#outer ranger fanfic

[thiswaytwoinfinity]

moonstruck • rhett abbott x fem!reader, perry abbott x fem!reader

I wrote this for @sorchathered’s birthday rom com celebration! Happy Belated Birthday! Thank you for letting me combine two of my favorite things: Lew and ‘Moonstruck’. I know it was your celebration but that was a gift to me 😉

Warnings: alcohol consumption, implied smut, impure thoughts about rhett abbott, being engaged to perry abbott (if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll get it)

Note: I adore this movie with all my heart so I tried to fill this with lots of nods to the iconic moments. But it also means that characters might be a bit less true to their Outer Range selves in order to make the story work.

Maybe it should have been a red flag that you hadn’t met Perry’s brother until after you were engaged.

But then again, the whole thing had been a bit of a whirlwind — and you had met Amy. Sweet, smart, beautiful Amy who had been the main reason you said “yes” when Perry had surprised you with a ring at dinner just a few months into your relationship.

“I can’t imagine anyone who’d be a better stepmother to Amy,” he’d said at the time and how was anyone supposed to say no to that?

And if you were a bit hesitant about the whole thing, your mother had done her best to reassure you over steaming mugs of tea at her weathered kitchen table. “You love his daughter, and that’s the important part,” she had said, rubbing her thumb gently over the back of your hand. “It’s better to be devoted to your family, rather than any man. Especially a cowboy.”

You sighed. “He’s not that kind of cowboy, Mama. He works with his dad on the family ranch.”

“Good,” she responded decisively, standing up to make some more tea. “Cowboys are nothing but heartbreak. They’ll always love the rodeo, the animals, the adventure, the life more than they’ll love you.”

And so that was that. You focused your energy on building a relationship with Amy, got to know Royal and Cecelia and went through the motions of starting to plan a simple, courthouse wedding.

Perry didn’t have strong feelings about the big day, having done the whole song and dance once before, but two weeks into planning, he surprised you with the announcement that he had to go away for a while on business — and he had one big favor to ask. 

“It’s been tearing me up inside,” he said, arm a little too tight around your waist as you sat on the couch, TV on mute in the background. “I just can’t get married without my brother standing up with me.”

“So why not just invite him?”

Perry scoffed. “Rhett is … real fucking stubborn. And he decided a long time ago that he didn’t care about anything I had to say.” He paused, tightening his rip just a fraction before letting you go and dramatically sighing, leaning back into the couch cushions. “But maybe if you were to ask him to come … explain that you want this to mark a fresh new start for all of us, as a family. As Amy’s family. Maybe he’d be willing to listen.”

It was the promise of being Amy’s family, of giving her the happy ending that had seemingly been ripped away from her when her mother disappeared that brought you to the Abbott ranch, eyes squinting against the harsh sunlight as you approached Rhett Abbott to ask for forgiveness on behalf of his brother.

Now this is a cowboy, you thought to yourself as you watched his broad shoulders flex under his tee shirt as he worked on repairing a broken section of fencing. The back of his neck was turning pink and the ends of his hair curled with sweat under his cap, but he seemed unbothered as he continued working, big hands moving quickly and competently.

“Rhett? Rhett Abbott?” you asked, and when he wheeled around and those blue eyes landed on yours, it felt like your heart stopped for a second.

“Can I help ya?” he drawled, pulling his baseball cap off his head and wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his muscled forearm. He was all golden skin and sharp cheekbones, cheeks flushed pike from the heat and exertion and a smirk that was designed to give women the naughtiest of thoughts.

Stop it. You’re engaged. To his brother. Behave yourself.

You must have taken longer than you realized to reply, because that smirk turned into a grin as Rhett leaned forward and offered out his hand. “Nice to meet you. Now, what can I do for a beautiful woman such as yourself?”

Your face felt like it was on fire as you shook his hand, warm and calloused and completely dwarfing yours. When he didn’t seem to recognize your name after you introduced yourself, you continued, “I’m uh … Perry’s … fiancée, I guess.”

“You’re engaged to Perry?” he asked, arms crossing in front of his chest and you weren’t sure if he was insulting you with his tone of shock.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty recent. The whole thing’s been kind of … fast. But we’re planning the wedding and he wants you to stand there with him, be his best man —“

“And why isn’t he out here askin’ me this?” Rhett interrupted sharply, eyes stormy under the brim of his cap.

“He, um, he’s out of town right now … and anyway he said …” you paused, somehow sensing that the truth — he said you’d be more likely to say ‘yes’ if I asked — wouldn’t go over well. “And well, I wanted to meet you and everything. Get to know the whole family before I become a part of it.”

“Well, we’ve met now. Congratulations on the wedding.”

With that, he turned his back on you, returning to the fence and summarily dismissing you. Once again, you weren’t sure if you should be offended by his actions, but clearly you had accidentally stumbled into some kind of family tension that Perry had not warned you about. 

“So that’s it?” You asked, taking a step closer to him. Rhett grunted as he continued working on the fence. “What, you’re just going to brush off your brother’s request? Shouldn’t a wedding bring family together and not tear them apart?” 

“You don’t know anythin’ about me and Perry,” the cowboy said, his voice cold and his eyes not even looking up for a second.

“So tell me,” you pleaded, making your way closer to him and oh, that might have been a mistake. You could smell him at this distance, the faintest hint of his woodsy body wash, the scent of sun on skin, the tang of sweat.

It almost made you salivate with want — your body had never reacted this way to a man before, and you quickly stepped back and put some space between you two. A safe, platonic distance. “Is … is there something I should know before I marry him? Don’t you think it’s only right that I know the man I’m marrying?”

Finally, Rhett huffed out a sigh and turned around and you were struck again by how blue his eyes were underneath that hint of annoyance.

“Look, you really should be askin’ Perry all this, not me,” he bit out. “I’m not staying here much longer anyway, so you don’t even need to get to know me. You’ll only ever see me at holidays and shit like that.”

“Where are you going?”

“Rodeo circuit,” Rhett responded, a hint of pride in his voice. “Got a spot on a semi-pro tour, so I’ll be on the road soon enough.” 

You congratulated him faintly, images of this gruff, gorgeous man on the back of a bull filling your brain and making you a bit weak in the knees.

“Yeah, so it’s all good. I’ll be outta your way soon enough and you and Perry can have your wedding with no issues,” Rhett concluded.

He started to turn back to his work and you felt a surge of panic run through you, like if you didn’t manage to convince him to stick around right this second, you’d never have the chance again. (And you could unpack why, exactly, it was so vital for you to have your fiancé’s brother around as much as possible later, in the shaming quiet of your bedroom.)

“Well, how about this then,” you start, enjoying the way Rhett’s brows lifted under the brim of his cap, his eyes dancing with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Spend some time with me and Amy before you go — just to help me get to know her better. I want to build a strong relationship with her, she’s my number one priority in all this. And I know she adores her Uncle Rhett. So maybe you can just … help us bond?”

The cowboy hesitated a moment, his eyes roaming all over your face in a way that made your cheeks heat up. He must have found what he was searching for because he ultimately pulled off his work glove once more and held out a big, calloused hand.

“For Amy,” he said and you felt your face split open with a bright grin.

“For Amy,” you agreed, grasping his hand. And yet, despite the warmth of his hand engulfing yours, despite the fact that you managed to convince him to give you a chance, despite the fact that you should have been pleased with yourself, you felt a sinking feeling in your stomach.

Oh, I’m in trouble.

That sinking feeling only got worse the more time you spent with Rhett, the more you got to feel the full weight of his attention on you, the more you saw the way he lit up around Amy, always willing to go out of his way to make her happy.

Unfortunately for you, what would make her happy right now was to go for a ride with Uncle Rhett and you — a Wyoming native who had, shockingly, never been on the back of a horse before.

“How did you grow up here without ever ridin’ a horse?” Rhett asked you incredulously when you confessed your lack of experience after Amy dragged you to meet him in the stables, all wide, pleading eyes. “It makes no sense.”

You shrug uncomfortably, staring at the horses relaxing in the stables with a critical eye. “My dad was a cowboy but he died when I was little. My mama grew up Cheyenne, so we moved back there for a long time and only came to Wabang when my granddaddy left her the bakery. So I just … never learned.”

You wrapped your arms around your torso as you spoke, curling in on yourself in embarrassment, eyes self-consciously locked on the far wall so you could avoid seeing the judgement on Rhett’s face. It was why you startled slightly when you felt Amy’s little arms hug you out of nowhere, the feeling of her tight squeeze making you let out a deep breath of relief.

“Don’t worry! Uncle Rhett can teach you, he and dad taught me and he’s really good!” she assured you and you laughed softly.

“Thanks, Ames,” you said, softly brushing some of the hair that escaped her braid back from her face. You cast a tentative look up at Rhett, who was smiling softly at you. “Whaddya say, Uncle Rhett? Willing to take on a new student?”

The cowboy said nothing, though his eyes were bright with amusement as he made his way over to one of the stalls to start getting one of the horses ready for you, Amy bounding behind him.

You couldn’t stop smiling as the 9-year-old narrated everything her uncle was doing, beaming brightly when he praised her for remembering certain tidbits that he had shared with her over the years. Her enthusiasm went a long way towards making you more comfortable, as did the teasing words and glances that Rhett shot your way the whole time.

But that smile was wiped right off your face, when he held out his hand and beckoned you over. “C’mere, I’ll help you get into the saddle,” he said softly and you felt all of your blood rush into your face.

“Aren’t there like, stairs or something I could use?” You asked, knowing that the second you put your hand in his, all of the tempting thoughts about him that you’d successfully shoved down would come rushing back into your head. His blue eyes shone as he shook his head, explaining that they put it away somewhere and it would take too long to find right now.

“I won’t let ya fall,” he said, those beautiful eyes locked on yours. “Promise.”

As Amy urged you along from the back of her own horse, you tentatively reached forward and took Rhett’s big hand in yours. It was like you could hear your heart beating in your ears as he tugged you over and instructed you to put one foot in the stirrups and your free hand on the saddle horn.

“I can give you a boost if ya need,” he added, his voice low and grumbly and far, far too close. You must have nodded absently, because the next thing you knew, Rhett placed your second hand on the saddle horn and moved around to lightly grasp your waist.

Your skin burned where you felt those hands on you and even though he kept them in a perfectly respectable place — perfectly polite for someone who was engaged to his brother — you couldn’t help but imagine the heat of them in other, less savory places on your body. The way those calloused palms would feel brushing over your lower back, how his hands would span the entire distance of your neck, how those long fingers would feel filling up your —

“Ready?” he asked, hot breath against the back of your neck.

“I think so,” you responded weakly, and you felt him chuckle. He murmured a low countdown and at the number “three” you hoisted yourself up and swung one leg over to the other side of the saddle, feeling a little lightheaded at his little grunt of effort as he helped lift you up off the ground.

Once you were in and settled, you expected him to back away, but instead, Rhett leaned over your lap to gather up the reins and hand them to you.

“There ya go. You’re a natural,” he said, voice still gritty enough to feel like a gut-punch when it was paired with the heat of his gaze on your face. He was so close and so beautiful and you could catch the faintest whiff of that intoxicating, woodsy scent if you just leaned a little closer —

“Let’s goooooo,” Amy called, wiggling a little impatiently in her saddle and effectively startling your out of our fantasies.

You’ve gotta stop this. You’re engaged, for chrissakes.

“We’re comin’, we’re comin’,” Rhett grumbled, heading over to his own horse and swinging into the saddle with grace. “You gonna be late for some cartoons or somethin’?”

The pair set out, with you slightly behind them, head still swimming with shameful thoughts of your fiancé’s brother and face still burning. It took a while for you to let the pair’s teasing distract you from the feeling of guilt that had made a home in your stomach since the day you met Rhett, but eventually you were able to let go and enjoy your time on the trail.

And if you stared at the ceiling later that night, mind replaying the way Rhett’s eyes darkened and his lips turned up into a little smirk when he helped you down off the horse at the end of your outing, well, nobody needed to know about that.

The air at the rodeo was electric, the excitement infectious and the smell of fried food making everyone salivate as they made their way to the stands. You hadn’t been to the rodeo since high school, more interested in chatting with your friends or trying to spot your crush than in the actual events, but this night was making you regret all of those years you ignored its presence.

It helped that Amy was practically vibrating with excitement, tugging you around by the hand as she babbled on and on about her favorite food stalls and rattling off stats about the various bull riders. Of course, none of them compared to Uncle Rhett in her mind, but her knowledge of the sport was truly impressive.

