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crimsonender · 1 day ago

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A small but important announcement/update

Hi guys. As you may have known about three months ago I got into a public argument with Youtuber and music creator Patricia Taxxon. It was messy and angry and there was a lot of interpersonal conflict and issues involved. I made two videos relating to this because I believed that Taxxon posed an active threat to vulnerable people.

My feelings, right now, are a lot more complicated. I have in hindsight, developed some nuance regarding the situation. I am not renouncing Jules Hyde, or his feelings regarding their interpersonal conflict. But, I think that is largely none of my business and did not warrant making a video that amounted to a a massive callout.

I do not think it was the right thing to do. This goes beyond what happened between myself and Orchard, someone who I approached as a critic that was examining her creative works and has proven over and over again to be callous, using thought-stopping techniques and regressive tactics to control her fans, beyond just having skeletons in her closet. Those skeletons are not what drew me to Orchard nor why I criticized her to begin with.

Taking this argument off of Tumblr and onto Youtube was my biggest mistake in all of this. However, this goes beyond that.

I tend to afford people a lot of grace, at least when they're my friends. I have afforded absolutely none of that grace to Taxxon.

I would also like to acknowledge, of the troubling actions she has taken, all of these happened when she was very young. A person I would still consider a kid. That doesn't mean those actions were okay, but it does mean she should be given a chance to heal and grow and hope that she will never do something like that again. To my knowledge there is no proof of any tangible wrongdoings since she was young, or at least, none of the contentious nature in which I discussed on my video.

I do not agree with many of Taxxon's opinions. I continue to maintain that you should have strict boundaries with anyone you meet on the internet, including your favourite Youtubers and Artists. I think some of the things she has said in the past and the present disturb and make me uncomfortable. I have been asking myself "does this warrant a Youtube stream calling her out and the fuss I kicked up?"

The answer I keep coming back to is "no." Being uncomfortable is not the same as being hurt. I don't have to like what she said. I can even argue against that rhetoric and idea. That is the nature of the internet. But what I did and what I attempted are far too close to "predator hunting" for me to continue to let it stand.

I have spoken to several people that were involved in my side of things and have alluded to these things to them in private. But for pretty much everyone this is the first time I am revealing this: I reached out to Taxxon for a private conversation, over Bluesky. (She has me blocked on tumblr, so this could be considered block evading.) She did not ask me to do this nor alluded that she wanted to do this. No one told me to do this. She is aware that I am making this post and I have discussed with her what actions will be taken in the future. I will not show you these messages, not in private, nor in public. If Taxxon chooses to do this, that is her choice and I respect it. I will trust that she won't take me out of context and will present my communication honestly. She has no reason not to. Please keep in mind this situation is still in development.

A few questions I anticipate people asking:

What now? Well, I have unlisted the original stream. The document I used for notes and screenshots will have two changes: I will be altering the text colours and background to be more readable, but will change none of the contents, besides this second change: A note at the top detailing my current stance, along with a link to this post. I will likely be unlisting or potentially privating the second stream I did, or cutting the section covering Taxxon out entirely. My decisions regarding the second video are mixed. The actions I take following all of this have not been strictly ironed out and are currently in development.

So are you and Jules not talking now? No. I also spoke to Jules about much of this. I don't really agree with or like how Taxxon treated Jules but again, this stemmed as a conflict between friends. I also think it is well within Jules right to want to distance himself and his film from Taxxon. I also understand where she's coming from. Largely I think the festival fee issue comes from a misunderstanding and breakdown of communication, and from Taxxon and Jules viewing the project and festival in very different ways from one another.

So do you think Taxxon is innocent? It really doesn't matter what I think. The testimony I heard was from an event that happened back when Taxxon was a kid. To my knowledge, there are no other proven real "victims" of Taxxon. I think she should learn better boundaries and start age gating some of her hornier videos but I don't think that constitutes as ontologically evil in the way I was presenting her.

What about [x person who has been criticizing Taxxon that you have shown to have a friendly relationship with]? I think we all need to chill out a little about the pred hunting shit. I think some of the opinions that have filtered into much of the critcism border on transphobic and are things I would never agree with. I don't think it's constructive and its just getting everyone worked up, to the point we see things that aren't there and recognize patterns that don't really weave together into anything. I can't tell anyone what to do. I can teach, to a general audience, what good boundaries and internet etiquette looks like. I can demonstrate the importance of admitting when you were wrong or made a mistake. I cannot force anyone to do anything. I understand for some of my cohorts and audience that this may be a dealbreaker. I'm sorry I disappointed you. But I am more sorry for allowing my paranoia that made me frame Taxxon not as a person but as a Monster.

I will not be posting about Taxxon and her activities or opinions going forward. I ask that anyone in my Discord and other communities to do the same and not to ask me about her either. What happened here may be part of a larger conversation I will have going forward but for the forseeable future, I will be keeping Taxxon's name out of my mouth.

And finally, to address the trans stuff:

The capacity for someone to perpetuate harm, and the capacity for them to benefit from that harm are not necessarily congruent with one another.

Myself and Patricia are both trans. There are stereotypes about trans men and trans women created by cis people that hurt both of us. The only people that truly benefit from that are cis people. I fell for those stereotypes and perpetuated them in a way that caused Taxxon harm. Trans women are not inherently dangerous just because they have unconventional interests and to not give them the same grace as every other group is transphobic. Taxxon also perpetuated stereotypes about me created by cis people that caused me harm. Trans men deserve empathy and understanding and shutting them out of conversations that affect their ability to live is transphobic. Us hurting each other even if, largely, it was at the hands of our respective audiences, is not constructive. It benefits neither of us. It hurts us and it hurts the community at large.

I hope that Taxxon finds the space to heal and grow. She deserves the grace to have messy relationships and explore things as she figures herself out and finds her place in the world as a young person, without the internet breathing down her neck and demanding her to be held accountable every time she scratches her ass the wrong way. (EDIT: I mean to say, people are criticizing her reactions to movie trailers with the same weight as her contentious behaviour.) I'm sorry for making a mess of things. I'm sorry that I asked Patricia to be the perfect minority. I do not demand nor do I expect forgiveness but it is important to me that my audience understands my position going forward.

I will not be covering this kind of thing in the future. In the past 48 hours two people unconnected to my YT channel recognized me in unrelated spaces. I have to contend with the fact that as I grow as a creator, my words carry more weight. They can damage people in a way that an unknown can't. I don't get the benefit of shouting into the void as I once did. I will go forward interacting with other creators first and foremost as a coworker and a critic, not as a watchdog. Never again. No good can come of it.

Thank you for reading, and feel free to ask me questions in the replies of this post.

EDIT: I've gotten a lot of mixed responses to this post. Please understand that this is not my complete thoughts and I'm still working to present you with something that will hopefully, for all parties, be a more satisfactory end to this. This was an initial break of tension and an announcement that I am currently at this time formulating my thoughts into something cohesive and presentable. Not on the exact time table that I initially planned to start talking about this, but as I said, there is more to come. Thank you for your patience.

#Patricia Taxxon #cilantromixture #crimsonender

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monabee-draws · 3 days ago

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Character Motivation, Inciting Incidents, and Veilguard Backgrounds

Okay, big title for what will likely be a short post but I hope this draws out some cool idea-generation from the fandom. [Spoiler, it got long and out of hand, apologies.]

One crucial aspect of the origin stories in Dragon Age Origins is that it answers the question "Why the hell is the protagonist out here?" in an incredibly definitive way. None of the warden candidates start out wanting to be a warden. Many of them are full-on coerced into it at the end of their storylines by Duncan, and the choice is taken away from them as part of their narrative. They aren't presented with any other option. This is echoed in both Hawke and the Inquisitor's 'inciting incidents' even if we never see their background play out before the tale begins: Hawke is running from the Blight and not only has to leave home, but is actively corralled into going to Kirkwall and staying there by his deal with Asha'bellanar. There is no other option for them - Carver says so outright ("The Wilds are to the south, that's no way out.") The Inquisitor is faced, similarly to a Warden Tabris, with the threat of being hunted down and killed if they don't accept the protection that comes along with playing Herald. You begin the story in chains, and the condition of your release is effacing yourself to become what the Inquisition needs you to become.

None of these stories offer any kind of meaningful alternative to the direction the protagonist must follow to begin the narrative. If Hawke tries to sell or lose the amulet, it reappears. If someone refuses to drink from the chalice at the Joining, Duncan kills them. The Inquisitor has to play along just long enough to prove their innocence to the wider world, and by that point it's impossible to get out of it.

By contrast, Veilguard assumes Rook wants to be here without offering us any reason for them to be (positive or negative.) Now, I'm sure you want to say 'but their backgrounds!' but please, hear me out first. "Rook is a heroic character, they're a good person who wants to save the world and hey the world needs saving!" is a very 'Guardians of the Galaxy' character motivation: Greg lives in the universe so they would very much like said universe to continue existing. From one perspective, this supports Rook's characterisation as (almost) too selfless. Of course they jump onto the Solas bandwagon with Varric and go off to save the world! They're a hero, that's what heroes do. However, this is true of literally everyone in Thedas (except for some reason the Venatori and Antaam, though I guess they want the world to survive in a very specific way, so.) What makes Rook's heroism special? The lack of ability to insert nuance here harms Rook's 'Realness' as a protagonist. We cannot actively roleplay the kind of motivations that would push someone to travel with strangers away from everything they've ever known in pursuit of quarry they're not even sure they understand (Rook is confused in the introduction about Solas' many names, which I read as poor explanation on Varric and Harding's part of the true nature of their quarry; additionally, Laidir's letter from Isabela implies that Varric hasn't really explained Solas to Rook yet in the 'Six Months Ago' letter.)

Yes, each backstory justifies why Rook cannot go home, but why does Rook go with Varric? This aspect of the story is written around - Varric is there and Rook always cares about him. But why? Why not lay low somewhere until your faction drama blows over? For certain backgrounds leaving isn't even required, just suggested, and you could easily relocate your operations for a little while (GW, SD) or stay home away from work (MW, VJ.) Only a Crow and LoF Rook could reasonably expect to be hunted down and killed even if they laid low, maybe Shadow Dragon at a push. The backgrounds are written in such a way as to justify why Varric might see a spark of good in Rook, but give little to no reason why Rook would consider following that spark to work with Varric. I reiterate here: Taking a hard stance and writing Rook as a heroic character IS FINE, but even heroes have motivation. We as the audience NEED to see that to become invested. Not everyone is willing or able to make things up to fill this gap.

This is why, like many others, I think we should have had the opportunity to play through our origin missions rather than merely reading them in character creation/having information drip fed to us (if you're lucky and play a MW or Crow Rook) or not be expanded upon at all during the game. [Disclaimer: Yes wardens absolutely get the most reactivity but not in a way that explains who Rook was, which wardens they knew or areas they worked in, or anything beyond them knowing Antoine and Evka from before.] Show us how we meet Varric, and why we should care about him. Plenty of Tabris' probably hate Duncan, plenty of Broscas and Aeducans probably love him. But all origins give the player the groundwork to decide how that dynamic is going to play out before the character exits the narrative. So when Duncan haunts it - through Alistair, through Loghain, through Wynne's dialogues about duty and sacrifice and through the Landsmeet decisions - it actively draws out an emotional connection.

Veilguard gets away with handwaving a lot of emotional investment because it trusts players have played at least one game with Varric in it already - and if you have, of course you'd love him and follow him to save the world. It is practically impossible to not be friends with Varric in DA2 and Inquisition (unless you make very erratic, specific decisions on purpose.) Would Rook be any different? But there's the rub - Rook doesn't get to decide if they are any different. There is only one option - to travel with Varric to help stop Solas. But because that is never defined - we never see the lack of alternatives, we are never faced with the Blight or the Wilds - the motivation along this single path never arrives. All Wardens have to stop the Blight. All Hawkes have to survive. All Inquisitors have to become the Herald. But we get to see the moments in which that non-choice is made, and it is a crucial moment to understand who a character is, and what kind of narrative they live in, and why they maintain forward momentum along that path. Rook's story is a hero's story - specifically the kind where they actively decide to be that hero - but we never get to be there when the difficulty of that choice occurs.

All that to say, in the end, that I am deeply curious why YOUR Rook decided to try and save the world. What is their relationship with Varric? With the task at hand? If you had to write the recruitment mission or Inciting Incident to reflect your Rook's morals, beliefs, motivations and relation to Varric, what would it look like? These are big questions I wish we could have played out even basically in Veilguard proper, but I'd still like to know. It's a question I struggle with for all of my Rooks, and there's great fanon out there. It would have been nice to not have to rely on that.

#dragon age the veilguard #dragon age meta #veilguard critical #i think its a nuanced take but i know some folks would prefer not to see crit on the dash which is cool #rook dragon age #datv #veilguard #varric tethras #dragon age origins

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twins-write · 17 hours ago

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Half a Truth is Still a Lie

Pairing: Evan Buckley x Fem!Reader

Summary: Buck finally finds out about Y/N's feelings and asks her on a date... but is it a real date, or just a ploy to make Veronica jealous?

