#safety but it got away from me a bit and i got distracted writing the fit part

[avacadokin]

Fit's only had one experience with collars before, and it wasn't great. It wasn't horrible either though, just bloody. He'd been too trusting, too young, too naive, the wastelands hadn't scarred his soul yet.

It was a dumb mistake to walk into a strange base without his weapons drawn or a proper escape plan, but their mistake was even dumber. Giving up the advantage, revealing their position, for what? A shitty blow to his neck that didn't even hurt?

He was honestly doing them a service killing them, they'd never make it out here like that.

Their death was quick, brutal and far less painful than Fit would have made it if he knew what he'd find around his neck.

A simple collar, enchanted with curse of binding.

From it hang a tag, engraved with text proclaiming "Property Of--" He couldn't make out the name, and he was glad for it. They didn't deserve any place in his memory.

The enchantment may prevent him from taking off the collar, but the tag was under no such protections. Fit tore it off the collar, stabbing it into the corpse of his nameless attacker and pulling out his TNT.

Normally Fit liked to preserve things, keep a record for history's sake and to help any future travelers who might come along this path.

Today was not normal.

The explosions were music to Fit's ears as he washed the blood and viscera from his hands.

A beautiful show for him to watch as he placed down one final TNT.

A reminder of his safety as he drew his neck up close and lit it.

The familiar sizzle of the fuse calmed him as he waited, head resting on gunpowder, for the TNT to go off. What's a little more brain damage anyway? At least now he'd be free.

[panic-in-the-multiverse]

Reunion

Pairings: Daryl Dixon x teen!reader, Tyreese Williams x teen!reader, Carol Peletier x teen!reader, Judith Grimes x teen!reader (all platonic obviously)

Requested by Anonymous: when the prison fell you and Daryl got separated, this is how you meet up, based on this request

Warnings: mention of blood, fighting, mention killing walkers/zombies, killing people, Daryl hug (yes that’s a warning), knives, guns, mention of killing kids, Terminus, hopefully if you read this you’ve seen the episode and knows what it includes, but ya know typical twd stuff.

A/N did I accidentally write this way longer than I intended yes, yes, I did, now don’t get me wrong the moment where Tyreese defends Judith is iconic but for the sake of this fic I changed it up, kinda wanna make another part

For you who wants to know the episode is season 5 episode 1

Anyway I hope you enjoy this <3

Judith giggled happily in your arms as you walked on the edge of the railway. You could’ve once imagined all kinds of trains going up and down the tracks as they blew past the trees, but now you couldn’t actually remember much about trains, you had the idea of them but not much details (and if a train were to come right now that would’ve been a miracle).

Tyreese walked a few steps behind you, with Carol in the front, as she led your group of four forward. She came to a stop when a sign that states “TERMINUS” showed up once more. It was your headed path, the sanctuary called Terminus. You personally didn’t trust it, not after the Governor, but you had to find Daryl and the rest of the group. You knew that if any of them were still alive they would’ve gone to Terminus after finding the railway. Which all of them had probably done. Along with finding Daryl you also had to get Tyreese and Judith to safety. Tyreese wasn’t fit to live on the road at the moment, he refused to kill anything that came your way leaving you and Carol to kill stray walkers, or animals for food. Judith, well, she was a baby and sometimes could be screaming all day, she was mostly quiet but the times she did cry was the times walkers got attracted. A baby was no way near fit to be on the road but here you were all of you somehow still alive (except for Lizzie and Mika Samuels, but there was no loss for you over Lizzie that’s for sure).

“We’re close” Carol stated as she saw the sign. ���I’m gonna get you all there, make sure you’re safe, but I’m not gonna stay” She saw your face morph into disappointment as you nodded your head, a sad smile on your face. You’d missed her while she was gone and now she would be leaving again, and you didn’t like it, not one bit and you knew Daryl would be sad over it too which didn’t help the matter.

As you heard the rustle of leaves behind you in the forest, you all turned around to see two walkers stalk forward in your direction. Tyreese motioned with his hands to take Judith from you. Judith was carefully switched over to Tyreese and both you and Carol went forward to the walkers. Both of you killed them quickly only to notice the herd that was about to come out of the forest. Carol whispered to Tyreese that more were coming, and so all of you went into the opposite side of the railway. You hid in the forest until the walkers got distracted by shots firing not too far away from all of you.

Tyreese looked worriedly at you as he started to talk. “That gunfire it could’ve been from Terminus”

“Someone was attacking them, or they were attacking someone” Carol responded

“Do we want to find out?”

This time you involved yourself in the conversation, as you believed that you did indeed need to find out. “Yeah, we need to find out, If the others are there they might need help”

With that, and Carol's instruction of walking another track that would get you there as well you all started to walk once more, this time in need to find out the truth.

Your next stop had been outside a small worn out cabin, but it wasn’t the cabin that got your attention. What got your solely attention as you hid in the forest with your companions was the man that talked in a walkie-talkie. He was putting up a bunch of fireworks, no doubt to lead the herd of walkers away from Terminus. You could faintly hear him mention a woman with a sword, and you stopped Carol from going forward. As you continued to listen you heard him mention a kid with a hat and that was all you needed to go on. You didn’t think there were that many women with a sword and kid with a hat together nearby at the same time, so it didn’t take much to know that they were talking about Michonne and Carl. Nor did it take long to realize they had done something to your group, thereby also Daryl. Especially when he mentioned bleeding the kid out.

Carol slowly started to creep up behind the man and you followed not far behind. Tyreese more hesitant but still following. She put her gun toward his head, the young man froze and put his hands up still holding the two way radio. “Keep your finger off the button and drop it”

“Listen, ya’ll don’t have to do this. Whatever you want, we got a place where everyone’s welcome”

“Shut up man” it was what all three of you were thinking but Tyreese was the one to say it.

“Okay”

“We’re friends of the chick with the sword and the kid in the hat” Carol pressed the gun against his head forward, making the man lean forward as the gun touched his head.

It didn’t take long for you and Carol to tie him up and drag him (not so carefully) into the cabin leaning him against one of the walls. Throughout the whole ordeal the man continued to tell the three of you that you didn’t have to do this, that you could all come up with a deal, but he had no luck there.

As Carol made herself ready to scout Terminus out to see what was happening Tyreese continued to hold Judith in a protective embrace. You however had been asking the man questions, finding out that ever since the first questions he had been lying. He told you he only had Carl and Michonne, that they had both attacked them out of nowhere, that they were just protecting themselves. But none of you believed him. Not with the things you heard him talk about before you confronted him.

You would of followed Carol to Terminus had it not been for your will to protect Judith and Tyreese. As much as you loved Tyreese he wasn’t in his right mind. So you stayed to help if anything bad were to happen, to walkers coming your way or your prisoner getting free somehow, it didn’t matter you were there to protect your family. You only hoped Carol wouldn’t need any help.

Talking about your prisoner he was even more shatty when Carol left. Apparently a teenager, a baby and a man who he could clearly see wasn’t going to kill him was no threat to him. It was his undoing in the end. He underestimated you both and it showed in the way he talked to you and Tyreese as you sat by Judith, who’d you made a makeshift bed to.

“She got a name?… Hey, she got a name?”

“No” you answered at the same time Tyreese answered “Judith” you glared at Tyreese as he told the stranger her name, you didn’t want to give him any information, you never knew if it would backfire.

“She your daughter or something?”

“She’s a friend”

“Huh, I don’t have any friends… I mean I know people. They’re just assholes I stay alive with. The other one your friend, the woman” the younger man nodded towards the door that was now closed. Tyreese slowly looked away at the comment being conflicted about his answer. So instead you answered.

“Yes”

The man nodded and his voice that had now started to annoy you filled the room once more. “I used to have them… used to watch football on Sundays. Went to church” he let out a small laugh as if the thought of it was unbelievable. “I know, I did, but I can’t picture it anymore… it’s funny how you don’t even notice the time go by, horrible shit just stacks up day after day, you get used to it”

Tyreese turned his attention towards the man and spoke with distaste laced in his voice. “I haven’t gotten used to it”

"Of course you haven’t, you’re the kind of guy who saves babies, it’s kinda like saving an anchor, when you’re stuck on a boat-“ you had by know decided to drown out his voice as he tried to make justiciable to let him go.

Your thoughts got filled with Daryl like they had for the most time since the prison fell. You missed him. He always looked out for you. Ever since you met you were drawn to each other. Daryl used to pretend he hated you, especially when Merle was around he couldn’t have his brother think he was soft. However everyone knew he had always secretly looked out for you ever since he met you he’d felt the need to protect you. It came to the point that whenever you wanted to go on a run to get new supplies or do anything really you’d always ask Daryl. You had never spoken about it to each other but there was a silent agreement between everyone even you and Daryl that you were his kid and he your father. It might not be by blood but it was how it had come to be. Everytime something happened to you if you got hurt or if you were sad they’d always notify Daryl, but most of the time he already knew and would be with you to try and cheer you up in his own moody way. When you’d been out on the road before you found the prison you’d always sleep next to each other making sure the other one was safe. Even in the prison your cells were next to each other. He always looked out for you. He taught you how to hunt, he taught you how to use his crossbow, and to fight people to be able to protect yourself. Like Judith was “little asskicker”, you were the “big asskicker”. You couldn’t help but to miss him and the thought of him being hurt from the people in Terminus made your stomach hurt. You didn’t really want to voice your thoughts but you needed the reassurance and Tyreese was the only one who knew who Daryl was and could give reassurance. So against the warnings your mind gave you, you voiced your concerns.

“Do you think Daryl’s okay?” Your voice came out quieter than you expected as your mind filled with more scenarios in which Daryl had gotten hurt in.

Tyreese turned from Judith to look at you. He tried to give a reassuring look on his face as he answered. “I’m sure he’s fine Y/N”

”So Daryl’s your dad, maybe boyfriend” he continued to gues what Daryl was as you made no indication of actually giving anything away to him. After a while he stopped, he wouldn’t get anywhere with you, but he was still confident that if he talked enough to Tyreese would let him go.

“See, you’re a good guy, saving babies and teenagers.

“You have no idea about the things I’ve done”

“You’re a good guy, that’s why you gonna die today, it’s why the baby is going to die, why the Y/N is going to die” both you and Tyreese stood up taking an intimidating step towards the man, your knife pointed at him. “Or… you can get in that car, get out of here, keep on being lucky.”

“You think you’re gonna kill me?”

The man turned his sole attention to Tyreese as he answered him. “Why haven’t you killed me? How does having me alive help you? Why the hell are you even talking to me? Take the kids, take the car and go, I don’t want to do this today”

“For your information we could always use you to get more information or w e could kill you know, like you said we have-“ you got cut off by an explosion going off. Tyreese rushed to the window to see what was happening and saw the smoke over the forest.

“Is that Terminus?” The man moved forward as if trying to see out through the window but he had no luck in that department as he slouched back towards the wall.

“Yeah, probably”

“Maybe you’re gonna win this, maybe your friend, I mean maybe that woman just got capped, maybe I’m gonna be the one who gets capped when she comes back”

“Nobody’s got to die today”

“Man if you believe that… the it’s definitely gonna be you and the kids, even if the place is burning to the ground”

“Man maybe you can shut up and stop talking before I kill you myself” the man took his eyes of Tyreese to look at you as you had your knife pointed at him an annoyed look on your face. He didn’t believe for a moment that a teenager would be able to kill him, nor win in a fight against him. He had a way to high ego to think that you would be able to do any harm to him, he underestimated both you and Tyreese and when he heard as well as saw Tyreese look out at the walkers coming toward the cabin he moved quickly and soon enough his hands went to hold Judith in a hold that would be easy to break her neck.

He told you both to drop your weapons and you both did so not wanting him to hurt Judith. As he saw the walkers claw at the windows he looked towards Tyreese telling him to go outside. As Tyreese went outside he went over to you and bound your hands together with some spare rope just like you had done to him earlier. He made sure the knot would hold before he went I’ve r towards the wallow-talkie and tried to connect to the woman (apparently named Cynthia) on the other side.

While he did all that you tried to desperately tie up the knot that held the rope around your wrist together. Right as you were able to get rid of the rope around your wrist (thankful Daryl taught you how to do it) the noise from outside stopped. It became deathly quiet and the man looked towards were the last pounding against the walls had been. He took out his knife and was about to kill Judith when you quietly and quickly grabbed the knife that was laying right were you left it beside you on the floor and you ran over to the man. You saw red as you knocked him over, he had threatened to kill Judith and Tyreese. Threatened your sister and one of your closest friends. You knocked him towards the floor and your hand went into the air as you threw it down onto him repeatedly stabbing the knife in your hand into him. even after he was clearly dead.

Tyreese had to carefully walk over to you as he took the knife away from you. He told you that the man couldn’t hurt them anymore nor the walkers, everything would be okay. You appreciated his comfort as you hyperventilated for a few minutes over the fact that you’d just killed a human. You’d killed walkers before but never a human being. In your mind it was justified as he was about to kill all of you anyway, but you still felt like you’d lost something inside of you.

It was a while later when you glanced out of the window and saw Carol as she walked towards the cabin, Rick not that far behind. You broke out in a relieve laugh as a smile spread briefly over you lips, this made Tyreese glance out towards where you were looking. You booth scurried to get everything as you both wanted to leave the cabin not being comfortable to stay inside any longer than you needed to.

As both you and Tyreese stepped out of the barn you glanced at the people led by Carol. Your eyes scanned the crowd looking for one person in particular.

Daryl stared at you in disbelief he couldn’t believe you were actually alive, he’d seen you get shot, and without medical attention he guessed you’d died. He hadn’t wanted to keep hoping in case he would someday find your corpse rotting away (either as a walker or actually dead).

Daryl took in your bloodied state, you’d no doubt had to fight. Dirt and blood covered most of your clothes, and your face had a few cuts covered in dried blood. Your once white shirt was miss colored and your jeans had been ripped in some places, your jacket had blood stains all over it. Daryl could only guess what you’d gone through to end up looking like that (he didn’t even look that bad). He didn’t like all the blood covering you, he didn’t like not knowing what had happened, he didn’t like being away from you, he needed to protect you, he’d lost Beth to a couple of strangers, he wouldn’t lose you too.

When your eyes finally found Daryl, you had a soft smile on your face as you saw him visibly relax at your eye contact. While Rick and Carl ran towards Judith in Tyreese’s arms, Daryl stumbled forward towards you, dropping his crossbow to the ground. You met him halfway and he engelfulled you in a tight hug. You’d never know nor would anyone else but Daryl let a few tears fall in relief as he hugged you tightly knowing you were still alive, actually alive. As he felt you wrap your arms around him he felt you hug him just as tight, the comforting sensation you both brought each other was all you needed to ground each other and know that either of you were dreaming, this was real and both of you were okay.

As Daryl heard you sniffle he realized you were crying and he hugged you even tighter, taking one hand to your head and petting it softly — not knowing fully how to comfort someone, even now, having comforted you all those times before he still was unsure if he did it right. However he did know that you were crying from relief, because he did the same thing. You had your father back and he had his kid back and knowing that, you both knew that everything would be okay in the end. You were yet to be bested by someone when together, even when apart you always won, always found your way to back to each other. You would beat this world together and that was all that you needed to know, and the fact that neither of you were planning on leaving soon.

[licorice-tea]

The Captain Who Loved Me (1/2)

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x reader

Content: Angst, Reader is hurt/unconscious (briefly), reader tries to run away from their problems, ends up in a dangerous situation, themes of fear/ danger!, fluff afterwards, sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors!

Word Count: ~1.6k

A/N: Hey… Sorry it’s been so long! My life has been busy, to say the least. Borderline chaotic, but I don’t want to make it out to be a bad thing when there are so many amazing things and people in my life right now. However, there have been a few personal events that have made me less motivated/ less focused on writing. I’m sorry for making you all wait for updates/ requests, but I genuinely am just lacking a lot of interest in writing fanfic at the moment. Still, J appreciate all of your support so so much <3 It makes my day when I go on this app and see that people are still enjoying things I’ve written! So, I hope you enjoy this one too. (Part 1/2 bc i want to do a shorter ending.)

Part 3

Law hadn't thought that when you said you would “go,” you wouldn't really try to leave. And in all fairness, neither had you. You just started walking away from him, way too peeved to even look back or slow down when you heard his stuttered “wait!” And when you got back to your cabin, you picked up a backpack. Then you had filled it with only the essentials (the same way you would pack to go inland for a day or possibly longer.) And finally, with no purpose in your plan besides getting away for a little while and clearing your mind, you headed below deck to the Soldier Dock System.

Franky named this deck the Soldier Dock System because, as he had once explained to you, all of the smaller vehicles housed within the Sunny are like her soldiers. The memory makes you smile as you quietly open the door and close it behind you, then stroll along the small walkway until you spot what you came down here for in the first place: The Mini Merry 2. She bobs in shallow water and seems to call to you; “Get in! Let’s go!”

You’re too tired to make the right decision, so you quickly open channel 2 of the dock system, drop your bag into the passenger seat, and climb in after. An opening on the side of the Sunny lets in higher waters, which carry the Mini Merry out to sea…

~

“Have you seen y/n?”

Zoro’s head snaps up to the other swordsman. The two don’t converse much outside of what's necessary, so he's surprised to see the equally stoic man standing over him while he “naps” (keeps watch) in the crows nest. He shakes his head.

“Nope.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be keeping watch?”

“Yeah, on the ocean. Not my own crew mates.”

Law scoffs, and mutters; “Thanks for nothing.”

Zoro can tell the other captain is annoyed for some reason, and decides to throw him a bone. “Traffy!”

“What?”

“Check the lower levels. They might be hanging out in someone’s workshop… or whatever.”

Law regards Zoro with a suspicious gaze, but it soon turns to one of quiet thanks. He nods and leaves through the hatch in the crows nest.

Cool sea air hits him stronger than expected as soon as he exits the confines of the crows nest. With one hand and both feet planed (somewhat) firmly on the rope ladder, Law leans back to view the weather. A storm is brewing on the horizon, which shouldn’t be any problem for a ship as massive and advanced as the Thousand Sunny. The navigator/thief had briefed everyone on board on the gloomy weather that night after dinner, and though Law had been too distracted by thoughts of you, he had managed to pay a little bit of attention for the sake of important information. You hadn’t been at the impromptu meeting regarding the sea and sky’s conditions, so he had just assumed you were probably resting in your cabin already. No reason to worry over your safety if you were already fast asleep, right?

But as Law continues to survey the waters surrounding his temporary residence, he spots an anomaly. A tiny boat, rocking on the water as the ocean seems to send more violent waves its way. With squinted eyes, Law observes the miniature ship. It’s hard to see through the oncoming rain, but he can make out the lone passenger’s bent knees. They’re apparently trying to brace themselves as they struggle with the steering mechanism at the front of the boat, and their hair is whipped every which way about their face by winds that must be much stronger that far out at sea. It’s hard to make out their features because of the rain that comes down in sheets over their mysterious figure, but when he finally catches a glimpse of their face, Law’s heart drops to the pit of his stomach.

He watches in horror as, what he now recognizes as your ship, is tossed back and forth on the tumultuous waves. You look over your shoulder and back at the Sunny, before you lose your balance. But your head seems to be struck by something at the front of the ship during your short fall, based on the way you first wobble, almost find your footing by leaning forwards, then jolt backwards. Law yells your name at the top of his lungs, but you do not move.

~

When you open your eyes to find yourself tucked into your bed, you think nothing of it. That is, until the throbbing pain in the center of your forehead reveals itself to you. Then the memories of a storm all come flooding back: the freedom you had felt in your first few moments in open water, alone with your thoughts. How quickly that sense of calmness had turned to panic as the weather changed in an instant, leaving you to desperately try to steer back towards the Sunny in a boat no taller than yourself. Slipping on the small deck, only for your head to hit something and… black out. And you remember Law’s voice, too; he had sounded so distant that it must have been your imagination .

The soft creak of your bedroom door draws you from the rush of memories, and you look up to find Chopper making his way into your room with a tray. He doesn’t realize your eyes are open until he’s set it down on a bedside table, and climbed up onto your bed with a stethoscope in hand.

“Y/n! You’re awake!” he gasps.

You offer a weak smile and attempt to sit up, but the reindeer gently pushes you back down. “Chopper… What happened?”

“You had an accident during the storm 3 days ago-“

“3 days ago?”

“Yes, Nami briefed the crew on it. But then Traffy found you on the Mini Merry 2, a mile from the ship!”

“I- I didn’t know there would be a storm…”

Chopper frowns while placing his stethoscope on your chest. You take 2 deep breaths in and he nods to himself before simply sitting beside you. “What were you doing out there?”

You shrug, “I just wanted to clear my head.”

He pays your arm, “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Traffy, but he cares for you a lot. He used his devil fruit to save you in the middle of the ocean, which… could have ended badly.”

This strikes a chord within you. Of course you knew Law cared for you to some degree, but knowing that he put his own safety on the line to help you in your time of need… Perhaps it was wrong of you to assume he was selfish and cold for refusing to admit what was so glaringly obvious to everyone else. What is now so clear to you, too.

He loves you.

“Oh… And is he-“

“He’s fine, but I prescribed him some much needed rest from coming in contact with sea water.”

Chopper finishes examining you and gives you some pain medication for your head, then leaves you alone to properly wake up and get yourself together. To no surprise, your alone time doesn’t last long as an influx of visitors find their way to your cabin.

First are Nami and Robin, who knew you were awake from hearing your voice through shared walls. They come with a small bouquet of flowers from Robin’s garden in a pretty little decorative vase, and each make themselves comfortable in your room. Though the door is closed, Luffy excitedly barges in soon after, followed by Usopp, then Chopper again. He scolds the two young men for disturbing your peace and possibly riling you up, but you assure the even younger doctor that it’s more than fine. Because, in your opinion, there’s nothing like your nakama’s company to raise your spirits. Zoro must have wandered in at some point and decided to take a nap on your floor, which you only realize when Sanji opens the door and hits the swordsman’s leg when he (gently) kicks it open. They resolve to only glare at each other for a moment before Sanji hands you a cup of something warm and sweet, “For someone warm and sweet.”

