#picking peaches🍑 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pinescent-and-gingerbread · 5 months ago

Note

I was wondering if you could do a little drabble where the reader breaks her leg in an accident and Arthur goes to help her by picking her up and taking her home. Please I want Arthur to hold the reader like a princess! 🥺💞

Here you go sweet anon! 🍑

Yes this was supposed to be a drabble but I got a little carried away as always and this ended up being a bit longer than expected. I hope you won't mind!! 🙏

˖✧To pick up a Peach

✦ Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Fem!Reader ✦ Warnings/Tags: Description of a broken leg and physical pain, otherwise this is pure fluff. Arthur being the sweetest gentleman he is in high honor. ✦ Words: 2,4k ✦ a/n: I don't know why but I got carried away with this one and I ended up really loving it. I changed it just a little bit and made Arthur carry you to the doc, cause you know, he wouldn't let you go home without minimum care. He's like that. I made the reader some sort of farmer's daughter AU? Anyway, hope you'll still like it, Anon! Credits. Arthur's pic is mine. Other pics are from Pinterest. Little doodles made by me.

You were screwed.

That’s the thought that was stuck in your mind. Your horse, which the stableman had sworn to you was a gentle and peaceful creature, turned out to be a wild furious animal who was extremely nervous and appeared to have only one idea in mind: go back to where it belonged, the plains of the Heartlands.

You were simply on a ride to Valentine. You would often go there with your sisters on Mondays and Sundays to sell what your family had harvested in your native town, Emerald Ranch, setting up your little stand next to the butcher’s. Usually, these trips were pleasant and you had grown to like them, relieved to see something else than the gloomy and weird atmosphere that had settled in your village.

But your treacherous companion had decided, after an encounter with a snake somewhere near the Twin Stack Pass, that enough was enough. After rearing up as if his life depended on it, he took off at full speed, ejecting you with a crash to the ground, making the wicker basket containing all your precious products fly up in the air like a colorful firework of fruits and vegetables.

An ominous, muffled creak as your body lands.

Stunned, breathless, it took you a few seconds to regain your composure, long gone and galloping off with your horse.

Of course, that had to happen the only time you had decided to ride alone for once.

Your left leg, broken. The fruit of your labors and harvests, your perfect peaches, flawlessly ripe tomatoes and carrots, promising seeds, and beautiful flowers, scattered and smashed on the floor. Your dignity, gone.

Lying back on the dirt, hair spread like a star around your head, surrounded by an indescribable substance made of crushed fruits and flower petals reduced to a mush, you looked like the religious figure of Bad Luck.

On top of that, being a lonely young woman, unarmed, and hurt in the open clearly wasn’t an ideal situation. Any man with bad intentions could easily do the worst thing to you in your state.

You tried to get back in a sitting position. Every movement was igniting the pain in your broken bone, deep inside your calf, spreading it through your entire body like a burning trail of powder. You let out a short pained grunt, followed by a curse. Slowly tugging your skirt up your knee, you took a worried look at your leg.

It looked bad.

Painted with deep colored bruises kind of bad.

The sight of it along with the incessant stabbing pain coming from it made your heart beat faster, and you did your best not to pass out from the nausea that was flying over your head. The panic of not feeling your toes anymore didn't helped at calming your heart rate.

There was no way you could walk back to any town in that state, or contact the rest of your family already waiting for you.

Yes, you were screwed.

Tilting your head backward, you looked at the sky, in an attempt to prevent your threatening tears from falling, or to throw a desperate call to the Heavens, you didn’t really know it yourself.

A muffled sound suddenly made its way to your ears. It looked like your involuntary prayer had been answered sooner than you would have expected.

It was the sound of hooves.

You snapped your head in the noise’s direction and noticed an approaching form on the road, raising a cloud of dust in its wake, coming towards you. Your only hope. You were praying, for real this time, that this upcoming stranger was a gentleman and not a bad man.

Praying, praying, praying.

Praying again as the man was at voice’s reach, and as you screamed and begged for help.

“M-Mister!” Your voice sounded even more pitiful than what you had planned, and a bit hoarse from the pain. Your ego protested, but screw it, he probably was your last chance. “Mister, please! I broke my leg! I can’t… I can’t…”

Apparently, shouting didn't seem to help the nausea. The more you were getting air out of your lungs by screaming the more your head was feeling dizzy.

Luckily for you, the lonely rider had heard your desperate breathless words and was heading towards you, stopping his horse in a skillful maneuver before dismounting, his two boots hitting the ground.

“What happen Ma’am, d’ya need some help?” He asked you, voice powerful and worried frown on his face.

“My horse got spooked by a damn snake and he ran away… Making me fall and I… I think my leg broke…” Your tone was pained and way weaker than his as you did your best to explain the situation, a single tear now streaming down your cheek.

The pain, the panic, the frustration from having a month’s worth of work destroyed in just mere seconds… You couldn’t hold it anymore.

Slowly approaching you, the man lowered himself in a crouching position to take a better look at you, and talk to you at the same eye level. His deep blue eyes studied your broken leg, surely not missing the disturbing, alarming color the bruises were taking, your skin an odd mix of purple and green now. It didn’t seem to disgust him though, his face stoic as he scanned your wound.

“Alright Miss jus’... Don’t move too much.” He advised you in a softer tone. You could see he was truly concerned about your state. “What’s with all this mess? You trynna make some soup or what?” He asked in a deep sarcastic tone, as if amused by his own words.

You drily chuckle, which revived the pain you were still feeling in your bone, making you cut your laugh and groan a bit, your own features contracting in a pained expression.

“It is… It was my crop… I was going to sell it in Valentine…” You explained once again, feeling shame and exasperation hitting you. You were feeling so angry from this waste, so angry at yourself to be the only one responsible for it, you couldn’t prevent more tears from falling, trying hard not to let yourself go into sobs.

“Ah, shit… I’m sorry for ya.” He exhaled, contemplating the scattered and mashed jelly-like matter composed of what was once your yield, pieces of peaches and broken carrots lying there, like on a battlefield. His gaze came back to yours, full of compassion and probably pity for your state, before continuing. “Don’t worry Miss. I’mma take you up to the Doc, in Valentine. ‘Was goin’ there anyway.”

You nodded in order to thank him, feeling so relieved life had put him on your way.

“Okay, I’m gonna help ya get on ma horse. It’s gonna hurt a little but we have to.” He warned you, getting completely down on his knees by your side.

You didn’t dare to move from one inch. He slowly wrapped an arm under your shoulders, his hand grabbing your side. Even more carefully, his other one slipped under your legs, and he gently lifted you up bridal-style, as if you weighed nothing, a fallen leaf in a gentle breeze.

As if he was carrying injured people all day every day.

Your broken member didn’t like it as much as you did though, and you hissed in pain from feeling your own weight pull on the wound as your leg was hanging in the air. He noticed, and spoke again while getting up, just as easily as if he wasn’t carrying an entire person in his arms right now.

“Gonna be okay Miss, hold on a lil’ longer.”

As if taking his words in a literal way, you encircled his waist with your arms and rested your head on his chest. His work shirt was used and dirty, rough against the skin of your cheek, but right now it just felt heavenly to you compared to the dusty rock of the floor. You sighed, feeling calmer and way better now.

If you had brought up your gaze, you could have seen how a slight blush was spreading on the tan skin of his cheeks the moment he felt you getting comfortable in his arms.

You heard him call for his horse with a short whistle and a sharp noise from his teeth. His mount obeyed right away, getting closer to both of you in a happy trot. You wish your horse could have been as gentle as this one. He looked like a really strong and powerful, but very sweet on the inside animal. A bit like its owner, now that you were thinking about it.

As carefully as if you were made of porcelain, the man in question let go of your legs, and you took support on your valid one. He then picked you up again, by your waist, and lifted you on the saddle, helping you to get settled and as comfortable as possible. His large hands were very soft on you, cautious, caring. You could feel how his touch was light and measured, calculated to make you feel the least pain possible.

“You take the saddle, else your leg would get too bumped during the ride.” He explained before hopping behind you, grabbing the reins by bringing his arms from both sides of you.

He was basically enveloping you, his large frame keeping you warm and steady. Against your shoulders, you could feel his biceps, and thanked the Lord once again this man had good intentions with you because there was no way you could have resisted this mountain of muscles.

The silence fell as your gentle savior spurred his horse into a slow pace, keeping him calm and cold-blooded. You mentally thank him for it, every movement from your leg, even the tiniest one, would ignite the flames of your pain again.

The ride to Valentine was a quiet, peaceful one, just like it was supposed to be from the start. Your eyes kept closing and opening as if you were on the verge of falling asleep, but still needed to be alert until you'd be safe and sound in town.

You only had exchanged a few words with the man, your names, and where you lived.

Arthur Morgan didn't look like the kind of man to have the longest conversations but his presence was reassuring nevertheless. His heavy breathing, his body around yours, the calmness of the plains… It was all making your pain less vivid and way more bearable.

Once in Valentine, Arthur rode straight to the Doctor, and got off first, tying his horse's reins around the fence.

“Here we are, Miss. Let's get ya checked up for good, shall we?” He said while standing right next to the saddle, opening his arms to pick you up again, a gentle smile on his face, as if telling you all your worries were behind you now.

If you thought this man was going to let you walk alone to the doc’s office and head off to his own business, you were damn wrong.

Even through your terrible state, a grin curled up your lips and mirrored his own expression. You let your tired and injured body sink into his solid one, and he carried you in his arms once again.

His scent ran through your nose as you breathed, traveling all the way down your veins to your lungs and everywhere in your body, enfolding you and your soul. It was a strong smell, not a delicate one like those gentlemen would carry with their cologne, but you liked it regardless. A mix of leather, sweat, tobacco, and this early dew scent, the one you can smell just before dawn, earthy and herbal, as if he had been sleeping under the stars for months.

The smell of the outdoors.

Arthur opened the door with one foot, and entered the Dr Calloway’s office with you in his arms, careful not to let your leg get knocked while walking through the door. The doctor took care of you right away, ordering Arthur to put you on the chair in the little room where patients were treated.

His muscled arms dropped you, his hands gentle and attentive, as slowly as if you were a newborn filly he could hurt or scare away by using too much force. There was such kindness, such gentleness and care in his gesture that it left you feeling all bubbly on the inside.

