next to Felix. 
You didn’t mind him, but he had this sort of weird thing with girls. As if he needed to prove to himself that he could get anyone, except for you. You had no interest in him, you were more the type to have a friendship and deep connection with someone rather than hooking up. But that was exactly what Felix was, a quick fuck. You gave him an awkward smile when he grinned at you, and a small nod from Oliver. 
Time for small talk was impossible as your professor already cleared his throat, silencing the hall. But for some reason your eyes were scanning the room. That kind of looked like- oh, nope not him. He kind of looks similar- also not him, oh, there he is. All the way to the bottom left. You instantly recognised that nose, that jaw, his soft blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes- okay, that was a lot. You had no idea what overcame you but you would definitely be thinking about him later, when you were alone. And it was the daydreams of him that got you through the boring lecture.
Thursday, October 13th 2006
‘Saying what you gon’ do to me’ ‘But I ain’t seen nothing’ ‘Typical ain’t hardly the type I fall for’ ‘I like when the physical-’ You were so engrossed in the song coming from your headphones that you bumped into someone. Oh god- it was him. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” You said as you ripped your headphones out of your ears. “Whatever.” He mumbled, about to just step around you and move along into the building but you stopped him, grabbing his arm. Which made him turn around and look at you surprised. 
“I’m so sorry about yesterday, I wanted to apologise then, but Farleigh can be so rude.” You smiled. He didn’t respond but looked at your hand on his arm instead, which you then quickly let go. “Uhm, what’s your name?” His mouth was slightly opened as he stumbled out, “M-Michael Gavey.” He stuck out his hand and you shook it as you told him your name. “Nice to meet you Michael, and again so sorry about yesterday.” He only nodded and then walked away. You subconsciously smiled and put your headphones back in, heading to your next lecture of the day.
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loneisland · 1 month ago
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🏷️ tags fem! reader, shopaholics, outrageous amounts of money, pro player! michael kaiser
author's note i had already sort of expanded on this idea of a shopaholic gf on my old blog, but i kept on rethinking about it and about mihya and so this little drabble came out of my head! enjoy
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Your expensive taste can’t be helped — or at least that’s what you tell your boyfriend, Michael Kaiser, as he discovers another pair of Manolo Blahnik boots stuffed in the lower compartment of your shared walk-in closet.
It wasn’t as if Mihya was cheap, but force of habit and his experience growing up had made him frown upon the luxuries he could now afford rather than enjoy them, despite his girlfriend being rather fond of it herself.
« Nouvelle saison! Do you know what that means, Mihya? New! New season! They’re- they’re so- »
« They’re just like any other pair of boots that you own » he sighs, closing the closet door. He walks over to the kitchen island and settles his elbows on the marble counter.
His nonchalant behaviour is slowly getting on your nerves, you think, and you let the hand settling on your hip betray your thoughts. « That’s just it. They’re not like any other pair, they have a silver buckle on the side, and the sole is so much nicer. You just don’t get it. »
You turn around to fetch your new boots from the closet to settle them on your shoe-shelf.
« Whatever, as long as it’s not my money, » Michael shrugs, sipping on his mug looking ahead through the window glass pane.
You freeze, and slowly turn around.
« But it is your money. »
Michael looks over the counter, only to find his Amex black card sitting on the edge of it, next to your purse and keys. If he’s mad, the blonde doesn’t show it, as he instead focuses his stare back to his mug, inspecting the coffee residue left at the bottom.
When he speaks up, you’re torn between surprise and confusion.
« Use the insignia jewellery card next time you go shopping instead of that one. You’ll like it better, i think. »
By the time you realise that was his way of telling you he loved you, your beloved had left the living room entirely, opting to lounge in your shared bedroom instead.
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yes this is a repost, after the fright that was my account being terminated i decided that i do not deserve to be shadowbanned, this is a revolution!!
@loneisland 2025 - all rights reserved. Do not copy, modify or translate my content
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08cjvvman1 · 5 days ago
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thaliagracesgf · 5 months ago
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night, no day
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wc: 2.6k
contents (spoilers): alcohol, making out, and dying (emotionally and physically)
i would have died for your sins, instead i just died inside
and you deserve prison, but you won’t get time.
your stomach turned as the van crossed into manhattan. you helped michael and katie unload your van before gathering with percy, annabeth, and the stolls. your ears were ringing as he detailed defense strategy and lineups, annabeth nodding along. you were silent, staring pointedly at a notch on travis’s armor for no reason other than it being right in your line of sight. 
something inside you was telling you this was it. this was the end of this war, one way or another, and he would be here. you had heard from annabeth herself what had happened to him, and you were terrified. terrified that you would see him, that you would freeze. kronos probably wouldn’t even know you. 
you weren’t sure whether you wanted him to or not. 
you had been afraid of a lot of things in your time. endless monsters, curfew harpies, even the idea of being caught out late by mr. d or chiron, when you were out… always with him, until three years ago. 
three years ago. 
it didn’t feel like three years. it felt like one, at most—you were always in and out of camp, or thinking about this war when you were away at school. you had been trying to clear your mind, to forget about him, but the only thing more all-consuming was the war, which wasn’t ideal to be drifting off about in intro to indigenous ecologies. 
you had almost succeeded, though. you realized, according to the journal you were flipping through back at camp, that you had been more consumed with camp and kronos than him for a while just before he showed back up.
you had been sitting on your bed in sally and paul’s apartment, that they graciously let you (forced you) to stay in while at school, and which they refused to accept rent on (sally knows chiron doesn’t pay you, and she considers you looking after percy and annabeth as best you can at camp more than enough payment for her). your whiteboard-covered wall was overwhelmed with microbio vocab and species definitions for your final (why couldn’t they have made scientific names greek? or why couldn’t you have also had built-in latin included with your demigod dyslexia package?) when the clang came from outside. 
you poked your head out the window, expecting to see a concussed pigeon laying on the fire escape, and shrieked. there he was, back against the wall, heavily out of breath, rain dripping down his face from his hair and shirt soaked through. 
you jumped back inside, hand against your mouth. what was he doing here? was he actually insane? as your mind reeled, hands to your temple, you heard his voice. 
“i’m sorry,” he said. “i… i really wanted to see you.”
you’re speechless.
“can i come in?” his bodiless voice came through the window. you can’t see him, but you know how he’s sitting. arms draped over his knees, back to the wall, head tilted to the left, towards the window. towards you. you stayed silent for a long pause. 
