#no thoughts..... head empty......................rocket man

[idesofrevolution]

Cult of Personality

The blistering New Mexico heat bared down on Douglas' '99 Chevrolet Cavalier. The small blue coupe meandered up I-25, enroute from Las Cruces to Santa Fe. The old man quietly sighed to himself, fruitlessly trying to think of a better pitch to sell his Solar Panels to the rich folks up in Albuquerque. Las Cruces ended up being a bust, just as much as Tucson: the damn things were just too expensive up front. Not that the company gave a single damn, quotas are quotas. Thus, still empty handed, he passed the exit sign for Socorro- still an hour until he'd reach his destination.

As he passed the exit, he noticed a bright red glint a bit further up the road. Douglas adjusted his glasses, squinting his eyes to see. He slowed down on the empty highway as the sight became clearer. It was a car. In fact, it was a bright red '67 Mustang; it's owner leaned on the hood as black smoke bellowed from the tailpipe. Douglas looked down at his watch, knowing fully well that he needed to be in Albuquerque before sundown. Though, as he approached the broken down muscle car, the sweltering heat of the Chihuahuan Desert at high noon would be a killer. The young man leaning on the car turned his head, not even sweating a single drop, and stared blankfaced at Douglas as he pulled up.

Douglas hit the brakes, stopping his car right alongside the young man. He strode up to the old man's car, leaning in and resting his elbows onto window ledge. His stoic expression slowly melted into a wide grin, licking his lips before he spoke.

"You headed toward Albuquerque?" A thick Texan accent flowed from the man's lips, his dark brown eyes nearly black even in the blinding light of the sun. Douglas felt an odd twinge of nervousness as the grinning young man casually smiled; it felt off. Behind that handsome visage, something was brewing within.

"I'm headed to Santa Fe, but I can call you a mechanic from Socorro, he'd be here in a jiffy!" The young man's smile didn't fade, he simply shook his head 'no.'

"Phone's got no service out here, brother. I sure would appreciate a ride. It's just a mile or so up the road." He turned, pointing down the seemingly endless highway. Before Douglas could deny the young man his request, the hitchhiker leaned in closely. It may have been the heat, or it may have been his exhaustion, but for no more than two seconds, he thought he'd heard whispers blowing in the wind. Douglas said nothing, and the young man's grin grew wider. "Thank you, brother. I'll hop in the back."

As he strode back to his car, grabbing a duffel bag from the trunk of his car, Douglas wanted to slam on the gas and blitz out of there. An air of menace surrounded this man, despite his magnetic charisma; yet his foot did not press down on the pedal. The passenger side door opened, as the man hopped into the back seat of his coupe. Too late. The door slammed by itself, evidently thanks to a gust of wind he neither felt nor heard. He pulled the car out of park, and off the duo went. He glanced into his rearview mirror, taking in the sight of his hitchhiker.

He nearly took up the entire backseat. The duffel bag sat next to him, his muscular arms tightly holding it against his side. He was easily above six feet tall, likely even more than six and a half. He threw his arms behind his head, kicking his large feet onto Douglas' armrest. Outwardly, he seemed like just another good looking guy- one he'd likely see on his granddaughter's TikTok. But his guard remained on high alert.

"Just keep driving, brother. I'll tell ya when to turn off." His velvety voice was disarming, a carefree confidence just wafted from him alongside the strange heat which seemed to emanate from his muscular body. For about an hour, the two sat in silence as they rocketed down the highway. Each glance he shot into his mirror, Douglas would see the man smirking- his gaze never meeting the old man's. Thus, as the road veered to the left in the distance, their silence was broken. "Don't turn, just keep going straight." He carried a tone of authority in his voice, a natural command that would be highly unlikely to be ignored.

"There isn't a road straight ahead..." The hitchhiker finally stared into the mirror, his eyes locked on Douglas' reflection.

"Go straight."

As if of their own accord, the old man's hands kept steadfast on their trajectory. As the road began to curve, the Cavalier shot in the commanded direction, straight into the sands of the desert. They swerved, avoiding large rocks and towering Saguaros, before the foothills of the mountains started to come into view. Through the mirage before them, Douglas could see what looked like a campsite ahead, just beyond the thicket of green brambles. A crowd of maybe 50-70 people had gathered in the bowels of the desert. For what purpose, Douglas did not yet know. But as he slowly began his approach, the entire crowd had turned their eyes toward the car. Like the parting of the Red Sea, the crowd split in two; leaving a clear straight shot toward a makeshift platform right at the base of the mountain.

"Thank you for the lift, brother. Do me a favor, will ya? Stick around. I have a feeling you'd love what we have going on today." Again, his timbre was less of a request- and far more of a demand. The tone was never raised, nor was it ever aggressive. However, he felt as if one would be wise to heed his instructions. Douglas simply nodded, turning the car off, and opening the door.

The crowd was filled with a diverse cast of people, all of which were fit, energetic, and young. Not a single soul had seen a day over 30, no less than 21. They stared with vacant expressions in silence until the hitchhiker exited the backseat, at which point they erupted in cheers and applause. Douglas watched with confusion and shock as the young man walked toward the platform, shaking hands, playfully punching shoulders, giving out high fives like condoms at a clinic. Who the hell had he picked up? Where the hell was he? As he hopped atop the wooden structure in one single leap, easily five feet off the ground, he shucked the grey tank top and tossed it into the crowd. A young woman caught it, tenderly holding it against her chest as the onlookers admired his chiseled build. Raising his arms, the crowd went silent.

"Brothers and Sisters, today is the day! Are you ready? Are you rearing? Tell me!" The crowd erupted, Douglas stared around the transfixed athletes, feeling entirely out of place- as if he wasn't meant to be there. "For one full year, you have trusted me to build your bodies into machines: daily training, nightly runs, some of y'all are out there doing some of the hardest workouts we have to offer. Look at you now!" More cheers. "When I told you that your bodies were temples, to treat them as such, each and every one of you took my words seriously. I said that each of you had the potential to become something incredible. You said, but Cameron, I can't ever get to where you're at! But guess what? You followed the regimen, you became part of our family, you became a part of something so much bigger than you even knew. And we are here today, your induction into our movement, the final hoo-rah!" Mimicking the leader, every single one of the parroting people began to chant hoo-rah, once... twice... thrice... like a warcry on the battlefield. Douglas turned, searching through the sea of people to find an escape route. Instead, he only saw five men of the same jacked physique of the leader handing out what looked to be bottles of water. Peering closely, the unlabeled bottles carried a milky white liquid.

"What sort of Jonestown shit is this..." The bottles were disperse quickly amongst the crowd, the cheery if not dim young men had seemingly finished in minutes as the leader droned on. Douglas took the opportunity to make his way back toward the car, only for a moment of dread to wash over him. It was gone. In it's place, a line of tire tracks came to an abrupt end, no vehicle in sight. The old man felt a hand on his shoulder, turning quickly to be face to face once again with 'Cameron' himself.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me, Douglas. I'm more than happy to reimburse you, you've saved the day." Whispers again started to rise around him, incoherently babbling a language far outside of his own knowledge. "Today, my friend, your journey begins." Douglas tried to pry his eyes away from Cameron to no avail. The deep brown eyes seemed to swallow any thought, any desire, any need. Cameron's pupils started to pulse, mimicking the old man's heartbeat, growing larger and larger, until the inky blackness had swallowed his entire iris & sclera. Cameron smirked as he watched the old man's posture fall forward, his shoulders drooping and his jaw hanging loosely. "Mmmmmmm. Good, fall deep, vessel. For your assistance today, your reward is to be one with me, just as all in my inner circle have done."

The black-eyed stud gently guided Douglas away from the crowd, who were busy downing the contents of their respective bottles just as moans and groans started ringing out from the poor fools. The five members of Cameron's inner circle followed suit, their eyes flooding black and mouths curling into devilish grins. The group soon arrived in a clearing of the thicket, circling around a pile of filthy clothes strewn across the dirt. Douglas was slowly guided to them, entirely unwavering in his stonefaced obedience.

"Well, my children. You continue to serve me well. I admit, this body must be hard to say no to. He is a joy to wear." The five goons chuckled menacingly, one or two of them groping at their bulges through their running shorts. "Today, as you all did before him, Douglas aided me in my time of need. On a momentous day as this, such acts must be rewarded. Today, you welcome your new brother." With a swipe of his hand, Douglas' corporate clothing dissolved into thin air, burnt ash flying into the desert wind. He stood there in the nude, the group watching in anticipation as Cameron simply pointed down to the pile of reeking clothes, and Douglas could do nothing but obey.

One by one the articles began to tremble, before sliding across the sand toward their soon-to-be owner. Cameron snickered, snapping his finger. A sweaty jockstrap quickly flew into the air, levitating for a moment before shooting toward the old man's groin. Like a liquid hitting a solid, the grimy fabric collided with Douglas, warping and wrapping around his legs and package until it had settled into it's new home. The brothers grinned, as they watched the old man's admittedly humble bulge swell rapidly. It expanded outward, his balls dropping like ten pound weights as they grew, and his cock elongated and widened until it peeked it's head out from the bottom of the sweat stained pouch. Douglas moaned as his ass swelled thick and bulbous, the formerly wrinkled and smooth skin sprouting dark brown hairs as his bush followed suit. Cameron grinned, strutting over to cup his hand over the musky horsecock and balls that had sprang from his jock.

Another snap of his fingers, and the shorts shot upward, wrapping around Douglas' legs, quickly inflating them with thick mass. His hamstrings widened, his quads becoming hard as iron while his calves tightened. The chicken legs he used to possess now were two massive slabs of hard meat. Cameron continued to grope and massage his prey's bulge, the fabric of the jockstrap growing sticky with his pre as he moaned. The five grunts slowly lowered their own shorts and jockstraps, releasing their sweaty dicks into their waiting palms.

"You humans are so... simple." *snap* The socks slithered like snakes across the ground, surrounding Douglas' toes and sliding around his heel and fastening around his ankle. "All it takes is slipping into some attractive male, and you'll be worshipping at my feet. As will you." The old man's feet cracked and stretched wide, his soles growing soft and sweaty as the stinking running shoes melted around his gigantic feet. The rubber and fabric contorted and stretched, the funk of a thousand runs in the desert heat wafting from within their confines as they reformed into a perfect fit. The group started to stroke their cocks, small droplets of black sludge seeping from their slits. Cameron grinned, sliding his hand into Douglas' jockstrap and wrapping it around his throbbing member. "You, however, will be a prince among men."

*snap* The pot belly which had plagued Douglas for 30 some odd years slowly receded, fading into obscurity as if it had never been there to begin with. His abs tightened, his pecs became lean, his waist slimmed quickly with powerful obliques and cum gutters pointing toward his hose. Whispers started to echo in the wind as the five cultists stroked their cocks, streams of black, tar-like slime coalescing into pools at their feet.

"You will be a father of my spawn, a carrier of my seed." Cameron continued to pump the massive dick, watching with malicious glee as his arms grew sinewy and lean, his hands large and wide, his fingers long and slender. "Today, our army is founded." The possessed stud placed his hand on the balding head of the former salesman, pushing him to his knees; his mind blank as his master's shorts slid down to his thighs, releasing a grotesque sight. Whatever his host's member used to be was long gone, now corrupted with demonic seed. It stood upright, intricate black symbols wrapping around the foot long shaft all the way to his foreskin. "Receive my blessing, mortal. Be one with me." The ripe rod inched forward, dripping thick globules of the black sludge onto Douglas' thighs as it pressed against his face. His mouth opened, and it was over.

In a single thrust, the monstrous cock pushed past his lips and deep into his throat as Cameron began to face fuck the old man. The pools of black sludge from his minions writhed toward him, engulfing his legs in their glistening form before slinking toward his tight hole. Cameron threw his head back in ecstasy, howling a thunderous and unnatural roar as his underling's seed seeped into Douglas' rear. The sounds of squelching, cracking, suction rang out as the roars began to grow louder. Each slap of his face against Cameron's bush reformed his aged face. New hairs sprouted on his scalp, a thick forest of black spreading across his head. His lips plumped as they slurped on the smelly cock, his skin tanning and all wrinkles disappearing. The last vestiges of the black sludge squeezed into his hole, and with a wicked, fiendish grin the possessed stud cursed out into the open desert air:

"WE... ARE... ONE!" 'Cameron' released his gift down into his new son's throats, a torrent of black seed rushing out of his length and into Douglas' transformed body. His veins started to flush dark, until an inky blackness had sprawled across his lean, taut figure. Whatever remained of Douglas sunk into a void of darkness, only to be encompassed by the viscous corruption. 'Cameron' grinned, his will quickly overwhelming the spirit of the old man before slipping his demonic essence within it. More and more of him flooded into the body, squeezing into the soul, until it was unclear where Douglas began and 'Cameron' ended. Dismounting his new creation, he watched with glee as the convulsions died down, and it's eyes opened, revealing an endless inky black as it grinned.

"Yes, my master, this vessel shall fit our needs quite nicely." As his eyes slowly started to return to their normal hazel, the corruptive sludge within his veins reformed, pushing upward through the capillaries and into the skin, now little more than tattoos to the naked eye. 'Cameron' grinned, another human ensnared into his dark consciousness, little more than a husk to house his essence.

'Dougie' smirked as he pulled up his fetid shorts, quickly masking his cock dripping the black sludge of his master and brothers as he threw his sweaty arms around his new family, walking toward their new army.

---

"Alright, Santa Fe! Are we ready to get fit?" The crowd erupted as Cameron stood before them, his arms raised on the roof of the building, grinning over the 200 new disciples he was prepared to imbue with his gift. Those who had been with him at Socorro stood silently amongst the unsuspecting enthusiasts, ready to 'assist' their 'ascension' should the need arise. Just beside the building, his sons had gathered behind the truck in a circle, chanting words beyond our most vivid imagination as they stroked eachother's musky cocks into the large vat of water. 'Dougie', now a favorite of Cameron, devilishly grinned as he felt the first torrent of his corruption spew into the clear water, the thick black sludge slithering about before dissolving into the liquid as if it were never there. Round after round, they shot their father's seed into water, until there was more of the seed than there was of the water.

"Alright, brothers. I think that should do it." His deep, bellowing voice brought each of his brothers attention on him as they put their cocks back into their shorts. "Hah, and not a minute too soon." The crowd of feckless initiates began to line up, in desperate need of hydration, of which 'Dougie' was more than happy to provide. He hopped up onto the bed of the truck, as his brothers ladled their refreshment into individual bottles. Snatching one, 'Dougie' snickered. "Who's thirsty?"

[grimesgirll]

it’s rare that rick is home with you in the middle of the day. 

typically, the group leader was off on a run, an errand, or dealing with the duties that came with being constable. but not today! today he was home. you’d even woken up to him beside you, a rarity.

you’d woken up with his taut arms wrapped around you and a nose nuzzled into your neck. the urge to stay overwhelms you but you’ve got to put together some breakfast. you’re slipping out of bed when you feel two arms drawing you back.

“where are you goin’? i thought we were sleeping in today.”

“you never sleep in.” you reminded him.

“except for’ today.” he exhaled into your hair, reaching a hand up to play with one of your french braids. “morning, silly girl,” he greeted, traveling his hand up to cup one of your breasts.

you gasped, breathing deeply as he increases the pressure. “doesn’t seem like you wanna sleep.”

“nope.” the sheriff answered, popping the p. 

god, you wished he could be home every morning to have you squirming. he plunged a sticky finger into you. “another one, please.”

“since you asked so nicely.”

you shuddered at the second addition. grinding back against him, he continued his peace signed shape ministration inside of you. 

“and since you’re gripping me so tight, why not another one?”

“ah!”

“that’s it.”

“mhmmm,” you droned into the pillow.

“feelin’ okay, silly girl?”

“so good, daddy!”

 you didn’t have to see his smirk. you just feel the absence of his fingers. your hips shift in anticipation.

“want me to fuck you nice and dumb on my cock early this morning, baby?” rick questioned with a cocky, sleepy grin. “want me to stuff you, silly girl?” 

your head was bobbing yes immediately and that’s all he needed to pull down his boxers and drive right into you. 

it doesn’t matter if you had a degree in molecular biology or rocket science before all this, you’re still rick’s silly girl. 

his lovely little housewife - the one waiting at home to get fucked to the moon and back on his cock. the same cock that had made your eyes widen when you first saw it. 

you’d never mention it to rick but shane had to really be something for lori fuck everything up with rick over him. yeah, lori thought rick was dead but everything afterwards? you would’ve been head over heels overjoyed to see your man again. 

that’s how you’d felt every time rick came back from a risky run. it was scary to imagine a time when he may not come home. you chose to put it out of your mind and enjoy the organ restructuring dick inside of you.

its owner couldn’t hold himself back from slamming into you on your side. there was never anything more relaxing for rick than being balls deep inside of you - well, maybe being down your throat. 

“my silly girl,” he breathed into your hair. 

it took you two a while to make it to the kitchen. it took even longer to make breakfast after you learned that carl had taken judith over to eugene’s to look into a telescope. 

with the house empty, rick gets to devote an hour to his favorite past time: fucking you against the counter. 

you and rick had stumbled downstairs in your pajamas but they’re scattered on the floor now. you lovers are too enthralled in grinding your bodies as close to each other as possible. rick is on a mission to shove his massive cock as deep inside of your tight cunt as possible. of course, it’s tight fit and a delicate dance of not blowing out your cervix.

the early shocks of your fourth orgasm of the day - second against the counter - make themselves known in a way you can’t ignore.

“you’re hitting all the right spots, rick,” you croon, gazing back at him all fucked out.

you feel him twitch inside of you. he can’t help but lose his mind seeing you so needy beneath him at this time of day. god, he needs to be home more.

“anything for you, pretty girl. you like this?” he lays a firm two fingers on top of your clit.

“mhmmm,” you confirm with a nod. 

your leader takes your murmurings as a go ahead to adopt an intense rhythm; his shaft delivering rapid fire contact with your spongy feel good parts inside while his hand strategically cups your clit. 

his solid length saws into you without any regard for your sensitive pussy. the dull pain pairs well with the pleasure as your clit is lavished in attention and your insides feel like they’re about to come apart around the thick ridges of rick. feeling him bare inside of you equates to pure bliss. 

because just like your cookie dough, you like it raw. 

