#sweet pea a-z

[pyxxiestyxx]

Nightmares

Flashes. Screams. The hiss of some kind of hatch on the ship. A name, repeated endlessly. She was...he was...it...too much...toomuch toomuchtoomuchhelpmehelpmehelpme-

"Sweetie? Petal, wake up!"

You bolt upright in a huge gasp of breath, adrenaline pumping through you like thunder through your brain. Someone immediately winds hands...no, winds vines under you, lifting you into a cradled position, your head resting on her chest. You plunge your hands into her on instinct, letting them be wrapped and squeezed and comforted while you cry.

"Shhhh....shhhh....there there, my sweet little one. It was just a bad dream, I promise."

You shook your head hard, stuttering out an anxious, "N-no! It was...it was real, it happened and it...they were all..."

"Petal, it never happened." The strength in the words caused your eyes to nearly roll back in your head.

It never happened.

It never happened.

Never.

Never.

Never.

"Petal, do you remember what we do with those bad dreams?" You nod, shakily. "Good. Then picture that mental shelf for me, sweet pea. The one with the Box on the top shelf."

You see it in your mind's eye. The shelf is already far out of reach, but the top of it is nearly out of sight. You don't even remember what all is stored up there. The vines in your head pull the box down, opening the flaps.

"Place the dream in there, pumpkin. Let Mommy take it off your hands, okay? You're too precious to hold on to something like that."

The vines pluck the dream from you, placing it into the Box. You can't see into it, somehow- it's as if the lip plunges into darkness, keeping everything in there out of sight and mind.

The Box is closed, returned to the top of the shelf. Your eyes finally open, blinking in confusion. What was...what happened?

You were being held by Mommy in your bed, and you were covered in sweat. Another bad dream, maybe? You tried to search for the memory, but it wasn't coming. That's okay, though. Mommy said it was okay to forget.

You nuzzle into her chest, sighing as she began to comb her fingers through your hair. She cooed, "That's right, just like that. When things get confusing or scary, all you have to do is remember that You've always been Mommy's special floret."

You nod instinctively, automatically. She smiles down at you as she picks you up, carrying you to the kitchen. The compiler already had a nice warm mug of chocolate milk waiting for you, and you whimper as the aroma touches your nostrils. Your body remembers what that means- you get a nice drink, and then Mommy reads you a silly little story until you fall asleep.

"I love you, Mommy." You said it to her a few dozen times a day, but one more couldn't hurt.

"I love you too, petal. Now then, let's see what Mister Duck is getting up to..." She flips open your favorite book as you slurp at the milk, letting you see the happy little duck waddle around.

The class Z's in the drink have you peacefully asleep in less than five minutes, but your Mommy reads the entire story out loud. Just like she does every time, of course. You're going to wake up tomorrow with dreams of little ducklings being brave, and have another perfect day.

[lunarpeonie]

midnight in the ocean

In which Geto is a sweet pea and tries to help you, but you’re just not a morning person. 

2.2k words, fluff

Mornings were easily your least favorite part of the day. You were a night owl and as such, spent the dark hours of the night searching random questions on Google like Why are clouds white? and scrolling through Tiktok. However, recently your late night plans had been foiled by a certain long haired, gauge wearing sorcerer whose name might rhyme with meadow. Geto had been on a crusade to get you to bed earlier ever since you had slept through three alarms and six phone calls from him the morning of a semi-important (read: very important) mission a week earlier. So what if you had been a little late? A few hours late when a curse had been there for weeks really didn’t make a difference. (Only… it did. You had been assigned the mission with specific directions to attack the curse at sunrise because that had been its weakest point during the day, before it could take cover in a dark crevasse of the abandoned building it was inhabiting. Something about it being manifested by people’s fear of the dark and it being afraid of the rising sun. Instead of an easy fight like you had expected, you had been thrown through a few more walls than you would’ve liked.) 

Ever since, Geto had been trying his hardest to get you to bed early to avoid any other possible incidents. He was being ‘responsible.’ Whatever.

Attempt 1

First, he had taken your phone and hid it deep within the confines of his baggy pants after returning to the dorms from an outing with your classmates.

“Are you serious right now? Give me my phone back, Geto.” He shot you back his tight lipped smile, eyes shaped like crescent moons. 

“Ah, no can do. You need to start a habit of getting to bed earlier. What better way to do that than to rid yourself of your main distraction?” Your jaw dropped. The audacity of this man to act like you were an unruly child in need of parenting. Sure, was it a little irresponsible to keep up your night owl activities when you had to be up early in the morning some days? Yes, you could admit that. But that didn’t mean you needed someone else, someone your own age, to parent you.

“If you think that putting my phone in your pants is going to stop me from getting it, you really must not know me well enough.” You challenged, eyes narrowing so that he knew you meant business. He just continued to smile back at you in a way that was starting to feel a little condescending. 

“Try it.” 

This had ended with you crouching on top of Geto, foot to his neck, and hand fishing down his pants. (Awkward in retrospect, but you were desperate and on a mission to get your phone before your favorite Tiktoker went on live for the night. You only wished that Gojo hadn’t been walking by at the same time. He now had a plethora of pictures from what he deemed “the indecent incident” and was determined to remind you of it every chance he got.) 

Attempt 2

The next thing Geto tried was another tactic that made you feel like an unruly 5 year old. A knock on your dorm door had you pausing the DIY rug making video you had been watching and rolling your desk chair over to answer it. Standing on the other side of it was Geto wearing his signature smile once again. He was clad in his silky black pajamas and had his eye mask sitting on top of his head. 

“Can I help you with something?” You rolled your eyes, knowing that him showing up at your door at 11PM meant he was trying to prove a point. 

“Yes, you can.” He said cheerily. Much too cheerily for past 10. This was ‘me’ time that he was interrupting. “You can try these.” He held up a purple jar with Z’s plastered on the label. “Maybe then you can get to bed at a reasonable hour. You do know that we are supposed to be on the road to exorcize that cursed spirit at the elementary school by 8AM tomorrow?” You stuck out your hand to grab the jar and leaned your head closer to the label to see exactly what he meant by these. 

For a healthy sleep cycle. SLEEP! No next day grogginess! 

“Are these…” You started, “Melatonin gummies?” He happily nodded his head, his inky bangs swaying back and forth as he did so. You could feel your blood pressure rising with irritation that he had interrupted your ‘me’ time for something so stupid. You still had 20 minutes left on your rug making video and there could be dire consequences if you didn’t finish it. Didn’t he understand that? So, out of frustration, you aimed for the biggest target (his head) and threw. 

You were late again the next morning. 

Attempt 3

It was a few days later when sitting at a bench along the many walkways around the school, ready to chow down on your lunch of leftover pepperoni pizza, Geto plopped down on the bench beside and laid a white, half moon shaped contraption between you. 

“Uh, what is that thing?” You asked with a mouthful of pizza, closing the latest edition of a teen gossip magazine that you had been lazily flipping through. 

“A sound machine, it makes a variety of sounds and the reviews say that it helps put babies to sleep.” You could already feel a vein throbbing on your forehead at the thought of Geto treating you like a kid once again. He began pressing buttons on the machine to show you just how many it made. After shuffling through fan noises, whale noises, and copious static noises, you placed your hand on top of his as a signal to stop. 

Closing your eyes, the words began to roll out before you could stop them, “Look, it’s not that I’m against going to bed early and going on a normal sleep routine. I go to bed late because I have a hard time sleeping by myself. At home, I always had someone around. I shared a room with my sister, so I never had to sleep alone. I just… don’t feel safe when I sleep alone.” You sighed, feeling embarrassed to admit the real reason behind your wacky sleep schedule. 

Geto’s signature smile lit up his face. “Why didn’t you just tell me that? We could’ve had this solved so much sooner!”

“Yeah, how?” You asked, confused and eyebrow raised. 

“I’ll just sleep in your room from now on.” Time screeched to a halt. Birds stopped chirping. Wind stopped flowing. Did… you hear him correctly? 

“Do you know how seriously indecent it is for you to propose something like that?!? What kind of girl do you take me for??” You rolled up the magazine you had been flicking through and began hitting that tall pervert with it like he deserved.

“Ah no! You misunderstand. I only mean to help, nothing indecent! I’ll sleep on the floor. Just so that I’m in the room and it’ll be enough for you to comfortably fall asleep.” 

You paused in your magazine assault and contemplated this offer. You did love having the extra time to browse the internet, but you were always sluggish in the morning and didn’t recover until late afternoon. As much as you tried to hide it, it was really starting to drag you down.

Hesitantly you replied, “Okay… we’ll try it. But no funny business, I’m serious! One weird look and you’re getting kicked out.” You waved the curled magazine around in the air to emphasize your point. 

•

That night, right as the clock struck 9:30, you heard a steady knock, knock, knock on your door. Opening the door, a pajama-clad Geto Suguru leaned into your doorway, pillow and blanket in hand. “Are you ready for our sleepover?” 

You blinked twice and tried to remind (read: convince) yourself that this was a good idea. As long as no one (Gojo) found out. 

“Come in,” you said with an arm extended to the small space. “You can set your stuff up right here. I moved my rug to the corner so that you had some space.” You pointed to the cherry print rug wadded up in a haphazard ball. Rug making had not exactly worked out well for you, so that may as well be its home forever. You sat on the edge of your bed, nails digging into the soft down bedding, as Geto arranged his things on the floor. You were nervous. You’d never had a guy sleep over before, even if this wasn’t like that. 

Geto had placed his striped blanket directly on the floor and his pillow in the opposite direction of where yours laid on your bed. “Are you sure you’re going to be comfortable sleeping on the floor? I feel kind of bad… since you’re the one doing me a favor.” 

“I’ll be fine. As long as this helps you, I’m happy.” There was that smile again. You would never admit it out loud, but his smile felt like warm rays of sunshine and you were thawing from the cold. He truly was a kind soul. What kind of person sacrifices their own comfort just to make sure that their classmate can get a good night’s rest? A generous one. 

Biting down on your bottom lip, maybe it was your nerves talking, but you couldn’t help but offer, “Do you want to sleep on the bed? I feel really bad about you sleeping on the floor. I could make an indestructible pillow wall to separate us.” You fidgeted with a string on your plaid pajama bottoms, unable to look him in the eye while you offered and awaited his answer. 

“Sure, I’ll even help you build the wall. I need to make sure you don’t cut corners and damage the structural integrity of it.” He winked. You felt a quick flutter in your stomach, gone almost as fast as it had come. Together, you worked quickly to arrange the pillows into double layered stacks neatly down the middle of the bed, with the occasional break to hit each other with them. Designating the wall side to Geto, you watched as he climbed over the pillow wall to lay down. You gulped, feeling your pulse quicken. Are we really about to do this? 

Geto extended a long arm and patted your side of the bed. “No sense in wasting more time. If we don’t get to bed now, we’ll continue your bad habit.” 

Wrapping your blanket tightly around your shoulders, you nodded your head and flicked off the corner lamp. Moonlight continued to flood in through the windows on the other side of the room. Your feet made a light pitter patter as you took a few small steps to get to the bed, now with considerably less space due to the large man laying in it. Geto slid his finger through the black elastic holding his hair in a bun and flicked it to the floor. His hair fell down past his shoulders in dark waves like the ocean at midnight. He was beautiful. This wasn’t calming your nerves one bit. Still, gaining your courage, you gently laid next to your artfully built wall of fluff and turned your head up to the man occupying your bed. 

“Thank you for doing this. It was really kind of you.” A pink blush began to fill the apples of your cheeks and you could only hope that it was hidden by the darkness in the room. Geto didn’t say anything, instead opting to pat your head with his large hand, fingers dipping into your hair. Closing your eyes, you felt more comfort than you had ever felt, even at home. You knew, with one half of the strongest duo laying next to you, there wasn’t a safer place in the world than where you were at this moment. 

As sleep began to take its hold, you almost caught a whispered voice replying, “For you? Anything.”

Sometime during the night, the pillow wall had scattered across the bed and a strong, muscled arm made its way around your stomach. The both of you chose not to mention it in the morning. 

•

It had been a month since you started this charade and you had never felt better. Who knew a full night’s sleep (conveniently with your own personal very attractive furnace) could make you feel so great? With a sigh, you turned over to face the formidable pillow wall between you and Geto, only to find him peering over it already awake. You giggled, butterflies fluttering through your stomach. That had been happening more often around Geto recently. His gentle manner and the way he took care of you had caused feelings to blossom deep down in your chest. 

“You know,” you said quietly, your voice barely above a whisper, “I’ve never been a morning person, but then I started waking up to your face and… Maybe mornings aren’t that bad, after all.” 

You never had a problem getting to sleep early again. Geto made sure of that. 

fin.

Inspired by a prompt from @dumplingsjinson on Tumblr! Cross posted to ao3.

I demand more Geto fluff!!!! I can fix him, I swear! I had a blast writing this (even though it was at 1AM…). The writing bug caught me and I couldn’t stop until I was done. 

[sundove88]

Introducing Anime Ever After!!

Ever wanted to experience classic fairytales but through the lens of legendary and lesser known anime?

Well, Anime Ever After is for you!!

Synopsis: An anthropology of famous stories from around the world retold through the lens of legendary and lesser known anime, with modern twists, turns, and lessons about. From the depths of the sea in DBZ: Waves of Freedom (The Little Mermaid) to the realm beyond the clouds in One Piece: Beyond The Sky (Jack and The Beanstalk), this ever expanding treasury of tales has something for everyone.

Framing Device: An anime loving teenager is telling classic fairytales to the kids they babysit as bedtime stories- with a twist!

Side Note: Nursery Rhymes being adapted is more for Shrek. So they won’t be here- sorry about that. But they do a good job at it. This anthology is meant for readers 12 and up, due to some of the themes in some of the stories.

Btw, look for the posts that have anime ever after on them as one of their tags. Here’s the list of tales (So Far):

Dragon Ball Z: Waves of Freedom (The Little Mermaid)

My Hero Academia: Heart of Glass (Cinderella)

Attack on Titan: Red Hood (Little Red Riding Hood)

One Piece: Beyond The Sky (Jack and The Beanstalk)

Naruto: Sleeping Shadow (Sleeping Beauty)

Sword Art Online: The Match Player (The Little Match Girl)

FullMetal Alchemist: Iron Wolves (The 3 Little Pigs)

Fairy Tail: Mirrors of Deceit (Snow White)

Inuyasha: Soul of The Beast (Beauty and The Beast)

Bleach: Brushes of Fate (The Magic Paintbrush)

Fruits Basket: The 12 Dancing Zodiacs (12 Dancing Princesses)

Black Clover: The Frog Knight (The Frog Prince)

Hunter X Hunter: Spreading Your Wings (The Ugly Duckling)

Demon Slayer: Demon of The Northern Wind (The Snow Queen)

Black Butler: Beyond The Tower (Rapunzel)

Yu Yu Hakusho: Sweet Temptation (Hansel and Gretel)

Doraemon; Fearless Feline (Puss in Boots)

Gintama: Peachy Keen (Momotaro)

Sailor Moon: Lady of The Waxing Moon (Princess Kaguya)

Haikyuu: Bear-ly Faltering (Snow White and Rose Red)

Railgun: Little Warriors, Big Impacts (Thumbelina)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All That Glitters (Rumplestiltskin)

Yu Gi Oh: Diamond in The Rough (Aladdin)

Konosuba: The Royal Test (The Princess and The Pea)

Tokyo Ghoul: The Crimson Amulet (The Red Shoes)

Akame Ga Kill: Fashion Gambit (The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Ouran High School Host Club: Wings of Perseverance (The Wild Swans)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Ronin’s Trials (The Steadfast Tin Soldier)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan: Cage of Steel, Heart of Platinum (The Nightingale)

Cowboy Bebop: Written in The Stars (The Weaver Girl and The Cowherd)

Death Note: The Golden Pen (King Midas)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: No Strings Attached (Pinocchio)

Fate: The Chosen Sword (King Arthur)

BanG Dream!: Melody of Deceit (The Pied Piper)

Code Geass: The Princess and The Pig Man (The Swineherd)

Jujitsu Kaisen: The Light Within (The Buried Moon)

Blue Exorcist: Blazing Bonds (The Firebird)

Spy X Family: Secret of The Statue (The Happy Prince)

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic: The Enchanted Key (Alibaba and The 40 Thieves)

Re:Zero: Gilded Feathers (The Golden Goose)

Saint Seiya: Divine Trials and Godly Tribulations (The 12 Labors of Hercules)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Claws of Gold, Hearts of Gold (Goldilocks and The 3 Bears)

One Punch Man: A Hero’s Humility (King Thrushbeard)

Future Diary: Wishful Obsession (The Fisherman and His Wife)

Sket Dance: A Tale of Three Tricksters (The 3 Billy Goats Gruff)

Precure (All seasons): The Sweetest Holiday Ever (The Nutcracker)

Food Wars: A Recipe For Courage (The Brave Little Tailor)

Spice and Wolf: Against All Odds (The Princess on The Glass Hill)

Noragami: Stolen Sun (Amaterasu and The Cave)

Monogatari: Secret Confidants (The Elves and The Shoemaker)

Steins;Gate: Azure Secrets (Bluebeard)

Tokyo Revengers: Neverlanding, Never Faltering (Peter Pan)

The Promised Neverland: Emerald Truths (The Wizard of Oz)

Toriko: Sweet Pursuit (The Gingerbread Man)

Kill La Kill: A Royal Mix Up (The Prince and The Pauper)

World Trigger: The Silent Springtime (The Selfish Giant)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Curse of Shade and Malice (The Shadow)

Cardcaptor Sakura: Salt and Sugar (The Salt Princess/Cap O Rushes)

Assassination Classroom: Honeyed Words (Diamonds and Toads)

Way of The House Husband: Out of The Cage (Jorinda and Joringel)

Danganronpa The Animation (It covers all the games): Makoto in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)

D Gray Man: Song of The Sparkling Swan (Swan Lake)

Persona 5 The Animation: Way Down We Go (Hades and Persephone)

Soul Eater: United We Stand (The Six Who Went Far)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The 5 Magical Musketeers (The 3 Musketeers)

Aggretsuko: Four Man Band (The Bremen Town Musicians)

Tokyo Godfathers: A Holiday Journey (A Christmas Carol)

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Emotions Set Free (The Princess Who Never Smiled)

Sonic X: True, Blue, and Noble (Hans The Hedgehog)

Magiknight Rayearth: Noble Flame, Changing Tide, and Guiding Wind (The 3 Princesses of Whiteland)

A Silent Voice: Beyond All Boundaries (East of The Sun, West of The Moon)

A Whisker Away: A Feline Fairytale (The White Cat)

Your Name: A Little Bird Told Me (The Singing, Springing, Lark)

Love Live: A Fateful Adventure (Journey to The West)

Captain Tsubasa: Winging It (The Seven Ravens)

The Ancient Magus Bride: Entrapped Beauty (The Lindworm)

Overlord: Seeds of Trust (The Juniper Tree)

Delicious in Dungeon: Cooking Up Trouble (The Magic Porridge Pot)

Medaka Box: The Truth Above All (The Goose Girl)

Chainsaw Man: Demonic Assistance (The Golden Bird)

Taikobo: Legend of The Lost Kingdom (Urashima Taro)

Revue Starlight: Masked Secrets (Phantom of The Opera)

Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin: Path of The Canine (The Boy Who Cried Wolf)

Dr. Stone: Into The Wilderness (The Jungle Book)

Fire Force: The Flames of Charity (Robin Hood)

Shaman King: Mystery of The Marsh (The Marsh King’s Daughter)

Rave Master: Cloak of Secrets (Donkeyskin/Many Furs)

Ranma 1/2: Loyal, Brave, and True (Mulan)

Karakuri Circus: The House Within The Woods (Vasilisa The Brave and Beautiful)

Devilman Crybaby: Three Hairs of Gold (The Devil With 3 Golden Hairs)

The Irregular at Magic High School: Ring of Enchantments (The Bronze Ring)

Bobobo: One Hairy Tale (Prince Hyacinth)

Shakugan No Shana: Three Dogs, Three Heroes (The Tinderbox)

Nisekoi: Yellow With Affection (The Yellow Dwarf)

Kaiju No. 8: Don’t Get Salty (Why The Sea is Salty)

Kinnikuman: A Mission in Patience (The Tortoise and The Hare)

Oshi No Ko: The Price of Stardom (Little Brother and Little Sister)

Case Closed: Stolen Hearts and Stolen Fortunes (The Master Thief)

Pokemon The Series: An Electrifying Rescue (The Lion and The Mouse)

Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation: A Tale of a Thousand and One Nights (1,001 Arabian Nights)

Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Ribbiting Adventure (The Frog Princess)

Dr. Slump: A Quacktastic Journey (Drakestail)

Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Windows to The Soul (One Eyes, Two Eyes, Three Eyes)

Kochikame: From Faux to Genuine (Don Quixote)

Yo-Kai Watch: Cat Artist Unknown (The Boy Who Drew Cats)

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War: To Love and To Be Loved (Turandot)

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Feathers of Joy (The Blue Bird)

DanMachi: Forgotten Evil Unleashed (Pandora’s Box)

Hellsing Ultimate: Blood Ties (Dracula)

Claymore: The Monster Unleashed (Frankenstein)

Thanks to @sam-rexian and @crystallinedreamsfinelypowdered for helping with some of these!

