#that’s when i knew its time to pack it up

[spideyjimin]

Bloodlines entwined: III | jjk

⤷ having a baby alone was supposed to be easy. but an accidental twist of fate pulled you into a hidden world of werewolves, and ancient bloodlines. navigating your already complicated life becomes even harder as you uncover your past; one tied to a legacy you never knew existed. and in the middle of this chaos stands jungkook, the werewolf king… and the father of your child. 

—  pairing: werewolf!jungkook x female reader 

—  genre: strangers to lovers, parents-to-be au, royalty au, werewolves au, soulmates au, angst, fluff, and smut 

— rating: 18+ 

—  words: 7,460

—  warnings: mention of death, murder, and abortion, crying, kind of heartbreak, nervousness, a tiny growing sexual tension, and some teasing  

—  author’s note: sssooo this chapter finally explains a bit more about the werewolf universe, and i hope it’s a bit clearer for you. a lot more explanations will come throughout the series as i can’t reveal it all in one chapter. the next chapter is actually my favourite and i definelty can’t wait to post it 😊 hope you’ll enjoy this one & let me know what you think <3  

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Chapter III: untold truth

SERIES MASTERLIST | previous | next

Jungkook spent the rest of the night thinking about you. He couldn’t believe what he saw. He couldn’t believe that you’re a werewolf.

Obviously, you’re not aware of it otherwise you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did when he revealed the existence of the werewolf word. Normally, you should have recognized him since he’s the king, but you didn’t. So, he strongly believes that you were adopted. That’s the only reason that could explain why you aren’t aware.  

Now, he needs to understand why you were adopted. A pack never gives up on their little ones. He can think of many reasons why, but he needs to figure out what happened to you. He doesn’t want to simply reveal your true nature without having any certainty.

However, what concerns him is the fact that you haven’t turned yet. Normally, around fourteen years old, under a full moon, you should have experienced your first transformation. Maybe the fact that you ignore everything about that has caused your wolf blood to be dormant.

The next morning, he started looking into every record he has access to about the Shadows. The blue eyes are a characteristic specific to the Shadow pack. Every pack has its own eye color; it’s the way to distinguish every wolf. Jungkook’s pack, the Bloods, has red eyes. However, his eyes have a darker red shade. This is a trait specific to the king; he inherits it the second he goes from heir to king.

“Jungkook,” Taehyung, his best friend makes his way inside his office.

The man looks up at his best friend before a bright smile appears on his face. It’s been a little while since they last saw each other. Taehyung has been traveling a lot lately; he said he wants to discover the world before settling with his mate. However, it looks like he doesn’t want to settle down at all.

“Hey, Tae,” he stands up to greet his best friend. “What are you doing here? I thought you were lost somewhere in France.”

“Well, I needed to come back,” he replies with a smile. “Couldn’t stay forever in France.”  

Both men start talking about what has been happening for the last month. Jungkook doesn’t go too much into detail. He only mentions he contacted a fertility clinic, and that he’s right now concerned about something happening in the Shadow pack.

Taehyung, on his side, tells his friend about all the places he went to. He was in Europe, discovering a lot of different countries. He definitely adored going around and discovering new cultures, new food, and meeting new people. For sure, his favorite place was Paris.

“Do you need any help with those Shadows research?” Taehyung asks casually although his sharp gaze indicates that he already knows the answer.

Jungkook nods, his shoulders visibly tense. He’s never been one to ask for help, but this time he definitely would need some.

“I wouldn’t refuse it,” he answers to his most trusted friend.

Taehyung crosses his arms, leaning against Jungkook’s wooden bookcase.

“What exactly are you looking for?” he frowns while grabbing a book.  

“I don’t really know,” Jungkook says. “A record, a mention, a trace of a couple that died or disappeared,” he explains.

Taehyung looks up at his friend before looking down at the book again. By pure coincidence, the book he’s holding is an old one about the different werewolf packs. It’s one of the first books he read; it details the characteristics of each pack.

“A couple who died or disappeared?” he repeats his friend’s words. “Is this by any chance related to a girl?”

Jungkook freezes for a split second, but it’s enough for Taehyung to catch. He’s been very observant, especially when it comes to Jungkook.

“No,” he lies, his voice steady and firm.

Taehyung isn’t convinced; his eyes narrow as he studies his friend. He knows Jungkook better than anyone else, and while he’s very good at hiding his emotions, there’s something in his posture, something in the way he’s looking at Taehyung, that betrays him.

 “You’re unreadable when you want it, you know that?” Taehyung finally says, walking closer to his friend who is standing behind his desk. “But something tells me this isn’t just about finding old records. If you’re diving into the Shadows' history, there’s a good reason behind it. You don’t waste your time on anything without a reason.”

Jungkook sights while running a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated, Tae.”

“You know I’m here, right? Whatever this is, whatever you’re digging into, you don’t have to do it alone.”  

The werewolf king would love to tell him everything, but he doesn’t want to involve anyone at this stage. First, he needs to make sure you’re a werewolf, and only then, he’ll reveal it.

“I know, Tae. I just need to be sure before I tell you anything,” his voice lowers. “Before I tell anyone anything.”

Taehyung nods, understanding that his best friend will share when he’s ready.

“Alright,” he says. “I’ll start digging into the Shadow Pack archives. See if I can find anything about missing couples and unexplained disappearances.”

Taehyung’s aunt is married to a Shadow alpha so it will definitely help. As a king, he for sure has access to a lot of records, but not everything. Each pack has its own secrets, and that’s the beauty of it. If Jungkook knew everything, his job would be boring. There’s always something new to unveil. Like your past.

Taehyung disappears a little while after, leaving Jungkook alone with his eyes fixed on the flames in the fireplace. The shadows dance across the stone walls, but his mind is somewhere else, on you, and on the fragile heartbeat growing inside you. He can still hear it perfectly.

He runs a hand down his face before letting out a deep breath. This was never supposed to go down like that. This mistake was never supposed to happen. But the raw and undeniable truth has already sunk its claws into him.  

How can he turn away from this? From you? From the baby?

He remembers the flicker of blue in your eyes. It’s been replaying constantly on his mind, but what is deeply engraved in him is this connection with you. He constantly feels your presence around him, something he’s never felt with anyone else.  

Even though he’s been deeply sorry to have brought you to his world, this flicker of blue made him realize that he brought you to your world. A world you didn’t know existed until he revealed it. His duty has been telling him to stay away, but he can’t.

The thought creeps in quietly, yet with unshakable certainty: This was never a mistake.  

The world may call it an accident, but Jungkook can feel something deeper, something ancient, something undeniable. Fate, destiny… whatever name it might have, it brought the two of you here. Together.

Every choice and every moment has led to this point. To you.

Now, standing quietly in his study, he feels the truth settling deep in his bones. This child growing inside you was always meant to happen. Jungkook leans against the edge of his desk.

“I can’t abandon this child, my child,” he whispers to himself. “I can’t abandon yn.”

It isn’t about duty anymore. It’s about you. It’s about the fragile life caught between two worlds, and the bond he can already feel forming. Whether he’s ready to admit it or not. Jungkook straightens up, shoulders squared, and jaw tight. The king in him knows what needs to be done, but the man knows what he wants to do.

“I’m staying,” he runs his hand over his hair.

This isn’t just a choice. It’s the acceptance of what was always meant to be. Whatever challenges await, Jungkook knows one thing with absolute certainty: This was always supposed to happen.

For the past five days, Jungkook and Taehyung have been trying to find anything about missing couples and mysterious disappearances, but it’s been in vain. There’s absolutely nothing. Thirty years ago, nothing special happened.

However, Jungkook asked Sungmin, Taehyung’s uncle to meet. Records are one thing, but Jungkook knows better than anyone that there might have been something off records that happened. Some secrets are kept hidden, locked away in the minds of those who lived them.

“Thanks for having me, Mister Song,” Jungkook says as he enters Sungmin’s house.

“I couldn’t refuse my king’s visit,” he replies with a warm smile.

Many people believe that the Alphas of every pack refuse the authority of a king, but those closest to the throne are often the first to kneel. For sure, Jungkook’s natural leadership certainly helps. However, the truth is that the werewolf hierarchy isn’t just a tradition; it’s more than that. Every werewolf deeply holds onto it.

“I could say that I’m surprised, but it’d be a lie,” he admits while he guides Jungkook towards the terrace. “I was expecting it after Tae’s request.”

“I imagine,” Jungkook responds.

The covered terrace is a serene and private space. Jungkook’s eyes quickly scan the surroundings. It’s a little but pretty space. Plates, cups, and a selection of biscuits are neatly arranged on the modest wooden table.

“Would you like some coffee or tea?” Sungmin gestures for Jungkook to sit.

“A coffee would be fine,” Jungkook answers.

The man takes one of the porcelain carafes on the table and carefully pours the drink into a cup, placing it in front of Jungkook.

“I was originally looking for a couple’s death or disappearances in your pack, but I couldn’t find anything documented,” Jungkook is straightforward.

Sungmin nods thoughtfully. “When do you believe this event happened?”

“Around thirty years ago,” he says.

Tae’s uncle freezes for a brief moment at his answers. His eyes flicker with something that Jungkook recognizes instantly: recognition mixed with hesitation. This is it. This might be the key to understanding your past.

“Something did happen thirty years ago,” Sungmin admits. “But we didn’t keep any trace of it out of respect to the family concerned.”

Jungkook is definitely very intrigued about this.

“The eldest daughter of an estimated member of our pack fell in love with a human. Despite our objections, she decided to run away with him. We all knew why,” he shakes his head as he remembers the sad story. “She was pregnant with that human child.”

The werewolf king listens patiently, absorbing every word.

“We didn’t inform your father immediately as we thought we could handle it ourselves. Involving the king into this would have drawn unwanted attention to this. For us, Shadows, discretion is everything.”

Jungkook nods, knowing perfectly the Shadow’s reputation. They are the ghosts of the werewolf world, unseen and often unheard, but fiercely loyal and deadly when necessary. The Shadows blend into their surroundings, disappearing when needed.

“We looked for them for years but couldn’t find them,” he seems really affected as he recalls what happened. “They were clever. They stayed hidden, and after nine years, we had no choice but to involve your father.”

Jungkook nods, understanding that after all that time, it’s normal to be reaching out to the king. “And he found them.”

Sungmin sighs deeply. “Yes. Your father had better resources than us. Within a year, he found them. Thankfully, this stayed between us and the king. He let us deal with this internally,” he explains.

The air feels heavier now, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on the two men.

“They were living in a totally different city. And they had indeed a child. A ten-year-old kid…”

Jungkook notices how hard it is for Sungmin to remember this terrible event.  

“It was very hard to end their lives, but we had to. The woman, her human mate, the kid, the life they had built… all of it was extinguished.”

Sungmin pauses, his throat tightening. For a moment, Jungkook sees the weight of guilt appearing on the older Alpha’s face.

“Killing a child was way too hard, but hybrids are forbidden. A child of two worlds, carrying both human and werewolf blood could destabilize everything. We told ourselves it was necessary.”  

Jungkook grips the edge of his coffee cup, his jaw clenched. The thought of such a decision sits uneasily within him. He’s not sure he would have had the strength to do that. It is one thing to terminate a pregnancy, but killing a ten-year-old child is totally another story.

“Did anyone else know about this? Anyone outside the pack?”

“No, only your father, and now you.”

“Do you think it’s possible that the child survived?” Jungkook asks, his voice steady but intense.

Sungmin looks directly into his king’s eyes. “We are certain they didn’t.”  

Jungkook leans back in the chair, his mind racing. If the child had somehow survived, if they had slipped through the cracks of fate, then everything changes. And if that child was you… He shakes his head, not sure that it’s possible.

“Thank you, Mister Song. This has been illuminating.”

Jungkook steps away, his heart beating fast. There are too many resemblances between this story and your story.

To yn: hi yn, could we meet tonight or tomorrow?

Barely a minute later he receives an answer.

From yn: hi Jungkook, tonight is fine. Same place as last time?

To yn: sure

As you’re walking towards the location you agreed with Jungkook, you try to understand the reason behind his sudden need to talk to you. This is unexpected for you, so it definitely makes you nervous. Is he going to tell you that he changed his mind about the baby? Is he going to pressure you to abort considering the hybrid situation? Or even worse, has something happened? Your mind races through every possibility.

“Calm down, yn,” you mumble to yourself.

You take a deep breath, your eyes closing for a brief moment. The beating of your heart drums in your ears, and slowly, you can hear it calming down. You can’t start overthinking before you even get to listen to what Jungkook wants to tell you. Maybe it’s nothing serious or something you have to really worry about.

When you arrive, you notice you’re the first one; Jungkook hasn’t arrived yet. So, you decide to sit on the closest bench. You look at the passersby walking around you with ‘Tití Me Perguntó’ from Bad Bunny playing in your headphones. It’s one of your favorite songs.

After a couple of minutes, you feel Jungkook’s presence. Your eyes stare at the surroundings to check if he’s indeed nearby. Your senses are right, you see a man walking in your direction. Even when he walks, he has such an imposing posture.

This presence feeling grows stronger as he gets closer to you, and you can’t seem to look away, as if your eyes are glued on him. Weird things have been happening with Jungkook since you’ve met him, and you can’t quite explain them.

Once he’s in front of you, you stand up, a smile naturally growing on your face. He’s incredibly handsome and charming. Once again, he has opted for a casual look: a white shirt layered under a leather jacket completed with loose, brown suede-like pants.

His strong presence near you soothes you in a way you never experienced before. All the nervousness you were feeling minutes ago is completely washed away. His strong and bestial scent fills the air and calms down your racing thoughts.

For a moment, you remain in silence, but it isn’t an awkward one. It’s actually quite the opposite. His gaze holds yours, and the intensity of his eyes draws you even more. It feels like none of you needs to speak. It is as if the two of you are communicating on a deeper level that doesn’t need language.

“Hi,” you break the silence.

“Hey, yn,” he takes a step closer.

By the way he approaches you, you sense he’s about to hug you or something similar. You prepare yourself for such, but he ends up not doing it. Jungkook just stands there, a shy smile appearing on his face.

“How have you been feeling?” he asks with evident concern in his voice.

As always, being around him comforts you. It makes you feel like you don’t need to hold anything back. There’s no need to hide your thoughts and feelings behind a mask. You can be entirely honest, saying what you truly feel without the fear of being judged. It’s part of the weird things you’ve been experiencing with Jungkook. It’s something you never felt with anyone else, not even an ex. This makes you wonder just how much this connection truly means.

“Very much torn apart by the decision I need to make,” you admit.

“Have you already considered one of them?” he questions.

You decide to sit down on the bench, your hands rubbing your face. Should you be telling him that you’re very much inclined to keep the baby? Isn’t it better if he doesn’t know anything? In any case, he won’t be around anymore. He said he’d walk away.

“I’ve kind of made a decision,” you try to be as vague as possible.

Jungkook takes a seat next to you. This time around, he doesn’t seem to try to look away from you. His deep dark orbs stare straight into your eyes. As usual, he’s pretty much unreadable, but he has that soft expression on his face. It almost looks like he truly cares and worries about you.

“In case you…” he seems to hesitate, but he doesn’t look away. “If you keep the baby,” he continues, and your heart starts hammering in your chest. “I think I won’t be able to step away.”

You close your eyes while taking a deep breath. You’re not sure what you’re supposed to be feeling right now.

“I thought stepping away was the right decision,” he starts explaining. “Every time I tried to pull back, I find myself being drawn to you… to our child.”

The word ‘our child’ sends shivers down your spine.   

“I can’t turn my back on this—not on you, not on them.”

As he says those words, his eyes look down at your stomach, where a precious life is growing. Even though your eyes are closed, you can feel his gaze on you. You can feel it on your baby. You can simply feel Jungkook. His entire being calls for you, and your body responds to it by being completely drawn to him.

“Why now?” your voice trembles as your eyes open to look at him. “What has changed?”

This doesn’t make any sense. Almost a month ago, he told you that he couldn’t father this child because you aren’t a werewolf, and that this child's existence is completely forbidden. Things are still the same, nothing has changed since then.

“You said you couldn’t have this child because of the whole werewolf thing,” your voice tone is slowly getting higher.

Jungkook’s face now seems to soften and it looks like he carries an emotional weight. There is definitely something going on that you can’t quite explain. And it’s scaring you.

“I think…” he runs his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture you’ve started to recognize. “You’re not just a woman carrying my child,” he seems to struggle to express what’s inside his mind. “I think you might be one of us.”

His words hand in the air, your entire body freezing. For a moment, it feels like the world completely stopped moving. You blink at him, trying to process the enormity of what he just said. At this stage it feels like, Jungkook likes to make cruel jokes. First, it’s the werewolf world, and now, it’s this. How on earth can you be a werewolf? It’s simply impossible. If that was the case, you would have already turned or something like that.

“What are you talking about?” the sharpness of your voice even surprises you.  

Anger grows inside you, but it masks the deeper emotion of fear that you can feel. Your heart starts pounding erratically in your chest as the air grows heavier. How dare he? How dare he turn your world upside down with this unbelievable claim? You stand up, trying to calm yourself down.

“That’s impossible,” you say with a trembling voice.

You rest a hand on top of your heart, trying to anchor yourself, but the panic bubbling beneath your surface is relentless. The thought of upsetting the baby crosses your mind, but it doesn’t help to calm you.

Jungkook stands as well, hands raising as if he’s about to reassure you, but as he does so, he watches you disappear before his eyes.

“It’s incredible,” he whispers to himself.

Now, he has solid proof that you’re indeed a werewolf, a member of the Shadow pack.

“Yn, listen to me.”

“No, Jungkook,” you cut him off. “I am not a werewolf. That’s ridiculous. If I were one, I would have transformed or something like that.”

“Maybe,” he says quietly. “But you didn’t know you were one so things might work differently in that case.”

“Stop!” you scream. “Just stop. Do you even hear yourself? Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

Jungkook stands there, looking somewhere, but he doesn’t even know where you are.

“Take your phone, yn,” he tells you.

“What?” you say with evident surprise, and your anger turns into confusion.

“Just take your phone,” he repeats, his tone calm but firm.

Still breathing heavily and with shaky hands, you look for your phone in your purse. You’re not sure why he’s saying that or what to expect when you look at your phone.

“Now, pretend like you’ll take a selfie.”

As you look at him, there is something in his expression that compels you to obey. Slowly you lift your phone, positioning it in front of your face. The moment your screen comes into view, your breath catches in your throat. Your reflection is completely gone.

Your mind struggles to understand what is going on. The town square is visible in the background, clear as day, but your face is missing. It’s as though you’ve been erased from existence.  

“What is happening?” you almost scream. “What kind of sorcery is this?”

Your gaze remains glued to the phone, your hand trembling so much that the image blurs. You’re gone. Completely gone. Your hand instinctively goes to your face, touching your skin as though it might bring you back into view. But when you glance at the screen again, even your hand remains invisible. This can’t be true. How can you even disappear? How is that possible?

“It’s not sorcery,” he calmly replies. “It’s you. It’s your nature. Only a werewolf can do that.”

“No! That’s not true. That’s not who I am. I’m human. I’ve always been human,” you shake your head before putting your phone back in your purse. “But I’m carrying your child so that must be it.”

Jungkook shakes his head.

“That’s not how it works, yn. I swear,” he’s trying to look for you, so it makes him look like a crazy man. “Pregnancies only bring out even more any abilities someone has,” he explains. “This pregnancy is simply revealing your true nature.”

Tears stream down your face while your heart hurts.

“Have you been experiencing some weird stuff lately?” he says. “Like heightened hearing or smell or night vision or superhuman strength or even super speed.”

Then, your body freezes once more.

“No,” you answer, and for a moment, you hesitate to reveal the truth. “But I’ve always had heightened hearing and smell, and I perfectly see in the dark.”

This all confirms what he says. You’re a werewolf.  

“I can hear your heartbeat,” you add. “I can hear everybody's heartbeats, even the baby’s.”

You close your eyes, the truth violently hitting you. All this time you’ve been a werewolf, and nobody told you anything. You’re not sure Felix knows it, but it hurts to realize that your parents hid something so big from you. It’s your nature after all. 

“You have your answer, yn,” he responds.

Now, you’re crying because the world is collapsing underneath your feet. Your life has been filled with lies, and you’re only discovering this now. It hurts even more that it’s the father of your child who’s revealing this and not your parents.

Jungkook follows the sound of your tears to come closer. You fall in his arms, holding him as tight as possible. He tries to hold you back in his arms, but he doesn’t see you at all. The only thing that can make you reappear is for you to relax. Your emotions are the keys to your powers.

“Focus on the baby’s heartbeat,” he murmurs in your ear. “Focus only on that.”

While tears keep running down your face, you try to search for your baby’s heartbeat. It’s super faint, but you quickly find it. This little sound has rocked you to sleep so many times, and it’s one of the most comforting sounds you’ve ever heard.

“Tudum, Tudum, Tudum,” Jungkook starts mimicking the sound of the baby’s beat.

You close your eyes to only focus on that sound. Slowly but surely, you reappear which reassures Jungkook, and he holds you tighter in his arms. His warm embrace and the sound of the baby’s heartbeat calm you down. He presses a gentle kiss on your head while his hands start to soothe your back. Seeing you like this is heartbreaking, and he hates the fact that he was the one delivering this news.

