#omg i just realized. saddled

[eggwishing]

saddled

[muiitoloko]

Omg the fluff severus being a father!! Can we also get a fic where he and his wife discover they are having twins? In my mind palace that poor man had the happiest ending idc idc

Title: Double the Love

Summary: Severus and you learn that you’re having twin, and Severus faces the overwhelming realization that fatherhood will be double the challenge—and double the love.

Pairing: Severus Snape × Fem! Reader

Warnings: None.

Author's Notes: I absolutely loved writing this! But I have to admit, I was seriously wondering, how on earth do wizards even do ultrasounds? 😅 Since I couldn’t figure that one out, I just made it as magical and slightly ridiculous as possible, because why not, right? 😅 It’s a short piece, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

First, Second and Third part here.

Also read on Ao3

The sterile white walls of St. Mungo’s were a far cry from the dimly lit, comforting darkness of the Hogwarts dungeons, and the bustling noise of Healers moving in and out of rooms only added to your nerves. You lay on the hospital bed, your hands resting on your growing belly, feeling the faint fluttering of movement within. At 22 weeks pregnant, today was the day you would find out the sex of your baby.

You glanced over at Severus, who sat beside you with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression as stoic as ever. He wasn’t exactly the picture of calm, though you knew him well enough to recognize the subtle tension in the way his jaw tightened and the way his long, slender fingers tapped against his arm. He was just as anxious as you, though he would never admit it.

The memory of last night brought a small smile to your face. You had caught him at his desk, a quill in hand, scribbling something on a piece of parchment with a concentration usually reserved for complex potion-making. When you peeked over his shoulder, you were both surprised and amused to find a list of baby names—both for boys and girls.

“Trying to choose a worthy name, Severus?” you had teased, leaning against the back of his chair.

He had glanced up at you, his expression unreadable but a faint blush creeping up his neck. “A name is important,” he had replied curtly. “It must be fitting. I won’t have our child saddled with something… inadequate.”

You had laughed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I trust you’ll find the perfect one.”

Now, as you waited for the Healer to arrive, the memory of that moment helped calm your nerves a little. Severus might be intimidating and stern on the surface, but beneath all that, he was already a devoted father—one who was taking the task of naming your child with the same seriousness he applied to everything else in life.

“Are you nervous?” you asked softly, your hand reaching out to rest on his knee.

Severus glanced down at your hand, his dark eyes softening ever so slightly. “Nervous? Hardly,” he replied, though his voice lacked its usual sharpness. “But I do wish this process would hurry along.”

You chuckled, knowing full well that was his way of admitting that he, too, was anxious. “Don’t worry, Severus. I’m sure the Healer will be here soon, and we’ll find out if we’re having a boy or a girl.”

He nodded, though his expression remained neutral. “Either way,” he said quietly, “the child will be exceptional.”

Before you could respond, the door opened, and a cheerful Healer stepped inside, her robes swishing around her as she smiled at you both. “Good afternoon!” she greeted, her eyes sparkling with warmth. “I hear we’re ready to check on the little one?”

You nodded, sitting up slightly as she prepared the equipment. Severus remained seated, though his gaze followed every movement the Healer made with an intensity that might have unnerved a lesser witch.

“All right, let’s take a look,” the Healer said, positioning her wand over your belly. The gentle hum of magic filled the room as the spell illuminated the area, and you watched in awe as the image of your baby appeared on the enchanted screen.

Severus leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied the image with the same level of scrutiny he used when examining a particularly difficult potion.

“There we are,” the Healer said softly. “And… oh!”

Your heart skipped a beat at her sudden exclamation, and you shot her a nervous glance. “What is it?” you asked, your voice trembling slightly.

The Healer’s smile widened, and she turned the screen so that both you and Severus could see it more clearly. “It appears you’re not having just one baby,” she said, her tone filled with excitement. “You’re having two! Twins!”

For a moment, the room was utterly silent. You stared at the screen, your mind struggling to process the words. Twins. Two babies. You glanced over at Severus, expecting to see some kind of reaction, but he was still as a statue, his dark eyes fixed on the screen. His usual calm exterior had been shattered by the news, and you could see the shock written all over his face.

"Twins?" he repeated, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Two?"

The Healer nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, two healthy little girls, from what I can see. Congratulations!"

Severus blinked slowly, his mind clearly racing as he tried to absorb the information. “Two girls,” he murmured, almost to himself. You watched him carefully, waiting for his response, but it seemed like he was still in a state of shock.

You couldn’t help it—you burst out laughing. “Two girls, Severus! We’re going to have two daughters!”

Severus slowly turned to look at you, his expression a mix of disbelief and what could only be described as mild horror. “Two daughters,” he repeated, his voice flat. “Two sets of diapers. Two mouths to feed. Two…”

“Two future boyfriends,” you teased, unable to resist poking fun at him. “You’re going to have to keep an eye on them, Daddy Snape.”

At that, Severus paled even further, his eyes widening as the full weight of what you had just said hit him. “Future boyfriends?” he muttered, his voice tinged with dread. “I hadn’t… considered that.”

The image of Severus Snape dealing with teenage boys showing up at your door to take his daughters out on dates was too much, and you laughed even harder, clutching your belly as the joy of the moment overwhelmed you.

Severus stood frozen, the image of two tiny forms flickering on the screen in front of him. The words still echoed in his mind: two girls. He blinked, his dark eyes wide with shock, as the reality of it sank in. Two daughters. Two daughters. The healer’s voice faded into the background as his imagination took off, propelled by the unrelenting force of his overprotective instincts.

He could almost see it—boys knocking on his door at Hogwarts, their foolish, eager faces trying to charm their way past him to court his daughters. His daughters. His mind raced, spinning out scenarios of teenage boys chasing after them in the corridors, their idiotic grins widening as they tried to impress with foolish stunts or—worse—terrible jokes. What if one of his daughters dated an idiot? Or Merlin forbid, someone like Potter?

No! The thought alone was enough to send a surge of panic through him. His face, usually so composed, paled visibly.

“Severus?” Your voice, soft and filled with emotion, broke through the haze. You had grabbed his arm, your eyes shining with tears—tears of joy, not fear. “Two girls, Severus,” you whispered, pulling him into a tight hug, your hands trembling as they wrapped around him. “We’re going to have two beautiful little girls.”

Severus blinked, returning to the present as he felt your warmth against him, your joy flooding over him. His arms, stiff at first, slowly circled around you, holding you close. He could feel the tremor in your breath as you buried your face in his chest, your tears dampening the fabric of his robes.

Two little girls. The words echoed in his mind again, but this time the image was softer—more intimate. He could see it now: two girls with your smile, your laugh, your bright eyes full of curiosity and mischief. They would have your warmth, your kindness—your fire.

He held you a little tighter, knowing how emotional you had been these past few days, and a wave of tenderness washed over him. His thumb gently brushed your shoulder, a small gesture of comfort.

“Two girls,” you whispered again, your voice breaking with joy, and he could hear the love in your words. “Double the love, Severus.”

Severus closed his eyes, resting his chin on top of your head, letting the moment settle around him. His heart swelled, a strange and unfamiliar feeling, yet it was not unwelcome. The weight of it, the sheer enormity of the love that was building inside him, was overwhelming. He had never expected this—any of this. He had never thought that someone like him would be capable of this kind of happiness.

The healer’s voice floated back into his awareness. “Would you like pictures of the babies?” she asked, her tone gentle.

Snape nodded without hesitation, his gaze still fixed on the screen, where the tiny forms of their daughters moved faintly, their lives just beginning. He looked down at you again, still holding him, still crying softly with joy. His hand found the small of your back, steady and reassuring.

Two little girls.

He could almost see them in his mind’s eye—two mini versions of you, with your delicate features, your bright personality, and your fierce determination. He allowed himself, for the briefest moment, to imagine them laughing and playing, their voices filling the halls of Hogwarts. And him… there, watching over them, protecting them from anything that might dare to harm them.

A small, uncertain smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought about it—two little yous. His chest tightened at the thought, but then a new fear crept in. What if they looked like him?

He swallowed hard, his mind immediately racing back to his own school days. His hooked nose. The way he had been mocked and ridiculed. The cruel taunts, the laughter, the sneers. He didn’t want that for them. He didn’t want his daughters to suffer the same way he had.

“What are you thinking?” your voice broke through his dark thoughts. You had pulled back just enough to look up at him, your eyes searching his face. “You’ve gone quiet.”

Severus hesitated, his hand resting protectively on your belly. “I was…” He cleared his throat, the words catching slightly before he forced them out. “I was hoping… that they’ll look like you.”

You blinked in surprise, then smiled softly, a knowing look crossing your face. “Severus,” you said gently, cupping his cheek with your hand. “They’ll be beautiful no matter what. Whether they look like you or me.”

He looked down at you, his eyes clouded with uncertainty. “I don’t want them to suffer… like I did.”

Your heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice, and you shook your head, pulling him closer again. “They won’t,” you whispered fiercely, pressing your lips to his chest. “Because they’ll have you. They’ll have us. And we’ll make sure they know how loved they are.”

Snape stood there for a long moment, simply holding you, feeling the warmth of your words seep into him, dispelling the old fears. As he looked back at the image of their daughters on the screen, a sense of peace settled over him. Two girls. Two daughters. His family.

Our family.

And for the first time in his life, Severus Snape allowed himself to believe that he could truly have something this good, this pure. Two little girls with your smile. And even if they did have his nose… well, they would still be perfect.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Omg I just finished reading svsss!!! And now you have a naruto au about it!!!

I think either way Houhua Uchiha is hilarious, but especially in that way of *what do you mean he's actually competent/dangerous?* from elite ninja. He's absolutely a sneaky coward.

If he gets noticed by Orochimaru I think Houhua entire.... *everything* will entice Orochimaru in a way that's like. Put it in a jar. I want to put my blorbo in situations! Especially with his .... lack? Weird relation with moral (I mean both of them).

I want to know more about his genin team. Especially his sensei. Like. I know he unplayed his skills, but also he alway somehow has exactly what the situation calls for on a mission. His mission reports would be weird as hell. "Successfully solved village dispute by realizing nearby village was messing for farmer Xs crops because of family dispute about prized cow, solved with better fence and different trade route."

Just. I love this au. <3

Another one falls to the scum villain agenda, let's go !!!

YEAHHH YOU GET IT! No matter how strong he gets or may be, Houhua continues to project the aura of a very scared genin. He has whatever the opposite of killing intent is, and it throws all of his opponents off

I think that Orochimaru and Houhua would be fucking amazing to watch interact w eachother actually— Houhua is so fucking scared of him, which is typical of people to act around Oro, but like. Orochimaru seeing past the layers (both real and carefully cultivated) of a coward to see the alarmingly smart little rat underneath.

Orochimaru is poking him with a stick

You know that one scene where Asuma like, tricks Shikamaru into playing some sort of strategy game? And realizes he's really smart? Or smthn like that? Ok so something similar to that for Orochimaru and Houhua could be fun.

Orochimaru somehow sniffed out that there's a LOT more to Houhua than there seems and he's got a bit of an eye on him now, just for funzies. Just as a little side project

(And then Houhua maybe says something incriminating about immortality bc he was an immortal cultivator, and Orochimaru is instantly right behind him breathing heavily over his shoulder)

I think that if Houhua ever tells anyone ab his past life, not that the system would let him, (tho considering the reincarnation in naruto, there might be a loop hole to exploit there?) I'd want it to be Orochimaru who he tells, just bc I think he'd be the most interesting character to get involved in that.

Like, other characters you might get the usual "omg no way" song and dance, maybe some hurt/comfort or whatever, and like that's fun! But Orochimaru you'd get him trying to fucking dissect the system. He's putting his plots on hold to try and figure out how to get this "system" to manifest. And if he can kill it. Or better yet: harness it's power

Oh shit Houhua's genin team, I didn't even think of that

I am suddenly struggling to think of any naruto characters who are Itachi and Houhua's age that I can throw into a team for him actually. Am I going to have to make some ocs for this? I hope not tbh, I like stuffing as many canon characters as I can everywhere

Oh god and who would their sensei be too

I can't use Itachi for the team bc he graduated early, do we even know if he was on a genin team or did he just go straight to ANBU? No but he'd have to take the chunin trials no matter what, so hmm

Yk what? I think it'd be funny if Houhua was on one of Kakashi's past teams Sarutobi tried to saddle him with, the ones he'd like fail on day 1 then dumped back into the system

I dont think the timeline on that would actually add up correctly, but it'd be really funny so I don't care actually

hear me out: Houhua was actually on the very first team Sarutobi tried to saddle Kakashi with. And at first, he's like "omg,,, isn't this Kakashi? did I stumble on a secret plot route???? Is this finally my chance to gain more character relevance points????"

But no. It's not. And Kakashi fails him and his team just like he would have anyways.

Possibly with even more ruthlessness, depending on if Houhua has interacted w him before that.

Hmmm ok so timeline.

Houhua and Itachi are both 13 during the massacre, Houhua was about to graduate, but the massacre and then taking care of Sasuke in the year that followed delayed his graduation, which also meant he got dropped from the team he was supposed to be on (whichever team it was)

So then he graduates fr a year or maybe more later, right around the time Sarutobi is starting to try and peer pressure Kakashi into taking a team.

Kakashi is given Houhua's team, makes eye contact w Houhua like once, then immediatley turns around and leaves without comment.

(This also adds tension between them later on when Kakashi eventually does take Sasuke on as a student. Plus tension between Kakashi and Sasuke, who would remember him as the sensei who failed Houhua + whatever else Houhua let slip, possibly about knowing Kakashi trained itachi)

No fucking clue who he gets saddled with in the end, but it'd be funny if his team gained some sort of reputation of being cursed bc they keep being passed around by sensei's who inevitably drop them for various reasons.

Who do u guys think would be fun to see on his team tho, I really can't think of anyone who's the right age so I'm struggling over here

LOVEEE THE IDEA OF HIM SOLVING CONFLICTS IN REALLY OUT OF NOWHERE WAYS THAT RESULT IN NO BLOODSHED AND 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 BETTER TRADE DEALS AND ROADS THATS SO FUNNY

Its not even that he he doesn't want to kill, he just thinks it's messy and will only lead to MORE problems they'd be called in to fix later down the line. This is actually the easy way, you know!!

(Somewhere far away but still watching through his crows, Itachi goes through several emotions as he watches Houhua peacefully solve more than one dispute when he was brought there specifically for murder. He's kind of going through a lot. Actually.)

(I like to think that if Houhua had been made aware of the root of the Uchiha Massacre, he could have fr helped think up a plot to get them all out of it. Unfortunatley everyone was under the impression he was a silly little untalented 13 year old. So that never happened.)

Houhua gets the nickname of "the beaurocrat nin" or smthn silly like that bc hes always resolving conflicts via the power of paperwork. The silly title only helps to make him seem more harmless, which gives him even more of an advantage in a fight when it comes to taking the enemy by surprise

[levi501ackerman]

Steel Heart Chapter 5:

Dog Days

Hange x Reader Chapter Index Masterlist

Megan's Note: OMG IM GETTING PUMPED!! Posted: 7/13/24

Word Count: 3.7k

!!WARNING!! : violence and unsettling descriptions!

Between the crack of dawn and before the twilight sky brightened, Levi and his knights were preparing the horses for the day’s travel. They were triple-checking the saddles and making sure their equipment was firm. 

Waking up, you didn’t expect Levi’s tent to be nearly empty. Your bedroll, blankets, and yourself were the only things remaining in the tent. You also didn’t expect the familiar stench of the horses to be the first thing you inhaled. Among the boisterous neighs and grunts of the horses, Levi shouting indistinct orders in the distance could be heard. Hastily, you exited the tent seeking Levi.

The view of horses looking larger than before carrying the knights’ supplies was overwhelming. Your mouth slowly gaped at the view of men cladded in full suits of steel armor. They looked indistinguishable, a united force of intimidating men made of steel surrounded you. You looked for a knight around the size of Captain Levi’s short frame, but the horses and cloned men of steel made it difficult. The majestic beauty of the horses from yesterday, now had an alert, focused, and fierce blaze in their eyes, being the core reason for your hesitation. 

“E-Excuse me?” You called toward the closest knight, waving at him and your other hand gripped the fabric of the grey shirt Levi gave you. “Where’s—”

“Captain!” The knight called out over his shoulder, voice ringing through the herd. You looked through the steel clones trying to catch a glimpse of Levi. No luck. Then he gave you a bright friendly smile, “Did you sleep well, your Highness?”

“Yes sir, thank you. Uh, did you?”

“Yes, thank you. I can pack your tent for you?” Before you could answer, the knight began walking toward the tent you and Captain Levi shared.

“I can help! I just don’t know how. Maybe you can teach me?” 

“No need, your Highness. Levi wants to speak with you before we set off for the day.” The Knight opened the tent and began rolling your bedroll and blankets up. “Princess, your cloak?” 

“Oh! Uh, Thank you!” You dashed forward to grab the cloak and then moved out of the friendly knight’s way. As you put one arm into the sleeve of the cloak, you heard more footsteps behind you. 

Levi, Jean, and Connie were dressed in a full suit of armor intimidating and standing confidently. Their armor bulked their frame accentuating their muscular physique. Imposing. Powerful. You darted your eyes away from them, hoping they didn’t realize you were admiring their presence.

“Good morning, Princess Y/N,” Levi said and you couldn’t look him in the eye. You were excessively blinking and then you swallowed your thoughts.

“ . . . Hey.”

“Take off your cloak. I have some light armor I want you to try on.” You looked at the dark leather chest plates Levi was holding. 

“Captain’s in denial of his chest plate fitting best,” Connie said nodding, inducing a smirk on Jean’s face. You looked at Levi whose stoic face didn’t change. 