[toxicanonymity]

Woke up trying to be productive today but my brain is like "no, we will only think about raider!joel today <3". So that's how my day is going.

Could we maybe get a nsfw alphabet with raider!joel (or literally any/all of them 'cause I'm obsessed)? Or maybe some similar hcs?

Thank you for being that into raider!Joel! 🤍 I Included the few I did elsewhere. . .you asked first but the other one was easier lol. Did these pretty quick, might expand later. NSFW 18+ Misc

A = Aftercare - Will say you did good, help you get dressed. Calls you sweet pea / baby. These twisted moments of affection, combined with your orgasm hormones, bond you further to him. Messed up.

B = Body part - Loves to parade his raging erection.

C = Cum - Won't warn you. Typical load is 7-10 mL in 7-8 spurts. Has a vasectomy. May come on you or in you.

D = Dirty secret - IDK if he has any shame that would lend itself to having secrets. Maybe the fact that he was a father. He's buried his old life way down deep.

E = Experience - Expert and very smooth operator.

F = Favorite position - Gets off on making you choose. Otherwise, depends on the setting and situation. Does he need to show you off/possess you? Does he need to dominate you?

G = Goofy - He has sick ways of amusing himself and having fun. Like making someone jack off for their life. The first time he fucked you he made a depraved joke right after it. Very dark sense of humor.

H = Hair - Ungroomed, mostly black.

I = Intimacy - Not romantic or intimate but will praise you. And his possessiveness (ex: holding you tight at night, protecting you) could be mistaken for intimacy. It's not that he puts it on fakely - he's kinda treating you like a kitten.

J = Jack off - Before he met you, on a raid he might have jacked off then come on someone.

K = Kink  - Major exhibitionist.  Had a good time cucking Jack, might try it again sometime. Likes how you look tied up (for your own good). Dacryphilia.

L = Location - Dirty mattress since day 1. But anywhere. May get off on making you choose this too.

M = Motivation - His own dominance turns him on. Including when you're vulnerable/pitiful.

N = No - Not a good guy.

O = Oral - He's good at it even if he's not trying to be (like erasing someone's touch). And yeah he does like his cock sucked, might fuck your face. Ultimate dominance.

P = Pace - He's concerned more with power than pace. Moderate pace but adjusts to whatever suits him in the moment.

Q = Quickie - Any time, anywhere

R = Risk - He's a walking risk. Idk if it would even occur to him whether something might be risky. He's so self-assured.

S = Stamina - Very high stamina.

T = Toys - Not unless you count restraints/blindfold. This is post-outbreak.

U = Unfair - Doesn't want you to come if you haven't been a good girl.

V = Volume - Moderate by default but as loud as he needs to be (depending on the setting) if he's showing his dominance or possessing you. Sometimes quiet just for BDE effect like when he fucked you in the van.

W = Wild card - He's like sugarcoated poison. He calls you pet names, praises you, but he's just vile and depraved. Has a gentle touch but also manhandles you and gets rough. And he'll get turned on at the most offensive times.

X = X-ray - 20 cm (8”). Proportional girth.  Middle is slightly thicker.  Kind of duo-toned, pink and tanner pink, tip is pink. Grower.  Balls on the larger side.  Relatively veiny. 

Y = Yearning - Very high. He fucked you three times within a few hours the day he took you.

Z = Zzz - Falls asleep very quickly if he wants to.

-

RAIDER JOEL MASTER LIST

Master List: TLOU - Joel Miller

-

All joel: @ethanhoewke @silkiers @eiviea @evyiione @xdaddysprincessxx @queerly-anxious @chernayawidow @ambassadortotrilliusprime   @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @jasminespringtime @romanarose  @fandomsfallnomore @djarinxore @lokanda

[fanficfunwrite]

Bath Time and A Gift 🧟‍♀️💚

(10K Z Nation × OC!Fem!Reader)

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

10k lingered by the door for a moment, taking in the simple beauty of the scene. The apartment was small, the paint peeling off the walls and the old, warped floorboards creaking under his weight, but it was clean and it felt like home.But in that moment, the chaos of the world outside felt distant, as if they’d carved out this little piece of heaven amidst the nightmare.

"Hello Tommy" the sweet voice coming from the woman standing before him.

"She loves her baths, doesn’t she?" he said softly, as he bent down closer to their daughter.

Emma chuckled, her hands gently rinsing off their daughter’s tiny arms. "She’s a water baby, for sure. Just like her dad. You should’ve seen her earlier, Tommy. She was splashing like crazy."

Tommy smiled, reaching a finger out to tickle his daughter's little belly. The baby giggled, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and recognition as she splashed the water. "You’re getting us all wet, little one," he said, his voice filled with warmth.

Emma laughed, flicking a bit of water his way. "Oh, like you mind. I swear, you two are like peas in a pod."

He laughed too, wiping the droplets from his face before resting a hand on Emma’s shoulder. "I think she gets the splashing from you. You used to jump in puddles whenever you could."

Emma shrugged playfully. "What can I say? We’ve got to find joy where we can. Even now." She glanced at him, her eyes softening. "Speaking of joy, how was the run? Everyone make it back alright?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, Addy and Doc are just settling in their room, and Warren’s doing another sweep with Murphy. Everything’s clear, for now."

"For now," Emma echoed quietly, her gaze flicking toward the window, where the dark, decayed city loomed beyond. But then she smiled, shaking off the heaviness of the thought. "At least we have this. For as long as we can."

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the side of her head again. "We’ll keep making it work. For her." His eyes drifted back to their daughter, who was babbling happily, her little fingers reaching up to grasp at the air.

Emma turned off the faucet, her hands gently cupping their daughter to lift her out of the water. "Here, can you grab the towel?" she asked, and Tommy was quick to pick up the small, frayed towel from the counter, wrapping it snugly around their little girl. The baby cooed, nuzzling into the warmth, her tiny fists grabbing onto the fabric.

Tommy held her close, his heart swelling with that protective, fierce love he felt every time he looked at her. "She’s getting so big, Em. I almost can’t believe it."

"I know," Emma whispered, drying off their daughter’s soft hair. "She’s our miracle, Tommy. In all of this…" Her voice wavered slightly, but she quickly smiled again, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "She’s our reason to keep fighting."

He nodded, leaning in to press his forehead against hers. "Yeah, she is. And you’re mine too, Emma."

For a moment, they stood there, heads resting together, with the sound of their baby’s quiet coos between them. It wasn’t much, but in this broken world, it was everything.

"Come on, let’s get her dressed and fed," Emma said after a moment, pulling back slightly. "Before she decides to go on another splashing spree."

Tommy chuckled, still holding their daughter gently as he handed Emma the tiny onesie they'd scavenged from an old store weeks ago. It was faded, but still soft and warm.

As they dressed her, Emma kept glancing up at him, smiling each time she caught his eye. "I missed you today," she said softly, her hand brushing against his.

"I missed you too," Tommy replied, his voice low and sincere. "I always do."

~

As they finished dressing their daughter, Tommy suddenly remembered something he'd been hiding in his jacket pocket. He shifted slightly, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Hey, I’ve got something for her. Picked it up on the run today."

Emma raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? What did you find this time?"

With a bit of dramatic flair, Tommy pulled a small, faded yellow rubber duck from his pocket. The paint was chipped in places, but it still had its distinctive squeaky beak. "Ta-da!"

Emma gasped softly, her face lighting up. "Tommy! Where did you find that?"

"Old toy shop we passed through. Thought she might like it," he said, holding it out to their daughter, who immediately reached for it with wide, eager eyes. He gave it a gentle squeeze, and it let out a faint squeak.

Their daughter’s reaction was instant—she giggled loudly, clapping her tiny hands together in excitement. Her little fingers clutched at the duck, fascinated by its texture, and she brought it to her mouth, examining it like it was the greatest treasure in the world.

Emma laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can’t believe you found a rubber duck in all this mess."

Tommy shrugged, smiling as he watched their daughter’s joy. "Had to give her something to make bathtime even more fun, right? Plus, look at that smile. Totally worth it."

Emma leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder as they both watched their daughter squeak and gnaw at the duck. "You’re a pretty great dad, you know that?"

Tommy glanced at her, his heart swelling at her words. "I’m just doing my best. For her. For us."

"You’re doing more than that," Emma whispered, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You’re keeping us safe. And happy."

He smiled, his arm wrapping around her as they stood together, their daughter’s laughter filling the small apartment. For that brief moment, the world outside didn’t matter. The Z’s, the constant threat—they all faded away. It was just the three of them, and a rubber duck squeaking in the soft glow of their makeshift home.

"Yeah," Tommy whispered, his voice full of love. "We’re gonna be okay."

Thanks for reading.

Interact in any way to let me know you liked it.

[uzumaki-rebellion]

"Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 4, Chapter 74 (Finale) Part 1

I had to split this into 2 posts. Go to Wattpad to read it easier!

Need to catch up on this epic? Masterlist HERE.

"Years I have known I am living in a war zone

Poison of my enemy blatantly attacking me

War goddess arouse your power

Know this is indeed your hour

Dying to be heard literally

Constant screams convincing me

War"

Caron Wheeler – "Beach of the War Goddess"

"Shh, Dumplin, don't wake him…Baba is tired. Sweet Pea…both of you go with Kora and let your father sleep longer."

N'Jadaka kept himself snug in the fetal position with the bed covers tucked under his chin. Yani fussed with Sydette and Riki as they rushed to the bed trying to get to him. It was a losing battle once Sydette patted his shoulder and cupped his chin.

"Baba, today is such a pretty day, we should all go outside to see the blue butterflies," Sydette said.

N'Jadaka opened one eye. Sydette peered down at him with her big dimples visible.

"See, Baba is wide awake," Sydette said.

"Come on, Baba…the butterflies…." Riki whined.

N'Jadaka groaned. Yani had worked his body out and he ached all over in a good way.

"The butterflies will still be migrating later this afternoon," Yani said.

"Baba…"

Sydette's big eyes would not take no for an answer.

"Give Baba one more hour," N'Jadaka groaned.

He shifted his head onto a large pillow and gave both children morning hugs as they clamored onto him. Their haste to lie next to him on either side squeezed Yani out of the way. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, a lavender cover-up hanging loosely around her curves.

"We can have breakfast in bed," Sydette suggested.

Yani glanced at N'Jadaka and he grinned.

"Alright, breakfast in bed with Mama and Baba," he said.

Sydette and Riki cheered.

"Are you sure you want to get up now?" Yani said.

"Yeah… yeah…once I start moving around I'll be okay," he said.

Yani tapped a camouflaged floating screen above her nightstand.

"Kora, we'll have breakfast with the children in my room. Please tell the kitchen to bring our meals on trays."

"Yes, Princess Yani," Kora answered on the screen.

Yani fluffed up the pillows in the middle of the bed for the children to sit between them better. Their home attendants brought up the hearty morning meal of hot honey chicken omelets, mango crepes, and cheesy grits. N'Jadaka listened to his children talk excitedly about the blue butterfly migration through the royal garden and shared new riddles from Baba Z and Umama. His eyes blurred a lot and he found himself turning his head to the side, pretending to check his kimoyos because the peace he felt being with his family under a single roof flooded him with memories of his home life as a child. It gave him normalcy. Comfort. Fleeting images of himself as a boy sneaking food from his mother's plate as his father did the same rooted him in the present.

"When is Joba coming back?" Riki asked.

"In a few days," Yani said.

"Why can't she just stay here with us when Umi Disa has to travel?" Sydette asked.

N'Jadaka touched Sydette's braided hair.

"Well, they have family overseas that don't get to see her that much. Umi Disa has to share her with other relatives," N'Jadaka said.

"They can just come here," Riki said, irritation coloring his voice.

"You miss your baby sister, Dumplin?" Yani asked, tickling Riki's shoulder.

He nodded, and then his eyes watered.

"Aw, baby boy, she'll be back home soon. I know it's been hard for you," Yani cooed.

She hugged Riki and he buried his face in her side. Yani glanced at N'Jadaka and they shared a look to allow their son to cry openly. It was something they agreed upon to keep Riki in touch with his feelings. He was attached to Joba in a way they were still understanding as a family and it had nothing to do with emotional distance but the actual physical contact between them. They thrived as siblings in proximity to each other, almost as if they needed to recharge with one another in order to function at their best. Shuri theorized it had to do with their empathetic abilities to read people, and they balanced each other out when it became too much to process. Yani even commented that keeping them close helped with Riki's outbursts of frustration, something N'Jadaka recognized in his own past as a neurodivergent child. Crying was taught to their children as a good thing, a purifying release that wasn't to be coddled away or shunned as an outlet for mental health. N'Jadaka let himself shed some tears with his child and Yani reached across the pillow to rub his shoulder.

"I miss her too, Lil Man," he said.

Riki nodded and sat back on his propped pillow and his chest heaved a few times until he calmed himself down. Holding his father's hand helped him, the kinetic contact soothing to the boy from someone with the same gifts of perception.

"Will we get to stay here with you from now on?" Sydette asked.

"Yes. All of us here together," N'Jadaka said.

"Finally," Sydette said. "I'm tired of moving from house to house."

"Me too," Yani said.

N'Jadaka leaned over and kissed Yani in front of the children, solidifying the final union. Soon enough, he crammed the last of the food in his mouth, belched, and checked messages on his kimoyo. Shuri was back in her lab collecting data from satellite warning systems and T'Challa left his suite to join his sister. There was an orange code warning attached to T'Challa's message. The Avengers were heading to Wakanda and he would handle it before pulling N'Jadaka into the mix. N'Jadaka's intuition told him that complications were on the horizon. He typed a message informing everyone in the upper ranks that he would spend the next two hours with his family before heading out to Shuri's lab. His scheduled day off would have to be forsaken for duty to the country.

The attendants returned to collect their trays and juice glasses. Kora arrived to collect the children to change into outdoor clothes.

"Go, go!" Yani said.

She waved her hands at the children and they tumbled out of the bed and ran out of the room to Kora. She locked the door behind them.

"I'll have to remember to lock the door early. I spoke with them about barging in here when we're still sleeping. They'll have to get used to knocking from now on."

"They'll learn. They aren't accustomed to us being together in the same bedroom. It's different from before. I don't mind it."

"But what if they catch us… you know…"

"I'll code some warning lights for them so we'll know they're on the loose."

"I'll just keep the door locked. Time to learn boundaries as a unit."

His gaze dusted over her cover-up.

"I like when you wear those," he said.

She twirled around to amuse him before joining his side on the bed again.

"I saw the expression on your face when you checked messages. What is it?"

He rubbed Yani's hip and pulled her on top of him. Sunlight dappled across her arm and he rubbed the warmth it brought to her skin.

"The Avengers… Cap's people with Tony Stark… they need our help. It's a big deal, but T'Challa and I have made contingency plans."

"Contingency plans?"

He took a deep inhale.

Yani caressed his cheek.

"I can handle it," she said.

Closing his eyes, he accepted fully that Yani would indeed navigate the trying times ahead with him.

"Can we talk about it after the butterflies?" he asked.

"Sure. C'mon…"

She pulled him from the bed and they sauntered out to her balcony shower. The wide glass enclosure steamed up fast and they stripped naked, walking inside the warm space hand in hand. He lathered up a fluffy synthetic loofah sponge and washed Yani's front and back. She did the same for him as he scrubbed down his privates and hers.

Rinsing off with the three-sixty jet sprays, sunlight illuminated the shower, and N'Jadaka held Yani close to his wet body. Lowering his head he kissed her and fondled her breasts. She broke away smacking her lips and placing a hand on the plane of his left pec.

"Don't start nothin', man," she giggled.

He fingered her folds, finding them slippery and plumped up.

Yani moved out the sower and padded over nude to an outdoor chaise lounge to retrieve their towels. Her breasts jiggled as she unfolded the cloth for him.

"Baby, stay like that…put the towel down and bend over a little bit…yeah, like that."

He touched his dick from the entrance of the steamy shower while watching her.

"Lean forward… yeah… right there," he moaned.

She wiggled just a bit and then spread her feet wider while holding onto the chaise lounger. Her ass cheeks parted and her vulva became more visible. She rocked her hips left and right so that her backside hypnotized him. Slowing down even more, she gave him a little show. His erection grew in his hand. Once his dick started spewing pre-cum, he walked over to her and rested the wide head on her rump.

"Keep moving like that…yeah…nice and slow…lemme slap this dick on that ass…"

His free hand squeezed her left butt cheek as he masturbated against her. Reaching around for a heavy breast, he fondled her chest and jerked off.

"I warned you about startin' somethin'. Your big mouth told them an hour. We were supposed to sleep in," Yani grumbled.

"This is just a quickie. You know I'm a basic dude that fumbles when it comes to all this parading around in front of me. You didn't have to jiggle this ass so hard to get some towels. You wanted to prance around and tease me."

"If you say so."

"Always your go-to answer."

He slapped her ass and the sound was a solid loud echo.

"First time I saw this big ass I wanted to do this," he grunted. "Walk for Daddy."

Yani did the slow sultry walk into the bedroom he loved. N'Jadaka followed and fisted himself, watching her ass bounce. She could walk around anywhere in their private life like that with him and he would follow as if she placed him in a seductive trance. Cake by the pound, mama was heavy, and N'Jadaka kept up with her swaying hips.

"Make those cheeks clap for me," he said.

Yani stopped at her vanity and jumped up and down lightly, not needing too much effort to get her ass cheeks bouncing before they started making the noise he loved. She wiggled and reached back to smack her cheeks for him to show how much heaviness she carried.

"Oohh Yani…fuck," he groaned in a high-pitched tone.

He jerked off and patted her folds with his dick, making his tip slick.

"Remember how I used to make you walk around the compound naked?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He slapped his dick harder on her ass. Pre-cum dripped down her skin. He twisted his fingers under the head of his dick and cupped her breast again. His balls ached to cum, but he wanted to make it last. Once they stepped out of her bedroom, the day would not be their own anymore.

"We should go back to St. Thomas for a family vacation. I can fuck you outside again like I used to. Bend you over in the laundry room…tight, young pussy all over my dick. Everybody used to watch your fine ass walk around with this big booty in those sweats…cheeks just fucking bouncing all day. You knew what it did to me watching you walk around. Fat titties…fat ass… and you just let me nut in your pussy…all in your tight pussy…oh fuck…spread that ass…lemme cum on that pussy baby…"

Yani twisted her hips in a slow erotic fashion knowing he needed that slowness to arouse him more. Leaning her elbows on the vanity, she glanced back at him, ratcheting up his visual pleasure as she pouted her lips. Her rump did a syncopated dance all their own, teasing him with their movement the way men back home would make gifs of her social media videos to nut off to. That shit worked on her man too, and his face scrunched up, his lips parted to spill out the groans of losing control. His occasional gasps as the pitch of his voice changed excited her, and Yani spread her folds for him to see the delicious pink he craved surrounded by the sparkling jewels of her piercings.

She tilted her hips, and he rested his tip near her opening and spurted creamy hot cum all over her folds.

"Spread them pussy lips wider… lemme see all that pink… there you go baby…nut all over that…"

He grunted as his dick pulsed in his hand, all hot and heavy, painting more streaks of white heat all over her ass.