For a little while, you both remain like this, and his arms feel like the safest place on earth. Even if you hate this entire situation, his presence reassures you. Everything about this moment right now appeases your soul. There is absolutely no doubt that the reality you now have to face is devastating, but you feel like you’ll have Jungkook by your side. And strangely, it seems like it’s the only thing that you need.

Today was a hell of a day!

Everything was simply awful, and it felt like it was a never-ending day. Your mind was constantly thinking about the words Jungkook said. ‘I think you might be one of us.’ You swear you could hear them on repeat all day long.  

Due to how you’ve been feeling, you’ve left everybody on read—even Jungkook. Dealing with this strange reality is too heavy, and you need space. You need some time to digest the news. You need time to simply breathe.

Once you’re at home, you wrap yourself in your Harry Potter robe, lay on the couch, and play the first Harry Potter movie. Right now, all you need is to find comfort in something, and Harry Potter is your escape.

Although the movie is playing in the background, you’re not really watching it. Your thoughts are totally lost somewhere else, somewhere that includes werewolves. You can’t believe that this is your new reality. It hurts deeply that your parents never said anything to you. How could they keep something so monumental from you? Were they intending to let this part of themselves, this part of you die in silence?

Things would have been completely different if they had informed you about that side of you. Maybe you would have sought answers earlier. Maybe you would have explored what it means to carry this legacy. There is a whole culture, heritage, and part of yourself that you’ve missed out on for thirty years. And what hurts the most is that you hate your parents right now. For years, you’ve been hating your parents’ murderer, and now, the tables have turned.

You hate them for what they withheld, for what they never gave you a chance to understand.

This whole journey of becoming a mom has been a complete nightmare. This hasn’t been going as planned. This has been anything but easy. And now, it leaves you wondering if you should really keep the baby. Maybe, you should simply terminate the pregnancy and leave this all behind. But will this be so simple? Obviously, not.

Terminating the pregnancy won’t change anything. It wouldn’t change the fact that Jungkook came into your life to completely wreck your world. Cutting short the life growing inside you will probably just make you feel guilty for doing it. Jungkook won’t disappear, and neither will your wolf side.

This isn’t fair.

Fairness has never been part of your life. It feels like your life has always been robbed. Everybody has been controlling it, making you feel completely powerless all the time. This pregnancy was about gaining control again, but even like that, it wasn’t. A big part of you wants to keep this baby, and you’re very much inclined to keep them. But you don’t know. Jungkook’s revelation still needs to be processed.

“What am I going to do, baby?” you whisper as your hands naturally caress your stomach.

In the end, this baby isn’t a hybrid one. They’re fully a werewolf. You can understand why Jungkook changed his mind. He didn’t want the child because he believed it was a hybrid, something completely forbidden in his world. But now that it’s not the case, he wants to be part of his child's life, if you keep it.

It makes perfect sense, but the hurt remains. He gets what he wants, doesn’t he? The chance to raise his child. But what about you? What about what you want?

“You’re a wolfy,” you continue saying. “So, your daddy wants you now.”

However, if you keep this child, you’ll have to teach them what it means to be a werewolf. You’ll have to guide and prepare them for a life you know nothing about. You’ll have to learn everything with them; every instinct, every tradition, and every secret. You’ll develop your wolf’s abilities together. This life inside you isn’t just a new life; it’s a symbol of your own transformation. This child represents the end of your human life and the beginning of something different.

Are you ready for that?

You’re not sure. You’re not sure if you want to embark on this new journey. A journey where you figure out who and what you are. A journey where you’ll have to dig into your parents’ past. A journey where you’ll have to face your ghosts. A journey where you might find all the answers you’ve always desired to have.

Jungkook seems to hold the key to all of that. The truth, the answers, and the future. You need him, more than you want to admit. He’s the only werewolf you know, and he might as well be your guide on this.

Even if everything scares you, this is what will help you to figure out what happened to your parents twenty years ago. This is the key to finally getting to truly know them. This hasn’t been going as you planned it, but it has been going the way you need it.  

For now, you’re simply going to enjoy this comforting and reassuring movie before truly facing this new reality of yours. Tonight is your last night as a human, and tomorrow, you’ll start to understand what it means to be a werewolf.

For the millionth time, you check that your apartment is perfectly cleaned and tidied. Jungkook is coming tonight; you’ve invited him over to discuss this werewolf thing. You’re incredibly nervous as you’re very scared of how things could go. Are you going to learn some unpleasant truths about your lineage?

Also, you can’t forget to tell him you have your first ultrasound tomorrow. He’ll probably want to come as he’s expressed his change of mind concerning this child. Your child. Instinctively your hand cradles your stomach.

Before the doorbell echoes in your apartment, you sense Jungkook’s presence behind the door. This thing of sensing him is definitely extremely weird, and you’re not even sure you’ll get used to it. But you guess, it’s part of being a werewolf.

You take a deep breath while opening the door to him. As he comes into view, his beauty takes your breath away. His hair is perfectly pushed back, only a strand of hair falling on his forehead. This time around, he’s dressed in a more formal outfit. Like the first time you met him at the clinic, he’s wearing a suit. Only this time, it’s a dark blue one.

And it fits him so well.

A smile grows on his face when his eyes lay on you. It warms your heart, and you can’t help but smile back at him.  

“Hi, yn,” he says.

“Hi, Jungkook,” you reply. “Come on in,” you take a step back to let him in.

Jungkook steps into your cocoon, his gaze briefly wandering at the entrance. With practiced ease, he shrugs off his long black coat, the movement accentuating the subtle play of his muscles. Your curious eyes can’t help but follow the way his shoulders shift and his arms flex as he removes his coat and slips off his shoes.

A little grin shows up when he realizes you’ve been staring at him. However, you both pretend you didn’t notice what the other was doing. It’s like you’re pretending you don’t feel drawn to each other.

“Would you like to drink or eat something?” you politely ask.

“No, no,” he shakes his head. “I’ve already eaten and drank enough for today,” a little giggle escapes his pretty lips. “I had a long and exhausting meeting this afternoon.”

“Oh,” you simply say. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to eat a bit because I’m quite hungry.”

His eyes inevitably look down at your stomach, the sound of the child’s heartbeat resonating in his ears. It’s such a comforting sound.

“No,” he answers. “Eat as much as you want.”

You drag him to the kitchen so you can eat something while you discuss about the madness that your life has become. You open the cabinets to check what you have, but then, you remember you bought your favorite yogurt two days ago. Without no further hesitation, you move to the fridge, grab it together with a spoon, and start eating it.

While you do that, Jungkook’s eyes are glued on you. His stare carefully follows you as you move through the kitchen. Honestly, he’s glad to be here with you; he finally gets to see you in your comfort zone, and you definitely seem to be glowing in this place.

“Can I ask you what you do for a living?” you ask while bringing the spoon to your mouth.

His eyes follow your hand before looking up. He leans on the cabinets while never looking away from you. Jungkook crosses his arms on his chest and heavily considers what to tell you.

“Well…” he seems hesitant to reveal it. “I’m not sure you’re going to believe me.”

You tilt your head, wondering what it could be. Is he working with the mafia like you thought before he announced his wolfy side? Or is he some kind of criminal? Or is it the opposite, like a doctor?

“Try me,” you tease him.

Jungkook didn’t know up until now how much he needed to hear the teasing tone in your voice.

His eyes never cease to follow your hand’s movements with the spoon. It’s mesmerizing, holding him captive as if he’s unable to look away. The way your lips wrap around the spoon sends shivers down his spine. Jungkook shakes his head, pushing away those weird thoughts. It’s inappropriate.

“I’m a king,” his tone is firm, leaving no room for doubts.

You almost choke with the spoon in your mouth. Of all the jobs you considered, this one definitely wasn’t on the list. This is beyond unexpected and by the way he looks, you know that he isn’t joking. You’ve seen his serious face so many times now, so you know he’s telling the truth.

“A king?” you repeat to make sure you heard it right.

Jungkook nods, and then, you can’t unsee it. This entire outfit breathes power—and money—, his charisma is beyond magnetic, and he has a strong presence. Let’s not forget about the unreadable face he always has on. There is definitely something royal about him, and he definitely looks like a king.

“That makes the child in my belly a future king or queen then?” you ask half-jokingly.

“Yep,” he answers. “And as a king, I’m expected to give the perfect heir, so the hybrid child wasn’t really one.”

When he explained the situation a month ago, everything made sense, but now it makes even more sense. This child carries royal blood.

“I’m not carrying anyone’s kid,” you playfully say. “A king,” you whisper.

This definitely changes your view of the situation. Now that he wants this child, it makes them the heir to the werewolf throne. The baby growing inside you will one day be a king or a queen. It makes you feel important but scared as well.

“It’s crazy,” you look up at him while bringing the spoon to your mouth once more.

Right there and then, your heart skips a beat when you realize the way he’s looking at you, or should you say, the way his eyes are devouring you. You can’t remember the last time someone looked at you in that way.

“It is,” he admits.

“And what does a werewolf king do exactly?” you curiously ask.

“Many things,” he smiles at you. “I’m the supreme leader of the packs which makes me the bridge between them. If any issue arises between them, I have to resolve them and also make sure the werewolves follow the rules. I’m also their protector. I must ensure the laws are respected and nobody reveals our secrets. And do many other things, but those are the most important ones.”

You nod, wondering if these responsibilities aren’t too much of a burden for him. It mustn’t be easy to be the one making decisions, and it definitely sounds like the entire werewolf world relies on him.

“And you?” he asks. “What do you do?”

A bright smile appears on your face. “I’m an Elementary teacher.”

Thinking about the little kids you see every day simply makes you happy. Being able to give those little humans the tools they need to grow in this world is one of the most fulfilling things. This job has been healing your inner child because teaching those young children has allowed you to guide and give them a stability you never had in your childhood.

“Oh, nice,” he says.

The yogurt is now over so you suggest going to the living room. This way, you’ll be sitting comfortably on the couch while discussing the hot topic. Werewolves.

Last night, while in bed, you were mentally going through all the questions you might have for him. There is so much for you to know about this new world, this new heritage. For sure, last night, you didn’t know he was a king, but now that you do, you believe that he might help you a lot more than expected.  

Jungkook sits down next to you, and you decide to face each other.

“So,” you start saying. “I guess you can imagine why I invited you.”

The man sitting next to you nods. “Your wolf blood.”

“Indeed,” you nod as you speak. “I have a lot of questions.”

You don’t even know where to start.

“You said there are packs,” you begin. “Would you know to which pack I belong?”

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation. “The Shadow pack,” he pauses for a couple of seconds. “Each pack has a wolf eye color. Mine is red as you’ve already seen, which indicates that I’m the king and member of The Blood pack. The Shadow’s eye color is blue, and for the third and last pack, The Lunar, it’s white,” he explains. “A week ago, I saw your eyes turning blue, that’s how I discovered it.”

The Shadow, The Blood, and The Lunar. Three packs. You mentally register the information he gives you. There is so much to discover about this new reality.

“The Shadows also have unique abilities, one of them being the fact that they can blur into their surroundings.”

That’s what happened to you two days ago after he revealed your true nature. It was just the confirmation of who you are.

“As far as I can remember, I’ve only had heightened senses, but I never came to shift into a wolf. How is that possible?”

“That is something I ignore,” he admits. “You’re the first werewolf who didn’t grow up with her pack’s member. My first guess is the ignorance of your nature prevented it from fully revealing itself.”

You look down at your feet on the couch. It seems so weird that only a part of your abilities has revealed itself throughout your life.

“I’ve tried to find something about you, but I couldn’t,” he admits. “I even reached out to an Alpha of the pack, but nothing.”

“Oh,” you simply say, your eyes meeting his. “Do you think I could meet that Alpha?”

“Yes,” he smiles at you. “I’m sure he’d be happy to meet you, and he might probably help you more than me with your past and even your abilities.”

Jungkook then proceeds to explain how the werewolf world works. There is a hierarchy. Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omega. Alpha being the highest rank, and you only achieve it once you fully master your powers. Logically, you’re an Omega as you barely know what you can do. Jungkook is an Alpha which makes sense since he’s a king.

If you keep the baby, they will automatically become an Alpha when they become king or queen. Things work a bit differently for the royal family.

Normally, a werewolf experiences their first shift on the first full moon of their fourteenth anniversary. The difference with the royal family is the fact that they experience that at ten years old. It’s quite early in life, but that allows them to master their abilities a lot earlier than any other werewolf.

Obviously, the parents and the family remain by your side throughout your first full moon. They guide you through the pain when transforming, and they stay with you while you’re a wolf. Jungkook tells you that the first transformation is very hard to handle. The pain is unbearable and once you’re a wolf, all your human senses disappear. You’re just a beast. A hunting beast. Having your family by your side prevents you from killing anyone or anything. Slowly and with a lot of work, you are able to control that primal urge.

The question left hanging is when and if you’ll transform. If this pregnancy brings out your wolf blood, there are higher chances that you’ll experience your first full moon. But Jungkook doesn’t have an answer to give.  

Then, he informs you that you can’t transform someone by biting them, that’s an absolute myth. Being a werewolf is genetic. You inherit it from your parents, and you’ll give that gene to your children. Thus, the importance of maintaining pure blood.    

 “For now, I guess that’s all,” you tell him once you’ve asked all the questions.

“Since the next full moon is in two days, I’d like to be with you in case you transform,” he says.

Well, you don’t have much of a choice. There’s this unknown about you, and you wouldn’t like to be alone during your first full moon, especially if it’s painful and bestial.

“Thanks,” you mumble while looking down.

Jungkook offers you a little smile.

“I’m by your side now, yn,” he places his fingers under your chin to slowly lift your head. “I won’t let you navigate this alone.”

His eyes shine with sincerity. You’re thankful that, in the middle of this chaos, you found Jungkook. This man brings so much comfort and seems to have one of the prettiest hearts you have encountered.

“And I’ll support you no matter what you decide with the baby,” he adds.

You remain in silence for a moment, your eyes scanning his soft face. You’ve never seen him this close. You’ve never noticed that little mole under his lips, or the little scar on his cheek, or how perfectly round his nose is. He looks even prettier this closely.  

The decision about your child has already been made, but you haven’t said it out loud yet. Jungkook will be the first one to know, and it makes sense since he’s the father.

“I’m going to keep the baby,” you reveal.  

[cyberhughes]

— 𝓣𝓸𝓸 𝓢𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ quinn hughes

🌊 chapter: feeling scandalous

last chapter | next chapter

*:･✧* 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: quinn hughes x fem!oc

*:･✧* 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: swearing, luke and jack are flirty but it’s all platonic, suggestive content(nothing too spicy yet🌚)

𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮: hey guys omfg…i’m so sorry this took so long I’ve been so busy😭😭uni is stressing me out so bad beyond belief but we ball!! this chapter is so shit cause lowkey its a filler just to build up more tension before we start getting *actually* juicy. this was also lowkey not rlly proofread LMAO. ALSO ALSO ALSO… we are almost at 200 followers?? wtf?? i didn’t even realize i had hit 100 im sorry i love you all so much and i appreciate all the love and support you’ve given me <3 perhaps i will plan a little surprise for you all later 😛

series masterlist + character intros

“WAKEY WAKEY!” the curtains were ripped open by jack, causing luke and aurora to shield themselves under the covers from the abrupt sunlight.

“what the fuck! close it!” luke complained, snuggling himself further into the warmth of the bedsheets. meanwhile, jack tiptoed to the foot of their bed, before mischievously yanking their blankets of off them.

“up and at em, let’s not waste a good boat day!” he stood there proudly, hands on his hips with a shit eating grin plastered across his face, not caring that he had just ruined their chance of a peaceful morning.

“later.” luke groaned, moving to pull aurora close to him, seeking at least the warmth from her body. “oh my god get off of me, i’m up.” she wiggled herself out of his arms and he whined.

she pushed past jack, him snorting at her hair being messy as well as her shirt hanging off one shoulder. “good morning to you too sleeping beauty.” he laughed—a bit too hard—at his own joke, while she stuck her tongue out at him before continuing her way the the washroom to freshen up.

as she stood there brushing her teeth, she couldn’t help but think back to her interactions with quinn yesterday. he had told her she didn’t do anything wrong, but she knew something was off with him. she knew that everyone else felt the tension too, she just couldn’t figure out why it was there in the first place.

she didn’t want to let this sour her trip, she was here for her brother after all. she’d just have to find a way for quinn to warm up to her again.

she creeped back into her and luke’s shared room, suppressing a laugh when she found him fast asleep again.

from her suitcase, she grabbed a bathing suit—that she didn’t remember packing? she held up the pieces straight, trying to remember when she had bought it. she dug through her luggage some more, looking for the one she knew she packed but it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. she sat back on her heels, puzzled.

then it clicked. she had remembered her best friend from california—kaylee—peeking through her suitcase a few days before they had left for their trip. she let out a groan, making a mental note to scold her friend later.

she examined the fabric once again and placed it against her body.

this wasn’t going to cover anything.

“wow, that’s tiny.” she heard luke mumble from the bed and her eyes widened, face going red.

“go back to sleep, idiot.”

“i look like a prostitute.” aurora said nodding with her lips pressed into a thin line as she rested her phone on the bathroom counter. she was currently on facetime with kaylee, the one who had put her in this situation.

“no, you look hot. you have to let quinn see that you got hot.” kaylee said with a fat grin on her face as she watched her bestfriend adjust and pull at the fabric of the bikini in a failed attempt to get some more coverage.

“it was so awkward yesterday kaylee.” aurora whined and grabbed her phone to position her face in frame. “he barely talked to me, and the one time he did, it felt like he would’ve rather been anywhere else.”

“then don’t let it be awkward the fuck? just, be flirty or something.” kaylee spoke nonchalantly.

“yeah no, i think he still sees me as a kid.”

“so then show him that you’re a hot woman now, i’m really struggling to see the problem here rory. just flash him your tits or something.” aurora’s cheeks went red at her friends words. “oh my god, stop it.” she mumbled as the girl on the other side of the phone cackled.

“i gotta go now, we’re going on the lake in a bit.” she took one last look in the mirror before throwing on her t-shirt and shorts. “okay bye rory. but seriously just flash a ti—“ aurora hung up before she could finish the sentence.

she couldn’t help but think that maybe kaylee was right, not about needing to flash her boobs, but about trying to make quinn see that she wasn’t a kid anymore. maybe it wasn’t the fact that she still had a crush on him, but rather that she felt the need to prove herself. although yes, she did still have a little big crush on him.

she felt slight twinge of guilt as she thought, it was her brother’s wedding weekend and here she was plotting on his best man. it was wrong.

but that’s what made it kind of exciting.

aurora stepped out onto the patio, breathing in the summer air and taking in the view of lake. the view was stunning, the backyard almost fully set up with decorations for the wedding. to put it shortly, it felt magical. in the distance, she saw everyone, asides from the parents who were out golfing, settling onto the boat.

“hurry up slowpoke!” luke cupped his hands around his mouth, yelling out. aurora rolled her eyes, adjusted the strap of her tote bag which was chronically falling down, and headed towards the boat.

“good morning.” she smiled as she passed quinn who was carrying a cooler of drinks. she paused her stride to notice the veins that popped out of his arms, and wow the way his hands looked as he gripped the handle and—

“morning, rory.” he said with a soft smile and she felt her stomach drop like she was on a rollercoaster, did he notice her checking him out?

“did you sleep okay last night?” he didn’t look up as he stepped into the boat, setting the cooler down and then offering his hand out to help her in.

she felt like she was having whiplash, he was acting normal now? she took his hand and stepped in, “yeah it was great. lukey’s a snorer though.” she laughed and he nodded. she had to hide a frown as he let go of her hand.

“are you shit talking me right now?” luke walked over with his arms crossed, looking down at aurora through his sunglasses. “yeah, we’re shit talking you severely, i hate you so much.” she gave a sarcastic smile and scooted past him to greet melissa.

luke scoffed, “pft, she loves me. couldn’t keep her hands off me last night.” he said jokingly as he rested his hands on the back of his head, not noticing how quinn didn’t laugh, only pressing his lips into an awkward smile.

“oh gross, luke.” ashton smacked the top of his head, luke pouting as he fixed his cap.

“that was you who couldn’t keep your hands off!” aurora protested as melissa giggled beside her. she rolled her eyes then turned to fully face her soon to be sister in law. “so, are you starting to get nervous or anything?” aurora questioned and she shrugged.

“i don’t think i’m really that nervous,” she began, flipping her sunglasses up to rest on the top of her head. “am i nervous that it could rain or i could trip and fall walking? yeah of course, but I’ve never once felt nervous about marrying your brother, i actually can’t wait.” she blushed and aurora could feel her heart melting, she admired their relationship so much. it was something about they way they spoke about each other, like it was always meant to be.

“alright guys, we ready to go?” quinn asked and everyone cheered, excited to spend the day in the sun before the chaos of the wedding began.

“COWABUNGA!” jack launched himself off the edge of the boat, earning complaints from the group as he splashed water everywhere.

“idiot…” aurora chuckled as she stared down at her clothes which were now soaked, it was to be expected, they were having a lake day afterall.

she whipped her head at the sound of stomping coming towards her and melissa, to which she found her brother getting a running start to jump in, luke following not far behind.