“— but the bull they gave Uncle Rhett that time was a bad one, everyone knew it, and anyway he got another shot and that time he came in first place because he’s the best —“

“Amy, Amy, slow down,” you chuckled, head spinning as you tried to both keep up with the conversation and keep her from crashing into anyone at the same time.

“Come on, we have to get popcorn before the bull riding starts, I’m always in the stand for Uncle Rhett,” she powered on, not even pausing for a second as she continued on her mission, a crisp five dollar bill in her hand, courtesy of Cecilia. “There! Come on, come on!”

You could feel the heels of your shoes practically skid in the dirt as she took off towards the line and you had to stop short when she finally, abruptly stopped walking to join in. You took a deep breath, relieved to be able to pause for a second and take in the atmosphere, when you hear her shriek beside you.

Your heart stopped for a second as you wheeled around to spot her, only for it to skip a beat for a completely different reason when you realized that Rhett had snuck up behind her.

His grin was blinding as he picked her up and swung her around in a tight circle, her delighted squeals flying through the air. It only got wider and more brilliant when she began playfully hitting his chest after her put her down, and he pretended that her blows were about to knock him down.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he got out between laughs, and you couldn’t stop your own smile from breaking out across your face.

“I almost had a heart attack when she screamed like that,” you admitted and his cobalt eyes moved from Amy to meet yours.

“My apologies, ma’am,” he said with an exaggerated drawl, playfully tipping his cowboy hat at you in mock apology. You had to fight the urge to duck your head as you felt your face heat up at his actions.

What was this effect that he had on you? You had never been the type to giggle and blush at any guy before Rhett, but there was something about him that just made you feel like a teenager with her first crush all over again.

“Apology accepted, cowboy,” you managed to get out and his eyes danced with mischief. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your big ride?”

“I was, I just had to come say hi to my favorite lady,” Rhett said, giving a gentle tug to the end of Amy’s ponytail. She looked up at him with a giant smile, clearly pleased to hear that she was her uncle’s “favorite,” and your heart melted at the sight. He gently pushed her along when it was her turn to order popcorn, and you stepped out of the line as she made her way up.

“So, you’re sticking around for my ride?” he asked.

“Of course,” you responded, a little surprised that he thought you weren’t here to watch him alongside his family. “Wouldn’t miss it. I haven’t even been to the rodeo in years, it’s really exciting to know one of the competitors.”

“Well, hopefully I manage to make your return to the rodeo an exciting one,” he said, hands settling on his waist, right next to his big, silver belt buckle.

You were grateful that Amy bounded back over to the two of you then, effectively preventing you from all of the dirty thoughts that you were about to have about what might rest behind that gaudy buckle. Rhett gave his niece another hug — and sent a wink your way that you were definitely not going to spend the night thinking about — before you went your separate ways.

By the time you made it back to the Abbotts in the stands, you were just as excited for Rhett’s ride as Amy was.

Your heart was in your throat for the entirety of the bull riding competition, because of course, Wabang’s hometown hero had to go last. When it was finally his turn, Amy gripped your arm tightly as you both watched, unblinking, for them to open the gate and begin his ride. You weren’t sure you took a single breath for the entirety of his time, those 8 seconds feeling like an eternity as you watched Rhett hold onto that bull for dear life.

When the buzzer finally sounded and he was back on his feet, it was like all of the blood in your body came rushing back into your veins, heartbeat thumping in your ears.

And then, there it was, right at the top of the leaderboard: R. Abbott.

Amy’s excited cheer was more like a shriek as the four of you jumped up and down in the stands, popcorn trampled below your feet as you celebrated with his family. With your new family.

And if you wanted to believe that Rhett was looking at you, in particular, as he pounded his chest with pride, well, you allowed yourself that one, tiny indulgence.

You were still breathless as you made your way out of the stands a little while later, following Royal, Cecelia and Amy as they made their way to find and congratulate Rhett in person. The four of you were almost at the riders’ entrance when you heard someone call your name from the crowd.

“Evening,” Royal said, tipping his hat at Joy Hawk after she managed to get everyone’s attention.

“Hi there Royal, Cecelia,” she said, nodding at them both in turn before turning to Amy. “Hi Amy. How’re you doing, sweetie?”

The 9-year-old excitedly told her all about Rhett’s ride as she smiled and agreed that it had been “one heck of a ride.” After a minute, she turned to you and said you name again. “Could I speak to you for just a moment? One-on-one?”

“O-okay,” you agreed, confused as to what she could possibly want.

After giving you a look that you translated to “we’re here if you need us,” Cecelia explained that they would go and wait for Rhett while you chatted with the deputy sheriff. “I’m sure you’ll just be a moment,” she added, before taking Amy by the hand and leading her away with one last look.

“Is … is everything okay?” you asked tentatively as Joy sighed deeply.

“I would have preferred not to be the one to tell you this, but, well, I can’t seem to get ahold of Perry —“

“He’s out of town,” you said quickly. “Is he okay?”

“Far as I know he is,” she reassured you before taking another deep breath. “I saw you two had filed for a marriage license and well, the thing is, he’s still married. To Rebecca.”

“But she … left. She’s not part of their lives anymore. Not part of Amy’s life,” you said, not quite following what she was telling you.

“Right, right. She’s a missing person. But see, the thing is, as long as she’s a missing person — and we don’t know that she died, god forbid — Perry is still legally married to her. Their marriage is still valid until either they manage to file for divorce or she’s declared … dead.”

“Oh.”

The news hit you like a ton of bricks. What did this mean for you? For your relationship? You had been planning a wedding and this whole time, Perry was still married? So what was the point of all of it?

“Now, you two can still have a wedding, I’m not gonna stop you from that,” Joy continued, her tone soft and comforting. “Y’all just won’t be legally married until this all gets sorted out.”

“And … how long would that take?”

Joy sighed heavily, her hands coming to rest on her hips. “I don’t know. Depends on whether or not Rebecca … comes back.”

You nodded absently, feeling your whole world tilt on its axis. You hadn’t even considered the possibility that Rebecca would be found or return of her own volition. If that happened would you just be pushed out of the family again? Would you still be able to see Amy?

Did that mean that the best case scenario for you was that this precious little girl’s mother was dead? How could you hope for something like that?

“I’m real sorry to break the news to you like this. Like I said, I’ve been trying to get ahold of Perry, but he and I can go over everything when he gets back,” the deputy sheriff said, patting you kindly on the arm.

You murmured your thanks before spinning around and making your way over to the Abbotts, head still swimming with questions.

By the time you made it there, they were chatting with a grinning Rhett, who was carrying Amy on his back. His smile faltered when he saw you and the dazed look on your face and you did your best to paste on a smile of your own. It must not have been totally convincing, though, because he let his niece slide down off his back as Royal and Cecelia exchanged looks.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Rhett said, his blunt words making you huff out a laugh. “I’m going to celebrate at the Handsome Gambler — come with me.”

The last thing you needed to do was be alone with Rhett Abbott, especially if alcohol was involved. But the world had just thrown a huge wrench in your plans, so you weren’t even thinking about it being a bad idea when you agreed.

“You ready to tell me what’s got you so spooked?” Rhett asked, leaning across the table so you could hear him over the music. You were both a few beers in — though Rhett had also enjoyed a handful of celebratory tequila shots that some of the locals had bought for him — and his cheeks were flushed pink from laughter and booze.

You contemplated telling him for a second, letting all of your frustrations and anxieties spill out (it turns out that Perry is still legally married so this whole engagement is more of a farce than it seems and if she comes back she’s probably not going to let me see Amy which is the main reason I said yes in the first place) before you remembered that he and Perry still had a complicated relationship.

As torn up as you were, you didn’t want to do anything to damage that bond even more.

“It’s nothing,” you said, shaking your head and taking a swig of your beer as if you swallow your words back down. “Anyway, we’re not done talking about that amazing ride of yours, cowboy.”

You attempt at distraction clearly didn’t work; Rhett just leaned further across the table, those damn blue eyes roaming all over your face.

“Somethin’s clearly up. Is it Perry’s fault?”

“Why do you assume it’s something Perry did?” you fire back, less out of a need to protect your fiancé’s feelings than to try and get Rhett off the track.

“Perry’s always doing something,” he replied, shaking his head. He stared hard at you for a moment longer, setting off a wave of butterflies in your gut, before grinning and sitting back down in the booth. “Okay, clearly we need another beer and then you’ll talk.”

“Rhett —“ you began, but you cut yourself off with a laugh as you watched him make a goofy, exaggerated motion to the bar’s sole waitress. “You think you can just get me drunk and I’ll spill all my secrets?”

“Oh, so you have secrets, do you?” He asked, raising one eyebrow in mocking curiosity. “Tell me a secret.”

“No,” you responded, but you were laughing still. “You don’t get to demand a secret.”

“What if I’m just so charming you can’t help but tell me?” You snorted and took a sip of your beer to cover up the fact that you did, in fact, find him charming. “Here, I’ll make you a deal: I’ll tell you a secret if you tell me one. Something you’ve never told anyone else,” he said, smiling slyly at you.

I like you so much. I can’t stop thinking about you. It makes me feel so guilty.

The words came to your brain before you could stop them. You definitely weren’t going to say them out loud — you weren’t sure you had even admitted them to yourself before this moment. But you knew, deep in your gut, that they were true.

That realization was almost more shocking than learning that your fiancé was still legally married.

“I gotta —“ you began, jumping up from the table and almost bumping into the waitress as she dropped off two new beers. “Bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

You rushed off before Rhett could stop you, weaving your way through the crowd at the bar and a few dancing couples before you found the blissfully empty bathroom. After locking the door behind you, you landed against the sink, taking a few deep, steadying breaths as the bass from the music echoed through the wall. You stared at yourself in the mirror, a long, hard look.

I like him.

I like Rhett.

I have feelings for him.

He’s my fiancé’s brother.

I’m crazy about him.

You shook your head, as if you cast those thoughts out of your brain. “Snap out of it,” you muttered to yourself. “You gotta snap out of it.”

Frantically, you turned on the water, yanking the faucet all the way to cold and ran your wrists under the stream of freezing water in an attempt to shock your system. You let out a long, slow exhale, allowing the cold to bring you back to yourself.

You’d just go back to the table, tell Rhett that you were tired and go home. Perry would be home in a couple of days and you could put the whole thing out of your mind and just focus on him and Amy. And then Rhett would be on the road soon.

Ignoring the small pang of of sadness that passed through you at the thought, you turned off the faucet and dried off your hands. Taking a moment to swipe away any mascara that had smudged under your eyes, you braced yourself and exited the bathroom determined to stay as far away from Rhett as possible.

So naturally, you barreled right into him as you turned the corner to make your way back to the table.

“Hey, hey, sorry about that,” he said, big, rough hands holding you steady. “I didn’t mean to walk right into ya, I was just coming to see if you were okay. You took off kinda quick.”

Did he know his thumbs were gently rubbing against the bare skin of your forearms? Because you did. It was all you could think about.

“I- I’m fine. Thank you,” you said, and even though you knew you should pull away from him, you made no move to do so. “Just needed some quiet for a second.”

“Alright, as long as you’re okay,” he said, giving your arms a brief squeeze before letting go. You immediately missed the warmth of his hands on your skin. “You thinkin’ ya wanna head out?”

You nodded absently and he smiled before turning around to lead you out the door. Just as you started to take a few steps, though, the song changed, an old Linda Ronstadt song that your mother used to sing along to as you both cleaned the house on a Sunday morning.

“Oh, I love this song,” you said, not realizing it was loud enough for Rhett to hear until he turned around with a smile.

“Yeah? I think my mama used to play this one in the truck sometimes,” he said, before taking a step back and holding a hand out toward you. “Dance with me? Just for this one song and then we can go. Seems a shame not to since you love it so much.”

You couldn’t resist. His eyes were shining too brightly, his smile revealing small little dimples that you had never noticed before, Linda’s voice calling for you to spin away on the dance floor. You took Rhett’s outstretched hand and his smile widened, brilliant and completely intoxicating.

The pair of you kept a respectful distance even as he spun you around, though he kept your hand in his the whole time. He laughed as you sang along to the song and then the next one and the next.

You lost track of how long the two of you had been dancing until he tugged you a little closer when a ballad came on, Hank Williams crooning low and slow as you breathlessly wrapped one arm around his shoulders.

Your actions seemed to embolden Rhett, who dropped a hand to your waist and pulled you in even more.