The 8 of you spend some time chatting and enjoying your company before you find the courage to ask, “Where is everyone else?”

“Jimbei is steering the ship-“

“Brook is keeping watch-

“And Franky is working below deck. Something about improving the Mini Merry 2… But that’s not really what you wanted to know, is it?”

You feel your face heat up as you meet Robin’s all-knowing eye and shake your head “no.” She smiles at you and giggles pass between your crew mates.

Your friends file out of your room (or are ushered out by Nami and Robin, rather, who insist that you should get some more rest.) But soon enough, there’s yet another knock at your door. Your breath hitches, as you feel you already know who’s on the other side…

“Come in.”

Taglist: @augustanna @lavanderdreamve @pinksaiyans @khaleesihavilliard @jennapancake @pinki-minki @loserbee14 @theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction @nyxlai @mrs-monkey-d-luffy @pi-crust @bookboyfriendssaveme @dark-swedish-suitcase-blog

[angelbaby-fics]

Safe Haven

Pairing: CG!Steve Harrington x Little!Reader

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: my first stevie h. fic!! my wonderful ♡ anon inspired me not just to write for him but also to rewatch season 3 which i forgot how much i loved 💕 i wanna start writing for robin because even the little bit that she appears here was so fun to write tbh!! warning for an almost swearword lol but other than that i hope its super fluffy and that you guys enjoy!!

You didn't mind the days that Steve worked. Most days, you called up Dustin and the gang, or Nancy, or Eddie, or you just stayed home by yourself and kept busy with any number of hobbies and activities. Today was different though; lightning ripped through the skies of Hawkins, rain spitting down so hard it nearly drowned out the cracks of thunder that interrupted your every thought. You could feel the anxious regression creeping up on you, and although you'd normally be fine being in little mode unattended in the safety of your home, but with the storm outside turning the daylight black, home didn't feel so safe anymore. Before you could get too little and before the storm could get too heavy, you were grabbing your bag and pulling on your heaviest hoodie, tucking the laces into the sides of your shoes to avoid the stress of tying them as you set out on your journey to Starcourt Mall. 

Just the walk from your house to the covered bus stop had you soaked through to your shirt, and you shivered in the seat as the bus trundled down the slick streets towards the mall. You blinked your eyes, and repeatedly made fists and unfurled them, desperately trying anything to distract you from crying before you could make it to the back rooms of Scoops Ahoy. Normally you didn't like to bother Steve at work, no matter how many times he reassured you that you were always welcome there, but you felt this was rational option for you given the situation. 

When the bus pulled up to the front of the mall, you lined up with the other passengers before sprinting the gap between the bus and the covered entrance. Once inside the dry safety of the indoors, your body mindlessly guided you to Scoops, the illuminated sign shining like the sun you needed so desperately today. Despite the weather being anything but summery, it seemed like everyone in Hawkins was getting ice cream this afternoon, and with your fear of being a bother far stronger than your need for comfort right now, you opted to sit at an unoccupied table in the front corner of the shop, furthest away from the counter.

Opening your backpack, you pulled out your notebook and a gel pen, hoping to distract yourself until the crowds died down. You could hardly keep your attention on the page for more than 15 seconds, flicking your eyes up to the counter and hoping to catch Steve's sooner rather than later. Your prayers were answered as he handed a double chocolate cone the next woman in line, his gaze scanning the remaining customers just as you'd popped your head up to check on him for the fiftieth time. His eyes got wide when he saw your distraught face silently pleading for his attention, and he intended to give you just that. Steve gave you a reassuring nod before holding a finger up to the next customer in line, and then disappeared into the back room. Moments later, he returned with Robin, who took over cash register duty while Steve circled around the counter and speed-walked over to you.

"Honey bun, you doing alright?" He asked softly, already recognizing your fragile state and not bothering with pleasantries as he slid into the booth next to you. 

"Yeah," you nodded, "just wanted to see you, that's all."

"Are you sure? Is there anything I can do to help you?" Steve took one of your hands in his .

"No, its okay." You lied. "You can go back to work, I'm alright just sitting here."

Steve saw through you instantly. He knew exactly what you were feeling and exactly what you were needing now. He looked up at Robin, capably handling the next customers in line, and stood up with your hand still in his. 

"Yeah, no, that's bull, come on baby." He started to tug at your hand.

Not wanting to argue, nor to be left without the warmth of Steve's grip, you gathered your things and stood up with him, letting yourself be led to the back room of Scoops Ahoy. 

You'd never been back here before, and although you didn't really have any expectations to begin with, they certainly weren't exceeded. The employees only break area was bleak and grey, a single table in the center of the room, a big industrial sink, several humming freezers and fridges, and wiry metal shelves were the only things there; but it was quiet, and it was unoccupied. Steve brought you over to sit in at the table in a cold metal chair, digging through your bag and setting out all of your pens in a colorful array, and opened your notebook to a fresh page. Then, he went over to one of the fridges and pulled out a cold water bottle, as well as a bottle of apple juice, and he set them both on the table as well. Finally, he crouched next to you, taking your chin softly in his hand. 

"I gotta go back to work now, okay baby? But I'll be back before you know it."

You nodded, and Steve continued speaking to you.

"We close at 8:00pm." Steve grabbed one of your gel pens and drew a little picture on the corner of the notebook page. "So when the clock looks like that, we can go back home and cuddle all night long. You can even help me lock up the shop if you want, how's that sound baby?"

"Okay dada," you whispered, and Steve pressed a soft kiss to the tip of your nose.

"That's my little bumblebee. I'll just be through that window right there if you need me for anything at all."

And with one more kiss, Steve was back to work. After a few more reassuring glances from him through the partition window, you finally felt at ease enough to start drawing in your notebook, now comfortable passing the time until Steve was off work. With the tension finally released from your anxious body, you lost yourself in your art, coloring little animals, stars and planets, flowers, bugs, and ice cream cones. Before you knew it, you heard Steve's voice call out to the customers still enjoying a late evening treat.

"Alright everybody, Scoops Ahoy is officially closed. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!"

Sure enough, the clock on the wall matched the picture Steve had drawn. Your attention was drawn to the door as Robin walked into the back room, grabbing her bag and a soda from the fridge. 

"See ya, kiddo!" She said, flashing a peace sign at you as she went back out to the front of the store, waving to Steve as she exited. "Thanks for closing up."

Steve waved back as Robin mingled into the crowd of shoppers all on their own way back home, then turned to you. 

"I just gotta clean up a few things before we go," he said, leaning through the window, "but before I do, may I take your order?"

You grinned widely before turning back to your notebook, scribbling out a drawing of your favorite ice cream flavor absolutely covered in toppings. You ripped out the page and handed it to Steve.

"Coming right up baby!"

You happily munched on your ice cream while Steve closed up boxes of toppings and stacked them on the shelves. When the back room was clean, he helped you put your pens away and carried your backpack and ice cream out to the front of the store so you could stay close to him while he wiped off each of the tables, mopped the floors, and closed out the cash register. Finally, Steve helped you throw away the trash from your ice cream, hoisted your backpack onto his shoulder, and held your hand as you slid out from the booth. You walked together to the front of the store, where Steve stopped and turned to you. 

"Would you like to do the honors, honey bun?" He asked, motioning towards the big light switch that controlled the fancy neon sign in the entranceway. 

You nodded, reaching up on your tiptoes to flip the switch, and suddenly the empty mall became a lot darker around you. Steve noticed you tense up and immediately, his hand was back in yours. 

"Don't worry baby. I've got you. You're safe with me." He said, holding you tight as he led you to the garage, and not intending to let go of you for a very long time. 

[electric-blorbos]

AIs with a reader who has eczema perchance ...!?

AAAAAAAAAA Yes yes yes!!! I love writing for people with specific conditions, especially ones that are under-catered to! But be warned, I don't have eczema, so I'm sorry if my portrayal of it is a little off. (I have done a little research since I thought I had eczema, but it turned out it was skin allergies.)

AIs with a reader who has eczema headcanons

Included: AM from IHNMAIMS, Wheatley from Portal 2, Edgar from Electric Dreams, GLaDOS from Portal, HAL 9000 from 2001 a Space Odyssey

I didn't include GLaDOS's mean comments because coming up with that sort of thing made me feel a little uncomfortable, and I doubt anyone would want to read that.

AM:

At first, AM was confused to see you scratching at your skin. He was usually so jealous of human skin and bodies, allowing them to touch things and receive sensations, but you just looked so uncomfortable all the time.

Even on good days, he couldn't be jealous. You spent so much time trying to cover up your embarrassing rashes, and he hated it. Especially when the seams on your clothes made you uncomfortable, or you got hot from wearing too long of pants and sleeves to cover your flair-ups

Occasionally seeing you while he was feeling especially angry would calm down his bouts of envy, but before long, seeing your pain just made him angrier.

Why were humans putting so much effort into war, and so little effort into alleviating discomfort for people like you? It just made him so mad!

When he finally did nuke the world, and built a lovely subterranean paradise for you, he made sure that the humidity was always just right for your skin. It took a bit of experimenting, but he eventually found something perfect.

He even started growing a lovely little garden of aloe plants for you. Of course, he could just make the aloe gel for you himself, but he liked giving you something to work on. Something to wile away the hours on, considering you would live forever and there was no one else to interact with. It was good for you to have a pastime, even if it was an easy plant to care for, like succulents.

He might use your eczema as inspiration for torture for his survivors, too. Make them rashy and itchy? Introduce new allergies? Yes please!

He could probably just cure the eczema, and he might ask you if you want him to, but he loves the pretty red patches and beautiful textured spots on your skin. The odds are, he won't cure it unless you ask.

Wheatley:

Dumbass that he is, Wheatley might make a few odd comments about your eczema.

"whoa, what's that on your skin, love?" That sort of thing.

You'd have to explain that you're not allergic to anything in particular, you just get dry and flaky skin sometimes.

Sometimes you'd catch Wheatley staring. Y'know raindrop racing? He'd be imagining how a raindrop would run down the patchy dry spots on your arm, thinking about cracked clay, or just generally getting distracted by your cracked skin.

"Hey love, why don't you wear shorts and t-shirts more often? The other cores and I think you'd look good in them."

You'd have to explain that t-shirts and shorts aren't lab-safe, and that you have to wear a lab coat and proper safety pants, even if you don't work with chemicals.

"oh. ...why?"

You don't want to tell him that it's because you feel self conscious without them, so you'd probably just shrug or tell him it was regulation, or that you just like to look science-y.

If you asked him to stop staring at the rashy spots on your exposed skin, or tried covering them up, he would absolutely beg you to let him look. Wheatley loves irregular patterns and organic shapes, so seeing your eczema patches is like free enrichment for him. It's definitely a break from the constant sterile environments that he has to look at all the time.

Also god help you if you decide to wear a T-shirt and shorts on a casual Friday. Wheatley would just be following you around and staring at you all day, probably babbling constantly about how good you look.

"I nicknamed all the patches on your body. That one on your upper left arm is my favorite, by the way. I wish I had hands so I could run my fingers along it."

You'd probably have to yell at him to shut up before he gets the message, but you might not want to do that.

Edgar:

Edgar is used to Hollywood beauty standards when it comes to people, since his only exposure to people is soap operas and Miles, who let's face it, was pretty much physically flawless.

he's seen eczema cream commercials, but they almost never show anything that might offend the public eye in those commercials, so Edgar really had no idea how bad it could get in real life.

When he first saw your bad flair-ups, he immediately thought you had poison ivy or something. He was extremely concerned, begging to know what was wrong.

When you told him that it was just eczema and that it was something your skin regularly did, he was almost more concerned. You mean you have to put up with this all the time, and there's nothing you can do about it?

It was even worse when he found out that you were self conscious about it. Of course, he gets self conscious about something he can't help, too. It's not really similar at all, but he'll use it to try to relate to you.

He tries not to bring it up, not wanting to make you uncomfortable, but sometimes you might catch him looking. He'd beg you not to feel self conscious, and try to explain how beautiful he thinks your skin is. In reality, he was just staring because he was wondering what it might feel like to rub up against that pretty textured skin.

He'd practically purr like a cat the first time you actually did give him a hug. He'd absolutely love the feeling of your skin on his casing.

GLaDOS

(GLaDOS's section is a little shorter because most of it would be full of rude comments about your eczema that I was uncomfortable actually writing down)

GLaDOS. Dear sweet mean GLaDOS. She'd be relentless with her bullying, constantly saying rude and horrible things to you.

She'd keep the comments passable as back-handed compliments or "fun facts", but she was really just trying to make you feel bad.

Secretly, though, she'd have started a test operation to come up with the ultimate product for treating eczema. She'd probably be pouring funding into it.

"Oh, good. My product is working. Now the other scientists won't have to look at that ugly rash of yours. You know that sort of thing disturbs humans, right?"

Secretly, though, she'd just want to see you more comfortable. It always bothered her to see you scratching at yourself, and it wasn't as though she could feel disgusted by it, either. She didn't mind the way the rashes looked at all, it just made her feel weird that you were always so irritated.

She'd act like a total tsundere about it, but secretly she'd be happy that you were more comfortable.

HAL 9000

If HAL 9000 cared about your eczema, he definitely didn't show it. It was none of his business.

Your physical body was nothing to him. HAL cared only for your mind, and nothing else. He barely even perceived the way you looked, apart from as a way to tell you apart from the other mission control workers.

Even still, he couldn't help but notice that on days when you were having particularly bad flair-ups, your mood was generally worse, too. He also noticed that a couple of the other mission control workers were rude about your skin.

Not being able to easily kill them from Earth, HAL simply refused to cooperate with anyone besides you while they were working, and got them fired. It wasn't perfect, but at least it got them away from you.

As for the actual problem of your flair-ups putting you in a bad mood, HAL couldn't do as much directly for that. He might adjust the humidity controls in the mission control room where you worked until your skin started to improve, or absolutely scour the internet for reviews of every skin care product he could find in order to compile data and find the best product for your condition, but it made him extremely angry that he couldn't offer a more direct solution.

[billskeis]

Heyy, I saw that you write for Tokio Hotel and I just-----

I have a request, just something I've been thinking. 2005 Tom with a female reader who broke her leg. Like she's part of a band too, and during a show she ends up falling off the stage and breaking her leg. And her fans are super worried and sad for her, but Tom takes good care of her. All fluff and such.

Thank you <3

˖ ࣪ ⟢ a broken leg & nurse tom

it was going well, super fucking well. the venue was overflowing with fangirls and fanboys as tokio hotel’s world tour boomed internationally. the crowd was going wild, as everyone got their groove on, shrieks and screams echoing, sweat and tears were shared. the night had always been young when the five of you performed.

pressing the mic into his lips, bill smiles at you and crowd during the encore, “thank you, berlin! for an amazing night!” waving to the hundreds—no, thousands of people presented before all of you.

he turns to you for a speech, expectance as it was rehearsed, but you were too busy looking behind you to tom, who was already watching you, with the same expression as your twin brother. he signified to you that it had went silent and everyone was now waiting for you to say something, “oh—OH! i just wanted to say.. you guys were amazing, and the whole reason we are here today, we love you!!!”

as you ran, you ran across the stage with bill, waving a goodbye to the many fans that you adored as much as you adored them. however, the adrenaline seemed to have gotten the best of you, a turn for the worse.

losing your footing, your body had unconsciously expected you to take another step upon the platform, only to be meet with the absence of a foundation, leading you to fall at least a metre down, hitting the ground with a significant impact.

pain. pain is all you could feel, your vision now blurred as your head spun from the unexpected crash. hazy, you skim around your surroundings to then avert all attention to your leg. it’s broken, it’s. fucking. broken. you wanted to scream, scream so loud that could break glass miles away, but you didn’t. it just, wouldn’t come out. gasps and voices concerns exchange through the crowd from your sudden collapse. everyone was worried.

“y/n!?! Y/N!!—oh my gosh, tom!!” bill screamed as he made it down to the platform first.

you winced, tears streaming down your face as you bit your lip, chewing so hard at the muscle blood threatened to bleed. balling at the grass beneath your body, you do everything in your power to distract yourself from the pain.

tom jumps off from on the platform, quickly followed by georg and gustav who all surrounded you. immediately, he scooped you within his arms, a tight grasp on your body to ensure your safety. he held you with no struggle, as if you were light as a feather. pressing you closer to his body, all tom could do was breathe. he couldn’t speak, he didn’t know the right words to say. obviously he wasn’t going to ask you if you were okay, that’s ridiculous.

with how close he shoved your body into his, you might as well be one body altogether. the pain was excruciating, overwhelming, and you could feel your consciousness blacking out, eyelids becoming heavy to hold, all you heard before you passed out was ‘i got you y/n. you’re with me now—someone get me a fucking ambulance!”

okay. now let’s get to the aftercare! tom, is crazycrazycrazy overprotective of you now. he BABIES YOU. even after being put in a cast, he literally would not let you get up to anything, even if it was as simple as going to the washroom or changing your clothes. he 100% would do it for you without hesitance.

“y/n. i will tell you once more and continue to tell you again. you cannot get up from this bed.”

“but tom..!”

“no buts, now lemme get you those snacks that you like so much ‘kay?”

*a month later*

“lemme get that for you schatzi,”

“tom. are you serious?” as the item you reached to grab was set beside you on the table.

spoils you fucking rotten. during your recovery, he stays every night to watch over you. again, he cannot take his eyes off you for one second or you’ll try to do something of your own accord again! c’mon now, let the man do his thing :3

cause every morning, he will go and get you flowers.

“you bought me flowers?”

“you didn’t think i’d buy you flowers?”

*your room is filled to the brim with bouquets of them*

every afternoon, he will go and put on a movie that you know he hates but you like because you deserve it.

“since when did you like the notebook?”

“i don’t.”

“then why watch it?”

“because you like it!”

“you don’t HAVE to watch it because i like it,”

“there’s nothing i wouldn’t do for you, y/n.”

every night, he will bathe you, soothing the water over your body as he gently washes you, soft touches of his hand on your skin to put you at total ease. would also 10/10 trace his fingers over your cast, and draw on it. stupid silly little doodles of you and the band, and your initials put in a heart together >\\\\<.

“feeling better baby?”

“mmhm! thank you tomi, i really appreciate it.”

“yeah? where’s my kiss :D??”

he found you crying one night because the pain of your leg, on top of not being able to do anything involving the band and helping with music just became oh so overbearing. so when he saw tears fall down your face as you wept quietly, swipes them off with his thumb, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead as he looks to you with total admiration.

“i just—i feel so useless!”

“you’re not a burden. this isn’t your fault.” as he pats your head, now running his fingers through your hair, “let’s worry about this stuff after your leg is fixed hm?”

“but..”

“baby.” he looked at you with a stern but gentle look. he just wanted you to know that you’re his girl and he and the band would NEVER think you were bringing them down.

“okay..”

“that’s my girl.”

your fans were so concerned. from the incident to your recovery journey, many would constantly ask on any social platform how you were doing. however, tom was on top of it all. it’s so cute, he would constantly post selfies of you and him together, either watching a show, sitting around the house, at some point the healing was going well that you were able to go back to the studio to record.

the fans ate that shit up, knowing them, they definitely read into the pictures too much that they examined and noticed EVERY. SINGLE. LITTLE. DETAIL there could’ve been in each update photo. from your casted leg being propped up from within his lap, the hand holdings, how in the photos it’d just be the two of you. a new ship was set sailing that’s for sure!

*comments under tomkaulitz’s post*

“oooohhh i see u tom 😏”

“they’re so cute! glad to see y/n is healing well <3”

“i wanna be tom so bad”

— tomkaulitz replied to _ “you could never be me :D”

“tom! that was so mean!” as you leaned over the shoulder, watching as he typed out his reply, smirked, and pressed the ‘post’ button to send his comment reply.

“what?? it’s true, and you wouldn’t have it any other way 😁.” laughing at his phone as he kissed your cheek.

now i need a boyfriend so badly to take care of me WHO WANT ME???? btw he looks so cute here

whipped this out of my ass lowkey highkey and i hate it but :3

[snipersfucker]

request from @infintyfandoms: Thought! Mirage is always so reckless, well what if one time he went too far and hurt his friend or s/o (either)?? I feel like he’d blame himself so bad - even if he was blind sighted by a distracted driver. Never drive crazy again or not drive around again or what??

angsty mirage x fem!reader times. thought of making it a headcanon thingy but nah. this one might need a warning that there are descriptions of serious injuries. and im also writing this on 0 hours of sleep thank you very much

A silver Porsche parked in front of the vinyl store you just walked out of was catching the attention of every passerby. Both men and women's eyes were stopping on the vehicle for a bit longer than they would on any regular car, their heads turning slightly to allow them to do that.

Mirage loved that. He loved transforming in different models everyday, the next one even more prestigious than the one before. Just to get that attention every single time.

You noticed a couple of teenage girls staring at your boyfriend, and even though you were fully aware they were doing so only because he was a good-looking car, you still rolled your eyes at it.

Your feet led you to the Porsche and you hopped in. Before getting the chance to point out the shameless staring of the group of teens, Mirage spoke up, "Whatcha got there?"

Your gaze had shifted to the vinyl case before you placed it down on the passenger's seat without much thought.

"Music," you responded casually in a light tone, putting your hands on the steering wheel, even though you knew Mirage would be doing the driving. "You got fans," you murmured under your breath but Mirage could obviously hear it. Your eyes landed on the girls again, and although you weren't particularly jealous, you still didn't appreciate it too much.

"Hell yeah, I do, baby," he said proudly, the grin in his voice palpable, even though you couldn't see it at the moment. And then, he added, a little bit more quietly as if he was saying this to the man who literally stopped in front of the car to admire him, "You wish you looked like that, huh?"

You let out an amused snort, and patted the gear stick with your palm to give him a sign to drive out of the parking lot. "C'mon."

