#no worries bout price i'm doing him next

[jekyllnahyena]

official f1 au featuring the lads (and later Price, but I wanted to to yeet these out. actually already did Franco but I this is just as much a ground to built of relations tbh)

[writersdrug]

Training for Two

Chapter 5. Back to Square One

Masterlist

Summary: Simon's rapidly growing obsession with you comes to a halt.

Warnings: obsessive behavior, cursing, slight nsfw

The drive back to Simon's house was quiet and dark. Price had turned on the radio, letting classic rock play quietly in the background. He tapped the steering wheel every so often, humming to whatever lyrics he could remember.

Simon sat in the passenger seat, staring at the cars ahead, occasionally glancing at the signs that whizzed by the truck. Each sign that brought him closer to home made him ache. He thought about his bed. He thought about Riley. And, of course, he thought about you. He knew you most likely wouldn't be there - it was after midnight. But he liked to imagine that you'd be waiting there, sitting on his couch with your book and mug of tea, Riley settled next to you, ready to greet him with your smile - the smile that he'd been thinking about in every stolen moment during the mission.

"Alright there, Simon?" Price cut through the silence, dragging Simon back to earth.

He cleared his throat. "Yes sir. Jus' ready to be back."

Price scoffed. He knew Simon didn't consider his house a home. If anything, it was a safe house between missions. "I'm sure Riley will be happy to see you."

"We'll see about that." Simon said with a chuckle. "This dog-sitter might've stolen her from me."

"Nah, she's yours. Been with 'er through it all." Price said as he turned into Simon's neighborhood. "I'm sure she enjoyed the company, though."

Simon grunted. "Seems like it." He said, remembering the picture you had sent him; the way Riley had cozied up to you, the way she seemed so docile and calm in your presence. He imagined you running your fingers through her fur, the perfect ratio of scratching to gentle pets. He wondered what it would feel like on his scalp...

A shiver ran down his spine. How does one become jealous of their own damn dog? It was ridiculous.

"Speaking of the dog-sitter..." Price said, "Johnny mentioned she's a real-"

"Whatever Johnny told you, you can disregard." Simon grumbled. "I told him not to worry 'bout it."

Price chuckled, which made Simon burn with frustration. "Touchy subject, eh?"

"There's nothing to discuss." He replied bitterly. Quite frankly, he didn't like the picture Soap had managed to paint of him. His entire team thought he was whipped by someone he had barely known. Despite it being entirely true, it was the complete opposite of the image he had built of himself - and he had a reputation to keep.

"Right." Price nodded. Simon could tell he didn't believe him, but as long as he didn't try to pester him anymore about it, Simon would take it as a win.

Price pulled into the driveway, and Simon immediately unbuckled. He reached into the back and grabbed his duffel bag, then yanked his door open and got out.

"Y' know this isn't over." Price said, right before Simon could close the door. "We most likely 'ave a week 'fore we get sent out again. Just don't get too comfortable 'ere."

"Never do." Simon replied, shouldering his bag. "I'll wait for your call."

Price nodded, sending Simon off with a wave. He watched as he closed the passenger door and walked up the path to his house, before pulling out of the driveway and heading towards his own home.

Simon sighed as he fished his keys from his pocket. He heard Riley barking on the other side of the door, and a small smile formed on his face. When he pushed it open, she immediately jumped on him, whining and sniffing him all over. He knew she could smell the others on him, and probably wondered why he didn't bring her this time.

"Hey, girl..." he said, yanking his balaclava off and kneeling down to ruffle her fur. "Sorry I's gone so long. Miss me?"

She stood her front paws on his knees and licked his face, still whining and swinging her tail rapidly.

"Yeah, missed you too." He chuckled. "D'ya have fun? Did she treat you right?"

Riley dropped down to the floor as Simon stood. She turned towards his duffel bag and began sniffing, eyes focused on the fabric as she took in all the new and familiar scents.

Simon sighed. "'Bout time for a proper cuppa." He said, making his way into the kitchen. Despite it nearing one in the morning, it would be a while before he was decompressed enough to fall asleep.

He reached into the cupboard for a mug, ignoring the way his back popped. When he placed the mug down and reached for a teabag, he saw a note on the counter. With a furrowed brow, he picked it up and read it.

Hello Simon!

Hope your deployment was fun good! Riley and I had a blast! She learned how to play dead - if you want to try it, just make sure to give her a biscuit for it (she's only had one today, and she was a bit bitter that I left before giving her a second one). Also, she's had her medicine for the day. I gave her last dose around 9 pm.

Can't wait to spend more time with her, but I'm sure she's happy to see her dad! Let me know when you need me next!

Have a nice evening!

P.S. I had to use your washing machine, I hope that was alright. I got a bit muddy trying to teach her the new trick.

He stared at the note for a good amount of time. His eyes wandered over your meticulously neat handwriting. He noticed how often you liked to use exclamation points - the same way you did in your texts and emails. It made him annoyed - but not with you. He was annoyed that he found it... adorable. He shouldn't. You were too bright and happy; your personality should burn him, not warm him up.

He tried to brush it off, blaming his obervant behaviour on the recent mission. Old habits die hard, he lied to himself.

"Riley, c'mere."

Upon hearing her name, Riley meandered into the kitchen and stopped in front of Simon. She sat on her hind legs and looked at him expectantly.

He looked back at her - he felt a bit silly, commanding a retired veteran dog to do simple party tricks. But, it sounded like you put a lot of effort into teaching her this - not to mention, you had somehow dirtied your clothes over it - so he decided to entertain the idea.

"Play dead." He said firmly.

Riley immediately flopped down onto her back, sticking her paws into the air. She even let her tongue hang out of her mouth to really sell the image.

He felt an immediate rush of pride. "Atta girl..." he praised, kneeling down and patting her affectionately. Despite all the annoyance he felt a moment ago, Simon couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto his face.

She twisted and sat up, snuffling and groaning as he rubbed her fur. She barked once, sharp and demanding.

"Yeah, yeah- suppose you deserve a biscuit, huh?" He stood up and grabbed the box of peanut butter and bacon treats, fishing one out and tossing it to Riley. She caught it perfectly, crunching it with an open mouth and licking her lips afterwards.

He watched her with a smile, his arms folded over his chest. Sure, tricks were dumb, something only glorified house pets did for small rewards. But he was impressed that Riley had so effortlessly followed a new command, especially after being out of work for so long. And he was warmed by the fact that, not only did you watch her, but you engaged with her. He was confident he'd found the perfect pet-sitter.

After starting a load of laundry, Simon had taken a cold shower. He scrubbed his eyeblack off with nothing but his hands and the generic body wash from the corner store. He slathered some of his 3-in-one hair gel into his scalp, giving it no more than seven scrubs before rinsing it out. He stood there for a while, letting the water beat against his sore back as the details of the previous mission swarmed throughout his head. He picked apart what he could have done better, what had nearly gotten him killed, and what had probably saved his life.

His eyes flickered to the corner of the tub; there was a cluster of travel-sized bottles, labeled "face wash", "body butter", and so forth. He let himself imagine - who was he kidding, he had no control over his thoughts when it came to you - your body, standing under the stream of the shower. You probably liked hot showers, didn't you? You most likely stayed in there for an hour, going through your meticulous routine, lathering yourself in scented soaps and creams... you'd be appalled if you had seen the three-minute showers he takes, wouldn't you? Maybe you would pull him into your routine, once Simon did eventually get the balls to ask you out, despite how much the thought of being romantic with someone made him scoff. He'd let you wash his face, or shave his balls, or do whatever it is you would do to him.

He suddenly snapped out of his trance, realizing he was holding one of the bottles labeled "conditioner". His thumb was on the edge of the cap, ready to flip it open and take a whiff of the scent - but he quickly stopped himself. He put the bottle back with the rest, then splashed cold water over his face. Quit being a fuckin' creep... he thought.

After turning the shower off and drying himself with a towel, he went into his room and grabbed a pair of sweatpants. He made his way back into the basement, patting Riley on the back as he passed her by the door. He pulled his laundry out and placed it on top of the washing machine, and opened the dryer. Just as he was getting ready to toss his clothes in, he noticed something hiding in the back of the barrel of the machine.

He reached in and pulled it out - it was your flannel. The same green-and-grey one you'd been wearing during your interview.

He paused for a moment, posture rigid as he held the fabric in the air. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it. It was just a flannel... but it was your flannel. He fought with his muscles, resisting the urge to bring it closer and inhale the scent - he tried to reason with himself. Maybe she used my soap, and it would just smell like my detergent. Nothin' special.

He dropped it on top of the dryer, still wrinkly and warm - but, strangely, that felt too rude. It's a fucking piece of clothing, for Christ's sake... he thought. Not her dead nan. He then attempted to hang it on the rack, but that felt too formal. He groaned, rubbing his eyes with irritation. How something so insignificant was causing him so much turmoil was beyond him.

He ended up bringing it back upstairs. Riley sniffed the fabric as he passed her - she thumped her tail eagerly on the floor as she smelled your scent. Once again, Simon was jealous of the dog being able to act so carefree with you - he knew for sure that if he tried sniffing your flannel, he would be a certified creep. Or, worse yet, he might not care, and wouldn't be able to stop himself.

He tossed it over the back of the couch, planning on forgetting you had ever even worn it. He dropped himself onto the cuhions with a groan. Riley immediately took her place in her bed, just a few feet away from him. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned on the telly, flicking through the channels until he found some action/drama that caught his interest. He watched it boredly, drowning himself and his thoughts in the drone of the movie.

Suddenly, Riley barked. Simon looked at her - his gaze was met with hers, mouth opening and tail thwapping against the wall.

"Hmm?"

She let out an impatient, garbled sound. She lowered her head to the edge of her bed, still looking at Simon.

He shrugged internally and looked back at the screen. He settled further into the cushions and let his eyes fall shut. He thought about maybe drifting off then and there - the din of the telly might help keep the nightmares at bay...

Riley barked again, making Simon jolt. He snapped his head towards her - she was standing at the foot of the couch, ears back and panting.

"Wha' d'you want?" He asked in an annoyed tone.

She barked again, shifting her weight from one paw to the other.

"Ya need to go out?" He asked. He stood from his seat, only for Riley to scamper back to her bed and plop down on it. She looked at him expectantly.

Simon huffed. "'M not following." He dropped down to the sofa again. Riley groaned, making a scene of dragging herself out of the bed again and walking over to Simon.

"Now, don't you go 'n start aga-"

She cut him off with a shrill yap.

He pressed his lips into a thin line. He knew it couldn't be time for her medication - you had just given her some at nine. But he was entirely stumped on what she was trying to communicate to him. Was she hungry? She wasn't usually, after she'd had dinner... did she want to play? But... she was acting like she wanted to go to bed.

"What are you on 'bout?" He asked, leaning down to ruffle her fur. She dodged his hand and backed up a bit, yowling out a frustrated sound.

He scoffed. "Fuckin' hell..." he mumbled, pulling his phone from his pocket. Only one way to fix this, he thought, as he tapped through his contacts, until he landed on yours.

He stared at the picture for a moment, familiarizing himself with the details he had spent so long ogling at: your smile, your damp hair, the curve of your cheekbones, the way you marked your spot in your book with your fingers-

Riley barked again, making Simon scowl.

"A'right- just hush." He ordered, sending her a stern glance as she shuffled back to her bed. He started the call - he felt unusually nervous, his gut twisting as he listened to each ring on the line. Maybe he really was whipped, he thought.

Eventually, the call picked up. His shoulders tensed as he heard shuffling on the other end of the line.

"... m... hello?"

Fuck. You sounded tired- no, you sounded like you were still asleep. He quickly pulled the phone away and checked the time; it was nearly two in the morning. Of course you'd been asleep.

"Uh... hey." He said, mentally cursing himself. "Shit, I, uh... didn't even consider you might be asleep."

"No..." You mumbled - were you even awake at all? "No, iz fine... yeah..."

Simon waited a moment, expecting you to say something else - but you didn't. Eventually, he heard the soft sounds of your breathing again.

"Hello?" He asked cautiously.

"Up... 'm up... what's up?"

Simon shifted in his seat, slightly ashamed that he hadn't put two and two together and ended up calling you so late. "Right- jus' a quick-"

Riley barked again, staring at Simon impatiently.

Simon covered the speaker to his phone and sent her a harsh glare. "Oi! 'M workin' on it, hush!"

Your sleepy giggle wafted through the phone and into Simon's ear. "Sweet baby..."

Simon's breath caught in his throat, and he coughed nervously. She means the dog, the fucking dog, you idiot.

"Uh, sorry- jus' got a question for ya."

"Hmm?"

"Well- she's acting a bit funny," he stared at Riley and held a cautioning hand up as she shifted her weight and whined, "she's runnin' around and yellin' at me. Keeps gettin' in 'er bed, then comin' back like- like she wants somethin'. I have no bloody idea. Just wonderin' if she was doin' this with you."

"Oh, yeah..." Simon could hear your smile through the phone, and he desperately tried to push the image of your tired face from his mind. "She wants her blanket."

Simon paused. "She- she's got her blanket."

"No- she wants you to tuck her in."

"She wha' now?"

You laughed again. "You need to tuck her in her bed. She's right under the air vent and she gets cold."

He looked back at Riley. She was now sitting down, mouth closed, as if agreeing with what you said. He scoffed, rising from the couch and shuffling towards her. She slowly thumped her tail as he approached.

"Never 'eard of a dog gettin' tucked in..." he grumbled. He grabbed the felt blanket behind her, swaddling it around her body. She groaned, slowly blinking at him in an appreciative manner.

"Ya spoiled, you hear me?" He said quietly, tucking the blanket in between her and the cushion of the bed. She sighed happily, completely unaware that he was insulting her. She licked his cheek when he bent down close enough, and he grumbled and wiped the spittle away.

You giggled in his ear - Christ, you've got to stop doing that, do you have any idea what it does to him? - as he sat back down on the sofa. "All better?" You asked.

"Seems t' be-" he replied, watching Riley as she settled into her cocoon, "ya turnin' her into a princess."

"Well, she is one." You quickly replied - Simon could hear you stretching your limbs, followed by a long exhale.

He wanted to talk to you all night. Hearing you prattle on was like a balm to his jagged mind. But he knew he couldn't. You were half asleep, after all.

"Well, tha's all I needed- oh, and you, uh..." he grabbed your flannel off the back of the sofa. "Y' left your flannel here."

"I did?"

"Yeah. The green one."

"Oh, bullocks, I knew I-"

"Who are you talking to at this hour?"

Simon felt his heart stop when he heard the other voice. It had hit him like a train, flooding his veins with adrenaline. His brain went into overdrive, thinking of the worst possible scenario. Break in? Crazy stalker? Murderous ex? "Y' aright, love?"

"Simon." You said, and he couldn't tell if you were talking to him or someone else. Were you trying to warn him? To ask for help?

"Talk to me."

"Who the bloody hell is Simon?"

"My client, ya git."

"Oh- sorry love-" Simon heard more shuffling, then a kiss, followed by a grunt from you. He let himself linger in the confusion of what was going on - but, in the back of his mind, he understood it completely.

"Got me right in my bloody eye-"

"Oh, hush."

"Left your flannel at his house."

"My green one?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you were using the grey one!"

"Well, I was, Tyler, and then I wanted the green one!"

"That's it - I'm stealin' all ya knickers tomorrow."

You laughed again - this time. The sound nearly shattered Simon. He felt like it was wrong to hear you laugh so sweetly.

"Well, uh-" he was speaking before he even realized it. "You can pick it up- or I'll drop it off- or, uh, I can drop it- I mean, I'll-"

"You can shove it in the closet until next time, if that's alright?" You said, yawning shortly after.

Simon paused. He needed to get it together. "Yea, that'll work. I'll let you go then - sorry to call so late."

"It's fine, really. But let me know when you'll need me again, ok?"

"'Course I will. I'll send you an email, as usual."

You scoffed. "I know you said we should only text for emergencies, but you can text me if it's something small, Simon."

"Right, will do. I'll text you."

"Is everything ok?"

"It's fine. You should sleep. I'll talk later."

"Ok. Goodnight, Simon."

"G'bye."

He ended the call, staring at the screen for a moment, until your contact photo faded away. He leaned his head back and sighed. His thoughts suddenly came rushing back - except this time, they were about you. How he should have expected you to have a partner. How could you not? You were so bright and bubbly, of course you'd be snatched up. He felt stupid for thinking you'd be single. Maybe this whole idea of you falling for him was stupid. Maybe this was better - he was saved from rejection, even if this situation stung painfully within his chest.

