#or i'll be out walking at night and a fox will stop while it's crossing the street to look at me with wariness but no fear as if to say

[the-lisechen]

.

[punkshort]

Night Shift

Thank you anon for this request!

Pairing: Joel Miller x nurse!reader

Summary: It was a relatively quiet night in the emergency room until a handsome contractor gets admitted and adds some excitement to your life.

Warnings: language, descriptions of wounds/injuries/blood (typical hospital junk), needles, drugs (the medical kind), fluff, flirting, rom-com vibes, soft!joel, just a little smut (18+ MDNI)

WC: 7.3K

lovely dividers by @saradika-graphics

A/N: I'm fully aware some things I'm about to describe is probably incorrect (medically) but let's suspend that disbelief for a fun, fluffy story, shall we?

"Dr. Fisher wants you in room 504, but if you're too busy, I would be more than willing to go," Lily said, leaning over the counter with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I haven't had anything to do other than charts for the past two hours, how on earth could I be too busy?" you asked, standing up and draping your stethoscope around your neck. Then you froze, realizing Lily never tries to take a patient off your hands. "Wait... why are you offering?"

She grinned and flopped down in the swivel chair next to you, crossing her legs. "The guy is smokin' hot," she whispered with a wink. "I just got a glimpse when I brought Fisher the computer cart, but..." she exhaled loudly and fanned her face. "Even with all the blood, you can tell he's a fox."

"Blood?!" you exclaimed, jogging around the nurse's desk, "why didn't you tell me?"

"He's stable, it's not-" Lily began, but you were already hustling down the hall. When you skidded to a stop outside room 504, you were relieved there wasn't a flurry of staff running in and out of the room, indicating whatever was waiting for you wasn't life threatening.

As you entered through the open door, you rapped two knuckles on the wood to announce your presence. Dr. Fisher, standing at the patient's bedside and blocking your view, glanced over his shoulder and nodded while you washed your hands. You heard him talking to a man with a deeper southern drawl than you were used to, and by the sound of it, he was in pain. You plucked two gloves from the box on the wall and snapped the latex on, turning around with a practiced smile right as Dr. Fisher introduced you by name.

Lily was right. Your eyes landed on a painfully good looking, dark haired man sitting up in the bed with one leg draped over the side, as if he was getting ready to bolt. You tried to not let your gaze linger, but the way his thighs stretched out his worn, bloody jeans and his shoulders filled out his ripped flannel held your attention longer than you expected. He first glanced over at you right when you noticed the laceration on his forearm and you went into autopilot.

You began to pull various instruments from a cabinet without instruction, already anticipating what the doctor would need before he began to rattle off requests, which you mentally jotted down and nodded in acknowledgement when he was finished.

"I'm gonna give you a local anesthetic and then clean and stitch this up. Are you allergic to anything, Mr. Miller?" Dr. Fisher asked.

"No," he said, his eyes still stuck on you as you worked. "Call me Joel," he added, his eyes flicking up to the doctor once he realized he was staring. Tommy smirked from the corner of the room and tucked his chin to his chest.

"Only thing he's allergic to is askin' for help," Tommy joked. You startled and glanced over your shoulder. Somehow you had missed the second man in the room when you first walked in. Joel scowled in his direction.

"Ignore my brother," Joel muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Can you prep him and give him 20MLs of the local? I'll be right back, I have another patient waiting to get discharged," Dr. Fisher said to Joel, who nodded and lifted his leg onto the bed, resigning himself to a long night.

Your gaze drifted over his clothes, ruined by all the blood that had gushed from his arm. "This looks pretty nasty. What happened tonight, Joel?" you asked, using your typical distraction technique while you worked unwrapping instruments and lying them out on a tray. When he didn't answer right away, you met his gaze and smiled, assuming he was squeamish and doing to do your best to reassure him.

He blinked and cleared his throat.

"Sorry. Um, got hurt at work."

You frowned, your eyes roaming over his face now that you were closer and hoping he didn't notice the way you stared a moment too long at his soft looking lips. "What do you do that you're working so late?"

"I'm a contractor," he said, mesmerized by the way you effortlessly moved around, probably just going through the motions but to him, it looked so impressive. The monitor next to his bed beeped faster and he glared up at it, angry at the heart monitor for betraying him.

"Lots of things need to be built at midnight?" you teased, making him chuckle.

"I'm behind on a project and my daughter had a sleepover tonight so I figured I'd do a little extra work," he explained, wincing when he moved his injured arm.

You nodded, latching on to the new piece of information. You loved it when patients had kids. It was a great way to keep them talking and calm. But right as you were about to ask her name, the second man chimed in.

"Yeah, 'cause otherwise he'd be home alone," he said, making the both of you stop and stare at him. His eyes bounced back and forth between you both. "'Cause he's single," he added after a beat, making both you and Joel blush.

"Jesus, Tommy," Joel muttered under his breath, and you forced out a polite laugh before switching gears.

"Alright, let's see," you said, gently lifting his arm and peeling back the sleeve of his flannel. You made a face and Joel tensed.

"What is it?"

"I wish I had better news," you sighed, locking eyes with him. "I'm gonna have to cut the sleeve off this shirt," you said solemnly.

His face broke out into a huge smile, one that reached his beautiful brown eyes and creased his tanned skin, and you giggled before reaching for the scissors.

"It's alright, darlin'," he said, still smiling as you began to cut through the fabric, "ain't got no fashion sense, anyway."

"'Cause he's single," Tommy said again from across the room. Joel swiveled his head and mouthed something angrily in his direction but you just grinned and stayed focused, pulling the sleeve away and making sure not to brush up against his wound.

"Okay, Joel, how are you around needles?" you asked, turning your back to him and blocking his view while you prepped a syringe with local anesthetic. "Do I need to call someone in here to catch you if you faint?"

He scoffed. "Hell no, I'll be -" you turned around with the needle in your hand and he gulped, "-fine."

You eyed him carefully. "Are you sure?"

He nodded and looked up at the ceiling, so you decided to just make it as fast as possible. Cleaning the skin with some alcohol, you slid the needle into his arm near the laceration and injected the medicine. After, you pressed a piece of cotton against the injection site and hid the needle behind you on the tray.

"All done, you did great," you said, and he looked at you in surprise.

"That's it? Hardly felt a thing."

You smiled and shrugged. "I've been doing this a while," you said. You always loved when patients commented on how gentle you were. It made you feel proud and good at your rather thankless job.

"Yeah? How long?" he asked, watching as you pulled out another vial of medicine.

"Almost five years," you told him, filling another syringe and wiping an alcohol pad on his inner elbow.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's for the pain," you said, "it's mild but you might feel a little out of it for a couple hours. It will help you relax so the doctor can stitch you up."

He nodded and you quickly slipped the needle in and out, just like before.

"Okay, all done with needles, I promise," you told him, disposing of them both in a red sharps container bolted to the wall by the sink.

"Whoa," Joel said softly after a minute, and you looked up at him then smiled when you saw that familiar, spaced out look in his eyes.

"Feeling it?" you asked, and he slowly nodded.

"Reckon I am."

"That's good. Just try to relax, the doctor will be back soon," you said, turning your attention to the computer cart. You were typing in your notes and scanning the vials of medicine to log into Joel's chart when Tommy's phone rang.

"It's Maria, probably wonderin' what the hell's goin' on," Tommy told Joel as he stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be right back," he said right before you heard him answer the phone and walk out into the hallway for some privacy.

Joel's head rolled to the side and he gazed over at you, smiling like a fool at the way your eyebrows pinched together as you focused on whatever you were typing.

"You're real good at this," he mumbled. You glanced at him, taking a break from the computer, and smiled.

"Thank you."

"How long you been doin' this?"

You stifled your laughter and answered the question again. "Almost five years."

He nodded, completely unaware. His eyes looked glazed over and he gave you a lazy smile. "You're real pretty."

Even though you knew it was the drugs talking, your heart still skipped a beat and you felt your cheeks heat up.

"You must be feeling better, huh?" you joked, wrapping a blood pressure sleeve around his arm. He lightly took your wrist in his hand, making you pause and catch his eye. He looked so earnest and sincere that you almost believed him when he said, "it ain't the drugs. I mean it. Can't keep my eyes off you, darlin'."

Your mouth suddenly felt dry as the two of you silently assessed the other. You searched his face but all you could find was a raw vulnerability while he waited for you to say something. And you really wanted to be honest, but you knew it was unprofessional and you had no idea what was even allowed but you had to assume your job would be at risk if you said what you really wanted to say.

Fortunately, you didn't have to say anything at all because Dr. Fisher chose that moment to return, breezing into the room with his white coat fluttering behind him.

"How're you feeling, Joel?" he asked from the sink as he washed his hands. You stepped back and focused on the computer screen, still feeling the heat of Joel's gaze on your face as you typed.

"Much better," he said, slowly dragging his eyes away from you. Tommy reentered the room, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and dodging Dr. Fisher as he turned around to face Joel.

"That's good. Let's get you patched up and back home, how's that sound?" he said, and you abandoned the computer to stand at his side, your eyes cast down as you awaited the doctor's instructions.

Dr. Fisher worked quickly and had Joel's laceration closed up in under thirty minutes, the whole time checking in with him to make sure he didn't feel anything. You caught Joel staring at you more than once during the procedure and you had to bite back a grin, but each time he noticed and he smiled that same dazzling smile that reached his eyes.

Once the stitches were done, Joel - but mostly Tommy - listened to Dr. Fisher's instructions on how to keep it dry and clean and to follow up with his own practitioner the next business day to schedule an appointment. Then he left, bidding the brothers a good night after he explained you would wrap up the wound and process his discharge papers.

You were very gentle as you wrapped his arm, quietly asking if it was too tight or if anything hurt. He would shake his head and continue to just gaze adoringly at you while you worked, completely unbothered by his brother just a few feet away witnessing his utter captivation.

"Okay, Joel. Let's get you out of here," you sighed, turning back to the computer cart.

"Already?" he asked, and you had to hold back your laugh at the bewildered look on his face.

"It's a slow night, we were able to get you in and out much quicker than normal," you explained, hitting the print button on the computer screen.

"Well, but..." he trailed off, looking back and forth between you and Tommy as he struggled to find the right thing to say. "I'm single!" he practically shouted when you gave him a pen to sign his papers. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise and Tommy laughed from his chair in the corner of the room.

"I know, your brother mentioned it a couple times," you replied as your face grew hot once again. "Um, can you just sign here, and-"

"Are you single?" he asked, cutting you off. You looked up from the papers to find his beautiful brown eyes all wide and hopeful, completely ignoring the clipboard in front of him.

"Yes," you finally answered, shyly tucking a piece of hair behind your ear.

"Great!" he exclaimed, throwing his good arm up in the air with a huge grin. Tommy cleared his throat and stood up.

"I think what he's tryin' to do is ask for your number," he said. Joel nodded, not even sparing a glance in his brother's direction.

"Yeah, sorry," Joel said sheepishly, then he rubbed his face like he could make the brain fog dissipate. "Can I get your number? I'd love to take you out sometime."

Your heart was pounding in your chest now from excitement. You bit your lip and glanced over your shoulder at the open door before turning back to Joel.

"I don't know, I might get in trouble..." you began, and he quickly sat up in bed.

"I won't tell anyone," Joel said, and his voice was so serious that you couldn't help but laugh. Tommy grinned and pulled out his wallet.

"How 'bout this. What if I left Joel's business card, in case you ever needed a contractor?" Tommy offered, holding out the card between two fingers. You gingerly accepted and briefly glanced down at it. "That's his work number but this one is his cell," Tommy continued, pointing to each number respectively, "you're better off gettin' ahold of him on that one. Y'know, for any projects you might need done."

Joel gave Tommy the most grateful look. "I love you, Tommy."

"Alright, that's enough. I oughta get you back home," Tommy said with a crooked grin. You laughed and pocketed Joel's card, standing by in case he needed any assistance getting up. But before Joel and Tommy exited the room, Joel turned to you and reached out for your hand. You hesitated for a moment before stretching out your arm and allowing his thick fingers to wrap themselves around your hand.

"Thank you for saving my life," he told you, his tone deathly serious. You fought back a smile and instead gave him a firm nod.

"You're very welcome, Joel."

His business card stayed folded up in your scrubs pocket for a week, your fingers occasionally brushing up against it like a talisman as you worked.

You never told Lily about that night but you did try to sneakily look into the legality of potentially dating a former patient, but you got too nervous someone would see over your shoulder and didn't get very far.

One day, a fellow nurse who had been working at the hospital for nearly fifteen years made a comment about a patient saying something suggestive to a male doctor and she thought the doctor in question didn't handle it properly.

"What do you mean?"

"He laughed and said something along the lines of I'm too old for you," she had scoffed. "He should have shut it down right away. If the wrong person heard it, he could get into serious trouble."

That was all you needed to hear to put you off from the idea.

That evening, you took Joel's business card out of your pocket and threw it in the trash, then went to take a shower. But afterwards, when you had poured yourself a glass of wine to celebrate the start of three days in a row off from work, you found yourself hovering over the garbage and staring at the folded up piece of paper, sitting right on top of a napkin.

With a sigh, you plucked it out of the garbage and stuck it to your fridge, then forced yourself to leave the room.

There was nothing wrong with keeping the card if you weren't going to call. Right?

It pained you to go so close to the hospital on one of your well deserved days off, but you couldn't resist the chocolate croissants sold at a café around the corner. They were baked fresh daily and always served warm and after a grueling four days in a row at work, you felt you deserved a treat. So that was how you found yourself waiting at the counter for your usual order, surrounded by various professionals hurrying to grab their coffees before chaining themselves to a desk for the remainder of the day. It was busy, but the barista who usually took care of you made sure to prioritize your order, shooting you a quick wink before she slid your croissant and coffee across the counter. You mouthed thank you and turned to leave, bobbing and weaving through the crowd of people waiting for their drinks.

When you stepped outside, out of habit you glanced towards the hospital, then froze. You blinked a few times, your coffee halfway to your lips as you stared at the familiar looking man pacing back and forth on the sidewalk with his head angled toward the ground. You began to walk in his direction, squinting against the sun and wondering if your mind was playing tricks on you, but it really was him.

"Joel?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at you, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Is everything okay? Did something happen?" you asked, your eyes drifting around to see if he was with anybody.

"Huh?" he asked, then immediately shook his head, "yes, I mean... no, everythin's fine." He nervously jammed his hands into his pockets and shifted his weight. "I, uh, came to see you, actually," he said, glancing down at your clothes, noticing you weren't in your scrubs. "Are you workin'?"

You looked down at your jeans before meeting his gaze again. "No, I have the day off, I was just getting coffee," you jutted your thumb over your shoulder, back towards the café, and you realized how bizarre the conversation was so far. "Why are you here to see me?"

He gave you a nervous smile and looked away, watching as an ambulance veered noisily into the parking lot. "I came to apologize. 'Bout the other week. Tommy told me what I said and I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Wasn't my intention, I guess it was all the meds." He finally dragged his eyes back to you and watched as something flickered across your face.

"Oh," you managed to squeak out. Even though you assumed as much, it still stung to hear he didn't mean what he said. "It's fine. It didn't make me uncomfortable. It comes with the territory," you told him with a soft laugh, hoping to lighten the mood. He nodded and looked behind you, trying to think of something else to say but when the silence became too much, you took a step back.

"I should go, but it was nice to see you. I'm glad the arm-"

"Wait - uh," he scratched his beard and took a deep breath. "If I didn't make you uncomfortable, why didn't you call?"

You blinked rapidly and thought about it for a moment before frowning.

"I thought you said it was the drugs talking?" you countered, avoiding his question with one of your own.

"I lied."

"You lied?" you repeated, raising your eyebrows. He nodded.

"More like I panicked," he added, then raked his fingers through his hair with a dry laugh. "Shit, I'm sorry. I'm terrible at this, ain't I?"

You giggled and his face brightened at the sound.

"A little, but it's okay. It's cute," you told him, feeling your cheeks warm at your own admission. He grinned.

"Alright, then why didn't you call?" he asked again.

"I panicked," you replied, then after a pause, the both of you burst out laughing at exactly the same time.

"Goddamn, reckon we don't stand a chance, do we?" Joel said, tilting his head to the side, those beautiful brown eyes sparkling playfully.

"Well, I don't know about that. Why don't we find out?"

He immediately pulled out his phone.

"It's the least we could do. Y'know. For research."

"Research, huh?" but you couldn't keep the smile from tugging at your lips.

"Yeah. Can two panicky individuals who can't seem to properly flirt their way out of a paper bag make it work?"

"Sounds like a tagline for a terrible book," you teased while simultaneously snatching his phone out of his hand and typing your number into a new text. "How could I resist?"

"I promise this is where the cheesiness ends," he chuckled, pocketing his phone.

"Oh, come on. Where's the fun in that?"

Joel thought about it for a moment, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Careful what you wish for, little lady, or else we'll be havin' a picnic in the park and watchin' the sunset for our first date."

You laughed heartily at that. "Pulling out all the cheesy stops?"

"Absolutely," Joel winked, making your heart flutter.

"Alright then. Do your worst," you said, a stupid grin still plastered across your face as you took a step back the way you came.

"I'm plannin' it all out already," he said, tapping the side of his head. You giggled and gave him a little wave goodbye before turning around and heading towards home.

Joel didn't waste any time.

He had texted you within an hour with just a link and nothing else. You clicked it and immediately grinned when a website to a paint and sip place in downtown Austin opened up.

You: starting off strong - Painting with a Twist?

Joel: Get it? A twist? Because they serve alcohol there.

You laughed out loud alone in your living room. You thought the meds made him funny but you were delighted to discover he was still just as funny all on his own.

You: I got it, thanks. Very cheesy :)

Joel: So when can I take you? I want to see you paint the next greatest masterpiece.

You: I'm off the next two days and then I work the following four

Joel: You feel up for it tomorrow night? Or is that too soon?

You: tomorrow is great!

Joel: Looking forward to it, little lady.

To keep up with the cheesy theme, Joel picked you up the next evening with a singular red rose, which he had hidden behind his back so he could reveal it to you with a flourish, immediately making you laugh. He offered his arm as he led you down the driveway to his truck while commenting something about the weather but you weren't entirely certain because you couldn't stop staring at his hair, which was slicked back a bit since the last time you saw him and the longer you stared, you began to think he might have trimmed his beard, as well. You bit back your smile at the endearing effort he was putting into your date while trying to ignore the nagging voice in the back of your head that still wondered if this was going to get you in trouble at work.

When you arrived at the painting studio, you quickly realized the two of you were the youngest ones there, and not only that but Joel was the only man there. You stifled your laughter as you grabbed a couple drinks and picked your seats. Once behind the safety of your easels, you cupped your hand over your mouth and giggled into your palm. Joel chuckled and ducked down so nobody would overhear him.

"Am I allowed to be here?"

You began to laugh even harder, drawing the attention from some of the older women. Tears pooled at the corners of your eyes and you shook your head.

"I don't know!" you wheezed when you finally got ahold of yourself. You took a deep breath and wiped your eye. "You couldn't have planned this any better." He laughed and rubbed his palm over his mouth when he began to get looks.

The painting that evening was a bouquet of white hydrangeas in a wide vase. Simple enough, or so you both thought. It became quickly apparent that Joel didn't have a creative bone in his body, and while you thought you weren't much better, when you glanced over at his and noticed his vase and flowers were beginning to take on a decidedly more phallic shape, you completely lost it.

He grinned when you had to drop your paintbrush so you could clutch your stomach while you doubled over, doing your best to keep as quiet as possible, but you were failing miserably. A lady nearby cleared her throat to convey her irritation so you slid down from your stool and told Joel you would be right back, then disappeared into the bathroom to collect yourself. By the time you emerged, the teacher who was leading the class had jumped in to try and help Joel create more distinguishable flowers, but it appeared to be a lost cause.

Once the class was over, the teacher went around to take pictures of everyone holding up their paintings with the people they came with that evening. When she got to you, Joel wrapped his arm around your shoulders and tugged you close. Right before she took the picture, you leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, causing his face to flush and his smile to reach his eyes.

When he dropped you off at home, he walked you to the door.

"So I was thinkin' for our second date we can either do bowling or trivia night," he said with a little smile. You cocked your head to the side as you thought about it.

"Both are excellent options. You can tell a lot about somebody by the way they handle winning and losing," you mused. He grinned and leaned his shoulder against your doorframe as he gazed down at you, waiting for you to decide. "Let's do bowling," you finally said. He gave a firm nod and straightened up.

"Bowling it is."

"After tomorrow, I work four nights in a row," you reminded him.

He shrugged. "So let's do it tomorrow."

"Really?" you asked, unable to keep the excitement from your voice. "Are you sure? What about your daughter?"

"I'm sure Tommy can watch her. And even if he can't, she's old enough now to stay on her own for a few hours."

You nodded and glanced down at your hands, clutching your painting at your side.

"What does she think about you dating?" you asked nervously, chewing on the inside of your cheek and glancing back up at him.

"She's all for it. She's fourteen now, practically kicks me outta the house every chance she gets," he said with a chuckle.

