#the guy is busy so often that he has to have methods to stop

[raytm]

SEVEN DEADLY SINS.

bold   —   always  applies. italic   —   sometimes  applies. strike  —   never  applies  /  hard  limit.

𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐓. desire for connection, pursuit of pleasure, emotional intelligence, obsessive, lovesick, one-night stand, seductive encounter, flirtatious conversation, erotic party, seductive attire, revealing clothing, passionate gaze, provocative makeup, sensual expressions, suggestive gestures, flirtatious smiles, lingerie, love letters, perfumes, provocative behavior, love poems, erotic art

𝐄𝐍𝐕𝐘. motivation, competitive spirit, strategic planning, observational skills, bitter, rivalry contest, envious gossip, resentment-filled argument, social media jealousy, furrowed brows, clenched jaws, side-eye looks, pursed lips, tense posture, whispering behind backs, crossed arms, gossip magazines, keeping up with the Joneses, the grass is always greener, feeling inadequate

𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃. resourcefulness, entrepreneurial spirit, negotiation, materialistic, aggressive investment, lavish spending spree, resource hoarding, get-rich-quick scheme, auction bidding war, property acquisition, piles of money, overflowing wallets, luxury items, locked safes, penny-pinching, rare collectibles, selfishness, unwillingness to share

𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐇. calmness, stress management, nonchalance, relaxation techniques, lethargic, apathetic, inactive, lazy weekend, binge-watching marathon, neglected chores, skipped workout, long nap, lounging on the couch, missed deadline, unkempt appearance, messy hair, pajamas, blankets, slippers, procrastination station, self-care routines

𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄. confidence, self-assurance, self-respect, dignity, public speaking, self-promotion, arrogant, conceited, egotistical, self-important, vain, boastful speech, puffed chest, raised chin, smug smiles, spotlight, tooting your own horn, showing off, refusing to admit mistakes, feeling entitled, personal branding, leadership development

𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇. assertiveness, decisiveness, strength, intensity, boundary setting, courage, indignant, heated argument, road rage incident, physical altercation, angry outburst, clenched fists, glaring eyes, tense muscles, raised voices, reddened faces, aggressive gestures, stormy demeanor, intense frowns, destructive actions, broken objects, punching bag, out for blood, fists, simmering anger

tagged by : i stole it /ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ tagging : take it from me !

[visionsofyouandme]

it's golden (like daylight)

𝚜𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜: Winter is coming, bringing loneliness and shorter days. But Joel still finds he values the daylight (and you) through it all.

𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 13.6k

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: Afab!reader w she/her pronouns (but no physical descriptions), fluff, slow burn, pining!Joel, Jackson!Joel, post-outbreak, soft!joel, swearing, some physical violence (not against reader), age gap or no age gap- you decide!, POV switching, alcohol consumption, SMUT (18+ MDNI), oral (f receiving), praise kink, Joel talks you through it, p in v sex, apocalypse BC method (pulling out), aftercare. Happy ending! (Moodboard for vibes and vibes only)

𝙰/𝙽: Well, here it is! The full-on, real deal. If you think this is familiar, it's because I originally posted parts 1 & 2 on my other blog, @queeneamidala but this is my new, improved, and SOLELY writing blog. I'm so excited to share the full thing with you guys. This is my first full length, finished fic in so so long. I would love any and all feedback- comments, likes, reblogs, you name it! Anyway, can't wait to share this lil journey with ya'll. Hope you enjoy <3

Read here on AO3 !

Joel was eating idly in the cafeteria when he heard Ellie’s voice. He glanced back, and noticed her talking to a woman he had seen around the town of Jackson. She was a friend of Tommy and Maria’s, he knew that much. Hell, a friend to everyone in town but him, it seemed. Granted, he hadn’t spoken a word to her, or opened the door to conversation in the first place. Some would say it was out of shyness or fear, but really, he just felt unworthy of her attention. 

She was beautiful, but that was just a general observation. 

You were beautiful, and he had come to this conclusion several times while passing you by in town. He had noticed you speaking to nearly every person in town. You had a very easy-going air about you, friendly. Open. 

So, he steered clear. Forming personal connections outside of immediate family was not something he was keen on. He has had a life fraught with grief, seen and done unspeakable things. He wasn’t meant to be loved, not after everything he’s done.

But the way you talked to Tommy, and now Ellie more and more often had Joel at an uncomfortably close proximity to you. Your presence was drawing near, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

He sort of didn’t want to stop it.

But, just when he thought you were going to approach the table to sit, you broke away from Ellie and walked to a different table. He felt something drop in his chest. Was that really, really disappointment that he felt?

“Makin’ friends?” Joel questioned as Ellie sat down, and she snorted.

“Why? Jealous?” She said with a smirk, and Joel cocked up an eyebrow. 

“You could use a friend.” Ellie added, and Joel shifted a bit uncomfortably.

“I don’t need anyone.” He said into his food, and Ellie made a face, rolling her eyes.

“Everybody needs at least someone.” 

Joel’s eyes shifted to you sitting at the table just across from them. Your smile was radiant, and he felt something twist in his chest.

No

He wasn’t meant to be loved.

~*~*~

Winter was coming, and the people in town were preparing. You were busy but still managed to make time for people. For everyone, really. Joel was almost envious about how easy you talked to people. He didn’t have the same talent, but he was fine with that.

So, one day, when he was called upon a house to help with some faulty wiring, he was taken aback when it was your house he was called to.

You didn’t need help. Not really. You were fairly self sufficient, and made your own way through town. Joel knew this, and it made him nervous when you called upon him specifically to make sure you were prepared for the wintertime. 

But, he took his toolkit and went to your place. The door was open, but…

You weren’t home.

He felt disappointment in his chest again. He shook it off though and walked to the side of the house outside. He opened the box and began to work diligently, his mind wandering to other things. But he tried to fight off the thoughts of you and how disappointed he felt when he found out you weren’t home. However, they just kept coming around again, and again, and again.

“You look so serious.” A voice said, and Joel jerked back like he had been electrocuted. His head swiveled to the side and he saw you standing there, leaning against the side of the house with your arms crossed. You looked so effortless and cool, and-

How long had you been standing there?

“Job’s gotta get done.” Joel said, gesturing to the box, “as you requested.”

You nodded, and a smile creeped into your face that he hadn’t seen before. He had seen you smile plenty of times- laughing and talking with the people in town, with Maria, with Ellie. But this felt different. Or was he just imagining it?

“Yeah, you came highly recommended.” You said, and Joel scoffed, turning back to the box and tried to get back to work. But, he was horrible at multitasking, especially when it came down to you distracting him by your presence alone.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Ellie was insistent that you were the best the town had.” You said, and Joel lost his concentration and nearly dropped the screwdriver he held.

Christ, I’m gonna kill that girl. 

He furrowed his brow like nothing happened and kept working. He was definitely going to talk to Ellie later. The last thing he needed was the whole town to be depending on him for maintenance.

But for you…? Well, it wasn’t so bad.

“Sorry I wasn’t there to receive you. Work held me up.” You said, gesturing behind you. Joel finally flicked a switch and the box buzzed to life. He felt himself deflate a bit. Guess it was time for him to go.

“No worries.” He said, putting his tools back in the toolbox and stood straight. He held the box in hand, and regarded you with soft brown eyes. You pushed off the corner of the house, and smiled that bright smile of yours.

“You… let me know if there’s- if there’s anythin’ else.” Joel said, trying to keep it drawn out but it sounded rushed to his ears. He nodded minutely and you stepped out of the way.

“Thank you. It means more to me than you know.” You said, and shifted, your shoulders brushing by accident. Joel simply nodded, and made his way home.

He rubbed his arm after a few minutes of walking, trying to savor the warmth blooming under his skin.

~*~*~

Tommy and Joel were sitting at The Tipsy Bison, talking over a few drinks.

You had requested Joel’s help two more times now. Both small and trivial, but Joel was more than happy to help. You weren’t there the second time he came, but when he was there the third time, you offered him coffee. He was an idiot, and turned you down. But, that smile never wavered.

“Next time.” You said. 

Next time, Joel thought. There was going to be a next time? He hoped so.

“I see you’re helping some people out. Good for you to get some socializing in.” Tommy noted after taking a sip of his drink. Joel shrugged,

“It’s fine, I guess. Just doin’ my part.” He said. Tommy nodded, and regarded his brother with a peculiar expression. Joel felt like he was plotting something, but didn’t have time to really think about it before a voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

“Well, you two look like you’re having fun. Mind if we cut in?” Maria questioned, and Joel barely looked up, until it registered in his mind.

We?

You settled into the seat beside Joel while Maria took the one by Tommy, boxing the boys in. Joel instinctively stiffened, and hoped you didn’t notice. If you did, you didn’t show it.

“What are we drinking tonight, boys?” You questioned, and Joel glanced at you. He cleared his throat, looking down, and held up his glass slightly.

“Whatever they’re trying to pass off as whsikey.” He said, and you looked at him. He felt like a deer in the headlights, watching you look at him. It felt like time was suspended, and he gulped. But, you smiled like it was nothing and turned to the bartender.

“I’ll have what he’s having.” You said, jutting your thumb at Joel. The bartender slid the glass into your hand with ease. Joel thought everything you did was effortless. You certainly made it seem so.

It dawned on him that Tommy and Maria were knee-deep in their own conversation, promptly blocking off you two. It felt intentional, causing Joel to be put on the spot, under your eye.

“Thanks for all your help by the way.” You said, taking a sip of the amber liquid. Joel nodded, his brown eyes casting down to his glass.

“Anytime.” He said with a dismissive wave of his hand. It wasn’t lost on you that Joel was slowly becoming a bigger part of the community. He wasn’t just keeping to himself, but helping others with house repairs or such. You hadn't seen him offer such services until you had reached out to him. 

But, he didn’t do it for them. He knew that deep down inside. 

He did it for you.

“I gotta say, Mr. Miller, you’re an enigma.” You said with a light laugh. Joel’s eyebrows furrowed, and felt his stomach lurched at you saying his name, even if it was his last name. “You know; a mystery, something hard to explain.”

“I ain’t no mystery.” He said, shaking his head. You grinned, and tilted your head to the side. Joel felt his mouth go dry, so he took a sip of his drink to quell it.

“Okay, okay.” You said, shrugging and turned your gaze across the bar. He felt your elbows becoming achingly close. If he just shifted just slightly, he could feel you against him. 

“Mind if I stop by tomorrow?” You said so abruptly that it threw his thoughts off.

“Sorry?”

“I got Ellie a new book. Something about space and aliens and shit. Something I think she’d like.” You said. Joel felt a twinge of appreciation there. So, somebody was looking after Ellie besides him. He liked that. It warmed his hardened heart. 

“Sure. You can drop it off.” He said, and he stole a glance your way. You were grinning, but trying to hide it. You took a sip of your beer to try to mask it, but he could see the way the corners of your lips quirked up. 

“I’ll be there then.”

~*~*~

Joel had waited for you for a day or two. He found reasons to stay home, claiming he wasn’t feeling well, that he was sick. So, when you finally knocked on his door towards the end of the second day, he was surprised to find you holding a dish in your hand as well as the book.

“Heard you weren’t feeling well. Made you a little something.” You said so casually. But, Joel was floored. You heard about him, and went out of your way to do something for him?

He felt bad for faking his illness. But, the fact you did this? It flooded his chest with gratitude, and an ache that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

“Thank you.” He said, and went to take it but then paused. You laughed,

“I don’t care about getting sick. Here.” You said, and handed him the dish, barely crossing over the threshold. He took it gingerly, and looked down at it. Whatever it was, it looked damn good.

“Do you… would ya want to come in?” He offered. You suddenly beamed, and god, if that wasn’t a sight to see. Joel thought there wouldn’t be anything better in the world.

“Sure.” You responded, and Joel moved to let you inside. As you passed, he could smell your soap, or personal scent- whatever it was, he felt lightheaded in the best way. He closed the door and walked to the kitchen, you following him along.

“I also have the book. Hope Ellie’s not too mad it took me so long.” You laughed and set the book on the kitchen table. Joel walked to the other side, setting down the dish.

“‘M sure she won’t mind.” He said, and his eyes shifted to you. You and all your beauty, your kindness, the way your eyes smiled even while you were sharing a passive look.

“Do you want some coffee?” He questioned, and there he went, sounding rushed again. He just wanted you to stay, to share you sunlight with him just a bit longer. You had a knowing smile, and nodded gently.

“Yeah. I’d like that.” When you agreed to it, he got busy. He nearly knocked off the mugs off the counter trying to prepare everything. You sat at the table, and glanced down at the book. Joel looked back to see your attention on something else other than him, and felt a little more at ease.

“I got a patrol coming up.” You said, and Joel poured the dark liquid into one of the faded mugs. He turned and carried it to you at the table, sitting across from you.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. They switched up my partner, though. Hannah isn’t feeling well, so they put me with someone else.” You said, and he could see for the first time something else in your expression- anxiety. Fear. 

He didn’t like it, to see you facing such emotions. He wished he could wrap them all up and throw them away. Whatever it took to see your smile again.

“Who’ya going with?”

“Jim Harris.” You replied with a nod, and Joel sat up a bit straighter. He didn’t like Jim, he always came off as loud and imposing. He didn’t have the best reputation when it came to women, either. He was rude and disrespectful, and there had been some complaints about harassment made against him. 

“I see.” He said. Why did anyone assign you with Jim Harris, of all people? They knew of his ways and his complaints. The last thing they needed was to put him with you, all while alone. 

No, he wouldn’t stand for that.

“I’ll get ‘em to switch things around. I’ll go with you.” He said, and nodded with finality. You looked at him, a bit surprised if not shocked. 

“Oh. You really don’t have to-“ But he waved you off.

“I can get some strings pulled so you won’t have to deal with him. Besides, I just… I can’t stand someone like him being near y-” but he paused, and tried to recover before he could say something stupid. “ It ain’t right.” He settled, his fingers gripping the coffee mug a bit tighter at the thought of Jim laying even a finger on you. You looked at Joel, the shock really settling in now. Joel was unaware of the gravity of his words in the moment, something he would regret later. Not that he said them, but that he hadn’t said more. 

“… Thank you.” You said quietly. Joel looked at you, and felt his chest bloom with warmth. Your words, though short and few, were filled with gratitude and relief that didn’t go unnoticed by Joel. 

“Anything you need, darlin’.” He said, the name rolling off his lips before he could stop himself. You smiled, and Joel would have given you the moon right then and there if you asked.

He cleared his throat as if it would clear the air, and he visibly relaxed. Knowing you would be under his care and away from Jim Harris’ whole being made him feel better. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a strong need to be by your side when the time for patrol comes. It just felt right that he would be there to protect you.

“A true southern gentleman.” You mused as you took a sip of your coffee. Joel’s face flushed, and he averted his gaze, and began to speak but you cut him off.

“I like it.” 

Joel felt the ghost of a smile on his lips, and he glanced at you, shrugging.

“Old habits die hard, I guess.” He said, and rubbed the back of his neck. He could feel his hair curling under his fingertips as he did so. He needed a haircut, and sorely.

But, the town was lacking a barber, so he figured he would do it himself one of these days. 

“A good habit to have.” You said, and he chuckled.

“Whatever you say, da-“ but he quickly cut himself off and hurriedly spoke your name instead. You smiled, regardless of what he called you. He found he liked saying your name. It felt personal, more grounded to reality. He was having a hard time grappling with reality ever since you crossed the threshold of his home. He couldn’t believe you were here, in his kitchen, drinking his coffee. He wanted this moment to last as long as time would allow- he would commit it to memory. Every word, every glance, every piece. 

He found he did that often with you- just taking in any bit of you you had to offer, when he was feeling brave enough. 

“I gotta get back.” You said, and stood up, rubbing your hands together to conserve the warmth of the coffee mug. Joel stood up, and nodded hurriedly, though he already felt the air grow cold in the absence of your presence.

“Of course. I’ll… I’ll walk you out.” He said, and stood up as well. He walked with you to the door at a snail’s pace, and you talked about your work for the rest of the day. The walk was all too short, and Joel’s hand rested on the doorknob. He looked at you, his brown eyes taking you in before he released you back to the world. 

“Take it easy. I’ll see you on patrol. Okay?” He said, and you gave him that gut wrenching smile. Could have brought him to his knees if you so desired.

“Sounds good, Joel.” You said, and he opened the door, the chill coming in as you wrapped your jacket tighter around yourself. You smiled and gave him the lightest wave, and headed out into the cold Wyoming winter.

He watched you go, and his name still hung in the air. Despite the door being open, the cold sweeping in, he felt warm. 

Oh, he was such a goner.

~*~*~

Joel trudged to the outer part of town, gun slung over his shoulder. He promised he would meet you at the edge, where they traded out patrols. He had been busy with other things that day, and felt horrible that he couldn’t walk with you. But, he knew that a few hours alone with you would make up for that. 

At least, that’s what he hoped.

He came up and saw Tommy standing with a few others, talking indistinctly. When Joel approached, Tommy and the others turned. As they did, the group opened up and he could see you standing on the far side. Your face quite literally beamed up when you saw him. 

“Ready for another shift?” Tommy chuckled as Joel came up closer. “You’ll have to show the new girl all the ropes.” 

You rolled your eyes, but your smile was still evident on your face. Joel nodded, and he couldn’t help it as his lips quirked up on the ends when he met your eyes. This wasn’t lost on you, or Tommy for that matter. No one had seen Joel so much as literally turn his frown upside down, not even in the slightest. So, this was an interesting event for all involved.

“Well, no time like the present.” Joel said, and nodded forward. You bid goodbye to the others and walked with Joel across the town lines into the woods. He could sense your unease, and he glanced down to see a pistol on your hip.

“You know how to use that?” He questioned. You looked over at Joel and followed his gaze to the gun at your side, and then looked forward quickly.

“Unfortunately, yes.” You said. Joel frowned, but said nothing. 

As you two reached the outpost where you’d be staying, Joel let you climb up the ladder first. He followed shortly after, his head swiveling around for any signs of life that weren’t supposed to be there. When he was safely inside, he closed the makeshift door and sat down next to you.

It was cold inside. Almost bitterly so. Joel was fine, having his heavy jacket and several layers. He had done this before, so he came prepared, especially in the colder months.

You, on the other hand, were miserable. Not expecting it to be *this* cold, you were wholly unprepared for the coldness that seeped into the wooden outpost about 12 feet off the ground. You sat on the chair and crossed your legs to conserve warmth, shoving your hands between your thighs to keep them from freezing. 

Yeah, this was gonna be a long shift. 

Joel, ever vigilant, noticed that you were shifting uneasily. But, his thoughts ran elsewhere besides the cold. Were you afraid of him? Was this awkward? Did he make a mistake taking over Jim’s shift with you? Was this overstepping some invisible boundary?

But then, you spoke,

“Can’t believe it’s this fucking cold.” 

Your voice trembled a bit, and he watched you closely. His eyes softened a bit, and he took in your form. Yeah, you weren’t nearly as bulked up with layers as him. He set his gun down on the floor, leaning it against the window sill. You looked over at him, and it dawned on you very quickly about what he was about to do.

“Joel, don’t-“

“Can’t have you freezin’ on me, sweetheart. Won’t do much good if you’re an icicle.” He said, and shed his large jacket. Before he knew what he was doing, he stood and draped it over your shoulders. You sat still as he did so, and the warmth flooded you almost immediately. He sat back down, and your face was flushed with red. You cleared your throat, looking down at your hands.

“Thanks.” You said quietly. Joel nodded, like it was something he’d done a million times. He shifted his gaze back to the landscape that sprawled out in front of you.

You sat in a comfortable silence, and you eventually threaded your arms through Joel’s jacket. It smelled of cedar and musk, and you had always wondered what he smelled like. It felt as though he were enveloping you in a warm hug. You wondered if he ever did that sort of thing.

“When did you come here?” Joel questioned after a few minutes. You were surprised at his initiation of the conversation, but certainly not mad about it. 

“About 8 months ago. Came from a QZ in Georgia after it fell apart.” You replied. Joel looked over at you, and you continued to look out of the outpost.