“Try this one,” Levi’s held out the first leather chest plate. “It goes over the shirt.” You put the chest plate over the shirt Levi gave you. It was loose, and you looked at the three not knowing what to do next. While Connie and Jean examined you, Levi stepped closer and put his hands on the fastenings of the chest plate. His hand brushed against the side of your abdomen and your breath softly hitched. A familiar feeling you felt once before stirred . . . In an attempt to hide your face, you focused on Levi fastening your straps. His hands were clean with a few prominent veins.

“How does it feel?”

“Huh?”

“Levi.” Connie was failing at holding back a smile and he pointed to the second chest plate. You looked at Levi who was ignoring Connie. 

“Fine, try mine on.” Levi started unbuckling the straps and helping you out of Connie’s leather chest plate. You put on Levi’s and he buckled the fastenings. He told you to raise your arms and the chest plate barely shifted when you did. It was the better fit out of the two. “Alright, Princess. We have a long day ahead of us. Few things to keep in mind. Your hood is on at all times until we can find something to tie your hair back. That’s orders from the Commander of the Royal King’s Guard himself. The point is it’s harder to tell the Princess is in our company if there’s no long-haired girl with a dress on. Next, if we run into trouble, which I suspect we will, you don’t scream, you don’t panic. You do as I say, got it?”

“Yes, Captain Levi.”

“You haven’t ridden a horse, correct?”

“Correct, sir.”

“You’ll be riding with me. It can feel like you’re going to fall off; you won't.” Levi motioned you to follow him and he started walking through the cloned men of steel. The knights sat tall and proud on their steeds, flickering a glance at you passing. The horses beneath them were just as formidable with rippling muscles. Beautiful.

“Captain Levi, does Sir Zacharius and the knights with him know there’s a different plan? So he knows where to meet us?”

“Last night Connie went to the cottage to pass along the new plan. Although it might be better for Sir Zacharius’ health to travel to Mitras Castle.”

“How is he?” Levi paused for a moment and you followed obediently behind him, waiting for an answer. Dreading any news of Sir Zacharius’ health getting worse.

“He’s fine.”

“You promise?” Levi abruptly turned around, stopping in his tracks. Regret filled you, you didn’t mean to sound like you were doubting Captain Levi. His normally stoic expression softened.

“The infection spread to the rest of his body . . . the antibiotics should help, but we’re not going to know for a while. I’m sorry Princess. Miche is a strong man and he’ll be able to take care of himself once he can walk. Right now it’s important to focus on getting you to the castle.” Levi’s eyes glanced away from yours, then he walked toward his horse. You trailed behind him, gripping a part of your cloak seeking comfort. 

“Good morning Princess Y/N.” A knight said as you passed.

“Good morning,” You replied politely, a little caught off guard.

A pleasant cacophony of polite greetings began to overwhelm your ears as you passed each knight. When Levi arrived at his black beautiful horse, his horse nudged her nostrils towards him, Levi gave her a quick pet on the bridge of her nose. The knight who packed up Captain Levi’s tent was finishing the fastenings.  

“C-Can I touch?” Levi turned around noticing you addressing his horse. He started petting the lower part of her neck.

“Pet here.” You nodded and looked into the horse’s eyes and gently touched her shoulders. The horse didn’t react in a significant way and then blew air from her nostrils. 

“Wow,” You whispered.  

“I think she likes you, Princess,” A voice behind you said. You turned to see blonde hair and round-rimmed glasses. The messenger from last night, Zeke Yeager. You gave him a shy smile. The gleam in his blue eyes didn’t look away from you. 

“Does your horse like me, Captain?” 

“Loves you,” Levi said dismissively. “Jean, help Y/N get up once I’m ready.” Levi climbed onto his horse, looking tall for once. 

“Princess, put your foot here and push yourself up kind of like . . .” Jean held out his hand, it felt awkward. Levi was looking down on you and Jean. He offered a hand. You hooked your foot onto the strap and pushed yourself. You clumsily started pushing on Jean’s shoulder, then pulling on Levi before comfortably swinging your leg over, sitting very close to Levi. You were pressed up against Levi’s back. “I’ll be behind you and Connie will be near you.”

You nodded. There's a moment of awkward silence as you settled behind Levi, aware of how close you are to him. You could smell his clean scent filling the air around you. You put your hands on his shoulders, flustered and unsure of where to hold onto.

“Hold onto my waist.” You wrapped your arms around Levi’s waist, being forced to be close to him. Unlike holding Sir Zacharius’ arm, clinging to him while escaping Shiganshina, or lying next to him while sleeping on the small bed, this felt intimate. Holding onto Levi’s waist while being pressed against him ensured stability, but flushed your face of embarrassment. “Get your hood up! I don’t care if you have to hold it. Your hood remains on at all times.”

“Yes, sir, sorry.” Not even noticing your hood fell, you quickly pulled it back over your head. Your heart pounded at Levi’s stern tone. 

“Gentlemen!” Levi bellowed, “As we ride east stay alert! Stay sharp! Arrows and swords at the ready for any danger! The only reason to stop is if Dame Hange’s group is spotted! Otherwise no stopping until the forest of giant trees! We must reach there before sundown! Gentlemen Dedicate Your Hearts! ONWARDS!”

The knights in the very front began riding off. As more joined the stampede, the sound of beating hooves hitting the ground rhythmically filled your ears. Your weight shifted against Levi when his horse started sprinting and you tightened your hold around his waist. The wind rushed against your face, pushing your hood off. You groaned and put your hood back on, squeezing Levi with your remaining arm. With all the strength of your core, you tried to maintain balance. Riding a horse for the first time was a bit nerve-wracking. You avoided looking at the ground passing rapidly under Levi’s horse. 

As the journey to Karanese District began, the sun rose from behind the horizon shining directly in the face of the knights. The vast blue sky was beginning to warm the land. You looked past the knights beside you and gazed at the landscape. The green hills were slowly passing by. When looking over your shoulder to take a peak of where you came from, the closest cottage was disappearing out of view.

You noticed Jean’s eyes ten feet behind you and you smiled at him. Then you looked for Connie on his horse, but you couldn’t find him near Jean. Only figuring out he was ten feet away on Levi’s left.  

The harsh sunlight was reflecting off the ground and the knights’ steel armor. A faint heat from the pouring rays were beginning to burn into your forehead and temples. The relentless sunlight didn’t let up until a few hours of riding when the sun was higher in the sky. 

You looked around for the first four hours, interested in the landscape you had never been to before. The grass was taller than the field where Levi’s camp was, reminding you of the tall grass in the forest where Sir Zacharius was caught in the large animal trap. 

You closed your eyes and the lack of the bright view soothed you. Shading your eyes with your hood from the beams of light was relaxing, alleviating the strain. The day felt long and the sound of the rhythmic horses galloping began to blend into the background. You placed your cheek on the back of Levi’s shoulder, holding the hood in place. Then you clasped your fingers together, ensuring your hold around Levi. The long boring day began to wear you down and you felt heavier.  

“Princess, you need to stay awake,” Levi called out.

“I am!” You said with your eyes remaining closed.

A sudden ambiance of rushing water jolted you awake. You saw a large body of water cutting into the green and rocky landscape. You haven’t seen such a large river before except for illustrations in books. 

“Princess please stay awake!”

“I’m sorry Captain.”

The melody of the flowing river added to the soundtrack of the rhythmic sounds from the horses. You returned your cheek against the back of Levi’s shoulder, resting once again. You weren’t going to fall asleep, just rest your eyes. 

Suddenly Levi shoved his shoulder, your heartbeat was in your throat realizing you jolted awake and Levi caught you. 

“No more resting your head on me! Stay awake.”

“I’m sorry I’m tired!” 

The river was gone and the landscape was flat. Ahead was a silhouette almost looking like a mountain, taking up most of the horizon. The shape of the silhouette was too odd to be a mountain, but the height of the landscape appeared intimidating and grand.

“Captain Levi . . . is that the forest of giant trees?”

“Does it look like it?” You flinched at Levi’s remark, confused about why he snapped at you like that. You felt like you didn’t deserve it and pondered if falling asleep was why he was upset with you. Besides that, what could you have done to get him to snap at you? A moment later Levi glanced back and you saw a pang of remorse in his eyes. “Ignore my bluntness, I feel like shit and we have just about three more hours until we’re at the edge of the forest.” 

“CAPTAIN! ON THE MESA!” A knight near the front of the formation pointed toward the direction of the tiny elevation of land, almost more like a large hill under three miles away. Everyone looked to the flat-topped raised land.

“Captain! Are those people?”

“SHIT!” 

When squinting, on top of the flat mesa-like hill appeared to look like a ward of humans. Their figures were distinct against the blue open sky.

Standing there. 

Watching.

Not moving a muscle. 

The formation of knights continued toward the forest of giant trees, holding their breath and waiting . . .

A foreboding sinking feeling, made you swallow. Your chest started heaving.

“Levi?” You quietly asked. 

“Full speed ahead toward the edge of the forest! They don’t appear to look like they have horses!” Levi called out and then the knights in the formation urged their horses onward. Their eyes fixed ahead toward the forest of giant trees as the horses picked up speed. 

The hairs stood on the back of your neck. You clutched your cloak making sure to absolutely not have the hood fall. Who are those people?

Watching . . .

An uneasy feeling in your stomach began to lurch.

Silence.

Your heartbeat was the only thing in your ear.

From the short drop off of the tiny hill-like mesa were animals? An animal on all fours . . . running from where the ward of people were standing, dozens. Then more. Dozens upon dozens. In the distance barreling down the slope.

Your eyebrows rose to your hairline, eyes widening, the thumping of your heart intensifying in your ears.

The dark and large canine-looking creatures barking and growling in the distance were bolting toward the formation of the knights. 

“CAPTAIN MUTTS!” “CAPTAIN YOUR ORDERS?! “THEY’RE HEADING STRAIGHT TOWARD US!” “TO THE FOREST!” “IT'S THE MARLEYAN CULT!” “THE BASTARDS RELEASED HOUNDS!” “HOLY SHIT!” “CAPTAIN WE CAN’T LET THEM GET THE HORSES!” “THE HORSES CAN’T OUTRUN THE DOGS!” 

“ARCHERS!” Levi roared over the knights. “DRAW YOUR BOWS!” You held tighter onto Levi’s waist seeking comfort from the inevitable attack of the mutts. They were racing closer, their eyes fixed on their prey: the knights, the horses, and you. Most of the knights moved swiftly, nocking their arrows, pulling the drawstrings taut, and calculating the distance of the threat. “RELEASE!”

Arrows darted into the sky, piercing the atmosphere and then cascading toward the mutts. Guttural howls from the canines reached your ears. Some slammed into the ground flipping in front of another stampeding canine. Their high-pitched yelps scraped your ears making you cringe. Your stomach twisted hearing the mutts’ agonizing cries as arrows landed into their eyes.

The healthy canines barged over the writhing yelping mutts, drawing nearer to the formation of knights. 

You began choking on air, too stunned to move or speak. Tears began to fill your eyes.

“DRAW YOUR BOWS! TAKE OUT THE MUTTS BEFORE THEY REACH THE FORMATION!”

Arrows flung and shot toward mutts, more cries, more canines losing their feet under them, plummeting to the ground. A crescendo of anguishing wails filled the air as they were getting closer. The onslaught of arrows rapidly being shot at the oncoming canines took down most of the callous hounds.

“PROTECT Y/N! PROTECT YOUR HORSE!” 

The first mutt to lunge at a knight in the formation was pierced by the knight’s sword. The force flung the knight off his horse. His cries are heard in your ears as he hits the ground, disappearing out of your sight.

Another mutt lunged at the neck of a horse, plummeting the horse to the ground. The knight was thrown from the horse, getting the wind knocked out of him. You saw the knight on horse directing behind, leap over the fallen horse. Another Mutt knocked over a knight, mauling at the man’s neck.

Your tears streamed down your face and you couldn’t muffle the sound of your sobs. You closed your eyes hearing the horses whining in fear, the men yelling and crying as ferocious teeth sank into their faces, the wails of the mutts as their bodies were getting sliced from swords. 

“SHIT!” Levi yelled.

Your eyes opened and then widened as Levi’s horse stumbled over another fallen horse, tossing you and Levi from her back. You screamed, flipping through the air, getting the air knocked out of your lungs as you hit the ground multiple times rolling forward and then scraping your arm. Your face against the dirt, you choked out a sob, gasping for air. 

Silence.

You gagged for air, wheezing, and your brain short-circuited not thinking. Your eyes opened, seeing grass, then you felt the tickle of the grass on your face. You trembled lifting yourself from the ground, you wiped the tears from your eyes. Your breath was constricted and shaky as you saw the blood on your knuckles. You wiped your forehead and temples, blood staining your hand. With a twinge of pain, you looked up.

A horse was stomping a malicious canine, a knight was on his feet swinging his sword against a mutt, another knight had a mutt pounce on him and you saw his sword go through the body of the mutt sticking out of its back. You looked to the side to see a knight on his horse dashing by a mutt slicing through the hound, another knight was being mauled and another knight killed the predator saving his comrade. Another knight nearby killed a mutt eating at the neck of a dead horse. A few knights with their bows shot at mutts dashing at another knight.  

You threw up on the field, decorating the grass with bile. Your stomach convulsed and tried to throw up more despite your empty stomach. You spit the leftover bile out of your mouth. You wiped your mouth with your sleeve.

You got on your elbows in an attempt to get on your hands and knees. Tears were blurring your vision, you wiped again only to see more blood on the back of your hand. You turned over and sat up, hunched over holding yourself with your arms. 

Levi with blood on his face sliced through a lunging mutt, then as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he whipped around impaling another hound. Then he kicked the mutt off his sword. Jean in the distance was standing next to his horse who was lying on the ground whining in agony. He fought off a mutt barreling toward his horse and then cut into the body of another mutt. 

Suddenly the sight of a mutt with an arrow in its eye was dashing toward its prey: you. You scream, crawling back helplessly. You choked on spit and your heart was in your throat as the large beast was running towards you. You had no sword and no fighting skills. The hound leapt toward you, and you let out a guttural scream. Then an arrow impaled the other eye, you rolled away dodging the canine’s body plummeting to the ground. You looked over your shoulder to see Connie holding a bow, then Connie reloaded his bow and turned away shooting another mutt. 

“Princess!” A hand grabbed you by the arm, you yelped as the knight was pulling your injured body. You saw his recognizable round-rimmed glasses and blonde hair.

“Z-Zeke!” You sputtered out, saying his name for the first time. He shielded you with his body as he held out his sword. You whimpered as you saw three mutts step toward you and Zeke.

“BACK!” He commanded the mutts, they growled with blood and saliva seeping from their mouths. You clung to Zeke, getting a moment to study the large black vicious canines. Their eyes were red and hungry to sink their teeth into flesh. The dog closest to you lunged toward you and Zeke swung his sword, cutting the mutt’s head off. Then Levi’s black horse came and stomped on one of the hounds, making the canine writhe and yelp. The last canine attacked the horse and Zeke stepped in cutting the hound.

“T-Thank you Zeke,” You said breathlessly. 

“Y/N!” You turned to see Levi running toward you.

“Captain she appears to be fine besides a gash in her head,” Zeke said to Levi. As Levi approached, you jumped onto him, wrapping your arms around his neck. More tears spilled out of your eyes. 

“I thought we were going to die!” Levi hesitated then hugged you back with one arm patting your back. 

“The fucking mutts are gone but we’re not safe yet,” Levi said. You pulled away catching your breath for what felt like the first time. You saw where the knights were looking. The ward of humans on the flat hill were still watching. Chills ran down your spine as you realized they were watching their mutts attack and try to kill the knights. Suddenly they turned around and walked away. The silhouettes of the ward disappeared from the edge of the tiny mesa. No humans left to be seen, but the blue sky and the view of the small hill-like mesa. “They are out of dogs or won’t send any more! Check on the wounded and examine the horses! Put them out of their misery if needed! We head for the forest in ten!”  

next chapter Chapter 6: A Cascade of Wine and Water

Chapter Index Masterlist

[amloveabledeathmo]

I love all of your asks! Thank you so much for initiating! You always have interesting things to ask people so here's an ask for you in return. What is a funny thing that happened to you? For me, it was when I was working as a forestry technician and I had to go to the bathroom out in the wilderness. I told my male partner "don't look" and hopped into the bushes to do my business. I pulled my pants down to my ankles, braced myself against a big, old tree, and just as I was about to go... THE DANG TREE FELL OVER AND I FELL WITH IT! My partner yelled, "OMG CAN I LOOK NOW?" And I, with my pants round my ankles and lying on my back, was laughing too hard to yell anything back. Later on, he was retelling the story and said I peed so hard it took a tree down.

That's hilarious 😂. Using the outdoors to potty is always an adventure. When I was like 14 I used to do endurance races with my dad. Endurance races are horse rides that can include multiple levels; fun runs which are about one loop and 15 miles, limited distance is usually 20 to 30 miles, regular which are between 50 and 65 miles and usually at least three loops with some breaks between them, and finally there are 100 milers which are 100 miles and multiple loops and the only distance I never did. (There's also sometimes something that's like horse and rider and the rider runs next to the horse or something). Also these are not like race run fast, just for the safety of the horse a lot of the time is walking and trotting very little cantering or galloping(do so right in the last few miles is not illegal but everyone will talk and it will not be nice things).

Anyways on the longest loop during one of the rides we did out in the desert, my dad was talking to another rider who was with us at the time. My horse always lagged way behind, Ghazi gave zero fucks about the horses leaving him behind which is rare in horses. I found myself needing to pee and thought well I'll just wait till this dude decides to ride off or maybe I'll hold it till we get to the vet check. Nobody really cares about using the bathroom but I am quite shy so I did care about it and didn't even want to say anything with the other guy there.

