#or i'll run out of ideas before we reach the end of this season

[pin28]

I'm currently having way too many ideas for creative gifsets with F1A...

[certaimromance]

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Love or seal?

Dean Winchester x Fem!reader

Summary: An avenging spirit is killing married couples, so the Winchesters think it's a good idea to use you to pretend to be one and take down the ghost. But the act becomes all too real before you know it.

Words: 1,8k.

TW: mentions of murder, death, violence (normal warnings in the series). so much teasing. a little of angst with happy ending. dean from the early seasons but soft and chaotic (a bit simp). sam being cupid and forgotten lol. english isn't my first language (sorry for my mistakes, be kind please).

Note: I've always been a Dean girl and I'm so excited about this. I love the concept of "Frenemies to Lovers" with its more playful and cutie version from the earlier seasons, I hope I described it well.

This is my second time writing here, i'm still new.

♡ Enjoy! ♡

You took another look in the mirror and walked a few laps around the dingy motel room, trying to swallow the act. It seemed ironic to wear such a fancy dress and high heels in a place like this, but it was all so you could solve the case and prevent more deaths. After all, it was your job to catch the ghosts and put them to rest.

It had been a long time since you'd been out on a date or worn anything other than your usual jeans and leather jacket. Buying yourself a cute dress and wedding rings with one of your fake cards had been entertaining, the closest thing to a normal life you'd had in years.

“Come in, I need help with the zipper on my dress.” You said after hearing a couple of knocks on your door.

You were still standing in front of the bathroom mirror, waiting for Sam to show up to help you so the two of you could leave soon for the restaurant where you both had reserved a table. The strange thing was that the cold hands you felt running down your back and zipping you up were not his, but those of his older brother.

“What are you doing here? Where is Sam?” You turned around to look at Dean once your dress was closed. It was then that you noticed he was wearing a suit and the ring.

“In the room.” He replied, moving closer to you so he could look at himself in the mirror and adjusting his tie with difficulty, he was not used to wearing one at all and felt suffocated.

“Why are you dressed like that?” You asked him after looking him over from head to toe and inevitably biting your lower lip. He looked good, all dressed up and dapper, you could even smell the scent of cologne wafting off him.

“I'll be your husband for tonight.” Dean smiled at you.

You frowned when you heard that the younger Winchester would no longer be your fake husband, because that was not what you had all agreed upon. Sam had always been more husband material, and you trusted him enough to have some physical contact if necessary. On the other hand, you saw Dean as someone who was far from the prototypical perfect partner, and you could barely talk to him without arguing about your differences, never having touched him except for sparring practice or taking away the gun he kept stealing from you. You couldn't deny that both brothers were attractive, but they were almost equally far from meaning anything romantic to you.

“We flipped a coin and I got the job.” He added to the explanation, noticing the confusion on your face.

Finally you nodded, realizing that once again they had not been able to reach an agreement and had had to put luck in the middle for the choice of roles. You didn't mind going with Dean, you had already been on several hunts with him and trusted his skills, but having to impersonate his wife was weird.

“Can you...?” He tried to ask you, pointing at his tie and all the trouble it caused him.

You let out a small laugh at seeing him so confused over a simple tie and went over to him to take it off. You had to tie it all over again because of how badly he had done it before.

“This looks very wife.” He commented as he saw the delicacy with which you were trying to fix his mess.

“I hope the spirit feels the same and is looking forward to slaughtering us.” You replied, taking a step away from him as you finished.

You two said a quick goodbye to Sam and then hopped into the Impala, which took you to a shiny restaurant near the road where the ghost appeared.

“Don't embarrass me, please.” You said to him as soon as you both sat down at the table and placed your order.

“How could I, darling?” He smiled innocently at you and took your hand on the table, caressing the ring on your finger.

You didn't say anything, just smiled back and kept your thoughts to yourself. You couldn't believe he actually called you that, sounding almost like a husband, even though you knew it was because of the acting, it gave you a funny feeling in your stomach. The most you'd gotten from Dean Winchester in all the years you'd known him was a "good job" and a strange smile, followed by a lot of questions about your careless decisions. You alone were far enough away from marriage, let alone someone like him.

“You look very handsome tonight.” You told him as you saw he was drinking water, causing him to almost spit it out in surprise.

Usually you never complimented him, barely looked him in the eye, talked about anything other than hunting, or even laughed at his jokes. It seemed that his presence didn't matter much to you because your interests were more aligned with Sam's and you got along better with him. That bothered Dean a lot, he hated being so invisible in your eyes.

Now, however, you didn't take your eyes off him and even gave him compliments that left him speechless to continue the performance.

“At least the food is good.” You said absentmindedly as the waiter brought the plates.

“And the company?”

You looked into his eyes, trying to understand if he was playing with you or if he was really hurt by your lack of emotion. The strange thing was that you didn't know if it was one or the other, his greenish gaze was a mystery.

“The best company, of course.” You gave him a smile and picked up your glass of wine to make a small toast.

“How affectionate you are now.”

“Yes, I feel almost as if today is the last day of my life.” You said with irony.

Dinner went off without a hitch in a quiet and strangely pleasant atmosphere. You couldn't help but be surprised by Dean's friendliness, it was the first time you had a civilized conversation with him. The first time he held your hand and you noticed how green his eyes were.

Suddenly, everything he said, silly or not, made you smile. The only rational thing to do was to attribute it to the glass of wine he had decided to drink. In general, you didn't allow yourself to drink alcohol, let alone in the middle of a hunt. But now, for some reason, you thought it would help your nerves and relax you a bit.

“Where did you leave the car?” You asked once they left the site and the time to travel the road of death was approaching.

“In the corner over there...I hope.” He answered without really being sure. For him, it had all happened so fast when you two arrived.

“My feet hurt. Don't play with me now.” You said, hating the high heels you were wearing.

At that moment, the hunter stopped and motioned for you to sit on the bench by the exit. Unsure, you obeyed and frowned as he knelt down to gently remove your shoes.

“Happy now?” He asked he asked, holding your heels in his hands.

“I can't walk barefoot.” You claimed, putting on a fake sad face and lowering your gaze to his arms.

Dean shook his head instantly.

“No, don't even think that I'll carry you.” He warned confidently, folding his arms.

A few minutes later, he was silently leading you to the car, snorting at every opportunity to give in so easily to your wishes.

“This looks very husband.” You pointed out with a smile and a teasing tone.

“I would offer you to the spirit right now.” He replied, looking at you with narrowed eyes.

“How lovely you are, my dear.”

The two finally got into the car and headed for the exit. Dean had received a message from his brother telling him that he had found the name of the ghost woman and her grave with her husband, who was the cause of all his resentment against happily married couples, and to top it off, he was buried on top of her.

“Sam is going to burn the grave and everything will be fine.” He said trying to comfort you as he saw the concern on your face. “Maybe the woman doesn't want to kill anyone today.”

“You have too much faith in a murderous spirit.” You sighed and tried to remove the ring from your finger, but it stuck. “And you should take the ring off.”

“Are we getting divorced so soon?” He replied in a joking tone, with his eyes on the road.

You looked at him seriously, this was no time for jokes because everything was going wrong. If Sam didn't dig up those bones soon, they were probably going to kill you both and the plan was going to fail completely. It was supposed to be easy and you were terrified that it wasn't anymore.

“Come on, don't be like that. You were laughing so hard with me.” He smiled at you.

Before you could respond, a pale woman in a blood-stained wedding dress appeared in the back seat. You could barely say Dean's name when the ghost's hand came around your neck and began to choke you. After a few moments, you couldn't even breathe and everything became a blur.

You didn't want to die, at least not at that moment. Not without having lived a life as good as the night before everything went to hell. You still had too many things to do to go like that, let alone in front of him, you couldn't let that happen.

“Don't move.” The hunter said to you before drawing his gun and disputing you to the back seat.

The ghost disappeared for a few seconds and then reappeared just ahead of the road. A braking maneuver as the woman was beginning to burn in front of the two of you almost made you jump out of your seat.

Sam had succeeded.

“Are you okay?” Dean asks, looking at you with concern.

“Yeah.” You said, still trying to catch your breath and process everything that had happened.

“And my thanks for saving you and not letting death part us?”

At any other time, you would have simply made a sarcastic comment and emphasized that it was all thanks to her brother. However, the recent experience had changed something in you and made you kiss his cheek.

Before you could completely pull your face away from his, he put his hand on your cheek and pulled you close. You felt his lips move over yours and responded without hesitation. A big part of you had been thinking about this moment all night and was more than happy it was happening. It was like the perfect ending to a fake marriage date, minus the killer ghost part, and it made you smile in the middle of it.

“You didn't flip any coin, did you?” You asked as you broke away from the kiss for a second.

“No, I didn't.” He admitted, leaving a kiss on your head and making you smile even more.

[lee-laurent]

Done Trying - Luke Hughes

Summary: In which Luke falls for a girl who always seems to be hanging around the Devils, the issue she has a toddler with one of his teammates

There will be more parts!! Next part is the backstory of John and Tori! Part after that is a continuation of this part! Hope you guys enjoy!

content: unplanned pregnancy, fluff, angst, children (is that a warning??), past relationships, self confidence and body image issues, money struggles, oc x ex!john marino (this is throughout the story, but this is a luke fic!! she ends up with luke!!)

WC: 4.8k

notes: this idea came to me the other night while i was watching tiktoks lol, but i thought it would a fun fic to write. the poll i put out showed a pretty clear leader the whole time, but if you guys are interested in me doing any of the other pairings in the poll just let me know!! before writing this i have a feeling it's gonna be a long fic so enjoy!!

Luke Hughes was walking down the street to the cafe that Jack had recommended. He still didn't know many places in Newark, seeing as it was his rookie season, but his brother had been a huge help... for the most part. Jack had told him about his coffee shop that was usually pretty quiet, so he wouldn't have to worry about fans coming up to him. And it had become his safe haven over the last two weeks.

Victoria Wilson was also walking down the street in the direction of the cafe, but she wasn't alone. Her newly turned two-year-old was toddling besides her, having refused to get in his stroller when they were leaving their apartment. "No" was his favourite word at the moment and Tori thought it might drive her crazy. She was dropping him off at his dad's in a couple hours, so she decided that grabbing him a bagel and some juice for breakfast sounded like a great way to get out of the house.

"Riley! Stop!" she screeched, watching as her son started to run down the sidewalk in the direction of a tall boy, looking at his phone. She didn't reach him in time though, the little boy wrapping his arms around the man's legs.

"What the hell?" Luke muttered, staring down at the toddler gripping his leg.

"I am so sorry! He's really big into hugging right now. We're working on learning who we shouldn't hug," Tori rambled, attempting to pull Riley off the man.

"It's fine. Really. No worries. Come on, little dude. Go back with your sister," Luke smiled, making the girl blush.

"I- I'm his mom, but I'll take that as a compliment," she smiled, finally prying Riley away and picking him up. He squirmed her arms, screaming "no" like it was mantra.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed," Luke rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's all good. Let me buy you a coffee. Again, I'm so sorry. Terrible twos," she sighed, reaching into her purse for a pacifier. "Here bubba. Let's go get breakfast."

Riley finally calmed down, happily putting the pacifier in his mouth. Tori had been trying her best to ween him off his "binky" but his dad wasn't, so it wasn't really working all that well.

"You don't have to do that. He's just a kid."

"Please, I'd really like to," she smiled. Luke nodded, opening the door for the woman and her son.

Tori ordered a coffee for herself and Luke, as well as a bagel and apple juice for Riley. They sat at a small table, Riley on her lap and Luke across from her.

"I'm Tori, by the way. And this little devil is Riley."

"It's nice to meet you," Luke grinned, "I'm Luke."

"So, how long have you lived in Jersey?" she smiled, breaking off a bit of bagel for Riley. He had a habit of trying to shove things in his mouth and gagging every time. So Tori always broke his food up into little pieces.

"A month now. I, um, just moved here for my new job."

"That's exciting," she grinned, handing Riley more food.

"What about you?"

"We moved here two years ago. Riley's dad moves a lot for work and I like to be in the same city as him so they can spend time together."

Luke nodded. So she was single. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't admiring her. She was stunning. Pale skin covered in freckles, ginger hair that she'd curled into waves, and the prettiest blue eyes he'd ever seen. She giggled as Riley dropped bagel all over his shirt, attempting to wipe it away as best as a toddler could.

"You said Riley's two?"

"Yes! He just turned two in August!"

"My mom always said that's the hardest age," Luke tried his best to relate to the girl in front of him.

"Ha! She's right. He really likes saying 'no' right now. It's impossible to get him to do anything except play mini sticks."

Luke choked on his coffee, "As in hockey?"

"Oh, yeah. He, uh, we're big hockey fans in my house."

"Devils?"

"No. No offence if you're a Devils fan. But we're proud Penguins fans. Right, Riley?"

"Pen-guin," he giggled, clapping his cream cheese covered hands together.

"That's cool," he nodded, checking his phone. Jack had texted asking if he'd died on the way to get coffee. "I, um, it was really nice meeting you, but my brother's getting worried about me. I should go."

"No worries! It was lovely meeting you too. Say 'bye-bye', Riley."

"Bye-bye!"

"Bye, Riley. Um, I was wondering if I could get your number. We could do this again some time? It's totally fine if not. I just-"

"Of course, Luke. Here," she chuckled, taking his phone from him. Luke walked out of the coffee shop with a smile.

It was the first Family Skate of the season and Luke was happily yapping away with Jack and Nico, seeing as they were all single. Luke had been texting nonstop with Tori for the last two weeks, she was really busy taking care of Riley so they hadn't met up again yet. He had found out she was 24, from Pittsburgh, and had a degree in journalism. He hadn't told her what he did for a living, just saying athletics which she assumed meant personal training. He was laughing at a joke that his brother had made when a flash of red hair caught his eye.

He did a double take. Standing at the bench was Tori, holding an extremely excited looking Riley on her hip, tiny skates on his feet. They were both dressed in Devils jerseys. Tori pointed at someone on the ice and Riley clapped happily. John Marino skated over, grabbing Tori's hand to guide her onto the ice. Maybe she wasn't single like he assumed.

"What're you looking at, Rusty?" Jack knocked his shoulder.

"Huh? Nothing."

"Come on, let's go see Curtis."

Luke followed his brother, keeping an eye on John and the girl now holding his hand. It hurt a little, he really thought they were connecting. And she hadn't mentioned a boyfriend at all.

Tori had yet to notice Luke, smiling widely watching her son and his father interact. Even if she and John had broken up, they still held a mutual respect for each other, maybe even still loved one another.

"Do you like his jersey?" she asked, showing John the '6 Marino' on the back of their son's shirt.

"Wow! You look just like Daddy, bubba!"

"'Ike Dada!" Riley smiled.

"My mom got it for him for his birthday. He was really excited to show you."

"Well, I think it's awesome. Tell your mom 'thank you.'"

"Of course. I-" she stopped. Her eyes locked with a familiar pair across the ice. Luke? She furrowed her brow, handing the toddler over to his dad. "Here. Practice skating with him. I, uh, need to talk to someone."

"Oh, sure! Everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just fine," she mustered a smile as he pressed a kiss to her temple, skating off with Riley.

"Luke?" she approached him, a confused look on her face. Jack and Nico looked at each other before skating off to see John and Riley.

"Hi, Tori. I, uh, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah. Me neither. You play for the Devils?"

"Um... yeah? It's my rookie season. I just- I didn't want you to like only want to talk to me cause I play in the NHL."

"I gave you those vibes?" she sassed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, no. That's not- You don't. I, uh, what're you doing here? I thought you were... single."

"I am. I would've stopped talking to you if I wasn't. Riley's dad also plays for the Devils."

Then it all fell into place for Luke. Moving from Pittsburgh, being Penguins fans, Riley's dad moving around for work, her being here.

"Johnny?"

"Yes. John invited us. I thought it would be fun for Riley."

"I'm sorry. I- I should've told you. Are- is this too weird now?"

"'This?' There isn't really a 'this' yet, Luke. We just met and I have a kid. But if you're asking if I'm going to stop talking to you. Then no. This isn't weird for me."

"Do you- d'you think John will be upset?"

"John? No. He just wants whatever is best for Riley. We broke up over a year ago."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to pry. I-"

"Luke, it's fine. It was nice seeing you, but I should get back to my family."

"Right. See ya, Tori," Luke smiled, ignoring the pain in his chest at her words. John was her family. How was he supposed to beat that?

"You know Luke?" John asked as his ex-girlfriend skated up next to him.

"You remember that guy I met that Riley hugged?"

"The one from the coffee shop? Yeah, you said- oh my god! Was it Luke?"

"Yep," she popped the 'p' at the end of the word, "He didn't tell me he played hockey."

"Are you gonna cut things off?"

"There isn't really a 'thing' to cut off. We just text."

"Right. Well, don't let it stress you out."

"I won't. Don't worry. Anyway, how's Riley doing at skating?"

"Like a newborn deer. But he loves it, so..."

"Are you gonna be just like Dada?" she cooed, kissing her son's chubby cheek.

"'Ike Dada!"

"Yes! Just like Dada!"

Riley joined John in the locker room after, seeing as he was spending the night at his instead of going home with his mom. He sat in John's stall, kicking his feet back and forth. John had changed him into some tennis shoes instead of his skates.

"Hey, Riley!" Nico smiled, raising his hand over a high five.

"Cap!"

"Yes sir! That's gonna be you some day, huh?"

"Cap!"

Nico ruffled the boy's dark curls, walking back over to his stall. Jack also came over to see the little boy, but turned his attention to John after.

"Did ya know that Tori and Luke know each other?" he frowned.

"Huh? No, Tori told me today. Why?"

"Luke had been talking about this girl he met a couple weeks ago, had no idea it was Tori. I would've told him to back off."

"Back off? Tori and I aren't getting back together. That ship has long sailed."

"Really? I thought you still... loved her?"

"Of course I do. She's the mother of my child and for that I'll always love her. But she's made it very clear that we didn't work as more than friends. If she wants to see other people, I'm not going to stop her."

"Even if it's your own teammate?"

"Luke is the only guy on this team I'd let date my ex. Trust me."

"Damn. Maybe I was gonna shoot my shot."

"She'd reject you before you could even say hi," John smirked.

"Hungy! Hungy!" Riley chanted, pulling at John's sleeve.

"Okay, bud. One second, Jack," John reached into his backpack, pulling out a pouch and opening it for Riley. "There you go, bud. Eat slowly."

"O-tay."

"Anyway, Tori wouldn't be interested in you. She only likes guys with curly hair."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. We were together for four years. I know what her type is," he rolled his eyes. "Are we done here? I'd like to take my baby home."

Jack nodded, sulking back over to his stall.

"So... how're things with that Luke boy going?" Tori's best friend, Allison, asked. The two girls were sat on the sofa, an almost empty bottle of red wine in front of them, some horrible reality tv show on in the background.

"About that..."

"Oh no! Did he end up being a dick?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. He, um, he's teammates with John."

"He's what?! You're kidding me!"

"Nope. Saw him at family skate today."

"I thought you said he was an athletic trainer."

"He told me he did athletics. I just assumed he did like training for something. But nope, he's a rookie for the Devils."

"That's insane! Are you cutting him off? I thought you'd sworn off hockey players."

"I-"

"Victoria Jane Wilson! Do NOT tell me you're thinking about getting with this guy!"

"I... I'm not sure. He's really cute, Ally. Like the cutest guy I've seen in a while."

"Cuter than John?"

"Not sure anyone is cuter than John. My son is his carbon copy and he's the cutest ever."

"Speaking of Riley, do you think this Luke kid is ready to deal with a child in addition to you? He's how old? 20?"

"I know... I love Riley, but he's definitely made my dating pool smaller."

"Well, you'll have no way of knowing until you ask him on a date."

"You were just saying no more hockey boys! Make up your mind, Ally!"

"I know... but you haven't been on a date in like what..."

"Seven months."

"Seven months?! Text him right now!"

"Right now?"

"Right now!"

Maybe it was the copious amounts of wine that she'd consumed or the fact that she hadn't been on a date in seven months, but she reached for her phone and typed out a message.

I was wondering if you'd like to go on a proper date some time? Without any children with us

"Done!"

"Yay!!! This calls for more wine!"

The girls clinked their glasses together, giggling as they drank more.

Hey, Tori. I'd love that! Is Riley with John tomorrow? I'm free after 5.

"Oh my God! He said yes!!!"

"I knew he would, girl! You're stunning."

"I-"

"Don't give me that shit about your 'Mummy Tummy.' You carried a baby for 9 months of course you aren't going to look exactly the same as you did before. But trust me, you look fucking stunning. Now text him back!"

Ally was over for the second night in a row, except this time it wasn't girls' night. She was helping Tori get ready for her first date in almost a year.

"You have to wear something lowcut! Show off the goods," Ally smiled, pretending to squeeze some boobs in the air.

"They're not that impressive," Tori rolled her eyes, flicking through her shirts.

"Girl! Be confident! If I had tits like yours, I'd walk around in nothing but a bra!"

"Ally! Don't be crass!"

"What? Just telling the truth! We both know that Riley exists cause John loved your curves a little too much."

"Allison!" Tori gasped, although it was a tad bit dirty, she couldn't help but giggle. She pulled a white, flowy tank top out of her closet, holding it up to her body. "Thoughts?"

