#pearly bookmarks

[misspearly1]

Ohthisficmakesmewanttocryhappytears!!! 😭

Char, the images your writing has planted in my mind is so beautiful, smutty and intimate. I knew this fic would be a good read. I just knew it! There's more under the cut, my love. As you know, I like to go a little in depth with the feedback 🥰.

Ooooh! Okay, first let me just say how sexy it was to read Joel so desperate in the beginning there with Reader. I love that he's just came home from patrol and his hands are on her instantly, as if he's not had her touch for years, when in actuality, it's only been a few hours. I loved that she was just minding her own, her hips swaying to music as she cooks and in the next breath, she's giggling with Joel and kissing him. It's so sweet!

As we move onto the smut - which is always so well written, and sexy and erotic too - I have to say that I really enjoyed the dirty talk from Joel here. You wrote it so darn well!! I could sense that possessiveness and feral hunger from the man before reader even thought about how much she loved it when he gets like that. Lovely smutty writing, as always my dear!

Now, when moving onto the next part with Maria, I found that so fucking sweet how she reacted and took care of reader. I really like Maria's character from the game and I love how she just took hold of readers hand here and whisked her towards the closest pregnancy test, the excitement in her voice palpable! I really adored how you wrote reader waiting to take the test at home too, wanting Joel to be the first who finds out. That's a lovely touch and very considerate too!

I'M IN LOVE WITH JOEL'S REACTION!!! Oh, the way you wrote him entering the bathroom and immediately moving in to comfort her was just making my heart explode. I especially loved how he said 'let's look at it together'. Jsjsjsjjs that's so fucking sweet! 😭.

Including Ellie was perfect too! I love that. She's an important person in Joel's life, and a baby coming along is important too. I love that she was ready to step in and help, becoming a big sister to readers baby.

Reading through (readers) her experience with the pregnancy and birth, with Maria and Ellie at her side is lovely. I love how they were there the whole time, giving her all the support and reassurance she'd need. I love that Joel finally made it too! He needed to be there. Not only to witness the birth of his baby, but because the reader needed him there too. I was so relieved that he made it back in time. 🥰

Olivia Sarah Miller?? 😭😭 Oh, Char! You're breaking my heart here. This is so beautiful. The name is perfect! The ending to this story is just perfect too. I really enjoyed reading Joel talking away to Olivia. I love that he just scooped the baby into his arms and let Reader rest. This whole story was so beautifully written!

Thank you so much for tagging me, my dear! I enjoyed this so much. 💚

Happy Joel!!! Post apocalyptic happy Joel that’s what I wish to see!!! Happy horny Joel with major breeding kink because Ellie is already grown up and he need to take care of somebody and Jackson is safe enough for family. Imagine this big hands holding little babe

Aww yes nonnie, loved this request so much. Joel getting to have a family again is everything. Hope you enjoy 😉

Maybe Now

Pairings: Joel Miller x f!reader

Warnings: Smut 18+, explicit, unprotected sex, PinV sex, breeding kink, mentions of loss, sadness, talks about life before, mentions of pregnancy, giving birth, breastfeeding, soft Joel, small glimpses into Joel’s life with his new family.

A/N: still have two Joel requests I’m working on, hoping to have them out this week. My requests are only open at the minute for Joel, but I will be opening them up across the board very soon 🥰

Comments and reblogs really appreciated 🥰

Music played in the background as you stirred the sauce for the chicken, hips swaying to the beat as you hummed along to the song. 

“Oh,” you gasp as a pair of arms wrap around you from behind. 

“Somethin’ smells good, darlin’.” He breathes in the aroma as he rests his head on your shoulder. 

“Just a new recipe I’m trying out. How was the patrol today?” Joel’s arms tighten around you, and you can feel him hard against your ass. 

“Was ok. Nothin’ to excitin’. Missed you though.” His lips begin to leave a trail of kisses along the skin of your neck and shoulder. 

“Oh yeah?” You tease as you switch off the stove and turn in his arms. He nods, eyes taking in the curve of your lips before meeting your gaze.

“God, you’re beautiful, baby.” His voice is low, almost a whisper but the deep timber of his voice set the spark of arousal alight. 

His lips crash hungrily onto yours and you moan as he slips his tongue inside your mouth. What’s gotten into him tonight? You think to yourself as his hands move to cup your ass. 

“Need you, darlin’,” he mumbles into your skin, and you shiver. 

“What about dinner?” You ask, a strangled moan passing your lips as he pulls the top of your dress down, exposing your breasts to the cool air. 

His teeth nip at the pebbled peak of your nipple, and he groans into your skin as you run your fingers through his hair. “Can’t wait, darlin’, I can’t.”

His tongue licks around your nipple before he sucks it into his mouth. “Oh, Joel. Oh god…fuck…yes, dinner can wait. Take me to bed.” 

He pulls back with a devilish smile on his face, pupils blown wide with lust. “Thought you’d never ask.” 

His hands grip the back of your thighs and with a squeal, you're lifted into his arms. “Joel, what are you doing? Put me down, your back.”

“Trust me darlin’, ain’t nothin’ ever gonna stop me from havin’ my way' with you.” 

He carries you towards the bedroom, kicking open the door he gently lowers you, his mouth devouring you as he walks you back towards the bed. 

“Take it off,” he commands as he stands staring at you through lust-hooded eyes. The authority in his voice has you quivering with need. 

You lift the dress over your head and let it fall to the floor with a soft thud. He growls as he takes in the sight of you naked. “Fuck darlin’ you been walkin’ around all day with nothin’ on under that dress?”

“Hmm, Hmm. Wanted to be ready for when you got home,” you say softly before biting your bottom lip. His eyes rake over your curves as he starts to strip.

“You gonna take what’s yours Miller or do I have to go find someone else?” You tease and before you can go anywhere, he grabs your ass and lowers you onto the bed. 

“You’re mine. Ain’t no one else allowed to touch what’s mine, ya hear?” He growls, hand gripping your face before he lowers his lips to yours. 

“Gonna show you whose pussy this is, case you forgot while I was gone.” He grabs his cock in his hand and runs the tip along your slick, coating himself in your arousal before he notches the head at your entrance and thrusts in. 

God, you loved when he got like this. Possessive. Feral. It was also the only time he truly let his guard down. 

“Fuck, darlin’. You’re so wet…so tight. Always so tight.” He rolls his hips into you sheathing himself completely within the heat of your walls. You’ve never felt so full. 

He rocks himself into you over and over, his mouth swallowing your soft whimpers as he kisses you passionately. Your joint moans fill the space around you as he works you towards your climax. 

You can feel yourself teetering along the edge and just as you’re about to fall he pulls out causing you to groan in protest. “Joel what….”

He lays himself back on the bed and grabs you so you’re straddling him. “Wanna be able to see you, darlin’. Want you to ride me.” He stares up at you, eyes blown wide with lust, and he watches as you slowly sink onto him. 

He groans, head pushing back into the pillow as he grips your hips. “Never gonna get used to the size of you, Joel. Fuck.”

“Need you to move now, darlin’.” His voice is husky with need and when you move your hips above him, he groans loudly, eyes closing as he feels you slide up and down his cock. 

“That’s it darlin’…just… just like that. So beautiful like this…. takin’ me so well.” Your head falls back as you come around him, a breathy moan passing your plush lips.

“Fuck…I can feel you coming baby…squeezing me so damn tight.” He groans as he starts to thrust upward meeting your movements and you can feel yourself coming again. 

“Oh god, Joel…. I’m…fuck I’m gonna come….” you cry as you flutter around him again. His fingers dig into your hips as he grunts loudly. “God damn, darlin’. You’re so pretty when you come. Gonna look even prettier, round and swollen with my baby.”

Baby?! 

“Joel what are you…” He sits up, wrapping his arms around you, holding you tight as he fucks up into you. 

“Ya heard me, darlin’. Now you need to hush and let fuck you full of me, ya hear. Wanna have you nice and round with my baby.” His breathing was becoming laboured as he neared his release. You came again with a flutter of your cunt at his words, and it sends him over the edge. 

His head rests on your breast as he calms his racing heart. Your mind is racing from what just happened. He came inside you. Something he never does. “Did you mean it?” You ask nervously, hoping that he hadn’t just said it in the heat of the moment.

 Running your fingers through his hair, he hums, a contented sigh falling from his lips. He pulls back a little so he can look at you. “Meant every word, darlin’. I’ve been thinkin’ about it a lot lately. I mean we’re safe here in Jackson. We got family, friends who would help us with the baby.” 

He kisses the edge of your mouth. Once. Twice. 

“I never thought in a million years I’d want this. Not after Sarah. Not with the way the world is but then I found Ellie, found you and now it’s all I want. I want nothin’ more in this fucked up world than to have a family with you.” His fingers caress your cheeks as he stares intently into your eyes. 

A single tear falls down your cheek and you give him a watery smile. “Are you sure?”

“Never been surer about anything, baby. So, what'd ya say?” His eyes flicker between your own and when you nod at him, he pulls you into a heated kiss.  

“Best eat that dinner now because I ain’t lettin’ you leave this bed until I’m sure I’ve fucked a baby into you.”

***

Joel was a man of his word. 

He had kept you in that bed for days before he went out on patrol again. Making sure he had you full of him. 

And sure enough, a month later you had missed a period. Something that never happened. You didn’t even notice at first until you began to feel nauseous all the damn time. 

Maria had laughed when you heaved at the smell of her cooking. Some fish dinner Tommy loved, and she had jokingly said ‘you’re not pregnant are you’. 

“I think I might be.” 

“Oh, my god. Really? This is amazing. Ok ok…eh, I think there are some pregnancy tests over at the Johnsons. Let’s go.”

She pulled you by the hand and led you to the house across the street where she asked Lauren for two tests. 

“Here. You want me to come with you while you take them?” She asks, looking down at your slightly shaky hands. 

“No. Thanks but if it is positive, I want Joel to be the first to know.” Maria nods in understanding. 

“Ok but then you gotta come find me and let me know.” She stares at you with a pointed look. 

“I promise.”

***

3 minutes.

The longest three minutes of your life. You pace the length of your bedroom as you wait for the result, too caught up in your own head to notice that Joel has come home and is calling for you. 

The door slowly creaking open startles you and you whip your head around to find him looking at you, face full of concern.

“Hey, what’s wrong darlin’?” He asks, voice low as he slowly makes his way to you. His arms slide over your hips to wrap around your back, pulling you close. 

His eyes look down at you and you can make out the concern in them. “I-I uh…. I’m late. And I haven’t been feeling too well lately so I…” You worry your bottom lip and tilt your head towards your bedside locker where the white stick is placed. 

His eyes drift to where you’re looking and when he sees it his gaze flickers back to you quickly. “Are you?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t looked.” 

His fingers move up and down your back in a soothing manner and he smiles down at you. “Let’s look together then. Come on,” he says as he grabs your hand gently in his and leads you to the bed. 

Grabbing the stick he looks at you, his face full of love and adoration and you instantly calm. “Ready?” He asks, eyebrows raised in question. 

“Yeah.” God, you hope it’s positive. You hope it isn’t just some bug or something. Joel looks so happy right now and you don’t even know if you are yet. 

Two pink lines.

Pregnant.

“Does that…. are you?” He gulps nervously as his eyes shift from the stick in his hand to you.

“I’m pregnant. We’re gonna have a baby.” You say with a smile. His eyes instantly light up and you huff out a breath as he pulls you into, both of you falling back on the bed. 

His lips are on you the minute your back hits the mattress and his hand rests on your stomach. “Our baby’s in there.” His voice is almost a whisper but it’s full of pride. His face is a myriad of emotions, and you think you can see tears well in his eyes. 

“Hey,” you say softly as you cup his cheek in your hand. “You, ok?”

His eyes linger on your stomach for a moment before his gaze meets yours. “Yeah…I- it’s just…Sarah would have loved this. She always wanted a brother or sister just…. I just never found the right person.” He chokes in his words as he tries to hold back the tears. 

“She’s still here, Joel. In here,” you say as you point to his heart. He nods. A smile edged its way onto his face. 

“Yeah. She woulda liked you. And Ellie.” He trails off as he stares down at his hand on your stomach and your heart breaks for him. Placing your hand atop his, you squeeze it gently. “And we would have loved her. How about, if this baby is a girl, her middle name can be Sarah. To honour her big sister?”

A watery smile adorns his face as he looks at you and nods. “I’d like that.” His hand rests on your cheek, his thumb rubbing against your bottom lip. “I love you.”

“I love you too. We love you.”

***

Ellie was over the moon when you both told her. Delighted to be becoming a big sister and between herself and Joel, they wouldn’t let you do much. 

The protectiveness has only gotten worse as time goes on and you start to show. You’re five months along and your bump has finally popped, something Joel is very proud of. 

You’ve seen another side of him since becoming pregnant, a softer side and you wonder if this is how he was before the outbreak. 

“Morning baby girl. Hope you slept ok?” His soft voice stirs you from sleep and it takes you a moment to realise he isn’t talking to you. He is talking to your baby.

“Hope you didn’t kick up a storm and keep your mama awake. She needs all the rest so you can grow big and strong. This world is a big scary place, but you don’t gotta worry, because your old man is gonna keep you safe. I’m not gonna fail this time.” His voice cracks a little and you can feel tears building behind your eyes. You want to reach down and comfort him, but you know he needs his time with your baby, so you wait.

“You got so many people here who love you. Me and your mom for one but you also got a big sister who is very special, and she is gonna look out for you no matter what. Then you got your uncle Tommy. He’s an idiot. Don’t tell him I said that. He’s a good man though and he can’t wait to meet you and tell you stories about me and him when we were younger.” He laughs quietly as he rubs his hand over your bump. 

“Hopefully not all of them.” He continues to talk about the community in Jackson and when he trails off you reach down and run your fingers through his hair. He releases a contented sigh and lifts his head. “Morning darlin’. You sleep ok?”

“Hmm, best sleep ever. What are you doing?” His face blushes and his gaze drifts to your bump. “Just havin’ a chat with my baby girl.”