“can’t wait!” you strain.

ugh, he’s gonna have you exploding again. you’re going to be blacking out for a split second and going soft brained. rick doesn’t need to pound into you to send you to a cloud higher than nine. it’s like you’re not even in the room - not even on earth.

last time rick had fucked one of those mind numbing, leg shaking orgasms out of you. he didn’t even stop for the smoke detector or the smell of torched green beans. he’d seared kisses up your neck from behind and without the will to hold out, he’d snuck you away from your task at hand - a green bean casserole - and instead fucked you silly next to the shoe rack.

he only broke the habit of fucking you through the smoke detector when carol told him off and he realized it was a waste of food. 

you’d both been embarrassed at carol walking into the kitchen to rescue your burnt casserole and discover you and rick disheveled coming out of the mud room. 

after a long day of bullshit, rick wants nothing more than to come home to the beautiful home you’ve made for them. to spend quality time in the home and spend himself in you; always earning a couple of releases from you in the process. 

“can’t wait!” you whimper.

“so you want two?”

you nod. you love when rick gives you back to back pleasure. he’s like the best at it. that is when daryl’s not bullying his way between your legs. 

speak of the devil, daryl’s trudging into the kitchen. figures. you and rick must’ve been so into it that you didn’t hear the mud room door. actually, that’s a lie. rick probably heard the door and just banked on you being too wrapped up in cumming around him like you are now to notice.

the archer is treated to the perfect display of your pulsing pussy as you gush all over the counter. he whistles as some of your slick dribbles down the cabinet drawers. 

“shouldn’t have expected anything else on rick’s day off.” he quips.

the brunette sex god playing chicken with your cervix just snorts, not stopping or slowing down the convergence of his hips and yours for anything. “shouldn’t be draggin’ mud through here.” he advises through gritted teeth.

“daryl,” you pant, overwhelmed by both the aftershocks of your climax and the prospect of mud on your floors.

“sorry, wasn’t very nice and clean in norfolk. but hey, we came here and back with fuel and MREs all before noon, so i wouldn’t be too disappointed.”

“i’m gonna make her cum four times before noon.” rick declares, hammering more frantically into you. 

“rick, slow down,” you pant again. 

“you good, honey?” rick checks in, stilling his thrusts to wait for your reply.

“rosita’s class really took it out of me yesterday. all the muscles are sore,” you complain, eyes watering a bit from your orgasm and the mild throbbing pain in your tightened muscles. 

“poor baby’s feelin’ sore?”

daryl confirms with a nod. “she’s not breathing and stretching like you should when she’s lifting.”

rick gives you a disappointed look. “maybe you’ll take a break from your weight lifting classes. huh, honey?”

you groan and pout.

“then you two need to help me practice kegels.”

“we’ll start now,” the sheriff instructs you. his hands couldn’t be cemented further into the curves of your hips. 

with daryl watching from across the counter, you do your best to remember the motions of a kegel. you squeeze. it feels like you’re doing so randomly but rick is bucking his hips again. as long as he’s not correcting you, it’s good enough. not like he’ll last long anyways. 

you’re irresistible to him, all hot and bleary eyed. 

like the time he fucked you up against a hedge at the community picnic. you two were tucked away in the woods of course but that didn’t make it any less naughty when you sauntered back up the hill and to your picnic blanket with cum inside of you. 

you look just like you did then. hair coming undone from your bedtime braids, tears threatening to fall on the countertop, and your pussy holding on tight and not letting him go. 

you expect to be empty once you’re done spasming around the thick rod inside of you and rick had filled you up completely. the breath is knocked out of your lungs when feel another cock take his place.

“daryl!”

“i know that you can take one more, baby. you love being stuffed one after another.”

“that she does,” rick corroborates.

the constable is in your view so now you can relish in the sight of him finding his clothes while daryl tries to do you in once and for good.

“fuck, dare’!” you wince as he pile drives into you from behind.

“sorry, baby,” he apologizes into the crook of your neck, lowering down and crushing you further into the counter. “just missed you out there. i never find anything as perfect as you.”

“mhmmm,” you babble and squeak in time with his thrusts.

“you really needed the pounding today? huh, hon’?” 

you nod your head the best you can for rick.

“almost there, fucking pretty little bitch.”

daryl feels your reaction on his cock as you shudder around him.

“you like being called a pretty little bitch?”

“maybe,” you stutter.

the auburn haired man fucking rick’s cum into you chuckles. “yeah, i feel how much you like it grippin’ me up so tight.”

“her pussy’s got a killer grip.” rick agreed.

“you ‘bout ready to cum all over this cock? you wanna cum? pretty little thing.” daryl huffs with each thrust.

“yes!” you cry out, tensing around his cock. “please, dare’!”

“silly girl’s gonna make a mess of your cock,” observes the peanut gallery.

“whenever you’re ready, pretty girl,” daryl whispers in your ear.

truth be told, just the heat from his breath on your air had your overworked cunt going off like a sparkler around him.

“daryl, daryl, daryl!” you chant.

the panic in your voice is that of someone falling off a cliff but you’re just nosediving into your orgasm with your boyfriend spearing you on his cock.

the shuddering turns into small aftershocks and your legs eventually still as you bask in the post-orgasmic bliss you’re experiencing of the fifth time today. rick gives you a condescending smirk when he realizes the exact moment daryl’s cum trickles into you. you can’t hide how satisfied you are being so warm and full.

the man withdrawing from your spent pussy points to rick’s snack.

“what’s that?” daryl inquires, referring to the jerky rick is chowing on.

“oh, that’s the jerky i made!” you chirp, peeling yourself off of the countertop. “i’m getting pretty good at jerky. wanna try some? carol’s teaching me how.”

“why not?”

you pull a piece from the ziplock bag that rick holds out for you and gingerly pop it into daryl’s mouth. 

“what do you think?”

he shrugs. “i’d share it with dog - not entirely though.”

you slap his shoulder playfully. “i’m still a beginner. it’ll get better.”

“i think it’s great, sweetheart.” rick compliments, manhandling you to his side of the counter and help you step into your newly discovered sleep shorts.

then you’re being pulled into his lap despite your protests. “rick! i have to make breakfast!” you already had explained to them countless times before why you couldn’t cook topless.

rick and daryl share a look and a snicker before rick is locking you in his seated embrace and daryl is grabbing a carton of eggs from the fridge.

“i got it, princess,” daryl hums. “you just take care of rick.”

“i wanted to make breakfast for you on your day off!” you complain, giving rick another pout.

he shakes his head at you. “you know where i want you on my day off, hon’? right here.” to solidify the point, he drags you down onto him, clutching a breast and attacking your neck with his lips.

“already?” you’re asking, punctuating the question with a ragged breath.

“oh, i can go all day today, sweetheart.”

[pickyourpoisonandevolve]

Stars in Her Eyes

Part 2 here

Do you ever have thoughts that are absolute bangers, then realize “man I wish I was a better writer.” Anywho, brain worms, back again, Price is fighting self doubt about decisions in the field. Reader is fighting self doubts of ability and also a head ouchie. This was the compulsory preface my brain forces me to write before I can write the cool sex stuff. Metaphorical dinner before dessert. Big inspired by @beloveds-embrace , particularly the designationless!reader.

—

The blood today was excessive, to say the least. Bad intel, having to navigate this lab in the middle of nowhere Russia by foot in real time. Casualties. Thankfully the other side took more. And thankfully, none on the team, although the injuries were plenty. You were all very cognizant of the mental load needed to be a soldier but some days were easier than others. This one was the worst in a while.

Price and you were clearing a section of the building, warehouse by the looks of it. Doors locked leading to it, just to be met with rockets having eaten away at the walls like rats on the other side. Basically just outside, you thought to yourself, looking at the edges of concrete leading to treeline. Already beating yourself up about things outside of your control, Price sensed a distance in you. He felt it before you did half the time, although you’d never tell him that. “Head in the game, sergeant.” He pushed out.

You were a “great addition” to the 141, so sayeth official mission reports and calls to Laswell. Focused, fast, malleable in the field. But distant sometimes when out of the field. Not quite reclusive, like your lieutenant, but just distant. You were funny, sometimes even extroverted when you wanted to be. But something pulled you back, like a hand down a long hallway, snatching you into a dark room. Locked away and the key long gone.

Prices bite in his voice brought you back momentarily. “Hey, I said get in the fucking—“ A door blasts open and enemies filter through, a large man grabbing you amidst the motion, bringing you close to the edge of the floor that fell away to empty space, a few floors of nothing and the Siberian wilderness. Patting yourself down for a knife with one hand, and defending from being choked out with another, you start half in, half out mentally. Fighting should have been your priority, but the disappointment in Prices voice had you a little fractured. “I’m fucking this up, they won’t want me anymore, please don’t get rid of me, you’re the only—“

Price fighting through the rest of them, took cover as he saw you struggle. If you weren’t so distracted this would be one of the moments you’d love to watch him in. “A real flow state” Gaz called it once, as he moved as fluid as the wind. No wasted motion, a knife here, a bullet there. Propelled purely by the sake of making sure his team was okay. But you had his heart pounding. More than usual anyways. A half dozen men down, you stab at your assailants neck as Price makes it to you.

A double misfire in decision making, you think. As you stab at the man’s carotid arteries, Price heard more footsteps approaching. You just heard blood rushing and doubts. You just saw Prices angry face push you back into the void, hoping to god the snow and dead body behind you would break your fall. Your eyes would haunt him for a while. A broken “No” laying on his ears as he turned back.

—

Soap stayed quiet, keeping his eyes on his captain. Price was tearing through the now silent building, kicking doors in and scanning everything. Price reached them in a sorry state, covered in other people’s blood and moving as if he stopped he would die. “Lost ‘er in the east wing, need to get ‘er.” The rest of the team a little shaken by his lack of composure.

“Why the hell would she still be there?” Ghost fussed, making his way through hallways with the rest of the team.

“This part of the building was locked down tight. Seemed like they were protecting something, before Marakov damn near tore the fucking place down from the outside.” Gaz relayed. “She’s either there or in the woods shooting bears.”

Reaching the door to the wing, Price crowbarred it so fast, Ghost thought he threw his shoulder out. Wind and snow blasted down the corridor, as they filtered into the… room? Floor level hallway straight to the outdoors? Broken racking and file cabinets littered the floor, alongside snow and other detritus. Gaz noticed the bullet holes and gashes in the steel door. Someone tried to leave, but was unsuccessful. Sweeping the area they moved with purpose, until Price heard you first. Sniffling and singing, voice shaky. Coming around a corner to the view from the lower level this time, he saw you two. A large Russian, face down and bloodied in the snow. A missing jacket. A trail of various pieces of gear, and lastly you, curled up in a corner. Blood coming down your face from your hairline.

Their collective hearts broke at the sight, but only Ghost noticed his captains hands shaking. You were humming and singing a tune to yourself, rocking and rubbing your own chest, eyes unfocused watching the treeline.

“You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You’ll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don’t take

My sunshine away”

Without a word, your team got to work. Gaz and Soap called for evac, thanking god there was enough flat ground for the heli to land next to the building. Ghost went back to secure the door to other visitors, giving Price some privacy to approach you.

He put a hand on your shoulder, as you jumped. A secret he held close to his heart was how much he enjoyed looking in your eyes. Like those fancy pictures the satellites take. Dark at first glance but always more to see the longer you look. Like stars were born in them. But all he could see now was the dark. No lights present in the deep space. A concussion very present however. And, confusion. Then hurt. Whatever knife he didn’t know he had in his chest twisted as you spoke. “You threw me away, I’m—“ A gasp of air as you fought to navigate the fractured thoughts. His eyebrows twisted as he tried to understand. “It’s not like last time, like home. I belong here, with you all. I… I’m. I earned it this time. Please don’t leave me here.”

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t, no tears sweetheart. What are you talking about, who’s throwing you away?” He choked out as he snatched you into his chest, fingers gingerly holding your scalp and his lips whispering into your hairline, fighting tears of his own. “I would never throw you away, love. I’m so sorry, I needed you safe. I… I needed you safe.”

The other three approached slowly, wind preventing them from hearing the interaction. Price saw you shift to look behind him as he composed himself. Standing up slowly he turned to the team. “Evac in 10. How is she?” Soap asked kneeling next to you, taking your hand in his.

“Concussion from the fall, cuts and bruises. Fighting hypothermia.” He replied, voice rougher than usual. “Take it easy, not sure she knows where she is right now.”

As the heli landed, hands grabbed and led you gently, a seatbelt around your waist and pats comforting you. Most eyes were closed on the ride back, trying to get some rest after a nightmare of a day. John’s eyes stayed on the horizon.

[bunnyywritings]

your husband, nanami kento comforts you after a car accident

i was in a car accident today and i just needed comfort so here’s a little something i wrote

slight TW: minor car accident and self deprecation

It all happened so fast.

One minute, you were at a red light. The next, it was green but the car in front of you broke so suddenly and you weren’t quick enough to react.

The sound of crushing metal made your eyes widen, your foot moving to step on the breaks but it was too late, the damage had been done. There was a dull ache in the back of your neck and your chest as you followed the car to a safe spot to pull over and park.

The man who you had hit was too kind given the circumstances, he asked if you were alright and waved off your insistent apologies.

Quickly exchanging information and taking pictures of the damage, your hands shook violently as you sat in your car and watched him drive away.

Moving on auto-pilot, you did the only think you could think of. You picked up your phone and dialed Kento’s number.

You could feel the tears welling in your eyes as you listened to the dial tone ring, what would he say?

You’re bothering him at work. You’re under his insurance, this will definitely impact his rate. God…and the cost. You definitely didn’t have the money to fix your bumper and he would most likely offer to take in the payment. You couldn’t do that to him. This was all your fault.

Why did you have to be such an idiot? Such a disappointment? How could you be so careless to-

“-everything alright?”

A shaky “Huh?” left your lips which had made Kento sit up suddenly in his seat. Making Gojo and Yuji frown in confusion.

“Sweetheart, is everything alright?”

The care and concern in his voice was enough for the dam to open. Tears streamed down your face as you gripped the fabric of your pants with your free hand.

“K-Kento…” Your voice broken and wet had made him tense. “I got-I got into a car accident.”

A whirlwind of worry swirled in his chest. Where were you? Were you hurt? Were you safe?

“Where are you?” He quickly rose from his seat, grabbing his keys from his suit jacket and heading towards the door. “Okay, I’m on my way.” And with that, he hung up.

“What happened?” Yuji’s eyes shifted between Gojo and Nanami. You were one of his favorite teachers as Jujutsu High and the thought of something happening to you scared him.

“She was in a car accident.”

This concerned him greatly, distress clear in his eyes. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know.” Nanami’s jaw was clenched as he made his way out of the room, rushing to his car.

“Don’t worry kid.” Gojo patted his head. “He’ll take care of it.”

You had sent your location to Nanami, all that was left was to wait.

You had long since shut off your car, staring i to the emptiness in front of you, trying as much as you could to control your cursed energy, not wanting to cause anymore harm.

When Kento pulled up to the scene, he was relieved to see no emergency vehicles around but that relief was gone immediately once he saw the detached bumper of your car.

As he approached, he noticed the dazed look on your face. You had dried tear stains down your cheeks, your mascara a little smudged around your eyes as you stared into nothing. He could also feel your struggle to keep your cursed energy at bay.

His concern sky rocketed when he pulled open the driver’s side door and you still hadn’t reacted. He knelt down so he was at eye level with you.

“Love? Are you alright?” He whispered, gently brushing some hair behind your ear. That seemed to snap you out of your trance. Your head snapped over to look at him, eyes finding his.

His heart shattering when your face crumpled in anguish and fresh tears spilled from your eyes. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, m’so sorry Kento! M’sorry-!” You were in hysterics. Apologizing through hiccups.

He couldn’t have been more confused. Why were you apologizing?

Nonetheless, he helped you out of your car and guided you into his arms. Holding you so tightly and breathing a sigh of relief. Reminding himself that you were alive. That you were okay. That you were in one piece.

He held you as you sobbed, clinging to the back of his shirt as he cradled the back of your head and placed a kiss to the top of it.

Once your cries died down and you pulled away from him, he decided to ask you.

“Why’re you apologizing?” He wasn’t being accusatory or anything, his tone was soft and gentle.

“B-Because I interrupted you at work and-and your insurance is gonna go up and I have to get the bumper replaced and-“

“Hey, hey…” He cooed, hands cradling your jaw, thumb lovingly caressing your cheekbone and wiping your tears. “Are you injured?”

You frowned. “No.”

“Were they injured?” He was met with a shake of the head. “I don’t care about the insurance rate going up, I don’t care if I need to pay to have your car fixed. I wouldn’t even bat an eye if I had to buy you a new car entirely. All I care about is that you’re safe. That you’re not hurt. A car is an object. It’s replaceable. You are not.” He removed a hand from your face and reached down to grab your left hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing your engagement band and wedding ring with such reverence and care.

“I made a vow to take care of you. Whether that means taking care of you when you have the flu or paying for anything you need.”

This made even more tears flow down your cheeks. “I was so scared, Ken.” He frowned at your confession.

“I know pretty, but you’re okay. I’ve got you.” He continued to press kisses to your palm and wrist. “I left a few of my things at the school but if you wanted to go straight home, then I can just grab them tomorrow.”

“No, that’s okay.” You wiped your cheeks. “We can grab your things first.”

And so you did, his hand was in yours the entire drive there. Only letting go when you left the car.

When you both walked into his office, you were met with an enthusiastic shout of your name and a relieved Yuji pulling you into a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.” His genuine admission brought a sad smile to your lips.

“You really had us worried there, Nanami looked like he was seconds away from a heart attack.” You frowned at Gojo’s admission, hating that you caused him to worry so much.

“Of course I was, she’s my wife you idiot.” He then turned to you with a smile. “Come on, let’s go home.” You gripped his hand and let him lead you back to his car.

He noticed the wince you hissed out as you pulled your seatbelt on. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah…I guess since the adrenaline is wearing off, I’m probably just sore.”