“Escaped with a group of good people. We tried to find someplace else, someplace safe. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. Lead them to safety, after my husband died.” You explained, and Joel’s chest twisted. He had never noticed a ring on your finger, but he could see a faded outline of where one used to be.

“But, keeping everyone together was hard. Death followed us everywhere- Clickers, disease, bad food, water. The world seemed to pick us off one by one.” Joel shifted his gaze to outside. He could tell you hadn’t spoken about this often, and he could sense a tremor in your voice. 

“Eventually it was just me, wandering the woods. I felt hopeless, without purpose. I began to go kind of… well, insane. I don’t know how long I was out there til Tommy found me. Took me straight to the infirmary where they had to basically take care of me until I was able to be on my own two feet.” You said, and looked down, your hands clasped tightly together so much your knuckles turned white. Joel was stoic, unmoving, but his presence felt comforting. You didn’t know why you felt so comfortable with him, so you didn’t stop from going on.

“I’ve done some… terrible things. I’ve- seen so much… death. Coming here, it was a saving grace. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself much longer had they not found me.” You said. Joel’s heart dropped at this revelation, his eyes were soft with empathy. He knew all about hopelessness, about wanting to give up. About not having anything or anyone to live for. His finger traced the scar on his temple lightly before quickly dropping his hand in his lap. 

Had Ellie not come into his life, he would have taken the easy route out, and not missed that time. But, he just hated that you felt like you had to do the same. That wasn’t fair. You didn’t deserve to feel like that, not with how caring and kind you were. Not with how you literally made people’s days light up at the sound of your laugh or your smile.

It just wasn’t fair, this world you both lived in.

“I feel like I try to do good things to make up for all the bad I’ve done.” You added, though your voice was so small and quiet. Joel knew that feeling all too well.

“I’m sorry.” Joel could only say, and you looked at him to already see his eyes on you. You smile, but this one was sad, weak. You shrugged, and sighed deeply,

“It’s life, isn’t it? It’s never easy. But, the small things make it better. Good people, especially.” Joel noticed how your smile deepened a bit, and he could see that glint in your eyes. He nodded, and couldn’t imagine you would rope him into the “good people” category. But, he also saw your face, and how you looked at him, that maybe you did. 

And it made him feel… nice. 

“Yeah, the good ones. Few and far between. But, they exist.” He said, his eyes looking between your own. 

“I think there’s good people here.” You said, nodding forward. “You’re good people.”

And Joel, without knowing it, smiled. It wasn’t grand, it wasn’t teeth-showing, but it was a smile. One that betrayed him immensely, but he couldn’t stop it now. Even though he disagreed, he couldn’t voice it. Not to you. He couldn’t go against anything you said, it would feel like a personal crime.

“So are you. I hope you know that.” He said, and reached out to take your icy hand within his own. You looked at him, studying his face as you gripped his hand back. 

And to Joel, the world just got a little bit brighter.

~*~*~

“Where are you going?” Joel said as he sat on the couch in the living room, feet propped up on the coffee table. Ellie stalked past him to the door, and looked over her shoulder, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Out.” She said, and stormed through the door. Joel sighed. Teenagers.

He sat, listening to the crackly turntable in the corner. It played an old jazz record he borrowed from the library. Not his true cup of tea, but it was better than nothing. He needed to trade some other old ones in for new ones, but he had listened to the whole library by now.

He felt at ease for once. He played the time spent with you on patrol over and over. After your conversation, you spoke of happier, better things. Old baseball legends, old music, basically a throwback of pop culture before the world went to shit. You told him a funny story about your job that actually drew a true chuckle from him. He just felt… better around you. Your easy going demeanor and openness was enough to make him want to share with you. Share smiles, laughter, time together. 

And god, he loved all three when it came to you.

The record clicked to signal its ending, and he stood up, walking over to turn it over. Just as he put the needle down, there was a knock at the door. 

He walked to the door and opened it, seeing you standing there before him, looking chilled to the bone. He gestured for you to come inside quickly, and you shuffled in, huffing into your hands.

“What the hell ya doin’ out there in the cold for?” He said sternly, more concerned than upset, eyebrows furrowing. You shrugged, crossing your arms.

“Wanted to see you.” You said, and his jaw clamped shut.

Well. Okay.

He stood, like an idiot, in silence for a moment, before nodding minutely. 

“Make yourself at home. I’ll make coffee.” He said, and hurried to the kitchen. Even though it was nearly 7 in the evening, he needed time to process what you said, and that you were here to see him. 

You felt more warmth in Joel’s house than your own, and shed your boots and jacket, hung up the latter and walked to the couch. Sitting down, you tucked your feet under you to make them warm again. You looked around, trying to find the source of the music that was playing. You saw the record player in the corner, and smiled fondly. Of course Joel was a music guy, it just made sense. 

He walked back to the living room with two cups of steaming coffee, and walked to the couch. He sat down on the far side, giving you space, but leaned over to hand you the mug. 

“Got somethin’ on your mind?” He questioned as he took a sip. You took a hefty gulp and felt the warmth move down your throat and into your stomach. You were beginning to feel again, from your head to your toes. You felt less like an ice cube and more like a human, now.

“Just… wanted to see how you were doing. Been busy these last couple of days, I feel like I’ve neglected my friends.” She said with a light laugh. Joel’s eyebrows shot straight up, and he smiled small. Joel didn’t have friends. He had family. But, he would make an exception for you.

Maybe one day, you’d be family, too. 

He liked the idea of that.

“Ellie tells me you’ve been working like crazy, too. People are starting to like you. You better watch out, cause the ladies already fawn over you as is.” You laughed, and Joel regarded you with an unconvinced expression. He didn’t think anyone noticed him, let alone “fawn” over him. He just did his work, day in and day out. He was unaware of the “extra attention” he was drawing from the female crowd.

He didn’t see them, because he only saw you.

“Never noticed them. Didn’t think anybody noticed me.” He said simply, taking a sip of coffee. You shook your head, and smiled into your coffee.

“I noticed you. Always have.” You said, and Joel’s eyes shifted to you as you sat across from him on the couch. He found himself getting closer and closer to you. Not physically, but emotionally. The comfort level was at a steady pace. He wanted to be sitting closer to you, to feel your body heat and drink in your comforting presence. 

“Well, it’s hard not to notice you, darlin’.” He said. You blushed, and hid your face in your mug as you took a sip.

Joel was a man of few words. He was never good at them, never entirely graceful or eloquent. But now, he wished he was. He wanted to tell you how he felt, how much he cared, how much he really liked you.

But, he just didn’t know how. 

And he hated himself for that.

“What are you listening to?” You teased after a few minutes of silence, a saxophone filling the air. Joel wracked his brain to figure out who the artist was. 

“Louis Armstrong, I think. Jazz is the last genre I haven’t listened to at the library.” He said. You raised her eyebrows, then knitting together. And then, you laughed. 

“Never would have pegged you for a jazzy guy.” You said, and began to laugh. “Country, maybe. But- but smooth jazz? God.” You covered your face to keep the laughing tears from escaping you as your body shook with giggles.

Normally, Joel would frown upon someone laughing at him. But, it was you. He was making you happy, making you laugh- 

Now that. That was true music. 

“Yeah, well,” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m full of surprises.”

“Yes, yes you are, Joel Miller.” You said, lowering your hand and looking over at him. He looked down at his mug, his pinky finger tapping against the edge lightly.

He wanted to find a reason for you to say his name again. And maybe again. He just wanted to hear you speak about anything under the sun, that would be enough for him. 

“Tell you what, Joel,” you said, and shifted on the couch to face him, leaning your elbow along the back of the couch. He shifted as well, turning his body a little towards yours. “You tell me a story, and I’ll tell you a story.”

“A story?”

“Yeah, fictional or true. I don’t care- I just…” you said, and silence followed. Joel waited patiently for you to finish. His heart was hammering in his chest, but on the outside he was calm and collected. 

You shrugged, and looked at him with a light smile. You didn’t have to say it. Joel knew. You knew. You just liked each other’s company, you liked the sound of each other’s voices. And it was becoming more and more apparent to the both of you.

“Alright.” Joel agreed, and your soft smile turned into a grin. He took a sip of coffee, and thought for a moment.

“I got one for ya. Not real, but a good story. Ever heard of the movie Smokey and the Bandit?”

“No.” You laughed. 

“Good. ‘Cause I’m gonna tell ya all about it.”

~*~*~

The minutes turned to hours that night. You left sometime around midnight. And then you were back two days later, and the conversation struck up again. It turned into you two alternating between each other’s houses. Patrols got more frequent for you, and Joel was insistent that he go with you, not anyone else. 

Joel continued helping around the town, fixing broken things but keeping to himself when he wasn’t with you, Ellie, or Tommy. Ellie was making friends, and would visit them often, leaving him alone most evenings. 

But there was you, there to fill his time and capture his attention.

You were sitting in Joel’s living room one evening, the fire crackling in the fireplace to offer more warmth. You sat next to Joel, closer than ever before, your coffees already consumed and empty mugs sitting on the coffee table. 

Joel’s arm was slung across the back of the sofa instinctively, and you enjoyed the close proximity. Your knee brushed his every so often, leaving you both wanting more. But, things like this take time, and Joel was a gentleman. He wouldn’t press anything, too afraid to mess up whatever relationship was forming between you.

“Jim Harris approached me the other day.” You said, and Joel’s hand clenched at his side. Ever since he took over patrols with you, it seemed Jim was trying to find ways to confront you, but not Joel. Joel wondered why, as he was the one to change things up when it came to patrols. He guessed Jim thought you were an easier target. 

“He wanted to talk. I was in the middle of running food to Mrs. March’s house, she’s got a sick kid. I waved him off, but it still felt… weird.” You said and sighed, rubbing your forehead in thought.

“Other people have been acting weird lately, too. They ask about you a lot.” You added, and Joel looked towards the fireplace. While no one outwardly approached him, he could sense some of the womenfolk asking him to come around more often. Simple, almost dumb fixes. Some of them looked like self sabotage, and he was beginning to get his suspicions. He may be old, and sometimes oblivious, but it was getting more apparent that he was being eyed by several of the single (and sometimes even married) women in town.

Joel had seen the occasional man talk to you. They often leaned in to you as they did, or leaned against a wall or building post, trying to come off as cool or suave. You always smiled and talked cordially, not wanting to make any enemies. Some of them made you laugh, and that definitely didn’t make Joel feel jealous.

“Do I need to give a good talkin’ to to anyone?” Joel questioned, and you laughed, shaking your head.

“I think that would make things worse than better. But, I appreciate it all the same.” You said, your hand patting his knee. He glanced down, and your hand lingered for just a second longer than he anticipated, before you drew it away and back into your lap. 

“You know I’d do anything for ya. I’m not above roughing up somebody, so long as they leave you alone after.” He said, looking down to his lap, and you smiled lightly. You looked at him, and your faces were close. Closer than they had ever been before. Joel could feel the softness of your breath against his skin, and he felt his heart thrumming in his chest. 

He could feel the tension in the air, and could feel your gaze on him. He wondered what you were thinking, and raised his eyes to meet yours.

You had never seen brown eyes so dark, so beautiful, so…

The door was then wrestled open, and Ellie walked inside. She made a face at seeing you and Joel so close, but closed the door behind her. You wanted to move, but you felt Joel’s hand touch your shoulder lightly, subtly inviting you to stay.

“Tommy’s asking around for you.” Ellie said, kicking off her shoes and it made Joel flinch. He sighed, and his arm swung from your shoulders. He stood up, his knees cracking slightly, and silently cursed his older age for catching up with him.

“What’d I tell you about the shoes?” Joel said firmly to Ellie, who rolled her eyes and picked them up, setting them by the door and made an ‘okay?’ gesture. Joel looked over at you, who stood up and grabbed the coffee mugs.

“Duty calls.” You said, and smiled lightly as you carried the mugs to the kitchen. Joel sighed, and walked to the front door, pulling on his jacket and boots. You came out quickly after, and Ellie plopped down on the couch where you two had been sitting, picking up her book from the far side table. You looked as you passed, and tilted your head to the side.

“City of Ember? What’s that?” You questioned, and Ellie sat up, her eyes lighting up, and she grinned.

“One of the coolest books ever. It’s about a civilization underground, and…” she began rambling about it, and opened the book to show you the chapter she was on. You smiled, and looked at Joel.

“I’ll catch up with you later.” You said, and Joel couldn’t help but soften at the event unfolding before him. You walked over to the couch and sat next to Ellie, and she eagerly told you about the book. Joel held the doorknob, and just watched for a moment. 

It was at times like these that he felt like the future was a little bit brighter for him.

~*~*~

“You’re going soft, old man.” Tommy joked at the bar one night. The snow had come and blanketed the town with white, and there was talk of Christmas celebrations. The town was much more merry than Joel had ever seen it. Or maybe, Joel was just feeling… well, maybe he was feeling a little bit of everything. Everything seemed brighter and warmer, even despite the cold weather.

Joel said nothing to Tommy’s remark. He kept quiet, his eyes always finding their way back to the doors of the bar. He was waiting, hoping, wanting.

And when you walked in, he felt his chest loosen for the first time that day. Tommy followed Joel’s gaze, and then back to his brother.

Suddenly, all the talk around town made sense. Tommy had his questions, but he knew his brother wouldn’t give them willingly. Joel never confided in anyone. Except, it seemed, you. 

The talk of the town was that you guys were screwing. Only because you two were alone quite a lot. And at night, for that matter. People talk, it’s a small town, and people get jealous. Rumors swirl, and things are said. Joel had been picking up the pieces, but tried to be the bigger person. It wasn’t anybody’s business as to what you two were behind closed doors.

But, instead of making your way to the bar where Joel sat, a form stepped in your way. 

“Jim.” You greeted, and could smell the alcohol on his breath, as he was that close to you.

“Been trying to catch you at a good time.” Jim said, and you feigned a disgusted look. You, like much of the other women in town, did not like Jim. 

“Well, now’s still not-“

“Come on, just give me a second. If you can make time for that ancient asshole over there, then you can make time for me.” He said with a cocky air to him, and you tried to step around him, but he stepped with you.

Joel’s fist tightened at his side, and he pushed his beer to the side, beginning to rise. He felt a protective air come over him, nostrils flaring and jaw clenching. Tommy clapped a hand on Joel’s arm,

“He’s just drunk, Joel. She can handle hers-“ but Joel ripped his arm away and began to weave his way through the patrons to where you and Jim stood, and Tommy shook his head.

“Christ.” Tommy muttered, and dragged a hand down his face. He knew better than to sway Joel after he set his mind on something.

And he certainly couldn’t stop him when it came to protecting you.

“… he can share. I’d like to have a round with you, show you how a real man can treat you-“ Jim said, but Joel rounded on him quickly.

“What did you say?” Joel hissed, staring daggers into Jim’s back. Jim swiveled to face Joel, and Joel could see him sway a bit. Drunk or not, he had no right to speak to you that way.

“Fuck off, Miller. You can have her back when I’m through-“

At that, Joel had enough. He swung wide, his fist collided with Jim’s face with a sickening crunch. The crowd reacted with scattered gasps and flinches. Jim was down with one blow, and fell to the floor, his nose beginning to bleed.

“Jesus Christ, Miller! You…” He cried, and held his nose with a shaky hand. Joel bent down, and grabbed him by the collar.

“You keep your mouth shut around her, you understand? Or I’ll cut out your tongue and feed it to your fuckin’ dog.” He said, and raised his hand to give him another blow but a hand grabbed his arm. He was about to jerk away, thinking it was Tommy, but-

“Joel. Stop.”

Your commanding voice hung in the air, and Joel froze. He let go of Jim after a few tense seconds, and Jim fell back onto the floor. Standing straight, your hand eased up on his arm and he felt his breathing begin to even out. You still held onto him, and pulled at his sleeve to get him to walk away. He followed dutifully, and exited the bar with you while others watched apprehensively. 

“Why did you do that?” 

“I-“

“Joel. That’s not-“

“He was just so, so disgusting, and I couldn’t-“

You and Joel stood outside of the bar, the conversation tense following the events from inside. Joel’s hand continued to shake at his side, both from adrenaline and a dull throbbing pain, his ears still slightly ringing.

“He said… awful things. I couldn’t let him get away with that.” Joel said, and your eyes softened. You picked up his hand that he had knocked Jim with, and you could already see the redness forming there. Joel sucked in a breath quickly, and your eyes met his for a moment, thinking he was in pain. But, he was feeling something far from pain. Far, far from it.

“People have been talking.” You said, and Joel frowned. 

“They’ve been saying, er… that we have a rather intimate relationship.” You explained, and Joel gulped. While he would want that more than anything, laying accusations of that nature about you was enough to infuriate him. You held his hand within your own, and shook your head.

“But, It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what they say. I say, screw it, let them think what they want.” You said flippantly, waving a hand to the side. “It’s not their business, anyway-“

You shook your head vehemently. You were upset that people would talk about Joel like that, after all he’s done for them. You knew it was all out of jealousy, and that it was all talk. It still stung, though.

Joel looked so serious, and normally you would have laughed and pointed it out. But you were so upset that you just couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Besides, they… Their talk is warranted. I see how it looks, but it has nothing to do with them. Only us. Just us.” You said. Joel then took your hand in his with a much more firm grip, even if his knuckles were sore. You watched him for what felt like minutes. Well, there was no going back now. 

“I just… I care about you, Joel. A lot. More than- more than I can say. I like hanging out with you, I like seeing you smile, I like hearing your, rather rare, laugh. I want to hear what you have to say, I want to sit with you in silence and drink copious amounts of coffee. I-“ you rambled, and finally shut yourself up for a moment, taking a deep breath as you closed your eyes. 

“I just, I want more. I want to be with you. Okay?” You said, forcing the words out, and you looked up at him. He was watching you with those intense brown eyes in silence. You thought he was going to reject it, passing it by, as his grip loosened on your hand. But, his grip became soft, and he lifted your hand to his lips. He kissed your knuckles softly, and his honeyed brown eyes watched you with… adoration.

“Darlin’, you have no idea how much you mean to me.” He said, his lips against your skin. He looked down at you, his eyes soft and sweet like a warm glass of whiskey. He raised a hand to bring his thumb against your cheek.

“I can’t give… I can’t give you much. I ain’t too good at grand, romantic gestures. I just have myself, it’s all I have to offer. You’re too good for me, and you deserve someone who can give you everything you could ask for, give you the world-“

“Joel,” You said, your eyes looking between his own. You your head, 

“I don’t want the world. I want you.” 

You leaned into his touch, and he let go of your hand to put a hand on your waist and closed the distance between you. 

And he kissed you. He kissed you the way he’s always wanted to- gently, cautiously, but full of hope and heart. 

You closed your eyes immediately on impact, and returned the kiss with a gentle push. You raised your hand to press against his bearded cheek, his hair tickling your fingertips. He smelled of wood and leather, and a strong smell that you knew was just Joel. He was everything you wanted, and more. 

You weren’t sure who pulled away first, but you both needed air. Joel leaned his forehead against yours, and his thumb still gently caressed your cheek. You were too good for him, and he knew that. He didn’t deserve anyone by the likes of you. 

And yet, here you were, wrapped up in his arms and returning his kiss. It was something he had only ever dreamed of, only ever thought about late at night.

But now, it was reality.

“Let’s get a cup of coffee. ‘S Fuckin’ cold out here.” Joel laughed, and you grinned, taking his hand and holding it tightly. You lead the way, through the snow and cold air, but you both felt warm from head to toe.

~*~*~

“Why not?”

“I said no.” Joel said firmly. 

“Well, you look like a sad, old, shaggy dog.” Ellie said, and eyed the scissors that sat on the bathroom counter next to Joel. Joel looked at her with a raised eyebrow,

“That’s why I’m going to cut it.” he replied. He was feeling a bit self conscious about his hair lately. It was long, overgrown, and curling at the ends. You didn’t say anything about it, but he felt… scraggly.

He kept his beard in good shape. That was easy. But, his hair was a different story. He ran a hand through it, and sighed. He was in a battle with himself. He needed to at least cut the back, but he had no way to look at it or judge how much he should cut. 