"That's the one! You'll look irresistible. Now! Let me do your makeup!" Ally clapped.

Tori did a once over in the mirror, smiling brightly. She wasn't usually very confident in her body, and that only got worse after having Riley. A ring filled the apartment as someone pressed her buzzer in the lobby. She pressed on the intercom button, "Come up!"

"I'll be here the whole time. Call if you need rescuing and I want all the details when you get back!" Ally smiled, plopping down on Tori's bed.

Luke rasied his fist, knocking on the wooden door. Tori wiped her hands on her jeans one last time, opening the door to reveal the boy. He was wearing a polo shirt that showed off his arms in the best way and a pair of khaki pants. It looked like he had attempted to tame his curls, but they just looked like they always did but wet.

"Wow, you... you look so pretty, Tori," he stuttered.

"Thank you. You also look really cute," she blushed. "Let me just grab my purse and then we can go. Come in."

Luke entered the apartment, taking in the decor. There was a small table in the corner covered in art supplies and a basket of toys next to it. On the sofa was a stuffed Winnie the Pooh and lots of plastic farm animals. Hanging on the wall was a colourful scribble with Riley's name printed at the bottom. It was clear to him that Riley was the most important thing in her life.

"Sorry, it's a bit messy. I usually clean when he's at John's, but I was... kinda nervous about tonight and forgot."

"You've got no reason to be nervous. I promise," Luke smiled.

God, his smile was cute. It was crooked, almost like a smirk and she wanted to see it every second of every day for the rest of her life.

"Shall we?"

"We shall."

The walk to the restaurant was full of jokes and laughs. Conversation between the two flowed so easily.

"You're joking! There's no way!"

"I'm not! He ripped Quinn's braces out!"

"That's insane!"

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No, no, I don't. Only child."

"How's that?"

"It was a bit lonely when I was a kid. But now I've got Riley so it's impossible to feel lonely."

They sat at a table, deciding to share a very large plate of seafood pasta.

"This is kind of a personal question, so you don't have to answer. But did you always want to be a mom?"

"That's not too personal, in my opinion. But yeah. When I found out I was pregnant though, I was really unsure. I was 22 and wanted to do so much more in my life first. But I can do most of those things even with Riley. And if I can't, John is there to watch him for me."

"That's a good way of looking at things. I, uh, I've never dated anyone with a kid."

Tori giggled, "I'm not surprised, Luke. But I'm not asking you to stay around if you don't want to."

They quickly moved on from talking about Riley, talking about their childhoods, favourite movies, and favourite foods.

"Secretariat? The horse movie?" she laughed.

"Don't laugh! It's a good movie!"

"I've never seen it."

"Well, I know what our next date is going to be," Luke's eyes widened as his brain caught up with his mouth, "If- If you want to go on another date. I, uh, I get if you don't want to. No pressure."

"Luke, I'd love to watch Secretariat with you," she smiled, reaching across the table to hold his hand. She ran her thumb over his knuckles, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I, uh, I'm free tomorrow. If that's not too soon."

"That should work. I just have to pick up Riley at 5, so it'll have to be in the afternoon."

"I'll make sure I'm up then."

"It's okay. I also sleep in on days Riley is with John."

Luke walked Tori up to her apartment, not wanting their night to end. They stood awkwardly in the doorway, looking at each other.

"I had a really good night," she smiled, looking down at her shoes.

"M- Me too. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Mhm."

"Can... Can I kiss you?"

"I don't normally kiss on the first date," she smirked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"I'll make an exception for you."

Tori pushed herself up on her tip-toes, leaning in until their noses brushed. She let Luke take the final step, softly pressing their lips together. His were a bit chapped, but she didn't mind. Maybe her lip balm would rub off and help him out. They smiled, breaking the kiss.

"See you tomorrow," she waved goodbye, closing the door as he walked down the hall to the elevator.

"How was it?!" Ally screeched. Tori jumped, holding her hand to her chest.

"Holy shit! I forgot you were here!"

"Okay? How was it?!"

"So good! He's coming over tomorrow. Oh Lord, I have to clean!"

"He's coming over?! You're getting laid?!"

"No, God. Ally, it's our second date. I'm not sleeping with him."

"Why not?! When was the last time you had sex?"

"Um..."

"When did you and John sleep together?"

"Two months ago."

"I still can't believe you did that."

"He looked really hot playing with Riley. And we both hadn't slept with anyone in months. It was just... a mutual release."

Ally shook her head, "Whatever. Two months. You need some dick. And not your ex's."

"Why not? John's-"

"I don't want to hear about John's dick, Victoria."

"Your favourite person ever wouldn't exist without it," she shrugged.

"Riley's the only good thing that came from John. Anywho..."

"We're not sleeping together tomorrow. We're watching his favourite movie."

"Aww! That's so sweet! Look at you!! Finally moving on from Johnny Boy."

"I've been moved on for a while. I'm not sure the same can be said for him."

"He'll figure it out when he sees how happy you are with Luke!"

Tori giggled, "Time to clean up."

"I'll help... if we open a bottle of wine."

"Deal."

Tori was so nervous that she'd refolded the blanket on the back of the sofa at least six times now. She didn't really have company over except Ally and John. She wanted her apartment to look the best it ever had. All of Riley's toys were back in his toy bin and his room, she'd even cleaned the kitchen counter in case Luke went in there for something.

The intercom buzzed and Luke's voice broke through, "It's Luke. Hughes. Luke Hughes. Except I don't think you're expecting another Luke. But, I'm here."

Tori laughed, pressing the button to let him up. Less than a minute later there was a knock at her door. She took a deep breath, swining it open and smiling widely. Luke was in a Devils hoodie and some track pants. Luckily, she was dressed similarly.

"Welcome! I set up the living room for us."

"Perfect," Luke entered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Tori sat on the sofa, Luke boldly sitting right next to her. Their thighs were touching and he had his arm stretched over the back of the leather sofa.

She couldn't help but admire his thighs. That was one thing she loved about hockey boys. Their thighs. It was probably her favourite feature when looking for a guy.

She clicked on Disney+, the app immediately playing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

"Shit, sorry. Guess that's the last thing we were watching on here."

Luke just laughed, scooting closer to her (if that was possible). She relaxed, cuddling into his side. The movie started and Luke smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her nose. She blushed, leaning up and connecting their lips in an actual kiss.

"No more kissing. You're going to distract me from the movie," Tori sassed, playfully pushing his face as he went in for another one.

"Fine," he pouted, turning his attention to the movie.

By the time the movie had ended, Tori was practically wrapped around Luke. A loud yawn escaped her.

"Was it that boring? That's my favourite movie we're talking about, Victoria," he feigned anger.

"It was sad. But I liked it. I need a nap though."

"Oh, I can go."

"No, come on. Your comfy," she grabbed his hand, leading him to her bedroom. Luke lay down next to her, allowing her to cuddle into his side, an arm thrown over his chest. She fell asleep almost immediately. He wasn't surprised though. He understood that Riley had been having a sleep regression and it was exhausting for John and Tori. He turned to look at the picture on her bedside table. It was her, Riley, and John at a beach. It looked recent, like it had just been taken over the off season. Tori was holding on of Riley's hands and John was holding the other. They looked like a happy, functional family. And it made Luke's brain run a mile a minute. How come her relationship with John hadn't worked out? Maybe she didn't commitment. Maybe she didn't want something serious. Maybe- A snore cut off his thoughts and he looked down at the sleeping figure in his arms. Why was he worried? She seemed happy. He just needed to not overthink it. Easier said than done.

Luke woke her up at 4:30, shaking her shoulder slightly. She slowly sat up, patting down her messy hair.

"What's up?" she mumbled.

"It's 4:30. I should probably go before John and Riley get here. I don't want to confuse anyone."

"Oh... okay. I, uh, sorry I fell asleep. I haven't had a full night of sleep in what feels like ages."

"You're fine, Tori. You coming to the game on Tuesday?"

"Yeah. I try to bring Riley to most home games. We just never stay long. He gets restless."

"See you then," he kissed her one last time.

"Mama!" Riley ran into Tori's arms.

"Hi, baby! Did you have fun at Dada's?"

"Yes! We 'ockey!"

"You played hockey! That's so fun! Let's get you some dinner!"

"Hungy!"

Tori smiled, standing up to talk to John.

"How was he?"

"You weren't kidding about the sleep. Couldn't get him down until 11 last night. And he was up at 3 and 5."

"Yeah, it's Hell. Did he stay in his cot?"

"Last night he slept in my bed. Night before he slept in his cot until 4."

"Did you use a pacifier?"

"I'm working on not. I know you said you want him to give it up. He used it last night because I could not calm him."

"That's fine. We're coming to the game Tuesday. Can't promise we'll stay after the first period though."

"All good. You wanna stay for dinner?"

"Nah, I'm going to Jack's. See you at the game."

"See you at the game."

John pressed a kiss to her hair, "Come say goodbye to Dada, Riley!"

"Buh-bye, Dada! 'Uv 'oo!"

"I love you too!"

Once the door was closed and locked for the night, Tori put Riley in his booster seat.

"How about mac and cheese?"

"Eese!"

"Let's do it! We're going to go see Dada play hockey in two days! Are you excited?"

"I 'uv 'ockey!"

"I know you do, baby! Mac and cheese time!"

Tori was exhausted Tuesday night as she entered the arena. Riley hadn't slept the last time night for more than 4 hours and was throwing tantrums all day because he was tired. He cried and cried for his dad. Tori eventually had to call John and have him come calm down Riley while she showered. She was on the brink of crying all day Tuesday and the stress of being at the game wasn't helping. But she'd promised John that Riley would be there at least for a little bit. She was chasing him around the family suite, trying to tire the little boy out. He'd started playing with some of the other kids and she finally had a moment to herself.

"Girl, you need a vacation," Reanne sighed, rubbing her friend's back.

"You're telling me. He's been so poorly behaved recently. I just... I'm considering have John move in until he gets over his sleep regression."

"Really?" Nicole gasped, "Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure what my other options are. Call my mom to come. But she hates flying. I'd ask John's parents, but they don't love me since the break up."

"Luke?"

"We've been on two dates! And he's a rookie. He needs his sleep."

"A nanny?"

"I have no money, girl. Child support is a saving grace at the moment."

"I'm sure John would-"

"I'm not asking my ex for money."

"Are you still working for that online newspaper?"

"Yeah, but the pay isn't the best ever. It works for us, but I can't afford a nanny."

"Well, if you need moral support when you talk to John about it, we're all here," one of the other wives smiled kindly.

After the game, John came over for a bit. Tori had texted him and asked for him to come so they could talk. So, now they were tensely sitting at the kitchen table.

"What's up, Tori?"

"I- I need to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"I, um, I need you to move back in for a bit. This... this isn't me asking to get back together. Please don't take it that way. I- I'm seeing Luke now. But Riley has been a lot to handle on my own right now. And I really need help."

"I- I could pay for a nanny. Or-"

"John. I'm asking you as his father not as my ex-boyfriend."

"Right. Um, yeah. I can do that. For how long?"

"Until he's over this sleep regression. We need to tag team it right now. It's too much for one person."

"Let me go to my place and grab some stuff. I'll be back in an hour. Can you set up the sofa for me?"

"Why? You can sleep in my room. It's closer to Riley's."

"Because we're not together?"

"John, I'm not uncomfortable if you aren't. Your the father of my child. It's not weird for me."

"Then it's fine with me. See you in an hour."

God, she hoped this didn't backfire.

[sunsetsimon]

SO ABOUT THE RECENT PREGGO Y/N. IMAGINE. SIMON FINDS HIS POOKIE BOO BEAR CRYING HER EYES OUT EVEN AFTER HE GOT HER WHAT SHE WAS CRAVING, “I know I said McDonalds sounded good but it doesn’t sound good anymore..” AND SIMON JUST IMMEDIATELY BOLTS OUT THE ROOM TO BUY HER CRAVING.

ARE YOU IN MY BRAIN AND READING MY THOUGHTS????? I WAS JUST THINKING OF THIS

simon had just returned from his daily run, drenched in sweat and his cheeks are bright red from being nipped by the cold air. he found you on the couch, folding the basket of laundry fresh out of the dryer. kissing your temple, he grabs one of the piles of towels and walks it to the kitchen drawer to put away.

“what do you want for dinner tonight, lovie?” he asks from the other room. you can hear the fridge open, simon looking for something to make. "we have this chicken we can do something with. unless you want somethin' else."

you're silent, pondering what you want to eat. you aren't feeling the chicken, so you start thinking of every restaurant near you, going through the list to find something appealing. simon walks back into the room, about to ask if you're okay but he can see you're deep in thought.

before your pregnancy, you were usually fine with anything that was in the fridge. but now your cravings are so intense, you have to contemplate exactly what you want or else you'll end up not wanting to eat. although tonight nothing is sticking out to you, for once ot able to tell him what you want.

"i don't really know.. maybe something quick like mcdonalds i guess," you shrug, lowkey upset that you're lacking an appetite right now.

"are you sure?" simon's shocked that you aren't really hungry, feeling the annoyance start to drip off of you as you just huff a yes and he leaves before he pisses you off even more.

his girl's mood being ruined because she doesn't have a craving right now, how cute, he thinks. making his way to the mcdonalds, he pulls through the drive thru line after ordering your regular, and for him a double quarter pounder meal, with a 10 piece nugget on the side. though he knows it's not good for him, his stomach is growling at the smell of the fast food.

he's passing the mcdonald's worker his card as your ringtone erupts in his car, an incoming call connecting to his bluetooth. immediately pressing answer, he grabs the two drinks from the worker and sets them in the carrier. "everythin' alright, love?"

your beautiful voice fills the air, the corner of his lip twitching into a smile as he feels the relaxed tone of your voice, everything is okay. your mood seems better too.

"yeah everything's fine. i was thinking, instead of mcdonald's, we can get that new chinese place that just opened up on cavell street."

as you say that, the worker hands him back his card, then the bag of your food. nodding a thank you, he pulls forward, "m'already leaving mcdonald's now, love. just got our food."

"oh," you say, voice dropping with sadness. he feels bad as he can tell you were excited at the idea of trying something new. "okay. maybe next time then."

he can hear the constriction in your throat, voice quiet as you're fighting back tears. his heart clenches, grabbing his phone to search in the address of the chinese restaurant, it's only 6 minutes from here, he can make it.

"call in your order under my name, gonna go pick it up."

"you already got the food!"

"i'll eat your meal too. call it in so i don't have to wait long! i love you!" he says, quickly ending the call before you can continue to protest, knowing you're giddy and excited at home that you got your way once again.

and of course he's right, as you quickly run out to the car when you see the lights pull in. greeting him with a kiss as your hand reaches over him to grab the bag and your drink, leaving simon with his mcdonalds. it smells amazing, the aroma of the spices and seasonings fills your nose.

"you hungry now?" he laughs, following you in and kicking the door closed with his foot. you're smiling, licking your lips as you nod at him, too focused on opening the bag to speak. revealing your order, you take a deep inhale, humming and buzzing with happiness as you get to eat your craving.

"thank you so much simon!" you say, giving him a few pecks on his cheek.

"anythin' for you, mama."

[darylbae]

Always read your fics and enjoyed them from afar , , why not send a request ! ^^ Don't feel pressured to write this too this is a little weird now that I read it over and sorry for the long req ! ! >< Could you write some an angsty or fluffy oneshot of a reader infected with the deadly flu during (i think) early season 4 and Daryl determined to cure her of the sickness. Them both having conversations between the glass of the prison where the reader is just at the point of giving up and accepting they'll die by this flu and Daryl is trying to give them hope. There's the scene with the group who went to the veterinary (..?) college/university to grab medicine for Hershel to use where they find out Bob didn't grab shit and Daryl just goes off at him because the reader was so kind and generous to him wdym you only grabbed BOOZE?? And then it ends with the reader who's cured of the flu, running into Daryl's arms both relieved and happy that they can finally hold each other again. Which ends in Daryl showering them in kisses because yay they're cured ! The idea just came to me while I was laying at the beach, "If the reader, his lover, was infected by the flu how much more angry would Daryl be with Bob when he only grabs alcohol?"

quarantine — daryl dixon

in which the flu catches up to you, and daryl is stressed about losing you

note: my requests are still open!! i have a few to write but im still happy to accept them! <3

Your job prior to the apocalypse was a caregiver to the elderly, so you had experience with a lot of medication and general practice of caring for someone. It's why Daryl had become so drawn to you, seeing you care for your people, or even people from Woodbury that had just been taken in, you gave everyone the same love and attention regardless of time spent with them. Daryl hadn't realised his longstanding affection for you until this flu outbreak within your prison community. You'd volunteered to help everyone alongside Herschel, caring more about the well-being of others more than your own. Until you'd gotten sick. "It was inevitable, honey," you spoke, not having the energy to even raise your voice above a whisper, "I'm glad I kept everyone in here hydrated, fed, and stable. But we're not seeing any progress." Daryl was on the other end of the window, eyes staring intensely into yours, wishing he could touch you, wishing he could hear your voice clear as day and not muffled due to being separated. Daryl sighed in defeat. "You don't deserve this." "Nobody does, but we need medication, Dar." You admitted. "It's the only way for people to get better, otherwise, we'll die in here." The thought of losing anyone else was enough of a push to find some medication, but the thought of losing you was enough to get him anywhere. He'd ride for days, hell, he'd walk for days if it meant you could get better. "I'm taking a group out, I'll get ya the meds. Just rest f'me, okay sweetheart?" Daryl was pleading now, you could hear the whine in his voice. You nodded, coughing into your hands as you hobbled away.

Days had passed. You couldn't get out of bed most mornings, even as Herschel did his rounds. Usually you'd join him, making sure everyone had water and food. But your bones ached, your head was pounding, you were sweating through your clothes. "Why don't the caregivers care for themselves, hm?" Herschel asked, entering your cell with a pitcher of water. You smiled painfully, reaching for your cup and holding it up for him. "Not used to it, I guess.." You wheezed, stabling yourself before another coughing fit. "How is everyone?" "Good as they can be, I guess." "Any word on the meds?" You asked, wanting to take the moment off yourself and onto a cure. Herschel shook his head. "Daryl keeps asking about you, though. It's rather sweet, really." "He is. Contrary to how he acts." You smiled, the thought of how he only acted around you. You'd caught him smiling a few times, even laughing at your terrible jokes. "I know a man in love when I see one."

Herschel had alerted you that Daryl was by the window again, asking for you. So you'd made the effort to hobble out of your cell and over to the window. And Daryl almost collapsed at the sight of you. Pale, hunched over in pain, sweat dripping from your skin. Your once glowing skin replaced with dullness, dark circles under your eyes. "Hey," you whispered, your hand on the glass, "how are you?" "How are you?" He asked, matching your hand with his and the both of you craved the feeling of the other's skin on yours. This was pure torture. "I can't do this anymore, Dar." You tried to take in a deep breathe, but you would wheeze as you did so. "It's getting harder. To talk, to walk, to move at all." Daryl's brows furrowed, trying to hold in every ounce of emotion threatening to spill out of him. "I know, sweetheart, I know." "They really need those meds in here, they're not getting any better." You confessed, there was no point trying to hide it now, you'd be walkers in a matter of days. "I'm gettin' em, I promise. Jus' been findin' fuel and supplies for our trip, we're leavin' today." Daryl mumbled, doubts and fears running rampant in his head. "Jus' came to say goodbye and I'll be back for ya." "I know you will, when I'm better I want a nice hug from you. It's the least bit of affection I deserve." You smiled, matching his as he shoved his middle finger up at you. But you knew what he meant. You could wait to tell him you loved him too.

Daryl had gone with Michonne, Bob, and Tyreece to a veterinary college for the medication, but Daryl couldn't think straight. He hadn't realised just how much you meant to him until you were isolated away from him. And he wasn't going to keep it to himself anymore. "We're in and we're out." Daryl instructed the team, leading them into the building. "Grab everything you can." He was so focused on finding the names of everything he needed, shoving it into his bag, he had his sights set on his objective and nobody else. Walkers had become the least of his worries. Even when the escapes had been overrun with walkers, he'd found a window which took them out to a roof. "We can walk over this roof, get us away from 'em." Daryl suggested, helping Michonne through the roof and carefully out of the building. The four steadily climbed out, aiming to walk along and find a quiet place to drop down, but Bob had lost balance and almost let go of his bag. Daryl turned, seeing the commotion and seeing Bob so desperately clinging to the back, completely ignoring any sense of fear from the walkers. "Just let it go!" Tyreece called out, but Bob was adamant on pulling the bag up. And Daryl had leaned forward to retrieve the bag from him. "What's so damn important in here, huh?" Daryl mumbled to himself, unzipping the backpack and pulling out a bottle. A bottle of what looked like whiskey. "All that for a drink?" Daryl reached his arm up to lunge it away, but Bob let out a yelp. "Please," he pleaded, "don't. It's just for when it get's quiet." Daryl was seething, why should he listen to his cries? He was on a selfish solo-mission. "Just give it to him." Michonne sighed, still wary of her footing as the walkers were clambering for their feet. "I can't believe this shit!" Daryl exclaimed, Bob's eyes fixed onto the alcohol sloshing around in Daryl's hands. "Should've left ya to die out there, we been so nice to ya. Y/N's been so nice to ya, and ya don't care one bit." "You take a sip of this before these meds get in our people," Daryl stepped to Bob, a menacing expression on his face as he shoved the bottle into his chest, "I will beat your ass into the ground."