“Mmm, and what if it’s a boy? What then?” You say with a smile. His gaze meets yours again and his smile makes the butterflies in your stomach dance. 

“Nah, it’s a girl. I can tell.” 

***

You weren’t entirely sure when your due date was exactly, but the local doctor had it narrowed down to a certain week. Joel was on patrol for the next two days even though he was supposed to be home. Jason had gotten sick, and they needed an extra hand, so he agreed reluctantly. 

Ellie and Maria had assured him they would look out for you until he got back but you could see the anxiety in his eyes when he left. 

That was three days ago now and you were beginning to get worried that something had happened. Not only that, but you’d started to get pains across your lower back and you were worried you’d go into labour without him here. 

“Hey, you ok? You don’t look so good.” Ellie asks as she walks into the kitchen. You nod your head but then a sharp pain erupts across your stomach, and you bend over with a gasp. Water pools on the floor between your legs. Oh shit. 

“Ok. You’re not ok. Let’s get you into bed and then I’m going to get Maria and doc.” She leads you slowly to your bed, helping you in and propping you up with pillows before she rushes out of the house. 

You pray that Joel comes home soon. He’ll be so annoyed if he misses this. You hope he’s ok. 

“Hey. Ellie tells me you're in pain. Where does it hurt?” Jessica the local doctor asks as she comes to sit on the bed beside you. 

“Along my lower back and across my stomach. It’s been on and off since this morning but it’s getting worse.” You clench your teeth as another pain rips through you. 

“Ok. I’m just gonna have a look and see how everything is, ok?” Jessica helps remove your trousers and underwear and begins to examine you. Maria and Ellie are standing on either side of the bed and you turn to Maria who smiles down at you. 

“Any word? Are they ok?” 

She shares a look with Ellie before smiling down at you. “Hey. They’ll be ok. It’s Joel and Tommy, ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

“I need him here. I can’t do this without him.” Your face scrunches in pain as another pain shoots across your stomach. 

“Ok, so you’re 5cm dilated. You need to be at ten to push. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything for the pain but I’m gonna be here the whole time, ok?”

You nod.

“You need to breathe through the pain. In and out. In and out.” Jessica breathes in deeply to show you and you imitate her. “Good. Hopefully, we’ll have a baby soon.”

Jessica orders Maria and Ellie around, getting them to gather supplies and then you all just wait. 

It gets harder and harder to stay quiet through the pain and eventually your cries of pain echo around the room. 

“Go to the gate and see if they’ve heard anything,” Maria asks Ellie and then she’s gone. You turn to Maria who smiles and holds your hand. “I need him.”

“I know. He’ll be here, I promise.” She hopes. 

***

“Ok Y/N, I’m gonna need you to push now, ok?” Jessica asks and you shake your head. 

“No! No, I can’t. Not without him. I need to wait.” You cry in pain as another contraction spikes. 

“I know but the baby is ready to come now. We can’t wait.” Jessica looks at Maria and gives her a knowing look. 

“Y/N, Jessica is right. The baby is ready to come. You can do it; I know you can. Joel would want you to.”

Suddenly the door opens, and all eyes are on the intruder. Joel. 

“Joel!” You cry as you grip Maria’s hand tight, face scrunching in pain. 

“It’s me, baby. I’m here.” He rushes to your side thanking Maria for being there for you. He leans down and kisses the top of your head. 

“I thought you were dead.” You sob as tears begin to fall down your cheeks. He rubs the top of your head gently, soothingly. 

“I know, baby. But I’m alright. I’m here and I’m ready to meet our baby girl.” He turns to Jessica, “is ok if I get on the bed with her?”

“Sure. It might even help.”

Joel takes off his dirty shoes and removes the pillows from behind you, taking their place. He kisses your cheek and holds your hands in his as he whispers words of encouragement. 

“That’s it, baby. Just a little more. You’re doin’ so well.”

You push and push and push and then the room is filled with the cries of a newborn. “Congratulations you two, a beautiful baby girl.”

Jessica hands your baby to Maria who is cleaning her as she cuts the umbilical cord. “I told you it was gonna be a girl, darlin’,” Joel whispers into the shell of your ear as he kisses your neck. “You did so well, baby. I’m so fuckin’ proud of you.”

“Guys she is gorgeous,” Maria coos as she hands you your daughter. She is the image of Joel with her brown eyes and a mop of dark hair on her little head. 

You cradle her in your arms and Joel holds you both from behind. A strangled sob escapes his lips, and you turn your head to look back at him. “You, ok?”

He goes to speak but his voice cracks. He closes his eyes for a moment before meeting your worried gaze. 

“She’s beautiful. She looks…. she has Sarah’s eyes.” You smile at him before shifting your gaze to her again. 

“I forgot how small they are,” he whispers from behind you. “Thank you, darlin’. You’ve given me everything today. I still feel like I don’t deserve it but I’m so fuckin’ happy.”

“Can I hold her?” Ellie asks from beside you and you nod your head before handing her gently to her. 

“Mind her head,” Joel says, his face serious as he looks at Ellie. “Don’t worry, I got this.” She beams.

Later that night after you’d delivered the afterbirth and got cleaned up. You relax back against Joel in your shared bed, which is now clean thanks to Maria and Ellie.

Your baby girl is suckling at your breast as you gently rub her cheek. Joel holds you both close as he rests his head on your shoulder. “Ellie is gonna call back in the morning and help make breakfast,” he whispers, trying not to disturb the moment. 

You hum. 

“What are we gonna name her?” You ask, gaze focused on your daughter. 

“Whatever you want darlin’.” His hand rests on your daughter's leg, rubbing soothing circles into her skin. 

“How about Olivia Sarah Miller?” You hear him suck in a breath and you turn your head slightly. 

“I love it, darlin’. Sarah she…. she uh…she loved the name, Olivia. Always said if I gave her a sister that’s what she wanted her to be named.” His eyes are glazed over, and a single tear runs down his cheek. 

“Then it’s perfect.” You look down at her once more and smile. “Welcome to the world Olivia.”

***

6 months later…

You wake with a start, hand brushing over to reach your husband only to find the bed empty. Throwing on one of his shirts you make your way next door to check on your daughter but she’s not there either. 

Panic floods you. 

As you make your way downstairs the deep timber of his voice calms your racing heart. Without making a sound, you make your way towards the open door and lean against the frame as you take in the sight of Joel on his rocking chair, Olivia nestled into his side. 

The sight of him with your daughter has your heart racing and the butterflies fluttering within your stomach. Seeing him like this makes you love him even more. 

“I’m gonna build you a swing set right there,” he says as he points to a certain point in the garden.

“Watch you playin’ while me and your momma sit here with our cups of coffee.” You can’t help the snort that passes your lips, and he turns in your direction with a smile on his face.

“Mornin’ darlin’. Sleep ok?” 

“Yeah. When did she wake? I didn’t hear her.” You move off the door frame and walk towards them until you're pulled into Joel’s lap. He leans in and kisses you softly on the lips while your daughter giggles beside you. 

“Wanted to let you sleep, darlin’. You’ve been exhausted.”

“You, Joel Miller, are too good to me.” You say softly before leaning in and kissing him. “Will I take her off you now?”

He shakes his head. “Nah. We’re havin’ a good chat ain’t we baby girl?” Olivia coos at her daddy and your heart melts. 

“Ok, well I’ll go and make us some coffee. Be back in a minute,” you say as you stand, kissing Olivia on the cheek and making your way inside. The sound of Joel’s voice fills your senses, and you smile at his words. 

“I love your momma so much, baby girl. I don’t know what I did to deserve her but I’m so grateful she walked into my life and I ain’t ever letting her go.”

Everything: @maievdenoir @amneris21 @hnt-escape @elegantduckturtle @harriedandharassed @jediknight122 @ayrusss @hayley-the-comet @sherala007 @alexxavicry @scorpio-marionette @donnaa @practicalghost @tanzthompson @beskarprincessjenny @littlemisspascal @icanbeyourjedi @thatpinkshirt @maryfanson @sunnshineeexoxo @misspearly1 @misspearlssideblog @athalien @its--fandom--darling @sara-alonso @doommommy @browneyes-issac @trickstersp8 @nembees @kaitieskidmore1 @mswarriorbabe80 @allthe-ships @tintinn16 @hungrhay @rosie-posie08 @manuymesut @all-the-way-down-here @iccedays @tusk89 @graciexmarvel @pedrostories @musings-of-a-rose @untitledarea @your-voice-is-mellifluous @majestyjade

[tlouadditc]

to the brim ... <3

dom!abby x fem!sub!reader

!! not my pic !!

warnings: fluff + smut [MDNI and MEN DNI.] modern!au / no apocalypse, established relationship, softdom!abby [?], i couldnt think of good gifts dont mind it, abby is a gamer confirmed bc i said so, breeding [duh], abby has a breeding strap, filthy talk omg :(( ah!! i think thats it

a/n: ever since i read @seattlesellie's ellie breeding fic... i've been a changed woman. so here's my take on abby! p.s.: no desc. of hair, skin color, size, etc. :) this is also kinda long but enjoy my loves!

you and abby had been together for around 3 long, happy years. the happiest years, you could say. it was weird; you never thought you'd end up like this. never.. imagined being happy with someone, especially someone as outgoing and brave as abby. you were complete opposites, you being more introverted and kept to yourself while abby was loud and proud. even the way she asked you out [buying you your favorite flowers, making you dinner, AND two cute little matching rings] was memorable and creative. you've always loved everything about her.

today, in present time, is your anniversary. every year, you attempt to top the last year. always remembering little details and bookmarking whatever she sent you just for this moment. abby's currently at her office job; "busiest day of the year, but i'll be back in time for dinner," she explained earlier that morning. "promise!" you take this as an opportunity to buy her gifts and plan out a romantic dinner for the night.

lately, she's been wanting these lego flower sets [specifically the orchid ones since they reminded her of you.. :,)], so you quickly bought one. that isn't enough, you think, so you also get custom lego keychains of both of you, making them both wear wedding dresses and smile as bright as the sun. while you're at it, you get her favorite cake, chocolate with strawberry sprinkles, and have "happy 3rd anniversary, my love" on the top. you smile as you reach your apartment, already visualizing her surprised face. i'll get her this year, you think as you step inside.

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱──────────

hours later, you hear a slight knock knock knock on the door. perfect timing, you think, quickly fixing your hair and looking over your outfit. you're wearing a black maxi dress, tight-fitting over your curves, but simple in style. it's kinda casual, but abby insisted on staying home. "it's for my surprise," she argued, a smirk forming on her face as she said it. she always had some quick trick up her sleeve, but you're even quicker.

well. most of the time.

you peek in the peephole, and there she is. she's wearing her glasses today [her bluelight ones you bought for her your last anniversary since she always complained about her headaches], dressed in all black and her hair flowing down her shoulders. her hands hold onto the handle of a medium sized, deep red giftbag. she probably feels your eyes on her, because flashes a pearly smile up to the small opening. no matter how much she smiles, you never get tired of it. you quickly unlock the door and open it widely.

her pale skin turns a slight dusty shade of pink as she looks you up in down, lovingly taking in your beauty. her mouth opens to say something, but all that comes out is a soft, "hi, baby," before she pulls you into a tight hug, exhaling as she wraps her toned arms around you. she feels like.. like something familiar, but nothing you've ever felt before. something comforting. like home.

she pulls back, placing her hands on either cheek. her eyes move back and forth from one eye to another, almost as if she's trying to read your mind, hear your thoughts. "missed you so much, bun." she leans in, giving you two small pecks on the lips before pulling you into one last hug.

"missed you more abs," you murmur, "more than you'd ever know."

she pulls back, smiling as you mirror her expression. after a couple of seconds, she finally looks around the apartment. "babe?" she questions, clearly in shock. there's big, red heart balloons and her favorite candles are lit all around. she's completely enveloped in the candlelit room, gasping when she looks down and sees rose petals scattered beautifully on the wooden floor. you see her eyes lock onto two red, nicely wrapped gifts on the coffee table. "oh. my god," she looks from the living room back to you, astonished. "no, you didn't."

"oh, yes i did," you giggle as you close and lock the front door. she walks carefully over the fresh rose petals into the living room. she sits on the couch, looking up at you with doe eyes. "babe, if this is what i think it is..." she pauses and exhales. all you can do is smile; your excitement cannot be contained. "open them up!" you cheer, sitting down in the armchair beside the sofa.

she picks up the smaller box, cautiously shaking it. she was always great at guessing your gifts. but this time, she furrows her brows in confusion. she shakes it once more, a little harder this time, deep thought written across her sharp face. the scrunch in her nose makes you laugh a bit. "is it.." she starts, but cuts herself off. "i don't know.. actually."

you shrug, "then open it, babe." she sighs before accepting defeat and opening the small package. as soon as she gets the paper off, she gasps and looks up at you. "oh my god!" she exclaims. "wait, are these-" she looks back at the package, back at you, and holds it up to your face. "oh my god! it's us!"

you smile and laugh while she gushes over the fact they look exactly like you two. "how did they get my hair perfect? and the little dresses! i mean, look at it, oh my god." she admires them silently for a few seconds before uttering, "this is gonna be us, bun. i promise."

the uncontrollable urge to smile takes over your face, making your cheeks hurt a bit. she's muttering a thousand "thank you"s before opening the next one; the one you're the most excited about. she's been talking about this since last year, but she never had the time to get it or start it, matter of fact.

she tears the paper once again, immediately stopping in her tracks. her eyes move up to you once again and her jaw goes slack. "oh my FUCKING god," she yells, ripping the rest of the paper off. it's almost like she's a child again; the way her face lights up makes your entire day worth while. she proceeds to nerd out over the set once again, "this is so... oh my goodness i can't even explain how excited i am. thank you so much babe... wow.. i got so lucky..."

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱──────────

you made her favorite dinner that night, having it freshly prepared for her and still warm on the stove. she just rambles about how she's the luckiest woman in the world to have a beautiful girlfriend and how much she loves you. she continues this throughout the entire meal, making sure she can treat you with the same treatment whenever she can; wiping your cheek when anything got on your face, getting you whatever you needed with no questions asked.. anything. basically, your everyday treatment with her.

after dinner, you both sit on the sofa, talking about your days. mid-conversation, abby randomly gasps.

