#the quarry oneshot

[ghostradiodylan]

Back to my roots with some Dylan whump feat. Ryan’s big feelings. This time with added Kaitlyn concern rage! :3

Hello! I would like to request a realistic aftermath of the shotgun amputation ;)

🐰 Okay, so, this was discussed on Discord prior to Torch's request (thank you Torch!) and Cas really thought we should get to see Kaitlyn plucking buckshot out of Dylan's arm. You're not actually supposed to do that, but it IS realistic that a bunch of teens/young adults might not know that. This is another long one from me because I'm incapable of being brief, but so far I've I've gotten positive feedback on my 'ficlets' that are so long they're basically just one-shots. I started my Quarry fanfic writing career with chainsaw hurt/comfort, so of course I had to inject some of that here! Hope you enjoy! :3

*******

When Ryan shoots Dylan’s hand off with his shotgun on the floor of the radio hut, he really doesn’t have time to panic. Some kind of black venom is visibly spreading up Dylan’s arm and, at that moment, Ryan agrees that it needs to be stopped. So, he stops it. He doesn’t second guess that decision at the time, because something huge and ugly is stalking the two of them and their fellow counselors. The fact that he’s just blown the left hand off the boy he’s spent the better part of the evening casually flirting with, the one he kissed for the first time a few hours before, can barely sink in because he’s trying so hard to finish engineering the feedback loop and keep them all alive. But once he’s sounded that earsplitting noise and chased the immediate danger away, Ryan’s better able to take in the horror of the scene that remains.

Dylan lies in a pool of his own blood, and the unrecognizable lump of tissue that used to be a hand sits inches from the mutilated end of his wrist. There are holes in the floor where buckshot has passed through Dylan’s flesh and bone entirely and into the aged wood. Ryan, still fueled by adrenaline, tells him his plan worked. He is genuinely impressed with Dylan’s ingenuity.

“It did the trick,” he says, “Nice work, Dylan.”

The bloodied boy on the floor begins laughing in a way Ryan finds deeply concerning, as if he’s completely delirious, before the chaos in front of him seems to sober him up. “Oh fuck, my hand!” Dylan exclaims, like he’s just noticed it. “Why did you do that?!”

“You told me to!” Ryan bites back in disbelief.

Does he really not remember?

“That was a bad idea,” Dylan admits, still holding pressure to the bleeding stump of his left arm, “aw fuck.”

At that very moment, the door bursts open, scaring the absolute shit out of both the boys. It’s Kaitlyn, likely having heard the gunshot and certainly the sound that followed. She’s come to see what’s become of the two of them. 

Kaitlyn manages to get out the words, “You guys all right… in… here?” before she begins processing the gruesome scene in front of her. Ryan watches her take in the handless Dylan, the pool of blood, and the detached former hand in silence, her mouth hanging slightly open for a moment.

“‘Sup Kaitlyn?” Dylan drawls from the pool of blood he’s lying in. He gives her a slight nod as a greeting since his one remaining hand is busy holding back arterial spray from where his other hand was once attached.

“What the fuck?!” Kaitlyn says breathlessly, “what the fuck happened here?!” 

“I—he—that thing bit Dylan’s hand and I, uh…” Ryan struggles to explain the situation, struggles to even understand it himself. 

Kaitlyn looks from Dylan to Ryan and back again, over and over, finally clocking Ryan’s bloodied face and the shotgun in his hand. Her shock gives way to fury. “Oh—oh my god, Ryan, what the fuck have you done?!”

“He—” Ryan points at Dylan like a child tattling to an adult, “he told me to!”

“I would really like for the record to show,” Dylan says, entirely too steady for the state he’s in, “that I said ‘cut it off.’ Not shoot. Cut. There’s a perfectly good chainsaw right over there.” He jerks his head toward the workbench where the chainsaw sits along with the other power tools.

“Why?! Dylan, why on earth would you say that?!” Kaitlyn asks. She wheels around to face Ryan without giving Dylan a chance to answer, “and why would you listen to him?!”

Kaitlyn glares at Ryan like she might bite him. He thinks he would probably deserve that. He can’t seem to get a word out to explain why blasting a hand off with a shotgun seemed like a good idea at the time but, for better or worse, Dylan is still fairly talkative despite his devastating injury.

“Hey, it’s okay Kaitlyn,” Dylan says, trying his best to sound normal and not quite achieving it, “you kinda had to be here to get the full effect, I guess, but there was this black stuff going up my arm, and we had to stop it before it got any higher, and this did stop it! I’m okay, really… I mean, I’m not, but it doesn’t hurt. I don’t even feel it. Which is… weird, right? I feel like having your hand shot off should hurt more than this.”

“It’s probably the adrenaline,” Kaitlyn explains, “or else you’re going into shock. Either way you’re going to be in a world of hurt sooner or later. You’ve probably got a bunch of buckshot still in your arm. Jesus fucking Christ, I can’t leave the two of you alone for a minute.”

Ryan thinks this is a somewhat unfair assessment of what they’ve accomplished here, given that Dylan’s plan and Ryan’s execution of it saved Kaitlyn’s ass as well as theirs. Dylan, for his part, laughs at Kaitlyn, because he’s apparently gone insane and lost all fear of death. Kaitlyn looks like she’s considering snatching Ryan’s gun, blowing Dylan’s head off, and calling it a total loss instead of trying to patch him up. She inhales deeply and lets it back out, as if meditative breathing will repair the rift in reality they’re currently experiencing.

“Ryan get the first aid kit,” she says, her tone more measured now, “we have to stop the bleeding before we move him, but if we can get Dylan down to the poolhouse, we’ll at least have running water to rinse this wound off. That’s where I sent Abi and Nick when I headed up here.” Kaitlyn kneels next to Dylan, then she grabs his arm roughly and he cries out in pain. “Stop moving so much!” she snaps, though the boy with the shot-off hand has barely moved a muscle.

“Fucking hell, Kaitlyn, be careful!” Ryan barks at her, and Kaitlyn’s head whips to the side to face him with a challenging look.

“Oh, I’m sorry Ryan, should I be as careful as you were when you turned Dylan’s hand into raw fucking meatloaf?” The boys are speechless at her outburst.

Wow, Kaitlyn’s being a kind of a bitch, Ryan thinks, and then it clicks in Ryan’s head that she’s not actually angry, not at him or at Dylan, she’s afraid. This is what fear looks like on Kaitlyn Ka, who he’d mistakenly thought was fearless. It’s raw and ferocious. Other than Jacob, who she’s known most of her life, Dylan’s the person she’s closest to at camp. Kaitlyn expresses her concern like a mother bear and if Ryan isn’t careful he really might get mauled by her before whatever the fuck bit Dylan gets a chance to sink its teeth into him.

Kaitlyn fashions a tourniquet out of bandages and a screwdriver, warning Dylan that it’s going to hurt, and Dylan winces as she twists the metal tool over and over to tighten it around his forearm, just below his elbow. She hands him a bottle of what appears to be ibuprofen from the nurse’s station, saying it’s the last of the supply after she gave some to Nick. 

“Ooh, fun,” Dylan says, throwing back the pills and swallowing them dry, and Ryan can feel Kaitlyn rolling her eyes at him even if he can’t see it.

The bleeding appears to stop, though there’s so much blood already that it’s difficult to tell. It seems stable enough that the three of them can set out for the poolhouse. Dylan is a bit wobbly at first but once he gets a few steps in he seems steady on his feet. Kaitlyn and Ryan flank him with Kaitlyn on the left holding onto his injured arm. Ryan carries the first aid kit with him, even though there’s another one in the poolhouse. It can’t hurt to have more supplies.

On the way, they get into a minor argument about whether the pellets of buckshot from the shotgun shell should be removed from Dylan’s arm or left in. Ryan thinks they should come out, he’s seen that in a number of TV shows and movies and while he knows those aren’t always accurate, he doesn’t think it seems right to leave foreign bodies in a wound. Kaitlyn is more hesitant. She knows that doctors will remove pellets from wounds but if they’re deep they might do more damage trying to remove them. In the end, Dylan says it’s his arm and therefore they’re his buckshot pellets and he should get a say, and he thinks they should compromise and get the ones that seem close enough to the surface to grab with tweezers and leave the others.

When the three of them make it into the poolhouse, Abi has Nick laid out by the showers, resting on a stack of rolled towels. She turns to them, saying “I was wondering when you guys would…” and is cut off at the sight of Dylan’s bloody arm stump. She shrieks. “Oh my god, ohh my god Dylan, what happened?!” Abi is keeping her eyes off of Dylan’s arm. She looks like she might cry, or faint, and Ryan watches, stunned, as Dylan tries to comfort her instead of the other way around.

“It’s okay Abi,” he says, a little too jovially, “just a flesh wound.”

“It’s literally not,” Ryan corrects him, thinking of the bits of bright white bone he could see in the remains of Dylan’s obliterated hand, and Dylan shakes his head at him to keep him from saying anything else.

Kaitlyn explains the situation much more succinctly than either of the boys could, then she sends Abi to find the poolhouse first aid kit while she and Ryan drag Dylan over to the sinks to rinse his wound in warm water. Dylan flinches when they direct the flow of the water over the end of his wrist but he doesn’t pull away. As the coagulated blood is rinsed away, Ryan can see exposed bone at the end of Dylan’s arm and several perfectly round holes that, as Kaitlyn predicted, almost certainly contain pieces of buckshot. The sight of it makes his stomach clench with guilt and worry.

Kaitlyn sits on the floor, picking through the two first aid kits for what she needs. She assembles gauze, more bandages, a small set of forceps, only slightly larger than standard tweezers, that Ryan assumes were intended for pulling splinters out of campers, some rubbing alcohol, an empty glass bottle she’s found to corral the pellets in—Ryan thinks it likely once contained apple juice, though the label has been peeled off—and a lidocaine spray intended for sunburns. It’s the best they have, under the circumstances.

Kaitlyn tells Ryan to join her on the floor and instructs Dylan to essentially sit between Ryan’s legs. Dylan raises an eyebrow at this and Ryan sighs and gestures at him to hurry up. Dylan sits where he’s told.

“This is not going to be fun,” Kaitlyn warns Dylan, then she looks to Ryan and says, “you’re going to have to hold him down, hold his arm still so I don’t cause any more damage.” 

Ryan swallows and holds Dylan’s left arm down, pinning it between his own arm and his bent knee with his hand steadying the wounded forearm just below the wrist. He reaches over Dylan’s right shoulder with his right arm and presses his hand to the middle of the injured boy’s chest, encouraging Dylan to lean back against him. It’s already pretty intimate, with Dylan's head resting on Ryan’s shoulder, and then Dylan grabs Ryan’s hand with his and interlocks their fingers, needing something to hold onto.

“Okay,” Dylan tells Kaitlyn, “let’s get this over with.”

Kaitlyn dunks the forceps in the rubbing alcohol and sprays around the wound and all the pellet holes she can find with the lidocaine spray. It’s not very strong, and she tells Dylan it’s only going to numb the surface, everything below that he’s going to feel. He nods, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, and Kaitlyn gets to work.

The first pellet is close to the surface and Ryan watches it pop out of Dylan’s skin easily with the fascination some people feel for those pimple extraction videos online. Kaitlyn drops it into the glass bottle where it makes a satisfying plinking sound.

“Oh!” says Dylan, that wasn’t so—OW!” He’s spoken too soon, and before Dylan can finish his statement, Kaitlyn has gone back in for another pellet. This one must be deeper, she has to fish around where the anesthetic spray hasn’t been able to reach before it comes out. Dylan has a vice-grip on Ryan’s hand by the time this one joins the other in the glass bottle.

“Two down,” Kaitlyn says, “only… six or so to go?”

“Awesome,” Dylan says sarcastically, and even in the dim light of the poolhouse, Ryan thinks he looks paler than usual.

Dylan is clearly in pain now as Kaitlyn digs for buckshot in his forearm and Ryan feels terrible about the choices he’s made. He’d thought the shotgun would be cleaner than the chainsaw, leave less chance for infection than a rusty tool Chris Hackett uses to carve up firewood, but Kaitlyn doesn’t seem to think it would’ve make that big a difference. She had warned him about the shotgun’s spread earlier, and though he’d taken the shot pretty close to his target, they certainly wouldn’t be playing this very advanced game of Operation right now if he’d gone for the chainsaw instead. On top of everything, the light from Abi’s phone flashlight keeps wavering, making it difficult for Kaitlyn to see what she’s doing.

“For fuck’s sake, Abi, can’t you hold that thing steady?!” Ryan snaps before he can stop himself.

“Ryan!” Kaitlyn chastises him as another pellet of buckshot clinks into the glass bottle.  

“I’m trying! You know the sight of blood makes me nauseous!” Abi nearly sobs the words and Ryan immediately feels bad, realizes he can, in fact, feel even worse than he had a moment ago. He’d forgotten how much she hates blood. She’d nearly fainted earlier in the summer when one of her campers had a nosebleed. It’s a rough night for all of them, certainly roughest for Dylan and Nick, but Ryan finds some sympathy for Abi—it’s a particularly bad night for anyone who hates the sight of blood.

“Sorry,” he mutters lamely.

“It’s all right,” Abi says, “I’ll try to do better.”

Ryan doesn’t think of himself as having a particularly comforting presence, but for Dylan he does his best, murmuring a steady stream of reassuring nonsense like he might if his little sister crawled in bed with him after having a nightmare back home. “It’s okay,” he says, “it’s okay, you’re okay. Just hang on, all right?This’ll be over soon. I’ve got you. Just stay with me, Dylan. I’m here. I’m right here and I’ve got you.” 

It’s bullshit, he knows it and Dylan probably knows it too—his wounded friend is in bad shape and Ryan hasn’t got shit, nothing is under control and nothing is okay, but Dylan squeezes his hand, his head turned so the right side of his face is pressed against Ryan’s shoulder, and Ryan can tell he’s trying very hard to be brave. Dylan holds back from crying out for the most part, expressing his pain through bitten off groans that he tries but can’t quite silence. Occasionally, he sucks air through his teeth and swears. Dylan’s trembling a little and sweating and he sniffles from time to time because he can’t keep the tears from streaming down his face, dampening the fabric of Ryan’s Cult Damage t-shirt.

Kaitlyn digs for a pellet at the very end of Dylan’s wrist, and he’s completely quiet for a moment, then he goes limp in Ryan’s arms.

