#soap mactavish x gender neutral reader

[tomurderornottomurder]

extinguish; soap/johnny mactavish

pair. johnny "soap" mactavish x gn!reader

summ. a recollection of your yearning for johnny. meeting him, becoming friends, taking a bullet for him.

gen. angst

tw. suicidal ideation/thoughts, cod typical violence/themes, one sided crush, word vomit

wc. 3.5k+

note. furiosophie's fanart with the longing that's killing me quote inspired this. shoutout to ghoap for making me want to rip my skin off /pos 

Add a log to the fire of what you call want. You do it as you look over at him. It burns in your chest and he is not looking at you. He looks at you sometimes but not now. Johnny is looking over at Simon who is in turn looking back at him. You, like an animal in a cage on the other side of the room, can only watch. You're wrapping your hands up, getting ready to use your fists against the bag but you keep looking over. You're torturing yourself. You didn't know it at first; that this would not end up good for you. You just saw and you wanted and you followed him until he was gone and you were up against a brick wall with a broken nose from your blind devotion. It used to be better; more bearable. At least you thought it did.

Anyone who set their eyes on Johnny could have easily fallen in love. A large man with an even bigger smile and bright eyes to match and that accent that warms your bones. You can't even understand his words sometimes but it doesn't matter, you still want to hear them, all of them. Anything he has to say to you, you want to hear it again and again. You, new and fresh, are greeted graciously and heartily by him. You two get along like a building on fire. It doesn't take long for a friendship to form. It takes less as you grow closer. It's easy. It's full of love. You're happy. He's smiling. Johnny touches you a lot. It's his nature. He'll bring you into a hug, fistbump you, rest a hand on your shoulder, rest his chin and arms on your shoulder, kick your feet under the table and you'll kick back, take your hand to pull you up after a spar, brush you off his hands dusting ghosting everywhere, ruffle your hair, drag you off by your vest or your arm, tackle you only having protected you of course, hold you in his arms under heavy gunfire, pat your back after a mission well done, lean over and whisper tell you something stupid to make you laugh, pull you in by your gunbelt a quick means to get your attention, ghost his fingers over a particularly bad cut make sure it's okay you're okay, hold pressure onto a bullet wound try to stop the blood from flowing, hold and pat your face when the blood loss is too much, and he'll brush your hair out of your face when you wake up in a bed the next morning wrapped up and connected to machines in a blaring-white room that hurts your eyes until they settle upon him the dark contrast you need. But you're getting ahead of yourself now.

Johnny cares. He cares about you, his team, his mission. He's sweet and maybe naive sometimes, he's not dumb or innocent by any means. He just doesn't know what he does. What he does to someone like you. An easy persuasion; he's an easy sell. He's easy to look at, get along with. There's not exactly anything special he does for you, he's just this way to everyone. He likes to be loved; he likes to love. It's easy for him. It's not easy for you.

On certain days, you find that your chest hurts real bad like it's getting squeezed and swallowed whole by the vest you're wearing but taking it off doesn't ease the pain. What is this? You're not yet able to pinpoint the source of the pain. All you know is that it aches. You try to be cautious and observant. Through the next day, you notice a distinct lack of it until you see him. Your eyes land on Johnny and that squeezing, suffocating feeling comes back. It clicks. 

You don't know why you've always been prone to love so hard that it hurts but it makes it easy to know at least for yourself. You know this is ridiculous. You've known him maybe two months. You don't love him. You tell yourself this. And you don't love him. 

There are more important things than love when you're getting shot at. What is wrong with you that you have to look at him not to make sure he's okay but just to see him? You're an idiot and he tells you that in frustration when you nearly get grazed by a bullet just above your head. You're lucky he was there but if he wasn't the problem would have never arisen. You don't tell him this. He's your friend. He's your teammate. He's not your boyfriend. He's not your husband. He's not your lover. You are something to him more than nothing but not nearly enough. 

You get back to base with him nearly stuck to your side. You know he's angry and at you. You know that this was stupid. You just had to focus and you couldn't even do that. You get back to somewhere private, your room his room, you can't remember. He's scolding you like you're a child. He's not yelling outright but he's loud. You would adore this attention if it was for anything else. This one on one. His eyes on you, burning through you with something you can't decipher. How close he is to you. How he cares about you and if you'd die. 

A long moment and then, you tell him you were distracted. Not by what, you can't. You were distracted, that's all. It's simple. He seems to grow more infuriated by these words. Distracted? He spits venomously, his head tilting as if to understand you better. You could have died. You know that. Johnny takes you by your shoulders now. He talks and he tells you things, he pleads with you and he tries to understand. It's hard to know what to say when he doesn't have all the information. You just stand there like a ragdoll as he holds onto you and your shoulders and he shakes you a bit, not intentionally or maliciously just out of his own pure desperation to understand you in this moment, to know what the hell is going on. Why did you almost get shot in the head from a distraction? What could have possibly distracted you that much?

You won't give him any more information and maybe he understands. He sighs loudly, his grip on your shoulders faltering before he pulls away altogether. He brings you into a hug, grabbing your head and holding it in a way. You scared me. He says. I scared myself. You don't say. Sometimes you think back and you wish you could have taken that bullet. It would have been easier than all of this. All of what is to come. But still, this memory is fond and you hold on to it for dear life. How he held you like you were his own. How he cared if you died. 

Later that same night, when you're undressing to bandage an old but still-there wound, you see something. You look over to make sure you're not making this up. On your shoulder his fingers. Bruises starting to form on both your shoulders because he had held you so tight. You brush your fingers over them. Your breath hitches. It's like he's still there. He's holding you in his absence. He loves you in a way. His fingers are still on you. You can feel them. You close your eyes and you can see him in front of you. He's looking you in the eye, he's holding your shoulders, he's digging into your flesh in a comforting way. He loves you somehow. 

You don't ever mention it. You keep this one thing for yourself. You wanna savor it like a tongue in your mouth. 

You tried to let this go, let it wash away. The almost bullet tells you it won't. It takes time and maybe it's a month, you can't remember, you decide. You decide you can tell him. You decide to try. You can't remember if it's a month or a week or what it was. You only remember deciding.

Something becomes real when you see it. And you watch your chance at whatever this is diminish right in front of your eyes in real-time when Johnny walks over to Simon, his heavy hand resting on the larger man's shoulder. Not squeezing as he had yours. Resting. This is an important difference. It's not only that, no. But that does make you hesitate. This isn't a good time you think to yourself. Try again later.

Later. His eyes on his face; you could never do that. Simon is looking at Johnny like he's the light of the world and you know this to be true. Johnny looks back at Simon like he is another light of the world, possibly brighter. Your stomach churns. You feel sick. The urge to throw up churns in your belly and burns up your throat. It almost spills past your lips. Nothing spills but a tear maybe more than one past your eyes. What is this? WHY ARE YOU CRYING? 

You do more than squeeze, digging your nails into the flesh of your shoulder so that by some miracle you can feel Johnny's long distant fingers on your skin. It doesn't work. You watch the two for a little longer. Why are you torturing yourself? Is that your voice or Johnny's? 

John's got blood on his face, Simon sees this. Simon's got blood on his mask and you've got blood in your heart. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Why can't he look at you like that?

Why can't he look at you like that?

Why can't he look at you like that?

Your ears are ringing when you leave with the two men. Why can't he look at you like that? You make no attempt to stray away from Simon or draw close to Johnny. Why can't he look at you like that? You sit in the carrier miserably. Why can't he look at you like that? Your eyes are on the floor. You try not to make a big deal out of it. You can't.

Now, you know why. 

Even later. It's late at night. It's dark, pitch black, there are no stars. You're outside on the ground. You're not crying yet just thinking. You know it's a bad idea. You think of the times you've seen them together. One night, Johnny comes out of the Lieutenant's room, everyone else laughing at the sight, not you. You manage a dry smile. That's it. There isn't even jealousy; just loss. The two sparring across from you while you spar with Gaz. Your eyes focused on something else, your ears unable to hear anything but the soft laughs, grunts, groans, and soon victorious noises coming from the Scotsman. Simon's quiet while Johnny makes all the noise. Gaz pins you to the mat and you don't even realize. Their conversations over comms make your ears bleed. Not because you want to be Simon, you want to be you and loved. You don't wish to take them away from each other, you just ache as you watch. You want to be you and seen.

There's something people should know about loving. That jealousy is not the end all be all. That you can let your love be loved. That destruction isn't necessary. You can suffer through it. You can let them not know, never know how much you love them because it's not necessary to tell them. You don't need to hurt them with the weight of knowing. That you have stared at them and seen them in worse ways and that you have chosen to continue and maybe it's not even a choice. It's an endless devotion you can't pull yourself away from. Because you could do whatever they asked and you would do whatever they want and you will be okay with it because they don't need to love you for you to love them. There is nothing saying that this must be mutual.

To know them is enough.

There are more moments. You see things all the time. You just push down the ache and continue on. You try not to watch them but sometimes you imagine yourself with him. In Simon's place maybe just for this fantasy so you can feel better about yourself. So in some place in the universe, he loves you. Even if it's fake, it feels good. It doesn't have to be real, it just has to feel good.

A sudden yet gradual distance is created between you and John. One day, he seems to notice it. He tries to touch you and without thinking, you move away. As if his hand were going to poison you, you avoid it like the plague. The disappointed look on his face does not escape you. John looks at you for a moment and even then, he doesn't look at you like he looks at him. You would laugh if you could manage it. Then he takes a seat next to you. He touches you again but this time you don't move. His hand is on your knee. Everything alright? He asks. It sounds lighthearted almost but it's serious, warm, worried, concerned. He's looking at you softly, his eyes are soft, his expression soft. He's waiting for you. 

You can't remember what happens next. All you know is that he doesn't know the truth. And that's fine. He shouldn't have to.

You make no effort to become closer. You do nothing. Ebbing and flowing how it may, you let it be.

Though you have given up in a sense, your heart still feels. It kills you really. It's like it wants to squeeze out its last drop of blood for him. It's like you'd slit your wrists for him and he wouldn't even have to ask. You'd already know to do it. 

You swear you didn't do this on purpose. You didn't mean it really. It just happened. Your body moved before your mind could process what was about to happen. You took a bullet for him because of course, you did. There was no thought behind it really. It just happened. You did not mean to save his life though you have always wanted to. This, and I stress, this was pure coincidence. An accident. Sure, you wanted to die for love but you didn't even think about this.

As soon as the shot rings out and you can feel the noise reverberating in your ears, you crumple to the ground. In front of him. This is not a nothing-shot. This is everything. This is internal bleeding and artery collapse. This is avoiding death by a miracle. This is not nothing.

You can barely feel his arms as they wrap around you, holding you like you're about to die. You don't even care anymore. You're cold and he's warm but you can't even feel it. It doesn't feel good to be held like this. You don't want to be held like this. You don't care if you die but it doesn't feel good to be dying. Not in his arms. You cannot die in his arms. This isn't what you want. 

John cradles you like a baby. He's holding you. You should be in heaven now but you can't even feel it. There is nothing worse than what you want. He's pulled you up onto himself now. Your head is propped up against his stomach. Your body is laid over his legs. He's holding your head the same way he did so, so long ago. You smile at that. You feel tears. You miss being held like you aren't about to die. You don't cry. You just close your eyes. You can feel his hands all over you. You wanted something like this, you remember, but this isn't it. This isn't what you wanted. This is some perversion of a thing you've never thought about. You did not want to die in his arms. 

He's holding you and holding you and you're starting to drift off somewhere else. He touches your face, tries to bring you back to himself. It works a few times. But like any old worn thing, it runs out of use. So, he holds you and continues to hold you. He thinks you might be dead but only for a fleeting millisecond. He can't think about that right now. You're not dead. You're in his arms, safe. You're with him. You're okay. You're in his arms so you're fine. He has you. He's holding onto you. You will be fine. He just has to get you out of here. He watches your eyes close for the last time and guilt shoots up his spine like a bullet. He'll get you out of here. He knows that.

You don't die. At least that one wish is granted to you. You don't die in his arms. Later you'd be grateful but now as you wake in a bright, white room you're only confused. You squint, trying not to take in all the light as it pierces your eyes. You hear something at your side, someone. Before you can turn to see, Johnny is on you like a hound. He's right up close and personal. Not too far away from your face. He takes up your whole view. You're glad for it. He's easy on the eyes. He's not harsh like this room around you. You feel him take your hand that you can't seem to move. Is it the drugs or the injury?

You could have died. Oh, doesn't that sound familiar? Johnny's not angry this time. He looks sad. What did you do to him? How could you do this to him? What's wrong with you? Guilt flows through your fingers like a shock of electricity. You still can't move your hands. 