“Then let’s get you into a warm bath. Hmm?” He kissed the back of your hand.

You were gonna be okay.

He’d make sure of that.

[cheesus-doodles]

Wish

Reincarnation AU! Yandere Gojo

Masterlist | Reincarnation AU Masterlist

found myself in kind of a slump just trying to write anything, please have this in the meantime - will also be trying to answer some asks soon while i work on the longer pieces

‎‎‎

tw: violence against reader, mentions of torture, blood, dead dove do not eat

I'll grant any wish you have. That deceptively loving coo was something you had heard countless times before, combined with a gentle comb of his hand through your locks.

Sure, Gojo, would come your predicable reply, complete with a roll of your eyes, before you go back to whatever it was you did for work.

Good looks, money, power - Gojo Satoru always had had the world at his fingertips. And it would have all been yours, everything mortal possession he owned. He hadn't even asked for much in return, just your utter and completely loyalty and obedience to him. In exchange for the sun and moon, any wish that you had granted at the drop of a hat, that much seemed like a rather paltry price to pay, Gojo would think.

Yet here he was, the sorcerer mused, as he drove another nail straight into your shin almost absentmindedly, the spurt of blood that came rocketing out a tantalising shade of crimson. Your shaky gaze shot up to meet his instantly, pupils completely constricted as tears were forced from the corners of painful red eyes; your cries and whimpers had long died away despite your current obvious suffering, raw throat having lost its ability to produce any sound louder than a grunt.

Leaning over to peer down at you with those infinite crystal eyes, Gojo didn't seem the slightest bit affected by your twisted expression. "See anything yet?" The question was followed by a giggle, the look on your face already telling the man everything he needed to know. Despite your understandable fear of him, you still showed no sign of recognition of the presence of curses all around you, and that was unacceptable.

He did need to make absolute sure that you had complete belief in souls that you could reincarnate back as a curse after all, and there was no way better way than to let you see one for yourself. Some real-life ghouls would definitely make quick work of turning a disbeliever into a believer.

‎‎‎

The night outside was quiet, the ominous heavy clouds that threatened to spill at any given moment a perfect reflection of your current grim predicament. Picking up another nail, Gojo made sure to show it to you before he selected a new spot for his gruesome art, this time driving it into the top of your arm with a whistle.

He didn't want to do this, the white-haired man assured himself, that much he would swear to anyone that would care long enough to listen. Out of all the souls that roamed this mortal plane, you were the last one that he wanted to hurt, let alone kill. Not his beloved darling, his soulmate. But you left him no choice. He simply couldn't let you go, not with the way you lived in his head rent free, haunting his every thought.

Maybe, perhaps if you had been a sorcerer in this life, things would have turned out differently. You would have looked up to him as the world's most powerful sorcerer, would have been taken in by his abilities and the weighty clan name attached.

But that was fine.

"Don't worry," the man patted your mangy hair, gently rubbing two matted locks of hair apart between his fingers. "Everything'll be fine."

It'll hurt for now, that much was certain, but your pain and suffering wouldn't be for naught. Being on death's door was one way for normals to see curses, and he would make sure that your agony would be over quickly.

Taking a glance up at the starry sky that blanketed the empty skyline, Gojo breathed, the fresh air a welcome change from the iron scent of stale blood that clad his clothes. You only ever made a single teasing wish of being immortal to him before, over a cup of coffee at a cafe, before you laughed it off - and you had never made another wish after that. But Gojo was benevolent.

Once your soul was reincarnated as a curse, he was sure he could find some old tool in the depths of his clan's treasuries to force you back into your old body and grant your wish. Plus, it would be so much easier to bind you to him when you weren't quite human, and you could spend the eternity of your next life with him.

Win-win.

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Remember My Heart, How Bright I Used to Shine

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Setting: Daryl’s Camp (During Time Jump)

Warnings: Typical TWD Violence and Gore; Angst; Illness

Summary: You had always thought he was invincible. Then your world came crashing down.

A/N: DO NOT PANIC. It’s a little bit a ride but if you start, hang in there. It’s probably been done before. Probably cliche. Meh. This plot bunny wouldn’t leave me alone and had to be set free. I know it’s rushed and not my best but it’s done now and I feel better.

gif by @daryl-dixon-daydreams

You stared, eyes wide and unblinking, as if you could make it go away by sheer force of will alone. At first, you couldn’t even cry but when the tears came, they came with a vengeance, hot and endless over your cheeks and down your neck. It’s not real. It can’t be real. 

The day was like any other. You were up and helping around Alexandria. The air always felt different to you now. Like you could physically feel his absence. You had simply learned to breathe it in and mold it into a way to have him near. You had seen him a few times in the last five years, when you could pull away from the needs of the community and trek into the woods, or when he would come around to help out and just visit with everyone. He would give you a smile and you would return it. You never went to him because if you touched him, you’d never let go. Carol usually kept you up to speed via letters from the Kingdom. Knowing he was safe and healthy proved to be enough. 

It wasn’t though. Not really. No letter would keep you from crying yourself to sleep with your hand on the empty space next to you. No letter would keep you from staring hopefully each time the gates opened, waiting for him to walk through. No letter would convince you that he was out of your reach and you would have to move on. 

You had just finished covering a section of the crops now that cold weather was setting in, dragging your feet after a long day when Michonne jogged over with an envelope. You returned her smile, yours tired and grateful while hers was gentle and understanding. You had both lost the men you loved. Michonne felt guilty that it was Rick keeping Daryl away from you, though you had asserted time after time that she had nothing to be sorry about. 

You decided to read the letter in your room, weary to your very bones. Your bed was calling your name but you only sat on the edge. If you laid down, you’d be asleep before you could get the envelope open. Carol’s fancy handwriting was on the outside, beautiful lines and curves that spelled out your name. You opened the envelope with a sniff, ready to cry when she informed you that he was fine and grumpy as ever.

Except that’s not what it said. 

You dropped the letter and grabbed your bag, out the door and running to the gate with weapons in hand, not even on your belt. 

‘Come to the camp. NOW.’

And that’s how you came to be here now, just inside Daryl’s tent, Carol off to the side, not crying but her face and eyes puffy as if she’d already had her time. Daryl was pale, his shirt off, and leaning back on his hands. 

The bite on his ribs was inflamed, taunting you. Laughing at your dreams of happily ever after with that man. 

“Daryl.” Your words wobbled, the tears just not stopping. 

“C’mere.” You fell into him, muffling your wail against his already too warm skin. He had sat up to hold you tight, rocking you back and forth with his lips pressed into your hair. Whispered reassurance against your ear. “S’gonna be alright.”

“How?” You sat back, wet eyes pleading. “How is it gonna be alright, Daryl?” 

He shared a look with Carol and dropped his gaze. “Just wanted to see ya ‘fore—‘fore I take care’a it.” 

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the meaning behind that. “No.” You shook your head adamantly, crawling on your knees to grab his face, a little rougher than you had intended. “You’re gonna fight, you hear me? You’re gonna fight this until the end.”

“Y/N—”

“No!” You barked at Carol with a finger pointed at her. “Call me selfish. Yes, I’m fucking selfish.” Daryl wrapped his hand around the one you held out, leading it to his mouth. He kissed your palm but kept his fingers around yours, lowering them to the small space between you. 

“Shouldn’t hafta do it. Neither’a ya.”

“It should always be someone who loves you.” He smiled at you, sad and hopeless. “And I love you, Daryl Dixon. I’m not leaving you and I’m not letting you eat a bullet for my sake.” He opened his mouth to once again object, your arms around his neck, your face buried against his shoulder, gave him pause. “Please. I haven’t been with you in so long. Let me have this. I’ll take care of you. And—I’ll do what has to be done.” Your lip began to quiver. “I won’t let you turn, Daryl. I swear it.”

You couldn’t see the exchange between him and Carol, but after a few tense moments, his hands were on your back, holding you tighter. He sighed. “Okay.”

It was hard to watch. His skin had dulled to nearly gray, deep dark circles around dull blue eyes. He had stopped giving you those reassuring smiles. They just took too much energy. 

His skin was burning, a fever raging that you knew no medication could affect. You could only wipe him down with a damp, cool cloth. He would always sigh with relief, whether it was for the reprieve from the heat or just to make you feel better, you’d probably never know. 

Sometimes he would just tense and grit his teeth. He never told you what hurt, knowing there was nothing you could do. He simply didn’t want you to feel worse; like you had failed him. You already held that miserable guilt close to your heart. 

The cough had come gradually, from small utterances to deep, ragged barks that would not only send specks of blood flying but had him crying out when the force of them jarred his entire body. 

It was when everything had quieted that you felt the most terrified. You were just outside the tent, giving Carol some privacy with him. You could see but not hear. She was leaning over him, crying. He was so weak that he couldn’t even lift his arm to wipe her tears. You knew he would if it were possible. 

The other woman was nodding, most likely hearing his wishes for certain things. Things like Dog, who laid a few feet away from you, his ears twitching. Daryl had asked for him to let in a while earlier. The canine seemed to understand, moving slowly around his papa before lying close to his head. It pained Daryl to even be touched, Dog whined but never tried to lick him. After a few moments, the animal had trotted out and laid where he was in front of you. 

When you turned back to the tent, Carol was coming out. Her distress was written clearly across her expression. She was losing her best friend. Still, she offered you a hand and helped you to your feet. Before you could enter, she flicked her finger over the buckle holding your knife at your thigh. 

“You promised him. If you can’t do it, call for me. But don’t wait.” It wasn’t cruel. You nodded and she let go. 

You didn’t say anything as you crawled to a spot beside him, almost touching but not quite. There was a moment of just watching him breathe. You could feel the heat of the fever from where you laid. His breaths were shallow rasps. His eyes were closed. 

“Daryl?” You nearly whispered. 

“M’here.” He still didn’t open his eyes. 

“I love you.”

“Don’t let that stop ya from livin’, ya hear me?” He coughed, his face contorting into a pained grimace. “Ya find someone that sees you. Ya don’t settle fer less.”

“There’ll never be anyone else, Daryl.”

A tear slid down his temple. “That’s what ‘m afraid of—”

“I love you.” You repeated. Daryl wasn’t a words kinda guy. Never had been. He said things through actions. It was one of the things you loved about him. Still, just this once, you wanted to hear it. Needed to hear it. 

“I love ya too, woman. Pain in my ass.”

You laughed wetly, the sound shifting into sobs when his head lulled to the side. You were going to have to do what you promised soon, allowing him to finally rest. He would be taking your heart with him. You couldn’t even begin to think of how you would survive this. 

Seconds turned into minutes of watching his chest rise and fall, shallow and wheezing. Minutes turned into hours. You kept watch diligently, shifting positions around him to get comfortable or keep yourself awake. It had been at least 3 hours, well into the night when Carol peeked inside, her eyes bloodshot, exhaustion radiating from her. 

“Is it—done?” She whispered. 

You shook your head. “He’s still with us. He even feels a little cooler. Maybe it’s just me. Would you check?” With a sharp breath, she crawled into the tent and clumsily made her way to the archer’s side. Her palm hesitated just above his forehead, a look of trepidation on her face when she looked to you and back. His skin was warm against her palm but not frighteningly hot. She flipped her hand, sure she was mistaken. 

“He’s cooler. He—he’s breathing easier. Y/N, I don’t understand.” You crawled over to meet her on the opposite side, feeling his forehead again for yourself. Carol continued as if his temperature would alter in the mere seconds that had passed while you pulled down the blankets covering his torso. The bite was still red, the veins around it a sickly black. 

“Carol, he should—he should be gone. Look at this.” Frozen and befuddled, the two of you stared at the wound, wondering if you had finally been pushed over the edge by grief. 

Another twenty four hours passed in nervous silence. Carol was forging and hunting while you saw to Daryl’s care. The bite was less inflamed but the black veins remained. His fever had broken during the night, and the rattling in his lungs had lessened to a quiet wheeze. 

“I don’t know what’s going on,” you whispered, applying a fresh bandage to his ribs, “but I am freaked the fuck out.” You flinched back when Daryl let out a moan, your hand reflexively sitting on the hilt of your knife. He moved, shifting his shoulders and trying to sit up, uncoordinated and robotic. It did not inspire confidence. “Daryl?”

The heel of his hand was pressed into his forehead but dropped to his lap when he heard his name. When he turned toward your voice, your heart sank. His eyes were milky and yellow. 

“No.” You whimpered, scrambling back as far as the tent allowed. You drew your knife slowly. You had promised you wouldn’t let him turn. Promised. Your naivety had caused you to slip, and you’d live with the guilt for the rest of your life. “I’m sorry.” You sobbed, moving toward him slowly though he had yet to even attempt to approach you. “I’m so sorry.”

His head tilted curiously. “What for?”

You sucked in a breath while your knife fell from suddenly inept fingers. “Oh my god.” Your jaw hung open, there was just no other way to react. “Daryl?”

“Yeah?”

“Daryl?” You repeated, inching closer with a hand outstretched. His brow creased. 

“Ya hit your head or somethin’?”

“I just—you were—you look—”

“Guess if I look as rough as I feel, s’prolly ‘nough’a a reason to be actin’ all weird.” He ran a hand through his hair and coughed, rubbing at his throat. “What happened anyway?” 

Your hand finally connected with his stubbled cheek, the skin warm. He watched you in confusion, uttering your name in a questioning tone as you placed two fingers against his neck, finding a pulse easily. 

“Daryl—Daryl, you were bit.” You were retracting your hand, the archer looking at you with horror etched in every line of his face when you heard a bow string pulling taut. “Carol, no!” If you had been one second later or couldn’t have reached her at all, the arrow would have hit its mark. Instead, it nicked his ear and arched into a bag of supplies behind him. 

“What the fuck, Carol?!” He shouted, gingerly touching his ear and staring at the blood on his fingertips. Yet another indicator of life. His blood was red. 

Carol gasped and stumbled backwards, narrowly missing the firepit when her ass hit the ground. “It’s not—Y/N, he’s—”

“Can one’a ya please fill me in here? I was bit?!” You crawled back into the tent and reached for his ribs. He hadn’t noticed the bandage until then, his gaze on the tendrils of black running from beneath. “What—what the fuck?” Petite fingers peeled away the fresh gauze and revealed the jagged bite, the shape being the key indicator of what it truly was since the teeth had dragged a bit when he fought off the walker. “How the fuck m’I still here?”

“That’s not all, Daryl.” You looked around for anything reflective, considering beating the mirror from his bike but you didn’t want to give the guy an aneurysm along with the news he’d just received. “Something metal, something reflective.” You said hastily as you passed Carol, who remained sprawled on the ground. She pointed to one of the cooking pots without taking her eyes off her best friend. A spoon!

Grabbing it up you jogged down to the river to quickly wash it, looking at your own reflection to ensure it was enough. “Here.” You were holding it out before you had even entered the tent. There was a fear in his expression that you couldn’t see in those lifeless eyes, and that unsettled you. 

He didn’t say anything when he saw, but stared for a long while. “Need a minute.”

You shook your head. “Daryl, I really don’t want to—”

“Please.” He was still staring at the spoon and didn’t see your nod. You zipped up the tent behind you and sat down beside Carol. Both of you wore dazed expressions. 

“He didn’t die.” She whispered. 

“He didn’t turn.” You continued. “What does this mean? Carol, do you think he’s—do you think he’s immune?”

It was more than an hour later when you heard a soft call of your name. You and Carol had settled into anxious silence, every scenario running through your mind, good or bad. What if he turned later? What if he was still sick and infectious? What if he needed to eat people to survive?

You dusted off your pants after you stood, crouching to open the zipper and crawl inside with him. Daryl was lying on his side, facing away from you. 

“Are you okay?” Gentle fingers grazed up and down his spine, an attempt at comfort that you weren’t sure he’d even want. 

“Would you be?” He asked quietly. 

“No,” you answered in kind, “no, I suppose not.” He wasn’t crying, he was just still and somehow that was worse. “Hey.” You crawled around his legs to lie down next to him, your face inches from his. His eyes were closed, his brow still drawn. “I don’t know for sure, but I think you may be immune.” His eyes peeled open slowly, squinted in fear of your impending repulsion. All you saw was a beautiful set of ice blue orbs staring back at you. “Your eyes—”

“They freak me out, too.” He whispered with a slight curl of his lip. 

“No, they’re normal.” You made a grab for the spoon and held it up for him. He didn’t appear to be relieved. “It’s okay, Daryl. You’re okay.”

“We don’t know jack shit ‘bout what’s goin’ on. Can’t say m’okay when we don’t know.” He was right. You knew he was, but you didn’t know how to proceed. “Maybe I can head out. Find someone that can gimme some answers.”

“No.” You answered immediately, your eyes wide with fear. “Daryl, you can’t tell anyone.”

“Why not?” He stared at you intently, never looking away even when you touched his cheek and he leaned into it. “What if I can help? If I’m immune, maybe we can get a cure or a vaccine.”

“I won’t have someone poking and prodding at you, fucking carving into you for answers. I won’t.” You snapped. You weren’t angry but you were serious. “Someone could hurt you, use you. They could kill you for answers, and I can’t watch that happen.”

“But if—”

“I give in on a lot of things, Daryl. I even stayed behind so you could come out here and handle your grief your own way.” His warm hand rested on your face so he could wipe away the moisture there. “Giving in, letting you always do things your way damn near cost me the most important thing in my life.”

“But—”

“Please, Daryl. If you do nothing else for me, please do this one thing.” 

He studied you quietly, mulling over your words for an amount of time that had you building your resolve to continue your argument. “Okay.” You were able to breathe, not even realizing you were holding it. 

“Thank you.”

“Some things gonna hafta change ‘til we know more.”

“I know.” You answered with only the slightest hint of regret. Physical intimacy would be out of the question, you knew for certain that’s what he meant. He wouldn’t risk you. However, if it kept him alive and in your arms, you’d make that trade without a second thought. “It’s okay.”

He nodded in agreement. “Ain’t gonna like not bein’ able to touch ya.” 

You smiled and moved closer, pressing your forehead to his. “I can think of a few things we can still do.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” You pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and laughed at the terrified expression when you pulled away. “We didn’t swap spit, it’s fine.”