Whatever. Hopefully, your personality would finally drive him over the edge of annoyance and anger, and you'd be more of a nuisance to him. That'd be the easiest way you could let him down.

He looked at the flannel in his lap. It's not even hers. He thought. He crumpled the fabric into his hand and flung it behind him.

Riley's head snapped up at the movement, and she floundered out of her bed, chasing after the flannel.

"Riley, no- don't-" he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard her scuffling across the floor. He kept his eyes closed as he heard her come trotting back, before she stopped at the edge of the couch.

She whined and tilted her head. Simon opened his eyes and looked at her.

"That's not even hers, ya ninny." He said. He looked away and turned up the telly, hoping that everything in his head would just disappear into the back of his mind.

Riley stepped around Simon's feet as she carried the flannel in her mouth. She then hopped onto the couch and settled next to Simon, depositing the (now damp) clothing onto his lap. He grunted as she laid her head down on his leg, whining and flattening her ears. She looked up at him with curious eyes, slowly thumping her tail on the cushion.

He exhaled through his nose. He stared at the flannel, then back at Riley. "Ya really like her, eh?"

She licked her lips and blinked, sighing through her nose.

He chuckled, patting her side and looking at the ceiling. "I know. I do too." He closed his eyes.

"We'll be alright, girl."

Next ->

Taglist: @my-queen-rhaenyra-targaryen @jisungswiftie @sweet-tooth4you @kennyis-aloser @hyyyxr @lahniu @dory-98 @naradae @cum-tea-and-towels @boystepper @definitelynotaclown @your-wifes-boyfriend @ghostslittlegf @bossva @poppingaround @katzykat @mileyraes @chocolate-noodles @jupiternighties @sadlonelybagel @rorysbrainrot @reevesdriver @kingshitonly @ghost4love @lilyofhoon

[buttercream-princess]

Modern Will Turner fluffy & spicy head canon x blackfem! Reader

Warnings: Light smut, pregnancy kink, swearing, fluff, edging, mentions of your family members, tattoo's, spanking

(Not edited or proof-read)

Note: I write most of my characters in modern settings, so this won’t be any different. I may write about him in POTC in the future but that’s something I need to chop up. Also first time writing a headcannon, this was fun making, I'm looking forward to doing some more for Will/Legolas/Orlando.

— Will is very attentive and never misses a single thing. Anything you have interest in, he’ll use his own bare hands to recreate it for you. You like candles? Here’s 1kg worth of candles in all your favorite scents. You like plushies and stuffed animals? Build a bear has nothing on Will’s craftsmanship, he made a lifesize teddy for you to cuddle when he’s not around. He’ll even order parts for his creations from overseas, no matter the price tag, to give you the perfect gift.

—- Adding onto how crafty he is, you never have to worry about breaking anything because Will is always happy to fix it for you and he always does so, effortlessly. He’s tactile and amazing with his hands.

—- He knocked down a wall in his house between his office and guest bedroom, renovated the room, painted the walls your favorite colors and furnished it with all your favourite things including a wall hung TV, neon lights, a pink desktop and plants. Just so you can have your own space when you’re at his house. He wants you to feel like his home is yours too.

—- He loves going to IKEA with you, it’s like a playground for him to find things to build for you and your room. When you get Hotdogs in the food court with him later and get mustard on your face, he’ll grab you by the chin and lick the sauce off. Anytime you get food on your face, he does this. Why wipe it off when he can just clean it off you?

—- Will’s intelligence is unlike anyone you’ve met before, but when he’s not using his head, he’s a bit of a himbo, giving off strong Kenergy. He might know how to solve enigmatic riddles quickly and build houses from scratch but he’s clueless when it comes to most general things. He’ll always regard you as the smarter one in the relationship. In his mind you’re everything and he’s just Will. He adores you that much.

—- He has a tattoo of your name and a blue butterfly next to it on his hip bone. This man is whipped. Gone and lost in your love. He’s considering getting your initials tattooed behind his ear.

—-  Will’s independent by nature but gosh, he is one needy motherfucker, but in the most adorable way. He’s coming with you to run errands to the beauty store, late night Target trips or waiting in the corner of the salon while you get your nails done. And he’s always paying, he never lets your credit card touch the reader.

—- Will can listen to you talk for hours about your life and yourself. He finds everything about you whimsical, enchanting and seductive. Even if you’re babbling about delusions and made up scenarios, he’ll react with big emotions like it’s happening right in the moment just because he loves you that much.

—- Will collects records that you love listening to. He says, “The record is always better than streaming it.”

—- Will use to only listen to symphonies and classical music before you came into his life. Now, he listens to everything you listen to. He’s fallen in love with Neo-soul and R&B and refuses to listen to anything else.

—- His favorite song is “Stay Ready (What A Life) by Jhene Aiko and forever dedicates that tune to you. Whenever the song plays, he always sings to you, “They say the truth ain't pretty. But comin’ out that pretty mouth the truth is fitting. Cuz you ain't never talkin loud and you know plenty. Yea you know what I'm talkin bout, cuz you just get me, Yea you so pretty”, And he means every word of it. That song was written just for you, he believes.

—- Even though you and Will are just dating and don’t have kids, he always refers to you as “His wife” or “Mother of my children”

—- Will’s favorite part of being intimate with you is undressing you. There’s something about seeing you come undone only and all for him, that makes him want to be closer to you, underneath your skin even.

—- Will love’s quickies and to give you a quick orgasm in the middle of the day. But there’s nothing he loves more than giving you a sensual, candle lit, slow jam’s experience. After a long day at work, expect Will to be ready for you with a bottle of aromatherapy bottle oil, ready to iron out all your tight muscles and kinks. And of course, this massage always leads to him giving you and internal rub down too. 

—- Will edges you any chance he gets. Sometimes you just wanna snatch your vibrator off him and hit him with it because he won’t let you cum. But he always lets you finally get off if you ask him kindly. He likes manner’s in the bedroom.

—- He has a pregnancy kink. He always moans about putting a baby in you while having sex. So you can imagine he always wants to do it raw. He always begs for you to wrap your legs and arms around him while he cums.

— He gives you warnings in the bedroom if you’re rushing the pleasure too quickly. Will believes pleasure should be savored and reveled in. Greedily chasing your release and out of warnings? That’s a hard pop to your behind, leaving your cheeks red and sore. But he quickly runs his hand over your skin, soothing you. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. See what happens when you don’t listen? Hmmm?” he murmurs in your ear before sliding two fingers back in you.

—- Only with you, Will reveals how intimidating he is in the bedroom. But in front of others, he’s the most kind respectful gentleman anyone has ever met. All your friends and everyone in your family loves him. He quickly picks up on social dynamics and easily blends himself into the environment as if he was always a part of it. You can find Will at family barbecues, bonding with your uncles over different cuts of meat and taking over the grill, which your father never allows but Will’s charmingly convincing.

—- Will always plays house and dress up with your younger family members. He takes it seriously too. You best believe he’s rocking a blue lid and red lippie with confidence after playing makeovers. 

—- Will comes with you to all your social events, he just loves being around you and hyping you up in all settings. You can find him at clubs, bars and music festivals, right behind you, jamming out and spreading the good vibes. He’s even buying you and your girls rounds of bottomless cocktails at brunch.

—- Will’s a fencing prodigy, of course. He also practices MMA. His strength, determination and will is unmatched. You love sitting in the audience of his matches when he’s given trophies, standing the breathless, T-shirtless and sweaty, dressed in his little fitted shorts showing all his business, knowing that’s all yours.

—- After matches in the ring or on the mats, Will just wants to cozy himself up under your shirt, cuddling you and weakly lying against your skin. 

[v1x3n]

꒰୨୧◞ 。SELF HARM AND THE 141.ᐟ

141 ⸝⸝ navigation

୨୧ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 : your boyfriend doesn't know about your habits, he might have a feeling your mental health is quite bad but didn't expect this. so what would would happen when they do find out?

୨୧ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 : fluff - sh (obviously), scars, comfort :3

Price

He would know deep down you had issues, scars. He just didn't know the scars were caused by you, on your own skin. 

He would ask about it at first calmly, then get more worried the more you hide it. 

“y/n..? What's that?”

He would be so soft with you, knowing what someone could go through in their life, he had seen tons of shite in people's lives. It wasn't something he had never seen.

Asking gently to see your scars, making sure you were comfortable with him looking at and asking about them. 

“Sweetie.. How's this happened then?”

He knows the answer, everyone does. He just wants you to say it. For it to snap you into reality.

He wouldn't get mad, only a little at himself for not knowing you weren't happy. He would look at them and swipe a finger over them. 

He would clean them up if it was fresh, wiping them, drying them, plasters or bandages if needed. Small kisses on your forehead, telling you it's okay and you will get through it. 

"It's okay love.” He would whisper reassuringly.

"Don't do it again yeh?”

"I'm not mad sweetie… I'm just worried “

Ghost

Has probably self-harmed before, so he understands. Understanding the feeling of doing it , the rush, the happiness, the relief .

Wouldn't judge you at all, he wouldn't show you his scars. Depending on how long yous have dated he will show you or not.

Wouldn't react much when he saw them, would kiss the scars and rub them softly.

If you relapsed, he would know what to do. He would gently clean them up and comfort you

“Ur okay love, don't be mad at yourself.”

“Come give is a hug, yeh?” 

He would pull you into a hug, then slowly massage your sides and kiss your forehead.

After cleaning them up, making sure they arent too deep or infected he would wrap you over him and put on your comfort show/film

Wouldnt make you talk about what's wrong if you don't wanna. He would be okay if you didn't wanna vent and would be okay if you did.

"It's your choice darlin, you wanna talk 'bout it or not? He tilts his head while tracing your thighs.

Gaz

Shocked at first, wouldn't bring it up in front of everyone though. He would bring you to a private place and ask:

"Y/N..? Are you okay?" " Are you sure?"

Wouldnt bring it up instantly but would get a tiny bit frustrated if you didn't open up. If you keep denying that anything is wrong, he would look down at you and sigh.

"i know your lying, ive seen the scars luv."

Wrapping his arms around you and breathing softly in your ear whispering small comforts. Letting you cry and hug him back. He would kiss your temple and let out a groan.

"why didn't you tell me?" he would sigh and lean down still having his arms around your waist.

He would never have had any experience with people who sh, knew people who bit their nails or picked when nervous. But never hurt themselves to help their issues

Wouldnt really understand the point but would try, he promises he tries to understand. Just wouldnt, he couldnt get it through his head that people harm themselves to help their issues.

He would check on you daily and praise you if you had managed to stay clean. He wouldn't be angry if you hadn't though.

"Luv , why now..?"

"You don't need this sweetheart, come here." He would bring you into a hug and then go shower to clean you up. Gently rubbing his hands through your hair and body, comforting you and smiling gently through his worried mind.

Soap

He knew from the start but wouldn't say anything, but when he saw it he knew something needed to change.

Finds a time when you don't have anything on your schedule and knock on your quarters door. Once you let him he would sit down on your bed- patting the side next to him.

"come 'ere,lass."

"We need a small chat."

After you sat down he would put his hands on your thighs and look up at you. He would sigh, not knowing what to say and then ask if something was wrong.

Knowing you, he knew you would deny. But then he would just flat out say it.

"lass. I know you sh."

Watching you panic and start tearing up, he would rub your back slowly. He wasn't angry or upset he was just worried.

"tell is whats up y/n."

He would pat his lap- wanting you to get on. Before you could reply he would simply pick you up and put you there. Then he would look up at you, braiding your hair as you vent.

[october-nightt]

spoiled (x black reader)

warnings: cussing, mentions of sex at the end, angst but then fluff, hatin' ass ex.

you and jack have been together for almost 6 months now, but it only took him 6 seconds to realize how high maintenance you were.

you loved designer brands and you always kept you hair and nails done so when it was time for you to walk down the red carpet with jack next to you, he knew you wanted to show off.

he was ready to announce yall's relationship and tonight was the big night.

"jack! I need help with my hair, I don't know what to choose" you whined.

jack leaned over your shoulder to look at the options you selected.

" baby you know I love you with your braids, or shit a 30 inch buss down would look good too" she smiled wide.

you frowned.

"fuck you know 'bout a 30 inch buss down?? that wasn't one of the options."

jack laughed and kissed you on your forehead.

"don't get fucked up jack" you said jokingly before booking an appointment to get the wig installed.

"you know I'm fucking with you baby, but it would look great. even tho yo natural hair is my favorite"

he said as he looked in the full body mirror sitting in the corner of the room you and jack shared.

after booking your appointment you slowly walked over to jack and put on your best begging face.

"you know what would go good with my hair?" you asked

"what?

'a new dress and nails, maybe some jewelry and shoes and new makeup!!"

jack turned to look at you.

" you was gon get that anyways mama" he responded.

you hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.

"thank you baby"

after that yall finished getting ready in silence.

once you both were ready jack took you shopping. he wasn't worried about the price, he just wanted you to be happy.

but he also secretly wanted everyone to know how fucking fine his girl was.

you starting looking for shoes first, then your dress, and make up, and jewelry.

after shopping it was time for your appointment. jack didn't stay because he had to take care of something but you knew it would take a little while for your hair to get done so you didn't mind.

that was until his ex-girlfriend walked in.

she didn't see you at first but you damn sure seen her.

jack had told you stories about his ex. about how she only cared for herself and money.

you loved nice things but you weren't money hungry.

you decided to mind your business but she finally noticed you and had to start some bs.

" oh my god Y/N. you look beautiful" she leaned in for a hug but you moved away

"aww dont be like that, what? mad because jack was with me last night?"

you didn't believe her, you knew she would lie about anything to start some drama

"bitch please, my man left yo nasty ass long ago" you rolled your eyes.

you didn't have time for this hoe and her bullshit.

but then she pulled out her phone and showed you a picture of jack sitting at her house, and sure enough the time stamp proved it was from yesterday night.

you heart dropped

"just thought you should know" that bitch.. his ex said before walking away.

after your hair was done you immediately called jack

"hey baby, I'm right around the corner ill be there soo-"

"what the fuck were you doing with your ex last night?" you cut him off.

you heard his sigh

"y/n listen I was just over there because she needed me to help move her furniture into her new house"

you let out a spiteful laugh

"oh so when she calls, you go running huh? she's not your girlfriend jackman. I don't give a damn if she needed help she should've called someone else! and the fact that you answered when she calle-..."

you took a deep breath

"I don't wanna talk to you right now, ill find a ride. don't bother picking me up."

and with that you hung up. you felt like jack had you looking dumb. your own boyfriend was with his ex and now she's bragging in your face.

you called your best friend to pick you up and take you back to her house, you didn't wanna see jack.

you get ready at her house. even though you were mad at jack, you refused to let him show up to the red carpet alone.

you took an uber which arrived at the same time as jacks.

"Y/N?" he called out to you.

"can we talk?"

you simply nodded and you both walked somewhere more private.

"look I'm so sorry y/n. you're right, she's not my girlfriend and I shouldn't have picked up her call..shit I should've blocked her the day we got together but baby I cant be without you. she's blocked now and I know that doesn't mean much but I'm begging you to forgive me baby."

you looked up at jack.

"I forgive you jackman."

jack pulled you into a kiss and smiled as his arms wrap tightly around your waist

"now lets go mama, cus you look good as hell and once this is over I'm ripping that expensive ass dress off."

authors note: this is my firs time writing so please be nice! also feel free to leave suggestions on how I can write better or request for what I should write next. I'm not on here all day but I will eventually get back to yall. I will post everyone that I write for soon thank you so much for reading!! <3

[ryethebrokengae]

Plan change, fuckers!

I'm writing a head cannon of different 141 boys with a reader who's got tics!(verbal and motor, specifically the reader has Provisional tic disorder). Relationship not specified but hinted at a platonic relationship!

141 boys x Provisional Tic Disorder!Reader

TW: Reading about tics may trigger said tics or new ones to actively occur. Please be cautious while reading this!

Price 💵

+ The first time he's around you and you tic it's a breathing tic that makes it sound like you're hyperventilating.

+ He looks at you concerned at first, seeing as y'all are just getting breakfast and there's no reason (other than a panic attack) to be so anxious you can't breathe right.

+ You give him a small grin, nodding with a thumbs up. Before the breathing tics are joined by your neck jolt tick, causing your grin to drop.