“Oh, shit. Dylan?” Ryan hears the panic in his own voice when he speaks.

“Fuck, he passed out.” Kaitlyn pats at Dylan’s cheek, not all that gently but not quite hard enough to qualify as a smack. It does nothing to rouse him. Her fingers press into the side of his neck to feel his pulse, but she doesn’t seem overly concerned with whatever she finds there. Ryan can feel Dylan breathing, but he’s terrified by this development just the same.

“What? Why would that happen?!” He demands of Kaitlyn. “Why now?”

“I don’t know!” Kaitlyn says, “Pain, I guess. Shock? Maybe that last pellet was near a nerve? I barely scraped a B in anatomy.”

“Blood loss?” Abi offers, her expression grave. She looks over at Nick, who adjusts his position a little, and then turns her attention back to Dylan.

“Let’s just get this finished,” Kaitlyn says, “then we can get him cleaned up.” 

She plucks three more pellets from Dylan’s arm, dropping them into the bottle, and then declares that if there are any more, he’ll need an x-ray to find them and trying to dig for them blindly would do way more harm than good. She sends Abi to the sink for a couple of wet washcloths and Kaitlyn wipes down Dylan’s arm while Abi dabs at his face.

Dylan begins to stir, finally, as Kaitlyn is working to bandage his wound. Ryan watches his face intently as he comes around, his brows scrunching and relaxing, eyes moving behind his closed lids. He groans softly before his eyes flutter open and he blinks up at Ryan, seeming to search Ryan’s face for clues as to what the fuck is even happening right now. 

“Dylan,” Ryan says, relief washing over him, “hey! You’re awake.” 

“G’morning Hacketteers,” Dylan rasps weakly, his voice a pale imitation of the one that has boomed out over the PA all summer. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Cap’n Crunch,” Kaitlyn says, rattling the bottle of pellets, “it’s the ‘Oops! All Buckshot’ flavor, unfortunately.”

“Oh, no thanks,” Dylan snorts, “I’m full.” He looks down at the bandaged end of his left forearm. “Though… less full than I used to be, apparently.”

Dylan’s jokes are as obnoxious as ever and Ryan is thanking the cosmic space gods that he’s coherent enough to make them.

As Kaitlyn finishes taping up the bandages, Dylan looks down at his remaining hand and seems to realize it’s still loosely entwined with Ryan’s. He grips Ryan’s hand and Ryan squeezes his right back.

“Thanks you guys,” Dylan says, almost uncharacteristically earnest, and Ryan is reminded of their conversation about his blasé persona and ‘Dylan-Dylan,’ which feels like it happened weeks ago.

“Don’t mention it,” Kaitlyn says with a smile, “just, never do anything this stupid again if you can help it, please.”

Dylan nods. Ryan doesn’t really need to hold onto him anymore, but he is just the same.

“I’m just glad you’re still with me, buddy,” Ryan says in a half whisper.

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere, Ryan. You know how the old saying goes, ‘hand a man a gun, he shoots for a day, shoot a man’s hand off with your gun and you have to, um, let him hold your hand in the hand that he has left. Forever. Or at least for one date. But probably forever.’”

“Yeah,” Ryan deadpans, “I can see how that became a proverb for sure. Real snappy.”

Kaitlyn bursts out laughing. Even Abi giggles at this, putting a hand on Dylan’s shoulder before hurrying back over to check on Nick.

“What? He can shoot my hand off but I can’t shoot my shot? Seems unfair. I—”

Dylan’s words are cut off when Ryan leans down and kisses him on the mouth, his hands pressing to either side of Dylan’s face. It’s the only thing he can think to do to express his relief and concern and gratitude at that moment, to say that he’s sorry but also not. And another feeling is in the mix there, something soft but undeniable and deeply unfamiliar, something that, Ryan’s terrified to realize, might actually be love.

“Let’s save our strength with some quiet time, hm?” he says, still holding Dylan’s face in his hands.

Dylan looks back at him, awestruck. He nods, slowly, and then there’s a gunshot outside. A howl of inhuman agony follows and then a splash. 

Something big has just landed in the pool.

[ruewrote]

𝑗𝑎𝑐𝑜𝑏 𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠.

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protective, but in the sweetest way:

   – jacob is definitely the type to keep an eye on you, not in an overbearing way but more like a silent guardian. he knows you can handle yourself, but he can’t help but worry sometimes, especially after everything that’s happened at hackett’s quarry.

   – he’s always the first to throw his arm around your shoulders or stand a little too close when things start to feel sketchy, but he does it with a casualness that makes it feel comforting, like a constant reminder that he’s got your back.

affectionate goof:

   – jacob shows his love through physical affection, whether it’s ruffling your hair, giving you playful shoulder bumps, or sneaking up behind you to wrap his arms around your waist and spin you around.

   – he loves making you laugh, often telling terrible jokes just to see your smile and when you do laugh, he grins proudly to himself.

endless compliments:

   – jacob’s never shy about telling you how beautiful you are. whether you’re dressed up or just lounging in sweats, he’s always got something sweet to say.

   – “how’d i get so lucky, huh?” he’ll ask with a lopsided smile, pulling you into his lap as he playfully pretends to think about it. “seriously though, you’re gorgeous.”

casual dates:

   – jacob’s idea of the perfect date is something relaxed and fun, like a late night drive, a picnic by the lake or binge watching a dumb reality show together.

   – he loves the idea of little adventures, like spontaneous road trips to nowhere, and insists on pulling over to explore random spots just to make memories with you.

secretly a hopeless romantic:

   – even though he’s a bit of a jock and acts all cool, jacob has a soft side when it comes to you. he loves surprising you with random little things. flowers he picked himself, your favorite snacks, or even handwritten notes he leaves around the house.

   – sometimes, when you’re lying together he’ll get quiet and just stare at you, thinking about how lucky he is. when you catch him, he’ll just blush and pull you closer, mumbling something like, “can’t help it, you’re too cute.”

jealous, but playful:

   – jacob can get a little jealous, but he tries to laugh it off. if someone’s flirting with you, he’ll come up and drape himself over you, saying something like, “hey, babe, didn’t see you talking to this random person here.”

   – you’ll tease him about it, but he knows it’s all in good fun. he trusts you completely, but he also loves any excuse to show everyone that you’re his.

cuddling is a must:

   – no matter where you are. whether it’s the couch, a hammock or even on the grass under the stars. he’ll pull you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you protectively.

   – he loves resting his head on top of yours or tangling his legs with yours, making sure you’re close enough to feel his warmth. it’s one of the ways he feels most connected to you.

late night talks:

   – jacob loves those deep, quiet conversations that happen late at night when you’re both half asleep. you’ll be lying in bed and he’ll start talking about the future or random dreams he’s had.

   – sometimes he gets a little vulnerable in these moments, telling you about his fears, his insecurities, and his hopes and you always reassure him, which means alot to him.

playful banter and competition:

   – jacob loves a bit of friendly competition and he’ll challenge you to silly things like arm wrestling, races.

   – of course, he’ll always let you win (he’ll pretend he wasn’t trying), just to see you smile. 

not so secretly sentimental:

    – despite his sometimes goofy exterior, jacob holds onto little mementos from your time together. he keeps a collection of photos, random doodles you’ve made, even concert tickets from dates.

    – one time, you found him staring at a photo of you two and when you asked about it, he just smiled softly and said, “this one’s my favourite.”

comments and reblogs are appreciated ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

© ruewrote 2024.

[ruewrote]

𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒.

PAIRING: jacob custos x fem!reader WARNINGS: consensual biting GENRE: pure fluff SONG INSPIRATION: i like me better by lauv WORD COUNT: 471 REQUESTED: yes

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normally you weren’t one for pda, especially not wanting to see it in public.

that quickly changed when you finally got into a relationship with your long term crush, jacob custos.

it started out small, nudging your hands closer to each other before interwinding your pinkies together, the two of you too shy to fully commit to an actual handhold, not like it took long for you to get more comfortable with each other.

the day isn’t complete without at least one kiss from the other, your personal favourite being when you were sick one time and jacob made the effort to run to your house, climbing up your window just to give you the biggest, sloppiest kiss on your heated cheek before making his way back home with the dopiest smile on his face.

the next day he got sick too, but he didn’t care in the slightest since you were able to spend your days facetiming each other, ‘till this day he says that it was ‘worth it’ and you honestly wouldn’t want it any other way.

right now you were laid in his arms, your cheek pressed against his bicep, his front to your back as he lazily scrolled through his socials. dropping your phone as you started tracing your fingertips down his arm, pulling a deep hum from him.

you loved times like these, the peaceful moments where you’d lay in his arms or he’d lay in yours and you could just exist around each other. a social battery was no such thing when it came down to you guys.

your fingertips tracing down to his free hand that was sprawled out in front of you, intertwining your fingers with his own, his thumb gently brushing over your knuckles, making you smile.

as cheesy as it sounded, you couldn’t think of one thing you’d rather be doing right now.

turning over, slightly out of reach as your lips pressed against his arm, leaving little kisses. jacob whines from the loss of contact, his hand gently pulling your hips back onto his own as you kiss at his skin. 

as he was distracted your teeth nipped at him, he let out a grunt, but didn’t protest so you went in for the kill and bit his bicep. gently of course, but enough to leave a faint mark.

moving back to leave a peck on the new mark, before curling back into his arms and started watching his tiktoks again.

“ya know if you were still hungry you could’ve just told me, but then again i don’t blame you…i truly am a snack.” he joked, you playfully rolled your eyes, laughing at his silliness.

from then on it became a thing for you to do, the two of you acknowledge it as another part of your guys love languages.

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

© ruewrote 2024.

[sorrowsofsilence]

the quarry • omens

“When the sun goes down on the last night of summer camp, [five] counselors are plunged into an unpredictable night of horror. The only thing worse than the blood-drenched locals and creatures hunting them are the unimaginable choices you must make to help them survive.”

hmmmm?? how do we feel about some halloween chaos?

[ruewrote]

𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔.

PAIRING: jacob custos x fem!reader WARNINGS: miscommunications, no use of y/n, jealousy GENRE: angst, fluff SONG INSPIRATION: love lies by khalid & normani WORD COUNT: 761 REQUESTED: yes A/N: this was requested but i think i got a little carried away so sorry if this is not what you meant :')

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Everything was fine between you and jacob…well that’s what you thought.

A couple of months before summer break started he had asked if you wanted to join him as a counsellor and of course you said yes, you wanted to be supportive! And you thought it’d be better than missing him the whole time he was away too.

The drive there was pretty chill and wasn’t too far away from where you lived, thinking of it like a mini road trip, snacks, songs, him. You couldn't ask for anything else, yeah well that was before you actually got there.

After putting your bags in your rooms, you went to meet up with the others. It was nice finally putting the faces to the names, well that was until jacob’s mood soured. He became overly possessive over you, always having his hand on your waist, keeping you close to him.

You could understand why, the playful flirting from Nick wasn’t helping, but he was just kidding and he knew that right? …right?

It didn’t help that Chris kept you doing tasks that separated you, spending so much time away from each other irritated you both since that was one of the reasons you wanted to come here in the first place!

Lingering gazes, brief hugs, only a little amount of time to talk.

It was halfway through the stay when you decided enough was enough, rolling out of the bottom bunk that you were sleeping on to go and talk it out with him.

The sound of heavy breathing and snores were heard throughout the cabin, you slipped on your shoes and a hoodie and slid out of the door. You wrapped the material tighter around you as you crept to the next tiny building over.

Sneaking around to the back window was your safest bet since you remembered how creaky the door had been when you went to meet up with him daily.

You tapped against the glass lightly as you noticed he was still awake too, but were careful enough to not wake any of the others. He gestured that he’d meet you out near the steps, you nod before making your way over and taking a seat.

It didn’t take long for him to come out and sit down beside you.

A couple of minutes go by, nothing but silence was shared between you two, trying to think of how to even start this, because what even was this? Not once in your friendship or relationship had it ever been this quiet, funnily enough not even when you slept. you think that’s what worries you the most.

“Did I do something wrong?” your voice came out almost like a whisper but he heard you.

“W-what no? Of course not! Why would you even think that?” he questions you, sounding hurt by what you said.

“Well what else am i supposed to think?”

“when my boyfriend has been practically avoiding me on a trip that he wanted me to come on?” raising your voice slightly, before lowering it when remembering people were sleeping inside.

“The only time you’d acknowledge me was when we’re around the others and even then you’re not there with me. You act differently, shoulders squared, chest puffed, acting like you have something to prove to them…” you trail off as you look down at your hands, not really wanting to look him in the eye.

“What changed? Seriously, what was it? Because I'd like to not be punished for something that I clearly didn't do!” your eyes stung with tears as you looked up at him, guilt. Pure guilt and regret was what covered his features.

That was what broke him, “I'm so sorry, babe.” 

Tears of his own welled up in his eyes, wrapping an arm around you, pulling you close into his side. “You didn't do anything wrong, I swear.” 

Your crying turned to sniffles now as you listened, “I got all in my head when the guys first met you, got a little too over protective over you… a little more jealous than I'd like to admit, but I should've never taken it out on you.”

“You're the one person that doesn’t deserve to be treated  like this. Ugh, I'm such a dick.”

“...yeah you were for that.” he pulls back from you, but doesn’t let you go. Looking into each others eyes just makes you both burst out laughing, leaning into each other for balance 

“I’m glad you idiots made up but some of us are trying to sleep!” Dylan calls out.

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

© ruewrote 2024.

[108garys]

Resilience

for my first fic of the year here's my first ever fic related to the quarry, but of course I am a lover of the supermassiverse as always so it definitely references dark pictures stuff, namely the hoa vampires as this is a post canon vampire Abi fic but there is one other anthology character in this

Warnings are: biting, choking, impalement, disembowelment, blood, drinking blood, unethical experimentation, captivity, just generally gets violent around the middle, mental intrusion, surreal nightmare/dreams, cannibalistic elements(4800+ words)

(end of summer/2021)

"...the subject was infected?"

Abi tries to lift her head, her arm burning from where she was bit hours ago. "She didn't turn..." A man's voice reaches her ears through a haze, a weight lay heavily on her chest, cold metal stings her skin, the bright lights above blinding. "...it was in her system for hours, she should have..." She shuts her eyes, a faint throbbing in her head, surely she will be released soon... "...the subject's resilience is unprecedented..." she curls on the bench in the small cell as the voices murmur about resistances, about curses and tests... So many tests...