Based on 4x08, when Albert invites Buck to a double date with him and Veronica

Warnings: None, just a bit angsty. Could be classified as hurt-comfort.

Notes: Finally posting again! I involved a lot of best friend Eddie as well... I couldn't resist. Hope you guys like this one <3

Word Count: 8.06k.

Author Signature: 🦋

The 118 pulled up to the scene they were called to, hopping out of the firetruck, but not taking any action as they watched a negotiator talk to the armed criminal who was pacing on top of the roof.

“And how did he manage to get up there?” Y/N asked with raised brows while Buck and Eddie chuckled next to her, the former shaking his head as he shrugged, “Guess he wanted to try and prevent himself from getting arrested.”

“Looks like he’s doing a good job.” Eddie commented, scoffing in slight disbelief as they stood next to the firetruck, watching the negotiator try his best to talk the criminal down.

“Oh, look- Taylor’s here.” Buck stated, pointing to the reporter that stood a good distance away from them, talking about the incident to the camera.

Y/N rolled her eyes, the girl having not liked the reporter since the day she met her, but for some reason, it seemed Buck had taken a slight liking to her- especially considering he had slept with her before.

That may be another reason Y/N didn’t like her all that much.

“While we sit here doing nothing, let me continue telling you about Veronica and how Albert-”

Eddie groaned, interrupting his friend, “This again?”

“What?” Buck asked in an offended tone while Y/N shook her head at him, “You’ve been talking about them the whole time we’ve been on shift. That’s six hours.”

“So?” Buck scoffed, “You guys are my friends, aren’t you supposed to listen to me rant?”

The girl next to him shrugged, “Yeah, technically, but you’ve been repeating the same thing over and over. We get it- you had a bad date, bad date girl happens to live on the same floor as you, your roommate took a liking to said bad date girl, and bam, you caught your roommate in her apartment in nothing but a towel.”

She then turned and looked at him with raised brows, “Does that sound about right?”

Eddie laughed while Buck sighed in slight defeat, “Yeah.”

“Why are you so mad about it anyways?” The girl asked him curiously, turning her attention back to the male who was pacing on the roof.

“What do you mean? You don’t think I have a right to be mad?” The blonde male questioned.

She shrugged, “I mean… from what you’ve been saying… you didn’t like her all that much. Why do you have a problem with Albert dating her?”

“It’s bro-code!” Buck argued, causing Y/N to turn to Eddie, “Eds, what do you think?”

Eddie raised his hands in mock surrender, “Oh no- do not bring me into this.”

Buck turned to him quickly, “What? Traitor!”

“I didn’t agree or disagree with you!” Eddie replied in slight disbelief that his friend was now annoyed with him.

“Fine. Whatever. I’ll go talk to someone who will listen to me.” Buck said before walking in Taylor’s direction, causing Y/N to scoff, rolling her eyes as she yelled after him, “We have been listening to you for the past six hours!”

Buck didn’t reply nor turn around, only continuing on his path to talk to the red-head, which Y/N realized- releasing a sigh as she watched him begin to converse with her.

Eddie gave her a knowing look, causing the girl to look at him with furrowed brows, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Looking at you like what?” He asked, giving her the same look- the one that implied that he knew something.

She pointed at his face, “Like that!”

He pursed his lips, giving her a small shrug, “I don’t know, just seems like you’re jealous of a certain someone.”

Then he glanced at Taylor, causing Y/N to follow his gaze. She laughed, “You’re joking, right?”

Eddie raised his brows, “No.”

“I’m not jealous of Taylor- of all people.” Y/N told him, annoyance covering her tone.

Eddie looked away from her, mumbling something under his breath.

The girl looked at him and spoke sarcastically, “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

He repeated himself so she could actually hear him this time, “Maybe you’re just jealous that Buck is giving her attention because you see him as more than a friend and he doesn’t realize it.”

“I-” She began, only to stop talking, knowing he was right. The girl sighed, leaning her back against the fire engine, allowing her head to thunk into the side, “You’re right.”

“I know.” Eddie chuckled, leaning next to her and patting her shoulder gently, “You should just tell him.”

“And, what? Make every shift awkward? No thanks.” She said, shaking her head at his suggestion.

“I don’t think that’s how it’d turn out, but okay.” The Diaz male shrugged, deciding to drop the conversation as they walked closer to the rest of their team- minus Buck.

Her and Eddie stood to the left side of Hen, who was sitting down on the side of the fire engine, Chimney and Bobby standing to Hen’s right.

The group sat quietly, listening to the criminal yell while he walked around the roof, “You shut up! You’re a liar! You said you’d help me find a way out.”

“I didn’t mean with a helicopter.” The negotiator quickly replied, gaining a shout from the criminal, “Shut up! I need to think!”

“Eh… should’ve tried thinking before he ended up on a roof.” Eddie stated, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning against the side of the engine again, “I mean, he cornered himself.”

“That there is a whole series of bad life choices culminating in this one unfortunate moment. It’d be tragic if it wasn’t so moronic.” Hen replied.

“Why don’t they just storm the roof?” Chimney questioned, “It’s not that high. We can give ‘em a ladder.”

Bobby shrugged, “It’s a tactic negotiators use to drag out the process in order to wear down the suspect. Eventually they hit a breaking point.”

“Or we do.” Chimney said in response.

“Yeah, you got that right.” Y/N scoffed, shaking her head and looking at Bobby, “Shouldn’t we set an airbag below the roof or something incase he falls?”

He shook his head, “We don’t want to make him think we’re going to push him off or anything. He might just panic if we start setting it up.”

The girl shrugged, “I mean, it’s just a safety precaution, we could tell him that.”

“I don’t think someone pacing on a roof with a gun is going to be thinking rationally, though.” Eddie told her, nudging her in the shoulder as she nodded in agreement to his statement.

“Ten bucks says he falls right off that roof.” Hen muttered, causing Y/N to laugh as Eddie pulled money from his pocket, “20 says he makes a leap for the tree.”

As Bobby looked over to Eddie in slight disbelief, the male replied, “Come on, the guy’s got at least one more bad life choice left in him.”

Y/N looked to the side and noticed how irritated the homeowner looked, the girl smirking as she pulled a bill out of her pocket, “50 says the homeowner pushes him off.”

“That’s morbid.” Hen chuckled with raised brows, causing Y/N to shrug with a grin.

Y/N, Eddie, and Chim handed Hen money, the woman taking it and pocketing it as they stood, continuing to watch the situation.

After a few moments, Y/N’s eyes trailed over to where Buck was standing, leaning against the railing as Taylor reported to the camera- the male waiting for her to be done.

She shook her head with a sigh, “I need coffee.”

Bobby looked at her with raised brows, “Want to make a coffee run?”

“Am I okay to do that?” She asked her captain, the male shrugging, “I don’t see why not.”

“What am I going to drive, though?” The girl then questioned, knowing she couldn’t take the fire engine or ambulance in case something happened while she was gone.

Her captain hummed in thought as Hen chimed in, “You could always ask Athena if you could borrow a cop car.”

Y/N laughed, “There’s no way I’m allowed to drive one.”

“Then ask for an escort.” Eddie suggested, causing her to nod, “Okay. I’ll be back.”

The girl walked towards Athena, who just so happened to be near Buck and Taylor- Y/N noticing that Taylor was off air at the moment because her and the male were talking.

“Athena!” Y/N yelled, causing the sergeant to turn towards her, “Do you think it’s possible I could get an escort to a coffee shop?”

“As long as you’re getting coffee, I can get someone to take you.” She replied with a laugh.

Y/N smiled as Athena walked away to grab someone, the girl taking this opportunity to go ask her other friend if he wanted any.

“Buck.” She shouted as she got closer, her voice drawing not only Buck’s attention, but Taylor’s also.

“I’m going on a coffee run, do you want anything?” She asked, causing him to nod, “Coffee sounds amazing right now.”

“Your usual?”

Buck nodded with a smile and then turned to Taylor, “What do you want?”

Instead of replying directly to him, Taylor turned to Y/N and stated her order, the latter trying to make sure her distaste didn’t show on her face as the former spoke.

Once Taylor was done speaking, Y/N gave them a thumbs up, Buck shouting a quick thank you as she walked away, rolling her eyes once she had turned away from the duo.

Eddie chuckled from a distance, having watched her interaction and her reaction as she walked away, drawing the attention of the group next to him.

“What’s so funny?” Hen asked, causing Eddie to shake his head as he smiled, “Nothing.”

Two hours in

Y/N returned from the coffee run about an hour and a half ago, having gotten her team their specific orders- along with Athena and Taylor’s- and then having gotten a bunch of other plain ones for the first responders that she hadn’t asked. Even though they weren’t their specific orders, she figured the least she could do was bring them some. She also brought sugar packets and more for them to put additives in their coffees if they wanted to.

Her coffee was gone now, though, along with her teams’, and she sat in the back of the ambulance playing cards with Hen and Chimney as the latter talked about the upcoming birth of his child.

“So Maddie really wants to have this baby at home?” Hen asked him as she placed a card into the pile, Chimney’s turn coming up as he replied, quoting what the mother of his baby had told him, “‘I was a nurse, you’re a paramedic, what could possibly go wrong?’”

The duo with him chuckled as Y/N took her turn, Hen replying to him, “Feels like a 911 dispatcher should know the answer to that question.”

They all laughed at that, Y/N chiming into the conversation, “I think you just need to tell her how you’re feeling. I’m sure she’ll understand your point of view.”

Chimney shrugged, “With all the pregnancy hormones, I’m not so sure.”

Eddie walked over to them, peeking around the edge of the ambulance so that he could see all three of them, “How would you guys feel about pizza?”

“Please!” They all replied in unison.

Three hours in

“I’m so hungry!” Y/N whined, laying her head on Eddie’s shoulder, the male laughing as he wrapped his arm around her and shook her slightly, “He should be here soon. They mentioned that they had a lot of orders, so it would take a while.”

“It’s been an hour!” She replied as Eddie looked towards the edge of the scene where a pizza man was walking in. He pursed his lips, “I think you might’ve summoned him.”

Then he walked off towards the male, Y/N cheering as her stomach growled, “Finally!”

“Good lord. How much trust are we trying to build here?” Athena asked, causing Eddie to turn to her, “Actually, that’s for us.”

“Why does everybody get to eat but me? Maybe I’m hungry too!” Mr. Nowels, the homeowner, complained, causing Y/N to shrug as she walked closer, “You want a slice?”

Mr. Nowels sighed, having only been trying to make a point, and walked away. Y/N shrugged as Eddie paid the delivery man, the girl grabbing the hot bag and pulling the two boxes out with a grin, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to stuff my face with a slice of pizza.”

Eddie chuckled as she handed the bag back to the delivery driver and waved before he walked off, the duo turning and walking back towards the truck.

“Me either, Y/N. Me either.” Eddie replied.

Four hours in

Y/N looked to the side and noticed one of the police officers leaning against the fire engine as Buck talked to him, the girl laughing and shaking her head as she walked closer.

“Is he bothering you, sir?” She asked the officer, causing Buck to glance at her with a deadpanned expression.

The officer shook his head, “He’s telling me how his roommate violated ‘bro code’, whatever that is. I don’t think that’s a real thing.”

Y/N looked at Buck with raised brows and a grin as the male sighed and then spoke, trying to defend his point, “How do you know, though? It’s unwritten.”

“How long did you date this woman?” The officer asked him. Y/N crossed her arms with a smirk on her face, watching the interaction as Buck replied, “90 minutes, maybe less. We took dessert to go.”

A watch began beeping, the officer glancing at his wrist, “And I’m done. Good luck.”

Then he walked away, Y/N letting out a low whistle before she began laughing. Buck glared at her, “Shut up!”

Then he took his mask off, throwing it at her, which only made the girl laugh more.

Five hours in

Eddie quietly began chanting under his breath, leaning against the firetruck as he whispered, “Jump. Jump.”

The rest of the team, except for Buck who wasn’t with them, quickly joined in as they watched the criminal continue to pace on the roof, “Jump. Jump.”

Six hours in

Y/N sat quietly by herself, Buck with Tayor, Eddie with Athena and Bobby, and then Hen and Chim with each other.

The girl quietly picked at her nails as she waited for something to happen so that they could finally leave this scene.

She heard footsteps, but decided to ignore them, until they came to a stop in front of her. The girl looked up from her hands, looking at the officer who had come up to her.

“What’s a pretty firefighter like you doing all by herself?” He flirted, causing the girl to raise her brows before smiling, “Waiting for this guy to be done pacing on the roof so we can leave.”

“Yeah, I feel you.” He agreed, sitting next to her on the asphalt.

He then looked at her, holding his hand out with a grin, “I’m Anthony, but people always call me Mac because my last name is Macallister.”

“Well, Mac, I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled, shaking his hand.

Mac looked over her shoulder for a second, furrowing his brows before bringing his attention back to her, “That blonde firefighter keeps starring at us.”

“Hm?” Y/N hummed before Mac pointed and she turned, making eye contact with Buck, who quickly looked away and continued his conversation with Taylor.

