#rate my scared guy setup.

[meirimerens]

i'm letting this livestream of a guy checking out scary videos play out because it's long and i need noise but i keep that tab open on the side to look at just in case i get scared and need to not be anymore

[arcanefox207]

The Wolf You Feed (Part 1)

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Rating: Explicit, 18+ MDNI

Word Count: 8k

Part 1 / ? (Ongoing Series)

Summary: Set in fictional New England town, you fall for your handsome, intense and outdoorsy neighbor while renting out your parent's vacant summer home during a brutal winter.

Warnings: No Outbreak, AU but with TLoU characters, Large age gap (Reader is 29. Joel is 50). This chapter includes smut with fingering and cum eating. Dominant Joel. Eventual Angst. Drinking Alcohol. Pet names but no use of Y/N. Reader is smaller than Joel and has hair he can grab. 

Chapter Excerpt: He presses a gentle kiss behind your ear and another one drags to your jawline and to the soft meat of your neck. His coarse beard scrapes against your skin and makes you shudder. You press your ass into him and feel him hard against your lower back. He responds by pressing into you firmly and brings his mouth to your ear. 

“You feel what you do to me, beautiful girl?” He asks with his low, gravely voice and presses another kiss into you. His heat is searing into you.

A/N: Please hang in there. This chapter has a lot of setup and is a bit of a slow burn. Its also my first fic and I am pouring my heart and soul into it.

A O 3 | M A S T E R L I S T | N O T I F I C A T I O N

“Remember, if you need anything you can ask Joel. He knows his way around the house” your mother reminds you. 

“Thanks, I will be fine but I’ll keep that in mind.” You appease her but have no intention of bothering her neighbor.

“Love you, honey. Talk later!”

“Bye mom. Love you.” You end the call and slump back against the couch. This was going to be your home for the next few months. Your parents had gone south to avoid the brutal New England winter and had offered their summer vacation home in Kineo to you in the interim. No rent and plenty of free time to figure out what to do with your life next. All you had to do was pay the utilities and keep an eye on things.

The offer was genuine but also came from a place of concern. You had spent the last few years living a more-or-less nomadic life and poorly indulging your dreams of adventure. Your bachelors degree in Liberal Arts proving to be as useless as everyone told you it would be. It got you jobs easy enough but nothing that felt like a long term career. It all felt directionless but you also had been hell bent on proving everyone else wrong and keeping up the appearance that you were doing just fine. 

Your past relationships were nothing too exciting either. Months of casually dating someone and it not really going anywhere or random hookups that you regretted the next day. One or two guys you were getting serious with but ultimately scared you off when they started talking about a family in their big picture. You were starting to get cynical about any compatible prospects.

You are only 29 and wonder if a midlife crisis before your 30’s is normal. At least, that is what it felt like was happening. You had been treading water for too long and felt like you were too tired to keep swimming.

Your mother finally wore you down enough when your lease was up at your Boston apartment and you had no real obligations. You hated your current job, your roommates were little more than acquaintances and the busy city life scene was starting to lose its charm especially when it was astronomically expensive to live there. It was getting harder to say no so you agreed to her offer. 

You had to admit living in the country sounded like a nice change. You had a few months to figure stuff out and the thought of something new was exciting to you. Even if it meant continuing to endure the bitter winter, you had a chance to start fresh somewhere new. Something different. 

You didn’t grow up here and spent most of your life living in suburban homes with slightly warmer climates. Your parents had bought a small one bedroom vacation home in a sleepy New England town that they mostly only enjoyed in the prime summer months. The home sat mostly vacant otherwise. They would rent it out for weeks at a time but in the winter months no one from away wanted to go there. Too far from ski resorts and civilization to be of interest to a casual vacationer. It had a lake that drew much attention from outsiders only when it wasn’t frozen. The town was reduced to just the year-round locals in the coldest months.

Your new residence was outside the main populous of Kineo and nearby the lake. In fact, you could see the lake peeking through the thick pine trees out the front window if you looked hard enough. 

The closest and only neighbor in sight was the handyman your parents raved about across the street. He kept an eye on the place while they were away. You had never interacted with him on your occasional summer visits, but knew he had been kind to your folks and heard about him often enough. You occasionally saw him out in his yard from afar and he would give a lazy wave to your parents in passing. You never really got a good look at him up close but from what you could see he looked rugged and fit and always wore jeans and work boots. He had a modest waterfront cabin across the street and seemed to keep to himself.

You had arrived just a few days ago and already had a job lined up at the local coffee shop, Grind. You were getting your caffeine fix and saw a help wanted sign in their window and you had no trouble securing the job when you chatted with the owner. She hired you on the spot and seemed desperate but grateful that you actually had enthusiasm for coffee and knew your Americanos from your Lattes. Grind Coffee House was on the main drag along with some other quaint shops. It was charming enough and an easy 10 minute drive from your house. The pay was pitiful but would be enough to get by. Things seemed to be lining up perfectly.

You went to bed early that night and felt optimistic that this was going to be good for you. This was going to be the reset that you craved. A new adventure. It was like nothing you had experienced before and maybe that was exactly what you needed.

–

Shit. Your first day working at Grind and you can’t even get the car to start. 

It was freezing cold. The kind of cold that hurts when it touches your exposed skin. You turn the key in the ignition again and the engine makes a pathetic attempt to turn over. Nothing. Fuck. 

You turn the key again. Nothing. Fuck fuck fuck. You pull out your phone and realize you have no idea what to do other than call your new boss and make a horrible first impression. No, that wasn’t going to do. You look in the rearview mirror and see across the street that lights are on at your neighbors house, despite the early hour. As quickly as the thought crosses your mind you push it away. No. No way were you going to bother him at this hour. You hadn’t even officially met the guy yet.

You pull up Google on your phone and scan the first few results for “car won’t start” and narrow it down to engine troubles or dead battery. Either outcome is something you are not equipped to handle. 

A few moments pass and you reluctantly weigh the options. Would a garage even be open this early? How long would that take to get someone out there? You were wasting time and had to do something. You curse to yourself and go back inside the house.

You walk over to the fridge where a note is hanging front and center “Joel Miller” with a phone number neatly printed. Your mothers careful handwriting to contact the poor neighbor that she probably harasses all the time. You sigh and open your phone to dial the number.

It rings a few times, and then you hear a gravelly voice that catches you off guard. 

“Hello?” A deep and thick, unfamiliar accent answers. Not what you were expecting. 

“Hi, Mr. Miller.” a long pause and you stumble over your words. “I uh, I’m sorry to call you so early. I'm Rick and Linda’s daughter.” and mumble your name. Another pause. 

“Ah, right. Whatcha need, kid?” He asks with little expression in his tone. You can’t tell if he is annoyed or just sounded that way. 

“My car won’t start and I–” you pause, not too sure how to ask for help from a stranger. “I don’t know what to do...” Your voice trails off with uncertainty on how to ask for help or what you are even expecting. 

You hear a long exhale on the other end, like he is letting all the air out of his lungs while he is thinking on it. 

“Dead battery most likely… on a day like this. I’ll be right over.” He hangs up the phone before you can say another word and instead say thank you out loud to yourself and let your voice trail off. You instantly regret making the call.

You zip up your coat, pull your knit hat snug over your ears and head back outside when you see a black Ford pickup truck ease into your driveway. A tall man wearing a brown suede jacket approaches. The morning light is faint but you can make out that he is much older and has some silver streaking his hair and beard. He looks weathered and rugged but also has a warmness about him that is hard to reconcile with his rough exterior.     

“Joel Miller, I presume?” you nervously laugh and awkwardly introduce yourself for the second time. You attempt to be extra friendly and maybe penetrate his bristly wall. It seems to help when he notices you are a young woman and not some bratty teenager that your parents probably made you out to be. He takes a step forward and reaches a hand out towards you, nodding. He firmly shakes your hand and you are taken aback by how his grasp seems to engulf you.

“Pleasure to meet you, darling.” His voice is smooth and polite and has the tiniest hint of playfulness in his tone. You can’t place his accent, but you know it isn’t from around here and only someone from away would say ‘Darling’ so casually to a stranger. 

His dark brown eyes hold your gaze for a moment and he has the faintest smirk as he subtly scans your body. It sends goosebumps down your spine. You are grateful that you made an extra effort to look cute for your first day of work. You realize your hands are still embraced and nervously laugh as you pull away. He gets right down to business, but not before stealing another peek of your body when he thinks you aren’t looking.  

“Lets see what we got here.'' He climbs into the driver's seat and in no time confirms it's the battery when he hears your car's engine protest. He walks over to his tailgate and brings back some jumper cables. 

You stand there with your arms wrapped around your body trying to hold in as much warmth as possible. Your bare hands clenched in a fist and tucked in as far as they could in your jacket sleeve to shelter from the cold. Your teeth chattering as you try to stand out of the way but want to be nearby too. At least give the illusion you can be helpful if he needs something. You regret your first meeting being a clueless damsel in distress, but maybe he liked that sort of thing. His tune did seem to change once he saw you. 

Joel returns and leans over the edge of the seat leaving the door wide open, his large palm dragging up slowly from the floor to the steering column, searching for the hood release. His finger catches on the button and he pops the hood. It’s hard not to stare at him while he slides his expert hands with reckless abandon.

His eyes find yours and the corner of his mouth raises slightly. You question if you are mistaking his caught you watching me look for more than what it was. He seems to enjoy you watching him work. He steps away from the seat and pulls a pair of work gloves from his back pocket as he works to connect your car to his truck with the jumper cables. He starts his truck back up and approaches you. Your breath and his making little frozen clouds as you exhale. 

“You can sit in my truck if you want, it’s plenty warm in there.” He gestures with his thumb over his shoulder. “This will just be a minute.” You thank him and take him up on his offer and climb into his passenger seat. He has a classical rock station playing on the radio. A thermos sitting in the center console. You glance in the back seat and see some neatly organized tools and miscellaneous junk on the floor. It smells metallic and leathery. 

You outstretch your hands to the vents that are pouring warm air into the cabin and relish the heat.  

A few moments pass and you don’t see much of what’s going on with the hood of the truck blocking your view. You doom scroll on Instagram to keep yourself busy but your mind keeps thinking about Joel. You were in no way prepared for your neighbor to be so fucking handsome. It felt absurd to be so turned on by him.

He’s too old. You tell yourself. Don’t even think about it. 

Your thoughts are interrupted as the hood slams shut and Joel opens the driver's door. He reaches his arm out to grab his thermos while he climbs into the seat with a groan. The door shuts hard behind him and a blast of cold air invades your space briefly.  

“Damn cold one today” He says it with a huff as more of an observation than a complaint. He takes a sip of his coffee and looks over to you. You nod in agreement and find yourself caught up in what to say to him. He pulls off his gloves and tosses them in his backseat. He rests his arm along the back of the seat and it is nearly touching your shoulder. The way his body takes up the space makes you feel small and helpless. Then, you remember you are small and helpless compared to him. He doesn’t feel threatening towards you but you certainly does give off the aura that he could be intense in the right circumstance. You find that undeniably attractive.

“Your folks called me last week. Told me you were gonna be staying here a while.” His eyes are back focused on you. “Meant to come over this weekend and introduce myself.” he seems a little nervous and takes another sip of his coffee. “Didn’t wanna bother you, though.” 

You feel a small smile start to grow on your face. The thought that he shared the same reservations brought comfort. Joel rests his thermos between his legs while still holding it with one hand. He looks like he is hesitating to say something but does it anyway. He looks over at you with tender eyes, 

“Didn’t expect.. You know...” He makes an unreadable expression as he is searching for the words and scans your body up and down. “Someone like you.” You were not entirely sure what he meant by that, but his smoldered stare on your body made you feel hot inside and your cheeks flush. He looked at you with intrigue and it made you feel good. It made you feel wanted. It had been too long since you felt that way.  

In fact, it has been too long since you had any sort of relationship. Even a casual lay.  

“You really saved my ass this morning. Thank you.” You pause and feel yourself giving a sultry gaze back at him. “I owe you one.” Joel makes a no big deal gesture with his hand and a cocky smile as he chews the inside of his cheek. In that brief moment you feel something between the two of you. The desire to flirt; tempt a man with at least 20 years on you. An unexpected but undeniable magnetic pull. A curiosity to learn what lies beneath. A forbidden fruit that is ripe and beckoning for you to take a bite. Something different. Something exciting. Something you know you should stifle before it even begins.  

His eyes reflect the same sentiment but also harbor concern and restraint. It’s a bad idea. The brief silence between you looms loudly. The elephant in the room. 

“Where ya’ off to so early anyways?” he asks, eager to change the subject. He takes another sip of his coffee while you reply.

“Oh, first day working at Grind. You know it?” Joel's demeanor changes in a subtle way that you may not have seen if you weren’t so focused on trying to read him.  

“Oh. Yeah..” he chides and looks down, pensive in thought as he brings his hand to the back of his neck and rakes it through his hair. “I know the place.” He glances back up and avoids eye contact. The bite in his voice does not go unnoticed, but you don’t pry. 

An uncomfortable subject; noted.   

“Better coffee than this I reckon” he says as he places his thermos back in the center console. He attempts to lighten the tone and then glances at his watch.

“I gotta get to work, sweetheart. Keep your car runnin’ for a bit and you should be all set. Probably get that battery replaced.” His tone is more serious now, more business-like. You realize you had been waiting in his truck longer than necessary. You really have to get to work anyways. 

You thank him again and return to your car. He waits for you to get in and raises his fingers off his steering wheel in a lazy wave to signal he was leaving. He backs out of your driveway and heads down the road towards town.

You take a deep breath and adjust the knobs in your car. Joel had put everything on high heat and full blast for you and your car was now unbearably toasty. You tune your radio and ease into the road and on your way to work. 

All the while your mind can’t stop thinking about your charming, handyman neighbor. 

So that's Joel Miller. You smile to yourself and faintly feel butterflies in your stomach. Anxious thoughts that excite and frighten you.  

–

It took Marlene all of five minutes to become your new work bestie. She was efficient and smart and knew her way around the place. She was the only one working when you arrived and despite the line of customers she was friendly and teased you for arriving late on your first day. 

Marlene had great rapport with everyone. It was apparent that the customers were all regulars and she wasted no time introducing you to them. She had a somewhat forward style but it was well received because she knew exactly what she was doing and didn’t waste time being flowery and over the top. It reminded you of the brashness of Boston.

After the morning rush things were relatively calm. You had time to chat and get to know her a little more while she was showing you the ropes. It wasn’t complicated and you were a quick study.

By mid afternoon it was time to close up shop. The hours were a perk. You were scheduled to work weekdays from open till close and would have to occasionally help out on Saturdays. Marlene worked the same shift and the weekends were mostly covered by high schoolers. 

It was just after 2 o’clock when the owner, Tess, stopped by. 

“How did it go?” she asks you both as she takes a seat and rests her bag on the counter. Marlene had no intention of telling her you were late and talked you up, pleased with your presence. Tess had a few other properties she owned so her time at the coffee shop was only as needed and Marlene you learnt was more or less the one who ran things day to day. 

You recap the day and thank her again for the job. You did genuinely enjoy the work. It was easy. Simple and straightforward. You got to know lots of town folk and everyone was curious and interested in meeting the new girl in town.

Tess seemed pleased enough and was quick to head out. She was friendly but brief and gave the impression she had other responsibilities that demanded her attention. She joins you behind the counter briefly and pours herself a black hot coffee in a to-go cup. Another perk of the job was indulging in all the free coffee. 

“Let me know if you guys need anything!” She says energetically as she collects her bag and heads out the door. She flips the sign to “closed” as she leaves. 

“Tess is cool. She doesn’t interfere too much and we only see her a few times a week, if that.” You nod to acknowledge Marlene. “Lets finish cleaning up and get out of here.”

It was nice leaving with the sun bright and warm. Winter meant shorter days, so getting out of work with a few hours of daylight felt luxurious. The bitter cold from the morning had made its departure. 

You had been so focused with work it wasn’t until you got back to your car that you allowed yourself to think about Joel again. You know you shouldn’t but can’t help feeling turned on at the thought of him. He was handsome in that brooding, mysterious way and he emanated competence. It was refreshing and welcomed. 

You decided to send him a text message. You had his number in your recent contacts after all and you were curious if he would play along. You were certain that there was something sparked between the two of you, but unsure if he would act on it. Unsure if there were too many obstacles between you.

You keep it simple and friendly.   

You: Thanks again for your help! 

Your car starts up with no issue and you head home. When you arrive you glance down to your phone to see a simple reply. 

Joel: Anytime

It was brief but you couldn’t help but read it with that low, southern drawl. His voice was so distinct. Polite but stern. You add him as a contact in your phone and wonder if he did the same. 

You take a shower, make some dinner and get comfortable in your bed. It’s early and you watch some TV when you hear your phone chime. You glance at your phone and see Joel Miller has you on his mind as he revives the conversation with you. 

Joel: So how did it go? 

You smile and recount this feeling like you were a teenager talking to your crush. You want to gush about your first day but you play it cool and brief. 

You: Went good, I think I’ll like it there

A few minutes pass. Against your better judgment you start to go into details but delete it before you hit send. You recalled his strange reaction earlier when you brought up Grind. This man has you second guessing yourself and you don’t want to blow it before it even begins. He replies instead before you elaborate.

Joel: Glad to hear. Thought you would. 

You: I’m exhausted though, getting to bed

You decide to be playful and see how he reacts. 

You: Goodnight, Mr. Miller.  

Joel: Just Joel. 

Joel: Goodnight darling

Darling. Even if it was just a typical Southern phrase it made you wild. It was uncommon to hear in the north and felt so endearing and warm. The knots in your stomach return as you struggle to fall asleep. Your mind is too excited to see where things go from here. You knew he was interested in you enough to keep talking. It would have been easy for him to end the conversation there and keep things formal and neighborly. 

Your mind wanders thinking about how truly handsome he is. How badly you want his manly, rough hands on your body. How his voice makes you melt. How his domineering  presence makes you tingle in your core. You feel yourself starting to get wet just at the thought of his body and what you wanted to do to it. What you wanted him to do to you. Sinful thoughts.

You slide your hand between your legs and feel yourself already wet and wanting. Your delicate fingers tease circles over your clit and it doesn’t take long before you get off. You feel ashamed to be lusting over an old man you barely know, but nevertheless wish it was Joel’s rough hands on you.   

You wonder if he is doing the same thing and sharing the same thoughts about you.

–

A few uneventful days go by and now it’s Friday. You haven’t seen much of Joel other than his truck occasionally driving off, but he had been stuck on your mind all week. Lonely nights accompanied by dirty thoughts of Joel that only fueled your yearning to get closer to him. Your inhibitions regarding age and disapproval of your parents were blinded by your building desire. It still weighed on you though. Your parents would be appalled and probably disown you if they knew. It would just be another tick on the disappointment list.   

Work is busy and the day flies by. Just a few hours to go. You are taking a break, sitting at one of the tables by the front window and snacking on a blueberry scone. You reason with yourself that tonight is as good as any to try to make something happen. 

You: You doing anything tonight?

An agonizing hour passes and no reply. Your message is on read. Marlene takes notice of your change in demeanor. When things finally slow down and its just the two of you waiting around to close up she presses you.

“So.. whats going on? You look distant.” 

“Just trying to… make friends here.” You pause. “A friend in particular.” Your voice trails off. Marlene catches on quick and she had suspected you were starting to fall for someone. 

“Anyone I know?” Marlene knows everyone. You don’t want her judgment on the matter so you keep it vague.

“My neighbor. He doesn’t seem the type to come to a place like this though.” Your phone chimes and you try to play down your excitement as you look down and see it’s from Joel. You can barely contain a smile. 

Joel: Just got done a job. No plans

Marlene searches your face and rolls her eyes.  

“Just go over then. Easy enough.” she was right. 

“Yeah, I think I will.” 

The rest of the shift goes by quickly and you are both out the door by 3 o’clock.

You sit in your car and decide to just call him already. You were craving to hear his voice again and you wanted to put him on the spot. He answers quickly.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Joel. I still owe you, you know for helping me out earlier.” Joel sighs in defeat. 

“I see you aint lettin’ that go. What did ya have in mind?” 

“Can I come over tonight? I’ll bring over drinks.” Your offer was more forward than you intended, but you went with it.

“Yeah, ok. Sounds good.” He pauses and has a counter offer for you. “Come over for dinner first?” You melt at the thought and realize you haven’t responded and there is a silence while you are getting lost in your thoughts. “Grilling steaks. Nothin’ fancy.”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” You can feel your smile spilling into the phone. That sounds more than good. It sounds really fucking good.  

“Alright. Come over ‘round 7.” 

“Ok. See you tonight.” You end the call and take a deep breath. Your heart is beating out of your chest in excitement. 

–

Getting ready for the night you attempted a relaxed look. You wanted to look nice, but approachable. You had some worn jeans that tucked neatly into your Bean boots. A button down flannel that you left undone over an intentionally low cut, fitted shirt. It accented your chest just right. You wore your hair down and went light on the makeup. You threw on a light leather jacket and grabbed the six pack of beer as you head across the street. 

Joel opens the door and leans in the doorframe with a casual figure, taking you in while he bites his lip,

“Evening' sweetheart” He steps back and holds the door open for you and gestures to come in. He was definitely a gentleman. You normally are not a fan of the pet names, but he worked them into his vocabulary so smoothly it was welcomed. 

You step inside and turn around, holding up the six pack of beer.

“Sam Adams. That ok?” He shuts the door and nods in approval. “Figured I’d bring some Boston culture over.” You step further inside. His kitchen is just off the main entrance and has an island with some bar stools at it. You make your way over and take a seat and rest the case on the countertop. 

Your eyes scan the room. His kitchen is tidy, save the spot where he prepped the steaks. You see an empty whiskey glass. Evidence that he had at least one stiff drink before you came over. You panic a little and regret not doing the same.  

“That where you lived before this?” He interrupts your thought as he stands across you at the island. His crossed forearms holding him up as he leans towards you with intrigue. He is dressed plainly in a pair of worn jeans and a plain navy blue t-shirt that hugs his arms just right. His biceps bulge as he is leaning forward and your mind is now preoccupied with just how broad his shoulders are. You almost forgot he asked you a question.

“Yeah, for a few years anyways.” You briefly recount, distracted when Joel takes a beer bottle from the case and effortlessly pops the cap with his large, calloused hands. A satisfying hiss escapes the bottle followed by a clink as the cap falls to the countertop. He slides it over to you and repeats the motion again for himself.

“Oh, wow.” you say out loud, without realizing it. Joel has that cocky side smirk again, well aware of his impressive party trick. He holds the bottle up and towards you and you do the same, clanking bottle necks together and taking a sip. Your eyes are locked on each other for a moment; trying to read each other's intentions.  

“Make yourself comfortable. I’m gonna put the steaks on.” he gestures his head to the back door that leads onto the deck. He grabs his suede jacket off the back of a chair and walks towards the back entrance. You trail behind and this was the first time you really noticed just how beautiful his home was. 

His open living room and kitchen had a vaulted ceiling with massive windows lining the whole back side of the cabin. It faced the lake and you could imagine how serene it would be to watch the sunrise. The cedar walls and flooring made it feel cozy and inviting. There was a large wood stove in the center of the living room and an open loft above the back of the living room. The deck seemed to wrap along a good part of the home. 

“Your home is beautiful.” It had looked so much more discrete from the road; tucked behind some pines and a long driveway. The backyard was a short distance to the lake and sloped slightly down to a dock. Joel probably had a boat parked there in the summer. The cabin was perched perfectly with a breathtaking view; isolated and private from the world.

“Thank you. I built it myself. Me and my brother Tommy.” 

“Thats… impressive.” 

“Eh, just comes with being a contractor. Made more sense to build my own place the way I wanted.” There it was again, that feeling in your core that excites you. Joel likes to be in control, and he has the skill set to back it up making it all the more alluring. 

Its a cool night, but not uncomfortably cold to be outside for a few minutes with a jacket. In fact, you are grateful to have the crisp air to help ground you and calm you down. It was embarrassing how easily Joel could work you up. You lean over the railing and gaze out over the lake while he tends to the grill for a moment and then joins you at the railing.

“I spent a few years there myself. Boston.” This was news to you, but you were still curious about his Southern accent. 

“And… before?” 

“Texas.” He takes a sip of his beer. “Most my life.” You smile and give a slight laugh. 

“Well, that certainly explains things. You don’t exactly sound like a New Englander” you tease him. Joel laughs and looks a little distant. Something you have come to realize about Joel is that he has a lot on his mind he doesn’t say out loud. His mysterious demeanor was something you found as attractive as it was frustrating. 

“You like it here so far?” He asks.

“I do. Its simple and peaceful. Life is easy here.” you realize while saying this out loud that you mean it. You really are enjoying your time in Kineo more than you ever had expected. “And… my neighbor isn’t so bad.” You tease. Joel rolls his eyes and returns to the grill, pulling the steaks off.

“Mine is a pain in the ass.” He jokes as he closes the grill. He wasn’t wrong. You were persistent if anything. 

–

Dinner is laid back and enjoyable. He has a small dining room table but you choose to sit next to each other at the island drinking your Sam Adams and enjoying your ribeye steaks. Joel cooked them to perfection. You stay seated long after you are done eating, getting carried away with conversation. Your bodies are facing each other and knees knocking into his as you get animated with your storytelling. 

Joel mostly listens while you ramble on. The more you drink the lower your inhibitions get. You are a lightweight to begin with and it doesn’t take much. You don’t even notice that he isn’t really listening to you anymore. His focus has left your well intended words and shifted to your body. He’s looking at your low-cut shirt teasing him. The way you brush your hair out of your face when you laugh. How your neck looks so inviting when you tilt your head back to take a sip of beer, You don’t register that he is eyeing you crudely like you are a piece of meat. That he is fighting every urge inside him to just lose himself with you. 

He inches his hand along the countertop closer to yours until he is grazing your wrist with a light touch and dragging his fingers back across yours. It sends a shiver through your body as you become aware how he is looking at you and how painfully reserved his touch is. It is polite but intrusive. He watches how it makes you feel. How you start to come undone. 

Your pent up feelings are starting to overwhelm you and you excuse yourself reluctantly. Your heart starts to race and you wonder if he can hear it beating. 

You get up and bring your plate over to the sink to wash it. It is a distraction more than anything while you gather yourself. Joel watches you from behind for a moment. You can feel his gaze burning into you and brace yourself against the counter. You like the way it feels. The way he makes you feel wanted. 

That loud silence returns. The air in the room feels heavy. He joins you at the sink and you can feel his heat envelop you as he approaches you from behind. His broad body boxes you in and makes you feel small and vulnerable. 

Joel takes his hands and dances his fingers down your arms lightly. His touch starts a fire inside you and you crave a heavier hold. You need him like you need air in your lungs. He presses a gentle kiss behind your ear and another one drags to your jawline and to the soft meat of your neck. His coarse beard scrapes against your skin and makes you shudder. You press your ass into him and feel him hard against your lower back. He responds by pressing into you firmly and brings his mouth to your ear. 

“You feel what you do to me, beautiful girl?” He asks with his low, gravely voice and presses another kiss into you. His heat is searing into you. 

He agonizingly slides his hands down to your hips and turns you to face him. He pushes your body gently against the countertop and moves one of his hands up to caress your face. He presses his hips into you and holds your chin gently between his thumb and finger. He stares down at you with a thirst in his eyes. He narrows his focus to try to get a reading on you. Your mouths are just inches apart. There is a hunger he is resisting but the wolf inside is slowly starting to win over reason. 

“I want this, Joel.” You stare up at him and make sure he can see the desire in your eyes and that you are serious. You want to remove any hesitations he has on your account. You try to rock your hips into him but he has you pinned. He can feel your needy attempt.  

“We shouldn’t…” Joel pleads, but his words are empty and not speaking the same language as his body. 

Your age, your parents, your unfamiliarity with one another all should be reason enough to quelch this flame, but it just makes you want it that much more. He has wanted you since he first laid eyes on you that morning he came to your rescue. He wants to be respectful but fails, instead teasing you with how much he wants you. The hesitance is an illusion that he has kept up until that moment. Your body is trapped against his and he is looking at you like you are prey in his clutches. You had suspected and even hoped that Joel was a dominant lover with how confident he carried himself.   

You seize the opportunity to show him just what he is doing to you. 

You push your tongue into him and taste him; sweet and malty. His warm and wet mouth is inviting and intense. All reluctancy fades away as he gives in to you and takes control with his tongue. You can feel his cock is hard and straining against his jeans as he rocks into you. Your arms hang around his neck and tangle into his hair as you grind against each other. The friction of both your bodies sending each other into a frenzy.

He drags his mouth away, biting at your lower lip as he moves along your jawline to the soft skin at your neck. You stretch your head back giving him full access to your bare neck as he nips at you hungrily. His scruffy beard rubs roughly against your supple skin and feels so good. One hand roams up your shirt while his mouth traces lower and lower down to your collarbone. He thumbs and circles over your nipple. He can feel it harden through your bra and engulfs your breast with his large hand. His touch is brazen but you welcome it. You can feel just how badly he wants to devour you and it makes you moan.   

He slides his expert hand from your breast and drags it down to your jeans. He unbuttons them hastily with force and works his hand slowly inside. Your underwear is already wet from your arousal. He pulls his mouth away from you and has a devilish grin as he grabs at your pussy and narrows his eyes on you.

“You’re so wet for me.” He says breathlessly with anticipation while he has you in his grasp. 

He slides his hand inside your waistband and teases your clit as his hand slides against you. You want to reply to him but your words are trapped beneath the moans caught in your throat. He brings a finger to your opening and slowly pushes the tip inside you. The pressure from his large, calloused fingers makes you buck into him. He rubs his thumb over your clit as he slowly teases your entrance with his finger. He takes it slow and when he thinks you are ready he slips another one inside.

You can feel your walls clench around his obscenely thick fingers and he pushes deeper. Twisting and playing at your entrance and thrusting in. Your hips writhe in his grasp. While one hand is busy with your cunt the other has an iron grip on the back of your neck. His mouth messily returns to the soft skin above your collarbone and into the crook of your neck. You are completely at his mercy and can’t imagine any other place you’d want to be. 

You are so tight but he stretches you open artfully. Moans escape your lips as you gasp when his fingers dip further into you, reaching that perfect part deep inside. 

