#there are only two chapters left and we'll be wrapping volume I

[stylesispunk]

'I love you, it's ruining my life' | Part iv.

Joel Miller x f!reader

previous chapter

Summary: You and Joel have your happy ending. w.c: 6,7k>

warnings: smut (sorry I'm not the best at writing smut), fluff, angst. time jump. Perhaps grammar mistakes because I didn't check grammar. Not the best piece of writing but now my mind is wandering on another story.

a/n: Part 4 and last one is here! Thank you so much for all the love you gave to this one, I'm really happy you loved it despite the messy writing. I may write for these two to clarify some things, or some details of their lives after this ending. If you have a suggestion, question, or want to talk to me, you can come to my dms or ask! Happy reading 💌 dividers by @/saradika-graphics

"I promise, I'll do everything I can to make this right," he said softly, his thumbs gently caressing your cheek.

You nodded, a tear escaping down your cheek as you smiled up at him. "I believe you, Joel. And I want to try too. I want us to be together.

He pulled you into another embrace, his arms wrapping around you securely. "We will," he whispered into your hair. "We'll take it one day at a time, but we'll do it together."

For a while, you simply held each other, finding solace in the closeness. Eventually, you led Joel to the couch, where you both sat down, still reluctant to let go.

"I've missed you so much," you admitted, leaning to kiss his cheek. "Every day felt incomplete without you."

"I missed you too," he replied, his voice tender. "Every day I thought about you, regretting the decisions I made that pushed you away." Joel smiled—a genuine, heartfelt smile that made your heart swell. "Agreed," he said. "We'll make it right this time." He said, capturing your lips with a feverish kiss.

As Joel's lips met yours in a feverish kiss, a rush of emotions swept over you. It was a kiss filled with longing, passion, and the promise of a new beginning. In that moment, all the pain and heartache of the past seemed to fade away, replaced by the warmth and intensity of Joel's love.

You melted into the kiss, savoring the feeling of his lips against yours and the taste of his love filling your senses. It was a kiss that spoke volumes, conveying a silent vow to make things right and to never let go of each other again.

As you pulled away, breathless and flushed with emotion, you looked into Joel's eyes and saw a reflection of your own feelings mirrored back at you. He clutched your hips and pushed you against the door, shutting your mouth with his own for a hungrier kiss as if he wanted to devour you right here. Your fingers tangled into his dark locks, and he seemed to enjoy it because he released a heavy groan into your mouth, and you drank all those heavenly sounds with pleasure.

“I’m just gonna eat you,” he said, laughing, biting your bottom lip as you laughed lowly.

“That’s what I’m waiting for” you replied.

Both of you were out of breath as he cupped your face and brushed his thumbs against your cheeks like he was the most delicate thing he’d ever held.

Everything happened so quickly that neither of you realized how you'd gotten rid of your clothes, but you missed each other too much to even consider how this might have happened. He held you up against the wall, both of your legs wrapped around his waist so he could thrust fast into you while biting onto your collarbone. you were now moaning. Your head tossed back, and your nails left clear lines of red on his bare back, but this only fueled him, allowing him to pound his hips with greater urgency.

His hands were strong, but his touch was gentle. It was all over you including her face, chest, heart, and mind fantasies.

He was everywhere. You were battling to breathe while simultaneously feeling extremely lively. His fingertips touched your hot flesh, grazing with flames. Even as you burned, you clung to him like he was your lifeline.

He grasped your waist and continued to rock into you. The sound of your name slipped through his lips, mingled in with the groans and nasty words that made your cheeks flush and your eyes roll in delight. But in between the passion and filth, he expressed how much he loved and missed you.

You tried not to pay attention to those words as you tossed your head back, gasping for air, feeling your climax grow so close that your body began shaking against his. Your thoughts quickly went blank, and your toes curled as you shouted out his name, feeling his release not long after you ended. His thrust became sluggish and slow. It wasn't until he stopped that you fell back into reality.

He kissed the corner of your lips tenderly once you both had regained your breathing pace. He opened his eyes to yours. The gentleness of those brown eyes left a lump in your throat as he walked you over to your bedroom to lay you down on your bed.

“I love you so fucking much.”

Those words came again. He sounded out of breath when he spoke, and the raspiness of his voice sent a shiver down your spine.

“I love you,” he mumbled again, this time crashing his lips with yours for what felt like a thousandth time. You then lifted your leg to his hips as you reached down to take him in your palm, and that sudden movement made his breath hitch.

He closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent, as if it could serve as a reminder that you were now each other's half.

He began caressing your breasts while inhaling fiercely into your exposed shoulder, dragging his hands down your hips to your stomach. You scorched your back, moaning his name, and he felt like he was going insane at the sight of you under his gaze, like this. His body between your legs offered him easier access to the image he wanted to keep in his thoughts every day.

Your breath caught in your throat as you felt his finger go down your body to the spot you wanted him the most. You were soaked, and he lost control of the sensation of you gripping around his digits. He attached your lips, groaning into the kiss, and began pumping his fingers, gradually increasing the pace as well. You had your hand behind his neck, panting for air but maintaining eye contact, watching him go insane at the sight of you.

"Joel, I…"

"I know baby… I know…" He breathed into your mouth and pulled out his fingers, causing you to gasp at the loss of his touch. In a short second, he managed to go down and kiss every single inch of kissing every inch of your body, till he reached your tights and placed his tongue on your core. You moaned loudly, arching your back and slowly moving your hips into Joel's tongue.

The bedroom swiftly became crowded with your moans and Joel's tongue lapping at your drenched pussy. He groaned beneath you.

Your fingers grasped his hair locks

"Good girl," he replied.

"Fuck! I'm.." You stuttered. He accelerated his rhythm and sucked as if it were his favorite thing in the world.

Soon after, you came. He licked you clean before slowly licking his way back up your body. Until your lips met in a wet kiss.

"You're my favorite person," he replied, a satisfied smile falling off his lips. He lay next to you in bed, and you both glanced at each other.

"Let's do it again sometime?" You made a joke.

"Why not now?" He asked.

You let him kiss you again, and your hands traveled to his neck once again.

Waking up next to Joel felt strange, not for the wrong reasons or the rust that had grown between you after a year of no communication, but because this time you allowed yourself to be his. The vulnerability was both exhilarating and terrifying.

The smell of his cologne lingered on your pillow, a comforting reminder of his presence. You reached out to touch the space where he had been, but the warmth was fading. Fear crept within your body, a gnawing anxiety that whispered, "What if he regretted and left?"

Your heart pounded as you sat up, scanning the room for any sign of him. Panic began to settle in until you heard the faint clinking of dishes from the kitchen. You slid out of bed, the cool floor beneath your feet grounding you as you made your way towards the sound.

In the kitchen, Joel stood by the stove, his back to you, humming softly as he cooked breakfast. Relief washed over you, bringing tears to your eyes. He hadn’t left.

There he was, only in a pair of jeans, in the middle of your kitchen, preparing breakfast for the both of you.

He turned, a smile breaking across his face, when he saw you. "Morning, baby," he said, his voice warm and inviting. "I thought I’d make us some breakfast."

You walked up to him, wrapping your arms around his waist from behind and resting your cheek against his back. "I was scared you’d gone," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

Joel turned in your arms, pulling you into a tight embrace. "I’m not going anywhere," he said firmly, tilting your chin up to look into your eyes. "I’m here”

Do you think I am a bad person?" You asked, your voice muffled as you hid your face against his neck.

Joel's body stiffened, and he gently pulled back to scan your face, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "Wha—oh my god, what are you talking about?" he asked, his eyes searching yours for understanding.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady the emotions swirling inside you. "I mean, we both did things. Tess, my boyfriend...”

Joel shook his head, his grip on you tightening. "You did nothing wrong," he interrupted firmly, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "We were both trying to navigate a difficult situation, and we made mistakes, but that doesn't make you a bad person."

Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked at him, his unwavering support and love bringing a sense of relief you hadn't felt in a long time. "I just... I feel so guilty," you admitted, your voice cracking. "For hurting others, for leaving you without a proper goodbye.” You paused for a moment. “I wasted a whole year, Joel.”

Joel’s gaze softened even more, and he pulled you into a tighter embrace. “You didn’t waste anything,” he said, his voice filled with conviction. “We both needed that time to understand what we truly wanted and to realize how much we meant to each other. That year apart was hard, but it brought us here to this moment.”

You sniffled, burying your face in his shoulder. “But it hurts knowing I left like that. I should have stayed and fought for us.”

He gently lifted your chin, forcing you to look into his eyes. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. We both made mistakes. But what matters now is that we’re here, together, and we have the chance to make things right. We can’t change the past, but we can shape our future.”

You nodded, the tears slowing as you felt a sense of peace wash over you. “I want that, Joel. I want to build a future with you.”

Joel smiled, his eyes shining with a mixture of relief and love. “Me too,” he said softly. “And we’ll do it, one step at a time, together.”

You leaned in, capturing his lips in a tender kiss, sealing the promise of a new beginning. As you pulled back, you rested your forehead against his, feeling the steady rhythm of his breath match your own.

“Thank you,” you whispered, the weight of your guilt and fear beginning to lift. “For loving me,” you said, your voice steady and free from the guilt and fear that had once plagued you.

Joel's eyes softened, and his expression filled with warmth and understanding. “Always,” he replied, his voice a gentle promise. “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

You both stayed silent for a while, savoring the closeness and the unspoken bond that had grown even stronger through your trials. The sun began to rise, casting a soft, golden glow into the room, and with it, a new day began—a day filled with hope and the promise of a love that could weather any storm.

As you nestled closer to Joel, you felt his arms tighten around you protectively. “Can you go back to bed, please?” he murmured, his breath warm against your skin.

You chuckled. “Why?”

“I actually planned to bring you breakfast in bed, and you kind of ruined my surprise,” he said humorously, a playful glint in his eyes.

A warm, genuine laugh bubbled up from within you. “Oh, did I now? I guess I can pretend to be asleep,” you teased, your smile widening.

Joel grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s the spirit. Now, back under the covers, and no peeking.”

You playfully rolled your eyes but complied, snuggling back into the warm bed. “I’m not peeking, promise,” you called out, feigning a yawn for good measure.

Joel kissed your forehead before slipping out of the room. You lay there, a smile lingering on your lips, feeling a sense of joy and contentment you hadn’t felt in a long time.

A short while later, you heard the sounds of clinking dishes, the faint aroma of coffee, and something delicious wafting from the kitchen. You closed your eyes, savoring the moment, knowing that this was just the beginning of a new chapter for both of you.

Finally, you felt the bed dip slightly as Joel returned, a tray in his hands. “Breakfast is served,” he announced softly.

You opened your eyes to see him setting a tray laden with pancakes, fresh fruit, and coffee on the bed. Your heart swelled with affection as you took in the sight.

“This looks amazing, Joel,” you said, reaching for his hand.

He sat down beside you, a contented smile on his face. “This is only the first breakfast of the million I’ll give to you.”

Three years later, Joel and you were happily married, living a life filled with love, laughter, and countless shared memories. On the morning of Joel's 35th birthday, he woke up around 5 a.m., immediately noticing your absence. The usual warmth of your presence beside him was missing, and concern tugged at his heart.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and listened. The faint sound of retching came from the bathroom. Alarmed, he quickly got out of bed and headed towards the sound. He found you kneeling in front of the toilet, your face pale and sweaty.

"Hey, what's going on?" Joel asked, his voice filled with concern as he kneeled beside you.

