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astroels · 2 years ago

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Pretty girl

E.Williams x Reader

Cw: weed usage, making out, bad flirting, Ellie gets eaten out and fingered, reader thigh rides and gets fingered, use of soft/sweet pet names, supposed to be lovey dovey sex, their first time, porn with some plot, tit sucking, Ellie is a little awkward

Wc: 3.3k

A/n: inspired by the song nuts, also using this as an excuse to imagine a high fuck with Ellie to make myself feel better, and sweet so I can feel the love, feel free to leave criticism, first time writing smut like this :)

I'm making this with how I imagine her in Jackson before everything traumatizing happens in tlou2

MDNI +18

The invite from Dina earlier on about sneaking past midnight to hangout with her, Jesse, and Ellie wandered through your mind all day. You knew it was probably just to get Ellie distracted from Dina and Jesse basically eye fucking each other the whole time. But then again, knowing weed came with the package was convincing enough. You needed the reliever and who knows? maybe you and Ellie could connect further than greetings and her helping out when you struggled.

Upon your arrival, Dina guided you into a basement with a small L-shaped couch. It definitely wasn't any of their houses. You assumed it was just a hideout. "Let me go grab everything real quick." She let out a friendly wink to you and left you with Jesee and Ellie. Standing around awkwardly was going to be the death of you, so you decided to take a seat next to Ellie, which happened to be the corner that formed the L, considering Dina would be snuggled with Jesse on the other side. As you sat, Ellie gave you a welcoming smile and focused her attention back to Jesse as he spoke.

"Never took you for the type to smoke," Jesse let out while fixing his sitting position to lay back further. "Just need the relief today, that's all." Jesse nodded with an upside down grin to show his approval. But you can't help but notice the smirk he gives Ellie with raised eyebrows after, and the way she just hides her smile at the gesture. It feels like they know something you don't, perhaps just an inside joke.

Dina comes seconds later with two joints. Were those to share? Surely one was for her and Jesse, that left you and Ellie having to share it. Rather intimate for someone you didn't know well, but fuck it, you were here already. "Here ya go." Dina gently threw the lighter at Ellie while giving you your joint. "Hope you don't mind sharing, only got two from last patrol." Ellie and you both looked at each other at the same time for an answer. Both of you awkwardly laughed, "yeah, t's alright." Ellie said as she gestured you to come closer, patting the spot next to her.

Jesse lit the joint while it laid on Dina's lips; Eyeing them both, Ellie turned to you with one of her smirks and the childish fire in her eyes, "Wanna try that?" Of course you did, the thought of it felt so intimate, it made your heart beat fast. "Yeah, yeah," you said as you quickly placed the joint between your lips.

Ellie watched you intently, never letting go of her focus on you. After she saw you put your hand back down, Ellie held your jaw with her hand to keep it steady as she turned on the lighter with her other. "This alright?" She asked in such a gentle voice, you swear you were feeling butterflies in your stomach. Her touch felt like fire you'd been waiting for her to ignite this whole time. You felt yourself get warm, but there was a fire in front of you after all. You simply let out a, mhm, and she lit it.

You inhaled, taking in the strong aroma of it. Turning away from Ellie, you exhaled, feeling the breathe of your lungs leaving. After the first drag, you passed it to Ellie as Jesse spoke. "So, uh," Jesse gestered his head towards Ellie, "Saw you talking to Cat earlier this week." Ellie started coughing, the air of the joint getting stuck in her lungs. Dina gave Jesse an unsure stare as Ellie talked. "Yeah, she uhm, wanted to give me some of my stuff back." Ellie quickly took another drag after her words.

You found yourself growing curious of her relationship with Cat. You were never too deep in their circle, so word never got to you. As she passed you the joint, you spoke before inhaling. "Were you guys anything serious?" This was your opportunity to finally break in and see if you stood a chance with her, before you thought about falling too hard. You began to inhale once she started talking. "Yeah, I'd like to think so," Ellie nodded her head along with her words. You passed the joint to Ellie as Dina spoke.

Dina, noticing the tense atmosphere, pitched in jokingly, "Well if you ever break my heart, you're never getting anything back." She grinned towards Jesse after her remark. "How about, I just never give you anything from now on," He grinned even wider, raising his brows to make his comment feel light. "Rude." Dina jokingly smacked him, telling him he'd better not. Those two got along so well with their jokes, you just wondered how long they'd be fine this time, knowing their relationship. "Well how about you." He gestered his eyes towards you. "You ever been in anything serious?"

"Not really no, not much time to think about that sorta stuff." Both Jesse and Dinna nodded in understanding. You breathed in the smoke again, waiting for the nerves to start releasing from your body. You looked at Ellie to see her reaction, see if any part of her wanted you. Just as you thought she wasn't going to say anything, she went ahead. "Ever think about it?" Passing her the joint, your fingers brushed against hers, both of you making eye contact. It was now or never to give her a hint. "I've had my eye on someone."

Jesse and Dina being the instigators they are, gave each other sneaky smirks and agreed it was their time to go. "Alright, well, I think we should be going." Jesse stood as Dina put out their joint. "Got patrol in the morning, and this one," He looks at Dina, "is a horrible morning riser." Both you and Ellie laugh at his comment, nodding to their departure. Before Dina makes her way out she says Jesse is the actual horrid riser, in redemption.

After they are both gone, a silence falls between you and Ellie. You don't want to leave just yet, you still haven't left your stresses behind and find odd comfort in Ellie's presence. Could be the weed, but it felt so good. Clearing your throat quickly, you speak "So, uhm, I still have some time to kill." You tilt your head, looking at her. "If you do?" You said in a questioning tone. Ellie looked up to meet your eyes too, taking the joint from you. "Yeah, I do." Her voice came out raspy. You loved the tune of her voice, the way it filled your ears made you feel high alone.

Starting to lose nerves, you're able to relax and be more forward with Ellie while talking. It's all you've needed all night. "Are you usually this quiet?" You ask Ellie in genuine curiosity. You'd thought that she was really out going with how you saw her joke around. Ellie let's out a wonky smile, tilting her head, "Only around pretty girls." In turn, you smiled at her after exhaling the smoke from the drag you took. Ellie's confidence seemed to boost; The weed was finally letting things come out. Passing her the joint, you look her in the eyes, "You're not too bad yourself, babe." Calling people babe had become a habit, a bad one.

Ellie's facial expression quickly goes from shocked to a smirk. God, you loved that smirk. "Babe, huh?" Ellie moved herself closer to you, inhaling and exhaling from the joint, one last time. "Babe fits you pretty well," you replied, moving close and tilting your head. Without question, she put out the joint on the tray that laid on the coffee table. Eyeing the way the muscles on her arm moved with her tattoo made you feel warm. You bet they'd feel as good as they looked. Ellie caught you staring, which made her move her arms more consciously, aware of your stare.

Not knowing what to say next, Ellie scoots closer subtly, looking from your lips to your eyes. You wanted to kiss her lips since the beginning of the night. The way they wrapped around the joint, they looked incredibly enticing to make yours. You gave Ellie the same look, begging her with your eyes to kiss you already. With this, she leaned in, just close enough to almost touch your lips. You decided to close the distance after she gave a subtle nod to your eyes.

Ellie deepened the kiss, grabbing your face to hold it steady and long. She seemed to be getting hungry, wanting access to your mouth even further. It felt like she had never gone slow before, never took her time. Before she could try anything, you pull away, wanting to bask in the moment of sweetness. "Slow, Els." She nodded in understanding as you finally connected your lips again.

This time, it feels more intimate, soft with the hints of hunger needed to make it passionate. Each time you took a moment to breathe, there was a want in her eyes, a need that she had for this. Her eyes looked dreamy, the hazziness adding to the constant tension between the air. Ellie bites your bottom lip with urgency, impatient that you made her wait. You gasp at the sudden pain as she leads the kissing at her pace.

She holds your jaw as you hold her hair to control the motions while kissing. Your other hand snakes down to tug at her shirt. Once she gets the hint, she sits up a little straighter to pull it off. While she does, you stand up and make her switch positions with you, leaving her at the corner part of the couch. Not wanting Ellie to feel lonely in her sports bra, you take off your shirt.

The way Ellie looked laid back on her elbows, waiting for you, made your heart feel heavy. Her eyes moving to each of your curves and marks made you hot inside. Assuming Ellie was ready, you straddled her, your bottom making contact with her upper thighs. This movement made Ellie mutter under her breath in shock. She was so awkward in this hottest way possible.

"Fuck, uhm, where do I?" Ellie held her hands up, scared to make you uncomfortable with her hand placement. "Anything is alright, babe." You led her arms to your hips, giving her access to explore anywhere she wanted. As you leaned down to continue kissing Ellie, you felt her squeeze the skin that covered your hips. She did this motion as if she'd been doing it for all her life, moving up and down your sides slightly.

After a while, you made your way down her neck, leaving your saliva and marks on it. Ellie let out small gasps and moans under your touch when you reached near her ear. The way it sounded was everything you had ever dreamed. It sounded almost pornographic when she let out a noise. Craving her noises, you continued to suck on that spot till you eventually made your way down to her sports bra. Without a thought, Ellie propped herself up, and you helped her take it off, throwing it somewhere behind the couch.

You could see Ellie's nipples harden due to the exposed cold air. Ellie felt insecure to the sudden exposure, but quickly forgot once she felt your tounge on her right boob. You swirled your tounge around her nipple as you played with the other with your hand. A string of saliva was left as you copied the motion to her other boob, making your way down her stomach. You could feel the way it hardened with each tense motion Ellie made. Once you reached the waistband of her jeans, you looked up. "C'mon, pretty baby, help me out." you said in a sweet tone. Ellie let out a little laugh and picked up her waist, so you could pull her pants down, worrying about her underwear next. Once her jeans were completely off, you asked before going any further.

"This alright?" You hooked your finger under her underwear. Ellie looked down on you, looking a bit flustered. "No one's actually ever, uhm, gone down on me." She let out a breathe as if it was the biggest secret ever. Your heart fluttered at the thought of you being her first, the first to ever give her the pleasure. "That's alright, you tell me what feels good, yeah?" Ellie nodded, biting her lip as she waited for you to pull her underwear down. You pulled them, making sure to untangle them from her ankles. Her pussy looked so pretty, waiting in anticipation. You pushed her legs open with your arms as you made space for your head.

As you hooked your arm against her legs, you began to kiss her inner thigh, teasing her before touching her pussy. You could feel Ellie's low breathing and squirms at the sensitive tissue on her thigh. You inched closer to her center and finally saw how wet she was. It covered her folds so sweetly. It reminded you of a popsicle melting, just waiting to be licked up. You started at her opening, collecting the slickness to bring evenly to the top. This alone had Ellie's breath faltering. When you reached her clit, you swirled your tounge around it, wanting to gain a reaction of Ellie's gasps. You sucked on her clit sloppily, looking up to see her red doozy eyes staring at you. Her breathe hitched, her chest rising and falling with the motions of your mouth.

You went down to her opening to tease it some more. "Fuck, babe." Ellie said in a broken voice. You moved your mouth back up to tease her clit as you added a finger in. Her pussy accepted it with ease, seeming ready for another. "Are you okay for the second one?" You hummed, picking your head up slightly to see her face. A second hadn't even gone by when Ellie nodded her head with a mhm. When you slid in the second finger, Ellie's pussy clenched around them in want. You wanted to tease her about it, but she had already looked flustered, her tattooed arm laid across her face, hiding her eyes. "I'll take care of you, sweet girl." you cooed at her while dipping back down to her pussy.

You pumped your fingers slightly in and out while you switched from a hooked gesture and back to normal with your fingers. As Ellie got used to it, she started getting more vocal, letting out moans of pleasure. You decided to encircle her clit with your mouth again, wanting to get the most from this. As soon as Ellie felt the shocking waves, she couldn't help but become more vocal. "Oh fuck'm, babe, right there," you hummed into her pussy as acknowledgement of her comment. You fucked her with your fingers at a faster pace, feeling her clench and stomach tense up more often. " 'm gonna come, holy fuck," It came out as a slurred moan, but you understood her. Picking up your head, you watched the way her boobs moved with her grinding to catch her wave faster. Within the second, you felt her pussy clench a final time and release her juices. Helping her ride out her orgasm, you removed your fingers and lapped at her cunt with your tounge.

Once she calmed, her head tilted down, she looked even more dreamy than before. She quickly positioned her legs closed, pulling you in for a kiss. As sloppy as it was, you enjoyed the taste of her on your tongue and the way it mixed with her saliva now. Ellie pulled away after a few seconds to speak. "You're fucking amazing at that," You flushed and giggled, replying "You coulda had me way sooner y'know." Ellie just grinned not knowing what to say. She had her hands massaging your hips again.

With the feeling of Ellie beneath you, you quickly became aware of how wet you had been and how much you needed her. Ellie seemed to notice the shift in your playful attitude. She patted your ass as a signal to get up. "Take these off f'me." You quickly got up to unbutton your jeans, taking them off and leaving them on the floor. You decided to do the same with your underwear, leaving yourself in your bra. Ellie patiently waited for you, eyeing your every movement. You could see her eyes looking at every inch of you, licking her lips unconsciously.

You decided to straddle her thigh instead of her waist this time, desperate to feel release. When your pussy came in contact with her skin, it felt heavenly, it was cold compared to the heat from your pussy. Ellie smirked at the feeling of your wetness on her. You leaned down to kiss her, completely enthralled in making out with her while grinding. You had your hand on Ellie's chest and the other on her jaw to stable yourself while she had hands on your ass, guiding you. The way she helped you move made you moan into her mouth so often. Eventually, Ellie moved from your mouth, leaving small kisses down your jaw towards your neck. She nibbled while sucking, gaining whines from you.

Ellie reached your chest, quickly fumbling with the clasp to remove your bra. Once she did, she placed her plump lips on your tits, sucking and twirling her tounge everywhere. You held your hands in her hair, messing it up to follow your pleasure. Your ass felt cold as Ellie removed a hand. She instead moved her tatted arm under your pussy. She moved her fingers towards your slit and back up to your clit, collecting your slickness. Her fingers had been a completely different pleasure. You could feel their coldness and the way they were rough. You couldn't contain your want for her any longer. "Els, please just put 'em in already." It came out in a low gaspy tone. "We're getting there, pretty girl," is all she said when she detached herself from your boobs. Ellie continued to tease your clit, aggravatingly slow. Her other hand had to stop you from bucking into her fingers.

After a few moment, Ellie put her ring and middle finger in. With the sudden insertion, You held her close, letting out moans near her ear for her to hear. Ellie moved her fingers at a constant pace in you. You met her pace, grinding on her fingers for the extra pleasure. "You look so sweet like this, my pretty girl." Ellie said it in such a way that sounded demeaning. There was a sudden flush of embarrassment that ran through your blood, but you continued to grind on her fingers, bringing her face back to your lips to kiss. The build up of how well she was hitting your right spots warmed your body. Everything felt extra hazy, as if you were reaching the stars. "Els, I'm close," that was all Ellie needed to precede going.

Ellie kept hitting the spot, making you moan out loud, sounding pornographic. You were clenching around Ellie's fingers unapologetically, so close. Once you came, Ellie continued, helping you ride out your orgasm. Still straddling Ellie's thigh, she brought up her fingers and licked them clean, staring right at you. "You taste 'sgood, my pretty girl." Your grin reached your ears without you wanting to. You were just so happy to have done this with her, happy she chose you.

You and Ellie both flopped after, cuddling, skin to skin, on the couch. "I think I love you, Els." The sudden confession made Ellie giggle. "I think it's a little too late for that, my love." She said and gave you a kiss on your forehead. Both of you knew you should've gotten up and left, but you were much too tired, and enjoyed the closeness of each other. Whoever woke up first, would deal with it, for now you were happy being her pretty girl.

Tags: @prrimordiais @puckssbunny @hazelnutsforellie @soapisokay @ellieismami

#ellie williams #lesbian #elliesstar #ellie x reader #ellie williams x reader #ellie tlou #tlou 2

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doctorstethoscope · 3 years ago

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The Right Chapter 21 || Aaron Hotchner x Fem Reader

Helloooooo my friends!!! You are going to love this one. I am so excited to hear what you think about it. Hold on to the fluff my loves.

Read previous chapters of this fic here!

warnings: food mention, alcohol consumption, discussion of pregnancy (not reader), mild sexual content

wordcount: 1.9k

“Okay, be honest. How many nights have you actually spent here since you moved in?” Emily asked, perched on the couch in your apartment, a glass of wine in her hand, a few empty bottles scattered between you, her, JJ and Garcia throughout your living room.

“That’s not fair! We spend way more nights out on cases than I do at Aaron’s place,” you laughed from across the living room in a lounge chair.

“You know that’s not what she meant, peach.” Garcia chastises you, and JJ lets out a snort.

“It doesn’t matter. Her non-answer is answer enough,” she points out, and you all laugh together.

“It’s a good thing,” Garcia reminds you.

“Oh, absolutely,” Emily concurs. “We’re all glad you finally figured it out. I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to stand you making googly-eyes at him during active hostage situations.”

“I did not!” You defended yourself with a smile, hiding your grin behind your fourth-- or was it your fifth?--- glass of wine.

“You weren’t that bad. That’s not to say you were good at hiding it, because you weren’t,” JJ assures you. “But you held it together in the field.”

“See, guys? And JJ’s sober.” You reminded the group.

“Are you sure you don’t want a glass?” Garcia offered her.

“No, I’m alright,” JJ denied. “Actually, I offered to drive because…. Will and I are expecting!” She announces, and your faces all light up in unison.

“Jayje!” Emily squeals, practically diving across the couch to wrap her friend in a hug. Penelope is right behind her, and you all take a moment to fuss over her and feel her non-existent bump before settling back into your own seats.

“Oh, that means you and Hotch are next!” Garcia asserts drunkenly, and you tense, although you doubt any of the ladies noticed.

“You think you’d want that? Kids, I mean?” Emily asks you, reclining back in her chair.

“I don’t really know what Aaron wants,” you shrug the question off, averting your gaze to your wine glass.

“That’s not what we asked,” JJ redirects you, apparently unwilling to accept a non-answer this time around. “What do you want?”

“With Aaron? More kids, definitely more.” You confess. “But Aaron’s older than I am. I don’t know if he feels like he’s done with that part of his life, you know?”

“There’s no way. He loves Jack more than anything.” Emily concludes. “He seems like the type of guy who’d love to keep you barefoot and pregnant, even if it’s only because he’d get to pull you out of the field and keep you safe at home.”

You let out a real laugh at Emily’s assertion. “Well, if he ever asks me about it, I’ll be sure to include that in my supporting arguments.”

“Trust me-- they never feel done with being a dad. How do you think Will and I ended up with baby number two?” JJ reminds you with a wink.

“Oh, you guys would just have the cutest babies. That dark Hotchner hair and your pretty eyes!” Garcia gushes, her lower lip starting to quiver.

“Okay, and that’s my cue to get her home,” JJ chuckles, rising from her place on the couch. “Drink some water before you go to bed, okay? And maybe eat something, and take some advil?”

“Okay, mom,” you rolled your eyes, standing up and giving your friends hugs goodbye as you said goodnight.

“Hey, someday you’ll understand,” JJ tells you. “It will be sooner than you think, I’d bet.” She winks, and you roll your eyes at her again, smiling as you walked the three of them to the door.

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“We’re going on a date tonight,” Aaron tells you as the two of you leave the office a few nights later. “Jess agreed to take Jack.”

Your brow furrowed in confusion. “Am I forgetting something?”

“Only that I love you, and as your boyfriend I reserve the right to take you out whenever I please,” He smirks, placing a hand on your back as he opens the door and helps you into the car.

You roll your eyes, but you’re not quick enough to come up with some smart-ass comment, so you let him have the win as he drives you both home.

“Should I wear something specific?” You ask as the two of you walk into the house together.