+ Price quickly puts down his tray, walking over to you. Worry evident on his face.

+ You shake your hand at him "D-don't worry 'bout it Price. 've got tics. This is pr-pretty normal for me."

+ As you say this your tics do their damnedest to interrupt you. Price looks less worried, but still confused, furrowing his brows.

+ "Ya never saw it on my records cause I don't care enough to go get it diagnosed. I jus' say it's my anxiety."

+ This time as you speak your tics have calmed down a bit, he looks less worried, but nods anyway, returning to his tray and deciding to keep an eye on you for the rest of the day.

Ghost 💀

° The first time he's around you when you tick it's a 'tsk tsk' tic, a sound similar to when you're clicking your tongue at a dog.

° Since this is happening during a briefing he gives you a strange look, eyes slightly crinkled in a show of confusion.

° You look up from the map and see Ghost looking at you, you shake your head, holding up a hand to show that it's fine.

° You sign to him(I HC that Ghost knows ASL and BSL, fight me) 'I have tics', when he sees that he nods in understanding. Returning his attention to Price's words

° After the briefing is over Ghost comes up to you. Giving you a look that says 'spill.' You sigh and lean your hip on the table, slightly annoyed but you understand the reason for his questioning.

° "They don't come up too often, as long as I'm not around other people who've got 'em." You say, knowing Ghost wanted to know why he'd just now noticed them.

° "It's called Provisional tic disorder. Involves both verbal and motor tics and goes long periods without 'em."

° As you explain this another tic comes up, a nose scrunching tic that as your friends have said 'makes you look [a bit] like a squirrel'

° "I promise I'm just doing this for the 'fun' of it. Or makin' fun of you. It's just how my nervous system works." You say, knowing that tic in particular looks a bit stupid. Especially when you're trying to explain something to **The Ghost**

° Ghost simply nods with a grunt and leaves the room to go do, who knows what. You let out a relieved sigh, glad it went better than your anxious brain told you it would.

Soap 🧼

§ The first time he's around when you tic it's a motor tic of you punching someone

§ You always have this specific tic when you're standing next to someone you're close with. Of course you always pull your punches at the last second. The impact ending up being a gentle tap, if that.

§ Soap just looks at you kinda confused, and punches you back in the arm. Definitely not pulling his own punch.

§ "Ow, Man. What the fuck? That was a tic." You say, not really that angry. But definitely frustrated now that your arm is sore.

§ His eyebrows shoot up and he immediately starts apologizing(That is, if our sweet sweet bimbo even knows what tics are. But in this case we're gonna say he does)

§ You laugh at him, shaking your head. "Don't worry about it, Bubbles. But shit, next time pull your punches"

§ You say this while massaging the, currently bruising, arm. A small smile on your face.

§ He still apologizes again, but not feeling quite as bad, reaching out and awkwardly patting the victimized arm.

§ That is to say, Soap and your tics get along a little too well.

Gaz 🧍🏽‍♂️

π The first time Gaz is around you when you tic it just so happens to be a verbal tic of you saying "hey bitch!"

π Because your verbal tics are usually paired with a head thrust you also ended up saying it *directly* at him

π This poor man is so confused. He's like "What'd I do?"

π You immediately start apologizing with your hands up to show you mean no harm

π "Oh my God, Gaz. I'm *so* sorry. I pinky promise that wasn't on purpose! I've got tics that show up every few months or when I'm stressed."

π When you explain he's not offended or anything, he was mostly just worried he had done something wrong to earn such treatment.

π Gaz lets you know that it's alright, no big deal. But jokes that you'll have to tell him when you cussing him out is really you now.

[ghostssweetgirl]

crazy over you ~ simon ghost riley x reader slow burn/enemies to lovers

description: y/n gets transferred to task force 141 and quickly becomes friends with soap and gaz, but her and ghost "hate" each other for the first part. warnings: mentions of violence and death (duh), alcohol intake, smoking (at some point), nsfw (at some point), subtle flirting with soap. i'm new to writing? so don't expect this to be the greatest. this is not in line with the game campaigns or missions. the only characters i included are y/n, soap, gaz, price, & ghost. i have no knowledge of the military this is just creativity disclaimer: i do not own modern warfare or any of its characters.

chapters: next [confrontation] last

That night, as usual, everyone is together eating in the common room. This time watching an episode of Friends. Price clears his throat.

"Well, I got to say," he finishes chewing his food. "Nice work, y/n. Sorry to do this to you, Ghost, but Ghost compliments you on your shot."

You feel your cheeks get hot and hope you're not blushing, "Well, thank you."

Ghost huffed.

"Ghost?" you look at him, ready to compliment him back but he slams his plate and walks away.

Everyone stops eating and just... stares questionably at each other.

"Well then," Price chuckled.

"Jeez, somethin's crawled up his arse, I tell ya," Soap added.

Gaz softly laughed at Soap's remark, and Ghost walks back in, cigarette in hand, walking outside.

"What's fuckin' funny?" Ghost questions.

"Oi, just talkin' bout you havin' something stuck up your arse, L.T.," Soap smiled, holding back his laugh.

"Fuck off, the lot of you," Ghost spat as he slammed the door, quick to make eye contact with you.

You want to like Ghost, but he's almost unbearable to be around. One minute he's okay, next he's a proper dick. You decide to walk outside to confront him.

"Hey," you chirp. "Not trying to-"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he got in your face, blowing a cloud of smoke. "You do well on one mission and think you're hot shit? You don't know the half of it, y/n."

You shake your head, trying to find words. "You're right! Honestly, I don't want to know! Okay! I'm not used to this, but I am trying my best, Lieutenant."

His fists clench and unclench as he walks away from you, breathing hard. "You survived the first mission, congratu-fucking-lations." he laughed as he shook his head.

Your mouth opens and closes as you search for what to say. You're almost hurt by Ghost's disbelief in you, does he think you're fragile?

"Was it Price telling me your compliment? Is it because I'm a woman? Huh? You just think I'll be KIA and-"

"You'll wish you were when you start to see the shit we see regularly, darlin'."

Your face quickly turns into a frown as your eyes begin to water slightly, turning around grabbing the doorknob, and shaking your head.

"Fuckin' hell, I... I'm sorry," he whispers as you walk away, slamming the door, not caring what he has to say.

Tears threatening to fall from the corner of your eyes, you tail it to your room. Worry contorts everyone's face as they watch you walk away while Ghost enters.

"The fuck did you say to her, L.T?" Soap confronted him.

"Don't worry about it, MacTavish," Ghost spat, shoving past him.

--

You sit on the floor of the shower thinking, letting the hot water fall over you. As you expected, you felt rejected, even if it was only by Ghost. You don't know why you sought his approval so much, but what he said bothered you - got under your skin.

You don't know how long you were in there, nor do you care. It was getting too late, and you needed your sleep, but needed to calm down even more. You ignored the knocks on your door, not wanting to risk confrontation with Ghost. It'd probably be better if you just ignored him for a few days, or at least until you'd be forced to work with him again.

You take deep breaths until you relaxed and step out of the shower. Drying off, you take a look in the mirror, starting to doubt yourself, wonder why you're here or if you really can handle it.

Finally, the tears stop. You're able to drift off to sleep somewhat peacefully, not looking forward to the next day honestly. You didn't know if you had plans, but you were waking up early regardless and were going to stay in the gym until your body gave out, you knew that much. You curse yourself for following Ghost outside, and as you realize you're going to get a little under 7 hours of sleep and damn him. 

[fictional-men-have-my-heart]

Day 26

Hello all! Welcome to day 26! It's crazy to think I'm now less than a week from the end of the month. Thank you to all those along for the ride so far, and welcome to those just now stumbling onto this mess haha. I've had a lot of fun with this, and I'm glad it's been entertaining. This time I want to put out ideas I had about how the gents of the 141, Los Vaqueros, and Konig would make you take care of yourself when you refuse to slow down. (They do care about you after all).

Price:

You kept a semi-strong face up most of the time. But when it came to a phantom ache in your ankle from a long-ago sprain, you had more difficulty disguising it. After multiple long days of helping pack up equipment for a mission, you couldn't be bothered to try hiding your limp anymore.

Anyone who asked got a dismissive wave and an "I'll be fine."

Your captain wasn't one to take your stubbornness, however. He all but corners you in his office after he sent Gaz to fetch you.

"Sit." He says, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

"There's still work Captain, I-"

"That wasn't an offer." You purse your lips and sit, watching him reach into a desk drawer and pull out an instant cold pack.

"Captain, I'm fine."

"You've been dragging trails through the dust in the hangar all morning, so you're gonna sit here with this for at least 30 minutes, got it?"

"...yes sir."

Ghost:

He pays more attention to his crew than most people would give him credit for. It's why when he sees you nodding off during dinner that evening he opts to seek you out and address it.

"What's wrong kid?" He asks, quickly falling into step with you.

"Didn't get much sleep, sir, never sleep very well in new places."

"How about you go before the rest of the lot gets back?"

"I've got watch in twenty."

"I'll sort it out. You go."

"Sir-"

"Now."

"Yes sir."

Soap:

Being that the crew is pretty tightly knit, Soap can tell when things are on your mind. Rough missions, tough training days, he can gather it from how your shoulders hunch and your eyes dull.

"Got a raincloud followin' you, wanna talk about it?" He asks, nudging your foot with his as he sits beside you. You're sporting some new bruises and his blood boils a bit.

"Not particularly. Got roughed up a bit is all."

"By who?"

"I didn't catch a name honestly... they're the big ol' hunk of jackass from the other squadron here."

"They playin' dirty, eh?"

"Yeah, they are. Fuckin' pricks."

"Well, 'm sorry to hear that. Tell you what, you go get an ice pack, I'll be right back."

"Don't be stupid Soap."

"Don' worry 'bout me rookie." He had said, flashing you a grin as he left.

Gaz:

You and him had been pretty fast friends after you joined the crew. He was who you typically went to first, and he secretly took a bit of pride in it. New gossip around the post, asking to spar, or general questions and musings, he was the guy you'd pick. It was because of this he could tell when you were getting homesick, or just losing some of the fire that drove you.

"Hey, Price says we've got a few weeks of leave after this next mission."

"Really?" You perked up a bit.

"Yeah, guess it's time to start planning what we're all gonna do with ourselves."

"I want to go back to France, go check out some of the restaurants I haven't been to in a while."

"Ooh, mind if I tag along? You've got better ideas than I do." He'd muse. You grinned.

"How's your French?"

Alejandro:

He took a few days to decide that he was in fact right, you had been missing lately. Rudy hadn't seen you, nor had many of the others. He knew at some points you liked to disappear for a bit and be alone, but it always made him hyper-aware of where you were or weren't. He checked a few places you frequented, carrying a bag with him.

He found you holed up in an old, unused office.

"Been lookin' for you." He'd say softly, setting the bag in front of you.

"And yet you always seem to find me?"

"You don't make it all that easy." He'd joke. You pulled the bag to you, tugging it open to find some snacks and water, plus a book you had mentioned. "You know where to find me." He smiles, patting your shoulder.

"Thanks, Colonel. I'll see you later."

Rudy:

You tended to isolate after rough missions. Rudy knew this, as did Alejandro. He also knew you'd push yourself to exhaustion before you'd finally settle in back home. The sun had barely started rising when he found you running out on a common trail you made around base, and he decided to run with you.

"Sleep well?" He asked sarcastically. He knew if you had, you wouldn't be out here before dawn.

"Of course sir." You'd reply, rolling your eyes. You'd both fall silent, the crunching of stones under your feet and breathing the only sounds until other personnel began emerging from the surrounding buildings.

"There's an indoor training room I use when I'm too wired to get some good sleep." He offers as you walk back to the bunkhouse.

"Yeah? I may have to check that out." You joke, kicking off your shoes and saluting him jokingly. "For now, I'm gonna need a shower."

"See you at breakfast?"

"Grab me a coffee please!"

"Of course."

Konig:

Socializing wasn't necessarily his strongest skill, but he was extraordinarily observant. He could tell when things began weighing heavily on your mind, as it almost seemed to drag behind you like an ankle weight. He opted to share a little skill he'd picked up long ago, sitting across from you with some paper.

"Wanna see a trick?" He asked. Your eyes met his, one eyebrow raised as you nodded. He began folding a familiar pattern, showing off a little paper star after a few moments.

"... how?" Is all you asked. He slid you some pieces of paper, wordlessly showing you step by step how to produce the tiny little stars on your own. By the time you two were out of paper, there was a tiny cosmos strewn about the table and a smile on your face.

[paleparearchive]

Kuroda's 2nd initial 3★*

Kuroda's 2nd initial 3★ story (1/2) ( 1 - 2 )

Location: city (morning) | Characters: Kuroda, Giotto, Watteau, Mucha, Aoi/MC

*for some technical issues, the title of this card is missing. If I ever get it, I'll update it

Aoi: Sorry to bother you, Giotto-san. Thank you for coming to shop with us. I have a few things that everyone has asked for… I'm so glad you're here.

Giotto: I just wanted to see the art supplies too. Don't worry 'bout it.

Aoi: Watteau, we're going to the grocery store later, what do you want to do?

Watteau: Of course I'm goin' with ya, right? Ya never know, fate might be waitin' for ya!

Giotto: Weren't ya complainin' yesterday that ya asked a girl out for a drink and she rejected ya?

Watteau: Yesterday's yesterday, today's today! It's important to change your mind, right?

Aoi: (As expected from Watteau-kun. He never gives up…)

Kuroda: Hmmm... Did you draw this picture?

Boy: Yep, that's right!

Watteau: … Hm? Ain't that prof. Kuroda over there?

Aoi: It's true. That boy seems to be selling his paintings on the street.

Kuroda: Can I see it for a bit?

Boy: Sure, here. Go ahead and look as long as you like!

Kuroda: ... I can't believe you can paint so well at your age. You're quite skilled, aren't you?

Man: …

Aoi: (He's looking at the painting very intently. That's how good the picture is.)

(The man next to him... He's staring at the painting. Maybe he's an art dealer.)

Watteau: Hey, prof. Kuroda…

Man: ... What's with this painting? It would be too bad to sell.

Aoi: (Huh…?)

Man: How could you sell such a painting? Are you in need of money?

I have no choice. I'll buy it off you as a favor to others. For a third of this price.

Watteau: Wha? The hell's with that guy…

Boy: B-But…

Man: There will be no other buyers anyway. I'm saying this out of kindness. You should be grateful.

Giotto: … He can say what he wants, but that was too much.

Watteau: Right. I'm gonna complain to him for a minute–

Mucha: Watteau-san. I understand your feelings, but please wait.

Aoi: Mucha-san!

Mucha: Hello, Deputy Director-san. And Giotto-san and Watteau-san too.

Watteau: No no, this ain't time for leisurely greetings! I mean, what do ya mean wait?

Giotto: While we're at it, that guy's tryin' to buy his paintings, so what?

Mucha: It will be fine. Just watch and you will understand.

Watteau: ???

Man: What's the matter? Can't you see I'm offering to buy it out?

Boy: U-Uhm…

Man: Here, just take the money.

Kuroda: ... Good grief, you have no idea of the value of this painting.

Man: What? A rough drawing with such a touch, it would be a child's doodle from any perspective.

Kuroda: That's that kind of method. Famous artists use it. Don't you know?

Man: O-Of course I know that. But before that, this painting doesn't even have a motif. It's as if he doesn't know what he's trying to convey.

You must be out of your mind to think that this stuff is worth anything.

Kuroda: You're the one with your head in the sand.

This is called an abstract painting. I can't believe you don't know this basic stuff… You're not an art dealer to begin with, are you? You're too shallow.

Man: What…! How many years do you think I've been doing it this way? I'm an unmistakable painting connoisseur!

Kuroda: Oh? I can't believe you would go so far as to say that, even after it was revealed to be a lie. It is quite rare to find such shallow creatures. It would be better to display them as natural monuments.

Man: Y-You can say whatever you want…!

Kuroda: Jokes aside. If you really are an art dealer, then come with me to my museum. Let's hear your critique and see if your aesthetic is that of a professional.

If not, you'll know it, won't you?

Man: Tch… Stop, stop! Who would buy such a painting!

Kuroda: … God, that's a magnificent howl of a loser.