"I made a mess for real Yani…fuck… look at all that cum."

He rubbed semen gently over her swollen folds.

"Still sore?" he asked.

"A little. But I have that new cream Ilana brought for me."

"Want me to rub it on you?"

"No, I'll do it myself because you'll want to put that dick back in and we don't have time," she huffed.

They kissed.

A pounding on the bedroom door separated them.

"Mama! Baba! Come on!" Riki shouted.

Yani rushed back to the shower to rinse off and N'Jadaka grabbed the clothes that Ilana and Zola left out for him.

Several diverse species of butterflies migrated through Wakanda, but the favorite was always the blue mountain butterfly that traversed the terrain of the Jabari down to the warmer valley of Birnin Zana during the roosting season.

Sydette and Riki squealed and chased the thousands of fluttering butterflies, their brilliant color flooding the sky with azure wings.

"Gentle, gentle…" Yani prodded.

Sydette turned her face towards them with two butterflies flapping their wings on her forehead. They all laughed and N'Jadaka took pictures with his kimoyo beads. A dense migratory wave swooped down through the royal garden and flew past them. Surrounded by sunlight and blue, the happy family basked in the beauty of nature.

The children ran down a path to follow the butterflies heading toward the sweet-smelling flowers that attracted and sustained them, and N'Jadaka clasped Yani's hand and walked with her slowly to admire their bloodline frolicking in the garden. They spoke of her work, their wedding plans, and his need to balance more quiet time for himself. The sun rose above the tallest trees in the garden and they slowed down to admire the garden pond near the edge of the south enclosure.

"I think I want to write a book," Yani said.

The brown of her eyes were bright with the light of the sun, their shine almost turning into honey amber jewels as she gazed up into his face seeming to yearn for his approval. She valued his input regarding her career even though she was the expert in the trajectory of her future goals. He adored how she squeezed his hand and waited for an answer. Her beauty had always moved him and in the midst of butterflies and warm solar rays, N'Jadaka fell in love with Yani all over again, a mature love that sweetened more each day.

"What will your book be about?" he said.

"I want to share how Wakanda brings babies into the world. I will call it 'The Wakandan Way of Birth'…or something like that. Disa liked the article I wrote for the Wakandan Daily News and I think the lessons I've learned here could benefit Western women more personally in book form. Pictures… testimonies… and my experience being trained away from Western medicine. I complete my obstetrics residency next year, and with my Wakandan midwife certification finished, I think I'm qualified enough to write what I know so far. I'll request to be transferred to a hospital closer to the palace if I can."

"That sounds pretty good to me, baby. You have a full pedigree now. Dr. Galiber-Udaku…queen of the nation and the author of a future bestseller. Doing big things like I knew you would."

She rested her head against his chest.

"I love you… so much," Yani whispered into his chest.

"I love you more."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she nestled into his chest deeper and he rubbed circles into her upper back.

"Do you need me to provide you with more support? I'll have your personal office ready in the East Palace. When you're prepared to interview new staff for your palace office, let me know. Zinzi and Efetobo can help screen applicants."

"I want a cross-section of the nation to apply, not just people in the golden city."

"That can be arranged. Let me know the budget you need and I can approve any extra admin costs for international travel and your auxiliary programs outside of Wakanda," he said.

He tilted her chin to look into her eyes.

"We have to talk about the schedule changes Yani. I have to factor in our joint duties on the world stage, but I know this will cut into your hospital work. There are high expectations for the queen…and now that we've begun working with other nations…listen, I'm not saying you can't keep working at the hospital, but your hours will have to be adjusted. Your presence at the ball was legendary already, understand? You are my secret chess piece."

"I don't want to be a part-time doctor."

"You can't be a part-time queen either."

"Why not? You have Ramonda to help you."

"Ramonda is my hand across the sea. You are the face of the nation. I need your patient load to be cut down to at least twenty hours a week."

"Twenty?!"

"You're about to be a queen. Have you thought out what that means? If something ever happened to me, you'd have to run the country. You have to be in the throne room for as much time as you're in the hospital. The Council of Elders, the Wakandan parliament, and the nobles expect you seated next to me."

Yani mashed her lips together, a curse word surely being held back from him.

"I asked for a compromise, baby. That's what the twenty hours are for. You would have morning duties in the throne room, and then you could finish the rest of your time at the hospital and your East Palace office."

"Babies don't arrive on a set schedule."

"This is the life we have now. We are the king and queen of the world."

The hesitation in her eyes worried him.

"I can't ask for more than you can give, Yani. Queens before you accepted their assignment as mother of the nation without question. It's one of the most powerful positions any woman will ever have. The elders told me if you can't give up the time, then they'll have to reconsider your title as queen. I'm not ruling with a princess, girl. I'm not marrying another woman either to have a queen in the role that only fits you. Please give it a chance, baby. I want you to have both worlds in peace. Once they see you can balance it, they may lay off the pressure on me."

"You can make all the rules now—"

"I also have to meet the elders halfway… show them that I'm not just a half-cocked dictator. I compromise to make them trust my leadership. Zinzi and Efetobo support you one hundred percent, but even they have to abide by the ancient laws and traditions of what the queen represents. You're not just the wife of a king, or an adornment for me either. You are a leader. Your hand will shape politics, and if you want to make the changes you desire in the world, then you have to be in the room where those decisions are made."

She considered his words, a lightbulb going off in her head by the way she glanced at the plants in the distance.

"I want to be in the room to help get what I need for my work," she said.

"You have to look beyond work… beyond your career… even beyond motherhood at times. Just like me."

Yani folded her arms across her midsection and stepped away from him to think.

"Do you wish I never took the throne?" he asked.

"No. I guess I just thought my domain would be raising our children and my continued education in medicine. Maybe I ignored everything else because I didn't think it would be my responsibility too. I planned on being like Michelle Obama…minding my business, supporting you on critical matters, and looking good for pictures."

"A queen is a lot more than a first lady in this country."

"I can be the queen Wakanda needs… the queen that you need," she said.

"You proved it last night. We're a kickass team."

Yani reached for his hand and he kissed her palm. He walked with his arm around her, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Too much quiet.

They caught up to Sydette who picked a fresh bouquet near the frog pond.

"Where is Riki?" Yani asked.

Sydette glanced around and shrugged.

"He was here a minute ago. Maybe he went to the gazebo," Sydette said.

"Riki," N'Jadaka called out.

Yani tapped her kimoyo.

"He's over by the cathedral tress," Yani said.

The path to the ancient tall trees winded around the frog pound and past Joba's fairy garden. They found Riki stuffed inside the space created by the bending and twining of tree trunks made years before N'Jadaka's father had been born. Riki spoke in a whispery voice, trying his best to stay hidden inside the protective covering.

"Riki!" Yani scolded when they all saw that he was speaking to Joba's image.

N'Jadaka's youngest daughter sat in her bed dressed in pajamas. It was nearly three in the morning where she stayed.

"Why are you up, Sunshine?" Yani asked.

Joba giggled.

"Does Mommy know you're talking to Riki?" N'Jadaka asked.

"Mommy is asleep," Joba said.

N'Jadaka stared at her smile.

"You lost another tooth baby girl?" he asked.

The gap in her top front teeth made her adorable.

"I showed her my loose tooth, Baba," Riki said, opening his mouth to show off his bottom tooth.

"How is your Mommy, Sunshine?" Yani asked.

"Good."

"Can we have some privacy, please?" Riki insisted.

"Don't keep her up long, ten more minutes and then she has to get to sleep, Lil Man," N'Jadaka said.

Yani blew Joba a kiss and they left the younger children alone to watch Sydette gather more flowers for her bouquet. N'Jadaka slipped his hand into the back pocket of the skintight mauve yoga pants Yani squeezed into. As always, he couldn't keep his hands off of her without holding something to keep them connected. Gratitude swarmed in his chest. He dropped down low and encouraged Yani to climb onto his back. He carried her piggyback toward the palace entrance. Riki caught up to them. The beauty of their surroundings had them all feeling tranquil. A visit to the garden maze brought on a game of hide and seek before a quick trip to the peahen nursery to observe new hatchlings.

The family shared a light lunch with all the grandparents in the regular dining room before N'Jadaka took them back to their private residence to have naps. Their children went to their separate rooms and Yani took away one of Riki's kimoyo beads so he wouldn't contact Joba again in secret.

N'Jadaka climbed the stairs to his third-floor king's domain where an entire wing made up just his bedchamber alone. Ilana and Zola had fresh tea and snacks waiting for him with lavender incense burning in small brass holders shaped like panthers. They assisted Yani for a time before she joined him in his bedroom to nap wearing a sheer pink dressing gown. Cuddling on top of the covers, he rested his head on her breasts, while she stroked his locs.

Zola brought up a change of clothes for Yani to wear later, and Ilana tinted the windows and made sure N'Jadaka's warrior attire was situated for his trip to Shuri's lab later.

"This is the fucking life," he murmured into Yani's titties as he pulled aside the ties on her dressing gown to suck on her nipples.

"Just a big baby," she teased, helping to widen the top of her gown for easier titty access.

He plucked and sucked on her nipples and listened to her heavy breathing. When her eyes were glassy looking, he whispered in her ear.

"Did you put that cream on down there?" he said.

Yani nodded.

She squirmed next to him, watching him undress all the way.

"I'm sorry, baby. I can't help it. You're so fucking fine…"

He grunted into her ear. Yani circled her hands around his thick neck. Without him asking or begging, she widened her legs and he gripped his dick.

"Can't help it…"

He sank into her depths and shouted her name. It felt like molten caramel stickiness slathering his dick.

"You take it so deep…fuck… you got the best pussy, Yani. Best pussy I ever had in my life…listen to it take this big dick. Fuck!"

Yani laid up under him with passive pillow princess energy. Missionary was her favorite position with him. She loved to keep still with her legs wide so she could watch his dick going in and out of her pussy making all kinds of wet, squelching noises. Arousal for her came from N'Jadaka working himself into an obsessive sexual frenzy. He held her legs for her and she passively watched him pump her walls with deep short thrusts. Her pussy gripped him tight, her delicate hands resting on her thighs. After deep stroking her for a while, he stopped talking. Listening to his dick stretch her pussy, all he could muster was grunts and moans. A gripping pussy was always too much for him. All of his favorite lovers in the past that came close to that magical tight tunnel that shut down language couldn't compare to his queen.

Staring at the kittenish teasing in her glossy brown eyes broke him down physically and mentally. Thrusting deeper, he held still inside of her to indulge in the throbbing of his dick. Together they regarded their joining, her pussy stuffed full of heavy pipe. He was snug and she was stretched to capacity. He reached down to cup both breasts and she widened her thighs, allowing his balls to smack against her ass cheeks better once he resumed shallow thrusts extending the build-up ready to release intense pleasure. Dropping his head down further, he began panting, unable to hide the loss of control creeping up from the tension in his ass toward his massive shoulders held rigid.

"Ohhhh….Yani…baby, I wanna cum inside you…" he sputtered.

That thang was yankin' on his meat and his toes dug into the covers to anchor his thrusts. Yani reached up with both hands and cradled his face. Her lips pursed tight a few times as control slipped from her grasp. He wore down that pussy and her satisfied whimpers pleased him. However, the superior lovemaking that she provided turned him into a praying man in the middle of the act. His prayers were given to her in Wakandan love talk, the gushy sounds of her pussy accepting the reverence of his soft words raining down on her ears. Swiveling his hips to stroke at a different angle released a loud cry from her lusty lips. A heat spread behind his eyes and a pressure in his throat tightened his lips and he grimaced as the root of his dick sent pulses that squeezed at his balls. Her warmth, wetness, and lush body became an insatiable whirlpool he never wanted to escape from.

Lowering his head, he delved a greedy tongue into her mouth for deep wet kisses. Each stroke of his dick matched the neediness of his lips, and the fiery muscle wrestling control of her gasps for air flustered his resolve to last longer. Overwhelmed by too many sensations and moving parts pressing down on her, Yani jammed her cheek against his and listened to him curse his way through a massive orgasm. He lifted his body up just enough to watch his dick throb and pump her full of cum, his dick piercing rubbing up under her clit ring.

"Shit…ooh shit… I'm nuttin' in this pussy…I'm nuttin' all in this pussy, baby. Look at my dick…this nut feels too fucking good…ohhhhh….damn….damn…fuck you doin' to me, Yani?"

A desperate groan cut him off and he watched Yani react to his release. Her eyes started to roll back then slammed shut when her thighs shook.

"Cum on that dick," he pleaded.

He gently thumbed her clit, tugging on her piercing to guide her to heaven.

"Oh dassit…dassit girl…I feel that pussy all over my dick…"

He hunkered down on her and pushed Yani to her limit, letting his dick hit that bottom so her orgasm lasted and he could savor the throbbing from tip to root of his rigid dick.

She opened her eyes and they both gazed into the reflections of love binding them forever. His sweet, precious island girl… the one who loved him back to himself…his eyes blurred, but not before he witnessed a teardrop fall upon her cute round nose. Yani wept under him, her tears spilling along the sides of her lids. He ejaculated again and shouted with surprise at what he was able to spurt into her. Her pussy contracted around his length and he slumped over in defeat, blanking out mentally for about five seconds before gaining control of his senses again.

He lifted away from her, pulling out his dick. The dark brown of his fat erection dripped with the liberal shine of her sticky fluids. It hung heavy and sated between his thighs.

"You fucked the shit out of me," he gasped. "How is that possible when I did all the work?"

He folded like a bad poker hand onto her breasts, accepting the rubs on his head from her in silent wonder. When he was strong enough after a time, he lowered his head between her legs to kiss her folds and lick the jewels that adorned platinum pussy like hers. His thick lips gave loving kisses to her big thighs, her hips, and her belly button. It still wasn't enough to show her how she broke him down sexually. All he could do was keep kissing her vulva and clit, using the tip of his tongue to part her folds and trace the shape of hearts all over her pussy lips.

He fell asleep with his head resting on her thigh and his fingers playing with her nipples.

N'Jadaka loved hard and strong.

Yani listened to his deep breathing as he slept on her body.

He slow-fucked her to sleep, but she woke up before he did. Sometime during their nap, he had moved against her side, his right hand still gripping a titty for security. He snored softly and he only did that in a deeply relaxed state. Especially after he fucked her good and proper. To say he gave her the best dick in her life was an understatement. Her body was built for deep-dick men, and not every man had the pipe to get past her ass cheeks or tame her depths. Only N'Jadaka.

His open confession of her being the best pussy he ever had made her feel amazing. He fucked her like he was scared to lose her… like he was proving to her that no other man could handle her, and he was right. Cumming with him was magical, and crying together was divine. He possessed her completely.

N'Jadaka's kimoyo beads lit up in a cool neon green color. Shuri.

Yani lifted from his body giving him space to roll over and answer the call. She snuggled under the covers to hide her nudity. N'Jadaka slipped on loose house pants.

"Talk to me," he said.

Shuri's face carried stress. Her lips stuck out further than normal with worry.

"I think you should see this. At first, I thought the earlier images were captures of American space debris or maybe even solar rays interfering with our equipment…"

N'Jadaka's bedroom became filled with images of Earth from space. The images zeroed in on specks in the atmosphere above them.

"Satellites?" he asked.

"No."

The images were enlarged. Silver spheres floated above the continent of Africa.

"Maybe probes…a tracking system of some kind," Shuri said. "They've moved closer to earth in the last hour."

"I'm heading over there," he said.

"Rogers warned us of an assault. From space. This looks bad, N'Jadaka."

Shuri sent over new images. N'Jadaka enlarged them. Yani jerked up from the bed.

"Are those spaceships?" Yani said.

Shuri's image returned and the lines on her forehead increased.

"Those ships appeared right after the Avengers contacted us about their team coming here. As of now, these spacecraft are hiding themselves near the Kuiper Belt. They were not there twelve hours ago."

"They may be using the wormholes. How many?" N'Jadaka asked.

"I only counted seven, like an armada waiting off the coast," T'Challa answered.

T'Challa stood near Shuri with an equally grim expression.

"Standby," N'Jadaka said.

He shut off his kimoyos.

"There are aliens coming here?" Yani asked.

N'Jadaka reached for her hand, but Yani pulled on her napping gown and stepped off the rumpled bed.

"We will find out more. I want you and the children to visit Nakia. Stay with her until I contact you. Do not let on to anyone that you've seen this, okay?"

Questions flew through her mind, but she kept silent. N'Jadaka was in control and she rested in that knowledge, trusting him to protect them all from any and everything. Yani kissed his lips and hustled out of the king's bedchamber.

"Kora, have the children dressed and ready to go with me to see Lady Nakia," Yani said.

Kora moved with swift legs to the children's wing and Yani ran to her dressing room where Ilana and Zola helped supervise the organization of her shoe wall to make space for her new queen wardrobe that included royal isicholos and other accessories.

"I'm going to spend time with Lady Nakia and Prince Toussaint. Can you organize this without me today?" Yani asked.

Both women nodded, clearly aware that something bothered Yani. They helped her with a quick shower and provided her with a lovely draped wide-legged pantsuit in a rich eggplant color.

"Peplum blouse or a princess vest?" Ilana asked.

"The dark green peplum," Yani said.

A half hour later she was on her way with the children and all their Doras to see Nakia. Yani's years of keeping a neutral face around deadly killers proved invaluable to her. Nakia caught no hint of concern from her. Her eyes lit up in delight from the new gifts they brought for the baby and the children kept them all occupied with their need to hold Toussaint and fuss over him like a Christmas gift.

An impromptu tea party commenced and Yani did her part to look after all the royal heirs and Nakia. Two hours later, they all noticed the strange foreign aircraft being escorted past the palace.

N'Jadaka rang the alarm to have their foreign African guests escorted out of Wakanda. He assembled them all in the amphitheater seating of the War Hall after Shuri and T'Challa debriefed him with M'Baku listening.

The outsiders were warned of a national security breach. Not giving them a chance to question his intel, N'Jadaka left W'Kabi in charge of flying all their guests across their borders to various airports before shutting down their entire protective dome shield. No matter the global threat, the Avengers wanted to keep a low profile with the upcoming onslaught from the aliens they called The Black Order. Their leader, Thanos, rushed forward the intergalactic army, and N'Jadaka wanted the battle concentrated at one exact point south of the dome border. It was the best strategic location that would give Wakandans in the inner cities time to escape if there was a shield breach.

T'Challa and M'Baku met him at the Talon Port where a tracker beam held the Avengers aircraft in a holding pattern above the palace for its final security screening. The pilot, Sam Wilson followed instructions from the Wakandan Special Forces security team. T'Challa kept an open image of Steve Rogers and the other Avengers above his wrist. An entire regiment of Dora Milaje and the Onyx Squad surrounded them.

The Foreign aircraft floated down, its wings folding up to land near the king's entourage.

"Standby Shuri," N'Jadaka said.

A ramp lowered and Steve strode out to lead a ragtag group of exhausted Avengers. A white woman with chopped blonde hair matched Steve's pace.

"The Black Widow, Natasha," T'Challa whispered. "Dr. Bruce Banner…the Hulk—"

"Colonel James Rhodes," N'Jadaka said when he spotted Rhodey.

The former military officer blinked a few times when he recognized N'Jadaka. A pearly grin stretched his lips as he walked with Banner toward them.

"They call that one the Scarlett Witch…Wanda. That is Vision. You see?" T'Challa said.

"The mind stone they want us to remove," N'Jadaka said.

Steve reached out a hand to T'Challa and nodded at N'Jadaka.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something," Steve said.

Banner bowed to the king and attempted to get down on a knee. Rhodey looked aghast.

"We don't do that here," T'Challa said.

"But they should," N'Jadaka replied with a tinge of humor. "Let's go."

They followed N'Jadaka and T'Challa toward a half cruiser ready to whisk them away to Shuri's lab.

"How big of an assault are we looking at Rogers with this Black Order?" N'Jadaka asked.

"Massive," Banner said.

"How are we looking here?"

Natasha's nasally voice irritated N'Jadaka. He glanced back at her and T'Challa put some distance between her and him.

"You will have the Kingsguard, The Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and also Barnes," T'Challa said.

Bucky Barnes sauntered forward with the Kingsguard wearing a new Wakandan arm. He hugged Steve.

"How ya doin', Buck?" Steve asked.