"and then he was li- uhm... abby?"

"oh my god. i almost forgot!"

"what? what's the matter?"

"your gift!!"

she practically jumps out of her seat, striding over to the counter where she left the giftbag. "can't believe i forgot my gift for my special girl." she scoffs at herself and sits while handing you the bag. it's not heavy, but it's also not lightweight. you scan through your memories of things you've mentioned to her: cats, a wedding ring, books... but it didn't seem like any of that stuff was in here.

you give up, opening the top and looking inside. your jaw drops. you see a long, light pink box. there's fancy gold lettering across the front that you can't read. you take the box out, and unwrap the ribbon bow from around it. as you lift the top up, you see plush flowers and.. a small hello kitty stuffed animal in between the flowers. you squeal as you put the bag down and hug abby tightly, muttering thankyouthankyouthankyou!! all she does is smile and whisper "of course, princess." you think that's it before you realize there's a small pink card and a even smaller box inside the bag.

confused, you pick up the card and analyze the cover. it's a baby princess themed card; such an abby thing to do. you glance over at her to crack a smile, but you realize she has on that devilish smirk plastered across her face. uh oh, you think. "why're you smiling like that, babe?"

"like what?" her smirk grows wider.

that's even more 'abby' like than the card.

you roll your eyes jokingly before deciding to open the card up. inside, there's a paragraph written:

"dear y/n,

happy 3rd anniversary, my love! i'm so glad you're in my life, even after all this time. you'll always be special to me and i see that we will grow old together. i know you've been wanting that bouquet for a while, but i noticed you've been obsessed with something more.."

you glance up at abby once again. she's watching your reaction with that same smirk. what is she up to? you continue to read:

"i hope you noticed the cover of the card; of course, you're my princess, and you always will be. but i always see you looking at baby clothes when we're out, gushing over baby videos at home, etc etc. and even though we technically can't make one.. i can still give you the experience. ;) love your [nonofficial] wife, abby"

you feel your face heat up as you close the card. abby's large, warm hand suddenly starts stroking your leg through the dress, jolting you back to reality. she chuckles, whispering, "mm, you want that, right? you want me to knock you up?" she's getting closer, her hot breath hitting your neck, making you shudder. "want me to fill you to the brim, baby? hm?"

she's kissing your neck, small pecks turning into full-on hickeys. she loves the way you whimper and squirm, the way you turn your head to give her more access. "i'll take that as a yes," she breathes, a small laugh leaving her mouth. her hand travels from your leg, up to your neck and chin, making you turn and kiss her.

"so pretty like this," she coos in between kisses. she's lost in your big eyes, your noises; lost in you. she toys with the thin straps of your dress, subtly signaling to take it off. you, of course, rush to peel it off. after you do so, you're almost completely naked while she's completely clothed. the drastic difference makes you feel small under her predatory gaze. she taps her thigh twice and demands, "come here, princess."

you straddle her lap, your clothed cunt slightly gaining friction against her pants, making you whimper. "such pretty noises," she murmurs, mostly to herself. her hands rest nicely on your sides, right above your hips. "so, tell me," she starts. "how you wanna do this, mama?"

the new nickname makes you feel a slight heartbeat in between your legs. "oh, you liked that, huh?" she comments, smirking as she looks up at your pretty little face. "well, if you want me to take control, i'll do it. i'll do whatever you want, mama."

"use me," you blurt out, desperately needing her right at that moment. you move your hips back and forth, grinding against her crotch to relieve the ache in between your thighs. abby lets out a breathy laugh, "oh, you want it that bad? god, you're so cute."

before you can respond, she's wrapping her arm around your waist and standing up. you wrap your legs around her waist and your arms around her neck out of instinct. she's walking you to the bedroom, just like her little princess.

when she gets into the room, she lays you on your back, legs behind held back by her large hands pinning them under your armpits. your breath is shaky, heartbeat practically bulging out of your chest. she leaves a trail of sloppy, wet kisses from your neck alllll the way down to your bellybutton. "f-fuck, abby," you shudder, her face getting closer and closer to your heat. "what's wrong?" she asks, "what you need, baby?"

"need you inside," you beg, not caring how pathetic you sound now. "oh, i know, baby," she coos, "but i wanna make this special for you, okay? no rushing. just us."

you appreciate her genuine care with your intimate experiences with her, but at this point, the ache was growing more and more painful as time went on. you whine, moving one of the hands pinning your leg to your cunt. "please, abs. need it."

"fuck, babe," her voice is low and husky, almost a growl. "okay, okay, i got you, mkay? i'll treat you right, promise."

her pointer finger ghosts over your swollen clit, forcing a small moan out. small little circles stimulate your bud, drenching your already soaked panties. she groans, "always so wet f'me, my god." as if she can't take it anymore, she practically rips off the small cloth off your aching pussy. the cold air meeting the warmth of your core makes you gasp, squeezing your thighs together in response.

abby's warmth comes back and divorces your legs apart, pinning them back to where they were originally. "gonna take such good care of you, mama," she mutters, kissing your inner thighs. after what feels like an eternity of teasing, she finally lays small, short kitten licks on your cunt. the small feeling of her warm muscle against your clit relieves the burning ache in your core, but only for a second. she lays a flat tongue, collecting your slick as she moves up. your small "oh"s egg her on, fueling her ego as she spreads your lips apart and latches onto your bud. your moans grow louder and louder, legs slightly trembling from how good it felt. little did you know, she's getting off on your pretty little reactions; she's moaning against your bud, vibrations making your legs shake even more.

"ffffuck-," you cry out, gripping the sheets from pleasure. the vibrations send you over the edge, the familiar tingly feeling in your abdomen unraveling. "m'cumming- oh my god," you wail, attempting to close your legs to get away from abby's tongue. her hands grip your thighs, forcing them apart once again. she continues to suck on your clit, overstimulating you. "t-too much - fuck!"

your juices and her saliva mix, coating the bottom of her chin. she finally unlatches from your sensitive, swollen bud and wipes her chin. "sorry, bun," she says, heavily breathing, "you just taste so goddamn sweet, i had to!"

as abby starts to walk away [you assume it's to help you clean up so you guys can sleep], you slowly drift away into a deep sleep..

"nuh uh, 'm not done with you, mama."

your eyes force open, eyes immediately landing on abby's bare chest. she was almost never topless around you - except when you two showered together - but it wasn't a norm in the house. you unintentionally whisper, "you're so beautiful," causing a wide smile to go across abby's kind face. "thank you, baby," she replied, "c'mere." she patted the edge of the bed. her usual black strap was buckled on, intimidating you from the end of the bed.

you crawl to the edge, sitting on your feet when you reach abby. she giggles, "get on your back, babe. you know the drill." you follow her orders, slightly chuckling at your mistake. as she lines herself up with your slit, she caresses your face, just telling you how much she loves you; "love you so much, bun. i'm so lucky to have you, y'know that, right?" she peppers small pecks along your face in between, smiling at your perfect face.

"'m gonna go all in, okay? jus' let me know when i can move," she warns. you nod, slightly nervous. the strap seemed bigger than usual; a bit wider too. it made you think she'd rip you apart with this thing! but as she bottomed out, the sharp painful sensation was short lived and replaced with a more pleasant sensation, the feeling of being full. and not just full, but full of her.

you start to slightly grind on her cock, trying to get any pleasure. the desperate motion making abby smirk and slam into you again, this time earning a loud, pathetic yelp from you. she continues to slam into you, holding your hips for leverage. "yea, keep makin' those pretty sounds for me," she groans, almost in an animalistic way. all you can do is tell her how good you feel, hands gripping onto her toned biceps.

she brings a hand down, right over your abdomen, pressing slightly. "you feel me right there, yea?" there's a slight bulge where her strap is; the sight makes you drool slightly. you nod feverishly, focusing on her voice and her dick pounding into you. her hips snap back and forth, squishing sounds filling the dimly lit room.

she, on the other hand, is hyper-focused on watching the black silicone disappear inside your gushing cunt, a vague white ring forming around the base of her cock. the sight alone has her pussydrunk and practically forming a pool in between her thighs. "such a messy fucking cunt," she murmurs. "wish i could fucking - shit - fill that little pussy up."

your moans become louder, your grip tightening on the meat of her muscles. your head goes back, putting the hickeys she gave you on full display. "oh, you fucking like that, huh?" she places both hands on either side of your head, still fucking you at a relentless pace. every thrust she does, her tits bounce slightly in front of you. her hair frames her face perfectly, the sweat beads racing down her skin as she pounds into you.

"holy fuck," you whimper. her cock, buried deep inside your greedy little cunt, hits that spongy spot inside of you, making you go insane. she smirks, she knows what she's doing. "what? speak up, princess," she speaks, a mocking tone laced in her words.

"s-so good," a choked moan cuts you short.

"you like the way 'm fucking you? like the way that dick got you going crazy, huh?"

a string of yesyesyes's is all you can get out, too lost in your own pleasure.

"wan' me to fuck my baby into you?" she's out of breath, start to whimper, but she doesn't slow down or stop. she just keeps. on. pounding. she's chasing her orgasm, clit bumping against the base of the strap. you're just a wailing, helpless mess under her, begging for her to cum into you. "i need it, p-please, abs!"

she moans loudly as her thrusts get sloppier, slowing down slightly. you feel a thick liquid unleash into your hole, filling you up. the new feeling causing you to gasp, looking down at where you two met. abby fully pulls out after a few seconds, when a gush of white liquid slowly drips out of your stuffed cunt. she whispers, "fuck, that's a pretty sight to see." using one hand, she spreads you open, your fucked-out hole on display, just for her.

you're still trying to steady your breathing, getting more tired by the second. abby sits on the bed next to you, pulling you into her lap. she caresses your face once again, "did so good f'me, baby. happy anniversary." she kisses your forehead, cuddling you close to her body. before you fully fall asleep, she picks you up, bridal style.

"wh- what are you doing?" you question, half asleep.

"gotta clean you up, babe." she giggles at your sleepy voice.

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱──────────

after a long, warm bubble bath together and a small cleaning session, you and abby finally lay back on the couch to watch a movie and cuddle.

"y'know what, babe?" she asks, shoveling chocolate cake into her mouth.

"what?"

"i wish i could actually get you pregnant."

you slightly giggle at that, "me too."

"i also want to marry you. really badly." she's looking at your face now, reading into your soul.

"we should get married," you speak, thoughtfully. what's the point of her bringing this u-

she gets up unexpectedly, walking over to your giftbag. confused, you ask, "what's up?" she pulls out that small box you saw earlier. "oh, nothing.." she walks in front of you, then dips down onto one knee.

you gasp. is this really happening? right here right now?? someone pinch me.

"y/n, you've made me the happiest woman on earth for the past 3 years we've been together. not to mention the first 4 of us being friends. now, i'm not gonna give a long, sappy speech during this amazing moment," she slightly chuckles, "but i want to ask you.. will you be my wife?" she opens the box, a shiny ring glistening in the light.

you can't see it that well since tears well up in your eyes. you could've never asked for anyone better than abby. she's made you a better person overall. she's been there for you, even in your darkest times. you nod, wiping your tears.

she's slightly chuckling, which you don't realize until your eyes clear. it's.. a minecraft ring. specifically a minecraft rose on a thick band of gold. you laugh and let her slide it on your ring finger.

"i'm sorry," she's still giggling as she gets up from the floor, "i saw this while i was out and i was like 'this is perfect.'" you're also giggling, "it is perfect. thank you, baby."

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱──────────

a/n: abby's such a jokester! anyway hope u guys enjoyed this took forever!

taglist: @unicycl @xnoviee @aouiaa @akenosimp167 @njplatesruler [if you're striked out, i can't tag u!! :(]

[lordsukunas]

tldr: bf!yuuji being needy for kisses. please give him a kiss.

cw: none! a buncha fluff ft. protective yuuji moment. megumi cameo (dont ask why). also black-coded!reader !!

a/n: can yall tell i rly like bf!yuuji... its getting outta hand atp, i have like two or three drabbles for him in my drafts, but this might be the only one making it out of there (i have way too many drafts... :p) anyway, hope yall enjoy this lil snippet

“hey.” poke.

“hey, baby.” poke.

“heyyyyy–”

“yuuji,” you huff, but there’s that familiar smile on your face that just makes his grin grow, revealing pearly whites. “i’m tryna read.”

he looks up at you from where his big head is resting on your thighs, and his fingers play with the fabric of your shirt. his shirt, really. “did you give me a kiss today?”

you flip the page. “i did. i gave you one when we went out to eat for breakfast,” (he remembers that because you tasted like maple syrup and strawberries) “and during lunch after i got beat up by maki.” even after five hours and a melted icepack, the bruise on your ass still hurts.

yuuji’s lips curve downward into a little pout. clearly, he was trying to catch you off guard, which was dumb. you’re never gonna miss his scheduled kisses.

“mmm, okay...” he taps his chin in exaggerated thought. “buuuut did you give me one this evening?”

this evening? that’s new.

you place your bookmark in between the pages and set your book down. finally, you’re looking at him, brow raised with a mischievous glint in your eyes. “oh, so we’re doing dinner kisses now?”

a light red dusts his tan cheeks, but he nods. “well... yeah.” a beat. “c’mon, baby, i jus’ want one!” big caramel eyes peer up at you, lips puckered ever so slightly for a kiss.

the sight is adorable, and the part of you that never wants to deny yuuji anything is practically screaming for you to give him that kiss. on the other hand, the little devil on your shoulder is telling you to keep teasing him a little.

unfortunately for your boyfriend, you’re feeling a bit cheeky right now. and you maybe, just maybe want payback for him letting you get your ass beat by maki.