I know. You croak. 

Why? He asks.

You don't know. You hadn't even thought about it. You just moved and you were in the right place. Johnny was safe. That's all that mattered really. What's the problem if you take the bullet for him? You weren't dead. You were far from dead. You were looking at him. He was looking at you. Isn't that all you could ask for? 

Then like bricks falling from the heavens, crashing against your ribs, and puncturing your lungs, you let it out. A sharp inhale before the sobs of a young man broken. Shaky breaths, tears, painful cries, a trembling body, shallow inhales, sputtering, lamented sobs all at once in succession. And because Johnny loves you in a way that you don't love him, he holds you. That's all he can do. He listens as you cry and whisper hoarse I'm sorry's. He strokes your hair. He holds you against him. He doesn't know why you're really crying and he's too naive to ever think about questioning it. He takes you at face value. He lets you do whatever you need as you're in his arms, alone in this hospital room, only your cries and his soft reassurances sounding out. You need this. He lets you have it.

Time goes on as it must. You get over yourself but not over Johnny. The pain in your abdomen never lets you forget. You don't think you'd even want to. What was the point then to have felt all that? 

You continue wrapping your hands and glancing Johnny's way as if he'd spare you the same look he dished out constantly to Simon. He loves you, he does. He loves you the way friends love each other, not how you love him. You're almost content with the idea. Not so much the practice. But you're not going to do anything. You're not going to hurt Simon or Johnny because you didn't know how to speak up sooner. It is your fault, after all. There is no one to blame but yourself for your actions or lack thereof. 

You finish wrapping your hands and stand up. Simon and Johnny's eyes land on you for a moment. Simon nods at you and you nod back and Johnny smiles -that same smile you can't get over, the smile that makes all new recruits weak in the knees, the smile that won him Simon (and you), the smile that you wish would only be yours when you got home- before pumping his fist in the air like his own seal of approval. He turns back toward Simon as you approach the punching bag. You grab it, hold it steady like you would if you could hold Johnny's hips. Then you let out your first punch and barrage after barrage after that. It's therapeutic in a way. You imagine it as yourself. You imagine dying before it got worse. You imagine dying in his arms. You imagine that you didn't get used to it.

Stoking the flames can only last so long. The fire might still burn in your chest but one day, one day it should extinguish. You just have to wait for it.

[stargirlrchive]

johnny’s favorite thing ever is when your fingers are wrapped around the base of his cock but you’re talking to him about the most random shit ever.

like you’re ranting and raving about a new plant you saw at your local market, but his sticky cum is coating your fingers as you jerk your hand up and down his pretty dick.

his eyebrows pinched in concentration as he tries to focus on your babbling but fuck your hand looks so pretty wrapped around him. swirling your palm against the tip before you’re back to jerking him off.

his hips are stuttering, fucking up into your fist and it’s like you don’t even fuckin’ notice that he’s about to cum. your hand gliding up and down his cock like second nature.

“it was just really pretty, would match well in my office but too damn expensive.”

and then your eyes are snapping down to his cock in your hand, as if you’re surprised with the hot sticky liquid now coating your fingers after he came.

“fuckin’ ‘ell, bonnie. you and your rambling.”

[skyrigel]

Clingy!Simon Riley who's having a heart bloom when he see's you with Cherry in the dog adoption centre.

Clingy! Simon Riley who loves to see you play with Cherry in park and obviously gets a baby fever when he saw you with little kids.

Clingy! Simon Riley who get's only a little jealous when he can't sleep in your lap when Cherry is already claiming it.

Clingy! Simon Riley who stiffles a whine when you are not home, walking Cherry out while he so wants to kiss you, feel you and love you.

Clingy! Simon Riley who hates the worry that crosses your eyes when Cherry gets sick, hates how the skin under eyes turns bruising purple with the lack of sleep as you both sit there, cradling your little baby Cherry.

Clingy! Simon Riley who can't fuck you on the kitchen counter when Cherry is wiggling it's tail, wanting more in the clean licked bowl.

Clingy! Simon Riley who's so desperate and jealous that he has to call Soap in the middle of the night, begging him to steal Cherry.

Clingy! Simon Riley who changes his mind as he loves how soft and angelic you look with the furry little attention seeker beast snuggled to you, his family, his home, much dismay to a annoyed Soap who's bristling outside your apartment.

Clingy! Simon Riley who joins you and Cherry in bed, wrapping his arms around your waist as he kisses your forehead and then Cherry's.

Clingy! Simon Riley who chuckles softly when you nuzzle closer to him, whispering a sleepy 'I love you'

Clingy! Simon Riley who takes out Cherry for a walk when you were tired, melting when Cherry runs to lick your face as little beasty spots you on the doorstep, " We both love mama, don't we Cherry ? " He smiles, kissing your nose tip as Cherry wiggled and circled around mama and dada.

Masterlist

For my fiance @herdarkangel

[eyelambspider]

𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 '𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝' 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 || 𝐂𝐎𝐃

┊𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : he shouldn't have any say in what you do... so then why does seeing you with this guy piss him off so much?

┊𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : könig, ghost, soap, gaz, price, horangi x operator!gn!reader ┊𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 : jealousy, unestablished relationships, swearing, hints of 'unwarranted' possessiveness ┊𝐚/𝐧 : thought i was dead?-heh

▹ König

König's day was going just about the same as every other, dull and moving through the halls of KorTac's base with purpose. Always a head taller than everyone, his mask hiding everything but the cold, tired eyes behind it. The bases' personnel and operators move by him in a blur, people parting instinctively to let him move past... nothing quite interesting until he hears a familiar laugh, like the sound of bells to his ears.

His head immediately turns to the right, and sure enough, there you are: a lingering smile brightening up your eyes, talking to a group of soldiers.

He watches the brief exchange that occurs in a matter of seconds.

You playfully shove a handsome man next to you, who shares your laugh, his face full of unbridled adoration, like a puppies. And when you turn to leave with a shake of your head, the man pipes up, watching you go. "See ya around then, babe."

The nickname sends a cold zing up the Colonel's spine, his whole body tensing in a manner that leaves him stunned; as if he'd been slapped in the face by that simple word. Unable to digest the new, ugly emotion swirling in the pit of his stomach, he just-stands there, wondering why the fuck that just got on his nerves. His fists balled so tightly that his gloves strain and the fabric squeaks in protest.

▹ Simon "Ghost" Riley

The mission was over, for now.

The Lieutenant had seen you take a hit out there, nothing too serious, but in the buzz and frantic 'running arounds' of medics and soldiers after the extraction helo had landed... he was going to check up on you.

It hardly took a moment before Ghost had caught up to where you were.

Rounding the corner, the tall masked man paused at the sight.

"Should be nothing to worry about," the medic assured you, the two of you sat facing each other, in your own little bubble as the man gently cleaned up a small gash at your hairline, his hand holding yours for comfort.

"Wouldn't want to leave a scar on a face like yours," the medic beamed with natural charm and a set of pearly teeth.

Ghosts hand clamped onto the mans shoulder before he could really think, gloved fingers digging in a little too tightly.

"It's just a fucking cut," his deep voice gritted out, effectively dismissing the medic who nodded and quickly stood up to leave.

Ghost watched him like a hawk, brown eyes searing into the flesh of the man until he was effectively out of view. Subtly, with him gone, the Lieutenant relaxed now left with an awkward unnamed air between the two of you.

He folded his arms over his chest and sighed, glancing down at you with a keenly softer look, "...Want me to help you with that?" He finally, begrudgingly asked. He had sent the medic away for fucks sake. Brilliant.

▹ John "Soap" MacTavish

Dirt from the hangar's tarmac crunched under his boots with a soft crunch.

For the next couple of missions, Soap was set to be working quiet closely with you and a few others. Something MacTavish was aware of, and quite honestly, looking forward to.

There was a sort of enthusiastic smile lingering on his face as he walked towards the truck. The engines were already rumbling to life, soldiers and the drivers clambering up and settling in the back.

It was then that he spotted you, and his grin only grew wider, mouth opening to greet you and get your attention... until he saw it clear as day.

As you turned your head towards the truck, ready to step up into the back and unaware of his gaze... he saw a little red mark just above your pulse point.

The Sergeant nearly stopped, legs tensing as he walked, his natural smile faltering for the briefest of moments until you turned your head towards him and like a light, it returned as if it was never gone.

"Lookin' forward to the mission?" He asked, lips curling into a grin that hid the small vein of annoyance on his temple.

When you looked away again, his blue eyes flickered down to the hickey on your skin, the grip on his gun tightening ever so softly as he hopped into the truck after you. Sure to sit close enough that his thigh pressed against yours. And god he couldn't look away from that stain on your skin for the life of him, a firm, uncharacteristic line forming between his brows whenever you weren't looking.

▹ Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

The Captain had told everyone to check their ammo and weapons before they headed out.

Gaz, holding no argument, went to do just that, happy to see you standing under the tent with your gun in hand. He watched subtly as he approached, the way your fingers seemed to float over the metal as you inspected your gun, eyes narrowed calmly in concentration. It was a sight that never got old.

"Got what you need?" He chirped up, standing next to you and pausing in front of the table of weapons.

There was an unfamiliar flicker of color dangling from the side of your gun.

A little silver charm of a bullet with something inscribed on it.

He recognized the thing almost immediately. A weapon charm; sure tons of soldiers decided to keep a little 'lucky' one with them, but this one in particular...

Well, the last time he saw this one, it had been on the gun of another soldier he had seen you talking to not a week ago.

So why the hell did you have it?

Gaz cleared his throat and pulled his gaze away, picking up a gun and slamming the clip into the gun with a loud click, suddenly riled up a bit.

"Think that little trinkets gonna bring ya luck?" He teased with a handsome grin, annoyance hidden beneath his light tone.

"Don't worry, you got me with you," he grinned and forced himself to walk away as if the damned thing hanging off your gun and the man who must've given it to you didn't secretly irk him.

▹ John Price

The Captain, for one reason or another was looking for you. Needed a quick talk before the next mission Laswell would be sending you all on.

He knew where to find you, of course, and made his way over with purpose. He paused a bit when he saw you standing next to a young man, about the same age as you, who he'd never seen before.

Odd, since the two of you seemed as thick as thieves. Laughing, gently pushing each other and excitedly chatting about things he couldn't quite understand the context of. A shared joke or old memory, Price assumed as he got closer to the pair of you.

Closer now, the man's face seemed... vaguely familiar, but nothing important immediately came to mind. Until the young bucks eyes fell down to yours with a soft adoration.

Like a light, he had connected the dots then.

He had seen that same expression in a photo you showed to him once, a picture of you and some other rookies back when you first enlisted... back when Price hadn't known you.

"Ah, sorry to cut in but-" The Captain began, clearing his throat with a kind smile that belied the gnawing at his chest from the sight of you getting along so easily with...

He sighed internally, clearly not sorry from cutting in on your little 'reunion' that was too friendly by his standards.

"I'm afraid we'll have to save introductions for some other time," he mused dryly, gloved hands resting on the straps of his vest before he nodded his head to the side, signalling for you to come along with him. Far away, hopefully.

"You're taking up my teams time," the Captains gruff voice cut through with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, 'half-joking' with your... old friend.

Before either of you could say anything, Price had already started walking, his hand hovering over your shoulder, urging you to turn around and walk with him. Gritting his teeth through a strained smile.

▹ Kim "Horangi" Hong-jin

He could hardly take it anymore.

There was always this... slimy feeling in his chest whenever he caught a glimpse of you.

Well-not you exactly-but you and that damned- He stopped himself and sucked in a deep, forced breath through his teeth.

Although no one could see his face, everyone around him sensed the tension rolling off him in droves. Muscles tight, grumpy, and currently: swearing in Korean curses under his breath.

His eyes, though covered by dark lenses, stared straight ahead at a sight that shouldn't have disturbed him as much as it did.

There, sitting across the room you sat with a new operator. A man who had barely worked with you for all of a month, yet here you two were: sitting shoulder to shoulder, finding out you had more and more in common because you both came from the same country.

His eyes narrowed slightly gaze flickering to the same flag patch that sat on your uniform and his. Matching.

Horangi had no right to be jealous, he knew it, but he also knew that for whatever reason... he was.

His eyes flickered to the floor, sitting with his elbows propped on his knees, grumbling some more to himself with a heated sigh.

What the hell was he going to do about this? Millions of ideas started flickering in his minds eye, massaging his knuckles as a plan threatened to take shape.

