#some of them speak louder. while others will speak through their actions | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ellapurnellmybeloved · 10 months ago

Text

fluff alphabet |clarisse la rue

author's note: Hi lovelies, please send me requests! I don't know what gave me the confidence to think I can write, probably delusion. Also, this is according to my personal views of Clarisse so don't be mad if it's different from what you've imagined. Leave a comment, I love interacting with people, xx.

warnings: I tried my best to keep it gender/race/cabin neutral for the most part but there are still some feminine coded things here and there. English is not my first language so excuse any grammar mistakes.

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Starting off strong because with Clarisse sparring is a must. Although she doesn't like to think there will ever come a time in which she won't be there to protect you, it's still an essential part of life as a half-blood. And who better to train you than the daughter of war herself? And in case the apprentice becomes the master and you happen to beat her or pin her to the ground or even hold your dagger to her neck? Oh boy, she's done for. Actual heart eyes.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

She pretty much loves everything about you, she can't really just choose one aspect. Though, if she had to, she'd probably say she loves you for being supportive, understanding, and patient with her. You understand her better than anyone. That's what made her know you were the one for her. You can control her anger issues and calm her down when she's on the verge of exploding and she thinks that's beautiful.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc?

The art of intimacy or comfort never came easy to Clarisse. Her relationship with her mother isn't the best and hasn't been for a while now and her father is a grade A asshole. Her first instinct when you're feeling down is to fix it, to ask you who or what happened and give them a physical piece of her mind, but that's not always how it works. She'll pull you to her lap and hold you through the night or for as long as you need, wiping your tears and kissing your cheeks. She'll let you vent your heart out. You can tell her anything. Or nothing, if you prefer. She's not the best with words but her actions speak much louder.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

She's never thought that much ahead if she's being honest. Never allowed herself to daydream too much into the future, choosing to live off the present for now. Sometimes, however, she pictures what could be only described as an utopia; to go on such a fantastical quest that the gods can't help but grant the both of you immortality, that way you'd bask in the glory of your love forever and ever.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

On the outside looking in it would seem Clarisse is the dominant one for sure. And in some ways she is; she likes that you can rely on her, she wants to provide for you, yearns to prove herself capable of such. Still, you're the one in charge. Clarisse is completely devoted to you, and your relationship means more to her than anything she's ever felt before. She cherishes it like no other, always at your beck and call.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Clarisse is intense, that much we know. Her anger runs deep and her passion burns red. She's not perfect, and doesn't try to hide it either. She's hot-tempered, arrogant, she's got a short fuse and she holds grudges. Her fatal flaw is pride, which sometimes gets in the way of her good senses, so you'll most likely be the one apologizing first. Despite all that, she can't bear the thought of you being mad at her and absolutely hates fighting with you. It's like it's tearing her apart, especially if you're sad over something she said or did in the heat of the moment. Truth is, she is a fighter at heart so when all is said and done she'll try and make it up to you in some way, somehow.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

She is so appreciative of everything you do and are. As previously stated, Clarisse didn't get much love growing up so any semblance of that is something she clings hard to. She notices everything, every little thing you do for her and the underlying of your words. How you treat her and others is always stored in the back of her mind and she loves to be loved by you.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Clarisse is a very closed off person in general, she doesn't like feeling exposed and being possibly seen as weak. She'll tell you things but there's still some matters you have to pick up on your own and know how to approach them, especially regarding her feelings and personal struggles. She's very honest though, she feels like she owns you that much and appreciates you if you do the same for her. The more your relationship progresses you'll notice being able to read her like an open book because although she does her very best to hide it there's an underlying vulnerability to her behavior in certain moments you'll take proper notice of the more you know her.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Clarisse has definitely become more gentle since you. It still doesn't extend to your friends and family but more so how she behaves around you and knowing she doesn't have to put up that though front all the time. Her sense of self worth has improved as well, especially when you reassure her through her insecurities and doubts (never being the son her father wanted etc.)

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Oh, boy. Clarisse’s jealousy is very fuelled by… Well, anything really. She doesn't necessarily need a motive to go toe to toe with someone, just staring at you for a second longer than she deems them worthy of and she's ready for a fight. It's hard for anyone to get close enough to flirt with you because she's always there, by your side, kind of like a guard dog. But only because she knows how amazing you are and her insecurities do blurry some lines on what's acceptable. She's working on it though.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Clarisse is definitely a good kisser. She doesn't have much experience, if any, but she's a natural. It sounds cheesy but the first time she kisses you was like butterflies and church bells dancing loudly in the wind. The way she cups your face so uncharacteristically soft and how she breaks off the kiss with a series of small pecks only to smile one of her beautiful smiles so close to each other's faces… Magical. It could be at the fireworks on the fourth of July or it could be in your favorite spot in the woods, soaked in lake water during a midnight swim or after a heated argument. No matter how many times Clarisse kisses you, she'll never not feel electricity similar to her spear’s sharp edge digging into her body and soul.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

Clarisse does not have a clue what she's doing. I feel like she'd say something in the heat of the moment; either confessing her true feelings or masking them by saying something hurtful she doesn't actually mean. In the latter scenario she'd storm off and berate herself over it but her pride and fear that you'd never look at her again made her put off her apology for some time and let it all sink in to talk to you when she's ready. That is until you start properly ignoring her and she nearly goes crazy with longing, just missing your overall presence and having her stomach turn to knots at the way things were left between you two. That's one of the few times Clarisse sucks it up and reaches for you. The apology is awkward but overwhelmingly honest and she tells you she's an idiot but you're content in forgiving her and giving her a second (actual first) chance.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Again, Clarisse never thought she'd live to see the day she'd actually have a marriage prospect. Her life just doesn't seem complete without you anymore and the moment she realizes that she's done for. It would probably be while you're laying in bed together, your head on her chest while you play with her fingers. Your eyes are heavy with sleep but hers are wide open, thinking. “Will you marry me?” said while staring into the distance and you probably think she's joking except Clarisse is not one to joke about that sort of thing. “Not now. But eventually.” and whether you ask if she's serious or just accept it right away, she'd look at you seriously for a beat and then tackle you into a bear hug, crushing you underneath her. She doesn't see the point in a big wedding, but if that's what you're into, she won't mind.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

She is not immune to babe or baby but would still like to keep some variety. Things like sunshine, gorgeous, angel or others (I'm looking at you, person who created the “mama/s” HC). She does like your name very much, or probably a shortened version of it. Don't expect her to not tease you if any of these make you flustered.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Clarisse likes to think she's good at hiding it when she's absolutely not. As Taylor Swift once said, you can hear it in the silence. Just the way her eyes soften when she's looking at you speaks millions, but people also get whiplash at how fast her mean attitude changes whenever you're around. Her love giving languages are probably acts of service and physical touch. She loves to do things for you, feeling all big and mighty whenever she can make your life just a little easier. Touching is also a must but we'll get to that in a second.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Clarisse is not very comfortable with public displays of affection, because she is afraid of being judged or mocked by others for being weak or soft. She prefers to keep her relationship with you private and intimate, but doesn't mind the little things. She does gloat about being with you as well as showing you off, so that everyone on camp knows you're hers. She brags about you all the time and I mean, seriously, all the time. She's not a big hand holder but she almost over compensates by grabbing at your hips and thighs, throwing an arm over your shoulder or hiding her face in your neck. She especially loves bonfires when you sit on her lap and she can hold firmly onto your waist while she's talking to her siblings or just press her forehead against yours when her social battery is low.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

She's very perceptive. She may not know what has changed right away but she's also persistent so she'll figure it out in an instant. If it's the way you did your hair or something that happened along your day, even if you change your usual greeting. She notices and she'll definitely ask you about it.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Clarisse wants to be loved, that's all she’s ever wanted, and she has so much love to give, therefore I believe she'll do just about anything to make you happy. That includes being an absolute sap. She honestly doesn't mind how cliche it is, if it works on you, you bet she's using it. If anyone cares to say anything remotely negative about you or your relationship she will promptly glare them into oblivion or give them something to really worry about.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

She is your absolute biggest supporter. Especially if you don't believe in yourself, then she's trying even harder for you to see just how well you can do something if you put your mind to it. With something like sword training she is more than willing to help you, rewarding you with kisses and cursing you for distracting her with your pretty face.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Clarisse doesn't mind change, she rolls with it. If you have a certain way of doing things, a routine you like to follow, that's fine by her. If you're unpredictable, even better. She just loves to see what comes next in terms of your relationship, not necessarily needing anything to amplify her love for you. It's already hardwired into her.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

She knows you like the back of her hand. Even the slightest furrow of your eyebrows or tilt of your head and she'll be there in a second asking what's wrong. She does learn to be more empathetic towards your own struggles, which was hard at first because she wasn't sure how to see things from someone else's point of view. Though road but you make it work.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

She doesn't have much to look forward to so Clarisse values her relationship with you very highly, as you are one of the few people who can see past her tough and aggressive exterior and appreciate her softer and more vulnerable side. She is fiercely loyal and protective of you, and would do anything to keep you safe and happy.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

I actually read this one on a Wattpad story a while ago so credit to the original creator but, Clarisse has a teddy bear named Mr. Muscles she's had since she was like, nine and she cherishes it like it's her most prized possession. When she introduced this piece of information to you, you just found her so incredibly adorable you couldn't contain the giggles and she gets so hot in the face she pushes you off her bed and it's honestly one of the most memorable moments in your relationship.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

I headcanon Clarisse as your personal furnace as well as a koala bear so kisses and cuddles are a must, especially if it's cold outside. She loves to take naps with you, it gets to the point where she has trouble sleeping without you (so you give her a vial of your perfume to spray on Mr. Muscles for when you're away).

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Clarisse with you: 🥰

Clarisse without you: 😡

She gets snappier than usual and easily annoyed but she'll also get really sad because she's never had to deal with being away from you. Her siblings try to cheer her up by shoving some kid's head into the toilet but she's so disinterested in anything that does not involve you she just goes about her days training until she can see you again and show off her muscles.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

The answer is yes, one hundred percent. “Touch her and you die” trope goes so hard. Not only that but she would willingly sacrifice the world and herself for you and your relationship. She would go out of her way to make sure you are okay, that you are fed and hydrated and well rested, even messing up her own sleeping schedule in order to take better care of you.

#* ༄ ꒰ effy's works ꒱#clarisse la rue x reader #clarisse la rue #clarisse la rue fluff #clarisse pjo #clarisse x reader #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo series #pjo

414 notes · View notes

popponn · 11 months ago

Text

bits and such, about him.

summary: he loves you in his own way. (aka expanded hcs on how he shows his love to you)

note: i want an isagi so bad at this point i will just cry. also i miss sae. nagi is kinda there ig (jk nagi u shojo protag). sometimes thinking about these guys are very comforting even when it comes out as pure brainrot. warning: none, just fluff. isagi is downbad, sae is a house cat variant, and nagi is something else. reader's gender unspecified, implied post canon au.

characters: isagi, sae, nagi

isagi falls in love with you again and again over the smallest things. it could be you rearranging your things, it could be you looking up to the sky, it could be you crouching alongside him, it could be you laughing at something he finds actually unfunny—repeatedly, without fail it keeps happening. in these sorts of moments, it is very obvious too. his breath would come to a halt slowly, his shoulder sagged, his mouth opening into a silent gape, all while his blue eyes would stare at you, filled with feelings that are impossible to word out. his signs are obvious enough that even strangers could know them. the worst thing is that on times like this, it means isagi yoichi's infamously smart brain will go on a holiday for a bit. adding to the fact that his eyes rarely leave you whenever you are in his vicinity, this means it happens a lot in a public setting. after the third time of seeing this happening right in front of them, most of his friends sort of agree that it would be best to leave the lovesick, down-bad isagi alone. more for their sakes because all they get is either a dumb "huh" that is very cute actually or a very angry, on-field tone of "shut the fuck up fucking donkey i'm admiring right now" which unfortunately did happen to a genius, a speedster, and a king. it nearly ended in a bloodbath multiple times but at least you know he is a man that could not be moved.

sae likes it when you play with his hair and vice versa. the annoying thing, though, is that he rather doesn't say shit for three days than admitting this to your face. some call it an acute case of terrible communication skill some call it kuudere rizz—nobody knows which one is the correct term but the good thing is this guy speaks louder through his action than his words. which mean acting like a spoiled house cat with shitty attention seeking tendencies—where you could be working or resting your exhausted leg and without any warning, you will have his head on your lap. don't bother protesting, you will lose the inevitable staring contest. just play with his hair, comb it, pat it, arrange it while praising him—just spoil him. and if he says "your hair is wet" even right after you dry it off, just sit down and let him " dry" your hair. no, it's not an alibi to have you chatter while he listens and touches your hair. no, he does not kiss you on the hair you are imagining shit. and no don't let anyone touch your hair. sae's possessive streak is a rare thing but if anyone touches your hair, that's just asking for it. honestly, it will be easier for both of you if he just says "hey can we forego the hairdryer and have your head on my lap instead this time" but this is an itoshi bloodline elder. the best he could manage is just suddenly burying his face in your hair or suddenly touching it when he is not in the mood to play a game. again, like a cat just taking something he wants. the cat is handsome and loving in his own way though.

nagi turns out to be a very very vocal person when it comes to you. aw, he must be away for a week because of a match? good luck to everyone on his team because he will whine about it every minute or so. some wanted to murder him, but thank god, an "if you look cool don't you think they will be happy?" is enough to shut him up—on camera at least. and wow he thinks you look good in your clothes? you will know it. nagi will say "wear it again", " it suits you", and many other short sentences indeed—he is still not a wordsmith—but simply by the sheer frequency of his praise? everyone and their grandma will know it. one time a brave, poor soul asked him "why the fuck are you so noisy about them?!"—and turns out it is simply because he likes your reaction to his words. you could respond back with cheer, with a calm suave, or sometimes flustered laugh, and nagi eats those up. remember to have special reactions for him though, since he is not above copying a koala or maybe some flirty toucan to have those. nagi has been a tad bit shameless though, despite everything, therefore maybe it's not unsurprising that he kinda of becomes after getting together with you. (in the background, niko nods sagely, "i see. so it's like your oshi character who you want every info of from a dating sim." while barou snaps with a "fucking what?" nagi takes a second to think, and goes, "...kinda." which is obviously an understatement.)