About 30 minutes later I realized I was gonna pee in the saddle if I didn't find somewhere and discreetly started trying to get my dad's attention. Bladder is getting more urgent and dad is ignoring me so I just left the trail, went rather far out to find a hill to pee behind and struggled to get off Ghazi without peeing myself and him. He is not at all behind the hill let me tell you and he perks up when a couple riders go past on the trail. So I get done, get remounted, and am heading back to the trail when my dad and his horse King come flying down the trail.

Apparently even though I had been saying Dad hey Dad before I lagged behind and left the trail he never heard it and when him and the other dude caught up to a different rider he turned around and I was gone. He then rode backwards asking people if they'd seen me and they said no even though I saw them from my improvised potty.

Unfortunately for my mother the four riders that were now ahead of us got in to the vet check and started loudly saying Tom lost his daughter. As I was the only Junior in the ride, mom knew it was me and got to be worried until we came in and then my dad told everyone how it was all because I was embarrassed to pee near people and everyone laughed about it. It's funny now but it was embarrassing then.

What I mean by they weren't concerned about the potty is I've seen others just hand the reigns over to someone (and been the one to hold the reigns as well) and then just squat next to their horse to pee.

*Bonus story: Took my niece with me to the Dr's once when she was about 5 and the Dr asked me if I had kids and she very loudly and proudly proclaimed "Aunt A-- has dogs!"

[st0rmyskies]

Omg Stormy the tags you put in your response. It took me a minute to realize what you meant and then I just covered my face and giggled like a schoolgirl. Now I NEED that, and it had me thinking how it would happen and I might have figured out a way.

o!Sky would still be having his urges, right? Which would mean he'd still be having his heat. I'm not saying they do it during his heat of course because we all know Sky would NOT be of the right mind to consent, but that being said--I know Sky suddenly going into heat would have the whole house in an uproar because "whoa, what the hell is going on with our new roomie? and why the hell does it smell like that?" And Time's gonna want a way to avoid ~that~ happening again or to at least help Sky when he learns that there is no way to avoid it, for the peace of the household and for Sky's comfort. I know o!Sky and his Time are bonded so it would be him that Sky actually wants (unless I'm misunderstanding heats, it's been a minute since I've read through the series) but maybe the souls are close enough that the bonds could be appeased by Townhouse!Time anyway. Of course it would take a lot for Sky to even entertain the idea, if he even would. But I just thought that would be an interesting situation/perhaps solution.

That being said, I don't even know if Time would survive a heat. That man is not built for marathon sex of that caliber which is also a really funny image.

We're referring to this ask, of course.

Funnily enough the reason I didn't respond to this ask immediately was because I fell down the "how often do people die during sex anyway" and found that (1) men die more often during consensual sex, who's surprised, and (2) even so, deaths during consensual sex equal less than 1% of all sudden deaths. Causes tend to be cardiovascular and again, who's surprised that sildenafil (Viagra) is thought to play a role for two reasons:

It's a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE-5). For those of you lucky enough to have never suffered through pharmacology, the original intended purpose of this medication was to treat pulmonary hypertension, which can negatively impact heart function. Inhibition of PDE-5 induces relaxation of smooth (or involuntary) muscle, such as those muscles in the vessels of the body, but there's something called 'too much of a good thing' and you can cause problematic levels of hypotension with this medication. (The same mechanism that addresses pulmonary hypertension also happens to have fortuitous effects in the corpus cavernosum, or the spongy erectile tissues in the penis, hence sildenafil was able to be marked in two ways.)

Many but not all men who need sildenafil for their extracurricular activities may be infirm in other ways. Perhaps the vigorous workout of sex was just a bit too much for them, or maybe it was their time.

Anyway, setting my physio nerd hat aside, I'm not sure HSH!Time would survive a heat alone--meaning, without divvying up o!Sky's needs with other participants. At best, his jaw is going to get a wicked cramp. At worst, he might need to spend two weeks or so out of the saddle afterward trying to recoup his, erm, functionality. At worst-worst, well, at least he died doing what he loved?? I suppose???

My hc regarding alphas/omegas and those from other universes is that there's not a whole lot of characteristic cross-over when it comes to things like scent or sexual performance. There's a high likelihood, in fact, that o!Sky might just always smell weird af and/or downright bad to those who aren't of omegaverse origin.

As far as Sky's preferences during heat, while anyone he's willing to be with can certainly help him through it, only alpha!Time can fill that void and bring him the greatest relief.

[starchild0985]

I just remembered something that happened during my first rdr2 playthrough. I was riding to strawberry for the micah mission and I thought I could get past the train tracks before the train hit me but I couldnt and the train killed my horse. I didnt realize my saddle transferred automatically to the stables when that happens so I carried it for like 45 minutes while walking to the closest stable until I eventually gave up and dropped it because Arthur's stamina was dead and when I got to the stable and my saddle was there I was losing my mind 💀💀

OMG what an ordeal! You said it--first playthroughs are always cursed. In my first, I accidentally punched my horse and she ran away. I felt so bad, lol.

[books-coffee-and-the-woods]

oooh 12, 13, 8, and 10 for end of year book ask, please!! (stacking hater questions first haha)

Hi!!

Ooh thanks for asking the juicy mean questions haha (not that I have many books to shit-talk this year)

12. Any books that disappointed you?

A few!

A House with Good Bones, which was good but not really the kind of intensity I expect from Kingfisher horror

The Decagon House Murders, which had been hyped up for me as a classic mystery, but ended up being predictable and not very interesting (and some of the characters were so, so annoyingly pretentious lol). Apparently it's basically a rewrite of an Agatha Christie novel so I should pick up the original eventually

the ending of There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job was a bit of a letdown. i was expecting something a little more evocative than "you just have to get over your burnout and get back in the saddle" lol. Aside from that it's a really interesting book, though!

Chlorine by Jade Song. The MC just didn't work for me. It's marketed as a coming of age analogy about being queer and (potentially) trans, where the MC is alone and isolated from everyone around her and pushed into drastic change to embrace her identity...but then the MC spends basically the whole book refusing to communicate, lying and then expecting everyone to read her mind and know she's lying, assuming no one will understand her without trying to talk to them about important issues, scorning her parents' hard work (which they do so she can participate in an expensive sport) etc. Like....she isolates herself so much the metaphor just doesn't work for me. If anyone in her life had been shown as purposely malicious and/or if she'd tried to say something and been openly mocked it'd make more sense. Also there's this whole strange section of the book where her best friend who the MC admits she treats as a subservient lackey is writing love letters to her and apologizing for not....reading her mind and magically intuiting her thoughts and emotions, which is just really weird. If the intention was that the MC is some kind of fucked up horror protagonist with a skewed vision of reality it would work, but the marketing and all the blurbs from other authors I've seen suggests I'm the only person seeing this, so idk maybe I just didn't Get It. The body horror is primo, though.

13. What were your least favorite books of the year?

Probably Chlorine and The Decagon House Murders

8. Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

I think my only goal for this year was literally "start enjoying reading as a hobby again instead of obsessing over how long my TBR list is and getting burnt out" so I definitely succeeded there! I also set a storygraph goal of 50 books purely because I like using their Challenges section to track what I read, and I'm at 75 books now, so...even the unserious goal was accomplished!

10. What was your favorite new release of the year?

ABSOLUTION!!!!! OMG WHAT A BOOK!!!!

(side note, I just realized I only read about 5 new releases this year. no wonder I feel so disconnected from Current Book Culture...)

[allylikethecat]

Ally! Vampire fic still amazing and I am still salivating for more!!!!!!! Fictional!Ross telling Matty he died I can’t….. like could he be any more vague?? 💀💀 I know he didn’t explain because he feels it’s not his place but omg I can’t wait for when fictional!Matty to realize he’s a vampire I feel like he’s gonna be so cutie and curious but first I know we must be sad because Matty has a lot to process and is still having to grapple w addiction and fictional!George feels guilty for turning fictional!Matty and is in fact traumatized

Anyway I hope your day has been amazing!! Are you gonna listen to the brat remix album? Tbh when brat first came out and everyone was hype I felt a little left out because it’s not really my favorite genre but I will say after listening more and more some songs are growing on me and I think I’ll give the remix a try!!

Now time for random questions because I said so

- Pink and green or brown and teal? (I was having a conversation about nostalgic color combos earlier today with a friend and we established those color combos held the most memories for us lol)

- what’s the last thing you dressed up as for Halloween?

- Do you like candles? If so do you have a favorite scent or genre of scents?

- Which Match sister do you most relate to?

🥤

Ahhhh hello my dearest Smoothie Anon!!! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to send me this lovely ask!

I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the new chapter of The Vampire Fic! Poor Fictional!Ross was like I did not sign up for this 😂 and he does not know nor does he want to know the details of Fictional!Matty's death Fictional!Matty and Fictional!George aren't the only ones traumatized by it!

OMG once Fictional!Matty gets it together a little bit he's going to be SO EXCITED being a vampire is like all he's ever wanted he is SO HAPPY even though he's a bit squeamish and the idea of drinking blood freaks him out and makes him nauseous which isn't ideal... BUT FIRST he has to deal with the fact that he is an addict and also... died (Fictional!George isn't dealing with that fact any better than Fictional!Matty is)

I really enjoyed the Brat remix album! I've been a fan of Charli since the Boom Clap days, she always made fun like feral party girl music that we would pregame to in college 😂 It's so funny, I told my friend's daughter (she's 15) that the Brat album was going to blow up (at this point on Von Dutch and 360 had been released) and she was like "OK Ally you're just old" and then it DID and she was like "Okay so maybe you were right" and I felt extremely validated. I Might Say Something Stupid remix is SO GOOD but WOW did it make me SO SAD that it won't be on the regular rotation - Apple remix with The Japanese House though?! Incredible and while still sad didn't break my heart the way IMSSS did.

QUESTIONS these are so fun

Pink / Green is for sure more nostalgic for me because I was THAT girlie, but these days I would probably gravitate towards Teal / Brown - I live in the southwest and those are very south west coded colors

I was Barbie and Pop was Nibbles / the Barbie horse 😂 We dressed up for a costume class at a horse show. It was fun, I had a long blonde wig on under my helmet and Pop had a hot pink saddle pad, bright pink polo wraps, and I put glitter hoof polish on his feeties and painted the Barbie logo in bright pink on his butt. He hated it, I was so amused, he tried to buck me off because he didn't like the ribbon i tied in his tail and my trainer had to like very quickly untie it before I died 😂 My farrier was also very unimpressed by the glitter hoof polish - it wouldn't come off which was bullshit because it was literally MADE FOR HORSES and supposed to just come off with water. It didn't.

I LOVE candles! I have one burning pretty much 24/7 when I am home. I love the "fall" / "woodsy" scented candles. Think apples, pine trees, leather, musk, that kind of vibe

Ok imma be so honest I don't know what the Match Sisters are I'm sorry 😭

Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to send me this lovely super wonderful ask!! I hope you are doing well and that you continue to enjoy my work. I hope you are having the BEST weekend!!

❤️Ally

[cowan-alger]

Is there like an invader Zim au in which Dib doesn't immediately declare war upon Zim when realizing he's an alien? And they become best friends? And suddenly Dib is saddled with this fucking idiot who will blow his cover at any minute and still somehow keeps acting all high and mighty. And Zim would be like "YES A HUMAN SLAVE!" But like in this au Dib is smart enough to realize Zim will never actually manage to conquer the earth, and kind of takes pity on him, and offers to "help" but is actually just keeping an eye on him while letting his plans fail on their own, and trying to keep him out of harm's way because "omg a real alien 🥺" Like, who wouldn't want to become best friends with a creature from another planet? And he would be like trying to learn as much as possible from his culture and registering it for posterity, and gathering as much evidence as possible from everything Zim does. Maybe planning to eventually release it to the public. (And if Zim found out he'd accuse him of treason or something, and angst ensues). And anyway if I don't find anything like that I might just take it upon my own hands.

[uncouth-the-fifth]

omg i love prompts, and congrats on 100 followers !! <33 how about "i never realized how meaningful sex could be until we got together" with batman!damian?

354. "I never realized how meaningful sex could be until we got together," with Damian Wayne.

ty!! I love prompts too cause they force me to be more creative than usual, which ya girl struggles with. Batman!Dami was an exquisite choice 👌

A needy moan fell from Damian's lips.

You chased the taste of it, cupping where the soft edge of his hair met his neck to swallow his sounds. Post-patrol sex was fifty-fifty for Damian - either it was the last thing on his case-honed mind, or the necessary stretch his overworked body was dying for. Now, his muscles seemed to float under his skin without tension. Sometimes, your hands would flutter over a bruise or your lips would meet a bandage, but each minor pang was a worthy sacrifice to withstand. You kissed him. The fist of control Damian held over himself unwound, finger by finger.

You tilted back, hands sunk in the sheets behind you, and rolled your hips onto his dick. There was so much to look at that Damian's mind went blank, piercing eyes dizzying over your flush body. His hand braced on your warm waist and pressed into your belly. Damian watched your face steam with lust, watched your pussy fill itself with him until your weight settled on his lap again.

"Yes," Damian hissed, meeting your hips with his.

The tiny plea you gave him was too precious to be bought. "Look at what you do to me, Damian... fuck, baby, look..."

You whimpered at his fullness. The sound guided his eyes to your union, where the outer ring of your cunt wrapped snugly around Damian's girth.

"So full?" Damian cooed. His thumb languished at your clit, circling it in lazy circles. "You're practically bursting with me, beloved..."

You kissed him, wet and wanting and giggling. "Gonna - ah, split me in two, bats."

Niether of you put much effort into moving. You didn't have to, with Damian's injuries and your shared laziness. He liked to soak in each feeling you gave him, and you were content to be studied, so long as his gaze wandered and lingered. It never failed to. Just sitting cozy in his lap was nice, anyway. You'd managed to rip off everything but Batman's leggings, and the armored plates scratched pleasantly at your thighs and ass, putting imprints in your skin the longer you saddled him. His belt, boots and gloves were all over your room, lit by the wall-by-wall view of Gotham. It was too early in the morning for any sun, so you made out Damian's face by the angular planes of golden light framing his skin. Admiring him turned you into an artist. You could plot the shape of the light on his abs well enough to paint, and match it to the gleaming color of his eyes in the shadows.

A hand on your back fished your top half back to him, lips ready and eyes feathered closed for a kiss. Damian hummed when you gave him what he wanted. The sound vibrated low in his chest, thrumming through your own rib cage and filling your heart. Even just that movement stimulated you both. Usually, Damian's skill and determination could ensure at least five rounds of hungry, filthy sex, but his voice is tired and his hands are soft. Niether of you want to rush this. Niether of you need to, because the simple pleasure of kissing is enough to make you cum.

Damian cups your jaw in one hand, almost wrapping his hand around your throat. You're so close that you can taste the shape of each word on his lips. "Perhaps we should fall asleep like this," he humors, blinking lasciviously, "use you as my little cock warmer."

"M' too close," you shake your head. "I can sit on your lap when you work tomorrow. Just some Justice League reports, right?"

Damian scowls, "I don't want to think about Kent while my dick is inside you."

Your blush sinks into his neck and hides there, pressing your nose into his shoulder. Damian's heart flutters when you kiss his pulse. "Then what do you want to think about?"

His warm, calloused fingers play with your hair and enjoy how attached to him you are. You're barely touching the bed. With Damian's cock sheathed all the way inside your sore pussy, you're on him in every other way too, chest to chest, face to face. You're only brought closer when you embrace him around the neck, prompting Damian to scoop you up around your lower back and nuzzle into your cheek. Even the tiniest squeeze forces his eyes shut in bliss - your walls cushion him just right, and pool slick down his thighs. Touching himself was fine when the moment called for it, but nothing could beat this slickness, this velvet.

"You," Damian admits. He gave himself an arm to brace against the plush mattress, then stirred his hips up into yours, faster and faster, "t-touching you... your stomach, your breasts..."

Politely, you pushed your chest deeper into his. He felt your weight move to your knees. "A-ah! Yeah? W-what else?"

"Making love to you while you wear - wear my shirt. Pushing it over your chest, f-fucking you," Damian grit, "the face you make when I make you cum."

Your nose withdrew from his neck and bumped against his, your foreheads together. Arousal burned in your gaze like boiling steam, and you trapped him there, palms on his cheeks, forcing him to watch your lashes flutter and lips part each time Damian plunged deeper. He twisted just out of your hold and slammed his mouth to yours, groans unrestrained - you rode him until his legs were sore, until cum surged into your cunt, so much, liquid spilling in thick ropes down your thighs.

He thrusted and kissed you until you both were sweaty and cum-slick, mouths slowing, breath laboring. Damian released you from a particularly wet kiss, lips popping. He fell onto his back and sunk into the memory foam, sucking down air. You knotted your trembelling fist around the edge of his waistband and panted. The orgasms dragged on as the sex had, languid and exhausted. You waited until your pussy stopped urging his cock to throb to dismount him. This, too, took forever, but Damian's grin only grew as he absorbed your satisfaction. He'd performed well. Damian always did, but that fact was never missed by his ego.

You dropped your ass down on his stomach instead, letting his cock breathe. Like him, you collapsed forwards, squeezing his waist with your calves and snuggling Damian's chest. When his orgasm had faded to a distant warmth tingling in his gut, he was struck with the feeling that no one else had ever done this for him, and perhaps no one else ever would. Sex had once been nothing but a manipulation to him, but this was... this was special. This was something a devil like him should've never been able to treasure, and yet you'd shared it with him. Shared yourself. He hugged you to his chest, heart pounding.

"I never realized how meaningful sex could be," Damian said, slowly, "until you. I... I love you, Y/N."

You pressed a smiling kiss into his chest. "And I love you, Damian. Anytime."