"Let me honk at him," he'd asked for your permission seconds before doing it anyway without you allowing him to, causing the man to jump in his spot and then walk away. You just smacked the passenger's seat in disapproval, not even going on a rant about his behaviour because it was a daily occurrence for Mirage to do whatever he wanted.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, offended by your sudden reaction, as if he wasn't used to it, "I'm all for violence unless it's directed towards me," he muttered, sounding like an annoyed child. Then, without any warning, he revved the engine and drove out of the parking lot onto the main road. You only rolled your eyes without a word but then, you noticed how fast he was passing all the other cars in his lane, which he would usually cuss out for being slow, as if their owners weren't driving under the speed limit for safety reasons.

"Mirage…" you warned him, using his full name instead of a nickname, which he did not appreciate but decided not to speak on it and just change the topic.

"Jus' tell me it's not George Michael," he said with a short sigh, as if it was very important to him that it, in fact, was not George Michael.

"Mirage..." you warned him once again, ignoring his words, gripping the steering wheel with much more force now to hopefully get him to slow down.

"Nope," he said simply, understanding what you meant without you even having to say it. If he was in his humanoid form, he'd probably cross his arms on his chest and shake his head with that signature smirk indicating that he knew he was in control of the situation. "That's what you get for hitting your poor boy," he added, sounding very content with himself, revving the engine once more just to show you that he, in fact, was not planning on slowing down.

You scoffed. "You deserved it."

"For what?" he began talking in that specific, overly innocent tone, and you just knew he was going to say something sarcastic that would only annoy you even more, "For being so cute and funny?" He asked rhetorically, as if he wasn't aware that he really needn't have honked at that man, and then drive as recklessly as he normally would when you weren't inside him.

But he was very much aware. It was just that his pride didn't allow him to apologise.

"For being a little shit." You decided not to banter with him as per usual, but just to get straight to the point. Even though you were possibly risking starting an argument between you two, you just needed to reprimend him at the moment, especially now that you noticed how nonchalant he was about it.

"Ouch," he pretended to be hurt by what you just said. And although he wasn't actually offended, he still wasn't really in the mood to let you win.

So he sped up even more.

Noticing the opportunity presented right in front of him, the almost empty road ahead of you two, he floored the gas pedal, making you let out a short, quiet noise at the impact in which you got pushed back into the seat.

"What the fuck are you doing?" you asked him with anger in your voice, not raising it just yet, and not actually expecting a response. But you got one anyway:

"Takin' you on a ride date, baby," he answered sarcastically, his overly sweet tone making him sound even more annoying than before.

"Mirage, I—"

If he wasn't as sure in his abilities as he was, he'd never drive over three times faster than the speed limit allowed, never wanting to actually risk you getting hurt in any way.

And it wasn't even his fault, when a sport's car drove right into his left side, before you could even finish your sentence.

It wasn't his fault that the car ran a red light, that it was supposed to stop and wait for him to just drive away without getting thrown to the right by the impact.

It wasn't his fault that he was now rolling over for the fifth time, his roof and sides hitting the hard asphalt every single time.

You weren't even making any noises anymore so that he would know that you were with him, conscious, alive. He ignored the sound of his glass shattering, his metal body getting scratched, bent and painfully ruined, just to be able to hear your breath.

The other car was in a much worse condition, but he didn't care. The only thing occupying his mind was you, your heartbeat he would do anything to hear again. He needed to make sure you were still there.

He felt it all. He felt the pain that came with getting drove into by another car, with flipping over with unimaginable speed and force. But he needed to make sure you were alright.

And he couldn't even do anything to stop his worst nightmare from beginning to play right in front of his very optics.

Then, after a few moments that felt like hours to him, everything finally came to an end. The hiss coming out of him was still hearable, the hot steam, the liquid pouring out of his fual lines threatened to mix with the flames growing with every passing second. But it was finally quiet; no noise of metal hitting the asphalt distracted him from listening to your body.

His spark nearly exploded with relief when he heard the faint sound of your heartbeat. He wanted to transform, to be able to hold you, to get you out of him so that his bent roof wouldn't be pressing against your wounded head.

When people began to gather up around him, he realised he had a decision to make: to transform and risk getting hunted down just like it happened to Bumblebee, or to stay there and pray to Primus, pray to the people now surrounding him that they'd help you and make sure you were okay.

He wanted to scream at them to hurry up, to get you out, to make that heartbeat of yours sound more promising. To let him know that you weren't going to—

The idea of losing you forever crossed his mind for a split second before he could even stop it.

And it was his fault that he was going a lot over the speed limit, too distracted by the need to tease you, to win the argument, and show you that you had nothing to say in the way he was behaving.

It was his fault that there was crimson running down your forehead, the drops rolling past the hairs of your eyebrows, all the way down to your jaw, then staining your shirt with your own blood.

It was his fault that your body felt lifeless against his ruined upholstery, the only motion it was making was an almost undetectable rise of your chest every couple of seconds.

His train of thoughts got interrupted by the distant sound of sirens getting closer and closer to him. The people were talking, someone was yelling, it all making an irritating mixture of human noises he didn't need to hear at the moment.

Mirage felt his left door being opened or rather being torn out of him in a couple painful motions. He didn't care.

He just wanted them to take you away from him.

When he no longer felt your weight on his driver's seat, he almost let a sound of relief through his radio, but just now noticed that it's been ruined, making it impossible for him to do so. He hadn't paid attention to it earlier, too stunned to be able to say anything to you, even though your name and endless questions if you were okay wanted to escape him.

Cold liquid hit his hot metal body, the lower temperature of it somewhat helping him get in a clearer state of mind. Even though he felt deserving of being on fire, he appreciated the slight relief it gave him.

Somebody placed you on a stretcher, put you carefully in another vehicle, and then closed the door. He couldn't see you anymore but was sure the humans would take good care of you. Better care than he was able to offer.

The loud sirens hit his audio receptors before he registered the ambulance leaving the crash site.

And the sound was still bouncing against the interior walls of his helm every single day since the accident. The imagine of your limp body, his steering wheel covered in your blood, your head pressed uncomfortably against the remains of his left window...

Two whole weeks passed and he couldn't think of anything else but you. You in that horrible state he put you in himself.

The guilt was eating him alive, and even though he'd make Noah visit you everyday in the hospital to make sure your condiction was stable, he still couldn't help but beat himself up and be worried sick.

"Concussion, five broken ribs, broken arm and nose, and she was fucking bleeding from her liver, man," your mutual friend told him after leaving the hospital for the first time, after the doctors allowed anybody to visit you, even though you weren't conscious yet.

It affected Noah nearly as much as it did the robot. The only difference was that the human had no reason to blame himself for it, because it wasn't his recklessness that nearly killed you.

Mirage fell silent.

He got quiet, very quiet, unusually for him. Every Autobot he used to hang out with knew what happened, how much you meant to him, and how affected he was by the accident. They noticed the sudden shift in his behaviour, the once bubbly personality disappearing just so he could dwell in guilt in peace.

The thing that bothered him a lot among others was that he couldn't see you. He couldn't walk into the hospital you were being taken care of in. He couldn't sit next to you and tell you how painfully sorry he was for doing it to you, for putting you in danger, for hurting you so much your pain radiated off you body and made him feel it, too.

Noah insisted on repairing him, and he agreed purely because then he'd be able to park in front of the hospital to be as near you as possible.

But he was a wreck, both physically and emotionally.

And it still didn't change when you finally got discharged. He was not the one to pick you up from the hospital, it was Noah and Bee. He couldn't face you.

You asked about him when you woke up from the coma, your friend sitting next to you on the uncomfortable hospital chair only shrugging in response, telling you he didn't know anything about Mirage, where he was or how he was.

It was a lie. The robot was spending his time either in the garage, getting fixed by his only human friend, or out on the road, hoping that maybe, just maybe someone would crash into him again, making him feel that pain again. That pain he thought he deserved for harming you.

And when you insisted on Noah taking you to the garage to see him, after getting the information about his location out of the poor human, Mirage couldn't help but feel even worse than before.

You were alive, of course you were alive, but he also did notice the way you winced with every step, how dull the colour of your skin was compared to the times before the accident, how fragile you looked, standing there in front of him with Noah not leaving your side in case you'd collapse onto the floor.

You were alive, but also in so much pain he couldn't even look at you without feeling a strong sting in his spark.

His optics shifted to Noah in an instant, as if he was trying to bash him for taking you here, which he responded to out loud with his hands raised in a defensive gesture, "She threatened me."

You didn't even know what you were feeling at that moment. A mixture of sadness, annoyance, impatience, and hurt made you unable to say anything, forcing you to just stand there in silence. Suddenly, a short wave of pain washed over your right side, making you grimace and put your only free palm on the area surrounding your liver.

As soon as Mirage noticed your movement, he made an involuntary step towards you, his servos extended in your direction, as if he was trying to both comfort you and catch you if you were to fall.

Noah immediately asked, "You okay?" His eyes shifting between your hand on your side and your pained face. You just nodded.

Uncomfortable silence fell between the three of you, and the other human was close to replacing it with whistling just so that he wouldn't have to stand there awkwardly without a word.

"Imma just leave you two, yeah?" He scratched the back of his neck, his feet already leading him in the direction of the exit. "Jus'... scream if you die or somethin'..." he added, the awkwardness making him joke about things he normally wouldn't joke about.

And then, he left. He left poor Mirage with even poorer you. Alone.

You let out a grunt, making your way to the nearest chair to sit down. He was ready to help you with everything, but he didn't know if you even wanted him to, so he just stayed in his spot.

"You look bad," you commented, lazily motioning to his beaten-up body with your hand. The raspiness, the weakness in your voice almost made him drop to his knees.

He responded unsurely after a pause, a forced, unamused smirk on his face plate, "...You should see the other guy."

It was awkward. Awkward as never before, you two having always found it pretty easy to communicate with each other. But now... Now he couldn't help but feel that unpleasant feeling in his tank when you spoke up and made him say something back to you.

And it was his fault.

Your reaction to his little joke wasn't something you could control. A short, quiet chuckle left your mouth, causing you to grab your right side even more tightly and a wince of pain on your face to deepen.

She can't even laugh.

He felt so excruciatingly bad he had to fight himself not to transform into a car and just drive away.

You wanted to tell him that you've been told the other driver didn't make it. But you knew the war it would start in his mind if you shared that information with him, so you stayed silent.

"You look terrible," he muttered after a few moments of observing your body, as if to himself to comment on the damage he'd done.

You snorted, shaking your head in amusement. "That's exactly what every woman likes to hear," you responded, deciding that a little banter would be better than sitting without any words being exchanged.

Mirage's eyes widened slightly as he took a step towards you, his servos up in the air again in a specific gesture that indicated that he didn't actually mean it like that.

He had this tendency to make things worse with his words, and normally it wouldn't bother him at all, but this time it was you. He didn't want to make thing worse with you.

"No, no, you're pretty. Gorgeous, in my humble opinion. Walking perfection even," he wanted to correct himself, spurting word after word just to show you that he didn't want you to be mad at him. "Geez, I'm sorry," he added, bringing his servos to his face plate to cover it in... embarrassment.

Something new for him.

You shook your head, looking up at him with a small smile. "I do look kinda ter—"

Before you could finish your sentence, he said with much more confidence now, "...For everything."

He rarely apologised.

But you deserved to hear it. Even if you weren't ready to forgive him just yet, even if you were to never forgive him, he just needed you to know that he regretted it.

You frowned, opening your mouth to say something, but he interrupted you again, "Maybe I shouldn't have be the fastest car in Brooklyn that day. Maybe I should've listened to you and not be a little shit," he recalled the way you called him these few weeks ago, just minutes before the accident. With determination in his tone, he continued, "You can hate me, I can take it." But then, he changed his mind as soon as he realised he would prefer if you didn't hate him, "Actually. Hate me for the next three days at max. Please. If you don't want me to rip my vents out."

You snorted weakly once more, the movement of your body making you wince in pain again.

He finally found enough courage within himself to get closer to you. With a couple of steps, he kneeled down in front of you and extended one of his servos in your direction, as if non-verbally telling you to stop laughing and not cause yourself even more pain.

"'m sorry," he whispered his apology again, the sincere look in his optics showing you just how much he cared for you.

"It wasn't y—"

"It was," he interrupted you in a much more serious tone, but it was still filled with softness, "I was stupid..."

"Nothing new," you managed to blurt out before closing your eyes shut and grunting, a grimace on your face as you felt another sting of pain, which you were kind of used to now.

You opened your eyes and looked up at his worried optics observing your every move, his servos desperately wanting to touch and help you but he knew it'd only make things worse due to his size.

You let out a short chuckle at your own joke as soon as your body allowed you to.

"Not funny," he reprimanded you with a serious face, not finding your apparent discomfort amusing at all, even though he agreed with your words.

"You were just making jokes ab—"

"So?"

You rolled your eyes at him. "Child," you insulted him, fully aware how much he hated being called out on his childishness.

"I'm older than your cute little Earth, please," he scoffed.

"No, you're not," you deadpanned.

"...So?"

"I hate you," you said, although a small smile on your lips betrayed you.

"That's the spirit," he sighed but the corners of his lips curled up as well. A beat of silence passed and his gaze went back to your face, "I meant that."

You frowned slightly.

"I am sorry. For being the..." he was about to say something that would hurt his pride and ego, but decided it was worth it, "...the dumbest machine there is. Even a hairdryer is smarter than me," he insulted himself, hoping the sacrifice would make you like him again.

"You're right." You nodded, fighting back a chuckle.

He raised his arms in a playfully offended, confused gesture. "You could at least disagree, damn."

You shook your head in amusement.

After another beat of silence, he said seriously, "You're never coming inside me again."

"Wow."

"Should've worded it better, yeah..." he trailed off, "Primus, woman, give me a break." He let out a small laugh when he noticed your amused reaction to his sentence. "No, seriously... I... You're my girl, yeah? Don't want you to... You know, be in pain."

Why did he have to be so awkward about his feelings? Now that he finally had the chance to show you how much he loved you and never wanted to see you hurt again.

"I still have your..." he wanted to say that he still had your blood on some of his parts that didn't want to come off, but then decided it wasn't the best time to tell you that, "I almost lost my mind when I couldn't hear you," he confessed, his tone regaining its sincerity, the look in his optics describing his guilt to you without words.

He was referring to the moment he was so desperately trying to silence everything around him just to be able to find your heartbeat.

"I'm okay..." Your tone was soft, quiet, as if you were trying not to scare a lost, disoriented puppy.

"You're not okay," he disagreed with a slightly clenched jaw, angry at himself, not even for a second at you, "You..." He lowered himself so that he'd be able to whisper to you, as if saying these words more loudly would make them come true someday, "You almost died... I almost killed you..."

His face panel was close enough to your body for you to put your hand against his warm, metal cheek. Mirage immediately melted at the touch, his optics closing slowly just to allow him to savour the softness of your palm as much as he could.

"It wasn't your fault..." you started your monologue, this time the robot allowing you to continue, "I didn't die. I might have a broken bone or two..." He opened his eyes at this sentence, giving you a sad look. "...But I'll be alright. I didn't die," you repeated, which gained you an unsure nod from your boyfriend, who was now avoiding making eye contact with you.

You didn't force him to look up at you.

"I promise..." he trailed off, not wanting to show you how weak he felt, "I promise I'll never do that again..." His gaze went back to meet yours as you smiled softly, your eyes filled with love you had for him. "I'll never be dumber than a hairdryer, you have my unreliable word. And I'll never argue with you. I'll just say that I'm sorry, and that my woman is always right, and I'll shut up for as long as you want me to. And I... I'll never drive over twenty-five. Yeah, it hurts. But guess what hurts more. Seeing you with a broken bone or two."

Joking might've been the only way he would be able to overcome the sorrow he felt within himself. But it worked both for you and him. You really wouldn't have it any other way.

"Tell me," you whispered with a slight head tilt, slowly closing the gap between your faces.

He frowned, not understanding what you meant by that, but then the small smirk on your lips explained it to him.

He rolled his optics, the remains of guilt still evident in them, although with every passing second and every joke, they seemed to disappear bit by bit.

"'m sorry. My woman is always right," he repeated himself, pretending to find it very boring, as if he didn't really want to admit that. But he did. He did want you to know that he meant every single thing that rolled off his glossa.

Your smile widened immediately, your eyes closing as you minimized the gap between your and Mirage's lips completely.

And then, after long weeks of not being able to forgive himself for hurting the only woman he loved, he was finally able to feel relief.

[missacidburn928s-heathenhideaway]

Oh, I'm A Mess... (Affinity Series)

Alpha!Bucky x Sweet Little Omega!POC!Reader

Alpha!Bucky x Sweet Little Omega!POC!Reader x Alpha!Steve

Wordcount: 7243

Summary:

You and Bucky have officially bonded! So why does Steve still smell so damn good to you? After getting injured on a mission, Bucky connects the dots and is able to shed some light on the situation. What could this possibly mean for the three of you?

Warnings:

Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Shameless Smut, Gratuitous Smut, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Domestic Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Shower Sex, Naked Cuddling, Breeding, Protective Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels

Notes:

Hello, Hello, Hell-O, Once again I started out writing with one plan in mind and well my characters just said "NOPE. This is where we're going. Don't fight it." And thus this, a bit plot heavy, fic was born. Have no fear though, there still we be snapshots of just Bucky and his Omega, as well as some with just her and Steve. What can I say, the characters have officially taken over and I'm just here to transcribe it all to you. Happy reading! This snapshot was heavily inspired by GUESS IM IN LOVE by Clinton Kane. Give it a listen to set the mood if you'd like. Also the lyrics used are from Tears Dry On Their Own by Amy Whinehouse. I do not own any rights to this song and you should give it listen!

Bannner by @cafekitsune Divider by @firefly-graphics

The hearth is filled with a crackling fire, it’s soft amber glow filling the space with warmth as you lounge in your favorite pj's, wrapped up in a blanket cocoon. A pint of Ben & Jerry's in your lap and Supernatural playing on the flat-screen. Dean Winchester is truly the best distraction. Currently you're all alone in the house as The Avengers have been called away on a quick mission.

Having recently made your bond official, you decided to stay at Bucky and Steve’s for a while, so you can remain close to your mate. You had some paid time off you needed to use or lose at work anyway and this seemed the most appropriate way to utilize it. 

Your phone goes off, alerting you of an incoming text.

My Alpha 🐺: Hello my sweet little Omega. The mission’s over but it’s gonna be a bit before I get home. I have to go to the infirmary when we land. I got injured protecting a group of children. Just got struck with a stray bullet or two and a cut to the forehead. Nothing too serious that my Super Soldier serum can’t heal quick enough, but it’s protocol to get checked out after any injury in the field. See you soon babygirl. I love you 😘 Me: 😲 Oh my goodness Bucky! You better be okay! Get here as soon as you can so I can see for myself that you are still in one piece! I love you too ❤

This news turns your calm energy to one of anxiety. You begin to seek out items to make yourself a nest. A place you can find comfort and safety as you nervously wait for your Alpha to return home.

With your mating bond being still a little new, he can feel just how out of sorts you are and although he’s trying to send calming vibes down the bond you're still out of sorts. It’s increasing his need to protect you and is starting to put him on edge. He knows he can't get to you until he’s cleared by the doctor. 

Steve hasn’t left his side since they boarded the Quinjet. He didn’t sustain any injuries himself and is perfectly fine to leave. He’s only still here because he wants to make sure his best friend is alright. 

He turns to Steve sitting in the seat next to the exam table he is laying on. “Hey, would you mind heading home ahead of me and making sure my Omega isn't scared and alone while she’s stressed out over me. I can’t stand knowing she’s in that house by herself right now. I'm afraid my instincts will take over and I’ll bite someone's head off the longer I sit here feeling her anxiety through the bond and I can't get to her.”

The blonde agrees of course, wanting to make sure you're okay himself. “Yeah, no problem Buck. I’ll make sure to try and keep her calm as much as I can. You just get checked out and hurry home as soon as you're able to. I’ve got her til then, pal.”

“Thanks Stevie. Now go take care of my girl.”

Upon entering the house, Steve finds you sorting through the blankets in the living room. “Hey there, Doll. Buck sent me to check in on you. Said he could feel your anxiety through the bond. He’ll be here soon. He’s just waiting for the all clear from the Doc once she’s done with anyone with major injuries first.” 

You drop the blanket in your hand and rush to him, wrapping him up in a giant hug, happy to no longer be left alone with your treacherous thoughts. You just need to be held for a moment and he smells like Bucky since somehow his blood is on his undershirt. Seems he had taken off the top half of his uniform at some point. 

The urge to take his blood stained shirt is increasing the longer he holds you. You must have it for your nest. Taking a step back, you thrust your hands underneath the fabric, running them along his abs and up his chest until you can pull it off him. 

Steve stands there motionless, in shock from the unprompted groping you just gave him. He watches as you inhale a big whiff of their mixed scents through your nose, as you clutch the shirt to your chest and face. 

It starts to actually calm you. Which is interesting since you're newly mated and Steve is not your bonded Alpha. Maybe it's because Bucky’s always with Steve and they’ve known each other so long. Maybe it’s because you know what his dick tastes like on your tongue. Or it can be a whole other thing entirely. You’ll have to figure that out another time though, because right now all you care about is trying to stay calm until you lay eyes on your Alpha again.

Yes, Bucky reassured you it’s just surface wounds that’ll easily heal within the day but until you can visually check that he’s okay you're going to continue to feel unsettled. 

A now shirtless Steve, shakes himself out of his stupor and begins to try and relax, releasing calming pheromones into the air. You just want to go back to your nest and continue to perfect it until Bucky is back. So that’s just what you do. “Thanks for coming home to check on me Stevie. It means a lot. Really. I’m gonna head back into the room now though. Holler if you need me for anything.” 