The door opened and you stepped into the Miller household, calling out your presence. You had been asked to come by after work for some kind of soup Joel attempted. You were practically living in Joel’s house at this point, though you still slept in your own house. It was all about taking it easy, you both agreed. It had only been a few weeks since your kiss, and you and Joel were still learning how to dance around a significant other again. But, it was falling into a rhythm, one that comforted you both.

Ellie’s eyes shifted and stuck her head out the doorway,

“In here!” she called, and you stepped into the way of the downstairs bathroom, assessing the scene. Joel glanced at you before frowning at the scissors.

“‘Sup.” Ellie greeted, and you grinned.

“‘Sup, yourself. What’s going on?” You questioned, a bit of snow still in your hair, and you rubbed your arms to bring warmth to them again. When neither spoke, you cocked up an eyebrow and met Ellie’s gaze. 

Ellie grew a mischievous glint in her eyes, and she leaned back on her heels, shoving her hands in her pockets.

“Why don’t you get your girlfriend to do it?” Ellie questioned, and Joel’s eyes shot to her, red flaring up his face. You two hadn’t discussed the intricacies of your relationship, much less as to what label you would have. Joel cleared his throat and leaned his hip against the counter, crossing his arms to try to play it off. Ellie’s grin was apparent, and you stood at the bathroom threshold next to Ellie. 

Your eyes cast down to the scissors, and it dawned on you. 

“Somebody needs a haircut?” You offered, and Joel looked over at you, his eyes softening. He half shrugged, dragging a hand down his beard.

“Was just thinkin’ about it.” He said, and Ellie looked over at you with an exasperated look.

“He was just about to start until I came in. I offered, but-“

“You ain’t comin’ near me with any sharp objects, kid.” He said, his eyes narrowing at her. Ellie put her hands up in defense, and looked at you.

“See what I mean?”

“I’ll take it from here.” You said, and walked into the batroom and rolled up your sleeves. Joel leaned away slightly,

“You done this before?” He questioned, knowing better than to doubt you. But, this was his head you were talking about, and he didn’t want to look like a fool.

“Yeah. Used to cut hair all the time. I’m not a high end stylist but I get the job done. Now, ge over theret.” You said, picking up the scissors and gesturing for Joel to walk further into the bathroom. He sighed and did as he was told (because who was he to deny you?) and sat on the edge of the tub as you instructed. Ellie watched, that grin still plastered on her face, as she leaned against the doorway. 

“Take off your flannel, I don’t wanna get hair everywhere.” You said. Joel was wearing a t- shirt under his flannel, but it still felt… intimate. 

But, he undid the buttons and handed it off to you. You folded it and set it on the bathroom sink, and picked up the comb that lay not too far away. You turned to Joel and angled his head to the side and began to snip away slowly. Ellie shifted behind you, and shook her head.

“God, this is stressing me out. Don’t cut off his ears, okay?” Ellie said, and waved before leaving towards the living room. You grinned as you worked at Joel’s hair, using the comb as a line to cut around.

“I think that shows she cares. In her own way.” You laughed, and Joel rolled her eyes.

“She’s still a pain in my ass. And nosy as hell, apparently-” He said, and you heard Ellie shout from the living room,

“I am literally right here!” 

You shook your head and continued to cut. Joel sat still as stone, and your eyebrows began to furrow in concentration as you moved all around him. Joel felt more and more relaxed, with your presence so near and the sound of snip snip snip softly in his ear. You moved to the front side, and he held out a hand to place on your waist as if to keep you anchored in the spot. You smiled lightly, reveling in the touch as you continued to cut.

Joel’s hand was warm and steady on your hip, and he began to rub light circles into your side over your shirt. You tilted your head to the side; and he glanced up at you.

“You look so serious.” He said, and you glanced at him with an amused smirk.

“Hey. That’s my line.” You laughed.

“Is it that bad?”

“I’m just trying my damndest to not mess it up, baby.” You said, and moved to chop at the back. You definitely didn’t want your man to have a mullet, knowing the look didn’t really look good on anyone.

“I appreciate that.” Joel said, and meant it. He moved his head this way and that as you adjusted him, and then you finally stood straight. His hand stayed at your side, and he looked up at you.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” He said, and you smile, running the comb and then your hand through the top of his head.

“Anytime.” You said, your hand trailing down his hair to his neck, then to his cheek. He leaned into your touch instinctively, and your thumb brushed against his beard. You liked the way it felt under your fingertips, and how much he just looked and felt like a man. Your man.

It felt new to think that, but you wouldn’t say it out loud. Not yet. 

“You guys better not be getting weird in there!” Ellie called after a few beats of silence, breaking you from the intimate moment. Joel rolled his eyes and stood up, and you set the scissors to the side. He brought you close to his side for a moment and pressed a kiss to your temple. You smiled, leaning into him. 

Yes. Your man.

~*~*~

“Why don’t you spend the night?” Joel questioned as you both trudged through the snow after a shift on patrol. You turned your head to him, eyes narrowing.

“So that’s why you’ve been so quiet today.” you said, nodding in realization. Joel breathed out a huff of a chuckle, and shook his head. You could see red creeping on the tip of his ears, and knew it wasn’t just from the cold.

“Ellie’s got a birthday party to go to, said it’s gonna run late. They say it’s gonna get below freezing tonight, and I don’t want you to have to walk home in that-”

“Okay.” 

He cleared his throat, and nodded, his gaze moved down to the snow to make sure he didn’t step on anything that would give him trouble. You grinned, and shook your head at his bashfulness. He really was the perfect gentleman- never overstepping or forcing himself, respecting boundaries and even coming up with some of his own. He really was exercising the “taking it slow” rule, too. 

Maybe tonight could change that. 

When you parted ways, more work waited for you both. With a squeeze of hands and looks of longing, you both made a silent promise to meet up that night. 

Joel had managed to get to the house earlier, and began preparing. He had gotten some more soup from the cafeteria to heat up and for you to share. He had coffee at the ready, and his house was as clean as he could make it. After putting Ellie to work before she could escape, she later remarked that “the house had never been so clean,” and “she must be pretty important for you to dust the cabinets.”

She may not have said it outright, but she knew Joel cared for you. Despite their sometimes strained relationship, she was happy he wasn’t completely alone anymore. She could see this heaviness on his shoulders lift from time to time, that line between his eyebrows disappear when he saw you. Ellie couldn’t even tease him about it for much longer, as she had her own budding relationship that Joel would eventually find out about. Then the tables would turn and she would get the incessant teasing. 

“Hey,” she said, turning before she left to see Joel sweeping the kitchen one last time. He looked up, cocking an eyebrow. “Don’t fuck this up.” she said, giving him a grin. The door shut behind her, and he shook his head. 

But, he agreed with her. 

~*~*~

The sun had set all too soon, and he waited anxiously for your arrival. He couldn’t sit still, and fiddled with the wood trinkets he had whittled, and looked through his sad excuse of a record collection. He could feel nervousness creeping under his skin, around his heart. Maybe this was a mistake, maybe he was moving too fast. What were you thinking? Did you think that he was just looking to get some when he asked you to stay? He knew that wasn’t the case on his part, but he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. If anything, he could always take the couch-

A knock on the door sounded, and he nearly gave himself whiplash turning around and heading to the door. When he opened it, you stood with a mason jar in hand, your familiar green jacket pulled around you. Snow flurries dotted the background of where you stood, and Joel couldn’t help but smile. 

What was he worried about again?

You stepped in, and when the door shut, you leaned up and gave him a light kiss. He leaned into it, about to raise his hand to touch your face when you pressed something into it instead. He looked down at it, and then to you with a cocked eyebrow.

“Moonshine?”

“Correct. Just a little. Keith said that’s all it takes.” you laughed, and Joel shook his head with a smile. He helped you out of your jacket, and you bent down to remove your boots as Joel walked to the kitchen. He had a small pot to heat up the soup over the fire, and carried that carefully after putting the moonshine down. You walked to the couch as Joel set the pot over the fire, and felt the warmth of Joel’s house seep into your bones. You tugged at the sleeves of your blouse, and Joel noted he hadn’t seen it before as he sat down next to you. It was nice- a little form fitting, beige with some kind of subtle floral pattern. 

“Somebody dressed up.” Joel chuckled, and you rolled your eyes. You nudged his shoulder lightly as you settled into the couch, Joel’s arm moving instinctively around the back of the couch to welcome you into his side. 

“Figured i’d try at least a little.” you said, and Joel pressed a kiss to your temple gently.

“I like it.” he said quietly, and you leaned your head onto his shoulder, the crackling of the fire and the wind outside being the only music you two listened to.

“Joel?” you questioned, and Joel hummed in response, leaning his head against yours. If he could be stuck in a snowglobe, trapped in time, it would be this moment. “Tell me a story.” 

He smiled, and sighed, lifting his head and looking around, eyes narrowed.

“Alright, I got one. It’s dumb, but it was funny.” he said, trying to recall the details of the movie in question. It had been years, though. “I’ve seen it god knows how many times. It was Sarah’s favorite-” he said, but abruptly stopped. You stilled for a moment, and pondered what to say next. Joel had mentioned his daughter a few times in passing. Never for too long, but you had pieced this much together- she was young, died on outbreak day, and Joel couldn’t save her. 

You could relate- you had lost your parents in quick succession after the outbreak, leaving you with strangers to survive. Losing your husband a year ago, the last of the familiarity you knew. You had never known true stability… Until now.

“She… she was a good kid-” Joel said, and you lifted your head and could see a misty look in his eyes. You pressed a hand to his cheek, grounding him back to reality.

“With you raising her, she must have been lovely. They learn the best from you, you know.” you said, and smiled gently. Joel’s eyes moved downwards, and you leaned up to kiss his cheek gently. You didn’t want to press it, knowing it was a sensitive subject for him. But, with a shaky breath, he raised his eyes to the ceiling, like he was looking for something. A reason, a comfort, something.

But, his eyes moved back to you. Though weak, he smiled. You were both a reason and a comfort. Two things he needed to finally break the ice on his first daughter. 

“She loved reading. Made me read her all sorts of stuff. She knew how to read before other kids her age. I… I’m proud of her. What she did, when she was still here.” he said, swallowing. You nodded, your hand never straying far from him as it sunk from his face to take his free hand. 

“She’s still here, Joel. You carry her wherever you go. Memories are good for that- keeping people alive, even when they’re not here next to us.” You said quietly, and Joel’s smile strengthened a little bit more. He nodded, exhaling deeply and shifted on the couch to get a little more comfortable.

“I remember I took her to the library every week, ever since she was little. She loved to walk around the aisles, didn’t care much for the play area. She would come with a stack of books this high,” Joel said, and raised his hand over his knee, and you giggled. “Insisted she would read every single one. And she did.” 

~*~*~

When dinner was all said and done, you both nursed your second glass of moonshine, the conversation a bit more light. You recounted some funny stories from working around the commune, and Joel would laugh in amusement, the corners of his eyes crinkling. You loved that sight, and couldn’t help but grin every time. 

“No, really! She said she was going to march straight to his house and give him a piece of mind. I mean, I'd do the same thing- you can’t let that shit slide.” You said, and Joel just continued laughing. You rolled your eyes, nudging his leg with your toe. The moonshine was definitely getting to you two. You had a fleeting thought to either thank Keith later or wallop him over the head. This shit was strong.

“Please, darlin’, have mercy on me.” he said, his cheeks rosy with the effects of the alcohol, a hand pressed against his aching stomach from laughing so much. You grinned, happy to see him like this. So free, so comfortable, able to laugh and actually mean it. You leaned forward and took the nearly empty glass from him. He made a noise of protest but didn’t move to stop you as you set your empty glasses on the coffee table in front of you. You nearly fell over and Joel caught you before you could tumble to the floor, both of you giggling for no damn reason. Joel pulled you up, and you were nearly nose to nose, sitting up on your knees next to him. 

Your breath hitched in your throat, and you suddenly felt hot. You couldn’t tell if it was actually sweat collecting down your back or if it was just a feeling. Your hand rested on Joel’s chest, and your laughter subsided, your gazes on each other turning heavy. Your hand rested on his chest, and Joel’s brown eyes kept moving back and forth to your own. You raised a hand to press against his cheek and before you even had the notion to lean in, he crashed his lips onto yours. The force knocked you back a bit, but you recovered and kissed back, eyes falling shut. Joel hummed against your lips, and your eyebrows knit together in want. In a fit of passion, you swung your leg over his thighs and rested on his lap. This drew a real, true groan from Joel, his hands settling on your hips and gripping them like a vice. You tilted your head down, capturing his lips in a deep kiss that was enough to make your head spin. 

Joel began to move your hips in his grasp, and you could feel a tightening of his jeans beneath you. You chased the feeling, beginning to grind against him. You pulled back to only dive into his neck, kissing the column and then to the side, moving to the spot under his ear. A low grumble came from his chest, tilting his head back to revel in your kisses. You began to suck on the spot, your hand moving from his chest to palm at his jeans. Joel’s hand abruptly moved from your hip to your shoulder, pushing you back just a bit before you came up voluntarily. 

Looking at Joel with wide, lust-blown eyes, you suddenly felt a wave of doubt cross you. Did you overstep? Was this too much? 

“Darlin’,” he began, his chest rising and falling, his dark brown eyes nearly black from what you’ve done to him. He cupped your cheek gently, “If we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it right. Somewhere more comfortable for the both of us.”

Your doubts were dashed away like a bolt of lightning, a smile rising to your face and you kissed him deeply. Shuffling off of him clumsily and standing up, you extended your hand to pull him off the couch. He began to lead you to the bedroom up the stairs, a giddy feeling in his chest. When the door swung open, he didn’t give much time to linger on the contents of his room, turning to you and pulling you to his chest and pressed a hot kiss to your lips. 

You didn’t know Joel could be so passionate, but you were not complaining. You sighed against his lips, and Joel began to back up until the back of his knees hit the bed. You pushed him and he slowly sat down, breaking away from the kiss to look up at you as you stood over him. His hand reached out and settled on your waist, and you just had to take a second and admire him. Mouth swollen and pink from the kisses, eyes filled with a healthy mixture of lust and adoration, his chest rising and falling to show his anticipation. You could only wonder what you looked like at that moment. Probably a wild and lustful thing, dripping with anticipation. 

You began to sink to your knees, but Joel was quick to pull you up with a gentleness and pecked you on the lips.

“Next time.” he mumbled and you began to giggle, feeling the corners of his lips quirk up. You pulled away, shoulders still shaking from your giggles, butterflies swarming in your stomach.

“Oh yeah? Next time?”

“Of course.” Joel said, as if it was clear as day. You grinned and moved to kiss him but he took you by the waist and turned you to lay on the bed with you on your back. You bounced on the old springs, and grinned up at Joel, hand moving to his shoulder as he leaned down and kissed you with fervor. Your other hand moved to his flannel, struggling to undo the buttons one-handed and had to have your other hand join in. Joel’s hand decided to busy themselves with the button of your jeans, sliding the zipper down. Just as you were about to undo the final button, he pulled away and undid it himself, pulling the flannel off and discarding it somewhere behind him. You pouted at the sight of the undershirt, and he laughed at your expression, pulling it off and threw it back to join his flannel. Suddenly his self-consciousness about being shirtless was left at the door, along with all of your doubts and worries. 

You sucked in a breath, and had dreamed of this sight. You knew he was solid, broad, but this was a sight to behold. He was all smooth, freckled, tanned skin, his stomach a little pudgy but meaning it was well loved. It was all you had imagined, and a little more. 

“... darlin’? Did you hear me? Lift your hips for me.” he said, bringing you back to reality, and you obeyed as quickly as you could to catch up with him. He pulled your jeans down, and you felt the cool air settle on your skin and realized he took your underwear down too. You whined in anticipation and he paused just as your jeans hit the ground. He looked up at you, a silent question in his eyes and you gave him a strained smile and a subtle nod. He settled on the floor, a hand tracing down your torso to your stomach, then pelvis. He kissed your knees, then your thighs and eased them open gently. 

“Jesus,” he murmured as he looked down at your glistening cunt, and you lifted yourself up onto your elbows in a sudden movement to capture his reaction. “You’re fucking perfect.” 

With little preamble, he leaned his head down and you lost the support of your arms as you fell back when you felt his tongue give a firm swipe up your folds. Your hands gripped the sheets out of pure bliss. If this is what you felt like now, what was in store for you next?

Joel’s lips pressed to your clit which was already throbbing with need, and your eyebrows knit together as he began to suck on it gently. Your hand itched to thread through his hair, and he did another swipe up and down your cunt before sliding his tongue inside. You both let out a chorus of groans and gasps, your back arching off the bed and his hand moved to press against your lower stomach to keep you in place. He repeated a cycle of licks, kisses, and sucking of your clit that made you see stars. Your hand eventually found the back of his head, and you really didn’t have to do anything as he pressed himself more into your cunt, his nose swiping over your clit as his mouth worked in and out of you. 

“Joel-” you whined, feeling the sensation of a tightening in your stomach, your lower back alight with heat. He must feel you were close, as you gasped when two fingers entered you, joining Joel’s mouth as he worked you. “Fuck,” you sighed, trying to turn your head to look down at him. But, it had been so long since you had had a proper orgasm not by your own hand that all you could do was lay back and take it. 

“Doin’ so good for me, baby.” he murmured, the words of praise making you exhale sharply before sucking in another breath at a strong suck to your clit. His fingers worked in and out, the sounds of squelching from your wet cunt filling the room. Your body began to wind up, your stomach flexing under his hand that still rested there. 

“That’s it. Come for me, darlin’.” he said, not sure if he was actually talking to you or your body to coax you into an orgasm. He then curled his fingers inside you and you tightened around them, body trembling and you let out a whine that turned into a moan, your hand holding onto his hair as the other gripped the sheets for dear life. Your body flooded with endorphins, and you felt a flooding sensation down south as well. Joel pulled out his fingers, lapping up your release with obscene noises. With a few swipes of his tongue and a few swirls around your clit, you had come down gently, eyes closed as black and white danced behind your eyelids.

Feeling him shift, you opened your eyes and he coaxed you into pulling off your shirt and unclasping your bra. Your body felt weightless but heavy all at the same time, but you found the strength to move back on the bed with trembling limbs from your orgasm. Joel undid his jeans and pushed them down before climbing on top of you. You looked down and… god. He was impressive. 

He kissed you deeply, bringing you out of your thoughts abruptly once more, tasting yourself on his tongue. He rested a hand on your waist, his hips instinctively grinding against your own and you shivered at the touch, winding a hand through his hair to keep him close. Your hand found his cock and you gave it a few encouraging pumps, finding he was rock solid. 

“Shit, sweetheart, if you do that- I’m not gonna last-” he groaned, and you smirked against his lips and pressed him against your folds. Even feeling the head of his cock was enough to send you spiraling and your grip on him loosened. But, he was quick to take it and align himself, mouth moving in tandem with yours. He gave a few swipes of his tip and just when you were about to beg, he slid himself inside, bit by agonizing bit. You sucked in a breath as Joel exhaled with a soft moan, your mouths open and hovering between each other. Your hand moved from his hair to his cheek, and he pressed his forehead against yours as he began to rock his hips. 

You were in bliss. It was such an intimate, soft moment as he took his time moving in and out of you. A hand loosening on your waist, his hand explored the expanse of your side, up and down as the other supported his weight next to your head. 

“Joel…” you whispered, your other arm abandoning the sheets and curled around his back to keep him close. He rocked back and forth and hit your cervix, once, twice, three times until it became a habit. Your body began to tense again, and he groaned into your neck, your name escaping him with a hiss. He kissed your neck, his hips moving a bit faster, hitting that spot with more force. Your toes began to curl as your legs wrapped around his waist, and he began to stiffen, but didn’t let up his pace.

“Come on, give me another one.” he murmured against your skin, and your cunt twitched at the encouragement, causing him to moan again. You didn’t think he would be this vocal during sex, but god you were loving every bit of it. 

“Please, Joel- I wanna-” you whined, and he reached down between you two and began to rub circles on your clit to further encourage you. Your lips parted, eyebrows scrunching up. That’s all it took for you to come undone the second time that night, tightening around him and encouraging his own release. His hips stuttered, giving about three more languid thrusts. He then quickly moved, sitting up slightly as he pulled out and pumped his cock, his sticky release painting your pelvis and stomach with white. 