You could see every freckle on his face, every shade of blue in his eyes, how the pupils dilated as the two of you swayed together, lost in the moment. You licked you lips unconsciously and you watched his gaze dart down to your mouth before he purposefully looked back up, into your eyes.

“I like having you ‘round, you know?” he murmured and your heart began pounding erratically. “You make things brighter. And I like seein’ Amy so happy.”

“I like being around you, too. All of you,” you said, feeling a little dizzy as his words echoed around your brain. “Feels like I … fit. I’m not used to that feeling.”

Rhett smiled at that, so you continued. “And I don’t think I’ve laughed this much in a long time. With Amy, with you …”

“Happy to be of service,” he chucked. “You have a great smile. Real pretty."

Your face felt so warm, it had to be obvious to everyone in this bar just how much this cowboy was making you melt. “You’re not too bad yourself, Rhett Abbott.”

He dropped your hand for a second to tilt his cowboy hat up so you could see his face more clearly, before sliding it back around you, warm and possessive against your lower back.

“It’s a real shame Perry met you before I did,” he murmured. “Kinda wish it was the other way ‘round.”

Oh.

Oh, no. That was the wrong thing for him to say to you. This was only going to make your little crush on him worse. Because sometimes you felt the exact same way.

Because sometimes as you drifted off to sleep, you imagined what would have happened if you did meet Rhett first, if you were engaged to him instead of his brother.

Your shock — and maybe guilt — must have shown on your face because Rhett quickly let go of you and stepped back.

“Sorry. I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have said that,” he said quickly. “I’ve been drinking — let’s just blame it on the tequila, okay? I say dumb shit when I’m drunk.”

“It’s fine, it’s okay,” you reassured him. “We’ve both been drinking. It’s fine.”

“Lemme — we can just head home, okay? We’ll just get out of here and forget about it,” he continued, already making his way back to the entrance.

But you weren’t sure you’d ever be able to forget it, even if you wanted to. The low, soft way he spoke, the way his eyes were locked on your face, the shape his lips made as he said it. I wish it was the other way ‘round.

It was everything you wanted to hear. It was the absolute worst thing he could have said.

You kept your distance from the Abbott ranch in the days after the rodeo, buried in work, in cleaning your little apartment, in helping your mother around her house, at the bakery, anything to keep yourself from thinking about Rhett’s words.

By the time Perry was home from his trip, the guilt was eating you up inside.

You couldn’t even bring yourself to be excited as you drove over to meet him and Amy for dinner, stomach churning with doubt and confusion and guilt. How could you sit down with this man — this man that you were engaged to for chrissakes — when you couldn’t stop thinking about his brother? How could you pretend that you were a happy family when you wanted to play house with Rhett instead?

Your thoughts were swirling like the dust under your tires as you pulled up to the Abbott ranch to see Perry sitting on the porch. He smiled an waved as you parked the car and pulled you into a hug as you stepped up to meet him.

“How was your trip?” You asked, swallowing around the lump in your throat.

“It was … good. Yeah, it was good. I needed it,” he said.

“Your … business trip?”

He shrugged a little sheepishly, before gesturing to the rocking chairs on the porch. “Yeah. Yeah, lemme — let’s talk for a second.”

He knows. Rhett told him.

Fighting the urge to puke over the porch railing, you gingerly sat down next to Perry, who pulled your hand in his and absentmindedly rubbed his thumb along the back of it as it spoke. You didn’t want to admit it, but it felt wrong when he did it, as opposed to the thrill that ran through you when Rhett touched you.

“Is everything okay, Perry?” you asked softly.

“Yeah, yeah. Look, I should — I wasn’t totally honest with you before I left. I didn’t go on a business trip. I went to … well, I went to try and find Rebecca one last time.” He grimaced slightly as you gasped softly. This was not what you expected when he asked you to talk. “I couldn’t stop thinking of this one place we used to go before Amy was born, this little hiking trail out east. We’d stay in these cabins for the weekend, just the two of us.”

“Oh…kay?” you said, confusion evident in your voice and on your face. Perry took a deep breath, and when he let it out he looked … tired. A little defeated, a little sad.

“She wasn’t there, obviously. But when I was there I realized … I realized I’m never going to stop waiting for her to come home,” he said, the last bit coming out in a rush. “I’m not over her. I thought I was ready to move on, move forward, for Amy’s sake but I just … I’m not there.”

Though he hadn’t made eye contact with you the whole time he was speaking, he gave your hand a gentle squeeze and turned to look you in the eye. You could see the discomfort, the heartbreak swirling in his eyes. “It’s not fair to you. To be married to someone who’s always going to be waiting for someone else. And then when Deputy Sheriff Hawk called me —“

“To tell you about the license?” You asked and he nodded, looking uncomfortable.

“I promise, I didn’t know about it before then. It didn’t even occur to me that Rebecca would have to be … well, you know, before our marriage would be dissolved. I wouldn’t have proposed if I knew. Hell, I wouldn’t have even asked you out that first time.”

Perry sighed again, before continuing, “It just made me realize that I’m still married to her in my heart as well. And I just can’t do that to you. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

You nodded absently, letting his words wash over you. “What about Amy, though? She and I have gotten so close —“

“You can still see Amy! Of course you can, she adores you. And I know how much you care about her,” he reassured you.

You felt a rush of relief. Amy was the reason you said yes to his proposal in the first place; it was almost as if the knowledge that you could still spend time with this brilliant, special little girl that you had come to consider family had outweighed any potential heartbreak from Perry ending the engagement.

But then again, maybe ending the engagement was exactly what you had been hoping for since the moment you laid eyes on Rhett.

You have to tell him. It’s only fair.

“I understand, Perry,” you said and you could see the relief visibly wash over him. “I do, I completely understand. Thank you for being honest with me.”

Before he could speak, you continued, wanting to rush the words out as quickly as possible, “I guess … I guess if I’m going to be honest with you too, I’ve been having second thoughts myself. I … I started to have feelings. For someone else. And I felt terrible about it, the guilt has been eating me up.”

Perry swallowed hard. “Did you — while I was away did anything —“

“No!” you rushed to explain. “No, nothing happened. I didn’t do anything with anyone else I just … just having feelings for someone else made me feel guilty enough. I couldn’t do that to you. But I think it’s clear we’re just … not ‘the one’ for each other.”

He surprised you by standing up abruptly and pulling you to your feet as well, before giving you a tight hug. It felt good, like a fitting end to your amicable relationship to part ways amicably.

Of course things got a little less amicable later that evening when, after you handed back the ring and enjoyed a pleasant dinner, you both sat down with Amy to break the news. She seemed a little confused at first, but brightened when she learned that you would still be around for her.

“Okay,” she said after a minute, when you had explained the situation as best as you could to the 9-year-old. “That’s okay. You can date Uncle Rhett instead! I think he likes you.”

Perry’s face turned a bright shade of red. “What?!”

Despite Amy’s permission, you didn’t start dating Rhett after that.

In fact, you were continuing to avoid him, maybe out of lingering guilt or maybe out of a fear that he didn’t actually mean those words he said that night at the Handsome Gambler.

It had been nearly two weeks since you had laid eyes on that handsome cowboy when you suddenly had a knock on your door on a late, sunny Sunday morning. You turned down the music you had been playing while you cleaned — Linda Ronstadt, of course — and opened the door, only to come face to face with the man you had been trying you best not to think about.

“Hi,” Rhett said, a little shy as he ran his fingers nervously through his hair. You could see his ball cap tucked into one of his back pockets and a small bouquet of wildflowers in his other hands and butterflies erupted in your stomach at the sweet, gentlemanly gestures.

“Hi,” you responded, a smile growing across your face before you could contain it. “It’s good to see you, Rhett. Do you … do you wanna come in?” He grinned at your words; clearly he was a little nervous that you wouldn’t be as excited to see him on your doorstep as you hoped.

He pressed the flowers into your hands as he made his way into your apartment, his big hands wrapping around yours and his shoulders taking up almost the entire doorway. After you closed the door and turned to face him, you both stood there, smiling a little giddily at one another, though neither of you moved. The tension was broken when you both tried to speak at the same time, tripping over your words as you both tried to break the awkward silence.

Laughing, you gently placed the flowers down on your coffee table and took a step closer to Rhett. His big blue eyes were fixed on your face, bright and shining and hopeful. You gestured towards your couch, silently inviting him to make himself at home, but he just ran his hands through his hair again and continued standing.

“I know it hasn’t been very long since you and Perry … ended things,” he began and your stomach swooped like you were on a roller coaster. “But well, I talked to him a bit, and he’s not the biggest fan of the idea, but I think he’ll come around and … listen. What I’m trying to say. Can I take you to dinner?”

“What?” You asked, a little incredulous that Rhett Abbott, the guys of your dreams, was standing in your living room and asking you on a date.

“Let me take you to dinner. I can’t — I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m crazy about ya,” he said, grinning as he watched a small smile break out across your face. “We can take it slow if you want but I just — I meant what I said. I wish I had met you before Perry. That I had a chance to ask you out first. But asking you out now is the next best thing.”

“I’d love to go to dinner with you, Rhett,” you said softly, smile growing bigger and brighter as you watched his eyes light up with excitement.

“Yeah?” he asked, hopeful and puppy-like.

“Yeah,” you breathed, taking a step closer to him and breathing in the scent of his body wash, taking in the freckles across his nose and the dimples hiding next to his smile. “I’m crazy about you too. You remember when you asked me to tell you a secret?”

He nodded, one gorgeous, beefy forearm wrapping around your waist and tugging you even closer.

“That was my secret. That I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” you ran your hands up Rhett’s broad chest, feeling the muscles that lay under his soft tee shirt. “I still can’t stop thinking about you. I … I’ve never felt like this before, about anyone. Just you.”

Rhett didn’t respond. Instead, he held you close, slid his free hand up to cup your face and kissed you. And you there your arms around his neck and kissed him back.

It was like every moment, every bump in the road, every teasing glance, every little joke, every whispered confession was leading to this kiss. Rhett held you like you were precious and kissed you like it was the last time he’d ever get to do so.

But it wasn’t the last time. It was far, far from the last time if you had anything to say about it.

You felt his tongue brush against your lips and you opened your mouth to let him in, head swimming as he gripped you tighter, breathed a little heavier, kissed you a little dirtier. A little more passionate, a little more intense — a little more like you had dreamed about all those late nights when you were still pretending that your feelings for him didn’t exist.

After he pulled away, chuckling softly as your lips chased his for a moment, Rhett rubbed his thumb against your cheek, sparking a wave of goosebumps down your arms. He grinned, panting a little, those blue eyes bright and staring right back at you in adoration.

“Wait a second,” you said, a little breathlessly as one more thought occurred to you. “Aren’t you leaving soon? You have a spot on a tour.”

Rhett shrugged like it was no big deal, but a feeling almost like panic was starting to grip you. “I have a couple of weeks. We can see where this goes and maybe if you want … you could come with me?” he asked tentatively.

You didn’t respond; you just pulled him back in for another heart stopping, mind melting kiss.

Much later — after the hours of kissing in your living room, after a first date where you spent so long talking and laughing at the diner that you were practically chased out by the staff, after a night of stargazing in the back of his truck, after those blissful first weeks of a relationship, a month of painful long distance and three more of you joining him on the road, after you both settled back in Wabang with another tour on the horizon, after Perry finally came around to the idea of you two being together — you sat in your mother’s kitchen with Rhett by your side and his grandmother’s engagement ring on your finger.

She had just broken out the old bottle of whiskey she kept on top of the fridge for special occasions, when she asked you the same question she had asked a little over a year prior, when you were talking about your engagement to Perry.

“Baby, do you love him?”

You looked at Rhett, took in his beautiful face, his beaming smile, his hair, a little mussed up because he couldn’t stop running his hands through it on your way over here, and the way those blue eyes always made you feel like the most beautiful woman on earth.

“Yes, mama. I love him awful.”

.

.

[lis4ux]

NEW WORK COMING FRIDAY 😎

In this alternate universe, JJ left the OBX to become a member of the 75 Army Ranger Battalion, leaving behind friends, family, and the one person he loves the most.

Kiara never wanted JJ to leave in the first place, and has been holding a grudge ever since he left.

What will happen when his unexpected return catches her off guard and they both have to confront feelings of the past that never faded over time.

Can love heal all wounds or will they be forever scarred?

This fic is a request from Kaden7081 on wattpad. @kadenfff

Damn I’m excited 😆

[gayjew69]

new camping fanfic posted by me!!!

For non AO3 users, the fanfic will be under the cut

FIRST!! WARNINGS!: Suicide, gun violence, major character death, murder!! you have been warned!!