“okay, but if i give you one now, i can’t give you one before curfew.”

yuuji’s jaw drops like you just told him the world’s ending, and he shoots upright, his body twisting on his bed to properly face you. “what?! no, please! that’s not even fair. y’know i need it, otherwise i can’t sleep good and fushiguro gets all mad at me.”

you shrug, barely fighting back a smirk. “then you gotta pick. you either get a kiss now or later. i only have three kisses per day.”

“only three?! babe, tell me you’re not–”

there’s a loud thump against the wall that yuuji’s bed is pushed against, and both of you freeze, his arm shooting out in front of your body.

“can the both of you shut up?” megumi’s voice is muffled, but the irritation in it is crystal clear.

immediately, yuuji’s arm drops and the tension drains out of your bodies. he sighs. “sorry, fushiguro.”

you might have heard a grunt of approval before it falls quiet again, the faint chirping of crickets and the familiar hum of his fan in the background. your boyfriend is still giving you the puppy-dog eyes, practically batting his dark lashes. “pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?”

ugh. you’re never gonna win — he’s too cute! plus, megumi is a little scary when he acts like an angry mom.

“fine, c’mere.” you cup his face, bringing his soft pink lips closer to yours. your lips touch, and a burst of energy rushes through you as yuuji places his hands on your hips.

after a few long moments (because heaven knows you can’t help but get a little greedy with him), you pull away, a small grin on your face. “there. is that enough to tide you over until curfew?”

“nope,” he says, and leans right back in for another kiss. you move your head to the side, so instead of connecting with your mouth, his lips press to your cheek.

you tsk, theatrically wagging your finger, which earns a snort from yuuji. “now you’re definitely not getting another kiss. needy self.”

“what?! it’s not my fault you taste good!”

“maybe you just needa have more self-restraint.”

he huffs. “how am i supposed to have self-restraint when it comes to you? that’s like telling a bee not to make honey!”

oh.

heat rushes to your cheeks, and you’re glad it doesn’t show when you blush. how is your boyfriend so unknowingly good with words?!

you pinch his cheek and pray he doesn’t notice the slight strain in your voice. “whatever. let me finish reading, and maybe i’ll think about giving you a kiss before bed.”

“if you finish reading early, do i get extra kisses?” yuuji hands you the book, grinning.

“gotta think about it.”

surprise surprise — he ends up getting extra kisses.

[inkdrinkerworld]

Hi honey! How are you? It’s my birthday today and I have the birthday blues :’) I feel very lonely, unloved and very scared to grow up tbh. Could I request a fluffy fic with James or Sirius to cheer me up a little bit and make me feel loved? If you have too much requests it is totally fine, just ignore this :)

happy birthday my darling! i’m sorry you have the birthday blues :( i’m going with both of them in a kinda poly!situation except there’s no remus i hope you don’t mind!!

sirius knows the emotions well- the weirdness that settles in your chest that comes from growing a year older, from knowing that you’re changing and could possibly outgrow the people you love.

james identifies with the ‘wanting to make it not so heavy’ part and he goes all out.

you’d sounded so down on the phone that your boyfriends just had to do something on top of what they’d already planned.

james filled the tub and set a glittery mint bath bomb in, while sirius emptied out your favourite takeout in your special bowl and filled your cup with peach iced tea.

“i’m home boys,” even your voice sounds done. sirius coos as you step into the flat and you try for a smile.

“we got you some things, and before you protest you did tell jamie to save his spending for birthdays, anniversaries and christmas.”

that pulls a little smile from you. “here’s mine first.”

sirius gifts you two boxes, one bulky and one thin. you open the little one first and find a dainty heart locket laying on a chain.

you’d been eyeing a locket for the longest time, “flip it over,” on the back are his initials and james’.

“siri,” you’re water logged. he kisses your cheek just as james comes out to the foyer.

“angel, wait for mine!” you giggle wetly as james rushes to the bedroom for his gifts.

his are three boxes stacked on one another.

“do one of james’ and then my last one,” you nod, ripping through two of james’ boxes.

one is a tennis bracelet and the other is a pair of dangly star shaped pearly earrings.

“jamie! i love them,” you kiss his lips.

you hold sirius’ last gift and rip it open carefully. instantly your eyes tear up- it’s two books, the good omens book and a herbalism book that you’d been eyeing for some time.

“sirius, thank you so much,” the boy wipes your tears away and kisses your reddening nose.

“you’re welcome, doll,” he brushes your jaw, “jamie’s last gift goes with this.”

you open james’ last one and tear up even more. it’s a green sprout bookmark.

“you boys spoil me,” they both laugh.

“the time for spoiling is far from over, we set up the bath and we’ve got some movies loaded up and your favourite take out.”

“you guys are the best,” you blubber, pulling them both in for a hug.

“we just love you, angel. so much.”

[misspearly1]

Oh Lily, my sweet baby girl. How dare you make me so horny like this? 😏

Hehehe. Forgive me for being so blunt and… well, crude! 😂 I wanna express how much I loved this fic, there’s more under the cut! 💜

Coming in hot with that intro, my dear. I love it! You reeled me in and kept me reeled in all the way through as well. Also, I have to say that I just adore when Ellie is mentioned in any story. She, like we all know, is a very important person in Joel’s life. I love that gal just as much as our babygirl, Mr. Miller heheheh!

Your story flowed so smoothly. I like a short story, and this wasn’t too short, y’know? There just the right amount of lead up, sexual tension and pining before the smut, and I never felt like I had to go back and re-read (I sometimes struggle to absorb the words and I’m hella exhausted rn lol).

I will never grow tired of reading the way Joel is described in a story, and I absolutely adored the way you wrote him here. I also really like that detail about a fresh hair cut too. It painted such a sexy beautiful picture of this handsome man in my mind.

Moving on to the coffee. Ohhh man, the way you wrote him coming across the beans and looking like he’d just found something so special and precious — it really it special and precious hehehe — but I love his reactions and his eagerness to trade for it.

Reader is so damn cute!!! She is so adorable and sweet, I love that she blurted “a kiss” to trade the coffee, and I really loved what transpired afterwards too. The way you wrote that tender first kiss was everything, and the way you wrote the smut was downright filthy in the most sexiest way possible 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨.

The rough pace was nicely added. It felt right given their location and desperation an all. I love it. Everything about this fic was incredible!

Thank you so much for tagging me! 💜🥰

Joel Miller x reader

Summary: When Joel spots some coffee, he's willing to trade just about anything to get it.

Notes: Okay, so this is a horny thought that was caused by this convo between me, @boliv-jenta and @misspearly1 . So we just kinda decided to all have a go at "What would you or Joel trade for coffee" and well... here it is.

Warning: Pining, if you squint? Joel being a simp for coffee, kissing, SMUT! 18+, fingering (f receiving), unprotected sex, creampie, fluff.

Life could easily get boring in the apocalypse, but one highlight during the lonesome days were whenever Joel stopped by. Your little town were not far away from Jackson, and you’ve formed an alliance, helping each other out. Most of the time it was simple trades, Joel usually the one making the trips. From time to time, he brought Ellie. You always enjoyed their company, although Joel’s was the one you craved most.

Stoic and closed off to most people, you got to see his softer side. A side of himself he rarely showed others, but Ellie brought it out in him. And then of course there was the fact that Joel was very handsome. Like ‘daydreaming about him’ handsome. You would often catch yourself not listening when he spoke, lost in the depts of his brown eyes or the way the sun would fall on his scruffy, yet perfect face.

Today was one of those days. His hair was freshly cut, making the silver streaks shine in the sun and his scruff had been tamed, making him look younger, lighter. As he speaks to one of your companions, you get lost in his features, shamelessly staring at his perfect lips as he talks. Wondering if anyone has ever looked this good, you will yourself to move, sighing heavily as you prepare the goods for him to take home.

Behind you, Joel stops at the door, offering to help you pack. And of course, you oblige, taking every change you can get at spending more time with him. Often, he just gives you short answers, other things probably weighing heavy on his mind. But some days, he talks more and a few times you’ve managed to make him laugh. Okay, maybe just a little chuckle, but it was still the best sound you’ve ever heard.

Deeply invested in a story about your recent hunting failure, you don’t notice Joel stopped packing and is staring at one of the shelves. When the answer never comes to your question, you turn and find him with a bag of coffee in his hands.

“Coffee? You have coffee?” He says cautiously, almost as if the coffee could disappear at any moment. You almost want to laugh, the expression on his face unlike anything you’ve seen. How a bag of grinded up beans could make anyone’s eyes shine with such glee, is quite endearing. “Yeah, we have coffee. There are more bags out in the bigger storage.” You say softly, walking over to him.

”What can I trade you for it?” He asks, turning the bag around in his hand. It’s funny how his eyes light up as he looks at the coffee, almost like he’s looking at a long-lost lover. Giggling softly, you take the bag from him.

“Do you even know how much this is worth?” You shake the bag lightly, before throwing it back on the shelf. “Imagine all the stuff I could get for it.”

You know he hears you, but Joel doesn’t even look at you. His eyes linger on the bag, and you can actually see the desperation in his eyes. Never really liked the taste, you didn’t understand the yearning people could have for the smelly, dark liquid.

“I could get you whatever you wanted.” He states, taking a step closer. He leans against a shelf, and you can see the wheels turning. “There must be something I could give you.”

“A kiss.”

You blurt it out without thinking, instantly regretting your words. You’ve wanted Joel for a long time, but you’ve kept it hidden. Well, until now. Turning around slowly, you barely meet his gaze. “I’m sorry, I... I didn’t…”

Fidgeting with the hem of your shirt, you mentally scold yourself, already prepared for his rejection and ready to move away to spare yourself the shame. “You just look like a good kisser, is all.”

‘You look like a good kisser?’. Mortified that you even said that, you move to run away but is stopped by Joel’s hand on your shoulder. His finger hooks under your chin, gently forcing you to look at him. Here it comes, the rejection you’ve feared.

But it doesn’t come. He just looks into your eyes, his hand moving up to cup your cheek. Then he leans in, his lips finding yours. His soft, perfect, incredible lips. With your heart racing, threatening to burst through your chest, you wrap your arms around him, not wanting to ever let go. It’s good. So incredibly good. And the small moan coming from Joel was beyond good.

Breaking away for air, you gasp, still unable to process it. You kissed Joel. He kissed you. But… did he only do it for the coffee? Before you can ask, his lips claim yours again. Turning you around, Joel pushes you against a wall, sweet moans filling the air as he presses against you, caging you in.

You taste the faint hint of whiskey on his tongue as you deepen the kiss, the hunger for him taking over. Slipping a hand under the hem of his shirt, you rest your palms against the warm skin of Joel’s stomach. He shivers under your touch, one hand gripping your hip as he braces himself against one of the top shelves with the other.

He pushes your legs apart, his thigh grinding against your core. You whimper at his touch, your needy fingers clawing under his shirt at his soft flesh. A smirk spreads across his face when he pulls away. He chuckles softly, cheeks flushed red as he takes you in. “Fuck, sweetheart.”

“I-” You pause, still trying to catch your breath, your whole body on fire. “I think you earned that coffee.”

You both chuckle, Joel resting his forehead against yours for a minute, only to lean back down and press a soft kiss to your lips. “Nah, darling, we ain’t done yet.”

With a mischievous smile he backs away, his eyes never leaving yours as he closes the door to the small storage and locking it. The second he returns his lips are on you, licking and sucking at the sensitive skin on your neck. You almost rip his shirt off, not having much patience to unbutton it. You just want to feel him against you, been craving it for so long.

Joel guides you to the nearest table, swiping away some cans to make room for you. They fall to the floor with a loud bang, but you don’t even care. All you can think about is the man in front of you and how much you want him. With frantic hands, you both pull at each other’s clothes, idle fingers exploring every inch of bare skin. It’s a mess of heated kisses, teeth and touches, Joel leaving marks on your skin, your nails clawing into his shoulders.

Joel buries his fingers in you, his skilled fingers working you open enough to take him. He hits that perfect place you, making you cry out his name in bliss. Unable to hold back any longer, Joel lines himself up at your entrance, coating his cock in your slick.

He bottoms out in one thrust, setting a brutal pace. He rams into you hard, making you moan out in pleasure at his rough, deep rhythm. The table rams into the backwall with every thrust, cans and bags falling to the ground. But neither of you care, to far gone in each other.

“Fuck, darling. You feel so good.” He drawls in your ear, his hands gripping your hips harder as his hips slap against you, filling you with every drag of his delicious cock. His pace quickens as he chases his release, his fingers rubbing your clit in rhythm with his cock. “Be a good girl and come for me.”

And with his sweet praise, you’re gone. Your orgasm ripples through you like an inferno, your tight little cunt convulsing around him. Joel grunts as he buries himself deep inside you, filling you with him cum. Thrusting a few more times, riding out his high, Joel peppers your skin and lips with soft kisses, muttering under his breath what a good girl you were for him, how good you felt.

You claim his lips again, the kiss sweet and tender. For a while you just stand there, hearts beating wildly in your chests as you both come down from your highs. You hold onto him for as long as you can, not wanting him to go back to Jackson. It could be months before he came back, if ever. As if he senses your concern, he softly cups your cheek, bringing your eyes to his.

“Ever wanted to see Jackson?”

TFC girls: @mindidjarin @e-dubbc11 @itwasthereaminuteago @pedrito-friskito @idrinkcoffeeandobsess @thisishellfire @officialjanetsnakehole

No pressure tagging: @fandomnerdery @lucy-sky @missbeewrites @charnelhouse @absurdthirst @scorpio-marionette @wildemaven @iamskyereads @littlemisspascal @darlingshane @kirsteng42 @firstofficerwiggles @chasingdreamer @writerwoed

[snek-panini]

For Binderary Book #2 we have a tiny (letter quarto) book! Here is It's Getting Hard, This Holding Back by @zehwulf (Hi, I asked to bind your fic back in January. Surprise, it's here!). This is for sure one of the cuddliest things I have ever read, and if you want to read something extremely soft and silly and asexual where everyone's favorite angel and demon fail to communicate till the end but it's funny instead of heartbreaking, then oh boy is this the fic for you. It remains a favorite for me and I read it when I'm sad.