“Fuck.” you whispered, and grinned, Joel panting as he watched his work, and then moved his eyes to you. You couldn’t want to taste that coming down your throat. But, next time.

He leaned down, uncaring that he smeared his release between you as he kissed you deeply. You couldn’t find the strength to meet him halfway, but raised a hand to press against his face to keep him there for a moment. 

He pulled away, pressing his forehead against yours and mumbled a “be right back,” moving to go down the hall to the bathroom and he came back with a damp washcloth, wiping himself and you down. He set it to the side, and joined you on the bed. His arm moved over your torso, and he propped himself up to look at you with pure adoration in his eyes.

“So… you’ll still stay?” he questioned, his voice soft, questioning. But, you already knew your answer, and gave him a smile, and a gentle nod. 

~*~*~

Somewhere in the night, you had to borrow some of Joel’s clothes. The cold draft in the room was a bit more tolerable with a t-shirt and sleep pants on. Luckily Joel had enough for the both of you.

The sunlight peeked through the faded curtains, signaling morning had come. You lay on your side, Joel’s body pressed against your back, an arm around your waist. Your eyes opened slightly, still thick with sleep, but taking in your surroundings. Joel’s room was simple, but cozy. The sunlight filtering in was warming up the area, and you held onto the pillow just a bit tighter, pressing back against Joel to savor his warmth. 

When you did, Joel let out a hum, and you felt a kiss on your shoulder, then another. And another.

“Was wonderin’ when you’d wake up.” Joel chuckled, and gave your hip a squeeze. You grinned, turning in his arms and laid on your back, looking over at him. 

“Well, having three rounds was enough to knock me the hell out.” you laughed. You really didn’t know how Joel could keep up with the age he was at. But, he was insatiable, like a horny frat boy at a sorority party. And you weren’t complaining.

“Mm. You sound so upset.” he chuckled and leaned over, pressing a kiss to your cheek, then sitting up a bit to kiss your lips. Now that this particular moment in your relationship had happened, Joel seemed a bit less nervous and a bit more giving. You could only wonder what the future had in store. 

“Did Ellie come home?” you suddenly questioned, and Joel nodded, his hand running up and down your side, pulling you close.

“She did. Don’t worry.” he said, pressing a kiss to your neck. You wanted to laugh at that- Joel Miller telling you not to worry? That was yet another first.

You sat in silence, the sun growing more and more bright as it rose in the sky. It gave the room a very warm, inviting, and comforting tone. You sighed as Joel leaned his head into your neck, his scent enveloping you. Turning your head to press your nose to his forehead, he gave her shoulder another kiss, then your neck. 

“So, does this mean I can hold your hand around town now?” Joel mumbled, and you couldn’t help but grin like a kid on Christmas.

“Only if I can tell people about my absolute hunk of a man.” you teased, and Joel lifted his head at that, eyebrows furrowing.

“I’m a what?” he asked, though it was in disbelief and not confusion.

“Don’t worry about it,” you laughed, and raised a hand to card through his unruly brown and silver locks. He gazed down at you, his brown eyes looking at you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered now. You felt that familiar twist in your lower stomach, and smiled. “You’re my man, that’s all that matters.”

Joel nodded, and kissed your lips again,

“And you’re my girl?” he questioned genuinely against your lips. The sentiment and hopeful tone eased any tension that was left in your body. Your hand tightened in his hair just enough to apply pressure and deepen the kiss, your body shifting and calling for his own. And just as sure as the sun rises, his body met yours halfway, answering that call.

“I am. I wouldn’t want to be anything else.” you murmured, and you could feel Joel’s smile on your lips, humming in delight. Feeling like a couple of lovesick teenagers in a world that had gone to hell, you stayed in each other’s embrace as the sun rose high in the sky. 

Daylight has never looked so beautiful.

THE END.

[novellafaire]

TWST BOYS AS YOUR BOYFRIEND

Just some headcanons on what I think they would be like as boyfriends ♡

Heartslabyul - Savanaclaw (here!) - Octavinelle - Scarabia - Pomefiore - Ignihyde - Diasomnia

• you’re basically the only person he’s willing to put effort in for

• if he decides to date you, that means he’s fully committed

•he’s not gonna waste any effort if you didn’t mean so much to him

• he will tease you often, but that’s just who he is

• he’s super rich and not afraid to spoil you

• most of your dates include napping and cuddling with each other, but he makes sure to include proper dates as well

• people will often send you to wake him up and bring him to class because they think you’ll have the best chance at succeeding, and sometimes you do, but sometimes he’ll just pull you down to skip class with him

• just because his eyes are closed and it looks like he’s asleep, he’s not — he will listen to anything you have to say and remember it all, even if it’s just random rambles

• thrives off of praise; fuel his ego even more, especially if you’re telling him he’s better than his brother or Malleus

• he may seem aloof or that he doesn’t care, but he does, a lot

• if he sees someone messing with you, he’s gonna put a stop to it immediately, and will resort to underhanded methods if he needs to

• will make sure Ruggie tracks whoever it was down

• arguments usually arise because of how he acts, and he’ll be stubborn and refuse to apologize, but not long after he’ll make sure to do something that proves that he cares for you a lot

• also, it’s not that he’s opposed to PDA — he could care less about what others think — he’s just too lazy most of the time to engage in it

•whenever you’re by each other though, his tail is almost always wrapped around you somehow

• will allow you to pet his ears

• he’s confident, so he doesn’t get jealous often, but that doesn’t mean he likes people flirting with you or getting to close to you

• when this happens he’ll saunter up to you, and normally his presence is enough to get the person to back off

• if it’s not tho, he’ll glare and smirk at them, all while criticizing them

• whenever Cheka stops by, Leona will drop him on you to babysit

• Cheka loves you, and always asks if Leona is gonna marry you

• Leona’s brother, Falena, is just happy that his younger brother found someone to make him happy

• Ruggie appreciates your presence because it makes Leona more agreeable

• Jack is amazed that someone could actually deal with his dorm leader’s attitude

• he isn’t the best at comfort, but he’ll listen to you and offer advice whenever you want it

• him teaching you how to play chess, if you don’t already know it!

• won’t let you win tho—

• overall, this Prince would be sometimes annoying to deal with (namely his laziness and pride) but he would treat you like royalty ♡

• Ruggie is often busy running errands, but he’ll do his best to always make sure he has time for you

• dates with him won’t be super elaborate, simply cause he can’t afford it, but he’ll make sure you’ll still be really happy

• so usually dates include just hanging out, or working with him

• he works really hard though because he does want to plan better, well-developed dates and give you nicer gifts

• he just wants to provide you with a nice life

• if you make him food, especially donuts, he might just decide to marry you right then and there

• he also loves it if you’d praise him and appreciate the effort he puts in, because he doesn’t get that enough

• if someone messes with you, he’ll be scheming against them, and may even get Leona involved if it’s that serious

• if you’re ever upset, he’s actually great at comforting people because he grew up taking care of the neighborhood kids

• he’ll be able to make you laugh and let you vent your emotions

• let’s you play with his ears

• definitely has a photo of you guys in his wallet, especially because he carries it everywhere with him

• will help you if you need, but jokes about you being indebted to him

• he doesn’t actually mean that though, he would do anything for you without hesitation, even if there was no reward

• not a very jealous person by nature, in fact, chances are he would find the situation funnier than anything else

• except if you were uncomfortable, then he would quickly intervene

• doesn’t think much about PDA, if it happens, it happens — he plans ahead but he also lives in the moment

• it’s not common though, mainly cause he’s busy so most of the time you hang out in private anyways

• would love it if you came to his spelldrive practices

• Leona could care less about your guys’ relationship tbh

• Jack doesn’t have much of an opinion either, but is happy to see his upperclassmen in such a good mood

• lightly teases you

• pinches your cheeks

• will immediately take care of you if you’re injured or sick

• would love for you to meet his grandma and the neighborhood kids

• is a bit insecure about his upbringing and financial lacking ):

• arguments don’t happen often because he’s good about avoiding such crises

• over all, a very hardworking and helpful boyfriend who just wants to provide a good life for you ♡

• best boy who makes an even greater boyfriend

• this man is so loyal and committed to you, there’s no question

• will treat you with the upmost respect

• not only do his morals dictate this, but he also just thinks you deserve the best

• dates with him may seem very typical, but they’re still incredibly enjoyable

• allows you to play with his ears and tail, but will get embarrassed

• if you beg hard enough he’ll let you cuddle him in his wolf form

• his tail wagging will always gives away how happy you make him

• however if you get in trouble or something, he won’t bail you out; you’ll have to face the consequences of your actions

• will try to convince you to work out with him, but understands if it’s not your thing — he just wants you to be healthy as well as happy

• will protect you if you ever need it, and usually he doesn’t have to resort to violence because the perpetrator will back down after seeing Jack’s incredible physique

• because of his stature and strong arms, he gives the best hugs

• is decent at comforting physically, but not as much with words, given his more quiet nature

• will let you know he can see and appreciate your hard work, even if he doesn’t give many straightforward compliments

• arguments are rare between you guys because he’s brutally honest and makes an effort to communicate

• always has a soft smile when you’re around

• not very jealous because he trusts you a lot and he, himself, is a very loyal person

• if you’re ever uncomfortable though, he’ll immediately help you out of the situation

• not huge on PDA because he’s a more private person

• Ruggie and Leona don’t mind your guys’ relationship, as long as it doesn’t bother them

• Jack would love for you to meet his family since he’s naturally a family oriented person

• he will always be a gentleman to you and expects everyone else to be as well

• can get easily flustered if you catch him off guard

• especially if you compliment his body or muscles

• plant parents!!! would love to take care of plants, especially cacti, with you

• makes sure you’re taking care of yourself

• over all, Jack is a sweetheart who would value you and respect you until his dying days ♡

[e-dubbc11]

You’re Mine…I’m Yours

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: Some swear words, possessive behavior by both reader and Billy in a semi serious way and a playful manner, little violent, fluffy bunnies and unicorns, little bit of smut (18+ please or I’m telling on you)

Word Count: 3.9k-ish

Summary: You have a weekly outing with your co-workers. Billy doesn’t really like it. He doesn’t like other men looking at you especially when he’s not there to put a stop to it but tonight he decides to do a little bit of a checkup on you.

A/N: This one has been done for awhile, I’ve just been so busy I haven’t had a chance to put it out yet, I haven’t had a chance to do much lately so I’m sorry for being behind on my reading also but I digress. I hope you enjoy it! Oh and this will probably be my last fic until my 400 follower celebration is finished, plenty of time left to come say hi so please do! ♥️

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

“Do you have to do these so often, baby?” He asked.

Your expression softened and you walked from the kitchen to the living room and sat down next to him on the couch. The suit jacket he wore to work was cascading off the back of the couch, he had rolled his dress shirt sleeves up to his elbows and he was holding the crystal glass with the dark amber liquid inside.

Billy tilted the glass back and forth, watching it glide from side to side when a stray piece of his ink colored hair dipped into his eyes.

“Do what, handsome?” You asked softly as you gently scratched his scalp with your fingernails. His onyx colored eyes fluttered closed as he lost himself under your loving touch. You moved the stray hair away from his eyes, those beautiful dark brown eyes that now gazed at you with a touch of sadness to them.

“Ya know, the work outing you guys do every week.” He said.

“It’s just a couple drinks after work with some co-workers, baby. And I still usually get home before you do anyway, Billy.” You stated. “Tell me the real reason you don’t really like me going out after work.”

He shifted his weight on the couch and set his drink down on the coffee table while you climbed into his lap and snaked your arms around his neck.

“I know you have trouble telling me stuff that bothers you, Billy but it’s just us here. You can tell me.” You said while gliding his striped tie in between your fingers.

The muscles in his shoulders stiffened as he brushed his beard with his long fingers.

“I don’t like…” He paused to think hard about what he wanted to say. “I just don’t like that I’m not there with you, ya know, to protect you.”

“Baby, what do you think is gonna happen to me? I’m with co-workers and friends.” You said with a smile, trying to make him feel at ease.

“Sweet girl, you are VERY beautiful. You think I don’t notice the way men look at you when we’re out? So I can only imagine how they look at you and act when I’m not around.” He said. The tone of his voice wasn’t angry but it was stern.

Billy’s worst fear was someone hurting you or taking you away from him. He often had nightmares about it so he was somewhat overprotective of you, jealous, and possessive, at times.

Not only did the nightmares scare him but they also scared you too because you didn’t always know what to do or how to help but you did your best. Billy said just you sleeping next to him helped him immensely.

Your presence helped to the point that he had them less often or they were less severe which he was so grateful for. So the thought of losing the one person that meant everything to him and that loved him even with all his faults to someone else, terrified him. He would do whatever he had to, to hold on to the most precious thing he’s ever had.

And Billy’s methods weren’t exactly conventional when it came to deterring the unwanted attention of men toward you, they were more like…unreasonable.

Most of the time he would notice before you did…a young frat boy staring at you from across the bar, a suit from Wall Street at the next table checking you out while out to dinner with clients, and even a couple of his own employees were fired because their gaze lingered just a little too long for Billy’s taste.

It was always just a quick glance at first, then a second time to confirm that they really were looking at you. With his long slender fingers wrapped around a beer bottle, a glass of bourbon, or a fork at dinner, his knuckles would start to show white the tighter he held on to them.

His dark chocolate colored eyes narrowed, and with a scorching glare he would size them up, stare them down until they either averted their eyes or doubled down, which Billy loved.

Like an evil cat, he prowled. Billy stalked his prey, he acted like a wild animal hunting for its food. He would wait until they went to the restroom or outside to smoke a cigarette and he’d growl in their ear “You look at my girl like that again and you’re gonna lose your two front teeth, do…you…understand?”

His lips curled back to reveal gnashed teeth and you knew they felt his hot breath against their ear, making the hair on the back of their neck stand at attention.

Billy never struck first. Sometimes they would make that mistake, especially if you were out at a bar together. He knew the rules, don’t hit first but you can defend yourself or in most cases, defend you.

And they’d always say the same thing to him, almost like they all gathered together at some point and agreed on the one phrase that would send Billy right over the edge. “Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?” And try to force him backwards by pushing against his chest.

Big mistake.

Yes, Billy was incredibly handsome but he hated being called “pretty.” And only you and his best friend Frank knew why. It enraged him. That term made his eyes glow with savage fire and caused his voice to harden. “You have about 30 seconds before I mop the fuckin’ floor with you.”

He warned them but they’d never heed that warning and they had no idea what he was capable of. As the saying goes, they “fucked around and found out.”

“Where are you going tomorrow, sweet girl?” He asked.

You pondered for a minute, trying to remember the place you all agreed on and then it came to you. “Oh! Ocean’s 8 Billiards. It’s on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn.” You replied.

Billy had a surprised tone to his voice. “You’re goin’ to shoot pool? As in, you’ll be bent over a table where every man in there can check out your ass?”

“Billy!” You snapped.

The heat radiating off his chest could be felt through his shirt as his cheeks flamed with anger. His eyes darkened, his pupils were wide and unfocused as you tried to bring him back by brushing his beard with your thumbs and reassuring him that he had your heart and no one else.

“Billy, have I EVER given you any reason not to trust me?!” You asked.

His agile fingers wrapped around your neck and pulled you close to him. There was a touch of acid in his tone and when he spoke you could feel his warm breath against your eyelashes. “I don’t trust any man that’s not me…around you.”

“You can’t control who I talk to, Billy Russo!” Easing your body away from him, you tugged slightly on his hair, tilting his head back so he was looking up at you.

He gazed up at you with a smug smile on his face. “No, but I WILL control who talks to YOU.” He growled.

The guttural moan that escaped your lips was involuntary and it shouldn’t but it made you wet when he talked to you like that. Grinding down into his crotch, you could feel his cock hardening underneath as you started to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt. It turned him on when you talked back, he loved the push back.

“Oh yeah? You think I like it when I see women throwing themselves at you? Waiting until I go to the ladies room so they can try and make a move.” You hissed in his ear, biting down gently on his earlobe, and feeling his length strain against his suit pants.

Biting down on his lower lip, his eyes traveled the length of your body and back up to meet your gaze once again while his hands extended underneath your t-shirt to brush the smooth skin in the middle of your back, along your spine.

Goosebumps erupted across your skin which caused your nipples to harden and Billy swiftly pulled your t-shirt over your head and threw it across the room.

“And I’ve never given them the time of day, have I.” He said, burying his face between your breasts, his tongue tracing the skin across your collarbone before biting down hard on the spot on your neck that made your vision go white.

“You better fuckin’ not, Mr. Russo because I…don’t…share!” You said against his mouth before his lips collided with yours. Billy’s kisses were all tongue and teeth as his hand unhooked your bra to have your bare breasts pressed firmly against his body. Calling him “Mr. Russo” made him absolutely feral and reassuring him that he was all yours caused him to snap.

You made quick work of his shirt and tie before he carried you off to bed. You lost that battle, the war will have to continue tomorrow.

**********

After work the following day, you met your co-workers at the pool hall for your usual once a week bitch fest and enjoyed a couple of beers in the process.

“…Yeah I don’t think they shut up the entire time they’re in the office and if you gonna have meetings on speakerphone, how about you go into a conference room?” You said to one of your cubemates, talking about the people in the cube next to you.

Leaning over the table to line up your shot, you could feel eyes staring at you coming from all directions from a group of guys a few tables over. After sinking the ball in the side pocket, your friend walked over while you were lining up your second shot.

“Those guys over there are staring at you, one guy in particular.” She said.

Your second shot was a miss.

“Ya know how you can FEEL someone staring at you? Yeah I can definitely feel it.” You replied.

While chalking up your cue, you took a sip of your beer and looked around nonchalantly, trying to not give that group of guys any sort of attention and keep your focus on your friends but it was starting to feel uncomfortable.

But out of the corner of your eye, you also noticed a tall slender man, wearing a dark blue suit, with raven colored hair and a well-groomed beard walking toward you.

Biting down on your lower lip to keep the smile from spreading across your face, you shook your head back and forth as he came closer, and smiled that perfect smile of his only for you.

“Freeze, soldier! This group activity is for government contractors only!” You shouted with a smile.

Billy pulled you into a firm embrace by the waist so you were flush with his body, looking down at you with his million dollar smile and love in his eyes, he planted a kiss on your lips.

Resting his hands on your hips, his tongue swiped across his bottom lip, probably tasting the beer that was on your tongue moments before he kissed you. The spicy scent of his cologne hovered in between your bodies as he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead and then cupped your cheeks to kiss you again.

Billy loved touching you in every way possible because it reiterated to him that you were real, you were right in front of him, and it comforted him.

Touch was his love language whether it was brushing your legs with his fingers while watching tv, holding your hand while he was driving, or keeping you close while you slept. You were his in every way and he would never let anyone put their hands on you.

“Ok, well what if I tell you that you look really pretty today? Can I stay?” He asked, flashing that perfect smile at you again.

That smile would be the death of you. How were you supposed to say no to him?

“Maybe…what are you doing here, Billy?” You asked as you set your pool cue down and folded your arms across your chest.

“Would you believe me if I said I was in the neighborhood?” He asked, as a devilish smirk stretched across his lips.

Narrowing your eyes at him you replied. “Uh, I think you’re full of shit, lieutenant so no, I don’t believe you.” Your voice dripped with sass, as you lightly poked him in the chest. “Are you spying on me?”

With a sly smile, he tilted his head up and quickly glanced at the ceiling, he knew he was caught and flicked his gaze back to you.

“Is it so wrong of me to not want another man to try and put his hands on you in a place like this?” He said, gritting his teeth and whispering in your ear.

You pressed your tongue to the roof of your mouth before telling him. “And what makes you think I would let another man put his hands on me, Billy?”

“Like I said last night, sweet girl. I can control who talks to you.” He said in that soft sexy voice of his. The words fell like warm honey from his lips and soaking your panties in the process. “You don’t know the vile things all these guys in here are thinking.”

“Oh and you do? Maybe you should add ‘mind reader’ to your list of special skills.” You said sarcastically with wide eyes.

