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ppnuggiexxx · 21 days ago

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-> PROLOGUE | CHAPTER ONE

•| you just wanted to buy groceries ,, though it seems you made a contract with the devil instead. strange how things happen, especially when an angel is after your life. maybe god truly has it out for you?

•| taglist :: empty

it wasnt often that his creations could see such beauty. the garden, full of life and everlasting love. visions of creatures that hadn't existed until now. greenery growing from the ground, covering the area in vivid color. beings covered in soft warmth, spotting different colors and roaming free with one another. they had no names, the being unsure what to call any of them.

and then came man. the first of them, made in his own image, adam. his heavenly father had called upon a few of his previous creations to view such beauty. gabriel and satan, two of his favorites. he would have called lucifer, though said archangel was preoccupied with other angels.

" isn't it beautiful?" his father asked, smiling upon the garden. adam had started naming the different creatures, running around freely among the garden's grass as he called it. " look at them all. they live in pure harmony and love, everlasting peace." he said.

" why is he alone?" satan asked, pointing at adam scavenging for berries provided by bushes. plump and sweet, the berries filled adam's stomach. hunger was of no concept to him, yet he enjoyed the purity and sweetness the berries provided him. he thanked the bush, than his heavenly father for such a treat.

his heavenly father hadn't answered satan, thinking amongst himself. he had given the creatures all another of themselves, yet adam remained alone. it wasnt right, how the lions had more of their own, or how the elephants roamed together as one. "i shall make adam another, one of him. as any of my children, he deserves to have another to love," he said.

gabriel to the side of his heavenly father only glared down at adam in disgust. he wasnt sure why his father decided that having man would be good. he knew father could see all, the whole future lying ahead. gabriel wondered what would happen should man be corrupted, tempted away from his heavenly father. would he look down in disgust like him?

as the sun in the sky started to settle and the moon rose, gabriel watched as adam scurried away to hide in a burrow. how cowardly, he thought, for a creation of father to hide away from darkness. how man could never see the everlasting light of heaven. maybe man would never see the beauty of heaven. there was no green or vivid flowers. there were no animals, no towering beings other than his heavenly father and the archangels themselves.

this garden of eden only reminded gabriel of hell. the wretched place itself only soured his mood more.

" i'll protect mankind," satan spoke. " i'll protect adam and eve. i'll protect garden of eden, father." the large being beside them, taller than that of a mountain, only smiled down at satan. compared to adam and eve, his heavenly father was enormous. satan and gabriel were large in size, that of what would be the chariot his heavenly father rides upon. to them, man was only a tiny creation.

"thank you satan, but there is no need for protection. the garden is of everlasting love and purity. though, there is knowledge that they don't know of, there is no need for protection. it is their own choosing whether to continue living in purity and love, or to discover knowledge of impurities. it is their own free will," his heavenly father explained. satan only tilted his head to the side, but nonetheless nodded to father's words.

gabriel only pondered about what father said. knowledge of impurities? would man betray father and fall to corruption? he looked to the largest tree in the garden, towering over all of the land. fruit bright and red grew from it, shining in the glow of dawn. the new man walked around the garden, naked and shaped differently than of adam.

this must be eve that satan mentioned. what an interesting name for that of man. gabriel watched as adam and eve talked, unsure of what they were saying. he could tell that they loved each other immediately, tending to the garden together. how interesting it would be to see them crawl upon their bellies, wriggling around and limbless. would father love his creation then?

how strange of father, to create mankind.

________

"eww, what even is this?" you grumbled out and pinched your nose, pulling a strange and wet clothe from a wooden box. minhyeok only raised an eyebrow at the object before gagging at the stench it gave.

"im not sure why mom had that, but that is absolutely foul," you quickly put the wet clothe in the trashbag beside you, careful not to touch it with your other fingers. you continued to scrumage through the box, looking for anything of value. you werent sure why minhyeok insisted on spring cleaning today, but you were dreading him for it.

"anything over there by you?" you asked him as your eyes squinted into the box. apart from the cobwebs and spider sacks full of eggs, there wasnt much in there worth anything. or anything interesting for that matter.

minhyeok only sighed and shook his head. "i've only found a small handheld mirror worth keeping. most of the stuff here can be donated." he shrugged before leaning back on his heels. "same here, unless you want to donate spider babies," you raised a brow at the college student with a smirk. "im sure any kid who picks up this box would be thrilled!"

minhyeok only rolled his eyes, "or have a heart attack." he looked around the attic. most of it had already been cleaned out before, donating most the large furniture pieces that wouldn't be of use to either of them.