You nodded again and tried to sound casual when you asked, "are you seeing anybody else, or..." You trailed off as you felt your face warm up, feeling slightly vulnerable, but he quickly put your mind at ease. He stepped forward and pinched your chin between his fingers, making you look up at him through your eyelashes.

"No," he said softly, "are you?"

You shook your head slightly, not wanting to lose his touch just yet. "No."

He smiled. "Good."

He tilted your face up a bit more then swooped down to press a gentle kiss against your lips, sending a shiver down your spine even though it was rather innocent.

"I'll see you tomorrow, little lady," he murmured before dropping his hand from your chin and taking a step back. You bit your lip and smiled.

"Can't wait."

While Joel wasn't a very good painter, he turned out to be a rather good bowler. Better than you, at least, which wasn't saying much. So after a couple beers, you flirtatiously asked him to help you with your form, to which he eagerly agreed. He walked you up to the lane and stood behind you, squaring your shoulders and planting your feet just so while the bowling ball dangled at your side with a stupid grin on your face.

"Alright, now you're gonna wanna swing this leg back," he said, tucking his chin into your shoulder and reaching down to tap the front of your thigh. You giggled as his beard tickled your skin, which just caused him to do it even more. You laughed harder and tried to squirm away but he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind and pulled you back against him, nuzzling into your neck enthusiastically. You twisted your head towards him, trying to protect your neck, but it was no use, so instead you pressed your lips against his, finally stopping his assault. Both of you were well aware of the public setting, surrounded by families, so you fought the urge to deepen the kiss but you did linger a little longer than was necessary before breaking away with a sigh. He smiled down at you, his cheeks a little pink, either from the alcohol or the public display of affection.

"I like you," he said earnestly.

"I like you, too," you whispered, watching the way his eyes sparkled. Even if it was only two dates, you could tell the connection you had was strong. You had to make it your mission to figure out the policy at work before things went any further.

"Hey, Lily," you said the next day, getting the other nurse's attention.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever dated anyone from here?" you asked as quietly as you could. She grinned and leaned against the counter.

"Oh, yeah. A few," she said mischievously before glancing around and leaning forward. "I went on a few dates with Dr. Adams last year. When I first started, I was hanging out with Richie, the pharmacist downstairs, but I swear when I found out he was married I broke it off. I felt bad about that one," she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "Oh! Then there was that one resident who worked here for a few months... Mike? He was tall with brown hair and had that tattoo-"

"No, I mean like, patients?" you tried again, and she pursed her lips.

"I've had a few ask me out but I never took them up on it. Why?"

"No reason," you said quickly, "but if you were interested, could you? Like, would we get fired or get our license revoked or something?"

She frowned and shook her head. "Absolutely not. Once a patient is discharged, it doesn't matter. If we worked in a doctor's office and it was a regular patient, that would probably be a different story, but we see so many people in the ER it's impossible to enforce something like that."

You breathed a huge sigh of relief and smiled. "That's great."

She grinned and raised an eyebrow. "So are you gonna spill or what?"

"Me?" you squeaked, shaking your head innocently but Lily saw right through you.

"Who are you seeing?" she pressed, smacking her gum between her teeth. You rolled your eyes but couldn't stop the heat from reaching your cheeks.

"Remember that guy last week? The fox with the arm laceration in 504?"

Lily gasped. "Shut the fuck up!"

You smirked and nodded. "We've just been on two dates, nothing serious, but before I continued to see him I wanted to make sure I wouldn't get in trouble."

"I'm so jealous!" she groaned, stomping her feet dramatically. You laughed and turned back to your computer. You began to get back to the chart in front of you but she pulled up a chair and got a little closer so nobody would overhear. "How is he in bed?"

You gave her a look. "We haven't slept together. Did you not hear me say we've only been on two dates?"

She scoffed and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "That doesn't mean anything. If I went on two dates with a man like that, I wouldn't waste any time climbing him like a tree."

You both dissolved into a fit of giggles before the phone rang, warning you to get an exam room ready for a broken arm.

Waiting four days to see Joel again was a lot harder than you expected, but lucky for you, on your last day, Joel surprised you at work with a coffee and chocolate croissant from the café you liked.

"You remembered!" you exclaimed when you opened the bag. He shrugged sheepishly but you could tell he was pleased with your reaction.

"'Course I remembered," he said, glancing around when Lily walked into the waiting room to call back a patient. Her eyes locked on the two of you and she gave you an exaggerated wink before leading an elderly man to the back. Joel grinned and looked at you.

"Friend of yours?"

"Unfortunately," you said sarcastically, making him smile. You glanced down at your watch and made a face. "I'm so sorry, I gotta get going but this was so sweet of you," you said, motioning towards your coffee and pastry.

"I just really wanted to see you again," he admitted, "it was a completely selfish move."

You giggled. "Well, thank you for the selfish coffee and treat."

"You're welcome. Still on for tomorrow night?" he asked, and you nodded.

"Picnic and stargazing. You're really checking things off that cheesy date list," you said with a laugh.

"You asked for it, don't you forget now," he replied before leaning in and giving you a quick kiss.

After he left, you made your way back to the nurse's station so you could deposit your goodies and pull up the next chart.

"Third date tomorrow?" Lily asked, rounding the desk. You nodded.

"Yep," you answered distractedly, reading the chart of a young boy with a minor head injury from a fall.

"You know what typically happens on the third date?"

You felt your skin heat up at the insinuation. "I'm going to regret telling you about him, aren't I?"

"Sure are. That was so close to being me, I'll never get over it."

You laughed and shook your head, leaving her question unanswered as you made your way back to the waiting room.

As it turned out, a picnic and stargazing was incredibly romantic. Joel packed a simple meal: some cold pasta in olive oil, a light salad and some fruit. He had found a spot off a highway that overlooked downtown Austin, which was by far the cheesiest part of the date.

"Did you used to take girls here back in high school or something?" you teased as you sat on the hood of his truck, leaning against the windshield so you could see the stars.

"Me? Never. I was very respectable in high school. Never got into trouble, never skipped class and definitely never took the captain of the cheerleading squad up here after prom," he said with a grin. You giggled and shoved his shoulder playfully.

"You're trouble."

"Yeah, but you like it," he said, turning his head to the side so he could look at you. You tried to give him a stern look but you weren't selling it in the slightest.

"Okay, maybe I do," you admitted.

He smiled and laced his fingers together with yours, dragging his thumb over your knuckles for a minute, staring at your entwined hands while you continued to gaze upwards, the stars twinkling in the nearly clear, black sky.

"Can I tell you somethin' without you thinkin' I'm crazy?"

You rolled your head to look at him, your first instinct to tease him but his soft tone made you stop. "Sure."

"I keep waitin' to wake up or the other shoe to drop or whatever," he said, his gaze studying your face. "You just seem too good to be true," he added with a little grin.

"That's funny, I could say the same about you," you told him, but he shook his head.

"Nah, I mean it. How don't you already got a boyfriend?"

You sighed and looked back up at the sky. "I don't know. It's always been a little tough with my work schedule. I work so many overnights and it's hard for guys to understand that and work around it. Eventually things just... die off because I never get a chance to spend any real time with anyone."

He frowned and inched a little closer. "Their loss," he said. You turned to smile at him.

"You're not like that, though."

He shrugged. "I get it. I'm no stranger to havin' a busy schedule. I'm always haulin' Sarah 'round town to soccer games or friends' houses or after school activities. Don't bother me none."

You squeezed his hand affectionately before impulsively leaning over and pressing your lips against his. You could feel his surprise but he quickly reacted and brought a hand up to cup your face. He licked at the seam of your lips and you smiled before opening your mouth a fraction, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

The whole drive back to your place had you thinking about Lily's comment from the day before, and the closer and closer you got to home, the more nervous you felt.

When he walked you up to your door and kissed you goodnight, you reached up to hold the back of his neck, keeping him close. He slipped his tongue into your mouth and you let out a small moan. He grabbed your hip and began kissing you harder, pushing you up against your door and sliding his fingers underneath the hem of your shirt, stroking your skin there. You tipped your head back, breaking the kiss, both of you panting for air.

"Do you want to come inside?" you asked nervously. His gaze darkened and he licked his lips, but then you saw a tortured look flicker across his face.

"I can't," he said, sounding almost like it pained him to utter the words. "I can't leave Sarah alone overnight," he explained, taking a step back and rubbing his palms over his face. He dropped them to the side and you quickly blinked the disappointment from your eyes.

"It's okay, I understand," you told him, then reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly.

"I promise, I really wanna come inside," he told you.

"I know," you said, "maybe next time."

He chewed the inside of his cheek and nodded. "Yeah, next time."

But it wouldn't be the next time. Or the time after that. Understandably so, Joel was waiting for a night where Sarah was at a sleepover to coincide with one of your free nights, explaining that he felt uncomfortable letting her know he wouldn't be coming home.

"Does she know about us?" you asked him one night.

"'Course she does. But it's just... awkward. At her age, she can read between the lines, y'know?"

"I get it," you had told him, trying to imagine what it would be like for you if at fourteen, your dad had essentially announced he wouldn't be home that night because he was going to get laid.

It made sense, but it didn't stop both of you from practically swallowing each other whole every chance you got, all your pent up sexual tension bubbling just under the surface with every glance and touch.

And finally, nearly two months into seeing each other, the stars aligned. Sarah was going on a school field trip to The Alamo, which coincidentally was scheduled on one of your rare weekends off.

Joel had every intention of taking you out to dinner and a movie, but when you opened the door and locked eyes, suddenly take out and a shitty movie on TV sounded much better.

You practically dragged him to your bedroom while shedding your clothes as quickly as you could, desperation rolling off both of you in waves as you fell into bed.

"Beautiful girl," Joel mumbled against your throat, sweat coating your skin as your writhed underneath him, his thick length slowly dragging in and out, making sure you felt every inch of him. "Wanted this for so long," he continued, then groaned when you clenched around him. "Fuck, you're so wet, baby," he whispered when your slick began to spread over his thighs.

"Only for you," you managed to say, too focused on how your body thrummed with anticipation as you got closer and closer to your release.

"Yeah, that's right," he growled, nipping at your earlobe. "All for me."

When you came, you whimpered his name into his shoulder, clutching onto him as the heat of your orgasm spread through every vein, reaching every inch of you. He followed shortly behind with a guttural moan muffled by his mouth pressing feverishly against yours, then you felt his muscles relax under your fingertips and his body sag. You pulled him down and he nuzzled against your throat as he fought for air, still nestled deep between your legs.

Neither of you felt much like leaving the bed, so you didn't. You ordered Chinese food takeout and watched some action movie you didn't really care for but it didn't matter because it primarily served as background noise while you pretended to fight over shrimp lo mein and shared an egg roll, the cartons spread out over your nightstands and your plates balancing in your hands.

You fell asleep before the movie ended but when you woke the next morning, tucked safely into Joel's side, the cartons of food were gone and the TV was off. You pressed a little kiss against his chest, silently thanking him for taking care of everything while you slept, but the movement made him stir. He sleepily opened his eyes, then a lazy smile spread across his face when he saw you already looking up at him.

"Mornin', little lady," he said, voice all rough and gravelly. You felt a pull in your lower stomach at the sound.

"Morning," you mumbled, pressing another kiss in the same spot.

Joel sighed and wrapped both arms around you, tugging you even closer and kissing the top of your head.

"I want you to meet Sarah."

He felt your muscles tense under his hands and then you slowly tipped your chin up to look him in the eye.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Only if you wanna," he said quickly, but you shook your head and grinned.

"Y-yeah, I would love to, of course," you told him.

He planted a kiss on your lips, both your mouths curving into smiles.

"Good. Then it's settled. My two best girls are gonna meet," he said, sliding out from under the sheets to stand. You bit your lip, adoring the way he referred to you as one of his girls. "She's gonna love you. How 'bout a baseball game or the fair?" he offered, slipping his boxers on.

"Both sound great," you said dreamily, watching him saunter out of your bedroom. And as you ate breakfast across your kitchen table, sharing little smiles over eggs and toast, you couldn't help but feel hopeful and excited for what your future held together.

[wilhelminyard]

compilation of nice/sweet things the foxes said to neil because even though they're a bunch of assholes who'll insult anyone in their vicinity they all just love him so damn much (part 2) :

ANDREW :

"I'm not here for your entertainment" "but as expected you are talented enough to multitask"

"you are neil josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive. I don't care if you use this phone tomorrow. I don't care if you never use it again. but you are going to keep it on you because one day you might need it. on that day you're not going to run. you're going to think about what I promised you and you're going to make the call."

"I'm not afraid of you" "that's why you're so interesting"

DAN :

"don't thank us, remember us. we're your teammates. we're here to help you with whatever you need."

"you've got us now"

"that was perfect. but don't do something that reckless again. we can't replace you. hear me?"

"neil, you can use the girls' shower while we're busy"

MATT :

"just try not to think about it until we get there. you won't do yourself any favorite if you spend the ride stressing out about things you can't change."

"if you don't have anywhere to go, I'll drag you home with me"

KEVIN :

"if you get hurt out there, you do something about it. you take it easy, you have coach pull you, you ask abby for help - I don't care. if you ever say 'I'm fine' about your health again I will make you rue the day you were born"

"neil has no place in riko's games. he is a fox."

"run. it's the only way you'll survive"

"you should be court."

"will you still teach me?" "every night."

"I will watch you. if you want to drink tonight. I won't let you say something you'll regret." "you'll be drunk inside an hour. then who'll stop me?" "I would stop drinking."

"you're not going. do you know what he'll do to you?"

WYMACK :

"why did you pay for stalls coach?" "maybe I knew you'd need them one day"

"neil, if you can't be here say so. abby can take you elsewhere until it's time to leave. get out of here and get some fresh air."

"what can I do?" "I don't know" "when you know, tell me"

"sometimes the world feels so big but then I'm reminded how small it is" "big or small just remember you're not alone in it."

"if riko really was behind it somehow, the blame is all on him. he chose to take out his petty rage on seth. he chose to cross a line. you didn't. you hear me? you didn't. don't ever blame yourself for seth's death. that it too dangerous a road to walk down. you keep your eyes on your own path and keep moving forward"

"neil" "I'm fine" "be fine inside where it's warmer"

"look I know I've always told you all to take your personal problems up with betsy or abby. I've said it's not my place to get into anything outside the court. I hope you've figured out by now I'm just blowing hot air. I'm not real good at being a shoulder, but I do have a working set of ears."

"help me" "let me"

"this doesn't mean anything. I'm still a fox." "of course you are."

NICKY :

"kid you're killing me. why do you always get that deer-in-headlights look when someone does something nice for you?"

"you worry about neil's career. I'll worry about his personal happiness."

"I didn't really get into the gritty details last time because those aren't reallt dan and matt's business, but you're family, so I can tell you."

"there's obsession and there's dysfunction. you can't make exy your end-all be-all. this won't last forever, okay? you'll shine bright, then you'll retire, and then what? you gonna spend the rest of your life at home alone with all your trophies? you can't be just this, neil. this isn't enough to live for."

"thanks for taking one for the team, neil. you're a real friend."

"are we? friends?" "you are going to be the absolute death of me. yeah, kid. we're friends. you're stuck with us, like it or not."

"I only see that look on neil's face when someone tries to do something nice for him, but we all know kevin's as bratty as they come. what did you say, kevin, and do I need to defend neil's honor or what?"

RENEE :

"I am not the girl I once was but the shade of my old life will always existe inside of me. that is what helps me connect with andrew. I am hoping it will help me connect with you."

"I do not know your story. if you've trusted andrew with anything, he hasn't shared the details with me and he never will. but if you are as like us as we first predicted you to be, perhaps one day you can also come to see me as a friend."

"if either andrew or I can help you, please know we are here."

"and you neil? are you all right?"

[bluecanvasshoe]

I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive

Chapter 5 of Everything Eats and is Eaten (Time is Fed)

Red Dead Redemption 2 x reader

Warnings: Animal death, blood, panic attacks, ptsd?, guns, alcohol relapse, trauma, passing out, drunk people, angst in general

Summary: You desperately keep your mind off of the gang, but bad things seem to follow you regardless. You lose a lot, but maybe you gain some, too.

Word count: 2.7k

Title from 'I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive' by Hank Williams

Previous chapter | Next chapter

A/N: Hey everyone! So sorry this took a while. My lungs decided to stop working and one of my pets died, so I've been struggling to write. Hopefully we like this one!

----

Days had passed.

Your back is killing you, and the insides of your thighs are irritated from constant riding. 

The gang still plagued your thoughts, but it became too painful to think about. Anytime they’d weasel into your brain, your mind would shut everything out again.

The weather was a gamble each day; the damp forests of West Elizabeth were rainy and cold. The trees would act as a canopy from rainfall, but thick branches would become heavy with rain and dump whatever water they'd been holding onto you and your horse. Thanks to the late spring season, mosquitoes terrorized you constantly. Irritated red bumps came and went on any exposed skin.

Past the forests of West Elizabeth were the Heartlands, a dusty, dry environment. 

Valentine was a nice break from the riding, and you managed to get a hotel room, a bath, and a hot meal for a night before having to move on. You would’ve taken odd jobs to earn a bit more money, but a strange, frantic anxiety tugged at your heart; you couldn’t waste more time than you already had.

And now, here you are. Riding through the Heartlands to Lemoyne.

Your eyes hurt, and the sun has only just reached the middle of the sky. You almost feel nauseous, something in you begging to stop. But when you do, your heart starts beating that frantic rhythm, and you can’t seem to sit still.

Your horse is likely tired, but he’s been treated kindly; frequent stops for water and a near-constant stream of treats or food kept him in higher spirits than you.

When you were forced to spend a night resting, he’d keep you company by nudging your shoulder and huffing. You’d feed him an apple or an oatcake as a treat, satisfying the horse.

The days dragged on, and your mind grew incredibly weary.

Still, as you saw dry ranch country turn to rolling meadows, it was hard to deny how beautiful the scenery was.

An old, crinkled map was held in your hands. You had to keep an eye out for landmarks, anything to help you guide yourself to Saint Denis as fast as possible. 

Birds chirped too loud, and the occasional yowl of a fox was heard. Your horse’s hooves languidly hit the ground, steadily carrying you closer to Saint Denis. 

Your gear clinked and jostled with each step, the sound practically becoming background noise.

You tried to distract your exhausted mind with songs, but couldn’t remember much past the first few lyrics of most. Your head fell forward, and you blinked yourself awake. 

Your horse grunted, huffing with a flip of his mane. Your head lifted, the aching vertebrates of your neck supporting your overly heavy noggin.

Just a bit longer, you told yourself.

—

It was getting close to dusk, and the lights of a town entered your vision. It was Rhodes; you were undoubtedly close to Saint Denis.

With a click of your tongue and a gentle nudge of your spur, your horse quickened his pace.

You neared the small town, the sound of crickets mingling with faint chatter. Streetlights lined the main road, and cute buildings framed the paths. Reaching the red, dusty paths of Rhodes, you froze.

A white building stood not far away.

You walked past that one a few years ago.

You remember looking at that building.

You distinctly remember hearing a gunshot, and a whir of red cross your vision. Something hit the ground, a bag of bones and flesh.

Your body tensed, knuckles turning white and clenching your horse’s reins. Your already frazzled mind was startled when the sound of a boot hit the ground, and it instinctively urged your hand onto where the holster of a gun would be on your belt; if you’d bought a revolver, that is. 

Your head snapped to the side, surprising an approaching man. Frantic eyes darted around.

Your chest heaved, your vision caving in as white crept in around your eyes. Your hands trembled and your heart beat horribly fast. Everything suddenly felt too close, and you had trouble focusing your eyes.

The man in front of you waved his hand. “Howdy, miss, er, I’m not quite sure how to say this, but have we met before? You seem awfully familiar.”

“Met before…?” you muttered.

Shit. He remembers you from when the gang shot up the town in 1899.

He’s getting the law. They’re probably close, with their shotguns and horses and you’ll be put up in the gallows. You’ll die here or rot in prison. 

You idiot.

It’s your fault that you’ve been caught; maybe you shouldn’t have come here. 

This is a nightmare. This isn’t happening.

“Miss?” He said. You couldn’t make out his expression; everything was a blur.

A door opened not far away; bar music stopped. Glass broke. Men shouted at each other.

At you?

You couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t talk; everything mixed together. White clouded your vision, your eyes hazy. Nothing is processed through your brain. Not the desperate command you gave your horse nor the worried call of the man behind you. Dust kicked up as your horse grunted; that didn’t register, either.

You blinked, and you were suddenly riding as fast as you could. Pitch dark surrounded you.

Distant shouts were heard in the background; from what, you couldn’t make out. Only one thing was on your mind; the law was coming.

You looked over your shoulder, and your horse hit a tree. You were sent tumbling, rolling on the ground amidst soil and brush. 

After a moment, your limbs began to work again. A horrible ache resonated through you, your stomach and lungs empty as you gasped for air.

“No, no, no,” you muttered, getting to your feet and running to your horse.