You looked up at him with a weak smile, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. "Happy birthday," you said softly, trying to inject some cheer into your voice despite feeling miserable.

Joel frowned, his worry deepening.

Joel’s concern didn't waver. “Then can you go back to bed and rest?” he pleaded.

You shook your head. “No, I should start getting ready for work.”

Joel's brow furrowed with worry and frustration. “Can you find a substitute?”

“Sure, at 5 a.m.,” you replied with a weak chuckle.

Joel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Please, just try to rest a little longer. We can figure out work later.”

You nodded, feeling the exhaustion creep over you. “Okay, I’ll lay down for a bit.”

Joel helped you to your feet and guided you back to the bed, tucking you in gently. He kissed your forehead, his worry evident but tempered by the love in his eyes. “I’ll make you some tea,” he said softly.

As you lay back down, you watched Joel move around the room, his concern for you touching your heart. Despite feeling miserable, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for his unwavering support. “Thank you,” you whispered.

Joel turned to you, his eyes softening. “Anything for you,” he replied.

Later that morning, you both woke up to the sound of Sarah yelling from downstairs. “Dad! Breakfast is ready! Come on, it's your birthday!” Her voice carried a mix of excitement and impatience.

Joel stirred beside you, groaning slightly as he rubbed his eyes. “Guess we better get up,” he said, his voice still heavy with sleep.

You bolted upright, suddenly alarmed. “Oh my God, I’m late for work!” You scrambled out of bed, panic setting in as you realized how much time had passed.

Joel reached out, grabbing your arm gently. “Hey, take it easy. You’re not feeling well, remember? Just call in sick today.”

You hesitated, your mind racing with the thought of your responsibilities. But Joel's steady gaze and calming presence made you pause. “I wish I could, but I can’t; I don’t have a substitute.”

Joel sighed, understanding the weight of your responsibilities but still worried about your health. "I know it's tough, but your health is more important right now. You can't take care of others if you're not taking care of yourself."

You bit your lip, torn between your sense of duty and Joel's concern. Finally, you nodded reluctantly. "Okay, I'll call in and explain. Maybe they can find someone to cover for me."

Joel smiled, relieved. "Good. Let's go downstairs and have breakfast with Sarah first, then you can make that call."

You both got out of bed and made your way downstairs, where Sarah was already seated at the table, beaming with pride over the breakfast she had prepared.

"Happy birthday, Dad!" Sarah exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. "I made your favorite!"

The smell of pancakes and bacon filled the air, making you twist and feel nauseous. Before you even realized it, you ran towards the bathroom.

Joel's eyes widened in concern as he watched you bolt towards the bathroom. He quickly turned to Sarah, giving her a reassuring smile. "Hey, sweetie, can you wait here for a minute? I'll be right back."

Sarah nodded, her excitement dampened by worry. "Is she okay? But she loves the pancakes I make."

"She does," Joel said, trying to sound confident. "Just stay here and enjoy breakfast for now, okay?"

He hurried to the bathroom, finding you hunched over the toilet, retching. He kneeled beside you, rubbing your back soothingly. "Hey, it's okay. Just breathe."

You gasped, trying to catch your breath between bouts of nausea. "I'm sorry, Joel. I don’t know what’s wrong with me this morning.”

Joel shook his head, his voice gentle but firm. "Nothing is wrong. Just rest, okay?"

After a few minutes, the nausea subsided, and you leaned back against the cool bathroom tiles, exhausted. Joel handed you a glass of water, and you took a few sips gratefully.

"I really think I wasn’t able to go to school” you admitted, your voice shaky. "But I feel so guilty."

Joel brushed a strand of hair from your face. "Don't. You need to rest and take care of yourself. I'll explain things to Sarah.”

You nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on you. "Okay.”

Joel helped you to your feet, and you slowly made your way back to the bedroom, where you sat on the edge of the bed while Joel returned to the kitchen to talk to Sarah.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, sitting down beside her. "Mom's not feeling well, so she needs to rest today.”

“I could stay to take care of her, you know?”

“Oh no. You’re not missing school lady”

Sarah looked a bit disappointed but nodded in understanding. "Okay, Dad. I just hope she feels better soon."

Joel smiled at her. "She will, thanks to your great breakfast. Now, finish up and get ready for school."

As Sarah ate her breakfast, the front door opened, and Tommy walked in, carrying a bag of groceries. "Morning, everyone!" he called out cheerfully. But his smile faded as he noticed the tension in the room. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

Joel stood up, walking over to his brother. "Hey, Tommy, missus is not feeling well this morning."

Tommy's concern was immediate. "Is she okay? Do you need me to take Sarah to school?"

Joel shook his head. "As much as I would love to stay, we need to work Tommy “

Tommy set the groceries on the kitchen counter and turned to Sarah, giving her a warm smile. "Alright, kiddo, grab your stuff. We need to go."

Sarah beamed.

Joel watched them for a moment. He then made his way back to the bedroom, where you were lying down, looking pale but resting.

"Hey, Tommy arrived. We’re leaving” Joel said softly, sitting down beside you.

You nodded. "Okay”

Joel took your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Just rest now. Call me if you need anything”

As you closed your eyes, Joel stayed by your side. A short while later, the door creaked open again, and Joel looked up to see Tommy poking his head in. "Hey, everything okay in here?"

Joel nodded. "Yeah, she's resting.”

Tommy stepped into the room; his expression serious but supportive. "Anytime. Does she need anything else? I can stick around, run errands, whatever you need."

Joel shook his head, grateful for his brother's offer. "We're good for now. Just knowing you're around is enough."

Tommy smiled. "Alright. Let’s go”

As Tommy left the room, Joel turned his attention back to you. He brushed a strand of hair from your face, watching as you slowly drifted off to sleep.

Joel lingered by your side for a moment, his hand gently caressing your hair. He pressed a soft kiss on your forehead, whispering, "Bye, love. Get some rest." He stood up, quietly exiting the room to give you the peace and quiet you needed.

In the kitchen, Tommy was waiting, leaning against the counter. "You sure you’re, okay?" he asked, his concern evident in his voice.

Joel nodded, though he still looked worried. "Yeah, just trying to keep everything together. Let’s go.”

In the afternoon, you and Joel found yourselves at the supermarket, browsing the aisles to pick up a few things for his birthday. You had insisted you were feeling better, but Joel remained cautious, frequently reminding you to take things slow.

"How about we get some of that fancy cheese you like?" Joel suggested steering the cart towards the dairy section.

You smiled, appreciating his thoughtfulness. "Sure, that sounds great."

As you turned the corner into the produce aisle, you suddenly came face-to-face with Tess. She looked as surprised to see you as you were to see her.

Tess's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted you and Joel, her gaze flickering between the two of you. She was holding a child in her arms, and for a moment, you felt a pang of insecurity as you noticed how fondly Joel was looking at the little one.

"Hey," Tess said, her voice tinged with awkwardness. "I didn't expect to run into you guys here."

You forced a smile, trying to mask your own discomfort. "Yeah, same here. How have you been?"

"I've been good," Tess replied, her smile genuine as she glanced down at the child in her arms. "This is Max, my son."

You couldn't help but notice how Joel's expression softened as he looked at the child. It made you wonder—had you and Joel ever talked about having children? Or how you ruined his chance of having children with Tess when you decided to confess your feelings those years ago.

Tess continued, oblivious to your inner turmoil. "I have been in a relationship for 2 years now," she added, almost as an afterthought. "Things have been going really well."

You nodded, trying to keep your composure. "That's great to hear."

Joel spoke up, his voice warm, as he addressed Tess. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

“I see you are still pretty close friends,” she said. A hint of venom taunted you as she looked at you, then back at Joel.

Joel's expression remained composed as he reached for your hand, responding to Tess's remark. "Actually, we are married.”

Tess's eyes widened in surprise, and you could see a flash of disbelief cross her face before she quickly composed herself. "Oh, I see," she said, her tone masking any hint of her true feelings. "Congratulations."

You felt a surge of relief knowing that Joel had made it clear that you two were more than just friends. But the mention of Tess's son and her long-term relationship stirred up a mix of emotions within you.

Joel glanced at you, silently communicating his support, before turning back to Tess. "It's been good running into you, Tess. Take care."

With that, Joel steered the cart away, leaving Tess behind in the aisle. You followed silently, feeling a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling inside you. It was clear that seeing Tess and her son had brought up some unresolved feelings and questions, ones that you knew you needed to address with Joel.

The children, how could life have been if you hadn’t told Joel you loved him that night?

As you both walked back home in silence, Joel couldn't help but notice the weight of your silence. He glanced at you from time to time, concern etched in his features.

"Hey," he said softly, breaking the silence between you. "Are you okay?"

You looked up, meeting his gaze, and forced a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," you replied, though the tension in your voice betrayed your true feelings.

Joel stopped walking, turning to face you fully. "You don't seem fine," he said gently, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face. "Is something wrong with you? Are you feeling nauseous"

“Are you sure?” he asked, once again.

“Yes.”

The evening was filled with laughter and chatter as friends and family gathered in your cozy living room. It was a celebration for Joel's birthday. The room was adorned with balloons, and the air was filled with the aroma of home-cooked food and the clinking of glasses.

Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, catching up with one another, and sharing stories from years past. But amidst the joyous atmosphere, you couldn't shake the feeling of being lost in your own thoughts.

As you moved from group to group, exchanging polite smiles and engaging in light conversation, your mind kept drifting back to the conversation you had with Joel earlier that day. The mention of children had opened a floodgate of emotions, leaving you feeling uncertain and apprehensive about the future.

You tried to push aside your worries and focus on the festivities, but with each passing moment, the weight of your thoughts grew heavier. You felt like an outsider, disconnected from the joy and camaraderie that filled the room.

Amidst the laughter and merriment, you found yourself retreating into the corners of your mind, grappling with the decisions that lay ahead. Would you and Joel be able to find common ground on such a significant issue? And what would your future look like if you couldn't?

As the evening wore on, you excused yourself from the lively gathering, needing a moment alone to collect your thoughts. You slipped away to the quiet solitude of your bedroom, hoping to find clarity amidst the chaos of your mind.

As the night wore on, Joel couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Despite the lively atmosphere downstairs, a sense of unease gnawed at him, fueled by the memory of your quiet demeanor earlier in the day.

Excusing himself from the gathering, Joel made his way upstairs, a nagging worry tugging at his heart. He checked each room, calling out your name in a hushed tone, but there was no response.

Finally, he reached the bedroom and found the door slightly ajar. Pushing it open gently, he stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of you.

There, in the dim light filtering through the curtains, he spotted you sitting on the edge of the bed, your expression pensive and distant. Concern flooded Joel's heart as he approached you quietly, careful not to startle you.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth and concern. "Are you okay?"

You looked up at him, your eyes reflecting the turmoil within. "I'm fine," you replied, but the tightness in your voice betrayed your words.

Joel moved closer, taking a seat beside you and reaching out to gently grasp your hand. "You don't seem fine," he said gently. "Is there something on your mind?"

For a moment, you hesitated, the weight of your thoughts pressing down on you. But then, as you met Joel's gaze, you felt a sense of reassurance wash over you. You knew that no matter what you were facing, you didn't have to face it alone.

"I've just been thinking," you began, your voice wavering slightly. "About us and our future."

“Oh, please don’t tell me you want a divorce on my birthday.” He said this, lifting his hand to his chest.

You chuckled.