“We’re gonna walk downtown a little, so something comfortable,” he advises. “Do you need to do anything other than change, or are you basically ready to go?”

“I could use ten minutes to freshen up,” you tell him, and he nods with a smile.

“Take your time, we’re not in any rush,” he says, kissing your temple and moving into the bedroom to change into something more comfortable as you step into the bathroom, adjusting your hair and makeup just a tad. When you come back into the bedroom, Aaron’s switched into jeans, so you do the same. You go to fish your wallet out of your work bag, and Aaron slaps at your wrist lightly.

“Stop it. You don’t need that,” he tells you, and you roll your eyes with a playful smile.

“You’re a neanderthal,” You tease him, letting him guide you out of the house and back towards the car.

“No, I was raised right,” Aaron corrects you.

“What if I want a drink and I get carded?” You smirked as you buckled your seatbelt. You were younger than Aaron, yes, but not by that much.

“If you get denied because you don’t have an ID on you, I’ll stop at the gas station on our way home and buy you a six pack of bud light.” He assures you as he backs out of the parking lot.

“So romantic,” you cooed overdramatically, tossing your head back with a laugh. Aaron takes advantage of the opportunity to lean over the console and press a quick kiss to your jawline.

A few moments later, Aaron parks the car in front of a greasy spoon downtown that you’d never been to before, and you give him an inquisitive look. It’s not that you minded at all-- any time you spent with Aaron was perfect in every way. But his dates were usually a lot higher-key.

“I’ve got to keep you on your toes,” he shrugged with a boyish grin as he took your hand in his on the sidewalk and walked you into the restaurant. He let go reluctantly as the two of you slid into opposite sides of a booth.

“So, it’s safe to assume that there’s more to tonight’s date than burgers and milkshakes?” You ask Aaron after the two of you have placed your orders.

“Oh, absolutely,” Aaron nods, smiling smugly.

“And are you going to tell me what that might be?” You asked hopefully.

“Absolutely not,” Aaron confirmed what you had already suspected.

“Not even a hint?” You asked.

“You’ll find out in due time. Be patient, princess,” he encourages you.

“I’m willing to beg,” you informed him. You were sure that whatever he had planned would be romantic and wonderful, but god did you want to know.

“Darling, I’d really prefer if you saved that for our bedroom,” Aaron deadpanned, and you choked on your water.

“Agent Hotchner!” You chastised, catching your breath.

“Come on, now you’re just teasing me,” he winked, and you felt butterflies in your stomach.

“Well, is it working?” You asked, wondering if you could flirt your way into some intel.

“Not a chance,” he admonished you playfully as the waitress sat your meals down in front of you.

After dinner, Aaron took your hand back in his and led you out of the restaurant. You started to head off towards the car, but he stopped you.

“You did want to see what else I had planned, didn’t you?” He asks, facetiously.

“Yes please,” you smiled shyly.

“Take a walk with me,” Aaron says, tugging you back into him so he can wrap his arm around you. It takes a couple of paces for him to find his metaphorical footing, but after a moment, he speaks up again. “I haven’t been clear with you about what my intentions are, and I wanted to apologize for that.”

“Aaron, you don’t have to--” you start, but he cuts you off.

“Let me, first, please?” Aaron asks of you, looking you in the eyes, and you nod, giving him permission to continue. “I haven’t explained to you exactly how I feel, and because I didn’t do that, you’re having to worry about silly things, like whether or not you have the same amount of experience I do, or whether or not I’m going to run off with Jack’s teacher or one of his friends moms.”

“Well, I’m less worried about Rhonda now that I’ve met her wife. But Ms. Meadows is still on my watch list.” You tell him, and he chuckles, taking your hand in his and kissing the back of it as he takes you down a side street.

“Darling, you’ve got nothing to worry about. That’s what I needed to tell you. I’m all in, sweetheart. You, me, Jack, and anyone else we might add to our family-- that’s all I want. That’s my priority.” He tells you, and your breath catches. “So, I got you a little something, just to show you how serious I am,” He says, leading you into a jewelry store. You stop in the doorway.

“Aaron Hotchner, please tell me you’re not proposing at the jewelers.” You whisper out, not wanting to cause a scene. You would have said yes, regardless, but you were struck by a little bit of shock.

He chuckles and shakes his head. “No, dear. Come on in, and I’ll show you,” He takes your hand again, and you step into the jewelry store with trepidation. The man behind the counter seems to recognize Aaron, as he produces a bag from the back counter once they make eye contact. Aaron passes the bag to you, and you push through the pink tissue paper to uncover a box, in which you find a single diamond solitaire pendant.

“Aaron,” you start breathlessly, but he’s already taking the necklace out of your hands and maneuvering the clasp around your neck.

“This is just a placeholder, until you’re ready for the real thing,” Aaron whispers, pressing a kiss behind your ear once the necklace is secure. “But since we’re here, would you want to try a few on? So I know what you like? You’re not allowed to take the real one off, once it’s on. So I want you to be happy with it.”

You’re sure that you’re dreaming your way through the rest of the evening. You try on what feels like every ring in the store, including the ones you insist are too expensive, but Aaron refuses to listen. You’re practically floating on air during the walk back to the car, and you let out a sigh as you settle into the passenger seat.

“I know I said you weren’t allowed to take the ring off, and I meant it,” Aaron tells you. “But if you’re not ready to start thinking that way, I understand. This is at your pace. You just let me know, and I’ll pump the breaks.”

You practically launch yourself across the center console, taking his face in your hands and kissing him. “Does this thing go any faster, actually?” You ask, and he laughs as he kisses you again.

tagging: @romanogersendgame @wanniiieeee @zheezs14 @greeneyedblondie44 @angelic-kisses13 @baumarvel @ssamorganhotchner @ijustwannaread2k19 @rexit-mo @shmaptainhotchnersmain @qtip-blog @averyhotchner @the-modernmary @itsmytimetoodream @choppa-style @hotforhotchner11 @infinite-tides @isthatme-thatsme @g-l-pierce @bakugouswh0r3 @ssahotchie @sleepyreaderreads

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner x you #hotch x you #hotch x y/n #aaron hotchner x y/n #aaron hotchner fic #criminal minds #criminal minds fic

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imagineyourworld · 3 years ago

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Peer Pressure

Kix x Fem!Princess!Reader

Summary: Kix finds himself giving the princess medical assistance, and even though the two of them hit it off, no one else seems to like the two of them together

Warnings: Mention of blood, mention of a bombing (happened prior to the story), people being a-holes towards the clones

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The first time Kix sa you he could have sworn time stopped for a moment. All his bleeding brothers, the destroyed droids and remains of the palace faded into the background the second he laid eyes on you. And when you ended up walking straight towards him his heart skipped a beat. Though he soon scolded himself for this when he saw that you weren’t exactly walking, but rather jumping on one leg, trying your best not to put any pressure on the other. Kix hurried over to you and without either of you having to say a single word he put his arm around your waist and guided you over to one of the makeshift beds along the tent walls. “Thank you”, you said. Those two words made Kix turn his attention away from your leg and to your eyes. Even though they haven’t been on this planet for very long, everyone in the 501st could tell that the inhabitants were not big fans of clones, most of them ignored them altogether while others were nothing but mean and cold. Your words might have been the first friendly ones he had heard since their arrival that didn’t come from one of his brothers. “You’re welcome”, he replied, trying his best to focus on your leg again and not your gorgeous eyes. “What seems to be the problem?” You shrugged. “I’m not quite sure. I was with my family, trying to escape the palace as soon as the alarms went off, but then there was this loud noise and next thing I knew I was all alone and the walls around me were nothing more than dust and pebbles. Kix nodded along while you talked. “Do you mind lifting your dress so I can have a closer look at your leg?” You did as you were told, lifting the hem of your dress inch by inch until Kix told you to stop. He could now see that your knee was at a weird angle and there was a long cut along your calf, which was still bleeding. He studied the dark fabric of your dress for a moment to see if there was any indication as to how much blood you’ve lost, but all he noticed that the dress, though now dirty and torn in some places, seemed incredibly expensive. You must be a very high up servant, or maybe even some kind of noble woman. “Your knee is dislocated and you have a cut on your calf. It’s bleeding a lot, but not deep, so you should be on your feet in no time”, he explained as he began to disinfect your wound before wrapping it up. “Try not to put too much weight on this leg the next couple of days, a day or two of bedrest would help as well, if that’s possible. And the bandages should be changed once a day until the wound is closed. As for your knee, this will hurt for just a second, you can squeeze my arm, it might help with the pain.” Once again you were a model patient and did as told while Kix tried not to let your warm hand on his arm affect him. He had put off parts of his armour a while earlier due to the hot climate and now there was only a thin layer of fabric between your skin and his. “What’s your name?”, you asked as Kix put his hands on your knee, whether because you were really interested or to distract you Kix didn’t know, but he found that it didn’t really matter to him. You had asked for his name, not his number as the few other people he had spoken to on this planet, one of whom had only asked so he could report him for daring to touch him while placing a bacta patch on him. “Kix. My name’s Kix”, he said and quickly followed up by asking for your name. “I’m (Y/N)”, you said, though you rather screamed the last syllable in the short moment it took Kix to relocate your knee. “It’s very nice to meet you, Kix. And thank you so much for your help. What can I do to repay you?” Kix, now finished with his work, looked at you in shock. Surely you had to be joking. “I... “, he began, not sure what to say. In all his time as a medic, this was a question he had never heard. “Maybe we could meet again for dinner and you could tell me what you’ve thought of”, you suggested with a bright smile on your lips that made Kix’s mouth dry. Did you just ask him on a date? Were you flirting with him? “I’d like that. Especially after the day I’ve had”, he finally admitted. Still smiling you leaned forward, placing your elbows on your legs and your head in your hands until your face was only inches way from Kix, who was still kneeling in front of you. “Go on, tell me about your day.” Kix scanned your face, looking for any trace of irony or cruelty, but when he didn’t find anything that might lead him to believe that you weren’t sincere he began. “Well, it was a long day and a short night. Jesse, that’s one of the brothers I’m closest with, woke me at the crack of dawn because Hardcase had dropped his caf and cut himself on the broken cup trying to pick up the pieces. Once his hand was bandaged Echo and Fives came running through the medbay, trying to hide from Dogma, who they had pulled some sort of prank on. And before that could be settled Rex commed us to get us over here because the palace was under attack.” Kix surprised himself with how much he had told you, how easy it was for him to talk to you and that you were smiling and laughing as he told his story. “That sounds like an eventful day, much better than mine. Maybe I’ll get to meet your brothers one day”, you said wistfully. Before Kix could reply to that he heard voices from the other side of the tent. As he looked over he saw you rolling your eyes out of the corner of his eyes. “Where is she? Where is our daughter? I demand you bring us to her?” He saw Rex trying to calm the screaming man down, but the woman next to him then began to yell at the Captain. Luckily just a moment later General Skywalker intervened and much to Kix’s dismay lead the couple over to him. “Kix, the King and Queen say that their daughter was admitted to the medical tent. Have you by any chance seen the princess?” Kix shook his head. He was pretty sure he would have noticed if anyone like the two monarchs in front of him would have been anywhere near the tent. “There you are! (Y/N), we were so worried. What are you doing here? You should be with our own doctors, not this... clone”, the Queen exclaimed while, to Kix’s surprise, put both her hands on your cheeks. Though he didn’t hear your reply, since his attention was now captured by the King who had picked up his wife’s yelling. “What do you think you were doing with my daughter? Were you trying to kidnap her? You better hope for your own good that you didn’t touch her, or else-”, he began before being interrupted by both you and Anakin. “Dad!”, you yelled while Anakin told him not to speak to his men like that. Though neither the King nor the Queen paid any attention to either of you. Instead they both took one of your arms and basically lifted you off the bed. All you could to before they all but carried out the tent was to turn around to look at Kix and mouth a single word. “Sorry.” All Kix could do was stare after you, standing completely still and not registering anything around him until he suddenly felt Jesse’s hand on his shoulder. “Well done, vod. That’s the princess you were just flirting with.”

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A short while later you were sitting in an armchair in the one part of the palace that, by some miracle, was still mostly intact. The room was smaller than what you were used to, and the clothes you were wearing were a lot less elaborate than your usual dresses, and yet it wasn’t uncomfortable. Instead it felt rather like you weren’t yourself at all, like you could do things you usually couldn’t. The thought brought an idea to your mind. You looked very different in this simple black dress, with no makeup and unstyled hair, if you were to leave the palace no one would stop you, they wouldn’t even recognize you. Without thinking further about your idea you jerked into action, packing the small dinner on the table next to you in a basket you had found earlier and making your way out of the room and through the halls. No one stopped you, no one even bothered to look at you until you arrived at your destination. “Who are you? What do you want?”, a clone with the number five tattooed on his forehead asked. Though his voice was similar to Kix’s, he sounded a lot less friendly. “I’m looking for a medic. His name is Kix. We met earlier today and I-” “What? You’re gonna yell at him some more?”, another clone, this one without visible tattoos asked. You shook your head and lifted the basket in your hands. “I’m bringing him dinner as a thank you for helping me. And an apology for my parent’s behaviour.” It seemed to dawn on the clones who you were once you mentioned your parents. “You’re the princess!”, the tattooed clone exclaimed, though the other elbowed him in the side a moment later. “Kix should be in the mess. That’s the third door to the right”, the other clone said, his voice a lot friendlier now, before the two of them let you pass onto the ship. You soon found your way to the mess, though only once you stepped inside did it occur to you that finding Kix amongst all the other clones might be a bit more difficult than anticipated. As you began to look around the room you realized that one after the other all the clones had stopped eating and were now looking at you. You felt heat rising to your cheeks. Maybe you should have thought this through instead of assuming Kix would be around, waiting for you. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of you looking around the room and every single men inside staring at you, one of the clones walked up to you. He obviously wasn’t Kix, but introduced himself as Jesse, a name you were at least familiar with. “You must be the princess. If you’re looking for Kix, he just left for the barracks. Down the corridor, then left. If you might still catch him before he hits the ‘fresher.” Relief flooded through your body. “Thank you”, you called over your shoulder as you headed out the door to finally find Kix. You saw him just as he was rounding the corner and called his name. Though you hadn’t expected him to stop dead in his track because as soon as you ran around the corner you ran right into him. Luckily Kix had quick reflexes and caught you before you could fall down. “You weren’t just running, were you? What part of ‘don’t put weight on your leg’ didn’t you understand?”, he sighed, though there was a grin on his lips. You shook your head as you tried your best to catch your breath. How dare he talk about your leg now instead of appreciating your grand gesture? “I know, I’m sorry”, you said, even though you weren’t really, not if running was your way of catching Kix. “And I’m sorry for earlier. My parents... they’re... they can be... I’m sorry. I’m nothing like them, I promise. And look, I even brought the dinner I promised you as proof.” Without hesitation you thrust the basket in Kix’s hands. He looked inside before turning back to you. “That’s very kind of you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to have dinner. Clearly there are a million reasons you should stay away from me.” You shook your head. How could he say that? Didn’t he notice how much you’ve grown to like him after spending just a few minutes with him and how that could easily turn into something more if he’d just agree to have dinner with you? Hadn’t he felt the sparks earlier? “Maybe I don’t want to stay away. Maybe I want to have dinner with you, no matter what anyone may say or think.” Kix simply handed you the basket, but before he could say anything else you tossed it to the side and stepped closer. “Tell me you don’t want to spend time with me and I’ll leave, but don’t blame it on other people. This isn’t about what my parents think, what your brothers may think, this is about you and me and the fact that I’ve never felt about anyone like I feel about you.” A loud sigh left Kix’s lips. He reached to take your hands in his and gently stroked along your knuckles. “You don’t even know me, mesh’la.” You spoke enough Mando’a for that little word to give you a bit of hope. “We can change that. We can take it slow, no pressure, no expectations. Just one question: Will you have dinner with me?” Kix looked deep into your eyes as his answer, one single word, left his lips.

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I might write two seperate part twos to this story, one in which Kix agrees to dinner and one in which he doesn’t, if that’s something you’d like to read.

As always, I’d love to hear some thoughts and feedback <3

#kix x reader #kix x you #kix x y/n #kix imagine

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jxeyhudson · 4 years ago

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behold the hope county zoo au

decided to say fuck it and type this idea out. all my ramblings are below the cut

-Sam and Jess are big cat keepers. At first glance it seems like they hate each other, but they’re actually best friends. They both take their jobs really seriously and have a deep respect for the cats and are careful around them, but they also have close bonds with them and have a lot of trust that the cats won’t hurt them. Peaches is Jess’ favorite while Sam is besties with the tigers.

-Jacob and Eli work with the mammals in the North America section. Jacob’s focus is on the predators (Grizzly and polar bears, wolves, badgers, foxes, etc.) while Eli is on the others (moose, reindeer/elk, beavers, bats, river otters, bison, etc.). Cheeseburger is obviously the star of the North America section.

-Grace and Mary May are also mammal keepers but they work in the African section (so elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, etc.). They don’t have specialties in the way Eli and Jacob do; they split the work evenly based on what needs to be done.

-Nick and Kim are bird keepers together (everything from parrots and toucans to flamingoes and ostriches to hawks and eagles). They met at work and just immediately hit it off, and they’ve been together ever since.

-John and Joseph are both reptile keepers. John works in the actual reptile house with the snakes and smaller lizards. He loves the snakes and is really passionate about showing people they don’t deserve the bad reputation they’ve got. Joseph works with the bigger reptiles around the zoo (crocodiles, alligators, tortoises, and komodo dragons). The two of them are pretty flexible and help each other out pretty often, though. It’s not unusual to find John with the crocs or Joseph with the snakes.

-Hurk and Adelaide are primate keepers (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, lemurs, etc.). I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one it just fits the vibe, you know?

-Sharky and Joey are the educators/tour guides. They’re like the super funny unexpected bestie combo of chaotic himbo and badass bisexual. Classes that take field trips to the zoo usually get divided up in half and split between the two of them and there is ALWAYS some kind of competition that Sharky and Joey start between their groups.

-Earl is the head zookeeper. He trusts his keepers a lot and mostly just tries to provide support where they need it and do damage control when necessary.

-Virgil is the zoo’s owner, but he’s like an involved and hands on owner to the point he’s also just kind of become the curator. He likes knowing his employees and keeping up with how the animals are doing.

-Dutch is the zoo’s carpenter. He designs, builds, and maintains the habitats including all of the climbing structures, shelters, and large enrichment toys in them.

-Faith is the zoo’s botanist. She oversees all of the foliage in the habitats to make sure they’re safe and beneficial to the animals. She also maintains the butterfly garden and the greenhouse where they grow certain foods right there for the animals. Xander is supposed to be her intern but he’s always running off to see Adelaide.

-Staci is also an intern. He got handed off to Jacob basically and Jacob has begrudgingly come to like him. One time Staci stood too close to the fence of the wolf enclosure and had the back pocket of his pants ripped off when one of them tried to bite him on the ass. Jacob laughed so loud that people could hear him halfway across the zoo.

-Jerome is the head vet (I know Dr. Lindsey and Dr. Perkins are right there but consider: I don’t give a shit about them). Wheaty and Tracey are vet techs.

-Tammy is in charge of PR and marketing. And she’s a mega bitch about it, too. The no fun police, if you will.

-Other animals/sections are taken care of by minor/side characters like Merle, Zip, Wade and Dave, etc.