622 notes · View notes

misterdetectiveswag · 5 months ago

Text

❝ SO HIGHSCHOOL❞

summary; in which, you drag sae into trouble during your high school days. sprinkled with mischief during ephemeral times.

pairing; Sae Itoshi x m!reader

warnings/tags; song title made by taylor swift, suggestive at some parts, fluff, highschool au, cursing, sae & reader are already in a relationship, not proofread, teenagers being teens, makeout session

a/n; both sae and reader are a lil dumb but that's okay. i honestly don't know how different japanese schools are to western school so please forgive me for any inaccurate events

"saee..!" a small whisper rung through his ear, not paying attention to the other as he focused on whatever the teacher was saying.

once more, he called out to him. albeit louder than before but not loud enough to alert the people around them. it felt like the two were in their own little bubble. atleast in y/n's perspective.

it didn't take long before he nudged sae on his side. it was only then when he paid any acknowledgement at all with a sharp 'what.'

it sent shivers down his spine, but nonetheless he responded.

"notes. 'need them. i forgot to write 'em down."

"and you think i have some?"

a deadpanned expression made way to your face, a similar one mirroring sae's own face.

"..'had a query that, perchance, you'd be studious enough to take down notes with the time you spent ignoring me."

"do you even know what studious means?"

both stared at each other, as if they were trying to steal a glimpse of their soul before simultaneously turning away, however the loud voice of their teacher called out to them.

"Itoshi, l/n! no speaking to one another!"

as much as the two were different, they only had one thing consuming their thoughts. 'so uptight for no reason.'

and they both knew, one or the two of them were going to walk down the halls — not for the gates, but instead detention.

———

afterwards, they were called to stay a bit later at the end of the last chime of the day.

now standing infront of their teacher. mirroring sae's gaze on the ground cause you were slick like that.

"now do the both you mind telling me about your conversation a while back?"

the teacher was met with silence, however he kept pushing.

"you two will be met with detention, if neither of you don't talk"

again, nothing.

with a sigh, and the most miniscule of patience left; they were sent to detention. the moment the pair was out of earshot, sae slapped the back of your head.

"ouch! what the fuck, sae?!" you processed your words enough to not make it any more louder, since any more violations called of you will be only met with the back of your parents leather belt.

"why didn't you say anything, dumbass." sae on the other hand, did not care. if he was going down then he hands down believed you were going down with him.

"i thought you were gonna start talking!"

"as if."

"asshole."

(both didn't talk about their interlocked hands while walking down the hall, but it was stuffed in the comfort of sae's pocket and you thought it wasn't enough of an interesting topic to talk about.)

———

left with his thoughts, he sat in the corner of their detention room alongside sae. he laid his head down as sae oh so gently played with your hair.

tranquility, what both of you felt with your time spent. even though anything but peace came out of your mouth, no word could even compare to what you both felt. that's why you two opted for the quote, 'actions speak louder than words'

because in this case, it was all the more veracious.

the teacher watching you two didn't even care what you were doing. even going out of the room, unannounced and unprovoked.

and you two took advantage of that by stealing kisses and make up for whatever you spouted at each other.

luckily f'you, the teacher seemed to be outside for a longer period. and now you always met eye-to-eye with sae (not really). he knew exactly what you were thinking.

dropping his hand from your hair to your waist, he forced you to look up at him by pulling your chin to him.

"ya sure the teacher's gon' be out for long?"

"just shut up, would you? let me have this."

stealing your lips in a kiss, it felt better than no other. soft touches along the surface of your skin and his.

tugging his maroon hair, and teasing the back of his neck. small grunts came from both of you.

pulling away, to catch your breath. he looked pretty, prettier than ever before.

leaning in once more, he wanted to taste you now that he was intoxicated in the poison of you.

the door clicked, but you nor sae didn't seem to take notice. it was only untill a small cough erupted from the frame of the door.

oops. well, i guess the leather belt was always going to be the denouement, regardless what path you took.

#blue lock #blue lock x reader #blue lock manga #blue lock spoilers #blue lock imagines #blue lock scenarios #blue lock x you #blue lock x male reader #itoshi sae x reader #itoshi sae #sae itoshi x reader #sae x reader #sae x male reader

206 notes · View notes

stardustlixie · 5 months ago

Text

weekend- maki x yuta x reader

(REPOST FROM MY DELETED SMUT BLOG)

(warnings: sub!yuta, dom!fem!reader, dom!maki, pegging, praise, degradation, slight manhandling, dick slapping, edging, begging, cunnilingus, hickeys, hair pulling, spanking, dacryphilia, fxf action, petnames, polyamory, yuuta wears lace underwear😭)

(author's note: they are so fucking hot 😫, i want them both like rn, it's a need, inspired by a little conversation between me and @imrllytootiredforthis) NSFW!

maki has her arm around your waist, you're sitting at her side while yuuta lies sprawled across both of your laps, your fingers moving through his hair and scratching his scalp as some show plays on the tv in front of you.

it's been a long week and all three of you are getting the rest you deserve, though yuuta seems restless. you know why, he hasn't been allowed to touch himself for the entire week. acknowledging his pain is no fun though, you both you and maki ignore his occasional huffs of annoyance. he's squirming around a lot, a telltale sign that he's horny.

he's so cute, helpless like this. unable to do anything himself and too good to do something to rile you up. so, so cute.

your attention is drawn to him when he sits up a little, barely reaching to the level of maki's chest and huffs in a voice the never fails to amuse you.

"just touch me already! i know you're both ignoring me on purpose!" maki doesn't appreciate attitude.

"so mouthy aren't you? what makes you thinks you deserve to be touched, huh?" she taunts with a hard squeeze to his thigh, to which the boy inhales sharply. he knows he has no luck with maki, she can deny him things much, much longer than he can take, she likes to watch him suffer.

so he tries his luck with you.

"yn- mommy. please. been so good for you all week. please. i need it so bad." he borderline moans into your ear. you look at him and then at maki. she has a light smirk on her face, this is gonna be fun.

"you need us that bad, hm?" you muse at him, hand finding his hip and giving it a light squeeze.

"yes. yes please. cant- can't take it anymore. need you both." he whines as he softly grinds on maki's leg, to which she holds him still with one hand, accompanied by a little 'patience, slut.'

"yuuta, go back to the bedroom and wait. don't strip or lie down. just wait. understood, baby?" he nods and slowly gets off the couch. as soon as he's out of earshot, you turn your attention to maki, both of you standing up now.

"fuck. he's so hard to resist." she exhales and you chuckle as your arms wrap around her small waist.

"he is. what do you say we do with him?" you run your hands along her back as she smiles.

"whatever you want, mommy" she adds the last word teasingly. you and her don't really have a power dynamic, but you're both equally obsessed with each other as you are with yuuta.

you laugh at her antics before your gaze lowers to her boobs. fuck. she's perfect. the urge to touch her has to wait though. you need your sanity right now.

"well since our pretty boy is so desperate"- her hand travels down to your hip as you speak "-let's give him what he wants, but not exactly how he wants it. know what i mean?"

"mhm. your wish is my command." she smiles and gives you a quick kiss before you both walk to where yuuta is.

yuuta, like the obedient boy he is, is standing still, gulping heavily but not disobeying any rules despite his aching boner.

you close the door behind you as he feels himself being pushed to the wall and maki's lips slamming to his. she can be patient, but she's been waiting as much as he has. he whines as he feels her pinning his arms above his head and you take the moment to push your hands under his shirt and touch his sensitive nipples.

with your hands playing with his nipples and maki nipping and biting at the skin of his neck, his whining gets much, much louder, calming only when maki detaches herself from him to get everything ready.

meanwhile, you guide him to the bed and push him down onto it, hovering over him with your knees on either side of his waist. you take his shirt off to look at him better.

"mommy.. mmm-" you shut him up with your tongue entering his mouth as you both moan into the kiss.

maki walls up to you and tosses the lube on the bed. both yours and yuuta's eyes fly up to her. she's in her underwear. all black. stunning. you can't help but gawk at your girlfriend.

she pulls you in for a kiss while you're still straddling yuuta, her hands reaching your waist and taking your shirt off before wandering lower to rub at your clit. yours find their way to her boobs, finally. for a while it's all lips and tongue and teeth and moans.

yuuta feels left out. don't get him wrong, he loves watching you two together, but his boner just isn't letting him do that.

both of your combined sounds and the visual of your hands roaming on each other's bodies is too much for him.

you notice. but instead of separating yourself from maki, you grind down. right onto his raging boner. the sounds that escape him make both you and maki smile into the kiss.

you get off yuuta so maki can pull his pants off of him, and you're met with a delicious sight. he's wearing lace.

you can see maki's surprise in the way her brow is raised. you're both equal parts stunned and equal parts aroused by yuuta in that flimsy little thing.

you touch the black lace around his waist.

"what a surprise, maki. look at our babyboy all decorated." you say.

"like a whore. only for us to ruin." says maki and he swears he sees your eyes turn dark.

you shift the already-pretty-wet material of his panties aside and grab his length, stroking it slowly.

"look at you baby, so pretty and desperate. a sight, aren't you? my desperate little doll. say it."

he whines in response and you slap his dick. hard.

he jerks up with a yelp.

"words, sweetheart. you know mommy likes verbal answers." you look at him like a wolf at a sheep right before it pounces and devours it.

maki loves it when you get all evil. so hot. apparently yuuta in his little black panties was enough to flip you, but who's she kidding? anything about yuuta can flip you. you're always such a mean dom to him.

"well the slut is too dumb to do anything except whine. aren't you, yuuta?" maki says as she runs a hand on his thigh and abs to comfort him.

"am- 'm not. i can speak for mommy. a- and for you." but speaking is getting difficult for him with the way you suddenly grip the base of his dick mid-stroke, increasing your pace, before you bring your hand back down on his dick again. ripping a borderline sob out of him.

maki leans down to lay kisses on the skin of his thighs, touching them ever so gently to calm him down before she sucks hickeys all over him.

the contrast between you both drives him crazy. your words are sweet but your actions are so, so mean. and maki's words are so harsh but her touches so gentle. it's the best of both worlds for him. both of you know exactly how to make him combust without really doing much.

you stop your movements on his dick to give attention to his nipples as maki preps him, a finger at first, then two, not wasting much time before she moves to let the tip of her strap enter him.

you kiss him again, your hands reaching up to pull at his hair right as maki begins to push herself in, her pace torturously slow.

"here you go little whore."

you return your attention to yuuta's poor dick as maki increases her pace. everything is too much for the boy, the way you both look in just your underwear, full attention on him, being stimulated on both his insides and outsides while you both look like absolutely gorgeous towering over him. he looks at both of you like you're some divine incarnates. this is all too much.

he isn't going to last.

you look at him being absolutely wrecked by the situation, little gasps and whimpers escaping him with maki's slow thrusts. you move down to nip and bite at the skin around his collarbones, finding that one very sensitive spot of his skin right when maki finds his prostate, a sweet whine escaping his lips.

your hands find his nipples again, twisting and flicking oh-so-good while maki increases her pace. you go down to lick his earlobe.

"be good sweetheart. don't you dare cum without permission."

"f-feels too good, mommy. too good." he whines out before maki rips another loud moan out of him, hitting his prostate with every thrust in that cruel pace of hers.

"the slut can't control his own body, yn. you're expecting too much of him when he's being fucked dumb like this." she grunts with a smirk.

yuuta whines at her comment and tries to steady himself by gripping your arm. your hand just move back to his dick again, finding a pace to match maki's thrusts while yuuta's hips snap up in response.

"'m close. maki- i'm close. fuck."

his entire body is reacting to the stimulus and he's drawing awfully close to his climax when maki stops, so do you. right before he reaches the edge.

yuuta releases what can only be called a borderline sob.

"noo, why?" he cries in frustration. "I was so close. why'd you stop?"

"well, you wanted to be touched right? you're getting what you wanted, now let us have our fun, yuuta." you say as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

maki flips his body before he can even complain, easily helping him into his hands and knees, wasting no time and starting all over again.

the grip that the simple scene has on you is strange. maki is still moving slow when you place yourself behind her, kissing her back as you unclip her bra and get rid of it, sucking little marks onto her neck and shoulder when she lays her head back onto yours. yuuta's small noises bring your attention back.

"wreck him for me, won't you, love?"

she hums and leans for a quick kiss before you move away and she speeds up her pace again, hard grip on his waist. yuuta's reaction is immediate, small gasps turning into broken moans at the feeling.

"m-maki, fuck- harder. please. please. oh fuck. feels so good." you run your hand through his hair before you yank his head back by it, drawing the air out of his lungs. he arches his back so beautifully at one particular thrust from maki.

"a-ah, ohmygod. close-" he gasps out as before he buries his face into the pillow in front of him.

you pull his face away from the pillow by his hair and bring him in for a kiss and he moans into your mouth as he feels himself tipping over. he's cumming. his moans are muffled by your tongue in his mouth but his hips still grind back onto maki's strap, riding out his high before he stops, writhing around in sensitivity. maki, however doesn't stop for a good while, overstimulating the boy to his limits. you detach yourself from the poor thing.