[dollwritesarchive]

Hello miss Doll, could I please request Pettigrew taking care of a sick reader 👉👈 I'm honestly requesting this just because im sick and I want to imagine whatever you write when I close my eyes 😅 That's all my dear 🤍 xo

so I needed to get this done for you asap! I hope you feel better muffin 🥺 I’m sorry it’s a bit… emotional and dark?

pretty sfw but mentions of munchausen's syndrome, nonsexual nudity & some description of illness. also, reader’s kinda yandere, but she has her reasons.

he hadn’t left.

you were almost surprised that Peter hadn’t left in the night; you were all too used to watching him disappear into the shadows, summoned by the friends that liked to remain there. you didn’t know who they were, but you had a fairly decent idea when you saw the serpent tattooed on Peter’s arm one morning. you’d never asked where he went, and you could tell by the way he always avoided your curious gaze when he returned that he had never wanted you to.

now, you were relieved to see him still lying in bed beside you when you opened your eyes, but you have little time to admire how beautiful he is while he sleeps, because you felt as if your skin was a single, frozen sheet of ice. your teeth chatter so loudly that they wake him, and you force yourself to sit up in bed with a few, quivering breaths.

“My love?” he asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sits up, too. “How are you feeling?”

“Cold.” you admit, hugging the blanket closer to your frame, “Really, really cold.”

Peter frowns; he must not have felt the chill like you did, and you imagine it’s probably because of that tiny vile of azure liquid stashed under your pillow. you hadn’t really known what to expect with the potion, just that it would make you sickly, but at the time of its creation you hadn’t been worried about just how ill you would feel, you were only concerned with keeping Peter from leaving at night. you would’ve done anything, given anything, to keep him there with you, and now you were paying the price. you considered taking some more the next time Peter wasn’t looking, but you were afraid of what drinking too much might do to you. you can feel his arms around you from behind, his chin nestling against the crook of your neck, and you shudder. he was warm, but you couldn’t imagine your clamminess was too pleasant to snuggle up to. “How about a bath, then?” he whispers, thoughtfully.

you nod, wriggling to get free of his arms and carry yourself off the bed. shivering as you amble down the hall and into the quaint restroom; your hands are shaking too badly to get a decent grip on the faucet, and your vision blurs when you lean over— your head feels as though it’s full of icy water and wobbles on your shoulders. you let out a shocked breath, stumbling backwards and right into Peter’s waiting embrace. “You’re still very weak,” he whispers, his plush lips caressing the shell of your ear before he guides you to the toilet. the seat was decorated with an adorable, fluffy cover that you might’ve been embarrassed about anyone seeing but him, and he helps you to sink on to it. “Let me do it. You just sit here, and rest a moment.”

that you could do. your tired eyes watch him kneel by the tub and check the water several times as it fills the basin, each time his blonde brows furrowing as if nothing would be warm enough for his lovely popsicle, and you consider the possibility that he would be doing this often. could you truly endure this illness again? the vomiting, the rollercoaster of temperatures from searing fever to shuddering freeze? could you live through another bout of dizziness so ferocious you see double, or even triple?

but you knew the answer to those questions as soon as Peter turned his attention on you, using the most delicate of touches to aid you in undressing. your body ached, and he could tell by the way you winced, and so his digits were soft like butterfly wings, helping you out of the fabric that felt like pins prickling you everywhere, until you were naked and shivering more fervently. his soft, adoring gaze raking over you, you knew that the answer was yes. “Easy,” he warns in a faint whisper for only you to hear as he takes both of your hands and helps you to your feet, walking you over to the tub. he even kneels down so that you may use his shoulders as a stabilizer as you climb into it, and slowly sink down into the blissful warmth waiting for you. expelling a hiss, you squint, and he’s right there, holding your hand again, “slowly, my love. Slowly.”

he washed you, with the softest sponge he could find and the gentlest of rubs over your ice-like flesh. always watching your countenance, always whispering soft words of encouragement. “You’re doing so good,” and “We’re almost done. I promise.” followed closely by the same questions over and over like a broken vinyl. “Are you okay, love? Is it warm enough? Is it helping?” you would nod and try to smile, but to part your lips meant your teeth would chatter again.

finally, the worry gnawing at you grew to a peak. “Peter?”

“Yes, my love. I’m here.” he answers, busting himself by carefully pouring a soft stream of steaming water over your scalp to soak your tresses.

“You won’t leave, right?” you ask, tentative. “Not until I’m better?”

Peter pauses, and you can tell he’s considering his words. his eyes flicker to yours, and he smiles with a shake of his head, but his voice is soft, as if he’s afraid his betrayal will be heard by the betrayed. “I can’t,” he says, taking a moment to push your wet hair back and out of your face, “there’s no way I could leave you alone like this. My friends, they’ll… understand.” but he didn’t sound so sure of his own words, “I’m not going anywhere, love. Not until you’re better.”

this time, you did smile, teeth chittering and all. you weren’t even frightened of the potion anymore, more so determined to drink it again. if he couldn’t bring himself to leave you whilst you were sick, then you would simply never be okay again.

[clingymickey]

Based on this hc by the incredible @iansfreckles

This has to be one of the best days of Mickey's life ever, well other the day they got married, of course, and that one day of his birthday where they spent the whole day fucking. This comes a close third for sure.

They went on a few rides, in which Mickey wasn't particularly a fan of and may have held Ian's arms a little too tight, but he's never gonna admit that, if Ian accuses him of being scared, even if there's proof of it from the photo taken on the ride.

They also went to the ring toss pop-up, in which Mickey had to pull a few strings.

"Look give us have the price off and maybe I'll consider sparing you a broken face and legs, alright?"

After 4 rounds with Ian winning all of them, Mickey had started to lose it.

"This isn't fucking fair, I swear these pegs are rigged! look at all the pegs on my side, it's all weird-shaped or whatever" he muttered.

"It's not weird-shaped Mick, you're just sour you lost." Ian said, rolling his eyes at his husband's tantrum.

"Fuck you, I'm not, plus it's not my fault I'm not the size of a fucking giant" Mickey grumbled.

Once again leaving Ian rolling his eyes at him.

"Here ya go ya big baby" handing over a teal unicorn over to Mickey

"A unicorn really," he asked trying to feign irritation however his eyes revealing a soft look.

"Just read the tag." Ian says, pointing towards the tag wrapped around the stuffed toy's neck.

To my Mickey, I'll make it up to you when we get home, I promise ; )

"You soft bitch" MIckey says, wrapping his hands around Ian's waist pulling him down to place a peck to his lips.

"Get one for Franny too"

"Already one step ahead of you" pulling out a blue unicorn from behind his back.

After a few more hours of roaming around the fair, Ian felt his husband tugging his hand and pulling him into a photo booth.

“What are we doing here”

“Thought maybe we could save some memories” shooting a wink at Ian.

“Oh”

“Ohh”

As they come out of the booth, they collect the pictures; the first one is both of them flipping off the camera, the second one is them putting their best worst goofy face, Mickey with his face scrunched up and Ian putting his tongue out and holding a peace sign, the next two ones are personally Mickey’s favorite - which is just them looking at each other filled with love and fondness and the last is them kissing but it’s covered by mickey’s middle finger.

They rip the strip in half Ian getting the first two and Mickey the last two. As he looks at the picture, he remembers how far he’s come, how far they've come, from a gay southside piece of trash, who believed he would be fucked up for life to now living on the fucking west side with his husband and with a great business. Past Mickey wouldn’t even believe it if you told him this now, in fact, he’d probably even kill you.

“We should probably get going now, right Mick? Kinda tired” comes Ian's voice pulling him out of thoughts

“Yeah, yeah we should” he says, carefully placing the picture into his wallet. Then walking towards Ian, taking Ian’s hands in his.

“Have you been crying, Mickey?” Ian asks, his hands immediately going stiff.

Crying? Why would he be crying? Mickey lifts a hand up to touch his cheek, feeling a damp line. Oh. He hadn’t even realized that there were tears falling from his eyes.

“Nah, it’s nothing, I was just thinking ‘bout us”

“Ohh, what about us?”

Ian soon regrets his question the second after he sees the soft look on his husband's face disappear and turn into a smug grin.

“Oh you know, thinking about how you’re gonna make it up to me tonight”

“Don’t worry, I will” Ian says smirking back at Mickey.

Once they reach home, to their apartment, blissed out completely and laying together on their bed is when Mickey suddenly says "was actually thinking about how far we've come you know?"

"Yeah we came a far way"

Mickey started laughing abruptly.

"What" Ian asks, who is also kind of on the verge of bursting out alongside his husband.

"Y-you said came a far way" He croaks out finally after laughing for a good minute.

"Seriously, we were having a moment here and you had to ruin it didn't you?" Ian says giving Mickey an unimpressed look.

"I'm sorry man, my brain's already fried with all the fucking and you just said that, so I had to"

Ian may or may not have kicked him out of the bed, one too many times, but who's to say if it was him or the 'strong breeze' of the air con.

[fandom-scatteredthoughtsonpaper]

A birthday fic to correct the awful event Mammon got!

Countdown to Your Special Day

Mammon x Yuki (My MC)

Pronouns: Zie/zir, they/them. If it's easier to read, feel free to sub in they/them for the main pronouns

Tags: Light-hearted romance, fluff/comfort, slight misunderstandings, agender MC, self-indulgent

Words: 4436

[2 months and 1 day away]

-Yuki was curled up in the corner of the couch, concentrated on zir D.D.D. Zie had an open notebook next to zir, the pages filled with calculated numbers and final prices with names of potential websites beside them, some scribbled out and some circled.

-Mammon's birthday was coming up in a couple months, and Yuki had started late in saving money for the surprise zie had wanted to plan for him. He had mentioned it last year as an ideal day, and zie really wanted to make it happen, especially considering all zie did for him was write a bunch of heartfelt letters. Zie wanted to give him something to really experience this time.

-It was just a bit more expensive than zie had realized. Rentals next to a lake were nothing to sneeze at.

-So absorbed with zir phone, Yuki hadn't noticed Lucifer as he entered the library where zie had gone to avoid nosy demons.

-"What are you doing in here, Yuki?"

-Startled, zie dropped zir phone and reflexively covered the notebook. When Yuki realized it was Lucifer, zie relaxed and slumped back against the couch. "Oh, it's just you. Don't scare me like that."

-"That was a bit of a reaction. Are you doing something I should be aware of?"

-"No," was zir immediate response, but then zie reconsidered zir answer. Yuki had been fumbling numbers and trying to make a decision for hours. Zie wanted to do this zirself, but zie'd never done something like this and probably, reluctantly, needed some aid. "Actually, yeah. I need your... help."

-Lucifer blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected this stubborn human who actively tried to make his life harder to ask for help, but Yuki seemed genuine in zir request. "Alright. What is it?"

[1 month and 23 days away]

-Mammon was by the entrance to RAD, waiting for Yuki to come out so they could go home together. Zie had been preoccupied with Lucifer this morning and hadn't left with the younger brothers like usual.

-His day had felt off with Yuki's absence but walking home with zir would make up for it.

-Fiddling around on his D.D.D., checking his sells and ignoring demands from the witches, he occasionally glanced up when saw movement coming out, but it was never Yuki. Hearing familiar voices when the doors cracked open, Mammon took his attention off his phone. It was only Levi and Satan, but maybe Yuki was trailing shortly behind.

-"Mammon, what are you still doing here?"

-"Yeah, I thought you'd be long gone by now after the way you rushed out of the classroom."

-"Shaddup. What's it to ya?" He paused. "I was waitin' for Yuki. Did ya happen to see 'em in there?"

-"So honest. Just say that to begin with," Levi muttered.

-"I think Yuki left earlier with Barbatos."

-"Yep, I overheard Barbatos mention that Lord Diavolo wanted to talk with them about something."

-"What?! Yuki didn't mention anythin' about meetin' with Lord Diavolo to me."

-Satan quirked a bemused eyebrow at Mammon's response. "Why would Yuki need to run it by you about meeting with Lord Diavolo?"

-"LOLOL, it's because Yuki's been avoiding Mammon for a week now. He's been acting like a stray dog without Yuki around."

-Mammon bristled at Levi's comment but didn't rebuttal. He pocketed his phone and walked away from his brothers, darting through the courtyard to leave RAD.

-It was true Yuki had been distant-like the last few of days, but Mammon was sure it was temporary. Even he got tied up in circumstances and important events he couldn't squirm out of. Sometimes it couldn't be helped.

-It wasn't temporary.

[3 weeks and 5 days away]

-"Hey, Yuki--"

-"Sorry, Mammon, I'm running late for my shift. I'll talk to you later!"

-With that as a bye, Yuki was out the door and gone.

-Yuki was usually lackadaisical about any jobs zie took unless one of the brothers worked with zir or if the job required zir full attention. Mammon was usually the first to know if zie had to work, but when--

-"When did Yuki pick up a job?"

-"Jobs," Satan corrected. "Yuki is working at The Fall tonight."

-"The Fall?" Asmo questioned.

"Hold on, what do ya mean 'jobs'? I ain't heard Yuki say anythin' about picking up jobs willingly," Mammon stated, a bit annoyed. He was getting tired of hearing his brothers be more informed about Yuki than he was.

-"When was the last time Yuki actually talked to you, Mammon, that wasn't in passing?" Levi teased without bothering to look up from his game.

-"Hey! We've talked plenty!"

-"Sure, if you want to call those conversations."

-Mammon wanted to argue with Levi, but he really couldn't. He wasn't wrong. Yuki had been absent, and whenever Mammon did manage to talk to zir it was about short and trivial things. It made it hard not to be concerned about the situation of their relationship when Yuki, who was usually glued to his side and spent so much time with him, was suddenly avoiding him. His life had become a bit lonelier without Yuki around.

-"Anyway," Satan interjected, "they've been picking up a lot of shifts from different places the last few weeks. I'm surprised neither you or Asmo knew, considering the network you both have."

-"What the heck does that mean?"

-"It means you're gossiping normies," Levi jeered.

-"Is that s'posed to be an insult?"

-"Besides all that, I'm shocked Yuki picked up shifts at The Fall. I'd love to see the outfit their wearing," Asmo mused. "I'll have to visit them later! I'm sure Yuki will feel completely refreshed after seeing my lovely face."

-Oh, that's right. If Mammon visited Yuki during work hours, zie'd have no choice but to talk with him. He could finally ask zir what the hell has been going on and get an explanation. At the very least just see zir.

-"Well, I'm goin' too! So don't get any funny ideas!"

-"You're not going anywhere, Mammon. You have three extra credit assignments due soon, and you haven't started a single one. Have you?"

-Mammon jumped, frightened by Lucifer's sudden presence behind him. A nervous chill tingled down his spine, so he could only guess the scowl that Lucifer was burning into the back of his head. He tried searching for an excuse, but he was coming up dry.

-Dammit, Lucifer, any time but now!

"W-Well, ya see, dearest big bro--"

-Irritated, Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He could feel a headache creeping on him. "That's what I thought. Mammon, my room. Now. I'm going to watch you finish your assignments, even if it takes all night."

[6 days away]

-Mammon simmered as he walked the hallway to Yuki's bedroom. Yuki had seen his messages, but zie was hardly responding to them, if zie did at all. The thought that he had unconsciously done or said something to offend Yuki teased his anxiety, but Mammon quickly squished it. Zie'd just been busy with work and had no off days, but according to Satan, zie only had one more shift.

-One more day that zie would be busy, but then after that zie'd have tons of free time. Yuki will be back by zir favorite demon's side, and then everything else will fall smoothly back into place.

-It was absurd how empty Mammon could feel with Yuki missing from his daily routines. It was worse than when zie had left, when all he could think about was zir where ever he went. Yuki was here though, so he didn't miss zir physically, not like when zie returned home.

-He missed talking with his human, about anything. He missed expecting to see zir when he turned his head. He was missing a piece of a puzzle, and it was aggravating when it was just in grasp, hiding from him.

-Yuki was going to receive a real earful. He deserved that much of complaining after how he'd been treated.

-That could wait though.

-It had been a while since Mammon and Yuki had gone out on a date, and he had just gotten paid from his latest photoshoot. He was confident if he met with Yuki face-to-face and invited zir out zie wouldn't say no.

-That had been the plan until he saw Yuki coming the down the corridor, walking with a purpose. An antsy feeling stabbed him in the gut.

-"Yuki!"

-Yuki froze mid-stride as Mammon approached zir. "Mammon."

-"Yeah, me! The Great Mammon has decided to bless ya with his presence since ya keep ignorin' my messages. Anyway! Guess who got paid today with a bonus? And guess who's gettin' treated to whatever they feel like tomorrow tonight?"