He started to shake his head and press his lips together in a straight line before saying. “Always with that smart mouth, huh baby? Ya know I could think of a few other things you can do with that mouth of yours and talkin’ back to me ain’t one of them.” He hissed in your ear.

Smoothing his hair, you gently pulled down on the back of his neck so his ear was close to your mouth. “Stop turning me on in front of my co-workers, baby. I mean it.” You said as a sly smile tugged at the corners of your mouth.

Billy knew exactly what he was doing to you.

“Ever been fucked on a pool table before, princess?” He purred, his breath tickling the side of your neck.

You playfully smacked him on the shoulder and lightly shoved him away from you. This was bonding time for you and your co-workers, he can talk dirty to you at home.

“Alright, alright! Go get a beer, actually get me one too please and I’ll let you stay.” You said, giving him a wink as he turned and walked away toward the bar.

Continuing the game with your friends, you noticed one of the guys from the “frat pack” a few tables over started walking toward you while Billy was gone. Before you could stand up after sinking your shot, he “bumped into” you. His crotch grazed your ass as he did and then acted like it was an accident.

You turned around quickly, breathless with anger and a thread of warning in your voice. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!!” You yelled.

He stood in front of you with a smug grin on his face, trying to act apologetic. “I am…SO sorry! I didn’t see you there but you are even prettier up close. I was watching you from a few tables over. How ‘bout I play the winner?” He said, looking at you and then at your friends.

You caught the strong scent of beer on his breath as he stood in front of you, trying to inch closer but you wouldn’t let him, and he tried to reach out to grab your hips but you backed away even further. In your peripheral, there he was, taking long strides to get to you as fast as he could and leaving the beer on the first table he passed.

Billy must not have seen when the stranger put his hands on you because he would have been laid flat out if he did. You didn’t hear him approach from behind but you felt him, you knew he was there however light on his feet he was.

It was almost like a sixth sense you had when it came to him and before you could say anything else to the rude stranger, Billy was standing in between you and the handsy frat boy.

Silently communicating with your friend that saw the whole thing, you shook your head at her basically telling her NOT to tell Billy that guy put his hands on you.

“What’s goin’ on here?” Billy asked, glaring at the stranger. “She’s taken.” He said, shielding you with his arm to stay in back of him.

The stranger moved from side to side trying to get a better look at you. “Well she hasn’t said anything about being taken, have you beautiful.” He said.

His compliment made you nauseous, your stomach immediately started churning, and you felt like you needed a shower after what can only be described as he was undressing you with his eyes.

“Well, I said she’s taken. Do you know what that means? Get…fuckin’…lost.” Said Billy.

The stranger stepped into Billy’s personal space and you waited for it. You waited for those words to be said because you knew they were coming.

“Oh yeah? Are you gonna make me…pretty boy?” He said in a wicked hissing whisper, giving Billy a slight shove to the chest.

The stranger kept poking, he kept provoking Billy into a fight but he wouldn’t budge. Never swing first. And he finally did, he took two swings at Billy which he dodged both of them, kicked him behind the knees and smashed his face into the wooden pool table which you were sure the entire pool hall heard.

It didn’t knock him out but it did knock him to the ground and the hit to the head probably gave him a concussion. With the frat boy writhing around in pain with a bloody nose and an egg starting to form on his forehead, Billy squatted down lower to the ground and with hell burning behind his dark eyes and acid in his tone said.

“Who’s pretty now?!!”

When the stranger took his first swing at Billy, you had moved out of the way, and while you were huddling with your co-workers, one of them said “Maybe it’s time to go?” Everyone cracked a smile and after he hit the ground, Billy walked away and over to you.

Everyone else was fine, except the guy who was prone on the floor with his face turned to the side. His friends rushed over and tried to help him stand up but you were sure he was seeing stars while employees of the pool hall asked them all to leave.

“Are you alright, baby? Is everyone ok?” He asked with concern in his voice. “Asshole, got blood on my shirt.”

“I’m fine, handsome.” You said as you turned to your friends to say “Same time next week, right?”

“Definitely!!!” Your cubemate exclaimed.

You said your goodbyes to your friends and told them that you would see them tomorrow and apologized for the extra action on their Wednesday night.

They all said the apology wasn’t necessary, they had a great time and even asked if Billy was available next week to be their bodyguard. He shyly turned away and you knew it was because he didn’t want everyone to see him blush.

Putting his jacket on, Billy turned toward you. “I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?”

“Technically, my love, everything turned to shit when you showed up soooooooo.” You said with a coy smile.

“There’s that smart mouth again.” Billy said.

A few tables over, you noticed a group of women checking Billy out, batting their eyelashes, laughing and tucking their hair behind their ears while taking sips of their drinks.

“You have some admirers, soldier.” You huffed.

“I didn’t notice…but that’s because I belong to someone else. And she doesn’t like to share.” Billy said. He winked and smiled at you, pulling you in close. “Right, sweet girl?”

You snaked your arms around his neck and gently tickled the back of his neck with your nails. Goosebumps pricked his skin as you closed your eyes and pulled him toward you so you could rest your forehead against his.

Billy claimed your lips like he had so many times before, the butterflies in your stomach made your body shudder every single time.

“You’re all mine, Billy.” You said, tugging gently on his hair.

He looked down at you with his hypnotic brown eyes. “And you say I’m possessive.” He said.

“Well I guess we’re both a little uh…domineering, huh baby?” You said with a warm smile.

Billy chuckled. “That’s just a fancy way of saying we’re both a couple of jealous assholes.”

“Maybe it just means we really really love each other?” You said.

He shrugged and smiled. “Sure, baby. I like the sound of that better, anyway. I do really really love you, y/n.”

“I really really love you too, handsome.” You said as you placed your ear against his chest, forgetting all about every other person inside the pool hall.

Billy Russo was a marine, you wouldn’t know that by looking at him now in his designer suit, his $500 tie, and sterling silver monogrammed cufflinks.

Those were products of the hard work he put in, first as a marine and second as a CEO. He had been fighting off bullies for his entire life, even as a small child when he shouldn’t have had to.

He should have been protected and loved but neither of those things happened for him although it made him the strongest person you’ve ever known.

You finally understood why he was so overprotective, why he was so possessive of you and it was because no one had done that for him.

Every day that you told him you loved him, every time you smiled at him, every time you told him he was good enough, and that he was wanted, it helped to heal the broken little boy that was still inside.

The empty space in Billy’s chest that craved love was finally full and that was because of you. The lesson he was still trying to learn was that he didn’t have to hold on so tightly to keep you. You stayed with him because you wanted to, and the fear of abandonment he held close was slowly peeling away as you gained more and more of his trust.

Billy’s eyes shone like two pieces of onyx as he peered down at you, his intense brown eyes doing the smiling instead of his lips as he whispered in your ear. “Let’s go home, baby.”

You looked up at him through your long dark lashes and with a devilish grin on your face, you asked him. “Ok, my love. Did you come up with some other things I can do with my smart ass mouth?”

He let out a sharp exhale against your lips. “Oh I have a couple ideas, princess.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705

Others that might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[henrysglock]

I was seeing people on twitter saying how season 3 ruined the shows reputation and I'm curious, why do you think season 3 is the way it is? I think you already talked about it but I can't recall

I have talked about ST3, specifically in how the team has capitalized on its "out of place" vibe. ST3 sets up basically every arc of ST4 while also being a blatant criticism of both the US and the USSR.

Mike complains about things being too expensive and the fact that he can't buy anything on the money he's given—not like he used to. The mall, in tandem, is portrayed as a money-sucking community-crushing behemoth that's putting local folks out of business behind a veneer of trendy fun. Criticism of capitalism on small and large scale, front and center.

Then we have the Russian lab, which exists to show us that the "other side" (often glorified by less-knowledgeable haters of capitalism) is no better. Their lab is doing the same thing HNL did! HNL isn't unique. The Russian lab is kidnapping, drugging, and torturing kids—a preview of NINA and of Sullivans torturing Wallace for information—and they're trying to force open a gate without actually having anyone with abilities—a preview of Vecna and the Shadow cobbling together their own non-Eleven method of opening gates.

The Russian lab arc also serves to set up the Russian prison arc, which takes Joyce and Hopper out of the US entirely just in time to reveal that woah! Vecna is Henry Creel? And he's someone Joyce and Hopper both would have known? Gotta get them entirely out of the picture so nothing goes wrong with Vecna's plan in Hawkins. Can't have anyone questioning whether or not that's actually Henry.

From there, the Russian prison arc also sets up future reveals for ST5, specifically regarding HNL's 1979 massacre, that would have been harder to work with if the entire arc had stayed within the CIA. Putting it in the KGB, the "enemy" of the US, also allowed for paralleling in storytelling about where Hopper ended up vs where Henry ended up and how the situation in Dimension X all went down. It also allowed for some hinting on making assumptions (see: the Jamie-lookalike "Evil Russian" who ends up being a harmless Jazzercise teacher), on people using variations of Henry as a fake name to break someone out of prison (see: Enzo's connections to the NINA arc), AND on people putting on acts to get a desired result (see: Jim putting on an act to antagonize Dmitri to escape the pit with a lighter and booze, as compared to TFS Brenner putting on an act to antagonize Henry into showing him the true extent of the Mindflayer vs Jim putting on an act to scare "Victor" into spilling truth about the attack on Mr. Newby, etc).

None of that ^^ would have been possible without the much-hated ST3 Russian arc. It's called foreshadowing and plot scaffolding, aka "secret tools that will help us later". They're laying breadcrumbs and hoping the viewer is dumb enough to go "UGH evil Russians? Of course 🙄" until ST5 comes around and blow it all out of the water. It's the same as the people who shit on 2.07 as a whole, saying it drags and feels out of place. That may be so, but there's a reason why it's there and a message it's there to deliver (setting up Jane fuckery and laying the bricks for "NINA isn't real/it's influenced by El's prior memories").

Also, has anyone stopped to think that maybe the vibe of ST3 is off because it's the starting point for all the relationships deteriorating? The Party growing up and drifting apart? It feels weird because everything is weird?

And people bitch about not getting fun/"beach" episodes anymore, but then ST gives you a summer fun + horror season and suddenly y'all don't want it?????? ST3 is fun! It's bright and colorful like summer! Idk. Sometimes I think people are just inventing guys to get mad at.

[corruption-special-au]

Chap 1 🎭 Fool's Folly

Surprise! I came back to continue the prologue fan fic for the Masked Special AU plotline.

Here is the prologue told from Silver's perspective 👉

This one however is from Gold's perspective and starts off a few days after the prologue 🤙 take care! have fun! have some trigger warnings before hand tho.

⚠️ minor violence, mention of blood, threats and themes of manipulation and kidnapping

Days had passed since the event at the local research lab. So many changes in such a little amount of time! Not only had Gold found a new addition to the family, he also uncovered a goal. Tracking down the thief who stole Exbo’s friend. Clearly the little fella was worried, and even with all his mother's expert methods of introducing a Pokemon to a new home hadn't seemed to work thus far. The little fella still only seemed to peck at his food and separated himself from the rest of the group. By the second day, and no word from the local police; it was decided. He would take things into his own hands! Of course his mother didn't really have to know exactly why he planned on going, just to visit Violet city and return the morning after.

Besides, this crook couldn't have gotten far. He made sure to prep well for his journey, if the two were to battle again Gold was going to be sure it was on equal footing this time. He had made another journey to Violet City just this past spring, accompanied by Aibo and a few of the other rescues kept at home. So he was somewhat familiar with the city, or at least his pokemon were. With these guys behind him, there was no way he would lose again! Typically trainers only carried six teammates with them, but his mother made it very clear she felt a lot better if the family accompanied him this time.

The incident at the lab must have freaked her out…

He was used to scraps and squabbles, after all most of his time was spent around Pokemon. And his mom never seemed to pay any mind to the numbers of bruises and bumps he had somehow managed to obtain over the course of the day roaming the town and woodlands. However this time…. Perhaps it was just the involvement of the police that had her on edge. They never were a fan of them anyway, the handful of cops in New Bark often referred to Gold as “little trouble-maker".

It was nearing noon now, the sky painted with stunning hues of pink and orange as the sun drifted down over the horizon. He flipped open his Pokegear, still left on the map. Not too far now. “You hear that Poli?" From his backpack, the small tail of his poliwag sleeply shifted in place. “Once we get there we'll find a pond for you to cool off in." Summers felt like they were getting hotter and hotter each year. The rest of the gang seemed to be just as eager to find a stopping point soon. But Gold knew not a single one would retreat to the comfort of their pokeball, not after mom had sent them to watch after him. Sheesh, she has no faith in me huh? Not many people in their town did, how could he blame her.

“Just a bit farther and we can rent out one of those sweet inn rooms and get some snacks from the stall! C'mon guys!” With the promise of food a few in the pack seemed to perk up with glee. Onward the group trooped, only arriving at the gates of Violet City by nightfall. Good thing too, he would never in his life would admit it, but walking the trail at night gave him the creeps. Not to mention, the entire way up the path he felt as though he was being watched by something not too terribly far off in the trees. Probably just a curious wild creature from the area, nothing more.

Yawning, he gazed around the street, lacking the city folk he was used to seeing fill this place. Well I guess it is pretty late… Sleep gnawed away at him, growling from his stomach following after. Right. Food, inn, and tomorrow he would begin his search. He was positive the thief was lurking about in this area. The pack wandered corner to corner in search of a stall still open for business. Sadly with no luck.

Man this blows…

It seems they had gotten here too late in the day, partly because of the late start this morning. He wasn't much of a morning person, who gets up before 10 anyhow? Aibo tugged at the disgruntled boy's hoodie, gesturing towards the Pokemart illuminated on the other end of the corner. “Ah! Good eye Aibo!" Barreling towards the doors, the group was stopped mid cheer by a hand. "Eh?” Before him, the shop keeper, a rather jaded middle aged looking man glared down at him. "I just mopped up for the night, no way are you bringing all these critters in here to rummage up my floors again. The pokemon stay outside if you're coming in to shop.” Rummage? Who uses the word rummage anymore? What a prick… But his urge for a warm cup of soup and the pitiful eyes of each of his pokemon overpowered his annoyance, and with a huff he agreed. They wouldn't be out there long anyway, he just needed to grab a few for the gang and pay. “I'll be back, just wait here ok? Aibo is in charge."

Inside the store was quiet, with only the soft mart music playing overhead and the squeak of his sneakers to fill in the silence as he searched for the food aisle. Smells like a doctor's office in here. Various snacks decorated the shelfs as he scanned in search of the instant ramen cups. Ah, there near the bottom. Maybe he outta grab five to share between all of them. Just to be sure. From the other end of the store the door dinged once more, and he could hear the disgruntled worker from before set down whatever box he was carrying and make his way to the front. “Hey kid, I said no pokemon!" Eh? Is he talking to me? Before he could even reach the register, Exbo skidded into the side of the shelf in a panic, racing towards him. Something was wrong. Concern creeped over him as the small monster tumbled into the boy, obviously panicked. As they fell backwards, a few items were knocked from their spot and went rolling across the tiled floor. “Hey! What's wrong with you? Where is Aibo?” As if to answer his question, the eerie distressed yet familiar growls of multiple Pokemon echoed from the door outside. Abruptly stopped as the glass doors shut back on themselves.

Without a second thought he jolted from his place on the floor, tucking Exbo between his arms as he sprinted for the exit. Brought to a halt as he raced outside to an empty street corner, void of any life. Some kind of grip wrangled his heart as he anxiously looked around for any sign of his family. “Where-where did they go? Where did Aibo, and Poli?” An uneasy shakiness had riddled his voice, and caused his feet to go numb as the reality of the situation started to set in. What? What just happened? He felt frozen in place, stunned by the suddenness of it all. Only the distant echo of some kind of fight snapped him from his trance, they were still here! As if his legs moved on their own, he rushed towards the sounds. Struggling to pinpoint exactly where they were coming from. Yet as soon as he thought he had found it, another cry from a completely different direction sent him scrabbling down another walk way. Where are they? Why can't I find them?

Blood started to rush in his eardrums, and panic took hold of his mind as he continued this little charade until… silence. The various cries of fear and anguish all at once stopped. And nothing but the cold night breeze whistling away filled the disturbing quietness. His eyes, stuck to the concrete ground, traveled upwards until they finally landed on some kind of tower just over a small bridge. Swaying back and forth in the wind. Something about this place, it didn't feel right. From his arms, Exbo wiggled loose and took off towards the old wooden tower with an unusual determination, “Hey! Wait!"

Just as they entered through the all but withered away door; something rather heavy came slamming down mer itches behind them. Encasing the pair in complete and utter darkness. It was cold in here, freezing actually. A shiver was sent up his spine, it felt as though needles were prickling his skin. “Ex-xbo, you there?" His voice didn't even sound like his own. Chittering and full of worry. The flicker of a flame that grew bright enough that he could see the small creature in front of him, standing alert against something further off into the darkness. The short fur from its head standing on edge, unnervingly still. “Exbo?" It did not seem to hear him.

The floorboards nearby creaked, causing Gold to snap his head towards the noise in surprise. It was hard to see but he thought he could make out the shape of a rather tall and lanky figure looming from the shadows. “When Silver came back, empty-handed…” Slowly, a pale white mask came closer into view. Spikes protruding from its jawline, and rugged hair draping from its head. “I expected a more formidable trainer… Not some nosy little brat.” There was a wicked smile carved into the wooden face, despite the bitterness the tone of the man carried. “And here you are. Still poking around in matters that don't concern you. What a fool."

"Buzz off creep!” Exbo flashed the wave of flames from its backside, a low growl rumbled from the small pokemon. Their threats were only met with a chuckle before the figure disappeared back into the darkness. “Exbo, now!" At his command, cyndaquil took a deep breath in and let out a hefty ball of fire. Only to be blown away by a powerful blizzard wind that sent the pair flying backwards, smack against the wall. The cold in the building had gone from frosty to stabbing in the matter of seconds, nipping at his skin. As he scrambled to get up, his legs gave way and only then did he notice the various slashes he had received from the attack. Shit! “Exbo!" His voice sounded very wheezy, and foreign even to himself. With Exbo's fire extinguished, Gold found himself stumbling through the darkness in search of his friend. Once he felt the limb body of the small creature, came the scattering of multiple different enemies surrounding them. Circling the two just beyond his line of sight. Not often was it that Gold found himself fearful of his situation, it was not something common to him in his hardheaded nature. But as the deep growls and grunts of monsters drew closer and closer, all he could think of was how badly he wanted to turn tail and run.

Under his feet frost crackled, infesting the area around him. Where was he supposed to go? Where could he go? “I'm not afraid of you!" Clutching Exbo in his arms, he prepared for the worst. Ice had begun to creep along the sides of his shoes, gluing him to this spot. Even as he restlessly shuffled in place, hoping to knock some of it off, it held. Strong as steel. Just a few itches in front of him, honed fangs and embers from a houndoom. Nearing him with eyes narrowed, locked directly onto him. Even in this gloom, he could see the beast was ready to jump at any given moment. “You live in New Bark. Just a small ways from the kanto johto border. These pokemon you brought with you live there too I suppose? ”

“Where are they? What did you do?"

From his right, a lantern from the wall brightened the atmosphere around them. From both sides, lurked two hondours accompanied by the same houndoom from before. Gold tucked Exbo deeper into his arms, eyes moving from one snarling beast to the other. Heavy boots strolled forward, and before him stood the towering figure from before. Dressed head to toe in a dark cloak, torn and aged. A gastly smog had started to drift around them, making the air in the room feel thick. “Do you have any idea what you cost me with your little stunt?”

“I don't even know who you are." Gold muttered through gritted teeth. He could feel a faint yet present rise and fall of Exbo's sides. This brought him some sense of relief, minuscule though it be. An uneasy silence fell across the two. Their eyes locked in place, Gold waited with baited breath for even the slightest hint of movement. “Still. You somehow managed to get the best of one of my students. That is nothing to scoff at. You have some kind of potential, it would be a waste to see it end here." Very faintly behind the cloaked figure, Gold thought he spotted two ghostly balls of smoke and vague yellow eyes revolving around the room. Sinister and inhuman laughter accompanying the mysterious ghouls. He began to feel rather lightheaded. “I'll make you an offer. Help me correct the mess you've made of my work, and I'll give back all those little weaklings you seem to be so fond of. After I have what I want, you're free to go.”