[paradisewithinpain]

my take on "the hero would sacrifice you to save the world but the villain would sacrifice the world to save you" & tf141....

DARK THEMES, PLEASE BE WARNED

we all know these men are soldiers through and through. they put their lives on the line for the good of the world and they do it no questions asked.

but when it comes to you?

fuck that

there is nothing, and i mean nothing, that will stop these boys from keeping you alive and happy.

JOHN PRICE knows the power he holds. he knows the respect and fear that ranks both above and below him have for him. he knows that and he's going to abuse it when it comes to you.

you come to base and someone's bothering you? they're answering to a pissed off captain who doesn't give two shits about the morality of his punishment. as long as his love is happy, he's happy.

and who cares if he sends that idiot of a soldier into a situation where he's sure there's a good chance he won't make it out? price claims it to be "good experience". no one but him needs to know that it's more of an execution than anything

SIMON RILEY is the guard dog you never thought you'd need but boy are you glad you have him. walking places is a mindless activity knowing you have a giant of a man watching every single moving thing that enters your presence.

he was a weapon of mass destruction when he wanted to he. and when you came home crying, telling him about the store clerk who yelled at you because you tried to them that they over charged you for an item, he knew that his brute strength was needed.

and who cares if the store clerk was found outside in the alley by the shop, their face bashed in over and over and over again until they were almost unrecognizable? that's one less employ the store had to pay

JOHNNY MACTAVISH is a dedicated lover and an even more dedicated demolitionist. he's constantly showing you his silly little notebooks that are detailed with fun chemical reactions and ways to make green fire using sugar and boric acid. it's always fun to keep you entertained and a smile on your face brings a smile to his

but when you come home from work and that smile is no where to be found, he's immediately inquiring why. when you tell him about your shitty boss and the horrible way you've been treated, he's immediately pulling out his notebook and distracting you with silly chemical reactions and even putting on a small show for you to cheer you up.

and who cares if a week later your boss was found dead in his apartment, some type of untracable lethal poison infused in his coffee? you had always liked the assistant director better anyway.

KYLE GARRICK was a sweetheart through and through. he sweet talked his way into your life and you're glad you let him. his affirmations were always what you needed and when you needed. the way he'd hold you in his arms and whisper all the incredible things he saw in you never failed to warm your heart. he was observant and smart, seeing right through you and everyone else around him.

so when you had to delete a few nasty messages on social media after kyle made a post about you, he was less than pleased. he took you and your happiness very seriously. he posted you because he wanted to. he loved showing you off and he wanted the world to see how happy you made him. a few anonymous profiles weren't going to change that.

so who cares if their names, jobs, profiles, browsing history, and text messages were all exposed? the nasty information was all kyle needed to know that those men would never see the light of day again

[ghostsforghosts]

The 141 boys with a partner who isn't what people expect. Because they love you regardless of how you are, damn what society thinks.

You're not conventionally attractive? Beauty is subjective and Soap is happily kissing each and every part of yourself that you are insecure about. He will tell you all of the ways you make him feral for you.

You're not skinny/not physically fit? Gaz loves the extra fat you have, loves to grip your love handles when you two are having sex. He loves your curves and how your body is unique to you.

You're not a woman (could be a man or nonbinary)? Price doesn't give a shit about what society says about him for dating someone who is not a woman. Love is love and he's still the same soldier he is at the end of the day, regardless of your gender.

You have a disability (physical or mental)? Ghost will gladly accommodate to your needs because he loves you for you, which includes whatever disability you have. He will shut down any thoughts of you being a burden on him, whether you say you are or if someone else says it.

Just... the 141 boys and them defending you from what society thinks.

Requests are open!

[d0youc0py]

Heyyy. This might b triggering so it’s okay if u don’t do it, but how would 141 + Konig react if reader was @ her friends house and got in the middle of an argument between friend + her bf and friends bf ended up hitting reader? (Kinda self indulgent 🫣)

“You always do this Simon!” You growled, shoving some clothes into an overnight bag.

“Do what?” He snapped back. He stood in the doorway, trying to slow his breathing. He was upset- more than upset, but he refused to loose his patience with you. “Just want to keep you safe kid.” He reminded.

“You’re trying to isolate me!” You shouted, making your way towards the bathroom. “Every time I try to do anything you always tell me it’s not safe- or that I shouldn’t trust this person. Newsflash Simon I have been able to survive on this earth without you.”

“I don’t like him.” He held strong. He wouldn’t compromise with you if he felt you were at risk. Your friend had invited you to spend the night at her house for a sleepover, and when you broke the news to Simon his first question was: ‘will that slag of hers be there?’ To be honest you hadn’t even thought about it. Why did it matter if he was there? You knew Simon trusted you but his constant distrust of other people was starting to wear on you.

“That doesn’t really matter Simon.” You sighed. You stood in front of him expectantly, waiting for him to move out of the frame. “Besides what evidence to you have against him?”

“He’s a strange man.” He responded.

“He’s not a stranger Simon. We’ve been on like three double dates with them.” You huffed, taking it upon yourself to push past him when he refused to move. He growled to himself, following you around the flat. Suddenly his hands gripped your hips pulling you back towards him. His neck bent down and you instinctually made room for his head by tilting yours to the side.

“Just stay home with me tonight, yeah?” The anger left your body at his soft words and the small kisses placed against your neck. “Or at least say you can’t spend the night. No reason for you to be away for that long.” You turned in his arms, placing a kiss against his chin.

“Simon I’ll be fine, yeah?” You murmured, causing another huff to escape him.

•••

That turned out to be a fat lie.

“Do you think Simon’s going to propose anytime soon?” She asked causing you to flush. “You two have been together for what, three, four years?”

“Just two.” You corrected politely. “I don’t know honestly, haven’t really thought about it much.”

“Such a lie.” She snickered, wiggling her brows at you. You rolled your eyes waving her off.

“Keep it down in there!” You both jumped at the sudden boom from the living room.

“Sorry Rick!” Your friend shouted, seemingly unbothered by his nasty tone. A pit formed in your stomach.

“He always talk to you like that?” You asked, keeping your voice down. She looked at you with a small smile.

“Just when I’m bothering him. Surely Simon snaps at you.” She explained. How could she not realize how out of touch her statement was.

“Not like that.” You said.

“What’s that suppose to mean?” You winced as Ricks voice rung out from behind you. How the hell were you suppose to get out of this one? “You comin into my house, filling my girls head with shite?” He snarled. You quickly stood up.

“No, course not.” You smiled, making your way towards the door.

“I’m good to her.” He huffed, following your footsteps. You nodded your head in agreement.

“I’m sure you are.” You offered a weak smile, peaking behind you to make sure you didn’t trip over any furniture. His arm darted out gripping yours, tugging you close to him.

“You’re sure?” He pressed. You were a quivering mess at this point. Fear and adrenaline being to much for your body to process.

“Rick!” Your friend yelled. He threw a harsh ‘shut up’ over his shoulder. Your mind raced trying to remember even just one technique Simon had showed you. You wished you had payed more attention, instead of just staring at his arms the whole time.

“You’re sure?” He growled again giving you a shake.

“Stop!” You shouted. It was met with a harsh smack to your face.

“I’ve got neighbors you little”- His words were cut off as Simon’s words finally rang through your head:

“When in doubt, aim for the balls or the throat.”

You decided the first one was the most viable option. It had caught him off guard enough to loosen his grip and it was all you needed, slamming the front door shut behind you. You had made it down the flight of stairs, your hands searching your pockets for your phone only to realize you had left it inside.

“Fuck.” You whimpered, trying to make heads or tails of where you were. You weren’t overly familiar with this area. But you were familiar with the fast approaching figure heading towards you. “Simon.” You gasped, hurdling yourself towards him. You didn’t know why he was here but you sure as shit weren’t complaining.

Even through your own shakes you could feel him tremble against you. You let out a sob as he tried to pull away from you.

“He touch you?” He growled, none of it’s malice towards you. Your cheek burned and you could only imagine the mark it had left.

“I want to go home.” You sputtered, burying your face in the safety of his shoulder. He swallowed down his anger to the best of his ability.

“Alright, sweetheart.” He murmured against your head. He carried you to the truck, buckling you up. He continued to let you cling to him until you had calmed, and the loudest thing between you two was his pounding heartbeat. “Tell me what happened, yeah?” He hummed, trying his hardest to fake some calmness.

“He grabbed my arm.” You whispered. His chest heaved. “And”- you cut yourself off. Taking a small breath you pulled away from him, his heated eyes quickly falling on the bruise already spreading over half your face. His face flushed, but he was able to hold in the burning of his body.

“Sweetheart.” He said slowly. He pressed his lips against your forehead. “Give me the apartment number.”

“1G.” You said, with surprisingly little hesitation. Whatever Simon was about to do, it was deserved.

When Simon came back he was shockingly clean, and shockingly poised. He tossed your overnight bag into the back seat and handed you your phone when he got into the drivers seat.

“Simon”- he cut you off by tangling both your hands with one of his, pulling out of the parking garage. You didn’t need to know. You didn’t need to know that he had broken down a door- and almost every bone in that man’s body. That he had been waiting outside the apartment building for the past three hours, stewing in his own protectiveness. Your friend wasn’t even mad. She didn’t bat an eye when Simon asked to use her bathroom to clean himself up a bit- not wanting that man’s blood anywhere near your precious body.

He brought your hands up pressing a kiss against your knuckles, pulling into the grocery store parking lot for a bag of frozen peas and ice cream.

He wasn’t suppose to be home yet. He had at least another week away- another week for your bruised face to heal. It had just began to look better, the harsh purple color fading to more of a greenish yellow color.

He opened the door, steadying himself for the only attack he actually enjoyed. Your pressing yourself as close to him as you could, tangling your limbs with any part of him, your lips suffocating any thought he had other than he was finally home with you. His stomach dropped when it never came, shutting to door behind him his bag thumping loud against the floor.

“Sweetheart?” His voice boomed, the worst running through his head. He reminded himself he wasn’t suppose to be home for another week and that you weren’t expecting him. Yet your car was in the driveway and there was still no sign of you.

“I’m here.” His shoulders relaxed, your voice melting his brain just right.

“Where are y”- he stopped himself. You were standing in front of him. The realization as to why you weren’t all over him right now crashing down on him harder than a bullet. You- his literal everything- adorned with a sickening brush on your cheek. The same cheek he would brush his beard against to make you laugh. The same cheek his fingers would stroke to self soothe when his brain was just too loud. The same cheek that would flush berry red when he mumbled certain things against you.

“I can explain.” You said quickly, allowing him to maneuver the two of you to the couch. You quickly found your designated spot on his lap, hoping your touch would cause the storm that was about to ensure lighten.

“I want a name.” His voice was calm. Too calm.

“It was an accident. Fell in the garden and hit myself on that big rock you keep telling me to look out for.”

He wasn’t buying it. His face stone cold, as his thumb traced over the healing brush gently.

“I’ll be good.” He assured. He couldn’t fathom why you wanted to protect this person. Must’ve been someone you knew. “Name, please.”

“John.” You whined, clawing at his shirt. He huffed and relaxed you against him, resting his cheek against the top of your head.

“You don’t want to tell me because you think I’ll overreact.” He couldn’t even blame you for that. The man would happily start a war over you. “I won’t touch ‘em, I promise.” He whispered. His hand rubbed up and down your back and you realized just how much you needed the comfort. His hand stopped at your neck, massaging the tense muscles. “Just need to know who hurt my love, hmm?”

“Promise you won’t hurt anyone?” You insisted using his chest to cover up a yawn. He hummed, nodding his head.

“Rick. Remember Kelsey’s boyfriend? I went over to her house and he showed up drunk yelling at her about some fight they had earlier. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut and before I knew it he hit me.” You explained. The normally comfortable body under you had turned ridged, his heartbeat drumming against your ear. “John?”

“That wasn’t so hard was it?” He chuckled slowly against your temple. “Did you”-

“Put a frozen steak on it? Yeah.”

“I’m sorry that happened darling.” He sighed. His large hands gripped your sides pulling you away from him just for a moment. “If something like that ever happens again you call me, understand?” His eyebrow rose to show his seriousness.

“Yes sir.” You swore a small smile on your lips.

He had kept his promise- he didn’t hurt anyone. But he couldn’t allow someone who hurt you live a comfortable life. It would go against his oath to you if he did.

And besides, someone has to make the enemy afraid of the dark.