Bonus: -Sam has a massive crush on Joey and does not at all realize it is mutual. She’s constantly trying to show off for Joey. Joey has a lot of fun teasing her and flirting with her to watch her get all flustered. Sharky and Jess are secretly trying to team up to get them together. Less secretly are the children on tours for their field trip who see them flirt and yell shit like “Do you like like her?” all the time. That’s when it’s Joey’s turn to get flustered. -Boomer is the emotional support/companion dog for the cheetah. (For anyone who is unaware, cheetahs are prone to anxiety, so zoos often pair them up with a dog to provide support for them). -The three Inside Eden’s Gate friends (Alex, Hannah, & Sara) are general interns who help the keepers on a rotation basis. They have their favorite rotation slots, though. Hannah’s is with Jess and Sam with the big cats, Sara’s is the avians with the Ryes, and Alex’s is the Africa section with Mary May and Grace because he loves the gentle giants. -The Hope County Zoo is non-profit and very focused on conservation, education, and rehabilitation. The animals they have are all rescues that cannot be released back into the wild, rescues that will eventually be released back into the wild, or part of important breeding programs for vulnerable and endangered species.

theres a good chance i write this and/or start making a shit ton of content for it not even gonna lie to yall

#i really went in on this one huh?#oc: sam hunter #joey hudson #jacob seed #joseph seed #john seed #staci pratt #sharky boshaw #nick rye #far cry 5 #hope county zoo au #creating that tag now..... just in case

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theyreonlynoodlesmike · 4 years ago

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Six Strangers Walk Into a Bar: Part 4 (Severen x Fem!Reader) fic

<- Previous Chapter Next Chapter->

Warnings: cheating mention, cursing

Word Count: 3610

Here's part four! Hope you enjoy~

His lips were surprisingly soft, not chapped like you might expect them to be. His kiss was firm and dominating, just slightly fast and leaving you feeling lightheaded. But careful. As if he didn't want to scare you off and make you retreat away from him. He melded his mouth over yours, guiding your lips and gently holding your neck with one hand while the other cupped your face. It was embarrassingly easy how he pulled a noise from your throat. He hadn't even touched you, in any way that mattered at least. But the way he sucked on your bottom lip, slid his against yours, and tugged your bottom lip gently between his teeth was threatening to turn you into jello. He gave your neck a small squeeze, and you had to pull away just to catch a break. A breather.

You broke the contact of your lips, but he followed you. Just to brush his against yours, making your lips tingle and crave more. But, when he let you pull away completely to catch your breath, you couldn't stop the hunger that went through you. You'd been given a taste and now you wanted more.

You pulled him in with a renewed about of vigor, and you could feel the curl of his lips as you became undeniably desperate. Your kiss was hard and sloppy, but he was quick to match your pace and swipe at your bottom lip. You parted for him easily, letting his mouth muffle the noise that left your lips at the feeling of his tongue sliding against yours. He lifted you up, like he was lifting a ragdoll, and pulled you onto him to straddle his hips. Your hands curled into his hair, tugging at the dark locks at the nape of his neck. He groaned, but even just a noise as small as that brought a wave of satisfaction through you. His one hand gripped your thigh, making a jolt run through your body when you felt the tightness of his grip. He pulled away to turn his head, letting you catch a quick breath, before his lips consumed yours once more. Your head was starting to swim, the kiss poking a fire in the pit of your stomach. He tasted like the flavor of your toothpaste, and you were starting to wonder just how far you were going to let him go. His hand was rubbing your thigh, and your hips were pressed flushed against eachother. While you weren't grinding against him yet, you weren't that needy, every little move made a spark of anticipation light up the back of your mind.

Before the kiss could continue anywhere interesting, there was a loud series of knocks at your bedroom door. The two of you yanked away in surprise, and Homers voice rang through the silence,

"Severen, c'mon! We're all waiting on the two of you!" And you watched as he whipped his head and began to growl a curse. Before a series of smart words could leaving his mouth, you turned his head back to face yours. You kissed him again, this one slow and deep. It was calmer. Almost sweet. But you cut it short and gave him a small smile. When he smiled back, it almost looked as if he was ready to flip you over and take you right then. Before he could lean back in and reclaim your lips, you told him,

"We'll finish this later." You promised, and that seemed good enough for him. That didn't mean that you didn't have to kick him out to let you get changed, and you decided on something a bit nicer than what you'd worn yesterday. A light sweater that wasn't so loose, just in case there was a chill, and a long skirt to match. The nicest thing about your outfit, however, was the matching underwear. You thought to put on a little make-up, but not anything that would take too long.

You didn't know what they were planning to do, but you finally decided to ask. Severen had changed back into his normal set of clothes, but had decided to keep your ex's tank to replace his tattered one. Everything else could still be spared, but it seemed like the bags they all carried were just a little bit more full. He'd grinned and kissed your cheek when he saw you, mumbling a flirt of,

"Howdy there, beautiful." You were given a spot in the corner booth, with Severen reclaiming his spot on the fold out chair and Diamondback taking a seat in Jesse's lap instead. They'd been asking you a few questions, ones about your life, family, and, finally, your ex. You'd been half-way through your meal then, and you'd glared down at the plate. You'd spared them most of the details, just saying that you found him with a waitress. You didn't know how long it'd been going on, but you figured he was an idiot so probably not long. There were only so many people in the little town, and only one diner. You'd let that information slip, and you had missed the way Jesse pointedly looked at Mae and Caleb. You'd also mumbled to yourself,

"That's probably where that asshole has been hanging. Waitress or no waitress." As you pushed the remaining food around on your plate. It was only a few minutes later that Mae, Caleb, and Homer had gone ahead into the night. When you thought about it, you supposed that was where your ex was spending all his time. Waitress or no waitress. You had finished your breakfast, and you were holding a cup of coffee with both hands as you stared at the heads of the family.

"Well, we were gonna head back up north. Maybe towards Washington, and then circle back through the Midwest." He said, making sure his gun was ready and loaded. "We'll need to take your car, of course, but we'll probably have to part with it once we get out of the state," He continued, but this is when you decided to interrupt.

"My car?" You asked, and he lifted his eyes. The look he gave you spoke clear as day. What else did you expect? "What- What am I supposed to do?" Without your car, you basically had nothing. You had your trailer, but that'd be gone by the end of the week. Your car was the only thing that was actually worth anything to your name. And it only took a moment for them to realize one part of their plan clearly hadn't been discussed. Jesse looked up at Diamondback, before clicking his jaw and giving Severen a small glare. Severen didn't meet his eyes. It was Diamondback that broke the news.

"Well, you're supposed to come with us, honey." And you stared at her. For a moment, you almost thought you hadn't heard her correctly. You looked at Severen, but all you saw was him carefully lighting a cigarette. Obviously, you hadn't been as thorough as you wanted to be when it came to getting answers, but he broke the silence by saying,

"If you want to." He said nonchalantly, with a small shrug. As if he wasn't laying something out that heavy. He looked over at you, meeting your eyes. You stared at him for a moment, and your mouth began to move,

"I," You paused. You didn't know what to say. They expected you to come with them. You didn't know what Severen was thinking, but it made it obvious where Severen saw this going. This wasn't just a one-night stand with a man that would maybe come back through this town two or three times in your lifetime. He was expecting you to come with them, and everything that came with that. There was a knee-jerk reaction to say no, but, after you thought about it, you wondered why you'd want to. Just last night you'd been sitting in a bar, trying to drink away your horrible life. You had no job, little money, a shit time at school, and a cheating ex. Speaking of your ex, his words rang in your ears. The rent's up in a week! And you weren't kidding when you said you wouldn't pay it. There wasn't any way that you could pay it. You'd been planning on spending the next week packing up your things and getting ready to move back in with your parents. My parents, you thought. Now that was the only thing keeping you in this town. Whatever your current relationship with them, you knew your parents would flip if you suddenly up and left. Still, you'd been praying for a way out. For an escape. And here they were, handing you one. It was one with a group of people that you didn't know so well, and who weren't exactly moral citizens, but you chalked that up to the fact that you hadn't exactly been specific with your prayers. It was why you said, "I'd need to call my parents. Just to let them know I'm not in a ditch somewhere." You said. You knew if you suddenly disappeared you'd end up on every milk carton in the state. The couple exchanged a glance, silent words passing between them. Finally, Jesse said,

"Sure." And a minute later, and you were dialing your parents house from the land-line in your trailer.

It was in the kitchen, hung up on the wall. Severen leaned against the fridge, with the other vampires heading out to follow the younger couple and the youngest of their family. You couldn't remember the last time you'd called your parents, especially this late. It took a few rings, but, after a moment, you heard the sound of your father's voice on the other line.

"Hello?" And you were already reaching to tangle the chord around your finger as you turned around to lean back against the counter.

"Hi, daddy." You said, and you heard him chuckle on the other line. His deep voice filled the reciever, and he said a quick,

"Hi there, honey. Late night?" He asked, and you smiled to yourself. You sent Severen a glance, and he lifted his brows at you.

"Yeah, just a bit." The two of you ran over how he was, and, after he returned the question, you said, "Um, I'm actually good. I'm- I called tonight to let you know I'm leaving town for a bit. I just- I just wanted to get some space from everything. I'm gonna travel with some friends." You told him, and you heard his hum on the other end of the line. Then, a sigh.

"Any friends I know?" He asked, and you bit your lip to suppress your smile. Your father knew, just as he knew when you turned eighteen, that he couldn't stop you from doing what you wanted. He didn't even try anymore, and just did his best to help you pick of the pieces when everything was said and done.

"No, no- No one you'd know. We haven't really decided where we're going yet, but my rent is up at the end of the week." You said, glancing over at your calendar. "It'll be up on Friday, and I don't think we'll be back by then. If you could do me a favor and-" But your old man was cutting you off to say,

"Don't worry. I won't let that S.O.B. get any of your stuff. I'll put everything in the attic for when you get back." He said, and it almost pained you how kind he was. You were chewing on your lip as you thought, if I do ever come back. But you shook away the idea. It wasn't like you'd killed anyone. As far as you were concerned, your slate was clean. And you would be able to come home as long as it was.

"Thank you." You told him, but your old man, quick as ever, said,

"Now, you wouldn't happen to be travelling with any boys, now would you?" He asked, and you laughed. It was a joke more than anything, you knew. Still, you were almost coy with the answer. You twirled the cord around your finger, watching as Severen pushed himself off the fridge and crept closer. By the time you said,

"Boys? Mm, maybe one." Severen was playing with the hem of your shirt and firmly inside your personal space. One of his hands slipped to your waist, the other holding one side of your neck. It seemed he'd finally decided to take advantage of the fact that the two of you were alone, and you stood on your tiptoes to meet him. You didn't hear your father's reply clearly, as you'd let the phone fall to your shoulder when Severen leaned down to kiss you. You could hear your father talking, probably warning you of all the things you should avoid. All probably things that Severen was guilty of himself. But you were too busy focusing on the feeling of Severens mouth on yours to really pay attention. You swayed a bit as Severens hand smoothed down your waist, and then to your hips. He gave your neck a small squeeze, but you swallowed any noise he was trying to pull from you. He lifted you up, setting you up on the counter, and you had to muffle your squeak. Severen kissed you until you were breathless, and one of your hands smoothed over his face to feel the coolness of his skin before tucking back into his hair. You heard your father calling your name, so you broke from the kiss to bring the reciever back to your face. "Yeah, no, no, I was listening. Be careful, don't rush into things, make sure he's a gentleman. I got it, I got it." But you were barely paying attention to your own words when Severen began to trail open-mouthed kisses down the expanse of your neck. Bastard, you thought. He'd wormed his way between your legs once more, and you were doing your best to keep your breathing even as your father said,

"I know, I know. Call me if you get into any trouble, or, well, just need to call. I love you, and you be safe now? Alright?" And you quickly nodded before you realized you were going to have to force your mouth to work.

"Yeah, I will be. I love you too." And you were hanging up the reciever just as Severens cold hands teased under the hem of your shirt. You pulled him back up and in, pulling him closer by wrapping one of your legs over his hip. There was something addictive about his lips, something that made your head swim and fog. It pushed away at all your morals, and you thought that perhaps this was how the devil tempted the wandering lambs. You could easily imagine Severen as a devil himself, and, perhaps, he really was. Severen was gripping at the fabric of your skirt and one of his hands was kneading the flesh of your thigh. It made you whimper, and, even if the noise was embarrassing, it only made him press further.

His mouth had left your lips again, this time to favor the side of your neck that he had missed. You didn't even care if he was leaving marks that'd be visible or not, and the way he sucked on the spot under your ear had both of your legs wrapping around his hips and tightening. You were sure that this was the man that was gonna drive you mad. You felt a graze of his teeth, and then he was dislodging his mouth and stopping himself all at once. When he pulled back, his eyes looked slightly wild. Feral. Similar to how'd they'd looked when he'd been holding you against the bar wall. It was him that decided to slow down, and he told you so by saying,

Severen carried the bag for you, and grabbed his as well. He didn't seem to struggle at all, and you were pleasantly surprised to see that they'd left you the car. Severen threw your stuff in the back, and the two of you decided that you'd arrange it later.

"Come on, they're gonna end up waiting on us all night." It's true that the pair of you were behind. Severen still had to eat for the night, and you were sure him and his family would be scratching to leave town the second all of them were full. The whole town had probably heard of the bar fire by now. But Severen refused, even if you may have preferred not to go out to eat with him, to leave you alone. He stayed while you packed a bag and helped you pick out the essentials. You had to slap his hands away from your underwear drawer, and it only started to dawn on you then that you were really doing this. You were really leaving. You ran a hand through your hair, looking around at the room you'd called your own for so much time. But, well, it didn't really feel like your room. It had been yours and your ex's, as much as you wanted to cross him out of his life. The whole trailer had been. The memory of him hung around like a ghost, haunting you and making it impossible to forget him. Especially since you'd caught him in this very room. When you thought about that, for a moment, you wished you'd had slept with Severen. On your bed. If not for a piece of petty revenge.

"I'm drivin'." Severen said, and you scoffed. You held your keys in your hand, shaking your head. For some reason, you doubted Severen was any good behind a wheel, but that didn't stop you from tossing him your keys after you locked up your trailer. The one good thing you remembered to do was to change the locks. Severen unlocked the door from your side, opened the passenger door, and waved you inside. You arched a brow at him at the gesture, and he smoothly replied, "What, I know how to treat a lady when I want to." He said, and you shook your head as you climbed inside.

"Mmhm, I'm sure you do." You sassed, making it all too clear that you'd caught the double-meaning, but all he did was close the door behind you, laugh, and walk to the other side. You bit your nail, watching him as he pulled himself into the car. You didn't know what had sparked it, but then you ran over the words you'd said to your father. Maybe, just maybe, he'd taken note. The front of the station wagon had a long seat, one that was broken up by a center console. Severen pat the spot in the middle, directly besides him, and you scooted over to listen. You leaned against him, and he wrapped his arm around the back of the seat after he pulled you out of your spot and towards the main road. "Where we goin'?" You asked, and he just sent you one of his usual smirks.

"It's a surprise." You wondered how the hell Severen planned on surprising you. It's not like there were many things to do in this town, especially things that you didn't already know about. But, when he pulled up to the only diner in town, the diner where your ex's waitress worked, you gave him a look.

"Ha-ha, very funny." You told him flatly, but Severen wasn't laughing. Just grinning. You stared at him for a moment, looking at the diner, and then realization crossed your face. "No- No way." You told him, shaking your head. But he was nodding his head, contradicting you.

"Yes way." He replied, echoing your words. You balked at him, and, for a moment, you really thought he was just pulling your leg. There was no way he could be serious.

"We're not going in there." You told him, but it didn't seem like he was going to listen. He'd already pulled the keys out of the ignition. He was putting them in the pocket of his coat, and he relaxed back against the seat and shrugged his shoulders,

"Only alternative is we spend the entire night in the parking lot." He said, and, with the way the night had been going so far, you weren't sure that was such a bad idea. Severen seemed to notice that you weren't exactly against that idea. He shook his head and turned it to the side, letting out a small hoot before he was shaking his finger at you. He said, "I knew I liked you for a reason." But it didn't seem like he was the type to give up. You were quickly proven right. "C'mon, it'll be good for you." He told you, but you severely doubted it. Still, he was pushing open the door and climbing out, and you stared at him as he rounded to the other side. You knew you weren't the type to let him do this every time, and it was more so to pout that you stayed in your seat. He opened the door and held out his hand for you to take, and, after casting a glance towards the diner, you sighed and took it.

#near dark #near dark 1987 #severen #severen near dark #near dark severen #severen x reader

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ihavenoconsistentname · 4 years ago

Text

[This blog is inactive as fuck and this pinned out of date our collective blog is @pyxsys]

☆Pinned post☆

(Basic info, interests, sys-related info, blacklist + DNI/do not follow, socials, tag stuff, etc.)

Last updated: 09/27/22

Note! The individual information in this post is about Alex, however, others may be on this blog possibly posting once or twice. It's not necessarily a collective blog, but in some small ways it is. Everyone has their own blogs still! They're listed in this post as well :)

[Ladies and gentlemen, you have been the most beautiful audience!]

Basic info:

>My name is Alex! You can also call me Raven, Shumaii, Ky, Xav, X, or any shortening of Achilles. My most preferred names are Alex, X, and Raven. Pyx is technically a secondary but not preferred.

>My pronouns are he/him (2 versions: he/him/his and he/him/hiz), hy/hym (he/him with y's instead), xe/xem, ra/rav, and achi/achill. He/him is the primary set used, second most preferred is xe/xem, third ra/rav (pronoun guides at the end of this section)

>I'm not 100% sure of how I identify but for now I stick with demiboy leaning agender and aroace. Please do not use any feminine/female-aligned terms for me and do not flirt with me, especially if you're over 16-17 cause I'm 16 and that's uh Weird 👉👉

>Feel free to send asks as long as they're appropriate and you're not being an asshole. Anon will always be on unless abused, but I only turn them off if I'm being anon spammed or harassed which has only happened once or twice. You can also send me submissions, but note I might not always see them super quick or post them.

Pronoun guides:

(aka how to apply them)

>Alt. he/him is just he/him/hiz/himzelf/etc, just he/him replacing s with z

>Hy/hym: hy = he, hym = him, hys = his, hy's = he's, hymself = himself, just he/him with y's instead

>Xe/xem: xe = they, xem = them, xyr/xeir = their, xyr/xy're = they're, xemself/xyrself = themself/theirself

>Ra/rav: ra = he, rav = him, rav's = he's, rave's = his, ravself/raveself = himself (based off the name/word raven)

>Achi/achill: achi = he, achill = him, achi's = he's, achill's = his, achiself/achillself = himself (based off the name Achilles)

~~~~~

General Interests:

(Bold = most into)

Welsknight's content

Olexa's content

Binding of Isaac (Afterbirth+, Repentance, and occasionally OG/flash Isaac)

Inscryption

Deltarune

Sally Face (loosely)

The Song of Achilles

Animal Crossing (New Horizons) (loosely)

3rd life/last life SMP

Toontown Rewritten

Revita

Reto/Retromation (Revita, Hades, BoI, TCG, wholesomeverse live)

Moddi streams

Genshin Impact (I don't play on my own acc anymore but sometimes do stuff for Cain when he's not in the front)

Five Nights at Freddy's in general, pretty much all games (I don't know shit abt the lore anymore)

Arcane

Space/planets/vice versa (not knowledgable)

(Interests generally tend to be shared among all of or most of us)

~~~~~

System-Related Info

We have 26 known alters, but some alters may be unlisted at times, usually when an alter is new. For more information on all of us (minus those unlisted ofc), here's the collective carrd for our system. Currently, our system name is "The Starlight/Pyxis System", though we do our own things individually so it may not be very obvious that we're a system (by that I mean we have our own accounts anywhere that we want to post stuff). We are also a host-centric system, which is why you may often see our host(s) fronting for longer periods of time.

Front indicators in bio:

🌺 = Alex

⚔ = Wels/Cain

🥀 = Cyrus

🎹 = Melody

♦️ = Hels/Azazel

♟ = Etho

🔥 = Tango

🐦 = Jimmy

🧨 = Joel

🎲 = Branzy

🃏 = Pierce

☠ = Pyro

📖🔮 = Maddy

💜 = Subz

🦊 = Vitalasy

⚡ = Spoke

🗡 = Alicia

🏹 = Faine

⭐ = Hunter

🌿 = Willow

💠 = Yuliy

🌹 = Mikhail

♠️ = Jesse

🥄 = Sam

💙 = Jay

🏵 = Bee

🐇 = Eve

✂️ = Kal

⚫ = Silh

You can find relevant/general info on the collective carrd and individual info about each of us on the alter list carrd linked there. We also have a carrd that's basically a random info dump about us.