You shook your head, a small smile playing on your lips as you reached out to cup Joel's cheek. "No, not at all," you reassured him, your voice softening. "I was just... reflecting, you know?"

Joel's expression softened; a hint of relief was evident in his eyes. "Reflecting on what?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"On everything," you replied, your gaze searching his. “I mean, we ran into Tess today, and I couldn’t help but imagine that I stopped you from having a big family.” You paused. “What if I can’t have children, or what if you don’t want to have them with me?”

Joel's expression softened further; his eyes filled with understanding as he listened to your concerns. He reached out, gently caressing your cheek with his thumb. "Hey, listen to me," he said softly. "I understand why you're feeling this way, but I need you to know something."

You looked at him, your heart racing with anticipation of his words.

"I love you and Sarah more than anything in this world," Joel continued, his voice filled with sincerity. "And while I may have imagined a different path for us at one point, what truly matters to me is being with you, no matter what."

Tears welled up in your eyes as his words washed over you, soothing your fears and uncertainties.

"I don't care about having a big family or whether we can have children," Joel said, his gaze never leaving yours. "All I care about is building a life with you.”

You felt a weight lift off your shoulders and a sense of peace settle over you as you realized that Joel's love for you transcended any external expectations or desires.

"I love you, Joel," you whispered, your voice filled with gratitude.

"And I love you, more than you'll ever know," he replied, pulling you into a warm embrace as he cupped your face on his hands. “And if you want a baby, let’s make one right now, and I’ll send all these people away,” he leaned, kissing you softly.

"I love you too," you murmured against his lips, savoring the warmth of his embrace.

The idea of starting a family together filled you with excitement and anticipation. With Joel by your side, you felt ready to embrace whatever the future held, knowing that together you could overcome any challenges and celebrate life's greatest joys.

With a playful grin, you leaned in to meet Joel's kiss, feeling a surge of happiness coursing through you, but the smell of alcohol on his lips made you stand up and run to the bathroom, once again to throw up.

Joel's concern was evident as he followed you to the bathroom, his brow furrowed with worry. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern as he kneeled beside you.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself as the nausea subsided. "I don't know," you admitted, feeling a sense of unease settle over you. "I've been feeling off lately, and this just... I don't know what's wrong."

Joel reached out, gently rubbing your back in a soothing gesture. "Maybe you're coming down with something," he suggested, though his tone betrayed his uncertainty.

You nodded, trying to push aside the nagging suspicion that had been growing in the back of your mind. "Maybe," you agreed softly, though deep down, you couldn't shake the feeling that something more significant was going on.

As Joel looked at you, concern etched into his features, he couldn't help but notice a certain glow on your face. It was subtle, but unmistakable—a radiance that seemed to emanate from deep within.

A thought began to form in Joel's mind, one that he couldn't quite shake. What if...?

His heart skipped a beat as he considered the possibility. Could you be pregnant?

The idea sent a surge of excitement coursing through him, mingled with a hint of apprehension. He knew that starting a family was something you both had talked about, but the idea of actually becoming parents was both thrilling and terrifying.

But as he looked at you, his mind flooded with images of a future filled with laughter, love, and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. And suddenly, the uncertainty faded away, replaced by a deep sense of hope and anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, Joel pushed aside his doubts and fears, focusing instead on the overwhelming love he felt for you and the possibility of a new life growing within you. He knew that whatever the future held, as long as you were by his side, he was ready to face it with open arms.

With a tender smile, Joel reached out, gently cupping your face in his hands. "Hey," he said softly, his voice filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "I know this might sound crazy, but... what if you're pregnant?"

Your breath caught in your throat at Joel's words, the possibility hanging in the air between you. For a moment, you were speechless, the weight of the idea sinking in.

"Pregnant?" you echoed, your voice barely above a whisper.

Joel nodded, his eyes searching yours for any sign of confirmation. "Yeah," he said, his voice tinged with hope. "I mean, it's just a thought, but... you've been feeling off lately, and the way you've been glowing... I don't know; it just got me thinking."

You took a moment to process his words; the reality of the situation was slowly sinking in. The idea of being pregnant fills you with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. It was something you had hoped for and dreamed about, but now that it might actually be happening, it felt almost surreal.

“Let’s go to the pharmacy.”

“What?! Now?” you asked, widening your eyes.

“Let’s buy a test; consider it a birthday present,” he said, already walking out of the bedroom, but you grabbed his wrist.

“But what if it comes negative?” You asked; fear was already creeping in.

Joel turned back to you, his expression softening with understanding. "Then we'll try again," he said, his voice gentle. "We'll keep trying until we get the result we want. But right now, let's just take the first step and see what happens."

He grabbed your face delicately. “And if you think I’m scared for what happened before... I know Sandy will protect you from above because you loved Sarah as if you were her mother, and I will not lose you, never.”

His words filled you with a sense of reassurance, and you nodded, feeling a surge of determination washed over you. "Okay," you said, your voice filled with resolve. "Let's do it."

The party was still in full swing when you and Joel returned, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air. Tommy spotted you both entering and quickly made his way over, a curious expression on his face.

"What's going on with you two?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

You exchanged a quick glance with Joel, the excitement and nerves bubbling up inside you. "We'll tell you later," Joel replied with a grin, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

Before Tommy could press further, you grabbed Joel's hand and gave him a knowing look. "Let's go," you whispered, your heart pounding with anticipation.

With a shared smile, you and Joel hurried upstairs, the excitement building with each step. As you reached the bedroom, Joel wasted no time in tearing open the packaging of the pregnancy test, his hands trembling slightly with anticipation.

You followed suit, your heart racing as you carefully followed the instructions on the box. With bated breath, you both waited for the results; the tension in the air was almost palpable.

And then, finally, the moment of truth arrived. As you stared down at the test in your hands, your heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Was this really happening?

You exchanged a hopeful glance with Joel, his eyes shining with anticipation. With shaking hands, you picked up the test and examined the result.

“I can’t watch,” you said, pacing back and forth.

As you paced back and forth, the tension in the room palpable, Joel reached out, gently grasping your hand to offer you reassurance. "It's going to be okay," he said softly, his voice filled with confidence. "No matter what the result is, we'll face it together."

You nodded, trying to steady your trembling hands as you continued to stare at the test in your grasp. With a deep breath, you finally mustered the courage to look at the result.

And there it was—the moment you had been waiting for—the positive sign you had hoped for. Tears of joy welled up in your eyes as you looked up at Joel, your heart overflowing with emotion.

Joel's eyes lit up with joy as he pulled you into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around you protectively. "I can't believe it," he murmured, his voice filled with wonder. "We're going to have a baby. My baby is having a baby”

Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, you melted into Joel's embrace, your heart swelling with love and gratitude. "Our baby," you whispered, your voice choked with tears of happiness. "We're going to be parents."

Joel held you close, his touch gentle yet reassuring. "I couldn't be happier," he said, his voice filled with awe and wonder. "This is the best birthday gift I could ever ask for."

As you and Joel stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the sound of knocking on the door broke the moment of quiet intimacy. You exchanged a glance with Joel, both of you momentarily lost in your own thoughts, before realizing that Tommy and Sarah must be looking for Joel to sing happy birthday.

Joel gently released you from his embrace, his eyes still filled with wonder and excitement. "I'll go get the door," he said softly, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead before making his way to the door.

You took a deep breath, wiping away the tears that still lingered on your cheeks as you tried to compose yourself. The news of your pregnancy still felt surreal, but the joy and happiness it brought were undeniable.

As Joel opened the door, Tommy's and Sarah's voices filled the room with cheerful birthday wishes. But their smiles faded as they took in the sight of you and Joel standing together with tears in your eyes.

"Hey, what's going on?" Tommy asked, concern etched in his voice as he glanced between you and Joel.

Joel's smile widened, unable to contain his excitement any longer. “We have some news," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "We're going to have a baby."

As Joel's words hung in the air, the room seemed to hold its breath. You watched as Tommy and Sarah's expressions shifted from confusion to realization, their eyes widening with disbelief and joy.

"We're going to have a baby," Joel repeated, his voice thick with emotion as he reached out to take your hand, squeezing it tightly.

Tears welled up in Sarah's eyes as she let out a gasp of joy, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. "Oh my God," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "That's incredible!"

Tommy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he pulled both of you into a tight embrace, and his voice choked with emotion. "Congratulations, you two. This is amazing news."

In that moment, surrounded by the love and support of your family, the reality of the situation hit you like a wave. You were going to be parents—a thought that filled you with a profound sense of gratitude and awe.

Loving Joel didn’t ruin your life.

With tears streaming down your cheeks, you exchanged tearful hugs with Tommy and Sarah, feeling overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. This was the beginning of a new chapter in your lives, and you couldn't wait to embark on this journey together, hand in hand, with the love of your life by your side.

taglist 💌: @immywonderdefender @sarahhxx03 @powellssaturn @ifall4dilfs @harriedandharassed @skysmiller @missladym1981 @brittmb115 @guelyury @heartpascalispunk @ashleyfilm @loveisacowboyyy @southernbe @pedrolom @maryfanson @neganbestie

[kelmcdonald]

How is it already April?

crossposted from my newsletter.

Thanks to everyone who came to Emerald City and stopped by! While I did recover from my sinus infection before going, my throat/voice didn't come back until like a week or 2 ago.

This month I'm redoing the Fame and Misfortune live reading. If you don't remember, when I did it in February my mic was broken. I have a new mic! So take two of the live reading is happening! Tune into my twitch on April 22nd at noon PST.

This month is also the release month of The Lizard Prince and Other South American Stories. This is the last Cautionary Fables and Fairytales volume. Iron Circus told me they will get the warehouse at the end of the month. Then it can start going out to backers and stores! 

Also, I want to give a shout out to my pal Matt Wilson's Zoop campaign, Imposter Syndicate. It's about folks who are hired to take over supervillian mantles after a supervillian dies or goes to jail. It has 11 days left to fund. 

Also this month's full moon movie is The Wolf Man, the one for the 40s. If you'd like to join we'll be watching it on April 6th at 4pm PST. Just click here to join the discord.

As always I'll be streaming art on Twitch. My schedule is currently the following:

Tuesday 8pm-10pm PST

Wednesday 8pm-10pm PST

Thursday 6pm-9pm PST (during the Iron Circus Geekshow)

March kicked my ass. Between Emerald City and being sick, I had a lot to catch up on. Both from Seven Seas, Iron Circus, and my comics all had a stack of work to finish up. Honestly, I'm kinda depressed about the fact that I still haven't been able to finish Blue Moon. While Spike is understanding about the delays (given that organizing crowdfunds for her is part of the delay), I'm frustrated at the lack of progress. 

I'm also kinda frustrated with my art lately. Last month I mentioned I might have to put You are the Chosen One on hiatus after the current chapter, but I think I might switch to every other week. It's only way I'm gonna have time to push myself on it the way I want. Regardless, I'd rather wait for Chapter 3 to wrap up before making that schedule change. Until then. I'll just be tired I guess.

But because I don't know any better, I started learning Japanese from Duolingo and Rosetta Stone. I appreciate that they are small enough lessons that I can do them little bit by little bit.  Anyway, while working this is what I've been watching and reading:

History of the World Part 2 - I basically grew up on Mel Brooks movies. I've seen all his movies before graduating high school. So when Hulu said it was making a History of the World Part 2 series, I had to watch it. I didn't quite know what to expect, but had to check it out. Like many sketch shows, the sketches are hit or miss. But when it's funny it's REALLY funny. Johny Knoxvill plays Rasputin in a jackass parody that shows all the way Rasputin is killed and it's so much funnier than it has any right to be. It's definitely worth a watch if you like Mel Brooks.