-"Sorry, Mammon, I can't. I have to go to the human world with Lucifer."

-"What'd'ya mean? I didn't hear nothin' 'bout Lucifer havin' to go to the human world."

"Regardless of what you did or didn't hear, it's true all the same. Yuki and I have an appointment in the human world and won't be back for a couple days. Your plans will have to be postponed for later."

-Why was something always blindsiding him lately?

-"What?! Well, if Yuki's goin', I'm goin' too!"

-"Absolutely not. I don't need you causing havoc when I take my eyes off you for more than a second. Don't worry, though, I'll need your company next week for a special trip to the human world."

-It had been quick, but Mammon had thought he had seen Yuki flicked zir eyes at Lucifer.

-"Mammon, it's just for a couple days. Do your best to tough it out. We'll hang out plenty after, okay?"

"Ya better keep your word."

[The Night Before]

-"Mammon, don't forget you're accompanying me to the human world tomorrow morning," Lucifer announced when everyone had sat down for dinner.

-"Yeah, yeah, I remember," Mammon replied. He wasn't the least bit interested in being ordered around doing paperwork and errands. Catching movement from his peripheral, Mammon noticed Yuki trying to look at him without being obvious. He just got zir back, and they had hardly spent any time together. He didn't want to leave, even if it was just a day. More than anything, he wanted to stay with Yuki. "You should definitely come too. You agree, don't ya, Yuki?"

-Yuki barely had the chance to open zir mouth, let alone formulate an answer, before Lucifer answered instead. "No, Yuki has other affairs to attend tomorrow. It's only a day, Mammon. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it, so don't complain."

-There wasn't any further comments about the trip, but Mammon made it obvious he was still hot under the collar with the way he stomped away, taking Yuki right along with him, when dinner concluded. He had been on cleaning duty with Belphie, but Lucifer offered in his place, quelling any complaints.

-Lucifer smiled amusedly to himself as he cleared the table. If only Mammon was aware enough to know what was planned for the day.

-"I can't believe that jerk," Mammon remarked as he dropped onto Yuki's bed. Yuki rolled zir eyes in response before sitting beside the grumpy demon. "I had plans I wanted to do tomorrow, ya know? Dammit! He just came back from the human world!"

-"Did you actually have plans?" Yuki asked it with a sarcastic tone, but zie was suddenly concerned. It was his birthday tomorrow, so maybe he had made plans that Yuki hadn't accounted for.

-Mammon glared at Yuki, his cheeks a shade darker than a moment prior, either from frustration or embarrassment wasn't certain. "I did," he stated softly.

"With who?"

"You, obviously!"

"Wait, we had plans tomorrow? What di--"

-Before Yuki could finish Mammon yanked zir down next to him, hugging zir tightly. Momentarily surprised, Yuki was slow to return the embrace. Zie expected him to be a bit clingy because zie'd been unavailable to be with him for a while, but this hug felt a bit too tight, desperate.

-"You said we could hang out after y'all returned from the human world, but we ain't had much time without being interrupted or the others butting in."

-"Ah. You're right," Yuki agreed. It's funny how zie had been planning this whole affair for Mammon, but in the process has unintentionally abandoned. Zie regretted that.

-"You're warm," he muttered into zir neck. "..I've missed ya like crazy. I've been dyin' to hug you, but it isn't actually enough now that I am. I'm not lettin' you go for the rest of the night."

-A soft sting of guilt hit Yuki's heart. Zie probably could have done a better job of trying to keep the surprise a secret without leaving Mammon completely in the dark, but between the jobs and helping Diavolo and classes taking up the majority of zir time... No, that wasn't an excuse. Yuki had hurt Mammon. That was obvious.

-Yuki entangled zir legs with Mammon's and reached zir arms around his waist, holding him close. Zie took a moment to just be with Mammon, inhaling his smell, hearing his heart beat. Zie had missed him too, a whole bunch, almost too much, but hopefully tomorrow would make up for the weeks of absence and neglect. "I missed you, too, Mammon. Just put up with it for a little bit longer."

[The Day!]

-"Happy birthday, Mammon!!"

-He had heard Yuki's voice before he had actually seen zir. He was flabbergasted to see zir come out of the cabin he had arrived at.

-When Mammon had woken up and joined the others for breakfast, Yuki had already left. It wasn't long after that Lucifer and he prepared for the trip to the human world. He had dragged his feet and groaned, making a show of not wanting to go. When Lucifer had sent Mammon ahead of him to get things ready, he thought it had been a punishment for his attitude, but after coming through the portal into the human world, he realized it wasn't in the city or anywhere near the hotel they usually stayed at.

-The scenery was beautiful and spacious, open in nature with cabins lining a sparking lake that had docks and piers dividing it. Unlike the city cramped full of people and towering buildings designed with glaring windows that bounced the bright sunlight off of them and funky smells, this area was full of trees that casted cool shadows and a refreshing breeze that rustled the leaves.

-Mammon was absolutely gobsmacked.

-Yuki beamed when zie saw the awestruck trance Mammon was in. Zie was hoping he'd like it. Mammon was definitely a city boy, but Yuki took a guess he enjoyed the lure of natural scenery too, based on their picnic date and walks through the forests.

-Mammon's daze broke when he saw Yuki approaching him. "What's goin' on, Yuki?"

-"C'mon, ya dummy, think! You didn't expect Lucifer to make you go on a business trip on your birthday, did you? It was his way of bringing you up here without being suspicious. Although, I thought you definitely would've caught on last week with what he said."

-He had completely forgotten about his birthday. Mammon had been entirely focused on Yuki and zir strange attitude that he'd spaced on even the date.

-"Oh."

-"Yeah, so," Yuki stepped back and spread zir arms out, displaying the lake on zir right and the cabin on zir left, "happy birthday... again! You mentioned a cabin by a lake as an ideal place to go, and you also wanted to rent a boat in the park, so I thought merging the two together would be a good idea! On top of that, I plan to 'spoil ya rotten all day'. What does the Great Mammon think?"

-"Ya know, I'm not deaf to the mocking tone. You're killin' the mood before it's even started, but I guess I can let it slide!"

[Final Hours]

-As the dimming daylight darkened through the pulled curtains, Yuki and Mammon lounged restfully on the couch. Mammon used Yuki's lap as a pillow as zie stroked zir fingers against his head. The tingling feeling traveled down his spine and relaxed his body. He could probably fall asleep in this position with Yuki brushing his hair with such tender touches. If they were at the House of Lamentation, they wouldn't be able to have this kind of moment without being interrupted by his brothers. Too bad the day was coming to an end.

-Dwelling on the negative thought caused him to unintentionally frown, and Yuki noticed the crease on his brow. Zie poked his forehead to get his attention, and his eyes opened to see Yuki leaning over him.

-"What are you thinking about?"

-"That we'll have to go back to the Devildom tomorrow. How am I s'posed to accept that after today? Today was too good to end like that, ya know?"

-Yuki hummed in agreement. Zie briefly looked away as a thoughtful expression morphed zir features. "Well," zie started, zir eyes focused back on Mammon, "I couldn't afford to stay for more than one night. My birthday is just a few months away, so maybe you could plan something for us, like when you rented the pool."

-Mammon felt a pang of short-lived guilt for complaining. Yuki had worked hard to save enough money to rent this cabin, even with Diavolo hooking zir up months in advance. "I still can't believe ya didn't just tell me. I was actually..."

-"Worried you did something? Sorry, Mammon. I should have said something, but I was nervous that I couldn't keep it a secret. I was too excited to not tell you, but then the jobs piled up and I promised to help Diavolo in exchange for talking the price down with the owner. I shouldn't have ignored you though. I'm sorry."

-There was a lull in their conversation, but it was only a slightly weighted silence. The misunderstandings were cleared up and today was one of the best days Mammon had ever had, spending it alone with Yuki. He would have enjoyed it even if it hadn't been his birthday and with Yuki pampering him all day.

-"C'mere," Mammon said as he placed a warm hand against the back of Yuki's neck, pulling zir down for a kiss. "You're goin' to have to take responsibility for my feelings. You're the reason I was stressin' out. The whole time you were busy workin' your ass off for this trip, I was thinkin' of you. As your first, I'm entitled to know what you're doin'. I'm gonna get my fill of ya tonight before we have to head home. I've got weeks worth to get outta ya."

-Yuki's cheeks heated as Mammon greedily kissed zir lips. Zie silently agreed that zie wanted to get the most out of Mammon while they were still alone, but one night of trying to cram almost a month and a half of time lost wasn't possible.

-"Your lips are warm," Mammon murmured as they separated. "That wasn't nearly enough to satisfy me though. I wanna show ya how much I appreciate you."

-"What, uh, what do you wanna do?"

-"Right now? Nothin'. Bein' with ya like this is enough for the moment. I love you, Yuki."

-An explosion of emotions surged through Yuki's chest to the rest of zir body, making zir giddy with adoration. Zie wasn't sure how zie was containing it, but staring down into Mammon's eyes, seeing his tinted cheeks, and him just relaxing with zir simultaneously fueled zir feelings more while also grounding zir.

-"I love you, too, Mammon."

[keyofshadows]

Eli - 13, Larkin - 11

It's too early for an adventure

"I'm cold, Eli."

Eli looked at Larkin across the pile of sticks he was trying to light, frowning. She was huddled in his denim jacket, biting her lip and giving him big eyes. He almost, almost would've melted, if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"I'm working on it," He muttered, and went back to trying to get his magic to work. He'd managed a few sparks, but nothing big enough to light the kindling they'd gathered. This was, he reflected, the worst day of his life. Oh, it had started out okay, or at least normal. He'd fallen out of bed while dreaming he was flying, fought with Lanie over who got to use the bathroom first (Which was really kind of pointless, Rainbow's End wasn't short on bathrooms), and threw cereal at Larkin. Okay, tried to throw cereal at her, because before he'd launched the first spoonful, there'd been buttered toast in his hair. He wasn't really sure how she'd managed it. After breakfast he'd snuck a cookie, which of course Larkin had caught him at...and the price of her silence was a kiss and his cookie. Eli, determined to give her neither, had fled the house.

And that was why they were currently in the middle of a forest on a world he didn't recognize, cold and hungry with no adults. Great.

"Fire!"

A spark flew, then faded. Eli frowned, staring at his hand. He really, really had to thank his mom sometime for getting that illness while she was pregnant with him.

"Eliiii!"

"I'm trying! Fire!"

The sticks went up in a sudden burst of flame, and Eli, who had been crouching the whole time, fell back on his butt in surprise.

"You did it!"

Larkin gleefully knelt in front of the flames, warming her hands. Eli sighed in relief before flopping onto his back. For a few minutes the only sound in their little clearing was the crackle of the fire, and an occasional sigh of contentment from Larkin. Then...

"Eli...I'm kinda hungry..."

He groaned, rubbing his eyes. "So go pick some berries or something- No, wait!"

He scrambled to his feet as he heard her stand. "Never mind! It's getting dark and who knows what's out there and you don't even know what to look for anyway-"

"Do too!"

"-and if you get poisoned and drop dead I'll never be able to find anywhere far enough away to hide from your dad!"

Larkin blinked at him in the flickering light, then slowly grinned. "That's allll? You wouldn't miss me terribly?"

"Aww, Larkin-"

"Aww, Eli," She mocked. "Wouldn't you?"

"Kindasortamaybeyes." He mumbled, then reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a slightly lint covered cookie. He'd hidden it away when he'd started running, hoping to make it harder for her to get. He broke it in half and began to offer it to her, then paused. After a second's thought he broke his half in two and added it to her piece. Larkin stared at him, eyes wide, as she accepted them.

"Eli-"

"Just eat it." He popped his bit of cookie in his mouth and chewed, dropping down by the fire. She watched him for a moment more before moving to sit beside him.

"Do you think they'll figure out where we are?"

There was a tremor of worry in Larkin's voice; Eli threw an arm around her.

"Sure! My compass is in my jacket pocket, y'know. I'm sure Yen Sid knows some kinda spell that can track it, and our parents and aunt Ray'll go ask him about it, and next thing you know, they'll be landing a ship right over there."

He pointed to the not-so-far side of the clearing, and Larkin laughed.

"There wouldn't be room for a ship! They'd knock over the trees!"

Eli pulled away from her and crossed his arms. "Well maybe aunt Ray'll just use her bracelet then, I dunno!"

"You're mean." Larkin turned and punched him in the arm. It was a little harder than her usual, but not hard enough to make him do anything other than scowl.

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Not."

"So."

"I am not- oh fine, I am. I'm a terrible, rotten, evil guy, and I'm gonna grow up to take over all the worlds with the Darkness I've been nurturing in my underwear drawer!"

His outburst was pure exasperation, and not intended to be funny, but Larkin burst into giggles and fell over. Eli eyed her warily, resisting the urge to inch away. Abruptly, her laughter stopped as she sat straight up. Eli yelped and scooted back a foot.

"Who d'ya think made that Corridor, Eli? Seph wouldn't just open random ones, would he?"

"Naw...'sides, I dunno if he and Aria are even on Radiant Garden this summer."

Eli frowned, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. He'd gotten a good head start on Larkin when he'd left the house, and had decided that instead of running to his tree, which was the obvious move, he'd head to the market. It was no surprise at all that Larkin had caught up before he'd gotten there - what had been a surprise was the portal of Darkness that had suddenly appeared in front of him, and he'd been running too fast to stop-

But somehow he had. Eli had come to a screeching halt just inches from the portal, close enough to feel the chill of the Darkness. He'd forgotten about Larkin though, and she hadn't been so good at stopping. When she'd crashed into his back and he'd pitched forward, his only thought had been to grab her hand so they'd end up in the same place. He'd never forgive himself if he lost her.

"Eliii...Radiant Garden to Eli, are you home?" Larkin was waving her hands in his face, peering at him.

"ACK!"

Startled, he pushed her hands away. "Stop that! I'm fine, I was just thinking."

"'Bout what?" She climbed into his lap and cuddled up to him. Eli blushed at least three different shades of red.

"Do you mind?"

"Nope! So, what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing important. Go to sleep, will ya? We'll have to start looking for food in the morning, and build some sort of shelter...they'll probably be here real soon, but y'know, it might rain before then, or something."

"'Kay." Instead of climbing off him and going to stretch out by the fire, Larkin just made herself more comfortable in his lap.

"Hey! I didn't mean go to sleep on me!"

"Nighty-night Eli." Larkin yawned, closing her eyes. Eli groaned, shaking his head. Now how was he supposed to get any sleep?

[Posted to the Refugees' comm the next morning]

I just thought I'd let you all know that Larkin and I are okay, since she found her mom's Blackberry crammed in her shorts pocket. How the heck either of us managed to miss that I don't even- Oh, and I got my Fire working long enough to keep us from freezing to death and almost burn down the forest we're camping in. Man, if aunt Song hadn't taught Larkin that water spell...I mean, it was basically like just throwing handfuls of water on a raging inferno but

Um, once again, we're fine. Could somebody maybe hurry up and figure out where we are so I don't have to die tonight after Larkin makes me eat those berries she found?

Eli

[andys-playroom]

Andy's origin story

When I was younger, either in the 8th[ or 9th] grade(this is to be speculated since we cant remember) I had severe depression, I had done some nasty things and I was sent to a mental hospital for a good week. Spending one of my birthdays in there. When I got out, the first place my mother took me was PetsMart, straight to the Cat section where I had always begged to see the cats and pet them, but my current stepfather at the time was too afraid of cats and we already had a black dog named Lady.

As I was the edgelord I was back then, All i wanted was a black cat. And only a black cat. And there was one. One little kitty names Blacky. Him being black wasnt the only reason why I chose him. When I went to the cages and started petting all of the kittens and such, I spotted a stuffed toy fish in his water bowl. I pointed it out to the person and she said that he does that sometimes, as he is such a prankster[or something like troublemaker or near that] and she went and put the stuffed animal out of the water bowl and set it out to dry in his cage.

And what did I see? Once she had gone away, he meowed, picked up the toy, and set it back in the water bowl, dipping his hand in it to get him soaked. As if he was trying to help the 'fish' be back where it needed to be.[in petsmart the fish are right next to the cats, so they get to watch them all the time]

And I found this completely adorable. I chose him. Even after my mom was like we arent getting a black cat due to my stepfather's fears of how they look like the devil[black, cat eyes, devil. get it?] Yet after a few minutes of seeing me actually smile for the first time in a long time, a genuine smile, she let me have the baby. And on the way home I couldnt decide names while eating some frozen yogurt[ I made sure I had vanilla so I could feed him some] either kellen[another band leader] or Andy. And somehow, Andy won.