“Oh. Right.” One side of his mouth twitched up. 

“We really should talk to Carol. I think she may be on the verge of a stroke out there.” You rubbed your cheek against his. 

“Long as she leaves her bow outside.”

[shadowtriovibes]

before the origin of love

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 2.7K

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death, Blood, Major Hogwarts Legacy Spoilers, Canon Divergence, Ancient Magic Theory

Summary: request [paraphrased]: "You know the part during the game when MC visits Ollivander's alone and Rookwood Apparates her away? Can I request an angsty version of this where Sebastian is with f!MC? Rookwood is angry they killed all his men and casts Imperio on Sebastian to force him to attack her. Even though she’s expecting to die by Sebastian’s hand, he eventually fights the curse off because love is more powerful than dark magic."

a.k.a. y'all thought lily potter was the only one with ancient love magic? think again!!!

“Show your face, Rookwood!” you shout into the darkness. “Come out and fight me!” “My dear, why should I fight you?” Rookwood laughs from high above you, still unseen. “This is child’s play, after all…” You feel like time stops as you see a bright green curse rocket through the air toward Sebastian, who is powerless to do anything to stop it. The curse hits him in the chest with such force that he’s knocked backward, his head tipping forward as he lets out a sickening groan. But instead of watching your friend die while you stood by helplessly, you watch in abject horror as he tilts his head up and locks eyes with you – smoky-green, soulless eyes.

The moment you and Sebastian step outside Ollivander’s shop, you realize that the typically bustling streets of Hogsmeade are disquietingly empty. It’s nearly sundown now, and instead of seeing a friendly mix of witches and wizards doing their holiday shopping or stocking up on supplies for the winter months, you find yourselves all alone.

“Take out your wand,” you murmur to Sebastian. “Something’s not right.”

Wordlessly Sebastian draws his wand and takes a step closer to you, warily glancing up and down the empty streets.

Then in the blink of an eye, a well-dressed figure Apparates into view just across the way – Victor Rookwood, you realize, complete with that infuriating hat of his.

“Rookwood,” Sebastian boldly calls out. “So we meet again. Didn’t you get enough of a telling-off last time?”

You silently aim your wand at him, daring him to take one step closer.

“Well, well… looks like your friend Sirona isn’t here to stick up for you little menaces this time,” Rookwood says with a sneer. “I’m afraid you two are on your own. In fact, I’ve ensured that we have a moment to ourselves.”

Sebastian quickly lifts his wand and aims it squarely at the man’s face. “What do you want, Rookwood?”

“Oh, come, come, no need for such theatrics,” the man drawls, slowly creeping closer to you both. “In light of what Ranrok now knows, you must agree that our interests are aligned.”

Sparks crackle at the tip of your wand as you lift it toward Rookwood.

“Our interests will never be aligned,” you murmur.

Rookwood glances significantly at Sebastian before he challenges you.

“My dear, you would let goblins take what is rightfully ours? The final repository belongs to wizardkind. We would be fools not to work together.”

Beside you, you observe the slightest falter in Sebastian’s aim. You should have known that someone like Rookwood would immediately be able to pinpoint and exploit his biggest weakness – his resentment toward goblinkind, his uncompromising belief that only they carry the blame for his sister’s curse.

You imagine him thinking, Could he be right? Are we fools to allow Ranrok’s goblins to continue ransacking Isadora’s Repositories? Could we instead be using them to cure Anne?

But before Sebastian says a word, Rookwood’s eyes land on the long, thin box in your hands.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” he demands.

Quickly, you slip the box safely inside your robes. You shake your head only slightly, but Rookwood easily detects its significance.

Rookwood continues, “Might this sudden visit to the wandmaker have something to do with our… mutual pursuit?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you say softly.

Suddenly, you see Rookwood’s countenance shift as his true motives become clear.

“That repository is my birthright!” he shouts, stepping toward you with a hand outstretched.

Instantly Sebastian steps in front of you and points his wand at Rookwood once more. “I know one thing for certain, and that’s that Charles Rookwood wouldn’t have wanted you anywhere near it!”

Rookwood laughs darkly as he takes a step back.

“The arrogance,” he murmurs, gaze fixed on Sebastian’s determined expression. “I should have known better than to try to reason with a Sallow, after all – you’re no better than your sister, you simpering fool.”

In a frighteningly low voice, Sebastian asks, “What would you know about my sister?”

“Nothing, of course,” Rookwood sneers. “I only meant that I’ve always thought that children should be seen and not heard.”

You inhale sharply, absently lowering your wand as you process Rookwood’s words – the very same that Sebastian had told you were the last words Anne had heard before she was hit with her curse.

Sebastian understands the implication a split second before you do, and you can see bolts of green light shooting down the length of his wand before you even understand what he’s doing.

“Avada–”

Before he can finish his spell, you feel a hand on your shoulder and suddenly you’re hurtling through time and space as you’re forcibly Apparated away from Hogsmeade, landing in a crumpled heap in the snowy grass. You’re smack in the middle of a desolate bandit camp somewhere in the Highlands.

Beside you, Sebastian is catching his breath while his hands tremble with rage.

“Where did he go?” Sebastian demands. “Where did the bloody coward go?!”

“Careful, Sallow,” Rookwood’s voice calls out from the darkness. “Wouldn’t want to get yourself into a bind!”

Sebastian suddenly shouts as thick lengths of rope appear out of thin air and wrap themselves around his body, forcing him to his knees.

“Sebastian!” you yell. “Finite!”

Your spell deflects right off the enchanted ropes, and Sebastian grits his teeth.

“I’m okay,” he insists. “It’ll be alright, just – just get him, you can do this.”

Desperate, you find yourself alone while Sebastian struggles against his ropes. You’re keenly aware of the dozen or so fully-grown wizards Apparting into the camp with their wands drawn. You’ll have to take on every single one of them by yourself, you realize, with nothing but your own wand and the ancient magic coursing through your veins to defend yourself.

It feels endless. Simply deflecting their spells takes nearly all of your focus, even if you try to spare some for Sebastian while he struggles uselessly against his bindings. You toss curse after curse at Rookwood’s men and eventually you’re forced to start tossing actual barrels and crates at them as well, until finally you pare down the lot of them to the last executioner with his wand trained squarely at your heart.

“Bomarba!” you holler, and across the field, the burly executioner goes flying into a pile of rubble and melts away into smoke, the last to abandon his mission and surrender.

“Show your face, Rookwood!” you shout into the darkness. “Come out and fight me!”

“My dear, why should I fight you?” Rookwood laughs from high above you, still unseen. “This is child’s play, after all…”

You feel like time stops as you see a bright green curse rocket through the air toward Sebastian, who is powerless to do anything to stop it. The curse hits him in the chest with such force that he’s knocked backward, his head tipping forward as he lets out a sickening groan. But instead of watching your friend die while you stood by helplessly, you watch in abject horror as he tilts his head up and locks eyes with you – smoky-green, soulless eyes.

Imperio.

 “So go on, then,” Rockwood demands. “Play!”

The ropes that had bound Sebastian’s arms to his side quickly fall away, and before you can even react he lifts his wand and rounds on you.

“Confringo!” he shouts, and a blaze of fire soars just past your ear.

“Sebastian,” you call out. “Can you hear me? Don’t do this, please!”

You know it’s fruitless. Sebastian himself had taught you that the Imperius curse cannot be fought off, even by the most powerful wizards who have ever been trained to resist its impenetrable influence. Despite his dueling skills and his broad knowledge of the Dark Arts, you have to assume that Sebastian doesn’t stand a chance against Rookwood’s voice in his ear.

“Levioso!” you counter, hoping to merely hold him off long enough to get to Rookwood and force him to free Sebastian.

But to your chagrin, the Sebastian you’ve known and loved since your first days at Hogwarts is indeed one of the most disciplined and talented duelers you’ve ever fought, and even though he doesn’t want to, he’ll surely give you a run for your money.

“Diffindo!” he growls, and the edge of his curse just barely nicks the side of your calf. You cry out in pain and collapse to the ground as you press a hand to the bleeding wound.

“Want me to release your little friend?” Rookwood calls out. “It’s simple, darling. Join me against Ranrok and I’ll let him live!”

You know deep down that you can’t ally yourself with Rookwood. Despite Sebastian’s initial hesitance, you have to imagine that if he were able to understand your position, he’d do the very same thing that you’re about to do.

It wasn’t the goblins after all, it was him, you can hear him say. We can never join him, not after what he did to Anne. There’s only one way out of this.

Merlin, you think. This is it.

Without your ability to wield ancient magic or the wand made of the Pensieve artifacts, Ranrok may never gain access to the final repository, you convince yourself – especially if he splinters from Rookwood. Sebastian can give the wand to Fig after you’re gone, he can hide it somewhere Ranrok will never find it…

It could all work out, you reckon, if you die.

“Never!” you call out to Rookwood. “I’ll never join you!”

“Then you’ve made your choice,” Rookwood’s voice echoes back. “I’ll let the Sallow boy show you what happens to anyone who says no to me.”

Rockwood’s twisted laughter rings out all around you as Sebastian’s opalescent eyes look you up and down. He lifts his wand and aims it at your heart, and you close your eyes with your own wand at your side.

“Avada Kedavra!”

…

…You’re still breathing.

How are you still breathing?

When you open your eyes, Sebastian is standing before you looking entirely drained, his eyelids drooping as he sways from pure exhaustion. However, just before he collapses you catch a glimpse of his eyes – his usual warm brown ones, the same magnificent eyes you’ll never tire of seeing after all this.

“Sebastian!” you shout, running over to support him as he tumbles to the ground. “Wh-what just happened?”

“Did I get him?” he asks in a whisper. “Rookwood?”

Stunned, you cast Lumos and peer across the empty field until you notice a figure lying in the snow far at the other end – Rockwood, you assume. He isn’t moving, and his legs are bent in a sick, absurd way as if he’d fallen from the watchtower that he now lays below.

“Yes,” you breathe. “You did, b-but… Sebastian, how did you–”

“I don’t know,” he sighs. He’s clinging to your arm as you help him to sit up and rest his head between his knees. “I have no idea, I just… I couldn’t do it.”

“He wanted you to kill me,” you surmise.

“I wouldn’t,” he says hollowly. “It… felt like my head was being split open right down the middle, with one half of me forcing my body to move and aim my wand and the other half knowing that I’d rather die than use that curse on you.”

“Oh, Seb,” you whisper.

You’re both quiet for several long moments while Sebastian takes deep breaths, his face still hidden between his knees. You slowly rub his back through his cloak and wait for him to sit up. He looks haunted when he finally does – even more so than he usually looks.

“I hurt you,” he mumbles. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“I know, love,” you say softly, the pet name slipping out so easily that you barely even register at first. “I’m okay, it’s just a cut. Some Wiggenweld will fix me right up when we get back to the castle.”

“Can I?” he asks hesitantly, and you reluctantly let him pull your cloak to the slide so he can see the gash on your calf.

It isn’t deep, and it isn’t even bleeding anymore, but the ripped trouser leg and drying blood stains make Sebastian curse under his breath nonetheless.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispers. “Why did I do that?”

“You have no choice,” you remind him desperately. “No witch or wizard has ever fought off the Imperius curse like that before, Sebastian, and you spared me my life. I don’t care about a bloody cut when I should be dead.”

“Never,” he chants mindlessly. “Never, I wouldn’t.”

That’s when a thought occurs to you.

“Sebastian…” you say softly. “It’s possible that there are… other types of ancient magic in addition to mine.”

He frowns. “What are you saying?”

“Maybe there’s something… something primeval, something elemental to our magic that you accessed,” you wonder aloud. “Professor Fig told me that his wife Miriam had spent years studying ancient magic, and it can’t only be that which I have the power to wield. Perhaps you were able to defy Rookwood’s will because you – you connected with a magic that’s more powerful than even an Unforgivable.”

“More powerful than that kind of darkness?” he asks softly. “...That type of magic exists?”

“Of course, it must,” you say simply. “Darkness can’t be more powerful than light, can it?”

He considers your supposition as if it’s the first time the thought has ever occurred to him.

“So… so what, the power of ‘friendship,’ something like that?” he asks, a corner of his mouth quirking up into the first thing resembling a smile that he’s shown since you entered Hogsmeade hours ago.

“Something like that,” you tease him. “Maybe the power of ‘love.’”

You’d meant it entirely in a platonic way, but as soon as the words are out of your mouth, Sebastian goes red and ducks his face.

“That’s – that’s ridiculous,” he mumbles. “I mean, love, that’s… Who said anything about love?”

You’re quiet while you watch Sebastian try and fail to gather his thoughts. He’s flailing, and all of a sudden you realize something clear as day that you can’t quite believe you never recognized before.

“Sebastian,” you murmur. “...Do you suppose you broke through an Imperius curse because you’re in love with me?”

“Wh-what?!” he laughs.

“Because if you did, that would be probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard, in all the books I’ve ever read,” you continue. “And if that were the case, I would have to tell you that I’m madly in love with you, too.”

Sebastian is stunned into silence.

“You love me?” he eventually whispers.

“I do,” you tell him. “And… and I never really thought about it before, because it doesn’t really feel all that different from being friends with you, except – except I would have let you kill me rather than kill you, even though I know what’s at stake.”

“I still think you should’ve,” Sebastian jokes quietly. “You’re much more important than I am.”

“Regardless, we couldn’t have let Rookwood find out about the last Repository, and I would have taken the Killing Curse to stop him,” you sigh. “I trusted you would have taken the Pensieve wand back to Fig.”

“I would’ve turned my wand on myself first,” Sebastian says plainly. “Without a second thought.”

Merlin, you can’t believe he actually says things like that.

Rather than continuing to dwell on what could have been, you offer him a hand up and support him by the elbow while he shakily makes his way to his feet. He still looks pale and rattled, but he’s able to start to walk toward the exit of the crumbling ruins – still clinging to your hand.

“Come on,” you murmur. “When we get back to the castle you can rest.”

“What about the Repository?” he asks weakly.

“Let me and Fig worry about that,” you murmur. “You’ve already done more than enough for me today, love. You need to recover.”

“M’not even hurt,” he protests, but he sounds utterly depleted.

“Hush,” you whisper. “Just keep holding onto me, alright?”

It’s not easy getting Sebastian back to the castle; he keeps pitching to the side on the back of your broom as he fights to stay conscious, but you manage to keep him from falling off. Despite his protests, you take him straight to Nurse Blainey so he can get some proper rest (and so someone will be forced to keep an eye on him for you).

“Be safe,” he murmurs while you squeeze his hand in his infirmary bed. “Please.”

“I promise, Seb,” you tell him, leaning down to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “Just be here waiting for me when I get back.”

“You’ve made sure of that,” he grumbles, but he offers you an encouraging smile before you leave for the Map Room one final time.

[onim5]

Luffy x fem reader

Warnings: Angst,

"This is weird .:.:."

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

I lined out the strawhat from memory and made small straw deatails. The whole week had I been trying to get a good look on his strawhat to get it as acurate as possible. I began to color it carefully to make sure it looked good. Strawhat Luffy had saved me from a collapsing building, I had given him some money as thanks, but it didn't feel enough. That is why I began making this.

I snuck around the corner and saw him, strawhat Luffy. I felt a smile grow upon seeing him. "Man, she's so annoying. Why can't she just leave me alone?" Luffy complained to his crew. My smile dropped, and I kept myself hidden. "You saved her life. Don't expect her to not show any grattitude." Nami answered with a frown.  "But she's such an idiot and she's been so close, and I swear she's been trying to steal my hat." Luffy said, taking a strong hold of it. "Just ditch her." Zoro exclaimed. "Oh yeah, I can do that." Luffy smiled. Sanji hit them both and then started to explain that ditching a woman is wrong and that they will be leaving the day after tomorrow anyway.

I silently walked back to my place. When I was far away from them, tears fell. The painting of Luffy's strawhat was done. I gave it a beautiful frame and then began writing a note. I hurriedly got to the Sunny and left it in the kitchen on a table. Then I began running away, sniffing and actually crying while doing it. It hurt to know he thought of me as an annoying idiot.

Usopp watched from the Sunny hearing the crying of the girl Luffy had saved. He scratched his head and walked into the kitchen.

"Joho, SANJI MAKE DINNER!!!!!" Luffy yelled happily. He got into the kitchen like a rocket and quickly noticed something on the table. He walked up to it and saw a beautiful painting of his strawhat. His smile grew, and he quickly admired it. He reached out to the little note and read it.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Here's a gift as thanks for saving me. I hope your journey to becoming king of the pirates will be amazing and fun.         :)

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"Wow, it looks just like yours." Sanji said, entering the kitchen. "I know, right?" Luffy showed the whole crew proudly and happily. He was grateful. Many of the annoying actions I did made sense to him now. "I already seen it. It's just weird cause she cried while leaving." Usopp explained, settling down at the kitchen counter. "Huh? Why would she cry?" Luffy asked, confused. "Probably since we're leaving, and she might never see you again." Robin explained.

The next day, Luffy waited for me to show up, after all, all the other days I had. He waited patiently. He wanted to thank me for such an amazing work, personally. "Did you thank her?" Robin asked as Luffy entred the Sunny. "No, it's weird she normally shows up right before me multiple times a day." Luffy explained with a frown. "Luffy, do you remember when you called her an annoying idiot?" Nami asked, a theory forming in her head.

"Uh, yeah, but I don't think she is one now." Luffy said, confused. "Usopp said she was crying while leaving the Sunny, so what if she heard you?" Nami explained with a harsh tone. At first, Luffy just blinked in confusion, but then his eyes widened in realization. "But, I don't think of her like that anymore!" He protested. "SHE DOSEN'T KNOW THAT!!!" Nami yelled with disappointment, clear in her voice.

"But, I don't think of her like that anymore, I, I even want her to join us, as the crews artist." Luffy whispered sadly. The crew quickly split up into groups to try and find me. I didn't take long for them to find my home, but I wasn't there. The day they were supposed to leave came, and I slowly walked back to the village. I carried an empty basket and made my way through the small town. "There you are!!!" A voice came from my right. Two rubber like arms circled around me multiple times and hugged me. I looked up at Luffy and felt how a sad cloud formed on the inside.