Palm Springs - This is another comedy where I didn't know what to expect. Groundhog Day but starring Andy Samberg didn't strike me as super original but the trailer looked funny, so I put it on while drawing. It was not only funny but much more heartfelt than I expected. Andy Samberg's characters starts the movie as having already been in the time loop for a long time. He has to relive a wedding he's a guest at over and over. The movies starts when the sister of the bride gets trapped in the timeloop with him. Having two people in the time loop gives it more interesting dynamic than the usual timeloop story. Both characters' different approach to the timeloop adds push and pull to the relationship. And it is just really funny. 

Tár - Right before Emerald City Comic Con a youtuber I like, Maggie Mae Fish, made a video about this movie. And how it examines how people abuse power. The basic summary of the movie is Tár is a conductor at the top of her field and she keep abusing her power, mostly to sleep with/date/groom young attractive women that work for her. It's an interesting movie because if it was about a man it would be a cliche. But because Tár is a woman, the movie can focus on the details and specifics of her abuse of power. There is a lot of attention to detail that helps the movie work on another level. I think if I say anything more, then I'd end up getting into spoilers/would basically be writing an essay about it.

Wolf Pack - I thought this was a sequel to MTV's Teen Wolf. And it is not. It has the same show runner and effects team, so it LOOKS like it should be connected to Teen Wolf, but instead it's much more serious. Which is kinda a shame. The show is kinda stiff in its seriousness. There are interesting bits here and there, like all the werewolves only get one werewolf power unless they are all together. But in its attempt to be series, it also tries to throw in one too many twists and then ends the show by taking a sharp turn into ableist messaging. 

Witch Hat Atelier Volume 1 by Kamome Shirahama - Last month I mentioned I've been listening to the podcast Mangasplaining. This and the next pick are the first of what will probably be several manga I check out based on that podcast. I had been recommended Witch Hat Atelier before and just put it off because time. Mangasplaining reviewing it was the final push I needed. They basically mentioned that magic in this series is 100% a metaphor for art. And appropriately, the art is just so beautiful that it's inspiring. I think it and Ghost Cage were part of what made me think I need to take the time to level up my art.

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui - This series I read a bunch of before the pandemic and then the library stopped being up to date on it/interrupted me checking em out regularly. If you aren't familiar, it's about dnd style adventurers exploring a dungeon and experimenting with cooking the monsters they kill (so they don't have to go back for supplies). It's almost over so I went and grabbed the books I hadn't read yet (like 5 I think). This one is really cute and I've liked how the plot has developed from the original premise to something with more complicated.

Ghost Cage by Nick Dragotta and Caleb Goellner - I picked this up because I know both Nick and Caleb. They had the first few issues at SDCC and I made a note to grab the trade when it's out. The premiss is this little robot guy has to fight personifications of what humans use for power (above is Fossil Fuel). The art is the real star of the show. It looks cool as hell and it is the star of the show. The paneling is really rad and interesting. Like I said with Witch Hat Atelier, it left me inspired to try and up my art.

Backpacking through Bedlam (Book 12 in Incryptid series) by Seanan McGuire - The Incryptid series is about a family of Cryptozoologists. This books picks up right after a semi cliffhanger from the last book. It's kinda hard to talk about it on its own. I liked it but I kinda wish it and the book right before it were one book.

That's everything I've been from me this month. I hope I can get a little more time to focus on stuff.

[accioecho]

Tkem novel 13

Chapter 17 “A joint investigation”

Tae-Eul’s grand plans for the two of them that night consisted of dropping by the shooting range, winning the biggest prize there and walking through the quiet city streets.

The soft stuffed lion was definitely bigger than something that fit the palm of a hand. Tae-Eul successfully hit all seven targets and gave Gon the bulky plush toy.

Tae-Eul’s shooting abilities were incomparable. Gon was no match for her. Sure, when he saw Tae-Eul’s remarkable skills he had first felt a little embarrassed by his poor performance. However that feeling had quickly been replaced by pride.

Gon held the toy against his chest, dimples crinkling, a content expression adorning his face.

“Why do you like that stuffed animal anyway?” Tae-Eul asked when she saw his proud smile.

“Because it’s a lion. It resembles you. Lions are fierce, courageous. And impressive.”

“Ah, I see.”

Her shoulders shook with mirth. They had barely spent half a day together and she had laughed several times already.

Gon put his arm around her. They were walking side by side, like any other regular couple. Spending time together like this… It would be really easy to fall into the quiet comfort of daily life.

As they neared her house, Tae-Eul finally broached the subject she had avoided until then. She  had initially planned to bring up the subject as soon as she saw him but she had also really wanted to spend the precious time they had without any interference. Just her and him.

“Answer me without letting me go.”

“I won’t.”

“I want to ask as soon as I saw you but I was holding back. I waited for you as a detective but also as myself all this time.”

Gon halted his steps and turned to her. Eyes slightly widening, lips forming an uncharacteristic grim line, he grabbed her shoulders. Truth be told, there were a lot of things he had wished to discuss with Tae-Eul as well.

“Has something happened? Were you threatened by someone? Because of me?”

“I guess that means it will happen. That’s why you came.”

So much for a quiet daily life together. The idea of a regular life would have to wait some more.

Their eyes locked. Tae-Eul held Gon’s sharp, worried gaze.

“What is it?” Gon asked.

“Is there a dome stadium named K Stadium in the northern region there? With a capacity of 16,890 seats?”

“How do you know that? Did you look that up too?”

So she was right. Tae-Eul’s face tinged with concern. She had a lot to explain. Her hands slid inside her pocket and pulled out the usb key, the tiny item held tightly between her fingers.

Without waiting any further, Tae-Eul hastily ushered Gon to her place.

Gon, who had mostly hung around Tae-Eul’s now very familiar courtyard, who had never gone further than the Taekwondo Dojang, suddenly found himself stepping into the intimacy of her bedroom. Although he was there for a very specific purpose and not in the context of a romantic date.

Gon briefly looked around his surroundings. Her room was sprinkled with countless pictures from her childhood. A few shelves were pushed against the wall and were filled with books she had probably all read. A multitude of other belongings littered the small space.

Slowly approaching her bed, Gon carefully placed the stuffed lion next to her pillow.

They both sat down by the desk. Tae-Eul turned on her laptop, slid the USB key in its slot and played the audio file.

Gon didn’t need to listen for long. He recognized the news anchor’s voice. This was a piece of broadcast from the Kingdom.

“Is it?” Tae-Eul asked.

“Yes, it’s news from my world. But you found it here?” His mind was sent reeling at the thought of Tae-Eul’s discovery. “Who else knows about this?”

“Just me for now. I can’t really tell anyone about this. Nobody will believe it anyway.”

“What are you thinking of doing?”

“I need to investigate further and figure this out. This was my case, before I even met you.”

He respected, no— liked her bravery. This trait was one of the things that made Tae-Eul inherently her. But just this one time, he wished she was less courageous.

“It could be more dangerous than you think.” Gon swallowed the lump in his throat.

“That’s why I thought about just covering it up. But… if I cover it up, then no one will ever find out about this, since there would be only two people who know about this. Me. And the culprit.”

He was wrong.

She was braver than he thought.

She was brave and amazing.

“The two worlds shouldn’t get mixed up like this. They’re supposed to stay on their respective paths. But the two worlds are already colliding, and I’ve discovered it. So what else can I do? That’s why I decided to investigate. I’m a police officer in the Republic of Korea.”

He couldn’t stop anything then. Changes were already in motion, there was nothing he could do to prevent danger from reaching Tae-Eul.

She was in danger the moment she met him, yet she showed no fear, her sense of justice unwavering.

As the King of a nation, responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders. Tae-Eul equally felt the same responsibilities as a government officer of the Republic of Korea.

For a tiny second, Tae-Eul had worried Gon would perhaps hold this against her. She was wrong from the start.

Gon still seemed to be lost in thought, his mind going over the recent events. His posture was stiff, eyes unfocused and looking into the distance. As an attempt to distract him, Tae-Eul forced out a shaky laugh.  

She also shared his sentiments. What were the odds that the one case she had been investigating for the past few weeks turned out to be tied to another universe. This was bigger than simply the two of them. She had no idea what she was getting into and she felt apprehensive by the sheer unknown that lay ahead of them.

Despite all this, there was one thing that she was sure about.

Gon probably didn’t know this.

Yes, she had always been courageous. But in that instant, the reason that gave her strength, the reason why she felt she could be braver was because of him. Because he was by her side.

“So tell me everything you know about this. This is a cooperative operation that only we can do.”

“How goes the order of command?”

“I’m your superior of course. I give the orders here.” Tae-Eul answered without hesitation.

Gon let out a small chuckle and reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a neatly folded enveloppe that contained a copy of Lee Lim’s death certificate and fingerprints confirmation. With shaky fingers, Tae-Eul grabbed the document.

“Lee Lim? That’s…”

“Yes, the traitor. If he’s alive, he’ll be 69 right now. You should find someone who matches his age, blood type and fingerprints. In my world, his body was found the year after he committed treason. But the body… was someone else’s.”

Something was definitely strange. Staring at the file, Tae-Eul sat still, all muscles in her body tensing up. This was beyond their imagination. That a dead person could somehow still be alive.

Tae-Eul knew this was possible though. Because out there stood a gate leading to another universe. A parallel world, where individuals that looked exactly the same as in the Republic existed.

“If Lee Lim is alive… He’s here, using that body’s identity.”

“That’s right. We have to figure out what he’s done here for the past 24 years.”

“I’ll look into it. But until I figure it out, do just 17 things. Stay quiet, don’t draw people’s attention, don’t tell anyone you’re a king, keep Jo Yeong out of trouble, don’t use any guns, contact me whenever you go somewhere. And I’ll tell you the rest when I think of any.”

“I’ll do as you order. Just do two things for me.”

Wondering what he would say, Tae-Eul turned her face towards Gon. He wore an unreadable expression and wouldn’t meet her gaze.

Gon pursed his lips. He hesitated for a moment, and then finally spoke his mind.

“Don’t tell me not to come. And don’t tell me not to leave.”

“…”

“I have to go back sometimes, and when I do, I want to come back soon. Whichever it is, if you tell me not to come or leave, I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything.”

Even in normal circumstances, people easily got tired of their partner when they stayed apart for a short time. In their case, a whole universe stood between the two of them, like a wall standing firm and tall. Gon deeply hoped Tae-Eul wouldn’t experience any difficulties or become weary.

This was the very first time he felt this way. He knew this was selfish of him. In all his life as a King, ever since he was born, he never once harbored any selfish interests.

“So I’m asking you not to get exhausted. I feel like a lousy man after saying that. Am I?”

Still staring at Gon, Tae-Eul slightly nodded.

“I’m confused about which part you were nodding to.”

Tae-Eul let out a small giggle and started tidying up the desk. There was a time not so long ago when Tae-Eul thought she would never understand him. That was when he first came to the Republic, babbling about parallel universes, quantum mechanics and what not. She thought he was just a crazy guy and they would never be on the same page.

Before she knew it, she found herself understanding Gon’s way of thinking and perfectly being able to read his feelings. Because she was the same.

“You should go now. Yeong must be sick with worry since he doesn’t know where you are. He must be waiting for you.”