“wow so much for curling my hair.” melissa joked, stepping out of her sundress and heading over to the side, letting ashton help her down.

“come on you two!” ashton exclaimed from the water, waiting on aurora and quinn.

aurora bit her lip, here goes nothing. she first took off her shorts, throwing them on top her her tote, then peeled off her shirt, revealing the bikini kaylee had planted. it was honestly a really nice bikini, the lack of coverage was where the problem lied.

from behind her, quinn could be seen with his jaw clenched, eyebrows slightly furrowed as he took in the sight. to most, his expression could be mistaken for annoyance or anger, but that wasn’t quite what was happening here.

she looked back over her shoulder, offering quinn a small smile as her cheeks turned a soft pink, “coming, quinn?”

her smile faltered when she noticed his expression. shit- was he mad? maybe he was mad that she was practically naked, after all they weren’t the only group out on the lake. there were other families boating and swimming around.

she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard jack whistle, “damn, looking good rory!” he cackled, before ashton splashed him in the face. “i’m serious you guys, that’s my baby sister, stop being fucking creeps.” he scoffed.

aurora jumped in and lingered under the water, wanting to hide the way her cheeks burned in embarrassment, not from jack’s comment, but rather at the fact that she had upset quinn.

for the rest of the day, they had spent their time swimming around, wakeboarding, munching on the delicious charcuterie board melissa had prepared, and playing some card games. it had been the perfect way for the soon to be married couple to relax before becoming fully preoccupied with their wedding, not forgetting to express their gratitude to quinn every chance they got.

they were now headed back to the house, in time to meet their parents for a nice dinner. aurora had her head rested on luke’s shoulder as she was being lulled to sleep from the soft rocking of the boat, as well as being exhausted from the day’s activities.

after a rather silent but calm ride, they had made it back to the dock, their parents being seen lounging on the patio enjoying a few drinks.

the group had gathered their things and headed towards the house, not noticing the way aurora stalled to gather her things as she watched quinn bustle around.

“you ready to go?” he asked, expression blank as he stood on the dock, reaching his hand out. the sight reminiscent of the interaction they had shared that morning.

she nodded, placing her hand in his, and it seemed to fit perfectly. she stepped over but didn’t notice the small puddle of water on the step and her eyes went wide as she slipped into him, for the second time in the past two days.

she gulped as they stood chest to chest, her hands rested on his shoulders as his own resting on her arms to stabilize her. she didn’t pull away, instead looking up at him with her mouth slightly agape in shock. her heart thumped in her chest and she was sure he could feel it as she gazed into his eyes, being met with that unrecognizable look she had seen yesterday.

he stared into her eyes, also at a loss for words. his eyes flickered down at the contact between them, the way her chest had been pressed onto him for longer than it should have. abruptly he let go of her arms, letting her stand on her own.

“quinn, i’m sorry-“

“you’re good.” he mumbled before grabbing his things and practically booking it away and back to the house.

she ran her hands through her hair. great, not only did she embarrass him in front of everyone with her bikini, but now she had fallen onto him a second time.

way to seduce him, aurora.

the soft breeze blowing through bedroom curtains was all that could be heard throughout the night, before it was abruptly interrupted by knocking on wood. quinn’s eyes slowly peeled open when he heard the noise at his door. he peeked over at his phone that rested on his bedside table.

2:17 am.

the knocking continued and he sighed, getting up from the warmth of his bed and shuffling over to open the door. assuming it was one of his brothers, he immediately let out a sharp “what do you want?”

but to his surprise, it was aurora standing on the other side of his door.

“‘m sorry.” she whispered softly and he shook his head “no, i thought you were jack or luke. what’s up?” he gazed down at her and his eyebrows furrowed. why the hell she still wearing her bikini?

“couldn’t sleep.” she stepped into his room, closing the door behind her, leaning back on it as she look up at him with hooded eyes. his eyes widened as he stood frozen, watching her begin to creep toward him like a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse.

“can you help me sleep, quinny?” she whispered, rising onto her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

his breath hitched when he felt her lips graze against his ear. “need you to help me, quinny.”

he felt chills run down his spine, what the fuck was happening? this was so wrong. he should have told her to back off, he shouldn’t have let her get that close, but god the way her cold fingers felt as she grazed them back down his shoulders, down to his chest, stomach, the waistband of his shorts—

“WAKE UP, QUINTIN! WE HAVE A LOT TO DO!” ashton’s voice boomed on the other side of his door as he shot up, hairline slightly drenched with sweat, breathing heavy as he looked around his room. he ran a hand over his face and groaned before peeking down at the tent in his shorts.

no fucking way.

[sleepyeepyp3rson]

wwe/pro fighters!141 x announcer!reader (pt 2.)

Two losses in a row, a broken arm, and a complete disruption of the script. Add it all up, and it's trouble for you. So much so that your boss, Shepherd, called you into his office and told you to fix it. Or else. Not ominous at all.

an: oh yeah buddy pt 2. tried to do a pov switch (?) hope it isnt too confusing lmao. tried to keep reader as gender neutral as possible. dee vs accents, dee vs giving the reader a nickname

tw: nothing much, tagging these just to be safe. reader is told to "cover up more" and be less of a distraction, soap is a clingy, overenthusiastic little guy, reader briefly wants to kill their boss

(masterlist, 1)

"Four against three. One with a broken arm. Tell me how, in less than two matches, a team with a perfect track record loses twice and completely disrupts the script?"

You start, but Shepherd interrupts you. "They got distracted, that's how." He stands and starts pacing, looming over you. "The 141 boys were supposed to win last night. That's the script, that's why we did the promo the way we did it. And they, pro wrestlers with years of experience, got distracted."

He slams his hand down on the desk.

"Fix it." A finger in your face. "I don't care how! Cover up more, talk less, I don't care. Fix it!"

And like that, you're dismissed. Left standing outside his office door like some puppy. You want to march right back in there and slam his stupid, deformed pug-looking face right into his desk. But you can't. You need this job. It's your dream and your only source of income.

So you go home, and you stare into the mirror for a good ten minutes.

Okay. Just... talk less. Easy. You can shut up, you can stop talking. Not like you're the only announcer anyway, you have your coworkers. But how would that even work? You're an announcer. You announce things! Are you just supposed to not do your job? Does Shepherd not know why he hired you? Is he not the one signing the checks?

You settle for wearing a turtleneck the next day.

Pulling into the parking lot is no problem, neither is passing through security and going backstage, but the second you pass the men's locker room on the way to your booth, you're stopped.

"Aye, bonnie!" An arm makes its way over your shoulders, and turning your head, you see a familiar sharp grin.

"Soap." You shrug him off. Usually, it's fine, just him being touchy as normal, but you were told to sort out the distraction problem, to take up less space in the company, so you need to do that.

A flash of hurt passes over his face, and it stabs at your heart. "You can call me Johnny-" You shake your head. You did, before the whole almost losing your job thing.

You walk away before he can pull out the puppy eyes.

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

"Somethin''s up with our announcer."

Gaz pokes his head up at that. "Sunshine?" At Soap's nod, he curses and stops his stretches. Ghost looks up too, eyes narrowed, always watching.

"Knew something was off when I saw the turtleneck. Never worn one of 'em before." He huffs, looking at the little TV they have in the room to see what's going on. "I mean, steamin' Jesus. Thing swallows 'em. Like I'm watching a live show of a nunnery."

"Somethin' wrong?" Price chooses that moment to look up from his cigar and actually pay attention to the conversation.

"Aye. Sunshine's a bit too quiet, ye ken?"

Price hums, running a hand over his face and beard. "A bit concerning. Not like 'em to be quiet for so long. Someone say something?"

Gaz and Soap look at each other, clearly not considering that option, then back at the TV.

"Maybe we should look into it." Ghost speaks up for the first time, voice a low mix of a whisper and grumble as he fixes a few stray stitches in his costume. "Saw 'em leave Shepherds office yesterday. Could pay 'im a little visit."

Price stands, groaning and rubbing a hand on his lower back. He really needs to use those ice packs his PT gave him. "I'll go. Stay low for now, prep for that interview."

A chorus of "Aye, Cap" rings out, and Price exits the locker room.

Soap waits for a few seconds before he rises, and is immediately tugged right back down by Ghost. A dog on a leash, he is. "Don't you even think about it, Johnny. You give 'im enough of a headache."

He grumbles, but he slumps down in his seat, eyeing the TV. Eyeing you. (And that stupid turtleneck.)

[heartburriedinvenice]

the end is undeniably near (and i keep running towards it) - steve h.

(steve harrington x hopper!reader)

a part of my phoebe challenge 🎞🪐💌🕯

based on the song "i know the end" by phoebe bridgers

in which you always wanted to escape hawkins, indiana, until you didn't anymore.

or

in which the billboard said "the end is near"

content warning post season 3 (SO SPOILERS), mild cursing (maybe), ANGST like the whole time, unhealthy coping, and hawkins being hawkins, reader is an implied theater kid (im sorry not sorry)

a / n i disappeared on y’all, I’m sorry!! you know life is getting weird when i randomly return to tumblr.  just dipping my toes back in the water of all this so i apologize if i am a little rusty. this is just a piece of a hopper!reader show rewrite that has been in the works for a while so if anyone likes it enough, lmk, I’d be be happy to start posting the whole thing,starting from season 1! any feedback would be awesome (and also requests cause I need inspo back). okay enjoy some angst!

No one ever got out of Hawkins, Indiana. Like the town was somehow enclosed within some heavy-duty bubble, only a few people ever got the nerves to squeeze through. Until you did, until you did the one thing you believed was impossible. You packed your bags, loaded up your car, and left hell. And you did it without a goodbye because the only way to do the impossible was without one. And deep down you knew you were a coward, even after fighting monsters and otherworldly creatures, you were a coward. You could not face what was left behind or allow yourself to acknowledge it.

And it ate away at you in a way you could have never imagined. Too busy pretending like it never crossed your mind, like Hawkins never existed in the first place. Still, it chipped at you piece by piece until the guilt of escaping Hawkins, Indiana finally caught up with you. Until one day that guilt would sneak up and trip you, sending you tumbling all the way back down a hill to only land right back at the gates of Hawkins, at its green sign, Welcome to Hawkins! That warm welcome, the warmest welcome, with its murders and second dimensions and its people. Those people. Those people who worked their way so deep into your heart before you could even realize it. So deep that leaving felt like removing deeply grown roots from a garden, so impossible, so hard to tell where they even stopped growing.  You weren’t sure entirely when they grew so deep, you don’t really remember at all how they got there. When you let them? Why did you let them? After everything, you should have known better. You shouldn’t have let them.

You were fifteen when you knew you could never live in Hawkins, Indiana your whole life. It never felt real, artificial, fake. Mass-produced nuclear families and white picket fence houses and stale dead-end jobs. 

And then Steve Harrington needed an extra art credit and found his way as the lead in Hawkins High’s production of Romeo and Juliet. When rehearsing turned into giving Steve girl advice and driving with him to drop off flowers. When running lines became swinging a bat of nails and finding an alien in a fridge. When the day before the play performance had turned into icing Steve's bruises on your couch as you ran lines back and forth because neither of you could sleep. When a whole group of middle schoolers sat in the front row and your dad sat center with a bouquet of flowers. They were your family. Your strange and messy family all pretending to be interested in the gibberish mess of Shakespeare on stage. Them watching with stifled laughs as Steve stumbled through lines, as the balcony scene turned into him and you having a staring contest trying to figure out whose lines were next. And though your director would have your heads later, the two of you sat giggling during intermission and had to hold the laughter again when your director asked why you didn’t have time to be memorized to perfection. Because you had all the time in the world, didn’t you?. 

Unbelievable as it was, you began to question what you at fifteen had promised you would do. Because you had found more than stale every day Hawkins. You had found their odd-balls who taught you to play Dungeons and Dragons in their basement, who reminded you so much of your sister. And you had found Steve Harrington, a pretty boy with a heart of gold, who risked his life for his Juliet that night at the mall. Who held you tight when it all got too much.

When you moved back to Hawkins, Indiana, after Sara, after your parents split, you were sure life would never be the same again. You needed a fresh start, to completely reconfigure your life and pretend none of what had happened had happened. That you never had a sister, that your dad hadn’t completely changed, burrowing himself under alcohol and late shifts. That your mom wasn’t actively trying to forget and build another life over the one that had been left abandoned in that New York apartment. You were so sure you would have to move on, cut it all out the minute you graduated from high school. You were sure you had to escape on your rickety old bike right out of town.

Then things happened and somehow you found yourself again, found your father again as you sat together for your first Christmas dinner in years. Celebrating the return of the young Will Byers and the return of something else, something more, something familiar and warm. It wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it was yours. You saw your father again for the first time in years that night, Christmas Eve, sitting on the porch as light snow fell and hit your heads, bundled in warm jackets, pretending the coffee you made was not mediocre at best. The police chief and his daughter, a messy duo. And that was perfect to you.

And then things happened again and again and again and finally everything just shattered.

And you left. You did what you had always hoped to do. But you didn’t feel the pride you had thought you would feel when you dreamed it at fifteen. You weren’t heading towards a new life, you were sitting in a stuffy apartment in the city. You were stuck again at what felt like the beginning. Unable to go with the Byers, you immediately made other plans, back at the apartment you had spent so many nights trying to forget. 

No one ever got out of Hawkins, Indiana. Like the town was somehow enclosed within some heavy-duty bubble, only a few people ever got the nerves to squeeze through. Until you did, until you did the one thing you believed was impossible. You packed your bags, loaded up your car, and left hell. And you did it without a goodbye because the only way to do the impossible was without one. And deep down you knew you were a coward, even after fighting monsters and otherworldly creatures, you were a coward. You could not face what was left behind or allow yourself to acknowledge it.

And it ate away at you in a way you could have never imagined or wanted to imagine. Too busy pretending like it never crossed your mind, like Hawkins never existed in the first place. Still, it chipped at you piece by piece until the guilt of escaping Hawkins, Indiana finally caught up with you. Until one day that guilt would sneak up and trip you, sending you tumbling all the way back down a hill to only land right back at the gates of Hawkins, at its green sign, Welcome to Hawkins! That warm welcome, the warmest welcome, with its murders and second dimensions and its people. Those people. Those people who worked their way so deep into your heart before you could even realize it. So deep that leaving felt like removing deeply grown roots from a garden, so impossible, so hard to tell where they even stopped growing.  You weren’t sure entirely when they grew so deep, you don’t really remember at all how they got there. When you let them? Why did you let them? After everything, you should have known better. You shouldn’t have let them.

You were fifteen when you knew you could never live in Hawkins, Indiana your whole life. It never felt real, artificial, fake. Mass-produced nuclear families and white picket fence houses and stale dead-end jobs. 

And then Steve Harrington needed an extra art credit and found his way as the lead in Hawkins High’s production of Romeo and Juliet. When rehearsing turned into giving Steve girl advice and driving with him to drop off flowers. When running lines became swinging a bat of nails and finding an alien in a fridge. Or jumping into a hole in the ground and lighting up never-ending tunnels of vines straight from those horror movies you used to watch with your sister. When the day before the play performance had turned into icing Steve's bruises on your couch as you ran lines back and forth because neither of you could sleep. When a whole group of middle schoolers sat in the front row and your dad sat center with a crumble bouquet of flowers. They were your family. Your strange and messy family all pretending to be interested in the gibberish mess of Shakespeare on stage. Them watching with stifled laughs as Steve stumbled through lines, as the balcony scene turned into him and you having a staring contest trying to figure out whose lines were next. And though your director would have your heads later, the two of you sat giggling during intermission and had to hold the laughter again when your director asked why you didn’t have time to be memorized to perfection. Because you had all the time in the world, didn’t you?. 

Unbelievable as it was, you began to question what you at fifteen had promised you would do. Because you had found more than stale every day Hawkins, you had found their odd-balls who taught you to play Dungeons and Dragons in their basement who reminded you so much of your sister. And you had found Steve Harrington, a pretty boy with a heart of gold, who risked his life for his Juliet that night at the mall, pulling you up when you twisted your ankle running up a flight of stairs and getting you out to paramedics when it was over. Icing your ankle and holding you when it all got too much. When you watched everyone exit the mall but the only real family you felt like you had left. When the police told you your fathers body couldn’t be found, buried under ash and grime in the mall fire. That he was the hero, that he saved your lives sacrificing himself. 

When you moved back to Hawkins, Indiana, after Sara, after your parents split, you were sure life would never be the same again. You needed a fresh start, to completely reconfigure your life and pretend none of what had happened had happened. That you never had a sister, that your dad hadn’t completely changed, burrowing himself under alcohol and late shifts. That your mom wasn’t actively trying to forget and build another life over the past one that had been left abandoned in that New York apartment, calling only for holidays and those important life events she was so sad she had to miss. You were so sure you would have to move on, cut it all out the minute you graduated from high school. You were sure you had to escape on your rickety old bike right out of town.

Then things happened and somehow you found yourself again, found your father again as you sat together for their first Christmas dinner in years. Celebrating the return of the young Will Byers and the return of something else, something more, something familiar and warm. It wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it was steps in a direction. You saw your father again for the first time in years that night, Christmas Eve, sitting on the porch as light snow fell and hit your heads, bundled in warm jackets, pretending the coffee you made was not mediocre at best. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something for the two of you. The police chief and his daughter, a messy duo. And that was perfect to you.

And then things happened again and again and again and finally everything just shattered.

And you left. You did what you had always hoped to do. But you didn’t feel the pride you had thought you would feel when you dreamed it at fifteen. You weren’t heading towards a new life, you were sitting in a stuffy apartment in the city. You were stuck again at what felt like the beginning. Unable to go with the Byers, you immediately made other plans, back at the apartment you had spent so many nights trying to forget. 

Spring of 1986, the New York apartment was driving you insane. You felt like you might start running up the walls if you didn’t get out soon. At least that would be ten times more interesting than sitting and watching your Step-Dad watch golf—a sport you didn't understand. Seeing how bored you were, he tried to explain it, but you didn't process a single word he was saying.

You didn’t want to have something with him, you didn’t want a thing you bonded over and you especially didn’t want that thing to be golf.

You debated moving, you debated being drastic and dying your hair to make your mom upset but what good would that do other than feed the part in yourself that no longer cared, no longer wanted to care. Everything you cared about had slipped from your grasp, had disappeared, no matter how tightly you clutched it was gone.

Fuck.

You stared at the wallpaper, one you knew your mom had probably gushed over at the store and chosen. And you glanced at the patterned carpet, and the family picture you were not in. And even though they all reassured you that you were family, deep down you knew you had uprooted their whole routine. You especially saw it in your moms eyes when she looked at you a little too long, a constant reminder of what she had lost all those years ago.  

You listened to the busy city traffic below the apartment and the sound of wailing sirens you had completely become ignorant of after you lived in Hawkins so long. You glanced at the kitchen, the sink with no dishes and a fridge actually filled with food that wasn’t leftover take-out, mediocre pasta you had cooked, or boxes of Eggos. And you looked at the man beside you, silent, watching golf. It was all so different.

Every day it remained that way, your mom got home from work late, your stepfather came home before you got back from school, and then Liam, your step brother would come home.

He made it all a little more bearable. The littlest but only because he reminded you of home. He reminded you of Dungeons and Dragons in Mike Wheeler's basement, and your found sister, and the party that always had you on your toes. But even you could not warm up to the boy because he would never be them. And it was unfair. It was cruel of you to make comparisons between Hawkins and New York, to allow that to shut out the only family you now had. But it was one habit you could not seem to break no matter how hard you tried.

Hawkins, Indiana was quiet, it was small. Hawkins, Indiana was both a breath of fresh air and a tightening grip that had you gasping, clawing for a second to breathe. New York was loud, so loud that the sounds of sirens and blaring car horns became only white noise in your head. It was big, not big in the welcoming and warming way. Not big in the feeling of catching sight of a friend in a crowded room. It was big in the way you could not point out a single person at school that you had seen more than once.  It was big in a way similar to that of being alone in the middle of a large party. It was so big that being alone in a quiet, dark, empty room would feel the same as walking amidst the large crowds on the street.

And New York didn’t have Steve Harrington. New York didn’t have crazy kids and weird aliens, New York didn’t have Robin Buckley or Nancy Wheeler or Jonathan Byers, New York didn’t have comforting hugs from Joyce, and New York didn’t have your dad and it never would again. The thought of it was enough to make you sick, nausea filling every inch of your body, barely able to swallow down the fact. But you would swallow it down like you always did, like you did everything else.

Your mom would always tell you you could talk to her if you needed to, that no matter how long you were a part she still cared about you. But you still remember the look on her face when you had turned up at the apartment after all those years. Finally back together face to face, the only words she was able to muster was, “you grew up”. 

You kept busy filling the days with nothing. On a good day Liam would show you some project he did in class that day, him seemingly the most unbothered by your move-in. And your stepdad, Bill, would ask you how school was to which you would reply fine. It was fine, it would always be just fine.