“take off your shoes.” you heard him stand up, his steps towards you. your heart was beating out of your body in fear. how were you doing this? how were you letting him into sally’s house after he tried to kill her son? 
he took off his shoes and stepped inside. you noticed the muscles in his arm and back as he held the window pane above his head. 
you stared at him, your jaw rigid, before you pulled your heaviest pillow off your bed and started to hit him with it, repeatedly. his arms flew over his face to protect himself, but he didn’t try to protect himself. he knew he deserved it. 
“you.” hit. “absolute.” hit. “idiot.” hit. “luke castellan.” as you hit him, tears began streaming down your face, and your voice got shakier. “how could you? how could you— how could you— how…” you fell to a crouch before falling back against your bed. now it was your turn to sit with your arms over your knees, but you buried your face as sobs shook your body. 
you forced yourself to take deep breaths. you were not about to have a panic attack in front of him. when you finally looked up at him, his eyes were filled with sadness, but concern, too. you knew that he knew what to do if you did have a panic attack, but you hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“take those off,” you hiccuped. “they’re soaking wet,” you gestured to pretty much everything. 
“um.” you stared him down until he took everything off but his boxers and his socks. your heart was pounding in your chest as you balled them up to take them to the dryer. you hadn’t forgotten how gorgeous he was, and right now he was soaking wet and even more attractive. you tried to push down that familiar feeling in your stomach, the one that you would get whenever he smiled at you back at camp, or spun you in the air after capture the flag. 
“luke, your socks are soaking. let me put them in the dryer.” 
he hesitated before pulling them off, and you soon saw why. hidden, away from anywhere people might see, around his ankle, was his camp necklace, six beads strung along. you didn’t miss the fact that it included the lightning bolt of percy’s first summer. you stared at it for a few seconds. 
“i know,” he said, and you couldn’t tell whether he was embarrassed or ashamed of himself. you hoped it was the latter, but it was probably both. 
“it’s none of my business,” you said, taking his socks from his hand before leaving to put his clothes in the dryer. before you left the room, you worried that he might not be there when you returned, but it was ridiculous. you knew he wouldn’t. besides, he wasn’t going to go running around the upper east side in only his boxers. 
you had a heart attack when you ran into sally, dropping his clothes all over the floor. 
“hey sweetheart,” she said softly. leave it to sally to know immediately that something was wrong. the tears started falling, and you gestured wordlessly to your room, your voice lost to your lungs crying for oxygen. 
she knew. of course she knew, right away. 
“hey, hey,” she rubbed your back. “what do you need me to do? i’ll go chase him out with a broom if you want.”
you shook your head pathetically, finally catching your breath. 
“i don’t know.” your voice was quiet and fragile. 
“do you want to talk to him?”
“he tried to kill percy, sally.” 
“i know.” 
“how are you not mad?”
“i’ll never be mad at you, for any of this.” she whispered. “you’re a child. and so is he. and i know what he’s done, but percy isn’t here right now. and i know he didn’t come all this way to hurt you. i know who he is, and i know what he’s done,” she repeats. “but i know that this isn’t a normal war. you’re children fighting battles for deities and i don’t think this night is going to change the course of this war.” 
sometimes you forgot how well sally could see through the mist. sometimes even better than you could. “there’s nothing around?” you asked. she shook her head. 
“whatever this is, he’s not here for negotiations. he’s here for you. and i may be being reckless here, and i know chiron and percy would disagree with me here, but i think you need some closure with him. and i think annabeth would agree with me, which is my basis for most of my decisions.” 
you laughed through tears. 
“it’s going to be okay. i’ll put these in for you, take these,” she gestured at a plate of regular cookies. probably a good call—you didn’t think the blue would go over well with luke. 
“i’ll be right here if you need anything,” she said, ducking into her room. “just call.” 
you slipped back down the hall. when you entered the room with the cookies, luke tensed up, and so did you. you weren’t expecting his presence to get you for the second time, but it did. 
“does she know i’m here?” he asked quietly. 
“no,” you lied. “she’s a heavy sleeper.”
he shuffled awkwardly. 
“why are you here, luke?” you searched his eyes for something, anything, to tell you, and the longing was obvious, even to you, who had denied that he liked you for months prior to your finally getting together at camp. 
“i wanted to see you,” he said. “i needed to see you. i miss you.” 
“i miss you too.” it went quiet again, and you tried to look around your room to avoid making eye contact with his body. you failed. 
his muscles were even more defined than they had been at camp, but he looked skinnier. you wondered when the last time he ate was, and offered up the cookies. he looked at them skeptically before reaching out and taking a nibble. he swallowed hard, and set the cookie down on your desk. you made eye contact with him one more time, but you couldn’t take it anymore. you stared at his lips and his hair, trying to remember the days they belonged to you.
it took everything in you to hold yourself back. 
you sat down on your bed and gestured for him to join you. 
“why are you here?” you asked again. 
“i don’t know,” he answers. 
“you—” there was a knock at the door, and he jumped off your bed, spinning and running a hand through his hair. it was remarkable how similar it was to percy when you came to bother him while annabeth was over, you thought. 
“hey, can i come in?” paul’s voice came from the door. 
“um,” you looked over at luke, his eyes panicked. you had to grab his arm to stop him going back out the window, and the contact sent a shock through your entire body. “one sec.” 
you shoved him to the side, walking to the door and cracking it, peeking through at paul. 
“sally told me about—” you cut him off with a sudden widening of your eyes. “that party, you’re going to next weekend. thought you might want this, a friend from work gave it to us but it’s not really our thing. i figured underage college kids probably weren’t so picky.” bless paul’s entire being. 
you took the bottle of vodka from him, smiling gratefully. “thank you, paul. you’re literally the best.” you knew what he meant it for. clearly someone also didn’t do well with awkward conversations, and he wanted to give you some help. 
“of course! um… let me know if you need any help with… that bio assignment!” 
“thanks. i’m, uh, about to go to bed. sleep well, i love you.”
“love you too.” you closed the door. when you turned to luke. there wasn’t much to it now. 
“for old times sake?” you held up the bottle. 
he smiled. 
you hadn’t been drunk in ages. you had to get back together with silena and clarrise for a girl’s night, you thought through hazy eyes and a wide smile. 
you stared at luke’s matching grin. he was drunk, too. 
and then he was kissing you, and against all your better judgment you were kissing him back. and it was good, so good, and you held back sudden tears as you convinced yourself he hadn’t had practice since you.  
you told sally, of course. 
and even if i die screaming,
i hope you hear it. 
your bones ached. your sword was heavy in your bleeding hands, and sweat was dripping in your eyes. you could hardly see the man before you, the man who was landing blow after blow on your blade. he’d always been better than you. 