Individual accounts:

Wels - @knights--hoard + @wels--knight

Cyrus - @cyrusnix

Hels - @xprince-of-hellx

Alicia - @soldier--poet--king

Yuliy - @yuliy--jirov

Mikhail - @mikhail--jirov

Jess - @jessassassin + @not-jessassin

Sam - @iamnotsp00n

Jay - @revitakid

Hunter - @a-bad-but-sad-boy

Willow - @willow--park

Tango - @tangoofthetekvariety

Etho - @youve-been-etho-d

As mentioned at the beginning, other alters may post here as well! Posts made by alters other than me (Alex) will be signed with their proxy/emoji at the end and their txt tag will be [proxy].txt. For reblogs, any talking in them will likely be signed off and they'll tag the reblog with "[proxy]-rb". This blog is not necessarily a collective, but it can act similar to a collective dashboard if that makes sense at all.

~~~~~

General blacklist:

Close-ups of insects without warning/asking in a previous ask, please ask to send me those first!

Discussion of self harm or suicide untagged/without warning if you're not a close friend

Any slurs whatsoever, I'm fine with people reclaiming the f slur as long as you're not using it in a derogatory way towards anyone else I genuinely don't care if you call me that lol (I personally will not ever use it in posts)

Images or discussion of needles or veins

Names only cause mild discomfort but generally avoid the names Jamie, Mya, Ice/Hal, Miles, and any names from the Crater System, and if you don't know those names feel free to ask (This also includes the name Python so please don't talk to us about the cc just cause it causes discomfort to hear the name, sorry.)

Generally do not fucking speak to me about CS unless you personally have been harmed by them as well and want to talk about it. If you're asking what they did, that's fine. But we aren't open to discussion about it unless a) we're venting about it or b) you've also been affected by them directly.

Criticism of any sort on my art, constructive or not, politely given or not, even if I don't do art much anymore at all. Just don't want it or need it, thx

Jokes that sound disapproving or angry without using tone indicators or even with tone indicators like don't tell me something clearly negative or rude and then slap /j or /lh on it because buddy that ain't how it works.

Transphobia/homophobia/racism/etc. Duh. I'm not down to discuss those topics.

Using any female-aligned terms towards me (only male-aligned or androgynous/gender neutral please, just uncomfy and tbh annoying)

Images of lips (incredibly uncomfortable + mild anxiety trigger ngl lol)

Jokes about kissing me lmao choke

Anything NSFW unless you wanna sound like a pedo because I'm 15

Keep politics away from me because I don't have the energy to argue and you can't expect a burnt out sophomore to know a lot about it anyway

Don't call me any typically sexual names/terms like whore, for one thing I'm ace, for another thing I'm a minor anyway, and for a third thing it reminds me of someone who makes me incredibly uncomfortable and in some cases it can be triggering.

If you call fictive memories fake I'm hard blocking you, do not say that kind of shit to us

Please don't tag me or any of us in self care or eating reminders because it's uncomfortable. Don't give us any either unless you're a close friend just giving a simple "take care of yourself". Just bugs us a little.

Don't talk about religion, not triggering just uncomfortable

I'm not down to discuss 2019 hermitblr shit that happened since I was affected by it/targeted to a degree so don't ask me about it unless you're documenting things (as in gathering info against people behind it to document)

I am not down to talk about/discuss/hear about SA unless you're a close friend.

Mutuals please tag:

(Bolded = use an additional "alex don't look" tag, non-bolded just means make sure you tag the topic normally, those don't need the other tag, if you need to know how to tag something ask!)

Sexual assault discussions

Discussions/detailing of religious things, kind of just relating to christianity cause it's uncomfy for us

Self care/eating reminders

Anything that tries to guilt you into reblogs/notes

Anything trying to guilt you into self care

Discussion/mention of animal abuse

Discussion/mention of being hospitalized for mental health

Discussion/mention of fusion (system thing)

Close-up images of spiders (non-drawings)

Any kind of toxic positivity bs

Anything that's like "life is short so be positive/do positive things" in any way

Any content relating to watchers, especially imagery of watcher!grian

~~~~~

DNI/Do Not Follow:

• If you aren't going to at all acknowledge that we're a system

• Trump supporters

• Pro-lifers

• Anti-self diagnosing (when done properly as in through thorough research n stuff) or if you think you need to have a professional diagnosis to be valid/that diagnosis isn't a privilege (it is.)

• Anti-system/kin

• Anyone who engages in cancel or callout culture mainly just for small fandom drama but also just like in general

• Performative activists or if you support performative activism

• NSFW/18+/kink blogs

• Pro-ana/thinspo

• Anti-mogai/anti-neopronouns

• TERFS, SWERFS, racists, sexists, homophobes, or anyone anti-LGBTQ+ in any way

• Ace/aro exclusionists

• Anyone who just wants to argue or cause drama

• Anyone who supports C//llMeC//rson

• Hardcore dream stans/general dsmp stans (casual/chill fans are fine)

• If you support Fundy/defend him

• Anyone friends with or associated with the Crater System or anyone that continues defending them/would continue to defend them

• If you group in every other mcyt group with dream smp saying "mcyt fans/stans dni" or say "mcyts are toxic" or vice versa, or generally if you always say mcyt when you mean dsmp

• Endogenic systems or tulpa systems or their supporters, or any other made up non-traumagenic bs

• If you use the terms sysmed and traumascum, embarrassing for you <3

• Transmeds/truscums/if you think trans misogyny doesn't exist/isn't real

• If you think blackwashing is real or that white washing isn't

• Kaeluc shippers lol or if you defend them, seek therapy

• Pro-shippers/"anti-antis" whatsoever, especially if you preach about it not being harmful

• If you support or are associated with Miles, Hal/Ice, Andy, or anyone involved in that group (hc fandom shitheads)

• If you think that having a professional diagnosis makes you better than anyone or gives you the right to fakeclaim undxed/self dxed systems

• If you call pseudomemories/fictive memories and source trauma fake or delusions or compare introjects to DA's

• If you're aggressively anti-hermitshipping or just against it at all. If you politely don't like it that's fine but if you're hardcore against it and are loud or obnoxious or rude about it go the fuck away.

• If you judge or shame introjects based on their sources or shame systems for their introjects for any reason

• If you aren't critical of your interests

• If you base system headcanons off of stereotypes and stigmas/support DID/OSDD stereotypes and stigmas

• If you headcanon CANONICAL Sun & Moon as a system or think they're an accurate representation of one (making your own non-canon versions is fine if you change them to be at least SOMEWHAT accurate to systems.)

• If you misgender Frisk, Chara, or Kris

• If you find genuine enjoyment in the no mercy routes in UT/DR

• If you villainize Chara or blame the no mercy route on them

• If you support or defend generikb

~~~~~

Other social medias:

Shared Twitter - _pyxsys_

Instagram - xsing.o.musex (I barely use this)

Shared Twitch - pyxsys_ (we mask in chats when we do speak in them)

Shared Discord - Pyxsys#6841 (interactions/messages in public servers are masked, if we ever speak in them)

I don't play Genshin on my account anymore but sometimes I do play on Cain's so,, lol—his UID is 638822544, if I'm in the front and you wanna play with me just ask, if you wanna play with Cain then you can ask him on his blog if he's in the front or you can ask whoever is fronting if they can pos trigger him

~~~~~

General/common tags:

• Alex.txt is for any normal posts

• Other alters posting will use similar txt tags, formatted as "[proxy].txt" (e.x. Cain would be ⚔.txt, Cyrus would be 🥀.txt, vice versa)

• Reblogs from others aka Not Alex on here might be tagged with "[proxy]-rb" but generally you can see it wouldn't be Alex based on the front at the time. If it is Alex then it's just whatever tags he wants to put or none at all.

• Ask is for asks, anon is for anon asks, if you use a sign I'll add it to your anon tag (unless you're a friend that uses anon then its just your regular sign-off as a tag)

• I sign my asks with "-🌺"

• Discourse or arguing is tagged as discourse more often than not

My trigger tag format might not be super consistent, some stuff might be "tw/cw [topic]" or it might be "tw/cw // [topic]", make sure you have either format filtered

• My people tags list is outdated as hell, people tags will just exist when they do