__

She drifted away in the darkness, back in that place... A kiss in a clearing, moonlit cool breeze, hands in hands on fabric and flesh and teeth, tasting something new... Unease. Blood and fear, desperation and betrayal... Tainted by gloss she does not wear...

In the void of white hot light she is held by unseen hands. Strange voices echo in the nothing, speaking of a darker darkness far below the earth, her mind is ever moving through a thick sludge as the essence of terror moves through her. Abigail is tormented by what was, what could have been and the things she'll never know... The sight of her head torn from her, bloodied tiles, her body picked apart piece by piece... an easy meal and other more human horrors as she coughs and chokes, filling until overflow until her heart beat drowns out all else, pushed past her limitations, breaking apart, as she was expected to do. It must end, she could not bare it and yet... She had survived.

...Another test passed, another trial overcome...

__

All fades into normalcy, the faceless ones ask and ask and record in repeation, twisting around account of memories and nightmares until the boundaries blur and bleed together.

She is starving but not starved, she eats and eats as they provide, unable to be truly satisfied... Her grasp on the concept of time slips, split between the white of waking horror and the black of night terrors, greying further they take blood and replace it with something else... mark her all over in preparation for the next test, it must be something big as the lines run across her skin in all the places a surgeon's cruel blade would cut, but she does not fear for it will be over soon...

__

...in endless night she finds herself, sitting alone in that clearing under the full moon, believing her life was already over... Abi looks into her eyes as she sits by her side, processing the truth of the things she swallowed for the sake of peace... And to be wanted. Taking the hands of her other self she knows how this goes... A kiss, soft and tentatively reassuring, but without that other feeling, no lies to accept as she sees herself without shame, no monster lurks in the shadows but herself and she's there once again on wet tiles, in that moment of truth she had done what she had to do but remained tormented by the what ifs and deep down she knows as she views this lesser self with hungry eyes, an unbearable need drove her, her body a raw nerve as she acts, sharp teeth and nails ripping through fabric and flesh, sinking into her own throat. The brutality experienced in full as predator and prey, devoured and becoming full, accepting herself in full, vibrant and passionate flowing through her veins, warmth washing over her, consuming and clarifying this true version of herself. Abigail stands alone, a remade in the image of herself...

__

Her mind surfaces through the haze of fading dreams, laying flat on her back she doesn't know how long she's been staring up at the ceiling lights, how long she has been immobile... She scrunches up her face, skin pulling oddly over changed features, she brings her hands to run over her face, feeling the small horns protruding from her skull and razor sharp fangs in her mouth, stretching and testing her strength before rising to her feet, her surroundings unfamiliar yet deceptively mundane, the facade of a normal room but the scent too sterile and devoid of life. A mirror covers one wall, created for observation, undoubtedly much more secure than her old cell. This new self gazes out from the reflective surface, the devil in her shape, thin pale scars running across her skin, wide red eyes, fangs and claws, horns poking through her dark hair... Her mouth reddened from a recent meal, feeling content if not for her captivity... But not forever.

Abi behaves herself, letting them believe she is a successful vampire, as they freely call her now, passing their tests and exceeding their expectations watching all the while for a crack she can slip through...

For months Abigail is akin to a rat running through obstacles to be studied and graded, her enhanced senses open her eyes, faceless they remain behind their gasmasks and hazard suits but a heartbeat doesn't lie, she observes them back... Something is coming and they aren't entirely certain of her survival.

__

Her final test begins in a large room, clumsily furnished to appear as a living room with cheap mismatched furniture, the scientists must know she can tell what they intend to unleash for no matter how much they scrub away the evidence the corruption remains, the scent of something much older and hungrier, Abi runs her hand over the wall, claw marks... Another vampire.

Her back is to him as he enters, his footsteps heavy on the hard floor, she steps away from the wall she takes in the sight of him, tall, lean, skin grey and eyes sunken, he looks rough... how long has he been here?

"Manny Sherman," he introduces with a devilish grin, showing his fangs, he bares the same markings as hers, a subject of the same experiments, "But you may know me as the Beast of Arkansas."

"Who?" She asks to his immediate annoyance, the smug look falling from his face. As he takes a step towards her she attempts to smooth over any insult. "I've never met another... Like me," she'd never called herself a vampire out loud although she knew it was the scientific classification, "You don't sound like you're from Arkansas."

She breathes a sigh of relief as that gets a chuckle from him, which is short lived as he grabs her wrist and tugs her towards the couch in the centre of the room, making her sit with him. "Don't they teach kids manners anymore? Usually the other person introduces themselves too." he berates her, releasing her to stretch his arms over the back of the couch, Abi looks at him, he looks half dead and rat like, she attempts to compose herself knowing that this is a test, there's no leaving this room until it's over. "Abigail, I've been here since the end of summer, how long have you...?"

"Long before you were even a thought, in 97 I slipped up with a nice girl," he puts his feet up on the table as he looks thoughtful before adding with a sly look, "Looked a little like you, you're a nice girl aren't you, Abigail?" she almost reflexively shifted away from him, which clearly amused him. He leans towards her. "in 2003 they gave me death for the murder of 13 women, 'officially'." She looks away, unable to escape her reflection in that damn mirror they use throughout the facility, hating how obvious her discomfort is, why couldn't they be 'no reflection' vampires? She wraps her arms around herself trying to appear more casual then afraid.

"Were you a vampire back then? I mean if you needed the blood..." She tries to rationalise but he laughs like that's the biggest joke he'd ever heard, he puts his feet back on the ground and leans closer with his hands on his knees. "That would make it so much better wouldn't it? After all, wild beasts can't be blamed for the things they do," he shifts closer, his tone more serious, "Save the moral posturing, you're a killer too, I can see that-"

"I'm not- I didn't! It was self defence." Manny put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "You live like this as long as I have you pick up a thing or two, you still got the scent of the last punk to stomp on your heart, before you put him down like a dog that is-"

"I didn't kill him, he survived..." she looks down at her hands in her lap, replay that moment over, seeing clear as day. "I shot him right as he transformed into this... Grotesque monster, it was enough to drive him off and I never saw him again." She looks up at him, surprised at how close his face is as he squeezes her shoulder. "Deep down you're glad that guy was a monster, so you can ignore the guilt of taking a life, but you did mean to take a life and if you could justify it once you can justify it again."

"What does it matter in here?" Abi attempts to evade the topic, expressing frustration over their situation, his hands shifted to run through her hair as she desperately looks for a way to salvage something positive from the experience. "Have you ever tried to escape?" she whispers in the hope that the scientists, damn them, wouldn't be able to pick up her words. "The world has changed a lot since the late 90s... Maybe we could help each other out?" Manny's hand moves to the back of her neck, through his intense grin she can see the judgement in his eyes. "You think you're smart, Huh?" his grasp preventing her from moving away. "Just bat your lashes and act like you won't run for the hills the second you're out of here... I'm sure you expect me to do ALL the killing too? Then you can continue pretending you're not a monster." She put her hands on his chest firmly. "Please, I'm not-"

She gasps as he yanks her forward sinking his fangs into her shoulder, pushing her down in the process, her arms trapped between them. It doesn't hurt like being bitten before had but the terror is suffocating. He releases her shoulder as she drove her clawed fingers hard into his stomach, quickly pushing her off the couch. She scrambles to her feet, putting the couch between them, he looks down at the damage, shock quickly replaced with a devilish grin, her blood dripping from his mouth. "We're both vampires, you gain nothing from this." she tries desperately to appeal to him as she backs up further as he swiftly steps around the couch.

"But I need the blood, don't I, Abigail... That's what you think?" He pushes her hard against the wall, mocking her earlier attempt to rationalise his behaviour. "Just wild animals acting on instinct," Manny wraps a hand around her throat, lifting her just above his eye level as she's pinned to the wall, her feet dangling off the ground. Kicking. Clawing at his wrist. "There's something different about you, what is this?" He licks her blood from his lip, the gears turning in his mind that the lab may have progressed in their experimentation-

She attempts to yells out as his claws impale her stomach, burying his talon like fingers deep into her flesh, grip on her throat tightening. Hot blood flows freely from her, the scent overpowering in the small room as he tears through her. Soaking through cloth and flesh. Running all the way down to drip, drop by drop, to the floor at his feet.

He grins, blurry in her vision as she slumps forward, horns brushing over horns as something stirs in the back of her mind. Flashes, sparks of raw nerves... He presses his horns back into hers, solidifying that connection and she was back in that place... A man chases a woman through the woods, flesh and hair bloody and again and again, she sees him and her, parts of them intersperse. For so long had he been here, the very first experiment, undefeated he lives for this. She sees herself as he sees her, as she is. The perfect victim. An unexpected threat. Her mind lain bare to him and his to her.

She struggles for purchase, for something to cling to pushing through their psyche. Claws catching and tearing at his gnarled face before he throws her across the room, tumbling over the couch. The table breaks beneath her, mirror shattered behind. He stalks towards her, shoving the couch out of the way. "That's the boy you were crying over?" He laughs despite the anger in his eyes, "Your worthless friends didn't give a damn about you, they threw you away the second you stopped amusing them." He taunts. "Not. Even. Human."

Abi grasps for a broken table leg, feeling like she had back then but this time she has blood on her hands, under her nails, she can't resist the urge to taste, her fingers in her mouth, Feeling stronger than she knew. "That's right, show me who you are, Abigail." Staggering to her feet she swings the hefty wood at his head. Splintering sharply as it catches his horns, ducking as he lunges she plunges the wood deep into his thigh. Pulling it out with great effort, the floor a mess of debris and slick with blood. Striking again at his clawed stomach, tearing deeper. There is nothing but survival. The wood breaks off in the wound, he rips out a fist full of her hair before a terrible sound screams out-

An ear splittingly loud screech of painful noise assaulted her senses like the one that kept them safe during that summer night. Manny felt it too, falling to his knees in agony. They're of no value if they both die, Abi pushes through, taking up more of the debris, pushing herself to her feet, putting a hand out to steady herself, feeling the exposed wall behind the shattered glass. Opportunity. She desperately shatters the glass. Tearing at anything she can get her hands on. Her rage matching her pain as she rips fixtures off the wall, rips up previously hidden wires, until... Silence.

The noise subsided the power cut and the room is in total darkness. Her red eyes scan as Manny twitches and recovers but she can't waste this chance. She pulls at the door, the electronic locks disengaged she pulls it open and throws herself through, running in the darkness she navigates the places she knows, taking advantage of the resulting chaos. Screams echo behind her, she's not the only one making a run for it, maybe it's Manny, maybe it's some other experiment but she's grateful for the distraction, the smell of human blood fills the narrow halls, gunfire sounds in the distance. She pushed into a vent, crawling through a maze of tight metal tunnels, seeking the scent of fresh air. Hours pass unaware of the extent of the chaos, happening in the lab...

The smell of fresh cool air and distant smoke greets her as she kicks out an external vent, waiting before she steps out into the night. She presses herself to the building as a large bat like creature flies overhead, not daring to breathe until it disappears into the night. Abi carefully slides down into a shallow riverbed, flowing away from the facility. The harsh glow of the now burning lab casting strange shadows through the dense greenery surrounding the building, she keeps moving until she falls to her knees in a quiet clearing, her stomach grotesquely wounded, on the verge of spilling her guts she tries to catch her breath, licking the blood from her hands. Dulling the pain a little-

Movement catches her attention. He's here. "What was that you were saying? You and me helping each other out?" Manny smugly steps out in front of her, kneeling down, he looks far rougher than he had, she lifts her head unable to hide what she was doing, unable to respond from the damage he'd inflicted on her throat. "This is what we are." He takes her wrist, biting into it. He teaches her this lesson as he feeds, the cannibalistic act healing, he pulls her close again, unwilling to lose his easy meal. It fills her with rage, that he thinks he can use her like that, that he thinks he can look into her mind, that he can act like she didn't see into his. How dare he.

She throws her head back, striking his chin, horns tearing through his throat in the process. His blood flows over her as she pushes forward, sinking her fangs into the open wound, blind to everything else she drinks and drinks until she is whole and he is still... She hadn't factored her horns in her attempt, hadn't intended to tear into him like that and maybe she should be horrified by taking his life but she wasn't. Even if he had intended some twisted little vampire team up and things were different away from the lab she still couldn't regret it. She takes one last look, the things she could have learnt weren't worth the price, even now his empty eyes taunt her with the mark he'd left upon her, the tangled mess of memories clear in her mind. She is herself... only herself, but her eyes are wide open to so much more...

__

(current day)

She is free, she is alive... She is alone. Abi adjusts to the world around her, filled with noise and colour she could not conceptualise. She sifts through the memories, writing them down and sorting through what is hers, his and creations of her long captivity, they bleed and blur at the edges, 70 years extra knowledge fills her mind to over flowing, but it's not all bad, she learns many things from her stolen experiences, where vampires came from, the things she could do, how to blend in and to survive in the wild...

The first time she killed a human she was already desensitised, decades of violence lingers in her psyche but never had she taken from those undeserving. Often her prey stalks her, offering themselves unaware of her nature and seeing only the past self. Just a girl, naive enough to hitchhike all on her own...

Abi sits, wearing a warm coat although she does not feel the cold, her horns poke through her hat, easily taken as an intentional design choice, red lenses distract from the colour of her eyes, her fangs, although front and centre, weren't too big if she didn't call attention to them. She sits outside a roadside diner shortly after dark, taking in the sounds and scent of humanity as she draws a memory from a sunlit morning before her time, she could almost feel the warmth on her skin as she sketches an old labrador resting in the morning sunshine as an older man fails at imparting wisdom despite his best efforts. A slither of humanity restored through the creative process... He was an artist too and it was hard to disagree when she could feel what he felt in recollection.

"Abi?" A nostalgic scent, a familiar voice, the elevated pulse, she dares not to hope but as she looks... "It's actually- god you look... I can't believe-" Jacob stops as she stands, packing away her things in her bag, he doesn't miss what's right in front of him, not after what they'd been through all those years ago. He glances around at the quiet surroundings, his heart speaks of nervous hope, she supposes it would be less frightening if she spoke... "Jacob, what are you doing out in the middle of nowhere?" She smiles, trying not to expose her fangs too much, "I thought you'd be halfway across the country playing..." she struggles to recall which sport but he nervously chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, no... Things haven't exactly panned out that way, no I-" he points to a car across the lot, "You need a ride anywhere or?"