And you would stare at the phone on the wall in the kitchen. Dialing and hanging up and dialing and hanging up, hearing him pick up and then slamming the phone down, falling back into the chair at the kitchen table. Sometimes he would call back, you knew he caught on, you would just listen as the phone rang, head in your hands. You couldn’t face it, it was all too much and answering that call, hearing that voice would only throw it all back at you at once. It would knock you down and hold you there as you tried to gain control of the emotions you had locked up so tight once again. You felt sick to your stomach once again and the feeling spread, it spread all throughout your body, all the way to your fingertips and toes. For the first time in your life, you begged your body to just throw up, hoping the feelings would go along with it, until the pit in your stomach was completely washed away. 

It was this sinking feeling every time you heard the phone ring and as much as you wanted to convince yourself otherwise, you weren’t sure if you would ever pick up. Maybe you would just forget about it all. But it was hard when your mind was plagued with images of creatures you could only describe as otherworldly and when every time you looked at yourself in the mirror before a shower your eyes would draw focus to the deep cut scars that littered your body. You would never truly escape Hawkins, Indiana, it was impossible, and it would follow you around until you finally gave up and went back. But you refused to allow it to have that control, until you picked up the phone…by accident.

It was late, a Saturday evening of all things. Your mother was working late that weekend, your step dad was asleep on the couch, and your step brother had abandoned his books on the table and gone to bed. And the phone kept ringing and ringing and ringing, over and over in repeated increments. One call, two minutes passed, another call, three minutes had passed, and a third call with three minutes passing and on and on and on-

“Will you turn the damn thing off!” Yelled the man on the couch, whose deep sleeping was even disturbed by your past trying to creep back in. 

And it worried you, as you apologized and turned back to the phone, head aching from the noise. It worried you because every time before, the phone would ring one, maybe two times before the line went silent. But tonight, you had lost track of just how many times you had slammed the phone down to stop the ringing.

You looked up at the phone again, quiet for much too long, longer than before and RING. RING. RING.

The grunt of your step father filled the empty room and without a second thought, not wanting another lecture from your mom about not getting along with him, you reached for the phone line. Slowly placing it against your ear, you instantly pulled it back as a voice blasted through, louder than the ringing of the phone itself. “Goddammit! please pick up the phone-”

“Hey,” was all you said, it was faint and quiet in contrast, laced with guilt that had piled up from months of avoidance and pretending Hawkins didn’t exist. But it was loud enough to stop the yelling as murmurs and whispers filled the background of wherever your caller was calling from. 

Your Steve Harrington, your Romeo who deserved answers. After everything you had been through he deserved something from you that you had failed to deliver.

“Oh thank god, you don’t know how happy I am to hear your voice,” and what you expected to be anger was anything but, rather the clearest sound of overwhelming relief. Relief that all came crashing down the minute he spoke his next words. “You need to get back here, like... like-“

The sound of struggling came from their end of the phone and your heart rate sped up in a panic, only realizing how tightly you were holding the phone to your ear.

Dustin’s voice quickly came through the line, a complaining Steve evident in the back, “like right now, like ASAP, like as soon as possible.”

Dustin’s voice, his tone did nothing to loosen your grip on the phone, nothing to ease your panic and you almost slammed the phone down again. Back home, back in the familiar, back to memories of people that haunted your every thought. You wondered if they had called the Byers, your sister, you wondered if she was there too. 

“We can pay your bus ticket, but I can’t really explain like this and we just, we need your help,” Dustin practically cried. “We all need you. We can’t let anyone get hurt again.”

That was all you needed. Hawkins had a pull on you, a force you tried to ignore but eventually pulled you back anyways. Steve was back on the line soon after, you already scribbling a note to your mom, phone pressed against your ear by your shoulder. And when you heard his voice again your breath caught in your throat…it seemed to always do that with him.

“Steve, I-”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“No, but, Steve I really, just…I don’t know where to start,” you tried to explain, losing any of the words you had planned to say while lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling. 

“You don’t have to,” he simply said. But you knew you would, you had too many words to speak. “Just show up, just be here. We need you, even if you don’t believe me. It’s getting crazy again.”

Hawkins would never not be.

“I will be,” you reassured, really reassured. “I will be, I promise.”

And if everyone in Hawkins knew something, you never broke a promise, never. You got close sometimes, sometimes it seemed like you would, but you always met your end of the bargain. You said you would be back in Hawkins, Indiana and you would be. Setting the phone down back on it's holder with a quiet click, you jumped from your chair in the kitchen, as the wood chair quietly screeched against the floor. Open and close, open and close, the drawers in the kitchen were opening and closing until you found a tape role, cutting away a piece. Grabbing your note off the counter, you secured the piece to it and stuck it against the fridge where it would be noticed by your mom.

She would know what it meant, you knew she knew all along, that New York hadn’t been your home in a long time. That Hawkins had grown into something much deeper than you could have ever anticipated. And even then, in that kitchen, in that busy city…you knew, the end was near

[secretlittlerandezvous]

First Getaway - Arber Xhekaj

Summary: Arber and Y/n go on their first trip together.

Words: 844

Arber wasn’t exactly an experienced traveler. Y/n knew that going into this trip, but she hadn’t anticipated just how amusing it would be. When she suggested a weekend getaway to Banff which was a mix of cozy cabin vibes and outdoor adventures Arber had enthusiastically agreed. His version of preparation, however, didn’t meet Y/n’s standards.

The night before their flight, Y/N peeked into his duffle bag and raised an eyebrow. “Arber, do you even know where your toothbrush is?”

“It’s in there… somewhere,” he said, flashing her his boyish grin. The same one that usually got him out of trouble. “I think.” He said to himself.

She sighed dramatically before fishing through the bag. “Right, and I’m sure this single hockey sock and… is this a pack of instant noodles? These are your essentials?”

“I like to be prepared,” he said with a shrug, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

The airport was its own circus. Arber insisted on carrying both their bags, determined to play the role of a gentleman. But his massive frame and her oversized carry on made navigating the tight spaces an ordeal.

“Excuse me, sorry, coming through,” he mumbled as he bumped into nearly every person on the plane. Y/n trailed behind him, biting her lip to keep herself from laughing.

“I’m too big for this plane,” he muttered once they finally reached their seats.

“Or you’re just clumsy,” Y/n teased, sliding into the window seat.

“Probably both,” he admitted, nudging her knee with his as he settled in.

By the time they landed and drove up to their cabin in Banff, the scenery took their breath away. Snow covered mountains surrounded them, and the small log cabin, nestled between towering pine trees, looked like something out of a winter postcard.

“This is… wow,” Arber said, stepping out of the car. His hands rested on his hips as he took it all in. “You outdid yourself, Y/n.”

“I know,” she teased, grabbing her bag. “Now come help me unpack.”

Inside the cabin, Arber’s excitement quickly turned into chaos. He couldn’t figure out how to start the fireplace, leading to a heated debate (and lots of laughter) as they both struggled with logs and matches.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Arber asked, holding the matchstick like it was a stick of dynamite.

“Positive,” Y/n replied. “If you don’t burn the cabin down.”

Eventually, they managed to get the fire going, and the warm glow filled the room. Arber sprawled out on the couch, looking smug.

“See? Told you I’d figure it out,” he said.

“After, like, ten tries,” Y/n shot back, tossing a pillow at him.

The next morning, they decided to go for a hike. Y/N had picked an easy trail with scenic views, but Arber still turned it into a competition.

“Bet I can beat you to that rock up there,” he said, already jogging ahead.

“Arber!” Y/n called after him. “It’s not a race!”

“It is now!” he yelled back, laughing.

Halfway up the trail, the competition shifted to a snowball fight. Y/n managed to hit Arber in the chest with her first throw, and he dramatically stumbled backward like he’d been wounded.

“You got me,” he groaned, sinking to his knees.

“Stop being so dramatic!” Y/n laughed, grabbing another handful of snow.

As soon as she turned her back, Arber launched a perfectly aimed snowball at her, hitting her in the back.

“Hey!” she yelped, spinning around.

“Just getting my revenge,” he said, grinning as he backed away slowly.

By the time they made it back to the cabin, both of them were soaked and exhausted. They spent the rest of the day cozied up by the fire, sipping hot chocolate and playing card games. Arber insisted he didn’t know the rules to most of the games, but Y/n quickly caught onto his strategy of making up rules as he went to win.

“Arber, you can’t just declare yourself the winner because you have the biggest hand!” she said, laughing as he spread his cards out.

“Why not?” he teased. “I think it’s a solid rule.”

That evening, they cooked dinner together or at least tried to. Arber was in charge of chopping vegetables, but his knife skills were basically nonexistent.

“Arber, that carrot is supposed to be in slices, not… whatever this is,” Y/n said, holding up a messed up chunk.

“It’s abstract,” he said. “I’m an artist.”

Despite the chaos, they managed to put together a surprisingly good meal. They ate by candlelight, sharing stories and laughter until Y/n couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled so much.

As the night wound down, Y/n leaned into Arber’s side by the fireplace, her head resting on his shoulder.

“I think this might be my favorite trip ever,” she admitted softly.

Arber kissed the top of her head, his usual cocky smirk replaced with something softer. “Yeah? Just wait till our next one. I’ll even remember a toothbrush.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

[hopelesswrites]

Music Boyfriend part 2

Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Part 1 / 2 / 3

Summary: Eddie is an anonymous frontman of Corroded Coffin and meets his long-time pen-crush while on the run from the law.

Notes: This is HEAVILY inspired by movie Dinner in America, I was obsessed with the dynamic and felt it fit Eddie and Reader so well. general plot similarities but not a complete retelling of the movie

Eddies POV

Without a word Eddie stormed out of the house, leaving the girl alone and confused.

His mind was racing as he marched his way through town, careful to use the backstreets to stay out of the way of police. Eddie had put a lot of effort into staying anonymous. It was good for the band, and it was good for him.

Somewhere along the way of Corroded Coffins career Eddie had made a particularly strong impression on a fan. Eddie knew this obviously, by the letters he would receive regularly. Letters of passionate love confessions wrapped up in the form of lyrics, addressed solely to him, no one else in the band. These letters had made possibly a stronger impact on Eddie, and he had begun responding in corroded coffins songs, it fuelled him and his own creativity. But he enjoyed the anonymous back and forth, never getting too familiar with each other, just enough to completely infect the other one’s mind.

Eddie snuck around the back of the trailer park his uncle lived at, staying in the trees to not be seen. This was extra dangerous territory because it seemed everyone in this place was out to get him. He eyed his uncle’s trailer and the window that he broke sneaking out as a teenager, that was his way in. He could see his uncle tinkering underneath his car out the front. He just needed to get in and out.

Checking the coast was clear he bolted past neighbouring trailers and caravans until he was flush with his trailer wall before hoisting himself through the window, landing on his bed in a heap.

Inside he made quick work of changing into clean clothes, his current jeans smelling of sweat and booze from the gig the night before. He then grabbed a bag packing an extra shirt in anticipation that he’d be laying low somewhere for the next couple of days, as well as a half empty bottle of bourbon he had beside his bed and his tin of medicinals. Eddie didn’t deal so much anymore but if he was going to be staying with this girl, he was going to need something to calm his nerves. Lastly, he opened his bottom drawer to find his stack of letters he had collected over the past year, careful to put them in the front pocket of his bag.

He didn’t know what he was going to do, he wasn’t even sure he would come clean to her about who he was and how he knew her, but he wanted to keep the letters with him in case.

Back at her house he spied a car out front that wasn’t there before. He watched from the road as a woman unpacked groceries in the kitchen, his mystery girl beside her, it seemed having a heated discussion.

Eddie readied himself to enter the house, not caring too much about the girl’s mom or how she would react to him. He opened the door and closed it with a bit of force to alert them of his presence, catching the tail end of the conversation.

“We’ll discuss your job later” The woman spoke turning the corner and stopping abruptly when she saw Eddie.

“Who are you?” She asked in horror, slowly backing away.

“Don’t worry, he’s a friend” the girl explained eyeing Eddie curiously. He assumed she had a million questions about his disappearance earlier in the day.

“Your daughter had offered me a place to crash for a few days, my place is getting fumigated” Eddie continued, catching the surprise in the girl’s eye.

Her mom looked between them speechless, and Eddie took it as his opportunity to slip away. “Thank you for your hospitality, its greatly appreciated” He called, dragging the girl back up to her room.

“Is your mom going to be a problem? And what was she lecturing you about anyway? That fucking job?” Eddie made himself comfortable on her bed, lounging back with his arms crossed behind his head. He was courteous enough to leave his boot clad feet dangling off the edge of her bed instead of on her pristine comforter.

He looked up at her stood in the middle of the room searching for answers, or arranging them in her head, he hadn’t quite worked the strange girl out. He knew she had a talent with words, there was proof of it in her letter, but she seemed to struggle to find them in person, unless he guessed it was to do with his band, so he tried a different approach.

“Answer me this then” he started, shuffling over and patting the bed beside him. There was a small space left against his hip, noticing her hesitation he shuffled over more offering another inch or two of space.

“I don’t bite, c’mon, I have a serious question.”

Slowly she lowered herself onto the bed, angled to look at Eddie, hip flush with his.

“What is it about Vandal that you like so much?”

Eddie watched the cogs in her brain tick 10 times faster and her eyes light up.

“He’s so passionate, his lyrics are so raw and angry but the mask he wears, he’s obviously more reserved, lives an anonymous life and I relate to him. I think I share his passion, but I didn’t discover my outlet for it until I discovered Corroded Coffin. Writing to him is my way of letting it out.”

Eddie took a moment to take in her answer, it was so profound, something he hadn’t heard from a fan before, usually they fawn over him, throwing their bras and begging to see his face.

“You don’t care about what he looks like? What if he’s ugly”

Eddie anxiously waited for her response, which seemed to have struck a drop of hesitation from her.

“He doesn’t sound ugly, but no I don’t care what he looks like”

A sudden wave of panic washed over him. What if she recognises his voice? He felt a strong urge to control his anonymity until he was ready. Anxiously he coughed, lowering his voice when he next spoke.

“You got a boyfriend? What would he think of all that?”

The girl looked away shaking her head. “I don’t have a boyfriend; Vandal is my music boyfriend”

“Your what?” Eddie questioned, heat rising up to his cheeks.

“My music boyfriend, I don’t need a real boyfriend” she said looking at him now, a stern look on her face as if to tell Eddie to drop it.

Eddie let the words sink in, music boyfriend. He was a music boyfriend.

The heat from his cheeks suddenly travelled south and Eddie couldn’t help what the unintentional flattery was doing to him.

“Where’s your bathroom?” He asked, getting up and snatching his bag up as he headed for the door. He needed a cold shower, or a hand job, ASAP.

Once alone Eddie slumped against the bathtub, rubbing his forehead and willing a thought that could completely turn him off to appear into his mind, but all he could keep repeating was, ‘music boyfriend’.

It made him feel sick, but he acknowledged that feeling in the pit of his stomach was far less sinister than his reaction permitted. He’d never felt this way before, at least not since he was a kid. Girls didn’t like him, not like that, not in a mushy romantic way. And neither did he, he was stubborn like that, if he wasn’t allowed to receive that kind of attention, he wouldn’t give it out. But he could tell this girl understood him on some astronomic cosmic level. He scoffed at the idea of soulmates, but he had felt that connection ever since the first letter. It had been a fantasy up until now, and Eddie was stuck with the decision to allow this girl into his life physically or keep up the façade, let her write him letter until the end of time.

Eddie pulled out the letters from his bag, shuffling through them to find his favourite. It was the one that first inspired him to respond in his own song. Reading it now gave him a different feeling. A feeling of need and desperation. The girl who wrote these words was no longer a mystery, she was sitting in the room down the hall from him. But it didn’t feel right to walk back in there and ambush her with her own dirty little secret. He had to do it right, make it special, for his music girlfriend.

-

“Do you like arcades?” Eddie asked, entering the girls room again. She was sat on her bed fiddling with an envelope and a sheet of glittery stickers. It was a letter for him.

“Yeah” She replied, concentration completely on her task.

“Do you want to go?”

The girl looked up at Eddie then to her alarm clock beside her bed. “It closes in like half an hour” she answered.

“I know a guy, he can get us in, whole arcade to ourselves” Eddie explained. His buddy Dustin worked the arcade and he knew if he asked nicely (threatened him) Dustin would let them in after hours.

The girl perked up at the idea, “Okay, yeah, but can we stop at a post box on the way?” She held up a decorated envelope with his name written on it. Eddie hesitated before agreeing, rushing her to get dressed so they could get there before Dustin left.

“Your mom need her car tonight?”

Eddie received a confused look then a scowl. “We cannot take my moms car, plus I don’t know how to drive”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Why did you never learn how to drive?”

“Mom said I needed to gain more confidence before I could operate heavy machinery and Dad said he didn’t want to teach me”

Eddie scoffed, “Your parents are useless, I’m driving there, then you’re driving yourself to the post box out by the old diner.”

The girl looked at Eddie in horror, “No I can’t, and it’ll be dark, it’s too dangerous, there’s one in town”

“Sweetheart, you’re going to have to do it eventually, don’t you want to get out of here? Don’t you want your freedom?”

All Eddie got from her was a grunt and a shrug as she pushed passed him and down the stairs. Eddie watched from the landing as she checked the kitchen entry then returned to the front door where she fished out a set of keys from a bowl on the side table. The girl looked back up at Eddie motioning for him to come down then pressed her finger to her lips in an attempt to shush Eddie and his clunky boots.

“This your first time sneaking out?” Eddie whispered by her head while they walked to the car, reaching over to take the keys from her hand.

“First and last”

Eddie chuckled, not believing that for a second. He could practically feel the buzz coming off the girl as they entered the car and drove off. A swell of happiness filled his heart at the thought of creating excitement in this girl’s life. He wanted to continue to do it, he knew he would have to come clean in order for that to happen though.

Once they arrived at the arcade Eddie parked around the back, just in time to catch Dustin locking up.

“No! No! No!” Eddie heard Dustin scream once he stepped out of the car. “Not this time Munson, you almost got me fired last time” Eddie ran up to his friend gripping him by the shoulders and getting real close to whisper, “Please, I have a date, do me this one solid”

Eddie watched Dustin look around him and at the girl awkwardly standing by her moms’ car. “Fine, don’t rage on space invaders again we had to replace the joystick”

Eddie punctuated his gratitude with a big kiss to Dustin’s cheek which was not well received and dragged his date over to the back door.

“Power switch has the green tape!” Dustin called before getting into his own car and driving off.

Inside Eddie was quick to open the control box beside the back door and switch on the switch Dustin had instructed. Instantly the main room lit up in a wild buzz as each machine began to power on. Eddie watched the girls’ own eyes light up at the sight of the colourful room come to life.

“Popcorn?” Eddie offered, making his way to the kitchen of the small cafeteria and turning on the popcorn machine. He watched her frantically nod still admiring all the lights. It felt more alive at night when there weren’t snotty kids running around, you could hear the buzz of the machines.

“There should be a box of coins in the office, grab it and pick a game” Eddie called while he prepared a small batch of popcorn.

“This is so cool; your friend is awesome for letting us in”

Eddie listened for the girl, heard her grab the box of coins and jangle all the way over to a machine. He heard the machine process the coin and the game erupt with music. Poking his head out he spotted her enthusiastically tapping buttons on a game he had never paid much attention to in his time here as a kid. His heart swelled again, he knew he was royally fucked and in the span of one day his whole world had shifted. He thought back to how angry he was earlier in the day at the prospect of someone as strange as her knowing of Corroded Coffin, how in just a few hours his anger switched to possessiveness, how he would defend this girl to the end.

“Having Fun” He spoke, approaching her with a box of steaming hot popcorn.

“It’s so much better without kids crawling through your feet” she giggled, popping another coin in the machine. “What’s your favourite?” She asked, keeping half her attention on the game and half on Eddie.

“Dragons Lair” Eddie replied, handing out the popcorn for the girl to take. She was fully invested in the game now, both hands in action. “Feed me some” She rushed, opening her mouth for Eddie to place popcorn in.

Eddie hesitated, willing every perverted thought to the back of his mind as he gently placed two pieces into her mouth. She snapped her mouth shut, capturing the tip of Eddies finger and thumb, sending those thoughts right back to the forefront of his mind.

“We can play Dragons Lair next?” She spoke, looking up at Eddie briefly with a smile. He resisted a groan at the sight of her, he was so infatuated it made him sick.

Once her game had finished, she walked them to his game and started it up. “Ill feed you while you play” She giggled, taking the box out of his hands. Eddies stomach dropped at how innocently she spoke. He couldn’t even concentrate on the game, giving his worst performance yet. Each machine they moved to the more in his head Eddie got. He had to confess tonight, he had to know how she felt about him.

Soon they had killed about 2 hours in the arcade and the sun had officially set. Eddie considered his next move. He had promised to take her to the post box. In fact, he had ordered her to drive herself to the post box. Eddie watched as she made her way to the passenger side of the car, either forgetting the agreement or naively hoping he had forgotten.

“Wrong side Darlin’, drivers over here” He called, jingling the car keys.

He thought he caught an eye roll before she walked around to the other side of the car. He plopped the keys in her hands and strutted over to the passenger seat, getting in haphazardly.

