#they dug FREAKING COAL TOGETHER

[freshydip]

they held HANDS, they held each other's HANDS as they ran out of that mine, they ran out together as one, and how long after they escaped do you think it took them to unlock their grasps? do you think they stood there, or sat there, at the mouth of the cave that could have killed them, hand in filthy trembling hand, catching their breath and keeping each other in a death grip while they recovered from their reminder of mortality, and only after several minutes reluctantly letting go?

or do you think it was quicker than that? do you think as soon as they crossed the threshold, as soon as they were once again under the sky and breathing that (mostly) fresh air they immediately rescinded the intimate touch, too afraid to let it linger, embarrassed at the brief flash of walls coming down when faced with an early grave, that fear being the only thing on this earth that could bring those walls down, if even only for a minute, only while it was just them, just the two of them, as it probably often felt like no matter where they were

do you think they thought they'd run out of Harlan in the same manner? hands clasped? maybe not physically, but much in the same spirit- escaping, together, only each other as they blindly dashed out of the hollers to get that life-giving taste of fresh air?

i guess if you think about it, they did. they just let go a little too fast

[freshydip]

“He has had my back on two occasions. Once was the last day I was in the mine, and the other not so long ago.” “My, sounds like a love story.”

[allurared]

one of the funnest things in justified imo is that, generally, when a piece of media is doing the homoerotic mutual destruction thing either both parts are equally invested or the little freak weirdo is obsessed with the straight man protagonist. not justified tho! raylan is soooo much more obsessed with boyd than boyd is with him. it's not even close. by the end of season 2 boyd is fully content with becoming a criminal overlord with his future wife/leaving harlan while raylan spends the next four seasons burning every single personal relationship including the one with his infant daughter just to what. put this guy he knew when he was 19 in jail? it's so great. they dug coal together.

[isawken]

tag game!

fav animal: capybaras. worms. hyenas. the humble olm. these are my friends

fav bug: fireflies :) i am an expert firefly wrangler

fav flower: sunflowers, chicory, and rosemary isn't a flower but i'm putting it here anyway <3

fav drink: suntory whisky 🫶

star sign: sag life baby

1 song on repeat lately:

current or last tv show: i rewatched justified fx for the third time recently. they dug freaking coal together

last movie watched: godzilla minus one. my girlfriend (the titular godzilla) looked amazing as always

ty @elfgarlic for tagging me, i am now infecting (if u want) @selkypostergirl @charaznablescanontoyota @hamthezombie @neonaughtager @youreaspecialflower @the-proto-hipster and @donatellalejandra, but also anyone else who sees this and wants to do it pretend i tagged you directly and do it! :o)

[raylangivins]

What the fuck is “we dug coal together”?? Just tell him “I love you”, you freak!

[ask-rp-devra]

A few more days passed, the whole island was preparing to lose two staff members for a short while so ther was a handful of new Pokemon squads on patrols, and a lot of handing over of work to Professor Grey and Pari who were happy to stay behind for the time being. Seeing as the trip to the Crown Tundra area in Galar was looming, peach had put in special permission to bring along Valka, her age and subsequently monstrous skill made her usually unable to travel, trained to a fine point, putting her in a gym battle or a league seemed very unfair, but the locals seemed to think she’d fit the bill, Professor Magnolia had mentioned the abundance of legendary Pokemon in the area, so it would seem wise to take along a Pokemon that was able to hold its own.

With bags packed and bodies in seats the woman and her apprentice began the trip back to Galar, not only to collect more data on the new areas, but also to gather Devra’s team mates up to bring back to the island. The flight back was fine, Peach slept, drooling a bit, legs tucked up in the plane seat, her single Pokemon stashed for the journey, it felt uncomfortable having Valka in her pokeball, it didn’t happen often.

Devra had spent most of her free time packing for the trip, and the rest of it bonding with the two Pokémon she’d be bringing to the tundra. She had to make sure Aliza and her newest Pokémon Coal were strong enough to hold up in the tundra. Fiona helped her load with training her daughter, trusting her human to take care of Aliza but also wanting to make sure she’d be okay too. Now that they were on the plane Devra sat in the window seat, watching the clouds go buy. As they got closer to landing she gently nudged Peach. “Professor? We’re almost there.” She then looked out again, excited to see her mom again, as well as all of her other Pokémon.

Peach grunted, awoke with a jolt, and looked around, dazed and somewhat still very asleep, looking rather disheveled. Drool sticking hair to her face, squinty tired eyes, and a miserable headache. Water and pills as she waited to get the green light to get off the plane, and finally see her partner again, the ball sat in her pocket, in her hand, waiting patiently.

by the time they had disembarked, got their luggage and had caught a flying taxi towards Devra’s home, they had been able to finally take in the scenery, and enjoy the view as they made their way back to postwick, a quiet little town full of wooloo keepers and families.

“you must be happy to get home, see the family, you’re old Pokemon.”

Devra had given the corviknight a warm hello when they were picked up, being familiar with his taxi team. “I’m super excited. I told mom we were coming the other day. I think she’s going to have tea and cake waiting for us. I think you’ll be happy for the tea. She says my Pokémon have all been keeping an eye out for me. I have a feeling there’s going to be a mob when I get of the taxi.” She laughed as she saw her house come into view, here eyes bright and happy.

The pair thanked the taxi driver, and his delightful Pokemon, watching them fly off, leaving them outside a quaint little home, the front door swinging open in haste, a woman stepping out, presumably Devra’s mother? Peach smiled a bit, trying to come off as pleasant, and let Dev take the lead here. In her pocket she could feel the pokeball shake, Val trying to get out.

“not yet bud, let’s just get settled, not long now.” She murmured very quietly, not drawing any attention to herself.

Devra glanced over at Peach, her own poke balls in hand. “You can let her out now Peach. Most of my guys know to be polite around new visitors.” She let out Coal and Aliza, the young ponyta snorting as she was finally able to stretch out. Devra quickly explained things to them before a loud cry was heard from the side of the house. “Oh boy...give me a second.” She got up and quickly put some space between the little group and the hoard of Pokémon coming at her. She soon disappeared in a mass of excited cries, her laugher still being heard.

This was...expected. Peach had caught Devra chatting on her phone across videos to a lot of these Pokemon, all shapes and sizes, so she took a perch on the fence out of the way, and let the mob rush over and get their affection out of their systems. The poor girl within the crowd was far from unhappy about it all, they seemed like relatively well behaved Pokemon. While the ruckus went on, she release her darling fire type, who shook her whole body thoroughly, hating the feel of pokeballs, sending little embers out of her fine fur, before seeing the group, and scaling a tree to be as far out of the way as possible. Peach looked up to her, a small almost unnoticeable grin on her face. “you’re probably right to get some distance, never been one for socialising hey buddy.” She grumbled, folded her legs up under her and sat like a loaf in the tree.

As Devra made her rounds through the mob, four figures bounded over to the grumpy woman. Two of them were applin, both rolling around at her feet. Then a smaller than normal dreepy floating slightly behind the excited little ponyta that stood happily in front of peach.

The quad of new and quite familiar Pokemon approached, Peach for once had no snacks in her pockets, fresh from the airport with its restrictions, she rummaged to no avail.

“ah sorry guys, I normally have snacks on me, I’ll have to go shopping sometime soon.” Instead holding her hand out to see if they wanted to sniff. The applin had her attention in particular, her trip to Galar was cut short due to a medical emergency back at the labs, so she never had a chance to catch any or observe them. “you’re all certainly very strong looking aren’t you.” The ponyta reminded her of home, in a weird way, growing up with the species just being around, she became use to them from an early age, though this youngster was Galarian and very different in appearance.

Devra looked over at peach and grinned, seeing her with four particular Pokémon. She managed to make her way over to the little group, her Gardevoir holding onto her harm as she went. “Looks like you met your surprise.”

“my what?” She was a little dense at times, head empty. By this point they’d gotten a bit closer to her, she had been able to pet them all a little, besides the Dreepy who was a little more shy from the looks of it. Val stayed high up and observed quietly, she was use to sharing her human, this was not new to her.

“Your surprise! You were so excited when you saw the Pokedex entries for applin, and curious about Dreepy. So I thought I’d get you a gift for all the help you’ve given me. The ponyta is kind of a bonus. The dreepy has gotten kind of attached to him, so I don’t think it would be smart to split them up.” She laughed as she was hugged buy the gallede as well, the two obviously fond of their human.

“wow, that’s really thoughtful of you, you know you didn’t have to do all this right? But thank you regardless.” Peach didn’t think she’d be getting a few team mates so fast, some may have to go home for now, they’d be too young for battling in the Crown Tundra just yet. “‘what do you all think then? You want to see if we get along? Don’t have to stick with me if you gave it a try and don’t enjoy it, but it’d be nice to get to know you all a lot more for sure.” She directed her questions to the Pokemon before her, not focusing on the little ghost type too much to not freak them out. It would certainly be nice to have the company, and there was no other fox pokemon so Val wasn’t bothered by their presence at all. With so many around it really felt a bit more like home.

Devra laughed as the applin bounced happily. “Oh don’t you worry. They’ve been super excited to meet you. I’ve been telling all about you and what you do for Pokémon. The dreepy has been excited too, but he’s just a little shy.”

“oh! So you all knew me before I even knew you, well that explains why you all came over so quickly.” The woman laughed a bit, noticing Val descend from the tree behind them, sitting bout a meter back from the others, there was a shimmer you could almost not notice around her, she was putting up a barrier to give herself some space, but seemed rather calm and not at all in discomfort around these new faces. Peach shifted to the side a bit, gesturing to her beloved partner. “well then everyone, meet Valka, she’s...well, family. hopefully you’ll all get along and learn a lot from each other. If you’re worried or want some advice, please ask me or Val and we’ll try to help.” Her attention shifted to the Dreepy who was still hiding a bit behind the Ponyta.

“‘Ah, and don’t worry little guy-“ her eyes glanced about secretively, trying to be a little less scary with her expressions, softening as she whispered a little to him. “‘you and me can be shy together, I’m not great with big crowds or lots of eyes on me either. If you ever think it’s too much for you, you can hide behind me and I’ll scare off whoever’s bothering ya, I’ll be the brave one when you can’t.” She did laugh, this wasn’t the first shy Pokemon she’d had to handle, and they had a lot of love to give normally, just took time to get them comfortable. Her attention now off of him, she let Val so her usual thing, advance to the group, sit in her lap, and discuss with the others, get ting to know them a bit. One applin seemed happy to crawl up onto the professors shoulder, the other wiggling up next to her leg where she sat.

“‘honestly Dev they’re all darlings, I’m sure we’ll all get along great in time.”

She grinned happily as she watched Peach with the little group. “I’m really glad it worked out. I was a little nervous that they still might be too shy. Well, besides the dreepy. Oh!” She dug in her bag and pulled out an odd looking apple. “I almost forgot this! It’s a Sweet Apple. You can use it to evolve one of the applin into an appleton.” There was a happy rumble from behind her as her own Appleton stepped forward. “There’s another apple called a Tart apple that can get you a flapple like mine too. But I haven’t been able to find one yet.”

The mention of the specific fruits found in Galar caught the professors attention, also noticing the big rounded Pokemon approach upon seeing it. The Appleton was actually surprisingly small for a dragon type, shin height, and possibly the cutest looking thing peach had seen in a while. She accepted the fruit thankfully and had to look it over, sniffing it, and all too tempted to take a bite to figure out what it’d be best suited to, from the name, it’d be a really good eating apple, the tart one however would be a cooking sort no doubt.

“ill have to keep my eye out, I must have missed this all last time I was here, good thing you kept your eyes peeled for this.” She let everyone of the new youngsters around her have a chance at looking over the apple too, even Val took a sniff. It was always good to let them see as much of the world as possible, and all the items it contained.

“Maybe one of the pair will like the chance to evolve one day, they’ve probably had time while staying here to meet your pair of Pokemon who chose to evolve, so who knows.” She looked to the two Applin who she had become very fond of quite quickly, they had surprisingly big personalities for such small species, giving each other grief at any given opportunity, like bickering siblings. “they’ll figure it out when they are ready.”

She smiled as she glanced back at the house, waving to her mom as she came to meet them now that the chaos had settled down. “My moms name is Olivia by the way. Not sure if I told you that.”

“you did not.” She said matter of factly, and stood to greet the woman who looked very happy to see her daughter. The woman herself had a fair bit of resemblance to Devra, they shared a few mannerisms too peach noticed while offering a smile and a handshake, which did slightly throw Olivia, she had intended to go for a hug, but saw the social queue and changed it up.

“it’s really nice to meet you, you’re daughters been a real asset out in Johto, you should come and visit her some time perhaps, see what she gets up to.”

Olivia smiles warmly at Peach as she shook hands with her. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you as well Professor. Devra has told me so much about you and the island. I’ll have to make a trip out some time. I’ve been meaning to take a holiday for some time now.” She then turned to her daughter and gave her a massive hug, inviting both of them inside for a rest before they continued their trip.

[bo-bo-bean]

Jingle Bell Rock and Roll

Mayday woke up with a grunt, her body feeling lazy and stiff. It usually did in the cold weather since she’s curled up in her blankets. However, Zuke was always an early bird in the winter, making them both cups of hot coffee to get started on the day. She stretched on her bed, not wanting to make it. She didn’t usually, but what was the point? It would get messy again and she loved messy beds. It’s like little caves and entrances.

She leaned over the edge and looked at the bottom bunk upside down. Zuke was already up, as she theorized, and had his bed made neatly. However… this morning seemed different.

She jumped to the bottom, landing on her hands and feet, then scuttled to the kitchen, sniffing the air. She smelled… ham? And some sort of vegetable dish, possibly regular steamed vegetables. She also smelled peppermint brownies, mashed potatoes… what was going on?

She got to the living room, Zuke dressed up in a Christmas sweater that had two drumsticks on it as a design, the sweater itself being green with red sleeves. He looked up, nose and ears red from being in the hot kitchen. Some sweat glistened on his forehead, to which he wiped a cloth on his face and stretched.

“Coffee’s on the table,” he announced to her.

She looked at him and made her way to the table, stumbling over Ellie once and then grabbed her cup. She drank it, the coffee filled with cream and doused with sugar and a hint of vanilla; just the way she liked it. But it also had a peppermint, mocha taste to it. Before she could question, Zuke noted her confused look and gestured to the calendar. She stared at it, almost dropping her drink.

“It’s Christmas Eve!?!?”

With that shock awakening her, she noticed the sewers were decorated. Gingerbread men and cups of cocoa paper cut outs were strung up with red and green lights around the walls, near the ceiling. There was a wreath where the table was, the table itself lined with a red table cloth, a holly centerpiece with nutmeg candles, making the sewers smelling just a bit better. The tree had all sorts of decorations with golden tinsel, white lights, red and green ornaments, and a lovely golden star on top. On TV, which Zuke had recently purchased from tips for his drumming, were some Christmas Classics of all sorts. She blinked and downed her coffee in one swoop. She had been waiting for this day! “Yes!!” she cheered out, running back into the bedroom. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yeeesss!!”

Zuke chuckled and checked on his ham. This year, they both decided to have the artists come over for Christmas. Some were reluctant, but with Tatiana’s encouragement, they all decided, ‘Why not?’ and went with the plan. Mayday was excited since it would be the first year everyone would be together! She felt like she was about to burst…!

