#sparks him to keep training in the business so he can eventually take it over. run it right.

[squidyyy23]

Non-transferable! You are so right!

Here's an idea, just go with me here...

What if, instead of getting out for overcrowding, Mickey really gets out of jail (juvie) because of Ralph.

ACGGGH

The possibilities of this idea is making me look at shit differently

oh auds, i am going with you.

the thought of baby mickey having this guardian angel bail bondsman? ACGGGH is sooo right!

this dude's family has been bailing out milkoviches for generations. he's given up on the lot of them but something about mickey is different. he doesn't deserve to get dragged into the mess he was born in to. he deserves a shot at getting out. so he secretly bails mickey out whenever he can (wouldn't want the others to know and come looking for favors).

he lost track of mickey when he fucked off to mexico. always wondered what happened to the kid. disappointed he wasn't able to make more a difference. and was so happy when he finally came back, all happy and settled down. was honored to be invited to the wedding and cheered the loudest. ian's all "who the fuck is that guy" and mickey's just like "meh, just an old family friend" but makes sure to stop by table for a big ole hug.

[marlynnofmany]

The Mechanic’s Burden

I pushed my way into the engine room with a tray of food, wondering what was keeping Mimi from his meals this time. He was a dedicated sort, taking his job as spaceship mechanic seriously, and sometimes that meant long hours grumbling in the guts of the ship.

“Dinner!” I called. There was no sign of green tentacles among the viewscreens of the main room, and I didn’t feel like guessing which passageway he’d gone down.

“Thanks,” grated Mimi’s rough voice from somewhere to the right. “Up here.”

I followed the sound of someone rummaging through a toolbox to find Mimi perched on top of one pipe among many, in front of an open electrical panel. Wires were everywhere, most held aside with twist ties to bare the problem area. Mimi clutched tools in many tentacles. He was the very picture of an annoyed octopus digging through his toolbox for more. I wasn’t sure which pipes he’d climbed to get there, dragging the toolbox up to what was head height on me.

“Hi,” I said. “Where do you want it?” There wasn’t space for the tray on the curving pipes next to him.

“Eh, over there.” Mimi gestured with a mini-welder toward a mostly flat surface on a bit of engine housing at knee level. “I’ll get to it eventually.”

I set it down. “Hopefully you can take a break soon. This is pretty tasty: roast fursqueak from Zhee’s planet with some kind of Frillian shrimp sauce.”

“Hm,” Mimi said absently.

“The sauce is a good one, though it’s a flavor that kinda sticks with you.”

“Uh-huh.”

I dug in my pocket for a stick of gum, deciding that I’d rather not have that particular flavor follow me around for the rest of the night. Mimi was likely too distracted to care, but it was only polite to offer him one. “Want some gum for after you eat? It’s peppermint flavor.” (We’d already had the “this is food you don’t swallow” talk, so it was all down to taste. Not everybody onboard liked mint.)

“That’s the one that tastes cold, right? No thanks.” Mimi shoved the tools around a bit more, then heaved a deep sigh that made him seem to deflate.

I moved closer for a better look, trying not too breathe to much mint at him. “What’s the problem?” I could see a wire sticking out of the mess, with the covering stripped off the end and the fibers twisted flat.

“A stupid one,” Mimi said. He started putting tools back in the box. “It took me all day to track down where the disconnect was, and it turned out to be just one single loose wire. Can’t believe how much time I wasted checking everything else.”

I considered before speaking. “You know you can ask for help, right? Not everybody’s busy today. You don’t have to do it all by yourself.”

Mimi waved a tentacle instead of shaking his head-body. “It’d take longer to train someone else than to just do it myself.”

“You sure?” I pressed. “They wouldn’t have to know everything to be an extra set of hands. Or tentacles.”

“There’s a lot to know,” Mimi said. “Even this loose wire takes a delicate touch to weld back in place. You’ve got to put the welder on just the right setting, secure the wire but not get your flesh too close, and watch through a filter so you don’t hurt your eyes.”

“Yeah, sounds like welding to me,” I agreed. “Do you have a welding mask?” I didn’t see anything that looked like a face shield, or even sunglasses. Not that those would fit his cephalopod head anyway.

“A small filter is fine for this scale,” Mimi said, holding up a dark paddle-shaped thing. “The mini-welders don’t throw sparks.”

I realized that he had enough tentacles that he could hold a thing in front of his face and still be able to work. No need for goggles strapped to his head. Must be handy.

He was still talking, warming to the subject. “Now while I could train somebody else to weld effectively, I don’t want to risk she ship’s integrity on a rookie. I also don’t want to send anyone to Eggskin with burnt extremities because they tried to hold the wire in place without fastening gel.”

I peered over the edge of the toolbox. “Can you hold it with pliers?”

“This mess doesn’t leave much space for pliers,” Mimi said, pointing a tentacle tip at the nest of wires. At the depths of all those, I could see the spot where the stray wire was meant to go. I could probably get a hand in there. But yeah, pliers and the welder both wouldn’t make it easy to see what you were doing.

Mimi said, “Now I could disconnect a couple sections, but I’ve wasted enough time already. I’d rather just stick it, weld it, and be done. But of course I already used all the gel in this box.” He gave the toolbox an irritated rap with the welder.

“Want me to go get you some?” I asked. “Where is it?”

“Ah, that would take too long to explain. I’ll just go grab it myself.”

“Wait. What about—” I took out my gum, wrapped it around the covered part of the wire, then reached in with fingertips and stuck it against the other end. “—That? Did I get it placed right?”

Mimi was quiet for long enough that I started to worry that gum was bad for wire casing, or was somehow explosive around alien welding tech. I probably should have asked first.

But then he raised the welder without a word, and held the viewing filter in place. I looked away while the welder glowed and fizzed.

“Done.”

I turned back to find him putting the tools away.

“Did it work?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Hooray!” I grinned. “Want me to peel the gum back off, or is the area still hot?”

More negating tentacle waves. “No, definitely too hot. I’ll get it after I eat.”

“Okay. Can I at least take this down for you?” I lifted the toolbox.

Mimi sighed. “Sure. Thank you.” He climbed down the pipes, suction cups popping quietly. That would have definitely been hard to do with the toolbox.

“You know,” I said, putting it down near his food, “Even Eggskin isn’t the only person on board who knows basic first aid. If they got hurt, we wouldn’t be panicking because they’re our only medic. You’d probably be doing your job even better if you made sure at least a couple other crewmembers could do basic troubleshooting.”

Mimi settled into place beside the tray, looking like he was trying not to sigh again. “You make a good point,” he admitted. “But I get pebbleskin just thinking about Blip and Blop rushing to adjust a loose rod, and jamming something that would cause a cascading failure.”

“Well yeah, you’d want to be careful who you entrust with what task,” I said. “But they’d be great at moving heavy things, like those panel covers you had to take off before.”

Mur scooped up a mouthful of food. “They probably would. As long as they follow directions and don’t touch anything else.”

“I’m sure they can do that!” I smiled. “If you need any wires cut or packages opened, Zhee and Trrili will be happy to do precise violence with their pincher arms. I can reach things up high, and…”

“And Paint would make a good heat sink, snuggling against overheated components,” Mimi said. “That’s occurred to me before.”

I laughed. “She’d probably love that. Who needs a heat shawl or other coldblooded accessories when you can take a nap in the engine?”

“She’d do it, too.” Mimi scooped up more food. “But no letting your cat in here. I know that animal likes warm things as well, and it would make the overheating worse.”

“You are absolutely right. No cats in the engine room.” I nodded. “Just crewmates.”

Mimi waved a tentacle and mumbled something about writing up a list of training possibilities after he ate. I left him to it, wishing him a good meal, then leaving with my minty gum and a quiet smile of triumph.

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[hischierswhore]

you’re losing me

based on “You’re Losing Me” by Taylor Swift

pairing: Mason Mount x Reader

tw: cursing // mentions of a proposal

a/n: is this good? probably not, but this song makes me sad whenever i listen to it so i just wrote how i pictured a scenario like this going in real life

note: all references to the song will be italicized and lyrics are bolded

You had been dating your boyfriend, Mason, for almost 6 years. You both met all those years ago while you were in England studying abroad. You guys took things slow, and eventually became much more serious about your relationship and nearly 2 years ago you moved in together.

All was great, and you both tried to make time for each other as often as possible, but lately things felt off. Mason was always busy with training, which you understood as it was his job, but he would come home completely drained and not in the mood to do anything with you.

Even while being in the same room, he would barely bat an eyelash at the sight of you entering the room.

“Hey, Mase. Can we talk?” You asked one day as you sat down next to him on the couch. His eyes were still glued to the TV screen in-front of him, but he nodded his head as if signaling for you to keep talking.

“Is everything okay with us?”

“Yeah why?” His gaze moves to you, his eyebrows are scrunched and a confused look is etched across his face. You audibly sigh at his obliviousness.

“Things haven’t been the same, Mase. You’ve been acting off and I’m just trying to figure out why things don’t feel the same”

“We’re fine. Just been busy with football and stressed about the contract” He says as he turns his attention back to the large screen, drowning out any possibility of further conversation taking place. You sigh as you get up and walk out of the room, annoyed as your boyfriend won’t make any effort to resolve the problems in your relationship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weeks passed and Mason was as stressed as before, and you felt like you were coming second to his job. You tried to be understanding, but it was hard. You missed the way things used to be between you both.

There was an important event Mason had to attend tonight, and he brought you with him as his date. You wore a beautifully fitted maroon dress, one that was sure to grab Mason’s attention.

Mason was at Carlotta’s studio as she was styling him for the evening, so you both agreed to meet at the venue.

Upon your arrival, you met up with Sophia & Andrea.

“Where’s Mason?” Sophia asked.

“Oh he’s on his way. He sent me a text a few minutes ago” You smiled in attempt to reassure not only them, but also yourself that everything was fine.

“You guys are such a perfect couple. We’re waiting for the day you guys get engaged” Andrea smiled at you as you tried to fake a smile.

After dating for 6 years, people always say things like this: that they’re waiting for day that he proposes to you. Sure, some people wait even longer, but according to his friends & family, he’s always wanted to get married especially to you. You wondered why he hadn’t proposed yet, but you always ignored the thought and focused on the moment.

Minutes later, Mason arrived at the event. You knew because of the hoard of paparazzi & interviewers racing to take pictures of him and interview him before he entered the event.

You touched up your makeup before making your way to the group you were most familiar with, as it was a mix of your boyfriend, his teammates & their girlfriends/wives. You’d grown close with the group over the years.

As you walked over, all eyes were on you, except for the ones you wanted to be on you: Mason’s. He was too indulged in conversation with someone you’ve never seen before, and they certainly weren’t part of your group.

You sparked conversation with everyone else in the meantime, mentally planning how to make Mason see that you were worth his time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As your group sat down to eat at your assigned table, you could tell that Mason was distracted. You were honestly tired of it, and everyone could see that something was up. Just as Mason excused himself to go to the restroom, Christian spoke up.

“Hey Y/n… is everything alright?” Christian asked. He had always been so kind to you, and you considered him like a brother to you.

“Everything’s fine” You lied, plastering a fake smile to your face as you hoped nobody would believe otherwise.

“What’s up with him? He hasn’t been his usual outgoing self” Kai asked and you could simply shrug.

“No idea”

“Have you tried asking him?” Andrea added and you nodded your head at her question.

“He just brushed it off. I’m trying with this relationship, I really am, and I feel like he’s just given up on us” Everyone gave you sympathetic looks and comforting smiles.

“I’m so sorry, Y/n” Was all anyone could say after hearing what you’d told them.

Mason came back moments later, sitting with the rest of the group, clueless that you’d slightly vented to them about your relationship troubles.

There was an opportunity to dance near the end of the event, and you thought it would be a good chance to talk to Mason.

“Dance with me?” You asked, the hope behind your eyes shining brightly until you watched him shake his head.

“I’m tired, love. Go dance with Chris or something” Your face dropped at his words, disappointment and sadness appeared visible on your features as you turned and made your way to the bathroom.

Sophia & Andrea watched the encounter from across the table. Without a single words, both girls got up and made their way to the bathroom, knowing you would need some comfort.

You didn’t even make it to the bathroom before the tears started flowing. You rested against the wall that was hidden from view and slid down, pulling your knees into your chest as tears streamed down your face.

Sophia & Andrea appeared at that moment, crouching down with you. Andrea went to hold your hand and you jumped at the sudden contact.

“Sorry” Andrea mouthed as she sat down fully next to you, with Sophia doing the same.

“It’s okay, Y/n, just let it all out” Sophia said as she rubbed your back gently in attempt to comfort you.

“I’m drained, Soph. I’m trying my hardest to fix this relationship and he’s not even putting effort in. I was hoping to at least get something out of him tonight, some sort of sign that he’s willing to help, but nothings worked. I just wanted him to see me. Not just physically, but emotionally” Andrea handed you a tissue at that moment, allowing you to wipe the flowing mascara from ruining your makeup for the evening.

“It’s just embarrassing. He just turned me down in-front of everyone. My own boyfriend turned me down in a room full of people” Both girls brought you in for a hug.

“I’m really just tired of giving him signs that I’m fighting this battle alone, only for him to ignore them and just keep adding onto the mess that we call a relationship”

“We’re so sorry, Y/n. You of all people don’t deserve this. Try talking to him again, and if nothing works, you tried. You held up your end for as long as you could, and that’s enough. You are enough” You thanked both girls before heading back to the main room and heading to your table.

You didn’t sit next to Mason, but rather the girls and spoke to them. Your encounter with him ruined your night and you weren’t in the mood to speak to him.

Christian made his way back to the table and saw you sitting far from your boyfriend. He gave you a questioning look and you mouthed “I’ll tell you later” to him. He nodded and sat next to you, joining the conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After explaining to Christian what was going on, he was beyond furious with his teammate. You weren’t necessarily in the mood to be near your boyfriend for the time being, but you wanted to go home. Christian offered to drive you back to the apartment you shared with Mason, which you graciously accepted.

You sent Mason a quick text to let him know that you had left and that you would be at home whenever he decided to come back. He read your text but didn’t respond.

You thanked Christian for the ride and he wished you good luck in your impending conversation with Mason.

You settled into the guest room in your apartment, getting under the covers and falling asleep with no issue.

About two hours later you heard the front door open and close, insinuating that Mason was home. You didn’t move; you wanted to see if he would even come looking for you.

News flash; he didn’t. He went straight to your bedroom and fell asleep, not a single thought of you & where you might be passed through his brain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every mornin', I glared at you with storms in my eyes

How can you say that you love someone you can't tell is dyin'?

I sent you signals and bit my nails down to the quick

My face was gray, but you wouldn't admit that we were sick

The next morning you woke up early. You got up to make yourself coffee/tea (your preference) and a turkey&bacon sandwich to eat as you were rather starving. You saw movement from the corner of your eye and you saw Mason standing there as he watched you.

From his perspective, he had never seen anything scarier than the look in your eyes. You glared at him with storms brewing in your eyes. He had never seen someone so stoic before in his life. He watched as you made eye contact and immediately went back to sipping your drink & eating your sandwich.

He didn’t take the hint and still did his everyday routine.

“Good morning, love” He spoke as he pressed a quick kiss to the top of your head. The nickname only filled you with rage. He hadn’t said the three words you longed to hear in weeks, possibly even months. You felt your face turn gray as your body tensed at the contact.

“We need to talk” You spoke, not a single emotion laced through your words. You were serious. Mason slowly made his way to sit in-front of you.

How long could we be a sad song

'Til we were too far gone to bring back to life?

I gave you all my best me's, my endless empathy

And all I did was bleed as I tried to be the bravest soldier

Fighting in only your army, frontlines, don't you ignore me

I'm the best thing at this party (You're losin' me)

“I can’t continue living like this, Mason. We’ve put this off- no. You’ve put this conversation off for long enough. I’ve given you everything I’ve got. Every last ounce of hope I had for us is gone. I’ve tried, I really have tried to be the bravest soldier to fight for us, to keep us strong but I can’t anymore”

“I don’t understand” He said.

“I know you don’t. Last night, I tried so hard to get you to see me, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Fuck, Mason, you didn’t even think to compliment me at all. In fact, you barely even spoke to me. You practically ignored me the entire night. I dressed up for you. I wanted some small ounce of attention from you, in hopes that it’ll signal that maybe you did want to help me fix this, fix us”

“So you’re upset because I didn’t give you attention last night?”

“Oh my god!” You screamed. You were beyond annoyed with this man not taking any hints. You’re being straightforward and he’s just not seeing it.

And I wouldn't marry me either

A pathological people pleaser

Who only wanted you to see her

“What’s going on? Are you just tired of this relationship? Are you tired of me? Are you not wanting us to go forward because you’re afraid of a potential proposal and what our future will look like? I need to know, Mason, because frankly I’ve given up on trying to make this work”

“I’m not ready for the future…”

“Mason that’s understandable, nobody is-”

“…with you…”

“You’re not ready for a future with me? As in, you don’t want to marry me in the future?” You asked he slowly nods his head. You stayed silent for a moment as you took it all in. After a few minutes, you spoke.

“So basically for god knows how long, I’ve been fighting for us to work when you weren’t even happy in this relationship?” He didn’t move. A thick silence filled the air around you.

And I'm fadin', thinkin'

"Do something, babe, say something”

"Lose something, babe, risk something"

"Choose something, babe, I got nothing"

"To believe, unless you're choosin' me"

“I’ll take your silence as a yes then. I won’t waste anymore of both your & my time, Mason. I’ll have my things out of here by the end of the day” And with that, you grabbed your phone from the table and walked out of the kitchen, quickly grabbing a suitcase and a few boxes and started piling your belongings into them.

He didn’t move. He didn’t try to stop you. He just sat there and watched you leave.

Stop, you’re losing me

I cant find a pulse

My heart won’t start anymore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

taglist

@ithinkimokeei @myheartgoesvroom @mounthings @tall-tanned-tattoo @itsnotgray @alwaysclassyeagle @charlewiss @mortirolo @fallingin20 @chelseagirl98 @lovelynikol16 @username-envy @swimmingismywholelife @pulisicsgirl @notsoattractivearenti @pulisichavertz @fernandezology @bracedes @neverinadream @thoseboysinblue @winterbarnesblog @chaotic-taco-collector-blog

[annwrites]

—money, power, glory

you are the bane of my existence & the object of my desire. — regency!aemond x niece!reader ; ♡⏧·₊̣̇.✧⸙͎

You gasp, gripping Aemond's sleeve in excitement as you watch bright sparks of light and fire fizzle across the inky black sky.

"Have—have you ever seen such a wondrous thing before, uncle?" You ask, breathless.

He merely hums in response, watching the spectacle through your wide eyes.

"It's so beautiful!" You exclaim, glancing to him only momentarily before returning your sights to the sky. "Don't you think so?"