"hey, what time is it?" he asked. you shrugged your shoulders, "not sure, why?" minhyeok pulled his phone out of his back pocket, opening it up to view the time; 5:24 pm. "i gotta make dinner here soon. how about you go get us ingredients?" the boy rose to his feet, ducking his head as to not hit it on the ceiling.

you quickly stood up too, ready to get out of the attic itself. it was boring having to go through everything, not to mention how dusty everything was. "sure, it'd get me out of this mess."

"you say that like you were dragged here against your will," minhyeok replied, climbing down the ladder. "um, because i was? or do you not remember ripping the covers off of me when i was sleeping?" you remarked. you didnt here a reply from minhyeok, taking the time to look around the attic once more.

you both got a bunch of work up here done fast, but as the hours dragged on it felt like you were there for eternity. you're sure the spiders would appreciate you not ruining their webs. just as you were about to climb down the ladder, a strange paper stuck out from underneath the box you were looking through earlier.

you crouched down, lifting the box up and grabbing the slip of paper. it had intricate markings all over it, in a language unknown to you. it looked like something you'd see on a jiangshi, covering their faces in those old horror movies you'd find at a beatdown dvd shop. "are you coming?" minhyeok yelled from below.

you stuffed the slip of paper in your pocket, hurrying down the ladder before he called for you again.

________

minhyeok placed a $50 bill in your hand, "make sure you just get ingredients for dinner tonight. i'll make whatever you're craving, but don't get anything else." he warned you, his pointer finger up and reprimanding you. you rolled your eyes, smiling at the boy, "dont worry. i'm not gonna bring home a cake again for dinner. i've learned my lesson from last time."

he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at you, as if to say 'really?' "okay okay, i promise i wont," you sighed, "though it would be good for dessert." you murmured under your breath. "what was that?" minhyeok raised an eyebrow at you.

"nothing! im going now, ill be back soon." you waved him goodbye and quickly left, not staying any longer to face what wrath he may have. the last time you brought a cake home for dinner he was outraged and scolded you for a long time. he even went over all the lack of nutrition it would provide and how you need more than just fat and 500 calories. you still wondered how even remembered all the nutrition facts a human being needs.

the sun was starting to set, painting the neighborhood a beautiful gradient of orange to pink. the air was warm but moist, birds chirping softly and flying around. the clouds were streaked across the sky, painting the whole world as though it came from a renaissance painting.

you turned the corner and walked into the small market. memories from when you were younger came to your mind. when your parents had died, minhyeok's were more than happy to take you into their family. most of your own family wasnt alive. your parents were single-children, having no siblings. their parents had died and you had no idea if you had any cousins.

though despite what happened, minhyeok's parents gave you a wonderful childhood. growing up with them allowed you to still have a somewhat normal childhood despite the tragedy of your parents.

________

"thank you!" the lady at the register said as you walked out the door. hopefully minhyeok was okay with having chicken alfredo. after all, there wasnt a whole lot you could get from $50 at the store, even the one cheapest and closest to the house.

even thinking about food alone had you hungry, your stomach already grumbling from how empty it was. it seemed working around in the attic took more energy from you than you had thought.

the sky had turned black, the stars appearing softly in the sky. if you squinted your eyes hard enough you could've made out the big dipper, maybe find the north star if you paid enough attention. though you didnt think you'd spent that much time in the store.

the streetlights weren't on yet either, making the road quite dark and hard to see without any source of light. pulling out your phone and turning the flashlight on, you followed the sidewalk and tried to navigate your way back. it was strange, how often you'd come at night and know the way home like the back of your hand. but all the sudden, it was like you had been here for the first time ever.

your skin was cold, goosebumps forming as you looked around. nothing felt familiar, rather everything was foreign to you. you couldn't recollect where to to turn or how far along the sidewalk to go.

"how unfortunate for you." a voice murmured, making you whip your head around. there was no one standing there, yet it sounded as though it came from right behind you. as though someone had whispered it into your left ear.

"hello?" you called, eyebrows knitting together in confusion yet your heart race increased slightly to the paranoia. were you lost? was someone following you?

"be not afraid, child of our heavenly father. thou hast sought protection, and protection has cometh to thee." the voice said as one streetlight turned on. there was no one underneath it, but it showed how foggy the area had become. the fog was so thick you werent able to see any buildings in sight, not even a shadow or two casted upon or from them.