"Not bad for the end of the world," Bucky said.

"Let's keep this reunion short. We have work to do," N'Jadaka ordered.

On the half cruiser, the Avengers sat wide-eyed staring at the world of Wakanda. Rhodey eased over to N'Jadaka.

"This is wild," Rhodey said. "I knew you were a different kind of cat back over in Gulmira, but I didn't think literally."

"Where's Stark?" N'Jadaka said.

Rhodey shrugged.

"So much has been going on full throttle. The Avengers are stretched thin. This is our last chance. If we can't shut them down here, it's over for us. Wherever Stark is, I'm sure he's working his ass off to find a solution to help us," Rhodey said.

"That's the least he could do. As much as he took from the world by helping to destroy it with greed, he owes some restitution."

"What about you? What do you owe the world with all the shit you've done after your time with Special Ops?"

"I owe nothing but a fist and the wisdom to know when to use it for my people, like now. I don't give a damn if these Avengers survive or not, as long as they hold the line for these aliens."

Rhodey's lips curled into a smirk.

"Yeah…they told me you were cold-blooded," Rhodey said.

Sam leaned forward in his seat from eavesdropping.

"Cold-blooded or not, we don't care about you either… as long as our alliance together saves everyone on earth."

The half cruiser swooped over a winding river that led toward Bashenga mountain. They flew over the Hall of Panthers, the new dome sparkling from the light of the golden Wakandan sun.

"All of this has been here for centuries?" Sam said.

"Longer than that," Rhodey quipped with awe in his voice.

"The motherland truly is the cradle of civilization," Sam said.

Sam's eyes appeared shiny as if he were about to weep at the lush futuristic scenery below him. Time wasn't wasted getting Vision to Shuri.

"Let's go! Move out of my way!" Shuri shouted at Natasha and Wanda who crowded Vision.

Shuri's medical team took Vision away and all the others followed with quick steps. She led them to a wide prepped medical bed near a giant window view of the gathering soldiers from Wakanda who lined up in strategic formation. N'Jadaka kept his arms folded near T'Challa.

"Stay back, please," Shuri told Wanda once more with irritation in her throat.

Banner was the only person Shuri kept close to the med bed. Conferring with Banner, Shuri ended her quick overview chat with a playful, "I'm sure you did your best."

N'Jadaka sensed her work would be slow-going and delicate. Shuri glanced at him.

"Give me as much time as you can," she said.

The confidence in her voice added a boost of hope to the others.

"I will give you the bare minimum," N'Jadaka said, "but if our line of defense is broken I need that stone destroyed immediately. I'm not risking all of my people and the diaspora for the feelings of one white woman and her robot boyfriend."

Shuri glanced over at Wanda. The so-called Scarlet Witch folded her arms and her thin lips became a pout.

"He's a sentient being with a right to life as any of us," Wanda spat out toward N'Jadaka.

He strode over to her.

"One life for billions is a fucked up trade-off," N'Jadaka said. "My children's lives are worth more, and I will end the life of anyone who risks theirs and others like them."

"I love him," Wanda said.

"And I love my children. You can cry all you want in front of all these people but this is my country and my cousin will do what I say. Her life is worth more too."

Shuri waved her hand over Vision's body and her kimoyo beads fed her the imaging she needed to process.

"I can do this, as long as I have time, cousin. He has about two trillion neurons…this will be delicate work. One misalignment and a cascade of circuit failure will end him."

Shuri looked at N'Jadaka and he shook his head.

"Time is not on your side."

The finality of his words forced a nod from Shuri. She jumped on her task and the other Avengers didn't look the king in the eye. They only gave anxious glances to Wanda and Vision.

"I have to meet with the Council of Elders and notify Wakandans for emergency preparedness. I'll catch up to you after I address the nation."

N'Jadaka turned to T'Challa.

"A quick word?" N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa followed him to a corner room.

"Do you want to see Nakia and Toussaint first? W'Kabi and Okoye can take the lead for now."

"I would like to do that, but as the Black Panther—"

"Man, fuck all that. You have a newborn. We are about to battle some unknown force. Ain't nothing promised to us."

T'Challa lowered his head and sighed. N'Jadaka gripped his shoulder.

"The world is on our shoulders. Let's go see our babies, Cuz."

T'Challa nodded.

"General Okoye, get the transport vehicles ready. We'll see you after my meeting," N'Jadaka said.

Okoye tapped her spear and led the Avengers away with the Dora Milaje. Wanda stood a proper distance from Vision as Shuri connected him to her computer interface.

The Council of Elders stood with N'Jadaka in the West Palace media room. He recited a prepared statement informing the public of an outside threat and that the nation was on high alert. Emergency responders were placed throughout key areas in the cities and Wakandans in more rural areas were transported to safer lodgings.

The royal family members were kept in the East Palace and N'Jadaka left T'Challa with Nakia and his son while he convened a final meeting with the council elders inside the throne room. He requested Yani by his side. She arrived dressed in a dark flowing dress with a cowrie shell head chain draped all around her scalp in the shape of the Northern Triangle, the oldest place in Wakanda. Her facial expression took on a serious countenance and she looked imposing walking up to her seat next to his throne chair. Ramonda sat on the other side of him with her hands folded on her lap. A bleak mood weighed down the air.

"What are our chances of defeating this Thanos?" M'Kathu asked.

"I was told he had a force made of aliens all across the galaxy. We won't know what we're truly up against until they arrive. They are honing in on Wakanda for the mind stone." N'Jadaka said.

"And you will kill the A.I. that houses it if Shuri fails?" Zinzi asked.

"Shuri will only fail if her time runs out. There are trillions of neuron links that make up Vision. She can save him, but half of all life in the universe will die if it doesn't happen before Thanos comes."

"You should destroy Vision now," Yani said.

The Council of Elders and Ramonda stared at her.

"Am I not allowed to speak freely here?" Yani asked, glancing about.

"Speak," N'Jadaka encouraged.

"Why wait? An army is coming here to wipe us out. When I was in St. Thomas and a man came to kill you and our child, I shot and killed him the moment I saw his eyes. One shot and we're alive because of that. I'm not a soldier, but even I had the good sense to act right then and there. We have something this alien wants and we should get rid of it. Him can't use his power without one lil stone…get rid of it before he comes here. He'll have to leave—"

"With all due respect, Princess Yani, we may still have to fight off an offensive attack. They may become enraged and decide to kill everyone on earth in anger or revenge for thwarting their plans. Either way, we are going to war," Bhira said.

Yani lowered her eyes to her lap and N'Jadaka reached over and squeezed her hand for support. He held pride in his chest that she asserted her viewpoint inside the throne room. The elders hearing she had killed a man without flinching had them glancing at her with new respect.

"The mind stone isn't the main one I'm worried about. He has another stone they say can reverse time. Even if we save Vision or destroy the mind stone, he can rewind everything back. We'll have to do a three-pronged attack. Destroy the mind stone, fight his army, and separate the time stone from him…besides killing him too."

N'Jadaka let the others take in his words and the gravity of their mission.

"As of now, the country is secure with defensive measures in place. We have the mountains and our underground caverns to relocate civilians if it all goes to shit," N'Jadaka said.

Zinzi stood up, glanced at the other elders, then faced N'Jadaka.

"Kumkani N'Jadaka, the Council of Elders wishes to ask that you remain in the palace during this time of foreign aggression. The Black Panther and Princess Shuri are using their talents to protect us on the battlefield, but we want the Golden Jaguar to protect the royal family and flee the territory if necessary to save the bloodline," Zinzi said.

Yani looked at him.

"Thank you for worrying about me and my family, but my talents are needed on the battlefield, too. A leader shouldn't sit back in the cut giving orders while others risk their lives—"

"You have nothing to prove to us. You are our warrior king and we want you here to lead evacuations and give our people hope of defeating this unknown terror," M'Kathu said.

N'Jadaka stepped down from the throne chair.

"I will lead the fight and return when needed," N'Jadaka said.

"As you wish, my king," M'Kathu said.

"We're done here. Everyone knows their orders. Return to the palace bunker," N'Jadaka said.

Efetobo rose from her seat and used her cane heavily to get to him.

"Wakanda Forever King N'Jadaka," Efetobo said.

Instead of making the symbol across her chest, she reached out and hugged N'Jadaka, her frail-looking arms carrying strength in them that filled his heart. When she released him, Ramonda did the same.

"You and T'Challa stay safe and give them hell!" Ramonda demanded.

"I will Auntie."

Zinzi pressed her forehead into his and prayed a few Wakandan scriptures of empowerment. Bhira and M'Kathu shook his hand afterward.

The Kingsguard escorted the elders and Ramonda out of the room. N'Jadaka reached for Yani and she took his hand, rising from her seat. He placed loving arms around her waist.

"I love how brave you appeared in front of them," he said.

He stroked her left eyebrow. Yani buried her face in his chest.

"I should feel more scared, but I'm not."

"Why not?"

She looked up at him.

"In a dream, Queen Mary said I was going to have more babies by you, and she can't be wrong. You can't die, not without me being pregnant. So…since there ain't no pickney in mi belly yet, you won't die."

He chuckled.

"My Mom told me the same thing after I ingested the heart-shaped herb again…about me having more babies. So if two ancestors told us that, then we're covered."

"Are you scared?"

"It's always tense before a battle."

"Not tense. Scared."

"My only fear is the potential amount of lives lost in Wakanda. Many died in the civil war I brought to them. Unfortunately, we're the only country that can even hold off a space army."

She glanced at her kimoyo.

"Riki and Sydette are here," she said, pulling him closer. Two Kingsguards opened the doors of the throne room and Nakia walked in with Toussaint wrapped against her chest. Sydette and Riki followed close by her.

"I came to wish you success," Nakia said.

The former War Dog had touches of pink in the whites of her eyes. She clung to Toussaint with protective hands that patted the bundle softly. N'Jadaka gave her a gentle hug and he stroked the silky smooth hair of the baby. He squatted down on one knee to be at eye level with his own children.

"Auntie Nakia and Mama will keep you all safe here, okay? I'm going to join Uncle T'Challa," he said.

"When will you be back?" Sydette asked.

Sweet Pea's large eyes haunted him. They had endured a dangerous separation before, but he needed to reassure her that he was coming back. He held her small hands in his big ones.

"I can't say for sure, but I will be close by."

"Can we watch you fight?" Riki asked.

"No, Lil Man, that wouldn't be a good idea. All the family will be here together and I'll have Noxolo and Aneka give you updates when I can."

Sydette threw her arms around him just as his kimoyos lit up with Disa's signature. He stood and tapped the beads. Disa and Joba's avatars floated in the middle for all of them to see.

"I'm glad I caught you," Disa said.

"I was going to contact you again," he said.

Disa had tremors in her voice. Joba studied him with calm assurance. His youngest could detect the even control of his tone.

"I want you and Joba to stay in New York until all of this is over. Nothing is happening yet, but I can't risk bringing you both back now."

"I get it, don't worry," Disa said.

Disa's eyes watered and she pushed her lips together.

"Disa… hey…don't worry about me."

"I'm afraid, Erik," Disa said.

N'Jadaka closed his eyes at the sound of his old name on her lips. Disa wiped her eyes and took a deep inhale to keep her voice steady.

"Adebiyi has been supportive and strong for us here, but I wish we could be with you and Yani…everyone. Dammit, I should've come home sooner."

"You were with family, Disa. Everything has been so uncertain and unpredictable. You have the best security team with you and I've already sent a half cruiser to stay offshore in case we need to evacuate you and your relatives. We'll keep you all informed of everything going on here," he said.

Joba hugged her mother and Adebiyi came into view.

"Watch over them for me, man," N'Jadaka said.

"Of course kumkani," Adebiyi said.

"Love you, baby girl," he said.

"I love you too, Baba," Joba said.

Disa held her hands under her chin trying to maintain her composure in front of Joba. Stress lines marred her face.

"Yani," Disa said.

Yani gave Disa a smile.

"Don't worry. We're all safe with N'Jadaka. Let's talk later when I get to the upper floors," Yani said.

The strength in Yani's voice helped Disa pull it together.

"It's hard not being there with all of you. Being far away magnifies everything. Just please be careful…all of you. As soon as it is safe to do so, bring us back," Disa said.

"We love you Umi Disa," Sydette said.

"I love you all, too. Be good for your Mama and don't run Grandpop ragged."

"We won't," Riki said with a mischievous grin.

"I can already tell that you're tricking me," Disa said.

Her mood lifted into higher spirits.

"We'll let you go. N'Jadaka…"

Disa couldn't get the words out. Her eyes told him she loved him instead.

"Love you back, Disa. Get some rest and keep the emergency lines open on all your kimoyos," he said.

Their images winked out.

"I'll take them up," Nakia said.

She let N'Jadaka hug Riki and Sydette, then led them away. Yani linked her arm in his, watching their children take solemn steps. His kimoyos lit up again with an emergency military signature. Okoye's avatar popped up.

"Kumkani, something has entered the atmosphere," Okoye said.

"On my way."

Yani hugged him tight.

"I have to go," he said.

He walked with her to the throne room's emergency departure Talon port. The Royal Talon Fighter floated down onto the secure platform and two Dora Milaje stepped out to escort him. Yani gripped his face and pulled his head down to her.

"Come back to me in one piece or else my old granny and your mother will come after you," she whispered.

Her sweet breath tickled his nose, her moist lips touching his lightly. He kissed her with tiny butterfly kisses before delving into her mouth with his tongue. She stroked his hair and he used the pads of his fingertips to touch her behind, holding back his desire to dig into the flesh more to stay with her.

"N'Jadaka, there are UAPs crashing into the dome shield," T'Challa said.

Yani broke away from him first and smoothed down the front of his shirt. She stepped back and he mentally commanded his Golden Jaguar suit to spread across his body.

"So handsome," Yani said. "Go on… king," she said.

He left her standing on the throne room port. The Talon Fighter darted across the sky and N'Jadaka scanned the puffy white clouds above.

The dome shield held up against the repeated slams of fireball explosives and more streaked down toward Wakanda all across the covering.

His first stop was checking in with the military strategists he hand-picked in a protected area behind the battle formation. General Sampha from the Border Tribe Army shook the king's hand and shared their battle plans on a floating table. The booming of projectiles striking the dome thundered above them.

"Kumkani, our dome shield is at one hundred percent. The weapons striking us are scanning the integrity of our protection, and the impact is growing stronger. How do you wish for us to proceed?" Sampha said.

Sampha's face carried a light sheen of sweat from the blazing sun and his eyes bulged a bit each time a projectile plummeted to earth and slammed into the dome as if he were annoyed by the audacity of aliens coming for Wakanda. Surliness in his voice gave N'Jadaka confidence that the Wakandans were about that smoke. Their military had trained for centuries for such an attack, even if it came from outer space.

N'Jadaka scanned their battle plans. Because these were not humans, the element of unknown factors had them at a disadvantage.

"The Dora Milaje are our most elite shock troops…close range warriors. We'll keep them at the front. I want more Jabari warriors fortifying the target area and a contingency in the capital near the palace."

The image of another drop ship landing outside the dome shook the ground with seismic force.

"Any sign of Thanos yet?" N'Jadaka asked.

"None," Banner answered.

"I don't like these small infantry formations here," N'Jadaka said, pointing to several gaps around the Avengers, "We're too exposed. I want skirmishers to harass and immobilize anything that may get through the wall."

General Sampha rubbed his chin while staring at the infantry.

"Fanning out into a long line makes it harder to flank us," Sampha said.

N'Jadaka pointed to a spot on the formation.

"It weakens the middle here. These fuckers traveled across galaxies that we never have. Ain't no telling what they have to break our lines."

N'Jadaka patted his shoulder.

"I'm not questioning your ability, Sampha. I'm thinking outside the box with the unknown."

The heads of the Navy and Airforce stood at attention awaiting more orders on their end.

N'Jadaka tapped a communicator on the war table.

"Rhodey… Wilson… I'll have the Wakandan airforce work with you inside and out of the barrier when attacks begin. Rhodey, I'm going to use you as an attack chopper, and Wilson, you'll help with the area of affect weaponry. You'll keep the explosives coming when necessary. General Lumumba and Lieutenant General Amilcar are patched into your communicators for commands."

"Roger that!" Both men answered simultaneously.

N'Jadaka worked on strategy and offensive measures with the leadership until the UAPs above them ceased falling. The suddenness unnerved them.

"I will go to T'Challa on the frontline."

"Wakanda Forever, kumkani!" the military heads barked out.

Two of his most menacing Doras waited for him inside the Royal Talon Fighter. They flew him to the battleground. He jumped down from Talon Fighter using its gravity tracker to slow him as he landed next to T'Challa on the battlefield.

"Ready?"

"Yes," T'Challa answered.

Rogers and the rest of the Avengers stood in a row staring up at the trees outside the shield that hid their enemy. M'Baku leaned toward N'Jadaka.

"We have already placed the Jabari warriors you asked to be stationed near Princess Shuri's lab for extra backup in case our line is broken. They have the vibranium shields you gave them activated," M'Baku said.

N'Jadaka shook his hand.

"We can't have them circling the dome. Keeping them here is the goal," N'Jadaka said.

N'Jadaka focused on the tree line outside of the dome again. The earth rumbled once more and giant triangular-shaped metal spheres rose up like hideous temples of doom.

"Bast protect us," T'Challa mumbled.

"Two of them are approaching the barrier," Okoye said.

N'Jadaka jerked his head toward T'Challa.

"Let's see how diplomacy works," N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa, Rogers, and Natasha followed him to the edge of the barrier. An alien three times N'Jadaka's size that looked like a badly rendered goblin waited with a female alien sporting horns and a dark persona. She had to be at least eight feet tall and slid a sword against the barrier. They were humanoid in nature and carried an erect stance of fearlessness. Their eyes locked and the killer in them both recognized the ferocity in the other. An unspoken understanding passed between them. It didn't matter that the creature before him came from a different galaxy across the universe. Game peeped game. Underneath the exterior, N'Jadaka sensed quiet respect. As a child of Ogum, he carried a fierce energy in his eyes. Before N'Jadaka could speak, Natasha glared at the aliens and taunted them.

"Where's your other friend?" she teased.

The female alien shifted her gaze from N'Jadaka to Natasha.

"You will pay for his life with yours."

The female alien turned back to N'Jadaka.

"Thanos will have that stone."

"Not on my watch as king," N'Jadaka said.

"What do they call you?"

"King N'Jadaka… son of Prince N'Jobu and Princess Califia. You?"

"Proxima Midnight. Prepare to be slaughtered."

"You are in Wakanda now," T'Challa interjected. "Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood."

Proxima smirked at the Black Panther.

"We…have blood to spare."

Proxima thrust her sword-holding arm into the air and the giant pyramid structures behind her rose higher from the ground.

"I guess it's on then," N'Jadaka said.

Proxima gave him a sardonic grin and he stomped back toward their line of defense. The tension of not knowing the terror they faced rippled along the soldiers behind N'Jadaka.

"As long as the barrier holds, we're good," N'Jadaka reassured everyone.

The ground shook, followed by clouds of dust outside the barrier announcing the start of the battle. T'Challa stepped forward and shouted "Yibambe!"

All the Wakandans repeated the words after him and N'Jadaka's chest swelled with emotion. He stood with his cousin to protect the world he had come to love. The land of his father. The dream of his mother.

"We defend this to the death!" N'Jadaka shouted. "Hold this line and don't let anything get through it!'

He strode to the front with arms outstretched showing off his claws and regarded the soldiers with blazing eyes.

"When Thanos comes, we must destroy the time stone so he can't reverse anything. Do you understand me?!" he shouted.

The others roared their understanding with weapons raised.

"Holy shit!"

Banner's voice broke through the shouting on their side. N'Jadaka studied the barrier and witnessed the ferocious creatures barreling toward war. Monstrous, six-limbed beasts with the shrieks of hell erupting from their throats.

Bast cooled his mind, and Ogum amped up his fighting spirit to the max.

The alien soldiers slammed their bodies into the barrier, killing themselves, but several were able to push through over the bodies of dead comrades who sacrificed themselves like fire ants crossing a river. Sam and Rhodey flew overhead to take care of the breach, dropping explosives that slowed a few enemies down.

"Shit, they're circling," Banner said.

"How do we stop that?" Rogers said.