“luke…” you gasped. “please.” 
“foolish girl,” the deep voice of the titan lord reverberated in your ears. “pathetic. i fail to see why the boy was so desperate to save you.”
he’s trying to get to you. percy’s voice, echoes of his words when you woke in the poseidon cabin after nightmares of these very words. he doesn’t care about you or luke. he’s trying to throw you off. 
you couldn’t do it. you couldn’t reach past the city, past layers of concrete, not while you were fighting him. even if you knew all his tricks. the water was too far. 
you’re not as powerful as him. you’ve never been as good as percy. 
you’re taken aback as kronos halts his attack. a smirk on his face, the face you knew, once. the smile that had always drawn you in. you hated yourself, you hated him. how could he have done this? why, why did it have to be you that had to see the love of your life in the face of your—and your family’s—greatest threat? 
a haze overtook you as he walked away. a dark haze, overtaking your eyes. almost as if— you found it harder to think. lightheadedness. nausea. almost like when your leg had been split open during a particularly brutal capture the flag. 
“luke,” you called, as you clutched your stomach. you stumbled back, throwing out a hand to catch your fall. not your left arm… it had to stay. it has to hold… and that’s when it hit. the deep gash in your stomach. 
you would’ve vomited as you looked down at your open torso, but there was no food left inside you. 
“luke!” he’s not there. you weren’t sure whether the voice telling you was your own or kronos. you searched his eyes as he backed away, and for a second you saw a hint of deep brown among the gold. but then he was turning on his heel, summoning a guard of monsters to escort him back down the street. 
“please… percy… percy!”
you thought it was connor that found you, but was travis. and then percy was there, kneeling beside you as you gasped for air. 
“no, no, no, no, no,” he repeated as you choked in his arms. your baby brother.
“percy,” you cried. you were vaguely aware that he should be elsewhere, that you didn’t have time for this. that someone else was probably dying as you lay in his lap, and he cried over you.
“i’m here, i’m here. it’s okay, you’re okay.” there were tears in his eyes. did you say that already?
“percy, i don't want to die.” your voice came out in gasps. “i’m not ready, i’m not ready!” you choked on your own tears, or saliva, or blood. you didn’t know. 
“you’re not going to die, you’re not going to die,” he whispered. “it’s okay. annabeth! help me!” 
you couldn’t see annabeth, but you knew as well as she likely did that you were going to die. she stood opposite percy, standing in shock. her hand over her mouth, her bandaged arm supporting it. she was crying, too.  
“please. please, i don’t want to die.” 
“nico!” percy shouted. he was nowhere nearby. he probably couldn’t have done anything, anyway. “water, i need water.” 
“percy, i’m so scared.”
“percy… it won’t help,” annabeth cried. 
“just… please, please. she needs water. she needs… something.” 
the last thing you saw as your vision faded was percy, pouring a bottle of water over you. annabeth slipped two golden drachma into your palm. 
as you took your last breaths, grover and thalia rounded the corner.
luke felt it in his chest as hard as if he were a son of hades. it took everything in percy not to kill him when annabeth asked. 
yours was the only blue shroud at camp half-blood.
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assortedseaglass · 11 months ago
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🌟Mistletoe | Yuletide🌟
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Michael Gavey x Fem!Reader
Summary: Michael's Christmas plans are scuppered, but a chance encounter lifts his hopes for the New Year.
Content: Fluff, Language.
Yuletide Masterlist
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December 15th. The night of the Catton Christmas party in Brasenose College. Term ended a week ago, but the prospect of partying with the university’s hottest boy and his gaggle of gorgeous followers was too delicious to pass up. Freshers to third-years clamoured to rub shoulders with the prime ministers and business men of tomorrow. Any way to get your foot in the door, and maybe some Christmas action too.
The single-pane windows of the old college dorm room rattled to the beat of NOW XMAS, and each time the door opened a pair of drunk undergrads tumbled into the quadrangle.
The latest two, a straw-haired girl in a Juicy Couture tracksuit and a burly boy wearing a rugby polo, stumbled from the old double doors leading to the common room. On their way, between sloppy kiss and over the top giggles, they bumped into a solitary figure.
“Sorry, mate,” the drunk boy said, watching the other young man through alcohol-heavy eyes. The girl beside him eyed the stranger and snorted. “Merry Christmas.”
Hands tucked into his pockets, scarf wrapped neatly around his neck, Michael Gavey stumbled. The pair got no reply, only a cold glance of annoyance as he made for his dorm.
Gold, string-light bulbs decorated Brasenose quadrangle, tacky Christmas trees were perched in various student windows, and the saccharine chorus of Band Aid 20 was shouted from the common room.
Michael didn’t hate Christmas. He quite enjoyed the fuss from his aunties and the jumpers his grandmother bought him. His mum snuck extra roasties onto his plate and his dad made a point to buy him each year’s Telegraph Quiz Book. This year would surely be even better. The pride on his family’s faces, each asking about his first term at Oxford. First one in his family to go to university and he gets into Oxford.
It was precisely because he liked Christmas that this one was so miserable. Michael was neither surprised nor upset when he checked his pigeonhole that morning to see no invitation to the Catton Christmas part. Him and Oliver. A pair of nobodies.
He took the new Nokia his dad got him for his A Levels out of his pocket. No texts. Punching the numbered keys, he sent one to Oliver.
Back at BC. Mince pies and port ready.
The corridor to his dorm room was empty. With the turn of his key, he opened the door. The room was cold. The ancient radiator was ticking into life and the old windows were beginning to fog with condensation. On top of his stack of maths textbooks a bottle of unopened port gleamed.
Turning on his bedside lamp, Michael gathered two dusty glasses his mother insisted he pack with him, and from his Tesco bag produced a pack of mince pies. He placed them on a paper plate and emptied the rest of the carrier bag (wallet, keys, pencil case, workbook) next to the E45 cream and battered copy of GH Hardy’s biography.
The Nokia buzzed aggressively on the table. Removing his scarf, Michael checked the screen. It was from Oliver. He unlocked the phone and checked the small envelope icon.
Something’s come up, sorry.
Michael slumped on the bed. His thumb hovered over the keypad.