[monstrouslyobsessed]

This is kind of intimate (which is why I'm on anon and will also spare you the details) but I once had a dream (nightmare?) Where I lived in an apartment that was haunted by this slender, thin entity. It never tried to hurt me, it just observed me daily. One day (?? Maybe?? It's a dream so time is weird) as I leave my apartment for work, the entity stops me at the door and asks "Would you love me if I was beautiful?" To which I laugh and say "Sure, maybe". Cut to some time later I'm with this cute guy or maybe it's a girl that I had been flirting for a while (Their appearance kept changing between feminine and masculine, I'm a bi mess) but I very clearly remember that after kissing me passionately, they looked down at me with eyes a little too dark and wide and a smile that was a little too stretched on the corners and asked me "Do you love now". That's when I woke up and almost cried because it was one of the most realistic and creepy dreams I've ever had. (Sorry for rambling) —anonymous

—tw / tags: implied stalking, implied foreplay, general yandere themes, semi sfw (due to implied foreplay), gn reader —featured character(s): unknown monster / shapeshifter

Creak. You stopped.

You stared at the doorframe. There were nobody standing there, this you knew of, but you could feel eyes on you. You tilted your head just a slightest and…you nearly jumped out of your socks, when something seemingly materialized from just the right angle. “Ah.” You said, as if it was a practiced script, “It’s you again.” You laughed, with a sheepish smile, “Sorry—you scared me.”

Familiar, as if you knew it as an old friend. An neighbor, really. Or, maybe it’d be better to call it as your roommate. It was shy, but it did little to hide itself from you and never once tried to harm you, that you lived with it without a second thought. Sometime you two talks, sometime…not at all. (It really like staring at you though.)

It was…oddly nondescript, its face nonexistent save for a gentle smile. Or, maybe your eyes couldn’t make anything out? There were an odd blur masking its face, concealing facial features from you. Its’ body was blacked out, rather than blurred, but you could tell it was thin. Very thin, willowy and tall, so tall that it was ducking under the top frame of the entryway. “Would you love me if I was beautiful?” It asked, its’ tone oddly soft yet…desperate?

Taken back, you blinked. This, was new. But, you snorted with that fond smile, “Maybe.” There was a slight urge in you to add, that it was perfect just the way it was. You said it as a joke though.

That was the end of it, when it vanished in a blink. You shrugged, thought nothing of its’ strange question, and moved forward through the door. 

It’d been a few days since you last saw your eldritch-like roommate. You hit up a T*nder match and a hot flirting led to you landing on your bed. Pulling your shirt over your head, your face flushed and smeared with lipsticked kisses, you panted at slender hands sliding down your skin, “Ohh…”

More kisses and teeth down yours. Eyes to eyes. 

But, something led you to a pause. A sudden sense of fear stiffened your spine when you realized just how smooth her skin were. Her eyes… “Hmpf?!” You were shoved down on the mattress and your new…friend saddled over your waist, with a skewed smile on her perfectly uncanny valley face. How did you not notice?

“You thought I was beautiful,” her husky voice reminded you of your recent skew of compliments, “so do you love me now?”

omg i love your mind… . hope you don’t mind that i whipped a piece inspired by you? and, feel free to ramble away!! i so love reading people’s rambles honestly!! i wish more people would ramble in my inbox tbh lol

—share your headcanon! (due to my recent absences, i’ll be closing this wednesday so i can focus on my commission)

[ttuesday]

Okay. Hear me out.

How would Arthur who is so god damn clueless take to just not getting hints that f!Reader WANTS him like WANTS wants.

Someone asks if he’s clueless or plain not interested. “Interested in what?”

Y/n!!!!

Arthur: Oh.... well she’s awful.... ah...cute (he won’t say tempting). Hm.... she’s been pretty snuggly recently too but it’s gettin cold..... -thinks about it for a moment - why’d ya ask?

And finally that someone is just like DUMB ASS. SHE WANTS TO #squeaky toy sound# you!!!!!!

Smexy Arthur NSFW moment where it hits him like a ton of bricks and ALL THE SIGNALS are just flipping through his head like his damn life is flashing before his eyes and he has to find you RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.

I. LOVE. THIS. OMG. OK

It’s Obvious

word count: 975 approx.

(I was gonna do this NSFW but decided to keep it PG but I can always do a steamy part 2 lol)

The job went off without a hitch. You and Arthur rode back to camp with money in your satchels and smiles on your faces.

You both slowed as ye approached the hitching post on the outskirts of camp. Arthur dismounted his horse first but as you dismounted your trusty steed, your foot slipped. "Ah!" you tried to grab the horse's saddle but you failed to grasp it in time.

"Woah there" quick on his feet, Arthur caught you before you could fall into the dirt below. He wrapped his strong arm around your waist and steadied you.

"You alright?" he chuckled, amused by your clumsiness. You could feel your face go red "I, uh, yeah I'm fine". You planted your feet on the ground but Arthur kept his arm around you. "Y'sure?" he asked, a small smile still on his face. 

For a second, you stared at him, momentarily getting lost in his deep blue eyes. You glanced down at his lips before you forced yourself to look away. "Yeah I'm fine," you repeated, stepping away from him "I'll go put the gang's share in the donations box". You gave Arthur a tight smile before turning on your heels and walking away.

Christ, why did you always have to be so goddamn awkward around him? He's just so attractive, you can't help but get flustered whenever he’s near. You unfortunately reminded yourself of the time you got drunk at Sean's return party and tried to flirt with Arthur. You didn't speak to him for a week after that but luckily, you don't think he even realized you were trying to flirt with him.

Arthur sighed as he walked in the opposite direction. He walked through the middle of camp, only stopping when he heard Hosea call him over to a table. As Arthur approached, Hosea folded the newspaper he was reading and smiled at the younger outlaw. "How was your date?" he asked.

Arthur let out a small huff as he broke eye contact "That wasn't a date, we were robbing some fools Trelawny told us about". 

"You two have been off robbing a lot of fools lately," Hosea observed "you make quite the duo". 

Arthur sighed as he sat down at the table "Hosea, it ain't like that". 

"Maybe it's not like that for you..." Hosea trailed off. Arthur didn't reply immediately, instead he let the words sink in. He scrunched up his face, the answer seemed so obvious but he asked Hosea anyways "What's that supposed to mean?".

Hosea gave him a sympathetic smile "I know you like to pretend to be the big dumb cowboy but you ain't that dumb... she likes you and before you ask, yes I mean in a 'more than friends' way".

Arthur shook his head “Nah, she don’t think of me like that”. Hosea slowly stood, holding his newspaper in his hands “Just think about it Arthur, it’s obvious”. And with that, Hosea walked off to find a quiet place to continue his reading.

Arthur stayed seated at the table, deep in thought. He swivelled his head as he scanned camp to find you. You were by Dutch’s tent, nodding your head as Dutch recited a quote from the dearly cherished Evelyn Miller. 

Arthur didn’t believe what Hosea said. You were smart, witty, capable, had a good moral code and absolutely gorgeous. He was convinced you were out of his league.

Arthur adjusted the hat on his head as he thought back to all the robberies the two of you had been doing recently. Sure, sometimes there was some subtle touches and lingering gazes but Arthur thought that he was the only one that felt a spark between the two of you. He thought that maybe you liked him at Sean’s party but his hopes were dashed when you never mentioned it afterwards. 

He looked over at you again. You smiled at something Dutch said before bowing your head and walking away. As you walked away, Arthur thought that maybe you didn’t think he reciprocated your feelings. He felt a sudden surge of panic.

What if you thought he wasn’t interested and now you were moving on to someone else? Arthur stood and began to walk after you. What if he missed his chance to be with you? He picked up his pace as these thought swirled around his brain.

You turned your head at the sound of approaching footsteps. “Hey Arthur,” you smiled at him. Arthur didn’t say anything as he continued to move closer to you. Your smile momentarily faltered, curious if something was wrong.

In those precious moments, Arthur pushed all his doubt and self esteem issues out of his mind. There was only one thing he was focused on. He caught you off guard as he cupped your face and passionately kissed you. 

It took you a few seconds to comprehend what was happening before you slowly began to kiss him back, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck. Arthur moved forward, his lips still entangled with yours. You moaned softly as your back pressed against the trunk of a tree.

Just before you could deepen the kiss, Arthur pulled away to look at you. “I want you” he said in a husky voice. You wanted to melt under his touch. That was all you’ve ever wanted to hear him say and finally, he’s said it. You kissed him again, pulling him closer so he sandwiched your body against the tree. “I want you too” your voice was just above a whisper, still astonished by his actions. Arthur smiled before kissing you again, knowing that this was the start of something beautiful.

[ppersonna]

the sheriff - knj | m

↳ summary- you’ve always had a soft spot for Kim Namjoon, the local sheriff.  seems like he’s had one for you, too.

↳ rating- explicit/18+/nsfw

↳ pairing- kim namjoon x reader

↳ word count- 6.8k (THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DRABBLE I...)

↳ genre- smut, fluff

↳ warnings- penetrative sex, oral sex (m/f receiving), cowboy dirty talk, unprotected sex, aftercare, namjoon is a whole gentleman, we love to see it, period-typical gender roles, sex in a saloon, severe overuse of the word Darlin, artistic liberties on language used in the old west lol

↳ a/n- hello! welcome to my first (not so) drabble for Bangtan Rodeo!  this was requested by my angel dani @minloop​ who requested “ Howdy partner, Namjoon + saloon + sheriff 🤠” i hope you enjoy it love!  thank you to my soulmate @mindays​ for the amazing banner omg i c ry every time i look at it.  and thank you to @hobiance​ for making up this fun game, and for @mindays​ for beta-reading it!!  i also wanna shoutout my crew @ladyartemesia​ @xjoonchildx​ @taetaewonderland​ @kookiesjoonies​ who i would never write again if it werent for their constant hype.  I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL. 

What had started out as a pleasant ride through town on your father’s horse, Bang, turned into an absolute nightmare.

The horse had gotten spooked by some unknown creature, and reared up high, before taking off at a break-neck pace. Your screams were drowned out by the thunderous beat of the stallion’s hooves and the wind rushing by as the horse ran erratically out of the town and into the wilderness.

“Help!” You screamed, hoping someone would hear you. Fat tears rolled down your cheeks as you clung to the reins, skirt billowing behind you.

Bang the horse reared up again in a clearing, and this time it was no match for your delicate strength. You slid off the horse and landed hard on your back with an ‘oof’ before your vision went black.

“Hey, you hear me? Little lady?”

The voice wakes you, and you blink a few times. Sitting up, you wince at the stabbing pain that radiates through your body and hiss.

“Hey now, be careful,” the gentle voice speaks again. “Don’t get up too fast. Here, lay back down.”

Something soft touches the back of your head and you realize the kind stranger must have balled up some clothing for you to rest on.

The sun is still high in the sky and your vision is slowly coming back to normal, when you focus on the face of your savior—before nearly passing out again.

It’s the town Sheriff, Kim Namjoon. The very man you’ve harbored a secret crush on for years.  

You’ve watched him become a deputy and work his way up the ranks. He was a gentleman, and the bravest man in town. He battled some of the fiercest bank robbers and thieves in the county and always came back victorious. He was prime husband material.

That is, if you had ever spoken a more than a single word to him.

He’d work for your father on your ranch often, helping with mending fences or shoeing horses. He’d sit at your dinner table and graciously eat the soup, dumplings and pie you’d make special for him and thank you with a tip of his hat—then be off, back to saving the town, before you could even build up the courage to tell him ‘good evening’.

“How you feelin’?” He asks tenderly, cupping your cheek and pushing your mused hair behind your ear as best as he could.

It’s hard to speak—equal parts in pain from the fall and stunned from the beautiful man staring you down.

“H-hurts,” you whisper, licking your lips.

Namjoon’s eyes follow where your tongue trails over your chapped lips and swallows hard.

“I bet. You took quite the fall there.”

You close your eyes, remembering the terrifying moment you fell off. The horse had been so frightened, so ablaze...

Suddenly, you remember your father’s prize stallion. He had likely run off while you laid unconscious in the dirt.

“Oh, no!” Your eyes fly open. “Bang!”  You try to sit up, but Namjoon shushes you and gently guides you back down.

“He’s all right, miss.  He’s eating an apple, as happy as can be.”

“Oh, praise the lord,” you sigh. “Papa would tan my hide.”

Namjoon chuckles and nods.  

“Brave of you to take that beast out for a ride. You think you can sit up?”

You nod, and with his strong, gorgeous hands assisting you, you sit up straight.

He offers you the waterskin in his hands. “Here, have some water. You’ll need it for that headache.”  

“What headache—owww,” you groan as the sudden pounding in your head echoes the pounding of the horses’ hooves galloping out of town. Namjoon chuckles and pats down your hair—picking out dirt and leaves.

“Once you feel back to sorts, I’ll wrangle Bang up to my horse so you can ride with me, and I’ll take you home.”

The water from the skin is cool and you sigh as it coats your dry throat, eyes closing in bliss.  Namjoon keeps his eyes on you for a moment, watching the way you drink.  He nearly groans as a bit falls from your lips, trails your neck and down onto your pretty chest. It slips past your clothes, where his eyes can no longer follow it, and he shakes himself back to propriety.  

“Thank you,” you speak as you swallow the water and hand back the skin. “I needed that.”

Namjoon nods solemnly, tucking the skin back to his holster belt before standing up.

“You stay there and rest while I get Bang tied up, alright?”

You’re hopeless to deny any request from the handsome sheriff, and you’re nodding your assent before you try to fight back on feeling better.

Instead, you watch as the tall man stands and strides over to Bang, cooing gently at the enormous beast and patting his nose for a moment to calm any lingering nerves the horse may have.

Your mind wanders and you suddenly envision a future with the sheriff—watching him tend to your horses while you cook dinner and mind the children. You imagine him herding you into your bedroom and pushing you deep into your featherbed, dripping cock aching to slide into your warmth as he whispers how much he loves you into your ear.

You’re only snapped out of your fantasy when the man of your dreams approaches once more, a bridled horse at his side as he slips the reins through his own horse’s saddle to guide him back to town.

“You all right there, little lady? You looked a little dazed.”

Your cheeks heat and you nod, quickly trying to dispel the embarrassment.

He sticks his hand out and you watch as your small hand fits in perfectly to his grip, and he tugs you up with ease; the momentum of the pull has you being pulled directly into his chest.

“T-thank you,” you murmur breathlessly. The sheriff stares down at you, eyes fixed on your own before they glance at your lips as if it’s his last wish to press his own there.

He’s silent for a moment as he holds you against his chest, then rights himself and backs away.

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Glad to help.”

Namjoon lifts you onto his own horse and your heart stutters at the feel of his hands gripping your waist. It’s warm where he touches and you wonder what his hands would feel like touching you everywhere. You imagine his hands would feel like a dying campfire on your bare skin, deceivingly scorching hot.

He saddles up behind you and wraps his arms around you, gripping the reins as he clicks his tongue at his horse to start a slow trot back towards town.

The gentle trot of the horse makes your chest heave and fall, bouncing with each step the horse takes. Namjoon glances down and can see the way your breasts jiggle and bites his tongue.  You look enchanting—dirty skirt and ripped blouse from the fall. Namjoon only wishes he had been the one to dirty you and rip your clothes. His cock hardens against his will and he prays to god you don’t feel his arousal poking you in the back and prays he can get you to town before you realize and slap him into the next county.

And you definitely notice.

Your cheeks heat to hotter than the summer sun and you swallow hard to dispel some ache in your chest. Your core suddenly feels desperate for attention and you can almost imagine the way his hands would feel rubbing at your needy clit, whispering filth into your ear as he coaxed orgasm after sobbing orgasm from within you.

“Are you goin’ to the square dance tomorrow night?” Namjoon suddenly asks you, attempting to distract himself away from his rising cock.

In the chaos of your frightful ride out of town, and the bliss of being pressed up against the handsome sheriff, you had forgotten all about the annual square dance held at the town saloon.  Drinks, dancing, and fiddlin’ festivities were always bound to happen.

“Oh, it must have slipped my mind,” you say. “But, I suppose I could get Papa out of the house.  He has an eye on that new schoolteacher.”

Namjoon laughs, and it warms your heart. He’s taken special care of your father as much as you have ever since your mother died years ago.

“I think she has her eye on him, too.”

You hum, deep in thought of your lonely father, and Namjoon squeezes your hip with his free hand.

“Well, I hope to see you there.”

The blush returns right as Namjoon’s horse strides up to your homestead. Your father must have seen you coming and runs out of the house and down the steps to collect you.

“Oh, thank the good lord!” He breathes as he pulls you into his chest. You smile and return your father's warm embrace, suddenly feeling comforted.

“Sheriff Kim, I owe you a lifetime for rescuing my little girl.”

Namjoon smiles at you and winks, before looking back at your father and pulling his hat off tenderly.

“Just doing my duty, sir.”

Something twinges in your heart, as you’re reminded Namjoon saved you out of dedication to the badge than any memorable feelings towards you.

“Plus,” he continues. “It’s already a reward when the little lady is as pretty as this one.”

There’s that stupid blush again. Your father claps Namjoon on the shoulder and then brings the sheriff in for a hug, with a cheerful laugh.

“Now, you best be careful how you speak, son. I can’t threaten the sheriff with my .22 when he’s courtin’ my daughter.”  His demeanor radiates his joking manner with Namjoon, but the sheriff’s eyes still widen like he’s a teenager again.

Your cheeks, already pink, flame red with embarrassment.  

“Papa!” You admonish. “Leave Namjoon alone! He didn’t mean nothin’ by it!”

Namjoon’s smile fades back to a solemn and stoic look as he unhooks the stallion still attached to his own.

“Here you go,” he murmurs as he hands the reins to your father. “He’s just fine, too.”

Papa nods, and Namjoon replaces his hat and bows his head in acknowledgment.

“Good evening, sir,” he motions to your father. “And to you, miss. I reckon I’ll see you at the dance tomorrow.”

You nod, licking your lips again without knowing it. Namjoon begs his cock to behave, especially in front of your father.

“Thank you, Sheriff. And I reckon you will.”

He saddles up, and rides off into the sunset. Your eyes remain on his disappearing silhouette and your father fondly flicks your ear.