The roar of Wakandan aircraft zoomed over the dome and took up battling the beasts outside of the barrier. Despite their exceptional attempts to corral the enemy in one spot, the swarm of alien fighters still overrode them by sheer numbers.

N'Jadaka glanced at T'Challa.

"We have to redirect their movement by making a kill zone," N'Jadaka said.

"I'll open the barrier and keep them at a distance," T'Challa said.

T'Challa touched his ear and spoke to Shuri.

"On my signal, open Northwest section seventeen," T'Challa commanded.

"Requesting confirmation on behalf of Princess Shuri…you said open the barrier?" A woman's voice asked, close enough for N'Jadaka to hear.

"Give him access and on his signal," N'Jadaka spoke into his own earbud.

M'Baku gave N'Jadaka a look of worry. Okoye threw back her shoulders in anticipation.

The barrier opened and the aliens poured in. Wilson flew out to engage behind the barrier with the Wakandan forces.

"Wakanda Forever!" N'Jadaka shouted.

He ran forward and the Talon Fighter's gravitational tracker beam snatched him up in the air.

"You two, go fight with the Black Panther," N'Jadaka ordered.

His Doras jumped down through the tracker beam and he took control of the Talon Fighter, sending down a torrent of firepower to kill monsters. Down below, his cousin took hits to build up kinetic energy and blasted creatures while the Avengers dug into the trenches of war.

He provided long-range support with Rhodey creating a large damage area around the point of impact that pushed back on the hordes bursting through despite their best efforts. Outside the dome, Wilson and the Wakandan Air support were effective in bypassing their line of sight beyond the trees. The outriders began to bunch up around the gap they opened. Their incredible speed became dangerous as they charged inside.

"Fuck! This is straight-up melee combat. Keep them from that defensive line at all costs!" N'Jadaka said.

Okoye's voice crackled in his ear.

"We can't mitigate the power of their charge, kumkani. We are expert close-range fighters but there are just too many of them."

"Second string is on the way, General," W'Kabi interjected.

N'Jadaka watched from the sky as new shock troops converged on the sides in full-body vibranium shields, battling through the trees, keeping the beasts at bay.

"Shuri, progress check," N'Jadaka said.

"Still slow-going. I have just cracked the outer core and can begin the real work," Shuri said with a strained tone of work under pressure.

The Avengers fought valiantly below him and he provided cover and long-range firepower. He fought the temptation to fly outside the barrier because the teeming hordes still overwhelmed the shock troops. Luckily, the first wave of enemy combatants were simple-minded creatures, full of snarling rage and not much else. There was no planned intelligence in their fighting strategy other than running over them.

"Keep them from the capital!" he shouted, flying after outriders who broke past the line.

Yani paced in front of Nakia.

Ilana and Zola scurried about organizing emergency clothing and assisted Nakia's nanny with Toussaint's extra diapers and blankets for travel. Noxolo sent word that the royal family was to be moved to the top floor of the East Palace where the structure could detach and fly off to safety elsewhere. Yani had hoped they wouldn't have to move from Nakia's suite because it told them all that the battle had grown worse than expected and N'Jadaka wanted them on standby evacuation.

Sydette held Toussaint while Nakia used a breast pump to extract milk for her son. Riki leaned against a wall window, watching for any signs of his father of T'Challa.

"I can smell smoke, Mama," Riki said.

Yani sniffed. The air filter pumped in outside air and the acrid stench of something metallic and burning wafted in.

"Shelter Griot, switch to indoor filtered air," Yani commanded.

"Yes, Princess Yani," a female-coded A.I. answered.

Within minutes, the burning smell disappeared.

"Yani, it's Queen Ramonda," Nakia said, holding up her wrist.

Ramonda's avatar shimmered in vivid colors.

"Baba Z and Umama are resting finally. I made them some tea with x'tin leaves added. They should sleep for the next few hours. They have asked that all of you come to the Jabari mountains at once. Dante and Marisol arrived with Tywla and Bibi," Ramonda said.

"I would like to stay here until we hear word from T'Challa and N'Jadaka's team," Nakia said.

"We want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren here with us. There is a half cruiser on standby."

Ramonda's terse tone left no room for arguing.

"Queen Ramonda, N'Jadaka has this shelter programmed to fly to St. Thomas," Yani said.

"Out of Wakanda?"

"Yes."

Ramonda gazed at Toussaint in Sydette's arms.

"I hate that the last few generations of Udaku children have witnessed nothing but war and family disruption."

"I understand Queen Mother, but we are together in this. What we are experiencing is an external threat…but one that unites us," Nakia said.

Yani's kimoyo lit up.

"I'll take this in another room," Yani said.

Sliding a bedroom door open, she dipped in and tapped her beads. Disa's image filled the room in life-size 3D seated in a chair.

"Hey," Disa said.

"We've moved to the emergency transport shelter in the palace."

"No word on how bad it is?"

Yani shook her head. Disa fretted.

"I keep praying and trying to stay positive. N'Jadaka and T'Challa's kimoyos let us know that they're alive, but that's it. I wasn't going to call but it's been hours now and the stress of not knowing anything is eating me up. All the media I can track in Wakanda here only plays emergency broadcasts commanding citizens to stay sheltered and on alert. No sirens have rung out in the city so that's a good sign, I guess," Disa said.

"So far."

"You look calm, though."

Yani sat on a bed.

"Do you believe in long gone relatives speaking to you?" Yani asked.

"Yes…like in my dreams. Sometimes my father comes to me. I wake up feeling like he's still here. Why?"

"I had a dream that my grandmother from way back…Queen Mary…came to me. She told me I had to stand tall with N'Jadaka… that I had to be fierce. Her say my future is important with him. It was real to mi. This war is only a test for us, so I'm not afraid of him dying in it. He won't. The worry I feel is for the people around him...and what we'll face as a nation when this is over."

"Hmmm, I wish my daddy would come to me in a dream like that!"

They shared soft laughter together.

"I can see that you believe what she said, so I will believe it too," Disa said.

"I'm glad you believe me. Some people get scared of spiritual stuff or think it's wish-fulfillment. I just have to be patient and pray that this war comes to an end soon."

"How is Nakia and the children?"

"Hanging in there. All the grandparents want us up in the Jabari mountains."

"Honestly, if I were there, that's the place I'd want to be."

Disa crossed her leg and grinned.

"What?" Yani asked.

"Adebiyi wants me to move to the mountains after we come back. Not moving in together, but me being closer to him."

"Do you want to?"

"I think the change in scenery is needed for me and Joba. I love the Golden City with all my heart, but being away has given me time to think about you and N'Jadaka. You two need space. I don't think Joba and I should be living up under your new household."

"But I don't want you to leave!"

The yelp in Yani's voice caught Disa by surprise.

"It's not a bad thing, Yani."

"We started this messy journey together and we'll finish it together. You're my big sister in so many ways, and this new life…you're a part of that. The Jabari mountains are so far, and our children need to be together," Yani said.

"The mountains are not that far with our transports. You'll have Joba every weekend…that's three days a week mind you, and I'm going to be in and out of the city for my company. I'll be there all the time."

"It won't be the same."

"You survived when you left the palace mad at me," Disa teased.

"That was different. I still missed you…I needed time away to grow up… to clear my head and realize how foolish I was being with you and myself."

"The change will be good for all of us, and who knows, it may not be permanent. I want to try it out and see where it takes me and Adebiyi."

"You're in love," Yani said.

The glow was all over Disa's face.

"I do love him… and he loves me."

Disa's eyes shined and Yani welled up for her.

"This life has been so crazy for me, Yani. I have no regrets about anything."

"Me neither."

"Really?"

"Not anymore. Seeing my great-great-grandmother…hearing her voice…seeing her…I know there are things that are beyond my comprehension, but I'm surrounded by loving people now. Like you."

"I'm glad you became my little sister. You, Marisol, and Twyla are as close to me as my best friends here in the States. Truth be told, the three of you have actually been closer because of your connection with N'Jadaka."

"We've both grown up a lot in two years."

"A long ass two years!'

Yani giggled.

"Allah will protect us all," Disa said.

Yani crinkled her nose with a thought.

"What are you thinking?" Disa asked.

"Wakanda has faced aggression four times in thirty years. I don't think they're built for civil and foreign fighting constantly. They've been a utopia for a long time and mentally, I don't know if it'll be easy for them to pick up the pieces without a national therapy session after all of this."

"They have N'Jadaka to show them the way back…and you. Remember, you spun a lost straw man back into gold. If you did that for our king, you'll have no problem doing it for the nation. I believe in you, little sister!"

Disa winked at her.

"I'll let you go. Joba and Adebiyi are going for a walk in Central Park with me. The weather is nice and I have to get out of this hotel for an hour at least. Fresh air will do me good."

"Have a nice time. I'll contact you as soon as I get any news from the front lines."

They blew kisses to one another and the call ended.

Yani wandered over to the bedroom window and tracked the placement of the sun. It would make the slow, downward trek into sunset within an hour. She turned to walk back into the living room when erratic booming noises shook the windows. Touching the nearest window, she sucked in a breath watching flames rise inside gargantuan plumes of black smoke racing to blot out the sky. The windows rattled again before a secondary protective vibranium barrier swarmed over the palace exterior, shielding them from the noise of seismic rumbles. Her heart lurched in her chest.

Yani noticed the wide darting movements of fighter drones flying through the pitch blackness blanketing the trees in the royal garden. The war had moved further inland and the drones were sent to reinforce the palace defense forces. If she could see it close from the east palace windows, the Wakandan defense line had been broken, and the enemy was near.

Racing into the living room, she joined Nakia who pulled the children closer to her on the couch. Riki jumped on her lap and Sydette handed Toussaint back to Nakia who tucked her breasts back into a nursing bra and covered the baby up. Ilana and Zola dashed into the room and waved for them to follow their lead.

Zola clasped Yani's hand and Sydette's while Ilana lifted Riki into her arms.

"We have to go into the flight room," Zola said. "Aneka is waiting for word from the king. Noxolo will detach us from the palace if he says it's time to leave."

"Are we losing?" Yani asked.

"I don't know, but we were ordered to stand by."

"Is Baba coming?" Sydette asked.

"I don't know, Sweet Pea."

Yani wore a brave face and pushed back on doubting Queen Mary.

The barrage of creatures lunging through the narrow opening of section seventeen overwhelmed the northwest defense. Even the once-missing Asgardian Thor couldn't help stop the influx of diverse creatures spilling through the narrow gauntlet into Wakanda. Several Avengers had left the interior of the barrier to destroy the spacecraft that brought the aliens in on the outside.

N'Jadaka settled his mentally tired body on the crest of a hill near Shuri's lab. T'Challa insisted that he fall back to give strategic support in their dwindling and scattered formation. He spent the last hour circling the forces with the Talon Fighter outside the breach, providing extra firepower for the secondary Border Tribe troops led by W'Kabi. Okoye's estranged husband proved to be a superior officer and ground fighter. The Border Tribe shields helped prevent the aliens from overtaking their offensive measures outside, but even then, a few enemies slipped through that N'Jadaka handled from the sky. He programmed the Talon Fighter to protect the lab from the air while he stomped on the ground searching for breakthroughs to kill.

"Shuri! Tell Wanda to end Vision now! They've got these giant fucking wheel machines tearing up the ground out here! They busted up under the barrier and we can't control the entry point anymore!" he shouted into his kimoyo.

"Fall back! Fall back!" T'Challa shouted in N'Jadaka's earbud.

N'Jadaka scanned the area below watching helplessly as the wheels razed the dark rich earth of Wakanda in the destruction. The enemy's power and weapons were too numerous to overcome. Giving Shuri time to save Vision had been a grave mistake. One that could cost his children's lives. The faces of Sydette, Riki, Joba, and baby Toussaint flashed across his mind.

"I'm going to keep trying, N'Jadaka, there's some progress," Shuri said, still hopeful.

"Time is up! I will come up there and rip it out of his skull myself!"

The horrendous crashing noises of the wheels forced N'Jadaka to charge toward Border Tribe soldiers positioned in front of him. If Thanos didn't come soon, there wouldn't be enough warriors to face him. Perhaps that was his plan overall.

"Get those wheels down!" he ordered, charging forward to help.

Wanda streaked overhead with bursts of crimson energy shooting out of her fingertips like lightning strikes. She lifted a linked row of earth-killing wheels and threw them on top of enemy combatants.

Ayo's voice broke through the chatter of N'Jadaka's earbud.

"We're being attacked inside the lab!" Ayo grunted.

"Shuri, get out of there!" T'Challa said.

N'Jadaka ran back up the hill toward the lab.

"Shuri, I'll be there soon!" N'Jadaka panted.

His suit provided him with a concentrated sip of electrolytes, refreshing his dehydrated muscles as he lunged forward.

"Shuri?!"

Panic lodged in his throat when his cousin didn't answer back right away. The crashing of glass and yelling drew his attention high above the trees that surrounded the lab. Two figures tumbled across the uneven sides of the building's roof. Vision held an alien by the throat.

"Vision is outside the lab!" he shouted.

"On my way!" Banner answered.

N'Jadaka's kimoyos showed him Shuri's vitals were fine. Her crumpled form and Ayo's were on the floor of the lab. He leaped up the side of the building and jumped through the gaping hole in the glass where Vision crashed through.

"Hey lil cuz," N'Jadaka said.

He lifted Shuri's head. She moaned and reached for her forehead where a bruised purple lump rose.

"Vision?" she asked.

"Fighting an alien."

"I wasn't done with him."

"Too late for that."

Ayo shook off the blow to her midsection. Her hands and face bled from cuts protecting Shuri. N'Jadaka reached for her and helped her up.

"Get Shuri to the palace shelter. Once you arrive, wait for my command to leave for St. Thomas. Got it?"

"Yes, kumkani," Ayo said.

"St. Thomas? N'Jadaka, no, I need to be here to help you and T'Challa."

Shuri plucked glass shards from her clothes and picked some embedded into her bleeding palm. He helped remove pieces from her hair.

"I promised Umama to get you out of here if it got bad," he said.

"Well, how bad is it? Is Thanos here?"

"No, but—"

A shiver went through N'Jadaka's body. Beyond a sensory overload, his entire form tensed involuntarily afterward, and his gaze ratcheted toward the busted lab window. Something new had arrived on Earth.

"Ayo, take her…go…go!"

Shuri gleaned from his tone and his eyes that things were about to go left. She hugged him tight.

"Watch out for my brother… no matter what…stay with him," Shuri murmured into his ear.

Ayo tugged on Shuri's arm. A quad stinger aircraft flew down to the shattered window and the Dora guided Shuri inside of it. They took off, and N'Jadaka watched it zip across the sky heading for the rest of the Udaku progeny. He tapped a kimoyo and the Royal Talon Fighter swooped past the building sideways. He leaped toward the tracker beam that delivered him inside of it.

N'Jadaka took over manual flying and jetted across the trees toward the biting sensation that quaked down in his bones. Eventually, the sensation fanned out to a low hum in his inner ear that grew in pressure. He hovered above Wanda who knelt beside Vision resting against a felled tree trunk. Banner jumped into view with his iron suit and N'Jadaka waited for something to materialize on his viewscreen.

T'Challa waved up to him.

"I'll back you up," N'Jadaka said.

"It's him!" Banner yelled.

A greenish-blue gas shimmered like an aurora borealis and a giant purple man stepped into their world. N'Jadaka assumed Thanos opened a powerful wormhole and expected more soldiers to spill out. Instead, the bald giant sauntered in alone.

Thanos hadn't taken two steps to start any shit yet and N'Jadka shot sonic vibranium blasters targeting the infinity gauntlet.

"Get that fucking glove off him!"

N'Jadaka's orders set everyone in motion. T'Challa clawed Thanos's neck to distract him as Banner grabbed for the gauntlet. Thanos flicked T'Challa away like a bothersome gnat and tossed Banner into a great stone mound that his iron suit went right through like it was Casper the friendly ghost.

Rogers and Bucky double-teamed next while Wanda threw crimson fire into Thanos's face. The Infinity Gauntlet gave him tremendous strength and they were clearly no match for him. Even his skin seemed impenetrable to any firepower.

"Wanda, destroy the stone!" T'Challa shouted.

Wanda stood frozen staring at her lover. She threw her left hand out forming a fiery red swirling barrier against Thanos. T'Challa scrambled to grab at the gauntlet with Rogers pulling on Thanos's other arm.

"Bitch, if you don't blast him!" N'Jadaka thundered at Wanda.

He lowered the Talon Fighter and aimed his sonic blasters at Vision's head, shooting off three rounds that hit the A.I. being with bull's eye precision in the center of his forehead. Vision's skull exploded and the glowing gold mind stone floated in the air.

"Destroy it!" T'Challa yelled.

The shock of N'Jadaka's killshot paralyzed Wanda. Instead of finishing the job as planned, she dropped to her knees and grappled with holding what was left of Vision. The king of Wakanda would've killed her too for being a useless soldier wasting time, however, she jumped to her feet and used her right hand to blast the stone with her powers while using her other hand to keep a shield up separating Thanos from it.

"T'Challa, we have to get the time stone away from him!"

His cousin was already in motion taking advantage of Wanda's glowing shield keeping Thanos at bay as she worked on the mind stone. Bucky jumped onto Thanos's neck using his legs to choke him. T'Challa yanked on the gauntlet with Rogers. Victory looked promising once Thor slammed his hammer into Thanos's chest. T'Challa grabbed for the time stone.

The mind stone lit up into a brilliant, growing blaze of gold power, shattering into bits that precipitated a blinding explosion with a mile-wide radius. The force of the explosion jostled the Talon Fighter.

Their combined efforts weren't enough.

N'Jadaka's heart dropped. Thanos snapped his fingers and a sickening feeling of déjà vu pressed the king's attention into a tiny pinprick. His hands waved over the control panels of the Talon Fighter, and down below he watched Wanda hold off Thanos with both hands. Vision rose to his knees and begged Wanda to kill him. N'Jadaka shook his head, the cool creeping dread of uncertainty washing over him. Hadn't he blasted Vision already to get Wanda on task? Why was he still alive?

T'Challa, Rogers, and Bucky jumped him, but Thanos flung them far away. Too far to get back to him quickly. Something in N'Jadaka's gut told him that was wrong, and he couldn't fathom the eerie sameness flooding his cortex that edged around the wrongness of the situation.

"Bitch, if you don't blast him!" N'Jadaka thundered to Wanda.

Wanda reacted like the situation was odd for her too, but she stared at Vision and began blasting the mind stone. N'Jadaka left the Talon Fighter on automatic pilot and pounced down from the ship's neon blue tracker beam aiming to land on the purple menace himself. He glanced over at Wanda and—

The fuck?

Another Thanos knocked Wanda aside and ripped the mind stone from Vision's forehead. N'Jadaka glanced back down at the ground that rushed toward him, and the second Thanos that looked up at him grinned, then faded away into nothingness, the illusion so real that N'Jadaka felt the shadow cross over his body as he landed with cat-like reflexes. He ran toward the real Thanos like the devil was on his heels. Thanos slipped the mind stone into its place on the gauntlet, even as Thor's hammer sliced through his chest.

"What did you do? What did you do?!" Thor shouted to Thanos.

White smoke puffed around the Infinity Gauntlet which had a burnt and tarnished look to it despite the gleam of the stones themselves.

A wormhole opened with the same greenish-blue smoke Thanos arrived in. It sucked him backward with a rush of air and he disappeared, like a kimoyo avatar winking out. Thor's hammer was no longer lodged in his chest and fell with a thud when the wormhole closed.

Sound left Wakanda.

The quiet drowned out the quick steps of T'Challa joining him.

"Where is he?" T'Challa said.

N'Jadaka shook his head in dismay, uncertain of the moment they were in.

"Is it over?" Okoye asked.

She darted out of the brush surrounding them and T'Challa patted her shoulder.

Wanda wept over Vision. Everyone else looked around bewildered and catching their breath.

"Where'd he go? Thor? Where'd he go?" Rogers asked, holding his busted side with blood pooling on his lip.

Thor only glanced around confused, in a daze like they all were. Okoye dropped down to her rump and gave a weary groan. N'Jadaka looked over the area, uneasy, and sensed the crackling of energy that made him feel off-kilter again.

Bucky stepped forward, staring at his left hand.