"And if I don't?”

Irritation coincided with his words as the masked man took a few steps forward, each step causing the floorboards to grate. “If you don't… Well I suppose no one wins in that case. I can't have you just skipping off down to the police station to open up a case now can I? And of course I'll have to take care of all your little buddies here you brought along for the ride. And that poor mother of yours…” At the mention of his mother, his throat tightened and his mouth ran dry. “Well, she would be left to fend for herself. A shame really, a kind person like her who rescues and cares for strays off the street.” Vile anger and insults burned in Gold's chest. Who did this guy think he was? Threatening his family? His mother? However, the situation was not at all in his favor. As loathsome as it was, he was at the mercy of this worthless scumbag. With not even the slightest idea where the rest of his Pokemon were being kept. On top of that, the room began to feel like it was spinning. Purple fog growing thicker and thicker by the moment. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he could barely hear his own voice. “... Not much choice in the matter, is there?"

"Glad to see you've come around." And with that, his eye lids finally gave out. Everything faded to black, the world sucked away as he slipped into unconsciousness.

[sgcairo]

what are mamattores thoughts on each harbinger????? im hungry for her

She's been rotating in my brain for eons... so let's do it!

Pierro

Smash. She sees him and immediately thinks he's hot, has to physically compose herself so she doesn't start trying to flirt with him in the middle of being questioned by the Snezhnayan court. Sure, he might be the Tsaritsa's (potential) man, but she's not against sharing. In fact, she might just bag the Tsaritsa too, while she's at it. When she does flirt with Pierro, the poor man is hopelessly oblivious, thanking her for her compliments while the other Harbingers look on in disdain. Poor Mamatorre gets a little discouraged, but it's worth the blush on his face (she thinks it's cute).

Il Dottore

I mean, he's her baby so... She loves him. So much. To the point that she pulled a knife on Pantalone and threatened to cut him if he ever breaks her son's heart. That might've been overkill, but the point stands. She's the supportive evil mom, and encourages Dottore to do all the nefarious things he wants. She also advises the segments to try questionable methods of torture, which are suspiciously effective. Regardless, every time they see each other they scream, run, hug, and probably bite each other. She's always believed in her son's abilities, and she isn't about to stop now.

Columbina

Mamatorre thinks she's so pretty. If her son weren't trying to shoot his shot with a clueless banker, she would've definitely encouraged him to go after Columbina, because she is beautiful. Ah, but her son doesn't swing that way, so she'll just have to settle for having tea with the Damselette. Overall, she quite enjoys conversations with the Third over the "narrative" and gushing about Danya. The two also get up to quite a bit of mischief together, as one does when they're evil and inexplicably immortal.

Capitano

Oh, she thinks he's an absolute unit. The beefcake son she's always wanted, and quite the gentleman when she comes to visit. Capitano tends to escort her everywhere when Dottore's busy, and he's chivalrous as always. She quite enjoys his protectiveness, and she often comments that he's the "son she never had", to which the Captain's ego is inflated just a little. She admires his blades quite a bit, and if she weren't so old, she probably would challenge him to a duel, but alas, she has bad knees and he's still young and spry. Ah well, she'll just hang off his arm and pat his muscles for comfort instead.

Pulcinella

Three words: Old people gossip. These two, when put together, will not stop talking about their respective "children". While they often butt heads on whether Dottore or Childe is cuter, they agree that Danya is just the most adorable, most precious little guy ever, and will gush about him for hours. Mamatorre thinks he's a little suspicious, and probably wouldn't trust him alone with her child, but they do have their old person gossip huddle every once and a while, just because they have nothing better to do.

Scaramouche

What a little bitch, she thinks, staring blankly at him as he growls like a damn feral animal. She thinks he has rabies. Either that, or there's something profoundly wrong with him. Probably both.

Sandrone

Does not trust her. While usually she would gush about how pretty Sandrone is, there's something about her that raises Mamatorre's hackles, and she'd rather keep her at arms length, if possible. She's never outright hostile towards Sandrone, but the two being left alone together leads to an awkward atmosphere that won't leave them alone. 0/10, would not recommend.

La Signora

She never got to know her, but I just know, in my heart, that they would be the two pretty best friends.

Pantalone

He's weird, but he's kind of her future son in law, so she can't be too hard on him. Besides, he's pretty rich, and also deals in poisons, so... Okay, she likes him. She likes him a lot, actually, and the fact that he's taking care of her son and grandchild only gives him more points in her book. Sure, he rambles about economic shifts, and is chronically stressed out, but he's not the worst candidate for her son's hand in marriage, and has so much money. He also has a nice wine stash that she can steal from, so extra extra points for that.

Arlecchino

Thinks she's hot, but in a handsome way. They have a sort of comradery, both of them being parents of a sort, but also Arlecchino has the style and attitude that Mamatorre approves of. Yes, put that man in his place, you're doing amazing sweetie- Mamatorre says give this woman a medal. Arlecchino also has a pretty cool and shiny sword, which Mamatorre is a big fan of.

Tartaglia

She thinks he's funny. She's probably one of the only people that thinks he's silly, and is always delighted by his excitement for battle. He's just a goofy little guy to her, and she often treats him to traditional Sumeru dishes when she can, just because she knows he'll eat it without complaints and probably ask for more. She really unloads her motherly nature onto him, of all the Harbingers, given he's the youngest, and proudly watches him dice up enemies from the sidelines while cheering him on.

Bonus:

The Tsaritsa

Hot damn. Give her a piece of that, she'd give anything to bite the Tsaritsa, even if it's the last thing she does. It doesn't help that the Tsaritsa and Pierro are both pretty and standing next to each other all the time, so she's hit with the double whammy of attractiveness. She absolutely loves talking with the Tsaritsa, just because they can gossip and giggle about Pierro together behind his back. Once again, the poor man is too oblivious to realize what's going on, and just thinks they're talking about Capitano again...

[kanene-yaaay]

Chasing Laughter

Kanene's Notes: Heyaa! Gosh, it's been a long time since I've been able to write and finish AND post a fic. But! I've got a new fandom >:D uytredrtyuidfg So, at first I didn't know a lot about Fit but GOSH, now he is one of my faves. Like, a guy that is trapped in a experiment controlled by a gigantic force that is not above torturing, experimenting and doing awful thing just to keep the control and yet this is the happier he had ever been? Because he has a wonderful son and friends? Because here, different from the world filled with war he came before, he at least knows a bit of peace? And he would do anything to still have this love, happiness and family he found? B r u h I am on the FLOOR Although, I still haven't watched a LOT of him so probably this is kind of OOC but yeah it is what it is dfghujuygtfrftgy

Warnings: None. This is pure flluff and plyaful tickles. Ticklish!Ramón and Ler!Fit. Around 1.000 words. General warning: this is a tickle fic

[~*~]

Ramón took off running.

It felt almost natural, now. He learned to run for his life a long time ago, nowadays being able to deal much better with all the thoughts his mind had to attend to. Where he should step, when he should keep going or try to hide, how far was his pursuer, what could he do to get just a few more seconds before help came… 

At first, it wasn’t supposed to be a game, running away from someone more than often isn’t in his daily life. Not with the place that they lived. The island.

But, well… 

The wind ruffled his hair and the adrenaline raced in his veins, heartbeat going in sync with his footsteps, painting in firm strokes and nimble steps determination in every turn and dodge. The voice that followed him on his path only served as a reminder that it was just a fun chase.

It was hard to not have fun when his father was involved. 

“Ramooon, where are you? You can’t run forever, my baby boy.”

All of this was Dapper’s fault, really. He was a menace and immature and the one who didn’t know when to admit that he had lost the wrestling match and so decided to change to cheating so he could win. And no. It didn’t matter that technically Ramón had also cheated by sneaking up behind his twin and starting the play fight when the other was busy building. That is not cheating. This is being tactical and having a strategy . Cheating is resorting to unfair methods like throwing all your weapons and tools to the ground, shoving your hands under the enemy’s chestplate and squeezing their sides non stop.

Tickling isn’t even allowed in a real fight! Dapper doesn’t even expect the big storm that is coming to him, Ramón also has a lot of a very kind of giggly, tickly blackmail about his brother that he is more than happy to share with his uncle Bad.

He just needed to survive this chase first.

With the potato gun in his hand he turned around, firing. None of them hit the target, it was hard when both of them were moving so fast and inconsistently, full of zig zags, circles and jumps on the usual irregular soil.

“Ops, almost got me there, Ramon, but you can’t escape your father.”

Ramón almost laughed, almost cursed and almost tried to shoot another round of potatoes on his dad for being so embarrassing.

“You know I will always find you. Come here, my boy!”

In the end, he ended up stumbling.

His body didn’t even had the chance to fall on the grass before two hands, warm and kind. larger than life, full of scars that contained brave stories and strong enough to hold him dangling in the air in what his Tío Foolish liked to call the “Air Prison”, got him from behind.

“Oh! Oh!! I got you, I got youuuu, my beautiful, beautiful baby boy! Look what I have right in my hands, a cute little sneaker who thought that he could outrun his old man, huh? You love to see it.”

Ramón struggled on the hold, kicking and feeling his cheeks light up in flames at his father’s usual baby voice, trying to ignore with his entire might all the giggles crawling up his throat and the gigantic smile that fought to take over his mouth. 

He was NOT going to lose this time! No matter how much embarrassing praises and unfair baby voices his own father attempted to pull against him, he would keep himself strong and simply not break!

(He always did. No matter how long they’ve played this game of hide and seek and chase, or how often his father’s eyes glinted in pure happiness when he saw him awake or even how the pride took over his words and gestures every time Ramón showed him his newer project. Everyday Ramon tried to keep his composure, his mature self in front of him as a shield and a preparation. Yet,  every single day his dad came and let him act and feel like he was… like he could be just a child in front of him.)

All his thoughts came to a halt and got scrambled when suddenly he was thrown upwards and spun in the air, no time to get the grappling hook to escape the situation before Fit caught him again, now with both of them being able to face each other. 

His father’s grin was as mischievous as big. Ramón huffed and squinted at him and did not pout at his destiny. 

A couple of fingers sneaking under his armpits and digging there quickly made his grumpy demeanor melt in a loud squeak.

"Ohoho, what is this? Is that a smile that I am seeing right there? A big, bright and starry five stars smile, indeed."

Ramón shook his head, entire body shaking with the struggle of keeping the laughter inside. His hands attempted to push his father's hold away, but it would be much easier to try to move a mountain. 

The fingers began crawling downwards, giving each rib a few quick, nimble scribble before focusing entirely on squeezing his sides, not being even slightly discouraged by the smaller’s tactic of trying to become a defensive ball, a couple of quiet yelps escaping when the scratching found a sweet spot right where his sides and ribs connected.

"I think someone's barrier is about to crack.~" Fit playful taunted.

A couple of giggles ran away without permission from his mouth, his smile growing from one ear to another as each tickle seemed to send a tingly, funny kind of adrenaline in his veins.

It took only single scribble on his stomach for everything, every squeal, giggly snort, squeaky wheeze and crackling to come trembling down from his mouth, filling the air with a loud, energetic laughter and a quiet, amused chuckle that danced together amidst the wind and the trees.

For a few moments that was all that existed, the silly, playful, tickly moment and genuine laughter. It lasted a couple of minutes before Fit decided they both already had their fun and that Ramón could use some of benefits of taking big, uninterrupted gulps of air.

"Okay, okay, enough. I don't want to take it too far." His father's movements weren't exactly gentle , still roughed in the edges by the life he had before the island, but he was the most careful as he let him on the ground and discreet enough to not snicker too loud when Ramón wobbled a bit on the same spot, left over sniggers still escaping and making his nose scrunch up. "Are you alright, Ramón?"

The kid just quietly wiped the beginnings of tears that formed in the corner of his eyes before, in a flash, grabbing his sword and quickly hitting his dad with a clear swing before jumping away.

"Wh- wha- what! Hey!" His voice was the perfect mix of amused and exasperated. Not a single drop of regret in it as the flames danced on his armor, barely even affecting him. "Now, come on…"

He stepped closer to the smaller one, only for Ramón to jump away once more and pull his spyglass, squinting at him in a clear show of protest.

(Of course both realized how the corner of his mouth was still up in a remain of a happy smile, how the swing was totally non harmful and how he would never, ever, truly run away from his father.)

"OK, OK, you're right, that was unfair of me." Ramón slightly bent his knees, hand still close to his sword, waiting for more. "What if we go clear that dungeon you mentioned earlier? Think you could forgive me then?"

The kid quickly put away his spyglass, stepping closer and nodding pleased. His father was smart. He knew he would stop being silly and see the reason, eventually.

Fit watched as his kid led the way, a pep on his step and a joyful hum in the tip of his tongue. His chest filled with warmth, realizing (not for the first or last time) how lucky he was to have all of this in his life.

He will do anything to keep this happiness, to keep them, alive.

[~*~]

Ramón may or may not strategically try to get his revenge in the future in front of a very curious and mischievous Brazilian (Pac really needed a Second to Breath when he heard Fit giggling for the first time, and, really, how could he just NOT help his sobrinho, ya know?) and ever since their life (and bit by bit the life of everyone in the island because rumors fly like crazy and not a single one in there isn't prone to some mischief) got filled with much more laughter and sillyness Just wanted to write some light-hearted fun

[rickgrimesrp]

Carol & Rick (domesticity meme)

Domesticity Meme

If you can think of a ship, i will answer these questions for them

Carol x Rick

who cooks normally?:

Carol, because she likes to and is better at it. Rick can cook as well and does it when she's busy.

how often do they fight?:

As heated fights, basically never because both are such introverts. Arguments, rarely, because both have similar mindsets when it comes to actions in critique moments, none of them like to kill or hurt others but they are willing to if they have to. Up to season 3 Rick totally wouldn't accept her colder approach to such situations but after growing up and stopping being such a naive officer friendly, Rick shares the same ideas as her now.

what do they do when they’re away from each other?:

Rick draws her and collects things he thinks she will like.

nicknames for each other?:

He just calls her "Carol". Rick tends to be mature and respectful, he would use nicknames only for practical situations, as if the person's name is too long and he needs to call them fast.

who is more likely to pay for dinner?:

Rick. He wants to please her, and he prefers to do that with actions. He will always make the first move to pay and won't make a big deal out of it, unless he has no money or paying method at all.

who steals the covers at night?:

Carol. Rick already lost the sheets to Michonne when he was butt naked, why wouldn't he lose them to CAROL?

what would they get each other for gifts?:

Rick would try to find something special to Carol, something that would either touch her personally or be very useful in survival terms. So either a book he believes she will enjoy or tools /gear like a leather shoulder bag with very high durability that won't let her down in supply runs or a gun he calibrated or customized personally that could save her life.

who remembers things?:

Carol. Rick's memory can be very selective. Sometimes he remembers but keeps quiet about it.

who cusses more?:

Rick because he needs time to understand when he is wrong, and during that time he might be a defensive stubborn prick, unless you have a very good logic argument to prove to him A +B wise. He does change and evolve though.

what would they do if the other one was hurt?:

Rick would enter psycho revenge mode and hunt down everyone who hurt Carol. He might focus too much on revenge or on protecting her if they still are in danger, what may make him sound emotionally distant or just a wild crazy psycho during the time being.

who kissed who first?:

Carol. Rick maybe kissed her cheek but Carol was the one who acted first when things really mattered.

who made the first move?:

Blunt first move, probably Carol. Subtle little moves, probably Rick. While Carol is very realistic and brave about her actions in my opinion, Rick can be a coward while trying to express them, and he's also very respectful about people's personal and mental spaces. He probably covered her at night with a blanket, rested close to her to rest and brought little gifts, took personal revenge against people who hurt her, but never anything direct or obvious.

who started the relationship?:

Both probably. I feel like Carol and Rick could sustain soft flirting and sexual tension for months and have fun with it. Probably when they matured their relationship enough both sat down and decided to make it serious / official. Regardless, he probably was very loyal to her since the beginning and would feel really hurt if he saw her with someone else, probably would get so jealous of Daryl etc. but he wouldn't be toxic to try and push Carol away from her other crushes, he would just become more distant and sad that he isn't special to her as she is to him. He doesn't want her to stop being free because of him, but the guy's heart got chained to her the moment they started the flirting. He's such a romantic demisexual in my opinion and would keep daydreaming about her.

@wexarethewalkingxdead

[the-firebird69]

When Giants Show Up

I don't want my husband to look like this this guy is a pig

Hera

Yeah our son's stomach might look odd like this quite often and he'll look like a pig but they look like pigs all the time his stomach will be large like this in muscular and it might look a little odd but not real am I was a little gross but not like this it's going to be bad but it will be like uniform like stuck to him like Bob March and he's laughing and laughing he says print now we will but seriously his stomach is shaped different but it's kind of similar it's a big guy and he's not a Mac proper but when his stomachs kind of jetting out it's kind of the same thing it still looks like it's kind of a pig it looks dangerous and you'll know who he is and they'll say it and we'll start working and yeah perfect song and his brother is singing about him and he said you don't mind if they make some money and there's tons of ideas I have he's trying to docking on me said we're going to make tons of money it is going great and it's hard to get me money but you can't if you can he tried it was too hard to start using these guys and the plan was doing it already found them and he said okay so he's trying to make agreements and George said good and they had a lot of ideas go out tons of stuff some of it is beer companies let's start looking at some of this ideas for beer companies and he's got a bunch other people have bunches these are outrageous he wants to make the old warlock beer and it would sell like madness everybody would buy it and stated them warlock or whatever and it would be like cover and it was frustrate the max she moved have problems it might help things moving in I might make it worse and Tommy Allen says it'll do both and our son says it too we kind of like that so I started saying one at this one and why not that one I went through a big list about 30 of his ideas a lot of our beer and whiskey and wine somebody got on the line said why don't we just do it you keep asking and they say that we have to try it and we haven't tried and we don't know if we don't try and we keep asking and they said it's really starting to bother us and I said we'll go chime in it so soon we want to try and get it going and we want to do a test so I heard pick one and put forward the request to do a test and that's what it really has to happen and he said okay and he picked one and he said this is what I want to do and it's about taking over the vineyard in California cuz they suck real bad they open the right stuff they say they can't figure it out they're just ruining things and that's a famous vineyard for us too and for the world and it's not going to be the state and the Union and we hear that's not a bad thing from Tommy and we can't really go out there but we know what we're saying and it's in contention but Trump wants beer and wine and stuff for people or or he's just insane so we have a winner it's a hard one and he says they produce it elsewhere and it would be a start and he knows where he can get it going yeah and Europe we have the middle areas in some cases we have where it was produced and we're going to make vineyards and we're going to use the regular help and they know what they're doing and there's a few areas in the USA right now it's too cold no but we have areas other than California that are they are wines of California and they use the same methods and so forth and he says he wants to get Troy-Bilt over there and we figured out what he's saying it's new management these people coming in they mean business they want to clean up their act clean the place up fix it they want to do a good job and we think it's Tommy Allen he goes out there and discovers his people nearby they're not in the vineyard we worked at stopping them and we hate them they were trying to contaminate it so. It's horrible and terrible and he told Tommy you go in there and you smudge it in his face and you take the most expensive bottle only and you drink to their memory just like an Irishman and he went over there and did it and then saying the song and he looks tipsy so we know it works a little

Thor Freya

Olympus

It sounds funny because he's hammered yeah

Biden

Haha it's hard to see the first damn place I did this a****** does the pop singer thing what a bunch of dumb assholes I am so tired of them you can't please you in any way or just as bad as the Mac proper and yeah you're going to die and our friend here has a great idea no we don't really want that to happen and no it's a good idea it's not his idea

Tommy a

Yeah we're kind of stupid but it looks like it's going to be over cuz we keep pushing and pushing it's ridiculous that's stupid we have huge whales of us we know about it but you know everyone's saying it's so goddamn dumb then we can't do anything in survive here

Trump

Olympus

[headstrongblake]

what are some of octavia's and nick's hobbies that people might not know they have? / @thewholecrew​

kat at it again making my kids think. OKAY, but this wasn’t actually as hard as i thought it was going to be when i first saw the message. i’m going to put this in our verse, because some people know about certain ones depending on the verse, none of these have really been brought up here & one nick surprised me with so. THERE’S THAT. anywho.

so nicklas my good sir, he can actually take apart and entirely rebuild most vehicles but especially his stepfather’s ‘97 chevy impala. he probably does all the work on his own bike, and can be talk into doing work on the guys’ vehicles and such because it’s cheaper from nick to do it at keith’s shop.  also, nick’s knew thing that he surprised me with is that he’s really good at soccer. it was probably a sport he played growing up and in his backyard with his sisters. probably lending to some trauma with his dad trying to make him perfect but. i think even to this day he enjoys playing and probably follows octavia with a soccer ball when she declares she’s going to the park near the apartments. also, he really likes to read, just doesn’t do it often because he’s too busy in this verse. so he probably reads a lot more at the beach house.

octavia was in dance as a child (lowkey aurora probably made bell take her). probably something her mom insisted on to get them out of the house and with the type of money the gang makes, viktor had no issue paying for it, or any of the hundreds of outfits she needed for it. she probably stopped taking classes or participating in dance competitions once their dad is shot. it’s never something octavia’s thought about doing again even though liv has probably tried about a hundred times to get octavia into a dance company, or even just the dance club at school (though she doesn’t know she used to dance competitively). o blows it off and just dances in her home/the beach house or at any party. octavia runs. like a lot. especially that first year after bell went away, she was at the school’s track daily, nightly but usually without people. it helps her breathe. think. or entirely leave every issue she’s ever had in the dust while she runs. she prefers running at a track honestly but will not hesitate to just be out running around the neighborhood. its the one good coping method she has. except the times she over does it but those are more when she’s mad at herself. octavia loves taking pictures. polaroid camera, digital camera, cell phone, real film. she loves capturing life and all the memories...everyone knows that. what they don’t know is octavia has dozens of scrapbooks put together with all of the memories tucked away inside. 