“That fellow likes you,” he nods at the retreating man. “And you just had to hold a candle for the goddamn sheriff.”

He ‘tsks’ jokingly, before slinging his arm around your shoulder and guiding you up towards the house.

“How the hell am I supposed to scare a boy off my daughter when he’s got more guns than me!”

You snort under your breath and lean into your father's hold.  

“Oh, Papa.”

You can hear the music pouring from the saloon the moment you walk up. Papa stands next to you outside and anxiously fixes his hair.

“You think Ms. Lainey will be here tonight?” He asks.  He tries not to look worried, but you can read him like a book.

Your hands smooth out his crisp, dress shirt and adjust his handsome bowtie.

“Yes, Papa. I reckon she will, lookin’ prettier than a sunflower.”

His eyes lock on yours, full of gentle emotion that you haven’t seen since your mother passed.

“You think this is fine?”

He looks concerned—worries he’s perhaps moving on too soon from your mother when she’s been gone and buried for years now. You can’t help but feel a bullet through your heart for the older man. He raised you to an adult, tended to an entire ranch, and maintained his sanity in the depths of his depression.

“Yes, Papa,” you soothe. “Mama would want you to be happy. I think Ms. Lainey is the perfect person to help you with that. Plus, I hear she makes a killer cornbread.”

Papa smiles and pinches your cheek gently.

“You’re just like your Mama,” he muses with a fond smile. “A smart ass. But a beautiful one.”

“Papa!”

“Hey,” he grins as he holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m not a liar. Now, let’s go in there and find that handsome sheriff, shall we?”

“Papa, please. Don’t embarrass me!”

“Well, too damn bad. That’s my job as your father.”

He pushes past you and through the swinging doors of the saloon.

Damn that old man.

Namjoon spies you the second you walk into the wooden saloon. You look like a princess, if he’s ever seen one.

Your blue dress hugs your curves just right and sweeps to the floor. It looks soft and Namjoon wonders what it would feel like under his fingertips. Tender, gentle, just like you.

He sets his bottle of beer down—he’s been nursing it for half an hour now, unwilling to get drunk or even tipsy tonight. Not out of some sense of duty—he had plenty of deputies around to keep the peace, but out of hope that you would come. He didn’t want to be drunk around you.  

He watches as you whisper into your father’s ear and gesture towards one corner of the room.  Namjoon tracks your gaze and sees you’re both looking at the new schoolteacher, Ms. Lainey who wears a pink blush that matches her pretty, pink dress. Your father kisses your cheek softly, before leaving your side and making his way towards the teacher.

Namjoon shoves the barely touched bottle of beer towards the barkeep, Jungkook.

“The hell you want me to do with it?” He asks incredulously to the sheriff.

Namjoon sends a look to his longtime friend.

“Fuck if I care, Kook. I’m busy!”

Jungkook grumbles under his breath as Namjoon turns away.

He weaves through the crowd towards you, keeping you locked in his vision. He hopes to keep you all to himself tonight, especially with you looking as ravaging as you do in that gown.

He nearly makes it to you when Jackson Wang slides in and wraps an arm around your waist.  He can see your face fall when you realize who it is. Jackson is your ex-boyfriend, and a shitty one at that.

“Come on, pretty baby,” he attempts to woo. “Let me have just one dance.”

“I said I’m not interested, Jackson.”

“Oh, I know you said that, but I don’t think you meant it.”

Namjoon clears his throat from where he stands behind you. You both turn in surprise towards the officer.

“I think the lady said what she meant.”

Jackson narrows his eyes at Namjoon and grips you tighter.

“And who the hell do you think you are!”

Namjoon opens the coat of his suit, giving Jackson an eye-full of the loaded revolver clipped to his side.

Jackson seems to get the picture and shoves you off him—Namjoon is quick to steady your uneven gait from the assault.

Namjoon whistles for Jimin, his deputy, and instructs the eager young officer to escort Jackson off the premises.

“You’re lucky I’m not having him take you to the Big House tonight.”

Jackson rolls his eyes and spits on the floor at your feet.

“Fuck you, Sheriff.”

Jimin shoves Jackson out the door and follows him out to ensure the man stays well-away from the dance tonight.

Your eyes are downcast when Namjoon returns his glance at you.

“I’m so sorry,” you murmur. “I didn’t mean to cause a scene.”

The sheriff hushes you and tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, just as he did before when he found you lying on the ground.

“Now, now,” he whispers as he steps closer. “I don’t want to hear none of that talk. You didn’t do nothin’.”

He slips a finger under your chin and brings your face to peer at his own. The violins change their tune from carefree to a soft ballad.

“Care to dance?” He offers.

You smile and nod after a beat of silence, taking his proffered hand and slipping your other to hold on to his firm shoulder. He looks handsome in his suit, much different from the Wranglers he wears to work. This suit is cream, and feels like fine silk under your fingertips. You wonder if he ordered it from the general store or if he rode his horse to the big city for it. It fits him like a glove and you silently thank the town tailor for his work, allowing you a tease of the man’s brilliant muscles and toned body under his clothing.

Namjoon’s hand slides around your waist—attempting to remain as proper as he can. He doesn’t want to give the town anything to gossip about, but the way your dress and waist feel underneath his palm make him nearly forget all his manners. His mother would kill him if she saw the way he continued to press in close to the woman, hoping to feel her bountiful chest press against his own.

“I’m glad you came,” Namjoon breathes as your feet move in time with his. “I was worried you weren’t gonna show.”

Your cheeks tickle a rosy hue, and Namjoon nearly melts.

“I’m sure you would have found another lucky lady to dance with.”

Namjoon hums as he spins you around, grip tightening on your waist.

“Maybe so,” he agrees. “But they wouldn’t be the girl I was hopin’ to dance with.”

Your throat feels tight.

“And who might that be?”

“The girl I’m dancing with right now.”

Something within you burns like a roaring flame, and you push forward to press your lips to his own. It stuns Namjoon; he doesn’t move until his brain finally catches up and he’s kissing you in return, deep and passionate. He pulls his hand out of yours to wrap around your waist completely, bringing you up to his chest as his tongue prods for entrance at your mouth.

You eagerly accept him, allowing his tongue purchase in the hot cavern of your lips, and you whine needily against him as you feel a bulge grow between his legs.

“Sheriff,” you whisper, pulling away from his lips.

“Namjoon,” he breathes desperately. “Please, call me Namjoon.”

“Okay, Namjoon.” He smiles and dives in to kiss you again when you pull away.

“Please, Namjoon, can we go somewhere else? Papa’s here…”

Your cheeks are red-hot and Namjoon chuckles, glancing around. Your father is busy enough as it is, dancing with the schoolteacher but he nods.

He grabs your hand and tugs you towards the bar, getting Jungkook’s attention.

“You back for that beer?” He asks with a grunt.

“Nah, gimme the key to a room upstairs.”

Jungkook eyes you standing behind the sheriff, bashful.

“Can’t even wait to get her home, now? Ain’t that the rancher’s daughter? He’s right over there! You’re really going to--”

“Jungkook!  The key, please!”

The barkeep rolls his eyes as he digs under the countertop for a large skeleton key and slides it to Namjoon.

“Down the hallway, first door on the left. The presidential suite.”

He winks at the sheriff who rolls his eyes and drags you up the stairs. You pray to any god listening that your father remains distracted with the schoolteacher.

Namjoon unlocks the door and allows you to enter first, giving you a chance to glance around the spacious room. There’s a copper bathtub, a fireplace, and a large feather-bed that looks divine.

“Wow,” you whisper. “Never been in a saloon bedroom before.”

Namjoon chuckles as he sets the heavy key on the dresser, loosening his tie.

Suddenly, you’re nervous. The implications of being here have your hands trembling and body feeling flustered. You’re not the kind of girl who fools around, nor are you the kind to simply open her legs for the first handsome officer who looks her way. You hadn’t even gone all the way with Jackson when you were with him. Now that it’s happening, you wonder if you’ve gotten far too ahead of yourself.

Namjoon notices the look on your face and crosses the floor easily to cup your face between his palms.

“Hey now, why the long face?”

Your eyes peer into his, shame washing over you. You want so badly to lie with the man in bed, in every sense, but you’re terrified.

“I’ve…” you swallow hard. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

The sheriff smiles and rubs under your eyes with the pad of his thumb. It’s comforting and having him this close to you makes your body feel like you’re close to the hearth of a fireplace.  Warm, soothed.

“And you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do, little lady. Thought we should just get out of the crowd.”

Your heart feels like it may just beat out of your chest completely. Namjoon is holding you, staring at you like you’re a treasure.  

“I want you, Namjoon. I’ve wanted you my whole damn life.”

Namjoon brings his face right up to yours, lips a mere breath away.

“And I want you.”

You close the space between your lips, finally re-acquainting yourself with his taste and the feel of his plushy mouth against yours. He tastes like hops and sweet mint. Your hands slide down to claw at his sides, gripping the fabric of his coat jacket in your balled-up hands.  

The kiss doesn’t remain chaste for long. You’re soon pushing off his coat, tugging down his suspenders and unbuckling his pants.

“Easy there,” he whispers as your hand tugs at his boxers. “We have all night.”

Inhaling through your nose, you nod. He’s right. There’s no reason to rush into this.  

“Plus,” he adds. “It’s not very fair that I’m nearly stark naked and you’re still in this pretty little number.”

Namjoon kneels down, thick fingers untying the laces of your heeled boot, and holding your ankles stable as he slips them off your feet.

He kisses your soft ankles, presses his lips to your shins and calves as if he’s worshiping you.  He thinks this is better than Sunday service, anyway.

The sheriff stands back up and his fingers move around to the back of your dress, easily finding the zipper and tugging down ever-so-softly. The fabric comes off your shoulders without issue, and soon pools at your bare feet. His eyes are soft as they travel over your body, left in only your silk panties and brassiere.

“There.” He whispers it like a prayer. “You’re so beautiful.”

The tone of his voice makes your body feel like it’s blazing—like the fire of whiskey as it pours down your throat. It burns, but it warms every single inch of you from the inside out.

“Namjoon, I don’t just want you for one night.”

Your anxieties pour out of your mouth with little thought. You wish you could hold back, just enjoy the moment. Your stomach twists and turns as he unbuttons the dress shirt and keeps his eyes locked on yours.

“That’s good,” he nods. “Because I don’t want you for one night, neither.”

Your hands slip onto his bare stomach, pushing the sleeves of his shirt off. His skin is hot, and firm. He feels like a dream. The shirt comes off easily and you gape at the artwork that is his chiseled chest.

“Oh my,” you gasp. Namjoon preens, enjoying your shameless gaze.

“All of this is for you,” he murmurs gently, watching the heated stare pull from his pecs to his eyes.

“M-me?”

He nods again and fingers the strap of your bra.

“I want you to be my girl,” he says. “I want to come home from a hard day and see my lovely little wife in our home. I’ll even get you a horse.”

You can’t help the smile that crosses your face.

“One that won’t buck me off in the middle of nowhere?”

He nods, slipping the strap down your shoulder.

“And if he does, your strong and handsome husband will be there to rescue you, every time.”

Your tongue soothes over your kiss-swollen lips as you listen to him and allow him to slowly remove your remaining articles of clothing. The bra straps fall off your arms easily and you let him work his hands around your back to undo the clasp.

“I want to make love to you every night,” he breathes. “Maybe get you nice and pregnant with my child.”

Your bra falls to the floor and his warm hands rub at your stomach, where a swell could be.

“Would you still help Papa?” You ask, hazy and dreamily.

“Every day, darlin’. I’d be the best son-in-law. Give him grandbabies to spoil rotten.”

He doesn’t say anymore—he couldn’t if he tried. Your lips are smashing against his and you’re pressing your soft, bare breasts to his firm chest and his mind is actively shutting down. All he can think of is you, your body, your hands, your mouth, and most of all, that sweet cunt. It’s still hidden behind a layer of silk, but he knows it will be the dreamiest place he’ll ever be, and one he doesn’t intend to leave often.

“Will you take me home tonight? To your home?” Your eyes are hopeful as you pull away to question him. Something about it all makes you want to make love to him all night long, in his bed. You want to wake up with him in the morning and cook together, only to get distracted and make love again on the kitchen table.

“I would love to.”

Your hands push down his pants and you’re gasping as his hard cock springs free from the slacks. It’s thick, and it slaps at his stomach once, leaving a smear of slick wetness where it hit.

“Lay down, princess,” he murmurs into your ear, tucking a piece of hair behind. It seems to be his trademark, and it sends shivers down your spine.

You obey wordlessly, laying back onto the bed and resting your head on the fluffy pillows.

Namjoon stands above you and gazes at your form, allows himself to breathe in the vision of you, nearly naked and waiting for him.

He crawls onto the bed and hovers over you, fingers trailing up your soft legs before rubbing at your clothed core. There's a patch of wetness there, and your trembling whimper tells Namjoon you’re just as eager as he is.

He settles himself in between your legs and inhales the scent of your pussy. It smells of fine silk, and of your arousal. You’re embarrassed, he can tell as your legs threaten to close, but he moves his hands to your thighs and holds them down as he licks a fat stripe up your soaked panties.

“Mmm,” he breathes. “Delicious.”

Your legs are trembling now and he flickers his eyes up to yours, gauging your reaction. Your head tips back in bliss, hands cupping your breasts.

“Do you like that, darlin’?” He asks.

Your head tips back down to stare at him, heat shining in your shimmery orbs.

“Is this okay?”  He wants to know you’re just as eager as he is and has no interest in taking advantage.

You nod pathetically, legs spreading open further for him.

“I want you.”

Namjoon lets his fingers run up to the top of your panties and keeps his gaze on yours as he peels them down and off your legs.  They’re drenched, and he whines when he uses two fingers to open your lips further and expose your soaked hole.

“Shit,” he grunts, tentatively kitten licking your sensitive clit.  

It sends radiating static and shock through you. No one’s ever touched you there—no one but yourself on lonely nights with dreams of the handsome sheriff.

Namjoon catches your hitched breath, your shuddering sighs, and continues gently.  His tongue licks tiny stripes up and down your quaking clit and enjoys the way your arousal seeps out of you.  He knows you’re a virgin, knows he needs to take his time to open you up for him.  And he plans on making it an experience you never forget.

“That’s right,” he breathes as he pulls away and licks his lips.  “My girl doing so well.  You like it when I lick your pretty clit?  Does it feel good?”

You nod your agreement and open your mouth to respond, but Namjoon quickly places his lips over the sensitive nub and suckles gently.  Your words turn into a throaty scream, back arching impossibly at the sensation.  

He brings a hand up and teases your slit with a finger as he introduces you to a new world of sexual awakening.  His tongue roves over your clit as he keeps a constant vacuum seal around it with his lips.   Ever so gently, his finger prods past your folds and slips inside the wet heat of your channel.

His cock leaps at the sensation on his finger.  You’re impossibly tight and drooling with juices and Namjoon’s tongue moves from your clit to lap at the slick.   You taste so sweet.   He can’t wait to acquaint himself with every inch of your body, especially the sweet spot here between your thighs.

“Oh! Oh, God!” You scream as your tug at your nipples.  Namjoon can tell by the tightening of your channel you’re near the edge.   He slides another finger in and fucks you gently with them, spreading open your heat ever so slightly so the stretch of his cock isn’t so hard to take.  

“Cum for me, baby,” he coaxes.  “Fall apart for your sheriff.”

Your eyes squeeze shut tight, stomach flexing hard as the band within you coils tighter and tighter until it blissfully snaps and your core is pulsating around his fingers like a grip.

Namjoon groans with your pretty cries of pleasure, watching the way your cunt milks his fingers and drools juice.

“Such a good girl,” he whispers as he gently pulls his fingers from within you.  “You did so well.”

Your blush on your cheeks matches the rosy hue on your chest as you pant—attempting to bring yourself back to earth and right your breathing.

“That—, that was amazing.”

Namjoon presses one solid kiss to your thigh.

“You, my love, are amazing.”

You’re lifting yourself up on your elbows to peer down at him, whining gently for his attention.

“Will you kiss me, Namjoon?”

“I’ve got you all over my lips,” he says but you shake your head.

“Kiss me.”

Namjoon nods and crawls up your body, eagerly pressing his mouth to yours in a heated kiss.  It’s intimate, and fiery as much as it is gentle and exploratory.  Namjoon kisses you like he found the girl of his dreams—because he has.

After long, blissful minutes of rolling around in the bed with his lips attached to yours, you pull away and glance at his hardened cock.

“I’ve never,” you swallow as you allow your fingertips to graze the tip.  “I’ve never put one in my mouth before.”

Namjoon’s sensitive glaze over his eyes returns.

“You don’t have to, darlin’.”

“But I want to.  Will you let me know if I do something wrong?”

He nods once, and you adjust him to sit at the head of the bed, back against the headboard while you crawl down between his legs.

You allow yourself a few, long moments to simply stare at his length.  It’s hard, flushed with excitement, and drooling a substance from his head that makes your mouth salivate.  It has a soft, gentle curve to it you can only imagine will feel like heaven inside of you.

“You like it?”  Namjoon asks gently, without pride.  He looks sincere, like your opinion on his cock matters to him.

“I love it.”

You mouth at it gently, before opening wide to accept him in.

“C-careful, darlin’,” Namjoon warns. “It’s big—might not fit in your throat.”

Your eyes simper up at him for a moment, before you continue your plight and accept his length into your mouth.

You take it slow, torturously slow to him.  You take your time to get acquainted with the feeling of his cock filling your mouth before you continue to take more and more until all at once he’s at the back of your throat and your nose is pressed to his toned abdomen.

Namjoon whines out loud, feels his brain turn to mush and his eyes roll to the back of his skull.

“Good lord,” he whispers.  Your eyes are watering with tears and your gag reflex protests against the intrusion, so you quickly pull back out.

“Did I do okay?” You ask.