The girl shrugged, “He’s probably just wondering who you are.”

“Yeah, I think he may be a little jealous.” The officer laughed, giving her a knowing look with a smile. Y/N furrowed her brows, shaking her head, “Nah, he doesn’t think of me in that way.”

“You sure?” Mac questioned with raised brows, causing the girl to nod, which prompted another question, “But you like him, right?”

“Is it really that obvious?” She asked with a sigh, causing him to laugh, “Well, I’ve been watching you a bit today- not to sound creepy or anything- and I’ve noticed the stares you give him when he’s talking to that redhead. I just don’t think you realize that he stares at you also.”

Y/N looked at Mac with a small smile, “Yeah, I-”

The girl got interrupted by a loud crash, a car alarm going off. She quickly stood up, looking over towards the criminal and running over there- noticing Mr. Nowels had just pushed him off the room. Internally, she was cheering, knowing she just won the bet, but externally, she began to do her job.

She ignored Mr. Nowels, who was yelling, and ran over to the criminal, Eddie quickly coming over to assist.

They got to work on safely getting him off the car, putting a neck splint on just in case he had a spinal injury before putting him on a backboard and attending to some of his cuts. Hen and Chimney hopped into the back of the ambulance while Eddie went to the front, the rest of the team getting into the fire engine- the ambulance turning on their sirens. Athena followed in her cop car so that she could make sure he was arrested after he got his medical care.

The fire engine drove to the station while the ambulance and police car went to the hospital. Y/N sat in the back of the engine while Bobby drove and Buck sat in the passenger seat.

The latter turned around and looked at the girl, “So, who was that guy you were flirting with?”

Y/N furrowed her brows, “What guy? I wasn’t flirting with anyone.”

“The cop.” Buck elaborated, the girl shaking her head, “Yeah, we were just talking.”

“It looked like more than that.” Buck argued, “What’s his name?”

“You know what? Why does this matter to you?” She spat out, becoming annoyed with his attitude as they pulled into the firestation.

“Because, I…” He began, trailing off and not allowing his next words to come out.

Y/N scoffed, “Unbelieveable.”

And then she rushed out of the engine, missing the look that Bobby gave the blonde male as she went to her locker.

“Idiot.” The older male mumbled to the younger one, causing him to stare at Bobby in disbelief before they both got out of the vehicle.

Y/N angrily got her casual clothes out of her locker, changing and then slamming the metal door shut as Buck walked in.

“Look, Y/N, I just care about you and want you to be safe.” He said as he walked into the glass area.

“Want me to be safe?” She scoffed, “You’re talking about a cop.”

The blonde rolled his eyes, “That doesn’t mean anything. He could still be a jerk!”

“Well, he’s not the one I think is a jerk.” The girl retorted, glaring at him.

“Ok… I deserve that, but-” He began to say, only for her to interrupt him, “Buck, just stop. Why are you so bent out of shape about this anyways? You were flirting with Taylor the whole day and I didn’t complain to you about it even though it annoyed me! So why do you get to complain to me about someone, who wasn’t even flirting with me, giving me attention?”

“Wait- I wasn’t flirting with Taylor.” Buck stated, causing her to look at him, “What?”

“You said you were annoyed with me flirting with Taylor… I- I wasn’t flirting with her. I was just talking to her about the Albert and Veronica stuff because you and Eddie made it clear you didn’t want me to talk to you about it.” He told her.

The girl sighed, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I might’ve been too harsh about that.”

He shook his head, “No, I deserved it. You guys had to listen to me repeat myself multiple times and… I get what you were saying. I’m going to try and be less awkward with Albert about this.”

She smiled and nodded, “Good.”

“And… I’m sorry for bugging you about the cop guy.” He apologized, gaining a nod from Y/N as she grinned, “I appreciate the apology. I know your heart is in a good place, you just didn’t approach it very well.”

He nodded before they went silent, the male thinking about his next sentence while Y/N gathered her stuff, glancing at the entrance of the fire station and noticing the ambulance was pulling in.

“I gotta go talk to Chim, Eddie, and Hen about something, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” The girl smiled, beginning to walk out, but Buck quickly stopped her, “Wait.”

She turned around, raising her brows as an indicator for him to speak, “Why… why were you annoyed when you thought I was flirting with Taylor?”

Y/N just shook her head with a sigh, looking up and waving, not giving him an answer, “Bye, Buck.”

And then she walked out, the male watching her as she walked towards the ambulance.

The girl figured that he could think about it on his own and hopefully come to the correct conclusion.

The three that Y/N had mentioned earlier hopped out of the ambulance, the girl stopping in front of them and holding out her hands.

The trio looked at her with raised brows, and she quickly spoke to ease their confusion, “I won the bet. Mr. Nowels pushed him off the roof. Money, please!”

Then she made grabbing motion with her hands while the three in front of her laughed, Eddie speaking up, “I can’t believe you were right about that.”

Then the money was slammed into her palm from them, the girl grinning, “Thank you all and have a good night!”

She mock-saluted them before turning and walking out of the fire station.

The next day, Y/N walked into the fire station with a smile, ready for her shift for the day.

The girl went to her locker, changing out of her casual clothes and into her fire station shirt along with her turnout pants, putting her gear suspenders over her shoulders.

“Hey, Y/N.” She heard a voice greet, the girl turning and sending a smile Buck’s way as he went to his locker, “Hey.”

“So, I’ve been thinking.” He stated, causing the girl to jokingly reply, “Oh no.”

He looked up at her with a small, joking, glare before continuing his sentence, “I think I figured out why you were annoyed.”

Y/N crossed her arms, leaning against the lockers, “Well, let’s hear it.”

“It’s because you were jealous.” He smirked, pointing at her before opening his locker and getting his stuff out.

The girl stood, waiting for him to continue. She pursed her lips as he said nothing else and she shrugged, “That’s it?”

He shook his head, “No. You were jealous because you… like me.”

“Yeah. Apparently I’ve been pretty obvious about it, so I’m a bit surprised you just figured this out.” She said as Eddie walked in, “Actually, he didn’t. I told him.”

The girl looked at him with a dropped jaw, “What?”

And then she glanced back at Buck, who was sending a glare Eddie’s way before he quickly directed his attention back to the girl, “Anyways, with that said, are you doing anything later tonight?”

Y/N tilted her head, raising her brows, “No… why?”

“How about you come to my apartment? I can cook us dinner and we can watch a movie?” He suggested.

The girl grinned, “Is the Evan Buckley asking me out on a date?”

“Maybe. Depends on if you say yes or not.” He said with a small smile. The girl laughed and nodded, “Yes, that sounds great.”

“Finally.” Eddie muttered from behind them, having already changed into his clothes for the work day.

The duo that was just talking both rolled their eyes and turned to their friend, speaking in unison, “Shut up, Eddie.”

Eddie was about to speak before the siren went off, causing them to sigh, Hen peeking her head into the room, “Come on, slowpokes. Let’s go.”

The call rang out through the firestation, informing the group that they were on their way to a house to look for someone inside the walls.

This meant they needed both the ambulance and the fire engine, so Hen and Chimney took the former while the rest of them piled into the latter.

Eddie and Bobby were in the front while Buck and Y/N were in the back, ready to head to the scene. Eddie turned around and faced his friends as Bobby drove, “So… what movie are you two planning on watching later?”

Y/N rolled her eyes as he wiggled his brows at them, Bobby furrowing his brows in confusion at the interaction while Buck replied, “I’m not sure yet.”

Then he turned to Y/N, “What movies do you like?”

The girl shrugged with pursed lips, “Pretty much anything. I’m a huge horror and comedy fan, though.”

He nodded with a grin while Bobby looked in the rearview mirror, “What’s this for?”

Before the two in the back could reply, Eddie did for them, “Oh, Buck finally asked Y/N out on a date. They’re gonna hang in his apartment and watch a movie.”

Bobby’s brows raised in slight surprise at the information before grinning, “Finally.”

The duos’ jaws dropped, the two replying in unison, “Really?”

Eddie just laughed while Bobby spoke, “Yeah, It’s about time. I can see the way you two look at each other. It was pretty obvious.”

“Okay, no, I might’ve been obvious, but this guy was not!” Y/N argued, pointing at Buck who just shrugged in response.

“Yes, he was. I just think you’re both oblivious.” Bobby said as they pulled into the driveway of the house they were going to enter.

“Hey!” The two shouted at their captain, taking offense to his words. Bobby quickly hopped out of the fire engine, wanting to avoid more words from the duo as they both glanced at each other with shocked looks on their faces, Eddie chuckling as he got out of the passenger door.

Buck stood up and went out, holding a hand for the girl behind him. Y/N gratefully took his hand, hopping down from the engine in her turnouts.

The group all put their masks on as Bobby shouted, “Buck, grab the saw, the rest of you, head inside.”

The members of the 118 obeyed their captain, except for Buck who was doing as he was told, quickly following behind him as he grabbed a heat signature camera.

They made their way inside and Athena heard them, shouting to alert them of the room she was in. They team walked into the room, noticing the wife was sat in a chair, hands cuffed behind her back with an officer standing behind her as Buck jogged into the room with the large tool in his hand.

“Kinky.” Y/N muttered jokingly, the group looking at her with deadpanned expressions at her words while the wife scoffed.

“What?” The girl asked, Bobby rolling his eyes before turning to his wife and pulling out the heat signature camera, turning it on and scanning the walls by the window.

He looked through the lens, noticing a figure on the screen that was moving, “I’ve got movement.”

“What?” The wife behind them questioned, causing the group to turn towards her, “He’s still alive?”

Once she noticed their expressions, she was quick to change up her words, “I mean… great!”

“Why don’t you start by telling me how exactly your husband got behind that wall?” Athena asked with raised brows.

“Ex-husband. Or at least, soon to be. He filed right before the pandemic-” The wife began to explain, talking about how the courts closed and they were trapped in a house together during COVID.

Buck raised his brows, leaning in towards Y/N, “If this date doesn’t go the way you expect, do you promise to not put me inside the walls?”

The girl shrugged with a smirk, “No promises.”

Buck turned to Hen, “You heard that right? You’re my witness if something happens to me.”

The woman turned away from him, pursing her lips and feigning confusion, “What did I hear? I didn’t hear anything.”

Y/N grinned, holding up a fist for Hen to fist bump, which she did. Buck’s jaw dropped in disbelief, “Wow.”

After the woman finished explaining her story, Chimney and Hen ran to get their medical supplies while Eddie went and grabbed the needed items to get behind the brick wall.

Once they returned, Eddie handed Buck the chisel and a hammer, giving one to Bobby as well. The duo quickly began hammering away at the bricks in their weak spots, waiting for when they were loose to pull them away. Slowly, a hole began to form in the wall, Bobby yanking the bricks from their position and dropping them onto the ground behind him, “I think I can see him!”

Once the hole was big enough, Y/N knelt down and reached her hand towards the male, “Can you give me your hand, sir?”

She grabbed his wrist as he reached towards her, the girl gently beginning to pull him out, Buck coming to assist her. “You got him, Buck?” She asked as he reached and grabbed the male’s other hand.

“Yeah, we’re good.” He replied, the girl nodding, “Okay, ready, set-”

“Go.” She then said, both of them tugging him through the hole and onto the backboard.

Y/N was quick to put on medical gloves while Eddie began checking for a pulse and if the male was breathing or not with his stethoscope, “He’s breathing, but barely. Only one side of his chest is rising.”

Y/N reached under the male before pulling her gloved hand back, showing the blood on it, “Stab wound.”

Eddie nodded, “He probably has a punctured lung.”

“Looks like he lost a ton of blood, not to mention extreme dehydration.” Hen said, getting the bag from her medkit, “I’m gonna run two lines wide open.”

“Alright, let’s get him stabilized and prepped for transport.” Bobby ordered, watching over the group as they did what was necessary.

Once they were done, Chimney and Eddie lifted the backboard and began to walk out of the house, Y/N noticing that the other officer that was there had taken the wife away.

The rest of the group began gathering their other tools before returning to the fire engine and putting everything away, the ambulance heading to the hospital while the engine went back to the station.

Once the shift was over, Y/N headed to her locker, doing her quick routine of getting back into her casual clothes so that she could leave.

Buck walked in and smiled at her, the girl giving him a grin back as she put her work necessities in her locker, “So… what time should I get to your place?”

“How does 7 sound?” He asked her, opening his locker and taking his shirt off so that he could change.

The girl’s eyes trailed down before she heard Buck laugh, Y/N quickly bringing her gaze up and noticing that he had caught her. She cleared her throat, “7 sounds great.”

“Great.” He grinned, finishing what he needed to do. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before sending a wink her way and walking out the door, “See you then!”

Y/N’s cheeks turned red as Hen walked into the locker room and spotted the girl standing there, looking dazed. “Someone’s blushing.” The woman stated with a cheeky smirk.

Y/N threw her dirty shirt at Hen in response, causing the woman to laugh and throw it back at her before the former walked out of the locker room with her keys in hand, going to her apartment to prepare for her date.