You kept on looking at him during all the time it took for Dr Calloway to treat you, waiting for him to just go, but he didn’t. He stayed, casually leaning his back against the wall to leave some space for the doctor, his eyes voyaging from your injury to your face, then away from you, as if he was feeling guilty about staring at you like this. It made you giggle.

You paid the doctor, thanked him goodbye, and before you could process it, here you were, freshly gifted with two crutches and a wooden splint around your injury in front of his door. Perfect. For a farmer family, a hurt worker was a curse.

“You gonna be okay now, Miss? D’ya need another ride home?”

Arthur’s deep voice dragged you out of your thoughts. This man was so special. He looked used, strong, and intimidating, but had been nothing but kind and delicate with you. Right now, his deep azure gaze was staring right at yours, making you feel even weaker in the knees than you already were.

“Oh, don’t worry, my family is already here. We have a wagon and all. Besides, you have done plenty for me, Mister Morgan.”

“Ah, don’t ya worry. 'Did what any man would have done seein’ a pretty lil’ lady like ya hurt on the ground.” He answered with a subtle grin.

Before you could realize it, his hand was reaching out for a strand of your hair, and his fingers brushed against it.

You froze, feeling a dark red settling on your cheeks, your eyes looking back at his in surprise and disbelief, searching for an explanation, even if your heart didn't want it. It wanted more of it, no questions asked.

“You hum… You still got some… pieces of peaches or somethin’ in your hair, Miss…” He explained himself, his voice a little less self-assured than before.

You blushed even more. You indeed must looked like a total mess after your accident, and mentally noted to go fix yourself as soon as possible.

“Oh, God I…” You started, feeling embarrassed and flustered, words mixing and blurring in your mind instead of lining up properly. You just sighed, closing your eyes, giggling a little. You then spoke again, keeping your tone as calm as you could. “Thanks again, Mister Morgan.”

“Please, jus’ call me Arthur.”

“Alright, Arthur. Thank you, for everything. I don’t know how I could thank you enough.”

“You know, maybe I could come someday, at your farm I mean, and buy some of your stuff. You could give me a rebate on those, unless everythin’ you sell actually looks like jam…” He added with a mischievous, low chuckle, gaze sparkling.

“Hey! My crops are perfect, Mister. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” You said back in an equally amused tone, a toothy smile completing the picture of your precious blushing face.

“I'm sure I won’t be, lil’ peach.”

His voice had turned just as soft as his touch had been when carrying you; for Arthur, you really were starting to become his sugary, soft, and delicious favorite fruit.

#I really need to calm myself when people request drabbles but I can't #I knoooow I SHOULD learn to restrict myself but eeeeh #I'm already quite restricted into my everyday life so I let myself get carried away when I write oopsie #arthur morgan #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x you #arthur morgan fluff #request #pinefic

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strayflowersstarsandlove · 1 year ago

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🌟 Masterlist 🌟

🌚 Boyfriend!skz fake texts

Daily texts #1🌞

Daily texts #2🌞

Daily texts #3🌞

Daily texts #4🌞

Daily texts #5🌞

Daily texts #6🌞

Texting bf!skz song lyrics🎸

Sending bf!skz a spicy pic❤‍🔥

Asking bf!skz for a selfie🤳🏻

Bf!skz sending YOU a spicy pic 🌝

Bf!skz reacting to you wanting to go on/off the pill 💊

Bf!skz finding out they're not your bias🤡

Valentine's Day texts🌹

Texting bf!skz "where do you see us in 5 years?"🌱

Bf!skz comforting you when you're feeling sad/upset/insecure 💘

Accidentally flustering bf!skz💋

Bf!skz asking you about your fave straykids song💃🏻

Relationships goals with bf!skz: home screen edition🎯

Bf!skz vs getting you pads🩸

Vibe check with bf!skz⚡

Showing bf!skz your straykids themed manicure💅🏻

Fiance!skz x your engagement ring 💍

Texting bf!skz "I'm going to eat you"😋

Texting bf!skz in your native language 🌏

Bf!skz finds your baby pics/you find his😇

Fiance!skz vs your wedding dress🤍

Texting bf!skz "would you still love me if I was a worm?"🐛

Asking bf!skz to come pick you up🚗

Bf!skz vs you crushing on another idol(ft. ateez!)🎭

Arguing with bf!skz 🌧️

Buying flowers for bf!skz💐

Halloween couple costumes with bf!skz🎃

You vs bf!skz bromances (ft.skz)🤭

Unsent bf!skz texts💔

Needy bf!skz texts👹

Relationship goals with bf!skz: matching items edition👕

"Breaking up" with bf!skz😜

"Sorry wrong number"prank on bf!skz🦄

"Texting bf!skz "i have an ache where you should be"🙊

Random (loving) shit texts with bf!skz 🃏

Bf!skz texts when you lose a loved one/pet/friend☔

🌚DAD!SKZ MASTERLIST

🌚Fics

🥀EYES WIDE SHUT, Au! Han Jisung fic

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

PART 8

PART 9

PART 10 - EPILOGUE

🕯️To Die For - Hyunjin x reader x Felix au fic

0 - I love the way you're screaming my name 1 - Hi, nice to meet ya, got nothing to believe in 2 - The space between a rock and a hard place 3 - It's not living if it's not with you 4 - I found God, I found him in a martyr 5 - So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand

🌚 Boyfriend!skz blurbs

Han ♥️

👻Horror nights ⚠️*content warning

🩷Flannel

🍎 I'm not leaving you

🍬Baby are you drooling?

🍯Unconditionally

🫀You are my heart you know? ⚠️ *content warning

🎋 13

🐝Honey bee (dad!hanjisung)

🥛Of monsters and milk (dad!hanjisung)

Leeknow 💜

📷Camera roll

❤️‍🩹I don't mind

☘️Okonomyaki

🐰Childhood videos

🍲Soup

💓Bunny (dad!leeknow)

Felix 💙

🍑Peaches and cream

💭Grey areas

🍥You put me back together, actually

Chan 💗

🚗Anytime

🎁Kiki's delivery service

🧶Scooby-Doo

🪽Until we are okay ⚠️*content warning

Hyunjin 💖

🌺Preoccupied

🌊Busan

🍃Just sleep

🌸Cherry blossom

🔥Fire fire

💦More?

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xjustpeachyx · 8 months ago

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Intro //

hiya, im peachy, aka cal or sometimes nova. I go by male prns, but im genderfluid nonbinary. Im 16, missourian [help] and Im an Artificerkin artist who originally bought rainworld in 2017, but got back into it when the dlc came out, and trying to stay active now that the watcher dlcs in development :)

Also yeah redid my intro :]

Cool Comics

Yours comic │ part 1,, part 2,, part 3

Refs

☆ Iterator designs link ＼ Slugcat designs link

Tags

Note, anything before this post (mar 31 2024) is basically archived. It will not be tagged correctly. All the right tags will stem from this post.

#picking peaches🍑 │ just talking stuff

#peach grove 🌳│ reblogs

#AU.yours │ Yours au (has the old yours stuff too!)

#OC.Aster │ Aster and issanthiel junk! (and the old stuff!)

#peachy.dms │ uhh dms junk

#sluganswers │ asks

#peachys.art.tag | art stuff

#picking peaches🍑#peach grove🌳#AU.yours #OC.Aster #intro post #introduction #introductory post #introducing myself #navigation #peachy.dms

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simdertalia · 9 months ago

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🍒🍑🍎🍊 ACNH Fruits Set 🍊🍎🍑🍒

Sims 4, base game compatible. 20 items. I hope you enjoy! This set is brought to you by the lovely patrons who voted 💗

Always suggested: bb.objects ON, it makes placing items much easier. For further placement tweaking, check out the TOOL mod.

Build:-Wall | 5 swatches | Wallpaper

Type “acnh fruits" into the search query in build mode to find quickly. You can always find items like this, just begin typing the title and it will appear.

As always, please let me know if you have any issues! Happy Simming!

📁 Download all or pick & choose (SFS, No Ads): https://simfileshare.net/folder/214945/

📁 Alt Mega Download (still no ads): https://mega.nz/folder/855zCQIB#ecO10-1hNBvHx6cyNnXRcQ

📁 Download on Patreon

Will be public on April 7th, 2024 💗

Happy Simming! ✨ Some of my sets are early access. If you like my work, please consider supporting me:

★ Patreon 🎉 ❤️ |★ Ko-Fi ☕️ ❤️ ★ Instagram📷

Thank you for reblogging ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

@sssvitlanz @maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters @coffee-cc-finds @itsjessicaccfinds @gamommypeach @stargazer-sims-finds @khelga68 @suricringe @vaporwavesims @mystictrance15 @moonglitchccfinds @xlost-in-wonderlandx @jbthedisabledvet @public-ccfinds @freeexclusives4thesims

The rest of my CC

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peachsayshi · 1 year ago

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basically any jjk dad (but especially toji and nanami bc of their huge honkers) falling asleep with his new born that lies on top of his naked chest and looks so tiny compared to him

nonnie, this image gets to me every single time! 😭

you're all warm and fuzzy on the inside seeing that tiny little baby on their chest, breathing so softly and quietly, while their dad is carefully holding their back with one hand and securing them in place. you're eyes are full of love as you take out your phone to snap about million photos of them together in this position.

jjk men as dads - what’s your fave hc?

#you're so right about picking toji and nanami for this too #I feel like geto is also pretty big so imagining him with a tiny baby gets me as well #peach and secret friends.🍑🧡#mail 💌#let's chat!#cw babies

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toxicanonymity · 1 year ago

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Black Math. Left in Lincoln, pt. 5

8.6k words. dark dbf!Joel Miller x virgin!reader story master list / spotify playlist / joel master

🍑 amazing art by @bonezone44 💙

Now spicier courtesy of the label His smile faded as he looked at you, then he added hoarsely, “God, if you knew how many times I’d thought about you.” There wasn’t so much as a hint of shame in his voice. It had the warmth in your cheeks traveling down, down, down. . . “We’re almost there, baby, but we gotta do it right. We’re almost there, I promise.” He reached into his pants to tuck in his shirt and adjusted himself while he was there. Your eyes fixated on the bulge in his jeans. “God damn,” he exhaled. “Turns me on thinkin’ about it.”