He should’ve know better than to leave you alone. He thought that for just one moment while he went to the bathroom it would be safe. You had been tucked under his arm the whole evening, so everyone knew who you were there with. It was his fault for assuming his physique was enough to keep any unwanted advancements away. Time slowed as he came out of the bathroom, his trained eyes spotting you right where he had left you, except you were on the floor. Tears streaming down that perfect face of yours, your own hand cupping your cheek. He didn’t even need to see your best friend pulling at her boyfriends arm in shock- or the way his green eyes stared at his own hand like it had just appeared out of thin air to know what had happened.

Johnny was by your side in an instant, pulling your hazy body to its feet. He’d experienced this before on the field. Everything moving in slow motion- hyper focusing on the important things. Right now it was you.

“Mac.” You gasped, your fingers curling into his shirt sleeve. Like a shockwave he was pulled back into real time. The loud chatter of the bar. The smell of cigarettes and stale beer. The fear rolling off of you. It made his blood boil. He turned to look at Rick his mind going into autopilot. His hand shot out grabbing him by the shirt collar on flinging him backwards. The bar went dead silent the only sound was Ricks body slamming into the wall of liquor bottles behind the bar. Johnny took a few steps forward wanting to finish what he had just started. That wasn’t enough of a punishment. He wouldn’t be happy till he was unrecognizable. “Jo.” Your pleading voice snapped him out of it once more.

In that moment he realized how selfish he was. You were scared and needed assurance, not seeing your husband nearly kill someone. He wrapped a sturdy arm around you guiding you out of the disheveled bar. The cold felt good against your heated bodies.

“I don’t know what happened.” You sputtered, letting the Scot support your body weight. “Camilla was making a joke about how angry Rick gets when she folds his laundry wrong and I made a joke about how she still does his laundry and then he”-

You couldn’t even get through the story.

“Let me see.” Johnny hushed, gently removing your hand from your face. He leaned forward pressing a light kiss against the throbbing flesh. “How bad does it hurt?”

“Six out of ten.” You responded, nuzzling your way back into his strong chest. All you wanted was to be home in bed in the safety of his arms. The smell of pine tickled your brain enough for the tears to stop.

“Should go back there and”-

“No.” You huffed.

“That number is too damn high for me to let him off easy.”

“Easy? You threw the man across the room with one hand.” You reminded.

“Should make it so he only has one hand.”

“Johnny.” The use of his full name stopped the unintelligible Scottish rambling that was sure to ensue. “Can we go home please?”

“Hey sweetheart, need me to come pick you up?” Kyle spoke into the phone that was resting between his shoulder and his cheek. When you sniffled into the phone he didn’t even bother to pause his game, his fingers gripping the device in his hand.

“Ky.” You mumbled. You mumbled in that specific tone that cracked his heart in such a wince worthy way. “I need help.” His blood ran cold.

“Stay on the phone with me, yeah.” He demanded, shoving his feet into a pair of shoes. “What happened?” The sound of his car starting settled you a little bit. “You still at your friends house?”

“No, I’m down the street, by the library.” You sniffed. “He hit me, Ky.”

A sound let Kyles throat- a mix of a growl and a whine. His foot pressed even harder against the accelerator, running straight through a red light. His body was shaking, adrenaline heightening his senses. He wished the two of you didn’t live in such a big city with so much fucking traffic.

“Who’s he?” Kyle snarled.

“Jess’s boyfriend.” You emphasized. “They got into a stupid fight about which Pizza to order for lunch and all I did was fucking agree with her.”

He felt sick. He’d seen a lot of gruesome shit in his life, but the thought of someone hurting you took the cake. He could imagine how scared you were- how scared you are. He can see the tears welling up in your eyes and he imagined your heart rate was about the same as his right now. He can imagine you scrambling to find a way out of there- away from the danger.

“After this we’re practicing those damn self dense moves.” He gritted. You mumbled an ‘okay’ before seeing a familiar sleek, black car pull up next to you.

“How’d you get here so fast?” You questioned, hanging up the phone as he got out of the car.

“Let me see.” He insisted, pressing the back of his palm against your heated cheek. You winced, shying away. “Let’s go get you some ice.” He said mostly to himself. He rested a hand on the back of your neck guiding you to the passenger side.

He kept his hand in your lap the whole drive to the grocery store. “What pizza did he want?”

“Pepperoni with mushrooms.” You replied. The rest of the ride was silent, Kyle went into the store without you.

“Hold this against your face.” He pressed a bag of frozen peas to your cheek. He unwrapped your favorite candy bar, placing it in your lap. Even with your swollen face you couldn’t stop a smile. “I need to make a quick stop before we go home.” His eyes flickered over to you, the same flash of anger striking through him as he took your appearance in. You didn’t think anything of it till he turned down your friends street.

“Kyle.” You mumbled. The last thing you wanted to do was be back here.

“I know baby, I know.” He tried his best to soothe, but he was so riled up. He needed to get this out of his system. Besides he couldn’t just let people hurt you and get away with it. “Stay here, I’ll only be a second.” He closed the door behind him, grabbing a frozen pizza that you didn’t even know he got out of the backseat. You watched anxiously as he made his way up the driveway ringing the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal Rick and Kyle wasted absolutely no time shoving the frozen pizza in his face. The strength of it sent Rick flying backwards and Kyle took the upmost pleasure in the loud crack of his nose breaking.

“Traffic is bad mein Herz. I’m going to be a little late.” You huffed at his words.

“Drive safe I’ll see you soon.”

“He running late?” Your friend questioned as you made your way back into the kitchen.

“Yeah, should be here soon though.” She smiled, taking dinner out of the oven. “Help me set up?” She asked over her shoulder, making her way to the dinning room. You began grabbing the silverware out of the drawer.

“No, Konig?” Rick asked, sitting down at the kitchen island. You shook your head.

“He’ll be here soon.” You assured.

“That’s too bad.” His hand landing on your hip followed his slimy words.

“What are you doing?” You spat, backing away. He shushed you.

“Keep you’re voice down. Don’t want her to find us out, yeah?” He said, nodding his head towards the dinning room.

“There is nothing to find out!” You must’ve said it too loud, because Ricks hand flung forward connecting with your cheek. You dropped the spoons in your hand, then clattering loudly on the floor. You didn’t even have time to feel scared, catching sight of the colossal figure in the doorway.

Rick followed your gaze and it was almost laugh worthy at how quickly he lost all confidence.

“Schatz?” Konig held out his car keys to you. “Wait in the car, please.”

Gentle blue eyes watched you, almost chuckling at the way you skipped over to him. Konig reveled in the way you trusted him. Trusted him to take care of you- to protect you. Later he would wrap you up in his arms and hold a bag of ice to your face, but right now he had other things to deal with.

“And turn the music up. It might get loud in here.”

[libingan]

—how the TF141 kiss you.

something short n sweet cuz im still in thr middle of prelims lmao lnao lmao im dying here please help

anyway, plz enjoy this cuz im abt to pass out right after i post this

i hope u guys miss my shit 😭

JOHN PRICE

price’s kisses are slow and deliberate, like he’s savoring every second with you. he takes his time, his hands always gentle as they cradle your face, the roughness of his palms contrasting with the tenderness of his touch. when his lips meet yours, there’s no rush, no sense of urgency. it’s a kiss that makes you feel safe, cherished, like he’s grounding himself in the connection between you. his lips are warm, moving slowly and firmly against yours, taking his time as though he’s pouring all his love into that moment. when he pulls away, it’s gradual, his thumb still stroking your cheek softly. he looks at you with those steady, reassuring eyes, as if to say everything is going to be alright. he doesn’t need to say anything—the kiss was his way of telling you everything he feels.

KYLE “GAZ” GARRICK

gaz’s kisses are lighthearted and full of affection, like he’s always enjoying the moment with you. he has a way of teasing you just before he kisses you, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he leans in with a grin. but once his lips touch yours, all that playfulness melts into something softer, sweeter. he starts with a light brush of his lips, almost testing the waters, before pressing a little deeper. his kisses are never too rough, always gentle and warm, as though he’s silently telling you how much he adores you. his hands will find your waist or your back, pulling you just a little closer, but never overwhelming. he makes sure the kiss is always a mutual exchange of affection, full of warmth and joy. when he pulls away, there’s always a smile lingering on his lips, a playful twinkle in his eyes, and maybe even a soft laugh as if he’s savoring the way you look afterward, all flustered and smiling.

JOHN “SOAP” MACTAVISH

soap’s kisses are passionate and full of life, the kind that leaves you breathless. he doesn’t hesitate when he wants to kiss you—his hands are always quick to find their way to your waist, pulling you close with a kind of urgency, like he’s been waiting all day just for this. his lips crash against yours with a hunger that takes your breath away, but even in that intensity, there’s still a layer of care in the way he holds you, making sure you��re comfortable. he kisses like he’s pouring every bit of emotion he has into that one act, his lips moving against yours with a fervor that leaves you wanting more. he likes to deepen the kiss, tilting his head to get the perfect angle, his hand cupping your face with a firm yet tender grip. when he pulls back, it’s only for a second before he dives back in, like he can’t get enough of you. after a few heated moments, he finally pulls away, breathless but grinning, his blue eyes sparkling with affection, his thumb brushing over your lips as he gazes at you with a look that says you’re everything to him.

SIMON “GHOST” RILEY

ghost’s kisses are rare, but when they happen, they’re full of quiet intensity. there’s a kind of vulnerability in the way he kisses you, like he’s letting down his guard just for you. he’s never rushed—his movements are slow, deliberate, as if he’s taking his time to memorize the feel of your lips against his. his hands are gentle, one resting on your hip, the other brushing against the side of your neck. his lips are firm but not forceful, and when he kisses you, there’s a depth of emotion behind it, something he rarely shows in words. he kisses like he’s saying everything he can’t speak out loud, each movement of his lips deliberate, almost reverent. when he pulls back, it’s without fanfare—no lingering touches, no dramatic gestures. he simply pulls away slowly, his eyes lingering on yours, as if making sure you understand everything that kiss meant. he doesn’t speak much, but in the silence after the kiss, you know that he’s let you into a part of himself that no one else sees.

[deathc-re]

men who like to fuck you so stupid, in the most mind numbing positions, for as long as possible, so that when he's done, he can cum into you and just watch it dribble from your hole as you huff puff on the bed. so spent that you can't even squirm at the uncomfortable feeling. the sight alone is enough to make him hard again but he takes pity on you, seeing how you're already half asleep, body twitching every now and then.

kirishima, dabi, bakugo, gojo, toji, ghost, soap, inosuke, tengen, sanemi, gyomei, jean, erwin, armin and etc etc

[tbag-hq]

Two words, poly!141 x surrogate!reader and make it angsty🙏, ik its more then two words but bare with me here.

BUT surrogate!reader hates kids, can’t stand them and is only doing this cause you needs money.

As for the boys they’re freshly retired after a long time of working, they’ve been in some sort of weird situation ship for years(it’s definitely not a healthy one either.) But they wanna make it work and turn it into something more then just casual sex, and what better way then to have a BABY.

Unfortunately for you though they don’t actually want a kid, they just like the idea of one so you know hopefully you won’t stick around to see how shitty they take care of this kid or worse maternal instincts kick in😦

Maybe they try to make you stay just a little while longer under the guides of “Not wanting to pay for artificial milk when we can get it straight from the source” but in reality they just wanna pin all the hard labor onto you while they get the fun stuff.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk

[obsessivelullabies]

tf141 fighting over you.

imagine you’re a combat medic, highly skilled and capable. you joined the army to help people. you wanted to make a difference, so you spent all your time trying to sharpen your skills.

after a few years of hard work, you were offered to join a new task force. task force 141, created by captain john price.

you knew this was the right career move for you. you knew you’d help people.

the first man you met was the captain himself, john price. he was gruff and serious, yet you could tell he was a good man. he wouldn’t say it, but john held you in high regards already. he admired your loyalty and dedication.

the second man you met was kyle ‘gaz’ garrick. your first mission was with him and price. gaz was immediately drawn to you and your nature, striking up conversation with you, asking about yourself and what you liked. you two became fast friends.

gaz was close to your age, so you felt comfortable around him. he was also very trustworthy, which made you relieved.

gaz fell for you first after a few weeks, he adored your personality and how gorgeous he found you, even if you were wearing your dirtied uniform. he wrote it off as a dumb little crush.

not long after, you met two men. first, johnny ‘soap’ mactavish. he was funny, flashy and confident. he’d immediately come off as flirtatious towards you, probably using some stupid pickup line.

second was simon ‘ghost’ riley. he had little to no interest in you at first. he knew you were a good worker, which he appreciated, but nothing more.

over the span of months, you and the men in your task force grew closer. you accomplished quite a lot. they’d all saved your ass multiple times.

price would start to fall for you seeing you take care of injured soldiers so kindly, even if you didn’t know them at all. he also loved your loyalty. you always tried to save someone, even if it was a dumb decision.

for soap, the flirty jokes were a joke until they weren’t. he thought you were so gorgeous and funny. you never got annoyed with him or wanted him to leave. you enjoyed his presence. the flirtation becomes more personal, more serious.

ghost definitely fell for you last. after a particularly rough mission, as you stitched up his arm and tried to comfort him, ghost felt something he hadn’t felt in years. being around you made him feel alive again.

at some point, the men all picked up on each other’s adoration for you. price would always try to help you and guide you, his way of showing his affection.

gaz would always be so thoughtful of your needs, like buying you a drink if you said you were thirsty. small gestures.

soap would openly flirt with you and touch you innocently, vying for any affection or flirting back.

ghost didn’t have a lot of experience with romancing someone. he honestly just stayed close to you and watched your back.

all the men became more and more forward. they needed you to choose someone, they couldn’t let this issue divide them.

if only you got the hint.

does anyone want like a part two.. with like graves.. or laswell.. or alejandro.. ik they’re not tf141 but they do work with them.

masterlist! | unedited. | comments and reblogs appreciated! | make a request.