—————————

3:04 AM. The lamp illuminated the desk Daniel sat at, everything else in his bedroom looked like a void. The only noise that accompanied Daniel was the heavy exhales from his nose. The insomniac firmly held a sheet of paper in his hand, reading every word repeatedly without a break. The letter was from Jack Logan (his dear father) who took his own life shortly after the death of Emma Logan, Daniel’s beloved sister. Any reader could tell by the writing that it was neatly and carefully made. It was only for Daniel to admire how his father put this written message together in his final moments. Most of the epistle talked about how he did this to see Emma again and how Daniel was a joy to raise. However, the end of the letter had an important mission. Jack Logan wanted revenge on Jeff Terzi. Thanks to Jeff’s reckless driving, Emma could only be seen as a framed picture with bouquets surrounding it. Despite being against the idea at first, Daniel promised to himself that he will fulfill his father’s wish. That night he plotted many ways he could get back at Jeff. Deciding to save those ideas for later, Daniel gently put the letter in his drawer and turned off the lamp. The drowsy man stumbled back to his bed and hoped for uninterrupted rest.

8:13 AM. With a slam, The alarm clock got silenced by Daniel’s hand. Daniel groaned as he opened his bleary eyes and lumbered to the bathroom. Hunched over and gripping the edge of the sink bowl, Daniel stared deeply into his reflection. He tried to practice making fake yet convincing cheerful expressions for his shift. As Daniel stared into his mirror, he found a part of his soul was missing. When his family was undeservingly taken away from Daniel, he struggled to grasp the meaning of life. Is this the universe’s way of testing him? Daniel could only ponder what he did to warrant this. Finally, he heard what he thought to be an answer. A familiar voice spoke, it slightly resembled Jack Logan. Daniel whipped his head around to find the source of the sound. But to Daniel’s surprise, there was only himself. The voice was encouraging him to check his father’s wardrobe. Although Daniel’s initial reaction was to feel dubious, the voice was persistent and invigorated him. With a sigh, Daniel reluctantly walked over to his dad’s bedroom. It’s been several years since he has been inside his father’s bedroom. How could there be something new to that room? Daniel asked himself as he entered.

The wardrobe door opened with an eerie creek. Daniel pushed aside Jack’s varied trench coats and collared shirts cautiously, trying to find something that might bring him closer to the answers for his train of thought. Eventually with impatience, He resorted to sliding his hand across every crevice inside the clothing cupboard. When Daniel was about to question why his gut feeling brought him here, he almost froze once he felt the cold exterior of an outer barrel. Bringing it out of the shadows of the closet, Daniel obtained an AK-47. Daniel inspected the rifle in its entirety. The steel billet was cool to the touch, it definitely wasn’t new but it was clearly used with care and the gun was already loaded. For Daniel it almost felt like he was touching a cursed artifact, especially since it belonged to his father. The voice commanded Daniel to bring the gun to Specky woods. Daniel’s only option was to oblige, the instinct couldn’t be ignored and would trouble him if he tried. Besides, park rangers do need guns, anything could be lurking. That’s at least what Daniel told himself for reassurance.

10:17 AM. Daniel was assigned to set up bear traps all over the field. To say Daniel was looking forward to it would be a blatant lie. He was forced to do this tedious task over and over to the point Daniel wondered if the bear population would be lower than the deer’s in Specky Woods. Luckily, park ranger Daniel wouldn’t have to suffer in boredom alone as he had his coworker Steve for assistance. When the both of them were placing down bear traps in the area, Daniel looked up and suddenly stopped any movement as if he had turned into stone. Of course it wasn’t rare to see a family camping in the middle of the woods, quite the contrary, but did it have to be that family? Jeff Terzi, his wife, and his three kids. Seeing Jeff bonding with his children and playing in the grass made Daniel wistfully think back to the times him, his father and Emma would go on exciting adventures with each other. Watching Jeff go on with his life, free of consequences, filled Daniel with pent-up rage. If nobody was there, Daniel would’ve acted on the urge to strangle Jeff. Daniel could only let out an aggravated exhale through his mouth. Steve gives his coworker a glance out of concern, but quickly assumes that Daniel was just tired. Understandably, nobody’s ideal morning is to set up bear claws. To Daniel’s dismay, Jeff started to approach the park rangers. Daniel kept his head low and his eyes on the leg hold traps, praying that Steve would do the talking instead.

“Hello! I was wondering… What’s with the bear traps?” Jeff spoke to the park rangers.

“It’s to stop bears from killing the deers. The decreasing deer population here is concerning us,” Steve responded as if it was an obvious answer; he still attempted to keep formality and respect in his tone.

“Oh, thanks. Who would’ve guessed? silly me!” Jeff chuckled despite Steve’s face not showing an ounce of amusement. “I’ll leave you two alone, have a good day,” Jeff waved goodbye, walking back to the tents. Steve waved back at the father. Daniel put his head up to glare at Jeff with unblinking eyes, which daunted him. Jeff wasn’t the only one unnerved by Daniel’s stare, Steve looked at Daniel with a confounded expression.

“What’s the matter with you?” Steve whispered.

“I… There was a leaf in his hair, I was deciding whether or not to let him know,” Daniel lied, he tried to sound believable but his voice sounded robotic.

“I don't think staring at him was helpful,” Steve replied bluntly. Daniel continued with his task, looking away from his colleague out of embarrassment and shame. “Daniel, be honest with me, are you okay?” Steve questioned.

“Why are you asking?” Daniel’s uneasiness was visible in his voice. From Daniel’s response hardly being related to the question, Steve took it as a no.

Steve sighed sympathetically, “We’re friends, you can tell me if you have problems going on.”

“I’m fine.” Daniel’s somewhat trembling hands contradicted his words. Steve gave Daniel one more skeptical glance.

“Well I can’t force you to open up,” Steve resumed back to his job. For the rest of the shift, the atmosphere between the park rangers was awkwardly silent.

11:14 PM. A cluster of raindrops fell all over the campsite of Specky Woods. Thankfully, Daniel was hiding inside the wooden shed, watching through the window. The rain aggressively tapped against the glass pane of the outhouse. The sky was pitch black and the foggy mist made the place scarcely seeable. Even though Daniel only had to work his day shift, he lingered in the woods, watching Jeff’s every movement while in hiding. Usually Daniel would be at home resting, but he was at the mercy of what he assumed to be his father’s voice, controlling most of every action. The plan should work out perfectly. Tents are not suitable for harsh rainfall, that would mean the family of five would have to use the cave as shelter. Sadly, the family made the grave, foolish mistake of leaving their picnic basket at the campsite. Speaking from observation, the mother didn’t seem like an assertive woman. Daniel hoped the parents weren’t psychotic enough to send one of their young children to fetch the basket in this weather. Using the process of elimination, Jeff would most likely be the one to get sent to retrieve their food. Jeff was the one to walk up to Daniel and Steve while his family stayed together in the campsite, which made Daniel believe his theory was strong. Daniel put his head against the window, trying to hear for any footsteps or noise that could be from the father. Because of the obstreperous rainfall, the park ranger tried not to be too optimistic. However, with the faint sound of a closing bear trap and a man screaming, it was as if someone answered Daniel’s prayers. Hurriedly, Daniel placed the rifle and its sling over his shoulder and stole a spare flashlight to aid his vision through the fog.

The rain poured down in torrents, each drop striking Daniel in the head and his back. The armed man sniffled as he tried to find his target. It was both a curse and a blessing that whoever is above the sky decided to cast down this weather. It didn’t take too long before Daniel found himself standing in front of Jeff, pointing the flashlight at his face. Jeff looked as if he just crawled out of the trenches. He was covered in dirt and mud from falling face first on the ground; The bear trap buried its spikes into Jeff’s shin. The injured man looked up at Daniel with hope sparkling in his eyes, like he had found his savior.

“Daniel! Thank God you’re here!” Jeff cried out in relief, his tears camouflaged with the rainfall. “Can you please help—“

Daniel tossed aside the flashlight and, with swift motion, held the AK-47 to the father’s head, pressing the muzzle against his forehead. Jeff’s pupils shrunk. “Daniel? It’s me… I’m not a bear!” Jeff let out a shaky laugh, wishing that this was a massive misunderstanding.

“Shut your mouth. Don’t make this harder than this needs to be,” Daniel whispered harshly through his gritted teeth. Daniel tried his best to not to look at Jeff. This man has a family, just like Daniel used to. Does this make him any better? Daniel started to have regrets of threatening this man but he had to remember that he lost everything due to him. His sister, his father, they were no longer there but Jeff still remained. It may not make him better, but it wouldn’t make him worse, would it? Many thoughts raced Daniel’s mind as he hesitantly wrapped his finger around the trigger.

“Daniel!” The trembling man shouted, “You’re being ridiculous! Can’t we just talk like rational adults?”

Jeff reached out and grabbed the gun by the barrel in an attempt to move it out of his face. As if his hands had a mind of their own, Daniel flinched and pulled the trigger. The bullet mushroom made Jeff’s blood and brains splatter all over the muddy grass. The scarlet drops stained Daniel’s uniform. The rifle fell out of Daniel’s grip; he stared down at the father’s disfigured head. His face, if it even could be recognised as one, resembled a decaying orchid flower. The unpitying reality didn’t wait patiently to settle in. Daniel looked at the palms of his hands, then the corpse, and back at himself.

This is what Jack Logan wanted. You did what you had to do. How many times could Daniel tell himself that before he could finally be at peace? Standing in the rain for a certain period of time can get you sick, taking a shower is highly advised. Daniel was scrubbing himself clean, cleaning his body and mind. But how does one clean his mind after witnessing his own murder? No matter how much soap he used, Daniel was filthy and impure. He couldn’t even call himself a man, a title like ‘murderer’ and ‘monster’ would suit him better. there were no crimson markings on Daniel’s body yet the blood on his hands stuck with him permanently. Daniel raised the temperature of the shower, making it as boiling as possible. He aggressively continued to cleanse himself, but he felt that there was no progress. The shower only reminded of where he was standing in Specky Woods. Standing in front of the bleeding body of Jeff Terzi. The scorching water burnt Daniel's skin, but he knows hell has a punishment unimaginably worse prepared for him.

4:03 AM. Daniel put on clean clothes and expected himself to drift off to sleep. Instead, Daniel was sitting at the edge of his bed as he buried his tearful face into his hands. All Daniel ever wanted to do was to make his father happy, even going as far as following his every command, never questioning the morality or ethics of it. Daniel wanted to believe that he gave Jeff what he deserved. Although, he couldn’t help but imagine how it would affect his family like how Jack and Emma’s death affected himself. Tears streamed down Daniel’s face. It may not be true, but Daniel wanted to be reassured that he was not a horrible being. Suddenly, cold air brushed against Daniel’s shoulder.

“You did the right thing,” A familiar, raspy voice spoke.

[thatdorkyauthor]

Outerworld encounters.

It's a winx (2004) x transformers (Bayverse) reader insert in each even chapter there will be options to choose from to make it more of an actual reader insert. The uneven chapters will somewhat follow the movies with quite some edits.

It will have hints of romance but it'll be a slow burn, and even then I'll probably make several endings, so you can choose between a few characters. Cause action fanfics are underrated do I'll make most of it action with a lot of friendship drabbles and hopefully good/enjoyable humor. There will of course be angst though. Please let me know what you think of it, each and every opinion is welcome. :) Whether it be by a private message or in the commentary. Anyway some little parts of the so far planned chapters.