She got in the closet and donned on a Santa dress, putting reindeer horns on her head and even adding red make up to her nose, then knee high boots that glistened black like coal. With a hop of joy and a spring in her step, she ran out to Zuke, thinking she could help, but didn’t know the first idea of cooking.

“Wanna set the gifts out?” he suggested. She nodded eagerly, acting like Santa’s little helper and putting the perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree, organizing them neatly. She looked at the stuffed stockings on the wall above a heater that looked like a fireplace. All were filled to the brim with toys, sweets, and all sorts of goodies. Her stocking was the most excitable to see. Zuke was Santa this year, as he always was since Mayday would be too eager to keep secrets and already she saw a little guitar candy dispenser. As if she didn’t need enough sugar. Zuke’s stocking was also full, but he let Mayday fill his and give him presents since he couldn’t do that for himself. She went all out this year for his buddy!

“When will they be here?” she wondered, jumping a bit in place.

“We agreed at two,” he laughed. Mayday whipped her head to see the clock. 9:43!?

“That’s…!” she stopped and counted her fingers. “Seven hours from now!”

“More than enough time to get this dinner ready and do any last minute Christmas shopping.”

She huffed and plopped herself on the couch. Zuke may be patient, but she wasn’t! All those presents needed to be dug into! The candy needed to be devoured! Feasts needed to be in her belly! Although… this did give her an idea. She was saving money and if she could earn a little extra more… she could get this gift for Zuke she’s been wanting to give him. So, sneakily and quietly, she devised a plan.

“Zuke, can I have fifty dollars?”

“Sorry, broke at the moment,” he told her.

Okay, plan A didn’t work. Still, she wouldn’t give up! She quickly grabbed her guitar and whipped it on her back.

“I’m going out!” she announced. Zuke gave a nod and up she went. Not only would she get the perfect gift, but it would be a time waster! She’ll be back and everything would be ready!!

Going through the plaza, it was truly magical. She stopped to take in the moment of the snowflakes drifting down from the skies, the snow piled up high around her knees, just below, and lights strung all about. Even though it was early, it was also dark enough to see them. People were out already, getting gifts and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as they passed. This was perfect!

She set up in front of the fountain, readying her guitar. She sat down and played, some people coming over and watching. She played some Christmas classics; Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells. As more people gathered, she looked up. “Tips are welcome…!” she beamed. With that, coins and dollar bills were put into a hat a man offered. She happily took requests anyone asked for bigger tips.

As she played, Yinu saw her with her mama, smiling and going over.

“Hi, Mayday!”

The orange girl still played lightly as she looked down at the blonde, then up at the red figure approaching. Yinu was dressed in a lovely silver coat and little boots, her waist in the snow. Her mother wore a golden long coat, smiling at the guitarist.

“Merry Christmas,” she spoke softly.

“Thanks!” she beamed right back.

“Why are you out here playing?” Yinu wondered.

“Just for tips! I have this awesome gift for my buddy and I only need just a bit more!”

The mother gave a smile. Sure, Mayday was a hassle, but so was Yinu. If anything, she saw Mayday as a second child almost. Almost. She dug in her wallet and pulled out a five.

“Hope you get what you need,” she told her. Mayday offered a large smile as the two left, Yinu jumping up and down in the snow in order to get anywhere.

As soon as blisters opened up in her fingers, she stopped playing and bowed. They were cracking under the cold. With a wince she hid well, she bowed before everyone, who offered more tips and left. Mayday emptied the hat, returned it to the man, and sat on the side of the fountain to count the change and bills.

“13.43.. 13.48… 14.50… okay, lots of dollars short but I can’t keep playing…” she huffed. She stuffed the money in her pocket, as well as her hands after swinging her guitar over her back. After double checking to see if she left any change, she found nothing and tried to formulate another plan. “I can’t give up. This is the perfect gift!”

Fifty dollars, that’s all she needed! She glanced at the clock near the center of the plaza, seeing it was at 10:21. She still had time! And she had another plan!

Christmas in Akusuka was always pretty. Pastel sweets, gentle lighting, enchanting vibes all around. And the people here were so nice! Sure, she couldn’t play, but no one said anything about singing!

… okay so she wasn’t a singer. Never was, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t try. Going to the center, she shook off her nervousness. People were already crowding around to see what was going on. They could tell already there was a performance.

‘Well if I don’t sing well, I might get pity or comedy money,’ she thought to herself, trying to make herself more comfortable.

With a chilled breath in… she sang. Meanwhile, Zuke got on the couch, watching the movie as he let some food either chill, set, or cook. He had a mental timer in his head. As he watched, Ellie scampered up on the couch and onto his lap. He had put her in a sweater and had a tail stocking so she wouldn’t get cold. He tried mittens, but she kept walking backwards in fear, so he took them off.

He stroked Ellie’s back and began to drum his fingers on it to the tune of Christmas tunes. Ellie appreciated the drumming, it felt like. Although Zuke seemed cool headed at the moment, inside… he was freaking out.

“... you think the food will be okay?” he asked Ellie, not expecting an answer. “I mean… I know the food shouldn’t be a big concern, but I’ve never cooked for so many people. I know they’re bringing food as well, but what if the ham is dry or what if the mashed potatoes aren’t good? What about the gravy? What if-”

“Mraaa!” Ellie squeaked out. Zuke looked down at her and chuckled.

“You’re right, you’re right… I need to chill,” he nodded. He took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee, it being bitter, just the way he liked it. But no one said he couldn’t add some peppermint spice to it.

With coffee in hand and a reptile on his lap, it was impossible to not calm down. He continued to drum his fingertips along her scales, then looked at the clock.

“May’s been out for a while…” he noted. “Think she’s okay?”

Ellie gave a happy look to him, thumping her tail on the couch. He chuckled and booped her snout lightly. “I just want to make this perfect, you know? I’ve never had Christmas with anyone but Mayday… having this would be like the good old times… before college… where… everyone was happy.”

While Mayday looked to the future, Zuke longed for the past. When he had a smile everyday, still admired his brother, not having the huge fight, not fighting a revolution to bring equality to the system… but no one said he regretted it. As long as Mayday was here, how bad could it be for his future?

Mayday finished singing, knowing for sure she squeaked more than a chihuahua with a toy bone on a sugar high. Some people laughed, thinking it was an act and tossed some money. Others left with disgusted faces, some gave pity money. When they left, she counted it up and checked to see if there was any leftover in the snow. Drat… 25.23…

“Oh come on…!” she whined out. “... no it’s okay! I’m halfway there!”

“Oh my! Mayday!” she heard an unforgettable voice pipe up behind her. Sayu, looking as cheerful as ever with the costume of a gingerbread man, as sweet as her.

“Heeeey, Sayu…!” she waved. “What’s happening?”

“Well, I heard a cat crying for help, like it was injured and I wanted to see if it was okay! Have you seen it anywhere?”

Mayday turned a shade of red and looked away.

“U-Um well… you’re staring at her…”

“Huh? Oh. Oooh! Ooh…” Sayu put a finger through her chin as she went through four different emotions at once. “Well you’ll get better, I’m sure of it!”

“It doesn’t matter,” she grunted. “I’m trying to earn money for a great gift for Zuke, but I don’t-”

“For Zuke!?” she gasped. “Did you two finally-!?”

“Noooo! No no, not like that, as buddies!”

“Ehek! Okay, okay! Well, just in case…!”

Sayu offered some money of her own, it being sound seven dollars and… a mistletoe?

“... Sayuuuu…”

“Oh my! How did that get in there?” she giggled. “Well you can keep it! I better go! Bye bye!”

Mayday looked at the money, thankful anyway. … maybe she could sell the mistletoe. Well, time for plan D.

Turns out, you can’t sell mistletoe, so she just tied it to her antlers. Her legs were getting weak and her fingers cold and sore. Not to mention she was red after that embarrassment. So, what do people love on Christmas? Hot drinks! Sure, she’d have to spend SOME money she earned, but she could make a quick buck offering a styrofoam cup of hot chocolate!

She already had her station set up at Metro Division, people swarming for the Christmas merchandise. She found a suitable spot near a popular 1010 shop and got a box, setting up her stands with hot cocoa powder, a powered kettle, cups, and whipped cream. This set her back to 10.23, but it would be worth it! … she thinks.

“Hot cocoa!” she announced. “Enjoy the snowy day of Christmas Eve with a warm, inviting, delectable cup of hot chocolate!”

People were already interested. She charged a dollar a cup, two if they wanted whipped cream. It was all going well until she needed more water, a line forming. “Uuuh just a second folks! I need some water!”

She ran into the store, looking for the bathroom when she saw 1010 gathered at the front. They all looked amazing, dressed as Nut Crackers. So handsome… gentlemanly… No no, get it out of your head!

She rushed to the bathroom, filled the kettle, and then rushed back out, bumping into Rin.

“Ah! White! Rin! Hot! Um, water is hot! Uh, going to be hot! Um, hi!” she stuttered over her words like gravel. Rin chuckled lightly.

“What elegance such as yourself doing alone on a cold day like today?” he raised an eyebrow. Mayday could feel herself melt, forgetting the cold.

“A-aaah um just… you… no I mean, me. Uh, no, I am just… selling hot 1010, CHOCOLATE!! Hot chocolate! Uh, need to! Um, money and…”

Rin couldn’t help but giggle at her flusteredness. It was honestly adorable. His giggle drove Mayday’s pink face to a full on red.

“I’d love to try some, seeing it would be made by your amazing hands, but alas, I cannot have liquids…”

She nodded respectfully, or tried to without going into a puddle of swoon. “But perhaps I can help…”

He went to his brothers and then came back with what seemed to be a twenty dollar bill. May’s heart sky-rocketed. All of the money she lost, it was now paid back. She gleefully took the bill and hugged Rin, her up a foot off the ground.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank yooouuuuuu!!!”

Rin laughed and let her hug him for a bit more before hoisting her by the waist and putting her on the ground.

“Can’t wait to see you at the party…~” he lifted her chin before walking off. She sighed out in a shakily manner, but slapped herself silly and got right back to work!

The line was long and some people were leaving, so she had no time to lose. As she poured cups, everyone was making a hassle.

“Hey, I asked for whipped cream…!”

“Uh, that isn’t nearly enough powder…”

“Excuse me, is this gluten free?”

“Hey, too much powder!”

“I didn’t ask for whipped cream!”

In the struggle, she poured a cup too quickly, hot water making contact with her hand. She yelped and held it, feeling it already blistering up. With some breaths and a few tears in her eyes, she quickly finished up and ran to an alleyway, putting snow on her burn and then looking at it. It looked bad… really bad… Maybe Zuke would know what to do, but she had to focus!

Back at the money, she counted. 34.23! She was getting close!! So it was off to Dream Fever!!

Zuke finished checking the ham, his heart racing a little. 11:43… Where was Mayday? Why was she out for so long…? He would check on her, but that would be a risk of burning the place down. He grabbed his phone and shot a message.

‘hey, mayday this is zuke. get back to me when you can.’

He sent it, staring at the phone for five minutes until it buzzed. He snatched it up and looked.

“I’m good, buddy! Almost done and then I’ll be home! Hey, can you make those gingerbread men that look like instruments?”

He chuckled and texted back an agreed answer, thankful she was okay, at least… Still, he couldn’t help but worry about her. They’ve been buddies for a long time. Without her, it was like there was no fire to help his waters warm up. And her without him, who would douse her out? Still, if she was doing well, giving her some time was the least he could do. He turned his attention to the pie dough he was rolling and got right back to it. “... just please be home soon…” he sighed.

The Dream Fever district. A land of confusion and puzzlement to Mayday. She had to think of another plan… She can’t strum, her fingers were aching, freezing the wounds. She couldn’t sing, she couldn’t make cocoa… what else could she do…? She looked down with a thought and then perked up. Dancing!! She loved to dance, no matter how goofy! Her and Zuke danced and waltz around all of the time in the sewers before collapsing on the ground, laughing. He brought her so many laughs… so much joy. She needed this gift...

Walking her way through, she couldn’t tell the difference of the decorations since everything was so… artsy. Since she couldn’t make cocoa anymore, a bright idea of selling the kettle popped in her head. After going into an antique shop and warming up, she sold it and took the time to look at her hands. A blister the size of a ping pong ball rested on her left hand, her fingertips covered in dried blood. She shoved her hands in her pockets, feeling the money. She forgot the pain for a few seconds and got five dollars back for the kettle.

Now it was time to bust a move!! … although she had no idea what music was playing. It was so… off. Sure, it had some jingle bells and little sparks, but that’s all she could hear. Nonetheless, she did her best to dance! She stepped left… then right. ‘Good start, good start.’ She stepped back and took a jump forward, matching her moves to the beats as much as she could. She swayed her hips a bit to make it look like she was dancing and make people crowd around with confusion.

With a grin, she beamed at them all and did little dances, rolling her arms with each other, moonwalking, all she could think of in a moment’s panic. Some offered some coins, rarely bills, then left. Whatever, she just needed enough! As she attempted to skid across the ‘stage’, she yelped as her leg gave out. Something hurt. Her ankle, it must’ve popped. Watchers winced and offered hands, but she was in a lot of pain. She didn’t show it through sadness, but frustration.

“Stupid snow!!” she shouted at it, punching it. “Stupid ice!!” She punched a nearby ice puddle, it crackling. “Stupid, stupid, stupi-”

“Mayday!”

Eve and Tatiana both rushed over. They helped her to a bench and sat with her.

“What is going on?” Tatiana demanded to know.

“I’m… trying to get money,” she sheepishly admitted to Kul Fy-er Tatiana.

“Money? From that monkey circus act you did?”

“Hey, no need to rub it in!” she snapped at Eve. “I’ve been doing all sorts of things to try and get Zuke a perfect gift! I’m earning money, too! So that’s something.”

“You’ve earned 5.25 from that dance.”

“It’s something!”

“Mayday, you need to relax,” Tatiana offered. Mayday looked at the clock, seeing the time was now 12:37.

“No! No, time!” she stumbled to her feet. Her ankle was shooting with pain, but she trudged along. Eve looked at Tatiana, who sighed.

“I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Mayday sat down after a while, breathing heavily. She counted the money…

“Okay, 34.23 plus… 10.25… five and three make eight… two plus two is four… eighty four cents and… 44…! 44. 84! Yes, so close!!”

She took a break and tried to think of another plan… she just had to think of something. Her mind was running on fumes. It hurt… Her head hurts so much… “... for Zuke…” she told herself, struggling to stand again. “For Zuke… For Zuke… For Zuke… what would he do…?”

… she knew what he would do. Go back home to her and relax… but she can’t do that! She has to get more money! She was so close!! Something, something… anything…

She found herself in front of the planetarium an hour later, panting and wheezing. She was cold… in pain… but this was the last resort. She opened the doors, DJ Subatomic Supernova taking a glance.

“Mayday?” he tipped his head.

“Please…!” she got on her knees. “I-I need some money…! Just some…! Enough…!”

“... I didn’t think begging would be something you would do,” he admitted with a chuckle. But when he saw her wounds, he quickly got up from his seat and went to her side. “What on Earth…?”

“Just some…! Any…!”

“Mayday, this begging seems preposterous. You are injured, you need to go back home. The party is-”

“Don’t remind me!!” she snapped. “I know about the party! I cracked my fingers open, I have a boil on my hand, I twisted my ankle, humiliated  myself in front of an entire district! Two of them!! I know about the party, I’m trying to get a present for Zuke! I’m so close! I need… I need…”

She couldn’t think of the amount, she felt so tired. DJSS quickly grabbed his jacket and wrapped it around her.