“Why would you think Yeong doesn’t know where I am?”

Tae-Eul abruptly stood up and went to the window to look outside. Seeing the empty courtyard, she looked around her surroundings.

“He’s following us around here too?”

“I guess I’ve made you curious. I’ll be off now.”

“There’s something else I’m curious about. Am I really not in your world?”

Gon who was about to open her bedroom’s door, stopped in his tracks.

“Eun-Sup and Jo Yeong. Nari and that palace worker. Even this person has the same face. Do I really not exist there?”

Gon stood still, unable to confirm or deny. His silence was answer enough.

“I do, don’t I?” Tae-Eul didn’t know what to think. This felt strange.

“I wanted to wait until I was sure before I told you. But it looks like it. There seems to be a person that looks like you, yes.”

Long after Gon was gone, Tae-Eul couldn’t shake the image of her double existing somewhere in another world.

—

“Your Majesty. You must return to the palace. I can’t protect you here, your Majesty. What is this place, and how long have you been coming here? Your Majesty, we don’t have a life here.”

Unable to hold back, Yeong let out all the things he’d been thinking about but couldn’t say aloud when they were with Tae-Eul and Eun-Sup.  

Always looking out for him. Always defending his best interests. Gon was proud of him.

And he was about to relieve him of these daunting, heavy responsibilities.

Ever since their first meeting when Gon was eight years old, not once did Yeong disappoint or upset him. Yeong had become his most loyal subject, his best friend, his brother.

He felt guilty and sorry. But he was the only person who could carry out the task he was about to give him.

“You’ve endured a lot, Captain Jo. Yeong-ah. I can’t leave the palace permanently or give up coming here altogether. So you have to help me.”

[loneliestmuffin]

This thing on Ao3!

2.10.2021 Hand holding

On our Way to You

Skull/Lal/Colonnello

(Bonus pairing Reborn/Lal, All/All)

Colonnello and Skull are super excited today. Which is understandable. Afterall, it's not everyday that Fon invites them all to celebrate the Chinese New Year with him. It's just... Skull and Colonnello are almost too excited.

Skull has been bouncing with every step ever since they left the COMSUBIN base and his excitement slowly infected Colonnello. Now there's two idiots, hopped up on unnecessary adrenaline, making the peaceful streets of Italy unsafe. And because Reborn decided to accompany them, of course they have to pass through the random street market that popped up overnight.

Because Reborn saw the stand selling flowery honey as they passed by and that inevitably attracted him like a starving ant. And when Lal gives him a dirty look for it, he gives her an innocent smile and sweetly sing-songs. "Its either this or getting me unbanned from the farmer's market~ Your choice."

Lal rolls her eyes, sighing faintly, before rubbing the bridge of her nose a tiny bit. This is giving her a headache, because Colonnello is trying to buy the entire jewelry stand, just to have a gift for everyone and... To be honest, Lal has no damn idea where Skull went.

The point is that Skull and Colonnello are like little kids and she can't keep track of them.

Reborn isnt any help either, because he very very caught up in investigating the different flowery tastes this honey allegedly has. This is the third damn jar he wants to taste test and the stand owner is getting fussy and suspicious. Lal has to be obviously annoyed at this point, because when Reborn glances at her, he does this exaggerated, heavy sigh and grumbles. "You're their mom. You do something."

Lal's response is instantaneous and biting. "You are their dad. Why would you do this."

Reborn pulls a bit of a face, before his eyes land on another jar and he becomes adorably excited. "Ch-cherry-honey?"

Aaaand Lal lost him. Again. This is enough to snap the last few strands of her patience. So she whistles loudly, a sharp, high pitched tone. Colonnello instantly perks up from the jewelry stand, grabbing everything he paid for and running over to her as quickly as he can. He's flustered pink and adorable, but Lal doesn't have to acknowledge that. "You're staying with me, starting now. No more running off, soldier."

Colonnello damn near salutes her, but he catches himself at the last moment and pauses instead. He takes a single look at all the stuff he bought, shoves the paper baggies into each other and excitedly grabs Lal's hand. Lal flusters faintly, but... Well... 'Nello is being adorable... So she'll let it slide this time...

Unfortunately, that's exactly when Skull returns, running around a corner at full speed for some reason and screeching to a stop right in front of them. His eyes are positively glowing with his flame. That's just how excited he is. And he can't contain his voice either, apparently. "Are we holding hands-?!"

Lal can't even get a word in edgewise before her other free hand has been claimed by her excitedable little sky. And she still hasn't found the right words, by the time Reborn finally finishes his shopping. He stocked up on about... Four different jars of needlessly expensive honey.

Their sun takes one look at them and he instantly sounds very scandalized and deeply offended. "Heyyy... Since when were you all holding hands? Why wasn't I invited-?"

Lal is dying off an unnecessarily deep blush, but luckily, Skull has the tendency to just spout solutions whenever he has them. He's also very handy, immediately reaching for Reborn free hand and holding it all too happily. He has no right to sound so damn bright and innocent. "Aw, don't worry Senpai! I have two hands!"

Colonnello then looks at his wristwatch and his eyes go comically large, before he waves a hand at Skull and Reborn. "We have to go! NOW! Or we'll be late, kora!"

And that's how Lal ends up running down the winding streets of italy, her hands warmed by the calloused palms of two childish idiots. With Reborn helpfully reminding all of them why they have even gone out today. "Lunar New years... Did we bring those gift envelope thingies for Fon?"

Skull is loud and bright, but nobody minds that anymore. By now they are fully able to crank his volume down in their minds as it happens. "I have everything in my pockets!"

Colonnello huffs laughter and Lal has to resist rolling her eyes yet again. Skull is adorable. He's just... A lot sometimes, when it comes to what he does and doesn't have in his pockets. Colonnello sounds criminally cheerful and it chases heat into Lal's cheeks. "That's good, Sweetie! Cause we've finally reached our destination~"

He's right. The Kaputziner Fon chose for their family dinner today is right ahead of them. And Colonnello isn't slowing down at all, dragging them all along after him. Fortunately some poor civilian just so happens to open the Kaputziner's glass doors right as Colonnello is about to run headfirst into.

Colonnello nearly loses his balance over that, screeching to a stop and waving his free hand for balance. Lal pulls him back upright, sighing sharply, when her other hand is suddenly very lonely. Only for a moment though, because Reborn all too happily takes Skull's place.

Skull instead runs ahead to the table that was reserved for them, making quite the... Ruckus, just before he launches himself onto Verde's slender shoulders. Lal, 'Nello and Reborn are several meters away, but they can still hear Skull's excited exclamation. "Hubby!"

They all come to take their seats by the time Fon gets over his happy incredulity. He gives Skull his best pout, putting his hands on his hips. "Excuse me? That there is my hubby."

Skull pauses in his exaggerated Verde-snuggling, to give Fon an adorable, innocent blink. "We can... Share?"

Fon shoos Skull away, pulling a slightly stunned Verde against his own chest and pressing kisses into his hair. Fon sounds very pouty, even though he's hiding an obvious smile in Verde's fluff. "No. He's mine. I had him first and I'm not sharing."

Skull visibly deflates, before he shrugs mildly. "Aw. Alright. I'll let you keep your scientist I guess."

He sounded dismissive, but they all know better. Even if Verde still pretends to take offense. "Hey!"

But Skull just ruffles his hair, before he turns to wave happily to Luce, Aria and the kids instead. Because of course they would be fashionably late. When they look again, Viper already spawned in, frowning at the menu, before looking at Fon. "Who's gonna be paying-?"

But Aria stumbles into their words, so obviously excited. As kids tend to be. "When do we get to exchange gifts-??"

Luce gently caresses a hand through Aria's hair, motherly love radiating from that action alone. Because of course Luce adores every single one of their girls. "Don't be so hasty."

Fon giggles quietly, still wrapping Verde in his selfish embrace. "I already Video chatted with my family back in China. Then there's decorations, which we did this morning. Next... Comes family dinner. Gifts happen after that."

The kids obviously deflate, but they also obediently climb into the chairs that were reserved for them. Fon's short speech reminded Reborn of a thing, however. And of course their chaotic sun doesn't stay quiet when he wonders things. "Did you family get their gifts on time? What was the little one's reaction?"

Fon gives Reborn a blank stare and his voice has never been that deadpan before. "I did not send Kyoya a gun. I send him a rubber baton. And he loved it."

Reborn is pouting. Verde is cuddling his wife. Fon is cuddling his husband. Viper is still fretting over the menu, but Reborn Jr. is by their side, doing his best to calm them down. Luce is helping the girls figure out their orders. Colonnello has yet to let go of Lal's hand. Lal has yet to speak up about that. Skull happily chats with anyone that wants to listen to him about his day.

They are a family.

Tomorrow's prompt: Under the Rain. Whom shall it be?

[lifeofkaze]

When Stars Ignite - Chapter 8

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N: Welcome back to Part 2 of the HPHM Rockstar AU! New location, new songs, new drama. Buckle up, we're going for a ride!

General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.

Specific Warning: Language

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Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

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This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell

You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while

You're looking fancy, and I like your style

You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You keep on shouting, you keep on shouting

I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day

~ Kiss - Rock And Roll All Nite ~

Despite it being her third tour with Equinox now, Lizzie would probably never stop being amazed at the incredible machinery that stood behind every single one of their shows.

Now, two weeks after they had started out in London, their route had seen them through Bristol and on to Birmingham. All the familiar routines had established themselves again as if they hadn’t spent a whole month apart at all. Like cogs in a well tuned machine, everyone was working together in well established patterns to make each show unforgettable for those who came to see them play.

It didn’t matter whether one was part of the tech crew, the management, security or the band themselves; they were all like a big, chaotic but loveable family. Of course, Lizzie couldn’t deny that this time around there was considerably more tension to be felt backstage than she was used to, but fights were something happening even in the best of families; at least, that’s what she was telling herself.

Their soundcheck being over, Lizzie had just left the stage with Skye, waiting for the others to catch up. Even though the roof of the arena they were playing in tonight was still closed, Lizzie could feel a bead of sweat running down her spine.

It had been uncharacteristically hot for weeks now, very unusual for a British summer. Not that she was complaining, Lizzie typically loved everything about the hot weather; but the dampness that it brought with it made it almost unbearable to move, setting everyone’s nerves on edge. Hopefully it would just rain soon and be done with it; there was nothing better to clear the air than a good summer storm.

At least for them, however, the heat of the sun would soon be replaced by the spotlights burning down on them. Even after so many years of playing on stages of every size and format, Lizzie had trouble fighting the nervous feeling spreading from her stomach through her body. She was always the first one to enter the stage, the beat of her drums building up the mood until one after the other of her friends would enter and add their own instruments to the sound. As soon as she started playing she was in her element, every flare of nerves forgotten; but until then, she was stuck feeling like in free fall.

Lizzie reached into the pocket of her shorts, her fingers finding the familiar shape of the red plectrum she was always carrying with her. It had belonged to Orion before it had found its way into her possession; it was one of the plectrums he had used on the first tour they had ever played. Without thinking about it, she drew it out and let it wander through her fingers, a fun little trick Orion had taught her to help channel her focus when her stage fright was setting in.

“What’s that you got there, little rockstar?”

Charlie had finished his work on Merula’s keyboard and joined them at the stage entrance. Lizzie hadn’t noticed him approaching and jumped when he spoke, dropping the plectrum to the ground. Before she could pick it up again, Skye had gotten hold of it, turning it around between her fingers with a confused look.