Chapter 1. “I need you seven, along with the specialists to go to earth and help the army forces fight this threat.” She finished as she folded her hands together and propped her elbows up on the desk.” I felt my heart drop, I shook my head and stood up. “Like hell you are.” “From what I have understood from the video shown, I need you seven to help earth’s first threat, after this battle is resolved I need you six to return.” Stella looked surprised. “First threat?” “Why only six of us, headmistress?” Bloom questioned, looking between her friends in worry. “As it's guardian professor (L/n) will remain there, helping earth facing an outer space threat.” “William Lennox, Captain of the U.S army rangers.” I smiled back at him, and took his hand, shaking it firmly. “(Y/n) (L/n), historian, teacher on Elfia and Red fountain, and Earth’s guardian fairy.” Chapter 2. "So, are we going to stand here all day or are we going to fi-." I shrieked as a purple orb just barely missed my head. "I wasn't done talking!" "(L/n) focus!" "It's going down, I'm yelling timber." I stopped, realizing the colonel was watching me with a raised eyebrow. "You're getting more annoying by each passing day." "Thanks." "Why are you trying to kill me?" I yelled, blocking the bullets. "They can't hear you sweety, not under my spell." A familiar voice spoke making my blood run cold. "You?" Chapter 3. "I thought you guys were very annoying at first." The orange twin tilted his head and awed. "So you do like us?" "I wasn't done Mudflap, I wanted to say you're slightly less annoying than I expected." "Witwicky, stop making out with your girlfriend, we're going." I jumped at the chuckle coming from beside me. "For fuck sake Simmons, I'm going to get a little bell for you." "Could you stop dying for once!" I rolled my eyes at Lennox. "It's only the second time, don't be so- I'll stop." Chapter 4. "I really should start looking into getting an extra pair of arms." Robert glanced at me, confusion written all over his face. "You're not going to pull a Garmadon." I paused before smirking. "That's a great idea, thanks Epps." "Alright, so they're living plushies." I asked the girls, looking around the room at the colorful animals. "They, are cool huh?" "Girls, why?" "Pathetic, I expected more from a guardian." I glared at the redhead, trying desperately to ignore the stabbing pain in my back. "Go fuck yourself." "Would you stop getting into trouble." I leaned into the hug, if he were to let go I would fall face first. "If I do, will I still get hugs?" "What?" "What?" Chapter 5. "I'm going to murder that -." The rest of the sound came out muffled as Will placed a hand over my mouth. "She's not worth jail time." "Something feels off about him." "He's old and his processor is probably damaged." I snorted, placing a hand on the silver bot's pede as to not fall over. "Probably yeah." "Just hand yourself in." I scoffed, looking around. "And then what, who knows what they will do Lennox, I can't." Chapter 6 to 9 (maybe 10) are yet to be decided, but this is so far the planning for a crossover fanfiction I'm writing.

[zet-sway]

Ash and Kaidan for the ask

ASH!!!

favorite thing about them: Her rich background and dialogue in ME1. How that carries over to ME3. Also her love of poetry.

least favorite thing about them: The devs did her dirty in ME3. Boobs huge and hair down for sex appeal and nothing else. I'm not feeling it - she can be sexy if she wants to, but she's a soldier, and I don't think she would run around in the field with her hair down if she had any say in the matter.

favorite line: "Why is it whenever someone says 'with all due respect' they really mean kiss my ass?"

brOTP: Wrex. I feel like they have a healthy respect for one another.

OTP: fShepley c:

nOTP: ???? Ash can date who she wants.

random headcanon: She's super good with kids probably. She's definitely the cool aunt, at least.

unpopular opinion: I don't like the phoenix armor. I feel like the devs gave her white and pink armor cause she's a ~*girl*~. I think at the end of the day Ash doesn't actually care what color her armor is, as long as it works. But Idk why they had to dress her like the pink ranger straight out the gate.

song i associate with them: jfslfjslfd

favorite picture of them: I don't have a favorite picture, but I so love the scene in ME3 where she's hungover in the starboard observation lounge lol

KAIDANNNNN!!!

favorite thing about them: Biotic booty c: also my favorite flavor of Kaidan is "respect." If you write fanfic where Kaidan respects Shepard and their LI, please know I am hugging you personally right now.

least favorite thing about them: "You cheated." >:[

favorite line: When you talk to him in ME1 and he says the tiles remind him of a bathroom floor lmao

brOTP: Post ME2 I bet he develops an unexpected friendship with Jack. Also Thane, because hospital bros and Thane is such a cool guy, always protecting Shepard's allies

OTP: I ship mShenkoooo

nOTP: I'm so bad at this question I'm sorry :c

random headcanon: Kaidan is a great cook and gives the best footrubs. Also he's the designated alcohol picker-outer guy cause he has great taste.

unpopular opinion: Kaidan and Mshep both look fucking weird in ME3 without their shirts on. They look like they're made of plastic.

song i associate with them: jfslfjslfd

favorite picture of them: I don't have a favorite picture, but I so love the scene in ME3 where she's hungover in the starboard observation lounge lol

[justanotherpersonsuniverse]

Podcast: Have you guess seen the Anime they made of you all? It's great. You're basically power rangers, robots and all. Panthera is a lesbian pirate from outer space, Bee is an exiled heiress out for redemption against her mother's empire, Carapace is a indie film director, Rena is a fanfic writer who went from writing about heroes to being one, and Ladybug is the daughter of fashion designers with dreams of being a baker. And the famous chef she interns under is secretly the villain Hawkmoth.

Panthera: It’s so fucking cool..;;

Rena: Yeah.. little accurate actually.. it’s uncanny.. eeee..

Carapace: I haven’t watched it yet

Ladybug: neither have I, haven’t had much time, what about you Queen Bee?

[Shes watching it behind them]

[carnationcreation]

Welcome to my blog!

imagines, blurbs, and fanfic requests

Open to any request but writing might take longer if I am not familiar with the character or fandom. I will be posting my own work as it comes in and maybe even some originals. 

Fandoms I write for:

- Criminal Minds

-Outer Banks

-Star Wars

-Wolfblood

-Descendants

-Stranger Things

- The Boys (Amazon Prime)

- The Mighty Ducks

- Free Rein

-Newsies

-Narnia

-Voltron

-Avengers

-Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

-the Outsiders

- Percy Jackson

-Harry Potter

-Power Rangers

Open to any request but writing might take longer if I am not familiar with the character or fandom. I will be posting my own work as it comes in and maybe even some originals. 

x the Carnation Creation 

[theseviolentdelightss]

Counting Paths X

Series Summary: After a lifetime on the run from the Empire, Reader makes a move that could have drastic impacts for both friend and foe. A Reader insert/fanfic. Gifs belong to their respective owners.

Word Count: 6204

Author’s Note: I really enjoyed writing this newest chapter and I’m so happy that I’m finally getting over my writer’s block hence the massive word count. Thank you all for sticking around and showing your support with likes and reblogs. It is always much appreciated.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Part IX

If there was one universal truth you knew, it was that fear is poison. If you allow, it will fester and spread to the furthermost corners of your life. In war it's even worse, it's contagious...

Years ago, shortly after being bumped up to sergeant you had been sent to hold the line during a two month skirmish on a cold forest planet. A small faction of the rebellion had been almost entirely encircled by Imperial troops. It was a battle that should have been won in a matter of hours but instead dragged on for days. The shift in the world's climate brought on sudden fierce blizzards making air cover and evacuation virtually impossible. Thankfully it also kept the Empire from reinforcing their troops. Leaving you and your comrades no choice but to dig in, suppress any Imperial offensives, and maintain your position.  

Whatever the Empire lacked in numbers they made up for in artillery. Every few hours they would barrage your positions with bombing raids. It was unlike anything you had ever experienced. One minute your dug in your ranger grave, drying out your socks and suddenly the sky is exploding above you. Splitting the tops of decades old trees into splinters in bright flashes. The colors bursting in the sky were terrifyingly beautiful yet whenever they ceased came the screams. The near endless sea of voices crying out as your fellow Rebels lay broken and in pieces around you. The sight before you wasn't beautiful, only terrifying. This was hell, and you were living in it.

You watched more of your comrades die in those few short days than you cared to think of. Losing a person you care about is always a shit situation. There is no debating that, but seeing someone you've shared meals with, someone you've laughed, fought, cried with, watching them die is something else entirely. To have to listen to them wail in agony for their mother as you struggle to ebb the flow of blood inside the mess of red and wood that once was their chest. To feel a body grow still in your hands. To witness the light fade from their eyes. Moments such as that stick with you.

Simply put, it fucks you up.

There may be a more poetic way of saying it but it's the harsh truth of the matter. You're never really the same after seeing it. The true ugly face of death. Each time it happens it chips away a bit more of the person you thought you were.

One night you found one of the greener solders in your squad trying to dig a ranger grave with his bare hands. He didn't even seem to notice that he had torn off his fingernails in the process. You got him out of there quickly, set him as far back from the line as possible and told him to find a hot meal. It wasn't just for his own good, it was for all of you. Morale in combat is a domino effect. One slips and the rest gradually follow. It was part of the reason why the Rebellion warned their recruits about the dangers of forming relationships while enlisted. Caring too deeply about a particular person was a liability. If something should happen to one the other would undoubtedly struggle moving forward. Hell, they might even question rather it was worth it to fight.

Sure, they wanted you all to care about each other but preferably in a platonic manner. Not that there weren't rebels in relationships with one another. In fact many were. It was simply best if those relationships didn't take place between team members. It created too large a chance for a conflict of interest. Consider this, if one had to chose between their team members and the person they love most in the world how many wouldn't choose the latter? That was why they didn't want anyone getting too close.

Comradery was what held you all together, love had the capability to tear you apart.

Two days later you read the same soldier's name on the list of casualties and felt next to nothing. The letters of his name scribbled in small text. The paper wrinkled and torn at the side from having been passed through too many hands. The further down the list you went the more the handwriting changed. Each person updating it before passing it along. It was such an archaic form of keeping up with the dead but it was the least you all could do. There wasn't any time to mourn. All you could do was read the names and hope that when their time came it was quick and painless, however unrealistic a hope that might be.

Among the names there were a handful you recognized but far more that you didn't. The vast majority were low ranking new recruits. That in itself was telling. You weren't losing fellow sergeants of other NCOs. You were losing replacements. Such a reason was partly to blame for why you had long ago given up on befriending new recruits. They all came in the same. All geared and ready for a fight. Half the time you didn't even bother to learn their names. There was too many of them, rushing in all piss and vinegar, replacing high ranking veteran officers that other dumb new recruits got killed. Couple days later and the're lying on the ground with their guts spread out, screaming for help, begging for their mothers.

They never seemed to realize they were already dead.

When the weather finally cleared enough for your troops to evacuate there was no choice but to leave the bodies behind. Rebels aren't often lucky enough to be afforded a funeral or even a grave for that matter. Be that as it may, upon returning to base you found yourself gathering the young man's belongings from his barracks and bringing them to his mother. His jacket, a stack of notebooks, a spare pair of boots, and a photo of home. All that was left for a mother to remember her son by.

That had been the first time you traveled to Nar Shaddaa.

“I'm not typically one to pass judgement but this seems incredibly sketchy.” You mused simply. Turning to your companion and ignoring the irritated look on his face. 

Roland had filled you in on only the minor details involving his mission on the off chance that things went badly and he had to make a sudden run for it. Bringing you back to Yavin IV safely was clearly not a high priority of his. He had provided a ride to Nar Shaddaa as he had promised. Being true to his word in the simplest of measures. If he had to leave without you he would. After all, Theodren never said anything about bringing you back.

Outside the ship's windshield the smuggler's moon grew larger with each passing second. Its lights shining as brightly as they had when you had passed through a second time, nearly a year before. After fleeing from the Empire you had decided to lie low. A densely populated moon in the outer rim seemed as good a place as any. It was easy to keep your head down, take odd jobs when you could, and never stay in the same place for too long.

It wasn't exactly ideal. Try as you may to deny it you knew that deep down some part of you wanted some semblance of a normal life. To survive pass the war and know what it feels like to truly live in peace. The rational part of you argued that such dreams were unrealistic. That they would make doing what was necessary to survive that much more difficult. Truth be told you had long ago come to terms with your own mortality. That the chances of you someday seeing thirty, or even your next birthday for that matter, were debatable at best. It was better to simply accept the worse rather than to merely expect it.  

“Well I didn't ask for your opinion did I little miss 'I like to point out the fucking obvious for no fucking reason' did I?” Roland practically barked. Taking the time to mimic you and even going so far as to add overly dramatic air quotes.

By this point you were used to it. The man was unspeakably crass but after a few hours it became obvious he was just a blow hard. All bark and no bite. He cursed rampantly which was perfectly fine by you but he was also easily irritated. Other than that he was merely another solider going through the motions. Doing whatever the Rebellion required of him. Yet without a doubt, better cut out for solo missions.

“I'm not calling bullshit!” You replied, matching the volume of your voice to Roland's. “I'm simply saying that it would appear as if the Rebellion has had very little contact with this arms dealer that your procuring this shipment from. Perhaps a bit of-”

“Hush it tutz!” He barked again. “You've got your own bullshit to worry about.”

Sighing you pushed yourself out of your seat and moved to gather your things. Knowing that you would be landing soon. Shuffling through your bag you double and triple checked your belongings. Blaster, extra ammo, first aid, and macro binoculars all exactly where they should be. The ship shook beneath your feet as it entered the moon's atmosphere. The speed quickly decreasing as it began its slow decent. Tossing your pack over your shoulder you holstered your blaster beneath your coat and tried to calm yourself with the few remaining moments you had left. Assuring yourself that despite your normally pessimistic nature you were not going to fail.