"can't- too sensitive. h-hurts." he gasps as his legs stop supporting him, dropping down onto the mattress when maki lets go. unfortunately, you're not done yet.

he's just recovering from his orgasm when you pull him up to lay across your lap.

"what's you color, yuuta?"

"green." he exhales.

"good, because you know better than to cum without my permission."

he knows what he's up for, you don't like your rules being broken.

"count, sweetheart. if I don't hear you, we start over-" you look up at maki, "-how many do you say, love? how much can he take?"

"not much apparently. he looks spent to me. I'd say twenty but that'd be too much. can you take that, slut?" she asks him. he nods in response.

"i- i can."

"then count." you smack his ass and he whimpers out a small 'o-one' before your hand clashes with his skin again. and again. and again. maki watches from the edge of the bed as the heat in her core starts to become unbearable, she's been ignoring it for a while now.

"twelve. fuck."

watching yuuta's ass jiggle with each hit and turn so deliciously red isn't helping, add to that his whiney counting while you take utter pleasure in each impact, an almost predatory glint in your eyes as you switch from his ass to the back of his thighs and back to his ass. the situation is getting to her.

"mommy~" it's getting difficult for his already oversensitive body to take more.

"a few more baby, you can take that for me can't you?"

"i doubt that. look at him." maki taunts again.

"s-sixteen." he continues counting with little sobs, his butt turning a pretty shade of red.

after a few more, he finishes with a choked out 'twenty', actual tears running down his face. maki rubs his bruised skin to soothe him a bit before you flip him around on your lap, giving him a kiss.

"so pretty when you cry for me like that" you smirk at him, you let him collect himself before you shift your attention to your girlfriend.

she's sitting with her back against the headboard and you straddle her.

"been waiting." she smiles at you as her hands automatically latch to you body. you learn in for another kiss, she gives you control for a little while before fighting back again.

"mm. wanna taste you love. can I?" you say in between the kisses you place on her neck.

"please do." she sighs at the feeling of your lips, moving down from her collarbone to her gorgeous boobs, licking and sucking at her nipples before moving further down to the waistband of her panties.

you pull them down to reveal her heat, she's so wet. you place yourself between her thighs as you suck little hickeys on them, marking the place up as yours as she releases little hums of satisfaction.

"don't tease, yn."

"sorry, love."

you hear a whine from the side of the bed and hear maki command yuuta.

"touch yourself. but you don't cum until I do."

you give her clit an experimental lick before pressing your warm tongue flat against it, maki relaxing into your hold.

you run your tongue between her folds before sticking it into her cunt, your fingers coming up to replace the sensation on her clit.

her breathing become heavier as you continue sucking and rubbing on her bud while your tongue explores her insides. her hand comes down to rest on your hair.

you replace your tongue inside her with your fingers as you move your mouth's complete attention to her clit.

yuuta's whimpers can be heard in the background as you fingers thrust in and out of maki, he matches his pace with yours and moans at the stimulation.

you are quite literally devouring maki's clit, that's what she loves, with how long she's waited and how your fingers and moving in her, hitting her sensitive spots, she's drawing awfully close. her usual quiet hums turning into ragged breaths and low moans.

"fuck- baby, I'm gonna cum. yuuta. cum with me, yeah?"

"yes- fuck. so close." he pants.

maki grip on your hair tightens as she finishes, both her and yuuta cumming with synchronised moans as her hips move upto you.

"fuck. that was something." she says as she comes down from her high, looking down to see your face half drenched in her juices.

"sure was." you say with a smile as you catch your breath, she smiles back at you, a little fucked out.

"i'm sure yuuta agrees, don't you, love?" you look at you boyfriend, breathing real heavy and trying to navigate his way through his own sticky mess to get to you.

you're all catching your breath.

"why don't you both go shower, I'm gonna change these sheets and then I'll follow."

they're both quick to agree, none of them likes work. you don't mind tho, quickly replacing the dirty sheets with new ones, taking off your soaked underwear and following them into the bathroom a while later, three people can't fit in the tub so you just brush your teeth while you wait for them to get out.

"i can see you staring yuuta" you point out when you notice his eyes glued to your tits.

"can't help it. look! she can't help it either!" he points out maki, who in turn is busy staring at your ass.

these two are never gonna change.

#sub!jjk #sub!jujutsu kaisen #sub!character #dom!reader #sub!yuuta okkotsu #dom!maki #jujutsu kaien smut #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #dom x dom x sub #dom reader #sub charcter #jjk smut

172 notes · View notes

lostinforestbound · 8 months ago

Note

hello! could I please make a request?

Rolan waking up and comforting a tav that is trying to hide that they are crying. maybe he felt their tears on his arm or they aren't being as quiet or motionless as they thought they were being.

I've been having a hard few days and just think some Rolan comfort would be nice 😅♥️

I hope Headcannons are okay! I love writing Rolan comforting others, especially with how prickly he can usually be! I hope it makes your day a little better!

Comforting a Crying Tav

He's not sure what woke him up first; it was either the amount of force Tav pressed their forehead against his shoulder blade, or the wetness he feels gathering there.

Almost annoyed, he's about to speak up as ask what in the hells they were doing, but stops short when he hears them take in a shuddering breath.

His heart drops in that moment, suddenly wide awake. Were they crying?

He turns over maybe a little too quickly, seeing the tears in their eyes.

His immediate instinct is to ask what was wrong, but his mind is still disoriented from his previous slumber. No words are coming out, so he stares dumbly at his love who's now trying to hide their face in the sheets.

Right then and there, as they quietly sob into the bedding, he decides perhaps actions will speak louder than words.

That is harder to do since he's so used to his flourishing words taking the lead, but he tries.

He gathers them up in his arms, nuzzling into their hair and he curls his tail around their leg.

If Tav is also a tiefling, he'll gently rub his horn against theirs and curl his tail around their own instead.

He never purrs, he finds that part of tiefling biology embarrassing, but he'll do it for them. He would do anything for them.

If they don't want to talk about what's wrong, he'll save it for morning, even if he wants to know immediately.

For now, he'll comfort them the best that he can, even if he doesn't quite know how.

Writing Blurb

Rolan, having many stressors in his life, is a bit of a light sleeper. It wasn't always that way, but trying so hard to provide for Cal and Lia while being surrounded by dangers left an unwanted impression on his sleeping habits.

At first, he didn't mind Tav pressing their forehead against his back, even if it felt a little forceful.

What made him wake up more was feeling something wet trailing down the side of his back, and he actively has to suppress a shiver. Are they trying to tease him? At this time of night??

His nose scrunches up with slight annoyance, about to speak up. It's unbelievably late, and he has so much work to get through in the morning. Too many idiots are trying to make foolish deals that screw him over, and he has to find a way to kindly tell them to fuck off.

When he finally opens his mouth to ask what they're doing this time of night, he stops short when hearing a shuddering breath escape them. The soft, almost silent cry that escapes their lips makes his heart drop.

Mind racing, he instinctively turns over to look at them, albeit maybe too quickly since there's a startled expression on their face. Their eyes are clearly wet, darkvision giving him a vivid picture even in the darkness of the room.

"What's wrong?" He demands, sounding harsher than he meant to.

They shake their head as they sob again, hiding their face into the blanket to muffle their cries.

Why do they feel the need to hide this from him? Did he do something wrong the last time they cried? Was his tone off? He internally chastises himself for sounding too prickly when he asked.

Thinking words are going to make things worse, he carefully pulls them into his arms, hoping that actions will be louder than words. They practically collapse into his chest, so he hugs them tighter. Gods, he wants to ask questions; what do they need? Water? Food? Pressure? They seem in no position to talk.

He nuzzles into their hair, pressing a kiss onto the top of their head. His mind may be disoriented with how fast this went, but he knows that they need comfort. Reluctantly, although with some embarrassment, he begins to purr.

This seems to calm them, their cries deluding into whimpers. He did something good, then. He'll...try to purr more often.

They need to talk, he can't let this go, but it can be saved until the morning. For now, they just need him, and he will give everything possible to make them feel loved.

"I love you." He whispers, pressing a kiss to their forehead.

#rolan #bg3 rolan #forest-writes #rolan x tav #rolan x reader #holy rolan empire

232 notes · View notes

mae-gi-writes · 6 months ago

Text

Finders Keepers | Gally [TMR] - Part 5

In which Gally gets soft for one of the boys in the Glade, only…is it a boy? alternatively; In which Mai disguises herself into a boy to fit in the Glade, only to be suspected by the keen eyes of the Builder's Keeper.

taglist: @edynmeyer1 @ss28 @kurowvie @vaugarkel

A/N: omg omg things are starting to roll and I'm so down for all of it. What do you think so far of Gally and Mai?

Also available on Wattpad.

PREVIOUS | NEXT >>>

"The shuck you lookin' at?"

"I'm not looking at anything," says Mai as she plops another spoonful of mashed potatoes in Gally's plate, all while keeping a watchful eye on Frypan. The latter is currently grilling sausages and whistling to himself. She pushes the already-filled plate towards Gally and hisses, "just take it."

"You like him," Gally says it like a statement, not even a question. The idea has Mai's ears burn red, "no I don't. Now stop talking to me so I can go back to work."

A few days have passed since the incident and apart from a few weird looks from Jeff and Clint, Mai has escaped their tirade of questions for this month. For now, she's safe and back out of the radar.

Safe from everyone, except for Gally, who seems to have other ideas.

Like right now currently, when he's adamant that Mai has a crush on Minho. It doesn't help that Minho is cute and does make her blush from time to time. But hey, who can blame her? The Runner is a hugger and enjoys physical touch. He does it with everyone, so it's not like she can just ask him to back off without reason. That'll make him even more suspicious.

Gally doesn't think so, "what d'you like about him anyway? He's an asshole and he's full of himself."

"You are the asshole, Gally," Mai flicks her fork at him with a scowl, "now get lost."

She's not one to daydream of such things but she swears that something has changed between them within the past week. Gally somehow feels less aggressive. Oh, don't get her wrong, he still bullies her to death when no one's looking, but Mai likes to think that his actions speak louder than words.

And it feels as though he doesn't really mind having her around him.

But being friends with Gally also means to be bullied by others because of it. The first time it happened, she'd been busy unloading some meat from her cart when one of the Gladers pushed her over when she wasn't looking. She fell to the ground, eyes narrowed into slits as the Gladers around her laughed, but decidedly ignored them in favour of keeping the peace.

That doesn't stop them from trying to get something out of her.

It happens on an evening where all Keepers had been called to a meeting. Mai had been busy tasked with collecting some firewood for the Kitchens as Frypan needed more for the fires, and had been so engrossed in the task that she is surprised to find that night had fallen before she'd known it.

It's dark out now and with no light to guide her, she grips the sack of branches close to her chest as she treads carefully, squinting to follow the light of the Homestead.

"Oh look what we have here."

She freezes, turns over her shoulder slowly until she comes face to face with one of the Gladers that's been annoying her ever since she can remember; Henry.

He's one of the Builders, just as buff as Gally but short and squat, making him look rounder than he appears. His face makes Mai want to run for it and as he grins, she swears she feels her feet tremble. The desire to run prickles the back of her neck.

"Give it a rest Henry," Mai says flatly. It's been a while and she's not in the mood for this games.

"You know, we're in a Glade full of boys." He advances towards her and from the trees come out more Gladers, ones that she's unfamiliar with. Her stomach clenches with apprehension and she takes a shaky step back, "so we have needs, and sometimes, we need someone to fullfill those needs."

"That's pathetic," she snaps. Fear is pounding at her heart, causing a permanent ringing to thrum through her ears.

"Is it?" His grin widens, "let's find out."

Mai doesn't wait. She turns to break into a run—

But arms grab at her before she can, throwing her to the ground as a cry leaves her lips. Someone swivels her around roughly before she's forced to kneel at the knees.

"Stop it!" She yells out, tears starting to gather in her eyes at the thought that maybe there's no way out of this. Shit. And it's dark, nobody wanders to the forest in the dark.

The other gladers laugh like she's burst out a joke, "he's cute. I like him." One of them says.

"Let's see if he's got more spike than this," and to her horror, Henry starts to unzip his pants right before her eyes.

Mai's head jerks away, "stop it! Help!" She tries to shout as loud as her lungs would go, to no avail. The gladers swarm around her like a pack of Hyenas and she can't help but look at Henry's girth. It's red and throbbing and makes her want to throw up.

No. She begs silently, tears streaming down her face as she tries to push and shove and bite and kick-- anything, anything--

A hand clamps down on her skull, stopping her from moving altogether.

"Let's see what you're made of Greenie," Henry cackles as he advances forward, holding his girth in his hand. He grabs hold of her hair and pulls, roughly, until she's face to face with it. Her eyes squeeze shut as she hears him laugh out like a maniac. It sends chills down her spine, even more so when he squeezed her head--

"Everything all right here?"

The hand freezes. As does everyone.

Mai's throat bobs. A sob breaks out of it.

Through tear-rimmed eyes, she can barely make out two figures at the far end of the forest.

But she feels like she knows this voice. It's one that she hears everyday.

"Gally," Henry is quick to let go, zipping up his pants in the process though still keeping his hold on her hair, "what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that," a new voice. Newt's, speaks up as the slim figure advances forward. There's a dangerous tone to it, the kind that's like a warning bell and the other Gladers seem to sense it too, moving back slowly and away from Henry, letting go of her arms in the process.

"Just having a little fun here with the Greenie," he tries to sound confident, but it's clear he fears his Keeper. But his mistake is asking, "what do you say? Wanna—"

His words barely make it out of his mouth before a fist swings out in his direction.

Henry goes down with a cry. A series of footsteps thump along the ground, and there stands Gally, breathless and looking absolutely terrifying. Furious.