Namjoon’s cock throbs where it sits, right at the tip of your lips.

“You did fucking perfect, baby.”

It’s easy to see the pride flash across your face and you move to accept him all at once but he stops you.

“Don’t hurt yourself, doll.   You can just move your mouth on it.”  He grips the back of your head ever so gently and helps you descend, taking just enough to fill your mouth before he assists you in pulling back out.  “Mmm, yeah, like that. Hollow those cheeks—shit, you’re a natural.”

You preen and bob on his length without the guidance of his hand.   He drops his hands to push the hair from your face and as you work his cock in your mouth with surprising finesse.   A groan builds deep in his chest and he can feel his balls tighten and threaten to empty onto your pretty lips.  But, he can’t have that.

He taps your cheeks gently, forcing you to look back at him.  He nearly cums from the sight alone.  Your big, beautiful eyes staring into his soul as if he’s lasso’d the stars just for you.   Your mouth is full of his cock like it’s your home and Namjoon knows that it’s everywhere he wants you to be.

“I wanna cum inside that sweet pussy of yours, darlin’.”

You pull off with a pop, eyes widening at the sound and Namjoon thinks you look prettiest with a dusty blush across your cheeks—a color that matches the pink of your perky nipples.

“Lay down for me, baby,” he encourages, moving from the spot on the bed and allowing you to rest your pretty head on the down pillow.

He kisses over your neck and breasts sweetly, imprinting his adoration for you with each press of his lips.  He laves over your nipples gently as he situates himself between your thighs.  His hand grasps his cock and lines it up at your entrance, but doesn’t push in yet.  He allows your dripping slick to coat the head of his cock as he warms your body up with his lips.

“You’re the prettiest girl in town.  Hell, even the whole county.”

You whimper gently as he takes a nipple into his mouth and grazes it with his teeth.  

“You wanna be my girl?  You wanna be the Sheriff’s little wife?”

You nod and Namjoon peers up at you, eyes expectant for a verbal answer.

"Please” you whisper.  “I’ve been sweet on you since I first met you, years ago.”

The sheriff licks your nipples gently.

“My pretty wife,” he coos.  “You ready?”

Your legs tremble—a mixture of nerves and excitement as the man lifts himself up and kneels between your parted folds.   His cock feels thick and hot at the entrance of your heated core and you’re gasping for more.

Namjoon presses forward and takes his time as he enters you, knowing the stretch will be new for you.  He leans down to kiss your lips gently as he moves in, hoping the sweetness of the embrace will soften the sting of his cock.

It feels like heaven and hell.  The sting burns you, but it easily simmers down to a low flame of desire, of pleasure.  Namjoon licks into your mouth and you eagerly accept him, arms wrapping around his neck to bring him closer.   His tongue explores and seeks purchase—you’re loath to deny the handsome officer as you return the actions easily.

He pulls his lips away as he bottoms out inside you, panting.  He needs the stillness, himself.  Your cunt is so tight, so hot and accepting of his hard cock that he feels near the edge of his sanity already.  

“You all right, love?” He asks, eyes checking yours for any signs of trouble.  

The burn quickly ebbs away to nothing more than a slight smolder.  He fills you completely, and it feels like he’s making a home for himself within you—one you’re welcome to him constructing again and again.

“Yes,” your voice is deep and husky.  Your eyes are ablaze with a sudden passionate need for more.  “Please, show me how it’s done, cowboy.”

Namjoon needs no more—he pulls his hips back gently and thrusts back into you with ease.  You’re soaked, and the slide is tight, but slick.  He moans gently as he drops his head to your ear to kiss and lick at the sensitive skin there and to whisper his sweet nothings as he sets a pace.

“You feel like heaven,” he whispers.  “God, I’ve dreamed of the way you would feel underneath me.”

Your legs open even further to allow more of him and his pace eagerly picks up speed. The sound of skin slapping on skin soon fills the room and Namjoon continues his litany of love.

“Doin’ so good for me, baby, so fuckin’ good. You’re the perfect little wife for me. This cunt was meant for me, wasn’t it, my sweet?”

Speaking coherently is not a task you can handle now.  Namjoon’s cock is fucking into you with a depth and speed that feels like fucking paradise and all your brain can comprehend are his sweet epithets he whispers to you and the way your core burns and sizzles with need.  You can feel the tightness return in your belly, the tight coil that pulls tight, tight, tighter.  You’re nearly at the end.

“I wanna fill you up, my love.” His pace is becoming erratic, with less finesse as he charges towards his own finish line.  “Going to fuck a baby into you, darlin’.  Get you nice and full—fuuuuck, cum for me, please.  Let me feel that hot cunt cum around my cock.”

His words burn your ears with depravity, but it only forces that tight coil even further.  It pulls until it nearly steals all the breath in your lungs as it throws you over the edge.   Your walls pulse and constrict around him, making him whine out loud to match the crying whimpers of your climax.

“That’s my girl, oh god, I’m gonna cum.”

It’s all the warning you get before the hot stripes of his seed plaster your walls, coating each inch of you with a warmth that pools deep inside you.  Your whines silence as he presses his lips to yours while his cock continues to shudder within you.   He kisses you hard, deeper than you’ve ever been kissed before and you hold him so close to you, you fear you may never separate again.  Not that it would be a bad thing.

“Shit,” Namjoon sighs as he finally feels his climax subside.   His cock finishes its weak pulses, and he gently pulls out of your spent hole, watching his seed drool out of you.  

“Mm, I think your little pussy needs to look like this every single night, don’t you?”

You peer down, leaning up on your elbows to watch as his white cum dribbles out of you and onto the feather bed.

“Yes, Sheriff.”  Your smile is coy and sweet, a hint of humor in your worn out voice.

He scurries to the bathroom to get a warm, wet flannel and returns to your legs to clean you carefully.  Your heart feels like it may burst. He cares for you so sweetly, wants you comfortable—wants you to feel loved.

“Take me home, cowboy,” you whisper as he presses his lips to your legs after he finishes cleaning you.  

Namjoon assists you in dressing, kisses all over your bare skin as he laces you back into your dress. You both can’t stop staring at each other, eyes filled with promise and a future full of each other and no one else.

He guides you down the stairs, back towards the dance and you try to fight the blush that blooms on your cheeks.  You’re sure your mused hair tells everyone in the room what you got up to upstairs, and you pray your father has left early.

Namjoon slides the key back to Jungkook once they reach the bar, his other hand tightly laced with your own.  Jungkook gives you both a look, then smirks.

“Your Papa asked your whereabouts,” he muses as he dries a glass with a rag.

His smirk grows wider.

“Told him you were shining the Sheriff's gun. Looks like I was right.”

© ppersonna - 2020 - do not repost on any site, or translate without express permission from author.

[lexivass]

Omg, this was such a good chapter! I LOVED learning about Lloyd's past.

Loved the bittersweet tone in his scenes: his interactions with the animals (Lloyd being a farm boy, YES!). The scenes with the cows was very well written btw, I could see it clearly in my head! I didn't realize at first he was talking to a cow. I think it's really cute when people talk to animals like they're people 🥰. The info about him spending the entirety of High School on the same job, which implies he was a responsible and a good kid; Anderson and April not treating Lloyd like a monster despite his jail time, which, again, makes me thing he was a good kid. The bit about his sisters, omg! The memories, the fear of finding out the worse happened. I thought he was gonna meet them at the ranch when you first mentioned them, but this is even sadder. And the image of little Lloyd holding his baby sister for the first time, all hesitant and excited 😭😭😭 And putting on her saddle for her 😭😭😭😭😭 (I wanna die)

The thing about Lloyd sometimes not going home, and the thing with the coach was so good, but especially this line right here: "He hadn’t wanted anyone too close to him, not after realizing what he was capable of. If he was a monster then the safest place for April was far away from him. Hence, why she remained his first and last girlfriend."

When I realized April was his high school sweetheart I was so exited and curious!!! It was really nice the way they reunited, and despite the matter of the convo not being sooo pleasant at times, it was a very light interaction. No heartbreaks, no resentment. Just two people who could even be friends at the present time.

“I’m charging you for the delay. You should’ve shot this one, she’s going to kill somebody.” Bombastic side eye at this guy 😒

"(...) and the photo underneath showed a group of sweaty men in tight white pants and hulking shoulder pads. Lloyd was in the middle. He’d taken his helmet off, revealing a clean shaven jaw and hair three shades lighter than it was now, but there was no mistaking that bone structure. “Look at that man. He is fine,” He is more than fine! 🥴🥴

"(...) He’d handed over a small fortune to the county and fucking donated to an organization that owned more land than Bill Gates." LMAO

"The Sheriff looked to the passenger seat where the file of tax papers lay. “What’s in the folder?” Bitch, I don't think it's possible to fit a bag of cocaine in a paper/plastic folder.

“It’d be a shame if there were two Hansen funerals this week, Lloyd." You shut your whore mouth, frog!

Chapter XIII

The Princess & The Lawyer

Summary: A scare with her stalker causes Princess to take matters into her own hands. Meanwhile in Idaho, Lloyd finds himself between a rock and hard place.

Word Count: 8,058

Masterlist

Warnings: Description of a physical assault with a blunt weapon, stalking, harassment, dangerous encounter with a semi-wild animal, cowboy/ranch work, illegal drug trade, and corruption. Minor foul language. Only appropriate for 18+ readers. No minors. 

Author’s Note: I wish this installment hadn’t taken so long, but between going on interviews and then changing jobs, the past few months have been crazy. Thank you for waiting, encouraging me, and sticking with this story.

Chapter XIII 

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

You were counting down the seconds until you could end this call but Weston Tafferty was in prime form tonight. Even though you’d clocked out thirty minutes ago, he seemed to think your personal time was fair game for work-related conversation. He continued to fire off questions as you struggled to fill in your eyebrows and carry your end of the conversation. If he didn’t wrap this up soon, you’d still be on the phone with him during your belated family birthday dinner.

“Why wasn’t I cc’d on your emails to Detective Roth?” Weston asked. 

“I’m not using my work account for those messages. Roth set me up on their encrypted server.” 

“And this prevents you from emailing me how?”

“Wes, that information is too sensitive to share.” 

“Hmmm. I’ll give you a pass for now, but next time, make sure I’m in the loop. I also noticed you haven’t been using my spreadsheet system. If you don’t comply with departmental requirements, I’ll have to write you up.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Okay. Listen, I’m already off work and I have plans. Email me the details and I’ll take it up with HR.” 

A while ago this sort of micromanagement would’ve sent you through the roof. Tonight, other stresses were taking up too much mental space for you to care. And thanks to Weston’s call, you were running ten minutes late. You tapped your phone to check the time and realized ten minutes had become fifteen. Great. Your Mom would kill you if you were late to your own party. 

Another icon on the home screen caught your eye. There was no little red number hoovering in the corner of your message app to announce new texts. 

There had been no new messages for a week. 

Aiden had just… stopped. It should feel good, but your nervous system was screaming. An impending sense of doom settled over you and kept you trapped in the house all week. Your gut said this ceasefire was temporary and Aiden was biding his time. 

You’d filed a complaint with the police and he'd gone no contact. It was disorienting. Just when you started taking Aiden’s threats seriously, he stopped making them. Filling out the paperwork at Metro had stripped away the delusion you’d maintained last week. Writing the incidents in black and white on police forms laid waste to your sense of security. As the silence had stretched from one day into two, and then into four, fear sank deeper into your consciousness. 

Staying locked in Lloyd’s house forever wasn’t an option. If it were, you’d do just that. But your parents had already delayed your birthday celebration because of the Singapore trip, and backing out now would demand an explanation you weren’t prepared to give. 

Checking your reflection in the full-length mirror, you frowned. Thanks to Aiden’s threats about your apartment, you’d avoided going home, so the only dinner outfit you had was the dress Lloyd gave you in Singapore. Unfortunately, the skirt didn’t cover your knees. Self-defense lessons with Landon and Jake had left them covered in ugly bruises. 

There was no way Vivan wouldn’t notice and then your mother would make a fuss. You tried covering the marks with concealer. As you were applying setting powder, your phone buzzed. Hands full of makeup, you glanced at the screen.

A message read: Here. 

You were expecting Jake and tapped ‘K’ in reply.

There was a noise from below as the front door opened, then the scuff of sneakers on tile. You tossed the concealer into your makeup bag and rinsed your hands before heading downstairs. 

“Hey, Jake! Guess what? No new messages today. He’s gone from obsessed to silent. It’s crazy…” 

You turned the corner and froze. The visitor wasn’t Jake.

“Zach!”

He removed his sunglasses, hooking them on the top button of his shirt. 

“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming by,” you said. 

“I texted. Jake’s working late. He asked me to check in, said there’d been trouble with raccoons knocking over garbage cans.” 

“Yes… Racoons.” 

“Everything okay?” Zach asked. 

“Absolutely.”

He cocked his head. “Yeah? Who were you talking about before?”

“Uh… I was scheduling a follow up with a witness. A witness in another case. He was responsive at first, like, obnoxiously, but suddenly… you know. He’s ghosting me.” 

“You seem nervous.”

You needed to lie - convincingly. 

“I’m fighting with Vivian, and my birthday dinner is tonight. It’s going to be interesting.” 

“That’s all?”

“Yeah. Just family drama.” 

“Hmmm. Jake’s been cracking his knuckles all week, which is never a good sign. I checked the location history on our work phones and saw Landon and Jake have been stopping by regularly. What gives, Y/N?” 

“That sounds like an invasion of privacy,” you said.

“They’re my phones. Speaking of… give me yours.” 

He held out his hand. 

“No way.” 

“Suppose the racoons aren’t just racoons, Princess. Give me your phone. I won’t check the location without cause.” 

You hesitated.

Zach wiggled his fingers. “Give it.” 

You handed him the phone. Zach tapped in commands as you collected your purse. By the time you’d checked your wallet and keys, he’d installed the app. 

“When did you hear the racoons?”

“Ten-thirty.”

“Did the floodlights come on?” Zach asked.

“Ah… I don’t remember.” 

You wished Jake had given you a heads up about the cover story. Zach passed you the phone. 

“I’ll take a look. Don’t let me keep you, I’ve got my own keys.” 

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

“Charlene, don’t be a bitch. Let’s talk about this before you do something crazy.”

Lloyd tried to make his tone as cajoling as possible. Facing down the bad-tempered female with death in her tawny eyes, he was willing to press any advantage he could, including charm.

The cow snorted and bobbed her head. He recognized that look and untethered his rope from the saddle horn in response. Through the act his eyes stayed locked on Charlene. She might be a Charolais heifer, but her temperament rivaled the most vicious Jersey bull. He uncoiled his rope and extended the loop to allow for her horns. While he understood his father had been sick, it was a crime not to have de-horned this monster when she was born. Her attitude was defense enough without having weapons attached to her head. 

He swung the lasso a few times, getting it into shape.

“Charlene” – so named because all Charolais heifers were Charlene in his book – pawed the ground. Getting her out of the pasture hadn’t been easy and herding her through the corrals was an event he’d rather forget. But he hadn’t expected the sight of the narrow alley into the loading chute would turn her into a psychotic demon. 

The rail-road tie fencing of the alley was six feet high and not much wider inside. Charlene had made up her mind about it in an instant, despite the fact she’d probably never seen such a thing before in her life. He’d found most of his father’s herd balked at the loading chute. Even in the pasture they acted half-wild, like they hadn’t seen a human in years. After that discovery he’d installed a series of gates in the alleyway for better control. The first was at the entrance and another positioned in the middle to prevent cows from backing up or creating a crowd-crush. The system worked, assuming the animal went in. 

Charlene bellowed and raised her head, puffing herself up. Jane, the quarter horse under him, shuffled back a step. He hoped she had nerves of steel because the last thing he wanted was to snap his neck getting bucked off and finding out what the business end of Charlene’s horns felt like was equally unappealing.

“Can you hurry it up? We’re behind schedule!”

The semi-truck driver called to him over the fence and Lloyd ignored him. He adjusted the rope and turned it so the loop’s bottom strand flipped over his wrist. When he raised his arm, muscle memory kicked in. Without a conscious thought his thumb clenched and his fingers curled, while his elbow and shoulder rolled in a familiar motion. He stood up and put most of his weight into the left stirrup, preparing for the throw. When Charlene’s muscles rippled, he angled the lasso down and threw the loop, relishing the speed as it flew over his hand. 

He was still focused on the mechanics of the action when Jane spooked. He’d leaned into the throw which placed his weight in the opposite direction of where she’d run. When she bucked again, he swore and lost a stirrup. Lloyd grabbed the saddle horn and fought to keep his seat. 

The lasso sailed over Charlene’s horns despite Jane’s fit. He drew it snug and anchored the rope to his saddle horn. When the little roan under him felt the rope pull, she spun around, leaning back on her haunches. Charlene tossed her head, fighting the restraint.

“Good girl, Jane. You’re a roping horse, aren't you?” 

The mare flicked her ears in appreciation. He laughed, surprised at his good fortune. His father hadn’t had many good traits but his taste in horses was impeccable. Lloyd twisted the rope back and forth. Charlene bellowed as it rubbed and moved forward. When he clicked his tongue, Jane backed into the narrow alleyway, dragging Charlene along. 

“Hey, kid!” Lloyd called to the driver’s assistant. 

“Yes, sir?”

“Shut that gate!” 

This was the farthest he’d gotten her. If he lost his grip on the rope, he’d rather chase her in the confinement of the alley than around the corral. When the gate clanged shut behind her, the heifer kicked at it and made contact, causing the panel to clang against the chain fastener.

Charlene lunged at Jane. 

The horse reared and Lloyd leaned into the movement just in time to avoid a tumble. Jane turned in mid-air and landed facing the gate that had just been shut. Lloyd yanked his rope over the saddle horn, and leapt off. He smacked Jane’s hind quarters, sending her galloping, and whistled at the heifer to keep her attention while the kid opened the gate for the horse. 