He does not remove his gaze from you when he answers. "I suppose, for the first time, I see how much it truly is."

after the deaths of your families by fire, suicide, poison, & elsewise means, you & your reclusive uncle aemond are all those which remain of your house.

the last surviving male heir, he inherits a sizeable fortune... As well as you—until you come-of-age within a year, thus making you his concern no longer.

eager to be rid of you far sooner, however—as you serve as a constant reminder of what he has lost—he trains you in the arts of femininity & seduction, making you the perfect docile doll for any man of the ton to desire to take to wife.

the one thing he does not account for in his machinations, as he parades you before lords & princes at glittering balls, decadent dinners, & marvelous masquerades...is the wants of his own heart, which he'd somewhere along the way forgotten still beat. until another mended it, without even trying.

headcanons:

when she arrives at his sprawling estate, his first order of business w/ her is assessing what training she needs. and it turns out...almost everything you can think of.

the explanation for it is that rhaenyra preferred to allow her children, when able, to pursue their own passions. for reader, this was primarily reading & enjoying the beach—studying fish & aquatic plant life, collecting seashells, exploring caverns.

aemond's estate is absolutely massive, including his castle.

there is an orchard, a greenhouse, gardens, an aviary, a butterfly pavilion, two gazebos, stables, a small waterfall, a small chapel, a boathouse, a pond for fishing, fountains & sculptures

inside there is a hall of mirrors (think versailles)

aemond spends nearly all his time sequestered away in his study, preferring to be alone.

he does not venture around the estate, unlike his niece.

he 'spoils' (sees the purchases as necessary if he is to present her to & subsequently make her a member of high society) reader with new gowns, ribbons, jewelry, hats, shoes, stockings, etc.

her room is well enough, but rather bare-bones. so, they make an agreement that when she succeeds with her tutors/studies, he will reward her with new furnishings of her choosing. like a canopied bed, rugs, glass lamps, etc.

brings in tutors to teach her:

calligraphy

how to play the bells, the harp, & maybe the flute

drawing

watercolors

dancing

singing

jewelry making

dress making

embroidery (needle-point, cross-stitch)

flower arranging

reciting poetry

aemond himself sees to her:

poor posture—straps a spoon to her back to correct it.

poor table manners—ties lace around her neck to keep her in-place; "bring the spoon & fork to you, do not crane your neck to meet them".

coaching high valyrian.

eventually dancing. he watches her with her tutor, but becomes exasperated with her constantly stepping on his feet—even if the man is all but used to it—so he takes over (totally going to have something similar to the candle waltz in crimson peak implemented as a scene).

[joonggphilia]

🖤💜Reputation Pt. 2💜🖤

———————————————————————

Pairing: Lee Jeno x Male reader Genre: lime, bit of angst, fluff Cw: Confrontation, hickeys, blowjob, cum eating A/n: Part 2 for all my hungry followers <3 Not proofread‼️‼️‼️

———————————————————————

Your phone buzzed in your pocket, causing eyes from the people around you to travel to your figure. You hated taking the train to work because of how crowded it was. Answering the phone on the subway was also risky, especially when the person calling you had a reputation. You quickly turned the volume down and answered. “Hello…..Yeah, I’m heading home right now…………Stop by? I haven’t cleaned, but sure, I’ll see you in an hour.” You hung up and rolled your eyes. After that special Nct concert Jeno wouldn’t leave you be. Sure you enjoyed his company and his dick, but at this point it was getting old. What was he gonna do for you!? —————— A knock sounded at the door. “M/n? Come open the door for me, yeah?” Jeno called quietly. You quickly opened the door and grabbed an extra pair of slippers. You watched closely as Jeno slipped off his mask and hat, revealing his gorgeous features. You almost forgot how much you loved his face. “Like what you see? I’ve been excited to see you all day.” Jeno huffed, throwing his arm around your shoulder as he walked to the couch. “I do like what I see, you look nice today.” You sighed looking over at him. He locked eyes with you, then leaned in towards you. Both of your lips making contact, the same sparking feeling that’s always there, waking up. You felt him push you down onto the padded surface, then pull away from the heated kiss. “I’ve missed you, M/n. You being my personal whore is great.” He hummed, moving his mouth to your exposed collar. You whined at his actions. “Jeno, I thought you were busy this week. You’re part of Nct, the famous idol group.” You scolded, thinking of the reputation he always rambled about. Jeno only grunted, to busy leaving marks up and down your neck. He quickly took of his shirt and your own. “I’m gonna take you right now baby. I’ve got practice tonight.” He mumbled standing to untie his sweatpants. You shook your head, groaning at his statement and actions. “Jeno. You treat me like I’m some sex slave and then you go back to work. So much for keeping a good reputation, in my book you’re an asshole.” You barked, leaning back against the couch with your arms cross. He stood in silence, taken aback by your sudden outburst “I-I didn’t mean it that way I just……..Look, I’m sorry” he sighed, his hand rubbing his forehead. You rolled your eyes. “Jeno, do you love me or not. That’s all I need to know. You can say you actually like me and stay around or you can forget I ever existed and go fuck some other pretty boy. Tell the truth” you stated, glaring holes into the man in front of you. “M/n I really do love you. I truly miss you when I’m busy working and I’d like to be with you more. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel used.” Jeno admitted, crouching down to make eye contact with you. “M/n, be my boyfriend. I won’t leave you, I promise.” Jeno chirped up, eyes brightening at the thought. Your face softened and body relaxed. “Of course I’ll be your boyfriend.” You laughed as Jeno pumped his fists in the air and cheered. “Want me to help with that still?” You questioned, pointing to the tent in his grey sweats “yeah that’d be sweet.” Jeno chuckled, pulling off his pants as he approached you. You quickly stood up and pushed him down onto the couch. “Let me take the lead. Just relax.” You hushed, taking his cock into your hands and pumping it. You then brought your lips to his tip. “M/n, you know I love your mouth.” Jeno hummed, moving his hips up so his dick moved past your lips. You hummed and gladly took him into your mouth, swirling your tongue around his cock. You moved deeper, eventually bobbing your head up and down. You loved the way he felt in your mouth, every protruding vein rubbing past your cheeks. “Ke-keep going, baby. I’m so close” Jeno grunted, moving his hands to your head. You felt him grab your hair and move your head himself. “S-Swallow for me.” He gasped, before releasing into your mouth. You quickly swallowed his hot liquid and wiped your mouth. “My turn, Jeno. Show me that you love me”

—————————————————————-

[cozzzynook]

Drift asking Rodimus to train with him. The two are practicing when Drift almost hits Rodimus belly. Until he instinctively protects his belly looking panicked.

Soo many thoughts that come with this ask.

Like Rodimus at first didn’t want to go sparing with Drift but agreed when the mech said it would be something light and non strenuous. Rodimus still hesitated to agree with the swords mech but eventually he did.

Drifts finials did a little bounce that made Rodimus smile a little and he let Drift put his servos on his shoulder plating and lead him to the training room where Ratchet already sat waiting for the two. He gave a long look over at Rodimus after smiling at Drift.

Rodimus didn’t want to hold optic contact with Ratchet for long, memory chip flashing their last encounters across his processor.

Heavy panting, servos clasping his own as dermas kissed his neck cabling, stabilizers parting his own to reveal a leaking exposed valve that happily took the two in. The opening of two chassis to reveal their sparks that bore vulnerable for him. His fears getting the best of him as he kept his closed tight, the mesh pouches keeping him from feeling safe. Their cyber metal silk pouches looked so different from his own. He didn’t want them knowing. Not yet. Not when they bore their sparks to him and he could not.

Not when he was still hid so much from them.

Taking their love deep inside him had been a mistake. One they repeatedly committed throughout that night until the next morning.

He tried leaving right after their last round but the two held him tight, falling to recharge against him. They knew what they were doing. Holding him hostage to keep him from leaving. He’s always been a runner when it came to his feelings and emotional matters. This was no different.

But in a way it was entirely different.

They didn’t know.

Didn’t have a clue he was the wrong mech to fall in love with.

His frame was not like theirs.

His cna a written mistake among their kind.

He was a freak of nature.

A biological mistake needing eradicating their people once shouted when they were once known among the population. Now they were a distant memory with few in between safely hiding their existence and he was among them.

Not anymore though.

Their love succeeded where his baffle had not.

Resting inside him, nestled within his lower center, growing from the minerals and nutrients he had to offer. Taking from his spark through the connecting energy that twines them whole.

He just knew, really.

One day he woke, a few days before they found him - he hates himself for making them look and not having gone far enough to remain untraceable- to a sense of not being alone any longer and he put a servo to his raised tank. A warmth blossoming within his forge and spark that snapped together and he just knew.

The glow of final connection came later that evening after he cried himself to recharge.

It was one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen. It was terrifying.

My

“I was thinking, after this we go get frozen sweet energon? We noticed you’ve started eating it,” the look Drift gave him melted the cheap guard over his spark and he found himself nodding as he dodged a kick meant for his helm.

“Ye-” his optics caught sight of Ratchet watching them and he suddenly changed his mind, “yeah, we totally should go. But maybe another day, I’m gonna be a little busy later on today,” he feigned sheepishness. Yellow optics swirled with filtered disappointed that he couldn’t forgive himself for causing.

“I can go at a later time tomorrow, mornings are always busy now,” he grinned lamely, throwing a half heartened punch that was so easily dodged he understands why the rumors called tank carriers a defect. He didn’t have the energy to give his all or even half of it during training. He was glad to be far from any territorial political battles going on.

He asked to be placed on paperwork and meeting schedule duty from the small home left to him in the outer skirts of the cities and was glad Starscream agreed after a sharp elbow from Bumblebee who was holding their sparkling.

“Make sure to invite me over when you can Roddy, okay? I wanna talk with you, alone,” he glanced at his conjunx and the mech rolled his optics but didn’t argue.

“Okay,” he figured Bee knew he was sparked since he recognized the tiredness on Rodimus’s frame but he probably thought he carried in his spark sockets like he did.

He wished. If he did things would be easier.

Though if he wanted easy, he shouldn’t have shacked up with a conjunx couple he would never be good enough for.

He dodged Drifts punch and moved back for some distance as he remembered Megatron telling him to stop being so hard on himself while holding his recharging conjunx Minimus who fell asleep reading the book Megs had gotten him.

His processor was all over the place as usual and he was once again thinking back to when Starscream had a small transport shuttle pick him up and bring him to his home to talk with Bee while he left with Wheeljack who was working on a new project that Starscream refused to let into his home making Roddy and Bee laugh.

“Hey Roddy, come here and hold her for me?”

He wanted to say no but Bee had already placed her in his arms and he couldn’t just drop her so he held her close the way instincts told him and accidentally hyper focused on caring for her. Forgetting for a moment he was here to see Bee he started checking over the sparkling, inhaling her scent to see if she had any viruses before feeling her tanks for waste dump or hunger.

It was easy to jump in surprise when he finally noticed Bee staring at him.

“I..I’m sorry, its a Nyon thing,” he tried to lie, Bee was too smart for that.

“Do you need to go on a mission? We are in need of new energon flavors and your crew would be perfect for the job. Or just you and a select few,” Bee spoke strategically as he stood and came to carefully take his sparkling back that cooed and rubbed their helm into Bee’s chassis.

“I..”

“Energon on the tanks needs to be smooth don’t you think? Some aren’t kind like I’m sure you know so I think it would be safe to say we need some new types so it can be safe for every bots consumption. Yeah?”

And Rodimus was no idiot either. He felt his optics watering snd he muffled a sniffle with his servos as he looked away nodding. He felt Bee put a soft servo on his side briefly before turning to open a file while holding his sparkling.

“I’ll set everything up immediately,” Bee assured him with kind optics that were too blurred to be seen beyond his tears.

Stupid emotional fluxes.

After that he was on paperwork duty until his old crew was asked if they wanted to board the Lost Light for a few years in search of new energon types and bring them back to Cybertron along with a few other metals and resources found among the energon rich planets.

A vast majority agreed and he wished he told Bee not to invite everyone aboard the Lost light.

He was hiding from Drift and Ratchet for a long time after their interfacing. He left the first chance he was able and changed his comm signature to avoid their calls because he couldn’t handle them finding out he was a carrier.

His fears only grew worse when he started getting tired more often. Having trouble staying awake even mid conversation to the point others asked if he was okay. He played it off as being busy and lacking recharge. He couldn’t play off purging at the smell of energon and being repulsed by what he usually consumed.

When he purged so violently that he passed out and woke up in the medbay with First Aid shaking his helm, he broke down knowing what it was.

After that he started to make changes to everything in his life dealing with work and even the amount of time he spent with friends. Then life became a bit more complicated when he heard Ratchet and Drift were looking for him. He hid in his apartment most days to avoid running into them.

He knew it was cowardly but he didn’t want them knowing. He couldn’t handle their disgust or facing their rejection. No one really knew he was a carrier and those that did he could count on his servo. In their culture even in the new age as they rebuilt their home, carriers were frowned upon and often killed whether in facilities or out in public on the streets, some thing never change and his safety and spark being endangered because of his status was one of them.

He’d been doing so good dodging the two until going aboard the Lost Light.

The two mechs were waiting for him at boarding next to Magnus who loudly greeted him as his conjunx Megatron waved at him.

Rodimus couldn’t avoid their gazes as he waved at the two and checked in but he could give a slight wave and rush off before they could follow. He still had some energy in him to be a coward but not much.

He couldn’t avoid leaving his hab not when he was co captain. A position he tried to give up but couldn’t. His crew wanted him as captain and Megatron still had restrictions placed on him so he had to.

He remembers walking from his hab later on that night after purging his tanks clean during lift off. The small bump on his tanks could be passed for frame gain but he knew in a few months it would raise questions. Frag he should’ve been at that counsel meeting so he could have a small crew without the two present. He’d be gone for two years and by then he would be coming back with a fresh spark that could say came from his spark chamber. That and hot spots were the norm of their people along with cold construct.

Not..this..

Frag.

That same night he came from his hab when he thought the coast would be clear only to see Drift and Ratchet resting at his hab door.

He felt a turmoil rise in the pit of his tank that swirled making him almost purge and he hurried quietly past them to get an odd blend of energon with sweet metal. They were still recharging in front of his hab when he came back and he quickly hurried inside.

The next morning the two woke to two cubes of energon and a blanket resting on them along with a pillow on their lower backs.

Rodimus really shouldn’t have done that. He wanted them to leave him alone and think nothing was there because nothing could come from it. Nothing should come from it.

And yeah he knows its his fear of the unknown and his insecurities pushing him to avoid them but its also the death of so many carriers he’s witnessed as a sparkling. The many times they hid their offspring, him included, as they were cut down and shot or dragged into the streets to be made a show as they were offlined. The amount of times he’s hidden under concrete, floor boards and in the trees because the functionalists sent out officers to take care of their “carrier” problem.

He just couldn’t unlearn that fear, that deeply etched instinct to hide to survive.

He wanted them to be different from mechs and femmes who hated carriers and saw them as a stain on their species but wanting and reality are two different things and he couldn’t chance it.

Of course things don’t go the way you want them.

The two catch him off guard when he’s returning from his shift, one very different from their own, tired and ready to drop into the pile of blankets on his berth when he jumps holding his spark and tanks at the sight of the two in his hab sitting at his oil table.

They didn’t look happy at all and for a moment he was terrified they’d found out he was sparked.

“How did you..” he motioned around his hab and Ratchet spoke up.

“You forgot to lock the door behind ya when ya left us a cube. Thanks by the way. Though it would’ve been a lot better laying in berth than the floor outside,” he snipped.

“Whats the deal Roddy? You let us connect with you and then disappear? You changed your comms and avoid us? Then you dodge us at the gate and leave us outside your hab?”

“Not to mention wrapping us in a blanket every time we stayed and going so far as to put a pillow on our helms and lower back to keep us from being in pain with a cube of energon just the way we like. Don’t even think of making a joke to distract us right now kid. You owe us an explanation and we want one, now.”

There was distress and agony twisting in the older mechs optics and tanks and Drifts finials haven’t once lifted from their downward position.

He owed them. He did.

But…

“I’m so sorry..I like you guys but..not in that way..I was being a coward dodging you because I didn’t want to say this…I didn’t want to..hurt you and so I ran but I still hurt you. I’m so sorry. I care about you both but..not in that way..I’m not asking for forgiveness, I don’t deserve it. I just…ask you forget about me..I’m no good to you. Not in the way you want or as a friend…I’m sorry…”

This next part hurt his spark and he didn’t look at them as he did it but he opened his hab with shaking digits and stabilizers with a helm that was beginning to cloud from exhaustion the sparkling was putting on him.

He stood in the door way for a moment and couldn’t bring himself to ask them to leave. So he left in their place and made it just in time to the spare berth room before collapsing and passing out.

He woke hours later to multiple messages and calls from Drift and Ratchet who thankfully hadn’t found him. First aid on the other servo.

“I’m going to kill you,” he remembers the medic lecturing as he gently checked him and his sparkling over.

He was put on paperwork duty and Megatron took on the more interactive role. The mech didn’t mind since he didn’t like paper work either but he was concerned for his co captain. Rodimus assured him he was fine but the other didn’t really believe him.

Rodimus wasn’t pressed to give the other answers, Megatron knew when to leave him alone. It was Drift and Ratchet that didn’t.

Neither bought his words, not fully. They knew his apology was sincere but they knew he was lying about how he felt towards them. They could tell he was hiding something they just didn’t know what.

They didn’t sit outside his hab anymore, they didn’t need to when they got his code he didn’t bother changing. They’d just get his next code and he wouldn’t open that can of cyber crawlers. So he just had to get used to the two being at his hab on random days and nights for a few hours. Truly they came everyday. He just got used to waking in his hab and going to his kitchen to see one of the two or both drinking oil or energon that thankfully didn’t make him purge.

Its how he ended up in this situation, training with Drift when he just wanted to avoid him and its why his attempts to say he would be busy in the mornings was met such open sadness from Drift who knew it was bullslag.

He really didn’t want to lie and he didn’t want to hurt either of them. But he couldn’t chance things would be okay even if he wanted to.

He was finally noticing just how tired he’d become and he almost didn’t dodge the slow attack Drift was giving him. The mech was truly holding back to a pitiful degree and Rodimus couldn’t blame it on being lost in his helm. He was just truly tired and his tanks had gotten bigger as the months progressed.

Five months in and his tanks were noticeably showing what others thought to be frame gain but he and First aid knew. His sparklings were developing on track and the further along time passed the more he felt its toll since he didn’t rest like he should.

He felt he couldn’t.

Not with the two always around him along with a crew he was terrified would offline him and his sparklings. He’d never felt more alone than he did now and he hated how much it made him want to cry. Stupid emotive imbalance.

He was inside his own memories and helm for too long because right when he looked up Drift almost landed a kick to his tanks that he instinctively protected by wrapping his arms around the swell and looking panicked accidentally releasing an em spark call for protection.

It was something every carrier could do and the sires of the bitlet would rush to protect their unemerged young from harm as the carrier got away.

But this scenario was very different than the scenes he often watched as a youngling.

One klik he was panicking protecting his tanks and the next Drift was holding his arms with his fangs and claws out, yellow optics glowing as he looked around for danger with Ratchet suddenly appearing out of thin air by his side with a rev of his engine and frame stunner out.

He gasped a vent when the panic washed away and he immediately cut off the call. Trying to back away before they could question and ask him what was wrong but Drift wouldn’t let go and Ratchet was putting his frame pulser away and bringing out his scanners.

He’s sure they could hear his spark pulsing and thrumming audibly and he had to get out before they found out.

He knew it was inevitable but he wasn’t ready for them to look at him in disgust or reject him.

He knows it wrong and hypocritical of him seeing as he rejected their advances time and time again. Even throwing a lie in their faces saying he didn’t feel the same.

How cowardice and ashamed he is.

But he still couldn’t help trying to leave even if he knew he couldn’t break from Drifts hold. Not when the mech was and has always been physically stronger than him especially now with the sparklings sucking all his energy.

He almost fainted on the spot from exerting himself too much but Drift gripped him tight enough to make him stop and pull him close.

“Rodimus! You have to tell us whats wrong?! What was that? Whats going on?! Where is the threat and where are you hurt?!”

Drift was not one to take threats lightly and he didn’t do well when either Ratchet or Rodimus was in danger. So understandably the mech was forcing himself to keep from tearing away and searching out the threat he would eliminate to keep his cherished ones safe all while scared something was wrong with Rodimus.

“Kid, hold still and don’t move. I’m going to run a scan on you and don’t think about pulling any slag to get away. Yer not breakin Drifts hold and I’m not takin any order from ya tellin me not ta scan ya.”

Rodimus shook his helmet at Ratchet who frowned harder and began his scan on Rodimus who began to shed tears from his optics at the stress and panic he was feeling.

He felt his tanks quake and a nausea bubble inside him that spiked his fear because he knew what would come next.

Shaking his helmet he moved back, arms still wrapped protectively around his tanks hoping it would keep his sparklings safe and stop them from finding out. As well as hoping it would stop him from purging.

It unfortunately did not.