I've fallen into the habit with my letter quarto binds of using materials that I already have on hand, and I did the same for this one. The cover paper is a pearly white scrapbook paper that I bought but didn't use in another project, and the spine is actually an off-cut of the platinum silk moire that I bought for binding Persuasion. I like it better on the spine than I did for the Persuasion endpapers; it was really well-behaved, didn't wrinkle or stain, and holds a hinge crease well. I don't know how well it's going to wear but I'd use it in this context again in a heartbeat. It's annoyingly hard to photograph though, as in the pearlescent paper and the metallic silver HTV. This book is so much prettier in person.

More photos under the cut!

Top view showing the ribbon bookmark and endbands. This isn't exactly a short fic at over 13k, but the typeset came out at less than a hundred pages so it was too short for handmade endbands. The blue is pretty though, and it matches the endpapers. Endpapers are scrapbook paper from Joann's (and I got some glue on them but don't look at that part). I bought them for an unspecified project because I thought they were pretty, but I accidentally grabbed an extra sheet. Fortunately you only need one sheet of paper to make endpapers at this size, so I still have a set to do another book with later on. And this bind, being all whites and silvers, desperately needed some color, so this was a good way to do it. The typeset is quite simple compared to a lot of the other ones I do, but I just felt it fit the story that way. I love an elaborate, flourish-y typeset when it fits the story, but this one's more about the core of things and the characters' interior feelings than the exterior obvious motifs. It was tricky to nail an aesthetic without some more overt imagery, but I think the simplicity fits it and I'm proud of this one.

[oensible]

gotta actually finish my contributions on klims slides at some point i got like 4 slides in and then dropped it to do more pertinent things and closed all my tabs because my laptop started trying to reach the pearly gates and now i have 8 billion bookmarks of klim kostin articles and assorted mishmash on top of the other 16 billion bookmarks of assorted mishmash i said "i'll get back to it later" on

[viviangreeneart]

At The Foot of My Bed

                             

    I stood at the foot of my bed. I was wearing a dark blue suit I didn’t recognize. The material was clearly expensive and well-tailored, hinting to a fit, lean body underneath.  A neat, white handkerchief was folded with care in the suit jacket’s breast-pocket. Staring forward , my green eyes were not the usual unattractive mix of exhaustion and hatred, but of contentment and maybe a little joy. Dark circles, like permanent eye shadow, of which I had grown accustomed to had not claimed these eyes. No, at the foot of my bed, those eyes did not have sagging, purple-grey flesh clinging to the bottom of their sockets like loose, cooked chicken skin. This skin was pink and tight. This me could be in an advertisement for eye cream they looked so damn healthy. Oh, and my scar! Where was that? The right side of his lips were unblemished. Had I never met the enraged man at the bar? Had his class ring that glimmered in the light as it came crashing down on me, snagging my lip and tearing it apart, not existed? Or had I simply not goaded him into a fight to begin with?

  If I had fought the man with this body, I would’ve surely won. I hadn’t lifted any form of weight in decades and a vegetable had not graced my dinner plate in just as long. The body in front of me most likely thrived on a high protein diet with a substantial side of greens. Perfect me smiled warmly, revealing his pearly white, exceptionally aligned teeth. It was apparent he never missed a single dentist appointment. I self-consciously rubbed my tongue against the bottom row of my broken, grey teeth. I felt like Narcissus gazing into the pool, aside from the fact that I did not have the beauty that the me at the foot of my bed possessed.

“Honey,” a ragged, drained voice called out from just outside my bedroom, ripping me out of my visual love affair with Perfect Me.

   “Uh, yeah?” I shifted my body to the left so I could see down the hallway. I could just make out the silhouette of my wife leaning out the bathroom doorway. 

  “Did you lock all of the doors?”

  “Yes, of course,” I sighed. This was part of our routine. I would say yes even I forgot. I could always lock up during my midnight fridge raid.

  “Oh good,” she said, disappearing into the bathroom.

   My attention returned to Perfect Me. He had only folded his arms during the pointless discourse with my wife. Suddenly a thought occurred to me - what would Tammy think when she saw him? I was still processing this when she ambled into our bedroom, wrapped in her floral house coat. Tammy passed the well-groomed me without a glance, plopping onto the bed next to me. It creaked under her weight as she settled in, shuffling the sheets about. Perfect Me’s eyes followed her movements with palpable endearment. A light smile played upon his lips as he watched her grab a book from her bedside table and open it to where her bookmark had laid snug since the night before.

   I struggled to recall the last time I looked at her with any form of love. Tammy was comforting and sweet in personality, but she was very mundane. I didn’t dislike my wife, but I found no beauty in her, inside or out. However, this undeniably gorgeous version of me, reacted as though Ava Gardner had just sauntered into the room garbed in an extravagant dressing gown. It was perplexing to say the least.

  “You don’t mind if I read for an hour or so, do you?” Tammy asked, eyes already glued to her book.

 “No, of course not,” I replied. I wanted an excuse to keep the lights on anyway. I couldn’t lose sight of Perfect Me. I wanted to speak with him. To ask how and why he looked so good compared to the ghoulish version of me that was hunkered down in a sagging bed next to his mediocre wife. Was he handed better opportunities than me? A better family than the hostile, demanding one I had been presented with? Was he accepted at a proper University instead of the community college I begrudgingly applied to? He certainly had a successful career, as was evidenced by his suit. In this life, I had only rented suits for special occasions. Fortunately, I was rarely invited to any occasion.

  I needed to speak with him, but if I could I only see him, I would look like an idiot speaking to myself. Well, I would be talking to myself. As I struggled to form a plan to communicate with him, I felt the bed sink slightly near my feet. Perfect Me had planted a knee down onto the bed. Too stunned to move, I caught sight of Tammy in my peripheral vision. She was oblivious to Perfect Me’s sudden advancement, with her nose inches away from her book, mouthing the text as she read. Perfect Me then leaned forward, placing his left hand next to my knee. His right hand, which was free of a wedding ring, reached out. Without hesitation, I brought myself upward and gripped his outstretched hand. His flesh was so soft in comparison to the harshness of mine. He must have a job that has been very kind to them, or at very least he moisturizes on a daily basis. My heart swelled as I met his gaze. I no longer cared about the possibility of Tammy looking up to see me holding onto an invisible force. Perfect Me grinned, letting out an easy, melodious chuckle.

  “Would you like to trade?” he whispered.

  My mind went to a story I read in elementary school, the Prince and the Pauper. 

  “Absolutely,” I whispered back.

  “So be it.” His grin widened into a sneer as he yanked me directly into him. 

   Bracing for a collision that never happened, I found myself on my back on the bedroom floor. Sitting up, I rubbed my forehead in an attempt to reorient myself. As I temporarily became distracted by how heavenly my skin felt, an unnatural itch crept throughout my body. I glanced down and saw the expensive suit Perfect Me had worn. It looked so comfortable on him, but on me, it felt like tiny bugs were burrowing their way into my skin. I tugged and pried erratically at the buttons of the jacket to no avail. It was like it was now a part of my skin. Or rather, it was my skin.

  Above, muffled voices broke me briefly from my turmoil. I jerked around and realized I was in front of my bed. Moving to my knees now, I peered upwards. I saw my old self in bed with Tammy. Hideous Me, with the horrific scar and the unfit body. They were deep in conversation. She giggled at whatever nonsense he was spouting. Her book lay abandoned on her lap.

   He pointed to her book and she nodded, giving a him a sugary sweet smile. As her eyes drifted away from him to the book, Hideous Me’s eyes shifted over to meet mine. He winked then returned his attention to my wife. I cried out to her, but could only release pitiful croaks as I fought against my suddenly weakened and dry vocal cords. I banged my fists on the bed as my warnings fell on deaf ears. I doubled over as blinding pain tore through my body. I silently whimpered, as I could no longer create sound. Despite it all, I shakily rose to my feet. Maybe after sometime I could convince whatever I traded places with to switch back. He will eventually regret inhabiting my old, misshapen body with my boring bookworm of a wife. Surely he will, I thought, as I watched him kiss her.

    I stood at the foot of my bed.

[misspearly1]

Oh hello! 😃 This intro already has me gripped, but let me just state for the record before I continue - I already know this is going to be a super good read. I can just feel it in my bones!

Forgive me in advance for the size of feedback, my love. I'm typing it up as I read so it may be a little long. There's more under the cut 💚

I find that there is something so comforting about watching & listening a storm, and the way you describe it here is painting a lovely image in my mind. Honestly, I'm not exaggerating. I felt my shoulders relax as I imagined how it sounded and looked. Thank you for that 🥰

Having said that though, it's very different being outside during a storm - ugh, I don't much like being caught in a heavy downpour lol - so I'm really relating with the reader here! She's having a rough day and I feel for her, and I can already feel how much Joel is going to make her fell better too.

This part right here -> Even worse had been tripping as you passed Cache Creek Park. One foot splashed down into a puddle that was deeper than it looked, which was followed by losing your balance and letting go of the cart as you tumbled face first to the ground. If you hadn’t been soaked previously, you were after ending up in the large pool of muddy water, one cheek scraping against the crumbling concrete of the roadway as you went down. <- I genuinely think I would cry if this happened to me. You write so well to make me connect with your characters, and that right there is some next level writing. I love it!

But then it got worse for!! 😭 Omg, when she fell down though?? I really adore the way wrote reader picking herself up, dusting herself off and moving on here. To me, she sounds emotionally strong and tough, and I like that. (because I would fr be moaning about falling over all day lmao) I'm really liking readers personality so far in this story. Again, you have captured my attention from the beginning and I'm becoming more invested as I read more.

Oh, the next day when she awoke and was feeling under the weather is transporting me back to all of those times when I've been under the weather too! Your descriptions of her condition progressively worsening is incredible, realistic and very relatable. It's an awful & shitty feeling to be so unwell like this and every damn time, I am crawling to my bed. I know I'm repeating myself a little here, but this is really good writing which makes me connect with the reader. I love that build-up in the story. It really makes the introduction of Joel that much better later on. Great work, as always, my love!

And here comes the man we adore! I love the way you brought him into the story. It's not rushed, nor too slow, the pace is just perfect overall. And of course, I am already feeling that fluff in the way he speaks to her. I can hear that concerned tone of his. It's lovely. 🥰

I really like how he questioned if she was bitten too. That's an important detail and I'm glad you added it in there. I think that would be a big worry on a lot of peoples minds after the apocalypse when coming down with a simple flu. Nice touch! I like it, I also really like that no matter how poorly the reader is here, she still has her humour.

Omg, Rachael... I want to cry for reader here -> but the single touch of the man’s hand reminded you that in nearly 20 years, you’d never had anyone present to comfort you through it. And now I do. <- really pulling on my heart strings 😭

When she finally cried, I felt a good release of the shitty few days she had, and I feel so relieved that Joel is there with her, comforting her through this. Maan! This fic is exactly what I needed. And it's exactly what I'm going to need when I'm poorly again int he future. Saving this one to my favs for sure!

Oh, I love the use of Joel's humour to make her feel better. I just knew this fic was gonna be good. Didn't I say that? Hehehe! You write this man so damn well. I love how supportive and helpful he is being with her, especially letting her lean against him while she brushes her teeth. It's the smallest gestures like this that really get me. They're so meaningful and it just shows how Joel really cares for her.

OMG, THE FLUFF, MY DUDE!!! It's everything, Rachael. I want to point out what I love most, but it's pretty hard because I love all of it haha. That relief I felt the next day when she awoke and sat on the edge of the bed, pausing to check for the dizziness, but there was none. It's so good, and I honestly feel the relief reader is feeling.

I love that he climbed the balcony to get into her condo! The man was determined to check up on her. 🥰 Oh, now I love the mention of Tess and the connection as to why he asked if reader was bitten. That's a real nice touch. Tess is important to Joel, much like Ellie, Tommy and other people in Jackson.

God! I love your writing. You go into the meaningful depths and really bring these characters to life. The domesticity, the compassion, love and fluff is beautiful. I really, really, enjoyed this read, Rachael. Thank you ever so much for suggesting this for my request. I will most definitely adding this to my favs so I can come back and re-read.

You’re Tellin’ Me Something Real

Pairing: Joel Miller (TLOU) x Female Reader (Just Too Good to Be Gone AU)

Word Count: 6,330

Rating: M (Swearing, description of general illness, mentions of sex, allusions to canon TLOU plot elements - but for me, this is very tame)

Summary: Even when you’re living somewhere safe like Jackson, there’s no way to prevent common illnesses … but being bedridden 20 years after the world changed means something very different than it used to. A surprise caretaker can make even the worst days so much better.

*Takes place after Waiting For This Sky To Fall, roughly a year after Joel and Ellie’s arrival in Jackson - but before We’ll Feel It All Tonight*

Author’s note: I know that we don’t see much ‘domestic’ Joel Miller within the games, but we DO see how much he cares for the people that are close to him - and this is an important step for them. This is also just me wanting to be cared for by this man while I feel like shit - and I hope you enjoy it.

THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE LAST OF US 

Continue reading at your own risk.

Suggested musicial pairing: Caught in the Rain - Revis

Just Too Good To be Gone Masterlist

There were times when you were glad that you lived so far away from the parts of Jackson that were busy. It meant that things were almost always quiet, you could sit back, enjoy the view and pretend like things were normal. But other times, your decision to live a solid twenty minutes from the majority of your neighbors felt like the stupidest decision you’d ever made. And I’ve made a lot of those. 

The storm had come from nowhere, blowing in from the west and soaking you to the bone halfway between Jackson Town Square and your condo, and there’d been nothing that you could do about it. In a matter of minutes, the temperature dropped nearly twenty degrees and pushed the rain almost to the point of freezing. That was something that you hadn’t counted on when choosing your outfit for the day, which consisted of a thin short sleeved shirt and jeans, perfect for the faux-spring days that Jackson frequently experienced in February and March, the air warm even with still-melting piles of snow everywhere.

Keep reading

[marcannethology]

✨ PRODUCTION UPDATE ✨

Check out this double-sided bookmark by @linnyart, it has a beautiful pearly effect; included in both paper and full bundles!