"be not afraid, for i am one of our heavenly father's servants. i shall provide thou light, as thou see fit. i shall provide protection, as thou shall see fit. i shall provide guidance to thee."

you werent sure what it meant, or what exactly it was saying. something about its tone made you uneasy, your feeling of hunger gone and your blood pumping through your veins. something about the whole situation made you feel weird, your gut telling you to run yet your brain was confused. mixed signals were sent all about your body, confusion evident in your legs as to run or not.

"follow my voice, child of our heavenly father. for i am one to guide you home." something about it made you slowly walk forward, your legs ignoring the warning signals you were getting from your heart. your amygdala was telling you to run, yet your legs continued walking towards the voice unwillingly.

it was like your body wasnt even yours anymore, rather you were a vessel within it.

"yes, come to me my child. for i shall provide what you seek most." it whispered, though this time it was as though it was said in both your ears at different times. like someone said it in your right ear first than repeated it in your left. echoing amongst the street itself, it remained softly as though it was spoken in a cave.

"come closer to me, innocent lamb of mine. fear not of me, for thou hast no need." the voice sounded closer this time, almost embracing you. until a harsh grunt came from it, and soon the fog cleared from your vision.

lied in front of you, wings long and covering the whole street itself, covered in white stained with red was a humanoid figure. their head was bent down, gasping for air as their hands held onto their stomach. behind them stood another being, dressed in white and eyes narrowing at the one on the ground.

"disgusting how you call yourself a servant of god yet destroy his creations." the person sneered. they had a saint peter's cross in their eyes and on their forehead.

their eyes flickered from the one beneath them and towards you, widening upon seeing your form. as though a wave of recognition had hit them, they quickly ran towards you. your body was stuck in place, unable to run anywhere or turn your head away.

"is it really you?" they whispered, dropping the scythe in their hand. it was long and red, yet dripping of a red substance. their hands hovered over your cheeks, yet not touching them before the being dropped to their knees. "child of solomon, his wisest and greatest, i have found you at last."

the being started to laugh, almost crying at the same time. "child of solomon, how happy i am to see you. the key to all success and to hell's future!" they praised, grabbing at your shoes and staring up at your face. "please, child of solomon! theres no time! i need a contract with you, please!" they pleaded.

"gabriel will rise again soon! he can only be stopped for so long! please! make a contract with me, child of solomon, and i shall protect you from him!" they pleaded, hands moving from your shoes to your legs as they nuzzled their face into your stomach.

just as they had said, the being called gabriel had started to breath again without gasping. white scythe beside him, he grabbed at it and started to stand. his wings flexed themselves out and stared at you with fury in his eye.

"fine! fine!" you yelled, taking the person's head in your hands. "how do i make a contract?" the person smiled widely, "you draw a pentagram on my tongue, and i shall receive the strength needed to protect you." he said before opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out.

you wondered if it was a trick, yet it seemed as though gabriel wasnt going to wait around forever. he was already raising his scythe and stumbling over to where you stood. quickly, you made a messy pentagram with your pointer finger on their tongue. the lines started to glow white on their tongue until the full pentagram was painted.

bright light seemed to cover you both, as their body shook and their eyes rolled to the back of their head. their eyes glowed white as they smiled widely. soon the light dissipated and the being before you jumped to their feet. they grabbed the red scythe beside you and rushed at gabriel.

you looked away from the fight, bright white clashing against red as yells and grunts from gabriel rung throughout the air until their was no more sound.

you looked back, only to find that gabriel was no longer there and the being left stood heaving. a burning pain etched into the palm of your left hand. a sigil displayed itself, a pentagram; the mark of satan. your eyes looked back to the person, before asking, "who are you?"

"i am satan, embodiment of wrath one of the seven kings of hell." he smiled, eyes returning to red with black saint peter's crosses for pupils. "there's no time to explain, come to hell with me! i will explain everything there, but hell needs you, child of solomon!" he held out his hand for you to take.

#📼.whb #whb #whb x reader #📼.inferno #first chapter and the prologue :D #if anyone has any questions lmk and ill answer :3 #if you want added to the taglist so you’ll be tagged when a new chapter is out lmk 👀#whb satan #whb gabriel #whb minhyeok

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whumblr · 9 months ago

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Nighttime

Crossed out Masterpost

Heavy footsteps slowly made their way up the stairs, the clanking sounds echoing through the silent hall as they drew nearer on the steel grated walkway.

The owner of those boots didn’t care it was nearing midnight, nor did he seem in a hurry. He took slow deliberate steps, knowing he had an audience who were all listening with bated breath. He knew most would still be awake, at least those with a guilty conscience, waiting, waiting for the inevitable, and praying for the footsteps to pass by their cell.