He turned his helm and yanked himself out of Drifts hold and ran to the waste bin besides the door and purged violently.

His spoiler pressed low and tight against his frame as he emptied his tanks and he felt his stabilizers growing weaker at the strain put on his frame. His optics were heavy and he had trouble venting pass the hacking coughs that brought up the last of the bile.

Putting a shaking servo on his middle did little to help the nausea at first but then he felt another servo beside his own and he flinched, trying to move away but they wouldn’t allow it.

He knew those thick servos anywhere.

He felt the thick silence, heavy tension, utter surprise and stupor at the revelation that permeated the air around them.

Ratchets servos were feeling along his tanks the exact same way First Aid had and he felt the mechs servos hang in the air when he got the same answer First aid was given.

His optics shifted minutely to look back at Drifts stupefied expression and Ratchets bomb shelled em field that drowned in his optics making him lift from the bin on uncertain arms and shuffle towards the door.

He wasn’t going to look back as he opened the door to leave but Drift and Ratchet grabbed him by the sides of his tanks and pulled him close to their chassis. Ratchets servo cupping the round bump as Drift’s palm laid flat along his growing curve, he felt fight or flight take hold of him for a nano klik but his em field was broadcasting his fears and theirs reacted in turn sharing shock, worry, fear and boundless fields of warmth, intimacy and fond kindness his spark yearns for with the abandonment of a flower petal breaking free in the wind.

He sobs.

Wanting this to stop.

Wanting to make things between them nonexistent and easy yet longing for the possibilities of what if’s that they practically begged to take him on the night that most likely conceived their sparklings.

He can’t stop his venting on his own as tears fell onto their glued servos.

He tried lifting himself but they held tighter and pulled him back.

There was no engine rev, no growls, no yelling, no pain and no cursing.

Nothing prepared him for such intense silence that…didn’t hurt.

He expected so many unfair things of them that were partially his own insecurities and fears and the other half learned fear he needed for survival.

But..standing in their arms after so long avoiding them, he feels…at home.

“I’m sorry,” he thought he was imagining the words or it was his own vox that he couldn’t recognize but it wasn’t.

It was Ratchets.

“I’m so sorry kid. We didn’t know..you..you’re.”

“Roddy, you’re sparked? We sparked you?”

What Ratchet could not say, Drift could.

He could tell most of it was dawning realization of why he went through so much to avoid them and why the crew was so quickly thrown together and urgently left Cybertron for a simple mission as gathering energon flavors when there was more important things to be done.

It made so much sense now to the two mechs who were determined to have Rodimus in their arms and apart of their spark.

It was painful going without the mech and having to search for him. It felt like a part of them was missing for so long and then they had him close and finally being open and intimate with them the way they always wanted only for Rodimus to run and hide from them when they woke to semi empty sheets and a mech they went on a hunt for.

To see him board the ship looking the same yet so different put them on edge making them think he was running from something besides themselves and the intimacy and vulnerability they knew terrified Rodimus. But that thought went out the door when they saw how Rodimus acted towards the other crew and how he decided to stay cooped up in his hab when he was usually a mech that liked being on the move.

They couldn’t figure out what it was since he kept avoiding them or closing himself off when they barged into his hab to get some answers and spend time with him.

They assumed so many things including his health but this?

They had no idea it was this and they wished they’d known sooner.

If they had…

“We’re not gonna let anyone hurt you or our sparkling Roddy,” Drift promised, hugging the mech he’s longed for for so long.

“We’ll protect you and the kid, Rodimus. You don’t have to hide from us kid. We’ll never turn our backs on you or our sparkling.”

Ratchet embracing him along with Drift and their sincere words laced with a heavy em field that acted as a weighted blanket, is what broke the final wall he’d built and he broke down.

Apologizing for lying and running away from them.

Speaking on valid fears and worries to personal insecurities one conversation could not fix to worrying about their rejection and being afraid others would kill their sparkling to not being sure he could do this alone.

“We meant it then and we mean it now, Roddy. We want to bare our sparks to you and join them in this life and the next. We want our sparks to burn alongside yours and extinguish together to never spend a klik without the other. Tank carrier or not. We want the three of us.”

Drifts words met his audial and they sealed around his spark like an encryption.

Ratchets words activated the code and made him move.

“Four, fix, hell six or seven of us can be added. So long as they come from you, primus knows we’re too old for that slag, we’ll welcome and love them. We love ya kid. Have for a very very long time and you bein a tank carrier means we’ll find somewhere safe for all of us to live. We won’t abandon ya Rodimus. So no more abandoning us, got it?”

He nodded his helm so quickly and roughly he almost purged again but his tanks granted him mercy and he was able to turn and hold the two in a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized, feeling himself slip into the eternity of their feelings as he released his own.

“Promise us your time and you, until the stars fall and the galaxy loses its luster and we’ll forgive you,” Drift asked of him.

“I promise,” he sobbed, inhaling a vent, “i promise.”

“All is forgiven then,” Ratchet held him, optics relieved as they opened, “stop crying and vent. I want to take you back to our hab and check you and the sparkling over.”

“You know how to work on tank carriers?”

“I’m not the best medic Cybertron has to offer for nothin kid. Don’t question my skills,” Ratchet grouched, lightening the mood on purpose.

That made Rodimus smile, actually smile before laughing looking away as he stood stronger on his own pedes, allowing the two to lead him from the training room to the conjunxs hab.

“Okay Ratch,” he agreed, letting Drift hold his tanks as he felt the lives within him growing.

“None of that hippy magic Drift,” Ratchet ground out, not moving Drift away at all as he said it.

“But Ratty,” Drift whined, his finials flicking slightly, making Rodimus smile as he listened to the two go back and forth on modern medicine and ancient carrier practices.

He didn’t interrupt them because he enjoyed this, enjoyed them.

He would never have to go without this or them ever again.

[sneakyparsnipslicer]

Real Recognises Real

[I've been admiring the work of @idesofrevolution for a good while now, and I really wanted to give a go at writing a transformation story. Granted I don't have any pictures of hot guys, I'll leave it up to your imaginations. Hope you will all enjoy]

Tom and Eric worked at an envelope factory, despite them only knowing each other for 4 months, the two quickly became friends. Granted shift patterns would often keep them off the same shift, they always enjoyed working on the machines together when they did, laughing and clowning around but getting the job done.

Eric had infact worked at the company a couple of years before whilst Tom joined a few months before Eric came back. Perhaps it was Tom's kind nature, but Eric soon came to trust Tom and open up about things going on in his own life, especially about the passing of a close friend of his, Anthony.

During one morning shift, Eric came down from further up the machine to let Tom know about a changeover the managers had just told him about. 'Hey buddy, just heard from Jake, we've gotta switch over to Size 4s, an urgent order just came in' said Eric. 'For fuck's sake, can't they just stick to the plan for a week for once?' moaned Tom. Eric nodded. 'I know mate, I'll go get the paper ready, you finish up this pallet and stop the machine' said Eric. Tom gave him the thumbs up and a tired smile. 'Hang in there Tom, if you'd like you can come over mine for a few beers in my garage tonight' winked Eric walking off.

Tom was quite surprised, he and Eric used to go out to town after work for a couple of pints but had never actually been to Eric's place. Tom thought about what he should wear. For such a good pair of friends, they both led very different lives outside of work. Eric would often skateboard with friends, play electric guitar, smoke blunts and the like whilst Tom enjoyed his own company, drawing, playing video games and attending conventions around the country. Tom remembered the first time Eric came over to his place he found Tom's Keyblade and had a fun time swinging it around and talking Kingdom Hearts for a while, playing Tekken 3. They both found a lot of respect for eachother's lifestyles.

After work Eric had to hurry off, but he texted Tom his address and told him to come around about 8pm. This gave Tom plenty of time to decide what to wear, settling on his favourite black shirt with rolled up sleeves, blue jeans and white trainers. It felt casual but a bit stylish. Tom set off to find Eric's house, eventually finding it. He knocked on the garage door and shortly after it swung up revealing Eric still in his work shirt but sporting shorts rather than the work cargo trousers everyone was provided.

'Ah, welcome in Squire!' said Eric, stepping aside and beckoning for him to come in. Tom chuckled and went in, finding a seat. Eric would often speak in silly voices at work, often calling Tom 'Squire' and making sentences that rhymed with the word, like desire, fire, drier, etc. For Tom it was a big reason why he loved Eric so much. 'Ooooh, you're dressed up all nice tonight Tommy!' said Eric looking him up and down, then proceeding to his chair where he'd put his guitar, sitting down, placing the guitar on his lap and sparking up a cigarette. 'Oh yeah drinks are in the fridge, help yourself' said Eric, pointing to the fridge on Tom's left. Tom looked inside, found a couple of Tyskies and shut the door, putting one on the table next to Eric. Eric looked up from his guitar strumming, smiled and said 'Cheers buddy!'. Tom found a seat, opened his can and sighed, taking a sip. Still strumming away, connecting some choice notes, Eric looked to Tom. 'What's up mate?' asked Eric. Tom shrugged his shoulders. 'Same shit, different day at work really isn't it?' asked Tom. Eric nodded in sad agreement. 'Oh, did you talk to Jake about training to become an operator on the machines?' asked Eric. 'Yeah, but he said they're busy training Jovanie at the moment, when he's all trained up they might see about finally getting me trained up!' said Tom sarcastically. 'You've been at the company 9 months now, right?' asked Eric, to which Tom nodded. 'It's a fucking joke man, you came along, they went and made Vince an operator, he left, Terry came and got trained, now he's a fucking knob and now they're passing you over again for Jovanie. It's bullshit!' said Eric. Tom took another sip of his drink. 'Yeah, I mean being an assistant is fine but it just sucks getting passed over for a job so many times. I had enough of that back at the food factory I was in a few years back' said Tom. Eric nodded and strummed away thoughtfully.

'Tom, I really want to teach you how to be an operator, trouble is we just never get the time. We both work hard, we both know this' said Eric, looking to Tom. 'Yeah, don't we fucking know it. Sorry I didn't bring my notebook if you're gonna give me some pointers now' said Tom, looking out the garage window, taking a drink. 'Well I've got an idea, but you'd need to call in sick tomorrow' said Eric absent-mindedly, looking out the same window. 'Oh yeah, why?' asked Tom expecting a good reason. 'Because I'll need you inside me' said Eric, strumming dramatically. Tom spat his drink out in shock and coughed, Eric looked to his friend and cackled. 'What the fuck Eric?!' shouted Tom, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and looking to Eric in disbelief. 'Well think about it buddy, I know you like me and honestly I like you too' said Eric, looking Tom dead in the eyes. It was true, Tom did like Eric a lot, he was decently built, dark haired and bearded with the perkiest ass he'd seen on a man, plus he kept him laughing through the tough shifts, but never did he expect an actual invitation like that.

'I mean, what good will that do? What, I sleep with you one night and you put in a good word to Jake for me?' asked Tom. Eric took a drag of his cigarette and shook his head. 'Nah man, it's like this. You helped me out a lot the past couple of months. When we met, you asked if I was ok, I said no and you heard me out, about Tony, about what I was going through and believe me I'm doing a lot better for it' began Eric. 'And I'm glad you're alright mate, but what's this got to do with anything?' asked Tom. Eric sat his guitar down and turned to face Tom. 'Something Tony used to say to me was 'Real Recognises Real'. And I see that in you. You're a genuine, good guy Tom, just not a lot of people see that in you. You work hard but those fake twats at work overlook you' said Eric. 'So what, we're meant to bond that way over that?' asked Tom. Eric shook his head. 'Tony was really special to me. He taught me a lot and helped me in some dark times, and you're doing the same for me, I'm a lot better than I was 4 months ago, and I want to help you' said Eric, stubbing out his cigarette and taking off his shirt. Tom looked away blushing, just what the hell was going on right now. 'Come on Tommy boy, clothes off' called Eric. Tom dared to look and there stood Eric in his nude splendor. 'Oh… shit…' said Tom nervously, looking away. Eric walked over to Tom and put his hands on his shoulders. 'Trust me mate, you'll enjoy this, hell I think you secretly are already' said Eric, looking at Tom's crotch. Tom looked down and sure enough he could see he was tenting. 'Fuck me, what the hell is happening?' asked Tom, wondering if he was actually having a fever dream right now.

'Choice is yours mate, I don't do this for just anyone. Don't keep me waiting too long, floor's cold' said Eric, walking over to the wall on the other side of the garage and placing his hands on it. Tom looked over at his friend, after a moment's hesitation he decided. 'Oh fuck it' said Tom, proceeding to strip. Both naked, Eric looked back at Tom, taking him in standing at full mast. 'Damn my guy, you've been hiding, huh?' asked Eric, chuckling. Tom walked over, shaking his head. He placed his right hand on Eric's right shoulder, and Tom heard a squeaking rubbery sound and saw his hand was beginning to sink into Eric's shoulder blade. Tom whipped his hand back. 'What the fuck?!' asked Tom, checking his hand. 'It's alright Squire, you'll know what to do' said Eric reassuringly. Curious, Tom placed his right hand back on Eric's right shoulder and the rubbery sound returned and Tom's hand began to sink into his shoulder. Eric began to moan a little as Tom pushed his hand further into Eric's shoulder and down his right arm. Tom began to feel a sense of euphoria as he saw his own arm sliding further in, their muscle masses combining. Tom couldn't quite believe this was possible, but he took a little joy in moving their right arm, flexing it a little. 'Keep going buddy, don't stop!' called Eric. Tom nodded and proceeded to place his left hand on Eric's left shoulder, slipping it on like a long glove. Now their arms were on the wall with Tom standing just behind Eric. 'Damn this is nuts' laughed Tom, resting his chin on their right shoulder, seeing Eric had also gone full hard-on. 'Yeah, but it feels good doesn't it?' asked Eric breathing heavily. Next Tom lifted his right leg and placed it on the back of Eric's upper right leg, it began to sink in almost like stepping into treacle. Once that leg had swelled up, he placed in the left one and all that was left was Tom's head, neck and body. 'Ok, are you ready buddy?' asked Tom. Eric nodded. 'Fuck yeah, buddy!' replied Eric. Tom looked down and positioned his dick between Eric's butt cheeks and began to fuck his way in. Eric started laughing. 'Oh fuck yeah, you know what I like!' called Eric as Tom felt his lower body and torso slipping in. 'Just a sec Tommy' said Eric, and he guided their right hand to make sure that Tom's dick slid nicely into his, stretching it out and making it longer and girthier. Tom could feel it too and felt an orgasmic feeling rush over him, this was ecstasy. 'Yeah we're gonna have some fun with this, ready for the head?' asked Eric. Tom took a breath and proceeded to move his forehead into the back of Eric's head. It slid easily in and with a loud noise like the snapping of spandex, the squeaking stopped and there they stood, a slightly more muscular Eric panting as he shot their load through their shared dick. Eric shuddered and looked up, smirking. 'You alright in there Squire?' asked Eric, feeling his friend inside his mind. He walked over to a mirror and they could see that while they still had Eric's face, their body had toned up rather nicely, Tom was a bit of a skinny guy so the extra muscle wasn't too out of place for Eric. Also Eric had some blonde highlights on his fringe, likely from Tom's hair. 'Damn, we're looking great!' cried Tom inside his mind. Eric nodded. 'Yeah, I know, and the night's just starting. You've got a lot to learn, but you get why I told you to write in sick tomorrow. I'll be showing you how to do the operator's job first hand' said Eric, finishing checking himself out and heading over to try on Tom's clothes. They slipped on quite nicely, if a bit tight.

'Yeah buddy, you know I've always liked your dress sense. It's a good look for us' said Eric, heading back to the mirror to check out how Tom's clothes look on him. 'Yeah, this is gonna be so good. How did you learn to do this man?' asked Tom. Eric looked into his own eyes in the mirror, intently looking to Tom's eyes behind them and smiled. 'That'll be my little secret, Squire' he said, winking and giving their even perkier ass a squeeze. Tom and Eric enjoyed their night together enthralled by their new honesty and willingness to explore themselves within the comfort of themselves, and the next day Tom got to knowing exactly how to operate the machine at work with Eric's knowledge through his eyes and hands. After work they returned to Eric's garage and through those same immense sensations they felt when Tom climbed in, Tom was able to climb out of Eric. They both put their clothes back on and turned to face each other. 'Fucking hell man, that was amazing!' said Tom, looking at his friend with the biggest smile and admiration. Eric returned the smile and nodded his head. 'When you're working with Jovanie next week, don't show him up too much, ok?' Eric winked, playfully knocking Tom on his jaw. 'Thanks for all this, it's been amazing. I'd be so down for doing this again some time' said Tom giving him a thumbs up. Eric walked over and hugged him. 'You're so worth it buddy, and I love you so fucking much' Eric said, he pulled back and kissed Tom on the lips. Eric opened the garage door for Tom and waved him off. Tom began his journey home excited to start the next week of work, whilst Eric sat back down, picked up his guitar and finally opened that can of Tyskie.

[thunderclaw100]

Favorite color:Gold

Personalities:Admirable,Confident,Elegant,Firm

Cause of Death: Infected wound from a plant monster. It spread through her entire body.

Ellga is the daughter of the former commander officer, Derugala. Ever since she was a little smeet, she’s been wanting to be like her father. Someone important and reliable. Ellga used to stay with her mother, who is a food service drone and help around the kitchen area. Packing things up and cleaning after a big feast from the older drones and generals. All of this while slipping away to watch her father at work as he began addressing the soldiers in his unit. Her caretaker has been on her case since she’s been born. Following the smeet around. Taking her bad to her parents, disciplining her when she doesn’t listen to instructions. Ellga was a bratty kid back then.

With boredom always claiming her. The smeet had to find something fun to do while her mother is working two shifts. Ellga went on to finding her father and watch him as he does some self-training. Even though Derugala is a commander ow and doesn’t need to be doing that. The older drone still wants to keep up with this physical health and maintain it.

As well as not wanting his own battle skills to be rusty over the years to come. Ellga wanted to be a soldier too, which shocked her father and he personally doesn’t want his daughter to get involved with something that may get her killed later on, but do to the law that tallest Kaylee made for every female to be allowed to be a part of the Irken military. He couldn’t argue over it. Derugala decided to give his daughter a little training to start her off.

It’s just to see if he can let his mind be at east with it later on. Which is eventually is. Ellga did stumbled and got hurt a couple of times during their sessions, but as she got older, she became a natural with her father. With his blessing, Ellga went and got drafted into the military. Making her way to the academy. She met a lot of interesting people there. Her basic training went by smoothly, all thanks to her father already doing that when she was a smeet. Not many irkens knew about that. Her mother was the last to know and it did spark an argument between the two parents for a while. In the academy, Ellga started to grow in size. Matching up with some of her comrades. Few of the things she gets from her father is her strict attitude toward ls others. If she was to be assigned a unit, Ellga wants to be the one taking over it. Seeing as whole she already has a leader complex. Throughout the years of her training, Ellga has dealt with sexism among her group and on few attempts of harassment. Resulting in her father getting involved.

When her time is over in the academy, Ellga gone off on her own, into the city to earn some monie. She really got into beauty and fashion during her stay there. Though before she even left for the city life, Ellga did apply for for a position in the military base. She’s pretty handsy when it comes to machinery and repairs. While that’s being waited on, she kept herself busy earning monie through the years. About thirty or so. Ellga was there for her first battle. It was the one that her father lead after he became tallest. She was part of the reinforcements that came after the first wave gone through enemy defenses. Ellga was berry skillful in battle but had to retreat after getting jammed in the back of the shoulder from a sneak attack. She stayed in the medical bay to get patched up and check up on her fellow soldiers who also managed to get away safely.

Ellga thought this retreat brought back everyone else but when news got out that tallest Derugala has fallen in battle, she rushed out to find his body being carried by his personal guards. All the way to his chambers, where the medical staff confirmed it. Telling the drone that her father took a lot of stabbing through the chest, back and abdomen. What did he expect this outcome would be for challenges THREE enemy hives at once over a demand that was unjust and goes against the past leader’s agreement plans? Ella was devastated and stays with her father’s body for as long as she was able. Even longer than the other irkens in the hive, after they learned of this later on. Her mother cried on the inside.