[starlit-writer]

okay so we all know like "military man fucking you missionary and his dogtags swinging in your face as he fucks into you"

WHAT IF

"military man getting fucked in missionary by you, the diamond around your throat swinging as you fuck into them"

the very same one that he bought you, a mark of his love, his devotion, to his very own deity.

idk man, i love writing submissive men who are in positions of abject masculinity or power

[mimisplayground]

PLEASE GIVE US THAT HEAVY HANDED SOAP FIC I AM BEGGING RN

٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ sorry for the wait hehe :3 sorry its not much!! ive got all kinda of summer classes that are killing me :( release me from ur clutches college pls

————

You love your boyfriend. He holds your hand in public and kisses apologies onto the back of it when you tell him hes gripping too tight.

He lifts you off the ground like you weigh nothing, because god is he the worst gym rat you’ve ever known. With a slight musk of sweat to him often from his workouts that often lead to him winding down by pounding into you. He’s so nice to you.

He just has a habit of grabbing you a bit too rough when he gets excited. Hands tangling in your hair if they can, hands wrapping around your waist and hips in a bruising grip.

He pounds into you hard, one hand firmly keeping your face shoved onto the pillow under you. He stares at the fingerprint bruises he sees all over your body. His marks, from your calves to your throat, everyone can tell that Johnny got his hands on you. When he’s so gentle with his hands at work, demolishes requires a light touch at times, its no surprise you’re his stress ball.

His free hand raining down on your ass and thighs, listening to your grunts and pleas.

“God, bird… yer killin’ me…” he grunts while you pant. Whining as he fucks you through another orgasm, keening at the feeling of his hand roaming. “Johnny…” was all you could manage to gasp out through your peak.

The scots final thrusts are harsh and quick. Snapping in before both hands find home on your hips after he wraps his arms around you. Kissing your ear and biting at your neck as he cums.

God, he’s just such a brute.

[criminalamnesia]

Alive

warnings: angst, sad Simon Riley, reader dies, gender neutral reader, no pronouns used for reader, mentions of death, no use of y/n, proofread but I’m human and might’ve missed something

summary: Simon loses you.

author’s note: simon deserves the world.

Simon Riley understood the risks of enlisting. He understood that he was one small cog in a machine, and although valued, he wasn’t crucial. He was a soldier, just like thousands of others that decided to put their lives on the line for something they believed in. If he had to lay his life down during his service, so be it. Maybe his sacrifice would make the world a little bit better.

Simon didn’t know what he believed now.

You were like him in the way that you understood the risks, but that’s where he thought the similarities ended. He was quiet. You were outspoken. He was harsh. You were empathetic.

He was your lieutenant. You were one of his sergeants.

It was against all logic for him to fall for you, yet he had. From the moment you’d been invited to join Task Force 141, Simon knew you would cause him trouble.

He knew by the way you threw your head back and laughed at one of Soap’s cheesy lines. Knew by the way you bested Gaz at pool. At the way you’d tried Price’s drink of choice, bourbon, and swallowed it down without any fuss.

He knew by the way you saw him as he was— not just as your superior or as ‘Ghost’— but as Simon. Simon, who cared deeply for his teammates, his family, beyond what his title required. Simon, who made shitty jokes at shitty times. Simon, who bickered with you over how to properly prepare tea.

He didn’t understand why you’d shown interest in him at first. He surely thought Soap would be the one to sweep you off your feet— but you shut the Scotsman down. You only had eyes for Simon.

He found out later that it was because the two of you were more similar than he’d previously believed. You were fiercely loyal, just like him. You never backed down from a fight, just like him. You dealt with shit quietly, just like him.

You understood him, and you didn’t push. You trusted him so completely, too. Fuck’s sake, you took a bullet for him.

“Ghost, move!” You had shouted, diving out of cover to shove the Brit behind a wall.

“What the fuck?!” He yelled at you, drawing his breath in shallow pants as his eyes narrowed at you from under his mask.

“You don’t listen for shit sometimes, LT,” you were shouting to be heard over the gunfire surrounding you. “There was a fucking sniper— you were gonna be shot!”

“He was a shit shot, Sergeant. I knew he was there—”

“Ghost, just say thank you,” you rolled your eyes and straightened.

“Bloody hell,” he grumbled as his eyes scanned you, and you looked at him with confusion.

“What?”

“Maybe tha’ sniper wasn’t shit after all. Gotta get you to a medic, c’mon—” he began, reaching a hand out to grasp your arm and tug you away from the firefight.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, you had no clue what he was talking about. You looked down at your body as you allowed Ghost to drag you along. That’s when you saw the crimson peeking out from the edge of your vest, and the first pang of pain finally hit you.

“Oh, shit. Didn’t even notice,” you grumbled, and you could hear Simon grunt ahead of you.

“Adrenaline. An’ the fact tha’ you were mad at me.”

“If I was mad at you, you’d know it. Just think you should show more gratitude since I saved your life and all.”

“I’ll show gratitude when you ain’t bleedin’.” He huffed.

Fiercely loyal. It was a blessing to the team and a curse to you. Loyal to the men you called your family. Loyal to the cause. Loyal to the mission, no matter the personal cost.

Simon wished you would’ve let him take that bullet. Maybe then he wouldn’t be here with the remainder of the 141, holding the urn containing what was left of you. The gold-colored metal felt cool against his bare hands. It was almost soothing, but it would soothe him more if you were still by his side.

He knew that he’d never get the image of you laying there lifeless out of his head. It had been quick. Shot right in the fucking head, execution style. Simon hadn’t even realized what had happened until the gunfire had subsided and Soap was yelling.

His heart had nearly stopped. He knew this happened all the time— a soldier’s death. But he never expected it to happen to you.

The task force had been on so many missions together. You’d all survived so much shit, and Simon realized that up until the moment he saw your lifeless body, he’d felt that the team was somewhat invincible. Yes, he knew the risks, but all of you had gotten out of worse before. It was naive to think nothing would happen, and Simon cursed himself for it.

He knew that the abruptness of your death was the reason he couldn’t quite comprehend it. One second you’re there, warning him of a shooter to his left, and the next you’re on the ground with a bullet in your skull.

“Bravest fucking soldier I ever knew,” Price’s voice is gruff with emotion as he speaks. One of his hands rests atop the urn. “Most loyal, too. Took a bullet for all of us, one time or another.”

The other men nodded their heads.

“Kindest person I knew,” Soap spoke with a soft voice. “Outspoken, but kind.”

“Fought until the end,” Gaz said with a frown. “Rest easy, love.”

Simon knew it was his turn to say something. Tears glistened in his eyes, threatening to spill and smudge the black paint around them. He knew how to be alone. He’d spent years alone. But this wasn’t just being alone— it was being alone without you.

He didn’t think he could go back to the way things were before he met you. He didn’t want to go back to the way things were. He wanted to fight and yell and get you to come back, but it wasn’t possible.

The hand he had in the pocket of his hoodie curled into a tight fist. The hand he had on the urn didn’t waver.

He didn’t want to say goodbye, to make this final. To close the door you’d opened when you stepped into his life and turned things on its axis.

“Rest in peace, love.” He spoke at last, his voice full of barely contained emotion.

There were too many things to say, but those were the words he settled on. ‘Rest in peace.’ He truly hoped you were at peace. Simon didn’t know what he believed came after death, but he hoped that wherever you were now, you were serene.

‘Rest in peace.’ It wasn’t goodbye, not explicitly. You’d always be with him— a dagger in his heart he couldn’t bear to remove. He’d carry the pain for the rest of his service, the rest of his life.

It wasn’t goodbye. You’d always be with him.

Price removed the lid of the urn. The men slowly removed their hands from the object, allowing Simon full possession as he drew his other hand out of his pocket.

He held the metal as delicately as he would hold you. You’d always laughed and told him you weren’t glass— you wouldn’t break. Simon knew that. Of course he knew that, he’d witnessed firsthand how tough you were.

But you were precious to him, and he treated you as such.

His fingers shook the slightest bit as he turned his body to face the edge of the cliff. It was a truly beautiful place, and Simon knew that if you could’ve seen it, you would’ve loved it.

A breeze picked up as Simon slowly tipped the urn. He watched the last bits of you flow through the wind. The other men of Task Force 141 turned and walked away quietly.

Simon remained there, rooted to the spot, until he could no longer see the scattered ashes of you floating in the breeze.

[cheeseatlantic]

oh golly goshness, 52 followers?? you guys are insane. (ily) and like for the first time in forever cod post, i dont know what im doing but im doing something!!

What CoD Characters do when they figure your a bookworm ! (tf141)

Price found out the second you met him, you were sitting in a cafe reading a book and the rest was history, definitely indulges in your bookish habits, have a Kindle? He’s paying for unlimited, like physical books? Great! He’s buying you all your books. And he always, and I mean always asks about your books, maybe reada a few himself so you guys can discuss it.

Gaz figured when he met your parents for the first time, they showed him a photo book and his absolute favourite one of mini you was you just reading a book, looking all focused and adorable, and the habit carried on to adulthood! He buys you books, tabs that are colour coded to the cover of your book, pretty pens for notes and such and a Kindle if you can’t carry a book around with you.

Soap found out when he came home randomly after deployment to surprise you, he tried but you didn’t notice because you were focused on the story, definitely steals your books and if your a romance reader reads the freaky deaky scenes and asks if you want to recreate them. other than that he is holding your books while you shop and paying for them no matter how much you fuss. occasionally gets a book thrown at the back of his head when a character does something stupid.

Ghost knew from the start, he knows every single little thing about you and remembers it even if you don’t. Randomly surprises you with books he thinks you might like, and buys you random shit with it like a mug or a candle, one time he came home with a tub of vaseline and a horror book. No explanation, just dropped it on your lap and gave you a thumbs up.

bonus is gaz probably goes on etsy to find book merch, price probably reads with you like the peepaw he is, ghost came home with a pet fish once and a book about fish, and soap? soapy boy is a whole different story. this man will tickle your toes with a feather and try to get your attention, if your not ticklish he just sits on you…

ok bai :3

[paige1722]

Silent Night

Summary: It is Christmas time in your village. The weather has taken a drastic turn, and everyone fears that the blizzard will never end. The people become desperate and willing to take any measures necessary to save themselves, even if it means sacrificing one of their own to a once-forgotten demon. 

Pairing: Krampus!Konig x GN!Reader

Warnings: Krampus, death, google translated German, violence. 

Merry Christmas!!! If you want to read an alternative version where the reader gets revenge, it’s here.

The village you call home resides in the middle of the forest, a few day's journey from the nearest town. This usually means nothing really exciting ever happens here; everyone knew one another, and nothing stayed a secret for long. This year, things had been different. The weather grew colder earlier than normal, the fields did not produce much food, and the hunting expeditions proved to be unsuccessful, with only being able to get small game, such as rabbits and squirrels.

The blizzard that came to the town a week ago did not seem to be lessening in strength; in fact, you even believe that it was getting worse with every passing day.  As you looked out of the window of your small cottage near the center of town, where you would usually be able to see your neighbors, the bakery, and the church in the middle of the town. But with the blizzard, you could barely even see your small garden in front of your doorstep that is now destroying your precious plants, and all the hard work you put into it over the spring and summer. The harsh wind caused the window panes to groan, and the snow kept piling up more and more. You wager that pretty soon, it will be impossible to leave your cottage. 