You were going to find Cassian. You didn't care if it seemed crazy. You were going to find him and you were going to bring him home.

“You've got six hours” Roland shouted as you exited the ship. He had decided to dock his ship on the furthest spaceport possible. Even so, it was still fairly packed with other ships and shuttles. 98 percent of the Nar Shaddaa's surface was consumed by its ever growing cities. You could hardly walk a half a foot without crossing paths with someone. Privacy in a place such as this was a luxury few could afford.

Though it made sense for Roland to dock his ship so far out considering what he was there for it certainly didn't help him look any less conspicuous. Not to mention it would take you over an hour just to make your way into Hutta Town. Still, it was better than being stuck on base doing nothing.

“I will fucking leave you!” Roland shouted, his voice echoing through the massive loading bay.

“Your loss!” You replied, waving over your shoulder at the grumpy pilot. Clearly not distraught over the thought of being left behind. Stepping into the nearest elevator you avoid eye contact with its other occupants as floors fly by rapidly above you. The spaceport was huge but there was little to no security.  Saving you some much needed time as you slid pass the oblivious guards and made your way through one of its exists. The crisp night air blew back your hair as you stepped outside the spaceport's thick walls. Carrying with it the sounds and smells of the city that lay ahead. Instinctively you began scanning the horizon and trying to memorize landmarks. Making your way towards the bustling city streets. Cold sweat clinging to your skin like wet clothing as you finally pushed into the minor thoroughfares.

Theodren's intel hadn't given you much to go on but it had suggested a small handful of locations that had been scouted for Cassian's mission. The only option you had was to bounce between each of them and hope the dark eyed Captain would show up in one. It was too risky to ask questions, if Cassian was still working it might blow his cover. When it came to his mission all you knew was that he had been sent to make contact with a Rebel informative that may be leaking information to the Empire and to determine the truth of the matter. If the rebel that Cassian sought had in fact turned coat than Cassian's mission would have become one of assassination. Not that it would have been the first time. Given the way people spoke of him, it would seem as if Captain Andor was well versed in the act of killing. It was one of the few things the two of you shared in common. For the most part he and you were as different from each other as the sun and the moon. 

If only there could have been more happy exceptions.

In a city as crowded as this you knew that simply making your way through the streets would eat through too much of your time and time was currently of limited supply. After a fair bit of searching you at last found a building tall enough to grant you a solid vantage point and piping strong enough to climb upon. Most of the outlying buildings were condemned at best but it would have to do. Finally reaching the top you pull yourself over the small wall that separates you between the roof and what would surely be a fatal fall. Positioning yourself safely against the cool stone you carefully retrieved your macro binoculars and began scanning the vast array of buildings and crowded streets beneath you. Finding Cassian would be like finding a needle in a haystack; yet, if you could at least pinpoint the specific locations that had been scouted out for him you'd have a place to start.

It took a fair amount of searching and manuvering to finally locate one of the named locations. The sign shone a bright shade of crimson in the distance. Arcadia had been listed as a smuggler's hideout in Cassian's mission dosier. Though, its owners had done one hell of a job disguising it as what could only be described as a high class dive bar. If such a thing even exists. The inside wasn't much to look at either. Weaving through the miss matched tables and various other patrons you made your way to the bar. Unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching you. Waving over the bartender you quickly ordered your drink. Making sure to tip him well. Knowing the importance of not offending the locals as you kept your time on the clock. Though Nar Shaddah was tidally locked there were still routine doc scans implemented to civilians every hour on the hour. Bars such as Arcadia were like beacons for the Empire. They practically screamed 'criminal activity' meaning they were the first ones they hit. As the minutes ticked on you knew you had to get moving. Glancing around the room a last time before making your way back into the congested street.

All of the other locations were more of the same. You stayed long enough to look for Cassian but never long enough to raise suspicion. More often than not people were happy to ignore you and you were happy to ignore them. Even so, you couldn't shake that sensation of being watched every where you went. Finishing off your third drink you slid your money across the bar and made your way towards the exit. Thanking whatever twist of fate had granted you the capability to hold your liquor. 

Occasional alcoholism seeming to strong a term.

Hurrying out the doorway you felt that unforgiving feeling of weightlessness that preludes a sudden fall. The tip of your boot had caught on the edge of an unevenly placed brick and sent you hurdling into the passing crowd. Closing your eyes tightly you braced for the coming impact.

“The hell!” A voice shouted loudly as your bodies collided and fell in a heap on the ground. It hadn't been intentional but you had inadvertently taken some poor stranger down with you. “Y/N?”

Your head snapped up so quickly it sent a bolt of white hot pain across the back of your neck. You had become unaccustomed to being called by your true name. There were so few people left alive that even knew it. Merely a handful. Perhaps that is why you recognized this particular one instantly. Some faces are harder to forget.

“Han?” Your voice was laced with muted excitement as you spoke. 

“Its Captain.” He boasted, that same unwavering charm about him still very much intact since you had last seen him.

“Pardon me for skipping the formalities Captain Solo. Would you mind helping a girl to her feet?” 

Han had always been fairly quick on his feet and had manged to keep the two of you upright long enough to lessen the impact of your fall. Still, you weren't particularly content being pinned beneath him atop the grimy sidewalk. Just as smoothly as he spoke Han lifted you up and set you right. His hands remaining atop your shoulders as you gained your balance.

“Nice of you to drop by.” He chuckled, watching as you dusted yourself off. Your braid having came loose, allowing your normally tame curls to fall about your face. Tentatively Han brushed them aside and helped tuck them behind you ears.

“Sorry about that.” You apologized, now dusting off his vest and the side of his arms.

“What is there to be sorry for?” He teased.  “You're welcome to fall into my arms anytime you like.”

You couldn't help but chuckle, giving up the tough facade you normally wore. Feeling that false exterior fade was a welcome change. It wasn't terribly often that you found someone you felt comfortable enough to be yourself around. Han; however, was one of the few. If you ever had to choose a small group of individuals you truly trusted Han would undoubtedly be one of them. Accompanied by his fury companion, Theodren and perhaps even Cassian. The list was small but it was more than enough by your standards. Though Han did a truly spectacular job of acting like he didn't care about anyone but himself and that Wookie;  truth be told, he was a good man. When you were on the run and in desperate need of work Han had taken a risk on you with nothing to gain.  

Perhaps that is why for a time you had allowed yourself to care so deeply for him.

“You working?” You asked quietly, moving in closer to allow the strangers passing by on their way.

“Always.” He replied, leaning down to your level as he spoke. Even with the considerable height difference between the two of you this move was totally unnecessary. It was an old habit he never seemed to break, particularly not after you made it clear how you felt about personal space. Han knew what he was doing, and he damn well knew the effect it had. No matter how aggravated or frustrated you were it always managed to make your heart skip a beat. Leaving behind an uneasy fluttering that lingered.  “And what brings a lovely girl like you to a dump like this?”

“I'm looking for someone.” Your voice was little more than a whisper as you spoke but you knew he heard. Immediately his eyes drifted from your own.

“A man?” He asked simply, seeming instantly distracted.

“Yes.”

“Tan skin, dark hair?” He continued, his inquiry taking you slightly off guard as his eyes wandered towards a spot in the distance.

“How'd you know?” You asked, trying to follow his line of sight and discover how his speculation was so spot on.

“Because that broody looking fella heading this way has been watching you since you came out that door. Looks pissed at one of us. I just assumed it was me.”

Sure enough, from out of the crowded streets appeared a fiery Cassian Andor. You may have ran up to him and pulled him tightly into a hug if it weren't for the look on his face. Han was right, Cassian looked pissed.

“What are you doing here?” He hissed under his breath, those deep brown eyes boring holes into you. Demanding an answer. If only you could remember any of the dozen you had prepared. In the few seconds it took for Cassian to reach you, your heart had swelled and melted. The relief pouring over you in waves. Cassian was alive and unhurt.

“Hi.” Was all you managed. Beside you Han straightened his back, bringing himself to his full height. One hand moved to rest atop his blaster as the other found its way to the small of your back. The smuggler in him always kept Han at the ready. Papered for a fight if ever it should break out. He had no way of knowing that Cassian was your ally. Which meant it was time to get the awkward introductions out of the way if you wanted to avoid violence.  “Cass, this is Han. Han, this is Cass, we work together.“

The two men eyed each other carefully, sizing the other up. Cassian's eyes darted between you and Han, brow furrowed in confusion. You could feel Han's arm slink its way around your waist, pulling you closer, and trying to nudge you to stand behind him. It never surprised you how quickly he could shift between his gruff smuggler self to that of a gentleman. That was just Han. Granted, it was totally unnecessary, you were perfectly capable of taking yourself. Not to mention, had proven yourself a better shot than Han on numerous occasions. A fact you knew drove him mad.

“Looks like a rebel to me.” Han said, treading carefully. Clearly aware of the rising shade of red that was beginning to overcome Cassian's face. If he was pissed off before now he was furious. Not only had you gone off world but you were here, on Nar Shaddaa of all places, with this stranger it appeared you knew very well.

“Han...” You warned, moving away from the smuggler and positioning yourself between the two men. “Please.”

“Thought you swore you'd never go back to that loss cause.” Han scoffed slightly, genuinely surprised by your apparent return to the Rebellion.

“You know me, I have weakness for causes once they're truly lost.” You smiled softly, comfortable admitting it.

All those nights Han and you had laid together. Speaking in soft voices about both of your past and the pain that came from it. So many times you had sworn you would never return to the Rebellion. To never put yourself within the Empire's grasp and yet here you were. The more the smuggler looked you over the more obvious it became. Something in you had shifted since the two of you had last seen each other. A readiness to make difficult choices. To do whatever was necessary to make things right. Judging by the unwelcome grimace on the face of the man who now stood beside you it was obvious that he was your partner of some sort. Though he couldn't pin point exactly what, Han couldn't deny there was obviously something unspoken that lingered between the two rebels that stood before him.

“I was beginning to wonder where you were!” You cheered, finally glancing the large Wookie pushing through to crowd towards the three of you.

Unfazed by the tension Chewie stepped in front of his Captain and spread his arms wide. Grinning from ear to ear you hurried forward and into the welcome hug. Burying your face into his fur and closing your eyes tightly. It had been months since anyone had shown you such open kindness. Chewie roared joyfully, lifting you off the ground and taking Cassian slightly by surprise.

“I missed you too big guy.” You patted Chewie kindly on the chest as he set you on your feet. Your cheeks flushed with joy. Out of all the people you had encountered in you life there weren’t many as kind and loving, as Chewbaca. At first you had just assumed that all Wookies were simply like that; yet as you spent weeks working along side him aboard the Millennium Falcon you came to realize that he was one of the purest souls you had met. His kindness was infectious to you and made it impossible not to smile. Cassian hadn't seen you this happy since the day he took you to Sky Gazer Hill. It was evident you had a past with these two strangers. Though one was purely platonic he didn't care for the way the other man's eyes lingered on you.

“I need to speak to you.” Cassian lent forward, taking a light hold of your arm and whispering into your ear. “In private.”

The combination of the feel of Cassian's breath on your neck and his tone caused the goosebumps to raise atop your skin while simultaneously forming knots in your stomach. He would no doubt have countless questions as to why, and how you had gotten here. This sudden meeting with Han would undoubtedly require some explaining as well. The idea of having to justify your actions to Cassian was daunting. Even so, he was alive which was more than you had been told to expect. Nodding you motion for Cassian to wait as you turned your attention back towards Han and Chewie.

“It was good seeing you again.“ You began, moving towards the tall smuggler.

“You too doll.” Han replied, stepping forward and pulling you tightly into a hug. Nuzzled against his chest you could tell he was still using the aftershave you had bought him while on a job in Courusant. One of your rare happy memories. As you began to pull away he bent forward and placed a firm kiss atop your forehead. His eyes on Cassian, and not at all surprised by his obvious look of disapproval.

“Take care of him Chewie.” You instructed as you lent forward and hugged the Wookie again.

Waving to your old friends a final time before you allow Cassian to begin pulling you through the crowd. Your heart in your throat as you trailed beside the dark haired rebel. His grip still firmly on your arm. The two of you hurried like alley cats through the busy streets. Weaving in an out of the endless crowd until Cassian finally spotted a small gap in between buildings and lead you into it.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Cassian hissed, his cheeks red with anger. Standing this close you could practically feel the heat radiating off him. He wasn't just mad, he was fuming. That didn't take long. Sighing you tried to compose yourself. It might have helped if you had a bit more space to yourself but the small gap between the crumbling bricks left little wiggle room.