Despite she and her husband’s constant arguments in the past, she still loves him and losing such a great man broke her beard and soul. This was probably around the time she retires from her food service drone duties anyway. She now lives in a civilian apartment in the city. She rarely gets to see her daughter now. Ellga was the one who started the ancient rite ceremony for Derugala. With everyone around to witness his departure from this world. The new tallest was set in place after some gathering talk with the elder councils. They’ve decided to make Ellga the next tallest.

She accepted of course. Taking her measurements, getting pitted with her new wardrobe. She’s grown use to the gauntlet her father invented and had hers as well as the wardrobe customized in her favor. Ellga does have one medical problem and that’s her spinal pains due so her measuring process. She’s seen the images of past Tallest and how they stood with their clothing. Ellga deigned some support rings to help with her posture.

She even installed small device to make her float in mid air. She made it a thing, that tallest after her is to be given a girdle and a hover belt in all wardrobe gear, except maybe for the comfortable ones while lounging around in their chambers. It came to a surprise to everyone in the hive after she made her first appearance with these two things. Some even called her the “almighty tallest” dues to her new structure. Ellga did some studying and look back on the history of past tallest, including her fathers. There were a lot of achievements during their times, and she wants hers to be among the best of them.

Then an idea came to her. What if she can make it so that irkens can venture out into space? Ellga found her father’s telescope and began searching through the stars. To her discovery, there are other planets nearby. The tallest gathering her greatest minds. Those involved in science to help piece together a go-to plan for space travel. Ellga is excited about this and want to leave her mark in Irken history to be the first hive to achieve space travel. It took a lot of time, investment and resources to get this to work and many of her hivemates are cheering for this.

The years of development of space ships made a good name for this hive. Although other hives began to get jealous and want to interfere with the project by wanting some of it for their own. Tallest Ellga own personality also starts to show more. She wants perfection in her army. In both strength, numbers and status. She even want her women to be beautiful. Both tall and short. Never chubby.

That would be a liability to her. Tallest Ellga had a few moments of being strict and mean, but that is all out of wanting what’s best for her people. Her show of strength became public to all other hives. Their leaders see what she can do and few have already backed down than to challenge the tallest. There were some outsiders who wanted to left their own hive to join Ellgas. She accepted them all as long as they only salute to her as their tallest and to never leave her hive for another if things get dicy over here. In fact, thanks to tallest Ellga, two hives actually agreed to make trade with her. As long as she shares the technology her hive developed over the years.

The tallest is thrilled by this. It’s a huge step to her goal. Ellga loves lounging around in her private chambers, munching on snacks and talking to her personal staff. But power and privilege do get to her head and she goes overboard with it now. Ellga stirred a bit of trouble with the rival hives after raising her ego over them. It lead to quite a few arguments and a stand off battle with one.

The commission of her spaceships were in and they were beautiful. The tallest called them voot runner/cruisers and had more them manufactured. Ellga would’ve been the first irken to fly one of these but unfortunately she only got to fly it around but never into space. Her time as leader came to an end when she got injured by a vicious sour plant monster after going for a ride in one of the ships. The scratch didn’t look bad but and infection took place afterwards. It had gotten worse after a while and it made tallest Ellga very sick.

She couldn’t even make a public appearance and that worried everyone in the hive. Her personal medics tried their best to doom the stinging pain that engulfed her, but she’s dying at this point. They did not have the necessary medicine to cure whatever this is.

Tallest Ellga wanted her last moments to be meaningful and to ensure her hive is in good hands without her. She made a request that will be sent to the elder council. It’s sus that Ella’s would like her successor to be the young fighter drone named, Drex. She has been keeping tabs on his progress in the military and he has shown great potential and increase in height over the years. She wants to make him the next tallest. It’s rates for such a thing to be asked of the council but seeing as she was dying from infection, they accept. Tallest Ellga later died in her sleep. There’s a statue in her honor in the city. Even in the database.

*EXTRA:

•Ellga has thought about having Smeets but never got to have them because no one matches her taste, so she forgot about it.

•people called her the gold-eyed viper because of what a sharp tongue she has when it comes to speaking with people with these authority of a head master.

•She has a secret spa in the deep woods.

•She made an a fashionable entrance at the gathering between tallest. A show off at that.

•Ellga likes cookies.

•Her mother was the one who got her into beauty cosmetics and fashion. She loves it.

•She had siblings but they died in the womb.

•She request to make Drex her successor.

•Ellga is the first tallest to have her thumbs chopped off as to show that she can still rule without them. This is also what’s gonna be applied to future tallest after her reign is over.

*DIALOGUE*

“HOW DARE YOU! I’m one of the most beautiful female on this planet! Men fall at my feet every time I walk by. You should feel honored!”

“Find your patience before I lose mine!”

“If you don’t want a sarcastic answer, don’t ask stupid questions”

“Some things are beyond your control. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“You insist that just because you don’t know what to believe, you won’t accept words for their value, so you think for yourself”

“Liers often see their own trap”

[handoverthekawaii]

To Honor and To Cherish | Aemond Targaryen x You | Chapter XI

Story moodboard by @darkbutjustatheart 💕

The days that follow are some of the happiest of your life up to now. As the last of the wedding guests depart and the Red Keep returns to business as usual, you find yourself settling into something of a routine. You take breakfast with the princes in the morning; Aegon is often a bit hungover, and you and Aemond share knowing glances over the table as the elder prince tries desperately not to face-plant into his oatmeal.

What happens next will vary - sometimes you will accompany Aemond to the training yard and try to embroider while he practices his swordsmanship. It is difficult to make much progress on your embroidery since you constantly find yourself cheering Aemond on, watching his every move with care and concern. Aemond seems to like demonstrating his prowess before you, too; you notice that any time he accomplishes some particularly daring feat, he always turns around to make sure you saw. Other times, you and he will walk the halls of the castle chit-chatting or take a stroll in the palace gardens. When the weather is fair, you two take lunch in the Godswood, enjoying the scenery nearly as much as you value the prince’s company.

In the afternoon, you are expected to spend time with Queen Alicent and her handmaidens. The queen enjoys several ladylike pursuits which she shares with you, including arranging flowers, reciting poetry, and playing music. (Mercifully, Alicent realizes that the harp is not your strong suit after a single, earsplitting lesson.) Crown Princess Rhaenyra is sometimes present, too, when she has no pressing need to be in court with the King. You try to be on your very best behavior when Rhaenyra is there - as the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, it seems just as important to make a good impression on her as on Alicent.

As the queen had promised, you always take dinner with members of the royal family, though it is generally just Alicent, Aegon, and Aemond. On the first night, Alicent apologetically explains that King Viserys often takes dinner with Rhaenyra and Daemon to further discuss affairs of the realm. You say that you understand, of course, but you don’t soon forget the regretful look in the queen’s eyes when she provided an excuse for the king’s absence.

The midnight hours are the time of day that you look forward to most. After you have prepared for bed, you tiptoe to the library like you did on that first night. Invariably, Aemond is already there, waiting on you with his book in hand. Your time together often begins innocuously enough - you bring the book that the prince has loaned you so that you two can read together. Sometimes, if Aemond’s head is hurting, you read aloud to him for a while, you snuggled up beside him on the seat while he places one arm around your shoulders.

Sometimes you remain this way for an hour or longer, and sometimes it is only a matter of minutes. However long it takes, eventually Aemond’s arm around you tightens, or he gently takes hold of your chin and moves your face to look at him. This is the moment that keeps you up at night, the moment that makes the world stand still and sparks a burning fire in your heart. [continued in AO3]

[kittydemon9000]

The Beginning of Heatstroke, aka Red's Villain Origin

* crashes down from the ceiling * I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED ONE OF MY 5+ CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS! BEHOLD, A WRITTEN VERSION OF THE 'Red's Villain Origin AU', also known as RVO / Heatstroke AU

To summarize the AU for SPBNR for those that don't now it: 

“Who'd be the biggest conspiracy theorist out of the M!Ninja? The one who drinks 5 hour energy at 3am and spits off the craziest theories and then actually gets it right but nobody gives the theory any merit because the rest of the theories are too crazy?”

The answer: Red / M!Kai

Red: Okay hear me out: Smith is actually an alternative version of one of us sent here from another dimension.

The other M!Ninja: You’re just saying that because Smith’s cool and you want him to be your counterpart

Based on the M!ninja making red cork boards trying to figure out ‘What Is Up With Smith’: Red gets increasingly accurate and nobody will believe him (all pre shogun reveal) and he eventually snaps and takes up a secret villain persona to fight Shogun like 'if they won't believe me I'll do it myself' and it gets awkward when he accidentally does too much damage and catches not only Shogun's attention like planned, but also the rest of the Ninjaforce, and now he has to keep his own identity a secret

So, without further ado, I present... Heatstroke

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

Red blamed the 5-hour energy coffee blend at 3:00am for this.

It was no surprise that between ‘Operation: What’s Going on with Smith’ & the sudden appearance of Shogun that the resident Bounty red-stringed ‘joke’ cork-board doubled in size and seriousness. It also was no surprise that Red had a corner all to himself and that his theories were… in the words of the others, ‘wildly inaccurate and implausible’.

But this time, he was sure he’d gotten it right.

Smith is Shogun sent here from another continent/planet/dimension with the goal of protecting Ninjago City.

The latest string of laughs and scoffs at his theory was the last straw. He’d show them. He’d prove it!

Which was why he was currently standing on the roof of a noodle house, awkwardly adjusting the spare motorcycle helmet he’d ‘borrowed’ from Nya and painted black and orangey-yellow (red had seemed too obvious). He’d exchanged his Ninjaforce outfit for a soot-burned cross between a bomber jacket and a leather jacket. Down his back jutted a row of flames like the spines of a monster, courtesy of one of Nya & Jay’s unfinished inventions Red had modified- surely nothing bad would come of that!

For tonight, the Red Ninja was off-duty. For tonight, it was Heatstroke’s turn.

He fiddled with one of the weapons he’d ‘lent out’ from Master Wu. It resembled a small arm canon, like a smaller version of the Ultimate Weapon. The plaque under its post had read ‘Elemental Focuser’, which, in cryptic Wu speak, probably translated to ‘you can use an elemental power like something out of Avatar: The Last Airbender’. So far he’d only figured out how to activate a focused jet of fire. Well, at least it was on brand. He hoped it would help him catch Shogun’s attention so he could unmask him.

He’d tried confronting Smith at school, of course. But there were only so many ways of saying ‘are you the new vigilante helping the ninjas’, and Smith has a genuine talent for dancing around the topic. Red could confront him with the name Shogun to get a proper reaction, but that would mean explaining how he knew the name and outing himself as the Red Ninja.

So fake villainy really was the only way.

His plan was to use the Elemental Focuser to cause some minor petty damage, just enough to attract the new vigilante. Perhaps set a trash can on fire, block an alleyway with rocks (if he figured out how to change the setting from fire to earth), small things that could easily be repaired.

Of course, plans were never actually stuck to. One way or another, something was always improvised.

Red’s improvisation just happened to involve him accidentally setting the entire alleyway on fire.

He’d only been aiming for one dumpster, honest! And maybe he’d spotted a couple fliers for a SoG meeting on the ground and happened to burn those too. And a newspaper article blaming Lloyd for the recent Garmadon attack, again. And an article about those ‘Damn Ninja Menaces’ by a S. Sonah Sameson. And-

Okay, so maybe Red had aimed the fire at a few small targets. But just a few! And with good reason and good care, but…

Well, fire liked to burn. Give it enough kindle and it’ll continue to grow, stretching like reaching branches towards each other to join in a massive bonfire. 

So now the entire alleyway was on fire, and Red was panicking. 

He’d luckily chosen an abandoned part of town near the beaches where Shogun sightings seemed most frequent, but with the stupid Elemental Focuser not switching from fire mode to water mode or ice mode or something that didn’t have the potential to burn Ninjago City to the ground, Red had no way of stopping the flames.

And more flames meant more destruction which meant a bigger audience.

Which was why his previously muted comm suddenly flared to life, the only warning Red had before Nya’s water strider mech slid around the corner.

Red scrambled onto a roof as the mech drove past, spraying water at the bonfire to dose it. His sigh of relief was just as quickly dosed as Lloyd’s voice came over the comms; “Status, Grey?”

“Flames are out,” Nya replied. “Pursing the joker that set it ablaze.”

Uh oh. Red took off across the roof, leaping from building to building. Tiles creaked, pebbled and dust scattering underfoot. The sounds of the mech’s engine roaring behind him echoed through alleyways below to create the illusion the mech was everywhere at once. 

As the chase grew on, more mechs started to join in. Red ducked into a narrow avenue to avoid Zane’s tank, then under a cafe overhang to throw off Jay and Lloyd. His heart hammered in his chest and he groaned, filling the inside of the motorcycle helmet with steam. Saying this was going ‘bad’ would be the understatement of the century. 

What had he been thinking? Oh wait: he hadn’t. Seriously? ‘Oh I’ll just pretend to be a villain real quick, that should get Shogun’s attention and not the attention of literally my entire team of fellow ninjas!’ Stupid, impulsive, this was why everyone was always calling the red ninja the ‘hothead’ when he really tried not to be- Lloyd’s voice over the comms snapped him from his thoughts. “I can’t catch them! It’s like they know our every move!”

Red winced as he climbed up a banister and leapt from balcony to balcony. Sorry, Lloyd. 

He didn’t miss how the others asked Nya where Red was. And how she made up excuses the others bought so easily- granted, he’d told those excuses to his sister before setting his plan into motion, but still, ouch. They acted like he was simply being at best too busy and at worst lazy and selfish.

He just wanted them to know the truth! Why couldn’t they at least try to believe him when-

Of course, that was when Shogun dropped out of the sky and tackled him.

Red shouted with surprise as he tumbled down from the second floor, slamming into a few softer bags of garbage to break his fall before rolling and slamming into the unforgiving concrete. A crack formed in his vision as the visor of his motorbike helmet smacked into the concrete ground. One of the fire jets on his back sputtered and sparked, sending a thin wisp of smoke into the air.

Shogun pinned his wrists to the ground and growled. “Who are you?”

Red tried to break free, agony turning his muscles and bones to fire with the movement after his fall, but the vigilante was too strong. Damn, how often did this guy train?

“Who am I?” Red said, a nervous tinge to his voice. He quickly smoothed it over with faked confidence. “Who are you? Who are all of us, really?”

Shogun narrowed his eyes behind his hood. “Did Garmadon send you? Or someone else?”

Red sputtered. Really, the nerve! Garmadon? The thought turned his insides to disgusting mud. “Nobody sent me!”

“Then why are you here?” Shogun spat.

“Why am I here?” Why was he here again? Oh right, the bright idea on how to reveal that Shogun was Smith. “It’s, uh… a valid reason! That I don’t have to tell you!” He tried for a villainous laugh. Stay in character, don’t blow your cover, you got this!

Shogun was unimpressed. “Nearly burning down my home was a valid reason?”

“Well, I wasn’t trying to set everything on- wait, WHAT?” Uh oh. “You LIVE here?”

Now it was Shogun’s turn to look uncomfortable, though the expression was quickly wiped from his face. “Nothing wrong with this district.” 

Red nodded. “‘Course not. Uh, sorry about that… wasn’t my intention, I swear.”

Shoot, he could hear Jay’s jet getting closer. He had to get out of here, but Shogun, annoyingly, didn’t seem to be in the mood to simply let him go. “Then what is your intention?”

“Well, for starters, it’s getting out of here. This really isn’t going to plan and I’d rather just be home right now, or even inventing a time machine like in that book ‘Hands of Time’ to slap my past self in the face for even thinking about this stupid idea in the first place-“

Jay wasn’t the only one that could ramble under pressure, it seemed.

Shogun leaned closer. “What idea?”

Red shrugged as best he could with how he was pinned to the ground. “Well, for starters, I just wanted to prove to my friends that you’re Smith, and things just kinda escalated from-”

The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he said. 

Shogun lurched back, letting go of him. His eyes betrayed a kaleidoscope of emotions; surprise, worry, suspicious, hurt, fear, realization. 

“…Kai?”

Well, f!ck.

“I-“

Red was about to badly attempt to bullsh!t his way out of his identity reveal before it suddenly dawned on him that Shogun had not denied his theory. 

Which meant Shogun was Smith.

And it also meant Smith instantly recognized him as Kai, which, considering his disguise, was aptly concerning. Sure, he was the first one in his group of friends people would think to do something this extreme but give him some credit! Zane was a regular detective, he’d do the same if it meant answers! Or, well, at least something similar. And Nya could be an adrenaline seeker. And Lloyd- well, maybe not Lloyd. Or Jay, either. Cole had his head just enough on his shoulders that he probably wouldn’t do this either.

But come on, instantly guessing it?

Well, at least Smith/Shogun didn’t know Kai was the Red Ninja. That would be a catastrophe.

Right. Back to the current catastrophe at hand.

Shogun- Smith- still had a look as if he’d been slapped, and Red hated it. He hadn’t meant to hurt his friend. Shogun… Shogun hadn’t wanted them to find out his identity. And then Red had gone and done it, just to prove that he could be the smart one, or a leader, or the protector so they didn’t get hurt, or literally anything but just the ‘hotheaded one’. 

…And he’d done it in the most hotheaded, impulsive way possible.

He really was an idiot.

The cracked helmet hid the look on his face, a twisted mess of distraught and shame. But it didn’t help hide how he took stumbled to his feet and away from Smith, nervous that any second he’d spill another mistake and mess up again, like how he always freaking messed up on everything. Don’t pick this fight, interject there instead, no, not there, idiot, there, FMS why are you so useless-

Focus, focus.

Lloyd’s voice, sharp in the intercom and full of static from his tumble, snapped him from his thoughts. “Anyone got eyes on the arsonist?”

Red caught Smith’s eye as he raised his hand to his own communicator. He was so screwed, so busted, so doomed… Smith would report it, and the others would know, and they’d think he was just messing around in an alleyway with some stolen devices and weapons out of curiosity or rage, - and-

“None yet, still looking.”

…What?

Smith stared at him, gaze searching. He looked shaken, more so than Red- who’d just taken a fall from a second story, mind you, it was a miracle he wasn’t more injured than a couple small scrapes and some future bruises-, yet everything from the set of his jaw to the softening of his furrowed brows suggested a change in emotions. Well, not quite change; more like repress and replace.

“You wanted to prove yourself, didn’t you.”

Red flushed, hand instinctually clamping into a tight fist at his side. The still-working fire jets on his back ignited without him pressing any buttons; faulty activation from the fall or something. 

Palms up and hands raised, Smith silently asked to defuse the situation. “Didn’t mean it as an insult. This wasn’t about venting some anger, was it.”

Red’s lack of response only confirmed it. Smith continued. “I won’t say anything about this if you don’t tell anyone my identity. Deal? I know finding it out was important to you, but-“

“Deal,” Red interrupted. Guilt ate away at his core, like a wave of water dousing a candle. “Smith, I-“ He swallowed hard and stared at the alley floor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… to…”

Smith’s hand was suddenly on his shoulder and he flinched before relaxing as Smith didn’t move further, nor did the grip tighten. “I’m a little hurt, you’re right. But I’m not mad. And I won’t tell the others, so you can relax. But you better get out of here and get yourself an alibi. We can talk at school or something.”

Wow, he was handling this rather calmly. Red was struck by the sudden memory of- what did Jay call the word? Right. Compartmentalizing. That… wasn’t healthy. But at the roar of Lloyd’s mech somewhere nearby, he didn’t comment further. Instead, he shot Smith a grateful nod and ran down the alley, sticking to the shadows and blind spots of the flying mechs and the tight alleyways where the land mechs couldn’t reach him. 