If it wasn’t for the small fireplace keeping your cottage cozy and warm all this time you are sure you would have already frozen to death in this horrible winter. A knock on your door pulls you from your thoughts. Wondering who would be at your door so early in the morning, especially in this weather. Making your way to the front door, you open it to see Philip, the assistant to the village leader; opening the door more, he quickly makes his way inside after kicking off the snow from his boots. Once inside, he makes his way towards your fireplace placing his hand in front of the fire, trying to gain some feeling back into his joints. 

“Philip, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” you asked, closing the door behind him and moving to stand in the middle of your living room. 

He turns around, placing his hands around his back to keep them in front of the fire; you are now able to get a better look at him. He looks thin, sickly almost. The food shortage must really be taking a toll on him, his face is unshaven, and his once nice thick animal fur coat has seen better days as it looks to have been ripped apart in some places and hastily sewn back together, surely a child you have done a better job fixing his jacket. 

“Yes, I have been tasked with letting everyone know that at noon today, there will be an emergency village meeting in the church. It is mandatory for everyone to be in attendance.” 

You feel your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. There had not been an emergency meeting called ever since you were a little child, and there had been a huge wildfire that nearly destroyed the entire village; a lot of lives were lost that day. “Oh, okay. By any chance, do you know what the meeting will be about?” 

At your innocent question, Philip squints his eye, looking at you up and down suspiciously, clenching his jaw and taking quick steps towards you. He points an accusatory finger in your face, causing you to step back at his fast approach. “It does not matter what the meeting is about. You are required to be in attendance, understand?” 

Your back hit the wall separating the living room from the kitchen; setting your hands flat against the wall to your back, you nod your head in shock, confused as to why he is acting this way. Philip was usually a kind man, not quick to anger. This was a different side of him you had never seen before and did not want to see again. “Yes, I will be there,” you reply in a shaky voice, startled by the sudden mood shift. 

Suddenly, like the drop of a hat, he steps back from you, smoothing down his jacket and giving you one of his signature smiles. Chuckling, Philip walks back toward the front door, his hand on the door handle when he looks back over his shoulder over at you, where you are still pressed up against the wall. “I look forward to seeing you at the meeting then,” he winks as he opens the door, letting himself out back into the cold. 

Once the door shuts, you let out the breath you had been holding, unsure why he was acting so strange. What does it matter if you were not going to attend the meeting? Though with his reaction at the thought that you were not going had him acting like that, you fear to think of what he would actually do if you failed to make an appearance. Not to mention, you are very curious as to the details of this emergency meeting; perhaps it was about food rations or the never-ending blizzard. You walk into your kitchen, planning to fix yourself a small breakfast, as you retrieve what little bread you had left from the bakery and some jam; this would have to do you until supper time after the meeting. The rations you were given earlier in the week dwindling faster than you would have liked. Sitting at the small table in the kitchen, you enjoy your breakfast, again thinking about the strange encounter with Philip and his sudden change in attitude and demeanor. After finishing your bread with jam, you decide to do some chores around your house to waste time until noon.  

—----

You glance at the small hand-carved clock on your wall. Seeing that it is a quarter past eleven, you make your way to your front door, putting on the thickest coat you own, your gloves, and winter boots. Opening the door and closing it behind you, you wrap your coat tightly around you, pulling up the collar to cover the bottom half of your face as you venture down the snow-covered stone path that leads throughout the village. You see your neighbors already making their way inside the church. Two men stand outside wrapped in thick fur jackets and hats, each holding lanterns to light the path to the church, a way to help people see through the thick snow falling from the sky. You trudge through the thick snow, carefully walking up the ice-covered steps to the entrance. The two men, who you now recognize as Simon and Johnny, who are the town’s butchers, open the massive doors. You mumble a quick thank you to the men and make your way inside the warm church. Not noticing the sympathetic look they send your way as you walk past them.

Looking around the massive sanctuary, a long line of lit candles operas on either side of the pew give the room an almost eerie glow. You realize you are one of the last villagers to arrive, seeing as most of the pews are already filled to the brim with people waiting for the meeting to start. You decide to sit in the back where there is still a little bit of space left, sitting next to one of your more elderly neighbors, you give a small smile in greeting, not having interacted with them much before. You take off your thick jacket and hang it on the back of the pew you were sitting on, and continue looking around the room. At the front, standing in front of the pulpit, stands Philip Graves, talking in hushed tones to the village leader, Shepherd. They look to be arguing, judging by the looks on their faces. Philip turns his head, looking near the door, when he makes eye contact with you, but instead of acknowledging you as he normally would in passing, he turns back to Shepherd, whispering in his ear, both of them now looking more relaxed than they were just mere seconds ago, another strange occurrence happening today, something in the air you supposed. 

The front doors slamming closed behind you cause you to jump a bit, turning around in your seat to see Johnny and Simon standing inside the church, placing the lanterns on the golden hooks on either side of the doors. Instead of finding a seat in the room, they move to stand in front of the doors, reminding you of guards to a prison cell. A throat clearing causes you to turn your attention back to the front of the church, where Shepherd now stands behind the podium with Philip by his side.

“Thank you all so much for joining us today for this emergency meeting. We know that things have been tough this year with the lack of game and crops and now this never-ending blizzard. But fear not, your village leader and others have come up with a solution that will surely save us all from this torment.” 

Applause erupts throughout the church at this news. For some reason, you feel a sense of dread overcome you at this news. Something about this whole situation does not sit right with you. Why is Philip staring at you so intensely? Why was it so important that you come to this meeting, and why are Simon and Johnny blocking the exit like that? All these questions run through your head, causing you to break out into a cold sweat. Shepherd once again starts talking, making everyone stop their applause. 

“Now, I know you all must be wondering as to what the solution to our problem is. Philip and I have been scouring the old texts, trying to find anything that might be of help to save our village from this ongoing turmoil. After a many sleepless nights, we finally came across this.” 

Philip holds up an old leather-bound book with a small bell engraved on the front; the pages look worn and old, as if it hasn’t been used in decades. Placing the book down in front of Shepherd, who continues his speech, “In this book, we discovered a chapter that describes exactly the events that are taking place before us today: no food, endless winter that ends in nothing but death for all of us unless we act now! This book tells of an ancient being, whose name shall not be uttered here, that is the cause of all this. Apparently, we have managed to anger him last Christmas during our festivities, and he is now taking it out on us. To appease his wrath, we must give him an offering. There was a list of rules that must be followed or else the offering will not work and just invoke more devastation upon us. After careful consideration, there is only one person who fulfills the demands.” 

Shepherd locks eyes with you, you feel your heart pounding in your chest, the room suddenly becomes too hot, sweat beads down your face. You see his mouth moving, but you can hear nothing over the ringing in your ears. Everyone in the conjugation is now staring at you, waiting for what you aren’t sure. Stumbling, you stand up, still facing the front of the church, and slowly begin backing up towards the door, but before you can make a run for it, hands wrap around your arms on both sides looking to see who has you in their grasp; you see Simon and Johnny with solemn looks on their faces. They begin dragging you to the front of the church. You try to pull your arms from their grip, but is it no use; kicking your feet, trying anything to free yourself,  tears flow freely from your eyes. You look around at the people of your village pleading with them hoping that someone, anyone, will help you, but as you make eye contact with the people you grew up with they simply turned their heads looking down at the ground a guilty expression on their faces. Reaching the front of the church, Philip grabs you from the grip of the two butchers; Simon whispers an solem apology in your ear as they hand you over to your inevitable demise. 

Your back is pressed against Philips's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around you, keeping you in place. He rests his chin on your head, “Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal once the demon has his offering! Return to your homes and await the glorious rewards that will be gifted upon us all!” He yells out, his chest rumbling against your back. You let out a whimper. as you watch everyone slowly rise from their seats and make their way toward the entrance of the church, leaving you with Shepherd and Philip. “Please don’t do this, there must be another way!!” you yell out desperation clear in your voice, but it is no use; the front doors slam shut as the last of the villagers return to their homes. 

Shepherd grabs a rope from his pocket and stands in front of you, “Ah fear not. Think about the good your sacrifice will bring to the people of this village, all the lives you will save.” His gaze moves towards Philip, “Take her to the back for them to get her ready.” He pulls your wrists together in front of yo,u tying them tightly together. Once the rope is secure, Philip lets go of you and grabs the rope, binding your hands together pulling towards the back of the church. Sniffiling you let Philip drag you down the dark hallways leading to the offices. Opening the door to Shepherd’s office, Philip throws you inside the room, causing you to fall, hitting the ground causing a shockwave of pain through your body from where your knees and elbows slam against the wooden floor. 

“Here, get them ready,” Philip says as he shuts the door on his way out. 

Pulling yourself to your feet, you see who he is talking to. Valeria stands in the center of the room, a bored expression on her face, her arms crossed in front of her chest. The room is empty, apart from a single chair and table in the middle of the room, a red silk robe, a veil, and two small boxes. Sighing, she steps forward, pushing you to sit in the chair in the middle of the room.

 Grabbing her arm, you try to plead with her, “Please, Valeria, you have to help me. They mean to use me as some sort of sacrifice to a demon, please.” She rips her arm out of your hands, slapping you across the face. A disgusted look crosses her features as she replies, “Shut up, your sacrifice is what is best for the village. So stop crying. You are only going to make this worse for yourself and ruin the work I am about to put into making you look presentable for him.” 

Your face now burning the slap, you sit in defeat, feeling all forms of fight leave your body; even if you did manage to escape from this room, there was nowhere you could go, the other villagers already showing you that they don’t care about you if you went back home they would just find you and drag you back to where you are now, and if you tried to run for it, you would surely die due to the elements. 

Valeria grabs the silk robe, scrutinizing at your hands that are still tied together, “No funny business, understand. Just put this robe on.” you solemnly nod in return; she grabs your hands and begins to untie them, placing the red robe in your hands. You stare at her, waiting for her to turn around so you can change, but you quickly realize that will not be happening. Trying to save the little dignity you have left, you take off your sweater, putting the robe on, hoping that she will let you keep your warm pants on but she snaps and points to your pants. “Just the robe. It is the rules.” Taking off your pants and placing them in the small pile of clothes on the ground, as you are done, she immediately grabs your hands, tying your wrists back together much tighter than they were previously.

Every movement you make now causes the rough fabric of the rope to rub against your skin. Looking down at the robe you are now wearing, you quickly realize how thin the fabric is. It is definitely not something you should be wearing during this kind of weather, probably to make it more convenient for the demon to kill or eat you. Valeria motions for you to sit back down in the chair with her hand as she opens one of the small boxes laying on the table inside was filled with small paints usually reserved for weddings and other important ceremonies, she begins to draw strange symbols upon your skin, leading from your face, down your arms to your chest. Once she is satisfied with her work, she reaches for the matching red veil, placing it upon your head; you are still able to see through the fabric of the red veil, though it does give everything a strange blurry tint. 

All that can be heard in the room is the occasional sniffle coming from you, trying to hold back any more tears from falling, knowing that Valeria would not be happy with you if you ruined the writing she had just finished putting on your skin. When the door opens and Philip and Shepherd both enter the room, “Are you finished yet?” asks Philip, walking to where you sit inspecting Valeria’s handiwork. 

“Just have to put on the necklace, and we are all set,” she says as she grabs the remaining box sitting on the table, opening it to reveal a beautiful golden necklace with a small pendant that looks very similar to the bell that was engraved on the front of the leather book that they were referencing during the emergency meeting earlier. She places the necklace around your neck, fastening it in the back and tucking it underneath the robe you were forced to wear.

 Everything started to feel too real at that moment. What was about to happen to you setting in, causing you to let out a whimper, but before you could begin pleading for your life, hoping to somehow change their minds, Sheppard pulls out a small piece of cloth, “Now we can’t have you making all that noise, the demon would not appreciate that.” He lifts up the veil, shoving the cloth in your mouth and tying it around the back of your head, effectively silencing you and placing the veil back over your face.

 Shepherd claps his hands together, taking a step back, “Thank you for your help, Valeria. Alright, Philip, grab them and let's go.” Philip grabs the rope around your wrist, dragging you off the chair, the rope squeezing your wrists, causing you to let out a pained gasp that is muffled by the cloth in your mouth. They drag you back out to the sanctuary of the church towards the front door, where you see Simon and Johnny once again holding the lanterns. Once you reach them, they open the doors for you all, dragged out in the snow wearing nothing but the thin robe the freezing air immediately making goose-bumps form on your skin, you let out an involuntary shiver, the ice, and snow covered ground causing your feet to burn with every step. Johnny and Simon now lead the way with their lanterns. Shepherd is in the middle of them telling them which direction to go in, with Philip following close behind, pulling you along with him into the dark forest. 