• System thingz is a tag for system-related posts

~~~~~

Other notes:

• Please don't like spam my blog at all, it's just annoying and I block freely for it. Even if you like the Welsknight content I've posted or other fandom reblog spam.

• If you like spam I'll probably block you. If you get soft blocked and refollow only to keep like spamming or you just continue spamming without refollowing, you will be hard blocked.

• Try not to send me asks consisting of just an image or something I won't really know how to respond,, or just don't expect me to respond

• Don't randomly dm me or send me asks for basic conversations, I'm not good with those, if you're a mutual then feel free just know I suck at convos

• If you don't like my opinions on things then don't follow me or interact with me? Plus if yours are worse I'm just gonna make fun of you

• If you're also a system with hermitcraft introjects then feel free to talk to us :) as long as you're traumagenic and strictly anti-endo lol cause we're aggressively anti-endo/anti-anything-but-traumagenic

• Also! You're free to ask us about system things, just know if we aren't comfortable answering we won't or if you ask a shitty question we will tell you not to ask systems that. Questioning systems can also ask about system experiences, just remember we aren't a help blog at all.

• If you have cats you better show me pictures of them >:( I'll show you Salem in return

• Note that mutuals =/= automatic close friends or even friends at all sometimes, if we interact a lot or to a more than mild extent then yeah maybe friends but don't jump the gun we're not always active with mutuals or other people

• Keep in mind that when it's not just me main fronting that our accounts are in separate logins. We're not always logged into the same one account. If it takes me a while to see an ask or something I apologize, I'm not always actively here logged in or I might not be out ofc. Our email notifications for asks are also very delayed, minus Cain for some reason.

• If you don't get a reply to your ask I'm probably keeping it or I don't have a response. It's almost never going to be personal because if it was I'd probably tell you in a response lol

• Mutuals are free of course to let me know if you need anything in particular tagged!!

And that's all! Welcome to my blog :)

[Look at me, everyone, I'm smilin' big!]

#alex.txt #info #pinned post

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george-fabian-weasley · 4 years ago

Note

made up fic title thingyyyy : dark water and stepping stones??

Oooh jess thanks for sending in an ask!!

Dark Water and Stepping Stones.

w-why did i think of it as a horror/thriller theme OOH i have an idea for this

I think it could perfectly be as a love triangle between Neville and Fred and the reader hEAR ME OUT

You and Fred are best friends since childhood (plus george) and you're really really close to each other. What you didn't know is Fred was in love with you for as long as you knew, but never had the Gryffindor bravery to actually ask you out, in fear of getting rejected or viewed as a 'brother' to you. So he tried to busy himself by flirting with other girls and go on dates on Hogsmeade just to distract himself from thinking of you.

At this point, you didn't know your feelings yet, but you didn't like it when he flirted with other girls, somehow that upsetted you but you didn't realize why.

So one day when you were alone because Fred and George went to Zonko's (while simultaneously having dates of their own), you saw Neville at Black Lake, just hanging out by himself with his calves inside the water, he was throwing some stones.

So you joined him, asked him to teach you how throw stones and you had fun with him. Since he was so tall, you had to have a stepping stone beneath you so you could be at the same height as he was. There was this moment where Nev (respectfully) guided you how to throw stones by holding on to your waist and arm, and his chest softly touched your back and you sort of blushed at that close proximity.

After that day, you and Nev kept getting closer and closer and considering Fred is out there flirting his ass out, you decided, "hey why not we go for a date by ourselves?"

Fred noticed the change in your and Neville's relationship and he was uncomfortable by it, he recognized that look in Nev's eyes, he likes you as well and now Fred felt like he has a competition.

When he found out about your date with Neville at Hogsmeade, he was upset. He was mad, so he stomped over there to try and catch you and he did, but then he ran out of words after you yelled at him, "What is wrong with you?!"

Basically Fred upsetted you that day and Neville stayed close to comfort you, you cried on his shoulders and he had his hand tracing comfortable circles on your knee.

Maybe it leads to a kiss, maybe not? 👀

Anyway Neville wins at the end of the day because cmon it's nEVILLE so yeah that's my take on the title 'Dark Waters and Stepping Stones'

Huh, this helps with writer's block a lot. Send me more guys!

#made up fic title!#send me asks

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bouwrites · 5 years ago

Text

Even Heroes Have the Right to Dream: Chapter 12

I’m no Superman. I hope you like me as I am.

First, Previous, Next. Ao3.

Story under read-more.

Jon is fairly certain Marinette is only joking when she agrees to visit each other during the holidays, mostly because agreeing is as far as any planning for it goes. They don’t even go as far as saying they’ll do it this year, or this summer, but as far as Jon’s concerned, he’s got one summer and two holiday seasons left with Marinette before they’re just living their regular adult lives.

And he certainly doesn’t intend to let her go after college – no, he’s going to ask her to move in together permanently. Maybe they’ll even stay in New York. Or Jon will move to Paris with her. It doesn’t matter yet, they still have a year and a half before they graduate anyway, but either way Jon has no intention of letting graduation separate them.

To that end, they have their entire lives to visit each other’s homes. Even so, Jon really wants to invite Marinette back to the farm at least once for holiday. It’s criminal that they still haven’t enjoyed more than a video call for any holiday thus far. Granted Christmas was in the middle of their drama both years (Not this year, he resolves.), but they still had other opportunities!

Unfortunately, she’s always in Paris during the breaks, and Jon doesn’t want to take her away from her friends. Spring break is out, as are the breaks between semesters, so no summer or winter breaks. Jon might be able to visit her, then, especially in the summer with months without any real holiday to call the family together for, but Marinette will be treasuring the time she has with her friends in Paris, so he can’t invite her back to America and interrupt that.

But Paris is far, and there are smaller opportunities to take advantage of. Jon’s mind goes almost immediately to Thanksgiving. The break is only the end of the week, so Marinette doesn’t actually go back to Paris for it, especially since they don’t have Thanksgiving where she’s from, so she has nothing to celebrate in the first place.

Which makes it perfect, because it’ll be Marinette’s first real Thanksgiving! The Kents love Thanksgiving, and Jon is no exception. It’s just such a warm, feel-good holiday full of family, great food, and thanks for all that they have. And Jon has a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which that Marinette is in his life and hasn’t given up on him after their chaotic first years together.

He can’t even imagine where he’d be if Marinette wasn’t his roommate. If he had come to New York two years ago and found himself in this little apartment with Jesse instead of her, where would he be? Still hiding, no doubt. From the hero life he left behind, from his own instincts to protect, maybe even from his lineage. If he didn’t have Marinette to work with, would he have found his ideals? Would he know yet what he wants his life to be? Would he ever have had the example to fix his ideals around, or would he still be struggling to reconcile Justice and Peace?

The Girod is certainly not an easy standard to live up two. Eleven virtues, all embodied in one man. Jon still thinks it’s impossible to truly achieve, but they offer him guidance, a path to follow now that he’s cast aside the one his dad put in front of him. Marinette is that path, and the Girod is just the handrails. What he finds living with Marinette, normal or not, is what he wants. He’s certain of that. The Girod guide him further if he stumbles or gets distracted, but the path is and always was, from the moment he arrived in New York, Marinette.

No offense to Damian, but she’s his best friend. Jon will follow her to hell and back, and he knows with absolute certainty she will never ask him to compromise his peace for her – that’s why he can so easily charge down the path hand in hand with her. They made a promise, to themselves and to each other. A promise that no one else in Jon’s life, no matter how much he loves and trusts them, would ever make. A life of peace. To find that together. He trusts her, and he does his best to live up to her trust in him, keeping her on the path she tells him she wants just as she does for him.

Jesse is a great guy, but Jon will never find that with him. If Jon had come to New York and roomed with him instead, Jon’s sure they’d be great friends, but… Jesse could never be the rock that Jon needs to keep him grounded. Very few people could. In fact, it might just be her.

When Jon itches to fly, all he needs to do is look at Marinette, and all that desire disappears. He’s content on the ground, if Marinette is with him. That is something extraordinary.

It’s selfish of him to want more, but he does. He wants to share more. He wants to have those loud, boisterous party experiences with her, those intimate family moments of holidays with her, he wants to take her flying, not off to any goal, just to the horizon, to see what she’ll do so high up in the sky. It’s selfish, but it’s also what he wants. He can’t just not try, not without sacrificing something dear to him. And he’s not a hero anymore, so he’s not sacrificing a thing.

So, while Marinette is out working on her commissions for the Wayne’s Christmas party, Jon starts making dinner and uses the time, also, to call his mom.

“Hi, Jon!” His mom coos through the phone. “I wasn’t expecting a call today. Are you cooking?”

“Getting started, yeah.” Jon smiles to the image of his mom on the phone, perched on the counter so he has his hands free. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not. I’m always available for my boy.”

Jon gets all his pots and pans in order before focusing on the ingredients themselves. “So, I actually called to ask you something.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“You know my roommate, Marinette? She’s from Paris.”

“Yes, you talk about her a lot.” Jon flushes despite himself. His mom sounds so teasing about it, and Jon can’t help but let the implication fluster him. “What about her?”

Jon can’t seem to look at the phone as he draws in his breath for his next words. He focuses instead on preparing dinner. “I was wondering if it’d be alright if I asked her to have Thanksgiving with us. They don’t have Thanksgiving in Paris, so she’s usually just hanging out here alone when I go back. I thought it’d be nice to invite her.”

A glance tells him his mother has that knowing smirk that she always has when she knows more than she should. Jon just pointedly focuses on the vegetables and tries to ignore how his cheeks burn. It’s not like that. “That’s a wonderful idea, Jon.” His mom says. “We’d love to have her over.”

Jon breathes out a sigh. “Awesome.” Now I just need to ask Marinette if she even wants to come. “I’ll bring it up with her when she gets home.”

“Oh, is she busy?”

Jon nods. “Damian hired her to make his family’s outfits for their Christmas party, so she’s been working a bit later on that. She’ll be home in time for dinner, though.”

“That’s good. I hope she isn’t neglecting her studies for Damian.”

Jon snorts. “Don’t worry, I’m making sure she studies. Lord knows she’s told me to study enough times. I got to repay the favor.”

His mom laughs. “It sounds like I should thank her. I’m glad you two are there for each other.”

Jon smiles down at the vegetables on his cutting board. “Yeah. Me too. I’m lucky to have ended up with her.”

“No doubt about that.” His mom says. “Now the only question is: when we introduce her to your grandparents, will it be as your roommate, or as your girlfriend?”

“Mom!” Jon fumbles for a moment with his knife and shrinks a little as he gives up and just throws the vegetables in the bowl they’re meant to go in. “It’s not like that!”

“Are you sure?” His mom asks calmly. “Because the last time I’ve seen you this smitten with someone, it was Damian Wayne back in-”

“We don’t talk about that!” Jon only burns hotter at the mention of Damian. To himself, he whines, “Marinette teases me about that enough.” Louder, after clearing his throat awkwardly, he says, “And I’m not smitten!”

“Oh, honey. You’re basically married.”

“We live together.” Jon counters. “The domestic stuff is just being decent roommates.”

“I’m not talking about cooking for her, Jon. I’m talking about how you’re always talking about her. Even Damian noticed you always bring her up.”

Do I? Jon thinks back and realizes that his mom is totally right. That’s why Sam looks so irritated with him when they talk. Every time she tries to flirt or compliment him, he’d… well it must look to her like he deflects to compliment Marinette. He thinks he’s just being friendly and sharing a pretty major part of his life. Maybe I should be a little more careful next time I talk to her.

But that doesn’t mean anything. “She’s my best friend!” Jon says. “Of course, I talk about her.”

“Just like when you couldn’t shut up about your best friend Damian, right?”

“Mom!” Jon whines, drawing the word out.

“Okay, okay, I’m only teasing. You should be ready for it, though. You bringing a girl home will definitely set your grandparents off.”

Jon groans loudly. That’s probably true. Unfortunately, there’s not much he can do about it. He’ll just have to suck it up. Besides, there are much worse things in life than being mistaken for Marinette’s boyfriend. He and Marinette know what they’re doing, mostly, and they’re not kids anymore. They can handle assumptions. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

“Are you excited?” Jon bounces in his seat, leaning over to Marinette, who is pressing herself close to the window to watch the farmland pass them by.

“I am!” Marinette’s eyes sparkle as she takes in the scenery. It’s just flat and honestly pretty drab, but she’s looking at it like a whole new world. Jon supposes that it is, to her. “I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving before. And it’s so pretty out here! I feel like I can see for miles!”

“You can.” Jon’s dad says from the front seat. “On clear nights, you can even see the light from Metropolis.”

“That’s amazing! Thank you all so much for inviting me!”

“It’s our pleasure to have you, Marinette. Jon talks about you all the time. We’re all very happy to finally meet you properly.”

“Yes! I’m so happy to have this chance to get to know you, as well!”

Marinette is practically glued to the window for the entire drive, and frequently takes pictures with her phone of the speeding vast emptiness surrounding them. Wide fields of dirt or low-lying crops with the occasional tree or copse (usually as windbreakers surrounding property) is the exact opposite of exciting for Jon, but for a girl raised in Paris who has never been in the American countryside, it’s a completely new experience. Jon wagers she’s never seen so much sky.

If the way she clutches her sketchbook and scribbles in it without hardly looking down at it is any indication, it’s inspiring, too. That makes Jon happy. That’s part of the reason he wants to invite her back to the farm. A completely new setting for her is sure to spark some creativity. Just wait until she sees the stars.

When they roll off the asphalt and onto the packed dirt path leading to their home, Marinette loses none of the awe. In a hushed whisper, straight into Jon’s ear as she grabs his arm, she says, “I’ve never been on a dirt road before.” Which, now that he thinks about it, makes sense, but is such a little thing he would never have realized had she not told him directly.

Then they spill out of the car and Marinette gasps, staring at the horizon uninterrupted by the Kent home. Jon smiles at his parents and gestures for them to go on. He’ll wait with Marinette for as long as she wants to revel in the sight, ordinary as it may be to him. “Jon!” She grabs his arm tightly, hugging it unthinkingly. “It’s… I can see forever. It’s like being on top of the Eiffel Tower, except I’m on the ground. And the air! It feels so different!” She giggles breathlessly. “I can’t believe you live here.”

Jon smiles fondly down at her, warm from her touch. “It’s cleaner out here, right? Hard to find fresh air like this in a city.” He agrees. “I’m glad you’re here.”

She looks up at him and smiles, an ear to ear grin that shines like the sun. “Me, too. Thank you again for inviting me.”

Jon’s stomach flutters in an interesting way that makes his cheeks burn. Sharing little things like this with Marinette is probably his new favorite thing in the world. Seeing the inspiration in her eyes, how her excitement reminds him to appreciate the view he’s long considered uninteresting. Just because the view is a whole lot of nothing doesn’t mean there’s nothing to appreciate. The emptiness itself is as awesome as the greatest of cities.

Jon gives Marinette a brilliant smile and says, “Come on, let’s get inside. I’m sure my grandparents are getting impatient to meet you.”

“Oh! Of course! Sorry for taking so long.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

Marinette separates from him and starts towards the house. Jon opens the door for her, smiling because he can already hear movement in the kitchen. No doubt that’s his grandma, getting started on the pies.

“Ah, there you are!” Jon’s grandpa says with a glint in his eyes as he examines the two. “We thought for a moment you’d gotten lost on your way in.”

“Ha ha.” Jon rolls his eyes. Those dad jokes will never be funny. Or, never not be funny? It’s a weird balance. “This is my friend Marinette.” He nudges her gently to introduce her.

“Of course, of course. It’s nice to meet you, Marinette. Jonno’s told us all a lot about you.” Marinette politely shakes his hand as he says, “I’m Jonathan, or just Grandpa if you’re under this roof.”

Marinette makes an odd expression that strikes Jon as somewhere between amused and uncomfortable. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kent.”

Leaning close to Jon, as if to speak as an aside but not lowering his voice nearly enough for it to matter, Jon’s grandpa says, “Ah, she’s too polite for you, boy.”

Jon wants to retort, but he’s honestly not sure whether to be offended at the implication that he’s anything but a gentleman. He knows his grandpa is just teasing him, so he doesn’t take serious offense to it, but still.

“Do my ears deceive me? Is she here?” Suddenly, Jon’s grandma comes out of the kitchen, brushing her hands on her apron, making a beeline for the two youngest. She immediately gives Marinette a hug, and holds her still to examine her. “Oh, you’re just the prettiest little thing! Please, make yourself at home. I was just getting started on the pies for tomorrow.”

Marinette stands a little straighter at the mention of baking. “Can I help?” She asks.

Jon interjects to say, “Marinette’s parents are bakers in Paris. She grew up in a bakery.”

Marinette flushes a little and fiddles with the turtle Miraculous around her wrist. “I- yes, that’s true, but truth be told I don’t have much experience baking pies. Not the kind you have here, anyway. I’ve always wanted to try, but they’re not as common in Paris as they are here. I never had reason to.”

“Will you be able to handle using American measurements, though?” Jon teases.

“Of course, I can. Because I’m not a baby who refuses to try new things.”

“You literally insist our recipe book is written with European measurements.”

“No, I just take the effort to convert things for myself. If you want to convert the recipes into your measurements, then you’re more than welcome to.”

Jon makes a face. “But that’s so much math.”

“Then don’t complain.” Marinette pokes him playfully. She looks back to the adults, as if remembering they’re there, and composes herself again. “Ah, but, may I please, Mrs. Kent?”

“Call me Martha, honey. And you don’t have to help cook. You’re a guest here.”

“But I enjoy it!” Marinette says eagerly. “And I want to. Jon’ll help, too.”

Martha hums thoughtfully. “The more the merrier, then. Let’s find you an apron.”

As Martha leads them to the kitchen and the rest of the adults start talking amongst themselves, Jon is pulled closer to Marinette so she can whisper to him. “Your grandparents are adorable!” She says, grinning giddily. “Their accents are so cute!”

“So’s yours.” Jon says back. He feels satisfied when she blushes at the comment but is quickly brought out of their little conversation with the aprons his grandma hands them.

They fall into the groove of preparing the pies for a while, conversing lightly as they do. Marinette and Martha get on like a house on fire, mostly talking about recipes, which Jon watches fondly. Apple, classic American. Pecan, necessary for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin, also a staple. Pies spend a lot of time in the oven, but between bakes conversation never lulls. If things in the kitchen die down, someone from the living room will pop in and liven things up again. Jon is even dragged outside at one point to fix the tractor, and Marinette follows out of self-admitted fascination.

Jon explains what he’s doing as he does it for Marinette’s sake, but he’s pretty sure it goes mostly over her head. She probably doesn’t know much about machinery like the tractor in the first place, so he doesn’t expect her to grasp the details. All he knows is that he needs to wash the oil off his hands, and better yet take a whole shower (it’s late November, so he’s not exactly sweaty, but the inside of a tractor isn’t clean, no matter how hard he tries to avoid getting covered in filth) before he goes anywhere near the kitchen again.

It’s only after Marinette assures him she’ll be fine alone with his family for a while that he does so, though. She’s talked to his parents before in passing over the phone, but ultimately today is the first time she’s really met any of them except him. He doesn’t want to just leave her feeling uncomfortable without him around, and he notices that she gets a little quiet while he’s working on the tractor, so he’s worried. But she insists and practically pushes him into the bathroom herself, so he has little choice but to relent. It’s not like he wants to stay filthy, anyway.

When he steps out of the shower, warm and refreshed, he realizes it’s getting late. So, he throws on some pants and goes to ask Marinette where she’ll be most comfortable. “Unfortunately, my grandparents have the guest room.” He tells her, guiding her to his own room. “So, you can take my bed. I can sleep on the floor, or on the couch in the living room if you’d rather have the space to yourself.”

Marinette reels back at the very idea. “I can’t take your bed from you, Jon! I can sleep on the floor, it’s fine.”

Jon chuckles good-naturedly. He knows what she’s doing, and he’s not about to let her. “Not a chance, Marinette. You’re a guest here. You get a proper bed. I’m not budging on that.”

Marinette rolls her eyes. “I’m not kicking you out of your bed!”

“You’re not. I’m offering it.”

“Jon! I’m serious, I’m no- woah.” A slow grin stretches across Marinette’s face when Jon opens the door to his room. “This is your room?!” She gasps, following his gesture to step inside.

It’s not hard to guess what she’s looking at. The lights are still off in here, and her head is tilted back, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars all over his ceiling and the free space on his walls. Jon checks out the window, just to see that there are clouds covering the real stars. Shame. Hopefully that clears up tomorrow. If she’s impressed by this, just wait until she sees the real thing.

Truth be told, he doesn’t think much of those glow-in-the-dark stars anymore. He put them up with his dad when he was little and never bothered taking them down unless he needed space on the wall for whatever reason. There’s so many of them, it’d just be a hassle to clean up if he did, and they don’t bother him, so he doesn’t need to. They’re just part of the background of the room. He’d actually forgotten they were there until Marinette points them out.

“Yep.” He says. His eyes search the stars, finding a set of them at the wall opposite his bed, where he’s facing when he’s lying in it.

“It’s so pretty.” Marinette says softly. “And it almost looks like… are those real constellations?”

Jon laughs, mostly to himself. “Yeah, I had a pretty big astronomy phase as a kid. You can imagine why.” Marinette giggles in agreement. “I found some star maps and, together with Dad, put all these up.” He looks fondly at the dim, glow-in-the-dark stars for the first time in a long time. Maybe years. It’s hard to believe, when he looks at them with the appreciation he used to, that he had ever lost that wonder.

The true sky just outside his window is better still, and he never abandoned his wonder for that, but this is… this is special, too. It’s nice to be reminded of that.

Jon looks at Perseus at the end of his bed and smiles. Initially, Jon wanted to put Corvus there, where he can most easily see it, since from Earth’s perspective, that’s where Krypton is located, but Corvus is a southern constellation so even when it is visible in the real sky outside here, it’s low down and doesn’t work well as a starting point for the rest of the sky map of his room. And Perseus, the hero, is just as good. Better, even, since Jon never connected to Krypton, but to heroes? That’s what Jon wanted since he was born.

(And maybe he also read The Lightning Thief at just around the same time his astronomy phase got into full gear. Sue him.)

It’s funny in hindsight. If he wanted it a little less badly, hadn’t tried so hard to reach it, maybe he would have been more ready when he did. Maybe be wouldn’t be turning his back on it now. Maybe now would only be his start.

But pointless hypotheticals get him nowhere. He likes where he’s at now. He likes being with Marinette and working together towards their mutual life of peace. It gives him meaning that he doesn’t need to fill with heroism, and it gives him perspective, so he can gaze upon Perseus and smile, even if it’s a tad weak. He wouldn’t change a thing about his life, if it has led him to this moment.

Even if he does still have to argue with Marinette over who gets the bed. (He wins, in the end, and smugly pulls a spare pillow and blanket out to put on the couch.)

Thanksgiving goes about as expected. Marinette fits in seamlessly with the family and insists on helping with the cooking. There are a few too many of them to all be in the small kitchen at once, but they agree to take turns and split the work of making each dish. While it’s his parent’s turn in the kitchen, Jon’s grandfather has to coax Marinette into throwing a football with them to get her to abandon her spot at the oven.