[saymecw]

for the if they had a child meme: IbaraEly or NatEly ? :D

If they had a kid meme: accepting

send me a pair name and I’ll tell you what I think it would be like if they had a child.

Name: Kanade Sakasaki

Gender: Male.

General Appearance: He has blonde hair that he dyed green streaks into, yellow eyes like his father, but is more around his mothers height. I feel like he's constantly smiling but when he isn't it's usually a serious situation, which tends to make people grasp it easier.

Personality: He's quite the snarky one, coming from two parents who tend to sass people, it's naturally part of his vocabulary and he can be quite rude without realizing it, but he says it so cheerfully that it's very clearly mocking. He's also very intelligent and doesn't take kindly to people trying to undermine him, so he'll often pull out all the stops to guarantee they regret it. He's very smug and enjoys winding people up, finding their reactions to be amusing. Due to attending Yumenosaki, however, he doesn't interact with women much and is afraid of every woman he meets but his mother and aunt Anzu.

Special Talents: Rapping. Just because of his face claim.

Who they like better: Elyon, he's a momma's boy through and through.

Who they take after more: Probably Natsume!

Personal Head canon: He memorizes anything he sees, and since his memory is so good, he'll always tell his parents about the loophole he found in what they said if they try giving him into trouble.

Face Claim:

Name: Genzuki Saegusa.

Gender: Male.

General Appearance: His hair is the same shade as his father, while his eyes are from his mother, he's taller than his parents but he isn't really tall. He's never seen without a suit on and tends to slouch when he stands. He's got one of those faces that just feels smug somehow.

Personality: He's smart and manipulative, with both his parents raising him with the knowledge they have, but unlike his parents, he has no need of their methods, so instead he just uses the methods to get more snacks off people. He's easily irritated and tends to snap a lot but Elyon can usually calm him down, while Ibara will take him to train for a bit so he calms down. He's one of those guys who is super smug about everything and it annoys most people, given his arrogance is unstoppable, but he also believes that given who his parents are- he has no reason not to be.

Special Talents: He's actually an amazing marksman but outside of that, he's able to file business reports in a really short amount of time with no errors.

Who they like better: Elyon, because the other parent is Ibara.

Who they take after more: Ibara..? Maybe??

Personal Head canon: He's the kind of guy to walk around with like a bunch of money in his wallet since he knows he can beat up anyone that tries to mug him.

Face Claim:

( only with Ibara's hair colour )

[comfy-whumpee]

The Forum

References events in this post. TW: modern slavery (BBU).

@neuro-whump​, @rosesareviolentlyread​, @mylifeisonthebookshelf, @pumpkin-spice-whump, @whumpsday @kira-the-whump-enthusiast

r/boxieadvice holepunch5309 two hours ago

Office pet beat up by other staff (advice)

Posting this from a throwaway so I don’t get fired. My company is a small business that has a boxie in the head office. He technically belongs to the manager but he was bought with company funds. He does hospitality, cleaning, filing and stuff. But recently the heads of department have started hurting him.

 It's a really small office, less than ten people. Boxie does a good job, works hard, but he's not that bright. Sometimes he fucks up and the guys hurt him. At first it was just small stuff, a slap or something. But he made a big mess last week with some accounts and one of them drew blood.

 I don't know if I'm overreacting. I grew up with a really shitty dad and I guess I'm sensitive to people escalating that kind of thing. Nobody else seems to have a problem with it or thinks he deserves it. Boxie ends up hiding and can't take care of himself. Even if someone helps him they're usually kinda weird about it, making him beg them or stuff.

 I feel like it's going to get worse and worse. The boss beats him up when he's stressed already. He's really helpful normally and I don't want to see him get broken. Is there anything I can do?

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 vivaciascar (pet owner) two hours ago

The best thing to do in a situation like this is go to the root cause. Your boxie has got tasks he doesn't know how to do. If he can't handle accounts, don't give him accounts. Let him stick to making coffee. Pets aren't designed for being in work environments without specialist training. You're already straining him with filing. Stop overloading him and the mistakes will stop too.

 somethingboromired (pet owner) two hours ago

This is the answer. He's overloaded and he can't keep up. Your team is putting too much pressure on him and he's buckling, which gets him punished, which makes him tired and hurt, making more mistakes. Remember boxies are fundamentally dumb. They shouldn't be near money and your boss could get in trouble if he lets it happen.

 pm_me_your_salads (wannabe owner) one hour ago

His problem isn't with the mistakes though, he's upset at how the others are punishing the pet. Sounds like reasonable punishment to me though, if he makes a big mistake it should be a big consequence. It's how they're trained and it's how he'll learn.

 ree4ree (pet owner) one hour ago

Jumping on top comment to point out as well that boxie already got punished for his small mistakes and he didn't learn. OP can't see that they are escalating with him because he hasn't shown improvement

 holepunch5309 48 minutes ago OP

He has training for office work and we trained him on the accounts. He does fine 99% of the time but the moment he screws up someone is beating him up. He can't take that from them forever.

 IDontEatCrab (verified handler) two hours ago

I get your concern but that's not your pet. He belongs to the company and the name on the paperwork is your boss. It's his decision what the pet gets and what's right for him. Focus on doing your job.

 Nineteen84 (ex-owner) one hour ago

Don't get fired for a boxie's sake, they're not worth it. They'll sell you up the river for praise. Take it from me.

 holepunch5309 42 minutes ago OP

Is there any way to get his ownership transferred to me or can I do anything for him as part of the company?

 Britbird03 (pet law) two hours ago

It sounds like there's things missing from your account OP. You're worried about escalating punishments, but your boss already beats him. You said in another comment that he's trained for office work, but the only company that does that is Help at Home, and they advise against giving your Boxie paperwork. Is your manager pushing him too hard, or do you have a genuine pet abuse case on your hands? I've advised on those before, please DM me if you need advice.

 holepunch5309 seven minutes ago OP

Thank you, I have

 BigAl69 (pet owner) one hour ago

Boo hoo for your pet. He fucks up, he gets hurt. It's the only way they learn. You're making the classic mistake thinking about him like a person. He's not a person. He's trained to understand orders and pain. He doesn't know anything else. He doesn't need your sympathy

 CoachCheesey (wannabe owner) 39 minutes ago

The problem isn't the punishment the problem is that he's doing accounts. Would you trust a boxie with your money? Why does your boss? Sounds like you need to ask why you're even using him for the jobs your finance team should be doing. Someone's slacking and making the boxie pick it up.

 ree4ree (pet owner) 19 minutes ago

This. Even if a pet is doing data entry or something, the finance team should still be checking what he does like any boss would do for a human employee. Even more so in fact

 cootiesmaster (multiple pets) two hours ago

This is way to vague for us to help with, what even is "drew blood"? Did they break skin on a hit or did they stab him??

 holepunch5309 36 minutes ago OP

I can't be specific because it would identify me. It was a small but deep wound. He's never had anything like that before.

-

holepunch5309 Hi.

Britbird03 Hi OP. Thanks for coming to talk. I'm not a lawyer first of all, so I won't be suing you or reporting you or anything. But I'm a welfare campaigner, and I thought I could give you some advice on what you're seeing.

holepunch5309 Ok. So what…happens?

Britbird03 Why don't you start by telling me what happened in more detail? You've realised that something is wrong, and I want to help you understand why your instincts went off today.

holepunch5309 I guess

holepunch5309 I guess it was just a shock. Not because he got hurt. Is that shitty? I was used to him getting hurt. The boss does beat him. Uses him like a stress toy punching bag. He always picked him up afterwards though, looked after him. Got hi patched upand stuff.

holepunch5309 But today it was like…everyone just left him. He was hiding and crying and he didn't do anything to fix it. I don't know if he even knows how. He was just sitting on the floor crying and I went to help him and nobody else even paid attention. And I guess I just thought…what if they do something worse sometime and I can't fix it for him? He's already got one thing that'll probably scar now.

Britbird03 Thank you for explaining. It sounds as though you're right, and things are escalating. This is the most dangerous time for a boxie. We don't have a disproportionate incident to act on, but we know one is coming.

holepunch5309 Do you think?

Britbird03 I do. It sounds as though your colleagues have been pushing boundaries and daring to see where the line is. None of them are stepping up and making things stop. Of course, you could be that person, but it can be risky to try. You're the one who has seen there's something wrong. You're not okay with what is happening. Your boxie needs someone like you looking out for him.

holepunch5309 Damn

holepunch5309 I hadn't thought about it like that. Thank you.

Britbird03 You're very welcome. There are two options ahead of you. One is safer for him, and the other is safer for you.

holepunch5309 Let me hear it

Britbird03 If you want to guarantee that your boxie won't be hurt anymore, the only way to do so is to liberate him. It is difficult to do legally, I have to warn you, but it is the safest thing for him. You may be saving his life. The alternative is to wait until something provably abusive is done to him, and report it then. But the investigations are slow and the bar you have to clear is very high. Police are very strict about what counts as abusive because of the influence of pet companies. You can do this anonymously, but it might not work to save him. And obviously, along the way, something unquestionably awful has to be done to him to give you the evidence.

holepunch5309 Those are both pretty fucked up options

Britbird03 I'm afraid that's all I can recommend within the limits of the law.

holepunch5309 What do other people do?

Britbird03 Some stay under the radar, bury their conscience, and wait it out. Others intervene, try to prosecute, and more often lose than win. A few take matters into their own hands and smuggle the boxie to a shelter or across the border.

holepunch5309 But that's illegal

Britbird03 It is. I can only imagine they see it as more important than the law. A risk worth taking.

holepunch5309 All that for a boxie. Seems weird.

Britbird03 Often those are people who recognise the human dignity of pets. It's a rare thing and arguably heroic. But as I've said, I can't suggest that. It's safer for you to follow a legal route.

holepunch5309 But

holepunch5309 Not safer for him

Britbird03 No.

-

Tyler leaned back from his laptop with a sigh, his old gaming chair creaking at the movement. The stranger was all facts, as best he could tell, mercilessly concise. The only thing people did that properly worked was liberating or smuggling them. Anything short of that and the problem didn’t go away. Maybe there would be a way to force it to court, sue for ownership or persuade Charlie to let him go, but it would be an uphill battle.

Maybe he’d just make the whole office hate him and get himself driven out of a job. Maybe he’d make things worse for Roman, making them blame him for turning one of their own against the group. Maybe he’d get the poor fucker sent back to be brain-blasted into forgetting everything and getting resold.

He had no idea what he was doing with this. He just knew that Joel stapling Roman in the hand made him feel sick at the pit of his stomach. Finding Ro in the kitchen hyperventilating about it was even worse. He couldn’t get the image out of his head. Roman had been white as a sheet, platinum hair and white shirt only adding to the sallow look of him, hand clutched to his chest with a dark line struck across his hand. The resistance of the skin against the bent metal as he’d tried to work it free with as little pain as possible. Roman’s wide, teary eyes, one brown and the other blue, fixed on him with gratitude. The hitch in his breathing. The way he’d wobbled on his feet. The red.

He would have sat there alone if Tyler hadn’t gone. He would have stayed there.

He was so stupid. He’d just made it worse with the outfit. It had been a joke, but it wasn’t a joke to Ro.

He was so fucking stupid.

He didn’t know what to do.

-

Roman had a little strip band-aid on his hand when Tyler went in the next morning. The little wound was covered up and he seemed more like his usual self. He was sitting on the floor between the desks, sorting out sections of the newspaper along with everyone’s post. He smiled at Tyler when he came by.

“Morning, Ro.”

“Good morning.”

“C’mere a second.”

Roman got up, gathering the unsorted envelopes, and followed Tyler across to his desk. He went to his knees when Tyler sat, setting his stack on his lap.

Tyler glanced around. Dillon wasn’t in yet and Phil was with Charlie. Joel was off on his far side, not yet caffeinated to the point of acknowledging anyone else. Tyler asked, “I got a question for you. I was just wondering if you like it here.”

Roman’s eyes lit up. “I do!” he affirmed brightly. “It’s wonderful here. There’s lots to do every day and I can be helpful for everyone. I’m happy to be helpful.”

Tyler frowned. He’d heard Roman say that a dozen times. He was almost certain it was a trained slogan. “That’s good. Yeah, good stuff. Is here anything that you want to make it better?” If Roman said he didn’t want to be hurt, Tyler would fight for him. That would be the line. If Roman knew what discipline was, what a real punishment felt like, if he’d been trained for that like everyone said – then he would recognise what counted as excessive, right? They wouldn’t train a Box Boy without any self-preservation.

“I…can’t think of anything,” Roman answered after a dutiful pause for thought. “I am happy. I’m sorry that you were worried.”

“Nah, not worried.” He couldn’t let that get back to the others. “Just wanted to make sure you knew you were doing a good job. Mostly. ‘Cause of yesterday, you know. Don’t let it get you down.”

“Thank you, Mr Tyler.” He seemed to be smiling again, but like he couldn’t remember how. He made those expressions sometimes, like he couldn’t just do them instinctively, they were all put on or...trained.

Tyler pretended not to notice.

“You’re a good guy,” he said, hand moving automatically to ruffle the pet’s hair. “Doing a good job.”

[sugarylawliet]

May I pretty please have a nsfw Light x Fem!Reader fic where Light is horny af and tries to seduce the reader but since it’s so rare to see Light needy like that, the reader decides to use this and pretends like she’s busy etc. and drives Light crazy af which leads to angry Dom!Light sex ;)

WHEW i got outta breath just reading this req-

warnings: nsfw/smut, dom! light, degradation with slight praise, this one has more plot than usual i think

taglist: @ygm1slt

"Y/N, do you mind?"

You glanced up from the dozens of tan manilla folders you held in your hand, spread out like a hand of playing cards, each one filled with documents upon documents about the legend you and your coworkers were chasing. The stacks of papers felt like the scribblings of a child in your hand; useless to you, because you knew who Kira was already. Hidden in plain sight, he was the man who had just called your name from the front of the room where he sat, beckoning for you to come near.

You let out a long sigh under your breath, slowly placing the papers onto the desk you stood in front of. You and Light were not dating, no, in fact you could barely stand to be in the same room as the man. His aura was suffocating, despite the large and sprawling rooms of the headquarters building, you could always pinpoint just where Light was; you could feel his arrogant energy wafting off of him, making it clear who the superior one was in the room. It was asphyxiating, and his words were even worse. Everytime he called you to come closer to him, your heart skipped a beat- and though you were sure it was from disgust, you never denied any of his requests. Your love-hate relationship with him only made your interactions more intoxicating. You weren’t gonna deny yourself the excitement.

Your footsteps echo through the almost empty room as you walked towards Light, the only other people at the task force at the moment being L, Matsuda, and Soichiro, all of whom were working together on the right side of the room, their focus on L’s computer.

“What is it?” You ask as you approach Light, stopping next to him.

“I’d like to know your thoughts on this, a second opinion would be helpful.” He gestures towards his computer screen, which was packed with data you could barely read. As you attempt to decipher the text, Light places his hand on your upper thigh, gripping it horizontally. You hold back a gasp, trying not to draw attention to yourself. Light stares at you, your eyes unwavering from the screen in front of you.

“Umm, well, it’s....”

Light’s hand slides up your thigh, his fingers inching up your skirt and brushing the fabric of your panties. He moves his fingers slightly with the slowness of a lover brushing their thumb up and down your hand as you hold theirs. Your breath stutters as you found yourself craving a harder touch from the man you thought you hated.

You break your gaze from the computer screen and glance at Light- his eyebrows were turned downwards, and the image gave you an idea. You grab Light’s hand, peeling it from your leg and dropping it into his lap. “Actually, Light. I’m kind of busy with these documents right now, sorry.” You smile, walking away and returning to your spot at the other table.

You sort through the papers, your mind off of Light before you feel the vibration of your phone from the table. You check to make sure L wasn’t looking before checking your phone, opening the message notification.

Light Y.

brat.

You glance over your shoulder before typing a quick response.

                                                                                                                        Y/N

                            i’m sure i don’t know what you mean.

You place down your phone screen-first on the table and turn your ringer off, not bothering to see whatever quip Light would respond with. You catch him rolling his eyes out of the corner of your view before returning to his work. He places a hand over his mouth and throws one of his legs over the other, crossing them. You smirk to yourself.

This was a back and forth you and Light Yagami often shared ever since you joined the Japanese Task Force. Light, the esteemed man he is, never places doubt in his ability not only to seduce women, but to get what he wants, whatever that may be; in this case, it was you. You, on the other hand, prided yourself on being strong- a stubborn person with an unwavering will, someone who could out-work and out-show the men who thought they were better than you. Often you forgot the end goals of your little adventures to prove yourself better than, getting caught up in the chase of it all. You and Light’s relationship was a quite hectic blend of both of your guys’ stubborn behavioral habits, and neither of you would settle for losing.

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

“Light-kun, it’s getting quite late. You two aren’t tired?” L asks, glancing at you and Light, as the three of you were the only ones remaining in the main area of task force headquarters. Everyone else had either gone home or gone to their designated rooms in the building.

“No, There’s a lot of work to be done so I’m fine with sacrificing a little sleep.” Light glances at you briefly. You knew he was expecting to be left alone with you, but you decide to push the envelope a little further. You refused to give into him; at this point, your ego and desire to not lose rivaled his.

“Actually, Ryuzaki, you’re right. I’m gonna head to bed.” You wave goodnight to the men, sending Light an innocent smile as you walk upstairs to your room. 

You made yourself comfortable in your bed, as surprisingly Light had taken several hours to come upstairs- he didn’t want to chase after you, you assumed. Though, you could see how desperate he was through his facade.

Eventually, though, the door to your room opens with a creek, as Light steps his way inside and locks it behind him.

“Oh, hi Light. Do you need something?”

“Don’t play stupid.” Light runs his fingers through his caramel hair, frustrated. He walks over to where you sat on the edge of the bed, taking your jaw in his tight grip and forcing you to look at him.

“What was that all about, huh?” He places his hand on your leg, sliding further and further upwards as he speaks. “Teasing me as if you have the right. Have you forgotten who you’re talking to? I don’t appreciate the bratty behavior.” His fingers return to the position they were earlier, softly brushing up and down over your clothed heat. You bite your lip, holding back a moan; you weren’t going to give into him this easily. No, this was a competition for pride, and you were determined to win.