Whistling really pissed Charlene off. 

He turned and sprinted for the fence and felt her breath on his back pocket just as his foot hit the railing. He managed to climb halfway up before she slammed into his leg. Lloyd gasped at the burst of pain. When the pressure let up, he jumped down and rolled under the second gate. 

“Holy shit, you’ve got a death wish,” the driver said. “I’m not taking this one!” 

“She’ll calm down. She just doesn’t like trailers,” Lloyd said.

He had no idea if that was true, but he wasn’t about to keep her around to find out. 

Charlene paced back and forth, eyeing him on the other side of the gate, dragging the rope he’d dropped through the mud. Lloyd stood up. She shook her head and bellowed, making the rope whip around. By a stroke of good luck he caught the end and pulled it under the gate. 

As the alley narrowed, barricade posts set inside the high fence guided the cattle into the loading chute. He wound the rope around one and tugged, testing its strength. Charlene was big and this post wasn’t built to withstand that kind of weight. Lloyd wrapped the rope around again. 

“If this cow kills me, I’ll sue you,” the driver said from the other side of the fence.

“I don’t think you’re the one she’s looking to kill.”

The assistant climbed over from the corral and landed beside his boss. He looked at Lloyd. 

“You okay? Did she break anything?”

“No, I’m good. Do me a favor. Be ready to shut that trailer, fast.”

“What?” 

Lloyd unchained the gate and moved to the far side of the alley. He glanced at the kid.

“Ready?” 

The assistant ran to the trailer. Lloyd tightened the rope around the post, lashed it around his hand for good measure, and unlatched the second gate. He moved to the other side of the alley, parallel to the barrier post, and kicked the gate open, making it crash against the fence. This time the noise didn’t spook Charlene. She was too focused on Lloyd to care. 

He stood there and let her charge. The barrier post served as a pivot point, creating a zig-zag that shortened the rope. Charlene was just a few feet away when she ran out of length and was swung around by the force of her own momentum. She stumbled into the loading chute and Lloyd shoved the metal panel into place behind her. He climbed up the fence and pulled the rope off her horns. When it was off, he whistled. She bolted in the only direction she could, straight into the trailer. The kid slammed the door shut.

Jane was waiting by the gate, exactly where she’d run after he’d jumped off. Lloyd led her out of the corral around to the cattle truck. The assistant watched him secure his rope to the saddle with obvious interest. 

“Do you rodeo, sir?”

“Nope, never have.”

The kid’s expression was disbelieving. “Why?” 

“My father preferred to train and sell horses instead of competing with them.” 

“You could’ve made a killing at jackpot ropings!” 

Lloyd chuckled, amused by the kid’s enthusiasm. 

The driver scowled. “We’re behind schedule.”

“That’s the pleasure of working with animals,” Lloyd said.

“I’m charging you for the delay. You should’ve shot this one, she’s going to kill somebody.”  

“She’ll be fine once you unload her. Do you have everything you need?”

The kid answered. “We just need your signature.”

The driver fetched the paperwork while Lloyd fielded the kid’s roping questions. It surprised him to find he enjoyed giving the advice. 

When the livestock haulers were off, he walked Jane to the barn.

“You earned some oats for not breaking my neck,” Lloyd said.

Jane snorted and picked up her pace. 

In front of the barn, he noticed marks in the dirt. He looped Jane’s reins through a hitching ring without bothering to secure them and crouched to study the boot prints. The mixture of clay and loam soil held its shape well, and the sun had baked the dirt into a detailed cast. He’d found similar impressions on Tuesday morning which had motivated him to spend the next few days herding cattle on the outskirts of the ranch. 

The sneaky, unwanted visitor didn’t surprise him. 

Settling the ranch’s affairs was his duty. Dealing with his father’s illegal side business wasn’t. He’d be insane to get involved in a drug running operation and risk a second strike on his record. 

Lloyd studied the print. He knew it wasn’t from him. The first thing he’d done when he’d arrived was dig out his cowboy boots and start cleaning the barn. His boots were leather soled, designed to slide easily in and out of stirrups. They left a distinct heel and triangular forefoot print. The visitor’s boots had a tread pattern that was usually found on rubber soles. Whoever wore these shoes spent his days on city streets, not on a ranch. A sinking feeling settled in his chest. He had a strong hunch about the visitor’s identity, but hoped he was wrong. Lloyd dusted off his jeans, and went to untack Jane. He placed the saddle and blanket over the door of an empty stall. 

He glanced toward the tack room and his stomach clenched. Inhaling sharply, he turned away. 

After Jane was settled with a bale of grass hay and a bucket of oats, he walked to the small pen where a sick calf was bedded down in the straw. His eyes and nose were running with thick green mucus that left no doubt infection had taken hold. Lloyd checked his water. It hadn’t been touched. 

“Whatever bug you’re fighting might not kill you, but dehydration sure will.” 

The calf wheezed. 

Lloyd shook his head. “You need a vet.”

His ears twitched at the words, but he didn’t raise his head. After changing the calf’s water Lloyd went to the house and used the landline to call Anderson’s Feed Store. 

Henry Anderson picked up on the first ring. Of course, he not only knew the local vet, but promised he’d have them swing by around six. Then he started firing off questions with the zeal of a Spanish Inquisitor. How was college? Did he like Harvard, or did he wish he’d gone to Notre Dame? What had he enjoyed about England? How much did it rain over there? Did he know Coach Olsen had hung a framed picture of him receiving the Bushnell Cup in the gym lobby?

Lloyd sat down at the kitchen table and answered the inquiries. He noticed when Mr. Anderson skipped over questions about his post-college years and fast forwarded to current events. The effortless way he sidestepped the uncomfortable subject squeezed Lloyd’s heart. His unseemly history didn’t warrant such a tactful maneuver and because of it, Henry’s easy grace hit him like a three hundred pound linebacker. 

“I knew that determination would take you places. I haven’t employed another highschool kid for four years straight since you.” 

At that time, he’d done his best to stay out of Joe’s way which meant the long hours at Henry’s store were a perk. Later, their fully stocked breakroom fridge had allowed him to avoid going home for days at a time.

“How’s April doing?” 

He finally asked about the topic he’d been expecting would come up, but hadn’t. 

“She’s doing well. Married a boy from Portland and now we’ve got four grandchildren. The oldest is a senior this fall, and the middle one starts seventh grade. The second youngest is in kindergarten and the baby turns two in a month.”  

“Wow… that’s a range of ages.” 

“The baby is her Mama’s spitting image. It took four tries, but her genes finally hit copy paste.” 

Henry laughed at his own joke while Lloyd tried to imagine it.

“I’m sure you’ll catch up with her, but I’ve got to let you go. A load of grain just pulled in. The vet says they’ll be by after 5:30, probably closer to 6.” 

“Thanks, Henry.” 

He hung up and tried to wrap his head around the bombshell that April Anderson was married with four kids. He wondered why Henry had suggested they catch up. It seemed to imply she still lived in the area. Lloyd shook off the curiosity and grabbed the truck keys. He didn’t have time for a social call. Already, it was mid-afternoon and his errands in town couldn’t be put off any longer. 

Lloyd paused at the door and reached into the side table drawer. As expected, his father’s loaded .22 Sig Sauer was inside, encased in a leather shoulder holster that held two extra magazines in a pocket on the right strap. Being a felon, he wasn’t legally allowed to carry a gun, let alone a concealed gun. He thought of the boot prints and his suspicions about the night-time visitor, then removed his denim shirt and slipped on the holster. He covered it with the shirt and checked his reflection. The loose garment and compact weapon rendered the bulge under his arm almost invisible. He put on his sunglasses and grabbed a baseball cap from the shelf. 

It was just a quick trip to town. He’d be in and out before anyone knew he was there. 

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

You tugged at your skirt, trying in vain to shield your bruised knees. Even with setting powder, the concealer hadn’t provided the coverage you’d hoped for. 

Vivian stirred her yogurt and watched you from the corner of her eye. Your birthday dinner had gone better than expected. For dessert you’d taken the family out for frozen yogurt and, at your Mom’s suggestion, walked down to the park so Alyssa could run around. She’d behaved well at the restaurant, but after two hours of sitting, she was getting antsy. 

With the efficiency of a general, Mom had taken charge of Sam and ordered Juan to mind Alyssa. She had sent you and Vivian off to ‘enjoy the peace and quiet,’ which was code for ‘go make up because I said so.’ From a shady bench you watched Mom encouraging Sam to walk through the splash pad spray. She was bent over, letting him hold both her hands for balance, uncaring of the mist soaking the lower half of her linen pants. Hector, Caleb, and Diego were kicking a soccer ball in the grass and Juan was hovering nearby, watching Alyssa play in the landscaping.

“What’s Alyssa doing?” you asked Vivian. 

“Playing with rocks. I don’t know why, but if you give her a rock, she’ll look at it for hours.” 

“Huh. Interesting.” 

“What happened to your knees?” Vivian asked. 

“I fell.”

“Were you drinking?”

“Vivian!” 

“What, you’re not uncoordinated. Were you drinking?”

“No!”

“Well, I have to ask. You’ve been acting super weird lately,” she said. 

That was true. You cringed under her scrutiny and decided to change the topic.

“I’m sorry, Vivian.” 

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“My reaction to your pregnancy was uncalled for. I overstepped, and I’m sorry.”

“I dropped it on you like a ton of bricks, so there’s that. You don’t handle change well and I should’ve known to break the news gently.” 

“Hey! I’m great with change.” 

“Absolutely, you just roll with the punches.” Vivian snickered, and dissolved into giggles. Then her gaze shifted to your frozen yogurt. “Can I have a bite?”

You held out the cup. She sampled it and made a face.

“Yuck.”  

“First you insult my adaptability, then my taste buds.”

“Speaking of taste, congratulations on the break up.”

It took you a second to realize what she meant. “When did I tell you about that?”

“You told Caleb, which is like telling the whole family.”

“Right.”

“Does your boss live in the Historic District of Alexandria? By those swanky townhouses?” Vivian asked.

“Yeah. Why?”

Her eyes gleamed. “Last night I checked your location on Life360. Guess where you were?”

Oh, crap…

“Why were you at your boss’s house at three a.m?”

“I’m house sitting,” you said. 

“For three weeks? Bullshit.”

“Damn it, I’m going to delete that stupid app. I thought I already did-”

“I stole your phone and reinstalled it. Before you ask, yes, I check your location every night. Are you dating your boss?”

“He’s not my boss. Technically, Weston Tafferty is my supervisor.” 

“Lloyd’s last name is Hansen, right?”

You frowned. “Did you Google him?”

“I really should apply to the FBI someday,” Vivian said, grinning. 

“Listen, you can’t believe everything on the internet…”

She was already opening a website on her phone.

“Have you seen this?” 

You braced yourself to explain Lloyd’s escapades, but it was an article from the Boston Globe sports section dated 26 October 2001. The headline read “Harvard Beats Penn, Cinches Ivy Title” and the photo underneath showed a group of sweaty men in tight white pants and hulking shoulder pads. Lloyd was in the middle. He’d taken his helmet off, revealing a clean shaven jaw and hair three shades lighter than it was now, but there was no mistaking that bone structure. 

“Look at that man. He is fine,” Vivian drew the middle vowel of ‘fine’ into a throaty purr. 

“It’s not like that, I’m-”

“You’re sleeping with him, just spill.” 

You groaned and covered your face.

“Y/N, please? It’s just us. And unlike Caleb, I can keep a secret. I can keep all the secrets, so tell me everything.” 

Your sister was absolutely reliable as a confidant, but your relationship with Lloyd was so new and undefined. Then again, maybe you could use some outside perspective on the matter. It would probably go a long way toward repairing the rift between you. 

“Okay. So, Aiden ended things-”

“Shut up! He broke up with you?!”

Her outrage was a delight. “Unfortunately. Lloyd took me out for dinner and you’ll never guess what happened then…”

By the time you left the park, dusk was falling. Talking to Vivian had settled your mind about the crazy twist your relationship with Lloyd had taken and confirmed that you were enjoying the new status quo, as tenuous as it might be. 

There was a flier stuck under your windshield wiper. Assuming it was an advertisement, you grabbed it, slid behind the wheel and turned on the air conditioner, then unfolded the page. Breath froze in your lungs and your heart dropped like a stone as blood drained from your face so fast your vision blurred.

It was a photo of you and Vivian on the park bench. You scanned it for clues, trying to decipher the angle it had been taken from and realized the photographer must have been on the other side of the splash pad from where you’d been sitting. A shiver ran down your spine. You scanned the street, with its long shadows and fluorescent lamps. Aiden could be anywhere. Fragments of the messages he’d sent flashed through your mind, raising goosebumps on your arms. Your hands clenched into fists. This was no way to live. You couldn’t tolerate it.

Trying to calm your racing heart, you took several deep breaths. After the pressure eased in your chest and you felt clear-headed again, you evaluated your options. There was the obvious choice - contact Detective Diskant at metro and give him the photo. But hadn’t you already done that? Aiden had responded by stepping up his game. Not only had he followed you, he’d followed your family and been bold enough to leave behind photographic evidence of the act.

The message was clear: I’m watching, and you can’t stop me.

Reporting him had made things worse. You threw the car into reverse; it was time to show Aiden who he was dealing with. 

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

His errands took longer than expected. 

The health district office was slammed, and he’d waited more than an hour for copies of his father’s death certificate. Paying property taxes in person was a bureaucratic nightmare, and so was settling the funeral home bill. His last stop was the priest, and he’d cut that visit short. To make sure they wouldn’t cancel Joe’s service because of his rudeness, he’d added a zero to his donation. With one eye on the clock, he made the final turn towards home. The clock ticked off another minute. Not wanting to miss the vet, he sped up.

Sirens wailed.

Lloyd hissed. He hadn’t risked speeding on the interstate after spotting the black and white vehicle tailing him, but he’d thought he had shaken them miles ago. Red and blue flashing lights followed him to the edge of the road as he pulled over. 

Great. What a fantastic ending to an afternoon filled with unpleasant errands. He’d handed over a small fortune to the county and fucking donated to an organization that owned more land than Bill Gates. Like an ice cream sundae wouldn’t be complete without the cherry on top, this miserable day couldn’t be finished with anything less than a traffic stop. 

He parked a few meters from the ranch’s front gate. The police truck didn’t pull in behind him; instead, it maneuvered around and turned into his driveway. It swung to the right and reversed into a parallel park, blocking the road. 

The side decal on the pickup read ‘SHERIFF’ in bold print. 

Lloyd watched the driver climb out. Even at a distance, he recognized the well-built man thanks to the distinctive outline of his Montana crease cowboy hat. This one was pecan colored instead of gray. It matched the tan uniform better than his old one, Lloyd noted. 

He rolled down the window and propped his elbow on the ledge to hide the holster under his arm.

“Evening, Sheriff. Was I speeding?”

“License and registration.”

Lloyd took his time finding the papers and handed them over, one by one.

“You’re looking well, Holbrook. It’s like you haven’t aged a day.”

The jab made the Sheriff’s upper lip curl, but he didn’t bat an eye as he examined the papers. Charles Holbrook was his senior by twelve years, though the way he wore those years made it look like twenty. His bulky aviators didn’t cover the wrinkles around his eyes and what Lloyd could see of his hair had gone gray. 

Holbrook tilted his hat back. 

“Where were you headed in such a hurry, son?”

“I’ve got a sick calf and the vet’s due any minute.” 

The Sheriff looked to the passenger seat where the file of tax papers lay.

“What’s in the folder?”

“If you’ve got a warrant you can look, but if not…” 

“Where are you coming back from?”

“Town.”

Holbrook ran his tongue around his teeth. “You sure about that? Just town? Nowhere else?”

It seemed his instinct about being followed had been correct. He wished he hadn’t slipped their tail earlier, because it had given them the chance to set up this speed trap. 

Lloyd shrugged. “I’m just trying to get home and take care of my animals, Sheriff.”

Knowing who he was dealing with helped Lloyd keep his temper in check. Thirty years ago, when he’d been a young deputy, Charles Holbrook had joined Joe’s drug running operation. Harsher sentencing guidelines made his father cautious enough to find an insurance policy and Holbrook fit the bill. He proved himself effective and ambitious, which was why Lloyd hadn’t been surprised to hear they’d had a falling out after he’d left for college. Rumor was, the Sheriff and Joe had spent the past twenty years at war, fighting over control of the intermountain west drug trade.

Holbrook grasped the butt of his gun. Lloyd tensed, then a blur of action drew his attention. The passenger door of the police truck flew open. A young man in a deputy’s uniform burst out with a pump action rifle.

Shit. 

The .22 under his arm wouldn’t be any defense if the deputy was a good shot and given that Holbrook was nobody’s fool, especially in these matters… carrying illegally had been a colossal mistake. The tiniest infarction would be an excuse to throw him in jail. Lloyd’s jaw clenched as he appreciated that in this scenario, Holbrook’s definition of “jail” would mean “the bottom of Redfish Lake.” 

“Watch your back, Lloyd. You know the rules in these parts.” 

Rage bubbled in his chest at the threat. His nostrils flared as he took a sharp breath, struggling against the urge to fight. The Sheriff smirked. 

“It’d be a shame if there were two Hansen funerals this week, Lloyd. Don’t do anything stupid. We need to have a serious chat about-”

Holbrook cut off at the sound of gravel crunching behind them. Lloyd saw another vehicle had pulled up behind his truck and scowled. He couldn’t decide if he should be amused or annoyed that he warranted backup. This was a run of the mill shake down, not… Damn it. His gaze swung to the rearview mirror. The white pickup had boxed him in. With the sheriff on his left, the deputy in front of him, and the newcomer behind, he was trapped. 

It was a straight shot through the windshield with the pump action rifle. Lloyd figured he could shoot Holbrook and take cover behind the engine block, but that left him vulnerable to the occupant of the white pickup. By the time he got off a shot he’d have six rounds in his back.