"You disgusting shank," he grabs Henry's collar, jerks him up before delivering another blow. And another, and another—

"Gally!" Newt shouts. The said Builder stops in mid-action, looking down at Henry's bloodied face with his jaw still clenched. Newt continues, "that's enough, man. Let him go."

Gally's still glaring, hold tightening even further.

"Gally," Newt repeats more firmly and this time the Builder lets him go, Henry falling to the ground in a heap, "I'll bring them back to Homestead. Let Alby deal with them."

Newt then jerks his head towards the lights, "come on then. Right now."

The gladers have no other choice but to obey the second-in-command with their eyes cast down and away from Gally's furious glare. Not that he notices. He's looking down at Henry, shoving him to the ground with one last threatening curse as the latter yelps and runs as far away as he possibly can.

It is then that Mai's knees give out and she crumples up like a broken doll, chest tight and breaths coming out in small gasps.

Gally turns to her and in his voice she hears a tinge of softness, "hey Greenie."

He closes the distance between them before leaning down so that they're face to face, "are you alright?"

The girl opens her mouth. Closes it. Opens it once more, to realize that nothing can come out. Her limbs are frozen in place, her heart still racing like a horse against her chest. She can feel the tear stains on her cheeks, carving paths down her skin and maybe it's just the shock of it all that causes a sob to echo out of her throat.

She starts crying, and Gally's hand lands on her shoulder.

"Hey hey, it's fine. They're gone," his gentleness surprises her, for he's never been like this. He's not usually, not in their every day life. But sitting here with her as she cries her heart out makes her chest warm despite the earlier events, like a beacon of security, a barrier of protection against the world. That's how Gally feels to her.

Before she knows it, she's thrown herself at him, not caring that he still believes she's a guy. Grabbing a hold of his shirt with both hands, the girl doesn't hesitate to bury her face in his chest as she feels the Builder freeze.

It's only for a moment though, a tiny fraction of a second, before his arms go around her — they're hesitant, unsure — and settle on her back.

He gives her a few awkward pats. She can feel the tension along his neck.

"Right greenie. No need to cry," he says gruffly against her hair, but not pulling away when she nuzzles even closer still. His warmth and scent are addictive, they feel like home in a foreign place. Mai realizes she kind of likes it, "these shanks aren't gonna touch you again, not after Alby's punishment."

But Mai is in her own world, clinging to Gally's comfort like it's the only thing holding her in place, the only stability she has as the emotions tremble through her, courses through her chest and knots in her stomach. It's like a dam finally breaking open and so Gally realizes he has no other choice but to be here for a while, and so decides to pat her on the back, trying not to take note of how slim the Greenie is under his fingertips, how tiny and fragile, almost—

No. No. No. You are not going there.

Mai finally calms down after what seems to be like an eternity, her sobs dying out into sniffles. The Builder's hand has moved up to her head since, smoothing down over her short hair almost absentmindedly. He drops it like he's burnt himself upon realization, pulling a grimace as he does so.

She whispers out his name so softly he barely hears it. He looks down at her with a soft frown, one that's swimming with genuine concern, only to hear the girl say, "thank you for saving me."

He's about to reply when Mai interrupts him by pressing a kiss.

Right onto his cheek.

----

Mai realizes a bit too late what she's doing.

She jerks away at the same time that Gally's mouth drops open. The girl scrambles back in surprise, eyes wide as she holds up her hands in a defensive stance.

"I—I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me I—" her squeak dies out as she watches the said young man rub at his cheek, where her lips had been a few seconds prior. He's not looking at her, glaring down at the ground and a flush creeping up the back of his neck.

"Gally I—"

"Forget it."

He's already walking away so fast that Mai has to scramble to catch up to him. Her heart is galloping like a wild horse against her chest, but not for the same reason this time. She feels the permanent blush taking over her face as she tries to stutter through a bunch of excuses, "I'm so sorry Gally, I—It won't happen again it's just— you know, I was scared in the moment and I—"

"I said forget it Greenie," he snaps as he keeps walking.

Mai's shoulders slump. Great, she thinks to herself, way to get him disgusted with me.

The rest of the walk back to Homestead is quiet and Mai decides it's better not to interrupt the peace until they reach the Council room. The gladers responsible are already inside, Henry included. Mai can't help but wince and hide behind Gally's broad back when she feels his dirty eyes on her frame.

Alby is in the middle of giving them their punishment, "—three days in the Slammer, no food, and when you get back from there, you're all gonna be Slicers until you apologize to Mai. Sincerely." He adds coldly, "consider this a merciful punishment. I could've have you banished if I wanted."

The Gladers murmur out their thanks. Not Henry, whose beady eyes are still locked on Mai's frame.

"Mai's lying to us," he suddenly calls out. The room falls silent as all eyes drag to Henry.

Mai freezes on the spot. Oh no. Has she not been discreet enough? Is this what she thinks it is?

Will she be going into the Slammer too?

"What do you mean?" Asks Alby.

Newt is also frowning at the said glader, eyebrows kissing at the center as his gaze trails over to Mai.

"This—" Henry jabs a shaky finger into Mai's direction, "This is a girl! She's been lying to us this whole time!"

"What in the bloody world are you talking about?" Newt asks but it's too late. Everyone has already spun around to look at Mai and each passing second that goes by causes Mai's reality to shatter because the truth is coming out, and the truth— no matter how hard she tries to hide — is real.

Her eyes move from the disbelief in Newt's, to the confusion in Alby's, before finally landing on Gally's blue gaze. His are a stormy aquamarine, something like realization causing the color in his eyes to shift and widen.

She can't deal with it. Not with them all looking at her like she's a sick secret.

So she does what she knows best.

She runs.

———

The Council room erupts into chaos as soon as Mai sprints away like her life depends on it.

Gally's first, already striding to the door with purpose only to be stopped by a pair of arms.

"Wait," Alby holds onto him with his jaw clenched and tight, "Gally, stop."

"I—" but Gally's thoughts are scattered and nonsensical, the memories of the Greenie, all the shower nights and the suspicious behavior, that one time Mai claimed he had a stomach ache because he was hungover... everything is starting to make sense and he has no idea how to deal with it.

"Gally," Alby's voice brings him back and the Builder allows himself to be pushed into a vacant bench. His fists tighten at his sides as he glares into the ground, one hand unconsciously going up to rub at his face in growing exasperation.

Shit. He's already feeling a headache coming in.

Henry, on the other hand, seems to be delighted at the unfolding of events, "see?! i told you she was a girl! And now she's shuckin' scared for her life because she lied to all of us—"

"Shut up Henry," Newt interrupts, his voice shaking with so much restrained anger that it takes everyone by surprise, "you're still an asshole for what you did to her. So slim it or I'm throwing you headfirst into the maze."

That, coming from Newt, instantly causes the said boy to close his mouth. Alby advances towards him slowly, a certain kind of darkness in his eyes that wasn't there before. He feels like a predator ready to pounce on his prey and all too soon Henry starts squirming.

"What you said about Mai," Alby starts off slow, though the venom in his voice is unmistakable, "that's a very serious accusation, shank. Do you even know what you're saying?"

"I saw her!I swear I did and--"

"So you spied on her?" Gally's rage increased tenfold. He wants nothing more than to wring his petty neck. He feels Newt's hand on his shoulder, a reminder to stay composed, and tries to relax.

It doesn't work.

"Well--I--I mean I had to, to prove my point--" Henry's eyes dart back and forth between the Glade Leader and the Builder that looks like he's going to kill him and place his head on a pike, "listen, the point is, she's not who she says she is. She's a shuckin' liar, a traitor! She's the one that should be thrown into the Maze because she broke the rules!"

"We'll be the judge of that," Alby cuts him off sternly. He turns to Newt, "get these slintheads into the Slammer. And him--" he points at Henry, "he doesn't get out of there until we know what we're gonna do with him."

"What?!" Henry tries to flail away from the other Gladers circling around him to grab at his arms, "I've protected the Glade from this chick. We don't even know what she can do! If she's the only girl maybe she's hiding something--"

But Gally's had enough. His hand jerks out, grabbing a fistful of Henry's shirt before wrenching him close so that they're face to face with each other. And when he speaks, his voice is merely above a growl.

"Listen here, you slinthead," Henry can't help but let out a whimper when Gally tugs him even closer, teeth baring dangerously and eyes so narrow and cold they look merciless, "maybe she did have her reasons for lying to us. And even if she did, that doesn't give you the right to spy on her, or to take advantage of her like that," Gally snarls, "do you understand me?"

"Y--Yes," Henry stutters before a few other Gladers pull him away from the Builder's trembling, raging gaze that speaks volumes.

It is only when Alby's hand drops onto his shoulder that Gally realizes he's gone back into his thoughts without realizing that the Council room is now void of people.

"I think you should go and find Mai," Alby says gently, totally unlike how he'd been a few minutes earlier, "we can't seem to find him -- her."

Truth to be told, Gally wouldn't blame Mai for trying to get away from all this shit show when she's had enough to deal with in one evening. But it's still night and Gally's starting to worry about whether the guy -- girl -- will freeze to death. The Glade is known for being relentlessly cold at night time and if he remembered correctly, Mai had been wearing nothing but a loose t-shirt.

He searches everywhere. The showers, under the kitchen tables, amidst the hammocks. He even goes out of his way to light a torch as he ploughs through the forest with Newt and a sleepy Minho who'd been woken up for the occasion, to no avail. It seems that Mai has just disappeared into thin air and despite the fact that Gally tries to brush it off, he can't quite help the way his stomach knots itself into two at the thought of Mai being all alone in the dark.

That is, until he decides to prowl through the trees.

He finds her then, cooped up amidst a few branches a few feet above ground, high enough that no one would've normally noticed her presence. He catches sight of her tensing as he approaches, the black outline of her figure moving back slowly as if fearing the worst. So he calls out, just in case:

"Hey Greenie," he pauses, waiting. The figure stays immobile, "it's just me."

Nothing. Silence that tears through the open space with the only interruption being the whistle of trees and the groaning of metal from the maze in the distance. It feels like forever and Gally has half a mind to climb up there himself when she finally speaks.

"I'm sorry."

He squints up at her, "don't be stupid. Just get down."

"I've lied. Henry's right," she blurts out, "I am a girl, I just didn't know how to tell you all without you freaking out about it."

"So what?" Gally responds, "Now we know. Big deal. Now get down so we can go back to Homestead to get some sleep."

He inclines his lamp towards hers so that he catches a glimpse of her face, and sure enough, the fear etched into her features is one that is reminiscent of a doe caught in broad daylight, causing something in the pits of Gally's stomach to soften.

She's so fragile. How in the world had he not noticed it then?

No. He had noticed.

He just hadn't wanted it to be true.

"Come on Greenie," Gally murmurs out, extending a hand in the process, "are you gonna keep making me wait?"

"I never asked you to wait for me, or to look for me, for that matter," She shoots back, "you can go back to sleep there and I'll stay here."

"Greenie."

"Gally."

He lets out a puff of air, "don't make me come and get you myself."

A ghost of a goosebump shivers up her spine at his words before Mai finally lets out a sigh of her own, "alright fine. On one condition."

"What?"

"I--" she bites onto her lower lip, chews it for a few seconds before looking back at him shyly. When she speaks next, her voice has dropped to a soft murmur, "can I stay with you? I--I don't feel safe. Not tonight."

Gally's heart almost explodes. Here she is, looking like a pretty thing stranded up in those trees with those big brown eyes looking down with glistening tears, and she's asking if she can stay with him for the night. He wonders whether people die from heart attacks as a result of personal interactions because he swears he can feel his heart almost jumping out of his chest. His skin feels warm to the touch and he wouldn't be surprised if someone were to point out that he's blushing.

Nevertheless, he keeps his voice steady and tender when he answers, "yeah alright."

149 notes · View notes

merbear25 · 8 months ago

Text

Reaching out

There have been little things he's been doing to make you wonder if everything is alright with him. You want to let him know you're there for him in a way he'll understand.

CW: SFW, gn!reader, headcanons (love languages) + drabbles,

Mihawk, Corazon, Law

Mihawk: Love languages: quality time and acts of service. He knows that actions speak louder than words ever could. Showing him that you care by taking notice in subtlety and finding ways to lighten the load which is weighing on him goes a long way. He'd enjoy doing certain activities together, but sometimes prefers just being near you and quietly doing something seperately.

The wind was still, leaving a sense of discomfort as the muggy air thickened across the grounds. Creeping across the lake and through the trees, you could hardly bear to stand outside in the sweltering heat for much longer. Waiting on him wasn't the issue; it was his unsual tardiness. You wouldn't have thought anything of it if it had been a half hour to an hour over the time you were expecting him, but it'd already been three.

You rationalized why he'd be held up, yet that didn't ease your troubled thoughts. Pacing along the entryway, you see him approaching in the distance. Despite having faith that the world's greatest swordsman would return unscathed, the relief you felt at that moment was immeasurable.

Stood by the door, you were itching to ask him what had happened. However, when his eyes fell on you, apathy was brewing behind them, signalling to you not to impose your burning questions on him.

There had been quite a few times you received that look from him. The two of you had come to an understanding about how to maneuver through any outside stress―letting each other process and coming back to it when you were ready.

Respecting this, you watched him march out to the ruins behind the castle. In spite of the climbing heat index, he pushed through it to drill new techniques.

The sweat was trickling down his temples; the shine appearing on his skin was noticeable even from where you were standing within the kitchen. Gathering a bottle of water and a book, you went out to join him―simply holding a desire to be near him.

He remained focused while you approached the area, as well as when you sat yourself down on a turned over pillar cracking open your book. Putting a pin in his practice, he turned to you still refraining from speaking. You returned his gaze and offered him the water you'd brought.

"It's blistering hot out. Thought you might be thirsty."