Get a better offer, did you?
He deleted the text, locked the screen and threw it on the cheap duvet.
The others would still be at the pub. He could just go back and meet them there. Could, were it not for his pride. It just wasn’t the same, a group of people forced together, as opposed to those who found each other.
The pub was full of his fellow mathematics students. Spotty, eager to please and reeking of desperation to prove themselves. Michael didn’t need to. He watched as they fought for Professor Mathison’s attention, keen to discuss tutorial projects and career prospects. Mathison was already keenly aware of Michael, judging by the way his jaw dropped when Michael recited the Lagrangian form to the last letter.
With Oliver it was different. They were two outsiders, making their way in a world entirely foreign to their own, their intellect their only way in. Now it seemed the friendship Michael was working so hard to cultivate with Oliver was slipping away.  
He stared at the empty glasses. Fuck it. Pouring a little too much port in one of the glasses, Michael stuffed a mince pie into his mouth, grabbed another and made for the door.
The air was crisp, but mild for mid-December. The music of the Catton party across the quadrangle had mellowed, and through the misty windows Michael could make out shapes dancing close together, swaying slowly.
A pang of jealousy twisted in his naval and he twitched awkwardly. He wondered what it would be like, having another body pressed against his. Or rather, to have someone want to be that close to him. His mind flashed to the French girl in tutorial. She’d pressed her leg against his at the pub when Mathison mentioned a partnered project for the new year, and when he’d looked down, he saw her fingers brushing the cuff of his jumper. He’d flinched away.
Everyone was doing it. Quick flings with no regard for consequence. He supposed he could do it too. With the French girl, or the girl with agoraphobia. Lord knows, she was getting as much action as he was. But there was something in his studious nature, his desire for knowledge, that meant he had to be consumed by knowing someone fully, or nothing at all.
Perching his bony bottom on the cold concrete step under an old brick archway, Michael took a gulp of port and began on the mince pie. He took the top off, ate it, and thought of his grandfather, and how he would add brandy butter before replacing the pastry cover. He ate the rest quickly and sipped his port slowly, thinking over the last term. The successes; far and away the best student on the course, and the failures; one (?) friend. It was as he did this that the door behind him opened.
“Shit, sorry! Didn’t see you there!” You hadn’t done anything wrong. Not opened the door on his back or tripped over him. Michael waved his hand noncommittally and without answer. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”
He looked up at this. An old grey coat at least a size too big was wrapped around you, a scarf pulled up to your nose and muffling your voice. Michael couldn’t make much of you out, just the eyes peering down at him from above the scarf, but he could tell you were beaming at him. Why?
He gestured to the cold step. You sat beside him, gave him a bright smile that didn’t falter when he stared at you a little too long, and turned to look at the night beyond the small archway.
“Pretty, aren’t they? All the lights?” Michael didn’t respond. He shifted his body slightly away from yours and took another sip of port. You weren’t deterred. “You a Billy-no-mates too then?”
“It’s Norman-no-mates-”
“I don’t think it matters.” You cut him off. “Well?”
Michael turned his face to you. You were still watching the lights but sensed him looking at you. In turn, you looked back at him, unabashed and direct.
“I might have mates waiting inside.”
“You might, but you don’t. You’re out here drinking wine,”
“Port.”
“Port’s just fortified wine. Drinking on your own when everyone’s off partying.”
Michael didn’t blink as he watched you. You weren’t being cruel by making him feel bad for his social ineptitude. Nor were you prying into what it was that made him so deplorable to seemingly everyone in college. No. You were just stating the facts. Michael loved facts.
“NFI.”
“Snap.” You held out your hand and gave him your name. Michael’s heart didn’t leap, but it did give a strange sort of jolt.
“Michael Gavey.” He shook yours and his mouth twitched when you gave him a firm smile.
“What about you? Why are you sitting on a cold step with a stranger?”
“Mate’s back there screaming at her fella cos he necked some girl in Exeter after a Hooch too many.”
“Let me guess, Business Management?”
“The very same.”
There was a contented silence a while. Michael sipped his port and watched you from the corner of his eye. The fingerless gloves you wore were fraying a little. Everything looked second hand. From your slightly battered Mary Janes and baggy jeans to the bag by your feet. Even the scarf still wrapped around your neck. The hair there was bunching under the fabric and a few wisps kept sticking to your lip gloss. Too pretty to be sitting with him, and too rough around the edges to be the usual Catton-fodder.
Michael licked his lips. “What are you reading?” Please be something good.
“Computer Sciences.” Merry fucking Christmas. “You?”
“Maths.”
“Ah, we could have done with you at the pub quiz! ‘How many birds in total are there in the twelve days o-’”
“One-hundred and eighty-four.” Michael rattled off as though the answer was a grocery list. You stared at him, an impressed smile playing at the corner of your mouth. Michael’s heart vaulted that time. He wanted more.
“Ask me anything. I can do any sum.”
You eyed him with barely supressed glee. “Twelve times thirty-one.”
“Three-hundred and seventy-two. Come on, ask me something harder.”
“Three-hundred and seventy-two times eight.”
“Harder.”
“Times twenty-three?”
“Harder.”
You almost shouted with excitement. “Three-hundred and seventy-two times forty-seven!”
“Seventeen-thousand, four hundred and eighty-four.”
You giggled and let out a low whistle. “Fuck me,”
Yes please.
A broad flush spread across Michael’s cheeks and he licked his lips again. “I can also-”
“Better check madam is ok,” your eyes indicated behind you as you took you phone from your pocket. The white light from the small screen was garish amongst the soft golds of the Christmas lights, and Michael’s heart sank as he watched you scroll through your contacts list. So many names. He’d give anything to be among.
He didn’t pay attention to anything you were saying as you chatted to your friend. The shine of your lip gloss beneath the fairy lights was too mesmerising. Michael raised his port glass to his lips, took a sip and let the glass linger there as you ended your call. He was entranced.
“Love you, mate. Alright, chat tomorrow.” You sighed as you hung up and looked at Michael. “Home for me, I think.”
As you stood, Michael did too, pulling his trousers up and tucking his hands into his pockets. “Nice to meet you, Michael.” You shook his free hand again and took the port from the other. He watched, agog, as you downed it in one. “Graham’s? Very nice.” You passed him the empty glass and began making your way to the end of the archway. He followed you like a shadow.
At the end of the passageway into the old quadrangle you turned to face him. “What are you doing for Christmas, Michael?”