—-

Walking for what felt like hours, you can no longer feel your legs, you're pretty sure your wrists are now bleeding due to the rope rubbing against your skin, causing it to break. Every intake of breath hurts, the cold air burning your lungs and throat. As you all reach a clearing in the middle of the forest where only a single tree stands surrounded by small torches sticking out of the ground, everyone stops walking. 

Philip yanks you towards the tree, pulling out another rope from inside his fur jacket, and ties one end of the rope around the rope, holding your wrists together. Once secured around your bound wrists, he throws the other end of the rope around one of the lower hanging branches of the tree and pulls the rope until your arms are straining above your head and your toes are barely scraping the ground. You let out muffled groans of pain and fear. He secures the rope around the trunk of the tree, stepping back and joining Shepherd, who stands in front of you. Johnny and Simon are walking around to the torches, lighting them with the fire from their lanterns. Shepherd reading through the leather-bound book, a look of malice taking over his face, muttering to himself, “This time, we will get him.” 

Once the last torch has been lit, and all four men all standing in front of you, Johnny and Simon looking anywhere but your face. Shepherd says, “This is where we leave you. Thank you for your sacrifice.” before turning with the others and leaving you to your death.

 As you watch them all walk away, the light from the lanterns slowly fades away until you can no longer see it. You begin to try to free yourself from the tree. Tears run down your face and neck, causing the writing on your skin to smear, bleeding into the fabric of the robe tied around your body. You try and scream to the best of your ability, but the cloth in your mouth muffling your shouts sounds more like a wounded animal. Flailing around trying to somehow untie the ropes on the tree or your wrist, but all you end up accomplishing is tightening the knots, burying the rope farther into your skin, the blood from the open wounds on your wrists running down your arms. You are now sobbing uncontrollably, resigning yourself to your inevitable death, whether it be freezing to death, the demon or whatever it actually is killing you, or some wild animal finding you first. 

Running out of energy from the walk here, crying, failing around, screaming, and the cold that has turned your entire body numb, you begin to feel tired, struggling to keep your eyes open, thinking to yourself hopefully your sacrifice will not be in vain and the people of your town will be saved. Until, from the darkness, you begin to hear the distance sound of bells jingling closer and closer. Eventually, you hear the crunch of snow as if someone or something was walking towards you. 

You try and blink the tears from your eyes to clear your vision, but with the veil still covering your face, your vision still remains blurry, a huge figure emerges from the trees, standing nearly seven feet tall with twisted horns protruding from underneath the dark red hood covering his face and body. With every step it draws closer to you, you catch small glimpses of the jingling of bells hanging on a chain wrapped around his torso from underneath the red cloak. 

Your heart is pounding in your chest, fear overtaking your body, causing your adrenaline to rise, once again trying to pull your arms free. He stops right in front of where you are hanging from the tree, even dangling in the air, the top of your head barely level with his chin. The soft glow from the torches circling you gives off an eerie glow to whatever is standing in front of you, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood, though you swear that you can see eyes staring right through you. Realizing that this is the end for you, you let out muffled whimpers, not caring how pathetic you must seem right now. 

“Warum bist du hier draußen?” The demon in front of you utters, staring at you expectantly for your answer. 

Even if you were somehow able to understand what he had just said, you would not be able to answer him anyway, so you just shake your head, replying with a muffled what. You see its head tilt to the side in confusion before a gloved hand reaches up and pulls the veil off your head. Your vision is no longer obstructed, and you are able to make out the being in front of you more clearly. A flicker of the light from the torches illuminated the masked man in front of you. 

The mask peeking out from under the hood had twisted horns sticking out of the forehead, where the eyes would be were two holes his eyes shining through the darkness, and the mouth was open with sharp teeth and a long red serpent-looking tongue carved onto the front of the mask, reminding you of the old stories your grandmother used to tell you when you were a small child of an ancient demon who arrived during winter to steal and punish the naughty children. Your eyes widen in realization, muttering, “Krampus.” Even with the cloth still in your mouth, he must have understood you, as you hear a small chuckle in return. 

“Ah, so you have heard of me then. It has been a while since I have been called that, just call me Konig.” His accent is thick as he speaks, reaching for the cloth impairing your ability to say. He pulls the fabric out of your mouth, letting it hang around your neck. “Now, let's try this again, ja. Why are you out here?” 

Sniffling and your teeth chattering because of how cold you are, you manage to say “They said I was supposed to be some kind of offering to save the village. I…I don’t know anything else.” Sobs rack through your body. Looking back up into the eyes of the demon before you, you notice that little black dots begin to swarm your vision, the ringing in your ears was back the cold, pain,  and everything was begining to seem so far away. Using the last bit of strength you had left before you passed out for what you assumed would be for good, you mumbled, “…I don’t want to die.”

Your head lolls backwards, causing the necklace to be pulled out from underneath the robe, catching the eye of Konig whose eyes widen at the pendant hanging from your neck. He quickly pulls out the hunting knife from its sheath on his belt as he wraps an arm around your waist to keep you from falling to the ground. He cut the rope around your wrists, your unconscious body falling forward into his chest. He feels the cold from your body seeping through his gloves and cloak. He removes the cloak from around his body and wraps you up in it as best he can to hopefully begin warming you up. He cradles you in his arms as delicately as he possibly can as he whispers to your sleeping form, “Es wird alles gut. Ich werde dich beschützen.” 

—---

You feel warm; whatever you're laying on is soft and fluffy. Peeking an eye open to take in the surroundings, you notice that you are on a bed of thick animal furs in some sort of cabin. The room you are in is small, with nothing really in it besides the bed, a small lantern placed on a bedside table, and a large mirror placed next to the door. You sit up in the bed, and you notice that your wrists no longer hurt, you look to find that both of your wrists are delicately wrapped in bandages. Hearing noise coming from the other side of the door, you pull back the furs covering you to slip out of the bed and make your way towards the door. Once you are standing, you look in the mirror so that you get a better look at the new outfit you are wearing. A red knitted sweater you now wear with black wool pants; examining your arms, face, and neck, you don’t see any traces of the strange writing Valeria placed on your skin. When the sounds of movement behind the door once again grab your attention. Walking towards the door, you slowly open the door walking out into what looks to be the main room of the house. 

Stepping out of the room, the first thing you notice is the Krampus or Konig you vaguely remember him saying is his name, he sits in the corner of the room with his back facing you, hunched over a crafting table lined with various tools on the wall. Along with the tools hanging on the wall, you see the mask Konig was wearing when he found you in the forest, placed gently on a small hook. 

As you walk further into the area you look around the room you are now in what you assume is the living room with the front door next to the small room you just exited, a window on the other side of the door, a small fireplace in the center of the room with a cozy chair facing it, two other doors on the opposite side where Konig sits, and a corridor that look as if it leads into what you assume in the kitchen. You let out a small hum, this house is much smaller and cozier than what you would have assumed an ancient demon who abducts and punishes bad children would live in. During your observation of the house, you failed to notice that Konig had stopped working and was now standing facing you, the mask back on his face. 

“I was starting to think that you would not wake up.” His voice startling you in the otherwise silent house. 

“How long was I asleep?” you ask tentatively, thinking that it was probably just a couple of hours, seeing that it was still dark outside, judging by the lack of light coming in from the window near the front door of the house. 

“A day, I feared your wounds and the cold was too much for you. I tried my best, but my powers are not usually used for helping people.” Seeing him in this light was very strange, even though he still towered over you, he seemed to be trying to make himself appear smaller, probably trying not to scare you, after all you think that you have had enough excitement for a lifetime.

You glance down at your wrists, then gently brush your fingers over the bandages. "Oh... um, thank you for helping me," you say quietly. "Does this mean... my village won't be saved after all? I didn’t think it was possible to fail at being an offering."

He lets out a cruel laugh at your question, his accent even thicker now. “Your village..” he spits out venom in his voice…”They are lucky that I just leave them to fend for themselves during this winter and that I don’t take revenge for what they have done to you by slaughtering them all. I have done more for much less.” 

Nervously, you absentmindedly bring your hand up to the jewelry that still lays around your neck, twirling the small bell pendant between your fingers, Konig’s eyes tracing your movements. “But..but why they said we had angered you last Christmas and this was the only way to put an end to the suffering you have plagued us with, the…book it said-” He cuts you off by walking towards you, his hand wraps gently around yours holding the necklace, careful of your wounds caressing your hand.

“I was not angry then but I am now, anyways that is not how I work. I do not know what lies they have told you, but I have no control over the crops, animals, or weather, that is not my doing.”

As he goes to pull his hand away you grab his wrist pleading with him, “no, that is not right. The only reason they left me out there like that was because the book said an offering to you would save the village. Why else would they do that to me?” you whisper the last part mostly to yourself, not seeing any other reason for the actions of the people in your village.

 You see his eyes soften from behind the mask, stepping closer his presence only a breath away from you now, cupping your checks and wiping away tears that you did not realize had fallen. “The book you speak of is an ancient book of an offering; this is to be given to me yes, but not for sacrifice or as a way to save a village from misfortune. It speaks of tying someone to me. Bonding their soul to mine forever. I do not know why but I assume they wanted someone to blame for their misfortunes, and I was it. By leaving you to me, writing the runes upon your skin…” his hands now trace your checks down your neck, and your arms where the writing was previously written, “ and wearing my necklace, and since I accepted the offering when I brought you back here with me, we are now linked together forever.” 

You stare into his eyes, looking to see if he is telling the truth, finding no lies within his eyes you take a deep breath, your head beginning to hurt with all this new information thrown at you. “I think I need to sit down for a moment,” you say in a breathless whisper.

 Konig guides you to the cozy-looking chair sitting in front of the fireplace, placing your head in your hands you lean forward, your elbows on your knees, closing your eyes trying to make sense of everything. Instead of being killed by Krampus like you originally thought you being a sacrifice for the good of the village and everyone in it, they tied your soul to his, making you his soulmate. No matter how long you thought about it you just couldn't make sense of it, how would this solve anything? Why would giving the being they thought responsible for all their troubles a soulmate solve anything. 

Lifting your head up from your hands you look up at Konig, who is walking back over to where you sit now holding a glass of water, he must have gone to the kitchen while you were deep in thought. He wordlessly hands you the glass of water, you take a long sip of water not realizing how thirsty you were until that moment. Gasping you say, “Thank you. But I still don’t understand how would this solve anything for the village then? Why would they essentially be rewarding you, if they thought you were the bad guy?” 

Taking the now-empty glass from your hands, he lets out a deep sigh. “Once your soul is bound to mine, I have a weakness. Through me, you will have an immortal life, not aging another day as I, but you are still human able to be killed, if you die, I die with you.” 

At the sudden news, you jump up out of your seat, craining your head to look up at him but before you could say anything, he adds “do not worry they cannot find you here. No harm will ever come to you, especially not while you wear my necklace. Plus, even if they somehow managed to find their way to my forest they would have to make it through the elves first, and they do not play nicely.” His eyes shine with a knowing look like he knows exactly what would become of anyone who makes there way here without his permission. 

Before you could say anything else your stomach starts growling, causing your face to feel warm with embarrassment. Konig lets out a chuckle, “Ah, how rude of me. You must be very hungry, ja. Let us get you some food. Come.” 

He reaches his hand out in front of you. You slowly place your hand in his, he gently pulls you to your feet and starts leading you down the corridor to the kitchen. Now that his hand is in yours, you can feel the rough callouses on his skin from years of use. Upon entering the kitchen, you did not expect to see the table already full of delicious-looking food, gasping you look at Konig in question, who simply shrugs his shoulder in response pulling out a chair at the table for you to sit at. 

“Do not be shy; have as much as you like.” He says as he sits on the seat on your right, making a plate for himself and piling it high with meat. You begin making your plate, putting a little bit of everything on it, wanting to try everything as most of the food before you is something you have never seen before. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Konig reach up and grab the mask obscuring his face and taking it off and place it in the spot next to him on the table. Your eyes rake over the scars on his face, he must have felt your gaze on him because he turns his head to stare at you. 

Giving you a sheepish smile, he apologizes, “I am sorry. I know I am not very nice to look at, but it is difficult to eat with the mask on.” 

Shaking your head, “No, you have nothing to apologize for. You just didn’t look how I expected Krampus to look; you are handsome.” 

Not knowing how to respond to your kindness, Konig just gives you a grateful smile before continuing to eat, you shortly following his lead. 