Accepting your thoughtful gesture, he took a seat next to you. After a few more moments in silence, he felt ready to talk about what happened earlier. Telling you calmly about what was on his mind, you held on to each word―being sure to listen attentively.

Corazon: Love languages: physical touch and words of affirmation. He'd adore hugging and cuddling with those closest to him; He'd want them to feel comforted and safe when they're with him, letting them pour their hearts out if that was what they needed. Compliments and kind words: he'd love to see your face light up from them, knowing that he'd made you smile would make his day.

Dawn was just beginning to peek through the curtains, allowing rays of sun to dance upon the floorboards and walls. With your room being illuminated by them, they acted as a natural alarm clock, giving you no choice but to get an early start to your day.

Stummbling out of your room, you stretched your arms as you yawned away the remnants of last night's dreams. You caught a glimpse of Rosinante down the hall followed by some commotion from his study.

Knocking first, you were permitted entry. He was rummaging through the papers on his desk and in the drawers. Upon asking what he was looking for, he gave a simple, "Don't worry about it," as an answer.

Despite his nonchalance, you were quick to assume that he was lying―trying to keep something from you to protect you perhaps. "Is it the same thing you were looking for the other day?"

With a huff, he confirmed, "But it isn't here either."

"Let me help you then," you offered, stepping further into the room.

"That won't be necessary," his abruptness took you aback.

The absence of warmth in his voice was troubling, though you didn't want to pry. He'll come around when he's ready, you thought to yourself as you inched your way out of the room, hoping that time would come rather quickly.

Those glistening trails of light were now fading with the day, allowing the shadows of night to replace them. Rosinante maintained his secrecy, which kept you at a distance. To prevent overstepping, you gave him the space he needed to complete whatever task he'd set out to accomplish.

Your encounter in his study had long since passed and you still hadn't heard so much as a peep from him. By now, he would've at least come over to chit chat, even if it wasn't about anything pressing. Him being uncharacteristically somber for this long was causing you to worry.

Searching for him through out the premises, you found him at the desk in his room. He was slumped over his journal, which was still open to the entry he'd been writing. Tenderly looking down at the wearied man, you fetched a blanket to drape over him.

His breaths grew shallower at its added weight, and while seeing how much he'd worn himself out due to the stress of his mystery assignment, you bent down to hug him being mindful not to wake the gentle giant.

When releasing the gesture of companionship, he caught your hand, holding it firmly. Caressing it with his other one, he made a gentle request, "Could you stay with me a bit longer?"

Wholeheartedly agreeing to this, you add, "I'll always be here for you."

Law: Love languages: acts of service (gift giving to an extent) and words of affirmation. He understands he's not the greatest at expressing his feelings, which is why he'd rather show you that he cares. That being said, if you do a good job at something he won't ignore your hard work. Even though giving him compliments or praise in any way would make him flustered, he wouldn't hate it―he'd probably like it.

The Polar Tang felt colder than usual. Thinking back, you noticed that Law hadn't been around much: not coming to eat with the others at mealtimes, choosing to spend more time alone, withdrawing into his study. Long days and nights at sea were making his absence more apparent.

You didn't want to push him, though you couldn't help feeling worried about his current behaviors―spending this much time alone wouldn't be healthy for anyone, especially one whose mind tended to wander to darker depths.

After fetching a serving of that night's supper, you knocked on his door. Law grumbled a, "Come in."

Upon seeing the captain in his sleep deprived state, your heart sank. You didn't know the reason, and you refrained from prying, but wanting to help him was something you couldn't just ignore.

Looking at the state of his desk, it could be deduced that he hadn't been taking care of his basic needs; the devotion he had to what he'd been working on was consuming him.

Placing the food on a cleared space, you informed him that the meal was nice and hot for him. You went out quickly to grab a glass of water for him, as well. "In case you're thirsty," you added, smiling at him.

He kept his thanks short, making you shift your weight. Only wanting to let him know how much he meant to you, and to everyone else, you told him, "We're so lucky to have such a dedicated captain. Others could only dream of being on a crew like this."

Placing his pen down, he still had yet to look up at you. Feeling like you were overstaying your welcome, you told him you hoped he enjoyed his meal, gently closing the door behind you.

You figured if he ever wanted to reach out to any of you, he'd do it when he was ready, but you still wished to help him understand that he had people who adored him.

Later that night, he came to find you. With him, he brought something small. Stopping in front of you, he handed it to you, "I forgot to give this to you sooner."

Accepting it, you saw that it was one of types of chocolate you'd been raving about. Asking what the occasion was, he simply responded, "You said it was something you liked."

277 notes · View notes

morning-star-joy · 1 year ago

Text

either I'm careless or I wanna get caught

a stranger's heart without a home Chapter 19

Pairing: friends with benefits Joel x F!Reader, Post-Outbreak

Chapter Summary: Thanksgiving with your found family.

Chapter Warnings/Tags: Explicit Smut (18+ Only MDNI) oral f receiving, unprotected p in v sex, praise kink. Mutual Pining (so much), Language (of course), brief references to anxiety/mentions of anxiety medication

A/N: Surprise!! Happy Friday my dears!

Wordcount: 11.3k

chapter 1 || chapter 18 || chapter 19 || masterlist

ao3 link

You think that you began to wake up next to Joel more times than you woke up alone over the next few weeks.

Once again, you were startled by how natural it felt when you allowed yourself to sink into this seamless transition in your relationship.

Neither of you acknowledged it with words. It was needless to talk about it, instead letting your actions speak louder than anything you could say each time one of you showed up at the other’s doorstep.

While most of the time you had sex as usual, there were a few nights where one or both of you were too tired to engage in your typical physical activities, falling asleep next to each other as soon as you undressed enough to be comfortable.

On one particular night, after a patrol that had left Joel with a few scrapes and an ache in his quickly bruising shoulder, you moved silently into the bathroom to get a cool washcloth as soon as you saw him pull off his shirt with a wince.

He didn’t question your actions when you settled onto your bed behind him, carefully cleaning the scrapes and gently pressing the washcloth against the spot that seemed to be hurting the most, judging by his sigh of relief when the cool dampness of the cloth touched it.

Your other hand found his hip, absentmindedly rubbing your thumb in small circles against the small of his back, smiling to yourself outside of his view when he relaxed further into your touch with a quiet exhale.

This was still new. It was still terrifying.

But it wasn’t wrong.

It could never be wrong. Not when it was him.

So even though you were still scared, still hesitant and holding back, you couldn’t find it in yourself to pull away completely.

And much to your relief, Joel never strayed from where he was. The man either stayed by your side or was right where you left him, and you couldn’t help but marvel at how much his attitude towards you had changed in just a year.

You could remember your first meeting clearly. Hell, not even the real meeting—just the first time your eyes met, when you passed him in the dining hall. Joel’s eyes had met yours, hard and unwavering as they bore through you, and you stared right back, unwilling and too goddamn stubborn to back down from a challenge.

People around you had been scared of Joel since his first arrival in Jackson—patrolmen and residents alike. You couldn’t blame them for their reaction, as you had seen the chill intensity, the tightly coiled brutality hidden underneath a stoic surface from the moment you met him.

But you had never been scared of him. In fact, looking back at it now, you think there may have been some part of you that was relieved when you spoke to him on that snowy street before the power went out. He didn’t hide behind needless pleasantries.

Joel was never bad, or good, he was just…him. Unapologetically himself, for better or for worse.

And that was something so rare, that just being around him was a breath of fresh air.

Maybe that's why you had invited him inside that first night. Maybe that was even why he had tried to turn you down at first. Because he was gruff, and borderline mean, but so were you.

Something had tied you to each other from the very beginning. Something more than that link through Tommy, something more than that pull of desire that had kindled quickly between you and had yet to fizzle out, even going on a year later.

Embers were slowly stoked into a low burning fire, warmth that you could feel seeping into your bones, easing your weary soul as you woke up once again to the sight of utter relaxation on Joel’s sleeping face as he laid beside you in his bed.

You glanced over the handsome lines of his face, your eyes tracing the scar on his temple and the curve of his strong nose that had swept along your folds more than once when he went down on you last night. The memory made you bite your lip to hold back a satisfied smile, looking down from his face towards his hand that rested on the bed between you, filling the space even as he wasn’t close enough to touch you.

There was still an unspoken understanding not to touch each other when one of you stayed the night, a boundary you somehow respected even in your sleep. Joel never pushed the topic with words or actions, and you were grateful for that, still needing time to adjust to each step you slowly took together.

Your fingers spread across the mattress, slowly swiping your hand across the sheets near his, watching as the tips of your fingers nearly brushed against his before you pushed yourself up with a sigh.

One glance towards the window told you that you were pushing it again, the early morning light nearly shifting into that of a late start, and you held back a groan when you remembered what day it was.

Apparently, you didn’t do a good enough job at withholding your dissatisfaction at your thoughts, as you felt the bed shift when Joel began to stir beside you.

When you heard the telltale grunt that you had learned he usually made when the light began to hit his eyes and stir him fully to consciousness, you flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling while you began to tap your fingers against your bare stomach.

You didn’t need to look at him to know that his eyes were slowly opening, dark and full of a sleepy haze that made your stomach do flips as he focused on the side of your face within the first few seconds of being awake.

“Morning,” you murmured, voice still scratchy from the sounds of pleasure he had drawn from you last night, and you couldn’t help but smile as he grunted again.

Finally, you turned to see him bury his face back into the pillow, a quiet chuckle of poorly concealed fondness for him that only kept growing stronger escaping your lips as you admired the way his messy curls stuck up from the back of his head.

“I gotta get going,” you said softly, watching with more laughter as he turned his head back to face you, his brown eyes wide and rivaling Dina’s puppy dog look even though he wasn’t trying, his lips turning down into a sleepy frown that was nearly a goddamn pout at your words.

“Why?” he slurred the word, eyes still blinking heavily from sleep, and you sighed with a shake of your head before you pushed yourself to the edge of the bed.

“Because,” you started slowly, glancing back over your shoulder with a satisfied smirk as you saw him begin to wake up more at the sight of your naked body completely exposed to him when you stood. “Today is the day.”

It still took him a moment to put the pieces together, and when he did, he sank back against the pillows with a groan that rivaled your own when you had remembered what day it was yourself.

“I’m sure it’ll be fun,” you said tentatively while you began to dress, but your sentence was utterly unconvincing, even to your own ears.

“Thanksgiving with the Millers is hardly fun,” Joel muttered, rubbing a large hand over his face, stroking his fingers along the beard that he had started to grow out again since your quiet admission at the dance that you preferred it longer.

The memory and the sight of the short strands of salt and pepper facial hair running between those long, thick fingers made your heart skip a beat, turning away to hide the flush of your cheeks as you sat back down to pull your boots on.

“A classic Miller Thanksgiving featuring three troublemaking teenagers and yours truly,” you reminded him in a voice full of fake cheerfulness, drawing another, louder groan from Joel, and you laughed again. “Which I promised to go help Maria prepare for.”

Joel didn’t say anything, opting to bury his face back into his pillow as you moved into the bathroom to finish getting ready to leave.

While washing your hands, your eyes moved across his countertop not for the first time, once again noting the unassuming bottle of anxiety medication that sat there.

That memory of your first time meeting Joel flashed through your mind again, recalling the way he leaned heavily against the lamppost, one of the only real signs of panic that you had seen from him in the entire year that you had known him.

Your own anxiety had been obvious on more than one occasion, but Joel’s was less so. You knew that he had experienced it himself, just from the understanding he had shown whenever your anxiety had flared up around him. The medication you saw each time you used his bathroom only confirmed it.

There was some part of you that was worried. You hoped that he wasn’t trying to lock it all away like you often did, because somehow you weren’t able to stand the thought of him struggling through the motions of a panic attack when he was alone.

The thought made your heart squeeze in your chest, and you straightened up, checking your reflection in the mirror one last time to make sure you looked presentable enough to show up at Tommy and Maria’s before exiting the bathroom.

Joel was still in bed, though he had turned onto his back now, his arm resting under his head as he gazed at the ceiling. At the sound of you returning, he glanced back over at you, and you gave a little spin for him, even as you were wearing the same type of clothes you always wore.

“Well?” you asked, placing your hands on your hips with a raised eyebrow. “Do I look less like ‘hey Tommy, I fucked your brother last night, happy Thanksgiving’?”

Joel laughed, the sound deep and full, and a smile quickly formed on your lips at how oddly carefree it was.

Neither of you had mentioned that morning after the dance when Tommy had spoken to Joel downstairs while you were hiding in his bedroom upstairs, but you both knew that you knew that your best friend now knew about your relationship.

Fuck, that was a lot of knowing.

You kind of missed the second rule.

“Look great,” Joel mumbled, his voice still crackling with sleep as he shifted, the bed sheets slipping down further around his waist.

You told yourself that the heat you could feel creeping onto your cheeks was from that patch of dark hair trailing down from his navel, and not the casual compliment about your appearance. Jesus, it was hardly even a compliment, it shouldn’t affect you that much.

But then again, Joel had never actually commented on your looks before. Something about it made you feel more confident, biting your lip to hold back a smile as you turned to head towards the door.

“Oh, I know,” you tried to brush off how flustered you had gotten, no matter how brief, by an overabundance of arrogance before calling back over your shoulder as you exited the room, “Don’t be late!”

You quickly realized that you had never prepared for a Thanksgiving meal before, and you were completely out of your depth as you tried to simultaneously follow Maria around the kitchen to assist while also staying out of her way so she could do what she needed to do.

After a while of your awkward hovering, Maria looked at you with a sigh, handing you some kind of kitchen tool you had never seen as she pushed you gently towards the stove, instructing you to mash the potatoes.