Y/N took the elevator up to Buck’s floor, the girl wearing a dark blue dress that reached her mid-thigh, a black sweater wrapped around her shoulders. She slung her small purse over her shoulder as the elevator reached his floor, Y/N quickly stepping out in her black heels and walking to his door.

Once she reached his apartment, she lifted her hand, knocking on the dark wood and waiting for Buck to answer the door.

Instead of Buck, though, his roommate answered, Y/N smiling at him, “Hey, Albert, what’s up?”

“Nothing much. Buck didn’t mention that you were the one he was dating.” Albert commented, “He’s in the bathroom right now.”

The girl nodded, walking into the door as he stepped to the side, “It’s been a while since i’ve seen you. It’s nice to see…”

She trailed off as her eyes met with the girl in the kitchen, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Buck stepped into the room as Albert introduced the woman, noticing Y/N’s confusion, “Oh, that’s Veronica.”

“Well it’s nice to see you and Veronica, Albert.” Y/N muttered with a clenched jaw, making eye contact with Buck as he gave her a sheepish glance.

“Dinner’s not ready yet, but it should be soon.” Buck told his date, trying to act normal as the girl made eye contact with Albert’s girlfriend once more.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” Veronica asked with a smile, Y/N quickly nodding, “Yes, please. I could desperately use a glass right about now.”

Then the girl placed her bag on the table as Buck came over, placing a hand on the small of her back, “Uh.. shall we?”

He gestured over to the couch, Y/N moving so that his hand slipped off of her as she made her way to the piece of furniture.

“You lied to me.” She muttered as he followed, the male shaking his head, “Technically… I didn’t. I-”

She stopped walking, turning and facing him with an angry glare, her eyes growing watery but she wouldn’t dare to let her tears fall- at least not right now, “That’s not the point, Evan. You failed to mention that this was going to be a double date with ‘bad date girl’ and your roommate. I kind of count that as lying.”

The girl then continued making her way to the couch, muttering under her breath as she took a seat, “I wouldn’t have said yes if I knew you were just going to be using me.”

Buck looked at her like a deer in headlights, opening his mouth to speak but not getting the chance to spit a word out as Veronica and Albert walked back over, the former speaking as she handed Y/N her wine glass, “Dinner is going to take a few more minutes, but I figured we could do appetizers while we wait.”

She then sat down, Y/N quickly taking a sip out of her glass as Veronica spoke up once more, “How long have you two been dating?”

“I was wondering that too, Buck. How come you never said anything? Y/N’s awesome!” Albert chimed in, Y/N immediately giving him a response before Buck could speak, “Oh, that’s because we aren’t dating. He just wanted me here so he wouldn’t be a third wheel. We’re just friends.”

She then looked at the male next to her, “Right?”

Evan avoided her question, looking at Veronica as he began to talk, “We actually work together. She’s been my partner-in-crime for as long as I can remember.”

“I’d gladly let Eddie take that spot now.” The girl murmured quietly before looking up and smiling at the duo in front of her, “And I know how you two met. Buck has told me about it. Quite a few times, actually.”

The male beside her shook his head, “I- I wouldn’t say that-”

Veronica just looked at them with raised brows as Albert chimed in, gesturing to his girlfriend and his roommate, “I’m actually surprised you two didn’t get along.”

Y/N took a long gulp from her glass before nodding, and nudging Buck with her shoulder, “Yeah. This guy sometimes doesn’t know how to act around women. His ego deflates when someone doesn’t immediately like him.”

“Yeah, I don’t stroke anyones’ egos. That’s not my thing.” Veronica replied with a small shrug, causing Y/N to nod, “Good for you. I think I’m going to try that also.”

She then set the glass down, pulling her phone out from her sweater pocket as her tears were about to spill over. Y/N cleared her throat, standing up as she lied, “Sorry, my coworker, Eddie, just texted me. It’s an emergency and he needs someone to watch his son last minute. I gotta go.”

The girl then pocketed her phone once more, smiling at the pair in front of her, “It was nice seeing you again, Albert- and it was nice meeting you, Veronica.”

“You too.” She heard them say from behind her as she rushed to grab her purse, opening the apartment door and wiping her eyes as she began to walk towards the elevator.

“Y/N- Y/N, wait!” Buck yelled from behind her, the girl listening as his footsteps sped down the hallway, “I know Eddie didn’t actually text you, okay? It’s not what you think!”

She turned, looking up at the ceiling to prevent the water from spilling from her eyes and once she felt that it wouldn’t, she looked back down at him, “What? That you never actually wanted to go on a date with me and that you were just using my feelings for you to get them to see you with someone? Fuck you.”

Then the girl turned back around, Buck quickly grabbing onto her wrist and turning her back towards him, “No- it’s not like that-”

Y/N yanked her wrist from his grasp, “Don’t- Don’t touch me. You… God, I mean, you decided to hurt me just because you can’t stand the idea of someone not liking you? Are you serious?”

“No, that’s- I mean…” He shrugged with a false smile, “Come on, I’m very likeable.”

The girl stood there in silence, swallowing the lump in her throat as a tear finally made it’s way down her face. Buck sighed, glancing off to the side before making eye contact with her, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay? Look, Albert invited me over and I knew it was gonna be super awkward, and I didn’t want to sit through that alone. So I asked a friend.”

Y/N gave him a watery smile, “Right. A friend. ‘Cause that’s all I am to you.”

She sniffled as Buck’s heart dropped, the girl wiping her tears before speaking once more, “You could’ve just told me the situation and then asked me as a friend. You didn’t have to lie about having feelings for me.”

A scoff left her lips, the girl continuing, “I mean… If this is how you decide to treat your ‘friends’, maybe the problem isn’t Albert.”

Her eyes met his, “Maybe it’s you.”

Then she turned, walking away from him, hoping he’d say something as she left…

But he said nothing.

So she continued on her way, getting into the elevator and letting the doors close before her tears began to run down her face at a faster pace.

Y/N pulled out her phone as the elevator doors opened to the lobby, the girl pulling up Eddie’s contact, about to hit the call button- but her phone rang before she could.

She raised her brows as she noticed it was the man she was about to call, Y/N hitting answer and bringing the phone to her ear, “Hey, I was just about to-”

He cut her off as he began speaking in a panicked tone, “I need your help, Chris is missing and-”

Her jaw dropped at the words, the girl turning and making her way towards the building exit, but she quickly stopped in her tracks as Chris walked through the lobby doors.

Eddie was still rambling on the other side of the line, Y/N cutting him off so that she could let him know his son was safe, “Eddie, he’s here.”

“At Buck’s place?” He asked on the other side of the line, Y/N nodding even though he couldn’t see her as she replied, “Yeah. He’s here.”

“Okay, I’ll be there to get him soon.”

And then he hung up, Y/N wiping her face before she walked towards the kid who was making his way towards the elevators, “Chris, what are you doing here?”

“I had a fight with my dad. I came here to see Buck.” He informed her, the girl nodding and hitting the up button to the elevator, “Okay, I’ll take you up to him. You can’t run off like this though, your dad is worried sick.”

“Did you talk to him?” The kid asked her, glancing up as they entered the elevator. She nodded, “Yeah, he called me just as you walked in. He’s coming to get you. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed, the adult next to him humming in acknowledgement as they reached Buck’s floor, the duo leaving the elevator and walking to his apartment.

Chris knocked on the door, the girl next to him beginning to walk away, but the kid turned to her, “Wait, where are you going?”

She sighed, “Buck and I aren’t really on good terms right now, buddy. I just wanted to make sure you got here safe.”

Buck opened the door as Chris replied, “I want you to stay.”

“Want who to st-” The older male began to ask before he peeked out of the door and noticed who he was talking about, “-oh.”

“Fine.” The woman muttered, walking into the apartment behind Chris, noticing that Albert and Veronica were now gone and it was just them three in the living space.

“Does your dad know you’re here, Chris?” The male asked the child, who was quick to respond, “Yes, he called Y/N.”

Buck then looked at the girl for confirmation, her nodding in response, “He called me as I was leaving to ask for help finding Chris, but he was walking into the building. Eddie is on his way to pick him up.”

He pursed his lips and then looked at Chris as the said kid sat on the couch, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Chris shook his head as Buck sat on the table, Y/N leaning against the wall near the TV, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, you’re here, so we gotta talk about something.” He said to the child, using a gentle tone with him. Once Chris didn’t reply, Buck sighed, speaking once more, “Come on, look, you were there for me when I needed to talk, so now I want to be here for you. It’s what friends do.”

Y/N scoffed under her breath at that, the action not going unnoticed by Buck as Chris replied, “Dad’s dating.”

The girl gave him a sympathetic look as Buck continued to interact with the boy, “Yeah, that’s gotta be weird for you, huh? Maybe it feels like he’s forgetting your mom, but, Chris, I promise you-”

Chris sighed, interrupting the male, “I wish I could forget.”

Y/N pushed off the wall at that and moved closer, sitting on the table next to Buck and talking to Chris, “What do you mean by that, bud?”

“People go away. Not just mom.” He stated sadly, “Abuelita, Carla, my friends… they leave, and then I miss them. I don’t want to miss anyone else.”

The adults in front of him nodded in acknowledgement, sad looks on their faces as Buck spoke again, “Yeah, um… people- people go away… and i-it’s sad, and it hurts. But, you know, not everyone goes away for forever. Sometimes they come back, and as much as we miss them, that’s how happy we are seeing them again. Your grandma, your friends, Carla… you’re gonna see them all again.”

“Do you promise?” Chris asked.

“I do. And until that happens, you still got us.” Buck replied, gesturing to him and the girl next to him, Y/N sending a small smile Chris’ way and nodding in agreement as she spoke, “We aren’t going anywhere.”

Chris got up, opening his arms and pulling the two adults into a hug. One of Buck’s arms wrapped around Chris while the other wound around Y/N, the young boy’s head in between both of theirs.

“You guys are good friends.” The kid said to them, his arms hanging around their shoulders.

Buck glanced at Y/N over Chris’ back and spoke, “Yeah… sometimes.”

He then patted his back and pulled away, Y/N giving Chris one last final squeeze before doing the same, a knock coming on the door soon after.

All of them stood up, Buck going to the door and opening it, Eddie quickly rushing in.

Once his eyes locked on Chris, he moved forwards, encasing his son in a hug and muttering to him, “Don’t run away like that again, okay? You can’t scare me like that.”

Chris nodded into his shoulder, “I’m sorry, dad.”

“It’s okay, bud.” He replied, pulling away from the hug and standing up, “Let’s go home, okay?”

The kid nodded and Y/N smiled at the duo before looking at the younger boy, “Tell him what you told us. He’ll understand.”

Chris nodded once more, grabbing his crutches and making his way towards the door while Eddie looked at his friends, “Thank you guys.”

And then they went to walk out, Eddie turning around and speaking once again, “You’ll have to let me know how the date went later, okay?”

Y/N pursed her lips while Buck sent a smile his way, the door closing behind the father-son duo.

“Well, I’m gonna go also.” The girl then said, pulling her sweater closer to her frame in an attempt to close herself off as she began to walk towards the door.

“Or… you could stay? And we can try this again?” The male spoke, stepping in front of her in an attempt to stop her from leaving.

She sighed, “Look, you don’t have to pretend to have feelings for me just because you-”

He was quick to cut her off, “It’s not pretend. I’m sorry for making it seem like it was, and I’m sorry for earlier. I do have feelings for you and I should’ve asked you out on a first date a long time ago. I know I messed up tonight, but let me try to make it right, okay? With just us two. If you still hate me later, you never have to talk to me again. I’ll transfer firehouses and be out of your sight for forever.”

Y/N huffed, setting her purse down on the table, “Fine, and even if I hate you by the end of this, which is impossible because I could never hate you- even after what happened earlier, I’d never make you do that. I know how much the 118 means to you.”

He just smiled at her and nodded, one of his hands grabbing her own, “So? What do you want to eat?”

He dragged her to the kitchen, opening the pantry and showing her the stuff he had and giving her an idea of what could be made.

She pursed her lips, “How about we just have some takeout delivered? And watch a movie like we were talking about earlier today?”

Buck squeezed her hand, “Sounds perfect.”

Then he kissed her cheek before making a call to her favorite takeout place while she picked the movie they would watch.

She didn’t notice, but Buck watched as she sat on his couch, making herself at home while she picked the movie.

And he couldn’t help but think how nice this sight would be to see everyday.

#evan buckley #eddie diaz #chris diaz #9 1 1 #evan buckley x reader #9 1 1 fanfiction #buck #firefighter

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d1xonss · 3 days ago

Text

Desert Rose

Chapter 71 ~ Spaghetti Tuesdays

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 7.9k

In this chapter ~ Things begin to turn up after a small, intimate moment is shared between Daryl and Rose; a much needed one at that. And after making a few new friends over a shared meal, the night only grew more blissful as the two finally adjust to the idea of building a life in Alexandria. Together.