“Home,” his voice was unnaturally high and he coughed. “Home, to see family but not much else.”
“And new year?”
“Seeing some boring old school friends then back here before term st-starts-starts,” you were leaning towards him. With no hint of shyness, and perhaps a little too forcefully, you kissed him. You pulled back, smiling.
“What was that for?” The surprise of your lips on his made him shout, and it sounded more hysterical than genuine shock and curiosity.
“Mistletoe,” you stated simply, pointing at the small poesy hanging from the archway.
Michael coughed. “Of course, yeah. Thank you.” He made an odd movement and almost clicked his heels. You laughed again, turning into the dark night.
“See you in the new year, Michael.” Your voice echoed off the old stone walls. Just as Michael expected, you sounded so certain. In all your ten minutes of knowing each other, he’d learned that about you. The statement wasn’t speculation or conjecture. It was a fact. Michael loved facts.
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Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it's been a kind and calm one. H x
The usual suspects: @arcielee @targaryenrealnessdarling @theoneeyedprince @ewanmitchellcrumbs @ellrond @cyeco13 @babyblue711 @exitpursuedbyavulcan @humanpurposes @myfandomprompts @barbieaemond @anjelicawrites
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blueberrypancakesworld · 1 year ago
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Dominant William Afton
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Look at your pretty face
Imagine you are William's plaything and he loves it when he can put his hand around your neck. When he takes you and presses your upper body against the one-sided mirror wall. The cold of the glass makes your nipples hard every time he thrusts you against the surface. You feel his hot breath on your ear and degrade yourself for your sloppy reaction. ,,F-fuck you take me so good ah-such a bitch" he praises you as you tighten around him and your moan is easily stifled by his hand. His left hand had placed itself on your hip leaving painful sweet marks when he positions you just the way he wants it. Your hands with each of his hard thrusts that demand more and more slip always a bit over the glass and you could hardly grasp a clear thought. You felt how he presses himself closer to you, his right hand wraps around you and takes the air away from your throat. ,,So f-fucking good for me" hits your ear and you feel his tongue licking over your earlobe. Your goosebumps only pleased him more. Tears ran down your eyes as he drilled his nails into your hips and just wanted to have more of you. The colorful spots and red streaks were already slightly visible in the meantime. It was almost like his knife which still left cuts on your body. His cock almost impales you but fuck you love it so much and told him again and again in a fit of moans and murmurs. You hardly noticed your voice and his sadistic chuckle sounded again and again in the room when he pressed harder on your neck. He knew exactly that his cock was wider than that of your boyfriend Mikes cock could never have taken you so good. Your boyfriend's cock, however, was the last thing on your mind while your boss fucked your brains out. You could hardly count how many times this had already happened and he had also just bent you over his desk no matter if he still had a customer or not. No matter if he was on the phone and he pushes you on your knees and his rough hands play with your hair strands while you suck his cock so well. Thoughts that came to you and went all the faster when he hit just the right spot and another pitiful moan and plea left your lips. And all this in the knowledge and see that exactly behind the one-sided transparent glass pane is your unknowing boyfriend Michael. Who looked exactly at the place of the mirror with a quiet ignorant look while his girlfriend is fucked behind it.
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masterlist
@kedamonomonoligh , @rl-nancyholbrook, @oceansrose2002, @mxstly-melancholy, @shadix-the-red-shadow, @trashy-panda777
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pastelwitchling · 13 days ago
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              Alex loved the rain. He loved the sound, the sight, the way it felt like it was washing away every bad thing to ever touch the earth, and more than anything else, he loved the smell. He was willing to put up with days on end of the blistering cold on his leg if it meant he got to wake up and go to sleep to the smell of rain. Maybe it made him pathetic, but if that was all he was allowed of Michael these days, he would take it. Every single second.
              As he curled up on a chair in his kitchen, a steaming coffee cup sitting beside him and his laptop in front of him, Alex drowsily studied the files he’d been sent from Deep Sky as an old Ella Fitzgerald record played and rain pelted the windows. A sliver of the frame was open just above Alex’s sink, to let in the smell. The wind always boomed like it was threatening to tear the world apart, and though Alex knew he was safe and sound in his cozy little space, he couldn’t help flinching awake every now and then at the thundering sound.
              But Alex would happily take that too if it meant he was allowed the smell of rain a little longer. At least it was doing a better job of keeping him up than the coffee.
              It was midmorning when Alex got a knock on his door that he’d missed the first few times because of the storm. The sky outside made it look like late evening, and Alex had been working so long he wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d hallucinated the sound. The open window, however, was close to the front porch, and it was hard to mistake the guest at his door when Michael showed up in front of the glass pane instead, pushing it open a little further.
              “Private,” he called over the noise of the storm, dripping into Alex’s sink, “you wanna open the door for a sec?”
              Alex frowned, rubbed his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was real, and leapt up. “O-Oh,” he murmured, and hurried as much as his crutches would allow to let Michael in. “What’re you doing here?”
              Michael huffed a chuckle, running a hand through his soaked curls. He was without his hat, and despite the chill, his face was still flushed like his body was heating him up from the inside. He didn’t even shiver, the lucky bastard.
              “Nice to see you too,” he said, and tilted his head. “Did I wake you?”
              “Er, no,” Alex mumbled, undermining his point completely by rubbing the sleep from his eyes again. “I’m just a little tired. Here, I’ve got the fire lit.”
              “Thanks,” he said, and went to sit on the stone surrounding the fireplace while Alex went and grabbed him a new towel.
              “You need a hot shower,” he started, and Michael raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lips tilted, amused.
              Alex blushed, and his shoulders fell. “You’re soaking, Guerin, you’ll get sick.”
              Michael’s smile spread, like he thought Alex was adorable. “I don’t get sick, Alex, remember?” He pointed at himself. “Alien?”
              “Well, I’m getting hypothermia just looking at you,” he said, uncomfortable. “Could you please just . . . look, the bathroom’s all yours and I can give you something to wear, just . . . please?” he urged, waving the towel at Michael.
              Michael chuckled, bit his lower lip, and grabbed it, covering Alex’s hand with his own as he took it. Alex swallowed at the heat of his touch—he definitely wouldn’t be dying from the cold any time soon—and quickly pulled away. He wouldn’t look at Michael as he got up, his body inches away from Alex’s as he passed him on his way to the bathroom. Alex held his breath until the bathroom door closed behind Michael, and he breathed out.