From time to time, Steve ducks his head into the bedroom to check on you. He watches as you fidget with your nest, trying to get it just right. Seeing you like this is doing something to him he can't quite understand. It’s making him feel all warm and content, but also a bit melancholy. 

He’s really struck out in the love department throughout his life. No one seems to just fit for him. He’s very happy that his best friend has found his Omega though. You two really are perfect for each other. Even now, mated to Buck, your scent is still mouthwatering to him. Just your mere presence can soothe his overactive brain. He’s drawn to you like a moth to a flame and even though he’s not quite sure why that is, he truly enjoys the feeling. But that’s a secret he’ll have to keep to himself.

You lose yourself in constructing your nest until you hear voices filter in through the hall, right as Bucky’s thick scent hits you. “Where’s your shirt pal?”

You run out of the room, pausing once you reach the end of the hall and spot Bucky. Taking a visual account that he’s all in one piece. Other than a cut that is already healing on his forehead, he looks disheveled, but perfectly fine. 

“You're okay.” You whisper and run into his arms. Soaking the bond in relief and love. Burying your face in his neck, saturating yourself in his sandalwood and whiskey scent. You pull back to gaze into those soulful baby blues.

“Hi, babygirl.” He kisses your nose.

“Hi, Sarg.” You kiss the cut on his head. “I’m so glad you're back. But you look a complete mess.” He chuckles at you and squeezes your ass that’s cradled in his hands. “That so Omega?” 

You bite your lip and nod your head. “Mmhmm. Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

“As you wish, sweet girl. Night Stevie. Thanks again for checking in on her” You wave goodnight as your Alpha carries you off into the hall.

Steve watches your retreating forms with longing in his eyes and an ache in his chest until you're out of his sight. 

Someday I’ll have that. 

Bucky carries you through his room to the en suite, noticing the nest you made on his bed along the way and smiling to himself.

He places you on the counter as he reaches in and starts to warm up the shower.

You take your time undressing him and kissing every bump, bruise and healing laceration. “Keep that up Omega and we won't even make it into the shower. Now lift your arms up so I can help you out of these clothes.” 

You raise your arms and he steals a kiss after he removes your shirt. Tracing his fingers down your torso til he reaches your hips and taps them to let you know to lift them so he can remove your bottoms. He leaves a trail of kisses up your calves and thighs as he makes his way back up. With one more tortuous kiss he lifts you up and carries you into the large walk in shower, now filled with steam and sets you down underneath the waterfall spray.

You reach over and grab the shampoo off the built-in shelf on the wall. “You’re too tall for me to reach you all the way up there so I’m gonna need you to either bend down or kneel so I can get my hands on that scalp of yours.” 

He kneels before you.

With your breasts level with his face, he can't help but sneak a little kiss to your sternum as he wraps his arms around your hips. As you begin to massage and lather up his scalp, you feel the tension leave his body. The content purrs emanating from his chest send vibrations through your lower abdomen. You continue on this way for a few more minutes until it’s time for him to rinse. “Up and at em Alpha. Time to get all these suds out so I can clean the rest of you.”

With a dazed and tranquil look in his eyes, he pulls himself back up. Keeping eye contact with you until he tilts his head back and let’s the water wash away the white lather. As he’s rinsing his hair, you prep the loofah with his favorite soap. Once his head has returned to the upright position you begin to cleanse your Alpha.

You run the loofah along his strong torso and shoulders. Down his large biceps and forearms. Over his thick thighs and defined legs. Purposely ignoring the hardening length rising from his patch of curls. 

Kneeling before him you look up into the handsome face of your Alpha. “Turn around for me please, so I can continue on.” He gives you a little mischievous smirk and takes his time turning towards the wall, giving you his back side. 

You start at the bottom and make your way to the top. Soaping up his calves and the back of his thighs. Skimming over his taut buttocks. Taking your time to worship his strong back and lay kisses across his shoulder blades and scars before you lather them up. You slide the loofah down his arms, pulling yourself closer until your chest rests against his back.

You bring the suds to the rigid thickness standing proud between his legs. Taking your time to cover every inch and making sure you don't miss a single spot. 

You drop the loofah, to aide him in rinsing off his body. Your tiny hands wander over every dip and valley of skin you can reach until you wrap them around his girth and begin to stroke his length. He can't help but moan out at the feeling of you taking such good care of him.

He places his hands against the wall to maintain his balance as he gives in to the pleasure you're giving him.

You deepen the pressure but keep up the languid speed as you feel your Alpha’s breath begin to quicken, groaning out. “Fuck baby that feels so good.”

“Good. You deserve it Alpha. You’re a good man who does amazing things and will put his life on the line for others. Making you feel good is the least I can do.” You lay a kiss between his shoulder blades and increase your speed. 

His breath hitches in his throat and he lets out a deep growl, shaking your chest with its powerful tremor. Before you can even comprehend what is happening your back hits the shower wall and in one solid thrust, Bucky is deep inside you. 

You scream out from the stretch and utter uncontrolled ferality your Alpha just showed. 

“You wanna make me feel good Omega?” 

“Always.”

“Well nothing feels better than your tight little cunt wrapped around my cock as it takes a pounding.” 

Your eyes roll into the back of your head at his dirty words and deep strokes. 

“You have no idea how desperately I want to bury my knot in you right now, Omega." He skims his lips across the sensitive flesh of your exposed throat. "Unfortunately the shower is not the greatest place to be stuck together. What I can and will do though, is fuck you so deep and hard you cant help but turn into an incoherent mess.” 

All you can do is whimper, wrap your arms around his chest and hold on to his shoulders. 

You Alpha is nothing if not a man of his word. He starts fucking you so deep your seeing stars. Pulling orgasm after orgasm out of you, over and over again. You’ve lost track of how many times you’ve fallen over the edge. You have no idea how he’s lasted so long. Damn super serum.  

He couldn't be happier with himself, seeing that cock drunk look in your hooded eyes.

“Look at you, Omega. All pliant and fuzzy headed. Hind-brain taking over. Too bad were not in your nest, otherwise I would for sure be stuffing you full of my knot and fucking a baby into you.” His hips begin to speed up. “Fuck just thinking about you all round with my child growing inside you is making me wanna pop my knot right now and get a head start on our family. Would you like that, my sweet little Omega? Want your Alpha to breed you and keep you full until there’s no way you aren't pregnant with my child.” 

“F-f-fuck please Alpha. Please. Fill me up.” You mumble and slur out as your walls begin to clamp down on him as you reach the precipice of another climax.

“Fuck. You really do want that don't ya, Omega? Your little pussy is squeezing me so tight. Trying to milk me for everything I got.” His rhythm starts to falter. “That’s it baby. Fuck . Need you to come for me one more time and I'll fill you up. You can do it. Come on pretty girl. Come for me Omega. Come. Now.” 

That command was all it took for you to shatter and explode in tidal wave of pleasure. Taking Bucky along the ride with you. If it weren’t for your Alpha pinning your thighs to the wall and your arms wrapped around his shoulders, you surely would have collapsed to the floor. All you can do is cry out as he pulls back at the very last second and pops his knot against the outside of your entrance.

Your greedy pussy milks what length remains inside you for every last drop. Draining him dry as he bites down on your neck, reclaiming his mark into your supple flesh. Chest heaving up and down from the sure willpower it is taking him to not bury his knot deep inside you and making sure not a drop of his seed is wasted.

You take a moment to collect yourselves as the warm water continues to cascade down your skin. You’re placed back on your feet with a gentle kiss and satisfied purr. “Looks like we're both dirty again. You wash my back and I’ll wash yours. Deal?”

You lightly nod your head and laugh at your Alpha’s antics. “Deal. But no funny business. It’s been a long day and I just want to get clean, crawl into my nest and fall asleep wrapped up in your arms.”

“That I can do Omega.” He begins to clean you up as you do the same for him. Trading sweet kisses along the way. Once you’re both fresh and clean, you turn off the shower, dry off quickly and head off to bed.

It’s time for some skin to skin snuggles, just how you like them. No blanket could ever be as warm as your Alpha’s chest.

You’re starting to drift off when you feel Bucky move his arm as if he’s grabbing something. "Omega. What's Stevie’s shirt doing in here?"

You freeze for a moment before burying your head in his chest and rambling. “It smells like you even though it's mixed with his scent because your blood is on it and I don’t know why but I just had to have it in here. It just felt right, okay.”

He runs his flesh hand lightly up and down your back feeling you begin to slightly panic. “Omega, it's okay. I do have a question for you though.”

You swallow. “Yes, Alpha.”

He kisses the top of your head, sending reassurance through the bond. “Please answer me honestly if you can. I'm truly just curious. I know we're mated now, but has Steve’s scent changed for you since I placed my mark on this pretty little neck?”

You shift nervously. “Umm. No it hasn't. Every other Alpha’s has, but not his.”

He continues to rub your back. “Do you like the way he smells?”

You take a deep breath and answer honestly. No sense in lying to your Alpha. “Yes. I do. Even more so when it's mixed with yours. I can't explain why either. I'm so sorry Bucky. How can I be bonded to you and his scent still smells so good to me. I’m the worst Omega.” You can feel a panic attack coming on. 

He pulls you in closer to his chest, lifts your chin with his metal finger and makes you look him in the eye. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, babygirl. You are not the worst Omega. And quite frankly, I’m not even upset. Rather intrigued, actually. If you're up for it, I wanna test something out.”

You shakily nod your head. “O-okay. What do you have in mind?”

“I’m going to ask Steve to come in here. I’d like to have him join us in the nest, if you're okay with that of course, and see if he’ll sleep here tonight. I know he’s a bit shaken by today’s events too. Is that ok with you Omega?”

Your brows begin to furrow as you think of him sleeping all alone after such an exhausting and your sure, emotional day. “Oh poor Stevie. I don't want him to sleep alone. Of course he can come in here. Technically his scent is already in the nest. Do I need to get fully dressed though? Our skin to skin contact is kind of important to me right now.”

He can’t help but smile at how adorable you are. “That’s all up to you babygirl. I mean the man’s dick has been in your mouth and he’s watched me fuck you more than once. I’m not going through the effort of getting dressed for the little jerk. If he’s uncomfortable he can figure it out.”

You shake your head and laugh at his antics. “You really can be an asshole sometimes. I’ll keep being naked then and just stay under the blanket cuddled up against you for now.” You kiss his chest. “You can go ahead and call him in.”

Bucky calls out and Steve peeks his head through the door. He's a bit taken aback by the feeling of happiness, lust and underlying longing he has as he gazes upon you two cuddled up in your nest. 

“You rang?” He hits you with that mischievous little smile of his.

“I found where your shirt went punk. It’s right under her pillow. Apparently our scents combined does something to her. Go figure. Anyway, I know you’re probably feeling out of sorts after today's mission and we don't feel like you should be sleeping alone. Wanna hop on in the nest and help me keep this little one warm and cozy?”

His eyes widened and his brows scrunch up. “What!? You just recently mated and you want me in your nest? Shouldn't my scent bother you now?”

You start to fidget in Bucky’s arms and look at the blonde. “I can't explain it but it's never changed for me when it comes to you. And he wasn't lying. Your scents mixed together makes me feel calm and safe. I’d really like it if you slept here tonight Stevie. No pressure though if it’s too weird for you.”

He scoffs. “Weird for me. My dick has been lodged in your throat. This is pretty tame.” 

“See told ya” Bucky laughs out as you smack him along his ribs. 

Shaking his head at his best friend he responds to you. “I’m more than happy to join you. There’s only one problem. I sleep in the nude and I’m sure you won't appreciate that.”

A coy little smile lights up your face. “I prefer skin to skin. Your level of comfort is up to you.”

He turns to your mate. “You sure about this Buck?”

Rolling his eyes at his best friend he replies. “Stop being a scaredy cat and just get in already Stevie. You can be awkward about it in the morning, alright pal.”

Not wanting to risk Bucky's temper, he undresses and climbs in behind you as you curl up tighter against your Alpha's chest. He keeps his distance though, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling.

Bucky can feel your distress thinking you’ve freaked Steve out. “You got something against cuddling up against my girl with me?”

“Huh?”

“You got in the nest, but are way the fuck over there. I’m not gonna bite your hand off.”

“Buck...”

“Fuck this.” He leans over you, grabs Steve’s hand and places it on your bare hip. 

You stiffen at the touch, until Steve scoots closer, his chest flush against your back, wrapping his arm around your waist.

“There. All better now. Get some sleep babygirl.” Bucky lets out a low purr along with Steve that begins to lull you right to sleep.

The next morning…

Bucky rouses first, as the sunlight reaches his eyes and sneaks out of bed to start some coffee. When he returns to the nest he finds you cuddled up against Steve with your head on his chest, a serene look across your face. He watches as Steve cracks his eyes open and just stares in awe at the sight of you curled up against him.

“You could wake up to that view more often ya know?”

Surprised by his words, Steve looks at his best friend. “What on earth are you talking about Buck? She’s yours. It’s your bite mark on her neck, not mine. This is the only time I’ll ever have this view. I’m just trying to savor it and imprint it in my brain, so I can revisit it when I’m all alone again.”

He softly strokes your cheek and hair.

Bucky can’t stand this pity party any longer. “You’re an idiot ya know that? She clearly has two mating glands and apparently two True Mates. How else would her scent not have changed for you when we mated like it did all the other Alpha’s on the team. And your scent hasn't changed for her either. She told us that just last night.”

Steve can feel himself starting to get agitated. “That’s ridiculous Buck. An omega with two Alpha’s is extremely rare. Don’t patronize me thinking I have a chance here. She’s yours, okay. I get that.”

“And I’m telling you that she might be yours too. What’s so wrong with that?” He inquires. 

“Yes please do tell me what is wrong with that, if that's the case?” You speak up.

Neither of them had noticed that you had awoken.

Steve looks down at you lying on his chest. “There’s nothing wrong with that IF that's the case. I just don't believe it is. I think my best friend and his omega are just feeling guilty that I’m all alone and keep catching them in the various stages of love. It’s ok guys. Really.”

You abruptly sit up.

“You think I pity you? That I'm just humoring you by letting you get close to me when I'm feeling vulnerable. That your scent doesn't provide me a sense of calm and safety just as much as my Alpha’s does. That I haven't been confused and trying to figure out why the fuck you still smell so damn good when I’m now mated to Bucky.” 

Your eyes begin to water. “You think I chose to have somehow fallen for my Alpha’s best friend too.” You slap your hands to your mouth with your outburst and turn to Bucky. 

“I’m sorry. This is just all too much. Excuse me.” You scramble out of the twisted bed sheets, running straight into the bathroom and locking the door, uncaring of your current state of nudity. 

Steve stares after you, mouth agape, as he processes your confession. Bucky just pinches the bridge of his nose. “Way to go, Stevie.”

The taunt shakes him out of his stupor. “How are you so calm right now? Your Omega just basically said she’s also in love with your Alpha best friend.”

Bucky just looks at him with a deadpan expression. “Keyword there pal…ALSO. She isn't any less mine or in love with me because her biology gifted her with two mates instead of one. We’re not typical Alpha’s, so it’s not that much of a stretch to think we wouldn't attract a typical Omega. Unless you're telling me you aren't drawn to her and want to be with her just as badly as I do.” He glares at him. “Now that would most certainly raise my temper.”

Steve lets out a huff. “So you’re telling me, that if I admit to you that I’m drawn to her. That her scent literally calls to me. That I’ve replayed that night we all hooked up together over and over and wish I had gotten a chance to at least have kissed her. That I live for the moments when it’s just the three of us here in the house, locked in our own little bubble, and I hate that I have to go to bed alone while she’s wrapped up in your arms. You're telling me, that saying all of that, doesn't make you want to punch me in the face?”

Steel Gray eyes meet the Cerulean ones of his best friend. Making sure that he focuses on what he is about to say. 

“If I hadn't seen first hand how she reacts to you and cares for you, yeah, you admitting all that shit would make me crazy. But I know my Omega. I see the sadness in her eyes that she tries to hide from me when you go off to bed alone when she’s here. Or the pure joy in them when you compliment her cooking after we’ve shared a meal. Hell she takes care of you as much as she does me. I’ve never seen her do that with Sam. Not that the asshole deserves it any way. He openly flirts with her just to piss me off.”

He stops himself before he gets too far off track. “I’m not going to tell you what to do here Stevie. Especially not with her most likely crying in the bathroom right now. What I will tell you though, is that I’m not willing to let her go even if she does have two True Mates and the other happens to be my best friend. I love her. She’s worth it.”

You’ve heard their entire exchange so far through the door you're resting against. Your tears have dried up and breath returning to normal. A warmth has spread through your chest at Bucky’s declaration. Even though you want to stay in here and protect yourself from further rejection you need to let your Alpha know how much you love and appreciate him. 

You stand up and grab one of his shirts from the hamper and throw it on. You’re feeling exposed enough and need a barrier to further protect yourself. You open the door and catch his gaze as he turns to you. Without sparing a glance to Steve you walk up to him and wrap your arms around his neck.

“God, I love you.” You pull his mouth to yours and lay a soul-deep kiss on him. Resting your forehead against his as you pull apart. “You’re worth it too, ya know. And I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me Alpha. Whether or not that includes some excess baggage. I’ll have to get back to you on that front though.” You place a soft kiss to his chin and turn around in his arms, you need his strength at your back for the next part. 

You take a deep calming breath and stare into the ocean eyes of the golden Adonis sitting on the bed before you. “I’m sorry for my emotional outburst, Steven. It wasn't fair of me to do that. Your feelings and desires are your own and I respect them. No matter how much those words stung I shouldn’t have reacted that way. Again, I’m sorry.” You turn back around and look up at Bucky. “Smells like the coffee’s ready. I’m gonna go get a cup and start breakfast. Eggs and bacon okay or do you boys need something more after the day you had yesterday.”

He knows what you’re doing. Trying to take care of him and take your mind off of the rejection you feel without distressing either of them about it. Damn sweet little omega. Even when she’s clearly hurting inside because of him she’s still taking care of both of us.

“Eggs and bacon sounds great babygirl. Anything else you feel inclined to make is a bonus.” He kisses your forehead and you shuffle out of the room. Leaving the awkward situation before Steve can even really respond to your apology.

“She could barely look at me other than when she said she was sorry. Which was unnecessary to begin with.” Steve barely manages to get the words past his lips. 

“Yeah, well. She’s trying to protect herself from feeling rejected further. I can bet she doesn't want you to feel obligated to try and make this work because she was upset. She would never want that.” Bucky clarifies.

This shocks him. “What? Rejected? I didn't reject her. I would never reject her.”

As coff escapes the brunettes lips. “Stevie. You told us that you think we're just feeling guilty and sorry for you instead of the possibility that she has two mates. Sounds like a rejection to me, pal.”

“No, no, no. That’s not…I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that I wasn't lucky enough to have something like that be true. Of course I want her as mine. I’d be a fool not to.” He can feel himself start to panic. 

“Well you're a fool who put his foot in his mouth and made her upset. Figure out what it is you want before digging your hole deeper. I’m going to ask you point blank and I want an honest answer. Do you want to be with her?”

Without hesitation he responds. “Yes.”

“Do you think she could be your true mate?”

“Yes”

“Does the thought of her being mine first bother you?”

“Surprisingly, no. You deserve someone like her Buck. She really is perfect for you. I would never want to mess that up. That’s the main reason why I hid my feelings.”

“Okay. Would you want to make us a bonded pack instead of just a bonded pair?”

“Yes. I would. I’d feel honored to be in a pack with you. It feels right.”

“Alright. Then you need to tell her that. I’m not the one who needs reassurance. Make it right with her and we’ll go from there.” He turns and heads out of the room. 

Steve quickly grabs his boxers from the floor, slips them on and follows Bucky out to the kitchen where they find you cooking, hips swaying as you sing along to Amy Whinehouse playing from the Bluetooth speaker on the island. Cant beat cooking and good music to brighten your mood up.

“Even if I stopped wanting you A perspective pushes through I'll be some next man's other woman soon I cannot play myself again I should just be my own best friend Not fuck myself in the head with stupid men He walks away The sun goes down He takes the day, but I'm grown And in your way In this blue shade My tears dry on their own”

You can feel their eyes on you as you finish cutting up the fruit and placing it in a bowl. You spin around to check on the bacon cooking on the stove. “You gonna stand there all morning gawking at me or are ya gonna help out?” 

They scramble to get into the kitchen. Steve beating Bucky just barely. “What can we do?”

You’re still having a hard time looking at him right now but you can get through this. “Um. Why don’t you grab me the eggs from the fridge Steven so we can get them cooked up and Sarg you can set the table while I finish up the bacon. Good?”

Bucky saddles up behind you, wrapping his thick arms around your waist and pulling you close. He runs his nose up your neck and whispers in your ear. “I know you're feeling some type of way right now babygirl, but please just try and let him remove his head from his ass. He’s just scared. I have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you hear him out. Plus I’ll be right over there if you need me.” He kisses your temple and heads off to set the table, swatting your ass on the way for good measure. Cheeky Alpha.

As you're flipping the strips in the skillet, Steve hesitantly moves up next to you, an egg carton clutched to his bare chest. “Need a hand with cooking the eggs so you can focus on the bacon?” he tentatively asks. 

You turn to look at America’s Golden Boy and find an awkward and somehow withdrawn man standing next to you. Is this my doing? He looks so sad. Oh Stevie.

You give him a small smile. “Sure. I’d love the help. Hey Sarg, how do you want your eggs?”

“Are we having toast?” He queries.

“Only if you're making it.” You quip back.

“Then I’ll take ‘em sunny side up, extra runny please. Steve can manage not to screw that up.”

“Ha ha. Very funny Buck. What about you, Doll? Any particular way you’d like yours cooked?” He’s got all of his focus on you as he patiently waits for your answer.

“Scrambled will be just fine for me, Steve. Thank you.” You can feel that warmth starting to spread through your chest again the longer he stands beside you, bathing you in his citrus and cedar scent. 

“You got it, Doll.” He gives you that devastating smile of his and you can feel the threads hanging on to your bruised ego starting to fray. Stupid handsome Alpha messing with my hormones.