She nods, following him, hardly believing it. Is he human? He smells human. He puts her stuff in the back and the second they're shut in he just stares, understandably. "Everyone said you were dead, god I- what happened to you?" she slowly removes her sunglasses and places them atop her horns, giving him a moment to process her red eyes, a heavy feeling settles inside her. "There are worse secrets than finding out your boss is a werewolf."

"How much worse?" He asks cautiously, she looks at herself in the rear view mirror, "It's a long story," she warns as he offers. "I live around a half hour away from here, maybe you could... stay- if you don't have other plans."

Her eyes well up with tears, she hadn't realised she was still capable of producing, he immediately puts a hand on her shoulder as she just nods along with the suggestion, she wipes her hands over her face as he pulls onto the road. For what feels like forever they don't speak as they process this strange reunion, she wants to ask about him, about the others but, she knows that she owes her own expectations, even if it goes against every survival instinct she's acquired...

"I was never released after... After I was made like this, I fought for my freedom," she starts cautiously, "This is who I am now, as if werewolves weren't enough, someone made me this way... The justification was that my previous infection would positively impact the end results of their experiment." He nods along, looking concerned with his eyes on the road. "So... the government turned you into a vampire?"

"I know it sounds like some nutty conspiracy theory, I would have thought so if I hadn't lived it." She looks at him trying to gauge his reaction to her presence. He smiles bitter sweetly. "I'm in no position to judge, not after what we saw... God I just can't believe you're alive... Or as alive as a vampire can be?"

"I'm not that type of vampire, I'm not undead in the literal sense," she explains, sensing his relief but still unsure of how much she should spill, "So... If not college, what have been doing, exactly?" He turns down a narrow dirt road. "Farm work, really, after everything I wasn't- I needed time and just like that I blew my one shot at going to school debt free on athletic scholarships," She looks down the long path ahead as he continues, shame evident in his voice. "The plan was to work on my great aunt's property until I sort myself out and then maybe community college, maybe trade school."

"Jacob, when your relatives see me..." She starts to broach the obvious. "It's not like we're teens, I'm allowed to have guests-" He stops short realising what she meant. "Right, my place is at the far end of the property... We'll figure it out, just, try not to scare the sheep." He says with genuine concern for the animals, it's endearing how he cares for them... And how he so easily accepts that she's still herself. She has to fight back tears again as he gets out to open the gate, she's considered going back to her family but she can't let them see her like this... It wouldn't be fair to them.

As they finish the drive up to the house something becomes clearer to her in this small space, although entirely human, Jacob's scent carries the slightest undertone of wolf's blood, it's barely perceptible even to her but the curse left it's mark and while it's not what he planned he's still doing something... Something more than living like an animal in the woods. "There's some large crates in the shed if you need 'coffin time' during the day?" Abi shakes her head, nearly laughing at the suggestion as the get inside. "No that's fine, I only really hide through the day so people don't look too close at my horns."

"Chrissake!? ...those are real?" He sits her bag on the couch, taking a minute to process this information, "I'm sorry, I just- god I thought they were part of the hat... I guess that's on purpose, huh?" He laughs at himself sitting down with his head in his hands, she sits next to him taking off her hat for him to see, he reflexively reaches out but stops himself... Why does he seem l so guilty? "It's okay." Abi allows him to continue, her eyes flutter shut as the back of his hand brushes her cheek, his touch human and warm... She looks at him as he runs his finger tips over her smooth horns, his heart rate picking up as he processes it all, she has to stop herself from leaning in as he pulls his hand away. "God... I'm so sorry," He say in a quiet pained voice, "It's all my fault."

"Everything is my fault." Abi tentatively touches his shoulder getting him to look at her. "Jacob? ...tell me." Silence. His heart races, he's nervous, more so than when he realised what she is, he takes a deep breath, looking at her seriously. "Everything that happened that night, after the van... died, it's my fault, I just wanted one more day so I- I sabotaged the van and then everything went so wrong," Abi stares at him, her heart breaks that he thinks he's responsible for everything that happened after that, they may as well blame the decision to take the job at all, lord knows she did so countless times, "...the next morning I told Emma what I'd done and we thought you were dead- we were told you were dead, she was furious, she blamed me and when she told the others what I did..."

Abi is speechless, is it any wonder he hid out here for all these years? She took his hand gently and spoke carefully. "I'm still here, I'm alive even if I'm... Different." He takes his hand back, rolling up his sleeve, holding his arm out. "It's the least I can offer, you can stay in the other room if you have no where else to go and you don't have to starve, I'm willing."

Abi is torn, his guilt kills her, that he believes he needs to suffer for it... But the offer itself? The desire for it... The temptation is palpable, she knows it's possible to feed off a human without killing them, she knows she's not infectious but... Every single one got what they deserved, the inherited memory helped her understand the mind of the predators she preys upon... If she gives in. "I don't want to hurt you."

He looks dumbfounded by her answer, he laughs in disbelief, shaking his head before looking away. "Nick punched me right in the mouth when he found out," he smiles through the painful memories, "he just wasn't the same after that, I think he went back to Australia... Kaitlyn is the only one who still talks to me," He's quite for a moment before standing up and picking up her bag awkwardly, he'd expected her to hate him. "Let's get you settled."

__

For the first time in years she rests easy, feeling safe... and human... And maybe?

She opens her eyes as he knocks on the door, when she answers the look on his face tells her everything his heart had already exposed... He wants to go through with it, not just out of guilt but... "Abi, I... I want to take care of you." She doesn't speak, taking him by the hands and leading him to sit on the edge of the bed, when he offers his wrist to her she takes it this time, leaning in with a delicate hold before her fangs sink into his flesh, hearing him stifle the pained groan as he's bit, he pulls her close as she feeds, his fingers in her hair grounding as she focuses on staying in control... 'this is what we are' her mind replays what she'd been taught of her inherent brutality, but that's not who she is, even with all his memories, the sum total of Manny Sherman's experience... She can almost understand him but she won't be like that, he won't make her, the things she's been through won't make her...

She stops before any real damage can be done to Jacob, looking up at him he runs a finger over the edge of her mouth to wipe a small drop of blood, eyes soft and full of gratitude for the simple fact that she's alive... They aren't alone anymore.

__

@kassiekole22 @delurkr @ctrvpani @tinynightmarewoman

@eframschweigersskincells @kindheartedgummybears @aydeenchan

[valeanthenaeum]

sad tale of many a heart

Jacob Custos x Gender Neutral Reader - One Shot

cw: light angst, break up mentioned.

summary: seeing your past lover while crossing paths lead you to remember a time when things were better. but, that was the past.

word count: 4k+

Droplets of rain fell from the sky, pattering against the concrete as you stood, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Your earbuds playing music that encircled your ears. As you notice, the droplets soon turned to a constant pour, which prompted you to pull out your umbrella, thanking yourself for bringing one this time. You press the button against the handle, pushing up the mechanism that allows for the umbrella to spring out, lifting it over your head. A little wet, but nothing that was soaking, thankfully. You began walking, taking your time due to the wet streets covered in rainwater.

‘Don’t slip, don’t slip, don’t slip,’ you told yourself internally as you crossed the street. Man, it would have been embarrassing to slip; nevertheless, in front of many cars with drivers who probably were watching as you crossed.

Making it successfully without slipping, you continued your journey to the train station. You were pretty good on time, usually, a routine when it came to transit. Even if… sometimes you were running dangerously late to the train. Hell, public transportation, period. You pulled your cellphone out, checking the time as the screen lit semi-brightly. Bold numbering to the time, you nodded slightly.

8:29 PM.

Your thumb pressed the skip button a few times, attempting to find the right song. Even with a playlist, you had moments of skipping certain songs on it you just didn’t feel like listening to. Not a crime, but probably something that gets judged. You didn’t care anyway. As you found said song, you pressed the side button of your phone, placing it away in your pocket. It wasn’t exactly the best weather, raining while also being in the heart of January; it was cold. Your hands felt cramped, and oftentimes you’d have to move them just to get the blood flowing.

You exhaled sharply, the cold condensation air breezed from your mouth. Your gaze stared ahead as you walked, the different shop signs that caught your attention. Some, buzzing with fluorescent neon signs lit up the sidewalk along with some overhead streetlights. Despite the weather and the temperature, you found it calming, almost therapeutic. It wasn’t busy on the sidewalk with everyday people, all in a hurry to get someplace. Still, some here and there, but it wasn’t congested, and you appreciated that.

As you meander down the vibrant street, your eyes danced over the kaleidoscope of sights that filled the scene. Bright storefronts and the muted sound of rain tapping against the pavement created an atmospheric backdrop. Upon reaching another intersection, you halted for a moment. The street was calm—no cars were zooming by, and the traffic light blazed a bright red, assuring you that it was your turn to cross. You glanced back at the empty road, ensuring it was safe, before turning your attention to the inviting crosswalk ahead.

Across the street, your gaze caught on a figure wrapped in a thin, waterlogged jacket, clearly unprepared for the sudden downpour. They lacked the shelter of an umbrella, and to be honest you kind of felt bad for them. As you began walking, the shivering person quickened their pace too, both of you unwittingly converging at the intersection.

In that moment, your initial feelings of compassion quickly spun into something more potent as recognition struck you. It was Jacob, your ex-boyfriend. You hadn’t seen him in such a long time, especially after the breakup, you hadn’t returned to Hackett’s Quarry to be a counselor, knowing it’d be too awkward.. Maybe too painful? A rush of memories flooded your mind—laughter shared under sunlit days, conversations that lingered into the night, and, of course, the bittersweet end to it all. A lump formed in your throat, and the hesitation of the encounter jammed together with anxiety, leaving you momentarily at a loss for words.

Then, like a scene out of a movie, his eyes met yours, and the realization swept over him with the force of a summer storm—an unexpected collision of past and present. The air around you crackled with unspoken tension as you both shared an awkward gaze, laden with nostalgia and unaddressed feelings. Time seemed to suspend itself, merging memories with the present moment, as droplets of rain cascaded around you like the echoes of laughter that once filled your afternoons together. Would you speak? Would he? The world around you faded, leaving just the two of you standing at the crossroads of what was and what could have been. His eyes flickered over to you, the realization dawning on him. The both of you shared an awkward gaze that slowly turned into reminiscence.

_

“I promise, we’ll be right back! The others won’t even notice that we’re gone,’ Jacob whispered to you, pleading as he gazed at you with puppy dog eyes. He was leaning over to you, a firepit crackling in the middle as you and the other counselors surrounded it. Soft music from a speaker played, the clinking between beer bottles, while joyous laughter filled the air. They were taking turns sharing stories from their past. You turned to Jacob, giving a playful eye roll with a small smile.

“Fine,” You responded, before turning your head to the other counselors, clearing your throat. “I’ll be right back, guys. This stuff just goes right through me, going to use the bathroom.” You spoke, smiling and placing your beer bottle down that was half full rather than half empty. You stepped away, definitely not heading in the direction of the bathrooms.

Jacob sat awkwardly, probably since you had taken his exact lie. He tapped his index finger against the red Solo cup, taking a long, slow sip from it. He swallowed down his gulp, before looking around. “Shit, I just remembered we promised Mr. H I’d clean the uh, toilets! Yeah, they don’t like doing it alone, they get nervous that they’ll.. fall in or something. Think they have some kind of toilet phobia, you guys understand,” Jacob started, standing up and finishing whatever liquid courage was in his cup. “So, I’m gonna go and.. do that.” Everyone exchanged glances at each other, before bursting into laughter.

“Seriously? Cleaning toilets? Don’t think I’ve heard of a toilet phobia before..” Dylan tilted his head as he couldn’t contain much of his laughter throughout his sentence.

“Hey, toilet phobias are a serious thing, and yes, I promised. You can ask him tomorrow,” Jacob grinned confidently, nodding. He turned on his heel and jogged off… also in the same direction as you as if no one saw.

Everyone saw.

You stood silently at the dock of Lake Septimus, staring out at the sight of the water, the moonlight danced within the reflection. You couldn’t help but wonder why Jacob was leading you out all the way here of all places, though a small part within you knew the chemistry between you and him sparked some rumors here and there amongst the counselors. Your thoughts were interrupted by Jacob sneaking up on you, causing you to jump and turn towards him. You hit the side of his arm, causing him to laugh while rubbing at the area.

“I could just walk right back to the campfire, Jacob. It’s too dark out here for you to be doing that,” You huffed, causing his laughing fit to die down as he tried to apologize. “You’re right, you’re right. Sorry, I couldn't help it.” He smiled, that dumb stupid.. Cute smile that always charmed you. You sighed, smiling right back at him. It was hard not to, y’know? “It’s fine.. But, why’d you ask to come here? You said you had something important to ask me?" You questioned.

Jacob nodded, walking around you with a hum as he clasped his hands together. “Let’s go swimming together,” He made jazz hands towards the lake, causing a look of confusion to appear on your face. “I’m sorry- what?” You asked. “You can’t be serious, right now?” You added. Jacob walked up to you, slugging his shoulders a bit as his hands gently grabbed at yours. “Yess, I’m very serious. C’mon, it’ll be fun! No screaming kids around, no one else to watch, just me and you.” He danced a bit closer to the edge of the dock, bringing you along.

You groaned, tilting your head back in exasperation, though the irritation held no real weight. When you turned to look at Jacob, his excitement was infectious, making it hard for you to counter his words. He radiated enthusiasm, and you could already feel the pull—if you didn’t join him in the water, you’d end up watching him swim while longing to dive in yourself. With a resigned smile, you decided, “Alright, you know what? Sure! It’d be fun to enjoy the lake without hours of babysitting.” Your laughter mingled with his as both your faces lit up with delight.

Your fingers intertwined, a warm connection between the two of you until the realization hit you. Clearing your throat, warmth creeping up your cheeks as you met Jacob’s gaze. “We don’t have any swimsuits on, and I’m not about to get caught skinny dipping,” you shook your head, a hint of playful defiance in your tone.

“That’s what clothes are for!”

Jacob chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He slipped off his signature cap, running his hands through his tousled dark brown hair before placing it down beside him. With a quick motion, he kicked off his shoes, then retrieved his phone, setting it carefully next to his cap. With a burst of energy, he took a small running leap and plunged into the shimmering lake, sending a spray of water into the air.