When he got home, miraculously without further incident (though Shogun leading the others on a wild goose chase over the comms certainly helped there), he ditched the outfit in a bag hidden beneath a loose floorboard in the shed. He’d return the weapon to Master Wu’s ship later, and… well, hope Nya never searched for the missing supplies. There wasn’t a way of fixing it without involving her or Jay, and neither was an option.

Heatstroke was back off duty, and so was the Red Ninja.

For now, he could just be Kai Smith. And there wasn’t any issue with that.

…

Right?

—————

yooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THIS IS AMAZING REHJJGFHDESFXJVZ

and ah yes, good ol trauma and compartmentalizing, we love to see it

[kalena-henden]

sorry if this is a hefty question, lol, but can you recommend any good k-dramas? period or otherwise is fine! i've got no preferences for tropes or anything :) as long as it's on netflix uk i'm good.

Oh, this is fun! I write blurbs about shows under the tag kalena watches kdramas and track my kdramas with MyDramaList. I love to rec stuff so I’ve definitely got some good ones for you. All of these should be on Netflix.

Stranger | This murder mystery/political thriller will keep you on your toes as a stoic prosecutor and intrepid detective join forces to discover the truth and find the mole who threatens to undermine everything in the first season. And this is one of the rare kdramas that got a second season, where our leads deal with more murder and government corruption as they test the bounds of their friendship and their own morality to in order to get results. It stars Cho Seung Woo and Bae Doona and their unlikely partnership is everything. Great ensemble cast too! 

Business Proposal | This over-the-top, trope-filled romcom is so much fun! A Chaebol heiress convinces her cash-strapped best friend to pretend to be her for money to ruin a blind date that was set up by her father. But chaos ensues when the blind date turns out to be the president of the company where the cash-strapped woman works. You will never think of Samantha and Rachel the same again. When the glasses come off and the Namsan Tower looms large, prepare to fan yourself. lol And hopefully you will fall in love with our screeching Archaeopteryx too. Stars Ahn Hyo Seop and Kim Se Jeong.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha | A big-city dentist moves to a sleepy seaside town shaking up the locals’ peacefully routines, especially the town’s beloved and handsome handyman. This is a funny and healing drama. Get ready to sooth your prickly hedgehog as our leads sparring sparks all kinds of churning emotions. Besides the main romance, the townspeople all have their own love and hurt to work through as well forming a great found family community. Stars Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho. 

Alchemy of Souls | A period fantasy epic equal parts comedy, action, and drama has been split into two parts. The first part of 20 episodes which just aired covers two-thirds of the story and then second part of 10 episodes coming in December covers the final third. It’s about a skilled assassin who switches bodies to save herself and ends up being reluctantly recruited to train a young master in sword fighting and spells as they slowly become entangled in the conflict that is taking over the kingdom. I am so here for bickering ride-or-die couples and this show does not disappoint. I love the humor, intrigue, romance, and symbolism. The story’s not done yet but I’m fully on board. Stars Lee Jae Wook, Jung So Min, and Go Youn Jung. 

Vincenzo | A Korean attorney for the Italian mafia returns to his native country for a gold heist but ends up getting caught between residents of the plaza where the gold is hidden and the conglomerate who wants to tear down the building. It’s got outrageous comedy, especially from the residents who eventually form a found family who fight for each other. It’s got drama with twists and turns, and torture and murder befitting a show about who’s more evil—the mafia or corporations. It’s got a little bit of romance, ‘art’, and all the slow-mo your heart desires. Save some bird seed for Inzaghi and pour yourself a glass of wine. Stars Song Joong Ki, Jeon Yeo Bin, and Ok Taecyeon.

Navillera | An elderly man decides to fulfill his childhood dream to study ballet. He ends up finding a teacher in a reluctant young ballerino and they form an unlikely friendship. So good. I laughed and cried. Stars Park In Wan and Song Kang.

100 Days My Prince | A Joseon-era Crown Prince loses his memory after an assassination attempt on his life and stumbles into a marriage of convenience with his childhood sweetheart, who doesn’t recognize him as an adult and is in hiding due to her family being murdered and branded traitors. The romance is funny and sweet with the right amount of action and drama to keep the story moving along. Stars Do Kyung Soo, Nam Ji Hyun, and Kim Seon Ho.

Tomorrow | A rag-tag team of grim reapers are tasked with preventing people from committing suicide. They are joined by a human in a coma trying to shorten his time asleep. Rival team leaders Ryeon and Joong Gil have a chemistry and history that will keep you wanting more. It can be dark but it’s also hopeful and funny. Stars Kim Hee Sun, Rowoon, and Lee Soo Hyuk.

Our Beloved Summer | A school’s top student and worst student end up in documentary together and fall in love. 10 years later the producers decide to a film a follow up to see where they are now, awkwardly reuniting the now ex-lovers whose fortunes have reversed with the top student struggling in her job and the worst student having become a respected artist. Sparking conflict but maybe also rekindling their love. Stars Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi.

Sisyphus: The Myth | This was my first kdrama and it really captivated me. I’m a big sci-fi fantasy fan and this show had some interesting time travel concepts I’ve never seen done that way before. I particularly liked episode 11. The ending of this show was very divisive: it was like a Rorschach test because you could see it as open, bittersweet or happy depending on your view. I liked the ending and have my own views on it, but I feel like a need to caution you because I’m in the minority. Stars Cho Seung Woo and Park Hye Shin.

I hope this list a good place to start (or continue) your kdrama journey. Also, if you ever decide to get Viki, here are my top recs for there: Doom At Your Service, The Red Sleeve, Goblin, Happiness, Imitation, Sh**ting Stars, Let Me Be Your Knight, So I Married the Anti-Fan, Hot Stove League, 365: Repeat the Year.

[komotionlessqueenmm]

One man's trash, is another man's treasure.

(3-4)

Short story # 6

2,216 - Words

Fandom - House of Wax (2005)

Pairing - Bo Sinclair X Reader

Summary - The reader finds herself & her 4 month old son stranded in Ambrose. While Bo finds himself enamored with the woman, wanting nothing more than to protect and provide for the two of them.

Warnings - Some dark topics, talk of abusive relationships, eventual blood & death, eventual smut. (I'm not sure what else tbh)

Notes - At this point both Bo and (Y/n) are really feeling that connection between them.

Pt. 1 ~ Pt. 2 ~ Pt. 3 ~ Pt. 4

----

By the end of the day (Y/n)'s jeep was all fixed up, but with as late in the evening as it was she decided to stay another night, with some encouragement from Bo of course. While (Y/n) and Von slept soundly in the guest bedroom, Bo met his brothers down at the garage, discussing what they should do, and if they should do anything in the first place. "I don't know Bo, her ex tried killing her because she was pregnant... She'll be running her whole life from a man like that." Lester sighed, not wanting anything to happen to (Y/n). "So we let her stay here, we can protect her from him easily." Bo shrugged. "What about when she realizes what happened to the people here? Or she finds out about Vincent's projects." Lester argued. "We'll explain it, make her understand." Bo countered. "How?" Lester asked feeling a little concerned. "I don't know yet." Bo admitted with a sigh. "I think we should start by introducing her to Vincent." He continued his thought, glancing to his twin, who made an almost concerned groan. "If she can accept him, I'm sure she'll accept the rest." Bo lit a new cigarette after finishing his statement. "And if she doesn't?" Lester asked. "That's not an option." Bo's smirk made worry spark in Lester's heart. Despite this however he chose to keep his mouth shut, and allowed his older brother to do whatever he had in mind.

When morning came, (Y/n) woke up early and cooked breakfast. "Morning." Bo murmured with a sleepy smile on his face, having been woken from the smell of bacon. "Morning Bo, I hope you don't mind." (Y/n) smiled sheepishly as she looked to what all she had cooked. "Not at all." Bo shook his head, happily accepting the cup of coffee she handed him. "Great." (Y/n) smiled brightly, the pair of them taking a seat beside eachother, eating their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Excluding the occasional hum of approval Bo gave when he bit into something new. And by the time they finished Von began crying from upstairs, cueing (Y/n) to fetch him to begin his morning routine.

"Hey I was going to do those." (Y/n) pouted playfully when she entered the kitchen, finding Bo working on the dishes. "Eh don't worry about it, you cooked I'll clean up." Bo winked making (Y/n) blush as she sat at the counter, adjusting herself to feed a fussy Von. "My brother wants to meet you before you leave." Bo stated casually. "Really?" (Y/n) smiled softly. "Mhm." Bo nodded his head with a hum. "I'd love to meet him." (Y/n)'s grin widened a little, feeling honored that he'd want to meet her. "We'll meet him up at the house of wax in an hour." Bo confirmed as he finished up the last dish. "Sounds fun, I've never been to a house of wax before." She hummed as she propped Von onto her shoulder, burping him. "I'm gonna go take a quick shower, let me know when you're ready." Bo insisted casually as he moved to wipe the spit up off of Von's chin. "Okay will do." (Y/n) smiled with appreciation, hopping up from her seat to get herself and Von dressed.

Once inside of the wax Museum (Y/n)'s attention was drawn to just about everything within sight, making Bo chuckle as he watched her ogle everything. "I take it you like it?" Bo mused with a grin. "I'm a little obsessed, is everything in here really made of wax?" She asked turning to look Bo in the eye. "Just about everything, most of its wax, but some of it isn't." Bo shrugged a little. "The vase?" (Y/n) asked as she pointed to the large decorative vase. "Wax." Bo nodded. "The couch?" She pointed to the couch two wax figures sat upon. "Wax." He chuckled. "How about the...." (Y/n) looked around before realization struck her. "The building?" She turned her attention to Bo, her eyes widening when he nodded his head yes. "Wow that's insane." (Y/n) chuckled with astonishment. "But you like it yeah?" Bo asked. "I love it! I can't imagine how long this must have taken to craft all of this, but it's very impressive." (Y/n) beamed making Bo chuckle softly. "Vincent will be happy to hear that you like his work." Bo mused. "Wait he did all of this?" (Y/n)'s eyes widened. "Not all of it, but a lot of it." Bo explained. "Wow I wish I had that kinda talent." (Y/n) chucked softly, jumping when a statue in the back moved. "Alright no need to scare her." Bo chuckled with a shake of his head, the once statue approaching the pair. "I was not expecting you to move, I really thought you were a statue." (Y/n) chuckled nervously.

"(Y/n) this is my brother Vincent." Bo introduced the two, the masked brother timidity offering (Y/n) his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." (Y/n) smiled looking at his mask with curiosity. "Is your prosthetic made of wax?" She asked without thought, but he only tilted his head to the side. "Your mask." She clarified, smiling when he nodded his head yes. "That's very cool, did you make it yourself?" (Y/n) asked chuckling when he nodded his head again. "You don't talk much huh?" She tilted her own head a little. "He can't." Bo clarified unknowingly making (Y/n) suddenly feel guilty. "Oh I didn't know, I'm sorry." (Y/n) ducked her head down, feeling stupid for opening her mouth. "Vincent do you wanna show her?" Bo asked his brother, who hesitated for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. (Y/n) picked her head up, watching in amazement as Vincent removed his mask. "Wow." She muttered under her breath, taking in the sight of his face, frowning a little when he looked away from her. "What happened?" (Y/n) turned to Bo. "We were born as Siamese twins, and our daddy was an unorthodoxed doctor. He was able to separate us as infants." Bo explained suddenly feeling subconscious himself. "Wow... That's incredible." (Y/n) murmured softly. "You're both incredible." She chuckled softly looking back to Vincent, who smiled back at her before putting his mask back on.

--Later that day--

Having decided on stay one more day (Y/n) sat with Bo in his living room talking about this and that, and joking about nearly everything. "(Y/N)!" A voice yelled from outside, cutting off (Y/n)'s laughter, a look of terror filling her eyes in an instant. "(Y/N)!" The man yelled from outside for a second time. "It's him... It's Trent, he's come for me!" (Y/n) panicked, explaining to Bo why she suddenly got so fearful. "(Y/N) I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" Trent yelled, sounding a bit closer to Bo's house now. "I'll keep you safe." Bo promised before he rose to his feet, grabbing the shotgun he kept near the front door. "Wait he's dangerous." (Y/n) rushed to follow Bo outside, leaving Von in his crib asleep. "COME OUT COME OUT COME OUT!" Trent taunted from the center of town, his attention turning to a pissed off Bo Sinclair. "Found yourself a gullible local huh?" Trent sneered at (Y/n) who ignored her fear and continued following Bo. "I suggest you get outta here and forget about (Y/n)." Bo warned, resting his shotgun on his shoulder, standing about eight feet from Trent, who only scoffed at his threat. "How about you go fuck your sister, and leave me to my business." Trent hissed, his words only fueling the hatred Bo felt for this man. "Your business best consist of you getting outta my town." Bo glared Trent down, who only chuckled. "Sure I'll get outta your town, once I have her." Trent pointed to (Y/n), but Bo only pushed (Y/n) to stand back a little.

"That ain't gonna happen." Bo shook his head with a mocking grin on his face. "How did you even find me!?" (Y/n) asked the question that had been plaguing her mind. "Remember my buddy Stan? I had him bug your car with a GPS tracker." Trent mocked as he flashed them the receiver of the tracker. "Now get over here." He growled as he pulled a pistol from the back of his belt. As Trent trained the pistol, Bo stepped in front of (Y/n) training his shotgun on Trent. "I'll only warn you one more time." Bo hissed, resisting the urge to just blow the motherfucker away. "Fuck you, you fucking redneck." Trent taunted before he pulled the trigger, but his gun jammed and Bo smirked. "Nah fuck you." Bo retorted before pulling the trigger, blowing open Trent's chest. (Y/n) screamed at the sound, her heart racing in her chest. Almost like everything was moving in slow motion, (Y/n) watched Trent's body hit the ground with a thud, dead as dead gets. Bo was quick to spin on his heel, gently setting the gun on the ground he scooped (Y/n)'s shaking form into his arms. "Sh darling it's alright, I've got you. You're safe now darling, I've got you." He murmured against the crown of her head, carrying her back into his house. "It's okay (Y/n), rest now. I'll take care of everything, I'll take care of you." Bo promised as he laid her down on the couch, lovingly stroking her hair, before he kissed her temple. The events suddenly flipping a highly protective and tender switch within Bo, not that (Y/n) was complaining in the slightest, taking great comfort in his words and actions.

A few hours passed and in that time, (Y/n) had calmed down, and thought about a lot of things. Bo had dealt with the body and come back to (Y/n)'s side within the first hour, allowing her to cuddle into his side and think. "Bo what is this place?" (Y/n) asked with worry laced in her voice. "What?" Bo frowned his brows, a confused smile on his face. "Please don't lie to me anymore, please tell me what this place is. This town its just not right, in all the time I've been here I've only seen you Lester and Vincent." (Y/n) explained, suddenly feeling concerned for her baby's well being. "I want to tell you, I've wanted to tell you for a while now... But I don't want to scare you away." Bo hung his head. "Not telling me is scaring me, Bo please tell me." She insisted. "You know I would never hurt you or Von right?" Bo asked, his eyes the tiniest bit glossy. "Of course I know that." (Y/n) licked her lips, ignoring the worry bubbling at the back of her mind. "The town been abandoned for a decade, me and my brothers took it over a few years ago." Bo began. "Brothers?" (Y/n) asked having caught the plural. "Lester is mine and Vincent's younger brother." Bo explained frowning a little when (Y/n)'s eyes filled with worry.

"Lester convinces people to come to Ambrose, and me and Vincent kill them." Bo revealed, his confession making (Y/n)'s breath hitch in her throat. "Lester called me after he dropped you off at the gas station, and he told me to help you out, he insisted that we spared you." Bo licked his lips nervously. "I wasn't going to listen to him, but when you didn't snoop around town like everyone else, I was curious about you... Then I seen you, and your baby, and any dark thought I had washed away in an instant. The more we talked, the more I was intrigued with you... The more I wanted to protect you, especially when you told me about your ex." Bo admitted, his words surprisingly soothing (Y/n). "I'm sorry..." Bo muttered under his breath. "I forgive you." (Y/n) smiled softly, sitting up she adjusted herself to straddle Bo's lap. "I forgive you." She repeated herself as she took his face between her hands. "You've been better to me than most people in my life, and while the knowledge of what you and Vincent do... Is almost heartbreaking... I forgive you. I know you won't harm me or Von, to proved yourself to me today when you saved me from Trent." (Y/n) leaned in and gently kissed Bo's lips, pulling away all to soon. "I don't want to leave, I want to stay here with you... To love you despite the things you do, to love you despite the monster you can be... I want you for who you are, darkness and all." (Y/n) confessed, making Bo's mind go hazy with adoration. "Please stay." He muttered subconsciously. "I am." (Y/n) rest her forehead against his, smiling when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

----

Part three is complete!!!!

Part four will hopefully be posted tomorrow evening.

（＾_＾）

[echoalyssa]

Phantom | Dick Grayson

Authors Note: There’s some light language in this, but thats about all!

“Phantom to Nightwing, entering dead zone now. Start the clock and come in if I’m late. I love you.”

You now had an hour inside the base, unable to contact anyone. You were collecting intel and because you were the stealthiest and smallest, (Damian was too young for this particular mission) Bruce had sent you in.

Your boyfriend, Dick Grayson had wanted to come with you but Bruce had rejected the idea because two people was more risky than one.

Dick had been livid, it was more risky for your life for you to go alone. He was your partner even though you were all a team. Ever since childhood, the two of you fought together and somewhat seemed to share the same mind.

You push a vine our of your dace. Your black masks shows the digital map of the quietest places to step. Your hood is pulled up to disguise your features and skin tone that obviously didn't fit in with the darkness of the air around you.

You had left your mottled cloak behind, opting to only have to worry about your body and where you place it. 

Joker was extremely active underground lately, he’d evolved and Bruce had only your mission as a lead. 

Your mask displays your one hour timer on the left hand side of your vision. Fifty minutes to get into the compound and back to safety.

The compound comes into view, a flat stone building that just didn’t fit in with the forest that surrounded it. You creep forward, staying in the shadows and hugging the walls of the building until you reach the only vent.

The stone was practically flat but years of training allowed you to look your gloved fingers into a crevice and wedge a booted foot into the building.

You begin climbing, scaling upwards twenty feet. The screws of the vent are all different and you have to pull away from the wall, your body straining so you can unscrew the bottom two.

You’re small enough that you can pry the vent open enough that you can squeeze yourself in. Forty minutes your clock reads. You were going too slow. You crawl forward on your elbows, you trek forward, you should have asked for two hours. Shit.

You hit the record button on your wrist panel and pull the microphone out.

It’s a tiny one but the quality is amazing. You’re peering through a small vent above a research lab now and you thread the microphone and it’s wire through the vent. The audio feeds into your ear piece and also saves to the hard drive in your panel.

You’re holding your breath, only breathing when you have to to minimize any chance of getting caught.

“We need to move in now! He’s only getting more recruits and it’s only a matter of time before they find us again.” Says a voice.

“If they haven’t already! I say we try the new weapon on some unsuspecting crowd of bystanders now. Then they’ll be too busy trying to save those silly citizens to deal with us.”

“Yes but is it ready..?”

“It needs to be tested again and we need to find a more powerful energy source eventually.”

And then the joker walks into view of the vent. He’s holding a blueprint and he spreads it on one of the tables. It’s the paint schematic for the weapon because of course, the joker being the joker meant that everything needed to be green, purple, and white.

You raise a hand to your mask and tap twice. It takes a screenshot of your view of the blueprint and sends it to the bat hard drive.

“Did you have any luck with batons inner circle? Would anyone snitch?”

“A couple...” the speaker listens. It’s valuable intel and now Bruce would be able to feed false information to the rats.

You begin to tap their names away into the panel and then attempt to wirelessly hack into the mainframes. The firewall were strong and plentiful but eventually they all fall victim to you. Sixteen minutes your timer reads. Shit. The data downloading from their computers and into your drive is only halfway done.