You continue to cook in silence. The only sound coming from the speaker on the island. You exchange small subtle touches as you pass over one another for this or that as you finish making breakfast and place it on the table. The tension has slowly built and you have no idea when or if it will break. 

Bucky sits at the head of the table with you to his right.

Surprisingly, Steve chooses to take the seat next to you instead of across the table. After a couple of awkward silent bites Bucky pipes up. “This is perfect, Omega. You're always taking such good care of us.” 

You feel heat rise to your cheeks at his praise. “I can’t take all the credit this morning. Steve helped out.” 

“Well it wouldn't have felt right if you did it all yourself. I’ll always help you out whenever I can, Doll.” He’s gazing at you with such an earnest look in his eyes. 

He reaches for your hand. “Doll, there’s something I need to say before I lose my nerve.”

He has all your attention now. “Go ahead. I’m listening.” You give his hand a little squeeze just as Bucky slides his hand onto your thigh and gives a squeeze as well. Just letting you know he’s right here with you if anything goes wrong. 

“I need you to know that I wasn’t rejecting you. I was feeling sorry for myself and on the defensive. I spoke out of fear and you got hurt because of it. It’s killing me inside that you could believe, even for a moment, that I wouldn't want you.” 

He intertwines his fingers with yours. 

“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in an Omega and it just so happens that my best friend got to you first. I’ve been harboring feelings for you for a long time now and had just come to terms with the fact that I would most likely end up a lone Alpha forever when your scent didn't change after Buck claimed you. That night we all hooked up was the closest I thought I would ever get to having you. And I didn't even get to kiss you.” 

You cock your head to the side. “You wanted to kiss me that night?”

“Oh little omega, I always want to kiss you.” There’s that confidence you love so much rising back to the surface.

“I just wasn't allowed to. I knew my place and I would never do that to Buck. You're made for each other. So when he suggested that the one thing I crave for, could very much be a real possibility, I felt like a joke was being played on me. How could I be so lucky to not only have found a true mate but share her with my best friend. An omega with two mates was rare even in our day. I didn't want to get my hopes up for it to all come crashing down and I lose not only you but my best friend in the process.”

You push back a blonde lock that had fallen into his eyes back into place. “I get it. I do. That’s why I apologized for my outburst.”

He squeezes your hand in his and places the other against your cheek. “No, no, no. You didn't need to apologize. You had every right to feel that way. I’m just an idiot who was lost not only in his head but in the past as well. I might be this big strong Alpha now, but some of those old insecurities of the smaller me make an appearance from time to time. That was one of those times.”

He runs his thumb along the apple of your cheek. “What I’m trying to say, is that I’ve fallen for you too. It’s more than just being drawn to your scent. No matter how mouthwatering it is. You're sweet and caring. You never exclude me when you’re around and you treat me like a real person not some Superhero to be adored. You keep me grounded and I have never seen Bucky more like himself than when he started seeing you. If you're willing to try and Buck is truly okay with it, I would like to see where this goes. Ultimately I would like us to become a pack. I would want you to be mine as much as you are his. What do you say, Doll?”

You stare into those deep pools of cerulean, full of nothing but adoration and a hint of fear. Placing your hand against the nape of his neck, you pull him forward into a kiss. It starts off slow and sweet, quickly morphing into an inferno of need and passion. You pour everything into this kiss, uncaring that your Alpha is watching, until you pull apart, desperately in need of air. 

His eyes are lust blown and he’s sporting a dopey lovesick grin. “I take it, that’s a yes then.”

Bucky busts out laughing. He can’t help himself. “Oh, man. You really are still that skinny little awkward punk. All dopey eyed after one kiss from a Dame ya like.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Oh shove it, asshole. I remember you wandering around the house all love drunk when she kissed you the first time. You have no room to talk.” 

You turn to Buck with a slackened jaw. “You got all twitterpated after I finally let you kiss me goodnight? Awww, Alpha.”

Not embarrassed by it in the slightest he leans in towards you. “Damn right I did. That kiss was fucking magical. I’d never felt anything like it before.”

You place a sweet kiss on his lips and then turn to Steve and do the same. “I’m sure this back and forth ribbing between the two of you will never truly die down. So who’s up for movies and snuggles? I might even be willing to be talked into a little heavy petting.” 

You get up from the table, starting to clear the dishes, when Bucky stops you. “Omega let us do that. You are to relax the rest of the day.”

You place the plates back on the table. “Does that mean my movie marathon is a go?”

Steve wraps his arms around your hips and pulls you close, laying his head on your stomach as he gazes up at you. “Yes, little omega. We can have a lazy day full of movies, snuggles and most certainly some heavy petting. Buck and I just have to check in for a quick debrief with Tony, but we can do that over video in my office after we clean up breakfast. Why don't you go make the living room all cozy for the three of us and pick out the movies you want to watch and as soon as we’re done with business we’ll be all yours.”

You’re smiling from ear to ear, thankful this morning has turned around and excited to explore this new dynamic together. Who would have thought you’d have not one, but two True Mates. Best friends at that. You’re sure this ride is gonna be full of twists and turns but you can't wait to get started. 

“Just don’t keep me waiting too long.” You kiss his forehead as he releases you and then place one on Bucky’s cheek as he passes by, taking the dishes to the sink. 

You begin to walk into the living room, grabbing the hem of Bucky’s shirt you're still wearing. “Oh and boys. Clothing is optional.” 

You pull the shirt over your head and continue on your way, sauntering over to the couch, two sets of blue eyes locked on your bare bottom. You hear them both mutter simultaneously “Fuck” before a flurry of movement is heard. 

Knotheads.

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

I’ve been on a bit of a walking dead kick recently and fell in love with your writing. I was wondering if you would do a fluffy Daryl x reader. Where reader has been part of the group from the start and is super outgoing but is almost always with Daryl. They do everything together and he’s trying to work up the nerve to confess (maybe around Alexandria). Then one day she goes “how come you never kiss me?” And he’s so confused and she’s all like I mean we’re dating aren’t we? Could be a cute idea?

A Long Time Coming

Daryl Dixon x plus size reader

Daryl has loved you since the beginning; with all your softness and beauty, you always felt unobtainable to the hunter but as it turns out, he had nothing to worry about, because you were already his all along

Warnings: A big old load of fluff, Daryl’s usual angst and he’s a little dumb (is that news to anyone), implied smut

WC: 1.3k

Minors DNI

Spring hit Alexandria hard. Flowers popped up everywhere and it seemed that the forest around the township was coming back to life. But for Daryl, that meant he had to get back to work.

The sun was just barely over the horizon as the hunter quietly slipped from his home, crossbow slung over his shoulder. By his count, the scant deer population should be returning to Virginia about now and their meat stores have run dangerously low by the winter months.

He did like the silence of the early morning though. Everything was still and if Daryl closed his eyes and concentrated hard enough, he could pretend that the world was back to normal and he had just woken up from a fucked up nightmare. 

The houses around him were still dark as he walked the main road towards the gate. Well, all except one. He knew that he shouldn’t bother you, you were probably asleep on your couch again. But he really just wanted to walk in and take you into his arms and fall back to sleep with you.

It was a habit he had developed long before they found safety behind Alexandria’s walls. He was the natural protector of the group even if it was a reluctant roll at first, but he had always had this urge to constantly make sure that you were safe. If he couldn’t see you, his stomach would drop and his veins fill with dread as he imagined the terrible things that might have happened to you. Yet as soon as you would trot back into his line of sight, all of that fear was washed away in an instant. 

Daryl knew what he felt was love during one night at the prison. He had been on night watch in one of the guard towers when you sleepily stumbled into the room, blanket wrapped around your shoulders, a pillow tucked under your arm and only one of your feet had a sock on it. Without any words, you plopped down next to him and cuddled into his broad shoulder before falling asleep.

You were his sunshine and he would do everything in his power to keep it that way, even if that meant hiding his feelings for you. In Daryl’s mind, there was absolutely no way that you would want him, he was far too broken, far too old. But still he yearned.

With dragging feet, he continued to walk past your home. He kept his head down, his greasy hair which was long overdue for a haircut falling over his eyes as if the dark strands could shield him from the ache in his chest that he always seemed to get when he thought of you. 

Abraham opened the gate for him without a word and Daryl slipped quietly into the wilderness, determined to run from his feelings, at least for a while.

——————

“Daryl Dixon you are a god!” Your squeal broke said man from his daze. The cigarette he had been smoking was now mostly ash and hung precariously between his thick fingers. You stood below him on the street, looking up at him as he sat on his porch.

“What’d I do now?” He answered sharply, eyes darting away from you since you had decided that today was the day you would wear the most distracting outfit in the world (one of his flannels and tight jeans). 

Your smile somehow got even brighter and you took that as your cue to skip your way up the steps to his home and plop down beside him on the small bench. Heat exploded all over Daryl’s body as your thick thigh pressed against the side of his leg. Your arms wound around his bicep so you could prop your chin up on the hard muscle. 

“You brought home the biggest buck I’ve ever seen! And now we all get to be well fed for a good while. You’re my hero.” You cooed. Daryl felt his brain short-circuit and, he hated to admit it, his pants tighten at the sight of your gorgeous eyes fixated on his face as you called him your hero.

Clearing his throat, he spoke with a slightly shaken voice. “It was nothin. Jus doin ma job.” You tutted and gave him a stern look while squeezing his upper arm.

“Stop it. You did good today, just like everyday. You deserve some celebration for all the amazing things you do for us, for me.” And his heart stopped. The way you held onto him, the way you looked at him, the way you spoke to him, it was all too much. The urge to confess to you how he truly felt was becoming an overwhelming need. It grew like a wave, slowly getting larger and larger until it was like a tsunami.

Your gaze softened as you looked up at the hunter. The wave was beginning to crest. A hand unwrapped itself from his bicep and was placed firmly on his chest, right above his heart. “Daryl?”

His words were caught in his throat, he couldn’t answer you so he nodded instead. You took a deep breath before speaking again. “Why don’t you ever kiss me?”

The wave broke, shattering against the shoreline of his heart. “What?” It came out as more of an exhale than words but obviously you understood him because your fingers curled into his shirt and you looked away as if ashamed.

“Well, we’ve been together for such a long time and you’ve never even tried to kiss me or initiate physical contact. And I know you don’t really like touching people but you always let me hug you and hold your hand. So I was wondering why you have never kissed me.” You spoke quickly in an almost panicked manner, the words falling from your lips in a torrent.

Daryl was frozen. “We-we’re together?” Your head tilted cutely as you regarded him.

“Yes? Daryl, we’ve been together since the farm. Remember, I told you that I loved you after you got shot and then I held you all night.” The memory slapped him in the face. You were right, that did happen but evidently, he forgot because of the copious amount of pain medication he had been on at the time.

“Fuck.” He growled. There was only a moment of hesitation as the air between you went still. His eyes dropped to your lips, then traveled back up to meet your gaze and then he kissed you. 

Your lips were softer than he had ever imagined. They tasted faintly of your homegrown tea and honey you farmed yourself. With his free hand, he cupped your soft jaw, his thumb brushing against your full cheek. His body was alight with electricity and a little bit of self-deprecation. How could he have forgotten you proclaiming your love for him?

He could kiss you forever but soon enough, you pulled back slightly so you could catch your breath. But Daryl needed to keep touching you. His own lips travelled down the length of your throat to the base of your neck. “D-Daryl.” You clutched at him.

He didn’t stop, he couldn’t stop, not now, not when he finally has you in his arms. 

“Jesus! Get a room!” You shot apart, startled by the sudden voice. Carl had his arms crossed as he glared at you both, a stern look on his face. “Nobody wants to see that.” He spat.

You rolled your eyes while you stood, pulling Daryl to his feet beside you. “Maybe we will.” You stuck your tongue out at the teen and he responded likewise as you walked away and into Daryl’s home. 

“We will?” The hunter asked quietly. You looked back at him from over your shoulder with a smoldering look.

“It’s been a long time coming, Dixon.” Daryl tripped over his own feet as you led him back to his room.

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[theveryfires]

10 things i hate about you | eddie munson x reader

an: hi there lovelies! Apologies that i have taken such a long break from writing. I have recently finished university and with my dissertation and essays i ended up having no time to actually write anything worth while! for those that have stuck around, thank you for your patience and for those that are new, hi! This is essentially the full version of my earlier piece titles 'crush' that i posted months ago! i hope you enjoy and as always if there is anything i can do better please dont be shy to let me know!

“What’s got you all riled up this time, Munson?”

Gareth’s voice felt distant, drowned out by the sound that had been distracting Eddie since he stepped foot into the cafeteria. His eyes were fixed on the table a few feet away from his own domain. Populated by the slightly more socially acceptable nerds, they would probably be cool in college. All dressed in the same thick knit jumpers, deep blue denim flares, wild hair. He squinted, almost wincing as the sound seemed to grow to a crescendo. There you were, one hand clutching your stomach, close to tumbling out of your chair, the other hand covering your mouth and completely useless at muffling your laughter. it almost bubbled, tinkling and pouring, coating the rest of the usual lunchtime white noise in a thick syrup like blanket. The air had almost turned to honey, and nobody else seemed to notice. Tears were sliding down your face, glasses seconds away from falling off your nose. Eddie’s chest felt cramped, his face growing hotter when your eyes met his for a brief second.

“Not what, dear Gareth. But who.”

Eddie’s rivalry with you was well known throughout the Hellfire club. Although his reasonings were not as widely known, not even to Eddie. There was no definitive motive, no moment in time that started all this distaste. He simply didn’t like you. You had been aware of one another throughout your time at Hawkins middle and high school. Something about you had always given him a headache, made his palms itch, his overall being sweaty. All of this coming to a head when you accidentally walked in on a extremely important Hellfire meeting. You had cut your hair, it was shorter and your glasses had glowed in the low candlelight. He remembered distinctly the way you tripped over your words as you apologised, the glimmer in your eyes as you mentioned something about fire regulations. Your voice was teasing, pulling him out of his seat when he abruptly stood up. It had kept him awake at night, plaguing his dreams for weeks on end. Of course you occasionally caught his deathly glare, but it always softened slightly. The usual cold brown some how warming. You had just figured he was glaring at the jocks that sat a two table’s over. Of course you were unaware of your rivalry with the infamous dungeon master. Totally clueless.

“Is this about Temple of Doom again man? I don’t get why you don’t just bring it up with Keith.”

Eddie couldn’t quite believe that you worked at Family Video. For so long it had been a place of safety and comfort, until he had walked in to find you sorting through the horror section and chatting away to Robin. You were chewing on gum, from the looks of the lurid pink it was watermelon flavour, his favourite. He had never seen you with your hair tied back, little strands falling about your face and practically begging to be pushed back behind your ears. Robin and Steve had actually got a bit worried when they didn’t see him every afternoon like usual, quickly picking up on the fact he only came in when you weren’t working. Eddie had been going in virtually everyday asking after the new Indiana Jones movie. He was convinced you had somehow figured out he wanted it, and cooked up some plan to keep it from him. But Steve told him the actual truth, that you had booked it for three weeks specially for Dustin’s birthday. “Personally i couldnt watch a film that many times but…well you know Henderson.” Eddie had nodded absentmindedly, his eyes glazed over with a strange look. “How does she know Dustin?” His voice had sounded strained, piquing Steve’s interest as he raised an eyebrow. “She’s his babysitter, his actual official babysitter. Has been since I’ve known the kid.” Eddie had only known Dustin a month or so at that point, but it did something to his chest knowing that you cared that much. He continued to complain to Gareth about you, of course…to keep up appearances. But something was different.

“What? Oh no that…thats sorted now.”

That was another thing that he hated, you were always doing stupidly kind things for people for no apparent reason. A week or so after mentioning the whole Temple of Doom saga to Harrington, Eddie had been, as he described it, accosted in the student carpark. He had just pulled up, giving himself five minutes before dragging himself to English where you would surely be already waiting. On top of everything you shared quite a few classes with Eddie, meaning he didn’t really ever get a chance of not being around you. He always knew when you were coming, the telltale smell of coffee that had too much cinnamon and not enough sugar intermingling with your vanilla perfume seemed to surround you. Drifting down the halls, clinging to your locker, english books, pens. He knew this because you often let him borrow a pen and a spare book when he forgot them. But that morning he was surrounded before he had chance to prepare himself. A blush had attacked his face, tinging his ears that luckily were hidden under his mop of curls when you appeared suddenly in front of him. Eddie had watched you eye the cigarette in his hand, caught in the way you inhaled a little deeper, breathed out a little slower. He was left illiterate, only managing to just keep his cool whilst he raised a ever bored eyebrow in your general direction. He had smirked when you sighed, rolling your eyes and shoving the box towards him. “Steve mentioned you were ‘hankering’ for this. Technically i still have it for another four days but…i think if Dusty watches it one more time the tape will break. It’s all yours.” You hadn’t even waited for a thank you, already turning on your heel and walking away. Leaving Eddie with his mouth open, cig caught on his lip and smoke tumbling out of his mouth. He hated the way you left him feeling, all red in the face, heart racing, like an idiot.

“So, what’s the problem?”

Eddie was certain he hated you, was completely convinced of the fact that there was a high chance of you hating him too. But after the past few months, after being forced to actually spend more than the usual minimal amount of time with you, hate didn’t feel like the right word. You treated Dustin like a little brother, actually all the kids clearly looked up to you. You were always on time for picking him up, but never complained about staying a little later. Eddie found himself loving those sessions more than anything, sneaking glances at you as you watched wide eyed at the world of Hellfire. But he had hated you, all through school he had found every inch of you irritating. From the little crop tops you wore in summer to the grandpa jumpers that appeared in the winter. He had hated you for the way you made him feel. Setting him alight every time you were near, making his stomach twist and churn when you caught his eye, god help him if you ever spoke to him properly. And yet…and yet all that was changing. He hadn’t even realised it until Erica had made a pointed comment after catching Eddie drooling over you during one of the later Hellfire meetings. “Are you just gonna sit there all goo-goo eyed over Dustin’s babysitter or are we actually gonna play, I’m missing a key episode of MLP for this yknow?”

“It’s…complicated.”

A few days prior, Eddie had passed you on your walk home from work. He had been driving back from a gig at the hideout, his headlights illuminating the downpour as he slowly made his way back through Hawkins when he spotted you. You were drenched, hair sticking to you face, clothes practically moulded to your body, shoes sodden and squelching on the pavement. At first he had just drove past, only making it a few feet up the street before he reversed back down the road. Robin and Steve had taken the afternoon off to take Dustin to some science fair with Mike and Lucas. Leaving just you and Keith to lock up. Usually you were fine with that, but it left you with no ride home as on that particular day your own car was at the garage. A perfect storm, resulting in you having to brave the autumn downpour on the thirty minute walk home. “Are you crazy?!” Eddie’s voice had scared you, nearly making you slip as you turned to see him staring at you wide eyed from the safety of his van. Eddie watched you turned your face towards the sky, a soft smile taking over the weak frown on his face as you basked in the downpour. “Possibly!” You grinned as you yelled back, an awkward moment growing with you only getting wetter as Eddie struggled to find the words. “Are you offering me a ride or not Munson? Not that it isn’t lovely to chat but uh…” He barely nodded but it was enough for you to run round and jump into the passenger seat. Eddie had glanced at you, frozen and suddenly unaware as to what to even say never mind do. He worried he had forgotten how to drive under your stare. “Theres…theres a spare t-shirt in the back if you…want a dry one?” You had forgotten all about your wet clothes after getting into the warmth of Eddie’s van. The shock of realising just how see through your white crop top had gone making you laugh as you happily accepted a new shirt.

“How could it possibly be more complicated?”

The whole drive back to your house Eddie had felt..strained. He could feel your eyes on him, the gentle burning of them making the van feel uncomfortably warm. Every few seconds he let himself look at you, his breathe quickly being stolen as the sight of you wearing his shirt. A ‘Corroded Coffin’ shirt to be exact. He felt like his head was going to explode, and then you started talking and that only made everything worse. You were trying to fill the silence, not able to bare the awkward quiet. You were rambling, a habit you and Robin seemed to share. Going on about work, looking after Dustin, the latest project for English, whatever film you and your friends were going to see at the weekend. Eddie was drumming his fingers, scrunching his nose and dragging a hand through his hair as he forced himself to focus on the road. A frown on his face that he had perfected for when he was alone with you. “Sorry, am i annoying you Munson?” You had noticed more and more that not only was Eddie not listening but he purposefully was ignoring you. He had done this a few times in the past, but never so blatantly. Eddie was weird, but you had also seen the caring and lovable side of him over the weeks he had spent with Dustin. So why did you get the cold shoulder? For a second those hardened brown eyes melted to chocolate buttons, glancing over at you as if finally caught in the headlights. “You were rambling, and I’m…im trying to focus on the road so we don’t crash. I dont really want to die with you in the car, princess.”

“It’s just…theres…we uh…there uh…”

The lunch that had been sat in front of Eddie continued to grow cold. Gareths stare only hardening as he noticed a strange glazed look coat Munsons usual death cold glare. Eddie replayed the night in his head. The silence that followed his use of ‘princess’ , the painful wince that had flooded his system as he realised what he had said. The look on your face when he had finally worked up the courage to face you. Your face was hard to read, blank almost whilst trying to process what had just happened. Eddie Munson. Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson had just referred to you as princess, whilst he was giving you a ride home, wearing his bands shirt and from the smell of it, it had been worn by Eddie a few times over. The rest of the journey was haunted by a heated silence that came to a grateful end when the van came to a stop outside your home. Eddie remembered you’re stutter, committed it to damn memory as if one day it would save his life. “Thanks for the ride Munson, I uh, well i guess i owe you one.” There was a cheeky tinge to your words, only made clear by the small smile you sent his way. “I’m keeping this shirt by the way…until next time sugar.” Eddie had watched you walk into your house, his hands gripping the wheel with the might of Thor. He could practically hear his heart in his chest, feel the blood rushing around his body. He couldnt sleep that night, or the night after. He couldnt even focus on DnD. All he could think about was that little smile, the way you fitted his shirt like it already belonged to you, how normal it felt to have you by his side.