“Take this,” he told her. “You simpletons are always so fragile.” He tried to crack a joke, but saw it wasn’t the time. “Apologies.”

“Wh-whatever… just… I need… I need… money…”

He could only look at her and then got up. He got a bill and offered it. Mayday took it, seeing it was ten dollars. This… this was it. It was enough! She beamed and hugged it, tearing up.

“Perhaps you want to rest before you-”

“Thank you!!!”

She sprang to her feet, clutching the jacket and wincing before running out with a limp. He held out a hand… but then put it down.

“... my jacket…”

Getting close. Getting close. That’s what she repeated to herself as she ran to the store. There was the poster. Electronic drumsticks! That would make the perfect beats, never break, had grips! She saw Zuke eyeing them, talking about them, and they were only $250.00, which she had! Her leg felt like it was about to give out. Faster, faster, faster!!

Before she could take another step, she slipped down onto the ice. Her head hit the ground, ice cracking under. Her vision blurred as the clock chimed 2:00. Coins rolled out to some sewer grates that weren’t fully frozen over yet and her bills fluttered out and into the wind. With a squeak, she passed out on the ground.

“Mayday?” Zuke looked in the bedroom. Almost everyone was here except for her… he had texted, but no response. When the other artists told him they’ve seen her, it brought him some relief.

DJ Sub quickly clattered down the ladder. She opened the door, panting.

“DJ?” Zuke looked up at him.

“Fashionably late, as al-”

“May’s in trouble!” he sputtered out, interrupting Eve’s comment. They all went silent, Zuke going pale.

“... trouble…?”

2:50. Mayday had curled up in an alleyway, head throbbing and sniffling. She messed up… she messed it all up… how could she? How could she not get this very special gift for her buddy?

People stopped and asked if she was okay, but she ignored them. The streets were already plucked clean of the dollar bills by lucky passerbyers. She didn’t care. She messed up Christmas. She let her friend down… and she was cold…

She curled up in the jacket, wanting to search the pockets, but she wouldn’t stoop that low.

“... I just want to hear Zuke…” she wobbled out a sob. “... just… please…”

He must hate her, she thought. What kind of friend was she? She just let down her bestest buddy…

“Mayday!!”

“And that’s how it would start…” she shrugged. “Shouting my name in anger…”

“Mayday! Hey!”

“I would get the lecture… the hate…”

“Mayday!! Over here!!!”

“And he wouldn’t want to see me…”

“Mayday!!!!!”

The louder shout made her look weakly, seeing Zuke, looking worried as hell.

“Zuke…” she blinked, more tears falling out. The artists were behind him, looking worried as well. She looked up at him… then sobbed. “I’m sorreeheeheee!!!” she wailed, hugging his legs. They were so warm. “I didn’t mean toohoohoo! I didn’t!! I wanted to-wanted to make this-this the best Christmas for you!” She stopped only by her hiccups and coughs, hugging his legs tighter. The artists could only watch in sadness and awkwardness. “You wanted those drumsticks! I know you did! B-but I did everything I could! I sang, I sold cocoa, played songs, danced, begged! I had it all! And then I fell from my ankle and it’s gone! It’s all gohohone!!”

“... May…” he bent down to her, wiping away her cheeks. Mayday sniffled in, covered in tears and snot. “I don’t need those drumsticks…”

“B-but you wanted them!” she wailed. He stopped her by putting his hands on her cheeks, warming them up.

“Wanted. But Christmas… this Christmas, what I NEEDED was you… my best buddy…”

“... Zuke…” she wiped her eyes. He offered a gentle smile and scooped her up. She put her head against his chest, whimpering. She was so cold. She just wanted to go home now…

An hour later, Mayday opened her eyes, seeing Ellie on her belly and Eve next to her. She looked up at her, Eve smiling. She looked down, her ankle wrapped, fingers bandaged and her head having a warm damp cloth on it.

“... did I pass out…?” she weakly asked. Eve gave a nod and offered some hot chocolate. She took it and drank it down. Zuke rushed over, breathing a sigh of relief as he offered her a plate of dinner.

“... Mayday… you doing okay?”

“... I still feel horrible… emotionally and physically…”

“... May…” he sighed a bit. “You had me worried sick…” With shame, she averted his gaze until he propped something on her lap. She looked down, it being a present. “Open it.”

She was about to argue that presents were after dinner, but seeing his face, she couldn’t refuse. A little painfully, she took off the wrapping until Zuke helped, there being a box. She opened it, looking inside. Guitar picks… no… not just guitar picks.

Specially made picks with pictures on her, Zuke, Ellie, Tatiana, everyone on them all specially made. There were so many, even memories she almost forgot. Their first Christmas party, when they first met, Zuke doing Mayday’s hair, Mayday messing up Zuke’s hair, when they got Ellie… she couldn’t help but tear up for the second time that day.

“... these are… these…”

“Merry Christmas…” he smiled. She looked up at him, lip quivering. Tatiana secretly had a camera ready, set up to take a shot. Mayday put the box aside, quickly jumping on Zuke, hugging him, sobbing.

“I love you, Zuke!” she wailed in his shoulder. “Th-thank you! Th-thank yoohoohoouu!!”

He smiled and hugged her back, then lifted her up a bit. He saw the mistletoe in her antlers, giving a chuckle.

“Was that on purpose?” he wondered. Mayday was confused at what he meant, but when she felt her antlers, she blushed.

“I-... not really,” she chuckled. Zuke giggled and sat up, planting a platonic kiss on her forehead, the camera clicking right then.

“T-Tatiana!” Zuke scoffed.

“I got you kiddos and this picture is being saved,” she laughed. Mayday couldn’t help but giggle and hug Zuke again.

“... wish I couldn’t gotten you those drumsticks though… they were the perfect gift..”

“Mayday… you are the perfect gift for me…”

With that, they officially got the party started, but Zuke stayed with Mayday most of the party. Not only tending to her wounds, but making sure she was happy. And with Zuke and these artists who claimed her as family… how could she not be?

@nsr-simp

[shnuggletea]

More of the AWARD WINNING FANFICTION! Wooo I don't see myself getting tired of that. Thank you all for voting, reading, reviewing, and just being amazing people in general. Cause even if all you did was read, you still made my day. I write to share and to have you guys come back and say "we love what you're doing there" really makes me want to keep on. My ego is going to get so big guys, I'm not even kidding. Thank you @feudalconnection for hosting and to everyone that took the time to read, nominate, and vote!

Many of you expressed... interest in some loving between the lovely couple. This chapter has my response to that! Get ready for some heat!

Fanfiction HERE

AO3 HERE

Chapter Eleven

"So Kagome, how are things?"

Maten sat across from her, next to Inuyasha who had graced them with his presence for this meal. A rare occurrence and now Maten and his brother sat with them as well. Their table was getting so full.

"I'm fine. How are you? Your bones have healed nicely."

He chuckled and blushed slightly. Her eyes danced to Inuyasha just in time to catch him rolling his eyes. Hiten sat his elbows on the table and rubbed his hands together as if making up a master plan. "Have you been in the basement lately?"

She wasn't really sure what she was allowed to say about that, again glancing at Inuyasha who gave her a small shake of his head. "Yeah, a little."

"Naraku's going to be really gunning for you then. That prick, it's not like you have a choice." Maten growled.

"They still have you going into the basement? Why didn't you tell us, Kagome?"

Shippo's eyes were large and glistening as if saddened not to be in the loop. She quickly patted his head affectionately. "Oh, it's so… boring and gross down there. I didn't think it was a big deal."

The things one has to tell children to keep them appeased. Shippo smiled again and wagged his tail. It was so adorable, she couldn't stop herself from also giving him a fierce hug. Kagome just didn't understand why Inuyasha was frowning so deeply when she looked at him again. Miroku was grinning like the cat that got the canary. But that wasn't really anything new, he always had that face when Inuyasha was upset. A strange Ying-Yang the two of them were.

Miroku was still looking at Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye when he leaned his face onto his palm, his elbow resting on the table. "And Koga has left you alone as well, right? Since becoming my woman?"

Inuyasha cringed as did Maten. The two of them looked at one another for a silent moment but it was full of disdain as if sizing one another up. All of that was then turned onto Miroku, still grinning like a fool while two powerful demons glared down at him.

A distraction was needed big time. "So uh… do you guys celebrate Christmas in here?" That did it, all eyes on Kagome in shock before bursting into laughter. All except Shippo who, sadly, just looked confused. "A simple 'no' would suffice." She muttered.

"What's Chriksmas?"

They sobered at that, Shippo's small voice questioning made them all morose, Kagome the most. But then it made her determined, jumping up from her seat and pumping a fist up towards her chest. "I'm going to make Christmas come this year!"

"How? We all know you're 'magical' but unless you got a unicorn hidden up your ass…" Inuyasha started but then stopped and she realized it was because he was now staring at her butt.

Hopping over her chair, she only stumbled a little bit. "I have my ways! Just you wait and see!"

Storming away, she didn't stop until she was standing before the Warden's office door. She hadn't really thought up of a plan at all but Shippo's confused voice kept playing over and over in her head. Christmas was meant to be spent with loved ones. Full of joy and presents and cake and fried chicken… okay so she seriously doubted she could get all those things but it was worth a try.

The guards in the hall had barely noticed her existence so when they suddenly shifted and tensed, she noticed, only to get grabbed hard by her bicep and dragged away from the door. Even without seeing his wild, white hair, she knew who it was. Cause no one else dared to mess with her lately or as much as Inuyasha did.

"Are you NUTS?! Leave it alone, Kagome!"

"Did you see Shippo's face?!"

He stopped now that they were out of earshot of the Warden's door and the few guards nearby. "Yes. It's the same look on all the younger one's faces when you mention things like Christmas, holidays in general, or birthdays. But it ain't worth whatever the Warden is gonna ask you for in return for some shitty decorations and bullshit gifts!"

Bowing her head, she knew he was right. "It's just… not right."

"There's a lot of shit in here that ain't right, Mate."

She giggled a little, even though she was still sad. "You know, we don't share a cell anymore. We aren't cellmates so I'm not your Mate."

"Aren't you?"

Confused, she pulled her eyes from his chiseled chest to his face, finding him completely serious. They were really close, when had they gotten so close? Had they been like this since he stopped dragging her? She hadn't even noticed or cared. Inuyasha's attention was the only attention she ever wanted but it was rare and fleeting. This was the first time they had been alone since he showed her his weakness almost a month ago.

She studied his eyes, watching the golden color of them as they burned like coals in a fire. And he studied hers, dancing, twitching left and right. It wasn't until the pad of his thumb brushed her cheekbone that her heart picked up its pace, galloping inside her chest. He glanced down, right at her heart, telling her he heard it. It didn't deter or stop him, his claws gently scratching her scalp as he dug his fingers into her hair. Wearing it up, as he suggested, he couldn't get very deep. It forced him to place his paw on top of her strands, seeming irritated about it until he began rubbing the shell of her ear with his thumb.

"You are so… " He started but then stopped. "Koga isn't bothering you anymore, is he?"

With his face an inch or so from hers and his warm breath covering her skin as he spoke, the question felt so strange. Given the reason Koga left her alone was thanks to Miroku stroking her ass daily. "Y… yyeah."

"Good." For some reason, that caused him to drop his touch and step away. "Then the plan is working."

He was a foot away when two demons turned onto the hall they had been sharing, looking over the shell shocked Kagome with little interest and continuing on their way. Inuyasha kept on, not looking back with his hands shoved in his pockets. But she swore she saw him shaking.

oOo

Inuyasha was right, she couldn't go to the Warden for something as silly as Christmas decorations. But she could make some gifts.

No one took note of the silly White as she carefully scoured the yard, the early, cold December air not keeping anyone from their time in the open. She was pretty sure Demons weren't bothered by things like temperature. Kagome had to keep moving or freeze to death, which helped with her cover as she looked for anything worthwhile around the yard, the infirmary, even the shitty 'crafts' room that had more cobwebs than a haunted house. She was pretty sure there were some ghosts inside it too.

The few that looked her way didn't seem to care or find it strange that the yard was littered with teeth. It had freaked her out at first but since no one showed any interest when she picked a few up, Kagome had to assume they were shed naturally or something. They weren't very large, not much longer than the Kanine from a human's mouth. Most showed how little dental hygiene was taken seriously, the teeth porous and decayed straight through in places. But being a demon tooth, they all had survived past some damage and were strong as well as pearly white.

Using the odd things she found around; teeth, beads, pretty rocks, and surgical thread, Kagome felt pretty good about her offerings. They weren't anything special but they were better than nothing!

The 'craft' room also had a few scraps of pretty paper she used to wrap her gifts as well as make a handful of paper cranes. Which gave her an idea.

There were far too many children in the place but she was able to gather them all up. One of the benefits of being 'the doctor' she knew all of them when she made them come for a check-up. A few were still angry for the shots she gave them but they needed to be immunized with the runes making them susceptible to disease. The ones that had been inside since before they could remember, or who had an adult to ask for them, got shots. None of them had a parent in here with them and shivered at the thought.

Luckily, there weren't too many otherwise Kagome wouldn't have gotten approval for the drugs. And she would have probably gone into a depressed spiral if there were a lot of children who had never seen the 'outside' before.

She didn't dare think about the ones that weren't lucky enough to make it into this prison, taken by Shikon instead.

Now, surrounded by blue, their eyes were rapt with fascination as she taught them how to make paper cranes. Bright colored paper that matched their bright hair or eyes or skin. One little girl had pretty dark pink skin with beautiful golden hair. The 'craft' room was nearly overflowing with origami paper and she had to assume they used to use it as some kind of therapy for the more violent inmates.

Even with a few funky, Kagome and the children made long strands of cranes that they ran around to hang anywhere they could. If they didn't get ripped down by a Guard or pissy Demon, then she hoped the decorations would stay up year-round.

They really brightened up the place.

Down to her last strand, she slowly approached Inuyasha's cell, everyone stuck inside thanks to the rain outside. He sat on his bed, as usual, book in his hands. She crept up but she knew he was aware of her, his ears flipping back and dipping to his skull. She had to assume he did that to try and hide the small twitch they did, which he failed, the tips dancing ever so slightly as she carefully made it to the open bars.

Taking her eyes off him for a second, she got up on her toes and tied the bright, rainbow-colored strand to the top of his cell bars, making sure to knot it tight for when the door closed later that night.

When she fell back to her heels, there was no shock that his eyes were on her. She had felt them go to her as soon as she tipped up on her toes. They were wide and quivering. "Merry Christmas, Inuyasha."

Amber orbs shot back to the cranes then pushed back to his book. He said nothing and again she wasn't shocked. Nor offended. In the last eight months, she had learned how Inuyasha worked. And she knew exactly how he felt when he said nothing.

He was happy. And that terrified him.

oOo

It was interesting, now that Kagura had a small bump, how the crowds parted for her. It was as if the other Demons were enamored, the life that grew inside Kagura more than just a baby demon. Kagome could see it in their eyes as Kagura passed.

The baby was treasured.

And not just by its parents, Sesshomaru never showed emotion except when around Kagura now. It melted Kagome's heart, watching as Sess protected Kagura from zero threats, sat her down, and either made her eat or comforted her in some manner. Today, it was to rub her shoulders, sitting her in his lap while the others gossiped around the picnic table.