You opened your mouth to call out for him, but the sight of him enjoying the cool water stirred a thrill within you. You hastily pulled your valuables from your pockets, urgency propelling you toward the water's edge.

Jacob emerged, droplets glistening on his skin as he pushed his hair back, panting slightly and grinning up at you like a child who had just discovered a treasure. “The water’s perfect!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with joy. You couldn’t resist any longer despite the fact you were certain your hair would end up damaged from the lake water; you placed your belongings beside his and took a deep breath before leaping into the lake.

The water enveloped you, a refreshing embrace that took your breath away. As you burst to the surface, gasping slightly, you shook your head, letting the water cascade off you in sparkling rivulets. Jacob laughed, his jubilant cheer urging you on as he swam closer, both of your clothes now drenched and clinging to your skin.

You found yourselves floating together, laughter echoing softly around you, only to subside as a comfortable silence settled in. It was a peaceful stillness, not awkward in the slightest; instead, it felt like a shared moment of connection. You could sense that Jacob had something on his mind, and your curiosity grew more at why Jacob had asked for the two of you to be here.

“What?” you asked, noticing the way Jacob’s eyes were locked on you. He shook his head slightly, but his gaze remained fixed. “Nothing… just—you’ve got me feeling like I’m floating on water.” He flashed a smile, but his pickup line left you a bit bewildered. You couldn’t help but chuckle as you tilted your head, intrigued. “What do you mean…?” you prompted, curiosity bubbling up inside you.

Jacob blinked, his lips pursing in thought. He fumbled over his words, trying to elaborate. “Well, get it? We’re swimming… or not? Never mind, uh… you’ve got me swimming in circles, and honestly, I don’t want to find my way out.”

“Jacob… I’m confused. Are you really trying to use pick-up lines?” you asked, your smile widening.

“Yes? I mean, no… sort of. Is it working?” he questioned, a hint of pink creeping across his cheeks, his embarrassment evident.

“Are you trying to flirt with me?” you laughed, your heart fluttering at his awkward charm. It was cheesy, sure, but it was also endearing, and you felt a warmth spreading in your chest at his brave attempt.

As your laughter filled the air, Jacob’s face turned even redder as he facepalmed, hiding his face in his hands. You swam closer, resting a comforting hand on his back, rubbing it gently through the damp fabric of his shirt. “Jacob… Jake, seriously, I think it’s cute. And honestly? You’re kind of winning me over with those lines, even if I don’t really get pick-up lines at all,” you said with a teasing hum, trying to ease his nerves.

Jacob lifted his head slightly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he looked at you. He hesitated, a mix of anticipation and uncertainty in his expression. “Really?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Really.” You answered, smiling a bit more and leaned the side of your head against his. You closed your eyes, the side of his head leaning against yours as the two of you floated in silence, once more.

“Well.. good. I was trying to ask you.. out with these pickup lines I found online but, that clearly didn’t work out the way I thought it was going to,” Jacob muttered, causing you to open your eyes. “You were trying to ask me out? I’m sorry that went over my head, but it was cute. Why.. didn’t you straightforwardly ask me out, though?” You lifted your head away from his, swimming a little around him so you floated directly in front of him.

“I was trying to build up the confidence to do so, but I didn’t think you’d say yes if I had come out right with it, y’know?” He shrugged his shoulders slightly.

“Jacob, you wouldn’t have known my answer regardless, I mean.. I’ve liked you for a while since we started working together, I should have said something sooner but, I dunno.” As you spoke, you shifted your gaze away, feeling a mix of vulnerability and apprehension. Jacob's heart raced as he processed your words. It was crystal clear to him that he had feelings for you; the little things he did were telling. He treated you differently than the other counselors—always making a point to include you in his plans and trying to find moments to share together, whether it was during downtime or while engaged in camp activities.

The tension in the air felt heavy as Jacob let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Suddenly, a bright smile broke across his face, lighting up his features and showcasing his joy. This was the moment he had been waiting for, and it filled him with a sense of hope and excitement. As his gaze met yours, the closeness between you deepened. His arms wrapped snugly around your waist, and you placed yours around his neck. He leaned down slightly, closing the small gap between you, and pressed his lips against yours. You returned the gesture, your lips melding with his as you kissed. Although things hadn’t gone the way either of you had expected, one thing was certain—you were both happy.

—

It was Halloween night—a frightful and thrilling experience. While it was supposed to be fun, you and your boyfriend were on high alert.

Jacob hadn’t exactly expected to go through with this. His egoistic words of courage and the brave front he put on about wanting to come to the theme park on Halloween during Fright Night led the two of you to this moment. He had repeatedly assured you that he was willing to do this; in fact, he insisted it was his idea. However, upon arriving, you soon realized it wasn’t his idea. Like, at all.

“The truck’s only just in the parking lot… we could leave and pretend we spent the entire night here,” you suggested as you nudged him lightly, laughing softly. “I know you don’t like horror, and I don’t like being chased around a theme park all night. It’s like the scare actors…”

“Smell fear, right?” you both agreed, and heart-filled laughter erupted between you. It was easing both of your nerves, thankfully.

“I think I’ll be okay. Besides, me? Scared?” Jacob gave a cocky grin and shook his head, humming with triumph. “You have me here to protect you since obviously you’re the scared one.” He playfully pinched your nose, laughing at the teasing he directed at you. “You’re so funny, I forgot to laugh,” you said, rolling your eyes playfully, though a small smile appeared. “It’s okay to be scared, Jacob,” you encouraged, walking beside him as the two of you got your wristbands and entered the park.

The air buzzed with excitement and a tinge of eerie anticipation as the theme park transformed under the glow of jack-o’-lanterns and the flickering lights of haunted houses. The sky was a velvet blanket of stars, but the shadows seemed deeper here, stretching long across cobblestone streets. Music played, but it wasn’t the usual cheerful tunes; instead, it was a haunting melody, creeping and unsettling, like a ghost’s whisper carried on the breeze. Laughter echoed from nearby rides, but there was a twinge of nervousness in it as if even the roller coasters knew something was amiss tonight.

Everywhere, children in costumes darted past, their faces half-lit by the glow of glowing pumpkins, while adults, too, let go of their usual composure, wandering wide-eyed between towering skeletons and fog machines that hissed like breath from some unseen creature. Every turn held a new surprise—a fog-covered haunted mansion, a sudden screeching ghost, or a mischievous clown lurking in the corners. It was as if the park itself had come alive, not with the usual magic, but with something darker, wilder. The thrill was palpable, and for the first time, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Different people dressed as ghouls and other spooky entities roamed the park, their eerie laughter blending with scattered screams to create an atmosphere that was both thrilling and amusing. Jacob was absolutely reveling in it. “You keep laughing, but sooner or later, it’ll be your turn to scream, Jake,” you teased, leaning in closer to him as you continued your adventure, his arm resting comfortably around your shoulders.

“How can I not laugh? It’s hilarious!” Jacob chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief as he glanced at you.

“Uh-huh, keep on laughing.” You shook your head, a smile playing on your lips as you took in the scene around you. It was amusing to see children darting about with unfiltered joy, oblivious to the shivers of fright that lurked in the night. Maybe that was the secret to their happiness—embracing the thrill of fear. Despite the tension in the air, being there with Jacob was what truly made the night magical.

Then something caught your eye—a corn maze stretched before you, beckoning with an air of mystery. You’d never been in one before, and the challenge excited you. “You up for it?” you asked, your gaze locked on the entrance before darting back to Jacob, who was already scratching the back of his neck, clearly trying to think of a way out.

You didn’t give him a chance. With a playful tug, you took his hand, leaving no room for hesitation. “C’mon, it’ll be fun! Remember, you said I needed you to protect me, right?” You laughed as you led him toward the entrance. Jacob groaned, but it was all in good fun. He couldn’t resist that endearing smile of yours for long.

As you both waited in line, a mix of nerves and excitement buzzed in your chest. Jacob’s unease was palpable, but you couldn’t help but grin at how cute he looked when he was overwhelmed. When it was finally your turn, the staff checked your wristbands, and the curtain of corn parted to reveal the twisting paths within. “Not that I’m scared at all.. I’m not, but if you get scared, think you can get me my favorite snack?” Jacob almost asked in a challenging tone, you agreeing with a laugh.

The atmosphere inside was thick with tension; howls echoed through the air from hidden speakers, heightening your senses. You and Jacob walked close, occasionally shooting wary glances over your shoulders whenever a noise startled you. With every fork in the path, you were the one calling the shots, deciding which way to go.

Then, out of nowhere, you noticed Jacob was gone. Panic shot through you as you called out his name, but your voice was swallowed by the maze. You turned around, wrapping your arms around yourself against the chill that crept down your spine. That’s when you heard it—a rustling behind you.

Spinning around, you spotted a figure clad in a ghoulish costume, most likely just another staff member trying to spook attendees. You wasted no time and bolted in the opposite direction, adrenaline coursing through your veins. The figure laughed menacingly and chased after you, sending you sprinting around corners and into even darker paths.

As you turned another corner, you collided with something solid. Or rather, someone. A startled scream escaped your lips, which only triggered an even higher scream from Jacob, sending both of you into a fit of panting. You looked around, heart racing, before locking eyes with him. “Jacob! Are you serious? Where the hell were you?”

“I was looking for you!” he exclaimed, catching his breath. “I thought we agreed to go left, but then you vanished. What were you running from?”

Catching your breath, you glanced around, realizing the ghoulish figure had disappeared. “I was being chased! But now it seems that ghost decided to take a break.” You huffed.

Jacob shrugged, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and flashed a grin. “Well, thankfully for us, I found the exit! You can thank me later, babe.”

“Oh wow, thank you ever so much! What would I ever do without you?” You sarcastically praised and playfully pushed at his shoulder as you both began to walk toward the exit he was leading you to. The whole time, he’d teased you about being scared, even though he’d screamed like a child just moments ago.

As you approached the exit, you spotted an animatronic spider hanging ominously above. With a grin, you decided to join in on Jacob’s playful banter. “You’re so right, Jake. I was terrified without my strong hero to save me,” you said dramatically, placing a hand on your chest.

Jacob snorted, pulling you close as you both walked. “See? What’d I tell you? Now, about those Peanut Butter Butter Pops I mentioned earlier..” He lingered.

You laughed while nodding; even if you knew he didn’t deserve them, you craved some, too. “Yeah, sure! Can you strike a pose at the exit for a photo? I want to catch you in all your glory,” you said with a playful grin. Jacob, full of enthusiasm, didn’t hesitate for a moment. He jogged over to the exit, turned around dramatically, and started flexing with a few macho poses.

You whipped out your phone, cheering him on while snapping pictures, telling him how fantastic he looked. After hitting record, you instructed Jacob to step back a little more for better lighting. He did exactly that, but just as he was about to say something, he felt something hairy and almost spiny brush against his shoulder. Curiosity turned to terror in an instant as he slowly turned around and came face-to-face with the spider prop. He let out a blood-curdling scream, stumbling backward and sprinting toward you.

In that moment, you stopped the video, laughter bubbling up uncontrollably as you clutched your stomach. “Oh! You knew that was going to happen, didn’t you?” Jacob gasped, still trying to catch his breath.

“Of course! No point in lying about it; I totally set you up! That was epic payback for all the teasing! And I got it all on video!” you said, laughter spilling out of you again.

Just then, you squealed as Jacob scooped you up, expertly timing his escape just before the animatronic could spring back to life. The night carried on, filled with shouts and bursts of laughter as you both took turns trying to scare each other. Even amidst the terror, the thrill of sharing these silly, scary moments brought you both closer together.

_

Each step felt heavier, a reminder of the weight of your unfulfilled dreams and lost love. The laughter you once shared with Jacob echoed faintly in your mind, now distorted by the sadness of separation.

You glanced back once, a fleeting moment where hope surged—a desperate wish that he would call out your name, or that you'd so the same; that the bond you shared could somehow bridge the chasm of time that had grown between you. But all that met your gaze was the back of a man lost in his own ocean of regret. His figure diminished in the distance, swallowed by the shadows of the rain and the reality of what you both had become: two strangers who once promised forever.

Your heart ached at the thought of what could have been. The Peanut Butter Butter Pops you grew to love because he loved them, the lazy afternoons spent with stolen glances and laughter, all felt like distant memories, haunted by the silence that now defined your relationship. It was more than heartbreak; it was the hollow sadness of unspoken words and unresolved feelings.

Jacob stood still, rain soaking through his clothes, forming a puddle around his feet. Each drop felt like a reminder of the moments that slipped through his fingers, moments he should have cherished more, moments he could never reclaim. He longed to reach out, to pull you back but the fear of rejection and the weight of his own mistakes made him hesitate.

With every heartbeat, he felt time ticking away—a relentless reminder that while the world continued to spin, their story had sputtered to a halt. With a heavy heart, he turned and walked away, each step further erasing the boy who once thought love could conquer all.

As the rain poured down, washing away the remnants of the past, you defeatedly pressed onward, embracing the melancholy that cradled you. You understood that sometimes, love was not enough, that some endings were not meant to be rewritten. And as the streetlights flickered in the growing night, the distance between you became more than just physical; it stranded you both in a place of lost possibilities, forever shadows of what once was.

[milesconure]

A short fic for Quarrie, becuase I do not care about my uni projects-

[capri-xxx]

| INTRODUCTION

"ɪ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀᴄʀᴏꜱꜱ, ᴀ ꜰᴀʟʟᴇɴ ᴛʀᴇᴇ.." "..ɪ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴀɴᴄʜᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ."

hii! i'm known as capri online, and i am mostly a writer! i do other stuff like editing and drawing too, but i would say i'm the best as putting together stories ;) i absolutely love daydreaming about fanfics i'm writing! (mostly enjoy it more then actually having to write it haha) but i put most of my motivation into writing oneshots for some of my favorite characters/fandoms! you can request me to write any scenarios you'd like! (as long as they follow my rules of course!) i would love to write something for you, so don't be afraid to ask me to do so! ❤️

𝙵𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙾𝙼𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙸 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴 𝙵𝙾𝚁:

Sonic

Outer Banks

Teen Wolf

Detroit: Become Human

The Quarry

The Maze Runner

The Hunger Games

Jurassic Park/World

FNAF

Dream SMP

Warrior Cats

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙸 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴:

Angst (I specialize in this!)