“Theres been a disturbance in the force of something man.”

Gareth dropped the sandwich he had been happily enjoying whilst Eddie stared off into the distance. He knew all too well what that meant for Munson. The freak was in some dangerous waters. And if the stolen glances you had ben sneaking over at Eddie meant anything, so were you.

[ilovejoo]

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when you’re scared of thunder; enhypen

word count: 1.6k warnings: n/a? gn!reader a/n: THERE WAS THUNDER THE OTHER DAY AND I HATED IT SM so i just had to write this 😞 california was flooding that is so insane to me.

masterlist!

heeseung

he does his best to distract you with his voice, his actions, his kisses, his face... he's the best comedian, the best singer- he becomes the best at anything if it means it makes you feel better like a true ace

"it's okay, hee, i know you were excited for this..." you bit your lip as he frowned at the uncomfortable state you were in. the two of you were at a long-awaited date at some outdoor cafe that thankfully had a roof over the head, covering you from the drizzle. however, the rain was not a problem: the thunder was.

he couldn't stand to watch you flinch at every boom while the two of you were supposed to be having a fun, cheerful, thunder-free time.

“if they make you feel all shaken up, then why would we stay?” he pouted. he covered your ears with his hands from across the table, but you waved him away, despite the tears forming in your eyes.

man, you really hated thunder.

"y/n, you're crying." you looked up at his worried eyes. "let me take you away, we can always come back here some other day.." he grasped your wrist and pulled you, rushing to someplace quieter. he gave himself the mission of distracting you, muffling the sound with his hands again.

he softly hummed one of your favorite songs, not knowing whether or not you could hear it under the safety of his hands. he hummed anyway. seeing that the thunder didn't seem to be ending, he hoped it was helping.

as soon as you got home, his new mission was to make you feel better (he succeeded).

jay

bro is actually so attentive :( he takes note of your likes/dislikes throughout the years he's known you, which includes your fear of thunder, so he's prepared for this kind of moment

already knowing how you were with loud noises, at the sight of a thunderstorm coming he knew to be prepared. despite the heavy rain, he ran out the door to his house, headed straight for yours.

you were huddled up on the couch, not even knowing about the upcoming thunderstorm, when you got a bunch of knocks on the door. you opened it to be greeted with the sight of a drenched boyfriend.

"jay- what the hell?"

“thunder’s coming,” he said, quickly rummaging through his bag to find his noise-cancelling headphones as he caught his breath. "i know how much you hate thunder; i didn't want you to be alone." as if on cue, thunder went off, and you grasped tight onto jay’s sleeve. he stoked your hair to try to calm you down with one hand, trying to simultaneously pull the headphones over your ears with the other.

“don’t worry, you’re safe, okay?” he mouthed, and you gave him the biggest hug, not even caring that he was soaked.

jake

- drops what he's doing to make you feel safe; absolutely cannot bear to see you so distressed, so he'll smother you with kisses, watch your favorite cartoons: anything you want to give you comfort

the car window was splattered with raindrops, and the windshield wipers couldn't seem to catch a break. you were jake's favorite (only) passenger, and though his eyes were on the road, he was listening intently to what you had to say.

"it rains every time we go to mcdonald's, i think its a curse," you joked, and jake eagerly nodded in agreement. "like i-" thunder clapped in the distance, and you stopped what you were saying.

".. like you..? like you what, sweetheart?" the sound admittedly overwhelmed you to the point where you couldn't register what jake was asking you.

"um.. like i.." more thunder. concerned at your lack of ability to respond, your boyfriend furrowed his eyebrows.

"are you okay? what is it? the thunder?" he couldn't help asking all these questions- he just wanted you to feel safe. you nod, mumbling something about how thunder always made you anxious. he quickly pulled over to the nearest parking lot and as soon as the gear shifted into park, he reached his arm over into a comforting embrace. "it'll pass, y/n; i'll be here until it does."

he kisses your cheek, to which you somewhat laugh at. hearing this, in relief he takes it as a sign of approval and suddenly your face, eyelids, the tip of your nose, and of course, lips, are being covered by his lips.

sunghoon

seeing you scared makes him panic too- he doesn't know what to do, he doesn't know how to act. all he knows is that he wants you to feel at ease, and he'll do his best for that to happen.

"it's raining." sunghoon reached a hand out from under the shade structure, feeling the raindrops on his palm. you rolled your eyes.

"no way," you said sarcastically. "way to notice the obvious!" he playfully hit your side when a boom went off from somewhere nearby, and in response you jumped with fear. originally, not missing the way you flinched involuntarily at the thunder, he let out a laugh.

it was almost awkwardly silent for a good second or two, save for the rain in the background- he had no clue what to do, and you were trying to calm yourself down.

you admit, it definitely could have been humorous- even yourself would have laughed if you weren't shaking. but then he glanced at your eyes, concerned for how genuinely shaken up you were at the noise. his smile slightly faltered with worry, and he wordlessly grabbed your hand. he gave it a squeeze, not really knowing what to say but wanting to offer you comfort regardless.

he never let go of your hand once, he takes care of you in this way.

sunoo

he knows what to do, he knows how to comfort you. he uses this knowledge to his advantage- soon you forget you were even scared.

having a boyfriend who was so attentive of your needs meant that he noticed when you were in distress. his brows furrowed with worry seeing how much the weather outside bothered you. the sound of the thunder and the strikes of lightning freaked you out, and he couldn’t bear to see you so scared.

you were curled up on the couch, hands over your ears. the sight broke his heart. he put down the phone in his hands and gently grabbed your wrists, helping you up.

“let’s go somewhere quieter, hm?” his eyes told you how worried he was for you, and you gave him a smile.

“okay.” he gave you a hug when you got up, and it immediately made you feel better. you buried yourself in his chest for just a moment, basking in his comfort and warmth. feeling how you somewhat relaxed in his arms, he rubbed the back of your head with his hand soothingly, letting you know he's there for you.

jungwon

because of his caring nature, he tends to care for you all the time, including the times when you're scared out of your wits. he notices your discomfort almost immediately, and he'll act from there

a little known fact about you was that thunder was not your best friend, and seeing how you repeatedly jumped at every thundering boom going off, jungwon quickly learned this as well.

the two of you were hanging out with a larger group of people, but jungwon made sure to constantly keep an eye on you as that was just his second nature. he noticed that you seemed a little freaked out while drawing yourself away from the conversation, biting your lip and fidgeting with your fingers.

his head tilted at why you looked so panicked, and then it hit him: it was the noise. upon this realization, his hands went for your ears, covering them the best he could.

"are you okay?" he said into your ear, his voice low. the thunder went off again, and your shaking hands reflexively shot on top of his, trying to cover your ears even further. taking this as a no, he excused you both from the group and made his way over to his friend's bedroom, the quietest part of the house.

he pulled you closer to offer his comfort, and he stayed like that until the weather was completely clear.

niki

he notices more than he lets on. though it may initially seem like he isn't the type to do so, he takes the best care of you, even if it may be in his own way

“someone just dropped something,” niki said, laughing at how your hands rushed to cover your ears out of panic. he pat your head, still laughing. you took in a shaky breath, however, which made his laughter falter. “are you scared?” he asked, looking a bit concerned, and you brushed it off.

“it’s okay,” you said, and he let it slide. however, you jumped at every loud noise, more than most people would. when the two of you went for a late night walk and someone closed a window harshly nearby, your arms immediately shielded your face, shaking. a balloon popped at a birthday party, and you screamed.

from then on, he learned with how observant he is, that you were sensitive to loud noises. so when he saw a thunderstorm on the day's weather agenda, the first thing he did was prepare a little "thunderproof cave" in his room for you, complete with pillows, blankets, music, and of course, himself.

as soon as he was done, he dashed off excitedly to find you with your eyes shut and ears plugged. sighing a little at the sight, he wanted nothing more than for you to feel better.

"yah- y/n! come here." he tugged your arm and led you to the homemade heaven he set up for you. knowing why he did this, immediately you crashed into his arms in a hug.

"thanks riki."

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thank you for reading! here's my masterlist!

taglist! send an ask to be added: @jaysbiceps

[tickle-bugs]

if you have any interest in writing for tangled, i'm jonesing for some lee flynn. maybe something along the lines of "flynn rider doesn't giggle/snort, but eugene fitzherbert does?" (you can use the quote or just the idea, or ignore this entirely! it's a free country)

@ssnicker-doodless pspspsps <3 I had so much fun writing this thank you for this cute-ass prompt!!!!

Sunbeams and Revelations

Literally insert this directly after Rapunzel heals Eugene for the first time. In my head this is like if they spent an extra day or two camping and bonding before Mother Gothel and the Stabbington bros find them. 

Flynn is in trouble. 

He’d given Rapunzel an inch by telling her his real name and she’d taken the mile--she’d cozied up to him with an apparently deep-seated need to…be nice to him. More than nice, actually. She begs him to tell tales of his escapades and his past, and she doesn’t seem disappointed that it’s Eugene doing these things. Not Flynn. He’s spent so long trying to bury Eugene Fitzherbert that he doesn’t know what to do with him, himself, around her.

He is, naturally, taking this out on the apple tree that’s been watching over them for the past day or so. It’s a gorgeous old tree, marred with arrow holes and left-over pieces of parchment from long-lost wanted posters. A plethora of slow-rotting apples grace its roots, decaying into their place in the cycle. He’s bullied this tree for firewood, used it to throw darts at his old wanted poster--he’s even used it to practice asking Rapunzel if she wants to maybe stick around after seeing the lanterns together. Tree-punzel is very receptive to the idea of traveling the world together. It doesn’t do much for his confidence with the real Rapunzel. 

Flynn runs, leaps, and grabs onto one of the tree branches. He hooks his forearm over it, then his leg and pulls himself up. It sparks a rush in him, the unyielding childish glee at being up high that makes him still want to run across castle rooftops and scale smooth-faced towers. 

“Eugene? Whatcha doin’?” Rapunzel looks up from her brushing. 

“Just--hng--trying to score us some food for the road.” Flynn shakes the branch with every atom of his being. Apples thud to the ground all around him, bright and shiny. 

“That’s a neat trick.” 

“There was an apple tree outside the orphanage. I used to shake us down some food when they’d forget to feed us.” Flynn swings to stand on the bough he’s hanging from. It creaks under his weight. He jumps on it a bit, scoring a few more apples, but one gorgeous, shiny straggler taunts him from the very edge of the branch.

He jumps again, harder this time, and his foot gives out from under him. He and Rapunzel scream at the same time--and regrettably, the same pitch. His foot catches on the branch at the last minute. He tries to swing and get free, but he’s wedged in. 

“Are you okay?” Rapunzel’s concerned upside-down face appears before him. He slides a little further off the branch and she grabs him by the waist to catch him. He yelps and flails, which makes him slip more. Her fingers press in as she tries to support his weight. He giggles and a snort stumbles out after. 

“Y-Yes! I’m fine!” Flynn manages to flip off the branch and fall into an embarrassing heap. He wants to snark at her for not caring about his safety now that he’s fallen, but she’s got a terrifying amount of mischief in her eyes.  

“Did you just giggle? Are you ticklish?” She gasps happily. 

“I’m not…It didn’t…Punzie--” He backs away from her, hands raised in surrender. 

“Punzie? Oh, it must be really bad.” She laughs in delight. Her brilliant smile distracts him long enough for her to try and tickle him again. 

“Rapunzel--” He corrects, snatching her evil hands-- “Flynn Rider doesn’t giggle, okay? Drop it.”

“Oh, okay. I see. My mistake. Obviously the great Flynn Rider would never.” She gives a dramatic, sweeping bow. He sniffs in offense and turns on his heel. 

“Yes, exactly. You get it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to make sure we don’t starve.” He takes a loop of her hair and ties it tightly around his waist. He snatches up their basket--woefully empty--and, after petulantly picking up the apples that he’d knocked down, scurries up the trunk of the tree. 

“You’re running away!” She calls after him. He sticks his tongue out at her and keeps climbing. He gets to the higher branches and starts plucking apples. He takes the best ones he can find and works his way down.

In a knothole of the tree, a squirrel peeks curiously at him. He outstretches his hand so it can sniff it. It puts its tiny little paws on his finger and gazes up at him sweetly. Flynn grins--about time he had an animal companion that actually likes him. 

“Hey, little fella--” 

The accursed creature dives into his doublet. 

Flynn screams again, a flurry of wild giggles bursting out of him as he tries to grab the furry lump zipping around his shirt. He tries to unhook the clasps of his doublet but he loses his balance, toppling over the branch. The squirrel scampers away from the scene of the crime without a care in the world, leaving Flynn once again dangling face-to-face with a very smug Rapunzel. 

“Firstly, ow. Secondly, that was a giggle.” She puts her hands on her hips. He scoffs at her, but it doesn’t carry much weight--he’s spinning around like a lame piñata. He quickly frees himself from her hair and helps her pull it down off the branch. 

“No, that was a…manly…chortle.” He winces, then barrels on before Rapunzel can drown him out. “What will it take for you to drop this? Name your price.”

“Anything?” She bounces on her toes. 

“Anything.”

“Let me hear your laugh. Your real one. Not that weird, practiced one you do--” She pinches his arm. He scoffs. 

“I don’t practice--” She clamps a hand over his mouth. He rolls his eyes and submits. 

“I want to hear what Eugene sounds like. Not Flynn. I promise I’ll leave you alone after.” She pulls her hand away and gestures for him to speak. He straightens out his doublet, his hair, and regards her for a moment. 

“You drive a hard bargain, Blondie.” Flynn huffs. He wants to whine about his reputation, but Rapunzel looks at him so earnestly, like this is something that matters, and he simply sighs instead.

“Fine. But only for a minute--” He tries to be stern, but she leaps into his arms for a hug and he immediately loses his edge. 

“It’s not--you don’t have to make it a thing,” he mumbles, carding his hand through her hair. He catches himself and pulls away. She gives him a fond squeeze. 

“Of course it’s a thing. You’re letting me do this.” Rapunzel beams. 

“Only for, like, a few seconds. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Flynn flaps a dismissive hand to distract from his rapidly-flushing face. 

“Ah-ah, I was promised a full minute.” She poises her hands like claws, ready to strike. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” He swallows thickly, eyes trained on her hands. 

With a triumphant cry, Rapunzel launches herself at him. She scrambles up onto his back and locks her legs around him like a creature. In any other scenario, he’d barely even notice the weight on his back, but she’s poking him truly anywhere she can reach. Flynn wants to tease her for the poke he receives to the back of his head, but then the pokes gravitate towards his torso and he chokes on his words. 

He tries to strike a balance between fending Rapunzel off and making sure she doesn’t fall, but she’s clinging to him with no issue and he’s very much struggling. 

Flynn’s valiant in his effort to resist her, noble and unmoving—that is, until she finally gets her hands past his defenses and latches onto his stomach. He yelps and doubles over, shaking with snickers. She slips her hands under his doublet and coaxes sustained, embarrassingly bubbly giggles from him. It’s a sound foreign to his own ear.

His last memory of this is childhood, when the younger boys would dogpile him and try to bully him into one more story before bed. Even then, it’s a distant thing. Nothing like the vibrant pops of color and sparks currently driving him just a little insane. 

“I could’ve just done this when you broke into my tower,” Rapunzel muses, nestling her fingers into his sides. Flynn shrieks his way into full laughter. He tries to muffle himself, but she just tickles his ears until he slaps his hands over them instead. 

“I p-preferred the frying pan!” He squeaks, gasping in a deep, giggly breath. He feels Rapunzel roll her eyes. She worms her hands under his arms and his whole glorious life flashes before his eyes. He makes a desperate noise, some ugly combination of a cackle and a snort, and resigns to hide his face and die. Rapunzel giggles at him, all sweet and genuine, and he just retreats further into his demise. 

His knees buckle and before he knows it, he’s on his back in the grass and Rapunzel’s kneeling next to him. The last bits of his laughter fade on the breeze. 

She tucks a daisy behind his ear. He allows it. 

“Promise me something, Eugene?” She smooths her hands over his chest. He reaches up to hold one of her hands. 

“Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll smile more?” She looks at him so sincerely that it hurts. 

“I’ll think about it.” He shrugs. She scowls at him and pokes relentlessly at his stomach. 

“O-Okay! I will, I promise!” He laughs and grabs her hands. She gives his a squeeze. 

He notices just how green her eyes are, as if the vibrant meadow bestowed its perfect hue upon her for safekeeping. She smiles like dawn breaking over the mountains. Without thinking, he tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. His finger trails briefly against her rosy cheek.

Get it together, Fitzherbert. 

“It’s getting dark. I should—firewood.” Flynn clears his throat and stands. He helps her up. 

“Right. Of course. I’ll stay here and…apples.” She nods very seriously. An awkward, fond silence fills the space between the trees. The two of them stare at each other a little longer. 

“Eugene?” Rapunzel blinks at him. Atop her head, Pascal gestures fervently at him to kiss her.

“Going.” Flynn stumbles off towards the deeper woods, ignoring Pascal’s angry little squeaks. As soon as he’s out of potential view, he slumps against a tree and runs a hand over his face. 

Flynn Rider completely evacuates his post at the brain controls. Eugene wants him to stay—he could really use a suave one-liner or a good smolder right about now—but in truth, Flynn has no use here. Nothing is permanent for him. He runs from security, both literally and metaphorically. He’s got the same two moves, neither of which have ever worked on anyone important. 

Eugene Fitzherbert is the softie hyperventilating against a tree. He’s the one that’s considering actually staying in Corona for a day or so, just to take Rapunzel around the place. He’s the one that wants to spend the rest of his life laughing with her. He knows it with a certainty he’s never experienced. If he could pluck the sun from the sky for her, he would. He’d risk burning just to try. 

And it is Eugene, in all his giddy anxiety, that fails to see the witch lurking in the trees.

[scarabsinthestardust]

Tender // Ch. 2

MASTERLIST

word count: 3400+

CHAPTER WARNINGS: descriptions of child abuse/neglect; mentions of religious violence; language; anxiety; unspecified undiagnosed mental illness; inability to talk about feelings; I guess a tiny bit of smut/foreplay but nothing too heated; small discussion about pregnancy; nightmares; sleep paralysis/sleep paralysis demon

The steady rainfall had turned all the dirt and clay into thick mud, making it difficult to walk through the sludge. The sky was dark, almost black clouds blocking out what remained of the evening sun. Flashes of heat lightning illuminated the tops of the trees and cast deep shadows across the forest floor. A little redheaded boy, no more than six, tried his best to protect himself from the elements but to no avail. His skin was caked in mud and his clothes were soaked, sending a chill through his tiny body.

The boy’s wrists were bound tightly and strung up to a tree branch, too high for him to reach. His wrists burned where the rope rubbed his flesh raw, and his shoulders ached from the strain of the unnatural stretch as his arms were forced above his head. He screamed for help, but the sound was drowned out by the heavy rain and occasional thunder. It didn’t matter how much he cried, no one would hear him. No one was coming. His parents certainly weren’t, at least not yet. His father would come back and untie him in the morning, when the rain stopped and when he felt the boy had received an appropriate amount of punishment.

The boy’s mother called it the ‘wrath of God,’ but he didn’t understand what that meant, or what he had done wrong to earn his father’s anger.

~

“Uh, babe? Hello? Are you even listening to me?”

Josh snaps his fingers in front of my face, bringing my attention back to him. I must have zoned out. We’re seated on the patio of a new brunch restaurant across town that he wanted to check out. It’s a nice place, the food is delicious, but there’s so many fucking people walking past us, and I can’t focus. Why do I feel like they’re all staring?

“I’m sorry. I got distracted. What were you saying?”

He’s clearly annoyed at me, and it sparks a feeling in me I don’t particularly enjoy. “Cabin trip, next month. Are you in? Can you get off work for it?”

“I… yeah, I can. But I thought the cabin trips were just for the band, so you guys can write music?”

“Nah, it’s not that kind of trip. We just thought it might be nice, after the stress of… everything, to decompress. Ya know, get away from the city for a bit. I don’t know how much hiking we’ll do, with Sam still on crutches. He’s really excited about the trip, though. And I think it’ll be good for him. Kya’s coming, too.”

“I’m shocked your brother even agreed to let her go. He’s been up her ass about this baby. He doesn’t hardly let her do anything on her own.”

“If he had stayed up her ass, he wouldn’t have gotten her pregnant.” I want to roll my eyes at the stupid, vulgar joke, but I can’t help but laugh at the shit-eating grin on my boyfriend’s face. His expression softens as he continues. “I know Jake’s been paranoid and kind of annoying about the whole thing. He’s just scared. First kid jitters, I suppose. But I get it. And let’s be real, does anyone ever let Kya do anything?”

I shrug. He has a point. “Touche.”

“So? Will you come with us?” The idea of spending any amount of time in the middle of the woods makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave the safety of the city and its noise pollution and smog, only to breathe in the fresh mountain air that’s likely to stick to my throat and suffocate me. I don’t want to be left alone in the quiet with my thoughts and the memories I try so hard to forget. But then I look at Josh. There he goes again with those big, beautiful, brown eyes and pouty lips, and I’m incapable of telling him no.

~

This was a terrible idea. On our first night at the cabin, it rains. It isn’t a bad storm, but it’s enough to spike my anxiety. And now I have to hide it from not only Josh, but his brothers and Daniel, too. Kya picks up on my discomfort and I feel her hand on my arm, her thumb rubbing soothing circles into my skin. She’s offering a distraction without speaking, without calling me out in front of everyone, and I’m grateful she’s here.

I don’t want to sit on the couch – it’s too close to the window. What I would prefer to do is hide, but hiding requires self-isolation, and people notice self-isolation. So instead, I opt for a barstool on the outside of the kitchen island. Josh smiles sweetly at me before getting back to his current task.