Somehow you got the distinct feeling that she was just trying to get you to stay in one spot now, but this was a task you could do, and you would do it well.

You put the muscles you had gained from a harsh lifetime of survival to good use, mashing those potatoes until another pair of footsteps entered the kitchen, and you glanced back over your shoulder to see Ellie awkwardly hovering in the doorway.

She gave a hesitant wave, glancing between you and Maria before mumbling, “Uh, Joel mentioned I should come and help…so…”

Not wanting to risk annoying Maria by another body taking up space in the kitchen, you smiled at Ellie, gesturing for her to join you at the stove where you were still mashing the potatoes.

When she stopped next to you, staring with confusion into the pot, you lifted up the potato masher or whatever it was called before holding it out to Ellie as an offering.

“You wanna totally obliterate some potatoes?” you asked, arching your eyebrow, and Ellie glanced from the tool to your face before a grin quickly spread across her face.

“Fuck yeah,” she responded enthusiastically, and you laughed, stepping to the side so she could take your place and begin to smash the potatoes even more aggressively than you had been doing.

It wasn’t a grand meal that the three of you were preparing; there weren’t exactly a large supply of turkeys just for each family in Jackson to have a traditional, pre-apocalypse Thanksgiving dinner.

But there was enough chicken for each guest tonight, along with a few other simple side dishes reminiscent of those eaten on this holiday before the end of the world; small bread rolls, green beans and the potatoes you and Ellie were taking turns pummeling with increasing laughter.

In fact, you were probably both a bit too enthusiastic with your efforts. When Maria made you both scoot out of the way to take a pie out of the oven before glancing into your pot, she fixed you both with a skeptical look and a deep sigh.

“Well, I suppose potato soup is fine too,” she only half-teased, the words making you and Ellie share a look when she turned away before bursting out into more laughter.

Maria sighed again from where she began to plate the food for dinner, which you started to help with once you were able to catch your breath, followed by Ellie after she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

It was at that point when the attendees of your Miller and Co Thanksgiving dinner began to turn up. Dina and Jesse were the first to come through the front door, the girl bounding forward towards you with a bright grin and a cheerful happy Thanksgiving, which you returned by wrapping your arms around her in a smothering bear hug that made her playfully swat you away with bright laughter.

You fixed Jesse with a hard stare, enjoying how the boyfriend of your young friend squirmed nervously under it before you softened with a roll of your eyes. A pat on his shoulder and a kind smile ensured that you were only ever really teasing him (even though you were absolutely holding out for Ellie to steal Dina’s heart one day—or vice versa), because you knew the kid had a good heart, and that he treated Dina right.

When the two of them met up with Ellie and they all began to move into the living room, you didn’t know why you still lingered in the foyer, staring at the door instead of following them.

Which, of course, was a big fucking lie.

You knew exactly why you were waiting, and who it was for.

Leaning against the wall next to the front door, your fingers tapped an unsteady rhythm out against your thigh until you felt a presence settle in by your side.

You abruptly stopped any movements, your back stiffening as you could tell who was now standing beside you, even without so much as a glance towards them.

“How kind of you to greet my guests for me,” Tommy teased, and you spared a quick side glance at him before turning away again.

A noncommittal hum was the only response you gave him, debating now how you were going to make a quick getaway from this situation before it got unbearably awkward.

Despite you knowing that Tommy knew about you and Joel now, your closest friend had somehow held himself back from interrogating you about it. Part of you was grateful that he hadn’t bombarded you with questions yet, even as the other part knew that he was only biding his time for the opportune moment.

Seemed like that moment may just be now, much to your misfortune.

“When were you gonna tell me?” Tommy asked quietly, and it felt like your heart stopped for a moment, subconsciously huffing out a sigh before your gaze darted back to him.

“Are we really gonna do this now?” you replied under your breath, giving him a warning look that he only seemed to partially heed as he met your unwavering gaze head-on with his own.

“Well, you can’t exactly run away from me when it’s Thanksgiving dinner,” he answered slowly, and your eyes widened as you watched the smug grin grow on his face and, fuck, that’s why Tommy hadn’t asked you about it yet.

He really had been biding his time, planning to ask you about it the one night he knew you couldn’t escape.

“Fuck you,” you whispered, glancing back towards the living room behind you to make sure nobody could hear.

Tommy’s smile only grew as you glared up at him, your arms crossed across your chest before you turned to fix your stare back on the door.

“So how long?” he asked quietly, leaning against the wall beside you, and your shoulders slumped with a groan, knowing you couldn’t get out of this now. “You said it had been a few months back at the end of summer and—oh, Jesus Christ, my brother was fucking you before you answered the door.”

Despite yourself, you couldn’t hold back a small snicker of amusement at his realization, daring to shoot your own smug look back at him when he glanced towards you in disbelief at your reaction.

“Maybe so,” you teased, and Tommy groaned, squeezing his eyes shut before rubbing his fingers over them with a deep sigh.

“Your—God, fucking dammit,” he muttered to himself, probably remembering how you had looked when you had answered the door—messy hair that wasn’t quite combed correctly, a hickey forming on your jaw—and you snickered again, earning a glare from him this time with the sound. “Shut up. You’re the worst.”

“Yeah, probably,” you mumbled with a shrug, unable to wipe the smirk off your face before subconsciously looking back towards the door again.

The humor you were suddenly feeling at the situation began to fade as quickly as it came as you felt his sharp gaze focus back on you.

Tommy wasn’t dumb—in fact, he was one of the smartest men that you knew. He was a brilliant tactician and helped Maria in her efforts to make Jackson flourish as much as it did.

For some reason, he had just been blind as fuck to you and Joel. Probably due to the fact that he was so distracted by his determination to get you both to like each other that he didn’t realize how much you already did.

That last thought made you stiffen, locking it away in the back of your mind to avoid until eventually you couldn’t ignore it anymore. Same routine of deflection and denial as always.

But it was harder to carry through with it when Tommy was still watching you, reading you in a way nobody else could, and you stifled a groan before rolling your head back to glare at him again with a hushed, “What?”

“You didn’t answer me,” he replied simply, his eyebrow arching as you reached up your hands to rub at your own tired eyes. “How long?”

“Jesus—” you cut off your annoyed swearing, glancing back towards the bustling living room again to double-check you weren’t being eavesdropped on before looking back at Tommy. You hesitated for a moment, considering the wisdom of telling the truth before admitting quietly with a wince, “...winter.”

“Winter?” Tommy repeated, just as quietly as you at first, his brows furrowed in confusion as he did the mental math. Probably thinking back to that time, trying to remember it, when his eyes suddenly widened, and he repeated it again, louder this time, “Winter?”

You smacked him in the chest, sending him a glare before glancing over his shoulder to see he had drawn the attention of a couple nosy teenage girls with his startled reaction.

“Shut up,” you hissed, glaring up at him as he stared down at you, absolutely flabbergasted at the revelation.

“Winter?” he whispered again, almost like his brain was malfunctioning, stuck on that word until he shook his head sharply, finally able to move his thoughts along slightly as he tried to figure it out verbally, “Winter was—he was only here for a day.”

You swayed awkwardly, avoiding his gaze to glance around the foyer—the walls, the door, the ceiling, anything but his eyes in the moment—while you slowly drew out your one-word confirmation, “Yup.”

“Oh my god,” Tommy muttered, rubbing a hand down over his face before pointing at you in accusation. “You horny bastards.”

“Yup,” you confirmed again, though with a hint of a smirk this time that surprisingly drew a quiet laugh from him.

You both fell silent at that point. Neither of you said anything as you let the revelation linger in the air, giving Tommy time to process it.

After a moment, he mumbled a quiet question that shocked you to your core.

“Are you happy?”

Your gaze snapped back to him, eyes widened in surprise, mouth opening and closing as you couldn’t think of a response, even as you knew the answer instantly.

Yes.

Yes, you were happy.

Happier than you had been in a long, long time.

But you continued to flounder for a response, unable to get the admission out. Still trapped in that fear, that indecision, while Tommy watched you with an understanding sympathy that you both loved and hated in that moment.

It was at that point when a knock finally sounded at the door, and you hated how quickly you straightened, hands moving together to fidget behind your back while all your attention moved back to it.

Tommy continued to watch you for another moment, sighing quietly before mumbling your name, followed by something sincere and pleading that made your stomach drop.

“Please don’t break my brother’s heart.”

How the actual fuck had Tommy not seen it before?

Now that he knew, it was so annoyingly obvious.

The first person Joel had looked at when Tommy opened the door wasn’t even him, but the woman standing behind him. His brother’s gaze had been drawn to her face over his shoulder like a magnet before looking back towards him, offering the small bottle of wine that they had found together on their most recent patrol with a quiet greeting.

Tommy had brought his hand down on Joel’s shoulder with a fond smack, accepting the bottle with his other hand as he steered the man into the house.

He had seen her shoot a small, hesitant half-smile towards Joel as they passed; a fond, genuine gesture that was returned by Joel’s own before they moved into the living room. Even then, the smile didn’t fade from his face completely and, Jesus fucking Christ, how had Tommy not seen it when they were so obvious?

When they all gathered around the dinner table, and the teens were distracted by claiming the three chairs on one side of the table, arguing about who sat next to who, Tommy watched from the corner of his eye as Joel’s hand casually came up to the back of the chair next to his, subtly pulling it out just slightly for her to sit in.

God damn it, his big brother really did have it bad.

Flashes of his conversation with Joel in his brother’s kitchen came back to him over dinner, replaying in his mind as Tommy tried to focus on enjoying the moment with his family, distracted as he was.

I don’t presume to know what she feels.

He remembered that sentence clearly; how Joel had muttered it without meeting his eyes, staring at the ground instead of fully admitting what he felt himself to his own brother.

Even more aggravating than that was the moment Joel actually had met his eyes, resigned to his possible fate of never being more than a body to warm her bed—dedicated to it even—with the quiet words: It’s up to her.

Tommy held back a sigh as she laughed at something Dina had said, her giggles and Ellie’s cackles echoing around the room as Joel looked between the both of them with a fond smile playing at the corner of his lips.

He also saw the way she bit back her own smile when Joel chuckled under his breath at a passing comment Ellie made between bites of thoroughly mashed potatoes, the sight aggravating Tommy more than he would have expected.

Not because he was upset at the relationship, no.

Quite the opposite, actually.

He was honestly overjoyed at the prospect—they were a good match, good for each other— while also being incredibly irritated by their stubbornness, wanting nothing more than for them to own the fuck up and just admit it.

The two shared a look at one point at something Jesse said, clearly holding back amusement in the way Tommy could easily recognize from both of them, and he resisted the urge to shake his head to himself at the frustration he felt at it all.

Fucking annoying emotionally constipated idiots.

At one point, when Joel grabbed the basket of rolls to hold out for her after she had only glanced towards it without so much as a word out loud about wanting one, Tommy had to look away.

Interestingly enough, he caught a glance of Dina’s face at that moment; her own face scrunched up in frustration as she watched the two, and Tommy’s head tilted, watching the keen gaze of the teenager before her eyes shifted to meet his.

They looked at each other in surprise for a moment before a sudden look of understanding passed between them, and Tommy hid a small grin as he turned back to his plate, trying to ignore the sharp gaze of his wife across the table as he knew that she knew exactly what he was up to now.

Because if they weren’t going to do anything about it, then it was time to team up with a partner in crime to get shit done.

The three teenagers were the first group to leave, heading over to Jesse's for his own family’s Thanksgiving dinner. You parted ways with a smile to each of them, finding yourself surprised when Ellie gave you a bright smile back before you were distracted by Dina barreling into your chest for a tight hug.

“Have fun,” you told her, smoothing your hand over her hair and taking a moment to be truly thankful to have this source of light in your life before smiling down at her when she stepped back. “Don’t eat so much you throw up!”

“Oh, how classy,” Dina teased back, playfully rolling her eyes before turning to loop her arm through Ellie’s as they left, and you couldn’t help but shake your head fondly at the matching blushes on the faces of both girls when they looked away from each other.

You joined Tommy in the kitchen, cleaning the stacks of dishes with him as Maria went to get some well-earned rest after the hard work she put into preparing for tonight, something you all thanked her for more than once.

Much to your surprise, Tommy didn’t pick up his line of interrogation from earlier. Instead, you talked of easier things: patrols, music, even a few old memories from back in the Fireflies. Your sister was brought up once or twice, but no tears were shed this time as you took the time to be thankful for how brightly she had shined in your lives while she had been in them.

When Tommy assured you that he could handle the last few dishes alone, you patted his shoulder fondly, giving it a squeeze as he smiled at you over his shoulder.

“Thanks, Tommy,” you said quietly, trying to convey all the gratitude, all the love you felt for your best friend in that moment, and you knew he understood when his warm eyes softened further, and he gave you a nod.

“You too,” he replied, smiling widely as he returned the unspoken sentiment right back to you with those two simple words.

Letting your hand fall, you turned, heading out of the kitchen and down the hallway while in an even better mood than the one you had arrived in.

You were relieved there were no hard feelings from Tommy about…whatever it was you had with Joel.

Whatever it was, you thought with a quiet huff, dragging your hand through your hair before letting it fall back to your side.

Strangers. For so long, you were nothing but strangers to each other.

You hadn’t liked each other at first, not in the slightest. Maybe you even detested each other. But, fuck, he had always been goddamn attractive, and in retrospect, you should’ve known that one night would have never been enough once he had returned to Jackson.

Then came the arrangement. The rules.

Friendship afterwards, and now…

Shaking your head, you thought back to those rules.

First rule? Out the fucking window. You had fucked outside of Jackson before you had even made those stupid rules, and you could still remember his fingers bringing you to an orgasm in your kitchen that was bathed in early morning light.