[swelilann]

"...she had a pair of pearly white eyes."

Dear Pearl by SwelilAnn

English Friendship, Heartbreak, Young Love, Pain

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

Yuri is a shy kid. He is always the kid who stays in the corner and never talks. He is used to it. It is how he lived his thirteen years of his life. No one is interested in him and his biological parents choose to leave him in an orphanage. But despite his situation, Yuri found happiness in art. He loves to draw, craft, and be creative.

One afternoon, he got bullied again after school. The older kids forced him to give them money. He has no choice but to give his savings that supposedly he will be using to buy new crayons. Success in avoiding physical injuries but he is emotionally exhausted by them. He sat down to take some rest on a rusty bench but before he left to go back home he noticed a piece of paper.

It was a cute pink envelope. It smells like strawberry.

Yuri wondered what it was so he hurried back to the orphanage to see what was inside. He finished his dinner quickly and got first in the bathroom before the others. He has his own room. Small, cramped, and in summer it is a living oven. Excited and curious, he sat down on the floor and checked the envelope. He opened it and a letter was inside.

It has pretty handwriting in black ink. The writer reiterated what happened in their day. They had to do something they didn't like but felt okay after drinking some chocolate drink their mom gave them. It's pretty cute, Yuri thinks. And in the last line a signature of a person named Pearl. He folded the letter and took a clean sheet of paper for himself. He needs to make a reply to Pearl!

He smiled after writing his first reply. He was satisfied with it and planned to leave it on the bench before going to school. Yuri woke up early to get ready. He's hoping that Pearl will reply to his letter. And he was not wrong, after class he found another letter, a reply from Pearl!

They exchange letters for weeks. They started to get to know each other. Pearl likes the color pink. She loves to wear a headband with bows, she sings and her favorite fruit is strawberry. Although they share likes and dislikes, both of them choose to obscure their physical identity. Yet they created a strong friendship through handwritten letters.

Then one day, Yuri's prayers came true. A couple decided to adopt him and he was so ecstatic about it. He happily wrote the good news to Pearl but he didn't receive a reply. His letter was still on the bench. He waited for days, maybe she was busy, so he constantly wrote the things happening in his life until Pearl replied. However, the day of his departure from the orphanage came. He was sad that he wouldn't be writing letters to Pearl so he wrote his final letter of goodbye.

Years passed and now Yuri is preparing for high school graduation. He transferred his last year to another university campus because of his father's work. In his first week, he has a classmate that is familiar to him. The girl has a familiar style, scent, and handwriting but her name is Micah. He confirmed his suspicion when he saw the bookmark he made for Pearl. He was so happy to see and talk with Pearl in real life but the latter was not. Micah was weirded and avoided him until she asked him to talk privately somewhere.

Yuri was glad and they met in an eerie place. He was confused at first but all he wanted was to catch up with her. Micah on the other hand has sadness in her eyes while talking with him. She nervously confessed she was not Pearl but she was the one who wrote for Pearl. Yuri took it as a joke but Micah was serious and led him to a grave where Pearl lies peacefully.

Pearl was diagnosed with eye cancer and she wanted to live her life to the fullest. Micah is Pearl's best friend and asked her to write letters dedicated to their future self. They enjoyed doing it together and decided to leave one somewhere which Yuri found. And it was the happiest day for Pearl when Yuri replied.

Yuri burst into tears after knowing the truth. They promised to meet and see each other but not like this. And for the last time, Micah gave Pearl's last letter to Yuri before she passed away.

Yuri cried and cried. He took another piece of paper inside the envelope. It was a photo of Micah and a girl in a hospital bed…and she had a pair of pearly white eyes.

[gatalentan]

9. shoulder kisses, bonus points if one of them is sitting or standing behind the other when they happen!! ☺️

Soft Prompts: 9. Shoulder Kisses Ship: Melissa/Barbara Melissa wandered back in from the kitchen, drying her hands on her jeans after finishing up the day’s dishes, socked feet thumping on the tile and then sinking into plush carpet. She got to the doorway and found herself pausing, seeing Barbara curled up there on the couch, her back to her, tucked up all snug with Melissa’s blanket around her shoulders. The soft light of the standing lamp illuminated the side of her face, chiselling her carved features even more than usual. So pretty.

She loved seeing her like this, all peaceful, no stress, no worries. Knew how much tension she carried through the day, how hard she worked to maintain her professional persona. And selfishly, it felt good that she could help give some peace to her, to give her a space where she could find a soft landing no matter the situation. A place where she could be entirely herself without judgement, and if all she wanted to do after a shitty day at work was sit and read, well goddamn that’s what Melissa was gonna let her do. She’d have the best damn reading session of her life. Mugs of tea on tap, an easy dinner she could pick at brought straight to her lap, and a nice, quiet, warm place to just be. She’d give her that every day of her life, if that’s what she wanted.  She didn’t wanna disturb her. But it was getting late. 

And she did look, well, like that. All lovely.

She’s only human.

Melissa rounded the back of the couch and sank to her knees to drape her arms around her shoulders, pressing her nose into the soft pocket at the base of her throat. God, she always smelled so damn expensive.

“Hey, pretty lady.” she mumbled into her skin. Barbara huffed a laugh from her nose. She tilted her head and popped a kiss on Melissa’s cheek. “Hey yourself.” “You coming up soon?” “Mm. I guess so. I’ve got-” Barbara flicked a few pages forward, using her thumb as a bookmark, “-about six pages left of this chapter. Then I can come up.”

“Hmm.” Melissa toyed with the pearly top button of Barbara’s blouse, popping it open and laying her hand on her clavicle, nails gently scratching at her collarbone. “You sure about that?”

“Yes, pretty sure.” she laughed again, in the back of her throat, rumbling against Melissa’s palm. She flicked her book back to her original place, ignoring Melissa, but tilting her head anyway to keep her there. “Must be a pretty good book.” She whispered, pulling back a little to press a soft kiss to the exposed skin of her shoulder where her blouse had fallen open. “Can we make it two pages?” Barbara tutted, but Melissa could feel her silent laughter against her mouth. “Six.” “Four?” She peppered her shoulder with kisses, spreading up to the side of her neck. “Melissa.” She was fully laughing now, full-throated, giving up on her book entirely, slipping a piece of paper between the pages and slipping her fingers between Melissa’s where they draped around her neck. “How about if I just bring it upstairs, and then we both get what we want?” “Sounds like a good deal to me.” She pressed one last kiss to the crown of her head and moved to pull her up off the couch. “C’mon bookworm.”

[misspearly1]

Holy shittttt! That 'God, I've missed this' just hit the damn spot!!! 😈

You did so well with this, Liv. I really enjoyed the backstory you gave us about reader and the lead up to how she and Joel became close with each other. You gripped my attention with that intro and kept me gripped all the way through.

Without spoiling anything for other readers, I really enjoyed learning what she trades with Daryl for the coffee. And I especially enjoyed reading how Joel helped her out with that trade too! And the smut?? My, oh my. 🥵 'Twas so hot, my love.

Thank you so much for tagging me. 🥰

I'm so tired, I should be asleep but I needed to get this out. I haven't even edited it. I'm not even bothering posting it properly tonight. @misspearly1 and @munsonownsmyass you know what this is.

Joel smut underneath

Being a woman wasn't all it was cracked up to be before the end of the world. The downfall on society hadn't hit the patriarchy that hard. You still had the same problems. Men thought the knew better. They thought you were weaker. Or a possession to be coverted or taken. A few men had learned that the only thing they were taking from you was the sharp end of your blade.

When you first heard of Jackson, you were amazed to hear that a woman was in control. You were less amazed to hear that the town was thriving under her leadership. When the Cordyceps virus had first started it was the female lead counties that fared the best. They didn't spent time arguing with the science or about profits, they did what needed to be done. 

Meeting with Maria had given you the confidence to move to a small homestead on the outskirts of Jackson. Maria promised you would be left alone, in exchange for your expertise and connections. It was a deal that worked well until Maria started sending her brother-in-law to trade with you. The first day he arrived at your fence, ringing the bell to let you know he was a friendly so you did blow his head off, you looked out of your window to assess the threat. You didn't expect the threat not to come in the form of any malice from him but from your own traitorous body. He stood in the morning sun, warm brown eyes shining. His well built arms folded over his broad chest. A tight waist and thighs caught your eye as well as the full lips of his chiselled profile as he turned to look around as he waited. It had been a very long time since you'd wanted a man so much just from looking at him. Maybe if you spoke to him it might slow the flow of the pool forming between your legs. 

The drawl of "Mornin' ma'am." only added to the depths in your panties. You managed to get through the interaction without making a complete fool out of yourself. Joel was barely off your land before you ran up to your room, peeled off your underwear to ride your pillow while thinking of Joel's muscle thighs flexing below you.

The next time he came by you had the good sense to cum first. The exchange of goods was accompanied by the exchange of more pleasantries this time. Joel was polite and more softer spoken than his gruff appearance may indicate. 

As the visits racked up, you became more comfortable with Joel. You even allow led him into the house to carry things in, once he's had insisted. 

"You know I am capable of carrying these in?" You'd told him.

"I know you are but two people will get it done quicker." His tone was earnest, he didn't doubt your capabilities, he just wanted to help. A torrent invaded your underwear this time.

Then came the terms of endearment. Sugar and honey, sounding as sweet as they were in that accent.

"Sorry, Darlin'. I need a minute. It's hot out today." He leaned against your porch as he dropped a bag of soil by his feet.

"Would you like a drink?" You turned back into the house leaving the door open for him to follow. "Water? Or I have some iced tea left. My own recipe. It's too hot for coffee." You muttered the last part.

Joel still caught it. "Coffee? You have coffee?" 

"Just a little. Enough for one cup maybe. Do you want one?"

The 'Yes' that left him was almost a moan. Your thighs involuntarily clenched as you turned to fill the kettle. 

The coffee mug looked tiny in Joel's hands. You wondered what those large hands could do as Joel happily drank his coffee. You daydreamed about giving him something else to drink down as he drained his cup. "God. I missed coffee."

"I never drank it. I could maybe get you some more on my next trade." It was a stupid thing to offer. The only person that you could guarantee that would have coffee was Darryl. Darryl was an asshole but he was a discreet one. At least if he upper his price, no one would find out what you traded for it. That night you send a message to Darryl by the morning you had your answer. His price for a bag was too high so you settled for enough for a couple of cups. The supply chain was in place. It would take about a week but Joel would have his coffee. 

"How did you…?" Joel marvelled at the same amount of coffee in his hands. 

"I have my ways."

"I bet you do." 

That almost sounded flirty. He must be really grateful for the coffee. 

"What else can you get?"

"That's a conversation for another time I think."

The possibility of Joel flirting was too much to risk with the truth. Joel drank both his cups of coffee that day sitting at your table, talking more openly than he ever had. The tone turn distinctly flirty before made to leave. Once he was up on his horse he asked. "What do I owe you for the coffee?"

"I'm sure I'll think of something." You smiled up at him. 

"Let me know when you do."

You didn't even make it up the stairs before your hand was bringing you relief. It was embarrassing that the man got you so worked up. On the bring side you could definitely Joel some more coffee now.

The next time Joel came over for his caffeine fix, he wouldn't take it until you agreed to let him give you something in return. What you really wanted caught in your throat. Maybe you could ask for something to help get it out. "How about you bring me some beer?" 

"Beer? We make that. You could just got to the bar and get some."

"Maybe I don't want to got to the bar and maybe I want to just drink it with you."

Before Joel could comment, his radio went off. Tommy needed help rounding up some loose horses.

Joel placed the coffee on your table. "I'll be back for this."

The next night he was, with beer for you and whiskey for him. Both of them went down very well. The two of you had moved to your sofa, lazily reclining with your head pressed back into the cushions.

"Now are ever going to tell me how you get coffee?" Joel's head moved closer to yours.

"I could but you might start looking at me differently."

"I doubt that."

"Really? What if it's something really shady?"

"I've survived in this world for twenty years. I doubt anything can shock me."

"I trade him pictures of my feet."

"You…?" The drunkenness softening his eyes disappeared for a second as they widened. "Pictures of your feet?!"

"Among other things. You said your friend Bill was a prepper?"

"He preferred survivalist."

"Well, imagine a whole community of Bills."

"Jesus."

"With a very well paid benefactor. Darryl was a genius with computers. He made millions. A lot of it was working for porn companies. That's where he got his particular tastes."

"So he likes your feet. Doesn't it bother you that he might be using them when he…?" Joel wrinkled his nose. It was so cute, it took all you remaining strength not to kiss the bridge of his perfect nose.

"No. I mean any man could decide to think about me when he…." You missed the way Joel swallowed hard. "This way I get something out of it."

"Isn't he talking advantage of you?"

"He give me stuff I want to get a glimpse of my feet. I'm not the one that's being taken advantage of."

"Fair enough. Wait, you said among other things?"

"There's a scale. Feet get me basic stuff or a small amount of good stuff. Other pictures get me better stuff depending on what they are. Panties gets me pretty much whatever I asked for and in a rush."

"Panties? You mean you give him yours?!"

"And he trades them on." 

"Did you give him your underwear for my coffee?!" 

"It was a good deal I had a ruined pair anyway. And it wasn't just for your coffee. I got some chocolate too. I saved some for Ellie."

"Thank you?"

"It's okay if you don't want her to have it. Knowing how I got it and all."

"I'm sorry. It's fine, thank you. I'm just a little bewildered by it all. I definitely feel like I need to give you more than beer and whiskey now."

The liquid courage and Joel's accepting attitude spurred you on. "Maybe there is something else you can trade."

"What's that?" 

"Well, some of the pictures Darryl wants are a little hard for me to take myself. Maybe you could take them for me?"

"P-pictures of what?"

"Me, naked."

"Sugar, I don't think that would be a good idea."

"It's just a simple trade Joel." You stood walking towards the stairs. Joel seemed to argue with himself for a moment before following. 