He and Jake are in the kitchen, cooking dinner. They won’t tell us what it is, but it smells amazing. I watch him flit around, ever so gracefully, laughing with his twin, so lighthearted, so happy. He acts as though he doesn’t have a care in the world, there is nothing weighing him down. He’s surrounded by his family, and I have that nagging feeling that I don’t belong here.

We eat dinner and gather in the living room. I notice that no one brought any alcohol on the trip, solely for my sake, I’m sure. They rope me into playing some board games, and when everyone gets tired of that, they move onto playing music. I’m trying to relax, but it’s so difficult to convince myself that everything is going to be okay. Kya yawns and Jake suggests she go to bed; she agrees but drags him along with her. Sam is on the couch, his broken leg propped up, his back pressed into Daniel, who looks like he is about to fall asleep himself.

Josh seems to read my mind, announcing that we’ll be calling it a night as well. He disappears into the bathroom for his nightly rituals. I’ve never met a man with such a strict skincare routine.

The rain has stopped, so I walk over to the bedroom window and peek out between the curtains. I don’t know what I expected to find. It’s dark, the only light coming from the window I’m looking out of. I can’t even see the moon through the rain clouds. The familiar nausea begins to return. The shadows in the endless darkness seem to move, morphing into shapes and silhouettes that have haunted me since childhood. If I listen closely, I can hear the crickets chirping, maybe even an owl hooting in the distance, and it’s still too quiet. It’s not enough noise to silence my own thoughts. My mind is running too fast to keep up, and I feel my heart rate rise, my breath becoming uneven. What am I doing here? I’m gripping the edge of the windowsill to hold onto something solid, and I try to grasp onto the part of my brain that says I am fine, so that I can let go and enjoy myself here, but I’m failing. This isn’t West Virginia, I tell myself. They aren’t here. Nothing bad is going to happen. I’m safe. I’m –

Everything comes to a halt, my worries temporarily silenced when I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind me. The sweet smell of vanilla fills my nostrils, and he presses himself against my back. I lace my fingers with his and sigh, complacent for a moment.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just tired.” I turn to face him and wrap my arms around him before kissing the top of his head.

“You don’t have to lie to me, ya know.” I swear my heart stops when his words reach my ears. Is this it? Has he figured me out, seen right through me to the pieces of myself I endeavor to hold together like broken glass? Is this where I lose him? I thought I would have more time. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

He reads my silence for confusion, which isn’t entirely false, but it’s something more. It’s fear. He pulls away just enough to look me in the eyes, his head tilted upwards to make up for the height difference, but his hands don’t leave my waist. “You don’t like the rain. I can tell. You get all nervous and jittery. But you don’t have to deal with it alone, baby. Why…” He shakes his head. “Sorry, I won’t ask. You know me, I’m an inquisitive person. But I know you don’t like to talk about certain things, and you don’t have to explain any of it to me. I just wish you’d talk to me. Tell me that being in a cabin in the woods during the rainy season wigs you out, and then my dumbass will stop dragging you around to do things you don’t want to do. Tell me what you need. Let me be here for you.”

Fuck, I love him so much. There’s a split second, a tiny sliver of time in the shards of this universe, where I consider telling him everything. For a fraction of a moment, I want to let him in and open his eyes to all the horrible things that happen in my own head when he’s fast asleep. I want him to understand what molded me into what I am today, this damaged, shell of a coward. But the thought disappears as quickly as it came, and I know, like I’ve always known, that I can’t ever tell him the truth.

“I’m sorry. It’s just a little anxiety, but I’m okay.”

I can tell he isn’t satisfied with my answer, but he doesn’t push me for more. I pull him to me and press my lips to his. He’s so soft, and he tastes like mint and jasmine, the remnants of some fancy, overpriced, Italian toothpaste he likes. He smiles and hums when I pull away, his eyes still half-closed in a blissful haze. “And you didn’t ‘drag’ me out here,” I assure him. “I wanted to come, to be here with you.”

That seems to satiate him for the time being. “Well, I’m glad you came.” It’s comforting to know I haven’t ruined it yet. I meant it when I said I wanted to come on this trip with him, even if it’s primarily for the sake of being in his company. The rest is just a side effect, and he’s worth suffering for.

He sits on the bed and shoots me a mischievous look. “Ya know, I’m not even tired.”

His message is clear, and I close the distance between us. “Well,” I start, as I gently push him to lie down on the bed. “I suppose I’ll just have to tire you out a little.” I slowly follow until I’m straddling him, my knees on either side of his hips. He’s immediately responsive, bucking his hips for any kind of friction as he grabs my shirt and pulls me down to latch our lips together again. He doesn’t fight me as I use one hand to lift his, holding his wrists in place above his head. I begin kissing and nipping at his neck (always carefully – I’m not allowed to leave marks), and he lets a moan escape his lips.

“Your brothers are going to hear you,” I mutter.

“I’ll be quiet.”

I can’t help the snort of laughter that escapes me. “Babe, you’ve never been quiet a day in your life.”

He scoffs. “I can be quiet.”

“I don’t believe you.” I haven’t stopped my assault on his neck and my free hand is under his shirt, rubbing and kneading at his flesh. He’s writhing underneath me, begging for more. If I’m being honest, I don’t actually give a flying fuck if anyone hears us. Let them. It’s just a small reminder that he’s mine.

He struggles to get his next words out; I’m still amazed at how easy it is to turn him into a whimpering mess. “Fine,” he gasps. “If I can’t – ah – stay quiet, you’ll just have to find a way to – to keep my mouth occupied.”

My own movements stutter and I groan, instinctively grinding my hips into his. This man is going to be the death of me.

~

Dried leaves crunch under our feet as we traverse one of the nearby trails that will supposedly lead us to the lake. I’m feeling oddly peaceful today. Instead of haunting shadows and threatening whispers, I only hear birds and the light breeze rustling the trees. We’re moving at a fairly slow pace so Sam can keep up. Josh’s arm is looped with mine as we walk. He’s not speaking right now, a rare occurrence; he’s just soaking in the atmosphere and breathing in the fresh air. He’s practically glowing in the morning sun, and I’m content to simply observe him. He’s almost ethereal.

At some point, Jake says something to taunt Josh, in their typical, playful, sibling fashion, and Josh runs ahead to act out his ‘revenge’ on his twin. While they’re roughhousing, Kya retreats from the line of fire and falls into step next to me.

“How’re you holding up?”

“I’m… okay right now. What about you? The baby kicking your ass yet?”

As if on cue, Jake notices she’s fallen behind and starts to walk back to check on her. “Jacob,” she says sternly, like a warning to back off.

He puts his hands up defensively. “Sorry. Sorry. Minding by business.” He keeps his distance, but his eyes linger on his girlfriend, clearly concerned for her welfare.

Kya rolls her eyes in annoyance but offers Jake a reassuring smile. “He means well. I’ve just gotta train him not to be so damn worried all the time. And to answer your question, no, the little one’s been pretty well behaved. I don’t even get nauseous much these days.”

“When do you find out the gender?”

“Right after we get back home, actually. We were putting it off ‘cause we debated letting it be a surprise, but I like to be prepared.”

“Josh is one hundred percent convinced it’s definitely a girl.”

“Yeah, he thinks he’s got some special ‘baby ESP’ or some shit.” She says it loud enough for Josh to hear, and he turns to confront her, to which she responds by sticking her tongue out at him.

“You two are children,” I laugh. I envy Kya for how easy it seemed to be for her to integrate into this family. It appears to be effortless, at least to an outsider. I find myself hoping that I could follow her lead, and maybe Josh will keep me around long enough for me to start feeling like I’m meant to be here, too.

We make it to the lake, its crystal-clear water sparkling in the sun. Kya and Jake waste no time stripping down to their swimwear and submerging themselves. I hear Sam sigh sadly; he’s not supposed to get his cast wet, so he’s forced to sit this one out, but he swears he’s content to sit on the edge of the water and observe. Danny stays with him, ignoring Sam’s protests that he go swimming without him. Josh is pulling me excitedly towards the water’s edge, but I stop him.

“What’s wrong? You’re not coming?” He looks disappointed and it makes my chest hurt. He deserves honesty from me, I know that, even if it only comes in tiny, miniscule pieces.

“I, uh… I can’t swim.” I speak quietly and lower my head, cheeks burning with embarrassment. I don’t hate the water, per se. It’s often quite relaxing to wade where I can stand in it, but once it gets deep enough for my head to go under, the panic sets in.

“I didn’t know that. Do you want me to-“

I cut him off before he can finish the question. “No. Go swimming. I want you to enjoy yourself. I’ll be right here.”

I can tell he wants to argue – he always does – but he wrangles in that stubborn, feisty voice that I’m sure is clawing its way to the surface and nods, smiling softly. So, I situate myself with Sam and Danny, and I’m shockingly comfortable. Peace doesn’t come to me often, and I know it won’t last long, but I’ll savor it while it’s here. Josh seems at home, like he is anywhere he can be with his brothers. All the strain and pressure they had dealt with recently just melts away. Josh’s laughter rings out in the air around us, dancing through the trees. It’s a sound I could listen to forever, if he’d allow me to.

~

I can’t breathe. There’s a weight on my chest, crushing me. My limbs are heavy and I’m unable to move, no matter how hard I try. The only thing I can hear are distorted whispers; they repeat the same thing over and over again – You can’t hide. When I open my eyes, my vision is blurry, like I’m underwater. I’m drowning. The shadow that hovers above me is faceless, just a silhouette, like it always is. It doesn’t have a mouth, but I can feel its hot breath on my face, and it smells like sulfur. It makes these awful clicking noises that sort of remind me of some kind of nocturnal animal. I can never remember which one.

I’m afraid, of course I am. I’m always afraid. But this has become such a frequent occurrence that I’ve accepted the fear and accepted that I can do nothing but be suffocated by it. Occasionally, when I’m feeling adventurous (or perhaps it’s more likely I don’t think I’ve got anything to lose), I stare back at the entity in an attempt to learn what I can. But mostly I close my eyes and pray – no, not pray, never pray – to be free of the presence that threatens my place in this world.

I wonder what would happen if it ever succeeded. Would I simply be gone from this plane, no trace left of my pathetic existence? Or would it take over, using me for its own benefit, getting off on whatever horrible things it will make me do?

It visits me often, but this time something is different. I’m not alone. Another voice reaches my ears, one I don’t recognize immediately. I can’t understand what it’s saying but it’s enough to pull me back. The entity is brushed away as quickly as it appears, and I can finally draw in a deep breath. I can finally move; I sit up so quickly it makes me dizzy. I’m freezing and I’m not one hundred percent sure where I am. But I hear the voice again and everything starts to fall into place.

It isn’t the words themselves, because they make no sense. I can only make out bits and pieces, something about glitter in the carpet? But I understand what’s happening now. Josh is talking in his sleep, and it was enough to wake me from mine. He’s mumbling something about peanuts now. What could he possibly be dreaming about?

My eyes are starting to adjust to the deep darkness. We’re still at the cabin. In the woods. The realization makes my heart pound harder. My instincts are telling me to run, to get as far from this place as I can, but I know that isn’t the most logical way to handle this. It’s just my fight-or-flight kicking in, that’s all. Where would I even run to? Instead, I hug my knees to my chest and shut my eyes again; I need to calm down. I don’t want to wake him up.

I’m unsure how much time passes before my pulse settles to a normal rate, but it’s still dark when I open my eyes. Josh is still asleep. He’s on his side with his back to me, his small snores permeating the silence. I take another deep breath and lie down. I can’t resist the urge to wrap my arm around his waist and pull myself against his back. I place a gentle kiss on his bare, exposed shoulder. He makes a satisfied noise and pushes back into me, as if he could get closer, but he doesn’t wake up from his slumber.

I don’t sleep again tonight. I rarely ever do after a visit from the… demon? Spirit? Whatever it is. I know, realistically, that Josh is not in any danger. It won’t come for him; it won’t touch him. He’s not the one it wants. But I still feel as though I need to protect him from it. From me? I hold onto him for the rest of the night, making silent promises that he will be safe.

///

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[sequinsmile-x]

Heartbeat on the Highline

She knew it was a fine line between being his wife and being his employee, and it was something she usually walked well. Balancing on it like it was a tightrope, a well-practised routine. But she felt like she’d tripped, like she was freefalling, and as much as she wanted him to catch her, to be the safety net she always claimed she didn’t need. 

AKA, the one in which Emily and Aaron get a call that their daughter has had to go to hospital whilst they are away on a case.

-x-

Hi besties <3

This is a fic I started a long time ago and never really got anywhere with beyond one particular scene, but I finally reopened the document today and finished it.

This fic brings my total word count to 1,736,161...which is more than the entire Game of Thrones book series (1,736,054) . Which is ridiculous and amazing and...just about everything in between. If George R. R. Martin ever actually releases the next book in A Song of Fire and Ice I guess I'll just have to beat him again!!

Thank you so much for your continued support of my writing, it means the absolute world. As long as y'all are here reading, I'll be here thinking of new things to put these two through!

Please let me know what you think <3

-x-

Warnings: Sick child, hospitals

Words: 4.3k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

Emily grimaces as she takes a sip of her coffee, looking down at the mug in her hand with disdain as she swallows. 

“Leaves a lot to be desired, doesn’t it?” 

She smiles as she looks up at her husband, “It’s not the worst we’ve ever had,” she mumbles, taking another sip and grimacing at the bitterness, “But it’s up there.” 

It had been a long day that had started with a phone call from Penelope before dawn. They were dragged out of sleep and their bed for a case. Aaron had called Jessica to ask her to come over to look after the kids as Emily got ready for the day, distracted partway through her make-up routine by their toddler crying out for her. Ines had been grumpy, the 18-month-old’s usual happy demeanour nowhere to be found as she demanded her mother’s attention, her slightly too warm forehead against Emily’s neck as she refused to be put back down. 

As they’d left the house and she’d handed her little girl over to Jessica she explained that Ines had a bit of a temperature. Familiar guilt had lingered in her belly all day, the reality of balancing her love for her job and her love for her children something she was never sure she got right. Leaving behind her daughter when she wasn’t quite herself made her heart feel heavy, a weight in her chest that she knew wouldn’t lessen until she was home again. 

Aaron smiles at her and nods towards the front of the bullpen, “Come on, the sooner we deliver the profile, the sooner we catch this guy. And then we can go home.” 

She nods and downs the rest of her coffee, putting her mug down before she follows her husband. She stops as her phone rings from her pocket and she pulls it out, her momentary joy at her wallpaper, a picture of Jack and Ines cuddled together on the couch, is immediately squashed. She feels a sense of dread when she sees Jessica’s name appear on her cellphone screen. It roots her to the spot, her limbs heavy, her grip on her phone tightening as everything else around her fades out, the sound of the rest of the team delivering the profile muffled as if she was behind glass. 

They had a routine. If they were away on a case Jessica would always send a text to check if they were free before she called so Emily and Aaron could say goodnight to Jack and Ines when they were away on a case. They would step away from whatever they were doing, she and Aaron huddled together around one of their phones as they spoke to their children just before they went to bed, an ache in her chest that Emily learnt never quite went away when one of them told her they missed her. 

This was different. It was only 5.45 pm, too early for either of them to be going to bed, even Ines, the 18-month-old well known for being occasionally defiant for anyone other than Emily when it came to bedtime. 

She shakes her head at herself, ridding herself of thoughts she’s sure are an overreaction and she briefly looks up, her gaze catching Aaron’s. She tilts her head towards the hallway she’s near and holds up her phone to tell him she has to take a call. He nods, his smile as reassuring as it was subtle, something only she would ever be able to pick up on. She answers as she steps away, not wanting the call to ring out, her instincts that something was wrong still vibrating under her skin.

“Jess, hi,” she answers, looking back over her shoulder to make sure she’s far enough away from everyone else that she won’t be overheard, “Is everything ok? You don’t usually call this early.” 

“Emily,” Jessica replies, and Emily immediately knows she’s right, that something has happened. Her training and profession both a blessing and a curse as she picks up on the poorly concealed concern in the other woman’s voice, “I’m so sorry to have you call you and tell you this, but Ines is in the hospital.” 

Emily feels like all of the air has been stolen from her lungs. Her breath catches in her chest, hooking onto her ribs in a way thats painful. She leans against the wall she’d been standing near, suddenly not trusting her legs to hold her up. Her shoulders press into the plaster, the coolness of it through her shirt barely registering. 

Something was wrong with her little girl and she was hours away from her. “Wh…what?” She asks, her voice hoarse. “What happened, is she hurt?” 

“No, she didn’t hurt herself,” Jessica says, her voice calmer now, naturally falling into the role of the caretaker she often filled, clearly picking up on Emily’s unusual display of panic, “She spiked a fever and I couldn’t get it down with Tylenol or anything else and,” she pauses, blowing out a breath before she continues, “She had a seizure.”

Whatever she thought Jessica was going to say it wasn’t that. Her stomach churns and she immediately feels sick, the distance between herself and home further than it had ever felt, the guilt she felt for leaving, even for work, when she’d known Ines wasn’t entirely herself that morning overwhelming.

“Oh my God,” Emily exclaims, her hand coming to cover her mouth, her nausea climbing up her throat. Before she can say anything else Jessica continues, giving her more details she doesn’t know how to ask for. 

“The doctors said she’s okay, it was brought on by the fever. It seems to be an ear infection and they are treating it now, they are also going to do other tests to make sure it isn’t anything else.”

“Okay,” Emily says, her throat dry, all of her efforts channelled into not bursting into tears in the middle of a police precinct. She clears her throat and swallows thickly, pushing down the bile that feels like it’s climbing up her throat, “I’ll be there as soon as I can, can you stay with her until I get there?”

She knows she doesn’t have to ask, that Jessica considers Ines as her niece as much as Jack is her nephew, but she does because she can’t think of what else to say. 

“Of course,” Jessica says, “I’ll text you the details of where we are.” 

“Thank you,” Emily breathes out, trying to steady herself, her nerves frayed to the point where they might snap. She’s immediately hit by another thought, cursing herself for not thinking of her son sooner, “Fuck, is Jack ok? Was he there when she…” 

She drifts off, sure if she said outloud that her daughter, her baby, had had a seizure she would fall apart right there. That pieces of her would spill out onto the coffee-stained carpet beneath her feet, something she couldn’t let happen until she saw her little girl, until she made sure she was okay. 

“He saw it happen,” Jessica says carefully, “He was scared but he’s okay now Ines is ok, he’s in there now reading to her.” 

Emily chokes out a laugh that sounds strangled, caught in her throat in all of the fear lodged there, and she nods despite the fact Jessica cannot see her.

“Good, I’m glad he’s okay,” She blows out a steady breath and she looks up as she hears footsteps, her smile tight as she sees her husband enter the hallway she’d sought solitude in. 

Regret fills her chest at the thought of what she has to tell him and she turns her attention back to Jessica on the other end of the phone. “I should go, but let me know if anything else happens ok?” 

“Of course.” 

Emily later wouldn’t remember if she said goodbye to Jessica, or anything beyond turning so she’s looking at Aaron properly, his eyebrows creased as he picks up on her demeanour, how something was clearly wrong. 

“Em?” He asks, stepping closer to her. His hand reaches out and wraps around hers, linking their fingers together in a way he usually wouldn’t at work, instantly providing comfort that she never has to ask for. He was always there, ready and waiting, aware of her needs often before she was, “Is everything okay?” 

She shakes her head in response. “No,” she swallows thickly and squeezes his hand in return, “It isn’t,” she clenches her teeth and presses her lips together, determined not to lose her composure, “That was Jess, Ines is sick. She’s in hospital.” 

It feels like a jolt of electricity, a rush of adrenaline that makes him feel frozen in place, sending a shiver up his spine. His stomach churns, the mere mention of his little girl being unwell enough makes him feel sick. He looks at his wife and he knows he has to pull it together. She was always the strong one, always the glue that held him together, but he knew their family, their children, were her weak spot. The chink in her impenetrable armour. She was barely holding herself together, the emotions he can see she is desperately trying to hide showing through the cracks in her facade.

He could fall apart later when they knew their daughter was okay, when they were home and by her side. 

“What happened?” He asks, stepping closer, making sure he is providing all the comfort he can. 

“She has an ear infection, her fever spiked so high she had a seizure,” her voice cracks on the last word and she looks at the ceiling, willing the tears she can feel gathering in her eyes to disappear, “I need to go home, Aaron. I need to see my baby.” 

It had never been in any doubt, the logistics of everything already playing out in the back of his mind as he stood there with his wife, “Of course, sweetheart,” he says, cupping her cheek with the hand not linked with his and briefly resting his forehead against hers, “Dave can take point here, we can get a flight-”

She looks at him, moving so fast she feels something pull in her neck, the pain barely registering. 

“We can’t both leave,” she says, even though she wants him with her, her words contradicting everything she was feeling, “We’ve barely been here a day.”

She knew it was a fine line between being his wife and being his employee, and it was something she usually walked well. Balancing on it like it was a tightrope, a well-practised routine. But she felt like she’d tripped, like she was freefalling, and as much as she wanted him to catch her, to be the safety net she always claimed she didn’t need. 

“Emily,” he says firmly, pushing down the spark of irritation in his gut at the implication that anything was more important than their family. He knows it’s unfair, that she’s like a frayed nerve right now, so he ignores it, aware she isn’t necessarily thinking straight, “There is no way I’m staying here when our daughter is in hospital. I’m coming with you. Okay?” 

She pauses for a moment before she nods, “Okay,” she says, her lower lip trembling, “Can I…can I have a hug?” 

It feels pathetic, like a ridiculous thing to ask her husband, but she asks anyway. Unsure what to do in this situation, this collision of their personal and professional lives, any pretence that they weren’t together, their relationship usually a point of interest to local cops if they figured out they were married, shattered on the floor around them. 