You could barely walk as your legs shook violently. You stumbled to the ground, crawling the rest of the way toward the horse lying on the soil. Trembling, unsteady hands roamed his neck and eventually his head, eyes zeroing in on the blood spilling.

Your ears hardly picked up how the pained cries of the animal died out.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” you chanted, your voice coming out as a choked plea. 

“What do I- what do I do? I can’t…” you heaved, hands clammy.

You leaned forward, resting your head against the horse’s shoulder. Your mind raced, and you could barely think. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Nausea crept up your throat, and you had to look away. Gathering your things as fast as possible, you stood and ran.

You stumbled over tree roots and uneven terrain, branches and plants brushing at your ankles. You’d usually jump in surprise, but your heart is pumping too fast and too hard to make out any sensation other than the desperate flutter in your stomach.

Your legs gave out not five minutes later, leaving you defenseless, exhausted, and hurt on the forest floor.

You became lightheaded, unable to bring in enough air.

Your hands grasped at your throat, and it suddenly felt like your lungs were choking themselves.

You wheezed violently, but air refused to go further than your mouth despite the quick succession of your breaths.

A hand searched for something; you didn’t know what. 

Your body hit the ground.

—

When you awoke, your head felt as if it had split open. Like you had been pelted at the earth, a stone cracking your skull and crushing your bones.

You sit up with squinted eyes and quickly realize you’re in a forest; how did you get here?

Looking to the ground, you spot your bag and rifle. Thank god.

The sounds of nature surround you as if you hadn’t existed there at all; birds chirped and animals yowled, running across the forest floor. Sunlight filtered in through tall, leafy trees and hit the ground in dotted shadows. 

Stumbling to your feet, you gasp in surprise when a sharp pain shoots up the bone of your ankle, sending you down again. A memory comes back to you; white creeping around your vision and overwhelming dark, black night. You trip over a tree root but keep running anyway. There’s no pain.

You groan, your upper body hitting the ground again. 

Your horse. 

You run your dirtied hand down your face; it hardly matters, considering you likely have a week’s worth of sweat, dust, and who knows what else covering your body. It was your fault; of course it was. You did something stupid. You’re paying the price.

Getting up carefully to avoid irritating your ankle, you grab your bag and decide to find a road. It doesn’t take long to find a dirt path next to a rolling meadow with fresh horse tracks; hopefully, it was used often.

Your prayers are answered when a young man comes riding on a shoddy cart, a shire pulling the wagon. The wheels clatter as they roll, the links and parts of the horse’s tack clinking like bells or a ring of old keys.

“Sir!” you wave him down, balancing on one foot to the best of your ability.

He slows the large horse with a click of his tongue, appraising you with scrutiny. He scrunches his large nose, his mouth curving downwards. His cheeks are covered in sunburn-afflicted freckles, a tan covering the high planes of his face. A brown hat sat upon tawny hair. “You alright there?” He asks.

“Um, yeah,” you mumbled, looking back at the forest briefly. “Look, sir, my horse, uh… you see, he died a little further... in the forest, and I need to get to Saint Denis. Are you heading in that direction?” you sounded more desperate than you preferred, your voice more pleading than it was asking a polite question.

He looked at the back carrying splintered crates and labeled burlap sacks, sighing before shuffling to the side. “I’ll getcha there,” he nodded. 

You loaded the small bag and rifle you had onto the seat, stepping up and into the rickety driver’s bench. “Thank you, sir,” you smiled, though you’re sure it came off as more of a grimace.

You probably smell awful; you probably look awful, too. 

The closer you get to Saint Denis, the swampier the air is. Maybe the stench can cover you? Are you really that bad?

…Probably.

An awkward silence falls upon the two of you, occasionally jostling and bumping into each other within the tight confines of the bench. 

“So, uh… Why’re you headin’ to Saint Denis?” The man awkwardly piped up, not looking away from the beige, dusty road.

You blink for a moment, your brain processing at the speed of a snail. “I’ve got some family. A distant uncle,” You settled upon the idea of estranged relatives, hoping he’d buy it. He seemed to be convinced if the nod and an absence of suspicion was something to go off of.

“I see. Um, my pa’s got a sister who lives there. I’ve hardly met her, can’t say I’m looking for her.” He said, adjusting the hat on his head. Sunlight shined upon your backs, heating up the top of your scalp uncomfortably.

You sighed, brushing your hair back in hopes that it’d lay flat. “Why not?” 

“I ain’t ever met her.” He shrugged. “My name’s Martin.”

You nodded at his introduction, your hands settling upon your knees. You introduced yourself, clearing your throat. 

The conversation between the two young adults soon flowed into something comfortable, a nice distraction amidst a warzone of a mind.

Fields and meadows surround you and the boy, golden sunlight bringing out hidden hues of trees and flowers. It’s peaceful.

—

The smoke-filled streets of Saint Denis soon enveloped you. A faint haze of grey shrouded the city you came to hate, the smell of smoke and sewers filling your aching sinuses.

“I’ve never liked this place,” you said, shaking your head.

Martin tilted his head. “Really? I’m not against bein’ in the big city.” His voice carried an indifferent lilt as he shrugged.

“It’s not that I hate cities,” you corrected, looking at the working-class folks who wandered the streets. “I just hate the atmosphere of this city in particular.”

“Hate’s an incredibly strong word,” Martin pointed out, almost sounding cheeky. “Are you sure it ain’t a subtle dislike? You can’t hate it.”

“I do hate it.” You insisted, watching the people go about their lives.

Some swept streets, and others took a smoke break from their smoke-filled factory jobs. Haughty men on horses occasionally passed by, his lips turned in a grimace as he looked upon those he deemed less than himself; he who works four days a week and sips tea from delicate china. The muddy streets squelch and it’s a wonder how no one loses their footing. Big, proud signs and murals display the names of companies, their establishing dates set an unimpressive twenty years prior.

Martin stops, pulling to the side of a polluted street. “I ought to drop all this off. I’ll leave you here.”

Gathering your things hastily, you step down from the wagon and look back up at him with what you hoped was a grateful look. “Thank you, Martin. I uh, I really do appreciate your help.” 

“Don’t thank me, miss, it was nothin’. Good luck findin’ your uncle.” He replies humbly, clicking his tongue with a small flick of the reins. The large shire horse begins walking again, its steady gait carrying them away and down the corner of a street.

You look around where you were dropped off, vaguely remembering how to navigate the muddy labyrinth. The lonely grey of the sky presses upon the looming structures of connected buildings, the sad atmosphere of workers weighing on you almost immediately. With a sigh from your nose, you turn and set off to find the nearest bar.

Just this once, you tell yourself. Just one time, you’ll be fine.

—

You have hardly any money in your bag anymore.

The bartender scoffs, his lips curled in disgust as he ushers you from the warmly lit bar. You stumble onto the streets, swirling vision and muddled mind altering your surroundings. Sunlight invades your eyes.

You lean against a wall, ignoring the awful ache of your ankle as you try to collect your thoughts.

God dammit. Charles is waiting!

Your heart rapidly increases its beating, and you push yourself from your support.

You stumble down cracked and uneven sidewalks, vaguely remembering the area in which the fighting ring was reported.

Your confused, hazy mind gets you there, and totally not because you stopped multiple strangers on the road and asked for directions.

You find a white-bricked building, a path curving around it. Tripping through, you’re met with a rotting, wooden apartment and staircase, the ground packed with dirt and framed by flimsy fencing.

A muffled shouting comes from further down, and you get yourself there after ignoring the shouts of strangers around you.

Shouting? 

The law?

Nah. Probably not.

“Charles!” You call, your voice slurred.

A crowd fills your vision, men erupting into a cacophony of cheers for a person beyond your sight. Another, however, takes your attention.

Your befuddled mind couldn’t believe what it was seeing.

Charles was speaking to a man. He was a little ways away from the onlookers, their backs turned. 

“You’re a killer, Charles. Remember that.” a man with a moustache said, a hand on your old friend’s shoulder. Upon hearing footsteps, the stranger giving the pep talk narrowed his eyes that landed on you. “I’ll… be off now…?” He said, turning away and walking towards the loud group.

Charles sighs before noticing you. 

“Charles!” you cheered.

His eyes widened, and he said your name with an air of disbelief; said shock quickly morphing into exasperation and his own kind of worry when you threw yourself at him.

“Charles! I’ve been- Charles, I’ve been looking for you, Charles,” you smiled lopsidedly, looking up at the long-haired man. He furrowed his brows, unsure of what to do. 

Carefully pushing you off of him, he sighs.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, surely recognizing you. “Are you drunk?”

“No, no, I’m not,” you slur, shaking your head with a goofy expression.

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head, grabbing one of your shoulders and guiding you away from the crowd. He stopped at some crates, putting on a blue shirt and a leather vest. Another man wearing a brimmed hat approached him. They exchanged words your brain couldn’t quite process before Charles turned back to you.

He led you outside the alleyway, stopping when you crouched down unexpectedly.

“What? Are you alright?” He asked, bending at the waist.

You don’t remember anything after that.

---

Taglist:

@gallantys, @justsomereaderwholikesanime, @shackspossum, @photo1030

[moonlightchn]

𝖂𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝕯𝖎𝖆𝖗𝖞 🌕 #25

january 12th 2023

Chan smiles at the girl next to him as he parks into her driveway, thanking her for the fun night and wishing her a good night. The companion hesitates as her hand looks for the door handle, her bottom lip caught between her teeth before she gives the wolf a quick look. She doesn't get to speak.

"I know what you're thinking. I don't know what Channie told you, but I'm not interested. I'm really sorry. I did have a blast tonight, but nothing else."

-

march 19th 2023

The wolf sits at the edge of the bed, face in his hands as the boy next to him stirs in his sleep. It didn't work as he hoped– It never does.

Chan's quiet as he dresses back up, careful as he walks out of the stranger's room and heads to the front door. The cold air hitting him finishes waking him up, the sun slowly coming up to mark the beginning of a new day, and with nothing but regret, the wolf gets into his car and drives back home.

-

april 2nd 2023

Putting his phone down on the nightstand, Chan takes a deep breath. Tears pricked his eyes, the screen showing clearly the open chat with his past lover and a message written on the text box, waiting to be sent. God, he wishes he could send it.

The boy walks out of the room tiredly, straight to his home studio, and without looking at the clock, he gets to work.

-

july 29th 2023

Chan's laugh fills the room as the fox whines cutely next to him, the movie not being at all what she thought it would. Her arms cross over her chest as she plops back on the couch, huffing. It's an open invitation for the wolf to move closer, hands right away getting ahold of her hips and placing the hybrid on his lap.

"My little fox, don't be so whiny. Tell you what, I'll let you pick the next movie too if it makes you smile. Hm? A pretty smile from a pretty fox? "

-

august 24th 2023

The wolf sits at the cabin's doorway, drink in hand as he takes a deep breath, the nightsky clear above him. His trained ears keep tabs on the pack inside, making sure they're not making much of a mess while he's gone, and the alpha allows himself to relax slightly, let his guard down for a minute.

What a mistake.

Maybe it's a smell, the way the breeze tickles his neck, or how the moment feels so familiar, but he remembers. It wasn't long ago, or was it? It was, two soulmates standing under the stars after a long ride gone wrong. Two soulmates celebrating their love and feeling invincible, untouchable. Just two soulmates, existing, together.

The wolf chuckles softly as his eyes shoot up, he remembers vividly.

And there it goes. All of his walls, all of his masks crumbling down.

Whatever mess was going on, he doesn't hear anymore; and whatever eyes stare at him through the window, can't bother him now. Tears fall as his breathing falters, chest shaking as his heartbeat fastens. He will always remember, won't he? Doesn't matter how much time goes by, he'll always own a piece of his heart. He'll always remember the warm embrace, the feeling of fingers intertwined, the scent that made his world stop. He'll always remember the burning feeling inside his chest, the sun that rose every waking moment, the love he felt.

Chan's head falls down, a single broken sob slipping past his lips.

He never gave himself the room to feel, did he? The room to miss, the room to hurt, the room to break. It's all the bottled up. It's all the empty that suffocates him. It's the anger, and the pain, and the love.

Oh, they say love hurts, don't they? And so now Chan knows, he remembers once more, why it was never made for him, and never will.

[thescarleteyes]

I'll Set You Up Against The Stars Pairing: Aether x Scaramouche Rating: Explicit Tags: Porn with Plot, Blow Jobs, Choking, Enemies to Lovers, Fauti! Aether, Aether is Semi-Verbal Word Count: 4,390 Cross Posted on Ao3. Written with @kokoronooji.

Summary: Aether, a newbie in the ranks of the Fatui, is sent out on a mission to Inazuma with none other than the Harbinger Scaramouche. And no matter how rude the harbinger is to him, he finds himself intrigued by him. Scaramouche just finds himself annoyed that he has to have company at all. But when there's a mishap upon the ship to Inazuma, what will happen between the two of them?

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. THANK YOU.

The sky was overcast and gloomy on that day. The blond sighed to himself as he followed the harbinger, silent in his movements as he always was. He didn't want to be here, and it was clear in his irritated expression that this was the case. However, he couldn't refuse direct orders, and this was the first mission he'd been on since he'd joined the Fatui.  He hadn't been told much information about this mission — just that he was to follow Scaramouche along and assist him with anything he needed. And so the two of them were seemingly headed towards Inazuma, neither one of them saying a word as they travelled onwards.  The sky looked like it was about to rain, and the blond was already dreading it.

Oh, how Aether longed to speak to the other, to ask him why they were heading out this way, but he wasn't sure how to do so. His little floating companion, Paimon, hadn't spoken a word since he'd joined the Fatui, and he hadn't seen a trace of her either. He pondered what to do for a long while, before he finally got an idea.

Pausing in his tracks, he grabbed the Harbinger's arm, trying to let him know that he needed his attention. He then produced a small scroll of paper from his backpack, along with a pen. He wrote out what he wanted to say, and then shoved the piece of parchment into Scaramouche's hands. 'What are we going out to Inazuma for? I wasn't told any details about this mission at all.'

Scaramouche thought he had been rather clear before they headed off that it was off limits to touch him without warning. He didn't like the feeling of someone else's skin against his, it only served to send shivers down his spine. The urge to swat the blonds hand on his arm away was kept down as a piece of paper was haphazardly shoved into his hands.  The balladeer let out a mildly annoyed sigh. 

" Unfortunately ... This isn't much of a mission. I, for one, have no idea why you were assigned to come with me. I could have done this better all alone... but I digress." Scaramouche flicked the paper back at Aether, then turned around and signaled for them to keep walking. Far too close to the docks to stop walking now. "Firstly, I was told to go check up on delusion production. Apparently people have been slacking and they need someone to tell them off to "up morale". Secondly, I was incandescently pestered by a certain fox to give her information on the whereabouts of the gnosis. As much as I hate to have to deal with her again... denying her would be the worse of the two options." 

At the mention of Yae, Aether felt a shiver run up his spine. Just the brief mention of her was enough to remind the blond about just how fierce she had been during his last visit. 

As Scaramouche finished his explanation, he could see the ships from the harbour in the distance. They were keeping up a steady pace; they'd be there in no more than twenty minutes at this rate, and with that thought the Harbinger was pleased.

Aether rolled his eyes at the harbinger's tone, softly sighing, though he did nod his head in understanding. He continued walking as instructed, though he couldn't help but feel a slight fatigue coming on — he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before — and bit back a yawn that threatened to fall from his lips. Ah. So that was it, huh?  Aether wished he could have just stayed back at headquarters. What was the point?

Scribbling more down on the paper, he settled for just tapping the balladeer on his clothed shoulder this time, holding out the paper once more. He hoped Scaramouche could read the handwriting this time, as it was a bit more messy than the previous text had been. 'I understand. I don't want to deal with her, either. Though, why do you hate her?' "We have a history. That's all you need to know."

A part of Scara wanted to laugh a little bit though. It was kind of nice knowing that Aether didn't really like dealing with Yae any more than he did, regardless of how different their reasoning probably would be. 

The road to the harbour was mostly dirt instead of snow and it crunched beneath the harbingers feet. For the next handful of minutes the two of them walked in silence, Scara walking a couple of paces ahead to avoid having to make much more small talk with the newbie. Seriously , he could have handled this on his own, and being asked questions was starting to get on his nerves.  Aether silently followed along, and noticed Scaramouche's movements to avoid conversation. He couldn't blame him, though. Aether was a newbie, and the other was a literal Harbinger. He wouldn't doubt that he was annoyed by his very existence.

Once the guards had spotted Scaramouche's entrance to the harbour they knelt on instinct. A faint smile habitually crept up on the harbingers face as he barked an order to the workers.  "Secure a ship for me and my.... companion here. We're heading straight for Inazuma and I'd like no further delays."  As the men rose to their feet and ran to secure a ship for the two of them, it seemed that Aether and Scara were left alone again. It had been less than a day and the lack of alone time was already starting to wear on him.

The blond's eyes widened as he watched the men kneel, and was even more astonished when the men scrambled off at the balladeer's barked orders. So this was a Harbinger's power, huh?  He was dumbfounded. Aether wanted to ask the other something else, but he didn't want to get further on his nerves, as much as he longed to see such an irritated expression on the man's face.

Aether felt something on his arm, and looked over to see Paimon, staring at him in disapproval. He gave her a small smile and rubbed her face with a finger."...I'll only translate when necessary. Work on your penmanship." She whispered.

He put a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet, but then gave her a small nod, watching as she retreated back into his backpack.

Since Aether gave him no response, there was no reason to speak to him any further. That was, of course, unless he needed to, but Scaramouche didn't seem to think that there'd be much of an opportunity for that once they boarded the ship; after all, they'd have separate rooms, and could spend the night in perfect, isolated quiet. 

That is what the harbinger hoped at least as he tapped his sandaled foot on the dirt of the ground, growing impatient as the minutes they did not have a ship to Inazuma ticked by. It would have been several more minutes of standing around in the growing cold before some Fatui grunt approached them with the news. There was an interesting look on the grunts' masked face; it was hard to tell if it was worry or something else. Whatever it was, the news they had to deliver was likely not good. "L-lord Scaramouche sir, we have secured the ship to Inazuma for you. There is just one issue with the shi-" "What issue could there possibly be!?" snapped Scaramouche, finally turning around to face the lesser Fatuus.  "Go on, spit it out. " 

A nasty look grew on his face as the grunt shrank in their coat. "W-well you see, all the large ships were already sent out elsewhere by at least one of the other harbingers. We have one ship left, but there's only one room for lodging. S-so I'm afraid you'll have to room with your companion here for the trip." "Damn it!" shouted Scaramouche, looking like if there had been a wall around them he would have slammed his fist into it and broke something, most likely the wall. He took a deep breath.  "Fine. As long as we don't have to share a bed, we'll be fine. Aether, come along, we have a ship to board."

A small smirk crept across Aether’s face at the harbinger's outburst, and his only response is a soft grunt as he followed the other onto the ship. He could still feel Paimon shuffling around in his backpack, but chose to ignore it as to not let it bother him.  As they boarded, he could hear Paimon's rummaging getting louder. However, if he were to scold the little being, Scaramouche would question him. So he was just hoping that the other wouldn't notice the noises coming from his bag, otherwise there would likely be problems.

"You have so much shit in here, blondie!" There was a tiny voice screaming, yet it was muffled by the backpack's thick fabric. Absent-mindedly, the blonde punched the bag, trying to shut Paimon up before someone heard her.

When they reached the room, Scara took a look around. It was small, and cramped, and there was somewhere around 12 dumb hard bunkbeds lining the walls. They were unsavoury at best and absolutely not fitting of his position as a harbinger. Regardless if he wanted that position or not, he was going to use it to get what he felt he deserved, and this was not it.  He sighed.  Whatever."No one else will be using this lodging so... you're free to toss your bag on one of the spare beds. Or the floor. Or in one of the lockers if you can find the keys. Or perhaps you can let whatever that thing in your bag is that's attempting to yell up a storm out and into the dining hall or something. Better to terrorize the crew for food than in here, in my opinion." 

As Scaramouche spoke to him, Aether had already sat down on one of the beds. He reluctantly opened his bag, letting Paimon loose. He gestured for her to leave the two of them be, and sighed to himself while doing so. She reluctantly left the lodging, giving the blond one last look, one of pure concern, before fluttering away.

Scara also took a seat down on one of the lower bunks, taking off his shoes and hat and setting them on one of the other beds before getting up again and pacing around the room. He was so very unsatisfied with the way this "mission" of his was turning out — first he had to take someone else on his mission, and a newbie at that. Second, he was now stuck in a room with said newbie who either asked too many questions or didn't speak at all. And while he was grateful for the fact he didn't speak much... a part of it was irritating him and he couldn't tell why. Scaramouche continued to pace about the small room, unsure if he should yell at the newbie to continue to be quiet like he had been. Either way, the next thing he was asked would likely set him off, and he knew it. He just didn't know how . 

Aether personally breathed a sigh of relief — he'd been tired of Paimon's shit from the start. He watched the harbinger pace angrily, and simply tilted his head in curiosity. There was a part of him that wanted to see Scaramouche even angrier than he already was, and that part of him caused something below to slowly rise— No—! Stop thinking those thoughts. However, that side of him won, and he pulled the pen from his bag. He aimed for the back of Scara's neck, and then let it loose. He'd always had good aim. Though he'd wanted to watch the other's expression curiously, he quickly positioned himself to appear like he hadn't just done that.

Despite being previously lost in thought, anything on the harbingers mind stopped as he came to an abrupt halt. Something had pinked him on the back of his neck, just inches away from a particularly sensitive spot he took care to hide.  Either the culprit was aiming for it to see what would happen, or they just wanted to tick him off, and he was willing to bet on the latter. In fact, he was sure the culprit was on the other end of the room, adjusting themselves to act as if they hadn’t done anything. They couldn't play coy with him, no , he wouldn't let that slide.

Scaramouche marched himself over to Aether without a thought. As he bent over to lock eyes with the blond, he grabbed a fistful of shirt and pulled him closer.  "Are you sure you really wanted to throw that?" he spat, pulling at his shirt more to signal him to stand up. 

In most cases, Scaramouche would have simply chewed his subordinate out, yelling and cursing at them until they swore submission to him and promised to never do it again. But Aether was different — either he was expressionless or smug, and it both irritated and attracted the man. And he hated that he found it attractive. So, wordless, Scaramouche backed the other against the wall between the rows of beds. 

All Aether did was smirk without a word when he was pulled to his feet, secretly thankful that the flittering nuisance had left the room moments prior. He didn't need her teasing him about this for the years to come. Scaramouche’s slender fingers wrapped themselves comfortably around Aether's neck as he pinned him to the wall, one leg on the floor and the other resting between the other man’s. 

"In this organization, we have respect for our higher ups, got that?" 

As Scaramouche lectured him, he was, admittedly, even more turned on, and it didn't help that the other man was now pinning him up against a wall. The hand that oh-so perfectly snaked itself around his throat didn't help things, either. It only served to make him hotter . Not that he minded , of course. It was just a little troublesome to deal with. Oh well. Maybe Scara would take care of this predicament all by himself. After all, he was the one who'd gotten him into this mess. The two were so close to each other's faces that the heat between them was growing unbearable. But Scara he stood there with his leg between Aether's, he began to notice something.  He figured he'd let himself have some fun for once. 

Leaning in close to Aether's ear, he whispered. "Barely even touched you and you're already worked up, huh?" Scaramouche pressed his thigh against Aether's ever-growing bulge. He figured that'd get a reaction out of him that he liked.

Aether felt his heart pounding at the actions and words exchanged, and when he felt the heat rise, as well as the harbinger's breath on his skin, a shiver ran down his spine. A breathy gasp slipped from his lips at the thigh pressed against his growing erection, and his eyes flitted shut from the overwhelming presence of it all. "Y-Yes..." The word fell from his lips, shakier than he'd intended. It was the first thing he'd actually spoken since meeting Scaramouche, and admittedly, he hadn't expected the words to come at all.  The blond whimpered softly, cheeks burning with embarrassment at this whole situation. He surely hadn't expected to end up like this. However, it wasn't like he was displeased . Not in the slightest . He could get used to this.

The noise that escaped Aether's lips as he pressed himself against him pleased Scaramouche. It had been some time since he let himself indulge in things like this and he was enjoying every second that it lasted. And he hoped that it'd last as long as it could.  Scara moved his free hand and placed it on Aether's waist, slowly slipping a finger beneath the top of his pants. He tugged a little at the garment as a tease to the other man.  Faces already close, with a smirk he whispered in Aether's ear once more,  "Are you sure this is really what you want? Fucking a harbinger isn't going to shoot you up the ranks, you know."  The moment he was given the cue he'd kiss the breath out him. Though planning more, there was a part of him that was itching to know just how soft those silent lips of his really were.

"Oh, Archons, yes..." The words slipped from Aether without a second thought, head tilting back into the wall as the other's finger slipped beneath his pants. To be honest, the fact that he hadn't gotten much lately was driving his body nuts, and he wanted this more than he thought he did.  There was something about Scaramouche that felt different when Aether compared him to his past beddings. It made the blond want to take things slower, despite the voice in his head that screamed 'more, more, more.'

"What if I don't care about rankings, huh? What if I just want a quick fuck? Tell me, what'll you do then, Balladeer ?"

"Is that what I am? Am I really just a quick fuck to you?" Scaramouche tightened the grip he had on Aether's neck momentarily. Didn't wanna kill the guy. At least, not yet. Scara couldn't tell if he wanted to scowl or smile at Aether. Hearing full sentences come out of that pretty little mouth of his was surely a surprise to the harbinger's ears. In that case, he certainly wanted to hear more of them.  "Well, if that's what you want..." 

He removed his hand from Aether's neck before planting his lips against the other mans. Scara was pleased with this as well — Aether's lips really were as soft as they looked. Slowly but surely, he moved his kisses to Aether's neck, but there was just one issue in his way. 

"Would you mind removing... this?" he said, giving his shirt a good tug. "It's in my way, if we're really going to do this."

The feeling of the other's lips upon his own came as a surprise at first. Then again, he should have expected this. He just hadn't gotten any in quite a while. Kinda hard when you're searching for your missing sister. Aether gasped for air as Scara pulled his face away, and he noticed the tugging at his shirt and sighed softly. He was quick to remove the piece of clothing, tossing it aside. They would have to find it later. Not that it mattered.

"Heh.. Is that more to your liking? What're ya gonna do, huh?" Being a brat. As was typical for the blond.

" Hmph ." Scara let out a small noise of approval but nothing more as he began to leave a trail of kisses down Aether's chest. He was making his way down to where he wanted to be. First his chest, then below that... then his stomach, right next to his belly button... lastly placing one right above the band of his pants.  He took it upon himself to start pulling them down, grabbing both his pants and underwear as he pulled them off of Aether's hips. His prize sprung to life before his face now, finally freed and already mostly (if not fully) hard by this point. He really is easy, isn't he? Scaramouche thought to himself. This would be done and over within no time.

Scara began by placing his lips on the head of Aether's dick, carefully swirling his tongue around it if only to tease the other man. Briefly he took his mouth off of him, leaving a few more kisses around the area before taking the head into his mouth again, bobbing his own head back and forth to get a good feel for what was in his mouth. If he had his fun the way he was hoping, he'd take all of Aether in his mouth and leave him begging for more after.

Aether was caught off guard by the feeling of Scara's mouth around him, and a few, soft moans escaped him. It wasn't until the harbinger started bobbing his head up and down that his voice rose in volume, which was sure to be to the other's liking. "Fuck.. oh, archons , yes..."  His legs felt like they were to give out from under him, and the unstable movements of the ship certainly didn't help the blond in this situation. At least he wasn't prone to seasickness. When Scara's mouth ran across a certain sensitive part of him, a shaky gasp escaped him. "Th-There.. R-Right there... fuck..."

Scara was glad to know that Aether was enjoying what he was doing to him. He found it hard to make noises like that himself, and the groaning of the ship was insufferable, so any sound Aether made was like music to him.  He made a mental note to one day be able to get Aether to utterly scream his name.  But for now he focused, Aether finally balls deep inside of his mouth. As he moved his head back to reach the tip, he wrapped his hand around Aether's member before pushing him to the back of his throat once more.  Scara was good at keeping a nice, steady pace going as he kept his lips, tongue, and fingers sweetly wrapped around the cock in front of him.

Aether found himself oh-so quickly clambering towards the edge, bucking into the other's mouth involuntarily. His voice only increased further in volume, and though he'd intended to place a hand over his mouth, he instead entangled fingers in purple locks, head thrown back against the wall. "Sh-Shit, I.. I'm gonna—" He didn't get to finish his sentence, cutting himself off with a strangled cry of the harbinger's name as he released. The hand that was grabbing at the other's hair tugged as he finished.

Now Scaramouche's eyes widened as the others failed warning fell from his lips, his mouth filling with a certain salty fluid. Even abrupt, he knew better than to let a single drop of cum fall to the floor of the ship or get on his uniform. A thought of how embarrassing it'd be if one of the ship hands found out about what he and Aether were doing crossed his mind as he swallowed every last drop that was shot into his mouth.  Really, he didn't mind the taste. A part of him felt he could get used to this, though he'd never admit it.  He barely had time to process that his hair was getting sharply tugged at. There were too many other things to focus on in that moment, and that was not the one on his mind. Perhaps he'd have to get Aether back for it later, but not now. He figured he would wait. 

Once he himself was finished, he pulled his lips off of Aether. Aether himself slunk down to the floor with a thunk , legs apparently out of order after the work that had just been done. Scaramouche himself was fine, and dusted off his shorts as he walked to the other end of the room to grab a towel. He promptly cleaned up his mouth and anything that may have split onto his clothing before tossing it at Aether.  "Here. Clean yourself up before someone comes in and finds you like this. Unless that's something you're into as well."  Scaramouche scoffed and sat himself down on the floor, leaning against the bed, just within arms reach of Aether but not next to him.

Aether was coming down from the high now, heavy pants falling from his lips as he attempted to catch his breath. He'd barely registered the towel being thrown at him. He gave the harbinger a small nod, and quickly moved to clean himself up before fixing his clothes. The blond had fallen into a blissful, content haze now, though he didn't still himself as his body teetered over, head falling upon the harbinger's thigh. In a way, he was comfortable, and felt himself falling asleep before he knew it. Softly yawning, his eyes flitted shut, and as he fell asleep, soft snores fell from his lips.

Instinctively, Scaramouche attempted to lean away from the man now resting his head in his lap. And while in other situations he may not have cared and moved his head onto the floor of the ship, it was hard and would guarantee that Aether woke up with a headache. If Aether had been this way normally, he knew he didn’t want to find out what he was like when he was actually upset. Not now, and preferably not ever. 

After a moment, Aether’s little companion reentered the room, and despite the overwhelming smell that wafted in the air, she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Instead, Paimon would sigh softly at the sight of the slumbering Aether. "Paimon wishes you luck with moving him anytime soon..." She whispered with a huff, crossing her tiny arms. "He's been having trouble sleeping lately, so Paimon suggests that you leave him there." She almost hated herself for giving advice. And yet, despite how betrayed she'd felt by the blond's actions, she cared for him nonetheless.

“Yeah, yeah, I was planning on leaving him here. Really don’t need to make him hate me more than he should, at this point…” Scara sighed. He felt odd about how he was coming to slowly care about what Aether thought about him, but perhaps that was something he could figure out sometime later. After all, he still needed to deal with Yae, and if he showed that sort of weakness in front of her she’d surely tease him about it. He just hoped that Yae would be alone when they met. 

Yes, he thought, that really was his main worry. Even if she hadn’t seen Ei in quite some time, he wasn’t sure what kind of tabs they kept on each other, or if they did at all. A disgusted expression crept up on his face for a moment as he too began to close his eyes, allowing the soft rocking of the boat to lull him to sleep until they reached the islands.

[dandelion-sugar]

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 『Adam x Reader』

Summary: Reader was Adam's first wife before he married Eve.

Warning: Angst, a little fluff, death, deities are really cruel

15,8k

Author's note: Requests for Genshin have not been forgotten! I'm working on it BUT I just finished season one of Record of Ragnarok and needed to write about Adam. I think he deserves more writing about him...he's the best husband and father Earth could have!

"A demoness? A succubus? No! A human whose legends turn her into a fearsome ruler of the underworld! She rules an entire army with an iron fist! Made of the clay of creation, she is made in the image of the gods! N°00000000002 : Lilith!" shouted Heimdall to announce your entrance.

You have been chosen to save humanity. The creation of Adam and Eve. You don't know why Brunhilde trusts you to save the humans. What could she possibly have been thinking in choosing you? Were you the best choice for this? Protecting the beings conceived by your ex-husband and his new wife. Unlike your ex-lover, you refuse to walk around naked. Your body is far too precious to be revealed to the world. You stand in the middle of the arena waiting patiently for Heimdall to finish presenting your opponent.

Your eyes rest on your army led by your only son. The only being you have ever given birth to. The third human born. A slight smile appeared on your lips. Your son resembled his father, and you found that particularly funny. You couldn't help but think that Adam's genes were particularly strong. But the way your son stood proudly at the head of your army...he took that from you. Even if you were to perish in this fight, you know that your army and your son will come through.

Your right hand will be around the shaft of your spear. You hear the mocking laughter of the gods, announcing your crushing defeat. You hear the hesitant whispers of humans about your place among the fighters of humanity. You are known in human legends to be a danger to pregnant women and newborns. To be honest with yourself, you hate this legends. You are a mother, how can humans think that you would harm a woman and her child? Your eyes drop slightly to the floor and your lips pucker into an unpleasant pout. After a few seconds, your face frees itself of all displays of emotion and your hand rises to challenge Heimdall.

"Yes, Lilith?" asks the god who has the role of announcer.

"I will not fight under that name," you announce.

"Huh?" he blurts out in surprise.

"I will not fight under the name of the monster the humans wanted to make me," you reply immediately.

"So...what do you want to be called?"

Lying in a meadow, you enjoy the sun and the soft breeze on your bare skin. Rabbits and foxes quickly surround you to enjoy the comfort with you. Everything is perfect in the Garden of Eden. A shadow covers your face, forcing you to open your eyes to discover the obstacle between you and the sun. It is a pleasant surprise when you discover your husband's welcoming smile, his blonde locks framing his face. Adam sits down beside you, placing his fruit basket between his legs. He pulls out a bunch of grapes and takes one between his long fingers. He then brings the fruit to your lips to let you savour the sweet, pleasant taste of the fruit. A sigh of contentment crosses your lips. Your husband's smile widens as he notices your relaxed state.

"You have grape juice running down your chin, Lilith," Adam informs you.

Your eyelids droop slightly as your eyes express your displeasure. Adam only lets a laugh emit from his throat as he leans forward to lick the grape juice off. Your hand gently but firmly pushes him away. You want him to understand that his gestures of affection will not be tolerated again until he realises his mistake. And you know perfectly well that he has understood what he has done.

"Stop teasing me," you say, a frown appearing on your face.

"I like to see your eyebrows furrow. You look like that kitten that was trying to scare us." replies Adam, running his hand over your hip stroking it in lazy circles, as if to soothe you.

"But unlike that kitten, I can bite," you reply sharply.

"I know you can..." he hums in the hollow of your ear. "Y/N."

This memory was a moment of pure happiness that you experienced in the Garden of Eden before you were forced into exile. This name you chose with Adam was the beginning of your independence from the gods. You had never accepted the principle of being subject to a man and Adam always supported you in this choice. But the gods did not like this and in response you abandoned the name they gave you at your creation. Perhaps this is why Eve was created from Adam's rib? To prevent her from becoming like you.

"Y/N. Call me that," you proudly announce.

The gods of your creation frown but do not protest. They hope that you will perish against one of their own and that your soul will disintegrate in space and time.

Adam had slipped out of the room where he was locked up. When he learned of your presence here, he did not expect you to fight for the humans. The children he had with another woman. He snuck into the bleachers to get a better look at your figure. A sense of nostalgia stirs in his heart as he sees that you haven't changed in all this time. You stand with dignity, your weapon in hand. You are strong and independent, you have become the woman you always dreamed of. A woman you could not have become if you were in his company because...everyone wants his wife to be submissive to him.

Adam does not regret his married life with Eve, he enjoys it too. But he has enjoyed the life he has lived with you. He believes in your victory. He wants you to win. He does not want to witness your complete disappearance from the universe without any chance of reincarnation. Your first separation has already split his heart in two, Adam does not want to experience this intense pain a second time.

You swing your divine spear with one hand, deflecting your opponent's first blow. The strength in this attack was not worthy of a god, was he testing your abilities? Your eyes meet. The victorious and arrogant smile on the god's face already irritates you. He underestimated you because you are a human AND a woman. His leg comes to sweep over yours but you manage to dodge by gaining height. You position your spear, blade towards the ground to pierce his skull. The god quickly dodges in a backward leap, leaving you to land on the ground, puncturing the concrete floor which cracks under the impact.

Your exchange of blows lasts for a while. Or should we say: the god throws blows at you that you deflect with your spear. But suddenly, his paterne changes. The force that the god uses becomes more powerful. His leg comes to meet your stomach. You prevent the blow from reaching your skin by placing your spear between your stomach and his leg. Unfortunately, the attack sends you flying a few metres away. You manage to land with difficulty and before you can regain a stable footing, the god launches himself at you. You are forced to fall to the side in a roll to narrowly dodge the punch. Your cheek begins to bleed.

"Mother!" your distraught son shouts.

"Commander! Get up!" your soldiers shout to encourage you.

You let out a breath, your muscles relax, making your movements more fluid and lively. Your eyes fall on the figure of your opponent. The aura around you changes completely, causing the small smile on the god's face to disappear. Your hands grip the spear and your feet anchor themselves to the ground to give you a good foothold.

"Answer my question before we resume this fight. Why are you fighting for the humans?" the god asks.

"Do I need a reason to fight? The gods have forced me to be submissive and men have clothed me in a veil of monstrous lies. It's like choosing between the plague and cholera," you explain. "But I had to choose and I chose my ex-husband's children.

The humans observing the exchange begin to stir, either out of guilt or because they were moved by your story. Humans get teary-eyed easily, you think. But you can't help but find this side of them very touching. Perhaps it was a good thing that Eve was the Mother of humanity?

"Humans have the will to survive and a strength that allows them to constantly evolve. This is a strength that the gods can never possess," you say with contempt.

Your hatred for the gods is much stronger than your hatred for humans. On your words, the fight resumes. You manage to follow your opponent's movements. Like Adam, you were forged from clay in the image of the gods. You are Adam's equal, you have the same ability as him to copy the techniques you see. Your movements remind the gods of Athena. You had copied the movements of this goddess a long time ago.

Your body and that of your opponent are covered in blood. You are bleeding from the wounds inflicted on you, but you were able to avenge yourself by seriously injuring your opponent as well.

Adam clenches his lips into a thin line, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands but he still believes in your victory. You must win. You can't give him up a second time...you can't.

"They've created a second wife for you," you scream indignantly.

"You're the only one for me," Adam admits in an attempt to calm your nerves. He can't bear to see you cry.

"It's only a matter of time before the gods kick me out of the Garden of Eden! I don't understand their desire to have me submit to male authority! Do goddesses submit to male deities?" you growl in frustration. The anger was so strong that you can't hold back the tears.

"If they chase you away then I'll go with you," Adam announces, interlacing your fingers together.

A soft warmth spreads through your chest as a gasp of surprise passes through your lips. A slight blush marks your cheeks as you look away from your husband. You can't help but enjoy the tender feeling. Adam wraps his muscular arms around you in a soothing embrace. His scent calms your restless nerves.

"Spend the night with me tonight," you whisper.

"We always sleep together," he says, tilting his head to the side, not understanding the meaning of your words.

"Adam..." you gasp shyly. It almost sounded like a soft moan.

His blue eyes widen slightly as the implied request is processed by his brain. A teasing smile spreads across his face as he leans in to your blushing ear to whisper provocative words.

That was the last evening you spent in his company before the gods kidnapped you and threw you away from the Garden of Eden. You never tried to return to that place, you knew it wasn't possible. So you did your best to survive. You were able to thrive and enjoy your newfound independence.

That night Adam gave you a gift, your son: Eurynome. A child identical to his father, who grew up with you as his only role model. He has become an independent young man capable of leading an army. But he remains a child... a child afraid to be alone without the reassuring presence of his mother.

It is impossible to understand the pain of losing a parent when you have not experienced it. No one could understand a tenth of the pain of Eurynome's scream as the god's fist plunges into your chest.

Your eyes crinkle under the sudden fatigue your body feels. Your right hand struggles to hold the spear. The humans weep in despair as the gods celebrate the downfall of Lilith, the woman who did not obey divine orders.

Nausea takes hold of Adam's body. All that blood, your blood spilling on the floor. Will you die? Disappear forever...you don't even know that he witnessed your fight. You will never know that he missed you terribly. You will never know that he wanted to feel your warmth in his arms again and whisper those three words to you.

Your eyes linger on your son's tear-streaked face. A peaceful smile appears on your lips. A fire of determination shines in your eyes. Your hand tightens around the spear and you slice the god's jugular before collapsing to your knees. If you must die...then you will prevent the gods from achieving a victory as well.

Your eyes slowly close and your hearing becomes increasingly blurred. The voices are now just an indistinguishable din.

Adam could only watch as your body and the god's dematerialize into a smoke of green glitter. His legs move towards the battlefield as if trying to retrieve the flakes that represent your soul dissolving into space. But your son's crying snaps him out of his trance. His eyes fall on a miniature version of himself.

Cain and Abel have some characteristics of their father but Eurynome is a carbon copy of Adam and you would have to be blind not to notice. Adam walks over to your son and takes him in his arms, sharing his pain. Adam fully understands the tug of war that Eurynome feels.

That night Adam gave you a gift, your son. Today, this gift will show the world that you existed. That you are not like your legends.

You are an independent woman, a mother and Adam's wife.

"Adam," you call to your husband, who is perched on a tree branch.

"Yes?" he hums, keeping his eyes closed.

"Don't you think I'm strange?" you finally question him. "Do you think I owe you obedience too?

Silence passes between the two of you. A pain assails your heart at this lack of response and you instantly regret having asked him the question. The disappointment was much stronger than you had thought. You look up abruptly when you hear a thud only a few feet away. Adam had just jumped from his branch. His back was to you. He turns towards you, his face devoid of emotion. He encircles your cheeks with his warm palms. His piercing blue eyes almost seem to probe your soul and you struggle to hold his gaze. But your desire to know the answer prevents you from looking away.

"We are husband and wife, I accept you as you are. Don't change for the world, for anyone," Adam says with conviction.

"So...you love me like this?" you ask aloud, wanting to sound confident.

Adam looks at you slightly surprised at this sudden question. He hums softly before leaning in to kiss your forehead. The smile he flashes makes your heart race.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you too..." you admit after a few moments.

[heartmoorstudios]

what kind of the resction the LI's would have if the caught the mc wearing their clothes?

Ah, this is always a fun one! Lots of scenes and scenarios popped into mind, so these may be just scenes rather than hcs this time. Warning that there are marked SFW and NSFW takes for each LI. Enjoy~

BestestBB

You’re hanging around in the living room with X as BB goes to grab drinks from the kitchen. You chat casually before you noticed a sly smile curve the man's lips."Alright, what are you over there thinking about, you deviant?"

"Deviant? Isn't that a little harsh? I was being entirely wholesome, thank you very much." "Uh huh. Out with it."

"Fine, fine. So bossy~. I was just thinking that BB has multiples of their hoodie for fox and human form - despite most of them being enchanted to fit whatever size the wearer is. Thought it might be cute if you two twin."

Cut to you immediately running to BB's room while X is cackling. BB hears and instantly comes to investigate.

"What the hell are you cackling about? And where's my part-"

BB chokes when she sees you in her jacket. They swear colorfully in Canto, blushing warmly as X laughs his ass off. You look worried. 

“Did I...do something wrong? X said it be cute if we twin”  BB throws X out before turning to you. “No, you...actually look pretty damn adorable. You didn’t do anything wrong. Come here, partner.”  SFW:  You spend the rest of the night curled up with her and snuggling.

NSFW:  They do allow you to borrow clothes to do couple outfits - though that doesn’t stop them from attempting to steal your clothes in revenge. BB ends up getting stuck in the closet in mythic form. You have to soothe her poor ego with a boba run and lots of cuddles while they wear your favorite hoodie. If y’all heathens really thought- OffKey

Key’s been pretty busy recently after the performance of her student. In fact, they’d even done a series of shoutouts on social media advertising her services. As such, her workload has been heavy and she hasn’t been able to spend much time with you.  You miss her dearly and drop by to see if she’s home. She isn’t and even Chai is oddly quiet. Your eye falls on an oversized shirt of hers with music notes on it. You pick up and hold it close. It smells just like her - a mix of rain and her favorite tea. An idea comes to mind. You text Key that you have a surprise for her before putting your plan into action. 

She comes home to you curled up on her couch, petting Chai and showering him with affection. Her heart fills with warmth.  “Raindrop? I wasn’t expecting you to be the surprise! What a lovely thing to come home to!” She crosses the room and hugs you tight, basking in the feeling of finally having you in her arms again. You sink into the hug.  “Good to see you too - though that’s not my surprise.” She pulls back and looks at you in confusion before she notices the shirt you’re wearing. 

“Is that...mine? Why are you wearing that, raindrop?”  You flush and cast your eyes away. “Well, I missed you and wearing this made me feel a little closer to you.” 

Cue steam coming out of her ears. “I-wha-huh?!” 

SFW: 

“My little r-raindrop... that’s just... too precious!” She tackles you onto the couch and starts smothering you in kisses. “I’ve missed you too. So, so much.” She snuggles close, peering at you with a lovestruck grin. “Best surprise ever.” 

NSFW Same as above, but Key decides to return the favor. 

You come back one day to find her splayed out in bed wearing their clothes and a playful smile, "How do you like my new look, raindrop?"

"Um, you look... it's... they look good on you."

"Yeah? I think I'll keep it.

"What if I want my clothes back?"

"Then you'll have to come and get them," she replies with a wink 

watcher

Poor bb. He is not ready. watcher is just walking in after a long shift. He’s ready to eat, shower, and collapse on his bed, texting you just before he falls asleep. What he was unprepared for you to be sitting on the edge of said bed, wearing a familiar hoodie. You turn and smile at him, standing to greet him and giving him a full appreciation for how you’re dressed. He blushes furiously.  “H-Habibi...is that my, um, hoodie?” 

“It is!” 

“May I ask why you’re, ah, wearing it? We could’ve gotten you one if you wanted to match.” 

SFW

“Aww, but yours is more comfortable!” He coughed as his flush darkened before chuckling. 

“Alright. Well, how about you keep that one and I’ll get another. In fact, let’s make a date of it.” He takes your hand and kisses the back of it before you two head out to the mall. 

NSFW

“Yes~. Is there something wrong with that, darling?” 

"No!" A little stunned at how fast he reacted he repeats, calmer this time, "No,  no, you look stunning, habibi"

You walked up to him, placing your hands on his chest. You gaze up at him with a wicked smile. “Why, thank you. I wasn’t sure since this is the only thing I have on right now.” 

His breath catches in his throat, then is exhaled shakily. “C-Come again?” 

“You heard me. Or would you rather me show you?” You place your hand on the zipper. 

He groans lowly. “Please don’t tempt me.” 

“But th-” 

“Behave, my love.” He turns to head for the kitchen. What he says next leaves you stunned and blushing. 

“Besides, I prefer to save dessert for last.” 

Professor X

You perk up when you hear X’s office/bedroom door close and his footsteps grow nearer. You stand to greet him. He grins at the sight of you before noticing what you’re wearing...which causes him to trip for a brief second. 

You rush over to check on him. “Are you okay? Were you working too hard again?” 

He coughs, face burning wildly as he notices his sweater you borrowed from him dip a little too low on your chest. He averts his eyes as he tries his best to save face. “Fine! I’m fine! Absolutely fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” He winces a bit as he notices how loud he is. 

You raise a brow. “Um, you tripped.” 

“Ah, so I did! Um, ah...uh...” 

You watch as he flounders, then it dawns on you. 

“You’re flustered~, aren’t you?” 

His face lights up like a Christmas tree. “NO! I mean, no. W-What makes you say that?” 

You grin wildly before testing a theory. You press yourself against him. He goes stock still as his eyes widen. He swallows audibly. 

“You tripped because you saw I stole your sweater~.” 

He groans. “No, I, um, I... fuck. Damn it, bunny.” 

“Stop teasing me~!” He whines as you giggle. 

“Why are you wearing my sweater anyways?” 

SFW

“Well, I got cold and I didn’t have you to snuggle up to.” He laughs as he wraps his arms around you. 

“Aww, I’m sorry. Did you want cuddles, little rabbit?” 

“Yes!” 

“Heh, fair enough. How about I cuddle you for the rest of the night?” You nod contently as he scoops you up and carries you to bed for hugs and a marathon of your favorite show. 

NSFW

You press a kiss to his cheek. “Because...I missed you.” He shudders at the sulty nature of your voice and the earnestness hiding just underneath it. 

“Missed...me?” 

“Mmmhmm.” Is that your hand on his thigh? Oh, you’re definitely playing hardball. “I missed you so much that I just had to have your sweater. Smells just like the man I love~. Besides, I thought these would go just perfectly with them. 

“What do yo- oh fuck me...” He couldn’t take his eyes off the thigh highs you were wearing. 

“Like what you see~?” 

“Bed. Now.” You jump up with a laugh. 

“As you wish, sir.” You take off running with his steps quick behind you. 

[ladyddanger]

A full analysis of the song why don’t even is perfect for the Manburg cabinet (c!quackity, c!tubbo and c!fundy because I’m a loser who likes musicals.

Sit back with a slouch in my spine

Quick laugh at a cliché line

Like

We're gonna have a great year!

[ these lines fit c!quackity the best. It’s the first meeting and he is quickly realizing how badly he messed up supporting Schlatt. Still he thinks he can make it work and keep some kind of control over c!Schlatt to keep him from going to off the rails]

Cue:

I don't want to stay here

[this is very c!tubbo. He didn’t truly want to join c!Schlatt but now he’s stuck here even through all he wants is be with c!tommy and c!wilbur]

Head up like you're proud to be seen

Arms crossed, no, you look too mean

Everybody's whispering

Show 'em you're not listening

[this is c!quackity and c!tubbo vibes. C!quackity is trying to encourage c!tubbo (this can be set before right before the festival for added angst) c!tubbo was forced into the role as c!schlatts right hand man and given way more responsibility then a kid should ever have. He’s nervous and scared and c!quackity knows that]

Don't you know they won't believe you?

They're all watching, no one sees you

[and this is c!schlatt talking to the rest of the cabinet. Even if they came forwards about his behavior nobody would help them, he’s the president. The whole nation is watching so they have to pretend like everything is ok even if it very much isn’t]

But I don't even care, I don't care

Promise it, I swear, oh I swear

I'm not always trapped in my head

Playing back the wrong things that I did and said, no!

I don't even care, I don't care

I just walk on air, I don't care

I'm the girl who lets it all go

Everything you see's going perfectly

I don't even --

You don't even know

[this is whole cabinet publicly acting like everything is fine even though it isn’t]

Countdown 'til someone gets hurt

[this is c!tubbo. He never wanted to join c!schlatt and was always at least a little loyal to c!wilbur and c!tommy. This lead him to realize how dangerous c!Schlatt was before c!Fundy and c!Quackity who joined c!Schlatt out of desperation and where rewarded with the validation they craved.]

Oh crap, what is on my skirt?

[this is c!quackity since lot of c!Schlatt’s praise and mockery cam from his physical appearance]

Goddamn, I think that I'm sick

Okay, do I have a TideStick?

Now is it too late to leave?

[this is all c!fundy feeling trapped and just missing his dad. Siding with c!Schlatt didn’t make his father treat him like an adult it exiled him and fractured their relationship more. Like any child now that things suck c!fundy just wants his parent]

I should help

Please just breathe

This night's gonna be far too long

[even while trying to help c!quackity is realizing how screwed they are and how he especially is in way over his head]

I'm doing everything wrong

[this is c!tubbo being under all the pressure c!schlatt put on him as his right hand man and the pressure of “being a man” or the warped ideal of masculinity c!Schlatt has while also being harshly criticized when he didn’t hold up to those standards.]

I'll just fade 'til nobody sees me

[this is c!fundy already getting abandoned by c!wilbur now getting ignored by c!Schlatt and slowly realizing that c!Schlatt didn’t care about him in the way c!fundy thought he did]

Oh thank god that everything's easy

[the whole cabinet again putting up a public image of perfection]

But I don't even care, I don't care

Done it and been there, it's all fair

No one's ever under my skin

You won't find me caught

Trying to plot how I'm gonna win

[this is c!fundy pretending like he’s still on c!schlatts side even while he’s working as a spy and that none of the jokes about him being a fox bothered him]

I don't even care, I don't care

Let 'em stop and stare, let them stare

I'm the girl who goes with the flows with it

I don't hesitate, overcomplicate

I don't even, you don't even -

Know

I don't even, you don't even know

[this is c!quackity dealing with being c!schlatts arm candy and trying to pretend that he still has some level of control over the situation. He is also trying to rationalize c!schlatts behavior to himself “they don’t know anything about c!Schaltt and his motives not like I do it’s fine”]

We are the soul of the school

The pride in the name

The heart and the flame

Our words are pure inspiration

Years of creation

Changing the nation

We'll give you something to hold on to

When you think your time is up

We'll give you just the song you want to

Hear when you're out of luck

We are the soul

Of the school, the pride

We are the soul of the

In the name, the heart

School, the pride in the

We are the

And the flame

Name, the flame

School, the

The heart

And the

Our words are pure

Our words are pure

Inspiration years

Years

Flame. Our words

Are pure inspir-

Of creation

-ation

Changing the nation

[this is whole cabinet trying to reassure the public pretend that c!Schlatt is anywhere near under control and stable. Even as Marburg falls apart they act like nothing is wrong trying to hold it together]

But I don't even

Care, I don't care

[this is c!quackity realizing that c!Schlatt wasn’t who c!quackity thought he was and trying to be ok with that. He tries to set aside his morals under the idea that at very least c!Schlatt would never treat him like treats everyone else “Ok Schlatt is a little more ruthless then I thought but it’s fine, it’s ok he still loves me”

Countdown 'til

Someone gets hurt

[meanwhile c!tubbo can see c!Schlatt doesn’t give a damn about any of them and he knows that one of them his going to end up dead (it’s gonna be him but c!tubbo doesn’t know that)]

Promise it, I

Swear I don't care

[c!fundy is still suck in a limbo state between C!tubbo and c!Quackity’s views on c!Schlatt. He dislikes him and is actively working against him however he also craves and enjoys c!schlatts approval]

Oh god what is

On my shirt

I'm not always

Trapped in my head

[ again c!quackity this time starting to have a more negative view of himself and his physical looks due to c!schlatts mockery]

Everybody's

Whispering

Playing back the

Wrong things that I did and

Show 'em you're not

Listening, I don't even

[c!tubbo trying to keep using c!Quackity’s advice in public and in his speeches. Even so he’s starting to copy c!Schlatt more as a survival instinct]

Said, no!

[c!quackity trying to stand up to c!schlatt’s harassment and getting threatened instead]

Now is it

Care, I don't care

Too late to leave?

I just walk on

I should help

[c!fundy fully realizing what c!Schlatt’s plans are and having to pretend that everything is normal while getting ready to wage war on him. He’s also trying to act like c!Wilbur’s rejection didn’t hurt him as bad as it did telling himself he doesn’t care even as he clearly dose]

Air, I don't care

Please just breathe

I'm the girl who

This night's gonna

Lets it all go

Be far too long

Have I said

[c!Quackity trying for the last time to brush off c!Schlatts actions and act in a way that c!Schlatt likes. “Letting go” of any of hurtful comments. He knows this is going to be a painful night but he’s doing his best to make it go as well as possible triple checking himself to make sure he’s doing everything right]

See's going perfectly

Everything wro-

We are the soul

I don't even

Oo-

Of the school, the

You don't even

-ng

Pride

Know

In the name the heart

Everything wro-

And the flame

-ng

Our words are pure

Inspiration, years

Of creation

I don't even

You don't even know

[finally the whole manberg cabinet. Things are terrible and as much as they try to hang on,their desperation creeps in as lyrics like “See's going perfectly” are meet with one’s like Everything wro-. They can’t hold Manburg together for much longer and they know it. Even with them trying to cope with and work with c!schlatt of the whole song they failed and nation is falling apart.]

[shania-twain]

au. the met.

She caught his eye from across the way. He was leaning against a column, looking at her curiously.

Used to men staring at her, she quirked a brow at him and he shook his head slightly, looking away. His cheeks were pink from embarrassment. She found that a little endearing. Usually men didn't give a shit if they were caught ogling her.

Amanda is enthusiastically greeted by her friend Lara with a kiss on the cheek and a friendly hug. Over Lara's shoulder, she spots the tall man again. He's turned slightly and she takes the opportunity to study his side profile, her interest piqued. A quick glance to his hands to check for a wedding ring and she's excited to find it bare. His hair is gray, but she likes the silver fox look. Face clean shaven, body lean and a lopsided, closed mouth smile.

"How are you liking the gallery so far? Isn't it neat?" Lara interrupted her thoughts and Amanda tried to focus on her friend. "Find any pieces you like?"

"I like most of 'em," she answered with a small shrug. Her first time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City was uneventful, as she wasn't the biggest fan of art pieces. Though she chalked it up to never having been to a real museum like this and her parent's lack of interest in taking her and her sister anywhere cultured.

Her friend Lara dragged her here with a promise to return her to her hometown in Georgia "a sophisticated lady." She had scoffed at that, but agreed to go, glad to have a reason to dress up nicely.

With it being her last night in New York, she wanted to have a nice dinner and then maybe a bar afterwards with a group of her friends from college. They had been at the museum for nearly an hour and she was ready to go. She could use a drink after another full day of activity. She was really dreading the flight home tomorrow.

"Hey," Lara told her, taking her out of her thoughts. Her friend probably sensed her discomfort by the way she had her arms crossed, but really she was just chilly. "Let's go say goodbye to Steven and then we can get an early dinner. Sound good?"

Amanda nodded, smiling pleasantly as Lara began to lead her over to a friend of hers she had been introduced to earlier. Catching the gaze of the stranger again, she watched him curiously this time. He doesn't look away, even goes so far as to send her a small, friendly grin, dimples in his cheeks. She thought he was damn adorable.

She briefly wished she was alone so she could approach him without ditching her friend.

She watched him try and smoothly break their gaze by pretending to be interested in a painting nearby. She let out a laugh as he placed his large hand on his chin, feigning contemplation on the artwork. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, seeing her smile flirtatiously at him. He swore his heart jumped at the sight.

She was beautiful. Sexy in every way. Her long legs were accentuated by red heels. She wore a white dress that complimented her figure and hugged her curves. His eyes didn't miss the plunging neckline either. Her hair was golden, styled on her head and flowing in waves down her back. She was elegant, classy, and had a smile as bright as the sun.

Noticing that she seemed to be leaving with a girl friend, he felt himself moving toward the exit. He hoped to have some sort of interaction with her, somehow.

He found her outside the museum, shivering, her friend nowhere to be found. Taking a deep breath, he casually walked up to her.

"Hi," he said, trying not to sound too eager. He was shoulder to shoulder to her, though she was a tad bit shorter than him in the heels.

She glanced up at him, a surprised look on her face. He felt his own face flush at the delighted smile on her lips. She detected an accent from him, a smidge different from the regular New York one she had been hearing for days. "Hi," she said.

She had a deep southern accent. It may have been the first time he ever thought it was adorable. He may already be a little biased, though.

"Did you friend ditch you?" He looked around and didn't find the other woman she had been with.

"Nah, she's still inside," she said, gesturing behind her to the building. "Ran into someone. I told her I'd wait out here."

He smirked at her slightly bouncing in place, clearly freezing. "Ya regrettin' that?"

"I'm fine," Amanda defended, rocking on her heels now.

Sonny found himself taking off his jacket and offering it to her. She raised both eyebrows so high, he almost laughed.

"Thanks, but you're a stranger."

He held the jacket over one arm, holding out his hand to her. "I'm Dominick, nice to meet you."

When she took his hand and shook it, she shivered for a different reason. His hold was light, hand warm, his eyes gentle and soft on hers. "Amanda."

Letting go of her hand, he offered his jacket again with a dimpled grin. "Now we're not strangers. Take it while you wait, it's fine."

She still looked doubtful but she did grab it. She was shivering in front of this handsome man and it was embarrassing. "I didn't know it could be so cold in April." As she slipped the large jacket over her shoulders, she gave him a look. "Sure you're not a serial killer?"

At his nod, she left the jacket on, eyeing his professional suit underneath. His blue tie had polka dots on it and she got the sense that he wasn't like the guys she was usually attracted to. "I'm a criminal prosecutor."

Impressed, she lifted a brow again. "So you've been in the room with serial killers?"

He laughed and she found herself mesmerized with the sight of his eyes crinkling. "Not very much, I usually prosecute sex crimes."

"Oh, wow," she said in surprise, "that's gotta be a damn hard job."

"It is," he said honestly. "What do you do?"

She tugged his jacket closer to her, smelling the cologne inside of it. "I'm a social worker. I help kids in difficult domestic situations at home. Among other things."

Her eyes held something dark in them, he noticed, as she told him this information and he thought maybe she could find the same darkness in his. She stepped closer to him, excusing it for the body heat and not the way he smelled and the way he looked at her. Like she was something more. As if she could offer something more than just a body.

"That's incredible," he smiled, "you must be a hero to those kids."

She shook her head humbly. "They're amazing kids. It's wonderful to see kids in awful situations thrive despite the odds against them."

Amanda couldn't believe she was opening up in any way to this man. A stranger, no less. But she figured he could understand, as he's probably seen troublesome things in his own line of work.

"Anyway," she tried to lighten the subject, "back home people don't believe in these kids enough. I want to help them as much as I can."

Smiling softly at her, he asked, "where's home?"

"Georgia," she answered, waving her hand, "small town."

"Amanda!" A voice called out and she turned to see Lara waving at her from the entrance, the person she had been talking to still at her side. Amanda waved back and turned her attention back to Dominick.

"I think she wants me over there," she told him. She started sliding the jacket off but he stopped her.

"Keep it," he said, "I have plenty, trust me."

"Oh, no, I'll be fine," she reassured. He was about to tell her again not to worry about it when her friend walked up.

"Hey," Lara said, looking him up and down. "Who's this?"

"Lara, this is Dominick," Amanda introduced, "we kinda just met."

"Oh," Lara blinked, then when she realized Amanda was wearing the man's jacket, the woman's eyes widened. "Oh!"

"Yeah," Amanda deadpanned, slightly amused. Lara caught the hint Amanda was giving with her eyes and gestured back to her friend. "I'm gonna - forgot to tell them something."

Dominick watched her friend walk away, also amused. He didn't catch Amanda taking something out of her red wallet.

"Hey, so," Amanda said, capturing his attention again. Her eyes were gorgeous. Light, bright pools of blue he could drown in. "I'm actually leaving for Georgia tomorrow."

Ah, damn.

He couldn't even pretend to hide his disappointment. He really thought he might have had a chance with her. Or at least even one date.

"But," she said, pressing her lips together to keep from smiling at his obvious disappointment. "I'll be coming back for a visit pretty soon. Maybe you can show me around?"

Grinning widely at her, Dominick enthusiastically agreed. Amanda could feel butterflies swarm inside her at his excitement. She had never encountered a man quite like him before.

"Amanda, you ready?" Lara called again, from a distance, this time alone. Amanda sighed as she had to part with him, wanting to know more about him but she had made plans already with others.

"It was great meetin' you," she told him in her charming accent.

"Yeah," he stumbled over his words, not quite ready to let her go yet. But he knew he had to. "Yeah, definitely."

She smiled brightly again, taking his jacket off and handing it to him. He took it numbly. "Call me." He watched her walk away, hips swaying, heels clacking against the pavement as her and a friend got into a cab further down the street.

It wasn't until she was out of his sight that he realized he didn't have her number. Cursing to himself, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Why didn't he get her last name? Why?

How many Amanda's in Georgia could there be?

Grumbling, completely irritated, and feeling like a moron, he put his jacket back on. He harshly shoved his hands in his pockets when he felt something in his left pocket. Taking it out, he noticed with extreme delight it was a business card.

Amanda Rollins - Social worker. With a phone number at the bottom.

He smiled.

[hufflautia]

The Boyfriend

Dedicated to the anon who came up w this idea and to @eatacrackerandstop <3. There's a small Shadow and Bone reference; if you find it, you get a high five✨

Summary: Slytherin and Hufflepuff meet their daughter’s boyfriend for the first time, and Slytherin has a few concerns.

~

Hufflepuff closes the door behind her daughter, who stepped out to privately wish her boyfriend goodbye on the front stoop, and turns to Slytherin.

“He seems like a sweet kid,” she smiles. Slytherin follows her into the kitchen with a disgruntled expression. He leans against the countertop as she begins washing the dishes.

“What’s taking her so long,” he eyes the door. “It only takes a couple of seconds to say goodbye to someone.”

“They spent the entire night with us. They probably just want a little alone time,” Hufflepuff replies. She glances at him when he sighs and crosses his arms. “Do I sense a little disdain for our daughter’s boyfriend?”

Slytherin scowls.

“I don’t like him,” he states plainly. “He gives me...bad boy vibes.” His scowl deepens when she laughs incredulously.

“Bad boy vibes?”

“Yes,” he says indignantly. “Bad boy vibes! Did you see his smirk when she laughed at his joke?"

"You smirk a lot,” she points out, to which he grudgingly admits. “Besides, is it bad that he can make her laugh?"

"'Course not," he huffs. "But did you see how he put his arms around her?”

"I'm pretty sure that's called a hug, honey."

Slytherin steps between her and the sink. She shoots him a look as water drips on the floor.

“Please get out of my way, Slytherin. You’re acting like a child.”

He takes her hands into his own, not caring that they’re wet. “Honey, you’re not listening to me.”

“I am! I just don’t agree with you.” She continues before Slytherin can object. “You’re worrying over nothing. Our daughter is old enough to make her own decisions on who she hangs out with and what she does with her time."

“She’s only in her seventh year—”

“Slytherin," she says sternly. “Our baby is grown now, believe it or not. I trust her judgment. You should too.”

His brows furrow, and he doesn’t respond right away.

"It's not that I don't trust her," he finally says. "I just don't want her to get hurt."

Hufflepuff softens in this rare moment of vulnerability—his grumpiness and frustration often mask his fears.

"We can't control what happens," she says gently. "We can't control who does what or who hurts who. But what we can control is what we do and how we act." Slytherin remains silent as he considers her words. "I think the best thing we can do is support our daughter. And if things don't end well in their relationship, she will know who to come to: the people who have always been there for her."

Her words sink in, and Slytherin nods.

"You're right."

"'Course I'm right."

He smiles somberly. "I’ve only ever wanted to protect her."

"You will," she assures, pulling him into an embrace. "But you will do so at a healthy and reasonable distance. No threatening the boy."

Slytherin snorts and says, "I'm not that type of dad." He rests his chin on top of her head. "But if he breaks her heart, I keep no promises."

"Good," she murmurs into his shirt. “I'll be right behind you.”

Their moment of peace is interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. They see their daughter, Giselle, standing by the doorway with a flushed grin.

"Hey kiddo," Slytherin smiles.

She makes a face. “I'm 18, Dad. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Alright." Hufflepuff notices a familiar gleam in his eye and tries not to smile as he continues. "Do you prefer muffin? Sweet pea? Or perhaps cupcake—"

Giselle covers her ears. "Dad!" she groans. "Eat a cracker and stop."

He holds his hands up in defeat as he chuckles. "Okay, okay."

"So," Hufflepuff says once things settle down. "What did Dorian think? Did he like us? What about the food? Was my cooking okay?" A look of horror washes over her face. "Oh shoot, should we have given him some leftovers to take back to his family? He probably didn't get too far, I'll go get the food from the fridge and—"

"Honey," Slytherin laughs, resting his hand on the small of her back before she can scurry off in search of tin foil and plastic containers. "It's fine."

"Yeah," Giselle assures. "The food was great, and he loved meeting you guys."

"And we loved meeting him,” Hufflepuff says warmly. “Tell Dorian he's welcome to come back at any time."

"Okay," she grins. "Can we start our movie night now?"

Slytherin nods. "I believe it's Mom's turn to choose the movie."

"I know exactly what we should watch tonight," Hufflepuff beams. They pile onto the couch, and when she puts the disc into the DVD player, everyone but Hufflepuff's face falls when they see the title.

"Aw, not this movie," Giselle complains. "We watched the trailer last week, and you said it yourself that it looked like trash."

"Wha—I didn't say trash!"

"I think you did," Slytherin interjects. He stifles a laugh when she shoots him a look.

Hufflepuff purses her lips. "Ravenclaw and I watched it at the movie theaters a few days ago, and it was a cinematic masterpiece!"

He arches an eyebrow. "So you're gonna watch it again?"

"Yes! Because it’s that good. And I want you guys to watch it with me. The movie has adventure and plot twists and romance—I mean, what hurts more than a broken heart?"

"A severed head," Giselle replies, to which Slytherin snorts a laugh.

Hufflepuff scoffs and shakes her head, but a smile tugs at her lips. “You’ll see what I’m talking about after we watch it, but I need to use the bathroom first. I’ll bring back some popcorn.”

“Can you also get some Sprite?” Giselle calls after her.

“Okay.” Hufflepuff lingers by the doorway. “Do you want anything, sweetie pie?” she says to Slytherin.

“No thanks, snuggle bunny.” He snickers when Giselle visibly cringes. He and Hufflepuff liked to call each other outrageously sweet pet names in front of their daughter for the sole purpose of grossing her out.

“Yes,” Giselle says in a deadpan voice. “This is the exact spot I want to be in right now.”

Hufflepuff laughs and winks at Slytherin before leaving. He watches her walk away before whispering to Giselle, “How likely is it that she’ll accidentally trap herself in the bathroom and we get to pick another movie?”

“Extremely likely,” she replies. “If we put a rubber item underneath the door to act as a door stopper, she won’t be able to open it from the inside…” Slytherin is looking at her weirdly, and she swallows her words. “...I mean, I don’t know.”

Slytherin smiles but doesn’t say anything. Giselle may have inherited her mother’s looks, but she has her father’s mischief.

While they wait for Hufflepuff, Slytherin speaks. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure,” she says cautiously.

“Do you love him?”

Her eyebrows rise—she didn’t expect this question. She takes a moment to think.

"Not yet.”

He nods. "But you're happy?"

"I am," she smiles.

His eyes crinkle. If she was happy…well, that was good enough for him.

“I’m glad, kiddo.”

This time, Giselle doesn’t roll her eyes at the term of endearment. Instead, she takes his hand and squeezes it three times. Slytherin, who taught her the gesture, squeezes her hand four times in response.

“Who’s ready to start the movie?” Hufflepuff walks in with popcorn and sprite, unaware of the father-daughter moment she just missed.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Slytherin sighs, scooting over to make space for her. She plops down beside him and settles the bowl between them.

“Oh,” she perks up. “Before I forget. Accio tissue boxes!”

Slytherin looks bewildered as tissue boxes come flying their way. “Do we really need tissues?”

“Absolutely,” she scatters the boxes over their laps. Slytherin raises an eyebrow and glances over at Giselle, who also looks perplexed.

“My teen angst bullshit is about to have a body count,” she whispers as the movie begins playing.

A/N: This fic is somewhat connected to Different Love Languages, another one of my fics. Is the slytherpuff couple in that fic the same couple in this one? That's up to you, dear reader😌

I lowkey hate the title, but I couldn't come up w a better one. Also, this fic was longer than I planned. I originally decided to write something like this:

“Why don’t you like him?”

“Because I used to be a bad boy, which is exactly why I don’t trust him.”

Basic dialogue, plain and simple. But the darling anon who told me their idea deserves a full-length story <3

Let me know what you thought of this one-shot. Feedback makes me happy <3 If you prefer to stay anonymous, the anon option for asks is available! Be safe and well, everyone.

Tag lists are open✨ Let me know via ask/messages/comments if you want to be added or removed.

@slytherpuff-shenanigans @axieleration @sunnniiee @just--another--bean @determinedpines @zenobiagrace @asterinflower @cinnamon-roll-unicorn @mossy-axolotl @dumbbitch11 @hitchhiker-of-the-galaxy @notsowiseravenclaw @arianatorpotterhead @eatacrackerandstop @luciferswife16 @walkinganomaly @asunshinepuff @lewispoolerpayton @adreameratdawn @thewitcheswords @oncergleekpotterhead @princessstoopid @stardustzainy @flvrqnce @multi-fandom-nutjob @eunnieah @iamahufflepuff @1hufflepuff @introvertedrae @princessstoopid @jasminedayz @magnoliamermaid @HOPEFUL-HUFFLEPUFF-PEEVES @peanut-in-the-goal @pufflehuff929 @sophiexteresa @da-fox-rangerrr @dawinehouse @shipping-book-keeper @xxavaloraxx @silverhetdanes @im-a-solanum-lycopersicum @elegantcroissantplaidpony @theoriginaljohnwatsonsblog @theoriginalsherlockholmesblog @vickeyunicorn @arianatorpotterhead @hmilkwhoney @simpering-simpleton @grandcyclecreation @sweetinvisiblewriter @marvelenthusiast10 @mvlpksvthisht @qiaopa @beardedhumanoid @jadefox05 @justanotherperson @inkedintothepaper @minty-malfoy @trippy-morgan @fangirlgeekandfreak @boilyourteeth @absentmindeduniverse @colettedelaurel @halfelven1 @happy-puff @coloring-bud @in-love-with-remus-lupin @autumnpleaves @crakencc @flyme--tothemoon @hedgepuffgirl @littleemotionalpanda @pancakes-and-sugar @korra4321 @aquietkindofthunder @qixnsriess @porksoba @thatfann @hellounicorn @i-have-a-bad-feeling @aasa2102 @zuko-28 @annie-mcl @clementines-x @writtenfoxscreams @randomwriter23 @cryingabtwandavision @coolninjavoid @urfaveslytherin @malfoys-demigod @tumlbr-trasher @violayaxley @wolfpack-arts-industries99 @zainieees-stuff @blueberry-9-pancakes @stressy-depressy @royalelusts

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

The Neighbor

A/N: Gif isn't mine. If you're the creator, please let me know so I can give you the credits.

Pairing: John Wick X Reader

Word count: 2.2K

Requested by: @massive-freaking-fox

{“My new neighbor is simultaneously the scariest and nicest people I’ve met.” But with John Wick and reader? Like the reader is his new neighbor and kinda a slow burn after she gets over being intimidated by him?? Idk I like all things fluffy and that sounds like a good one}

{John Wick Masterlist}

×

The wind messes with your hair, making a shiver roll down your spine. Pulling your feet up on the small, wooden table you have on the front garden of your house, you can't help but stare at the bigger, larger house beside your own. But it's not the house itself that gets your undivided attention. It's the owner. The man with the weirdest routine you ever knew. You've seen him, messy hair, playing with his dog, but also in an impeccable dark suit, hair slid back. When you see him like that, he's gone for a while. Days, weeks.

The look in his eyes used to scare you. You had the feeling that his stare alone was enough to make people shake like a leaf, surrender everything they own.

You remember the first time you laid eyes on him. Taylor, the only friend you had made back then, since you moved here, asked for your company on a morning walk. She lives down the street, so you joined her when she passed by your place. A few steps and something caught your eye. You saw him moving inside, through the windowpane, and for some reason, you stopped, shamelessly staring. He was facing away, his strong, muscular back everything you could see.

“(Y/N),” Taylor called you. “Oh.” She mumbled once she noticed what you were looking at. “That's Mr. Wick. I don't know the first name. He's not very social.”

The man turned around and you involuntary held your breath. The way his dark hair fell on his face, hiding his eyes made you give a step back.

“Hey,” Taylor called you once more, snapping a finger in front of your face. “I know he's hot, but I can't believe you're already daydreaming.”

“What?” You finally looked away, eyes now focusing on your friend. The feeling you had was far from what Taylor suggested, but it was still unnamed. “I wasn't daydreaming. Let's get moving.” When you started walking again, you couldn't help but give one last look. And you felt like hit by a car when you got him already staring, straight at you.

The memory makes you shiver more than the wind, which gets colder every passing minute. The sun is setting, and soon it'll be dark. But you're still looking at the house, which it's empty. Mr. Wick. John Wick, left more or less a week ago, dressed to impress as usual. Your mind floats back to the day he told you his first name, the day when he didn't make any effort to hide he was interested in you.

The accidental meeting happened a few weeks after the first time you saw him, after a handful of times that you bumped into each other on the sidewalk. He always smiled kindly and greeted you with a good morning or a good evening. But on that particular night, after you left Taylor's house and started making the way back home, a storm broke loose and the sky fell on you. You had been feeling ill all day, but chose not to give much thought about it. But then, under the cold, heavy rain, you had to focus on keeping your legs working. Bracing yourself, you groaned when your foot slipped, making you fall, your arm hitting the ground hard.

“Damn it.” You muttered, the loud noise of a car stopping suddenly getting your attention. The rain clouded your vision as a blur moved towards you, and arms pulled you up, back to your feet.

“Miss (Y/L/N).” He had said. “Are you alright?”

You could only nod, the words caught in your throat because you were aware of how close to his body he was holding you. Mr. Wick stood tall, way taller than you, like a tower. You didn't want to, but the cold was taking over, and your body collided against his, seeking some warmth. “I'm ok.” You lied, looking up and meeting those dark eyes, as dark as the night that surrounded both of you. That time you noticed he was much older than you and the proximity allowed you to feel the muscles under the suit. You couldn't help but feel intimidated, suddenly so small and fragile.

“Come. Let me drive you home.” Mr. Wick guided you to his car, opening the passenger door and helping you in. You were feeling terribly dizzy, so you didn't complain.

“I-I live on the house next to yours.” You said, shaking like a leaf. “On the left.”

“I know.” He answered, giving you a worried look.

Once he stopped by your house, you opened the door and started making the way to the front door, thankful to reach the porch that offered shelter from the rain, but not from the cold. You searched for the keys, but soon enough you remembered you had left them at Taylor's, on her kitchen table. Alongside your phone.

“Shit.” You whispered to yourself, looking over your shoulder, seeing that Mr. Wick was still standing there, in the rain, as if waiting for you to get in.

You didn't quite understand why you felt so scared of him when he had been nothing but gentle to you on every single occasion you happened to meet. But the very sight of him sends a wave of nervousness through your body. Mr. Wick walks, talks, and even breathes like he hides something, a secret, dark and dangerous. Or maybe it was just the cold and the dizziness messing with your head.

“You may go, Mr. Wick. I... I will have to get back to my friend's. I forgot the keys.” You told him, pushing the wet hair away from your face. “And my phone.”

“I won't let you go back there in this weather. You're clearly feeling sick.” Mr. Wick walked over you, reaching out his hand. “Come to my house. I'll make something warm for you to drink and you can use my phone to call your friend.”

Your answer would be no, obviously. But a flash of bright lightning crossed the sky, followed by a rumble of deafening thunder, which, it seems, was loud enough to open up the skies and strengthen the rain, if that was even possible. “I promise I only want to help.” He said, and that made you nod and step forward, taking his hand.

Mr. Wick had an arm around your waist during the short walk to his house. You breathed out, relieved for the warmth when you stepped in. While he disappeared into the house, you seated on the coffee table instead of the couch, since you were soaking wet. He was quick to bring you a towel and a tea, handing you his cellphone. But for some reason, Taylor wouldn't pick up, so you had no choice but to hand Mr. Wick his phone back. It seemed like the whole Universe was against you that night.

“She won't answer.” You said feeling his fingers brushing on yours when he took the phone from your cold, shaking hand. Looking up, you noticed he changed into dry clothes. Jeans a white T-shirt. He looks handsome, as he always does. There must be a reason for him not to have a girlfriend or anyone in his life. There must be a catch, a plot twist somewhere here. Someone looking like Mr. Wick must have a long trail of hearts wanting to belong to him. “I'm sorry, Mr. Wick, for all the trouble I'm causing you.”

“You may call me John.” He said, sitting on the couch before you. You didn't know why, but it came out to you that he moved like a predator, steady and always in full alert. But his voice was kind, low and calming. He knew you were scared of him, of course, he did. Nothing goes unnoticed by him.

“You may call me (Y/N), then.” You muttered, sipping on your tea.

“A pretty name for a pretty lady.” The compliment made you smile, looking down to hide your blushing cheeks. “I can give you dry clothes. Until you get to contact your friend.”

And so he did. Mr. Wick... John... Gave you one of his sweatpants and shirt, and you changed off of your soaking clothes. You felt stupid, ugly, in his baggy clothes, bracing yourself as if trying to disappear as you made your way back to the living room, ignoring how cold the floor was under your bare feet. John's eyes lingered for a while, as you walked over him, taking a seat on the couch, keeping a distance.

“May I... May I ask what do your work with, Mr... John.” You corrected yourself and he smiled. The question only came up because the silence was as intimidating as him. Any kind of conversation would help, you thought.

“I'm retired.” He simply said. “What about you?”

“I'm an office administrator. From a... An office that sells medical equipment.” God, you sounded like an idiot. You felt so small, tiny, compared to him. And ugly, set side by side with him. From this up close, his handsomeness was shocking, breathtaking. The way his eyes were set on you made you shiver, clearing your throat, you tried to push the words out. “I just started though... I just moved here two months ago.”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

His question got you by surprise, and you looked up, meeting his intense eyes. “No. I just...” A humorless laugh left your lips, and you pushed the hair away from your face. “I must look so bad in these.” You gestured at yourself, and then to him. “And you're just... More. I mean...”

You froze when you felt his hand on your face, fingertips running across your jaw, leaving a trail of fire. “I think you look beautiful. Even on my baggy clothes.”

You suddenly realized you wanted to kiss him. The sudden change was a surprise, and you were perplexed with yourself. The fear was slowly sinking, opening a new space, which was being filled with something else. Curiosity. A sudden need to know why John was touching you so gently, why he was saying those things. You felt your body moving closer to him, almost as if being pulled involuntary, like a magnet. You wanted to touch him, to know how he's beard would feel under your fingers, but you didn't know if you could.

“Can-can I...” You stuttered, biting your tongue. How was it possible, that your mind worked in such a weird way? That all of a sudden, you wanted him, the man you've been trying to avoid? You were a mess that night, threatening to fall apart right before him.

John took your hand, softly, bringing it to his lips and placing a kiss on your fingers, as soft as silk. You felt his stubble, eyes fixed of the shape of his lips. “You don't have to be so nervous around me, (Y/N),” John said, his voice barely a whisper. “And, if you want, I'd like to take you out on a date.”

“You want to take me out?” You repeated, speaking too fast, trying to understand why in the hell would a man like John wants to go on a date with a girl like you. It didn't make sense, and you had this feeling that trying to understand would only lead to a dead end.

“I do.” You muttered because there was no other possible answer. Another kiss came, this time on your cheek, dangerously close to your lips.

A car approaching drags you away from the warm memory, and you're finally able to avert your eyes from his house. You miss him, and somehow looking at the empty house makes you feel a little better. He did take you out, on the next night. And you have been to several dates by now, too many to count.

“My neighbor is simultaneously the scariest and nicest person I ever met.” You told Taylor on the day after your second date with John Wick. She laughed and you blushed, because on the night before, John kissed you by your front door, for the first time. You had to tiptoe, despite the high heels you were wearing, your arms quick to pull him closer, welcoming his touch.

“Are you in love with him?” She asked, smirking.