"Here you hold this while I…" you set the Polaroid camera in Joel's grasp. Standing in front of him you removed your shirt and bra. "Just take a picture of me from the neck down."

"Okay." Joel did as he was told, his sped up breathing made the camera shake a little but the photos came out well. 

"One more." You told him as you hooked your thumbs into the waistband of your leggings. Pulling them right down your legs you sat back on your bed letting your legs fall open. "I take it you know what you are taking a picture of here?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am." He groaned. 

"You know. The scale also includes if I had a partner."

"What do you mean?"

"If I had a partner and we took pictures of him inside of me, it would be worth a whole lot of coffee."

"And chocolate."

"And chocolate."

"I guess that would be pretty selfish of me not to oblige you."

The camera was thrown on the bed as he climbed up it. Covering you completely with his body as he kissed you. The camera flash would reflect off of your pussy with how wet you were just from his kiss. 

"Are you sure about this, Honey? I don't just give a fuck about trading or coffee. I just want you. It's been a long time, and you drive me crazy." His tone was as earnest as always.

"You can have me Joel."

With that permission, he stripped off his clothes before climbing back on top of you. Finally, he slid deep inside you. "God. I've missed this."

Even with your soaked cunt being so accommodating Joel was still a stretch. He filled you completely. The heavy drag of his cock every time he pulled out was a muted pleasure compared when he slammed it back with so much force your tits bounced against his chest. It stole the air for your moans, all you could give him was a choked gasp every time. Cumming around him you gave a high pitched whine as you body desperately tried to pull his release from him. Thankfully, Joel resisted long enough to come over your pusy instead. His load glistened on your red hot mount. When he was able to think straight he grabbed the camera to take a picture of his handiwork. "What do you think this will get us?"

"I think I'll keep that one for myself. A reminder that I made a pretty damn good trade. A cup of coffee for a night with the hottest bachelor in Jackson."

"You actually gave me several cups of coffee so I guess I owe you a few more nights."

"On second thoughts I will send that picture to Darryl. I don't want to run out of coffee any time soon."

[dulceskull]

Pink Sugar KS Bookmarks!

bookmarks for the kickstarter! I went with a simple design, art from one of the panels in the book. It's also printed on this pearly shimmery cardstock and it came out so cute !!! 

Posted using PostyBirb

[readersdigestsum]

I got screamed at for taking procedure to whiten my teeth with OTC things; I got mad theres a vaseline jar on my ballerinas head sounded like it shattered as well as my bookmark slammed to the ground did not shatter at all fell off my wine glass holder put vaseline on your teeth theyll be pearly white that 1/19/1977 happend that I am not a cheerleader.

[misspearly1]

Oh my… 🥺 I’ve just read the title of your story and my heart is already bursting! My old doggy (Bella) was my mothers shadow. This is so sweet. I love it

My feedback is under the cut 🥰

This story was absolutely fantastic. Didn’t I say it would be an incredible read? My oh my!! I loved every minute of this. While it was saddening, I respect that detail about one of the baby kittens not making it. It’s the way of nature, you’re absolutely right and I felt so relieved to read Arthur scooping up the surviving kitten to take care of him. 💜

As I progressed through the story, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Arthur grow a bond with the little guy. It’s slow and subtle at first - and I just adore that! The way you described them playing was so sweet and adorable. It making me say ‘aww’ never mind Arthur saying it himself hehehe. I also have to say that I really like his horses name (Buck). That’s lovely!

Once Arthur feels that connection growing between him and the cat, I loved that he was telling himself and everyone else that the little furry companion is for Jack, not him. It’s funny because we can see that he clearly enjoying the company.

I also agree that Arthur is a dog kind of guy, but I don’t doubt for a second that he has space in his heart for a cat. The way you described the cats personality was perfect too! I find it so funny and cute to watch how they play and interact. It’s quite different from doggies.

I really like the introduction when Arthur brought the cat back to camp!! The way you wrote each person (Dutch, Abigail, Sean, Tilly etc..) interacting with the cat is so good! And I especially enjoyed that the little guy followed when Arthur moved across camp.

HIS NAME! Omg, his name is perfect 😭. And the fact that little Jack picked it out too is so sweet! This whole story was fantastic. I absolutely needed to read this today. It was a lovely Sunday read! Thank you so much for completing my request, my love.

Hello, lovely!

I’m here with a request, but first I gotta profess my love for your story again (perhaps you lust for what you cannot have). Oh, it has stuck to my mind like glue ever since I first read it. The story is so good and your writing skills are excellent! I’m in great need of those fantastic writing skills of yours please. 🥰

Could you give me some good ol’ sweet fluff with F!Reader watching Arthur Morgan play/snuggle with a cat. Maybe you can add in there that he didn’t want any pets in the beginning, but immediately fell in love with the cute little guy/girl. I can picture Arthur writing in his journal with the cat laying in his lap. OMG. Imagine him drawing the cat in his journal?? 😭

Thank you in advance and please take all the time you may want or need 💚.

Thank you so much for this "ask"! This is my first request ever, so I hope I did it justice. I didn't do a "x female reader" but Arthur and Jack with this kitten. Hope that is OK? Still Arthur being adorable, so can't go wrong, right? But if you'd prefer the f!reader prompt, I can tweak it. This is the clearest image that came to my mind, so I went with it.

*I had my good friend @rivetingrosie4 beta-read this for me, so I kinda feel like its co-authored, too.

Tag: @misspearly1

ARTHUR'S SHADOW

Summary: Arthur finds an unlikely companion.

*This image is not mine. This comes from greyswan618 on fanpop.

By the time Arthur drags his latest bounty score into the sheriff's office, it's late in the day. And this one, although not necessarily hard to catch, took him a while to track down. This job was good money, but it has left Arthur exhausted. The sun is already hanging low in the sky outside of town and preparing to descend behind the mountains for the day. Since the bounty paid well, Arthur decides to treat himself with a stay at the hotel before returning home. After securing his room, he pays the hotel owner to keep his horse stabled overnight as well. May as well treat his horse too.

After walking back outside, Arthur takes Buck by the reins and leads him around to the back of the hotel to where the stable is. When he finds the stable empty, Arthur leads him to one of the larger stalls, since Buck is a rather large horse. He gets him bedded down for the night, taking off his saddle and brushing him down.

With Buck cleaned up, Arthur walks over to the rain barrel just outside the main door of the stable to fill the water trough in the stall. As he stands at the barrel, a sudden rustling catches his attention out of the corner of his eye. Turning to his left, he notices two pairs of shining eyes staring back at him from under the workbench that lines the wall. Curious, Arthur tilts his head to get a better look. He slowly puts down the bucket that is in his hands.

When he crouches down closer to the barn floor, he sees two tiny kittens hiding there. Even with the encroaching darkness of the evening, with the help of the glow of the lamplight, he can tell they’re still very young. Their fur is just growing out of that baby-fuzz stage, the gray color of rain clouds, and they're awfully skinny. Arthur looks around to see if he can see any signs of the momma anywhere, but there's nothing nearby. Either she is out hunting for food for her babies, or she's abandoned them here.

The fatigue in Arthur’s body is no longer his focus, now that he’s found these little ones.

“Well, look at you,” he chuckles quietly. He reaches into his satchel at his side and pulls out a piece of dried fish that he has tucked away. "Bet you're hungry," he says, his voice rumbly, but soft to keep from frightening them.

He holds out the piece of meat, but the two kittens do not move and only stare back at him with scared, vacant eyes.

"Alright, then," he says with a smile and tosses the meat over to them, so they don’t have to leave the security of their hiding place.

The kittens both spring backwards, tripping over each other clumsily, as the projectile hurtles towards them and lands just in front of their tiny faces. But it only takes a second before curiosity and hunger gets the better of them. Once they get a whiff of the aroma of the meat, the kittens pounce on it and begin to devour the morsel.

Satisfied, Arthur stands up, wiping his hands together. He goes back to getting Buck watered and fed for the night, humming peacefully to himself as he does. Every now and then, he glances over his shoulder to watch the kittens, who are feasting on the fish.

With his task with Buck now complete, Arthur heads back to the barn door to return to his room for the night, his boots scraping across the dirt as he moves. The kittens pause momentarily in their feast to cautiously watch him, their little heads bobbing up and down, before returning their attention to the food.

The next morning, Arthur is early to rise from his hotel room and heads out to the stable. But as he approaches the big stable door, he slows his pace as he is met with a gruesome sight. In the tall grasses just outside the door, he finds the body of one of the baby kittens. Judging by the way the carcass is torn open, it looks like a raccoon or hawk got to it.

"Ah, damn…" sighs Arthur as a slight pang of disappointment hits him. They were cute little things, and it’s a real shame that something happened to them. But such is the way of things, he supposes. He then looks around for the second one. Having some small hope that the other kitten may still be alive, Arthur makes a clicking sound with his tongue, trying to coax it out of hiding. After a few moments, he sees a flash of gray fur under a beam in the stable. He bends down and pats his hand on the ground, and the second kitten slowly creeps out towards him.

"Looks like you're an orphan, now," Arthur says to the kitten, slightly tilting his head to the side and assessing the situation. "Ain't we a pair, then?" he chuckles softly.

Arthur slowly reaches over and picks up the kitten by the scruff, the little one giving a soft and pathetic "meow" as it's hoisted up. He holds the kitten up before his face to get a better look. It seems alright, no fleas or other parasites that are noticeable. It appears to be a male cat, too. Arthur places him in the palm of his other hand. The kitten is so tiny to begin with, and with Arthur's large hands, the babe sits perfectly within his palm. He twists his wrist back and forth, pivoting his hand, so he can continue looking over the kitten, trying to decide what to do with it now. The kitten simply stares back at Arthur with tiny smokey blue-gray eyes, blinking innocently, an occasional "meow" squeaking out of its petite mouth.

Arthur sighs with resignation. "Alright, little one. Better come back with me. You won't make it out here on your own, that's for sure."

Arthur pauses another moment, looking at the kitten in his hand, second-guessing whether he's making the right decision to take this cat with him. He's never particularly cared for cats. They always seem so temperamental and judgmental. He gets enough of that bullshit from people. Dogs. Arthur is a dog-person, with Copper being his pride and joy and best friend as a kid growing up with Hosea and Dutch. And, of course, there's always been his horses as his constant companions.

Sighing again with a shrug, he adds, "Well, maybe you can keep Jack company."

Arthur carefully sets the kitten back down and gives him another piece of fish out of his satchel to keep the kitten occupied while he gets Buck saddled and ready to head out and start for home. It's another day's ride, so Arthur is anxious to get going. By the time the kitten has gobbled up the food Arthur gave him, Arthur is ready to go and gently scoops up the kitten again and mounts his horse to begin the journey home.

As they ride out of town, Arthur protectively holds the kitten in his arm, close to his chest. The kitten doesn't move or fuss, but simply lifts its tiny face, turning about to look around at what's around him. After a while of riding, though, Arthur's arm begins to tire, and the kitten's fur up against him is making him start to sweat a bit. He needs to decide what to do with this cat so they can comfortably ride home. He considers putting him in his satchel, but quickly decides against it, worried the kitten would either suffocate inside the leather bag, or, get into all of the contents of the bag itself.

Noting how calm the kitten has been so far, Arthur simply decides to set the kitten down in front of him in the saddle. He's small enough to sit there between Arthur's thick thighs, and his burly forearms keep the kitten contained in the space pretty well. The kitten instantly sinks its claws into the leather of the saddle, bracing itself in a slight panic at being released from Arthur's protective grasp. But although the horse beneath them is walking at a brisk pace, his gait is smooth, so Arthur doesn't worry too much about the kitten getting jostled about.

And soon enough, the kitten finds its bravery and relaxes to release its claws from the soft material and sits up a bit. Arthur doesn't say anything, or hinder the kitten in any way, but watches the little one, amused at its quest for discovery. It doesn't take long for the kitten to gain more confidence, and he eventually climbs up to stand, putting his front paws up on the saddle horn. Like a tiny lion sentinel, the kitten observes the new world around himself.

After a long day's ride, Arthur decides to stop and make a small camp and settle in for the night. Once he finds a quiet, out-of-the-way spot, he halts Buck. Arthur wearily climbs down from his saddle, kitten in-hand, and sets the baby down on the ground to wander about in the cool grass while he sets up his temporary camp.

"Stick close. Don't be goin' and wanderin' off and gettin' into trouble," he warns the kitten with a pointed finger, as if scolding a child.

The furry face simply stares back at him, offering Arthur a quick "meow" in response.

Arthur goes about setting himself up for the evening, getting a small fire going first. Next, he pulls a can of food out of his saddlebag and proceeds to open it. He casually watches the kitten out of the corner of his eye, constantly keeping watch over him as he works. He sets the can next to the fire to heat up while he continues with his task at hand.

Arthur gets his bedroll set out and sets Buck's saddle atop it to use as a pillow to sleep against later. And all the while Arthur works, the gray kitten putters about his feet, following him around continuously as he moves. With every item that Arthur sets down, the kitten eagerly saunters over to sniff and investigate it. He constantly follows and lingers about Arthur's footsteps, poking at everything in innocent interest, to the point that Arthur has to watch his step so the kitten doesn't come under one of his massive footfalls and gets stepped on.

With camp finally set up, Arthur returns his attention to the can that has been warming by the fire as tonight's dinner. He grabs the can, pulls a fork from his bag, and settles down on his bedroll, leaning back against his saddle to get comfortable. Arthur lifts his eyes from the food in his hand to see the kitten slowly approach him. Now that the man has finally stopped moving long enough, the kitten can get up close to him again. The aroma of the food intrigues the little one and he lifts his tiny head, hungrily sniffing the air.

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur spears a few of the beans with the time-worn tines of the fork and extends his arm out to the kitten. "Ya like beans?" he asks the ball of fur.

The kitten cautiously sniffs the food, but turns its nose up at it, backing away.

"Come on now, you eat what's offered or you don't eat at all," he scolds the kitten. "At least that's what my momma used to say." Arthur waves the fork out in front of the kitten again to try to coax it to eat. "Come on…gotta at least try it."