It was a silent trip home, Daryl in the front seat with his head on the window. He couldn't stop thinking about you, about whether you were dead or alive. He was praying for the latter, and Daryl never prayed. In his life, he was so anti-God but when it came to you, he'd try anything. So seeing the familiar prison gates, Daryl almost leapt out the car whilst it was still rolling. He'd taken the bags of supplies straight to the quarantine zone, throwing it over to Herschel and sitting impatiently by the window. The window you'd always talk at, pressing your hands against it together, the one he hoped wouldn't have to separate you any longer. He had nothing to do except wait. He'd anxiously play with the ends of his hair, biting on his lip whilst he waited for any signs of progression. He sat, completely alone, just waiting for you. Completely unaware of the time passing around him. It wasn't until Maggie spotted him, and approached him slowly. "Everyone's taken the meds, they just need rest." She confirmed, and his heart lifted. "She's okay, but I think you need some rest too." "Thanks." Daryl spoke softly, a small smile on his lips as Maggie had exited the quarantine zone. He'd only waited a little while longer, until admitting defeat for the night.

The next morning, Daryl was up and spent the morning outside. Fixing the fence, stabbing some walkers in the skull, the usual daily tasks for him now. He'd accepted that you'd needed your rest, at least you were alive. But the weight still sat in his chest, even knowing you were on the mend, he wanted you. He needed you. Bob's selfish actions yesterday were now but a passing thought, he was solely centered on you. So he'd eaten some food, spoken to Carol, gone about his day as he usually would. Except you were missing. It had gotten to the evening, the sun setting behind the trees and it was a sight he wished to experience with you. "Hey handsome," he heard behind him, his head snapping to the direction of your voice, seeing you stood, weakly, against a wall. "Oh my God," he tried to speak, but it came out as more of a whimper. He'd abandoned his smoke, throwing it onto the ground before wrapping you into his body. Feeling your skin on his, your voice blessing his ears, it felt too good to be true. "Dar," you croaked, "too tight." You giggled when he'd released you, brushing his hands down your back, not wanting to take his hands from you.

[nariism]

the voice in my heart — i. sae

forced proximity + "oh no, the power went out, however will we stay warm?!" (/s)

synopsis. itoshi sae doesn't like how mushy you make him feel, but the warmth is nice. kinda.

wc. ~600

— for @saetoshi / @yoisagi my love 💗 | event masterlist ✉️

you didn't think it was possible, but somehow itoshi sae gets infinitely more irritable when he's cold.

he scowls more, hands permanently stuffed into his pockets, and sulks like there's no tomorrow. and he shivers, too. an embarrassing amount. (his pride is always severely injured when you ask him if he wants your help to warm up).

your grouchy roommate always found something to complain about when the weather dipped. whether it be the fact that his heater was always running, or that he has to scrape the ice off his windshield every morning, sae has never been able to see the beauty of winter.

"beauty?" he scoffed when you pointed that fact out one day. you were at the kitchen table and he was on the couch waking up from his midday nap—a typical sunday afternoon that he had long since added to his routine. "yeah, i'd rather admire it from inside. thanks."

"come on, don't be so pessimistic," you scolded, sauntering over to him to shove a pillow into his face. he knocked it away with a frown.

"i'm not pessimistic. just realistic. being cold sucks."

and that should have been the end of it. after that, you had stopped bothering him and purposefully trying to tease him with snide little comments about his disdain for the cold.

well. the universe has always had a funny way of fucking with him.

it's the coldest night of the season thus far. the snow storm raging outside has knocked out the power for the entire building and now the two of you are stuck pressed together under the warmth of your combined blankets.

"quit squirming around or i'll kick you out of my bed."

you make an undignified noise. "you wouldn't."

"i will if you don't stop that and go to sleep. i have to be up early tomorrow."

"this was your idea in the first place!"

sae had been the one to text you, after all. he hadn't even asked nicely, only sending you the word HELP in all capital letters as if he were going into cardiac arrest. you had rushed in to see what was wrong only to get dragged into his bed.

his greed for warmth was nothing new to you, of course, but he was careful to be gentle with you. to make sure he wasn't crushing you or making you uncomfortable. it was his way of being nice and somewhat apologetic that you were being treated as some sort of personal heater.

"i hate you," you tell him when he unceremoniously throws his leg over your entire body to keep you still.

"yeah, whatever. sleep before i kick you out."

"you're the one who asked me to share our blankets," you remind him again.

there's a long silence that follows that statement. it's so quiet that you assume he just ignored you and went to sleep without replying. but then he rolls over until his back is to you and he utters out, strained: "we don't speak of this, ever."

you raise a brow, shifting to face his back. "oh? are you embarrassed that i had to keep you warm?"

"i'm not embarrassed," he quickly corrects, even with the waver of his normally dead voice.

you reach around him, back of your hand resting on his cheek. you feel him tense up beside you in bed and you can't help but burst out laughing.

"your whole face is warm."

he groans, pulling the blankets closer to his side and up over his head so you can't observe him any closer. he's worried that if you did, you might have noticed how incredibly red he was growing. something so out of character would absolutely garner a new game for you and he would never hear the end of it.

for someone with an attitude problem about everything, he was surprisingly easy to shut down. maybe it was just you who had that talent, though.

itoshi sae doesn't like how mushy you make him feel, but the warmth is nice—

"i know you're trying to hide from me! if you just wanted to be held i'd be happy to help."

—kinda.

© ALABOADOA 2023 — please do not translate or post my works to other platforms.

[hbyrde36]

STWG Daily Drabble 2/1/24

ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO @hitlikehammers who chose today's prompt. This one is for YOU!

Prompt: “I Couldn’t Lose You”

Set in post season 4, angst w/ a happy ending

featuring S3/4 Secret Situationship Steddie - post breakup

Rating: G | WC: 1407 | Ao3 link

“I Couldn’t Lose You”

Eddie opened the door. 

It was a reflex, really. 

Someone rings the bell, you answer the door. It’s an ingrained behavior, unconsciously done. 

He didn’t think about the fact that he wasn’t expecting anyone, or that it was past midnight and a decidedly odd time for unexpected visitors. In his defense, he didn’t know the simple act of opening his door would mean stepping into the past, and facing down the worst heartbreak of his life head-on after running away to another State to avoid it. 

“Oh.” Eddie gasped, the sound seeming to echo as the man on the other side of the doorway sucked in his own sharp breath. 

Pain lanced through his chest as he set eyes on Steve Harrington. The man he loved, who he hadn’t seen in over two years.

“It’s really you.” Steve said, blinking hard as if he couldn't believe his eyes. “I didn’t… I knocked on so many doors. I didn’t know your apartment number and–”

“What are you doing here?” Eddie interrupted, aiming for a bored disinterested tone, but the words came out a little too breathless to pull it off. 

He couldn’t help it. The only thing keeping him upright just then was the death grip he had on the doorframe.

What was Steve doing here? Eddie figured he and Nancy would have been halfway to the altar by now, if not already there.

“I…” Steve trailed off, dropping his gaze to the floor. He gave a wry huff of laughter and shook his head before looking back up with guarded eyes. “Just answer me one question, and I'll never bother you again.” 

“Fine.”

Eddie’s heart was pounding so loudly in his chest he was sure the other man could hear it. He didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to stand here and look at Steve’s unfairly pretty face and remember. It’d taken him so long to forget, to be okay after… after. 

“Why did you run?” Steve asked.

“I didn’t run. I moved.”

Steve scoffed. “Eddie, you snuck out in the middle of the night. We were both barely healed and I- I woke up and you were just gone. I went to your place and Wayne told me you’d packed your shit up in the van and left. No explanation, no note, nothing!”

Eddie shrugged. “I needed a change of scenery.”

“You could have told me!” 

“I couldn’t.”

“Bullshit.” Steve spat, his eyes beginning to shimmer with anger. “It was like you died, Eddie! One day you were there and the next you were gone without a trace. No number to call, no forwarding address.”

“Wayne knew where I was.”

Steve shook his head, expression hardening. “It was like you fucking died! And I don’t… I just need to know why.”

Eddie deflated. Any chance of keeping his aloof demeanor intact was gone under the weight of Steve’s gaze. What was the point anyway? He might as well tell him the truth. Maybe then he would leave Eddie alone to begin the process of picking up the pieces of his shattered heart all over again. 

“I couldn’t lose you.” Eddie began with a sigh. “I couldn’t stand the idea of losing you, so I left.”

Steve furrowed his brow. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know. Trust me, I know. But after all that shit in the Winnebago with you and Nancy, I couldn’t just sit around and watch her take you from me. I thought If I left first, it wouldn’t hurt so much. I know that’s fucked up of me to say, as if you were ever mine to begin with, but–”

“I was.”

Eddie gulped, shaking his head reflexively. “No.” He breathed. 

Steve's face softened and he reached out, cupping Eddie's cheek with an almost painful tenderness. “I was yours, Eddie, and I thought you were mine– or at least I wanted you to be. Looks like maybe I should have been more clear about that.”

“Then why did you say those things to her, about an R.V. and wanting six kids, and–”

“Jesus, is that what this has all been about?” Steve asked, dropping his hand from Eddie’s face and crossing his arms over his chest. 

“There was also the eye-fucking.”

“Eddie.”

Eddie threw his hands up. “What was I supposed to think?! Here I was, falling head over heels in love with you, and the whole time you were dreaming about fucking off to Yellowstone or whatever with some picture perfect wife and your brood of equally picture-perfect children, like some non-musical version of the fucking Partridge family. Admit it, I was a detour. A glorified speed bump on your way to the life you actually wanted.”

“Baby-”

Eddie flinched hard at the use of the nickname, stumbling backwards out of Steve's reach. Horrifyingly he could feel tears stinging at the corner of his eyes. Even more horrifying was the fact that Steve was following him into the apartment and shutting the door. Hadn’t he done enough, now he had to literally invade Eddie’s home?

“Baby, please-”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Fine. I-”

“Why are you still here? You got your answer. I don’t know what you needed it for but you can go back to your life with little miss perfect now.”

Eddie staggered to the couch, knowing if he didn’t sit soon his shaking legs would betray him. He pulled a throw pillow to his chest, hugging it tightly as he rested his chin on it. 

Steve crouched down in front of him, but Eddie studiously ignored his gaze. 

“What are you talking about? Nancy?”

“Or whoever the current little miss perfect is. I know you’re not picky.”

“Ouch.” Steve said, though not like the barb had actually stung. He reached out towards Eddie’s knee, moving slowly to give him every opportunity to protest.

He didn’t.

”There is no little miss perfect.” Steve said softly.

Eddie whined involuntarily. Squeezing the pillow tighter and tighter to his chest. 

“It was true, what I said to Nancy in the RV. I did always have that dream. The part I didn’t get to say, because we were a little busy at the time, the part I would have told you if you’d asked me about it, is how the dream had changed. When you and I became, whatever we were back then, the dream became less about having 6 little Harringtons, and more about the person in the passenger seat. The one I really wanted to share my life with, the family we might build together by adopting our own kids some day, or the family we found with the little brats I can't seem to get rid of even though they’re about to graduate high school.”

Steve knelt down in front of Eddie more solidly, gently prying the pillow out of his iron grip. Eddie let it go. His eyes were locked on Steve’s as he let everything that was just said to him sink in.

“Say something, please.” Steve begged, taking both of Eddie’s hands in his. 

“Is it still me?” Eddie croaked out, his throat tight as he fought not to cry. “In the passenger seat– is it still me, or did I fuck everything up?”

Steve smiled broadly, a few tears of his own escaping his eyes to roll down his cheeks. “I’ve been looking for you, all this time. I love you. Of course it’s still you, baby.”

Eddie surged forward, crashing his mouth into Steve’s. Their lips slotted together perfectly, just as they always had, as if no time had passed at all. Eddie threw his arms over Steve’s shoulders, pulling him close, as Steve wound his hands up into Eddie's hair, gently tugging. 

They parted only when they had to, or else risk passing out from lack of oxygen. Eddie rested his forehead against Steve’s while they both caught their breath.

“I love you too… still… always. In case that wasn’t clear.” 

Steve snorted the most unattractive laugh imaginable, but it was music to Eddie’s ears. He hadn’t heard that sound in far too long, and it warmed his heart almost as much as the kiss to know he’d caused it.

“I don’t know, Eds. I think you might have to show me again.”

Eddie was happy to comply.

He grinned, leaning in for another deep lingering kiss. 

Thank you @penny00dreadful beloved friend and beta!

[klaprisun]

One Sunny Day

(Stardew Valley)(Haley x Female Farmer)

Chapter 41

🌻~THE NEXT SUMMER ~🌻

Eventually, all of the sunflowers had perished by the end of fall last year. I told Haley that just means we can look forward to replanting them this summer. She really took me up on that because just two weeks ago we had planted them all once again.

The sunflowers aren't quite as tall yet this season, but by fall they will be towering over our heads. They are currently still tall enough to make the little bench area secluded from the rest of the world, just the way Haley likes it.

This morning though, is anything but sunny. It's raining total buckets outside today which limits the things I can do today. But then I got an idea.

Running to the telephone in my room, I dial Haley's number.

"Darling! Hi!" her voice sings through the phone.

"Meet me in the sunflower field in an hour," is all I tell her.

"In this weather? Are you insane?" She questions me.

"Trust me," I breathe out, heart pounding in my chest.

"Hm. Okay then," she huffs.

"Make sure to wear something you consider nice. You'll thank me later." Without another word from her, I hung up the phone.

I quickly throw on my signature overalls, work boots and cowboy hat. I have on a light pink t-shirt underneath my overalls as an attempt to look nice. I tie my hair back to my favorite half up half down style. My hair has been making its way back to its original length now. At this point it just passed my shoulders in length.

Without an umbrella or any rain protection, I set out into the nasty weather without a second thought. I know what I am going to do.

Haley and I have been going strong since we established our feelings for one another. All of our previous fighting and sass was all due to us being head over heels with one another at first sight. Who would've guessed? The perfect, pretty, pristine, boy obsessed girl was really into the dingy, dirty, farm girl the whole time. The way the world works goes completely over my head. If you were to tell me I'd be in this position 2 years ago, I would've never believed you. I'm sure Haley would feel the same way. I am so obsessed with her and don't think I'll ever be able to live my life normally if she wasn't with me. Which is why I am going to do this.

"Ahhh Danny. I knew you'd be coming soon enough. I could feel it in the damp, musty, rainy air." The way this guy spoke was absolutely creeping me out. I had chills going down my body, causing my arms to have goosebumps.

"Five thousand coins please," he says before I can even say anything. Cringing over how expensive that is, I reach into my backpack and rifle around until I pull out five thousand coins.

"Wonderful. Here you go..." He holds his hand out to me, dropping something into the palm of my hand.

"Thank you...Old Mariner?" I say questioningly. Unsure if he likes to be addressed as that.

I take a minute to admire the misty ocean water ahead of us. The rain blocks any view of the far away horizon. The rough waters sway and crash about, threatening anyone who dares to enter them in these conditions. It is almost an eerie sight to see when looking out into the rainy abyss of the ocean. I see why this creepy Old Mariner likes to show up when it rains. Really adds to this guy's dumb performance.

I turn to face the Old Mariner one more time before heading out. Except he wasn't there. Confused, I whip my head in every direction looking for him. How did he get so far from the short amount of time I didn't face him? And where does he even go?

Still chilled to the bone over this unnerving experience, I turn on my heels and scurry away from the beach. After all, I have a pretty lady waiting for me back at the farm.

Before entering the sunflower field to wait for Haley, I had tossed my backpack inside so as to not kill the mood with it on. It's not really the most romantic article of clothing in the world, and I'm already pushing it with what I have on now. I also cleaned myself up quickly so I wasn't all muddy and damp. I will end up getting damp from the rain all over again once I go back out to meet Haley, but it won't be as bad. Knowing her, she will show up with an umbrella so she doesn't get her outfit all wet and gross. I don't know what she will do about her shoes though.

I push my way through the thick stems of the sunflower field so that I'm ready when Haley arrives. If she is right on time, I won't have to wait much longer. I tried to time it so that I'm not waiting outside for too long.

To my amusement, I begin to see a cute, little, blue umbrella bobbing its way over the top of all the sunflowers. Haley held it higher up so that it wouldn't get caught in all the leaves and stems of the sunflowers most likely.

"I'm here!" she joyfully bounces into the clearing of the field where I wait. My arms are twisted behind my back nervously, carefully hiding my hands as well.

"Hi here. I thought you were Haley?" I tease, causing her to nudge my shoulder playfully.

"Why did you ask me to come here? It better be worth it. I'm ruining my good shoes for this," she rolls her eyes but cracks a big smile knowing that whatever I asked her here for will be worth it.

"I think you look gorgeous," I mentioned. She really does look so pretty. She is wearing a baby blue sundress with a small pink bow in the middle of the chest area. She has pink pumps on that match the small bow as well. It looks like she was extra careful with those shoes on the way here because they are barely dirty. Her golden hair is, as always, draped over her shoulders, cascading in a way that doesn't cover her beautiful face.

"Emily helped me do my nails this morning for some reason. I didn't think they were that wrecked yet, but she insisted on redoing them when I mentioned where I was going today."

Hearing Haley say that causes me to sweat and grit my teeth. Does Haley know? How did Emily know? I didn't tell anyone, I just came up with the idea today! I mean I was thinking about it since the new year, but I had never told anyone.

"Emily did a wonderful job," I had taken her hand in mine, looking over her blue ombre nails.

"Now are you going to tell me why you asked me here!" she gleefully exclaims, clearly on her toes about whatever may happen.

"Ahem..." I clear my throat, suddenly feeling much more nervous and choked up. It's really happening. "Haley... I had woken up today on this gloomy, gloomy day with a thought in my head I just couldn't shake. On gloomy days like this, I heard there is a visitor that appears on the island that you may have heard of. Now when I saw the rain, something clicked in my head, so I went to pay that guy a visit. Haley, I don't want to spend any more gloomy, rainy days waking up alone. I don't want to spend ANY day waking up alone anymore. I want you by my side every second of every day. You are my reason for getting up in the morning and making this farm the way it is. You give me the motivation to keep this farm up and running and you give me a reason to stay here instead of going back to the city. If I hadn't met you, I would've chickened out and ran back to the city to live a life I definitely didn't want. The forces of the universe clearly wanted me to come here for a reason, and that reason was you. I love you Haley."

As I blurted out my on-the-spot speech, Haley's eyes had widened to the size of saucers once she realized what was happening. Her hand slowly makes its way up to cover her mouth in shock.

"Um..." I awkwardly try to bend down on one knee, but realize that may not be part of the tradition so I stand back up. Then I realize that is whatever I want for this moment, so then I lower myself back down to one knee. Haley begins to giggle over my uncertainty. I take my hands out from behind my back and present them in front of Haley, holding the Mermaid's Pendant. One hand holds the chain, while the other one has the pendant part displayed on the palm.

"My pretty lady. My beautiful, beautiful Haley... will you marry me?" My words ring out into the air for a moment. Neither of us grasping that this is really happening.

Haley nearly drops her umbrella as she starts jumping with joy. She squeals excitedly a few times before collapsing into me, bawling her eyes out. I catch her just before her knees touch the ground so she doesn't fall straight into the muddy grass. The rest of her body falls more into my chest.

"Yes! A thousand times yes! I love you too, Danny," she sobs, muffled by my chest. I move her hair back while she sobs away into me so I can clip the Mermaid Pendant around her neck. I gently lay my arms around her shoulders after to reciprocate her hug.

The sunflowers around us dance in the warm, summer breeze. It makes them look like they are cheering for us. I pull Haley tighter to me and give her a tight squeeze. I'm having a full celebration with plenty of cheering in my head.

"We have to go tell everyone! We have to tell Emily so she can start making our wedding outfits! Hopefully she can do it all in three days but-" Haley starts.

"THREE DAYS? THE WEDDING IS IN THREE DAYS?" I shout, startled about the wedding date being so soon.

"We get married quickly here in Pelican Town," she sheepishly smiles, a blush spreading across her face. "Is it too soon? Do you want to wait?"

"I'd marry you right now if I could. Three days is perfectly okay with me," I reassure her.

🌻 🌻 🌻

Those three days couldn't have gone by any slower. The two of us were raring to get married the second we got engaged. We could hardly keep our hands off each other either. We had started construction on my farmhouse to give her an area of her own for when she moves in, but in the process of building and decorating we had a few... celebration breaks. Like I said, we couldn't keep our hands off each other.

When the whole town found out we were engaged, they all started planning the wedding, Pelican Town style. Apparently it gets set up in the middle of town square like a lot of the other events they put on. They keep all of the outdated ceremony decorations stored away for every single wedding that is held here. It's hard to believe that Haley is okay with a wedding like this. She did add her own touches to it all though, but everything else she was happy with.