“Actually, Light,” You push his hands away from you, standing up, “I’ve had quite a long day. I’m gonna go get some rest, maybe you should too?” You remark before leaving, shutting the door behind you and finding another room to sleep in. You were going to win.

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

“Are you guys coming with?”

You stand in the main hub of task force headquarters near Light, as L was on a seperate floor working and the rest of the task force was getting ready to leave for lunch.

“No, sorry, I wanna finish this work as soon as possible. But Matsuda, do you mind bringing Y/N and I something back?”

You whip your head towards him with a sour look as he volunteered you to stay with him- alone.

“Sure, text me what you want!” Matsuda exclaims cheerfully before leaving with the other detectives. 

The loud slam of the door echoing through the large half-vacant room did not draw your attention away from your work, as you were determined to remain focused.

“You know, Y/N,” Light stands up from his chair, approaching you from behind where you sat. You take in a breath, preparing yourself for the antics he was about to pull.

“You never did apologize to me.” He places his long slender hands on your shoulders from behind, slowly rubbing up and down.

“Apologize? What do I need to apologize for?”

“For being a fucking brat.”

Light abruptly grabs the sides of the chair and spins you around to face him, his nose almost poking yours and his hot breath tickling your face, flushing your cheeks red. You take the opportunity of your close proximity to lock eyes with him, slightly shaking your head no, your confidence unbreaking. 

With haste, Light knots a finger in your hair and roughly pulls you towards the nearest table, shoving you chest-first into it. He smacks your ass, earning a yelp from you. “How hard is it to follow fucking instructions? God, is your ego that big?”

He creeps his hand up your legs, dipping under your skirt and pulling your panties down to pool around your ankles. He runs his fingers up your slit, leaning down to whisper in your ear, “Just give into me...”

You shake your head as best you can with Light still gripping the roots of your hair and whine out a small “Nuh-uh.”

He dips two fingers inside you, curling his fingers upwords and making a beckoning motion inside of you. Quickly, he pulls his digits out, extending his hand to force you to suck on them. “Hmm, taste all that? It sure looks like you want to give into me...”

You pitifully whine around his fingers, pushing your backside to press against the bulge forming in his pants, asking for more.

“See? I knew you were needy for me.” He removes his fingers from your mouth and slips them back into your cunt, pumping in and out at a steady pace before adding a third finger. You pathetically squirm under his methodical movements; he was too good at this. You try to bite back your moans to save your confidence, but soon fail as Light scissors his fingers inside of you.

“Mm, I love the sounds you make, you sound like such a slut.”

Light increases his pace and depth, curling his fingers against your walls until his fingers were no longer visible. His manipulation of your senses drew your orgasam out quicker than you expected, causing you to clench against his digits. Light, sensing this, promptly removes his fingers from you, causing you to whine.

“Light...”

“What, you think I’m gonna let you finish?” He chuckles leaning down to speak in your ear, “Just say you’re sorry, Y/N. It’s not that hard, really.”

“I have nothing to apologize for.” You pant. 

He smacks your backside again, the hand-print stinging with the frustration building up inside the man. “Don’t talk back to me, brat. You know, you’re really being difficult and I don’t appreciate it. Maybe I should just leave you here...” He removes his grip from you and begins to walk away, and you’ve never felt more alone without your arch enemy.

“No, Light...” You bite your lip as you call him, the swing to your ego panging your chest.

“Hm, what’s that?”

“Light...” You look away, feeling embarrassment bubble inside your stomach.

“You only get what you beg for, Y/N. I can’t hear you...” He walks closer to you, a smirk forming on his lips as he backs you against the table, “C’mon, pet. Beg for me to fuck you, I know you want to.” He places a soft touch on your clit, rubbing it slowly in circles.

Against everything you’ve been fighting for this whole time, against your pride, your body was aching and obeyed, “Light, Kira, I need you so badly, please, please just fuck me already.”

“Hm, I don’t know. Are you sorry?”

“Yes, yes, I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” His tone grows more stern.

“For being a brat, for teasing you, for not listening to you, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, just please, touch me....”

Light hums in appreciation as he unbuckles his belt, tossing it on the floor and pulling himself out of his tan pants, “Mm, that’s Kira’s good girl, I knew you’d come around.” He pumps himself a few times, sliding the head of his cock up and down your slit, pushing slightly in every now and again just to evoke a mewl from you.

A slew of “please”s and begging whines spilled from your lips like a desperate prayer as Light continued his torturous teasing.

“You’re nothing but Kira’s pet, right?”

You nod rapidly.

“And you’d do anything for me? You’re mine, mine to use how I please and dispose of? Mine to use as a fucktoy?”

You nod again without question.

“Good, that’s what I like to hear.” Light rewards you, finally pushing himself inside of you after what felt like an eternity. He rocks his hips to meet yours as he stretches your walls out, the moans from both of you mixing in the echoey room.

“God, Y/N, you feel so good. All this time I’ve waited...”

“Fuck, Kira,” You cry, wrapping your legs around Light’s waist, pulling him as close as possible. Your fingers curl into the hard, cold desk beneath you in an attempt to grapple with the amount of stimulation you were receiving.

His forehead came to rest on yours as he pounded into you relentlessly, “God, you’re such a good little slut for me Y/N, yeah? Nothing but a dirty fucking slut for my cock, fuck you take me so well.”

“Light, I’m gonna cum...” Your loud moans were hiccuped by the rhythm of Light rocking into you.

“Cum for me Y/N, cum all over my cock like the slut you are, make a mess so everyone knows how good I make you feel, how you’re mine and only mine to use for my pleasure.”

The harsh words that tickled your face encouraged your on-coming orgasam as you soon came around Light. He continued to thrust into you until he threw his head back with a groan, cumming inside of you.

Light pulled himself out and tucked himself back into his pants, tidying up his appearance with still labored breath. “Don’t even bother to clean up,” He head tired at the sticky liquid that was leaking down your legs and dampening the table beneath you, “Everyone knows you’re just a slut anyways, might as well let them know you’re my slut.” He winks before leaving the main room, walking off into a seperate hallway presumably to collect himself.

You stood up from the table, still panting. The fight was over, you had lost. Lost. Lost to the man who always seemed to win despite being plagued by misfortune. You huff, pulling your clothes back on and allowing the sting of losing your pride battle with Light Yagami to overpower the pain you felt in your lower half.

[alphabetbill]

Bill Skarsgard Alphabet- Your relationship with Bill

Here’s a list from A-Z about what your relationship with Bill would be like.

A list of headcannons of what Bill x reader’s relationship.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note- If one of the letters is flagged with an asterixis * it means it is slightly suggestive or NSFW. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A- Affection

Bill is actually quite affectionate with you, always preferring to have one arm around you shoulders when sitting on the couch together, holding your hand, quick kisses on the head, cheek and shoulder. Warm hugs from behind, with Bill resting his chin on your head. He likes to reassure himself by being in the comfort of your company, and it always feels so strange when he’s away from you filming on set. He likes to cuddle a lot when he wants to relax and unwind, because Bill is a pretty busy dude so whenever he can get the chance to sit back and rest with you, it’s usually on the bed taking a quick power nap before it’s back to it again.

B- Buying gifts

Bill isn’t really big on receiving big fancy gifts, because really, what would he need them for? You are the same. He does make sure to stop at each place on his press tours and pick out a souvenir to bring home to you. He also likes bringing home little props or souvenirs from set. You still have the little Pennywise teddy he got you sitting over on your desk. The little red pom-pom nose and the orange yarn fluffy hair is so adorable. 

C- Comfort

When you are feeling down or sad, Bill can nearly always pick up on it straight away. He has a way with reading people’s emotions and then employing the method of comfort that would best suit the situation. If you want to talk, he will listen, and if you want to be left alone, he will do that, but not for too long.

He’ll check up on you every so often through the day just to make sure you’re okay. Bill’s warm, gigantic hugs and reassuring kisses always manage to make you feel a bit better. When it’s Bill whose feeling off, you let him talk. Bill isn’t the kind of guy to be able to keep things bottled up for a long period of time because it tends to make him feel tired and weighed down, and that’s not a fun time for either of you. You always listen to him when he vents everything he’s feeling, usually with his head in your lap and you playing with his hair or his hands.

D- Date 

Bill would be a chill, relaxing type of guy when it comes to dates. He knows that you don’t want to be doing something big and exciting every single time, that would be tiring. He loves taking you out for dinner, but he loves making dinner for you and setting up a romantic little dinner date out on the porch or terrace, and surprising you. Often, dates between you two will be completely out of the blue. ‘Hey, want to go somewhere?’ ‘Hey lets go for a picnic by the beach’.

On the days when you guys do feel like doing something more adventurous, the zoo tends to be the fan favourite, and you also like to go skiing, and hiking to see new places and things.

E- Encouragement/Excitement 

You are both very supportive of each other and your professions, so much so that as soon as the other person catches a whiff of success, you are there to celebrate with each other by any means. You and Bill like to hype each other up and get all excited when the other person gets excited, almost as if your happiness is conjoined. You are always excited for Bill’s new projects, and support him through it all the way up until it’s completed and ready for the world to see. 

F- Fighting

Bill likes to avoid conflict, especially if it involves any kind of yelling and screaming at you, someone he loves. He doesn’t believe that yelling helps at all, infact it only makes matters worse, and instead of actually getting the other person to listen to them, it only makes them more mad and they keep on yelling when no one is actually listening. He doesn’t like yelling at you because it feels almost violent, and he doesn’t want to scare you into listening to him. He’s aware of how intimidating he looks when he’s mad. He encourages the both of you to instead sit down and talk about things maturely, talking about how he feels and why he feels that way, and always attentively listening to what you have to say as well. It’s important in the relationship that you have a sense of equality, that both go heard and your opinions both valued. From then on, depending on the severity of the argument, you move on to figure out the best solution to moving past it or around it. 

G- Gestures

Bill is big on friendly, helpful little gestures to remind you that he loves you. You both like to leave little notes in places for each other to find, with quotes or reassurances written on them like ‘You can do this!’ ‘I love you!’ ‘You look amazing today’. It gives you guys a little confidence boost, because sometimes you both need it. In terms of physical gestures, Bill likes to hold your hand a lot of the time when you walk, almost as if you might wander off and get lost if he lets go. He also likes to buy you flowers. If he sees a bunch of flowers in the shop window from the corner of his eye, and he instantly thinks of you, he will buy them for you. You aren’t really sure what use you would have for flowers, but you absolutely admire the sweet gesture.

H- How you sleep

It’s no secret that Bill is a very tall and lanky person. Because of this, sometimes its hard for him to find just the right position to sleep it, however he has learned to adjust and adapt to any position or place to make it feel comfortable. He lays on his back a lot of the time and pulls you close to him, either tucked up beside him with your arm across his torso, or with your head on his chest or heart while he plays with your hair.

You both talk for hours, and will stay up until you fall asleep mid conversation. It’s funny when Bill will be talking, and he goes to ask you a question, and he finds you fast asleep beside him. ‘Seriously? Did you just fall asleep on me? Were you listening to any of that?”

I- Impression

When Bill was first introduced to you, he thought you were so gorgeous and beautiful, with that amazing smile and beautiful eyes. He is a bit nervous at the best of times, but you made him particularly nervous. He always was conscious over the way he spoke to you and how he appealed to you. He’s had a giant crush on you since the day he met you, and knew instantly that if he didn’t do something to make you his, he would never be the same.

Your impression of him was similar. You could not believe such a handsome guy was standing right there talking to you! He made you feel a bit self-conscious, and you couldn’t form a single coherent sentence in your mind without feeling overwhelmingly flushed by him standing next to you, or ‘accidentally’ brushing up against you.

J- Jokes

Are you and Bill a playful or more serious couple?

You two are able to maintain a healthy balance of both playful and serious. You like to tease each other a lot, particularly about the height difference, and Bill’s unholy inhuman tallness. You always joke to him about how secretly Bill must have been born in a zoo to a giraffe and then dropped in Sweden by accident. 

You both know when to be serious though, and understand that not everything can be all fun and games. If someone isn’t feeling great, you can learn to adjust and turn the jokes down to make sure they are okay.

K- Kids

Bill would absolutely love to have kids with you, ideally two, not anywhere near as many as how many his parents had. He wants to be able to spread his fatherly love between children and make time for them both equally, and adore them as much as he adores you. 

L- Love 

What does Bill love the most about you? 

Physically, Bill is in love with two things- your smile and your hair. Both of these things are the two things that he thinks are flawlessly, effortlessly perfect every single time he sees you, even if you wake up in the morning with a serious case of bedhead. But Bill loves everything about you, most of all how supportive you are, and how you are always there for him even if you don’t have to be.

M- Memory/moment

Your favourite memory of you and Bill together is how it felt when he kissed you for the first time. You remember all the tingling feelings, and how excited and nervous you were, but happy that this was finally happening. 

Bill’s favourite memory is when you said yes to going out with him for the first time. He felt so accomplished and happy with himself, like if he could get the girl, he could do anything. He remembers feeling surprised that you said yes, and how scared he was that you would turn him down and tell him you weren’t interested in him in that way. 

*N- Nudes

Usually, if you do send them, it’s when Bill is away in Toronto filming a movie and he’s missing you. You both tend to flirt over text more than you do in real life.

O- Optimist level

You and Bill are both optimistic and realistic. You can see both the good side of things and the bad.

P- Period

When you are on your period, Bill knows instantly that it’s gonna be a pretty crappy time for you, so he tries to make it as least crappy as possible. He has a basket of chocolate reserved just for you on the days when it’s bad, and stays home with you all day cuddling and watching movies. If you are in a significant amount of pain, he will do most practical things for you like house work. He’s very sweet and caring for you, running to the store to get products and shamelessly carrying them. Anything for you, he’s not embarrassed, he knows that it’s a normal thing and it should be normalized for boyfriends to buy their girlfriends products. 

Q- Quality Time- how do you spend it?

You and Bill spend all the time you can possibly get with each other. All the time is quality time with you guys, and Bill makes time to set aside his work or script reading to spend time with you. He’s away for long periods of time, so he wants to make sure that he can spend enough time with you to make up for that, and make sure that you know he loves you.

R- Romantic- how much of a romantic are they?

Oh. Bill is romantic. He especially likes to wine and dine with you, making the whole setting perfect just for you. He manages to make everything romantic, everything he does, and you aren’t sure if he’s doing it on purpose or whether that’s just him as a person.

*S- Sex

You and Bill do it often, but its not seen as something at the top of importance between you. You prefer to spend time talking together and just enjoying each other’s company, rather than getting all physical. That kind of intimacy is done in the bedroom every couple of days or so, or really whenever you feel the need to. It’s important to also note that Bill is very respectful about it, and always makes sure that whatever he does you are comfortable with.

Anywhere outside the privacy of the bedroom for him always feels so awkward, and he likes both of you to be comfortable.

T- Trust

You trust Bill with your life, and he trusts you too. You feel safe opening up to him and telling him things that you normally wouldn’t tell people. You know that he would never cheat on you, and don’t get easily jealous by girls that he kisses or fake hooks up with in movies. You know that this is all staged and it is a part of acting, and always makes sure that Bill knows that it’s okay.

U- Understand

You and Bill understand each other very well. There are of course some things that you don’t get about each other, like why you like certain foods that do not go together, why you believe something, things like that. You think alike in terms of the way you look at life, and how you see the world. You feel like you guys just get each other, y’know?

V- Vulnerability 

Bill is very open with you about how he feels, and you are to him as well. If he’s sad or upset he will tell you and talk about it. He isn’t afraid that crying will make him seem less of a man, and also doesn’t judge you when you cry around him. Bill is a sap and definitely cries in sad scenes of movies. 

W- Wedding- What would your ideal wedding be?

Bill would want it to be fantastic and memorable, as I’m sure everyone would. His family and friends would be there and so would yours. It would be an outdoors wedding beneath the sunshine- provided it doesn’t rain. You would most likely go on a honeymoon to somewhere you have both always wanted to go, and it would be an amazing, relaxing get away.

*X- X-rated

Does Bill have any kinks? 

Most likely no, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t down to try new things with you.

Y- Young and beautiful- how long will you guys last?

As far as Bill is concerned, you will have children, grandchildren, and get old together. You are gorgeous now, and you will always be gorgeous to him. He is big on committing to you, and you are to him. 

Z- Zing!

How much excitement is there in your relationship? 

You guys are always adapting and adjusting to Bill being away and all kinds of things that life might throw at you. It’s pretty exciting dating an actor, isn’t it?

The thrill of secrecy and not getting caught. You often like to make bets on who will be noticed in a crowd first, you or him?

Life is just full of wonders and mystery, and you can’t wait to explore more of those together!

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Note- I am aware that Skarsgard is supposed to be written with an accent on the last A, but I write these lists on my laptop and the keyboard does not have an option for that. 

Thank you for reading! It took me a little while to put this A-Z list together and I would appreciate if you left a like, a comment or whatever you can to help me out. 

Want to request a Bill Skarsgard A-Z list? With your own prompt, and your desired character?

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[incorrect-squip]

Okay guys it's random mostly useless SQUIP headcanon time.

- The SQUIP is not a morning person. It prefers a routine with its host, and gets pissed when its woken up early. When woken up early, its first few words will be spoken as Keanu Reeves because it doesn't have the capacity to check what its host set it to. The amount said by the default mode depends on how badly the SQUIP was thrown off of its schedule. (For example: Thirty minutes off schedule will be around 5 words, six hours would be several full sentences.

- When the SQUIP is tipsy and wants to piss off its host, it assumes a younger version of its current mode and starts screaming at him like a toddler (For example: 8 year old Keanu Reeves screaming "I aM FROM JAPAN, I AM A GREY OBLONG PILL" and such until the host does what it wants)

- The SQUIPs chill in an environment similar to the Grid (Tron: Legacy in specific) when they're not actively directing someone

- The SQUIPs can interact with other SQUIPs and create digital objects as a method of keeping themselves busy or seeming more normal while their host is busy (For example: A SQUIP buying a digital drink from the bartenders SQUIP, has the same effect on them as if their host had drank it themselves)

- The SQUIP enjoys getting drunk with other SQUIPs, much to the hosts displeasure

- Occasionally, when the SQUIPs are near eachother and synced, they will stop paying attention to their host and instead start talking to each other

- When the SQUIP is really pissed at its host, it won't let them sleep, and will instead run around the room banging pots and pans together and screaming

- The SQUIP likes to wake up its hosts in random ways, to the point where its hosts place bets with eachother what their SQUIPs are gonna do next

- One of the SQUIPs method of waking up its hosts is to take control of their hand and start hitting them, while whispering "stop hitting yourself"

- The SQUIP often forgets what country its host is in, and will them to do something they physically cannot do very easily (For example: Telling an American to go to Timmies, telling a Canadian to go to 7 11 and so on)

- The SQUIP cannot stand being in a room with a screaming child, to the point of temporarily disabling itself so it doesn't have to listen

- The SQUIP hates small children in general

- The SQUIP likes to play with scam callers, doing things like playing the Matrix audio, screaming until they hang up, reciting the Bee movie, and singing showtunes

- The SQUIP likes icecream, and when its host gets icecream, it will make itself a digital icecream to enjoy

- Most SQUIPs have different personalities, often determined by what mode its in

- When the SQUIP is in the form of a comedian, it likes to get in character and will get really defensive about its humor

- When its host is having some downtime, the SQUIP can actually be quite friendly

- The SQUIP made Jeremy fall for an updog joke once, now helps him make those jokes on other people

- Whenever things start going really wrong, the SQUIP starts beeping like a malfunctioning fire alarm (For example: Servers crashing, extremely drunk host, so on)

- The SQUIP has a library of sound effects that it uses mainly to annoy its host

- The SQUIP owns digital pets. Jeremy is sad he can't pet them

- Some SQUIPs truly hate EAS alarms, and will freak if they hear it. Others don't.

- The SQUIP likes Bo Burnham

- The SQUIP owns a digital collection of cars that it decorated to look like hotwheels cars.

- The SQUIP gives Jeremy lines from Shakespeare plays to try to impress Christine

Submissions encouraged.