“I was getting cooped up on base so Theodren pulled some strings-”

“Like our trip to Skygazer Hill?” He asked coolly.

“Yes.” You stammered.

“You do know Theodren told me you asked him, right?” Again Cassian's voice was icy as he spoke. The anger inside him threatening to boil over. You weren’t exactly doing yourself any favors. If anything your were confirming a pattern.

“I-I just needed to get off world for awhile. Theodren found a job I could assist on.”

Cassian rolled his eyes, angrily pushing the hair out of his face. You hated seeing him like this, so full of aggression and frustration. It all now directed at you. Suddenly, you felt like a child trying to lie for the first time. All of that confidence, that poise  you prided yourself on was stripped away. 

“On Nar Shaddaa of all places, and you expect me to not find that odd?” Cassian replied sarcastically, he clearly wasn't buying it.

“Yes!” You snapped, the pain at having been left in the dark causing your heart to thump angrily against your chest. “It's not like I could have known you were here. You didn't tell me anything, you just left!”

Sighing, you turned your attention towards the street beside you. Desperate to escape this moment. As bad as you felt about lying to Cassian you were equally hurt by what he had done. You would have never asked him to stay behind. You knew too well just how much the Rebellion meant to him. How important of an asset he was to them. You simply wished he trusted you enough to have told you he was leaving. A simple heads up would have been appreciated.

“Look I'm-” Cassian began, but as your eyes continued to gaze over the mass of faces passing by the sight in front of you caused you to cut him off.

“Fuck!” You gasped, your eyes glued to the polished white uniforms heading your way. “Troopers.”

Cassian's eyes widened with worry for a moment before he began searching for a possible escape. It was futile. The two of you were literally squeezed inside a 4 by 4 stone box with the only possible exit being the street. That was a definitive no. If Cassian and you suddenly took off it would raise even more suspicion. Granted the two of you were currently nuzzled into a small confine space, speaking in hushed voices, and looking rather out of place so your chances weren't terribly high to begin with. If you were found the troopers would undoubtedly ask to see papers.

“We're trapped.” Cassian said, his voice quite but definite. Once again carefully glancing into the street. Only this time he wasn't searching for a chance at escape, he was counting heads, weapons, searching for any possible way to high ground. Ignoring the odds and the high probability of death. He just needed to think of something quickly.

“We can't just stand here waiting to be caught.” You insisted, the sudden fear growing inside you like a cancer. Branching out from inside your chest. From the heels of your feet to the tips of your fingers it felt as if every muscle tensed. That instinctual reflex of bracing for a crash once you know it’s inevitable. This was why you had always detested the way fear effected you. It made you rash, on edge, never considering the long term consequences of your actions until it was too late. Until you had already dove head first into whatever foolish situation you had found yourself in.

“They’re checking scan docs.”

“How many are there?” You asked, trying to at least get an idea of what you were up against. 

“Too many. ” Cassian said even as he readied his blaster. Reaching forward you took a hold of his hands. Pulling the blaster from his grip you slid it beneath his jacket. Reaching around his waist to place it firmly in its holster. “What are you doing?”

“We can't fight our way out.” You muttered. “And we can't run.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Cassian demanded, he hadn't expected you to give up so easily. That wasn't the women he had come to know. Even now, you didn't look defeated, as if you had something up your sleeve. Knowing you, it would be something reckless and likely result in you getting yourself killed. As your hand began its slow crawl for your own blaster it became obvious that Cassian's assumptions had been correct.

“We can’t, but you can.” You stated firmly. Quickly pulling out your blaster and willing Cassian to do as you said. Praying that he would listen and resist the urge to be a hero. Instead he reached forward and gripped your wrist tightly.

“Don't!” He shouted. The volume of his voice was far louder than he had intended.

“We're not both getting out of here Cassian.” You insisted, trying to free your wrist from the Captain's grip but he wasn't letting up. The steady thump, thump, of the troopers synchronized footsteps moving closer. Sighing you tried again to free yourself but to no avail. You were already too late. The window of opportunity had passed. Even if you fired upon the troopers now they would still capture Cassian. The tightness grew and twisted inside your chest. “I can't let you die here.”

Cassian could see the panic washing over your face. That far away look of failure in your eyes. The  faint sound of your voice breaking as you spoke. For all the countless hours spent together he had never seen you express so much emotion. You were kind, funny, and even sarcastic at times; but, for the most part you kept your emotions to yourself. The only person he had ever seen you become worked up over was Theodren and the two of you had been friends for years. That made sense. This, however, took him by surprise. He had been so angry with you for following him here, and truthfully he likely still would be if you two somehow managed to survive this. Even so, for all his anger he couldn't deny the pang in his heart at the idea of you caring enough to do so.

“We aren't going to die here.” He uttered in a low whisper, the sound of the troopers radio conversation now near enough to hear. There was no more time for waiting. Leaning forward Cassian cradled your neck in his hand and kissed you firmly. You couldn't help but gasp as he pressed his body flush against yours. Now wrapping his other hand around your waist, leaning you against the wall as he deepened his kiss. Though the shock had yet to wear off as the troopers grew closer you began to understand the strategy at play here. This wasn't merely some outburst of emotions during a moment of desperation. It was a distraction. Typically, most people turn away from the sight of two strangers going at it. Troopers, for all their training, are no different.

That; however, didn't seem to stop Cassian from making this moment appear as authentic as possible. As his tongue grazed your bottom lip you did your best not to let it unsteady you. This was all an act after all and if you wanted those troopers to buy it than you needed it to be convincing. Playing the part you draped your arms over Cassian’s shoulders and returned his kiss. Weaving a single hand through his hair, admiring the softness off it as it slid gently through your fingers. Though you tried to fight it, the true reason for your current situation began to disappear into the far recesses of your mind. Instead you focused on the warmth of Cassian's hand pushing underneath the hem of your shirt and to flesh beneath. His rough fingers squeezing your hip as he pulled you even closer. 

Two dozen white suits passed by with hardly a glance in your direction. The coast was now clear. It had worked. If you had been thinking clearly you would have stopped then and there. Pulled apart from Cassian, and tried to laugh it up as a win. Ignoring the very unnerving truth of it.

You should have stopped, but you didn't. 

Something unspoken had passed between the two of you. Leaving each of you breathless and grasping for more. You weren't sure how long you may have continued if you hadn't felt an old familiar sting. That drop in your stomach that you always tried so hard to ignore.

Pulling away from Cassian the two of you stood breathlessly in front of each other. Hair and clothing out of place. Faces covered in cool sweat.  Neither of you had been expecting such a moment and now neither of you knew how to address it. Even with everything clamoring in your mind something told you that you had to leave. That something was wrong. That someone else needed you. It was an unnerving and unignoble feeling. That feeling of falling that capitulates you awake.

Something terrible was about to happen.

“I have to go.” You mumbled, squeezing out from between the wall and Cassian before hurrying down the busy street. Unable to catch your breath as you pushed through the endless stream of bodies, unsure of where it was you were even going. It was as if some invisible rope was pulling you forward, leading you down the alleyways and around corners. Taking you further away from the very real truth of what had just happened. Of what it meant. 

That's the thing about fear. We spend the majority of our lives afraid of what could happen, what might happen, what might not happen.  We fight wars because of it. With each other. With ourselves. Never truly realizing that fear is the real enemy.

[crayz-new-world]

Everything is Made Better with Donuts

So, I accidentally wrote a Power Rangers fanfic? Trimberly-centric (though there’s some cranscott stuff if you squint). 

I wrote this at 4am, it is now 5:45am so if there are mistakes I apologise. If this is a mess I apologise. So anyway here it is, just over 1,000 words of fanfic based on this post (x):

Ever since the defeat of Rita, the Rangers have been struggling to overcome an even greater evil: Highschool.

In their efforts to prevent the destruction of not only Angel Grove, but also the entire world, many of the Rangers had chosen to forgo completion of their school work in favor of attending Zordon’s training bootcamps.

(Except for Billy, who despite having trouble socially is more than capable of managing his time efficiently and getting his assignments handed in when they are due).

But now that Rita is gone (the Rangers expect her absence to be long, considering how hard she was backhanded into outer space), and there is no longer any reason to be procrastinating their work, the team is trying to make up the study time they lost.

The Rangers are currently lounging around on various surfaces in Billy’s basement, attempting to catch up on the work they’d neglected.

Jason is studying with Billy at his workbench, occasionally asking questions as the blue ranger tinkers with a new experiment.

The girls are studying Biology together, sharing overlapping spaces on the same worn out couch. They sit at either end of the old piece of furniture with their backs against the armrests as their legs run parallel to each other.

Trini is quietly glaring into her Biology book, while Kimberly (who has already finished the chapter that Trini is reading) is reaching for another donut out of the half-empty Krispy Kreme box that had only been open for a few minutes since it arrived.

“Isn’t that your third donut in the past five minutes, Kim?” Zack asks with a smirk on his face from where he is lying on the floor a few metres away. He claims that the floor helps him think better, but everybody knows he’s just lying there so he can be the first to know if anything happens between Trini and Kim while they’re studying.

The boys actually have a running bet about how long it will take Trini and Kim to get together (even Billy is in on it) and Zack wants to make sure he gets his twenty bucks if anything goes down.

“Hey, Crazy Girl.” Zack puts on a pout and bats his eyelashes towards the shortest ranger. Trini doesn’t say anything, and neither does she turn her head towards him, but she raises a scathing eyebrow to show she acknowledges his attempt to get her attention.

Zack continues speaking, still trying to pass as looking innocent (he fails) even as his smirk comes creeping back onto his face. “Can I claim my donuts now? I fear there will be none left if Kim keeps going on like this.”

“Hell no, these donuts aren’t for you - I didn’t walk all the way to Krispy Kreme just to share them.” Trini maintains her concentration on her Biology book, resuming her frown as she reaches over to the box and grabs a donut for herself, not breaking eye-contact with the words on the page for a second.

“Are you kidding me? Kim is literally eating her fourth donut right now. Why does she get to-...” Zack begins to complain but with a look from Jason from across the room he shuts his mouth.

“Kim is always the exception to Trini’s rules.” Billy speaks up from across the room with his matter-of-fact tone of voice to answer the unfinished question. “Or so I’ve noticed.”

Billy begins to ramble, his eyes darting all over the room as he moves from thought to thought. “Especially the rule about ‘never getting things for other people when they have working limbs’. Like that time when Kim broke her phone, well… broke her phone again, and then Trini ran all the way to the store to buy her a new one-...”

“Okay Billy, we get it.” Jason looks up and smiles gently at the rambling boy beside him, who nods quickly and returns to his tinkering.

Kimberly grins in Zack’s direction smugly, biting into her latest donut with an enthusiastic moan just to tease him. “Oh man, this donut is so good!”

Zack is too busy pouting and pointedly staring at his unopened textbook to notice that Trini has finally looked up from hers. The short ranger has finished her own donut and is now eyeing up the one in Kimberly’s hand.

“That one’s pretty good huh?” Trini asks the other girl, cocking her head to the side with a grin as Kimberly nods with genuine enthusiasm. “Can I taste?”

“Yeah, sure.” Kim leans forward slightly to offer Trini the other half of her donut.

Trini closes her textbook with a snap and places it on the floor beside her. Then in a move that’s both as quick as lightning and yet somehow also tantalisingly slow, she crawls up onto the other girl’s lap and presses her lips to Kimberly’s.

The shorter ranger takes advantage of the way her surprise attack has caused Kimberly to open her mouth in a gasp to gently run her tongue along the other girl’s lips, taking her time there to taste the remnants of sugar from the donuts.

After a few seconds, Trini leans back with a satisfied grin. “You’re right, it was good.”

Trini doesn’t return to her original position on the couch, instead she chooses to make herself comfortable lying on top of Kimberly

There’s near silence in the room as Trini surveys the room, the only sound audible being Kimberly’s shaky breaths. Zack seems to be having trouble picking up his jaw, while Jason and Billy are still off in their own little world at the workbench.

When Trini turns back to look at Kimberly, for a second she worries that she’s broken the girl as her face seems to be turning steadily redder with every passing heartbeat.

But then Kimberly speaks, squeaking a little while she blushes furiously. “Damnit Trini, why are you like this?”