When we told Emily, she immediately started planning our outfits right away. She dragged us into her sewing room and started measurements. The two of them couldn't stop laughing at how much I didn't belong there with all the frilly clothes surrounding me. Emily was even going to put me in a dress for the wedding until I gave her a very very long, hard stare. When has she seen me in a dress? What made her think I'd want a dress? My dress denial made them laugh even harder. Emily, of course, respected my wishes and started designing me a suit instead. At least that's what I THOUGHT it was going to be.

When I showed up to get dressed for the wedding today, she pulled out the most outrageous outfit I've ever seen. Not in a bad way though, but in a way that I had never seen anything like it.

"White overalls? Are you kidding me?" I excitedly started laughing over how funny Emily is, taking them by the hanger from her hands.

"Haley knew you'd like it. She suggested it," Emily chuckles.

"Really? Haley suggested this? That girl surprises me more and more each day. Where is she anyway?"

"She went over to Evelyn's house to get ready. I'm going over as soon as you are done getting ready here. I figured you wouldn't take too long and she takes forever so it works out great." Emily pulls out a fancy white shirt to go under my white overalls. She also goes over to a shelf and grabs a pink flower.

"Since you aren't in a suit, you can put this flower in the front pocket of the overalls." Emily hands over the rest of my outfit and starts walking away to let me get ready.

"Thank you so much Emily. This is all so great. You've been a great friend and the best sister to Haley. We wouldn't be here without you," I call over to her before she walks out of the sewing room to her own room.

"Thank you, Danny. You make her so happy. You bring out a side of Haley we had never seen until you showed up. I can't thank you enough for being patient with her and letting her find her true self. I knew it was in there somewhere!" she laughs as she walks away.

Once I was all dressed in my wedding attire, Emily came right back to help straighten everything up and made sure it fits okay. She helped do my hair up nicely in the same way I always have it, but this time it looks better than when I do it. She smoothed back my hair to tie the top part into a ponytail, and brushed the hairs underneath so that they lay nicely down my back. She didn't let me wear my hat unfortunately as it would "ruin it". She said I could have it back after the ceremony. Haley had told Emily that she wants to be able to see my face in pictures. I guess I got away with wearing overalls to my wedding so I should be thankful for that.

I mosey my way out to the wedding area after getting dressed. That's where I see everyone else continuing to set up the last minute things for the big day. The one thing that catches my eye is that there are no chairs.

"Y'all don't sit or anything?" I asked the person closest to me which was Alex. He was in the midst of carrying a big flower pot.

"It's crazy isn't it? I always wondered that too," he replies. I watch as he looks me up and down quickly. "You look hot. Haley is gonna drool when she sees you."

"Why thank you. Sorry again for stealing your girl," I jokingly say.

"Oh please. You are everything I could never be. For one, a girl and two, into girls. I can't believe I never came out sooner. It would've saved Haley the headache I gave her. I feel terrible about everything I put her through and I hope she can forgive me one day. You really saved her from me. I'm glad you moved here and she took a liking to you. Anyways, congratulations on your big day. You two deserve it." He gives me a genuine smile and continues walking to wherever the big flower pot goes.

I wanted to help with all the rest of the setting up, but everyone kept saying no. All I could do was stand helplessly, watching everyone carrying decorations around. Leah and Elliot came over to chat with me and keep me busy too.

"See Leah. What did I tell you? They were meant to get married!" Elliot goofs.

"And I was the one who told them to go at their own pace. You wanted them to get married on the spot you wacko!" Leah responds to Elliot.

"Regardless, they made it this far and I see a bright future between the two of them. Lots of sex and lots of happiness. Cheers to that." That gets him a smack on the arm from Leah. I could see the laugh playing on her lips that she is trying so hard to hold in.

"I couldn't have asked for better friends when moving here. You guys have been such a help to me and made me feel comfortable moving in here. You accepted me as part of the town and I will forever be grateful," I sappily pour my heart out to them.

"We actually never accepted you, you just made that up in your head. I don't know where you got that from," Leah smirks and looks at Elliot. "Isn't that right Elliot?"

"Pfff yeah. We never liked you one bit. You are such a burden to us and should've never moved here. My Yoba, Danny." Elliot holds his palm out to me and turns his head away in disgust.

"Get in here you two," I take both of them into my arms and give them a big squeeze. They both return the hug by squeezing me back.

"It's been so great getting to know you Danny. Thank you for being our friend and putting up with us," Elliot says.

"You've been a lot of fun to tease and have fun with. You sure have a lot of patience," Leah adds. "I'm glad we met you."

"Looks like it's time!" Elliot excitedly informs me. He points at Mayor Lewis who is trying to wave me over to stand under the flower arch. Everyone else is standing in the audience, waiting for the big event to begin. I see Evelyn and Emily have weaved their way into the crowd which means Haley is fully ready and waiting.

Taking a deep breath, I take my place underneath the gorgeous archway decorated with pale pink flowers. I watch as every head in the crowd turns to look down the aisle. Jas and Vincent make their way towards me up the aisle, tossing flower petals as they go. I can't help but smile at how cute they are.

A moment later, everyone gasps. Haley appears at the end of the aisle staring back at me. She looks absolutely stunning. Her dress looks as if it came out of a fairytale. It has a big poofy skirt trimmed with the same light pink flowers as the one in my front pocket. The bodice hugs her body tightly, but loose enough to let her breathe comfortably. The straps of the dress are an off the shoulder design made out of tulle. Her hair was left down, but some front pieces were all tucked and braided to the back of her head with a few strands left out to frame her face. In her hands was the same style of bouquet I gave her when I wanted to show her I was romantically interested. Down to the same color ribbon I had tied around the stems.

My brain had gone completely blank. I was absolutely speechless and bursting with excitement. She slowly glides down the aisle, stirring up some flower petals from the ground as she moves. She looks absolutely magical.

She takes her stand next to me under the arch. The two of us looking into each other's eyes, forgetting everyone else exists. In the background, I hear Mayor Lewis begin speaking.

"When Danny first arrived in Pelican Town, no one knew if she'd fit in with our community... But from this day forward, Danny is going to be as much a part of this town as any of us!" The town folk start cheering at Lewis's declaration. Haley and I break our gaze as soon as we hear the last of his speech. "You may kiss!"

Without another thought, I sweep Haley into my arms like the world is ending and she is my only source of life. Her soft, glossed lips connect with mine instantly. The audience continues to cheer over our passionate, loving kiss. I would've kissed her longer if we weren't right in front of everyone, but eventually we broke apart. I take her hand in mine as we face the crowd. The wind picks up for a minute and it causes all of the flower petals to take to the air. I twirl Haley around to face me again and bring her back for another heart melting kiss.

"I get to be a farmer now, too!" she squeals, squeezing my hands in hers.

"And you are going to be the best wife anyone could ever ask for," I whisper as I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear, daydreaming over the beautiful future we are going to have.

[heartfullofleeches]

Silent Hearts

Yandere Mime Drabble

It's beginning of the season, and with it came new ways to entertain the changing times. Flyers posted around town, you and a small group of friends decided to partake in the festivities and take a trip to a carnival currently in the area. The day was what you'd expect at such a place. Bizarre and sugary foods, games, shows - and rides.

The rides, and their lines, took up most of the afternoon. According to a friend who had been here before, they were the best prt of the whole carnival, and they weren't wrong. After riding your personal favorites a few more times and playing a couple games, you all were getting tired and chose one last ride before you left. Despite the protest of some, there was no better way to end the day than a go on the relaxing boat ride near the back of the venue. You head towards it with the small prizes you earned, losing one as you trip over thin air. You reach over to grab it - thrown aback by what you grab.

"Where'd you come from?"

Instead of touching the slightly static body of one of your stuffed animals, your fingers make contact with soft silk. You raise the item to eye level. Its a puppet. Beady black eyes and gloves. A slightly frown formed into the line of a zipper. You can seen something bulging in its throat area, but it really wasn't any of your concern. This was obviously not yours and you need to return it to its owner. Fortunately for you, they weren't too far behind.

Rising to your feet, you nearly jump out of your skin as an outstretched hand hovers in front of you. Heart beat returning to normal, you realize the gloves the stranger wears are fairly similar to the puppet's.

"Oh, is this yours?"

The person doesn't move, or say a word. You can't read their facial expressions, because you'd have to crane your neck to do so. With their height, you imagine them to be wearing stilts or something. You also piece together they must be apart of the carnival due to their attire.

"Y/n, you coming?!"

You look around them towards your friends. "Just a sec!"

You return your attention to the silent figure. Without the proper time to question anything, you place the puppet in their palm. The speed at which their fingers closes around it surprises you given their statue like nature. They inspect the doll, cradling it to chest once the check up is complete. They lift their other hand, this balled. After waiting a few seconds to see if they'll say anything, you run on ahead to meet up with your friends. Running past them, you can make out the faint scent of flowers.

Joining back up with the group, you stand in line for the boat ride. The wait time is estimated about twenty minutes, so you just chat amongst yourselves to make the seconds go by a little quicker.

Next in line, the ride operator comes up to your group.

"How many are with you today?"

"There's five of us." A friend chimes.

"Boats are two to a seat. I got another passenger up here if one of you wants to go on with them."

You glance at the other rider. It's the mime from before. They're slightly hunched to fit under the awning better, so you can actually see their face this round and they look - sad. Their black lips droop in a long frown; bags under their eyes visible through the paint coating their skin. They turn their head towards the puppet now in their chest pocket, before looking over at you.

"I'll go."

Your friends are surprised by your declaration.

"Really?"

"Yeah. We kinda met earlier anyway."

"I... don't think that's the best idea."

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to say anything in case I sounded paranoid, but that person has been following us the whole day."

That - definitely has you rethinking your choice. You take another look at the mime. With how big they were, it seemed impossible that you wouldn't have noticed them before. They're still staring at you. They wave.

Another friend playfully smacks the shoulder of your other companion. "Aw, it's no biggie. They're a performer, its probably just a coincidence you saw them so often. Go on ahead, Y/n."

You cross the gate as the worker opens it for you. The mime stands out of the way so that you can get in first. It doesn't help your lingering uneasiness about the situation to have them on the side with the door, but you get in away. Their legs brush against yours as they squeeze into their seat. You watch as the next pair of riders are ushered to their seats, before the boat is sent off.

The ride is, relaxing. The peaceful music and talk animals lull you into a sense of security that's humbled whenever you glance out the corner of your eye to see the mime looking back. Overtime their puppet moves into their lap; hand slipping into its slit.

You're so beautiful.

"Huh?"

The mime tilts their head as your exclamation.

"Did... you say something?"

They shake their head no, running their digits over their lips and throwing away the key. The ride doesn't last much longer after that.

Climbing off, a tape on your shoulder stops you from going far. The mime pats at their breast and pants pockets for something. Locating the item, they produce two fingers clasping thin air. The mime slips the invisible ring on your finger. You can still feel the tightness of the band as they stand upright. They once again crook their head, eyes drifting from your hand up to your face in silent question.

“I.. love it?”

Ever so faintly  - they smile. You can see something behind their grin. A network of strings embedded into the back of their lips. Almost like-

"Hey, Y/n! Think we got time for one more ride if you're interested."

Your friends circle around you. When had they got off? One snaps a picture of you and the mime before you're dragged through the crowds for just one more ride. This isn't the last time you'll see that person. The invisible band around your fingers tells you as much.

The little puppet waves as you walk away.

[theteasetwrites]

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 100: Happy Ending

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: SMUT—gentle sex, missionary, just very basic stuff really, and I don't think there's really anything else! ❧ Word Count: 7.8k

❧ In This Chapter: A year after the events at the Commonwealth, things are falling into place, and Alexandria is back on its feet. Daryl returns home from diplomatic duties at the Commonwealth, but he has an idea to run past you, and it involves a new journey.

❧ A/N: We made it. This is the last chapter of the series. It's been a wild ride. For the last chapter, I had to throw in a little smut, as a treat (and also @normanplusdaryl would've murdered me if I didn't have them have sex again before the end <3). I also wanted to tie a few loose ends, like the character I introduced in 11A (Billy—who was initially intended to be a love interest for Lydia, but then Elijah and Lydia got together and I wanted to follow that from the canon because they were so cute) and Robin's bunny. I will probably make a separate post talking about what this series means to me and how happy I am that I've completed it and that so many people have enjoyed it. For now, though, I'll just say thank you. <3 Hope this final chapter is adequate.

You felt a tiny tug on your corduroy skirt. It startled you for a moment, but then you remembered Westley’s little habit.

One year old and he was already crawling all over the library, touching everything he could get his little hands on. As you looked up from your cataloging, you met the boy’s impossibly round, silvery blue eyes. “Westley Owen Dixon, what on earth are you doing?”

He smiled up at you, in his hand a glob of dirt. His face, too, was smudged with the stuff. You quickly lifted him in your arms, removing the dirt on his cheek with your sleeve. “Where did you get this, huh?”

The child was fond of dirt. He hated being cooped up, you were quickly realizing. Being outdoors was his favorite pastime, but he was much too young to play outside on his own, like Robin. 

“Billy?” 

“Yeah?” The young man looked up from his book. He knew the routine well now, but you had to make sure to let him know. After all, it was what you always did. A year of library training under your tutelage had worked wonders. You were glad he’d decided to join Alexandria, after he’d helped you and Lydia what seemed like yesterday. 

“I’m going to take him out for some fresh air,” you said, as you usually did. “Watch the desk for me? Make sure no one steals any books?” You eyed Mr. Gibson playfully. The old man had a habit of forgetting to check out the books he borrowed, though he always brought them back. 

“Sure.”

Outside, you were greeted by a gaggle of children running past, including Gracie and Robin. When Robin turned on her heel, running back to you, you laughed in confusion at her sudden approach, but she was reaching her hand out, and you knew what that meant.

“Tag! You’re it!” she giggled, looking up at you and the baby with a wide grin. 

You scoffed, looking back at the other children as they giggled. “I most certainly am not!” you said, leaning down to ever so slightly hit Robin’s shoulder. “You’re it!”

It caught the child off guard, who didn’t think you’d be quick enough to tag her. “Hey!”

As you scurried off, Westley let out a series of burps and giggles in your arms. 

“(Y/N)!” 

You stopped in your tracks to see Aaron, calling out to you from the garden. Nearby, some of the other children were swinging wooden swords, while a horse-drawn carriage wheeled through town, carrying the latest harvest for trade. In the busy Alexandria square, people moved to and fro, some hard at work, others just chatting. It didn’t really matter, though. All the work would get done. 

“Hey, there, boss man,” you said. He scoffed, always rejecting that nickname. He wasn’t the boss, really. No one was. Still, he was a leader of Alexandria, like Gabriel, like Daryl, and, you supposed, like you. In your own little ways, you ran this place, too. 

“Told you to stop calling me that.”

“Since when do I listen to you?”

“That’s a good point…” Aaron’s attention quite quickly turned to his nephew, the baby in your arms. His baby voice was always vastly entertaining. “Well, hello there, wiggles.” On account of Westley’s… bouncy nature, Aaron had bestowed upon him that nickname not too long ago. There was no telling where such a little child could get all that energy from, but he had it in spades. Aaron took the child in his arms, lifting him up and down as he held Wes by his underarms. “Whoa!” he said, watching the child laugh and coo at the movement. 

“Be careful with him!” you said. “Don’t break him.”

You watched in amusement at Aaron’s silly faces, how he stuck his tongue out and crossed his eyes for the baby’s enjoyment. “Aw, he likes me.”

“Yes, you’re his favorite uncle.”

“I better be.”

Outside the walls, you heard the faint hum of a motor. Not just any motor, of course. There were very few motors left in the world, besides Daryl’s.

“My dad’s here!” you heard Robin exclaim to the other children. 

The girl ran between you and Aaron, and you watched as she sprinted towards the gate. The motor had stopped a little while after she’d gone out of sight, but you did hear his voice very faintly, speaking to Robin in that soft voice of his. 

As soon as he saw you, he waved with one hand, the other resting upon Robin’s shoulder as they came forward. Beside him was Carol, and behind him was Lydia and Elijah, with Judith and RJ following along. You breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He was home again, and everyone was safe, for now.

He took Wes in his arms, bestowing a kiss upon his head. Soon after, his arm snaked around your waist, pulling you close. Over his shoulder, you watched as Robin greeted Judith, the two girls rocking each other back and forth in their hug. They hadn’t seen each other in a while now. Daryl made monthly trips to the Commonwealth and Hilltop, helping to supervise his trades, but the children rarely came along. One day, you knew Robin would beg to come along, too. And then Wes, and then you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself.

“How are ya?” he asked. As he bounced Wes, you concentrated on fixing his windswept hair. 

His thumb drew absentminded circles over your lower back, just at the junction of your skirt and your tucked-in blouse. You missed your clothes getting wrinkled by his touch, as much as you tried to look as neat as possible. When he was gone, there was an unmistakable absence of his very particular touch. It was sloppy, but tender. Somehow, he simultaneously put no effort into his movements, and all the effort in the world.

When your fingers finished meticulously sorting out his hair, you let out a refreshed sigh, breathing in the crisp April afternoon. You could practically taste the newly harvested strawberries, finally in season after a long winter. A year ago today, this field you stood in now was barren, dry. Now, it was so green, and even better than it had been before. Lush tangles of vines and leafy greens were lovingly planted in rows upon rows of wooden planters. Alexandria had never been so alive, literally and figuratively. 

“I’m fine,” you said happily. As usual, your eyes began to wander his body, examining the new holes in his clothes you would have to patch up. At least he was clean. He must’ve caught a shower at the Commonwealth, where he’d picked up Carol and the kids. She was a leader there now, helping Ezekiel and Mercer run the place. “How was the event?”

The memorial day, the anniversary of the end of the Commonwealth as it once was. No longer a police state run by greedy politicians, it was still the biggest settlement you knew of, but not the best. That was, and always would be, Alexandria, as far as you were concerned. 

“All right,” he said with a shrug. The movement made Wes giggle as he found fascination with the piece of Daryl’s chestnut colored hair that he held between his little fingers. “What’cha doin’, scout?” he asked, bouncing Westley until he giggled some more. “Already one year old…”

You leaned close to get the child’s attention. “Look, Daddy’s back,” you cooed, pinching his rosy little cheeks. They felt like dough in your fingers, so soft and warm. “Can you say ‘hello, Daddy?’” He’d only turned a year old last week, but you were eager to hear him eventually speak his first words. If you could gently coax them out of him, you would. “Say, ‘hi, Dad!’ Or just say, ‘Dada?’”

He only stared blankly at you, blinking his wide eyes as a droplet of drool began to slide down his chin. “Da,” he mumbled.

Close enough. 

When the sun had set and the day’s activities had come to an end, you found refuge in your living room, watching Robin sit cross-legged on the living room floor, holding a white puff of fur in her arms. Daryl sat beside her, holding Wes, who stared in infatuation at the creature. 

“Say ‘Daisy,’” Robin instructed him, holding the rabbit closer. “C’mon, Wes! Say ‘bunny,’ pleeease. This is a bunny. This is Daisy, my bunny.”

The only person who wanted Westley to speak more than you was Robin, who was so eager to have a little brother to talk to. He only blinked, wriggling slightly in Daryl’s arms. He reached out, patting Daisy between her long ears. 

“Gentle,” said Daryl, who guided Westley’s little hand. “Nice and gentle… Look at ‘er little nose, Wes. Ain’t that funny how it wiggles?”

Dog, whose nose was resting upon your thigh as you sat petting him on the couch (so he wouldn’t get jealous, as Daryl said), lifted his head up with alert ears. He still didn’t trust the rabbit entirely, but he was learning, just as Westley was, to be gentle. 

“No, Dog,” you said in a low tone. “You just stay right here.” The dog whined as he looked up at you, his tail wagging so much it made a noise against the couch cushion. “Oh, really?” you replied. “Well, I’m sorry, but you’re not going anywhere near that bunny until―

“Mommy,” interjected Robin, “can’t we let Dog come close to Daisy? He won’t hurt ‘er.”

After all, it had been several months since the rabbit joined the family. There just wasn’t any end to Robin’s pleas after the baby rabbit had been born. Ezekiel wasn’t helping matters, either. He insisted upon Robin taking the only pure white rabbit in the litter. Still, you had terrifying visions of Dog tearing apart the poor defenseless creature right in front of Robin and Wes, scarring them for life. Dog did have a bad habit of bringing home small, fluffy creatures, though they were always mangled and bloody when he left them on your doorstep. Daryl had only cooked two of them, and that was a miracle in itself. He would’ve cooked up all of them if you had let him. 

You looked between Daryl and the dog, whose big brown eyes seemed to glimmer with the light from the fireplace. He whined again. “Oh, all right,” you said. “But don’t let go of her.”

You loosened your grip on the dog, letting him cautiously leap off the couch. His ears perked up, he slowly sniffed towards Robin and the rabbit. 

“Come ‘ere, boy,” instructed Robin. “Come see Daisy.”

Your heart seemed to stop for a moment when the dog got so close that he pressed his nose against the bunny’s, just for a moment. At the same time, Wes reached out his hand to pat Dog. 

“Daw…” the boy cooed. 

Your eyes lit up, so did Daryl’s. “What did you say, sweetie?” you asked.

Daryl gently bounced the boy, as if trying to shake the word out of him. 

“D—dog.”

“Dog?!” you exclaimed, excitedly climbing off the couch to crawl over to Daryl and the baby. “Oh, Daryl, his first word!”