              He must be lonely tonight, was Alex’s first thought, and he couldn’t even summon the energy to feel guilty about it. This was what Michael did. He pushed and pulled when it suited him, and scoffed and dismissed when it didn’t. Since dating Maria, something Alex hadn’t been able to forgive her for and which had cost him a friend, Alex had learned the hard way that just because Michael wanted him, it didn’t mean he wanted to keep him. So yes, the distance between them now might be because Alex had enforced it, but he loved Michael too much to give him up again. It had nearly killed him the first time.
              If getting to keep Michael through rain was all Alex would be allowed, then that’s what he would take. Anything less felt too much like self-harm.
              Reminding himself of that, Alex went to his bedroom, fished out a pair of underwear, sweats, and a hoodie that Michael could take home, and set them on the small table outside the bathroom. Then he returned to the kitchen and went back to work, trying to busy himself. For a while, it seemed to be working, as the sound of the shower blended in with the storm, and Alex could almost pretend he didn’t have the love of his life naked and bathing with Alex’s scent on him a room over. Almost.
              He was rubbing the blur from his eyes for what felt like the tenth time when Michael had come out, a small towel around his shoulders, Alex’s shirt stretched across his torso. Alex was by no means small, but something about Michael always felt bigger, even with Alex layered in sweaters and his favorite cardigan to keep warm. Michael craned his neck to watch Alex’s laptop screen as he passed, sliding into a chair on the opposite side of the kitchen island.
              “Deep Sky still has you working that satellite?”
              Alex sighed, clicking something on his laptop. “You know way more about my work than you should.”
              “They’re using my airman,” he shrugged. “I’m entitled to know how much danger they’re putting you in.”
              He’d meant it as a joke, Alex knew he’d meant it as a joke, but that didn’t stop him from casually saying, “I’m not your airman, and you’re not entitled to anything I do.” He tried for an easy, small smile in an attempt to soften the blow. “Unless I’m working on you or Max or Isobel, then I promise I’ll send over what I have.”
              Michael, however, was no longer paying attention. He hummed, staring out the window at the falling rain. If he’d even heard Alex denying him, then he wasn’t showing it. Then, without asking, he got up to the window above the sink and shut it.
              “Did you not notice it was open?” he said, coming back to his seat. “You could seriously get sick with that chill coming in.”
              Alex swallowed. It’s okay, he thought. He got to enjoy the real for now, he could just open the window when Michael inevitably left. “I’m okay. You, uh, want some coffee or . . .?”
              “Sure,” Michael said, swinging one leg on the stool, and Alex tried not to wince.
              “U-um, there are socks in the drawer next to my bed.”
              Michael’s lips quirked. “You worried about me, Private?”
              Alex huffed. “Just go put them on, Guerin.”
              Michael held up his hands in defense, and slipped off his chair. When he was in the hall, he called back, “I hope I don’t die of a heatstroke while I’m here!” and Alex managed to keep his smile to himself.
              Michael came back into the kitchen, nudging Alex’s calf as he passed with a socked foot. “Feel better?”
              “Infinitely,” he deadpanned, sliding Michael a hot cup of coffee. Michael hugged it eagerly, scrunching his shoulders and gazing around like Alex’s home was Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and he’d finally gotten the golden ticket to get in, which was ridiculous because Michael had been in Alex’s home before. Granted, it had never been for long, and it had never been with good news . . . which reminded him . . .
              “What’re you doing here?”
              “Hm?” Michael looked to Alex like he’d been waiting for him to ask, and shrugged in a, I dunno, gesture. “Just felt like seeing you. Can’t I?”
              Alex raised an eyebrow and waited. Michael squirmed on the seat for about ten seconds, and relented, “I had a dream about you last night.”
              “Uh oh,” he mumbled, trying not to look like he cared, “do I want to hear this?”
              “Not that kind of dream,” Michael’s smile widened. “Not this time, anyway.”
              “Guerin.”
              He sighed, the tease in his eyes dimming as he tapped a finger on the counter, his other hand idly turning his mug in place. “Bad dream, Alex. Really, really bad dream.”
              Alex considered him. “So you had a nightmare about something bad happening to me, I’m guessing, and rushed over here to make sure I was still alive?”
              Michael’s smirk didn’t reach his eyes. “Yep! Too dramatic?”
              “Depends,” Alex moved his laptop aside, bringing his coffee cup closer to absorb as much of the heat as he could. “How gruesome a death did I have?”
              For a moment, Michael just continued staring out the window and tapping his finger on his mug, and just when Alex was starting to wonder if he ought to just focus on his work, Michael said, “I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”
              Alex frowned. He waited, and Michael explained, “I walked into the Pony and . . . there was a funeral. Everyone was in black, crying their eyes out. Then Liz told me you’d . . .” he cleared his throat, “you’d d-died in action . . .” he huffed a chuckle that sounded more like a shaky exhale. “I said, ‘What? No, he didn’t. Nobody told me he was even going back to war.’ Liz looked at me like I’d spoken in another language, and said . . . ‘Why would anyone tell you?’”
              “Guerin . . .”
              He closed his eyes and smiled. Alex had never seen him look sadder. “I hated it, Alex,” he whispered. “I hated it so much.”
              Alex looked down. “It was just a dream.”
              “No, it wasn’t,” he said. “It was a reminder. I’m not your family, I don’t even know if you can call us friends, and if something ever happened to you—” he cut off with a sharp inhale, as though the very thought was too much to bear. He huffed a chuckle that sounded more like a cry. “Why would anyone tell me?”
              “Hey,” Alex reached halfway between them, stopping himself before he went any further, “look at me. I’m right here, I’m fine.”
              “But what if you’re not?” Michael demanded, the desperation he’d been keeping in revealing itself now. “What if you’re not, Alex, how will I know?”
Alex wished he knew what to say, but the truth was that he understood this fear too well. He’d spent his entire time in the military wondering where Michael was sleeping at night, if he’d eaten properly, if he was warm enough. It was an indescribable panic that had threatened to swallow Alex whole some days, it threatened him now, but he’d learned to force it away. At first, he’d done it because of the distance between them. Now, he did it because he didn’t know if he was allowed to hold Michael close like he wanted and needed to.
              “I don’t know what to say, Michael,” he said quietly. “You’re worried about something that hasn’t happened.”
              “But—”
              “Besides,” Alex said, slicing through Michael’s panic like a knife, “I’d never go anywhere without telling you.”