“Luke! Put that away!” 

Holbrook straightened up and faced the new arrival. 

Lloyd didn’t blink, eyes tracking the deputy’s every move, while he complied with the request. His attention stayed on the rifle until it was out of sight. Only then did his attention return to the Sheriff, who wore a welcoming smile for the approaching woman. She wore a navy baseball cap, plaid button down, and Levi’s tucked into cowboy boots. There was something familiar about her that tickled the edge of his memory. 

“Dr. Ward! Haven’t I told you it’s not wise to interrupt police business?” 

Holbrook’s tone was the same one used to discipline golden retrievers - exasperated, but indulgent. 

“Well, Sheriff, this time it’s you interrupting my business. I’ve got a sick calf to see and you’re blocking the road.” 

She nodded at the police truck, and when she turned her head, he spotted the auburn ponytail. Lloyd’s jaw dropped. 

“April? April Anderson?”

“It’s Ward now,” she said, grinning. “Dad mentioned you had an emergency, but this isn’t the kind of emergency I expected.”

“Nah, no emergency here. Sheriff Holbrook was letting me off with a warning.”

“That’s sweet of you, Sheriff. Do you mind clearing the road?” 

Holbrook’s lips twisted into a sour pucker, but he touched two fingers to the brim of his hat and nodded.

“Yes, ma’am.” 

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

You sat in your car, gripping the steering wheel tight. 

Just being parked on this street felt dangerous. Despite the risk, anger was more powerful than logic in your current frame of mind. You hung onto that fury. If the past few days had taught you anything, it was that living in fear wasn’t sustainable. Rage felt like a suitable alternative - it was certainly more pleasant than terror. 

Thoughts of rage turned your mind to Lloyd. If he knew about your situation, he’d be apocalyptic. He’d protected you in Singapore with no consideration for himself and that recklessness worried you. If he flew off the handle there was a decent chance he’d end up facing a second round of felony charges. The prospect of Lloyd being sent to jail because of your mistakes was untenable. You needed to handle Aiden yourself. 

From the spot you’d parked, on the opposite side of the street to Aiden’s house, you had a perfect view into the living room. He was inside and based on what you’d seen in the last thirty minutes, he was alone. Taking a deep breath, you gathered your courage and imagined you were Lloyd. You thought of the irritable man who’d stormed into the paralegal office and invaded your life. The image filled your mind, thrilling and comforting in equal measure. You remembered the boisterous, almost wild energy that version of Lloyd had carried into a room.

Thinking of his confidence helped ease the tug of caution that insisted you’d be safer turning around and driving back to Virginia. You twisted your neck, warming up the muscles and taking deep, steady breaths. In less than a minute, your shoulders relaxed and your jaw unclenched as the last clouds of doubt rolled away. 

Moving with purpose, you stepped out of the car and stalked across the street toward the two-story brick colonial with an immaculate front lawn. Your heart was hammering, but the fear was buried under a thick fog of anger. You were going to demolish Aiden. 

You rang the bell and waited. The door opened and Aiden looked irritated to see you. The sight of him made your lip curl into a snarl.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Why can’t you leave me alone?” 

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

You shoved the photo in his face. 

“This, Aiden. I’m talking about this!”

“Huh?”

“I found it on the hood of my car an hour ago. You took this picture and left it to threaten me.” 

“I didn’t do anything!” 

“Don’t lie.”

Aiden scoffed. “You’re crazy. It’s just a picture.” 

“You’re harassing me. You’ve been texting me, stalking my building, and trying to make me uncomfortable. Well, guess what? I’ve already forwarded the texts to your father and filed a complaint with the police. Even with all that, you don’t seem to be getting the message, so here it is. Stop. Bothering. Me.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Trust me, Aiden. If you make my life hell, I’ll be happy to return the favor - in triplicate.” 

“You’re a drama queen, you know that, right? I’m not the one who came to your house. You should be glad I’m giving you the time of day - it’s not like you’d do the same.”

“I know you sent the texts. You’re taking your problems out on me, and if you keep doing it, you’ll find out that I punch back. Stay away from me. Stay away from my family. This is the last time I’ll say it - next time you find out I mean what I say.” 

He crossed his arms, straightening. “You should watch your mouth, bitch.” 

“And you should watch your back. You’re going to leave me alone. If you don't, I’ll put you in a world of hurt.”

“See if I care.” 

“You should. Because if you don’t, I’ll give you a reason to.” 

“Whatever.” 

You raised your chin.

“I don’t need you to believe me. Because whether or not you think I’m serious, I am. This is me giving you the chance to turn things around. Go very far away from me and stay there. If you don’t, you have no one to blame but yourself for what happens next.” 

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

The calf ended up with a prescription for long-term antibiotics, and he persuaded April to have a beer with him. He couldn’t help but stare as they sat on opposite sides of the small kitchen table. She broke the silence first. 

“Nice mustache. It ages you, but somehow it suits you.”

“Thanks. I can’t believe you’re still here. I figured some city boy would sweep you off your feet and take you to Seattle or Boise.” 

“He did, but I took him home instead of the other way around.”

“I guess your taste in men improved after high school,” Lloyd teased. 

“Given my starting point, it couldn’t have gotten much worse.” 

He laughed. “After Tyler, I was a step up.” 

Tyler Claffey had been April’s first boyfriend. He played defensive tackle to Lloyd’s quarterback and they’d been on the same team since fifth grade. Their hatred of each other ran deeper than the traditional offense vs. defense rivalry every football team suffered. Tyler still held the distinction of being the most insecure person Lloyd had ever known. For his part, Tyler hated Lloyd’s sullen disposition, lack of regard for other people’s opinions, and most of all, for being a superior athlete. 

When he was caught cheating on her the week before junior prom, April had asked Lloyd to be her date. He knew the goal was to twist the knife in Tyler’s side and had accepted the invitation. They went to prom together and ended up dating until graduation. 

“Tell me about your husband,” Lloyd said. 

“Michael. We met in college, but didn’t date until after. He’s a lawyer.” 

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.” 

“Is he tall, dark, and handsome… with a mustache?”

April snorted. “No, no, yes, and absolutely not. I know you aren’t married, because no woman would tolerate that facial hair. You should grow a beard.” 

“My girlfriend doesn’t mind it.”

Lloyd felt a ripple of concern at how naturally the word ‘girlfriend’ rolled off his tongue, but pushed it aside. He considered April - the first and last woman to hold that title - and shook his head. 

“I can’t believe you stuck around.” 

“I didn’t hate it here, you did.”

“I had to get away. You know why.” 

April nodded. She picked at the label on her drink and lowered her voice.

“How did you feel, when they told you he was dead?”

“Shocked, disbelieving. More of the latter, to be honest. The hospital called and explained but I just… I thought he couldn’t die.”

“Are you okay, being back? Like, here, in this house?” 

Lloyd shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“Have you been in touch with your family?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m it.”

April raised an eyebrow. “Your sisters?”

He looked away. 

“You never searched for them? After all these years? I…” she broke off. “Lloyd? Did something happen to them?” 

“I can’t say for sure. I didn’t look them up because I knew what I’d find.” 

“What do you mean?”

“My mother couldn’t take care of them. Even back then, I knew.” 

“She left the summer before fifth grade, right?”

“Yeah. My father was away, it was just me and the girls. The house was peaceful. That’s what I remember most about those last days.” 

April’s brow creased in confusion, so he explained.

“She didn’t have any of her normal outbursts, episodes, whatever you’d call them. Looking back, she must have started on some kind of antipsychotic meds. A few days before Dad returned I woke up to an empty house.” 

He looked out at the barnyard and saw it as it was thirty years ago. Almost exactly thirty years to the day, he realized with a jolt. 

“Her car was gone. Josephine’s closet was empty and so was Ingrid’s. Only some of my mother’s things had been taken, but when I saw the suitcases were missing, I knew they weren’t coming back.”

“I’m sorry,” April whispered. 

She reached across the table and covered his hand. Lloyd folded his fingers around hers.

“I hate remembering. I can’t go through the barn without thinking of Ingrid and that evil little Shetland who bit everyone. I taught her to saddle him, but I think I put on his bridle every time she wanted to ride.”

“Clever girl.”

Lloyd smiled. “She’d hunt for arrowheads with me. Josie used to go with us because if we didn’t take her, she’d cry and that would set Mom off. She liked to collect flowers and press them in parchment. The first night here, I went into her room and…” 

Emotion choked him. A piece of wax paper had fallen from the pages of one of her story books. It was a bright, cheerful Black-eyed Susan. He’d stood there staring at it, as if it were a rattlesnake. 

Lloyd shuddered. 

“My mother may as well have driven them off a cliff, instead of off the ranch. I never looked them up… not knowing is easier.” 

April squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“When I was in prison, the psychiatrist asked me if I’d ever felt love. The question made me furious. I couldn’t believe he’d think me incapable of such a basic emotion, but then I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt love - no offense -”

“None taken.”

“I knew my reaction was genuine, but until Monday night when I saw the rocking chair, I couldn’t figure out where it had come from.” 

Their eyes drifted to the pine rocker by the front window.

“That’s where they let me hold Josie for the first time.”

April squeezed his hand. “Is your girlfriend coming for the funeral? I’d love to meet her.”

“No. I didn’t want her to see me like this.”

Lloyd turned his hand, bringing hers to rest on top, and studied the impressive diamond ring on her left finger. 

“Nice rock.”

“It spends most of its time on a chain around my neck. That’s what he gets for marrying a vet.” 

He used his thumb to turn the ring left and right, admiring the way it caught the light.

“I knew we wouldn’t last, but I loved you, April.”

“Not really. We were good friends, Lloyd. But it didn’t run deeper than that on either side and you were turning bitter.” 

She paused, eyeing him curiously as her tongue traced the edge of her upper teeth.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What happened between you and Coach Olsen?”

Lloyd slipped his hand free at the naming of his former football coach. “You don’t want to know.”

“Yeah, I do. It’s been decades and I’m still curious.”

“Olsen took bribes. USC paid him to make sure I didn’t sign with Harvard.”

“But you liked Harvard the most.” 

“He was stringing them along, making it sound like I hadn’t decided so the money kept flowing. Obviously, that’s not kosher with the NCAA.” 

“He put your scholarship at risk. I understand why you cut ties.”

His lips twisted. 

“It was more than that. I got a call from USC in July, which was odd because I’d already committed to Harvard. Their rep let it slip about Olsen. I was livid. Mind meltingly furious, unlike anything I’d felt before.” 

The memory made his stomach pitch. Something visceral had come over him and he’d felt his mind loosen, allowing the monster to emerge. The dam holding back years of rage burst and nothing could stem the tide.

“I’d worried I was like Joe, but until that night I wasn’t sure. Whatever had held me in check snapped. I don’t remember the drive into town, just walking across the field and seeing lights on in the shed. Olsen was in the office, working. The football shed wasn’t air conditioned back then, so the garage door was open.” 

The scene played behind his eyes, undistorted by time. He saw the white cinder block shed and felt the thrill of finding his prey. Later, that feeling had become an addiction, better than cocaine and longer lasting than ecstasy. 

“I snuck under the garage door into the storage area. They’d brought in the baseball equipment and there was a rack of bats beside the door. On my way through, I grabbed one. He turned when I stepped into the office and started to speak. I swung for his head but he ducked, so I only clipped him. He rushed me, and I struck his right knee, got him on the ground, and then…”

He remembered it in flashes. The sound of bones crunching, screams, then agonized cries. 

When he’d snapped out of the trance there were blisters on his palms.

“I thought I’d killed him. That’s why I left for college a month early. When the team went to state a few years later, I read he was still their coach. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.”

April stared at him. “That was you?! We thought there was a psychopath running around town!”

“There was.”

“I don’t agree with everything you did, but your reaction was understandable.” 

“The only thing I regret is not saying goodbye to you.”

“I figured you wanted a clean break. Once I accepted it was what you needed, I got over it. But I worried about you. I figured we’d stay in touch, you know?” 

He hadn’t wanted anyone too close to him, not after realizing what he was capable of. If he was a monster then the safest place for April was far away from him. Hence, why she remained his first and last girlfriend. 

“Speaking of the past…” April frowned. “Have you spoken to Elliot lately?”

Lloyd’s eyebrows rose. “Elliot? No.” 

The mention of his cousin surprised him. 

Elliot Hansen was the illegitimate son of his father’s sister and some drug dealer from Boise. The drug dealer had vanished upon learning of the pregnancy and two years later, his aunt committed suicide, orphaning her young son. Joe refused to acknowledge him and Elliot became a ward of the state. Like his parents, Elliot got hooked on drugs early and by the end of highschool, he’d been a certified junkie.

“He went to rehab and was working down in Nevada. When your father took a turn for the worse, he came back to help. For the past few months he’s been on Sheriff Holbrook’s list.” 

“Is he on drugs again?” 

“No. I knew Holbrook was shaking you down when I saw the traffic stop because he did the same thing to Elliot.”

“Which earned you a warning to stay out of police business,” Lloyd said. 

“I pay my taxes, I have the right to be nosy.” 

“Damn it, April. I told you Holbrook was dangerous. Why would you put yourself in his line of fire for that lowlife?” 

Her glare was withering. “He kicked meth without anyone’s help and re-built his life from nothing. Don’t call him names.” 

“Fine.” Lloyd held up his hands. “No name calling. Please, continue.”

“I caught the end of their argument. There was something about the ranch and ‘mercury’ but I couldn’t hear anything more.” 

“Did you ask Elliot about it?” 

She shook her head. “No, because I haven’t seen Elliot in two weeks. I’m worried about him, Lloyd. I think something’s happened to him.” 

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

Next - Part XIV

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[carelessannie]

omg omg (there might be a pt two to this ask if I can’t fit it) but years ago (during press for maybe CA:CW or something) Tom Holland told a story about how the cast was drinking in London and he tried to order a beer but the bartender didn’t believe he was legal and wouldn’t give him one (he obvs wasn’t as famous yet) so Chris hemsworth had to order it for him. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed w alpha!thor meeting the most innocent omega at a pub somewhere (hold for pt 2) lol

Anon. I’m. Literally yes. I am obsessed with this.

First of all, I love the idea of a little bit of a social innocence in the Omegaverse. Of course it’s great when Omegas are kick-ass (and Peter usually is in any universe) but something about Omegas being more innocent and vulnerable gets me.

Second... maybe you’d like some thoughts ??

▫️ Thor would be so protective about this sweet Omega next to him, even though he’s never met the boy in his life

▫️ Maybe Peter is on a date with some other Alpha, or out with a group of Omega friends

▫️ And they do the dumbest thing possible— leave their drinks on the table as they migrate to the dance floor, laughing and giggling

▫️ Thor isn’t really paying attention. He’s out with his own friends, but he sees quite a few people pick up and put down the drinks on the table

▫️ He assumes that someone will bus away the drinks, or that the Omegas will order something new, but when he turns around next, the group is back and finishing off their old drinks

▫️ Thor’s not even sure they’re old enough to drink, probably are only sipping on cokes

▫️ And then the precious Omega nearest to him starts to slur his words and sway

▫️ Thor watches carefully, not wanting to overstep, but soon it’s not just the Omega next to him, but the whole group of them are acting funny

▫️ And then a group of Alphas saddle up next to them

▫️ Now Thor’s group (insert whichever Avengers and Guardians you’d like?) take notice

▫️ The random Alphas are talking smoothly, acting like everything is normal, but Thor suddenly scents scared coming from the Omega nearest him and sees one of the Alphas grab his arm

▫️ Thor sees red

▫️ He stands, satisfied when a few of his friends follow suit, and steps in front of the terrified Omega, growling in warning

▫️ The other Alphas step back, but still meet the threat, claiming to be with the group of Omegas

▫️ Thor points to the Omega behind him and asks, “What’s his name?"

▫️ When the Alpha stutters “u-uh...” Thor turns his back, crouching down to look into the Omega’s half lidded eyes

▫️ “Do you know these men, love?”

▫️ The Omega shakes his head, “N-no, Alpha.”

▫️ “My name is Thor, and my friends and I want to help you.”

▫️ A genuine smile, “Thank you, Thor. My name is Peter.”

▫️ His name sounds like a revelation on Peter’s lips, and he almost swoons. He’s sure his scent is strong and possessive, because the other Alphas are beating a hasty retreat and the whole group of Omegas are looking at him with wide eyes, awed expressions

▫️ He lets his friends deal with the other Alphas (yeah, they get arrested for drugging the sweet Omegas) and offers to escort the group of Omegas somewhere safe

▫️ It’s worrying when Peter can’t remember where they live, can’t figure out how to open his phone, doesn’t remember a phone number

▫️ God, maybe Thor and his friends are firefighters (please, I want this now) and take Peter and his friends back to the Alpha house that they share together

▫️ Queue Peter and the other Omegas (I have a few in mind, but you can picture whoever) tearing through the den and creating a nest, half out of their minds, right in the center of the living room to pass out in

▫️ All of the Alphas stay up and keep watch, drunk on the scent of happy Omega filling their den

▫️ It’s concerning when Peter wakes up in the morning and has no idea where he is or what happened

▫️ There’s a panic until the Alphas can calm them all down, explaining exactly what happened and who they are

▫️ What if through the trauma Peter imprinted on Thor? Emotionally? And finds it emotionally difficult to be away from the Alpha for a long period of time?

▫️ And then he realizes that the other Omegas have imprinted on his Alpha friends

Haha oh goodness I can’t even imagine how funny this would be, to go from “Thor protecting Peter from bad men” to “Alphas are overwhelmed by precious and sweet Omegas who are needy and oh so pretty”

Send me more ideas Anon!! I really loved imagining this!!!

(I also imagine Stucky or SamBucky being one of the other pairs, maybe Clintasha as well and Stony or Frostiron, but that’s just me self-inserting my otp’s into your sweet thoughts)