Using her shirt, Kagome had all the gifts she's made tossed into the 'bowl' she created. It made the frigid air waft up her belly and ribs so she was trying to hurry, tossing the crudely wrapped presents to all those who sat at the table. Kagome was glad the creepy teenager had stopped hanging out with Kagura's group, she didn't make her a gift.

It was seconds later that Jakotsu, Kanna, Kagura, and even Sesshomaru were holding up the strands that held one demon tooth and a few pretty beads around it.

"Oooooooh no one has given me jewelry before! Does it usually look this… dull?" Jakotsu wined but Kagome expected that.

Sesshomaru ignored the noise, looked sternly up at her, but that was how he always looked. "This is truly an amazing gift. I'm surprised you could pull this off in here."

He didn't say any more, putting his on quickly and fixing Kagura's on. The other two looked confused but given Sesshomaru's eagerness, they followed suit.

Crossing the yard, she gave Miroku, Shippo, Maten, and Hiten theirs. She put three teeth on Shippos just in case. The rest of the Demons didn't give a care, not receiving a gift. Which was why she felt the fire on the back of her neck, glancing behind to find Koga glowering at her. He couldn't seriously think she would give him anything after all he did to her and her friends?

Inuyasha was nowhere in sight, a usual occurrence as of late, but she wasn't going to give him his gift in public anyway. She understood his angry distance but that didn't mean she wanted his cruelty when she handed him the gift she worked hard on for weeks. Even if it was faked.

He would be stopping by the infirmary in a couple of days anyway, new moon and all.

After they put them on, Kagome insisted they all put the necklace under their shirts. She didn't know who in here knew the significance but if anyone knew it could spell trouble. Sesshomaru already had his crew hide them but not take them off. So he clearly understood and knew the value. He was an old Demon, that much was obvious. Kagome had no clue how many were as old as him in the prison. Or if the Warden was knowledgeable.

More than a gift, her presents were worth the risk in her mind. Especially if they worked as she hoped they did.

oOo

The hot shower had made her finger burn, getting so cold outside from handing out her presents it was a wonder she didn't get frostbite. As much as she hated the idea, Kagome was pretty sure she'd have to wait until Spring before she could go outside again.

It was still a few days away from Christmas but she knew she was going to freeze, going around handing them out. Freetime was her only chance and with everyone still heading outside, she hadn't had a choice. So she timed it with her shower day, planning to warm up immediately after.

Only getting the luxury three times a week, Kagome shared the shower with many other demons. Kanna stood next to her and Kagura was on the other side. The two didn't take as long as she did tonight, enjoying the steaming water more than usual. It warmed her all the way down to her shaking bones.

"I'm exhausted," Kagura moaned, looking over at Kagome, "you okay if I head out first?"

Kagome had no fears. "Of course! I'll see you tomorrow."

A few moments later and Kanna shut off her stream and wrapped a towel around herself. "I'm off," was all the quiet girl said and it was more than usual.

A female guard stood ideal, bored, while the rest either wrapped a little white towel around themselves tight or just walked around nude. Kagome was the former, covering her body from even female eyes but also caging in the residual warmth of the water on her heated skin. A few laughed oddly as they passed her, dressed again and out the door. It was weird, she was completely alone. Even the guard had left already but Kagome wasn't the one they needed to guard. All those that were in need of watch had left already.

She opened her locker and blinked a few times. Then quickly opened the one next to it. And the next. And then next. But they were all empty.

Her clothes were gone.

No one had gone out in White scrubs, she would have noticed that. Someone took them and did something with them. What, she didn't know but in her freaked out haze, she started searching all over the showers and in the lockers. But her clothes or the clothes of anyone else weren't there.

All she had was her towel.

The keys to the infirmary had been in her pocket so they were also missing. As much as she trusted running around all the other demons in a towel, she trusted the guards even less. They would probably take her infirmary keys away for good. Or make her do something terrible to get them to unlock the door. All of her clothes were in there as well. Kagome was well and screwed.

There was really only one choice and she wasn't sure it was all that good. Going to the door, she took a deep breath and the handle in her hand. Then she pulled with all her might and darted out. Not stopping, not even to look at the guards, Kagome moved as fast as her human legs would take her. It didn't help that she was wet and on her bare feet, it made cutting corners difficult as she slipped around on the tile floor. All the warmth she had gained from her shower was wasted, the jail not that warm to begin with and now she was running through it with nothing to speak of on her body.

She passed Demons, all stopping short of what they were doing to look at her. They were shocked. So was she, but she didn't stop. Especially when a few turned from what they were doing and started to follow her. She took a quick and panicked glance behind herself to see a handful of men creeping behind her. With their speed, they could easily catch her, they were just enjoying the chase.

Skidding around the last corner, she pushed her lungs and legs to their limit, grabbing the bars of the cell to swing herself inside. Inuyasha jumped upright and then to his feet, his book falling to the floor. "What the fuck?!"

"Clothes….stolen….shower…..no keys….." She panted.

Kagome wasn't sure Inuyasha could understand or if he was even listening, his eyes glazed over as he stared up and down her body. He shook his head hard and then shuffled towards the cell door. "And you came here?"

"Where else...could I go….?"

"I don't know, Kanna? Kagura? One of your female friends?! Hell, even Jakostu would have been safer!"

She honestly hadn't even considered it. Partly because she didn't know where their cells were other than on the other side of the prison from the showers. But mostly because Inuyasha was the one she trusted most.

Kagome tried to think of a reply, planning on just being honest when the gaggle of men following her appeared at the door. Inuyasha was the only thing between them and her and Kagome suddenly regretted coming here. It put Inuyasha at great risk.

Standing tall, he didn't hesitate to face the crowd, holding his head up high. He only moved if one of them tried to look around him to her, shifting his weight to keep her blocked from sight as much as possible. She stood still, frozen with worry and fear for her 'Mate' as he stood up for her in a very public manner.

"We saw her first." One growled.

"Doesn't fucking matter, cause I got her first," Inuyasha growled back.

Kagome felt like meat, the first time truly understanding how precarious her well being was here. All it took was some missing clothes and she was up for grabs. It was sickening and terrifying all at once.

A different one chuckled, "Then you should hand her over when you're done."

"Sharing is caring," another one mocked.

Stepping back, Inuyasha grabbed his cell door and slammed it shut in an impressive show of strength. It wobbled a little from the abuse, even with the runes in place, Inuyasha made thick iron shudder from his strength.

The group got the message and backed up. But stayed in eyesight, watching. It made her skin crawl.

Inuyasha stepped up to her, towering over Kagome and she simply looked up. Maybe he expected her to back up or cower but she had absolutely no fear of him even as his eyes glowed red in the dim room. Without saying a word, he pulled off his shirt and handed it to her. Kagome tried to take it without fumbling but Inuyasha's naked chest was before her. So close she could feel the heat of his skin on her arms and cheeks.

And he definitely had the body to support his show of strength.

"Put that on and get in the bed." She nodded, carefully getting her arms and head in while dodging the tucked end of her towel when she pulled it over her torso. "Under the sheets and don't come out."

She had the wet towel off and on the floor when she tiptoed to the bed. Inuyasha growled and took deep breaths behind her before she ducked under the sheet as ordered. When she rolled over to look at him, his eyes were still red and on her. He soon turned and stood by the door instead.

Watching his back, she was happy his hair was up on top of his head because his taut muscles were rolling with tension. It made her warm all over. But not enough, the cold bleeding through the walls. Kagome was cold on a regular evening with all her clothes on. Tonight, she was freezing.

It wasn't long until her shivering body had Inuyasha's attention again. "Goddammit." He fussed before turning on his heel and climbing into the bed next to her. "Face the wall!"

She had been watching him, unable to take her eyes off of him. At his harsh tone, she turned and looked at the white-painted cinder blocks instead. As soon as she settled, Inuyasha's arms surrounded her. There was no control, her body so cold she snuggled as deep as possible into his hold.

The lights went out and she knew the rabble after her was long gone. Warm and relaxed, she took in her situation completely. Inuyasha had one arm under her head between the gap of her neck and the mattress. The other hand rested on her belly, splayed fingers making it cover her from her belly button to her ribs. And she was naked, nothing other than Inuyasha's shirt on her skin. The shirt that he never replaced with another, his bare arms and chest pressing into her. It had their arms skin against skin.

All that and she felt nothing but safe, cocooned in the only person she truly and deeply trusted enough to be like this with. And Kagome didn't just mean inside the prison. Inuyasha was easily the only man she trusted in the world.

But he was still tense and she could tell it was more than just the situation that had him upset. She was about to ask, wiggling a little to get more comfortable when he whispered hard in her ear. "Be still!"

Stopping any and all movements, he sighed heavily and dropped a little of his anger. It probably wasn't going to get any better than this. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I know I put you at risk…"

"You're damn right you did. Why the hell did you come here?!"

"Because I…" she hesitated, not sure how he would take what she felt but he had to know it already, "I trust you."

His hold tightened, pressing her harder into his hard body. "I'm still a man dammit." She was very aware of that fact, feeling his manhood press into her backside currently. A very large manhood at that. "Of all the crazy stunts… this has to be the most emasculating thing anyone has ever done to me. You trust me? Great. Do you even see me as a man or just a fucking demon? Cause either one could and wants to do very bad things to you right now and I'm struggling to keep from doing all of it."

A shiver ran up her spine and she was anything but cold. Not with his body pressed to hers and his so-called threats in her ear. "I do think of you as a man…" He scoffed, making her bounce so he then groaned. "I do! Just because I trust you doesn't change that fact…"

"You are naive and stupid, Wench. You shouldn't trust anyone this much!"

Looking down, her human eyes could just make out the shape of his hand as it rested on her stomach. The muscles flexed and jumped with the tiny movements he made, trying to control himself. This was why she trusted him because she knew he wouldn't do a damn thing to her. And even if he did….

"I came to you because I trust you but also… because anything you could do to me would be… wanted."

It took him a second, either out of shock or confusion, but soon the hand on her belly fisted, taking fabric in with it. His claws scratched but didn't break her skin, once again showing the amount of control he possessed.

His head fell to the back of hers hard, pushing and nuzzling at the same time as he cleared away her damp hair and pressed his lips heavily to the back of her neck. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it just as tight as it gripped his shirt on her. A small shift and he had a hand on her shoulder, wrapped around from under her neck, holding her still against him as he continued to layer her neck with kisses. Each was slow and thick, coating her skin with warm wetness. Kagome closed her eyes to it, her spine shaking along with her heart.

Inuyasha made his way back up her neck, his mouth pressing to her lobe and pushing out a hard shiver from her. "This isn't… this isn't what I want for you and me… for us."

She didn't understand but then she did. Releasing her hold on his hand, she waited for him to let her go in return. "I understand."

The hand on her shoulder squeezed hard. "Do you? This is fucked up. So fucked up Kagome! Meeting you like this? When we aren't terrified of one another, we're terrified of what will be done to us!"

"How else would we have ever found one another? I don't believe in fairy tales. I'm not some little girl looking for an asshole on a white horse. I can take care of myself in any situation and I never needed you, Inuyasha…."

"I know that…"

"But I want you." He was silent, and his grip was unchanging. "I want you… as a friend and as more… as someone dear to me. You're a good person, Inuyasha and you deserve more than this life."

Shifting so quickly, she was breathless when Kagome found herself on her back, Inuyasha holding himself over her and his glowing red orbs piercing her. "Why are you saying this?! What are you going to do?!"

She hadn't meant to give herself away but as the days to Kagura's due date slipped away, she was running out of options. Kagome would have no choice if Inuyasha found out beforehand, he would take any means necessary to stop her.

So she reached up, cupping his cheek and he leaned into it, closing his eyes tight. "Nothing. I just think you need to hear it."

He fell back beside her, pulling her in tight to his side again with a heavy sigh. "I should get a Sainthood after this or something."

"You get Sainted after death. How about Knighthood instead?"

He chuckled, pressed a kiss to her temple, and she used his arm and chest as her pillow for the rest of the night. Because, even though friends, it would likely be the only night they had like this ever.

[bagels-and-seagulls]

Omg you wrote in the sequel of "show me your dick" that you love the interruption trope until someone snaps. Could you please, please write David snapping because of blue balls. I love davenzi as parents so much!

couples getting interrupted and progressively more desperate is a trope they will have to pry out of my cold dead hands 

It’s not like he was keeping count, keeping track like some obsessed maniac clouded by lust who was desperate to feel his husband’s hands on him because last night Matteo had laughed quietly into the back of his hand as David told him some stupid story and his cheeks were rosy from the cheap wine they were drinking and right- right when David pressed himself into his space to run his nose up the side of Matteo’s face, Michael had come into the room to tell them about a nightmare he had. 

It’s not like he knew the last time he had seen Matteo naked was roughly 33 days ago when they were both running way too late and had to swap places in the shower as it was still running to make sure that Matteo could get all the lunches made for school and David could make sure everyone was dressed in clothes that were appropriate for the weather by the time the bus was going to leave the stop at the end of the street that would take them to school. David’s eyes didn’t even linger, and if he had known that the next month and a half was going to be filled with colds, and work trips, and nightmares after cheap horror movies, and just being too tired to stay awake long enough to even make out a little bit, then he would have told himself to, to get his fill in then and remember that his husband was still smoking hot and fine as hell because he wasn’t going to get that sight for a while. 

He wasn’t keeping count. He wasn’t. 

***

David pressed Matteo into the bed, their fingers linked together above their heads as David ground down, hard and slow, onto Matteo’s thigh just to feel Matteo pant into his mouth and clench their fingers together. 

“Fuck,” Matteo breathed out when David dug his thumb into Matteo’s hip and bit at his shoulder through his shirt, hoping that something would bruise there just for his own satisfaction. 

“Come on, baby,” David whispered as Matteo pulled up his t-shirt to feel the skin of David’s back. “Just- We could-” 

“Papa!” Matilda screeched from the hallway right outside their room, and David thumped his head onto Matteo’s shoulder. Matteo started laughing a little deliriously, like he might be going just as insane as David was feeling, and pulled David’s shirt back down and patted him on the shoulder, like this wasn’t the most tragic thing to happen all week. 

“We could just pretend we didn’t hear,” David says, and Matteo rolls his eyes and pushes David off of him to get up and out of bed. David watches him go, staring at the way his hips moved and thinking about taking a cold, cold shower.  

***

Matteo was leaning up against David, pushing his back a little uncomfortably into the edge of the counter, but he was grinning into the side of David’s face with his hands underneath his sweater, making him a little too hot under his collar. So David didn’t mind the bite too much, not when he was wrapping his arms around Matteo’s neck to tug him in closer to kiss him, giggling high in his throat. 

“We should go to our room,” David whispers, bumping their noses together and slipped his fingers into Matteo’s collar. And Matteo quirks an eyebrow up but grins and nods. 

“What are you guys doing?” Sofia asks with just a hint of disgust in her voice, and David would feel a certain type of way about it if it wasn’t the fact that his ten year old just caught her parents making out in the kitchen. At least, trying to. They were getting there. Matteo will probably just tell him later that it was all their fault anyways. 

Matteo pushes himself away from David, and David wants to pout a little bit at the loss.  

“Did you need something?” Matteo asks. “You’re supposed to be in bed.” 