It’s a lot of laughing and running after the ball, since even though Marinette is coordinated and has a mean arm, she’s literally never thrown a football in her life until today. She’s awkward with it and always apologizing for every wildly inaccurate throw, but it’s still a nice time overall.

Aunt Kara shows up, too, and she immediately adores Marinette. She fawns over her almost as much as she fawns over Jon, which is saying something. For her part, Marinette takes it in stride, eagerly striking up conversation and spending so long just chatting that Jon’s grandfather eventually gives up on including the girls in their game of catch altogether.

Eventually, they gather for the meal itself. Jon makes sure to sit next to Marinette and watches her closely. She seems a bit awkward, maybe even startled, when Martha says grace, but she relaxes again quickly, noticing Kara waiting politely but clearly not participating, and then fully relaxing at the “Amen.” Then, they eat. It’s not all that different from any other meal, except they’re sharing it with more people.

They eat, they watch a football game on television, they laugh, they chat, and it’s all normal. It’s family. And Jon couldn’t be happier.

He keeps an eye on the sky, though. He still wants to show Marinette the stars. The real ones. So far, so good, and when the sun finally goes down, Jon sighs with relief.

He catches Marinette with her sketchbook, sitting on his bed as she hums a tune to herself and sketches. Reluctant to interrupt her, he waits for a moment until she looks up and smiles at him. “Want to see something really special?” He asks, holding out his hand for her.

Marinette grins widely and takes it. He squeezes her hand gently and guides her to the door. His parents absolutely notice them leaving, but aside from some pointed looks they don’t interrupt. That works for him.

They step outside and he barely manages to tell her to look up before he’s interrupted by her gasp. “You weren’t kidding…” She breathes, fixated on the stars.

“Right?” Jon asks, equally breathless. He grabs her other hand, so he’s holding both her hands, and looks up with her. More stars than he can count stretch out before them. The entire night sky is a light show just for them, more extravagant and more beautiful than any city, in his opinion. It’s something that just can’t be replicated, no matter how devoted a twelve-year-old may be. Sometimes, Jon sees this, the soft glow of the galaxy, a gentle band promised to the inky sky, and wants nothing more than to fly up into it. Today, the starbursts between his fingers and Marinette’s is more than enough for him.

“Thank you for showing me this.” Marinette’s voice is small, vulnerable, and when Jon looks closely, he can see the sparkle of the stars in her eyes. They’re a little too wet, but Jon smiles knowing she’s just overwhelmed. It truly is a beautiful sight.

“Want to get a little closer?”

Marinette blinks the wetness away – no tears fall – and looks strangely at him. “Closer? What do you…?”

Jon lifts just a foot off the ground, never letting go of her hands but leaning forward so as not to pull her feet off the ground.

Marinette grins from ear to ear and agrees. “Hold on tight.” He says ensuring she has her arms firmly over his shoulders and he’s holding her just as tightly himself. She’s pressed up against him, head on his shoulder, eyes on the stars.

Jon swears he will never forget the look on her face when he rises into the air. As the house and the trees fall away and all that’s present anymore is her, him, and the constellations. It’s a look of awe, of wonder and bright, bright light, like the stars themselves. The universe he spends so long gazing at out here is written on her face, its constellations in her freckles and its burn in her eyes. There’s so much beauty all around them, but all Jon sees is her.

He leans back just a little, drifting in that direction, and then with a cheeky smile, he spins abruptly. Marinette squeaks and clutches him tighter, and then glowers cutely at him when she calms down. “What?” He asks, innocently.

“Don’t do that!” Marinette pouts.

“No?” Jon gives her his best puppy eyes. “You don’t want me to go…”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Over,” Jon dips her, giggling at her small shriek, “sideways,” he spins again, and Marinette starts laughing along with him, “and under?”

Truthfully, playing around too much is dangerous. Marinette can’t fly, after all, but Jon lays back in the air, letting Marinette lay atop him, essentially using him as a platform. She smacks his chest lightly. “You’re mean.”

“I can show you the world!” Jon starts singing, loudly. He and Marinette both know he can sing better than he does, but being off-key only makes them both giggle harder. “Shining, shimmering, splendid!” He doesn’t know what comes over him that makes his boisterous, off-key yell give way at the next line, but it does. Instead, he barely whispers it. It’s just a sigh in the wind. “Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?”

Marinette blushes deeply, but laughs. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Jon chuckles. “But you’re stuck with me.”

Marinette hugs him tightly, rests her head on his chest and sighs contentedly, and Jon swears his heart skips a beat. “Thanks, Jon. This has been… there are no words. I’m so glad we met.”

Jon smiles softly. He has to resist the urge to kiss the top of her head. “Hey, that’s what Thanksgiving is about.” He takes another breath, but thinks better of it and instead says, “Hold on, let’s get down from here. I’ll show you one of my favorite places.”

Marinette nods silently against him, so he flies slowly over to his favorite tree and sets her down on his perch. They sit together, watching the stars, and Jon says, “I’m so thankful to have met you, you know. I… you gave me direction when I didn’t have any. You showed me what life without being a hero can be, and you helped me figure out what I want it to be. I hadn’t thought about that before. I always assumed, even later on when I hated it, that I’d always be Superboy. Or… or that I’d eventually be Superman.

“Marinette, I… I can’t imagine life without you. I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and you’re… so much of it.” He sighs. “I wish I knew how to tell you how much it means. This doesn’t feel like enough, but… thank you. Thank you for sticking by me. Even when you found out I was Superboy, even when I doubt myself and whether I can really live peacefully- hell, even that, even looking for peace is because of you. If not for you I might still be chasing some unattainable ‘normal’ that I’ll never reach. I… It’d be an exaggeration to say you saved my life, but… you definitely changed it. For the better. I’m happier now than…” He lets out a weak chuckle and looks away. “Well, yeah. That’s what I wanted to say. I’m just… really thankful that you’re a part of my life.”

He sits there, cheeks burning, looking for constellations in the grass, for a long time. Then, Marinette’s melodic voice, strained ever so slightly, makes him jump. “I’m thankful for you, too.” She says. “When I left Paris, I left behind everything I knew. I was so scared, I- I didn’t have any safety net. But then I met you, and… I felt like things would be okay. I was an ocean away from home, from my friends, from everyone and everything I loved, but you made me feel at home.

“I don’t- I don’t know about normal, but you helped me find the life I want, too. This life. You stuck by me when I reacted… really immaturely and shut you out for so long. You stuck by me when I turned my back on all this and fought as Ladybug again- don’t… don’t say anything about that. Please.” Marinette takes a big shaky breath as Jon obediently shuts his mouth. That… that is a wound healed by their promise, but a wound nonetheless. Jon can only hope to continue nurturing it as they have been, rather than picking at it and reopening the thing. “You helped me reconcile being the guardian with the life that I want. I… I never thought I could do both. It never even occurred to me. If you hadn’t been here, I would… I would definitely have given Chat the guardianship and forgotten everything. Eventually, at least. In that sense… I think you did save my life.”

Jon looks over at her, at the constellations in her freckles, barely visible in the starlight, at the burn of the sun in her eyes, the gentle promise ring of the galaxy crossing her irises. Marinette worries her lip and ducks away. “So… this is my first Thanksgiving, but… the thing I’m most grateful for is you. Thank you for being a part of my life.”

Jon’s eyes water. He can’t help it. He knows he’s important to Marinette, just like she is to him, but to hear her spell it out so plainly casts a spell over his heart. It’s hard to breathe. All he can do is stare at her.

She looks up at him, too, and they share a small smile. A tiny, barely-there thing but one full of so much warmth and love that it’s unmistakable. She grabs his arm, leans on his shoulder, and they share that moment, sitting in the tree, gazing at the stars on the horizon, their touch like a hearth warming them from the onset of the chill of late November.

She looks up again; he can’t recall when she gets so close. She smells like the pies they baked last night, somehow, but also everything else. Like Thanksgiving, like gratitude, like her. He can feel her breath on his lips, lighter than the gentlest breeze. It takes him a moment to realize he’s leaning in, too.

That realization makes him jump. Marinette reels back, surprised, and they’re both sitting there, faces burning, not looking at each other.

Aw, hell. Jon beats himself up inside because he knows this is his fault. He doesn’t even know why he jumps. It just takes him by surprise. How stupid of him to react that way! To startle himself with something so… so… Especially because it’s not as if he doesn’t want it. He does! He wants to kiss her! Hell, I want to kiss her.

And when the hell did that happen?!

He needs a moment.

——-=——-

Tag List: @moonystars14 @pawsitivelymiraculous @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @buticaaba @bigpicklebananatree @lozzybowe @moonlightstar64 @amayakans @theatreandcomicfreak @toodaloo-kangaroo @too0bsessedformyowngood @justcourttee <3

#miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ml fanfiction #ml x dc #maribat #marijon #ehhtrtd

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she-toadmask · 4 years ago

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I’m kind of in a mood suddenly so below the cut there will be me just talking about fanfics I have read or am reading and why I like fanfic and stuff because I need to just

Fanfiction fucking rocks the basic part before all the stuff about it as the story just...it’s so easy to access and there’s so much and it’s just all there on the internet I don’t have to find a physical book

And on AO3 (where 90% of good currently-updating fic is afaik) there is TAGGING where you will know what you’re getting into (unless the author suddenly adds a sex scene and only then updates the tags but at least they give a warning at the start of the chapter but it doesn’t bother me as much as it did a couple years ago as long as I know it’s coming I know it’s a tool and it has its uses) with character drama and deaths and all that jazz not to mention how Ash being a badass has a specific tag and just other random things having tags that are important parts of the story

Like there are multiple fics I have found (not all of them are living fics sadly) of writing Ash’s journey in the beginning differently, like there was one I saw once that I kind of forgot to keep reading where he went to Sinnoh (and was still rivals with Paul and I think their ship tag was there?) and it said it was following game plot and then there’s one that I definitely don’t have open anymore because it didn’t update for some amount of time where he had a Joltik and then a Ferroseed and it’s really cool and a different one that’s still living and it’s called Pity of the World and Jesse + James (who is genderfluid in this fic) + Meowth are good people and stuff and just steal abused Pokemon and they run into Ash and they all end up being travel buddies and Ash understands Pokemon (not literally of course that’s not this fic) and also just knows what James’ gender is before they say anything and also in one chapter Zapdos is in Gringy City and says something about friendship being for mortals or something??? idk we’ll see and then there’s a different fic that I was reading and lost when switching devices and Ash was raised by Pokemon and literally can speak Pokemon and it was really neat but I haven’t tried to find where I left off because I’m too lazy for that tbh but it is still updating it’s Symbiosis or Symbiotic or something like that

Most things involving Ash that aren’t shippy or weird like that (ok there are some I’m not interested in but whapdfajaldjakjdf) end up being really cool because he’s a fucking legendary magnet which can either be played for laughs or deadly serious or just not be part of the fic if it isn’t relevant and so many fics use Aura it’s really cool (including Pity of the World I think he mega evolves Pidgeot (who evolves before leaving) when he fights Sabrina who does not have a doll in this fic) and there are different ways they do it and the thing I was mentioning about his connection with Pokemon like maybe it’s just a bit more than normal or it’s just yes he is everything and I kinda skipped out on gens 6 and 7 of the anime but I get enough to understand what they mean in chat fics and when referring to it in other fics it’s really cool

I think I mentioned Creepypasta and how there were two Harry Potter Creepypasta fics, one that was one and was slow to update if it wasn’t dead and one that was on the fourth one actually I was wrong about what number it was I think and updates every two weeks the first one is more lighthearted/written by a younger person like Slendy is a character and Harry x a lot of the ‘pastas I guess and it takes place starting before 4th year and the beginning is kinda meh with some weird dialogue and absurd levels of Dumbledore Ron and Hermione bashing but it does call out some of the other legitimate problems like how the lake trial in the tournament just kidnaps people which is very big because it was Ben who was kidnapped so big yikes there and honestly it’s not what you want to read if you want something really high-quality and serious like not that it doesn’t take itself seriously but it feels closer to something I would have read when I was in middle school than most of the Sanders Sides fics I read (just using that as comparison because the vast majority of that is well-written stuff). Then the other one!!!! For one it has a much more realistic/developed take on the Creepypastas’ existence like how the stories are how they exist with Slenderman being a cosmic horror being thing more than a character with character which is always really cool and Jeff kidnaps Harry as a baby (he is Boy when he is with the Creepypasta and Harry when at Hogwarts and there’s some really cool stuff about how they’re different) and, having lived with murderers, Harry gives zero fucks about things and kills Fluffy in the first book long before other stuff happens, Quirrel tries to use him to get the stone but gets annihilated at the mirror because family and then Voldemort is just a giant white snake for the rest of the series so far and also because he sucks Lockhart tries to exorcise Harry because Harry is fucking nuts and it’s great and also Harry is a Hufflepuff and there is probably more Gryffindor bashing than is necessary and pretty much all the adults get bashed for sucking (like in book 3 the boggart stuff is called out for being hella dangerous for them also Harry can’t cast the Patronus charm make of that what you will idk what) though Harry does make for quite the conversation topic among the teachers, Harry x Neville is the main ship and Neville eventually gets resorted into Hufflepuff because the Gryffindors are being massive dicks to him, also Harry flirts with Draco because Harry gives no fucks and it’s great (also both books give Luna lots of love, like the young one she’s a Seer like from Madame Macabre’s old webcomic that’s dead as it gets and the long one she’s just a good character and shit) and Harry makes these books to spread Slenderman’s legend throughout Britain/the Wizarding World and Draco may have gotten one and survived???? but now Neville has one during the summer months (and also through feeding Fanged Geraniums or whatever live stuff and blood instead of bonemeal he is creating Audrey II and straight-up says something about having to call it Harry Jr. but that’s probably just a little joke and isn’t going to stay beyond this but it’s just fun because Little Shop of Horrors slaps) and I have big fear about him doing the stuff and getting hurt and Harry/Boy conflict will be scary

There’s this other fic I found when trying to find good fics involving Ash and it’s kinda weird and seems to be written by a younger author but we’ll see where things go, like Harry got transported by Celebi to the world of Pokemon and Giovanni is Silver and Ash’s dad and they live with him and also Harry does too and he’s in a wheelchair and also is really smart and I wish we had gotten to spend a bit longer seeing their dynamics before when Harry is 14 the Goblet of Fire somehow spits his name out and Celebi helps with getting Harry (and also the other three because of course) safely there without dying because dimensional travel is hard and Celebi is friend and Luna gets to be important here too I think she’s shown up as a named student and guided them to a room and seems to know things about the castle and that’s kinda all there is so far there’s a bit more but it’s not got a lot yet I hope the author keeps going it’s a weird idea but I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes

Oh I forgot to talk about it but there’s this whump Ash fic that was being written under one title but it got dropped and now it’s being rewritten with the same concept but under a new title and going about a lot of things a different way it’s just the same starting premise and the fic is Helpless and Ash almost dies multiple times and there’s this theme of adults failing him and also Gary fucks a thing up and Ash needs support and therapy (a good number of fics have Ash needing therapy but given the shit he’s been through that is not surprising especially from my limited knowledge of Kalos holy shit Lysandre was doing some mad shit) and it’s just good but it is a lot of hospital and Ash being hurt and almost dying so be warned if that isn’t a safe read for you

The reason I don’t just outright block explicit anymore despite the horrors of trying to find safe Pokemon fic on AO3 amidst the consensual porn, incest porn, pokephilia porn, etc., is I randomly decided to try and find some Sonic fanfic on AO3 because a couple people on YouTube have been doing Sonic story stuff (Sonic What If has some good stuff that’s just... what-if scenarios and then there’s Sonic Rewritten which takes a game’s plot and then redoes it but good like the Deadly Six having personalities or Sonic 06 not having maybe bestiality or Generations being more than ‘oh past and present stages now have nostalgia’ and Robotnik and Eggman are significantly different people in that one and it’s really cool) and I thought maybe I would find some good stuff on AO3 (which I have but nothing that I want to ramble about specifically though there was one fic where Eggman does Tails clone and then his original body dies so he’s stuck looking like Tails and it’s kinda wild) and I found a fic that was marked explicit because torture and violence (honestly it wasn’t that bad) and I like it and don’t want to miss something that I might like by accidentally blocking it and now when I try to find Pokemon fic I have to see Leon x Hop and Pokemon x human smut.

There’s one Sanders Sides fic that I was reading and I don’t remember the name nor do I know if it’s updating I think I lost it but it started from the beginning of the series with the Dark Sides being a platonic poly family and when they weren’t in the episode they were talking about it/the Light Sides and it’s honestly really really good and the author just decided to have Deceit’s name be Janus and it was amazing when it turned out that was his real name it was just great but IDK if the fic has been abandoned, I think I lost it in the shift, but it was really good (but sympathetic dark sides and unsympathetic patton and roman and logan for a bit so do be warned if those aren’t comfortable for you)

Oh yeah I remembered another fic I can talk about there was this one Creepypasta fic and it’s completed and it is a Jeff x Reader but it kind of just stops being about the romance after a certain point and just goes way off the rails. It starts like ‘oh this will be a normal x reader with mansion and Slendy is dad and Zalgo is probably evil’ and then NOPE SLENDERMAN HAS BEEN RAISING FAMILIES THAT LOVE HIM TO TURN THEM INTO CRYSTALS TO MAKE HIM MORE POWERFUL AND ZALGO IS AGAINST THAT and it just is great like I never see Zalgo being good, like Slenderman being evil or whatever is plenty common (especially in the innumerable ARG fics I don’t read because I don’t have the attention span to learn what the fuck the source is) but never in tandem with Zalgo being anything but chaotic evil n shit it’s wild and it’s great and also Slenderman’s parents have faces I guess idk that was weird also there is one smut chapter but like the author said you can skip the smut and I did and didn’t feel like I missed any plot stuff so if that’s a no for you just keep an eye out for the author’s warning. It is by a younger writer, as demonstrated by its daily updates while it was being written, tiny chapters, and some general writing style stuff common to younger writers, but honestly I just love it for being something so wildly different, under the guise of a typical x Reader fic.

Speaking of ship stuff and Creepypasta the trilogy of Sans x Creepypasta fics are amazing. The writer definitely improves over time, the beginning of the first book kind of has the weird ‘then I knew I was in love’ stuff from a couple of the pastas (then again I’m ace and demiro so starting romance is just generally weird) but it is just a really good series. Sans ends up with seven kids in the third book and, while everyone else in the Undertale cast is bashed in the first two, Papyrus does seem to get some redemption in the third, so there is that. Also Murderer Sans is a fantastic tag, Gaster made a deal with Zalgo to create the skelebros and Sans is more demon than Papyrus by a lot and Zalgo is trying to kidnap Sans and Sans’ children so he has his family together to destroy the world and wander free and it’s wild and also Chara and Flowey show up and also LJ being an angel is mentioned and relevant to the plot for a bit so that’s neat and I don’t know all the details of how it ends because I lost it when I shifted and didn’t want to find where I was but it’s a great fic (albeit with a few things I can argue on) and the author has also been writing other Sans x Creepypasta stuff but I haven’t read it because idk

I really wish I had a good Minecraft fanfic to gush about but I really don’t it’s hard to find Minecraft fic that isn’t tuber-based, either Dream and friends (which occasionally I find a good one but so much is either Dream SMP which I have no interest in getting into, involves people I don’t know from Dream SMP, or just is shippy or straight-up doesn’t have a premise I’m interested in) or Hermitcraft (I fell behind so I have no idea what’s happening anymore) (but also like Mianite and Aphmau stuff but not as much as used to, but now Dream rules all so), and it just sucks. Like if some of it was Team Crafted fic I would be on board like hell yeah give me that nostalgia juice but it’s so much shit I just don’t know. I love the idea of Minecraft fanfic because there are so many options for the world and you can either make your own characters and you probably have to but then there’s just if you use Steve Alex Herobrine or Notch how they are written depends on the author and I live for that shit it’s a big part of why I read Creepypasta fic it’s because I like when there are different ways characters can be done (not unsympathetic or sympathetic like Patton so much like straight-up different characters) like Herobrine and Notch are the big ones like good vs evil, involved vs not, serious vs comedic, there are so many different ways to play them and I’m so disappointed AO3 doesn’t have much of it and so much of it is just Dream stuff and it usually just isn’t what I’m after in a fic.

The only other fics coming to mind right now are two wildly different fics involving Springtrap x Reader, one of them is being transferred from Wattpad for copy reasons, complete with tiny-ass chapters and that language that’s just so middle-school in the best way possible (like William and Springtrap are different consciousnesses and they way the author describes their struggle at one point is just so similar to a stupid thing I did and I have so much affection for it) and the other is legitimately really really good and the reader-insert has recently found out that Springtrap is William Afton and has murdered many children and they are currently dying multiple times to help his victims pass on because they can see ghosts and it’s actually really good and I have no idea where things are going, reader has currently met up with Michael Afton, currently all purple and dead and stuff, and has learned about remnant (weird-ass shit from modern FNAF lore) and it’s getting wild. I feel like there are two types of FNAF fic, ones in the style of FNAF 3/4 and earlier and ones from maybe 4 onward. Like ones where the lore was basically ‘bad man committed murder against children and they’re possessing the animatronics and that’s why they’re trying to kill you’ and then 4 starts having some more expansive lore ish and then after that it just goes everywhere with remnant and scooping and even more locations and also the books matter probably??? There is this one fic involving Glitchtrap that hasn’t updated in a bit and it’s fun, I like the idea of Glitchtrap and really wish I could read more fic just centered around FNAF VR. Then again, BEN was always one of my favorites and after I stopped being absolutely terrified of Herobrine I really liked his possibilities, maybe I just like the story utility and possible execution of characters with wide-ranging powers over technology and affecting the real world outside of it, IDK.

Ok I’m out of ramble energy, and also topics unless I go more in-depth about specific character options, but my energy is gone so I think that’s the end of it. I typed 3,000 words about fanfictions I’m reading and probably could have talked more about some of them if I wanted. This is my new hyperfixation. I guess. At least I know I have one, it’s reassuring to know for some reason, like for a while I missed how much Pokemon was my life in elementary school and Minecraft was in sixth grade, like it was nice just having something to focus on, though maybe that’s just the college and depression talking.

That was good, I’m glad I did that. Y’all are loved.

If you seriously read this entire thing... Wow. I really appreciate you digitally listening to me talking about random fanfic shit that I like. You’re really really cool.