—-

You've been living with Konig for a few weeks now, and in that time, you've learned a lot about him. He makes toys—though they're unlike anything Santa would create—and the strange creations often come to life, causing chaos wherever they go. He's also started wearing his mask less frequently around the house, especially when it's just the two of you. Still, every now and then, a quiet worry creeps into your mind about the people in your village. You can't help but wonder if they managed to survive the blizzard and the food shortages.

Today, Konig was teaching you how to create snowglobes at his workstation. It turned out to be much more difficult than you’d expected, especially when it came to crafting the perfect sculpture to fit inside. Though you weren’t the best at it, Konig seemed to enjoy teaching you, and that made it all worthwhile.

“Look, Schatz,” he said with a proud smile. “It’s us.”

You stopped what you were doing and turned to see the small sculpture in his hands—a perfect replica of you and him, standing side by side. You gasped in awe. “Wow, that’s beautiful!”

Konig handed you the sculpture, and as you ran your fingers over the intricate details of the hand-carved masterpiece, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth.

“I still have to add color, so I am not done yet.” He sheepishly adds, rubbing the back of his neck at all your praise.

Sudden bangs and the chaos of shouting erupted outside the house, the sounds of a violent struggle growing louder. Konig stands up, grabs your arm, and pulls you up beside him. He begins dragging you to his bedroom. Once inside, he gently places you in the middle of the room and grabs his mask off the nightstand where it usually stays now. 

“Stay here, Liebling, do not come out until I come back for you.” Even with his face now covered, you can see the concern for your safety reflecting in his eyes. 

Konig turns to leave the room, but before he can make it out of the door, leaving you behind, you run up behind him and grab ahold of his wrist, stopping him in his tracks, “Konig, what’s happening? Don’t leave me alone.” 

Pausinghe turns to face you, fully reaching up with both hands on your cheeks. He caresses your face, softly rubbing his thumbs over the apple of your cheeks, “Everything is going to be okay. Just stay here, please.” 

Staring into his eyes, wanting to beg him to stay with you and just let his elves handle whatever is happening outside, you know that he does need to go out there; he is Krampus, after all, and is more than capable of taking care of himself. You nod, your face still in his grasp. He leans forward but pauses as if he is second-guessing himself. Letting out a deep sigh from his chest, he put the mouth of the mask on your forehead before walking towards the door, giving you one last glance over, ensuring your safety before he leaves, and shutting the door to his room behind him. You can hear his heavy footsteps throughout the house, the front door open and closed shut, leaving you all alone in the house. 

The noise outside has yet to stop; maybe it was just your nerves, but you feel as if, every passing second, he is out there. Something bad could be happening, but you know he is a demon and only truly has one weakness. Which is why he told you to stay in his room, where he knows you will be safe. Trying to clear your mind from the turmoil outside, you begin pacing around his room, counting the number of steps it takes to walk from one corner to the next. You continue to do this for the next couple of minutes while all the noise outside seems to have died down, allowing you to hear some muffled yelling. Right now, you can only make out Konig’s voice, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go out into the living room so that way you can hear more of what is happening. 

Quietly, you open the bedroom door, the hinges squeaking, causing you to flinch. Wrapping your arms around your middle, you walk out into the living room towards the front door, placing your ear upon the cool wood. Konig is yelling at someone; his accent becomes thicker the angrier he gets, which sometimes makes him harder to understand. After a brief moment of punching sounds, you hear someone who sounds vaguely familiar, “You killed her, didn’t you, you monster!!” 

You gasp, covering your mouth. You throw open the door, rushing outside in the cold, not thinking about grabbing the fur jacket Konig made specially for you. You run down the stairs on the porch. You see Konig standing tall and menacingly in the yard. His elves are all lined up facing him. They are all holding weapons of some kind, looking as rowdy as ever, the bells on the chains wrapped around their body jingling in the wind. You run as fast as you can to where Konig stands, where two elves are standing out from the crowd holding two prisoners hostages, making them kneel before Konig. 

Sensing you, Konig whips around his body language, immediately softening at the sight of you, “Liebling, it is too cold for you to be out here.” By the time you reach him, he has already removed his thick red cloak throwing it over your shoulders and wrapping it around your body. 

You place your hands on his chest, bunching up his shirt in your grip, “No, Konig! Please don’t hurt them. They are from my village.” Motioning to where the two elves are holding a beaten and bloody Simon and Johnny. 

Johnny and Simon are drenched in blood, from head to toe, and you can only hope it’s not all theirs. Their arms are covered in cuts, and their faces are swollen and bruised from what looks like repeated punches. Chains are wrapped tightly around their upper bodies, and the elves standing behind them keep a firm hold, forcing them to kneel in the snow.

At the sight of you in Konig’s arms, Johnny and Simon struggle in the chains, causing the elves to tighten the chains, making them let out pained groans. 

Johnny speaks first, “You’re alive!! We went back to the forest that night to save you. Simon and I decided that we couldn’t just leave you out there to die, but when we arrived back at the sight, you were gone, nothing left but the rope.” Guilt fills his voice, looking at you for forgiveness. 

Simon moves to stand up, but the elf kicks his leg, causing him to fall back on his knees; looking over his shoulder, he glares at the elf, cursing under his breath. He tries again, jerking his shoulders forward to create some slack in the chain. Once standing, he takes a half step towards you; seeing this, Konig steps in front of you more, making you peek around his back to see what Simon has to say. 

“When we got back to the village and told everyone about how we were unsuccessful in rescuing you, everyone started rioting, blaming Shepherd and Philip, saying there should have been another way. They…they told Johnny and I that the book said there was a way to save you. We just had to find Krampus’s hideout and kill him.” Simon glances at Konig, seeing his protective stance around you, and begins rethinking everything he was told by the village leaders.

A loud clapping coming from behind all the elves draws everyone’s attention; Shepherd appears from the darkness, clapping his hands together slowly. Konig moves forward, growling, “What are you doing here?” 

Shepherd lets out a loud mocking laugh, “I told you before, Konig. I would get my revenge for what you did to my family. I have been planning my revenge for years. Did you not think I wouldn’t notice you watching them every year and becoming attached to them, so when I was finally able to get my hands on that necklace, I knew this was my chance.” 

Konig rolls his shoulders back, standing up to his full height, with hatred in his eyes. He watches Shepherd slowly walk closer to him through the elves who were anxiously waiting for the word to attack. “They were on my list. It is the rules, bad children, and adults who need to be punished. But they have nothing to do with this. Your quarrel is with me.” 

You move to step forward to take comfort behind Konig when you feel someone wrap their arms around you from behind, placing a knife at your throat. You fearfully shout, “Konig!” 

Hearing your cry for help, he turns around but pauses when he sees you in danger, his breath catching in his throat. “Let her go!” he growls. You have never heard him like this before; it sends a shiver down your spine. The elves are holding up their weapons behind Konig, ready to kill for you. 

A laugh rumbles from the chest of the person holding you, one that you used to enjoy hearing the sound of, but now it just sends a sick feeling to your stomach. Philip rests his chin on the top of your head, digging the blade into your neck, causing it to break the skin, a little trial of blood running down your neck. This causes Konig’s entire body to go rigid at the sight of it. He clenches his fists at his side, and you can see the gears turning in his head on how to rescue from his grip without hurting you. 

“You didn’t really expect us not to retaliate against you. I think us giving you a little soulmate was mighty nice of Shepherd and me. I mean, we even gave you some time together before sending in those two as a diversion…” 

He points the knife over at Johny and Simon before placing the knife back at your throat,  “So you wouldn’t suspect us, and we could just waltz on in here and grab your soulmate, killing them essentially killing you. But I really did not expect it to go so easily.” Philip laughs, tightening his arms around you. You silently plead with Konig to do anything. 

Shepherd, having made his way through the horde of elves, pats Konig on the back condescendingly, “Now you will know what it is like to lose everything, but you’ll be joining them shortly.” 

The chains around Johnny and Simon had slackened considerably due to the elves' concern for you and Konig’s safety. Simon used the slack of the chain to throw it around Shepherd's neck, pulling back into his hold. Shepherd’s hands immediately go to the chain around his throat, trying to keep it from choking him, but to no avail; Simon is not letting go, no matter how much he struggles. 

Philip removes the knife from your throat to point it threateningly at Simon, “HEY! You let him go now!” 

With the knife no longer about to end your life and Philip distracted, Konig sees the perfect opportunity to strike. Konig rushes forward, grabbing Philip’s hand that holds the knife, bending his wrist back with a sickening crack, causing him to scream out in pain, dropping the knife in the snow. Konig’s other hand wraps around Philip’s throat. He lets go of you in favor of trying to pry off Konig’s hands off his throat. You fall to the snow and crawl out of the way. One of the elves comes up behind you, pulling you in their embrace to keep you safe. Your head is pressed into their chest to keep you from seeing anything that is happening behind you. 

Konig now has both hands wrapped around Philip’s throat, lifting him into the air, his feet no longer touching the ground. Philip is clawing at his hands, gasping out for breath, his face turning colors due to the lack of oxygen. Konig leans forward, whispering in his ear, “Do not touch what is mine.” A loud crack resonates throughout the forest; Philip's hands fall to his limp, throwing his body down. Konig sprints to where you are cowering in the elf's grasp. 

“Liebling, are you okay? What hurts?” He places his hand on your back, trying to access any more damage on you. Feeling Konig’s comforting touch on your back, you throw yourself into his awaiting arms, tears flowing soaking into his shirt. 

“I was so scared; I thought they were going to hurt us.” you sob into his chest; he rubs your back soothingly as you try to catch your breath. 

The familiar sound of the bells jingling causes you and Konig to look over to where Shepherd now lays wrapped in the chains at the feet of Simon and Johnny, who hold both ends of the chains. “Should we kill him?” Johnny asks, looking at Konig. 

Konig stands up with you standing in front of him, wrapped safely in his arms, turning to face them both. “Nein, I have a better idea. Elfen bringen ihn in die Grube.” 

With their orders now given, a handful of elves move forward, snarling and laughing, grabbing the chains from Johnny and Simon and begin dragging Shepherd’s screaming body through the snow towards the pits. 

Konig walks to Simon and Johnny, stopping in front of them with you still with him. Simon looks at you, then Konig, “What are you going to do to us?” asks Simon, sighing regrettably. 

Reaching up and removing the mask covering his face, Konig puts one hand on both of the men's shoulder’s, “You both helped me. Distracting Philip, so I was able to act. Thank you. You are free to return to your village, become the new leaders, and do a better job than those two. Though I must warn you once you leave my forest, you are never to return, or else my elves will not be as kind to you next time.” 

They both nod their heads at Konig in agreement and turn to leave. The rest of the elves make a path for them to walk through, none of the elves messing with either man as per Konig’s wishes. However, it did not stop the elves from keeping a close eye on them until they were completely off their territory. 

Konig kneels down in front of you, placing his head against your stomach, “I was so scared when I saw you in danger. I thought I was about to lose you forever, and I panicked. I am so sorry.” he says, his voice muffled from being pressed against you. Running your hands through his hair, you move his head up to look at you. 

“Konig, you have nothing to be sorry for. I should have listened to you and stayed inside; it was all my fault. I am sorry, but thank you for saving me.” You pull him up and give him a hug. 

Leaning your head back, you look up at his face, staring into each other eyes. He slowly leans forward, pressing his forehead against yours. His breath fanning your face, standing on your tippy toes, you press your lips to his, feeling your lips on his. He immediately kisses back, placing one hand on the back of your head and pulling you closer to him. 

Cheering and laughter erupt in the background, causing you to pull away from each other. Seeing all the elves going crazy at the sight of you and Konig kissing causes you to throw your head back, laughing before you bury your face in his chest, making him laugh in return. 

“Come on, Liebling. Let’s go back inside.” 

—-

The next day, you and Konig are sitting cuddled up together in the living room in front of the fire, enjoying each other’s company. Konig stops rubbing your back and turns his body to face yours fully, his face full of nervousness. 

“If you want, you can go back to your village. I will understand if you wish to leave, and I will hold no grudges against you or the town. I….” you stop him from talking any further. 

“And if I want to stay here with you?” you ask, looking down shyly, scared that maybe he was saying all that stuff because he did not want you here anymore. 

He places his finger under your chin, lifting your head up to look at him, “then I will spend every day of our life together doing whatever I can to make you happy. Trying to prove to you how much you mean to me.” He leans forward, connecting your lips together in a kiss.

The warm glow of the fireplaces bathed you both in a soft, calming light, casting a peaceful aura over the room. Above the mantel, the snowglobe, Konig crafted, an intricate, perfect representation of the two of you, sat proudly. Its glass shimmered gently in the flickering flames, showing the love and care he put into creating it.