As much as I wanted to be home, safe, and asleep, I had to get these fucking shoes off my feet. I didn't make it very far front the front door before I sat down on the porch steps and slowly pulled the heels off, but not without muttering an "ow" a few times with each foot. Though it was worth it in the end as soon as they were off, opting to sit there for a moment to collect myself, sighing quietly as I ran a hand through my hair.

The windows behind me were open just a crack, allowing the music from inside to drift out of the small space, along with the chatter that never seemed to die down. I almost felt guilty for leaving so fast, not saying goodbye to anyone as I was in too much of a rush. Although a part of me blamed it on being overwhelmed by the whole thing. Mainly because it was, well...overwhelming. But at least I could say that I tried. I tried, I hated it, I left. At the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me.

The sound of gravel crunching and footsteps approaching caused me to glance up, only to see none other than Daryl Dixon hesitantly walking down the street towards Deanna's, playing with something in his hands that I couldn't quite see from where I was.

I smirked, "Hey, handsome."

His head snapped up at the sound of my voice, a smile breaking out onto his face when he saw me sitting on the steps, "Hey."

I noticed his pace picked up the smallest bit as he now approached the house, though stopped dead in his tracks when he finally noticed what I was wearing. His eye began to trail down my body, causing me to smile sheepishly as I fought against the fluttery feeling in my stomach upon his gaze.

But he didn't stop there, as the next thing I heard was a long, loud wolf whistle coming from him while he slowly approached me once again, "Stop it." I laughed.

He grinned widely as he finally came to stand in front of me, "Come on now, gimmie a spin." he gestured, helping me up to my feet.

I couldn't help but smile as he raised one of my arms above my head, helping me twirl around to show him the entire outfit while he continued to scan me head to toe. I heard his small hum in approval and I turned fully to face him again, a faint redness dusting the apples of his cheeks.

"Ain't you a dime, sweet girl." he complimented.

"Thank you." I muttered a bit shyly.

I felt him give my hand a small squeeze, "What're ya doin out here by yerself?"

"Well," I sighed, "I was having a terrible time, so I figured I'd escape while I had the chance." I spoke dramatically before stepping back to take a seat on the porch, patting the space next to me as an invitation.

He chuckled at my reasoning, lowering himself down beside me with a huff, "That mean I don't gotta go in there?" he asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in his voice.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Yeah, you got out of it...you lucky bastard."

A hum of amusement left him before he revealed his other hand out from behind his back for me to see. In his grasp was a single yellow dandelion he had picked and brought all the way back from the woods it seemed like. The stem was a bit smushed and the head itself looked a little sad, yet I couldn't help but smile at the simple gesture.

"Couldn't find any real flowers, so I settled for this one." he said, "Figured I'd bring ya some kinda peace offerin for being so late."

I twirled it in between my fingers before lifting it up and placing it behind my ear, "For me?"

"Yeah, baby. Just for you." he confirmed.

I leaned forward to steal a quick kiss from him, the action alone expressing how sweet I found it to be. "Thanks, love. So, how did the hunt go anyway?"

"Not exactly how I planned," he sighed, "Aaron followed me out there before I could get too far."

My eyes widened, "What?"

"Said he was lookin for some horse he wanted ta track down and bring back here, asked me to help him. And we found it, but kept scarin it off every time we got too close. Eventually the thing took off into a field with too many walkers, and they..." he trailed off with a gesture of his hand.

I sighed, "Damn."

He huffed lightly, "Yeah...damn is right."

I leaned in to rest my head against his shoulder, gently taking his hand again, "I'm sorry, hon. That sucks."

He shrugged, "Nah, it's alright. My guess is ya didn't have the best night either."

"Yeah, you can say that again," I scoffed, "But...you'll be happy to hear I drenched some asshole in beer."

"No way, I missed that?" he said with a shocked grin, "Who?"

"Deanna's son, Spencer. Picture this," I gestured with my hand, "I'm minding my own business in the kitchen and suddenly he comes in and strikes up a conversation."

"No." he said in faux disbelief.

"Oh, yes." I continued, "He starts the most boring small talk you can imagine, asking if I'm having fun, and how we're settling. But then it took a turn when he started to obviously hit on me, the whole charming guy bullshit that almost made me puke. And even after telling him I was married, he still kept pushing it. So, I eventually I dumped my beer on his head, insulted him, and now here I am."

By the time I was done talking, all of the amusement had suddenly left his eyes, and I was now left with looking at a man who was clearly about to burst into flames. Shit. Maybe I didn't fully think this through.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, shifting a bit to look away from him, "I also accepted the job from Deanna...I start tomorrow I think." I said quietly, trying to change to subject.

"He didn't leave ya alone?" he asked a bit sharply.

I sighed, "Love, I took care of it. Did you not hear the part where I humiliated him in front of everyone? I think it's safe to say he got the message."

"Nah, I heard it loud and clear." he said, his tone grumbling, "M' just thinkin I should go in there and have a word with him."

"Hm, and what exactly would you say in this delightful conversation?"

"Wouldn't do a whole lotta talkin." he muttered bitterly.

I laughed a little, "Daryl...it's okay."

He still looked a little uneasy, "Ya sure? Cause I can go in there right now and knock some sense into him."

I placed my hand on the side of his face, getting him to actually look me in the eye, "I'm sure. But hey, if it ever happens again, you're the first person I'll call to kick his ass. Okay?"

He smirked a little, "Alright..."

My knuckles gently ran across his cheek, feeling the slight prickle of his beard as I brought him in for another kiss, feeling his hand slip around me to squeeze my hip. He pecked my lips a few more times before pulling back to look at me, seeing his clear shift in emotion as he took in every inch of my face, his smile returning.

"Well, what do you think? You ready to get out of here?" I asked softly.

He nodded with a small hum, gently patting the small of my back as we stood up to walk down the steps hand in hand, my shoes dangling from the other. Though we didn't make it very far before he tugged me to a stop, clearly noticing I was barefoot.

"Why didn't ya put yer shoes on?"

A quiet groan left my lips, "Because high heels want to murder your feet, it's just science." I insisted, gesturing down to them. The back of my heels alone were killing me.

He huffed lightly, "Well, ya ain't walkin home barefoot. Ya could step on somethin sharp."

"But...they hurt."

He looked down at me for a moment in contemplation before sighing softly, letting go of my hand to stand in front of me instead. He lowered his arms and bent down into a squat, leaving me eyeing him in confusion as I tried my best not to laugh.

"What're you doing?" I asked, amused at my view.

"Hop on." he said simply, wiggling his fingers for emphasis.

My eyebrows raised in surprise, "A piggyback ride?"

"Yeah, why not?"

This time I did laugh, finding the situation much more humorous than he probably did. But I partially blamed it on the number of drinks I had tonight. I adjusted the shoes in my grasp before attempting to steady my hands on his shoulders, jumping up on his back to which he easily caught me with a grunt.

I felt him shift slightly to get a better grip on my legs so I wouldn't fall, turning his head to look at me, "Ya good?"

"Yep." I nodded, "Giddyap."

He scoffed in amusement, his hand smacking my thigh playfully before he began to walk, carrying me back toward the house.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, the heels dangling from my fingertips as I rested my chin on his shoulder, practically hugging him from behind as I savored the closeness. It wasn't like I was deprived by any means, but it was safe to say I had missed him. And after a long day like this one, he was the one person that somehow made it all go away within seconds. My comfort.

Gazing around at the houses that were lined up the street, I noticed how almost all of them were completely empty with the lights off, most likely still at Deanna's gathering. Hell, nearly the entire community showed up tonight to meet us properly, yet it still managed to surprise me how much an event like that mattered around here. Though they also might've gone for the drinks, and I couldn't say I blamed them for that. Leaving everything around was practically dead.

But there was a certain house in particular that seemed to quickly catch my attention as we were heading its direction. The lights were off just like all the rest, but a small radio was sitting just in the window, playing some kind of soft and melodic song. It was beautiful to say the least, the quiet sound only growing louder as he walked toward it, my legs instinctively swinging gently to the beat. Daryl seemed to notice almost immediately how I was drawn to the tune, his head turning again to get a look at my face. But he surprised me slightly when I felt him slow to a stop in the middle of the street.

My brows furrowed a little as I snapped out of my trance, inching a bit closer to see his expression, "What's wrong?"

He looked back at me with a somewhat anxious glint in his eye, "Yer feet still hurt pretty bad?"

"Only when I'm wearing the shoes. Why?"

He nodded slowly before loosening his grip on me so I would slide off his back. I landed gently on my feet, growing even more confused to what he was doing as he did a quick scan of the pavement to make sure there was nothing harmful that I could step on.

I tilted my head, "Daryl...?"

He wordlessly turned back toward me, his brows furrowed with a hint of nerves, before taking the shoes from my grasp and tossing them aside on the grass to the left of us. My eyes followed to see where they had landed, glancing back at him with a completely lost look, hearing him chuckle at my obvious skepticism.

His hand then extended itself toward me, "Wanna dance?" he asked softly.

My eyes widened a little, my face breaking out in a smile, "I thought you said it was pushing it if I asked you to dance."

"Well...m' askin you ta dance. Loophole." he shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully, slowly taking his outstretched hand to silently answer his question. He smiled at my acceptance, kissing my knuckles lightly before holding our intertwined hands outward, his other coming up to grasp my waist. I followed his lead as I raised my free hand to his shoulder, and together we started to sway to the gentle music that followed. He was looking down at me with such admiration it made my heart flutter, giving my waist a small squeeze while he attempted to guide me.

Every now and then he would glance down quickly at our feet, making sure he wasn't about to step on me like he did the last time, but in all honesty, his movements were great. He looked more sure of himself, more confident with dancing than he did with asking me. As if I would ever say no.

I then felt his hand leave my waist while he lifted our hands up to get me to spin around, my dress lightly flowing around me before we came back together. As close as we could possibly get. His head came down to rest his forehead against mine, our eyes closed in content, soaking up this moment as much as I possibly could. The closeness bringing me a certain peace. I squeezed his hand lightly and a small smile stayed on my lips while he slowly spun us in a little circle, remembering what I had briefly taught him from last time.

The music was perfect, the atmosphere was perfect, and he was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the seemingly endless evening. And I think it was safe to say he agreed.

As the piano started to die down, our shared movements slowed, feeling him lift his head from mine ever so slightly to press a lingering kiss on my skin. I ravished in the moment for as long as I could, savoring every last second as if I couldn't get enough, the memory this would turn into would always be special to me now. Proof that there could still be love in a world so unforgiving.

My eyes fluttered open when I felt him pull back, a goofy grin on his face as he gazed down at me. "Have you been practicing?"

He scoffed, "Nah. Guess it just comes naturally."

"Yeah, well either way...it was great. Thanks for dancing with me, honey."

"Course." he said genuinely, pulling me in to leave another kiss on my temple, "Ya happy?"

I nodded slowly, "You always make me happy." I stated, and I meant it. He always found a way to make me smile even if I felt there was nothing to smile about, constantly jumping through hoops to uplift my mood in any way he could. Tonight was truly the best example of that.

"Good," he hummed before turning back around, "Alright, hop back on, woman."

I obliged and stepped up to place my hands on his shoulders again to climb onto his back once more. He carried me effortlessly away from the house we were once stopped in front of, purposely leaning a little back and forth so I felt like I was about to fall. I clung onto him tighter which is probably exactly what he wanted, smacking his chest lightly in attempts to get him to stop, our laughs echoing around the silent streets like a couple of fools. But I didn't really care how ridiculous we potentially looked. I hadn't felt this carefree in a very long time, and seeing him like that as well made me feel even more content.

Though right as we were approaching the familiar block. I suddenly remembered something. The fucking shoes.

"Wait, my heels." I mumbled with a defeated sigh.

At this point we were already almost back, seeing the house in the distance which only caused him to look back at me in disbelief. "Are ya ever gonna wear the damn things again?"

"Hell no." I said immediately.

"Then fuck 'em." he insisted before moving forward once again.

I let out a breath of air as I leaned my head against his, "Yeah, alright. I just hope I make whoever lives there very happy with their brand-new fancy shoes." I joked.

He chuckled, "Ya sure are generous."

I wordlessly rolled my eyes at his sarcasm, tightening my grip around him as he walked. But then we both seemed to freeze.

"Hey, guys!" came a voice to our right, both of us looking over with semi-wide eyes to see Aaron standing on his porch, waving toward us with a large smile.

I waved back awkwardly while Daryl just gave him a nod, both of us now realizing just how uncomfortable this interaction was with the position we were in.

"You guys coming back from the party?" he asked.

"Yeah. It sucked." I said bluntly.

He laughed a little with a shake of his head, "Well, then I'm glad I steered clear from that." he spoke in amusement, pausing momentarily as his eyes lingered on us. "Why don't you two come in, have some dinner?"

My first instinct was to decline as politely as I could, wanting nothing more than to just get home and go to sleep. But I would be blatantly lying if I said some food didn't sound nice. I glanced down to Daryl to silently ask what he wanted, watching him only shrug in response.

When neither of us responded, he insisted, "Come on, it'll be fun. It's some pretty serious spaghetti." he said before turning around and making his way inside.