You already cried for this guy. Don't let him get into your head. I thought reassuringly. "What do you want, Strawhat?" I asked, squirming a little in his tight hold. "I'm sorry, I don't think of that way anymore. I think you're pretty cool and amazing." Luffy whispered, leaning his head on mine. I understood the situation completely, and I didn't really know what to do.

"Luffy, I honestly don't care anymore." I said, trying to get out of his grip. I have been crying and thinking about it, and I refuse to get dragged down by a guy I meet this week. "Oh, great, then you can join my crew!" Luffy cheered. "Huh?" My eyes widened. Like hell I will, you still hurt me! I thought, trying more than before to get out of his arms. "Hey! Stop it, you're getting us tangled!" Luffy tried to tell, but his arms went, here, there and . . . . Yeah, it's too late. "OI, LET ME GO!" I yelled as I couldn't move anymore. "I can't . . . . We're tangled." Luffy said, surprise clear in his voice.

A sigh left my lips as I leaned on Luffy's arms.             F.       U.        C.       K.        Luffy began walking away to his crew. "Hey, guys." He said in his normal happy tone. Why is he so happy? We're stuck. I thought in disappointment. "LUFFY THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO HOLD A LADY!!!!" Sanji yelled, running up to Luffy and I. "We're tangled." Luffy explained. Sanji's face fell in with disappointment. This imbecile. He thought. "Is anyone good with nots?" Luffy asked, holding up his arms a little to show the mess.

Robin worked with Luffy's arms to get me out. "Did you thank her for the painting?" Robin asked, moving one of Luffy's arms. "Oh, right. Thanks for the painting." Luffy grinned. "You're welcome." I mutter tiredly. "So when are you guys leaving?" I asked. "You mean, when are WE leaving, you're a part of the crew, remember?" Luffy smiled. "Eh, no, I'm not. I never agreed to that." I explained in annoyance. "But, you said you didn't care about what I said, and I apologized." Luffy said in confusion. Robin was done lirking with his arms, so now Luffy could just let go of me, but he didn't.

"Why don't you wanna join my crew?" Luffy asked now slightly annoyed. "Because I have a dream." I murmured. Luffy knew he couldn't come in my way towards my dream, and he lost some hope. "What's your dream?" He asked low. "I wanna settle down with a lover and spend my days with him." I explained quietly. Luffy's grin grew. "I be your lover and the Sunny be our house. There we go. Your dream is now set in motion, I go get your stuff and some flowers. That's what boyfriends do, right." He mumbled, jumping down from the Sunny to go to his new girlfriends house. "Huh? That's not how it works! " I yelled, moving to the Sunny's fence. Only to realize he's gone.

Franky walked into the sunny, deep in thought. I slumped down on the fence. "He called me an idiot, but he's clearly the idiot here." I mumbled out loud. "We know." The crew said behind me. I turned around, surprised. "Miss, if you don't wanna join the crew, we can bang into his thick skull that you're not coming." Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. "I won't survive a life at sea, I'm too weak." I said with a hint of guilt. "I protect you, I'm your partner after all." Luffy said from down below. He jumped up and grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's grab your stuff." Luffy smiled, and within some seconds, we're gone.

"Luffy, wait!"I found some bags, pack your clothes." Luffy! Don't touch that!" "Do you want this with you? That one is cool. Did you make this? Can I have this?" Thanks, yes, it's just food it's not actually edible."

"LUFFY!!! YOUR GONNA BREAK MY STUFF." Luffy held the broken pieces of the vase. He looked up in fear at me and saw my sad eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I make you a new one. Just please don't be sad." Luffy hurried, panicking a little. He'd had what, been your boyfriend for 20 minutes and already screwed up.

" Luffy, go to the Sunny, I will take care of this." I sighed, taking a broom. "Promise you come to the Sunny, please." Luffy said, throwing the vase pieces in the trash. "Luffy, are you sure you want me?" I asked, cleaning it all up. "Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, confused. "You called me an annoying idiot, and then you change your mind and all of a sudden make me your girlfriend. Isn't better if you just left me here?" I asked, feeling weird. "I called you annoying because you were so close upfront to me, but now I know it was so you could make that painting. When I said you were an idiot, I referred to all the weird excuses you made to try and hold my hat, I thought you wanted to steal it. I'm sorry."

"Then I felt bad because you only wanted to thank me. I waited for you to come to me, like you have done previously, and as I waited, I remembered how fun it was to just have you around. I thought about how warm I felt spending time with you. So when I say I become your boyfriend I mean it. I want you next to me, and I'm willing to protect you from all the danger as long as you stay." Luffy confess. Does he even know how romantic he just was? Can I even refuse him now? Do I want to refuse him? "I be at the Sunny soon, don't worry." I smile at him. He looked realived and walked up to me.

"I be waiting for you." Luffy put his hat on my head and gave me a confident smile. And not long after, was he out. I took his hat off and looked at it. As I packed, tears of happiness fell after a while. I had three big bags, with clothes, books, art, art tools, other stuff, and my dairy. Grabbed the bags and carried them on my way to the Thousand Sunny. I took a long way and left notes at people I consider friend's homes. "Goodbye." I mumbled.

Luffy hung at the fence, waiting. Very soon, would she come, very soon. He squinted his eyes, and in the distance, he saw her. Laughing, Luffy jumped down and immediately grabbed my bags and me. Only a few seconds later, we were flung into the Sunny. "Let's eat dinner!" He cheered. I put his hat back on him and smiled. "I made you a new vase." He grinned, running away and was back in a second holding proudly in his hands a . . . . . Uh, well, a? "Thanks, uh, Love. I put something I love in it." I smiled, taking it from him. Wait, this is painted papper, with  a lot of glue. Oh shit.

I ate dinner with the crew, and we all got better introductions than before. Sanji had served me a lot, so I sneaked some food over to Luffy's plate, which made his eyes sparkle. "Um, where can I put my stuff, and where do I sleep?" I asked. "As the Captains girlfriend, it's only right you sleep in the Captains chamber." Franky grinned. "Oh, yeah, right." I smiled nervously. Luffy looked up from his plate in confusion, didn't he sleep with the other dudes, in bunk-beds? "I show you the way." Franky said standing up. In the corner of the kitchen Sanji let out an aura of jealousy.

"Wow, Luffy is so orgonizeid." I said surprised. Walking into the room, it had a big bed in the middle and a nice window. Some beutiful flowers was decorated and so was the painting I made on the wall. Luffy snuck his head into the room a meat bone in it. "Where did this come from?" He asked, walking in. "I made it for you and you're partner, captain." Franky said proudly. Luffy opened a door in the room finding a personal bathroom.

I talked to Robin about books when an arm grabbed me. "God night." She said with a smile as I seconds later I get dragged away by the rubber arm. Not long after I laid next to the idiot aka new boyfriend. "Good night Y/n." He mumbled as he snuggled up to my body. I blushed madly and listened to his snores, eventually I also fell asleep.

The end

[bcolfanfic]

late to the last line tag sowwyy, as always if you see this consider it a tag (: here is a bit of john and brady's no good very bad train ride to wyoming after brady's released from custody and sent on his way w a blue ticket. cw for slight description of someone throwing up under the read more line

-

When he opened his eyes again there was a not-John someone crouched in between where the two of them were sitting. The woman had her back to him and her hand on Egan’s knee- words only half registering in his post nap haze.

“There you go, just need to keep on taking slow breaths.”

When he came to enough to register the other man's face it was blotchy, bottom lip wobbling as he breathed in and out of his nose. He glanced at Johnny for a second and glanced away looking embarrassed.

“My wife,” John managed, his voice unsteady but serviceable. He swiped the back of his hand over his forehead and pulled it away damp with sweat. “was all worried about me gettin’ on a train without her,”

Liar. Johnny thought, sucking in his bottom lip and tasting copper where it had chapped.

“Sounds like you got a good one,” The woman continued, chirpy, and pushed off of the ground, sitting down in the empty seat next to him, hands folded neatly in her lap. “What’s her name?”

“Gail,” John started and the nice lady who had been talking him down from whatever episode he was having didn’t see the way his mouth twitched but Johnny did.

Gale, Johnny thought, and swallowed the lump sprouting in his throat. John could shape his fella’s name into Gail, and pass it off like a counterfeit bill that no one would think twice about.

He shifted in his seat, shoulders curling in and John seemed to be actively avoiding looking at him now. He just nodded along as the woman chatted to him about something, her exact words lost under the buzz building in Johnny’s ears.

The smell of polish clung to the walls in the confessional and was so strong it made his stomach turn over on itself. Nine-year-old Johnny knelt on the hard wooden kneeler, the dull ache throbbing through his knees making him shift his weight back and forth.

“I told a lie,” he’d whispered, and his throat bobbed.

The priest’s response was perfunctory, three Hail Marys delivered in a clipped monotone and it was over just as quickly as it had begun.

His father hadn't said much of anything on the drive home, just tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in a dull rhythm. He only glanced back at him after a few minutes had gone by.

“Should feel better now son, not worse.” He'd said, punctuated with a sigh that Johnny couldn’t make sense of.

Before the car had even stopped in the driveway, Johnny was out like a rocket. His knees hit the grass of their front yard and he emptied his stomach into it, acid climbing up the back of his throat and out through his nose too.

A dry heave tore through him, and arms trembled so hard he struggled to hold himself upright.

He didn’t notice his mother’s footsteps until her voice reached him, cutting through the dizziness, as worried as she always was.

“Oh, honey,”

Her sleeve came up to wipe his face, and Johnny caught the glance she threw at his father over his head, expression stripped of the gentleness she’d been looking at her son with.

Lying still made him as sick as it had that day.

John didn’t seem to have the same problem.

[lillaydee]

Uncoupled - May

Roommate! Joel Miller / Reader

Two people leaving their marriages ended up going through the mandatory one year separation together before filing for divorce.

Nothing could possibly happen in a year, right?

WARNINGS: Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Ellie & Joel Bonding (The Last of Us), Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Hurt Joel (The Last of Us), Protective Joel (The Last of Us), No age gap, Roommate Joel, Teacher Joel, Handyman Joel, Insecure Joel, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning.

SERIES MASTER LIST

April

---

You honestly thought it would be strange, kissing a man who was not Max. He’d been the only man you had ever been with.

But the moment Joel’s lips touched yours, Max ceased to exist in your mind. It felt like your lips had finally found their mates. They fit. Your head emptied. All you felt was him. His arms quickly moved from caging you to enveloping your entire body, making you feel safer than you had ever felt in your entire life. The smell of him, the comfort his lips, his soft, soft lips brought you, the warmth radiating from his body, the soft puffs of air from his breathing…

Your own hands sort of fell to your sides, your brain unable to make them do anything apart from existing, lost in Joel and his lips on yours.

But then his tongue came into play, and your arms reacted – not from your own will, but your body’s subconscious as he tasted you - desperately clutching onto his clothes in an attempt not to fall. Your legs went when he moaned into your mouth, and your hands moved to grasp his broad, broad shoulders for purchase.

No matter. He had you. Before you knew it you were in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist as he carried you to your bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him, laying you gently on your bed, lips still on yours, his weight a great anchoring comfort on you.

He took his time with you, and you with him. This being a monumental time in your lives, being this intimate with someone other than your spouses by law. You explored each other, learnt each other’s bodies, memorized the sounds and responses each of you made, your bodies familiarizing themselves with the other.

You didn’t go all the way, not at first. You were not on anything, and he didn’t plan for this to happen. But boy, oh boy, did the two of you help each other cross that finish line. Multiple times, in fact, before stopping to refuel. The birthday party food proved insufficient very quickly, the two of you hoovering the lot before dinner time even passed, save the cake, which was, so far, still safely in their two Tupperware containers. The pasta? Gone. The sandwiches? Gone. The caramel puddings? Gone. Even the unwanted but necessary salads Ellie’s classmates sneered at was gone. Everything tasted delicious when eaten in your birthday suits with the man you never thought would look at you twice, who had, so far, done everything he could to prove you wrong.

He did desire you. Oh, how Joel desired you. His warm, brown eyes were practically black by the time he took your top off, scanning every inch exposed to him with ravenous intents, and when that stopped being enough, his hands took over, quickly proving insufficient too, and his mouth completed his needs to learn everything he could about your body. He left you no room for doubt. He wanted you. Made sure you knew it, felt it, experienced it. He teased you, played with you, sated you to the point of uncontrollable euphoria that left you shaking and trembling in his arms, gently coaxing you back to reality after sending you rocketing to heaven time and time again.

You, in return, never having experienced such… generosity from Max, returned the favour. You left this man, this big, broad, massive bear of a man moaning and screaming, your name a prayer on his lips, leaving him a helpless, pleading, whimpering, whining, puddle of a man by the time you were done with him, laying on top of him, holding him steady, as best as you could, as he calmed down each time you sucked the life and soul out of his body with your personal brand of worship.

And what made the night special for both of you at the end of it all, was the fact that during the in betweens, there was no awkwardness, no grasping for ideas on what to talk about, no silences to be filled by force. Everything was comfortable. Normal. Familiar. You each were with your friend. Your best friend. A matured, adult friend, one who lived with you, who knew your quirks and flaws, your moods and likes. No one was secretly praying the other would get the hint and leave. No one wanted the other to leave.

And when both of you got a bit hungry just before midnight, having burnt off what was essentially finger food for children already, you got dressed, went out for greasy fast food and came back with extra food – just in case, and of course, protection. Considering the fact that the two of you had been going at this for hours by now, you actually, naively thought that you wouldn’t be needing those until the next day.

Oh, how wrong you were.

This man, your roommate, the gentle, calm, soft-spoken primary school teacher, Joel Miller. The one his wife claimed to be so sexually unsatisfying that she had no choice but to run to other men to satisfy her needs, namely your own husband, Max, who, incidentally, had probably helped you ‘finish’ maybe less than ten times in the 15 years you were together. The one who you now knew for sure was much less… gifted… between his legs. The one who prioritized his needs over yours every single time. This was the man his wife called a cuck to his face.

Joel Miller was insatiable. For you.

The moment you entered the house he instantly picked you up, take-out bags and all and brought you into the bedroom. He’s finishing what he started, he said. He ripped your clothes off you, ravaged you to the point of pleading, before ridding himself off his own clothing, somehow finding the box of condoms on the floor and gearing himself for the occasion. He was back on you in seconds, his gentle touches, his soft, coaxing words, his declaration of affection and dedication for you, his praises, all calming your nerves, and you found yourself lost in his eyes and the comfort of his voice.

When he finally, finally, entered you, a revelation happened. For both of you. It was as if you were made as a unit, separated at conception, dropped into the world in two different places, and at that moment, finally reunited. Involuntary tears filled both your eyes, feeling as if you were home, that you had found your other half, that you were complete. You felt as if you now know the true meaning of intimacy. What making love really meant. It was more than just sex. Your souls connected with one another’s. Something you had never experienced with Max, nor he with Jen.

The two of you held each other all night long, bodies melded together, belonging together, a familiarity that didn’t make sense when you put into consideration that this was your first time with each other. But both of you went to sleep at peace, knowing the one thing you both knew for sure.

That you belong with each other.

**********

When Ellie came back, it was clear she knew something had shifted. She didn’t make a big deal of it, not when Joel snuggled up to you as you were cooking, not when he kissed you goodbye in the mornings, not even when she caught you kissing in the laundry room.

She did, however, stop using your ensuite when she ran in in the middle of the night one day, only for Joel to jump off you like your skin was on fire. You were both under the safety net of the duvet, of course, but that was enough for Ellie to decide she was going to use Joel’s bathroom from then on, especially at night. You tried to have the awkward sex talk with her, but she cringed and said it’s okay, she didn’t need to hear about you and Joel… cuddling.

Joel didn’t move into your room, exactly. There was no packing of his clothes from his room into yours, but every batch of laundry from that day onwards was put away in your closet, and his room just got steadily emptier as the days went by. His guitar, as well as Ellie’s, was now a permanent fixture in the living room, and you had gotten used to his gentle strumming and plucking followed by Ellie’s less defined ones in the evenings after dinner. She had gotten much better, and did not seem to lose any interest in learning it despite the pain the lessons caused her little fingers.

And now that the flowers were in full bloom, she had also taken to drawing them, that drawing set Frank and Bill got her put in good use, and Frank had taken to coming over in the evenings just to see her draw, helping her improve her techniques.

‘Who knew your daughter was so artsy, Eds. If only you could see what a smart little girl you and Annie created. You would’ve been so proud of her. I know I am.’

**********

You were having your little date with Joel at the bakery as you usually did when he decided to come over with Ellie after school rather than go straight home. Ellie usually napped for a half an hour or so after school, and business was manageable, especially now that Alice was around to help, so you and Joel usually took the time to have a pastry or two and a cup of coffee together, just spending time together.

Your found family were of course, ecstatic that the two of you were finally together. Still, they were mindful in pushing for information, not wanting to scare you two away from each other. You were, after all, legally at least, still married to other people.

The door jingled, and Max and Jen entered, not looking like they were on top of the world for once, asking if the two of you would have time to speak.

Your legal separation was coming to an end, and you and Joel had your divorce papers ready to go. His tenancy contract with you should be good for a few more months, but he was already talking about redoing the house for the three of you, so that you could all live there as a family, something all three of you wanted without a doubt. You and Joel had been putting money aside for that specifically, and you had just listed the purse Max gave you for sale, already having perspective buyers interested. The money from that sale should be enough to buy some materials for the reno, which you and Joel were planning to take on yourselves during the summer holidays, with Tommy’s help, and maybe one or two of his staff.

In short, you and Joel were very much looking forward to moving on, and this sudden, unannounced visit from your soon to be exes was not something the two of you looked forward to at all. But, they were still your spouses, legally. So you decided to hear them out.

The two of them looked defeated, to say the least. You sat back down after serving them some pastries and coffee, Joel immediately taking your hand into his, placing them on his lap, a gesture that did not escape your soon to be exes. Jen placed her hands on the mug of coffee you had placed in front of her, her ring finger noticeably devoid of the magnificent engagement ring she had proudly displayed for you and Joel the last time she was there.