It won’t be very detailed. Just minuscule bits of information because you couldn't connect physically to the computers. It’s a line of script here and there that didn't make much sense to you because you weren't super tech-y. Though every line counted and that you knew. Several addresses also pop up.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, your panel signals that the download is complete. Seven minutes reads the timer. Double shit.

You scramble backwards knowing that you’ve done all that you can. Somehow managing to turn yourself around in the small space. You’re almost at the vent when you foot clangs against the side of the vent.

You freeze, no alarms go off, but then again why would they? The timer is still ticking and you continue on, sliding out of the vent. You fumble with the screws, attempting to get them back in in case your cover hadn't already been blown. You then plant your feet, push off and flip down to the ground. You land nimbly in a rolling crouch and then pop to your feet and take off, sprinting for the tree line.

They come from the shadows. Dozens of them. All focused in on you.

You suck in a breath and draw your longswords.

“Bring it on Goonies!” You call and they surge forward all at once. Some with guns, electric batons, and swords.

You stalk forward, meeting them in the middle. You begin slashing immediately at arms, legs, torsos, anywhere that wasn’t too lethal. You weren't a killer.

Except there were just so many, the sword in your left hand falls from your grip and you pull out a disc, throwing it into the incomers. It explodes, blinding some and wounding others. 

You yank s taser out from your belt and stab it into an attackers neck while blocking an attack with your sword. And then it happens. A baton smacks into the back of your head and you stumble forward, dizzy. A blade slashes your thigh, splitting skin and muscle. A cry comes fro, your lips and you lash out desperately with your one remaining longsword. You're able to down the foe who had slashed you.

Two more take his place and then a dagger rips through your abdomen from behind. You scream, falling to your knees. Just as it gets put through your thigh, followed by your shoulder. You land in the grass face first and the world goes dark, sound fading out.

‘Dick.’ Is your last thought.

~~~

Dick is staring at the timer that is displayed by his make. 00:00:05. 00:00:04. 00:00:03. 00:00:02. 00:00:01. And the dreaded number... 00:00:00. It blares red and he stares at the forest, fists clenched. Where was she?

Tim steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder. “Give her five minutes okay? She’s smart. You know how these missions sometimes go overtime. She’s got this.”

“We never should have sent her in alone. It was too risky. Damn it!”

His fist rockets into a tree. He considers going after Bruce, giving him a piece of his mind. Then decides that it isn’t worth it and begins to prepare to go in after his love.

He makes sure to grab the miniature cauterizer and some other emergency medical supplies, stuffing them into the pouches on his belt.

“Wait, Nightwing, we’ll go together. We need a plan!” Damian calls.

His heart is pounding out of his chest and he can’t breathe. ‘What if he was too late? What if she was already gone?’

He doesn’t want to wait for a plan, time was ticking. He pushes past his adoptive brother.

“Dick wait!” Jason calls trying to grab his arm. But he keeps going, breaking for the trees to find her.

Jason and Tim look at each other, then they both look at Damian. “Stay here.” They say simultaneously/

“No way!” He yells back at his brothers.

The three of them take them off after Nightwing. And Bruce, having watched all his children run into danger, follows them in.

Nightwing is pushing through vines and branches, not caring if he makes noise or not. He knows the rest of his family will follow him, but quietly.

His mail enhances his vision in the darkness. He draws a thumb over his own panel and it activates the heat censor on his mask. Dick Grayson pushes forward quickly, scanning frantically for her heat signature.

And then he sees it. She’s always run cold. Her fingers and limbs always frozen. A small prone figure, running colder than the other surrounding bodies. He kicks up his pace, heading for her because he just knows.

“Phantom!” he yells, followed by, “Robin! I think I found her!”

He skids to a halt and falls to his knees, he can see the stab wounds. The way her blood has soared into the ground beneath her. 

Nightwing rolls her over, jamming his fingers under her neck to find a pulse. It’s there. But weak.

He rips the cauterizer out of his belt and drapes her body over him just as Jason appears. 

“Is she..?”

“Alive.” He grunts, “Not for much longer I need to..”

Jason helps him rip the uniform away enough so Dick has enough room to maneuver.

“Hold her down!”

Jason does as he’s told and Dick places the cauterizer to her skin.

“Only do what you have to, we need to get out of here. And soon.”

He pushes the two flaps of skin together and places the sparking tool to it. The heat melds the skin together. She’d need to be pumped full of antibiotics in case any of the blades were dirty and risked infection.

She only stirs slightly, too disoriented from her loss of blood. He talks to her the whole time he works on her.

He only does her abdomen, knowing that it’s her most serious injury. It might not even hold from the jolting and jostling that would occur in the journey back. Dick stabs a painkiller into her thigh, just in case she were to awaken.

He motions to Tim and Damian, who had been standing guard, to take up the rear. Grayson then scoops up his girlfriend, cradling her to his chest.

“Jason. Take point. Let’s get her home.”

~~~

He sits by her bedside. His hands are covered in her dry blood, along with his suit. He hadn’t bothered to change.

Y/N had needed a blood transfusion and he had offered immediately, hence why there was a needle in his arm funneling blood into girlfriend. Alfred had stitched do her wounds and hooked her up to an IV for hydration and anti-infection purposes.

She’d been changed out of her uniform after she was stable for cleanliness reasons and was now wearing one of his black shirts.

He’s holding her hand, his thumb tracing over the pulse point of her wrist occasionally.

It would be a long road to recovery for her though they all knew that she would bounce back and attempt to get back in to the field as soon as she could walk.

It’s days later when she finally wakes, her eyelids fluttering.

“Dick.” She whispers.

He’s right there, just like he had been, he’d only left briefly to shower but he ate and slept at her side. Jason had covered both of your patrols, with Bruce helping out.

“I’m okay. You’re okay, babygirl.” He places a hand on her face and she leans her head into his touch.

[paisley-print]

Near The Water’s Edge:   Chapter Four

After fleeing your abusive husband, you find yourself in the small coastal town of July, North Carolina. Soon you meet Frankie Morales, Air Force Veteran and single dad. As the two of you grow closer, you begin to let go of your past and learn to love again. That is until a strange man shows up in town, and you ’re forced to choose between your safety or the safety of the people that you love.

Inspired by the novel “Safe Haven” written by Nicolas Sparks.

Series Master List

Frankie Morales x Female Reader Rating: 18+ / Heavy adult themes eventual smut. Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Mentions of death, PTSD, anxiety, mentions of police case, police.  Word Count: 

Note: Another heavy chapter, but things will let lighter as the chapters go on. Enjoy the first half of the beach day. 

Tag List:@qytyy @winter-fox-queen​​​​ @sherala007​​​​@inkededucatednnerdy @quica-quica-quica​​​ @hnt-escape​​​ @giizhkens-cedar​​​@heythere-mel​​​ @toomanystoriessolittletime​​

The ride passed in comfortable silence, the three of you listening to the radio and Lucy looking out the window at the cars in the next lane. All Frankie could think about was how nice it was to have someone else there to spend the day. He knew Lucy must have been feeling the same way, since he hadn’t seen her so excited about a beach trip in a long while. 

He appreciated how patient you were with her; it was something he noticed even on that first day. The way you refused help until you knew she was alright. That moment had stuck with him more than anything else. 

The memory of what Will said earlier surfaced in his mind. He shifted in his seat and glanced at you. Yes, you were beautiful. Strikingly so. A woman who could walk into a room and turn every head in the place; both men and women alike. Of course Frankie had been taken with you. He tried to suppress it, scolding himself whenever he was alone in bed at night and found his thoughts wandering.... 

His only goal right now was to be your friend because he cared for you and knew that you needed help. He wasn’t sure what kind of help, but he sensed that you were alone and at some point in your life something very bad had happened to you. He wouldn’t pry though, he would wait until you were ready to share. 

-

The beach wasn’t too packed; it was still early in the season and  the tourists hadn’t moved into their summer homes yet. The boys had done an oddly efficient job at setting everything up. When Ben and Will got into a little spat about how to sink the umbrella into the sand , Frankie simply rolled his eyes and continued to spray Lucy with sunblock. It made you laugh, they all seemed so comfortable with one another. 

The day was hot and everybody seemed eager to get into the water, everyone except you and Frankie.  You had bought a bathing suit at the store, intending on going in... but somewhere during the car ride you changed your mind. 

“You can go in if you want,” you told Frankie “I don’t mind just watching.”

He shrugged, “I don’t normally go in either.”

Then just like that the two of you were suddenly alone, both woefully unprepared for any sort of conversation.

You thought of something quickly, filling the silence “the marina was packed today.”

“Yeah, It’s always like that on memorial day. Most of the summer too, be prepared for the restaurant to start getting busy.”

“I prefer it that way. It makes the shifts go faster. So I’ve been meaning to ask, what exactly do you do? I assumed you owned the marina?”

He paused for a moment. “Uh, technically I do. It was a wedding gift from my parents. An uncle had died and left it to them. I think they just wanted to get rid of it, but I have an office manager that does all the upfront stuff….. normally I just work on repairs.”

Married. That wasn’t what you were expecting, but still no ring. “Did you go to school for that?”

“Kind of. I had training for planes, but you would be surprised just how similar the two are.” You gave him a look. He glanced at you and laughed sheepishly. “What?”

“I’m sorry, did you say planes?”

“Yeah”

“You fix planes?”

He smiled and crossed his arms, trying to seem much cooler than he actually was. “I fly them too.”

“You fly pl-....do you take constructive criticism?”

He laughed, “Of course.”

“Lead with that next time.”

He looked at you skeptically. “How am I supposed to lead with that, exactly?”

“You say, hi my name is pilot Frankie …..” 

He shook his head, grinning. “Morales,” he informed you. 

“Hi my name is pilot Frankie Morales, nice to meet you.”

He played along, “but how will I know if people actually like me for me, or they just want me to take them for a ride in a plane?”

You shrugged “it's tough being a celebrity, I don’t make the rules.”

“Oh yeah, celebrity, that’s me,” he said sarcastically. 

You kicked at the sand with your foot. “Also I liked you before I knew you had the coolest hobby in the world. So, you know that you can trust me.”

He glanced over at you and immediately noticed your smile. He had seen you smile before, but they would never quite reach your eyes. This one, he could tell, was real. He opened his mouth to speak when, in the distance, a wave crashed and Lucy squealed with laughter. Both of you turned your heads to look.

“Will Lucy be okay out there?” you asked. She had on a life vest and was being supervised in the shallows by the rest of the adults. Santi was holding onto a boogie board Lucy used to keep herself up. 

“Yeah, I know they seem like idiots but they are good men.” Frankie reached into the cooler to grab a bee and popped the cap off with the bottle opener. “Do you want one?”

You shook your head, “No thank you, but I’ll take a water bottle if you have it.” He set his beer down in his cup holder and reached into the cooler again. The bottle was freezing cold when he handed it to you. Perfect for a sunny day.

You wiped the condensation off on your dress. “Can I ask you something? It’s okay if you don’t want to answer.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said, taking a sip of beer. 

“Lucy’s mom is she….? Are you two still….? I don’t mean to pry, I guess I’m just a little confused.”

“You and I both,” he said with a sigh. “I’m married but we are not together anymore, haven’t been for a few years.”

“Oh,” you said simply, not finding any clarification in what he told you. If anything, you had more questions, but you didn’t want to push. Besides, it didn’t matter anyway…. you couldn’t, you were married as well. “Does your family live in the area?”

“Nope, they live up north. Katie never really knew her family. She grew up in the foster system and was bounced around until she enlisted at eighteen. It’s just me and Lulu now, and the guys when they find the time to travel here.”

“I’m sorry,” you said honestly. “It must be hard not having your parents support.”

He shook his head and took another sip. “I expected it, even when I was younger, it seemed as though they were only interested in keeping me alive.” He looked down and started to peel off the sticker on the bottle as he spoke. “They are both doctors, mom is an archaeologist and dad an engineer. He actually helped design parts of the international space station…. I think they valued their careers more than anything else... they still do. The only time they ever came down to see Lucy was right after she was born, aside from that it’s usually a phone call on a holiday and a card with money in the mail.”

Although he tried to play it off as if it were just another part of life, you could see that it still affected him deeply. For a moment you thought about reaching out to take his hand, but you stopped yourself. “It really is their loss, they are missing out on two wonderful people.”

Frankie adjusted the baseball cap on his head, a sheepish little smile playing on his lips at the compliment. “Well, thank you. Lucy and I could say the same thing about you. You’re great with her.”

You glanced back at the little girl. She was smiling happily as Ben pulled her along on the boogie board. “I think little girls need to be protected, but not only that - they need to be seen and heard. She is already so independent and fierce. I can see how you encourage her to be her own person and not fit into any one mold. That’s important for little girls to learn.”

He laughed, “Yeah, she definitely gives me a run for my money, that's for sure. She can already repair an engine better than most men I know.”

A large gust of wind came through and took hold of the multi-colored beach ball beside you. Both you and Frankie sprang from your seats to race after it. The thing was fast, and you could not stop it from crashing into the waves. You noticed just how much cooler it was near the water’s edge. Although the temperature outside was sweltering, the Atlantic still held that winter chill. Both of you stared at the ball as it bobbed up and down with the tide. 

Frankie waved it away with his hand and squinted in the sunlight. “It’s fine, it’ll probably just float down the beach to another family or something.”

You smirked at him “or choke a poor dimwitted sea turtle to death.”

He paused and shot you a pretend glare, then took off his hat, dropped it in the sand and reached for his shirt. 

You giggled “no, no I’m joking. I got it.” You said, starting to strip down to your bathing suit also.

“Well, you gotta be faster than that,” he said, half jogging to the water.

You slipped off your dress easily and ran straight past him into the waves. Frankie was not far behind. You two were pushing against the tide as you reached for the ball. Fingertips just barely brushed against the plastic before it slipped a couple more inches away. This left just enough time for Frankie to swoop in and grab it.

Your stomach hurt from laughing so hard “hey!”

He shrugged, “I’m sorry that I care more about the environment than you.”

You splashed him with water playfully.

-

The two of you swam for another fifteen minutes, chatting about the town and volleying the ball back and forth. Frankie pretended not to see the way the droplets of water clung to your skin and sparkled under the sunlight. When he noticed the little lace pattern on the bottom of your swimsuit, he knew he had been staring for too long and forced himself to look away. The very last thing he wanted to do was scare you away, or make you believe he had some sort of ulterior motives to helping you. 

You both dressed again before walking back up to the chairs. When the two of you returned, the group had already come back from swimming. They were passing around Tupperware full of fruit while Santi was starting up the tiny little grill he had brought. 

“You guys really don’t play around for beach days,” you mentioned to Frankie. 

“I tried to warn you,” he said with a smirk. 

Will had Lucy thrown over his shoulder, carrying her easily with one arm. “Has anyone seen Fry?”

“I’m right here!” Lucy’s little voice drifted out from behind him.

Will started turning, pretending to look for her “Fry! Fry! Where are you!”

Lucy was hardly able to speak through her fit of giggles, “I’m behind you!”

He put her down on the sand, pretending as if he had seen her for the first time. “Jesus Fry! You scared me!”

“Lulu,” Frankie said, “come here so I can put more sunscreen on you.” Frankie took the bottle from the bag and sprayed her again, making sure to get her ears and the tops of her feet as well. He sprayed some in his hands, and Lucy scrunched up her nose as he applied it to her face.

Watching the two of them together made you smile. You were reminded again just how different Frankie was from your husband. David would have felt emasculated by having to take care of a child. If he had attended today, you would be sitting beside him silently the entire time, only getting up to fetch him a beer.

“Do you want some?” Frankie asked, and you were suddenly snapped right back to reality.  

Even though you weren’t threatened by a burn yet, you figured it would be a good idea. “Yeah, thank you.” You offered him your arms, then the front of your legs.

“I used to be terrible with remembering sunblock until I got sun poisoning in Iraq, god never again.”

“Iraq?” you asked, and turned so he could get the backs of your legs.

“Yeah, with the air force” he told you, assuming you already knew. 

Breath hitched in your throat as he brushed your hair over your shoulder. You cringed at the feeling of the warm sunscreen hitting the back of your neck and jerked away. It was enough for the others to notice. You laughed and lied quickly “damn horse flies hurt when they bite. They say you should wash off the bite with soap to get it to stop the swelling. Is there a bathroom here?”

You sounded believable. Becoming an expert liar had been the only thing keeping you alive for so long. 

Frankie felt horrible. He didn’t quite know what he had done to trigger you, but he knew it was something. “It’s pretty far, I can walk with you-”

You shook your head, a wide smile still plastered across your lips. “Nope, I just need a direction.”

Santi jumped in quickly. “That building when we first came in, near the tennis courts.”

You nodded and started forward, tears stinging at the corners of your eyes. Why was this happening right now? You were fine a moment ago and now you felt as though you couldn’t catch your breath. You shivered, remembering the feeling again and putting your hand on the back of your neck to stop it.

A soldier…. it made sense. You were too stupid to have seen it, the nicknames and the holiday...... 

Thankfully, they were single stall restrooms; you pulled the door shut and locked it behind you. The bottom of the floor was disgusting and filled with wet sand. You lifted yourself up onto the counter and sat, trying to calm down. A soldier, a soldier, you kept repeating to yourself. It was too similar. The anger, the potential for violence…. just like your husband. 

You placed your head in your hands, and suddenly you were back in New Jersey. It was a bitter February, snow still on the ground. You were in your bathroom hiding as David raged in the living room and screamed at his coworker on the phone. A little boy had been killed by his father weeks ago. David was assigned to the case. When the trial came, the jury found the man innocent and let him walk free, even though all the evidence pointed to him as the killer. It was an embarrassment to David and the entire homicide unit

“God fucking dammit, y/n! y/n!”

You pulled yourself up on shaking legs, straightened your dress and walked out. David was red in the face waiting for you. “I thought I told you to call Comcast, did I not?”

“They said that they could get someone out here Wednesday because of the snow-”

He took the television remote and threw it at you as hard as he could; he aimed for your face but it hit your shoulder instead. The plastic connected straight with your collarbone. You doubled over in pain, holding it as it throbbed. He stalked up to you and you moved back, the fear evident in your eyes.

His voice was teetering on the edge of lunacy as he screamed at you.

“I give you a simple fucking job to do and you can’t even get it done. You’re a lazy fat fucking bitch.” he shoved you hard but you manged to keep standing. “Spend all day sitting on your fucking ass while I have to go to work for the both of us! I need the television because I need to see the news coverage of the fucking case! You knew this! Or would you like me to get fired and the both of us live on the fucking streets!” He shoved you again, and you fell against the stone fireplace. Your hands came up to shield your face as he picked up the remote and hit you with it repeatedly. It caught your lip, busting it open. 

You didn’t care about the blood, all you could think about was the gun still holstered in his belt. You got the television fixed the next day-

“Summer?” 

You stood quickly and wiped away the tears from your cheeks, pretending like nothing was wrong. “Yeah?”

“Are you alright?” 

It was Frankie. 

You shook your head and smiled in the dingy plastic mirror in front of you. “Yeah, why?”

He could hear that you had been crying. He pushed on the door but it was locked. 

You didn’t like that at all; you slipped off the counter and sat on the floor, against the door. Bracing it closed with your body “I’m fine-”

“You’re crying-”

“No, I’m not I- I get allergies and that horsefly hurt. I am such a baby I’ve always had a low pain tolerance-”

“If it’s something that I did -”

“Nope, it’s nothing that you did. I’m fine, I’m really, really fine I promise. I just got overwhelmed and needed some air. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and you guys can eat without me. Don’t let me hold you up.”

Frankie wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to force anything. “Would you like me to save you a plate?”

“Yes, please.”

You could hear his footsteps start to retreat and relaxed a little. 

“Summer?”

“Yeah?”

Frankie was about to say something, but he thought better of it. He figured it was better to let you have your space now.

[offbrandhange]

hi! are you accepting requests? if so can i request a fic where levi and the reader are secretly seeing each other and their little interactions spark up the interest of hange, so hange tells the rest of the levi squad and they all try to find out whether theyre dating or not? thank you!!