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txladyj-blog · 5 years ago

Text

This Time Around - Chapter 23

A Daryl Dixon x OFC collaboration written by @xmistressmistrustx by request of @txladyj-blog

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character

Tags: Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Awkwardness, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Crush, Fluff and Humor, Angst and Humor, Mild Smut, Strong Language, Eventual Sex, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Canon Divergence, Some Canon Scenes and Dialogue

Chapters 26/?

Back in Alexandria, it was early evening and Abraham was hauling wooden railway sleepers from a truck and dragging them to the vegetable patches along with some of the other members of the community. Daryl’s trip with Jess along with their prolonged hug had been playing on his mind over and over for hours and he felt his skin begin to crawl with anxiety if he sat still for too long and so, decided to give Abe a hand when he walked past and saw the sweat-covered, ginger man swearing to himself and dragging the heavy items around.

Daryl and Abraham weren’t exactly close. They trusted each other enough to have each-others backs and recognized each other’s fighting skills and abilities, along with the out-of-the-box way they both seemed to view the world. From time to time, they engaged in basic conversation but Abraham's brash and extroverted personality was the opposite of Daryl’s and he often found that his energy was sapped from a five-minute interaction. On this occasion, chat wasn’t needed but Daryl did have an ulterior motive. He had a question to ask and needed to hear the answer from Abraham’s point of view but had no idea how to go about it without letting the proverbial cat out of the bag. Spotting his chance when Rosita ambled past and held a hand up in a wave to them both, he decided to bite the bullet and just ask.

“You uh… you n’ Rosita, you still a thing?” He questioned warily.

Abraham slotted the sleeper he was holding into position with a swift and strong kick of his boot and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. His white vest was stained with perspiration on the front and his gloves were saturated from being used as towels.

“Still very much got me by the short n’ curlies.” He chuckled.

Daryl cleared his throat and checked over his shoulder, seeing most of the others gathering around the truck a good distance away to be able to overhear anything.

“Right. Right. So, you um, you ain’t gunnin’ for Jess?”

Abraham shot Daryl a suspicious look and his mouth curled into a smile beneath his thick mustache. He laughed loudly and did a double take at him while retrieving a cigar and a box of matches from his pocket and lighting up. It wasn’t a total surprise, he had to admit. He’d seen the way Daryl scowled and stalked off when he spoke to Jess and he was witness to the scene in the armory which had left her beside herself with guilt. Rick had also mentioned that he thought it to be a matter of time before things evolved between them. He wasn’t sure himself if he could see it happening at the time, but there was Daryl standing in front of him and asking if he had any romantic intentions for Jess.

“Goodness gracious, Ignatius.” He said tunefully, quickly lowering his voice and glancing around “She’s got your attention”

“What? Naw, man. I’m just checkin’.” Daryl denied a little less convincingly than he’d hoped. His heart rate was starting to increase and he was instantly regretting saying anything at all.

“Checkin’ for what, exactly?” Abraham pressed.

Panic jolted through him. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Why exactly could he say he was asking? Jess had already put a stop to any ideas that they were more than friends, but Daryl had to be sure and cover all the bases. He just couldn’t admit to Abraham of all people that he had very confusing and strong feelings for his best friend before even telling Jess herself.

“She’s a friend. I don’t want her getting’ her ass kicked by Rosita. Y’know, this ain’t no romance novel bullshit.”

“Huh. My love life is more of a porno than a romance novel. I ain’t about to change it. So long as I can keep pouring’ the Bisquick without makin’ pancakes.” He remarked, amused at his own humorous take on things “Huh? Huh?” He encouraged with two nudges of Daryl’s arm.

“Right.” Was Daryl’s reserved response.

Abraham bustled past him, placing a big hand on his back and guiding him away from the workforce that were now making their way over to the patch adjacent. He turned him away from any prying eyes and addressed him with a permanent, knowing smile.

“C’mon, I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. I know what’s going on here.” He said.

“Yeah, what’s that?” Daryl challenged, only slightly confident that he could hold his own with the conversation.

“You gotta just grab the bull by the nut sack.”

Daryl raised an eyebrow and leaned back slightly, perplexed by Abraham's choice of words and even more so by his grabbing gesture with one hand. It wasn’t far off from how his brother used to speak, only Abraham was quite clearly intelligent enough to use colorful metaphors without caring what anyone thought of it.

“What in the hell are you talkin’ ‘bout?” He questioned “Jess ain’t no bull”

“OK, forget that. Tell her you wanna get busy with her, see how she reacts” He suggested.

“I aint tellin’ her nothin’.” Daryl quickly replied with a step backwards as if he wanted to leave the topic, which he very much did by then.

“Then the only way you’re gonna get laid is if you crawl up a chicken’s ass and wait. It’s the apocalypse, Daryl. Sometimes you gotta just ask for what you want.” Abraham reasoned. After all, he’d asked Rosita and she’d been more than happy to oblige. He didn’t see anyone else as being much different and figured that if everyone was just straight with one another, things would be a lot easier.

“I ain’t doin’ that.” Daryl dismissed.

Abraham chuckled once more, slapping Daryl’s back with a huge paw and shaking his head in amusement.

“Ahh, hell. Balls just called. They wanted to know if you’d like a pair.” He joked.

“Look, it ain’t like that. I’m just…makin’ sure she’s okay.” Daryl confirmed, shrugging Abraham from his shoulder and backing up. He could see some of the other workers glancing up at them. Far from being a quiet man, Abe’s booming voice proved to be a lot louder than either of them first thought and Daryl was becoming highly uncomfortable.

“Whatever. Just think about it. She’s a peach, she’d be damn good for you.” Abraham suggested, puffing cigar smoke into a large cloud between them and tugging his gloves off. “I gotta go to guard duty. But I’ma get me some ass first.” He conveyed casually as he stepped down from the vegetable patch and headed across the street.

“Didn’t need to know that.” Daryl grumbled to himself.

Tower watch was usually done on a rotational basis and Jess, being a non-resident of Alexandria, was exempt from such duties. From time to time, she would surprise Deanna and volunteer her time, finding that walking the perimeter or sitting in the tower was a cure for her restlessness. Daryl was no different and as a recruiter, he was also omitted from the guard schedule but often found himself in the comforting, quiet confines of the wooden structure with a rifle, a pack of smokes and his jumbled thoughts when reading to Judith didn’t quite manage to calm his soul enough.

It was a cold night and a dense fog hung in the air like a blanket over the trees. Recent conversations floated around in his memories and he was sure his sides still tingled from time to time with the memory of Jess’s arms wrapped around him. He lit a cigarette and time passed between the spark of his lighter and when he smiled as he dwelled, yet again on the thought of Jess telling him he could hug her whenever he wanted. He wouldn’t, of course. It was far from how he conducted himself and any physical contact normally came with a lot of forethought and mental preparation.

His cigarette balanced precariously between his lips as he tilted his head back and took a drag without even touching it. He expelled the smoke from his nose, the cloudy appearance of the small tower room reminding him of his dream in which Merle had tried to urge him to do something about his feelings.

‘Times a-wastin’, Daryl. Get to it.’

He wished he could. Wished that everything really was that simple. Wished that he knew for sure that she felt something for him the way he did for her. But all he had was a notion, a few blushes and compliments that could be nothing more than a basic appreciation between two friends.

The door below clunked shut and Daryl could hear footsteps on the rungs of the ladder approaching. He threw his smoke away and looked over his shoulder to await the arrival of his visitor. It was past midnight and highly unusual for anyone else to be up in the tower except for the person on guard. Daryl never had company while he was on watch and that, to him, was one of the perks of the job.

When Jess appeared clutching a bag of cookies and pushing her hood back from her face, he figured that maybe tower watch had other perks too. Namely, that he could very well be about to spend time with a pretty girl, cooped up in a wooden box in the sky.

“Ya don’t gotta stay.” Was the first thing he said. He didn’t know why and realized as he said how strange it sounded. Almost like he wanted her to turn around and climb back down the ladder, which he didn’t.

Unimpressed, Jess squinted down at him and huffed out her obvious disapproval.

“Really?! ‘Can I visit you, Jess? You don’t have to be here, Jess’.” She quoted “Talk about mixed signals, stinky.”

Daryl, confused by his own actions, messily waved a hand at the empty chair beside him.

“Take a damn seat n’ quit complainin’.” He grumbled.

The two chairs in the tower were no more than a foot apart and Jess dragged hers even closer still and settled down in front of the window with the rifle resting on the wall on Daryl’s side. She opened the paper bag in her lap and handed him a cookie, telling him they were from Carol and she’s sent them because she knew he hadn’t eaten that day. It was evident that Carol was right when Daryl managed to put away three large cookies in a matter of seconds and Jess peered down at her first, half eaten baked treat as hers was made of lead.

Since the boat and Daryl’s admission of his dream about Merle, Jess wondered if he would ever provide her with more information pertaining to his death and the events that lead up to it. She was curious and more than that, she was concerned that his inability to move past it was presenting itself in his subconscious, when he dreamed. Having reached what she thought to be a pivotal point in their friendship, where they hugged and she awoke with him curled up against her, she guessed it was now that was the right time to ask.

“Can I ask you something? About your brother.” She said

Daryl threw the last of his third cookie into his mouth and chewed noisily before brushing the crumbs from his lap and side glancing at her. She could see the questioning behind his eyes already, the hesitation to discuss what was bound to be a sore subject.

“OK.” He grunted.

“What did he tell you about where I was?” She wanted to know. They’d touched on it before, briefly and on a need-to-know basis.

“He didn’t. S’a long story.” He mumbled, falling quiet and instilling a heavy guilt in Jess. For at least two minutes, he fiddled with the radio in his lap.

“I’m sorry” She eventually managed. “I shouldn’t have asked; I don’t want to drag up bad memories for you.”

“Nah, s’ok.” He said sincerely with a small glance in her direction. Hesitating, it dawned on him that he did want to tell her what happened and that, alone, was a breakthrough in itself. Daryl wasn’t a talker, he never discussed his innermost thoughts and feelings with anyone, but in the time that he’d known Jess, it was becoming easier and more desirable to do so. “I ain’t talked about to nobody before. But I’ll tell you. If ya wanna know”

Feeling as thought a compromise was needed so as not to drag him too far from his slowly expanding comfort zone, Jess decided to offer him a simpler suggestion.

“Give me the short version and maybe some other time you can tell me everything. Only if you want.” She proposed.

Seemingly content with meeting her halfway, Daryl slid further down in his seat and propped one leg up on the window ledge in front of them. As he spoke, he picked at the messy stitching around the repaired hole in the knee of his pants leg.

“After the crazy sommbitch cut his own hand off to escape that roof in the city n’ you saved his ass, he got mixed up with this psycho. Started workin’ for him. This guy, he wanted to kill us all, take the prison we were livin’ in.” Checking she was still with him, he peeped to his side at her, she was listening, now turned towards him and slowly chewing on another cookie. “Merle… he sacrificed himself in the end. Knew his time was up. Michonne was with him, he asked her to give me a message when she saw me. I went straight to find him, bring him back. But he was already turned.”

“I’m so sorry, Daryl. That must have been so hard.” She whispered sincerely “What was the message?”

Daryl looked out at the misty and still night beyond the tower. From where they were, the horrors below were obscured, masked by a serenity that was often taken for granted. But these moments were Daryl’s moments of peace and they were becoming more frequent because of the dark-haired girl beside him. She was becoming his haven away from the misery. He trusted her to ground him, to distract him and to remind him that not everything was lost.

“Said ya was holed up in an apartment opposite a bookstore in the city. That you was doin’ OK n’ that he didn’t tell me ‘cause ya asked him not to and he owed ya.” He explained, catching her small smile as she studied him when he spoke. “And…”

“…and?” she echoed.

He hadn’t meant to let the conjunction slip out. In fact, he’d intended to scrap it altogether, thus getting himself out of revealing everything else that Merle had said. But it was done and if he backtracked, he would be lying and that was one thing he never wanted to do to her.

“He uh-he didn’t know what he was talkin’ ‘bout. It don’t matter.” He tried to dismiss.

Jess’s interest was well and truly hooked by the last, little word on the end of his sentence and she was not about to let it slide without any inclination as to what he was referring to. She had some opinions about Merle of her own and so, concluded that the best way to get Daryl to continue talking, was to be honest herself.

“It does. It does matter. Your brother wasn’t as bad as everyone made out. I saw who he was. He was rude and sexist and racist and he stank of whiskey like, all the time but he was brave and he knew what it was to be loyal. I didn’t expect to, but I respected him and I know now that he respected me in the end, because he didn’t tell you where I was until he was sure he was going to die.”

He briefly looked round at her at her and she heard him sigh. She could tell he wasn’t comfortable with confessing whatever else Merle has said and decided that if her attempt turned up nothing, she didn’t want to push him to anger.

Daryl wasn’t sure if he could endure yet another conversation that left him feeling vulnerable and exposed, it seemed to be what they did now, spent time alone and toed the line together. Although, quite what line Jess was nearing, he only wished he knew. A part of him wanted to tell her the truth and in the back of his mind, he could hear his brother.

‘Don’t be no sissy.’

“He wanted me to know he thought you’d make a good Dixon” He told her.

“Really?” Jess asked in a tone that told him she was a little surprised. “Seeing as I have you as an example of the better half of the Dixon’s I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Don’t know ‘bout that.” He mused with a shy huff “… he um, he also said somethin’ else. But I don’t wanna make ya uncomfortable or nothin’.”

Jess’s eyebrows shot up and a look of captivation swept across her face, her lips curled into a grin as she searched her memories for any clues as to what he could possibly mean.

“You can’t say that and not tell me. C’mon, pleeeease?” She pleaded with a giggle and having to stop herself from gripping his arm and playfully shaking it.

She was too much. Too much to say no to. Her laugh and the sparkle in her eyes made it impossible. He was going to have to give in, he had no choice. His hands furiously picked at the threading on his pants and he was altogether very aware of it, forcing himself to sit still and summon the courage to tell Jess what she was waiting to hear as she leaned towards him across the arms of their chairs.

“Said that everybody knows that you’re my girl n’ I’d be a damn fool not to find ya n’…tell ya that.”

“Oh” Jess breathed quietly, setting back into her seat and blinking away the surprise. “I see.”

“Like I said, he didn’t know what he was talkin’ ‘bout.” Daryl added in the hope that it would do something to help filter the awkwardness from the air.

“That asshole wanted us to squirm with embarrassment even after his death. Very Merle.” Jess chuckled to herself. “Well, ‘your girl’, huh? I should be so lucky.” She mused, slowly turning her head to check his reaction. In the low light, she could just about make out the darkened top of his ear peeking through the gap in his hair. She’d made him blush.

“Are you…blushing?” She grinned.

“What? No.” Daryl huffed awkwardly.

Feeling triumphant and noting it down as more than one occasion that she’d successfully managed to turn those ears pink and witness the slight tint to his cheeks, Jess felt a surge of self-assuredness rush through her. Now, she had the control.

“I did I get the ever-stoic, badass that is Daryl Dixon to blush. Oh, that’s right…again?!” She giggled, nudging his elbow with her own and almost dying at the sight of him hiding a smile and flat refusing to let her have the glory.

“Stop. and ain’t nothin’ lucky ‘bout that.” He scoffed.

Jess tutted and rolled her eyes, releasing a very deliberate sigh and crossing her arms over her body, allowing the empty cookies wrapper to fall to the floor. She didn’t even bother to stop and analyze just how honest she should be, Daryl was going to hear what she really thought, and that was that.

“What are you talking about, you idiot?” She questioned “You’re a catch.”

Daryl side-eyed her, wishing he could find the words to ask her to elaborate, or drag more out of her about what she really thought of him. Hearing that she thought he had something to offer had almost knocked him for six and all coherent thought was suddenly dispelled in his mind like pins at the end of bowling lane.

“Huh. Yeah. Whatever.” He mumbled.

Jess was getting used to risk-taking around Daryl. Most of them had paid off and gifted her with something more than the minimal, closed-off person he presented to everyone else. She’d even managed to get herself some physical contact in the form of a hug and would not be forgetting being able to touch his arm or hold his hand in a hurry. With that in mind, she dived in again, risking placing her hand on his forearm and was pleased when he showed no interest in moving away.

Daryl slowly dragged his eyes down to where her hand rested, then he met her gaze briefly and rendered her completely speechless when he shifted his arm back, catching her fingers in his and threading them together.

“Thanks” He whispered to her.

“What for?”

“I dunno why…but you see somethin’ good in me.”

I wish I could be the man you deserve.

Jess slid further down in her chair, still clinging to his hand and rested her head delicately on his shoulder. If he could snuggle into her at night and fit close to her like the missing piece of her jigsaw, then she could snuggle right back. If she could have seen his face, she’d have discovered the pure astonishment on his features. His mouth dropped open and he feebly glanced about the room, unable to believe that what was happening was real. As she sat there with her hand in his and her cheek pressed against his shoulder, her eyes grew heavy and she noticed how comfortable she’d become.

“I only ever see good things in you” She sighed, closing her eyes and letting her weariness take over.

Daryl knew he didn’t need to respond when her head became heavy on his shoulder and her breathing slowed. He certainly hoped that his tower shifts were similar to this every time he volunteered and that he would see more occasions where he would be able to sit with her hand in his and her sleeping form against him and just…be.

Her eyes opened one first, then the other, weighed down by fatigue. It was dark all around her and her neck was stiff. She scrunched her face up, rubbing her fingers over her tired eyes and groaning. Daryl moved to the side and Jess, having completely forgotten where she was, jumped and scraped her chair along the floor while he watched her, tickled by her lack of awareness. She’d been asleep for around an hour, softly breathing against his arm and he’d struggled with the desire to lift his arm and position her underneath, against his chest and in a motionless embrace. But he’d stayed put and exulted in her being nearer to him than any other woman had managed in the past.

He reached out in an echo of when she’d woken beside him in his room and gently brushed at the corner of her mouth with his thumb.

“Droolin’ again.” He chuckled

When it all hit her, where she’d been sleeping, his mocking of her involuntary saliva escape and the delightfully entertained look on his face, she shoved at his arm and covered her bright red face by pulling her hood down to obscure her cheeks.

“Oh my god, don’t be a dick!” She complained

He laughed without reservation, a genuine, unashamed laugh that she had rarely heard without some kind of barrier or means of obscuring it.

“Like a bloodhound” He remarked with a quick flicker of his eyes to his damp shoulder.

“Shut up!” She gasped “Don’t be mean. I was comfortable.” She crossed her arms and pouted at him from beneath her hood. “Shouldn’t have such a comfy shoulder.”

“So, it’s my fault, now?” He asked.

“Yes” She confirmed with an unsure glance in his direction.

You held my hand. I wasn’t exactly going to move away.

“I’ll ask Judith if ya can borrow a pacifier next time” he smirked.

“Enjoy making fun of me while it lasts because I won’t be falling asleep on you anymore.” She muttered to herself while standing up and straightening her clothing, readying herself for the climb down the ladder to the street below. While it was all very light-hearted, she needed to leave the situation and try and erase the memory of Daryl seeing her drool like a baby as she slept.

“Shame.”

She thought she heard it but she couldn’t be certain. It was uttered almost as quietly as his breathing. It wasn’t clear, but it was definitely something. She wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her or her tired mind was making things up. She caught his eye and noted a hint of shyness in him as he nudged his head up at her in a wordless goodbye. Her stomach fluttered furiously because that’s what he did to her now. He gave her butterflies like a girl with a crush. Except it wasn’t just a crush and as the days passed, those butterflies were growing in size, just like her affection for him.

Jess was sitting on the Ferris Wheel upon returning to the fairground. Now out of use and locked in place, she was able to climb up to the top car and sway with the breeze while watching the stars and doodling the outline of her family crest on the front cover of her journal. It was rare she wrote in it anymore, she had Aaron and Eric who bore the brunt of much of her venting. But the heavy nature of the secret she carried with her was steering her back to journaling. Only, she hadn’t quite made it past the front cover yet.

“…And I'll use you as a focal point, so I don't lose sight of what I want…”

She sang quietly, absent-mindedly working her way through the song, grateful that her secluded location meant that she could sometimes sing as loud as she wanted to without fear of judgement. The only audience being the odd Walker, who she would quickly put down with a well-aimed arrow before it had time to cross the trap-ridden area in front of the fence.

“…and I've moved further than I thought I could, but I missed you more than I thought I would”

She tilted her head at the sketch of the crest, she wasn’t the most proficient of artists but was pleased with her efforts and made a mental note to attempt more drawing in the future. It was a break from carving arrows, training, stabbing Walkers and hunting that she needed. Something different to try.

A red streak in the sky caught her attention and she slowly moved the journal and pencil from her lap. She’d just missed it, but it looked like a flare. She waited, straining her ears to listen and squinting at the tower, which could just about be seen through the trees from where she was. The pop-popping of gunfire made her nervous and then, another flare went off in the sky above, closer and clearer this time.

“Oh shit, not again!” she cried before scrambling down the metal structure and racing to the fairgrounds gate.

The scene at Alexandria was more brutal and distressing than she could have ever imagined. With the gate wide open and blood smeared across the asphalt, screams could be heard coming from just about every corner of the town and as Jess crept in through the shadows with her machete equipped and her mask and hood up, her heart beat a solid rhythm in her chest. Her hands trembled but adrenaline was forcing her forwards, putting one foot in front of the other until she halted, whirling to one side and seeing a bloodied woman sprinting across the street towards her. The sound coming from her mouth was garbled yet utterly desperate and her blonde hair was smattered with red from a gaping head wound that reached from above her ear to her collar bone. Following closely behind her, was a burly man with a large knife and a bald head. His face was obscured by a bandana, much like Jess’s and as he barreled along, grasping for the woman’s arm, Jess stepped out from the blackness and ran.

Human bone is incredibly sturdy. It is stronger than steel and concrete of the same mass. The human skull encases the most important organ of the human body, the brain, and has evolved to be as strong as possible to withstand trauma. Strong enough, in fact, that a recently sharpened machete alone is unlikely to penetrate such strong, non-decaying bone with one hit, a fact that Jess was already aware of. Months of reading had paid off and in the slow-motion seconds of her swinging her blade at the bald cranium of the man pursuing the injured Alexandrian, she had the foresight to think of her secondary weapon; the knife that Daryl had given her. The clunk of the metal against his head was so sickening her stomach clenched and her jaw locked shut. The side of the man’s head exploded with blood from the baseball-like swing that collided the blade with the assailant. It peppered her mask and eyes with crimson dots and created a sprawling firework in the air. When she stepped back and watched him stumble, ignoring the loud and gruesome shing from metal scraping on bone as she retracted her machete, she slid her hunting knife from its sheath on her belt and drove it, with all her might into his ribs. He gripped her wrists, terror filling his panicked eyes when his knees hit the ground.