In the car he guided her through the steps to start the car and exit the carpark. With a couple of fumbled manoeuvres, they were out on the road, headed towards the edge of town. The road was relatively straight, so he didn’t have to pay too much attention as she drove knowing there was little for her to mess up on. This gave him time to think about how he was going to do this. He couldn’t let her post the letter, it was going straight to him anyway, he had to tell her now.

As she pulled up to the post box Eddie’s mind was racing with anxiety. “Ill just be a second” She mumbled, taking off her seatbelt.

“Wait!” Eddie yelled entirely too loud for the confined space they were both in.

The girl looked at Eddie confused, waiting for him to continue.

“You’re mailing it to Vandal, right?” He started, building up the courage to tell her she didn’t have to go through all that trouble to get a letter to him.

She answered with a nod which encouraged Eddie to go on. “Don’t do it”

“Why?”

Eddie groaned, unsure of how to even word it. “Don’t mail it to him, it’s a waste of time, you can give it to him personally.”

Eddie waited for her response, heart pounding in his chest. “Do you know Vandal?” She asked.

Eddie nodded, holding out his hand for the letter. Hesitantly, she placed it in his palm. He took a deep breath before unzipping his bag, pulling out the other letters she had sent.

“How do you have those? I sent them to Vandal; how do you have them!?” She questioned in a panic.

Eddie looked at her hoping he could telepathically send her the message. “I am Vandal” He almost whispered.

“No”

“Yes, I am” Eddie argued. “Look, you’ve sent all these letters to me, I’ve read them, every fucking word, every lyric, every confession, I’ve read them.”

After an extended moment of silence she replied, “Why?” It was quiet, Eddie barely heard it.

“Why what?”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Eddie laughed, letting out a sigh. “How am I supposed to do that, its fucking awkward isn’t it? You really want me to sit in your bedroom and tell you I’m the one you’re calling your music boyfriend?”

Eddie watched her face turn into a deep frown. He cursed at himself for being too rough. “Hey” He tried gentler, getting her attention.

“Do you know how awkward it felt for me? To know the girl I’ve been in love with was right in front of me and I didn’t have a clue? How would I have confessed to that then?”

“In love with?” She asked, eyebrows raising in excitement.

Eddie chuckled, “Yeah, truly madly deeply or whatever it is they say, fucking head over heels and all you had to do is write me songs, you’re pretty incredible.”

She looked down shyly unable to look Eddie in the eyes and accept a compliment of that magnitude.

“Can I read this?” Eddie asked, waving around the letter. She nodded hesitantly, giving Eddie permission to read her latest song.

“Not here, can I take you somewhere else?”

With her permission, Eddie made them switch seats so he could enter phase two of what he was now calling, their first date.

Taglist: (Sorry it took so long)

@pupwrites @yourdailymemedelivery @princesssunderworld

[sandwitchstories]

Dango and Dragons

Hey hey everyone! Its been far too long since I shared some new Daddy Duty content regularly, so here you go! I give to you all this silly little story about Dad!Sukuna and Mouse

If you prefer to read it on AO3 click here !

WC: 1800+

Summary: To distract the toddler climbing the walls in her father's absence, Reader and Mouse decide to have a picnic. They are pleasantly surprised by the duo's return and a gift Sukuna bought for Mouse (and Uraume).

AN: To anyone new to my Daddy Duty series- Mouse is Sukuna's two year old daughter. Welcome to Mouse's Mini-verse!

Quick note about a couple of terms used in story: Shiroshi = what kites were called durin the Heian era. It translates into basically 'paper bird' Takoge = kite flying festival (along with kite flying they also sometimes included a night parade and kite battles!)

CW: Reader is not described but referred to as Mama, reader is pregnant, there are several suggestive comments made between reader and Sukuna (they are lowkey obsessed with each other- but it's okay- they are married, your honor), family fluff

You smiled as you carried the basket full of food and snacks with one hand as Mouse held onto the other. She was happily singing a song she made up as she went, pausing occasionally to look at something or ask you a question.

Sukuna and Uraume had been gone for several days and Mouse was climbing the walls. The weather was nice and you had no obligations to attend to. It seemed like the perfect day to go for a picnic. 

The two of you had spent the morning making and packing up a basket full of your favorite things, including extras of everything as Mouse had insisted, stating that the other two members of your family could be back at any time and they would probably be hungry too. You smiled and happily agreed. Whatever was not eaten now could be eaten later. Waste not want not!

The two of you had just finished laying out the blanket and setting out little plates of the food when Mouse shot upright and looked towards the horizon. She rushed to the basket and grabbed out a cookie for each hand. You were about to ask her what she was doing when two figures came into view. One a great deal larger and broader than the other. 

Her abilities to sense her father were even more attuned than yours were. You smiled as she got excited. She waited, bouncing back and forth between her feet. She knew the rules. Until Papa said it was okay to come to him, she had to stay by Mama. It was for her safety and she knew that, but she could only muster so much patience at 2 years old. 

“Mama! I think he walking too slow,” Mouse almost growled at you as she squatted down cookies still safely clutched in her tiny hands. “I gonna fix it.”

“And how are you going to fix that?” You asked, amused and curious just what she thought she could do to ‘fix’ the speed at which her father was walking.

“Like this,” she said, standing up. She carefully set the cookies down on the blanket and cupped her hands around her mouth. She proceeded to yell at the top of her lungs, “Faster, Papa! Please and thank you!”

You choked down a laugh, covering your mouth with your hands. “You think he heard you?”

“Don’t seem it,” she pressed her lips together in a frown and called again. “I said FASTER PLEASE AND THANK YOU, PAPA!”

“Why should I?” Sukuna’s voice called back, you could hear the amusement in his tone from where you sat and it made you smile. 

“You taking too long!” She called back.

“Then you come to me, brat!”

She snatched up the cookies and took off running at the speed of light towards him. “I coming, Papa! I bringing cookies, Papa!”

You watched as he handed something to Uraume as Mouse approached and he grabbed her up into his arms. You were impressed with Mouse’s hold on the cookies as her father tossed her laughing form up into the air and caught her. 

You couldn’t hear the exchange from the distance they were still at, but just the sight of the three of them walking towards you was enough to make your heart swell with love. Mouse, Sukuna and Uraume- your beautiful little family. Your everything.

You rose to your feet to greet them as they drew near. Sukuna set Mouse down as Uraume moved to set the things they were holding by the picnic basket. Mouse was happily telling Uraume about all the goodies you had brought with you. Sukuna’s eyes, however, were on you and you alone.

He pulled you closer with an arm around your waist and gave you several soft kisses. “Miss me, precious one?”

“A little,” you teased, cupping his face and kissing him again.

“I missed you a lot, Papa!” Mouse said, plopping down on the blanket and taking a bite of a cookie. She looked at Uraume and said, “I missed you too, Urau-rau. You cook better than Mama.”

You sputtered even though you knew it was the truth. “What was that?”

She turned towards you and gave you a giant smile before saying in a comforting tone, “It okay, Mama. You tried.”

While a part of you wanted to wipe the smirk off Uraume's face, a larger part of you was looking forward to a little alone time with a certain someone’s Papa. You and Mouse both being on Uraume’s good side would make things a lot easier to negotiate. 

“Uraume is a very good cook,” you agreed, sitting down as Sukuna did as well. 

“You just want me to watch her tonight,” Uraume said in a soft tone, shooting you a side glare.

“I do! You know me so well!” You agreed, giving them a wink. “But you are a good cook.”

Mouse started emptying out the basket, personally hand delivering the treats to each person. She grabbed a skewer of dango in either hand before moving to plop down in Sukuna’s lap, leaning her back against him. She grinned up at him and held up one of the skewers. “Want some, Papa?”

“I have my own, brat. Those are yours,” he said, ruffling her hair with a free hand while he smirked down at her. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but you could see by the look in his eyes and the way his fingers combed through her hair just how much he had missed her. How much he loved her. It made you tear up a little. Damn these pregnancy hormones. 

“What brought home, Papa?” Mouse asked, using the dango in one hand to gesture towards the parcels Uraume had set down.

“Why? You think there is something there for you?” He asked, eating one of the cookies Mouse had given him.

“Yes,” she said with a grin. 

“What makes you think you deserve it? Hmm?” he asked, poking her chubby little belly with his finger, making her giggle up at him.

“I been good. Please and thank you, Papa!” 

“Have you though?”

“She has been,” you replied. “She has been a big helper the whole time you were gone.”

“I take good care of Mama, Papa!” she chirped up at him as she finished her snacks in record time. 

“Alright… Uraume, give it to me,” Sukuna instructed, eating another cookie.

Uraume set aside their snacks and grabbed the securely wrapped package and brought it to Sukuna. He used two hands to help Mouse unwrap it. Together they reveal a beautiful, brightly colored shiroshi. The diamond shaped bamboo frame held together a stunning fabric that depicted the image of a red dragon with bright blues and yellows behind it. 

“What this Papa?” Mouse asked.

“It is called a shiroshi. It flies in the sky in the wind,” he explained.

“It windy! We do it now, please and thank you, Papa!” she looked up at him excitedly, her chubby hands laying lovingly on the material.

“I don’t know…” he drawled out.

“Don’t be a tease. Go on and show us your skills, King of Curses,” you teased with a smirk.

“Oh, I’ll show you my skills alright,” he said in a low tone, smirking right back at you.

“With the shiroshi,” you rolled your eyes even as your heart fluttered at his blatant flirting. Still got it!

“Yeah, Papa! Show meeeee!” Mouse said, trying to wiggle out of his hold.

“Uraume, would you do the honors?” Sukuna asked, cocking his head.

Uraume’s eyes got big and they hurried to swallow the food they were chewing. “You want… me to fly it, Master Sukuna?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it. I mean, you are the one who picked it out…” Sukuna shrugged.

“Urau-rau, you pick it for me?” Mouse’s face lit up.

“I merely pointed them out,” Uraume answered. “But if it would please you, Master Sukuna, I will be happy to.”

Sukuna moved the shiroshi so that Mouse scrambled off of his lap. She bolted to Uraume’s side. She hugged their arm, looking up at them with a big, toothy grin. “Thank you, Urau-rau!! Lets go fly it now, please and thank you!”

Uraume sighed and rolled their eyes, feigning annoyance even as their eyes softened just the slightest bit and the smallest smile ghosted on their lips. They moved to stand, taking the large object from Sukuna’s outstretched hand and walking a bit away with Mouse in tow, skippin beside them. 

Sukuna took advantage and moved to sit beside you. He wrapped two arms around you and pulled you close, one large hand holding your shoulder, the other moved lower to splay and rest over your slightly distended belly. The thumbs on both hands immediately began mindlessly tracing a pattern. He kissed the top of your head as you laid it on his broad shoulder. 

You reached over to take one of his other hands, locking your fingers together and bringing them to your lips. You placed a gentle kiss on his knuckles before lowering your hands to rest idly, fingers still locked. 

You smiled as you watched Uraume battling the wind and Mouse before getting the shiroshi flying high in the sky. They held onto the rope, concerned the wind would be too strong for Mouse’s hold. It was an adorable sight to see, and even from here you could see the enjoyment on Uraume’s face.

“During our travels, when Uraume was a child, we came upon a Takoage festival. They have never really asked for anything, you know this about them, but I could see the enjoyment in their eyes as they watched the shiroshi soar above our heads. We stayed for the duration of the festival. The next day I bought them one, and they spent hours… and hours flying it. I threatened to dismantle the damn thing if they didn’t set it down to fulfil their duties and train,” Sukuna recounted to you, a small smile on his face as he watched them.

“Really? Huh,” you said, taking it in and imagining it with a smile on your face. “Admit it… you just wanted to take a turn flying it, huh?”

“If I had wanted to take a turn, I would have take a damn turn,” he grumbled, causing you to chuckle.

“Mama! Papa! Look! We gots a real dragon! It flying! It going WOOOOOOSH!” Mouse called, spreading her arms wide and running in circles around Uraume, imitating a dragon in flight.

“Be careful or it might get you!” you teasingly called out.

“Silly Mama! It not a real dragon, it no eat me!” Mouse’s laughter carried as easily on the wind as the shiroshi flying high above her head.

Sukuna relaxed against the tree behind him, fully at peace. How could he not be? The weather was nice. The snacks were delicious. His beloved was in his arms and his daughter was happily harassing his disciple just a few yards away. Soon there would be another welp causing mayhem alongside their sister. He couldn’t wait.

[mandy-asimp]

Florida Secrets

Jennifer Jareau x reader

The request was to base it off of touch tank by quinnie. Idk if I got lost deep into plot or waaa but there is references to the song.

Warnings: language, smut, teasing, alcohol usage (everyone's legally dw, ik you were)

For @emilyswhore sorry it took me like pushing 3 weeks I love getting lost in plot to avoid smut sometimes😭😭

You're too good of a friend, that has to be your issue. You put yourself in the friend-zone because you're such a good friend. Even now as you were up before the sun helping the Jenifer Jareau pack up the car to begin the drive down to Florida. Everyone was planned to meet before dinner at eight the same night. Not to forget how you offered to drive first so she could sleep longer.

She had tried to fight you on it, saying she'd take the first shift but with how quiet you were in the morning she knew it wasn't going to work in the end. You were quiet enough to get the keys before she'd even noticed.

"Alright, its just locking up then we're on the road. Do you need to stop for a coffee or anything?" She stood next to you at the back of the car. Searching your tired face to see if you really could drive first. "Hun if you need me to drive first I can. I've stayed up and driven many times before."

You shook your head, "no, no it's fine. I enjoy the emptiness of the highways and what not. I just had an energy drink on my way here." You were being honest if anything, it's all you needed to stay up the entire drive.

"Well you're only driving half the way there, so one was probably best for you. Help me do one more check that everything is off, locked, and unplugged." She pointed at the door before leading the way. You followed closely behind her only parting when inside. You took the upstairs as she did downstairs.

It was quick and simple. Until you got lost in her study, she had a picture of her and Henry on the desk. You adored her boy, he was a spitting image of her and also not to brag but you are his favorite amongst the team. It warmed your heart seeing all the love she had just in that picture.

You quickly pulled out of your trance as the wooden steps creaked under the footsteps of another. "You ok up here?" You heard her voice call.

The room being set, "yeah just making sure." You responded before stepping into her view. "Upstairs is all set. Henry with Will?"

"Yeah, he went Wednesday night. I just owe Will a vacation week in return." She began to descend back to the car. "Which isn't a bad thing or anything, but it's just what the playful terms were for this trip. This trip is just very adult based anyways so bringing Henry just didn't seem responsible."

"Jennifer Jareau, the responsible and reasonable mother of the FBI. Who will be coming out on this trip though? You have no responsibilities. I know I'm to be a different person." You had opened the passenger door for her once out at the car.

"So you really are going to keep up with Penelope the entire time?" JJ had gone for a teasing. "She's been dying to get your mysterious self drunk. Hoping to get out some of those secrets she can't find. Even the ones that pop up in your background check."

You threw the car in drive with one swift motion before raising a brow. "You ran a background check on me?"

"Only after a few weeks of learning nothing really about you. We got curious one girls night and it's muscle memory to Penelope." She flashed you a bright smile. "So, will you be spilling your guts?"

Your head shook again as you chuckled. You left the question unanswered as a peaceful silence already settled as you hit the road.

~

5 hours in and it was 10 am. JJ was still peacefully asleep next to you. You had made it into South Carolina without her waking once. It gave you the mindset she'd sleep through the rest of the state.

If she did you wouldn't mind though, you knew she worked hard. And with the last few cases she had been worked even more than anything. JJ needed this vacation and it showed in her stillness.

Although you were extremely surprised when she slept right till your pit stop at a the next town for a bathroom break. Quietly you had snuck in and used their restroom while getting snacks and drinks.

Took you no more than ten minutes but ten minutes must've been too still cause the blonde was awake on your return. "Do you need the bathroom?"

She let a groan slip through her lips first, "what state are we in?" She questioned after, rubbing the remainder of sleep out of her eyes.

"South Carolina. We're about half way through it. Also the four are behind us, texted them while inside if they wanted to meet for a lunch at Chilis or something. Aaron and Jack are leaving Sunday, Halley wants to see him once more before he comes. And Rossi said to make up for not coming he's planned something for everyone for Monday." You locked the car and walked with her back inside, knowing she didn't need it but you couldn't help it. When you were in there some guy had given you the creeps, so maybe you were just being some extra protection.

JJ hummed lightly, "so that makes us what maybe a little of 5 hours in?" She noticed how you walked all the way into the bathroom with her. Staying by the mirror as she went.

"Almost seven. If you want I'll drive to Chilis and then you can drive from there?" You offered to finish your shift. Although secretly you had an agenda for Chilis. The team easily suspects you for not being a crazed drinker because anytime you did go out, you only would have like one drink and a shot. Unbeknownst to them you loved your solo pre-gaming.

"Yeah that's fine. You can sleep then before dinner." She agreed as she came out.

JJ stood infront of you as you stared at her through the mirror. Finally seeing what was really wearing and it made your throat dry up like a puddle on a hot mid-summer day. She was in a cute little baby tee that hugged her in ways she had to understand were illegal but didn't care anyways. Paired with plaid sleep shorts that showed off her perfect legs that shined in the sun. Ending with her navy blue converse. You scolded yourself, it shouldn't phase you as much but something calls out to you with every passing hour.

So lost in your thoughts you missed how she had turned and came up to you. She stood taller than you but toe-to-toe with you and she knew how to make the world bend to her. sometimes even by her own hand, literally. She cupped your cheek and made your head crane back. "You alright there? The tiredness already catching up to you or is it something else?"

Her tone tickled a nerve in the back of your mind. It was telling you to feed into it. Once that thought crossed your mind, an inner voice couldn't let it go through. Then Penelope's deal for this trip came in as well. It trumped all the opposing thoughts and soon you were leaning up close to her ear. Hands so subtly slipping onto her waist and pulling her into you. She gasped slightly as your lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"It could be either," you whispered before breaking the stance and leading out the bathroom. You missed how she smirked.

Although once you stepped out, your prediction came true. The same creepy man was standing in the isle with a perfect shot of the bathroom door. He was already staring at you, but when JJ came around you watched his gaze deepen.

By his first step, you were already making your move. A hand slipped into JJ's and you brought her close behind you as you started to walk out. Pushing her in front of you once at the door and the man was maybe five strides away.

You sent him a pointed glare as the blonde had kept waking forward. You also sent him the finger before making your own exit. It wasn't till you were in the safety of the car you could breathe. "God, I hate men." You rolled your eyes as you started the vehicle. Not surprised as the man had walked purposely in front of your car and stared even harder.

"Having issues with the state of South Carolina?" She poked your arm. Which all you did was roll your eyes, earning that beautiful laugh you adored.

Three more driven hours had passed and you had hit 10 hours in. Now you sat in a booth with the other four child-adults. You had the drink menu in hand already, making eyebrows raise in suspicion.

"Starting your party early?" Derek had made the knowing comment, pushing the menu down just slightly. "Thought you weren't even that big of a drinker."

You hummed while still letting your eyes roam over the menu. "Would you like to know a secret about me?"

"Yes!" Penelope shouted in response. Leaning forward to really watch your features to see if she herself could pick if it was a lie or not.

You smirked and finally looked at the table, you had them on edge. "I've shown up drunk to every night we've gone out. I'm a pregame princess to save myself spending so much at bars." There was a collection of 'no's as you nodded. "I'm a pro at acting sober."

"Oh..oh that makes so much sense on why one drink does it for you. Oh my god, sugar pea I thought I was going to kill you on this trip! How much can you drink before it's tap out?" Penelope was throwing out questions so easily, loving this opening up side already.

"The most I drank was my third girls night with you and Emily." You paused to give them a second to recount the day.

"Oh my god, it was a miracle you didn't wake up with alcohol poisoning." Penelope covered her mouth in horror.

Trying not to laugh, you continued. "While I did my shower and put curlers in my hair, I drank at least four drinks, then while we waited for you to get ready, me and Emily were prepping pregame with shots, then the actual pregame, then maybe adding like the seven drinks and three shots we did once we were out. I was really fucking drunk that night."

Penelope gasped as she remembered, "is that why you had whispered to not let you go home with anyone?"

"You almost went home with someone?!" Derek was shocked at this new information now. He gave his charming laugh and you were giving in and joining.

"Yes! But I knew I wasn't in the right mind for anything, also wasn't up for anything. I'm a reserved person if you couldn't tell," you winked at him.

The table buzzed with laughter and drinks the entire hour you guys stayed. Penelope wasn't driving at all, so she was keeping you going as well. Both of your cheeks had pink tints to them any time you both got caught giggling a little more than anyone else.

By the time you had finished eating, you both were equally five margaritas. Bless the person who invented bottomless margaritas.

"I assume you're driving back?" Emily questioned to JJ, watching as you sipped your sixth marg in one go, giving a challenging glance to Penelope. "Because by the looks of it," their eyes drifted to you and you could sense their stares. Your eyes drifted over, only for you to blush under JJ's gaze.

"You drove for ten so I'll finish it up." She spoke to you and only you. Maybe it was the fact these people knew you were already in a tipsy state that you didn't have to hide it.

Your head lulled to her shoulder and you sighed lovingly, a more affectionate side of you was peeking through. "I'll make it a fun ride," you stared straight at the wall. Ignoring the shocked expressions around you. "It's only five more hours anyways."