Max took a bite of the Pain au Chocolat you served him, his eyes closing, telling you he had always loved your baking. He missed it, he said, eyeing you regrettably. He took a deep breath, before asking you and Joel if the two of you were certain about moving on with the divorce.

“Yes,” both of you answered, your hands tightening around each other’s.

“Is there anything we can do to make you change your mind?”

Neither of them were looking you or Joel in the eyes.

“What’s going on?” Joel asked.

“We broke up,” Jen told him. “We’ve realized that we don’t work as a couple.”

“We had fun, but as a couple, we just don’t… gel,” Max supplied, rather defeatedly. “We tried to make it work, but it felt, forced. Truth is, we don’t like each other like that.”

“So why are you here?” Joel asked him. “What’s your problems as a couple got to do with us?”

“We…, well, I, at least, am hoping we could give it another chance, Lil. I realize now that you were and will always be, the one for me. I still love you. I know, I haven’t always given you that impression, but I’ve always loved you, no one else. Not having you around these past few months, it made that really clear. You are the best wife I can hope to have, and I miss you.”

Max looked at you pleadingly, looking so small and shrunken compared to his usual puffy and peacocking presence.   

“Me too, Joel. I realize now that what we had was real. It was never a fantasy, it was pure and true, and I miss it. I miss the honesty of it. There was no pretence, there was no acting with you. I see that now. I see that you were doing what a good husband would be doing, and I fucked it all up.”

You and Joel just stared at your soon to be exes. What?

“How can you tell me and Joel that you love us, when you treated us like garbage before? You know we left for a reason?” you asked them, trying to understand what they were really thinking.

They couldn’t be this dumb, right? They couldn’t possibly think that a simple, desperate declaration almost ten months after you left would just magically make everything right again? That you would just blindly go back? As if you were not introduced to a new life you loved so much over these ten months?

“Yeah, because we cheated on you.”

“It was never just the cheating, Max, Jen. Surely, surely you understand that?” Joel asked, looking just as confused as you did.

“What do you mean?” Jen asked, looking utterly confused at Joel’s statement. Max was searching your face for answers.

“You realize you both treated us like shit, right? That you changed, that you were no longer the person we married? The person we fell in love with?” Joel was seriously befuddled that the two of them didn’t see this. Have they been thinking the cheating was the only reason the two of you left?

“Well, whatever it was, we can work on that, we could have a heart to heart, talk it all out, I can change, Lil, I know I can. Please Lil, give me another chance. Joel, please. I know Jen wants you back more than anything. Please.”

“What made you decide the two of you don’t work together?” You asked, not believing them for a second. Max was adamant he was falling for Jen. Proudly told you so. What changed?

“Well,” Jen started, looking at the mug in her hands, “At first, when you left, after the shock of it all, we tried to look at the bright side, you know. We could be together now. That’s what we thought we wanted. So we sort of moved in together.”

“But once the reality of it all set in, once the sex became something we were no longer hiding from anyone, we just realized that outside of sex, there was nothing holding us together. We couldn’t even talk without fighting. Jen wanted a man who would not talk back.”

“And Max wanted a woman who wouldn’t talk back. He had that with you, Lily, and I had that with you, Joel. Also, you know how much I hated doing housework, Joel, and Max…”

“I’m used to Lily taking care of the house, making sure everything was just the way I like it, and Jen…”

“I wasn’t going to let some man boss me around… see, we were both used to having submissive partners around, so… as you can imagine, we fought a lot.”

“A lot,” Max added, and both of them shared a small laugh together.

When their laughter ended not long after, Max got all serious again, “And then we heard you two moved in together, there were rumours that the two of you were together, raising Ellie together.

“We talked about that, and realized that, well, the two of you could actually work well together, your personalities match, and… the thought that the two of you would end up much happier than we would was… a nightmare, so… we pretended to move on, wanted to make you realize what you were missing, maybe change your minds,” Jen told you, her thumb absentmindedly rubbing her now empty ring finger.

“But the two of you didn’t take the bait. You just seemed so content with each other. You actually seemed happy with each other. And we definitely were not, so… we broke up. And here we are, begging you to give us another chance.”

There was a noticeable silence at the table.

“So, let me get this straight,” Joel began, putting his elbows on the table, “You two found out that neither of you liked being bossed around, and wanted us back so that you could go back to bossing us around?”

Jen looked stupefied by Joel’s question, “Well, you liked being bossed around, don’t you? So, yeah!”

“And the only reason you got engaged was because the thought of us being happy without you was making you miserable?” you asked, disbelieving.

“Well, yeah! No one wants to be the losing spouse!” Max admitted.

“And, if I heard you correctly, you started having problems when the thrill of the secret sex sessions stopped. So, what makes you think we would have thrilling sex again? You were so bored with us you chose to fuck other people. Where would you be getting these thrills you were missing in the first place if we got back together exactly?” Joel was honestly starting to be angry at this point, your being there the only thing that calmed him enough not to explode at the those two.

“Well, you agreed to open relationships before, so we thought…” Jen began.

Joel looked at you, and you at him, and both of you just burst into uncontrollable laughter, practically clutching at each other trying not to fall off your chairs.

“What? What’s so funny?” Max looked annoyed, clearly this was not going the way he wanted this to go. Jen didn’t look too pleased either.

“Max, Jen, we have news for you.” You looked at Joel and took his hand in yours again. “We are happy together, because no one is bossing the other around. We work together, as a couple, no one is the boss.”

“Just because we didn’t say anything when you two were bossing us around, doesn’t mean we like being bossed around, are you really that full of yourself you actually believe that? We discuss everything we wanted to do, decide together, compromise. We are a partnership, not master and slave.”

“And just so it’s clear for the two of you, neither Joel nor I were thinking about your happiness when we left. It no longer mattered to us. Our happiness have never been anchored to yours. We didn’t get together out of spite for you. We fell for each other. Also, neither of us were okay with the open relationship shit you were so adamant on. We don’t like that, we will never like that, and we will never agree to that again, so, if you were thinking we could all go back to being the married couples we were with the two of you fucking other people, that’s not going to happen.”

“Ever,” Joel reiterated.

Both your exes were really quiet for a while after that. It was quite clear that they didn’t know you two as well as they thought they did.

“So, the divorce…” Max started.

“Will happen, Max, I’m not going back.”

“Me neither, sorry, Jen, but that marriage, that was not the kind of marriage I want to spend the rest of my life in.”

You stood up, signalling that the conversation was over. Joel quickly joined you, taking you in his arm, hugging you close to his body, not wanting to give Max or Jen a chance to come near you.

The two of them looked at each other for a while before finally getting up themselves.

“Well, we do have this month and next to decide. Think about it Lil, I really do hope you would give me another chance. Please.”

“Please, Joel. We have history together. Let’s not throw that away over something we could possibly work on. Think about it, okay?”

Your soon to be exes gently patted you both on the arm before finally leaving your bakery. You and Joel stood there, not walking them out, unphased by their pleas, just watching them leave.

**********

For the next two weeks, life went on swimmingly for you, Joel and Ellie. You went out on the weekends together, taking Ellie to see new things, just enjoying each other’s company, visiting Jackson, whom Ellie had formed a special connection with, and willingly called her cousin.

Lucy had stopped bothering Joel, it seemed, finally getting that Joel had no interest in entertaining her advances ever, and apparently had turned her attention to the new Math teacher instead.

Some younger men had moved on your street, newly employed IT consultants who were sharing a house together. One of them had a daughter who visited every other weekend. They seemed like nice guys and had taken to taking Ellie out on bike rides and inviting her over for a swim in their inflatable pools when she was over.

Some of the other parents at her school had also began taking her every now and again for playdates, and you and Joel hosted a few yourselves. Ellie was getting more and more comfortable with other kids, and she was really blooming into someone with her own fierce little personality.

Life really was going well for you and Joel.

Max and Jen had seemingly left the two of you alone, save for a text or two from them asking if you had changed your mind. Both of you were resolute in saying no.

The two of you were making dinner on a Thursday evening when Joel’s phone rang.

Jen.

He looked at you, and you signalled for him to pick up.

“Joel, I’ve just been to the doctor’s. They found something. Can you please come over? I’m so scared. I need you. Please.”

---

June

[twst-drabbles]

Ace, Dire, and Riddle 1

Summary: You found Crowley passed out in your backyard without any pants and a wine bottle in hand. Ace and Riddle poke and inspect his prone body.

(Ho boy, mental health is taking another dive! And I still haven't landed a job and I hate it. Ugh. Anyways have this funny number.)

The beak on his mask, nearly fully buried in the mud that was made by the rain yesterday, was pretty much the only thing keeping Crowley from suffocating as he lay face down in the middle of your garden. A shoe lay discarded right on top of your fence, a stray sock snagged by a branch of a nearby bush, and his pants were hanging on by only one of his ankles. What is it with him and his love for having heart patterns on his briefs?

But, most importantly, Crowley had a large empty wine bottle clutched in his hand like it was a hand purse. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, but it certainly is weird to see him in your garden and not on your kitchen floor. Guess he didn’t make it. Too many plant obstacles, you guess.

Well, that’s what you get for ignoring Crowley’s late night singing. You honestly thought he would stay on his side of things.

By his prone shoulders, Ace and Riddle were there, one poking his shoulder with a stick while the other was simply watching with crossed arms, not quite indignant but he’s close.

You poked his waist with your foot, not wanting to be in range in case his stomach decided to make a move. “Doing okay there, Crowley?”

Crowley snorted and Ace jumped. You all paused, taking in the uncomfortable silence before a sputter came out of the drunk man. Still sleeping, still loudly snoring.

“Oh boy,” you groaned as you scratched the back of your neck, “Alright, do I have any blankets I can use?”

And throw away. Because you don’t want to bother cleaning them if he makes a mess on them.

The little Roseling finally walked forward. You watched as he searched around Crowley’s face, taking a little sniff here and there. Crowley burped and Riddle froze before a chill wracked through his body.

Mm!

Riddle lifted his stick/rod into the air. Roots, thick and thin, slithered out of the ground before wrapping about his weapon before retreating. Now there was a large, root wrapped club.

“Uh, Riddle,” you stepped forward but it was too late.

For it was too heavy. Riddle panicked, feet skidding out behind him as the weight became too much and the club landed right on Crowley’s skull.

The drunk birdbrain rocketed right up to his knees, spitting and sneezing out mud that covered his entire face like the time you threw a pie to his face. He scooped the excess off and swiftly looked around, lost, confused and probably with a nasty hangover right behind the eyes.

Ace, right by your ankles, wrapped his arms around his belly as he trilled out his laughter. You would’ve nudged him to stay quiet, but honestly it was a little entertaining.

“W-why am I here?” Crowley clutched his head then looked down. He covered his shame with soiled hands, “Oh. Oh no.”

“Oh yeah,” you nodded, confirming his worst fears, “Told you not drink Divus’s wines. You know how he likes his stuff.”

[novarex]

Allright, I'm doing DROW SMASH OR PASS, Legend of Drizzt and Waf of the Spider Queen characters. I've seen this back in the tags and I want to play.

Drizzt Do'Urden - PASS - idk, he's not really my type, and he's just a little bit boring. It would also feel wrong somehow, and I don't know how to explain it. I mean... I wouldn't say no if he asked, but Cattie-Brie would have to be dead and I'd probably ask if he's sure like 10x.

Jarlaxle Baenre - SITUATIONAL - Don't get me wrong, he's lovely, but his personality is too close to mine, and there isn't enough air in one room for the both of us. But get me drunk, and I'd do it for sure.

Gromph Baenre - SMASH - Slamming the smash button until it breaks. If you know me at all you know I'm in love with this pathetic wizard man. He is both brilliant and stupid, and just the right amount of sarcastic, arrogant, sad, and pathetic. I would marry him. He wouldn't get a moment of peace because I'd be trying to entice him into bed 24/7. It's like he was written specifically for me to fall in love with. When he went missing in WOTSQ, I would have turned the city to rubble and made the rivers run red with blood looking for him. I know Cattie-Brie was pissy about the suggestive fantasies he put in her head with psionics, but I would literally learn psionics just to play a game of horny thoughts tag all day.

Zaknafein Do'Urden - SITUATIONAL - a bit too self righteous for my taste, and I think I'd probably get on his nerves. But I'd never turn down that legendary dick if I had a few shots in me. He's got some anger issues I'd prefer to steer clear of.

Kimmuriel Oblodra - PASS - I just don't think he'd be into it. I would also be incredibly uncomfortable with him having that much access to my thoughts. Unless, of course, he's into the wild fantasies that my brain cooks up...and in that case... we might turn this into a smash.

Rai'gy Bondalek - PASS - Strong possibility that he'd just make me self conscious. He's certainly intriguing, but he'd hate me for sure.

Dinin Do'Urden - SMASH - Dinin, my love. I would scoop him up and take him to a cottage in the woods and make sure his belly is full and his balls are empty and have all of his babies. I would brutally torture and maim anyone who ever dared to hurt him. I would burn cities to ash and end bloodlines for him. Dinin deserves so much better. I'm desperate for more Dinin, especially after the events of Lolth’s Warrior.

Rizzen Do'Urden - SMASH - I'd keep him as a pet. What malice did to him is unforgivable.

Nalfein Do'Urden - SMASH - I don't even know why other than he's pathetic in thre way that I like.

Beniago Baenre - SMASH - He's adorable. I would insist on him in his natural drow form, however. I bet he's a good lover too. In One Eyed Jax, Jarlaxle teases him a bit because he's definitely into human women. He smart, personable, and he definitely knows how to please a woman.

Braelin Janquay - SMASH - He deserves everything. I find him irresistibly adorable. He's spent more of his life outside of Menzoberranzan than in and has a pretty strong disdain for Lolthian culture. He is smart and clever and Jarlaxle adores him. Braelin has also suffered a lot and remains so loyal to Jarlaxle. Everything about him is attractive to me. He has quickly rocketed to my 3rd favorite, with Gromph as my #1 and Dinin as a very close #2.

Valas Hune - SMASH - I feel like we might genuinely get along. He'd be good to go camping with somewhere far from everyone else. I really thrive with one on one interactions, especially someone who needs personal space too.

Ravel Xorlarrin - SMASH- I have amended this to smash. He has grown on me considerably. He's clever and not easily intimidated. I respect that.

Brack'thal Xorlarrin - SMASH - Ok, I know he's only in one book (Charon's Claw) but he checks all of the "he's pathetic and tragic in all the right ways" boxes. His whole story makes me want to swoop him up and carry him off. Charon's Claw starts off so strong with him being kicked around that I just immediately wanted to protect him. His whole story just has me in a grip. It's really a shame we only got one book of him.

Tiago Baenre - HARD PASS - Fuck no. No way. I mean maybe if it gave me the opportunity to cut his throat, then I would make that sacrifice. He's the only irredeemable fuck face I can't find anything to like about. I'd kick him in the nuts.

Dantrag Baenre - SMASH - He definitely knows how to fuck. He's big too, which would be extra fun. I also have a weakness for Baenre boys.

Berg'inyon Baenre - SMASH - He seems like he'd know what he's doing, and if he didn't, he'd learn real quick.

Pharaun Mizzrym - SMASH - Let me be clear... I would not trust him at all. But come on, you know that sex has to be amazing. He knows what he's doing, is so good that he's an arrogant shit about it, and you'll definitely have a lot of orgasms. You know your legs won't work for a week after. There's a reason he's such a pain in Gromp's ass and it's because he's a wildly competent shitass.

Ryld Argith - MAYBE - He's just so practical it hurts. He also just doesn't seem to care that much about anyone other than Pharaun.

Nimor Imphrazel - SMASH - Half drow half dragon rabble rouser? Absolutely sign me the fuck up.

Allright. I'm not sure if I've missed anyone.

Tagging @vspin, @grandma-kei, @drizztdohurtin, and anyone else who wants to play. Feel free just to do the ones you know or add to it. I know I just did dudes.

[katnisspeetaprim]

Bully Part.1

Bang Chan/Reader, Platonic!Felix/Reader

Summary: You loved your life and career, but the new stylist at JYP brings up some memories you would rather forget.

Warnings: angst, bullying, panic attacks, crying, arguments, flinching during argument.

Word Count: 2481 M.list

Your life was pretty much perfect at this moment in time, at least according to yourself. You had your own house and car, even landed your dream job which you had spent years studying and apprenticing for.

The day you became one of the head stylists at JYP, was one of the best days of your life, having worked you way up from lowly intern. You mainly worked with the Twice girls these days, but you originally started out with Stray Kids, which is how you met Chan.

The two of you immediately hit it off, quickly realising that there was something more than friendship going on. The two of you dated secretly for quite a while, but as soon as the dating ban was removed from their contracts, you both went straight to JYP, thinking it would be better to be truthful in the long run.

The older man looked at the two of you like a disappointed father looking down at his children, who had been caught doing something naughty. JYP was understandably upset that the two of you were dating but he wasn’t about to stop you, especially since you’ve already proved you can work without distraction.

Romance between idols and the staff wasn’t banned after all, just strongly discouraged.

It was after going public with the relationship did you think it would be better to move to one of the other groups style teams, this way you could both avoid unsavoury rumours  floating around, but also prove that you could still maintain a professional relationship whilst at work. This is how you came to be a head stylist for Twice.

Your departure from the Stray Kids team had left your position open, and tis is what lead to your current predicament......

It had been a few weeks since your move, so you and Chan would usually be waiting a little while for the other to finish for the day, since your rode home together. Today though, you had been waiting for nearly an hour for him in the parking lot. Annoyed by his lateness, you shot off a text to him. Within moments, you got a reply.

You groaned in annoyance. You had no problem with him going out, but a heads up would have been nice. In all honesty, you’d been so busy recently, you’d forgotten that they’d already hired your replacement. At least you were the one to drive that morning so you weren’t stranded.

Just as you were about to start the car, a knock on your window startled you. You looked over to see the smiling faces of Momo and Jeongyeon. You rolled down your window with a smile.

‘Y/N! We thought it was your car. You left over and hour ago, why are you still here?’