Robin grimaced as she pet Daisy, who was also the object of Dog’s attention as he sniffed her small puff of a tail. “I wanted him to say bunny.”

“Maybe he’ll learn that next, sweet pea. Can you say it again, Wes? What is this?” You pointed demonstratively towards Dog. “This is a…”

Daryl smiled widely, amused by the boy’s confusion. “Hey, buddy. Good job, why don’t ya say somethin’ else…” He pointed towards you, his eyes gazing over you affectionately. “Who’s that, huh? That’s Mama. Say ‘mama.’”

“Blah bluh.” The baby’s nonsensical sounds erupted from his mouth with a small bubble of spit. 

You all broke out into uproarious laughter. “Aw, that’s close enough,” you said, your voice faltering a little. It could’ve been worse. When Robin said her first word, “Dada,” you were overwhelmed with happy tears. This time, you were a little more composed. 

“Look, Mommy!” exclaimed Robin. “Dog likes Daisy, see.”

You averted your attention from the baby to see Dog’s nose gently nudging the rabbit’s body. He seemed to recognize that the creature was a friend, not food. You’d seen the dog’s reactions to rabbits and squirrels and the like before, but he’d never seemed so calm and collected. Perhaps he was smart enough to know that Robin loved her bunny, and that any friend of Robin’s was a friend of Dog’s.

“What a good dog,” you said, patting his back. “Everyone’s reaching a milestone today, huh?”

Not long after that, Aaron came knocking on the front door. He was on his usual Friday evening business—picking up Robin to spend the night. Tonight was special, as Judith and RJ were visiting, too. It was more like a slumber party at Gracie’s house, with Aaron dutifully volunteering to take care of all the children that night. 

The best part for you, of course, was getting to be alone with Daryl. 

The man didn’t let go of Westley until the child was falling asleep in his arms. He’d been gone only three days, but when a child grows so fast, it feels as though just one day is a whole year. As he put the infant to bed upstairs, you tended to the fire, dropping in another log with a flurry of bright orange and red sparks. You quickly used the poker to maneuver the logs. Two hands held tight to your hips as you bent over, squeezing your waist.

“Baby asleep?” you asked.

He turned you around shortly after you stood up to replace the poker. Upon his face was a lopsided smile, the kind that was infectious. Your own grin carved itself into your cheeks, lifting them high until your eyes began to squint. 

When his arms wrapped tight around your back, pulling you close against his chest, he craned his head to find your neck, where his lips latched onto your exposed skin. Eyes closed, you nuzzled into his neck, too, where you caught faint notes of pine and soil, and a hint of cigarette smoke.

“Daryl,” you sighed, your hands finding themselves feverishly clawing at his strong, broad shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

His mouth zig zagged up your neck, dotting kisses along your jaw, then finally settling happily on your lips, where they seemed to fit so perfectly. “Me too, angel… Wes is sleepin’ like a rock. Dog’s all tuckered out by his crib.”

“Precious,” you spoke against his lips. “I can’t wait for him to learn how to walk. Remember Robin? She was following you all around the house.”

“Knowin’ Wes, he’ll be chasin’ me. Little terror’s already got so much damn energy with the crawling.” With a laugh, you imagined the idea as you lowered yourself to the ground, tugging Daryl down with you. “Perfectly good couch right there, woman.”

“I want to enjoy the fire,” you said, leaning your back against his chest. He knew the position well, spreading his legs as he leaned against the side of the armchair. You shimmied yourself until you were slotted between his legs, while his hands settled upon your stomach to pull you in even tighter. “Mm, perfect.”

He seemed infatuated with your neck tonight. Perhaps it was your new homemade perfume, scented with apple blossom and honey. Indeed, he seemed to be practically devouring you with his lips. 

“You smell good,” he mumbled between kisses. “Good enough to eat.”

With a teasing grimace, you turned your neck to face him. Though his words and the languid movements of his hands as they pawed at your silky nightgown were tempting, you were more determined to hear about his travels for the time being.

“Any news from the Commonwealth?”

“Jus’ the usual. Carol’s got some plan to talk to Aaron ‘bout gettin’ the railroads workin’ again. They already got a lot of people ready to work on it, just gotta make a plan, and Eugene is comin’ up with ideas for fuel… I dunno, he told me all ‘bout it but it went right through my head.”

“How’s Rosie?” Eugene’s daughter was born just a few months ago. You were still hoping to meet her soon. 

“She’s fine. Looks nothin’ like Eugene, maybe that’s a good thing.”

You shook your head at his joke. “Well, not everyone can be as handsome as you, my love. And the books, did you pick up the books?”

Daryl had a new job added to his long list of responsibilities. In fact, you considered him to be his own position at your library: the official interlibrary loan delivery man. 

“I did,” he said with a nod. “Got ‘em in my bag, ready for ya to… do whatever you do with ‘em. And I dropped off the books they asked for. How you gonna keep track of all these books comin’ and goin’? Ain’t it difficult? Don’t want you stressin’ yourself out with this… interlibrary thing.”

If Daryl had it his way, you wouldn’t have to lift a finger or do anything at all, but you wanted to run the library. After all, he built that library for you. It meant the entire world. 

“It’s not stressful, honey. It’s important. Making sure everyone has access to the information they need, or the stories they want to read to keep their minds off things, that’s all important. When Maggie gets the time to start thinking about a library at Hilltop, we’re going to start an interlibrary loan program there, too. Lydia told me she’d like to run that library… It’s going to be wonderful.”

No matter how many times you told him your dreams, your plans, your hopes for the future, he would always look at you like you’d just shown him the biggest, brightest star in the sky. That’s why he built that library, why he did everything he did to keep Alexandria and the other communities together. Though he thought his actions were small, what he did, he did so you could be happy. There wasn’t anything you could want that he wouldn’t give to you. Just to hear that swell in your voice, and to see that flash of radiance in your eyes. 

When you spoke of your dreams, you were the most beautiful thing in the world to him. 

“Jus’ as long as you’re happy. Ya know, I’m real proud of you, sweetheart.”

“Oh? What for?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?”

His forehead leaned against yours, his hand cupping your jaw with the utmost tenderness. “Yeah. You’re doin’ everything you wanted to do, bein’ everything you wanted to be. And ya make this place feel like home. Alexandria ain’t nothin’ without you.”

“Stop,” you laughed. “I’m just a librarian.”

“Nah,” he said. “You’re much more than that to me. I mean, you are a librarian. That ain’t all you are. You’re changin’ the world, in your own ways.”

“Well, I… couldn’t have done anything without you, Daryl. You gave me everything I wanted, and more. You made me feel like I was strong.”

“You are strong,” he corrected. To punctuate his statement, he placed a firm kiss upon your lips. “My strong, beautiful woman.”

A sudden burst of laughter erupted from you as he used his body to pin you to the floor. With your body now underneath him, you wrapped your legs around his waist, keeping him pressed to you. 

“You’re such a charmer,” you said, lips brushing against his ear. His tongue spread warm saliva over the expanse of your neck. Between slow, drawn-out licks, his lips pursed to kiss you, his hand wrapped up in your hair. Your lips desperately searched for his in the dimly lit room, with only the warm glow of the fire to guide you. Raising your hand to palm at his face, you clasped his chin to pull him down until your lips met. 

It was an unspoken chain of events now—words weren’t necessary. Tonight, you’d make love together, with no chance of Robin hearing or walking in on you, and little Wes was just a baby, all snuggled up in his crib upstairs. Dog wouldn’t know what the two of you were doing, he was just a dog. Still, Daryl always shooed the canine away if he happened to try to climb into bed during your more intimate moments. 

But tonight, he didn’t seem to care about privacy from the dog, as he clawed at your nightgown, trying to pull it off on the living room floor. 

“Daryl, we could go to the bedroom if you want. Wes won’t wake up.”

“No, right here. Want you right here.” You didn’t mind. 

As he sat upright, he stripped himself of his black button-up shirt, the buttons on which were already stretching beyond their ability on account of his broad, stocky build. Your nightgown peeled off easily over your head before you tossed it somewhere behind you, into the warm darkness of the increasingly balmy room. 

With a frustrated grunt, he stood to begin undoing his belt. Beneath your now naked body, you felt the high pile of the plush rug underneath you. It wasn’t as soft as your bed, but it was enough. Still, an equally as naked Daryl crossed over to the couch, grabbing one of the throw pillows. 

“Here.” He leaned down to tuck the pillow underneath your head. You bit your lip as you watched him maneuver himself until he was atop you again, breathing deep, heavy breaths. “You comfortable?”

“I love you,” you answered, in a complete haze. “Come here.”

Your lips clasped together again, this time kissing with open mouths and lustful tongues. As his body began to move against yours, you both felt the heat of the nearby fire begin to just barely sting your skin. It was a good sting, though. It reminded you that you were alive, after all this time. You were still alive, together. 

“I love you,” he repeated. The phrase was bookended by more kisses, each more sloppy and impatient than the last as the heat and arousal rose up in him. “I love you... I’d die for you.”

Between your bodies, his erection twitched against you, tucked somewhere between your thighs. It all felt so warm. 

“You don’t have to,” you said, heaving and panting as your body rocked up against his. “I’d much rather you live for me.”

You could feel him smile against your cheek, his hand planted firmly beside you as he lifted his body enough to see yours. His other hand traveled south to feel you, to insert his fingers inside you. 

“Oh…” His knees dug into the carpet as he steadied himself, focusing on pleasuring you. His thumb tickled your most sensitive spot mercilessly, causing you to squirm and writhe underneath him, just the way he liked. “Daryl…”

When you said his name, a fire of some otherworldly kind ignited within him. It was wild and demanding and took complete control over him. He could no longer keep himself away from you, so he buried himself inside, letting out a drawn out sigh as your arms reached up to envelope him. 

“Oh, yes, Daryl… Please.” Your begging only emboldened him. 

He bestowed another kiss, then dragged his lips down over your neck, finally grazing over your aching breast. His warm, sweet breath soothed your nipple, where your teething baby was slowly but surely being weaned from breast milk. 

“They still hurt, angel?” he panted, almost whimpering. You felt so good around him, he could hardly stand it. Your body was made for him, having been filled by him after all these years, but every experience was slightly different, with new pleasures for him to reap from you, and to give you. 

“They’re… a little tender.”

Without sucking, he licked the slightly swollen flesh, tracing gentle circles with his tongue. He eyed you, but your head was thrown back, with only a breathy sigh to signal your approval. The softness of his tongue was so soothing, combined with the steady rhythm of his body as he pumped himself inside you. While one hand kneaded the tender flesh of your other breast, his other hand stroked your clit, matching the slow, loving movements of his hips.

“I’ll make ‘em feel better,” he said, moving his lips to the other breast. 

His open mouth drenched your sensitive nipple in his saliva, then his tongue swirled it around in slow, languid circles. Only Daryl could make love to you with such sweetness and gentleness, but with such great desperation and need. It took all his willpower not to suddenly increase his pace, but he knew that what you needed now was his sweet, slow love. Besides, in this room, in this moment, you had all the time in the world. Everything else outside of the junction of your bodies didn’t matter, for the time being. 

Your back arched, you jolted upwards as a sudden shock of pleasure ran through you. Daryl’s touches were getting you more and more aroused, closer to orgasm. Meanwhile, he buried himself deeper inside of you, twitching with each involuntary movement of your body. The wetness that pooled where your bodies met was dripping down your bottom, surely being absorbed by the carpet. You made a mental note to wash it tomorrow. 

With only yours and his soft pants, grunts, and sighs mingling with the crackling of the fire, the house was quiet, peaceful. The sound of skin on skin became more prominent as Daryl’s speed increased inevitably—your passageway was so slick now, he slid in and out of you with ease. 

Though his head was now buried between your breasts, you reached down to lift him up until his arms stretched out to hold him up, hovering over you. In your throes of passion, your ultimate peak of pleasure incoming, you needed to look at him, to see his face as he watched you fall apart. 

“You’re beautiful,” he huffed. And you were. Your skin was drenched in sweat, probably from the immense heat of your bodies and the nearby fire. Beads of sweat and saliva that speckled your breasts were glimmering with the sparkle from the light. Your arms were flailed above your head, though not for long, as you reached up to pull his hair back, giving you a better look at his face. He was sweating, too, panting with agape lips that were made puffy from your kissing. He always had deep-set eyes, but they looked so dark now, filled with lust and the utmost desire for you to feel the pleasure you so deserved. 

As you squirmed underneath him, you managed to smile at his compliment. No one had ever made you feel as beautiful as him, and he really made you believe it. “I feel beautiful,” you panted. “I’m so close…”

He straightened his back a bit, digging into you from a slightly more extreme angle. It caused you to let out a gasp of surprise at the change in feeling, the new stimulation his tip was creating as it hit into you. “Oh, oh!” 

With such an incredible feeling came the need to cry out, so you covered your own mouth with your hand, trying not to wake the sleeping baby upstairs. Though your hand muffled your moans, the sensation was so strong that your other hand dug into the skin of his shoulder, making him grunt in return.

It wasn’t a bad feeling, though. He’d let you use his body in whatever way you needed to. In fact, he liked it much more than he should’ve. When you were rough with him, even though it was unintentional, it awakened a wildness in him that he often thought he’d grown out of, but it was always within him, you just had a way of bringing it back out.

The newfound confidence he gained made him move faster now, yet still with the gentleness he started out with. He breathed out a huff, then a few words. “You like this?” he panted. “You like what I’m doin’ to ya?”

“You know I do,” you mumbled against your palm. 

“I feel ya about to come,” he said. “Feel ya squeezin’ me.”

Another jolt of pleasure, another tightness throughout your core. His movements didn’t give you a chance to recover—you arched your back and gasped as the string inside you broke. Your legs spread further apart by instinct as your hips writhed and gyrated with every pulse. 

Even in the dim light, he swore he could see your entrance twitching and tightening around him where his body met yours. He certainly could feel it, that enticing pressure that commanded him to stay in you, begging him to let himself go. 

Well, the last time he did that, you ended up with a surprise bundle of joy. 

With your body still squirming and moaning underneath him, he pulled himself out, tugging with his hand as he watched you enjoy the last moments of your bliss.

You opened your legs up even more, reaching your hand down to stroke your slit, just to give him something to look at. It was quite amusing to watch him, too, how his hair hung loose over his face as he hung his head down to watch your movements. He finally reached his peak, his other hand catching his spend.

With that, his energy left him. He allowed himself to fall back down onto you, then roll himself over with you in his arms, until you were snuggled against his side. 

It didn’t last long, though, because you were cold, so you fetched the quilt draped over the edge of the couch, along with another throw pillow for Daryl. He’d insisted he didn’t need one, and that you should have both, of course. You ignored him.

The fire was low now, almost embers, but it was still bright enough to bring light to your faces. You traced the curves of his features for a while, tickling his nose any chance you got. It occupied you as you thought of new worries.

“You’re going to the Hilltop tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, then Commonwealth, then back home. Like I usually do.”

You knew the routine well—the trade route always involved several stops at the three settlements, and the whole circuit took about a week to complete, but one week out of the month without him was still the one thing you wished to change in your life. Granted, you were quite spoiled if the only problem in your life was not getting your husband to yourself twenty-four seven. Maybe you were just clingy, but Daryl always liked that about you, and, anyway, he was clingy, too. Possibly even more than you.

“Hm…” You tightened your arm around his waist, nuzzling your head further against his chest, as if to never let him leave. “Well, say hi to Maggie and Hershel for me. Oh, and Robin has another little letter for him she wants you to deliver. It’s on her desk, I’ll get it in the morning before you leave.” The two children had become pen pals ever since Maggie returned to Hilltop. You found their new friendship to be quite sweet, knowing that Glenn would’ve loved to see all the children getting along. 

“Guess I’m a glorified mailman now, huh?” he said with a huff, which you knew to be his form of laughter. “Well, uh…”

His voice trailed off and his small smirk faded as he began to think. He didn’t look worried or upset, but nervous, almost. It was strange, he’d hardly ever looked nervous around you anymore.

“What is it?” 

“Nothin’, just… There’s somethin’ I been thinkin’ ‘bout for a while. Been meanin’ to ask ya.”

There was a strange quality to his voice, almost like he was… excited? Nervous, and excited. It made you shake your head in slight bewilderment. He seemed so youthful, with the subtle, flickering glow of the nearby embers accentuating the angles of his high cheekbones. 

“Go ahead.” Whatever was making Daryl so excited, it was bound to make you excited, too. 

“Well, I was thinkin’… Maybe tomorrow you could come with me on the rest of the trip.”

That wasn’t all he was thinking, but it was the first step. Luckily, the first step went over well. You immediately beamed at the thought. In fact, you’d wanted to ask, but you feared that Daryl might grow irritated at your desire to be with him when he was doing his “job.” The fact that he asked you was a relief. 

“Oh, that’s a great idea! I’d love to go, honey. I really want to see Maggie, and I’d love to meet Rosie. I’m sure Ezekiel would like to hear about Daisy. Aaron could take care of the kids, and I know Gabriel would help, too.”

“But, uh, that ain’t all I was thinkin’.”

“Oh?”

He cleared his throat. “Ya know… Ya know how, a while back, I said I’d take you on a vacation?”

The thought amused you as it came back to mind. Indeed, it was almost exactly a year ago, down in the sewers underneath Alexandria. It was a dark time, but in the midst of that darkness were moments like that. 

“Yes, I remember. You said something about… riding off into the sunset on your motorcycle,” you laughed. “Well, that’s how I interpreted it, anyway. Why?”

He shrugged, though he knew why he was asking. “Guess I was jus’ wonderin’ if maybe we could do that soon, that’s all. Maybe when we get back from the trade, we can just… be gone for a little while. Few weeks. I dunno.”

As your fingers absentmindedly traced shapes through the wiry hairs sprouting from his chest, you thought of the logistics of such a plan. You knew that Aaron wouldn’t mind taking care of the kids, and Gabriel did owe you a few favors after you’d taken care of Coco. Lydia and Elijah lived in Alexandria, too, and would surely keep an eye out for the children that Lydia came to know as her family. Some of the other neighbors would be fine with helping out, too. They all loved Robin, and many of them had offered to babysit Wes whenever you needed it. Dog was already eating off everyone’s porch, and Robin was now an expert at caring for her rabbit. 

“Where will we go?” you finally asked. 

“Jus’... anywhere.”

And so, the next morning, you were off. 

At the Hilltop, Maggie expressed interest in your “vacation.” She said it would be a good opportunity to find new people, and to find leads for new resources for the communities. Of course, before you’d leave, you’d stop again back at home to say goodbye. 

It wasn’t an easy goodbye, not in the slightest. You held onto Wes for some time that morning, while Daryl went through extra care to go over the “security protocols” with Robin. You weren’t entirely sure what that included, but it had something to do with operating the complicated lock on your front door. 

Outside the gates, Aaron met you to see you off, with Lydia holding baby Westley. Beside his bike, Daryl held Robin’s cheeks in his fingerless-gloved hands, kneeling down to the girl’s height. He squinted his eyes as he examined her face, clenched somewhere between forced strength and the strength she was born with. There seemed to be a glimmer in her eye, where a tear threatened to fall. 

“We won’t be gone long,” he said, brushing the tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Few weeks, month at the most.”

“But it’ll feel a lot longer,” she said weakly. Still, she allowed her lips to curl into a half-smile. “Can you bring me back a new Barbie? A veterinarian one?”

Ever since you began telling her about Hershel, Maggie’s father and her friend’s namesake, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, taking care of all the animals in Alexandria. It was a dream that you hoped would come true for her. 

“Yeah, I’ll look for it… And I promise we’ll be back ‘fore your birthday.” She beamed at that. She was turning eight in a month. Time was going so fast. 

He took her in for a hug, and with his chin resting upon her shoulder, he quietly said, “Keep an eye on your brother, all right? And take care of Dog. Make sure he don’t eat that bunny.”

She laughed before placing a small kiss on his cheek. “Okay, Daddy. I promise.”

“And be good for your uncle. Listen to him…” He trailed off, knowing he didn’t really have to waste those words on such a well-behaved child. Now, Westley was another story, but alas, he couldn’t quite understand anything Daryl would say to him. “I dunno why I’m tellin’ ya, birdie. You’ll be just fine.”

As he rose to his feet, you came towards them, Wes on your hip as he chewed on his teething ring. His little feet wiggled in his tiny cowboy boots (the ones Daryl brought home because they reminded him of a certain police officer he used to know) as you handed him to his father, who held the restless child up in the air as he made a wide-eyed face to entertain him. “Hey, scout, now you’re the one I’m worried ‘bout.” 

You felt Robin’s arms wrap around your waist, and her cheek leaning against your upper arm. As you looked down, you freed your arm to squeeze her close. Your hand settled in her hair, brushing back the silky, pale brown waves. “Will you be all right, sweet pea?”

“Yeah, just…” She looked up with glassy eyes and slightly quivering lips. “I’ll be worried, s’all. There’s climbers out there.”

That was the newest threat. A new… adaptation. Some walkers were climbing, even picking up objects. Not many, but enough to warrant new protocols. That was part of what you were interested in exploring. Maybe someone, somewhere, knew something about these new walkers. Or at least, maybe you’d get some leads. It couldn’t hurt to look.