The kitten comes back to him, sniffing again and reluctantly extends its neck out and licks the morsel with its tiny pink sandpaper tongue. After a few licks, the kitten decides it's edible and grabs the piece off of the end of the utensil.

"Atta, boy," Arthur says approvingly. He smirks to himself, realizing how ridiculous he sounds having a conversation with a cat. But then again, he talks to Buck all of the time, so he supposes that this really isn't all that different.

After Arthur and the kitten finish the can of beans, Arthur lays back against the saddle again to relax, his heavy frame melting into the bedroll beneath him, and lights a cigarette. He lets out a long, tired sigh as his eyes land on the kitten once more. As Arthur shuffles his foot a bit to get comfortable, the kitten takes great interest in the movement of his boot and decides to test his bravery.

His little butt rises in the air, tiny tail like an arrow straight up and at attention. The kitten crawls along the ground on his belly, attempting to be stealth-like. Arthur sees this and with a grin, he slowly waves his foot a bit again in temptation. And when he does, the kitten pounces on his boot, attacking it playfully and bites on the leather of the sole. The gruff outlaw lets out a soft laugh of amusement through his nose and begins to slowly wave his foot back and forth at the ankle, causing the kitten, who has wrapped himself around the boot, to sway back and forth above the ground. After a few more gnawing bites, the kitten plops down to the ground, confident in its own victory.

Fully invested in this as his entertainment for the evening, Arthur reaches over to his gambler's hat that is set off to the side, leans forward and drops it overtop of the kitten, trapping it underneath. There is no further movement, but Arthur can hear its little meows from under it. Smirking with his cigarette dangling from his chapped lips, he carefully picks up just the brim of the hat and tilts his head to peer under it.

He sees the kitten's little nose and a thin little paw swipe out at him, causing Arthur to chuckle.

"Fighter, ain't ya?" When Arthur lifts the hat up a bit more, the kitten quickly hops out from under it, grabs ahold of Arthur's forearm, and starts grappling with it, biting and digging its needle-like claws into Arthur's shirt and leather gloves.

Amused, Arthur rests his arm on the ground, carefully pinning the playful kitten underneath. He playfully growls at the kitten and uses his hand to roll the ball of fur over and over again, wrestling and playing with him.

When the kitten finally wears out, Arthur pauses to give him a break. The kitten stands up and gives itself a full-body shake, causing little pieces of grass and dirt to fly through the air. He's a scrappy little thing. Arthur will give him credit for that, at least. Arthur slowly pulls his black leather gloves off of his hands and reaches over to tuck them into his saddlebag, as he is truly getting settled in for the evening now.

The kitten sits on the bedroll next to his thigh, innocently watching Arthur as he moves. Arthur rolls back to lie flat and glances at the kitten for a moment before he extends his large fingertip out to rub along the top of the kitten's head, right between its ears. The kitten's eyes slowly close as it gives into the heavenly feeling, and it eagerly pushes its head up into Arthur's hand. Arthur can hear the kitten purring happily, the soft sound almost hypnotic.

"Ya like that, do ya?" Arthur's low voice rumbles in the quiet night. It's funny how such a small gesture can be so impactful on another living soul. The campfire crackles and pops softly next to them, being the only background noise to be heard in the night; its heat radiating and keeping the two of them cozy and warm.

Arthur eventually ceases petting the kitten and returns his hands to his lap. At the abrupt end to its massage, the kitten looks at Arthur again expectantly, and springs up to stand atop Arthur's chest. Inquisitive as ever, it crouches a bit and crawls towards Arthur's face, its head bobbing up and down, as cats are want to do when stalking their object of interest.

Just as the kitten gets close to Arthur's face, Arthur purses his lips together and blows a short burst of air into its face, causing it to jump back in surprise. It then suddenly leaps forward again in challenge and starts to chew on Arthur's beard. This causes Arthur to bark out a laugh a bit in spite of himself. To see such an innocent creature, so full of energy, warms his bitter old heart. He brings his hands up to start to pet the kitten again, running his large hands along its diminutive and skeletal body. After just a brief moment, the kitten seems placated with this as an "apology" and switches from biting at the man's beard to the occasional lick to his nose instead. And even though it is meant to comfort the kitten, Arthur has to admit that stroking the soft fur is oddly calming to himself as well.

"Alright, then, that's enough of that," Arthur grunts out as he picks up the kitten with one hand and sets him off to the side of him again and reaches over to grab his journal. Arthur rolls himself to sit up with an exaggerated groan, and sets the precious book onto his folded legs, opening the pages to the next blank ivory-colored page. He hasn't even set his pencil to the paper yet, when the curious kitten jumps up to perch itself on his knee.

The small face peers down to inspect the latest object of focus. Before Arthur can even stop him, the kitten hops down onto the book itself and starts walking around in circles on the pages, sniffing and inspecting it, chewing the corner just briefly, before plopping down to lay himself right across the smooth, open surface. The kitten innocently looks up at Arthur, wanting his undivided attention yet again.

"No, now, come on, fuzz-butt, get outta here now," he gruffly chides, but with only a slight annoyance in his voice as he playfully sweeps the kitten to the side with his forearm. The kitten meows in protest, lifting its paw to swat at Arthur's hand. "Hey, don't sass me, now. We're done playin' for the night."

And by this time, exhaustion has finally caught up to both Arthur and the little gray kitten, so Arthur only takes a few minutes to capture some brief thoughts in the journal before turning in for the night. He notes the job he completed, the money brought in for it, and then jots a few lines about this kitten that he'd found. He even takes a moment to quickly sketch the little one onto the paper, the strokes of the graphite tip skipping fluidly across the paper. Every time Arthur looks over at the furry ball for a perspective to assist in his drawing, the tiny face peers back at him, watching the pencil move in Arthur's hand, but obediently staying put.

When he's done, Arthur carefully closes his journal and tucks it back into its rightful place in his satchel. Taking a deep breath and stretching his tired arms over his head for a brief moment, Arthur then takes his hat and scoops the kitten into it in an effort to keep him safe and warm overnight while they sleep. He's hoping the little adventurer stays put and doesn't wander off in the night.

"There, now," peering down at the babe. "You stay there tonight, and then we'll get you home to Jack tomorrow." Arthur rubs his fingertips along the kitten's head again, gently scratching its scalp with his jagged fingernails, and then sets the hat right next to him, protectively along his side, before lying back and closing his eyes for the night.

The next morning, as the warm sunlight breaks over the horizon, consciousness slowly grabs ahold of the outlaw. He can feel the chill of the morning dew clinging to his clothing. With his eyes still sealed shut, reluctant to release the bliss of sleep just yet, Arthur stretches his body, hearing the familiar popping sound of his joints. He's getting too old to be sleeping on the cold, hard ground anymore.

Suddenly, he is aware of a slight weight on his abdomen. He peels open his eyes and sees the kitten curled up into a tight ball on his stomach, fast asleep, with its nose buried into the fur of its tail. It obviously crawled out of the make-shift bed of Arthur's hat and climbed up on top of the man at some point in the night. Whether it was seeking protection or warmth, Arthur's own body heat and the slow rise and fall of his chest kept the tiny animal comforted while it slept. The corners of Arthur's lips involuntarily pull up and a whispered "aww" escapes before he can even stop it.

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

When he gets back to camp, Arthur dismounts his horse and walks through the collection of tents and tables with the kitten tucked in his hand. He heads straight over to Dutch's tent to drop off the bounty payment. Dutch is sitting outside his tent, reading a book with a cigar clenched between his teeth, and as he gets closer, Arthur eventually sets the kitten down on the ground to walk so that his hands are free to dig into his satchel for the bounty money. The kitten continues to follow him as he heads over to the cash box and ledger in Dutch's tent. Dutch lifts his head as he notices Arthur's approach, but quickly tilts his head in confusion as he glances down at the little bundle of gray fur at Arthur's feet.

"What you got there, Arthur?" asks Dutch, pointing at the new arrival.

"Hmm? Oh. Found him. Thought he'd be a good playmate for Jack," says Arthur dismissively, focusing more on his scribbling into the job ledger.

"Well, ain't you the soft-hearted one?" Dutch muses with a slightly mocking grin before he leans over to get a good look at the kitten, reaching his ringed-fingers out to briefly pet him.

"Oh my goodness, look at that little face!" squeals Mary-Beth suddenly when she catches sight of the kitten while walking past the men. In a moment, she rushes over. She bends down and scoops up the kitten into her slender hands and snuggles him into her face. "Tilly! Come quick! Look what Arthur brought home!" she hollers over to her friend who is doing some stitching at one of the tables.

Tilly is quick to her feet and rushes over to join them, eager to see what the excitement is all about. Soon enough, a small group has started to gather around Dutch's tent to see the baby kitten.

"Awww, isn't he just the cutest!" exclaims Tilly, running her fingers over the kitten's fur. "Arthur, are we gonna keep him?" she asks him excitedly.

"Don't matter to me, but I thought Jack might like 'em," replies Arthur, crossing his arms over his chest as he stands back and watches them fawn all over the kitten.

"Jack, come here and see the kitten!" Tilly calls to Jack and Abigail and waves them over.

Jack runs over to them at the invitation, excited to see what they have for him. The second his eyes land on the tiny bundle of fur, Jack gasps with excitement and wonder, his pudgy little hands waving slightly in anticipation as he runs. Mary-Beth sets the kitten down in the grass again as Jack approaches so that the boy can play with him. And thankfully, rather than being timid and frightened by the commotion, the kitten is all too excited to play as well, absolutely loving the attention. Jack gets down on his knees and immediately starts to pet the kitten, talking and cooing to it.

"Momma! He's so soft!" he giggles.

"He sure is," agrees Abigail as she too kneels down next to Jack and reaches over to run her fingers along the tiny feline. "Be careful, though, Jack," she gently tells him. "Be gentle with him so he doesn't bite or scratch you."

"I will, Momma, I promise!" the little boy squeaks in excitement.

Standing back a few feet from the girls and Jack, Dutch and Arthur watch the happy sight.

"Good work, son," says Dutch quietly, patting Arthur on the shoulder and giving him an approving grin.

Arthur casts his eyes over at Dutch with a nod of acceptance in return. And upon seeing that his new traveling companion is in good hands now, Arthur turns and decides to head over to the fire to sit and relax his tired self.

Suddenly, despite the attention he's getting, the kitten notices Arthur moving again and instantly becomes alarmed, his little head poking up to attention. At the sight of the burly outlaw leaving him, the kitten darts away from Jack and the girls, squeezing his way between their legs, and quickly catches up to Arthur's boot-heels. Surprised, Arthur halts and looks down at the kitten.

"Now what are you doin'?" he asks the kitten. "Go on, go play with Jack," as he lowers his hand down to sweep the cat towards Jack again. He stands upright and moves on, walking over to grab a beer bottle from one of the crates. He ungracefully plunks himself down next to John on one of the logs by the fire where other gang members currently reside.

Of course, the kitten is right back behind Arthur with every step. And, of course, Jack is right behind the kitten, giggling excitedly, trying to keep up. The sight of the three of them walking about is really quite sweet; like a duck and her two ducklings tailing behind. Abigail's fingers hover gracefully over her mouth as she smiles, watching them. Arthur has always been good to both her and Jack, and Abigail is quite grateful for it. And right now, her son is just over-the-moon about his new present from his grumpy uncle. She casually walks over to the fire to join everyone, and stands behind her boy.

Sean is already sitting by the fire with Karen in his lap and notices the commotion. "Aww, would ya look at Arthur Morgan, there! The most wanted man in da tri-county area, carrin' on wit a little pussy cat," jokes Sean, "I thought you were supposed ta be da mean one 'round here, Arthur!"

"Shut it, Sean," huffs Arthur, as he reaches down and absentmindedly pats the kitten along its side when it takes a seat on the ground at his feet. "I brought him home for Jack."

"That was mighty nice of you, Arthur. Thank you," praises Abigail as she beams brightly at her son. Jack is currently crouched on the ground right next to the kitten and talking to it as if they are already the best of friends.

Arthur says nothing in response, but simply nods to her as a "you're welcome" while taking a big gulp from his beer bottle.

"Well, Jack, what are you gonna name him?" asks Hosea, his face pulling into a huge smile at the sound of the boy's laughter.

The kitten begins to playfully explore again, taking a real liking to Jack, as it climbs all over him. Its nose sniffs all about the boy's face, the softness of the fur dragging delightfully across his rosy cheeks with a ticklish effect.

"What about 'Milo'?" suggests Mary-beth, who has come to take her place by the fire as well, choosing a spot on the ground close to Jack so that she too can play with the kitten.

"Nah, he don't look like a 'Milo'" says Jack, his eyes still glued to the little cat.

"How 'bout 'Oliver'?" Abigail offers.

But Jack only scrunches his little face up even more in displeasure as he continues to think of the perfect name for his new companion.

"I suppose 'Fluffy' is out of the question, then?" jokes John as he too reaches over to wiggle his fingers in front of the kitten in an effort to join his son and play.

"No!" laughs Jack. "That's not right, either!"

The boy sits quietly, his eyebrows knit in deep thought, as if this is the most important decision he has to make in his young life. And he is quick to notice that the kitten springs into motion every time Arthur moves a muscle. When Arthur stands up to get a log for the fire, the kitten hops up and follows him. When Arthur sits, the kitten is right at his heels again.

"I'm gonna name him 'Shadow'," says Jack definitively, reaching over to pet his kitten, which is still perched at the large man's feet.

"Oh, that's a good one, Jack," his mother encourages. "'Cause he's gray?"

"No! Because he's Uncle Arthur's shadow!" says Jack emphatically at the obvious conclusion.

This observation causes Arthur to pause for a moment. His chest tightens just a bit, flattered by Jack's choice. He looks down at the kitten sitting by his boot, its little face and beautiful eyes peering back at him.

Arthur reaches down and rubs his rough and calloused fingers over Shadow's head, curling the pads of his fingertips around his velvety ears. He grins, but just ever so slightly, a softness settling there that rarely shows. "Huh…'Shadow'…I rather like that."