‘Oh, I was waiting for Chan, but I forgot that he had plans tonight.’ You explained sheepishly, feeling only a little embarrassed that you’d waited over an hour for a guy. Momo and Jeongyeon shared a look.

‘Well we were planning on getting food together. If you’re free, why don’t you join us?’

‘Why not?’ You found yourself smiling as you exited the car. This wouldn’t be the first time you’d hung out with the girls outside of work, so at least you knew you would still have a good night, with or without Chan.

It was late when you got home. Knowing you had to be up early the next morning, you wanted to get in bed asap.

When you opened the door, you were surprised to find all the lights off and the home eerily quiet. You were confused as you toed off your shoes. Chan wasn’t usually one to sleep early but just in case, you tip toed to the bedroom to check on him, only to find it empty.

You tried to stay calm, but worry began to wash through you. It wasn’t like Chan to stay out this late and not even send so much as a text. You pulled out your phone and hit the call button, your anxiety only sky rocketing when he didn’t answer. Finally, on the fourth call did he answer you.

‘Chan!’

‘Babe! We’re gonna be late! Don’t wait up!’ ‘click’ You stared at your phone in disbelief. There was loud music and shouting in the background so he was obviously out at some kind of club. Sigh. At least you knew he was safe...

When you awoke the next morning, you rolled over, only to collide with a fully clothed Chan. He was laid out on his back, on top of the sheets and still in his clothes from the night before.

Now Chan doesn’t drink so you knew he wasn’t hungover, but if he got in and just flopped down in bed, then it must have been late or early. Your alarm hadn’t gone off yet, so you quickly reached for it and turned off your 6am alarm, not wanting to wake him just yet.

‘You worried me last night.’ You whispered to yourself and gently stroked his hair, causing him to stir slightly. Not wanting to wake him, you pulled away and got up.

Just as you were getting on your shoes to leave, Chan wondered into the main room, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes.

‘Hey, if you wanted a lift you should get dressed, we’ll be late otherwise.’ You were a little annoyed at his tardiness, but decided it could wait till later.

‘I don’t ned to be in till later. I might go sleep a while longer.’ He was almost falling asleep at the kitchen counter. Cute. You smiled and strolled over to him.

‘Did you have a good time last night?’ You stroked across his broad shoulders as he hunched over the table. ‘With the new stylist?’ He perked up at the mention of the new staff member.

‘Oh she’s great! If you’re free today at some point, you should come by and I’ll introduce you! I think you’ll get on great!’ You laughed at his enthusiasm, glad that JYP had hired friendly staff.

‘I’m glad! And I’ll definitely make time to come by, but now I really have to go.’ You leaned down and kissed him goodbye.  ‘I’ll see you later, love you!’

You’d had a particularly busy day, what with the new Twice comeback happening soon, you didn’t get to visit the Stray Kids studio till late in the day.

When you entered the room, the first person to notice you was Han.

‘Noona!’ He yelled, causing the other boys heads to shoot up.

‘Hi guys!’ They all ran up to you, hugging you in greeting. You didn’t get to see the guys that much these days, only getting updates from Chan, so this was a real treat to see them all again.

‘Alright boys, calm down.’ You giggled.

‘Y/N, I didn’t think you were going to show up.’ Chan pushed through the rowdy boys and hugged you.

‘I said I’d be here, didn’t I?’

‘Come on, I’ll introduce you.’

‘Oh are you here to meet Jia-noona?’ Hyunjin asked with a smile. A chorus of compliments for the woman came from all the boys as Chan lead you across the room.

‘Jia! Meet my girlfriend Y/N!’ When the woman stood and spun round, your breath hitched in your throat and you suddenly felt like you couldn’t breathe. Stood in front of you was Park Jia, the girl who had made your whole school life miserable. She had been the typical mean girl, while you were more of a hermit, preferring to keep yourself to yourself.  Naturally she saw you as easy target and basically tortured you daily.

‘Y/N, nice to meet you! Chan’s told me so much about you already!’  She reached out her perfectly manicured hand for you to shake. You couldn’t stop yourself from flinching when she reached out for you, casing Chan to look over to you, shocked by your actions. Your mouth was so dry you couldn’t speak. She didn’t recognise you. After the hell she put you through, how could she not recognise you!?

Now you definitely changed a lot since your school years, but did your life really mean so little to this woman that she’d forgotten you?

‘Y/N? You ok?’ Chan suddenly called out, gently stroking your back and bringing you back to reality. ‘You spaced out there.’

‘Um yeah uh-umm yeah sorry. I-I have to go.’ You stuttered, not knowing what to do but knowing that you couldn’t stay in that room any longer. You basically pushed your way out of the room, running down the hallway, all while trying to not have a panic attack.

Back in the room, everyone stood with confused faces.

‘Did I do something wrong?’ Jia asked Chan with a frown, his eyebrows furrowed.

‘No. No. Y/N can just be a little weird sometimes.’ Chan’s answer caused the other SKZ members to cast questioning looks to each other. They may not see you as much as they used to, but during your time with them you had all gotten pretty close. None of them had every seen you react to a situation quite like you had just done.

‘Are you sure she’s ok? She seemed upset..’ Felix asked, concerned for you.

‘I hope I didn’t do anything to upset her.’ Jia’s sickeningly sweet voice floated across the room.

‘Nah she’s just emotional, her period is probably coming. I’ll deal with it later.’ Felix frowned deeply at his leader. Why was Chan dismissing you like that when something had clearly upset you.

Whilst everyone was distracted by Jia, Felix silently slipped out of the room and went to find you.

He found you, sitting alone in a small office, quietly sobbing to yourself.

‘Y/N!’ He rushed over to you and put his arm around your shoulders. In an attempt to hide your tears, you wiped at your face to no avail.

‘Felix. Is everything ok?’ He looked at you quizzically.

‘I should be asking you that! You ran out of the room!’ You looked down in defeat, knowing you couldn’t keep this from your friend.

‘I couldn’t stay in there one second longer because of her.’ You said with shaky breath.

‘Yeah I gathered that.’ Felix let out a humourless chuckle. ‘But why though?’ He pressed you for an answer. You looked up to him with sad eyes, before taking a deep breath.

‘She bullied me in school.’ Felix’ face morphed into shock, but he let you continue speaking.

‘But it wasn’t normal bullying. She and her minions would do awful things to me, make me do things... And I thought I was free when I left for college.’ You started sobbing again as you explained, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Felix swallowed a lump in his throat, but he had to ask.

‘What do you mean, not normal bullying? What did they make you do?’ You looked down and shook your head vigorously. You weren’t ready to talk and Felix wasn’t going to force you.

‘I don’t know what to do. Coming to work everyday knowing she’s here, and Chan seems to love her...’ Felix winced at your words. You weren’t wrong about that, the guy seemed smitten with her. He wasn’t even going to tell you how Chan spoke about you once you left the room.

‘He needs to know Y/N. We can tell him together and he’ll speak to the company. JYP will back you I know it.’ You licked your dry lips and nodded.

‘I’ll tell him at home. I just need to think about what to say.’ You sniffled.

‘You sure you don’t need me there with you?’ You nodded with a sniff. Felix nodded and pulled you into a tight hug.

‘I’m here if you need me.’ You were grateful to have such a caring friend like Felix.

‘You should get back.’ You nudged him away lightly. He sighed, not really wanting to leave you alone, but knowing you were right.

‘Ok, but remember what I said.’

Just as your day was ending, you spotted Chan walking towards you from down the hall. Your smile faltered a little when you noticed the expression on his face. He didn’t look happy.

‘Hey. You ready to go?’ You asked nervously as he all but bumped your shoulder as he passed.

‘I got a lift in so you need to drive.’ Is all he said to you, no ounce of warmth in his voice after the long day. You stared after him, mouth agape and not believing how he just brushed you off like that. When you caught up to him, he was already standing by your car and he was practically dripping with irritation.

‘Hurry up.’ He spat. Without a word, you unlocked the car and got in, followed by the slam of the door as he did the same.

‘What are you waiting for? He groaned when you just sat there.

‘Why are you treating me like this?’ You mumbled, eyes cast down.

‘Why do you think?’ Chan scoffed. You didn’t answer, but looked at him with sad eyes.

‘You fucking embarrassed me today Y/N! Acting like that with Jia? Unbelievable.’ He exploded on you, hitting the dashboard hard with his hand. You stared at him, shocked at his outburst.

‘Do you have nothing to say for yourself?’ You flinched away at his harsh words and honestly you were a little scared after he hit the dash. You knew Chan would never lay a finger on you in that way, but right now, this didn’t seem like the man you fell in love with...

‘I didn’t act like that for no reason...’ You trailed off, not really in the mood to talk anymore.

‘You know what? I’m gonna stay at the dorms tonight. I can’t be around you right now.’ And with that he was gone, once again slamming your poor car door.

‘Wait...’ You tried meekly, but it was too late. You broke down for the second time that day.

You remembered Felix’ words from earlier and not feeling good about being alone, you text him.

You breathed a sigh of relief when he agreed to meet you, but the relief was short lived when your phone pinged once again. It was Chan and your heart absolutely shattered when you saw his messages.

You locked your phone and threw in in the backseat. You knew you should have just ignored his messages and give him a chance to calm down, but you felt your blood boil when he defended her again.

The phone was vibrating continuously behind you. Probably Chan trying to call you to chastise you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look.

Even after all these years, why was she still ruining your life...?

[itsscromp]

Hi, I have a Rocket request. Can you do something before vol 1 where he meets reader and they are really kind to him, but no one's never be this kind except from Groot, so it takes some time for him to trust them and "get used" to it.

Kindness goes a long way

AWWWW, this is a super cute anon, I love this idea so much. Rocket don't you worry buddy, you'll have another best friend and you won't even know it. Word count:1K

All his life, all Rocket knew was pain... He lost his friends in the worst way possible, which made him closed off and angry. Pushing away anyone who tried to get close to him as he always knew they would just hurt them again. He then met Groot and then began to slowly open up. He knew because Groot wasn't the type to judge anyone. But then he met you.

He and Groot were trying to nab a bounty one night before they were beaten to it by you.

"Hey come on kid, that was our bounty" He snarled at you.

"I didn't see your name on it" You smirked at him.

He growled at you before Groot placed a hand on his shoulder, to make sure he didn't lunge at you and hurt you.

"Tell you what, I'm feeling generous tonight. How about we claim it together, split the reward evenly" You offered them.

Groot happily accepted it, but Rocket was hesitant, No one, especially in bounty hunting shared the reward with him. Usually, it was every man for themself, but it didn't seem to be that with you. But for now, he agreed.

"If as so you change your mind on this humie..."

"I never back away on my promises furball" You playfully scolded.

He grumbled to himself as you three then went to collect the reward, when you split the amount with the two, Groot then suggested...

"I am Groot" (Maybe They should join us)

"What absolutely no way driftwood, we ain't adding no more to the crew" Rocket shot the idea down as soon as he did.

"But I mean... He's kinda right though, I have seen you two in action before. Your brains, He's the brawn and I could potentially be your eyes to new bounties that you two probably would never get" You counter offered.

"Ok first off you understand what he's saying ??"

"Universal translator" You tapped the side of your head.

"I am Groot" (Rocket they would be a valuable asset with us) Groot continued to convince him.

Rocket rolled his eyes and thought about it for a bit.

"You got a name kid ??"

"Y/n L/n"

"Well... Don't get too comfortable, cause If I see you doing anything funny, I will shoot you"

But nevertheless, you were now officially a part of their little group, looking out for more bounties. But you pulled your weight along the ship too, Sometimes Rocket would be taken aback by your random acts of kindess.

"Oh flark I forgot to fix the cooler" He quickly tried to rush for it.

"It's ok, I fixed it earlier. I thought it'll help take the load off of you" You kindly smiled at him.

"Whatever I could've done it anyway" He scoffed.

Or when one morning you made him breakfast.

"Here you go" You handed him a plate of bacon and eggs.

"I ain't hungry humie" He shoved the plate away from him.

"Dude we got a huge bounty to collect tonight, you can't do that on an empty stomach can we ??" You once again kindly smiled at him.

"Ugh... fine" He muttered as he began to slowly eat.

And when you helped find his missing bomb project.

"Come on come on where did I put it !!!!" He growled as he tore almost half the ship apart to find it.

"What's wrong buddy ??" You tilted your head in confusion.

"First of you and I ain't buddies or pals. Secondly I need to find the bomb I was working on before it blows the damn ship in half !!"

"Ok calm down... Where did you leave it last ??"

"I put it right their next to the crate and when I came back it was gone.

"Oooh was that it ??, I thought it was some sort of gadget, I just moved it to the gadgets cabinet just in case, Sorry about that"

He grumbled a bit as he went to retrieve the bomb, but he was... kinda grateful that it didn't become a tripping hazard to neither you or Groot.

As this went on, he began to very slowly warm up to you and your gestures. Maybe he was wrong about you. Maybe you weren't like the other people he had faced in his life... you were different...

One night when it was your turn for rotation on the cockpit, he then went to join you.

"Seat taken ??" He tried to joke.

"It's ok" You chuckled as an indicator that he could sit.

He joined in with you gazing at the cosmos and fiddling with his thumbs for a little bit until finally gathering the courage.

"Y/n... I'm sorry for the way I treated ya during the beginning, It's just... No one has ever been this... kind to me in my life before... It made me... Really scared.."

"Scared ??" You turned to him, asking in a non judgmental way.

"Scared that..." He hesitated to say it. this was already big for him enough, as soon as he began his sentence, he began to stutter.

"Hey hey... It's ok... If you're not ready to talk about it then that's ok, I'm not forcing you to. You kindly smiled at him.

He then took a deep breath in relief. "What I'm trying to get at kid is... I'm sorry for the way I treated you from the start... Do you think we can start over ??" He looked at you.

You could see it in his eyes he really misjudged you, He really wanted to start over again. "Of course... Partner" You raised your fist for a fist bump.

He grinned soon after and gladly returned it. "Yeah, partner"

For the rest of the night, the two got to know each other properly and even engaged in some playful banter with each other, which made Rocket smile, something that very rarely happens.

Then soon after that, what turned from a simple partnership was turned into an amazing friendship. You two would have each other's backs for life.

Taglist: @callofdudes @fun-k-board

[tilebytiles]

star treatment - a.t. (part 2)

summary: there's a strange man named alex that has a strange obsession with you, and he makes the strangest offer of your life. word count: 3.2k warnings: none part 1

you had fallen asleep a while ago. the stars, although breathtakingly beautiful this far out in space, had eventually gotten tiring to look at, and your brain itched for something else. you were still too tense to talk to anyone else on the spacecraft, and alex was nowhere to be found, although you doubted you'd talk to him anyway. with no methods of entertainment beyond staring out the window, you fell asleep rather quickly, your imagination conjuring up strange dreams about the hotel you were heading to.

the only thing that woke you up was the sound of rustling clothes in front of you. drowsily, you forced your eyes open and your body to come up onto your feet. you were a little wobbly from trying to do so much so quick, but you regained your balance rather quickly and began to follow the journalists down the narrow aisle between the rows of seats. if there was anything science fiction films had taught you, you should have been floating through that rocket instead of walking. your feet, however, remained firmly planted on the carpet, a fact that was rather disappointing. floating would have been cooler.

the interior of the seating area was done in soft, warm colours, offering an inviting atmosphere. the seats were a navy blue with an off-white stripe down the center, and the walls were a shade of pink, something close to salmon, you thought. the floor was done in the same colour, but down the aisle was a red carpet. there weren't many seats, so the rocket could only house a group about the size of this one at any time. you didn't mind; the less people you had to awkwardly avoid, the better.

you realised the giant window at the end of the aisle that you'd thought was for stargazing was actually a port. as soon as you stepped into the giant see-through tube, you heard the door slide shut behind you, sealing you off from the rocket. you couldn't help but marvel at the empty chasm of space that surrounded you, as well as the moon that rested beneath you. from here, you could make out the complex building you were realising was meant to be the hotel. it looked futuristic and retro at the same time, an effect that wasn't hard to achieve; the architecture looked like the kind that was popular in the 70s, providing a sort of nostalgic feel, but it was sitting on the surface of the moon. this definitely wouldn't have been possible in the 70s (you could hardly believe it was possible now).

one of the journalists spoke up, shattering the awestruck silence. "he’s a bit mad for doin' all this."

the journalist beside him shrugged. "it’s kinda cool, though, don't you think?"

"well, sure, but imagine having these kinds of funds ... and you waste it on a lunar hotel?"

you hardly knew alex, but it made you feel a little uneasy to hear someone speaking ill of him. you wanted to speak up, but a third journalist beat you to it. "if anything, he's proving we can even do this kind of shite on the moon. it’s better than some of the stunts billionaires have been pulling."

"yeah, yeah, whatever, miles," the first journalist grumbled. "stop kissing his ass."

the journalist named miles rolled his eyes, then glanced over at you. you hadn't even realised he was walking beside you. he grinned at you and held out a hand for you to shake. "miles kane," he said.

you slowly shook his hand. "y/n l/n."

"you don't exactly seem like the reporter type. what’re you doin' up here with this pretentious lot?"

you liked him already.

"alex invited me," you told him. "i haven't really figured out why yet."

he nodded, seeming to ponder over the information you'd just given him despite it only being two sentences. "i’m sure we'll get along perfectly," he finally said, smiling at you again. "if any of these pricks cause you trouble, just lemme know."

"thank you." you smiled back at him.

when you made it to the other end of the tube, the door in front of you slid open, allowing your party of prose into the hotel. your eyes widened once you stepped through the door. the room you were in, which you guessed to be the main lobby, was absolutely gigantic — or at least, it felt that big. there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the whole space with sconces mounted on the walls to light up the spots the chandelier couldn't reach. the walls were a warm, perhaps almost burnt, shade of orange, and the floor was made of lush carpet, the pattern almost hypnotising. squiggles of colour stretched from wall to wall above a black background. the wall to your right, close to the door, held floor-to-ceiling windows, showcasing the moon and the stars in all their glory. to your left was the reception desk, the lift to its left and the stairs to its right. chairs and tables were scattered amongst the space, providing plenty of spots to sit and rest. mounted on the wall behind the reception desk was a flat-screen TV. you were impressed it could pick anything up out here.

your group wandered over to the reception desk, and to your surprise, someone popped out of the door that had an 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' plaque, grinning at you all. "pleasure to meet you!" he said. "mr. turner told me you'd be arriving."

alex’s last name was turner?