“Come for me.” He pants into you with a snarl as you convulse on him.  

He doesn’t let up and fucks you relentlessly with his fingers until you are coming and moaning his name. Incoherent expletives escape you while you soak him.   

You ride the wave of pleasure for as long as you can. It has been too long since you had fucked around with someone. However, no one had ever so masterfully gotten you off with just their fingers. The way he handled your body and worshiped you with his mouth was intoxicating. 

As you come down from your high he slides his wet fingers from inside you and pulls his mouth away with a final ravenous kiss on your swollen lips. He places a kiss on top of your head and pulls you in close for an embrace. The hard protrusion against your body makes itself painfully known.   

Joel presses his forehead against yours as he works to unzip his jeans and free himself. His fingers are wet with your slick. He smirks at you as his hand glides over his swollen cock and rubs your wetness all over his length. His breathing shallows as he strokes himself with one hand and braces his body on the countertop with the other. His swollen head grazes your belly with each thrust into his fist. 

You watch him wantonly as he palms himself with more vigor. Joel’s cock is thick and intimidating, but you crave it in the worst way. It is by far the largest you have ever seen. It glistens in your slick and the precum that was beading at the head. A desire builds inside you and you yearn for more of Joel. Want him in your hands, your mouth, your cunt.  

“Let me, please?” your voice comes out barely above a whisper. His hand slows and comes to a stop. He stretches out his arms to hold him up against the counter as he hovers above you and lets you take over. 

You reach out and grab on to him. You marvel at its size and how weighty it feels in your hands as you start to rub them up and down. His skin is hot and velvety smooth and pulled tightly. Your pace is much slower but more precise. You feel the veins bulge under your grasp as your fingers glide up and down his length.  

A moan hitches in his throat as you rub your thumb over his sensitive tip. You do it again and again. Teasing Joel Miller feels dangerous. You can feel how ragged he is and how close he is to coming. You want to make him come undone.  

“God, damn it.” Joel grunts under his breath. He peels back your hand and painfully pulls it off of him. His cock twitches at the loss of your touch. He stands up straight and towers over you as you shrink back.  

“Get on your knees.” He commands with his hand firmly on your wrist as he pulls your face closer to his. It sends a shiver through your body and you oblige. Any warmth in his eyes has been lost and he is staring at you; dark and menacing. He throws your wrist away and grips his hand along the side of your neck. His touch is rough and urgent. His fingers snake around to the back of your neck as he pulls you closer to him while you drop down. They twist into your hair and he has a hold on the back of your head. It doesn’t hurt, but his grasp is firm and might if you tried to fight it.  

He takes his cock back in his grasp with his other hand and pumps it. His movements are jerky and his breathing is labored. You can tell he is so close. He roughly pulls your head back by your hair to look up at him.

“You gonna’ finish what you started?” he asks with darkened eyes. “Then open up.” He commands you through clenched teeth. 

You respond with an uncontainable smirk. You part your mouth slowly and let your tongue hang out, never taking your eyes off his. You sit back onto your knees so that you are slightly under him and wait patiently. He widens his stance. His hand slides to the top of your head and tangles in your hair. You can feel him slowly starting to lose control and come undone before you while he strokes himself. You brace yourself, hooking your fingers into the back of his thighs and clawing at his jeans. You can smell his sex and feel his heat but he holds you just out of reach and makes you wait while your thirst grows. 

Finally he taps the head of his weighty cock against your tongue and you lick at his slit, sending him over the edge. He groans as his thick spend coats your tongue and drips messily onto your chin. You close your mouth around him as he begins to stall out and swallow, pulling the final drops of cum from him while you choke his cock with your mouth. 

“Good girl.” He rasps at you. “So fucking good.” His grip on you loosens and he tenderly drags his hand along your jawline. You relax your mouth and let him slide himself out. He groans when your tongue licks the underside of him as he pulls out. 

He thumbs over some of his mess that falls out of your mouth and curls his thumb over your bottom lip. You lick him clean and he moves to hold your face in his hands while you look up at him.

“My good girl.” His words shoot straight to your core and make you weak. He brushes your hair behind your ear and helps you up. He places another kiss on your head and wraps his arms around you. His hot and heavy body feels so good against yours. You tilt your head up and press your mouth into him one more time.

“Are we even now?” you joke. Joel smiles. Everything about him feels warmer. He peels himself away from you and steps back, leaning against the island. You adjust your clothes and zip yourself back up while he does the same.

“Actually… think I might owe you now.” Joel says with a playful tone. He crosses his arms in front of his chest and shakes his head at you like he can’t believe his predicament. You like the idea of Joel owing you. 

–

You don’t spend the night. He offers to walk you home but you opt to go alone. It felt good to get some fresh air, to clear your head and recap the night. You also wanted to leave him wanting more.

You weren’t sure what would come from this situation with Joel, but you knew you barely scratched the surface with him. He was rough around the edges but you liked that about him. You liked that a lot. 

END CHAPTER

(Part 2!)

A/N: More to come! Undecided how many chapters but I have quite a bit mapped out. Please be kind. This is my first fic and it is nerve wrecking to post! If you loved it, PLEASE let me know. I'd love to know your thoughts so far! What did you like? What do you want more of? How much angst can your heart take? I aim to test it in future chapters. Comments/Reblogs are appreciated so much. Thank you all

Also special thanks to @magpiepills for the lovely cover photo (and her mood board inspirations she helped with along the way!) and to both her and @legendary-pink-dot for reading my first draft and giving their feedback AND courage to post this.

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Love to my friends who give me the courage and support to do all the things @magpiepillsjunior @legendary-pink-dot @exquisiteserotonin @youandmeand5bucks @redhotkitchen @sparklefarts38 @pink-whiskey-woman @for-a-longlongtime @secretelephanttattoo

[something-tofightfor]

Liminality: Part 8

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 11,224

Rating: M? R? There's no smut but the overall mood of this one is adult.

Summary: With everything out in the open, you and Frankie begin to navigate finding the balance between what's going on between the two of you and what that means when it comes to his friends.

You can only tell them so much, but what you do choose to tell them speaks volumes.

Author’s note:

Hello, friends! This is a setup chapter, but it's really, really important. As always, thank you so much for reading! I am always around for questions and comments about this (and any of my other) stories ... so please feel free to reach out.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

Frankie woke you up the following morning, and unlike the first night you’d spent together, there was no apology. 

He was touching you, though, his entire hand moving up and down your side beneath the blankets. “Morning.” He smiled, half of his face hidden by the pillow. “How’d you sleep?”

“Better than I thought I would, to be honest.” Ducking your head and pressing your face to his chest as you yawned, you were very aware of the way his fingers curled in against your skin, his hand settled atop your hip. “You?”

“I didn’t dream.” Frankie murmured the words, shifting closer to you as he spoke. “And I always dream, especially after the full moon. It gets real vivid for a couple days, but not this time.” You wondered why that was, and if him having some answers had settled his mind. “I like waking up next to someone.” 

“Someone?” Backing away enough so that you could look into his eyes, you arched a brow. “Ouch.” 

“You know what I mean.” He rolled his eyes, lifting one leg to hook it over yours. “Do you always give guys such a hard time first thing in the morning when they’re still waking up?” I could make so many comments about hard things, but I’ll spare him this one time. 

“No.” Biting down on the corner of your lip, briefly closed your eyes before reaching up and running your fingers through his curls. “Not all of them. Just you.” 

He was silent for a few seconds but then said your name, Frankie speaking quietly and waiting until you were looking back at him before he leaned in. 

Unlike the first morning with him, he didn’t hold back, lips pressing against yours for a lingering kiss. No matter what had been discussed, it was still dangerous for you to let yourself get used to it - to his proximity, to the way he made you feel, to the fact that with every kiss and touch, you wanted another immediately after. But I can’t help it. And even if I tried, I … I don’t think it would matter. 

“I meant it.” He spoke again when he pulled away, the hand on your hip sliding back and around your waist, his fingers spread over your lower back. “Everything I said last night. I know when we met I said I wasn’t looking for anything long term, but … fuck. The idea of not having this anymore? Not knowing if you’re safe? I don’t like that at all.”

“This is fast, Frankie.” You took a deep breath, unwilling to break eye contact. It’s really fast. And that scares me. “I meant what I said too, but I just worry.” I don’t know how to say this. “What if what you’re feeling - what we’re feeling is because of how fucked up this situation is? What if it’s just because we’re both on high alert because of the Chaos wolf?” 

You saw the hurt flash across his features, and for a few seconds, you wondered if you’d said the wrong thing. But he finally nodded, closing his eyes. “It is. And I’ve never moved this fast before, either.” Frankie sat up then, the movement startling you. When he looked down, you saw the determined look in his eyes, his shoulders settling as he nodded. “I have to trust what I’m feeling. I’ve been with more than a few women since I got bitten. One of them was the woman that I loved for years. It’s never been like this with any of them. Ever.” 

You sat up, too, holding the blankets over your chest in an attempt to keep yourself covered. “Did Ashley talk to you about the trust thing?” He nodded, a small frown putting a crease between his brows. “I’m not surprised. Alec said she doesn’t really have a filter.”

“I don’t either, so it was a good conversation.” He grinned then, the expression breaking the tension. “And like I said last night, too, I don’t expect a lifelong commitment, just … I want a real shot at this.” Frankie gestured between the two of you, cocking his head to the side. “Because you’ve got to admit that there’s something here, and it’s not just sex.” 

“It’s not.” It never has been. “But if we’re going to do this, Frankie? What do we tell people? And by people I mean your friends, because -”

“We tell them the truth. Or some of it, at least.” He reached for your hand, sliding his fingers between yours and squeezing. “Pope already knows about why you’re here, but he said we should be careful.” Careful? What do you mean? “The guys knowing that you know what I am is one thing, but them knowing what you’re doing here?” He shook his head. “That’s too many people, especially with this other wolf on the loose.” 

“Why? Would they say something?” You were confused - none of his friends seemed like the type to let a secret like yours slip. Especially after they kept Frankie’s for so long. “Who -”

“None of them would say anything.” He sighed, looking away for a minute and then back at you. “On purpose anyway. But Benny and Will have the bar, and all it would take was one of them opening their mouths to the wrong person, and it could be dangerous for you.” 

You hadn’t thought of that, but his reasoning made sense. “Alec said… Alec said that the wolf that bit him was methodical, that it was smart.” He nodded, eyes still on you. “And you said there’s a lot of cops and military in the bar, right?” 

“Right.” Frankie swallowed hard. “And if it’s one of them? Or someone one of them knows and they’re protecting him?” He reached up with his free hand, swiping his thumb beneath your eye. “Puts a target on your back that doesn’t have to be there.” You shivered at his words, but Frankie didn’t flinch. “You knowing about me is fine, but anyone else knowing about you?” He shook his head. “It’s an unnecessary risk that I’m not interested in taking.” 

“That makes sense, but then how would I know about you?” Licking your lips, you reached up to rub the back of your neck. “You haven’t told anyone. Why would you tell me? I’m a stranger, Frankie. And as far as any of them know, I’m just someone you’re occasionally sleeping with for a little while while I’m here working, and -”

“That’s not at all what you are, and you know it.” You heard the hurt in his voice, almost like even thinking that that was the case made him angry. “And… I thought about that when I woke up this morning.” He inched closer, taking both of your hands in his and holding them, the man saying your name quietly. “It’ll be a lie, but I think I figured something out.”

“I don’t want you to lie to your friends.” He can’t do that. Not for me. Not about this. “It -”

“I’m going to tell them that I told you because once I found out how close you were to where the attack happened?” He squeezed harder, his hands warm in yours. “I lost control. And I started to shift in front of you and there was no option but to tell you.” That could work. You were silent, thinking, and Frankie was too. 

It was a plausible explanation, and since all of them had seen Frankie change before, they would know how much of a shock it was to see unexpectedly. But it’s still a lie. “That would mean telling them that you can change when the moon’s not full.” He nodded slowly. “And it would mean that they’d know you’re reacting emotionally to the thought of -”

“Yeah.” He let go of one of your hands, gaze falling to the inside of his forearm as you ran your fingers over the scarring beneath the ink. “And I can already hear the shit they’ll give me for falling so fast for someone, but …” He looked up again and shrugged. “It’s the truth. You’ve seen it with your own eyes more than once. My focus is not the best around you.” That made you smile, heat rising to your cheeks as you bit down on the inside of one. Falling for me? Is he … did he just? Oh, fuck. “You’d have to sell it, though. Act like it was a big adjustment, like the idea of -”

“I can do that.” Your smile widened. “Pope’s going to know that we’re full of shit.” You shrugged, laughing. “Despite my overall reaction, Frankie, this is a shock to me. And even though I’ve seen you start to shift, I’ve never seen anyone go all the way.” Closing your eyes, you took a breath to steady yourself. “I’ve never seen an actual wolf or anyone become a wolf. So I only know bare minimum about what actually happens when you turn.”

“Would you want to?” You heard fear in his voice, Frankie’s breathing shallow. “See a wolf, I mean.” Has he ever asked that of anyone? I doubt it. 

“Would I want to see you?” He nodded, the motion hesitant. “I’d like that very much.” You could feel his relief at that, Frankie closing his eyes and letting out a woosh of breath as his posture loosened. “Is that possible?”

“You could come with me next time.” He leaned in, nodding. “It’s September second, so we have what, a little more than three weeks until the next full moon? It would mean that you can’t look for the Chaos wolf that night, but it might still be useful.” 

He was offering you a true glimpse into the most private part of his life - something that he’d reserved only for his brothers for three years. But that delays me by a month. It meant that there’d likely be another attack, someone else getting hurt because you’d chosen to spend the full moon with Frankie. But I want to. And it’s just as likely that this wolf will be in that area as any other, so … “Ok.” The single word made you feel lighter, and you watched as Frankie’s eyes widened in response. Did he think I’d say no? “But only if you’re sure, Frankie. I don’t want you to feel like you need to show me if you’re not ready.”

“I said I wanted to give this a shot.” He swallowed and then rubbed his fingers against his cheek, his frown returning. “And that means showing you what you’d really be agreeing to, wolf and all.” It was a big step - and you both knew it. I don’t even know what to say. “But that’s enough about that right now. Do you know when the last time I had a Saturday off was?”

“No, I don’t.” Covering your mouth as you yawned, you you hummed with your exhale. “And I didn’t know you were off today. How’d you manage that?”

“Only had a single flight booked and they canceled.” His smile grew. “And that means I’ve got all day free today, if you wanted to hang out.” You grinned back, deciding that if Frankie could let everything go for the time being, you could, too. It’s not like we’re going to find this wolf today anyway. There’s plenty of time to focus on that. 

“Does hanging out with you include breakfast, Francisco?” 

— 

For the next two days, you and Frankie kept to yourselves, only leaving his house to go back to yours for a change of clothes. He had Sunday off, too, and at his suggestion, you packed up the suitcase full of research and your laptop and took it to his place so that you could spend time going over it together. 

He read quietly, eyes moving over the writing in each of the journals. Frankie flipped back and forth between pages, occasionally reaching for corresponding photos and then studying them. He asked you questions and you did your best to answer him, filling him in on more things that you’d learned throughout the years whenever you could. 

You liked his curiosity and appreciated the way he actually listened when you spoke, dark eyes locked with yours. You could almost feel the change in him as the hours passed, his mood much different than it had been prior to the two of you coming clean with each other. Part of you wondered if it was just that he’d finally been able to open up to someone about himself and didn’t have to hide everything during conversation. But the other part of you - the rational part - assumed that it had more to do with the fact that he knew more about what he’d been turned into and what he could expect from his life moving forward.

It didn’t really matter though. Whatever it was that had lightened his mood, you were thankful for it. Because Frankie seemed happier - smiling and loose, making the best of the situation that you found yourselves in without pushing you away. And if this is the first time it’s been that way since it happened? It’s all worth it. 

You knew the bubble would burst sooner than you liked when it came to getting back on track with your search - and back into the routine of him going to work and hanging out with his friends. So when you said goodbye to him on Monday morning, it was you that brought it up as the two of you stood in his driveway, the early morning sun just beginning to warm the air. 

“When are we going to tell them?” Your arms were crossed, eyes on Frankie as he sipped from the travel mug that you’d given back to him. “Don’t you guys usually meet up during the week at the bar? Would that be a good time?” 

“It would.” He nodded, adjusting the baseball cap on his head. “And I’m not sure when I’ll see them this week. Maybe Wednesday? The holiday today fucks everyone up, but I haven’t really talked to anyone about it.” Frankie lifted a brow, staring at you. “Just been talking to you a hell of a lot these last few days.” 

That made you laugh, the sound turning into a sigh as you ducked your head. He has. We’ve spent a lot of time together. Maybe too much. “Are you saying that you want to talk to me less Frankie?” 

“Hell no.” He leaned in through the open window to set the mug down in the center console and then moved toward you, reaching out to put his arms around your waist. “I’m just saying that I haven’t made plans with any of them because I’ve been with you.” You nodded, but before you could speak he leaned in closer, tilting his head so that he could kiss you softly. “The next couple days are pretty busy for me. I’ve got scheduled maintenance tomorrow for the helo. I never know how long that’s going to take but I have to be there early.” You nodded, the tips of your fingers moving through the curls at the back of his neck. “So I might not be able to see you ‘til Wednesday. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Of course not.” You rolled your eyes. “It’s work, Frankie. You have people depending on you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t need to work. I -”

“Having an ungodly amount of money doesn’t mean you should stop doing the things you love.” You pointed up. “And you love flying. I’ve seen how happy you are up there. You might not need to work for financial reasons, but you need it for emotional ones.” Leaning in, you kissed him again, mouth lingering and your teeth closing around his lower lip as you pulled away. “Believe it or not, I can find something to keep myself occupied for a few days.” 

“Not too occupied, though.” He mumbled your name, one hand sliding beneath the bottom hem of your shirt so that he could rest his palm against the center of your lower back. “Right?” 

“We’ll see.” You winked and backed away, reaching for your keys. “You should go, though. I don’t want to make you late.” He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t, nodding before he turned back toward the door of the truck. Wait, though. “Frankie?” He stopped immediately, looking back at you over his shoulder. “These last couple days?” Frankie nodded, waiting. “I… they’ve been…” Biting your lip, you reached up to scrub at your face. “They’ve been really good days. Really fuc-”

“Yeah. They have.” His fingers tightened on the door, Frankie nodding once. “I’m looking forward to having more of them.” Neither of you said anything after that, and by the time you’d buckled yourself in and started your car, you were breathing normally again. 

There were things you could do to keep yourself busy. There were places you could go, people you could talk to, preparations you could make. It would have been nice to have a partner, but you didn’t need one, and you didn’t want Frankie to think that you did. Because I managed just fine before him. I found the wolf… wolves here, and that was on my own.

But at the thought of the other wolf, you thought of Alec, and realized that you hadn’t heard from him or Ashley since you left the hospital. And I should I have.

On the way home, you called Ashley’s number, the ringing filling the interior of your car until she answered on the fourth one, greeting you warily. “Ashley? What’s wrong. Is the b-”

“The baby’s fine. It’s Alec.” Sitting up straighter, you tightened your hold on the steering wheel. “He’s going to be ok, but the antibiotics weren’t strong enough, and his side is … it’s infected.” You swore, groaning as you pulled into the driveway of your rental and parked the car. “Everything else is good. We were actually planning on leaving this week, but now we don’t know if that’s going to happen.” 

“You’ve got to be going stir-crazy in there.” She confirmed, but didn’t say anything else. “Is there anything I can bring you guys? Anything you need? Do you need me to come sit with him so you can take a shower, or -”

“I’m using the shower in his room.” She sighed. “And I’ve left a few times to go out and get things, but yeah. When I was with Frankie in the courtyard, that was the longest I’ve been outside in days.” 

“I was going to see if you wanted me to come visit.” You sighed, eyes on the dashboard. “Now I don’t think it’s not a good idea.” 

“It probably isn’t.” She cleared her throat. “He’s in and out of it. They changed his medicine, and he’s been kind of an asshole because he feels like shit, and we’re both tense.” She paused. “But how are you? How’s he doing? Did you talk more?”

“We did. He’s good. He just went to work.” You got out of the car, slinging your bag over one shoulder. “I spent the weekend with him. We talked a lot. It’s…” Entering the living room, you dropped the bag onto the chair and then lowered yourself onto the couch. “It felt really good to be so honest with him, Ashley. Whatever you said to him, he seems much different now.” 

“Bad different?”

“No. Fucking great different. He knows that there are actual answers out there and I think he’s determined to find them.” 

“He’s a smart guy.” You could hear the smile in her voice as she continued. “He just needed some help.” You didn’t disagree, but Ashley’s next words stunned you. “I hope he told you how much you mean to him.” 

“He told you?” She confirmed with a single word, but didn’t elaborate. “I… yes. He did. He told me that he wants to help me with the Chaos wolf and then … see what happens.” 

“You should do that.” She said your name and then paused, the tone of her voice changing. “The world’s not going to end if you stop looking for these wolves. You and Alec… it’s not on you to try and save everyone.” 

You knew that she was right - and she was the third person in less than a week that had said the same thing, though in a different way. “We’re going to try. I don’t know what’s going to happen.” You didn’t need to elaborate. If there was anyone that would understand, it was Ashley. “Will you let me know when Alec’s feeling better? I’ve got nothing planned for the next couple days, and I’d like to see him before you leave.” 

“Of course.” You heard the sound of another voice on her end, and then the woman apologized, letting you know that your cousin’s doctor had arrived. You hung up soon after that, standing and turning in a slow circle in the sun-drenched living room. For the first time in a long time, you were totally content - and it was a shock. 

You had a man that cared about you, and wasn’t just a one-time fling. You had a solid lead on one of the wolves that you’d been hunting, and time to prepare. Your cousin was free to live his life, had a woman that loved him along with a baby on the way. You were under no pressure to keep doing pointless research in the area, and could focus entirely on your real work. And I’m not alone. I have help. I have Frankie. 

It was fast - almost too fast, if you were being honest - but it felt right in a way that you hadn’t ever experienced before. Frankie being a wolf should have thrown you. It should have been setting off alarm bells in your head, and giving you pause before continuing the physicality between you. It doesn’t, though. And it hasn’t. 

You’d never truly been afraid of him, even the morning you’d held him at gunpoint. He’d never posed any sort of threat to you, even in wolf form. Or when he’s started to change in front of me. There were plenty of reasons to fear Frankie, and you had an idea that there were things he’d done that scared him, especially while enlisted. And after, too. But he was loyal. He was kind. He was protective of the things and people that he cared about - and one of those things was you. 

Of all the things that you and Frankie had talked about over the weekend, the one you were absolutely certain of was that whatever was going on between you had already reached and passed the point of no return. Promises of protection and help, the way he touched you, the way your body responded to him - the way you wanted to be around him at all times - there was no way to ignore any of it. 

He’d broken rules with you from almost the start, beginning with the fact that he’d put his teeth to your throat the night you’d met. Despite the fact that he’d managed to restrain himself somewhat in the weeks between your first time together and his admission, the feeling that he was holding back - and that it was hard for him - had always been there. 

“Fuck.” 

You spoke to the empty room, bringing both hands up to your face and covering it. Thinking back to his words from that morning - that he’d fallen for you - you nodded slowly. There was no denying it. 

You’d always believed in the supernatural and had actively hunted werewolves from the age of 18 on, but the truth was that you’d never thought that you were in over your head more than you did when it came to Frankie - and the way you felt about him. 

Lowering your hands, you opened your eyes and then looked around again, chewing on your bottom lip. But if I’m in over my head, then so is he. The thought made you smile, your shoulders dropping in relief. We’re in this together. 

It was still early enough in the day that going back to bed wouldn’t have been out of the question, but instead of doing that, you made your way into the bedroom. Until he’d mentioned it that morning, you’d forgotten that it was Labor Day, which meant that the beach would probably be packed with tourists and people enjoying the last official hours of summer. You didn’t care, though, stuffing things into a shoulder bag before changing your clothes into more appropriate beach attire. 

For what it was worth, while you were in Florida, you were a tourist … and you were going to make the most of it. 

— 

Wednesday night, though, you felt like a local.

Frankie drove to your place after work, and then you drove the two of you to Ironhead’s,  

After you parked, you sat in the car for a few minutes, going over the plan. He was going to bring up the fact that you knew. He was going to lead the conversation, and you were supposed to follow, only concealing that you were in Florida to hunt the wolf - and that the person that had been most recently attacked was your cousin. Everything else was fair game, including your relationship with him.

It was a simple enough plan for you to stick with, and even though you reminded him that you hated the thought of having to lie to his friends, Frankie didn’t budge. “Pope knows what the truth is,” he reminded you as you headed across the parking lot. “But he’s the only one. He’s going to go along with us, too.” 

Frankie squeezed your hand before you stepped into the building, but he opened the door and let you walk in first, following a half step behind you. Here we go. 

Benny saw you immediately, the blonde raising his hand in a wave from his place behind the bar. You smiled back, meeting his eyes as the two of you headed for where Will and Pope were already sitting. You slid into the booth first and Frankie followed, neither of you speaking until Will pushed an already full glass toward you.

“What’s this?” His grin widened and one brow rose but he kept quiet, pushing another drink toward Frankie. “I’ve never walked into a bar and had a drink waiting for me, what is -”

“It’s just a beer.” Frankie lifted his glass, taking a long swallow. “Ironhead literally poured it from a pitcher.” 

“It’s the thought that counts, asshole.” Will rolled his eyes and then Pope laughed out loud, dragging a hand through the curls atop his head. “But you’re right. It’s just a new beer we’ve got on tap, and I’m trying to figure out if it’s one we should keep.” 

You sipped from the drink, not knowing what to expect. To your surprise, it was delicious - crisp and light, perfectly chilled … and exactly what you needed to prepare you for what was coming. You told him that you liked it and were gifted a brilliant smile from the blonde man, Will’s eyes locked on your face. “I’d order it again.” You took another drink, nodding as you swallowed. “What about you, Frankie?”

“It’s good.” He shrugged, one thumb rubbing over the condensation on the outside of the glass. “I usually go for something stronger, but this works.” 

“Stronger like whiskey?” Your attention shifted at the new voice and you widened your eyes as you watched Tom walk up to the table, a small tray of shot glasses held in one hand. “Because that’s what I have.” 

“Didn’t think you were gonna make it, Redfly.” Tom set the tray down and then took a seat next to Will, getting comfortable before he started passing out the shots. “You said you felt like shit.” 

“No, that is not what I said.” He rolled his eyes, giving you a half smile before looking at his friend. “I said I’m sore as shit because Tessa’s playing volleyball now, and I’ve been playing with her so she can practice her serves.” He scratched at his cheek, wrinkling his nose. “And I am way too fuckin’ old to be diving around after a ball, but …” He lifted the shot glass, holding it out. “The things we do for our kids, right?” 

“My kid’s not old enough to play volleyball or any other real sport yet, so I know nothing about that. But I can tell you just about anything you want to know about building sandcastles to be structurally sound or that Bluey dog.” Frankie laughed as he spoke, and then so did Pope, but you all reached for your shots, too. What about Benny? “But that explains why as soon as you walked over here, it smelled like Icy Hot, so -’

“Fuck off, ‘Fish.” Tom laughed, though, and soon enough everyone at the table was laughing -  including Benny, who’d run over last minute and picked up his glass, too. 

Once those were downed, the six of you started talking. Despite the fact that you were mostly silent, you didn’t feel left out. Instead, you were content to sit back and listen to them catch up. 

You appreciated the level of camaraderie, and were entertained by the way they all interacted, finishing each other’s sentences at times and only needing a few words to get their points across during others. You were actually jealous of what they had, because aside from Alec, you’d never had that kind of close relationship with anyone. And that’s sad. I don’t even have friends, and they’ve had this for years.

“You doin’ alright?” Pope leaned closer, speaking quietly. “You’re quiet.” 

“Not much to say.” You sipped your beer again, shrugging. “You guys are talking enough to make up for it.” 

“We’re probably talking too much, right?” Tom drank from his glass, staring at you over the rim of it. “What have you been doing? Heard you and Ben went out on a boat last week.” 

“We did.” Here goes nothing. “It was a lot less scary than I thought it would be.” You looked from Tom to Benny, the blonde’s smile small but still there. “Benny was very prepared for the gators, but they all behaved.”

“We saw a ton of ‘em.” He scoffed, finishing his drink. “They stayed away from the boat, though .And then when we heard the … whatever it was, we got the hell out of there.” 

“Heard what?” Tom frowned, looking between the two of you. “You didn’t say anything about that.” You felt Frankie’s hand on your knee then, thumb sweeping over the inside of it as he squeezed. Before Benny could answer, you did, your voice steady. 

“We heard what sounded like a wolf, Tom.” His eyebrows shot up, a quiet, disbelieving laugh following. 

“A wolf? There are no wolves in Florida. Must have been your ears playing tricks on you or something.” He shook his head, looking between the others sitting at the table. “Ben, you’ve been around enough different kinds of animals to know what -”

“I grew up in Colorado, Redfly.” Benny drank again, eyes narrowed. “I know what a fuckin’ wolf sounds like.” Tom had no reply for that, though he did look between you and Benny again, his lips set in a thin line. He’s good. He’s not giving anything away.

“Yeah, and then the next morning, I heard on the radio there was another animal attack.” You drummed your fingers on the table, like you were thinking. “Only a few miles from where me and Benny were, actually. Which makes me believe that whatever it was that we heard was what attacked him.” You paused, looking over at Benny, who was watching you with a confused expression on his face. “I know what I heard. What we heard. And it sounded like a wolf.” 

“You seem pretty sure.” Will leaned in, fingers steepled together. “There a reason for that?” 

“She knows, Ironhead.” Frankie spoke up, taking and then releasing a deep breath. “She knows that she heard a wolf, and that it wasn’t a regular wolf, either.” 

The table was completely silent, and as you looked between the other men, you felt a knot of unease growing in your stomach. We shouldn’t have said anything. This was a mistake. It - 

“What do you mean she knows, ‘Fish?” It was Pope that broke the silence, looking first at you and then at Frankie, eyes filled with concern. He’s good too. “What did you -”

“She knows what happened to me. What I am.” Frankie’s voice was quiet but even. “I told her everything.” That time, it was Benny that reacted, the man pushing away from the table and swearing under his breath, eyes averted. 