The two of us watched him disappear behind the door, leaving it open a crack like he silently knew we would follow. We glanced back at each other again, sharing a certain look. Surely it would be rude to turn down free food.

The room was almost completely silent as the four of us ate in the dimly lit dining room, the only sound that filled the space were the forks lightly scraping on the plate and the clinking of the glasses. No one really knew how to start the conversation, especially since Daryl's slurping of the spaghetti was all the filler noise we needed for it to not be uncomfortable.

I took my time twirling the noodles around my fork, occasionally glancing at my husband to my left with amused eyes as the noodles continued to slap him in the face with every bite. My gaze eventually looked up to the other two men across from me and caught them as they shared a look all while trying to hold in their laughs, before their eyes panned toward me to which I only gave a knowing smile.

When Daryl finally took a breather to look up, our eyes were already on him, causing his cheeks to redden with slight embarrassment at all the sudden attention.

I glanced back to Aaron and Eric, "Don't worry, I keep him in a leash." I joked.

Daryl scoffed from beside me and nudged my side, while the other couple shared a laugh, getting some of the awkwardness out of the way. Thank God.

I tapped my fork anxiously, "Thank you so much for dinner, it's really great."

Daryl grunted in agreement from beside me, "Yeah, thanks." he muttered, wiping the remaining sauce that was on his face with the back of his sleeve.

"And I'm sorry again for not...having any shoes, I seemed to have misplaced them." I glanced at Daryl knowingly, hearing him snort.

"Oh, of course, and for the last time don't worry about it." Eric reassured with a wave of his hand, "You can borrow some sandals for the walk home if you'd like?"

I nodded, "That would be great, thank you."

He nodded back at me, another brief silence passing as we all continued to eat before Aaron was the one to speak, "So," he started, cleaning his face with a napkin, "How long have the two of you been together?"

"Oh, uh...about two years." I answered.

He raised his eyebrows, "Wow, I would've guessed longer, you just seem so...in sync. You guys met in this?"

"Yeah...it's been quite the experience." I confirmed, a part of my mind drifting to how life would've been if we had met before the world went to hell. How different it would be.

"Oh, I bet." Eric replied, as if he was speaking from experience.

Aaron hummed, "And you guys are married right? How long has that been?"

"Six months." Daryl said almost immediately.

My head turned to him in slight surprise at how fast he responded, but he on the other had seemed the least bit phased as he shoveled another bite in his mouth, subtly reaching out to squeeze my leg under the table. It warmed my heart that not only he knew for a fact how long we had been married, but said it as if the answer was constantly on his mind.

I looked back up at the two to see they had the softest smiles on their faces as they looked at us, Eric even placing a hand over his heart in awe. I smiled meekly at them, feeling myself get a bit flustered which caused me to take a drink of the red wine they offered in attempts to hide my embarrassment.

I cleared my throat, "I feel like you guys are my only voice of reason for this place, since you're the ones who brought us here." I huffed softly, "So, how long have you lived in Alexandria?"

Eric tilted his head, "Well, I think it's been about a year, wouldn't you say?" he asked Aaron who nodded in response, "We got here around the same time...and I guess it was only a matter of time before we got together ourselves."

"That's sweet." I smiled, watching them intertwine their hands. A part of me asked because I was curious. But another part of me wanted to be reassured that I could settle here just like everyone else.

Aaron looked at me for a beat longer than necessary, "You're still weary?" he assumed.

I shared a look with Daryl before shaking my head assuredly, "No...just curious, I guess."

He smiled a little, "I've actually been meaning to ask if you've accepted that job from Deanna yet? I know she's probably bugging you for some kind of answer."

"Yeah," I nodded, "I actually told her tonight that I was going to take it."

"Oh, that's great." he said genuinely, "Hopefully the job fits you perfectly."

"Fingers crossed." I muttered as I picked my fork back up, picking at the food to take another small bite. I felt Daryl squeeze my leg lightly in reassurance, knowing just how uneasy I was about the whole thing in the first place. I was nervous, but I was just glad I had his support through it.

"Mm," Eric hummed like he suddenly remembered something, "Speaking of. When you're out there, if you happen to be in a store or something, Mrs. Neudermyer is really looking for a pasta maker. And we're all really trying to get her to shut up about it." he directed toward Daryl, "I mean we have crates of dry pasta in here, but she wants to make her own or something."

I looked back towards him to see if he knew what the man was talking about, but he seemed to have the same blank expression as I did, swallowing the wine quickly to try and catch up with what Eric was saying.

"If you see one on your travels, it would go a long way to..." he suddenly trailed off, seeing the look on Aaron's face. There was just silence once again, and clearly we were the only ones in the dark about what was going on.

Suddenly Eric felt quite embarrassed as he stared back down at his plate, "I thought it was done...you didn't ask him already?"

"Ask me what?" Daryl voiced.

Aaron smiled a little before getting up from his seat, "Follow me."

He headed off towards the garage and Daryl was hesitant to push out his chair and trail behind, but he did nonetheless. Though not without looking back at me about five different times to see if I would follow him out there so he wouldn't be alone. I swear he was acting like a child having to go to their first day of school. Shaking my head, I silently waved him on, watching him sigh heavily once he realized he was on his own for this.

Once Eric heard the door squeak shut, knowing the two men were gone, he looked back towards me with a bright smile, "Well, you two are adorable, are you kidding?"

I just laughed, "Thank you. I could say the same about you two."

"Oh, stop." he waved me off, "I can't believe how much that man melts when he's around you. It's precious."

"So I've been told." I agreed with a small nod. "So, what did you do before all of this?" I found myself asking.

He wiped his mouth quickly with a hum, "Well, I was in between jobs, but technically the last one I had was a receptionist at an office company that sold paper." he deadpanned. My face scrunched up just as much as his was as he let out a chuckle, "Thrilling I know." he said sarcastically, "But what about you?"

"I was an undercover cop."

His eyes widened, "Oh, really? Well, no wonder they want you to be our constable, you'll kill it out there."

I shrugged, "I hope so."

"Well, have a little faith." he joked.

I laughed softly, "I just mean...I haven't been a cop in two years and all of a sudden, I'm jumping back into it at full force. It's going to be weird at first, but hopefully I'll get used to it."

"You will." he reassured, "If Deanna believes you're a good fit for the job, then you're a good fit for the job."

"That easy, huh?" I asked with a raised brow.

He simply nodded his head as if he knew best, before going back to finishing the food that remained in front of him. And for some reason, even after barely knowing the man, I somewhat trusted his judgement as he seemed confident in his words. Maybe everything would be alright.

Ignoring Eric's protests, I ended up cleaning everyone's plates from the table and taking them to the kitchen, helping the man out considering he still couldn't move around too well with his ankle. I rinsed the dishes off a bit before filling up one side of the sink with warm, soapy water, letting them soak for the time being. I was even tempted to help put away the leftovers they had still sitting on the stove, but I knew he'd just yell at me for that too, so I decided to take the highroad.

Drying my hands off with a nearby towel, I stepped out of the kitchen right as Aaron and Daryl came back from the garage. I smiled briefly at them, watching Daryl shift uncomfortably as he clearly didn't want to overstay his welcome.

"M' gonna take a piss, then ya ready to go?" he asked.

I scoffed lightly at his bluntness before nodding, "Yeah, sure."

He dipped his head before heading down the hall to find the bathroom, while I trailed back toward the dining area where Aaron was now hovering, cleaning up the wine glasses.

"Oh, I can do that." I offered.

He shot me a look, "You're our guest, you shouldn't be taking any dishes."

"I tried to tell her." Eric said with raised hands, "She's stubborn."

"I could've told you that." Aaron added teasingly.

"Hey," I said in faux offense, "I'm standing right here."

They both laughed lightly at my comment before Aaron followed me back into the kitchen, setting the glasses in the sink while I folded the towel back onto the counter neatly. "I'll let Daryl be the one to tell you the news, all good things I swear."

I nodded slowly, "Okay."

"Oh...but can I ask you something really quick?" he asked, lowering his voice a little, "He said something to me about bringing me some rabbits...is that a good thing? Or...?" he trailed off.

My eyes widened a little, "Oh, he likes you."

"Really?" he asked somewhat shocked.

"Yeah, you think he offers to get rabbits just for anybody? Whatever you said, you definitely won him over."

He nodded with a content smile, "Alright, well...good."

Before we could say anything else, Daryl emerged from the hall from which he disappeared, nodding back toward the front door as he locked eyes with me, "Ya ready?"

"Mhm." I nodded, following him out while Aaron trailed behind us to see us out.

We said our many thank you's and goodbyes to show our gratitude for dinner before we both left the house side by side, Daryl chewing on his lip nervously all the while. He looked a little unsure and I silently knew he wouldn't tell me anything until I asked. Simply because he was lost in his own little world, thinking about anything and everything that went on in that conversation I could only assume. Sometimes he just needed a little push.

"Well, are you gonna tell me about it or what?" I asked, nudging his elbow lightly.

He glanced over at me and tried to give me the best smile that he could muster, but I could tell he was nervous for a reason that was unknown to me. Aaron assured me that it wasn't anything bad and seemed almost excited about whatever the news could be, though Daryl's expression said otherwise.

"He brought me into the garage ta show me this old bike he found a while back, said I could have it. Tune it up, take it out whenever I want." he mumbled.

A few beats of silence passed which caused me to assume that was all, "Well...that's great. I mean you haven't ridden one in so long, and honestly I'm starting to miss it too."

He shook his head, "That ain't it. He said he wants me to go out with him to bring new people in. Said he wasn't comfortable doin it with Eric anymore, thinks I'll be good for it. I dunno why he offered it to me in the first place, but...the job's mine if I want it." he blurted out seemingly all at once.

"Okay..." I nodded slowly, still not seeing the problem.

He cleared his throat, "Well, what do you think?"

I blinked, "What do you mean, what do I think?"

"M' askin what ya think bout the job."

I shook my head with a smile, "Honey, it doesn't matter what I think, you're the one who's going to have to do it."

He shrugged, "Just...want yer opinion."

"Well...I think it would be good for you, getting outside these walls more often instead of being stuck here all the time. It's a nice chance to get to know Aaron, make a new friend." I paused for a moment, "But I think the most important thing is that it makes you happy, and it's something you actually want to do."

He stopped walking then, gently taking my hand in his to turn me to face him, "So, ya wouldn't be mad if I took it?"

My eyes widened, quickly shaking my head, "No, no. Why would I ever be mad?"

"Cause I ain't gonna see ya as often...I'll be gone for who knows how long while yer here just waitin on me to get back."

I tilted my head a little, "Yeah, I know...but that's okay. I mean you won't be gone all the time, you'll come back for a little then leave for a little, we'll get a good routine down. But I think it's a good opportunity to get out there; do something you'll actually like. I want that for you."

Relief was brought back to his expression as he lifted my hand up to his mouth to place a gentle kiss there, "Yeah, I want that too. Which is why...I told him I'd do it."

I smiled happily at him before wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug, burying my face in his chest. I will admit, this whole thing will probably take some getting used to, but I didn't mind one bit as long as he was doing that brought him some kind of joy. And at the end of the day, this seemed perfect for him.

"I'm very proud of you." I admitted quietly.

He hummed, "Could say the same thing bout you, officer." he said, his tone turning a bit teasing.

I rolled my eyes, "Quit."

But he only chuckled softly, running his hands across my back while leaning down to kiss my cheek a few times until my faux annoyance disappeared.

As we finally made it back, it surprised me to see that both of the houses they gave us were still empty, signaling that no one had made it back yet as there wasn't a single light on through the windows. Apparently, they were far more polite than us when it came to staying at the event. Though as I began to turn and walk up the steps, I noticed that Daryl's arm fell from my waist as instead he began walking away from me. My brows furrowed, watching him cross the street.

A small smirk grew on my face, seeing him move further and further away without looking back once, "You forget which one is ours already?" I joked.

Finally, he glanced over his shoulder. "Oh..." he muttered, "I thought when we agreed ta head to the house, ya meant our house."

"I did." I said, jutting my thumb back toward the structure behind me, "This is the house."

He shook his head, "Nah, it's not. According ta Aaron, that one over there is ours."

I squinted my eyes, panning back and forth between the small home and him a few times before finally confessing, "I'm lost."

A small chuckle escaped him while he slowly walked back over to where I was rooted in place, "I really gotta spell it out for ya?"

"Hey, easy. I've had a few drinks tonight, be nice."

"Yeah, alright." he smiled, "Well, I talked ta Aaron bout settin up a little surprise for ya. And that surprise just so happens to be...our house." he said, taking my hand to place something small in my palm.

I glanced down to see it was a set of keys, the dots immediately connecting in my head the moment I realized it was real. My eyes widened as I looked back up to him, pointing toward the house once more. "That's our house?" I asked, "Like...our house?"

He nodded with a growing smile, clearly feeling quite proud of himself, "Wanna go check it out?"

"Uh, yeah." I spoke as if it were obvious, practically dragging him along across the pavement as I couldn't have been more excited.

The outside was painted white with a plethora of flowers planted on either side of the steps, the multitude of colors really bringing the place to life. And on top of that it had a porch swing. He really outdid himself with that one.