Yes, I am!!! Tysm for this idea I had so much fun writing it!!!

𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙: ~1.4K

a/n -- I really hope this isn’t bad HHHHHHH

The mess hall was rowdy as always for a Friday night; all different regiments and ranks joined together—just to drunkenly blow off steam.

At the higher-ups’ table, a loud thud was heard; Hange had slammed down their beer-filled mug, laughing as they slightly splashed it on the man in front of them.

“Sorry,” They hummed cheerfully, despite knowing it was likely they would get berated for getting beer on him; He scolded them every chance he got.

Hange smiled stupidly while waiting for harsh words, but there were none. The man said nothing, his eyes completely elsewhere. He had no idea there was an ale stain on his white cravat.

“Levi?” Hange blurted in confusion, hiccuping while they did so. 

It was beyond uncommon for Levi to be spaced out and uncaring about a mess. He hated anything he deemed unclean—and he was picky about it, too. 

Hange was knowingly alarmed by their colleague’s strange behavior, and so, they curiously turned their head to see what he was staring at. 

His eyes were locked on a cadet belonging to the Scout regiment—one that Hange scarcely recognized as someone often around the Titan shifter, Eren Jaeger.

“That’s odd,” Hange murmured to themself, lifting the beer to their mouth to sip.“Wonder if this’ll work.” 

Mischievously, Hange ran their hand on the underside of the wooden table, getting a good heap of dust and dirt to stick to their palm. Afterward, Hange lifted themselves from their seat, leaned over the table, and softly flattened their hand on the top of Levi’s head; he didn’t move an inch. 

A booming “Woah,” escaped their lips, and in the typical Hange way, it caught everyone at the table’s attention—everyone except for Levi.

“Hange,” their co-worker called, a member of Levi’s squad; it was Petra. “What’s wrong?”

“He didn’t even flinch—I touched him with dusty hands!” Hange exclaimed, making dramatic gestures in disbelief. 

Petra raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Levi, who was now not only wearing a stained cravat; but also dust particles covering his usually impeccably shiny raven hair. 

Hange let out another scream in amazement; once again catching everyone’s attention—but not just those at the table. This time, the cadet noticed as well.

You began your strides over towards Levi—leaving behind your other members of the scouts. The closer you came towards him, the more his face began to change from pale to pink.

Hange watched in disbelief as you smiled at the short man, who now met your eyes with a softened gaze. 

You reached to his cravat; pinching the corner lightly to look at the stain Hange’s beer left. “Oh,” you scrunched your eyebrow. You weren’t sure why he hadn’t been freaking out over the stain.  “Do you want me to wash this for you? It’s dirty.” You asked,  pulling your hand back.

Levi’s gaze diverted from yours as his face changed from blushing pink to cherry red, practically ripping off his cravat to hand to you. “Sure.” He quickly replied.

Both Petra and Hange stared in shock. The usually strict, grumpy, short-tempered Levi was completely gone. Instead, he was now a wide-eyed, innocent virgin—who seemed to have not known what a woman was.

As you walked out of the mess hall with Levi’s cravat—to presumably wash—his focus was finally back to normal.

“What?” He growled, meeting Hange and Petra’s bewildered eyes with his violent ones.

They paused for a moment, saying nothing, until Hange deftly answered, “You got dust on your head.” 

Levi’s eyes widened, and he immediately started swatting at his head, disgusted by all the particles surrounding him.

“I need a shower.” He stated, rising from his seat, speed walking awkwardly out of the mess hall. It was clear he was very close to freaking out--grime was one of the only tame things in life that scared him.

After he left, Petra and Hange both silently sat, trying to comprehend what just happened. 

“Is Captain....dating?” Petra questioned, turning to look at Hange.

“Levi? Dating? No way.” Hange answered, not completely convinced of their own conviction.

There was another long silence between Petra and Hange—and then Hange opened their mouth to speak.

“We’re definitely investigating, right?” 

“What? Isn’t that an invasion of his privacy? I don’t think he would like it—“ Petra pleaded, but it was to no avail—Hange had already risen from their seat.

“Get the rest of Levi squad, then meet me outside of his office.” 

Petra sighed as she watched Hange leave the room; She was not too keen on snooping in on Levi’s personal life—mostly because she valued his opinion of her—and did not want to lose his trust. 

Hange, however, was giggling to themselves, bouncing as they walked to Levi’s office. 

The walk didn’t take long, since his room was relatively close to the mess hall; but picking the lock certainly would. Once they arrived at Levi’s door, Hange pulled a hairpin from the bird’s nest that rested atop their head—poking and prodding at the lock best as they could. 

When the lock had broken, Hange turned to see that Petra and the rest of the Levi squad were standing beside them.

“Good, you’re here.”

“Is Captain Levi really dating? He doesn’t seem like the type to get involved with others.” Eld questioned.

Oluo scoffed before he replied. “Of course not—he’s way too busy.” 

Petra rolled her eyes. “Like you’d know.”

“Of course I would—are you implying I don’t know what it’s like to be busy? My kill count—“ Oluo stopped, accidentally biting his tongue.

Gunther just sighed and made his way into the room; the rest following along. 

Hange and the Levi squad searched for what seemed like forever; they looked for anything they could find—a love letter, gifts, anything out of the ordinary that their Captain would not normally have—but they found nothing.

Eventually, Gunther sighed and slammed the desk drawer shut. “This is pointless.”

“And an invasion of privacy,” Petra added, sounding slightly annoyed.

Hange was starting to tire themselves—pushing up their glasses and rubbing their eyes, they spoke. “Fine, let’s call it a night; we can try and pair them up tomorrow during training and see then.” 

Everyone left the room, dragging their feet. Their mission failed, and everyone was beyond tired; They certainly weren’t going to stay up any later than they already had.

Goodbyes were exchanged, and they headed their separate ways; Hange specifically towards their dorm. 

And that’s when they turned the corner—and saw Levi talking with you in the deserted hall.

Hange hid, pushing their glasses back down to see clearer. Excited, they screamed internally.

Levi stood with the straightest posture possible; you could tell he was nervous. His hair was pushed back out of his face, still wet from his shower, with a towel draped around his neck. 

You handed him his cravat, teasing him for getting it dirty. It was exactly what you expected to see from two lovers.

Once you leaned in to kiss Levi on the cheek, Hange jumped out from the corner, revealing themselves.

“HOLY SHIT! YOU ARE DATING!” Hange screamed, standing strangely, pointing at you and Levi.

The short man went flying as he threw himself away from you—he was now flat against the wall, with an expression that mimicked a frightened cat.

Slightly spooked yourself, you turned to look at Hange. “Oh. Squad Leader Hange.” 

 “ARE YOU DATING?” Hange screamed down the hall—you could hear an angry cadet in their room yell back, “shut up.”

Levi peeled himself off the wall, walking down towards Hange angrily—you followed.

“What is this.” He sneered, glaring at his colleague.

“ARE. YOU. DATING.” Hange repeated, putting a lengthy amount of space between their words.

Levi turned bright pink again—and said nothing. Annoyed, you sighed and spoke for him. “Yes, we are.”

“HOLY SHIT!” Hange yelled, dragging out the o.

“Keep your mouth shut, four eyes.” Levi spat, returning to his typical grumpy demeanor.

You pat him on the shoulder, resting your hand there to represent a small, “be nice.” His face grew even more in color; instantly melting at your touch.

“Don’t go around telling people,” you said, trying to clarify what he meant. “I don’t want others to think I’m getting special privileges.”

Hange sucked in a long breath, trying to calm themselves. “Sure, sure, yep, yep, yep. I got you.” They smiled politely, beginning to walk off.

You and Levi watched as they turned to corner—and all of a sudden you heard them scream.

“PETRA!” 

Levi charged after Hange—and you muttered to yourself, “oh my god” before following along.

It was going to be a long night.

[rafael-silva]

lean into me, I’ll catch you: a tarlos fic

The 126 paramedics get called to the scene of a bar fight, tension rising during the drive. The chaotic scene is cluttered with police presence, TK spotting Carlos’s patrol car upon arrival. Once inside the bar, TK gets thrown a sudden and painful curveball.

for bad things happen bingo: tarlos + hidden scar

hurt carlos reyes, worried tk strand, paramedic tk, hurt/comfort, emotional/hurt comfort, kisses, whump, comfort, angst with a happy ending

6.5k | rated T | on ao3

*****

The call comes in a little after lunch.

The crew had just finished cleaning up, all of them hanging out in the common area, keeping busy with various activities. Tommy is chatting with Judd in the corner, while TK, sitting on the kitchen counter, is engaged with Nancy in their own conversation. They restocked the ambulance after their last call and after making sure everything was on track there, relaxed and fell into an easy exchange filled with their usual playful banter and quirky back and forth. TK laughs at one of Nancy’s statements, his eyes wrinkling at the corners which elicits an equally hearty laugh from his partner.

Then the bell goes off, calling the paramedics to a scene of a bar fight with multiple injuries. TK hops off the counter and he and Nancy meet Tommy in the ambulance bay, TK sliding into the driver’s seat, Nancy into the passenger one, Tommy closing the doors behind her as she gets into the back. The sirens blare loudly as TK presses down on the gas petal and drives towards the heart of downtown Austin.

Halfway into their trip, the ambo radio springs to life.

“Be advised,” a dispatcher starts, “incoming report of an officer injured on scene.”

“Copy that,” Nancy replies into her radio. “We’re five minutes out.”

She looks over at TK and notices his grip on the steering wheel tightening and his facial expression hardens as he squares his jaw at the new information. She knows what’s going through his mind.

“We don’t know that it’s him,” Nancy says in a low, calm voice.

TK replies with a firm nod, swallowing. Having no further information on the identity of the injured officer or how bad the injury is, TK feels his head spiral towards the worst case scenario.

Silence falls upon the rig, the atmosphere turning sharp and tense and TK makes no indication of speaking or doing anything besides driving, really, his focus solely on arriving at the scene.

He tries his hardest to control his thoughts, but all the what ifs tug at him and feed into his fear of losing Carlos. He wills his heart to stop thumping against his ribcage as he rounds the corner, the bar in sight now. They’re so close, yet it feels eternities away.

TK parks next to a couple of other ambulances that have responded, the common red and blue lights bouncing off the buildings around. TK jumps out, making quick work of grabbing the medkit as Nancy shoulders the lifepak and Tommy emerges from the back. He’s fast on his feet, making his way through the bystanders and police presence and into the bar, Tommy and Nancy hot on his heels.

The scene is chaos, and it’s almost like a tornado had ripped through the bar. Broken chairs scattered around the space, turned tables, shattered pieces of glass littering the ground, crunching underneath TK’s boots as he strides in.

He pushes all that aside, heart hammering in his chest again as he holds his breath, and having seen Carlos’s patrol car outside moments ago, immediately scans the wrecked place for the officer.

Relief floods his body when his eyes land on Carlos standing with Officer Mitchell near the bar stools, both of them talking to two men, one wearing a red jacket and the other a baseball hat, as the officers attempt to calm them down and diffuse the situation. What little relief TK felt is quickly replaced with concern then, reading the tension in the air and knowing that his boyfriend is quite literally in the middle of it.

It appears those two men are the origin of the havoc, judging by the amount of cops hovering near them, taking statements from people around. TK notices how Carlos’s shoulders are rigid and his face stern as he speaks, sharing a fast look with his partner before returning his attention to the man in front of him.

TK looks away for a moment, to where the other officer is injured and that second is all it takes for a roar to erupt behind him and all hell breaks loose again.

TK isn’t exactly sure what happened as he turns around, but Mitchell jumps into action to keep Mr. Baseball Hat back while Mr. Red Jacket yells heatedly at the other man, scrambling to free himself from Carlos’s hold.

It takes TK’s mind a second to catch up with what’s happening and his heart sinks further seeing Carlos in the middle of the brawl.

TK wants to push through and pull Carlos to safety but he’s suddenly aware of a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. He doesn’t need to look to know that it’s Tommy. She most likely had read his mind, his team knowing him so well by now, as she anchors him next to her.

TK is vaguely aware of Nancy saying she’ll check over the hurt officer, but his eyes never leave Carlos, watching with drawn eyebrows as his boyfriend attempts to move Mr. Red Jacket backwards to separate to two angry men. He feels helpless standing there, although he knows deep down that he can’t get involved in the middle of this fight, that he doesn’t have the training for this, he wishes there were something he could do to protect Carlos. To make sure Carlos is okay and safe.

TK trusts that Carlos can handle himself, but it still doesn’t make this situation any easier. The two men don’t appear to be slowing down, fueled by rage and adrenaline, it appears that they’re overpowering Carlos and Mitchell.

Officers rush over to aid Carlos and Mitchell, but they reach them a little too late. TK feels his heart drop as he watches his boyfriend’s face morph into a wince, his eyebrows drawing together and eyes going wide at a realization. Carlos is momentarily frozen in place as the two men are taken down around him. But he doesn’t move after, blinking slowly now. And that’s the thing that keeps TK on edge.

TK himself stunned, remains in place, his eyes moving with Carlos as the taller man searches the crowd, eyes hazy, not really looking for anything in particular. But TK sees a spark of recognition when Carlos’s eyes eventually land on him.

TK can tell that Carlos relaxes ever so slightly, his brown eyes meeting TK’s worried green ones. The world narrows to the both of them, the sounds around them mute, movements in slow motion, and TK tries his hardest to understand what just happened. Because something isn’t right, Carlos not having moved an inch and is seemingly unaware of what’s happening around him. TK sees Mitchell speak to Carlos over her shoulder as she hauls Mr. Baseball Hat away, but Carlos makes no indication of having heard her.

And then TK gets his answer, catching the slow movement of Carlos’s hand moving to his stomach, and TK’s eyes widen at the large patch staining the officer’s uniform there.

It all clicks together then.

Stab wound, TK’s mind supplies.

The paramedic is all too aware of his quick breathing now, and his heart dropping into his knees as he watches Carlos sway dangerously to the side as he loses his balance, the patch getting bigger with each passing second.

And the way Carlos’s arm weakly reaches out towards him has TK springing into action, fleeing from Tommy’s hold as he pushes through the crowd to catch Carlos.

“Carlos is hurt!” He yells over his shoulder to his Captain, his heart in his throat now.

TK gets to Carlos just as he’s tumbling forward towards the dirty floor. TK drops his equipment as both arms instantly reach out to steady the officer, Carlos falling against his chest but TK, ready for the impact, keeps their balance as he takes on Carlos’s weight.

“Hey, hey,” TK says softly. “I got you, I got you.”

TK gently lowers Carlos down, the sudden appearance of the paramedic and Carlos nearly toppling over capturing the attention of the officers around as they regain their collective breath from handling the two men.

“Reyes?” TK hears someone call from above as he places his palm over Carlos’s stomach and applies pressure, receiving a groan from Carlos.

That grabs Mitchell’s attention and she turns around, grip still on the man and her eyes go big at seeing TK and her partner on the floor. She hands him off to another officer before she’s rushing to their side.

“Carlos! What the hell happened?” She asks TK, her voice filled with shock.

“He’s been stabbed,” TK replies, eyes not leaving Carlos’s face, who’s growing paler by the second. “Hang on, Carlos. You’re okay, just hang on.”

Before anyone else can speak, Tommy’s voice echoes.

“Coming through!”

TK only looks up then, seeing Tommy and Nancy crouch next to them and open the medical bags.

His attention back on Carlos, TK’s breath catches in his throat when he sees Carlos looking at him, eyes glassy, doing his best to focus on TK.

“TK?” Carlos breaths, his voice frail, almost afraid that he’s imagining the paramedic.

“Yeah, I’m here, I’m right here,” TK is quick to comfort him, reading between the lines.

TK gives Carlos the best smile he could muster, hoping it’s not as shaky as it feels to him.

“Hurts,” Carlos wheezes, shutting his eyes when he feels added pressure on the wound.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, babe,” TK replies. “We gotta control this bleeding.”

Carlos sighs, face rolling to the side as he peels his eyelids open, finding TK again amidst the fog that is his vision.

The blood seeping through his fingers bring tears to TK’s eyes, and he swallows against his dry throat, trying to keep the tears at bay. It feels like Carlos is slipping from him, and he’s overcome with so much fear, visible in the shaking of his hands. His whole body feels like it’s on fire, heart racing and sweat rolling down his neck and back. He shakes himself out of it, knowing he has to stay strong and calm, for Carlos’s sake.

“You’re okay,” TK sniffs. “Stay with me, baby. Focus on me.”

“Always…you,” Carlos murmurs.

“TK, I need you to remove your hands for a moment,” Tommy instructs.

He meets her gaze with wide eyes, frantically shaking his head.

“I can’t—he’ll—he’ll lose more blood, I have to keep applying pressure,” TK responds, a tear escaping his eye.

“I’ll be quick,” Tommy promises. “I need to inspect the wound.”

After a moment, TK reluctantly pulls his hands back, immediately taking note of how Carlos’s face relaxes a little once the pressure is removed.

TK holds his breath, hand finding Carlos’s and gives it a squeeze, a reassurance that he’s right by his side. Carlos uses all the energy he could muster to return the squeeze.

“You’re doing so good, baby,” TK says as Tommy works, Nancy taking Carlos’s vitals.

Once Nancy finishes and reports Carlos’s numbers, which are low, she hands TK a large piece of gauze and then secures the IV line she started, prepping Carlos for transport.

“Okay,” Tommy nods once she’s done, moving back and TK doesn’t waste a second in covering Carlos’s wound with the gauze and pushing down.

The almost lack of response from Carlos is alarming, and TK looks at Tommy with broad glistening eyes, fear radiating from his green irises.

“He’s going into shock. We need to move now,” Tommy instructs.

A gurney seems to materialize next to them out of thin air, but TK minds no attention to where it came from as he and a couple of other officers lift Carlos off the ground and onto the gurney. The crowd parts as they move, TK keeping constant pressure on Carlos’s abdomen. Mitchell trails closely behind them, clutching her radio as she speaks into it.

They push Carlos into the ambulance, Tommy following and TK getting in after her.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” Mitchell tells TK.

He nods as Nancy slams the doors shut and races to the driver’s seat.

The ride to the hospital is agonizing. TK watches as the oxygen mask Tommy placed over Carlos’s face fogs and clears with each weak breath he draws in, his face ashen and skin clammy to TK’s touch. The bleeding had slowed down a little, but there’s no way of knowing what kind of damage has been done internally.

Tommy discards the blood soaked gauze in favor of a fresh one, placing it over Carlos’s stomach and the pressures earns them a hiss from Carlos.

“You’re okay, babe, you’re okay,” TK says, running his thumb along Carlos’s knuckles. “We’re almost at the hospital, everything is going to be just fine.”

“Tired,” Carlos’s voice filters through the mask.

“I know, but you gotta say awake. Can you do that for me, baby?”

Carlos would do anything for TK, so he obliges with a small nod. He sucks in a wobbly breath, and lets it out slowly, eyes latched onto TK. There’s so much worry and fear engraved into TK’s forehead, the height of his fright on full display and Carlos wants to ease that pain and wants to wash away TK’s panic. So he gives TK his best smile, its small and uneven but TK understands.

“You’re okay,” TK nods.

They reach the hospital a few minutes later, the ambulance coming to a halt at the Emergency entrance and the doors are torn open a moment later.

It’s a fury of action from there, Tommy and TK pushing the gurney as Carlos fights against the darkness threatening to take over. He’s semi-aware of Tommy passing the information to the medical team as he’s being wheeled through the hospital hallway, then he directs all his attention to feeling TK’s hold on his hand, warm and steady, strong and reassuring. He sees TK’s face in his line of vision a few seconds later, he’s speaking but the sound doesn’t reach Carlos’s ears.

Then TK’s face is gone as quickly as it had appeared, along with his grounding hold.

A shiver runs through Carlos’s body and he realizes just how cold he is at the loss of TK’s touch. It’s the last thing he’s aware of as he loses the battle with the impending darkness, his eyes slowly slipping shut.