“That looks familiar,” she mused, examining the colourful piece of plastic. “Is that one of our old plectrums?”

Lizzie tried snatching it from her hands but Skye quickly moved it out of her reach.

“No, it’s not, it’s just a lucky charm.”

She could tell Skye didn’t buy her explanation. “Why would you have one of these?”

Lizzie scowled at her friend as she tried in vain to reach Skye’s hand. “None of your business, Parkin. Give it back.”

Skye made an indignant sound as Charlie jumped to Lizzie’s aid; playing out his advantage in height, he unceremoniously plucked the plectrum from Skye’s fingers and handed it back to Lizzie with a wink. Giving him a grateful look, she let it disappear in the depths of her pockets.

“You’re a real spoilsport, Weasley,” Skye snorted.

“And you’re a nuisance,” Lizzie said in Charlie’s stead.

Charlie shook his head. “Hearing you two talk, I might just believe the rumours about your relationship.”

“I do have standards, you know,” Lizzie rolled her eyes, chuckling at Skye’s sound of protest.

Lizzie’s attention was drawn away from their bickering when she saw Orion and Everett were still standing on stage, engaged in a heated discussion. She stifled a sigh; Everett was still at odds with Orion’s decision to perform the new songs himself. There wasn’t one day he would spare them his complaints. Although Everett had always been a person with a temper, Lizzie couldn’t remember him ever being angry at one of them for so long.

Orion, however, wasn’t responding to Everett’s aggressive demeanour. Ever the calm and collected person, it took a lot more for him to lose his centre; Lizzie wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him anything but level-headed at all. And sure enough, even when Everett left him standing with a dismissive gesture, he only looked after him with a tired expression.

In contrast, Everett’s face was clearly showing his annoyance. He tried to hide it behind his usual sneer when he saw them looking, but the way his shoulders were tensed was speaking volumes. His posture only changed when he walked past where Artemis was still working on her explosives. She was bent deeply over the igniter she was wiring, so concentrated on her task she didn’t even notice Everett coming up behind her.

“A little lower, sweetheart. If you have to mess with our pyros, you might as well give us a proper show.”

Artemis straightened up with a face like thunder. “Go fuck yourself.”

Everett shrugged. “I don’t need to, I have plenty of people willing to do that for me. I can bump you up the queue if you like?”

Rolling her eyes, Artemis gathered up her things and moved to the other side of the stage, as far away from all of them as possible.

“Why can’t he just shut up for a second,” Charlie growled as they watched Everett strut off with a self-satisfied smirk. “I’m making no progress with her whatsoever. I’m still trying to convince her that we’re not all dickheads. Ev’s attitude is definitely not helping.

“Is it still so bad with her?” Lizzie wanted to know.

“Yeah,” Charlie admitted, “I don’t know how to get through to her. She’s a tough nut, that one.”

“Tell me about it,” Lizzie said. “I’ve never met anyone so determined to not be nice to anyone.”

“Surprised there’s people out there not wanting to be your friend?” Merula scoffed as she joined them.

“Actually, I am,” Lizzie said. “I even managed to convince you to be my friend, after all.”

“If you want to call us friends,” Merula snorted, but Lizzie knew she was teasing her.

She chuckled and turned to Charlie. “Do you have any idea why she’s so frosty?”

Charlie shrugged, looking as clueless as they came. “If only I knew. She’s giving me no chance to find out either, as soon as the work’s done, she’s off.”

“Sounds like she needs to get a few drinks in to loosen up,” Skye said. “Probably much easier to handle her then.”

Charlie looked at her incredulously. “You do realise how creepy that sounds, right?”

“Don’t be stupid, you know what I mean,” Skye rolled her eyes, “but seriously, who says no to a free drink and some good company?”

Charlie watched Artemis work her way through the remaining igniters. He didn’t seem convinced by Skye’s suggestion but shrugged anyway. “Might as well give it a shot at this point, but if she bites me, I’ll hold you accountable.”

***

Just like the weather forecast had promised, the temperatures hadn’t dropped one bit until it was time to enter the stage. And even if a cooling breeze would be blowing outside, it would stand no chance of reaching the fired up masses filling up the arena.

Lizzie wasn’t sure where it was warmer, down between the thousands of people singing along to their music, or up with them on stage where the heat of the spotlights made her wish for a cold shower.

They were already halfway through the setlist and as always, time seemed to be racing by.

Their fans were fantastic tonight as well; the arena was sold out up to the last seat and the crowd was incredibly enthusiastic. They were reacting to every prompt they were given, whether it was a challenge to cheer louder, sing along or clap to the beat. It was shows like these that reminded Lizzie time and time again that she had the best job in the world.

Everett was giving a stellar performance tonight; he had the whole stadium wrapped around his little finger like only he could, and the fans were cheering him on as he stepped back from the microphone to join the sound of his guitar with the rest of them.

Lizzie turned her head to Orion, who was already waiting for her to give him his cue. She counted down the remaining beats in her head before she gave him a nod. When he turned his attention from her and began playing his solo part, Lizzie couldn’t help but grin. The people were screaming themselves into a frenzy as Orion worked his magic on his guitar.

He never planned what he was going to do beforehand, not one solo the same as the day before. His brow was furrowed in concentration and his lips ever so slightly parted as his fingers flew up and down the neck of the guitar. In moments like these, everything else faded into the background for him; there was nothing left but him and his music.

As Lizzie watched his fingers dance with dizzying speed, her flushed skin burned at the memory of what other magic they were able to do. The thought almost made her miss a beat.

Almost.

She caught herself at the last moment before anyone could notice. She was glad everyone else was too busy to see the blush spreading on her face. But even if they had, they would never have suspected that it didn’t come from the incredibly high temperatures, but something else entirely.

The song ended with a bang, Lizzie hitting two cymbals and the bass drum at the same as KC let all the spotlights flare up. Almost blinded by the brightness flooding the stage, Lizzie closed her eyes and dipped her head back, breathing heavily. For a fraction of a second, the fading sound of the music was still hanging in the air, everyone holding their breaths, before it gave way to the cheers erupting from the crowd.

Lizzie smiled to herself, waiting for her racing heart to slow, before setting her mind onto the rhythm of the next song. The crowd was still cheering and she waited a moment longer until everyone was ready and Orion had stepped behind his own microphone. The next song was one of the unpublished ones and even two weeks after striking their deal with the label, Orion hadn’t let Everett sing one single verse of them.

Lizzie took a deep breath and set the rhythm by hitting her drumsticks against each other a few times. Luckily, it was one of the slower songs so they all had the chance to calm down a little. Orion’s melodic voice carried into the vast space of the stadium over the hushed crowd and Lizzie felt a shiver run down her spine; she had loved this song from the first time Orion had let her hear it.

The crowd seemed to share her opinion; many had taken out their phones and lit the screens, waving them through the darkness in what was looking like a sea of stars. It wasn’t quite the same sight as it had been when lighters had still been allowed in the auditoriums, but Lizzie was loving the sight nonetheless.

All of the new songs they had played so far had been very well received. They made sure to switch them every night so no one got too overexposed, but whatever ones Orion chose, they were always met with great enthusiasm.

The only unrecorded song they were playing night after night was, much to everyone’s surprise, not one of Orion’s creations. Even after Orion had given his consent, Everett hadn’t stopped pestering Ethan until he had agreed to give a few of Everett’s songs a shot. Most of them weren’t nearly as well liked as the ones Orion hadn’t even finished yet, but there was one song that had instantly become so popular with their fans that Ethan had decided to make it a permanent addition to the set list for the rest of the tour.

Everett had revelled in his triumph over Orion; at least that’s how he saw it. And Lizzie had to admit that it really was a catchy melody. But much to Everett’s dismay, whenever Orion picked up his guitar and did what he did best, all eyes were on him, and him alone. He was pouring his heart and soul into the music he played, and people could tell. Like the Pied Piper, he commanded everyone’s attention without even trying to.

That was probably what angered Everett most; the fact that Orion wasn’t even trying.

Even now, Everett was scowling darkly at Orion as he was singing the song in Everett’s stead. Lizzie tried to concentrate on keeping a steady beat, but her eyes were drawn back to their frontman’s menacing expression.

She couldn’t help the feeling that a storm was coming.

[tearsforhwa]

Guns n‘ Love

warnings:

-inappropriate touching (kind of detailed)

-violence

-explicit language (curse words)

word count: 1093

Chapter: 1

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The street lights shone brightly as she could hear every step she takes. The party Y/N has been to, was a complete disaster. Her friends would let her hanging as soon as she arrived, so she decided to leave earlier, hoping to get home safe. As her feet carried her body over the street, her mind began to drift away, thinking about some random boy she met at the party. He was weird. His dark brown hair, green eyes, and that smile he had, was scary to her.

She tripped and almost fell, but before her body would hit the hard ground, a hand wrapped around her waist and pulling her into a barely lighted alley.

Her head smashed against the wall, shooting pain through it.

„why did you leave so early?" someone in a deep voice spoke right next to her ear. She tried to wiggle herself out of that someone's grip, but the man gripped her waist even tighter.

As her eyes got a small look at the man, her heart skipped a beat. It was that man from the party she was at earlier.

„you?" Y/N's voice trembled at the position where his hands rested.

„yes, baby, it's me" he breathed against the skin at her neck. Y/N started to become more and more uncomfortable, trying to wiggle once again but only to have her wrists smashed into the wall.

„don't fight it and I won't hurt you, darling" the deep voice was being heard in between kisses that he placed against her neck.

„s-stop!" she shouted with the whole volume of her voice, hoping someone would hear her.

„shut up!" he whisper-yelled, as he placed one of his hands above her mouth. Her legs began to shake as her breath got heavier, realizing what is about to happen.

His free hand wandered down to her pants, what made tears form in her eyes. She mumbled a „stop" against his hand as she kicked her feet around herself.

The man got a uncomfortable hold of her hair at the back of her head, and threw her onto the ground. Y/N unfortunately hit her head again, making it spin.

„stop fucking fighting me" he yelled as he picked her up the same way again, slapping a rough hand against her face, what left her to have a nose bleed.

Seconds later, he hovered over her, what she couldn't even realize due to her head hurting like hell. Y/N could feel the feeling of going unconscious in a few seconds.

„let's have some fun" the deep voice whispered as he began to kiss her neck one again. Weakly, she kicked her legs up, but it didn't caused anything to the man.

„tonight you're mine" the man, once again, mumbled against her skin, and she slowly started to drift off into unconsciousness.

„I don't think so" another voice was suddenly heard, as the weight of the man got pulled off of her body.

She heard grunts and pants, which where muffled in her head. Her eyes rolled back as everything went black.

7 men beat the man with the deep voice. The remaining one, kneeled down beside Y/N's body. A warm hand checked her pulse hoping to feel it. A small breath was released as he could feel her pulse.

„we can't leave her here" the man spoke to the other 7 men.

„what do you suggest hongjoong?" a blonde haired man spoke in between punches. Hongjoong looked back at the girl, observing her body for any injuries.

„she hit her head pretty hard and there are some bruises" he observed her, „we should take her with us". All 7 men turned around, staring at their boss.

„what?" all of them almost spoke in sync, shocked by the suggestion their 8th member made.

„I'm the one in charge, we'll take her with us" Hongjoong demanded as he took a look at the others.

„why don't we just take her to the Hospital?" Mingi, the tallest one, spoke.

„we can't loose any more time now, my decision is made" he spoke, and with that, he carefully picked the girl up, carrying her towards the end of the alley.