I couldn't seem to get through the gate fast enough to make it up toward the door, anxiously anticipating what was inside. "You wanna do the honors?" I asked as I briefly looked over my shoulder at him.

"Nah, you got it baby." he reassured.

I smiled brightly before turning back around to unlock the handle, the keys jingling quietly as I did so, pushing the wooden door open to reveal the inside. And just by the very first look, I could already tell I loved it.

The layout was very simple, a staircase on the left and the living area on the right, the large glass doors being a nice added touch to open and close the entrance to the room whenever we wanted. My eyes darted around everything as I stepped inside, Daryl flicking the light on from behind me to bring the room a nice orange glow. I took note of all the beautiful decor as I slowly made my way down the hall, seeing it opened up into a kitchen with a small dining table and chairs just off to the side.

Everything blended together utterly flawless, reminding me just how much we needed normality. How much we deserved it. And I couldn't have conjured up a more perfect image of the home Daryl and I would settle into. The home that was now ours.

And it only got better once we ventured upstairs. There was a small guest bathroom and an extra bedroom, a place where maybe Carl could crash every now and then to get away from his crazy dad. And then the master bedroom just down the hall, it almost took my breath away.

The bed was huge, sitting in the middle of the room along with two large bookshelves aligning the walls to accompany the large windows. I was absolutely over the moon at the amount of books I had to read now, ones that were mine to keep and pick through whenever I wanted. The two extra doors led to the walk-in closet, and the master bathroom that was especially shiny. It had a tub, two sinks, and a shower with a glass door. The really fancy ones that I only used to see in movies that almost everyone was insanely jealous of.

With a breath, I slowly turned back around to face him, walking over to the middle of the bedroom and seeing the little grin he had on his face. "Ya like it?"

"Like it?" I questioned in disbelief, "My mouth hasn't closed since the second I walked in here." I said sarcastically, looking around the bedroom once more to take it all in.

He chuckled at my comment before I felt his arms wrap around my middle, resting his chin on my shoulder, "I'll take that as a good thing." he murmured.

"It's a very good thing," I confirmed, running my hands along his forearms, "I can't believe it's ours."

"Mhm." he hummed, his lips pressing against the skin on my neck. The same spot that made me shiver.

A slow smile was brought to my face the more I thought about not having to be quiet anymore, no one else being around to hear us in the privacy of our own home. Not only now, but for however many years to come. We had our own space to do pretty much whatever we wanted for the first time in two years, and boy was I planning on taking advantage of that.

I slowly turned to face the king-sized bed before us, eyeing it as I subtly licked my lips in suspense, "This room is really nice..."

But before he even got a chance to respond, I took his arms from around me and quickly moved him around my frame, lightly pushing him down onto the mattress. A look of surprise crossed his features, before it was replaced with a smirk upon watching me climb on top of him.

"God, it's such a shame we have to ruin it." I finished.

"Such a damn shame." he agreed before grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me down for a heated kiss.

I couldn't help but moan softly as the warmth of his tongue invaded my mouth, swirling around hungrily while his hands pulled me almost flush against him. He gripped my hips tightly, lightly guiding them back and forth against him to create the friction we had been craving, already feeling my stomach flutter with butterflies. My hands began to unbutton his shirt impatiently, needing to feel his rough skin beneath my palms. It was almost like magic with how fast I got to the bottom, causing him to instinctively flip over so he could shrug it off of his broad shoulders, tossing it behind him carelessly.

His mouth came back down to attach onto my neck, sucking and nipping every bit of skin he could reach all while hiking the skirt of my dress up, his hands running down to give my thighs a generous squeeze. I hummed, my chest rising and falling dramatically with every breath that passed through my lips, feeling his hands inching closer to where I needed him most.

"God...I need you." I whispered.

A growl erupted from him at the sound of my plea, not needing to be told twice as his thick fingers curled around my tights and the edge of my panties, pulling them completely off my legs in one go. I sighed shakily as his head dipped down to then leave a trail of open-mouth kisses down my abdomen, his tongue darting out to taste the sweetness of my flesh. He groaned quietly to himself, his back muscles flexing all while he slowly spread my legs apart for him to settle between them.

My hips shifted upward in impatience, whimpering at just the thought of him finally giving me what I needed. Considering how active we were when the prison was still intact, I felt I had been deprived of his mouth for far too long, seeing as he always wanted to spoil me every chance he got. Though he seemed to be enjoying torturing me now. Kissing teasingly along my thighs and forcing my legs to stay in place no matter how much I wanted to squirm.

But even he had his breaking point, one where he couldn't hold out any longer than he already had, pushing himself to the limit just as he was doing to me.

"Fuck, you taste so good." he muttered, his nose brushing against my mound.

A shiver of anticipation rolled through me, before I felt the tip of his tongue lick a slow strip up my slit, causing my muscles to flex and my head to roll back. "Oh...yes." I moaned softly.

He hummed affectionately, the sound alone vibrating through my body, before his mouth fully crashed down against my aching cunt. My eyelids fluttered blissfully, gasping in pleasure while his tongue lapped eagerly against my clit, burying his face into my folds. My hands traveled down to weave through his hair, gently tugging at the roots as if to keep him in place right where he was. A low sound rumbled from him at the feeling of my fingers in his soft locks, his lips sucking at my sensitive flesh. I felt his pace pick up with the growing excitement he seemed to possess, his hips grinding slightly against the bed as he ate me hungrily. Growing hard within merely moments.

His tongue flicked in and out of my entrance, tasting the pure arousal that pooled there, his thumb moving up to gently rub over my clit. That alone elicited a small cry from my mouth, my back arching from off the bed. "Oh my God." I sighed, pulling his hair tighter.

"Mm..." he murmured against my skin, his lips moving away momentarily so he could slowly insert two fingers into my entrance.

The whines and blissful sounds of ecstasy I let out only grew louder when he curled the digits to hit that sweet spot, feeling content in the privacy of our own space. Perhaps I even exaggerated a little just because I could. I wasn't worried about the others, or potentially even walkers hearing us with our minds hazy with lust. I felt I could fully let go.

I could hear his breathing grow more ragged as he solely focused on my pleasure, and I felt my stomach tighten as my orgasm built. But before I could focus on it for too long, he suddenly stopped, causing me to let out a muffled sound of protest feeling his mouth pull away from my core.

He pulled himself up to hover over me, his voice low and gravely with desire, "Open."

I didn't protest one bit at his demand, opening my mouth to stick my tongue out, watching a string of saliva fall from his lips and land directly into my own, swallowing it with a pleased hum. His eyes darkened further, leaning down to capture my lips in a sloppy kiss, his hand coming up into my hair while he gently sucked on my tongue. I giggled quietly at the feel of his mouth desperately clinging to mine, still being able to taste the lingering sweetness of myself.

But it didn't last for long as we were both growing far too impatient to wait any longer, the remains of our clothes shedding off in record speed. His bare skin felt burning hot against mine, the back of my thighs being pressed against his chest while he shifted between them once more, stroking himself a few times. I bit my lip as I watched intently, loving the sight of him like this. The sight that was only reserved for me, like he was baring his soul for my eyes alone. The passion and vulnerability he showed making it all the more precious.

When he caught me staring, he turned his head to press hot kisses against my ankle and up toward the side of my foot that rested against his shoulder, "My pretty angel..." he muttered, "So perfect."

I shuttered as he showered me with praise, feeling his tip push into me while his large hands now gripped onto my legs, slowly inserting himself. My eyes squeezed shut as I let out a choked moan at how good he always felt, so unreal, as if we were truly made for each other. Hearing the low and almost animalistic sounds from him only turned me on more, my hips wiggling ever so slightly as if to coax him to move. And he gladly obliged, easily beginning a steady rhythm as he thrusted in and out of me.

The sound of our skin slapping together and pent-up sinful sounds filled the room, our bodies connecting in the most intimate way. His movements were skilled and purposeful, my wetness almost causing him to slip out and falter with how aroused I was. But I couldn't help it. The vision of him bucking into me at a rapid pace, the hair falling over his hooded eyes as he concentrated, panting heavily and whimpering at the sensations. It only caused the heat in my stomach to grow once more.

"Shit," I cursed breathlessly, "Yes...yes- that feels so good." I moaned, the indication that I was close.

"Mhm." he groaned, his pace picking up to begin roughly pounding into me.

I cried out again as his dick hit that same sensitive spot inside of me, his hip rolling accordingly as if he had it memorized by now. Knowing exactly how I operated, which strings to pull in order to make me feel good. My legs began to tingle like a soft buzzing, my hands gripping the sheets below me while I gasped, feeling my entire body practically turning to jelly from his touch. My flesh was covered in a thin line of sweat as my hips jutted forward to meet his pace, trying to finally feel that release of pure euphoria.

"Come on, baby." I heard him mutter, the deep vibration of his voice ultimately causing me to chase my peak.

I moaned loudly while my body trembled with utter bliss, my orgasm hitting me so hard I could've sworn my vison went black for a moment. I felt his dick tremble inside of me, my walls squeezing him with every sloppy thrust he delivered before I heard him let out a deep grunt, quickly pulling out of me to spill himself onto my stomach. The two of us froze for a moment, coming down from the high we shared as I fought to catch my breath, my eyes glazing over, humming in deep satisfaction.

Daryl then slowly lowered himself to collapse on top of me, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck all while placing a few lazy kisses there. I smiled tiredly, my hands rubbing his back in a soothing manner and I felt his body envelope me entirely, like a warm protective shield.

"I love you." his gruff voice whispered in my ear.

My smile grew as I felt his teeth grazing my lobe, gently biting down on it, "I love you too..."

~ Thanks for reading! (This took me forever to write, but I think this might be one of my favorite chapters yet:))

Taglist ~ @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysurffering98 @mystictf @remuslittlesister @in0320

#daryl dixon #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon the walking dead #daryl dixon x oc #daryl dixon twd #daryl dixon x original character #daryl dixon series #the walking dead #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead daryl dixon #the walking dead daryl #the walking dead series #twd daryl dixon #twd daryl #twd fanfiction #twd #norman reedus #norman reedus fanfiction #desert rose

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tearsaura · 21 hours ago

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No need no use pt. 2 // Eris Vanserra x healer!reader

A/N: Thank you so so much for all the nice feedback on part one. I am so glad that you liked it so much!

Word count: 1K

Warnings: talk of death, injuries, angst

Heaven smelled like cinnamon and pine. Delicious.

I was lying, or floating, on soft clouds and felt no pain anymore. Death wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. For the people that lost someone, sure, but in my case, there was no one that lost me. Maybe I should open my eyes. Am I going to see all my dead relatives?

Footsteps appeared suddenly and I felt a presence, the smell of cinnamon and pine becoming stronger, as I felt the clouds under me dipped.

“Are you awake, love?”

No.

No there is no way.

I opened my eyes and stared right at the newly appointed High lord of the autumn court. And last time I checked, he was very much alive, which meant that I was too.

“What are you doing here?” Eris looked at me cautiously, his usual taunting smile inapparent. “What am I doing here?” “What do you remember?” he asked, completely disregarding my questions. Huffing, I thought back.

There was Cassian’s injury, his bones sticking out.

Azriel yelling at me, holding me down.

Leaving the house, going to the woods.

“You found me outside of Velaris.” I stated and Eris nodded. “I brought you back to autumn and had my healers take care of you.” “Why didn’t you bring me to the night court?” “If you wanted to be there, you wouldn’t have been walking away from them.” He replied. “What happened?”

I didn’t know what it was, I think my near-death experience loosened my tongue, but I told him everything. How I wanted to belong in the night court, even about my unrequited feelings for Azriel. How he grabbed my hand and held it down to heal Cassian, how none of them said anything or even cared when I walked out. Eris didn’t interrupt me, listening cautiously. The more I talked, the more I wanted to bawl my eyes out. There where no words to describe how hurt I was, how betrayed I felt. It has reached to the point that I even shared it all with a person that I didn’t necessarily like that much.

“And the worst part is, I deserve this. I never had a place to belong, and I’ll never will” I finished, silent tears running down my cheeks. At this point, I didn’t care that I was crying to the worst possible person I could be crying to because Eris, as bad as he can be, showed me more empathy and basic respect than any of my so-called family ever did by bringing me here and healing me back to life.

“It is astonishing how the night court doesn’t have any basic knowledge, but not surprising.”

“Really? This is, all you are going to say about this?”

“I could go on and on about how none of them deserved to be in your presence to begin with, how none of them deserved even a single thought of yours going towards them but I do not think that will help you at this moment. The night court doesn’t know that you’re here. Do you want to keep it that way or shall I bring you back there to tear them apart?” He asked, his cunning smile making his way back on his face. There he is.

“I don’t want to talk to them.” I said, suddenly feeling tired again.

“Should I inform them?” he asked, and I shook my head. “Why did you bring me here. What do you want from me?” I whispered, looking towards the ceiling.