"Steve?" Bucky croaked before looking up at all of them.

His left hand became a dark gray blob of smoke that flaked away from his body like campfire ash with his legs following suit. He flopped down onto his face and disintegrated right before them.

"Shit!" N'Jadaka hissed.

They all jumped away like a contagion had been let loose, and clearly, it was because screams rippled across the battlefield. T'Challa reached for Okoye to get her off the ground.

"Up general, this is no place to die," T'Challa said.

Okoye reached for his arm and N'Jadaka's.

"Cuz," N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa's hand that held Okoye's arm turned into dark smoke too and flaked away slowly.

"N'Jadaka," T'Challa said, his eyes wide with fear.

"No…"

N'Jadaka tried to embrace T'Challa to hold him close, to never let him go, but he drifted away on ash and dry wind.

True fear gripped him then. This was how the world ended for half of the universe. A sad floating away in the deepest, quietest, black void. N'Jadaka tapped his kimoyo.

"Close section seventeen."

No one answered him.

"Barrier team, I said close section seventeen!"

A frightened voice answered.

"Kumkani…we are experiencing an anomaly…people are disappearing. I will close the barrier," a man said.

All around them, pieces of dark ash floated, choking the air with grief and shock. N'Jadaka grabbed Okoye's arm and the Talon Fighter pulled them up into its belly. The general took over flying manually and they both scanned the battlefield as bewildered soldiers gawked at people floating away in pieces.

"This cannot be…this cannot be…" Okoyo moaned.

Aliens that hadn't succumbed to the vanishing ran toward their spacecraft and flew away, leaving destruction in their wake.

"Kumkani, I'm ordering soldiers back to our barracks to regroup. Are you and the Black Panther alright?" W'Kabi asked.

"T'Challa is gone!" Okoye wept.

Her voice carried sadness and relief that W'Kabi was still on earth.

"W'Kabi, we'll meet you ten minutes at the regrouping coordinates. We need a muster roll immediately," N'Jadaka said.

His kimoyo lit up. Yani's signature. He exhaled and kept his composure. She was still with him. He tapped another bead to reach Disa.

"Yani, are you and the kids okay?"

The tone of his voice scared Yani. Her image hovered in the air.

"Some of the staff are gone…I don't know what happened to them…"

Sydette shrieked and N'Jadaka thought he would fall through the Talon Fighter.

"Mama! The guard turned into dust!" Sydette cried.

"N'Jadaka, what's happening?" Yani said.

"I can't say for sure yet but the fighting is over. Is Riki okay? Nakia and the baby?"

"We are all here. Is T'Challa with you?" Nakia asked. Her image appeared next to Yani's.

"I'm sorry Nakia…he disappeared in front of me and Okoye."

"No…"

Nakia covered her mouth. Toussaint was tied around her chest.

"We don't know what has happened to them all, Nakia," Okoye said.

"Is he dead?" Nakia said.

"I don't know," N'Jadaka said.

Shuri's signature lit up his kimoyo and he added her to their call. She looked distraught and teary-eyed.

"My mother told me that Baba Z and Marisol are gone. Most of their staff are gone too. Everyone else is still there in their household. Dante, Twyla, and Bibi are all safe," Shuri said.

"Everyone stay put. Okoye and I are going to meet with our military heads who survived this. I'll convene a meeting with the Council of Elders once I have more intel on what we're looking at nationwide. The outside is doing the same thing, so we can focus on us for now…"

Nakia broke down and Yani held her up.

"Yani, have Noxolo and Aneka take Nakia to the Jabari mountains to be with Auntie Ramonda and Umama. I may not be back tonight, so don't wait up for me with the children."

Yani closed her eyes and touched her lips before she spoke to him.

"N'Jadaka…have you checked on Disa and Joba?" Yani asked.

N'Jadaka glanced at his beads. Disa hadn't responded to his call.

"I'm trying to reach them now. Please, everyone, stay strong and together," N'Jadaka said.

He ended the call and frantically typed on his kimoyo.

He couldn't reach Disa or Joba.

Part 2 of Chapter 74 (Finale) HERE.

Apologies for having to break this up. Tumblr said it went over the limit!

[getacluu]

@billiebustupofficial @bbu-fan-blog

Just for fun. 🐐🌂🌈✨

Who will you be staying with for a sleepover?

Depends on your birth month flower

Carnation 💐 Percy

Violet 💐 Basile

Daffodil 💐 Billie

Sweet Pea 💐 Aristotle

Hawthorne 💐 Barnaby

Rose 💐 Scrimshaw

Water Lily 💐 Elaine

Poppy 💐 Fantoccio

Aster 💐 Dimitri

Marigold 💐 Dutch

Peony 💐 Z

Holly 💐 Hosea Hayes

[sacredasexual]

Age Regressor Alphabet Headcanons with (Age Regressor)Inosuke!

~~~

(Invented by me!)

A - Affection: Yes! He's extremely affectionate and always wants hugs.

B - Bath time: He absolutely LOVES bath time. Sometimes its a struggle to get him out.

C - Clothing: Pastel colored clothing that's soft or silky. He really loves getting his hair done and having cute hairpins in his hair.

D - Diapers: Yes. They help him feel little and helps him stay in his little space.

E - Express: He is very good at expressing how he feels when he's regressed, surprisingly.

F - Favorite: Food: Apple Slices or DIno Nuggets | Drink: Apple Juice | Toy: Blue shark stuffie | Show: Paw Patrol

G - Giggles: He laughs and giggles a lot even if it's just a simple word he finds funny (If you really wanna make him laugh just blow a raspberry on his tummy)

H - Happy?: He's very easy to please and gets happy at lots of things

I - Items for Comfort: His yellow sunflower pacifier and his blue shark stuffie that he named "Mr. Sharkie"

J - Jealous: YES. He wants all attention for himself and he'll get fussy when he doesn't get attention right when he wants it

K - Kisses: He loves forehead and cheek kisses, he might cry if you forget to give him one

L - Little Age: 1 to 3 years old

M - Mischievous - At times, but its never something extreme like hitting or throwing tantrums, he just likes to play

N - Nicknames: His favorites is "Little Sweetheart" and "Little Devil". But he also likes to be called Sweetie, Sweetheart, Sweet pea, and Angel

O - Ouchies: Surprisingly he doesn't get them too much, but when he does he cries a lot even if it's just a little cut

P - Pouty: VERY! He'll pout a lot even if nothing is wrong and just wants attention

Q - Quiet: Only during Naptime. Any other time he's loud and very energetic, but he's a good boy nonetheless

R - Rage: Surprisingly, opposed to how he is normally, he doesn't get angry that much when he's little. Only if he's being mistreated, but if you're treating him right, he never really gets angry

S - Stuffie(s): A Blue Shark Squish mellow he named "Mr Sharkie" (As stated earlier)

T - Tantrums: He doesn't throw tantrums all the time. But when he does it's usually because hes experiencing emotions and feelings he doesn't know how to properly express instead of him just being a brat

U - Uppies: He loves being picked up. No matter when or where, if he's little he'll be begging to be picked up

V - Verbal: He can talk, but most of his words are in baby talking (Ex, Hello = "Hewo" and Please = "Pwese")

W - Weeping: He cries A LOT. Something he doesn't like? He cries. A bad dream? He cries. He just wants attention? HE CRIES!

X - X...tra?: Despite his need to be constantly looked after, reassured and affection, he's a good sweet boy nonetheless

Y - Yummies: He loves fruits of any kind, his favorite being apples. He also really loves those crackers that you can dip in cheese.

Z - Zzz: He resists Nap time almost all the time, He'll need convincing with extra playtime in order to get him to take a nap.

~~~

[joslincox]

Tales From a Not-So Bratty Little Sister Soundtrack

Genres: Pop • Dance-pop • Teen Pop • Electro-pop • Pop Rock • R&B • Trap • K-Pop

The Linda Lindas - Growing Up

Rihanna - Umbrella (With Jay-Z)

Girls Aloud - You Freak Me Out

Jonas Brothers - Year 3000

Post Malone - Sunflower (With Swan Lee)

Justin Bieber - Baby (With Ludacris)

Allison Iraheta - Friday I'll Be Over U

Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea right?

Kelis - Milkshake

Tata Young - Sexy Naughty Bitchy

Halo Friendlies - Me vs. The World

Mindless Behavior - Hello

Eminem - The Real Slim Shady

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

Miranda Cosgrove - Leave It All To Me (With Drake Bell)

Victoria Justice - Make It Shine

Miley Cyrus - The Best of Both Worlds

Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

Taylor Swift - Love Story

BTS - Dynamite

Justin Bieber - One Time

Solange - Solo Star

Rihanna - Breakin' Dishes

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair

Nicki Minaj - Barbie World (With Ice Spice & Aqua)

Corbin Bleu - We Come To Party

Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger (With Christina Aguilera)

The Click Five - Pop Princess

Chris Brown - Yo (Excuse Me Miss)

Miley Cyrus - See You Again

Iggy Azalea - Fancy (With Charli xcx)

Keri Hilson - Pretty Girl Rock

Chelsea Staub - It's All About Me

No Doubt - Just A Girl

Justin Bieber - One Less Lonely Girl

Usher - OMG (With Will.i.am)

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

Jesse McCartney - Beautiful Soul

Avril Lavigne - I Always Get What I Want

Justin Timberlake - SexyBack (With Timbaland)

Nicki Minaj - Moment 4 Life (With Drake)

Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Ke$ha - TikTok

Ice Spice - Pretty Girl (With Rema)

Ciara - Goodies (With Petey Pablo)

Big Time Rush - Boyfriend

The Wanted - Glad You Came

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem (With Lauren Bennett and GoonRock)

BTS - Butter

The Pussycat Dolls - Buttons

Boomkat - Rip Her To Shreds

P!nk - Trouble

Hillary Duff - So Yesterday

Selena Gomez And The Scene - Kiss & Tell

Justin Bieber - Boyfriend

Peaches & Herb - Shake Your Groove Thing

Usher - Yeah! (With Lil Jon and Ludacris)

V.I.C - Wobble

Ashlee Simpson - Just Let Me Cry

Ke$ha - Boogie Feet (With Eagles of Death)

Hillary Duff - Sweet Sixteen

OneRepublic - Sunshine

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand

Katy Perry - California Gurls (With Snoop Dogg)

Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend

Nicki Minaj - Starships

Spice Girls - Wannabe

Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music

Selena Gomez And The Scene - Love You Like A Love Song

Justin Bieber - Beauty And a Beat (With Nicki Minaj)

(G)I-DLE - Queencard

Corbin Bleu - Push It To The Limit

Jesse McCartney - Because You Live

Harry Styles - As It Was

MONSTA X - HERO

BLACKPINK - How You Like That

Red Velvet - Russian Roulette

TWICE - Candy Pop

That Girl Lay Lay - Mama

JoJo Siwa - Kid In A Candy Store

Cardi B - Bongos (With Megan Thee Stallion)

Hannah Montana - Nobody's Perfect

Lizzo - Good As Hell

Blackway - What's Up, Danger (With Black Caviar)

Justin Bieber - Never Say Never

Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

Pitbull - International Love (With Chris Brown)

Cardi B - Money

Megan Thee Stallion - Neva Play (With RM)

Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

Rihanna - Shut Up And Drive

JoJo Siwa - D.R.E.A.M

Victoria Justice - Beggin' On Your Knees

Selena Gomez And The Scene - Who Says

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For

Jesse McCartney - She's No You

Chris Brown - Look at Me Now (With Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne)

Khalid - Young Dumb and Broke

Simple Plan - I'm Just A Kid

Demi Lovato - La La Land

Ashley Tisdale - He Said She Said

Saweetie - Best Friend (With Doja Cat)

Ke$ha - Take It Off

DJ Khaled - All I Do Is Win (With T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross)

Jonas Brothers - What I Go To School For

Ryan Gosling - I'm Just Ken

Soulja Boy - Kiss Me Thur The Phone (With Sammie)

Taio Cruz - Dynamite

Flo Rida - Low (With T-Pain)

Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous (With Timbaland)

Fergie - Glamorous (With Ludacris)

Ciara - 1, 2 Step (With Missy Elliott)

Rihanna - Take A Bow

Miley Cyrus - G.N.O (Girls' Night Out)

Demi Lovato - Don't Forget

Ashlee Simpson - Pieces of Me

Brick & Lace - Love Is Wicked

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

Katy Perry - Firework

P!nk - So What

The Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha

Ice Spice - Princess Diana (With Nicki Minaj)

Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u

Ne-Yo - Miss Independence

Chris Brown - With You

Jason Derulö - Ridin' Solo

The Click Five - Just The Girl

Miley Cyrus - Party In The USA

Ariana Grande - the boy is mine (With Brandy and Monica)

Fifth Harmony - Worth It (With Kid Ink)

Rihanna - Pon De Replay

Beyoncé - Naughty Girl

Selena Gomez And The Scene - Naturally

Hannah Montana - Rock Star

Katy Perry - Hot N Cold

Shakira - She Wolf

KSM - I Want You to Want Me

Zac Efron - Breaking Free (With Brenda Song)

Usher - DJ Got Us Falling In Love (With Pitbull)

Mindless Behavior - Girls Talkin' Bout

Big Time Rush - Worldwide

Chris Brown - Run It! (With Juelz Santana)

Lady Gaga - Just Dance (With Colby O'Donis)

Lindsay Lohan - Drama Queen (That Girl)

[mafiatsunafish]

Gaz meeting Fanboy.

They will get along with each other in the matter of seconds, like a house on fire and confused every one els with their memes and inside jokes.

They are us gen z with weird ass coping mechanisms and questionable dark humor.

(My hc is that these two sweet peas have ADHD and when they become obsessed with something, welp, information dumping is the only appropriate thing to do)

Games, anime, comics, mangas and shit tons of other things. You name it, they will never shut up. They are nerds and their teammates will look at them with absolute adoration despite being confused af.

And anyone talk shit about those two, count your days and be prepared to have unhinged elite military spec op and naval pilots come after their ass.

[callsigns-haze]

Z still hanging in there?!

Idk whose Irish here but Farmophobia.

@missmarveledsblog probably heard of it.

I'm shitting myself even though I go yearly (the people there know us) but I fear the new crypt with my life. We just came out of the morgue but that's the easiest one to go through.

Like I'm clinging onto my wifey (Kate's back y'all!!) and my fiancée and his friend are with us. But there's six of us in total.

Pádraig already slipped again like last year so yeah it's become annual and I got called sweet pea. I'm shitting myself.

[starspanner]

Pretty sweet playlist!

Alabama: “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd Alaska: “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man American Samoa: “Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga Arizona: “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks Arkansas: “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac California: “California Love” by Tupac and “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar Colorado: “September” by Earth, Wind Fire Connecticut: “Signed Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder Delaware: “Higher Love” by Whitney Houston and Kygo Democrats Abroad: “Love Train” by The O’Jays District of Columbia: “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool Florida: “Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty Georgia: “Turn Down for What” by Lil John Guam: “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter Hawaii: “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars Idaho: “Private Idaho” by The B-52s Illinois: “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project Indiana: “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson Iowa: “Celebrate” by Kool & the Gang Kansas: “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas Kentucky: “First Class” by Jack Harlow Louisiana: “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled Maine: “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon Maryland: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin Massachusetts: “I’m Shipping up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys Michigan: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem Minnesota: “Kiss” and “1999” by Prince Mississippi: “Twisting the Night Away” by Sam Cooke Missouri: “Good Luck, Babe” by Chappell Roan Montana: “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz Nebraska: “Firework” by Katy Perry Nevada: “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers New Hampshire: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey New Jersey: “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen New Mexico: “Confident” by Demi Lovato New York: “Empire State of Mind” by Jay Z and Alicia Keys North Carolina: “Raise Up” by Petey Pablo North Dakota: “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys Ohio: “Green Light” by John Legend Oklahoma: “Ain’t Goin Down” by Garth Brooks Oregon: “Float On” by Modest Mouse Pennsylvania: “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa and “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men Puerto Rico: “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee Rhode Island: “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift South Carolina: “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” by James Brown South Dakota: “What I Like About You” by The Romantics Tennessee: “9 To 5” by Dolly Parton Texas: “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé Utah: “Animal” by Neon Trees Vermont: “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan Virginia: “The Way I Are” by Timbaland Washington: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore West Virginia: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver Wisconsin: “Jump Around” by House of Pain Wyoming: “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas Virgin Islands: “VI to the Bone” by Mic Love

[jokerislandgirl32]

What Do Wild Kratts Characters Smell Like Headcanons: The Wild Kratts Crew

This all started when I was sitting one day last year and thought, hmmm, I wonder what Zach smells like? Then I started wondering what the other character’s scents were like. It took me a while to get them ready, but you can find the first installment with the Wild Kratts Crew below the cut!

Chris: Think sandalwood. He is the climbing brother, so I imagine him to have an underlying pine, or other woodsy scent. He may also smell like grass, especially fresh cut grass. And, depending on what he got into on the creature trail, he may smell like dirt, mud, the creatures he meets, etc.

Martin: Think sea breeze or ocean breeze. Martin is the swimming brother, so I predict nautical scents are the base for his scent profile. He smells salty and sweet like the ocean breeze, he can also smell like fresh rainfall. Like Chris, he smells like whatever he got into on the creature trail. 

Koki: Bright citrus scents mixed with a hint of vanilla: Orange, lemon, or anything with a similar zesty profile. I feel like she loves to use some type of rejuvenating citrus body butter, and she may use a vanilla body wash, which gives her these base scents. 

Aviva: Floral and fruity scents. I think Aviva is more drawn to tropical scents when it comes to perfume, body wash, shampoo, etc. She favors scents with mango, pineapple, coconut, peach, or hibiscus undertones. But she is not against sweeter scents like sweet pea, lilac, and cherry blossom. 

Jimmy Z: Predominantly pizza or chocolate chip cookies. He smells like the foods he eats, cooks, or bakes. He may also smell like some cheep cologne, funny story, he bought it on sale thinking it was a food spray of some type. It did not taste as good as he hoped. 

Feel free to let me know of any additional scents that should be included for these characters!

[muriel-not-the-dim-one]

From the Journal of Muriel, 37th Scrivener, Assistant Bookshop Keeper to Mr. A Z Fell Entry #2

I walked outside to sweep the walk as I closed the bookshop and found a pair of sunglasses and a “cd” as Maggie called it in the gutter.

She didn’t really like them, she preferred “records”.

She said Mr. Fell didn’t have anything in his shop to play the “cd”.

She gave me a “record” that was the same name as the “cd”.

I put it on Mr. Fell’s player…………..and put the sunglasses on………..

Only love can make it rain

The way the beach is kissed by the sea

Only love can make it rain

Like the sweat of love birds laying in the fields

Only love can bring the rain

That makes you yearn to the sky

Only love can bring the rain

That falls like tears from on high

On the dry and dusty road

The nights we spend apart alone

I need to get back home to cool, cool rain

I can't sleep and I lay and I think

The night is hot and black as ink

Ooh God, I need a drink of of cool, cool rain

Love, reign o'er me

Rain o'er me, over me, o'er me, oh

Love reign o'er me

Love

Shax was now a Duke of Hell, Furfur was promoted as well, and they were busy! They all knew Heaven was planning one hell of a coup (no pun intended) and with Aziraphale running Heaven, at first they thought it would be an easy defeat. But the back channels (that obviously doesn’t exist) was burning up with rumors. Aziraphale was thought to be coming to Hell, himself, to fight the demons. No Angel, Archangel or not had EVER come to Hell to start a war. Even when Aziraphale used his halo, it was to protect the humans and Jim/Gabriel. Now the rumor was, he would destroy the humans just as uncaring as he would kill the demons. There was definitely a change in Heaven.

If you asked any demon about Crowley, they would just look at you and walk away. They had been warned. He did not want his name mentioned. AT ALL. He refused the title Grand Duke of Hell and all others they wanted to bestow. After Beelzebub and Gabriel left, he was never questioned about his involvement. Even Hell knew not to mess with Crowley.

He was seen time to time in different places. A farm in Edinburg, with a human that was always properly good. In Rome wandering the ruins. Feeding frozen peas to ducks. Driving his Bentley through London at breakneck speed.