Lucas too lay wide awake, facing the cell door, seeing the drawn out shadow draw nearer through the bars.

He racked his brain, trying to remember if anyone else had drawn Nero’s attention today, had done anything to deserve a nighttime visit. When he couldn’t think of any – the day like all others had passed in a hazy blur – he tried to remember if there was anyone locked away in solitary.

Two out of three options he came up blank and the third option became very real all of a sudden.

Would it be him? Would this be his first visit, finally finding out – unwillingly – what happened behind those closed doors, what caused the begging and the screaming, what was the prime cause for the impeccable record of this prison’s stats for good behaviour?

Something heavy started forming in his stomach, something that spread to all his limbs. He shifted on his bed, the flimsy mattress barely protecting his bruises from the harsh, cold metal underneath, and kept a close watch on the shadow that now drew nearer.

Had he done anything today? Besides being his usual nuisance? He hadn’t talked back (hadn’t had the chance, really), mouthed off, or tried to instigate a fight. All in all, a quiet day. So by that logic, he should be safe. Should. But he knew Nero didn’t need a reason. And that he could hold onto a grudge, coming back with punishment for something that happened days ago. He relished in the false comfort and striking when the victim thought he was safe.

Yet everyone awake was now thinking back on their sins, severely questioning their safety, and praying they would be spared that night.

The shadow was now right outside his cell and he was sure he just made eye contact with the beast. Either time slowed or the man had stopped. But then he blinked and the shadow had passed his door. Clanking footsteps following in its wake.

His shoulders relaxed. And Lucas found himself exhaling his dread.

A couple cells ahead the footsteps stopped. Sounds echoed through the hall, a lock springing open, the creak of the door; the soft prelude. Then soft begging and sobs, whispered pleads. A harsh command. Then quicker footsteps, stumbling along with Nero’s marching, another choked off sob, whispered “please, please, no, I’m sorry, please, I’m so sorry!” as they got closer.

"Quiet."

The begging stopped instantly.

The command wasn’t made out of concern to others, nor to not disturb their night’s peace or to remain undetected. Begging just was useless here.

Lucas saw the two dark figures go past, noticing how Nero used his favourite method of transportation: a vice grip on his victim’s neck and simply pushing them along.

A door slammed shut. Then there was silence.

Lucas pressed his pillow over his head, tried to calm his beating heart, to convince himself the storm had passed and he could go to sleep. Unfortunately, he knew the silence was a short lived one.

That it would soon be filled again. By muffled distant screams.

Continued here

#whump #whump drabble #whump writing #prison whump #stoic whumper #angst #implied torture #first drabble yasss #I hope to keep the chapters short this time but #I think I say that for everything so we'll see...#no title yet gotta think of something #my writing #prison whump prologue :))#didnt tag anyone gonna make a new taglist for this

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ruvviks · 8 months ago

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PLEASE DO NOT TAG AS YOUR OWN OC OR PAIRING.

Nathan and Ruben share a bond more powerful than most; mutual understanding through past experiences no one should ever have to go through, and through past actions so horrible they cannot be spoken of. Their grief and the blood on their hands binds them to the STEM technology they created, which has alienated them from the rest of the world— but they give each other the comfort they have both longed for so desperately for years, and that is all they need. They are each other's counterpart; you cannot imagine one without the other, like two sides of the same coin. Through their pain, their grief, their desire, and their regret, they have become one.

anna akhmatova, the guest // bones; equinox // 'i won't become' by kim jakobsson // agustín gómez-arcos, the carnivorous lamb // by oxy // achilles come down; gang of youths // czeslaw milosz, from 'new and collected poems: 1931-2001' // 'extended ambience portrait from a resonant biostructure' and 'migraine tenfold times ten' by daniel vega // a little death; the neighbourhood // marina tsvetaeva, from 'poem of the end' // by drummnist // katie maria, winter // 'nocturne in black and gold the falling rocket' by james abbott mcneill whistler // micah nemerever, these violent delights // body language; we are fury // 'the penitent' by emil melmoth // chelsea dingman, from 'of those who can't afford to be gentle'

taglist (opt in/out)

@shellibisshe, @florbelles, @ncytiri, @hibernationsuit, @stars-of-the-heart;

@lestatlioncunt, @katsigian, @radioactiveshitstorm, @estevnys, @adelaidedrubman;

@celticwoman, @rindemption, @carlosoliveiraa, @noirapocalypto, @dickytwister;