“I got thirsty,” Sofia says and shrugs. Weren’t they all, David thinks. Weren’t. They. All. 

***

They get a call from the twin’s school as David has one hand on Matteo’s ass and the other was unbuttoning his shirt where Matteo was straddling his hips on the living room couch because it was the middle of the day on a Wednesday and they both have the day off and finally- finally shouldn’t be interrupted, should get a moment in a completely empty apartment. 

“Hello?” Matteo asks into his phone as David bites at his clavicle. 

“Wait- Wait- What happened?” Matteo asks in a hurry as he leans away from David, and hand coming up to clench at the bridge of his nose. “Are you- No, yeah, yeah, we’ll be there soon.” 

David thumps his head onto the back of the couch, seeing where this was going as Matteo starts buttoning his shirt again and looking around for his shoes. “What happened now?” 

“Michael apparently got food poisoning or something, but he’s in been in with the school nurse throwing up for the last 30 minutes.”

***

David’s down to his boxers and Matteo is shirtless. And they’re rutting against each other and kissing with a little bit too much teeth. But David is already feeling a little bit blissed out because he’s got one hand down the front of Matteo’s pajamas, and Matteo is moaning into his mouth and pulling on his hair. And- 

And Matilda knocks on their door and tells them she had a bad dream about the monster under her bed again, and Matteo pushes himself away from David like he was a hot coal. And David has to keep telling himself, I love being a father. Being a dad is the best thing to ever happen to me. I love my children, over and over again as he digs the crown of his head into his pillow before pulling on a sweater to get Matilda back in bed. 

***

David goes away for two weeks to start filming his next movie, and jokingly asks Matteo to send him some nudes over the phone three days in, though he wasn’t really joking. Not at all.

Matteo says no. David isn’t really surprised though he sighs about it anyways, and Matteo laughs at his pain. 

The night that David gets back from his trip, the twins apparently have the flu, and the stress of it makes Matilda just randomly burst into tears at spontaneous moments because she’s sad that Sofia and Michael are both retching into various buckets and pots that they have around the house and also worried that she was going to get sick, too. Matteo has been carrying her on his hip for the last two days, trying to keep her from freaking out, as he’s been going back and forth, forcing the twins to eat soup and drink tea, even though both of them claim to hate it and turn their noses up towards the mug Matteo puts under their nose. 

Matteo takes one look at David when he walks in the door like he’s a saint and passes Matilda to him, saying, “Welcome home,” with dark purple bags under his eyes and promptly goes into their room and passes out face down, asleep in seconds. 

***

He wasn’t counting, but it’s been over 60 days- over two months- since he’s seen his husband naked.

***

“In the kitchen,” Matteo calls after David announces that he’s home, and David walks in to see him stirring some vegetables around in a pan and goes to curl himself around him and kiss at the side of his neck. “Where are the kids?” Matteo asks slowly, scratching at the back David’s head. 

David hikes him in closer. “I knew I forgot something,” David responds, and Matteo elbows him in the ribs. David pinches him in response and bites at his ear because his ability to keep himself together has steadily declined over the past few weeks, and his mantra of just be chill just be chill just be chill stopped working around day 24 of what David is calling the Great Interruption Streak. “They’re at Laura’s,” he answer for real. 

“Laura’s?” Matteo repeats, still stirring and not paying enough attention to the way that David’s hands were sneaking closer and closer to his waistband, and David wanted to bite him again just because. 

“Yes, you know, their aunt’s, your sister-in-law?” David teases. 

He doesn’t see it, but he knows that Matteo rolls his eyes. And David doesn’t really care because his hands were flat on Matteo’s stomach under his shirt, and he’s kissing a line down Matteo’s neck. “Got that, thanks,” Matteo says. “I didn’t know they were going there tonight.” 

“I called in an emergency favor,” David hums and turns off the stove to press Matteo back into the counter and then lean up against him, still sucking on his neck.

“Emergency?” Matteo asks, a little breathless, and pulls on David’s hair when he bites on his collarbone. 

“Baby,” David says into his lips, looking at him a little cross-eyed and feeling like he was on fire where Matteo was touching him. “We haven’t been alone together in months.”

Matteo laughs through his nose and leans in further to slip his palms over David’s shoulders, under his jacket, to push it off and onto the floor. “So you told Laura you had blue balls, and she took them in out of the kindness of her heart?” 

“With promises not to call unless someone was in the hospital,” David says and grins at the way that Matteo was pulling on his tie. “So knowing our luck, we got thirty minutes before that happens.” 

“Hm,” Matteo hums. “Lot we could do in thirty minutes.” 

[stargazerdaisy]

What is Justified actually about?

LOOK AT YOU, DRAGONS, ENABLING ME TO RAMBLE ABOUT YET ANOTHER SHOW I TOTALLY LOVE.  You’re the bestest.

Okay so, Justified.  

At the center of everything is Raylan Givens.  

How do I explain Raylan?  Raylan is a US Marshal.  He was born and bred in Harlan County in Eastern Kentucky by a small time criminal abusive father and his mother died when he was in his 20s.  Raylan wants very little to do with the area where he grew up and would happily never return to Kentucky.  Which is exactly why he gets sent from Miami back to Kentucky, because he shot a fugitive criminal in an arguably less than legal situation.  (This literally is the opening of the show, so I’m not spoiling much if anything.)  

Basically, Raylan is totally effed up.  He has this easy going, devil may care, laidback kind of attitude, but under his cowboy hat he is bristling with rage and hurt.  

The other side of our coin is Boyd Crowder.  

Boyd and Raylan grew up together in Harlan, they went to high school together, they dug coal together.  Boyd grew up in a criminal family as well, but instead of rejecting that life, like Raylan did, he embraced it.  We meet Boyd yelling, “Fire in the hole!” and shooting an RPG into a church.

The whole show involves a ton of characters (all absolutely marvelous*), but it really is centered with Raylan and Boyd dancing around each other for 6 seasons.  Sometimes they’re friends, something they’re enemies, sometimes they’re reluctant allies.  But there is something tying them together and they can never quite escape each other.

Without recounting all the characters and their stories, let me just tell you, these characters are all seriously amazing.  They are all fully rounded humans, with heroic traits and flaws and quirks.  You get a feel for their backstories and motivations organically and quickly.  And as the show goes on, and more is unspooled, it feels natural and makes sense.  

At its heart, Justified is about the characters all trying to make something of themselves. What they want for themselves may change over time, but they are always trying to create, to build, to achieve something.  Their origins pull on them, trying to drag them back, but the future beckons too. Justified is about being caught in the middle and finding a new path forward.  

And the show is really freaking funny.  It’s not a comedy, but hot damn, does its dry wit and humor make me full on cackle.

[werezmastarbucks]

Flame for one [15]

warnings: very strong language, civil war gets very dramatic, violence

word count: 3922

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3  Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8   Part Nine Part 10 Part 11  

Part 12  Part 13  Part 14

Outside it was freezing cold, and that was the irony of it. You left the jet and rushed towards the familiar black block which seemed to have dug itself even deeper into the ground. It’s been exactly twenty five years since you left it. You couldn’t tell if you were now retracing your own steps backwards, because you almost couldn’t see; you were moving towards it because once you got close to finishing it you got frantic. The girl who ran through the snow, half blind because of the light, freezing and panting, horrified to the point of agony, was trapped here somewhere. You wondered if her ghost still hangs around here. You’d like to rescue her again.

“Stop”, Bucky hissed, clenching your shoulder and pulling you back. “I go first, don’t rush”.

“It’s cold”.

“I noticed, yeah”.

Steve came after him, you followed, but of course, there were no assassins sitting in snow and waiting until you appear. That was utterly stupid to expect.

“The door is unlocked”, Steve reported.

“That’s crazy. Let me in”, you pushed them back, sliding inside between their stiff bodies, and finally took a deep breath. Inside the building, it was a bit warmer, but still very uncomfortable. You could tell, you were in the entrance corridor, which was the sector 1. The walls were still sickeningly greenish-blue. A horrifying thought pierced through your mind, which made your knees weak, and you nearly fell, sliding down the wall. You sat on the floor, wrapping your arms around your knees and feeling your own small. Yes, you always knew you were small. Hilariously tiny. That place, with all its emptiness, cold and silence, which was full of the ghosts of your screams, was your home. There was no other since you left here. Stark’s Tower, Hell’s Kitchen, Xavier’s School – they were all resorts. The Home was no place to chill or live. It was the place where you could feel your soul dripping from the walls in viscous, thick drops.

You were not obliged to love it, or miss it, but this was the place.

Steve kneeled before you and touched your forearm.

“Y/N. You wanna leave?”

“Don’t dream about it. I lost my balance. And… and all my courage, but I shall restore it in a moment, my Captain”.

Steve leaned to you, his face so close you could feel the warmth of his breath, and, god, it felt good. Rogers was warm as a working reactor. You got the urge to wrap your arms around his neck and press your face against his.

“You can joke and talk all you want, I can’t have you killed or injured now because you lose it in this place. This is the place where horrible things happened to you. You walk outside and wait in the jet. We’ll be back before you notice, and we’ll-“

“No, Steve. I am with you”, you said, looking him in the eye. “I follow you wherever you go. I do not give up what you take on. I am no worse or weaker than you. I can do it”.

You felt warm. Steve smiled. Bucky shifted behind his back, stretching his neck like a hawk, and raising his shoulders.

“There’s somebody in here”, he said, lifting his rifle on the shoulder.

Steve jumped up, and you did the same. The gates which you entered through, were the doors hidden beneath the layer of snow, and always served as a backdoor entrance, in spite of the fact that they were placed right next to the main gates. The lids of the latter now shattered, and swung open, and Iron Man appeared between them. You breathed out, and placed your arms on your sides, to look casual and normal.

“Tony!” you exclaimed like in a sitcom.

“Guys!” he replied, copying your tone.

Bucky was aiming at him, and you stepped behind his back, hissing,

“Put it down”. He didn’t move.

“That is not a warm welcome I’ve been expecting”, Stark sighed, taking off his mask so that you could see his face.

“Did you come for her?” Steve said, and it occurred to you, that you heard a hint of hope in his voice.

“Hell no. She’s lost her chance”, Tony put out his hands in a defensive gesture, and looked at you, fully amused. You smiled at him, still standing behind Barnes. Tony’s eyes shifted to him, and for a mere second, they were just staring at each other. You could feel the tension in Bucky’s arms while he held still. He was so still it felt like he got frozen right on the spot, or as if the time has stopped.

“Look, I’ve come here to help you. Apparently, you won’t handle Zemo alone”.

“Who’s Zemo”, Steve asked bluntly.

“I won’t give you any answers while this freak is flirting with me so insistently”.

“Hey”.

“I told you put it down”.

Bucky swayed his chin, and his shoulders only grew tenser.

“Okay, I made a mistake. Happy?” Tony gave up. “That man set Barnes up. The mask of his face. The trick with the explosion. Then – the interrogation. He was just trying to get your friend. Barnes, stop aiming at me, for God’s sake, you’re not the only one with the gun here, and believe me, I won’t think twice before using it on you”.

Steve looked at Bucky and nodded at him. Barnes wasn’t very eager to say anything back. Tony was alright with that anyway.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“Aren’t you trespassing law right now?” you said. He pointed his index finger at you.

“This is exactly what I’m doing”. You cherished at the familiar preoccupied look on his face. “Gonna have to arrest myself once I return”.

“Wouldn’t have to, if you hadn’t signed that dumb thing”.

“Do not turn me on again”.

You chuckled, causing Barnes to swing his head and look at you, as if you were now feasting with an arch enemy. You pretended you didn’t see anything, and the foursome of you followed down the corridor, where the Soldier inside Bucky led you.

“I’m happy to see you Tony”, Steve said, and you felt warmth flowing inside you, and flaming the tips of your fingers. You felt bad for Bucky, though. Again, he was out of the company, seemingly, since Steve joined Tony and was walking behind your backs. Tony wasn’t supposed to know that you were familiar with this place, obviously. Just because he came here, tracing you, didn’t mean anything. Still, you couldn’t but shiver at the turns, every blank greenish-blue wall painfully familiar, studied by you. You could move inside the lab with your eyes closed, you wouldn’t get lost. Barnes seemed to understand your being uncomfortable, and it made him frantic, almost panicking, since he apparently didn’t know if you’re even okay walking next to him.

“What are we aiming?” Rogers asked him.

“I’d like to see the central lab first. That was the last placement of the cocoons”.

“Cocoons”, you whispered under your breath. No one could hear you but Bucky. He gave you concerned look.

“I mean, couldn’t you guys name them coffins, since you all went poetic. Freaks”.

“You nervous?” he asked as silently. Behind you, Steve was shortly describing the situation to Tony.

“Kinda. Maybe. I don’t really know. It’s insane, innit. Being here again, together. Do you… Do you remember, Bucky?”

You could feel the air tense in your throat, and how your heart stopped beating completely, as you looked at him. He looked back at you.

“Of course I do”.

You took another turn, getting close to the sector fifteen, which you passed by twenty five years ago, when the Soldier was dragging you to the exit. Soon you were to pass the exact place in the corridor, where you burnt four soldiers to ashes, with the wave of flames so hot, it left misty black stains on the walls.  

There it was. You took the last turn on the left, and the central lab – that was how Bucky called the laboratory where he has been wiped – showed before you. Like a huge arch of deceased ghosts’ remains, a black long stain of coal colour stretched from one wall to another. You approached the wall and touched it with your fingertips.

“Burn”.

You breathed in, smelling the dirt and sullen in the air. Soon enough this would be over. You wondered if you’d be able to breathe the normal, clear air, with no sweat and blood in it, once you broke free. Looking at him, just for a moment, to reassure yourself that you haven’t misheard him, you suddenly knew this was over. Yes, many times before that, you’d told yourself: this is the end. But now it wasn’t you. It was the Soldier. He said it with his eyes: it’s over. I am going to get you out of here.

And you felt the incredible power raising from inside of you. It wasn’t the energy; it wasn’t the force which could be measured, stimulated or stopped. It was your innerself. If you believed in God, you’d call it the soul of you.

The warmth came out of you, you felt it flow down your veins in your forearms, and out, through the fingers, which for a couple of seconds, ceased to be flesh. The fire was burning the guards down right to hell. There was no escaping from it.

“I wonder what happened here”, Tony mumbled, stepping next to you and studying the stain with curiosity. He shot you with his inquisitive eyes. You stepped back and shrugged your shoulders. Bucky was standing aside, peering at the hall. Steve was in a state of silent astonishment. Seeing his eyes fixed on the black wall, you could only speculate on what’s been happening in his head.

“It’s here”, Barnes said, and you all proceeded into a cold and spacious hall. Update: it used to be spacious. The wiping machine with the chair, seemingly long ago out of order, was placed in the niche in the middle of the hall. All around it used to be practically empty, if only for the rare chairs, or tables, which were usually moved there for various reasons. Now, it’s all been cluttered up with pieces of heavy metal furniture, parts of weapons, and, well, cocoons of which Bucky’d been talking. The cocoons were plainly lit up from the inside; the people were still inside them, which meant that you at least were in time. You heard Steve sigh relieved behind you, and you yourself stopped immediately losing interest towards the sleeping soldiers. Something else was different about the room. It wasn’t nearly as big as it used to be. Tony, Bucky and Cap went to examine the cocoons, so they weren’t looking at you while you were having your moment of hesitation. Something was wrong. Maybe it was all too simple. Maybe it was too quiet. Maybe there was a wall which wasn’t supposed to be there.  Before you could notice it, you were looking right at the guy who’s been interrogating Bucky at the station, and whom Tony called Zemo.

“Yes, you are too late”, he said with a slight accent which you couldn’t quite identify. Bucky lifted his rifle slowly and aimed towards the small window in a thick steel bunker wall.

“They’re dead”, Tony whispered, pointing at the gunshots which were piercing through the glass of the cocoons. There was six of them, and each had just one small hole on the same level with their heads.

“That’s brave”, you nodded.

“You didn’t really think I’d let more like him”, Zemo shook his head in Bucky’s direction, “out in the wild”.

“Well, you blew up the UN building, killing approximately one hundred people, so who the hell knows you, creep”, you proceeded. You felt the heat touch your face from the inside. You came up to the wall and wanted to look at him closely, but Steve caught your shoulder and pulled insistently.

“Oh yes, you could try to get me out of here, but this wall can take a nuclear explosion, so you would have to kill your friends while tearing it down”.

You saw his small, cunning face. It was a smart man with a small mouth and even a smaller nose. He was cutting you with dark eyes, his look so predatory, you wondered if it took him a lot to make himself stay there, in safety, instead of coming out and tear you all apart. So, this is how the villain looks. It was strange to finally see him after he’s been hiding in a shadow for so long, he started to seem like a shadow himself.

You started to swing your head to guess what was his plan. Matt taught you: before looking in an enemy’s face, you take a good look around and see what’s surrounding him. What’s he going to use. What’s to be torn down first. What’s to be used against him.

You saw a small and very old computer with a screen next to you, which lit.

“You’re going to stay there and just mock us or what?” Tony asked.

“You’ll see, Mr Stark, if you approach”, Zemo said, nodding at the screen. He shifted his eyes back to Steve who froze next to him.

“I can see your face very clearly now, Steve Rogers”. You didn’t like the way he pronounced his name.

A sickening feeling was raising from your guts and to your throat. This fight was slowly flowing from active to passive: he hid himself. Why did he do it? Apparently, not to get hurt. But maybe not because he expected superhumans attack him.

A black and white recording appeared on the screen, saying ‘December the 16th, 1991’. It wasn’t any good, you could tell, and you had zero wish to see what it was, but you couldn’t take your eyes off it. It was a traffic camera recording. A plain yellow car appeared. A dark, unclear silhouette followed, moving fast, and covered with shadows, flying through the air like mad. The car crashed into the streetlight. You lifted your eyes and looked at the men one after another. Steve was puzzled. Bucky was still clutching his rifle, now as if holding on to it. He stepped back from the screen, his face gone to white stone, - an expression very much familiar to you. Tony’s eyes watered. You looked back at the wall with the window and saw that Zemo was gone.

“What the… he left”.

Nobody heard you. You were clenched with panic, seeing Barnes on the recording, his reserved calm step and all – the Soldier times apparently. He approached the car and struggled a moment before dragging somebody through the window. Once the light fell on the figure of the driver, you recognized a face very well known to you or any other member of a society who ever went on the internet or watched the TV. Bucky was killing Howard Stark.

You rushed from your spot towards the corridor, and then towards the tenth. This was the sector accurately opposite to the central lab, which gave into the up yeard. He could land a small helicopter there, or just crawl down on the side of the hill.  

You had no idea where Zemo has gone. You were trying not to think about how the man has just fucked you all up. Not that you had any dreams of it ending in a friendly quarrel and a lot of laugh anyway. But not this. Not this.

You had to find him. You had to get away from them and this place as far as possible, and find him, and burn him so hard. You were craving to really burn something, to let it out, like people usually crave to have sex once they find the right partner, or to eat once they get really hungry. You were a mad bitch – your undercover name which you were proud of. Goddamn right, fear me, motherfuckers. People are not called mad bitches for nothing.

You feared you wouldn’t find the exit, but your feet knew these corridors, and haven’t forgotten a thing. Here’s the cage in which the Soldier taught you how to choke with a wire. There’s the door he could unlock fourteen different ways; you only learned three. There’s the hall where you fought at good days: spacious, well-lit, with a very warm floor, because below, there was a laundry for the military and the workers. You ran as fast as you could, and with every step, you felt stronger, because you skipped the part where you realize that the Winter Soldier had been the one who killed Tony’s parents. Well, weren’t their relationships doomed now. You skipped the part where you gasp with grief, an ever paining-for-everybody-kiddo. You proceeded to the part where you are ready to destroy the prick who brought all this on your boys’ heads. And yes, they were your boys. Your Tony. Your Steve. Your Soldier. You were fucking going to tear him apart, piece by piece, on your territory, breathing the stiff cold air of your homeland, Russia.

You cut the path by running through the labyrinth of the twelfth, which had been fully equipped with the heavy machinery. You crawled over them, moving in half darkness, since these lamps haven’t been illuminating the halls since very long ago.

You couldn’t hear a sound, certain that Zemo has studied this place as well; he must have had his own way to get out of here. Wouldn’t help in anyway. The flame was coming after him, and fire is unstoppable.

You broke out in the open once again, not losing any time to stare at the sky or sniff the air. You tried to see his silhouette, and spotted the black figure moving fast towards the dwarfish hills, grey below, and pale at the tops. You coursed after him. Zemo couldn’t hear you, and you couldn’t hear T’Challa, apparently, since he grabbed your shoulders and pulled furiously exactly at the moment when you were ready to send a firewall, like a pack of hounds, after the Sokovian punisher.

“What the fuck!” you yelled, feeling that your rage was not containable anymore. You brushed him off, but had to fall down and roll in the snow for that. Once you made sure that the Annoying and Irritating Black Fucker is put away by the heatwave, you started after Zemo once again.

You raced after him and kicked him in the back, so he fell. The man used to be some kind of seal. It was almost painful to see his reactions, and how he took out the gun in a flash move. He was wasted. You panted, giving him space to get up.

“Come on, boo hoo master, tell me your story”, you urged, your teeth hurt from clenching.

“I know you”, he said, pointing the gun at you, “I won’t even be sorry after you’re gone”.

T’Challa appeared again. Did he have some fucking endless, invincible battery inside of him. He struck Zemo in the neck, and you bowed. The shot whistled away, and you slapped his palms, catching the gun and throwing it away. T’Challa punched him in the face, trying to knock him out.

“This one is mine”, you roared, rushing to him. The man pushed you away, tearing of his mask with his free hand. He kicked Zemo in the head, and the Sokovian was out. You growled, blood pumping even in your eyes at the sight of it. The snow was melting under your feet.

“Spare him”, T’Challa urged, looking closely at you. You were clenching your fists, shivering with rage, feeling that you were about to do something unforgivable.

“And he’ll have to go through everything he’d put you, over and over again. He’ll face the justice”.

“There is no justice!” you screamed, running into him and crushing him on the ground. You then crushed your fist on his face once, twice, before he’s had enough and threw you off. You jumped up and went at him again.

“You want revenge?” he asked, “you’re blinded by it. You’re blinded by the pain. If you kill him now, you’re no better than Zemo. Think of…”

You sent a flame ball at the lying man, while T’Challa was talking, and he jumped off, kicking him farther, so that you only set the sleeve of his coat on flames. T’Challa rolled the body in snow.

“Y/N!” he shouted your name with a funny accent. It sounded gentler than it really was. When Bucky said it, it sounded firm, unmoving, just like the Soldier’s grip. You looked in his face. He looked curiously mesmerizing, a black figure on white, swaying neatly, and gathered, ready for a jump, or a blow. He didn’t know you could make Zemo’s head explode from the inside. Or even his, why not.

“You’re gonna talk about revenge!” you pointed, “five minutes after you tried to kill Barnes. You were so fucking persistent we went through five kinds of sweat just to brush your angry ass off”.

“I was wrong. I thought he was the man who killed my father”.

“He was wrong!” you chanted furiously. “Wait, what? Who’s your father?”

“T’Chaka. King of Wakanda”.

You gasped.

“Ah, right. He died in the explosion?”

“Yes”.

“This fucking cunt killed the King of Wakanda!” you shouted, trying to get to Zemo again.

“Stop now. I admit my mistake, and I will do everything to secure him when this ends. Barnes is still considered a criminal. It will take a lot of time to clear his, and now Rogers’ name. Think of it”.

You took a breath, unwillingly giving in and actually listening to what he was saying.

“I can provide with a shelter for that time. You are all going to be safe. Just let me take Zemo back, and expose him to law. If you destroy him now, there will be no proof at all”.

“If Tony knows who Zemo is, the proof is probably already in Ross’ hands”.

“Don’t kill him. You can’t undo killing”.

“Thanks for enlightening me”, you now shrugged with dark powerlessness. You swallowed the air in your throat, and sniffed the cold soothing air. You were standing on the solid black ground, in a puddle of melted snow, which stretched even to where Zemo was lying. T’Challa was basically right, and you could do nothing about it. You hated that kind of people. Righteous people, who lectured you on every occasion. Then it struck you: Steve was just the same. He was a righteous man. The one you looked up to. That’s what was it which you lacked: the righteousness. That’s what made a hero, like T’Challa, and Captain America. They didn’t need to be talked into having mercy on somebody. They were looking for it. They were fighting hate inside them.

“Your friends are fighting now”, T’Challa said. You looked at him.

“Don’t let him go. If you let him loose, I’ll kick your… royal ass”.

“I won’t”.

So you ran back. You felt alive. Bitterly, unpleasantly, feeling everything. That your feet were wet; that the ground below you was trembling with the heavy blows of explosions that were unfolding inside the lab. That your face hurt of cold; that your knees ached, and head howled once again – now, with fear. You had to stop them.

taglist: @moistpotatobear   @heytherepartner   @sebbytrash @thewinterher0   @lbouvet   @areuforreal   @allofthesearetakendafuq @thesalsafic  @rhaeneris

@capandbuck

[flame-cat]

YDYD episode two

below the cut are all events of importance that transpired, preserved so that others may learn from the fallen gods’ mistakes

the goal is apparently to make a tower of pimps NIGHT 5 alfredo and jack are at home, jeremy and gavin are together underground, and trevor and geoff are as well jeremy accidentally mines out some lava, tells gavin to run.... who doesnt. thankfully they block it off michael is still in front of the tree of wife alfredo: "im outside at night and im unsupervised!" he immediately almost gets killed by a skeleton. michael takes care of it a zombie took some of the wheat from the farm ryan just wants everyone to be friends geoff: "ryan, dont you feed off anger?" ryan: "yeah, but only when i cause it" everyone is getting fucked by monsters michael is on patrol gavin and jeremy get separated alfredo runs back home and gets his mom- i mean jack to save him from the monsters jack is teaching his son- i mean alfredo how to farm and its adorable ryan got a bucket of lava the sun is rising. DAY 6 geoff found alfredo some redstone (daddy brings home a gift) michael makes a creeper noise and everyone freaks out (and blames alfredo) alfredo gets jumped by a skeleton trevor finds a danger cavity jeremy finds cave spiders and gets poisoned. he gets out ok alfredo runs into the cactus. cactus count- 1 trevor finds more lava jeremy thinks hes out of torches. turns out he had a full stack alfredo hears some liquid. everyone advises him to DEFINITELY dig straight down geoff finds lava and barely escapes a lava bath lindsay the ghost informs everyone about where "take it with a grain of salt" came from geoff: "why the fuck does a bird WANT cheese?" gavin: "to make friends" trevor made geoff a helmet jack nearly dies to a hoard of zombies and skeletons gavin finds diamond jeremy ascends to daylight michael nearly dies to a creeper ryan makes a shield jeremy joins alfredo in the house night falls. NIGHT 6 gavin keeps jinxing them all trevor is impressed with geoffs digging jack accidentally hits jeremy when trying to kill a creeper ryan is hurt very bad by a skeleton when trying to resurface. everyone is concerned gavin has resurfaced. he is a scared boi. then he figures out hes right next to the house ryan is veritably surrounded by mobs, still trying to get out. hes very hurt ryan considers eating rotten flesh gavin joins jeremy in guard duty, who warns him like five times to move out of the way of a creeper. he doesnt move, but lives ryan is near the surface at 1.5 hearts, waiting for daybreak jeremy insists gavin stop helping him alfredo joins the fray! jack is farming ryan surfaces DAY 7 geoff finds gold jack is mad about chests not being organized ryan genocides some chickens in desperation gavin makes a  sign- "No excessive rule making" gavin says hes going to make maps. jack immediately makes compasses for him it begins raining alfredo barely escapes his demise at his own hand via lava michael surfaces ryan is lost, but no longer hurt alfredo lavas himself again jeremy finds a jungle temple. and a pARROT geoff: "aPARROTly he did!" trevor makes a block of gold trevor makes a sign- "Geoff and Trev's Coal Hole" alfredo encounters squid. michael punks him into thinking theyre dangerous ryan makes a hovel of stone jeremy spelunks the temple. night falls NIGHT 7 gavin makes two diamond swords and gives one to michael michael: "we might squabble, but we're always friends" everyone else asks if its a proposal jeremy narrowly avoids a trap jeremy tamed a parrot gavin gets lost in the wilderness and is nearly killed by a spider (ONE HEART) before he manages to run away jeremys parrot gets blown up geoff finds diamond these things happen almost simultaniously. my heart is gonna explode as soon as gavin gets back, alfredo accidentally hits michael jeremy is desperate to get home and basically sprints between mobs alfredo spots a gold armored zombie gavin escorts jeremy home what the fuck is alfredo doing. he just dug a hole in front of the house and is jumping up and down, peeking at gavin. what a fucking maniac ryans hovel is almost habitable at this point alfredo is a worm. michael is cross wit him for breaking the cacti geoff has surfaced once again, jeremy warns gavin of danger. and gavin doesnt fucking move. alfredo: "i HEAR YELLING. DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE FROM BELOW?" jeremy; "NO, ALFREDO!" END OF WEEK ONE WEEK TWO DAY 8 ryan picks a fight with a spider for no reason. isolation stage one- delusions trevor surfaces and reunites with his twin jeremy gavin and michael are on sheep-shearing duty it stops raining geoff is working on a cow farm the twins make a racket with the doors ryan climbs a tree trevor walks into the cacti. cactus count- 2 the twins have made a hall of doors, the maniacs jack is farming trevor shows geoff a shield he made. dad is proud the lads are on an expedition in the jungle michael: "i hope that no degenerate wanderer comes and steals our mutton." ryan, quietly: "ahhhh meat..." geoff finds alfredos hole. dad sets his boys to work on the farm jeremy tries to convince michael to jump off a cliff into a pond. he says no but jeremy does it anyway. gavin watches from below aaaand he makes it. michael says fuck it and does it too alfredo has.... a secret underground lair of buttons????? jeremy finds a cat and has to split from the group to tame them gavin watches the sunset from the top of a tree NIGHT 8 alfredo has reached it (the floor of the house) trevor asks to come into alfredos crazy hole. its not finished yet ryan sees a light in the distance and thinks it might be gavin. its gavin and michael! ryan immediately tries to shoot them ryan bridges across the trees with wood to get to the lads, who use dirt to meet him alfredo runs into a cactus. cactus count- 3 "Alfredos super secret kingdom. nothing to see here" mom isnt allowed inside. but mom has pie so he can just set it outside it starts to rain jack and toriel parallels the tree of wife keeps trevor dry the lads fortify their tree jeremy breaks an egg and makes a chicken. now hes a parent alfredos kingdom gets backdoored by trevor and geoff mom gives dad some pie ryan remains separated, but leaves a parting shot. literally the sun rises DAY 9

[lollercakesff]

the hole we’re in

Fandom: Stranger Things

Characters: Joyce Byers x Jim Hopper

Warnings: Reference to past non-con.