“Why the fuck, man? What -”

“She saw me start to turn.” Frankie leaned in, both hands on the table. “The morning after, Pope told me about the attack. Even though I knew she was home safe thanks to you, Benjamin, I was still worried. He dropped me off and I went over to her place, and I was just …” He looked over and met your eyes, and for the first time you saw apprehension in them. “I couldn’t stop it.”

“I wouldn’t have believed any of it if I hadn’t seen it.” 

“Seen what?” Tom cut in, his voice rising and then falling, a scowl on his face. “What the fuck did you do? How did - ”

“Must have been because it was still so close to the full moon, but she saw me start to change, Tom. I’ve never done it before, but I was so worried it just… it happened.” Frankie pulled his hat off and let it drop onto the table, fingers running nervously through his hair. “I didn’t go all the way, just …”

“His eyes. His eyes and his nose a little and …” You let out a shaky breath, meeting Tom’s gaze. “I had no idea what was going on, but I was freaked out and he just started talking.” He didn’t look away, but his frown deepened, and when Will said your name, you looked over at him, waiting.

“He told you?” You nodded, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “And you believe what he told you?”

“What choice do I have? I watched his fucking eyes change color, Will. They were gold.” You kept your voice low, though the volume of the others in the bar around you was loud enough to disguise your words. “He asked me for a chance to explain, and I was confused, but let him, and …” You shrugged. “Here we are.” 

“No, shit.” Benny’s grin grew as he looked back and forth between you and Frankie. “‘Fish finally told someone? And you just accepted it? No problem?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say it’s no problem.” You forced a laugh, finishing your beer and then pushing the glass away. “I didn’t wake up last week thinking I’d find out that Frankie is …” Looking down, you took a deep breath to steady yourself. This is where I have to be convincing. “A wolf.” You said the last part with your head turned toward him, eyes locked with Frankie’s. “But he told me what happened, and based on what I saw and heard in those woods, I believe him.” 

“I showed her the tracker.” Frankie nodded once at you and then looked away, making eye contact with everyone in turn. “So she knows I wasn’t the one she and Benny heard in the woods that night.” He sighed. “And she now knows that there’s a second wolf here, too. And that that one’s not as nice as me.” 

“Well fuck.” Will swiped a hand over his hair, head shaking in disbelief. “That changes things.” It does. 

“Are you going to write about him in your book?” Tom’s smile was sarcastic, his head tilted to one side. “Tampa’s very own resident -”

“No.” You spat the word out, recoiling. What the fuck? “Of course I’m not going to. Why would I?”

“Could be worth some big bucks.” He shrugged. “Even the hint of -”

“Knock it off, Tom.” Pope held up a hand. “Nobody’s saying shit to anyone. I’m sure ‘Fish told her how careful he’s been since South America. And she’s here alone, so it’s not like she’s got anyone else to -”

“I’m right here. I can speak for myself.” You cut Pope off, tone sharp. “And I’m not going to say a goddamn word, because first of all, who the fuck would believe me? And second of all, I don’t make it a habit to run around blurting out people’s secrets. My parents raised me a little better than that. Frankie’s my friend, and I understand the need for secrecy here.” 

“I thought Morales understood secrecy, too. But he told you after only a couple weeks of fucking you, and he knows nothing about you. None of us do.” You felt Frankie’s posture change next to you, and sensed the others at the table’s moods changing, too. This isn’t good.

The anger you felt was real - partially at the fact that it seemed that at least Tom was livid that you knew, and partially because you felt like you and Frankie needed to defend yourselves. But this has to be a shock to them, too. 

“You need to cool it the fuck off, Redfly.” Frankie leaned in, and when you looked over at him, you saw that his upper lip was curling, both eyes narrowed. “What I do and who I tell are not your goddamn concern.” It was quick - and if you hadn’t been looking, you would have missed it. But Frankie’s eyes flashed, his gaze never wavering away from Tom’s face. He needs to calm down. Not here. Not … 

“Can I talk to you outside, Frankie?” Tom stood, staring down at where you sat. “Just the two -”

“Use the office.” Will finally looked away and then up at his friend, clearing his throat. “It’s quiet in there. Just don’t fucking destroy anything, alright?” 

“Fine.” Frankie took a deep breath, lowering his head. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” Looking over at you, he parted his lips, head shaking back and forth. “You ok?” 

“Yeah. I’m good.” Reaching over, you squeezed his hand. “Go. You convince him I won’t ruin things for you, and I’ll convince them.” That got a smile from him, though it was brief, and moments later, Frankie was following Tom toward the back hallway, leaving you with Pope and the Miller brothers. Silence stretched between you, but no one spoke up. One of us has to. And it should be me. “Well that was awkward.” 

It was Pope that reacted first, reaching for the pitcher on the table and refilling his glass and then yours. “Sure fuckin’ was.” 

That got Benny and Will laughing, and just as suddenly as the tension thickened, it was gone. Your only worry was that within a few minutes, Frankie would tear down the hallway in wolf form, chasing after Tom. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t let himself get carried away like that. Not here.

“So you’re really OK with it?” Will wet his lips, his large hand rubbing over his bare forearm. “It’s a lot to handle. All of us were pretty freaked out.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m OK with it. I just … I had no choice but to accept it.” You stared down into your beer, watching the bubbles rise to the surface and then pop. “It wasn’t what I was expecting to hear from him, but he showed me that it wasn’t just me being exhausted and seeing things, you know? And I know he’s not lying about it. Why would he?”

“He hasn’t told anyone.” Benny closed his eyes, sighing. “Not even his ex. Yovanna doesn’t know, and she’s been with Pope since right after it happened.”

“I wouldn’t say she doesn’t know.” Pope actually laughed, reaching over and settling his hand atop yours. “I haven’t told her the truth, but she’s not stupid. She probably knew shit like that existed a hell of a long time before we did.”

“So you think she knows but won’t confirm it?” He nodded, eyeing you. “And Frankie’s never asked?”

“He hasn’t.” Pope looked away and then back at you, smiling sadly. “He’s had no answers for three years. He’s had to learn to deal with this all by himself. I don’t think she would have been able to tell him anything, but I donno. There’s only so much we can do.” 

“If ‘Fish told you, then it means something.” Will leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “And if you aren’t completely freaked out by this, then that means something, too.” It does. 

“He didn’t ask for this. And the fact that he’s able to keep from hurting people while he’s not himself means that the one attacking all of those people is dangerous to everyone. I haven’t known him for long, but I feel …” You didn’t know how to finish that sentence, and so you didn’t, looking down at the table, where the fingers of one hand were wrapped tightly around your drink. “I trust him. And that might be stupid of me because I’ve only known him a little while, but it’s the truth.” 

“He’s never hurt a human as the wolf.” Benny cut in, saying your name. “Ever. I trust him, too. We all do.” Pope and Will agreed,  both of them giving you broad smiles when you met their eyes. “And we’re protective of him. Probably much too protective of a grown man.” 

“There’s no such thing.” You relaxed then, letting out a deep breath. “You’ve known him for years, and he’s like a brother to you. Protecting your family is the right thing to do.” You thought of Alec and Ashley then, and of the way you’d spent years fighting for your family’s payback. “He’s lucky to have you.” 

“And he knows it.” Benny’s grin grew, the man leaning back in his chair as he stared at you. “None of us are ever going to let him forget it.” You laughed at that, despite the fact that you were worried about what was happening between Frankie and Tom in the office. They’ve known each other forever. They’ll work it out. They have to. 

“You’re really calm.” Will cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve only known for a couple days, but you seem … I don’t know. Unsurprised, maybe? Why is that?”

“Because my only option is to be calm.” You shrugged, reaching for your drink again. “What should I do? Run away? Freak out? Tell him I never want to see him again? This isn’t something that he can control, you know? He didn’t ask to get bitten.” 

“A lot of people would do that, though.” Pope leaned closer. “Even if they didn’t mean to.” 

“I’m not one of those people.” You touched your finger to the tabletop, pressing against a divot in the wood. “He trusted me enough to be honest with me, and I’m choosing to believe that that means he wants me in his life.” 

“What will you do when you leave?” Benny crossed his arms, one eye narrowed. “The way Tom asked was pretty asshole-y, but it’s a valid question.” You didn’t quite know how to answer. Being truthful would mean telling them that you were planning on staying, even for a little while. But only if we can deal with this wolf. 

“She’s not planning on leaving, is she.” Will’s voice was quiet, his eyes locked on your face. “Or … she’s not planning on leaving for good.” Oh, he’s … perceptive. 

“I’ll still have to work.” You didn’t look away, wanting him to see your expression with each word you said. “But I… coming back to Florida between assignments is just as much of an option as me going anywhere else is.” 

“‘Fish’s got a girlfriend!” Benny slammed his hand down, palm smacking the table’s surface. “Hell yeah.” 

You didn’t even try to contain your laugher. Instead, you reached up and covered your face with both hands once the sound trailed off and let out a groan. “There’s no label on it or anything, Benny, but …” Peeking at him, you saw that the blonde was grinning, his eyes wide. “I would be coming back or staying here to be with him, yeah.” 

Without warning, Pope leaned over and slung an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer. “Good for you.” He kissed the top of your head, nodding. “Good for him.” 

“It’s not going to be good for anyone if you keep doing that, Santiago.” Your head snapped up, and you saw that Frankie was standing a few steps away from the table, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. “I’m gone for ten minutes, and you move in? What would Yovanna think?” Where’s Tom? He’s not with him. 

“Not moving in on anyone.” Pope squeezed your arm and then removed his, straightening up. “Just congratulating her.”

“Likely fuckin’ story.” Frankie rolled his eyes and then dropped down to sit next to you again. “And before anyone asks, no, I didn’t do anything to the office. Everything is exactly how you left it. Redfly’s …” He paused. “He’s not too happy with me, but we’ll be alright.” 

“Did he leave?” Benny rubbed the space between his brows, continuing to frown. “Without saying goodbye?”

“No.” Frankie finished his beer, scoffing. “He went outside to smoke. He’ll be back in a couple minutes.” Oh. Well, that’s… sort of promising? 

You wondered if Tom would say anything to you when he came back in, but tried not to dwell on it. What had been said between the two men was exactly that: between them, and even though it involved you, that didn’t mean you had any right to know what they’d talked about. But they didn’t physically fight, and that’s the important part. 

Conversation slowly slipped back into the easy banter that it had been earlier. Will and Pope told a story about one of their first times deployed together and you listened intently, eyes flicking back and forth between them. 

They were making an effort to include you, and the fact that they’d just accepted your knowledge of Frankie’s status and moved on said volumes. They might say something to him in private, you admitted to yourself as you downed the rest of your drink. But that’s also none of my business. 

The sound of your name pulled your attention away from what was being said. When you looked up to find Tom standing at the end of the table, you were shocked to see that his posture was looser than it had been - and that there was some warmth in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t blink, maintaining eye contact. “I shouldn’t have blown up the way I did about you knowing. It’s none of my business who Morales tells. I just worry, you know? He’s my friend and I don’t want anything to happen to him.” 

It seemed genuine. Tom’s apology was an explanation for his behavior, even if it shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place. So without even looking at Frankie, you nodded and swallowed hard, reaching your hand out so that he could shake it. “I understand, Tom. I’d want to protect him and this group, too. But I swear I’m not going to say anything. I don’t even know who I would tell, to be honest.” 

“I get it.” He took a deep breath. “It’s just a shock that someone new knows after so long.”

“Wasn’t the plan to tell her, Redfly. Not so soon, anyway.” Frankie reached over and took your hand, linking your fingers together. “And it sure as shit wasn’t the plan to tell her the way I did, either.” You looked over at him then, hoping that he could see your appreciation for him in your expression. Yeah, I know. I kind of forced your hand. “But I’m still glad she knows.”

“Me too.” You squeezed his hand, closing your eyes as you nodded. “And I accept your apology, Tom. Thank you.” He nodded once and then sat again, reaching for his beer. It was tense for a few seconds and then Benny cleared his throat, reaching for the pitcher of beer. 

“So uh…” He topped off his glass, picking it up and staring at the foam for a few seconds. “I’ve been thinking about getting back in the ring.” 

It was the distraction that the entire table needed - because only seconds later, everyone was speaking, the chorus of their voices taking the focus off of you and Frankie and putting you at ease. Is this what it’s like to have friends? 

Even though you didn’t speak out loud to ask the question, you felt Frankie’s hold on your hand tighten before he released it, the man reaching over to slip his arm across your shoulders before pulling you closer to his side. This is what it’s like to have him.

—

An hour later, the night was beginning to wind down.

The beer at the table was replaced with water, and Pope had texted Yovanna to let her know that he’d be leaving in a little while. Frankie’s arm hadn’t left its place over your shoulders, and as time passed you’d leaned in even closer, your arm and shoulder flush with his.

It was nice to be affectionate in public with someone. It was more than nice that that someone was Frankie. And it was a relief that none of his friends had even really reacted to the sight of the two of you, instead choosing to keep talking. 

But when Tom stood up, throwing a $20 down onto the table, you sat up straight, keeping your eyes on him. “I’ve gotta head out too. I’m closing on an apartment with a guy tomorrow morning, and we’re meeting at 9 to do paperwork.” 

“That’s rough, man.” Pope groaned, finishing the water in his glass and then staring down into it briefly. “Why’d you schedule it so early?”

“Because afterward, I’m going with Molly.” He smiled, his grin lopsided. “It’s winery day, and -” Wait a minute. 

“You hinted at what Frankie is.” Pointing at Tom, you wet your lips. “The day I signed my lease, you gave me a bottle of wine that was …” His eyes widened and then, as he stuffed one hand into his front pocket, Tom nodded. “Howl At The Moon? Isn’t that a little on the nose?” Will swore under his breath and Benny laughed, lowering his chin to his chest and shaking his head. “He reacted to the bottle when he saw it, but I thought it was just because he didn’t drink wine. Now, though, it seems like more.” 

“You got me.” He raised and lowered his shoulders in a shrug, never looking away from you. “My wife really does love that one, but I also … I donno. I suggested you reach out to ‘Fish to fly, and I thought it’d be funny to give you that bottle knowing what I did and what you didn’t. I never thought he’d actually tell you, so it wasn’t a big deal to me.” 

It was a big deal to you, but you didn’t want to make it one, because you had no interest in ruining the night. Even though he already tried to. “Well whatever the reason you handed me that bottle, Tom, it was good. I drank it sitting in the back yard. So thank you. Your wife’s got good taste in alcohol.” Maybe not in men though. 

They said their goodbyes then, Tom waving with one hand before he turned his attention back to you. “Seems like we’re gonna be seeing more of you around. Do you think you’ll be trying to renew that lease, or looking for somewhere else?” Unbelievable. “Couple places coming open, and -”

“I’ve still got some time to decide.” You pressed your lips together, humming. “We’ll see.” He didn’t say anything in reply, but you saw his nod, keeping your attention on the man as he reached for his jacket and pulled it on. Tom visibly winced as he shoved his left arm into one of the sleeves, muttering his daughter’s name as his head shook back and forth. Wait a minute. 

You watched him for a few seconds longer, eyes narrowed. He hurt his arm, too? “Hey, you alright?” Frankie’s voice was low in your ear, breath warm where it hit your skin. “You’re holding your breath.” Shit. 

Shaking yourself out of it, you turned toward him, forcing a smile on your face. Not here. Not now. “I’m fine. Just …” You used your chin to gesture at Tom, who was walking away from the table. “He threw me off. I wasn’t expecting that kind of excuse for the wine.” 

“Kinda pissed me off, to be honest.” Will groaned, leaning in and saying your name. “Tom can be an asshole sometimes, but that’s way beyond even his usual limits.” 

“We do have a couple wolf-themed drinks on the menu.” Benny raised an eyebrow, looking between you and his brother before settling his gaze on Frankie. “Raised By Wolves? The Full Moon? That’s no better than -”

“Why are you defending him?” Pope stood, too, grabbing for his jacket and slinging it over one shoulder. “You’ve talked about wanting to kick his ass because he’s annoying more than all of us combined.”

“I’m not defending him, I’m just making the point that Redfly’s not the only one that’s alluded to ‘Fish’s … condition.” That wasn’t how you would have described Frankie becoming a werewolf, but there was no point in arguing. I’m still new here. I have no right. I just … let it go. “Ours are a little more subtle, but they’re still there.” 

“It’s not like I put two and two together or anything.” Reaching over, you settled your hand on Frankie’s knee. “Still came as a shock when he told me, so I guess there’s no harm done.” Frankie nodded at you, a small smile on his lips. He’s not that upset, so I shouldn’t be either. 

You watched as Pope also threw a bill onto the table, and then stepped away from it, telling the others goodnight. Before anyone else could speak, Frankie chose to, clearing his throat before pulling his arm from around your shoulders. “We’re gonna head out, too. I’m flyin’ tomorrow morning, and I need to get some sleep.” 

“Sleep?” Will smirked at the two of you. “That’s what they’re calling it these days?”

“Yes, Will, sleep.” You rolled your eyes, draining the last of your water as both blonde men laughed. “The last thing I want is to be responsible for Frankie taking off when he’s tired. I’m dropping him off and then going home.” 

You followed Frankie as he exited the booth, and when he also dropped money onto the table, you finally spoke up and asked about it. But it wasn’t Frankie that answered - it was Benny. 

“It’s just something we started doing when we meet up to have drinks. Since we’re taking up a table but getting our own refills, we’re taking away from the servers and bartenders making tips, so…” He pointed at the money. “We all throw in at least $20 and it goes straight to them.” 

That wasn’t something you’d seen the other times you’d met the men at the bar, but you figured that there were times when the guys didn’t have cash on them. So one of them probably covers and the others pay them back. “Well then it’s only right that I contribute, too.” You dug through your wallet, adding your money to the pile. “That’s nice of you to do that for them.” 

“Yeah, weeknights are usually a little slower anyway, but if it’s busy and we’re still all here?” Will rubbed at the back of his neck. “We kick in a little more. A lot of people will say drinking in the place you own is a no-no, but it’s only once a week if that, and we’re all pretty responsible about it.” 

“None of us take advantage, you mean.” Frankie winked at his friends, and then put his hand on your back. “Have a good night, guys.” Neither of you spoke until you were outside and you were sitting in your car - and then it was Frankie that broke the silence. “What happened in there? You froze. You were looking at Tom, and you just went stiff.” 

“Frankie, I -”

“No. Tell me. I know you’re not happy about the wine, but it was more than that.”

“It’s stupid.” You knew it was - and you also knew that the last thing you wanted to do was offend him by accusing one of his friends of something that was next to impossible. “When he put his coat on, he winced. And he winced when he tried to use his left arm, which is the one that Ashley said she bit. But there’s no way, Frankie. Right? You said he wasn’t injured in South America, and you’ve never hurt anyone. You guys weren’t able to find anything out about wolves, or find another one, so… how could he be a wolf, too?” 

“It’s not stupid.” He sighed, reaching up to scrub at his beard with one hand. “It’s a natural reaction to the fact that you’re looking for answers and you only have so much to go on.” You started the car then, putting both hands on the wheel. “I didn’t bite him, and neither did the kid. He helped me out as much as any of the other guys did, and he only stopped when he and Molly seriously got back together.”

“How long ago was that?” The more he talked, the more at ease you felt, so you wanted him to continue. 

“Maybe a year? I don’t remember exactly. They were kind of half-assing it after we got back from South America, but toward the end of Tessa’s junior year, he got serious about it. Tom’s … happier when he’s with her, so we encouraged him. He still checks in with whoever’s with me that night, he just doesn’t stay out anymore.” 

“And it’s been a week.” You sighed, coming to a stop at a red light. “He would have healed already, right? Ashley didn’t bite him hard enough to do lasting damage, so whatever she did wouldn’t still be bothering him.” You caught his nod out of the corner of your eye, his silhouette moving in the low light.

“He’s pretty out of shape.” Frankie laughed as the car started moving again, the sound filling the small space. “So him not being able to keep up with his teenage daughter on the volleyball court is … not that far-fetched.” That got a smile out of you, and both of you were quiet for the rest of your drive. You didn’t know what he was thinking about, but you were running through scenarios in your head and examining his words from multiple angles. 

Frankie knew his friends. Frankie had known his friends through years of difficult situations and important life changes. He trusted them with his life, and even though they were no longer in combat or in danger, he had no reason to trust them any less. In fact, because of his situation, he needed to trust them more. So I have to trust them, too. Even if I don’t like one of them much. 

You pulled into his driveway and parked behind the truck, turning in your seat to face him. “I’m glad they know now. It makes this a little easier.” 

“I am too.” Frankie took a deep breath and then released it slowly. “Why haven’t you asked what Tom and I talked about in the office?”

“Because it’s none of my business.” You shrugged. “If you want to tell me, you can, but whatever the two of you said isn’t something I need to know.”  

“Come inside.” He took your hand, squeezing it. “I know you said you were going to go home, but you’ve got your car. You can lave tomorrow. Doesn’t even have to be when I get up to go to work.” It was tempting, and after thinking it over for a few seconds, you realized that you had no reason to turn him down. 

“OK.” You shifted into reverse, backing up and then parking next to his truck. “This way if I don’t want to wake up when you do, we won’t have to worry about moving cars.” 

His grin was visible even in the dark, and only a few minutes later, the two of you were inside and ready for bed. 

Instead of laying down, though, you both leaned against the headboard, your temple resting against his bare shoulder. He had one arm draped over your thigh and was running his fingers idly over your skin, which was exposed beneath the hem of the oversized Ironhead’s tee you wore. 

There was nothing sexual about the way he touched you. Instead it was comforting, Frankie’s presence beside you soothing without any need for conversation. 

But when he spoke, it wasn’t to say anything that you’d anticipated. 

“I told Tom you knew about Lorea, and the first thing he asked me was if I thought you’d try to blackmail me.” 

“What?” You sat straight up and his grip on your leg tightened. “Blackmail you? Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Frankie sighed. “Tom’s … really money motivated. Always has been. And to be honest, he’s the main reason why we ended up with so much of it from that trip. I’m not that surprised it’s where he went with it first.” 

“Frankie, I would never. It doesn’t matter to me if you’ve got five dollars in your account, or -”

“I know.” He turned his head and then leaned in, kissing the side of yours. “You were just looking for wolves. There’s no money in this for you, and there never was.” 

“That’s not entirely true. I make decent money with the books and the site, and …” You trailed off as you realized that that wasn’t at all what he meant. “If I found a wolf, the only thing I ever wanted was for it to be dead.” 

“I hope that’s not true anymore.” He was smiling; you could hear it in his voice. “Because I really like being alive.” 

“I like you alive, too, Francisco.” Reaching up, you chewed on the edge of your nail. “Very much. And I’d like to do whatever I can to help keep you that way.” 

“Which means finding the other wolf before it attracts too much attention and other people come looking.” He sighed. “I know.” 

He eased down onto the mattress and pulled you along with him. You let him, rolling onto your side to face Frankie. Even though you couldn’t see him clearly, you could feel the way he watched you, his gaze intent as his hand slid up and over your hip, pushing the shirt with it. “We’re not doing that tonight, Frankie. It’s already late.”

“I know.” His hand continued moving, palm flat against your skin as he reached your ribs. “That doesn’t mean that I can’t touch you, right?” 

“The day I tell you to stop touching me and mean it is the day you’ll know it’s not me talking.” He snorted, moving even closer. His hand slid forward, Frankie’s fingers curling gently around the curve of your breast. “Frankie, come on, that’s not fair.” 

“I’m just getting comfortable.” He dragged his thumb slowly over your nipple and then whispered your name. “Can I tell you something?” 

“Yeah.” Your reply was breathy, and you hummed at the feeling of his continued touch, arching your back into it. “What’s up?”

“I never thought I’d ever have this.” He spoke quietly, but his voice was clear, his hand sliding away from your chest and back to your side. “Someone that knows. Someone that believes me. Someone that understands what I’m going through.” Oh, Frankie. “I never thought I’d get to be myself with someone again, and then you -”

“I’m here.” You reached up then, cupping his cheek in your palm. “You’ve got me.” You paused, steadying yourself. “All I’d ever want you to be is yourself.” 

It was next to impossible that you’d fallen for him so hard and so fast after years of never letting yourself get close to anyone. But the attraction you felt toward Frankie was more than just sexual in nature - it was everything about him that drew you in - and it had since before you’d found out what he was. There was no denying it, and both of you knew it.

He didn’t answer verbally, though. Instead, Frankie leaned in and you felt his fingers curve against your skin as he anchored himself to you - first with his touch and then with his lips. The kiss was soft - softer than any you’d shared previously, and it wasn’t a prelude to anything. No, you thought as you slipped your fingers into the soft curls behind his ear. He’s just letting me know he gets it. 

“I’ll be really quiet when I get up tomorrow.” He kissed the apple of your cheek and then backed off, settling on the pillow so that he could look at you again. “You can just lock the door when you leave.” 

“You trust me in your house without you here?” 

“What could you possibly find that would be worse than what you already know?” You laughed at that, rolling forward and burying your face against his bare chest. Good point. 

“G’night, Frankie.” You mumbled the words, pressing a kiss to the skin above his heart. “I -” You froze, despite your heartbeat quickening, and were almost positive that he’d felt it. Shit. “I hope you sleep well.” It was a poor recovery, but he didn’t say anything in reply. His answer was a quiet hum and a slight tightening of his arms around you. 

Slowly, the elevated rhythm of your heart returned to normal, and from your place pressed against his body, you felt Frankie’s slow, too. He fell asleep well before you did, his deep, even breaths - and the weight of his touch - helping you focus. But it didn’t help you sleep, and it wasn’t because of the things that had been said at the bar. 

It was the slip you’d almost made - and the realization that even though you were glad you’d stopped yourself, it didn’t change the truth of the words you bit back. It’s not the right time for that. Not now. Not … yet. 

As you finally drifted off, too, your arm loose over Frankie’s side and the tips of your fingers grazing the center of his back, you were certain that the time was coming when one - or both - of you weren’t going to be able to keep quiet. 

— 

[javierpinme]

Lush

Pairing: Neighbor!Frankie Morales x f!reader

Word count: 4.5k

Rating: Explicit (18+ ONLY, minors this is not the fic for you)

Warnings: accidentally sending a friend request to your hot neighbor but oh no it’s from your sex toy app, taking some liberties with the sex toy OKAY, you don’t have to tell me how bluetooth works I’m ignoring it for the purpose of the fic, squirting, voyeurism, unprotected sex (this is fictional wrap it up irl), pussy drunk Morales, oral (f receiving), fingering, infidelity (but not our babies they could never)

Summary: You buy a sex toy and accidentally send a request to your hot neighbor to join in.

A/N: Don’t blame me. Blame @daddydindjarin. Just kidding. Don’t blame her. Give her kisses because I was inspired for the first time in a while. Also kisses to @lowlights for being my beta on this because I was so scared of this being shite. And if it is—you shut your whore mouth. Respectfully. Kidding, we’re all whores here. Also, this is loosely based on the Lush 3 toy by Lovense!

Masterlist:

The pads of your fingers slide roughly on the cardboard of your thankfully discreet package. What should have brought a shiver down your spine and warmth in your core brings you conflicting feelings instead.

It was meant to spice up your relationship when your partner got the call of their dream promotion. You supported the move completely and tried to make it work to the best of your ability.However, your partner had other plans and jumped on the first opportunity to cheat on you.

So here you are, single and with a sex toy that serves as a reminder of your failed relationship.

You sigh with a resignation that you’re going to be alone forever while opening your apartment door, until you’re brought back to the present with a little girl’s giggle.

Not just any giggle—his daughter’s giggle.

With his juxtaposition of hard and soft edges and even softer—though a little sad sometimes- chocolate brown eyes.

You hear your name echo down the hall and the pitter patter of shoes hitting the ancient carpet. You hold the package a little closer to your chest and smile at the little girl running towards you. Your knees pop when you bend down to her level.

“Well, hello to you honey bee.”

She beams with her matching dimple to her father’s at the nickname you gave her a while ago. In the way honeybees bring life to the flowers, she brings the same to everyone around her.

“We’re baking cookies.” She explains with a jump in her step.

“Oh yeah?” You smile and your heart jumps when you look up to Frankie walking from further down the hall towards you.

“Yeah, but we have to do it before your mom gets here so we have to get started.”

He opens his door and she takes no time bursting through, elated to eat sugary treats.

You’re frozen at your doorway taking in the sheen of sweat that pools from his neck down into his t-shirt. No doubt from running circles around his daughter at the park.

He lingers now that you’re both alone and waves at you with a lopsided smile, but you’re too focused on the fact that he is sucking on a hard candy, your eyes too honed in on the way his tongue pokes into his cheeks when he switches sides.

Before you get the chance to ask him out or humiliatingly go onto your knees and show him just how good you can suc-

His apartment door is already closing, with him on the other side.

You’re in trouble.

One batch of chocolate chip cookies later and way too many wet wipes on his daughter’s—well everywhere, Frankie considers turning in for the night. He plops on his couch until the game setup he bought for the guy’s night tomorrow stares at him.

They take turns hosting, sticking together after coming back from Columbia and providing support when needed. It was better than dabbling into anything illegal, especially with his drug history.

He rubs his thighs and gets up with a groan. Every bone in his body cracks, reminding him he’s not as young anymore. Sounding and looking more like his father everyday.

The mirror staring back at him with all his greys that are more pronounced since coming back. He wonders if you’d like that.

One hour later, in part because of his refusal to look at directions, he has the PlayStation and surround sound system set up. He grabs the wireless headphones and his phone to check if they’re paired when he sees a notification pop up on his phone.

LazyDaisy32 has sent you a request to connect.

He has no idea what that is so he Googles it. A quick scan of the search results makes the blood rush from his head and straight to his cock.

You stare at the package that is currently sitting on your kitchen counter and finally decide to open it.

At least there’s a solo setting and you can fantasize about your cute neighbor.

You play around with the app and adjust any levels to your preference, arousal pooling in your underwear in anticipation of later. You tap on the long distance tab, but don’t focus too long until you toss it on the couch. Dinner first, then exploring your new toy.

Completely oblivious to a certain username that you sent a request to join when tossing it.

Waiting for Frankie to accept your request.