@killerspinal, @euryalex, @ri-a-rose, @velocitic, @thedeadthree

#tew #edit:nathan #nuclearocs #nuclearedits #so much shame in my body but still used my taglist but um let me know if you want to be excluded from oc/ship web weaves #just really wanted to share this one because i'm very proud of it and i want it on my blog. so. :]#recognition of the self through the other + wanting so desperately for the other to be deserving of a second chance #because if there is hope for them than there is hope for you etc etc and so on. that's the core of their dynamic i think #they understand each other on such a fundamental level that no one else comes close to because they are in so many ways the same #like how in in the first game leslie could sync up with ru/vik and all that? nathan would be a VERY good candidate for that as well #and it makes me insane!! and then the added layer of nathan being lead developer of mobius' new and improved STEM system #which makes him the same as ru/vik AGAIN but in like. the way that they're both men of [computer] science #and there's the fact they both have a dead sister. they both killed their parents. they were both mobius playthings for YEARS #and they've happily killed and tortured during all of it. they're angry they're out for revenge they're completely disconnected from #the normal human experience and they're working with what they have. and then after all of that is over then what is left?#their story focuses on them picking up all the pieces. everything that's still salvageable at least. and try to start over in a way #they cannot be forgiven for what they've done but they can move on from the past and do different in the future #there's still things left undone and left unsaid... in my canon at least. i know there's not gonna be any more games. it's fine #anyway they end up going to therapy and then they get better they're not a doomed couple they just like being dramatic #if you read all of this we can get married tomorrow if you'd like

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madamechrissy · 24 days ago

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Love at First Bite?

🩸Part One (coming soon)

🩸Pairings: Vamp!Gojo x you (main) - (minor) Vamp!Geto x you - (past) Nanami x you (fem reader)

🩸Summary: You lost your parents months ago on that bridge, you can never forgive yourself for being the reason your parents were driving that rainy night. Somehow, you survived, but now you can't feel anything. You're currently rotting away in your dorm room, when your best friends drag you to a frat party. And that's where you meet them, Satoru and Suguru, they're known as the brothers, the most popular guys there are. Suguru takes an interest in you, and so does Satoru, and you start to feel again, fuck you feel too much, but then... you find out things that shake your entire world, things beyond your understanding. Just who the fuck are they, and why did you find a picture of them from the 1800s in a school archive and why does Satoru look like he wants to eat you!?!?

🩸CW: Will be MDNI- light love triangle, based on TVD loosely, violence, some angst, you are Choso's lil sis and Yuji's older sis, College AU, Eventual smut, explicit sex, blood drinking/mentions of blood, a whole lot of back and forth, Satoru is the 'bad boy' Sugu is more the 'good guy' but we all know how that can go, Nanami is reader's ex and now bestie, main pairing is Satoru x reader (he is the Damon here- Sugu is Stefan lol)

FUTURE WIP- It's the Vampire Diaries inspired/JJK crossover NO ONE asked for, and idk if anyone WANTS lol, but I'm thinking of bringing!? If ya'll are interested in this drop a comment!!

Taglist open

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hearts-hunger · 9 months ago

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Read on AO3 | Masterlist | Taglist Form

Summary: For Josh, home is where you are. | Standalone in the Cabin Fever universe

Pairings: Josh x Wife! Reader (Josh POV) | Genres: domestic fluff, angst, hurt/comfort | Word Count: 3k | Warnings: a little mention of spice

A/N: I loved Josh's most recent insta caption about the stage being his ethereal living room he gets to share with us, but I also love hurt/comfort, so I made it angsty and fluffy for Josh and Baby. I hope you like it! ♡

“The stage is your ‘ethereal living room’?”

Josh looked up from the charcuterie board he was meticulously arranging to see you on your phone, presumably scrolling through the concert pictures he’d posted half an hour ago. He smiled.

“Yeah, you know.” He tapped a row of crackers into line until they were perfect. “The shows are a place where people come together to enjoy each other’s company. Somewhere that feels like home.”

You didn’t say anything. He glanced up at you again.

“Ethereal means — ”

“I know what ethereal means, Josh.” Your face went pink. “It’s just not usually a word you use to describe a living room.”

He was a little surprised at your tone; it bordered on sounding upset, but maybe that was just because he’d embarrassed you, though he certainly hadn’t meant to.

“I was just trying to help, baby,” he said gently. He tried for some humor. “And you’re right, it’s not usually a word you’d use to describe a living room. Definitely not our living room in the state it’s been in lately.”

That had the opposite of the intended effect, and he wished he could take it back when your face fell. “You don’t think it’s ready for tonight?”

“No, no,” he said quickly. “It’s ready now. Everything looks great. I just meant that we haven’t been as good about tidying every night, so it’s been a wreck recently.”