So my boi was named Andy.

And as soon as we got him home, he ran into a wall and started purring.

It was love right then and there.

I had some scares after that with mental health, and each time I would be interrogated by my parents while laying down in bed, he would be walking all over me and meowing for attention, not caring about what was on my arms or my legs, just wanting cuddles and pets.

One memorable time, I couldnt find him at all anywhere. And I heard a meow. I followed it and low and behold. He had gotten stuck behind a dresser[ a dresser that goes in the corner there the back is flat and the sides align with the corner sides so there was an it of space in the back. Like a trapizoid] and it was so cute. He has always been a goofy cat, I always calling him my sped baby. Years passed, with many changes in my life, and many friends coming and going, two times moving to a new house. Andy getting outside a few times and a few times digging under the house for the rascal.

But I had grown to love the sped, chunky baby called andy, as he was my pride and joy. And great comic relief. Plus he didnt mind if I hugged him tight when I needed it or didnt mind my playful bouts of energy.

A few weeks ago.[as to July of 2019], he had gotten sick. Really sick. To the point I was so worried for him I ignored my mother's orders not to take him to the vet[we werent people who took animals to the vet, so he never really went ever before.]

After paying tons of money to get hin seen, I found he had kidney stones. I was heartbroken and i started crying when he mentioned that he could possibly die. After all we had been through, i was not ready for him to leave. As he had been my excuse for many things to get out of and many things not to do that would ruin my life.

The treatment was extremely expensive for my teenage, fast food working self. My mother not wanting to pay a dime for a cat, who she loved dearly but didnt have a dime to spare.

So I enlisted the help of a cat page I had been friends with by sending spam of my sped chunky boi. They had gotten my gofundme I had set up to go viral with over 300 reblogs and likes, along with the updates being so high in reblog count as well. And I had raised enough money to pay for his vet bill of a thousand dollars or so. [I had put 3000 cause I didnt know the price at the time and planned on spending the extra money on his special food] and I got my baby back in my arms, safe and healthy and sound. It had astounded me how much people cared for my baby, so i wished to return the love by helping other people, either be happy with some cute cat pictures, or dog pictures [or snakes or snails or whatever amazing pets or animals you have or like to send in] or help raise money for their own pets in need. As I could never pay the money back to all of you amazing donors.[I wish but I cant cause I'm more broke than dirt]

Enjoy this masterpost of my babys origin story and have fun posting your own children[only animals sorry humans] on here!

If you wish to send me pictures of your babies and cant post on here, you can always email me at andysowner0525@gmail.com. [so original I know] or you could always send a message. I am friendly and I would love to see some adorable animals!

Andy says hello!!!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

[hennessystevens-udaku]

PAWN

Charlie stared cheekily at the woman standing transfixed in the darkness ahead of her. Her beautiful, intelligent sister wife had followed Erik like a stowaway and he ain’t even know it, that freaking tiny genius. She curved her manicured finger beckoning Henny closer to the glass.

“You wanna be a king,” Charlie asked, leaning in. Henny wanted it, Charlie could see it in her big brown eyes. They yearned for control. She had the makings, but she had to deliberately choose it. “The queen is the most valuable player on the board, so by right our Dominant only holds the power we allow him. Baby girl, you already hold the high cards, you just gotta pull your rank. Tell me you feel me.”

“Oh I feel you. I got some stuff I wanna do,” Henny asserted, her eyebrows rising. She was serious and already plotting. Charlie grinned, excitement bubbling. She loved this side of Henny. So determined, so eager, so ready to explore. She just needed some light guidance and as sure as Kimora was her dance teacher, she’d teach Henny to dom. If anything, it would shock the heck out of Erik. Maybe she’d even get to watch.

“You’ll do them all if you remember these three things. One, our man is a total brat which means he is submissive. Behind his bravado lies a sub begging to be tamed.” All of the sister wives including herself were submissive brats, but Henny placed in the top tier when it came to high ratios of brattiness. She was 100% Brat while Charlie was a switch.

“Two, if you know what you like then you know what to give. If you like it there’s a good chance he will too. Use that to make him beg. And three, don’t bruise his ego unless you plan to heal it. We don’t want to break him emotionally for a scene, but I know that’s not an issue you’d have.”

“Hell no, we get enough of his emo ass. I just wanna make him grovel for once, switch positions.” Charlie smirked thinking of the scenarios they’d get up to.

“I’d like to see that. How about this, I’m a feel him out when we get back to the hotel and if it’s a go, I’ll let you know. If you liked what you saw of him tonight, you’re gonna love seeing what else he’s capable of.”

---

Hennessy’s big doe eyes twinkled in the glow of the neon purple light. She was intrigued by the idea of making Erik her bitch, having him grovel at her feet being an underlying kink of hers. She wasn’t necessarily dominant in nature, but she did enjoy being in control.

She felt the energy shifting within the small room, a tell-tell sign that her alter ego was stirring. This sort of thing was right up Kitana’s alley and it had been so long since she’d been out to play. For the first time in her 26 years, Hennessy surrendered herself to the woman, allowing Charlie to use her in whatever ways she saw fit. Afterall, one can’t expect to dominate successfully if they didn’t play the submissive role every once in a while.

---

Back at the aparthotel, there were four rented rooms, three people per room. A little shuffling around and Charlie and Hennessy were able to finesse a room together with Erik, at least for the night. Erik's body immediately gravitated to Charlie. With no border between them she knew he planned to beat the pink out of her pussy, but as much as she wanted that.. there was business to take care of. She rushed to her suitcase and pulled her cuffs.

“Uh-uh, babygirl, you think you finna restrain me and I ain't touched you in days,” he asked reaching out quickly again and again, but Charlie dodged each time sending a slight wink to Henny. “Come here,” he commanded, his finger pointing down. She knew what that meant, but she wasn't dropping to the floor tonight.

“What I say to call me? Just because the location changed doesn't mean our arrangement did. For the next few hours, I own you or until I say otherwise,” she dodged his cat-like lunge having played this cat and mouse game with him several times before.

“See Henny, with two dominants.. power struggles are bound to happen, but the true dominant is patient and does not relent. Erik, babe, you gone have to switch the reigns tonight because I know exactly what I want from you and I'll have it before the night is through.”

“ChaCha.. You think I can't just catch you if I wanna catch you?” He grinned, poised to strike yet again.

“Oh I know you can, but you haven't which means you want me to forcefully take control. Why? Cuz you a freaky ass bratty nigga. Don't ever forget that I know you as well as you know me, babyboy..” His eyes went pleadingly to Henny who was watching, entertained. “Nah, don't look at her! Your wife on my side. Come here, Hennessy!” With the quickness, Henny moved to Charlie's side, sticking out her tongue at Erik.

“Ohh.. I'm a get yo lil munchkin ass,” he said nodding his head in betrayal. He was too calm, he would definitely get her eventually, but for now Henny was protected.

“You ain't even know she followed you tonight did you? You got a smartass wife, better tighten up, beloved. If you don't want your cover blown further, that is. In the meantime..” Charlie approached Erik slowly, but with unwavering confidence. The look in his eye said she wouldn't even need the cuffs this time.

“On your knees,” Charlie demanded coolly and Erik narrowed his eyes, leaning in challenge into her space, an intimidation attempt. A loud slap crossed his cheek followed by her soft palm rubbing at the spot of impact. Charlie's lips were at his ear, whispering. “You know the rules, love, we only ask once.”

“I'm a get you back,” he said point blank with strong eye contact before Charlie rounded him again and kicked in his kneecaps, taking him down to the floor..

“I know.. But for now, you're on my time. Be a good bitch or I'll make it worse and little Henny gonna see what a naughty boy you really are.”

“Yes, King Jade,” he said not wanting to go full little boy around Henny. If he'd called her Mama Jade, that would've been Charlie's cue to go full Mommy Dom. Charlie knew the signs.

“Bitch it is, then,” Charlie said fetching a collar and leash she'd packed. It was a plain black leather collar and a black leash. After attaching them to Erik's thick neck as he kneeled, she wrapped the free end of the leash around her hand tightly, leading him to crawl in a circle before mounting his back and riding him across the aparthotel room. Henny looked on in shock as her usually sadistic and brolic dominant crawled back in forth on all fours like a masochist, arms bulging. Erik's eyes avoided hers in uncertainty. He had no reason to feel embarrassed, Henny wasn't judging like he thought. She was feeling it. If he looked up he'd see.

“Sub tonight or dom,” Charlie mouthed to Henny. It was either Dom or be dommed. To Charlie's surprise, she chose to sub. Magic words. “Hennessy. Why you got on clothes in my room?” Charlie asked aloud this time. “Where you think you bout to go? Take that shit off and stand right there,” Charlie pointed to an empty space, “Shoulders back, chin up, don't move.” She pulled the leash halting Erik's movements. “Park it,” she commanded and he sat kneeling on his heels in front of Henny in his briefs. Charlie climbed off and pulled his head back roughly by his ponytail. A look in Erik’s eyes showed his surprise as he looked up at Henny. Suddenly, he was really, really into this.

“Henny, put your leg over Erik's shoulder.” Charlie said dropping Erik's head. Henny threw her leg over his large shoulder and Erik looked to Charlie, hunger in his eyes. Charlie nodded her head, “Sick her!”

Like a wild animal, Erik attacked the junction between Henny's meaty thighs, his hands pulling her closer, gripping ass and thigh. He lapped at her entrance like it was life itself. Henny opened her mouth, sound welling up.

“Ah ah,” Charlie warned, “We have a rule. You speak or make a sound without permission? You get punished. If I were you, I wouldn't.”

“Shit,” Henny breathed in true bratty fashion. She couldn't control it. “Hennessy! I told you! Now you gotta take it for the next fifteen minutes and if you cum or talk or make a sound, your tongue is going in his ass. Don't worry, it's clean.” Charlie knew it was something Henny never wanted to do. She'd refuse, but that's why it was a punishment. Like, losing a dare. If she made a sound, Charlie would press her face right into Erik's ass and in this moment HE would do whatever Charlie said. This was the price of disobedience in King Jade's castle. Henny’s face twisted and distorted and her body writhed as Erik fed his hunger voraciously, but Charlie noticed humorously that she ain't make a peep.

“Alright, down boy,” Charlie said pulling the leash after fifteen minutes of watching. She was wet herself after watching Henny squirm. “You did good Henny! I'm proud of you. I'd have cum,” Charlie chuckled. She'd have been a goner after ten minutes the way her husband was eating. Good thing it wasn't her. “Henny. On your knees.” Henny dropped and kneeled, face to face with Erik. Charlie was high off of power. “Tongues out, both of you,” she said palming both of their heads and pushing them together. Their tongues twisted together aggressively pushing into each other's mouths, Erik trying to dominate Henny through use of his thick, long tongue. Charlie silently willed Henny to fight back, pushing her head and her tongue lashed out, battling fiercely. Erik was on rock, pitching a tent in his briefs. He reached out to grope Henny's full hanging breasts, unwilling to control himself.

“Nope,” Charlie swatted his hand and then his cheek with a slap. “Behave.” He groaned and it was another strike. Charlie yanked him back by his ponytail. “Henny wins!”

“Now Henny gets to cum, but how is the question.” Charlie rubbed her chin, plotting. Hennessy turned to Charlie, her big doe eyes shining with want.

“King Jade?” she purred.

“Yes Princess?”

“I want to ride,” she called back, staring hungrily at the tent in Erik’s pants.

“Erik. Lie on the bed on your back and be still, hands behind your head. Don't move. Henny. Straddle that dick. I want it to disappear in that pussy.” She waited for them to find their positions, watching Henny split herself on his pole. She knew the feeling and was laughing inside, the smile on her face clear. “You know you take that dick, don't bite your lip now,” Charlie teased pulling on Henny's bottom lip, freeing it. ���Now ride that dick. I wanna hear balls slapping ass every time you come down. When you come up, say ‘Thank you King Jade.’”

---

The words spilled from Henny’s lips like a prayer. If she’d known what she knew now, she would’ve asked this a long time ago. Seeing Erik in this way only made her desire for her beloved husband grow. It also made her more excited to know the kinds of things she’d have him doing when she was the one in control. He couldn't keep himself from moving under her, his hips thrusting desperately. His hands threatened to leave their positions and grab her, desperate to control the movements of her hips. She began to slow her pace as his thrusts began to falter under her, a tell-tell sign that he was close to his peak. She bounced a few more times, still singing praises to King Jade before hopping off, his glazed dick still pointing at the sky. If looks could kill, Hennessy would be dead on sight as Erik’s face twisted in a mixture of anger, confusion, and sexual desperation.

“Where the fuck you going?!” Charlie and Erik barked in unison. The little brat only giggled in response.

“He was about to cum, King Jade, and naughty boys don’t deserve to cum,” she replied with her most innocent smile. She had traces of Erik's sadism having been married to him for so long. Charlie nodded, in agreement with her logic.

“But good girls get multiple orgasms. Get yo ass back down. ERIK. Finish her. No hands. No dick.”

—

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THE HOUSEHOLD: @alyshastevens-udaku @wyldjuan @itsangeludaku @thehomiekillmonger @lovemecharlie @itskimorafireudaku @poosypoosy @bastioncarterstevens-udaku

[nsfw-bnha-and-dangan]

Commission

Heres a commission everyone! Its sort of a continuation/insert to the Gonta/reader/Hoshi mafia series! basically, it takes place during the second kidnapping!! Under the cut for length! (also I'm going to revamp my commission page soon, make look a little nicer mostly!)

Shuichi Saihara had a bad habit of looking into things he shouldn't have. It was part of his job, check every lead, overturn every stone to find the truth. So, after a very unusual run-in with Hoshi, the smaller man calling and asking Saihara to drive him home, along with Gonta and (Y/N), he decided to start looking for answers. The three of them looked horribly beat up, covered in bandages and the like, and Hoshi gave him only the briefest of explanations when asked, clearly hiding something. Saihara wasn't too surprised at that, the man could be quite private and no amount of prodding was going to get him to open up. So he dropped the trio off, wishing them luck as they healed and letting them know that they could call him for anything they needed.

Once they had made it inside Saihara drove away, his mind swimming with possibilities for what could have happened. A car accident would make sense, between their injuries and lack of transportation, but why would they be so sheltered about it? Any other ideas he had grew darker and darker as he drove home, unable to shake the questions he had. And, rather than bother the three of you about it, he decided to open his own investigation. No paperwork, no one else brought in to help, just him and his talent, searching endlessly for answers. He gave you rides a few more times until you all got another car, asking seemingly unimportant questions when he could, hoping to get more information. But, the deeper he dug, the worse things got. Once, someone had slammed a door while he was around you, making even Gonta jump and go pale.

He tracked people down, investing more time than was healthy into this. And then, things came to a screeching halt. You were missing. Well, missing may not have been the best term, because for all he knew the three of you might have gone on vacation or something. But it had been three days and he hadn't heard from anyone. Rather than call the police, as he should have, he went to your house, which was a mess. Drag marks left dents in the carpet, a swipe of blood on one wall, doors left open, all signs of foul play. All the evidence he needed to worry. Whatever had happened before seemed to have happened again, the three of you taken who knows where, likely being tortured just as you had before. And Saihara, as both a detective and a friend, couldn't just let that slip by him. He put in a call to a friend, another detective with more experience in gang and mafia activity, asked a few questions that had her probing for information, before making a guess at what happened. He knew of Hoshi’s past, had helped out with his record at one point, knew he had been in a less than desirable position with the local mafia. And, if he was right, this was them getting revenge for what he had done, a second time.

But guessing got him nowhere, an educated assumption wasn't going to locate the three of you. So he got to work, trolling the streets for information, meeting contacts in dark alleys, pen in hand. It was a week or two before he got a solid lead, meeting with a new contact who promised him good information on a location that had been rumored to harbor mafia activity. Saihara was the first to arrive in the dimly lit side street, sitting at a grimy table with a coffee in hand, the only thing keeping him awake at this point. He waited for ten minutes, nearly dozing off a few times till a figure, shrouded in the darkness, sat at the table.

“Saihara?”

“Detective Saihara, yes.”

“Wrong answer.” Saihara didn't have time to react as his throat was squeezed by the thick fingers of a man he couldn't identify.