You didn't realize how you lifted your head and faced her. You were close again to her, a sneaky hand squeezing at her thigh. But you did realize the server bringing another round of margaritas.

"Oh god Pen! You do know we're also drinking at dinner right?" You giggled as you still took the colorful drink. "This is like our seventh one..." you sounded like you were complaining even as the straw was in your mouth.

The sober four shook their heads and laughed. Everyone finishing up their conversations as you and Penelope finished your last drinks. High-fiving once both glasses were empty.

As you and JJ were about to part, you couldn't help the urge to give everyone big hugs before slipping off with the blonde, giggling as you hugged her from behind. "You're a giggler when not masking sober." She had shaken her head.

"I'm the best type of drunk though baby, this is only the start." You smirked as you slid into the passenger seat.

Although you weren't expecting her to lean over the console and get into your space instead. "Yeah? And what type of drunk is that, hun?" She seared the image of you right here into her mind. How doe eyed your tipsy stare was.

A beat of silence went by and then suddenly you were challenging her by inching closer as well. Your eyes fluttering between hers. Words didn't leave your mouth though, just silently staying close to her.

"Mmm, I guess I'll have to ask at dinner." She declared before pulling back. You didn't notice the way her gears had turned, too lost in her ocean blue eyes.

~

You had arrived at the hotel, everyone right behind you as you check in. Earning key cards to the suites Rossi had managed for you all. There was two hours until dinner. Giving everyone the chance to nap or just relax for a bit.

You had chosen to nap off the rest of your lunch drinks so you could put down at dinner and at the club after. Penelope had texted you separately on the drive talking about how she was ready to push your limits. You couldn't back down and out now.

You swiped the key card, pushing the door open when it beeped green.

Unbeknownst to you, Rossi is indeed one skilled profiler. No matter how hard you tried to keep yourself quiet and under everyone's radar, he managed to pick you apart. What's worse was he had the nerve to tell you, but you didn't believe him. So he took this chance to really prove to you what he knew.

Hence the one bedroom with a king sized bed in the middle.

"Well there's only one bed," you had muttered by the doorway. Eyes glossing at the sight of the room, it was grand and beautiful. The walls were an actual color, soft green, and not a boring beige. Decorations of flowers were scattered everywhere and it had a warm breeze blowing in the white curtains. "Besides that, this place is really cute."

"If you think about it though, we're the only two who would share a bed." She nudged your side, finally seeing what you were oozing adoration over. "It's calming."

"The perfect feeling for vacation." You threw out, letting a beat go by before you were already flopping onto the bed. Sighing at how plush the covers and mattress were.

Eyes closed, you felt the bed dip next to you. But even with them shut, you managed to slip a hand around her waist and pull her close into a hug. "Thank you for finishing the drive." You mumbled. Not noting how your warm breath fanned her neck.

JJ was dumbfound in this moment. She didn't expect you to be a touchy person, at all. Mostly because of how distant you still seemed from the team, yet how close you had managed in the three years you had been there.

So this is how your hugs felt.

She was always able to count how many times she's seen you hug someone. The first was when the team saved Reid from Tobias Hankle. You were basically the first one to really hold him (even if it went long than expected). The second time was Penelope when she got shot. The third and final was Emily and Reid after Benjamin Cyrus. Now the fourth time was here, in this bed. With her.

The blonde wasn't going to let this moment go to waist, eager to get a picture of your still form, but when she moved you groaned. "No pictures. Let's just nap." You mumbled, lips moving against the smooth skin of her neck. You could feel her pulse on your lips.

"But how will anyone believe that you are a hugger?" She softly laughed at your antics. Her arms tightening around you as you tried to push her away now. It only made her laughter grow along with her hold. "Be a good girl and accept it," her words were in your ear and they were low and tantalizing. Yet you stopped moving instantly. Your body just going limp in her arms as she hummed contently. "Wasn't so hard now was it?"

You waited a second, " no," you managed. "But I think you enjoyed that a bit too much." You weren't afraid to be smart with her, the most she could do was push you off the bed.

JJ opted for crawling onto you however. Using her hand in your hair to roll you onto your back as she stared down at you. A magnetic smirk that you wanted to be pulled into to on her lips. "And what if I did? Hmm? You listened to me didn't you?"

Your eyes widened as your cheeks burnt up. You managed to sigh out your whimper thankfully. "That's cause you're strong and had a good hold." You conjured up something, anything. The way she said she did like it had clogged the gears in your head and you felt stupid the moment the words left your mouth.

"Well who wouldn't want to hold a sweet little thing like yourself? Can you really blame me?" JJ kept going. Her finger tips ghosting your skin so smoothly that you didn't know anything. "Even now, look at you."

Your heart was hammering in your chest, this couldn't be real. There's no way in this universe or the next that she's looking at you like she's about to eat you in one go, and she'll look pretty while doing it. "What about me?" You whispered, cursing yourself for sounding so meek. You were honestly struggling to think clearly.

JJ only flashed her canine teeth in a wide smile before getting off you. Slipping away from you entirely and just opening her suitcase to rummage through it. You were watching her while propped up in your elbows.

"I'm gonna shower so I can start on my hair at least before getting ready. Wash the car ride off my body, ya' know?" She had pulled out a few articles of clothing before entering the bathroom.

Well...that sobered you up enough. Which was in pro to pregaming, but you still decided to take at least fifteen minutes to sleep. Which was even better for your pregaming because everything settled through the nap.

You had eyed the mini bar when walking in and decided to start there. Grabbing a glass and ice from the freezer. You made yourself a pineapple mojito. That's when you realized that it was a perfectly stocked bar, mostly because when you picked up white rum there was a note from Rossi.

'I told you I knew you better than you thought. Enjoy your mixologist heaven - Dave'

You practically squealed in excitement and made JJ a drink as well. Finishing it up right as she came out, you were sipping yours as you extended your hand to her.

"Oh you were serious?" She raised her brows in shock. She was beginning to think you didn't process alcohol at all. "What's this?"

"Pineapple mojito. Dave gave me a full mini bar to drink from and there are several nights of this to come. So, you gonna keep up Jareau?" You quirked an eyebrow to her now. This was the confidence you need twenty minutes ago.

Her lips wrapped around the thin black straw and she took her first sip. Her blue eyes never leaving yours. She was glad she didn't look away, the growing smile on your face was worth it. Even if it came with a mischievous glint in your eyes.

As she lowered her glass you only slipped by her with your glass. Grabbing what you needed for your own shower. You were on your knees, the carpet feeling inviting under you.

You were oblivious to JJ standing right behind you. Her slender fingers slipped into your hair and she tugged slightly, sighing when your head pulled back and you made eye contact. "What else can you do?" She brought the straw to her lips. You mirrored her.

"I'm a self-trained mixologist. If that counts for anything?" You were joking suddenly. Two shots while making the drinks wasn't that smart (well it was for the pros of pregaming). You looked back to your suitcase, giggling at the secret personality they were about to witness.

The blonde couldn't tear her eyes off of you as you grabbed at fabrics and stood up. Take a finishing sip of your glass before staring up at her. "That's one, two happens in the shower." You showed her your empty glass.

It took JJ by surprise how fast you could drink. Even more for how fast you could mix up another drink. You took it with you to the bathroom, fully ready to go in, until you noted your lack of speaker. So like anyone else, you slipped your big shirt back over and went back to your bag. You ignored how quiet the room was even when you found it. You just turned on the device and began your playlist.

Fifteen more minutes had passed, giving you an hour to get ready. You slipped out the bathroom with everything in hand. Your hair was wrapped up, exposing how little the silk dress really was on you.

Right before starting your makeup, you had to make the third drink. It was routine at this point. You sang and danced loosely to the bar. Missing the way the three woman noted how free you were. How in your own world you could be.

"That's her third drink." JJ had mentioned to them. She had just dented her second one. "And she's a heavy pourer." She passed the glass around, both having reactions to how strong it was.

"Oh my- she's gonna kill us." Emily was genuinely worried. "Do we stop her?"

"No!" Penelope stopped the thought from being discussed. "This is the first night she's going to open up. I want secrets. And she's going to actually let us see her drunk."

Meanwhile you had finished your third drink and makeup. Smirking to yourself in the mirror as you knew what time it was. Princess Pregame was coming to shine the moment you were at the mini bar.

You slipped into safe green heels and grabbed the matching purse. Decorating yourself in jewelry before moving your party to the kitchen.

The playlist switched and you finally met the eyes of three women. "Good evening ladies, welcome to the pregame party." You wore a huge smile while gesturing to the other side of the counter. Pleased when they lined up. "Now, I don't know how you all like to party, but I like to start with a vicious shot." You raised four tiny glasses and a bottle.

To say they were instantly hooked onto this character was an understatement. The glasses clicked as you all threw back. You were already at the point that taste seemed irrelevant.

"Now, as for your predrink. I'm thinking," you started over by Emily. "Something strong for a strong woman. Now, I personally ignore the rules of mixing dark and light. Hangover, bangover honestly." You poured four dark shots before making Emily's drink. Handing her the glass and raising the small cups again.

Next was Penelope. "You, sugar, are in for the worst of it with me. I'll start you sweet, but don't be oblivious to how much is actually in here." You had made some sort of pink drink, along with four clear shots. "This is gonna be an eventful vacation!" You all threw back.

Last was JJ. Your cheeks heated as she stared in wonder at you. You leaned to match her pose, pushing your hips back to make a perfect angle. Your back curving graciously to their view. "What to do with a sweet little thing like yourself?" You imitated her from earlier. Your challenging smirk telling her you knew she was powerless here. "I'm thinking...savory. But with what, light or dark?" You turned to see what selection you still had. Eyes narrowing on the aged tequila. "Yes!" You exclaimed before mixing. Laughing lightly to yourself. "Jennifer Jareau, for being to sexy and distracting, I'm serving you a restraining order." You slid the orange cocktail over.

Now all three had a drink you felt something missing. "Oh and me! For myself, I'm thinking, something dirty." You eyed the pink bottle from Penelope's drink and decided. "Kinky blow pop." You nodded.

"I'm sorry what's your drink called?" Emily laughed, throwing her head back. "Kinky blow pop?"

"Yes. Kinky blow pop. You're drinking Whiskey smash, Pen's on a larger version of wet pussy shots, and JJ is on restraining order. Do most drinks I know how to make come with funny names, yeah but it's not my fault I like funny things." You rambled while mixing. Raising the pink glass and smiling. "To vacation ladies! What happens in Florida, stays in Florida!"

~

You felt a little silly stumbling back into the hotel, but with Penelope giggling beside you it didn't seem to bother you as much. Once by the elevator that's when you had all seemed to begin to part ways. Seeing as you all were kinda scattered about.

You and Penelope hugged everyone one last time before Emily and JJ were pulling you apart and to separate elevators. "She's a party, honestly love that woman. I love women in general but man Penelope knows how to party." You were star struck at the memories blurring through from the night.

"So it seems do you, that the type of drunk you were warning me about?" She wasn't as drunk as you were, actually you weren't even sure if she was drunk or not. You stopped watching her drink her sips when she caught you gawking.

Your hair shook over your face, "no that's only the start. There's still wine down to the night. Does the kind madam care to join me and try something new?" You had a daring gleam.

"And what does your wine down include?" She asked you, confused as what you were leading with. Each second that passed, another floor had gone by.

"It's a way to just truly feel everything you've drank and then some. Usually I do it alone but, since you're here with me," you knew even while wasted how your words were coming out. You knew you were being insinuating. Even in the gleam of your iris, you knew how to play these games.

The elevator dinged open and you lured her with one finger. You lead her right to the bedroom, pointing at the bed while you disappeared into the bathroom. Then back out, then back in with two wine glasses. Five minutes of silence pass and you're coming out in a robe gesturing for the blonde to follow you. "You can say no by the way, take the glass if anything."

JJ was greeted by a bath full of bubbles and steam coming off. "Your wine down is a bubble bath?"

"And wine. Can't forget the wine part of wine down. It feels nice to be naked, warm, and drunk. Clearly you've never tried it if you're asking questions." Your words were in a mix of sly and mumbles.

She went to say something but you were already slipping out the robe. Sinking in on one side and humming contently. Eyes closed as you just began to get lost in the feeling. The black void was even spinning.

JJ stood on the door and witness every expression. Her eyes moved on their own and stared at the small ink markings around your body. Her mind was still trying to figure out if this was the drunk you were warning her about? Was she going to meet this woman or was she a secret to be kept away forever?

Florida. Florida rules.

The deal whispered through her mind and suddenly JJ's bare body was sliding in behind yours. Not what you were expecting, you figured she sit across from you. You were too lost in the new skin to skin contact to protest.

Not too lost though, you still processed how her hands ran across your waist as she pulled you back into her. Her bare chest pushing into your back made your spinning pick up.

JJ's skilled fingers began working into your sides, massaging them so good your head just rolled back to her shoulder. You even let out a hum as you just felt your body melting into hers. She was so warm and inviting.

"Your skins so smooth, hun. You always do this?" She purred in your ear. Sending a shock down your spine.

"Self care is the second best care."

"And what's the first?"

"Aftercare."

There was a rocket in the tension. Her hands had stopped gliding across your abdomen, they stilled right under your boobs. You let a sigh slip out, and suddenly you were leaning forward. A subtle trail of coldness followed her fingertips as the hovered your ribs.

"Have you ever gotten any? Given any?" Your body made the effort to turn and stare into her eyes.

JJ blamed you being intoxicated for that pleading glint deep in your eyes. "Both a few times, given more than anything."

"Mm..I like that in a woman. Did you know that?" Your head tilted slightly over, staring at her in a newer angle. You came closer to her and her hands were back on you, this time holding your hips underwater.

"I did not. Does that mean you like me?" She quirked a challenging brow to you. Her answer was just a wide, blushing smile. It made her chuckle lowly. "So you're a tease when drunk?"

The word snapped something in your focus into place. "And what would you know about how I tease?" You were quick with your response, daring to get closer to her.

The sky blues seemed to darken with a storm as they narrowed at you. Silently asking if this was really the road you wanted to take tonight. However, even if it was JJ would never do anything while you were this drunk. What she was going to do was explore this new personality that Florida had brought out.

"Oh baby, I could tease you in ways you have never thought of. But we should get to bed, you should sleep some of this off before starting again tomorrow. And we'll grab breakfast so you have something to base your stomach." She threw out the morning plans while using her hand on your hip to push you back down.

Your eyes never left hers even as she stood up. You focused on your peripheral view as the soap suds began to slide down her body. Then she stooped down to your still kneeled form, a sinister smirk ready to corrupt your very being. "You look so pretty like this...on your knees for me... and god, those eyes how they beg for me.." Her pauses were filled with a lewd moan or gasp. "I can't wait to pull out those other sides you're hiding."

The blonde was gone as quick as she had been there, leaving you for only a second before coming back with a towel. You stayed silent as you complied with her help. "Are we...I dunno..." your thought was lost the moment she stopped to meet your gaze.

"Are we what, hun? Drunk? You more than me." She furrowed her brows. Getting ready to lead you out but you frowned and shook your head. "Well if you can remember while getting situated you can ask."

~

The warmth of Florida filled the room as you stirred awake. Getting ready to stretch your body fully out when you felt the weight of someone on your arms.

Oooh you knew exactly what you were about to open your eyes to. You easily pieced the trip, hangover, and body all together. Your left eye peeked open, finding the blonde already looking at you. Instantly you shut your eyes. "Oh...oh my god..."

"Good morning to you too hun, feeling last night yet?" She was already teasing you about it. Your eyes weren't even open and she was already joking.

"You would too if you had kept up..." your voice was filled with tiredness as you grumbled. Your head was still tucked down, and into JJ's chest.

You could feel the laughter rumble in her. It might've become your favorite feeling in the world. "I'll keep up with you for girls night. I want to see what your world looks like at the club."

This made your head pop up. A wide smile plastering your plush lips, "really? All the way from the first shot to the last sip?"

"Now it sounds like you're going to kill me." She furrowed her brows with a worried look gracing through her happiness. "It's what a few shots and some drinks for pre-pregame? I can handle it."

You tried to contain your sudden eagerness. "We should get breakfast." You switched the topic while propping yourself up. Now you laid on your stomach and rested on your elbows. Hair tossed over so you could actually look at the blonde.

JJ was enjoying already seeing you first thing in the morning. You seemed so loose and care free in this moment. Like you weren't awake enough to put on any masking personality. This was your raw self staring at her. "Derek is grilling on the beach for us today. They're already up and moving, but you were against getting up."

"That's cause we're on vacation. I'm not supposed to be getting woken up after drinking all night. But I do like the sounds of burgers so we should get up now." You were up before your sentence finished. Standing on the side and stretching your body out in the mirror. You were growing more excited to bask in the sun all day. Letting its yellow rays kiss against your skin.

JJ just gawked as you stood in nothing but a big t-shirt and panties. Her eyes lingered and your ass before jumping to your face in the mirror. She crawled over, knowing you could see her approaching and accepting it as you stood exactly still. "I don't know, maybe we should stay here all day and do nothing." She rose on her knees, arms wrapping comfortably around your waist and her head on your shoulder. "Clothes optional? Talk about those little tattoos?"

Your cheeks flushed but it was in contrast to your laugh. "What? Saw me naked in a bath one time and now you can't get enough?" You bite back bravely. Laughing even more at her shocked face. "Maybe Jareau, maybe you'll manage something this trip."

And as soon as you were in her hold and comparing her natural warmth to the same sun you'd thought about moment before, you were slipping away to begin getting ready.

Grabbing a hand full of pieces before finding your way into the bathroom. It gave JJ the chance to change out in the room as well. From her silk pajamas into her peach bikini. Covering it with a regular pair of jean shorts and a loose button up shirt she left open and tucked in.

Meanwhile, you had returned in a beige and green outfit. The top was brown and tied at the back of your neck. Paired with a flowing sage green skirt. It hung low on you, but your brown bottoms hung lower. Your hair was still down, but JJ didn't seem to think that an issue.

"Do you have the sunscreen or are they bringing it?" You were once again in your bag and pulling out sandals this time. Not paying much attention, honestly you were really looking forward to this burger, but you had almost ran into the blonde roommate.

Her hands in her pockets as she tried to not eat you right here while you look this cute. "That's a nice top, where's your cover up though?" She knew the answer already, but confronting you would give her something to tease out. Her eyes catching the smallest glimpses of ink.

"I practically glow in the sun, and I could use it. It's all I plan to do while sitting on the beach with my burger." You seemed in an extremely better mood once those burgers were mentioned.

JJ noticed it too as she just chuckled before giving you space to move again. Pulling a small beach bag out for both your stuff. You had put in headphones, sunglasses, and tanning lotion. Completely ignoring your phone over in the bedside table.

~

By two, you were practically drunk again with Penelope right by your side. Watching from a far all your friends have fun while the burgers slowly cooked.

"Ok, real talk, how drunk are you willing to get tonight?" Penelope had turned to you, blocking the sun with her hand. "Because last night you seemed pretty drunk."

"Last night is a horrible example of where I can get. I'm going toe-to-toe with the blondie over there. She won't drink with us now though, claims it'll ruin it for when after I take my nap to sleep all this off." You pointed to the cooler that had a variety of cocktails and drinks. "She's gonna know too much of my personality by the end of this trip."

"Hey! I wanna meet this personality! What does she know?" Penelope had whined. "Maybe we should've shared a room instead."

You laughed, "she knows that I'm truthful about my pre-pregame. She didn't know I did shots between while making the first drinks. Also she finally met me when I first wake up."

"Oh I love you when you first wake up! You're so sweet and warm. It's the perfect contrast to your mysterious work personality. Has she really never seen it before?" She took another sip of her melted, but still cool Bahama Mama. Smirking when your head shook no. "I bet she likes it. She got a subtle mess to her, but it's there."

"What? Penelope Garcia what do you know to say that?" Your eyes narrowed but playfully you were laughing. "I don't doubt it. I actually don't doubt that we'll kiss at least once. Too much tension."

Penelope squealed the moment 'tension' left your lips. Causing the group to turn from the water. The two of you were staring at each other deep in a conversation to them. But then they watched as you pulled a bottle of tequila out and poured out four shots. Passing two to the tech analysis before bringing limes and salt into view.

"Where was all that even at?" Emily couldn't tear her eyes away from the shore. Honestly feeling left out for not drinking with you both. "Also listen, the amount of drinks that thing can put down is insane. Cause that's not the agent I know and work with."

"Well no shit, she's not gonna drink on the job." Derek joked, raising a challenging look to the other. "You think they'll get in anytime soon?"

Spencer was quick to start giving a fact about drinking in heat and swimming. It was slowly dropping out however as they really watched you both take the shots like water. "Ya know, it's really interesting that they're still going in the sun is all I'm saying."

The four agreed and started heading back up. One with the intent to see how drunk you two actually were, and two to check lunch.

"Oh I see sobriety coming to crash our party." You tilted your head over, a sigh escaping your lips. "Before they get up here, I'm going to go to the bathroom and break my seal." You hummed out.

"Ooh let me come with you!" Penelope spoke, getting up without really letting you answer. You would've said yes anyways, it's her how could you say no to anything.