WARNINGS: I8+, Not graphic, but it gets twisted. Lots of plot, including flashbacks, disturbing implicit horror (really), angst, brief self-shaming, big girthy age gap (reader is legal the whole time), pet names and praise, toxic dark joel/fluff, family fluff, gaslighting, manipulation, yearning, pining, obsession, grinding, mutual touching, oral f receiving. NO use of Y/N

A/N: This picks up right after part 4. Word-count wise, parts 1-4 were like half of it. There are two more after this, and I wrote a lot on those before finalizing pt. 5. Thank you all for your patience and enthusiasm. It's so rewarding to see people discuss. Additional thanks to @dark-scape for your help, Raider Joel for your support. I couldn't get the text off bold fyi.

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

You awoke to the sound of stairs creaking under heavy steps, a sound you didn’t often hear at home. You blinked awake, still disoriented as your eyes focused. The vanity, the dresser, the empty glass on the nightstand. The closet. Your mind was catching up when the bedroom door opened. Joel was fully dressed with his hair combed back. His brows were knitted in concern as usual, but his eyes brightened when he saw you waking up.

You lifted your head and squinted at him as you propped yourself up with one elbow.

Joel’s tone was as cheerful as you could ever expect to hear it. “Mornin’, sleepyhead. Makin’ sure you're okay.”

“What time is it?”

“Li’l past noon. Still sleepin’? I’ll leave ya ‘lone.”

“I should get up.” You put your head back down on the pillow.

He came over and sat down on the bed. “How’d ya sleep?”

“Good, once I fell asleep.”

“Does the trick, don’t it?” He nodded to the empty glass on the nightstand.

“Yeah,” you laughed.

“Dr. Miller, at your service.”

You giggled again and his eyes glazed over as they fell on your smile, your chest, then met your eyes. He leaned over and put his elbow down on the far side of you.

“Well, you’ve made me believe in beauty sleep, peaches.” He put a hand on your shoulder, dwarfing it with his massive palm as he brushed your skin with his thumb. “Always a beauty, but ya wake up even prettier.” Your face got hot and you looked away shyly.

Joel bit his lip, holding back a smile. He traced the outer curve of your ear with his fingers. “Hungry?”

“Kinda.”

“I’ll go make ya somethin’.” He looked at you warmly then kissed you on the forehead before he went back downstairs.

—-----

You took a shower and got dressed. As your hands glided over your soapy body, your palms lingered on your breasts. You imagined Joel showering and realized you couldn’t picture him shirtless. While you were picking out something to wear, you got to thinking again about the closet full of clothes. They were mostly dresses. You put on one of several soft, casual floral ones about knee length.

Before you closed the closet door, you stopped yourself. You had to face it – the dress you saw in the dark the night before. The one that kept you up. Heart racing, you reached into the far right corner and fumbled with a big, satin hanger. You squinted your eyes almost shut as you carefully brought the dress out where you could see it. You looked at it blurry through your lashes. It was more cream than white.

When you finally opened your eyes all the way, an unexpected sense of relief soothed your chest as if the dress were made of love and meant for you. It was simple, but breathtaking. Not the rigid, intimidating garment your anxiety had envisioned. It had a simple A-line silhouette. The high collar and long sleeves were a lace outer dress laid over a solid one with a sweetheart neckline. The skirt was flowy and came down around mid-calf.

It gave you butterflies and you couldn’t help but imagine Joel went out of his way to get this. It felt like a wishful conclusion, like a romantic story you wanted to believe. You tried to talk yourself away from it, not wanting to assume. But at the same time, you still couldn’t figure who would have left it behind. Your heart sank for a moment when you wondered if it could have been intended for Tess, but Ellie always said they were platonic and even slept in separate rooms. Not only were the clothes not anything Ellie or Tess would wear, but Ellie nor Tess ever lived in this house. They were gone before Joel moved down the street. You put the dress way back in the corner of the closet where it came from.

—------------------

When Joel first settled into the community, he moved into a house near Abe’s, clear on the other side of the neighborhood. You met Ellie first. You were in your backyard gardening when she appeared out of nowhere and asked what you were doing. She was a little younger than you, but much more experienced in life, having been out in the world. You were shy to ask her about the horrors of the infected, not wanting to upset her. But she told you all about it anyway – the different kinds, the way they connected underground. You were grateful for your life and recognized the privilege in growing up like you did. Growing up at all.

Bill used to remind you how lucky you were, especially as a teenager when you would have fits about wanting to go out into the world. Somehow, learning from Ellie in more graphic detail about the state of the world didn’t squash your desire to get out there one day. You asked her all about the quarantine zones and FEDRA school, and those sounded fun, even though she didn’t depict them that way. She asked you a million questions about your little community, too.

You never saw much of Joel until after Ellie left. Frank worried about Joel being all alone, having experienced so much loss, so they invited him over for dinner. The first time, Joel was surprised when you answered the door. He apologized and looked around as though he had made some kind of mistake. Then it occurred to you he might have forgotten your name. You couldn’t even remember a time you had formally met, so you introduced yourself.

He took a few seconds. “Right, sorry,” he mumbled. “I thought—well, Ellie, uh—I guess I thought you were younger.”

Joel was polite and didn’t talk much. Bill liked that about him, so they started having him over for dinner regularly. The two of you didn’t share much conversation, but when you did, Joel seemed in awe of how protected you grew up. It made you self-conscious. It wasn’t something you liked about yourself. When Joel noticed this, he clarified it was a really good thing. Rare. The terror of the world affected most people for the worse.

—

Joel didn’t move into his current house until after the Adlers died and someone needed to take care of the peach and apple orchards. He had already been helping them tend the orchards and also helped fix things up around the property as the Adlers’ age caught up with them.

When Joel moved, Frank had the idea to bake something to welcome him to your family’s end of the community. You made a blueberry cobbler. Frank combed his hair and tucked in a plain, button-up shirt. He didn’t ask you to put on a dress, but you did because Frank always had fun getting spruced. He liked to have a reason, even if the occasion was completely manufactured, like the nights he made dinner and claimed his restaurant had a dress code. You couldn’t deny it made for a nice change of pace, and Bill’s eyes brightened, too despite his obligatory grumbling.

When you were ready to take the cobbler to Joel, Bill said the two of you looked like you were going to a wake.

“It’s nice to dress up,” Frank protested. “It shows we care.”

When you and Frank were about to walk over there, Frank started tearing up thinking about the Adlers. They were your neighbors for as long as you could remember. “I can’t, I can’t do it,” Frank said. Bill didn’t want to do it either. He wasn’t planning on it to begin with.

“I’ll take it,” you offered. So they sent you.

—

You walked up to Joel’s (new) house, stopping to admire the gambrel roof. The front door was newly black and smelled like paint, so you weren’t sure where to knock. You rang the bell and it buzzed sadly in a low, broken tone, as though barely hanging on. When you were just about to walk around back and knock, Joel opened the door holding a dish towel and a salty look that softened as saw you. He let go of the door and looked down as he cleaned his hands.

His voice was deep as always, but it struck you more when you were one-on-one without anyone else’s chatter. “Need somethin’?”

“Uh, no. I don’t.” You smiled just enough to not look scared and countered, “Do you need anything?” His presence was intimidating. Handsome and muscular, with a quiet, powerful energy.

He didn’t say anything. Kept cleaning his fingers. Once he looked at you again, he didn’t look away. He stopped messing with his fingers. It was your only private conversation since the first time he came over for dinner. It was more eye contact than he had ever given you. You waited out the silence, then smiled and held out the cobbler for him. “This is for you.”

He put his hands around the dish, careful not to let his dirty fingers touch yours. “You made this?”

“Yeah,” you nodded and took your hands away. His eyes gave the hint of a smile, but his mouth didn’t budge.

“Welcome to the street,” you told him.

He nodded but didn’t offer any more words. He stood there and looked at you until you said, “Well, you know where we are if you need anything. Bye, Joel.” He nodded and watched you walk away.

—---------

Joel and the Adlers. Those were the only people you were aware of who ever lived in that house. You put on another dress. It was a lightweight, black fabric. Low-cut, flowy, came down to your knees with elbow length sleeves that were kind of see through and flared out.

You were too curious not to bring up the clothes. Over lunch, you asked, “The Adlers didn’t have a daughter when they lived here, did they?”

He seemed to be thinking it over as he finished chewing. “Not that I know of. Why?”

“Whose clothes are these?”

“Ah,” he said. “Well they’re yours now, peaches.”

You smiled. “Before, though.”

“Why? Do you like’em? They look good on ya. Are they the right size?”

“I like’em a lot. They’re nice, they fit well.”

He raised his eyebrows and proudly revealed, “Picked’em up at the boutique.” His cheeks turned pink as he looked at you for approval. “Wasn’t much left. Wasn’t sure you’d like’em.” He took a bite of his salad.

“Wow,” you nodded. You were nearly speechless that he stocked that room for you. If there wasn’t much left at the boutique, he must’ve grabbed anything in your general size. Maybe that’s how he ended up with The Dress.

“Wanted to have what ya needed here, just in case.” He nodded as he chewed. “S’why it took me a few days to come by after Bill and Frank left.”

“That’s nice, Joel.” It was a little awkward. You didn’t know what to say.

He continued to explain himself. “Men like me and Bill, we’re protectors.” He put down his fork to gesticulate. “So when your papa asked me to make sure you’d be okay, I took it real serious. Did everything I could to be ready for any scenario.”

You slowly nodded and he looked at you in anticipation of further response. You said, “Well, you went above and beyond.”

Your face must have given away your shock. Joel sighed. “Might’ve gotten carried away.” He looked down and lowered his voice. “Been a while since I had someone to care for. I guess the idea of someone even possibly needin’ me. . . ” Your heart hurt for him. “Hell, maybe I wanted to remember what it felt like. Look at me playin’ dress-up, right?” He laughed at himself, but his eyes were somber.

You took his hand into yours and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you, Joel.”

“I’m glad they fit,” he said. “Glad ya can use’em.” He took a sip of water, then quickly swallowed it to clarify, “I mean, I’m not glad ya had to leave home. Just glad I could be here.”

“Yeah.” You squeezed his hand. He kissed yours and let it go. “This is really good, by the way. Love the dressing.”

“It’s basil. Grew it outside. I’ve got some herb seedlings in pots down in the basement. We can try to plant’em if ya want.”

Your face lit up at the possibility of going outside. “Yeah!”

“We’ll do the arugula, too. I dunno about the ‘berries, darlin’, but we’ll try.”

—----

It was a cloudy day, but still nice out. Joel seemed to think it might rain later. After lunch, he loaded up a wagon full of plants and supplies from the basement, and the two of you walked through the orchard. The fresh air was invigorating after being stuck in the house.

“‘Member which tree is ours?” Joel asked.

When you correctly pointed it out, he stopped the wagon and let the handle sit. You looked at him shyly as he looked you up and down. “C’mere.” He gently turned you to face him. “You’re somethin’ else, you know that?” He cradled your head with both hands. You tilted your chin, then he planted a long, affectionate kiss on your lips.

When you got to the garden beds at the back of the orchard, Joel said, “we should plant’em together so they cross-pollinate. Where do you wanna put’em?” Joel watched your face as you walked around them and evaluated the options.

The garden bed to the right already had a pumpkin vine with beautiful flowers. That bed looked more settled, darker, and fertile. “I didn’t know you had pumpkins,” you marveled. “Maybe by those?”

Joel looked down at the garden bed. “Yeah, hopefully they’ll fruit.” He smiled up at you without raising his head again.

Joel used a spade to dig shallow holes, then you nestled the roots in the holes and both of you patted the soil down. First the arugula, then the basil, then the longshot–the strawberries,

“Pat it down, but not too tight,” he said.

When you were finished, you knelt by the vine and traced a flower with your fingers. Its warm colors were cheerful. “When the pumpkins grow, can we eat’em?”

“Sure, darlin’.” Joel looked down at the vine, squatting right beside you. “Y’know, the flower’s edible, too.”

“It is?” Your stomach rumbled at the thought of eating something new.

Half of Joel’s mouth curled into a small smile. “I reckon you’ve never had a flor de calabaza taco, then. Granted, not sure how ya would’ve.”

“Flor de calabaza?”

“Pumpkin flower. Haven’t had one in a while myself. Go on, pick a couple. Let’s try it.”

You plucked one. “Good choice,” he said, giving you a flashback to when he caught you with one of his peaches. The embarrassment flooded you all over again as you picked two more. Joel saw your face change, and he smiled, hopefully not thinking about the origin of your nickname. You wondered how often he thought about it. He picked a flower of his own, leaving a bit of vine on it, then stroked your cheek and said “c’mere.” He looked in your eyes and put his flower behind your ear. He kissed you on the lips, then wrapped an arm around you and began to stand, bringing you up with him.

Joel looked up at the sky, squinting. “Ah, hell. Gimme that cloth.” He knelt down and finished patting the soil as you retrieved the cloth from the wagon. You helped him cover the newly planted arugula, basil, and strawberries to protect them from washout.

—--

You hung out in the kitchen, helping Joel make dinner. The apple blossom in the jar still looked beautiful. He knew how to take care of things. You washed the pumpkin flowers, then twirled one against your nostrils as Joel cooked wild turkey. You inhaled the petals and tried to imagine what they’d taste like. Joel cooked the flowers with the turkey. They were delicious. Granted, anything new to eat was appealing in principle. Novelty was its own seasoning.

After dinner that night, Joel needed to do some work outside before the rain. He showed you a shelf of books and games near the fireplace, then watched your face as you browsed them. You picked up one that you liked as a girl but hadn’t read in years. Joel went out through the basement. You heard him dragging a tarp out.

There were a lot of thoughts distracting you from your book. Your feelings for Joel overwhelmed you. At certain moments, it felt too good to be true. You also reflected on your intimacy and felt like things were moving fast. You understood why: you felt safe and protected, and your body’s physical need for his was totally natural. But the speed also made it feel fragile somehow. Like if you looked down, you might be falling through the air, not realizing you ran off a cliff.

There was also the question: If a connection this special formed so quickly, could it come undone just as fast? You couldn’t rid your head of his wounded face when you said you were lonely. You hurt his feelings and panicked, as if you needed to give him everything you could at that moment to prove that you loved him. As much as you enjoyed having him in your mouth like that, it felt impulsive in hindsight. Desperate, and you hoped he didn’t see it that way. Pathetic, even. But the memory of it turned you on all the same.

You replayed other encounters in your mind and felt like you were largely the one driving things. Burying your fear and grief in his lap. It embarrassed you to think about, but you also felt relieved that there wasn’t really any pressure. It was like Joel said, whatever you want and that’s all. You said you wanted it in your mouth, and of course he wouldn’t discourage it. Then he wouldn't be giving you everything.

The sound of metal banging then scraping on concrete stirred you from your thoughts. Then the basement door opened and shut twice.

—------

When Joel came back inside, it was nearly your typical bedtime and you were cozy on the sofa. You were curled up on your side with the book on your thigh and your eyes closed. You were only half asleep, but you let him take the book. He also spread a blanket over you. When his bedroom door closed, you sat up and opened the book again. There was a black thumbprint on the open page, and it smelled like ash. It gave you butterflies to see his thumbprint. You liked the idea of having part of him in the book as you read it. You knew how irrational these feelings were, but it didn’t stop them.

Joel’s shower turned on. The walls were so thin that you could hear everything. A cabinet opening, the shower door, changes in the rhythm of the water flow. You could hear that he brushed his teeth in the shower. Maybe not just in the shower. He always seemed to taste fresh. A few minutes after the water turned off, Joel came out of his room in jeans and a white t-shirt that wasn’t tucked in. The shirt hugged his pecs and arms and gave you an even deeper, needier appreciation for his physique. The casual look was really attractive on him. You needed him so bad it hurt. If you couldn’t have him forever, you weren’t sure what you would do. If he ended up with anyone else—there was no reason for this thought to even cross your mind, but the fleeting idea of it made your temples weak. He was too perfect.

You were sitting on the couch hugging your knees when he sat down next to you. He put his hand on your knee and dipped his head to look at you. You took a deep breath through your nose. Mint and pine. His post-shower fragrance made your chest tingle.

“You okay, peaches?”

“Yeah.” You mustered a smile. “Just tired. Guess I should go to sleep.”

“Sure, darlin’. Want me to tuck you in?”

Your heart sank at the lack of an invitation. “Yeah.”

Joel took your hand and led you upstairs. While you were in the bathroom getting ready to sleep, Joel made the bed for you before turning the covers down for you to get in.

“There ya go.”

“Thanks.” You got under the covers, tempted to make room for him but not wanting to come on too strong or look desperate.

He sat down on the edge of the mattress and leaned over you like he had in the morning. “Need anything at all, I’m right downstairs.”

“Thank you.”

Joel kissed you goodnight. You were a little sad when he didn't try anything, but you had already said you were tired. In your heart, you felt like he'd always be patient with you. If you wanted to slow things down, it was yourself you had to worry about. But in your heart, that wasn’t what you wanted anyway. You just hoped Joel didn’t think less of you for needing him so much.

—-----------

You woke up in the middle of the night to a deafening clap of thunder. You sat up and your hand went to your chest. You could feel your heart pounding. The wash of your blood through your valves echoed in your ears. Outside, branches rustled loudly and snapped in the wind.

You were unsettled lying there awake and alone. You wondered why Joel didn't just have you sleep in his bed. Maybe he was trying to be respectful, but these were the things that made you second guess the pace on your end. You lay there alone, and began to hear creaking and clattering indoors that made your heart race. Joel was right downstairs, but he never felt so far away. The thunder was okay, but the other noises made your mind race with thoughts of whatever happened the other night at your house. Whatever Joel saved you from. The distorted version of Call Me echoed in your mind.

You worked up the courage to get out of bed. You crept downstairs like you did the night before. A flash of lightning startled you. When a louder, longer crack of thunder followed, you quickened your steps, hanging onto the bannister for dear life so you wouldn’t slip in the dark.

Joel’s bedroom door was cracked open, so you let yourself in. It was almost pitch black dark. He was on his back in the middle of the bed with the covers pulled half down. You couldn’t make out his face, but his breathing told you he was fast asleep. You went around to the side farthest from the bedroom door and smoothed your nightgown under you as you lifted up the comforter and gently sat down. You brought up your feet and slipped under the covers. Joel’s breathing changed, but he didn’t move until there was a louder clap of thunder. You scooted closer and whispered his name.

His head jolted up and he gasped. “You okay?”

“Yeah. But I got scared of the storm.”

“‘C’mere, darlin’.” He turned onto his side to face you and stretched his arm out. You scooted over and laid your head on it. He draped his other arm over you. “You’re okay, I got ya.” He pulled you closer and planted a kiss on your forehead.

You lay there with your arm nestled between you and your hand on his chest. He touched your hair and kissed you on the head a few more times, then dipped his head to kiss your lips, nudging your head up to face him. The kiss was languid and both your lips came to a rest without pulling away. You stayed like that, both of you breathing through your noses with your lips nestled between each other’s. His breathing slowed again, and your breath began to match his. Your lips finally fell away as you drifted off in his arms to the sound of the storm.

In the middle of the night, you woke up on your back with Joel half on top of you, one of his legs between yours. You stirred and he put more weight on you. He sighed your name without waking up, and the sound of it in his mouth gave you butterflies. Then he fisted your nightgown over your breast and slurred, “‘m sorry.” His body jerked and he gasped, then relaxed again. A few seconds later, he mumbled, “had to.” His breath deepened. “For us.”

Your mind became an empty pit, and your heart raced. “Had to what,” you whispered.

“Please." He became unintelligible. "Please," he repeated in distress.

“Had to what, Joel?”

He jolted awake at the sound of his name. He jerked his head up then relaxed as he felt you beneath him. “You ok, baby?”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

He took some of his weight off you, rolling back onto his side and resting a massive hand on your chest. “Sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.”

He sighed and rested his forehead on your shoulder for a few seconds. Then you asked, “What were you dreaming about?”

“Hmm. . . didn’t know I was dreamin’,” he said. “But I reckon I’d dream about you, darlin’.”

“What about me?”

“Ohh, you and me. . .” He kissed your nose, then your lips, then whispered, “and the rest of our lives.” His words bypassed your mind and wrapped your heart in the tightest little hug. It was already getting difficult to imagine a future without him. You could hardly picture it at this point. What would you even be doing? The same things you’d done your whole life, at the same house, with no hope of meeting someone to share it with. Even if you met someone, you couldn’t possibly imagine anyone else making you feel this way.

—-----------

The storm had died down. By then, it was just the loud patter of rain, darkened with a steady rumble. Joel pulled you close and planted light kisses on your mouth. Then he slid his tongue between your lips and the kisses became deeper. He shifted to hover over you, and you reached out to trace his form, starting with a hand on each pec, sliding them over his shoulders and down to where his triceps stretched his sleeves. You could imagine nothing hotter than Joel with his hair out of place, shoulders and biceps bulging through his white t-shirt. He leaned down to kiss you like he hadn’t seen you in days.

He lowered himself to lay half on top of you again, and you felt the warm shape of his cock hardening against your hip. You and me, and the rest of our lives. . . Between his words, his weight, and his passion, you melted under him. He rested his forearms on either side of your torso. He planted a kiss on your cheek, then your chin, then your throat. His lips opened and closed, opened and closed, crawling wetly up and around your throat without ever breaking contact. His hips pushed his hardness against you and you sighed. He sealed his lips in the crook of your neck and sucked, moaning quietly into your skin. He tore his mouth from your neck with a low sigh to say, “You’re gorgeous, baby.” His voice was hoarse from sleep or want.

He sealed his lips around yours and you could feel his affection with every brush of his tongue. You could taste all the words he wanted to say–that he was desperate for you, would do anything for you, could never lose you. You kissed him back, slowly but hungrily, your hips lifting into him, telling him without words that he could have all of you, you were truly his. You kissed harder, your mouth hanging onto his for dear life, and he moaned into your mouth. A groan was building in your chest but you just wanted to hear him.

—

He sighed as his hardness dug into you, then his hand reached down between your legs, under your nightgown. He lightly dragged his middle finger up and down the crotch of your panties, still kissing you deeply. Then he traced the same line with several fingers flattened together. He broke the kiss to try to read your eyes in the dark. Then he said, “God, I love you so much.” Before you could say it back, he covered your mouth with his. His hips slowly rolled into you as he sucked and tasted your mouth. The rhythm of his stiff cock against your hip made you physically weak with desire.

You tried to shift your hips under him. He got the message and put himself between your legs, resting both his forearms on the bed again. With his cock laying heavily against your mound, you ached with need, dying to be filled, at least by his fingers. But you were also a little shy about how needy you felt. He kissed you with so much love, and you felt just as much for him, but your brain took over for a moment and your lips stopped moving.

The moment you started overthinking it, Joel noticed and pulled back. He experimentally grinded his cock against your front. He leaned his temple against yours and whispered, “Just ‘cause it's there don’t mean ya gotta do anything with it.”

You breathed an internal sigh of appreciation, even though you were salivating to have it in your mouth again. To have it anywhere, everywhere.

—

He cupped your cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “I just wanna make ya feel good. Can I do that?” You nodded “mm-hm,” and his hand returned between your legs, ghosting your clit through the fabric. “Cause I don’t have to,” he went on. “Won’t hurt my feelings if ya go back to your bed, okay?” You nodded. “We’ll just do what you want,” he said. Except for what I want most, you thought to yourself.

Joel reached down to adjust his boxers, then he backed up and kissed his way down your body. Every press of his lips through the satin gown made you throb more. The faint silhouette of his hair made you imagine he was looking up at your face after every kiss, making sure you were still with him. Of course you were. The nightgown had already ridden up. He pushed it further, planted his head between your legs, and kissed you through the cotton of your underwear—softly, then harder. His mouth drew a long sigh out of you as the tension inside you swelled.

His fingers hooked into the hem of your panties and he slowly dragged them down. He covered your warmth with his mouth before you could feel the cool air. The underside of his tongue licked down your dripping seam as his fingers on your thighs continued pulling your panties down.

His head broke away to finish taking them off, and he breathed, “you’re my favorite taste in the world, baby.”

His mouth returned between your legs, and he devoured you just like before. Licking, sucking, flicking his tongue, moaning into you. When he began to fuck you with his tongue, your need to be filled by his cock only strengthened and demanded attention. You said, “Get me ready.”

“Hmm?”

“Ready for you. . .You said my body has to be ready, too.”

He dabbed the corner of his mouth with his wrist, and you could almost see his smile in the dark. “That what ya want?” His hair was out of place already, which made you want him even more.

“Yeah,” you whispered.

“That’s what we’ll do.”

—-

He started while he was still between your legs. He inserted a finger and kept kissing your clit while you sighed. He pulled his head away and flattened his fingers. He gently rubbed you as he crawled back up the bed and stopped with his face near yours. His face hovered an inch from yours as he rubbed your desperate, slippery, beautiful mess. He stroked you just right, then pushed his finger back into you, his lungs audibly sucking in a long, deep breath.

Your head tilted up and your mouth fell open. He pushed the finger to the hilt and an obscene moan fell out of your mouth.

“Oh baby, you sound so beautiful.” He began to move his hips against your thigh. “This okay? Or you want me to take it away.”

“No, no, don’t take it away.”

He exhaled half a laugh and slowly pumped his thick finger, staying mostly inside you, curling against your front wall. “How’s it feel?”

“Really good,” you whispered. “Gimme another like last time.”

His cock twitched against you and he kissed you as he slowly pushed another finger in. He moved them in and out and his hand hugged your mound as he did it. Your hips lifted into his hand and you broke the kiss with a sigh that became a whimper. He groaned softly at your desperation and kept rutting against your thigh, fucking you slowly with his fingers. After following a steady rhythm for a while, he clamped his palm down on your mound, adding friction to your clit as he worked his hand. He began to bring his fingers out a little more to slicken your clit again. You throbbed and moaned and could hardly stand it.

“Joel,” you sighed, and struggled to find words. You sputtered out, “I —Joel, I just — I want–ugh–want you, so bad.”

His voice was low and soothing. “Ohhhh, I know it darlin’,” he commiserated. He planted a kiss on your neck as he continued the push of his fingers inside you and his cock against you. “You’ll have me, baby,” he murmured huskily. “We’ll have each other.” He worked his fingers and grinded his cock against you in opposite beats of the same rhythm.

“Another one,” you whispered.

“It’s too much, baby.”

“It’s not,�� you whined.

“Let’s add one of yours.” He removed his fingers almost entirely and lifted his palm up to make room for your hand under his. “C’mon.” You nestled your hand under his and carefully added your middle finger. You slid your finger in against your front wall, nestled in a triangle with his two fingers as he pushed inside again. You couldn’t reach very far, but it was enough to feel the stretch. His hand engulfed yours and controlled the rhythm. It was a different feeling, touching yourself with your finger nestled under his. You enjoyed the stretch and his hand engulfing yours, but you could only imagine how much better the smooth tip of his cock would feel.

Moving your finger with his, Joel asked, “Feel good?”

“Yours feel better.”

He lifted his palm and you removed your hand. He kissed you as he began pistoning his fingers deeper and harder. He swirled and scissored them as though making room inside you.

“Joel,” you sighed and your spine curved, jutting your breasts into the air. Your nipple fell out of your nightgown and his mouth was on it right away.

He kissed your breast, moaning into your nipple. Then he kissed your chest, then your neck. “God damn, baby,” he murmured hoarsely.

“Just one more,” you begged.

He grunted with a strong thrust against your hip. “Ahh—Might be too much.”

He paused his rhythm and slowly added his ring finger. So slow it was torture.

“No, don’t stop,” you whined. “Just give it to me.”

He gave it to you, grouping his fingers as close as he could together. The stretch burned by the time he was half in, but you asked for more. You winced at the burn and he took the finger back out.

“I’m okay, it felt good,” you reassured him, but he went back to fucking you harder with two fingers instead, and that felt even better since he didn’t hold back. The burn quickly faded, drowned out by a throbbing tingle that consumed your whole torso, and spread to your thighs, down your legs, making your knees weak.

Before long, you were writhing under him. He sucked your breast again and you moaned his name. He sucked your neck, then whispered into it, “You’ll be a beautiful bride.” Your breath hitched and your eyes widened at his words, but you didn’t want him to stop. He continued, “You want that, right?”

You nodded and heard yourself whisper, “yes.”

Joel sighed and brought his lips back to yours. He pressed his hand into your clit as he worked his fingers to bring you over the edge. “Yeah,” he breathed. Your body jerked and you moaned. His hand hugged your cunt as you came. “Ohhh, gooood giirrrl.” He kissed one half of your mouth as your climax continued. His breath was hot against your cheek. “Love feelin’ ya like this.”

—------

The rain had slowed even more, and the thunder was fading. Joel used his wet hand to pull his stiff manhood out of his boxers with a quiet groan. You reached down to feel it and he shivered at your touch.. The tip was shiny with precum, smeared from rutting against you through his boxers. He must have been aching as bad as you were. You took your hand away, opting to wait and see what he had in mind.

“I don’t have to do this here,” Joel said, his voice weak with need. Then he added in good humor, “But it does need doin’,” and those words landed between your legs.

Your lips parted and you took a deep breath, your eyelids heavy from your orgasm. “Do it here.”

Joel gathered more slick from between your thighs, and the contact gave you an aftershock. He stroked himself and breathed heavily. He rested with his hip and forearm on the bed, and you turned onto your side to face him.

He got closer, right up against you with just enough room to stroke himself. You listened to the wet slide of his hand around his shaft, his breathing, his soft grunts. It occurred to you this was something he did regularly, and now you could imagine it so vividly. The idea of Joel thinking about you and getting himself off was almost too hot to bear. You draped your top leg over him.

He fisted himself and kissed your shoulder. He nosed your nipple, then dragged it up until his face lifted off your chest. He grunted softly as he pumped himself and pressed his nose, then his mouth, into your neck. He was farther down than you on the bed, and the head of his cock was so close to where you ached for it, you could feel the heat radiating as he stroked himself. Then it grazed you, sending a zap of energy through your loins.

“I swear I'm ready,” you whispered.

His voice became shaky. “God damn, I wanna pack you full of this.” He grunted with hastening strokes. “That’s what it’s for, baby.” He bowed his head, and his disheveled hair grazed your cheek. He brought his face up again and kissed you on the lips. “Gonna be all yours,” he murmured hoarsely into your cheek, then added, “and you’re all mine."

"I'm all yours."

"Oh, God," he shuddered as he rolled onto his back. "Baby, I—Ohhh," He exhaled loudly and his body jerked as he came onto himself, sighing "ohhh God, baby." He caught his breath and laid there in silence with you. You rolled onto your back again. He sat up and took the soiled t-shirt off, then laid on his side facing you and rested a heavy hand on your chest.

–

With your blood finally flowing back to your brain, you considered what Joel asked and what you said. Yes, you wanted to be his beautiful bride. On some level, it occurred to you that yes was perhaps the only answer, but did that matter if it was your heart’s desire, too?

You asked, “You think we’re meant to be together?”

“Oh, peaches,” he sighed. “I’m sure of it.” He kissed you and stroked your cheek, then held you tighter. “You’re my world, and there is nothin’ I wouldn’t do to be with you.” He rolled you toward him, nestling your head under his chin, and held you until you fell back asleep.

—------------------

When you woke up in the morning, Joel was freshly showered and standing next to the bed, buttoning a flannel shirt as he watched you sleep. When you yawned, his eyes brightened.

“Why don’t I always sleep here?” you asked sleepily.

He laughed silently to himself with a side-eye at the floor. “Don’t trust myself, darlin’.”

Your face burned at the implication and you shyly hid half your face. His smile faded as he looked at you, then he added hoarsely, “God, if you knew how many times I’d thought about you.” There wasn’t so much as a hint of shame in his voice. It had the warmth in your cheeks traveling down, down, down. . . “We’re almost there, baby, but we gotta do it right. We’re almost there, I promise.” He reached into his pants to tuck in his shirt and adjusted himself while he was there. Your eyes fixated on the bulge in his jeans. “God damn,” he exhaled. “Turns me on thinkin’ about it.”

He lightly rubbed his bulge in just one stroke and adjusted himself again from outside the jeans. It didn’t seem like he was trying to start anything, but he got on the bed and hunger spread across his face as he reached you. He kissed you needily and tore the sheets off you. You let him in between your legs and wrapped them loosely around his thighs, your feet resting near his knees. He pulled down your nightgown and sucked your nipple, inhaling deeply through his nose. Then he sucked his neck, and your clit throbbed against the friction of his jeans. He hardened against you and kept on for a minute, not escalating things further. Then he tore himself away with a groan.

—-

“Wish I could stay here all day and just do this,” he lamented as he got off you to sit on the edge of the bed. “But I gotta go to the QZ.”

You protested, “What for?”

“Somethin’ I gotta do every month, as long as the radio says so.”

“Can I come?”

He shook his head. “Too dangerous.” You expected as much.

“You really have to go?”

He sighed. “Yeah, darlin’.”

“You’re leaving me alone?”

“Your parents left you here for a reason, ‘member? Cause it ain’t safe out there. You think they want me takin’ you there anyway?”

“I know. But you said it isn’t safe here either.”

“It’s safe-er here.”

“Just don’t go,” you whined.

“If I don't, they're gonna know somethin's wrong, baby.”

“I don’t-.”

“--nothin’s wrong, but they're gonna think somethin's wrong.”

“Something is wrong,” you reminded him. “Abe’s missing.”

“He–Abe–darlin’.” Joel sighed, shook his head, and abandoned the topic. He looked down and rubbed his temples with his middle finger and thumb. “I’m sorry, peaches. I gotta go, and I can’t take ya with me.”

“Will you check on Frank at the Army hospital?”

Joel hesitated, then said, “Sure, baby.”

“Are you going to Tommy’s? Bill’s staying there, right?”

“I’m gonna try, darlin’. Don’t wanna leave ya for too long, though.”

—----

While Joel made you breakfast, you went upstairs to change. You also sat down at the vanity and used the stationary to write a short note to Bill and Frank.

Love you and miss you so much, but Joel is taking good care of me.

Joel read it. “This is real sweet, peaches. But do you want’em thinkin’ I’m takin’ care of ya? Thought you wanted to show you could do it.” He made a good point. You went upstairs, started over.

I love and miss you both so much. Frank, Please get well soon.

When you gave it to Joel, he folded it up and put it in his pocket. He told you to stay inside, and reminded you not to open the door for anyone but him. He would be back in a few hours.

—----------------------

After Joel left, you lay around for a while thinking about him and your life together. You went to the kitchen and were about to idly open the pantry, when the counter beside it seemed to move, catching your eye. There was a trail of ants leading to the apple blossom in the jar. You stepped back. The blossom that had looked so nice the night before was yellowed and crawling with them. It was like time was moving in slow motion. You left the scene as it was. You grabbed a shiny apple from the basket on the opposite counter and went to the sofa to read. You couldn’t wait for Joel to get home and tell you how Frank was doing. The minutes crawled by, and you tried to immerse yourself in the story to pass the time.

Only a few pages into your book, you were about to bite into your apple when you heard squawking outside. You set down the book and went to look out the kitchen window. You couldn’t see where the noise was coming from. As you looked out into the orchard, you were startled by a tickle on your arm and flicked off an ant with a gasp. You hadn’t so much as touched the counter–it felt unfair. The squawking continued, and you were going stir crazy wanting to go out and see what all the fuss was about.

Less than an hour after Joel left, you decided to break his rule. You knew he was protecting you, but it also didn’t seem fair to expect you to stay cooped up inside all on your own. He could have taken you with him. You knew he could have protected you from any harm that found you. You looked around and couldn’t find your shoes. Not in your room, not by the front or back door, not in the living room. You wouldn’t let that stop you.

You went outside barefoot, careful to look in front of your feet so you wouldn’t step on anything dangerous. The sky was gray and dim and the cool air was refreshing even with its humidity. Branches were scattered everywhere from the wind of the storm. The ground beneath the peach trees was carpeted with yellow leaves sticking wetly to each other. One third of a peach tree was hanging by a thread off its trunk, the tips of the branches scraping the ground with every breeze. It could have snapped off at any moment, while the rest of the tree stood proud like it didn’t know.

You followed the squawking and found an apple tree full of crows. When you approached, they swarmed into the sky, forming a cloud before settling together on another tree. With nothing better to do, you followed them. The second tree was near yours and Joel’s. They flew toward the back of the orchard and you didn’t follow. You shuffled around your tree, looking on every branch for a fresh apple blossom. On the ground, there were layers of leaves and lots of fallen apples. You were moving your feet slowly and carefully, and your toes caught on something inorganic. Something rigid, fabric. You lifted your foot and when the bill of a hat emerged, you reflexively kicked it away as if it were alive or worse. As if you could simply kick away the pit in your gut. Your stomach turned as you looked at your Red Sox cap on the ground.

The crows squawked and squawked, and your heart pounded. You looked around the orchard as if something might be closing in on you. The trees seemed to get closer, the sky seemed to darken. Your thoughts kept repeating, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to be with you. Nothing. Nothing in the world, peaches. You refused to articulate the gut feeling into a thought. You wouldn’t dignify it. You took a deep breath and grounded yourself, focusing on the feeling of the wet leaves stuck to your ankles.

You covered the baseball cap with leaves again, burying the feeling as best you could, and rushed back toward the house. On your way back, you stepped on a broken twig. When you got inside, you saw it was bleeding.

You cleaned up your foot, then it occurred to you to check the living room closet. You opened the closet door, and the other cap—Jesse’s cap—was still there, exactly where you saw it. To your relief, you also found your shoes neatly laid on the closet floor alongside some loafers and boots. You left them untouched.

You settled in with your book again, hoping to distract yourself. You bit into the apple. Your teeth sliced right through the skin and sank into soft, mealy flesh that almost making you gag. You tossed it outside into the leaves because you didn’t want any more ants, then you locked the door behind you. You sat back down on the sofa and didn’t even try to pick up the book again. You resigned yourself to facing your thoughts.

You explored the worst case scenario of what Joel might have done to be with you. You concluded it was silly to think you had been that important to a man you hardly knew. It was narcissistic, you told yourself, to think he loved you that much. That he would really do anything, just to hold you in his arms. It was the fabric of fairy tales, and it was grotesque. Especially because it didn’t disgust you. It gave you butterflies, and not just the nervous kind.

—-------

As soon as you heard Joel’s truck pull into the driveway, your mind returned to Frank. You had a few seconds before Joel came in, and in that time you realized you should greet Joel before asking about anyone else. You didn’t want to be rude. When the door opened, you got up and kissed Joel and told him you missed him. On your way back to the sofa, you noticed a spot of blood from your foot on the flooring and hoped Joel wouldn’t see it.

You sat down on the couch and asked him how Frank was. Joel’s face was solemn as he took a seat next to you and put his hand on your knee. Your chest tightened at this gesture and the next few seconds felt like an hour until Joel spoke.

"He's doin' better, baby."

You broke down in tears of relief. You would have cried no matter what. Whether Frank was better, worse, or even if Joel didn’t see him, there would’ve been tears of happiness, sadness, or fear. Joel took you in his arms and you buried your tears in his neck.

“So they think he’s gonna recover?” you asked.

“Think so.” Joel looked at you, concerned.

“What do they think it is?”

“They’re not sure, darlin’. S’pose it could be an allergy, or environmental. So it’s a good thing you’re here with me.”

“Did you give’em my letter?”

“Yeah.” Joel leaned forward, lifted himself for a moment, and reached into his back pocket. He handed you your letter and you unfolded it so quickly it almost ripped. Joel slowly rubbed your back as you looked at the piece of paper and tried to steady your hands.

There was a note in Frank’s handwriting:

We love you so much. Protect yourself.

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

Thank you all so much for reading and engaging with my unhinged story. Y'all are truly the best. 💙

I challenged myself to do the smut scene with little if any visual description, hope it worked out okay.

I do not expect the next chapter to be nearly as long.

There are more virgins on my joel master list, and you can follow @toxicfics and turn on notifications for fic alerts.

All Joel:@ethanhoewke @silkiers @eiviea @evyiione @xdaddysprincessxx @queerly-anxious @chernayawidow @ambassadortotrilliusprime @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @jasminespringtime @romanarose @fandomsfallnomore @djarinxore @blackvelveteen1339 @manazo @wolvesandvampires @taeslarityy @str84pedro @lokanda @kyloispunk @filthfairy @fieryglutenfreechickennoodles @harriedandharassed @moonlightdivine @worhols @fan-fiction-floozy @cutesyscreenname @weddingfairy @pedropascal-whore @spideysimpossiblegirl @feministfanboi @gracieispunk @prettypartyfavor @am-3-thyst @babeincolor @milla-frenchy @switchbladedreamz @within-the-depths @am-3-thyst @may-machin @pedromania91 @sloanexx @paleidiot

The Lincoln tag list will be on the toxicfics reblog 💙

#joel miller x reader #joel miller fic #dark!joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #dbf!joel miller #toxicanonymity ☠️#lincoln!joel☠️#tw manipulation #joel miller smut #the last of us #the last of us smut #content label #cw age gap

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cyberjam · 2 years ago

Text

THE ANGEL AND THE DEVIL | tangerine x reader

headcanons based off of this request on tangerine being the absolute softest boyfriend to his absolute sweetheart of a partner.

warnings - a little suggestive(?), mentions of violence

word count - 3.8k

song - no ordinary love - sade ⌁

main masterlist !!

tan - 🍊 | lem - 🍋 | you - 🍑

- HOW YOU MET -

- it's very cliché, but you two met at a café.

- it was exceedingly early in the morning.

- you usually didn't work this late (or early). your shifts were usually in the middle of the day, when the sun was shining brightly and the customers would pop in to work on their own separate projects.

- and you would've been working that shift, if a coworker of yours didn't ask you to fill in for her.

- you agreed to do it without a second thought, you were always pretty fond of helping people out whenever they needed it.

- just to see them smile in relief or to hear them praise you for being a 'saint' always made you feel warm inside.

- the harsh rainfall that occurred outside didn't bother you a single bit. you enjoyed the rain more than sunny weather, just the sound of the repeated pitter-patter beating against the window like an angelic tune soothed you like no other.

- you didn't really expect anyone to come into the coffee shop this early in the day, especially with how harsh the weather was. so, you were rather surprised to see a regular customer and what you assumed was his counterpart, enter the shop.

- lemon had become a regular after trying a slice of banoffee pie.

- you liked his name, you thought it was sort of silly to see such an intimidating man rock a name like lemon.

- you expressed your love of his name to him one day and he ended up giving you a nickname himself.

- "lemon, hi! it's so nice to see you. - 🍑

- "mornin', peach. this's ma twin brotha', tangerine." - 🍋

- you didn't admit it out loud but as soon as you made eye contact with him, you felt your stomach erupt like a volcano and your cheeks started to get warm at the sight of him.

- "hello! s'nice to meet you." - 🍑

- tangerine paused for a moment before gently nodding at you.

- to say he was caught off-guard by your gorgeous smile and kind eyes would be an understatement.

- he felt robbed.

- he went his entire life without knowing who you were and now that he's seen you he doesn't want to look away.

- you captivated him to say the least.

- "im guessing you'll have the regular?" - 🍑

- "yeah, but make it double." - 🍋

- as you were fixing their order, lemon and tangerine engaged in a small convo.

- "thas' peach, yeah?" - 🍊

- "yeah, real sweetheart'. makes the best banoffee pie. next time we come you outta try it." - 🍋

- tangerine only hummed as he kept his eyes focused on you. he couldn't really understand why you were so captivating to him.

- your aura was just so...soft and alluring.

- and your voice was simply just enchanting.

- it made him sick.

- he just met you, and there barely was any introduction.

- he shouldn't feel so…..entranced by you.

- he doesn't want to feel this way about you.

- just one look at you and he could tell that you were the type of person to burst into tears if someone even slightly raised their voice at you.

- how pathetic.

- you weren't soft or alluring to him. no.

- you were weak.

- he felt pity for you if anything.

- there was just no possible way he could be attracted to someone so...feeble.

- right? ..

- THE CRUSHING STAGE -

- he'd constantly tell himself that you're just some pathetic cafe worker, that held no importance to him.

- yet he can't seem to find the will to stay away from you.

- ever since he saw you behind that counter for the first time, an unfamiliar flutter started to thrash around in his chest and stomach.

- that feeling that he hated oh so much, only came around when he saw you.

- he despised you for it.

- but he also despised himself for not putting a stop to his visits.

- he could've easily gotten lemon to start picking up their orders once again, but then that meant he wouldn't be able to see you.

- and the urge to see you was too strong for him to resist.

- his thoughts would constantly scold and taunt him as he'd make his way to the cafe you worked at.

- his mind was telling him no, and saying that he should stay away from you. but his heart and body were screaming at the top of their lungs. begging and pleading to be around you.

- even if it was just for a small fleeting moment.

- sooner or later, you began to notice a spike in visits from tangerine.

- usually it'd just be lemon.

- but after you met tangerine, you started to see the both of them.

- and then it eventually just became tangerine.

- even though you missed the playful banter you and lemon would have, being able to see tangerine nearly everyday had to have been one of the sweetest treats you've ever received.

- tangerine was a bit more gaudy than the men you usually took an interest in.

- he was a rude and violent individual.

- there'd even be certain times where you'd cringe whenever he'd enter the shop.

- with the way he spoke to people you'd think he was completely nullified of any type of manners or emotions besides anger.

- until he started interacting with you.

- he'd talk to a random customer like this:

- "just grab ya fuckin' donut and go, ya cunt." - 🍊

- but as soon as he arrived at the counter and made eye-contact with you, his entire demeanor would change.

- " hey, how ya doin', love?" - 🍊

- his tone was completely different and his deeply furrowed eyebrows that were usually partnered with an annoyed frown were now nowhere to be found.

- it always made you feel more giddy than usual to see him turn on such a sweet persona for you.

- the interactions between you two were always fairly quick.

- greet each other, give him his order, and then send him off with a friendly wave and shy smile.

- it was a rather simple exchange, but it never failed to make your heart flutter.

- after a short while you'd start writing encouraging words on their to-go cups with a cute little animation on the side, hoping to brighten their day.

- have the best day today!! ♡ৎ(˶ ⍤ ˶)

- see you next time. this one was made with extra love! ૮ ˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵ ა

- i loved that tie you wore last time! blue looks nice on you. ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎

- i hope lemon is doing well, i don't see much of him anymore. tell him i said hi. (๓´͈ ˘ '͈๓)

- on a particularly empty day in the cafe, tangerine decided to approach you about the sweet messages you wrote.

- "if i didn' know any better i'd think you were flirting wit' me." - 🍊

- you were embarrassed, because in a way you were.

- "i just thought encouraging words could be a helpful pickup for you." - 🍑

- before tangerine could reply, a man quickly rushed to the cash register that you were in front of and started shouting at you.

- "i told ya' 'm 'n a fuckin' rush! stop yer goddamn chit-chat and make my fuckin' order ya lazy harlot." - #!

- you were embarrassed. it wasn't the first time someone had talked to you like that, but the man said that in-front of your favorite customer, a person that you had taken a romantic liking to.

- "ah, im so sorry, sir. i-." - 🍑

- but before you could even finish your sentence, tangerine had already grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and had his face smushed against the counter top.

- you jumped back in shock, letting out a little yelp of fear as you brought your hands up to cover your mouth.

- "apologize to the lady and i won't beat ya' to a bloody pulp." - 🍊

- his voice was eerily calm as he held the man against the countertop.

- his eyes were blown wide open, a burning ferociousness present in his irises as he held the man against the countertop.

- "i-im sorry. please, jus' let me go." -#!

- the man's voice cracked and drool dribbled from his mouth as he was being held against the counter top. his once pale skin started to turn pink as he pathetically whimpered out apologies.

- tangerine looked towards you, his once burning gaze softening at your frightened stature.

- "you accept 'is apology?" - 🍊

- you froze before quickly nodding, afraid that if you spoke up, you'd stutter.

- that's all it took before tangerine released the man. his hands that were once forcing the perpetrator against the countertop were now fixing the cuffs on his suit.

- the stranger didn't even look at your face once he was released from tangerines hold, he immediately ran out of the cafe, leaving his money and food behind. (as well as a bit of dignity. if he had any left)

- tangerine grabbed a napkin that was nearby and wiped the drool off the counter, he even started picking up cups and stray napkins that fell off the counter top from the aggressive dispute.

- "you-um, you didn't have to do that." - 🍑

- he paused in his steps and stared at you for a brief moment.

- having him look so deeply into your eyes made you weak in the knees and slightly fearful of what his next move could be, in that moment you simply regretted speaking.

- "and just let 'em talk to you like that?" - 🍊

- he scoffed before shaking his head, throwing the used tissues away and leaning against the counter top to get closer to you.

- you lightly flinched as he reached his hand towards your face which made him 'tsk' at your jumpiness before cupping your cheek and wiping away a stray tear.

- "pretty girls like you don't deserve to be treated that way." - 🍊

- you didn't even realize that you were leaning into his touch until he brought his hand away.

- "have a g'day, peach." - 🍊

- you were awestruck at the events that occurred in the past 5 minutes, but as soon as you were able to recollect yourself you had decided then and there that you would show your appreciation for him the next time he came.

- and what better way to show your appreciation for someone other than baking them a tasty dessert?

- even though tangerine seems like the type of person to not like sugary things, you still ended up looking for a sweet treat to make him.

- and after some research you decided on making him a sizable amount of tangerine pudding. (in homage to his name.)

- you went to work earlier than usual to get started on your little project.

- the thought of making a new dessert that you've never tried to make before thrilled you, but the thought of making it as an appreciation gift for someone made it much more exhilarating and meaningful.

- it took a while to make it, but after a few failed attempts and small breaks to gather yourself, you had accomplished your goal of making one of the most perfect tangerine puddings imaginable.

- you were so happy and proud with your work, your excitement was almost able to erase any type of nerves you had.

- after admiring your work for a small moment you took a glance towards the clock and noticed how it was getting closer and closer to the time he'd usually arrive.

- once you fixed their usual order and put the pudding in the mini fridge under the counter that you were at, you patiently waited for tangerine.

- you didn't have to wait long, because just like clockwork, tangerine entered into the shop at the same time he usually did, looking as dashing as usual.

- you waved at him with a giddy smile, he returned a small genuine smile of his own while adjusting the lapels on his suit.

- "g'morning tan! i-uh, i made something special for you. i wanted to thank you for sticking up for me yesterday. i really appreciate it..." - 🍑

- you slid his usual order over to him before grabbing the pudding out of the mini fridge and setting it in front of him.

- "i don't know if you like sweet things, but i made you a tangerine flavored pudding." - 🍑

- tangerine couldn't help but let his once small smile grow into a wide grin.

- "really? you made all this for me?" - 🍊

- you nodded, biting your bottom lip to contain your excitement. (if only you knew how cute you looked to him.)

- he was about to bring the spoon up to his lips, but stopped himself before he could consume any.

- " do ya' wanna sit and enjoy it wit' me?" - 🍊

- "oh, i couldn't. im still on my shift and the reason i made it was for you to enjoy!" - 🍑

- "it won't be much of a treat if i don' have you there to enjoy it wit' me. 'ow bout i come back after your shift?" - 🍊

- "that...that would be great, yeah." - 🍑

- "good. until then, peach." - 🍊

- THE DATING STAGE -

- He has a very small and limited amount of tolerance for people.

- until it comes to you.

- Then he all of a sudden has all of the time and patience in the world.

- You could be drunkenly rambling about absolutely nothing and he'll just fondly look at you while gently rubbing your back, softly humming in agreement as if he understands anything you're saying.

- He adores taking you shopping.

- Just seeing you light up whenever you see a pretty dress or a stunning piece of jewelry will make him whip out his credit card at the speed of light.

- "ya' like that dress, bun? go try it on." - 🍊

- he'll make a whole day out of spoiling you.

- he'll sit back and sip champagne while you try on the most extravagant outfits that are made out of the finest material from all around the world.

- "get whateva' ya' want, sweets'." - 🍊

- tangerine also really enjoys picking out your outfits. especially for date night.

- he'll make sure you look nothing less than extravagant on your fancy dinner dates.

- he sometimes likes to match outfits, not too often though, it kinda throws him off and he simply just doesn't want to be that kind of couple.

- he'll only 'match' with you if it's solid colors. like black, blue, white/cream. nothing too bright or flashy.

- ladybug jokes around and often says tangerine's your sugar daddy.

- small side note, tangerine absolutely hates the dynamic you and ladybug have.

- ladybug and you have built a nice friendship over the years. you don't see him often, so whenever you do it's always a treat.

- tangerine would've already cut ladybugs arms off long ago, but you were always so pleased to see ladybug whenever you could, and how could he possibly strip you of something that brings you so much joy?

- ladybug is annoyingly spared...

- for now.

- you have caught tangerine on a couple occasions, casually slipping jewelry off of people and then offering it to you, in which you give him a disapproving look with your arms crossed.

- "it would suit you more, dove." - 🍊

- "tan, please go give that woman her bracelet back. i already have 4 just like that." - 🍑

- he'll glumly give the woman her bracelet back and tell her 'she dropped it' but you both know the truth.

- omg, any present that you give him will make him practically melt inside.

- he'll always amp up the gifts you give him, even if it's something he doesn't particularly like or care for.

- "what? you got this fa' me? love, ya' shouldn' have." - 🍊

- whole time it's an itchy ugly sweater that you saw while casually shopping.

- he'll never wear it on his own accord unless you ask him too. then he absolutely will, and he'll wear it with pride.

- why? because his baby got it for him.

- and lemon absolutely adores you more than anything.

- he treats you like his own little sister.

- he'll coddle you like you're the most fragile porcelain in the entire world.

- he gives the best bear hugs ever. he always holds you so tight, it's like being embraced by a warm, soft, cloud.

- lemon has an awful habit of casually barging into you and tangerines apartment without warning.

- let's just say, you and tangerine have learned to keep your intimate moments in the bedroom and lemon has learned to announce his arrival 3 minutes in advance through the phone.

- you and lemon tend to have long and deep meaningful conservations pretty often. you'll try to include tangerine and get his input on some things but he'll never interject.

- mainly, because he's still struggling to be vulnerable with the people he loves. it's a slow process but he's steadily getting there with the help of the two most important people in his life. :)

- you and lemon will talk about any and everything under the sun, from sports, to cooking shows, to disneyland, to funny little memories you've had in the past...basically everything!

- there's never a dull moment between you two.

- but along with being tangerines twin brother and growing up with him, they have some of the same characteristics.

- they both are extremely over protective of you.

- a few examples...

- ladybug says a joke out of hand while tangerine isn't around?

- he's getting a hard stare from lemon, that's partnered with a passive aggressive statement, and a warning pat on the shoulder.

- "oi, watch ya' mouth, yeah?" - 🍋

- you're walking to the grocery store and someone roughly bumps into you?

- lemon will grab them by their shoulders before turning them towards you and asking telling them to apologize.

- some sleazy dirtbag is hitting on you?

- lemon is pulling tangerine off of his bloody unconscious body.

- all in all you basically have two bodyguards.

- theyre both very protective of you, especially tangerine.

- if you ever came home with cuts or bruises because someone assaulted you, he would absolutely see nothing but red.

- he loves you, but there couldn't be enough begging and pleading in the world from you that would stop him from unleashing his wrath on whoever hurt you.

- even if it was just a shitty family member who got too drunk, tangerine doesn't care.

- he'd clean you up first, run a bath for you, wash your hair, and even order food for you. he'll really hold and comfort you like no tomorrow.

- but once he knows you've fallen fast asleep and you show no signs of waking up anytime soon... he's getting himself dressed to go on a personal mission of his own.

- even with lemon and tangerines protection, they worry about you when they're not there.

- which is why they taught you how to defend yourself.

- every other saturday or so, tangerine (sometimes along with lemon) will teach you how to defend yourself.

- it's a pretty grueling process, even when they go easy on you.

- "cmon' you're not hurtin' anyone with those pillow punches, darling. now, again. hit me." - 🍊

- "i-no. i don't wanna hurt you, tan." - 🍑

- "love, if ya' wanna be strong and able to defend yaself', ya have to train." - 🍊

- he says it so softly too :(

- he's always so gentle with you, it doesn't matter the situation or circumstance.

- if you're non-confrontational, he will bring certain things to your attention in the calmest way possible.

- he'll never address you aggressively or maliciously call you out of your name. he'd sooner die than treat you like he treats everyone else.

- it's honestly why arguments between you two don't happen often.

- you two get into disagreements sometimes but they've never led to shouting, storming out on each other, or throwing things out of anger.

- if you cry during one he will immediately drop it, doesn't matter what it's about, it couldn't have been that important.

- "no, no, no, dove. don't cry, m'sorry. please, don't cry," - 🍊

- he absolutely hates seeing you cry.

- it's like someone reached in his chest and physically tore his heart out and stomped on it infront of him. (a bit dramatic, but that's how he feels)

- he feels terrible.

- even if you're an overly-sensitive person and cry about nearly everything under the sun, he will still feel bad about making you cry.

- he never wants you to shed tears because of him. unless it's out of pleasure or pure happiness.

- and if someone else makes you cry?

- they will absolutely get the beating of a lifetime.

- there have been times random men have said incredibly rude things to you while tangerine was lingering around.

- it ends badly for them every time.

- it truthfully doesn't matter who it is.

- if tangerine even gets the slightest hint that you were upset by something someone said, he's making sure they're getting pulled out of the establishment in a stretcher.

- he tries his best not to bring his normally hot-headed attitude around you, but sometimes people are able to press just the right buttons that get him all riled up and now he's on edge.

- you can always tell when he's on edge.

- he's a bit more aggressive when he does mundane tasks and he's quietly cursing under his breath while roughly running his hands through his hair.

- "stupid cunt, he's lucky i ain' shoot 'em in front of 'is wife and kids." - 🍊

- and he's doing the dishes...^

- over time you've learned how to easily and quickly calm him down from his little tantrums.

- there are many different ways you could go about calming him down, but the easiest and most effective way is just beckoning him to come lay down on the couch/bed with you and giving him a head rub.

- little moments where you can just relax and hold each other are his all time favorites.

- you have a very comforting smell and presence that just immediately draws him to you.

- sometimes if his missions last longer than he'd like them to, he'll sneak one of your favorite bottles of perfume in his suit jacket.

- he won't use it, he'll just smell the inside of his jacket, it makes him feel comforted, like you're right next to him.

- but missions are always hard, it's just something you both won't ever get used to...

- you'll usually send the boys away by baking them a nice, sweet, tasty treat. it differs from pie, muffins, cupcakes, beignets, and much more.

- tangerine and lemon are both extremely comforted by your baking. they absolutely love it and talk about it quite often on their missions.

- "lucky bastard you are. if ma' girl could bake like this i'd marry her on the spot." - 🍋

- "sooner or later." - 🍊

- he's actually so whipped for you it's insane at this point.

- one of tangerines' favorites things to do is tease you.

- but not in a patronizing way.

- he just likes to see you get flustered, it gives him an incredibly huge confidence boost.

- he'll call you every pet-name under the sun to see you get all bashful and cute for him.

- "ya' look gorgeous as always, dove."

- "c'mere, bun."

- "sleep well, darling."

- "such a pretty thing you are."

- he knows it makes you feel a certain way and he finds it so adorable when you shy away from him because you're too nervous to look him in the eye.

- tangerine likes to act like he isn't completely whipped and in love with you, but he absolutely is.

- anything you ask for, he will get.

- you want a cat/dog even though he's allergic?

- it's all yours, just keep it out of the bedroom.

- you wanna go to paris?

- the hotel and flight are already booked, first class seats and a room with the most gorgeous view.

- you want him to bake with you even though he's not that good in the kitchen?

- the supplies are out and he's already wearing his 'kiss the cook' apron.

- overall, you truly are the love of tangerines life and he would rather die than to ever see you walk away from him.

- he protects you with his life, and he will continue to do so, until death do you part.

this one was much longer than my last one. this was a request from my lovely moot @kpopgirlbtssvt . i hope you enjoy, love!

- bunnie ᘏ⑅ᘏ

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