Word Count: 2,348

AO3

This is a parallel to ‘the breathing triangle’. Though they don’t share content, it’s the same idea from the other perspective. I wanted to incorporate the other side but wasn’t quite sure how, so I broke it into two.

This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.

A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on

Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'

He loves her, he loves her, he loves her.

“Are you sure these are the right notes?” He asks again, just to be sure that his homework is flawless. He needs this, badly, to not flunk out of his last English class ever.

“Hopper, would I ever give you substandard notes?” Joyce responds before turning back to her locker.

“I could kiss you right now,” he adds lowly as he sneaks a glance at her. Truer words. Never spoken. All that jazz.

“Just make sure your car starts tonight so we can actually get to Meredith’s party, okay?”

He’d rather they ditched the party. He’d rather she look at him and actually see him this time. But he keeps those damn thoughts to himself.

She isn’t his Joyce. Not today. Hasn’t been for over a month. He tries not to think about it. Maybe she really is sick, the splatters on his shoes would confirm it. But this was more than that - there was a light out in her eyes, the small one that twinkled when she finished a good book or made the perfect dick joke. It was gone and he didn’t know why.

At first he thought it was because she was pissed about him missing Meredith’s party, getting stuck at home with his tyrannical father. But it had gone on too long and didn’t feel like her grudges - those were tense and focused - this felt cold and empty.

He needed to know what was going on but he wouldn’t push it - that wasn’t his place. If he knew anything, he knew that forcing Joyce into a corner would only result in them both getting burned, his cheek still searing from the last time they argued and she outright slapped him. They’d both recognized it then, the heat that spiked like sparks between them, and it had scared them both into submission, apologies and silent oaths left unsaid.

But he had to figure out what was going on. Whatever it was it was eating away at her, radiating off of her like smoke, and he couldn’t help but worry that it would drag her under and away from him, somewhere she wouldn’t come back from. Somewhere he couldn’t go. Somewhere without him and her, together.

“Joyce, come back to the car,” he barked as she stumbled onto the shoulder of the road from the passenger seat.

He’d never seen her like this, disjointed and torn apart. It was freaking him the fuck out.

The weeks had started to blur into one another as Joyce pulled further and further away from her friends, segregating herself from their lunch conversations, hiding out at the back of class and giving up the secret smoke breaks that they used to share. He’d been determined not to give up on her though, remaining steadfast at her side as best he could even when she pushed back at him.

But now she was crying and he couldn’t let her walk away, not like this, that wasn’t the friendship they had.

“Joyce, hey, talk to me,” he added as he came around the side of the car, his own tears burning up inside of him as he pulled her against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt.

This had gone on long enough. It wasn’t right. Something wasn’t right.

“You have to tell me what’s going on. I’ll help you. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it,” he promised, arms holding her too tightly. He could feel her shudder, her body forcing space between them. He remembered shouting:

“Don’t leave it like this.”

“Don’t leave me like this.”

And he knew it was too much then. A weight that would crush her. The thing that was wedged between them that was forcing her to quicken her pace into the treeline leaving him rejected, shattered, as she disappeared from view and the love he so badly wanted her to return.

Vietnam. Fuck Vietnam.

Look at where he was now, married, cutest kid on the planet and a mind that only assaulted him with memories when he had one too many beers to drink. Those were the nights that a country and a person dug into his skin and pulled at him until he couldn’t close his eyes.

He didn’t do that anymore, Diane hated it, so he gave it up and threw himself into his new life as a city beat cop and a family man.

It was what he wanted to get lost in. What he’d wanted all those years ago before Joyce up and left him to figure out his shit on his own. No word of goodbye, no explanation. He’d tried so hard not to be bitter and Vietnam had wiped it clean leaving him only with imaginings of what could have been.

But he was happy now. Or he was. The jury was still out.

Sara was sick again.

He was one drink away from that awful edge.

Everything collapsed in a big, bright, beautiful explosion. It dragged him under, drowned him and ran a crack through all he held dear.

Sara was gone. That was true.

Diane was gone. That was also true.

Hawkins had welcomed him back with a cold beer and easy prescriptions, the kind he found himself getting lost in as he started as the Chief of Police. He had to hide it - or at least pretend to hide the resemblance that he was a wreck - in order to stay employed but nights like these were too much and he couldn’t stop the way he tried to drown himself on solid land with round after round that the bartender didn’t question.

Sometime over the course of the night Joyce had appeared, all bad memories and sadness, her small frame still a shadow of his as she sat beside him and downed her drinks in time with him.

When they made it back to his trailer he’d pulled her to him, all instinct and messy history clouding into the press of his lips to her neck. But then she was standing and his joke was falling flat and she just stared at him. Mouth agape and torture scraped into her features.

And then she was talking. And he was hearing her. And everything raked over him like hot coals.

“I don’t remember how I got there. I don’t remember who I slept with. I don’t remember saying yes. I certainly didn’t want to get pregnant with a child I couldn’t look after. It was stolen from me, Hop. Someone stole my life from me. Stole… This.”

His training told him to say something, anything, to give her something to hold onto. He’d heard these situations before. They were fuzzy, but he’d heard them.

But a part of him - the shitty part where he stuffed down the thoughts of the soldiers’ crimes - didn’t want to believe was she was saying. Refused to put the pieces together and believe her. She would have told him then. She would have come to him. He’d been there for her.

So he sat there frozen as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself, watched her let herself out as the realization of what she’d said, what she might have experienced, flooded into him and ended with his fist embedded in his wall.

The vanishing of Will Byers was the catalyst to the careful life he’d built after returning to Hawkins. The one where he stayed away from Joyce Byers. The one where he couldn’t face her in the daylight for fear of his failures as her friend. As a man. As a cop.

He’d let her down and he couldn’t deal with it. So instead he added it to the laundry list of shit that gave him reason to drink every time he didn’t have to work. Put it down next to the reasons he checked with his one-night-stands before he took them home.

The vanishing of Will Byers forced him back into the land of the living and made him work and work and work until the body floated to the surface of the quarry.

Loss. It had pushed into him until there was no space left for him to breathe, no room to move or run or escape. Will Byers was dead and now he was the doctor telling this boy’s mother that there was nothing they could do. That there was nothing that they could do to save his daughter.

It choked him.

The look on Joyce’s face when he informed her. The look that tore every shred of small hope that he had pieced together with tape a glue over the last year. It destroyed him.

“He spoke to me Hopper, in the lights,” she insisted after a brief shake of her head. The look had disappeared and she was steadfast, determined, strong.

“Try to get some rest, Joyce,” he bid as he closed the door on her. Returning to his truck he stared at the small house that he’d worked so hard to avoid. The place that was home to one of his biggest regrets.

She was still his Joyce. Somewhere in there. The smart girl who’d been victimized three times by men - the hidden one, the ex one, and him. Maybe he needed to believe her this time. Maybe he’d spent too much time not believing her and that’s why they were here, estranged and in a constant state of conflict.

He decided to look then. To really look and see what she was seeing, through her eyes. Suspending his disbelief he followed the loose threads that pricked at the back of his mind until he was sliding his swiss army knife into rubber, his fingers pulling out stuffing instead of organs.

When he kneeled over the real body of Will Byers and forced his hands to compress his chest over and over again until the coughing brought him back to life - the same act that hadn’t saved his Sara - he knew then as Joyce clutched her boy that there was hope, even in all this shit they were wading through.

He made a deal with the devil then to give her back her son, to try to repay some of the unspoken debts he believed he owed to her. Disappearing into the agency he relived the worst moments of his missions in Vietnam until one day they let him go, gave him a free pass to keep the town under control and closed their active unit.

That’s when El finally came out of the woods - the girl having been a fighter who had seen too much, felt too much, suffered too much. He saw the parallels between them and refused to let her fall through the cracks like he’d done since coming back to Hawkins.

So he got himself clean. Started accompanying Joyce and Will to the doctor’s, even as he stood by and watched her fall for Bob Newby. Hid El away. Found himself in the process and when the monster’s came back he was strong enough to face them. Strong enough to be there for those who needed him.

Strong enough to feel human again.

She’s laying here, next to him, her dark eyes focused on his.

It hadn’t been what he expected when he dropped El off at the Snow Ball, not by a long shot. But somehow Joyce and him had found their way back to each other, even if just for this moment.

After their kiss - the one that had breathed new life into him as she forgave his trespasses - he’d offered up a warmer locale in the form of his trailer. She’d followed him in her own car, assured that she could leave whenever she’d wanted.

But she hadn’t yet. The dance would be ending soon and they would both have to go, but neither of them seemed willing to break the truce they’d forged in these stolen hours.

No. He just wanted to keep laying here. Watching her watching him. He could get lost in this.

“We can’t go back to when we were teenagers. But we can start again,” she whispered as he ran his hand across her cheek, letting it drift to the swoop of her t-shirt where it caught in his finger.

He didn’t want to say the wrong thing so he said nothing, scooting his knees until they pressed into hers. She mimicked the movements of his hand, tracing across his beard until her palm grazed the curve of his neck, exploring, trailing flames.

They’d never had this. Not ever. And it felt like they’d been robbed all these years - of this feeling and of each other. He had to seize it now. Had to believe that this time it would stick.

Time slows and rebuilds the bridges they’d shattered. It heals and grows the space between them and he feels like he’s climbed out of the hole, like his friend has finally shown him the way.

The pills didn’t save him. Jesus didn’t save him. But his friend, the one who’d been down a rabbit hole of her own and had somehow found her way out, was tugging him back into the world, one touch at a time, and goddammit he was going to follow her this time.

[motleymoose]

That Lonesome Song

Fandom: The Ranch

Pairing: Beau x Maggie

Prompts: Half of the songs on Jamey Johnson's album "The Lonesome Song" went into writing this fic.

Summary: Beau tries to mend fences with Maggie.

Words: 1,500+

Warnings: LANGUAGE; all the freaking angst, like seriously; heavy drinking

A/N: I had to write this because of the fact that there are like two fics for this fandom, and both of them are Colt x Rooster, which makes me feel squicky. So, yeah, I kinda had to write this. And because hellooooo, this show is basically what it was like growing up on a farm, minus the laugh track.

*gif not mine

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thirteen days.

It had been thirteen fucking days since Maggie had taken the boys and gone to her parents' place in Cañon City.

It had also been almost that long since Beau Bennet had been sober. Sure, there were the first couple of days after she'd left him that he had woken up with a hangover strong enough to kill a horse, but now he had a solid drunk going. As long as the beer and the whiskey didn't stop flowing, it was unlikely he was going to feel anything for a while.

He hoped he wouldn't feel anything, anyway.

Sprawled out on the couch, Beau squinted blearily at the rough-hewn ceiling beams as he tried to stop the room from spinning. It'd been late when he had gotten in from doing chores, but that hadn't stopped him from finishing off a half a case of Bud and a couple snifters of Jim before passing out in his coveralls on the worn-out sofa. Going to bed drunk was one thing, but waking up... that was a little harder on the senses.

Rolling onto his side, Beau fumbled with the beer box he had shoved under the coffee table.

Empty. Goddammit...

He heaved himself into a mostly upright position and dug around in the couch.

Bingo.

Pulling a Tall Boy from between the cushions, Beau cracked it open and began gulping the warm beer down like a dehydrated man to water. It wasn't going to clear out a hangover completely, but it was just enough to get him going on breakfast. .......... After a slapped-together PB&J and a cold shower, Beau was up and going, an Irish coffee sloshing in the thermos stuck down the front of his coveralls. Cows were starting to holler, and the forecast was calling for snow later in the morning, so he plugged in the tractor battery first thing. The old Allis-Chalmers was a bitch to start when it was cold, but warming up the battery beforehand usually cut down on the cussing and wrench throwing.

Once he was able to turn the engine over on the tractor, he set to work filling feeders and stacking hay for windbreaks. Colorado winters could be fierce, and he tried to do anything he could do to protect the herd from the gusting wind.

There was something about the routine of feeding and stacking bales that put thoughts of Maggie and the boys to the back of his mind. The monotonous sounds of the tractor coupled with driving almost the same exact path back and forth put him into a zen-like state. Not that he believed in that meditative hippy bullshit. But it was kinda nice not feeling guilty for a bit.

The whole fucking mess was all his damn fault, not doubt about it, but he wasn't going to own up to it.

Especially not to Maggie.

Cursing himself, Beau stopped the tractor just outside the gate and pulled the thermos from his coveralls. Taking a swig of the cooling liquid, he forced himself to make a list of all the other things he needed to get done before the storm hit.

It wasn't easy, but Beau was stubborn like that. Once he put his mind to something, he sure as hell wasn't going to let up on it until he saw it through.

Even if that meant that he was going to be sleeping alone for the foreseeable future.

"Fuuuck," he breathed, his mustache bristling as the anger and the hurt began to unfurl inside his chest. He took another long pull off the thermos, twisted the cap on, and put the tractor back into gear. There wasn't time to waste mulling over his feelings when shit needed to be done. He was going to have to wait until the evening to drown his heartbreak. ............... "Hello?"

No amount of booze could numb the pain he felt hearing her voice. "Hey, Maggie," Beau murmured into the receiver, his free hand twirling his glass on the table top. A half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels stood uncapped in front of him.

"Beau? What... Are you drunk?" Maggie asked, her voice shaking in anger. "I told you not to call here."

Sighing heavily, Beau closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get a handle on his thoughts. He took another sip of whiskey before speaking. "Come back, Mags. I miss you so... so much." His voice cracked as he held back the emotion bubbling up in his throat. "Please, baby. Come home."

There was a long, drawn out silence. Beau wasn't sure if she was still on the other end of the line. He opened his mouth to repeat himself when Maggie finally spoke up.

"How dare you. How fucking dare you call and beg me to come back," she spat, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Goddammit, Beau. I fucking told you we weren't coming home 'til you straightened your shit out." She paused, her breath coming out in quick, angry bursts that made the receiver crackle.

"Just... I love you, baby. Please," he slurred. The glass lay on its side, lazily rocking back and forth on the scuffed tabletop. His free hand was fisted in his hair as he tried to hold it together.

"Don't you pull that bullshit on me, Beau. It ain't gonna work this time."

Biting back a sob, Beau tried a different tactic. "Can I at least talk to the boys?"

Maggie cursed before relenting. "Fine. Just. Be quick."

There was a muffled holler followed by a scuffling sound. "Hey, Daddy!" Rooster shouted excitedly into the phone. "Whatcha doin'? Gammy's takin' us to see Santa! Papa's ear thingy isn't hearing, so we have to talk real loud at him. Did Whiskers have her kittens yet?"

Smiling crookedly, Beau scrubbed at his eyes before answering the slew of preschooler speak. "No kittens yet, but she's getting close. I'm just sitting down to dinner. Have you been a good boy? Don't want Santa leaving coal in your stocking!" He liked to tease his boys; it was his way of showing them affection, something his father never seemed to do. Shaking his head, Beau returned his focus to his son's rambling story.