Fluff

Character x Reader

Mental Illness/Health

Smut (Only for select fandoms)

Parent

Siblings

Platonic Ships

Romantic Ships

Physical Illness

Self-Harm/Suicide (With limitations)

Abuse (With limitations)

Murder

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙸 𝚆𝙾𝙽'𝚃 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴:

Any ships considered illegal

Rape & Sexual Assault

Incest

if there's something you'd like me to write that isn't on this list, you can go ahead and message me to make sure i am alright with it! <3

[hackearneyexchange]

hi everyone, just looking to poll interest in a second round of the fic exchange! I know there were a few people who were unable to join the last round and were interested in potentially joining the next one. nothing is set in stone (re: the dates) and I am definitely looking to see what works for people!

a very tentative timeline:

May: requests/assignments sent out

June-August: writing period (10-12 weeks)

Last week of August or beginning of September: fic + author reveals

there will be some rule changes and adjustments based on my experience with the first round, & I’m also open to feedback on what worked vs what could be improved. if there are any other potential barriers & factors affecting your decision that I might be able to help with, please feel free to reach out to me!

- mod @absenthearted

[urfavsho]

Hacketts Quarry summer love

Fluff

Rylan

2.2k words

Okay so i totally got this idea from this post!

I think it would be fun to try and challenge myself to write some bits and pieces i think would have happened to their relationship over the two month period!! So here i am..attempting that idea. It’s kinda in the form of multiple one-shots? However, it’s been a long time since i’ve written so if its horrible, i apologize profusely <3

Day One of Camp

Starting P.O.V: dylan

Dylans been on a cramped mini-van with the other counselors for about an hour or two now, Hes yet to learn all of their names yet, but two of the counselors stuck out to him. Ryan and Kaitlyn. They had a sort of enticing energy to them, the vibe where you could spend hours talking about how mysterious and interesting the two seemed; Kaitlyn had a very loud, spunky, and no cares given personality to her, whilst Ryan was a loner and rather vague dude.

Dylan looked around inside the mini-van as he soon realized that they were close to Hacketts Quarry, unplugging his headphones and turning the phone off to look out the windows at the scenery presenting itself before himself. The soft orange shimmer of the sun was beautifully illuminating the agricultural landscape, it was comforting to see the squirrels run across the bushes every now and than, to see all of the animals in the vast forest of Hacketts.

“ Wow..this is perfect!! ” a semi-loud voice yanked Dylan out of his daydreaming as he began to look around himself. Abigail, or Abi for short, was the one who broke the loud silence in the car; she grabbed her sketchbook out of her bag and started drawing away. Dylan decided to inch closer towards her and watch her etch away on the paper “ You know..you’re like..uh..Picasso! “ He said out loud, Dylan was trying to start a conversation, but with the snort and weird look she gave him..it’s a 50/50 chance on whether or not it was effective.

“ Alright counselors! We are here at THE Hacketts Quarry! “ Mr. Hs’ voice boomed and the van soon slowed to a stop infront of the lodge. Dylan waited his turn as everyone soon piled out of the van, the last one out before Dylan was Ryan. The pairs hands slightly grazed one another as they got out of the van, a rush of electricity bolted up Dylan’s body and he felt a hot blush rise to his face. This was the first time when Dylan could remember a deeper attraction developing on Ryan.

Week 2 of camp

Starting P.O.V: Ryan

It’s been about two weeks since Ryan has been at camp. As Ryan begun to teach the younger kids and campers about sailing techniques. However, today was different, he had to do some of the scheduling plans with Dylan. The loner woke up early today, around 6:15 am, and got ready. The duo decided to meet up in the library today, however, it was mainly Dylan who coordinated the meetup, Ryan had expected an outdoor area so he was grateful Dylan had chosen a calm area. After a few minutes of walking around the camp, Ryan soon made it to the library and saw Dylan waiting for him. Dylan had a flower-style hairpin in his hair to hold his bangs back, a bunch of notebooks scattered around the table ,and some apple juice boxes. It was a sight to see.

“ Yo Dylan, ” Ryan said as he approached him, the tall boy smiled and leaned back in his chair. “ Wassup, big guy! ” Dylan responded with a cheerful grin, Ryan rolled his eyes and sat down next to him before grabbing his own schedule book out along with pens and other various items “ ..So we’re scheduling out this week’s sailing plans right? ” Ryan asked as he soon trailed off and admired Dylan’s colorful organization of notes, they were color-coded, sticker coded in a way, and everything had little bulletin points underneath to explain something further; the organization wasn’t just for schedules, but it also was for improvement ideas for certain areas of camp, activities for the kids, gift bags to be made at the end of the summer, and even every counselor/campers birthday so he remembered. Ryan was sure there was more to be found within the countless books, but- “ Ryan! ”

Oh. Right. Ryan snapped back into focus and looked at Dylan “ Yes? ” Dylan rolled his eyes and laughed, his hands came up to slightly cover his smile. It was the sweetest smile Ryan had ever seen. “ Okay, so the reason you are here with me today is so we can get that messy brain of yours under control ! ” As Dylan continued explained why Ryan needed to be organized, Ryan felt himself getting lost more and more in the taller boys big, beautiful brown eyes, he had light freckles dusting his cheeks. Ryan had never noticed that til today. Their knees slowly grew closer and closer over the time they spent as the pair made sure to schedule the “sailing” plans.

Week 4 of Camp

P.O.V: Dylan and Ryan

Two weeks after their last encounter, Mr.H had announced to Dylan to promote the swim party happening tomorrow. Of course, Dylan broadcasted the exciting event during the daily morning announcements, he explained all of the details and fun activities happening at the party. The campers were eager for the next day to come, they couldn’t wait and kept pestering Dylan about what food was going to be at the party if they could do a bonfire afterward, and even asked if they could roast marshmallows! Ryan soon picked up on the consistent questioning from the ecstatic kids, he quickly stepped in to try and ease the pressure from Dylan.

“ Hey, if you monsters don’t stop asking about the party I might have to cancel it. So head out to the lodge for lunch. “ Ryan quickly remarked in a teasing tone, instant whines and groans came from the campers as they scurried off into the lodge. Dylan stared at Ryan for a second before he reached and gently patted the boys shoulder, a bright smile resting on the taller boy’s face. “ Haha..thanks for the help!! Those kids can be SO persistent. “ Dylan thanked Ryan and began to retract his hand before running a few fingers in his own hair. “ They just can’t resist Dylan. “ Ryan glanced up at Dylan slightly and let out a short chuckle, he shook his head and walked away.

“ Yup. “As dylan watched Ryan walk away he felt a quick increase in the patter of his heart, did he really just make THE Ryan Ezrahler laugh and smile? He must dreaming!! Dylan laughed to himself and patted his hands against the sides of his legs, he felt a heat rising to his cheeks as he indulged more and more into the thought of Ryan. “ Dylan! “ Kaitlyns loud voice awoke Dylan out of his thoughts and he cleared his throat before looking over at her. “ Oh! Uhm, yes? “ Dylan said as he saw Kaitlyn shake her head before she started to tell Dylan that he needed to come into the lodge and eat.

Week 6 of camp

Starting P.O.V : Ryan

The morning was easy and slow enough, Ryan didn’t have any “classes” starting til around 11:30 so he decided to take it easy and listen to his new podcast obsession, Bizarre Yet Bonafide. As Ryan started his walk around the camp he came across Dylan’s small group of counselors (around 8 kids) Ryan wondered what they were doing out and about on the rocky road trail, the nature walks weren’t planned for another two days.

Deciding to end his pointless wondering, Ryan walked up to the group and stood off to the side as he listened to Dylan ramble on about how the group was going to surprise Abi with the sticks, rocks, and leaves for some sort of art activity. Listening to the taller boy talk with so much passion was a new perspective for Ryan, most of the time Dylan could be perceived as a quick, witty, smart-ass so seeing him take a more appreciative approach to something was a completely unexpected experience to witness. Eventually, Dylan realized Ryan standing off to the side of the group and stammered mid-sentence. “ And that’s why- oh! Uh, hi Ryan “ The words came out as a jam before Ryan interrupted him. “ I was just wondering what you were doing, but after 5 minutes of you talking. I think i got my answer “ Ryan’s words came out rude, but his tone was rather sweet in a way. “Oh yeah, that makes sense..” Dylan diverted his eyes away from Ryan’s and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“ Well if you want to join us you can? “ Dylan’s suggestion of joining the group surprised Ryan, he stood for a moment before shrugging and walking up closer to Dylan and the group. “ Sure, why the hell not? “ The words spoken by Ryan made the youngsters gasp and make various Ooos, Ahhs, and giggles, Dylan himself joined in on the teasing and he gently nudged Ryan. “ That goes against camp policy sir, watch the tongue! “

The teasing normally would have been slightly annoying to Ryan, but he didn’t feel any discomfort from the comments, just more of a warm fuzzy feeling. The group, now with a new member, finished their scavenger hunt for the gift to Abi and headed their way to the Art Cabin. Ryan and Dylan unlocked the door, made sure everyone made it in and they started to put together the gift basket of various leaves, rocks, sticks, and flowers. Once finished, Ryan took a step back with the kids and smiled softly “ Nice. “ he said quietly before turning around and giving all the kids high-fives for their hard work “ Go to the cafeteria, I’ll get you guys some juice boxes for your hard work “ Ryans offer made the kids smile and cheer in excitement as they piled out of the room and headed over to the cafeteria. Sighing in relief, Ryan turned to face Dylan and leaned against one of the desks slightly. “ We did awesome huh? “ Dylan asked Ryan with a shit-eating grin, Ryan tilted his head slightly and nodded in agreement. “ Yup. “

And that’s it!! I could write way more, but i feel like i’ve already gotten sort of ooc for these two. I enjoyed writing it a lot, there’s so much fluff opportunities for these two dorks so i love mixing the pot and making some!! Hope you enjoyed and leave any tips or criticisms in the comments <3

[kindheartedgummybears]

this is...

this is........

this is bullshi-

[queenofbaws]

I’m really excited for you to work on another long series 🥺🥺 I just know it’s gonna eat!!

🥲 omg you're too kind!!!!!! now. considering this is me we're talking about, the only 'eating' likely to happen is, um...hmm. The Upsetting Kind, but hey, what's a little cannibalism among friends, right? ...right???

hehehe but wagh, seriously thank you!!! i'm really, really, REALLY hoping to have a longer CREEPs/ghost hunting project to share with everyone soon, and while i don't know that it's going to fall into 'longfic' territory, per se, it WILL be chunky ;P

and i do actually have a REALLY long series in the works right now - believe it or not, today is actually, hahaha, the 2-year anniversary of me writing the oneshot that started it all 🤣 the series itself is called 'blood of the covenant, water of the womb,' and right now it contains two big ol' fics: all in the family & like wringing blood from a stone! all in the family started as a oneshot where i played around with the idea of until dawn's jack "flamethrower guy" fiddler being a distant relative of the hacketts. he gets called down to the quarry shortly after...well. an accident, let's say. and then like wringing blood from a stone is what comes next! a reimagining of the quarry where the HACKETTS are the focus and the hacketteers are the background characters...oh and also jack's there. so things are. uh. going. great. for everyone. ;P i want to say that if the (almost)s was about friends becoming family, then the blood of the covenant series is about family becoming friends, but i would be lying to you if i said that. so. hehe.

there are also probably a few super secret projects i've got on the back burner - between you and me 😉 but we'll get to those when we get to those!

[ruewrote]

𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦.

PAIRING: jacob custos x fem!reader WARNINGS: jacob's bear trap injury, strong language GENRE: angst / fluff SONG INSPIRATION: start a riot by BANNERS WORD COUNT: 1k

navigation | ask | the quarry masterlist

out of all the horror movies that you'd watch about vampires, zombies and werewolves you never thought you'd ever be in one of your own.

especially not in the summer camp that you'd grown to love over the years.

now desperately trying to find your fellow work friends, hoping that they'd gotten to safety. you silently prayed that you would too as you made your way through the thick forest to the main lodge.

the emergency fire axe felt heavy in your hand, your skin covered in dried mud and blooming bruises. fuck this night, fuck everything.

every little sound terrifying you, not realizing how loud everything used to be until now. whether that be the crunch of twigs underneath your boots or the whoosh of the wind.

"ah fuck! ah shit!" someone whimpered in pain, moving closer as you readied the axe, moving through the trees to find jacob and an old guy with a sniper rifle with his back to you.

"look if you could just--" jacob begged, but soon stopped when you knocked the hunter out with the back of your axe.

"holy shit!" your breath staggered as you dropped to your knees, inspecting the bear trap that had clamped itself around jacobs ankle, surprised that he was even conscious. oh right , adrenaline.

"oh my god, am i happy to see you right now!" he shouts, but is quickly cut off with your hand tightly covering his mouth.

"you've got to be quiet. something is out here with us, i’m not quite sure what, but i've also got to try and pry this open. whatever you do, you've got to be silent. we can't attract more attention to ourselves, okay?" you whisper, earning a timid nod from him.

removing your hand you get to work, glad to have accidentally watched that documentary a while back you were able to press the two spring levers, making it fall open.

you were quick to grab him before he lost his balance, helping him stand, wrapping his arm around your shoulders for support and yours firmly wrapped around his waist. making a slight mental note to ask why he was practically naked later.

helping him back to the lodge for some sort of first aid. the two of you walking in tandem, your grip on him tightening as he wobbled trying to hold back his groans. you reached up for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. jacob giving you a tight but appreciative smile in return.

your legs ache when you finally reach the building, carefully sitting jacob down on the bench in the kitchen, grabbing the first aid kit out of the cupboard, a fresh glass of water and the paper towels off of the rack.

"i’m not even going to sugarcoat this, this is gonna hurt like a bitch. but i promise i'm gonna try to be as careful as i can, okay?" you uttered and he nodded.

you began to unbuckle your belt, unlooping it before holding it out to him, jacob grabbed a hold of it confused, "to bite down on, worst case,"

not caring if it was dirty or not he bit down on it, letting out a sigh you picked up the glass of water, pouring it around the wound, using a piece of the tissue to swipe away the dirt. briefly looking up to see his hands squeeze the wood underneath him.

wincing for him, you opened a disinfectant wipe wasting no time to swipe it around his injury, making him let out a whine. stopping for a second to place your hand over his.

causing him to look down at you with tears in his eyes, your heart breaking for him. "i know, i'm so sorry. all i gotta do is wrap it up. it shouldn't hurt too bad,"

and so you did, your belt now back to holding up your shorts as you looked through the pantry for any sort of food. making sure that jacob stayed sat down even though he wanted to help.