You both were moving before they got back to the towels, arms looped as you swayed to the small bathroom together. It was really only five minutes tops, or so you thought.

"It's crazy you two could spend ten minutes in there." Emily was assembling her burger before you.

Penelope had began to respond, but you were too busy rushing to JJ who was holding up a burger already for you. "Oh. Em. Gee." You beamed while settling next to her. "Y'all see this right here? This a mean burger and it's going down in my tummy." You showed off the plate.

There was a light conversation that carried you all through lunch. Some chip ins from you and Penelope as you mostly stayed silent and just focused on eating. You were proud to say that was the best drunk burger you've ever had.

After cleaning up, there was still a few more hours before you had to head back. From what had been mentioned, they were getting back in the water. "Are you two gonna join us or keep drinking?" Derek had raised the ball they were throwing around up.

"That's if they can keep themselves afloat." Emily poked your arm and watched as you so simply wobbled just from it. "Put some floaties on, Tanner."

You groaned at the name. "First of all, I'm a sun bather. Second of all, floaties ruin my glowing complex."

"What's a glowing complex?" Reid furrowed his brows, hearing a term he didn't fully understand what context it was in.

Without a second word, you were standing away from the group and literally glowing in the sun. The beams reflected off your skin just perfectly to give you the effect. But before you started to loose yourself in the warmth of the sun, you returned to the group.

"When I retire I'm gonna find the warmest place to live and sit on the beach every single day." You pointed out. "But I'm going to stay on the dry lands and keep drinking."

"Sugar, the water will feel good on your sunny skin. Help cool it from the hours of heat and drinking." Penelope protested though. "If not at least put more sunscreen on." She pointed at the bottle as she left, chasing after the others to the water.

You sighed and followed suit. Finding comfort in the warm ocean water as you waded your way over. "This isn't that bad."

"Did you know you tan better in water anyways?" Reid dropped the fact so casually as him and Morgan tossed the ball. It was a light hearted game, one Spencer could keep up with.

"I knew that, did you know!" Penelope started up her own quips. Her drink finger pointed the attention to you. "Six tattoos." She ratted you out. "That's why when we went to the bathroom we took so long. I saw one and wanted to see them all."

"Oh so you got some ink on you?" Derek caught the ball and became interested. "What got a heart tattoo with mom in the middle?"

"Shut up," you splashed a little of water his way. "They're small and barely noticeable. All hidden by mostly everything I wear anyways. Also eight, not six."

"Where else?! You showed me your hip, two on your back, thigh, arm, ear. Where are the other two?" Penelope would've stripped you and fully inspected your body if it was just the two of you.

JJ smirked, "side of each boob." Her tone was cocky as it opened so many speculations between the two.

"Get your heads out the gutter, we're in the same room and she's seen my boobs. So have those two." You redirected the attention.

"Yeah but there weren't tattoos five months ago. So, spill the story of your boobs." Emily knew how to throw it back onto you.

You shook your head and scoffed, "I'm not telling the story of my boobs. No matter how great they are."

~

During girls night you did in-fact tell the story of your boob tattoos. Explaining how you made a bet with an old friend who came to visit once and made a drinking bet. She knew you had always wanted a tattoo there so it worked out.

What wasn't working out was how much, yet so little, clothing you had on still. Along with another night of smelling like an entire fruit bar of drinks. You need a shower and a nice comfy bed.

"Are you holding up ok?" JJ was right there, arm slithering around your waist. Unbeknownst to you, she was glaring down this other woman from the table. She wasn't oblivious to how her eyes roamed up your exposed back.

You shivered in her touch, "'m fine. We should go dance," you slurred. In your state, dancing would distract you from the need to be naked.

Suddenly Penelope and Emily came stumbling back to the table. "So turns out...Penelope has reached a newer level and we're both hungry. So we're heading back and ordering food, would you two like to join us?" Emily spoke most coherently.

JJ rolled her wrist to glance at her watch, it clicked just past midnight. "No..I think we're gonna call it as well. No clue how she manages to act sober after all that drinking."

"It's a miracle you're still up with her." Emily nudged her arm. "We'll see you guys probably Wednesday for the beach day." They bid goodbyes, catching the first taxi they could back to the hotel.

When the blonde turned to face you, she was met by no one. Where had you gone? Her eyes jumped through the crowd, doing her best to pick you out. And when she did catch sight of you, her body heated as her eyes narrowed at the woman dancing with you.

You however, didn't seem to care for the tall ginger in green. Your eyes were lazily trained to JJ, willing her to come to you and sway with you. A tiny grin tugged on your lips as she did come up to you.

"Baby there you are, you can't disappear like that." She grabbed you, more firmly than before, and brought you in close.

"I told you...dance." Your arms wrapped around her neck and shoulders as your body moved with the music against her. "Tomorrow...I don't want to do anything but lay in bed." You spoke right under her ear. "Unfortunately will think I'm skipping wine down. I might throw up in the morning."

"That concerns me. What happened to be a pro at holding your alcohol?" She kept you in her space, hands tracing your exposed spine. "Do you wanna go now? It's past midnight as is."

You sighed and then looked at her, "can I tell you something? Something really secretive?" You were wearing such a glazed look. If you were sober-ish you'd question how JJ isn't as drunk as you.

"How bout in the morning, hmm? Let's get back and call it a night." She shushed you.

That night she did get you back into your suite, but after that she let you move on your own. She followed behind just in case you did start going down though. You didn't, you mumbled something about how you'd never go down no matter what. All while stripping from the makeup and fabrics that covered your entire body. You had crawled into bed in a tank top and your panties. Blacking out almost instantly once you hit the mattress.

~

"JJ," was out your lips before your eyes opened. "Is there a garbage can next to my side of the bed?"

"No, baby get to the bathroom." She hummed, helping you get up and to the toilet before you missed.

The morning was already an indicator of your day strictly in bed. Even once you had cleaned yourself up and flipped back into the covers. "Oh my god...I've never drank that much."

"You sent Penelope home barely conscious." JJ sat on your hips, massaging your shoulders. The sensation caused a subtle moan to slip through your lips. "You like that?" She whispered.

You hummed your approval, "what about you? You managed to get us back to the hotel." You felt her lips press into your spine, right over your tattoo.

"In confession, once I had noted how drunk you were I began to slow down and drink waters. You hardly noticed when I was giving you sips." Her hands were working so perfectly into your skin. They were warm and caring about what they were doing. "But it was for our safety in the long run. Now that I know that's what your nights are like, you're never leaving a girls night alone."

"What? Like you're gonna come home with me and sleep with me more often?" You rested your head on the side while looking back to her. She was already so close to your face.

"Wouldn't be the worst thing to happen would it?" She pressed her lips to your cheek next. Feeling them heat up instantly.

"You're a bigger tease than I am!" You exclaimed once your thoughts came reeling back. You did your best to flip over without loosing her against your hips.

She shook her blonde waves though, "a tease is all bark baby. I have bite and with how you keep looking at me, I intend to use it once before this trip ends."

Your chest started to rise and fall heavily. Shallower. Your eyes widen with need. With lust. "Who says once will be enough to suffice the both of us?"

"It never would be, I can tell you that now. If I got just one taste," her eyes flickered to your lips. Stalking your tongue as it darted out to wet them. The blue snapped back up.

The both of you stared at each other with intensity. It was you who closed the gap and tugged her down closer. Pouring ounces of passion into such a subtle action. The kiss itself only lasted a few seconds, but you could've sworn it had been minutes.

"Oh sharing a room with you just got a whole lot more interesting." She wore a Cheshire grin staring down at you. "I'll be gentle...when I want to be." She winked before snaking down your body.

There was a moment of silence when she stood on the side. She was placed right between your legs as your cheeks flushed meeting her lustful gaze. You could only think she'd be gentle with you. How soft her touches could be while still bringing you over again and again and again.

"You wanna order lunch to the room?" She dropped the tension. Yet you could see it in the way her canine flashed that this was just putting a pause to whatever had started.

"That'll take like thirty minutes." You propped yourself up on your elbows. "I'll be really hungry by then."

"I think we can figure something out to distract you." She winked. You smiled and waited silently as she placed the order. "Hi! Can we get..." she began but you couldn't help yourself. JJ stood staring at you in nothing but boxers and a blue button up. It was tempting you to undo each one. She was tempting you.

You crawled over to kneel up to her. Placing soft kisses to the corner of her lips before trailing them back to her ear then down the column of her neck. Relishing in her soft gasp between her words. Your fingers worked slyly at the buttons like you wished. "Yes, to room 273. Thank you so much!" She finished up and instantly sunk her fingers into your hair. "It'll be her in about thirty." She hummed lowly, like it was a warning to you.

Yet you missed it. You couldn't get enough of her, and it showed the moment you got to the last button and dropped lower on your knees. Placing open mouth kisses to her sternum. Feeling her heart beat only a few inches away. Your lips moved towards her boob and that's when she caught you. "Oh baby, that's a reward if you're good for me."

She met you in a more heated kiss that made your head spin and start to slip into a buzzed state. "I'll be good..." you mumbled into her. Staring wide eyed as she leaned away just slightly.

"I know you will, sweet girl. You've been waiting for this moment, haven't you? You wouldn't want to jeopardize it all now with some silly behavior. Would you?" She flashed that canine once more. Your brows furrowed, did she know more than she let on? "Dave gave us all very different gifts. Yours was a mini bar, mine was getting to rile you up in a shared suite on the opposite side of the hotel from everyone else. Meaning I could make you scream, shout, whatever I want and the team will never know."

Your heart was beating within your ears, your chest, and between your legs. She knew of your little crush all on her own...and she wanted to rile you up. "Please..." you gasped. It was like a wave of air hit you as your brain caught up finally. "Fuck JJ, please I want you so bad. Anything. Just say what."

"Oh there she is. So this is what you're like truly. A sweet little thing who just needs a good fucking. I should've know." Her warm hand cupped your cheek, "well, mommy's here now to help." You moaned at the self given title. Eyes widening into nothing but pupil. "Baby you just keep getting sweeter, don't you? Let's get you comfortable hmm? Out these pajamas so I can take a look at you."

Your head nodded and you fiddled with the hem of the tank, pulling it over your head but never breaking eye contact. Your cheeks turned pink as her eyes freely glanced down. You had stilled after that, leaving you in just the black panties as you settled yourself in the center of the bed by the top.

JJ had circled to the end, crawling over, no, stalking over your practically bare body. "Where do I even start with you? Where should I start with you?" You missed how the second question was asking for your opinion. She chuckled and joined you on the bed, on all fours coming to hover you. "Maybe I'll make my way down," she mocked your kisses from earlier.

Her chest had brushed against yours causing a whimper to slip through finally. "Mm..please," you sighed out as her lips wrapped around your left nipple.

All her actions had halted though, her eyes boring into yours. "Yes what, sweet thing?" She wanted to hear it from your lips.

Her fingers dragged along the waistband of the black fabric, settling in the middle and pulling them down slowly. Taunting your needs. "Please...mommy..." it was silent. You were lingering on the title. Trying to let it simmer in your own mind. After another beat, "mommy please, go down on me." Your hips bucked into her hand.

You'd never seen JJ smile like this. It was wide, caring, yet it was dark and cunning. You were about to be in for the ride of your life. She pressed a kiss to your lips. Kissing her way down your body once more, fingers in the waistband dragging them down and off your legs. Only to kiss from your ankles up and settling between your thighs. She looked so pretty going down on you.

You'll never forget how tender the touch of her lips was. It seared itself into your skin and made you crave for more. You wanted to wonder how many times you'll experience this. How much longer will she be gentle with you? Thoughts were disrupted the first swipe of her tongue.

"Fuck," you gasped inwards. She had done so little to work you up and yet you already felt on edge. Even as your hips wriggled, you just only felt on edge. She was licking you up so simply that it wasn't enough to push you anywhere.

"All worked up for nothing," her arm bridged over your hips, pinning them against the mattress, picking up her pace only slightly. "God, baby I could stay here forever."

You whined and arched up, desperate for more always. "More, mmm' need more mommy."

More she gave you, loosing the softness of her touch into devouring you. Suddenly she was flattening her tongue against you and sucking more of you in. Bringing her free hand around and slipping two tender fingers into your dripping hole. They curled perfectly and moved fast and deep. She hummed in approval as your whines had turned into full volume moans.

You heard her spit down against you, "oh and after lunch..I'm gonna fuck you so deep with my strap baby. I'll have you a mess all day long. Begging mommy to ease up, and when you do it'll be slow each time I work you over the edge." She was thinking out loud and it only fueled your senses to be so sensitive.

She dipped back down, giving a few last hard sucks before she felt you begin to quiver. "Like that...just like that mommy!" You came with a silent moan and your hand tangled into her blondes waves.

JJ gave a few more licks, just enough till your hand was pushing her away. Then she came and kissed your glistening temples. "Yeah, once is not going to be enough." You were still a bit fogged by the orgasm and the new look of mommy next to you. "Are you ok sweet thing?"

You didn't say much, just rolled into her side and made effort to roll her to face you. "Reward.." you mumbled. Not exactly sure what you were asking for. But when the blonde complied, you had pushed her shirt off her body and kissed over her heartbeat. Resting your ear right against it. "How long have you known?"

"That you'd have a mommy kink?" She poked your side before resting her hand against it. You chuckled out a 'shut up'. "When you drunkenly texted me you canceled a hot hipster threesome for me the night you came over and got absolutely hammered with me."

Your head popped up, "oh my god, did I really?!" You were finally back from your haze. Mortified now laced in your eyes. Her head nodded. "And you never told me?!"

"I didn't know how! I just left it as drunk confessions, the ones we never talk about." She kissed your hairline.

Just then a knock occurred at your door. Your smile widened and you couldn't help the sudden rush of energy. You reached over and grabbed the blue shirt and fiddled with the buttons. "You're lucky you were pretty going down on me, Jareau."

Finishing the last one before reaching the door and opening it. Only it wasn't room service. It was Emily and Penelope. "We wanted to join in on your lazy day. After last night...and rumor is, you two got the best suite." Penelope babbled, not recognizing the clear fucked out look you had going on.

"Oh....well we just ordered room service and still gotta get even semi ready for the day." You tried to divert it, knowing Emily had taken note of your tousled hair.

She smirked at JJ who had came up behind you in one of your t-shirts. "Penelope, maybe we should spend the day by the pool. Or maybe another day on the beach before dinner. These two look like they had just as much of a night as us."

"Or morning," you heard JJ's whisper so quietly. You could just sense the grin begin to plaster her lips. "But yes, this one woke up and first thing was that toliet."

"Oh my god, don't spill my business!" You turned to nudge her away. Rolling your eyes once you spun back to the two others. "Maybe we'll catch you guys before dinner though? No serious pregame, just a sip and chat before."

"Deal." Penelope finalized. She was leading off after a final glance over you and JJ. It wasn't till they turned the corner she pieced it together. "Oh...oh Emily..those two-"

"Oh yeah, for sure." She cackled at the blondes realization. They all knew it was bound to happen on this trip.

Meanwhile you and JJ shared your own laugh in the room. Pointing at the shirts that clearly belonged to the other as you headed back to bed.

You pressed a kiss to her cheek, "you really brought a strap?" Your eyebrows had quirked.

JJ smirked at you and hugged you closer. "I guess you'll find out after lunch." She returned the kiss.

That day you did find out a lot about yourself and JJ, but you wouldn't change it for the world. You'd mentioned to thank Rossi when you all got back, maybe he did know you better than what you'd believed. What else did he know?

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Checkmate: BTR Book 3 of 3: a Jhea fanfic.

Chapter 9: Warsaw pt. 2

Day 2

The sun had barely crept over the jagged peaks of the Carpathian Mountains when Rhea and Morris set off again. The biting cold stung Rhea’s cheeks as she tightened her scarf, adjusting the heavy pack of weapons strapped to her back. The terrain was unrelenting—dense, frosty woods with uneven ground and jagged rocks, their path winding endlessly through the wilderness.

Morris led the way, his movements careful yet sure, as if he had traveled this path a hundred times before. Rhea followed closely behind, her muscles already aching from the previous day. Each step demanded her full concentration, her eyes scanning the ground for hidden dangers.

The silence between them wasn’t tense; it was an unspoken understanding, the kind forged through shared struggle. Occasionally, Morris would glance back to check on her, his sharp eyes ensuring she kept up.

Hours passed, and the forest grew denser. The towering trees loomed overhead, their skeletal branches casting long shadows that danced ominously with the faint sunlight. The faint crunch of snow beneath their boots was the only sound accompanying them.

Rhea’s focus faltered for a moment as her mind wandered to Morris’s story from the night before. She tried to picture the lives of his grandparents, the choices they made, the sacrifices. It was strange to think that their legacy now rested in the hands of a man leading her through these treacherous mountains.

But her thoughts shattered in an instant.

A sharp snap filled the air as her foot sank into something foreign—a creak of metal under pressure. Her blood ran cold.

“Rhea, stop!” Morris barked, his voice cutting through the stillness like a gunshot.

She froze, her heart slamming against her ribs. Looking down, her breath caught in her throat. There, just inches in front of her foot, was a rusted bear trap, its jagged, serrated jaws poised to snap shut with deadly force.

Rhea swallowed hard, her legs trembling as she slowly lifted her boot out of the thin layer of snow. Her eyes darted around, spotting several more traps scattered nearby, hidden beneath leaves and powdery frost.

“Shit,” she muttered under her breath, her voice shaky.

Morris strode back toward her, his expression grim. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to safer ground, his grip firm but not harsh. “You’re too distracted,” he said sharply. “You can’t afford that out here.”

“I know,” Rhea replied, her voice low. She hated the frustration in his tone, but she knew he was right. A single misstep could have ended her life—or at the very least, left her incapacitated and vulnerable.

Morris crouched down beside the trap, inspecting it closely. “These are old, but still dangerous,” he muttered. “Poachers, maybe. Or hunters who abandoned them years ago.” He looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. “Keep your head on straight, Mamba. This isn’t just about the mission. It’s about survival.”

Rhea nodded, exhaling a shaky breath. “It won’t happen again.”

“Good.”

As Morris stood, he studied her for a moment longer, his gaze softening. He stepped closer, his voice lowering. “Look, Kiddo… I’m not trying to ride you, but this place will kill you if you don’t respect it. You’re tough, but even the toughest people can’t outrun the wilderness.”

“I get it,” Rhea said, her voice steadier now. “I’ll pay more attention.”

Morris gave her a curt nod before moving ahead again, his boots crunching over the snow. Rhea followed, her senses heightened now, every sound and shadow drawing her attention.

After a few hours, the afternoon sun was deceptively warm, casting a golden glow over the rugged terrain as Rhea and Morris pushed forward. The snow from the morning had thinned in patches, giving way to rocky soil and sparse vegetation. The silence of the mountains was almost deafening, broken only by the crunch of their boots and the occasional whistle of wind through the trees.

Morris walked ahead, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp as they scanned the horizon. Rhea trailed slightly behind, her thoughts drifting as she adjusted the strap of her pack. The air was dry, each breath scratching faintly at her throat, but she kept pace with him.

It was in that moment of quiet when they heard it—a low, distinct hiss slicing through the stillness.

Morris stopped dead in his tracks, his body going rigid as his hand shot up to signal Rhea to halt.

“Don’t move,” he said firmly, his voice exuberayting fear.

Rhea’s eyes darted to the source of the sound, and there it was. A horned viper slithered into view, its sandy, camouflaged body coiling elegantly on the uneven ground. Its head rose slightly, the twin horns above its eyes giving it an almost mythical appearance.

The snake’s black, unblinking eyes locked onto them, its tongue flicking out as it hissed again.

“Stay still,” Morris repeated, his voice a bit sharper this time.

But Rhea didn’t listen. She took a deliberate step forward, her gaze never leaving the viper.

“Rhea, what are you doing?” Morris hissed, his tone now laced with alarm.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she crouched down slowly, extending her hand toward the snake.

The viper reacted instantly, its muscular body coiling tighter as it launched itself forward. Morris flinched, his hand instinctively reaching for the knife on his belt, but Rhea didn’t move.

The snake didn’t strike her. Instead, it wrapped its body around her forearm, its scales cold and dry against her skin.

Morris watched in stunned silence, his chest tight with disbelief. “You’re insane,” he muttered under his breath.

The viper’s head rose again, its eyes locking onto Rhea’s face. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. The snake’s tongue flicked out, brushing the air just inches from her cheek.

Morris took a cautious step closer, his voice low and tense. “Rhea. Stop. Now.”

But Rhea didn’t flinch. Her face was calm, her breathing steady as she stared back at the snake. The moment felt endless, the tension crackling in the air between them.

And then, just as suddenly as it had coiled itself around her, the viper began to unwind. Its body slipped from her arm, its movements slow and deliberate as it lowered itself to the ground.

Rhea crouched even lower, her hand now hovering just above the earth. The snake paused, its head turning back toward her for a brief second before slithering away into the underbrush, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

Rhea exhaled, standing up and brushing the dirt from her hands as if nothing had happened.

Morris stared at her, his face a mix of awe and unease. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.

“What?” Rhea replied, her tone light, almost playful.

“That thing could’ve killed you,” Morris snapped, his usual calm demeanor cracking slightly. “You just stared it down like it was nothing.”