"... And then Colt fell into the feed bunk and the steers spooked! But Papa said it was okay cuz the kitties always get in there huntin' mice. Oh, and me an' Mama an' Gammy made cookies while Colt and Papa took a nap. Don't tell Colt, but Gammy let me lick the spoon!" Rooster giggled conspiratorially, and Beau felt his heart swell with love. "Oh! Colt wantsta talk to you, Daddy. Lovyabyee!"

There was a thump and a shriek as the two youngsters fought over the receiver. Finally, the youngest Bennet picked up the phone. "Hi, Daddy. When we gonna go home?"

Beau's heart skipped a beat as his drunken brain scrambled for an answer. "I-uh. When your mama's done at Gammy and Papa's, bud."

Colt sniffled on the other end. "M'kay. Daddy?"

"Yeah, Colt?"

"I miss Whiskers an' Bones an' Misty an' all my toys an' riding on the tractor an' feedin' cows." Colt stopped, and Beau could hear him fidgeting with the phone cord. "Hey, Daddy. Will Santa Clause know where we're at if we don't go home on Christmas?"

Laughing quietly, Beau nodded. "Santa will find you, don't you worry. Do you think he'll pass up filling your stocking full of coal?"

Giggling, Colt chided his father. "Oh, Daddy! I'm not gettin' coal! You're gettin' the coal!"

Beau started to chuckle when Maggie's voice came across the line. "Okay, get on to bed, Colt. I need to talk to your daddy some more."

Colt said a hasty goodbye, and Beau was once again fighting off the hurt in his chest. "Listen, Mags, I-"

She cut him off. "We'll talk about this when you're sober." There was another silence in the long string of silences that was becoming their conversations. Finally, Maggie exhaled into the mouthpiece. "Take care of yourself, Beau."

Click.

Beau sat that for several minutes with the phone's receiver dangling from his hand. After a while, he stretched and replaced it in its cradle before standing and scrubbing at his face with his hands. Grabbing the the neck of the whiskey bottle, he shuffled into the living room and sank into the couch. Taking a long pull straight from the bottle, Beau closed his eyes and tried to forget Maggie's harsh words. He knew he needed to sober up, even if just for a little while, to get her to come back to the ranch.

Holding the Jack Daniels bottle at arms length, he squinted at it for a moment before leaning forward and setting it on the coffee table. He stood back up and looked around at the pyramids of cans and the mountain of dirty dishes and the clothes he had strewn about the place. Nodding resolutely, he began to weave his way into his bedroom.

No doubt about it, he was a stubborn man. And once he put his mind to it, Beau Bennet could do anything. Even if that meant he was going to have to survive one hell of a hangover in the morning.

[bananniewrites]

An Odd Game of Charades

Princess Genevieve 3/?

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

The two thieves stopped at the edge of the woods, hunched over and panting like dogs. “Okay,” the first breathed, “okay, I think we lost ‘em. You good?”

The other nodded. “Still got the goods?”

The first held up a sack and the messenger bag, then gently scooped the mouse out of his breast pocket and presented it in his palm. The mouse was rather frazzled, being bounced around in a pocket, hanging on for dear life to not fall out. The thief had taken the mouse from the wizard’s lab, but what he didn’t know was that he wasn’t just a thief anymore— he was an accomplice to the escaped prisoner, Princess Genevieve.

Genevieve had tried to escape, but accidentally drank the wrong vial and turned into a white mouse. The vial, ironically, was supposed to be used to poison mice. On the thieves’ great run, Gen wondered if Clara forgot to take it out, as it would’ve been more useful for her (being scared of mice). She glanced between them. Not exactly her vision of a knight in shining armor, but beggars can’t be choosers. 

When the thief presented Genevieve in his palm, his partner looked at him, skeptical. “A mouse? What do we need a mouse for, Rowan?”

Rowan slumped. “You really have no imagination, do you, Matt? This little guy was found in a wizard’s office. Think about that for two minutes and tell me you don’t want to show him to the world.”

“So he’s a lab rat. So what?”

“‘Lab rat’? First of all, he’s a mouse. Second, he freaking nodded at me! It means he’s got… er… what’s that word?”

“Disease?”

“Sentience! Idiot. He thinks like a human! He can understand us! In fact…” He set down Gen and began tracing letters in the dust. “Maybe he’s got himself a name. He can just hop on the letters and spell it out.”

Gen was feeling much better now that maybe she had a chance to explain what was going on. If she could spell her name, maybe they could also stop calling her a boy. But should she? If she told them who she was, would she be ransomed or returned? Would they even believe her?

“Right, you update your resume for the nut house while I find firewood,” Matt sneered, then walked into the woods. 

Rowan harrumphed and glanced down at Gen. “You know I’m not crazy, right?”

Genevieve thought for a minute, and got an idea. She dug her hand in the dust, then dragged out three small words: “wait for Matt”.

“Of course!” Rowan cried. “Then I can prove that I didn’t teach you anything, that this is all you! Ooh,” he realized suddenly, “I should help make the fire. It’s getting dark.”

So Rowan left Gen to further ponder what to tell the thieves while they brought scanty amounts of sticks, piled them together, and used Clara’s flint to spark a tiny flame to feed. They ate Clara’s rations for their dinner, and fed some to Gen before turning their attention back to the alphabet Rowan had traced. “So,” Matt started, “Rowan thinks you’ve got a name?”

By now, Genevieve had come up with a plan. She nodded and hopped on the alphabet while Rowan spelled: “G… E… N. What kind of a name is ‘Gen’?”

“I believe it’s pronounced like a ‘j’,” Matt corrected, eyes wide at the extraordinary rodent. 

“Wait, you’re a girl?”

Genevieve nodded. She hadn’t spelled her entire name to avoid tipping them off. She continued to trace pictures in the dirt: a stick figure, a plus sign (for a moment, it was mistaken for a ‘t’), then a vial. This shape was trickier to understand: she made a very deep ‘U’ then drew bubbling circles above it. When Matt fished out one of the potions, she confirmed his guess. She drew an equal sign, then sat at the end of the equation, her arms spread wide. 

“So if I’m getting this right,” Rowan guessed, “you were a human at first, then the wizard made you drink a potion that turned you into a mouse?” She shook her head and pointed at herself. “You drank it? You meant to be a mouse?”

Gen was about to write “accident”, but she wasn’t sure if this would clear anything up, so instead she went with “wrong potion”. A chorus of “ohhh”s rose up. 

“Well, what do we do with her now?” Matt asked. “Is she going to change back? Does she need to go home? Does she come with us?”

Rowan sighed. “I think it’s too early to make any decisions. We don’t know if Gen’s like this forever, and even if we can put on some sort of show, nobody’ll be in the square right now. We’ll have to wait till morning. If she turns back, we’ll just see if we can get her back home. I’m turning in for the night.” He picked up some of Genevieve’s underclothes and draped them over the mouse, then laid himself down and waited for sleep. 

Genevieve was happy enough to snuggle into her enormous, soft underwear. By the fire, it was warm, and soon she drifted off. 

She dreamed that night. She saw a knight from her kingdom battling his way into the fortress. He fenced away two soldiers, but never made it to the entrance before being peppered with arrows. Then Genevieve herself, raising a sword, charged into the fray on horseback. For Clara. The horse reared; Gen tried to hold on but slid off the back end and fell, her sword clattering away from her. A soldier raised a spear, and just as it was brought down on her, she woke up shaking. 

She found that the world was not so big anymore, and when she wrapped her arms to hug herself in fright, she had knees to bring to her bare chest. She examined her arms and felt her face. Yes, she was back in her own body. The moon was as bright as the sun and in the highest point of the sky, bathing everything in a pale, ethereal glow. The fire was a pile of coals, glowing scarlet. Crickets chirped frantically, and somewhere, a lone night-bird sang full of hope. The woods remained dark, untouched by the moon and unwilling to reveal its secrets. 

Genevieve stood up and gently shook out the dust out of her clothes, afraid to wake the still-sleeping thieves. She would easily make her way into the village if she waited, and from there she could make her way to the castle. But these men were likely wanted by the Orcs. They’ll probably be in the village looking for them, and her. And what if the thieves should recognize her face? Would they still bring her to the castle, or would they keep her until the kingdom paid them? She had to remember that they stole Clara’s bag to sell its contents; she couldn’t guarantee that they’ll let her go without thinking of some sort of contribution. They weren’t that stupid. And yet... 

Rowan had understood her. He made the effort to get to know her. And Matt was the one who suggested taking her home, and Rowan had agreed, but they expected some village kid, not the princess.

In the corner of her eye, Genevieve spotted multiple torchlights in the distance, steadily coming closer. Instinctively, she shook the shoulders of Matt, then Rowan. “Rowan! Matt! Wake up, they’re after us!” She slung the bag over her shoulders and shook them again, and they roused in confusion. She pointed towards the torchlights and whispered, “someone’s coming!”

They saw the lights and rose quickly to gather their things. Matt muttered, “why go all this way for some magic stuff and a mouse?”

Then Rowan got a good look at Genevieve, now human, and his face grew tight with horror. “I’m starting to get an idea. Come on!” He took her arm and the scruff of Matt’s neck, and together, they sprinted further into the woods.

About half a mile in, they paused to catch their breath. “Matt,” Rowan gasped, “we’ve… we’ve got the princess. That’s why… why they’re chasing us.”

“Maybe we can hold out-?”

“No! No, no, no, that’s-that’s suicide. I hate to say this, ‘cause I don’t want to leave her alone, but… we might be better off without her, and vice versa.” He turned to Genevieve. “Okay, if you keep going in that direction, you should eventually reach the next village. People have seen… things in there, especially at night, so just keep running and you should be fine. Here,” he unclipped the sheet he wore as a cloak and threw it around her. “It’s been a pleasure, Your Majesty. Stay safe.”

Gen was shocked to be called by a formal title, as it was so rare to meet people who would call her that. She managed to mumble, “thank you.” Rowan and Matt bolted in the other direction, and Genevieve yelled after them, “God bless you!”, because that’s what people always said before they left. But as she ran deeper into the woods and the more she thought about it, the more she really meant it.

[mechagalaxy]

33-1/3; Ways to be wormfood

Clan War 3333 was being fought on a Hellworld. Not the first time this had been done, I mean urban renewal has long been one of the side effects of Clan War, but this time the beacons burned on Arakis.

Arakis is home to the Vol Wurm, an argument that the twisted genius of Drocha, Drake, and the worst Mecha Galaxy has ever produced is only enough to make mother nature laugh and say “hold my beer”, long enough to show what she can really do. Vol Wurms eat buildings, small armies, landing starships, and…mecha.

Vol Wurms range from the size of tractor-trailers, through the size of coal trains, all the way up to sand crawling tunnel burrowing warships. It’s the reason there is no tectonic instability on Arakis, because the Vol Wurms literally shattered the crustal plates to the point they are free moving, and unabe to build up enough stress to generate a tremor noticeable beside the quakes produced by the passages of the great Vol Wurms.

I earned a lot of money over the years, harvesting Vol Wurms; you had to keep your wits about you, and be ready to bail when the big boys showed up, as they tend to laugh at any weapon that can’t burn through a Dreadnought, shields and all. Now we are going back, and going to war.

The beacons though, the beacons were hard to read. I set my intel people on why the beacons were so weak, and they came back with nothing, but the Mighty Beatrice, our ever disturbing rogue AI and hacker of fame gave us the disturbing answer.

“Hey boss bunny, do you have a few glacial epochs to talk?” The tones of Mighty Beatrice always contained a fair bit of her sarcastic opinion on the speed by which mere flesh and niode based augmented human pilots thought.

“Sure Mighty B, what have you got for me?” You didn’t have to stand on ceremony with her, I mean, once you got past the “try to wipe out humanity again and I will infodump all the Justin Beber fanfic and Youtube videos in infinite loop to your datacore”, she was really easy to talk to.

Her answer came with a data dump of the beacons overlaying the planetary map, and some new information from vibrational studies from lighting impacts on the surface. The data showed a few interesting things. Taken together, they were a warning.

There was a network of tunnels dug by the Vol Wurms, but they had been stabilized by ferrite ablative plating and connected to a series of huge chambers, not just stabilized but heavily shielded. Some of those contained the beacons and gods only knew what else.

The world had been turned into a virtual ant hill by the Craftsmen! There was only one answer to an ant hill in Mecha Galaxy. I opened my mouth to ask if they caverns were equipped for mecha, and before the words were out of my mouth, overlays of Red Ants (no problem), Anzu (can’t corner in several places) Axebots (stuck in roof) Shocklite (stuck in walls), Commissar (stuck in both) answered my question. These caverns would be a Red Ant playground, but nothing heavier.

We sent in Bolverk from the Avengers of Bunny to do a scout for us. His Red Ants were smaller both in number and armour than the rest of us. He was going to let us know if there was anything in the caverns we needed to know about.

----Arakis---Wurm Cave 2791----Avengers of Bunny

Bolverk keyed his comms to double check his pilots had all made the adjustments for tunnel fighting. He knew the targeting scanners and magscan had been tuned, and he directed Red Rage’s pilot to make sure the plasma gunners had adjusted for limited oxygen in tunnel spaces, and would agument their streams to prevent burnout. He hadn’t double checked with Red Rocket about putting the “tunnel snake” direct fire program in the missiles, instead of the default high arching “arrow” profile of most launchers.

“Wasp to Red Rocket, did you swap out your seeker heads for Tunnel Snake systems, or are you still using the Arrow systems, because you know those suckers are going to blast straight into the roof and blow us right the frell up” Bolverk waited for the reply for several long seconds.

“Red Rocket to Wasp, relax boss. I totally did” Red Rocket signed off confidently, then whispered to himself “At least, I think I did. I know I meant to. I should have…..no, I MUST have. I couldn’t have been stupid enough not to!”

Bolverk was relieved, and got back to the sensor scans. There was definitely a lot to scan. There were weapon caches freaking EVERYWHERE. Someone stored a lot of goods down here and shielded them tighter than Artemis Molly’s knickers. There was something else though, whoever sealed the caves, sealed them with some guests still inside, and very hungry!

“Vol Wurms, 12 O Clock, five hundred meters, closing fast. Weapons free!” Bolverk gave the command and cut loose with the Prism Flower he had hot loaded for over five hundred damage, coring through the tough hide of the Vol Wurm to detonate its head section. Others were coming from the surrounding passage ways, and his front rank joined him in fire that cut the Vol Wurm’s to pieces, but more always followed.

Red Rocket keyed his Jurassic Thunder to Wide Fork and Freeze the advancing worm horde and by the Red Ants time to break off into a defensible tube and exfiltrate. Launch doors opened and a spread of a hundred rockets emptied from all chest mounted bays in a wide forking eruption of supercharged explosive fury.

6.3 seconds into the flight, the soaring “arrow” pattern standard launch vector encountered the roof of the tunnel and explosions coated the roof above the Avengers of Bunny line, showering them with high explosive plasma and shrapnel. The stunned Ants collapsed to the ground where charging Vol Worms finished them off.

Panicked survivors were able to extract the pilots and bring out the Avengers scout force with less than a quarter of its mecha strength intact. The message went out to all the Bunny, then all the Bouncing Blue Brotherhood clans, and eventually the whole of the Mercenary Clans; War was coming to Arakis, and you had best prepare your Red Ants for battle in the tunnels, or you will be worm food.

John T Mainer 28840