“I think I am.” You admitted on a low voice.

John Wick was a patient man. He waited, he worked hard to make you feel comfortable around him. And he succeeded.

Today, you smile to yourself. The intimidation John caused completely replaced by love. The kind of love you never thought you'd feel, the kind you didn't even know existed.

“Sweetheart.” A voice reaches you, carried by the wind. Immediately, you put your feet down and stand up, turning to find John, stepping out of his car.

“My love.” You run into his embrace, arms wrapping around his neck as you tiptoe to kiss him, his soft lips suddenly making the cold leave your skin. “I missed you so much. If I knew you'd come back today I'd cook something nice for you.” Whispering, you don't step away from his embrace.

“That's even better because now I can help you.” His deep, strong voice still sends shivers down your body, but for a very different reason now.

“Let's go then.” Smiling to him, you entangle your fingers on his, following his pace to his house.

The place that once terrified you now feels more like home than your own. As does John. In his arms, you find solace, safety, unending love.

[wanderinginksplot]

Warriors in Red Armor

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Chapter Four

Nora I

Nora was in one of the nicer cells. She didn't like to brag, but she had been arrested often enough to know the difference. And she had the cell to herself, which was new and different. Normally, the Corrie Guard shoved as many beings into each cell as they could manage without crushing anyone.

Soon enough, some of the more violent members of Clone Rights filled the surrounding cells. Even then, Nora's cell remained single-occupancy.

"You gonna get us outta this one, Czajak?" a male Bothan named Esk Meh'reer asked through the transparisteel barrier.

"Of course, Meh'reer," Nora said with a scoff. "We didn't even do anything. This one'll be easier than any of the other times."

"Well, you didn't do anything," Meh'reer told her with a grin. "We may have defaced some property after we saw you get arrested. Nothing too bad, though. Just tore down some signs. Oh, actually, I'm pretty sure Gadi threw a bench."

Nora rolled her eyes at the mention of the exuberant Lasat. "Gadi always throws something. I think she cares more about throwing stuff around than she does about getting rights for clones, but at least she's on our side."

"Hey, our cells share a wall!" Gadi cheered, pushing herself out of the crowd as if she had been summoned. "Want me to see if I can throw this bed?"

"Probably not, Gadi," Nora discouraged. "It'll be a lot harder to fight the charges if we start breaking things inside of the precinct."

"Aw, you'll be able to get us out of it," Gadi told her. "You're the best lawyer on Coruscant!"

Nora chuckled and shook her head, choosing not to tell her fellow protesters that she may not be a lawyer much longer if she kept doing this. Her boss had already threatened to demote her after he had found out about her work. Was it a bad thing that she had a tendency to defend protesters pro bono?

"Nora Czajak," a clone trooper announced, opening the door to Nora's cell. "You're being charged, come with me."

Surprise made Nora slow. The charges were almost never filed this quickly. She had been arrested less than twelve hours ago! Still, the sooner she knew how bad things were going to be, the sooner she could start forming a defense for herself and the others. Gamely, she rose and followed the trooper, admiring his red-accented armor as she went.

When she stepped from the room, cheers erupted from the surrounding cells.

"Go, Nora!"

"Give 'em hell!"

"Pinch that guy's ass while you're in there!"

"Gadi…" Nora sighed to fight back a chuckle. The temptation to laugh grew worse when she turned and found that the trooper had stopped and was staring at her. She couldn't see through his helmet, obviously, but she would have bet that he looked less than thrilled. With her most professional lawyer smile, she said, "Following you, sir."

He shook his head a little bit and kept walking. They passed another red-accented trooper as they walked, and he leaned in a bit to place his helmet's speakers next to Nora's ear. "If you pinch Thorn's shebs, I'll transfer you twenty credits."

"Will that be worth the jail time for harassment, though?" she asked with a conspiratorial grin.

He shrugged. "It would be for me."

"Thire, leave her alone," her escort - presumably Thorn - ordered. "I have to take her to see Stone."

Stone was one of Nora's favorite troopers, and she didn't even need Thorn's guidance to find her way to his office. Thorn gave a polite knock on the door. "Nora Czajak for you, Commander."

"Stone! How are you? Did you redecorate the office?" Nora asked, breezing into the office like it was her own.

Stone blinked at her. "Of course I didn't redecorate. When would I have redecorated? You were here last week."

"That is a difficult point to argue," she conceded.

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way," Stone said dryly. "Thank you, Commander Thorn."

As soon as Thorn had left, Nora crossed her legs comfortably and leaned forward to stare at Stone. "So, what's it going to be this time, Commander? A fine, some jail time..?"

"Neither," Stone told her shortly, crossing his arms over his chest. It would have looked more natural if he weren't in full armor - minus the helmet - but Nora had to admit that there was something intimidating about the dull crack of plastoid meeting plastoid. "Command has decided that fines don't seem to work for you. And every time you spend more than a few days in jail, you come out with more violent followers for your Clone Rights group. Then those followers trash the city even worse in your next demonstration. It's a vicious cycle."

"Mm, such a conundrum," Nora agreed. "What's the solution, Stone?"

"Community service."

Now, it was Nora's turn to blink in confusion. "Community service? My sentence is community service?"

"Yeah, a hundred hours of it," he said, shaking his head a bit.

"And- what about the others? What are they getting sentenced to?"

"Community service," Stone repeated, sounding almost as confused as she was. "All of the demonstrators we arrested are serving time. Not as much as you, but it'll all be community service."

Nora opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "Stone, this is stupid. What is going on? Community service is for parking violations and cursing at shop-keepers. You have us dead to rights on destruction of property, disturbing the peace, and intention to incite a riot. What are you doing?"

"Are you asking for a harsher punishment?" Stone asked with a twinkle in his brown eyes.

"Of course not!" she snapped. "It's just suspicious. Since when does the Coruscant Guard let violations like this slide?"

"Since today," he said with a shrug. "Orders straight from Head Commander Fox himself."

"Head Commander Fox?" Nora asked, distracted by the mention of the clone trooper she had met the previous night. He had been willing to debate her in a cruiser on the way back to the precinct. His method of forming an argument had been clumsy, but his points had been valid. It was a welcome distraction from the unpleasantness of the march's end. And here she was, finding out that Fox was actually the commander in charge of the other commanders. "What was a Head Commander of the GAR doing babysitting a Clone Rights march?"

"Maybe he wanted to come see your model behavior first-hand," Stone told her sarcastically. At Nora's sharp look, he relented. "Fine. Commander Fox doesn't pass duties along. He does everything he asks his men to do. That includes supervising marches, pulling patrols, and booking troublemakers."

Ignoring the pointed implication that she was a troublemaker, Nora changed the subject. "Who is going to be supervising my community service hours?"

"That'll be…" Stone consulted a page in front of him before answering - though how he found a single piece of flimsi in the disaster zone that was his desk was beyond Nora. "Trooper Beam. He's in charge of community service efforts. Poor evaar is gonna have his work cut out for him, supervising your protesters."

"That has to be about seventy people," she argued. "One trooper can't supervise all of us."

"That's his job," Stone said with a shrug.

Nora leaned back, lost in thought. "You know, it would be terrible of me to expect one trooper to supervise all of the arrested Clone Rights members and all one-hundred hours of my own community service. I should really request to be assigned to another Coruscant Guard trooper."

"Who were you thinking?" Stone's voice was filled with wariness.

Nora peered thoughtfully around the room. The morning sunlight didn't even reach this part of Coruscant. Instead, the light from a nearby holo-ad provided the only outside light in the commander's office.

When she felt Stone staring at her impatiently, Nora smirked and answered, "Why, Head Commander Fox, of course."

---

Fox II

It had been a long night, and it promised to be an even longer day. Fox was already on his second set of stims, and he still had an estimated twenty hours before he could think about collapsing in his quarters.

At that particular moment, he was talking to Sergeant Hound about some woman the sergeant was processing. He was trying, anyway. Fox's attention was far away. Part of him was trying to calculate how long it had been since he had last slept while the rest of him was trying to calculate how long he had until he could sleep again.

"So, what do you think, Commander?" Hound asked, bringing Fox's attention back to him.

"You know I trust you, Hound," Fox told the trooper, patting him on the shoulder. "Do what you think is best."

"Really? Thank you, sir!" Hound said, face brightening.

Briefly wondering what he had just agreed to, Fox turned away and was immediately met with Commander Stone beckoning him over.

"Sir, I need you to come speak with the woman I'm sentencing."

"You know you're the one in charge of sentencing, Commander Stone," Fox reminded.

"I know, sir, but she's requesting that you oversee her community service personally," Stone told him.

Fox's brows lifted before he could stop the expression. "And that is Trooper Beam's area." Honestly, what was the point of dividing the Coruscant Guard into departments if everyone was going to ask him to do their job anyway?

"Yes, sir, but…" Stone sighed, looking more defeated than Fox had ever seen him. "Can you please come tell her that? She won't take my refusal as a proper answer."

Fox shook his head, but started for Stone's office. "Who is this woman?"

"Nora Czajak."

"Kriff, no," Fox refused before he could think better of it.

"You're lucky I'm not easily offended, Head Commander," Czajak said, appearing in the doorway of Stone's office.

"I won't oversee your community service," Fox snapped.

"Maybe you should step inside, Commander," Stone wearily advised. "She has a full argument ready."

Well, he could at least hear her out. Fox entered Stone's office, immediately feeling as though a trap had been sprung when the other commander shut the door - with himself on the outside. Fox cracked the door open enough to peer out. "Stone, aren't you coming?"

"Kriff, no, Commander," Stone denied. "I'm going to get some caf and maybe some alcohol. Good luck."

When Fox turned back around, he found that Nora had seated herself in Stone's chair behind the Commander's desk. Everything was a power game for her. Since he refused to give her the satisfaction of asking her to leave the seat, Fox walked to the transparisteel window beside her. He peered outside, as if an advertisement for nerf steaks was the most interesting thing he had seen all day.

"I still won't oversee your community service," Fox's tone was blunt.

"You look like hell," Czajak's tone was also blunt, and he almost turned to look at her, but caught himself in time. "Don't you sleep?"

Even the mention of sleep was enough to make his eyes burn. "I'm a busy man, Czajak. Too busy for sleep and too busy to supervise community service hours."

"Maybe you should sit down before you fall down, Commander."

He scoffed, still staring out of the window. "I don't need your pity."

A moment later, a hard bump against the back of his knees had Fox falling backward into a chair he vaguely recognized as the one that sat behind Stone's desk. Czajak stepped around him, shaking her head, and sat down in a guest chair. Fox frowned. She had given up a position of power, the implied high ground in this office.

"I think you should be the one to oversee my community service," she started.

"I disagree," Fox countered.

"You are the one who decided that community service was the right answer for members of Clone Rights who were arrested, yes?" He nodded, already searching for the trap in her question. "How is it fair for you to put that much work on your trooper in charge of overseeing it? He didn't ask for so much responsibility."

Why was this woman always fighting to infantilize him and his brothers? "I assure you, Beam is fully capable of withstanding the stress."

"Well, I would hate to put him in such a bad position," Czajak mused. "I probably would feel so guilty that I would skip all my community service appointments."

"Then you'll be arrested for failure to appear."

"And I'll be sentenced to jail time, in which I will gain more followers," she said with a satisfied smile. "That's the fear, correct?"

Kriffing Stone and his running mouth. Fox gritted his teeth. "If you fail to appear for appointments, I will take the appropriate measures to ensure that you pay your debt to society."

"I'm sure you would," Czajak agreed easily. Too easily. "However, would it not be more simple to agree to oversee my community service yourself? We could avoid all of the unpleasantness for the low price of one-hundred hours of your time."

"You couldn't afford that low price," Fox snorted.

Czajak's eyes glinted in amusement. "How about this, then? Your men rave about your leadership and how you never ask them to do anything you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. I know most of your men consider me to be the worst of the worst. I received the highest number of required community service hours. By taking on the responsibility of… well, of me, you would be proving that your willingness to do all aspects of the job is true in every situation."

Fox's head ached as he tried to find a way of refuting her point. It was a solid argument and she knew it from the way she was smiling at him. He suddenly understood why Commander Stone had refused to come to this part of the meeting.

"Fine," he ground out, voice low and harsh. "I'll oversee your community service. I don't know why you're being so insistent about it, but it won't be fun. You'll show up when and where I tell you, and stay as long as I deem fit. And if I hear a single complaint from you, I'll toss you in a cell, new followers be karked. Understood?"

"Perfectly, Commander," Czajak agreed. She was all demure compliance now that she had gotten her way. "Please notify me with the details of our first meeting."

"Consider yourself dismissed," Fox growled at her.

Czajak winked and rose to leave. As she opened the door, Fox heard Chase say, "Ouch! That one pinched me!"

"We talked about this, Gadi!" Nora lectured, leaving Stone's door to close behind her.

Fox rubbed at the lines between his brows. For his own sake, he took a moment to breathe before he had to go deal with whatever that was about.

---

Ransom I

"Okay, the Commander said I was cleared to deal with you as I see fit."

The sentence may have been worded as a threat, but Ransom could sense no malice in the trooper's tone. It didn't matter either way. She had been arrested too many times to count. There was nothing this pleasant-faced officer could do that would frighten her. Well, short of throwing her to his massiff. Even then, she was certain that she would do a great deal of damage before it could take her down.

"Whoa, what's with that face?" he asked, and Ransom immediately smoothed her expression.

"Just waiting for this to be over."

"I also treasure our time together," he smiled, reaching out a hand as if to pat her on the arm. Ransom was a comical distance away, seated on the other side of a wide desk, and she raised one eyebrow in his direction.

"Good news is that I think I've finally located your file," he said, not deterred by her lack of response. He hadn't been all day, actually. Ransom wasn't willing to work with him at all. She believed that he shouldn't need to read through a history of her life to know that the alterations to her cybernetics were illegal and needed to be removed or licensed. Instead, the trooper - who had cheerfully introduced himself several times as Sergeant Hound - had used a biometric scan to track her file.

"Ransom," Hound read from the display. He stared at her for a long moment, dark brows furrowed. "Your name is Ransom?"

"Your name is Hound," she fired back immediately. "Are you sure you want to start this fight?"

"Yeah, but most civvies have a last name."

"Why would I need a last name?" Ransom asked with a frown. "To keep from being confused with all of the other cybernetically-altered Coruscanti women named Ransom?"

"...That's true," Hound conceded. He turned his attention back to the screen and Ransom tensed a bit at what he would find. She braced herself for any number of unpleasant responses. In the past, she had seen everything from pity to awe to disgust, but he simply scanned through the documents - she had a lot of them - and nodded. "Well, you're being charged with disturbing the peace, but that isn't worth jail time or any significant fine. The Head Commander has been on a real community service kick lately, so we'll get you signed up for some of that."

"I'd rather take the jail time," Ransom spat out.

"No you wouldn't," Hound said seriously. "The jail is rough. Full of unsavory characters, terrible food, bad lighting. Plus, your job wouldn't take too kindly to you spending time in jail. None of them ever do. Don't you want to keep working at…" he checked the screen again, "...Red Squad?"

"Red Squad wouldn't fire me for being in jail," Ransom assured him.

"You can't know that for sure," Hound argued. "Trust me, community service is the better way to go."

"I do know for sure, actually," Ransom argued, unsure of why she was pressing the issue.

"Why, you sleeping with the boss or something?" he asked, tossing the datapad to land on the desk's surface.

Ransom smirked a bit at that. "Only in the occasional dry season. I am the boss. Owner, actually. I run Red Squad."

Hound laughed at that, and it was such a rich, cheerful sound that Ransom almost didn't mind that he was laughing at her. Almost.

"Your name is Ransom, no last name, and you own and run a business called 'Red Squad'. Are you secretly a clone trooper?"

"If I ran a squad, wouldn't that mean I outranked you?" Ransom fired back.

"Probably," he said, seeming unconcerned. "It would make you a captain, at least."

"Well, I already have a better-regulation haircut than you," she tried again. She had yet to see a member of the GAR rise to the bait about ranks - particularly the implication that a civilian outranked them - but clone troopers were notoriously fastidious about their appearance.

Hound raked a hand through his too-long hair and grinned at her. "Yeah, it's been a while since I visited the barber. Is my hair distracting you?"

"Hardly," Ransom snorted, pressing away the spark that had lit her belly at his waggling eyebrows.

"Good, then let's talk about your community service," he said. "Normally, you would be in the care of Trooper Beam, but he's recently experienced a flood of requests. I have it on good authority that he has some three thousand hours of community service to oversee after today, so I'll take care of supervising your hours. I'm thinking forty should be more than enough for something as minor as disturbing the peace. Give me your comlink information and I'll contact you for scheduling."

Ransom felt her eyes fly wide before she could bite back the response. "No."

"No?" Hound asked with a pouty sort of frown.

"You're an ARF trooper," she tried again.

Hound beamed warmly at her. "Great job! The average civilian doesn't even know what an ARF trooper is, let alone how to recognize one."

"I'm not an average civilian," Ransom told him, the response flat. "But my point is that you're an ARF. I don't want to do any community service that has to do with massiffs."

His dark eyes softened and warmed with understanding, and Ransom hated it. She didn't want - didn't need - anyone's pity. In her irritation, she lashed out. "So throw me in jail if you want to, bucket head, but I refuse to work with those beasts."

"Hey, I get it," he sympathized, face still kind. Ransom wanted to put her fist through it.

"No, you really don't," she snarled. "I'll-"

"Everything okay in here?" another trooper asked, ducking into the small office.

"Yeah, just chatting," Hound said easily, as if Ransom hadn't been in the middle of threatening him. "What are you up to, Stone?"

"Head Commander's in my office with the Czajak woman," he explained. "I needed to lie low."

"Makes sense to me," Hound gave a sympathetic grimace. "Ransom and I are going over community service options. You're usually in charge of bookings. Care to explain the process?"

"Oh, uh…" Stone hesitated. Ransom would bet that he hadn't expected Hound to actually need help. "We try to match civilians with their skills and interests."

"So you wouldn't force someone to work with an animal they have a strong dislike towards?" Ransom asked sharply, full of skepticism.

"Absolutely not," Stone answered with finality. "And if you mean the massiffs, a lot of civvies are uncomfortable around them. They're not even an option for community service, so there's no worry about that."

"Thank you, Stone!" Hound said, voice cheerful. Looking more than a bit confused, Stone gave a short nod and left. "Feel better?"

"If you knew working with massiffs wasn't an option, why didn't you tell me that?" Ransom crossed her arms over her chest.

"It seemed like you weren't really interested in listening to me," he said with a shrug.

"So you won't need my comlink information after all," she summarized.

"Now, no one said that," Hound hedged. "I can still supervise your community service."

"How?"

"Hey, I do other work around here!" he said, clearly defensive. "I can trade shifts around, pick up some duties cleaning streets or… working with- um, old people..?"

"I think I'll pass," Ransom told him with a snort.

"Suit yourself," Hound shrugged. "In that case, I'll still be the one supervising the licensing process for those cybernetic alterations."

Ransom was ready to argue, but something about the look in his eyes warned that he wouldn't give in so easily. Telling herself she would get a new frequency as soon as she was done registering the alterations, Ransom gave Hound the information he needed. She couldn't leave the precinct soon enough.

---

A/N - There! A full chapter without one Hound POV! Are you proud of me? I'm proud of me. And with this chapter, we've set up all of our couples! Though I might end up having to make a one-shot or side fic with Stone since I love him. This is also one of the longer chapters of this story, so congrats for getting through it!

[thedyingwriter]

BTS hybrid X Reader AU

Part 1 | Part 2

Character (age)

Kim Seokjin- Fox hybrid (28)

Min Yoongi- Jaguar hybrid (27)

Jung Hoseok- G. Retriever hybrid (26)

Kim Namjoon- Wolf hybrid (26)

Park Jimin- Cat hybrid (25)

Kim Taehyung- Panther hybrid (25)

Jeon Jungkook- Rabbit hybrid (23)

Reader- Dr Kang Seo Yoon (27)

Jaehyun- Seo Yoon's best friend and coworker. (25 for the sake of the Story)

Summary

{ Dr Kang Seo Yoon was a very successful researcher and doctor of the hybrids and worked at the hybrid welfare center. She lived with her six hybrids- Jin, Yoongi, Namjoon, Hoseok, Jimin and Jungkook- who had grown up on her through the years when she found them at the rescue shelters. She was a kind and empathetic person who had used all her resources and knowledge for the betterment of the hybrid species. What will happen when she comes across an injured Panther hybrid Taehyung outside her house and decides to help him regardless of him being hardly human towards her. Will she take him in? Will he become a part of her sweet happy family? }

Chapter 1

The Injured Hybrid

" Wake up noona" Seo Yoon heard the voice of Jungkook shaking her from slumber. He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck tickling her with his soft ears. She chuckled at his action and finally got up.

"Aish, kookie where do you get so much energy at 5 in the morning." You said gently rubbing his bunny ears. He purred.

"Noona everyone is sleeping and I have been up for a while. I didn't want to disturb you but you said you have to wake up early for your work today so I thought I should come and see" He said his cute smile on full display a faint shade of red on his cheeks.