“Right,” you said, but it was doubtful and tense. “Well, I tried to get most of it done while you were at work — ”

“I know, baby.” He felt that he’d botched this conversation pretty badly, but you also seemed much more sensitive than you usually were. “It was a huge help, and I’m grateful that you did most of the cleaning when we made the mess together.”

“I didn’t make it quite as ethereal as a concert, though,” you said, and your laugh was a little strained.

He wondered at your fixation on the wording of his caption, but maybe you were trying to make it into a running joke.

“The Kiszkas wouldn’t know what to do with a living room too perfect for this world,” he teased. He set the board on the other side of the island and went hunting for the wine glasses. “Could you grab me the corkscrew, honey?”

You did as he said, but there was a pensiveness to your body language that made him worry. You’d been in a great mood all day, his happy bubbly girl, spending the day shopping and tidying and preparing for the dinner party you were hosting. Jake, Sparrow, Sam, and Danny were due to arrive any time now, and Josh had thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you after work getting your home ready for your family. He didn’t know what had brought on this sudden change in mood, and he racked his brain for what could have caused it and what he could do to fix it.

“Dessert smells really good,” he said sincerely. “Did you end up putting the strawberries in there too?”

You handed him the corkscrew and stood uneasily as he opened the Riesling, toying with the sleeve of your pretty dress.

“No,” you said quietly. “It’s just regular blackberry cobbler. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

A frown tugged at his features. “I don’t,” he said. He popped the cork out. “Of course I don’t mind. That sounds great, honey.”

“It’s not very exciting,” you said apologetically.

He didn’t know where this was going. Surely you weren’t upset about the dessert you’d made, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what you really were upset about. He decided to stick with his usual strategy, which was mostly just continuing to be sweet to you.

“I don’t need exciting, baby,” he said, kissing your cheek. “It’ll be perfect. I can’t wait to try it.”

Working together, but without your usual quips and jokes back and forth, you and Josh put the finishing touches on dinner before the doorbell rang. Josh put his dishtowel over his shoulder and went to welcome your guests in, and he was happy that you joined him.

“You look beautiful, baby,” he said. “I love that dress on you.”

You touched a hand to the neckline of your summery black dress patterned with little red cherries. “Oh, well, it’s only a sundress. But... thank you.” The usual enthusiastic enjoyment of his compliments he loved hearing was nowhere in your voice. He wished he could wait to open the door and ask what was bothering you, but the doorbell was now accompanied by rhythmic knocking the type of which only a drummer could deliver.

“I’m telling you,” Josh said, trying one last-ditch attempt to coax a smile out of you. “This ethereal living room business — it’s better if it’s just our plain old living room with these hooligans.”

The smile you gave him was clearly only for his sake, not even reaching your eyes. Discouraged and unable to stall any longer, he turned the door handle.

“I didn’t mean to push this on you,” you blurted. Your expression was anxious and regretful. “I’m sorry, Josh.”

By the time he’d processed what you’d said, the door was already open, and your family was coming inside full of laughter and bearing gifts of wine and appetizers and card games to play. He wanted to jump right into the festive atmosphere his brothers and sister-in-law brought with them, but he was completely preoccupied by your blurted-out apology for... what? What could you have to be sorry for? He looked across the foyer and felt his heart twist when he saw your strained smile as you welcomed your family inside.

“Alright, Kiszkas,” he said with more levity than he felt. He ushered everyone into the living room, pointing out the drinks and snacks on the kitchen island. “Eat, drink, and be merry. Dinner’s almost ready.”

He asked Danny to watch the sauce simmering on the back of the stove, wanting to try and get a moment with you before dinner. He left Sparrow and his brothers chatting and snacking in the kitchen and found you in the dining room, double-checking the place settings you’d already made perfect an hour before.

“Baby,” he said gently. “What did you mean, you’re sorry for ‘pushing this on me’? Did you mean dinner?”

You bit the inside of your cheek. “I should have asked you before I planned it.”

He leaned against the doorframe. “You did ask me. Didn’t you?”

“I don’t think so,” you said sheepishly. “I think I just told you I was doing it, and you went along with it.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t mind,” he said sincerely. “I’m glad you planned it.” He debated giving you space or pressing a little deeper, and he risked the latter. He came around the table to the side where you stood.

“I’m glad we’re all spending time together,” he said. He took your hands in his. “I’d like to enjoy it with you, too, but I wouldn't be happy if you were unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy,” you lied.