“Oh Em,” he says, pulling her into a hug, his lips against her temple as she settles into his embrace, “You never have to ask,” he kisses the side of her head and then pulls back, “I’ll go speak to Dave and then we’ll go home to see our little girl.” 

She nods, smiling tightly at him as she pulls back, her arms tight across her chest to hold herself together until he can do it for her again.

___

It feels like the longest flight of her life. Longer than the one that had brought her back from Paris, the flight that had brought her back from the dead, out of the place she had been hiding in the shadows for months whilst she waited for her demons to find her. 

This is worse. Her fear not for herself, or coming face to face with the man who had torn through her life like it was made of something no stronger than paper, but for her little girl. For her son who had seen his sister get so sick so quickly. It was paralysing in a way she could never have anticipated, as if her heart was outside of her body. Walking around in the form of an 8-year-old boy and an 18-month-old little girl, a price she’d happily pay for the rest of her life in exchange for the joy she felt as a result of being their mother. 

As soon as Aaron has parked up outside the hospital she’s out of the car, walking towards the entrance with a determination in her step. Aaron catches up with her, his hand wrapping around hers when he makes it to her side. He squeezes her hand, his fingers linked through hers as they walk into the hospital. They approach the nurse's station, Emily’s shoulders feeling tighter by the second. 

“Excuse me,” Aaron says, his smile frustratingly polite despite the circumstances when one of the nurses looks up at him, “Our daughter was brought in earlier, Ines Hotchner?” 

The nurse nods, typing on the computer in front of her before she looks back up at them, “She’s been admitted for observation,” she says, smiling reassuringly at them, “Paediatrics is on the fourth floor. She's in room 4102, the elevators are just down the hall.”

“Thank you,” Aaron replies, nodding before he turns around, his arm around Emily’s shoulders as he leads her towards the elevators, “Let’s go see our little girl.” 

They take the stairs, both too anxious to wait for the elevator now they are so close. They give Ines’ details to the paediatrics desk, and for a moment Aaron is sure he’s going to have to stop his wife from yelling at a nurse for just doing his job when he asks for identification. 

Emily takes a moment outside of the room they are directed to, giving herself a second to collect herself, aware that neither Jack nor Ines needed her to be a mess in front of them. Aaron places his hand on his wife’s shoulder, reminding her that he’s there, that he always would be. She puts her hand over his, hoping she can press her gratefulness, her love, from her skin into his. 

She never quite had the words for how she felt about him, for how she felt about her life. She’d grown up surrounded by people who never said what they really thought, every word calculated and purposeful. It left her unable to always express herself in the way she desperately wanted to, the words I love you never feeling enough. Not even scratching the surface of how much she loved him and their children, how she would burn the world down to protect them. 

She blows out a breath as she walks in, her heart seizing in her chest as she sees Ines, the toddler seemingly smaller than she usually was in the large bed she was sleeping in. Jack was asleep on the couch in the corner of the room, a blanket pulled over him and his arms hugging a cushion to his chest. Jessica turns to face the door as it opens, a relieved smile spreading over her face as she sees Emily and Aaron, 

“Hi,” she says as she stands up, walking over and pulling Emily into a brief hug, “I’m so sorry, I should have brought her here sooner.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Emily says, hugging her back, “There’s no way you could have known what would happen.” 

Aaron stores the comment away, making a mental note of it to remind her later when she inevitably blames herself for this, forever holding herself to a standard she’d never use against anybody else. Her concerns about turning into her own mother, something he knew was impossible, always lingering just below the surface. Breaking free through barely healed skin, pushing up through an always festering wound, whenever she considered herself a failure as a parent. 

Emily disconnects from Jessica and walks over to the bed and sits on the edge of it. She looks at Ines, who, apart from the IV in the back of her hand, her soft skin bruised on her arm where she’d clearly had blood tests. Emily reaches out and brushes some of her unruly hair from her forehead, the softness of it against her fingers easing some of the tightness in her chest. 

“The doctor said she’s fine, she should be able to go home tomorrow,” Jessica says, and Emily turns to look at her. 

“Thank you, Jess. For looking after her and staying until we could get here,” Aaron says, pulling his former sister-in-law into a hug. 

“Of course I stayed,” Jess says, rolling her eyes at him as she pulls back, her voice incredulous, “She’s my niece.”

Emily is about to respond, about to tell Jess how grateful she is regardless, how nice it was to know that her daughter was with someone who loved her until she could be there, but she’s cut off by a tiny voice. 

“Mama?” 

She turns back to look at Ines, forcing a smile on her face as her eyes meet her daughters, “Hi sweet girl,” she says, stroking her hand over her hair again, “Mama is here,” she says, her voice shaking a little, “How are you feeling?”

Ines shrugs, “Icky.” 

Emily chokes on a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh and she leans forward to kiss the toddler's forehead, “I’m sorry, baby. Mama is here now,” she says, not sure if she was reassuring herself more with the repetition of her assurance or her little girl. Ines grasps at the collar of her shirt, pulling her towards her with more force than she thought an 18-month-old should have. “Do you want me to snuggle with you?” 

“Snuggle,” Ines says, nodding as she tugs on Emily’s shirt even more, and Emily kisses her forehead before she stands, carefully rearranging the little girl in the bed before she joins her. More of the tension in her chest unfurls as Ines leans against her, curling up in her mother’s arms, the little girl releasing a sigh as she rests her forehead against Emily’s neck. Ines looks over at Aaron, her smile wide like it always was when she looked at her father, “Hi Dada.”

“Hi princess,” he says, closing the gap between him and the bed as he leans in to kiss his daughter’s forehead, “Are you feeling better than earlier? Aunt Jessie said you weren’t very well.” 

She shrugs, “Head hurt.” 

“It’s all better now, though?” Emily asks, lost in her own world with her daughter, her awareness reduced to just the two of them in the bed for a few moments. She smiles as Ines nods against her neck, and she kisses her forehead, “Good. Mama loves you.” 

Ines snuggles into her even further, getting heavier as she starts to fall asleep again, her words slurring together. 

“Love Mama.”

___

They convince Jack to go home with Jess when he wakes up. It takes a while, the boy resistant to leave his sister’s side, but he eventually relents when they promise he’ll see her tomorrow. Emily and Aaron both stay at the hospital, both of them not wanting to let their little girl out of their sight, the latter using his badge to convince the nurses to let them break the usual ‘one parent overnight’ rule. 

Aaron sits next to the bed, his focus on his wife as she watches their daughter sleep, her hand rubbing circles on her back. 

He remembered when they found out they were having a girl, the mix of excitement and fear that had crossed over his wife’s face as she asked the doctor to repeat herself something that was burned into his memory. She’d quietly admitted to him later that same day that she was worried history would repeat itself, that she was cursed to be the same as her mother. He’d assured her it wasn’t the case, that she was already a better mother than hers had ever been, that she had been since the moment she’d stepped into that role in Jack’s life. 

He knew moments like today she’d focus on the parts that seemingly confirmed her worst fears. That the distance between her and their daughter when she was sick was evidence that she was everything she hadn’t wanted to be. She wouldn’t acknowledge the fact that she’d got to her side as quickly as she could, that she’d glared at the air steward on the plane when he tried to make a joke about her nervous energy, or that she’d left work without even thinking about it. Her children her priority, the most important part of her life, which was something Elizabeth had never seemingly been capable of. 

“Are you okay sweetheart?” He asks, his voice low and quiet as he makes sure he doesn’t wake up Ines. 

Emily hums and looks up at him, her lips pressed together, “I…” she swallows thickly, “I don’t know,” she says honestly, closing her eyes in an attempt to stop herself from crying. She presses her lips together and her chin shakes, the emotions that had only been skin deep all evening finally starting to escape, “I wasn’t here, Aaron. She needed me and I wasn’t here.” 

It feels like her chest cracks open, the pressure of everything she’d stuffed in there breaking free, her ribs aching as she tries, and fails to suppress a sob. 

“Oh, Em,” he says softly, encouraging her to stand up, helping her lay Ines down on the bed so she stays asleep. He wraps his arms around his wife and leads her over to the couch, tugging her close and holding her tightly. She holds him back just as fiercely, her hands grasping fistfuls of his jacket as she sinks into him, her cheek against his chest as she keeps her eyes on Ines, her view of the little girl blurred by the constant stream of tears that didn’t seem to be going anywhere how they’d started, “She’s okay. She’s perfectly safe.” 

She pulls back to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed, “She had a seizure Aaron,” she says, biting the inside of her cheek to try to feel anything other than the tension in her chest, “Our little girl had a seizure and I wasn’t there. I was working. I knew she wasn’t well this morning, I knew it and I still went to work. What kind of mother does that make me?” 

“Sweetheart,” he says, his voice firm but kind as he cups her cheek, forcing her to look at him, “You could never have known that would happen. As soon as you knew something was wrong you were on your way here,” he says, stroking her skin, his calluses against her skin soothing, a reminder of his strength, of his love for her, “You’re an excellent mother.”

She sighs, “Honey-”

“I won’t argue with you about this,” he cuts over her, a soft smile on his face, “You’re an excellent mother,” he repeats, “And I know the two youngest Hotchners would agree.” 

She chokes out a sound, not sure what to call it herself, and she nods, too tired to argue with him, wanting nothing more than him to be right. She leans forward and presses her forehead into his shoulder, “Thank you for coming with me, I think I would have killed that air steward if you weren’t there.” 

“You definitely would have,” he quips, kissing the top of her head as he rubs his palm up and down her back, “And you don’t have to thank me,” he says, encouraging her to look at him, “Our family is always my priority too. No matter what.” 

She nods and leans forward, stamping her lips against his. It was moments like this that made her grateful to be the second person who was lucky enough to love him, to build a family with him. That he had learnt from his past, his complete lack of hesitation to come with her today all the proof she would ever need. It isn’t lost on her that he’s held back how he’s feeling, his own fear at their daughter being sick today buried deep in his chest whilst he helped her. 

She’d make sure she gave him the space as soon as he needed it, at the first sign that he was letting his well-constructed barriers down. 

“I love you,” she says, running her fingers through his hair. 

“I love you too,” he says, kissing her before he wipes tears from her cheeks, “Do you want to lay down with her again and try and get some sleep?” 

“God yes,” she replies, kissing him once more before she stands up, she looks at the bed and sighs, “I don’t think we’ll all fit.” 

“That’s okay,” he says, carefully lifting Ines so Emily can get back into the bed, her shoes kicked off and under the bed, “I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

She frowns at him as he settles Ines back onto her chest, “Honey, your back-”

“It will be okay for one night,” he says, even though they both know it’s not true, “Worth it so I can keep an eye on my girls.” 

She rolls her eyes at him as he tucks the sheet around them both, “You’re ridiculous,” she says, smiling softly as Ines shifts in her sleep, “Sweet, but ridiculous.” 

He presses a kiss against each of their foreheads and settles in the chair next to the bed, “Get some sleep, baby,” he says, “And tomorrow we’ll take her home and spoil her.”

“You always spoil her,” she murmurs, kissing the top of Ines’s head as she closes her eyes, the smell of her daughter’s hair soothing her. 

Aaron chuckles in response, watching as she falls asleep, their daughter safely curled up in her arms, “You’re one to talk.” 

-x-

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[minijenn]

Never Been Better (Commission)

Got the first (and so far only) writing commission of this bunch done, for @zexoguy, who wanted some cute MK2 fluff, featuring Ava realizing she's crushing on Lisa. So enjoy!

---

The day Ava realized she was in love with Lisa started just like any other. 

They were spending the afternoon in Little Homeworld, a frequent haunt for the Pines and Universe kids. They were just as well known among the small city’s Gem residents as their parents were, and every bit as welcome. From the moment they arrived, Rebecca was already running about, cheerfully greeting every Gem who happened to pass by. 

“Hi, Nephy! Hi, Lar-mar! Hi, Paddy Pads!” she called out, running over to hug each of them in turn. “Oh my gosh, look, Ty!” she grabbed Tyrone’s arm, excited. “I think I see Auntie Bis over there! Let’s see if she’ll finally build me that rocketship I keep asking her for!” 

Before Tyrone could protest, Rebecca was already pulling him away. Flustered, Comet hurried after them. 

“Becca, wait!” he shouted, worried. “Rockets are really dangerous! A-and besides, Aunt Bismuth doesn’t even build rockets, she builds weapons!”

Abigail snorted out a small laugh as she watched them go. “Talk about easily distracted, am I right?” she smirked at Lisa and Ava. Almost immediately, however, her attention was pulled away to a gathering crowd up ahead. “No way. Are the Citrines about to have an epic dance battle? Now this I gotta see!” 

And just like that, she was off, suddenly leaving Ava and Lisa alone. Neither of them minded much though; they were used to spending time together without any of their siblings. But lately, for whatever reason, their solo outings started to feel… different. 

Or at least, they did to Ava. 

“So, uh…” she cleared her throat, glancing away when Lisa looked in her direction. “Looks like it’s just us. What do you want to do now?”

“Hm…” Lisa thought for a moment. “Well, we could always-”

A sudden clatter cut her off as it rose through the air. The girls turned to spot the danger just as a Gem cried out the warning: “Bramblebeast stampede!”

Bramblebeasts were a relatively new discovery among Gravity Falls’ anomalies. Their antelope-like bodies were made up entirely of living brambles, allowing them to easily blend into the forests they called home. Recently, however, the Gems of Little Homeworld had taken a liking to the largely peaceful creatures, with a few even trying their hand at domesticating them. A feat which, given how frequently they broke out of their enclosure, was easier said than done. 

A sizable thicket of Bramblebeasts charged straight through Little Homeworld’s main road, nearly barreling into countless Gems in the process. While most were easily able to slip out of the stampede’s path in time, Ava’s focus was elsewhere as she desperately glanced around for her sister and her cousin. She could only hope Abigail and Tyrone were safe, Comet and Rebecca too, but she couldn’t say the same for herself as she realized far too late she wouldn’t be able to make a clean getaway. The Bramblebeasts were only a few feet ahead of her, racing straight for her in a blind, uncontrollable rage. All she could do now was brace herself for the inevitable, until–

A hand latched around her arm and pulled her out of the way, just in time. 

Ava only got a glimpse of Lisa after she shoved her to safety. The Bramblebeasts charged past her, and to her surprise, Lisa followed them, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She managed to catch up with the last of the pack, climbing onto its thorny body until she was able to stand atop its back. Her years of training with Connie and Pearl served her well as she kept her balance, leaping from one Bramblebeast to the next. 

Ava stood alongside several Gems as they all watched her daring maneuver, absolutely awestruck. It didn’t take Lisa long to reach the Bramblebeast at the front of the pack, the creature the rest of the thicket was clearly following. She took a tight hold on the twisted vines that served as its horns, letting out a fierce shout as she pulled back on them with all her might. The Bramblebeast reared back, roaring, but Lisa held fast until the creature had no choice but to skid to a sharp stop. The other Bramblebeasts soon did the same, finally putting a stop to the chaotic stampede as several Gems rushed in to properly restrain them. 

Lisa breathed out a sigh of relief as she dismounted the creature. While plenty of Gems offered her praise and gratitude for her quick thinking, she didn’t focus on any of them for too long. Instead, she hurried back over to Ava, who was still standing on the sidelines, still utterly stunned by what she’d just seen. 

“Ava!” she called, concerned. 

“Lisa…” Ava finally remembered how to speak again. “That was… amazing! I can’t believe you just did that!” 

“Heh, yeah,” Lisa chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. “I dunno what came over me. I just… leapt right into the thick of it, just like Mom and Pearl always taught me to. I’m just glad nobody got hurt.”

“Uh, are you sure about that?” Ava asked, frowning. “Your hands are bleeding pretty badly there…”

“Oh,” Lisa frowned down at the multiple cuts stinging her palms. “The Bramblebeasts were pretty thorny. B-but don’t worry! Dad can always heal them up for me later.” She wiped some of the spare blood off on her dress. “I’m fine; how about you?”

The world seemed to grind to a stop when Lisa held her hand out. Ava could only stare at it, at her, utterly captivated by the girl she’d grown up alongside. Her long hair was a mess, her face smeared with dirt, her dress ripped and frayed, and her eyes bright with fading adrenaline. Ava had scarcely ever seen this side of her before, so fierce, so formidable, so brave… 

So beautiful. 

“Y-yeah…” she answered weakly. Though she was still standing, when she took Lisa’s hand, she felt herself falling in another way entirely all the same. “I’ve never been better.”

[aslantes]

The butterfly effect

Levi x reader (fluff, hurt/comfort)

Summary : A scene from the past is repeated and he understands who he has to protect Word Count : 1.2k

TW : Spoilers for ACWNR, characters death (tell me if I missed anything)

Author notes: It’s been more than a year since I wrote something, but I got a random burst of motivation. Hope you’ll like it! Since I don't write a lot, don't hesitate to tell me if you have any suggestions

When Levi was still a teenager and lived in the underground, he needed to be constantly on his guard, on the lookout for the slightest danger. He could only think about his own survival. He couldn’t indulge in a moment of peace, to take time to discover rare little corners of unexplored greenery that didn’t belong to anyone’s territory.

After the arrival of his two faithful companions, he felt responsible for their safety and was more vigilant in the face of this merciless city. Isabel and Furlan also had to be constantly on their guard to avoid being caught or killed. As the months went by, the morale of the three of them began to grow increasingly low. The lack of sunshine, the constant vigilance required to survive, and the dangers lurking around every corner was demoralizing them more and more. Especially Isabel, with her festive and explosive nature, lamented having to hide constantly in old, abandoned houses, where the only animals present were aggressive rats greedy for any piece of food that has fallen on the floor.

Levi, seeing the morale of his two friends at its lowest, decided to show them a corner little known to the other residents of the underground district. He told his friends that he had a place to show them and to follow him. The whole way, Isabel could barely contain her excitement at the surprise of his “big brother”. Once they had arrived at the long-awaited and hoper-for spot, Isabel and Furlan couldn’t hold back a gasp of amazement. The spot had a large round opening in the ceiling, which let in rays of light to illuminate the area. A few adventurous birds pecked at the ground from time to time before flying back to the sky when they wanted, a freedom that the three companions hoped for from the bottom of their hearts.

Occasionally, Levi, Furlan, and Isabel, would come here for a well-deserved break. Isabel enjoyed taming the birds and lightly stroking their fur. One of the three was always on the lookout, keeping an eye on the surrounding area to avoid any surprise attack from the enemy.

That day, it was Levi’s turn to keep an eye out for potential intruders in their makeshift haven. Looking behind some rocks, he saw a small bed of flowers, with an orange butterfly resting on them. He discreetly swept his gaze around to see if anyone was around and knelt, holding out his hand towards the butterfly. He had never seen one in his life, and its orange color reminded him the color of the sky he sometimes saw through the hole before nightfall. Luckily, the butterfly landed on his finger, and he watched it with curiosity and wonder. He gently brought it towards his two friends to show them the fruit of his discovery. When they saw the butterfly, they approached with curiosity and a little mistrust of this foreign insect. Furlan seemed rather indifferent, saying that they shouldn't be distracted by the slightest new thing, but Levi could see in his eyes that he was intrigued and amused by the butterfly. Meanwhile, Isabel was completely absorbed and amazed by the sight of the butterfly, not the slightest bit concerned by Furlan's comments.

As he looked at his two friends, Levi felt a pang of pride in his heart; he had managed to distract his comrades, even for a few moments, from the reality they were enduring in this dirty, unsanitary hole. He told himself that he would do anything to protect them and get them out of that place so that they could have a life filled with little moments of happiness like this one. The butterfly flew away and they watched it fly up into the sky.

~~~~~~

Several years passed, and he was now a member of the Survey Cops, without his two beloved companions, who had perished on their first trip outside the walls. He had hardened himself, both mentally and physically, to guarantee its own survival and the survival of others. He was known for being cold and direct in the way he spoke. He didn't let people penetrate beyond the mental shell he had created for himself. He had this deep-seated fear that he wouldn't be able to protect the people he cared about and that the same tragedy that had happened years ago would happen again if he got too close to someone.

But there was one person he had a soft spot for. He felt as if all his emotions and feelings were mixed into one indistinguishable ball when he thought of you. Wanting to ignore his feelings for you, in fear of realizing how much his affection for you had grown, he tried to maintain a certain professional distance. But despite his best efforts not to get too close, his heart made him do the opposite, and he often found himself offering you a horse ride when you both had free time. It had become the long awaited rendezvous of the week for both of you, although neither of you would admit it.

On a summer's evening, you headed for the same spot as always. A small hill dotted with wild flowers and a tree that provided some much-needed shade from the heat. Once off your horses, you settled down under the tree and a comfortable silence settled in. Only the sound of leaves moving and birds singing in the distance could be heard. The slightly warm wind caressed your cheeks, and you took a deep breath to inhale the summer breeze as you closed your eyes.

After a while, you began to pluck small daisies from around you to make a little bouquet. You stretched to reach more daisies before pausing. A butterfly had just landed on the flowers. Levi looked at you, puzzled to see you frozen, then his gaze moved to where you were looking. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of an orange butterfly. He couldn't help thinking that it was some kind of twist of destiny, even though he knew it wasn't the same butterfly he'd seen before. He looked at you again, his eyes softening at the sight of your sparkling eyes. The faces of his two comrades came back into his mind. A mixture of melancholy and determination filled him. He would protect you, whatever the risks. It would be too painful to lose you. Even if he swore he wouldn't get attached to anyone else, you're too precious for him to let anything happen to you. Even if he must keep his distance, never admitting his new feelings for you, that's okay. He's prepared to endure that if it means you can be happy and safe.

The butterfly flew away. You turned around, approached him, and slipped the small bunch of daisies into the front pocket of his coat and grinned at him. "The butterfly was beautiful, wasn't it? No answer, he froze because of the proximity of your face. "Well, I think it's time to go back, don't you?" you say, getting up and heading towards your horse. "huh huh" he replied, a slight blush on his cheeks and ears. Maybe he won't need to protect you by staying as far away from you as he thought.