“You’ve been sniffing in the wrong places, asshole. Shouldn't run around like a child asking about things you aren't a part of. But guess what cupcake? You just bought yourself a one-way ticket to all the answers you could ever want. Too bad you won't live long enough to do anything with them.” Saihara struggled, trying to move his arms, his legs, anything he could do to loosen the grip around his neck. But it was fruitless, the man was stronger than him, pressing on his airway til his vision went spotty. Everything went black as his body slumped onto the table, coffee falling to the ground and spilling on the dirty cement. He woke up under harsh lights, his every joint aching as he tried to sit up. Underneath him was hard flooring, covered in a number of stains that he didn't want to think about. Saihara blinked a few times, swallowing roughly and hacking at the roughness in his throat.

“So he wakes, huh? Bout damn time, Detective, we thought our guy might have killed you by accident, and where would be the fun in that?” Saihara just coughed again, rubbing his neck and sitting up to take a look around.

“Where…”

“The land of your dreams, bitch. You wanted to find this place so damn bad, we brought it to you! Of course, every gift has a price tag on it, this one just happens to be a little steep.” Saihara coughed again, his breathing heavy.

“And what would be?” He muttered, desperately trying to keep calm and fight off the overwhelming anxiety he was feeling.

“Your life.” From somewhere behind him Saihara sensed movement, having no time to dodge before his head was slammed to the floor, hard enough to knock him out. When he awoke next it was in another room, just as bright, but slightly less empty. With foggy vision Saihara started looking around, his movements sluggish as he took in his surroundings. It was a small room with an adjoining bathroom, dirty but not as bad as it could have been, a mattress in the center of one wall and little to nothing else around. What really through Saihara for a loop, though, was who was on that mattress. It was you and Gonta, dozing in each other's arms despite sitting at the edge of the bed as if waiting for him to wake up. More investigation found a wrapped up shirt under where his head had been, keeping him at least marginally comfortable till he woke up.

“Gonta, Gonta look!” You said loudly, enough to make Saihara wince at the pounding headache he hadn't realized he had.

“Huh? Oh! Saihara is awake! Gonta was worried he wouldn't wake up…” Saihara just nodded quietly, managing to stand up with a groan, wobbly on his feet.

“Whoa, sit, you got hit pretty hard, you aren't in good shape to be walking right now.” You held out a hand and Saihara gratefully took it, sitting on the mattress awkwardly, unsure of what to say or where to start. Luckily, Gonta broke the silence quickly.

“How is Saihara here? Gonta and (Y/N) thought they were the only ones the mean men cared about, besides Hoshi.”

“I… started looking for you. You disappeared and after that time I dropped you off from the hospital, I was worried. My leads led me to the mafia and I was supposed to meet a contact, who turned out to be a lot less helpful than I'd hoped. He knocked me out and brought me here, that's really all I can remember. I'm… sorry if this has made things worse for you, in any way.” You shook your head, offering a weak smile to your friend.

“Don't worry about us, we’re… used to this, I guess. That's kind of sad, honestly.” Gonta nodded, digging in a bag for something.

“Here, Saihara should eat something, Gonta and (Y/N) have plenty.” Saihara took the chip bag gingerly, holding it as if it were unstable.

“Sorry, it's pretty much all they give us, but at least they feed us.” Saihara smiled in thanks and slowly worked his way through the bag, finding he was far hungrier than he thought.

“Are you both okay? It's been a few weeks since we’ve seen you at all.” You nodded, running a hand through your messy hair.

“We’re alive. And that's all we can really hope for. They have Ryoma, we think he's being forced to do their bidding but we think he's alive still. Most of the time, nothing happens here. They give us food and every now and then talk to us, but that's it. They can watch us through that,” You motioned toward a camera in a corner, pointed at the mattress directly.

“So they don't bother to check on us, they can see everything. Right, assholes?!” You shouted at the camera, throwing a prepackaged snack at it and missing, a sigh heaving through you.

“Has it really been so long? Gonta didn't realize he and (Y/N) had been here that many weeks.” Saihara nodded, rubbing the bump on his forehead from where he had been knocked out.

“I should have called the police, I should have started a real investigation. I'm not a good detective, especially since I ended up making things worse.” You shook your head quickly, a hand on Saihara’s shoulder.

“No, you tried to help us. These people… these assholes have a lot more power than we thought.” Saihara just nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. He wasn't able to relax, though, jumping when a metallic creaking echoed through the room. Immediately, Gonta moved you and Saihara behind him, arms raised protectively.

“Awww how sweet, big scary animal is trying to protect you guys, isn't that cute?” The color drained from your face at an all too familiar voice, one you had hoped to never hear again if you could avoid it. It was the leader, still nameless to you, two men behind him watching with eagle eyes. You didn't dare attempt anything, though, you knew the consequences well enough.

“You, girlie, need to mind your fucking temper. Don't go trying to break our camera, those things aren't cheap!” He grabbed your chin, fingers digging into your flesh and forcing you to look at him.

“You remember what happens when you act up, right? Go on, fucking say it, bitch.”

“Someone gets hurt.” You muttered, using all your self-control to keep from spitting in the man's face, his scent making you feel sick.

“That's right. And now, we have another plaything to hit if we want to. We might need the two of you alive, but that goddamn snoop isn't important. We can kill him anytime we want to, so you better behave. And you better hope that your midget boyfriend does too. Wouldn't want to have to cut up that pretty face, would we?” The man smirked at Saihara, who kept his face void of emotion, hiding his fear despite the shivering.

“Enjoy this time with your friend, kitties, because he caught me in a good mood. I should have just killed him, made an example out of him, but instead, I've given you a second life! At least, for the moment. I don't like to make promises I can't keep.” Finally, he pulled back, letting you breathe for a moment. If there was one thing you were grateful for, it was that things never got more intimate than that, but that still left you with plenty to worry about. The door slammed shut and a collective sigh of relief echoed through the room, Gonta letting his arms fall to his side. You immediately wiped your face with your shirt, feeling disgusting from having those filthy fingers on you.

“Are you okay?” You nodded, letting yourself fall onto your back on the mattress.

“I'm fine, just… yeah.” Saihara nodded in understanding, unable to put a word to his current emotions. There was fear, sure, enough to make his bones shake under his skin. But more than that, there was despair. A feeling of hopelessness, like this was it, he wasn't going to get out. Maybe it was a premonition, maybe it was overthinking, but regardless, he couldn't shake it from his mind.

“Does Saihara want to lay down? He doesn't need to sit like that, Gonta and (Y/N) don't mind sharing.” Awkwardly, Saihara laid down as well, staring at the ceiling and letting his mind wander. It was all he could do, stare at the white sheetrock, covered in stains, and let himself drift til finally, his broken body gave in to sleep. You sat up after he fell asleep, smiling sadly. Gonta looked at you with worry in his eyes, a hand on yours.

“Is (Y/N) okay?” You nodded before laying back down, kicking the threadbare blanket over the three of you.

“Just worried. For Saihara, I don't think… I'm worried about what they’ll do to him.” Gonta threaded your fingers with yours, letting you squeeze tightly.

“Gonta will protect him and (Y/N), no matter what. A gentleman wouldn't let a friend get hurt.”

“I know.” You said softly, letting Gonta hold you close and sighing. Your hand didn't leave his, though, anchoring you as you slowly managed to drift off, all the excitement exhausting. Saihara was the first to wake up, hours later, gently slipping out of bed to use the bathroom and standing in the doorway when he returned. You and Gonta had curled up together, Gonta protectively wrapped around you with your hands clasped together closely. For only a moment, he smiled, because in any other situation it would be sweet, romantic even. But in here… It was an instinct, survival, a way to keep each other safe and sane. Saihara paced the room restlessly, keeping his shoes off in hopes of not making any sound, but before long you were sitting up.

“Saihara… what's wrong?” You asked, voice gravelly with sleep, your movement stirring Gonta.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“You were muttering, but it's fine, we never sleep long anyway. What about you, though? Are you alright?” Saihara just nodded, forcing a pained smile and slowing down, not wanting to worry the two of you. He kept replaying it all in his mind, every word he had heard, every inflection of tone. He did this when he was anxious, worked himself into a frenzy, looking for a missing piece, a solution, an answer.

“Just restless is all.” You nodded in understanding, remembering how it had been when you and Gonta had first been taken.

“You get used to it, after a while. You’ll try not to, you’ll try to act like shit isn't as bad as it is, like everything is fine, but it's not. Nothing is fine here. Just… let us help, okay?” Saihara offered a thankful nod and finally sat down, Gonta pulling out more food, letting you pick first. He offered the options to Saihara next, letting him choose before taking the last one for himself.

“Wait, Gonta, you don't like those, switch with me.” You muttered, nudging your breakfast toward him gently.

“Gonta doesn't mind, he knows (Y/N) doesn't like this one either, so he’ll eat it.” You tried again to get him to switch, feeling bad that he was taking the worst choice for himself, but Gonta was determined, holding his ground till you gave in and started eating your own food. And slowly, Saihara settled into the routine, or lack of. With three people there were more options for conversation, but little more, much of the time spent in silence or napping, all you really could do. Saihara was the easiest to wake up, startling at even the slightest noise when you or Gonta wouldn't pick up on it. He spent those moments in deathly quiet, sat up in the bed while you and Gonta slept. The two of you always were close together, even on the occasional night that Gonta chose to sleep on the floor, feeling guilty for taking up much of the bed.

Tonight had been one of those nights, Gonta insisting he lay on the floor, using a variety of things to cushion the hard ground. But, Saihara noticed, your hand was hanging off the mattress, nearly linked with Gonta’s, the two of you had fallen asleep holding hands. Saihara swallowed thickly, trying to push down the growing fear that was rising in his throat. Things had been so… calm, as of late. No unexpected visits from anyone, no violence, nothing. And much as Saihara wanted to deny it, he had gotten used to this life of captivity. But, just as he had expected, things didn't stay calm for long. One night (or day, he couldn't tell anymore) there was a loud banging on the thick metal door that blocked the three of you from the outside world. It seemed more like a courtesy knock than anything, as the door slammed open quickly and a stream of men followed. At the front of it, of course, was the leader, smirking at your confusion as all three of you shot up in bed.

“Rise and shine, birdies, time to get the fucking worm! Well, I suppose you're the worms, what with the garbage you like to hang around.” You rubbed your bleary eyes and scowled, crossing your arms and glaring wordlessly.

“No smiles for the big boss today? Well, it doesn't matter, I'll be done with you three soon. Up, now, and don't fuckin’ try anything.” No one moved, the sort of quiet defiance that you exercised whenever you could.

“Really? Going to play this fucking game with me? I am <i>not</i> in the fucking mood for this. Get the fuck up so we can pick one of you to go on a trip.” Immediately Gonta moved, going across the bed in front of you and Saihara, arms out to the side and shielding you from the men's gazes.

“Gonta won't let you take anyone! He won't let (Y/N) or Saihara get hurt!” The leader rolled his eyes, tipping his head at two menacing looking followers.

“Really, jolly green giant? Come on, we’ve done this goddamn dance a hundred times now, your gentleman shit is getting really <i>fucking</i> old. Take him, boys, don't worry about being gentle.” You quickly grabbed Gonta’s arm, trying to pull him away from the other men, but it was fruitless. Someone's face moved far too close to your own, rank breath slipping between his missing teeth and nearly making you gag.

“Girly, I wouldn't try that shit if I were you. We’ve been very fucking nice with you and your boy toy, plus that fucking string bean detective. Play nice, or we won't.” He hissed, threatening enough to make you let go of Gonta’s arm. Immediately he was hauled up by the others, despite his struggling.

“Do what you have to to get him under control.” The leader sing-songed, barely audible over your screams.

“Let him go! Take me dammit! Fucking take me! Asshole, let Gonta go! Now!” You cried, fighting the tears that burned in your eyes. Never before had they separated you like this, every minute of this hell had been shared with Gonta, making it at least slightly more bearable. Now, though, Gonta was being dragged away, Saihara grabbing your hand before you could try to follow, just looking at you quietly with his wide eyes, pupils dilated with fear.

“Don't.” He muttered, keeping you still. You stopped struggling after a moment, knowing Saihara was right, although that didn't keep you from screaming. Gonta was no better, trying to pull out of the men's arms and run.

“Dammit, why is he fucking like this!?” One of the men yelled, the other landing a sharp punch to Gonta’s temple that left him dazed. It was enough to haul Gonta out of the room without much issue, leaving you and Saihara alone with the leader.

“See you soon, kiddies. Or, well, maybe not quite so soon, who knows.” The resounding noise of the heavy door closing rung in your ears as you fought to breathe, a panic attack welling up in your chest.

“Breath, breath (Y/N), please!” Saihara tried to hold your hand but you were shaking, getting up to pace by the door.

“They took him…” You muttered, breathing hard as you walked circles into the concrete floor. Saihara gave you a moment, unsure of what to do, before taking you by the arm and bringing you to the bed. You finally started to calm down when his trembling hand rubbed your back, lulling you slightly.

“What are they going to do to Gonta?” You asked quietly, choking on a sob.

“I don't know, but don't think too much about it, okay?” Saihara said quietly, his voice as uneven as your own.

“W-what if… what if they…” You broke into sobs despite your efforts to keep from crying, your entire body heaving with the force of it. Saihara awkwardly held you, doing his best to make you feel better as he tried to come down from his own anxiety. If they had taken Gonta, were you next? Or him? And where was he being taken to? Surely not outside, likely to some other room in the warehouse building, another one just as filthy and empty. But what was the reason for it? Just to torture you mentally? To keep you in line? All Saihara had were questions and the blank walls fielded no answers as you cried yourself into exhaustion, eventually falling asleep in his arms so that he could gingerly lay you down. But Saihara didn't sleep beside you, sitting up and watching the door vigilantly, knowing that this was his fault. Had he not gone digging around, you and Gonta might not have been pulled apart, you might have been much better off at this moment.

But it didn't matter, not a hissing sound caught his attention and a gas, odorless and colorless, filled his lungs, knocking the detective out before he could even register the disturbance. You woke up alone, hours later, the bed empty and cold on both sides of you. The realization was jarring, sending you sitting up in a panic before a blinding headache hit you. It was a pain you had felt before, when you had been taken from your home, and slowly the gears of your mind clicked into place, giving you enough insight to know what happened. However, that didn't stop you from panicking, getting up and grabbing a balled up wrapper, throwing it at the camera mounted in the corner.

“Asshole! Where the fuck are they! Tell me, now, before I fucking break down this door!” You screamed, going on and on until your voice was hoarse. And yet, still no reply. Nothing but silence and your own heartbeat reverberating off of the walls.

In another room, closer than you would have thought, Gonta was on the floor with his arms tied behind his back, sitting up and staring at the man in the nearby chair, who functioned as a guard. In another chair was Saihara, slumped forward with his arms tied behind the chair, still unconscious. After what felt like ages, a door opened, the man Gonta recognized as the leader striding in.

“He's still out? Damn, he's even weaker than I thought, fuck. This isn't even going to be fun at this point.” The man sighed, grabbing the front of Gonta’s shirt and tugging him up to his feet.

“You fucked up, asshole. If you hadn't tried to be so damn chivalrous, we wouldn't have to punish you. But, well, I can't say I'm going to mind that too much. You’re so weak-willed, it’ll be fun to see if this finally breaks you. You and that asshole boyfriend of yours. I want to see tears, got it?” The man left without another word, kicking Saihara’s chair and laughing. Gonta was only more confused by the mention of Hoshi, part of him wondering if perhaps he was going to get to see him. But that, as much as he wanted to see the smaller man, Hoshi being here never meant anything good. Yet, he was left with more questions than answers, just as you were left with dead silence in your own room. It seemed like years, all on your own in there, the only thing keeping you company being your own thoughts and the memory of Gonta being taken away. You had no clue what they were going to do with him or Saihara, memories of torture and pain flooding your mind.

You knew they had no souls, the men keeping you here, and they wouldn't have any qualms pushing Gonta to the brink of death, or even over it. You paced until your feet hurt, finally sitting in bed and breathing shallowly. You had no clue what to do, no amount of yelling or screaming was going to change the fact that you were alone. And so, despite your best efforts, you cried. It was all you could do at that point, curling up and shaking till you were too exhausted to even sniffle. Your eyes were heavy and aching, closing unintentionally. You had nearly fallen asleep when the loud banging of fists against steel, making you shoot up. Even though your blurry vision you knew what was happening, just letting yourself be picked up and dragged off without much struggle. You didn't have the energy to care or fight the men, just going along with whatever they wanted. Finally, you were dropped in a room, shoved to the floor unceremoniously and groaning at the pain. You blinked a few times, your eyes going wide when you saw Saihara and Gonta, both tied up and bit worse for wear.