“Mm, well, I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but… I’m pretty good out there.” You pulled your ice axe from its loop on your belt, flashing the thin silver blade. “And nothing’s going to stop me and Daddy from coming back home to you and your brother, you know.”

“I know.” You took her in for a full hug, squeezing her so tight she squealed a little. “I’ll miss your hugs.”

“Me too…” You sighed as you pulled away to look at her. She looked so much like Daryl, as she always did, but for the first time, you noticed a quality in her face that resembled… you. It was a brief resemblance that seemed to only show itself in certain angles and lights, but it really showed now. Maybe she was growing up, not anywhere near a young woman yet, but you could see it in her. It was coming, and it brought a tear to your eye. You didn’t want to miss a second of it, but this would be good for you, for Robin, for everyone. 

“I think this might be the longest I’ll have ever been away from you, chipmunk. Your daddy’s been away for months before, but…” 

Robin’s kiss distracted you from your imminent tears. “It’s okay, Mommy. We’ll be okay. Everything will be okay. Maybe when you get back, Wes will know some more words.”

You felt Daryl’s warm presence beside you, and you heard Wes’s babbling. The little boy just looked so happy, smiling wide with the few tiny baby teeth he’d been growing. As you brushed back his wispy brown hairs, Daryl pressed a kiss to his cheek before handing him back to Lydia. 

“You sure you’re okay with taking care of him?” you asked. “You can always ask Gabe and Aaron for help, too. They’ve babysat him before.”

The young woman extended her metal arm for a hug. You sighed against her shoulder, knowing you were going to miss her, too. “We’ll all take care of them both,” she said. “It takes a village, right?”

“Thank you… It means a lot to me.”

Aaron was the last one you had to say goodbye to. It took a lot of willpower to end that hug, but wherever you were going, you had a long way to go. 

“Be careful out there,” he said. “And don’t worry about everything here. Just… just be careful, okay?”

There was no mistaking that look in his eye, and that slight frown on his face that aged him a few years. You much preferred his smile, but you knew he was a lot like you, and that it was hard to smile when there was so much to worry about. “I will. I promise. I’ll be back before you know it.”

He nodded with a strained smile. “I know.” With a sigh, he pulled you in for another hug. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say he had a bad feeling. 

“Aaron,” you said, “stop worrying. I told you I’ll be careful. You know, I lived out on the road for a while, unlike some people.”

His smile seemed natural now, more warm and relaxed. “You’re my baby sister,” he said. “I’m always going to worry about you. Dad used to say I had to watch out for you, make sure the other kids didn’t pick on you.” 

And yet they still did, but he tried his best. 

“And you always did watch out for me. Now I can watch out for myself.”

“I know, (Y/N). Still, be careful.”

When you pulled yourself away, Daryl stepped in to hug Aaron. It was a far cry from the first day the two met, you thought. You rather clearly recalled Daryl’s first words to Aaron being, “No one gives a shit.” If you’d been asked to imagine the two men sharing a hug back then, you weren’t sure you could do it. 

“Take care of my sister,” he said, quietly enough so that you couldn’t hear as you strapped your bag to Daryl’s bike. Light packing wasn’t your strong suit, but somehow you managed to fit everything you needed into one knapsack. 

Daryl chewed his bottom lip as he nodded. Aaron had spoken in a stern voice, but underlying that was a clear understanding between brothers, not just friends. “I will.”

As he climbed onto the bike, he turned the key into the ignition, bringing the engine to life. When you settled behind him, grasping at his shoulders to steady yourself, you were alerted to Westley’s cries, no doubt spurred on by the loud engine, though you were a little gutted inside, thinking maybe, just maybe, he knew you were leaving. 

“Bye!” you called out over the roar of the bike. Robin, Lydia, and Aaron matched your wave, and soon Westley’s cries calmed down. Maybe it was the sound of your voice. 

Daryl flashed a smile towards them, then turned his head to speak over his shoulder to you. “Ready?”

With a deep breath, you wrapped your arms tight around his waist, but not before adjusting his poncho slightly. “Ready.”

It was a beautiful April day, with fluffy clouds rolling slowly in the pale blue sky. Beyond the nearby hills, you could just see the sliver of the moon begin to dip below the horizon. Darkness was far away now, and for a moment, you thought back to the beginning of a different journey, one that started in darkness, but ended in the light. 

Well, it didn’t end. Nothing ever really ends. 

With a kick of the stand, the wheels were rolling, and Daryl stepped hard on the gas, jolting you to grip onto him tighter. Your chin dug into his shoulder, just the way he liked. That way, he knew you were really holding on, and that you were there with him. It was what he needed. In his heart, he knew one thing—he’d never be able to leave home again without you. 

The road went on straight for a while, and every chance you got, you looked back to see those three figures getting smaller and smaller, but Robin’s little arm was still waving. You let go of Daryl for a moment to wave back, even though you were sure she couldn’t see you.

I love you all. 

Soon the road bent, turning into a grove of trees that finally separated you from your home, the place you fought for, and the people that made it worth fighting for. 

But then, there was still Daryl, and that was more than enough to remind you of every beautiful thing you had in this world. In fact, it all started with him. It started that day the bolt from his crossbow tunneled through a walker’s skull, the walker that very well would’ve killed you if it weren’t for him. 

If it weren’t for him, you’d have never known love at all. That was what you believed to be true. There was no love like his before him, but whatever love you did have, it wasn’t his. His was what you’d been waiting for all your life, what you were put on Earth to feel. 

Today wasn’t unlike that day you met him, you supposed. It was a time when everything was changing, and as one world was ending, another was beginning. Though this time, you didn’t feel anything was ending, only that today was the start of some great journey. You couldn’t explain it, you just felt it. 

However the world would change next, you found yourself repeating that old mantra: Don’t ever be afraid.

You were so lost in your thoughts for a while that you didn’t even notice the great speed at which you were going. As you pinched his side, signaling for him to slow, you shouted above the sound of the engine, “Slow down!”

He shook his head as he let out a laugh. “Thought you’d never notice.” His foot eased up on the gas pedal, and now you could more clearly watch the trees go by, one by one. 

You weaved through a small group of walkers stumbling on the road, but their mindless groans were easy to ignore. In fact, you didn’t really notice them at all. Nothing could spoil this moment, this beautiful world that you’d come to know and love, despite everything that threatened to take it away from you. 

No, nothing could take this away from you. Nothing could take away this bright light of love that seemed to move at the speed of sound down the old dirt road. It was unstoppable, and wherever the two of you went, you’d take it with you, and never let it go. 

Now, you just had to figure out where you were going, but something told you that the light of love would guide the way. 

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs of any kind are always appreciated!

Series Masterlist

[the-cookie-of-doom]

split/kid! Kim AU as promised 😘

send me an ask and I'll tell you about one of these WIPs!

I haven't thought about this fic in so long I forgot it even existed, but I added it to the list just for you <3

In this fic, through ~magical handwaving~, Kim's younger self is split from his adult self. It was meant to only cut out his memories/trauma (bc Kim will turn to magic before therapy), but oops! Turns out all those memories became a whole person! So now there's a ~13 year old knife-wielding Kim running around the compound, and adult KimChay have no idea. The significance of that age is that's how old Kim was the first time he killed someone, and he sees that as the thing that ruined him as a person. So if he can get rid of the part of himself that decided to be a murderer, maybe he can become a better man for Chay. Spoiler, that's not how it works.

The whole idea behind the fic is Kim learning to forgive himself for the things he had to do to survive. It's a lot harder to blame yourself for life going wrong when you have to look that frightened child in the eyes and tell him everything is his fault. Kid Kim is also a darling, and the brother feels make me weep.

Chay’s phone is ringing on the nightstand. He reaches blindly for it, preoccupied with Kim’s mouth on his own.  “Ignore it,” Kim murmurs, giving Chay’s bottom lip a chastising little bite. He’s half on top of Chay, both of them naked, hands wandering, and well on their way to a second round. Kim is making a very compelling argument, but… “It’s hia,” Chay says, and finally grasps his phone, hitting “accept” on the second to last ring. Kim huffs at him and starts pressing warm kisses along his jaw instead. “Hello?” “Chay,” Porsche greets jovially. “Question for you. Why is your boyfriend a child?”  “... He isn’t?” Chay looks down at Kim, now mouthing at his collarbone, just to make sure. And yep, still the same twenty-three year old he’s been for the last four months.  “I’m literally staring at him, and he is.”  “I’m literally naked with him, and he isn’t. I think I would have noticed.” Porsche snorts on the other end of the line. Kim looks up at him curiously, his tongue tracing wet circles around a nipple. Chay tugs his hair to make him stop but it only encourages him to bite. “Want to tell me why you think Kim is a child, hia?”  “I’m a what?” Kim asks, his voice low and rough and dripping with judgment. “Has your brother lost his mind?”  “See for yourself.” Seconds later Chay gets a text alert. He pulls up the messages, and nearly drops his phone when he sees the picture that loads.  There, sitting beside Kinn, wearing obviously borrowed clothes and the stormiest scowl Chay has ever seen, is Kim. Unmistakably, irrefutably Kim. Chay, left gaping and unable to speak, turns his phone around to show his lover.  “... Hm.”  “What the fuck?” Chay whispers. Then, “Porsche, I’ve got to go. We’re on our way.”  He ends the call.  “You’re not surprised. Why are you not surprised?”  “I’m surprised.”  “Really? Because you sounded like I just told you the road flooded in monsoon season.” Chay pushes himself up to his elbows, dislodging Kim. “What gives? What did you do?” “Why do you think I did something?” “Because there’s two of you!” “... I didn’t do anything that would have done that.” “But you did do something.” Silence. Kim refuses to meet his eyes. “Kim.” “It wasn’t anything bad! I just… Look, don’t be mad, okay?” Chay takes a deep breath, and then another. They’ve been together for two years now. They’ve seen each other through a lot. Chay can confidently say they’ve reached a place where Chay would forgive him for anything, because he trusts Kim not to do anything unforgivable.  “Tell me what happened, then we can figure out what’s going on,” Chay says. “I might have… gotten rid of… my memories. Of my childhood.” “... What?”  Kim squirms. He pulls the blankets up higher, suddenly vulnerable in his nudity. At least he doesn’t try to run away.  “You’re always telling me to go to therapy. I thought I could go straight to the source, cut it out, then,” he takes a shuddering breath, “then I would be okay.” “Kim, you can’t—that’s not how it works.” Kim shrinks in on himself. Chay doesn’t let him hide, drawing Kim into his arms when he tries, clutching him close. “That’s—that’s half your life! And it’s just, what, gone?” “I thought it would be. Guess not. I promise I didn’t know this would happen.”  “And you were just going to hide this from me?” Kim shrugs. Chay’s heart clenches wondering how long Kim could have gotten away with it. He never talks about his childhood as it is, like he’s already locked that part of himself away. “When do your memories start, then?” “When I was thirteen, I think.” “Why that age?”  “That was the first time I killed a man.” Kim squeezes his arms around Chay’s middle, hiding away in his shoulders. Quietly, he adds, “That’s what broke me.”  The day he lost his innocence, Chay thinks. He stopped being a child when he took his first life.  Except he doesn’t believe that for a second. Trauma isn’t what makes someone an adult; Chay would know. Kim was still so young, and he must have been terrified. Alone. 

[noirsfantasy]

On the fourth day of Christmas...

𝔄 𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔬 ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔭𝔱. 𝟐

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Actor!Michael B Jordan x OC!Naomi Samuels

𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Fluff

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛ 6.2K

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛ Naomi decides to go to the Christmas market with Michael, Dan, Ashanti, Teresa, and her husband James. Grandmother gives them an activity to do while they're out. A Christmas scavenger hunt. They decide to split into teams and Naomi ends up on a team with Michael... and Ashanti. It's looking like it will be an eventful day.

𝔞/𝔫 ➛ Y'all, why are there actually no Christmas movies with Michael B Jordan in them??? This man was made for the holidays! all I can say is that I'm wishing for him to be under my tree come Christmas day. But in all seriousness, this story is so fun to write and I just have so many ideas. Please let me know your thoughts and enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas Masterlist

Part 1 Here

Part 3 Here

The morning sun spills its golden hues into my room. I groan as the light reaches my eyes, causing me to squint. I sit up in my bed, grateful that my scarf stayed on the entire night. Glancing at my calendar, I note that it's only six days until Christmas. I try not to focus on the fact that I'll be spending those six days with Michael B Jordan, the idea is still unbelievable to me. It's a bit chilly, so I make sure I have a warm pair of socks on before heading downstairs.

As I step into the kitchen, the enticing aroma of breakfast greets me. The lively chatter of family members already fills the air as they prepare for the day. I notice my grandmother sitting at the table, sipping her coffee. She's always been an early riser.

"Good morning, Mimi," she greets me with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Morning, Grandmother. I slept like a baby. It's a bit cold in here, though." I reply, giving a small shiver and rubbing my hands together as I return her smile. "Can we turn the heat up?" Grandmother gives me a knowing grin.

"Oh no, darling. We not running up my electric bill. It is fine where it's at." She shakes her head and I sigh softly, rubbing my arms to heat them up. I turn to walk away, but she starts to speak again.

"Why don't you go find that young man and ask him to light the fireplace for you? I know he's somewhere around here." She suggests, her grin growing. "You know, since you're so cold," she chuckles, sipping from her mug again. I smile and roll my eyes as I get up and head to go look for him.

I make my way through the corridors of my childhood home, the wooden floor creaking slightly as I walk along the boards. It's still early, but most of the house is already awake and alive with the energy of this holiday season. After a brief detour through the kitchen, where my aunts mingle as usual, I head towards the den. There, sitting on the couch, I find Michael, deep in conversation with my younger twin cousins, Matthew and Mason.

"Hey, guys. What y'all talkin' 'bout?" I ask as I shuffle over to stand in front of them. The twins look up with wide eyes, clearly still starstruck by the presence of the famous actor. Michael flashes them a friendly smile, instantly putting the young boys at ease.

"We were just telling Michael about our favorite superhero movies!" Mason exclaims, his excitement palpable as he holds onto his Incredible Hulk toy.

"Who's your favorite superhero, Michael?" Matthew chimes in, listening eagerly. Michael leans back onto the couch, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Is it Killmonger?" Mason questions.

"Killmonger in some ways, could be seen as a hero with a lot of depth and character. But he's technically a villain." He explains. "I'd have to say that Spider-Man is my favorite superhero, but I did enjoy playing Killmonger." Matthew and Mason giggle at Michael's reply and I smirk, finding it endearing.

"But the real question is, which Spider-Man?" I ask in a teasing tone. Michael raises his eyebrows at me.

His expression immediately lights up as he recognizes my attempt at taunting him. He gives me a small smile and laughs.

"Oh come on now, Mimi, you know that doesn't even have to be a question. It's obviously Tom Holland."

"No!" both boys reply in unison, laughing and shaking their heads.

"It's obviously gotta be Toby! He's the original!" Mason shouts and Matthew nods enthusiastically.

"Well, personally, I think Andrew Garfield was the best," I add. The boys go silent and stare at me with disappointed looks.

"No offense, Mimi, but you've let us down," Matthew says, shaking his head slowly. I look at them shocked as they look back at me awkwardly.

"What? Why can't I have my own opinion on this?" I question with a laugh.

"You're just not cool like Michael is." Mason shrugs his shoulders and Michael raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"Wowwww," I cross my arms in fake offense. "You know what? You boys haven't brushed your teeth this morning, have you?" I purse my lips at them and they drop their shoulders.

"No..." They both say as they slowly get up from the couch, groaning in protest.

"Uh uh, I don't wanna hear it. You got so much to say but you ain't even got clean teeth. Shameful." I taunt, causing Michael to laugh. "Make sure that Jessie girl brushes as well!" I call after them. Their mopey mood is replaced by a competitive one as they begin to challenge each other to who can get to their sister the fastest. Michael and I watch in amusement as they leave.

"Did you brush your teeth, Naomi?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Let's not go there, right now," I give him a sarcastic smile and he laughs a bit. "I need your help with something," I say, shuffling my feet.

"Sure, what do you need?" He responds, standing up from his seat.

"Well, it's absolutely freezing downstairs. Do you mind lighting the fire for me?" I ask, grinning sheepishly. Michael snickers at the request.

"Fireplace duty, huh? I think I can handle that." He follows me down to the living room and kneels next to the fireplace.

"Thank you," I say as I sit down on the floor in front of the fireplace and lean my back against the couch, watching as he adds the logs and lights a match. As soon as the fire starts to crackle, Michael steps back and glances at me. I realize that, even though it's early in the morning, he's dressed and ready for the day. The only thing he doesn't have on is shoes, but I still feel a bit embarrassed at my appearance. I haven't done anything to my hair and I am in my pjs still.

"You look pretty cozy over there, Naomi." He teases. I side-eye him slightly, turning to look at him as I hold my hands out to feel the heat and wiggle my toes while I let the fire warm my feet.

"I'm just trying not to freeze to death. I hate the cold." I retort, rubbing my hands together. Michael chuckles and sits down next to me, offering me his warmth. He leans his arm on the couch, letting it fall slightly so that his hand hangs over to the side of the couch where I'm sitting.

"Didn't you grow up here in the cold?" He asks, raising an eyebrow as he looks down at me. I smile slightly, letting out a soft sigh.

"I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. It makes me glad I moved to New York. It's at least a little warmer there." I shrug, pulling my knees to my chest so I can be warmer.

"I understand it. I grew up in New Jersey, so I've had my experiences with the cold." He admits. Michael looks over at me, seeing me shiver. "You know, you don't gotta put on this act of being freezing cold." He says and he puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side. "If you wanted to get close to me, you could've just said so."

I try to contain my shock, blushing at his boldness. My heart is racing and I'm hoping that he doesn't notice.

"It's not like that at all," I mutter, trying to keep my voice steady. He chuckles at my reaction.

"Oh yeah? Then what's it like?" He questions, noticing that I'm completely at a loss for words. I clear my throat and shrug.

"I just feel comfortable with you." I finally say, looking at him from the corner of my eye. I laugh, leaning into his shoulder.

"Better?" He questions as he rubs my arm to warm me.

"Much better. Thanks for the invitation." We both let out a light laugh, leaning back against the couch.

"I've got a question," Michael says after a moment.

"What's up?" I look up at him, realizing just how close to me he is.

"Why do they call you Mimi?" As he asks this, I stifle my laughter.

"Oh, God. That nickname haunts me everywhere I go!" I cover my face with my hands and Michael laughs at my reaction.

"What's wrong with it? I think it's cute." He winks at me playfully.

"It's little girl cute. Other names have cool nicknames like you have Mike and Daniel has Dan. But I just have this lil cutesy nickname, Mimi. Makes me sound like a kid." I rant adorably. Michael continues laughing until he composes himself.

"If it bothers you then why don't you choose a new nickname?" He suggests and I raise my eyebrow at him in confusion.

"Like what?" I question, doubting there's anything better for me. He thinks for a moment and then smiles when he's got it.

"Nao." He says waving his hand as if the name is supposed to appear out of thin air. I look deadpan at him and he starts laughing once more, a genuine smile on his face.

"Nao?" I raise my eyebrow even higher.

"You know, like Ne-yo, but cooler. Nao..." He does the thing with his hand again and I shake my head, giggling.

He continues to laugh as I mutter, "You're so corny." I roll my eyes at him and he gives me a playful shove.

"Well, you love it." He teases and I cross my arms. "So are you gonna consider the nickname or not?" He questions and I pause. My eyes shift to the side and a slow smile spreads across my face.

"I guess anything is better than Mimi," I concede with a sigh.

"Nao it is then." As Michael and I laugh with each other, we hear a loud bell from the kitchen. Michael looks at me with confusion.

"It's the breakfast bell. Means the food's ready. I should probably go get dressed." I mention. Michael removes his arm from around me and stands up offering his hand to help me up as well. I take it graciously. He pulls me to my feet, smiling warmly at me. Our hands linger for an extra second, our eyes locked onto each other.

"Alright, let me go see if I can help set the table." He says after a moment, letting go of my hand. He heads towards the kitchen, but not before calling back, "Don't forget to brush your teeth!" I smile to myself as I go back up the stairs.

As I walk through the common area to get to my room, I'm stopped by a voice behind me.

"You don't really think he'll go for you, do you?" I look over and see Ashanti in the doorway of the bathroom. I raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, already knowing I'm about to deal with some bullshit.

"Michael is a man who is way out of your league, don't you think?" She questions, crossing her arms.

"Ashanti, I'd love to get into whatever this is, but I need to get dressed," I say, turning away.

"I'm saying he should be with someone more on his level. Someone like me." She has a smug look on her face and I turn back towards her.

"Don't you already have a boyfriend?" I narrow my eyes at her.

"He's more of... a friend with benefits." She lies and I roll my eyes.

"You literally share an apartment with him." I retort.

"Don't try to deflect, Naomi. You need to back off of Michael, so I can show who he really should be with. A refined and classy woman with my social standing is the perfect match for a perfect man like him." I side-eye her as she spews these delusions.

"Whatever, Shanti. Have him, I don't care." I walk away before she can respond and shut my door. I should have known she'd come at me like that. It's always like this with her. She's jealous of me and wants Michael for herself. I won't try and stop her from going after him, but if he wants me, there's not much I can do about that. That being said, there's no telling if he likes either one of us. For one, we just met him yesterday, and two, we don't even know where his head is at right now.