"a-ha!" you announced, grabbing the unopened box of cereal bars, returning to jacob. "how long do you think they've been in there?" he joked.

"after tonight i think the last thing we have to worry about is expiration dates, but of course i checked and they're okay, actually relatively new so we're good."

handing him one then another for yourself, shoving the rest in your backpack. retrieving the oversized hoodie offering it to him.

"quick question, where are your clothes?"

"me and emma went swimming in the lake for old times sake, until we heard abi scream. well at least i did, emma kinda disappeared after that." his words coming out huffed as he pulled the clothing over his head.

you looked down and started playing with your hands, trying to hide the hurt on your face. of course he was with her! what were you expecting? the whole summer you had been crushing on him, having to stay quiet about it because of her.

"oh. well i'm sure she's okay, she's...strong ya know?" you offered him a small smile.

"thank you by the way," he started, your eyebrows furrowed. "with saving me back there and you patching me up. i swear i was about to die!"

he playfully knocked his shoulder into yours, looking at him concerned, "don't joke like that. i-i don't think i could handle that... losing you i mean." a frown now replaced your smile from just thinking about it.

"hey, hey. i'm not going anywhere, well not if i have a say in it anyways." he leans into you, making you look back up at him.

the way his eyes flickered from your eyes to your lips, made your breath hitch as he leaned closer, lips almost touching when you heard a girl's scream.

"emma?" jacob jumps up and limps out of the lodge, leaving you sitting there alone feeling your heartache and the tears sting in your eyes.

who were you kidding yourself? he'd always pick her.

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

© ruewrote 2024.

[envy-of-the-apple]

ive been really obsessed with your gojo/geto naga oneshots and asks lately it feels like literal brain rot at this point its so good. ive reread it 6 times lol

i was wondering though, what would Geto do if Gojo was just a little bit too heavy handed with you? to the point of a sprained or broken arm or leg. Would he get mad at Gojo or just mad in general that reader was hurt? Also how would they act in response to the injured reader who can't do basic tasks themselves, I personally think they would enjoy the fact she relied on them even more to even move now.

Reminder requests are still closed!!!! I just love this idea so so much holdon lemme-

Part one Part three

(Yandere, dark, implied forced relationships, noncon touching, biting, language barriers, drugging(?))

Top of the Food Chain pt2

Dark!Naga!SatoSugu x reader

Two days later, Satoru still wasn't allowed inside the cave.

You can hear him, hissing and clicking, right outside, hovering just behind the invisible line Suguru refused to let him pass. If you weren't already in so much pain, you would have found pity on the poor thing. He wasn't allowed in his own home, even though the incident wasn't entirely his fault.

Technically, Satoru saved you. It was yet again another escape attempt. Something you'd been doing a lot these days once you've figured out these beings' intentions with you. You'd gotten past the rock quarry this time, a new record. Your plan was filled with holes: there was no way to truly escape the island. You had no boat, no way to call for help. Still, you ran, forgetting that there were more dangerous things on this island other than two territorial serpent men.

It was a monster. There was no other way to describe it. Big, ugly, shiny spikes and sharp teeth, eyes dripping with bloodlust. You would have been eaten, killed, maimed, if Satoru hadn't caught up with you in time.

The only collateral was the loss of nearby plant life and your broken wrist.

That had been Satoru's fault. He'd pulled at you too hard at the hand. The remnants of adrenaline from the fight, his anger, anger made him too rough on your fragile body. He froze at the wet snap, and then you started screaming. That was how Suguru had found you. Despite how much Satoru clicked and hummed and tittered, from his mate's look, you doubted it helped his case.

Another lonely coo made you wince. Suguru only huffed, wrapping you tighter in his coils. They were already warm from your body heat. The numerous animal pelts helped your comfort too.

"Make him stop," you beg, "he's been going on for hours."

At that, Suguru lifts his head from the base of your neck. He tilts his head as he surveys you, and you can't help but think how awful you must look. Sickly-looking from the pain, clammy skin. He can't do much about your appearance, but the least he could do was shut Satoru up.

"What want?" Suguru asks, "water?"

At that, he picks up a sack filled with sea-smelling water. You wrinkle your nose, turning away, cocooning yourself within his coils. With the increased pain, your appetite has decreased, as well as your thirst. The stress of being trapped like this along with your broken wrist was starting to take its toll on your body.

Suguru makes a sound of disapproval, shuffling around behind you. You know he's still mad about the escape attempt, but he's concerned enough for your well-being to put his anger to the side for now. He'd helped wrap your wrist, using something stretchy and soft.

You raise your wrist up, inspecting the thin material wrapped around your wrist. You're not sure what it is, it's too silky to resemble cotton. It must be from the foliage around the island. Yet, another strange thing you'd never find the answer to.

There's another rumble coming from the Naga's chest. He wraps a hand around your chin, bringing your face closer. In his other, he holds the dripping sack.

"Suguru," it's too soft to be anything more than a whine, "it hurts too much to take anything right now. Stop."

"Hurt?" he asks.

To that, you gesture to your broken wrist. It may not have been broken, you were no doctor, so you couldn't say for certain. But considering you'd been in the same amount of pain for two days, it really didn't matter to you.

A click, before he's tossing a glare at the entrance of the cave. He'd already given Satoru a beating right before coming to coddle you. Despite being bigger than his mate, Satoru is docile enough to take them. Suguru had been acting more aggressive lately. You had a feeling it was your fault.

He'd been inspecting your wrist every so often, but you see a different look within his brown eyes now as he takes your injured hand. He carefully turns your palm over, pressing slightly into your wrist. When you yelp, he retracts.

"Hurt." Suguru confirms. You can only nod.

"Hurt. No drink? No eat?" You don't like the way he's talking. As if he's putting a puzzle piece together. Coming to a solution you won't like.

When you go to pull away, his grip only tightens.

"No hurt," he says it like a promise, as though you're a toddler and he's coaxing you into drinking a sour-tasting medicine. His lips part, revealing the fangs you've often seen him use on meat, on Satoru.

Never did you think he'd ever use them on you.

"Suguru," you're pleading, trying to move away when he bends down, his hair brushing your sweaty forehead. You can feel his breath on your neck.

"No hurt," he repeats, and then he bites down.

He lied, of course, he did. His teeth puncture your skin, tearing through like paper. You think you screamed, or maybe it was more akin to a pitiful whimper. In the background, you can hear someone hiss, Satoru maybe?

For a second, you feel everything, the pain, the puncture wound, Suguru lightly licking your neck.

And then, you feel weightless.

It's hard to describe, but your brain feels like it's turned to mush. Your body feels like you're on a soft cloud, just there, floating. In the back of your mind, you remember how dazed Satoru would get whenever Suguru bit him. At the time, you just thought he was lovestruck.

When Suguru pulls away, he's smiling. A trail of blood, your blood goes down his lip. You can barely keep your eyes on him, close to falling asleep.

"No hurt," he says. When he leans down to kiss you, you accept without a single fuss.

You don't remember much after that, but you remember accepting whatever Suguru put in your mouth. The panic in your body was non-existent as he held the water-sack above your lips, watching as your throat bobbed. You think he kissed you a few more times, but you're not too sure. You were a lot more averse to kissing before. It'd make sense he'd take advantage of it.

When you wake up again, you're in between two bodies. The pain in your wrist is still there, but not as horrible as before. You're still groggy, mind fuzzy. Whatever Suguru had given you was still in effect.

Satoru is the first to notice you're awake. Suguru and him must have made up during the time you were unconscious. He props himself up, peering down at you. With how dim the cave is, you can barely make out his features. He looks just as guilty as he had two days ago.

"Sorry," he mutters, "is sorry."

If you weren't still high, you might have laughed. When you continue to stare, he takes it in stride, leaning forward to kiss your cheek, then your lips. You wince in distaste, leaning back.

"Stop," you say but don't fight when he licks at your jaw. You can barely move your fingers.

Panic is still far away, a distant call than anything alarming. It should worry you, but you still can't feel anything.

Suguru is at your back. You can hear his scales move across the cavern floor. He gives a hum, content as he curls himself around you. He doesn't seem to mind Satoru's touches. Your theory that they must have made up is unfortunately starting to strengthen.

You could barely manage Suguru's coddlings. You don't think you'll survive Satoru's.

"Sorry," he mouths into your neck. You can feel the grip on your waist starting to tighten. He stops, rising up to stare at you.

Blue, almost glowing.

"But no more leave."

You're coherent enough to piece together what he means. You can't escape Satoru. You can't escape Suguru. You can't leave this island. Running away is useless.

The nagas understood it. It's time you did too.

"Yes," you finally say, "no more leave."

[francisofthespook]

Closer

Oneshot

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Summary: After a long journey, you and the group have finally settled down at Alexandria. You decide to throw a little party after you found a Nine Inch Nails CD while on a run. You spend most of the party waiting for your favorite archer to arrive. By the time he does, your favorite song is playing...

Setting: Alexandria, pre-saviors

Warnings: Suggestive content/Drinking/Descriptions of being drunk/I don't really know what to put here I've never done warnings before so if I'm missing something please let me know !

Word count: 4,433

Author's Note: Hi ok so this is the first time I've written like this in literally so long, the last time I remember writing fanfic or oneshots was when I was deep in the 1D fandom in like 2013 and it was dogshit. So please be patient with me while I figure this out again. If there are any errors or I do anything wrong, kindly let me know and I will fix it. I love you all, I have been inspired by so many of you great writers on here and it has renewed my love for writing <3 (especially you @thevegandarkelf <333)

(ps divider and gif made by me:) )

((pps if the gif or dividers act weird lmk because I've never made them before))

OK HERE IT IS !!

Parties. If someone were to ask you what you missed the most since the dead started rising, you would say parties. (Or maybe your Juul, but there were good enough replacements for that…) You had been in your first year of college when the fall happened, far from your family and in a city you didn’t know that well. But you were lucky enough to have been out of the inner city when things started to fall apart. Even though you had a good distance between you and downtown, you were still not shielded from the chaos that ensued when the dead began attacking. You had been out working on an assignment for your environmental studies class by a quarry when the cell towers went down. Since you had most of your stuff on you, you decided to stay put until you got reception again. (ha.)

It wasn't too long after, that a small group began forming at the quarry. And there, you met your new family. It hadn’t been easy, far far from it actually, but you guys survived. You took it day by day, but you survived. You weren't particularly skilled in survival, but your group was, and you had picked up little things along the way that crafted you into the person you were now.

Your group had set up several camps along the way, but none of them lasted long enough to get too comfortable. So when you finally landed at Alexandria, the hesitancy was looming for a while. For the first few days, everyone slept in one house, despite being offered each a place of your own. To be honest, you loved sharing a house with everyone. Not just because of the safety it made you feel, but also because it just meant getting to stay close to a certain archer that you had grown fond of.

Daryl was… hard to read. He was quiet and stoic most of the time, but around you he got a little softer. You knew he liked you, but you weren't sure if he like liked you, like you did. But in fear of ruining the friendship you had worked so hard to build, you kept quiet and substituted flirting with friendly gestures. Letting him know that you cared, but not that you cared cared. Sure, there had been many times when it felt like all the cues were lined up and you could just lean over and kiss him, but you knew him well enough to know that even if he maybe felt the same way, his emotions would overwhelm him and he would probably run. So you played it safe. A good rule of thumb, especially in this world.

However, after a while, your group slowly started to let their guard down. They accepted that Alexandria could be what you all had been looking for. You started to get just a little bit comfortable. You could tell this shift in the group's demeanor frustrated Daryl. He wouldn't allow himself to let his guard down and he thought you all were mad for beginning to trust this place given your past experiences. But you didn't care, you were just relieved to finally be able to get a good night's sleep without having to worry about the dead stumbling upon you while you weren't conscious.

When Deanna threw the first party, you were sold. It was a quaint gathering of everyone in the community, nothing like the ragers you knew from high school and college, but it gave you hope. Hope that there was still a chance to get back to where you were, or at least close to it. You had begun to feel less and less human every day that you were on the road. But being here with a drink in your hand and a skirt on for the first time in god knows how long, you started to feel human again.

When you found the CD on the run, Daryl had scoffed and told you to put it back. “There's nothing wrong with bringing back something fun” you had told him. “Yeah well fun's not gonna keep us alive now ain't it?” he replied. Maybe he hadn't meant for it to sound so harsh, but it hurt just a bit. You had frowned and looked down at your shoes, feeling deflated with guilt. “I know we need to survive, but we also need to still feel like humans.” you sighed and looked back up at him. At seeing your expression, his own softened. “When we were out there on the road, I forgot what that felt like. It may just be a stupid CD, but it reminds me what we're fighting for.” He didn't say anything after that. Just gave you a small smile, a nod, and squeezed your shoulder while he walked past you to continue gathering items from the shelves.

You had been planning it for weeks, and it had finally come to fruition. You invited everyone from your group and some of the Alexandrians that you had gotten to know over the past few weeks. It definitely wasn’t a frat party like the ones you used to know, but it was close enough. The CD you had found a while back was blaring through the house as you filled up another cup of your DIY ‘jungle juice’. Admittedly, Nine Inch Nails were never your favorite band, but you remember how their album ‘The Downward Spiral’ used to spin on your record player while you absentmindedly did chores around your college apartment. Human, you remember how it made you feel human. Though you obviously never acknowledged that feeling at the time.

It was definitely funny to see everyone's reaction to the music when you had put the CD in the player. For some reason, the group had formed a collective opinion of what you were like before the fall that did not include ‘listens to rock’. But like the others, being given a safe place to stay allowed your true personality to shine through as the stability and comfortability grew, bringing you one step closer to the girl you used to be. As the drinks kept flowing, the attendees became more agreeable to the music. (Plus it was the only CD you had, so it would have to work whether they liked it or not.)

The party went on, and you found yourself discreetly scanning the crowd for your favorite archer, but were disappointed when you were met with his absence. Of course, you knew that something like this was extremely out of his wheelhouse, but still, you were sad to see he had yet to show up. 