“I thought you where dying.” My eyes snapped back to him. Eris held my gaze as he continued: “You were wandering around and sobbing, clutching your shoulder. I had an idea what had happened because I knew how the healers’ powers work.” He whispered back. He wore this sad look in his eyes, and I immediately wanted to grab his hand for some reason. To console him.

“You should rest, and we can talk after about where you want to go. I have no bad intentions I swear.” He said to which I only nodded absently, feeling my eyes growing heavier before I drifted back to sleep.

“You were asleep for about three days” Eris told me as we walked through the woods of his home later that evening. I needed fresh air and Eris decided to accompany. There was so much that I was feeling and yet I felt… numb. Where was I supposed to go now, what am I going to do?

“Have you eaten something?” Eris questioned, breaking the silence. I nodded.

“How’s your shoulder feeling?” “Good”

“How are you feeling?” “I have no where to go now” I blurted out. Eris came to a halt, turning to look at me. “What do you mean?” “I have been with the night court pretty much my whole life now. I do not know any other home.” I started, avoiding his gaze. “And now, I can’t and won’t go back there but I don’t know where to go. These where the only people I knew.”

His hand reached out to my face, pulling my chin up. I looked at him, his face didn’t betray any emotions. His eyes bore into me as I bit my lip. He was devastatingly beautiful.

“You can stay here of course.” He finally said, making my breath hitch. “I don’t want to impose” “You aren’t imposing. I am offering. It’d be my honour to have you here.” I bit my lip, hesitating. “Maybe I can offer my healing powers in exchange?” I suggested, to which he quickly shook his head. “Absolutely not. If you want, you can help my healers out with knowledge only, but I won’t have you risk your life for anyone.” He said sternly. “But-” “No buts. You can stay here as long as you want, and you won’t be a burden to me.”

“You don’t even know me”

“I know you enough”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Eris held out his arm to me and I held onto him as we continued our walk. We didn’t speak much after that, making our way back to his home. Well, I guess mine now too, at least for the time being.

And suddenly, my fall out with the night court didn’t seem bad at all.

-----

Taglist:

@celestialgilb

#acotar #eris vanserra x reader #eris vanserra #eris vanserra acotar

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aphroditesmoon · 2 hours ago

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smoke signals (part ii)

lighthouse keeper!sevika x selkie!reader

summary: sevika is content with her life, the loneliness that comes with her job is inevitable. but then one day, as she reaches the peak of mundanity, almost turning into insanity, you appeared. cold, quiet, clueless, sea-sent you, like a wish fulfilment for her.

warnings: selkie!reader, reader has selective mutism in beginning.

a/n: thank you for the love on part 1!!! i love selkies and seals! and i think we all meed some softness and love in this trying times.

taglist: @lilredbird101 , @djstinkyfartz

wc: 2.4k

PART 1

---

To find simple kindness in life isn't as easy as people make it out to be. To give out kindness after receiving none of it is even harder.

You know what it was like to have your innocence ripped off from your hands since you were young. To have to force yourself to stand up tall against the fragile sand breaking in between your toes and keep walking anyways, despite knowing that there's nothing waiting for you at the other end of the world.

Losing your mother at a young age meant having to be comfortable in your own presence. All selkies were seals, but not all seals are selkies. And on nights where you're swimming under the moonlight with your friends, crossing borders after borders, it felt like everything is going as it's meant to be. Even if the feeling never lasted.

You're a runner, or swimmer, technically. You needed to constantly be moving to fill that emptiness in you. You'd find a place with new kinds of entertainment to satiate the deep curiosity you have for the man-folk, and then leave before you can get attached, that was your game.

But lately the thrill was disappearing. There was this feeling you just couldn't shake, the feeling that you were truly and completely alone even in a room full of people.

There was a longing for true connection, but no one to connect to. No one made sense to you. Except her.

You've been hanging around her for months now, even when she doesn't notice you, while shes doing work, getting on and off the boats with the big man and hia daughters, when she's enjoying the cold wind under moonlight while the sea is calm.

She confuses you, a woman with so much freedom, and yet she chooses to stay here instead, all alone. Why deprive yourself from real connections when you can easily obtain it? Do the other humans not satisfy her?

And so maybe your new curiosity is taking shape in this weirdly lonely and awkward woman.

You don't really know what you want, self discovery as half sea creature /half man isn't easy. But all you knew that for some reason, the waves of your heart is insistent in going her way, and so you follow in hopes that it would help you feel any other other than aching desperation to be understood.

When she picked you up and carried you inside last night, you had managed to acknowledge a few things about her. The first thing is, she's a man of action. If plan A doesn't work, she's going straight to Plan B. She didn't force you out of your silence and instead worked through it.

The second thing you learned was that she's less scarier than she looks. And the third is that you were wrong about her purposely depriving herself of human connection.

With how quickly she went for aiding you is one thing, but you could see the same kind of craving for another person in her eyes, when she caught you out of bed and rummaging through her belongings, there was more of confusion than irritation, but most importantly, there was a need to comprehend your existence.

You couldn't find your coat. It's a few hours before dawn, and she's somehow managed to fall asleep by the rocking chair downstairs. You had used the extra time you had before its time for her to wake up to quietly tiptoe around the tall tower, exploring every level and getting yourself familiar with the place.

This place is as old as it looks. The paint is peeling off the walls, and the lights flicker every few seconds, giving the tower a sense of melancholy and nostalgia.

It was just the kind of place you liked, historic but also monotonous.

Once you reached the level she was at, you silently watched over her, observing her sleeping manner as she remained unconscious. You didn't want to accidentally wake her up, so you only looked around from wher eyou stood to see if you could find your coat, but when you couldn't, you decided to go back to bed, all out of options.

What was your motive, truly? You weren't sure. You've decided that you're staying, but what angle are you going with?

You've had your fair share of experiences around humans, and in each time, you made sure to have a certain role or goal you're going in with, it saves time, and it's necessary for your own safety. The last thing you needed was some dirty sailor or pirate, locking you up against your will.

But this time, nothing is clear, not even your intentions. You see this situation as a process of trying to understand yourself through understanding her. So the end goal, should probably be some feeling of clarity, right?

It sounds silly, trying to find pieces of yourself in another woman's puzzle, but sometimes, things fit even in places they dont belong in.

—

Sevika woke up 5 minutes later than usual with a sense of urgency in her chest, which technically meant that she was still early, but that wasn't the point. Something was different today, compared to all the other repetitive and mundane days she's had.

Usually, she'd berate herself for the clumsiness as she'd have nothing else to do. But today, as soon as she woke up, you were the first thing that crossed her mind.

The peculiar girl that somehow survived the antagonising waves of the sea.

She pulled herself out of her chair and was about to make her way up to the bedroom until she saw you standing outside from the window, leaning against the railing, basking in the calm air as the sun slowly rose up.

You were checked out if reality, enjoying the morning glow as the wind blew through your hair, turning your cool skin even colder. It was a sight to behold, Sevika thought. There was no one who seemed more in her element than you at this moment.

As you seemed blind to her presence, she decided to take advantage of it and get started on breakfast. omelettes would do, at least for now. She even added an extra effort by drawing a smily face on it using soy sauce.

You entered back in while she was still preparing the food and went up to her from behind, taking a peek at Sevika's neck twisted to meet your face. "Good morning.” Sevika greeted as she placed the plates on the table.

She then beckons you to take a seat with her, and you don't hesitate to do so.

How did you sleep? She wanted to ask, but she doubted that you would answer. The speaking barrier is stressing her out. There are still some things she actually needed to figure out, were you mute or foreign. Because if you were simply unable to speak, at least she'd be relieved to know that you could understand her.

She sits opposite you and watches you ravage the omelette without a single care for her and the world, not that she'd blame you, if you've been up earlier than her. you must be starving.

You appreciate each bite like it's be your last, and Sevika views you with both awe and frustration, not knowing what to do in this situation.

It's quite a silly thought process actually, she already knew that there was nothing she could do and that you'd be stuck with her for a while, but how does she tell you that? Or do you already know and that's why you're weirdly chill? Why are you so chill? Were you still in shock?

And why is she having more trouble processing this than you were? Sure its jarring to spend months alone and then suddenly be having breakfast with a stranger who steals her bed, but Sevika has always been a rational and calculated person, so what was the issue now?

Sevika groaned, wiping a hand over her face, causing you to look up from your plate.

She caught your eye and straightened her back. "I- we need to talk." She forced the words out, not breaking eye contact.

Your eyes never strayed from hers as you feed a spoonful into your mouth. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" She asks slowly. No response.

Sevika didn't want to show her disappointment, so she decided to start with something easier. Pointing her finger to herself, she repeated her own name in a show of introducing herself. "Sevika." She repeated, still pointing to her chest.

You nodded then, shyly but surely. Sevika couldn't help but beam at you, smiling ear to ear. "Yeah? You understand me?" You nodded again.

"And you?" She asks. "Your name?" You're unresponsive again, simply staring blankly at her. Sevika tries again, pointing to herself and saying her own name. "I am Sevika." She says, then begins pointing towards herself, "You?"

She thought that you must be completely lost in your head again as your eyes squint in confusion, but then after a minute or two passed, you shook your head at her.

"No?" What does that mean? The imaginary brick wall between the two of you that she thought had been removed, has just returned.

"I'm Sevika." She repeated herself for the fourth time. "And your name is?" You shook your head at her again.

"No name?" Sevika is grasping at the end of the straws here. "You have no name, or you can't remember your name?" You went static again. Sevika sighed.

"Well, I need to call you something." She muttered under her breath. "How about this, I'll say a few names, and you nod your head at which one you like, how bout that?" Unresponsive, of course.

Here goes nothing, she thought. "Lily, Kate, Alia, Nadia, Tella, Belle-" Sevika went over a bunch of names in her head until she paused at a particular one when she saw something flashed in your eyes.

She said the name aloud and noticed your eyes widening slightly. "Is that your name?" You didn't quite agree, but you tilted your head to you and gave her a look that said "It'll do." And so for now, It'll do.

---

The phone isn't working, she had known it wouldn't. The line here have always been problematic. Sevika anxiously paces back and fourth after hanging it up, rubbing her temples in a manner that distinctly shows her frustrations.

"Well there's no safe way to send you out." She says, turning to look at you, who's comfortably on her rocking chair, playing with a strand of your hair.

"But that isn't something we don't already know." She finishes her sentence.

She halts all of her movement all of the sudden, reminded of something she'd almost forgotten to bring up. Sevika reaches further into the backroom by the kitchen and comes up with a familiar piece of clothing.

You all but jumped out of the chair, striding towards her. This was the first time you've ever reacted this strongly towards anything for all the time you've been here.

"I guess this is yours?" She asks, waving your white coat up. You nodded and extended your hand to take it from her, but just before she could, you pulled your hand back and frowned.

"What?" Sevika asks. "You don't want it?"

She watches you open your mouth briefly, as if about to say something, but the. closing it back and taking a step back.

"I'll admit, " Sevika starts. "It is quite a useless coat, very inefficient." She teases as she walks forward, taking note of how you keep moving backwards.

"What's wrong?" She asks again, genuinely worried. "You're not suddenly gaining consciousness about the realities of your condition and stranger danger, are you?"

You laughed at that, a choked, short laugh. But a laugh nonetheless. Sevika smiled despite herself.

"So you do understand me."

You sat back down at the rocking chair, leaning back and closing your eyes, completely ignoring her and the coat. Sevika confusedly hung the coat on the chair by the window, and dragged it infront of you before taking a seat.

"In all seriousness, you did understand what I've been telling you, yes?" You opened your eyes, and stared into her dark orbs.

"You're going to be stuck with me for a while, until I can find someone to help me get you back to where you came from." You responded with a single nod.

"And you do know where you come from?" You gave it a moment before nodding again. Sevika's eyes brightened. "That's good. Great, even. " She reached for a long folded paper that's pushed to the side by the closet on your right and rolled it open in front of you.

It's a map. "This is a map." She stated. You raised a brow at her, an expression that translated; "I know what a map is."

"It would give me instant relief if you could just circle where you're from, just so we can get some things clear.

She passed you a pencil and moved to give you some space, patiently waiting for you to point towards your home.

You looked through the foreign words you've somehow mastered as you travelled and found yourself in a state of hesitancy for the first time in your life.

You never knew where you were born. From the first time you opened your eyes, you had found yourself in dry land, an infant who had stuck by her mother's side, and before your mother had passed, the both of you returned into the deep blue sea, swimming through unnamed waters.

You can feel her expectancy as you raised the pencil in your arm, drawing it closer to the map. And so in the end, you dotted a big circle over the whole map, and passed it back to her in satisfaction.

"You gotta be fuckin with me." Sevika groaned, making you smile.

"You are..." A pain in the ass, you thought she'd say, "-an enigma."

Sevika rolled and dropped the map to where she got it and began walking upstairs, leaving you behind. "I got some checking to do on the lights, call me if you need me. Or don't."

Your eyes stays on her back until she disappears before they turn to your coat that's already dried up and safely hanging over the chair.

You're gonna leave it there for now, you decided. After all, you'll be here for quite some time.

#sevika x reader #sevika #arcane #arcane x reader

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