„do you see that too? Since when does he picks someone up by himself?" Wooyoung spoke in a high pitched, almost screaming, voice.

The others just followed their leader to the car they've come with. Luckily, it was big enough to fit 9 people in it. Hongjoong layed Y/N down, carefully resting her head on the empty seats.

„jongho, san, take care of that man" Hongjoong told the two. „in which way?" Jongho asked back.

„take him to the base, we'll take further actions then" Hongjoong answered, without taking his eyes off of the girl, „Seonghwa, let's go". And with that, Jongho and San were left behind to take another car to the base, and the others taking the girl to their base.

-time skip-

She slowly started to gain her consciousness back a bit, what allowed her to check the surroundings. Y/N immediately noticed, that she isn't walking or laying somewhere, but someone carrying her. She turned her head to look at the person in which arms she is.

He has the most beautiful eyes she could ever think of, a dark chocolate brown. His brown/blonde hair was grown out in a mullet and his ears had a lot of earrings. He noticed that she was weakly looking at him, and flashed her a tiny smile, looking down at her.

She also noticed, that she wasn't in the hospital or somewhere familiar. She was being carried down a big hallway, with boxes and chairs to the left and right. As the man arrived at where he wanted to bring her, everything went black once again. Hongjoong laid her down on a bed, similar to a hospital bed.

„yunho? check her head and bruises to make sure she's alright" Hongjoong spoke to him clearly. Yunho nodded as Hongjoong left with the others.

Yunho immediately started to observe her head, spotting a small wound. He took care of it, and checked all the bruises he could see.

„Mingi, I want you to interrogate that man, get me his name and why he did that" Hongjoong commissioned Mingi. „of course" Mingi nodded in agreement as he walked off.

„oh and, don't hesitate" Hongjoong said in a low voice, „do what it takes". Mingi's mouth formed a small smile, walking to the interrogation room.

to be continued...

[mrslaufeyson002]

Chapter 2.

When the movie finished, Peter introduced himself to me. "Hey, can I show you a cool game?" Peter asks me and I nod my head, he grabs my hand and drags me to the game room. I watched him play a few rounds on the game called 'Fortnite'. I didn't care about the game, so I went to another tv screen and played 'Batman Arkham Asylum'.

I have been playing the game for longer than two hours and I was going against 'Titan Joker,' when Peter walked over to see what I was doing. "How are you so close to finishing the game? I can't get past Poison Ivy."

I just giggled at how childish he can be. "I can help you another time, but I'm starving and then I'm going to bed."

I came back an hour later and I was ready for bed. I took the elevator to the fourteenth floor and walked up to a flight of steps to get to my room. I got in my bed and closed my eyes, but I didn't fall asleep. I heard footsteps coming closer to my room, the door opened and I heard quiet, graceful footsteps getting closer to me. I gasped in surprise and opened my eyes when I felt a pair of cold hands wrap around my throat. I started to laugh at his attempts to kill me. "Why are you laughing?"

"I love how you thought, choking a vampire will kill them." He got up and started to pout, he was about to leave my room. "You try to kill me again and I will enjoy killing you." He left my room and I tried to sleep.

(What Cecelia is wearing after waking up)

I opened my door and saw Tony standing there, arms crossed over his chest. "Can I help you?" I ask a bit sarcastically and he seemed to get angrier.

"Where were you yesterday during dinner?" I rolled my eyes at him, I mean he can't be that stupid. "I got hungry, so I went hunting for food. I didn't know that I needed permission to feed. I thought you knew that I don't eat human food, I'm a vampire, we have an all blood diet." I raised my voice a bit and Tony looked a bit shocked. "I'm sorry." I apologized, lowering the volume of my voice.

"I was worried, I like you kid and if anything happened, I don't know what I would do. It's not safe for Vampires nowadays, you could have been caught and killed. The government has hunters everywhere, I'm just glad that you're safe." He sounded like he was about to cry. "I had an idea last night, we'll have the avengers participate in this also, but I was thinking about having a blood drive around the country." I wrapped my arms around him and he returned my hug.

"Thank you, Tony." He let go of the hug before I did and he stepped aside for me to leave my room. "Hunting for my food can be tiring and very messy sometimes."

"I told Peter about it yesterday and asked if he could like to donate and he agreed. If you get hungry, there's a blood bag in the cupboard above the sink. I also labeled whose blood it is."

I walk down the hallway and down a flight of steps to get to the kitchen. I had eaten at least twice a day or I could lose control. I opened the cupboard and there were at least ten or thirteen bags of blood. I grabbed a bag and looked at the label, it said Bruce/Hulk. I tore into the bag and dumped it into one of Tony's cups. I drank half of it when I heard a female screaming behind me. I stopped and turned to look at her, she looked frightened for a second. "You're the vampire that lives here." She calmed down a bit shook my hand. "I'm so sorry for freaking out, I'm Jemma Simmons."

"Are you a part of Coulson's team?" She smiled and nodded her head. "Can you introduce me to your friends?"

She dragged my hand and pulled me into the living room. "Cecelia, it's so good to see you again," Phil says and gets up from his chair and hugs me.

"I saw you yesterday Phil." Jemma pulled me to her friends and pointed to each one as she introduced me to them. "This is part of our team, Agent Melinda May, Daisy, Lincoln, Lance Hunter, Leo Fitz, Bobbi Morse, Erika Fury is Director Fury's daughter and Al Mackenzie but he prefers to be called Mack." I shook everyone's hands as Jemma introduces me to her friends. "Jemma can you bring my drink in for me?" I ask her and she hurriedly goes to the kitchen. Loki walks in and nobody talks.

"Here you go, Cecelia." She hands me my half-empty drink and I take it from her. I take a sip and almost everybody is watching me. I stop and look up at them.

"What?" I ask getting paranoid at their looks.

"Is that...blood?" Fitz asks me and I could see him trembling in his seat.

"Yeah, I'm a vampire." They're still watching me so I excuse myself to finish my drink in peace. I walk into the kitchen and sit at the counter. I gulp the rest of it down and I walk back out to the living room. I still got a semi-weird look from them, so I went to the elevator.

I walked into the game room and saw Peter trying so hard to defeat Poison Ivy, he was so close but he died. He threw the controller on the floor in frustration. I walked over to him and sat down. I picked up the controller and handed it to him, his fingers touched mine for a second so I let go. "I can give you some tips." I offered and I'm glad that I'm not human, because if I was...I would be blushing.

"Can you please give me some tips?" I smiled and nodded my head.

I helped Peter finish the game and he left to get himself some lunch. I sat in my room waiting for Peter when the door opened and Loki walked in. "Did you come back to kill me?" I ask looking into his eyes.

"No, but only because I do not wish to die." He smirked as he said this.

"Then why are you here?" I ask not wanting him to be near me anymore.

"I wanted to hang out with you and maybe get to know you."

"There are a lot of other people here, why me. I mean last night, you tried to kill me. He smiled shyly at me.

"I'm sorry about that. I was not happy to be here, and I thought that you would be an easy target to let my anger out on you." He replied rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is that your way of saying, 'I never planned on killing you?'" He nods and smiles shyly again at me, and I thought it was absolutely adorable. "If you're ever angry, I will always be here to listen. I don't want you to accidentally kill anyone."

[timebuzzer]

277 3rd Person

❗Disclaimer: the media used in the chapter is edited for VISUAL PURPOSES ONLY ✌️❗

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Sage heaved a deep sigh when they got back to their positions.

"I'd let go of all my inhibitions. Just lose everything. All I have to do is enjoy this moment with her and I'll see where it takes me. It's just me, her, and this moment. Nothing else matters." He tried convincing himself.

Then he heard the director's cue. "Action!"

Jared looked at Sophia with shock in his face because it was the first time that she initiated a kiss.

"This is wrong," Sophia uttered again and tried to leave but Jared grabbed her by the arm.

There was hunger, and anticipation in his eyes as he looked at her this time. This is the sign Jared has been waiting for, the moment when Sophia loses her composure. So he didn't hesitate anymore.

Sophia tried to utter a word but she was immediately silenced by Jared closing the distance between them in an instant as he devoured her in a passionate kiss.

Sophia tried resisting by pushing him away, but he continued with his advances like an avalanche.

Sophia's mind started to lose its rationality again as she sunk deeper into the pure bliss he was giving. Heat surged from Sophia's stomach to her chest.

After her incessant resistance, she finally succumbed to his kisses. She parted her lips allowing him more access and felt him washing over like a wave of warmth, curling her toes, unfurling all her senses as the taste of him silenced all her thoughts, dropping the glass of champagne on the floor.

Her whole body tingled, the feel of his frame leaning on hers as his arms wrapped around her waist. He pulled her in, claiming her mouth again, hungry and intense, until her knees gave in. By the time Sophia became aware of her fingers, they had already slipped under his shirt feeling the heat in his body.

As if time had stopped right there, they stood propped against the cabinet glued to one another. As if no one else existed and only the two of them.

Before she could withdraw her mind from its far places, her arms clung to his neck for additional support as her knees started to lose their strength. She felt the rush of helplessness, the sinking yielding, the surging tide of warmth that left her limp.

His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling. And before a swimming giddiness spun her round and round, she knew that she was kissing him back.

Their lips danced to the beat truly their own. All the rationality went down the drain and they were totally intoxicated at the moment. Jared's hands traversed to her hips and shoved them but his lips never left hers. While Sophia on the other hand grabbed onto his hair as she tried to catch up to his pace.

The duo was so lost in the moment that they failed to notice the phone ring. The director couldn't cut the scene because it became truly magical but asked the staff to increase the volume instead.

They then finally heard the cue and broke free from each other. Alex felt her knees wobble, and she couldn't stand up properly.

"Cut! Sophia, what's wrong? You're supposed to answer the phone." The director asked.

"One minute, PD-nim. I think I'm having leg cramps." She felt extremely shy, so she clung to Sage for support. Everyone present laughed at Alex's reaction like they knew why she had "cramps", making her face extremely red. Luckily, there were only a few people inside the set.

Sage consoled her with a hug and Alex hid her face on his chest. If Alex was blushing hard, Sage isn't any better. His ears were red too. The two stayed in that position as both of them were trying to calm their racing hearts.

"That's what I'm talking about 'no inhibitions', all out. I loved the adlibs. Very good! Very good. But I think, you guys need to tone down the intensity for the succeeding shots a little bit, since it will be a close-up frame. We'll shoot the next angle in 10 minutes. Camera 2 and 3 standby." The director commented. He didn't give specific instructions on their hand movements and was amazed by the two's performance. It really looked like Jared and Sophia. The longing, hunger, passion, and love were there.

Only Sage and Alex knew that the feeling was exclusively their own and not Jared and Sophia.

They continued the shoot flawlessly. One take, no more NGs, and a little bit of acting. The staff felt like they're watching a drama already. The scene was so romantic that they even felt shy to look anymore as if they're invading a couple's privacy.

[stoopsbookstore]

Highway to Heaven Hell (Part 4)

Chapter Synopsis - Johnny, in a frenzied state, confesses to Y/N, but was it real or just the powder? Mark and Jaehyun get trapped when the security around the Light side strengthens. Y/N begins to learn more about the truth of what happened to Jeonghan.

Warnings - Two uses of the C word

"I'm sorry. You'll have to wait longer," Y/N pushed herself off of him, yanking the shower knob to start pouring out ice cold water. She grabbed a scarf from the hamper, tying the shower door so Johnny couldn't escape.