“So, don't feel like you have to… but I’m having a party this weekend, and I would really like it if you came.” You turned your head to look at him and gauge his reaction. “A party?” He scoffed and looked back down at the squirrel he was gutting on your porch steps. “Dun think that's really my scene." He grunted. "Plus, got more important things t’do.” You looked back out at the street in front of you and nodded your head. Trying to hide your disappointment and biting your lip. “I figured.” You replied. “But still,” You looked back at him again, “it would mean a lot to me if you came.” You gave him a small smile when he met your eyes. His expression softened, like it often did when he looked at you. An annoying habit he couldn't seem to shake off. He would never admit it, but he had grown an achingly large soft spot for you over the years, you were his reason to keep going, keep fighting, you were his Achilles heel. 

He had a hard time understanding his feelings towards you. He knew he liked you, you were his friend. But if he had only ever acknowledged you as a friend, then why did his heart speed up just a bit when you looked into his eyes? Why did he feel a fluttering in his stomach when you gave him a big toothy grin after finally catching a deer you had been tracking? Why did his shoulder feel like it had been brushed by a flame whenever he shouldered past you? He didn't want to think about it. Stuff like that didn't matter given the state of the world. Or did it?

“I'll see if I can make it” He finally mumbled. Not wanting to let you know that you had won him over, or the effect that you had on him. “Really?!” you squealed, your eyebrows shooting up your forehead and a huge smile on your face. “Dun push it.” He grumbled as he shifted his focus back to the squirrel. But as he turned his head, he made sure his hair fell in front of his face to hide the small smile that was forcing its way out. “Okay! I'll see you Friday then.” you beamed as you got up, using his shoulder to help yourself stand. There was that fire again.

As ‘March of the Pigs’ began playing, you had given up on waiting for him. Throwing back another shot of whatever you could find in front of you and swaying to the music as you re-entered the dancing crowd. It was a little silly to see everyone acting so loosely, never in a million years would you have guessed that the Rick Grimes could actually somewhat dance, it was amusing nonetheless. You made your way towards him and Glenn on the makeshift dancefloor and started moving along with them. 

“This is the best party I’ve been to in years!” Glenn shouted to you over the music. Rick chuckled and took another sip from his cup before pointing out, “It's the only party you’ve been to in years” You laughed and threw your head back, the alcohol making everything funnier than it should be. You reached for Rick's shoulder to steady yourself as your laughing died down. You felt warm and tingly, your head light, your smile so big it was making your cheeks sore. You felt human. Your expression shifted as you watched the two boys focus on the front door closing. You turned your head to see what they were looking at, but the alcohol made you dizzy from your movements and you further leaned into Rick for support, your drink sloshing in your cup as you spun. “What?” you slurred to them. Rick locked eyes with you again. “Daryl’s here.”

A sobering shot of butterflies ran through you and you tried to hide your excitement before Rick and Glenn could see it, but it was too late. “Told you it was Daryl, man! You owe me five bucks.” Glenn laughed and pointed to Rick. “Okay, okay,” Rick chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “When the war on the dead is over and society goes back to normal, I will be sure to give you five dollars.” He replied as he rolled his eyes. You looked between the two of them, “Five doll- what? What are you talking about?” You sputtered out. Glenn put his hand on your shoulder and leaned down close to you while whispering as quietly as he could given the state of the music, “It was just a little bit obvious that you were waiting for someone to show up” he said, holding up his fingers in a pinching motion.

Your eyes grew wide with surprise and a little embarrassment as he pulled away. “What?! No, I was not! What’re you talking about?!” Glenn straightened back up and gave you a smirk. “You're not as discrete as you think you are” You felt the already present heat in your cheeks grow even hotter. “I was betting on it being Spencer but I guess I was wrong.” Rick shrugged and you looked at him in horror. “What? Spencer?! God no!” “So you were waiting for Daryl then, right?” You looked back at Glenn, shooting him a warning look. He held his hands up in surrender “Hey man, I'm just calling it as I see it. Not my fault you've had a blaring crush on him since the farm.” You covered your face with your forearm in embarrassment and the movement made a droplet of your drink fall to the ground. “Oh my god, is it really that obvious?” You dragged your arm down your face before looking back up at the two. They looked at each other before focusing back on you and giving small, smug nods. 

“But hey, look on the bright side. One, I don't think he's noticed. And two, it's obvious he feels the same way.” Rick gave you a sly grin and a pat on the back. You removed your hand from his shoulder and shook your head. “You guys are making me so self-conscious now” You chuckled to yourself before hiding your face again. Glenn gave you a reassuring smile and said, “Go, talk to him. He obviously came because you asked him to. If it were anyone else he would have walked away before they could get the full invite out.” 

You groaned and took a deep breath before addressing the boys again. “Okay, fine. But when it's made obvious that he does not like me, and just came out of pity, then you both owe me five dollars.” You pointed your finger at them and they laughed before nodding and giving you a thumbs up as you backed away and chugged the rest of your drink.

You approached Daryl as your favorite Nine Inch Nails song started playing. The swirling bassline of ‘Closer’ making you feel light in the head again. Or was it the sight of him standing there, basking in the soft glow of the lamp from the entry hall? He looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight between his feet and looking around like he didn't know where to stand. You grabbed another cup from the table as you walked past it and towards him. Trying to play it cool, you sauntered up to him until you were standing right in front of him. You were close, definitely too close, but the alcohol had messed up your depth perception and you totally didn't mean to land that close to him. Yeah, definitely the alcohol… 

“Well hello stranger, didn't expect to see you here” You sung out as you handed him the cup. Was that too much? Oh god, that was too much. Gotta take it down a notch. You looked down and shuffled backward a bit so you weren't encroaching on his personal space. His discomfort seemed to dissolve as he looked at you. His shoulders visibly relaxing a bit and a small grin spread on his face. “I told ya I'd come.” He replied, stifling a small laugh. “You told me you'll see if you can make it, which is ‘Daryl code’ for ‘I definitely won't be there but I don't want to tell you no to your face’ ” You pointed towards him but you miscalculated the distance again and landed your finger in the middle of his chest. Yeah, totally the alcohol, definitely not the magnetizing pull you feel toward him every time you are in the same room. Whatever.

You worried for a split second that your poor attempt at flirting had come across as an insult, but were quickly relieved at the sound of his small laugh once again. God, that laugh made you feel like you had drank all the liquor in this house. It made you feel buzzy and your whole body shuddered at the feeling. “If it were anyone else yeah, but I'd never stand ya up.” You made eye contact with him as he smiled at you and suddenly the room was empty, and it was just you two staring into each other's souls. 

Nothing else around you registered in your mind as you stared into his blue eyes and drowned out all the background noise. You leaned closer and muttered as sultry as you could, “Well I guess I must be pretty important then, huh?” You tried, but it came out with a hint of a slur. Maybe it was the drink he had begun sipping on, or maybe the fact that the music was loud enough that no one could hear him, or maybe it was because everyone else was already tipsy enough that they were paying you no attention, but a small wave of confidence visibly came over him as he leaned into your ear and whispered, “I guess you could say that.” He lingered by your ear for a minute before pulling back and locking eyes with you again.

You weren't sure how to react. Your body felt like it was on fire, the root of it at your ear where he had just been, still feeling the breath of his words like a ghost against your head. You tried to play it cool. You stepped back while outstretching your hand to him, “Come dance with me, this is my favorite song.” You flashed him a smile and he scoffed and took another sip of his drink. “I dun dance.” He shook his head. “Maybe not in general, but tonight you do.” You tried to counter, but he just shook his head again while smiling. “Ya go on and dance to yer song. I'll be here when yer done.” You rolled your eyes but started to move back towards an even tipsier Glenn and Rick. 

You let me violate you

You let me desecrate you

“Who is this again?” Rick asked as you approached them. “Nine Inch Nails.” You replied, taking a sip from the new cup you had grabbed on your way back over. “Pretty raunchy, not somethin’ I would’ve listened to.” He responded. “Well judging by the way you've been dancing I wouldn't say you hate it.” You scoffed. “So? How’d it go?” Glenn cut in. “Mmm” you bit your lip, unsure if you should confide in them the heated moment you just experienced.

You let me penetrate you

You let me complicate you

“He said he wouldn't have come if it were anyone else's party. So I guess that's a good thing…” You said, sounding unsure of yourself. You didn't want to overthink anything, you were worried that you were just making up his attraction to you in your head. You were trying to save yourself from the embarrassment if it did end up being something you misread. “Good thing? That's a great thing!” Glenn countered. “Is he not coming over?” He questioned, looking around to see Daryl still leaning against the wall by the front door, sipping on his drink. “Nah, I told him to come dance with me, this is my favorite song on this album, but he told me to go dance and he would be there when I came back.” You replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. 

(Help me) I broke apart my insides

(Help me) I’ve got no soul to sell

“Well then let him be a party pooper. We’ll dance with you.” Rick gave you a smile as the three of you continued to sip on your drinks while swaying to the music. You glanced over your shoulder briefly to check on Daryl and found him staring directly at you. He looked almost… jealous? Well if he was, then it was his own fault for staying over there instead of coming to dance with you. But why would he be jealous? You were suddenly struck with a devious idea that sober you would never have executed. You started singing along to the lyrics, you knew what was coming next, and your stroke of boldness had taken over your brain. You angled your body and turned your head back towards Daryl, trying to make it look as natural and inconspicuous as possible, and began mouthing the lyrics at him. 

Help me, the only thing that works for me

If you weren't sure before, you were sure now. As you began mouthing the lyrics while dancing closely to Rick and Glenn, Daryl's stare became more intense, more purposeful. He was jealous. You took that as an advantage and shifted your attention back to the two boys in front of you. This time you threw your head back at an angle while mouthing the next line, trying desperately to get Daryl to see you, but also trying to make sure it didn't look like you were doing it on purpose.

Help me get away from myself

As the line rang through the small house, you made a split decision to make a bold move. As you sang the next line out, you turned your head once again and looked him directly in the eyes. His were already locked onto yours, and you stared him down as you sang,

I wanna fuck you like an animal

You swayed and moved your hips to the beat, the skirt you were wearing rising up ever so slightly over your thighs as you did a subtle squat as you swayed. You looked back toward your dancing buddies again, hoping they hadn't noticed what you were doing, but they were oblivious. In their own little words dancing along to the music and the flow of liquor through their veins. 

I wanna feel you from the inside

The music continued to bounce through the air, the room had become hot and humid, adding to the tension you felt towards Daryl. A small bead of sweat rolled down your back as you continued moving your hips to the beat.

I wanna fuck you like an animal

You felt a sudden ignition of a flame against your hips as two large hands began to sneak around them from behind. For just a second, you froze in fear, before your nose picked up the all too familiar notes of him, this time with a hint of liquor. You didn't look back, you didn't acknowledge him, you just kept dancing. Ever so slightly grinding up against him as he stood stiff behind you. Rick and Glenn, still oblivious to what was going down right in front of them.

My whole existence is flawed

You ran your hands up through your hair, your cup had been lost at some point but that was beyond your thought parameters right now. You slowly arched your head backward and leaned into him. Almost by instinct, like some primal urge that existed within him and had been lying dormant for years, he leaned his head down into your neck and breathed you in. You slightly craned your neck to the side to make space for him. A combustion of nerves spread like wildfire throughout your entire body. The space on your neck where his breath was hitting felt white hot, numb, and electric all at the same time. You felt like you were being born again, it took everything in you not to let out a small moan right there. The overwhelming feeling of him being on you took over and as the next line played out, you angled your head up just enough so that your mouth was at his ear and whispered to him the next line,

You get me closer to god

He grunted and pulled you closer into him. Bringing your arms down from holding your hair up, you placed them over his hands that were gripping your hips. His breathing was a constant flow against your neck as you continued to subtly dance up against him, causing droplets of condensation form on your skin. The whole room was spinning now, but not from the alcohol. No, his touch had sobered you up from that, but now you were drunk off him. You spun around to face him and put your arms around his neck as he adjusted to wrap his around your waist.

“Hi,” you whispered with a sickening grin on your face, eyes locked directly into his and your faces so close, your noses almost brushed against each other's. “Hey,” He whispered back, obviously fighting off a grin. “So you do dance then?” You challenged, hoping that you wouldn't scare him off by being a little more direct. “I guess for ya I do” He murmured. You took this a green light to push a little further. Looking off to the side while you feigned innocence you said, “Well I wonder what else you can do for me that you wouldn't do for anyone else…” That was it. That was as far as you could push it, you had thrown the ball into his court and it was his turn now to take the reins and show it, if he did have any interest in you that is.

He was taken aback a bit by your remark, but he quickly shook off the surprise. He looked into your eyes, searching for the sign that you wanted this as badly as he did. He thought he saw it, but he wasn't sure if he was just blinded by his own attraction and deflecting it onto you. But in the millisecond that his mind ran through all the possibilities of disaster that could come from misinterpreting your interactions, he decided to take a chance. He bit his lip before he slowly leaned into you yet again, brought his lips to your ear, and whispered, “I can show ya if ya want.” 

Your veins filled with ice, your heart stopped beating, the butterflies in your stomach turned into wasps, buzzing around rapidly and stinging your insides with desire. He pulled back and looked at you. As hard as you tried, you couldn't close your mouth as it hung slightly agape. He did feel the same way. He did want you as badly as you wanted him. Your mouth formed into a smile with your eyes half-lidded, weighted down from the lust you felt towards him. “Okay,” you spoke, barely audible. 

Moving your hands down to his, you wrapped your small ones around his large ones and pulled them off of your hips. You slowly turned around, looking back at Glenn and Rick one more time before you began, as discreetly as possible, pulling Daryl towards the stairs that lead up to your room. He froze for a second, and you looked back at him. He hadn't really meant ‘right now’ when he said that, but he was filled with butterflies as he accepted that you definitely meant ‘right now’ and he let you pull him behind you and up the stairs. 

When you reached the last step, you glanced out at the partygoers, making sure that everyone was occupied and hopefully wouldn't notice your and Daryl’s absence for a little bit. As you scanned the crowd you locked eyes with Rick and Glenn who were holding back smug looks. You threw them a middle finger before taking the last step and guiding Daryl into your room, closing and locking the door behind you. Hopefully, the music was loud enough that no one would hear you…

okay there it is, plus the song that inspired it ! pls be nice :)