              Michael stared, stunned, and Alex sighed and dragged his laptop back in front of him. “Don’t look at me like that, Guerin. You know how I feel about you. If I ever left Roswell for anything, I’d make sure you knew.” He swallowed, and without looking at Michael, confessed in a murmur, “I’d want you to know before anyone else.”
              Michael said nothing, and Alex returned to his work, pretending he wasn’t waiting. They sat in a silence so peaceful, the storm substituting the quiet with pelting rain and thunder, Alex typing away as the wind roared, and he didn’t flinch at all. It was very hard to be scared when Michael was so close. Because whether he stayed or not, Alex knew he would fight the world to keep him safe.
              “I’d want you to know too,” Michael suddenly said into the silence, his words soft as though he felt the same peace of this moment that Alex did and didn’t want to break it.
              Alex tried to scoff, but it sounded weak and frightened to his own ears. “You better. I’m not above tracking you down, Guerin.”
              Michael’s lips broke into a bashful, genuine smile, and it warmed something in Alex’s chest that all his layers and fireplace hadn’t been able to.
              “Good,” Michael said. “Knew I could count on you, Private.”
              Always, Alex thought, but didn’t say out loud. As much as he loved and wanted Michael here with all his heart, not just for now, but for forever, he was still too clever for his own good. He knew it wouldn’t last, this wasn’t some new beginning for them. Soon, Michael would find some excuse to leave and some excuse to stay away, and Alex would accept it because he’d want someone to fight for him. For now, that wasn’t Michael.
              Still, he allowed himself a small, real smile of his own as he nudged his chin at Michael’s mug. “Drink your coffee.”
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tenjiiku · 10 months ago
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not the kaiser thoughts 🫣
claws / au
tw: dubious content, murder
There is a certain awkwardness to you that Michael Kaiser finds indisputably adorable. A few things, actually. The way your eyes lift up to stare at him, even when the two of you are on the same level. The small tremor of excitement that goes through you when you watch him murmur profanities under his mouth as he leaves the guidance counsellor’s office — reprimanded after making some poor, unassuming kid spill blood across the lot after they made a pass at you. The small hands that run through his hair, the withdrawn eyes that stare down at him as he lays his head in your lap — the almost bashful, diffident, meek smile that paints itself on your equally timorous features as you whisper to him your version of sweet nothings;
“Use your left fist, next time. You’d have drawn more blood that way.”
Michael finds many, many things about you utterly, irrefutably darling.
You are not like the rest. Not like anything he has seen before. A marvel only he knows the truth about. And you are a generous giver. You tempt him just right, proving he is just as much of a deity, to you, as you are, to him.
When you do not show up to school at your designated meeting place (behind the bleachers of the old abandoned field no one in the school utilizes after a viral wireworm infestation), Kaiser skips first class and heads to the isolated trailer park your dilapidated house reside. His poor angel, what a benevolent person handed such dirty cards. It was only right he be your saviour — your salvation.
He manages up the wilting wisteria tree with ease, considering he has done it many a time in the past — and he knocks at your window. Michael knows it was not any good news. Your curtains were drawn — and they were never closed for him.
After a few seconds of no response, he coaxes you softly. How he knows you like it.
“Darling, let me in.”
No response. He lays his lips flat, and knocks on the window pane which threatens to break at the slightest touch. He could, if he wanted to. But he cares too much for you to scare you away at this point.
“Baby. It’s me. Let me in, okay?” He murmurs — coos — gently.
A second passes. Then another. Then, a hand pulls the curtains away. The sight of you takes him aback.
“Michael…” you mumble, brows furrowed from confusion. Michael only can stare. At your bruised eye, at the wound on your forehead, the gash at your cheek. Your skin was clean when he touched you. He has seen your scars on your body, before. He has made sure for so long, now, that no other arises.
He’d slipped up, somehow.
“My baby,” He whispers, a rarity considering his voice is never anything but loud. He has you in his arms now, resting himself on your mattress and you, on his legs. “What’d the bastard do to you? Tell me.”
His tone changing from warm to frigid in less than a second, you laugh. And while under any circumstance he would find it to be cute, he finds it anything but that.
“Michael.. what—,” you still, looking down at your trembling hands, bunched together. You look small, like this. Michael could kill you and no one would know. “I—It’s. It’s whatever. You know how he is when he’s drunk.”
You speak in a low tone. This is the first time he has seen you so, truly timid, he thinks. Michael finds his stomach contract. His arms tighten and he feels a fire burn in his loins.
“Give me the go.” He mumbles against your temple. Sensing you tense, he lets you pull slightly away so you can look up into his eyes.
“Give me it. I’ll bring you his head.”
“Are you fucking insane? Michael—.”
“I don’t know,” he cuts you off, pressing your forehead against your bloody one, eyes unblinking, “You tell me.”
“Seeing you like this might make me do anything,” he whispers against your cracked lips, covered in dry blood. When he hoists his shotgun from his holster around his waist and feels you flinch at the audible sound, he can’t help but smile at the way your eyes flit to the side to get a closer look.
“What the fuck… where did you get that?”
Michael places a hand on your cheek, tracing your cheekbone with his thumb. He moves it to your bottom lip, adam’s apple bobbing at the gesture.
“My old man’s parting gift. Ma shot him with it. She kept it under her old dresser, too scared to do much with it.” He tilts your chin down, placing a kiss on the wound on your forehead and tightening his hold around you, “I think it’d be fitting if it killed another piece of shit. It’s been feeling lonely.”
Before you can say anything else, the sound of clamour downstairs renders you quiet. You recoil. And the sight makes Michael a bit annoyed. He does not want to see you that way, unless it is him making you so.
“Baby,” he murmurs, forcing your head to his chest, “close your eyes.”
The footsteps begin to grow closer.
“Michael…”
A pounding starts on the creaky floorboards.
“We’ll go on a small trip after this. Just the two of us, okay?” He mumbles, slotting something into his mouth.
The screech of your name. It makes him furrow his brow and lay his lips flat.
“Michael!” You say, louder now. He whips his head down. You wince. Michael does not know why you are making such a petrified expression, but, he realizes he is not repulsed by it like he is with so many others. He has seen many sides of you. This may begin to be his favourite. “I, I—.”
Forcing your chin up, he presses his lips against yours. You thrash against him for a few seconds, probably out of surprise, but settle into him when his tongue slots itself into your open, begging mouth. It is almost too easy to slide the pill into your throat. You were almost too meek for your own good.