"hold on," the first journalist from before said, "you mean you've just ... been here?"

the receptionist nodded, still smiling. "we’ve had more than enough resources to last us, don't worry. and they're replenishable! but we can get into that later."

"there’s more than one of you?"

"all the staff were busy prepping for your arrival. we hope you enjoy your stay. let me be the first to officially welcome you to the tranquility base hotel & casino. my name's mark, and i’ll be your guide for the tour today."

you admired mark’s genuine enthusiasm. then again, you didn't think it'd be very hard to be enthusiastic about a job like this.

he came out from behind the desk and motioned for your group to follow as he headed for the open doorway across from the door you'd just come through. it opened out into a long hall, branching off into different rooms. "this is where the café is," he said, pointing to one of the sets of doors you passed by. "that’s where you'll be eating all your meals, although your options will differ depending on the time of day. that," he said, pointing to another set of doors, "is the gym. there’s all kinds of equipment in there, and it's completely free for all guests, so don't be afraid to stop by."

he continued leading you down the hall, pointing at different doors and explaining them. connected to the café was a greenhouse that provided different types of produce, and it was available to guests ("take a tour or let the little ones learn how to garden!" he had said). there was a library, a laundry room, and even something like a patio at the very end of the hall, allowing you to get as close to the moon itself as you safely could.

when you came back up the hall and squeezed into the lift, mark explained how the actual hotel rooms would be the last part of the tour; that way, you could all rest as soon as you got to your rooms. your first stop was the very top of the hotel, where you could see the large hexagonal neon sign spinning slowly on top of its pole. they had built a pool into the roof, complete with a ladder to make getting in and out easy, a diving board, various chairs set up, umbrellas that you weren't even sure were necessary and bathrooms and changing rooms, the latter of which were fully stocked with robes, bathing suits and pool toys.

heading down a floor revealed the hotel's partial namesake: the casino. the lights were significantly dimmer here than they were in the rest of the hotel, but they weren't so dim that you couldn't see at all. machines had been pushed up against every wall and were lined up perfectly around the room. it was almost overstimulating, and you were grateful you left when you did, although the aftereffects of all the lights remained in your vision as colourful blobs for some time.

your whole group was staying on the same floor. you didn't know if you were glad about it or dreading it. at least miles would be nearby, you thought. he’d been making the occasional quiet joke to you throughout the whole tour, and you did your best to stifle your laughter to avoid dirty looks from the others.

"i’ll talk to you later," he said, snapping you out of your thoughts. you hadn't even realised you'd made it to your rooms. his was across the hall from yours. you nodded and flashed him one last smile before unlocking your door with the key mark had given you and stepping inside.

the room was lavishly decorated. you almost felt guilty for staying there for free. a four-poster bed stood tall, the frame painted a creamy white and the mattress covered in a white sheet. a thin fabric, something like lace, hung from each corner like curtains. the blanket looked soft, inviting, and after many, many hours of being stuck in a rocket and sleeping in a (albeit comfortable) chair, slipping under the covers and taking a proper nap sounded heavenly. you forced yourself to hold off on that nap, though, and continued your exploration of the room.

the overhead light was built into the ceiling, and upon discovering a small remote on top of the chest of drawers across from the bed, you realised the brightness could be changed. there was a floor-to-ceiling window built into the wall across from the door, offering yet another stunning view. the closet that was built into the wall rested to the left of the bed, and to the right was a small nightstand. In the closet, you found all sorts of clothes. at least there was comfort in the fact that no matter what happened, you'd be well-dressed for the occasion. not far from the nightstand was a door, and when you opened it, you discovered the bathroom.

ah, yes. it was about time you took a shower.

the water was perfectly warm, and the shampoo smelled lovely. although it had only been a few days, you still felt gross for having gone so long without a shower; you guessed it was only because you were used to showering every day. when you finished getting cleaned up, you slipped into the cosiest pair of pyjamas you'd ever gotten your hands on and made sure to turn the light off before slipping into the unnecessarily fancy bed.

you wondered what alex was up to. you hoped you'd see him tomorrow, mostly so you could thank him for inviting you in the first place. although the concept of a hotel in space still felt a bit mad to you, you were beginning to realise it really wasn't as bad as you'd expected it to be. maybe you were even a bit proud of him.

•••••

the next morning — at least, you guessed it was morning — you made your first trip to the café mark had shown you. you had to admit, you were starving. although you'd been given snacks on the rocket, they were exactly that — snacks. they hadn't been near enough to keep you full, and now your stomach felt like it was going to gnaw its way through your entire body if you didn't get something to eat soon.

a few of the journalists were already in there, including Miles. you headed towards the counter, where the employee behind the till smiled at you. "what can i get for you today?"

"uh ..." you stared at the imposing menu on the wall, assessing your options. "can i have the egg croissant, please?"

"would you like a drink with that?"

"water’s fine, thanks." the employee nodded, punching your order in, and when the small number popped up on the digital screen sticking up from the till, your eyes widened. it was cheaper than you'd been expecting. you quickly fished your wallet out of your pocket.

once the transaction was complete, you headed for miles' table and sat across from him. he was scribbling something in his notepad, but when he heard the creak of your chair, his head snapped up. when he realised it was you, he grinned. "hey, y/n."

"hey," you replied. "what are you doing?"

"writin' down some notes for that article i gotta write. we’ve been here for less than a day, and i already have enough info to crank out a goddamn essay."

that made you laugh, earning a sideways glance from one of the journalists. it was the one that had been questioning alex’s motives before. you heard miles scoff, prompting you to look back at him with a raised brow. “trouble in paradise?”

he snorted. “hardly paradise with that prick around.”

“who is he?”

“james schwartz, also known as one of the biggest dickheads on the planet. old money — his dad runs the paper he writes for, and his dad ran it before that, and so on. heard he’s in line for the throne.” he shook his head. “he’s willin’ to do anything for a story. can’t keep a girlfriend for more than a few months, either.”

“what do you mean, he’s willing to do anything?”

he eyed you for a few moments, as if he was debating whether or not he should unveil james’ moral crimes to you. eventually, he sighed, leaning back in his chair; so much so that the two front legs rose from the floor. “the best of it, so to speak, is that he flooded some poor shop owner’s voicemail until they phoned him back.”

“and the worst?”

his lips pressed into a thin line, and his gaze sauntered over to land on james, who’d put a pair of headphones on at some point and remained entirely oblivious to your conversation. still, to be on the safe side, miles’ voice lowered, forcing you to lean over to hear him. “he dated a girl, some model from bristol. a couple of months later, she broke up with him, and then suddenly, her nudes were up on the Internet, free for all perverted fucks to see. he was one of the first to cover the story, and his article painted her in a suspicious light, spoutin’ some shite about how she shouldn’t have let anyone take such compromisin’ pictures of her. she quit modelling not long after. it was never proven to be him, but …” he shrugged and looked back to you.

your stomach churned at the mere thought of what he’d gotten away with. “surely someone questioned him?”

“if they did, he probably paid them to keep quiet. either way —” he dropped his pencil onto his notepad. “— i would stay away from him, if i were you.”

“don’t need to tell me twice,” you mumbled.

after your food had arrived and you’d satiated your hunger, miles suggested heading up to the pool for a quick dip. you agreed, although considering you’d just eaten, you didn’t think you would actually do any swimming. this notion seemed a bit funny to him, and he even asked if you were chicken, but he didn’t press the matter any further.

much to your delight, there were swimsuits in the dressing room, and you slipped into a black bikini on the off chance you hopped into the water. wrapping yourself up in a plush white robe that had the hotel’s acronym embroidered into the left breast, you stepped out onto the pool deck. miles was already in the pool, clad in a pair of black swim trunks and swimming from one end to the other, engaged in an intense race against himself. you plopped down onto one of the pool chairs and stretched your legs out, watching as miles swam to the edge closest to you with a grin. “the water’s lovely.”

“i’d rather not get cramps,” you said, making him laugh. he playfully splashed water in your direction, spraying small droplets onto your calves and the chair beneath you. the water was cold against your skin.

you heard the entrance to the pool open, making you turn and look over your shoulder. alex stood in the doorway, and when he saw you, he managed a small smile. “i didn’t expect to see you here.”

“i could say the same for you.”

“i was looking for miles.” he glanced around you and spotted the man in question, who offered an enthusiastic wave that was akin to one from a child. “mark said you’d be here.”

“you should come join me, mr. turner,” miles replied, assuming an exaggerated air of pompousness. “have you even tested your own pool?”

alex seemed to genuinely consider that question for a few moments. his hands slid down into his pockets, and his lips pressed together before finally parting to form the words, “no, i haven’t.”

and with that, he found himself in swim trunks exactly like miles’ less than a few minutes later. it was the first time you’d seen him in anything beyond his perfectly crisp suits, and it also offered you a chance to admire his physique. his abs were lightly defined, as were the muscles lining his arms; the veins in his forearms protruded, as if all they needed was a small push before bursting from his skin; his legs had about as much hair as you could have expected, and there was a light smattering of hair across his chest. draped over his chest, sinking into the dips of his collarbones, was a thin gold chain, the same one you’d seen him wear a number of times at the café.

miles whistled, snapping you out of the spell alex’s body had put you under. “she’s oglin’ ya.”

“am not!” you protested, glaring at him.

he only rolled his eyes. “there’s nothin’ wrong with admirin’.”

you didn’t say anything, only crossed your arms over your chest. it wasn’t like you needed to respond, though; the heat that spread across your cheeks like wildfire spoke volumes.

if you were being perfectly honest with yourself — which you did reluctantly — alex had always caught your eye. you mostly attributed it to the mysterious aura that he was always shrouded in, brought into existence by how little he spoke, how much he kept to himself, and the documents he primarily occupied himself with. even if you now knew what those documents had been for, there were still heaps of things that remained locked away from you. for fuck’s sake, you’d learned his last name from a complete stranger.

in some ways, his mystery was a siren call, coaxing you in for what you thought might be your untimely demise. if there was anything the piles of romance novels in your flat had taught you, it was that strange men — especially rich ones — shouldn’t ever be trusted with matters of the heart.

as alex lowered himself into the pool, though, you let yourself ogle for a little while longer.

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Friendly Encouragement

A/N @darklydeliciousdesires thank you for introducing me to this man. So writing this took like six turns, and it's now become a multi-part childhood best friends-to-lover anthology; this is part one. My confidence is still pretty trash, especially because this is a new fandom/character so I'm not all that happy with this even with the seven rewrites.

Contains: Fluff, supportive Sean, childhood best friends to lover, mild smut.

1.7 K words

After getting some help from Sean, there ends up being some revelations.

The daylight was well and truly gone, and Sean had been pouring over your rejected grant proposal for hours, trying to figure out why it hadn't made the cut.

He lifted his head off his hand, looked away from the paper and shook himself awake before throwing the folder onto the ground and turning to you with his jaw clenched. "I don't get it, love, it's flawless."

You shrugged. "It's also apparently too client focused. Too much about helping people and not enough about the bottom line."

He rolled his eyes, clearly ready to rant about what the heads of charities really got up to, before he stopped himself. "You're going to go back in there tomorrow and demand he reconsider."

You looked at him for a moment, hoping you'd heard him right. "Yeah, that's not going to happen, I don't even know where to start. I'd go to the CEO, but she's travelling, and he'll get ahead of it before I even try."

He was off the couch like a rocket, marching over to you with a determined look set on his face. "Then we'll practice."

He wrapped his strong hand around your upper arm and dragged you to his home office, letting you go a few feet from his desk before sitting down. "Pretend I'm this finance arsehole, we'll work through it together."

You wanted to protest, to tell him he was being silly, but the look on his face told you that you wouldn't be leaving the room until you did what he asked.

You sighed and threw your hands up. "Fine, but I don't see how this is going to help. I am capable of getting things done, it's just him."

He almost looked offended. "I know that, I've known that since you called Mr Bollen a pompous baboon in the fourth grade."

He paused and smiled softly, that disarming smile you had seen him use so many times before. "Think of me as an empty space, I'm not going to do anything other than sit here so you can bounce your ideas around."

You huffed. "Fine."

You left the room and closed the door, taking a deep breath before knocking twice. "Come in."

You walked in, head held high and back straight like you did that morning, and met Sean's eye, his serious look preventing you from laughing. "Mr. Campbell, I think you should reconsider my grant. The numbers page on page six made it clear that it's doable and…"

Your thoughts left you, and you flopped down onto one of the office chairs. "This isn't going to work."

Sean wasn't put off and reached across the table to grab your hand. "He's not the first pig you've had to deal with, he won't be the last. Now what's tripping you up?"

Sean had a knack for getting information out of people, so there was no point in lying, you just had to say it carefully so no one ended up dead.

It wasn't really that hard to relent with the way he was looking at you, his face neutral but his eyes full of twinkling affection that almost looked more than friendly, it made your heart flutter. "I'm pretty sure I lost the grant because I refused to go to the luncheon. I didn't think the money that could be going to the program should be spent on drinks."

You saw the fleeting glimmer of anger in his sea blue eyes, but it was gone in a flash, and you continued. "This isn't the sixties. He gave the grant to one of his drinking buddies, and it's not going to help anyone, and I can't do this because if I'm alone in a room with that prick, I'm going to hit him."

Sean chuckled and patted your hand lovingly. "Ah, love, you might not want to hear this, but you need to sink to his level." Your eyes went wide, and you stuttered about being unable to do that, but he cut you off. "I'm not talking about blackmail, just let him know that all it would take for him to lose his job is an off hand comment in the lift while the CEO is there."

You sighed, he was right, as always. He took in your look of resignation with a smile and waved his hand. "Well then, up you get. Once we can get through this without that bleeding heart of yours balking, I'll order in from your favourite restaurant."

You raised your eyebrows and shook your head. "Bribery, Sean, really?"

He still hadn't let so of your hand, and his thumb rubbed your skin affectionately. "Only the best for my favourite girl."

****

You were still riding the high of how well it all went when you showed up at Sean's. There was no point in knocking; the Wallace house was your second home, and you practically lived there. You waved to Mrs Wallace as you walked by the kitchen, and she gestured towards Sean's room to let you know where he was.

You rapped on the door, and his voice floated through the wood. "Come in." He grinned when he laid eyes on you and popped up from his small desk to greet you. "You're smiling, so it went well. Tell me everything."

It all came out in an excited flurry, going between telling him what had happened and explaining how the head of finance had squirmed like a coward the more you spoke. Sean's grin only grew until he was close to laughing, accepting your thanks graciously as you wrapped your arms around him.

He could feel your excitement as you spoke and he couldn't find it in himself to let you go as you finally slowed down and it became his turn to speak. "I'm very proud of you y/n." He paused, wondering if the tone of the hug was really changing or if he was just imagining it, but he took his chance anyway. "And it is I that should be thanking you, the way you have handled the last year has been admirable."

He didn't know how to put the rest of his thoughts into words, that you were all he thought of when he was away, that despite being back at the top, he felt achingly lonely when you weren't around, that he's loved you since he was sixteen. He tightened his arms around you and buried his nose in your hair. "I love you."

It wasn't a strange thing for him to say; you said it to each other all the time; it was the way he said it that gave you pause, but you replied nevertheless. "I love you too Sean."

"Not like that." He pulled away from the embrace, but only enough to place his hand on your cheek. "I've loved you since you showed up on my doorstep in that bubble gum pink dress the night of that stupid year ten dance."

It felt like a dream, the way he tucked a strand of hair behind your ears as he gazed at you like you were the most precious thing on earth. "Your mother bought me that dress. It was hideous."

The distance between you got smaller as you both leaned in, and he whispered against your lips. "I thought you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen." His nose brushed yours, and his other hand left your back so he could hold your face in his hands as you moved yours to his shoulders. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

When his lips found yours, it was like you had the last breath on earth between your lips. Your hands wove into his hair, and you moved in step towards his bed, finally stopping when the backs of your knees hit the edge. You pulled away from each other breathless, his hands moving to your shirt as you spoke. "I knew before you."

He chuckled as he pecked your cheek, his beard brushing your skin as he made his way to your neck. "Is that so?"

"It is." You broke contact only long enough for him to pull your shirt over your head, his polo following as you took in the sight of his bare chest. He was all lean muscle wrapped in pale, freckled skin.

He licked his lips as his eyes raked over your bare skin, then his lips were down your neck to your chest as he reached behind you to unclasp your bra. "When?"

It was hard to reply with his plump lips sealing around your nipple, but he looked at you through his red eyelashes in a way that let you know that silence wasn't an option. "Two weeks before the dance when that Harrison freak ruined my science project after I turned him down and you punched him."

He smiled against your skin before nipping you, the bite of his teeth sending a shiver up your spine. His lips found yours again as your hands moved to his belt, your fingers played with the buckle for a moment, but it was your turn to smile as you moved your hand down to palm his rapidly hardening cock through his black trousers.

It seemed to be tit for tat with him because he slid his hand down from your rib cage to use his long and dexterous fingers to pop open your pants, dispensing with any teasing so he could graze his fingertips over your bare flesh. Your breath caught in your chest as he slid his fingers through your slit, stopping for a moment to rub your clit before they continued with their nonsense patterns.

He parted from you briefly, his face flushed with lust as you managed to get his pants off and pushed them down enough to get your hand on his cock. He gathered himself enough to look at you like he wanted to swallow you whole and kissed his way to your ear to speak. "We have some catching up to do." With that, his hand left your pants, and he brought his fingers up to his lips to lick you off of them.

The sight was enough to make your knees buckle. "Yes, we do."

His lips were restless as you moved onto the bed to lie on your back, and then he was ripping your bottoms off, underpants and all, before shedding his own. "You're not leaving this bed until midday tomorrow."

His fingers were back on your centre, and the look in his eyes was positively heartstopping, a mix of lust and love that made it feel like your skin was on fire. "That's fine with me."

Fin

@daydreaming-belle