I shake that conversation off and get ready for the day. I make it back to my bedroom, deciding to take a quick shower and change into something more decent to eat breakfast in. I'm feeling pretty good about myself until I remember the moment this morning with Michael and I suddenly get butterflies in my stomach. I take a few deep breaths and take my time to apply lotion and perfume.

After I feel I'm presentable, I slip on some jeans and a brown sweater to stay warm. I quickly brush my hair, checking myself in the mirror one last time before heading down to eat.

As I get down the stairs, everyone is already eating. I notice Ashanti sitting very close to Michael as she talks his ear off while he eats. Michael smiles politely, but it's obvious he's not into it. I head into the kitchen and grab some breakfast before sitting at the kitchen table, next to my mother.

"Good morning, Mimi." She greets me, smiling warmly at me.

"Morning, Mom. What are the plans for today? We doing anything?" I ask as I take a bite of food. My mother glances around the table, her eyes lingering for a bit on Michael and Ashanti.

"Well, I was thinking." She starts, "Why don't you older children take a trip to the nearby Christmas market? I'm sure there will be some great activities there."

"Sounds good," I reply. I steal a quick glance at Michael, who seems to be searching for an escape from Ashanti's chatter. Our eyes meet for a moment, and he offers a small smile. "Are we bringing the kids, too?" I ask, looking back at my mother. She shakes her head.

"Your uncles are taking the boys and Jessie to go sledding." She tells me and I smile at that.

"They'll love that," I say as I finish my food, putting my utensils on the plate. "Give me a call if you need me."

"Don't worry, baby, you just go have fun. Oh and..." She leans in to whisper to me. "Make sure to put the works on Michael. I need a son-in-law." She teases. I cover my face in embarrassment and sigh.

"I'll see you later, Mom." I laugh as I walk away, putting my dishes in the sink. After everyone is finished, I grab my brother, Teresa, James, Michael, and Ashanti and tell them what we're about to do.

"Hey guys, Mom suggested that we go to the Christmas market for the day. It's just a short walk down the street, y'all down?" I ask them.

"Oh my God! We used to love going to the Christmas market when we were younger, remember?" Teresa asks, beaming at the memories. I nod, smiling in response. James gazes admirably at Teresa as she brightens up. He always likes to see her happy.

"That sounds like a good plan. I've been dying for that food all year!" Daniel says excitedly. Michael laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm down to go. I've been wanting to see more of this place." He replies, looking a bit excited as well.

"Well, you already know if T is going, J will be there also," James smirks, leaning against the wall. Ashanti gives him a look of disappointment.

"Please, never refer to yourselves as 'T and J'. It sounds stupid." She tells them. James and Teresa both laugh and Ashanti rolls her eyes. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun!" She squeals, wrapping her arm around Michael's and leaning into him. He winces as she lets out a loud gasp, "Let me go get changed! There might be paparazzi there!" She giggles excitedly as she leaves the room to get ready. Michael gives Dan a surprised look.

"Is she always like that?" He asks, chuckling nervously. We all slowly nod our heads.

"I'm afraid so..." I reply.

"And, unfortunately, she's a professional at missing hints." Dan jokes and we all share a laugh. Grandmother makes her way over to us slowly, carrying six sheets of paper and six mini Polaroid cameras. Teresa's eyes light up once more.

"Are those what I think they are?" She inquires and Grandmother gives her a warm smile. Teresa reads her list carefully, eyes growing wide as she realizes what Grandmother has set up for us.

"Yes, it is, baby." We each are given a piece of paper and a camera. Upon closer inspection of the paper, we realize that it's a checklist.

"What is it?" Michael asks, a bit confused. I grin excitedly as I realize as well.

"It's a Christmas hunt!" I blurt out. Daniel looks excited as well and turns to Michael to explain.

"So, when we were younger, every year we'd visit the Christmas market and we'd do a holiday-themed scavenger hunt." He starts.

"Grandmother always made the list and we had to take pictures with each item on this list. We'd spend all day checking things off of it." Teresa chimes in.

"And, if we finish everything off of the list, we got to have Grandmother's famous Snickerdoodle Cookies! And a bunch of cute photos to put on the mantle." I add with enthusiasm. Michael looks at us all with amusement and nods his head.

"Okay, I'm in!" He tucks his list into his jacket and Teresa and I look at each other eagerly. Eventually, Ashanti returns from her room, dressed in a pink sweater and matching pink leggings.

"What? A scavenger hunt? You should've told me! I would have dressed accordingly." She whines. We all laugh and roll our eyes and head out the door, James and Daniel each pulling a wagon behind us.

The Christmas market bustles with activity as we pass the booths, and festive music all around. The colors and lights take me back to when I was just a little girl. The air carries a sweet scent of roasted chestnuts and the lively hum of joyous conversations.

"Wow, it seems like forever since I've been here," I say, my eyes lighting up as I look around.

"It hasn't changed a bit." Dan smiles, enjoying the nostalgia he gets from the place. I'm walking between Michael and Daniel and Ashanti clings to Michael's other side. Instead of letting her get the satisfaction of walking on Michael's arm, he links his arm with mine as well and I do the same with Dan so that we are all walking together. This seems to annoy her a bit, but we continue on. Teresa and James are walking hand in hand ahead of us and stop at the entrance of the market so we can make a game plan.

"Okay," I start, pulling out my list. "So it looks like we've got enough of things on here to keep us out here for a while." Everyone gathers around with their lists out.

"I've got an idea. How about we split up into teams? Three vs three?" James suggests.

"I like that. So who's on who's team?" Daniel questions. Teresa puts her arm on James' shoulder, smiling.

"It doesn't matter to me. Just as long as I have my boo with me. Otherwise, I'm lost." She says, causing me to giggle at her cuteness.

"Aww." He grins back at her. "I'll make sure to take good care of you then."

"You better. Or I'll come after you." She replies, punching his arm playfully. He laughs and puts his arm around her shoulder. Ashanti rolls her eyes once more at them.

"You two can do what you want, but I'm gonna stick with Michael." She says in a condescending tone. Michael raises an eyebrow at her, but he doesn't bother to argue. I shrug, already knowing she'd choose to team with him.

"Dan? Which team are you going to?" I ask and he gives me a mischievous smirk that seems to only have been seen by me.

"You know, I gotta team with my boy James and Cousin Tt." He shrugs his shoulders. "Sorry, I'm in it to win it." Dan and James dap each other up and I shake my head while laughing.

"Sigh, I guess I'm stuck with Ashanti and Michael," I say in mock annoyance, putting my hand on my forehead dramatically.

"Oh poor Naomi. Forced to walk around with the two hottest people here." Ashanti pretends to wipe a tear.

"Shut up." I roll my eyes.

"I'm just saying, we just look so good together." She wraps her arm around Michael's again and he looks off to the side. I feel the annoyance building but I push it back down.

"Don't be mad, girl, you know you're up there, too," Teresa assures me, nudging my shoulder.

"And besides, I wouldn't consider you being on my team a bad thing..." Michael replies, winking at me. A small smile comes across my face, but I quickly remove it.

"Perfect," Ashanti says under her breath, but I ignore her.

"Alright, teams. It's currently 1:00. We'll do as many items on our list as we can and meet back up here at 4. How does that sound?" James looks around at all of us and we nod in agreement.

"And the first one to find all of the items wins the cookies!" Teresa announces excitedly. We all chuckle a bit and nod again.

"You're on," I say competitively.

"Alright, see you back here in 3 hours." He says, handing his wagon to Michael and walking away with Teresa and Daniel.

"This'll be fun..." Daniel replies, nodding. Our teams split off to do their own thing and find the items on the list. Ashanti sticks to Michael the entire time, sticking to his side as though they were on a date. I have a feeling this is going to be a painful day.

"Okay, let's get started," I say with a determined smile. As we make our way through the market, we start looking at our list.

"Let's see, it looks like the first thing on the list is to take a picture with the most festive-looking person in the market," I say and Ashanti grabs her camera, handing it to me.

"Oh, that's easy." She does a little twirl and puts her hands under her chin. "It's obviously me." Michael and I glance at each other and start laughing.

"I'm not so sure that pink sequins and fur coats exactly scream 'festive'," I giggle and she shoots me a glare.

"Well, what would you know?" She turns her nose up.

"How about her?" Michael says, pointing towards a woman walking in the snow with a beautiful umbrella. She's wearing a cozy red dress and has Christmas trees stitched to the fabric. She has a green fur shawl on and lights braided into her hair.

"Now THAT'S festive," I grab my camera and we all start heading to her, Ashanti groaning under her breath. "Excuse me, miss!" I catch her attention and she turns around, smiling as we approach her.

"Hi, I'm Naomi, this is my cousin Ashanti and our friend Michael." I introduce. She holds her gloved hand out and shakes mine.

"Hello, I'm Helen." She does a small curtsy. After exchanging pleasantries, Michael asks her if she'll take a photo with us. Helen says yes and holds her umbrella out as we get someone to hold the camera for us. We gather around her and smile. With a flash of the camera, the small Polaroid photo ejects out the top and starts to develop. We thank the kind gentleman who took the picture and thank Helen. She walks away and we happily check the first item off the list.

"Alright, that's one off the list." Michael pumps his fist in the air and gives us both a playful high-five.

"Okay, next thing," I say, tucking the photo into my pocket. We set off to check more things off of the list. "We need to take a photo with a street performer or musician. That shouldn't be too hard; the market is filled with them."

As we continue through the lively market, we encounter various street performers showcasing their talents. From musicians playing cheerful tunes to magicians captivating the crowd, the festive spirit is in full swing. We finally settle on a group of carolers dressed in Victorian-era attire, harmonizing beautifully.

"Perfect," Michael declares, "Let's ask them for a quick photo!" As we approach, the carolers welcome us warmly, and we pose in front of the Polaroid.

"Ooh, let me choose the next one!" Ashanti says, pulling out her list. "How about the handmade ornaments?" She suggests.

"Now you're talking," I reply with a smile and we head towards the market's craft section. There are many booths with cute wooden trinkets, nutcrackers, and toys. After a bit of searching, we finally settled on a booth.

"Oh my gosh! This one would go perfectly on the tree! Don't you think?" Ashanti picks up an ornament that is covered in pink sparkles and shimmers. Michael and I grin at her, nodding in agreement.

"It really screams Ashanti," I comment and she takes it to the vendor to buy. I look around for a bit, wondering what I should get.

Michael picks out a small carved wooden reindeer from the section and I settle on a mini clay Santa Claus. I look back over at Ashanti and see her holding a star ornament made out of gold wires and encrusted with gems. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"I thought you wanted the other ornament?" I ask with a snicker. She simply smirks.

"I know, but this one is just speaking to me right now. I have to get it."

"Well, I gotta admit, it does look pretty festive," Michael adds, nodding his head. Ashanti smiles proudly.

"See, Michael likes it." She playfully sticks her tongue at me and I laugh.

"Don't worry, I like it as well." I look at my Santa Claus ornament and head over to buy it from the vendor. We take our pictures with the ornaments and place them in our wagon.

"Alright, that's three down, we're making good progress," Michael says as we start to walk again. He looks at the list and smiles. "I like this next one." Ashanti and I both look at his sheet to see what he's pointing to. It says "Find a mistletoe and take a group photo underneath it." Ashanti immediately lights up.

"Oh! I remember where they sell those!" She says, grabbing Michael's hand enthusiastically and pulling him in the direction of the booth. I sigh, shaking my head as I grab the wagon and follow behind them.

When I finally catch up, I see them standing in front of a charming mistletoe display near a Christmas tree vendor.

"Naomi, you hold the mistletoe, and Michael and I will kiss, okay?" She suggests and I raise my eyebrows at her. She's being bold today. Michael chuckles nervously and takes the mistletoe from Ashanti.

"How about you both hold the mistletoe and you both kiss one of my cheeks while I take the photo? That'll be a good picture for sure." He holding the mistletoe out to us. I exchange a playful glance with Ashanti, who seems to be more interested in being near Michael than holiday fun. Nevertheless, we gather beneath the mistletoe and we lean in to kiss his cheeks. Michael makes a silly face and snaps the photo. The result is a cute selfie that really captures the fun that we are having.

Over the next hour, we get pictures with a holiday elf, a gingerbread house, and even a guy with an ugly Christmas sweater. Ashanti keeps trying to cling to Michael, but he always seems uninterested in her. Instead, he makes sure to include me in the fun and we all have a good time hunting for the items off of the list.

"Dang, it's already 3:00," Michael tells us, checking his watch.

"And we've only got 9 things marked off the list." I sigh and Ashanti groans loudly.

"Ugh, this is taking forever!" She whines, dropping her shoulders.

"Well, this next one should be great, then. We need to take a pic drinking some hot chocolate. We can rest a bit there." I suggest. Michael smiles at the idea.

"Sounds good to me." He says and Ashanti nods as well.

"Oh, yes! It'll be the perfect pic to post on my story." She says, completely forgetting about the scavenger hunt and walking ahead of us. Michael walks beside me, breathing a sigh of relief.

"What, do you miss your little girlfriend?" I ask, teasingly. Michael rolls his eyes playfully and shakes his head.

"Don't even get me started on her." He replies, shaking his head as he laughs. "She's very determined, I'll give her that. But can I breathe?" He shudders and I laugh.

"Well, I guess that's the price of being a famous actor, Mr. Jordan," I smirk at him and he raises his eyebrows.

"So, it's like that then?" He questions, faking a look of hurt.

"Oh yeah, especially after today," I reply with a nod. Michael smiles mischievously at me and puts his arm around my shoulders.

"Aw, are you upset because Shanti keeps stealing me away from you, Ms. Samuels?" His voice is low as he leans into my ear and I find myself blushing again. I ignore the feeling of butterflies as I wrap my arm around his waist, looking up at him.

"Oh yeah, I'm so jealous, right now. I just want you all to myself." Sarcasm drips off my voice as our back-and-forth banter causes us both to burst out laughing.

"If I'm honest, I feel less pressured when I'm around you," Michael admits. "Most people treat me like I'm royalty or something, or they just see me as a celebrity. But I don't feel that with you. I feel like I'm just some regular guy and like you actually genuinely like me."

"Well, I do genuinely like you. You're more than just an actor and I think you deserve to be treated like a human being." I smile at him, leaning my head on his shoulder. Michael gently rubs my arm and gives me a reassuring smile.

"Thanks. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I genuinely like you, too," He whispers, playfully nudging me as we continue to walk. We catch up to Ashanti at the booth, where she's sitting on a stool posing for selfies with her mug. I sit next to her and Michael sits beside me, causing her to glance over at us.

"It's about time you two came over. Here, Naomi. Take some pics for me." She shoves her phone into my hand and I sigh, holding it up for her as she does various poses. Michael chuckles and starts ordering drinks from the vendor. When Ashanti finishes, she snatches her phone back to look at the results.

"You're welcome," I mutter under my breath. Michael slides a mug of hot chocolate towards me and I accept it graciously. "Thanks, Michael," I say, appreciating the gesture.

"Of course, here." He says, taking his Polaroid and standing it up against one of the menu stands. He sets the timer on the camera and leans close to me, flashing a smile and holding his mug up. I do the same and the camera flashes, printing out the photo. We clink our mugs together as the photo develops and begin to sip the hot chocolate.

Ashanti, noticing us clink our drinks together, seems upset again and pouts, glancing over at me before turning back towards Michael. We make eye contact and I give her a smile because I'm in a good mood and not about to be a killjoy. She ignores my attempt to be kind, though, as expected.

After finishing our hot chocolate, Michael stands up and picks up his camera. "All right, it's about time we get out of here. We're halfway through our list. Team, what items do we still have left?" I pull out my list and scan over it.

"Next one says to find a gift for someone in the family and have it gift-wrapped," I reply, before looking up and seeing the others. Teresa, James, and Dan stroll over all grinning at us.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is." Daniel gives us a smug smirk as they walk over.

"What's the smug look for?" I step up to him and cross my arms and he does the same.

"Oh, nothing, just worried you might go hungry when we eat all those cookies in your faces." He responds and we both glare at each other jokingly before breaking out into laughter.

"You two are something else." Teresa shakes her head.

"Don't act like you're not just as competitive, Teresa. I still have back pain from playing musical chairs with you." Dan retorts, rubbing his lower back. Michael leans over to whisper in my ear.

"Remind me never to play musical chairs with her." He says and I nudge his shoulder playfully.

"Have y'all gotten to the snowman one yet?" James asks and we all shake our heads. "Perfect, how about a contest, then?"

"A snowman-building contest?" Ashanti gives him a look of confusion.

"Yeah, each team makes the best snowman they can think of," Teresa adds.

"What does the winning team get?" Michael inquires.

"Nothing, it's just for fun."

"Oh, no, I don't do these types of things for 'fun'. There's gotta be something at stake." Ashanti says, tapping her foot.

"How about the loser has to knock down their snowman and take their photo with the remains," I suggest with a mischievous smile on my face.

"I like the sound of that." Dan nods.

"Let's do it!" Teresa shouts and we all head over to a wide patch of snow. The teams huddle to discuss our strategies and then take a couple minutes to gather any items we need.

"How about we make a fashion icon snowman?" Ashanti suggests.

"No, it's got to be something outside of the box. Something no one would think of." Michael replies, tapping his chin as he thinks. I smile once an idea comes to me.

"What about an upside-down snowman?" I look at their faces to see their reaction. "Who is also a fashion icon," I add and they both slowly smile.

"I've gotta admit, that is pretty outside the box. Let's go get the stuff!" Ashanti says and we hurry to find supplies. The snowman building begins and we enthusiastically make a snowman with its head buried in the snow, making sure that the other team doesn't see what we're doing. Michael, Ashanti, and I work together to create the perfect snowman, laughing as we give it quirky accessories and make it stand out.

Daniel's team reveals their snowman to be a gentleman with a top hat and a scarf, seemingly scrolling on a phone that happens to belong to James. We all get a kick out of it, but I know that ours is the one that's really gonna blow them away. We bring them over to our snowman and they immediately start laughing, enjoying how we put boots on top of the snowman for its feet.

"Wow! Okay, I think it's obvious that's the winner right there." James says in surprise.

"What can I say? We've just got that creative touch." I say, putting my elbow on the snowman. Unfortunately, it wasn't packed together sturdy enough and my added weight caused it to crumble and me to fall on top of it.

"Naomi!" Ashanti shouts, annoyed that I ruined the snowman. Michael rushes over to help me up as Dan, Teresa, and James all laugh at the sight. Michael is laughing a bit too, but he makes sure I'm okay and pulls me to my feet. I brush snow off my bottom and chuckle at my clumsiness.

"Oh shit, I didn't mean for that to happen." I rub my neck sheepishly and look over at Ashanti, who looks livid. "You okay, Ashanti?"

To Be Continued...

[nocturnal-milk-dud]

Spooky Season ask

Bishop Losa - What we do in the shadows

Ray Merriman - Nightmare on elm street

The Punisher - Werewolf

all smut 🫠😂

I am very very sorry for how long you've had to wait for these. I've had a very hard time writing, and for a while, with all the awful shit going on around the world, I didn't see much point in writing anything. I hope you like it. My plan for the other two is to post them and tag you, as I haven't written those yet.

The Moon is Dead but She Still Pulls on Me

Pairing: Frank Castle × Reader

Warnings/Notes: I'm rusty, I apologize. NC-17 18+ Only; violence; blood; smut (of the monster variety); public sex; oral; really hope you're into it I'm so sorry if not

Word count: ~1100

You close the shackle around Frank's wrist, making him wince.

“Sorry,” you whisper.

“It's okay.” Your fingers slide down over his palm.

“What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?” you ask, knowing he'll be hungry and trying to distract him. He leans forward, as if to kiss you, but the tip of his nose brushes down the length of your neck, his beard tickling your skin and you hear him pull in a long, deep breath. The warmth from his sigh spreads over your skin, pools in your belly. You don't need to hear his answer to know what he wants. Your breath passes in a shudder.

“Pancakes then,” you say, breaking the heavy silence.

“Eggs too,” Frank says. “Bacon maybe.” His eyes are hungry.

“Omelette? Mushrooms and jalapeños?” Frank lets out a grunt of approval.

“Coffee too,” he says.

“Of course.” The clouds break and cool stretches of moonlight reach through the barn slats. There isn't much time and you shouldn't linger. The look in Frank's eyes and the way his body trembles tells you as much.

“You should go.” Frank's voice is rough, stretched tight. You place a gentle kiss on his lips, taste the sweat forming on his skin, and rest your forehead against his.

“I'll see you in the morning.” The words are an order, an expectation. He'll be himself again.

The air in the house is stale and you open a bedroom window. The smell of oncoming rain carries in on a gust that flutters the curtains, and it's not long before you're asleep.

Wood splinters, glass shatters, a howl tears through the silence and rips you from your sleep. You nearly trip running to the window. The back door to the barn hangs torn and broken on its hinges and a large dark figure darts into the woods. Your heart thuds in a panic.

“Shit!” You snatch the flashlight and tranq gun off your nightstand and follow.