Second rule? Yeah, fuck that too. Maria had known for—shit, maybe always. Dina had suspicions since the game night. Ellie had been in on whatever antics your young friend had since last month’s dinner, and now that Tommy was part of that group, you didn’t know when you would be able to relax again without them on your case.

Third rule?

No bedroom, check. Joel fucked you in your own bed that night after your date and...

Being his. You remembered the words again, not for the first time.

In fact, it was something you had been ruminating over more and more lately. Whether in his arms, in his bed, or alone in your own, it was something you couldn’t stop thinking of.

Joel’s hands on your body, caressing your skin, knowing it like nobody else did as you both found sweet release in each other’s arms, again and again; his.

That damn smile directed towards you, small but sincere as he walked past you tonight, making your heart skip a beat with how familiar it was; his.

The ache in your chest, stronger, deeper, pulling you to him, closer and closer, even if you tried to stay away; his, his, his.

You shook your head, trying to remind yourself once again of what you had been thinking of originally.

Rules.

Right, the rules.

No clothes was a long gone rule too. You hadn’t even tried to take that one back the moment you crossed that line, and there hadn’t been a moment since where you hadn’t both been naked whenever you had sex in one of your beds.

So that only left…

You swallowed hard, stomach doing flips, heart thudding in your chest as you thought of that last rule.

Somehow, deep down, you knew that it wasn’t even a rule anymore. Not really. It wasn’t something that you were even actively trying to keep yourself from doing.

Because, fuck, you had thought about it. More than once, for way longer than you would like to admit.

Especially since that first morning after, lying in Joel’s bed as he kissed your face. The feeling of his lips pressed to your skin; warm, softer than you could have ever imagined, his breath falling against your lips as you knew if you had only said his name, if you had only leaned up just a bit farther—

You stumbled back slightly, thoughts dispersing when you collided right into a body that suddenly exited the living room as you passed it.

How ironic it was that it just so happened to be the man who you couldn’t keep off of your mind.

Your eyes widened in surprise when you glanced up and realized it was him, feeling heat creep onto your face as Joel looked down at you with just as much surprise, his hands holding your elbows to help you gain your footing before they slowly slipped away from you.

“Uh,” you cleared your throat, glancing over his face, staring at his lips for a moment too long before kicking yourself and looking back up towards his eyes. “Hi.”

He nodded at you, and the way his eyes met yours, the depth of that brown gaze pulled you in further as he mumbled, “Howdy.”

It never failed to make you smile when Joel greeted you that way, subconsciously biting your lip to try and keep it back, and you felt like you couldn’t breathe for a moment when his own eyes moved to your mouth at the action.

He cleared his throat loudly, taking a step away from you with another nod and a quick, “Well, see you around.”

Your head tilted, brows furrowed in confusion as you began to try and call out, “Joel—”

But he was already gone, disappearing through the front door as it shut behind him, and you couldn’t ignore the surge of pain it caused you to feel as you stood there, hating how dumbfounded and taken aback you now were.

That was, until flickering flames from the corner of your eye captured your attention. The sigh you were holding back caught in your throat as you stared at the shrine on the fireplace mantle, and the three candles that were lit there.

Three candles?

A frown of confusion pulled on your lips, taking a few steps into the room to see it better, when the entire world seemed to freeze as you glanced over the blackboard.

It had been traded for a slightly larger one, the names and years you knew like the back of your hand from countless somber moments of remembrance joined with another.

The familiar, fond nickname written lovingly next to Sarah’s name, with the years underneath—the best years of your life, those ones when she was with you—quickly brought tears to your eyes.

“That was his idea, you know,” a voice spoke behind you, and you looked back over your shoulder to see Tommy had joined you.

He was drying his hands on a kitchen towel, nodding past you towards the shrine as a warmth like none you had ever felt before began to bloom through your chest at the words. “Joel mentioned it a few weeks ago. I hadn’t put estrellita on there yet because I figured you didn’t wanna see her, but after we talked about her that one night, I thought it seemed like a good idea.”

Tommy draped the towel over his shoulder, crossing his arms as he watched you with a kind, sympathetic look while your vision blurred with tears at the thought of your sister being included amongst those beloved lives lost, at the suggestion of Joel.

“Is it okay?” he asked softly, looking quickly back towards the three candles. Candles that had been lit after—fuck, Joel had just left. He left after—

“Does he—” you stopped, clearing your throat to try and steady your shaking voice as you pointed towards the memorial for your loved ones. “Does Joel—”

“Yeah,” Tommy said softly, nodding once towards you before he glanced over the candles again. “Every time he comes by. Spends a few minutes there, too.”

That warmth spread throughout your entire body at the thought of Joel standing at the shrine, taking time to not only remember his everything, but yours.

Joel believed your sister’s life was one worthy of remembering. He honored it, even though he had never known her.

Even though he hadn’t even told you about the new habit in his routine.

It’s not like you divulged every detail of your lives to each other—much the opposite in fact but, fuck. The thought of Joel lighting that candle for your Little Star, gazing at the memorial of her life next to his daughter’s as he remembered them both and—

You were already moving even before you could finish your line of thought. Somewhere behind you, Tommy was saying something, sounding almost panicked, and you quickly reassured him with a quick “It’s okay!” over your shoulder before you pulled the door open, letting it fall shut behind you as you jogged down the porch steps and out towards the street.

You glanced around, hating how you felt as it all snowballed, becoming something more; deeper, intense as you were desperate and turned around, blinking through tears combined with rain because of course. Of fucking course it was raining right now.

Shaking your head, you wiped at your eyes, taking a moment to glare up at the sky, almost able to hear the things that your Little Star would be saying if she was here now.

She would have been so excited.

She had never gotten to tease you over anything like this. There were a few times at the beginning of your time in the Fireflies where she tried to rib you about Tommy, but when it became clear there was nothing going on between you, she quickly gave up.

Aw man, you could hear her voice as clear as a bell in your head now; the exact tone, the calming melody of it as she poked fun at you. I wanted him to be my brother!

If she was beside you right now, she would probably say something about Tommy ending up as a brother after all, bugging you endlessly until you were blushing. You would playfully try to shove her away while she hugged you, cackling and making bright, cheeky remarks with those sparkling eyes.

Your Little Star was able to read you like an open book, knowing you like the back of her hand, as she had her whole life.

You wished that she was here now.

You wished that she could have gotten to meet Joel, to see how happy he made you.

Because you were happy.

He made you happy.

Chest trembling with a breath that caught in your throat, you shook your head sharply as you began to walk briskly down the street. You passed under streetlights until your feet began to pick up in a light jog.

You knew, you had already known, for so fucking long you had felt that ache in your chest and you knew, you knew, and where the fuck was he—

When you turned the corner onto another street, and saw the familiar brown jacket, you stopped short.

There he was, head bent down with his hands shoved in his jean pockets as he walked home alone and, god, you didn’t want him to be alone. Not again.

Never again.

So you began to walk towards him.

Slowly at first, almost as if caught in a trance, before you began to walk faster. Your pace steadily picked up into a light jog again, your mouth opening to call out his name before you could think twice.

“Joel!”

You watched him pause, spinning around on his heel, eyes widening as he saw you began to run towards him.

“What—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as you barreled into him, arms wrapping around his back as your face buried into his chest, grabbing and holding him tight in a hug like you’d never given anyone before.

In the back of your mind, that part of you that was still rational had expected surprise from him. You figured it would take a moment or two for him to respond to your sudden hug, if he even did. And maybe even then it would be awkward if he returned it.

But there was not one ounce of hesitation, not one second wasted as his arms wrapped around you.

Joel held you tightly to him, hands grasping you as if you could slip out of his fingers as easily as the water that hammered you both from the dark night sky, and you let out a sigh of relief. Squeezing your eyes shut, you breathed him in, revering how he smelled like the earth; a scent that was heady and masculine, calming and serene. Something distinctly him, grounding you to the moment as you stood there, holding onto him the same way he did you.

Relaxing into his embrace, you heard him exhale shakily next to your ear, one of his hands moving to run through your hair, even as his fingers became tangled in it with the way the rain was completely soaking you both on that empty street, standing underneath the streetlights and not hiding in the shadows for once.

It felt like forever before one of you pulled back. Now that you were holding on, you didn’t know how to let go. And even then, you didn’t know who had the strength to do it.

As drenched as you were, you hadn’t even realized you were crying until Joel’s hand cupped your cheek, rough thumb brushing the tears mixed with rain off the scar that marred it.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you remembered another moment like this; in the graveyard as you wallowed in the grief for your sister, and Joel had rescued you from your prison of self-isolation.

Back then, you hadn’t even been able to think of your sister without spiraling into sorrow.

Now, it still hurt, but you could actually talk about her again. You could start to recount stories, smile over her favorite things and laugh at her most stupid jokes she used to be so fond of telling.

And Joel was the first one to listen to you talk about her. The one who held your hand and pulled you back from the mourning when it became too much, threatening to swallow you whole in its darkness.

He was the one who asked for her to be honored alongside his daughter, the one who now lit a candle for her every time he saw her name.

You could feel the tears streaming down your cheeks now, unable to stop them. In front of you, Joel’s brow furrowed, concern flashing through his eyes that were always so carefully concealed to anybody else, and you think you began to cry a little harder, something that only made his worry deepen.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, mistaking your tears for sadness, running his thumb over your cheek again, tracing the short path of that scar over and over. You were shaking your head even before you could think of what you wanted to say, but still he continued, “I should have asked you first. I shouldn’t have—”

“Oh, shut up,” you muttered, throat constricted with the strength of your emotions, and you couldn’t help but laugh a little at the surprise that flashed across his face at your bluntness—or perhaps he was more shocked at the thinly veiled admiration that coated the three words.

Joel softened almost immediately at the sound of your laughter, and you sighed, letting yourself sink into his touch. Your hand came up to rest over his larger one where it cupped your cheek, your gaze meeting his.

And when you saw how warm and open it was, you still felt trepidation, but you also felt more.

“Thank you,” you finally found the words you wanted to say after what felt like an eternity, speaking them in such a hushed tone that it was hardly audible through the rain hitting the pavement all around you.

But when you saw his smile—small and honest and real—his hand shifting from your cheek to grab onto yours, fingers intertwining, you knew that he had heard you.

You knew that he had understood.

“Let’s go home,” he whispered, and you smiled back at him, flooded with that overwhelming sense of safety—that feeling of home, of him—as you squeezed his hand.

“Of course,” you whispered back, sharing another small smile as you let Joel lead you there.

Home.

You were home.

Joel would have liked to say that they were able to sit down and actually talk about things when they got back home.

But the moment they passed through the threshold, they were already tearing at each other’s clothes before the door even fully shut behind them.

A trail of their passion, evidence of their desire was left across the foyer with each discarded piece of clothing, up the staircase and to his bedroom, Joel’s mouth meeting every inch of her skin, tasting the rain mixed with that distinct, sweet flavor that was purely her.

Still, he avoided her lips. There was something unspoken about it, even now. Like making an oath that they didn’t know how to keep yet.

Even as that fire that had been slowly kindling between them began to grow, burning brighter and hotter the more they grabbed for each other, hands exploring and memorizing until there was no way to tell where one of them ended and the other began.

Joel was content to stoke that fire with her until the day came when it would eventually consume them both.

The instant Joel had her on his bed beneath him, his lips trailed down her collarbone towards her chest. He took a moment to lap his tongue across her nipples, sucking and grazing his teeth against them until they were stiffened peaks, and she was squirming beneath him.

Only then did he take mercy on her, kissing down her stomach before licking across the band of her panties. His eyes lifted to meet hers as his teeth caught on them, giving the fabric a tug before kissing down over where it covered her clit.

He smirked against the panties—blue, he realized somewhere in the back of his mind, groaning against her clothed cunt with the realization—before he began to lick and suck at the fabric that was already damp from her desire, now growing even more soaked from his saliva.

“Joel, please,” she whispered, her hand finding his hair to tug at it again, and he grunted before reaching up to pull the wet fabric down her legs and toss it to the ground.

Hands wrapping around her thighs, he parted her legs further for him, glancing over her spread, wet folds with hunger and reverence before he descended upon her. The familiar sound of her moans was music to his ears, Joel’s eyes fluttering shut from the taste of her on his tongue as he slipped it into her wet heat, moaning into her cunt at how fucking delicious she was as she writhed from pleasure beneath him.

Joel could spend hours down between her legs if she let him, his fingers pressing tightly into her thighs from where he held her down so he could give her pussy the care and attention it deserved. When his nose bumped against her clit, she nearly cried out, and he moaned as he repeated the motion again, and again, and again.

He was high off the sound of her begging him for more, pleading for her release that he could tell was fast approaching by the way her walls started to tighten around his tongue. He thrusted it into her at a faster pace, face moving from side-to-side as he rubbed his nose against her clit until he felt her pussy flutter from an orgasm in the same moment that she cried out his name.

It was addicting, the sounds she made, the way she tasted as she came. There was no way he could ever get enough.

So Joel brought her to release again and again, his grip tightening on her, tongue and nose moving faster with each climax that he drew from her, only taking seconds to catch his breath in between each one.

Only when she tugged on his hair harder, her pleas turning to a different reason, one that spoke of nearing overstimulation, did he pull back. Joel breathed heavily, her desire soaked through his mustache and beard that he had started growing out again for her, just from that one-time offhand comment of how she preferred it to look.

The sweet taste of her coated his lips, dripping from his chin as he looked up at her face, one of pure bliss from multiple orgasms. He smirked up at her, wiping his thumb along his bottom lip to collect her wetness and suck on it, watching with satisfaction as she groaned from the sight.

Those eyes that utterly entranced him, always holding such a sharp edge to them, were clouded in a familiar haze of ecstasy he never got tired of seeing on her. Her thighs trembled underneath his hands as he loosened his grip, stroking her skin with his thumb as he turned his head to kiss gently along her scar.