TK feels a piece of his heart being violently torn from him watching the team wheel Carlos away and into an elevator, taking him straight to surgery.

The doctor had reassured them they’ll do everything they can for Carlos, and those words weigh heavily on TK’s shoulders. He knows nothing is guaranteed, knows no promises can be made.

His head falls forward, his chin hitting his chest as he pleads and pleads that Carlos’s time isn’t up, that Carlos won’t be ripped away from him. Because this can’t be Carlos’s end, this can’t be their end. They’ve only just begin, there’s still so much he wants to do with Carlos, so much he wants to see and experience with him.

TK pleads that the I love you he just spoke won’t be the last time, or the last thing, he tells Carlos.

TK is looking at the elevator long after the doors have closed and he feels a hand land on his shoulder, the same way it had earlier at the bar.

“Come on, TK,” Tommy’s speaks in her motherly tone. “They said we can go to the waiting room on the surgical floor.”

TK nods, but makes no indication of movement. It’s when he sees Tommy and Nancy move towards the elevator that he does move, but in the direction of the stairs.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll take the stairs,” he says.

“Okay,” Tommy nods. “The stairs it is.”

TK turns to see Mitchell rushing over, and she quickly notices the drop in the paramedic’s shoulders.

“Is he…”

“They just took him to surgery,” TK tells her.

She nods, the concern for her partner clear on her face.

They climb the floors in silence, the echo of their boots on each step the only sound until they reach the surgical floor, easily finding the waiting room near the nurse’s station. They file in, TK dropping into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs and resting his elbows on his tights. He leans forward, his hands folding into each other and he closes his eyes, sucking in a deep breath.

He opens them and stares at his hand a few moments later, his stomach churning unnaturally at all the blood coating his skin, Carlos’s blood. He shudders and looks up when a few wet wipes appear in his vision.

Nancy is standing in front of him, holding them out with a sympathetic expression on her face. He gratefully accepts them and starts wiping the blood, the wipes turning pink with each stroke.

Once he’s finished, Nancy disposes the wipes in the trash, returning and taking a seat next to her partner. TK’s leg starts bouncing, his nervous energy palpable and evident in his movements and in the way he worries his bottom lip between his teeth.

“I, uh,” TK breaks the silence, his voice small and low. “I need to call Carlos’s parents. I’ll be right back,” he gets up and walks out of the room, and with one more look in the direction of the operating rooms, makes his way downstairs and outside.

The sun is still hanging high in the sky when TK steps out of the emergency room entrance. It hasn’t been an hour since the paramedics arrived at the bar, but it feels like it's been a lifetime for him. It’s hot and the atmosphere is sticky with humidity, his Austin Fire t-shirt under his uniform clinging uncomfortably to his body.

He fishes his phone out of his pocket and opts to sit down on a nearby bench, opening his phone contacts and finding Andrea’s. His finger hovers over her name for a few moments as he steadiest himself, bringing the phone up to his ear once it starts ringing.

The line comes to life after a few rings, and the words get caught in TK’s throat.

“TK!” Andrea greets, her voice cheery and upbeat. “How are you, amor?”

“Mrs. Reyes,” TK starts and then pauses, letting out a shaky sigh. “Andrea…”

Andrea immediately picks up on TK’s broken tone, the concern hugging her next words. “TK, are you okay?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m okay, it’s…” TK’s voice quivers. “It’s Carlos. He…we were on a call and he got hurt.”

“Dios mio,” Andrea breaths out and TK can hear hustling in the background now. “What happened?”

“It all happened so quickly…we got called to a bar fight, and PD was already there, and Carlos and his partner were talking to two men. It seems like the fight was over but it suddenly started again and Carlos was in the middle of it,” TK sniffs, letting the tears run down his face. “We’re at the hospital now, I don’t—I can’t—” he hiccups.

“Breathe, TK. Take a breath,” Andrea guides him.

TK can hear the strength in Andrea’s voice, but he can also tell it wavers a little, the worry apparent alongside the steadiness.

“I’m sorry,” TK recovers. “I’m okay.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for, TK. And Carlitos will be okay, too,” Andrea replies. “He’s strong.”

TK holds onto her words with everything he’s got. He knows those words are for him, just as much as they are for her, as well.

TK nods, and it momentarily slips his mind that Andrea can’t see him. “Yes, ma’am. He’s the strongest person I know.”

“That’s it,” Andrea says. “Now tell me, which hospital are you at?”

TK returns to the waiting room after hanging up with Andrea, his eyes going a little wide with surprise when Owen and Judd get to their feet at his reappearance.

“Dad? Judd? What…” “I called them,” Tommy supplies from her seat. “It goes without saying that you’re off duty now, and we thought Owen should be with you.”

“But doesn’t your shift start soon?” Owen shakes his head. “I’m staying right here, Judd’s going to be Acting Captain during this shift.”

Deflated and drained, TK doesn’t find it in him to argue.

“I was on the phone with Judd when Tommy called and when I told him,” Owen starts.

“I wanted to be here to see how you were holding up, and to be here for Carlos, too,” Judd continues.

A ghost of a smile passes over TK’s face. “Thanks, Judd. That means everything.”

“Always, brother,” Judd replies, wrapping TK in a warm embrace.

TK feels like a little boy in Judd’s arms, holding onto the Texan and drawing strength from him. Judd tightens his grip on TK, knowing the younger man needs it and pats him on the shoulder a few times. TK nods against Judd’s shoulder in understanding.

*****

“I’m sorry.”

TK frowns, turning to face the source of the words.

“What are you talking about?” TK asks Mitchell.

They’ve been alone for twenty minutes; Judd had to leave for shift, while Tommy and Nancy got a call soon after and left, but not before TK promising to call or text if he needs anything and to update them on Carlos’s condition. Owen had left a little after that, on a quest to find food. Which had left TK and Mitchell sitting in silence.

“This is all my fault,” Mitchell shakes her head. “I didn’t see it, I was right there and…I let Carlos down, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, no,” TK gets up from his seat and moves to the one next to her. “This wasn’t your fault, and you didn’t let him down. I know you always have his back, and that makes it a little easier watching him go to work every day. This…this is only one person’s fault, and it’s that man’s who intentionally hurt Carlos.”

Mitchell’s gaze remains on the floor, unable to look into TK’s eyes. “I was right there,” she repeats. “I should have seen it. I was right next to him. I can’t help but wonder if I had just been quicker…”

“It was chaos, everything was happening so quickly and it was a blur. I don’t even think Carlos saw it coming. It…came out of nowhere,” TK sighs. “I was watching you both and I looked away for one second, and I keep wondering if I just hadn’t looked away…maybe I would have seen it,” he confesses. “I was further away, maybe I would have caught it. The man moving to grab the knife or something.”

Mitchell does raise her head then and looks at TK, finding identical unshed tears in his eyes as in hers.

TK sighs again. “The truth is, what ifs aren’t going to help us now, and they won’t make this any easier. They’ll just drive us down a spiral that has no end, trust me, I know. All we have to focus on now is Carlos. He’s going to be okay.” TK turns to look out into the nearly empty hallway. “He has to be,” he whispers.

He sees Mitchell nod from the corner of his eye.

Mitchell was gone by the time Owen returns, carrying a couple of brown paper bags and three cups of what TK can tell is iced tea.

Owen frowns when he only sees his son there. “Where did Officer Mitchell go?”

“She had to leave, their Captain called. He needed her at the precinct to take her statement about what happened,” TK answers. “She’ll be back as soon as she can.”

Owen nods, setting everything on the table in the middle of the room and hands TK a cold cup.

“Thanks,” TK gratefully accepts the beverage and takes a small sip, reveling the coolness running down his parched throat.

“You should eat something,” Owen gestures to the paper bags.

“Maybe in a little bit, I’m not really hungry,” TK shakes his head.

Owen purses his lips but doesn’t push, instead he settles for a nod and a gentle pat to TK’s shoulder.

TK is nearly done with his iced tea when hurried footsteps break the drape of silence that had fallen on him and his father.

He looks up and sees Andrea through the glass window, a moment before she’s stepping into the room, her handbag clutched tightly at her side, brown eyes wide and face heavy with worry.

“TK, Owen,” she pants as both men get to their feet. “Any news yet?”

Owen shakes his head. “He’s been in there a while, we should be getting an update soon.”

Andrea nods and throws a glance over her shoulder in the direction of the big swinging doors. She sighs, turning back to look at TK, but he isn’t looking at her.

Instead, TK is looking down at his hands hanging in the air at his middle, busying themselves as he anxiously runs his fingers over each other.

“TK,” Andrea says softly as she approaches him. “Look at me, amor.”

Slowly, TK lifts his gaze to Andrea’s, a tear rolling down his cheek.

She gives him a small, sad smile and cups his face, wiping away the fallen tear. “It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay.”

That’s all it takes for the dam inside TK to break, a sob tearing from his throat as his body shakes with the force of his tears.

“Come here,” Andrea whispers, placing her hand at the nape of TK’s neck and gently pulls him towards her.

He goes easily, returning the embrace as she wraps him in a hug and soothingly runs her other hand up and down his back.

“I got to him as fast as I could,” TK says, voice muffled against Andrea’s blouse.

“I know in my heart you did everything for our Carlitos,” Andrea replies as she pulls back, but keeps TK close.

“I wish,” he sniffs. “I wish I could have done more.”

“From what Tommy told me,” Owen’s voice comes from behind them, “you did everything in your power for him, TK. You saved his life.”

TK drops his head. “If I had seen the knife…maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation right now. Carlos would be safe, not in surgery.”

“You can’t put that weight on your shoulders, TK,” Andrea says.

TK then realizes that Andrea doesn't know the details of what happened. He meets her eyes and after a moment, explains. “He was…stabbed in the middle of that fight. I was far away from it, I didn’t take my eyes off him the whole time but I looked away for one second and that’s all it took. Maybe if I hadn’t looked away…”

Andrea is shaking her head, a tear sliding down her face but she keeps her attention on TK. “You got to him as quick as you can, remember? I hate that Carlitos got hurt, it aches my heart, but I’m glad you were right there, and I’m glad it was you, that you were by his side, doing whatever needed to be done to make sure he comes out of this okay. From what I’m hearing, it’s true, you saved my mijo, TK. And he’s going to pull through.”

TK nods and moves in for another hug, he and Andrea taking comfort and support from each other, leaning on one another. Their strong hold on each other is the only thing keeping them from shattering right then and there.

***** The silence, save for the beeping of the heart monitor, is eerie and daunting in Carlos’s hospital room.

TK’s been sitting by Carlos’s bedside for a little over ten minutes, but he hasn’t been able to utter a single word since falling into the chair situated by the bed.

It was two agonizing hours after Andrea’s arrival that a very exhausted doctor entered the waiting room and called for the family of Carlos Reyes. Perhaps TK’s silence had something to do with him still digesting the doctor’s report.

It was touch and go for a while but he made it through. Significant blood loss. Concerns about infection. Low blood pressure. Part of the colon was perforated but was successfully repaired. Jagged entry. Will leave a scar. Expected to make a full recovery with time.

TK focuses on the expected to make a full recovery portion of the report, not daring to believe any other outcome. It’s difficult, though, watching Carlos so still in front of him. The officer is a calm sleeper, but there are always small movements here and there, a soft sigh, a little twist and turn, an arm thrown over TK’s middle that pulls him close, and the absence of any of those movements is unnatural. Even his breathing is different.

TK takes small comfort in the fact that Carlos is breathing on his own, but it’s nothing like how he breaths while sleeping in their bed. The rhythm beats to a different drum, it’s not relaxed and peaceful in this hospital bed, it’s strained and on edge.

TK steadiest himself,  reaching out and taking Carlos’s hand into his own, giving it a light squeeze, hoping the officer can feel it.

“Hi, baby,” TK starts but abruptly stops, taken a little aback by how gruff and heavy his voice sounds. He clears his throat before speaking again. “I’m right here, and you’re okay. The doctor told us everything went well and that you’ll be back on your feet in no time. Your mom is here, in the waiting room and your dad will be here soon, too. I…I really need you to pull through, babe. I need you. And I miss you. Come back to me, ‘Los,” TK brushes a soft kiss to Carlos’s forehead.

TK can’t help the disappointment that brews in his gut when he doesn’t get a response.

A gentle knock an hour later breaks TK from his haze, he looks to the door and sees Andrea and Gabriel standing there, meeting TK’s eyes for a moment before they drift to their son.

“Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, please come in,” TK says as he gets to his feet, hand still holding onto Carlos’s.

“How’s he doing?” Gabriel asks, his usual strong voice a little frail and low. The Ranger’s shoulders are fallen, too.

“He’s hanging in there,” TK reassures him. “His vitals are holding and he’s regaining color, all good signs.”

Andrea nods, stepping closer to the bed and cards her fingers through Carlos’s curls.

TK doesn’t want to leave Carlos’s side, but he knows his parents want and need some time with their son. Making up his mind, he looks at Andrea and then Gabriel.

“Please stay for as long as you need,” TK says. “I’ll go home to freshen up, change and pack a bag for Carlos and I.”

“TK…” Andrea tries but TK is quick to gently shake his head.

“You need some time with him,” he says with a small smile. “And I’m sure he’d love to hear your voices.” TK leans down and plants a kiss to Carlos’s cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit, babe.”

Gabriel squeezes TK’s shoulder when he walks by him, and TK replies with a nod in understanding, smile still on his face.

“And TK,” Andrea speaks before TK leaves the room. “Please try to eat something, too. You barely touched the food your father bought earlier.”

“Yes,” Gabriel agrees. “You have to keep your strength up, for your sake and for Carlitos’s. To take care of him.”

TK gives them another nod and his smile widens a little. With a last glance at Carlos, he leaves.

*****

The sun is climbing in the sky when it happens.

TK had given up on sleep, opting to walk around the room for a while to stretch his tired muscles before settling back in the chair next to Carlos’s bed. He’s scrolling aimlessly through his Instagram feed when his eyes catch the movement.

At first, he thinks his brain is playing a trick on him. Or maybe it’s the not sleeping. But then it happens again, and that has TK sitting up straight in his place, leaning forward towards Carlos.

“Carlos? Baby, can you hear me?” TK speaks, his voice a little rough around the edges.

He holds his breath as he watches Carlos wrinkle his nose, as he sometimes does before waking up. A few moments pass and then Carlos is slowly opening his eyes, finding TK’s through his blurry vision.

“TK?” Carlos whispers, his voice hoarse.

“Yeah, I’m here, baby, I’m right here,” TK smiles at his boyfriend, eyes beginning to fill with tears. “You’re okay.”

TK reaches out and cups Carlos’s face, tenderly caressing his cheek. A tear rolls down TK’s face when Carlos leans into his touch, and feeling Carlos’s warmth against his skin lights up the flame inside him, the one that was dimmed the moment Carlos got hurt.

“What…” Carlos trails off as he swallows.

“You got hurt on a call, babe, but you’re okay now. You’re safe. I’m right here, I got you,” TK reassures him.

“You…always do,” Carlos gives TK the strongest smile he could muster.

“And I always will,” TK promises. “Get some more rest, baby. I’ll be right here when you wake up again.”

Carlos nods weakly. “I love you,” he expresses as his eyes begin to close.

“I love you, too,” TK reciprocates, bringing Carlos’s hand up to his lips and brushes a kiss to his knuckles.

And for the first time since he watched Carlos sway at that bar, TK can finally properly breathe.

*****

“Looking good, babe,” TK smiles from where he’s standing in the doorway of their bedroom, leaning against the doorframe.

Carlos smiles back, catching TK’s eyes in the mirror in front of him.

“Fits the same,” Carlos says, adjusting his name tag pinned to his uniform.

TK nods and steps into the bedroom, walking over to his boyfriend and wraps his arms around his middle from behind, pulling him into his chest.

Carlos leans back, placing his arms over TK’s as TK rests his chin on the officer’s shoulder.

They watch each other in the mirror as a comfortable silence settles over them and then TK moves his head slightly to place a kiss to Carlos’s clothed shoulder.

Then TK’s eyes roam down to Carlos’s stomach and he can almost see the hidden scar underneath the layers of Carlos’s uniform.

“I’ll be fine, Ty,” Carlos whispers, knowing very well where TK’s thoughts are taking him. “Everything checked out and I’ve been cleared for active duty.”

TK nods, but his eyes remain fixed where they are, and now TK can see the scar in his mind, etched into his memory along with the fear of almost losing the love of his life.

It’s his day off, and TK had hoped he’d be working the day Carlos went back into the field, just for the possibility of seeing him on calls and making sure he was okay with his own eyes.

The weeks following Carlos’s injury weren’t easy, for either of them. A bad infection had set in shortly after Carlos had woken up, which warranted a few more days at the hospital. Once the infection was treated, Carlos was cleared to go home, with strict instructions to take it slow and easy and  to have someone with him for at least the first week of his recovery. TK took time off, staying by Carlos’s side, and still shaken up himself, didn’t stray far for both their sakes. He, too, needing to make sure Carlos was okay, that the worst was over and behind them.

He had to return to work eventually, Carlos constantly telling him that I’ll be okay, I’ll call if I need anything. I don’t want to keep you from work, from people who need your help more than I do now. Which TK promptly replied to with I’m exactly where I want and need to be, babe.

TK and Andrea worked out a schedule a week later, to make sure Carlos was always taken care of and someone was close by as he healed.

Carlos did eventually begin to lean on others and to ask for help when he needed it throughout his recovery, which made Andrea and TK breathe a little easier.

It was hard for TK to leave him, his mind constantly on Carlos when they weren’t on a call. He always looked forward to going home to Carlos and taking him into his arms.

After a few trips to the doctor’s and reassurances that Carlos was healing up well, he was assigned to desk duty. He wasn’t the biggest fan of it but he was glad it meant one step closer to getting back into the field.

TK had his own reserves about that, trying to breach the conversation with Carlos but the words seemed to always stop in his throat. Until one night, while cuddling on the couch watching a movie, the words just spilled out of TK’s mouth.

I’m scared for you. I’ve always been scared for you but that day…I mean, knowing it could happen and actually seeing it happen are two different things and babe…

Carlos understood. I know how scary it was that day. I was scared. And there are no guarantees, in both our lines of work. I can’t promise that nothing is going to happen, but I can and will promise that I will always fight my hardest to come home to you. Every day.

After a final check up and a physical exam, Carlos was cleared for active duty two weeks later.

Which is how they find themselves wrapped in each other’s embrace, Carlos getting ready for his first shift back out there.

“Just…be careful, please,” TK says, lifting his eyes to meet Carlos’s beautiful brown ones.

Carlos breaks out of TK’s hold then, turning around to face the younger man and takes his face gently into his hands, both thumbs running over his cheekbones.

“I promise,” Carlos vows.

Carlos leans in, closing the distance between them with a soft kiss. It’s not urgent or heated, it’s calm and grounding, filled with reassurance and love.

TK smiles against Carlos’s lips as he returns it, getting lost in his boyfriend, soaking up everything Carlos is offering and giving his own.

Their foreheads touch when they pull back and they breathe together. They feel each other and their love, anchoring each other.

TK’s hand gravitates to Carlos’s middle, to the location of the scar and his fingers brush lightly against the fabric covering it. Like his own bullet scar, it’s a reminder of how close he and Carlos had gotten to losing each other, how close they had gotten to losing this. But thinking back to that moment on the couch, TK takes comfort in knowing he and Carlos would do anything and everything in their power to come back to one another.

TK believes in them, believes in their love. And while he gazes into Carlos’s eyes now, getting lost in his captivating brown irises, knows beyond a doubt that Carlos does, too.

That knowledge gives TK the strength to brush another soft kiss to Carlos’s lips and then pulls back, making sure his boyfriend’s uniform is pristine.

“I’ll be right here when you come back home,” TK cups Carlos’s cheek.

Carlos seals the promise with a kiss to the inside of TK’s palm.