Before Trini even has a chance to think of a witty retort, Kimberly is wrapping her arms around the back of the shorter girl’s head and pulling her in close for another kiss.

If they could tear themselves away from each other long enough, they might notice that Zack has stolen a donut from the box and is now trying to shove a twenty dollar bill into a confused Billy’s hand.

But they’re too busy giggling at the powdered donut dust on Trini’s nose to notice anything of the sort.

[diagrapher]

ununnilium replied to your post

“Exalted patterns”

Oh, I love that kind of setup :3

Same :-). My brother and I have talked about stuff like that a lot, but I haven’t seen it mentioned elsewhere much. When I was a child, I remember:

Doing stuff like imagining variations on the Power Ranger teams where a different ranger was the sixth one.

Finding a website with pictures of (and other stuff about, but it was the pictures I used) lots of things from Power Rangers and coming up with stories using the pictures, copying the pattern structures (but not much else) from canon, and sometimes telling my brother about them.

Looking at the illustrations in David Fontana’s The Secret Language of Symbols and trying to assemble patterns like that from them to do similar things to what I’d done with the Power Rangers pictures.

Trying to construct a huge correspondence network connecting days from Keys to the Kingdom, Valar from the Silmarillion, Hogwarts houses, tribes of Deltora and many other such thing.

Trying to ask “how would each of those settings look if the things that made one of the rows of its table stand out were the norm” (i.e. if every ranger were the “sixth” one)

Trying to invent an OC and a location which were simultaneously part of every one of those patterns as possible- a Power Ranger in the Circle of Magic who was also one of the Trustees from Keys to the Kingdom and one of the witches of Oz, ruling a section of the House which was (through the House’s bizarre geometry) also a part of Deltora and of Mata Nui, and so forth.

Having so many things like that is one of the the things I love about Homestuck, and also one of my favorite things about Exalted.

I mentioned some series with varying quantities of stuff like that above. Some other series I know of (some I’ve liked, some I haven’t liked in spite of the patterns) with some of it (although few have as much as Homestuck does) are Magic: the Gathering (with the various “cycles”), Steven Universe, Sailor Moon, Shoujo Kakumei Utena, Problem Sleuth, The Dream Merchant, Deltora Quest, Avatar and lots of toylines. I know there are other examples, too, but those are the ones that came to mind just now.

(Also Incarnations of Immortality, but I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve read that it’s so bad).

Some Homestuck fanfics I’ve read which extended the patterns from canon in cool ways included Herding Cats and The Game and Those who Play.

Rambling about this stuff under the cut.

***

And my brother has told me about something cool he has thought of that could be done with Homestuck’s patterns- having a story where there is a dialogue each of the sprites has a variant of with their corresponding player, with Jade’s version (happening at some point after she goes God-Tier- he was picturing it happening in the Yellow Yard) being a monologue.

***

I remember one Sailor Moon fanfic series which extended patterns from cannon in a way which produced in me the thoughts:

“I guess there aren’t chapters corresponding to the Outer Senshi because Chibi Usa- the viewpont character- doesn’t see much of them, but why isn’t there one for Moon?”

“So, it turns out in part 2 we do get a variation of the repeated events for Moon. But we also find out that, while there clearly was an offscreen version for Uranus (and there’s little evidence either way for Pluto), there clearly weren’t ones for Saturn or Neptune. That makes their absence even more conspicuous than if it had been just the inner senshi.

***

I feel like, in general, Sailor Moon fanfic would benefit from treating Mamoru as essentially a weird senshi more than it does, ‘though I don’t know how it compares to canon in that regard (I haven’t seen much of Sailor Moon canon).

[lis4ux]

Chapter 5. Peace

Kiara is dead asleep in her bed when she hears pounding on the downstairs door of her parents' house on figure eight. She moved out at one point. Actually the second she turned eighteen and couldn't be forced under their thumb. But when her dad passed, she found herself there more and more, just trying to get her mom functioning again.

When Anna took off and said she could have the Wreck and the house, Kiara didn't know how to say no. Couldn't if she wanted to. Because letting go of the house would be just like letting go of the Wreck. It would be throwing away memories of her dad. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Now she's back in the house she considered a prison at one point, unable to let it go because her jailer was too important to her.

The pounding continues, and she screws her face up in a grimace as she blindly grabs for her phone on the dresser drawer. Her scowl deepens when she sees that it's,

"Four fucking am?"

Her first thought is it's a complete joke. Who the fuck could be pounding on her door this early? She looks at her text messages and sees nothing. Even her responses to JJ asking what she was doing yesterday was unanswered. Nobody is trying to get a hold of her, clearly.

Deciding that if it were anything important she would be getting a phone call, she slams the pillow over her ears, hoping to drown it out. Eventually it does cease, and she starts to settle her irritatingly high heart rate so she can go back to sleep.

A few minutes later however, she is awoken again. This time to a much closer, but softer, tapping against her bedroom window. Her heart again flies into her chest as she whips around to see what is trying to get into her house.

She places a comforting hand on her chest when she makes out the features of a grown ass man perched on her windowsill. She shoots him a dirty look next, and gets out of bed with a dramatic throw of the comforter.

"What are you doing?" she demands. "I have a door."

"You weren't answering," JJ tells her.

She rubs her eyes with the pads of her finger tips. "That's because it's four am, dumbass." She crosses her arms. "What are you doing here?"

JJ ignores the question, eyes fixated on her. "Nice pjs."

Continue reading on AO3

[ladysnake86]

About my ‘walkers

So far, I only have two planeswalker OCs. And since it’s Fanwalker Friday here’s some info about both of them.

Poison-Stripes aka Esther Beleren (nee Cohen): Ex-combat medic in the US Army, retired with the rank of Staff Sergeant. Fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also known as The Hybrid Warrior with the Scorpion Tail (a moniker she gave herself). She hails from Vineland, New Jersey, and has quite the South Jersey attitude if provoked enough. Poison and her whole bloodline are condemned (or blessed, depending on who you ask) to be able to shift into the physical forms of their doublesign zodiac signs. Poison has long been helping fight crime on her world, and after nearly being killed by Kain’s beastial form Sultaa but sparking instead, she’s Ravnica’s The Coffee Connoisseur and also has a clinic in the Ninth District. She uses both her sensitive taste buds to craft various brews of coffee and uses her medical training to help the denizens of Ravnica, no matter what their guild affiliation is. She also helps various peoples who happen to planeswalk to Ravnica as well, treating any injuries or helping new ‘walkers get their bearings (or both). Poison is also continually reading up on other sentient being’s physiology and anatomy, and has two pets, a red fox named Miko and a manticore named Amazet, said manticore being based off of the ones from Amonkhet. 

She has a scar on the right side of her face from a fight when she was a child, a hole in her right shoulder from a thread I did with a friend (which also got three slugs that were embedded in her clavicle from her military service), a scar across her neck from a fight against Avey, and her fingers and hands have burn scars from her service in Afghanistan, in addition to various surgical scars. As such, she has c-PTSD compounded with not wanting to talk about Iraq in any great detail, along with hearing loss in her right ear from being a little too close to an IED (or three) going off. 

Often I’ll throw her at various peoples who seem to be sad for whatever reason to give them a much-needed hug, with her saying, “Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood warrior with the scorpion tail.” It is often much appreciated by those who are recipients of her hugs. 

Lady Snake aka Judy Shtull: Originally from my fanfic A Snake Among Rangers, Lady Snake sparked after the events of the 25th anniversary episode and learning about the fact that other dimensions of reality do in fact exist and while meditating on her Mother Base this revelation along with the understanding that other planes also exist was enough to cause her latent spark to ignite and send her to the forests of Naya on Alara, getting back three days later and now having a desire to go exploring and learning more about the Multiverse. She’s an immortal Power Ranger and also leader of Eternal Phoenix, her own PMC and personal army. Lady Snake is also the Goddess of Fire and guardian of the Power Rangers. She will eventually become the Eternal Guardian of Time itself once Zeus feels she’s sufficiently old enough.

Eternal Phoenix is built up on the foundations of what MSF and Outer Heaven were, along with using what had been left of Diamond Dogs. 

A Snake Among Rangers is being completely rewritten from scratch due to events that happen in MGS5.

[lis4ux]

Chapter 3. Why are we in here, then?

Once in the small, and rundown room Kiara starts looking through the cabinets while JJ leans against the wall, head back and eyes closed.

"Maybe you shouldn't drink so much," she comments, looking over her shoulder. He's looking at her now. In a way that means something. She clears her throat. "Where's your first aide kit?"

JJ scoffs a laugh. "You really think that Luke has a first aide kit?"

Kiara rolls her eyes at herself. That was a fair point, but, "Why are we in here then?"

She's exactly how he remembers her, beautiful to an unfair degree. May be the alcohol going through his system, but he almost tells her that on the spot. God, he could hardly keep those thoughts to himself when he was sober, so he's impressed with himself right now at the fortitude he's managed to uphold with his vocabulary.

She is absolutely stunning though. Hair in curls, jean shorts, fitted crop top, sun kissed skin and deep brown eyes. It's weird to see her in his childhood home all beautiful the way she always is, against a backdrop of absolute worthlessness.

And he's always felt worthless here. Like this place isn't anything. It's why he's mesmerized by what's in front of him. Because with her here, he's never felt more at home. Like he mattered.

"I dunno," he says with a small shrug.

Kiara rolls her eyes. "Oh my god, drunk people," she says with frustration. "There's a kit in my truck."

She stands up just as JJ takes a step forward, and her eyes meet his as they stand toe to toe with each other. The sun is shining through the window, hitting his eyes and making them translucent. It catches her off guard, how close he is, and her breath hitches. She glances down where his hand meets her waist, and when she returns his gaze she finds that he's not looking at her eyes at all.

Read on AO3

[lis4ux]

Chapter 6. Obviously

They both laugh when Kiara trips over a lip in the door way, and JJ catches her. His eyes open only once to catch a glimpse of her face before he goes back in, hand holding her neck as he walks her backwards into the center island.

JJ pulls back to gently assault her neck, and Kiara breathes out through her mouth as her hands grip the edge of the counter top. JJ's hands run down her sides, meeting her thighs and lifting her up on top of the flat surface, pushing a few piece of mail off to do so. He finds space between her legs, and lets his hands fall under her shirt, resting on her back.

Kiara's own hands find his hair, though much shorter than it was when they were teens, she's still able to run her hands through it. She savors every touch that he gives her, every feel of his skin under her finger tips, every hot breath and making her body ache for more.

For him.

JJ isn't struggling to feel the same way. He more than gladly pulls at the collar of his shirt, tugging it over his head when Kiara's fingers dip beneath his hem, skimming his torso and honestly driving him crazy because he's been dying to have her hands on him almost his whole like. Especially like this.

The loose fitted dress she is wearing, is quickly removed as well, discarded on the kitchen floor and leaving her in a Lacey bralet and panties. JJ can imagine a more beautiful sight in his life, he swears.

The other articles or clothing are lost just as fast in a trail of fabric up the stairs and into Kiara's bedroom. Lips continue to meet undiscovered parts of themselves. Eyes trail and hands linger. They remain separate until they're not.

Both unable and unwilling to hold back from each other any longer.

Read on AO3

[lis4ux]

Chapter 8/8. Not Anymore

JJ swallows hard as he forces himself to meet Kiara's eye. The words aren't there. He has no idea what to say or how to start this. But he doesn't have to.

"JJ, I'm sorry," Kiara says, startling him a little with her unexpected voice. With the way she was distracting herself, he was sure she wasn't actually wanting to talk. "I meant it."

"What?"

Kiara gnaws at her lip. "I meant it. That I love you," she explains. "I wasn't trying to trick you into anything or lead you on, and I know it came out that way, but I—" she cuts herself off. "JJ, I do love you."

The words feels like they are echoing off the high ceilings. It makes Kiara want to wrap her arms around herself. Protect herself in some way. She was ready to say these words again—minus her mild freak out. She wanted them to be said, but he wasn't saying anything back.

He takes a step forward, looking ready to talk. To say something that could alter things.

"You don't have to say it back," she rushes out, making him freeze. "I just wanted you to know that this is real. For me."

His steps don't falter then, closing the small divide between them. Lips crash, and arms reach in a desperate embrace. Needing to be close.

Read on AO3

[lis4ux]

I'm so excited for the new story but I'm not ready to suffer again 😭 you didn't publish and I already need cap marathons 🤭

I am so excited for this story! It’s going to be amazing 🤩

What’s a cap marathon? Lmao 😂