He knows exactly what this is, pulling it from the deepest part of his memory when his ex-wife and he were still together. They thought something like this would help rekindle their romance, but no amount of toys could fix their broken marriage.

He stares wide-eyed at the request, unable to bring himself to do anything.

It couldn’t be?

Right?

He knows it isn’t 86 year old Mrs. Munchez next door because he just helped her son move her stuff into his house.

Which leaves only one person. His cock twitches to life with the barrage of images that flash through his mind. You spread out on your bed, his photographic memory aiding him when he helped set up that very bed when you first moved in.

The daisy sheets.

The toy circling around your clit in slow motions to allow the slick to flow from your entrance, your bottom lip pinched between your teeth to keep yourself quiet.

He wouldn’t let you.

His cock is already fully hard by the time he starts imagining all your moans and pleas to touch you already.

He throws his phone on his bed and resigns himself to a cold shower that doesn’t work, ultimately taking himself in hand and stroking himself to relieve the tension that’s built up.

He breathes heavily, finally giving into his fantasies about his cute neighbor, and the back of his head hits the tile when ropes of come disappear into the bottom of the tub.

He quickly cleans himself up and gets ready for bed, leaving the request in the inbox when he falls asleep.

He does a really good job of ignoring the pending alerts the first few times, but time and time again it shows up and it’s killing him at this point.

It’s made even harder when he sees you. Whether he’s helping you carry your groceries to your place or waving at him from your balcony. He over analyzes every interaction now because of that damn app, studying every downturn of your lips or the wrinkle between your brows when you come home from work at the same time.

Did you really mean to send it to him? Or did you realize your mistake and choose not to face the elephant in the room? The idea that you're ignoring it to save face makes him feel worse than you acknowledging it ever could.

Asking you out would be thrown out the window at this point and dodging every future interaction makes his stomach twist in knots just thinking about it.

He almost loses resolve one morning when you close your eyes to let the sun’s rays warm your face, his cock springing to life again of the vision of you on your back, eyes closed and enjoying how he’s making you feel.

He’d make you feel good, he thinks.

Never one to take pleasure without giving. At least one thing his ex-wife couldn’t complain about. He wants to make you feel as good as you deserve. He aches with the need.

It’s then that his fantasies break him down and he accepts the request. He throws his phone on his counter thinking that somehow he could forget what he just did.

On the contrary, it made it so much worse. 

He couldn’t resist the temptation any longer one night when he saw the reminder pop up again.

He sits on the couch, thighs spread wide staring at the blue light, and watching the toy work its magic. He could see every wave of pleasure that went through you, what level you were on at that exact moment even through the thin walls.

Just one touch and he could make you feel so good.

You huff at your inability to get off and toss your phone on the bed. You were overthinking it, but you desperately wanted to feel that release.

You want to forget about the day and only focus on your pleasure, but what usually makes you come isn’t working. And you’re about to call it a night until there’s a steady pulse thrumming through you, slowly working its way up in intensity.

You grasp the sheets in your hands and your thighs start to open wide of their own accord, chasing the pleasure that is starting to shoot through you with every needy thrust. Your arousal begins to pool onto the sheets below you, your cunt clenching around the toy and you finally feel the rumble of an orgasm starting to build. 

You should stop this. You don’t know who this anonymous person is, but your thighs start to burn at the possibility of it being Frankie.

You’re hurtling towards the edge of what might be the best orgasm you’ve had in years when the toy goes down in intensity, a steady thrumming replacing it.

“Fuck-wait.” You whine to no one.

You slam your fists on your sheets, your tits bouncing from the heaving of your chest as your clit throbs from the denial of your orgasm.

The toy vibrates against your bud but low enough that you’re kept on the precipice without any reprieve.

Frankie, whoever it is, is a tease.

You’re brought to the edge only for it to dip down a gentle hum again and again, your sheets surely ruined from how wet you are, skin glistening with sweat and god—you should have laid down a towel.

It’s embarrassing how quick he—they bring you back to that point where your toes start to curl, your cunt fluttering with every vibration and pressure on your g-spot to bring you to bliss.

“Please, please please.” You keen.

Your orgasm slams into you like a freight train, the force of it almost making the toy slip out of you as white hot pleasure forms behind your eyes, crying through the waves of pleasure coursing through your veins until your voice gives out.

It starts to hinge right on overstimulation and you breathe a sigh of relief when it slows down from a purr to nothing.

You’re reminded of your lack of towel when you move to get off the bed, the cool moisture making you cringe. You’re definitely going to have to wash your sheets.

Your thighs shake as you gather up your sheets to put in the wash, daydreaming about that neighbor of yours as you pour the laundry detergent into the machine.

The sun billows through his curtains and he turns onto his other side to fall back asleep, too tired from staying up late to hopefully have accomplished in making you come and then taking himself in hand when he denied himself as much as he could. Guilt pouring in tenfold at overstepping boundaries afterwards.

He finally relents and leaves the warmth of his bed in lieu of making a hot cup of coffee to combat the cool air.

The spring air delicately kisses his face when he pulls his slide door open with his cup of joe when he sees you already out on yours, your attention being directed towards him when you hear the pull of the door. He freezes for a second, but your smile instantly relaxes him.

“Good morning!” You grin.

There’s a glow to you this morning, any tension you were carrying the day before is gone and his chest puffs in pride at the realization that he may have had a role in that.

Fuck, he’s hooked.

“Mornin’. You look like you slept well.” He tests the waters.

You beam at him like you’re both in on some secret and he gets flustered that you might have discovered that it was him, but relief washes over him when you don’t look angry.

“Slept like a baby.”

"Oh yeah?" He darkly chuckles, his arousal pulling him to the railing of his balcony to be closer and preens when you mirror his steps.

"Yeah, woke up pleasantly sore actually." You breathily answer.

"Workout or something like that?"

"Something like that." He gapes at the wink thrown at him before you walk inside your apartment, but there's no way he's imagining the extra sway in your hips.

Guilt gets the best of him and he ignores it for a little bit much to your dismay, not that he would know.

You couldn’t stop thinking about it. How good you felt and how good you slept after cleaning yourself in the shower. It was the best sleep you’ve had in a long time actually, but the only thing that was missing was Frankie.

You shake your head to clear that train of thought, but he was the one you thought of late at night. Not even for a sexual reason—okay yes that too. But just being surrounded by him, his soft belly shaping against your body like it was made for you.

You didn’t mind your secret toy admirer and after a process of elimination you’re almost sure it’s Frankie. The longest control range is 30 feet and you live in a quiet elderly building. You're confident they don't have the app or even know how to use bluetooth.

Just not sure enough to put it out in the universe and be wrong.

A week later you both walk towards your respective apartments and you look exhausted. A bottle of wine in hand and some Thai takeout miraculously balanced in your other hand, he decides right there and then if that toy comes up he’s going to make you boneless.

One glass of wine later—or two. You’re feeling more relaxed, the tension from work rinsing off with your shower.

You throw a t-shirt on to get ready for bed and glance at your nightstand drawer.

It couldn’t hurt right?

Your cunt clenches around nothing.

You shiver and pull the toy out, excitement and arousal shooting up your spine in anticipation.

You hop on your bed and throw your t-shirt off, rolling your nipples between your index fingers and thumbs until they peak at attention. You shimmy a pillow under your hips and insert the toy, working yourself up slowly.

It doesn’t take long for the toy to change up its rhythm and your soft moan billows through the otherwise silent room.

Relief floods through you at not having to think after such a long day of making decisions and you get to just enjoy the moment. Your body sinks into your plush sheets, a purr crawling its way up your throat and the pads of your fingers slide up your bare thighs, tracing the steps of how Frankie would touch you.

You’re deep into your fantasy of him and reality starts to blur, moans spilling out where you would normally try to stay quiet. You gasp when the toy hits just right and your inner walls flutter around it.

“Oh go-Frankie.”

He tosses his phone on his coffee table like a kid caught red-handed in the cookie jar and throws his hands up until he realizes you’re not in his living room. He hears his name again through the thin walls and he jumps to action, almost forgetting to grab his phone from the table in the scuffle.

Either something is really wrong or you found out it was him and he’s really in for it now, but when you call his name again outside of your apartment door—he has to be sure.

You forgot to lock your front door, but with how your day went it wasn’t on your list of priorities. Before you get the chance to take in that your door opened it slams just as quickly.

The layout of both your apartments are the same so he gets a front and center view of you all spread out and your core glistening in the golden hour light that he just freezes. You look surprised but the prettiest moan comes out making him realize he hadn’t turned off the toy from the app during the rush to your apartment.

He reaches into his back pocket to pull up the app, turning it off right when you were on the crescendo of a bone-tingling orgasm only for it to be ripped from you.

You whine and grasp the sheets between your fingers while your clit throbs from its robbed attention. You squeeze your thighs on instinct and Frankie interprets that as his cue to leave in his embarrassment, but you say his name with such reverence that he stays planted in front of your bedroom waiting with bated breath what your next move is.

He’s surprised when you smile with all softness behind it and he can’t help but match it, no matter how flustered he feels.

“So it was you.”

Heat floods from his cheeks to the tips of his ears and he’s about to go on his knees to apologize until he notices the tinge of playfulness in your voice and the way you arch your brow at him.

You don’t let him hang onto his humiliation for too long, giving him some reprieve by curling your finger and motioning him to your room when he embarrassingly nods.

“Well that’s a relief. I’m supposed to help Rodger down the hall with his computer and 70 is just a little too old for me.” You chuckle.

“Rodger wishes.” He huffs and you snort at his retort as every pusle thrumming through your cunt collides with every step Frankie takes on the hardwood.

“No, really. Have you seen you?” He exasperates.

“Why don’t you tell me?” You grab his hand to pull him on top of you and he sits on the bed watching you with awe.

“How ‘bout I show you? If you’ll let me? Then we can talk about all of this because I’ve been trying to find the guts to ask you out since you moved in.” He strokes your thighs in mindless circles and a shiver goes through you.

It was on the tip of your tongue that he basically skipped all of that when he helped get you off, but you nod.

“I love the enthusiasm, but I’m gonna need to hear you say it.” He teases with a kiss on your calf, looking at you with all the mirth behind it.

“Yes plea-fuck me Frankie.” Your cunt clamps around the toy as he walks towards you, his once beautiful brown eyes now blown out with lust as he hovers at the foot of your bed.

He shushes your pleas and towers over you, taking his time to admire your features now that he has permission to. He doesn’t crash his lips against yours like you expected he would much to your chagrin.

His nose bumps yours and you chase his lips when he pulls away from you with a smirk. He darkly chuckles as he peppers your face with kisses everywhere except where you crave him.

“I’ve been imagining every pretty noise you’d make for me so forgive me for wanting to take my time with you.” He explains with a lower octave than you’ve heard come out of those plush lips.

You lock your leg around his lower waist and pull him down to you, all restraint thrown out the window and kiss him. Holding onto him like the ground below you was going to implode if you let go. He groans when your bare core rubs against his bulge, your wetness already seeping through the fabric.

You involuntarily gasp when he bumps the head of his cock against your clit and he takes the opportunity to lick into your mouth, deepening the kiss until you’re dizzy and leaking down your inner thighs.

He pulls away from your swollen lips and smirks before he trails open mouthed kisses down your neck to your collarbone, licking the salt of your sweat on the way to your core.

The hairs of his moustache tickle against your breast when he laps at your nipple, suckling around the peak until it stands at attention, releasing it with a pop when it is thoroughly wet from his saliva. He gives equal attention to your other breast with his mouth, groaning when his calloused thumb and forefinger roll your spit-saturated nipple between his fingers.

Once you’re all perked and glistening for him, he makes his way down to where you’re aching for him, peppering kisses and licking the beads of sweat that form.

He bruisingly grips your thighs and tugs you lower on the bed so he can kneel comfortably on the carpet. You breathily whimper when he nips your inner thigh, lapping the sting away with his tongue. He presses his face against your mound and inhales deeply like a worshiper to an altar.

He opens your legs wider and the heel of your feet dig into his back to encourage him to make a move and he could never deny you.

He kitten licks your clit until more arousal pools from your entrance, swirling his tongue around your bud when your thighs twitch around his face.

“N-n-not gonna last long, Frankie.” You moan.

His eyes meet yours from above your mound and you don’t have to see his mouth to know he has a shit-eating grin when he wraps his mouth around your throbbing clit and sucks hard.

Your inner walls clamp around nothing until he fills it with one, then two fingers, curling them in a come hither motion until you embarrassingly fall apart quickly underneath him and his lips part as your face pinches in pleasure because of him.

Your chest heaves as your orgasm fades to a rhythmic pulsing and when Frankie kisses up to your eye-level you’re about to apologize because oh my god, it’s all over his chin-

“That was so much better than what I imagined, baby. Good girl. Fuck, you soaked me.”

He slams a bruising kiss against your lips and you open wide for him to push your come into your mouth so you can taste yourself. You toy with the hem of his shirt and he takes the hint, pulling it off and throwing it somewhere in your room.

He hastily unbuckles his belt and you swat at his hands to take off his pants and boxers, the whisper of his zipper unfastening and your collective heavy pants filling the room.

Holy shit.

How are you going to fit that inside you?

His cocks spring out of his boxers, the head beading with pre-come and twitching the longer you gape at it.

“If you’re not ready-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” You grab his shoulders and pull him on top of you, locking your legs around his waist. He takes his damn time thrusting his cock between your folds until it’s soaked in your arousal and come.

“Ready?” He presses a chaste kiss on your lips when you nod and bites your shoulder as he breaches your entrance inch by inch.

You both groan at how tight you feel around him and he thrusts in short bursts until he’s buried to the hilt to not hurt you. Gone is the rush of the moment, soft touches and praises of how long the two of you have waited for this filling it.

“Frankie?” You eventually tap your foot on his ass when he doesn’t move, a muffled grunt releases from on your neck as he breathes you in.

“Move, baby.”

He lifts his head up to look into your eyes and devastatingly smirks. “Yes, ma’am.”

His first thrust devastates you, a sob ripping out of your throat when he continues to hone in on that spot that makes your walls clamp around him.

You whimper and bury your fingers into his unruly curls, the tinge of pain from you gripping on his strands prompting him to thrust at a bruising pace. He kisses your lips and sucks your bottom lip between his teeth before he brings his hand between your bodies to circle around your clit.

“Please come, ‘m not gonna last.”

The slow circles on your bud has your cunt seizing around him with stars forming behind your eyes as your thighs tremble with the intensity of his hips. It edges on overstimulation, but you want him to feel as good as he made you feel.

“Inside, Frankie. Makin’ me feel so good baby.” You coo and slide the pads of your fingers up and down his back.

He whimpers into your ear as you pinch his earlobe between your teeth, releasing a breathy moan as his balls pull up and ropes of his cum spill inside of you, leaking onto the mattress below you.

You gently thrust up into him to prolong his climax until he begins to soften inside of you, the two of you whispering praises to each other.

You wince from the emptiness as he pulls out of you, a kiss being delivered to your forehead in apology, and you admire his barely there ass as he walks to your bathroom. You hear water running as you stretch your muscles, feeling sated and pleasantly sore.

Frankie emerges from the bathroom with a damp washcloth that he uses to clean up the mess, kissing your ankle when you hiss from the overstimulation as he gently rubs through your folds.

He tosses the washcloth on your nightstand and laughter fills the silent room when he plops next to you, pulling you in closer and tangling your legs together. He strokes the back of his fingers on your cheekbone and nudges his nose against yours, pressing light kisses on your cheeks.

“I’d really like to do this again sometime. Maybe some dinner first.”

“What makes you think I’m going to let you leave this bed now that I know how good I have it?” You smirk and coax him back in by wrapping your fingers around the back of his neck.

Like hell you are going to leave this spot.

[spartanguard]

electric touch [from the vault]

Summary: All I know is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life… | Emma and Killian have both been burned in love before; maybe this is the time they'll get it right. [Inspired by "Electric Touch (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" by Taylor Swift & Fall Out Boy] A/N: for my annual self-indulgent birthday fic: Just a little thing based on my favorite vault track from Speak Now (Taylor's Version)…definitely the first in a series of similarly-inspired fics ;) rated G | 1.9k | AO3

Emma gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter and took a deep breath. She was almost home. She just had to get there—then whatever impending breakdown was creeping up her spine could happen.

Although she wasn’t sure this was a bad one. A mental break-up? No, definitely not that—she didn’t want to use anything even vaguely related to that term; she’d had enough splits and kissed enough frogs that it was what she usually expected to happen. And this time—she really, really hoped this was the one that didn’t end badly; that maybe this time, she’d found the prince.

That was an awful lot to put on just one date, but—it was a pretty incredible one. (Or maybe her sister-in-law’s unending optimism was finally rubbing off on her.)

Emma had almost bailed on it to start with, regretting that she’d finally conceded to one of Mary Margaret’s setups. But her sister-in-law had been particularly insistent on this one. And the guy had agreed to meet at one of her favorite restaurants in Boston, so at least the food would be good. She was already preparing the “it’s not you, it’s me” excuse to get out of ever seeing him again.

Based on the picture she’d seen of him, she figured he’d just be another handsome asshole. He was definitely the first part—possibly too much, if that was possible, in a way that made her want to put up extra defenses to protect her from a pretty face and a leather jacket (those kinds of guys were usually good for one thing and one thing only, and if he was David’s friend, then he was off limits for that). 

But when she saw him across the restaurant, he looked nervous—or withdrawn—she couldn’t quite tell—anxiously tracing a tumbler of some amber-colored liquor as she approached. “Killian?” she asked, barely above a whisper—she didn’t want to scare him, getting the sudden impression he was like a timid but wild animal that might run away if startled.

He did jump a bit, but then when he realized what was going on, she saw a shift in his expression—almost like putting on a mask (though an attractive, charming one, with a brilliant grin that cut a dimple into his well-manicured scruff; it just wasn’t fully genuine). 

��Emma, I take it?” he replied, standing, in an accent that took her by surprise.

“That’s me,” she confirmed, trying to keep it casual (and having no clue if she achieved that). “Nice to meet you,” she said, extending her hand to his (the only one he had, she noticed, the cuff of his left sleeve hanging empty).

And that was when it all changed.

An electric shock traveled through her veins at his firm grasp—coursing fast and warm through her whole body, settling somewhere around her heart.

His eyes widened at her touch; had he felt it, too? It was probably just static—or nothing—but this was something different; maybe it was his aura, or something in his eyes—some metaphysical sign from the universe that only Mary Margaret would believe in—but something was telling her—he was different. In the best way possible.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” he said, voice deep and a bit breathy.

Woah—she was getting ahead of herself. He just had really pretty eyes or something and that was throwing her off. Right?

But then he kissed the back of her hand and, no—this was definitely something different. (The scratch of his stubble brushed her skin and it took everything in her not to find out right then and there what it felt like against her lips.)

The night flew by in a blur—they more than hit it off after that. There was all the normal getting-to-know-you conversation, but even there, it seemed like they had a connection that went deeper than surface level.

Leaving to drive back to her tiny house in the outer suburbs was extremely difficult (not the hardest thing she’d ever done—no, that remained giving up her baby for adoption—but this was up there). Despite his assurance that he’d be in touch, she wasn’t sure she could wait that long.

But she’d have to, because, as she was pulling in her driveway, she realized she hadn’t gotten his number. 

She may have slammed her head against the steering wheel at that.

She took another breath and then headed inside. It was good, actually—because then she had some time to brace herself for the worst.

A fire of some kind had been lit—she knew that much; she just hoped that this would be the one time she didn’t get burned.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Killian managed to keep his cool until he was out of the restaurant and partway down the block, walking to his apartment, when he finally managed to exhale. That had been completely unexpected. 

It had been several years since anyone had truly captured his attention—not since he first met Milah, and certainly not since she died. He’d tried dating a few times, but nothing ever felt…right. 

(He’d pretty much given up on love entirely since the accident that took his hand and his Naval post. Mainly because he had to work on himself in that regard first.)

It had been a couple hours, but he swore—his hand was still buzzing from where Emma had first touched him. He flexed his fingers and felt a tingle spread through him—not as strong as earlier but it was still somehow running electricity through his nerves. 

He was still somewhat berating himself for the choice to kiss her hand—that it had maybe come off as trying too hard—but he hadn’t been able to resist. He also had the sense that Emma would have made it known if the gesture hadn’t been appreciated, and he’d be limping home to nurse his wounds rather than the almost-floating he was currently engaged in.

Emma was certainly beautiful—he knew that much from the pictures he’d seen from Dave, his old Navy buddy—but that wasn’t it; at least, not all of it. She was also smart, fierce, caring, independent, and just—so lovely. (Perhaps a bit prickly, but in a good way—a way he understood.)

But most of all: she got it. Him. Being surrounded by others, yet still being alone. It hadn’t been a major topic of conversation—it was still only a first date, after all—but she had that look: the one you get when you've been on your own. 

All of a sudden, he realized he was in front of his building. And all of a sudden, that empty flat loomed above him like a tomb. Sleeping alone was something he was accustomed to, but for the first time in so long, it was the last thing he wanted to do.

But…his vintage Chevelle was right there, parked on the street. 

He pulled out his phone from his pocket, only to realize—they hadn’t exchanged digits. Blast. 

But they had discussed domiciles—and he knew exactly where her house was, near the little diner he’d discovered while searching for the closest fish and chips Boston had compared to what he’d had growing up in England. (It hadn’t been, but they made a damn fine burger and he’d been back a few times.)

So he fished out his keys and hopped in the car. He didn’t have a ton of confidence in his romantic skills anymore, but he also knew that he only had to get it right one time. It hadn’t happened in the past; maybe this would be it. He’d known enough heartbreak not to hope, but found it sparking inside anyways. 

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Emma was puttering around her house, trying to find a distraction from thinking about him. But she was coming up short. There was no clutter to put away, no dishes to wash, surprisingly no laundry to fold.

She flopped herself down on her couch and picked up the remote, but nothing on TV sounded good. Scrolling social media on her phone was just a blur of color that she couldn’t focus on.

Her finger hovered over the messaging app. Would David think it was weird if she asked him for Killian’s number? Or rather—would Killian think that? Was it coming on too strong? Should she give space and wait for him to make a move? (Was she imagining all of this?)

This. This was why she didn’t do dating. There were way too many variables. 

But, goddammit. Couldn’t this just be the one time the stars aligned and it just…happened?

No; Emma’s life never got to be that easy. And she couldn’t even really justify going to bed yet because it was only 8:05; the sun had only just set. 

She threw her head back and groaned. God, she was a mess.

But while she was wallowing in—not misery, not self-loathing, some other thing—she heard the sound of an engine. No one else lived by her, and she hadn’t ordered anything to be delivered. What the hell?

She turned and looked—right into the glare of two headlamps from a 1970s muscle car. The engine shut off, killing the lights—and her heart skipped several beats when she saw who was behind the steering wheel.

Without thinking any further, she jumped up and ran for the door. And promptly ran into her coffee table, but the inevitable bruise on her shin was worth it.

She ended up limping the rest of the way, then took a brief moment to compose herself. And yanked it open.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Killian had ran up to Emma’s door, and was just about to knock when it swung open.

Part of him had been second-guessing this gesture the entire drive over, romantic as it was intended to be. She gave him a small smile, but that didn’t completely assure him that this advance wasn’t unwanted.

“Sorry; I—” he started, but she cut him off.

With a kiss.

She fisted her hands in the lapels of his leather jacket and pulled him close; he wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

When their lips met—it was instantaneous: whether they were real or imagined, sparks flew, jolting him from head to toe. It was incandescent—explosive—thrilling—terrifying—in all the best ways.

They broke for air, but stayed close. “You felt it, too?” he murmured; he had to ask.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “So much.”

“Maybe we should kiss again—just to make sure,” he suggested.

She looked up at him and smirked, then dragged him in the house.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Killian wasn’t sure of much; just that this felt right. And it could either break his heart—or bring it back to life. It was a risk he was willing to take. 

Thankfully, Emma was of the same mind—maybe even thinking about forever on her end. All he knew was that he was willing to spend just as long to figure it (them) out—especially if every touch had the same electricity as the first.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

thanks so much for reading! tagging some friends:

@optomisticgirl @xpumpkindumplingx @cocohook38 @kmomof4 @kat2609 @shipsxahoy @mryddinwilt @annytecture @phiralovesloki @shireness-says @ohmightydevviepuu @wistfulcynic @initiala @idoltina @pirateherokillian @colinoeyebrows @wingedlioness @word-bug @thejollyroger-writer @ineffablecolors @stubblesandwich​ @ilovemesomekillianjones @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snowbellewells @idristardis @scientificapricot @searchingwardrobes @donteattheappleshook @jrob64 @the-darkdragonfly @stahlop @klynn-stormz @resident-of-storybrooke

[hyunsuks-beanie]

Marked

Pairing: Tiger Hybrid! Jay x afab! reader

Genre: Smut rated 21+; hybrid au; tiger hybrids; oral (m. receiving); marking; unprotected sex

Word Count: 2.2k words

Mellow speaks: My first hybrid! au let's go!! Thank you to the nonnie who requested this, and I decided to go with a tiger hybrid! Jay bc, well, it just seemed cooler lmao. Hope you guys enjoy!! PS. Been a while since I wrote over 2k huh, but it was fun!!

Tagging: @freckledwinterfalls bc Xie is a simp for Jay xD

This was too unfair. Not only was Jay being forced to spend one whole hour locked up inside a room, he was also being forced to be locked up with none other than the apple of his eye (not), you.

This was totally unfair, because there was no way in hell he could spend an hour alone with you without wanting to rip either your, or his, head off. The two of you had never gotten along well, having had started off on the wrong foot on the very first day of university. And since then, you hadn't looked back, continuing to despise and be an eyesore for each other.

He knew you weren't all that bad, because he knew how his friends (who incidentally were good friends with you too), always raved about how cool you were to be around, urging him to try and make a fresh start with you. And try he did, but he just couldn't bring himself to see eye to eye with you. He was part tiger after all, he was used to not having anyone to oppose him. But that, of course, was until you came along.

Still, you couldn't really expect him to bow down, could you? And much to his disappointment, you didn't seem keen on accepting defeat either. It was like the two of you somehow always found each other, and whenever you did, sparks flew. Red, hot, burning sparks. The kind that only brought destruction in their wake.

And yet, here he is now, sharing a room with you because of a stupid game of spin the bottle. Your spin just had to land on him, didn't it? He actually suspects that you had somehow rigged the whole setup, and the mere thought causes him to growl deeply in annoyance. The sudden sound results in you looking up from your phone, the irritated look on your face doing nothing to calm him down.

"What are you staring at, L/N?," he calls out, an edge to his voice that sends shivers down your spine. His tiger blood makes Jay rather unpredictable, and you'd be lying if you said you weren't at least a little scared of what might happen. But you still put on a bold demeanor, setting your jaw and looking him straight in the eye as you click your tongue, a "Mr. Royalty seems pissed off" escaping your lips before you can stop yourself.

Your words aren't too harsh, considering that's the kind of stuff you say to him on a daily basis. Yet there's just something about the way you say it, your voice laced with venom as you all but glare at him, that gets his blood boiling, making him clench his fists. "What the fuck did you say?," he growls, voice falling two notches deeper as he sneers at you. "Just what you heard," you reply, rolling your eyes before adding, "Oh wait, could your tiger ears possibly be failing you?"

"Nope," he says through his teeth, "My ears are completely fine. But your voice is so annoying that I prefer to filter it out." Now it's your turn to clench your jaw as you get up from your place on the couch, sauntering over to the man who's taken a seat on the bed. "What's gotten your panties in a knot?," you ask, hands on your hips as you stand in front of him. "Being forced to be in the same room as you is enough to drive anyone insane," is all he says, whipping his phone out from his pocket.

"On the contrary actually," you counter, smirking as Jay looks up at you, eyebrow quirked. "Most of our friends enjoy being with me, you're the only problematic one." This time, you speak in a calm manner, voice almost down to a whisper as the words slip past your lips. But still, Jay finds his insides boiling once again, causing him to say something he regrets instantly. "Well I'm sure they're just hanging out with you out of sheer pity. I mean, who'd want to be friends with a stuck-up bitch like you?"

His words shouldn't hurt you the way they do, but you can't help but feel as if he just slapped you right across the face, the shocked expression on his face in stark contrast to your angry one. "Shit, I d-didn't mean that-," he starts, only to be cut off when you say, "Clearly, you meant every fucking word." And before you know it, your feet move of their accord, carrying you towards the washroom as you fight back the tears that threaten to escape your eyes.

Jay has never been nice to you, but this is hands down the worst he's ever acted towards you. It was downright insensitive, and you know that your friends would support you if you asked to be let out of the room immediately. But you didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he got inside your head, and so, there really was only one place you could go to: the bathtub.

However, just as you're about to push the door open, you feel your wrist being grabbed, and turning around, you're met with Jay's face close to yours. A bit too close, enough for his hot breath to fan your cheek as he looks at you. "Listen to me," he whispers, but you're not having it, twisting your wrist in the hopes of prying it free. Your efforts, though, go in vain, when the lips of the man in front of you curl up into a sneer, his arms swiftly turning your body around and pushing you up against the door, hand still on your wrist as another growl escapes him, this time much more deep and sinister.

You make the mistake of looking into his eyes, and that's the moment you doom yourself. A gasp escapes you before you can catch yourself, surprise evident on your face as you stare at his irises, shining almost golden in the light. You know what this means. His inner tiger is beyond mad, struggling to break free, something you can already make out from the way his face morphs into one of pure anger. You're scared, of course you are. But that doesn't stop you from completely losing yourself in the pools of gold, almost in a trance.

Jay notices the change in your demeanor in a heartbeat, the way your facial features soften as you cease struggling against him somehow calming him down. You look so innocent, beautiful even, looking into his eyes with subtle hints of surprise dancing in your own. He's aware of how wrong it is, he's aware of how he shouldn't do it, but it's like he's not in control anymore. Next thing he knows, he's leaning in, his like brushing yours as his chest presses against your form. He's hesitant, but eager. And much to his joy, you don't push him away.

It happens in a flash, but neither of you cares. His mouth meets yours in a rough kiss, lips molding against each other like puzzle pieces as he continues to pin you to the door. Your brain tells you to push him away, but it's like your body has been craving Jay's touch since forever, you just never knew. Before you know it, he shifts his attention to your jaw, swiftly making his way down your throat and neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses on your skin. It doesn't take him long to find your sweet spot, and when he does, you're in for rather a bruising hickey while he marks you as his.