His mind was overrun then with the memories of how she had gotten it—her form hunched against the wall, bloody and beaten, still keeping herself together when everything was falling apart—and Joel’s eyes squeezed shut. He kissed her skin harder, with more desperation, when her fingers ran through his hair.

“Joel,” he heard her whisper, and his eyes reopened, glancing up to see her face was softer, eyes questioning as she looked over whatever emotions must have bled through his expressions.

“Taking care of you,” he murmured quietly, pressing his lips against the scar in more kisses, his hands stroking along her thighs and up her curves. “Let me take care of you.”

When his fingers brushed against her abdomen, he looked up to see the ink underneath his hand, which began to tremble at the sight.

Suddenly, more memories flashed through his mind: a hospital with blood staining the floors, body after body, lives that he had taken with his own hands.

Joel never let himself dwell on it. He never regretted his choice, never doubted his actions.

But at the sight of the symbol on her skin, unwanted thoughts began to creep into his mind.

What if she had been there?

What if he had taken a life like hers?

Or her sister’s?

Joel hadn’t realized he had leaned up until he was eye-level with the tattoo, pressing his lips to the false symbol of freedom that he despised, kissing it over and over again as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to him, afraid to let go.

He also didn’t realize he was apologizing, the words muffled as he murmured them into her skin again and again, only interrupted when her palm pressed to his cheek, directing his face up from the tattoo to face her.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, her gaze open and damn near affectionate, maybe more than it had ever been. Her thumb stroked his cheek, even though she didn’t know what he was apologizing for. Even if it wasn’t. “It’s okay.”

Joel breathed shakily, his eyes closing as he focused on the feeling of her hand on his face, letting it ground him to this moment with her. When she rolled him over to straddle his hips, he didn’t protest, only opening his eyes at the feeling of her other hand caressing the old, healed injury on his lower torso that she had treated in his bathroom.

He glanced over her hanging over him, his lips parting to reassure her, “You don’t have to—”

“Do you want to?” she interrupted, her eyes meeting his, still open and imploring an honest response, not something to just brush her off.

When he felt the way her wetness was seeping through his boxers from where her cunt was pressed to his clothed erection, Joel groaned, rolling his hips up as he nodded quickly.

“Then let me take care of you,” she whispers, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone before her fingers move up, grazing along the old scar along his temple, and Joel’s breath caught in his throat before he nodded again.

He lost himself completely when she pulled his boxers off, gripping his dick to swipe along her folds, collecting her wetness before she sank down onto him. Joel let himself forget the memories, pushing the pain away to deal with another day, focusing instead on the intoxicating distraction of her riding his cock.

The familiar feeling of her wet heat gripping him made his head tilt back, breaths coming out in shallow breaths while he thrusted up to meet the gentle rolling of her hips. Joel struggled to keep his gaze on her, wanting to watch as she rode him so intently, breasts bouncing and lips parting as she panted from the exertion.

One of his hands found her hip, thumb still brushing along that scar, using it as a reminder that she was still here, still with him, still in his arms. For all their hiding and running and turning away, he knew this was real. At least in just this moment alone, whatever they had was real.

Joel’s eyes met hers, her sharp gaze clouded with desire and something else, something deeper that made his heart beat even faster. He began to buck up into her, intoxicated from the sound and smell of their sex filling the room while his other hand lifted, sliding up along her side to her back.

Tugging her down, he lost himself further in her as she fell onto his chest. Their faces inches apart, noses bumping and foreheads colliding as they both moaned loudly from the change in position. God, he was so deep, and she was so wet and tight and perfect, their hot breaths mingling as they found a steady rhythm together.

“Again,” Joel gasped, one of his hands grabbing her chin, keeping her gaze focused on him as he whispered hoarsely, “Make yourself cum again. I want to feel you spill all over my cock, sweetheart.”

She whined, shifting until he was bottomed out, grinding her clit against his skin as her eyes became even wider, more glazed over. Joel knew another climax was fast approaching by the way her moans became higher-pitched, her nails scraping down his chest to find better leverage, but he kept his hand firmly grabbing her face.

“You’re going to be looking right at me when you cum. Gonna know exactly who makes you feel this good,” he murmured, and she moaned again, nodding as her lips parted again with the climbing pleasure. His thumb stroked along her bottom lip before slipping it into her mouth, and she didn’t hesitate for a moment as her lips wrapped around it, tasting herself and his saliva that still dripped from it, sucking hard and making him buck up into her with a loud, “Fuck!”

It was all she needed to tip over the edge, her pussy clenching around his cock as she came, moaning around his thumb as her tongue mindlessly swirled around it in her pleasure, her half-seeing eyes locked with his the entire time she lost herself in the ecstasy.

“Good girl,” Joel whispered, moaning as both his hands moved to her hips, pulling her down to meet each of his hard thrusts. His moans quickly turned into whimpers, biting his lip hard as he gasps, “So good, so fucking perfect. Fucking beautiful. Oh, fuck!”

When his hips stuttered, she slid off of him, her hand stroking his throbbing cock until he came. It hit him hard, making his vision blur and darken momentarily, forcing him to focus on the soft touch of her other hand on his face, coaxing the orgasm out of him to wash over his body in an ecstatic warmth that eased him back into the mattress.

After a few quiet moments where they both were trying to catch their breath, she rolled off of him as his eyes began to flutter shut, and Joel blindly reached after her, listening to her soft laughter before he heard her murmur, “I can clean us up too, you know.”

There was no ounce of protest from him as he forced his eyes back open, watching her naked, sweat and rain soaked body while she slowly made her way to the bathroom on wobbly legs. He waited for her to return with a warm washcloth, humming quietly while his hand absentmindedly ran through her hair, trying to comb out the wet tangles as she cleaned the cum off his stomach before cleaning herself up too.

After she dropped the cloth back off in the bathroom and returned to crawl into bed, she rested her head against one of his pillows, facing him with an unfiltered, happily lazy smile that he returned without a second thought.

“Hey, stranger,” she whispered, voice cracking with how much she had been crying out from pleasure only moments before, and he chuckled breathlessly.

Turning over onto his stomach, he spread his arms out under his own pillow, shifting until he was comfortable enough without having to take his eyes off of her.

“Is that what I am?” Joel found himself repeating his words from in her kitchen months before, a little while after she had been injured. But this time the question was changed slightly, putting himself as the subject instead of her, and he was almost afraid to hear her answer. “A stranger?”

She glanced over his face, her eyes regaining their familiar sharp clarity, even as he saw how heavy they were becoming with relaxation from release.

“Mm,” she hummed, blinking slowly a few times before shaking her head. “No.”

It felt like the simple word knocked a breath right out of his lungs, and he certainly wasn’t able to pull another one in when she smiled at him so openly, in a way he had never seen from her before.

“I know you, Joel Miller,” she whispered, her hand dragging across the mattress, fingers caressing the blue sheets until she stopped, keeping it between them. “You’re no stranger to me.”

Joel stared at her hand for a moment before looking back up at her, searching her gaze.

He could already see the openness beginning to close off again, those walls reforming, and suddenly he remembered what Maria had said to him at the Halloween dance, that night that began to change everything.

Help her hold on to you instead of letting her turn away.

So Joel slipped his hand out from under the pillow, bringing it closer to hers until they were inches apart. His fingers grazed against the tips of hers, still searching her eyes for any hint that she didn’t want this, that she didn’t want him.

When her lips parted, her fingers twitching before she slid them forward just a bit more, resting her fingers against his, Joel felt like his world stopped.

Then all at once it started again as those guards in her gaze slipped once more, just slightly, giving him a glimpse of that fire that burned deep within her, and he wouldn’t hesitate another moment.

Joel’s hand wrapped around her wrist, fingers stroking along her pulse point to feel how the slow, post-sex heartbeat of relaxation began to speed up again under his touch. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the center of her palm, then to the spot on her wrist where her heartbeat raced underneath her skin, while she sucked in a breath at the action.

Her gaze wavered then, flickering from open to closed, a look of uncertainty mixed with what was almost longing lighting up the familiar color of her irises, and Joel pulled her hand back from his mouth just slightly.

“Your choice,” he whispered, breath fanning against her skin, before squeezing her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture, watching as her eyelashes fluttered.

Then tears began to collect at the end of those eyelashes, and Joel shifted, sitting up slightly as he resisted the inexplicable urge to pull her to him, instead letting her collect her thoughts that she seemed to be trying desperately to find words to express.

“Joel, I—” she cut off, huffing out a shaky breath as her other hand lifted to cover her eyes; either to hide her face from him, or hide the sight of him from her own gaze, he didn’t know. “I don’t—I don’t know how—”

He sighed softly, stroking his thumb along her wrist as he watched her struggle with the weight of emotions that he was slowly gaining the dawning realization he wasn’t alone in having.

Some part of her, however small it may be at this point, was still fighting those emotions, while he had given up long ago—maybe longer than he even realized.

“That’s okay,” he whispered, and her hand fell from her face, eyes opening to look at him again in a gaze that was so open, so nearly yearning that his heart ached to just hold her. “You don’t have to be afraid, darlin’. It’s just me.”

She let out a laugh at that—shaky, quiet, but not at anybody’s expense. It seemed more like a sound of relief, her eyes flickering over his face as Joel simply watched her, admiring how the moonlight filtered through his windows and bathed her naked skin in a gentle glow.

“Just me, mi luna,” he found himself whispering, not even noticing the endearment slip past his lips until her eyes shifted from one of mixed emotions to curiosity.

“What was that?” she asked, her lips slowly curling into a hesitant, interested smile, and Joel froze up as he realized what he had just said.

“Ah,” he cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly as his gaze darted away from hers. “Nothing.”

“No, no,” she nearly tuts, pushing herself onto her forearms to try and catch his gaze, and Joel had to try even harder to avoid looking at her as he saw the swell of her naked breasts pressed to the mattress even better from that angle. “You called me something. What was it?”

Joel laid on his back, stubbornly staring at the ceiling as she stubbornly stared right at the side of his face. A familiar battle of their tenacity, one he now knew he would always lose to her in, and he eventually let out a long, quiet sigh before mumbling in defeat, “Mi luna.”

She shifted suddenly, inching closer to him, and he turned his head to see her settle onto the bed right beside him. Joel moved over slightly so she could rest her head on half of his pillow, turning to rest his own cheek against it to watch her from a close distance.

Her smile shifted into something smaller, something warmer. More intimate.

Something just for him.

His heart sped up, and he almost looked away again, not certain what he would do if she kept smiling at him like that before she teased, “Which means…?”

Joel shook his head, but couldn’t hold back his own fond smile that he was slowly starting to realize was also reserved just for her as he replied honestly, “Moon.”

She blinked a few times, taking in the information, processing it with a familiar sharp cleverness. Joel knew by the glint in her eye that she had caught on that he had said two words, but only gave her one meaning, although she didn’t press the issue just then.

“Why the moon?” she asked softly, her hand sliding up the small space still left between them on the mattress, before her fingers grazed over the width of his forearm.

Joel swallowed thickly, eyes darting back and forth between hers, telling her the answer in the same moment he realized it himself, “Well, your sister’s a star, so I figured…”

Her face shifted into a look of surprise, and he thought he may have a matching look on his own face as the words slipped from his lips. He was hesitant for a moment, afraid he had crossed a line, before he watched her shocked expression melt into a look of fondness that made him want to erase that distance between them for good.

Luckily, she took the step that he needed to satisfy himself at that moment, moving her hand from his forearm to lay on his chest. Her fingers drew small patterns on his skin, and Joel sighed softly, watching as she ducked her head away from his gaze in a rare show of what just may have been bashfulness, before resting her cheek against his chest.

“I always thought I was just the sky,” she murmured, her breath warm against his skin, and Joel’s hand hovered in the air for a brief moment, hesitating, before slowly laying it across her shoulders. He knew that if she was uncomfortable with it, if she didn’t want it, she’d tell him. She’d pull away.

She didn’t.

“Why’s that?” he asked quietly, his fingers lazily playing with her hair as her hand slid down his torso, resting over those thin scars on his abdomen while she hummed in thought.

“She was bright,” she answered softly, no small amount of love for her sister in her voice, and Joel realized that this may just be his favorite side of her—the real her. The woman behind the cold mask of cynicism, the one who protected her people, who loved them so deeply. “Far brighter than I ever was. I accepted a long time ago that I only existed to make her shine.”

Joel brushed the back of his fingers down over her neck, smiling a little as she shivered from the sensation before resting his hand back on her shoulder again.

“But the moon comes out first,” he said softly, fingers lazily gliding along her shoulder with the contemplative words. “It protects the stars. Makes sure it’s safe to shine.”

She shifted, resting her chin on his chest so she could look up at him with a skeptical arch of her eyebrow, although her eyes were so warm he found himself melting just under the weight of that gaze.

“While I appreciate the sentiment,” she said slowly, her voice full of a familiar teasing, and Joel could already sense what was coming before she finished, “Don’t quit your day job to become a poet, cowboy.”

He laughed, and she joined him, only dissolving further into giggles as he muttered for her to shut up.

She rested her head on his chest again after a moment, her arms wrapping around him as she let out a quiet hum of content, one he subconsciously echoed with his own as his eyes began to droop from the lull of safety he felt whenever she was holding him.

“It’s true, though,” he found himself mumbling as sleep began to call for him. Joel listened to her breathing even out, not even sure she could hear him anymore as he continued, “You are bright. Don’t…”

Both of them were asleep before he could even finish whatever he was going to say.

#joel miller x reader #joel x reader #joel x f!reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller series #joel miller smut #joel x reader smut #a stranger's heart series

521 notes · View notes