Drinking Talisker at a pub, a full glass of sherry across from him, always untouched. Screaming and railing at the heavens drunk out of his mind, never getting answers, until finally falling into a tortured slumber that he hoped he never awoke from.

He thought of going to Soho to see how Maggie and Nina were. To see how Muriel, that sweet Angel that Metatron called dim, was getting on in the bookshop. The Metatron, oh how he hated that bastard. He knew everyone in Hell and there was no one as evil as that bastard. But he just couldn’t bring himself to go there. The pain more than he could bear.

He drank to excess constantly. It was the only way to get the memories to quiet in his head. The beautiful white-haired Angel torturing both his waking hours and allowing no sleep devoid of painful memories.

The touch of his hand, accidentally brushing against his. The deliberate caress of Aziraphales hand on his chest, around his waist. The taste of his Angel on his lips. He felt Aziraphale press into him, felt him return his kiss, if only for a moment.

He had watched Aziraphales face when he bared his soul to him. The confusion, the fright. He kept slightly shaking his head no, but Crowley kept going. He had to get it out, had to tell him. He couldn’t let him leave. They couldn’t take him. Not now. Not when Aziraphale finally, fully grasped the grey area. Whatever that son of a bitch said to him changed everything.

He looked up from the Bentley steering wheel. He was in Soho. The Bentley had parked itself. Right here. Right in front. The shades were pulled, the muted light coming through. His chest felt like cement, like he would never catch his breath again. His fingers reached for the Bentley keys. He needed to leave. Now.

He hadn’t felt like this since Satan had come for Adam. The look on Aziraphales face, knowing he had to stop time, if only for a moment. Why didn’t he do that when he kissed Aziraphale? Just a moment in time.

There were many moments he wished he would have stopped time. Breakfast at the Ritz, drunken nights at Aziraphales, laughing until Aziraphale cried and begged him to stop talking about those damn unicorns and his fascination with ducks. The open look of love on Aziraphales face so many times.

The night he asked Aziraphale to stay over after the bookshop burned. Aziraphale was worried, he could tell by his face, his hands. Crowley physically hurt when watching Aziraphale wring his hands.

They got on the bus, that would take them to London. Crowley, never hesitating, took Aziraphale’s hand in his. “I won’t let you fall Angel.”

“We need to come up with a plan. Agnes has never been wrong Angel, you told me so yourself.” They decided swapping bodies was the best idea, especially since Agnes said to “choose” their faces wisely.

After swapping bodies and Crowley laughing at Aziraphale for complaining the pants were too tight, he realized why Aziraphale loved his clothes. They were so soft, so very comfortable (except for that damn tartan). Perhaps it was just because they had been against Aziraphale just seconds before they were next to his skin.

Between the wine, the day they had gone through and not being able to look at Aziraphales beautiful face, only his own looking back at him, he needed some sleep. If only for a couple of hours. He told Aziraphale he could have the bed and he would rest in the chair. Two reasons for this. He needed Aziraphale to be comfortable and he need to be on guard to protect him should any of eithers lot come looking for them.

Aziraphale refused to take Crowleys bed.

“No, I’ll be fine in the chair. You need to rest Crowley,” Aziraphale softly said.

“Then I’ll curl up here on the desk Angel”, Crowley almost cooed at him, “I’m not leaving you.”

Crowley decided to do something that could completely blow up in his face. But he couldn’t stop himself. He spread Aziraphales wings. Aziraphales eyes opened wide. He had no idea his wings were so beautiful. The only wings he looked on as beautiful were Crowleys. The black so deep and rich it was almost the Indigo of Crowleys nebula. The grey and silver streaks glittering.

Aziraphale stood and spread Crowleys wings wide, the smile on his face, or Crowleys face, as bright and beautiful as his own.

They took a tentative step towards one another.

“Angel”, the sound softly, lovingly hanging in the room.

“Crowley”, the soft, lustful need taking both their breaths.

Their wings wrapped around each other as if perfectly made to fit together. They caressed and stroked each other’s wings, whispered promises into each other’s ears. Promising to always be there, no matter what. Lost themselves in each other’s eyes, and as angels can, floated inches above the floor, wrapped in love.

The tears burned his cheeks. Why, since he was a demon, did he still have holy water for tears? He supposed it was for this purpose. To torture him. He turned the key in the Bentley but it refused to start.

“Come on, I know what you’re doing.”He tried again, but the Bentley refused.“Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!” Even the Bentley was working against him. He sighed and opened the door. May as well get this over with now, he thought, his glasses and a cd falling into the gutter.

Crowley fell to his knees, the memory crushing him. I can’t. I. Just. Can’t. Breathe.

I had to pull the sunglasses off. I couldn’t breathe anymore, even though I knew I didn’t need to. 💔

[not-a-unique-snowflake-blog]

I wanna be Sweet Pea so bad right now🌸🫛

That was my first thought after reading! She lives in the post-outbreak world with scarce food, lots of danger and literal zombies around and here I am thinking “what a dream life!”😅 THAT’S how down bad I’m for Raider😍😍😍

I love that again we had a glimpse into both of their minds! It’s so fascinating to read! All SP’s emotions about the dog, her memories of Daisy and her tears broke my heart!😭 But now she’s got the bestest boi🐶🥹🥹🥹 Yay!!!🥰

Raider is full of self doubt. He still fears that SP might run away, asks if Jack took better care of her than him🥺 that’s so sweet!!😍 LOVE HIM!!!

This chapter is so HOT!! Joel kills the guy and SP checks him out when he’s covered in blood😮‍💨 Girl, sameeee!!! All the shooting!🥵 All the holster handling🥵🥵🥵 And his oral fixation!!! HELL YEAH!!I feel blessed!!!🙌🙌🙌🙌

The smut was A M A Z I N G!!!🥵🥵🥵🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦

Sweet, touching, heartbreaking, hothothothot, brilliant part!!! Thank you, Toxic!!!💖👏👏👏

Hunger.

7k, raider!Joel x f!reader

Raider master list ⭐ Joel master

raider playlist | sweet pea (smut songs)

His voice is low and husky. "Ever feel like ya just. . ." He meets your gaze with hungry eyes, then looks at your lips. "gotta have your mouth on somethin’?". . .his eyes fall down your body.  You whisper "yeah," and begin to scoot off the table, but his hands on your hips hold you firmly in place. "Ain't talkin' 'bout you."

SUMMARY: Joel takes you with him to the scrapyard, and at the end of the day, he's hungry.

WARNINGS: I8+ oral f receiving 🎉, unsafe P in V, creampie, brief violence maybe a little beyond canon-typical (og raider typical?), reader meltdown (pre-joel flashback, implied pet death) and comfort, discovery of neglected animal (he's ok), angst, dark fluff, emotional tension, POV changes.

A/N: About 1/3 smut. Can read alone - Carter is Joel's right-hand man. Jack was your bf Joel killed.

—You 🌸🫛—

You're reading in a clover patch at one end of the trailer while Joel chops wood. Two of his men come up the hill, and Joel tells you to stay put while he talks to them. Even when Joel addresses you, they don't look in your direction. They stay in the doorway of the trailer. You put your book face down and start looking at the clovers while you try to eavesdrop.  You can't hear what they're saying, but it sounds like someone might have tampered with one of the vans. You brush your hand through the leaves, and one catches your eye. Without plucking it, you gently separate it from the others to make sure it's not an illusion. There really are four leaves. You smile and get down on your stomach to look at it. You think about leaving it so it can grow more. That's what you did when you found one earlier in the week, but you pluck this one.

The men go back down the hill, and Joel goes inside for a moment before emerging again. You're laying the clover leaves flat between the pages of your book when Joel calls you inside. Then he leans against the trailer with an arm above his head, the side of his wrist resting near the top of the door frame as he waits for you.  He's wearing a body holster now. "C'mon, let's go," he shouts so you can hear him. 

"Ok," you call. 

You just want to finish pressing the clover into the page, but he rushes you: "Now." 

"What for," you ask.

"Cause I said." He disappears inside, and his back looks so broad, framed by the holster straps. 

You come in and pout in the window nook with your book closed, waiting for him to explain. There's a belt on the kitchen table.  Joel emerges from the bedroom and tells you he's going down the hill to help fix the van, and you're coming.  

“Sure you’re good in that?” he asks. You nod. You like the dresses he gave you, and it’s still warm enough, you think.  He confirms, “Sure ya won’t be too cold?” and you nod. He seems glad. 

He approaches the kitchen table holding something strappy and leather. He pulls out a chair and faces you in the window nook. 

"C'mere," he says. "Gonna carry your gun today." 

"Oh," you put down the book. Sounds exciting. Sounds like he trusts you. "Yeah, sure," you try to play it cool. He takes your knees and swings your legs toward him. 

"Gonna see if this piece'a shit's worth anything. If not, ya wear mine okay?" He thumbs the shoulder strap of his holster. 

You frown and mutter, "I like when you wear it," eyeing the muscles straining his white shirt.  He suppresses a smile, but you see it in his eyes. 

"Gimme your leg," he commands. You give him your leg on your shooting side. You watch his face. He has a toothpick behind his ear.  He bends your knee and puts your foot on his thigh. He lets the skirt of your dress fall all the way down your raised leg, exposing your panties. His eyes linger there, and he draws in a slow breath as he unbuckles the strap of the holster. He wraps the strap around your thigh and mutters, "good."  He slides the strap into the buckle, then tightens it. "Too tight?" He asks. 

"No." He fastens the buckle on your inner thigh, and grazes your skin with his fingers as he examines the fit, getting much closer to your panties than necessary. 

There's a long ribbon dangling from the other end of the holster where another strap should be. He laces it through two hand made grommets on each side. There are two more empty holes on the top of each side. 

"Here," you offer and take both ends of the ribbon from him. You tie it in a bow on the outside of your thigh. 

"That gonna hold?" He asks. 

You shrug. "Feels ok, what do you think?"

He's not listening. His eyes have returned between your legs. You spread them a little more, and innocently widen your eyes. He wets his lips, and his gaze remains for another inhale, then he pries his eyes away, sticks the toothpick in his mouth, and lets your foot down.  You stand up and he hands you your gun, then adjusts himself, quickly cupping his crotch through his pants as you slide the gun into the holster. 

"Walk," he mumbles. 

You walk the length of the kitchen. 

It's a weird sensation, having one of your legs burdened by a weight while the other one is free. But aside from that, it's fine. 

"Alright?" He asks.

"Yeah." 

He nods, "Good. C'mere."  You stand right in front of him, between his knees. "Hold your dress up for me."

You hold it up over the holster. 

"Higher. Belly button." 

He grabs the belt from the table and when he picks it up, ribbons are dangling from its holes. The ribbons have their ends burned and melted like a shoelace for threading.  He fastens the belt securely around your bare middle, then threads the loose ribbons through the empty grommets on the top of the holster and secures them. 

He turns you to the side, tugs at the ribbon, and mutters, "good." Then he can't help but grab a handful of ass, and your bottom lip creeps under your teeth.

As he turns you to face him again, he takes the toothpick out of his mouth and gives you a serious look. "Comin' with me today, sweet pea. Ya do what I say, understand?"

You nod.

"I say get outta here, ya run. I say stay put, ya don't fuckin' move." 

"Got it."

—-

He puts the toothpick behind his ear and picks up a few pieces of jerky off the counter as he stands up. He hands you a piece. 

You take a bite and chew it as you walk down the hill. You watch his jaw flex when he chews.  You tell him, "This one's good."

"Cause Carter made it," Joel notes.  You cringe at yourself,but he doesn't seem offended. "Turkey," he adds. 

Turkey, that's why. Much better than venison. You haven't had poultry in a while, not even grouse. Traps have been empty. 

"I love yours," you tell him. 

Joel gives you an appreciative pat on the back of your head, then his hand trails down your back, over the swell of your ass. He slides his hand under your dress and palms your butt cheek. He lifts it, then lets it drop. 

Joel brings you around the front of the stash house where the vans are normally parked and tells you to wait. There’s only one van. One of the other guys took the second van to get gas and isn’t back yet. 

You reach under your dress and adjust the holster as you sit down on a patch of grass to watch. Joel's muscles glisten and flex as he lifts the hood of the van and props it open. He looks around the inside of the van and dabs his head with a bandana that he tucks back into his pocket . He looks under the van while you pick tall blades of grass and braid them together. 

When he's done, he tells you they need a part. Need to go to the junkyard and see if they can find one. You’re going with him and Carter on foot.

—

The junkyard is a few miles on the other side of Joel’s trailer. You go down that side of the hill and walk through the abandoned mobile home park to get there. It’s the first time you’ve seen most of it close-up, aside from through the scope of Joel’s rifle. The rest of the journey is mostly on a dirt road, and you have to climb through a fence to get into the junkyard. 

It feels like you’re there for a long time. You hear the weak bark of a dog in the distance. Joel thinks it’s coming from the woods. It stops.  There’s a house that looks abandoned, but Joel thinks there might be junkies in it. He says they gather around there. He’s even found one sleeping in a car. When Carter finds a part they think will work, they have trouble taking it off the truck. They don’t have the right tools. Brute force isn’t an option because it could easily break. 

The three of you cautiously approach the house and the barking starts again. The structure is run down, and the windows are busted out. It’s small, can’t be more than a couple of rooms. 

—--

As Carter sweeps the house, you go around back with Joel, and there's the dog. He's skinny and his bark is weak and strained. He's chained to a pipe on the side of the house. The pipe has been pulled a little bit outward so it's leaning, but he wasn't strong enough to free himself. He's a scrappy little mutt with a floppy ear. Probably less than 20 lbs (9 kg). You and Joel both stare at the dog, then Carter calls from inside, “Miller!”

Joel looks around to make sure you’ll be alright for a minute. “Don’t move. Stay alert. Hand on your gun.” 

As Joel goes inside,  Carter says, “Think he’s alive.” 

“Infected?”Joel asks. 

“Nah, see the track marks?”

“Piece’a shit left his dog to die.” 

Outside, the dog watches you. He sits attentively with his head down.  You put on a soothing voice for him. "Hey, buddy. Whatcha doin'?" He lowers his head almost to the ground as he slowly stretches his arms out, then his tail starts to wag hesitantly, staying close to the ground. He begins to whine.  There are a couple of bones behind him with no meat left on them at all. 

Carter comes out to watch you.  There's a metal bowl upside down out of the dog's reach.  "He needs water," you say. Carter looks around then reaches into his backpack and hands you his water. You pour some into the dish for the dog, and his tail begins to wag with more pep. When you reach out to touch the dog, he flinches and backs away, then cautiously returns and gets closer to you than he was. 

Carter gets closer, and when he reaches out for the dog, it growls and barks ferociously. Carter isn't afraid–it's too small to be afraid of. He reaches for the dog's collar and the dog chomps his hand with a vicious growl, high pitched from his throat. He doesn't want to let go.

"DAMN!" Carter yells. "SHIT," he shakes his hand.

"No," you firmly tell the dog. The dog lowers his stomach onto the ground and raises his brows pathetically with a whine. 

"He's just scared," you tell Carter as he rinses the wound with the rest of his water.

"I know, I know," Carter nods. He puts his water back in his backpack. "Feisty little fucker." He spits on the ground. 

“We’ve gotta get him out of this,” you mutter.  

Carter tries to stop you. “Don’t touch–”

You hold your hand out to the dog, and Carter sighs in resignation. The dog reaches his neck out to sniff you, then licks you. He lets you touch him. Then you touch his collar and he growls, but not as bad. The collar has inner spikes that must be hurting him. It's too big and has some slack hanging down from where it's been tightened.

Joel comes outside with a bag of tools clinking heavily against each other. 

"What the hell's goin' on out here?" You give Carter a hopeful glance and he doesn't snitch on the dog for biting him. 

You look at Joel. "He's gonna die if we don't get him free," you explain.  Joel lunges toward the dog and you try to warn him, "WAIT-"  Joel stops short of bending over and instead looks at you. The dog goes after his ankle, bearing his teeth and going nuts.  Joel shakes his leg free. You tell the dog, “No" and he submits on the ground with a whine. Joel looks at the dog and raises his gun. 

"You wouldn't," you whine. "He's protecting me."

“Course i wouldn’t. Damn.”

Joel steps closer and aims at the drain pipe behind the dog, shooting the chain to break it. It hurts your ears but it works. The dog yelps and skips out from the building, chain dragging behind him. Joel takes the bag of tools back to the truck where they found the part, leaving Carter with you while you try to free the dog. 

"C'mere," you sit back on your knees and open your arms for the dog. With the freedom of movement, you can work the collar off him. The dog whimpers and paws at the collar with you. When he lets out a sharper, high pitched whimper, you freeze as it triggers a memory. Your chest feels hollow and long-buried grief stabs at the backs of your eyes. You push it away. You don't want to cry. You want to be tough and whatever else you need to be for Joel to always take you with him. The dog whimpers again and you return to the task. You free him from the collar and he trots away from the house. 

— Joel ⛓️ —

When he gets back, the dog is playfully pawing at your knees.  You scratch behind his ears and he rolls over. One look at your face and Joel knows what you want. 

"Alright, let's go," Joel says and looks at the ground next to you. He steps forward and the dog growls. "It's ok," you tell the dog and you reach for Joel's hand. 

“Maybe he wants to come with us,” you say as casually as you can. 

Joel clenches his jaw and shakes his head. 

"I can take care of him," you plead, your eyes big and watery. "He's not big, he doesn't need much." 

Joel shifts his weight as he looks at you for a moment. "I know ya get bored-"

"Not because I'm bored," you protest. "He's hungry."

"No," Joel tells you firmly and your tears overflow. God damnit, not here. He's hungry because he was chained. He'll be fine now.

Joel doesn't want to share resources, doesn’t want the barking to attract attention, and doesn’t want someone to come after the dog–after you–if there’s anyone left to come. The junkie inside is as good as dead, but they run in packs and they’re dangerous.  

"It's for your own good, sweet pea.” Joel really thinks it is. 

You shake your head no. "I had one," you sniffle. "Before." 

Joel’s nostrils flare at the shake of your head, then his stomach drops. He doesn't want to know about before. He does, but he really doesn't. He covers his mouth with the crook of his thumb as he rubs both sides of his beard. Before. It gets harder and harder to avoid. He shakes it off.  All he can do is keep you safe and take care of you the best he can, which means taking care of only you. He shakes his head no again, then reaches into his backpack. He throws a piece of jerky as far as he can. “He’s fed, Gonna be fine.” He throws another piece. 

You watch the dog run off for the jerky, but you're in a trance, thinking about something else. 

“Let’s go, baby,” Joel steps forward, wraps a hand around the inside of your bicep, and gently pulls.  You try to resist walking, and his grip gets firmer. You stand there watching the dog, feet planted on the ground, muscle tensing under Joel's grip.

Joel faces you and cups your face with both hands, making you look at him. He gets a few inches from your face and lowers his voice.  “Ain’t gonna spank ya in front’a Carter, but ya better move.”  He means it. Non-negotiable.

He grabs your arm again, and as he starts dragging you away, you blurt out, "Her name was Daisy. She saved my life."

Joel ignores it.  “Move. Now. Or I’m pickin’ ya up.”  You relent and stop resisting. Smart. He wouldn't want to regret bringing you with them.

Joel squints into the ground as the two of you walk. Carter walks ahead, not wanting to get in the middle of it.  “Maybe this one could save me, too," you suggest. "if you’re gone.” 

Damnit sweet pea, you sure are smart. Nice try, but that's what Carter is for.

"Dog that size?” Joel laughs. You compose yourself. You walk in silence for a few minutes, but Joel is still thinking about it. “How,” Joel asks, and adjusts his backpack. “How’d she save you? Must’a been bigger, right? meaner?”

Carter looks over his shoulder with a side-eye at the word “meaner,” but doesn’t reveal his injury.  

You don’t answer Joel. You're checked out. He notices you keep eyeing the tree line, but you wouldn’t. . . There's no way you’d run, right? 

You look at him with your eyes red. “You don’t wanna hear it.” 

The vacant look on your face makes Joel stop in his tracks to face you. “Tell me,” he demands. 

You sniffle and look toward the tree line again. “Can I go pee?”

Joel can’t read you right now, which disturbs him. “Yeah,” he mutters and puts his massive hand on your back, guiding you to the edge of the forest. 

