#there's going to be bloodstains all over my boy

[marvelfanfn2187a113]

Daughter Problems

Sam and Dean Winchester & little sister!reader, John Winchester & daughter!reader

Requested by Anonymous (x2)

Synopsis: you get your very first period, and the boys are unequipped to deal with it

A/N: I tried to make John comforting but still in character, I hope you guys like it! (PS—I’m on my period so this was perfect)

“Dad!”

The slam of the motel door and the sound of your voice jolted Dean out of his dozing and had his head shooting up from the lore book he was reading.

“Jeez kid,” he grumbled. “Do you have to be so loud?”

“Where’s dad?” You demanded.

“On a hunt.” Dean gestured to the book in front of him. “I’m researching for him. You got back just in time to help.”

“Not now, Dean.” You huffed. “I need dad.”

Dean was suddenly stiffer and more alert.

“Why? Something happen?”

You groaned. “No, De, I just need him.” You rubbed your arms. “Can—can I call him?”

Dean stared at you for a moment, realizing that your flannel was tied around your waist rather than covering your arms, despite the cold air outside and in the motel.

“What’s with the shirt?” He questioned.

“It doesn’t matter!” You snapped, and Dean’s eyes widened.

“Alright, c’mon, spill.”

“Dean, forget it, I need—“

“Dad’s busy. I’m all you’ve got. Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Is something wrong?” Sam’s voice came right after he stepped into the motel room.

“I need to call dad!” You insisted.

“We’re not calling dad,” Dean said. “You don’t have a choice here, kid. If you need something, then—“

You didn’t let him finish. With a dramatic huff, you took hold of your flannel and untied it, revealing the bloodstain on your jeans.

The silence was dramatic, long, and extremely uncomfortable.

“Um…I take it you haven’t gotten this before,” Dean said. “But I mean…you know what it is, right? Like you know—“

“Yes, Dean! I know what it is!” You retied your flannel, fidgeting uncomfortably. “And no, I’ve never had it before.”

“We could, uh—“ Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, we could try to get you some stuff…do you know what you need?”

“Not really,” you mumbled. “I mean, I know there’s different options but I don’t know what…”

“Oh boy,” Dean grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. You felt your face heat up at Dean’s embarrassment.

“You know what, never mind,” you huffed, turning and heading for the bathroom. “Just forget it.”

“No no, wait—“ Sam tried to stop you, but you brushed past him.

“I said forget it!”

The slam of the bathroom door ended your demand for you.

…

“Do you think we should go to the store?”

“I don’t know, man, I mean I don’t even know what she nee-“

The brothers’ twenty-minute long argument was cut short by the door opening, and the imposing form of John Winchester entered the room.

“Hey boys,” he greeted, frowning when he was met with awkward silence. “What’s going on? Where’s your sister?”

“Um…the bathroom,” Dean answered. “She uh…she got…she’s on her first…”

“Would you spit it out?” John snapped.

“She got her period,” Sam whispered as if it were a secret.

“Oh boy.” John rolled his eyes, and Sam and Dean were taken aback when he chuckled. “And you two idiots have been standing around trying to figure out what to do?”

“Well…” Dean looked defensive, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to defend himself.

“Alright, alright.” John shook his head. “Apparently health class taught you guys nothing. Here.” He grabbed a notepad and started writing up a list. “I want you two to go out and get these, and I’ll deal with your sister.” He handed the list to Dean, whose eyes widened at the sight.

“She needs all that?”

“Just get going,” John demanded.

Once the boys were gone, he knocked hesitantly on the bathroom door.

“Hey sweetheart? It’s dad, can I come in?”

He was met with silence for a few seconds, before a weak “ok” prodded him to open the door. His whole figure seemed to soften when he saw you sitting in the bathtub fully dressed, your clothes and hair soaked.

“I wanted to wash the blood off, but I didn’t want to see Sam and Dean again just to get clean clothes,” you mumbled. “So I just showered with them on.” You rubbed at your tear-stained face, and kept your gaze purposefully averted from John.

“Oh kiddo…” John sighed, coming to sit by you. His pitying reply seemed to just upset you further, and you started to cry. “Hey, hey,” John soothed. “It’s ok, really. Your brothers are off getting a list of stuff, and I can help show you what you need.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” You sniffled. “I got blood everywhere, and-and I’m a mess and I can’t stop crying…”

John had to admit, his little girl crying in a bathtub and questioning his sympathy felt like a punch to the gut. Was he really so bad?

“Look, I…I know I can be tough on you kids,” John admitted. “But I also know that this is a lot for you. This isn’t your fault, none of it—not the blood everywhere, or the crazy emotions, or anything. I’m just trying to make this easy for all of us, ok?”

“Ok.” You nodded, your tears finally subsiding.

“Ok,” John breathed. “Which means you’re gonna have to help me. Talk to me, what are you feeling?”

“My stomach really hurts,” you admitted.

“But you’re not…” John hesitated, then he huffed. “I mean you don’t feel like—“

“Like killing anyone?” You asked, struggling hard to resist rolling your eyes. “No…I kinda just feel like crying.”

“I’ll take it over the alternative,” John decided. A faint, nostalgic smile flitted over his features. “Your mother used to bite everyone’s heads off when—“ John shook his head, blinking hard as if blinking away the memory. “Um, anyway. I know you’re feeling pretty bad, but we’ve got enough enemies without you trying to kill us too.” John tried to smile again to indicate that he was—kind of—kidding, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. You smiled back anyway, if only to take pity on him, and he seemed relieved.

“I won’t,” you promised.

“We’re back!” Dean yelled as he entered the motel room.

“In here!” John announced, but when he saw you squirming and shrinking down as if you could disappear down the drain, he stood and went to meet Dean at the bathroom door instead. He took the bag Dean offered him and shut the door in his face.

“Ok.” John started laying everything out on the bathroom counter, and you felt like you would die if your face got any hotter. John noticed your face, and he stopped. “Right, uhh…” he put the bag down. “I’m just gonna leave this here and let you figure it out. Knock if you have any questions and I’ll come help you. I’m gonna get you some dry clothes, and you just…just come out when you’re done I guess.” John started to turn the door handle, but your voice stopped him.

“Dad?”

“Yeah kiddo?”

“Thanks.”

John grinned at you—a rare occurrence that you filed away in your memory—and walked out.

You stood up, laying a towel down on the bathroom floor so you wouldn’t get water everywhere, and took hold of the bag. It looked like the guys had gotten you just about every option of everything you could possibly need, including chocolate, which you munched on while you tried to decide what you wanted to use.

…

Ten minutes later, you were dried off and in clean clothes and hesitantly leaving the bathroom. You were surprised to see just your dad when entered the room.

“I sent the guys off to get some food,” John explained. “You feeling ok?”

“Yeah,” you mumbled, shuffling your feet. “Are you, um…are you gonna be around?”

“I finished off the hunt,” John assured you. “I should be here for at least a few days.”

“Thank you.” You felt your dad stiffen in surprise when you hugged him, but he quickly relaxed.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “You know your brothers we’re just trying to help, right?”

“They’re idiots.” Your words—muffled by John’s jacket—make him chuckle.

“Yeah, sometimes they are. But hey, that’s what I’m here for, right?”

You grinned, your arms tightening around your dad. “Right.”

And John hugged you back tightly, a smile on his face as he realized that even as you got older, there were some things you still needed your dad for.

Taglist:

@nyotamalfoy @mrvlxgrl @chocorade @aestheticdaisies @inlovewhithafairytale @that-wannabe-vangoghgurl @casmustdiee @987coley @deadlymistletoe @wayward-impala83 @whump-loverz

[peachdues]

Work has been kicking my ass the last couple of weeks, so I haven’t really had time to write. This is all I’ve got for y’all right now 🤍

Lovers of Compass!Sanemi and Reader discussing books, rejoice. They’re still a couple of fucking nerds (no matter how horny)

It’s almost one in the morning when your phone buzzes.

A message; one from the only person you text, who also happens to be your favorite. On your screen is a picture of the front cover of the book you’d given Sanemi before he left the day before; beneath it, the chat bubble signals he’s sending a follow up.

You caught up yet? Sanemi’s text reads.

You toss your own book to the side, straightening up in bed. Though no one is around to see, a smile unfurls across your lips and your thumbs hurry across your phone’s keyboard.

How far are you?

Sanemi’s reply is instant. Halfway. Can’t finish tonight but I’ve got a few things I need to discuss right the fuck now.

You glance at the time. It’s nearing one-thirty, and your alarm is set for six. Dragging yourself out of bed after less than five hours of sleep is a kind of stupidity you know better than to indulge.

You hit the call button anyway.

Sanemi picks up on the second ring. “I’ve got five minutes,” he warns, voice low, like he’s wary of being overheard. “So if I hang up all of a sudden, it’s ‘cuz of work —“

“Hi to you too,” you tease, settling back against your pillows.

A pause. “Hey there, beautiful,” you can hear his smile even through the phone. “You okay?”

“Better, now that I hear your voice,” and you can’t even be bothered to be embarrassed by the cheesiness of the admission. Texting him is one thing; hearing him, actually hearing that wonderfully gravelly voice of his soothes a tension in your limbs you hadn’t realized you’d been carrying.

He’s okay. He’s unharmed — safe, even. For now, that has to be enough.

Sanemi’s laugh comes through the phone as a staticky exhale of breath. “Normally, I’d ask what you’re wearing, but I’m dead fuckin’ serious — if they don’t win this war —“

“Which battle did you get to?” You sit up, wracking your memory for the approximate place Sanemi has reached in his book. “Did the cadre reunite?”

“No, half of ‘em are still across the fucking continent.”

“Ohhhh, yeah. Okay. I know where you are.” You tug at a loose thread on your comforter. “I can’t say anything. You’ll just have to keep reading.”

“God dammit,” and you imagine he’s rolling his eyes, maybe even glaring down at the book in distaste. “Shit’s got me stressed the fuck out. I don’t know how she’s gonna wrap this up —“

You giggle as he launches into a rant over loose plot ends. Squaring the mental image of your boyfriend — the one currently ranting about the various loose plot ends to still be tied up in his current read — with the one you know must be sitting in some alley or warehouse, waiting to do things he’ll never speak of, feels impossible at times. But here, for this small moment, Sanemi isn’t a Hashira. He’s just a boy, spouting off theories and guesses as to his book’s ending with an almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, there are no orders to leave, no bruised knuckles or bloodstained hands he has to scrub clean in your bathroom sink.

It’s just you and him; your Sanemi. Your wonderful, gentle, sweet Sanemi.

“Ah shit,” he cuts his impassioned tirade off with sigh. There’s a rustling on the other end of the line, but it’s too muffled to be distinguishable. “‘M gonna have to go —“

Just like that, the moment ends and the smile you’d been wearing slides from your face.“Oh.” And you hate how small your voice sounds. “That’s okay — I’m glad I got to talk to you for a sec.”

The rustling stops. “Me too,” Sanemi says softly. “Fuck, I miss you.”

This is the part you hate most; the part when he has to stop being yours and go be theirs, no matter how much you know he doesn’t want to.

Your moments with him are pennies to the hours the Corps gets to demand. As long as they keep their claws in him, this will always be how your moments with him end: in abrupt, hushed voices, Sanemi’s shoulders sagging with a guilt he shouldn’t have to feel.

You grimace. This forced distance between you is bad enough, and you don’t want him to feel worse than he likely already does. You knew what you signed up for by telling him you loved him. You can’t be mad for getting exactly what you’d known to expect. And besides, your ire is reserved for the Corps and the Corps alone. Sanemi doesn’t deserve it. You can’t leave him on your sour note.

He’ll be yours again soon enough, even if only temporarily. That has to be enough, for now. Better to give him something to look forward to, rather than reminding him ��� and yourself — of what you’re both currently without.

“If you still wanted to know — I’m wearing your shirt. Only your shirt.” You smirk. “A thong, too. The lacy green one.”

A favorite of Sanemi’s, as he’d mentioned a handful of times. One that always set his eyes wide, made his tongue flick out to wet his lips.

Your distraction works. A strangled groan crackles through the phone. “You’re killin’ me, woman.”

[theskit]

Stickers AU

Important!!!

Direct linking gets rid of the readmore cuts!

If you came here via direct link, or wish to use the direct links to another part of the story, and DO NOT want to spoil the surprise stickers, please click on my blog name to go to the actual post after using the link.

Part 9

《Prev Next》

Danny wasn't sure what he'd expected when he put Bludhaven into his phone's GPS Sunday evening, but finding out it was only 30 minutes away was still surprising. He'd somehow thought it was farther away than that.

Shrugging it off, Danny found an out of the way alley to go invisible and intangible for the short flight. He'd already picked out which of his stickers he would be gracing Nightwing with tonight, now the only thing would be finding him.

Taking a rather scenic route along the coast, Danny got some interesting pictures of the rocky coastline and the water. The light pollution was still pretty bad, but it was a little easier to see the stars outside the city limits.

Reaching Bludhaven, Danny flew around randomly for a while before hearing a shout. Going to investigate he saw three guys cornering a young lady in an alley. Just as he moved to intervene, Nightwing dropped down from above, landing between the men and the lady.

"Mind if I cut in?" He asked as he hit the closest guy with an escrima stick, sending him to the ground with a crackle of electricity as the lady turned and ran. "It's just shocking how quickly I can go through dance partners, sometimes."

Turning to the other two, Nightwing fluidly exchanged punches before grabbing one guy's arm and throwing him over his shoulder into a nearby trashcan, "Sorry, you've been canned for inappropriate behavior," he quipped cheerfully.

The last guy took the chance while Nightwing was busy to pull out a knife. Smoothly dodging the first few swipes, Nightwing flipped over the guy when he overextended himself with a lunge, landing with a crouch and a leg sweep, taking him to the ground too. "Let's not get swept away in all the excitement, now!" He tossed out as he made sure all three guys were secure before calling it in to the police for pickup.

Danny practically sparkled with glee. The cool entrance! The flashy moves! The puns! He just might have a new favorite hero! Well. After Robin, of course. Teen hero solidarity and all that.

Danny landed, waiting to make sure the escrima sticks were put away before approaching Nightwing. He *definitely* didn't want to get hit with those things. Getting electrocuted was *not* on the to-do list this evening, thank you!

Coming up behind Nightwing, just as he finished contacting the police Danny smacked a sticker to the small of his back, yelled "Tag!" and took off running.

It was only after hearing Nightwing shout in surprise and then call out after him, beginning to give chase, that Danny realized he had dropped his invisibility. Whoops. At least he was in his hoodie. It was still a little bloodstained from yesterday, but it wasn't really *that* noticeable. Neither of his parents had mentioned it, and Jazz only gave him a small, searching look before he held up his bandanged finger to show her it was no big deal. It was also the only hoodie he'd remembered to pack.

Nightwing ran after the surprisingly quick child, teenager? they were kind of short... "Hey, kid! Hold up a second!"

The kid laughed, "No can do! Sorry, Nightwing! I needed one last number for my vigilante bingo card and you were it!"

The kid, a boy going by the voice, was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a slightly oversized hoodie with what looked concerningly like bloodstains at the side. He took a quick left into another alley, one Nightwing knew to be a dead end. Turning the corner as well, Nightwing slid to a stop, glancing around the empty alley. "Kid? Hey, it's ok, I just wanna talk." He called out, doing a quick check behind the dumpster, which was the only thing large enough in the alley to hide behind.

Nothing. Scratching his head, Nightwing looked around again in confusion. There wasn't even a fire escape down this way. Where did he go? And what did he mean by vigilante bingo?

Deciding to check in with the others, he called Tim, unsurprised when he heard the rapid-fire clack of a keyboard in the background when he answered. "Hey, Dick, what's up?"

"Hey, Baby Bird! So, I just had an interesting run-in with a disappearing kid. He mentioned something about vigilante bingo, and I wondered if any of you had as well?"

The keyboard noises stopped abruptly, "He spoke to you? You actually saw him?"

"Well, yeah? Chased him down a dead-end alley, but he went poof. Gone. No sign of him anywhere."

Tim sighed heavily, "Of course. Can you head in to the batcave? We could use some insight into this. So far he's gotten you, me, Batman, and Robin, but no one has gotten a good look at him."

Already heading to where he had his motorcycle stashed, Nightwing agreed, "Sure. You need 5 numbers for a bingo though, and he said I was the last. Heard anything from Hood?"

Tim groaned, "No. Of course he wouldn't tell us if something like this happened to him."

"No worries, Baby Bird. I'll check in with Hood first and then swing by the cave to debrief, how's that?" He asked, swinging a leg over the motorcycle and starting it up.

"That would be great, thanks. If you're the one asking, he might actually tell you what happened," Tim replied, relieved he wouldn't have to try getting information out of Jason himself.

Saying goodbye and then punching in another number, Nightwing revved the engine and took off for Gotham as he waited for Jason to pick up.

"What do you want, Dickiebird?"

Nightwing laughed, "What, no hello, how you doing?"

"Nope. I'm busy," Jason said with a grunt and what sounded like gunshots.

"Well, I had an interesting little encounter tonight, and I have it on good authority you might have had one too. With a certain disappearing boy? Want to meet up at Batburger, get something to eat and tell me about it?"

A few more gunshots echoed down the line before Jason answered, "Fine. I'll meet you at the usual place in an hour."

"Awesome, I'll see you there."

After ordering the food, Dick made his way up to the roof, "Hey there, Little Wing!"

Jason took off his helmet and smirked at him as he accepted his portion of the food. "So, where'd you get stickered, then?"

Dick stared at him in confusion, "Stickered? What?"

Jason frowned, "You said you had a run in with the kid. He came up behind me, scared the hell out of me by yelling 'boo', and slapped a sticker between my eyes when I turned around." Jason paused as he stuffed a few fries into his mouth, "Shorted out my helmet cameras too, though not permanently. Didn't get a good look at him, but he had a funky echo to his voice."

Dick shook his head a bit, "He came up behind me, gave me a smack on the back and yelled 'tag' before running into a dead-end alley with no way out and disappeared. Didn't notice a particular echo, but we were already in a kind of echoey alleyway."

Jason grinned and made a little circle motion with his hand, "Give us a twirl then, let's see."

Turning his back to Jason, Dick heard a loud laugh and a camera noise. It made him happy to hear Jason laugh, even if he *was* apparently the butt of a joke. "Okay, what happened? Why are you laughing?" He asked mock petulantly as he turned back around.

Jason just grinned and showed him his phone, "Kid gave you a tramp stamp, Dickiebird!"

Dick burst out laughing as he looked at the photo, Jason joining in as he wailed overdramatically, "Little Wing! I drove all over Bludhaven *and* Gotham, *and* just ordered food with that!"

Editing this: apparently only the bitchy mobile app has a tag limit. I mostly use mobile. Guess who get to be my guinea pigs on the next installment?? 😁

@mygood-bitch99 @stargazer-luna @easily-broken-by-emotion @dolfay @britcision @cyber-geist @is-this-even-relatable @alcorbearson @fisticuffsatapplebees @thegatorsgoose @my-mom-calls-me-rat @some-rotten-nest @crystalqueertea @meira-3919 @wandererofthestars @seraphinedemort @bjurnberg @blep-23 @stargirl1331 @bianca-hooks123 @addie-lover-of-stories @pickleking8 @iconicanemone @sarina-elais @mur-ururu @sailor-goddess @dragonfirefeather @nutcase8691 @ravenpainter @liandrin @jaguarthecat @russetfur1128 @purefrickingspite @oakskull @vythika96 @molasses-being-slow @satisfactionbroughtmeback @serasvictoria02 @tkiesai @breesperez139 @dhampir-princess @redhoneysugarorange @gildedphoenix @iglowinggemma28 @f4nd0m-fun @therandomartmaker @mandyne-1001 @learning-to-fly-on-my-own @solarisaetherlumine @zeldomnyo

[ofstarsandvibranium]

In Stitches

Fandom: Marvel (Mob Boss AU)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: You and Bucky used to be so in love and so… ignorant of the roles you had to play, which lead to you breaking up. But that didn’t seem to keep you away from each other since you now act as Bucky’s nurse whenever he gets hurt. Based off my mini fic here.

Warnings: depictions of violence

Stitched Together | Pull the Thread | Bucky Barnes Masterlist

He'd won. He came out broken, bloody, and bruised, but he won. At just eighteen years old, technically a man, but still a boy at heart, James Buchanan Barnes was thrown into a cage fight to prove to his father that he can be strong enough to take over the family business.

He came out of that fight looking at his father and a shine of love and pride reflected back at him.

This was Bucky's new reality. Life filled with pain, bloodshed, and darkness. He couldn't bring you into it, especially when his dad said Bucky could use you to get info on what your dad and the department knows about the business. No. He can't use you like that.

He couldn't bring himself to break up with you either so he played the part that everyone expected of him. He became cold and callous, which lead to you breaking up with him. He told himself it was for the best and it was to protect you from his new reality. He loved you and always will, even when he grew up to be someone most thought incapable of love.

___________________________

Bucky: can we swing by? two of our guys got shot.

You read over Bucky's text and you sigh. You pause your favorite rom-com movie and kick off the blanket you had draped over you.

As you head to your bathroom for your med kit, you text back:

You: yup. come on by.

Bucky: ETA is 15min

You: [thumbs up]

It'd been four months now of being a nurse for Bucky and his people. You've come to notice the ones who get hurt often, their bodies littered with various scars and stitches all over their bodies. Bucky, more often than not, came with them. It always surprised you because you figured he'd have other stuff to take care of, but, as he's mentioned to you once:

"These people are under my care. I wanna make sure they're taken care of."

Which made your heart swell a little bit and throw you back to how Bucky always felt protective of those he cared about.

You push your furniture towards the edges of the room and set up the cots for your incoming patients. You were tired of cleaning out the bloodstains on your couch cushions.

A knock at your door, you scurry to pull it open. Four guys trudge in. Two, dragging the other two inside.

Bucky comes in last with a shy smile, "Evening."

"Hey," you say with a nod, letting him in and then closing the door behind him.

"You doing okay?"

You nod, "Yeah. Wasn't doing much when you texted me. Just watching a movie."

"Rom com?" he asks you with a teasing smirk.

You roll your eyes at him in response, "Shut up."

"I wasn't saying anything!"

"You're judging me, Barnes! I know how you look when you're judging, so don't even deny it!" you poke his chest and turn on your heel to go attend to your patients.

___________________

Your patients had left your home, not wanting to take advantage of your generosity further despite your protests. That left you alone with Bucky. He was nursing a glass of whiskey and you a glass of wine while another movie played on the tv. He didn't leave with the rest of his guys. His excuse being that he wanted to finish the movie that you played while you worked on his men. A part of you hoped it was because he wanted to spend some alone time with you. Then you mentally scold yourself for hoping for such a thing.

You clear your throat when the movie ends, "So, you like rom-coms now, hm?"

He chuckles, placing his glass on your coffee table, "Just because I watched one rom-com, doesn't mean I like rom-coms."

You scoff, "I'll convert you, Barnes, just wait." You stand and grab his glass, "You want more?"

"Nah. I, uh, I should go."

You nod, "Right," you turn and head to the kitchen, placing the glasses into the sink.

Bucky follows, placing a small stack of bills onto the counter, "Your pay."

"Thanks," you mumble, not turning around to face him.

There's some sort of tension in the air and Bucky doesn't know why. He wants to poke and see what happened, if he'd done something somehow. But he doesn't. Despite you two being in each other's lives again, albeit in a small capacity, he still feels insecure and unsure about where you two stand now. Because he is still head of a crime organization and you're still the daughter of the chief of police that's trying to bring him down. Your lives keep being woven together, but will it result in the same heartbreaking end?

Bucky hopes not. He's older now. His father is gone and he's more in control of his life now. Right?

"Get some rest, sweetheart," he murmurs before exiting your home.

_______________________________

You're called up to the reception desk during your shift. When you head to the first floor, you see your dad waiting for you.

"Everything okay?" you immediately ask with concern.

"Everything's good, Bug. Figured you'd wanna have lunch with me?" he holds up a paper bag, 'Stan's Diner' logo stamped on it.

You break out into a smile, "Let me just let my charge nurse know I'm going on lunch. I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

"Sounds good," your dad gives you a thumbs up and heads in the direction of the cafeteria.

You head back upstairs, letting the charge nurse, Sharon, of you going on lunch. You punch in your ID number to start your lunch and then go back to your dad.

When you reach the cafeteria, you snort. Your dad is already eating without you. You sit across from him, unwrapping the burger he set out for you, "Couldn't wait?"

He shrugs, "I was starving!" He takes another bite of his burger and then takes out the two cups of fries. He flattens the paper bag and pours all of the fries out. The setting is reminiscent of your childhood. Every Friday, after your dad picked you up from school, you two would go to Stan's Diner. You'd always order the same thing, and your dad always combined the fries in the middle for you both to share.

"Been a while since we had lunch together. You sure things are okay?" you ask him with a hint of skepticism.

After your dad washes his food down with a can of Diet Coke (he's trying to cut back on the sugar), he clears his throat, "Well, uh, I did want to mention something to you."

You fidget in your seat, hoping and praying that he didn't find out that you've been helping nurse Bucky and his people for the past few months.

"So some of my patrol guys mentioned they started seeing more of Barnes' guys around your neighborhood."

You look at him with fake surprise, "What? Really? I haven't seen anything or anyone suspicious, but then again, I'm hardly home and when I am, I'm usually asleep."

"So far, they haven't done anything to be concerned about. Just that they've been showing up around your side of town lately. I just wanted to see if you've seen or heard anything, but most importantly to be cautious and careful."

You gulp, "Do-Do you think Bucky would hurt me?"

He sighs, "Bug, I'm honestly not sure what to believe, but that man isn't the same kid you were friends with back then. He's different now, capable of dangerous things. I just want to you to be careful."

"I will be, dad. I still carry my knife and pepper spray you got me."

"Good. I was also thinking of sending more guys to watch your specific area."

You shake your head, " I'm sure there are other places that need your attention."

"Maybe, but maybe I'll just station one guy on your street to keep an eye on things."

"I'll be fine. Trust me-"

"I trust you just fine, Bug. It's Barnes, I don't trust."

He wipes his hands and mouth with his napkin, "I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick." You give him a nod and watch as he heads to the cafeteria's bathrooms.

Once he's out of sight, you immediately pull out your phone and bring up the text chain between you and Bucky.

You: you guys need to be more careful. dad just told me his patrol guys have been seeing your people around my neighborhood more. he's thinking about having a guy stationed on my street.

Bucky: fuck.

Bucky: thanks for telling me.

You: you're welcome. maybe tell everyone to do their best to not get shot or stabbed for the next few weeks.

Bucky: can't really guarantee that considering our line of work.

You: at least try!

Bucky: will do, sweetheart.

You: stay safe.

Bucky: same to you, sweetheart.

You slip your phone back into your pocket when your dad exits the bathroom. You continue to eat your lunch and chat with him, acting as if you just didn't tip off his biggest enemy.

[topazy]

Tomorrow’s promise

Paring: Daryl Dixon x reader, Rick Grimes x sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of blood

Chapter: 4.06

Hearing footsteps approaching, you pick up your gun that was on the bed beside you, heart beating rapidly in your chest. You try your hardest to listen to what is being said, but there’s still ringing in your ears from the explosions and gunfire.

“Y/n?”

Swiping at your eyes, you try to hide the tears on your face. “Glenn!”

After getting shot, you went back to your old cell to gather supplies. The original escape plan never worked, so you needed to think of a new one quickly. Jace only had a few scratches, so he was mainly okay. When you found him, the car seat he was strapped into was on its side. Thankfully, the plastic at the top shielded his head, so only his arm and leg scraped off the concrete.

It could have been worse.

Beside Jace was the body of a kid, a boy who looked no more than seven with a bullet hole in his chest.

Glenn slides the cell door open; a sheepish brunette stands not far behind him. You didn’t recognize her. “I’m so glad…” Glenn’s eyes widen when he notices the blood on the floor. “Are either of you bitten?”

“No, I got hit in the shoulder. I came back inside to try to try and stop the bleeding, but I needed to make sure there weren’t any walkers before finding something to put over it.

Hearing movement in the cot, Glenn steps over and smiles while looking into it. “Hey Jace, buddy, I’m so glad to see you.”

The brunette stands awkwardly, not knowing where to look.

“What’s your name?”

“Tara.“

Glenn hands her an empty backpack. “Our cell block hasn’t been affected by the blast. There’s a pantry on the first door to the left of the door we came in.”

“Uh, yeah,” she takes the bag and goes to stock up on what little supplies you had.

“How deep is it?”

“The bullet went straight through, and it’s near the top, so I don’t think it hit anything vital.” You whine, trying to readjust your position.

Pulling your top down at the shoulder, Glenn frowns. “I’m going to get a first aid kit, then we need to go; this block will be crawling with walkers soon.”

—

You, Glenn, and Tara made it through the prison yard and onto the main road by the skin of your teeth. The courtyard was scattered with bodies; the only silver lining was most of the walkers being distracted while devouring the corpses.

“Hold him, would ya?” You don’t give Glenn a chance to respond before handing him Jace.

“No problem.”

You scan the area for other survivors. “I need to change this top; it’s drenched in blood.”

Usually you would have felt weird being semi-nude in front of Glenn and a woman you’ve just met, but now wasn’t the time to care. You were all out of breath, but there was no time to spare. You shrug off the jacket and remove the scarf Glenn tied over your shoulder.

“I’ll help you,” Tara turns and meets your eyes. She comes over and helps you remove the t-shirt you had on and tosses it on the ground. “Where’s the first aid kit?”

“In my bag.”

Without saying anything else, she goes into the bag and retrieves it. There wasn’t much inside it, a few bandages, plasters, and disinfectant wipes. You take one of the wipes so you could use it to clean Jace’s scratches later. When Tara starts to clean the wound, you bite down on your lip to stop yourself from screaming. The prison was surrounded by woods; it would be near impossible to try and find all your people, but if you screamed, the walkers would definitely find you.

“Did you see if any of our people got out?” Glenn asks.

“All I saw was my sister in that field.”

You all remain silent as she finishes putting the banged on and then helps you into a different T-shirt. You shoved whatever you could into your backpack, mainly formula, but knowing the bloodstained clothes would smell so strongly to the dead, you grabbed the first one you saw, which was a vest that belonged to Daryl.

“She wasn’t supposed to be there,” Tara says as the three of you start to walk uphill. “She had a gun, but they just swarmed her. I did it for him; I trusted him. And then he just killed that old man.”

Glenn spins on his heels, a devastated look on his face. “Hershel? Was his name Hershel?”

Oh shit.

“I forget you weren’t there,” and as soon as his intense gaze locks with yours, the emotion spills over again, and you start to sob. “The governor took Michonne and Hershel. Rick tried to reason with him, but he killed Hershel in front of us; that’s what started all this. I’m so sorry.”

“Brain, that man told us you were bad people. I know it’s not true. I can see it’s not, so what we did, what I did… I mean, I’m a piece of shit. Why would you want my help?” Tara turns and starts walking away.

“Because you’re alive, and like it or not, we need each other.”

“I have to find Maggie.”

Tara faces Glenn, her eyes glistening with tears. “Who’s Maggie?”

“My wife.”

“You guys got separated?”

“I was on the bus, and then I got off to help, and she didn’t see me.”

“How do you know if she made it?”

“Our people are survivors,” you say softly. “We’ve already lost too many people. We need to believe the ones we love are still alive—walkers.”

Glenn hands Jace back to you and starts stabbing the walkers coming out of the tree line in the head. Tara quickly joins him, but you struggle to know what to do. You pick up a branch that’s lying on the side of the road and do your best to whack walkers on the head while struggling to hold your baby.

An army truck drives up along the road and stops inches away from Tara. You drop the branch and pull out your gun; you hadn’t even checked to see if it still had bullets in it. “What do you assholes want?”

Two men and a woman get out of it. A redheaded man chuckles, “You’ve got one hell of a mouth on you. What else have you got?”

—

Your first opinion of the people in the truck was mainly right. Assholes. The redheaded man was called Abraham, and he treated killing walkers like a sport. He was smiling while doing it.

“So what happened to you?” Rosita asks. She was traveling with the two men in the truck, and from what interactions you observed, she was in a relationship with Abraham.

“Our home was attacked. We made it out but lost track of the rest of our people.”

Before she can ask anything else, Glenn suddenly wakes up. He goes to sit up, but you stop him, “Hey, take it easy. You’ve been out for some time.”

Tara hands him a water bottle. “Drink.”

He inhales sharply, “Where are we?”

“I don’t know. Away from the walkers starting to close in on us.” A horde from the prison had started migrating back towards the woods; you had no choice but to go with the strangers you had just met.

He tries to stand up. “Did we pass the bus?”

“Yes, and sit down before you fall out of this truck!”

“What did you see? What did you see?"

You look towards the tree line, not wanting to see how his face would fall. “Everyone on it was dead, but I didn’t see Maggie. Rick, Carl, Daryl, and Sasha… none of them were on the bus.”

You didn’t want to use the phrase ‘our people’ because it would be disrespectful to those that died, but none of the people you considered family was on the bus. You lean back against the metal barrier behind you, holding Jace close to your chest.

“We need to get off.”

“We can’t—“

“We need to get off!”

Glenn was now screaming for them to stop the truck, but all you could think about was keeping Jace safe. You needed to find your brother, nephew, and Daryl, but right now your son came first.

“Unless you want every walker within a mile to hear us, you need to quiet down. I know this is hard, but we need to regroup before doing anything.”

“We should be on this truck; we should be looking for our people!”

“I know, I know,” you struggle to hold back tears. “Believe me, I know how it feels knowing they are out there, but we have no ammo or transport of our own. I need to go with whatever is the safest choice at the moment for Jace.”

“So you’re just giving up?”

“Of course not. That’s my brother, nephew, and… Daryl that’s out there. Not to mention the rest of our friends, but I can’t take my baby into the woods unless I know I can protect him.”

Glenn’s expression softened slightly. “So what’s our plan?”

“Right now we try to rest while on this truck. At some point we will go by somewhere that will have some type of supplies or a vehicle. Once we have that secured, then we go find our people.”

—

Daryl knew he was being too rough on Beth; she was just a teenager. But she was also the only person who had escaped with him; she had been irritating him for days, and now she was the sole target of his outburst. It’s not until Beth stabs the walker he has pinned to a tree Daryl realizes how much of a jackass he is being.

He and Beth had been stuck together since escaping the prison and staying in a small cabin together. Adding in the fact they had been drinking hooch, they were bound to clash at some point.

Beth looks at the walker he had been continuously shooting arrows at. “If anyone found my dad—“

“Don’t,” Daryl snaps. “It’s not even remotely the same.”

“Killing them is not supposed to be fun.”

Her comment fuels his anger; none of this was a game to him. He was trying his damn hardest to keep her alive. Daryl steps closer to her. “What do you want from me, girl?”

“I want you to stop acting like you don’t give a crap about anything. Like nothing we went through matters. Like none of the people we lost meant anything to you. It’s bullshit!”

He’s taken aback by the brutality of the statement. Did she really think he didn’t care? That wasn’t true. “Is that what you think?”

“That’s what I know.”

Daryl tries to hide the fear in his voice, but it doesn’t work. He pushes Beth away from him when she reaches for his arm, “You know nothing.”

“I know you look at me and you just see another dead girl. I’m not Michonne. I’m not Carol. I’m not y/n.”

“Don’t.”

“I’m not Maggie. I’ve survived, and you don’t get it because I’m not like you or them. But I made it. And you don’t get to treat me like crap because you’re afraid!”

“I ain’t afraid of nothing,” he says, trying to convince himself more than the young blonde.

Beth’s eyes glisten with tears. “I remember. When y/n and Glenn went on that supply run and didn’t come, Michonne turned up and said they had been taken. I remember how scared you were. You were like me. And now God forbid you let anybody get too close.”

She was wrong again; he let y/n in. She was the only person he wanted close to him.

“Too close, huh? You know all about that. You lost two boyfriends; you can’t even shed a tear. Your whole family’s gone, and all you can do is just go out looking for hooch like some dumb college bitch.”

“Don’t say that.”

The two of them step even closer, to the point they are yelling in each other's face. “It’s the truth. They are all gone!”

“Screw you,” Beth hisses. “You don’t get it.”

“No, you don’t get it! They're gone. All of them. You ain’t ever going to see Maggie again.”

“Don’t say that; you don’t know that they are dead!”

“The governor rolled right up to our gates.” Feeling his emotions starting to bubble over, Daryl turned to face the other way; he wasn’t going to let her see him cry. “Maybe if I hadn’t stopped looking. Maybe because I gave up, that’s on me.”

“Stop.”

Beth tries to hug him, but he pushes her back; the only person he’s let be affectionate towards him for years is gone. He didn’t want to feel that from anyone else. “I should have done something. Now I’ve lost them all. Rick, Carl, and Glenn, y..”—he struggles to say her name. “Y/n told me she loved me, and I never said it back. And now I’ll never get the chance to tell her.”

Regardless of what he wants Beth hugs him from behind. “You don’t know that.”

“I lost her. And Jace. He could be out there with nobody keeping him safe and y/n going crazy trying to find him.” He sobs, “She would never have left the prison without him; she would have stayed behind until she found him. I should never have left.”

“Daryl…”

“I tried to look for them, but I couldn’t; I couldn’t find her.”

He couldn’t find his family.

[acapelladitty]

make ourselves like clay (from someone else's dream)

Pairing: Cooper Howard/Lucy Maclean

Summary: Lucy discovers an old movie poster in a decrepit bar and happens to notice something 'interesting' about the main actor (AKA Lucy discovers Cooper's past as a film star). (2.9k words)

Fic Masterlist

Link to AO3

As far as negotiations went, Cooper had been more than reasonable, given the circumstances, as he attempted to exchange some caps for the chem he needed. Hell, he was even offering a fair enough price as his stash ran low and the constant irritation of having to source new shit pressed at his attentions like a tick burrowing under his skin.

"It's a good deal, boys, and I ain't some fucking housewife who's gonna forget the value of a thing just because some handsome fellas like yourselves are talking to her."

"Listen, mutant-"

"Oh, I listen much better when we're all being respectful now." Cooper interrupted, his voice airy in a very dangerous way. "My associate and I are being nothing but gracious in these here talks."

Having quickly learned it was better to shut up when Cooper was leading a deal, Lucy instead focused on the second dealer as he pulled his attention from the ghoul to focus on her instead.

Since entering, his attention hadn't ever strayed too far from her; flitting beyween her face and her chest as he stared her out. It was repulsive and, given her recent troubles, the focus made her skin itch with discomfort as ghostly memories of harsh hands washed over her.

"Hey!" The dealer spoke to her, voice low and conversational but still loud enough for the other parties to hear him clearly enough. Reaching across the table, he flashed a smile in Lucy's direction as he reached for her arm with a grime-ridden hand. "Just so you know, whatever the mutant here is paying you for a fuck, I'll pay double, and you can enjoy the feeling of a real man agai-"

A sharp scream cut the dealers words off in his throat as a flash of movement saw Cooper introducing the heft of his knife into the back of his approaching hand, pinning the offending limb to the rickety wooden table as only an inch of the blade stood free of his patchy skin.

Chaos reigned for only a few precious seconds as the lead dealer pulled his own weapon free of his pocket - the small, rusted pistol not a patch on the enhanced gun which Cooper was pointing back at his head, accuracy unmistakable as his fingers held still and didn't falter in the slightest.

His hand mauled and bleeding profusely as scarlet dripped freely to the floor, the offending dealer appeared to almost be in shock as his screams died to quick-fire profanities and sharp gasps.

"You fuck! Danny, he fucking stabbed me! Look- look at this shit! My fucking hand, man. Ain't no stimpacks here to fix this, Dan!"

Hand never leaving the hilt of his knife, Cooper tutted out his disapproval as he twisted the blade slightly to draw a fresh cry from his pinned prey.

"The way I see it," Cooper spoke calmly over the screams as his attention never strayed from the leader he were standing off with, "you can tell your man to apologise to the lady or I'll twist this knife until his hand is so mangled even the mutts won't want it. Then I'll cut what's left of his fingers off and shove them down his fucking throat."

Dan, the leader, took the open threat in stride as he held up his palms in a vaguely placating way, a smile not covering the panic in his eyes.

"Okay folks, let's not let things get out of hand. If you let him go, I'll agree to the terms and give you what you want."

Satisfied with that, Cooper pulled the knife free with a raised browbone as he passed it off to Lucy - allowing her to hold the bloodstained blade while his other hand extended out to receive his much needed chem.

"See that, vaultie." Clicking his tongue against his teeth as the vials were gently placed into his palm, Cooper tilted his head enough to the side to catch Lucy's eye. "That's how we deal with dumb fucking manners up here."

More desensitised to the violence than she would like to admit, Lucy rolled her eyes at him as a secret pleasure blossomed in her gut that he had been so quick to defend her. Since their run-in with the human traffickers, his attitude hadn't shifted much - staying as dry and unforgiving as ever - but she had noticed a slight improvement in his rougher edges when it came to any physical touch between them as his hands were noticably more gentle.

And by more gentle, she meant that if he needed her to move he would pull her sharply rather than his previous choice which felt more akin to trying to rip her arm out of its socket. But, improvement was improvement and she respected that by playing her part in moments like this.

He never spoke about the incident, never asked any follow up questions, but the violence he had enacted towards the other half of the traffickers as they descended on their small camp had frightened her as much as it pleased that hateful voice inside her that wanted them to suffer.

She got her wish, that much was clear, and whatever guilt she would have felt was swept away as they later stumbled on the corpses of the 'product' they weren't able to shift. Rotting corpses, some with their hair still intact, all piled nude in a makeshift grave a short walk away from their camp.

Cooper hadn't commented, aside from a slight downturn of his lips, and Lucy was too busy retching off to the side to notice anything else.

That's how we deal with dumb fucking manners up here.

Because of course it was.

x-x-x-x-x

Deal concluded, exploring what remained of the little abandoned town was the last port of call before Cooper demanded that they both moved forward with their goals. The dealers, having slunk off on their merry way, didn't seem to pay them any more mind and Lucy was thankful for it as she entered the swing doors of a building, immediately seeing a bar-like setup.

"Hello?"

Allowing the word to float across the room and recieve no answer, Lucy quickly stepped inside and started looking around. Dust covered almost everything, spreading a thick mat of filth across the various bits of broken furniture, and her mouth settled into a line as she headed straight for the bar. Looking below the shelves, broken bottles littered the wood, the alcohol and liquids within having long since gone rotted or evaporated away so she ignored them for now.

Glancing at the floor, a shattered poster lay, half-tucked beneath a snapped floorboard and her fingers snatched it up out of sheer curiosity. Blowing a plume of dust free, she cleaned what remained with the sharp point of her elbow.

It was a movie poster, framed and practically preserved. The top half almost spotless - the lower half was torn away, the shattered glass having allowed it to weather with time and take any information about the image with it. Looking at the upper part in more detail, it showed a man sitting atop a bale of hay and Lucy peered closely at it.

A tan cowboy hat sat across his head, tilting up towards the sun in the background as a pistol hung lazily between the actors fingers. The words "High Noon Rodeo" were the only pieces of writing visible and they blazed across the top of the poster in a curled red font. A cowboy film. One that she hadn't heard of or seen before, not that the limited showings of old movies that her vault showed as entertainment gave her any kind of general understanding, but she knew well enough to know it was a cowboy film.

Eyes falling to the main actor again, Lucy hummed quietly as she brought the poster closer to her face. He was handsome, that was for sure. Dark hair spilled from a proud forehead, and while his expression was very serious and foreboding, there was an intenseness to his gaze that enthralled her. The clothing was fitted and muted, the colours matching the dusky background well, but her attention kept slipping back to the man's face - a tickle of something familiar knocking at her thoughts.

"Whatcha got there, vaultie?"

Startling with a yelp, Lucy whirled in place to find that Cooper had snuck up on her; his impressive size apparently not that difficult to conceal as he slithered around like a cobra, ready to strike.

"Movie poster." She answered with a smile, excited to share her findings. "Look." She held the poster up between them, careful to splay her fingers to avoid the worst of the shattered glass.

Cooper may have been good as hiding his feelings, but he wasn't completely immune to the odd slip, and surprise widened his eyes and slackened his mouth before his brain caught up with him and he settled his features into a familiar scowl.

"And?" He asked, tone short and irritated. "What good is that shit to us? Came to find you in a bar and I was hoping you were gonna show me a bottle of something I could throw down my throat. Fucking useless bit of tat you have there."

Crestfallen at the sudden aggression in his attitude, Lucy thrust the picture closer towards him as she silently entreated him to look again.

"He's handsome."

A hot discomfort trailed across Cooper's skin as Lucy unwittingly appraised him, a familiar feeling of the world being a giant practical joke on him settling across his shoulders while he rocked on his heels.

"Like I give a fuck about that, but sure, in a way. They don't make 'em like that anymore."

"Have you seen this before? I know you've been around since the bombs went off and you know more about this stuff than I do." Excited, Lucy couldn't hold back her enthusiasm as her wide eyes and batting eyelashes did everything they could to entice him into spilling some knowledge of which she was utterly ignorant. "C'mon, please?"

With an annoyed growl, Cooper met her gaze with his own, holding her eye to show her just how serious he was as he exhaled slowly, as though speaking to someone with mush for brains.

"Put that shit down."

Stupidly brave as ever, Lucy held his eye but Cooper was quick to realise his mistake in allowing her to do so as her brow furrowed for a moment before dropping to the poster and then back to him.

A horrible feeling of realisation trickling down his spine, Cooper visibly flinched as a pitched cry slipped free of Lucy's lips and her hands raised the framed poster so it sat by his face.

"Oh my goodness!" Blinking rapidly as her body seemed to vibrate with her discovery, Lucy grinned. "Holy moly! It's you! This is you! Cooper! The eyes are the same."

An intrusive thought pushed its way into Cooper's considerations as his minds eye conjured up images of just knocking her flat out with the butt of his pistol and leaving her to awaken. When out, he could hide the poster and do his best to convince her that the radiation was finally getting to her head. But, knowing Lucy Maclean, that dipshit brain of hers wouldn't let it go, even under trauma.

"Quite the insightful little vaultie." He countered with an unpleasant smile. "Where's all these brains been hiding at?"

"What was it like?" Still positively thrumming with joy, Lucy couldn't sense the danger in the air as she continued on. "I've seen pictures of the old days, before the war, and it all looked so pretty and bright. You were a movie star! Wow! And so handsome."

Babbling, Cooper waited for her to finish before catching her chin between his thumb and forefinger. The touch steadied her, stalling her words as those big eyes rounded on him.

"It was a miserable fucking experience." He offered, voice so low and intimate that Lucy visibly held her breath to make sure she didn't miss a word. "Nothing but shit and lies. Traitors ready to stab you in the back at the first chance, their knives always out and ready to take another shot as you got back up to your knees. Nothing but a flock of circle jerkers ready to fuck you over at the first get."

The delight in her expression dimming with every passing word, Lucy's eyes grew - if possible - even rounder as she held her ground and let him speak.

"You think this life is bad, sweetheart? You still got so much to learn and I aint a teacher."

His mind lost to the echoes of a previous life, one filled with pain and betrayal - the moments of joy soured by what was to come as he lost everything from his career to his family - it wasn't until Lucy whimpered that he realised just how tightly he was gripping her chin.

Releasing her without apology, Cooper took the poster from her hands and dropped it to the floor; taking great satisfaction in the sound of smashing glass as the last few shards splintered off and skittered across the floor like insects. He turned from her then, a heat in his chest making him angry with himself as he feared he had said too much, and he started to storm off, ready to leave this shithole of a town behind.

"I'm sorry." Her apology were soft, the words carrying despite how small her voice sounded, and he turned to face her once more.

Standing amongst the debris, Cooper felt his irritation spike once more as he took in the sight of her. Even just holding her ground there, her clothing stained and as grimy as his own, she shone like a beacon - her goddamn naive innocence making her stand out from the shit and decay that had rotted and engulfed everything else it touched.

He had been cruel to her. That innocence, amusing at it was upon first meeting, made her a prime candidate for being torn to shreds by the new world she had entered. So necessity had dictated that he be cruel, using her for his own gain as he antagonised her with a sick curiosity; a wicked desire to see just how far the vaultie could be pushed before she either broke under the pressure or adapted to survive.

She was a lost cause until she snapped his finger off with her teeth. There he saw it. That little spark of steel that would see her do what she needed to survive. If she hadn't inadvertently fucked his entire supply of drugs, then he might even have been tempted to keep her for longer until something more pressing came along.

But no, he had sold her and he didn't regret it.

Not even when he lay in his stupor and watched as she dropped the vials of chem by his side, keeping as true to her golden rule as he did to his own.

Lucy Maclean.

A vaultie who wasn't afraid to rip a man's tongue out with her teeth or split his throat when necessity asked for it.

And here she was, apologising for asking him a few questions, the guilt on her face making the small voice within him that still criticised his more monstrous actions feel like shit for grabbing her so roughly.

The Ghoul would treat a woman like that, Cooper Howard, not so much.

"Sorry for what? Asking some questions?" He tilted his head at her, regarding her once more before continuing to leave. "Save apologies for the things that matter, sweetie." He shouted over his shoulder.

Allowing him a slight headstart as her mind whirled with what the hell had just happened, Lucy pushed down the guilt she felt at how badly he had reacted to being reminded of his former life. She hadn't thought about it. About how painful it must be to have something nice and then end up...well, end up like him.

Dropping to one knee, she carefully pulled the poster free of the now-fully shattered frame. Her finger were dexterous as they ripped the paper, a ragged line tearing across the poster until all that remained was the image of the cowboy.

Cooper.

Lucy folded the paper carefully and slipped it within her pocket, a wicked sense of naughtiness making her smile as she kept her little secret away from her grumpy companion.

Maybe one day she'd ask him more about it.

Especially since, despite the mutations and the attitude that was utterly grim, she could still see the lingering handsomeness in his face. The missing nose was easily looked past and his face, as pitted and marked as the rugged landscape which held true on every nearby horizon, still held much of the same shape.

And the eyes.

She'd asked him for sex once, hasn't asked since, and one of the leading factors in that choice had been his eyes - the intensity of them having left her a shuddering mess on more than once occasion as she found herself pinned by his glance alone.

Staring at the exit which Cooper had recently vacated through, Lucy attempted to shove the thoughts from her mind as she made a quick start to scarper after him - not trusting the ghoul to wait for her for too long.

Links to the rest of the series:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

[starogeorgina]

Children of the dragon

Warnings: Incest, sexual content, child birth, swearing

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen × Targ oc, Minor Aemond Targaryen × Targ oc

1.04

“Perhaps the prince would like to leave the room to give the midwives a chance to-”

“Don’t you dare fucking leave me!” You hiss, squeezing Aegon’s hand, and you stare daggers at the maester. “He’s not leaving my side.”

Reluctantly, the maester nods, swiftly leaving the room to no doubt report back to your mother, who was waiting at the door. She seemed more concerned that Aemond was nowhere to be found than you. The midwives had managed to spin your baby to the right way round, which reduced your chances of dying while giving birth breech.

Aegon hadn’t once left your side.

As the midwives ordered you to push, Aegon stood behind you, his forehead pressed against your crown, whispering words of encouragement and a promise to keep you safe while you held onto both of his hands tightly, screaming and crying as your first child entered the world.

“It’s a boy,” the midwives tell you as they wrap your screaming baby in a blanket, wipe his face, and then place him in your arms.

You sob at how tiny he is; “it’s a boy. My beautiful boy.” You stare down at him, admiring all his small features, until you feel sharp pains in your stomach and say, “Fuck! Aegon take him!”

“What?”

“Just take him!”

Nervously, Aegon takes him from your arms and into his; as soon as he does this, you grip the sheets, holding back on screaming again as you deliver the afterbirth. Afterwards, you stand up to let the midwives clean the bloodstained sheets, and you notice they keep looking at Aegon and then each other, clearly confused at why he is there.

Aegon was so mesmerized by the baby in his arms that he hadn’t noticed you’d gotten up and changed until you winced in pain getting back into bed. With a proud look on his face, he places the baby back into your arms and then kisses you on the forehead.

Moments later your mother enters the room; she shoots Aegon a disapproving glare when she sees him sitting on the foot of the bed, his hand resting on your leg, but smiles when she sees your baby for the first time. “He’s precious,” she says, brushing damp strands of hair out of your face. “I’m so proud of you, my darling. Have you and Aemond thought of a name?”

“Aeron.”

The room falls silent. You and Aegon stare at each other, and a flicker of understanding passes between you.

Your mother lets out a sound of delight. “I think the name Aeron will fit him well.”

—

Once your mother left, a wet nurse arrived, offering to take Aeron and feed him. You shake your head and say, “Thank you, but I’m going to do it myself.”

The wet nurse looks bewildered. Breastfeeding was deemed an inconvenience, and it would apparently stop you from getting pregnant again while doing it, but you didn’t care. You wanted to feed and connect with your newborn, which shouldn’t have been a problem, but the idea of it had caused the other women in the room to fluster. The wet nurse looks between you and the midwives. You became irritated and let out a sigh of annoyance.

Tracy, your handmaiden smiles sweetly at the wet nurse and says, “You may go.”

An older midwife tries to intervene. “My lady, it is known that-”

“Princess Theodora,” Aegon says sternly.

Her jaw clenches as she struggles to keep a polite smile on her face. “Princess, I believe it would be better if you hand the babe over to the wet nurse for now so you can rest.”

You had only given birth hours prior, and already they were seeking to control how you parented. If you lost control now, you would never regain it, and you would simply not allow that to happen.

“My child will be staying by my side, and his cot will be brought through to my chambers so I can tend to him overnight.”

The midwife's blank facial expression changed to one of horror. “I must insist—”

“Everyone out!” you snap.

“And if anyone has issue with the princess's choices, you can take them up with me, the firstborn son of King Viserys, or you can ask the Queen her opinion on the matter,” Aegon adds.

The midwives scurry to gather their belongings and leave. Tracy tried to hide her amusement, saying, “I will have someone move his belongings from the nursery to your bedroom right away.”

“Thank you,” you say sincerely.

When the room is empty, you look at Aegon, trying not to laugh, and ask, “The first son of King Viserys?”

He shrugs, smirking, “It worked, didn’t it? Pay them no mind. He is our-your son. He’ll grow up knowing nothing but love.”

You look down at the helpless baby in your arms and tear up. You’d never imagined you’d feel so much love at once or the urge to protect. Aeron was innocent and pure, you’d spend the rest of your life trying to shield him from the badness in the world.

Aegon kisses the back of your head, saying, “I was so scared when you started bleeding; I thought I might lose you. Both of you… I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even if it means pretending he isn’t mine.”

His voice is weak from trying to hold back tears. It never occurred to you when you first made love to Aegon how much was to be caused further down the line. But looking at your son's small, lilac eyes, you know you wouldn’t change it.

“If Aemond ever finds out Aeron is yours, he'll burn King's Landing to the ground.”

“Don't worry, he won't find out.”

—-

“Aegon!” You empty a cup of water over him. “This is serious, wake up!”

Rubbing the water from his face, he scowls up at you. His voice is laced with irritation as he looks around the room and asks, “Where are the children?”

“In bed, it’s nighttime.”

“Unless you’ve woken me to show me your sweet cunt, I’m going back to sleep.”

He was drunk. You kneel down so you are level with him. “Aemond will be here soon; you need to go. If he finds you here-”

Aegon slurred his words and waved his hand, motioning to the chair he was lying in. “He’ll what? Assume I walked into the wrong bedchamber and passed out.”

“He’s getting suspicious. If he starts to believe the rumours…you know not to come here when he wants to spend time with me.”

Aegon sits up, his greasy hair flops over in front of his face, and he always drinks heavily when Aemond wants to try for another child. When Aeron turned one, your husband suggested having another, and just over nine months later you gave birth to twin girls, Alina and Alyssa. Of course, they shared the same father as their brother.

“Spend time with you—you mean he wants to rut into you and fill you with seed.”

You hated how crude his language choice could be at times, “You need to go now.” You scrunch your nose up when Aegon leans his head against your chest, “and take a bath. You stink of ale.”

“This wasn’t a part of our plan; you can’t have any more children. Not now.”

Hearing the pain in his voice broke you. You blink away tears that threaten to build up, kissing the top of his head, “I know, I know, and I won’t.”

Aegon had begged you to leave King's Landing and start a new life somewhere the name Targaryen means nothing, and you did consider it until rumours of you and Aegon fucking in a brothel spread. Although it wasn’t true, the rest of your family became more suspicious of the time you spent with your brother.

You watch happily as Aegon plays with your son in the garden. It surprised you how protective he was over Aeron and your newborn babies. Hearing footsteps approaching, you look over your shoulder and smile, “You look lovely today, mother. We missed you at breakfast this morning.”

“Thank you, and I was praying to the gods for guidance.”

Hearing Aeron let out a cry, you spun around fast to see your son being scooped up into Aegon’s arms. He had tripped over a small rock, scraping his knee. Aegon soothes him by stroking his hair and kissing him on the cheek. A moment later, Aeron was placed back on the ground and returned to exploring the garden.

“Where is Aemond?”

You shrug. “I do not know, but I’m sure he won’t be far.”

Most days, you just saw Aemond in passing at meal times and formal events. He only visited your bedchambers when he wanted to create another heir or was frustrated.

Your mother looked at you and then into the garden. Her face settled into one of worry. “Parenthood is hard; it takes some fathers longer to adjust.”

“I don’t doubt Aemond loves the children.”

“A mother's love is different,” she squeezes your hand. “And an uncle’s as well, apparently. They are very lucky to have so many people taking care of them.”

You frown at her; your mother's tone has changed from neutral to cold and accusing. “If Aegon wishes to tell my children about dragons, Targaryen history, and bedtime stories, even if they are too young to understand them, then so be it. It's more than Aemond does.”

“And why is that?”

Her question was simple but loaded. She wasn’t willingly blind like your father; being queen, she had learned how to be sleek, observant, and cunning. She knew the truth but didn’t dare outright ask.

“Why don’t you ask him?”

It might have been possible for you to sneak out of King's Landing with Aeron without raising suspicion; you would have claimed to be taking him with you while dragon riding, but after delivering twin girls, it became impossible. You wouldn’t be able to ride with all three children safely, and the moment someone noticed Sunfyre riding alongside Dallax, the consequences would be dire.

A knock at the door causes you to jump back just as Aemond enters the room. He looks between you and Aegon and rolls his eyes. “Lost and wondering again?”

“Piss off.”

Aemond smirks, enjoying seeing his brother in such a state. “You should sleep it off,” you say softly. “Come on, we should get you back to your own bedchamber.”

“Allow me,” Aemond brushed aside, pulling Aegon to his feet. “Come, brother, I doubt my wife wants to spend time with you at this time of night.”

You hold your breath, waiting to hear Aegon’s drunken response, but he says nothing. It’s not until you meet Aemond’s gaze that you realize it was more of a question than a comment.

You try to laugh it off as a joke. “I’m going to bathe before bed, so I'd rather you both left.”

Aegon smirks at your response.

Aemond simply nods his head, turns the other way, and leaves with Aegon without saying another word.

—

You rub at your skin, desperate to get the smell of Aegon off you. Usually you loved the smell of your lover lingering in the air, but not when Aemond was around. You always feared he’d smell Aegon on you. The thought of how paranoid you’d become almost made you laugh out loud. Most of the time, you were invisible to your husband; if you ever did leave, he would be the last to notice.

In the years you’d been married, he had yet to show any real interest in being your husband, which is why your affair with Aegon was so easy to carry on despite the guilt that occasionally overwhelmed you. It wasn’t until you gave birth that you understood your mother's comment. Aemond would always put the family name first, but Aegon would put you first.

Your relationship with Aegon wasn’t just based on sex, although he had become addicted to fucking you like he claimed he would. He would take you anywhere he could, and not just with his cock. He loved using his mouth and fingers to make you scream and beg for him. But the way he made you feel safe and loved was the best part; he adored all three of your children. Your days were spent playing with your children, riding dragons, or sitting beside him reading or talking. But you knew if anyone else found out, they would never understand.

Once you finished bathing, you waited for a couple of hours, but when Aemond didn’t return, you decided to go to bed. After changing into a nightdress and unbraiding your hair, you crawl underneath the bed sheets, feeling your eyes heavy. It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep.

—

Feeling a dip in the bed beside you, you turn to see what's going on, and you’re shocked to see Aemond getting in the bed. The moonlight was the only source of light, making it hard to read the expressions on his face. “Aemond, what are you doing?”

You freeze, feeling his lips press against yours. “I am your husband.”

You’re taken aback by the playfulness in his voice; it's an unfamiliar sound. You remained stunned as Aemond started kissing your neck. Your shared intimate moments usually consisted of you lying fully dressed while Aemond did what he needed to quickly. The kisses shared were usually out of curiosity, and foreplay wasn’t something you’d ever done before.

Aemond gently pushes you back onto the bed before removing his clothes. He lay back down beside you and resume kissing your neck while his hand caresses your breast. “I’ve never seen you before,” he says, his breath sounding ragged. “Not truly, not all of you.”

You gasped when he pulled down the front of your nightdress so that your breasts were on full display. Aemond sits back and pushes the fabric up to your hips, but for the first time, he actually looks down at your sex instead of avoiding it. He mumbled something you can’t make out then kissed you, his hand running up and down your thigh.

You cup the side of his face and sigh, “You don’t need to do this. You don’t need... do more than you want.”

“You are my wife,” Aemond says, moving to cup your warm slit, his finger teasing the entrance. “I must admit that I have neglected my duties in attending to your needs.”

Something inside you stirs—an emotion you can’t place.

“Tonight I’m going to put another heir into you.” Aemond slides a finger into you, kissing you at the same time.

Not knowing what to do with your hands, you place them gently on his back. Aemond withdraws his finger and lines himself up with you, then slams into you. Removing his lips from yours, he takes as much of your breast into his mouth while squeezing the other with his free hand. You arch your back and let out a small moans he takes you roughly.

Aemond doesn’t last long and cums quickly, pressing his head against yours and breathing heavily. He pecks you on the lips, pulling out and rolling to his side. You wait for him to leave, but when he closes his eye, you realise he has no intention of going. You face the other way, close your eyes, and pray that morning comes quickly.

—

You collapse onto the bed, panting and gasping; Aemond was most definitely determined to get you pregnant. At first, you weren’t overly worried because you had plenty of time to drink moon tea, but it was now much more difficult considering he had sex with you twice since waking up.

You wanted to know what brought on this unusual behavior. You wanted to ask Aemond why he even wanted another child when he hardly saw the three he believed were his. He didn’t return from his travels for over a week the last time you gave birth; he briefly visited the twins in their nursery then left again.

“You don’t sleep well, do you?” Aemond asks while putting his clothes back on.

“No, the dreams I have keep me awake.”

Aemond looks intrigued. “Do you get them often?”

Growing up, your brothers would mock you and Helaena; they would call you weird. Of course Aegon stopped long ago; he was the only one you ever truly confided in. “Yes, I’ve been having the same one for years.”

“What do you see?” Aemond sat down on a chair facing the bed; he seemed serious. “In the past, I never listened, but I’m asking you to trust me enough to tell me.”

You feel ashamed. Aemond wasn’t a bad person; he just didn’t love you or your children. “It’s hard to describe. It’s not just what I see; it’s what I feel,” You clutch a pillow to your chest. “I’m in the sky, surrounded by clouds. The sun is shining down on me, and then it disappears. Then I’m falling, and I feel this intense feeling that's trying to suffocate me, like a weight being pressed down on my chest. Then I hear it—a woman screaming. I think she’s dying because her whole world turns black.”

You don’t realize you’re crying until the wetness runs off your cheeks. Feeling awkward, you wipe them away. Aemond gulps, “I’m sorry; I never realized your nights were plagued by such images. Do you ever have other dreams?”

“Yes, I had a vision of our nephew Jace dying. So I sent a raven to Dragonstone, making sure he was okay.” It wasn't until you became a mother that you understood your family's hatred towards your nephews was pointless.

He seems surprised by your honesty. “Well, I’m sure your mind will be at rest knowing he is alive. But I don’t think you should waste your generosity on them, and I definitely don’t want Aeron interacting with bastards.”

“Your fight with the Velaryon boys is not mine, and it’s definitely not my children’s.” Aemond glared at you but didn’t argue. You let out a deep breath, feeling exhausted. “Speaking of the children, I should probably go check on them.”

“I’m sure our dear brother has beaten you to it,” he snorts. “I should thank him really. He gave me some good counsel last night, which was surprising given the state he was in.”

“What did he say?”

“Something along the lines of how ungrateful I was and that I needed to cherish you before you were gone for good. I assured him I wouldn’t let you or the children out of my sight from now on, in case you disappear,” he chuckles darkly. “But he did make me see that I need to make more of an effort, and now that I’m here, he won’t need to be around you or them so much.”

The emotion you couldn’t place before returns, but now you can name what it was.

Fear.

Horrible, agonizing fear that something terrible was going to happen.

[sophiasrant]

do you have any good damijon fic recs?

BEST ASK EVER. GIVE ME A MOMENT TO AQUIRE.

1. Navigating life by nxghtwxng

College AU that will break your heart and mend it over and over again. My favorite damijon fic EVER. I’m insane over it. If you do one thing tonight, start this series.

2. got your finger on the trigger (but your trigger finger’s mine) by eyes_to_the_sky

EVIL JON AU MY BELOVED. A small one shot that had me in a chokehold for WEEKS.

3. Bloodstains on Fresh Oranges by artobsessed_writes

VAMPIRE DAMIAN AU SHHDJEHFJE. This fic had me gnawing at my walls. This fic is SO good about their dynamic and I WHDHDJJDJE. It is the first part of a series!! Can never recommend it enough.

4. Mirror Mirror by First_Mate

In another universe, Damian is murdered. Jon can’t handle it, so decides to travel to another universe to be with their Damian. Only, that universe’s Jon might just take issue with that. I can’t do it justice by summarizing it. IT’S SO GOOD.

5. It Wouldn’t Be Make Believe (If You Believed In Me) by poisonivory

College AU!!! The boys have to go undercover together to party. What could possibly go wrong (or right)?

6. I can’t make you love me by badwriterrr

Unrequited love all around but it all ends up ok. If you don’t like unrequited love angst, I probably wouldn’t read this one but I LOVE it.

7. Those Who Wait by InsaneTrollLogic

I have never been a reverse robins girlie. It has never been my thing. This however is the exception. This fic makes me want to sob. I’m so normal about it.

8. Propinquity theory by butterflyapocalypse

Another college AU. Can you tell I like them yet?

9. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by poisonivory

They’re totally platonic friends with benefits! Absolutely nothing more! No one caught feelings! (You’ll never guess what happened)

10. Trust Fall by Ididloveyou_once

This one is a timkon fic with background damijon but it’s so good and changed my brain chemistry so im tacking it on anyway. You can’t stop me.

If you ever need any more fics, you know where to find me. OR if you wanna rec ME fics, I am to fics like a crow is to shiny objects.

(Edit: they are still superheroes in all of the college AUs if I remember correctly)

[cybsoo2]

my hearts been swallowed // i swallowed the sea

╰┈➤ synopsis — Two sides and two souls to the same story. One found suffering while the other was fueled by greed. Both ended in tragedy.

╰┈➤ pairing — yandere!jungkook x reader

╰┈➤ word count — 500+

╰┈➤ content warning — SPOILER!! double suicide, yandere behavior, jungkooks an asshole, it’s just angst, vague as always

my hearts been swallowed

You were once plagued by visions of mutilating his face or massacring his existence. Now your hatred has bled you dry, leaving desolation as your only companion. Your house on the sea is drowning in isolation. The sun mourns for you, yet too shy to show its face. Raindrops and tears, two tangled into one, fall endlessly down the walls of your shared room. Suffering in silence as you choke down the water he forces into your lungs. Apathy has disfigured you. 

The internal void that holds you hostage has no room for love. Yet it is ironic that a twisted type of love is the very reason for your state of suffering. Jungkooks smiles turned to sneers, cold compliments to sweet belittling. His kisses held back a bite. Your life has become the devils apocalypse. This emotional whiplash leaves you raw and begging for an end. 

Sweet, soulless Jungkook shares many similarities to another man. Although they may look the same, sharp features and dark shadows, he doesn’t hold even a candle to your other true love. The Angel of Death is kind. Gentle to the touch and comfort lies in the way he holds you. Cradled in his arms, he guides you home tonight. 

i swallowed the sea

Sinner meets demise by the hand of his own sin. Jungkooks own avaricious greed consumes his one divine desire. Maiming your mind, gutting your heart just to stomp all over it. He’s mangled you and tortured you, too blinded by possession to see the suffering. He takes and takes and takes till it’s all gone. Did he love you too much? Or not love you enough? But now that you are gone his mind has fallen into a wasteland in search of you. 

Jungkook was once a boy so saccharine. Heart-shaped eyes and honey tongued confessions. Obsession and paranoia festered deep beneath his lungs. He managed to keep it within his clutch as the days burned on. When did he let it all go wrong? This feeling took control of him, tearing its way out of his guts and not stopping until everything lay dead in its path. 

There is a crevice in his chest where his devotion used to rest. The hollow cavity feels even colder on lonely nights without your heated hands forced into his grip. The watery grave that submerged you now sinks him. He’s never felt so heavy, taking in all this tainted water day after day. Will you both be the cause of each other’s end? 

Jungkook is a man of many mistakes, yet he will not let tonight be one of them. The Devil of Darkness knocked on his door at sunrise. His enemy is bitter and vengeful. Jungkook’s own devil chases him through the night, leaving him fumbling around in the chaos for his only source of light. He stumbles his way out the door, bloodstains leave tracks in the water he’s found himself in. His last sight is the sun smiling, echoing his lost love he’s soon to see.

© cybsoo2 2024, all rights reserved ‎

[enretrogue]

𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗙𝗜𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗦 (𝟭)

.☘︎ ݁˖ = BLACK/POC WORKS | 23' FIC REC M.LIST

PEAKY BLINDERS

ALFIE SOLOMONS

Destiny — @butterfly-lies-chase-them-away

A Brother For Cyril ⎢ Part Two — @muneca-lemon-steppa

You Love Is Enough — @muneca-lemon-steppa

Evenings At Home — @muneca-lemon-steppa

Good Girl — @ukrainianmotherfucker

Interviews For New Beginnings ⎢ Part 2 ⎢ Part 3 ⎢ Part 4 ⎢ Part 5 ⎢ Part 6 — @muneca-lemon-steppa

Kisses For Bad Days — @muneca-lemon-steppa

Change Of Plans — @muneca-lemon-steppa

Married Life w/ Alfie Solomons HCs — @muneca-lemon-steppa

All Kinds of Trouble — @muneca-lemon-steppa

Overstimulation + Praise Kink — @fandom-puff

Rum and Soap — @dearshleby

Always — @muneca-lemon-steppa

MICHAEL GRAY

Show You How Much I Love You — @roguerogerss

I Can Imagine — @xoxoavenger

THOMAS SHELBY

At the End of the Day — @lis-likes-fics

The Complaint — @look-at-the-soul

Midnight Interlude — @awritesthings1

Gone with the Leaves — @awritesthings1

Numbers — @mrkdvidal1989

Train Left - Moments Passed — @mrkdvidal1989

Ignoble Sins — @cillmequick

Empty Promises — @fallatyourfeet

You Have More To Lose Than You Take — @mrkdvidal1989

Bloodstained Hands — @mrkdvidal1989

Look At Me — @simplyundeniable98

Time After Time Chapter 13 — @all-mirth-no-matter

A Moment of Happiness — @gypsy-girl-08

Christmas Lights — @mrkdvidal1989

First Christmas — @acewritesfics

Eye Fucking Each Other — @mrkdvidal1989

All I Need — @gypsy-girl-08

Promotion — @acewritesfics

No Man Works Alone — @muneca-lemon-steppa

TRIPLE FRONTIER

BENNY MILLER

The Best One — @theewokingdead

Are You On Mute? ⎢ Part Two — @rhoorl

Ask Prompt — @bullet-prooflove

Are You Going To Be Quiet? — @rhoorl

FRANCISCO “FRANKIE” “CATFISH” MORALES

Bluffing Season — @beskarandblasters

Mesmerized — @endlessthxxghts

New Year’s Day — @hellishjoel

My Home Is You — @chronically-ghosted

Stars — @trulybetty

Need You — @endlessthxxghts

Cravings ⎢ Crash ⎢ Insatiable — @pedge-page

Merry Christmas Cariño — @joelsflannel

All I Want For Christmas — @morallyinept

WILL MILLER

When Sleep Comes Easy — @laurfilijames

Just A Little Push — @missdictatorme

Kinktober 2023: Sexual Exhaustion — @gosmigenergy

Clusterfuck — @velicibeewords

All I Want — @laurfilijames

TRIPLE FRONTIER BOYS

Company — @pimosworld

The Story of Us Masterlist — @pimosworld

TSOU AU ⎢ Never Have I Ever ⎢ Down The Rabbit Hole ⎢ Santa’s A Homewrecker — @pimosworld

What Benny Doesn’t Know Masterlist — @backtothefanfiction

THE GRAY MAN

SIERRA SIX/COURT GENTRY

The Nurse Series ⎢ 2 ⎢ 3 ⎢ 4 ⎢ 5 ⎢ 6 ⎢ 7 — @heresthestorymorningglory

The Spy Next Door — @renren-006

Homework Problems — @renren-006

Wide Open Spaces — @elusivewildflower

Hurt You — @j4desblurbs

Bodyguard!Sierra Six — @wiidvw .☘︎ ݁˖

Safe Hands — @hollandstrophyhusband

Bodyguard!Sierra Six — @wiidvw .☘︎ ݁˖

Aftercare w. Sierra Six — @ken-dom

Bodyguard!Sierra Six — @wiidvw .☘︎ ݁˖

DC

BATMOM

See You Soon (+ Jason Todd) — @reveluving

Batmom’s Biggest Fan — @silly-thinkings

The Bat in the Shadows ⎢ Part 2 ⎢ Part 3 — @ynscrazylife

Long Overdue Masterlist — @apocalypse-shuffle

Love Thorns All Over This Rose ⎢ Part Two — @youreobsessedwithtoomanyfandoms

Harmony (+Dick Grayson) — @soriseerakyra

Batprank ⎢ Part Two — @ciaraswritings

Unexpected — @ciaraswritings

Ballet (ft. Cass Cain) — @reveluving

I Want To See My Little Boy (ft. Damian Wayne) — @dragon-chica 

BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN

Gossip and Galas — @ciaraswritings

DICK GRAYSON/NIGHTWING

The Graysons — @hannibals-favourite-meal

BATSIS

Alleviate The Pain (Platonic!Dick Grayson) — @pugh-pugh-pugh-pugh

[superiorsturgeon]

DeadPyr:

Adam: *tosses tied-up Jaune on the ground*

Jaune: Oof! What do you assholes want?!

Cinder: *crouches down in front of Jaune* Don’t worry, blondie, we’re not going to hurt you. You’re just bait for your girlfriend, Pyrrha!

Jaune: My girlfriend is dead!

Cinder: Yeah…see, that’s what I thought! But she just keeps coming back!

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *at the laundromat, trying to scrub bloodstains from her suit*

Maria Calavera: *doing her laundry beside Pyrrha* Use lemon juice and baking soda to clean blood out of clothes.

Pyrrha: 😲

Maria: …idiot…

———————————————————————

Garbage Truck: *pulls up beside shady hideout building*

Pyrrha: *half climbs, half falls out the back*

Pyrrha: Thanks for the ride! Sorry for bleeding all over your garbage!

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *tearing through a hideout of bandits*

Vernal/Shay D Man: *run to safe room and slam the door behind them*

Pyrrha: *trying to break into safe room* Come on! It’s my anniversary today and I’m running late! 😫

———————————————————————

Neo: *behind the bar* So you’re back from the dead, huh? Have you told your boyfriend?

Pyrrha: No…! I’m terrified of what he’ll say when he sees my face…😭

Neo: Oh, come on, how bad can it-

Pyrrha: *pulls back her hood, revealing her scars*

Neo: WHOA!! Your face looks like an avocado face-fucked a topographic map! 😨

Pyrrha: Thank you…😑

Neo: It must’ve been serious hate-fucking…there was something wrong in the relationship…😰

Pyrrha: Thank you…😓

Neo: I’m sorry, but you look…haunting…!

Pyrrha: *face on the table*…thank you…😭

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *smashes phone down* AAAARGH!!!

Neo: Shit, they’ve got Jaune?!

Pyrrha: …I need guns!

Neo: Which guns?

Pyrrha: ALL OF THE GUNS!!! 🤬

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: Okay…I need your help…! They’ve got Jaune! 😓

Nora/Ren: 🤨

Ren: All right, but in return we’d like you to consider joining us!

Pyrrha: Okay…FINE…

Pyrrha: *muttering as she turns away* …it’s funny…all the other teams have four members, but I only ever see two of you…

Pyrrha: …it’s almost like the writer was too lazy to add more characters…

———————————————————————

Pyrrha: *standing on Cinder’s body*

Cinder: 😵

Pyrrha: …I’m just a girl…standing in front of a boy…

Pyrrha: …Oh my gods, what the hell am I going to say to him?!?!

Ren: *turning away* Well, you’d better think of something quick…!

Nora: 🤭

Pyrrha: What…? *turns around*

Jaune: 😡

Pyrrha: 😱

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have a rec list of bottom Louis fics with twink Louis. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog the post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Sweet Little Virgin | Explicit | 2,304 words

Harry and Louis are roommates and have been for years. Harry didn't know Louis was a virgin, until now.

2) Suspenders And Lace | Explicit | 2,784 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Harry has a thing for suspenders and white lace. Louis happens to have a thing for being a good boy for his Daddy.

3) You're A Good Boy And You Know It. | Mature | 3,234 words

Harry Styles a big famous pornstar, a young alfa sensation. Big and strong with tattoos all over his body, and a big alfa cock. And Louis Tomlinson is just a barely legal omega who is about to make his big debut in the porn industry, about to be knotted for the first time by the one and only Harry Styles.

4) Just a One Night Stand | Not Rated | 3,250 words

He heard Harry hum then he felt his hands on his waist, his thumbs digging into his skin. The grip he had on his waist was so unbelievebly strong, and Louis couldn't wriggle out of his grasp. But maybe he didn't want to get away. Maybe he wanted this.

5) The Rich And Beautiful | Mature | 3,341 words

Louis Tomlinson aka: "Teasy Tommo" dances for the richest man in England and gets more than what he bargained for.

6) The Library | Mature | 5,088 words

Louis works at a library, and Harry really needs a biology textbook.

7) When You Die (I Become Alive) | Not Rated | 5,797 words

“Saw your twink in the staff room," Niall says as he enters the elevator. “Have to admit, that ass is big.” "He is not my twink-" Harry is looking at his reflection in the elevator, "-but I'll see if he works out."

8) Wicked Games | Not Rated | 6,996 words

Prompt: Louis is the socially awkward kid who has anxiety and self harms and just isn't popular. Harry's the really popular one who never picks on anybody but has some pretty assholey friends who pick on Louis a lot and one day they pull his pants down and see that he's wearing pink boxers and most people laugh and Louis is mortified so he runs out but Harry follows him because he thought it was really hot and then they have sex with Harry cherishing every part of Louis body and making him feel important.

9) Deflower Me | Explicit | 20,154 words

Louis is a proud virgin, and no matter how much society tries to make him feel like a freak for not acting on his natural urges, he doesn't suffer from his lack of experience. He has never felt drawn to someone in a way that made him want to get involved sexually with them, and he isn't planning on rushing himself so he can get some because people think it's what he should do. In walks Fratboy, the Serial Haunter of His (wet) Dreams, who thankfully has a little business going on that might be just what Louis needs.

10) A Couple Months Too Long | Mature | 21,291 words

"I mean who wouldn't be scared when a cute little twink comes to tell a famous rockstar that the great sex in a doorway they had ended with a baby." And yeah, now Louis is staring at him with wide eyes. Louis is a fan of Harry's and they fuck and end up with a child.

11) Heart Open, Bloodstain On My Sleeve | Explicit | 35,706 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

“I couldn’t help myself,” Harry admits, one hand coming to rub the back of his neck, “I stared at you for a good while before I finally got the guts to come up to you. You looked so pretty sitting there, with your little ankles and your pencil in your mouth, so enthralling… art in front of art.” Louis’ not sure what to say, so he just kind of sits there, eyes bugging out as he stares at Harry. “I mean, like you’re not an object!” Harry rushes out, babbling. “I just, there’s something about you that’s so captivating, and maybe it’s the way your eyes are like a watercolor painting of the sea, or how delicate your hands look when you draw, but I just wanted to get to know you. It’s not like I pick up random boys at art museums usually, I swear. Not that I’m trying to pick you up! Unless you want to be…God, fuck I’m sorry this is so awkward now. I can go, um, if you want."

12) Take My Pure (And Wash It All Away 'Til I'm Cured) | Explicit | 40,629 words

And Louis decides, as the boy slowly starts backing away with that cheeky grin lighting up that whole stupidly beautiful face, that he should sue him for emotional abuse just for the fact his pecs stretch the fabric of his shirt like that alone. He really should. He might even win the case.

13) Falling Out Of Fashion | Explicit | 42,123 words

Harry Styles has been the established face of the Grimshaw House of Design for two years. It’s a prestigious and coveted modeling contract Harry took away from once-famed supermodel Zayn Malik. With the model transition Grimshaw’s designs went from a more urban, Zayn-forward aesthetic, to a Harry-favoring flowery, flowing femininity in the Grimshaw designs for men. So when Harry sees a dress Grimshaw made for a famous Marvel actress, “only a tease”, Nick says, of the evolving look, Harry knows Grimshaw is shifting his aesthetic. Harry wonders if he can pull off the look. Or could Grimshaw be looking for a new face?

14) A Love Like This Won't Last Forever (And I Don't Mind At All) | Mature | 53,978 words

“I thought you’re a woman.” “Excuse me?” “Rumour has it that I’m about to have a new stepmother. Just didn’t expect it would be a man, though twink would give a much better description.” “I’m not a twink.” Louis crossed his hands in front of his chest defensively. The man looked at him from head to toe and gave him a sweet fake smile. “Yeah, you are.” “I’m not— hold on,” Louis loosened his arms and now playing with his thumbs, “what do you mean stepmother?” The man extended his hand and stupidly Louis reached for it. Once the bigger hand engulfed his own, the man shook it. “Harry Styles, pleasure to meet you. What should I call you? Stepmother or the mistress?” Harry tightened his grip. “Or maybe a homewrecker?” He gave him the most cruel smile a man could offer.

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[theskit]

Stickers AU

Important!!!

On the mobile app, direct linking gets rid of the readmore cuts!

If you came here via direct link, or wish to use the direct links to another part of the story, and DO NOT want to spoil the surprise stickers, please click on my blog name to go to the actual post after using the link.

Also, due to the apparent shadow banning of people with long tag lists, I will make a master post that people can subscribe to for updates.

Part 10

Master Post

《Prev

Red Hood and Nightwing coming to the cave on Sunday night with tales of their own encounters with the sticker kid had unfortunately not given them as much to work with as Tim had hoped.

Jason was tagging along more to hear about their encounters and to see the rest of the stickers than providing much in the way of evidence himself, what with having his helmet cams and comms shorted out for the duration of his encounter and not bringing his own sticker with him.

There was some friction when Batman and Robin made it back to the cave, it being a fairly slow evening for Gotham with no sign of the kid, which made sense if he'd gone all the way to Bludhaven to bother Nightwing.

Bruce had wanted to compile all the evidence together, and while Dick had been obliging, after they'd gotten the frankly hilarious sticker off of him, Jason had promptly refused to hand his over. Much like Damian, he'd claimed it as his own and would hear nothing else about it, only providing a picture of it after a lot of coaxing from Dick.

The corrupted audio/video file had also been less than helpful. Besides a flurry of green-tinted gray static snow and laughter so distorted it almost sounded like screaming, there was nothing else recoverable.

The sheer degradation of the files was actually impressive. That was either very good tech, or a very strong meta ability. Either way, they needed to find this kid and figure out what was up with him.

Dick at least had managed to both lay eyes on and semi-converse with the kid, though that was also bringing up questions. Such as: how did he get out of a dead-end alleyway? Which, while similar to the disappearing acts he'd pulled in Gotham, those had at least been on rooftops with clear, if possibly inadvisable, access to escape routes all around. As well as the question on why the kid was wearing a blood stained hoodie.

Yes, they had figured he'd injured himself to some degree last night, but why hadn't he changed out of those clothes? Did he not have access to more? Was the kid in a bad living situation here in Gotham instead of having come in with the rest of the out of towners for the ghost hunting convention and the stickers were something unconnected to him that he'd somehow gotten ahold of?

If that was the case, they might be looking at some sort of meta trafficking escapee, since the boy's accent very much labeled him as not a native Gothamite and most people would not move here with a meta ability with Batman's supposed dislike of metas in Gotham. A stance Bruce had taken more to discourage metas from possibly getting targeted by the revolving door of Gotham's Rouge gallery than any real prejudice.

Despite everything, the convention was still their best lead, so it was decided they would go investigate as civilians tomorrow for the last half-day it would be held and try to find more clues.

The description of a short, young male, with blue eyes and dark hair, an echoey voice, possibly still wearing a bloodstained hoodie, was not a lot go to off of in a crowd of hundreds. Maybe they would get lucky and find where the stickers came from, which might give them more of a lead.

Bruce was reconsidering the effectiveness of coming to the convention as Brucie Wayne instead of the small time criminal Matches Malone, regardless of how that may have effected that alias, as he was accosted by another non-gothamite.

Bruce had forgotten how those outside of Gotham tended to act around celebrities. People native to Gotham usually had a strong mind-your-own-business attitude regardless of where on the social scale they happened to fall.

Smiling for yet another photo, Bruce hoped his slightly-less-widely-recognized children were having more luck moving around the convention to check for leads, having abandoned him to fend for himself after the third photo ambush.

Coming on the last half-day might have also been a miscalculation, even if they hadn't had much of a choice with the timing, as it seemed to make people even bolder, knowing they would leave the city in a few short hours.

Dick was having fun roaming around the convention. Seeing all the booths set up with either crystals, tarot cards and other mystical odds and ends or EMF meters, magnetic field detectors and more scientific equipment for ghost hunting.

It all mostly went over his head, but it was interesting to talk with different people and hear all the differing accounts and history, both historical and personal, behind their choice of what equipment or mystical dodad worked best.

He'd even seen a few people cosplaying as The Ghost Busters, and he swore he'd seen a couple in full hazmat suits for a moment before he lost them in the crowd.

He had forgotten how interesting conventions could be when they weren't constantly crashed by Rogues. Dick would have to try and find time to go to more of them. The eccentricities on display reminded him fondly of all the different personalities you could find in a circus.

Damian scowled as he made his way through the crowds. This was ridiculous. There was no practical use for most of the things displayed in the various booths, as most wardings against Pit demons needed to be cast by those with magical or mystical bloodlines as far as he was aware, and to date there was no known scientific way to capture or quantify Pit demons.

Most of the 'evidence' provided by both sides was also suspect. Generally involving blurry photographs and 'spooky vibes'.

There was also a marked dearth of younger people in the crowds. Mostly consisting of small children accompanying their parents with few teenagers, such as a redhead female approximately his age he'd spied a time or two due to the eye catching color of her hair, to be seen.

Jason had decided to leave the convention a little early. Despite the fun he had watching Bruce get mobbed by out of towners with his Brucie mask on, something about wandering the crowds was riling up the Pit.

Maybe it was the crowds themselves, all those people blatantly not from Gotham, who *did not belong* here. Or maybe all the talk of death and ghosts and what came after, but *something* had his aggression ramping up out of the blue as he made his way around the convention.

Randomly feeling the need to punch something wasn't exactly new, but the sheer number of times he'd started seeing green out of nowhere was worrying, so he'd called it quits.

He'd check in with Dick later to see if any new leads had been found.

Danny breathed a sigh of relief as Jazz came to collect him. Everything was already packed up in the RV and it was time to grab whatever he wanted for the ride back as their parents wanted to get ahead of the leaving crowd.

He'd been feeling something wandering the convention for the last few hours. Not quite enough to set off his ghost sense, but definitely at least ghostly-adjacent.

He'd been doing his best to navigate away from the feeling any time it drew near, not wanting a fight to break out between him and whatever territorial spirit had decided it was a good idea to haunt ghost hunters.

Hitting up a nearby coffee shop for a hilariously named Deathwish coffee and a pastry for the road, Danny saw a guy wander in, take in the line almost out the door, and nearly fall into a seat instead.

Holding his head in his hands, it looked like the guy was almost nodding off where he sat. Poor dude had eyebags darker than Danny had the time Technus, Skulker, Ember and a swarm of Blob ghosts had all decided the night before a major test was a great time to invade Amity with their shenanigans.

Taking pity, Danny ordered a second coffee, handing it to the guy with a little surprise attached before heading out. Hopefully it would brighten his day a little.

"You look like you could use this."

Tim glanced up from his seat at the coffeeshop table as a younger teen placed a large coffee cup and a few napkins down on the table.

The other boy was out the door before Tim could even fully process that some kind soul had taken pity on him and saved him from having to stand an eternity in line before getting his hands on the much needed caffeine.

Blessing whoever it was silently, Tim took a large swallow, closing his eyes a moment as the strong coffee helped kick his brain back into gear. Ahh, Deathwish, my beloved, hallowed be thy beans.

Standing up, he grabbed the couple of napkins to take with him, feeling an odd stiffness to them. Shifting the top napkin out of the way, Tim boggled at the sticker staring back at him for a moment before bolting out the door.

Looking around frantically, he was just in time to see the boy on the other side of the road, getting into a frankly absurdly proportioned vehicle before it sped down the street, barely keeping from sideswiping at least three other cars before careening around a corner and out of sight.

Well, he thought as he glanced from the sticker to where the vehicle had disappeared, at least something that... distinctive, should be easy to track down...

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[balrogballs]

Piecemeal Palace

A sketch made for SWG Potluck Bingo prompt ‘storied places’ featuring Maglor and Maedhros’ architecturally chaotic hot mess “potluck” house in Himring, which combines design influences from all its inhabitants and is also where Elrond and Elros grew up.

Accompanying writing below is mainly adapted from my Imladris fic Cast in Stone.

The first time six-year old Elrond and Elros set eyes on Maedhros and Maglor’s house in Himring, Maglor asked them which rooms they’d like to take, said you can choose any that you like, see, the manor is even bigger than your own so you can have your pick. Maybe a room with a balcony? Don’t you like how pretty the light looks when it catches the white-gold house?

Elros had kicked him in the shin, said no, it’s not bigger, you blind bat! And it’s ugly! I don’t want to live in your shite-old house!

But when the twins leave the house for the last time however, it breaks their heart (they were still one heart in those days, just about). You can't blame them for it; really, it’s only nature. Once you’ve stepped beyond the threshold of a childhood home, you never truly stop leaving it. And as you walk through life, you’ll want to hold tight to others who’ve left behind pieces of themselves in houses like your own.

And then, when you build your own home, you put that childhood home within it too. Some try to replicate it, for the joys they knew there, and others build it in inverse, in opposition to a place they found despair. With any home you build, you try to create a semblance of belonging, make it a refuge for the missing parts of you and others, the parts left behind at that old threshold. From the Shire to Minas Tirith — every house in Middle Earth contains remnants of lost homes, flickers of lives outlived.

It is the same in Imladris. Elrond carves memory into his valley, into its very halls, not a tomb but a monument. Gilt chairs like Lindon, crimson stars like his own childhood ceiling. He cups Imladris in gentle hands and within it builds Celebrían into the buds rising from soil; and Maglor in birdsong at dawn. Maedhros in the training field, Himring in its slanted roofs, Gil-galad in a solid gold and completely pointless tea table, a hundred ways in which the ground remembers.

And in every spray-soaked white cliff lives a little boy named for his love of playing in waterfalls. In every guardian wall lives a six year old on a bloodstained night, saying, "you can kill me if you want, but my brother’s so scared. See, he’s crying. Please, please don’t scare him, I’ll do anything you say, I’ll eat a worm, I’ll, I’ll go away, I’ll be good, I’ll bring your stone back!”

It is Elros, more than anything, who wholly encompasses Imladris; it is Elros who breathes in every stone. Elros planting seashells in the garden. Elros walking about on tiptoes, wanting to be taller than his twin. Elros red-cheeked over a skipping rope. Elros painting a rooftop bright green. Elros laughing. Elros running. Elros in a shite-old house.

[football-and-fanfics]

The Medic #10 - Mason Mount

About the series: The Medic is an anthology-like series about the reader working for the medical team of the club. Each chapter will feature a different setting/scenario and a different player.

Who: Mason Mount Prompt: "That's... quite some blood." Requested by: anonymous Word count: 611 Warnings: mentions of injury, blood, stitches.

The hurried footsteps that approached your office during lunch hour didn't promise much good. You looked up from your computer screen even before someone was in sight, and watched Mason appear in the door opening. He was cradling his left hand, which was wrapped tightly in what looked like a bundle of tea towels. The look on his face held the middle between pain and fright, but one thing was for sure: something was wrong.

Your eyes were immediately drawn to his hand, to which he clearly sported an injury. "I cut myself," Mason stammered before you could ask any questions, "I was slicing bread, and... the knife slipped." "How bad is it?" You walked around your desk to him. "I don't know." He looked shook up. "But it hurts."

You immediately led him into another part of your office, where you had a small treatment room for minor injuries. "Sit down." You pointed to a chair. "Let's have a look." Mason gently placed his hand, still wrapped in the tea towels, on the small table in between you.

For the first time you saw the stains on the towel. "That's... quite some blood," you said seriously. Mason shuddered. "I--- I guess it's a bit deep."

You very carefully pulled the tea towels away from Mason's hand. He winced loudly as the fabric finally fell away. "Oh, jeez..." Mason gulped at the sight of his own bloodstained forefinger. "Are you okay?" You looked worried at the sudden paleness of Mason's face, afraid he might faint. "I'm good, I'm good." Mason swallowed hard, but did avert his gaze from the wound.

The cut to Mason's forefinger was half an inch long at most, but seemed rather deep and was still bleeding. You gently wiped some of the blood away. Mason tensed in painful anticipation, and the softest whimper escaped his lips.

"It's only a flesh wound," you concluded, "but it's a nasty one." Mason swallowed hard. "Does it... have to be stitched?" "Yes," you nodded, "it'll probably only require two or three stitches, but it's best I do put them in." Mason groaned at the foresight of that. He didn't like getting stitches done, but he knew there probably wasn't much of a choice.

You saw the apprehension on his face. "I'll numb it up, and the stitches will be in before you know it," you assured, "you won't feel a thing." "Alright." Although somewhat reluctantly, Mason agreed.

---

As you had promised, you worked swiftly. After putting in the anesthetic, you cleaned and stitched up the wound. All the while, Mason had his face turned away. He feared he might faint or throw up at the tiniest glimpse of any stitch going into his skin. He had never been one for blood or needles, and no matter how gentle you were being, he didn't even venture one peek.

"All done." You announced after a few minutes. Mason finally dared a glance at his injured hand, and found it now neatly bandaged. "Oh," Mason sighed in relief, "I didn't feel a thing!" "That's a good thing," you chuckled, "means I did my job well."

Mason had a long look at the bandage around his hand and forefinger. "What do I do now?" "You might want to take it easy for a few days," you answered, "it'll be sore, and you don't want to tear those stitches. Come see me again in about a week, or earlier if you start to experience more pain or swelling. And maybe have someone else cut your bread for the time being." Mason grinned at your last remark. "Oh, the boys will have a field day over that."

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[cyb-by-lang]

Cascade (part 8)

Wherein player [x+1] joins the battle.

“Don’t drown him, Gekkō-san.” 

Midoriya seemed less alarmed by Kei’s choices and more just resigned. She’d already demonstrated to his satisfaction that nobody died in her watery doom constructs unless she wanted them to. Else the USJ would’ve had a lot fewer arrested villains and a lot more body bags than just the big one.

At least it gave them data on how the Nōmu guys worked. Still, Kei nodded. “I won’t. Oh, and Iida-kun?” 

Iida couldn’t turn his face away to hide from her, thanks to whatever Stain’s Quirk was, but he did close his eyes. It was all he could do. 

Maybe it would help to hear this. Maybe it wouldn’t. But Kei could at least be honest this once. “You already know I’d kill him.” And that got Iida to look up. Just with his eyes. “If this man targeted my little brother, he’d be dead.” 

And her hold on Stain’s throat never changed, despite that. 

Iida’s expression was a terrible whirl of turmoil. Like he couldn’t believe Kei’s blatant hypocrisy any more than Stain’s fragmented philosophy. Whatever he’d been forced to listen to before Midoriya and Kei showed up, at least. “But—”

“I don’t pretend that’s a good thing. Just a human one.” And not something they should be discussing here. 

Even if Kei had no actual intention of letting Stain go free, she had to at least pretend to care about procedures. If Obito recovered from his Kamui overuse and returned to the greater Tokyo metropolitan area tonight, Kei figured shoving the problem off on him was a decent backup plan. After, say, the police or heroes. Obito would remember not to kill the guy, right?

And then there was someone running their way. It wasn’t until the blue shape in the dark got closer that Kei heard a familiar voice shout, “Midoriya!” 

While most of their group either couldn’t move on their own (Iida, Native) or had more immediate problems (Kei, Stain), Midoriya did jump to his feet and wave. “Todoroki-kun! You got my message?”

“For reference,” Todoroki continued as he arrived and took in the scene of moderate carnage and a lot of awkward standing around, “try to give more information than just a location next time.” 

Though there was fire trailing up his left side and frost coating his right sleeve, he didn’t look like he’d been hurt. Just like he’d had to run all the way here, fully anticipating a fight when he arrived. Instead, he got to see a bit of a clown show instead. 

Kei shrugged when Todoroki aimed a silent question her way. She still had the armed—yes, his knife and sword were still drawn—Hero Killer in a Water Prison, it was polite of Todoroki to notice.

At least, Todoroki asked, “Did all of this happen in just five minutes?”

“Oh, y-yeah. Sorry about only using a pin, but that was all the time we had.” Midoriya didn’t bow, but it looked like a close call. “Thanks for heading here so fast, though!” 

“Not fast enough,” said Todoroki, clearly taking note of the blood still present on the ground. Sure, Kei had gotten Native away from his original bloodstain, but Midoriya didn’t have enough bandages for him and for Iida, and one of Iida’s injuries was dangerously close to an artery. 

“I think showing up before the villain kills everyone is good enough,” Kei said, and rotated the Water Prison so Stain could breathe again. When Todoroki took a step closer, possibly to freeze the villain in place, Kei held up her free hand. “I’ve got him, Todoroki-kun. Help the others, please.” 

Todoroki sighed, and the result was an icy fog. “All right.”

While getting Iida bandaged was a trial without him being able to cooperate, Stain’s Quirk wore off while Todoroki and Midoriya were trying to figure out where the catches in his shoulder pauldron were. In short order, the three boys managed to get upright and talked mostly to each other in low, sharp tones. From what Kei overheard, Midoriya filled Todoroki in on everything he’d missed. Iida, meanwhile, got two lectures right over Native’s head once all the information laid bare between them. 

Iida may have been crying. Kei focused on Stain to give him plausible deniability if needed. 

Honestly, Kei would’ve left them to it. She didn’t have anything helpful to say that they couldn’t handle without her. No canned phrases or quaint sayings. All she had was a careful balance of truth shrouded by lies and omissions, neither of which relied solely on her. Staying standoffish for most of the school year so far—barring the 1-A girls’ friendship blitz—was a good stealth strategy on paper, but it retained some key flaws. Like her total inability to comfort any of these kids after a traumatic encounter. 

What I wouldn’t give for a shock blanket—

Do you hear that? Isobu interrupted, kicking Kei back into full alertness. Like the menagerie he was, half-a-dozen animal instincts all clamored for Kei’s attention at once. 

Iida shouted, “Gekkō—!” just as lightning descended from the sky.