“Baby,” he chided tenderly. “You’ve been out of sorts for a little bit now, and I want to help you get back into sorts. I just don’t know how.”

You looked up at him. “Are you sure you’re happy with... all this?”

He raised a brow. “Dinner? Or, like, the universe as a whole?”

You sighed. “No, I mean... do you like being home? Maybe it’s a little lackluster after touring.”

“That could not be farther from the truth,” he said, without a moment’s hesitation. Was that all that was bothering you?

“Silly girl,” he said with a smile. “Of course I like being home. I love being home.”

“But it’s... it’s just... me,” you said lamely. “Just our house.”

“I’m still not seeing a problem,” he said, affectionately teasing. “I love you, and I love our house, especially when it has all the people we love in it drinking all our wine.”

You didn’t say anything for a moment. Then — “Are you sure?”

For a moment, he couldn’t think of anything to say. He felt a surprisingly sharp flash of hurt at your doubt. He tamped it down to focus on you, his sweet wife, who apparently felt that his homecoming had been spent wishing he was back out on the road.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he finally said. He cupped your face in his hands, reading something sad and needful in your expression but unable to figure out how to fix it. “I love being home with you, baby. I miss you so much when I’m away. You don’t know that?”

He saw your eyes sparkle with tears and wished desperately he could understand how it had gotten this bad, wished he could figure out how to fix it.

“Hey,” he said softly. He kissed you. “I love you. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

“But it’s not — ”

“It’s perfect,” he said, gently cutting across your protest. “And though I love the way you open our home to our family, even just being with you, eating takeout in our pajamas, would have been perfect too.”

You gave him a watery smile at that, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“There’s that smile,” he said tenderly. He brushed the tears from your face. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you weren’t enough, baby. You're everything to me. You’re my heart. You know that, don’t you?”

You nodded and kissed him, and he was so happy to have helped even a little. He’d probably ask about it again, try to understand what had made you think such a thing so that you'd never have to think it again. For now, though, your family was waiting, and you seemed eager now to get back to them.

“Don't tell them I was crying,” you said, running your hands over your cheeks, trying to hide the telltale signs. “Tell them we were having a quickie or something.”

He chuckled. “I'm not sure I’m skilled enough for that to be believable, baby. Less than five minutes is a lot to ask.” He kissed your cheek. “And I won’t tell them you were crying. That’s between you and me.” To his way of thinking, a husband's job was to protect his wife at her most vulnerable, not to expose her. These moments between you, the words and soft touches and intimacy you shared — those were just for the two of you, and Josh treasured the privilege of being the one you shared yourself with when you needed a little extra love.

You took his hand, and when he was sure you were ready, he led you back out to where your family waited.

He saw you return to your usual self as the night went on, and he loved to hear your laugh and watch your smile light up your face as you spent time with your family. Sam, Danny, Jake, and Sparrow — they never failed to bring warmth and light with them wherever they went, and Josh knew that there was no better medicine than their terrible jokes and affectionate bickering and safe, easy love. You were always beautiful, but joy made you ravishing; you shone as brightly as the sun when you were happy, and he felt a weight come off his shoulders as you came back to yourself.

After dinner, you found a spot on the couch; as Josh went to fix glasses of wine for both of you, he watched the drama unfolding in the living room. Catty corner to you, Sam and Jake were playing guitar, Sam casually and Jake with characteristic seriousness; Sparrow sat perched on the arm of Sam’s chair, and Danny sat on the floor.

“Watch him,” Danny said, slipping a hair tie from his wrist and aiming it like a slingshot at Jake. “I bet he won’t stop playing.”

“No, Danny!” Sparrow giggled around the straw stuck in her wine glass. “That would be so mean to my poor Jakey.”

“He wont’ even notice,” Danny said, unable to hide an impish smile. “Watch.”

He shot the hair tie at Jake, and it popped him on the forehead before tumbling down the guitar and landing on the floor. Jake didn’t miss a beat.

Danny and Sparrow dissolved in uproarious laughter, and Jake merely rolled his eyes with a telltale smile.

“You’re all idiots,” he said.

“Not me!” Sam protested. He watched Jake’s fingers, invested in learning the tune now. “I’m trying to play with you, but geez, can you dial it down from rock god so I can figure it out?”

Jake slowed his playing, talking Sam through the notes, and good-naturedly accepted a kiss on his forehead from Sparrow. Danny tried to find the hair tie again and hit Sam with it when he did, earning himself a nudge with Sam’s foot that made Danny laugh and lean his head against Sam’s knee in apology.

Josh brought your drinks over to the couch and handed yours to you. “For you, baby.”