He starts to come in behind you, and you ask him, “Do you mind if I go?” 

He swallows and furrows his brow as he looks at you. You must read his concern, because you hand him your bag. He nods. He steps into the woods, but tries to give you some space, without losing track of you. He doesn't wanna have to chase you down, but damnit he'll tackle you if he has to, to save you from yourself. His stomach is uneasy.

There’s a hollow, rusted truck about 30 paces away. You go on the other side of it. Joel knows you’re not just pouting about leaving the dog. There's more to this. But you’re right, he’s not sure if he wants to know. 

Until he hears you sniffling, and it's not just sad, it's scared, painful.

Ah, fuck it. He moves as quietly as he can.

“Sweet pea,” he says softly as he walks around the old hollowed-out car. You’re squatting–not peeing, just hugging your knees, facing the abandoned car. You're shaking and your cheeks are wet. There's not much space, but Joel gets between you and the car.  He takes his backpack off and drops it to the side.

“She wasn’t afraid like me, Daisy,” you choke out and wipe your cheeks with the heel of one palm.  “They,” you croak. You pause and try again. “He had a gun-” you close your eyes. “Pointed at, pointed at me," you take a deep breath and keep your eyes pinched shut. "He was, he was gonna—but she wouldn’t," you choke on a breath. "She wouldn't stop barking.”  

"Shhhhh, it's ok." Joel cuts you off. It's too hard to see you re-living this. He doesn't want you to get to the details. He squats down. His head is full of pressure, and his heart is full of rage. You take shaky, shallow breaths. 

He puts a hand on your shoulder and lets his knees into the ground. “Breathe,” he says. “Breathe, sweet pea.”  You lean forward, letting your weight into his arms, and he holds you for a minute as you regain your breath.  He cradles your head.  "Yeah, you're okay, I got ya."  He buries his mouth in your hair. "I got ya, baby," he whispers. You wipe your eyes on his shoulder and your cheek catches on the holster.  When you lift your head, you apologize and he shakes his head no.  He brushes a fresh tear off your cheek, and arousal stirs in his pants.  

“Who did it,” he asks, unable to mask the darkness in his question. 

“Just a guy,” you tell him. A guy like himself, Joel assumes with disdain. 

“What kinda guy” 

You sigh and he hates making you think about this, but he needs the answer. “Mean. Had a gold tooth.” 

Joel takes a deep breath and nods. 

"FEDRA," you add, and Joel's face goes cold. His mind goes blank. For a moment, he doesn't even breathe as the life is sucked out of him and replaced by ice cold rage. FEDRA. Not a guy like him.

 “How’d ya get away?” Joel asks. 

You look at him for a second, doing a double take at his face.  You shake your head. “You don’t wanna hear it." You bury your head in his neck again. You’re right, he doesn’t want to, but he insists.  

“Tell me.” 

“Jah–” you stop and look at Joel’s face. His jaw clenches. He knows what's coming, but the thought of FEDRA has fortified him with numbness. 

“S’okay, sweet pea.”

“Jack shot’m.” 

Joel takes a deep breath and looks up at the forest canopy, then bows his head and looks at your knees, bracketed by his own. For a moment, Joel is filled with an uncomfortable appreciation for Jack. But that fades into, no, it should have been Joel, he should’ve had you all along, he should’ve been there to save you *and* your dog. 

“He take good care of ya?” Joel asks in self-loathing. 

You shrug. 

“Better than. . .now?” He can take it.

“No,” you shake your head. “He didn’t shoot him dead.” 

Jackass fucking moron cuck. He left that motherfucker breathing? Suddenly Joel is glad he killed Jack. 

Joel nods, “I see.” He keeps nodding slowly, looking to his right at the moss on a far off tree, clenching his jaw.

"And I didn't have a gun," you add. "Cause I killed a guy Jack said not to." Joel scoffs. You could've killed the guy yourself if not for Jack.

You continue,  “and. . . Jack didn’t cook.” Joel chuckles, caught off guard -- he'd forgetten his original question. You keep going, “And he didn’t–I didn’t–I didn’t feel the same,” you wipe your eyes.  This has gone far enough, and Joel knows it's his own fault. His stupid question.  He takes the toothpick from behind his ear.

You look at him with your eyes all watery, and Joel's cock twitches. The next thing he knows, his massive hand is wrapped gently around your jaw. You put your hands on his shoulders, then straddle him. You wrap your arms around his neck. 

"Mmm," he sighs as your warm crotch meets the bulge in his jeans, and he swells harder against you. He holds your face about two inches from his, looking down at your mouth, then your nose, and your eyes again. He puts his toothpick in his mouth and looks past you as he lets go of your jaw. You bury your head in his neck, blinking warm tears into his skin, making him harder. He whispers your name. He relaxes and takes the toothpick out of his mouth just in time for a branch to fall on the car with a loud clang. 

"All good?" Carter yells from the treeline. 

“Shouldn’t stay here long,” Joel mumbles as he puts it back behind his ear. ”Bad area.” He eases you off his lap back onto your feet, as you both stand up. He brushes dead leaves off his pants and your knees. He adjusts himself, puts his backpack over one shoulder, then reaches down and you take his hand.  You walk a few steps together and he looks back at you slightly behind him. He realizes you’re shaking. He drops your hand, goes in his backpack, and pulls out a flannel that he packed even though you said you were fine. He unfolds it, holds it out, and helps you put it on. 

“Thanks,” you whisper and rub your nose. He keeps his hand on the back of your neck as you walk.

Joel stews and broods as you leave the forest together. He wants to go back in time and kill everyone who’s ever hurt you, anyone who let you get hurt, and anyone who failed to hurt the people who hurt you. His muscles are all tense, and his veins are throbbing.

When you get to the treeline, Joel asks Carter, "Can ya gimme five?"

"Sure thing, boss.".

“No ones gonna miss that asshole," Joel mutters as he checks his gun then sets his sights on the house. 

Joel can’t go back in time, but by God, he’s got to kill someone. He drops his backpack then hurries back to the abandoned house, rifle in both hands. When he gets there, he puts the rifle around his back and grabs the dog chain off the ground on his way in. 

—---You 🌸🫛-—

You and Carter look at each other. “How’s your hand?” you ask him. 

“It’ll be fine,” he reassures you. “I dunno where the little bugger went,” he looks around for the dog.  

You both ignore the sound of the chain thrashing around until you hear grunting and look toward the house. Punches are landing. Carter puts a hand on his rifle but doesn’t move yet. Joel grunts and yells between punches. A minute later, Joel steps out of the house, walking backwards, with the chain pulled taught, and a bloody man dragging behind him. Joel kicks him up against the wall, hits him in the face with the butt of his rifle, then wraps the chain around the drain pipe where the dog was tied up. Joel hits the man again, then aims the rifle and calmly shoots him. Even if you never see the dog again, you're certain the dog is better off without that man. Joel wipes blood splatter off his brow and scowls at the ground as he walks back to you and Carter.

“Ya good?” Carter asks him. 

Joel nods. He’s sweaty, chest heaving.  You try not to let your eyes linger on the remaining blood. You observe his throbbing veins instead. The whole scene has you clenching your thighs.

You walk mostly in silence. When you stop for water, you realize you're being followed. Joel doesn’t notice, but you see the dog duck behind an old car when you turn around. You keep a straight face.

You hear something in the distance. Dust is kicked up down the road. Carter says, “Finally.”  It’s the van that still works, picking you up. You didn't know it was coming and wish the dog could follow you the rest of the way home, but you don’t say anything. You're glad he's unchained. 

—–

When you get back to the stash house, Joel works on the broken down van. When he’s done for the day, he takes you back to the trailer and washes the grease off. When he comes out of the bathroom, you're sitting in the window nook looking at your book, but thinking about the dog. He comes over, wiping his hands off on a towel. "Wanna go out 'n' shoot?" He seems to want to cheer you up.  

Joel goes first. He looks through the scope at the trailer park. Ever since those guys showed up one night, he's looking for other raiders or troublemakers. Then he lines up a shot at the usual target. Your eyes are on his biceps. When Joel is about to take aim, the rare sound of ducks honking startles you. They should’ve already flown South. Joel gets up on his knees and aims toward the front of the flock. He hits one, shifts ahead of the flock, and hits another. It gives you butterflies. You hear a thud as the second one hits the ground. 

“Nice!” you tell him. He winks at you and puts the gun strap over his shoulder. You smooth your dress under your butt as you stand up, then adjust the thigh holster. Joel groans as he stands up. You peer down toward where the birds fell, and something is moving up the hill. A bird, moving strangely. A dead bird, in a little dog's mouth. 

You gasp. Joel looks at you, then follows your eyes. The bird is as big as the dog.  His mouth is open wide to fit the neck.  He crests the hill and drops the bird. "Good boy!" You praise. He does a happy circle and trots back down the hill. 

You look at Joel and try not to smile. Joel puts his hand on his hip and shifts his weight to one leg. He looks down at the ground and rubs brow with the flat of his index finger, squinting. When the dog returns with the second bird, Joel mutters, "alright, big guy," and squats down to accept the bird from his mouth.  Then you barely hear him mutter, "good boy." The dog does another circle and trots around the other side of the trailer. 

 "How'd he find us, all this way?" You marvel. 

"Must have some hound in’m," Joel shakes his head. “Guess ya made an impression.” 

Joel starts a fire and boils two big pots of water. The dog keeps a respectful distance, lounging in the same clover patch where you were sitting earlier. Joel chops the heads and feet off the birds, and tosses them on the ground. The dog scurries over, wagging his tail. He drags one of the duck heads over to the grass to chew on with his butt in the air and his tail wagging furiously, all the way upright now. 

Joel beckons you back inside to wash up and change. He takes a quick shower while you take off the flannel and wash your hands in the kitchen sink. You take off the belt, untethering the ribbons, but you leave the holster on. You sit back down in the window nook.

—-

When Joel comes out from the bathroom, he sits down, manspreads, and pats the kitchen table in front of him, looking at the skirt of your dress as you get up from your seat. You unholster your gun and set it down, then use your hands to help yourself onto the surface, sitting on your dress so your thighs won't stick.  Joel spreads your knees so he can be between them, and grabs your ass to scoot you closer. 

He lifts the dress to look at the holster, and he puts his toothpick in his mouth. 

"s'prised it worked," he mutters. He eyes your legs and runs his hands all the way up your thighs with a deep breath.  "Looks good on ya, too," he murmurs. He thumbs the ribbon of the holster, then unties it. He unbuckles the real strap, too. Then he lifts your knee, slides the holster out from under you, and sets it aside with the gun. He runs his hand over the indentation in your skin from the buckle. "that hurt?" He asks. 

"No." 

He puts his elbows down on either side of your hips, and his biceps rest against your thighs. He looks back and forth between your breasts and takes the toothpick out of his mouth. Without taking his eyes off you, he throws it into the kitchen sink and it hits the metal with a light plink. 

He furrows his brow and looks at your body, then puts his cheek flat against your breast at the lace neckline of your cotton dress while he palms the opposite tit. He turns his face to nose your nipple, and it hardens through the fabric of your dress. He dampens the cotton with his mouth as he flattens his tongue against it. One hand holds your back, near your shoulder blade for leverage, with his thumb hooked under your arm. 

He kisses wetly at your breast through your dress, then glances up at you. His hands slide up to the straps of your dress. He gently nudges the straps off your shoulder. His fingers skim your nipples as he curls his thick fingers into the lace neckline, then pulls the dress down below your tits.  He presses his wide tongue onto your nipple and closes his eyes as he latches onto it. Then he lets go with a soft pop and sucks below the nipple as he massages the other breast.  You're gushing arousal with your legs wide open.  He inhales through his nose and his stomach growls. 

"Joel," you sigh, resting your hands on his muscular back. You watch his vein 

His only response is "Mmm," into your nipple.  You're throbbing, and the more attention he pays to your tits, the more your cunt aches to be filled. You want to let him explore your body, it's not something he normally does, but it also makes you want his cock so bad. You want him to slide you off the table and sink you onto his massive erection. He's really taking his time.  You take a deep breath and try to relax. Your clit twitches. 

Joel pulls down the dress a little more, exposing an inch or two below your breasts. He switches sides, dragging his mouth to his right, your left.  With your left nipple in his mouth, he looks up at you and makes sleepy eye contact. His pupils are blown wide. 

"Joel, I want it," you plead.

His tongue trails as he moves his mouth an inch to the right of your nipple, then he closes his eyes again. He licks and sucks the outer curve of your breast, massaging the other one with a thumb lightly brushing the nipple, then the heel of his palm flattening it into your breast. His eyes open to watch his massive hand moving languidly on your breast. 

You whine his name again and slot your fingers into his dark, curly hair. He doesn't look up. You finger his curls and the pads of your fingers lightly caress his scalp. He pulls his mouth off your breast and backs his head away enough to look at your body. You let your fingers fall out of his hair and rest back on his shoulders. One of his hands moves to rest on your hip, his fingers curling around your flesh and his thumb brushing the hem of your dress. 

His voice is low and husky. "Ever feel like ya just. . ." He meets your gaze with hungry eyes, then looks at your lips. "gotta have your mouth on somethin’?"

His eyes fall down your body as he sits back and palms himself through his jeans.  You whisper "yeah," with a smile and begin to scoot off the table so you can suck him off. He abruptly leans forward and stops you with both hands firmly on your hips. He doesn't let you move. His brow furrows. He looks back and forth between your breasts and noses a nipple again. He murmurs low and gruff into your supple skin,  "Ain't talkin' 'bout you."

Your chest erupts in goosebumps.  He drags his hands down your dress to the bare skin of your legs, then slides his massive palms back up your thighs, slipping his fingers under your dress, leaving his thumbs hooked on top. You brace your hands on the table to lift your butt for him. His hands keep moving up, reaching your hips.  The fabric of your dress bunches above your ass, then he curls his fingers under the waistband of your panties and begins to take them down. You let yourself back down on the table as he slides the underwear down your legs. It dangles between his fingers as he brings his hand to your neck and caresses the side of your throat with his thumb.

You feel the damp cotton against your throat and smell your own arousal as he grips your jaw. He locks eyes with you for less than a second before his gaze drifts downward. He returns his other palm to your breast, fingers slotting under your arm to hold you steady as he pushes you down until your back is flat on the table. He nudges your thighs farther apart.  He sucks in a sharp breath through his nose and hums "Mmm." 

He drops the panties on the table and plants his elbows on either side of your thighs again.  He spreads you open and thumbs your folds, bringing the moisture up to your clit.  He hunches over to bring his face between your legs and his left hand reaches up to fondle a breast.  He drags his nose through your slick and inhales, then moans at your scent. He plants his mouth on the crease of your thigh. He sucks the skin into your mouth, then let's go. He runs two knuckles through your folds, then turns his hand palm-up and gently nudges his middle finger  inside. Your walls spasm around the intrusion and he breathes, "god damn." 

He pumps his finger once and adds a second digit. You moan, and he hums a deep "Mmm," in response.  He takes his fingers out and sucks one, then both into his mouth.  "Fuck," he breathes. 

He doesn't waste any more time, spreading you wide open with his thumbs and burying his face in your cunt. He starts at your entrance where your wetness pools and licks up from there, punctuating the first lick with a kiss on the clit that makes your thighs tremble. Then he laps at you more selfishly, like he's thirsty, like he needs to drink you. His tongue starts flat and stiffens as he digs for more and explores each crevasse. He moans into your folds.  You've never felt anything as powerful and precise as his tongue.  It's stronger than his fingers.  It makes you tingle in one swipe, then presses into the tingle for relief.  He holds you gently until you wriggle in pleasure and he holds you down firmer with one forearm across your lower belly.  

He breathes through his nose and moans as he devours you. When he pauses, he draws in a deeper breath through his mouth then exhales vocally against your wet cunt. 

"Feel good?" He asks with a glance to your face, then plants his mouth on your clit. 

He slides one then two fingers into your core again and you gasp then answer "y-yeah," as he sucks your clit while he pumps them. 

He takes his arm off your abdomen to unbutton his pants and take his stiff cock out. He pulls his face away from your pussy. You're throbbing, and your body races to replenish all the moisture he's sucked up. He gathers some on his fingers then also spits into his hand and wraps it around his length. You want it inside you so, so bad. You hear the squelching as his hand moves up and down his shaft. 

He brings his face back between your legs and puts his arm back on top of you to hold you still, angling his elbow so his thumb is planted at your clit. He laps at you again, moaning into your throbbing, swollen lips. He firmly licks between your clit and hole, then thrusts his tongue into your entrance and you whimper. He tilts his head and jabs his sharpened tongue into you again and again, pumping his cock all the while.  He noses your clit as he sucks and laps, then fucks you with his tongue again.  

You writhe under his arm. "Yeah," he whispers before planting his mouth again. He works your clit with his thumb as he thrusts his tongue into you, dragging it against the top wall, and your desperate cunt twitches against him. You let out a long whine, and his thumb gently rubs the top of your clit, over your hood. 

"Joel," you whimper and it turns into a moan. 

His thumb slows down, and he gathers more slick on his fingers. He wipes it on his shaft, then pulls you by the thighs closer to the edge, unsticking your bare ass from the table. You sit up on your elbows and whimper, "want you. . ."  

He's holding his cock, chest heaving. "Want this?"

"Yeah-yes," you whimper. "Please."

He gazes darkly at your cunt and decides, "Ain't done yet."

You whine his name as he puts his face between your legs again. He sucks your clit for a few seconds until you're whimpering, then he plants his mouth a little lower.  He flattens two fingers to rubs your clit while he fucks you with his tongue. You moan his name as your climax seizes you, and you clench around his tongue. He moves his hand from your clit to your mound to hold you steady as you come. He withdraws his tongue from your hole and laps up and down your folds for a few seconds as you continue to twitch. 

Then he stands up, holding his stiff, wet cock.  His face is flushed, and he's shiny from the nose down.  He braces a hand on the table and teases your clit with his swollen tip.  You flinch in pleasure, still reeling from your first orgasm. He notches his tip at your wet little hole, holds onto your thighs,.and shoves himself into you with a groan. He stays in for a moment, sighing “Ohh, fuck,” admiring your body as it rushes to accommodate him. You spasm around his cock, still twitching with aftershocks. He backs up then slams into you with a low growl from his chest. It's a lot to take, but god it feels good. He puts his arms under your knees, wrapping his hands over to hold your thighs as he buries his length in you, grunting and sighing. His balls slap against your ass. His biceps flex, and It isn't long before you begin to moan and writhe, and squeeze his cock. 

"Good girl," he breathes. "Good, sweet pea."

He closes his eyes and fucks you through it. He breathes deep and slow, like he's trying not to come yet.  He slows way down, moans, then bottoms out and begins to pulse. He brings his hands to either side of your body and hovers over you while he thrusts slowly with each warm burst he releases. You milk his cock until his balls are empty, then your contractions fade. 

Joel hovers there, admiring your body. Then he slides out and sits down on the chair between your legs again. His armpits are warm and humid on your thighs.  He puts one hand on each breast and lowers his head to rest his cheek on your lower abdomen, tickling you with his beard. He wipes his mouth on your belly and a spot of drool from the corner of his mouth hits your skin.  He stares off at the front door of the trailer in a trance, gently cupping your breasts. He mumbles, "Taste so good, sweet pea." 

You reach for his hair and he doesn't stop you from fingering his curls. His eyelids droop, and after a few seconds, he closes his eyes.  You lightly massage his scalp again. 

He only allows himself a minute or two before he tenses and clears his throat. He lifts his head and slides his hands under your arms, helping you sit up straight. 

“I'll check the birds,” he says as he tucks his cock away.  He squeezes your thigh and gives you a wink before he stands up to go outside. 

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[playlistjunkie]

Rihanna - iTunes Celebrity Playlist - 1/26/10

• Best I Ever Had - Drake

• Forever - Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West & Eminem

• Closer - Kings Of Leon

• Young Forever - Jay-Z and Mr Hudson

• Venus vs. Mars - Jay-Z

• Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas

• La La La - LMFAO

• Throw It in the Bag - Fabolous

• Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus

• The Climb - Miley Cyrus

• Thinking of You - Katy Perry

• Umbrella - Rihanna

• Russian Roulette - Rihanna

• Sweet Dreams - Beyoncé

• Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer