#they can't help but keep poking at it until it gets infected

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

My biggest fear when I was younger was forgiving those who have wronged me, because it meant I moved on.

[oops-all-concrete]

Okay, BG3 fandom, I have had sweet thoughts and would like to share them; Companions reacting to Tavs hiding an injury until they couldn't keep it to themselves anymore/the companions put together that they're hurting. (Companions aren't romanced, but GETTING there)

Tooth rotting fluff in a text wall under the cut, enjoy

Lae'zel -

Lae'zel is annoyed, but in the "Don't fight me when I'm trying to love you without saying it" kind of way. She'll say "This isn't battle strategic, there is no advantage this offers us" but the whole camp knows what she means while she aggressively dresses your wound and tells you to stop whining. If Tav wakes up in the middle of the night to find her guarding their tent like a loyal dog, they didn't see anything as far as she cares.

Shadowheart -

Similarly to Lae'zel, Shadowheart is a little annoyed, but Shadowheart can admit she's worried. "You should have told me. I'd have taken care of this immediately" She tells Tav, healing the wound with a small prayer. She makes them promise to say something in the future, even if only for her sake. "This journey has been treacherous. I'd like the one good thing that's come of it to survive with me"

Wyll -

"Promise me you're not going to make a habit of that" He insists, dressing your wounds with a tense expression. "I'd like you to flourish at my side. And I can't be certain you're doing that when you hide things like this." He admits, apparent worry in his voice, gentle movements, a warning for every touch. He's a hard man to feel uncomfortable around. Tav can practically feel the care radiating off him with every patient smile.

Karlach -

She gives Tav the least flack for keeping it to yourself. "Woah soldier, let's take a break and look at that, yeah?" She suggests, keeping the worry out of her voice quite well. She knows they're hiding it for a reason and tries not to make them feel worse for failing to hide it. She just tries to make Tav as comfortable as possible so they might feel at ease enough to tell her next time.

Gale -

The man basically mothers Tav through the healing process. Insists they're off their feet, won't budge on Tav resting and cleans their wounds and changes bandages around the clock. "As much peril as we are in every day, I'd like if you kept even the smaller injuries out in the open." He explains one night. "As small as any harm seems when compared to impending ilithid doom, it's still harm. Much more, it's harm we can fix. Harm I'd like to fix. Ah- assuming you'll let me"

Astarion -

Sounds inconvenienced, will not sit still while you're unwell. He'll hang around and poke fun but won't let them get up for anything. "I mean, how have you even managed that" he says, handing Tav fresh water. "I know you're clumsy, but surely you could have avoided that" he chuckles, handing you another book to draw in/read. "I'll remember this next time you say you have an idea" He rolls his eyes cutting up food and feeding them personally. Anyone asks? "Well, I can't just let them suffer can I? They'll never shut up"

Bonus! (Our older folks)

Halsin -

"That looks painful...you needn't be in pain you know, I can carry you quite easily" He offers. If Tav truly doesn't want help, he can't/won't make them, but he will hover and puppy-dog-eyes at them until they cave. The man will let Tav use him for warmth in the night while they recover and carry them to the pond to bathe as well. Really, Tav could ask anything of him, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

Jaheira -

"I don't even send Harpers out in that condition if I can help it. You'll sit and relax, yes?" She says. Not asks, because she's not asking. "I mean, what if this got infected, or started swelling? Would you just wait for death like a bird falling out of the sky?" She rolls her eyes playfully. She doesn't hesitate to ask for help on Tavs behalf either. "If they'd judge you for being hurt, they're not worthy allies...if they'd judge you for suffering in silence however, that makes them good friends"

Minsc -

"Boo says this should take care of your battle scars. You'll take it yes? When a hamster gives advice, it's bad luck not to take it" he smiles handing Tav whatever potion variant needed. He's overall jovial about it, casual and moves on quickly. Wether that's out of courtesy for Tavs pride or simply because he's a kind man with a hollow head, nobody can truly say.

Hope you enjoyed <3 (and Happy Holidays)

[mj-iza-writer]

Story warning: trypophobia and chicken pox. I personally have trypophobia, I feel so bad when it gets triggered, but I can't help my discomfort. I absolutely hate trypophobia.

Requested by @weirdthingweee

Here's your particularly miserable green cheetah.

"Master... can I, uh, go to bed? I don't feel good", Whumpee looked up from their position, "all of the chores are done."

"You haven't eaten yet", Whumper frowned, "you normally like dinner time."

"I don't have much of an appetite. May I have a water bottle though? I feel warm", Whumpee whispered.

"I suppose, but I don't want to hear any complaining tomorrow about you not getting dinner", Whumper frowned at how rosie Whumpee was, "you do look kind of sickly. I hope you didn't pick up anything from Amina's house while you were helping her do chores. I know her kid was sick. That's why I sent you to help her."

"Yes Master", Whumpee frowned, "I saw them. They looked miserable."

Whumpee tossed uncomfortably all night. No matter what, they couldn't get comfortable. Their skin felt like it was burning and crawling.

They felt itchier and itchier as it grew closer to morning.

They sat up when Whumper opened the door.

"How are you feelin.... HECK NO", Whumper yelled and slammed the door shut. Leaving Whumpee alone in the room.

"Ma-Master, what... what happened?, Whumpee looked down and saw raised pinkish bumps all over their arms. They studied the rest of their body. Bumps were everywhere. Some more blistery and puss filled than others.

"Master?", Whumpee got up and hurried to the door, "Master please. What is happening?", they tried to open the door.

"Whumpee if I see you... I will puke", Whumper warned as they kept a firm hold on the door handle to keep Whumpee inside, "I've already almost gagged twice. Stay in there until I figure what to do with... you."

Whumpee heard Whumper gag.

"Am I going to die?", Whumpee worried, "wha-whats happening?"

"I'm taking it that you've never had chicken pox growing up", Whumper frowned.

"No, I don't think so", Whumpee stepped back from the door.

"Amina's kid has chicken pox. Had I known you never had it, I wouldn't have sent you over there. It's a little riskier for adults to get them, and I can't take you to the hospital because I don't want to go to prison", Whumper continued to hold the door like their life depended on it, "and as bad as it sounds... I can't take care of you."

"Why not?", Whumpee whispered, "I don't know what to do. I don't even know what these are yet."

"I have trypophobia", Whumper admitted.

"Trypa-what?"

"Trypophobia, I'm uncomfortable around clusters of holes or similar patterns like bumps. It gives me anxiety and panic attacks. Plus, it makes me want to throw up", Whumper groaned, "chicken pox is a highly contagious viral infection. It is characterized by itchy, blistery, rashy skin. Normally, kids get it. Parents will have kids play with other kids who are infected with it, so it might spread and get it over with. My mom did that to me. Apparently, your parents didn't. I've read it's pretty dangerous for adults and not as easy to get through."

"What are we going to do?", Whumpee questioned.

"You need to stay in that room. I'm calling Amina to see what needs to be done. Maybe even see if you can go with her until this goes away" Whumper started to let go of the door, "I'm serious, do not come out here."

"I need to use the bathroom though", Whumpee frowned.

"Okay, you can go to the bathroom, but go straight back into this room and slam the door so I know you are where you need to be", Whumper stated, "I will let you know when to come out."

Whumpee stood in front of the mirror.

They gulped as they got a better view of themself.

"Chicken... pox?", Whumpee poked at their cheek.

They frowned as they heard Whumper down the hall.

"Please, you have to take them off my hands until the spots go", Whumper pleaded, "I keep gagging every time I look at them."

"Thankyou", Whumpee finally heard Whumper sigh in relief.

Whumper came back to the bathroom.

"Are you still in there?"

"Yes, I- what do I do?", Whumpee pleaded for relief or sympathy, something.

"Right now, you need to pack a small bag. Amina is going to let you stay at her house until the spots go away. There is absolutely no way I'm going to be able to take care of you", Whumper frowned, "I feel guilty on that fact, but this will be better for you instead of me locking you in your room. Caretaker and Amina will be able to help you."

"So get a bag packed. Wrap a blanket around you. Make sure to drape it over your head. I don't want to see you", Whumper sighed.

Whumpee kept their head lowered as they were driven to Amina's house.

"C-can I itch?", Whumpee rocked uncomfortably, "it's really itchy."

"No don't itch", Whumper kept their eyes on the road. They didn't dare look into the backseat.

"Be on your best behavior at Amina's. You are very lucky they are letting you stay, and are willing to take care of you", Whumper warned.

Whumpee lay awkwardly by the entrance of Amina's house. That's where Whumper dropped them and their things and scrambled out.

Amina had rubbed an ointment onto Whumpee's skin and told them to rest while it soaked in.

Whumpee looked up sadly when the door opened and a taller figure stepped in.

"Oh my. What do we have here?", the person knelt down, "Hmm, I warned them to be careful with having you come over here."

Amina stepped in, "Hello honey, welcome home."

"Hello", they looked up and smiled.

"I guess you met our visitor", Amina sighed, "I told Whumper we would take care of Whumpee. Whumper has trypophobia. They uh, they were struggling." Amina laughed, "I figured we would be a better option for Whumpee to be kept safe. Which Caretaker, I can not find the cot anywhere. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I'll pull it out?", Caretaker stood, "why are they at the door though?"

"That's where Whumper left them. They were told to stay there until you got home. They wouldn't budge for me", Amina frowned at Whumpee, "I wasn't really sure where to put them either."

"Let's use my office. It's warm in there. If we need something for a more long-term stay, we can clean out the storage bedroom", Caretaker smiled, "go ahead and take care of our baby and get some rest. I know you've been busy. I'll get Whumpee taken care of."

Whumpee was guided into the bathroom.

They frowned when they saw a full tub of water.

"Caretaker, uhm, I don't....", Whumpee whispered.

"It's an oatmeal bath. It should help calm your skin. I know you must be very uncomfortable. I'm sorry it's taken you so long to get some help, Whumper should have been a better adult and started taking care of this right away", Caretaker frowned, "I will let you know, we are working to get you out if that situation as well. I'm sorry it's taken so long. Hopefully soon we will get you to safety."

Whumpee nodded. They had heard about this before. They looked forward to the day that they'd be free.

"So, this is just to soak in. You don't have to bathe" Caretaker assured, "I'm going to go get my old cot out, and clean it up. I'll be back to check on you."

"Thankyou", Whumpee smiled weakly.

Whumpee lowered themself into the tub and sighed in relief. The itch felt as though it was partially relieved now.

"That... feels so... much better", Whumpee whispered.

Caretaker glanced in on them quickly while they carried the cot past.

Whumpee had leaned their head on the tub and had their eyes closed.

Whumpee quietly followed Caretaker.

"I hope it's okay, I have a spot set up for you in my office. It's a bit cozier in there. It's definitely better than by the front door", Caretaker opened the door, "it's a little more private in here as well."

"Thankyou", Whumpee whispered as they looked into the room. Their belongings had already been brought in and were neatly set by a cot.

The cot was made up nicely with some comfy looking blankets.

Whumpee saw the blanket they had wrapped around themself earlier was now neatly folded on their bags.

"Go ahead and get comfortable", Caretaker stepped in, "Amina is making both of you sicklies some soup."

"Oh um, she doesn't have to. I don't want to bother.... I'm also not hungry", Whumpee looked down, "I was told to behave."

"Whumpee, you are behaving. I'm so sorry they made you afraid of being taken care of. You need to eat though. Even just a few bites. I promise, Whumper will only hear that you are being very good. Hopefully, very soon, we will get you out of this situation. I know it feels like it's been forever. The courts keep getting other cases, and for some reason.... a captive individual being turned into a slave for someone isn't deemed urgent."

Whumpee nodded, "thankyou."

"Alright, you go ahead and get comfortable. I'm going to go get you some soup", Caretaker turned.

Whumpee slowly walked to the cot and sat down.

It creaked under their weight, Whumpee jumped a little at first. The blankets made it feel comfortable though. It was better than the floor of their room at Whumper's house.

"Is there really a chance I'll be free from them?", Whumpee whispered as they sat back against the wall. They felt tears come to their eyes. They were too tired to wipe them away.

Caretaker came back with a bowl.

They frowned when they noticed Whumpee.

"Doing alright?", Caretaker walked toward them. Careful not to spill.

"Uh, yes, jus... just overwhelmed", Whumpee nodded, "the thought of getting away from Whumper... it doesn't seem real. Even being here, I feel like they're going to come barging in and look for mistakes I've made... and punish me for them. This was the first morning I didn't get hurt by them."

"They're a coward", Caretaker sighed, "they would have expected you to take care of them if the roles were reversed. Even if you were gagging at the sight of them. "You'll be safe from them here, at least for a little while."

Whumpee smiled weakly.

"Here is some soup. You don't have to eat all of it, but if you want more, you can certainly have more. My wife is an amazing cook", Caretaker leaned down and started to hand the bowl to Whumpee.

Whumpee's hands trembled as they reached for it.

Caretaker knelt as they guided the bowl to Whumpee's lap. The last thing they wanted was for Whumpee to spill hot soup all over themself.

"A little shaky", Caretaker sighed as they shifted onto their knees.

"I'm so tired, I didn't sleep well last night. My skin feels like ants are crawling all over", Whumpee looked at the soup, "it smells good, but I... I don't.. I'm just not hungry."

Caretaker nodded, "can we try just one bite? Just one? Whumper said you didn't eat dinner, and I know you didn't eat breakfast. We are way past lunch now."

Whumpee looked at the spoon and slowly reached for it.

Whumpee's shakiness caused most of the broth to drip off from the spoon as they lifted it to their mouth.

Whumpee looked at Caretaker sadly.

Caretaker was already reaching for a napkin.

Whumpee swallowed the bit of broth with a wince.

"Can we try that again? This time, I'll help feed you", Caretaker smiled.

"Yo-you said one bite though", Whumpee frowned.

"That wasn't a bite Whumpee", Caretaker sighed, "I mean a Caretaker sized bite."

Whumpee shivered.

"Here" Caretaker took the bowl.

Whumpee watched as Caretaker grabbed their folded blanket and drapedwinced it around their shaky shoulders.

"I know I said one bite, but I really need you to take five big bites", Caretaker knelt down again, "after that, I'll leave you alone to rest."

Whumpee looked at the bowl sadly.

"I know you don't feel good", Caretaker frowned, "but your body does need a little bit of food to help strengthen it."

Whumpee nodded weakly.

Caretaker lifted the bowl and took a spoonful of soup to Whumpee's lips.

Whumpee winced as they opened their mouth a took the bite.

"Good job", Caretaker encouraged.

"Do you think Ms. Amina would make me this again when I feel better? It taste really good; I hate that I don't want it", Whumpee talked as they chewed.

"I think we can definitely see. We'll tell Whumper that these spots are lasting a little longer so you can stay here for a while", Caretaker smiled, "maybe we will get lucky and the court will make a move to get you out of Whumper's grasp."

Whumpee nodded and watched as another spoonful came to their lips.

"Good job", Caretaker encouraged as Whumpee took another bite.

Whumpee looked at them weirdly, "why are you saying good job? I'm not exactly doing anything, and I'm not willingly eating this."

"Sometimes a little encouragement helps with big task. You are still eating, even if you don't want to. You are doing a good job", Caretaker lifted another spoonful for Whumpee.

Whumpee chewed slowly as they thought.

"Why do you want to rescue me so badly", Whumpee looked at Caretaker curiously.

"Well, I feel that you shouldn't be in this situation, and it's the right thing to do", Caretaker lifted another spoonful to Whumpee.

Whumpee nonchalantly ate it.

Caretaker smiled.

"Do you not want to be rescued?", Caretaker gave another bite quickly.

"I do, but I'm not use to someone caring about me", Whumpee swallowed and took another bite.

"Well I care about you", Caretaker nodded and gave another bite, and another, and another, "and Amina cares about you."

Caretaker lifted the empty bowl to show Whumpee.

"I ate it all?", Whumpee looked at in shock, "you tricked me."

"Trick is a strong word. I just distracted you, that's all. You ate it all. Do you want more?", Caretaker grinned.

Whumpee looked at the bowl, 'it did taste good', Whumpee thought to themself.

"Yes please", Whumpee looked at Caretaker sheepishly.

Whumpee looked around the office for a little while until their eyes felt heavy.

Caretaker had covered them in a cream and given them some medicine. So they felt a little better. Even having a full stomach felt good.

Caretaker came in and checked on them. Amina followed.

"So they are really going to arrest Whumper?", Amina whispered as they watched Caretaker fix the pillow.

Caretaker nodded, "they agreed to move the case forward since Whumpee was safe. The court quickly signed the arrest to be done. Why it took so long just to do that....", Caretaker sighed in annoyance, "are you sure you are okay with Whumpee staying here with us? You can say no."

Amina knelt down and moved some hair out of Whumpee's face.

"Absolutely, I love Whumpee with all of my heart. This is their home now", Amina smiled at Caretaker.

Caretaker smiled, "I love you so much Amina."

"I love you too, Caretaker", Amina smiled.

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@3-2-whump @risk606

@electrons2006 @paperprinxe

@whumprince @kaz-of-crows

@mis-graves @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94

@sausages-things @ragin-cajun-fangirl

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie @glennemerald

@jasperthecapser @does-directions

@deafeninglittlecrown @jumpywhumpywriter

@blackbirdsinatrenchcoat @mylifeisonthebookshelf

@thenormalestever @whatwhump

@galatic-worm @starmoon-constellation

[nerdraging4point0]

Power Play // Chapter Three // Hockeyplayer!Noah AU

Tropes and tags: RPF:AU hockey player romance, angsty romance, hidden relationship, forbidden relationship, smutty, MF, multiple POV. 

Content Warning: angsty romance, hockey player shenanigans, locker room talk, smutty, aggressive hockey players, PinV, MF relationship, possessive male, protective male.

This work below is fictionalized ideas and stories involving real people but does not directly reflect their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. Please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction.

Active taglist: @ladyveronikawrites @tearfallpixie @beaker1636 @circle-with-me @synthetic-wasp-570 @itsjustemily @thesazzb @vinyardmauro @cookiesupplier @concreteemo @mountains-to-move @sundamariis @caitcoreeeee @crimson-calligraphyx @letmeadoreyoux @starsomens @artificialbreezy @lma1986 @iknownothingpeople @lilrubles @shilohrosechicken @missduffsblog @jessicafg03 @thatchickwiththecamera @mysticdoodlez @chels3a-smile @sinkingteethinwhitenoise @deathblacksmoke @roley-poley-foley @ravieisunhinged @dethronetheveil @to-be-written @somewhere-diamond @somebodyels3 @sacredthefran @cncohshit @flowery-mess @graveatspeople @cncohshit @nerdywitch20 @sundamariis @srorgana1 @malerieee @bloody-delusion-expert @sammyjoeee @deathofpeaceofmiiind @hayleylatour @deadboltsblog @broken0mens

The crowd is fired up as I squeeze between Dad and Jack on the home team's bench. The massive arena throbs with energy, flashing lights dancing across the packed stands and smooth ice. Blaring music competes with the deafening cheers of fans who arrived early just to watch warmups. On the Jumbotron above center ice, bone-crushing hits and highlight-reel goals from last season pump up the crowd. I bundle up in my cozy black fleece jacket, the team logo proudly displayed across my chest. My dad and Jack wear matching jackets and hats, pulled low to fight off the chill. I let my hair fall loose around my shoulders - an extra layer of warmth for my ears.

The arena plunges into darkness as the jumbotron fades to black. The crowd hushes in anticipation before a crimson glow washes over us. Bold letters flash across the screen: "Welcome the Rooks!" Our boys in black glide onto the ice - jerseys fluttering, skates carving arcs through the chill air. Moments later, a blur of gold and silver enters from the opposite end - the opponents have arrived.

The crowd roars as the Rooks and Pirates take to the ice. Fans decked out in black and red are on their feet. Across the rink, a sea of silver and honey gold erupts for the rival Pirates. The deafening cheers make the arena shake as the teams complete their warm-up laps. 

Our players zip across the ice, passing pucks in a frenzied warm-up. They swing by the home bench, exchanging fist bumps with Coach on each lap. Sanders zooms over and bumps gloves with my dad, then swoops around to me. He flashes a playful grin, head tilted, and I can't help but smile back as our gloves meet with a thud. Then he's off again, swallowed by the sea of players circling the rink.

McClain, the towering goalie, glides around the net, his massive frame armored in pads as he gathers up pucks. Pierce and Dominick hit the ice, dropping into deep lunges to stretch out their legs before the game. The rink echoes with the sounds of pucks clacking off sticks and skates carving the fresh sheet of ice. 

My eyes scan the team, catching Sebastian immediately. He skates effortless circles around the guys, poking their shins with his stick and shimmying his shoulders to get them loose. One by one, his energy infects them all until the entire squad is smiling and gliding around the ice, ready for a great game. 

As I look out across the ice, a sea of adoring fans presses up against the glass, eager for a chance to get close to their heroes. McClain, ever the showman, casually skates over and bumps fists with a starstruck youngster, posing for a picture with the kid's beaming mom. Not one to be upstaged, Sanchez whips the crowd into a frenzy, waving his stick like a maestro conducting a symphony of cheers. The arena erupts into a thunderous chant as the fans, decked out in their red and black jerseys, stand as one to worship their idols.

Sebastian and Karlsson slice through center ice like greased lightning, buzzing the Pirates with some cheeky close calls before zipping away again. The defensemen swoop back around, circling like hungry sharks eager for the kill.Sebastian's grin says it all - he came to fight. To win.

I'm transfixed, leaning forward, trying to anticipate their next move. Jack notices me watching and flashes a grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He goes back to scribbling plays, unperturbed. The easy confidence of it makes me smile too, even as Sebastian and Karlsson continue their dangerous dance, ready to strike.

“Those two are certainly a pair of daredevils, aren't they? Always pushing the limits and getting their thrills. I gotta admit, their bold style is impressive, even if it makes me a bit nervous. They really know how to walk that fine line between crazy and genius!”

With a few slick practice shots, McClain glides out of the net and Sanders swoops in to take his place. The boys fire off some blistering slapshots, testing Sanders' reflexes. Ruffilo starts showboating, swirling the puck in dizzying circles with his stick, playing a little game of keep-away from Karlsson. Sebastian cruises by the bench, bumping fists with dad and Jack as he passes. He drifts past me, brown eyes sizing me up through his mask's shield.

The warmups end and the team hustles off the ice, dad and Jack retreating to the locker room. I'm left sitting alone on the bench, mesmerized as the zamboni glides across the freshly scarred ice, smoothing it over for the game ahead. Jack emerges first, focused intently on the paperwork clutched in his hands, barely noticing me as he takes a seat. Suddenly, the announcer's voice booms through the arena, drawing all eyes upward as he begins introducing the Rooks players one-by-one on the jumbotron.

The crowd roars as Joakim Karlsson takes the ice with a nod to his adoring fans. "Number 18, Jake Sanders!" bellows the announcer. Sanders glides onto the rink, Southern California smile beaming beneath his helmet as he greets the stands. The cheers continue as each player is introduced, building to a fever pitch when the announcer calls, "Number 13, Noah Sebastian!" The arena explodes in shrieks and screams - no doubt from his legions of female fans. The heartthrob glides to center ice, flashing his million dollar grin and eliciting another wave of adulation from the crowd. 

The energy in the arena is electric as the opening ceremonies wrap up. The anthem singer belts out a passionate rendition, players scramble back to the bench, jostling past me as I'm wedged tight between their muscular bodies. Sebastian vaults over the boards right in front of me, his rock-hard shoulder slamming me back against the glass. He rips off his helmet, his piercing eyes meeting mine for a split second before he drops down on the bench. I feel my heart race as his raw, aggressive energy radiates through the tight space. This team means business, and I'm caught up in their intense pre-game ritual, pulse pounding with excitement and intimidation.

"Listen up!" barks coach as he strides into the room. All eyes snap to him.

"Sanchez, you've got first line. Sebastian, Karlsson - you're on defense. Willow, Dominick, be ready to sub in."

He scans the bench, gaze hard. "It's time. Bring the heat today and leave it all on the ice. We've got a championship to win. Now let's go out there and crush 'em!"

The team roars, pounding fists and slapping sticks. The starting six spring over the boards, skates carving the fresh ice as they hustle into position. Sanchez glides to the faceoff dot, eyes locked on his rival Hemingway across the red line. Karlsson and Sebastian flex their gloves, sticks poised and shoulders squared, eager for the opening puck drop. The crowd hushes and the tension swells. My pulse thunders in my ears. 

This is it.

Noah's POV

My pulse pounds as the puck hits the ice with a crack. Sanchez bodychecks Hemingway, both of their wingmen rushing in. No luck - Hemingway emerges with the puck, barreling towards McClain’s net. I rock back and forth on my skates, poised to strike. Hemingway feints, faking a slide my way instead. I surge forward, stick low, leveling him to the ice as I snatch back the puck. Twirling away from the wingmen, I pass it back to Sanchez with a flick of the wrist. The crowd roars as we regain control, hungering for more bone-crunching hits and lightning-fast plays.

Sanchez charges down the ice like a freight train, barreling towards the Pirates goal. He loses control and is thrown off his skates, the Pirates pounce on the loose puck and race toward our zone, the crowd roaring in anticipation. Sticks clash and skates scrape as the action explodes, both teams desperately fighting for control.. Jolly and I scramble back on defense, sticks flashing, bodies crashing, doing everything in our power to shield McClain. The puck squirts free and the pirates pounce, but Jolly throws himself in front of the shot, taking one for the team. I help clear the rebound as the crowd roars. 

The puck is ours once again. Sanchez leads the charge, weaving through defenders like a snake. His wingmen flank out wide, drawing the defensemen with them. Sanchez winds up at the top of the circle, eyes locked on the net. He unleashes a blistering slapshot. The puck screams towards the goalie, too fast to react. Sanchez spins away, not daring to watch. The ref's hand goes up. Goal! The crowd erupts as Sanchez is mobbed by his teammates. Helmets clank together in celebration before it's back to business. 

Ruffilo whizzes past, giving my stick a friendly slap as he crosses over. Gotta love that guy. As wingmen go, he's as solid as they come. We're tight, me and Nick - been roomies for a while now. Probably for the best we don't live with Jolly too, that'd be a bit much. Don't get me wrong, Jolly's my right-hand man on the ice, we're a well-oiled machine out there. But off the rink? Me and Nick kick back, bust each other's chops, talk a little smack. That's just how we roll. I've got his back and he's got mine, on and off the ice. We make a pretty good team.

I'm still trying to figure Sanchez out. He's obviously a talented center, and he gets the other guys pumped up, which is good. But I dunno, there's something about his attitude that rubs me the wrong way. Like, he acts like he's the main character out there, and the rest of us are just supporting actors. I don't wanna judge too quickly, he might just be really competitive. But that arrogance could cause problems if he doesn't keep it in check.

The puck rockets across the ice as The Pirates battle to get it to McClain. Jolly and I scramble to guard the net. A winger charges at me and I slide to block, but the guy jams his skates at my feet to trip me up. I spin away from the attack but lose my position, forced to go where he steers me. Hemingway whacks the puck toward McClain, who splits his legs and snags it in his glove. The crowd roars at the clutch save.

I scan the crowd, my eyes darting from the approving cheers of the fans to the nods of my teammates. But my gaze keeps getting drawn back to her. The coach's daughter. She's been here since yesterday, hanging all over her dad. I tried not to notice her at first - I'm here to play hockey, not ogle girls. But I can't seem to look away for long. 

The way she moves, the cute little smiles she gives her dad. She's got my head spinning more than taking a hard check into the boards. I've gotta get my focus back if I want to play well tonight.

Coach would slaughter me if he caught me within 100 feet of his daughter. Hell, I didn't even know he had one until just yesterday. Can't blame him for wanting to keep her far away from us hooligans. If I had a girl that looked like her, I'd lock her in a tower. But damn, the second I saw her, something inside me snapped. My inner defenseman kicked in - I wanted to shield her from these animals, keep her safe. She's not mine...yet. But I'll be damned if I let any of these punks lay a finger on her. I'll knock 'em into next week if they even look at her wrong. That angel's gonna be protected at all costs. Coach better keep that beauty off the ice, 'cause she's got this enforcer feeling some type of way.

Sanchez is back on the ice, battling Hemingway for the puck like two bucks locked in a duel - even their wingmen keep their distance. Karlsson slaps his stick on the boards twice, jolting me back into the action. We watch Sanchez twirl and shove Hemingway, fighting for control. Then I see it coming - Hemingway's left winger charges Ruffilo, tripping our man and making him flinch, slashing down toward the dude's skates inches from his own. The ref's whistle pierces the tense air as he calls slashing on Ruffilo, handing him a two-minute penalty. The crowd erupts into a chorus of boos while Ruffilo glides to the box, shaking his head.

Man, I feel for my buddy out there. He didn't mean to. But did the ref see it that way? No chance. Two minutes in the box. Unbelievable. Now the rest of us have to pick up the slack while Ruffilo cools his heels. Me and Jolly slide in, McClain’s head on a swivel now that we’re down a man.

The puck rockets toward me as I skate backwards, eyes locked on it, guarding the goal with everything I've got. Hemingway winds up and fires a blistering slapshot through a seam in our defense. I dive, stretching every inch of my pads to block it, but the puck deflects off McClain's stick and glides into the corner of the net. The ref's whistle pierces the tense air. Hemingway's teammates swarm him as the crowd erupts. We were so close to stopping them. If only McClain had kept his focus. But it's too late now. The damage is done.

My blood is boiling so hot I can feel it flushing my face. I circle the rink to cool off before I explode. Nick's back from the box, his eyes narrowed to slits. He's out for blood.

Sanchez streaks up the ice with the puck, Pierce on his tail. But the Pirates' D shoves Pierce hard into the boards. Now Pierce is seeing red too. He grabs the bastard's jersey, drops his stick and gloves, and drags him along the ice. Pierce is ready to pound him into the ground right here.

We all grind to a halt, transfixed by the scene erupting before us. I charge forward, stick clattering to the ice, ready to drop the gloves as the D wads up Pierce's jersey in his fist. The ref circles like a shark, while Coach's screams echo from the bench. I glance over and see her leaning over the boards, eyes blazing, shouting breathlessly as she watches Pierce and his nemesis tangled together. Man, the intensity in her gaze is electric. Must be the adrenaline and testosterone coursing through my veins, but damn if she doesn't look sexy as hell at this moment.

Pierce and his rival crash together, gloves dropping as the ref struggles to pull them apart. The crowd roars as fists fly, the two tangled in a full-on brawl. Sharp whistles pierce the din as the ref forces them to their corners, both still straining against his grip. They're banished to the sin bin while tensions boil, leaving the ice open for Dominick to vault over the boards. He joins the nameless sub now skating for the Pirates, eager to capitalize on the empty space. The crowd pounds the glass, feeding off the raw intensity as play resumes in the wake of the fight.

We're locked in a never-ending battle on the ice, the clock winding down as overtime drags on. One more blistering slapshot, one more brick wall save, and victory is ours. Firing up my teammates, I skate around them offering as much encouragement as I can. 

“Dom, Ruff, Sanchez - skate like your lives depend on it. Harass them, frustrate them, smother them! Don't give their stars an inch to breathe out there.” I skate around turning to our goalie “McClain, my brother - I need you to lay out and block every shot you can. Be our brick wall. We're too close to let it slip away now. One more stop, one more big play. That's all we need. Let's bring this W home in front of our fans! Now let's get out there and take what's ours!”

The boys erupt in a roar, heads bowed as they clench their sticks with white-knuckled intensity under their gloves. The ice shudders under the force of their voices. They're fired up and ready to battle, adrenaline pumping through their veins.

The puck rockets through the air and Sanchez snatches it, a warrior king charging forward as the black disc zips between him, Dom and Ruff. They weave a web of deception, bamboozling the opposing defense just long enough for Sanchez to whip around the net and slam the puck into the gaping goal mouth. The ref's whistle pierces the din and I hurtle my stick away, tear off my helmet and blaze towards my brothers. We collide in a crush of celebration as the rest of the team swarms the ice. 

We separate carefully trying not to catch each other's blades. I slide back, regaining my footing before skating to grab my stick and helmet. On the bench, she bounces excitedly, hugging her dad in celebration of our victory. Her cheeks flush red with exhilaration, her smile radiant. She's tied her hair back in a messy ponytail, loose strands perfectly framing her face. I'm mesmerized watching her, knowing if she sticks around much longer, I'll either lose the championship or lose my heart completely.

[links-in-time]

Twilight Warriors

Chapter 1

This follows on from my fic 'Imposter'.

It's also me paying homage to @st0rmyskies. This is a love letter and prequel to their amazing fic 'Polyamorous Disaster Sky'. As well as their other work which I highly recommend.

I wanted to write my version of how I thought Warriors and Twilight's relationship got started before Sky became involved.

Anyway usual 🔞 warnings, enjoy 😊

"Shit! This is bad Twi!" Wars grunted, shifting Twi's slightly heavier body into a more comfortable position.

"It's not great but it's not terrible!" Twilight replied, tentatively poking at the arrow sticking out of his left shoulder.

"Stop doing that!" Wars smacked his hand away before Twilight could do any more damage.

"It's fine. I'll just pull it out and keep goin. Hand me a potion and I'll be right as rain," Twilight insisted. But his smile faded when he noticed Wars' stricken expression.

"What's wrong?"

"You mean other than the arrow in your shoulder? I haven't got any potions or fairies left. And if you're asking me then I'm guessing you don't either."

"Well, shit!"

"My sentiments exactly," Wars nodded.

He had managed to wrestle Twilight away from the battle in order to examine his wound. Having come up empty on healing items Wars was at a loss for what to do next. The blasted portal had spat them out in the middle of a monster camp. Enormous moblins from Wild's era surrounded them on all sides. He could still hear the others fighting for their lives not far away. Hopefully it wouldn't be long until they finished off the monsters and help would be on its way.

"We'll just have to wait for the others. One of them must have something to help. But I don't want to take that arrow out until they do." Wars insisted, trying to stay calm and level headed. Never mind that the man he had recently developed feelings for was bleeding in his arms.

"I'll be alright Cap," Twilight sighed, looking up at Wars with his lopsided grin which made Wars' knees weak. "I'm tougher than I look."

"Well you must be made of steel because you look pretty tough my friend." Wars chuckled.

His eyes kept flicking to the shaft embedded in Twi's shoulder. A million and one scenarios flashed through his mind. Not all of them bad, but only a handful of them had happy endings. His biggest concern was infection. Wars doubted moblins worried about keeping their weapons clean. The arrow head was likely dirty if not poisoned. Twilight hadn't shown any signs of poisoning, but he hadn't crossed it off the list just yet. A potion could heal most poison damage, but infections were tricky. They weren't always totally cleared up by magic, being a natural occurrence. He didn't understand why, that's just they way things worked sometimes.

"I'll be alright Wars, I've dealt with a lot worse trust me," Twi tried to assure him, gently rubbing Wars hand on his arm with his thumb.

It was a good long while before anyone came to find them. Four had a gash across his forehead, just below his head band. He was panting hard as he pushed through the brush towards them.

"I found them! They're here! Twi's hurt!" He yelled over his shoulder. "What happened? I saw you guys disappear earlier and assumed the worst." Four asked, as he dropped to his knees on the opposite side of Twilight to Wars.

"Got hit by an arrow. Can't move my left arm just now." Twilight explained plainly.

"Not good. I'll go get Hyrule. He was dealing with Wind but he should be done now."

Four sprung back to his feet and was away agin.

"Wait what happened to Wind?!" Wars called after him.

"You're such a mother cooco!" Twilight chuckled.

"Shut up you idiot," Wars huffed, no real feeling in his words.

"Aww, you always call me such sweet nicknames Cap."

"Alright now really do shut up. I'm not sure I want the others know about our little... whatever it is going on between us."

"Okay, no worries, I won't say anything," Twilight insisted and Wars could tell he wasn't teasing anymore.

Help in the form of Hyrule and Time came a few minutes later. Time held Twilight still while Wars pulled the arrow. An instant later Hyrule's healing magic flowed through Twilight's vains, stitching his skin back together. A small pink scar was all that remained just visible beneath Twilight's tunic.

"How'd you feel Twi?" Time asked, looking down at Twilight from where he sat above his head.

Twilight stared up at Time's upside down face and gave him a smile.

"Much better Old Man. Thanks Rulie, the rest of you okay?" Twilight sighed in reply.

"Everyone is mostly fine. After I fixed up Wind he claimed he spotted a village through his telescope, just up ahead on the road," Hyrule replied.

Wars thought the young hero looked exhausted. He always did after using his healing magic on so many people.

"Alright, we'll make for the village and hope we can find somewhere to stay and rest a while. Once we figure out who's era we're in we can come up with a better plan." Wars decided, his grip on Twilight's arm tightening slightly.

"Actually Four thinks it might be his, but he's not quite sure where the portal dropped us yet." Hyrule added.

"Alright, village it is," Time concluded, pushing himself to his feet with a groan. "Can you walk now Twi?"

"Yeah I'm good," Twilight insisted, gently easing Wars' hand off his arm. "Let's get moving."

The Chain moved slowly along the road Wind had found, towards the little houses off in the distance. Wars didn't walk directly beside Twilight, but he hovered near him, hardly allowing the Rancher out of his sight. He seemed fine. The chances of poison had dwindled to nothing. Maybe he was worrying needlessly. Still, he had dried smears of Twilight's blood on his hands. Wars curled his fists and tried to ignore it.

The village was small. So small in fact that there were no shops and no Inn. Time and Four spoke to a farmer who said he had a barn large enough to accommodate all of them. Four gave the old man what he thought was a generous handful of rupies and thanked him for his hospitality.

The barn was designed to house sheep and other livestock. Twilight instantly felt at home. The barn was drafty but it was the middle of summer and the breezes blowing through the cracks in the boards were pleasant. He smiled contently to himself and started unpacking his bedroll and his weapons to check a few things over.

"I don't think we're too far from my town," Four informed them.

As usual Wild's map was useless, just a fuzzy screen and only his inventory was available to him.

"We'll spend the night here then press on in the morning. These people don't seem to have been bothered by the monsters so far, I'd like to keep it that way," Time said to the others.

Wars washed his hands with the last of his water before handing it over to Sky to be filled with everyone else's.

"I'm going to go for a quick walk around the village, make sure we didn't miss any monsters back there," Wars announced.

He was already turning towards the door of the barn when he felt Twilight's hand grip his arm.

"I'll come with you. I could do with stretching my legs a bit more," he uttered, quickly letting go of Wars.

Together the pair left the barn and headed for the edge of the village. It really was small, just a collection of farm buildings and squat single story houses. Twilight spent a while saying hello to the flock of sheep out in one of the fields while Wars rolled his eyes.

Secretly though he found Twilight's way with animals both impressive and endearing. He had an amazing way with them. Like he could speak to them in their language, calm them with his natural kindness. Wars wondered if he'd ever used that soothing talent on any of his brothers.

They walked across the main road through the other end of the village in about fifteen minutes and rounded the corner back towards the barn.

"Did you see that?" Twilight asked suddenly, pointing off between two houses towards some trees.

"What?"

Wars was instantly on alert. His ears pricked for any sound ahead of them. He couldn't see whatever it was Twilight had spotted, but he trusted Twi's instincts. They were always odly accurate.

"I'm sure I saw somethin slip between those two buildings. Might have just been an animal, but we should check it out."

"Alright, I'll follow your lead," Wars replied, drawing his sword just in case.

Twilight and Warriors approached the two buildings, shoulders tensed and senses seaking out anything out of the ordinary. Wars attention drifted away from Twilight towards the trees nearby. Which is why when Twilight rounded on him and pinned Wars against one of the walls, he dropped his sword in surprise.

"Twi what are you...?!" He protested.

Twilight cut off Warriors question with his lips. Planting them firmly with all the pent up passion he had felt throughout the last few days. When he drew back for breath Wars was staring at him, eyebrow raised.

"You didn't see anything, did you?"

"I might have," Twilight replied coily. "We could always go and check. Or we could stay here."

To emphasise his point Twilight pressed his thigh between Wars' legs, putting pressure on his groin. Wars whimpered, a sound which drove Twilight forwards, like a predator taking advantage of its preys weakness. He met Wars' lips once more, kissing him while his hands went to the man's hips to push him roughly against the wall.

"Mmm," Wars moaned into Twilight's mouth, as he began rubbing himself against Twi's leg.

Twilight grinned, flashing his teeth before dipping his head down to kiss Wars' neck. Their clothing didn't allow for much skin to skin contact, but Twilight made up for it. His lips and teeth found the soft spot beneath Wars' jaw and gently nipped his skin, earning him a soft moan from the Captain. Twilight hummed to himself in satisfaction. Watching someone like Warriors wriggle under his touch was intoxicating.

"You okay?" Twi asked, as Wars shuddered at the touch of Twi's tongue on his ear.

"Oh yes," Wars breathed, his hands wrapped tightly around Twilight's shoulders. "Oh Twi!"

Twilight chuckled a little and Wars felt it pass between their chests, tightly pressed together. He let his head fall back against the wall of the building while Twi continued to suckle at the soft skin of his neck.

"We sh-should probably get back. The others will start to wonder where we are," Wars uttered, just about able to keep from stammering.

Twilight moaned softly against his ear.

"I don't want to go back."

"They'll get suspicious. And I don't fancy the tease fest I know Legend will give us if he found out. Come on Twi. You know I want to, but let's be at least a little sensible about this."

Twilight withdrew a little. He stopped pinning Wars against the wall quite so firmly. And he eased his leg out from between Wars' thighs.

"Okay, we'll be careful. When we're with the others everything can be normal. We'll just have to take every chance we can to be alone," Twilight finally relented.

Wars reached up and stroked Twilight's cheek.

"I might be making my perimeter sweeps a bit longer from now on then!"

***

Wild made a simple meal of grilled meat and vegetables for dinner, after which everyone went to sleep. All except for Time who sat on watch at the barn door. The night passed without incident. Watch shifts were exchanged until Legend passed by Twilight at the end of his shift. The older hero was wrapped up in his blanket as usual. But Legend noticed Twilight seemed to be shivering. It wasn't cold by any estimation, it had been quite a pleasant night. But Twilight was definitely shivering.

Concerned, Legend took a few steps closer and squatted down beside Twilight's head. He reached out and laid the back of his hand on Twi's forehead. It didn't take long for Legend to confirm what he suspected. Twi's skin was hot and slick with sweat. Legend grimaced and wiped his hand on his tunic.

"Dummy, went and got yourself a fever didn't you," Legend grumbled in a low tone.

He let out a long sigh and looked around for Time. He found him sleeping not far from the door and went to rouse him.

"Hey, Time," he said, shaking the man awake. "Twi's got a fever."

"Hmm, what?" Time replied groggily rubbing his good eye, as he tried to push himself up onto one arm.

"Twilight's got a temperature and he's shivering something fierce. I think his wound got infected and now he's got a fever," Legend explained.

As Time and Legend went to check on Twilight, the other boys began to stir. Hyrule and Warriors were quick to join Time and Legend by Twilight's side while the others gave them some space and started packing up their things.

"He's got a fever alright," Time confirmed, withdrawing his own hand from Twilight's head. "Twi, can you hear me? Are you awake?"

Twilight didn't respond so Time started gently rocking his shoulder.

"I was afraid this would happen. I should have taken the arrow out sooner," Wars sighed, shaking his head.

"He would have bled out if you'd done that," Legend remarked.

"Anything you can do Rulie?" Time asked, lifting his gaze to look at the traveller.

"I don't think so." Hyrule shook his head sadly. "He needs medicine, not potions or healing. They won't do anything for an infection like this. Good food and warmth should help with the fever, but yeah, medicine."

"I'll go see if anyone in the village has anything that could help," Legend announced, already getting to his feet.

"I'll come with you," Hyrule replied, following the Vet to the door.

It didn't take long for the two boys to come back from their search. The villagers had been sad to inform them that they only had medicine for their animals and a few small supplies for themselves. However there was a larger town nearby where they should be able to get what they needed.

"Sounds like my home town," Four remarked. "I could get us some lodging if we went there."

"Twi's not in any fit state to travel Smithy," Wars reminded him, a gentle hand laid on Twilight's shoulder. "I suggest we split up. Some of us go to town and get medicine for Twilight. Some of us stay with him here and do the best we can until the others get back."

"Sounds like a good plan," Sky agreed.

"I think Four, Legend, Wind and Sky should go to the town. Maybe you should go too Time. Hyrule should stay in case Twi gets worse and he can do anything. And maybe Wild, perhaps you could make him some soup?" Wars continued, addressing each of the boys as he spoke to them.

"That's a solid plan Captain, anyone have any other suggestions?" Time affirmed.

There weren't any objections to Warriors' plan, so the boys going to town finished packing up and left as quickly as they could. Four assured Wars that they would get there and back as soon as possible and not to worry.

Wild went to forrage for ingredients even had a pumpkin donated from one of the farmers. Wars was pleased to see Twilight finally open his eyes when Wild started cooking in one of his portable pots.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked softly, brushing some of Twilight's bangs out of his face.

"Like crap," he croaked, his voice thin and weak compared to the commanding tone he had used on Wars only the day before.

"Some of the others have gone to fetch you some medicine. Wild's cooking pumpkin soup." Wars explained.

"Smells good," Twilight remarked, following his nose towards the source of the delectable smells wafting from Wild's stove.

"I'm glad you haven't lost your appetite. Think you could sit up and drink some water?"

"Sure."

Warriors helped prop Twilight up against a bale of hay they had moved behind his bed roll. He groaned a little but mostly he just seemed exhausted.

"Are you warm enough?" Wars asked, his hand already on a spare blanket folded up beside him.

"I'm 'k for now," Twilight sighed, taking a deep breath.

Wars handed Twilight his canteen and carefully watched Twi taking slow sips. He was pleased to see him drink quite a bit before he handed it back. Not long after Wild arrived with two bowls of steaming soup.

"I tried to make it the way Sky said, but we didn't have all the right herbs. Tastes good though. Hope it helps," Wild informed them as he passed both bowls to Warriors.

"Thanks Wild, you and Hyrule alright?" Warriors replied, looking past Wild to where Hyrule sat reading.

"We're fine. Hyrule's a little fidgety, but fine," Wild smiled with a shrug.

"Okay. You don't have to stay in the barn by the way. If you two want to go explore that's fine. Just don't go too far. Try to keep the village in sight in case we need you." Wars urged, trying not to make it sound like an order.

"Sure, Hyrule wanted to go look for fairies so we'll go check out the woods nearby," Wild brightened, before turning back towards Hyrule.

The two young men quickly slurped up their soup before picking up their gear and disappearing out the barn doors. Meanwhile, Wars turned his attention back to Twilight.

"You ready for some soup?"

"You going to feed me like a child?" Twilight frowned.

"I don't have to. You wanna take the bowl?"

Twilight unfolded his hands from his blanket and carefully took the bowl from Wars' hands. It was warm and made him realise just how cold and clammy his hands were. Twilight swallowed the lump in his throat as he picked up the spoon and lifted it to his mouth. He spilt half of it down his chin before he swallowed the rest. It was still hot and he almost burnt his mouth. Twilight sighed and rested his hands in his lap, defeated.

"You want me to feed you?" Wars asked, this time without any hint of teasing.

"Alright," Twilight replied begrudgingly.

Wars picked up the bowl and the spoon and shuffled himself into a better sitting position. He scooped up another spoonful and gently blew on it before feeding it to Twilight.

"Tastes good," Twilight mumbled.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Wars remarked, loading up another spoonful.

"Yes Sir!" Twi chuckled, but there wasn't any fight in him.

His whole body seemed slumped and ragged, like the fever and exhaustion had seeped into his bones. Wars fought down his pity and continued to spoon feed Twilight. As he did, he couldn't help smile ever so slightly at the intimacy of the situation. Of course he was sorry that Twilight was ill, but there was a certain affection in what he was doing. He scraped the soup off Twilight's chin when he dribbled a little. He backed off when Twi seemed out of breath. And waited patiently when he needed a moment before he could eat any more.

Eventually Twilight said he'd had enough and couldn't stomach any more. Wars was pleased that he had consumed more than half the bowl and took it back to the pot to keep it warm in case Twi wanted more.

"Want me to feed you now?" Twi teased, wiggling his eyebrows a little.

"Ha ha. Very funny. I'd rather you not make a mess of my clothes thank you very much," Wars replied mockingly.

He picked up his own soup which wasn't quite tepid yet and quickly drained the bowl empty.

"Huh, that was good. I'd like to try the original recipe if we end up on Skyloft some day." Wars remarked, setting his bowl aside and taking a quick drink.

"I'd like to show you my home some day," Twilight sighed beside him.

"Yeah, what's your home like? You live in a place called Ordon right?"

"Yeah, I live in a tree house just-outside the village. Rusl helped build it when, when I was too old to stay with them anymore." Twilight explained, his eyelids growing heavy as he struggled to breathe between sentences.

"Sounds lovely. How about you get some rest and you can tell me more about it when you're feeling better Twi?" Wars said softly.

"Okay," Twi sighed, already slipping back down onto his bedroll.

Wars helped him a little and carefully wrapped Twilight in his blanket.

"You still warm enough?" He asked, gently pressing the backs of his fingers to Twilight's cheek.

"Bit cold," Twilight moaned, burying himself in his blanket up to his nose.

Wars nodded and unfolded the spare blanket, gently laying it over twilight and tucking it in around the edges.

"Better?"

Twilight just nodded, exhaustion already claiming his conciousness. Wars hummed in contentment, sitting back a little on his heels. He gazed down at Twilight's peaceful features. The markings on his face had always been a curiosity, but he never thought they detracted from his handsome features. Warriors had always been told he was good looking. Ever since he was a child he'd been told he'd be a heartbreaker. That never sat very well with him, and after Cia... Wars hadn't actively saught out any relationships.

There had been a few one night stands, some short term relationships that never went anywhere. People always seem to expect him to be one thing, the handsome hero. Whenever he tried to express there was more to himself than just that, people seemed to lose interest. Not Twilight. All the boys teased him for his good looks. Not with any real meanness, but even the other heroes had noticed Warriors' looks.

It seemed Twilight had noticed more about him than just his charming smile and his dazzling blue eyes. Maybe it was years of being adored for nothing more than his face that made him a little sceptical. But when Twilight looked at him it didn't feel like he was being appraised anymore. It felt like Twi was seeing him, really seeing HIM.

Imposter : Chap 2 >

[geddy-leesbian]

Sneak peek at a rough draft of the Winterserra wedding + a little bit of the "honeymoon" for Father's Day (mostly happy but one bittersweet scene) :3

The first few days after Rosa's birth are slow and quiet. All Luis really does is sleep and gaze at Rosa with misty eyes, still absolutely baffled that a screw up like him made something so flawless.

While Ethan doesn't get any one on one time with her, due to her preferring Luis and him being obsessed and wanting her laying on his chest whenever he's awake, Ethan still keeps all the lofty promises he made about how Luis wouldn't have to lift a finger because he'd go all out taking care of them. Luis gets at least three meals a day brought to him in bed and a steady supply of any and all snacks he asks for. Ethan helps Luis get up and to the bathroom. Luis insists on being the one to bottle feed her whenever he's awake, but Ethan is the one to go downstairs to get the formula bottles ready.

Ethan also takes a lot of pictures, somewhat because of Luis. Every time Ethan wanted to take a picture of Luis while he was pregnant, he let him, but also playfully rolled his eyes and poked fun at how silly it was that Americans always wanted to take pictures of everything all the time, not just special occasions. But now that Rosa is here, he gets it. He wants every tiny little moment with her preserved forever. Every yawn, hiccup, all her adorable little mushroom pajama sets and princess dresses, Luis wants it all documented forever. Ethan is all too happy to indulge, snapping dozens of pictures of her everyday.

Once Luis is recovered enough to be up on his feet again by himself, activity in the household picks back up. Ethan takes up wedding planning and logistics of them relocating to Valdelobos for a few months. Luis is just too occupied with other things to contribute much. He was itching to get back down into the lab and back at work finding a cure for Ethan, and Rosa too. So far he's found no evidence she's infected, but since he was dosing himself with the mold growth suppressant during pregnancy and giving her the suppressant directly since birth, he's concerned that she is still infected and the suppressant has just done a good job keeping it at an undetectable level. Curing her is still as important as curing Ethan, because he doesn't want her to spend the rest of her life dependent on the injections.

And on top of that, Luis ends up being the primary caregiver. While she does start to warm up to Ethan more, she definitely still has a favorite and has days where she's fussy and only wants Luis, crying until Ethan hands her to Luis. When he's downstairs working, she's either strapped to his chest or in a little bassinet right by his chair. (Ethan still gets plenty of time with her, taking her for a little bit when he brings Luis lunch, doing some of her feedings, sometimes reading to her at bedtime.)

The “wedding planning” isn't exactly hard. It's just a small backyard ceremony, they're not even going to make any of it legal/official for a long while yet. The existence of Rosa María Winters will remain a closely guarded secret until both her and her father are completely cured of the mold, and no longer valuable targets to unsavory scientists. So it's truly a tiny wedding, the only guests being Claire, Sherry, Chris, Rebecca, and, of course, Rosa as the guest of honor, strapped to Luis's chest in her carrier with a pink rose headband. It's the first time Sherry and Chris meet her in person, so Luis and Ethan were excited about showing her off, especially now that she was getting even cuter, features she inherited from Luis beginning to show. Her hair was still dark like his, and her complexion was starting to get tanner too. Her facial features weren't as obvious yet, but the fact she definitely got his coloring is enough to make him happy.

What came after the wedding was harder to figure out– the logistics of moving to Valdelobos with a tiny baby. (Who can't be taken on a normal plane because she doesn't legally exist.) But Ethan figured it out. Chris has a private plane ready for them after the wedding, and Ethan had packed all the essentials they needed to take with them, mostly sentimental things. Once in Spain they buy a truck to load everything into before shopping for everything they'd need that Ethan didn't feel was worth bringing on a plane.

“Just tell me when you start getting tired at all,” Ethan says while they walk from the truck to the village square. Luis has Rosa in her carrier and a small backpack with her light necessities, the standard diaper bag supplies, plus some extra clothing and her favorite toy. Ethan has a heavier weight on his back, Rosa's folded up pack and play. He'll have to go back and make multiple trips to get everything from the truck, but wants to focus on getting Luis and Rosa settled first. “I know you think you're fully recovered, and you have come a long way, but you're still not 100%, I don't want you pushing yourself too hard.”

“I'm fine!” Luis insists. “But I do think it's hot when you pick me up and carry me around like I weigh nothing, so I won't object if you decide to carry me part of the way…”

Ethan grins and doesn't wait, immediately scooping Luis up bridal style, Rosa still safe on his chest. The movement does wake her up and startles her into crying, but settles back down with some soft comforting words from Luis. Once they reach the renovated house, she's hungry and fussy so Luis gets comfortable on the couch and gives her a ready bottle from an insulated lunch box with an ice pack, while Ethan goes back to the truck to get more of their stuff. The rest of the day is just spent getting settled in.

Luis is so paranoid about Rosa getting snatched in the night that he boards up the bedroom window. But after that he has no problem falling asleep. He is safe here. No one looking for Ethan Winters is going to start looking in a ghost town in Spain. And even if they did… Ethan came well armed and, after how attentive to all of Luis's emotions and needs, Luis has no doubts that Ethan would kill anyone that tried to fuck with their little family. Rosa sleeps well too, in her bassinet by the bed, right next to Luis.

“How are your arms doing from all the carrying you did yesterday?” Luis asks while they have breakfast the next morning. “I want to show you the cabin I grew up in, but a rowboat stored near here is the best way to get to it. The foot paths to it obviously haven't been maintained, and have become too overgrown to use easily, but you can get there quick taking a boat across the lake. But I understand if you need time to recover, you did all of the work yesterday, after all.”

“We can go soon. Don't forget I have magic mold,” Ethan smiles while he talks. He never would have smiled so casually about it before, but becoming a father has helped him embrace his infection. “But I'm guessing it'll be a long outing? I'll have to pack everything Rosa might need before we go, and some food for us too. I bet she'll love it. There was one night you fell asleep early and I was watching TV with her. I put on some nature documentary because I didn't want to rot her brain, I think she liked when it was showing the ocean. She seemed like she was watching it.”

“We got a little nature lover? She will love it here. Not a whole lot to do except stare at nature,” Luis sighs. “I really wouldn't want to stay here for so long, if it weren't for the safety aspect. I spent my whole childhood desperately wanting to get the fuck out of here, then the first time I came back I also spent the whole time wanting out, albeit for different reasons, so willingly coming back feels so strange.”

“We won't be here forever, just until we have some better safety plans. We'll figure it out. And it's not going to be as boring, now that you have someone that's never been here. Giving me a tour of everything might make the same old, same old feel a bit more exciting to you. I want to see everything.”

“Everything?”

“Everything,” Ethan confirms. “It's interesting, learning more about you.”

“I was planning to visit where I buried Leon today. I was going to alone, but– Do you..?”

“If you want to go alone, that's okay. But I was serious when I said everything. If you want me to come with you, I will. I'm not going to get jealous. He was important to you, so he's important to me.”

“I would like that. We go there before the boat, it's only a few minutes away from here.”

It's close enough that he doesn't bother getting Rosa into the carrier, opting to just carry her in his arms after getting her into one of her warmest outfits. They walk in silence. There's no tombstone, just a regular flat rock Luis had found and moved after burying Leon, and later carved his initials into. Luis hands Rosa to Ethan when they get to the clearing, then kneels down by the rock.

“Hey, Leon,” Luis looks up at Ethan, expecting to see a judgemental look for talking out loud to a dead man, but he only sees a small, supportive smile. It gives him the encouragement to really pour his heart out. “I really did it. I moved on, kept my promise to you. I'm married now. That fun guy I was telling you about last time. He's not you, but I love him with all my heart, and he does remind me of you. He's as forgiving as you. I thought I was going to get dumped for hiding the pregnancy for so long and generally being a shitty boyfriend, but he forgave me as fast as you did… By the way, the baby is okay. Better than okay. You should see her, she's perfect,” Taking that as a cue, Ethan gets closer and passes Rosa to Luis. Pleased to be back with her favorite person, she starts smiling and Luis can almost pretend it's because she knows he's talking about her. “Perfect. I don't deserve her, honestly. I love her so much, I love being a father. I still feel like I'm a shitty person, but the guilt doesn't cripple me like it used to. There was nothing right about you trading your life for mine, but trading your life for mine and Rosa María's? That's more fair.”

Luis continues to ramble to Leon. A little bit about the wedding and Ethan, but mostly about Rosa. When he's finally done he turns his head back expecting to see Ethan, and instead realizes he's gone, it's just him and Rosa. After a couple minutes of Luis doing his best to not have a panic attack, Ethan returns with a fistful of wildflowers he sets on the stone, before taking Rosa with one arm and letting Luis use the other to pull himself back up to a standing position.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Luis whispers to Ethan, pecking him on the cheek and taking Rosa back. He holds her out and raises her up above his head before shifting to an overly excited tone. “Ready to go for a fun boat ride, maybe see some fishies in the lake?!”

She smiles, waves her tiny arms around a bit, and starts making some of her happy little baby cooing noises that never fail to make Luis's heart explode.

[bluegekk0]

Hello! I’m quite new here and have done some reading up, but is there anywhere that explains what the AU is about / could you explain? Only if you don’t mind of course. (I love learning about others’ AUs.)

Also: -pokes PK’s belly-

oh absolutely! be prepared though, this is going to be a long one. also an important note: i can't write, so i haven't written any fics about this, which means many details can change/develop over time as it's something i think about 24/7, but i'll try to write down what i currently have in mind and what i'm more or less confident with

so the gist of the au is that pk went into hibernation in the dream realm, as opposed to dying as he (presumably) does in canon, and then moved to dirtmouth with hornet and hollow. but there's many aspects of the au that trace way back into his past, so i'll go over those first if you want to learn more. i will put a "keep reading" divider here cause it's going to be quite long haha

pk was always an outcast among other wyrms, he was born a runt and had no physical strength for playfighting with the other hatchlings, for which he was often mocked. instead, he preferred to quietly observe and study things, which is how he got interested in mortal bugs. yes, they were food, wyrms are a carnivorous species after all, but he felt it was wrong to treat them as just fodder, like the other members of his kind did. he wanted to create, not destroy, and he wanted to share it with the mortals, as he saw parts of himself in them and wanted to help them reach their full potential

wyrms as a species were highly territorial, so that and the fact that they could reproduce in litters and increase their population numbers ended up being their downfall, as their constant fights over territory became more and more violent, causing them to start killing each other much more frequently. this constant aggression caused their numbers to decrease over time, and eventually they disappeared. that is when pk decided to claim the territory that later became hallownest as his own, and abandoned his form in favor of something more approachable. he met the white lady, married her, and granted the most intelligent bugs in hallownest sapience, leading to the creation of the kingdom

it didn't take long until the cracks began to show. he wasn't used to getting this much attention, so when the bugs started worshiping him, he began hiding in his workshop, away from everyone, having doubts about his self-worth and whether he can live up to those expectations. alas, the worship he received lead to the moths abandoning the radiance, and the start of the infection. he promised himself he wouldn't fail the kingdom, and so he started looking for ways to stop it, eventually deciding on the vessel plan. he's always had doubts about it, but it was his last resort and he didn't have much time, so he had to try. and thus hollow was born, the vessel that was able to climb up the abyss, proving their strength and claiming the title of the hollow knight. unfortunately for pk, as much as he kept reminding himself that the vessels had no emotion or thought, that they weren't supposed to be children, the truth is that he got attached, as his parental instincts told him to do. with this realization, came intense guilt about all of the vessels, something which would haunt him from that point on, made even worse with the cryptic signs he saw in his dreams warning him of hallownest's downfall (this is how his foresight ability works in my au)

but he had to proceed with the plan, he had no other choice, and that prompted the bargain with herrah and the birth of hornet. he immediately got attached, all his instincts which he had to repress with hollow have finally found an outlet. hornet became the light of his life, and they grew extremely close, especially after herrah went to sleep, as pk made sure to be here for her at all times, taking the role of both her father and mother (and going as far as killing and decapitating xero in a blind feral rage when he threatened her). unfortunately, all the guilt about the vessels led to him and the white lady separating down the line, as even just looking at each other caused both of them immense pain. so after that, and after hollow was sealed in the temple of the black egg, it was just him and hornet, which made their bond even stronger as they were the only family each of them had left

but as we know, the plan failed, and the infection returned. this caused pk to completely break down, all his fears and guilt piling up, making him unable to do anything. he wouldn't leave his palace room, he wouldn't do his duties as the king, he was as good as dead. hornet was away at the hive at the time, training with queen vespa and her knights, so she wasn't there when pk's breakdown lead to his disappearance, although she noticed there was something bothering him long before that, he just never talked about it with her. she was shocked to learn that he was gone, and after a period of blaming herself for not being there for him, she grew bitter and angry about the fact that he left her all alone with no word

the reason for his disappearance was hibernation. this is a process that is extremely rare among wyrms, as it's caused by intense distress and fracturing of the mind, and for such a violent species, death often comes way before that point. it's essentially a rebirth, a complete reset of their mind and memories that allows them to continue. in the case of pk, this process was interrupted by ghost, which caused him to lose all of his powers. no powers meant that he wasn't able to sustain himself with soul, and had to find actual food, so he left the white palace behind in the dream realm (while he was able to exit it, he had no means of entering it again) and spent the next few weeks running around hallownest and surviving off of tiktiks and other non-sapient bugs. he wanted to be forgotten, so he avoided any interaction with bugs who still lived there (as a side note, i quite like the idea of him defacing statues of himself, in an effort to make them unrecognizable and to show that he never deserved them in the first place. so you'd find old statues of the pale king with their faces scratched away or horns broken off, and any king's idols you'd encounter would be shattered into pieces)

hornet was not aware that her father was back until she heard zote's panicked warning about a "white monster with a crown who killed and ate bugs" after he ran into pk in greenpath. she had to go and check herself, as she had a feeling the description matched someone she had known before, and she was correct. after stumbling upon pk in greenpath, and following a brief angry exchange, she decided to take him with her to dirtmouth, where he met hollow. seeing hollow forgive their father made hornet realize that she also wants to give him a second chance, as despite her anger, she did miss him a lot

this is also where grimm comes into play, as he and his troupe remained in dirtmouth after the ritual was interrupted by ghost's disappearance in godhome. grimm and pk met years ago, not long after the kingdom was first created, and over time became close friends, which evolved into something more, though neither of them admitted it at the time. their reunion in dirtmouth caused all of those feelings to spark up again, leading to them starting a relationship

all of the sins of the past still greatly affect pk. his fear of failure makes him terrified of making even the smallest mistakes, he's prone to panicking and apologizing for even the most insignificant matters, and he's frequently haunted by nightmares of the vessels, his failure to save the kingdom and all the pain he caused his family. then there's the more feral side of him, something which he tried to repress while he was a king, and now embraces as part of his new life (he is cringe but he is free...). moreover, he's ashamed of his mistakes, and refuses to let anyone call him "the pale king", choosing to go by the name "wyrm" instead. he's grateful for the second chance he was given, he wants to do better and be a good father, especially to hollow, but he's still emotionally broken. hornet's anger with him sours their relationship and makes it much more difficult for them to get as close as they used to, but i definitely see it improving over time, as they still love each other dearly, there's just a lot of emotional baggage both of them have to deal with first

i think that's basically it for the backbone of the au, it all leads to the point i'm at now: exploring the character dynamics, thinking of where they're going to go next, introducing more side characters (i still want to include quirrel, just thinking about his potential design and how he's going to fit in), making up silly non-canon scenarios, and so on. i want to eventually make a doc file, or something of that sort, detailing each character and the au in general. i picture it as kind of like fandom wiki articles, with personality descriptions, backstories and relationships included, just to keep it all neatly organized (and maybe suitable to share in public haha)

i apologize if this is all hard to get through, i tend to ramble quite a lot and, again, i'm not good at writing, so this is closer to an incoherent mess than an actual story overview, but i hope it's somewhat enjoyable to read. do feel free to ask any questions if you want to learn more! i always enjoy responding to them, plus it helps painting a clearer, more consistent picture of the au in my head :)

[pixxie999]

Lewd Scene #7: Jogging with a Hot Chick

"Whoo! Finally, I made it!" I exclaimed as soon as I got off the city bus and entered the public park. There I saw people either walking or jogging around the track, chatting with one another. Children either playing with their parents, themselves or with their friends at the playground set. Several barbecue grills stood near numerous trees.

     The sunlight poked through the tree branches. A few animals roamed around the park. The sun, sky and a few thin clouds smiled down upon the people there. I sniffed with my eyes closed and sighed deeply as I loved the smell of fresh air entering into my nostrils.

      I opened my mouth a bit out of excitement whenever I grinned. Oh, man. Talk about excitement. I can't wait to do some jogging around here. Yeah!

     I studied my surroundings one more time before I started my stop watch. Alright and it begins…now!

     I jogged around the track excitedly, running past people who just walked by. When I ran past the stretching area, there I saw no one but a young woman stretching out one of her legs. I was amazed when I saw her hard nips, big bust size, a huge ass and hips, as well as her buttocks. There was even a sign on the back of her pink shorts that said "I'm smokin' hot at fourteen" in purple letters.

     I ogled at her curvy body and sighed with my cheeks reddening. Oh, man. Talk about how hot this chick really is. Oooohhhh, such an amazing figure I might say. 

     Then I shook my head sideways and noticed that a lot of men around her-whether young and old-also ogled at her with their scarlet cheeks. The jealous old hags just gossip about her behind her back. But the young woman didn't really care about all that and kept stretching. She was one tough cookie, I'll tell ya that. 

     Oh, man. Looks like I'm not the only one who likes her. I'm competing over her as well. Better keep my game up. 

     I jogged around the park for a while until I heard her voice scream behind me. I turned around and saw her lying on the ground, slowly getting up from it. I broadened my eyes when I saw her, frowning. While I also saw men just stood there and ogled at her, the jealous old hags laughed at her, gossiping behind her back. "Ah!" I gave people a serious look on my face. 

     Okay, I better help her up while I can. 

     I kneeled down and tried to help her out. "Hey, are you okay?"

     She darted her blue eyes at me and frowned also. "Y-Yea, I'm perfectly fine." I pulled her up. "Thank you, sir."

     I smiled at her. "Yea, no problem." Then I looked down at her, ignoring her sexy body. "Are you hurt?" 

     She looked down and she and I saw a little bit of a bruise on her knee. "Yea, only a little." Then she turned her head back up at me. "But I'll be fine though."

     "Are you sure you don't want to get that bandaid? It'll infect you if you don't."

     "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I got the sun to protect me from the germs anyway."

     I thought about it for a while and actually agreed with her. I'm sure she's going to be fine. "Right, are you ready to return to jogging?"

     "Sure thing," she said, closing her eyes with a grin. 

     "Great, let's go then!"

     "Mhn!"

      While we ran together, I enjoyed ogling her bouncy tits.

This scene was also just came out of my head instead. So what do you guys think? Do ya love it? Do ya hate it? Let me know in the comments either in Tumblr or Twitter. Otherwise, take care!

[lokis-army-77]

Hurt

Jay (Okja) x reader (no gender specified)

Word Count: 2002

After a mishap leading to the reader hurting themselves, Jay helps to clean them up back at the motel. He is eerily quiet and practically fuming. When asked about it he says nothing but eventually, he snaps, almost admitting his hidden feelings for the reader.

Warning: Mentions of blood and injury, getting shot at, angst but fluffy ending

ASK: Jay- this might be cliché, but maybe the reader gets hurt during a mission and Jay is helping to patch them up. Not sure if this should be like a love confession thing or if they should already be in a relationship and Jay wants them to quit the team to keep from getting hurt. (This might be too close to the Percy fic you just wrote, but Jay is a hard guy to come up with ideas for lol)

Main Masterlist (taglist linked here)

I hissed and threw my head back as I felt the cotton pad, doused in alcohol, being patted over the long open cut on the side of my thigh. My hand came out and smacked at the dark mop of hair that belonged to the person cleaning my wound. 

“Ow, that hurts Jay. Stop.” I cried trying to move away from him but was not able to since I was sitting atop the small bathroom counter in my shitty motel room. 

“Be still.” He grumbled more focused on stopping the bleeding and cleaning the cut up than on the pain I was experiencing. His unoccupied hand held my leg to keep me from moving it too much. 

“Ah! Jay!” I gasped when the alcohol hitting my open flesh sent an intense sting through my leg and up my spine.  My hands held onto his shoulders tightly as I tried not to cry, I was never good at dealing with pain.

We had been on an ALF mission, helping to free around twenty dogs from some underground dog fighting arena in North Carolina, when, as we were hauling up the last of the dogs, three workers came rushing in with shotguns. Thankfully, no one in our group had been shot, but me being me, I was the one who ran into a broken part of a chain link fence during the frenzy of trying to get away from the bullets and sliced my leg open on the metal. 

We were miles away from any actual hospitals and Jay was having to make do with cleaning the wound himself instead until we could get me to an actual doctor sometime tomorrow. 

Jay had been eerily quiet from the time we sped away from the arena, to meeting the trucks which would take the dogs we saved to a better place, and up to now as he cleaned my leg. Give, he was usually quiet all the time, but this silence felt different, it wasn't a comfortable one, it was more of a palpable anger, which, if this were a cartoon, you would be able to see the steam leaving his ears and nose. 

“You're pushing down too hard. It hurts.” I tried to lift his hand from my leg. 

“Quit whining and suck it up.” He grabbed a new cotton pad and poured the rubbing alcohol onto it before continuing to clean up the blood.

“Why are you being such an asshole?” I cringed away from his hand, the fresh alcohol stinging made my leg feel as though it were on fire. 

Jay didn’t answer me. His fingers tightened on my leg as I kept trying to get his attention. 

“Jay?” I poked his shoulder. “Jay-” 

“What!” He looked up at me, eyes fuming and voice raised. In the tiny bathroom, it was almost like he was yelling. 

“Sorry.” I raised my hand up in defense. “I just- are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” 

“Well, you don’t seem fine considering I’m the one bleeding out here.” 

“I am.” 

“I don’t think you are.” I start to argue back with him.

“Stop.” He goes back to what he was doing. 

“No,” I grab hold of the hand with the cotton pad, stopping him.

“Let go.” He seethed out.

“I will when you tell me what’s the matter.” 

“Would you fucking stop? I said I was fine, why can't you believe me? Just shut up and let me clean your goddamn leg before it gets infected.” He snapped.

I knew Jay could have a temper, I’ve seen it more times over the past three years I have been in this affiliation than I would like to admit, but never ever has he directed that anger toward me. I shut my mouth and let him continue on without any more interruptions, but deep down I wanted to say something. Instead, I just bit my lip at the pain in my leg and told myself the tears that were starting to well up in my eyes were because of that and not because of the man who I considered to be my best friend and the secret love of my life had yelled at me. 

It didn’t take long though for the tears to start falling down my face. I wiped them away as soon as they fell, but that didn’t stop Jay from noticing. He looked up when I began to sniffle. 

His hand stopped its movement and he let go of my thigh with the other. I could barely see the frown he gave me through my watery eyesight. 

“Hey, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?” He asked, standing from his kneeling position. 

“Just hurts.” I tried to play it off, letting more tears fall.

His hands came up and held my face. The coolness of them clashed with my now heated face. He began to rub the tears away with his thumbs, quietly shushing me like you would an upset child. 

“I know you, you would have been crying from the start if it hurt that bad, now what’s the matter.” 

I shook my head, not wanting to answer him. Not wanting him to know that he was the one who was making me cry. 

“Please?” He looked at me sincerely. 

“Why should I tell you when you won't even tell me what’s wrong with you?” I sniffled out, turning my head to the side as though to not look at him directly. 

He let his hands drop from my face and he backed up to lean on the wall across from me. 

“Fine, do you really want to know?” His question was soft as he looked down at his hands. 

“Yes,” I whispered, again wiping my tears. 

“I’m upset. I’m upset because you got hurt under my watch. That never should have happened, even if your running into that fence was an accident. It could have been worse, you could have been shot.” He explained. 

“But I wasn’t.”

“But you could have been and then I never would have been able to forgive myself, I’m already having trouble forgiving myself for putting you in that situation, to begin with.” He stressed.

“Why me? Why are you only feeling guilty about me being there? Are the others and their lives not just as important?”

“They are, but not as important as you are. I-” He cut himself short, turning to leave the bathroom. 

I watched longingly after him, wondering what he was about to say. I looked down at my leg, the bleeding had stopped for now, but it still needed to be wrapped. Nevertheless, I carefully hopped down from the counter and hobbled out to find Jay. 

He was started on the singular bed in the room, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. I sat down beside him, leaning into his side. 

“Jay?” 

“Hum?” 

“Can you finish what you were about to say?” I made my voice as sweet as I could. 

“If I do, everything will change.” He lifted his head to peer over his hand at me.

“Please?” I place my hand on his leg. 

He took a deep shuddery breath before taking his head fully out of his hands and falling back into the bed, bouncing a bit at the force. 

“You’re more important to me because I love you.” 

I was stunned. Never in a million years had I expected those words to be spoken from his mouth. 

“I think I have loved you for a while now. Can’t really pinpoint when. But, I just get so anxious when you come on a mission, especially if it’s one that could be dangerous, and tonight broke me.” He turned his head in my direction. I looked at him through tear-filled eyes, but this time they weren’t tears of pain or sadness, they were of surprise and joy. 

“I want you to quit. Please, for my sake, quit coming on missions.” He began to plead. 

“Jay-” I was breathless. “Jay, you know I can’t do that. I love being a part of the ALF.”

“No, no, I don’t mean leave the ALF, just take a seat in a less life-threatening position.” 

I just nodded quietly, thinking over what he had said. Jay didn’t talk, he just laid there, letting me process. 

“You yelled at me,” I stated at last. 

“What?” He sat up.

“Earlier, why I was crying? It was because you yelled at me.”

“Oh. Oh, I am so so sorry.” He brought me into a bone-crushing hug. 

“It’s just you had never done that before and I can’t handle it when people I love are upset at me.” The confession of my love for him was subtle. 

“I’m sorry, I never meant to, I was still deep in thought about what had happened.” He paused then realization flooded his features as he pulled away from me slightly. “Wait did you just?”

I nodded, confirming his question, smiling. “Yeah, I did.”

He hugged me again, this time, cupping the back of my neck with his hand. When he pulled away he smiled at me. “Can I kiss you?” His question was sweet and his voice shook a little with nervousness. 

“Please,” I responded, knowing I had so desperately wanted him to kiss me for a long time. 

He grinned as he leaned in, tilting my head up to meet him. His lips were softer than I had imagined as they caressed my own. The force at which he brought us together was subtle, nothing too suggested he wanted to do more than just hold me in his arms and kiss me. 

I sighed happily into him, laughing a bit as the air he breathed from his nose tickled the skin of my upper lip. My hands slowly made their way to the back of his neck, tangling into his raven locks, pulling on them slightly. 

He pulled away just a tiny bit, but I was so enthralled in the kiss that I began to follow him with my lips, not wanting to be parted from him. He placed a finger over my lips, prompting me to open my eyes to look at him questioningly. 

“I truly am sorry for raising my voice at you.” he sighed, resting his forehead on mine. 

“It’s fine, just don’t do it again. You can make it up to me by bandaging my leg up.” 

He pulled away even further to glance down at my thigh furthest from him. “Yeah, I guess we need to do that.” He began to stand up, pulling me along with him. I giggled when he hoisted me up in his arms, taking me into the bathroom and setting me back down on the counter. 

While he wrapped my leg in gauze, I thought about what he had said about moving to a different department. Which, given some consideration, didn’t seem like such a bad idea. 

“Hey, Jay?”

“Yeah?” He continued to wrap my leg.

“I’ll make a compromise with you.” I paused, waiting on him to look at me. When he did, I started again. “I will continue to come on missions, but I will stay at base, work with K on the computers and all that tech stuff. I’m actually pretty good at it. And I get to come on the missions you one hundred percent know will not be a danger. I don’t think I can stand never going out in the field again.” 

I waited in silence as he stared at me, his eyes forming tiny slits as he thought. “Fine.” He agreed. 

“Really?” I asked excitedly. 

“Yes, but if I think anything, and I mean anything, feels like it will become a dangerous situation on an easy mission, you listen to me and get out of there.” 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I kissed him in rapid succession all over his face. 

He gently swatted me away, smiling all the while. “Knock it out and let me doctor your leg.” He laughed. 

Paul Taglist: @yutasgem @brookeworman @salty-thembo @m2051@flutterskies@letshangourselves @ghiacciosdiscordkitten @spacecluster@internetvampiregirlfriend @collardefrutilla@beenz-beenz@vampyricbites @greenxtea0 @truecobblepot @brokegothgirl@pierres-new-spectacles @edwardspumpkinpie @dedeinspire

[panickinganakin]

stitches (ch 5)

a/n - hello everything! this is chapter 5 of an ongoing steddie fic! you can find all previous chapters here

*trigger warnings for this ch include blood/needles

Steve sucked in a breath. Eddie had woke up but then he had passed back out. "Give me that book. We need to get this IV in him," Robin sounded as if she was starting to panic.

"Calm down, Robs. He's gonna be okay. He just needs more rest."  Steve said this he passed her the book and started to untangle the tubing that was wrapped around the random bags of liquid. Steve looked down at Eddie. He watched as his chest rose and fell slowly. He couldn't help but frown. Eddie looked so sad but he also didn't even remember what happened. 

"What are we going to tell him? Ya know, when he actually wakes up? If he doesn't remember any of it at all..."

Steve's shoulders lifted in a shrug, "I don't know what we'll say. We'll wait until we know he's okay. Completely healed, no risk of infection or anything like that. Then, the first thing we'll do is tell Dustin. After that, we try hard to get his name cleared. Once he's cleared then.. I don't know what will happen from there."

Robin's eyes scanned the index of the book as she searched for the page she needed. After finding and flipping to the correct one she read for a few moments. "Hand me the needle," she told Steve. 

Steve watched as she put the gloves on then held her hands out. "Okay. Now, you put gloves on then take the alcohol wipes and clean the bend of his arm."

Steve did exactly as he was told. He ripped open the small pack of wipes and the scent of alcohol burned his nose. He wiped the wet cloth against Eddie's arm and tilted his head. Eddie was more muscular than Steve had realized before. "How come we have to do this? He isn't dehydrated yet. He just woke up an drank water?"

"To get a head start. He woke up today but we don't know how long it'll be before he wakes up again. If we wait until he's dehydrated it will be harder to insert a needle. Now, tie this above his elbow a sort of tightly while I get the air out of this bag."

Steve stared at his best friend in awe. Since meeting Robin she had never stopped surprising him. First, she was able to crack a secret russian code. Then, they both were captured and tortured by a group of these people then they helped fight monsters. Then, it was monsters again. 

He never would have guessed that Robin Buckley was a badass. If it weren't for Scoops Ahoy he may never have known either. He also wouldn't have a best friend. 

Robin moved next to the bed and bent down over Eddie. She poked the soft skin in the bend of his arm. "At least he's got some pretty visible veins." 

Steve held his breath as Robin pushed the needle in Eddie's arm. She put a piece of tape down to keep in place before she connected the tubes to the bag. She hung the bag on the large metal thing Steve had stolen from the clinic and sighed. 

She peeled her gloves off, "Well. At least I have some new stuff to put on our next resumes." She smiled then looked down at Eddie and back up at him. "I'm going to take a shower. If anything happens just come and get me."

Steve nodded at Robin and took a seat in one of the empty chairs after she left. He crossed one leg over the other and shook his foot slightly while staring at the window. The curtains were pulled together tightly that way if anyone came snooping around they wouldn't be able to see Eddie. 

He looked down at Eddie and his chest felt hollow. When he had left Dustin and Eddie to distract the demobats he had been very clear on the fact they weren't supposed to stray from the plan. Steve sighed and grabbed Eddie's hand with his, "I know you can't hear me.. But, you weren't supposed to try and be a fucking hero, man. You were supposed to stick to the plan. You could have died. Dustin thought you died.. He still thinks you're dead. Do you know what that did to him?" He couldn't help but imagining everything happening differently. What if when he and Robin arrived there wasn't a pulse? What if Eddie had really died?

Steve's throat started to feel tight and like a lump was growing in it. He couldn't even stand to picture it. This past week had changed his perspective on many things. One of them being his previous opinions of Eddie Munson. He hadn't had many of course, he barely knew he was; but he most definitely didn't think he'd be like this. 

Tears pooled in Steve's eyes and he tried blinking them away. His chest felt shallow at the thought of Eddie being gone. He hadn't realized until now how bad it would affect him. The thought of losing Eddie didn't feel the same as losing someone else. It felt like a darkness could swallow him completely whole. Like maybe he actually couldn't live without him. 

Steve stood up and paced the length of the room, taking deep breaths. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He mumbled out loud. Maybe the lack of sleep and food was making his brain fuzzy. 

He looked back at Eddie and sighed. When Robin got back he would take a turn to shower then he'd cook them something for dinner. Then maybe tomorrow... Maybe they would tell Dustin.

taglist - @ohmyitsfaith

[links-destiny]

Can we get linkXreader content. It woukd be so awesome

You're lucky that I've actually written an x reader before but since you're one of the few fans, I'll do it. I don't think it would be easy to write a first meeting in which this lizard could actually fall in love with someone. That would take time, but actually treating them nicely is a start.

Injured Link x GN!Reader

Meeting with the likes of a denzen, especially outside of their own settlements is a rare chance, although it was hardly a coincidence that this particular one managed to break into your home one night. While yes, the rogue had had their own experiences in such robberies, this wasn't an ordinary house call.

Awakening from the loud crash from downstairs, you fumble for the candleholder by your bedside. Striking a match with your shaking hands, you manage to light a small flame. It wasn't much, but you didn't want to exactly alert the intruder of your presence. Using it to help your sight, you slowly begin to creep downstairs.

You were afraid, just as regular as the other townsfolk in the area, but your house has never been picked to be vandalized. You hardly had much anyways, always using your earnings for more important priorities such as food and water.

Painful groans come from the living room, and you manage to gather enough courage to step towards the darkened figure crumpled on your rug. It was a fairly nice one, bought from the market a couple of weeks ago, but is now ruined from shards of glass and pricks of blood. Strangely enough, it looked purple in the dim candlelight.

"Are you alright?" You ask, low in tone.

The person is startled regardless, and despite their present injuries, backs into the wall with a hiss. "Keep it down, will you? Step back."

Frantic, the intruder stands up and pulls the curtains over the broken window they must have climbed through. Afterwards, they peek out before exhaling in relief. "Good, must have lost them..."

"Who?" You ask, wondering as to what they were so worked up over. "Are you being hunted? I can't house a common..." No, you didn't exactly want to paint a rude picture with the label of a thief. Perhaps they sought refuge from something unjust. These things often happen enough, but many pretend it doesn't. Housing a criminal, it only creates complications.

They wince, noting the blood over their claws before checking a third time outside. "These guards were following me. Didn't think too much about it until I rounded the same block twice. Your window was locked, and I didn't have an easier way inside."

You turn towards you, and candlelight shines over their scales- a denzen. You've never met one before, but here one stands.

Although known for their tough exterior, it's no wonder they had scrapes and cuts. Hardly wearing much other than a black crop top and pants, you wanted to also point out their abrasive entry into your home, but hold against it.

Priorities.

"What you need is some help. I have a medical kit, please stay here while I go get it." Before you could walk to the bathroom, a sharpness pokes at your back. You stiffen in surprise. Did they snatch one of the glass shards from the floor?

"Go on..." They hesitate but don't let up.

With urgency, you stumble into the bathroom and turn on the lights. Rummaging through the cabinets, you find what you're looking for, and the added pressure from the shard lifts.

"It was just a precaution. I won't do it again. Not unless you give a reason to." The denzen couldn't meet your gaze, as if they felt a small amount of shame in resorting to such threats.

You felt bad too, for whatever predicament wound them to crash through your window this late into the night.

If they were on the run, then maybe this is how they had to deal with problems, and with you being a stranger, it was necessary.

You offer them to sit on the sink counter so you could patch up their wounds. While it isn't serious, those cuts could get infected if the denzen wasn't careful. You don't remember if immunity was one of their perks.

Under a brighter source of light, you get to see this so-called intruder. Large eyes, with reptilian pupils, and short blond hair that didn't exactly look healthy either. They're noticeably thin too, and you’ll have to remind yourself to at least feed them a bit of bread and fruit to manage until they could be on their way. Your hands skim over green scales, noting the spikes over their shoulders and tail.

They flinch a little, feeling a little nervous under your gaze, but you don’t mean to. Instead, you get back to the task at hand, as you open the kit and take out the vial of potion.

"It won't be as great without a natural healer's magic but it'll do the trick."

"I figured as much. You don’t seem to have an ounce of magic that I can sense, wouldn’t have allowed you to help me like this otherwise." They state grimly.

You had some semblance of an idea as to why that would have been the case. Magic was a touchy topic given the history behind it. You decided to not press on about the issue despite your little knowledge of it. Your patient seems a bit temperamental, sharp eyes staring down at you, head tilting ever so slightly, as if gauging your responses and habits.

It's interesting, to say the least.

You dunk some of the vial's content into a cloth and press on their cluster of cuts. They hiss, claws scraping over your poor counter. Perhaps you could continue the conversation in another direction, as a way to distract them.

"What did you do anyways? Jump through my window without a second thought?"

They rub the back of their neck grimacing at the thought. "Not exactly... Threw a rock and crawled right in. Probably not the brightest idea."

"You could say that again. I would have let you in, if you had just knocked on the front door."

"Right, and everything would have been fine and dandy, wouldn't it? Trust me, you're not the first person to sell on something like that."

You pause, looking up at them with concern. "Why wouldn't I?"

They fume, as if I didn't understand over what was so clearly obvious. "Have you actually taken a good look at me? Either you're lying or you're just plain naive letting some bloodied stranger into your home like this."

You do take a good look, but you couldn't see what they could possibly mean. They're hurt, tired and hungry, yet alert because if for one moment they allowed themselves into ease, the denzen would think of a million possibilities in why they shouldn't.

"You would still be a person in need, and that's more than enough to let myself help and feed you even."

Their eyes widen, and I can see that they're in fact a light blue, something that couldn't be seen easily as slits. They're as quick to stifle this reaction and hop off the counter.

"You can follow me into the kitchen if that's what you need to feel safe." You propose, knowing just a little bit more about the strange denzen by now.

They slowly nod, fumbling with their claws for a moment now that the tension has lessened. In fact, they seem a little more awkward when you think about it. 

"Thank you, uh"

"(Y/N)"

"Link."

[hisredhysteria]

Not a request, but an idea you could write for whenever you feel like it: Cutthroat and bodystitching?

Note: AH, I TOOK A WHILE TO GET TO THIS.. I didn't know where to start until @mondgewalt mentioned he could have picked up the habit when he was younger—

Disclaimer: I don't sew and I haven't tried body-stitching myself, I've only looked into it and made these for fun, so I'm sure not everything is going to be extremely accurate—

TW: needles, blood, body-stitching, and self-harm

Seeing as needles are shiny and as sharp as the point of a knife, Cutthroat's curiosity to his mother sewing up a hole in his clothes is inevitable. The moment he sees the needles glint shine in his direction, his interest is piqued and he sits beside his mother, eager to be able to handle the needle himself.

Of course, he's much too young to be trusted with a needle, let alone any sharp object for that matter....so it's to no surprise when his mother generously offers for him to simply watch instead...

She even makes the compromise of sewing the white fabric of his clothes with a red thread, turning the small hole into a heart stitched pattern of love, all for him.

It's the least she can do if he'll show her a little bit of patience...or stop trying to dig into the kit for a needle of his own....

Cutthroat's a child that can't be helped, however. He was bound to go digging through the closet and drawers to find the sewing kit his mother tried so hard to hide after finishing. Nothing can seem to escape Cutthroat if he wants it bad enough....

Once he's found them on his scavenger hunt and successfully destroyed the drawers of materials to get to his mother's sewing kit, he sits down on the tile floor, pulling out the needle and red thread spool that he'd been yearning to use.

If you can sew pretty patterns into clothes, then certainly you can do the same with skin, can't you?  His mother did it for him, now it's only fair that he does the same in return for her~!

After a little admiration of the needles shine and a vivid memory of what his mother had been doing previously with it, Cutthroat's all too excited to push the needle and thread into his skin. He only becomes more fascinated with the beads of blood that trickle out from his first careless attempt at poking into skin.

It's quite the messy work he does, but it's nothing Cutthroat is squeamish about. Nor does he mind the pain he puts himself in. He's much too excited for the end result to stop now.

Despite his stellar hand eye coordination, Cutthroat was a little lost in the sight of his blood dribbling out with every push of his needle. So deep through his skin that the red heart he's stitched into the top of his finger turned out a rather bloody one.

Done admiring his own finger, he wastes no time proudly presenting it to his mother now. It's a little disappointing that her reaction isn't anything like he'd hoped, but he knows she loves it. He's her little angel, isn't he? And of course, she's his angel.

After all, he made it because she showed him how to. That was what she was doing when she let him watch her sew the hole in his shirt....right..?

After her death, he continues to keep the habit of sewing into his skin, poking it in too deep and causing unnecessary pain everytime. He always gets excited to spill a little of his blood and watch it drip down his skin like rain. It's only a plus that the stitches come less undone the deeper they are.

This leads room for infection, even more so considering that Cutthroat doesn't seem to sterilize his needles...

He does change the thread rather often though; to keep them that beautiful crimson red. If he leaves them in for too long, they lose their perfect color. Or at least, that's how he sees it.

It's also somewhat of a comfort habit as he associates it with his mother. Which is why he also loves the heart stitch pattern the best~!

Cutthroat doesn't think to stitch anywhere that's not visible and he tends to prefer up the sides of his hands or his fingers. What fun is stitching if the end result doesn't please his eyes?

Oh, and why not his face so others can admire the beauty...!

A little red heart stitched under his eye in place of his mole should do the trick~!

On second thought....perhaps stitching in other places isn't too bad. They bleed as well, don't they...?

He likely cuts his own skin open just to sew it back shut. And mind you, he's not using medical thread....

As far as his angel goes, why....it's something he absolutely has to share with them~! How cruel of him would it be to not show something this special to his precious angel.

He may even use the stitches to count how many angels he's had or killed. A stitch for each one, all up his arm..

He also won't let his angel escape him without a little red heart stitched somewhere on their body to match him. And he'll make sure it's done, whether they're alive or not when he does it.

Perhaps his own little signature mark to indicate he's made a very special kill...

[ludicrouslydonewithart]

I have got to start thinking of titles for my fics

In this story, Omen has infected Kaidan with her stupidity, and sadly, its chronic

"Ow! What was that for!?" Kaidan exclaimed, rubbing his cheek, where Omen had just bit him. It didn't hurt, but it damn sure surprised him.

"Oh please, it didn't hurt that bad, you big ol'baby, I didn't even use my fangs." Omen teased. "...yet."

Kaidan rolled his eyes, messing up Omen's hair. "You're lucky You're cute."

Omen made a face, poking Kaidan's cheek. "That's mean, why can't you ever be nice to me?"

"Say's the one who bit me for no good reason." Kaidan retorted, giggling quietly.

"You didn't seem to mind last night... or any other night for that matter" Omen grinned like an idiot, brushing her finger over his lips.

"You got me there I'll admit it." Kaidan couldn't keep the smile off his lips, her grin was infectious.

"Guess I did, you don't seem too upset by it though." Omen tilted his head up more so she could get a better look at him.

"What can I say, I like watching you win-"

"Your eyes are really pretty." Omen interupted without thinking, staring into his eyes. Her other hand moved to lightly stroke his cheek.

Kaidan couldn't help but laugh at how easily she was distracted. It was cute. Now that he was staring right into her eyes, he couldn't help but think about how otherworldly her eyes appeared. She didn't have pupils, and her irises took up most of her eyes. The colors were very attention grabbing, one was an almost glowing yellow and the other was a bright lavender.

They just stayed there staring into eachothers eyes, both of them entranced, almost hypnotized. That was until Omen got bored.

Kaidan blinked, causing Omen to let out a giggle. "Guess I win."

"Win what?" Kaidan asked, looking away from her eyes.

"The staring contest." Omen rolled her eyes.

"No fair!" Kaidan complained, humoring her. "I didn't know we were playing, I want a rematch."

"No, I don't think I'll accept. I already won." Omen teased.

"The game was rigged, can't believe you'd cheat." Kaidan feigned shock and betrayal.

"Don't blame the player, blame the game." Omen leaned in closer. "Can I get a kiss since I won?"

Kaidan pushed her face away playfully. "Nope, never. Not without a fair match."

Omen grabbed his hand, out from behind it. "You'd go so far as to deny me a kiss? That's just cruel. What am I to do without kisses. I will simply just rot away."

"Rot away, eh? Well we can't have that happening to the most beautiful woman in the world. Even if she does cheat in staring contests." Kaidan said, pulling her in before peppering her face with kisses. "Better?"

"Hmmm I'm not sure, maybe one more just in case." Omen said, pulling him up to her.

"You present a good point there." Kaidan managed to get out before beeing pulled into a deep kiss.

[mallowstep]

Any spare excerpts for lil' old me? I know you want to drop some...

well...i don't think i've dropped any of the misty and tiger conversations? they're like. some of my favourite dialogue.

cw: sexual assault (not graphic, but also more than implied), standard tigerclan content (abuse, child abuse, starvation, etc.), force feeding, abuse by abusing someone else

"She's my apprentice," Mistyfoot says. "I'm supposed to train her."

"With who?" Tigerstar says. His tail flicks to her chin. The sudden gesture of kindness startles her. "Besides, Mistyfoot. If you want to help your Clan so badly, there are better ways you can help."

(She doesn't ask what.)

-

"Blackclaw tells me you had kits with him," Tigerstar says. "I appreciated his honesty. Tell me, Mistyfoot, where are they now?"

The River. The stars. Safe.

"Ah, I'm sorry," he says. "They're dead, aren't they?"

Mistyfoot looks at the ground.

-

"You're a fantastic mentor," Tigerstar purrs — and he does purr, his voice warm and honey. "I hear Featherpaw's training is going well."

She says nothing; she lets his tail wrap around her leg; she tries not to breathe, just for a moment.

What wouldn't she do for the river.

"I wonder," he continues, licking the back of her neck, "if that means you will make a good mother."

-

(He calls her Goldenflower, and even he seems surprised by the name.)

-

"Finish it."

"I'm not hungry." Mistyfoot's claws are sheathed — they are always sheathed, she won't make that mistake again (Featherpaw's side is raked and bloody and smelling of infection) — but her tail lashes. This is the third rat — she can't stand the taste, the way it smells of rot even when it is freshly caught.

It is. She thinks that was the worst part — that Tigerstar did not even let the hunting patrol put it on the freshkill pile before dragging her out.

"You'll be hungry sooner or later," Tigerstar says. "I'll wait. But Mistyfoot — you know, Featherpaw won't get to eat until everyone has eaten. And that includes you."

Featherpaw's ribs poke through her skin like rocks pushing through the current. Sometimes, Mistyfoot wonders if it was the training that was leaving wounds, or if Featherpaw's body was tearing itself apart from the inside out.

"I'm not hungry," she repeats, but she takes a bite, choking it down.

"Yes, you are," Tigerstar says. He licks her shoulder, and her muscles tense. Bile rises in the back of her thoat. "Keep eating, Mistyfoot. The prey pile is dwindling."

-

Vaguely, Mistyfoot can recall birds carrying worms back to their chicks. She debates the merits of hiding the last mouthful of food, if only to ensure Featherpaw eats something.

-

She tries once.

Featherpaw eats so little Mistyfoot begs someone to bring them moss with water when Featherpaw's nose and mouth and eyes go dry.

She doesn't try again.

-

"Open your mouth, Mistyfoot," Tigerstar says. It's him, it's always him — he never delegates her. "You're too clever for your own good," he says, wrapping his tail around her. "You're far too important to be self-sacrificial."

"It was a mouthful of food," Mistyfoot says, unable to contain herself. "Please. There's enough prey for her."

Tigerstar narrows his eyes, and she shrinks, her belly flattening against the ground.

"You're not suggesting you could take better care of her, are you?" he asks. His voice is drained of its false warmth and affection, and she hates how it makes her ears flatten, hate how it makes her skin tighten. "We saw how well that went."

"No," she says. "No sir."

He purrs — spontaneous and genuine. It tastes worse than the sickness in Featherpaw's blood. "Respect looks good on you," he says. "I'm glad we understand each other."

-

you get some bonuses too bc the last excerpt makes hella more sense with the ones before it.

[woozletania]

Sanctuary, part 2 (RR/GOTG slice of life)

(Actually about half S2, but this is what I have ready at the moment.  The full version will be done when it’s done. You really have to read the first one to understand why an otter is on board the Milano and why everyone calls her Lima at first.)

"Man, you work fast." Rocket looked up from his plate of eggs and sausage.  He'd wanted to head up to the cockpit - he knew he'd left that panel a mess when he got distracted by Doc Foster's letter and it made his fingers itch to leave something half put together like that - but the others insisted he have at least another full day off to recover. "Whattaya mean?  I haven't worked on anything today.  Just woke up and came out to breakfast." "Really?  I looked in the cabin today and you and Lima were," Pete grinned and made some gestures Rocket couldn't scope out except to guess that they were rude. "Wasn't like that," Rocket growled.  "She was having a nightmare and I was just tryin' to calm her down.  Fell asleep afterward, I guess." "You sure buddy?  It sure looked like you two were-" "I am Groot!" Peter looked up to see Rocket's ears go back and the fangs come out. Groot grabbed Rocket just in time to keep the raccoon from coming across the table at him. "Joke!  Joke!" Peter backed away as Rocket snarled.  "I didn't mean anything by it buddy!" Groot still had his vines around Rocket, who struggled with all his might despite his injuries.  "If you think 'I just rescued this poor little thing, got to jump in bed with her' then I'm not the 'monster' here, Pete!" "That's enough!" Gamora literally put her foot down, stomping the deck plates hard enough that everyone jumped.  "Rocket, Peter was just being stupid.  Peter, apologize." "Sorry man," Peter said.  "I wasn't thinking.  You know me, I say stupid things." Rocket, panting, finally settled down, one hand pressed against his chest.  He still hadn't fully recovered from the gas.  "Yeah, well, don't.  She's not a 'thing.'  Not a toy. Don't call her one. Don't think of her as one either." Lima  (We really do need to find her a better name, Rocket thought)  poked her head shyly into the common area, drawn by the shouting and the smell of food. Mantis served her a plate of eggs and stood there stroking the yellow creature's head as she ate, smiling at the way Lima pushed back against her palm.  It didn't seem to bother Lima at all to be petted unlike Rocket, who until very recently would snap at anyone who touched him. "What were you fighting about," she said, and Rocket grumbled. "Nothin'. Pete and I fight all time 'bout all sortsa crap." "What I want to know is why pick an otter to Uplift," Peter said, his mouth full of eggs. "What's an otter," Lima said, and Rocket growled. "Probably some stupid thing he thinks you are." "Look Rock, I know you don't like being compared to animals, but we gotta have a species for you, right?  You may not be one but you look exactly like a raccoon and you," Pete pointed his fork at Lima, "You're an otter.  Kind of a big water weasel." Though 'big' was relative, as she was about as heavy as Rocket if a little longer. "I like 'otter,' Lima chirped.  "It sounds funny." "You need to pick a name," Gamora said, and Rocket nodded.  "We can't keep calling you part of your number." "Ottah," Pete said, to which Rocket immediately snapped "No!" "Rocket is named after the men he killed to get free," Drax said with a typical lack of tact.  "You didn't kill anyone, so you can't do that." "Was there anyone at the compound you 'liked?'" Surprisingly it was Mantis who asked. "There was one," Lima said, and for the first time she looked sad. "She snuck me pills when I couldn't sleep after the operations." Though Rocket had just tried to attack Peter, Pete still put his hand on the raccoon's shoulder when he saw Rocket grit his teeth and look away.  "It's OK, man." "But they caught her," Lima said, looking down at her plate.  "I never saw her again. Her name was Lilla." "Lylla," Drax said. He didn't quite have it right, but close. "I like it." "I do too," Peter said.  "Rocket?" "I told you, it's not our decision.  What do you think," he said to the otter. "Lylla?  If I had gotten out another way I might have named myself after the nice one. It's up to you, though." "Lylla," said the otter.  "I like it too. I'm Lylla!" She beamed, and only Rocket didn't match her smile. He had his reasons. "Okay, Lylla," Rocket said a moment later.  "Speaking of nice guys.  I want you to meet a friend of mine soon. He's a doctor." And just like that all the joy vanished from Lylla's face, replaced by horror. "No," she said, dropping her plate.  "No, no, no." She fell to all fours and scurried back towards her room. From the back you could see the shaved areas, the implants, the scars, though they weren't as bad as Rocket's had been. The raccoon was right after her on all fours as well.  "Lylla!  Let me explain!" "Wait, Peter," Gamora said.  "Give him a minute. He's the one who knows why she is afraid." "We all know why she's afraid," Drax said. "But he's the one who lived that life," Gamora said, and Peter reluctantly sat back down. "I am Groot?" "He's in my cabin with our guest," Peter said as the three-foot-high tree tree arrived. He didn't really understand Groot yet but he at least knew the tree was looking for Rocket. "She's really upset and he went to talk to her." "I am Groot!" "Wait, Groot," but it was too late. The tree was already hot after his friend. By the time Rocket reached the cabin Lylla had burrowed into the nest of blankets she'd pulled into the padded pet bed.  All that showed was a shivering yellow tailtip and Rocket pulled up short, sure she'd snap at him if he climbed in too. He would. "Lylla, listen," he said, settling down cross-legged a pace away.  "No one's going to make you see a doctor if you don't want.  It's your choice.  Everything's your choice now." A whiskery muzzle appeared out of the blankets, and Rocket winced to see the tears in her eyes.  "Really, Rocket?" "Yeah.  I should've explained..." "I am Groot." Rocket smiled as a vine came to rest on his shoulder.  "It's all right, buddy. Lylla's just scared.  I was scared too, remember." "I am Groot!" "Yeah. Lylla, a while back my back was messed up.  Cybernetics problems, scars, infection. It hurt all the time but I'm scared of doctors, same as you are." The whiskery face visible under the blanket nodded.  "Because they hurt us. They make us into things they want us to be, not what we want to be," she chirped. "When they made me, I hated them so much," Rocket said, and his muzzle dipped until he was looking at the floor, not Lylla.  "They cut me open and tortured me to train me.  I wanted to kill them all.  But there was one who wasn't cruel.  He brought me pills to take away the pain." Slowly the otter's head rose up out of the covers as she listened.  "I started to save them. Hid them.  I counted them every day.  Soon I'd have enough to make the pain go away forever." "Oh Rocket," she said, tears running down her cheeks.  "Me too." He sniffled.  He was too emotional these days.  Teared up too easily. "But then I got out.  I'm a monster, Lylla.  A killer. I try to change, to be good, but they made me to kill.  And that's what I did.  I killed my way out.  Except for the one nice doctor." Finally he met her gaze, his eyes as wet as hers.  "Him I couldn't kill.  He's why I am...only a little bit monster.  If it weren't for him I would have killed and killed and killed. Instead I'm a Guardian of the Galaxy." "I am Groot," the tree behind him said, and grew more vines to support Rocket.  The raccoon was still weak, still recovering. "When the other Guardians found out how bad my back was they made me see someone.  I picked the guy who kept me sane. That's who I want you to see, Lylla.  I can hear your pain when you move.  I know they messed you up. Doc Foster can help. He's the guy who brought me the pills. He's the reason I'm here instead of dead or crazy." "I don't know, Rocket..." "I'll be there, Lylla.  We'll all be there.  He won't hurt you, he's my friend, but if he does, if anyone hurts you...I try to be good, Lylla.   But if anyone hurts my friends, hurts you, I'll be a monster again." "Yeah," came a voice from the doorway as Peter leaned in for a moment. "We'll all be monsters if someone hurts our friends." The other Guardians nodded from the hall. "I am Groot," Groot said. "What did he say," Lylla chirped. "That he'd do anything for his friends," Rocket said, and put his hand on the vine draped across his shoulder. "And he would. He has." "All right," Lylla said, unknowingly echoing Rocket, a few months back.  "As long as you're there." "Good." Rocket nodded.  "You wanna go have some more breakfast? You hardly ate at all." "I just want to rest," she chirped, and burrowed back under the blankets.  "They never let me just lie around like this. I'll eat later." "Okay." Rocket climbed to his feet using Groot for support. His leg still hurt, oddly worse than the neck bite that almost killed him. And his chest, though that was slowly getting better. A voice came from under the blankets. "Please don't go, Rocket.  I was so afraid last night, with all this metal around, like a cage.  Then I woke up and you were there. Having you there made me feel so safe." "Well, I'm supposed to be resting too I guess," Rocket said doubtfully, and then he protested as Groot picked him up.  "Hey, you don't need to carry me, dummy. I'm not that hurt." But Groot didn't listen, easing him into the padded bed with the otter, and there was a confusion of slow movements as she emerged from beneath the covers and curled around him. Rocket was so warm, and comfortable, and safe, that the protests just drained out of him. "Thank you, Rocket," she chirped into his ear, and Rocket thought, 'Ain't not thing like me, 'cept me. Except maybe there is, now.  Or close enough.'

[resamille]

sINCE I CAN'T GET MY HECKING HANAHAKi but these are all hecking good prompts how about 🌺 for lance and 🎧 for ga(y)lra keith ????? esp bc your bb fic has keith with you Know What >:3cc

You’re the damn devil, you know that. I should be studying.

🌺 - One with nature, Lance

🎧 - Burst ear drums, Keith

If it had been the ocean slowly closing in over Lance’s head, he wouldn’t feel the panic settle like rocks tied to his limbs. But the sand is relentless, course against his skin where it pours down the back of his armor, pressing between his shoulder blades like pins. 

“Keith! Help me!”

Lance coughs out sand, struggling to pull himself out of the pit, but it’s useless, and only makes him sink a little further. What the fuck happened to Keith? They’d been fine only a few moments ago, before the detonation went off and sent them both sprawling in opposite directions. Lance’s ears still ring, but maybe that’s just the trickle of sand pouring on his skin. Distantly, he hears another explosion, but it’s muffled through the earth.

He feels like he’s in an hourglass, moments ticking down until his death. The sand burns in his mouth, searing in his nostils as he swallows one last breath before the quicksand blocks out the sunlight.

It’s an angry, bitter thought, as Lance chokes on the sand of some foreign planet, far, far away from the cooling oceans of the Blue Planet: that Keith left him to die, to become just another fossil in this canivorous universe, body cold and stony under the ground.

Perhaps one day, some archeologist will find him, marvel at the lost, ancient boy.

–

There’s something wrong.

“Lance?” Keith calls, and hears nothing in response. He’s crouched behind and sand dune in this fucking desert, far harsher than the unforgiving plains he’d called home on Earth–does he risk triggering another Galra blast by looking over?

But Keith can’t hear anything. His head throbs with a dull pain, blossoming from his temple until it infects his mind and clouds his thinking. So he pokes his head up, scanning the ground for any signs of Lance, and finding nothing.

Something lands nearby, flinging Keith off his feet, claws digging hard into the sand in accept to keep from being throw further. Where had that come from? Another explosion? He should have heard it!

Keith’s ear flicks angrily, still in pain, and he feels something wet drip past his temple, onto his shoulder.

The fuck?

Gingerly, he reaches up, pressing his fingertips to his head, just under his ears. His hands come back red, stained with blood.

His. And Lance’s.