You accepted it gratefully and patted the spot next to you. “Thanks, honey. Come sit with me.”

He did, draping one arm over the back of the couch behind you, pleased when you scooched closer to him. He gave you a sweet, chaste kiss.

“Feeling better, baby?” he asked gently.

You couldn’t help a dull blush, but you gave him a bashful smile. “Yes. I’m sorry I was so... tearful earlier.”

“That’s alright, honey. Would you mind telling me what it was that got you so upset?”

You ran the pad of your thumb over the bottom of your wineglass. He was patient as he waited for you to gather your thoughts.

“It’s silly,” you said finally. “You’ll either laugh or be annoyed that I made such a big deal about it.”

He considered that. You usually took things in your stride, and neither of you made a habit of being offended or upset over trivial, accidental things. Whatever it was, it had hurt you, and he would validate that feeling no matter what it turned out to be.

“I promise I won’t laugh,” he said. “And I don't think I’ll be annoyed.” He really just wanted to know what it was, and he told you so.

Your nervous, wandering fingers found his, and he was content to let you play with his wedding ring. You brushed your thumb over the shiny gold surface.

“It was your caption,” you said. “You know, for those pictures you posted.”

He was bemused for a moment. “Oh. Really?”

“Yeah,” you admitted quietly. “There’s no greater feeling in the world than returning to the stage. It is my ethereal living room. A place where things feel lighter than air. I love you.”

If anyone had asked him to recite from memory the caption he’d written himself, he couldn't have done it. The fact that you knew it word for word told him you must have been saying it over and over again in your head since you’d read it.

He thought of the wording in light of your feelings and saw how it could have hurt you. It had been their first show back after a long break spent at home, and while you were in your plain old living room at home and missing him, he’d apparently been away in a much better living room doing much more exciting and wonderful things without you. Of course he hadn’t really been comparing a concert to the home he shared with you — it was only an Instagram caption, after all, and not a serious commentary on his life. But even though he felt it was reasonable for you to have known that, he also knew that sometimes the heart wasn’t reasonable.

He twined his fingers with yours. “Sweet baby,” he said. “I’m sorry it hurt you. It wasn’t my intention at all. I don’t know if it helps, but I wasn’t thinking about our real life living room when I wrote that. I just thought it sounded clever.”

“I know,” you said. You gave him a wobbly smile. “It was clever. It’s sweet. And the fans deserve a little love note from you. I just...”

“You just missed me,” he said, brushing his knuckles over your cheek. “I know, baby. I missed you too.”

“I’m sorry,” you said. “I’m sorry I made such a big deal out of it. I could have just been honest that I was upset. But really, I should have just taken it like you meant it and not started catastrophizing, thinking you weren’t happy at home.”

“Well, sometimes our imaginations run away with us,” he said, patient and kind. “For the record, I am happy at home with you, baby. You in your old sundress making regular blackberry cobbler is the kind of thing I dream about when I'm away from you. And if I could only have one, I’d pick our less-than-ethereal living room and be glad to share it with you for as long as I lived.”

You touched his cheek. “Why are you so sweet to me?”

“Because I love you very much,” he said simply. He kissed you. “Tell me you know that.”

“I know that,” you said softly, tenderly. “Of course I know that. I love you very much too.”

He kissed you again, taking his time, drawing you closer to him. You tasted like sweet wine and sounded so pretty when your breath caught, your fingers brushing through his curls, your heartbeat light and fast under his hands, almost ethereal.

From the other side of the living room, there was a vague commotion and contagious laughter from Sparrow and his brothers.

“Should we check on them?” you asked, your voice muffled and smiley as you kissed him.

He chuckled. “They’re fine. Hush and let me kiss you.”

You did, and when you threw your arms around his neck to pull him even closer, he decided you weren’t ethereal after all. The two of you together, surrounded by the ones you loved, laughter and joy and music filling your home — it was something better than ethereal, something earthy and imperfect and steady. For all he loved his work, this right here was exactly what he wanted.

“I love you, Mrs. Kiszka,” he said gently.

You smiled and set everything right in his world. “I love you too, Joshy.”

@wideminded-dreamer and @spark-my-nature were particularly excited for this one so hey here you go <3

#i'm gonna do a taglist rb later hopefully with the new list from my new form! yay #also i hope this is not a case of a fic where the header is better than the story dkhjbfhb it's just a short sweet little fic :')#i do like this header tho :)#josh kiszka fluff #josh kiszka x reader #josh x baby #cabin fever fics #greta van fleet fanfiction #gvf fanfiction #maddie writes stuff!

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