“(Y/N)! Gonta is so glad (Y/N) is safe!!” Gonta smiled tiredly at you, Saihara weakly nodding along.

“You too, Gonta, I was so worried about you guys…”

“Better keep worrying, babycakes. Cause shits only about to get worse.” You winced at the sound of the leader's voice in your ears, the fine hairs on the back of your neck standing up.

“I fucking hate you.” You muttered, sitting up slowly and letting your arms be tied back, knowing fighting would only make things worse.

“Hate me all you want, not gonna change a single fucking thing. But hey, at least you’ll get to see your boy-toy today, since I'm so nice.” You perked up a little at the mention of Hoshi, cautiously optimistic about what was going to happen here.

“Where’s Ryoma?”

“Don't get your panties in a knot, bug boy. He's on his way now, but I'd be careful what you wish for.” The room went quiet as you waited, obsessing over every little noise, hoping it was Hoshi. Finally, the door opened, Hoshi accompanied by another man.

“What the fuck?! You told me-”

“What do you take me for, an honest man? Fucking hilarious.” You breathed a sigh of relief when Hoshi seemed unharmed, albeit exhausted.

“(Y/N), Gonta, are you alright? And what is Saihara doing here?” You tried to smile, hoping it would soothe Hoshi’s worries.

“We’re okay, I promise. Saihara was trying to help us after we were kidnapped, but they got him too…”

“Gonta made sure (Y/N) was kept safe, he tried to protect her.” Hoshi nodded and ruffled Gonta’s hair gently before shooting a glare at the leader, trying to keep his anger contained.

“Oh, little kitty looks fuckin’ pissed, did we do something wrong?” The leader teased, smirking as Hoshi dug his nails into his palm.

“Fuck you, untie them. Now!”

“Do you need a reminder of who’s in charge here? Cause me and the boys would be happy for a demonstration.” Hoshi shook his head, sucking air in between his teeth.

“Good boy. Don't let that shit happen again. Now, it's time for a little game!” You and Gonta each stiffened at the sound of that, Saihara still too out of it to realize what was happening.

“The fuck are you trying to do here?”

“It's fucking simple, but I guess your midget body comes with a tiny fucking brain. You have two choices, you pick one, you go through with it, everyone wins. Well, not everyone, but we do! And that's what matters, right?” You scooted closer to Gonta, hoping it would ease your tension a little.

“What do I have to choose, then?”

“Kill that nosy fucking detective, or watch those two get fucked up even worse than they are now. I know, I know, that's quite the fucking decision to make! I'll give you sixty seconds to figure out just how selfish you are, better choose wisely.” The man started counting down, each number sung out with far more joy than you could comprehend.

“Don't do it, Ryoma, we’ll be fine! You don't have to do it, Gonta and I will be okay!” You looked at Saihara and bit your lip. You could take another beating, sure, but you had no clue what the men were planning to do with you and Gonta, not to mention what they could do with Hoshi.

“Gonta doesn't want Saihara to be killed, Gonta would rather get hurt instead!” Hoshi kept staring at the floor, his expression never changing no matter how much you called out to him.

“Ryoma! Please!”

“If you aren't sure, let me remind you that we don't have to keep both your little treasures alive, we only really need one to keep you in check.” The man resumed counting, the numbers getting lower and lower as Ryoma clenched his fists.

“Five. Four. Three.” He started drawing out the words, grinning.

“Two.”

“Fine! Fucking fine goddammit!! I'll do it, I'll do whatever you fucking want, just don't hurt them!”

“Music to my ears, took you long enough, I almost thought I'd have to decide for myself!” Your eyes burned with tears that you couldn't hold back, Saihara finally gaining enough strength to struggle and cry out.

“No! Ryoma you don't have to do this, you can-”

“Will someone please shut that bitch up? I'm getting really fucking tired of her voice. Day in and day out, ‘<i>let us go</i>’ and <i>‘fuck you’</i> and oh, my personal favorite. ‘<i>You’ll fucking pay for this’</i>.” He raised his voice to mimic yours, making you seeth enough to try and get to your feet. Your attempt was shut down quickly as a dirty rag was shoved in your mouth, keeping you quiet. Gonta couldn't seem to find his voice, watching in horror as Hoshi was handed a gun.

“Nice and clean, got it? I mean, feel free to make it last if you want, have a little fun, but don't try anything cute. Those two will pay if you do.” Hoshi took the gun and gripped it with white knuckles, his hand shaking. He kept his vision trained on the ground, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

“No… please…” Saihara groaned, his head weighing heavy as he tried to look up at Hoshi.

“Sorry,” Hoshi muttered, raising the gun slowly. He held it blindly near Saihara’s head, his heart beating out of his chest. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to kill anyone, didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially not Saihara. But if he didn't do this, if he didn't pull the trigger, you would get hurt. The men would use you like a punching bag, and Gonta too, there was no telling what kind of state you would be left in after. He was doing this to save the two of you, that was all. He was doing this for the people he loved, even if it would mean he hated himself forever. Hoshi could barely hear himself think over all the noise in the room and his own labored breathing, finger grazing the trigger and twitching against it. It was as if time slowed down, his body tense with anticipation as he tried to pull the trigger. But his finger shook against the chilled metal, unable to pull inward.

“R-Ryoma…” Gonta cried softly, watching with wide, wet eyes. And before he could stop himself, Hoshi let the gun drop from his trembling hands. It made a loud noise when it hit the cement floor, luckily remaining unfired, and it was like the world stopped for a moment. Despite himself, Hoshi’s eyes burned with tears that he bit his lip to keep contained, breathing softly.

“Fuckin’... wow. Just wow, that's all I have to say to you. You fucking shithead!” A nasty punch to the side of the head nearly knocked Hoshi over, barely catching his balance.

“You are just the same fucking brat I've been trying to teach a lesson to all this goddamn time! Here id thought you had fucking learned!” The leader punctuated his sentence with a kick to Hoshi’s shin, sending him to the ground so he could press a boot to his chest.

“I should fucking kill all three of them right in front of you, right now. I should cut up that pretty girl, then move onto to the baby detective, I'd do the giant last, make him suffer. That's exactly what I should fucking do, but I won't. In fact, I'm feeling very, very generous today.” The man took his foot off of Hoshi, smirking a little as he sat up.

“I won't touch their faces, this time. But I'll make sure I leave a few pretty little marks elsewhere.” Hoshi could barely watch as you and Gonta were yanked to your feet and surrounded by the leader's lackeys, holding you in place with a few well-placed blows.

“Where to start… How about here?” You screamed as a knife was dragged from your shoulder down your arm, leaving a six-inch slice that bled immediately. You sobbed at the pain, Hoshi yelling for them to stop, to hurt him instead. But no one listened, starting in on beating you up while a similar cut was made on Gonta’s back, diagonal and deep.

“Stop fucking hurting them! Let them go!” Hoshi tried to fight, finally getting the man to pause what he was doing.

“Had enough? I guess I could stop, for now, give them a minute to breathe. I gotta finish what I started though, wouldn't be a man of my word if I didn't, right?” He scooped up the gun from the floor, tossing it between his hands recklessly before pointing at Saihara’s head.

“P-please… don't… I w-won't-” He was cut off with the echoing noise of a gunshot, eyes frozen wide with fear as the life left his body immediately. You screamed through the rag in your mouth, blinking away the tears that you weren't able to wipe. Gonta was sobbing, Hoshi digging his nails roughly into his palms as he stared at the ground.

“It's really no fun when they die so fast, you know? Fuckin’ boring is what it is, but whatever, can't be helped. You, take our favorite little murderer and get rid of him, I'll figure out our next plan for him later. Put the noisy girl in her room, I'll deal with this one.” He nodded his head at Gonta, who looked all the more terrified. You fought as you were pulled to your feet and dragged out of the room, your protests and profanities lost to your gag. You were finally pulled entirely off the ground so that you wouldn't drag your feet, tossed into your room with a roll of bandages to patch yourself up. You could barely find the strength to move to the bed, breathing hard with the effort as you bandaged yourself as best you could. And, once again, you were left alone, haunted by the images in your mind.

Saihara was dead, all because he had tried to save you all, because he wanted to help. You had no clue what was happening to Gonta back in that room, or what state Hoshi was in either. You didn't want to let yourself hope, knowing that would only make it hurt more when things took a turn for the worst. Your arm stung like hell as you laid down, pulling the threadbare blanket over yourself. You didn't sleep, just watching the door with burning eyes, hoping someone would come through it. Hoshi had been none too gently escorted outside, a kick to the back of the knees sending him to the dirt.

“Fuck you! Let me in, goddammit! Let me the fuck in!” Hoshi banged on the door till his fists were bruised, finally sinking to the ground in anguish. He felt like he couldn't breathe, staring at his hands. He had killed so many with these hands, but this time… this time he had killed someone he cared about. Someone who had never done anything wrong, just wanted to help people. And to make it all worse, you and Gonta had seen it all.

Up till now, the two of you hadn't had to see him like that, had only heard the stories. And Hoshi wasn't sure he could face either of you again, in or out of the warehouse. Couldn't see the way your view of him would change, the inevitable fear and disgust in your eyes. He would get the two of you out of there, then leave, giving the two of you the best chance possible to lead better lives. That was the best thing to do, right? Finally, Hoshi got up, heading towards his car and finally sitting down, letting himself slightly relax. At least out here, in this car, he wouldn't be hurting anyone. Back in the other room, Gonta was cowering on the floor, not bothering to keep a brave face on.

“Now, what to do with you. See, we weren't planning to keep you here any longer than we had to, what with all the cleaning up I need to do. But you just <i>had</i> to fight again, had to be a stupid fucking gentleman, or whatever. Now, normally I just like to use brute force for this shit, keep it simple, have some fun. But I think it would be nice to see you squirm, and make that asshole feel just about as bad as possible. Read this, don't try and say anything else, no fucking funny shit. There may just be one of me in here right now, but I will knock your ass to the ground. Now, be a good little boy, and start talking when he picks up the phone.”

Gonta’s shaky hand took the paper that was handed to him, doing his very best to avoid looking in Saihara’s direction, unable to deal with the reality of the limp body in the chair. His ropes were cut and a phone was handed to him, still ringing, Gonta holding it to his ear and waiting.

“What the fuck now?” Gonta took a shaky breath and looked to the paper, glancing up to see a gun leisurely pointed in his direction.

“Y… you’re a horrible person, Ryoma. You killed so many people, and you don't even care.” Gonta tried to collect himself for a moment, only to have the gun shaken towards him. Over the phone, Hoshi tried to say something, but Gonta interrupted him.

“You killed our friend, Ryoma. You k-killed him. How could you do that? You don't care about u-us, me or (Y/N). You just want to keep yourself safe. We thought you loved us, Ryoma, we thought you cared. W-why are you so disgusting? Why are you such a bad person? Why did you kill our friend?” Gonta’s voice shook and he heard Hoshi choke back a sob over the line.

“Hang up.” The man muttered, and Gonta did as he was told, cradling the phone in his palms.

“Now, was that so hard?”

“G-Gonta… wants to go now.”

“I guess I can let you go back to your room, I have to deal with this mess. Get the fuck up, then, and you better not try to fuckin’ run, there’ll be so many bullets in you that all you can taste is lead.” Gonta handed the phone back and got to his feet, nearly stumbling in the process.

“Let's go, you little shit.” He was pushed forward, crying out at the hand over his still fresh cut, but walked regardless, following directions till he found himself in his room.

“Gonta!” You shot up, running to his side and helping him down to the ground.

“G-Gonta is… not a gentleman…” He muttered, eyes closing slowly as you held him tightly, letting him rest. Hoshi, still in his car, hadn't managed to move or hang up his phone since the call ended, the dull beeping ringing in his ears. Gonta had said everything he knew about himself, but hearing it from his boyfriend, his sweet, gentle, loving boyfriend… It was a testament to just how bad of a person he really was. He was beyond disgusting, this was just the final nail in the proverbial coffin. But something didn't seem quite right. After being with Gonta for so long, Hoshi had gotten used to the unusual way he spoke, always referring to himself and others in the third person. But the words he had just heard had been different, almost as if they were scripted.

But Hoshi tried to erase that thought quickly, it didn't matter, the truth wasn't any different. He still had to get the two of you out, and then get as far away as possible, for everyone's sake. There was only one reason to keep going now, to the people he loved and keep them safe, no matter what it cost him. So he drove home, doing his best to stay between the lines of the road in spite of his blurry vision. But once he got to bed, he couldn't rest, just replaying it all over and over. He could still feel the weight of the gun in his hands, the chilled metal heavy with burden. He could still see Saihara’s eyes every time he closed his own, terrified and haunting. And, somehow worse, the horror on your face when the gun went off, ringing in everyone's ears. He laid on his side, staring blankly at the wall, Gonta’s voice echoing through the silence, reminding of just how much worse than worthless he was now.

Back at the warehouse, you had laid down beside Gonta, precariously close to the door but not willing to risk waking him up to move him. You managed to use the bandages to wrap up his wound, a difficult job given its placement. Somehow, you managed to rest a while yourself, only waking up to the sound of sobs. You sat up slowly, quickly surveying the room to find it empty, aside from you and Gonta, the source of the noise. You moved over to where he was curled up on the bed, knees pulled to his chest as he cried.

“G-Gonta, he… he s-said horrible things to R-Ryoma…” You hushed him, pulling him into your arms and hugging him as tight as you dared with the fresh injuries.

“Its okay, shh.” “Gonta knows it's not! The m-man made him say horrible things to Ryoma, made him tell Ryoma he was h-h-horrible!” Gonta’s voice shook roughly and you ran your hands through his tangled hair, doing your best to soothe him.

“G-Gonta isn't a gentleman if he says such nasty things to people he loves.”

“Hey, you didn't want to say any of it, right?” Gonta nodded and you gave him a soft smile.

“Then it's okay. Ryoma might not know it yet, but next time we see him, we’ll explain, okay? He knows, and I know, that you aren't the kind of person to say something like that. You were threatened by that horrible fucking asshole, he made you say it, and that's not your fault, okay?” You thumbed away Gonta’s tears softly until his breathing evened out, finally losing the tension he had been holding. You pulled him close and muttered softly while gently taking knots out of his hair with your fingers, knowing it helped him relax. The peace only lasted for a few moments, though, until your door opened once again. You immediately moved in front of Gonta, just as he had for you and Saihara before, arms out protectively.

“Go the fuck away. Haven't you had enough of torturing us today?” The man smirked, arms crossed over his chest.

“Not quite, sweetie. See, my boys and I are getting pretty fucking bored of your boyfriend, he keeps actually managing to get shit done, and that's no fun. So we’re going to give him one more mission, then we’ll let you go!” You perked up but didn't lower your guard, knowing nothing was ever so easy.

“Where's the catch?”

“The catch? <i>Oh right!</i> That catch.” The man grinned, his yellow stained teeth making you twitch your nose.

“The catch is… that he's going to die in this mission. There's no fucking way he makes it out alive, not with what we want him to do. And once he's dead, and rest assured, we’ll make damn sure he's <i>actually</i> dead, your ours to do whatever with. I haven't decided what quite yet, but that's all the fucking fun! So many choices!” You shuddered to think of what might happen, but bit your lip before your thoughts could stray too far.

“And what if he doesn't?”

“Huh?”

“What if he doesn't die? What if he does this, lives, will you actually let us go? Or are you more of a fucking liar than I thought?” The man sighed, starting to back out of the room. “I wouldn't get your hopes up, darlin’. No need to waste brain cells on shit that's filed under the category of ‘never going to fucking happen’. Yeah, sure, if he somehow pulls this out of his ass, I'll let you go. But he won't. And you’ll be my little prisoners for the rest of your sad lives.” With that, the door closed and you turned back to Gonta, holding his hand tightly.

“This might be it, baby.”

“But what if Ryoma-” You stopped him with a gentle kiss to the nose, managing a smile.

“He’ll do it, he’s Ryoma, after all. We just have to believe in him, and before we know it, we’ll be out of here.” You were saying it just as much for yourself as you were Gonta, hoping that if you said the words out loud that things would end the way you wanted. You and Gonta laid down in silence, holding each other close, each hoping, with every fiber of your being, that Hoshi would come out of this alive.