Rhea smirked faintly, adjusting the strap of her pack again. “It didn’t kill me,” she said simply.

“That’s not the point.” Morris shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process what he’d just seen. “You really are a Black Mamba, aren’t you?”

The way he said it sent a chill down Rhea’s spine, but she didn’t let it show. She shrugged, brushing past him to continue down the trail. “Guess I lived up to the name,” she said over her shoulder.

Morris didn’t follow immediately. He stood there for a moment, watching her with an expression that was hard to decipher—equal parts respect, fear, and something deeper he couldn’t quite place.

When he finally caught up to her, neither of them spoke. But Morris’s mind raced, the image of the snake and Rhea’s unflinching calm burned into his memory.

And for the first time, Morris felt something he hadn’t expected—an unsettling sense of vulnerability.

As they pressed forward, the tension from earlier lingered in the air. The sun had finally begun its slow descent, casting long shadows that danced across the rugged terrain. Morris kept stealing glances at Rhea, his thoughts running wild. The bear trap, the snake—it wasn’t just her ability to survive, but the ease with which she faced danger that unnerved him.

How could she do it? How could she connect with something so deadly, like the viper was an old friend? Morris tried to shake the thoughts away, but they clung to him like the cold mountain air.

Lost in his mind, Morris didn’t see the loose rock beneath his boot until it was too late. The rock shifted under his weight, dislodging with a sharp crack. His foot slipped, and he felt himself lurch forward as the ground beneath him gave way.

The fall wasn’t instant. For a split second, he was suspended between the safety of the surface and the gaping darkness of the hole below.

“Shit!” Morris shouted, his arms flailing.

Rhea spun around just in time, her instincts taking over as she lunged for him. Her hand latched onto his arm, her fingers digging into his jacket as she braced herself against the ground.

“Don’t you let me go, Mamba!” Morris shouted, panic in his voice.

“Give me a sec!” Rhea gritted out, her teeth clenched as she struggled to hold his weight. The muscles in her arms burned, her body straining as she fought to keep her footing on the unstable ground.

Morris dangled precariously, his legs kicking at empty air as he gripped her arm with all his strength. “This is not how I wanted to go!” he grumbled, half in fear, half in disbelief.

“Would you shut up and hold still?” Rhea snapped, her voice tight with effort.

With a grunt, she planted her foot firmly against a nearby rock, using it as leverage to pull him up inch by inch. Her breath came in sharp, labored gasps, but she didn’t let go.

Finally, with one last heave, Rhea hauled him over the edge. They both collapsed onto the ground, their chests heaving as they struggled to catch their breath.

Rhea rolled onto her back, her arms sprawled out at her sides as she stared up at the sky. “What the hell happened to focusing?!” she barked, her voice still breathless but sharp with frustration.

Morris sat up, rubbing his arm where her grip had left red marks. “Oh, I’m sorry. Next time I’ll make sure not to almost die just to teach you a lesson.”

Rhea shot him a glare, but the corners of her mouth twitched in reluctant amusement. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”

Morris smirked, shaking his head as he leaned back on his hands. “And yet, you keep saving me.”

They sat there in silence for a moment, the adrenaline still coursing through their veins. The near-death experience had shaken them both, but neither wanted to admit it.

Rhea finally sat up, brushing dirt from her hands as she looked over at him. “Seriously though, focus. We don’t have room for mistakes out here.”

Morris nodded, the weight of her words sinking in. “Yeah, I got it.” He glanced at her, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. “Thanks, Mamba.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, standing up and offering him a hand. “But if you almost fall into another hole, I’m leaving you.”

Morris took her hand with a chuckle, letting her pull him to his feet. “Noted.”

With that, they continued their journey, the sun dipping lower as the mountains loomed ahead. But Morris couldn’t shake the thought that Rhea had saved his life—again. And it only deepened the mix of fear and respect he felt toward her.

The sun had finally set behind the jagged peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, and the temperature began to drop. Rhea crouched near the clearing they’d chosen for camp, her hands steady as she pitched the tent. She’d fallen into a rhythm, the sharp tug of the ropes and the scrape of stakes against the dirt a calming contrast to the day’s chaos.

As she worked, something in the distance caught her eye—a flicker of movement against the treeline. She froze, her instincts on high alert. Slowly, she reached for the binoculars in her pack and brought them to her face.

Through the lenses, she saw it. A small red deer, its coat blending seamlessly with the warm hues of the dying light. It was young, its body slight and delicate, yet its movements were cautious, aware of the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

Rhea lowered the binoculars briefly, captivated by the scene. She hadn’t seen anything so unguarded, so peaceful, in what felt like a lifetime.

“Something interesting?” Morris’s voice cut through her thoughts as he approached, his boots crunching against the gravel. He plopped down next to her, a curious look on his face.

Wordlessly, Rhea handed him the binoculars and gestured toward the treeline. Morris adjusted the focus, squinting through the lenses before letting out a soft laugh.

“The Mamba likes deer?” he teased, lowering the binoculars to look at her.

Rhea shot him a sideways glance, her lips curving into a faint smirk. “Don’t get used to it. I just thought it was odd to see one out here.”

Morris leaned back on his elbows, a relaxed grin spreading across his face. “They’re not as rare as you think. Resilient little things. They’ve learned to survive in places most creatures wouldn’t dare step foot in.”

Rhea hummed, her gaze drifting back to the deer as it took a cautious step forward, nibbling at a patch of grass. “Resilient, huh? Guess we’ve got something in common.”

Morris chuckled, handing the binoculars back to her. “Yeah, except I don’t think it has a nickname that strikes fear into people’s hearts.”

Rhea shook her head, unable to stop the smile tugging at her lips. She turned her attention back to the deer, watching as it dipped its head lower, oblivious to their presence.

“You know,” Morris said after a moment, his tone quieter, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this. Relaxed, I mean. It suits you.”

Rhea tensed slightly, lowering the binoculars. “Don’t read into it,” she said flatly, though there was no edge to her voice.

Morris raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Just saying.”

For a moment, they sat in silence, the sounds of the forest filling the space between them. The deer eventually lifted its head, its ears twitching before it darted back into the trees.

Rhea sighed, handing the binoculars to Morris before standing up and brushing off her hands. “It’s gone. Let’s finish setting up camp before it gets too dark.”

Morris nodded, but as he got to his feet, he couldn’t help but glance at her again, a thoughtful expression on his face. Despite everything—the dangers, the harshness of their journey—there were moments like this that reminded him why he respected her so much.

“Hey, Mamba,” he called out as she bent down to secure another stake.

“Yeah?”

“You might not like hearing it, but there’s more to you than just surviving.”

Rhea paused for a beat, her fingers tightening around the rope. “You’re right,” she said quietly, not looking at him. “There’s surviving… and then there’s getting the job done.”

Morris didn’t push further, but he watched her closely as they finished setting up camp. It wasn’t just the deer that was resilient, he realized. It was her.

Rhea finished the last of securing the tent, her movements smooth but tired. It had been a long day, and with the falling temperature, the warmth of the campfire was starting to become a welcome comfort. She gathered her things and made her way toward the small clearing that had been designated as the shower area. It wasn’t much—just a secluded spot with a view of the mountains—but for now, it would have to do.

Pulling out the shower wipes, Rhea wiped herself down as best she could. The cool wind nipped at her skin, but the quick movements helped her forget the weight of the journey. When she was finished, she tossed the used wipes into the makeshift trash bag and stood up, pulling on her coat and lacing up her boots. The cold, crisp air seemed to settle around her as she emerged from the small privacy of the camp shower area.

Morris was waiting for her near the fire, his eyes flicking up from the heated ration he had been stirring. Without a word, he handed it over to her as she approached. Rhea accepted it gratefully, the warmth seeping into her hands as the delicious smell of the food hit her. She took a seat beside him, the silence stretching between them as they dug into their meals.

Morris seemed distant, his usual playful demeanor nowhere to be seen as he chewed slowly, his eyes focused elsewhere. Rhea, sensing the shift, glanced at him as she ate but didn’t say anything. She hadn’t been in the mood for small talk, and the quiet was almost welcome.

Then, out of nowhere, Morris spoke up. His voice was low, almost hesitant, but his words hit Rhea like a punch to the gut.

“I know he still hits you, Mamba.”

Rhea froze mid-bite, her gaze dropping to the ration in her hand, the words sinking into her chest like lead. She didn’t know how to respond to that, not with the raw truth of it hanging in the air. She knew it wasn’t something Morris could have guessed easily, not with everything she’d done to keep it hidden. She had thought she’d done a damn good job of masking it all.

“What do you mean?” she asked quietly, her voice tight but even.

Morris leaned forward, his eyes dark with something that wasn’t quite anger, but close to it. “I know Demetri still puts his hands on you.”

Rhea didn’t look up from her ration, her jaw clenching as she kept her gaze trained downward, as if the food could somehow offer her an escape. She couldn’t let herself feel this right now—not in the mountains, not on this damn mission.

Morris continued, his voice softer now, but still firm. “Why didn’t you ever come to me and say you wanted him gone?”

Her hands trembled slightly as she picked at her food, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t even know how to explain it. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself, let alone anyone else. She couldn’t get her thoughts straight, the words caught in her throat.

“I still love him,” Rhea finally said, her voice showing pain.

The words came out before she could stop them, and she felt a pang in her chest at their simple truth. She had loved Demetri once, deeply. She couldn’t deny that. Even now, despite everything, there was still a part of her that cared for him.

Morris’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening in frustration. “Mamba,” he said quietly, almost desperately, “What he does to you—that’s not love.”

Rhea didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Her thoughts were a swirl of confusion, memories, and feelings. What Morris was saying made sense, but at the same time, it didn’t. She loved Demetri—at least, she thought she did. That was the hardest part of all.

“What I do for you?” Morris continued, his voice low but full of conviction, “That’s devotion.”

Rhea met his eyes for a brief moment, but quickly looked away. She didn’t want to hear it. She wasn’t ready to hear it. She couldn’t be. Not yet.

Morris reached over, gently placing his hand on hers. She tensed under the touch but didn’t pull away.

“I want you to leave him, Mamba,” Morris said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t deserve to live like this. You don’t deserve him. You deserve something better. You deserve someone who’ll protect you, not hurt you.”

Rhea’s chest tightened. She couldn’t breathe. She hadn’t expected this—didn’t want it, either. She hadn’t asked for any of this.

“And for what?” she asked, her voice cold. “So you can save me? So I can run away with you?”

Morris didn’t answer right away. He just stared at her, the weight of his words hanging in the air. His fingers tightened around hers, his gaze never leaving her face.

“Just be with me,” he said softly. “No games. No strings. Just you and me. I’ll take care of you.”

Rhea’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart thudded in her chest. The offer, the raw sincerity in his voice—it cut through her defenses like a blade. She swallowed hard, struggling to process everything.

“I can’t do that,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I can’t just walk away from him.”

Morris’s face softened, his hand dropping away from hers as he nodded slowly. “I know. But you should think about it. For you. Not for me. Just for you, Mamba.”

Rhea turned her eyes to the fire, the flames flickering and dancing in the night. She felt the weight of his words hanging over her like a cloud, suffocating her, and yet, in some way, it felt like the first breath of fresh air she’d had in a long time. But she wasn’t ready to let go. Not yet.

As the night settled in around them, the soft crackle of the fire was the only sound breaking the silence between them. The warmth from the flames couldn’t quite touch the coldness that lingered in Rhea’s heart.

She sighed deeply, her eyes flicking to Morris, who sat opposite her. His expression had softened, but there was a quiet intensity in his eyes. The words he’d spoken earlier, his understanding, they had pierced her more than she expected. She knew this was the right choice, but it didn’t make it any easier.

Rhea took a breath, steadying herself before speaking again. “Do you know why I stayed?”

Morris’s gaze softened as he looked at her, sensing that the conversation was far from over. “Why?”

Rhea paused, choosing her words carefully. “Because my mom… she got cancer and… well, wrestling was paying her hospital stays, but it wasn’t giving me enough to live. I stayed because I didn’t want to lose her.”

Morris’s brow furrowed in understanding. “And what now? Your mom? What is of her now?”

Rhea’s lips quirked slightly. “Before we left… I got word she was in remission.”

Morris’s eyes lit up, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “That’s great! I’m happy for you, Mamba.”

Rhea nodded, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. The weight of what came next hung heavy in the air. “Which is why… I can’t do this anymore, Morris.”

His smile faded immediately, and he leaned forward, concern spreading across his face. “What do you mean? What do you mean you can’t do this anymore?”

Rhea swallowed hard. “Now that she’s out of remission… WWE is moving forward in pushing me to be with this new faction called The Judgment Day. I can’t keep taking all of these days off anymore. I can’t live this double life anymore. I need to focus on my future.”

Morris didn’t respond immediately, his face a mixture of confusion and hurt. “But I thought wrestling was just… a way to make money for you. I thought it wasn’t the most important thing in your life.”

Rhea cut him off, her tone firm but gentle. “Wrestling will always be my life, Morris. It has always has been. But my time… with you… that’s over. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep living in the past.”

The silence stretched between them. Morris stared at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of wavering, any indication that she might change her mind. But the conviction in her voice made it clear that she had made her decision.

After a moment, Morris’s features softened, and he leaned closer, his voice low and sincere. “I understand. But can you give me a month? Just a month, to figure things out with the group? With everything going on in my world, I just… I need some time to work it out.”

Rhea looked at him, her heart heavy. She knew that she couldn’t promise anything beyond what she had already said, but she could offer him that. “Of course,” she whispered, a small but strained smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll give you that time. But I need to keep moving forward with my life. No matter what happens.”

Morris’s expression softened even more, and for a moment, he seemed to accept her answer. “You would have made a great kingpin, Mamba,” he said, his voice laced with admiration.

Rhea smirked slightly, the weight of the moment lifting just enough for her to tease him. “I think you meant queenpin.”

Morris shook his head with a smile. “No, Mamba. You really are a king.”

Rhea let out a small laugh, though it was bittersweet. “I’m not sure about that. But thank you,” she said, her tone quieter now, more thoughtful. She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, her heart still torn between what she had to do and what she wanted.

She pulled back, giving him a small, gentle smile. “Let’s go to bed,” she murmured.

Morris smiled at her, nodding, his eyes still filled with a strange mixture of sadness and understanding. “Alright, Mamba. Let’s get some rest.”

They both stood, and without another word, they walked towards the tent. The night was dark and silent, the world outside their little camp feeling distant, almost surreal. But inside the tent, as they lay down together, there was a strange sense of calm that settled over them. For now, at least, they could rest. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for tonight, they allowed themselves a brief moment of peace.

[evansbby]

How does one yap? I am socially inept

We can be friends tho 😅🩷

as in

back in the day

people would send me thots, or they’d respond and continue the thots that i posted, they’d ask questions or they’d answer questions that i asked and there’d be discussions, jokes, arguments… you know… A COMMUNITY 🙂🙂🙂🥲🥲

now it’s like… so quiet… deathly quiet…

[swag-system]

me to every single person i meet: hey do u mind if i pack bond with u and see u as my family. is that okay with u. (doesnt wait for an answer)

[freebooter4ever]

ok im listening to the doc and wow this dude really needs to move on from the 80s and get a life... BUT also the doc is trying to make it seem like all teens in the 80s 'identified' with these characters? is that true for you guys? i never did. but i also didnt identify with clue*less or even vero*nica mars which was pretty solidly my era. the doc is trying to claim that this hegemony of 'identification' is a good thing and that the multiple options of today is making it harder for teens to relate to each other as a group. but the doc is saying this from the pov of a rich white dude. i would argue that today's much broader representation - watching a korean american girl starring in her own teen girl rom com where she is shown to look past the racism of the 80s movies in order to enjoy sixteen c*andles.... I think that is a million times better than what came before. the definition of who could tell stories in the 80s was so much more narrow, it was absurd. and to all the boys was blatantly critiquing that. it was supposed to be sad that lara jean is forced to endure stereotypes just to get her movie romance fix. it's also notable in that movie that lara jean identified most with books, where you could kind of imagine a main character however you wanted even if technically you knew they didnt look like you.

tldr my question to my other 30 somethings would be if 'br*at pack' was ever a bad thing in your lifetime and if you actually identified with these kids in the movies who seemed to have no direction or care in life beyond their tiny little suburban world. cause that was certainly never me as a teen lol. fascinating to watch and fun to imagine living as but not relatable.

[vvh0adie]

…

[kelpiemomma]

i really need to draw khan and emmet hanging out bc they would be such buddies. ingo hates how quickly they bonded bc khan took one look at emmet, at how excited emmet is to battle, and seemed to Immediately like him (it only bc khan had already bonded w ingo, but like hell will he ever admit that. that proves he has emotions! he has to hide those.) khan & emmet battling each other. khan takes over for ingo sometimes on the multi trains except he and emmet get so into battles that they need a chaperone to keep them from getting too rowdy bc somehow (???) they've managed to destroy a couple of train cars??? khan challenges the subway himself (he battles using himself but also his pokemon. he'd rather battle using himself, but ingo and emmet get awfully concerned when he faints so he stops doing it so much). khan and emmet discuss battle tactics (khan insists "offense is the best defense" and "go balls to the walls immediately on attack" and emmet argues for better strategizing and well rounded move pools) and help each other train, offering suggestions and tips and "hey, let's try this maneuver" or "i think it would be better if you did this move first".

not that they don't enjoy an off day, but they definitely bonded well over battles.

[phagodyke]

.

[chastiefoul]

love and deepspace men when you (playfully) reject their kiss ft. zayne, xavier, rafayel

fluff, fluff, FLUFF

zayne

his kiss landed on the outer corner of your lips instead as you turned away at the very last second as he leaned in

he just stared at you for a solid five seconds.

“was this because i left you on read this afternoon?” his voice was soft, uncertainty danced across his feature. you just shrugged, turning away from him to hide the smile you’ve been trying really hard to suppress.

he grabbed a hold of your waist first, keeping you in place. he saw the shameless smile on your face, couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle of his own. “should’ve known.”

you laughed, “but you did left me on read, how dare you?” his thumb moved up and down on your side as he made no change on his expression, like doing a gesture he didn’t even realize doing it. “alright then, i apologize for not replying within twenty minutes, since i did give you a call as soon as i was available.”

you put your hands on either side of his cheeks, he leaned into the touch. of course, it didn’t bothered you one bit when he didn’t reply right away since you knew very well how demanding his job was.

you planted a sweet kiss on his lips, you could feel his little smile as you pulled away. “good work today, zayne.”

“hm, then surely you would indulge me more of that for a moment longer?”

xavier

he’s quiet for a moment; he did kiss you, but he didn’t know why you’d turn your head on the last second like that as he kissed you on the cheek instead.

he casted his gaze downwards, looking like a rejected kitten in a pouring rain searching for its owner.

your heart squeezed at the adorable act, lifting his chin with your palm. he tilted his head questioningly, the words was obvious on his face. did i do something wrong today? were you mad?

xavier stared at you as he recalled today’s events, but he reached his wits end pretty fast since he still had no idea why you’d reject his kiss.

you then giggled at his clueless expression, and xavier immediately understood that you’re being playful. he let out a little sigh of relief, embracing you. his neck deep at the crook of your neck, his soft hair tickling you in the best way possible.

“you’re too playful at times,” he mumbled, he looked like he had all the peace in the world. “sorry, will you forgive me?” you ran your fingers through the back of his head. “i’ll forgive  you if you promise not to reject my kiss ever again,” he said.

you laughed, “okay then, if you insist.”

rafayel

oh. he looked so offended beyond belief. you’d think someone had insulted his painting; a product from his passion and effort. but to think it’s just a face he made because you didn’t want him to kiss you.

“i see what this is,” he started, the dramatic side of him just wouldn’t let this slide. you challenged, “yeah? what is it?”

“you tell me. this is just the beginning isn’t it. first you reject my kiss, next thing i know you’d be packing your bags, telling me you’ve fallen out of love.” he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his pout was the most exaggerated as it’s ever been.

you had to hold your laugh so hard, you covered your mouth with your fist. “it was just a kiss rafayel, i wasn’t feeling it.” you replied, trying your best to sound serious.

“wasn’t feeling it?” he gasped, like you just insulted his whole entire bloodline. he put up a palm in front of your face, like refraining you to say more controversial things. he took a deep breath to calm himself, “it’s fine, it’s not like i was eager to kiss you either.” he mumbled like he was talking to himself, although it’s obvious he’s being a little loud on purpose. also, lies. he practically bounced on air when he approached you.

finally a laugh escaped you, rafayel looked at you and he just fumed. “just so you know i expect you to make up for all the emotional distress i just went through.” you laughed a little more as you grabbed a hold of his face. “i would kiss you many times to make it up but i think someone just said he wasn’t really that eager to kiss me?” you raised an eyebrow.

his eyes lit up for a moment at the mention of a kiss, and next second he looked around frantically to make an excuse. “it’s okay i understand, fighting that many wanderers who make a lot of strange screeching noises? it’d disturb your hearing a little. i said i was eager to kiss you.” he smiled, nodding to himself. you laughed once more at his ridiculousness.

“sure, let’s go with that excuse.” you kissed him and when you pulled away he held your head, giving you multiple kisses before he let you go with a grin.