You can only moan under his ministrations, arousal spreading throughout your body and making you want him, in every sense possible. Bucking your hips, you say something you had never thought you'd say, but it's like you can't help it. "W-want you in-inside me," that's all Jay needs to hear before he starts taking your clothes off, exercising every last bit of self-control he has to not tear them off your body altogether.

First goes your top, your bra following suit soon after. The moment his eyes land on your bare breasts, he latches his lips onto your nipples, sucking on them as your hands make their way to the hem of his T-shirt, tugging on it as a signal for him to take it off. Despite himself, Jay lets out a chuckle while he pulls away, discarding his tee to the floor before going back to what he was doing.

You're too lost in the pleasure of having his mouth on your body to notice his fingers fiddling with the button of your shorts, and it's not until the fabric is being pulled down your legs, along with your panties, that you actually notice. Pulling away once more, Jay takes in your fully naked form, a low groan escaping him as his eyes run over your body. "Fuck, you're so damn hot," is all he says before his lips are on yours again, your face cracking into a smile as you let your hands roam to his pants, palming him gently through the fabric and eliciting another groan from him.

Soon enough, his pants too, are lying on the floor, his hard-on slapping against his abdomen as you feel your mouth water. "I know where Heeseung keeps his condoms," he mutters, ready to pull away from you once more. But you're quicker, gripping his wrist just like he had gripped yours and causing him to look at you. You only shake your head no, biting your lip as a silent signal for him.

Thankfully though, he understands, smirking as he grabs hold of your jaw, a soft "Such a dirty slut, hmm?" escaping past his lips as he squeezes your jaw, before letting his hands fall to your thighs, gripping them hard. You yelp in surprise when you feel him lift you up, your legs getting wrapped around his torso as your hands grip his shoulders for support. "Ready?," he asks, and you can only nod, your eyes meeting his right before he penetrates you, his member stretching you out as he enters you hilt-deep.

A pace is soon set up, your back resting against the door as he pounds into you, his moves growing more relentless with each thrust, while his hand moves down to rub circles on your clit. His lips, meanwhile, continue to mark your skin, only moans and whines escaping you as he fucks you sore. It's almost animalistic, and even in your weary form, you can't help but fear that the sheer force of him pumping into you might cause the door to crack.

The room fills up with the sound of skin slapping against skin, interspersed only with your moans and his growls. It doesn't take much time for the coil in your stomach to tighten, your senses growing blurry as you near your climax, the fastest you have ever had. Your whines threatening to grow louder, you end up digging your teeth into his shoulders, trying to muffle the sounds. A couple more thrusts, and he has you cumming all over his dick, your body convulsing as all you see is white.

Coming down from your high, it takes you a second to realize that Jay is pulling out you, your juices slipping down your legs as he puts you down. But once you do take notice, you don't waste a single second in falling to the floor, hands wrapping around his shaft as you lick your lips, taking him into your mouth. You begin bobbing your head up and down, massaging his balls while you come up with a pace. Jay throws his head back in pleasure, deep groans escaping him as you continue to please him.

Maybe it's the way your tongue swirls around his girth, or maybe it's the way you look up at him through hooded eyes, or the way your hands feel against his balls. But he too, feels himself inching towards his orgasm, his sounds becoming guttural as he approaches his high. And just like that, you make him cum, lapping up his seed before pulling away, a satisfied grin on your face.

Kneeling down in front of you, Jay harbors a soft smile on his face, his hand gently stroking your cheek. And much to his delight, you lean into his touch, all signs of anger or fear having been washed down. It's at that moment that he realizes something. He doesn't hate you. Heck, he doesn't even dislike you. Instead, looking at you, so vulnerable in front of him, something stirred up in his heart, something he would never have expected to feel for you.

"What are you staring at, Park?," you ask, a mischievous hint to your voice as you mimic his question from earlier. He simply shakes his head, voice dropping to a whisper as he says, "I think I'd like to start over with you, Y/N."

You can only smile, replying with a "I'd love that, Jay." He leans in once again, ready to catch your lips in another kiss, but before he does, he adds, "Good, because I've marked you anyway." And to your surprise, you don't have any problem with that.

[middleearthpixie]

Damaged Goods ~ Chapter Eleven

Author's Note: Just a reminder that this story follows the events of the miniseries Stay Close and will contain spoilers.

Title: Damaged Goods

Fandom: Stay Close

Pairings: Ray Levine x OC female Theodora (Theo) Bailey

Summary: Following the events of Stay Close, Ray Levine has come to the US to begin a new life and is staying with Theo Bailey, the friend of a friend, who is quickly becoming his best friend and Ray is starting to wonder if there isn’t something more there between them.

Like Ray, Theo has her own demons and although she wonders the same thing about Ray, fear of repeating past mistakes keep her from moving forward. Or do they? Somehow, these two damaged people will come together and discover that maybe—just maybe—second chances are worth the risk.

Theo has a new client, who seems to have more than a passing interest in her and Drew lures Ray back to work for him

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,638

Tag List: @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @ocfairygodmother @exhausted-humxn-being @shalinizhara @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knitastically

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here and AO3

“Hey, Theo, got a minute?”

Theo had just come out of the locker room when Tony called over to her from the front desk. She crossed over to it and dropped her bag at the counter. “What’s up?”

Tony was in the middle of making himself a chocolate smoothie, and as he pressed the lid into place over the cup, he said, “Let’s go in my office, okay?”

Her stomach did an uncomfortable flip. “Am I in trouble?”

“What? No?” Tony shook his head, gesturing with the cup toward his office, which was across from the juice bar. “I just don’t need everyone in your business, that’s all.”

Her relief was short-lived. If Tony was about to tell her she had to find another gym, she could kiss any income goodbye. There were too many personal trainers and not enough clients outside of gyms, and most of the other gyms in the area wouldn’t work the same deal with her that Tony had. They’d grown up together, dated on and off until they realized they really did make much better friends, and had worked together with their setup for nearly a decade. She couldn’t even imagine having to start over somewhere.

She picked up her bag and followed him into his office, swallowing hard when he shut the door. “What’s going on?”

He sank into the leather chair behind his desk and gestured to the chairs across from him. “Sit down.”

“I don’t want to sit, Tony. I want to know what’s going on?”

“I swear to God, Thee, you’re not in trouble. I’m not asking you to leave. Now, sit. You make me nervous when you just stand there and stare at me all intimidating.”

“Tony, I’m five feet tall. How intimidating can I be?”

“You’d be amazed, Theo. Trust me. You scare the shit out of people sometimes.”

“I do not.”

He offered up a level look. “Uh, yeah. You do. So, do me a solid and sit please?”

She sighed, but sank into the chair. “What is it then?”

“The guy you were just with. The new one. Kevin McClintock?”

She nodded. “Yeah, he had his first session today. Why?”

“He came in here yesterday and asked me a bunch of questions about you. Said he was just trying to prepare himself for your session, but I’m not nearly as dumb as he thought.”

Her stomach did another flip and she leaned forward to brace her elbow on the desk. “Asked you a bunch of questions?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah. And just now, while you were showering, he asked me a few more. Wanted to know about some guy you’re seeing?”

“He was asking you about Ray?”

“That’s the guy who was here earlier, wasn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yeah. He’s been staying with me since just after Thanksgiving and we thought maybe there was something a little more than friendship, so—”

Tony held up a hand. “I don’t need the details, Thee. I’m just concerned, is all. Is this guy Ray trouble? Bad news? How well do you know him?”

“He’s neither trouble nor bad news. He’s a photojournalist from England, and some things happened back where he used to live and he needed a change of scenery. He knows Ty Evans.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “Yeah. When Ty was in Iraq, they had a some journalists embedded with them and one of them was Ray. Ty knew I had the room and asked me if I’d let the guy stay with me and—”

“Now he lives with you. In both senses of the word.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I guess you could say that. But, what did he ask you about Ray specifically?”

“Just wanted to know if I knew anything about him, which I didn’t. I didn’t even know he was living with you until just now. Ty’s good at keeping secrets.”

“It’s easy to do with you’re never in one place for very long. Was there anything else?”

“Yeah. He wanted to know what happened in England that made your friend come here. He seemed to think the guy was involved in a murder.”

She shook her head. “No. He wasn’t.” There was no way she was about to tell Tony the truth—about Ray’s involvement with Stewart Green. No one here needed to know about it and it wasn’t her story to tell. Besides, she really didn't like thinking about it, because not only could she not picture him doing what he’d so calmly explained to her he’d done, but because it also reminded her how he’d willingly risked being charged with murder in order to protect Cassie.

Cassie. God damn it, Theo just couldn’t get away from this woman.

“As long as you’re not in any danger.”

She smiled, the image of Ray smiling down at her as he made love to her the first time. Even now, she tingled all over at the memory of his hands, his lips on her, and shook her head. “I’m not in any danger with Ray Levine. Trust me. But… I’m curious about Mr. McClintock.”

“I can’t give out any info on him, but if I happened to bring up his stuff and walk away from my laptop to go pee…” Tony flipped up his MacBook’s lid and hit a few keys, then said, “Oh, shit… I gotta take a piss. I’ll be right back.”

She smiled as he left his office and from the corner of her eye, saw Ray coming in the front doors. She bounced up to look at the screen, and with her cell, took a few pictures of the screen, then came back around to grab her bag.

Ray was chatting with Amy, who worked the front desk, but he turned and smiled as Theo came out of the office. “Hey, I thought you’d forgotten about lunch.”

Despite her heavy thoughts, she shook her head. “No, I was just having a sit-down with Tony.” She waved at Tony as he walked back toward his office.

He winked and ducked inside and when she turned back, it was to find Ray look none too happy as he said, “Who is that?”

“Tony owns the gym, and he’s one of my oldest friends.” She reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his. “And I have to be back here in two hours, so we should go.”

He glared toward Tony’s office, but all he said was, “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine.” She grazed his thumb with hers. “We can talk about it over lunch.”

“Talk about what?”

“I’ll tell you in the car, Ray. Promise.”

He still didn't look happy, but all he did was nod and let her lead him out into the graying afternoon. Heavy clouds rolled overhead and she smelled a hint of snow in the air. “Do you want to drive?”

He shook his head. “You can.”

As he spoke, he dropped her hand and moved around to the passenger side. She unlocked the doors, slid in behind the wheel and said, “Someone came into the gym asking about me, and then asked a million questions about you.”

He looked over at her. “What?”

She nodded, reaching down to adjust the seat. Ray had put it all the way back and she couldn’t reach the pedals now. She made the adjustment, then hit the start button to turn over the engine and got the heat going. “That’s what Tony and I were talking about. He was concerned I might be in danger from you.”

A hint of a smile played at his lips. “And what did you tell him?”

“What do you think I told him?” She put the transmission into reverse and backed out of the space. “But, this guy was also asking about that Green guy, back in England.”

“What? Who is this guy?”

“Mr. Heart-Attack-About-to-Happen.”

“What?”

“Him.” She glanced over at him. “I have his information. Maybe he’s someone you know from England?”

“Did he sound English?”

“No. Not in the least.”

“Let me see what you have.”

She passed him her cell. “I only have pictures.”

“Lucky for you, I’m good with pictures.”

The garage where Ray’s Jeep had been towed was in Toms River, off Hooper Avenue, and by the time she pulled into the parking lot, Ray had muttered, “Son of a bitch,” about a dozen times already.

She put the Jetta in park and looked over at him. “Are you going to let me in on who the son of a bitch is?”

“Not yet.” He set her phone back in the cubby below the touch screen. “But, I will later tonight.”

“Ray.”

“Later.” He leaned over, brushed her lips with his, then shoved his door open. “You don’t have to wait.”

“But what about lunch?”

“Let’s make it dinner and I’ll answer any and all questions then, I promise.”

“Ray!”

He shoved his door shut and strode across to the office, leaving her to stare after him, muttering, “Are you kidding? I showered for nothing? Really?”

With a low sigh and a muttered curse, she swung the Jetta around and headed back to the gym. He’d better explain or else she’d… well, she didn't know what she would do, aside from maybe yell at him and then maturely withhold sex from him until he cracked.

Perfect.

After picking up his car, Ray pulled back out onto Thirty-Seven and crossed the bridge into Seaside (Park? Heights? He had no idea yet) and cruised along back through the shore towns and onto Route Thirty-Five.

When he swung into the lot where Drew’s office was, he scowled. The last thing he wanted to do was suck up to Drew now, but he had the feeling that’s exactly what was going to happen, and he wasn’t looking forward to it at all.

Angela couldn’t hide her look of surprise when he stepped into the office. “Mr. Levine? What’re you doing here?”

“Is he in with anyone?”

“No. But, I don’t think—”

He ignored the rest of her words and stalked down the hallway to throw open Drew’s door. “We need to talk.”

Drew looked up, his brows pulled low. “Get out of my office, Ray.”

“No.” Ray closed the door, then moved to stand before Drew’s desk. “Someone is snooping into my life and into my… my girlfriend’s life, and I want to know who hired him.”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. You were pretty clear earlier that you’re just to fucking good to be—”

“Don’t even play this game with me,” Ray growled, planting both fists on the desk to lean forward. “I want to know who hired him and why.”

Drew sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Do you have something more than this guy to go on?”

“I do.” He pulled out his cell and toggled to his photos and then scrolled through to the ones he’d airdropped from Theo’s phone. “This guy. Do you know him?”

Drew leaned over to peer at the screen, then looked up. “I might. It depends on whether or not you’re going to follow Michelle Harvey and report back what extracurricular activities she’s up to.”

“I can’t believe you’re working both sides of this fence.”

“Is that a yes, Ray? Because if not, I have work to do. I have to find a photographer.”

Ray sighed. “Yes. I’ll do it. Give me a time and a place and I’ll be there.”

“Good. Give me twenty-four hours and I’ll have everything you need to know.” Drew sat back in his chair. “Is this guy gonna unearth some deep, dark Ray Levine secrets?”

“None that are secrets now. I just want to know who’s paying him. I have an idea of my own, but I want proof before I say anything to Theo.”

“Theo? Who’s Theo?”

Ray shook his head. “Don’t you worry about it. So, are you going to give me that name or not?”

“Get those pics and the name is yours.”

Ray swallowed the oath bubbling to his lips. “Fine. Where am I going and what time?”

“Mr. Harvey seems to think you just need to sit out near his house and the mountain will come to you.”

“And the neighbors won’t think this weird at all?”

“Try to blend.”

After her second shower of the day, Theo tossed her stuff into the Jetta’s backseat, climbed into the driver’s seat, and turned over the ignition. The blast of icy air through the vents made her jump, but not nearly as much as the face that appeared on the other side of the window did.

Theo pushed the button to make the window slide down. “Jesus Christ! Donna! Don’t do that to me. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“Sorry.” Donna tucked a jet black curl behind her ear. “There was a phone call for you after you left. That guy, Kevin? He wanted to set up a session with you for tomorrow. I told him you’d left already, but I’d ask and have you call him if you could do it.”

As she talked, she handed Theo a Post-It with a number scrawled across it. “That’s his cell and he’s usually reachable there.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.”

Donna smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow. You better have more dish for me about Ray.”

“Donna!”

“What? At least one of us is getting some. Let me live vicariously through you?”

“Donna!”

Donna stood up, her laugh echoing across the lot. “Drive safe, Thee. And enjoy your hot Englishman.”

Theo shook her head as Donna sprinted across the parking lot to her Hyundai and then closed the window as cold air replaced warm. She glanced down at the Post-It, picked up her cell, and dialed.

It went straight to voicemail.

“Hi, Kevin, this is Theo Bailey from the Zone. I’m afraid I don’t have any openings tomorrow but if you want to set something up for Friday, I have most of the afternoon open. Give me a call at the gym tomorrow and we’ll work something out. Thanks, bye.”

She clicked off, plugged her phone into the Apple CarPlay, and the put the transmission into gear to make her way home.

When she pulled into the lot, she didn't see Ray’s Jeep. He hadn’t been by the apartment, since the mail was still in the box, and she wondered where he might have gone, since he was being so damn secretive earlier.

As she stood on the front porch, the kids across thee street came shrieking around the corner of their house and one bolted into the street. A horn blared and she spun around to see the kid’s older sibling had grabbed him to jerk him out of the path of the Honda, and thankfully, the Honda’s driver was going slow enough to hit the brakes and avoid hitting him.

“Andrew! Max! I told you not to leave this yard!” Their mother came running out the front door, while both boys ran to her.

Theo expected the driver to stop, to yell at the boys and their irresponsible mother, but to her surprise, the Honda took off like a shot, racing off down Polk as if someone chased it.

She put the scene from her mind as she wrestled with the front door, and then with the door to her apartment. It was dark, so she hit the overhead hall light with her free hand, dropping her bag just inside the door.

Something was off.

A hint of cologne hung in the air, but it didn't smell like Ray’s. No, this scent was woodsy and clean, but sporty and cloying, as if someone unloaded an entire can of Axe spray on themselves. It reminded her of some of the dudebros who haunted the gym—the ones who grunted with each rep, slammed weights down to show them who was boss, and thought nothing of flexing and posing in front of the many mirrors to be found at the Zone.

She set the mail down on the counter, and as she went to toss her keys in the dish near the archaic landline, they hit the counter with a clunk.

The dish had been moved.

The hairs along the back of her neck prickled and although she knew he wasn’t there, she still called, “Ray?” as she crept around the breakfast bar, avoiding the creaky floorboards just behind her sofa, and padded down the hallway without a sound. Her door was wide open. A quick peek. No one was there.

Ray’s door was ajar.

She eased about it.

The room was empty.

But there were photographs scattered across his bed—spread out as it whoever put them there was looking for something specific.

She walked over to the bed and looked down. “Oh…”

The pictures were of her—taken around the apartment, probably when he told her he was just trying out a new camera lens, or something of that sort, because she didn't remember ever actually seeing him point and shoot in her direction.

She brought a hand to her lips as she gazed down at them. A few were of her on the sofa, watching a football game, maybe? A few more were of her at the breakfast counter, writing out bills, reading the newspaper, in several, she worked on the crossword puzzle.

“This one is my favorite.”

She practically jumped out of her skin when Ray reached around her to pick up the one of her doing the crossword puzzle, her hair in a loose bun, chewing on the end of her pen. “Jesus, Ray! Don’t do that!”

“Sorry.” He slid his free arm about her. “What’re you doing in here?”

“Giving myself the heebie jeebies, I think. When did you take these and why are they all over the place?”

“I’ve been taking them since I got here. I told you you’d capture beautifully and I was right.”

Her cheeks grew warm. “Ray.”

“What? I wanted to put up a few more. Over there.”

She looked over and pressed her lips together as she saw the photos of him and Cassie were nowhere to be found. “When did you do this?”

“I passed through here before. I had some free time to kill, so I thought why not?” His arm tightened about her. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I’ve just seen too many horror movies, I think.” She turned toward him. “Where did you run off to this afternoon after ditching me?”

He stepped back. “I didn't ditch you. I just had to take care of something.”

“What something? You said you’d explain.”

“And I will.”

“Ray.”

“I’m waiting on some information and when I have it, I’ll spill. I promise.”

“Ray.”

“Trust me.” He let the photograph flutter to the bed and slid his now-free arm about her as well.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“I will, as soon as I know.” He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. His kiss was soft at first, but then his arms tightened about her and his lips pressed harder against hers.

She pulled back. “Sex is not getting you out of this.”

“I’m not trying to get out of anything.” As he spoke, he tugged at the hem of her dark blue long sleeved tee shirt, pulled it from the waist of her jeans to slip both hands beneath along her back. “As a matter of fact, I’m trying to get in—”

“Ray.”

He sighed, his hands going still on her back. His fingers, however, were anything but still and the gentle sweeping against her skin was enough to set her resolve to crumbling once more. That and the way his eyes softened. They were such a beautiful shade of blue and every time those blue eyes landed on her, Theo swore her heart forgot how to beat.

Was she in love with him? It sure as hell felt like love to her. But it was way too soon to even whisper those words. She didn't want to shoot herself in the foot where he was concerned. Didn’t want to tell him how she felt, only to have him tell her that he was just didn't have it in him to give because he’d given all to Cassie and she stomped it to pieces and walked away without looking back.

“What’s on your mind?” he murmured, his thumbs brushing over her bare skin to send a wave of soft tingles flurrying through her.

“Nothing. I’m just trying to figure out a way to get you to tell me what’s going on.”

“I have nothing to tell you, Theo. If I did, I would, I promise you.” He tugged her closer. “The only thing I have right now is that I have to find my way to Lavallette and sit in front of a house on Dickman Drive to watch the wife of the guy you and I were waiting for the other night.”

Draping her arms about his neck, she said, “What?”

“The guy, cheating with the teenager? Well, his wife is apparently cheating on him as well and now I get to play second verse same as the first, only with the wife.”

“She’s cheating on her husband in her own house?”

“Probably in their bed.”

“How depressing.”

“Yep.” He bent to brush her lips with his. “So, since I’m going to be spending half my night there, in my car, with only my camera for company, instead of being here, with you, naked, maybe we could sort of soften the blow before I go?”

She let her fingertips brush his nape, smiling as his eyes closed and he sighed softly. “I think it can be arranged, Mr. Levine,” she murmured before pulling him down to meet her kiss.

[7spaceace7]

Secrets (A Donatello x Reader)

This is incredibly self-indulgent and was really just a fic for me to obsess over tesla coils, but my girlfriend convinced me to post it- so here it is! It got kind of long too, but I hope you enjoy! 

Word Count: 3236

Reader is given feminine terms in this one

Mild cursing (thank you Raph)

Absolute fluff attack, the sweetness will rot your teeth

Singing was your greatest passion. From a young age, you had been roped into music, the emotions it could represent with just a few notes and some relatable lyrics. It was happiness, it was sadness, it was anger and excitement, and it was everything you couldn’t express well enough with just words. Being a writer, sometimes that would get frustrating, but music helped you overcome the most challenging spots in a new piece or story. This is why you would constantly have earbuds in as you sang along to every song you’d memorized on your Spotify shuffle. 

And Donnie noticed this. Every time you would enter the turtles’ lair, he would see you unplug and pack-up your headphones. Hell, he was even able to detect your singing from the sounds of the sewer tunnels echoing with every step you took closer. He’d hear you talk about the music or soundtracks of your favorite games and movies, analyzing what every slight twinge or reprise would allude to. And he loved every part of it. He loved getting to see those moments where music was all you could focus on. Your heart rate rose exponentially in anticipation and excitement. Your eyes would screw shut while you broke into a grin. Your hands would mimic motions to the beat as you played on invisible drums, or strummed a nonexistent guitar. 

It was adorable to him, to say the least. But he never told you so. He never said a word, in case this might scare you off for coming across as “creepy” or weird. He knew most people probably didn’t pay this close attention to little things like that, but then again, he also knew that most people weren’t madly in love with you. 

Which Donatello was. 

He couldn’t tell you, because once he started rambling about you, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop. And if he didn’t stop, then he’d run the 89.07% chance risk of telling you how he’d been in love with you since the day they met you. That was way too high for him to be comfortable. No, he couldn’t tell you, no matter how badly he wanted you to know.

“Okay, so what if you just show ‘er you’re interested instead?” Raph asked, half paying attention to his brother’s predicament, half pounding the punching bag before him into the ground. Leo was in the dojo meditating, and Mikey was playing video games in the living room, which left the two middle brothers to their own devices. For Donnie, this was literally. His three-fingered hands fiddled with his latest electrical circuit. It was bound for sending the right amount of voltage into his inventions without needing four power strips and a generator all on their own. Unfortunately, he was too distracted to actually delve into its components, and settled for breaking and piecing it back together again.

“Show her? How would I do that?” Donnie’s voice trembled at the thought.

“I dunno, you’re the genius here,” Raph huffed, “There’s gotta be somethin’ in this place that you think she’d find cool. She loves music, right?”

“Yeah, like a lot, she even-”

“Rhetorical question, Don, heard the rant plenty,” His brother cut him off. Pausing his violent onslaught of the dummy, he turned to face him. “You’re nervous ‘cause you ain’t ever done somethin’ for a pretty girl before, I get it. So do somethin’ you know you’re good at. That’ll take the nerves off, your plan works, and then I won’ have to listen to you babbling about whatever new fuckin’ thing she did today. Win win.”

The younger turtle paused. “That was...actually pretty sound advice, thank you, Raph.”

“Anytime,” Raph nodded, a smug smile tugging at his lips from being able to help. Problem was, now he was invested. He’d listened to his brother’s rants and rambles and failed plans of possibly confessing for weeks now, what was gonna happen once he finally did it? Raph plopped onto one of Donnie’s bean bag chairs. He didn’t bother to pick up the training dummy. “So what ya gonna do, smart guy?”

Donnie blinked a few times, glasses twitching on his nose as he pushed them up. He didn’t know it, but you coined this his “brainstorming face”. He fiddled with the circuits once again.

“Uh...I’m not sure,” His tongue went dry. A million ideas fly through his brain each minute, and this decides to be the time that he can’t think of a single one good enough. Figures. “I could build her something? Maybe a new stereo, or upgrade the one she has.”

Raph made a noise of disapproval. “You can do better, any old fix-it guy could do that.”

“Fair. Maybe I could- ow!”

A short buzz of the air cut him off as his fiddling paid off. To the world’s great irony, a light bulb several inches away lit up.

“You good?”

“Yeah, I’m good, I…” Donnie trailed off. The purple-clad turtle’s eyes widened as he registered what happened. “I’m better than good, I just had an epiphany!”

“Epipha-what?”

“An epiphany, sudden realization, an idea!” Donnie flicked his goggles back down, enhancing his vision with the magnifier on it. Wires were tugged in and out, and a transmitter was displaced. With a snort of triumph, he raised it to the air for his brother to see. “This is the answer!” 

“A tiny board thing. Just what she’s always wanted,” Raph rolled his eyes, but Donnie was prepared for this.

“Not just a tiny board, a tiny board with this!-” With great haste, Donnie was next to Raph, holding the board out properly. “My side-side project, this little thing, look at the coil here, this is it! This is a tesla coil, capable of transmitting thousands and thousands of volts of energy surging through the air, powering anything within its radius, which is perfect and exactly why I needed to reconfigure it to power my lab and this one new machine I’m working on, but that’s not why this is the perfect idea!”

“Wow, please continue, professor, I’m dyin’ to know.”

“Glad you asked! Watch this!” One aux cord, T-Phone connection, and light-dimming later, the lab went dark in anticipation. And suddenly, with the press of a play button on Donnie’s shuffle, music started to fill the air. But it wasn’t coming from his phone. It was coming from the coils, surging and creating not only electric energy that was visible to the human eye as it sparked, but music. Sound. The beats and notes of the song playing sprouted out in the form of electricity.

Raph’s green eyes became transfixed on the sparks flying out. “Holy shit.”

“Holy shit is right!” Came the squeals of utter nerding out, “This is only a tabletop version of an SGTC circuit, my own type of it anyway based on Tesla’s original designs, but if I reworked it, made it bigger, made it lifelike and maybe four or five of them, I could create the most advanced musical performance this city has ever seen!”

“I’m gonna pretend I know everything you just said because clearly this is your nerd thing,” Raph started, utterly confused. Even still, a reassuring smile framed his features. “But this looks pretty damn cool. This right here? Exactly what ‘m sayin’, Don.  This is you.”

“Do you think she’ll like it...?” Donnie asked in a hopeful voice. He wasn’t just asking about the invention. 

“Course she will.”

~x~

A couple weeks had passed since that fateful conversation with Raph. He’d been in and out of the lab since then, but between patrols and the mandatory bathroom breaks, there was hardly a time he wasn’t working on his great new project. You weren’t even allowed to go into the lab, per his request, for all his time there.

However, he always made sure to make at least one movie whenever you’d come hang out at the lair from work.

Finally, one Friday night, the set up was complete. Pride swelled in Donnie’s chest as he looked at his creation: six symmetrically placed tesla coils sprung up from the ground and walls all around his lab space. The coilings wrapped around metal frames, spiraling into a beautiful arrangement of engineering, if he did say so himself. Mikey said it looked like the lasers out of a DC comic, which was also not a bad thing to be. He just hoped that you would like it. All of it was for you, of course, but over the weeks that he’d been preparing it, he found more beauty in the music of tesla coils than he ever had appreciated before. 

Donnie thought he might thank you for that, if he could get his nerves around it.

God, he was so nervous. Anxiety rushed through his body like the electric pulses he was perfecting. They were already done, but it was all he could do to distract himself while waiting for you to arrive. Maybe the frequencies weren’t in the right key. What if they sounded better this way? Or maybe the firing power wasn’t enough? Trajectory looked alright, maybe it just-

“Donnie?”

“Gh! Y/N, hey!” Stammered the surprised terrapin after knocking his head against the top of a coil. His goggles were on the setting of night-vision, but that didn’t account for night-spatial-awareness, it seemed.

“I got your text to come,” You tried to smile at him, but the dark laboratory proved to make that difficult. “How come it’s so dark in here?”

“Uh, well, that’s p-part of the surprise! Eheh. Gimme just a second-”

You waited patiently outside of his lab, vision still applicable, but grew concerned the more strange noises and clangs you heard coming from inside. This was definitely a whole new level of “Donnie Surprises” just by how nervous he seemed about it.

You yelped when his hand grabbed your arm and dragged you back inside the darkness.

“Okay, uh,” He started, before clapping his hands together for the lights to switch back on, “This is what I wanted to show you.”

Your gaze spun all around the lab. After adjusting to the light, you could clearly see giant mechanism after mechanism placed strategically around in a dome-like setup. Coils that protruded like round-edged spikes circled you both, and in the center was a metal cage. 

“Oh my god…” You almost whispered. A large grin broke out onto your face as you stared in quiet marvel at the scene. His plan was working, and Donnie lit up with an outstretched arm in presentation.

“These bad boys are called tesla coils-”

“Tesla coils!” You squealed in imperfect unison to what you assumed was the start of an explanation. “You made tesla coils, Donnie, holy shit!”

“You’ve heard of them?!” Donnie exclaimed, eyes widening behind his glasses.

“YES!” Your hands began to wave around excitedly, “Oh my god I used to be OBSESSED with these things! I heard about when I was a kid from that old movie, oh what was it, it was like the apprentice’s-”

“Sorcerer’s Apprentice!”

“THAT! Yes!” 

“I haven’t seen that movie in years!”

“Me neither! All I remember is that Hiccup’s voice actor totally nerded out and programmed his giant tesla coils to play music for the girl he wanted to impress, and it was the coolest thing because these giant machines were playing music, music out of nothing but sparks of electricity at different frequencies, which to be honest probably would have caused more of an energy problem than the movie suggested because goddamn do they take up a lot of power, but I was like six and didn’t care!��� You laughed  in an energetic burst of word association, practically bouncing on the balls of your feet.

Donnie could have kissed you then and there for that alone. 

A grin crept onto his lips as he watched you ramble on about the movie, leaving all anxious thoughts to fall from his mind. For once, someone actually understood one of his passions. Better than that, she was explaining the process to him of all people! Sure, she was intuitive enough to know he didn’t need it, he literally had just built them after all. This was just out of pure excitement. Someone in his life was talking about science and technology like they were the most fascinating things on the planet, just as the purple-masked turtle believed it was. Well, second only to the ecstatic girl in front of him. 

“-And so, I randomly remembered it again not that long ago, so I looked it up and found so many videos on YouTube about it. I kid you not, I listened to tesla coils and tesla coils alone for a solid week.” 

You breathed heavily, a little winded after such an intense info-dump. God, he always loved when you got excited about something. 

“This is kind of surreal,” Donnie chuckled a bit, pushing up his glasses when they tumbled down his nose, “I had no idea you’d get what these were, much less have known so much about them.” Donnie’s eyes widened at his own panicked-fueled blabbering. “N-Not that I think you’re stupid! I just-- I mean it’s not-- common? It’s more of-”

“A niche interest, yeah. No worries,” You finished for him, signaling his stuttered words hadn’t fallen on offended ears. Donnie quietly sighed in relief. Time ticked by in seconds, but even that was much too fast for this martial artist to grasp. If he could have constructed a device to pause the fabrics of time, he would have long ago, simply to relish the moments with you that meant everything to him. It wasn’t your fault your eyes captivated him more than any element he’s worked with.

“So,” You began eagerly, startling him out of his thoughts, “Are we gonna listen to some zappy poles go brrr or what?”

Donnie snorted at your juvenile word choice. “Yeah, totally. Now, ah,” He walked over toward the large cage in the center, stepped inside, then poked his head out with a dorky grin. A large, green hand stood outstretched towards you. “I think you’d better step inside my cage.”

“If you keep quoting the damn movie like this, I am going to explode from excitement, and it will be your fault!” It was a wonder how you hadn’t caught onto his plan yet, honestly. You made no sense of hesitation before grabbing his offered hand (even though your hands were small enough that they hardly matched his palm’s size), and clambered into the cage in front of him. This was a great excuse for you to be close to him without it being weird. And now, with your back brushing up against his plastron, the butterflies in his chest told him it was totally a good call.

Donatello would take this secret to his grave, however.

“Put your hands on the rail here, yep just like that,” Donnie nodded after your hands found the safeguard rail. A couple buttons tapped into a laptop later, he settled his own hands next to yours. “Let the magic begin.”

Magic would have been the understatement of the year. A coil in front of you quickly shot out its first spark. Familiar music breached the sound barrier to your ears. The one behind you both caught it instantly. Spark after spark sent back and forth between the coils, soaring through the lab like the most incredible game of electric catch.

“Whoa!” You laughed when the sparks would bounce off the cage itself, pressing closer to the turtle behind you (much to his surprise every time). Your shining e/c eyes never left the electric bolts shooting out. “This is insane!”

“Heh, glad you like it!” Donnie watched you closely that entire time, more entranced by your excitement and wonderstruck self than anything he’d created. He could power up the tesla coils anytime of day, but this was a special moment he’d never be able to recreate in a controlled environment. This was no experiment, this was real and it was happening right now. 

The only thing left to do was tell you how he felt. 

“Y/N, I have to tell you something,” He began, stepping away to give you a bit of space. His heart rate was increasing by the second. The way you turned to look at him wasn’t helping, either. 

“What is it?” You spoke softly, somehow able to be heard over the music. Donnie could hardly meet your eyes, so he took your hands in his instead.

“I...I don’t know how to say this exactly,” He started, “I’ve been trying to do it for months, going over every possible conjuncture of words, something that would be heartfelt and honest, poetic even? But the truth is, words aren’t my thing, th-they never have been. I’m a science guy, I take things apart and put them back together again, I figure out what makes them work, I see life as a million tiny parts to analyze.”

He paused his quickened speech to take a breath. Your hands squeezed his larger ones as an offer to continue.

“And so, I’m...bad at feelings. I see it all as chemicals and components used by the brain to create action and reaction. But now I’m not so sure if that’s all they are, and really the only thing I am sure about is that it’s because of you that I’m questioning everything I ever thought I knew. Maybe, maybe life is more than atoms and chemicals, and instead it’s about..moments. Moments like this. Moments that...that I..that I really want to keep forever and play over and over again.”

“Donnie…” You spoke. This time he squeezed your hands.

“I know I’m rambling and I should really get to the point, so what I’m trying to say is,” He took another breath, steady this time. His gaze met yours again. “I want to live these moments with you every day. You’re special to me. You’re part of our family, but this is more than that, this feeling is-”

“Love.” You finished for him. Both of your eyes widened as you realized the other felt how you each did.  

Donatello nodded slowly, hesitant to be so certain, but knowing it was true. There were no more words to be exchanged after that, only actions, only movements so soft and gentle that the large terrapin was certain he’d break if they could fit in his hands. Your hands left his and instead reached up to grab the long ends of his mask, and tugged gently for him to reach you. He leaned down without a thought. A three-fingered hand found your waist this time. 

You kissed. Soft, human lips connected to his slightly chapped reptilian ones. The turtle had waited for this moment since he realized the attraction he felt towards you was not just powerful chemical reactions, but true feelings. It wasn’t biology, it was chance and fate and one-in-a-million all at once. As the sparks continued to (literally) fly, Donnie let his eyes close. This was the present. He was here, he was holding a great new adventure in his hands, and there was a brilliant future just around the corner. 

The song may have finished, but this is what would last forever. 

[hatterstan-shameblog]

For the headcanon thing

I think Hatter likes to watch bad movies. Like the really bad ones. The ones that make you roll your eyes/laugh/cry at every single thing about it, doesn't matter if it's plot or acting. But you know what he loves more than watching those awful movies alone?

Watching them with someone else.

"hey, Mori, wanna watch a movie?"

"...no."

"c'mon, you'll like this one."

"no, I won't."

"...no, you won't. But I will enjoy your presence. C'mon bro, do it for the sake of bonding time."

"*sigh* fine..."

(inspired by real life events)

💕 Sleepover 💕

Rating: PG13 for language and alcohol consumption

Relationship: Takeru (Hatter)/Aguni

Tags: banter, friendly insults, Just Guys Being Dudes, drinking, swearing, love confessions (sort of), They Talk A Big Game But The Love Is There

Bangbangbangbangbang!

“Mori!”

Bangbangbangbangbang!

“Moooooori, let me iiiiiiiiiin!”

Clunk!

Click!

Creeeeeeaaaaaak!

Aguni opens his apartment door, wincing at the slap of summer heat that greets him as he does.

“C’mon man,” an overheated and impatient Takeru implores, “it’s miserable out here!”

“You bring me samosas,” Aguni asks, crossing his arms across his chest, “Because I’m not letting you in without my samosas.”

Takeru’s face twists into a look of shocked indignation.

“Would you really leave me—your best friend on this beautiful green Earth—to swelter and die on your doorstep in this blazing summer heat…all because I forgot the samosas?”

Aguni considers.

“No. I’d ask you to swelter and die in the parking lot. Neighbors’ll kick up a fuss if you block the stairwell.”

“Well it’s a good thing I got two orders this time,” Takeru shakes the bag enticingly, “so we don’t even have to share.”

“Someone’s splashing out,” Aguni murmurs, taking the bag from Takeru’s outstretched hand and standing aside so the man can enter his home, “Don’t suppose there’s a reason for all this…”

“Maybe I just wanted to be nice,” Takeru says flippantly, toeing off his shoes, “a little ‘thank you’ for welcoming me into your home.”

Aguni carries the bag of food over to his coffee table and sets it down, being careful not to disturb the place settings he had so thoughtfully arranged. Two plates, two spoons, two glasses of water—all neatly placed in the center of his new, sage-green placemats.

Hopefully nobody spills curry on them.

“You brought one of your weird movies again, didn’t you?”

Takeru rolls his eyes. Shoving his arm into his messenger bag, he rummages around its contents for a moment before yanking a dark, thin rectangle and holding it up for Aguni to examine.

“The 1977 horror classic, House,” he explains with an edge of exasperation, “is a critically-acclaimed work of art that has been inspiring both film fanatics and the average man for nearly half a century.”

“Straight from the back of the box,” Aguni mumbles, opening the stapled-shut paper bag and peeking at the containers inside, “Anyways, I thought you didn’t like scary movies.”

Takeru scoffs.

“Not sure what gave you that idea,” Takeru says, shoving his feet into his slippers—yes, his slippers, black velvet with red-and-gold dragons embroidered on the front because ‘I’m here enough to warrant my own damn slippers’ and ‘these are fucking awesome,’ “We saw Hereditary in the theater!”

“And you were scared the whole time,” Aguni points out, gingerly lifting their food out of the bag and arranging the containers on their respective plates, “You had to sleep with the lights on for a week. Screwed up your cat’s sleep schedule and everything.”

Takeru swans his way over to Aguni’s refrigerator and opens it, more or less sticking his whole head inside to examine its (admittedly meager) offerings.

“It’s not my fault that Ziggy is such a smart, beautiful boy who knows what ‘lights out’ means. And besides,” Takeru says while examining the bottle of white wine Aguni had put in to chill, “I’ll be staying here tonight, so it won’t be an issue.”

“So the cat gets to sleep, but I don’t?”

“You, my dear, get a evening of my company, complete with scintillating conversation, cultural enrichment, and—as we have already established—your very own order of samosas,” Takeru calls out from the kitchen, rummaging for a suitable pair of wine glasses, “And besides, I plan on sleeping deeply and comfortably knowing that any and all monsters would no doubt eat you first, giving me ample opportunity to flee the scene…”

Aguni lifts the lid off his curry, admiring the rich yellow hue and inhaling its bold spices. There are even a few extra chilis lying on top, which is a lovely surprise.

Takeru arrives at the table, glasses in one hand and wine in the other. He gives the spread a discerning once-over and then a nod of apparent approval.

“Anyways,” Takeru says, twisting off the top of the wine bottle (not without giving Aguni a look of distaste as he does it), “I’m a bit disappointed in you, Mori-chan. I thought you’d fight me more on this one…”

“It’s a losing battle,” Aguni concedes, sitting himself down in his usual spot and turning on the television, “I have too many brain cells and not enough patience to go through the usual theatrics.”

Takeru hands him a generously-full wine glass—not as full as his own, of course, but still more than what the average person might pour.

“This’ll help the brain cell problem,” he says with an over-enthusiastic smile, “probably the patience, too. Wine makes you sentimental.”

“Hmph.”

“See? It’s already working.”

“Yeah, well,” Aguni grumbles, taking a small sip of his beverage, “better get the movie started before I change my mind.”

Takeru begins his usual indignant grumbling as he fumbles with the DVD player. Aguni could help him, but, frankly, it’s entertaining to watch his friend struggle with the simple electronic setup.

When Takeru manages to get the tray open, he gives a small cheer of victory. Aguni stifles a smirk.

Hopefully the movie is this much fun.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

“Mori. Hey, Mori-chan.”

Aguni rolls his eyes, and then himself onto his side to face Takeru.

“What,” he grumbles, squinting in the dark as he tries to make out the other mans’ shape, “piano thing still got you upset?”

“It ate her fingers, Mori,” Takeru whisper-shouts, “and then it got the rest of her too! That’s enough to upset anyone!”

“It wasn’t even that scary,” Aguni mentions, shimmying his shoulders in order to find a more comfortable spot on his futon, “besides, you don’t even play piano, so you don’t have to worry.”

Takeru is silent for a moment—a blessed, beautiful moment.

“I guess you’re right,” he says after his brief contemplation, “but that’s not the only thing on my mind.”

“I’m guessing ‘sleep’ isn’t one of ‘em?”

Takeru scoffs. There’s a shuffling and fluttering sound from his neighboring futon as he turns to face his disgruntled companion.

“In due time,” Takeru says, “what plagues me now is more of a philosophical question.”

Aguni sighs.

“Remember the part where that guy got turned into a pile of bananas?”

“Yeah,” Aguni responds, “that was weird.”

“What if that happened to me,” Takeru asks, sounding genuinely concerned, “would I turn into a pile of bananas, or would I be a different kind of fruit?”

Oh, you’re different alright, Aguni thinks to himself, but he knows better than to say that out loud. Takeru’s using his ‘this is going to keep me up all night unless you give me a good answer’ voice, so Aguni starts thinking about how best to answer.

“I think you’d be melons,” Takeru concludes, “yeah…definitely melons.”

“Because of my round head and lack of hair?”

“No,” Takeru snaps, “well, that wasn’t my original thinking.”

Aguni subtly checks his phone—half-past one o’clock in the morning, too late to send Takeru home on a train to ask his cat these burning questions instead of him.

“Why,” Aguni asks, “do you think I’d be melons?”

“Well, like you, melons are strong and tough on the outside. Make a nice thud sound when you smack ‘em.”

“So do I,” Aguni mentions, “if you get the right spot. But I also hit back, so that’s not very melon-y, is it?”

“Hm. I suppose not. But,” Takeru says, “where you really start to resemble the melon is on the inside.”

“Inside, huh?”

“Yeah,” Takeru considers for a moment, “underneath all that tough rind, melons are soft. Sweet, too. Nothing fancy, they’re not trying to prove anything, they’re just…good. Like you.”

Aguni hadn’t been expecting something so…sentimental. It’s a touching departure from their usual quips and playful jabs, and it makes something warm and kind of familiar bubble up in Aguni’s heart.

“And also,” Takeru tacks on, “they’re green. And green is your favorite color! So it’s perfect.”

“I think you’d be a strawberry,” Aguni says after a beat.

“A strawberry? You mean only one?”

“Only one,” Aguni confirms, “but one of those fancy designer ones, the kind they grow in those hydroponic farms and sell in department stores for thousands of yen.”

“I heard about a guy who got murdered at one of those places,” Takeru says, “some yakuza guy who was selling weed on the side, someone put a hit out on him and used the body for fertilizer.”

“That’s…disturbing,” Aguni replies, “but that’s beside the point. Don’t you want to know why I think you’d be a single strawberry?”

“Is it because they’re red?”

“Sort of,” Aguni says, “Got a lot of seeds, too. Get stuck in your teeth pretty easily, if you’re not careful.”

“I am rather tenacious.”

“You are.”

Aguni considers his next words carefully. His relationship with Takeru is…complicated, and uncertain, and if anyone ever asked him what they ‘are’ he wouldn’t know how to answer.

“Strawberries are sweet. They’re sour, too. You’d know the flavor anywhere. And you…”

He pauses. Takeru, for once, doesn’t try to fill the silence with his own voice.

“…Well, those designer strawberries are all one-of-a-kind, just like you. So that’s why there’s one one,” he says slowly, “and I like strawberries. Might even, uh…love ‘em.”

“Oh, Mori…”

Something flops onto Aguni’s blanket—once, twice, and ah, it’s Takeru’s hand, and he’s looking for something. Aguni slips his arm from under the covers and covers Takeru’s hand with his own. This is apparently what Takeru had been searching for, because he pulls Aguni’s hand closer to himself.

“You know,” Takeru says, “now that you mention it, I think I might love melon, too.”

Aguni feels lips against the back of his hand—a soft kiss, gentle, a reassurance as much as an act of affection—and he’s glad for the dark of night that hides the blush of his cheeks.

“I feel better now,” Takeru announces, giving Aguni’s hand a light squeeze, “In fact, I think I’m falling asleep as we speak…”

“Hmm,” Aguni hums in agreement.

He’s still holding Takeru’s hand, and Takeru, his—neither seem too keen on letting go, at least, not for now.

[inkabelledesigns]

Sam and Jan’s Apartment - Nightmares are Reality Sims

So as of late, I’ve had a LOT of ideas brewing for yet another Bendy fic, and in some of my planning for it, I’ve built one of the locations in the Sims 4 to use as reference. It’s been busy at home, and I needed this to relax, so I’m glad I took the time to do that briefly. You may have seen my previous post about Nightmares are Reality, but if you haven’t, here’s the short version: Samantha Lorenzo from 2021 and Sammy Lawrence from 1946 wake up one morning with their bodies switched, and now both have to embrace the other’s friend group to not only find a way to get back, but also stop the inevitable fate of the studio staff as shown in the novel Dreams Come to Life. There’s angst, there’s fluff, and it get pretty rough, but there’s so much to play with for this story. 

Come with me, and let’s dive into Sam and Jan’s apartment!

So first, we gotta talk about Sam and Jan themselves. Samantha is the curly haired one, and Janet is the one in the hat (she wouldn’t be caught dead without one). Unfortunately the Sims does not allow me to change heights (and I don’t have a mod for it), but imagine for me if you will that Jan is significantly shorter than Sam. I did not have a ton in mind in the way of colors for them, but together their wardrobes have a LOT of red and black, with a little white and tan thrown in. I have Sam with the lifetime goal of being a successful author, which falls in line with her love of storytelling in modern media. Jan on the other hand is a songwriter and musician that’s still trying to find her path. The two met in college and graduated not too long ago, and now they’re both hunting for work (which Janet has part time when the fic begins). 

In addition to them, we have their cat, Figaro (named after the cat from Disney’s Pinnochio, Sam is a nerd like that).

Now, we move onto their apartment!

I chose the 1020 Alto Apartments lot for this, which came with the condition of the Romantic Fireplace that I can’t remove. But I added on Home Studio and Great Acoustics so they could bump up their skills a little easier. This is my first time playing with a lot challenge, and that is Spooky, which makes it so ghosts will come over now and again, which scares the crap out of both of them. And uh, funny story...

The ghost of Joey Drew was the third one to come, and he was VERY angry when Sam met him. X’’’D I did not see that coming, but now I kinda want to make more Bendy ghosts just to see if they pop in. Would you guys be into that? I mean Depths Henry is a ghost, so I probably SHOULD make him. 

At any rate, let’s look at the layout. Bear in mind, I am not phenomenal at building houses, much less apartments, but I think this worked out. 

It opens up into the kitchen, which is filled with all the essentials (these ladies are big on their caffeine). Currently I headcanon that Sam cooks while Jan cleans, but Jan is the better baker out of the two of them. Sam also likes to have fresh ingredients, and while I can’t do a window box on this lot, I can have some indoor vertical plants.

There isn’t much of a separation between living room and kitchen, but this is the living room! Some stuff is for playing with (since I actually play with my households now and then), like the dancefloor, but others are for actual use. They use a record player to listen to jazz and other music, and the furniture would be all mismatched like that (they were broke college kids, gotta sit on something, right? probably got it from a bunch of garage sales). The photo setup is something they use, but it belongs to their friend Vincent, which brings me to the first bedroom.

I haven’t made these two as Sims yet, but Sam and Jan have another duo living with them, Jess and Vincent, who are a couple. Jess is a makeup artist who often experiments on her friends, and she hopes to get into the makeup and wardrobe side of the cinematography scene. Vince on the other hand is a photography and film guy who’s an absolute sweetheart. Those two share this bedroom (Jess had more of a say in the decorating, Vince is pretty easygoing about the aesthetic). 

I had to make sure there was a special corner for Jess’ makeup stuff, she’d want space to move around. The mirror is also something she loves, and they all borrow it a lot. Why?

Because of this creepy room nextdoor! X’’’D So I just learned mannequins are a thing, and I can dress them however I want, so I put some in this pretty much functionless closet. (Though the two masculine ones have been glitching in a way that turns their heads a little at certain angles, and it creeps me out a LOT) This is the cosplay closet, which mostly Jess and Sam use, but all four of them have some numbers in here. These four are a cosplay group, mostly for Bendy, but for other fandoms too. Jess likes going as Twisted Alice (heavy special effects makeup, go figure), Vincent likes Henry and Joey (he likes scruffy nerds and suits), Janet dresses as Jack Fain (though she’s also done some gender bends of other characters), and Samantha (as I’m sure you’ve guessed by now) is right there as the Sammy for their group. If I can ever learn how to work with custom content, I would love to have a cosplay for each of them on these mannequins, but we’ll save that for later. These nerds are absolutely the types to play around with cosplay photos and tiktok videos, I’m sure they duet often. XD

We have some bathrooms, which are pretty self explanatory, but then we have Janet’s room. She is big on the posters and loves having her instruments right there and ready to play. She plays guitar and piano, but I may have her pick up violin down the line. Both of them have the geek trait and are prone to playing videogames more often than not, but Jan is mostly found playing her music. 

We have a small corner of the hallway for the cat. And then last but not least: Sam’s room.

This is Samantha’s creative space. Much like my space, when she’s working, it gets messy. She loves turning on some jazz while she writes, and while she’s crafting. I gave her and Jan the knitting supplies, since I don’t really know how else to simulate sewing for these characters, and they also have some clutter. Sam has one additional mannequin in her room, and she’s into figures, so there’s one of those on the desk. Her closet and bathroom are pretty simple, but that closet is gonna be really important when we get into the story, you’ll see why later.

As always, I have their Sims up on the gallery, along with the apartment, in case you want to play with them for yourself. Just note: because of how apartments work in this game, it’s uploaded as a room, so you’re going to have to fill some walls in and add doors if you want it to work like an apartment would (and you can totally turn it into a house if you want to, you don’t need to have 1020 Alto if you wanna use this). Just search for KatAlystDesigns in the Sims 4 gallery! I’ve also uploaded a few other houses recently, including the DCTL cast for my BATIM mermaid collection, and Buddy’s mother and grandpa. 

I had a LOT of fun putting this together last night, and it’s given me a much better idea of how I want to work with things for this narrative. Bear in mind, Sammy’s the one who’s gonna have to live here and put up with it, so having these details established is gonna help me to make the fic go smoother. I may tweak some things, like actually using upper cabinets in the kitchen (which I always seem to forget about), but we’ll see. XD Either way, this was a good exercise.

I hope you’re all looking forward to exploring these two and their story as much as I am! As a quick final note, I actually have a blog set up for Nightmares are Reality to mimic the one Sam has in the fic, and I’m thinking of using it as a somewhat RP, somewhat fic and content delivery system for the story, so if you’ve got thoughts on that, or stuff you’d like to see, do let me know! Here’s wishing you are all wonderful day!

[dollymadness]

Hello. Shoto falling in love with a villian (with tragic back-story). At first he's very bothered by his feelings but later on he finds out their story and he understands the villian's side however villian hates his father and wants to murder shoto to avenge his family who were abandoned by endeavor during a house fire.

Pro hero Shoto x villain NB reader

hey loml !! sorry, this took me too long

Villain quirk: Fierce Snake - they can shapeshift into a full fierce snake or only incorporate the animal senses (which includes venom, highly sensitive skin, improved chemosensory...) on their human form.

You can choose the particularity of the snake that suits better on the situation.

The drawback is the short time you have on the full form, or when you are using more then one sense.

You are the ambicious type, with a indeed charming nature. A person that woudn't hesitate on sacrificing everything and yourself to reach the main goal.

But you are sure such extreme attitude won't be needed at all, due to your clever and logic brain. One thing, out of all that you are sure, is to overanalyse each move, every little step is calculated.

Shoto is a highly rated pro hero, on his prefered area. He isn't the biggest fan of the front line, the battle and the caos. Instead, he choose to live in the shadows, working successively suceed stealth missions.

Todoroki is the best type of spy, he is polite, cool-headed and extremely smart. The man is even more effective than Hawks was, he is changing this behalf of the heroe society to be more straight to the point, functional.

However, is not always that easy to find the needed information. After all those years, the company decided to try again an old strategy.

"All i have to do is go there and say i want to join? Sir, with all the respect, but-" Even being the CEO, Shoto is always respectful with his co-workers, even giving them power and space to desagree with him and openly point it out.

"Sir, i'm telling you that this will work. If you want, i can show the presentation again, and all the points to prove it's the best change we have."

There were rumors that the villains are planning something big against the top heroes, however they can't get even a small clew. All the pre-existing methods had failed on them and the team suggested to Shoto to infilter, alike his precursor.

It's a big and, on Shotos concepition, dumb step to make. The villains woudn't feel on the same trick two times, would they? "So many time has passed since then..." His co-worker argument was valid too. "You can easily scape if it goes wrong." Obviously he can. He would be the number one if wasn't for his area of action.

He is scared, but doesn't let it show on his expression when he agree. After all the discuss, they get out of the company with a well thought plan, step by step.

On the other side, the delinquents were also working on their main scheme. They wanted a war, as the LOV once did, but they needed a strong weapon to realize such, they wanted something better than the nomus, maybe an item to potentialize their individualitys. Still, they didn't have a clear direction.

Mei is the big brain, the scientist. Is she an inventor from the heroes side? Yes. Does she give a single fuck to the motivation besides just creating insane "babys"? No.

And she isn't getting anywhere with her "basic creations", in their masters word. All the villains can do by now is mess with hero society as much as possible and wait to their weapon to come to life.

Shoto is getting his job done. He putted himself into the ghettos and patiently waited. "Hey, hey, hey! What do we have here?" The elastic masquerade man curls on the walls next to Sho. "How can i serve you, your majesty?" He sneers, while the hero keep his face emotionless.

Todoroki then explains his will to join the villains, with the excuse of the hate of his on father and all the abuse he did to him, that part was not enterely a lie. He even managed to split out that he never wanted to be a hero, only doing for parental pressure.

The criminal listened with boredom filling his face, taking Shoto inside.

"Oh, if it's not our royal highness! Tell your dad i said hi." The Mastermind proceeds to talk by the moment Shoto walks in.

"Hello, sir." He started politely, lowering his head to show respect. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but i came here to offer my help to your crew."

Again, he gave the same excuse he'd gave minutes ago.

"I see. But don't think that i'm going to accept a filthy rat like you that easily... those who don't learn with the history are complete fools. You know are i'm talking about, don't you?" His voice was so low, barely audible and it send shivers on Shotos spine.

"Yes, sir, but i'm willing to prove my worthy." Todoroki could hear his voice cracking, the moment isn't bringing good memories.

His father was the one who used to put him in such a humiliating position.

"You can start by begging. If you want it, you will do anything, is that correct?" He watches as Sho silently gets on his knees. "And stop with that 'sir' thing. 'Master' will do." A big smirk appears

"Yes, master." He was starting to feel disgusted by himself, but didn't back off. "Please, let me join this league. I'm begging, Master, please." Hate on the most pure form runs throught his veins while he stay still, looking to the ground as it is the most interesting thing on earth.

"Tsc. I don't know if that erection you getting me is enough. What do you think, Y/N?" You suddenly emerges from the back of the empty dark room and joins in.

"Give the guy a chance, if he is bad we can just cut his head off." You see Shoto fighting his urge to look up and see your face, and it steals a laugh of your part.

"As you seem like having so much fun with this worm here, now he is under your wing. Test him as much as you want and if he fucks everything up, i'll blame you. Understood?" The Mastermind now shows that he's harsh to his allies to.

"Understood!" The man walks away, letting you and Shoto solve this new problem you both got into.

"So... what do you'll like for me to call you, peasant?"

"Shoto is enough."

"Okay, call me Y/N, i don't need all this formality that Master likes... get up." you order and he hops up in a second.

"Endeavors son is under my wing... a bit ironic, don't you think?" laughing to yourself, he eyes you as you clingy around his shoulder.

"You know what? This is going to be fun..." You shift into a snake, curling up on his neck, as Todoroki jumps in fear.

"So, Shoto, how you're going to prove me that you aren't faking this shit?" You turn into human again, only to shift again on his arm. "Huh?" Again, and now he is getting used to it.

"I-i don't now, 'boss'. You are the one to tell me this, right?" You finally stop, feeling pure joy while the young man has fear all over his face, body tense and eyes about to jump off.

"Yes, darling, i am. Trust me, if this is a setup, you will regret." You threat biting his neck, laughing as you walk away.

You put Shoto in all possible kinds of difficult situations...

He had to share confidential information about his hero friends.

Let the villains take a building filled of civillians.

And he had to help on the secret missions all along. You would curl on his neck and move for the extension of his shoulder, just to remember him that all his moves are being watched.

Shoto is skillful, and it's not hard to notice. In a short amount of time, he is already a pro on the wickedness. Slowly turning himself into a cold-hearted villain, and doesn't seem to hate it.

"Sho!" You two were leaving another building, with some items that Hatsume required. "You think that's funny?"

You try to play mad, but end up laughing with him. Shoto had freezed you just to mess around, and is now using his quirk to creat a beard on your face.

"I do." He complains, moving away to have a good vision of the scene he created.

"Of course you do, bastard. Set me free now!"

"Or what?" He teases.

"You know i can do it by myself, but i'm giving you the chance to redeem before i kill you." The playful tone don't make it less ominous.

"Make me." As the words drop out his mouth, you shift into a snake and get out of the ice, shaped to your human form.

You crawl till him, turning back into your normal form and quickly choking him. "Now we are talking."

"Any last words before i make you regret?" Your nails are sinking on his soft skin.

"I was couting on it." He smiles.

.

.

.

There will be a part 2 soon !! :)

[seijuurouxryuu]

zombies ate my neighbour (and turned into mince meat)

Title: zombies ate my neighbour (and turned into mince meat) Author: Shiro (TeitoxAkashi [AO3]/ seijuurouxryuu [tumblr]) Rating: T Pairing: Hibari Kyouya/Sawada Tsunayoshi/Yamamoto Takeshi Event: @khrrarepairweek Prompts: Zombie Apocalypse AU | Accidental Kidnapping Tags/Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warning, Major Character Death, No Archive Warning

Day 2: Sky Day

06/05/2943

It was his birthday yesterday, the skylark who took over control of Namimori. He was interesting. His first reaction was not to hoard food, but to start a one-sided slaughter with the undead. He then ordered his men to put up fences around Namimori boarder, closing off the small town. He cleaned up the remains and burnt the undead.

Some, though, he kept caged in his compound.

AO3

13/04/2943

 The sky suddenly turned red. It was not a gradual change, no, the redness came all of the sudden when the sun was still shining brightly. News was all about dooms day and judgement day and blah. Annoying.

 18/04/2943

 The sky remained red. Even when the sun sets, the sky was still red. No one knows why, all the scientists were scrambling to find the reasons and consequences of no night but they failed to discover something huge.

 There were more rotting corpses on the street.

 25/04/2943

 They finally noticed; it wasn't dooms day but close. It was a zombie apocalypse, like those in the movies and fictions. Food and clean water ran low, none of the grass or trees or plants can be eaten because they had mutated. Even the animals were starting to mutate.

 People were dying faster than zombies could kill them.

 How ironic.

 06/05/2943

 It was his birthday yesterday, the skylark who took over control of Namimori. He was interesting. His first reaction was not to hoard food, but to start a one-sided slaughter with the undead. He then ordered his men to put up fences around Namimori boarder, closing off the small town. He cleaned up the remains and burnt the undead.

 Some, though, he kept caged in his compound.

 07/07/2943

 Hibari Kyouya. He finally cleared Namimori of zombies after almost two months. He organized food rationing, set up teams of guards for the boarder and people in charge of raiding food from nearby town. Some outsiders would find their way to the boarders and pled for entry, but Hibari accepted only those who were once from Namimori and young children or old people. The rest that are well and able were barred from entry.

 It wasn't a surprise, honestly. Hibari owned and loved Namimori. He wouldn't let anyone who is not Namimori in and sabotage the peace. He was kind enough still to accept those who cannot sustain themselves in such trying times. "Those herbivores could not even fight against a tiny zombie animal, much less a zombie. I'd rather they not add to the number." He had said.

 I think he was kinder than he let on.

 28/07/2943

 I got accepted into the youth team for zombie virus research. Hibari had established a team of researchers from a group of doctors. Their main task was to make use of the captured zombies Hibari had in his compound to find a cure--either to completely vaccinate everyone from the virus that spreads by bites or scratches from a zombie, or to reverse engineer and turn those zombies back to human. Honestly, the latter sound absurd. Even the adults said so, but Hibari was adamant that they figure out a way.

 A week into the research, none of the doctors or scientists managed to find something; all these old fogies were too scared to approach the zombies even with Hibari watching close, even with them held down. Hibari almost killed them in annoyance instead if not for the fact he still needed their brains. That was why the Youth team was established. Because apparently the younger generations were braver.

 More like they couldn't send those around them as cannon fodders, so they decided to push for kids being the cannon fodders. Cowards, all of them. Fucking cowards.

 Hibari, of course, knew their plan but he allowed the setup of a Youth team anyway. He had said: "Whoever takes the sample can use it on their own or with their team--no sharing of samples outside of the team. You old herbivores may be smart, but if you don't suck it up anytime soon I will deal with your old bones faster than a zombie can."

 In my opinion, that was the hottest shit I've ever heard in my whole life.

 16/08/2943

 The main researchers were all scared shitless by Hibari's threat so they finally took the samples themselves. The Youth team did too. We both use the samples separately, but every day we would gather together with the adults to discuss our findings. I honestly didn't know why Hibari allowed the Youth to participate separately because honestly, the oldest of us is only 24 and had not even graduated from university. None of us were anymore knowledgeable than one another, much less the main team researchers.

 But Irie-senpai said it was because those old fogies were too stuck up in their old ideas that Hibari wanted more innovative brains to speed up the process. He also said with just those old bones, the world would have been annihilated way before they can figure out the cure.

 I guess there were some truths in that.

 Still, there were not much progress. Outside of Namimori, the zombie virus was still spreading. Hunters would go out and capture one or two back for us to check and to our horror, the zombie virus mutates from one person to another. It was practically impossible to find a permanent vaccine.

 But we had to do it.

 Otherwise Hibari would have our heads before the zombies did. That who-shall-not-be-named was an example.

 31/08/2943

 It was my turn to get another sample from Hibari's compound. There were around 20 that was kept, but out of the 20, 4 was permanent, and one of them was separately kept inside the house--the one no one has seen before. Even if the other 3 were rarely used to provide samples, that one particular zombie was never used.

 I was curious and asked Kusakabe, Hibari's right hand, and gotten an answer that confuses me.

 "That's Kyou-san's. No one else can touch."

 I mean, don't all of these zombies technically belong to Hibari?

 I didn't pry further though.

 18/09/2943

 I was collecting samples again when Hibari came back from his trip out of the boarders. He was as usual uninjured despite the blood and gore that stuck to his jacket. What surprised me was that he was carrying an unconscious boy in his arms when he walked into the compound. He was holding him tightly, yet the gentleness in his grip was not unseen. There was a clean blanket around the boy too, bundling him up into a burrito until only his head was seen--brown and fluffy.

 Without even blinking, he gestured at his followers and tilted his head at yet another group of new zombies. "Take those samples today." He said lowly, as though to not wake up the unconscious boy.

 I could only nod mutely as he swiftly turned and walked into the house.

 ... Did Hibari just kidnapped a boy from outside?

 21/09/2943

 We might have a new lead with the new group of zombies Hibari brought back. I can't write much though. Not because of anything but I just don't want to jinx it.

 Still, who was that boy?

 27/09/2943

 As it turned out, the boy--or young man--was not kidnapped. He was originally from Namimori as well and was out of boarders when the apocalypse happened. He had only just managed to find a way to contact Hibari and Hibari went to fetch him. Simple as that.

 Was what he said.

 It didn't look simple to me. Sawada--that guy--told me that he and Hibari used to be from the same school and Hibari had helped him a lot of times. They were friends, he said. I think their relationship is more than that, but with how convinced Sawada was, I didn't tell him my conjecture. Not that I could anyway with how Hibari stared daggers at me when I chatted with Sawada.

 How did I meet him?

 Well, as it turned out, the breakthrough we had the other day was a success, so Irie-senpai brought me and a few others to Hibari. Oh, Irie-senpai was their friends too, apparently, so he wasn't surprised seeing Sawada.

After the discussion and greenlight from Hibari to proceed with the rest of the research, Sawada and Irie-senpai started chatting. Somehow, Irie-senpai introduced me and the other Youth members to him, and somehow, Sawada started chatting with me more.

 I think he was bored with Hibari's constant silence.

 I merely listened though as he and Irie-senpai recounted their past.

 "Look, I didn't plan to go out of Namimori at that time. If it weren't for my uncle's insistence that I go visit him I'd rather stay here and possibly get bitten to death by a zombie." Sawada said. I don't think he was bored with Hibari's silence at all now.

 Irie-senpai laughed. "By a zombie, or him?"

 Sawada flushed red. How interesting...

 "Shut up, Shoichi."

 Hibari looked smug at the back.

 10/10/2944

 It took us more than a year, but we succeeded in creating the cure, much to the main research team's anger. We did share the findings with them, but those stuck-up old cows were adamant that what we did and the direction we were looking at was wrong. Now that we created the solution, they couldn't speak anymore.

 Our next stage was testing; Irie-senpai said we have to try on the old zombies Hibari has, but unfortunately most of them disintegrated a few months before. Those that are still 'alive' were the 4 that Hibari kept properly.

 Hibari did not approve the testing on them and argued a long time with Irie-senpai.

 While they were having a sort of 'shouting' contest in the courtyard--honestly, I think Hibari did not bite Irie-senpai to death solely because he was the leading the research--I was having tea with Sawada.

 Sawada didn't even look exasperated by their argument. Curious, I couldn't help but ask: "Why wouldn't Hibari-san allow us to test on those zombies?"

Sawada was dazed by the question. He suddenly looked down and smiled sadly. "Well.... Those four are our... Friends. Family. We... Well, the thing is, Hibari and I all hope for a cure to return them back to normal. They didn't exactly die, you know? They were bitten while alive, which suggest that they are still alive. We can feel that they're alive too, in fact, which is why... Hibari and I are waiting for the day to see them come back. Especially..." His eyes dimmed as he peered over to one particular zombie--the one Hibari kept carefully the most.

 He quickly shook his head and continued, "I think Shoichi don't even want to test on them, but he had no choice because the newest batch of zombies might have yet another mutation that renders the whole thing useless. Only with the old batch he could tell whether we're all on the exact right track... But none of us wanted to test on them when everything is so uncertain now, especially during the preliminary testing where we don't even know the side effects..."

 I seemed to have pieced something together.

 I said nothing and quietly nodded.

 23/02/2945

 As it turned out, mutation rendered the whole thing unsuccessful, yes. But from the old zombies--not Hibari's four--we somehow managed to find, we were all on the right track. But now, we have to tackle the mutation and make a protein that can target the unchanging amino acids of made from the virus. It's all complicated stuff; I'd probably write a whole book about it if I do so I'll spare you, and my hands, from the details.

 Interestingly, Sawada liked to chat with me whenever I go to Hibari's place for either more samples or discussion with Irie-senpai. I don't know why, maybe because I looked approachable? Who knows? Anyways, from him, I finally got to know who exactly the four zombies were.

 The smallest zombie was Chrome Dokuro, Sawada's adopted sister when she was abandoned by her parents from a car accident. She died in the hospital when the zombie outbreak happened, and Sawada was actually relieved that she turned into a zombie at that time because she was going to die soon from multiple organ failures. He said that once she was cured from the virus, he was going to transplant all the organs he found for her--that was the reason why he left Namimori back then to find his uncle. I suspected that he has connection with the Yakuza or black market, but that was beside the point.

 The next one was Sasagawa Ryohei. I knew him too--the brother of Sasagawa Kyouko. She is alive of course, just working in the food rationing team (She and Miura Haru were very scary if you jump queue during food distribution). Apparently, she was Sawada's schoolmate as well, and friend. The more you know. Anyways, Sasagawa Ryohei was Hibari's classmate at one point, and he had taught Sawada boxing once. They became friends after even though Sawada failed terribly at boxing--what he said.

 The third one was Gokudera Hayato. He was actually not from Namimori, but he was Sawada's childhood friend. He was a half-Italian who lived in Italy. He had transferred to Namimori Middle School years back because he was fed up with his family (TMI much, Sawada?) and wanted to be closer to Sawada, so he came with Sawada's uncle, who was by the name of Reborn. (I've met him ONE (1) time and I would NOT want to again.) He was bitten by a zombie when he was trying to protect Sawada's adoptive brother and sister (just how many siblings does Sawada have?) and got turned. Hibari brought him back before he bit anyone else and locked him up along with Sasagawa and Chrome.

 The last one, and probably the most cherished by Hibari (Sawada cherished all four of them but even I could tell he was saddest when facing this one), was Yamamoto Takeshi. I was surprised, because he was our resident baseball star. Before the apocalypse happened, he was the talk of the town because he was offered into the national baseball team. Sawada said Yamamoto was his childhood friend as well--and apparently Hibari's too--and he was bitten by his father Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, who changed while trying to protect him. Tsuyoshi-san unfortunately was killed and burned by a stranger who tried to help Yamamoto, who did not want to attack his father.

 Hibari had almost killed that stranger for burning Tsuyoshi-san if it were not for the fact the stranger had tried to save Yamamoto. But still, Yamamoto was bitten and had turned into a zombie. All Hibari could do was bring him back and cage him up just like how he did with the other three.

 Sawada looked very sorrowful when he retold everything.

 All I could do is pat his shoulders and console him that the research teams are trying our very best to help.

 And I am, trying my very best. I want to see them smile, honestly.

 16/01/2947

 Sorry, I hadn't had any time to write. It has been... 2 years, huh, since my last entry. I was far too busy--everyone was.

 The sky had darkened further in red, the rain started coming down red, even the sun and moon turned red. Everyone could tell that the zombie apocalypse is worsening. Us research teams were even more aware.

 After we found the cure, we immediately started tackling all and every mutation. We finally pinpointed a particular protein made by the virus RNA that is present in every mutation; it was the protein that changed the structure of a human's cells into 'undead' dead cells. It's like, some microorganisms can't survive in very cold temperature and would lay dormant but once the temperature rises it would wake up and start working.

 Those 'undead' dead cells are the same. In this zombie stage, they are like those frozen microorganisms. Irie-senpai said if we can kill or render the protein unusable, we might be able to revert those cells back to living cells. The zombies can then be reverted back to humans.

 First ten testing did not work. The eleventh test, the zombie's cells turned to normal cells but it remained in coma. The twentieth test, the zombie woke up as human once again.

 After two hundred tests and a year of observation, we finally confirmed that it is successful.

 The first person who received the cure serum was Yamamoto Takeshi.

 He woke up 10 days after the jab and I saw Hibari cry silently at the side while Sawada grabbed Yamamoto sobbing.

 They both smiled.

 05/05/2950

 We spread our findings and information worldwide--now no one is killing zombies but capturing them to be taken back to the lab for revival. In another 2 years’ time, I doubt there'll be anymore two legged zombies.

 The sky was still red, everything was still red, but the progression of the redness seemed to have stopped three years ago. It was good news. Now, everyone is targeting how to reverse engineer the mutations of nature. It was the hardest part, but it was alright, I believe that we can manage it.

 After all, did we not succeeded in bringing back humanity?

 Cough. Let's not talk about this.

 It's Hibari's birthday. He had wanted a quiet birthday with Yamamoto and Sawada, apparently, but both of them wouldn't let him have it and organized a party with everyone they know. They even invited me under the reason that I've helped them so much all these years. I wonder if they truly thought so, and not because they wanted someone sane to watch over them?

 So, it was a party. A wild one. One that would end with Hibari biting everyone to death, but he didn't. I guess he missed the chaos during the silence he lived in when the apocalypse started. He tolerated all of us.

 The highlight of the party was probably this:

 Yamamoto actually proposed to the both of them. Sawada broke down crying while Hibari.exe actually broke. Hibari had frozen in spot for so long everyone suspected his soul had ran away. Until, of course, Yamamoto pulled him into a long kiss that ended up being a three way make-out with everyone whistling and jeering.

 "Get a room!" I seconded that notion, Gokudera.

 They didn't actually get a room of course; the party must go on with the protagonists. But it was a great party. Everyone was so happy.

 I feel so happy for them.

 Well, I'm very tired now after hauling all the drunks back home, so I'm going to pen off. I'm not sure when I'll write again, but yeah, see you soon.

 Signing off,

S.

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

A/N:  A SPECIAL THANKS TO KHR RAREPAIR DISCORD PEEPS FOR THE TITLE thenkew morcai senpai :3 <3

Hehehehhehehhe I loved writing this day entry the most. Maybe because its easier for me to write??

I'm finally free from the clutches of studying!!!!!!!!!!! Can finally post and write stuffs hngh.

Hope yall had fun with reading this!

[I apologize for any grammar, spelling, etc. etc. mistakes]

[sunsinrinn]

Secrets Part 10.

Bakugo x reader, Bakugo x Uraraka, Kirishima x Reader

language, angst pure fucking angst

Word Count: 1,248

Idea: Y/n has a secret to share with bakugo not expecting a secret from him. She leaves heart broken and attempts to move on. But how will she move on if her secret can no longer be hidden? She fakes a relationship hoping its enough to not expose the true origin of the secret. (This is a terrible summary but I cant say much without spoiling future parts. 🙃)

You back track, “But I still love you too!”

Kirishima lets out a sigh in relief.

And you looked confused as hell. ‘Why is he sighing?’

“A-aren’t you mad, Kiri?”

“N-no! Actually what I wanted to tell you something about that...

“I have feelings for him as well”

Well shit. You both love him. Does that mean he doesn’t love you you though?

“Look at us, in love with the same man.” You say shakily attempting to hold back tears.

“But we still love each other right?” He asks with an equally shaking voice.

“Oh baby, I will always love you! How could I just stop loving you?”You pull Kirishima closer. “Look at me, I will never stop loving you, but I also love Bakugo. Nevertheless, You were there for me in all of my hard times and I want you to be here for our future. I want to continue to build a future with you.” He nods his head in agreement and pulls you in relieved that he wasn’t going to lose you.

“So, what do we.. what do we go about Bakugo...” he whispers

“I don’t know... We can’t tell him because obviously he is going to freak out.

“ If we tell him anyways, he will probably choose you in the end. If it does come to that. Just know I will let you go so you can be happy.” He says and you pull away angrily.

“I WILL NOT FUCKING LET YOU GO! Fucking understand that Kirishima, you made my life better, I can’t lose you!” You say in tears and kirishima pulls you in again and just holds you tight.

Finally you both pull away and wipe your tears.

You sniff and say out loud, “We should clean up a bit before Bakugo comes home and notices somethings off..”

“Yeah...” Both of you get up and head to the bedroom to fix your tear stained faces.

Bakugo is finally able to go home after a day of patrolling and paperwork. He is content as he walks home still thinking of what happened during lunch today. Once he finally makes it to the house he knocks on the door before entering to make sure you and Kirishima knew he was home.

Instantly, once he notices that you’re are sitting alone in the living room and kirishima is in another room, that something is wrong. He won’t mention it but knows it has to do with earlier today. He has a sliver of hope that you might want him back but dismisses it so he doesn’t feel guilty.

“Hey Y/N, I’m back” he says

You look up from your phone and give him a fake smile, “Hey Bakugo! How was the rest of your day?”

“It was okay, was stuck with paper work after lunch” he says rubbing his neck, “Where is kirishima?”

“I think he might be in our room” you say unsure not looking at him anymore.

He nods and walks to his room, “Alright” and leaves you alone.

During dinner, he notices the tension between you and kirishima. Which makes things very uncomfortable. He tries to make conversation but it dies down. He just decides to stay silent for the rest of dinner. He tries to eat quickly so he can leave the tension filled table.

As soon as he is in his ‘room’ he sits there confused as to why you guys were acting this way. Was is because of something he said at work? Did he cross a line? Or was it because you both remembered what he did to you?

Then he remembers about his baby. And he becomes pissed himself.

He then thinks of when shall be the right time to ask you or if you were going to even fucking tell him. Then he decides what to do.

He hears a muffled conversation on the other side of the wall and tries to not listen but does manage to hear a few words like confessing, the baby, he sits up at the mention of the baby and tries to listen on but suddenly you both stop talking.

And with that he goes to sleep.

As the weeks pass by you are looking even bigger and you are a week away from giving birth which means you rarely go out so no one suspects you even avoid Bakugo which makes it hard for him to confront you,

You mostly stay in your house and even decline hanging out with mina because she will murder you if she found out you lied about the kid.

People don’t notice and just believe you have gotten more exhausted as you ‘grew’

You don’t even go to buy groceries, Kirishima and Bakugo go for you. Honestly, you and kirishima believe Bakugo doesn’t even notice your huge belly, oh he does. He also noticed the tension between the both of you is slowly diminishing.

Finally he finds you in the kitchen and corners you on a day he has off.

You look startled at him and nervously laugh.

“So... what a lovely day right?” You say nervously.

“Y/N, I want to talk to you about something that has been bothering me.”

You gulp nervously and begin to feel your heart rate speed up, “okay...”

“I notice you look a bit too big to be 6 months pregnant.”

‘Shit’

He continues when you dont answer,

“Which means you are either lying about how long you have been pregnant, or you are carrying fucking triplets.”

You continue to stay silent, which frustrates bakugo making him raise his voice.

“TELL ME Y/N! Are you fucking lying?”

You get scared and gulp, “I have no clue what you are talking about.”

“STOP FUCKING WITH ME Y/N! I KNOW YOU ARE LYING! I HEARD YOU! THAT IS MY FUCKING KID! NOT KIRISHIMA’S! I JUST WANT YOU TO FUCKING ADMIT IT! I FUCKING LOVE YOU, WHY CAN’T YOU JUST BE HONEST WITH ME!” By the end of that he tears up and you are just terrified for you life that he found out but continue to deny it.

“I have no clue what you mean, bakugo.” You say trying to be calm and ignore the pain deep down in you.

“STOP FUCKING LYING! PLEASE FUCKING ADMIT ITS MY KID. I WANT TO BE THERE FOR THEM! DONT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!”

You see him fall to the floor and you are petrified because you have never seen him like this. It wasn’t like him to cry or show emotion, which scared you even more.

Before you could answer you feel another pain and cry out. Bakugo looks up and sees you clutching your stomach as liquid falls down.

‘Shit.’ He thinks as he scrambles up, to look for the keys of your almost never used car. Once he finds them he rushes over to you and carries you to the car and calls Kirishima.

“Bakugo, what’s wrong?”

“ITS Y/N! SHE’S IN PAIN, IM TAKING HER TO THE DOCTOR!”

You let out another scream of pain and Kirishima just begins to yell at Bakugo to speed you over to the hospital.

“Hurry the fuck up Bakugo! She’s in fucking pain! What caused her to become hurt anyways?”

Bakugo stays silent at the question.

“Bakugo. What. Caused. Her. Pain?” Kirishima asks angrily.

“I may have yelled at her about the pregnancy. And accused her of lying.”

After he finishes that sentence Kirishima growls and hangs up.

‘Well shit.’

SERIES MASTERLIST — Part 11

A/N- i hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Lots of angst, lmao, another little cliffhanger, honestly whats a good story with out those. Anyways Bakugo is a lil bitch and will probs be murdered by kirishima.

If you’d like to be tagged in future parts or future works dont hesitate to dm, ask, or comment! I hope you guys had a lovely day today! Also if you asked to be tagged and I didnt tag you send me a dm so I can fix it :)

Secrets taglist- @hero-ink-pillar , @silentw-lkr , @ushiwakatrash , @purple-rabanito , @chaelysian , @puppycat714 , @fake-id-69 , @adaydreaminganon , @jessie9008 , @sam-i-am-1025 , @purple--nebula , @curiouslilbeast , @httpswwwtbhkcom , @setup-the-ace , @chanultis , @kit-kat428 , @thatonefangirl722 , @fxirylightsx , @katsuki-bakubae , @sakurakatsuki , @whatishappinesswhatislove , @wannabedaphne

[peachpitmp3]

for @honorablescythecurie <3

rating: general audiences

relationships: platonic flynn & julie & phantoms, minor julie/luke

summary: julie gets hurt and she and flynn have to physically stop the boys from attacking caleb or doing something otherwise dangerous. (after all, that's their job)

read it here too i guess (full fic below the cut)

--

Of all the things Flynn expected to see when she walked into Julie’s studio, three teenage boys in the middle of a three-way arm wrestling battle was not one of them. At all. To be honest, it was less about the arm wrestling; they were teenage boys after all, and knowing them specifically, it was definitely their kind of activity to do. What was not normal, however, was the fact that she saw them at all. Deep breaths, Flynn, she reminded herself. There’s gotta be some sort of explanation. Julie can explain. 

“Uh… hi? Do you guys know where Julie is?” The boys whipped around to stare at her, Luke and Reggie breaking into matching grins while Alex’s eyes widened.

“You can see us?” Alex asked disbelievingly, and Flynn couldn’t help but agree with the confusion in his eyes.

Reggie and Luke exchanged a look before saying, “Rad.”

“Okay,” Flynn said, walking over and sinking into the couch. “Okay. Okay. So first of all, no one says rad anymore. Please stop. Secondly, where’s Julie? She invited me for dinner, and unless this is a blind date setup with all three of you, which I’m sure it isn’t for many reasons, she should be here, right?”

Reggie looked around the room as if Julie would pop out of a dark corner at any moment. “Huh,” he said, “you’re right. She should be here. I don’t know where she is though, sorry.”

Luke held his thoughtful expression for barely a moment before he perked up and exclaimed, “Wanna arm wrestle while you wait?”

“Uh-” Flynn was saved from having to answer that by the door to the studio sliding open as a figure stumbled in. The person was making strange noises and after a moment, Flynn recognized them as sobs. Then she recognized the figure, and she gasped. “Jules? What happened?”

Julie made her way to the couch and practically collapsed onto it. Flynn quickly moved Julie’s head onto her lap and smoothed her hair out of her face. Julie’s face was a mess-- watery eyes, partly swollen lip (from biting it, Flynn guessed), tears leaving trails down her face. Julie sniffled loudly and sat up, wrapping her arms around Flynn’s neck and burying her face in Flynn’s shoulder. Flynn wound her arms around Julie’s waist and held her tightly. Over Julie’s hair, she saw the boys sitting on the floor with horrified expressions. Luke looked physically pained and when he glanced at Flynn, she nodded at him. This seemed to break the dam, because he immediately rushed over and sat next to Flynn. His hand flew up and smoothed Julie’s hair before sliding down to rub her back soothingly. Julie’s body, shaking with sobs, slowly began to relax, though the tightness of her hug did not abate, so Flynn’s grip on her didn’t either. Reggie and Alex slowly stood up and walked to the couch before sitting on either side of Luke and Flynn. Alex scooted Julie’s legs over for a moment so that he could sit, and when he had found a comfortable position next to Flynn he let Julie’s legs fall over his own again. He hesitated a moment before rubbing a soothing pattern on her ankle. 

At Flynn’s questioning expression, blushed sheepishly and quietly admitted, “It helps. With my anxiety, I mean. When I’m upset or when Reggie or Luke- it helps.” 

Flynn nodded gratefully at him and turned to her other side where Reggie had assumed Luke’s role of rubbing her back. Luke for his part was leaning close to Julie and attempting to get her to look at him. She slowly lifted her head from Flynn’s shoulder, and Luke pushed a piece of hair behind her ear in the tenderest gesture Flynn had ever seen.

Gently, Luke whispered, “Julie? What happened?”

Instead of responding, Julie just let out another heaving sob and pushed her face into Flynn’s shoulder. Luke looked hopelessly lost and clearly had no clue what to do, so Flynn quietly cleared her throat and shook her head minutely. Don’t try again. He nodded and resumed stroking Julie’s hair gently. 

“Jules,” Flynn said quietly, “you don’t have to tell us anything, but we’re just worried. Can you at least tell us if you’re hurt?”

“I’m…” Julie trailed off and Flynn exchanged a glance with Luke before looking back down as Julie continued, “I’m not hurt. I don’t think so, at least.”

“Okay,” Flynn said, pressing a kiss to the top of Julie’s head and trying not to sound too obviously relieved. “Okay. Do you want to tell us what happened now? You don’t have to tell the whole story if you’re not ready or if you don’t want to.”

Julie nodded slowly and when she spoke, her voice was slightly hoarse. “It’s okay. I think I can tell you. Just- just promise one thing?”

“Of course, Jules.” 

Flynn’s response was instantaneous, but Julie looked up at Luke instead as she said, “Don’t get mad. Please, please don’t get mad. And don’t do anything stupid.”

Luke’s eyes widened and his body tensed. Flynn had to remind herself not to roll her eyes as she assured Julie, “He won’t. And if he does, I’ll tackle him.”

Julie laughed quietly, tears still glistening on her face as she began speaking.

“Okay. So, I was going home from Carrie’s house because we were talking about… well, I was explaining everything about Sunset Curve and you guys and her dad to her. She found a CD, apparently. I guess Trevor- Bobby kept some memory of you guys. Anyway, we were talking about that stuff and then I had to go because I wanted to get home before you got here so I could start making dinner or something. So I was leaving to walk home and then I saw Nick near the house. And he offered to walk home with me. And I said okay because I thought he was just being nice. He was acting kind of weird, but I didn’t really say anything about it because I just thought he was feeling sort of bad since I rejected him a little while ago. I don’t know. But anyway, we were walking home and then he said there was some shortcut that we could take to get home faster. Obviously, I agreed because I wanted to get home sooner. So then we started going through different streets and I didn’t really know where we were but he did so it was fine. And then-”

Julie paused, noticing that Luke was practically shaking in his seat. His fists were clenched tightly and his eyebrows were furrowed. 

Flynn placed a gentle hand on his knee and reminded him, “Don’t get mad. I’m just as upset as you, but I’m not about to explode at someone without hearing the full story. Julie, continue?”

Julie nodded at Flynn gratefully and resumed, “Right. Thanks. Okay, so we were walking home and then he stopped walking. I turned around and he was giving me this really weird look. Like, he was sort of smiling but also it was like he was trying not to smile. It was freaking me out, so I just turned around and kept walking? I know, I know, Flynn, dumb decision. But I just figured it was whatever. And then- and then he grabbed my wrist. And when he pulled me back toward him, I fell, so that’s how I got this-” Julie gestured to the rip in her leggings that revealed scratched skin dotted with beads of blood. At this point, Flynn was physically holding on to Luke while also keeping an arm around Julie.

“Anyways, I was pretty scared at that point, obviously, so I tried to break out of his grip, and I yelled at him. I’m pretty sure I said something like ‘Nick, what are you doing?’ because I definitely remember him saying-” Julie’s voice cut off at this, and she shook her head slightly to ward off whatever thoughts she was having. Flynn hugged her tighter. “He said he wasn’t Nick. And then I asked what he meant because I mean, what the hell, right? How could he not be Nick? And then he said, and I remember exactly what he said because I’m still thinking about it. He said, “You mean your boys haven’t told you about me? Allow me to introduce myself, Julie. My name is Caleb Covington, and you took my band.’ So then I obviously panicked, and I tried to run back here, but he still caught up to me because I got lost. So he grabbed my arm again and I tried to escape but he wouldn’t let go of me so I sortofmaybekickedhimintheballs. I guess he didn’t think I’d be willing to do that to Nick. Honestly, he should be glad I didn’t have my pepper spray with me. But anyway, that sort of put him out of action for a while and so I ran back here, and… yeah. Here I am.”

Julie stopped speaking with a sigh, rubbing her eyes with her palms and taking a deep breath. Flynn took this break in the story as a chance to look around at the boys. Alex’s eyes were wide and alert, and he was looking around the room as if at any moment Caleb was going to poof in to try to get revenge on them all. Reggie’s face was hardened into an expression that Flynn had never seen on his face before, and it took a moment to realize he was looking at Luke. She turned and immediately tightened her grip on the boy’s arm, but suddenly she was only holding on to air. Luke had poofed out of her grasp and was standing in front of the couch, he looked at Reggie and Alex with a furious and determined expression, and they met his eyes as they stood to join him.

“Guys- please don’t-” Flynn begged them. “Jules said not to get mad or do anything stupid and you guys are definitely mad and definitely about to do something stupid. I’m angry too, trust me. If finding and beating up Caleb would help Julie right now, you know he’d be on the ground with me jumping on his chest. But Julie needs us here. Please, just stay, and we can figure out what to do next.”

Alex and Reggie hesitated before they glanced at Luke, who shook his head.

“We’re not gonna do anything stupid. We just want to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Ever again.”

“Guys, don’t-” Julie began, but they had poofed away in a blip of blue light before she could finish speaking. Her face tightened and she muttered, “They are not getting away with some dumbass revenge plot this time.”

Flynn was about to ask about the ‘this time’ part of Julie’s sentence, but suddenly there was a flash and the boys were back in the room, looking around in clear confusion.

Alex was the first to speak, a panicked expression taking hold on his face as he said, “What the hell just happened? We were there and now we’re back here but we didn’t want to be back here but we’re here anyway?”

Slowly, all three boys turned to look at Julie, who had pushed herself out of Flynn’s lap and into a standing position. She glared at them, looking both adorable and menacing with her rumpled sweater but also the tear tracks that had not quite disappeared from her face.

“I’m sorry,” Julie started, but her face did not lose any of the resolution as she continued, “but not really. I told you guys! I told you not to do anything stupid and the second I finish saying that you go try to do something stupid. The last time you tried to get revenge on someone, you guys almost died! Do you remember that? I remember pretty well, and I wouldn’t really like it to happen again, if you don’t mind. So yeah, I’m sorry I pulled you guys back here, and I promise I won’t do it again, but honestly. Can you guys use your brains for more than a second?”

“We were just trying to protect you,” Luke muttered, looking down at the floor but sounding slightly indignant nonetheless.

“What good would attacking Nick do?” Julie demanded, walking over and looking him in the eye. “Caleb could just leave his body and then Nick would be hurt! Or- or he could go inside one of you! All I’m asking is for you guys to think before you act. We can figure out what to do together, without impulsively poofing away to go beat up some ghost who almost killed you the last time you saw him!”

This was too much information, and Flynn burst out, “Caleb did what now?” 

Julie nodded, confirming that Flynn had heard her correctly, and Flynn rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay, yeah, that settles it, you guys.” Luke looked up with a hopeful expression that quickly melted away at Flynn’s next words: “You guys can’t go anywhere until we figure out an actual plan.”

“But-” Alex started to protest, but Flynn shook her head and Julie started speaking again.

“Alex, of all people, you should realize how dangerous this is. Not even just for you! What do you think could happen to Willie if you tried to hurt Caleb and it didn’t work?”

Alex flinched back, and Julie winced but pushed forward. “I’m sorry, Alex, but it’s true. It’s way too risky for you guys to just jump headfirst into danger without any forethought!”

As Julie finished speaking in a rush of breath, Flynn noticed that she was shaking slightly with emotion. Flynn reached over and grabbed her hand, and Julie’s body gave one last shudder before relaxing. Julie shot her a small, grateful smile before they both turned back to look at the boys, who looked almost childishly ashamed as if they were kindergarteners who had just been scolded by their teacher. Flynn bit her lip to hold in her laughter as she thought to herself, I bet this isn’t a new situation. 

The silence stretched on for ages, and Flynn wondered if this was what it felt like in the 25 years after the boys had died before Julie summoned them. If so, she didn’t envy them. 

Finally, the boys exchanged a look that Flynn recognized as the one she and Julie would always give each other when they came to an reluctant agreement, like when Ray had firmly told them not to egg Carrie’s house that one time. 

“Fine,” Reggie grumbled, and two mutters of assent followed him. Reggie and Alex both looked displeased but mollified, but Luke was still looking at Julie with a disgruntled pout. Flynn nudged her and Julie looked over and let her lips lift into a slight smirk. As Julie walked closer to Luke, Flynn’s eyes widened and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from grinning too obviously. This is gonna be good. 

Julie reached Luke and stood in front of him with an incredulous expression as he looked down at her, clearly conflicted over whether to keep frowning or let his obvious heart-eyes take over his face. Before either could win out over the other, Julie reached up and with the tip of a finger, pushed his lower lip in, fixing the pouty expression. Luke instantly turned a bright and flaming red, and Flynn didn’t even have to look at Alex or Reggie to know that they were as delighted to see it as she was. It seemed the boys had already forgotten about the conflict barely minutes before, and Flynn was perfectly content to let them.

“Great!” she exclaimed, extra loudly so that she could break through whatever trance Luke was in as he gazed down adoringly at Julie. Luke jumped at the sudden noise and Julie giggled before turning to look at Flynn, who continued, “Can you guys go set the table for dinner? I gotta talk to Julie about something.”

Reggie looked at her with a skeptical expression and Flynn rolled her eyes. “Chill, Reggie, it’s just about school. We’ll be in the kitchen in a few minutes. Besides, don’t you want to help Ray make dinner?”

Flynn felt a little bad for using Julie’s dad as a distraction, but Reggie’s smile as his face lit up with the idea made it worth it. The energy quickly spread to Luke and Alex, who waved and grinned at Flynn and Julie as they poofed out of the studio. 

“So,” Julie turned to face Flynn with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face, “what do you actually want to talk to me about?”

Flynn laughed before her eyebrows drew together and she thought for a moment. “The club Caleb owns… it’s the Hollywood Ghost Club, right?”

“Yeah… why?” Julie answered hesitantly. “Flynn, I’m not letting the boys attack Caleb, and I’m not letting you do it either.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Jules, I actually have the common sense to not try that. However…” she trailed off and Julie groaned.

“However?”

“However, what would you say if I asked you to-” Flynn leaned over and whispered the rest of the sentence into Julie’s ear. She didn’t think any of the boys were in the studio still, but still. You can never be too careful, especially with Luke, Reggie, and Alex. 

A slow smile grew on Julie’s face and she nodded. “I see why you didn’t want the boys in here for this particular idea of yours.”

“Is that a yes?”

Julie laughed and slung an arm around Flynn’s shoulder, hugging her before walking toward the door of the studio. “I’ll go grab the eggs from the kitchen.”

“Uh- Julie?”

Julie turned back around with a questioning look. “Yeah?”

“Dinner.”

“Oh,” Julie said, grinning sheepishly. “Right.”

“You’re also still bleeding,” Flynn reminded her. “We should probably take care of that before Luke has a chance to see it again and go on another rampage.”

“Right. Okay,” Julie nodded and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Tomorrow, then?”

“Tomorrow,” Flynn agreed with a grin before linking arms with Julie and walking out of the studio. And in case creepy Caleb-in-Nick’s-body was somehow still watching, Flynn subtly raised her middle finger behind her back.

[s-creations]

This Lullaby

He knew it was going to be a struggle. They all knew it was going to be a struggle. But raising Della's children, for some reason, makes Donald feel worse than before. And he wasn't sure how to make that feeling go away.

Fandom: DuckTales 2017 / The Three Caballeros         Rating: General Audience        Relationships/Pairings:  José  Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles Additional Tags: Original Character, Depression, Loss, Loss of Family.

Part of a Series Called: We’re the Three- Sorry, Six Caballeros!

Hey everybody! Just like the previous entry to this, I have tagged depression on this installment as well. I think it's a bit more pronounced that in the previous story. So, just be warned, it's there.

And someday I'll make a happy story with these six. Someday...but not today.

If Della was there, Donald would want her to explain why she thought Jet, Turbo, and Rebel were good names to give children. I mean, really? Those were names you use for imaginary friends. This was a setup for the triplets to be bullied later in their lives. Seriously, what was she thinking?

 But...Della wasn’t there. So, he had to just silently stew. Wondering what her thought process had been.

 More than just her naming choices.

 Donald named the older triplet Hubert, or Huey, after a captain the older duck has served under. A tough but fair bulldog. Built like a wall and able to punch with the strength of a bulldozer. Or, that’s what the stories swapped between the cadets said. But the bulldog was more of a talker. Wanting to smooth things over any confrontations with words before the fists had to come out. A philosophy that Donald had hoped the older triplet would follow. 

 Dewford, or Dewey, was given his name by Panchito. The rooster recalled his favorite childhood storybook that he’d read multiple times when the family became too loud. One that told of an adventurer who saves the world on a regular basis. The main character was brave, putting the needs of others before his own and making sure the innocent were kept safe. While it hit a little close to home for Donald, the duck couldn’t help but admit that the name seemed to fit the duckling perfectly.

 José had taken a while in naming the youngest. A few days passed before he gave his choice to the other two. Llewellyn, or Louie, named after the parrot’s late grandfather. Shocking both the duck and rooster by the reveal as they’d never heard of this parrot before. José was known to not get along well with his family. He explains, while cradling the green bundled form closer, that his grandfather was the only person José had connected with. The elder parrot had passed when José was only four. Far too soon.

 The other two pressed closer after the reveal. Saying that Louie was a perfect name. A wonderful way to remember a good soul.

 It was hard getting into a new routine. When the triplets were still eggs, all that was needed was to keep them warm and keep them on a stable surface. Now it was about keeping the triplets entertained. Fed. Cleaned. Making sure they get enough sleep. Deciding if pre-school was a better place to start schooling then kindergarten. When would be the best time for them to start socializing? 

 “Why is it so hard to find a three seated stroller that can break apart into separate single ones? Do I really have to design my own?” Donald grumbled as he scrolled through the shopping page. 

 Panchito looked over from his spot on the couch with a raised brow. “Why would we need that? We can just take them on a walk together, all in single strollers.” 

 “What if José’s not here.”

 “Um, a duo stroller with a single one?” 

 “What if you’re both not home and I need to get out of the house with the kids?”

 “...We’ll keep looking.”

 The duck couldn’t say this enough times about how thankful he was that Panchito and José were there to help. Trying to balance all of this and worry about keeping a stable job? He would have started molting long before the eggs had hatched. 

 How would Della have handled this?

 While the other two took care of finances, Donald focused his energy and attention on the home front. Even then, caring for the house and the triplets was a...struggle. He wasn’t sure how to raise kids. His own childhood was filled with being dropped off at a new family member’s house every other weekend. Or on dangerous adventures in which he should have and almost did die. Only surviving on sheer dumb luck. 

 Luck, from him, could you imagine? 

 Della’s luck didn’t last forever. 

 The triplets were exploratory the moment they learned how to crawl. If Donald had his back turned for even a second, they would scatter. Thankfully, due to the older duck’s prep work, they couldn’t get into the many places. But that didn’t mean the triplets couldn’t find new areas to help give their uncle a heart attack. Like when Dewey somehow found his way onto the top of the refrigerator. 

 How? How was that even possible? Donald was feeling absolutely exhausted…

 “Do you need me to take some time off? I am sure I can convince my company to give me a few days home to help with the boys and let you sleep.” José offered.

 “No no. I’m sure they're still upset since you left so suddenly before, then decided to change location, and then ask for more time off only a few months later? No, you don’t need to worry about that. I don’t want to get you in trouble.” 

 “I could ask for time off.” Panchito voiced.

 “You just started working. Guy, I’m serious when I say I’m fine. The triplets are just a bit of a handful. I got this.”

 It wasn’t a necessary lie. But it wasn’t fully true either. Just like when the other two asked if he was okay when they first arrived. Donald knew he was in an unstable state at this moment. He was emotionally and mentally exhausted. Everyday it was an internal battle of wanting his family back and never wanting to experience that kind of pain again. He was still angry with Scrooge and Gyro with how they handled the entire situation. Still hurt that Gladstone was so indifferent or angry without truly being involved. Donald would have reached out to Fethry, but he knew how much of a blabbermouth his cousin was. And he didn’t want Scrooge to know anything about his life. 

 What was most painful was how torn he was feeling about Della. Donald was furious that she just left. That she would just abandon her eggs, and so easily too. For Donald, it was a declaration that she didn’t want to be responsible. It was just something she wanted someone else to take care of them. How was he supposed to explain this to the triplets when they started asking what happened to their mother? 

 The turmoil that Donald felt was the idea that...could he really be mad at her? She was gone. Her choice was paid with the ultimate price. So could he hold a grudge with someone who wasn’t there? Who was never going to be there. He wanted to. But he knew it would just drive him further into an unkempt state. Holding a grudge against someone he would never see again. There would be anger burning in him that would never be able to be released. 

 As if Donald didn’t have enough issues with his anger. 

 Donald was brought out of his thoughts hearing gentle coos. Eyes traveling over to the standing playpen. The triplets were starting to try and stand. Dewey showed off his skills as he clung to the pen’s wall netting. His brother’s were more interested in the surrounding toys. But the blue dressed triplet was focused on his fractured uncle. 

 Letting out a small sigh, Donald lifted Dewey up, sitting down by the playpen.

 “You should be with your mother… She should be here, raising you three… All of this...it’s all so unfair…” He pulled Dewey closer, cradling the small head with his hand and it was pressed against his chest. 

 Donald was tired. He was scared. He didn’t know what he was doing. He wondered why Panchito and José would stick around. They were supposed to be living their life in vibrant cities that matched their personalities. Not stuck here. Dealing with the absolute mess that was Donald and his life and his famiy. It was a battle between knowing he needed the help and not wanting to be a burden.

 A small pat to his chest brought attention back to the triplet laying on his chest. Dewey letting out a small whimper. As if he was aware of how upset his uncle was. 

 Donald gave a gentle smile to the duckling. He cautiously stood, collecting the other two, and laid them out on the blanket that had been placed on the floor. Donald laid himself down on his stomach. Laughing softly as the triplets began crawling closer. Babbling as they clung to feathers and attempted to climb onto their uncle. 

 A misstep from Huey caused him to take a tumble, landing on his back. Small sobs bubbling up as his legs kicked desperately. In response, Donald reached out, cradling the red cladded triplet’s head in his hand while the other rested on the stomach. Huey turned to face his uncle. Unshed tears at the corners of his eyes were gently wiped away. 

 “Look to the stars my darling baby boys…”

 Huey’s eyes lit up, falling completely still as he focused on Donald. Dewey and Louie rolled off their uncle. Instead propping themselves up on Donald’s arms, starting at him as well. Their eyes wide with curiosity. 

 Now that he had full attention by his audience, Donald started again.

 Look to the stars my darling baby boys,

 Life is strange and vast,

 Filled with wondrous and joys,

 Face each new sun with eyes clear and true,

 Unafraid of the unknown,

 Because I’ll face it all with you.

 He was crying before he finished. No sobbing or cracking voice, just tears. The triplets had calmed down and were starting to drift off. Unaware of their uncle finally reaching his breaking point. Donald didn’t flinch when José and Panchito suddenly appeared. Each laying on either side of the duck, whose eyes were still trained on the triplets. 

 “I don’t think I know that song.” Panchito whispered.

 “Della wrote it,” Donald replied, “She’d sing it to them every night… When they were still eggs and she was...you know...still here.”

 “It was beautiful. We shall need to sing it more.” José suggested, pressing closer. 

 Donald didn’t reply right away. Focusing on the warmth seeping in from the bodies pressed against him. “I think there’s something wrong with me. I’m...angry. Not just angry, I can’t focus. I don’t know what I’m really angry about. I think. I just know that I am. I’m so...exhausted.” 

 The parrot hummed. Reaching up to preen at the exposed white feathers. “I think...you have had a lot of things being thrown at you. Very quickly. Without a way to fully...understand how to deal with it. Like me.”

 “Like you?”

 “Very much like me. I believe it would benefit you if you saw someone. It has helped me.”

 “...When have you started seeing a therapist?”

 “A few years now. Panchito convinced me to do so.”

 “I can try and convince you as well.” The rooster added with a smile.

 Donald gave a soft laugh. “No...I’ll go… I think I need to go. I know I need it… I’m sorry.”

 “You have nothing to be sorry for. We understand, we are just here to help.” José whispered, Panchito nodded softly as he laid his head on the duck’s shoulder.

 Donald let out a shaky breath, eyes closing as he sank into the warmth surrounding him. 

 “It will be okay. We are here for you and it will be okay…”

 _____________________

 Donald let out a slow breath, scrunching himself further down into the cushioned chair. The triplets were babbling happily resting in their three seated stroller. All being entertained by Panchito while José focused on the older duck. The waiting room for the therapy office was small, with only a few cushioned chairs, a fake plant pushed into the corner, with a magazine rack hanging on the wall. The reception desk was situated across from the entrance with a large window resting across from where the six of them were resting. 

 Donald was realizing how cold this office was.

 “You will be fine. Dr. Bessing is amazing. I have only been with her for a few months, but I trust her.” José said as he took Donald’s hand gently. 

 “What if I don’t like her?” The duck questioned quietly.

 “Then we find someone else. And we will keep doing this until we find someone you do trust. It will be fine,” José smiled softly, “Do you trust me?”

 “Yeah, of course.”

 “Then trust me when I say you will be cared for.”

 Whatever bravado Donald had started to build was instantly broken when the nearby door opened. A robin with short brown hair and casually dressed entered, carrying a clipboard. She smiled over at the six of them. Giving a small coo seeing the triplets before her full attention went to Donald. “Mr. Donald Duck?”

 José gave a gentle nudge, giving an encouraging smile as Donald slowly stood. He was led to where the back offices were. Entering one of the rather small rooms, the large window showing the garden behind the building being the first thing Donald noticed. It was sunny outside, the light hitting the garden path perfection. It looked like it came from a photograph.

 The office itself was small, but rather cozy. Warm and inviting. Even with the numerous medical items seen around the room. A desk was pushed against the wall that was across from the window, framed with paperwork and books, a closed laptop resting in the center, and a leather, armed chair placed before it. Numerous diplomas were hanging on the wall above said desk. A cushioned chair was facing the desk, with a small end table nearby that was covered with numerous children’s toys. A large bookshelf was placed by the window and was filled with a number of thick volumes. Donald couldn’t really read all the titles. But from what he’d been able to see, they all held something about psychology. 

 “Go ahead and take a seat.” Dr. Bessing smiled as she took the seat by the desk. Donald let out a shaky sigh as he did as was suggested. “So, how are you feeling today? I know therapy can be a little overwhelming for the first time.”

 “Um...yeah, I am a little nervous.” 

 “Completely understandable. You’re not used to opening up to complete strangers and now you're suddenly supposed to change your whole outlook? In one hour? It’s a weird feeling. But I am here to assure you that you have nothing to worry about. This is a safe space and nothing will be shared with anyone unless it’s on your say so.” 

 “Okay… Um, did José tell you...anything? I-I know you’re seeing him. Am I allowed to know that? I’m not breaking any rules am I?”

 “No, you’re all good. José is allowed to share who he sees and what we talk about if he wants. The clients are in control as to what’s shared with other members of the family and friends. As far as him telling me anything, he just informed me you’re having a bit of a family issue. Nothing more. I want you to tell me what’s happening in your life. Even if he’s your husband, he can’t speak for your experiences directly. And, I will say this again, nothing leaves this room unless you want to share it. Either here or at home. It’s about making you feel safe.”

 “Okay… I… Where do I...how do I start this?”

 “Why don’t you just start with what brought you in today. What has happened currently that would make you feel that you need to see someone.” 

 Donald nodded, rubbing his hands together. “...Sorry, I really don’t know what I’m supposed to say.”

 “That’s fine. First session is an open book, you just talk with whatever comes to mind,  and it sounds like there’s a lot to tell. Just take a few minutes, try and get everything in order, and start when you feel ready.”

 Taking a few deep breaths, Donald allowed himself a few minutes. Eyes traveling to the garden as he tried to find the right words to start with. A small smile formed seeing numerous daffodils growing proudly among the green.

 Della’s favorite flower... 

 He gave another nod and started.

[chayacat]

Devil’s Sweet Star (24)

Fandom: Dead by Daylight

Ghostface x Female Reader  

Rated M for Violence, Language and Smut  

***

Pride. They say pride can be a nasty flaw. But deep down, is that really the case? Pride is pretty positive in itself. You feel pride when you succeed in something, when you spend a stage of your life that everyone and even you thought impossible. The pride of your parents when you do something good is proof of that. When you help people, you feel a certain pride in being able to be useful to society. When you graduate, you're proud of it! When you create a garment, an object, a cake or a dish, you're proud of it! So why is pride a flaw?

Well actually... It happens when you do something bad. Do you know why? Because pride brings bragging. When you're a good person, you don't have to tell everyone about all the feats you accomplish, some of these feats, you keep them to yourself, like a shadow hero. But when you are a "bad" person, someone who spends more time hurting around him than helping others, pride invades you and you feel compelled to brag about it. Of course, you're lying, you're changing reality to make you look like a hero. But everyone quickly understands that you're a crook.

But when you're an assassin like Danny, even if pride invades you, you have to contain yourself. Because if you brag about your murders.... you end up in jail. It makes sense, you still don't think you're being congratulated for a crime anyway... But our national Danny knows how to master himself. He feels proud of his "masterpieces" but is not going to brag to everyone that he is Ghostface, the murderer, the star of Roseville.

But if he could be proud... it's scaring you. More, to have exceeded a new limit with you. How proud would he have been to be the first and last to steal your virginity. To hear your moans, to hear your voice shouting his name, asking him to continue. For after falling asleep in his arms and him, looking at you, breathless, but conquered. But for now, he had to focus on his work. But he was proud, proud to see Wilhelm's head when he came across McKellan's corpse, Danny's ultimate masterpiece. For now.

“Did he go that far? Seriously?” asks Melina with some kind of disgust.  

“Just thinking about it, I want to vomit. But unfortunately, yes. You would have seen how much he slaughtered him. Even Wilhelm went out for a few minutes to avoid spitting his guts.” responds Mattew with a grimace on the corner of the face.  

“I admit that there... he has outdone himself. I've seen massacres made by Ghostface but this one... it’s a bloody masterpiece.” Said Danny holding a smile. “For once, Wilhelm was... not displeased to see me. On the other hand, he did not appreciate that I snoop everywhere. I have to understand what happened to write my article. And to think that people wanted Hoggins to die... Well, they'll have McKellan's death in the papers.”

“Well, it's Wilhelm... He always wants to be alone at the crime scene. He and the boss have argued several times about this. But the boss has always found a valid reason to shut his mouth.” replied Melina.

Mr. Hembrook arrived at the same time and stopped at the level of our three reporters, coffee in hand. This man always exuded a certain class no matter what outfit he was wearing.

“it's about me here... my ears are whistling.” He said, taking a sip.  

“They were telling how you're shitting Wilhelm back. You don't have to miss him every time.” said Mattew.

“Wilhelm is not a bad guy... he wants to do his job seriously and not let a clue escape. But his problem is that he always wants to do everything, all by himself and he doesn't appreciate the company of others, especially journalists. If he agreed to share his information and cooperated with us, it would go faster. Besides, you two, did you find anything on the spot?”

“Well, it looks like Ghostface went through the window... there is no broken glass or door hooking. He could not reach the window through the front of the villa. There are far too many guards... but from the back....” started Mattew.  

“From the back, there are only two guards to watch the garden. He could easily have gone through this. According to the guards, McKellan always listens to music in his office for about an hour. Ghostface had to attack him at that time. The music covered McKellan's screams. He left quickly to avoid being caught by the guards.” continues Danny.  

“It seems consistent... It seems very consistent even! Traces of a struggle?” replied Hembrook.

“No. McKellan had to be knocked out and tied to the chair where he was found. When you see what he did... he must have enjoyed it.” respond Danny holding another smile. Of course, he takes pleasure of it.  

“You've got enough to write a good article, my little Jed. With a murder like that... We're going to have enough to do for months! With the scandal over Hoggins... it's the bouquet.”  

“Of course, Sir. I...”

“I wonder... if it's not a setup. Hoggins and McKellan had been in conflict since that scandal. Hoggins accused McKellan of selling the wick on their business. I think that... that it is an assassination. And that he's paying Ghostface to kill McKellan.” said Melina.

Danny froze on the spot. Ghostface play mercenaries? Certainly not! He will never go down to that level. That would be unworthy of him! If he didn't like Melina, she would have been his next victim. But she cannot know what happened and all this is the result of her reflection. With all the elements she has, it’s easy to come to this conclusion.

“Impossible. It's not Ghostface-style to play mercenaries or hitmen for someone. Why would he do it now?” Asks Mattew.

“Mattew is right, it's not in his habits. And I don't think it will ever be. But the idea of a commissioned assassination cannot be ruled out. Hoggins is rich. He could very well have paid someone to kill McKellan. And made it all up to put it on Ghostface's account.” Fit Danny.  

“A commissioned assassination? It's a trail to explore. You should go talk to Wilhelm. To see what he thinks about that.” said Hembrook before leaving for his office.

Danny looked at Melina and Mattew before getting up, taking his bag and heading with his two colleagues to his van. The three got into the vehicle and set off for the police station. Definitely he will have met Wilhelm often lately. Too often to his liking. Unfortunately, it has to be. Jed has no problem with him. But Danny couldn't stand him.

“You should take a subscription to the Roseville police station. I am sure that on the tenth visit, you will have the right to a one-on-one dinner with Wilhelm.” said Mattew with a sneaky smile.

“I'll give it to you then... I'm not really attracted to that fat ass.” said Danny before laughing.  

Mattew grimaced and Melina chuckled. Danny parked and the three of them got out of the vehicle and entered the police station. As they went to the reception to ask to see Wilhelm, the latter was just talking to a policeman. When he saw the trio, he sighed.

“Oh no, it's not true... I was cursed for you to stick me so much Olsen? We met yesterday and I have to see your snooping face again today?” Wilhelm said.  

“I want to say that I have the same curse Wilhelm. But it’s our boss who sends us.” respond Danny with a smile.  

“That old Hembrook monkey? And why will he send you to see me except to piss me off with Olsen?”

“Information and a hypothesis that might interest you. If you give us a few minutes of your precious time.”

Wilhelm seemed to think for a few minutes, before sighing and beckoning them to follow him into his office. Once all this beautiful people settled, Danny, of course, in front of Wilhelm, they tell everything they had concluded as well as the hypothesis of the sponsored murder. The latter listened attentively and drank a sip of coffee before speaking.

“You know this is a serious accusation you are making? It's not just anyone, it's one of the most influential men on the market. Also, explain to me why he would have murdered his partner, if indeed it’s proven that he and McKellan were doing what is written in the press articles.” said Wilhelm.  

“That's the explanation, Wilhelm. The article is a sufficient evidence and motive to have him murdered. Hoggins accused McKellan of throwing everything away. If McKellan disappears... more by camouflaged as an umpteenth murder of Ghostface ...Hoggins wins all. Moreover, there is no evidence that he would not have sunk McKellan once all the competitors were eliminated.” said Danny.  

“That's not wrong Olsen... That's not wrong. But it's a big fish. Even if I think the same as you for once, if I have no proof of his involvement ... I couldn't get him arrested. And if he hired someone and made this happen to a Ghostface murder, the REAL Ghostface might not appreciate being robbed of his work.”

“Maybe we could, I don’t know... consider cooperating for once? by exchanging our information between us we can do the whole thing on this story.” Said Melina.

Wilhelm and Danny looked at each other, grimacing. The prospect of having to work together doesn't please Danny in any of the world. But he has no choice, if he wants to direct suspicions on Hoggins, as he planned in his murder plan, he must cooperate with his worst enemy. But the day he can kill him... Believe me, Danny's going to have fun. The inspector got up, and beckoned them to follow them. They all arrived in a meeting room where there was already a team that was handling the case.

“Guys, this is the team of journalists from the Roseville Gazette. They will work with us, so that with all the information we find each other, we can gather them and solve the murder of Horace McKellan. They have information and a lead that we need to exploit.” said Wilhelm before heading to the dashboard.

The whole group worked together all day, getting up to date on all the information they did have so far. Danny quietly observed everyone. All those idiots looking for clues and evidence. And they are also responsible for his murders? What a bunch of idiots. If they knew that Ghostface was here, in the same room as them... That would be ironic. It's ironic, actually.

At the end of the day, everyone went home. Danny was tired but couldn't help but smile when he saw all these idiots. His plan worked perfectly, they are so manipulable, he will quickly manage to turn them to Hoggins and when he will be suspected of murder... That's where Danny's going to kill him. You will tell me it's silly in this case to have him accused. But don't worry, Danny has it all planned out. Absolutely everything.

He dropped Mattew and Melina in the newspaper parking lot so they could drive home. Then he went home. Previously, he stopped by the Florist next to your café, to buy you a beautiful bouquet of flowers. what? Danny knows how to be nice when he wants to. Sometimes he wants to give presents. Especially for his beautiful angel. He went up to your apartment and knocked on the door. When you open the latter, Danny didn't have time to say anything, that you would jump into his arms, before kissing him.

“I see, you missed me. Here. It's for you.” He said before laughing and giving you the bouquet.

“More than you could imagine. How was your day?” you ask by taking the bouquet.

“We can say that it was... full of twists and turns.” respond Danny before telling the whole day.

“Poor you. I wish you good luck. You must be exhausted.”

“A little. I think for once I'm going to eat and go to bed straight. Although I would have liked to spend time with you...” replied Danny before he saw that you were slightly stressed. He already knows why. “Are you Okay?”

“Oh yeah! Just...a little tired too...Don’t worry.” You respond.  

“I'll let you rest then... Sleep well, see you tomorrow.”

Danny kissed you before returning to his apartment, put down his belongings, took off his glasses and made himself food. He thought back to his day, everything was going according to plan. It must continue until it reaches apotheosis. And when it happens... He will still slip through the cracks.

He brushed his teeth, read a little and went to bed after half an hour. He looked at the thoughtful ceiling. Then a smile came to his lips, thinking of Wilhelm. If he knew he was working with Ghostface... he would shoot himself, that's for sure. Just like the entire police station for that matter. Knowing that he had infiltrated the police and that until the completion of his plan, he would work with them...

It made him smile greatly. He fell asleep with this smile and these thoughts.

Having infiltrated the enemy without being unmasked...

That's what made him proud.

***

(I'm officially starting my driving lessons May, 18Th. If I have to describe my mind right now...I’ll say I'm freaking out so hard that my heart will explode or to get out of my chest. Well, I’ve got time before hell begins! XD Oh by the way, from May 5th to May 7th I’ll go see my best friend, so chapter 26, which will be from Danny's point of view will probably come out late or even the week after! This will give the new ones the opportunity to read the chapters that have come out so far! Have a great weekend to you all! See ya!)