From behind her, Jess could hear the woman’s piercing screams and she quickly turned on her heels, flicking blood from the wound in the man’s side across the surface of the road. He glugged and wheezed and Jess paid him no mind while she focused on the severely hurt woman peering up at her from the floor, where Jess had flung her when she stepped to her aid. Grabbing her arm, Jess began dragging her up to the sidewalk, all the while trying to hush her inconsolable crying and whimpering. Finding a dark spot under a platform and against the perimeter wall, she propped the woman up, ripped her jacket from her shaking shoulders and set to tying it around her wounded head. She’d lost so much blood her entire right side was a deep red and it was pooling under her, dripping from her elbow. Jess snatched the woman’s hand up and placed it on the jacket.

“Hold it. Put pressure on it to stem the bleeding.” She whispered to her with a quick glance over her shoulders. Other people were dashing past, some holding weapons up and wearing similar clothing to the man Jess had attacked. Others, she recognized to be the occupants of Alexandria. Gunfire crackled around her and she could only hope that she was far enough from the road to avoid being shot intentionally or caught in the crossfire. “What the hell is going on?” She asked the woman. Then, it dawned on her. The party. She was from the party and was the unfortunate recipient of Jess’s unwanted cannibal information. Her eyes flickered in a dazed state and her skin was paling fast. Jess shook her shoulder gently. “Hey! Stay awake! What happened here?” She demanded

“The-they came out of….out of nowhere. Started…started…hacking p-people to death” She stammered breathlessly. Jess felt an insatiable fury rise in her entire body.

The group from the city. The group from the woods. The man that shot Daryl.

The woman’s hand slapped around Jess’s wrist, snapping her from her realization and she suddenly leaned forwards, inches from Jess’s face. Her eyes bulged and saliva and blood trickled down her lips.

“Leave-L-leave this place. Not…safe…for-for women. They…they t-take women. M-my children…m-my family…they’re gone…they r-ran.”

It was as plain as day but it didn’t make it any easier for Jess to accept that the gravely injured woman before her was dying from blood loss and likely wouldn’t last another few minutes, let alone long enough for Jess to head off and find her family for her. Swallowing hard, she looked into her tear-filled eyes, held onto her free hand and squeezed it, hard.

“Everything is going to be okay.” She whispered, ignoring the blurry despair that was brimming in her own eyes. “Everyone is going to be fine. Your children, they’re in the church” She lied “They’re there. They’re all there. I saw them go in when I got here. It’s okay…it’s-it’s okay.”

In a display of relief, the woman sighed before eyes began to flutter closed and Jess felt all hope abandon her when her body went limp, her hand went lax and her face froze. Tears erupted from Jess’s eyes and a loud sob forced its way up from the depths of her soul.

“Oh…Fuck” She gasped, sagging forwards and clutching the lifeless fingers of the dead woman to her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough.” She sniffed to the chorus of chaos transpiring from behind her.

As was customary and necessary in the apocalypse, Damaging the spinal cord or the brain enough to avoid reanimation was the next step in a death that didn’t involve one or the other to begin with and now, Jess had to commit an act of mercy to stop the woman from becoming a Walker. She held up her knife and chose not to think too much, it was the way of the world now.

Keeping to the shadows was her forte and it had served her well during her time alone. Jess considered herself lucky that it was the middle of the night and therefore, she was able to move from house to house in search of anyone that may have needed rescuing. From the bedroom of an empty house, she spotted a man being cornered by two strangers with exceptionally large blades. Just out of sight under a tree, she couldn’t make out who the man was, but she didn’t need to know. She slid the window up, climbed out onto the roof and equipped her bow, nocking an arrow and steadying her erratic breathing.

The first arrow was aimed well enough to eliminate one of the men, but the second fell just short, scattering across the road surface and giving away her location. The remaining man’s vision shot up to her, locking her in his sights as he pointed and bellowed at the top of his lungs. Jess stumbled backwards, her back hitting the gables of the house in time to see Aaron run out from behind the tree, pick up the arrow and slam it into the side of the man’s neck. She held her breath for a second while she gawped at Aaron, who quickly began grappling with the arm of the man which held onto his blade.

“I-I have to get down there” She said to herself.

Spinning around, she clambered back through the window and thundered down the stairs, spilling out onto the street in time to see Aaron with the man in a head lock and dragging the knife across his throat. Blood fountained from the wound and Aaron quickly threw him to one side and ran to Jess, dragging her to the side of the house and flinging his arms around her while rambling incomprehensible words over her shoulder. His embrace was so tight that Jess struggled to breathe and had to physically step away to break the hug.

“That was…violent.” She commented.

“Yeah…I know” Aaron panted, blinking in disbelief at the gargling man behind him on the ground. “Are you okay? You can’t be here. I don’t know who these people are but they’re trying to round up the females and kill the men. A lot of people are already dead. You-you have to leave. Now. Rick’s group, they’re working their way around the town. You should go. Please, Jess. Go.” He blathered, grabbing her arm. Jess tore away from him.

“No.” She announced defiantly. “Where is Daryl?”

“Uh…He-he was in the tower at first. The last time I saw him, he was with Rick.” Aaron replied with a wipe of his forehead.

“Eric is safe?” Jess asked

“Yes. I can’t say where. In case they can hear us.”

“Carl? Judith? Enid?” She continued.

“All safe.”

“Lord.” Jess puffed in relief. “C’mon, we have work to do. Stay with me”

Before Aaron could protest, she flung him against the side of the house and was inching her way to the edge, unsheathing her knife again. She spat on the blade and dragged the flat edge across her thigh, revealing it’s reflective surface. It was a trick she’d learned in the city to enable her to check around corners for Walkers. It was also a tried and tested military technique to use small mirrors and reflections for such a task and she was sure that if her brother was watching over her from somewhere, he’d have been proud of her, not only for doing what she had to do, but for having the intelligence to educate herself before running into battle.

The glint of the knife provided her with a tiny, but accurate view down the street towards Aaron's house, where she could see two of the enemy group enter the house. She retreated and pressed her back against the house, next to Aaron.

“Your house.” She whispered “The door is open.”

Aaron's head thudded back against the surface behind him and he squeezed his eyes shut. “Shit” He hissed.

“Eric?” She asked.

“I told him to hide. He’s not a fighter.”

“Did you close the door when you left?”

“Yes”

“Then the chances are, he’s already gone. I’ll check the house.” She decided, moving back towards the corner of the house and gripping her machete.

“I’ll go with you.” Aaron told her quietly. She spun around, pushing him back, in no uncertain terms telling him that he would be doing no such thing.

“I got this. I want you to go and find Daryl for me” She expressed with her hand on his chest.

“I’m not leaving you” He argued.

“Yes, you are.” She gripped the front of his clothing in her fist and shoved him against the house with a thud. “Listen to me” She growled. “I’ll be damned if I lose the man I love again. So, you are going to find him for me. We both know I’m not a perfect fighter but I’m better than you and I can do this. What I can’t do, is live without Daryl in my life. So, go and fucking find him, Aaron or so help me god I will tear down every single one of those licence plates you’ve collected and lovingly attached the wall in the hallway and toss them on a fire while I dance around it singing Kum ba yah!”

Aaron blinked at her in shock but did not for one second take her for a fool. He knew that she was not only deadly serious, but that she was right; She wasn’t as proficient against humans as she needed to be, but he wasn’t as capable a fighter as her. Conceding, much to his worry and trepidation, he gripped her arm.

“Alright, you get my man and I’ll get yours.” He stated.

Jess nodded and went to turn back to the corner, before pausing and looking slightly confused.

“Wait…then we’re swapping back, right?” She asked, a slight smile tugging at her lips. Aaron sniggered and pat her shoulder before dashing off in the other direction, taking the route around the back of the houses in order to stay out of sight.

All around her, gunfire still rang out but the screams were dying down. Bodies littered the street and it wouldn’t be long before they reanimated. They needed to push the invading group back and do a sweep of the bodies with their brains still intact. But first, they needed to kill as many of the violent and ruthless men as possible.

Aaron and Eric’s place appeared to be empty when Jess gradually inched in through the already open front door. Inside was dim, the only light pouring through the windows from a floodlight on the main gate. She checked the shapes in the dark, ticking them off in her mind, each one recognized as a piece of furniture or a blanket or cushion. The house was eerily still and compared to the commotion going on outside, it unsettled Jess’s nerves and caused her to clutch the handle of her blade even tighter than usual. She could hear her heart pounding in her head and she suppressed a shiver as she reached the kitchen. So far, so good.

The hands seemed to come out of nowhere, morphed from the blackness like creatures of the night, grabbing and manipulating her limbs. Gruff laughter and putrid breath licked at her neck and the side of her face as she was jostled across the room. Her blade was ripped from her hand and all that remained at her disposal was her knife, obscured by her sleeve and held out of sight by her fingers curled up to her wrist.

The room flashed before her when she was twisted around and slammed onto the kitchen counter, her head bouncing from the hard surface. For a few seconds, everything blurred and her hearing dropped out before coming back and presenting her with the sinister laughter of the shadows around her. The air left her body, her lungs strained and her stomach contracted. Her throat gasped. Black figures hovered above her, grappling at her clothing to a tune of gruff and sneering laughter. Jess felt a sharp sensation at her throat, long and lethal. She dropped the knife from her sleeve into her hand and hit out with the sharp end of an uppercut, topped by the hunting knife but coming into contact with nothing but air. A mocking voice commented that she was bound to be a lot of fun before they killed her and that they couldn’t let ‘the boss’ know about this one. She could sense that there were two men holding her down, taking her only weapon and pinning her arms to the table. She thrashed and bucked and tried to scream but was soon hushed by the rancid breath of one of the men, leaning close to her face and telling her that if she made a sound, they would gut her like a fish. Her legs were forced apart and she could hear a belt buckle being undone.

No! She thought No, No, No! Please, No!

The back of her head felt wet and began to bleed from the blunt force trauma. Her inner thighs thrummed with agony as one of the men held onto her flesh so tightly, she thought he might tear her skin from her bones. Dread twisted in her gut and she thought she might throw up when the pressure on her thighs released and the sharpness against her neck vanished. Her sheer horror was making everything a little difficult to make out and she rolled onto her side, coughing and reaching up to her head, wincing at the pain.

Daryl hardly ever missed a shot and was glad of his proficiency with a crossbow when he managed to kill one of the men holding jess down with one shot, straight through his temple. The other one looked up in shock as Daryl tossed the bow onto the kitchen counter and ran at him, bulldozing him from the table and landing on top of him. He ripped the weapon from his hand, which he quickly noticed to be Jess’s own Machete and began hacking at him, over and over, growling loudly and driving the weapon down and flinging it up again, all the while fueled by the image of seeing her restrained and about to be hurt in one of the worst possible ways. He didn’t stop, pummeling the brain matter into the flooring, each blow representing only a small fragment of his pure rage.

Jess climbed down from the table and dragged herself into the safety of the corner, pressing her back to a cupboard and hugging her knees as she watched Daryl hack the man into tiny pieces in the light from the window. The metallic odor of murder filled the air and she flinched with every brutal chopping sound until eventually, he stopped and sat back on his knees, panting wildly and tilting his head back to the ceiling.

It felt like hours but it was mere seconds before Daryl got to his feet and turned to face her. She knew it was him, knew he would never hurt her but in that moment, he looked utterly chilling. He charged out of the kitchen, to the living room where he checked from the window on the state of the town. People were re-grouping in the street. Rick, Glenn. Carol, Maggie and Michonne were all in the middle of the road and all in one piece. On his way back to Jess, he slammed the front door closed and adopted a calmer and slower demeanor with her. He pulled a flashlight from his pocket, clicked it on and placed it on the counter, shining the beam to the ceiling so it wasn’t too harsh but he needed to see her face. Like a frightened animal, she peered up at him with blood running down the side of her head. His chest tightened in sorrow at the state of her and he pushed away the urge to lunge at her and wrap her in his arms, knowing it would scare her even more. Slowly, he leaned down to her and offered her his hand. He said nothing, hoping that she could see in his eyes that his number one priority was her and her safety. But she just crawled further into the corner.

“Jess, it’s alright.” He soothed, lowering himself to his knees “Ya safe. I got ya.”

She stared down at his blood-soaked hand and felt something rising inside her. It was distress. It released from her chest in a loud exhalation and tears started to soak down her cheeks. She gingerly reached out and touched his hand, he bit down on his lip at the sensation of her shaking violently. She wrapped her fingers around his and gradually, he felt her hold on tighter and tighter until he was pulling her onto his lap and enveloping her in his arms. He listened to her gentle sobs and with each sniff, another piece of him fell away. He hated her being hurt and wished he could take it all away.

“You good?” He asked, tenderly stroking the uninjured side of her head. She nodded and began to shift from his lap, staggering to her feet and holding onto the countertop. He got up, grabbed his crossbow and dragged his hand across his eyes, clearing some of the blood from his vision and lifting the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face.

“Uh… I…” Jess tried to say. She pushed her fingers into her hair, feeling a lump forming at the back and a gash at the side. It was wet and sticky with blood. When she started to run thought exactly what had happened in her mind, Daryl could only watch her helplessly as she paced about, her eyes scanning the wooden floor under her boots. She quickly refastened the button on her camo pants and smoothed her hands over her painful thighs. “…Um. I think- I…” she stops and stared at him with tears still forming in her eyes. “…I think I almost got...They were going to…”

Daryl was totally perplexed when she burst into fits of laughter. Squeezing her eyes shut and entering into hysterics, using the countertop for stability. Baffled by her behavior but glad she seemed to have let go of her fear, eventually, he started to smile along with her but was still deeply concerned.

“They almost fucking killed me!” She cried “They almost raped and killed me. I can’t believe it! Holy crap!”

The more she looked at him and his confused expression, the more her laughter waned until finally, she stood in front of him breathing heavily and glaring at him with a strange kind of intensity that Daryl could not place.

“You saved my life. Again.” She uttered.

She closed the gap between them, crossing the wooden flooring as if she was on a mission. She stopped inches from him, placed both of her hands on either side of his face, and kissed him. Without warning. Without permission. Without even deciding to do it or ruminating the consequences. He’d held her life in his hands and he still did and she needed it. She needed him simply because her whole being was so thankful, so unashamedly appreciative of his very existence that she couldn’t have done anything else. When her lips met his, she was alive again.

Daryl was hopelessly unprepared and caught off guard and he was certain that every single muscle he possessed locked into a tight knot. He stood there, immobile and wondered how, for so many months, he’d spent time admiring her and studying every part of her face and lips and yet still, did not see this coming. His mind was screaming at him to react in a mixture of his own voice and that of his brothers.

This is what you’ve wanted for so long. Kiss her back.

She tore away from him, stumbling back and covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes were wide with panic and he could see her fingers quivering in front of her lips. His own were parted and tingling from the soft sensation of her kiss, now lingering like a reminder of his own inaction. He peered cluelessly at her through his wet, bloody hair.

“Shit” she breathed “Oh shit.”

She whirled around, running for the door like it was an Olympic sprint and was gone from the house before Daryl could even blink. He released a strained breath and leaned back against the kitchen table, gripping the edge either side of him with knuckles turning white. His head lowered and he closed his eyes.

I guess this is where everything changes.

Had she stayed in Alexandria that night, she would have discovered that the group responsible for multiple murders in the town was indeed the same one from the city and the woods and it was apparent that their spotters had followed Rick's group back from a recent search. Biding their time, they’d waited until the gate guard was distracted and taken their chance, filtering into the community in the darkened corners of the streets and taking out the guards as quietly as possible.

Deanna was notified with enough time to usher the vulnerable into her attic and wait for what she hoped would not be the downfall of her dream.

But Jess fled from Aaron’s house like a bat out of hell, darting across the street and past the exhausted and re-grouping crowd, which contained Aaron and Eric, who exchanged a worried glance after seeing Daryl race in through their open front door in search of Jess. Eric started forwards with the intention of following her, but was stopped by Aaron taking his hand and slowly shaking his head.

Whatever happened, she needs to be alone.

Daryl emerged sometime after Jess with his crossbow on his back and holding onto her machete and knife. He trudged towards the waiting stares of Rick’s group, who were all in various states, but none of which were as stained red by blood as him. Carol ran out from the middle, skidding to a stop in front of him and gasping at the state of him. Asking if it was his blood, he solemnly shook his head, looked up at Aaron and Eric and told them not to go into the house until he’d been able to remove the bodies.

Jess used water from her tank at the large sink in the diner’s kitchen. She stripped down to her bare skin and scrubbed until she was red raw, shivering and trying to wash off the dirt and the blood and the terror and the sadness. Her mind kept flicking back to being held down to the table and her thighs ached from the hand-shaped bruises forming.

Her own morality wasn’t something she dwelled on too much anymore. In her reasoning, she was a survivor, until she wasn’t anymore and that was no less certain even before the world died. But Daryl saving her life had shoved her, staring into the void of her own demise, forcing her to acknowledge that had he not been there in time, ultimately, it was the end for her. Being taken away and used or being killed there and then, it hadn’t mattered to her because there simply was no difference, both meant it was over and it was a thought that stabbed pure fear into every inch of her being.

Jess had come to the conclusion since the turn that everyone had a monster inside them in some way or another. That most people's monsters lay dormant, in a constant state of disuse because they were brought up a certain way, because they’re not wired that way or because they’ve been conditioned, in some way shape or form, to control them. Others, dance with their monsters and feed them and nourish them on their path to immorality, prison or hell. But those that become nothing but monsters at the end of the world were a new type of depravity to Jess. Those that chose to take that path, instead of surviving in the best way possible and retaining their humanity.

The violence she’d witnessed from Daryl had been like watching a horror movie on a screen, only the noise was real and she could smell the blood and the chopped up, mutilated remains would undoubtedly be an image that she would never forget. But she understood that the difference between Daryl and the men that charged Alexandria for a murder spree, was their monsters and now she’d seen with her own eyes just how vicious Daryl’s was. But he’d made a choice to be on the right path, using death only to protect and prevent, contrary to the men he’d killed.

Wandering out to the wooden seats that still remained at the front of the diner from its days of use. She drew a thick blanket around her shoulders, covering her Star Wars hoodie and sweatpants. She quietly slid onto the seat and brought her legs up, crossing them underneath and studied the long grass between the rides as it swayed in the wind. The ringing of the bell on the gate tinkled through the metal structures and she leaned to one side, squinting and spotting Daryl with his body pressed against the gate and his fingers laced through the fencing.

Wearily and with a certain degree of frustration, she hauled herself up from the bench and padded to the gate, stopping in front of it and not even bothering to tell him that she wasn’t about to let him in.

Don’t mention the kiss. Please, Daryl.

Daryl got the message as soon as he saw her face. His clothing was still crimson in color but his skin had been cleaned enough to make him look human again. His hair was matted and his face was tired, his filthy fingers clung to the metal fencing.

Jess approached the gate and stopped two feet away, not bothering to tell him that she was not going to let him in. But Daryl could tell he wasn’t going to be allowed any further. It was written all over her face and she was paler than he’d ever seen before.

“Needed to know you’re OK” He said quietly, his voice croaky from the sheer ferocious nature of chopping a man into multiple pieces and expelling his rage through his throat.

“I’m not OK. I just need to be left alone.” She said honestly.

“What can I do?” he asked, ignoring the latter part of her sentence and focusing on the fact that she was not, in fact, okay.

I’m not going to mention the kiss. Now ain’t the time.

“Nothing.” She whispered, running a hand through her hair and clutching the blanket at her waist.

“Ya head alright? Ya took a beatin” He observed after noticing the cut to her right temple had been cleaned up and was luckily, smaller than he’d expected.

“Sore.” She shrugged. Concussion was a very real possibility and Jess was aware of that. Her head stung and ached with pain when she’d attempted to get some sleep and so she decided that she would think her night away while sitting on the bench outside.

“You okay other than that?” He continued

Usually always delighted to be in his company, when she looked at him, she experienced a bizarre mix of emotions, among which was humiliation, but also gratitude. She needed him to leave but didn’t possess the mental energy to find the most polite way to ask.

“Daryl-”

“-Don’t you dare argue with me right now, Jess.” He interrupted firmly. The gate rattled on its hinges when his boot hit the bottom of the frame, adding an element of irritation to his warning. “I said, are ya okay, other than that?”

“Some bad bruising on my thighs. That’s it.” She sighed, noting him shift and move closer to the gate, levelling his gaze with her.

“No, uh, I meant…” he pauses “they were gonna-”

“-I know.” She cut in “I know what they were going to do. I’m ok. Really.”

She didn’t need to file through the details, didn’t need to talk about how frightened she was or how her skin felt like it had been marred even though it didn’t get that far, she also didn’t want to talk about how she’d witnessed the man she loved bludgeon someone else to a pulp. What she needed was sleep and to start moving on.

“What you saw…” he croaked “…what ya saw me do…I’d never hurt you. Don’t be scared of me, Jess. Please.”

A lump formed in her throat at the thought of him believing her to be scared of him. He was the person she trusted more than anyone else in the world and he was responsible for her still being alive and able to step forward and entwine her fingers with his through the fence.

“Remember when I told you I’d kill anyone that tried to hurt you?” She asked. Daryl only nodded at the memory. “You did the same for me tonight. I’ll never be afraid of you.” She sniffed “I adore you.”

He unlaced his hands from the fence, pushing them back through once more, over hers and held them there tightly.

“I couldn’t stop. I just…couldn’t stop. Everything went black n’ there was just me n’ him and I thought of you and what he could’a…” He explained. “…I’m here. If ya need to talk. I’m here.”

“I’m okay, Daryl. It didn’t happen. You stopped it.” She assured him

He tried to step back but he couldn’t bring himself to let go of her hands, his feet moved but he was soon against the fence again, pleading with her to just let him in, into the fairground and into her thoughts. But she was more independent than he remembered and she needed to start to process it on her own. His eyes never left her, even when a long and intense silence lasted for almost a minute and his hands only gripped hers more.

“I’m the one you tell.” He rasped. “Me.”

She rested her head against his with the fence dividing them like a physical representation of the barrier that had been cemented between them from the beginning.

“Always” She agreed.

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@lilred254 @woundmetender

Masterlist

#daryl #daryl dixon #the walking dead daryl #twd daryl #daryl fanfiction #daryl x oc

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