Johnny started convulsing as the water hit him, his eyes going back to normal. Johnny tries to stand up in the shower as he is quickly brought back down to his knees, hurling up a blue sludge. Y/N hated seeing him in pain. When Johnny started crying out for help, Y/N untied the scarf, jumping in and turned the shower off.

"Johnny! What the hell just happened?!" Y/N hugged him, his body was freezing from the water, yet hot from the nausea, "please tell me you're okay."

Johnny nodded his head, "I'm fine now, I promise. Y/N I'm sorry, I have no idea what that was about. Please forg-"

Y/N hugged Johnny, "of course I'm going to forgive you. That wasn't you, Johnny. Can you stand up?"

"Yeah," Johnny got up off the tile floor of the shower, Y/N getting up to grab him a towel, "It's totally fine if you don't want me to, but Mr. Siwon actually wanted me to stay the night up here, for extra security he said."

"About th-"

"Ok. I understand, I'll be downstairs if you nee-"

"Please stay. I really can't be alone right now and I know you're back to normal, so please stay."

Johnny let out a soft laugh as he made his way to the couch, turning up the volume on the TV, Y/N throwing him a pillow and blanket.

When Y/N went to lay down, Johnny got comfortable on the couch, noticing a notebook on the table. Reaching for it, Johnny opened it up and started to read the beginning of a note.

It's okay, Jaehyun. I'm sorry for what happened today.

A frantic knock on the door made the two turn their heads, a voice known to only Y/N began to speak, Johnny placing the notebook back on the table.

"Y/N, it's me, Jaehyun!" The voice yelled in hushed tones, "Please let me in!"

Johnny was confused as Y/N ran to the door, opening it to reveal a tall male he knew as the one Y/N danced with at the lesson. Their eyes met and the same thing came out of their mouth in disbelief.

"Who's he?"

"I asked first," Johnny became defensive at the presence of Jaehyun, flashing back to earlier in the day when Mr. Siwon complimented their natural chemistry, "who the hell are you?"

"I'm Jaehyun, I'm one of Y/N's friends," he took a spot towards the taller male.

"I am too. I've never seen you around here before, how do you know her?" The space between them got smaller as they tried to intimidate each other.

Y/N got in the middle of them, "Guys, listen, I promise I'll explain, but Jaehyun, why are you over here?"

"Over here?! You mean to tell me he's one of those fuc-" Johnny remembered seeing Jaehyun on the roof, Ms. Hyoyeon's suspicions correct, "you fucking demon cunt, I should kill you."

Johnny tried to punch Jaehyun, missing when the younger male ducked down. Johnny got up, charging after Jaehyun, knocking him down to the floor, landing blows to his face as Y/N tried to pull him off. Jaehyun pleaded to get a word in, only having the ability to do so when Y/N managed to push Johnny after the younger boy.

"Dude! I'm here because Mark is fucking stuck on the dark side, I'm stuck over here and I overheard that Hyoyeon bitch talking about some guy named Jeonghan. And I know about the attacks and I can tell you those weren't dark siders!"

Johnny's temper cooled down when he saw a glint of sincerity in Jaehyun's eye, "what the hell do you mean those weren't dark siders, those weren't demons? What the hell was that powder they threw at us?!"

"They're rangers, guys from each kingdom hellbent on destroying every kingdom, they want the kingdoms destoryed, that way they can rebuild and take over. I have some friends who turned against us, I think some of the higher-ups here are a part of them too," Jaehyun spurted out, "they may be demons, but they are not dark siders, we actually have morals."

"A demon talking about morals, that's rich," Johnny scoffed, "but if what you're saying is tru-"

"It is. What do you think happened to Jeonghan? Mark was right, you angels don't really know anything."

Before Johnny could get out another quip, Y/N interjected.

"What happened to Jeonghan? We were told he was corrupted by the dark side, some demons called Minghao and Yut-"

"Yuta wouldn't corrupt someone, he may be a slut, but he has too good of a soul, even for a dark sider. He's actually been working on a way to get rid of the Rangers without harming them. Minghao, on the other hand, he is one of the underlings."

"How can we trust him, Y/N?" Johnny flickered his eyes between Y/N, Jaehyun and the notebook on the table, "didn't you called him Jaehyun earlier? And you were at the dance less-"

It clicked in his brain.

"You've been talking to a demon from the dark side?! For how fucking long?!" Johnny pushed Jaehyun, knocking the male on the footrest in front of Y/N's bed, Y/N stunned as Johnny grabbed her shoulders.

"For a few weeks or so," Y/N was about to start crying, "Johnny, I promise he's not like the other. He knows Mark and Mark can vouch for him."

"And where's Mark, huh? Stuck with those disgusting, worthless demon fuckhe-"

"Those are my family, you cunt," Jaehyun rushed Johnny, the pair falling to the ground, landing punches to the older male's face.

Y/N panicked, almost screaming at the violence between the two boys, "Guys! Stop, please! You'll wake up everyone!"

But they didn't let up, the two kept wrestling on the floor. Y/N looked around for something, anything to get them to stop. She ran out the balcony door, slamming it against the wall and gaining the boys' attention.

"I'll do it. I'll jump over the fence, I'll land right in the middle and I'll run," Y/N readied herself as Jaehyun and Johnny got up from the floor, both bloodied.

"Y/N, please. If Ms. Hyoyeon finds out I let you run aw-"

Jaehyun interrupted the older boy, who started walking over to Y/N, "Wait. Ms. Hyoyeon? That blonde teacher at the dance lesson?"

"Yeah. What about her?" Y/N walked back inside, Johnny shutting the door and trying to calm down his heartbeat.

"If Professor Oak tree right here promises not to kick my ass again, I'll continue with the Jeonghan story."

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

Y/N poured some peppermint tea into three cups, Johnny icing his forehead as Jaehyun wrapped up his wrist.

"So, let me get this straight. The lady we've known as Ms. Hyoyeon for the past 2 decades is actually a part of the Rangers, her real name is Kyungri and the night her gang and she kidnapped Jeonghan, the actual Ms. Hyoyeon discovered them and she hasn't been seen since with no way to be found?" Johnny sat up in disbelief, Y/N sitting in shock as she took a small sip of her tea.

"Yeah, Kyungri's been using a perfected masking spell. She's been working with some guy, but Haechan has yet to find out who he is. Jaemin was looking into it when the alarm started going over. Mark didn't want to get caught, so I pushed him past the cloaking spell, made sure he was safe," Jaehyun pulled out his phone, "speak of the devil, he texted me from Yuta's phone. He's fine and he's safe, they're working on a masking spell for him to make sure he's not caught by the light siders."

"Why kidnap Jeonghan though?" Johnny questioned as Y/N stayed in a silent state, "what does he have to do with any of this? How do you know all of this?"

"Jeonghan was the next heir, she wanted to speed up the ritual. The coronation isn't a crowning, it's a codename, those who are considered the next heir get their blood drained from them, just enough to keep them alive, but with no will. The Rangers are like vampires, Kyungri has brainwashed them for the last 20 years to make them believe if they follow her, she'll give them eternal life, they just have to help her ruin the kingdoms and kidnap the heirs. That's why they have the whole bullshit ceremony, the wheel is rigged to choose who Kyungri, or Ms. Hyoyeon, feels would be the next great heir."

"The whole coronation is essentially a ritual sacrifice? What about those who have been heirs before?"

"They're 'sent to another kingdom.' They're fucking kept in cages, kept alive only for their blo-"

"How the hell do you know this?" Johnny broke the tea cup that was in his hand, crushing it in his grasp.

"My parents were Rangers, left me alone all the time. They wanted me to be one, so I became some sort of a double agent, attending Ranger meetings, but feeding the information back to Doyoung and Yuta," Jaehyun begun to help pick up the broken teacup shards as Johnny grabbed a towel from Y/N's bathroom, "I stopped going and they disowned me. Which is why I went after you for calling my friends worthless, sorry about that by the way. They're my family, more than my actual parents."

Johnny patted Jaehyun's back, "dude, it's okay. I'd do the same if someone called Mark, Taeil, Taeyong or Y/N names like that. It was a heated moment. We have to think of a plan to stop them, but how?"

"First things first, we need to get Mark and my friends over on this side. Make Kyungri paranoid. Once we have all of us on this side, we can take them down from within."

Y/N stood up, walking over to her computer, "give me your phone, Jae."

Jaehyun handed Y/N his phone, yanking it out of his hands and texting Mark.

Mark, tell the others we have a plan. We'll be talking through notes like me and Jaehyun were.

I assume they told you too?

Yes and I'm fucking pissed.

"Damn, this is a side of Y/N I never thought I'd ever see," Jaehyun smirked as Johnny felt his heart drop a bit.

Where are we going to pick up the notes?

Every night after the light side has gone to sleep, I will throw a paper plane over, aiming for the plants on the little widow's peak on the roof, right across from my balcony, where me and Jaehyun originally started with the notes. Amazing, I'll let the others know.

Stay safe, Y/N, Johnny and Jaehyun.

You too, little dude.

Y/N erased the messages, the evidence that proved they knew anything.

Johnny placed his hand on Y/N's shoulder, "we have to make it seem as if we're oblivious, but how?"

"Act as if everything is normal. I can make some clothes for Jaehyun, so he's not stuck in dark side garb."

"Where would I sleep?"

"I keep an extra sleeping bag in my room for Mark, in case he doesn't want to sleep in his room. Speaking of which, it's late, we should probably go to bed. Will you be okay, Y/N?"

Y/N nodded, standing up from the desk chair, "Yea, I should be fine."

"We should probably go," Johnny and Jaehyun hugged Y/N, Johnny's lingering a second longer, while Jaehyun slipped something into Y/N's hand when she handed him his phone back, "We'll be right downstairs, ok?"

Johnny started to head to the door, thinking Jaehyun was right behind him. Jaehyun gave a gentle peck on Y/N's cheek as he ran towards Johnny, who had a sad smile on his face. The two boys left the room, leaving Y/N alone on her couch as she cuddled up to her pillow, watching TV, attempting to distract her mind.

She looked at the note Jaehyun handed her. The writing was messy and all she got make out was Don't Trust S, the remaining letters mashing together in an mostly unintelligible mess, most likely due to Jaehyun rushing.

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

Johnny laid the sleeping bag out for Jaehyun, the younger male taking a look at the angel's room. Jaehyun saw a photo of a young Y/N, a ponytail in a bow and Johnny with a matching bowtie.

"Cute."

"Yea, she is."

"I meant you both. Kids are adorable, regardless if they're demon or angel. Just because we're supposed to hate each other, doesn't mean I can't give you a compliment. You can throw some damn good-ass punches too."

"Thanks, Mr Siwon taught me when I was younger. He's like a father figure to me."

"I noticed that. A lot of kids over here don't have parents," Jaehyun sat down on the sleeping bag, laying back as he tried to find a comfortable position.

"The story is they keep parents and children separate so the kids have a chance to be free and form their own opnions. Twice a month, they allow us to meet up with our parents and talk about what's been going on. This past few hours have been a total culture shock to me, thinking more and more about the system here seems insane."

Jaehyun sat up, "it is insane. The higher-ups want you guys to believe there is only one way of life and that the dark side is actually a horrible, terrible place, but I can assure you it's not."

Johnny laid on his bed, Jaehyun resting his chin on the side of the king-sized mattress, "this plan is going to work, right?"

"I hope so, bro. I really hope so."