You should have put on shoes. And pants. Hunting a werewolf in the middle of the night in nothing but an oversized tee suddenly doesn't seem like the brightest idea. It had rained while you slept and the ground is soft mud under your feet. Wet leaves brush against your legs. Your eyes scan the trees, your head turns at every rustle, every snap of a twig, and you try to control your breathing.

The two of you had talked about this, planned for it. You'd practiced with the tranq gun until the use of it became second nature, but it's as if your brain has been wiped clean. The gun feels awkward in your sweaty palm.

Something moves to your right. You turn, training your flashlight beam on the disturbed foliage, but nothing's there. Not anymore. In the mud you find tracks too big to belong to any animal. The silence is oppressive, and your stomach tangles itself in knots.

“Please don't let my boyfriend gut me in the woods behind our house,” you whisper before moving deeper into the dark.

The tracks end in the middle of a clearing. The moonlight makes the tall slick grass look like a lake of silver. Your eyes search the clearing, the treeline, before turning to the sky. The moon sits heavy and solemn, a silent observer.

“He's a good man,” you whisper to it, as if that makes any difference.

A low growl sends you spinning, searching, and you realize you fucked up. You're exposed and the grass suddenly seems too tall. You start slowly toward the treeline, watching the grass around you for any signs of movement. Every muscle in your body wants to run, your brain screams for it, run for the house, run to safety. Instead you place your feet carefully and hold your breath.

Something blocks out the moon, casting the earth around you into darkness. The skin at the back of your neck prickles and icewater floods your veins.

He's behind you.

You tighten your grip on the tranq gun, wishing you’d wiped the sweat off your hands. You turn with the gun raised and fire. The wolf--Frank--catches your arm with his, knocking the shot wide and sending the gun flying. His claws slash you across the chest, tearing through your shirt and skin. You stumble, tripping over your own feet, and land hard on your back, the impact knocking the air out of you. The ground shakes as his clawed hands come down heavily on either side of you. Frank's face is close to yours as he growls low in his throat. His lips pull back with the sound, revealing sharp teeth eager to devour you.

“Frank,” you say, clear and loud, holding his gaze--his eyes the only part of him you recognize. Your heart is hammering in your chest, and your shredded skin is burning, but you swallow your fear. You have to be calm, you have to trust. “Frank Castle.” It's a call and you pray he hears it. You think you see a flash of recognition in his eyes. He leans in towards your neck and you squeeze your eyes shut, preparing yourself for the pain. There's another rumble of sound deep in his chest. It sounds like thunder and you feel his hot breath on your skin. You hear a sharp sniff and risk turning your head, glancing down. He's smelling you, breathing you in deep like he does before every transformation. He's remembering you. The breath you don't realize you’re holding leaves your lungs in a shaky sigh. A quick flash of lightning rips across the sky and a warm, gentle rain starts to fall. Frank gives your neck a slow lick and you run a hand through his fur, the adrenaline seeping out of your body and into the ground.

He knows you, you're safe.

“Frank,” you whisper, and he whines softly in response, nuzzling your neck. You close your eyes, fingers curling in his fur. His hands find the tear in your shirt and rip the fabric further, exposing your body to the night. He licks the wound at your chest with his rough, warm tongue and the pain dissipates, the bleeding stops. Lightning and thunder split the sky and the rain starts to pour as he moves down your body, positioning his great head between your thighs. The languid strokes of his tongue make you writhe, make you moan. Another flash of lightning illuminates Frank's eyes, holding you in their hungry gaze and you let your head fall back against the muddy earth, moaning his name, begging for more. You're eager to take him and when he pulls away you turn over. Your fingers sink into the mud as he sinks into you. He's rough and fast, and his hand finds your neck, pulling you up to meet his chest. There's a rumble in his chest to rival the thunder when he comes. The tension in you snaps and your body shudders, warmth flooding your thighs. You fall limp against him as the rain cools your skin, and the two of you remain like that until your breathing settles.

Frank lays you on the grass and curls behind you, pulling you into the safety of his arms, the warmth of his chest, and the two of you fall asleep under the watchful eye of the moon.

[godlizzza]

OH for the holiday prompts what about teen Dan attempting to gift Herbert a promise ring for Christmas or somethin? Could end up being fluffy or angsty i just love your high school sweethearts either way

"I feel like I'm in a snow globe," Dan said, turning in a circle, eyes tipped up toward the white sky.

Herbert clicked his tongue. "Maybe because we're walking in the actual snow?"

Dan dropped his chin down to aim an unimpressed look at Herbert. "I'm talking about the scenery, not just the snow. I mean, look." He spread his arms out, indicating the little trail edging along the forest they'd been walking along for the past twenty minutes. "It's pretty beautiful, you've gotta admit."

Herbert did have to admit it. With the soft, powdery snow falling on the landscape, everything looked like it had been dusted with icing sugar. The grass was blanketed by a layer of snow. Glittering icicles hung from the bare tree branches overhead, dripping crystalline water to the earth below. Snowflakes drifted from the sky, almost as though they were suspended in time. With no other people around for miles, the only sounds were the tweeting of birds, the crunch of their boots as they walked, and Dan's cooing at the squirrels scaling nearby trees.

"It's nice," Herbert allowed, accepting Dan's hand when he held it out.

Dan grinned and gave Herbert's hand, snug inside his mitten, a light squeeze. "Ice-cream is nice. Teachers forgetting to assign homework is nice. Snow on Christmas? Now, that's perfect."

"It's not Christmas yet," Herbert corrected him. "There's still-" He checked his watch. "-Nine hours and thirteen minutes until Christmas."

"Mmm, and I really hope Santa brings me what I want this year."

"What you want, Santa can't give you."

"Oh, really? And why's that?"

"Because Christmas isn't an X-rated holiday," Herbert droned and Dan laughed, his breath clouding in the air in front of him.

"Dang. Guess I'll have to wait 'til Valentines Day," he joked.

Herbert smirked. "Yes, and we won't be ice-skating this time."

Dan grinned but didn't offer an answering quip. They walked on in silence for a few minutes, hand-in-hand, watching the icy pines and remnants of day-old snowmen as they passed. Herbert's nose had stopped running and his ears felt toasty beneath his beanie. He'd been against the idea of driving all the way out here just so they could walk around in the snow, but Dan had been insistent and Herbert didn't want to disappoint him on Christmas Eve, so he'd caved and agreed to it. Now, he was glad they were here. Any chance to be alone with only Dan always proved to be worth it.

Eventually, Herbert noticed a slight frown on Dan's face. His thick eyebrows were drawn together beneath his knitted cap and he was staring at the ground as he walked. Herbert paused, wondering if Dan was feeling under the weather but didn't want to say anything lest it spoil the mood.

"Dan?" Herbert asked. "What's wrong?"

Dan blinked and looked up at him. "Hm?"

Herbert squinted at him through the slight fog misting up his glasses. "You look like something's bothering you."

They had both stopped walking now and were stood, facing each other. Their hands were still linked and Dan reached up with his free hand to scratch his chin.

"Um, nothing's bothering me," he said, though he glanced away as he did.

Herbert pursed his lips before crossing his arms. "Fine," he sighed. "Be that way. I was only trying to do the nice thing and ask about what was on your mind. But if you don't want to confide in me, your boyfriend of over a year, that's just fine. Even if it is the season of giving and you can't even give me an honest answer-"

"Okay, okay!" Dan relented, holding his arms up in surrender. "Geez. Using the spirit of Christmas to guilt trip me? Talk about low."

Herbert smirked triumphantly, having to stick his chin up so the collar of his puffer jacket didn't swallow half his face. "Whatever. It worked. Now, tell me your secret."

"It's not a secret," Dan sighed. He was pouting now, his cheeks splotchy and pink, and Herbert hazarded a guess that it wasn't just from the cold. He dug his hands into his pockets, bouncing restlessly from foot-to-foot. "I just had something I wanted to give you."

Herbert raised his eyebrows at this. "I thought we did gifts already?"

"We did," Dan replied. "But this is...something extra. Something I've wanted to give you even before now with the holidays and everything."

He drew his hand from his pocket, holding a small box. He pulled the lid off with shaking fingers, revealing two twin bands of silver nestled amongst a plush black cushion. Herbert stared at it, his brain drawing a blank as he watched the light filtering through the clouds sparkle off the curved metal. He glanced up at Dan, who couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to stare at Herbert or the ground. His cheeks were crimson now, nearly as bright as his red sweater.

"What is this?" Herbert asked. "Are you proposing right now?"

"No," Dan said hurriedly, nearly dropping the box. "I'm not...talking about getting married, even if we could. But I wanted to give you this because..."

He fumbled for words for a few moments sighing and reaching for Herbert's hands. Herbert gave them willingly, and Dan crowded their hands around the box, pressing Herbert's mittens to the plush velvet. When he looked at Herbert again, his eyes were calm and earnest.

"I love you. I love you more than anything, and this past year of us being together has been amazing. I want to keep doing that forever. You're the only person I want to be with, Herbert. The only person I can imagine loving for the rest of my life."

Herbert's heart swooned in his chest and he had to fight to keep himself upright and not melt into a puddle at Dan's words. They had both said their declarations of love some time ago, and had frequently expressed similar sentiments to each other since, but it still made Herbert's stomach flutter to hear Dan speak like that. Like Herbert really was the shining center to the universe, the nucleus of all things good.

Herbert had to swallow against how dry his throat had become. "That sounds a lot like a proposal to me."

Dan smiled softly, some snowflakes catching in his eyelashes. "Think of it less like a legal contract and more just like...a promise. A promise to each other to keep loving each other, no matter what happens."

"Dan," Herbert whispered. Now it was his turn to look at the ground. He couldn't take the surge of emotions crashing against his ribs, threatening to pull him under and look into Dan's homey brown eyes. It was too much to handle at once. "You know I could never...never not love you..."

A quiet wounded noise sounded from Dan's throat but Herbert knew him well enough to know it was a reflection of what Herbert was feeling, which was: too much. Dan let go of Herbert's hands to reach into the box and pluck out the rings. He held them up before him and Herbert finally looked back up to meet Dan's shining gaze.

"Herbert," he said, voice soft as a snowflake. "Would you wear this?"

Herbert tugged his mitten off and presented his pale, freezing fingers to Dan. "Of course, I will. As part of your Christmas present, of course."

The corner of Dan's mouth crinkled on one side. "Of course."

He thread Herbert's finger through the ring before pulling off his glove and slipping his own ring on. They held hands again, watching the way the light reflected off their matching silver bands. Despite what Dan had said, Herbert definitely felt like this was only one step removed from marriage. But, if it was what Dan wanted and it would make him happy, Herbert would do it.

"I love you," Dan said softly and Herbert smiled.

He leaned in to kiss Dan once before saying into his ear, "I love you too. Merry Christmas."

[steve0discusses]

Episode 47 S5: Mana Runs too Slow and it Kills 2 People

Tumblr decided to change the way it does image posts so this is going to be my hell. I can only have max 30 "blocks" of images (yikes) and uploading all your images at once and then just adding text in between is actually not possible! (least it's a nightmare on browser. I have not figured out how to drag my text in between images, so I'm just uploading every image one by one and hoping I don't forget one)

thanks, I hate it!

Peeking up at us over the horizon, our end of the world apocalypse has reached the next step of his rampage: which is to shoot glowing missiles out of it's Dragon crotch until Egypt is destroyed.

Seto is doing his best to look productive, but unfortunately this is Sad Seto, who is still buffering.

Just uh...give him a minute. He has to remember how to be Seto.

(read more under the cut)

I'm pretty sure Kissara told him straight up to call her whenever, and considering how few words they've ever said to each other, you'd think he'd remember the words she said like half an hour ago. Then again, he was kind of...sleeping when that happened. Or hallucinating, or dreaming, or all three.

Bakura and Yami are watching this pan out from the Shadow Game Zone, Bakura kind of nodding slowly while Yami becomes overwhelmed with embarrassment over how much everyone around him is screwing it. This is not meant to be funny, but it was very funny to me.

I have brought this up before, but Bakura does bring up a good point, that this entire arc was kind of against the grain of who Yami became over the course of the last 4 seasons.

+++++STAND BACK I'M GONNA RANT, FEEL FREE TO SKIP++++

Don't get me wrong, Yami LOVES to make bad choices that end the world. But why would he continue to go back here and destroy the world of the future he knows and loves so much? Especially since it already went SO south with Dartz the last time he opened pandora's box?

He has a new identity now, he has so many friends, last arc was just so many women throwing themselves at Yugi. His life is really good! I think they could have developed more of a line of logic between last arc and this arc, but like with a lot of things in this arc, it was rushed.

So him giving up his newfound modern identity that he made all himself through hard work and friendship first off feels kinda bad. Like I'm OK with him being a new guy, he worked hard for that! Lets not go backward now.

And then him coming here to regain his old identity is sort of like the show knew what it must do, but the characters were like "nah." and then went and did it anyway seemingly at gunpoint.

And I kind of wish there was any contrast between who Yami's new identity is in the future and who Yami was in the past. It would be fascinating to dive into the fact he's now two people yet again, even though Yugi is no longer in that bean. but eh save it for the fanfiction, because they needed to end Yugioh in a certain number of episodes.

And that happens sometimes. Stories are character driven, and when you try and drive the characters, they become less like people and more like iconic symbols. Here's our hero. He must do this because he's the hero. That's it, that's the reason. Welcome to Shonen Jump.

+++++++END RANT AKA THIS ARC HAS COOL IDEAS AND I WISH IT HAD ENOUGH TIME TO DO THEM BETTER++++++++

Problem is, Yami isn't that meta. He's dumb though, so in a way it does make a little sense why he had to open the box. He dummy thin.

Dummy thin and still can't read.

And like in case you've jumped in here after my accidental hiatus (hello!) and not realized this, I had to binge watch the rest of the season before we cancelled our Hulu subscription. There was the option of watching it for free on the Yugioh website, but I didn't want to change my Photoshop actions.

So get ready for me to talk about how the ending of this show bothered me, for like 8 episodes. I'll try to keep it in, so we can get there when we get there.

But you can't say lines like "We were meant to be together." in the context of this arc, you can't DO that, show.

Apparently the creator of Yugioh got hospitalized while he wrote this arc, hence the dick king demon. But also it got....messy. We have like 3 seasons of development in like 8 episodes, buckle up. They did the best that they could do with the resource's given, and we'll even get to meet my favorite character a few times before it's over (the Storyboarding God that occasionally guest stars on Yugioh, love that guy)

Back on the playing field, Yami is running out of options, when Isis informs us we can just go to McDonald's and get more McGuffins.

Out of basically no where, Mana zips onto the screen because she's ready to have at least one girl's night before the end of the world. The contrasting energy from both Mana and Isis is peak goth babysitter vs the parrot that hides behind the couch and bites your feet.

Back near Pharaoh's tomb, Yugi is still dueling over a deathpit with the child who these kids think is Ryou bakura.

This is not however, Ryou Bakura. It's sideways adjacent evil Bakura.

And it didn't really matter that this plot point ever happened because it's not like Yugi, Joey, or Tea ever catch on that this isn't Ryou anyway. But at least I, the audience can feel a little bit better about the weird twist by the dub there.

Ryou is still passed out on some stone steps. He's fine.

You might be wondering "Oh so what asinine thing is Isis going to have to do to get the items back?" and uh, you're wrong actually.

Turns out we could have just picked up the items in the desert at any time but I guess we forgot. I'll blame it on Shadi.

Joey Wheeler, who can punch out probably anything but a ghost, chooses to hide behind Tea because he knows she can punch a ghost and I believe it, too.

Back on the surface, is a scene that would have been emotional if it hadn't been 3 minutes. it was NOT enough time to give a proper send off to our girl Isis here, and they tried, but if you imagine the Yakety Sax song playing under this death here, that's about the speed at which this girl biffed it.

speaking of Yakety Sax theme, this is what was happening while Mana was crying her eyes out.,

And you may ask, was it really that goofy? and yes, yes it was.

and like I get it, animation and pacing are really, really hard. Parts of me wonder if maybe on paper this seemed OK. If maybe even as a storyboard this seemed OK. But something you learn quickly when doing any sort of narrative art, is that you need like 2x as much space as you think you do. Pause is an underrated godlike skill that takes a lifetime to master.

However, it still had good stills going on, it still had some lovely direction just...I mean they dropped Isis from top to bottom of that frame so freakin fast it was like she was a dropped banana hahaha.

They still have to carry these items physically to the Pharaoh, and so becuase Mana is a slow runner, 2 people freakin died this episode distracting Zorc. Which is also the title of this episode because I want to send home howfreakin funny that is to me.

Ah, back to Episode 1.

So how breathtaking and epic is the Kaiju fight you ask? Well good thing for you, I capped it.

The look on Seto and Yami's faces about sum it up.

And as quickly as he showed up to do a few silly punches, the great Exodia was cut exactly in half. Don't ask me how the card logic works for that, I have forgotten how this game works already.

Mana finally makes it to Yami, cursed puzzle in hand, and that ends this episode.

Can you imagine adding 7 characters to a story knowing you have to kill all of them individually before the anime arc is over? Breakneck deaths going on here.

Sorry for all you people that were so deeply attached to Shimon, the guy who isn't even Grandpa, by the way. A moment of silence for all 4 of you.

And we get back this thing. This horrible thing made out of thousands of dead people's souls. The thing that trapped him for 5000 years and launched him into the future. The only thing that can save mankind.

(If I have used this Mokuba joke like this before forgive me it was like a different lifetime before I caught covid, and I will not be able to regain those memories because I cannot curse myself with a rude ass puzzle.)

The abusive relationship with the Millennium Puzzle is a whole anime college essay I would write if I had half a brain, but alas I have the immune system and fatigue of a sickly gerbil or a goldfish that feels a little bit chilly. So I will not be writing that in depth episode but like...

Think about how far we've come with this jackass puzzle. And yet, I'm supposed to forgive it? Nah I don't think I have yet. Go to hell, puzzle.

This puzzle can go straight to hell.

Anyway, if you just got here you can read these recaps in chrono order at the link here:

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

PS I had to do so much assholery to get that to go to my chrono link and not my main link. They would just. Change my link. They would just change my link every time I pasted it. Tumblr you have GOT to give me my old post editor back omg.

[libcaro]

The "I forgive you" analysis no one asked and probably no one needs and PROBABLY someone already did but wth

just analyze this out loud with me, correct me if I'm remembering things wrong. S1 Crowley is cursing the great big plan, Azira says something like "may god forgive you" and he replies "I'm not forgivable, that is inside a demon's job description". they fight, part ways because Crowley is scared of the end of the world and doesn't want to be there since they couldn't stop it, he gives up, and Azira debates if telling Crowley is a good idea and that he only needs to reach the right people, heaven people but as we know he fails, everyone wants the end of the world happening even head office.

Now the offer in season 1, Crowley has been discovered as the one who messed up the "changing of babies thingy", and runs to Azira to leave together before they find him. they talk again and Crowley says mean things to him, how stupid he is for believing all will be resolved by just talking to the "right people" when all of us know they don't care. he says "I forgive you" this time coming directly from him, letting him know that he is indeed forgivable and that what he said was again, offending God or something like that.

THEN! They are fighting again, because of the same thing, Crowley expressing his real feelings "I would like to spend..." We all supposed he meant "the rest of my time with you" or something of the sort. then Azira is like come to me to Heaven, I will do things right and yada yada yada and AGAIN, Crowley is like no! They put you through literal hell, let's run, yada yada, AGAIN! (XD) Crowley puts the bookshop on the table, Azira will leave that behind too, he is about to leave! Azira stops him "I need you! You don't know what I'm offering you" (Here I would like to suppose that idea some people have(me included) that he was indeed a powerful angel in his days and knows exactly what he is talking about) then Azira gives up "there is nothing else to say" Crowley pushes the issue now, "We could have been ... us" because the bloody idiot can't say "couple" yet (XD).

Then he kissed him, we all agree is because he was trying to convince him to stay and yes... we could say he was, like he tried to convince him before but not with his body 😏, with reasoning, like the whole first chapter S1 interaction between them was Crowley trying to convince him to stop the Armageddon with him. huh now I'm discovering myself here also, how Crowley is always kind of tempting Azira to do different from what it's thought as an angel🤔.

Anyway, having all of this in mind, his face after the kiss goes from shocked to... kind of angry, he might be thinking again "he is just trying to deviate me from the path of God, again". deep down the little Angel hasn't given up the idea of good and bad, he deep down believes he is the "good" one and Crowley is the "bad" one just because, I'll dare to say, superficial things, their status, clothes, way of being, ignoring how Crowley has done good and Azira has done bad things, is a matter of choice for Angels and Demons as well as humans. deep down I think Crowley thinks this way too, "it's what I'm supposed to do" he kind of established that when he said he is unforgivable. now the "I forgive you" at the end is Azira recalling himself and Crowley they are from opposite sides and his duty is in heaven. he touches his lips as if to process the whole thing, but then leaves anyway though he hesitates for a bit, he believes Crowley is deep down a good person but that dichotomy never leaves their minds. "don't bother" is like him saying, "don't waste your energies trying to spare my soul as you had before because this is a lost cause, the ineffable plan, what is meant to happen always, we are always on opposites sides" Azira still cares about the sides, even though he strives for good authentically, he hasn't disposed yet of "me an angel you a demon".