"Let's go and make some breakfast for everyone then, you can help me" She said getting down from her bed and following Jungkook towards the kitchen. The 23 year old was always cheerful making sure everyone around him is happy too. For his age he definitely acts like a cute lil toddler but she loved him dearly.

"Kookie I plan on making fried rice and omelette for breakfast. I'll start with the rice could you whisk me some eggs?" She told him and he nodded while grabbing a large bowl and a crate of egg from the fridge.

Seo Yoon was cutting the vegetable when Jin walked in the kitchen his hair a mess. "Good morning Jin oppa" "Good morning hyung" You and Jungkook said at the same time.

She felt gentle hands at your back, untying your apron. “I can take over Y/N, why don’t you go take a bath? You have to be at the center early for the rounds right? " Jin said shaking your hair.

“Thank you oppa, what Would I do without you” she said, stepping away from the stove. If Seo Yoon weren’t cooking, Jin was. He loved the activity ever since you taught him how. Soon enough he surpassed her skills, creating mouth-watering dishes. In thanks, she rubbed his dark fox ears. He leaned into your touch, fluffy tail swaying.

"Noona shall I go and wake all the hyung while you get ready? " Jungkook asked.

"Yes kookie that would be really helpful. Tell them all to brush their teeth and come for breakfast. " She said and walked back to her room to get ready for the day. Seo Yoon and Jaehyun had to work hard today. It was an open out patient day and different shelters were bringing their hybrids for checkups. She took a shower and dressed up in jeans and a formal shirt tying her hair in a ponytail her beautiful bangs covering her forehead. She could hear the commotion of the boys from the kitchen. She took her white coat and some files and walked out towards them.

All of them were sitting on the counter eating their food. All the 6 hybrids looked cute in messy hairs and pyjamas while stuffing their mouths with food. She took out your phone and clicked a picture. The sound of the shutter gathering everyone's attention. Despite most of them being younger than her, she insisted on them calling her by her name as she felt really old though Jungkook still called her noona because he always wanted an elder sister.

" Aahh Seo Yoon, you look so pretty. Come join us for breakfast " Hobi said wagging his tail happily. She went to sit with them patting each of their hair as they smiled at her. Yoongi took her in a hug and passed her a travel coffee container filled with her favorite drink which he made each morning for her. She took a sip and groaned in pleasure while everyone laughed at her love for coffee which she shared with Yoongi. " What would I do without you Yoongi oppa. I can hardly work without your coffee. " She said and sat down to eat her breakfast.

*****

After breakfast Jimin went and kept her files and coat inside her car and Jin packed her lunch. She picked her bag and was ready to leave. Namjoon came to her and gave her a hug. It was their thing. Every hybrid hugged her before she went out showing affection. She kissed Joonie's cheeks and then hugged Hobi. Jimin and Jungkook group hugged her nearly trampling her on the floor with so much force and enthusiasm. Yoongi kissed her cheek as she went out to her car where Jin was ready to drive her to the center. He liked driving her and would spend an hr with shelter kids helping around and come back in an hour. His dark green silk scarf which acted as a collar sat perfectly on his neck. Jin dropped her at her office saying goodbye and going towards the shelters behind the building.

Seo Yoon entered her building and was immediately met with the strong smell of hospital which she has grown to call home now. She went to her locker and changed into her scrubs and came to her office which she shared with her best friend Jaehyun who as usual was late as always. 10 minutes later you heard the door open and a panting Jaehyun in his scrubs appeared before you.

"I'm sorry I'm late, before you say anything Seo Yoon, Ik it's third time this week and today we have a busy day ahead of us but what can I do I was watching a drama at night and couldn't get up early because of lack of sleep. " He ranted in a breath going on and on about how the protagonist if the drama was so stupid for not understanding the guy loves her.

She shook her head. " Aeyah!! stop talking Jae before I murder you. One day I'll give you a nice trashing for how casually you take me. " She said with a pout. He laughed at her and hugged her as she melted into giggles. She can never be mad at the kid. He was way too sweet and cute.

Somebody knocked at the door and a nurse appeared. " Dr Kang and Dr Jaehyun, the patients are here. We can start with the day. " She said and left.

******

Jae and Seo Yoon sat at the table and opened their lunches. Jin always packed food for your best friend who loved his food even though Jaehyun himself was an excellent cook.

"I'm coming to your place for the weekend. I really miss the boys. It's been a while. And this week we even have the Saturday off from shelter duty" Jae said with his mouth stuffed. She has lived so much around boys now that it's hard for her to remember what sophisticated people looked like.

"Why don't you just move in with me. You already live at my place nearly all the time when we aren't working" I scoffed. Her place is more or less like an open motel for her friends to stay in whenever they want considering the size of her big real estate. After her father's demise when she inherited his wealth. She decided to make a big place where she can adopt some hybrids and live happily. It had literally all the required materials a person could need to survive in luxury. She really had spoiled all the boys with 24x7 wifi and gaming.

Jaehyun shook his head and laughed at her scowled face. He loved teasing the older girl.

"Why noona that's an excellent idea. I'll have an amazing time with the boys and get free food. " She got up and punched his arm. She absolutely did not liked being called noona.

"I told you not to call me noona or I'll give you a good trashing. " She angrily chewed on her fish.

"Ayee you are biased Seo Yoon, why does jungkook gets to call you noona and all of us don't. " He teased her further.

"Well if you really want an answer he is more cuter, is good at everything, doesn't gives me a headache every 10 minute and definitely isn't a constant pain in my ass. " She said laughing and Jaehyun threw her a dirty look.

*******

When Seo Yoon left the hospital in the evening it was quite late then usual. Jaehyun had left half an hour ago but she stayed looking at the shelter kids who ran around each other enjoying life without a worry. She had a smile on her face and a tear in her eyes as she walked back to her home. She always liked walking back to home and it wasn't an issue as it was a highly safe residential society with great love for people and hybrid. She felt someone's presence behind her and immediately knew who it was.

"Jin oppa you didn't have to come I was on my way. " She said and turned to see a flustered Jin caught following her. He was worried that she was coming home alone so late and thought to accompany her.

"How did you know it was me? Do you have a secret third eye behind your head or something? " He said and took your backpack from you holding your hands firmly.

"Well I have been around you since the beginning. It's easy to feel your presence. It's a girl thing. " She said and looked in the front. They were very close to their home.

A young man clad in black outfit was walking in front of them. He had a slight limp and looked almost drunk from pain. As if he was drowning his sorrows. He was limping towards the other side when he suddenly disappeared from their eye sight.

"Oppa did you see that? " She asked Jin. Jin pulled her behind him and they both walked quietly towards the road crossing. A black van was parked ans the man from earlier was being pushed inside it. He was being abducted. 2 men pushing him inside. Jin quickly rushed towards the van. He pulled the man from the goons hold and layed the now almost unconscious man on the road side. This gave the goons time to flee. Jin was about to go after them when Seo Yoon stopped him.

She immediately knelt beside the man. He wasn't drunk. He was badly injured. His abdomen was bleeding and his legs were tampered. She tried helping him.

He groaned as she touched him to treat his wounds. He immediately backed up at an inhuman speed. This shook both of them.

"He's a hybrid oppa. We need to help him. " Seo Yoon said and Jin immediately called Yoongi to keep first aid ready.

The hybrid's cap fell from his face revealing two soft black cat like ears. His tale was brilliantly tucked in his pants not giving anything away that he wasn't human. He immediately tried fleeing from the human who looked at her with her almost teary eyes but he couldn't. He did not have the strength. He collapsed in her arms his world going black as the last thing he saw was the beautiful face of a teary eyed angel who somehow did not look like she wanted to harm him like other humans.

Seo Yoon was almost gonna cry after seeing the hybrid. He fell in her arms. His life almost slipping away. Jin picked him up and they rushed inside the house towards the guest room. Yoongi and the boys had kept all necessary medical aid that they know Seo Yoon kept for emergency on a table nearby. They were as astonished as the duo seeing how badly injured this hybrid was.

"What happened to you" Seo Yoon wondered out loud.

A/N: this is my first hybrid au. I hope you all enjoyed this. Please like comment and reblog if you liked it. I'll post next part soon. Put your name in the comment section below to get tagged in the next part.

[winnies-headcannons]

Sasuke x reader

Band AU

Word count: 1,416

Contains: cheating, cuddling, yelling

You and Sasuke had been dating for a while now, even when he did start the band. He had been thinking of starting this band for a while just never really did till now, you weren't really part of it as you didn't really want all the attention, though you were their biggest fan. 

Sasuke was the lead singer while naruto was the drummer and Gaara was the guitarist, they all seemed to enjoy the idea at first but now they took it more seriously as they became semi-famous at this point, going on tours, having met and greets. It was honestly fun but you felt a little left out and jealous, girls would swoon over Sasuke hugging him and flirting, it pissed you off you wanted Sasuke to yourself like it used to..but he was having fun so you said nothing.

"You're on in 5 guys" the producer announced to the band, ``you all we're on a tour at the moment and it's the first to Sasuke allowed you to go. He didn't want anyone to assault you or harass you so he never let you go with them until now. "Alright guys remember we're gonna be singing three songs-" Sasuke announced to Naruto and Gaara as he got his hair fixed behind the stage, you just sat in one of the cases that were standing around just waiting to hear then in person. "Sasuke after this do you think we can get some alone time..?" You questioned the light-skinned male. He only nodded and headed towards the stage, "Welcome ladies and gentlemen it's so great to be here tonight!" The lights all cut off besides the ones pointed to the boys on stage, the music started and you honestly loved it. In all honesty, this was the first concert you've ever been to and it was kinda fun. 

By the end of the second song, you're honestly tired and had a headache, you were just ready to go back in the bus and sleep. Your body aching and eyes baggy, ears ringing from the loud music and muscles tired from all the work you had done before the concert. The music started and it was more upbeat than most the guys had played. (Song up above)

"Love me cancerously"

These lyrics hit you in the heart and make your face a soft pink, was he singing about you? Couldn't be he doesn't like to announce to the world that you two are dating. As the song progressed you just knew the song was about you just the way he worded the lyrics. You glanced over at Naruto and Gaara and they seemed to be having a shit ton of fun with this song.

"Love me cancerously" the music lowered as sasuke began whistling then picked right back up. You never saw sasuke like this, so invested into something other than his brother. 

When the music stopped they wished everyone a good night and headed back to the backstage. They all were sweating as if they had been in Sana for hours. Sasuke walked towards you "hey babe, you think you can get all of us some food. I'm really hungry after tonight." He spoke fast as if he wanted to get back to the bus in a hurry. You smiled and nodded as Sasuke handed you some money, you took the green paper and headed towards a nearby fast food place. It took a while to order because everyone wanted food, after receiving the greasy food bags you headed back to the bus.

"Foods here!" You yelled setting the food on the table, Naruto and Gaara came out from their rooms and thanked you and sat down and ate. You wondered where Sasuke was, maybe he was asleep already? You decided to go check on your black-haired lover, walking to the end of the bus where your temporary shared room was. You heard groaning and the bed creaking, curiosity hit you like a truck so you opened the door only to see Sasuke on top of another girl pleasuring her, their clothes scattered everywhere across the room, their bodies sweaty from the activity. Your heart broke at the sight of "S-Sasuke..?" Your voice cracked as tears welled in your eyes, he turned around eyes wide "Y/N this isn't what it-" you put your hand up stopping his sentence "N..No I clearly interrupted something important." Hot steamy tears fell from your eyes down your cheek, a fake smile on your face. You slammed the door shut and walked slowly to the lobby area of the bus where Naruto and Gaara we're at, you sat down beside naruto and started crying out loud. "Hey hey, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, hugging you, looking up at him as your eyeliner stained your face. "S-Sasuke c..cheated" you spat out hugging naruto and crying into his chest staining his shirt. His expression softened making you look up at him "Sasuke is a bitch anyway, you can sleep in my room tonight okay?" You nodded and looked away feeling embarrassed that they had to see you like this. Garra got pissed and stood up and stormed into Sasuke's room. All you heard was yelling as you cried into Naruto's chest some more. "YOU KNOW Y/N DIDN'T DESERVE THAT YOU SACK OF SHIT" you never heard Gaara this loud before as he was a more quiet and composed person. "Please, shut the fuck up" Sasuke crossed his arms as the girl he was fucking ran past him and outta the bus. You wanted to chase after her and beat the fuck outta her but what was the purpose? 

Gaara and Sasuke argued so much and it only made you worse so Naruto picked you up and carried you to his small room. He set you on the be him sitting in front of you, "just don't listen to them" no response came from you as you only cried silently "hey, look at me" putting his finger under your chin making you look him in the eyes. He smiled softly at you with a small blush on his face, naruto had always loved you since you both met but didn't say anything as you had already fallen hopelessly in love with Sasuke. A light blush appeared in your face, his thumb wiping your tears away. Your heartbeat fast looking at him "you sleep in the bed, I'll sleep on the floor" nodding you laid down the blond covering you up. Closing your eyes you slowly drifted off to sleep.

A few weeks have passed since the incident, you haven't spoken to Sasuke nor looked at him. It hurt too much too, the only thing you saw when you looked at him was that night. The way his hair was messy from her slutty fingers pulled at it, the slapping sound of him fucking into her hard. He'd never fucked you like that before. Was she different from you, was she better looking, skinnier, tighter, prettier? All these thoughts clouded your head as you woke up, next to you was Naruto soundlessly sleeping. The night before you asked if he could sleep with you for comfort.

The blond muscular make tucked you in as you laid down on his bed, you hated how he slept on the floor and how you felt so lonely. "Good-" as he was turning to go lay down on the floor you grabbed his wrist, blushing like a mad man "sleep with me?" You asked not looking him in the eyes out of embarrassment. His face was heating up and he nodded as he slipped into the bed next to you. Cuddling up close to him, your face buried in his shirtless chest. Hesitantly putting his arm around your body to pull you closer to him, his face red from blush and his body warm. He played with your hair trying to help you relax a little, placing a soft kiss on your forehead. His actions made your heartbeat faster than ever. Did you have feelings for the fox-like boy? You wouldn't be surprised, he was handsome and caring..more than sasuke at least. "I'll never let anything hurt you again, I promise" he whispered to you, him pulling you closer. It was clear that he had liked you for a while now. You didn't say anything as you closed your eyes and drifted off to sleep.

[topsytervy]

Haunted House with Mob Rafe

Blurb: Rafe somehow convinces you to go to a haunted house with him even though you’re not the biggest fan of them

Warnings: swearing (my specialty to my moms disappointment), haunted house things (fake bodies, fake knives, that’s pretty much it in this blurb thingy), and I think that’s it. 

It’s October y’all. I really have nothing else to say besides I’ve been to one haunted house in my life (cause I’m a big bitch baby) and that was Terror on The Fox when I was like  15 and I blocked most of that experience out because I freaked out.  I haven’t been to one since then because I’m single as hell and don’t want to put my friends through the disaster that’s me during a haunted house. And Y/D/N here means Your Dogs Name. I’m sorry if you’re more of a cat person. Enjoy :)

~~~~~~~

"Yeah. That's not happening." You said, not even casting a glance to your neighbor.

"Oh come on. It'd be fun." He sang, leaning against the little fence that separated your yards.

Rafe has been trying to get you to go to a haunted house for a while. He's been bugging you about it since February, saying "When October hits, we're hitting all of the haunted houses". And apparently, tonight was the night that he wanted to go.

"Rafe, no." You deadpanned.

"Y/N, yes." 

"Rafe. I don't like haunted houses. You know this." You declared.

He did, in fact, know this. Hence why he wanted to do a haunted house even more. 

"I'll be right with you the entire time. You can even hold onto me if you want." He told you.

"If I hold onto you, you'll have little spots of blood on you from my nails." You crossed your arms.

"Oh wow. That's horrifying. It's not like Barry purposely burned my wrist when I was 19 and didn't have his money," he held up his wrist so you could see the scar, "or that I do things that cause a target to be on my back 24/7." Sarcasm dripped from his voice as he spoke.

"All the more reason why we shouldn't go." You said, turning around and walking back towards your house.

“Alright. Hold up. Rewind like a VCR. Why is that a reason we shouldn’t go?” He asked, easily hopping the small fence and grabbing your wrist.

“Because what if one of the actors is someone who wants you dead? They could easily kill you and get away with it. Then I’ll be one of those people who they write about who’s obsessing over their friend's death and making up theories all my life.” You babbled, turning back around to face him.

Rafe looked off to the side and blinked before closing his eyes for a minute and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“See what I’m getting at? You picking up what I’m putting down?” You said.

“Yeah. I’m picking up what you’re putting down. And then I’m walking it over to the firepit and putting it back down before lighting it on fire. That is the stupidest shit I’ve ever fucking heard and that says a lot.” Rafe told you. “I swear on my life-”

“Bad thing to swear on considering what I just said.”

“That the only thing there that’s going to hurt me is your nails,” Rafe vowed.

“Fine but if you die there and I end up labeled the crazy lady who spent the rest of her life obsessing over the death of her friend, I’m making sure I’m getting a first-class ticket to hell so I can beat your ass.” You huffed as the two of you finally made your way inside of your house.

“Who says I’m going to hell?” Rafe grinned.

You stopped and looked him up and down before looking in his eyes. “Trust me. You’re going to hell.”

******

"Oh god. You're so going to hell." You told the man next to you.

Rafe chuckled before bumping his hip against yours. 

"It's not that bad, babydoll."

"Yeah. Guess what? After tonight, you don't get to call me that anymore. Your nickname privileges have been taken away." You huffed, crossing your arms.

"Uh-huh. Okay." Rafe rolled his eyes before grabbing your hand. "Come on. Were next."

"Yeah. Next to die." You mumbled.

"Wow. And you say I'm dramatic." He commented as the two of you entered the attraction. 

You clutched onto his arm as you made your way through the house, screwing your eyes shut tight when something scary happened.

"I hate it. I hate it. I hate it." You repeated.

Your grip tightened onto Rafe’s arm and you yelped as an actor jumped out, swinging a -fake- machete at the pair of you. 

The actor simply pointed at you and grinned maniacally as he moved backward, disappearing into the shadows.

You looked up at Rafe who had a small smile on his face.

"How the hell are you not phased by this shit?" You asked as you continued on your way.

"Y/N, trust me, I've seen some shit worse than this." He answered.

He pulled you closer to him when another actor came jumping out of nowhere, laughing and saying something about how the last person that came through lost it as they pointed up towards the ceiling. 

Before you two could look up, a -fake- body dropped from the ceiling suspended by a rope around their neck. Rafe jumped back, pulling you with him qs you screamed.

"That was good." He complimented the actor as he walked the two of you past the scene.

"Why the hell did I agree to this again?" You asked Rafe, shuffling closer to him when you saw a dark corner that seemed suspicious. 

"Because you love me." Rafe grinned, looking down at you.

"I absolutely do not." You squeaked as you neared the corner.

"Do you wanna switch places?" He offered.

You nodded without a second thought, quickly switching to the other side of Rafe. Your grip got tighter on his wrist as you two shuffled on by, Rafe tensing when an actor jumped out.

"How are we feeling right now?" Rafe asked.

"I’m calming down." You stated as a random thud was heard.

You jumped even more into Rafe and he stumbled slightly before steadying himself.

"Yeah. You're calming down?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked at you. 

"Yeah. Totally." 

"So you don’t need me or my arm anymore?" Rafe started to pull his arm from your grasp.

"Now, I never said that." Your grip on his arm tightening.

"Awe, you need me in your life."

"I never said that either. I could easily find someone else." Rafe’s face fell and you looked at him before squeezing his arm. "But I wouldn't." 

Rafe grinned as another actor jumped out, causing you to scream.

"We were having a moment!"

*****

You walked into your house, immediately flipping all the lights on as Rafe followed you inside.

"You gonna be okay?" He inquired.

You shrugged, dropping your keys on the counter and heading towards your room. 

"Do you want me to stay here for the night?"

"If you want to, you can." You answered, playing it off as if it didn’t matter.

You closed your bedroom door to get dressed and smacked the wall for your light switch, failing each time you did. You were about to fish your phone out for your flashlight when you heard a clicking sound against your floor.

You screamed as you jumped onto your bed and Rafe immediately ran into your room. He smacked the light switch and light filled the room, revealing your dog looking slightly confused as (s)he stood on the floor looking at you.

"Its just Y/D/N," Rafe reassured you.

You nodded, patting your bed so Y/D/N knew (s)he could come up.

"The neighbors might think that I murdered you cause of that scream, babydoll."

"I'm sorry."

"I didn’t think you'd be so jumpy afterward that you would scream hearing your dog walk."

"I told you, I hate haunted houses. I warned you about this you asshole."

"You certainly did not warn me about the jumpiness." 

"Well, now you have to stay here tonight because I'm scared some serial killer or something is going to come in, knives swinging." You huffed.

Rafe smirked. "You act like that's a punishment for me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

taglist: @prejudic3 @oleariaux @outerbanx96 @popcrone818 @void-sadie @diverrdown @teenagekook @drewswannabegirl @acvross-the-universe @poguemackin