Not saying anything else, Michael sighs as you resign yourself into him — your only place, your only comfort.
He gives a small kiss to your forehead as you slump against his body, eyes dozing off into unconsciousness. He lays your insentient frame on the mattress, leaning over you as the light from the open door behind him blinds you.
“That’s my girl.”
Not even a shot is heard.
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slashers-and-rats · 1 year ago
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Could you make Michael Myers' reaction to entering a house during a hunt and see a mother and her two children sleeping hugging on the couch?
rat chat: micheal seems like the type that would have some general morals. that’s kinda what this fic in general is demonstrating.
micheal myers x fem!reader | sfw |
micheal felt the autumn leaves crunching underneath his boots. no matter how silently he crept through this backyard, the sound still managed to escape into the quiet of the night. he was lucky that the wind was blowing, hard and loud, as it covered up any of his footsteps.
he was careful as he slithered up to the back of this house. there wasn’t anything special about it, nothing that drew him in and made him sure this was the target. there was no rhyme or reason in what micheal did, not always. sometimes, when hunting, he just needed to make a choice based on nothing but his own instincts. there was nothing different about this home. the only thing he noticed was a few balls strewn about the backyard.
‘must have a pet to watch out for’, he thought to himself.
he pressed himself up to a window, peering into the dark of a random room. upon further inspection, it seemed to be a living room, since in the very middle there was a couch. on the couch, laying as if she were bait in a trap, there was a woman.
micheal didn’t see much of her, only her head laying back against the top of the seat. she was dead asleep, clear by the way her mouth hung open in silent snores. he took note of her position, lingering for a moment. she seemed peaceful. he almost felt as though he shouldn’t ruin this moment- maybe he could find another house, and satiate his needs that way. but, it was too late into the night, he had to commit. didn’t he?
he pried himself away from the pane, stepping back and going to a nearby door. he found the knob and tried a few times, finally feeling it creak open and swing out near him. this neighbourhood was notorious for unlocked back doors (as if an intruder would only try the front).
he stepped up into the house, glancing down at the welcome mat he was met with. ‘remember to wipe’, it read in colourful, bubbly font. he tilted his head, amused that some woman would not have grown out of such childish things. he shrugged, deciding to amuse this little request, and he wiped some of the dirt from his boots off onto the mat. he then began his ascent into the home, weaving his way through the halls until he was back where he needed to be.
right there, sitting on the couch, was the woman from the window. micheal could hear her soft breathing now, and see the way her shoulders rose and fell with each breath. he examined her from the doorway for a minute, tracing over the shadows that adorned her face.
something tugged at him, urging him to leave and abandon this prey to its warren. he didn’t understand it, thinking that there was some… performance anxiety, or something of the like. it usually happened when he was walking into a bad situation, like a trap or a victim that liked to fight, but this didn’t seem like something he should be nervous about. it was just some lady, a sleeping beauty unaware of his presence. this was an easy target. it should be, at least.
he stepped up closer to the couch, and rounded it so that he was at the front. it’s then that he learned what the feeling was, or what it was trying to tell him.
sitting at both sides of the woman were
two kids, one to each hip. they laid over her lap and nestled into the warmth of their assumed mother, sleeping just as soundly as she was. upon closer look, micheal could see they had fallen asleep while reading a story book. a version of red riding hood, warning of wolves in the forest, and intruders like him thirsting for blood.
he was a villain. he had been well aware of that fact for a long time. he had abandoned his own virtues, deciding to find comfort in unforgivable sins, but seeing such a sight made him feel… dirty. it wasn’t common for him to be so self-aware. he usually targeted people that could be justified, a bully or a selfish landlord, but this. he could feel hell nipping at his heels.
micheal stared down at them. if one could see through the holes in his mask, they would see the intense focus in his gaze. he tried to untangle the knots that had developed in his stomach. regret, apprehension, the need to retreat- they swirled around inside of him and made him step back towards the middle of the room. doing this only gave him a greater view of the home. toys strewn about the floor, a child sized table littered with photos of the kids and this mother, and the same sort of balls from outside sitting in a heap near the same window he looked through. he should’ve known when he’d seen the yard there were kids here, he should’ve listened to his own intuition, but…
he shook his head. micheal had standards. he had needs, sure, but somewhere deep inside him there were morals, buried under years and years of neglect. he couldn’t do this, he couldn’t raise a blade to these people. yet he still felt the need to disturb, to bring some fear. maybe… maybe he could.
he went over to where they all lay, resembling the corpses he had seen many a time before, and picked up the two children. he was gentle, and they seemed to nestle into him, most likely mistaking him for their mother. she stirred only for a moment, but settled relaxed against the couch. he then got to work.
in the morning, when you were awoken by the birds singing sweet tunes, and the sun shining on your face, you found yourself on your couch. it wasn’t rare that you’d fall asleep in your living room, but this felt different. you recalled the night before, and how your children had been their with you, and it made you pat the seats beside you.
they weren’t there.
for a moment you panicked, eyes widening as you sat up and began scanning the room. it had been cleaned. toys were put away carefully in their bins, pictures had been pinned to their proper cork boards, snacks had been swept off the rug- this was not how this room had been left. you knew the kids wouldn’t have cleaned it either, not without a bit of a fight. it filled you with dread. someone had been inside, and had decided to… clean? such a kind action, and yet you were filled with unease. your home had still been entered, after all.
you pushed yourself up from the couch, beginning to look around the home, calling out for the kids. the more you called without answer, the more your chest tightened. room after room you checked, until you finally shoved your way into their bedroom, and-
there they were. they were still asleep, blankets tucked tight to their chins and peace on their faces. you made sure they were breathing and all in one piece, before sitting down on the edge of a bed. your heart was still racing, the pounding filling your ears.
you had to take a moment to breathe, to reassure yourself that it was all alright. maybe you had done this and didn’t remember. you had been so exhausted yesterday. it was a weekend, and the children had been particularly energetic. maybe, in your own half-asleep state, you had put them to bed and cleaned up the living room.
you insisted that must’ve been it, nodding your head and looking up to the window.
it was open.
you stood up quick, going over to it and leaning outside over the sill. you never left their window open, as one of the children had believed there to be fairies that would whisk them away. no, no you wouldn’t forget such a thing. you couldn’t have.
you looked outside, seeing nothing in the horizon. it seemed safe. you leaned back into the room, shutting the window tight and closing the curtains.
micheal watched from the tree line.
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